Astvanor Session 166 (6/13)

[cinaed]

Session 166: Days 24 and 27 of Saedan (6/13)

Everyone is out and about the city. It is the last day they’ll have in Radiscune before they head north to the woods.

Hava gets to Radiscune and buys a winter coat. It’s a cloak in her favorite colors.

Yolov has cast Telepathic Bond with Asa, walking with her and exploring Radiscune as the city they both lived in to attend the Colma. He asks her about the interplanar travels and demiplanes, which she says is Professor Daveena’s specialty, though he doesn’t know much about the hells, with his focus more on demiplanes and the Shadowfell. It doesn’t match his aesthetic.

But she’s certain that other faculty members might have resources. He tells her about Elathias’ pact and the ghost steel and the people trapped in the demiplane. Asa says that that’s inhumane. She knows she’s not a great person, but she’s not a bad person either, and she sees what other people do with the same free will and the same kind of life, they chose to do all that. They chose to do all that.

Yolov agrees. He says the artificers were brilliant and could make incredible prosthetics to help people, but instead chose cruelty and callousness to cause fear and to control people. Asa says it’s evil, and he agrees and says he’ll never understand them.

He worries about the constructs killing people in the forest and says he’s certain Elathias will try to harm as many people as possible. Asa squeezes his arm and tells him that she’s certain he’ll protect as many people as possible. Yolov says he will but it will never be enough, he just has to try his best.

She looks at him before she says they should go get her favorite pastries and talk about something silly, like the students from the south who come up to Radiscune their first year without a heavy winter coat.

Yolov says that sounds excellent, and adds it’s a little funny that Liz mentioned ghosts, since he actually has two ghosts with him. Asa immediately brightens as he explains about the Levants and then haltingly tells her they were associates of Ruvaen. Asa says Ivaesian will want to see them before they go to the Tessvar Forest and Yolov says he doesn’t think they’ll have objections so long as they get to Tessvar Forest afterwards.

They head off to the bakery as Audacity seeks out Esrani.

When he enters the shop, there is now a marionette behind the counter. It greets him and he asks where the old one was. It says that it’s always been here, and when he asks after Esrani, it says it can speak for the boss. Audacity insists on speaking with the boss, which makes the marionette break down.

He hears a disgusted sound from the ceiling where Esrani is perched, disappointed that his creation broke down so easily.

Esrani produces another tiny marionette, which speaks with his voice, asking Audacity about betrayal.

Audacity says that his adopted parental figures betrayed him and his sister and kept important secrets from them. The marionette says betrayal or not knowing everything involved. Audacity says if they made an oath to keep Audacity and Ambition from their father, then sending them unknowing into danger means betrayal.

The marionette asks how that makes him feel, which makes Esrani make a sound of disgust and drop it. Esrani says he doesn’t like to talk about feelings, and Audacity asks him how he’s doing.

Esrani says that he had dinner with the potion seller three days ago. The food was mediocre but she said it was good. She left a note on his door but he hasn’t read it.

Audacity asks if he’s unresolved.

Esrani’s expression twists and he says puppets are so much easier to talk to than people, because they can’t keep secrets from you, and if they do, then you just pluck their strings. He asks if Audacity is going into the forest.

When Audacity says yes, Esrani makes a pensive noise and says, “Little desert flower, little forest sprout, little sea princess, little ranger, little princeling, little bookworm. Who do you think walks out?”

Audacity says hopefully as many as possible.

Esrani says the owls have been asking and he says he doesn’t know. They keep asking who and he says he doesn’t know and he doesn’t remember. He hasn’t seen anything, not since– He hasn’t left the shop in two sunsets and two sunrises, not since the dinner. But it’s only mathematics. They add so many to the forest and then subtract so many from the forest.

Audacity says that’s usually how it goes, people enter and people go.

Esrani says that they’re very wanted, him, the forest sprout, and the bookworm.

Audacity asks who, and Esrani says he sounds like the owls and Audacity should know.

Esrani muses on what Audacity, Galowen, and Yolov have that Hava, Diana, and Az do not. Audacity points out that they’ve died and the others haven’t.

Esrani says wanted things, his hazy eyes suddenly focusing with clarity for a moment before the insanity slips back to the forefront and he shakes his head. He holds up a straw doll and says “Just like her, bringing life to the tree, just like her.”

Audacity absorbs this before he asks if Esrani wants company while he reads the letter. Esrani peevishly says he can read, and Audacity says that he meant as moral support. Esrani says he’ll read it in his own time and then advises Audacity to watch the eyes.

A marionette drops down and brightly says the shop is now closed.

Audacity bows and leaves. As soon as he leaves, the door closes behind him and the sign flips closed.

Az takes the three kids to Juniper’s apothecary. There he finds her moving around, snipping leaves off of plants and so distracted it takes her a moment to notice them all. She asks how he’s doing and he asks if he came at a bad time.

Juniper says it’s not a bad time at all. She’d like a distraction. It’s been a little lonely these last few days. She looks at the kids and kneels down, introducing herself to them and asking if they want to see something really cool.

She extends a hand and a plant at the front door reaches out and playfully attacks them as the kids shriek and begin to wrestle with it. Juniper assures Az that the plant has no thorns and the kids are perfectly safe.

Az asks after tea. Juniper shows off her collection, telling him about a spicy black tea she hasn’t tried yet, but she loves black teas. He suggests that one, and she waves a hand to start her magical kettle. It’s a nicely wrapped box of tea, something that will last for the whole winter.

She doles out the leaves into strainers into the cups of tea. She asks for him to catch her up on everything.

Az hems and says he’s got good news, bad news, and weird news. She says weird, then bad, then good. He catches her up on things, everything that happened with Endurance and in the Feywild, and then pulls out his necklace to show her.

She says he’s an Archfey now. He says it seems to be the case. She says she didn’t know that could happen. When she asks if she can do some tests, he says that he would love for her to do some tests, he wanted to himself but didn’t know what to do.

Juniper rummages around before she brings out a mixing spoon. She dips it into water and then says that it’s very important he looks over there, pointing out an engraving on the wall.

Az obeys, staring at it. Then he yanks his arm away as the spoon burns his skin. There are already welts forming as she hisses in sympathy and heals him with a touch.

He asks what that was and she says iron. He asks what else, and she says water so he wouldn’t be suspicious. She points out that the Fey are sensitive to iron, and he sighs and says he knew that. He asks what else he should be watching out for, holly, unicorns.

She says unicorns are okay, though they would be cool to see. Iron does worse very quickly. It didn’t burn him too badly, she adds, smoothing a salve over the welts. They theorize that he isn’t fully Fey but he is sensitive now because of his new abilities.

She adds that he’s probably going to have a hard time lying.

As an experiment, Az says slowly that he hates the color pink. She looks him up and down and says it’s not that bad yet. He says it’s not as easy as before. She suggests silver tongue potions. She asks if lying feels uncomfortable. He says yes, even though it wasn’t a big lie.

Juniper says she likes that he likes the color pink. He flushes a little as she says it probably looks good on him. He says it does before he refocuses. Juniper says that people from the Shadowfell are going to dislike him on sight. He’s not really an Archfey, he’s still from this realm, but it’s like he’s got an Archfey layer on him like a shell.

Az says he should introduce his warlock to her, or maybe introduce her to him.

Juniper says she’s never met a warlock patron before.

Az, slightly amused, says he’s happy to meet her.

Juniper says that she’s glad he got away from his patron in a way that works for him. She says that getting away from the person who has shaped their thoughts and feelings and learning how to think for themselves for the first time is jarring and difficult. This was someone who made it their business to control every way that Az thought and to make him feel like he needed them when in reality they needed him and they were nothing without him. It’s hard to undo that or move away from that narrative.

She squeezes Az’s bicep and says she’s really proud of him.

Az thanks her. He’s just glad– Then he cuts himself off. He says he had thought his mother died of a wasting sickness, but it was more complicated than that. If he could get someone to resurrect her, would it potentially work?

Juniper says that it would be difficult to say. With a death like hers, resurrection requires a soul to be relatively whole, and in some cases like this, when the death occurs a fair portion of the soul is consumed. Juniper doesn’t know if that’s what happened, but she doesn’t know if it can be fixed. She’s never done anything like that, and she doesn’t know anyone who has.

Az says she might be gone then.

Juniper says that draining life force takes a lot. She offers to look more into it.

Az says if she can find anything more on it, he would appreciate it more than he could say, but he would appreciate it if she kept an eye out.

Juniper says she would be honored. She’s in need of a project.

Az asks what’s going on with her. She’s usually not so antsy.

Juniper says it’s nothing serious. She had a date and it’s been three days and she hasn’t heard back. Az asks who, and she says it was Esrani. He congratulates her on getting him out of the workshop. She says she likes talking to him. When you can parse him, he’s funny and kind. But then she went to the workshop and only the puppets would talk to her, so she left a note and he hasn’t responded.

Az offers to go visit and she says skeptically with the kids. He says he can at least check that Esrani’s still alive.

He goes to see Esrani just as Audacity leaves. Audacity talks with the kids, who have a pet stick bug. It’s really hard to keep secrets from Genesis, but they’ve hidden the bug from them. Tommy has Audacity join the thieves’ guild, giving him a button as a token. He offers Az one, seemingly as an afterthought, as Az asks if he’s cool enough.

Az says to Audacity that he saw something in the market and it made him think of him. Does he want it now or later? When Audacity blinks him and outstretches his hand, Az hands him a nicely wrapped ink set.

Audacity blinks again and thanks him, studying him and trying to figure out what’s going on in Az’s head. Az seems genuinely happy that Audacity likes the gift and is a little bashful.

Az says they are here to check on Esrani. When he asks if he’s alive, Audacity says he is but he might have used up all of his words today. Az says he just promised to make sure Esrani was alive. They gossip about the date, musing on if Esrani understood that Juniper had a good time, and how he’s too nervous to read the letter.

Az says hopefully he’ll read it, Juniper is a nervous wreck. Hopefully he reads it soon.

Audacity says he was about to go drink something warm since it’s freezing. Az says he was about to do the same, suggesting hot tea or cider. Audacity looks at the kids and asks what they like to drink when it’s cold.

They go into a huddle, debating furiously among themselves. Tommy says that they’d like hot cocoa. Audacity blinks as there’s another fierce debate and Tommy adds whipped cream. Az realizes Audacity hasn’t had it before and insists on treating him.

All three kids give him a sad look and then embrace him as he says he’ll treat them as well.

The kids lead them to a very discreet, family-owned shop tucked away in the residential area. It’s a nice little cafe, very low priced where locals go. They can all enjoy their hot chocolate with whipped cream. It’s rich, and Audacity gets a little bit of whipped cream on his nose.

Diana goes to visit Collie at the bar that she owns, The Silver Captain. When she opens the door, behind the counter isn’t Collie, but a gentleman with long silver white hair and a very soothing aura around him. He has a couple of scattered scars across his face.

She recognizes Collie’s brother, Rhys, who she last saw recovering in bed after he had been kidnapped by Iceclaw’s people and beaten badly. He looks at her with struggling recognition before his expression clears and he says anything she wants is on the house as someone who saved his life.

Diana looks around before she realizes he meant her. She says she’s fine but he looks better.

Rhys says it’s been slow going but it’s been patient work with doctors and as much as his sister could offer before she had to leave. Diana asks when she left and Rhys explains that she got summoned by urgent letter to Port Sciathan.

Diana remembers that all the dragons who work for the Col’Far and everyone who works for the Col’Far have been summoned to Port Sciathan. Kiva told them in Upper Crescent.

Rhys says he got a letter when she arrived in Port Sciathan explaining that she wouldn’t be able to talk again for a while but that she arrived safely. He says Diana might see her sooner than he does.

Diana sits at the counter. Rhys offers her a drink. Diana says that she’s not sure if she’ll drink. Rhys says it doesn’t have to be alcohol and Diana immediately asks for a glass of milk. She gets a foamy glass of milk and a milk moustache to go with it.

He slides her a napkin and asks what’s next for them. He hadn’t realized they were back in the city.

Diana says some of them are relaxing or sleeping, gods know they need it. And then they’re going to beat up Elathias, someone who’s really hurt them a lot. She thinks that’s their next step. She pauses and asks if Rhys would say he’s good at advice.

Rhys says yes.

Diana says she’s going to say something but it mustn’t leave this bar or reach the ears of her friends. If it does, she’ll have to throw him. When he agrees, she asks what he would do if he’s around great, talented and wonderful individuals and he’s not sure how to pay them back for their kindness.

Rhys makes a pensive noise and Diana says she’s lucky to be by them. Seeing the things that they do is amazing. Rhys says he’s seen some of what she’s done. Diana says it’s just hard when they’ve done so much and she’s done so little.

Rhys says his first question is what do they do that she doesn’t do. He assumes she’s talking about the Hooligans. She was there when they rescued him and when they saved the city. It looked like all of them were defending the city.

Diana says she fought a guy and then got scared and hid behind a crate. That’s nothing when other people looked at terrifying things and didn’t freeze up. She describes some of the stuff the others have done, ending with the tale of Spring.

Rhys asks if she kept fighting when she felt her heart freeze in her chest. She says yes and Rhys asks what happened. Diana says they died. Rhys asks what she was doing and points out that she was fighting with them.

Diana says she was there to help them, and she did. She’s here to keep helping them as much as she can.

Rhys asks what she asks of them in exchange.

Diana, puzzled, says nothing. Rhys asks why, and Diana says that they’re her friends. You don’t ask things from your friends. Rhys points out that she helps them without expectation or desire for them to do anything in return because they’re her friends. He asks why she needs to do something for them? Does she think they want that?

Diana says she’s done a lot of not okay things to people who thought she was their friend and she doesn’t want that to happen again. She doesn’t want it to be where something happens and she’s forced into a position where she could potentially hurt or lose them. She wants them to know that she cares and that she’s happy to have been and continue to be a part of their stories. She’s not used to this, she adds, gesturing. She spent a lot of time alone, she spent time with an open individual who taught her how to speak better. And now she has met her friends who have shown her a lot and done a lot.

Rhys says that sometimes when a person struggles to find value in themself that they feel as though they’re not worth the same amount of friendship and kindness that they give to other people. That kind of sucks because by no means does Diana deserve less than the kindness she’s given her friends or the friendship or love she gives to people. It’s sometimes hard not to feel that way sometimes.

Diana says yes.

Rhys says he can’t tell her a fix-all, but the first step is understanding that not every relationship is transactional. If he tried to pay Collie back from everything she’s done for him, every kindness she’s shown him, he would be in her debt until death and afterwards. Because all she knows is kindness and gentleness and loving other people. Sometimes the thing you have to do and remember is there are people in this world to whom being kind is a default state of theirs. Helping and loving people is just what they do. And sometimes what all people want in exchange for kindness is for you to keep being their friend.

They don’t do these things because they need or want something from you. They do it because they love you.

Diana says he is a very wise bartender.

Rhys says he just talks a lot. Plus he lives with Collie.

Diana tells him he should write a book, just not in Common. Draconic would be best. She asks if she can have one more glass of milk before she leaves. He says she can have all the milk she wants.

Diana looks down at Adrin and tells her she can’t speak of this to anyone. Adrin lifts her mouth from where she was drinking from a spilled stout and asks what. Diana says never mind and debates doing something about that.

Rhys says dragons can hold their alcohol. Diana protests over Adrin being able to hold her alcohol better. Rhys sighs that Collie can drink anyone under the table.

Diana says at least she’ll still have her height before she hugs Rhys. He pats her shoulder.

She downs her last glass of milk and then makes her way back, milk moustache intact.

Galowen goes to a park in Radiscune. It’s a small, well-maintained park to the south of the education district. There are a few people kind of bustling around in their winter gear, but not a lot of people sitting.

As he goes to drink in the trees, he can feel the wind rolling gently between them, not quite broken by the tree line, rustling the pine needles. He feels a warmth in his chest and he hears a soft almost song-like call from the trees mixed in with the chirping from the birds. It sounds so achingly familiar to Galowen.

As he closes his eyes, he can smell for just a moment the wet soil, deep earth smell of the catacomb beneath his home. It’s the same sound he remembers whistling in the planks above him when he was deep in the belly of the temple.

His necklace feels warm, but from his own body heat.

In the distant song, it takes him a moment to realize that this familiar howling of wind that he used to hear in his childhood, but for the first time he identifies the fact that there are lyrics in the sound. It’s not easy to discern, but he’s picking up on old, archaic Celestial. It’s not quite loud enough for him to understand it, but something is being said.

Galowen just sits there for a while under a tree until it’s time to go. It feels very much the same as when he was younger. The song is being sung and played to him by nature is soothing. There is a warm nostalgic comfort to something that he has known for quite some time.

It doesn’t take long to return to the house, to prepare themselves for the trip to the forest and the fact that when they next return to the house Elathias will be dead. They all know he’s going to be there. They know he’s coming to fight. Gods willing, this will be the last fight that Elathias ever participates in.

Before they leave, Az finds Galowen in the house. He’s in the kitchen, stocking food for the journey. Az tosses a little bundle at Galowen and says he got him something in the market. Galowen asks what, and Az tells him to open it.

It’s a collection of very pretty and nice hair ties. Galowen says it’s useful and Az says that he has a lot of hair. Galowen asks if that means he needs a hair cut. Az says he likes his hair long, but if he doesn’t like them, he doesn’t need them. Galowen says he likes them.

Az asks if he needs help packing. Galowen says no, and asks if he needs to do something. Az says he needs to speak with Zorash, who’s pushing cheese on him. Az says they probably don’t need this much cheese but relents to Zorah pushing food on him until Az detangles.

Yolov seeks out Felisic with Az and tells him that they’d heard he’d either taken a sabbatical or left unexpectedly from his university job in Striog. Felisic says he lost his job when Endurance kidnapped Jasani, and Az offers to send a letter to Senator Togsworth explaining the situation and get him his job back.

Felisic thanks them and Yolov says his life has been interrupted too much already, they want to make sure he and his husband can have the life they want.

Yolov’s goodbye with Asa is long, mostly because she keeps peppering his face with kisses and turning to go before remembering one more thing to discuss. Yolov doesn’t help by remembering something else to tell her about as well.

After Galowen gets fed up and walks out, Asa laughs and says that she thinks they’re keeping their friends. She should go, but she’ll see him soon.

Yolov says he will. He adds that it’s his turn to say he loves her and that he’ll see her as soon as possible. Once she’s gone, he looks around at his friends and says that he spoke to the house about getting a name like Bloom, Asset, and Soul, and it seemed excited, but he thought he’d ask everyone for suggestions.

Everyone thinks for a moment before Audacity suggests Refuge.

Everyone agrees it’s apt and Yolov asks the house if it approves. The lights brighten and grow warm, and he smiles before he puts on the knitted cap Hava gave him and walks out after Galowen.

The climb up the mountain is not an easy climb during this time of year but not impossible. There are way stations in the woods that they are able to rest in without incident over the next three days.

They know there is Kelfemma, the Wildheart, and then the eastern areas with traveling paths.

Galowen can feel the wind as it howls through the woods, that same distant song loud but not enough to discern the words. It feels so much like home that the nostalgia almost makes him sick.

It’s three days before they reach the edge of Kelfemma woods. It has been snowing lightly ever since they began their trek. They’ve all grown accustomed to the snow. Before them the forest opens, still sparse enough to move through though not enough to see clearly a great distance.

There’s no line marking the edge of Kelfemma. You only know you’ve gone too far when something attacks you.

Galowen flings out his shield in front of Audacity as Audacity, Az, and Hava are struck by arrows in their shoulders, cutting through armor and flesh before a woman leaps down from a tree. She lands silently with a magically induced silence that Az and Yolov recognize as Pass Without Trace.

Her bow is levied directly at Yolov’s nose as she says, “State your business in my woods.”

The group looks towards Galowen, who says that he’s from here.

The woman stares at him and then points the bow at him as she says she doesn’t recognize him. He says he’s from the temple. Her bow lowers but her shoulders stay tense and steady before she shoulders her bow and whistles for someone called Tiffin to come out.

As another woman drops down, the red-haired woman extends her hand and says she’s Mae and this is Tiffin. She’s what outlanders would call a general. The forest is under her protection.

When she asks his name, Galowen introduces himself and Mae says she’s heard of him. She covers his hand with both of her own and says welcome home.