The Deed Mark
Log Info
- Title: The Deed Mark
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Cryosanthia, Faranmidahn, Seyardu, Aryia, Un'eth
- Place: A10: Temple of Daeus
- Time: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 9:50 PM, Friday, October 1, 2021, 1:26 PM
- Summary: Faranmidahn arrives, distraught that she was not informed of her scale-sister's condition, nor about what happened to her niece. The turmoil is over, Cryo is healed, Lily is restored, but both whitescale and pinkscale are overjoyed to see the Spider knight. They hug, and talk, and play marbles. Cryo also struggles to get in clothes that Seyardu purchased for her, requiring help from Lily and Seyardu. Faran was briefly tiny, using a reduce person spell, to play marbles with Lily but then finds herself underfoot of the white dragon. There, she sees a marking on her tail, and using a detect magic gets a response, it becomes a topic of discussion. Aryia recognizes it as similar to Aya's mark. Faran identifies the mark as a kind of divine blessing, while Seyardu explains the others seem to have colours representing Eluna, Animus, and Maugrim. This prompting Cryo to give the most detailed description of what happened to her in the Sea of Mana, and before in the Crystal cavern. Although the whitescale is confused, as her mark shows Eluna's and Ceinara's colours, with a strange white third ring. It dawns on her, her Maugrim ring in her own colour for doing such a good job representing him. She to the others her self that failed, comparing it to their experiences in the Fernwood Pub where everyone defaulting to their roles. She suggested the reenactment, the gods were watching and provided their blessing, and this was the difference from the selves that failed. She is stuck in awe, contemplating this, and her religious experience chips away at even Aryia's atheism. She hugs everyone, understanding the interlocking of need and support, and realizes she knows how to change back into her Sith'Makari form.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A10: Temple of Daeus *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The temple of the Sun Lord glitters golden beneath the same. Rather than walls, the majority of the temple is composed of what appears at first blush to be a raised round platform made of one of the largest slabs of marble likely in existence. Columns rise into the air as if to hold some massive ceiling, though instead of a normal ceiling, one finds the deep blue sky, studded by a disconcertingly close canopy of bright stars. One should not worry, however, as the rain never falls, and the wind never blows on this particular temple, but for a gentle breeze, whatever the weather outside may be.
Despite the austerity of the columns, warmth suffuses the grounds. A grand, marble statue of the Shining Knight stands a the center, a hand outstretched in benediction. Beside Him, the statue of Althea, their hands clasped in love. The central position of the temple to the others gives view to all of their children, and the two look upon one another with the solemnity of love that has been the center of so many tales and legends.
Masterfully designed mana lamps provide further soft, golden lightning where needed, their pedestals carved in the form of the Dragons of Light, over which Daeus is said to have dominion in His form of Draco Solis. Majesty, justice, and welcome suffuse the temple grounds. Around the central temple are a series of smaller buildings, each with a simple function and form. One houses the sacred book depicting some of the earliest known translations of the Laws of Light, which pilgrims from near and far come to visit. Another houses the well-appointed quarters of the Sunguards, and among all the ground bristle the Sunblades.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- At a glance around A10: Temple of Daeus -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 7'2" 391 Lb Dragon Female A gorgeous, little white dragon with glacial higlights. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. Faranmidahn 3'3" 35 Lb Halfling Female Albino Lucht woman. Knight of Spiders. So, SO Fluffy. Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a resolved look about her. Un'eth 6'2" 275 Lb Sith-Makar Female An ebon-scaled female Sith-makar -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= NPCs of Note -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Little Fang 'Lily' Kobold Female A pinkscale youngling wearing a skeletonized broach. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Temple of Daeus Complex: Cryosanthia's recovery room.
Lily has found a set of marbles. Someone, somewhere else, has lost their marbles.
Cryosanthia is crouched on the floor, as is her foundling, on opposite sides of a chalk circle and are taking turns shooting them and trying to knock each other's out of the ring. There are a few large ones, and mostly small marbles.
They're all small for the little white dragon, who is having some difficulty managing the flicking motion to shoot them - without either missing or shattering the glass balls.
Also, Lily might be cheating, "Isss my turrn again."
With Cryosanthia so much more hale, Seyardu was taking a much needed nap. Between care for the whitescale, and strange sleeping hours, and all the errands she sought to accomplish in her free time, it was no surprise that it was finally catching up to her. The silver sith-makar was sprawled over the back of an armchair, tail swishing idly behind her.
"This one had purchased a few things in town today, Cryosanthia." She says quietly, gesturing to a bag that had been set aside. "You do not have your sleeves for now, so this some giantborn clothes altered to fit."
"You measured me? When I was sleeping?" Cryo looks over at the now roused silverscale.
Lily takes a shot, there's a skittering of marbles. Cryo's attention snaps back to the game, but it seems a few of hers are out of position now.
"Uh... uh. Thank you Seyardu."
It's been a while...
Too long, in fact, since word of one's wherebouts, well, two's whereabouts, were given to certain others for consumption.
There is, after some... excited conversation further down the hall, the pitter-patter of little feet moving at quite the gallop along the stone...
Then, the doorway is filled with a little ball of fluff, mithril and silk, a hand curling about the sill of the door as Faran flushed and breathless cries, "Cryo! Lily!"
Pant.
Cough.
"Hah...huh-hi, Miss" pant, "Seyardu." a missive of some kind clutched in the other.
She swallows and pads further into the room, looking concernedly between her family first, then her friend and back, "Are... are you alright...?"
Seyardu shakes her head slowly, and lets out a puff of air with a long yawn. "No, no. This one did not, they would have asked. This one just knew your height from files, and was able to get an estimate for some looser fitting clothing. This one wished it to be a surprise."
She looks over to the door, and sees the familiar face. Her tail thumps once against the floor, and Seyardu smiles. "Peace on your nest, Dame Faranmidahn." The silverscale greets, smelling of wildflowers closer to her. "Are you alright? You look like you came here with some urgency. Although, I believe Cryosanthia can tell you how she is doing herself."
"Yes! I am! Farans!" Cryo moves in a long spiral, twisting from her position, against the wall to land in front of the door on all fours. Her tail sweeps the marbles, scattering them.
"Tia Faransss!" Lily squeals happily, also charging and scattering the glass balls. She ducks under her Ssassa, squeezes along beneath her belly to pop out between her forelegs into the embrace of the fluffy knight of Spiders.
The little lucht is now surrounded in dual hugs. Cryo nosing into her hair. "I missed you. I needed you. I wanted to hug and hold you. I wanted you here. I couldn't write it, it it... I couldn't come get you."
"Lily is okay. I'm okay. Not everything is ok, but they're much, much better." The little white dragon holds onto her right-sized Knight. Princess Lily holds onto her hero, "Yessss."
Faranmidahn isn't quite able to answer the well intending question at first, as suddenly, Cryo is leaping in her direction. As her sister lands before her, her neice charges into her and the pair engulf her in hugs, she leaves the crumpled paper to gravity as her arms encircle the two for as tight a hug as her small body can manage, "We've been worried sick! No one's been telling us anything!"
She kisses the elder, then the younger in turns as wetness trickles from her eyes, "I missed you so much!"
A sigh, some intake of breath to bring herself closer to center, and she smiles to Seyardu, "I'm.. much better, thank you. I... got Cryosanthia's message and came straightaway, but... Torrent was eating so I..." her rosey cream complexion becomes richer across her cheeks, "...I ran..."
Seyardu nods, and smiles still, slipping out of the chair to pick up the scattered marbles from the ground, before someone was tripped by them. Probably herself, all things considered. It leaves the others to their reunion, which is good as well.
"Apologies, Faran. This one has been busy with many things, and did not think to tell you of what happened. I am deeply sorry, I did not consider properly. And this is on top of the extra chores I resulted in."
She continued to gather the marbles, more than a touch ashamed at the forgetfulness.
"It's okay, you're here, I'm here, Lily is here." Cryo says, nuzzling the top of Faranmidahn's head. She picks up the little Lucht, hugging her to her chest with one arm, and picks up her pinkscale youngling with the other. She turns. Her balance as a biped isn't great but she stands, and walks, using her wings to bat-crawl and support her, fingerspars touching flagstones.
The whitescale nods some thanks towards Seyardu, and continues explaining. "It wasn't supposed to be this long. I went to the Sea with Cesran, something went wrong when I came back. I was in Am'shere, then here, and then... Lily... and Aya... and Zeke... there's so much Farans I need to tell you, and can't tell you."
She squeezes comfortingly, then holds loosely.
"Blue ran awaysss again." Lily tells Faran, sharing what was kept from her.
Cryo inhales sharply, "Just a little... that too. Oh Faran. Stay, please." She clambers onto the bed and holds the pair.
Faranmidahn closes her eyes and sighs, "No, I... that wasn't... Miss Seyardu, there were any number of Sunguard here who know what we are to each other. That isn't for you to take-"
She gives a slight squeak as she is scooped up as in the old days of Salina and Eclavdran, though her breastplate is not so soft and squishy as her old leather armor. Knowing the routine well, she holds on as best she can, though this new.... aspect of Cryo's mobility is novel. By gilead's grace, all her time riding Torrent has steeled her tummy against such energetic travels, and so, like an armoured teddy, she cuddles into the palescale and looks to the Silver, "Please, lift your head."
Her attention turns to Cryo, as she starts her own apologies, gaping and floundering for words at several points before Lily's words pull her eyes the pinkscale's way. She nods, eyes thoughtful, and reaches out to gently stroke the carnationscale's head before looking back up to Cryo, "Oh, honey.. I"m so sorry.... Of course, I'll stay, as long as you need."
"I will still take some responsibility for the matters." Seyardu does so, raising her head, and she nods, Raising her head for a moment before returning to the search for marbles, but much more relaxed. Though she stops, tilting her head somewhat at the comment from Lily. "Zeke ran away?" She asks, tensing slightly.
"This one can leave you all be, if that would be best."
"He won't be gone long. He will be back soon. Our bond is strong. It's my fault. This one said things. This one's words have chased him off." On the bed now, Cryosanthia sets Faran and Lily down and remains crouched over them. "His mother, Nonantzine came, she hurt him, we fought. He stood up to her but it didn't work."
"She's... she's... this one accused her of things... Zeke thought I meant him, somehow..." Cryo frantically explains, her pupils wide, her eyes showing only slivers of sapphire, "She... loves him, but she doesn't see how she hurts him."
"We talked, once he was gone. It's as if the sight of him enrages her somehow." The whitescale makes a small thrumming noise, "this one sees herself in her, through a mirror distorted."
"Zeke will be back, it will be okay. You don't have to go. Why does everyone get to leave this room but me."
Faranmidahn seems troubled still by this... development, but she smiles for her sister's sake, "Of course, honey..."
As she is lowered to the ground, the very tips of her tooties reaches floorward just past the fluff of her fetlocks before flattening proper against the tile and she finds herself looking up to Cryosanthia as she continues to elaborate on things, "I... didn't think she was still alive." she confesses in a slightly distracted tone, then she turns to Seyardu.
She smiles and with a final stroke along Lily's headscales, steps over toward the grand silver, offering her hand, "You don't need to go anywhere, friend, please... be at ease."
Seyardu blinks as she gets most of the marbles off the floor, so she could stand up straight. She looks to the three on the bed, and sighs.
"I just do not wish to be a bother when you are both getting to see each other again." She says, reaching to hold the offered hand.
"I just need to make sure you are okay to leave, but I think it will not be a problem, Cryosanthia." Seyardu offers to the whitescale, followed by a slight chuckle. "The lack of clothes, more so? This is why I wished to go out and get some for you, as I have seen how you have desired to go out.
"His mother, he shared some about her, with me. I thought, with what little I know, that she should seek the council and aid of the shamans for the injuries of her mind. She needs to heal, however that may be."
"This one... is not the healer to know what is wrong with her or how to fix her." Cryo says, shaking her head and breathing slowly. Lily stands under her, pressing her small claw-hands up against her ribs. "She has the scents of a Nest-mother who will destroy her own nest, other nests. The Egg-Watchers taught this one that much."
"Zeke could heal her, if only she would let him, if only she would see! Zeke restored my wing and tail, as the representative of the Dragonfather, he pushed the Unraveller out of me."
She waves at the bed, "It was all over this, it destroyed the sheets. It wasn't even alive, it was... the leftovers, of what we killed. It got in me and was growing and growing."
"He removed it." She looks at the door, then hugs her pinkscale again.
Lily returns the embrace, as best she can, stretching her small arms wide and dangling. She's not as well armoured as Faran, but she has scales and that helps. "Marblesss?"
Faranmidahn gives the massive hand a squeeze and assures her, "It's alright, really."
She glances toward her sister, then, "Well, I can lend her my cloak for about eight minutes...." she comments mysteriously, a hint of mirth in her tone, thought that fades some as the topic lingers on Zeke's mother.
A sigh, "Mothers aren't always... equipped for the task, not at first." she muses, then, "Maybe... I don't know..."
A blink, as her niece decides the heavy topics have reigned too long, and she parrots, "Marbles?" in some confusion.
"It was a disease, or behaved like one." Seyardu sighs, but then she nods, and smiles. "That he could heal it is good, he is an excellent healer, this is true."
The smile fades quickly however. "You are more of a healer than you think Cryosanthia. The kind of healer which she needs from the shaman caste. These injuries, they are not ones that can be healed with magic. With time, communication, and acceptance, yes."
The silverscale had filled a small pouch with the marbles she had found, which she hands back to the kobold. "I believe she would like to play. Would you, Dame Faranmidahn?" She asks the small knight with another smile.
"Yesss. Play marblesss." Lily repeats, patting at Cryo and looking down at Faran. The whitescale seems calmer, "This one wishes to indulge her, if you like. I have trouble flicking them."
She holds forth a draconic talon-hand, wiggles her fingers to demonstrate. "I spoke with Shaman Un'eth, but she couldn't explain to me how to change back. The spells were amusing."
"There... was a lot. That happened. Has happened. It's been a rush of events."
Faranmidahn nods, not liking the descriptions of Cryo's earlier malaise, sounding too much like a tormentor not long enough absent for her tastes.
She nods up to Seyardu, then, refreshing her smile, then cups her hands for the spheroids in question, "Of course, that sounds like fun!"
Her gaze softens as Cryosanthia begins to speak again, looking to her hands and wondering, "Is this... like what happened to your mermaid friend? You said she was cured, maybe...?"
"It's... a little? I'm not sure." Cryo says, lying on the bed so she can watch.
Lily takes the bag from Seyardu and divides up the marbles, "Thiss yourrs. Mine, yourrs." She counts them out, when there are two piles she explains, "Sshoots ssircless. More in ssircless winss, can knockss out." She wiggles down and flicks a small marble which stops off centre, closest to Faran.
Cryo continues, "Uneth says this is really me, but also how I was is really me. It's a little... confusing. I thought with the mana gone, and the Unraveller gone, I would just switch back."
"It's turning out to be more like my wings, or my jaws. You remember when my jaw fell off? Oh, my wings went full in the Sea."
She gets an odd expression, "when Merek attacked the other me."
"Would you like to try on what I brought you? It's just in the bag over there." Seyardu suggests while she watches Lily set up the game with a smile. "The wings were there prior, but not formed fully." She notes, glancing at the additional appendages. "They seem to be a part of you like any other."
The talk of jaws falling off makes her wince. "You are still yourself for certain, your mind. It may be a matter of time, or perhaps, you need to get more in touch with this form? You do need to try flying, now that your wing is healed. And what is this about a mermaid friend? This one did not know you had one as a friend."
Faranmidahn crouches down and looks to her opponent as she starts doling out the marbles, and, perhaps in a fit of levity, or perhaps to play the game on the same scale as her niece, she starts to make several quick gestures as she chants under her breath, "Another arc within the tale, I bid thee now, abate in scale." <halfling>
With a shimmer of shadowy motes and iridescent mist, the halfling is suddenly much smaller, tiny, in fact. Smaller than the carnationscale, who gets a quick wave.
Cryo's reminder of their picnic jaunt brings a wry smile and she chirps up her way, "How could I forget, I was completely at a loss about what to do!"
News about Merek brings a tiny(fine?) palm over the bitty-Lucht's face for a moment and she shakes her head. Where does she even with that?
Seyardu's question prompts a nod, but this is more Cryosanthia's story to tell, as the sound of bouncing marbles draws her attention, "Oooh! That was a good one!" she cheers, then steps closer to try and get her own ball rolling.
Tink!
The marble starts to move under the Knight's impulse, but it doesn't go quite as far as it might have at her normal size.
GAME: Faranmidahn casts Reduce Person. Caster Level: 8 DC: 15
Lily bounces happily when Faranmidahn shrinks, reaching tall and going 'Rawwrrr' before scrambling and crouching down to shoot a few more marbles.
Cryo says, "Yes, this one will try the clothes. You met her, Seyardu. Braelnoir is the mermaid, was the mermaid. There as an artifice device which caused great havoc for a while, trapping people in other forms. Dispel magic and other efforts to remove it would cause defensive reactions, usually other transformations."
"She, another friend of this one, Nels, recovered. They used some fish, that Elleandra raises, which nibble magic." She gets an odd look, "a few didn't, I think there is a family of cow centaur milk merchants that never did."
"I don't think it's like what happened to Braelnoir." She wiggles on the bed, "after a few days I could make my jaw change, just like I used to be able to manifest claws for a short while. I just... had to think, I want them now! They'd be there."
Lily shoots another marble, "Sscorre!"
The silver scale blinks, seeing the knight shink. She hesitates, before reaching to pat Faranmidahn on the head. "Ah, yes, Braelnoir told me about what a good friend you were to her at that time." Seyardu smiles. "Though I do not know if I heard about the mermaid portion. Seems there was more to this device still. Almost as curious as an even tinier Lucht-Siul."
"And excellent shot, Lily!" She says, stopping the marble and rolling it back to the kobold.
"Perhaps it is not the same. Although, it has only been a two days since you have fully healed. So perhaps it may still come to pass? It would be impressive to change back to this form whenever you wished. I think you give even better hugs in it."
Faranmidahn blinks as she is suddenly petted, still so very very fluffy. She looks up at Seyardu a moment, blinking again, "Ah... yes, well... I know a little magic." she confesses with a smile.
She turns to the victorious cheer of Lily and she chirps, "Good shot!" before she hunkers down to flick her own shot in turn, much better now that she has a more solid idea of the difference in strength and mass she has to impart.
She looks to Cryosanthia again and asks, "So... there were two Mereks... and two of...." clearly a couple of gears are gnashing their teeth a moment by the look on her face, then, "So... someone else punched you and... your.... wings turned into dragon-you?"
Cryo holds her hands out towards Seyardu, looking at the bag of clothes, "Thank you, this one didn't realize that about her hugs."
She shakes her head, looking at Faran, "it's worse than that. Copies of everyone that went to the valley came out of Merek. They were us, not evil, but... we'd failed, and we were broken. Everyone started fighting and we couldn't work out what to do."
She takes a slow breath, "whatever I did, the other me copied. They used our strategies, the other Seldan even had an evil Reunion."
"Merek... tried to disintegrate the other me, and I put my wing out to stop it... and that's when I had suddenly had my full wings, and they worked. I didn't want to see her... me... die."
"And I did. She cracked up like a puzzle and melted like ice. Her last words were, 'you have to save her'."
She's shaking her head, "And I don't know who she means. Could even be you, Seyardu, you're stretching yourself too thin, just like Merek."
"Sscorre!" Lily shoots again.
"You said they were not like that. But, it is a theoretical. This one, does not think it is something that will happen. If it ever goes closer, then we will all do what we can to stop it." Seyardu smiles. "I promise."
At the comment, she sighs though. "Rocky spoke to me before, about such concerns. He said to know the limits of what you give, and keep that in mind. But, I agree with him on other matters. That helping others, helps myself, like it does for him."
Her tail thumps once against the stonework as she passes over the things. Inside the bags were several garments for an outfit. A white and blue skirt in a gradient with buttons for slipping a tail through the back, and accompanying white blouse with blue accents the way Cryo had worn often. Perhaps there were more alterations than just to her form.
"That is not a little magic. Well, little magic, I suppose. To be honest, this one has never had a good chance to speak to you."
Faranmidahn has her heart all over her face as Cryo describes a rather... horrific scenario, "Gods, Cryo.... that must've been...! I'm so sorry you had to go through that...!"
It's a juggling match, bouncing her awareness between her sister and niece, but the pendulum must continue to swing.
She looks to see Lily's shot and chirps, "Oh, you got me good, there! Whatch this!" She hunkers down a little bit, shifts her feet for drama's sake, then shoots off toward a small cluster of marbles.
She looks up to Seyardu as she speaks, "It's very noble, it is, and it's appreciated, but sometimes you need to take care of yourself as well."
She hmmm's and looks down at herself on the musings about magic, and, "Well, I have a few tricks like this, though... some are more destructive. This is one of a couple that I use for fun, mostly."
"I don't understand." Cryo says, taking the clothes and examining them, "These look nice. Hmm... well now I feel like Braelnoir with her paw hands."
She ducks her head into the shirt, explores around inside it, "How do I get my wings through?"
Cryo-ghost turns towards Faran, "it... I learned a lot. It was the Fernwood Pub and Big Hammers all over the place again Faran, and I managed to get them to listen to me. Our other selves showed us how to fail, our success was doing something we normally wouldn't."
Lily skooches over as Faran takes her next shot, she quickly fires a big marble back. In her eagerness and excitement it rolls completely out of the circle.
Cryo gets an arm out of a sleeve, "Well, this one will try talking to Nonantzine, and is still thinking about what happened. I dreamed I was talking with Eluna, and Ceinara and Maugrim, you know?"
"I understand, Faranmidahn. I am putting aside more time for myself, even if it does not seem like it. Even just to relax." Seyardu sighs, smiling to the small lucht. "That magic certainly looks fun, it is not something I considered, using magic for fun. But I can see that it is enjoyable."
"Ah! The two pleats at the back of the blouse, they are actually open and secured by buttons that are hidden and padded by the fabric." Seyardu explains, chuckling a bit at the sight of the cloaked dragon. "It is in some regards. Perhaps another time, but Braelnoir mentioned something about a play to me, about a dragon and a demon?"
Faranmidahn smiles and 'whoop!'s as Lily's shot goes a bit out of bounds, and the tiny Knight trots fluffily after it before it can roll out into the hallway.
It takes her a little bit to roll it back toward the circle, even as she answers with a question, "How are you.... feeling, Cryo? Does it... does it still hurt, like the Jaw or...?"
Blink, then a look to Seyardu on her question for Cryo, then she stares with big(fine, more like, maybe diminutive) eyes at her sister, "You wrote a play?"
OH, yeah, the game!
Ahem, "Sorry sweetie!" she apologizes to her niece, then pads over to one of her marbles and takes another shot.
It took some courage to return to the very room that plagued her rest. And plagued... just about every waking thought. A bundle was under one hand, and the other raised to knock at the door softly after hearing some familiar voices inside.
Opening the door would reveal a scarred mul'neissa woman in a gold-trimmed green dress with long sleeves and green cloth gloves. Under one arm was a rolled up, pink bundle of cloth. She blinks at the sight, of faces new and old, as well as Cryosanthia's developments. She smiles lightly and raises a hand in greeting.
Cryosanthia looks at Seyardu, then Faranmidahn. Well, her clothing-covered head obviously faces one way, then the other, and she's moving about within the voluminous fabric. "I think... buttons in folds may be too much. Is this a wing-sleeve?" Then, "Lily, help?"
Lily points dramatically at the tiny spider-fluff knight, "No cheatingsss." She then scrambles up on the bed, into the shirt, and adds to the lumpiness moving around beneath it.
"I'm not sure which play she means, Faranmidahn. I have written a few, and Braelnoir was on one, and there's a Crimson Pen story about a succubus which I think was written by an actual succubus."
"Is this the sleeve?" More ghosting. There is a half-dragon, half-ghost sitting on the bed. Her head turns towards the door, hearing it open, "Is that... no... it's Aryia. Peace on your nest Aryia. Come in."
Faranmidahn looks artfully aghast that her beloved niece would accuse her of doing anything so unseemly, hand of her chest and everything, but caps it off with a knowing grin as the kobold bounds off to help Cryo with her wardrobe.
She turns to the sound of new footfalls, more acutely aware of them at her current scale and look up-up-up to wave and chirp a merry, "Hello, Miss Aryia! Looking good!" followed by a brief glance at her family, then back to the Mul'niessa, "How are yu doing?"
Aryia watches the scene play out in front of her, a her slight grin turning amused from the antics. Both from the tiny knight that she had not seen in some time, to Lily attempting to fix a wardrobe issue from within. It certainly was a very welcome change to the doom and gloom that she had left this place last time.
She bows slightly and steps in, giving a wave to Seyardu as the silverscale busies herself. The mute woman stands there a bit, taking in more before clearing her throat and setting down the pink bundle of cloth on the foot of the bed.
Despite her gaze landing on the pinkscale, she keeps her smile from faltering, though her shimmery eyes dim a bit as a line of text crosses her mind's eye.
She turns to Faranmidahn, her smiling lightly and wiggling her hand in a 'so-so' manner, before waving that away and giving a thumbs up. The last time they spoke was at the TarRaCe, playing with a teeny little spider. She points at the Spider Knight, her tilting her head to the side and returning the question back to her.
"Triess now." Lily instructs. A lump having moved over the form's back.
Cryo struggles in the apoptygma of the sleeves, finally her head pops out, leaving it hanging around her face like a hood. One horn is caught in a hem.
"Nooo. Thass for wingsss." Is Ssassa doing this on purpose? Her wing isn't very successful trying to get through a regular sleeve.
"Just a moment Lily, this one must speak with guests. Hello Aryia. I'm very sorry. This one will help, when she can. Zeke has healed my wing and tail. Shaman Un'eth has helped me try to change back to myself, but it hasn't worked."
She gestures with her left forelimb, arm, shifting another flap of shirt, "I was updating Faran, on everything. The battle with Asumit, what happened after, and after."
She exhales a long sigh, "And after."
Faranmidahn smiles some, looking back to the mother and daughter a moment, then up to Aryia, "I'm... better, thank you." She smiles thoughtfully, looking over the giant Mul'niessa's features, "Zephyr really enjoyed playing with you last time, I'm sure she'd to visit again!"
She turns back, then as the antics with her family continue, with the sound of her sister's voice, and the tiny Knight trots over the expanse to hug her sister's foot (from the ankles down, you're mine!) in solidarity.
Aryia watches such antics for a moment, glad to see a mote of normalcy in the madness of their lives. A sighs leaves her as Cryosanthia mentions such developments. Her smile turns downwards slightly, her lightly kicking her foot against the ground. She shakes her head, ridding the bad away for now. She makes a soft, attention getting whistle, points to the carnation scale running amok the clothing, and gestures to the pink bundle on the bed. "This is for you," she motions to her.
The mul'neissa looks down at Fara. Really, really looks. She rubs her eyes, then squints. She points to her head, points to Fara, then makes a motion of sizing something up with her hands, then makes it really small. A smile crosses her lips at the mention of the little spider, and she gives a sharp double nod. Aryia would like to visit them as well! <Handspeech>
It may be that Ea hears certain words and passes them along, as Un'eth now enters the room. Knocking against wood is a hearth-tale, and she does not. If entry was not desired, the door would be barred, by her logic. She carries a pouch in hand that smells strongly of BACON! even to those without overly acute olfactory abilities.
Claws slow on the floor as she realizes that more than two are present. "Peace on your nest," she greets as snout and eyes pan across Cryosanthia and Lily. "I did not know that you had-" then the itsy bitsy spiderknight "...visitors." Her eyes end upon Aryia and remain there.
Lily's head pops out of a different sleeve. So many sleeves! How many limbs did this jotun have? Wait, it was a custom piece. The pinkscale's attention eagerly snaps to the pink bundle. She presses her arms against her sides and squirm-wiggles out the sleeve to land beside it, and start unwrapping it. She eagerly tells Aryia, "Thanssss!"
The Mul'niessa would note the skeletonized lily broach is pinned to her dress, over her heart. There is a little dancing skeleton hanging from a ring around one of her horns.
Cryo notices the bacon scent! She's backed into the blouse again, so a ghost head turns towards the doorway, "Un'eth! You are back. Peace on your nest. Don't step on Faran. Many have come, it is true. This one thinks you know Sir Faranmidahn, Knight of the Purple Rose, and the other is my friend, Aryia. She talks with her hands."
More strugglng, "which is great in noisy rooms but not when one is caught in clothing."
Faranmidahn looks back from hugging her comforting tarsal hug to see the pantomiming gestures, and it takes her a second to puzzle out th-oh!
A teeny tiny blush accompanies a tinny, nervous laugh as the bittyLucht rubs the back of her neck, "I used a spell!" she chirps, "It should wear off in another six or seven minutes."
Her attention turns to arrival of the new Sith, and a somewhat more neutral expression adorns her face. She detaches and turns to afford the elder a respectful curtsey, "We've met. Peace on your nest."
The bundle unravels to show a warm, pink blanket, not unlike the one that Cryosanthia was given before. Though this time the stitching and the hems were much cleaner, and more professional looking. On one of the edges, embroidered in white thread of the sildanyari script, was the name "Lily" as phonetically equivalent as it could be. Aryia was improving for sure.
Though, the mute woman's attention softens at the lily broach. She puts her hand on her sleeved arm, remembering something. The mute takes an even breath, and nods with a smile. "You're welcome."
A small bit of realization crosses her features. Though she nods in understanding, seeing Fara in a new light. Aryia didn't know the minute Lucht could use magic.
Aryia turns at the scent of food, though her eyes widen as the ebonscale steps in unannounced. It was the sith-makar that hissed at her at the markets the other day. Her shoulders sag a bit under the gaze, and she raises a hand in greeting. Once more, she tries to offer: "Peace on your nest." <Handspeech>
With things relaxing again, Seyardu was half asleep on the bed after offering the clothes. Only the continued struggles and new arrivals cause her to blink awake, and chuckle.
Such are the price of wings, Cryosanthia. It will be easier when you can simply use your sleeves to put on whatever impossible to slip on clothes you wish."
She fidgets some with the buttons, allowing it to be pulled around the extra limbs. pausing and squinting when she sees a pink kobold peeking out to nudge them with their snout.
Then the rest of the room gets her attention. "Shaman Un'eth, Aryia, peace on your nests! I did not see you come in here." The silverscale smiles.
Un'eth's stare at Aryia lingers a bit longer, shifting slightly to the finger-waggling. The sith may gesture when she speaks, at times, but she may not truly take one to be the other. There is no hiss, at the least, and only a simple bob of her head before it is pulled away.
First, downward to the fine Faran. "Ssa, and upon yours. Ea appears far different, now, does it not?" she adds with mild amusement and rather rhetorically.
The struggles of Cryosanthia and Seyardu draw a brief snort. "You have scales, and do not need clothing for protection. Not unless you go to battle."
Cryo moves carefully, feeling Faran hugging her ankle. She reaches down to envelope her with her talon-hand, and return the snug, ever so slightly. It's a careful touch, reminding the whitescale how much the little knight, her family, her friends need her. As much as she needs them. They are her treasures. She will not let them be stolen, any of them.
In her mind's eye there is a 'thunk', a block on top of another block. Interlocking. The tower is being rebuilt. Stronger.
Lily eagerly unwraps everything, then hugs the pink blanket tight against her throat. She signs, "Thanks. You!" Pointing directly at Aryia. <Handspeech>
There is a shrug beneath the shirt, and a wing emerges from the wing-sleeve. Cryo's foreleg finds the appropriate arm sleeve and she gets her head and horns through the neck opening. "The clothing is for others, to spare them seeing things that would disturb them, a dragon in her scales, or parts of her that would invite questions. This one has a strain in her tail from ensuring it does not lift from the floor."
Her other wing is working its way out, "Seyardu was kind to commission something. Perhaps in shirt and dress, venturing forth would not raise alarm and invite dragon-slayers."
The whitescale is convinced her appearance would finally prompt the rapid response of Sunblades, Silverguards and Adventurers she has desired for every demon, fey and vampire appearance. The one time she would not wish such.
GAME: Faranmidahn casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 8 DC: 14
Faranmidahn smiles a little more easily, perhaps reshuffling some past slights as more transitory as others, and gives a neat bow in turn, "Sometimes we all need to look at things a little differently!" she chirps.
As Un'eth, Seyardu and Aryia make themselves (re)acquainted, the turns back just in time for the gentle hand-hug(palming) by Cryo and she smiles. She lifts that smile up toward the face of the Cryossus, but stops and, after a brief doubletake, her fingers start to make little intricate gestures as her tiny voice intones something in her Mother tongue, "Magic forces sweeping earth to sky, reveal your flow to my focused eye." <hafling>
Iiiiiiitty-bitty pink lights emanate from her eyes as a result.
Aryia shifts a bit as her gestures are given a blank stare. Right. No point in trying to get the greeting across. At least she was acknowledged this time around. She gives a little wave to Seyardu again as they reawaken fully, her motioning, "You should sleep soon."
She gives a small smile and a small sweeping motion towards Little Fang. "You're welcome." Aryia steps to the side so the shaman can use the space for whatever it is they had in hand. <Handspeech>
"It is not for protection, Un'eth." Seyardu begins to explain as she buttons the back of the clothing up once the wings are through. "It is easier to be approachable in the city when dressed as such, and, it may make people not believe a white dragon is wandering around the city."
The silverscale smiles, and chuckles. "Perhaps you could ask Braelnoir if she still has that sign to hang around your neck. Not that I believe you will need it."
The suggestion of sleep turns her attention to Aryia, and she nods. "I will, things are getting better now, so my presence is less needed in the future."
Un'eth finds that Lily is rather content with her pink blanket and Cryosanthia with her clothing, regardless of what she, heself, might think of them. The bag of bacon pieces is stowed on her belt for now. "Ssa, the softskins of the city would strike out of fear, or greed," she admits on the wisdom of clothing in this setting and circumstance. "This one spends little time within the walls." Excuse? Insult? Statement? The words may be some of all three.
Lily carefully folds her blanket back up, even re-wrapping it before reach out with small claw-hands for candy meats! She's bouncing up and down, just a little on the edge of the bed. "Readiess for foodsss."
"I think she destroyed the sign." Cryo says, as Seyardu adjusts the clothing, "it was demeaning and EEEPP!"
The whitescale startles at a sudden tingling in her most sensitive tailtip. An electric surge rises up her caudial appendage, curling it up and terminating at her hips, where she jolts upwards in an involuntary mimicry of the pinkscale's excited motions.
"Ahh... ah, what was that?" There's a flickering of blue, tracing along her highlight scales, which fades. Out on her tailtip, there is a glow, responding to Faran's eyes. Cryo has an unexpected smile, "So, ah, whatever Aryia signed to you Seyardu, this one agrees. You have been most helpful to this one. This one will need further assistance with the skirt?"
"There are reasons... this one is in the city, which cannot be discussed currently." Her breathing is a little rapid.
Faranmidahn is a little focused on the scrutiny her spell is meant to enhance to catch the threefold remark upon the softskin-slickers about town, and even the commentary about vandalizations.
With Cryo's very... er... lively response, the tiny Knight starts back to avoid the errant slap of a reflexive tail curl and stares up at the symbols she sees, there, "Ahh... Cryo...? Someone... there's new markings on your tail..." she remarks in a worried tone, "Not like Sally's at all, but..."
Wait.
Pink lights flicker as the tinylucht blinks, "You felt my spell?" Feel-ing may, in fact, be more appropriate, but she's got a lot on her plate.
Aryia jumps a bit at the startled sound from a the dragon-sith, her glancing to the tail and stepping a bit back should something happen. Her brows knit in concern as Fara explains more.
She clears her throat, tilting her head at Cryo's addendum. What reasons would that be? Isn't she freed of sickness? It's clear that little bit doesn't escape her, as she squints up at the draconic whitescale.
Seyardu jolts more awake at the movement, and she squints, before the whitescale seems to smile. "Ah, Aryia was just suggesting I should get some sleep soon." Seyardu explains with another sigh. "And she wished you peace on your nest, Un'eth."
Seyardu takes a moment to show the sign. "Peace on your nest."
Then she continues with a chuckle. "There is more to it than fear or greed. This one finds the robes of the celestial nest-mother makes this one more approachable, as does other clothes."
She nods, and takes the skirt, undoing a few button hidden by the waist before she offers it to the small dragon, easy to slip on up to the tail. "That was, odd. The magic reacted in some way?" She asks with a look back to Faran.
Un'eth also starts at Cryosanthia's lurch, step aside and around, expecting that she might have sat on her own tail, or sharp youngling claws struck a sensitive spot. The candied bacon is offered somewhat absently to those sharp youngling claws as she peers briefly.
A lack of gore and Seyardu's explanation pull her attention. The gestures are noted again. "That is what was ...waved?" for lack of a better term. She can commune with the elements and the beasts, yet in her defense... well, none of them have hands to speak with, in truth.
Her snout pans and bobs at Aryia, then, to return, "Peace on your nest."
"I'm marked? No! I will not be property again!" Cryosanthia says emphatically, about to whip her tail up to examine it, but feeling Faran's hurried scurry. Then the silverscale is guiding her to stand, remain still, while a skirt is belted on.
Even though Cryo is standing on the bed, dressed, she looks remarkably like herself. Bigger, more scale plates, but not beyond a Sith'Makar semblance.
Clothing does make the woman.
When she drops to all fours and curls up, the illusion is broken. She paws her tailtip up to examine the symbol. "I felt it, yes."
"We all scarred our personal Ley-lines in the Sea. Cesran's... all his veins and arteries turned into new mana conduits, it's remarkable. I... already... Salina... I don't know. Zeke healed them, but I'm still sensitive and I haven't..."
The whitescale cuts off as she examines the mark in full. Three interlocking rings, not a brand, but in the colour of her scales. One ring is a silvery-blue, a cold contrast to the glacial blues in her highlights. The other is a turqouise-blue, closer to her highlights but still different. The final ring is such a stark white it seems devoid of any other colour hints, and whiter than the rest of her scales.
Cryo holds her tailtip, utterly devoured by her thoughts, squeezing the ring markings under her claws.
The little sharp youngling claws, and the rest of Little Fang, also move out of range to snatch candied bacon. After which they are used to climb mount Un'eth, to perch on the shoulder-cliffs, and nibble bacon.
The little rose holds her spell yet, now that things are settled to some degree and she presses her lips into a little bemused s-curve, "I'm still studying the energies involved, but... there's something else, ahh.... I caught a glimpse of something on your wing, honey... I can give it a better lookover once I finish the tail, unless....?"
Ahem, "Shaman... I would not foist a task on you, but I'm only so experienced interpreting such mysteries and I would appreciate the gaze of wiser eyes, if you could?"
Wiser Eyes... a request unheeded over a year ago, a request that could perhaps have stemmed so many calamities, personal and gross alike had it been answered.
The mute mul'neissa gives an appreciative nod towards Seyardu at explaining to Un'eth her greeting. It felt like some latent tension between the two left as the greeting is returned. Though, she cants her head to the side. And if one paid attention, one could see her lips repeat the ebonscale's name with a slightly different silent tone. "Un'eth...?" she repeats voicelessly, less like a proper noun. Huh. File that one away for later.
Amused by Lily's antics, Aryia steps a bit forward to inspect the whitescale's tail as Fara resumes her inspection, a glance is stolen towards the wing, but it resettles back on the tail.
She pauses. Stills. Then sucks in a breath as a half-gasp. ".. s-st-r..!" The woman waves her hands at Seyardu, getting her attention before launching into a brisk, green-gloved explanation. "Hey, hey! Hey! Seyardu! Tell them we've seen that before! Aya had a similar marking on her back! You remember, right? Right?" <Handspeech>
The mention of marks and Cryosanthia's immediate concerns draw the shaman's attention, and moreso when bidden by the bitty. She doesn't ignore the flailing mul, per se, but rather focuses on stepping forward too look at what she might understand, rather than what she knows she cannot.
"What do you see?" It might be a redundant question, or a confirmation, as she now looks, herself at the white-scaled tail-tip and wing to study them.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I think it would be a k/religion DC15 and DC35, and also a k/arc at least DC20 to for some extra info" GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/religion: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Un'eth rolls knowledge/religion: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Faranmidahn rolls knowledge/arcana: (18)+10: 28 GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/arcana: (13)+5: 18 GAME: Un'eth rolls knowledge/arcana: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
Seyardu finishes with the skirt, and she steps away with a nod. "I hope it looks alright, I do not have as much of a grasp on clothes as you Cryosanthia, or the others. And of course, I had to trust the tailor on the colors."
It was an idle discussion, but one relaxing, before she thought on the other matters. She squints at the tail, at the rings, and sighs. But when she could not parse it, she looks back to Aryia and nods quickly. "Aryia says she recognizes that. The markings are similar, or are like the ones Aya had. Some manner of markings after returning from the expedition. Can you tell them more what they looked like Aryia? This one can not see colors, so your view would be the most accurate."
Cryosanthia continues to stare at the mark. It's on her tailtip exactly where she wrings it when she's nervous. This must be significant. She kneads and squeezes it further.
"There's one on my wing?" She looks up, spreading her wing out as she sinks into an 'upright cat' sitting position, crouched on her haunches. She looks at her left, doesn't see anything, and her eyes are drawn back her tailtip.
It evokes memories of her hibernation dreams. Not the dreams themselves, but sensations she had while dreaming, which conspire to pull her into mulling half-formed puzzle pieces.
In her mental landscape, her tower collapses again. She barely notices that too.
The tiny Knight scurries sidelong a bit as she hears the comparatively heavy footfalls approaching her, trying to maintain her focus on the auras she sees, "It's..... some kind of infusion of mana. More.... natural than Sally's work, like grew in like a new molt rather than being forced in like a brand."
She takes a slight bridlike motion of her head and with a note f wonder, "I... has... does anyone else remember hearing about something called mana scars? It's like that, but... "
Not realizing the relative dearth in arcane lore between them, she turns her glowing pink peepers up to the Shaman Caste, "What do you think?"
They swing toward Seyardu and Aryia in flicks and snatches as that explanation comes forward and she nods, "Maybe it's some kind of commemorative sign? The other one is near the little elbow bit on her right wing, along the inside of the joint. I don't get the placement, though... the wing and tailtip?"
Aryia's throat bobs as she gets her head on straight. The rings reminding her of a simpler calm before a blistering storm. One that felt like she was in the eye of, only to get buffeted by the walls more and more often as time ticked on. It made sense, what the little spider knight supposed was going on. The mute woman answers Seyardu.
"It was three rings. Just like that one. One was silvery and... and it reflected the moon. The other one was really hard to see. Almost invisible? Maybe it was the same color as Aya's skin? The other one was solid black," she answers to Seyardu in recollection. A bit of a tired, empathetic sigh comes from her, the mul'neissa reaching out to pat whatever limb was closest to her on the dragon-sith. <Handspeech>
Seyardu takes a step back as the others investigate. "Mana scars, I have never heard of them before." She offers to the small lucht, and Un'eth. "Cryosanthia told me those are the places where she struck the creature with wing and tail, so it may be related to that."
Then she turns to Aryia to take in her response. "She says the three rings like this. One silver, one hard to see, so perhaps like a gray? And another black one."
She chuffs, and looks back to the whitescale. "It could be, colors of the gods? They are colors this one has heard attached to them before. The silver blue of eluna, gray of animus and black of well, it seems most evil gods have a penchant for the color."
The silverscale shakes her head. "That being said, given what happened , the most likely sounds like it would be Maugrim? Are Cryosanthia's rings the same color?"
Un'eth eyes the trio of rings. Two sets, that is. One, then the other, though she cannot tell much different between the two. She focuses on the wing only as it is easier for her to view (and the tail likely easier for the wee one to see).
The shaman analyzes for a long time before answering. "She looks attacked by monstrous leeches... or she succored a trio of hungry pups for half a day..."
Certainly all here can understand the context, having been latched upon by numerous blood-draining invertebrates as long as a sithclaw... Have nursed a trio of wolf pups (with teeth!) for hours on end... The thought brings some pleasant reminiscence causing her thoughts to drift some.
Oh? No one else? Maybe it is just her, in that case.
"This wing?" Cryo pulls her right around, mindful of everyone, placing her right talon-hand on the joint, her thumb analog pressing on the symbol. She still holds her tailtip in her left.
"The fallss off wing." Lily offers crunching some bacon. Crumbs fall down Mount Un'eth, to be lost in the crags.
"I flew at it like a moth to a flame." Cryosanthia says, sounding hypnotized and distant, remembering, relaying. "All my fury, for naught. The Unraveller was like a wall of iron. Claws and teeth and the only bite I felt was my wing talon ripping in, and my tail-tip spearing it."
She lets go of her wing, takes her tail-end in both hands again. Feels Aryia's pat on her thigh, which feels just like the wall of iron she described, solid, unbreakable.
"She showed me how to fail. It let IT in. With no one to help her, it took her over." Cryo recites, more to herself than to the others. Reviewing the fight, reviewing the mistakes, her own, and the her alternate self's. She hears names. She has not succled wolf pups, but the names sink in. She presses on the silvery-blue ring, "Eluna," followed by the turquoise green one. "But this one is the Drama Dragon's colours. Ceinara, it's not Animus'."
But it is a neutral god's, and the one Cryosanthia follows. Sensations build within her, echoes of her experience.
"I felt their presences. Eluna's light shone down on us, and Ceinara was watching. I prayed for her to watch." She touches the last circle, the one so white it's hard too look at. "Maugrim...? Why ...white?"
Because she was full of darkness. Because she turned Black into Light. Because she played the Tyrant and he left his mark in her colour. The dark Dragonfather recognizing one of his own.
"They were there. The gods were watching. We only succeeded because of their assistance. Reinacting their seal was the only way. Just attacking wouldn't work, didn't work." She stares at the mark, "This isn't an ownership. This is... a thanks. Job well done."
"No." The little Rose chirps, then, in a miasma of shadow motes and iridescent mists, she suddenly manifests at her normal size, volume and vocal timbre with a little, "Whoa!"
Ahem, her eyes still glowing in their pink radiance, she refocuses on her sister's new markings.
There is a minute shrug, and the Sorceress-Knight continues, "It has..." a thoughtful frown, "the auras don't have the particular ebbs and flows of arcane magic, or tangled geometries of artifice, and... not like the ways of druidcraft." A blinked pause, and she peers quizzically at Un'eth, "Druid-craft? Druidry?"
She shakes her fluffy head and continues, "It's most like... a blessing, I think...?" Her cheeks color some and she ruefully confesses as her eyes lose their unnatural light, "I haven't had a lot of guidance on this, I'm sorry..."
With Cryo's elaboration, her expression fills with wonder and the little Knight hugs herself to her blessed Dragon sibling. She knows well the palescale's struggles with faith in the wake of Eclavdran and Salina's maneuverings, plots and schemes with such collateral and scope as to stagger the darkest imaginings.
Her smile is grateful, even as a wet glimmer threads through closed eyelashes, and in her deepest heart, she prays.
Great Gods of Ea... thank you for letting her see....
Aryia watches on as Cryosanthia relays what happened in a more theistic light. Taking a glance towards Faranmdiahn and her now normal (still small) stature. The mute elf's initial reaction to the topic is, as expected, a small frown. But as the whitescale elaborates more about the difficulties and struggles, she was a jaunted out of her usual distain. And instead, she listens. Carefully. Eyes closed.
Unbeknownst to perhaps all aside from the silverscale, Aryia did not hold much faith in the deities of Ea. Much as she prostrated herself day in and day out in her younger years for anything, anyone to aid her plight. Yet all fell on deaf ears and minds. And she only had herself, emboldened by the silence that all she had was herself, and herself alone.
But to see, visibly, a token of gratitude for the sheer tenacity of those that gave it their all to keep the realm together? And not just for Cryosanthia, but for her sister as well? Evidence that they, the gods, had a hand in this?
The mute woman inhales deeply, sloooowly exhales, and opens her eyes. That was the sound of faithlessness being chipped at.
"I'm glad you and everyone managed to get out okay from that. And that you had gotten help." Where I did not, she doesn't add. <Handspeech>
"The wing, the tail tip, yes. Both where you struck." Seyardu agrees, looking at the two limbs. "It can not be a coincidence. It does not sound right for it to be."
The silverscale falls silent, sitting nearby on the bed, taking in the room, and the eclectic group that was gathered together. And she listens, as she learned to do, feeling it the best for Cryosanthia's recounting of the experience.
The cleric smiles, jostling the bed once from a thump of her tail. She reaches out to trace the circle on the wing with a claw afterwards.
"It makes sense, Cryosanthia. Ceinara, she was watching this play. Where you played the part of a god standing against the unraveler. The white ring, it is the acceptance. The role you played was true. You were able to stand in place of Maugrim for it, with your own strength."
She turns to Faran, and smiles. "Your insight is welcome and more useful than you feel. I would not have considered these, if you did not point them out." She reaches to put a hand on the lucht's shoulder, and Aryia's and she nods.
"I am glad beyond measure that everyone got out okay as well."
The words fall on distracted ears, filtering into Cryosanthia's mind, taking root and ready to spring into flowers when the snow melts. Faran's tone, and her tears, and her feelings within are more immediate. She picks up the fluffy knight, and holds her in an embrace. There is a thrumming noise in her throat, a call for her nestlings. A cry the little Lucht would remember from the trials that ripped through their souls, that the others would remember from more recent events.
Little Fang scrambles off the ebon-scale, sliding down her then climbing the bed to wiggle into the embrace of her Ssassa, the Princess of Lillies snuggling up beside the Knight of Spiders.
The call comes again, a thrumming warble which carries and can be felt, not unlike a purr. Cryo raises her head, a soft and vulnerable gaze alighting on Aryia and Seyardu. She repeats the call and it is clear she means them. She does not have enough arms to embrace them all, but she has wings which open, ready to hug.
The puzzle pieces fall into place, her tower blocks stack, one on one, rebuilt by the implications of the deed mark. She was necessary, she was needed, she is needed.
Everyone got out, but it did not stay okay. Aya is in trouble. The Tryant wants his Weapon, and he destroys demons. The third act is beginning and she is still stuck in her second act costume.
Of course. It suddenly clicks. It's so simple. "I know how to change back. I have to fall off a stage."
