Astvanor Session 169 (8/29)

[cinaed]

Session 169: Day 27 of Saedan (8/29)

There’s the dinner and conversation that continues as Hava goes in search of Cal’travor. In the distance everyone can hear the distant sound of chatter and animals and insects in the underbrush. This place is very concretely alive in a real, tangible way. They’re able to finish their meals before the fires are smothered and stomped out.

Both Galowen’s mother and Adraetha gather the bones and scraps and remnants of dinner and begin to place them into these oiled leathered hides before they fold them up and tie them. They inform the others that in the central grove there are people whose responsibility it is to take the remnants and scraps out into the woods to dissuade predators and also bring what isn’t used back to the earth.

Galowen’s mother ties her hide up just as a willowy firbolg shorter than Galowen accepts it with a soft thanks before she goes off into the woods to redistribute the remains. His mother stands next to the rapidly cooling fire and asks if it’s too soon to ask what his plans are for when he’s done.

Galowen asks if she means done with killing Elathias. When she says done with all of this, Galowen says what they’re doing here, and she elaborates that she meant when he’s finished with whatever else he needs to do, since killing Elathias isn’t the last thing. He has a world to save.

Galowen says he might.

She gently remarks if there’s a world that needs saving, there’s no way he won’t save it. Is it too soon to ask what he’ll do afterwards?

Galowen says he thinks so.

She nods in understanding before she says that if he eventually comes back here, she thinks she’ll stay in the Grove for a little while before returning back to what remains of the temple.

Galowen says he doesn’t know, he’s never thought of a future. He’s always figured he’d end up back there, like he was supposed to.

His mother says that it would be nice, but she doesn’t want him to think that if he doesn’t end up there forever that she’d be mad. It would be really nice if when he left here that she’d get to see him again.

Galowen says he thinks they should come up with a better system to protect the temple. It wasn’t foolproof.

She agrees and then suggests that they go back to his friends and spend the evening together. There are guest quarters fairly close to where she’s been staying. She couldn’t bear the thought of him being far away from her.

Galowen says that sounds nice.

She reaches up and pets his head and pats his cheek.

Galowen offers her his arm and they walk back towards where they left the rest of the Hooligans.

Meanwhile Adraetha, Viallo, and Cal’antala have cleaned up and Cal’antala invites them to tour the Grove, explaining about where to find birds and other interesting places. Adraetha ruffles her hair and says she needs to practice. Cal’antala immediately pouts and complains that she’s supposed to practice with Cal’travor and he isn’t here. When Adraetha suggests that she go find him, Cal’antala poofs into her fox form and dashes off into the forest.

Yolov waves after her, having spent a lot of the dinner asking her about her fox form and how often she can use it. Over the course of the meal he’d learned about her being able to shift into her fox form from the time she was small without any seeming limitation the way Terran had been limited in his wild shapes per day. He realizes that she and her brother might have some druidic magic but also they are sorcerers as well.

Adraetha leads them all to a comfortable little space with very few people around it. Galowen and his mother arrive shortly afterwards. It’s a comfortable, warm space with lots of comfortable pillows. Adraetha is only there for a few minutes before a young elven woman arrives and bows before whispering into her ear. Adraetha excuses herself apologetically, leaving them all to sort of unwind.

Viallo lingers for a polite moment before following his wife.

Meanwhile Hava has been searching for Cal’travor. Some of the snow has melted enough that mud tries to catch Hava’s bare feet as she walks through the woods. This is an unfamiliar place to her, with a faint reek of magic. She feels as though she’s going in circles, unable to make head or tails of which direction he’s gone.

He has lived in this forest his whole life, and he is leaving no trail behind. Hava sighs and remarks that she guesses this is where she’ll die. It’s nearing dusk when there’s suddenly a moment where there’s no sound except for birds and bugs and nature around her.

Then she feels a puff of air against the top of her head. She jumps before she turns and sees Cal’travor standing there. He asks why she was following him. She says that he said something back there.

Cal’travor says it’s not that he doesn’t want to talk to her, it’s that. He pauses. He blinks very hard and shakes his head like he’s trying hard not to listen to something. He shakes like a cow that has a fly on its ear before he explains that it’s not he doesn’t want to talk to her, it’s that it’s not safe. She’s not supposed to be here.

Hava says it’s a little late now. He says it’s not safe here, gesturing to a space five feet around him. Hava says that’s a little more specific and he says that it starts here and it starts soon and he has to be here for it to start.

She asks who’s telling him this and he says everything. He can see it when it happens. She asks if he sees Elathias. He says not here, not now, but he doesn’t like to look at him. Hava says she knows, he’s ugly.

Cal’travor says there’s nothing in him.

Hava asks when he says it’s going to happen, does he mean it’s going to happen now.

Cal’travor says it’s going to happen, he has to be there. Everything else that needed to happen has already happened. He has to be at the cliffs now. If he doesn’t go there, then he will be there. When Hava says she’s a diviner too, she can help, he hunches down, looking young and small.

He looks around himself like he’s trying to make sure no one is watching before he extends a hand to her. He says to be careful. It’s loud.

Hava says okay and takes his hand. For a moment nothing happens. And then it’s like she’s watching an infinite number of scenes around her taking place at the same time, each overlaid again and again and again until it’s almost a constant static happening around her. It’s like someone has put all of these different scenes and things that could be happening into an infinite realm of possibility around Cal’travor. It’s dizzying and deafening.

It’s only when he takes her other hand in his that she begins to feel like she can notice distinct outlines, things that feel connected. She realizes that she is seeing the infinite branch of possibility and decisions from this exact moment outward. Where his hands are wrapped around hers, she feels Cal’travor shiver before he says that she must focus on the one that’s right and then she’ll see where it goes.

Hava asks how she knows which one is right. Isn’t that the point of so many possibilities?

Cal’travor says you choose the one with the result you want and you follow it and obey each decision to the letter. There are ways to cut away the flack and sometimes all of them. He’s cut away all the ones where they burn. He squeezes her hand and half of the possibilities disappear, though one flickers in and out as though he’s straining with his control.

He says that he’s not very good at finding the right ones or cutting the ones away. But the ones where he doesn’t go to the cliffs and it doesn’t happen like this, they all rot. They’re the first ones to rot.

Hava asks what he means when he says they rot.

Cal’travor says when they kill Caletras Kelfemma rots. If he doesn’t go there, if it doesn’t happen like this, then Elathias will bring him too. When Hava asks who, he leans in and whispers and says the monster under the cliffs. He’s coming to claim someone tonight.

Hava says the dragon. She has to go tell everyone.

Cal’travor steps back, slipping away from out of her grip. All the visions disappear. He says that it’s okay, they’ll save him when Hava urges him to go back with her. She says she can save him now and asks how much time they have.

Cal’travor leans in and puts a hand on her shoulder and says that it doesn’t matter. He knows what to take.

Hava says he’s not taking Cal’travor.

Cal’travor says she saves him. Hava says in the future, and he agrees. He says he has to go to the cliffs, the cliffs are the farthest place he can go where the dragon can find him. If he doesn’t, the dragon will come into the Grove with poison and acid. Cal’travor knows what she looks like with acid burning her skin down to the bone.

Hava asks what she’s supposed to tell his family.

He asks her not to make him hurt her.

Hava says he wants her to let him go and tell his family that she knew and just let him go. When he says they’ll understand, she says they fucking better. She examines him, seeing that he has no weapons, and gives him her other longbow.

He holds it awkwardly and says he doesn’t need it, he promises, but the gesture is sweet, Havasaul. She’ll be good at it, he knows. It’s scary but she will. He tells her back the way she came, giving her instructions on how to get back to her friends. It’s time for her to go forward.

Hava says okay.

Cal’travor nods and takes a deep breath and strides purposefully away from her.

Hava hangs out there for a second before she turns and follows his directions back to the Grove. She follows them for ten minutes before she realizes this is a roundabout way. She curses under her breath as she realizes this is not the way she came and that he’s tricked her into wasting time.

She gets to the Grove as dusk falls. She sees her friends gathered around a little fire. There’s a stick in her hair. When she pulls it off, she watches it twitch like a compass needle in the way that she came from Cal’travor. She tests it and it keeps pointing the way she came.

Galowen asks what she’s doing and tells her it’s a nice stick.

Hava says yes, before she puts it in one of her twisted braids. Then she sighs, struggling to figure out who to talk to about this. Right now she looks at the Hooligans and Galowen’s mom. She explains that Cal’travor went to the cliffs.

Galowen says he’s not about to do something that changes his parents’ lives, is he.

Hava explains that he said if he didn’t go there, then he would come here instead. Galowen asks Elathias, Hava says no, the monster under the cliffs. She thinks it’s the dragon. She’s standing next to Diana and reaches out and puts a hand on her shoulder as Diana’s eyes dart around.

Diana puts her hand over Hava’s for comfort.

Hava says she thinks something is going to happen.

Diana says if it has something to do with him, it absolutely will.

Hava says Cal’travor also told her that they’re going to try and kill Caletras. If they do then everyone rots. She looks at Galowen’s mom and says she doesn’t know who to talk to.

Galowen’s mom says that they should inform Viallo and Adraetha immediately. Hava agrees and asks where they are. Galowen’s mom stands and gestures for them to follow her at a quick pace through the Grove. This area seems to encircle a very old tree. Eventually they go to a space that is actually guarded. A young firbolg has his bow out but it isn’t drawn.

He looks them up and down and says that he’s sorry, the cleric is busy doing a reading at this moment. Galowen’s mom begins to speak with the guard as Yolov turns to Hava and asks if Cal’travor said anything about his sister. She went after him.

Hava says he didn’t mention her.

Yolov says he hopes that means she isn’t involved in all of this.

As soon as the words fall from his lips, there is a loud shriek. The guard’s eyes snap around and they all realize this is unusual. The shrieks come again and again until they can all hear it for what it is, though only Galowen and Az can understand the words.

The screaming solidifies into a single word in Sylvan that sounds so much like a terrified child that it’s hard to parse the screaming belonging to the young lively girl that they met earlier today. It is the sound of a terrified child screaming for their mother.

Galowen pushes past the guard, who is turning towards the edge of the forest as the sound grows in intensity and volume. There is a split second of almost a flash of green and brown that bolts past the Hooligans towards the woods before they hear the screaming answered with the hurried and haggard voice of Adraetha calling for Cal’antala.

Cal’antala bursts through the tree line, still screaming as she throws herself at her mother. From what they can understand from her shrieking is, “It’s here, it’s here, it’s here.”

Adraetha holds her daughter tight and says, “Where’s your brother? Where’s Travor? Guards, send someone down to the cliffs.”

Az says, “We can help.” Yolov says they’ve fought dragons before and Galowen says they’ve killed dragons before. Hava says that he went to the cliffs and Diana says that Rezod has him.

Adraetha says of course he went to the cliffs that’s where he goes to clear his head.

Hava explains that she spoke with Cal’travor. He explained that if he didn’t go to the cliffs tonight then the dragon would come to Kelfemma and kill them all. This was the possibility he chose. Adraetha demands to know why she left him and Hava says because it’s what he chose. Hava says they don’t have time for this, and turns away before she flies up above the canopy. She can only see an endless expanse of trees, the cliffs are too far away.

Cal’antala is hiccuping and says she was almost there, she had his leg before they took him away. Galowen says we, but she cannot describe them, she says she’s never seen these monsters before.

As everyone begins to run in the direction Cal’antala came from, Yolov asks if the others were made of metal, like Galowen’s sword, but creatures. She nods and Yolov says they’ve fought those creatures before, they’ll get him back. He’s already running after his friends as he hears Adraetha whisper a quiet desperate please.

Hava returns back below the treeline and gives most of the party darkvision as they run, following the stick that twitches in her hands and sends them sharply left.

Diana knows, deeply and painfully so, what it’s like to be Rezod’s prisoner, to be a young adult kept in his hoard of people. She knows what it’s like to be tormented and tortured by him. She knows that no matter what there aren’t people in this world fundamentally who deserve to suffer the way that she was treated and brought up.

The knowledge that somebody is going to be suffering and be Rezod’s victim again fills her. She’s running directly into what amounts to almost literally the mouth of Hell. She’s running back to the monster that she fled in these very woods, but there is a strength and desperation in her this time not to flee or save herself or protect herself. This time she’s running to save somebody. She’s running to keep somebody from the fate that she suffered.

That strength and that power is what resolves her to move forward.

Diana speaks in Draconic to everyone but mostly Adrin. She says she is very scared and deathly terrified, but they have to get this person back, for not if anything to prevent another repeat of ourselves. She can hear the beat of Adrin’s wings not far behind her, the same way she heard it the day that they were both finally free. Her steps stay steady and solid and Diana hears Adrin’s voice echo as she says, “We will.”

Diana feels that it’s her strength that is keeping Adrin steady.

Diana looks at the stick in Hava’s hands and she can sense where she is in the woods better than ever. When the stick jerks and shifts, she realizes that it’s not leading them down a pathway. It’s pointing directly to where Cal’travor is. Its jerks and twists and means he’s moving wherever he is. She realizes the way it shifts that Rezod is not back in his lair yet.

She grinds to a halt, kicking up dirt and half-frozen mud and snow as the cold winter air burns her lungs. The stick was pointing to the left and then to the right but it always seemed to be on one half of the woods. It’s pointing slightly to the left but something in the way they are standing clicks.

Diana knows that they are facing east and if they’re facing east then the cliffs are to their left. That’s where the mountain range is. She turns and starts running left, everyone following her.

Az trips over a root and scrapes up his face. It takes him a couple seconds to get himself upright. While he’s on the ground, his fingers brush against something not of nature. It feels a little coarse and rough. When he looks down and sees it’s a scrap of brown cloth like linen, like something Cal’travor was wearing.

He shows it to Diana and Hava. It’s a piece of Cal’travor’s pants. There’s a corner of it stained with blood.

They are all worried though Yolov says Cal’antala said she grabbed his leg, maybe her nails caught him when she was trying to save him. He takes this moment of everyone catching their breath to give Asa’s spell scroll of protection against dragons to Diana, who tucks it into her bag.

Az reminds Diana that they told her that they’d help her kill Rezod.

They begin to run again. They come to the edge of a cliff, not the one by the ocean but one that overlooks a canyon created by an old river. It’s filled with enormous trees that almost reach the top of the cliff side. It’s not a clear cliff, it stretches out for a mile on either side of them, and the ravine itself is a mile deep, too far to jump even with Yolov’s Feather Fall.

Galowen doesn’t see anything, but the others study the area and spy no signs of life or Rezod but do see the moonlight glinting off of something down below. They can look down and see occasional jagged little parts of the cliff that stick out, some a few feet down and further feet down. The edge of the cliff has a small section that shines, four inches wide but three inches long, narrowing down to a little point before it stops.

When they move forward towards the shape, cast gray by everyone’s darkvision, it’s something unmistakably liquid that is in the process of sinking into the earth and dirt. There’s the coppery tang of blood in the air.

They all see this puddle of blood, fresh and coagulating. In it, there is a little torn piece of black fabric, much darker than the brown of Cal’travor’s pants, maybe parts of his sleeve or another wrapping.

The wind cuts into everyone, stronger without the break of the trees. It howls through the ravine. They look up at the moon, bright and full, before their eyes fall down following a flicker, seeing low, low, low beneath them, a dark shadow moving a mile beneath them above the treeline. The shape is tremendous.

There’s a piercing, rending shriek, distinctly draconic in nature. It bounces off the walls of the ravine, rattling everyone’s bones. This is an ancient cry.

Diana, standing on this cliff face, knows immediately that in the ravine beneath them is somewhere where Rezod has made his lair. She remembers how hard it was to leave and why she was the only one to make it out in recent memory. The space around a dragon’s lair is often fundamentally changed by a dragon. Rezod has an ability to warp the earth around him. When she escaped, she felt the animals around her were wrong.

As she turns to tell her friends that she knows that the lair beneath them and that they have to go down this cliff to get to it, she sees this ichorous green light in the forest and she notices the slight scent of something sweet in the way decay can smell almost sweet. She sees one and then two and then a third set of glowing yellow eyes.

She realizes there was something that she made sure she didn’t do when she was leaving the woods as she escaped, the same thing that’s tradition in the Grove. They don’t leave blood out. She looks down and sees on the jutting cliffside there is what is very clearly a severed arm, torn at the elbow, bloodied and messy.

These glowing eyes reach the edge of the treeline and three enormous wargs swarm towards the group, warped by Rezod and ravenous.

Behind the Hooligans is a mile high cliff. In front of them, the wargs.