Testing The Grounds (gfed)

[Malia]

Timestamp: 42nd of Spring, 510 AV
Location: The Testing Grounds

The Testing Grounds was a location most inhabitants of Sahova approached with a particular purpose as well as the utmost caution. Magical experiments were taking place day and night; the whole area was coated in an eerie atmosphere of danger. Every chime something could go wrong and add another taint to the destroyed landscape. Anything could happen when experiments went wrong – and the whole purpose of an experiment was to determine whether the test object worked or not, after all, so unpleasant surprises were expected by everyone. Of course, one wouldn’t find most of the more skilled and higher-ranked wizards out at the fields, but it was evident that even not-so-complex projects could go terribly wrong. Nobody approached the Testing Grounds without a plan to prevent the worst.

Nobody except Malia.

Although she had been diligently training in Animation all day and night when not tending to her body, her creations still weren’t big enough to require outside testing. The laboratories and materials were open to her and she made excessive use of them. However, at this particular night she decided to take a break from her studies. Nuit, relying on the degree of decay, tended to their bodies carefully. Usually anyway. Recently Malia hadn’t watched the condition of her vessel carefully enough – her eyes were starting to hurt and her fingers, drawing sketches and notes and crafting golems all the time, had decreased to ugly, skinny claws. Obviously it was time to ask for a new body very soon. However, Malia’s position within the citadel was a precarious one – never knowing which requests would be allowed and which not, she constantly tried to balance on the thin line between the rules and her own desires and plans.

In so many ways, life in Sahova was more difficult and exhausting than being the shadow of a human mingling with humans. Additionally, her Animation skills were at the beginner level at best. In extreme situations she would have to rely on her tongue – avoiding to use the Kalivant whenever possible – and that made her uneasy. Humans feared Nuit, but Nuit carried no inhibitions towards other Nuit. Perhaps she should consider herself lucky that she had learned as much during her short stay.

So she figured that the Testing Grounds would be the perfect place to spend some time away from everyone else. One expected everything out there – but at the same time one expected nothing at all. Nobody would wonder why she wandered out of the laboratory. Additionally, the area was so big that nobody would seek contact with her or even detect her if she only found a spot where trees or bushes were still growing.

As soon as the small dark figure had entered black earth, a leather bag hanging over her shoulder, thick tension hit her senses. The vast amount of magical pollution was obvious. Of course, the whole island of Sahova existed under different conditions than the rest of Mizahar, but the Testing Grounds definitely was the worst. Even those who weren’t able to sense Djed feld uneasy here. Malia hoped that that fact didn’t disturb her from relaxing and continued wandering through the damaged land.

Grass was growing on a patch about ten feet big and a crooked and twisted tree had survived the harsh conditions. Although the place still didn’t look inviting, Malia figured that she found it better than the surroundings and entered the soft rug of grass. A few moments were spent with running fingers through the bright green pattern, inspecting the rough bark of the tree and smelling the sweet, fresh scent of nature. Inside the citadel one got to smell reality very seldom which almost caused the impression that Sahova existed out of the real Mizahar. Of course, that was not possible. But still Malia had the vague feeling of being disconnected from something whenever she wandered the corridors built of solid dark stone … something that should be there.

Nevertheless she leaned against the tree bark, black hair and yellow dress dancing in a momentary breeze. After a while her attention turned to the leather bag and her hands produced the rolling silhouette of a simply crafted, yet beautiful lyre. She hadn’t tried to hide the affection for music and instruments, but at the same time she found it better not to let everyone see what she was up to in her free time. Not that she had free time – she simply created it herself. And that was something she wasn’t sure other Nuit would approve of. One had to maintain a certain image when one had to survive in Sahova …

While her thin and deathly pale fingers absentmindedly strummed the strings of the lyre, Malia’s mind was elsewhere. Although she had escaped the boundaries of the intimidating stone structures, she still couldn’t fully relax. An ever-present sort of tension had crept into her veins, into her very being, so that she never felt quite safe.

Not in Sahova, anyway, surrounded by so many creatures that weren’t in the least human.

[Panna Cotta]

Malia was focused in playing her lyre that she had been oblivious to the two sprinting nuits from a distance: one of them was naked, a sprinting male corpse who looked liked he had just risen from the dead, the other had his cloak about him, hood thrown back, face contorted in a smile. They did not look like they were chasing one another, instead, they were running away from someone, or something.

One of the nuits stretched out both his hands and, without a word, the tree that Malia had been leaning on moved. An unseen force shook the earth beneath her, and mounds of dirt grew out of the ground. It was too sudden, and soon she was trapped inside a cavern-like structure, too small even for someone like her. She'd have to crouch if she will try to make her way out. But even that was impossible, because even if she attempted to, the two nuits coming her way were trying to outrun (not that they were running) one another into the shelter.

And then there she was, feeling like a preserved orange inside a jar, squeezed between two other arguing nuits.

"What did you think were you doing out here?" The naked one asked.

"Saving your naked ass, that's for sure." The other nuit managed to lift his arm and slap the naked nuit. "If it weren't for me you'd be charcoal by now."

"Oh yeah? Well let's see how much longer your little mound of dirt can last after that imbecile invention of yours fires a beam at us." He moved his leg past Malia's and kicked the other nuit's shin.

"Excuse me? I did not create such a chaotic beast! I may have had a hand in arming it, but I did not animate it!" The two kept shouting at each other, sneaking a punch, a slap.

"I will poke your eye out!"

"Dare try, I just had this body, prepare to have some explaining to do when I request a new one!"

"Ohh, is that a threat, what will you do? Morph into a crow and peck my rotten flesh? I can blast you out of here if you don't stop yakking! We're making too much noise!"

"If it hears us outside your small cramped cave then hiding in here was a stupid idea."

"Feel free to leave and run back into the Citadel..."

"Shut up, I think it's coming!"

The two felt silent, trying to feel for the loud thud thud thud of the golem that was following them. But then they realized that there was a third nuit sandwiched in between their two bodies. Momentarily distracted, they focused on their little catch. They were now narrow-eyed, staring at Malia, one of them looking down at her, the other groping her.

"Who's this?" A barely audible whisper from the naked nuit.

"I don't know. She has a musical instrument though." And Malia's lyre was strummed by someone else's finger. A few broken notes played.

"You moronic corpse!" The naked nuit cried, trying to sound angry while whispering, "Don't draw attention to us!"

It seemed like the two will continue to argue until Malia does something. Thud thud thud, thud thud thud. Something was coming. Something that was making heavy footfalls.

What was Malia thinking, trying to find peace in an otherwise chaotic place?

[Malia]

Indeed, what was she expecting … she thought when two Nuit approached her little spot of living nature. They were an interesting couple, one exposing his dead flesh in all its glory and the other one smiling in what seemed to be malicious joy. As soon as Malia realized that they were running away from something that had obviously gotten wrong, the tree bark at her back moved. Alarmed, she jumped forward, clasping the lyre with one hand and trying to escape from the hug of the suddenly alive tree – but she was too slow.

The next moment she found herself enclosed by wood and earth and two other bodies. She barely managed to make sure that her lyre didn’t get damaged. Then the other Nuit started arguing with one another. Malia, who didn’t try to interrupt them and rather seized the chance to gain information, tried to make herself as little as possible between them and listened. Apparently the cloaked one had tried to save the naked one’s life. Perhaps they had just transformed a body transfer? But the next words indicated that a golem was running around somewhere out there … wreaking havoc? One of them had made a mistake; obviously the cloaked one, although he didn’t seem too concerned about the immediate danger they were in. He believed that his little wood shelter would be strong enough to endure the golem’s attacks. But Malia doubted that … considering the fact that the golem was armed.

While they were continuing to shout threats at each other, Malia tried to summarize the information she had gotten from their words. The naked one had just entered a new body. The cloaked one had animated a golem and the naked one had helped arming it. Obviously something had gotten out of control which was why the golem was now haunting them. If the situation escalated, she could count on the reimancy skills of the cloaked one and the morphing of the naked one. Malia herself didn’t possess any combat abilities, unfortunately. She knew the basics about Animation, but supposed that the cloaked one was more proficient than her. The loud thuds the golem created was proof of its massive size – such golems weren’t created by novices.

Suddenly silence fell upon the tree. The two had finally recognized that there was someone else trapped within their so-called shelter. Malia’s finger twitched when one strummed her instrument. The whole situation was kind of ridiculous to her, but since they had accidentally trapped her between them, she had no other option than to try to solve their problem.

Another lesson she had learned today. Never seek peace at the Testing Grounds. This seemed to be the punishment for her carelessness.

Anyway, when the other Nuit paused in their argument, she whispered in her usual monotone voice: “Does any of you know how to stop the golem? From my point of view the only option is to work together to get out of here.” Her eyes, pitch black with faint blue rings around the irises, were fixed on the gaze of the Nuit she faced – regardless if it was the naked or the cloaked fellow.

Apparently they didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation, but Malia absolutely refused to get a new body or die by losing all her ichor right here and now and was determined to get out of danger as quickly as possible.

[Panna Cotta]

"Stop it?" The naked nuit asked, a little sarcastically, "1,000 kilograms of metal, 30 dangerous glyphs at its command, not to mention it can run on its two legs and you wish to," the nuit mimicked Malia's voice, "Stop it?"

"No, little kid," it continued in a softer voice, "we do not stop it. We wait until it goes away."

The cloaked nuit, who was continuously tugging at a string or two in her lyre, offered little consolation, "I dare not work together with that rotting corpse! He's the reason why we're all here in the first place."

Once more, the argument came back, "If you had stayed behind like a good boy we would not be in this predicament!"

"What kind of stupid nuit are you? I told you it will not work again this time!"

"It worked, it did, and more than hundreds of times for us! Only you were there with your big noisy mouth, rejoicing at the wrong place at the wrong time in front of the wrong golem!"

"We made a mistake," the two said simultaneously, perhaps for once agreeing about something. And both fell silent, contemplating about their current situation. Whenever they were too busy with their thoughts, they seemed to forget about Malia.

Thud thud thud.

The golem was still near, trying its best to locate the two stray nuits. Earlier, a Communicator Golem had reported illegal activities occurring near Port Silence. True enough, there was a nuit who smuggled in ten corpses back into one of the warehouses. The report was later overridden, and this was the cloaked nuit's doing, but the Docks Overseer had received the altered report a little too late. It sent a Peacekeeper, a wheeled golem with a circular body that was fully armed with dangerous glyphs.

Tampering with golems had serious repercussions. Tampering with golems armed with powerful glyphs was considered suicide. It was a fact many Sahovan mages knew, but never really understood.

Since last season, there had been an increase in the number of malfunctions of Port Silence golems. While the rest of the Citadel does not seem to be alarmed, trade had become more and more difficult, with golems wreaking havoc in the only point of entry of Sahova. There have been accounts of outsiders and pulsers getting killed with deadly magic - most of which have been "accidentally" unleashed. There was also a growing number of casualties among the few nuits who visited the docks, and the rest of the wizards in Sahova was given more reason to stay put inside: let the golems do the job.

Sahova considered the casualty numbers statistically negligible and decided that the important thing was that the golems still kept a tight rein on security. They simply could not be bothered, they were too busy, a dead body in Port Silence would not harm anybody. Many believed that the malfunctions could be chalked up to Drainira's fault, the good-for-nothing supervisor golem that the Archwizard had created.

The Peacekeeper was still locating the delinquents, chasing them as far as the Training Grounds. It was thoroughly scanning the area, doing it twice, making sure that the coast was truly clear. Thud thud thud. Though it moved on wheels, it made noises that sounded like rock pounding on rock.

In a voice audible enough for Malia and the two other mages, the Peacekeeper declared. "Targets located." Thud thud thud. Even without seeing, the three nuits would have felt how they were now surrounded by unseen foes. The sound was faint, but they knew that all the golems would now be aiming towards their little humble abode. In a flash, they would all become crispy corpses.

Malia would have never expected what occurred next, as the ground shook once again, and they were - quite literally - swallowed by the earth beneath them. They descended into a hole of dirt and rocks and falling stones. It must have felt like getting buried alive, only they were all standing, and the ground seemed to be letting them pass through.

Above them, while the light was slowly being eaten by darkness, there was a bright flash of a myriad of colors. Magic drifted down into the hole, but it was not as dangerous as it would have been above ground. A small crack of lightning struck the cloaked nuit by the shoulder, and the black cloth was set on fire. It was immediately snuffed out by a sudden gush of water from above them. The liquid was terribly cold and chilling, Malia would wonder what it would be like had they absorbed the full impact of the magic ray.

They roughly slided down the bowels of the earth until they all fell down on a rocky staircase. One of them tumbled and rolled. The earthen staircase must have lead towards the surface at one point in time, but considering the depth of their underground descent, it must have been buried a long time ago. Technically, they were in the end of a dead end. What leads beyond?

"What in the petching light was that?"

"I just thought about doing us a favor!"

"By leading us deep down the earth into an unknown tunnel vein?"

"Idiot! This leads us back to HQ."

"You're sure?"

"Sure, sure."

"Didn't know you can do something like that. Hmm. What about this one?" The naked nuit remembered Malia.

"Leave her be."

"Okay."

Now Malia was truly trapped, should she follow the two nuits or should she dig her way up? The two nuits were still arguing between them, but they were now walking towards the dimly-lit tunnel. Without their help, Malia might get lost for days, months, years, even. Above her, Malia could see that the earth had not closed completely, she could still find her way up in the same way that anything above her could find its way down. She has to make a choice now, or she'll be left with no other option.

[Malia]

Malia would have rolled her eyes, had she had enough emotion in her to express her deprecation in any way at all. However, being the two-centuries-old Nuit she was, she simply returned to her previous silence. After a while in which the notes her lyre produced could be heard painfully loud, she covered the strings with one hand so that the cloaked one couldn’t make any more noises. She was worried about the golem outside, but also hoped to keep her lyre in one piece during that unfortunate incident.

While the two others continued with their argument, part of her thoughts drifted away. It was then that she remembered the recent news that might have something to do with Naked and Cloak hiding from a heavily armed golem inside a tree. Illegal activities near Port Silence … a Nuit smuggling corpses … so the thud thud thud outside had to be the peacemaker golem. Personally Malia didn’t know what was wrong about hoarding corpses for personal use, but the rules of Sahova were strict and punishment was carried out with no exception. Her only hope was that the golem was intelligent enough to separate the three bodies inside the tree and skilled enough to direct the punishment towards the two guilty ones. A very, very slim chance, Malia knew, but nevertheless she hoped. What should one do when trapped the way she was, anyway?

The noise increased, the golem approached. Then a metallic, monotonous voice stated that Naked and Cloak had been targeted. With nothing to lose, Malia whispered, only a hint of agitation visible in her eyes: “Now do you still want to wait until it goes—“

Suddenly the ground under her feet vanished.

First her eyes widened, then a reflex shut them and hands hugged the lyre in an attempt to keep it and her own body safe. She was falling through earth and dirt and dust. It was only a matter of seconds though, until she landed with a surprising lack of pain.

For the first chime she felt like an idiot while her brain attempted to process what had just happened. Meanwhile a leftover lightning was coming through the hole and set Cloak’s cloak on fire. Moments after the flames were doused by a descending splash of water. Some drops hit Malia’s skin like tiny icicles. She didn’t want to imagine what would have happened to them above ground, yet she did before she could stop it. Obviously the magic abilities of Cloak did carry some advantages with them.

When the movement above stopped Malia had enough time to examine the hole they had landed in. There was a staircase formed out of earth and a tunnel leading deeper into the ground of the island. Come to think of it … hopefully they didn’t come across water when descending that tunnel. But then the citadel had been built dozens of feet beyond the surface, so the probability of drowning seemed to be minimal. This, however, didn’t set Malia at ease in the slightest. There were still problems enough to solve.

If an official golem was searching for Naked and Cloak, they must have done something to attract its attention. The smuggling story sounded believable enough, but Malia was interested in the reasons behind the coup. Additionally, she was now involved in the whole incident as well, so she would stick with them until she knew the truth and what role she played. Then she could decide if leaving as quickly as possible was an appropriate action.

So when the other two started arguing again, she hoped that Cloak was right and led them towards the HQ – which she supposed was the citadel. They started walking down the staircase while Malia dropped her gaze to examine the precious instrument. Dust had stained its wooden surface and tiny rocks had gotten caught in between the strings, but the damage wasn’t irreparable. Clearing away the dirt Malia looked up and followed the strange pair. This time she hoped that they would give her more reasonable answers … “Why did you two actually risk to be threatened by a peacemaker in the first place? What is so important about a bunch of dead bodies? Sahova stores thousands of them, I’ve heard”, she exclaimed, breaking the silence.

[Panna Cotta]

"This is really great, we have managed to find ourselves a nuit-sance," the naked one punned badly. "Let it tag along, I suppose, since it is very very unlikely for it to be..."

The cloaked one snapped, "You and your blabbering mouth have caused enough trouble for one day! As for you, you uninvited guest, unless you are willing to sell what's left of your unlife to the boss of this no-longer-secret wretched hole of ours, I suggest you find a way to get rid of yourself."

"No need to be rude," the naked one said, and handed out his hand. "Don't really find names necessary, so they just call me Crow." It was fresh, despite the grime and dirt. Crow, of course, was what he could morph into.

"Naar." That was the other nuit's name. Naar added, "I'm not a servant of Qiao." Which declared truce, if not an alliance with Mashaen.

"Varubicht is a hound of Qiao, does that not make you servant of Qiao?" The naked one said sarcastically. They were still talking between themselves - arguing as they have been earlier - and though they pay Malia attention, they seem to be, most of the time, oblivious to her presence. The two nuits lead her down a musky corridor, filled with filth and thick with cobwebs. The whole place looked like nobody had seen it for centuries. Later, Malia would realize, it was meant to be appear so.

The path, if she examined closely, was not really a ruin. It did not have any close resemblance to the internal structure of Sahova, but then again there was a lot of hidden walls and chambers embedded within the Citadel. There was a very big possibility for this path to lead them right back to Sahova, and Malia might at last, be the next thing closest to home.

Sahova, the island, even the Citadel for that matter, was as far away as it can be to home. Home was a place where you are supposed to feel comfortable and safe. And Malia was offered none of these.

Out in the distance, Malia could see the path blocked by ethereal mist. Naar turned back to face her, "This is were your path ends, and where ours begin."

"Unfortunately, you can't really turn back."

The cloaked nuit pulled a trigger, and the walls behind them shifted, the ground trembled. Small pebbles and dirt fell upon their heads and they were all showered with sand. It was a struggle to keep upright.

The path was now forked into two dark caverns and there was nowhere to turn back. The nuits have quietly separated, and Malia now needed to choose which one to follow.

Regardless of which nuit she will choose for company, the cavern will look like a temple ruin, with dim silvery-blue light igniting on bulbs embedded on the cavern walls. If she asked about what happened, the answer will be the same.

Crow was a nuit who likes experimenting with personal magic, whose love for extreme danger always caused him to burn out his body quicker than a candle that burns overnight. This has recently caused problems for him, as Qiao have issued control orders when it comes to switching bodies in the Citadel - only when reasonable, if not justifiable. Nuits do no really care about their physical appearances, unless it impedes one's ability to carry on a task. Crow always had his own pet projects, many of which are hidden even from the Archwizard, or his own boss. For Crow, it meant barely surviving for, at most, two seasons. The pet projects and experiments are never revealed, but Malia can assume that Crow dealt with most perverse forms of magic, the only reason for the undeaad to wear out bodies more than what Qiao provisions. Crow, of course, have had to find other means of supplying himself with an earthly vessel. With the grace of his boss, he had been able to trade with a merchant ship called Baradbal. Four cheap bodies a season ain't so bad. He'd be able to embalm it to stay in good condition until he needed it, which would be, at most within a fortnight or so.

Today, unfortunately, Crow was caught in his illegal trade. Fortunately, the Communicator golem that reported him malfunctioned, although not in time for the cloaked one to erase the logs of the report. Crow was stupid when it came to manipulating golems.

The Docks Overseer, who had now been used to the "anomalies", knew only to command Peace keepers to pursue the dysfunctional Communicator golem, who was pursuing Crow. Malia was informed about the brutal law enforcement Sahova mandated for the golems. 'If you're screwed, we get rid of you.' The Communicator golem got destroyed, but not without commanding an attack against Naar and Crow, both protocol violators themselves.

The story would continue with a curious remark about how the Peace keeper responded to an order known to be a catchphrase of Drainira's followers. "Set them free. Set them free." And then the Communicator golem rose up in flames, free of its animated consciousness. Then, the Peace keeper pursued both Naar and Crow. They have managed to hide in an animated wagon that was heading out to the Training Grounds, where they have been located by the Peace keeper, where they met Malia... And the nuit will continue telling the story, together with the parts that Malia experienced herself.

When it ended, Malia and her companion stood facing a big wooden door. It was a golem, she would know since she had been studying Animation. Her companion would say a few phrases in Common, and the door would slowly spring ajar.

They would be greeted by another nuit with an elderly male body, wrapped in expensive-looking violet robes. He had patches of decay on his handsome face, and he scratched at the bruises around his neck. Malia would notice the golden necklace hanging about his neck, the pendant nestled and well hidden in his clothes. His white hair softly waved about as he turned and examined Malia with dead interest.

"Have you come to praise..."

"Boss. Unwanted visitor." Her companion introduced her.

The 'Boss' nodded with a disappointed look. "What brings you here, apart from coincidence? Or shall I say, faith, if not fate?"

She was in a hall that looked a lot like a small chapel or temple. There were elements of worship materials - some look quite expensive - in a ritual table, a small gathering place in front of an altar. The chandeliers gave off the same silvery-blue and violet hue as found outside. The place was connected into other rooms, one behind the altar's wall; descending the hall's staircase to the left would lead into a corridor lined with doors.

[Malia]

Congratulations!You know how to make people ramble in their posts.

The two surely were an unusual couple … and rude. Malia didn’t particularly appreciate their behavior. Since it was likely they had already lived a couple of decades, if not centuries, was it too much to expect a little bit of rhetoric skill from either one? Apparently it was. Sighing inwardly, Malia didn’t respond. When a hand was held out, however, she suspiciously touched it and let a brief handshake happen. To her surprise, Crow seemed to look after the vessels of his ichor quite carefully. With no expression visible on her features, she replied: “Nice to meet you. I’m Azola.” She hoped that either one didn’t recognize that she was lying. They were too occupied with their own problems, so she hoped that it just didn’t matter to them. She was just a “nuit-sance” to them, after all.

So, Crow and Naar. The latter apparently was loyal to someone called Varubicht. Of Lector Qiao she had already heard, though, naturally. The rumors told her that she didn’t want to meet him anytime during her stay in Sahova, so she wasn’t keen on finding out how much was true of what people said. Mashaen, however, was different. She had put some time into investigating his past and ambitions and found that he was someone one could cooperate with if necessary. Perhaps he would turn into an ally if she got the chance of meeting him. Jilitse had told about that with her, but of course Malia couldn’t be sure what this woman actually planned. She was friendly, true – but unpredictable in her own way.

Anyway, while the two others were continuing with their eternal argument, Malia was left to her own devices. Apparently that meant she was allowed to follow them further down … or up, whatever. The path didn’t look comfortable in the least, but not entirely neglected either. The probability of it leading back to the citadel was quite high, she believed. Malia, who was a careful and reserved person, always felt better when surrounded by things she knew, no matter how hostile or distrustful.

Just when she had finished that thought, the path changed. Some kind of mist crossed their way. With the now familiar dry rudeness she had already experienced earlier, Naar declared that they would leave her alone now. Seconds after, the ground and ceiling started to tremble. Sand and dirt trickled down from above. Despite being caught off guard, Malia managed to shift into a fairly safe posture. The lyre she hugged momentarily, just to protect its strings from dirt and dust. When the mechanism had finished, she straightened and tried to pluck a few strings. Apparently the dry air hadn’t done the instrument any damage so far. She hoped that the conditions wouldn’t get worse. Trying to get a melody out of the strings had proved to be a pleasant pastime. The soft and peaceful sound distracted her from her mission for a while and allowed her to relax. She told herself that it didn’t really matter if she lost or damaged the lyre, but she admitted that it would be laborious to get a new instrument (or a new hobby).

When confronted with the decision of where to go, Malia hesitated only for a brief moment. Then she followed the swaying cloak of Naar. Perhaps Mr. Naked caused discomfort in her because he was, well, naked, but the more obvious reason was that Naar had clearly been friendlier and more open towards the unwanted guest than his companion. Thus, she chose Naar.

Perhaps it had been a good choice, she thought, when finding out that he knew a few things about golems. A fellow Animator maybe? Not that it was of any significance for the current situation.

The story continued and in its course something called “Drainira” was mentioned. Malia was sure she had heard about it before. An extraordinary golem, she remembered. The details of the story, however, escaped her consciousness. Perhaps Jilitse would tell her when she finally found her way back into the actual citadel and the laboratories. But her companion didn’t pause and continued to tell the story, filled with interesting details and loose ends …

By the time they reached the door the words had faded into silence. Malia couldn’t help but wonder what Crow was doing right now, but any thoughts were pushed aside by the new environment she was led into. A seemingly elderly Nuit greeted them, regarding Malia with special interest. Before he could finish his first sentence, though, Naar interrupted. Malia’s curiosity was piqued, though. Which deity was actually worshiped here? For obviously this place functioned as some kind of temple for a part of the Sahovan Nuits. Malia reasoned that said part wasn’t too big, but very serious. The tools at the table and the altar … some looked quite expensive and the place had been built with care. She wondered what was going on there. The most obvious god Nuit could worship was Uldr, but she herself had never felt connected to a god of all things undead. However, she sensed that there was another riddle to unveil.

When addressed, she tilted her head. “No, I believe faith has nothing to do with why I’m here. Coincidence, as you said, would be more likely. I would be grateful if one of you could provide me with some answers to what is going on here and what you are planning though. You know, it would help me with setting up my own schedule for today.” Slight sarcasm, and an intense stare out of pitch-black, blue-circled eyes, was everything she managed to throw back at Naar for the time being. She still hoped that the mess would dissolve and the secret would be discovered as soon as possible. But her hope had already been turned down twice. On the other hand, Crow had been the main problem until now.

No, she was neither disappointed nor annoyed. Not in the slightest. But if she had been a human, she had tried to concentrate on her breath and find the calm she needed to fully comprehend.

[Panna Cotta]

OOCI hope I wasn't too cruel!

The "Boss" nodded to Naar, and the nuit went to the other side of the room, disappearing into one of the doors. The grandfather figure faced Malia, his old face beaming like an amused child.

"Azola." He said the name in syllables, tasting it. "You have come into the right place at the wrong time." Malia could feel the weight of his presence: his imposing eyes, his deep resonating voice, his way of standing tall. "I do not like lying to guests, if you could think of yourself as that." He paused and stood beside Malia. He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder and presented the rest of the room with a sweep of his hand. "This is a temple devoted to Uldr." He nudged her back slightly, pushing her to walk with him. "I do not think you came here to be proselytized. I am not blind to not see where your faith lies." He looked deeply in her eyes, soothing her, calming her, making her feel that he could be trusted, if not, at least making Malia believe that he is harmless. "In as much as I wish to share my own faith with you, I could surmise that you have arrived here with a purpose, one that you have yet to realize. We are never placed in circumstances without an underlying principle. And with all due respect to you, and whatever it is that you need to fulfill in the land of the dead, I can see that death is following you. Or could it be that you are chasing death? Which is it?"

"Have you come here to die? Or did you come here to kill?" From the tone of his voice, the Boss seemed to be referring to something else entirely, and Malia had the faint suggestion that the Boss understood her more than she understood herself. "I can see the desire in you, and it is something I have not seen in a while." He stopped, but stroked Malia's hair in a fatherly way, "The desire to kill. The need to kill. The want to kill. The metadead is in your path. I wish I had the right skills to read your future, Azola," he said her name in a patronizing tone, pronouncing the syllables slowly, almost lovingly, "but my capability is limited. I can see potential in you, the potential to become a servant of the same god that I worship. And had you not promised yourself to another deity," he stopped stroking her hair and brought his hand to her cheeks, brushing the dark circles of her eyes ever so lightly, "I would have made you my child right here, right now. The metadead is in your path."

The Boss stepped aside, and Azola could see him restraining himself as he laced his fingers together, "What can an undead priest do for you?" The Boss understood that the security would not be breached if it was not allowed by Uldr. He hated the god, part of him anguishing at the thought that their secret lair had been revealed. He was thanking the god, part of him reveling at the thought that Uldr allowed a non-worshipper to find a place so sacred. He gave Malia a frosty stare while his question was being answered.

[Malia]

OOCNo, no, it's very exciting! Btw, might be helpful if you contact Goss about Kahnikivas.

While the ‘Boss’ started to speak, Naar disappeared behind one of the various doors at the back of the room. Malia wasn’t sure if she liked that. This day seemed to present her with a variety of new acquaintances, each one more interesting than the others. This one, however, seemed to be friendly and willing to explain which was a welcomed change.

The first few words she didn’t understand at all. But although Malia didn’t enjoy being touched by a complete stranger, she allowed the priest to do whatever he wanted. Perhaps she was just curious enough to ignore the details. So they were indeed worshiping the God of All Things Undead. Malia wondered what that meant for her, but the priest already continued. When he looked into her eyes, she knew that he saw the faint blue circles around her irises, but also the emotions that she tried to bury where nobody could find them. Apparently she had failed … once again. It didn’t bother her that much though. The stare of the elderly priest was hypnotizing.

Coincidence had never contained truth for her; instead she viewed everything as a chance, an opportunity to gain an advantage. Perhaps Tanroa or any other deity helped her along her way. Perhaps other Gods tried to create obstacles she had to overcome – but if she solved their riddles, she had become stronger still. Everything was an opportunity to prove what she was. Perhaps a part of her viewed it as a threat. You do not need to live if you do not rise above this challenge. Someone who had spent a couple of human generations with figuring out what she existed for, every chime was precious. Nothing should be wasted. As much as she appeared carefree and ignorant – she would do everything to get what she wanted. She just knew how to use the time she had.

Obviously the priest had found out about the burning desire deep inside her. She couldn’t put a finger on what he wanted for himself though. Perhaps he saw the situation as a test from Uldr. Perhaps he wanted to help her to help himself in the God’s eyes. However, she couldn’t deny the strange feeling that he understood her. He knew what she wanted and shared her feelings. Malia found it hard to classify him. When he stroked her hair like a father, she sensed that he dug up the answers to his own questions lying inside her.

How was he able to do that? Her mind reasoned that she had to be careful around him, but somehow her heart, her soul forgot that.

She felt alienated from him, though, when he spoke of something as her path. The metadead. Another word for undead? But she knew that time was far more important. Life and death didn’t matter to time. Everything that mattered was its passing. Whether someone was alive, dead or undead was of no importance. History was the proof.

So what could the priest possibly do for Malia? Fortunately she had come across a tame exemplar, she thought. She didn’t know much about Uldr and she didn’t really want to know more. One thing, however, was of high importance to her. When, if not now, and where, if not here, she could voice the question she had been carrying around in the citadel above? Catching his eyes in her gaze, Malia asked: “Do you know something about a Nuit who calls himself Kahnikivas?” The words were uttered calmly, but with quick and silent determination.

The next seconds would reveal whether she had been a fool or a genius to ask this question.

[Panna Cotta]

"Kahnikivas." The Boss stared into Malia's eyes, boring into the very secrets of her soul. "I know that this would sound far too impolite, but why do you ask?" There was now a crooked yet knowing smile on his face that could not be mistaken for anything but teasing. He knows something, the Boss hardly seemed like the type who would lie. It was a matter of giving him an answer that will equal his own honesty.

He would keep a level stare at Malia until she spills the whole truth. "Ha. He still steals baby from cribs, doesn't he?" The Boss sprayed his arms out. "I can see where this will all go wrong, though. Kahnikivas wouldn't really like being thwarted. You are his, and that ownership is something that he will claim. That clears things up."

"So, to answer your previous question, I now know something about Kahnikivas. At least the ones you told me about." That was a bit unexpected, but Malia had the vibes that the Boss was hiding something else. He stroked Malia's head. "Say it, Malia. Say it. What you want to do and what you need to do. Maybe we can help."