Closed [The Sanctuary] And Still The Storm Comes (Leo)

[Kavala]

Timestamp: 4th Day of Fall

The Sanctuary had a decided air of being a project in the works but unfinished. If one had a practiced eye, there were piles of debris still hidden behind buildings that all looked new. There was no wood construction anywhere. The twenty foot high walls were stone, the buildings tucked within them were stone, and even the fencing that held grass pastures for livestock were made out of stone. And while there was brickwork and cobble, the stone buildings themselves were seamless, made by the hand of magic rather than by a mason. There were no joints, nothing but smooth corner that was almost reminiscent of adobe in the desert though the stuff was of harder material.

The landscaping was new as well, sometimes barren, as if the flower beds and gardens were put in but unplanted because of the immediate winter about to set in. There were foals in the arena, unusual foals, that a woman stood among lessening them while their mothers lingered nearby untroubled that someone was picking up feet, haltering and unhaltering, and slowly teaching the youngsters to lead. And while the mares looked normal, the foals had coats that shimmered like iridescence. The blacks rippled with jeweled tones and the whites were almost Konti like in their appearance. But there were golds that had bronze and green iridescence and greys that looked shimmered with blues in the sun. All and all they looked far different than anything a visitor had seen anywhere.

A mare looked up, snorted in Leo's direction and the woman raised her head to glance at the mare. She turned then, looking to see what the horse was informing her about, and patted the youngster she had her hands on before straightening and heading Leo's direction.

She joined him just inside the courtyard where the horse gate lead to the arena and its treasure. Stone walkways flanked it, lining staked up flagged markers where barns would be raised. Half new, half destroyed, the Konti that joined the stranger at the gate was of similar make. Her eyes had dark circles under them. The leathers she wore, so customary in Riverfall, were hanging loosely on her. There was an ancient tiredness in her eyes though she looked as young as the rest of her kind did.

Kavala glanced back at the herd at her back. She could guess what the stranger was thinking, though not because of any Konti gift. Humans were her blind spot and she always treaded carefully with them.

"They are all exactly the same age." She offered, looking thoughtful, her accent thick but her common completely understandable. It was obvious common wasn't her first tongue. "Born on the first night of the Djed Storm, they were infused with its power. I lost a few, but the ones that came out of that night alive are some of the finest foals we've ever had here. They are strange though, strange in ways I can't begin to describe. I only wonder what they will be when they mature." She said, leaning a hip against the rail and smiling at him suddenly. Her smile made her face light up and the tiredness fade away. "My apologies for the mess. We were unprepared. But it won't happen to us again. Not if I can help it. We'll stand another storm if its anything like the last one. I just hope they aren't coming again regularly. I've heard stories, of course, but nothing like going through one first hand." She said, and finally offered him her outstretched hand.

A Lykata mark glimmered on its surface, woven amongst the scales. "I'm Kavala Denusk, owner here. Are you looking for animals or lessons or healing? We do multiple things here, all surrounding animals." She added.

Kavala hoped he'd take her hand. And she hoped at the same time he'd have gloves on or a ring or anything she could touch to get a glimmer of who he was and what he was like. Lykata was sneaky like that. It read from anything, just not living flesh.

[Leo Varniak]

It took Leo a few instants to realize that the buildings here were not of the normal variety. The rock was too pure and it seemed to have sprouted in its current form from the bowels of Semele. No bricks to be seen, no imperfections, not the slightest seam or gap. It only added to the initial feeling of cognitive dissonance between the label of 'horse breeders', as passers-by had referred to the Sanctuary, and the actual reality laid out in front of him. Xhyvas' gnosis tugged at him and superimposed images of further development and expansion upon what he was seeing. More and more like a town, he reflected. Who knew? Give it a decade and this might even turn into a quarter of Riverfall proper. Wasn't this how Syliras had turned from castle into city? This in turn begged the questions of what the Akalak thought of it. Certainly this growing haven didn't exist out of their knowledge, and the possibility that the owners might be well introduced in Rivarian society - whatever that meant - began to tickle his curiosity. He noted the damage the structure had taken, and also noted that it was being repaired with organized efficiency, much like the human body closing up its own wounds. He stopped at the sight of horses. He may not have been very familiar with the subject, but some of the foals struck him as an absolute novelty. Never before had he seen such colors on any coat, anywhere. He remembered the Nightwalkers the Knights rode, and the hardy mixed bloods of the average commoner, but such iridescent colors reminded him of fish scales, or... Konti scales, even. He didn't immediately draw the connection with the Storm, though. Life had taught him there was no end to the world's secrets; beggars were gods and the blood of kings flowed in a plain-looking traveler thrown around by the tides of destiny. But when a Konti woman who was working with the horse joined him, he couldn't help but notice how the foals' hues were a fitting match. His insistent looks at the herd prompted her explanation. Only then did he realize the foals were a byproduct of the Djed storm. He blinked, taken aback for a brief moment. So the storm hadn't simply taken life? So it could create new life as well? Leo had never considered that side. All he could see was the immense shockwave radiating from Wind Reach and bringing death wherever it touched - razing entire towns to the ground, he'd even heard. 'Three years ago, I'd have called them monsters. Abominations.' The thought surprised him, and he was reminded of the young Kelvic, the forest cat he'd called just that. Was she even alive, naive as she'd been? But these little ones, they didn't seem to be any less deserving to live for what they were. He forced his gaze away from the horses and his mind away from its inner workings. He gave a small smile back at Kavala Denusk, but his mouth wasn't built for smiling much. He took her hand as she offered it, with just the slightest hesitation, and he was indeed wearing a pair of old gloves. They'd been full gloves once, but wear and tear had turned them into shorter, fingerless versions way past their expected shelf life. Leo did not recognize her mark as he shook her hand; his fingers were very warm, almost hot. "Well met, Miss Denusk," he bowed his head just so slightly as he decided which last name to share. "I am Leo Zaital, just a stranger in a strange land. My ship docked in the morning." His handshake was firm, but not forceful, and Kavala's Lykata picked up just two contributors - the anonymous maker of the gloves, of whom little could be said except that she'd been very tired at the time, and Leo himself. It was very strange, though, because the gnosis told her with great clarity that the gloves - formerly covering the whole of his hands - had been worn to conceal black hands, black as jet. But he clearly didn't have black hands, at least not anymore. Also, these gloves almost ranked of wild Djed. They'd been through many otherworldly events; they had held a strange, flame-shaped blade; they had clung to jagged rock and they had been dipped in the cold waters of an underground lake. "It's an impressive place you have here. Could it be Reimancy?" Leo said, eyeing her back and reading her a little with his gnosis. It never hurt to be cautious. It wouldn't be the first time a healer conspired to have him killed, as outrageous as it may sound. He felt a dull fear coming from her, a consciousness constantly worrying about losing control. She controlled it well, but it was never very far from her. Always just beyond the next corner. If she was the builder of this place, Leo had to admit it was one of the most impressive sets of armor he'd ever seen. 'It's never that simple,' he chastised himself. 'It's just a facet.' "I actually came to inquire about a horse, and perhaps some instruction in how to ride and take good care of them, but really... I am new to this city and fitting in was never my strong point, so if I may be so bold as to ask for a few pointers about life in Riverfall, you would have my gratitude." He had received a good education, this much was clear. He also kept his distance with a wall of politeness, which he did for the sake of them both. If things ended badly in Riverfall, it wouldn't do for her name to be associated with his. His gaze returned to the foals, not out of disrespect for Kavala, but because he found them mesmerizing in a way. While he hadn't mentioned them at all, hadn't asked any questions about them - really, what could even be known for sure? - his interest was obvious. Could they be the very first thing he'd actually created in his life?

[Kavala]

He was a hard man to read, that much was certain. But then again, Kavala had forever been no good with strangers, especially humans. Had he been Akalak, she'd better know what to do or say, but the fact that he was... human had her cautious. Leo would feel, if his mark was active, a flash of violence about her as if human males had once hurt her. She was wary but not unfriendly, forgiving in the way most of her kind was.

"I see." She said, looking thoughtful, though her mind wasn't truly on his statements. Her eyes glowed with the dazzle of the arcane or divine weapon she'd caught a flash of and the stink of wild djed about him. She barely restrained herself from wrinkling her nose. Not because of him, but because of how distasteful Djed Storms and their wild djed were.

"I'll definitely help if I can. You'll have no issues or trouble in Riverfall. It is a peaceful place for the most part. The Akalak are imposing, almost everywhere, but they are not unfriendly and you will find them fair minded, almost to a fault though they have a sense of justice that is swift and sometimes one-sided. If you were symenestra or zith, the story would change considerably. There is no love lost between the Akalak and those two species. But if you abide by the city rules, you'll find yourself having a pleasant stay for the most part. The streets are even quiet at night so it is safe to be out wandering. Some shops are open late or only at night. No one will question you out and about at any hour if you walk with purpose and as if you are entitled to be whereever it is you are." Kavala said gently, then let herself out of the arena and joined the man on his side of the gate.

"Will you come with me? We can talk horses and choices and what you'll need to know someplace more comfortable." And with that, she lead him around the stone walkways that flanked the arena and to the doors of the Healing Clinic where a sitting area was set up in a small courtyard where she normally did surgeries on the larger animals. "I'll be right back." She added, moving into the clinic and returning with two mugs of tea, smelling of wild berries and tinted slightly red. His she placed on a table beside the outdoor style chair and took a seat at a matching chair somewhat beside it. The day was not too chilly, but the tea would not be unwelcome in Kavala's mind.

"You are right about the reimancy. We rebuilt the buildings with core structures, redesigning the place. But we've covered all of them with stone, so they have good flesh over solid bones now. Wood was not enough. Our whole facility was leveled in the storm. We had warning though. Mura, strangely enough, sent word to Zeltiva that their seers foresaw a mighty djed storm. Few believed it. They have been long gone now and are only tales from the Valterrian. But a few believed. They traveled from Zeltiva to Syliras and down the Kabrin Road to Riverfall. We had ten days warning. And we're lucky enough here to have a sea cavern below on the beach. All our animals were held up in the caves and most survived, but any of my broodmares that hadn't foaled but were close foaled that night." Sorrow crossed her face. She had gained so much that night and lost a great deal as well. Fear filled her, that she'd never have another child, the miscarriage awful in the face of so much birth.

"There are far worse things than storms though. The Zith attack routinely now. I suspect they are having a hard time finding food on the grass. Lions are in close proximity now, where there used to be one at all. Grassbears have even wandered into town now, looking for refuse. That's why we have high walls now. You can't protect from the sky, but you can truthfully keep most everything else out you need too." She said, offering him a half smile and taking a sip of tea.

"I have a good many horses for sale. My herds need thinning since I am concentrating on this new breed. Those foals, as strange as they look are the first generation of three years of careful breeding. So I have a good many horses, both mares and young stallions, that won't fit into my program any longer but are really useful and very well trained regardless. Can you tell me where you will be traveling and what your needs are in terms of a mount? I already have some idea of what you'd perhaps want or need. But its nice to hear that reinforced." Smart. Steady. The man looked like he did a lot of thinking and needed an alert mount that wasn't high strung but could be solidly there.

"And will you be doing any fighting? I saw... a flash of a sword that was no sword in your hands. It helps to know if they need to be able to deal with magic or strange things they don't often see." She said, lifting her hand and indicating the mark on it. "Eyris gives much insight to touch. Your glovemaker was tired when she made your gloves. And your hands used to be black. I do not know what it means, but I do know that you are well traveled." The Konti said, her tone pitched as if she were actually saying he perhaps needed a rest.

There was an openness to her that was neither bragging nor arrogant. She simply said things she felt needed to be said, regardless of the circumstances and the fact they were strangers. Leo would also realize, inherently, that it gave her a sense of control over the situation. And if she controlled it, she was not afraid of it.

[Leo Varniak]

Hearing that the Akalak kept Riverfall running like clockwork didn't surprise Leo; he'd never been to any other place in the world where you were handed a scroll of laws as you entered, and were expected to return it when you left. Just so you couldn't claim ignorance of the rules. Probably harder to implement in a larger city, but here the mere sight of a big blue stern-looking man was enough to make most potential wrong-doers think twice about breaking the law. He nodded lightly as Kavala mentioned who was welcome in Riverfall and who was welcome but only as a head on top of a pike. "For the most part..." he repeated softly, but would not press the matter. It was always the least part that was most interesting, and Leo believed no words were ever spoken randomly. Certainly Riverfall was no utopia (although it was already beating Wind Reach in Leo's preferences because the weather was milder and he didn't stand out as much.) Regardless, Kavala had already been of precious help to him. He agreed with her proposal to move to a more comfortable spot, after casting one last look at the iridescent equines. Then he turned his back to them and followed the mistress of the Sanctuary as she led him away from the arena and towards more private outdoor quarters. He seated himself, murmuring his thanks. He did not cross his legs; indeed, he sat with his hands on his thighs in a rather rigid display. His body language in general had a tendency towards being constrained, confined. He couldn't seem to make himself comfortable, though it didn't depend on the specific situation. It was just his way of life. He accepted the tea with yet another word of thanks when she returned, tasting it before she did hers, perhaps in an attempt to show her that he wasn't afraid of being poisoned. He didn't get that kind of vibe from Kavala Denusk. He took a sip, being careful not to make any embarrassing sounds. He was always careful, mostly about his own reactions. Because he was a miniature Valterrian on legs, and he knew it. So it was only natural to look at himself from the outside and keep his emotions in check. Such was the curse of the Azenth, from Ivak down to his lowliest emissary: they helped others achieve catharsis, but they themselves were often prey to their anger and instinct. "The seers foresaw the storm?" He was genuinely surprised. Ten days ahead of time... they must have known at least twenty or thirty days before the deed. And Leo himself hadn't known until the very last moment. It really left you questioning the true nature of free will, if it existed at all. Or maybe by the time he'd joined Mizahar's very essence to reach Ivak's prison, all paths led to the storm regardless of the exact outcome. "That was fortunate, all things considered. I would have believed them also. There hasn't been a case in my experience where a Konti seer turned out to be wrong." But a shade fell over Kavala as she recalled the night of the storm. She hadn't made it out unscathed. Sometimes Leo wished he could feel the trademark empathy of the Konti. But he couldn't be someone he wasn't. He had learned to consider different points of view, to think of others; but he found it hard to do so with deep feeling. He tried to figure out what was going on inside them, but he couldn't feel what they felt. In the end, they were educated guesses. A wall existed between him and the world. He'd simply learned to visualize what it was like on the other side. As the discussion shifted back to horses, Kavala reminded him she was a Konti, too. She hadn't seen half of what there was to see, but it was more than enough to get her thinking. Leo found himself facing a dilemma. It was foolish to think he could hide anything from a Konti to begin with. "I... understand. I shouldn't have expected anything less of a White Seer, regardless of where I ended up meeting her." He appeared to be conflicted and started fidgeting. "I'd just... well, there is no denying that my future horse isn't going to live a blessed life. 'Strange things' doesn't begin to cover it; my normal way of life consists of forces pushing me, and myself pushing right back." He raised one hand then, and it was perhaps the first gesture of importance ever since coming here. His voice had the slightest trembling quality to it. "But I must warn you, Miss Denusk. The last Konti seer who tried to read my fortunes, she... died right there and then, killed by some dark force hidden within her visions." The hand went back to its place. "So, if you have questions, it is probably safer if you just ask them. I try not to get people involved in my business. I wouldn't even get a horse involved in my business if I could, but it's a necessity for me to travel sometime in the future. Where to? Anywhere people live. Anywhere I'm needed. Will there be fighting?" He frowned. "Yes, on so many different levels. The blackness that was on my hands hasn't left the world at all." Then he sighed and sipped his tea.

[Kavala]

The Konti nodded at his words and offered him a small smile. It was a joyless thing though, one weighed with responsibility. "On that account, you do not have to worry. I am no Seer. I am a healer of Rak'Keli instead. My gifts don't read the hearts of men, their joys and pains, and things they think best kept to themselves. I feel what animals feel instead, which I think is fortunate for you. Because I know which horses I have that hate lingering here lazing their days away and would rather be off on an adventure, regardless of the lack of promise of longevity. They are just as much at risk here anyhow, outside the gates where they must go to feed, because we have lions, zith, and glassbeaks. Starvation is a nightmare made reality set loose upon the Sea of Grass for most things after the djed storm. A fat herd of horses is far too tempting to most things to be totally safe even in the shadow of a fortress of sorts. We have two young mares, dead broke, I think you'll enjoy. One was off to Kalea on loan and just came back to me. But I can tell she hates being here and would rather be on the road again." She said, nodding.

"And I do not send them out unprepared. Each animal comes with a full set of tack tailored to your needs, a medical kit with first aid for them and yourself as well as glyphs loaded with Rak'keli's gift to heal broken bones, lameness, joint pain, and a lot of foreseeable ailments on the road. You'll get equipment to groom them and a lesson on how to care for them and ride them if you do not already know. Our animals are not cheap, but they will get you where you are going if you utilize what we give you to go along with them." Kavala said, making sure she met his eye and understood that she knew outside was dangerous, and that's why she gave them more than a fair chance to survive it.

She took a sip of her tea and looked thoughtful.

"I always have questions. Who wouldn't after what we've all just caught a glimpse of and had the sheer luck to survive? You do not need to feel compelled to answer. But I will lay them out for you regardless. Odds are you will not know, but beings that you came from the Suvan, pathways there cross often and you might have heard. How fair the other cities? Is Syliras intact? Have you heard of illness spreading? Us healers fear it more than most after disasters like the djed storm. And have you heard... was the storm an isolated event or is there talk of more coming? We are not completely isolated here in Riverfall and often are current on what is going on in the world, but there's been so very little news coming out of anywhere. Caravan's aren't moving, and campfire talk is at a dead standstill. Anything you know or would have heard would be appreciated. We are a solitary group here, not mobile and not dependent upon the others in the world, but it is nice to know how they are fairing because it gives us warning what to expect among our own." Kavala said, her face reading a strange mixture of curiosity and concern. There were also lines of weariness etched there.

As the konti talked to him, she glanced around. There was a wary watchfulness in her gaze, as if she anticipated no trouble but did not rule out the possibility. And though she appeared relaxed in her chair, she wore the leathers of a warrior, and there were knives at her belt and a crossbow hanging with a quiver of bolts near the clinic entrance as if they were readying for trouble.

She let Leo speak, if he would, and would respond to anything he said naturally. And when he was done, she'd reciprocate. "Is there any information specifically you are looking for? I might know something." She asked, thoughtful in her inquiry.

[Leo Varniak]

"There are Konti who aren't Seers?" he murmured. It may have been obvious to the Konti themselves, but an outsider to their race only saw the pale hair, scales and prophetic abilities. It was always difficult to distinguish the subtler nuances when you were presented with the radically different. He committed the information to memory, vowing never to make that particular mistake again. Leo followed her words closely. It made sense that even among horses there would be the more adventurous types, eager to sample new grass and sleep on unfamiliar hay, as well as the home-loving ones. While no-one in their right minds, sentient or otherwise, would volunteer to face Rhysol, or Ssena, or Vayt or that goddess who'd cornered Ulric on the Blue Horizon... there were those who could do it and not go insane from the experience. He trusted Kavala's judgment on that. "That sounds very good to me. All I ask is to perform a very short test on the horse before I make a choice. It'll only take a moment, really, and while it won't hurt them at all it might give them a good scare for a chime or two, but it definitely beats the certain death they'd face if they went up against the real thing while being unfit for it. For everything else, I defer to your expertise. It is exactly the reason why I was looking for lessons, as well." He finished his tea, and was glad for the distraction. He'd made up his mind and it was really just a matter of time. He planned on making the entire thing public, didn't he? No reason to keep hidden from one what he wished for the entire world to know. But the first step was always the hardest. It carried a stigma the weight of which he could only appreciate now. No matter if everyone's opinion was flawed due to simple ignorance, the very fact they all agreed on something and you didn't... it made you feel guilty on a subconscious level. Even the greatest individualist could not fully ignore the combined weight of the world pushing against him. "Syliras is still standing. This much I know because it's only marginally closer to the eye of the storm," he said in a low voice, laying down his cup. "It all started from the northernmost tip of Kalea, Mount Skyinarta to be exact. I don't know if you get many Inarta in Riverfall, but there lies Wind Reach, where the eagle riders make their home. Wind Reach itself was plunged in chaos, but because of its unique nature it has probably recovered by now. Others weren't so fortunate. I hear Denval is no more. I didn't enter Alvadas proper and the city of illusions is eternally hard to gauge. I would not know of disease, save for what I encountered two years back on my ship to Kalea, and that one was anything but natural. I doubt it has any relevance to your current worries." He tilted his head, studying her expression. He noticed her weapons, never very far from her figure. "As for me, I was right there in Wind Reach when it happened. Only, I wasn't... this might take some time to explain. I am actually here in Riverfall to tell the Council, the population... everyone... what I know. Perhaps you could even point me in the right direction. To begin with, I am fairly confident that a storm of such magnitude won't be repeated in the near future." He lifted his eyes and saw that the sun was already setting. If he recounted the whole thing, it'd probably continue through the late evening, maybe into the night. "It was the sudden release of an immense amount of pent-up energy. That energy is no more, or rather, it's fused with the world. If other storms do happen, they should have no direct relation to this one." He cleared his throat and straightened himself even further. He was going to make it clear that he had no regrets whatsoever. "As to what caused it, the short version is quite simple. Ivak, formerly imprisoned in the bowels of Semele, walks our lands once more. I know because I am the one who liberated him." He resigned himself to any reaction - because it was the only thing that made him nervous about sharing his knowledge, not knowing exactly what would happen next. Just like he hadn't truly known whether Ivak would proceed to destroy the world right away, and simply found it in himself to have faith in the end. But faith wouldn't be enough now.

[Kavala]

The Konti sat utterly still for a long long time. Leo knew she was there, present, physically fine because she kept breathing and the air around her tossed her long fine strands of white hair around like loosened spiderwebs in the breeze. Her gaze went icy, so pale a shade of blue that it made her almost look blind as she kept studying him. Kavala, while outwardly silent, was a whirlwind of thought on the inside, trying to absorb what Leo had just said and whether or not she believed him.

"Would you mind... starting from the very beginning? I suspect a telling me what you just did would be akin to saying the Valterrian was just a god childishly stomping in a mudpuddle and rearranging things all around us." She said, reaching out then, and pausing with her hand halfway outstretched towards him.

"Forgive me, its just that... how can one person ask another to tell of something like that? I suspect there was no key inserted into a lock and iron bars swung wide to release a prisoner. I want to see it for myself... from your eyes. I... will you give me something of yours, something you've had for a while, to hold for a few moments? I would like to see the truth of your words. It's not that I do not believe you. I do. It's just that I do not believe there are words to ... well words do not begin to cover the reality of being somewhere. And I ask you outright because once you have left this place, there will be something left of you here anyhow and I would look regardless. Anyone who could would. A strand of your hair might fall. The moisture of your mouth on a teacup that you held for the length of time it took to drink the tea from it would be enough. There are people all around that would gladly have your secrets, Leo. Especially here, in the shadow of Akajia's Tower." The Konti said, looking thoughtful.

Had he truly come here for a horse? No... He came here for something else, and she sensed it keenly even though she had no gift to back up the feeling.

"Nysel is my lord along with Rak'keli and Eyris." She started out quietly speaking, not sure why she was opening up. Leo Zaital had cold eyes. They were the eyes of a glassbeak or night lion that knew its jaw strength was enough to rip off your head and feast on your tender entrails. But she was not afraid. Right now, here, she still had a bit of control.

"It should be obvious to you that we build a fortress here. We breed horses and we heal animals and shelter kelvics. But there is so much more. Once, before the Valterrian, there was a group called The Cytali. They were walkers of the Chavi, dreamers, and mined it for information otherwise lost. All it takes is a bit of someone, a key if you will. A piece of jewelry, a lock of hair, something that was tied to them in life. And once you have that piece, you can read what they knew in their life and you can experience what they experienced. It's like a written record for anyone to read. Seers, like the Konti, can look forward and backwards on these chavi and see all. But Dreamwalkers, like myself, can touch the chavi and change it. We can extract information and hide information - even changing truths - even from Seers, and it takes only a moment to do so. If I have something of yours, I can see what transpired. And if you let me look, I will owe you innumerable favors, the first of which I will give you immediately. I am bringing back the Cytali. Here, slowly, we are being reborn again, those of us who have been Cytali before." She said softly, not worried, not in the least with his reaction. He could be angry, he could disbelieve her, and he could even try to kill her. But so far, he didn't seem a

"And the Cytali have an enemy, one that is the enemy of all followers of all gods. They call themselves the Ruv'na. Their leader is a man named Carvex. If he catches word you have released Ivak, his rage will know no limitations. The Ruv'na hate the gods, you see. They believe that their interference has destroyed us in more ways than one and that their presence here on Mizahar is detrimental to all humans. They care little about other races. But if he learns you have freed Ivak from his prison, none of them will rest until you are dead. Because if you freed Ivak, you are important. And killing those that are important is what they do best. And they won't just send one assassin. They will send another and another and another until you are dead. I know this because once, before this life, I was one of their operatives." She said softly, telling him the one thing she thought he needed to know right away.

If Carvex knew of him. He'd want him dead. And he had the resources, unless Leo himself was a god, to make that happen.

"And yes you can test my horses. And yes I can take you to who you need to speak with easily enough. But have a care who you tell these things too. I do not know you, but I only hope you are strong enough to bear the burden of the attention such things will draw on you." She said, not casting judgement and not prophetic. She was simply stating what she thought was the truth.

"Will you lend me something of yours?" She asked again, forthright in her intention.

[Leo Varniak]

Watching the sequence of expressions as they flowed into one another on her face was a fascinating study in and of itself. Leo hadn't ever paid much attention to other people's displays of emotions; reading the lines and creases on Kavala's face felt akin to taking a course on the basic, universal feelings that lay at the base of every person's spirit. He had expected to be laughed at or dismissed as an elaborate liar, both of which he could easily disprove. Then, he suspected either a dull rage or an acute fear would set in, perhaps taking turns on her face, and their meeting would come to an end. It would be informative either way. But she didn't dismiss him. She couldn't believe it right away, which was only reasonable. Were the roles reversed, he probably wouldn't have believed, either, despite the tone of absolute sincerity with which he'd just spoken. Actors abounded. All it took was a crazy actor with a megalomaniac streak. "And yet I assure you, it is nothing but the truth," he simply mentioned in passing as she voiced her incredulity. He had to give her time. She was already displaying remarkable control as it was. She hadn't grown up with fire in her veins. Flames hadn't whispered to her in her sleep. He considered her request briefly, and knew she was asking for something precious, something intimately his. In the wrong hands, such a gift could become truly dangerous to him. To possess a piece of him was not so far removed from possessing him. The old him would have refused to even entertain the thought. Kavala Denusk made a compelling argument for it, however. In fact, he could not wonder if their meeting was actually a piece of happenstance. His childhood lessons in philosophy had taught him to avoid such broad, ambiguously defined words as 'destiny'. He preferred to think of it as waypoints that had a greater likelihood of happening because of some subtle, latent energies. He listened quietly. He admired her in a way; she wasn't to be outdone by his revelation. It was her way of fighting back, to stay on top of the tidal wave. Mere moments later, she was already organizing things, taking control, making decisions. There was no doubt as to who'd planned and erected this fortress of hers. Earth truly was her element as much as fire was his... perhaps with a touch of water to give her plans that fluid nature that made them easy to mold, like clay. "Nysel..." the name gave him a shiver of recollection. He hadn't forgotten that dream. How could he? The story she told him in the next few chimes was just as laughable as his had been, which meant it was most likely true. He said nothing, but took everything in. Bits of pieces from his dream clicked together, and he was reminded of the misshapen figure of his father Alvias as Ssena cut him down like some wet rag. 'In the end I couldn't tell him anything.' "I know a little about Dreamwalkers, yes," he said, shaking himself from those thoughts, "I had a dream too, a dream of my father. I think he was a Dreamwalker as well as a priest of Ivak. His death likely makes me the last pureblooded Zaital on the face of Mizahar. And he... committed a sin to your sacred fellowship. He broke a taboo. He... changed his own Chavi? But this is neither here nor there. I'm sorry. It's not relevant to this." Surprisingly, his stifled body language relaxed just a little. Meeting with someone who sounded like she was just as messed up as you were could do that to you. "I can't say I don't understand this person, this Carvex's point of view. The gods have indeed brought much misery upon mankind on account of their being so large. They tread on us like ants sometimes, yet without us their existence is meaningless. This group, this Ruv'na, have made their judgment and strive to carry it out. They hate and wish for the object of their hate to disappear. They think they can stop time by breaking every hourglass. A mistake I have made, too." He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then continued. "I can grant your wish, Kavala of the Cytali. I can give you a piece of me, but I'd like you to know where I stand on this. You speak of secrets, of hiding, of covering tracks. Ever since the beginning I have done nothing but hide while evil walks proud in broad daylight. Hide for too long and it feels like you deserve to hide. I intend to tell the whole world who Ivak really is, how he was set up by Rhysol, how badly Mizahar needs him to keep its own soul from festering. Of all the men, women and children in the world you happen to be the first. Doesn't that make it pointless to bury a dream of the past? You can't conceal fire for long. If you can, it's not worth being called a fire. It simply doesn't work that way." He found it amusing that she couldn't see, and smiled a little at the notion. "These Ruv'na would have to get in line, anyway. Something else will probably get me first, but I won't go quietly in the night. People first huddled together in front of a fire to chase the cold darkness away. There is value even in something that's made to die out before the morn. Ivak taught me this. As his champion, I will not dishonor him." He brought his right hand to his temple, clutched his hair tightly and pulled. He gazed at the hair left in his fist and handed it over to Kavala. "Dream of strange and wonderful worlds, Kavala. Do as you want. I do that all the time."

[Kavala]

Kavala shook her head. "Everything has ties. Everything is usually relevant, Leo." She quietly disagreed with him but filed the information away for later. There was too much to listen to though and she grew silent again as he spoke, her eyes growing more and more concerned. But Leo's words turned and she followed the mental pathway of his thinking, nodding to much of what he was saying. He had similar thoughts to her own on the Gods and their existence here. Kavala, perhaps like Leo, was devote. She appreciated the gifts her patrons had granted her and worked to aid in their causes whenever she could. And at times they asked much of her, more than sometimes she thought she could give, but in the end she'd always grown from the experience.


When he started speaking of hiding, Kavala looked thoughtful. What was she doing? Building a fortress to hide within? She wanted the Cytali to live again. The Sanctuary was their base of operations. But she was terribly afraid, afraid to take the next step and afraid to bring it out into the open. She wore the marks. She had the abilities. Was this the actual reason she had cross paths with Leo? Were they to hide while their enemy grew stronger or was it better to stand in the sun where everyone could see you and you could see the enemy coming?

Kavala studied Leo's face. She replayed his words over and over in her mind. They struck a chord in her and she shook her head, laughed slightly, but it was a nervous laugh of uncertainty. Could it be that simple?

And then he imparted more information. She was sitting having tea with a God's Champion. And he'd earned that status by being this, this man before her, open and passionate. That was the reason she could feel the fire burning within him. It wasn't charisma. It wasn't conviction though both those things were there. It was emotion and a man standing within his own truth.

Kavala took the hair Leo offered, but at first she did nothing. She simply stared at Leo with eyes that had gone icy, so blue in fact it made the Konti look blind. She glanced down at the single strand of hair in her palm and almost handed it back to him.

For a moment, he felt her fear - she was on the cusp of something and she didn't want life to change - wash over him. But he also felt the moment that fear vanished and she accepted that life was what it was and change was going to happen. There was so much built up in here. Like all places he would walk before and after the events of the first of spring, Leo could tell Ivak's absence in the world had damaged Riverfall just as much as it had damaged other places. People were seething with unerupted pain. The pressure on their souls was enormous, like a fire so choked with wet wood it couldn't burn. The Azenth cleaned out that debris in the populations they moved among and everyone's internal fire burned brighter no longer starved of air and drowned by torment.

Kavala was no exception, for all that she was a healer. She was unhealthy though she concealed it well. She was addicted to the sweet whispers of too much reimancy and afraid to admit it because the whispers kept her company at night.

And as Kavala sat staring at Leo she suddenly realized that she was living her life in a timeline that was incorrect for her life. The realization struck her and almost left her breathless. And she didn't know if it was Leo's very presence or the conversation or completely unrelated. But she realized she was a Konti surrounded by people trying to live her lifetime in their lifespan and not in her own. It struck her as insane suddenly, as if she rejected her Konti blood terribly and had forsaken it in exchange for her Drykas culture.

She curled her fingers around the hair in her palm, wondering suddenly if the presence of this little tiny piece of a God's Champion was enough to ....

Kavala felt the unwinding of tension within her. It was like a deep sigh of relief. She stared at him, he did nothing but speak, but his mere presence seemed to release some bond within her that was holding her fast and hard to a humanity she did not own. Kavala took a breath, a deep breath, and then another and another and suddenly felt the years stretch out before her. A peace settled over her, around her, within her that caused a soft audible sigh of acceptance to pass through her. She had time. She had a lot of time unless someone stole that time from her.

The Konti blinked, half smiled, and met the Azenth's eyes again. "Did you do that?" She asked, curious, knowing there was no possible way it was happenstance.

Then, feeling better than she had for ages, Kavala closed her eyes, felt the hair in her hand, and stepped sideways with her soul, leaving her body and her mortality behind her.

The Dreamwalker grasped the colorful strands of her own Chavi, and rather than use the hair - which to her had been Leo's permission - she traced her own Chavi which was an iridescent confluence of colors that seemed to burn brighter at this exact moment than the dull strand that stretched back in time. What Leo didn't know that sitting here together, sipping tea, their Chavi' had tangled together. By sliding down hers she could always find his. She needed no key, not any longer, and slipping from the cool healing iridescence to the bright fiery strands of Leo's was like moving from the dead of winter to the heart of summer.

She slid back down his strands looking for change and finding it. When Ivak marked him, gave him his champion status, his Chavi changed dramatically. It was so noticeable the Dreamwalker could see it long before she came upon it. If all champions Chavi looked like Leo's, she'd have no trouble recognizing one if she ever met another. There was a place where it spiraled along in muted reads and oranges with black and greys threaded in. But then suddenly, it flared like distant star turning into a night sky comet and blazed like a beacon throughout the Chavena. Kavala wondered if there were predators here, things looking for such telltales... or if the Ukalas was truly safe.

She approached the light show, moved past it, and then slowly sunk into his Chavi deeper, so she was inside his life, a witness to the events there. She could see other Chavi touching his, tangling with his, some the colors indicating the people involved were still alive, others showing that they'd died. A particularly dark one, rank with impurity, tangled with Leo's at the core of the event and carried on past is life in a different direction gray and lifeless as the soul rested elsewhere. Glancing back down it she could see other colors splitting off from it, tangling. The Chavena was so interconnected.

In the real world, Kavala grew pale, sat straight, began to sweat even as she sat with her body relaxed and her breath incredibly shallow. Leo was no Seer, but his Azenth talents definitely gave him a sense of Kavala not being there... as if he was sitting beside a corpse. Her emotions were gone and with them so too was her pent up baseline problems.

He probably sat with her full bell if not longer. Any tea left in the kettle was long cold and the day waned further.

The Konti stood in the Azenth's shoes. She bore witness to the search and then finally the battle, to life and death, and to mortals making grabs for power and gathering the remnants of life long sentenced to death that was hundreds of years passed from the world. She saw them rise to immortality. She witnessed Ivak and his discussion with Leo. And she wanted to reach out and smooth the hair from the God's forehead and apologize for all that had happened to him and all that he'd been through.

When she came back into herself she was weeping.

Leo could feel the moment she returned. There was no outward sign other than her eyelids lifted and silvery tears form and washed down her cheeks. But moreso it was that he was alone one moment and in the company of another the next. She started to speak, caught herself, and then rubbed a hand across her lips as if to make sure they were still there. She tried to take a breath, choked a little, and then sat upright and focused for a moment, slipping more fully into her body and exiting the Chavena completely.

"No one knows." She said suddenly, with awe in her voice. The tears were a momentary reaction and gone before they truly got started. She was weeping for the beauty of the moment anyway, not for the sadness of a secret long kept.

"No one here or anywhere in the world has any idea, Leo. No one. Gods.. I knew they were brutal to one another, but to do that. No wonder he lost himself. No wonder Sylir died. It all seems like a story, when they tell you as a child. I don't even remember when I first knew what the Valterrian was. It was as if we just know, we just understand, it was something that happened so long ago. But its really not the truth is it?" She said, looking around, as if sh was surprised to be here and not there.

"The truth is that its still happening. Time for them isn't time for us. Just like time for you is not time for me. Gods.. we're right in the middle of an age old battle that will not end. And Fear... fear born that night of the storm... she must have fed off every death in the world, ever terrified person huddled in a basement or cellar. Gods, the power she must have now." Kavala said, looking momentarily frightened.

"It's no wonder things are like they are here. It's completely understandable." She said, her gaze turning back to Leo.

"Thank you. Not just for showing me, but for doing what you did. No one knows. No one... but I do now and I will remember. And I will help you tell others. The Council needs to know. Fear could destroy the Akalak society here, but discipline can counter it. Such things are not infallible. They never have been. " Then she paused, looked at him again, as a man, and not just as a figure out of a dark reality that was sitting before her fully realized.

"Your Chavi burns so incredibly bright. And yet, you just got done telling me how big of a target you are. It's rare someone knows their own mortality, even bearing a God's good will. I see why you need to tell people. Understanding is the first counter measure to curtailing fear. People are afraid of what they don't know. If they know, they are stronger." She said, looking suddenly down at herself, lifting her hands and seeing for the first time the thinness in her limbs.

"You did something... to me. I don't know if you know you are doing it or maybe you are completely aware. I feel... different. Better. Stronger. I was... living in a wrong timeline. I don't know if that makes sense. But I have been doing it for years. It was.. poisonous to me. Konti are not human." She said suddenly, as if this realization had just struck her. "Will you tell me about Ivak's marked? My brother burns with fire too. It would be nice to understand him more. He is not marked, but I feel how akin he is to the flames we cook over and huddle around." Kavala said, her smile in acknowledgement of Leo's words of earlier... how people huddled around fire. They would always seek comfort in it. There was no doubt about it. And with that she handed his strand of hair back to him. She didn't need it, not now, and not really before. But she'd needed his permission and that simple act of him gifting her with the strand was that and so much more.

[Leo Varniak]

Leo understood the supreme privacy of what Kavala was preparing to do, even if he did not know exactly what it was. The trust she had asked of him must have been mutual; he was quite certain that whatever happened next would leave her in a position of great vulnerability. Exactly the very thing she feared. It seemed to Leo that the Konti was a woman of enormous resources, but those very assets threatened to crush her spirit. As if she had been forced to grow past her intended size. No, not exactly forced. That wouldn't have done her justice. She had also chosen to, and she would keep growing for as long as it took, even if it killed her or bent her out of shape. That was Leo's impression. She already served three gods, and he knew full well how difficult it was to serve even one. She ran this womb of rock of her own creation, doing battle both awake and asleep. Sondra had taught him that the White Seers were more than just neutral observers of reality - indeed, she had shown him how they could fight as well as any man - but within the Azenth Triad she'd been more of an advisor to him, as befitting the traditional imagery of the Konti. Kavala was a leader, which was unusual for the women outside their isle. Interesting. Suddenly he felt a desire to know more of the brave fellows like her who worked for the gods. Certainly there were good people left around. If there was a Cytali for every Shroud, there might be some hope left after all. He couldn't read minds, but he did feel a momentary fear which then abated. He supposed it was like the diver contemplating the height from which she was about to fall, and the blue abyss beneath. Once you threw yourself off your place of security and power, there was no going back, no change of heart. He said nothing, respecting the silence. This moment was about her, and he would not spoil it. The sudden expression of relief made him suspect that he might have undergone an evolution in his power. 'Did I just trigger it without even thinking about it?' He'd seen that expression several times now, but always in response to his active command. The facial muscles loosening, the eyes rolling up even a little, breath escaping in a sigh, the posture losing stiffness. Everything that he could never feel. The face was fascinating to watch. A complex system of pulleys and gears reacting to every minimal affection of the spirit... a world he'd barely ever noticed before getting his second mark from Ivak. "Not I," he answered when she asked if he'd brought about the feeling of supreme unwinding, "but we. You must be very sensitive." He was silent, knowing there'd be more time to explain the nature of his gift later. She did look more relaxed now. The lines on her face, so un-Kontilike, were a trace less evident on her features. And then she fell into something best described as a deep coma. He suddenly felt terribly alone in the company of her soulless body. "Have a safe journey," he murmured, knowing perfectly well the shores she was sailing to. It was a long bell, alone with a breathing corpse. At first, he wondered what he would say if anyone happened to show up and find them like this. And in front of teacups, no less. Someone might even think he'd willingly poisoned her. He could only hope this was a common enough occurrence around the Sanctuary that nobody would find it very strange. His eyes roamed and took in the sights around them, the setting sun, the bloodied clouds. By all accounts, it was a splendid sunset, his very first one in Cyphrus. It was already dark in the East, where the Sea of Grass stretched endlessly. There be glassbeaks, the beasts of which he had read briefly in a book. Kavala looked eerie in the fading light, her scales reflecting Syna like drops of blood. Leo waited patiently, only slightly worried that something could go wrong. Maybe his Chavi was so different from a normal one that she would somehow get lost and never come back? What happened if you couldn't go back? The scene was so peculiar and unique, though, that he felt the acute need to put it on canvas, if he'd had a brush and some paint. It had been a long time since he created anything. Lately all he did was destroy things and resurrect gods. Nothing seemed to fit the definition of 'still life' than what he was seeing right now. 'Sleeping Konti with horses and fruits.' He folded his arms and waited some more. He realized she was coming back when he saw tears stream down her eyes. He hoped the visions hadn't been too painful to watch. He himself hadn't cried over those events, thinking that tears were best suited to his enemies once he was done with them. She did not look sad, however. He had read of people crying at the sight of some deeply moving works of art and wondered if hers could be a similar reaction. Watching her spring back to life was just as intriguing as the opposite reaction had been. There were subtle changes as well. She sounded more spontaneous, more vital somehow. Leo let her finish her questioning before he even attempted to reply. In truth, he had to think it over as well. He didn't have all the answers, and most questions may not even have a right answer. "Yes, five hundred years are nothing to them. The only difference between now and then is that we - the world, the people - we are still weak and recovering, but they won't stop to let us catch our breath. They won't and they can't. They are locked in this endless struggle and even if one of them wanted to stop, to let go - which they don't - they couldn't as it would mean their destruction. Even if it kills us all, even if they see it coming, it's beyond their ability to stop. It's a circle turning into an inward spiral. Without equilibrium, it's just a matter of time before the end." "Fear, as you've probably seen, is my responsibility." He had come to accept the fact he had birthed a goddess of terror with his actions, but he couldn't accept that it would end like that. "It was my decision to invite her over to Ivak's prison, my decision alone. The man who was with me, Taln, might have advised me differently, but I didn't ask him. I just went ahead and did it. I must stop her to restore the balance, but I don't have the slightest idea of how one goes about killing fear. Especially when a part of me actually enjoys the benefits of her touch." His hand clutched the spot between his neck and shoulder where Ssena had marked him. It was thanks to divine politics that she'd given him a full mark - he had benefitted her immensely, after all. "At least we have Sylir back, even though he feels inadequate. But with him, we may still be able to cling together and fight back as one. Hopefully the Council will see that as well. I am afraid the average person won't be as accepting as you are." When she mentioned what he had done to her and how it made her feel better, he appeared thoughtful. "I understand and I don't. I helped you release, as is within our rights as Azenth. We release pressure in all of its forms. Beneath Semele's crust or within the confines of your heart, it doesn't matter. Without Ivak's touch, feelings go bad. People get lost in their pettiness. There's rot and decay. My presence may have given you a little stimulus. I could probably make it bigger if I concentrated, but you don't want to be emptied completely. Pressure, within reason, does wonders to people. It helps them get where they didn't think they could. As for me, I have no idea what you just experienced. I never feel it, myself. Such is life, Kavala... when I cast it on Ivak he was basically unaffected. I suspect, the more Azenth you wield, the less you can be touched by it. That would make me more or less immune to it, so I'll never know the release you just felt except the hard way. The Valterrian way. It's what makes us both vital and dangerous, and Rhysol had an easy time playing on it." The statement contained an implicit warning. Leo was a problem to have around, and not because of any personal fault of his. "Your brother might have some of our blood. One of the reasons I am here is precisely to search for those who walk with fire, so I would gladly speak with him." He took his hair back, not knowing what to do with it. There was a short pause after which he asked, almost hesitating. "Did you dream of my parents, by any chance?"