Closed Sykan Sifting [Ialari/Gossamer]

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari remained a few steps back as Veronica and Alric had their conflict. She had tried to regain some semblance of calm in the encounter but it didn’t take much to realize that Veronica had lost too much patience to stick around for much longer.

When the ghost finally continued with a few more insights, Ialari felt a bit of relief. The fact that Veronica was moving in a way that showed she was about to bring the conversation to an end though quickly erased any of that short-lived relief. What the ghost said about Luke caused Ialari to set him aside in her mind for the moment as it didn’t seem like he was part of the current problem. The mention of people having secrets such as whatever the ones called Nesra and Graclin had, was good to know for a later date. The one called, Senora…that was a secret Ialari immediately wanted to know. That too would have to wait. Secrets were not things that bothered her; she had so many of her own.

Kyle and Kelton? Ialari admitted to herself she had no idea who all these names belonged to; too many newcomers to keep track of especially with all that was happening. She did take note of the description of the scar yet if Veronica was fond of the boy, he was probably not the problem either.

When Veronica vanished from sight, the mark of Dira on her palm itched slightly. Ialari could still feel the ghost’s presence nearby. It wasn’t like Veronica was going to go too far considering the voiced attempt of strangers wishing to trespass on the ship. There was a brief silence once Veronica left the conversation. While there was a good amount of information gained, in the end it wasn’t what Veronica had said that caught Ialari’s attention as much as something the ghost had done. She considered that single action for a moment before Alric broke the momentary silence.

She listened to what he had to say and replied to his question about the orphanage, “I haven’t been there yet but yes, there is a place where the children have been staying.” Her tone was not angry and not even frustrated. While her frustration had been rather obvious just a few moments earlier, she seemed surprisingly calm now.

“As for the idea of a child being a priest of any god…I guess it depends on what exactly the god wants in a follower. I don’t know much more than the most basic things about Rhysol. He is the one parents tell stories of to frighten children into not doing something they shouldn’t. As for Luke…” Ialari looked thoughtful before turning her eyes to the ship and to a special marking that adorned its bow.

Looking back to Alric, “Luke is just a child. Just because he is related to a god doesn’t change that. He is likely not old enough to fully understand what he is.”

When Alric offered a bit of an apology for the way he reacted with Veronica, Ialari dismissed the part about pursuing things herself. “If I could have fixed this all by myself, I would have done so long before now. I meant it when I said people succumbing to stress do stupid things. My own stress has caused me to miss some of the most obvious details of my surroundings; something that is no less stupid than antagonizing a ghost.” She offered a smile.

“I don't remember anything out of the ordinary that day the ship arrived. Well, the fact that it brought children was not normal but still. I've revisited that day a few times and still didn't see much of note. As for ideas…I think I do have one but considering your little outburst about the gods, you may want to stay out of the water for a bit. Oh, and Veronica, I know you are listening. Thank you. If I am right, you gave us the best clue possible. If I’m wrong, you still gave us some things to go on.” Ialari casually walked over to the side of the dock and in one motion slipped into the water where it was relatively shallow with the water coming up just below her neck.

Looking up at Alric from the water, Ialari said, “Veronica…she was marked before death by Laviku. Luke is one of his children. The ship is marked as well. I failed to consider the mark on the ship and what it might mean until I saw Veronica glance at it. Veronica, although quite capable, still has limits. Luke, he is still too young. The ship…its mark…there is still one individual who may have the answers we seek.”

Ialari pulled freed her dagger and drew the blade across her forearm; clenching her teeth as she did so. “Ok, if this works, I have no idea what will happen next. If something does happen, please just stay calm.”

As her blood mixed with the water, Ialari called out in the direction of the open sea, “Sailors offer sacrifices to you in hopes of gaining good fortune on the waves. Good fortune is what we are in desperate need of right now, great Laviku.” She spoke his name in Kontinese. “The people of Syka are cursed and the cause likely snuck aboard this great ship; a ship that holds your favor. The one responsible has, so far, avoided discovery and we are running out of time. As sacrifice, if you will accept it, I offer my blood and my service to you in hopes of gaining your aid in saving the people of Syka.”

Ialari had no idea if the prayer, sacrifice of blood and offer of service would be enough to gain Laviku’s attention, much less any help. A part of her hoped that all the, “crazy”, as Veronica put it that made her who she was would be attractive to the sea. She briefly looked back at Alric before returning her attention to the sea.

Words: 1005

[Gossamer]

While the human and the Isur talked, Veronica retreated to the ship which was her true home. She walked into her Father’s cabin and sat down in the chair behind his desk, releasing Sardine to roam as he liked across the surface of the desk. She took a moment to stroke the leather arm rests, her fingers passing through it though in her mind she was imaging the scent and feel of the cool material against her skin. The kitten paced past her, leaped off the desk, and transformed into a boy about her age.

He leaned against the desk and shook his head. “They are just worried. This new man is a stranger, but time will tell if he’s an ally or not. Ialari is in it for herself. I’m not sure she has any interest in saving the settlement. She’s never really been part of it.” He said, studying the other little girl who was as equally as transparent as he was. “I think you did right, leaving them to their own devices. We don’t know anything, anyhow.” He said, studying Veronica. “Do we?” He asked, his eyes suddenly narrowing.

Veronica offered him a simple smile. “We know plenty, Dine.” She said his name like the human name Dean… drawing it out like she enjoyed doing when she was thinking deeper thoughts. Deeeeaaaannnn. Suddenly, she moved, pulling open a side drawer on her father’s desk, pulling out a piece of paper, and then rummaging in his quills to pick just the perfect one. She opened the ink pot, having to move into a kneeling position on the chair to reach it all, then she started a list.

Ialari
Alric

Then beside each name she started adding tickmarks, little vertical slashes like she was taking inventory. Sardine moved around the desk so he could see what she was doing, pondered a moment, and nodded. “I agree with the tally.” He said, shrugging. Then he walked over to the window and froze. “By the Ukalas, Nica, that Isur is summoning Laviku.” He said.

Veronica froze. “Do you think he will come?”

Dine shrugged. “Maybe. With Luke here… no he’ll come.” He added. “We’d better go get your father.”

She nodded as Sardine turned, transformed back into a kitten, and jumped up into her arms. She left all her supplies out on the desk with the ink still drying on the parchment, and dematerialized immediately. It would take a bit, but James surely would come.

Meanwhile, outside, the water in the bay stilled. The waves stopped lapping the white sand and the wind died down to almost nothing. The Veronica stopped rocking in her birth as the world itself seemed to hold its breath. The turquoise of the waters turned a deep crimson in the part of the bay near Solitude Island. Then that patch of color seemed to move closer, towards them, clearly in view of the ship and anyone standing on the dock. The water churned around it and a crimson creature surfaced. It looked a little like a basket star, all fluttering spiney arms creating a beautiful basket-like body with a flat space for a center.

The creature was deep blood red though its arms turned deep purple that ended in bright sapphire tips. Its arms curved both upward and downwards. A figure stood in the center of it on the flatness sof its body, revealed slowly and clearly as it dropped all its arms to arch under itself and thrust its body up and out of the water. Then it moved towards the dock, past the ship to one side, where it surrounded the dock and slipped underneath of it, bumping against it with the main part of its body.

The figure stepped from the flat spot in the middle of the basket star to the dock, revealing himself fully. He was a tall man, older, with a long flowing seaweed beard and robes made of exotic but beautiful scales flowing around him. The robes were the purest white of seafoam and dripped seawater though they did not have the appearance of wet cloth. Where the robes touched the dock, foam much like waves produced hitting the sand, rose up. The man turned and looked at Ialari where she stood in the water and then turned and looked at Alric.

“She offers a sacrifice for my presence… that of her blood which is both precious to her and to Izurdin. What do you offer?” He asked Alric, his voice the call of whalesong mixed with the cry of seagulls. His eyes were the glittering hardness of light reflected off the water, but the lines of his face looked worn and patient as he waited calmly for a response.

While he was waiting, he turned to Ialari. "How may I aid you, Child of Izurdin?"

[Alric Lysane]

Ialari seemed to have become calmer once more, or perhaps had just tired to the outbursts enough that she had passed into the seas on the other side of said emotion. She was sharing information and had suggested that she still wished to continue their impromptu…was it a partnership? Binding of necessity? Either way she had opted to continue working together, despite the fact they had gotten less from Veronica than they had hoped, and that was something. He wasn’t about to question it given that he knew next to nothing about Syka and, in a very selfish way, he needed her help. He nodded at her mention of a living space for the children.

“Perhaps we can go there next then, seeing as those are our only clues at present. Communal places also, curses I’d imagine were spread there. The fact everyone started having symptoms around the same time suggest a singular event, for both arrival and then…exposure” he suggested thoughtfully, finally starting to use what investigative talent he had.

“As for priests…I don’t know. This whole thing feels strange. I suppose it could be a child, it would make a good hidden pox, none might expect it. Then again Veronica suggested her father vetted them all…so either he isn’t as fool proof at seeing things as she thinks…or he is and it’s someone, or something, else. And I’m not so sure about Luke…I was eight when I was out into an orphanage. I was ten when we started running the streets and robbing everything in sight. Children…children have a way of doing the unexpected, more so than adults” he said, certain of that fact, Lys had certainly tried his patience a hundred times just this season.

He turned his back to Ialari as they conversed, turning to face the ship and walking along the dock after the Isur until he came to the tip of the ship. Was it a bow? He had heard so much terminology from the Svefra drinkers in Sunberth but, truth be told, he had never paid attention to it beyond what was required to sneak their mizas away by theft or gambling. It didn’t matter though, not really, what mattered was the gnosis mark that had piqued both his and Ialari’s curiosity, though for different reasons. Using his Djed to form a tasked shield, plucking a hair from his head to weave into it, blocking his Djed, he stepped out onto the shimmering pathway, pacing up to the gnosis mark and running his fingers across it. It was beautiful, he had to admit, its colours changing as if it were of the sea itself.

“I did say I won’t go on the ship, and I am a man of my word. Around the ship wasn’t agreed, besides who wouldn’t want to see this?” he said, mirroring Ialari’s act of speaking as if Veronica was still there, for all he knew she was, he wasn’t an expert on ghosts, “what do you…or your son…want here Laviku? Why send a child into a den where evil waits?” he mused aloud, eventually closing his eyes and brushing his figners across a few planks of the hull, trying to summon up his Lykata but finding nothing of particular note at all, clearly they had not had much Djed imprinted upon them.

It had been a long shot anyway he sighed to himself before turning as Ialari’s words about staying on the dock caught him and he saw that she was in the water and suddenly, terrifyingly, knew instinctively what she was about to do, the last portions of their conversation falling into place.

He ran and then skidded back to the dock, letting his Djed go a bit too early and having to roll the last part in a very muddled way, but he pushed himself up and ran towards the end, intending to tell Ialari what Mathias had told her about some gods staying out of this, for decent reason, but it was too late. By the time he had made it to where he could see Ialari in the water once more the sea had…changed. This time he did take a few steps back, watching waters and how they bubbled and seethed, noticing the red construct appear and then continue to form, its colours changing at different points along its very living body.

He had no idea what it was, but he did know the being that appeared at its centre and his mind ran over their conversations, trying to remember if he had ‘blasphemed’ against Laviku – the massive man that was surely appearing before them, heading towards the dock. He didn’t think that he had, but if he had it was too late to run anyway – he was there and stepping upon the wood.

More disconcerting was the fact that even though Ialari had asked for his presence and help, her offering clear, Laviku approached him first, glancing back at Ialari and then spoke to him, voice unlike anything he had heard before, towering above him in resplendent clothing and…what on mizahar was his beard made of? He pushed that thought away quickly, it was all too easy to feel the power of the god, it thrummed and almost pushed through his chest, as if it were instinctively trying to buckle his knees. He managed to keep standing, but only just.

His question, though, did rock his thoughts and left him not really knowing what to say, or do. He could offer his own blood, but that seemed like it might just be a copy of Ialari – he had his blood already. He was trying not to meet the god’s gaze as he thought but their bright light kept dragging his own back. What did he even have on him? Nothing, really. Weapons that were pointless, pipe and tobacco, clothing that were pale imitation of that which he conjured himself. Sure, some were magical, but what use did a god have for magic that was lesser than his own? All he really had was himself, if he were honest, and he wasn’t sure that was worth much either. He had never even known much of Laviku before that moment, what common ground could he even summon up to know what would eb an appropriate offering?

Despite how Croix and Vas had listed his riches, he felt quite the pauper standing before Laviku, wondering what it was he actually valued most, that the god might like. Truthfully, he valued people the most – Taz and Lys especially – but those were not in his power to give, nor would he even if it meant the divine took exception to it, he’d take the consequences of that. The only things that really mattered to him that he carried upon his person were his family ring, Zhyad and his pipe – he never went anywhere without any of them. He’d take the things into the damned jungle when he went. Daggers, miza, clothing and all else didn’t really have a high value to him, though he wore them – but largely out of practicality and modesty more than anything else. His bodysuit, perhaps, it had saved his life a few times, but he doubted Laviku wanted to see him naked and it seemed less appropriate than the other three.

Of the three Zhyad was the item…person…magical construct…that he had the least connection with, though as an heirloom it still possessed value on an emotional level. His ring…he had carried it for years, never let it out of his sight and would be sad to lose it…but it was a relic of a bond he didn’t remember. A reminder and a declaration of who he was, more than something strong and vibrant in its emotional weight – he hoped that would change also, but it had yet to fully manifest, so he valued it, but almost in a distant, sad way.

His pipe though…it was more than a pipe, it was memory itself, his memories. Some of the best, in fact the best, memories of his entire life had been with his pipe. The magical one he carried was newer than his old, worn one, but had seen far more of his emotional ups and downs, and paid witness to his more transformative moments, than any other item he possessed. It was, in a very real way, a part of him – a fact that Eyris had shown him with her gift of Lykata. He knew that if another Lykata user with more skill held it, they’d be able to decode everything that he was, what he had felt and more. Laviku might already know those things, but if he had the pipe then he’d be carrying a significantly higher value part of Alric, in his own estimation, than a simple item.

Was that what he valued most…himself? Was he that shallow? Or was it that he valued…experience of life, such as it was, both joyous and terrible? He didn’t have much time for self-reflection and so he put that thought aside for alter consideration, sure that there was something worth exploring there, instead opening the large pouch at his belt and taking out the pipe, putting it together, and offering it up to the God with a slightly bowed head. He was not used to deference, though it was easy to acknowledge how the powers of the gods were orders of magnitude higher than his own, especially when in front of them and they wrapped themselves in it. It was a familiar feeling in the sense that Eyris had done the same, as had Ionu when marking him, but alien also, as he knew nothing of Laviku and there was no connection to draw upon beyond the general link between mortal and divine
.
“It might not seem like much, Lord of the Ocean, but this is valuable to me. This item has been my comfort within the storms of life, my inspiration with musings by the fire, and had born witness to the best, and worst, memories. It is my most precious of possessions, without which I would not feel…myself. In a very real way, as Eyris has taught me, it is a part of me, forever attached to this item. To that end I offer you…myself also…for whatever service you deem appropriate for your answering the call. I offer them to you, for your presence, and the hope that we may help Syka if you deign to aid us”

[Ialari Pythone]

With Veronica’s absence, Ialari waited and kind of hoped to hear what Alric had to say to it all. To his response about the orphanage, she nodded. It would be a good next place to investigate although she inwardly doubted it would produce many answers. There had been a death there but all investigations to that point had resulted in nothing useful. When he spoke of his own experience with an orphanage, she narrowed her eyes with a bit of sadness.

“I know nothing of life in an orphanage or without parents. My parents were loving though my father was strict. My mother was a priestess of Izurdin. My father, an instructor at the Silver Tower; our main source of magical instruction within the Kingdom. I was…privileged in a way. I had the best teachers, the best resources and a large, supportive family. I didn’t have to fight for what I had yet…it all felt hollow and empty. I felt as though I was simply going through the motions as it were. In the end, I gave it all up to explore a different path…at darker path. I would like to say I am sorry for what you went through as a child but…I…I am still trying to discover the capacity to feel such a thing. Alric…I feel that…I can’t…” She struggled with the words.

“I don’t have…not yet although I am desperately trying…the ability to fully understand what you must have went through as a child. I don’t even understand my own experiences. I am…well…Veronica mentioned the word, “crazy”. I am not crazy but I am not normal by any…definition I of the word…at least in your language. It would take a decade or more to explain and…especially now, we don’t have the time. That said, I know what it is to feel…alone and disconnected.”

When he mentioned not trespassing upon the ship followed by his vocalized comments to Laviku, Ialari pondered his sincerity. She did so because, in her limited experience, most people only spoke aloud to the gods when they were uncertain or confused about the goings-on in their own reality. She had once done the same when she spoke aloud to Izurdin so many times as a child. She had entire conversations, one-sided, with the god in hopes that he may actually hear her. She spent many bells laying in the outstretched hands of his statues; the many that adorned various parts of Sultros.


“I don’t mean to take away from your…conviction…Alric, but I think if you were to try to board that ship…you would end up being a ghost yourself.” She commented quietly as to not interrupt his vocalized thoughts.


When her mind was made up with what she was going to do, she was too focused elsewhere to notice Alric’s reaction to her next action.


Ialari, her arm burning with pain after the dagger sliced through the flesh and drew blood, waited for something to happen; anything. She didn’t know if her prayers to Laviku would be answered. She knew gods and she knew that they had their triggers; things that would garner attention. Yet, her limited knowledge of Laviku left her still wondering. She had been on ships before. She witnessed the sacrifices the sailors made for good fortune during their journeys. She even met an Otani, a child of Laviku, once although the meeting was brief and unrealized in the end as she was drawn away by different things.


As she stood in the water; her blood mixing with it, she couldn’t help but think about the time she spent in Caiyha’s survival scenario. Her blood attracted a shark that may have actually killed her if not for the goddess’ intervention.


She waited and hoped. After several moments, the water grew calm; impossibly so. The waves themselves all but ceased and the wind died. She notied the ship coming to a halt in its rocking.


Then the water turned red and that red water appeared to move on its own toward her. The surface became alive and the great beast emerged. The creature took to the air, erupting from the water. Ialari was exposed and helpless in the water near the dock. Then HE appeared and stepped from the back of the creature onto the dock.


Ialari bowed her head slightly but kept her eyes upon the glorious visage of the man. He was the personification of the sea. The beared, the robes, scales and foam that flowed; Ialari, with her intimate connection to the Ukalas, could feel the divinity flowing from the man. Laviku had answered her prayer.


Anxiety rippled through her at hearing the gods directed words. His presence, while startling her, was not all that unfamiliar. She had been in the presence of a number of gods up to that point and, while it still unnerved her a bit, was not as upending as it had been the first time.


Laviku’s addressing of Alric is what brought her great concern. The man’s stated views on the gods had angered her but she understood it all as being the ignorance of the things greater than oneself. This was more severe however as they were now standing the presence of one of the greatest of gods; one with influence over much of the known world.


When Laviku spoke to Alric of sacrifice, Ialari winced. She hadn’t expected the god to answer her prayer in the first place; much less look to Alric for a comparable sacrifice. Oh no…I…Shite…is he ready for this? She thought as the god approached the mortal. She had her time with the gods; spoke with them, spent time with them and dwelled within their realm for more than a decade. She felt as though they were more like ancestors looking out for those they cared about; grand-parent like entities that wished to guide their loved ones to success. For those unfamiliar with them, the gods could seem…to be too much.


When Laviku requested a sacrifice in a voice that raged with divinity, Ialari almost felt sorry for Alric. She didn’t expect Laviku’s response else she would have tried to prepare the man better. His response…it wasn’t what Ialari would have chosen for herself yet…she considered the fact that the man may not have had all that much interaction with the gods. Most people, although she hadn’t much experience with most people, didn’t have any real knowledge of the divine beyond being marked by or two. She had numerous encounters with them and had spent more than a decade in their realm. She felt the divine connections like few others had. Remembering back to her first experiences with the gods, she did not know how to react. She almost felt sorry for the man being addressed directly by a god in such a way.


Laviku then looked to Ialari and addressed her directly.


Swallowing, she remained still in the water even though her arm burned with the pain of being sliced so deep. “Great Laviku, I am honored that you answered my prayer. As I said, we are in dire need. The people of Syka have been cursed and I feel the source of that curse somehow snuck aboard The Veronica and made their way to Syka to unleash…Chaos.” Ialari gripped her arm and fought back the pain of the deep cut.

“I failed to the see the signs before but I seem to have a rather unique relationship with fate. While I first thought it a failure on my part, I am thinking now that this has all happened as it was destined to; my failure to see the signs was not a failure…it happened as it was supposed to. I saw the mark upon the ghost of Veronica…granted before her death. The arrival of your Otani, Luke and the mark upon this ship.” Ialari motioned to The Veronica. “It all came together for me which sparked me to offer a prayer. My lord, you know all that occurs upon your domain. I beseech you. I know I do not have a history of being the most selfless of individuals but I am trying the change. I feel a strong connection to the people of Syka. These people are suffering. They are broken as I am and I would not wish that upon anyone, especially those seeking a life better than what they had. I don’t want to see anyone suffer as I do. Mathias, a man with a dream for something greater. James, a man who just wants better for his family…living and dead. The children who have come to Syka, including one of your own…I don’t want them to grow up feeling shattered as I. I want to be more than what I am now and I want that for these people whom I am growing close to. I need your help…not for myself…I know what it is to be cursed and broken and I can learn to live with it if it doesn’t kill me first. I need your help for them. I need to know who is responsible for all of this or at least to be led in the right direction. You know what I am and what I’ve been…I don’t want to be the poison anymore…I want to be the cure. I offer all that I am…I offer Dominion, I offer the seed of the First Tree, the favor of Izurdin, the grace of Death, the sight of Time and the balance of a Riperian Witch. I am tired of the games and I want to see whatever this despicable monster is who has cursed us to be swallowed by the denizens of the deep as my greatest sacrifice to you. I don’t ask you for the answer to most pressing question of how to fix myself…I just want to fix Syka. Please…help me to know who has done this.” She could not control her tears as she poured her heart out to the god. In such a very short time she’d felt a lifetime of emotion in Syka in just a short amount of time. Love, anger, sadness, joy and a sense of purpose and all of it because she’d chosen to interact with a few mortals; mortals who had gifted her with a reason to embrace life.

“I…maybe I’ve said too much, maybe not enough. Regardless, this is what I am and what I ask. Take from me what you will if only you can help.”

Words: 1747

[Gossamer]

Laviku stood watching each of the individuals in turn, while he waited for Alric’s sacrifice and Ialari to exit the water and join them on the dock. He made a beckoning motion towards her so she would feel welcome to approach. He heard both their words, accepted Alric’s pipe as sacrifice, and gestured to assist Ialari to join them – a little impatient - in the form of a gentle wave that buoyed her up and deposited her beside Alric so they both faced him. The wave, before it retreated, curled around her arm and sealed the wound into yet another small scar joining the others on her arm.

Laviku looked thoughtfully between them. “I’ve already sent help to Syka. I sent a son. It is the least I can do for Kihala and Caiyha. I appreciate what the humans are trying to do here in recapturing some of the cooperation and appreciation humans of the past had for better societies that worked together instead of the current modern brutal ones they tend to form. And now you both ask more of me.” He looked thoughtfully between them.

“You both already know it is Rhysol among you. One of his priests boarded The Veronica at Syliras. I felt his taint upon my ocean and didn’t feel it leave until the Veronica docked here. They’ve touched my waters many times since. They are ruthless foul things. And Rhysol is in a slump right now, with his Voice gone and no other Druvan rising. You should be thankful it isn’t a Druvan. The Settlement can handle a priest or priestess… though I suspect he or she has made much mischief already. If they touched you, you were cursed. They are clever, these agents of evil, and are normally filled with hatred. Rhysol wouldn’t have sent him or her on his own… that’s too outright of an attack on the two that hold this land. Most likely he or she came of their own volition to make a mark and perhaps impress the god enough so that when a new voice is selected, they can rise to Druvan Status. Maybe still being mortal they want the job of Voice for themselves. Most of them want immortality. Rhysol spoils them, you see, whispering false senses of security and importance in their ears. You’ll need to find him or her and kill them.” Laviku said, his voice leveling out, and loosing the boom of waves and the cries of seagulls. He almost sounded mortal, the way he spoke.

“But you’ll not be a match for them face to face. One on one, there will be no contest for either of you and the thrice marked will take you out. The priests that are here can’t act openly against Rhysol’s own because its declaring war openly. I suspect your preists here are untouched by them as well for that very same reason. You’ll need to act as a community, and face them head on. If their head remains on their shoulders at the end of the season, your curses will all solidify and remain. And you, Ionu and Eyris Marked, will most likely be cursed before long. I can see you are still untainted. Let no one here focus on you, because that curse is coming. All you want to do is touch everything and trust in Eyris’ power. But there is no need. The Priest will be obvious, you just have to look at them with your magesight. They will be seething with dark power. But be careful when you do. I’ve seen humans loose bowel and bladder control when looking upon the face of pure evil with eyes full of djed. I’ve seen humans loose their minds as well. I’ve seen every fear you’ve ever had take deep root in doing so. Ialari, you are better equipped for it, having seen your share of things.” He added, then shook his head… eyeing Ialari quietly.

“Speaking of things…. you left something with me a long time ago. I no longer require it… or rather I refuse to caretake of it any longer.” He corrected his own thoughts and gestured.

A hazy form coalesced in the water, drawn together in a swirl of power that formed the hazy wavering vague shape of a small Isurian woman. It looked like a glimmering shimmering outline someone drew in luminous djed. It rose out of the water almost like a ghost and walked to Ialari. It bowed just a single step from Ialari and reached out its arms as if to embrace her, yet another lost piece of her soul returned to her. “Accept her. You actually left these all over the world. I would give you back more of them, but this is the only one you left in my keeping.” He said, quite gently, as if he might perhaps understand what sort of turmoil she was going through. “It’s not solving Syka’s problems, but its one less bit of your own personal problem you need to worry about.” He said softly, almost fatherly. “With more of these back, you’ll grow stronger and more capable of facing the outside world instead of hiding in your dominions. There is no life to be lived in a place you control one hundred precent of the time. Trust me on these words, Ialari. It’s more than time for you to rejoin the world and regroup yourself. What shattered can always be made whole.” He added. “And I suspect, if this Priest or Priestess is ferreted out and all is made well here, you will have yet more of yourself back. There are bits and pieces of you lurking all over. Someone will teach you to call them home after this season if you can find the right Old One to do it.” He said, then turned to Alric.

He still held Alric’s pipe in his hands, turning it over and over. The corn cob design was simple, fragile, and nothing at all to look at. But Laviku could see its magic and understand why it held a connection to Alric. “When you give to us, you grant us power. When you give of yourself deeply, you give to us deeply. This is a small thing, and it is enough. But next time, offer me anything I’d like. Give me my choice. In offering this to me, you offered me your comfort. It is a noble sacrifice, but humans can easily exist without comfort. A better offering is something you can’t easily live without.” He added, passing his hand over the pipe in it which transformed in the shadow cast by his hand. The corncob transformed to black pearl and took on a new more elegant shape, like tossing black waves. It was now made of a material that wouldn’t be destroyed by damp or wet in the jungle. He handed it back to Alric. “It holds the same power and the same comfort. And that is not something I need, for I have my own in measures. But I appreciate the offer, none the same.” He mused, stroking his chin.

“I can offer you no more aid than that of my son Luke. Guard him well, for he will be of use to you in the future. He will grow and change as he ages, but it will be best for him to remember being among humans and Isur, especially if they show him kindness. He will be better if he has people he loves among your denizen. So let him grow to love you. Ialari, you could benefit from a child’s love. You’ve forgotten much of those sorts of emotions. Luke will have it in immeasurable amounts. When he matures, he will be the largest sea krait the Suvan has ever seen. It is a form you are familiar with and one acceptable in Syka. For some reason, this settlement has embraced its scaled denizens, which is why I sent him. The priest or priestess is your own problem though. Pride is their weakness, which is the weakness of everyone mortal. If I directly interfere, it is a direct hand raised against Rhysol. And while he is not at his strongest at the moment, that doesn’t mean I want to start a war. None of us do. That’s why we leave it to you.” He said thoughtfully.

Running footsteps approached the dock and James, shirtless and barefoot, wearing only Isusas pants, bolted up onto the dock. He bowed to Laviku reverently and glanced at the two mortals standing on the dock with him. He didn’t make demands or insist to know what was going on. He remained quiet, eyes wide, watchful, then.

“My Lord.” He said, instead, to Laviku.

The God smiled. “Some of the children of Syka summoned me. And while I will not get involved with what is going on here. I will never refuse a summons to this place. You know why.” He said, then bowed to James in a sign of mutual respect, and stepped off the dock. The enormous basket star, which was still lurking curled around the dock, caught him neatly in its flat center and pushed off, taking him further from the dock slowly. Its arms curled up around Laviku, drawing him out into the waters.

James nodded, then turned to the others. “What happened?” He finally asked, as the deity retreated slowly, still watching the mortals left on the dock

[Alric Lysane]

Whilst he heard Ialari’s words about her childhood, certainly seeming almost blissful compared to his own, he did not respond to her immediately, instead taking a few chimes to swallow the sadness – a perhaps a stab of envy even – at how different his own life had been. He knew nothing of the sufferings she spoke of, nor of the ‘craziness’ she claimed was not quite the same as normal psychological issues. He did listen, turning her words over in his head for consideration, trying to see where she was coming from.

However, all he could think of at first was the fact that he would have given anything…literally anything…before a few seasons ago, to have grown up with his parents. Now, if he were honest, he just wanted to see them again. He had lost all chance of a happy, loving childhood as Ialari seemed to have had, instead having been thrown into a nightmare of rape, abuse and enforced memory loss – his entire family had suffered. He swallowed what jealousy had risen and instead considered her words.

“Often, perhaps, it is what is earned that matters most to people. What is given…it has some value, but it isn’t the same. It’s almost…as if mortals were born to strive, and struggle. Wiothut such things life seems…pointlessly easy. Of course, we then wish it were easy when it is difficult…perhaps we are all a little…crazy”

“Perhaps, in time, we can both talk about our lives, and learn something from the other. I appreciate your words of…attempted empathy…but I am used to my life now. For all of its terrible aspects. And even more so for the joyous. But neither of us will have that chance unless we solve this curse problem. So…another time, if you like?” he offered, leaving it there for later consideration by the Isur woman.

After that things went a bit sideways for Alric, Ialari calling to Laviku and actually succeeding in summoning the mighty God, who then approached and demanded a sacrifice. What he offered was all he thought that he had, and he was grateful that he wasn’t smashed into a smear upon the dock in disdain, yet he doubted it would match the God’s desires. He listened to Ialari’s plea, feeling his heart turn slightly at the raw emotion in her voice, clearly there despite her earlier statements that she was incapable. Clearly, she was not, or rather she didn’t she that she was not, perhaps. He looked at her, saying nothing, then back at Laviku, and said nothing, instead opting to blend somewhat into the background – this was her summoning and moment, he had no claim over it and so truthfully wasn’t sure he should be involved with it at all. When she was buoyed up by a wave to stand at Alric’s side upon the dock he had to mentally restrain himself from stepping backwards in surprise, instead continuing his silent watching, and listening.

Laviku’s words held little that he already did not know, though the fact he had sensed the presence of the Priest was something he found interesting, though in hindsight quite obvious. The talk of The Voice and immortality, of Rhysol’s weakness…these were new things and he had a hundred questions but wisely merely accepted whatever the divine wanted to reveal. Alric’s main priority was wiping the curses off of the face of Syka, anything else he might find revelation in the deities that he new best – Eyris and Ionu, should they visit him for some reason in the future. He nodded slightly at the words about asking Laviku for more, it had not been his idea at all, but if it attained their end gaol then he’d happily give up what he owned for it. Then the God summoned a water imitation of Ialari and he blinked, startled and momentarily his mouth opened a few times in surprise, before he closed it carefully and clenched his jaw to prevent further reactions – why should he be surprised that such things happened anymore? Life was just strange these days.

The words about Auristics being able to find this Priest provided a flickering of hope, even if it seemed that he wasn’t best suited to do so. He didn’t honestly mind being somewhat superfluous to requirements if it meant things were resolved, he’d help Ialari if he could. However the talk of her being shattered and bit of her scattered around briefly overrode anything else and he turned to look at her with a slightly raised eyebrow, not saying anything but putting this new portion of knowledge together with Veronica, and Ialari’s words, slipping them together like a jigsaw – another piece that helped him understand her a bit more. He wondered, briefly, how he would fare had he been broken into little pieces of…whatever they were…soul? He doubted he would have been normal, assuming he survived. He nodded to himself but then laviku spoke directly to him and he looked up at the God, listening.

“I have never…offered anything to a God before, Lord of the Ocean. I…I didn’t know what was best, and wasn’t ready. Next time…I will remember,” he responded with a slight smile, partly of relief and partly of thanks, “thank you, for the returned gift. It will be with me always” he didn’t say much more, there was nothing else to say and all he could do was slip the pipe back into his pouch, there to stay until he likely smoked the entire damned pouch later that day.

“You have my word, for what it is worth, that I will watch over Luke to the best of my ability. I am not sure I can teach him much, but he will always be welcome to whatever I know, and whatever I have” he said, before finally falling silent and saying no more to the God lest he say something wrong.

Then a man came running towards them, clearly having been either dragged out of bed or interrupted in his morning routine as he was not fully dressed and looked out of breath from rushing towards the dock. He was greeted by Laviku with deference, they spoke and then the God receded into the sea, the thrum of his power leaving their surroundings and Alric felt somehow bereft for a few moments, lost in thought until the man’s question interrupted them with his soft question.

“I am glad that it brought you something more, and that we got the information we needed. Even if the gods won't get directly invovled. Perhaps what you say about the divines has more merit than my own experience would suggest, Laviku did gift me back what I had offered, changed and with his favour” he offered up To Ialari, before turning to face the man who had arrived.

“I am Alric, this is Ialari” he said, fairly sure this was James, but not certain, still Lavikua had treated him with respect and so he doubted he was an enemy, “what happened was that we found a way to solve things, to ferret out the corruption plaguing Syka. It would seem Ialari here is both summoner and saviour, I will help her as best I can”

“I may have…upset Veronica. I didn’t mean to, I just…this season has made me tired, upset and…well…you all probably know better than I, all things considered. I am sorry that I upset her, I should have been better. I believe she used her father's line about weak character. Perhaps I can redeem it some today. I am sorry that you have all suffered, but I would see its ending through to…well...the end. But that aside, we couldn't get on the ship, so Ialari...called to...Laviku, who told us what to do”

“We need to comb the settlement with Auristics, seeking out this foul aura from the Priest of Rhysol. And then the settlement, it’s guardians, need to be ready. I doubt the Priest will go down without a fight, and us two won't be enough. I wish we were, no one else would need to risk anything, but the only thing that will throw Rhysol's influence back into the ocean is a united, stubbornly defiant Syka” was all he said, leaving the rest – the explanation for summoning Laviku and so on – to Ialari.

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari considered Alric’s offer to speak more of their lives a later time and offered a smile and soft nod. There never seemed to be enough time to really get to know other people but she held hope that it would one day be a more common occurrence. She knew there was something essential to building a variety of relationships with other people; it was something she struggled with as a child and all but abandoned as an adult. Now, that she’d been around people more often and had grown quite a bit closer to a few, the feeling of needing those connections was growing. With each new connection, no matter how small, with others, she felt just a little more…connected herself.

Following the surprising arrival of Laviku and her own desperate plea for help from the god, Ialari momentarily felt a sense of imbalance as the wave lifted her up on to the dock gave something of a squeak as it moved her. As the wave trailed back to the sea, she turned her arm around in wonder as the water licked her flesh and healed her wound. Quickly it became a part of her “collection” of memories etched into her flesh. So many scars, so many experiences; each one with its own special place.

She then watched and listened to the interaction between the Lord of the Sea and Alric. The offering of the pipe and the overall exchange, caused Ialari to wonder more about the real significance of the pipe but such curiosity was, like discussion of each other’s lives, was best left for later.

When Laviku addressed the request for help, Ialari silently cursed herself for not seeing the reality of it all sooner. The distraction of her cursed state and the emotional instability that being so close to independent, living beings that were not under her direct control, had all caused her to lose sight and focus. It was almost enough to make her want to retreat back to her Dominion and back to the comfort of ultimate control. Yet there was something that held her back. It was something very small but she could feel it growing ever so little with each passing day. The more she connected with others, the more control she let go of, the more she wanted it. Of course, the lack of control was dangerous due to the effects the Seed of the First Tree had over own personal balance but she was gradually growing toward acceptance of the risk.

Laviku’s mention of his son and his respect for the people of Syka, brought Ialari’s mind back to the topic at hand. As he summed up the facts of what was happening, she realized that she’d missed a few key details that others had uncovered. The fact that Rhysol was definitely involved concerned her greatly. She was honest with Alric when she said she knew little of the god. Her religious studies as a child had called Rhysol, the God of Chaos and Defilement. He was the Speaker of Lies and mainly referred to as, The False Metal. He was the one who sent monsters to carry away children who misbehaved. He was one of the few gods Ialari chose not to study further. Even gods such as Uldr, who was revolting to her, was worth learning about. Rhysol however; there was something about the very mention of him that screamed in her head to avoid at all costs. Even as an adult, she was unable to force herself to expand her divine knowledge in His direction. Now that it was confirmed by none other than Laviku that Rhysol was involved…Ialari felt a strange knot in her stomach.

She continued to listen as Laviku spoke of the priest of Rhysol having traveled to Syka aboard the Veronica. He spoke of Druvin although Ialari knew nothing of such a thing but the very mention of it sent a rare shiver of fear down her spine. Then there was the fact that the curse was spread through touch and that it was not likely Rhysol’s direct doing but more of a individual acting for increased favor. Ialari couldn’t help but feel some bit of comfort from listening to the god even though what he spoke of was deeply disturbing to her. Perhaps it was her being a Riperian Witch of Caiyha but she felt soothed by the booming of the waves and cries of the gulls mixed with the almost fatherly tone to the god’s voice.

When Laviku mentioned the dangers of confronting the priest and then followed it with mentioning her being better suited for dealing the true face of evil, Ialari closed her eyes for a moment at the flash of memories of all the horrific things she’d encountered in her ongoing quest for completeness.


She immediately opened her eyes when Laviku spoke of her leaving him with something long ago. Her attention turned directly to the form swirling in the water. Ialari watched with the inability to speak or even move as she saw the beautiful yet all so familiar shape come into being. It was unlike the other pieces of her soul she’d encountered; it was unmarred and beautiful; it had not died a violent death in a different time and reality. Then came the reveal of others like this one spread across the world. Laviku’s words and his offering completely turned her understanding of what was going on with her soul down a completely different path. She’d been fighting to reconnect the pieces of her soul through reliving the last moments of their own tragic ending of the lives they lived; feeling the weight of their failed choices. She never considered the possibility of a different way or of pieces that had not suffered so terribly. The idea that she could call upon them, bring them back in a far less traumatic way; drawing them from all corners of the world, from different times and different realities…the mere thought caused the barriers in her mind to crumble and the possibilities to flow forth.

She looked briefly to Laviku with a rare look of joy and thanks as she reached out and embraced the watery duplicate. As the two figures embraced, they were surrounded both surrounded by the glimmering outline of djed. Alric would see Ialari’s body shimmer and turn as black as her arm; the metallic surface covered in cracks and fissures with entire pieces seemingly gone altogether. The shimmering, ghostly figure was absorbed into Ialari’s cracked, metallic body and as it was, the cracks in Ialari’s body were immediately illuminated with a light colored in shades of the sea. One of these cracks flared brighter than the others and one of the missing pieces of her body looked to stitch itself back together; forming threads of blue energy that wove themselves in all directions. In but a few brief moments, the missing piece was no longer missing. The illuminated cracks and the metallic appearance vanished; replaced once more by Ialari as Alric first saw her. The difference however was something just slightly off from before. Ialari’s stature had straightened ever so slightly and there was a hint of glow to her skin; although both were barely perceptible and wouldn’t have been noticeable if Alric hadn’t witnessed what just happened.


Ialari felt most unlike she ever had before upon reforging a piece of her soul. With the previous pieces, she felt some sense of minor completion yet each came with trauma and the first-hand feeling of what it was to die in a number of horrific ways. With this one, she did not see the terrible end of a piece of her soul. Instead, she saw, from the perspective of the piece, herself stepping into the water with nothing but peace filling her mind. She felt the intent of wishing Laviku to take her into his arms and protect her until the time was right. There was little more visual context than that as there was only peace and security.

Then, she felt the familiar tickle caused when something unexpected happens in her Dominion. She was then presented with the image of a body hanging from the Tree of Death, the gift from Dira that loomed over her Dominion and held all the representations of her missing soul pieces. She saw as one of them, one she had not paid much attention to before, moved slightly. The piece, unlike the others, was not horrifically marred with the signs of brutal death. It was not hanging or otherwise pinned to the terrible visage of the tree like the others. It looked as though it was more a part of the tree, fused with the bark. It was then that Ialari saw others like this one that were not decaying and dead. It was more like they were…asleep. The look on their faces was the look of peaceful waiting. The one piece that moved flared with brilliant blue light and vanished a few breaths after Ialari merged with the gifted piece from Laviku.

Although she still couldn’t deny the “crazy” as she had come to accept herself as being, Ialari felt just a bit more confident and a bit more empowered and focused. For the moment, her curse was pushed to the back of her mind even if its physical effects remained. Laviku then offered, or it seemed like he offered her his wish for her to help him grow and become great. He mentioned Lukes divine form and even touched on her own familiarity with such a thing.

When she was finally able to speak, Ialari dropped momentarily to one knee, lowered her head at first and then raised it to look at Laviku.

Speaking in a mix of Isur, Common and Konti as she didn’t know the words to use in any single language, Ialari said, “Great Laviku, this gift…I…have no words so I let the feeling of my mending speak to you instead. For more than a decade I’ve been wondering who or what did this to me. What could I have done in another life that brought about the sundering of my soul? What entity, divine or otherwise, would do such a thing to anyone but the most grotesque of evil. You said though…that I…I left this with you. That means that…the one who did this to me…was…me.”

She looked down at her hands and to the divine marks that adorned her body.

“I’ve misunderstood the entire puzzle from the beginning. I was looking at it from the outside; as someone trying to see the picture from a distance. I’ve seen it from so many perspectives. I’ve seen it from the endless Ukalas. I’ve seen it on the River of Time. I’ve seen it in the Tree of Death. I’ve seen it in the Forge and I’ve seen it from the branches of Nature itself. The one place I’ve failed to look though is…through my own eyes as possibly being the one who caused all of this. These marks…I see them differently now. They were never just marks of approval or acknowledgement…they are also marks of support…” Ialari had the strangest look on her face. It wasn’t one of sadness or fear or even of confusion; it was one of realization.

“Laviku, you have honored me in ways I can’t possibly describe. I do however, now have the feeling that whoever I was to entrust you with such a precious piece of life, I chose well. I will one day fix myself and, by Izurdin, I will figure out this puzzle. Until then, with your blessing, I will accept Luke into my life. You have confidence in me and I will not fail in that. You are right…I miss what it is to know innocent love and to be able to express it. Perhaps we can grow together and learn what it is to be more.” Ialari looked away from her marks, briefly to Alric and then back to Laviku.

“As for this Servant of Lies…I don’t know how we can face such a thing. Even as a group, such power…he might even be able to advance our curses on command and end us if he feels threatened. I don’t know what others bring as far as ability and knowledge. I guess I could try and…contain him although I don’t even know if such a thing would work with someone like that. I know what I can do, but I don’t know if it’s enough…Luke though…if he is here to help, we need to speak with him. A different perspective…” Ialari pondered her thoughts aloud to the god and smiled slightly at the idea of an altered perception.

Alric’s words afterwards caused Ialari to look on him with less of a damaged look and with one more of confident optimism. “I’m no expert to be certain but I do have a bit of insight into the divine. Perhaps we could speak on that in the future as well…there is so much more to all of it I assure you.”

Ialari heard the approaching footsteps and turned to see James. She watched his interaction with Laviku and then grinned with joy as the basket star returned and escorted Laviku back to the sea. She listened as Alric laid out a good portion of what had happened and what was going on.

She was familiar with James even if she hadn’t had a lot of interaction with him. She offered a respectful nod when Alric introduced her. When Alric had explained what he saw happen, Ialari nodded her acknowledgement before offering a bit more.

“Veronica offered some details regarding what she has seen since the newcomers boarded the ship and came to Syka. There were some misunderstandings but…as I am sure you are probably aware of…ghosts and the living don’t always understand each other and we often have…unintentional conflicting perspectives.” Ialari tried to choose the words carefully to describe her thoughts on all that just happened.

“After far too long, I saw the signs. The marks on your ship, the mark on Veronica and the mention of Luke and his ties to Laviku. I offered a sacrifice and prayed to Laviku for his aid. He answered almost immediately. As Alric described, we have a priest of Rhysol hiding amongst us and it is they who are responsible for all of this chaos. Alric has the sight needed to find this monster but I disagree with using magic to scour the settlement. It is too much and the danger of overusing such magic is too great. It needs to be more focused. Laviku said he sent us help in the form of Luke. I really think we need to talk to Luke; I feel he is the key. He is very special and probably knows things he doesn’t realize are important to all of this. I have it within my power to trap such a threat…I’ve done it before…but this one is far more powerful than anything I’ve ever dealt with. I can get into more details if such a thing becomes possible and necessary but I really think we need to talk to Luke. As a side note, there is still the problem of Veronica. She, rightfully so, would not let us onboard the ship without your permission. Alric feels he may be able to see something there but Veronica and Sardine are not so happy to have us there. This leaves us with some possibly directions to pursue. If we could see anything on the ship, it may help but also if you know where Luke is, Laviku made it clear that Luke is important in all of this.” Ialari took a breath and looked to Alric again before looking back to James. She left out the part of Laviku granting her a piece of her soul as it would only spread her “crazy” at a time that explaining it would only complicate everything else. That she was able to call upon Laviku in the first place, and so quickly, was not information she offered as she still didn’t quite understand it herself.

She waited with slightly clenched teeth in anticipation to what James would say in response to what he’d just witnessed.

Words: 2718

[Gossamer]

Alric and Ialari talked for a while, the differences in both their lives becoming apparent. Maybe they reached a crossroads, or at least a bit of understanding, as they stood speaking to one another and offering what words of comfort they could. But their meeting was only fleeting. They both went their separate ways, each acting as they felt compelled.

Alric investigated the gnosis mark on the ship itself. Even though the ship was tied up to the dock and the gnosis mark clearly visible, Alric walked up thin air effortlessly to touch the boards of the ship which gave him impressions of its crafters, sanders, and people who had done repairs and a recent resealing job on the hull. The gnosis mark left the taste of salt water and seaweed in his mouth and the distinct impression of enormous power tied to it in the form of waiting or resting potential… but not much else. It was a fairly standard thing, a ship with all the doings of a ship and a notable mark from a God to keep it safe. Gnosis marks on ships weren’t completely unheard of, though they were not common either. It was that mark that made The Veronica come and go so easily. James wasn’t the most devote of followers, but he wasn’t the least either. And between his mark and The Veronica’s mark, they traveled the Suvan safely. Alric, in touching the wood of The Veronica could tell the man loved the ship, but even more than that he had loved the girl she was named for.

Ialari, off across the water, summoned Laviku, as only one used to brushing sleeves with the Gods and Goddesses of Mizahar could. She did it with grace and poise, and with heartfelt words. And he came… stepping forward and offering answers to the questions both mortals asked. He demanded tribute and offered something back to each of them in turn and a bit of advice to boot. Laviku seemed grateful that each person was willing to offer kindness and watchfulness towards his son. And he greeted James’ arrival warmly, not as a deity to his follower but as a peer to a peer. At that point, the point Ialari reunited a lost piece of herself, Laviku withdrew and left the three of them to work out the problems still plaguing Syka. But before he completely left… boarding his odd basket star transportation, he reached out and touched Ialari’s forehead. “More answers lie within you than out in the surrounding world, Ialari. In time, when you need them, you will unlock them.” He said as a parting piece of advice. And then with a nod to Alric and James, he was gone.

James watched on, relieved that no one had upset a God in his domain nor had the God himself caused any problems. The Captain didn’t like things that weren’t within his control.

“Thank you, Alric.” James said, grateful for the introductions. The Founder was used to bringing new people into the Settlement via the ship and having the chance to get to know them onboard. He usually personally vetted people that came aboard. Alric was someone he hadn’t yet met, having arrived as he did, in such an unusual fashion. At the introductions, James glanced between Ialari and Alric, not surprised to find the only other person he hadn’t actually personally escorted to Syka currently knee deep in the hoopla with the other person he had no idea how they’d arrived. Ialari was somewhat of a mystery to James. She wasn’t social. She came and she went. She didn’t need much from the Settlement and she didn’t cause any problems so she was usually completely out from under his scope and preview.

“Veronica and Sardine guard The Veronica while she is tied up at port. She takes her job very seriously. She isn’t allowed to let anyone on board without express permission of the captain. I doubt you upset her. I suspect you more frustrated her by not seeking my permission to board and just wanting to do so. She probably didn’t tell you that you couldn’t board… just that you should get my permission to do so.” He mused, shaking his head. “There’s no trouble there. Unless you hold grudges, she won’t. She’s had a lot of years seeing to my wishes, instead of setting out on her own like children eventually do. It’s harder for her… being as she is. So she stays.” He added, shaking his head. “And she’s welcome to… as long as she wants too.” He added.

The Founder then turned to Ialari and listened to what she had to say. He remained politely silent the whole time, letting the Isur explain herself before he glanced at Alric. “You, of course, may board The Veronica and search as you will. Please stay out of my cabin, since it is where me and my family reside and we have allowed no strangers within it. But you may look anywhere else in the ship you want too. She’s riding high in the water now, so there’s no cargo to tiptoe around. Do as you will there. Just watch your step on the ladders going down. With the craziness going on, no one has done much with her since she was unloaded and the lanterns might not have oil for lights and the footing might be treacherous below deck.” He said, then answered Ialari’s other questions.

“We can go talk to Luke, of course. I know others have already spoken with him as well. He was very honest with me as to who he was… I have my ways of knowing liars when I see them… and he was no liar. Laviku, for obvious reasons, has always been welcome in Syka. So too would his family be, moreso than any other stranger. So we picked Luke up and brought him along. He wanted to come.” James explained, shrugging slightly.

“You can go talk to him now, search the ship, or whatever you need to do. Luke should be at the Children’s Pavilion… or wherever whomever is looking after them at the moment has them. Sometimes they are at the beach, with Duncan at the pools, and sometimes Uta takes them out to the jungle. Where they are right now, I’m really not sure. But just asking one or two people in the settlement should put you on the right track in short order. Or… you can always ask the birds. They know everything and see everything.” He said with a half grin half grimace.

“Ialari, your offer of a trap is generous. And with what you have told me and what I know about Rhysol, we definitely have our hands full and may need it. A trice marked Chaon would explain all of this, but I was unaware he had any human Priests… only Druvan of that significance. If it is a Chaon with that many marks, no wonder Mathias and the Gods that call Syka home are staying out of it… and Xhyvas and Akvin have been noticeably absent. Rhysol isn’t someone to trifle with, though he is on par with our Kihala and Caiyha. I suspect the priest is acting on his own, because I cant see Rhysol wanting a war with the two Goddesses either. And now with Laviku involved... this complicates things. What do you two want to do? You can start with the ship or start looking for Luke." He added, glancing between the Human and the Isur.

Veronica materialized next to James and reached out. The Captain took her hand. She had a kitten clutched in her other one, snuggled up against her chest. James reached down and ruffled her hair lightly with his free hand. "Hey kiddo..." He said, hugging her a moment, giving the two a chance to talk things out.

[Alric Lysane]

The sight of Ialari becoming something else, or a cracked shadow of herself, or whatever the petch it was. All he knew is that he’d remember it to his dying day and he’d still even then not truly find the words to describe it, anything uttered would be a pale imitation of the reality. What he did take away was that when she had alluded to the fact that she was broken, or crazy, she had been speaking quite literally – though from the flash of light and the vanishing of one of the cracks in her…other form…suggested that she was perhaps a small step closer to being whole. He didn’t know her well, had really only just met her, but no one deserved to suffer that – or at least very few people, and she didn’t seem to be evil enough to be one of those upon the list that did.

Alric said nothing as she spoke to Laviku of her plight, understand and the rest, it was not his place and she knew herself better than he could. He did notice how she stood slightly straighter and how her skin seemed to glow ever so slightly more, confirming that she was indeed better off after this reunion. He nodded his head at her offer of future discussions about the divine – of course that depended upon them making it that far, but he had survived so far, despite life in general, so he was hopeful of the chance. Once James had arrived and Laviku receded back into the ocean they explained what they had learned and their situation and Alric raised an eyebrow at Ialari’s suggestion he had the sight, after all Laviku had suggested he was not…equipped...to see the Priest.

“The sight, perhaps, but not the strength of mind perhaps. I can…will probably knowing me…try…but that doesn’t mean I’d come out the other side able to confirm anything for you all. Still…when has anything ever been easy?” he sighed, scratching the back of his head.

“I hold no grudges, I don’t have enough friends left to hold onto things that might push others away,” he said, looking from James to veronica who had now appeared, “still I am sorry for our…misunderstandings. And thank you for the permission to board. Given that Veronica guarded so definitively it would seem an insult not to try to find something after arguing about trying to in the first place. Still…Laviku did warn against it and offer the auristics advice…who are we to ignore a God?” he asked, the question clearly rhetorical as he met Ialari’s gaze and nodded slightly, she had trusted the divine and he had shown as asked, and he had the sense that on some level he was a stranger here and perhaps not the one to lead the direction of events.

Not to mention that Laviku had counselled him twice over, upon reflection – firstly to offer what another would choose of him in future and second in Alric’s offering to be there is Luke needed it was the double sense of what Jade had been quietly suggesting was sometimes needed. Service. It didn’t matter who was the one that solved things, so long as they were solved…and as quietly and painlessly as possible. He doubted that was possible, but that didn’t mean he didn’t hope that it was. He cast his gaze across the Veronica for a few ticks thoughtfully, eventually smiling slightly as he admired its shape and form. Now he looked properly, without narrow focus upon tasks and needs, he could see it was of beautiful construction.

“To Luke then. I had it on my list that your curse was to lose your sense of direction, was that right? It seems a terrible affliction for one with such a beautiful ship. I must say I have never really been on one before, and this won’t be my first time either it seems. Fate intervenes. I have met your birds,” he said with a wry twist of the lips, “and they didn’t like that I wouldn’t feed them Mathias’ bait…I suppose we will have to find something else to bribe them with, no?” he suggested, eyes darting around and searching for the colourful plumages that would stand out and finding them towards the start of the dock and giving them all a rueful look before offering himself up as sacrifice to the bird of Syka.

They watched him as he approached, perched upon the top of a wooden pole with rope attached that he was not sure of the purpose of. Their beady eyes glistened as their heads turned and bobbed, waiting to see what he would offer and then ruffling their feathers slightly when nothing was immediately offered up, as if expressing the bird version of frustration, he thought. He breathed deeply and summoned up what patience he had just in case he needed it.

“My what lovely feathers you have, you must be some of the smarter birds here. Tell me, you know where the children of Syka are?”

“Know where food?” came their response, echoed by all of them several times as he offered his hands up placatingly until they fell quiet enough to respond.

“I know the best food, of that I promise”

“Food now?” they chirped and squawked in cacophony once more.

“Not here, no the Inn…big building…nice smelling bread and lobster…fish and more…”

“We know Inn! Pretty lady! Tazrae!”

“Yes that’s right,” he answered, a slight frown crossing his face briefly, his frustration that memory still held beyond his grasp for now, before smiling once more, “she is a…friend. I bet she feeds you a lot of nice things. I can get a whole…”

“Bucket! Bucket!

“Yes yes, alright, bucket…later today. If you take us to the children…please”

“Promise not break. How know?”

“Tell you what, if I don’t get it for you then you can peck me to your satisfaction…deal? Please take us to them” he sighed, hoping that they would at least let slip where the children were in their eagerness for promised food.

The things I do these days…I would say how the mighty have fallen but I’ve never been mighty he sighed internally, keep up his smile as he waited for their beady eyed judgement.

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari held Laviku’s eyes for a moment with her own as he touched her forehead and told her of more answers inside her waiting to be unlocked. She then lowered her gaze and nodded before the god took his leave in spectacular fashion on the basket star.

Ialari gave a soft nod to Alric at the idea of things not ever being easy. “Yet, all it takes is a little faith in the end.”

Ialari listened with appreciation to James’ understanding of the rather odd and sudden situation. Jame’s sticking up for Luke and the boy’s honesty made her feel even better about the idea of Luke being on their side; even though Laviku had already done a pretty good job of that already. She considered his offer to search the ship and weighed it against seeking Luke. Considering the possibilities of where the children could be at that moment, the idea of looking for Luke seemed a bit more involved than she first thought.

With all that she was learning of this thing called a Chaon, her concern began showing on her face in the form of a perpetual scowl. When combined with the slight ridge over her eyes and over the bridge of her nose, it looked almost like anger. Speaking of Xhyvas and Akvin being absent, Ialari felt a tingle of slight exhilaration. She suspected that there were at least a couple of divine beings wandering the settlement after having met two rather suspicious individuals a couple years back. Hearing them mentioned helped to confirm her original suspicions.

When James asked what her and Alric wanted to do, where to go from there, Ialari looked to Alric after seeing Veronica and Sardine materialize once more. The ghost was quite a unique individual that Ialari knew Shalla would love to meet.

To Alric she said, “I do hope Luke has a fresh perspective on all of this. I feel we are getting very close…”

Pausing as a troubling thought entered her mind, Ialari added, “While we could take the time to search for Luke, I’m worried that the closer we get to finding this evil, the more damage it will do. Also, if it starts to feel threatened or thinks we are getting too close…” She left the last part of that unsaid.

The idea of asking the birds…she raised an eyebrow as she caught sight of a couple nearby. She offered the briefest of chuckles. Of all the things she’d seen over the years, the existence of the talking birds in Syka always amazed her.

His humor regarding the birds followed by the idea to bribe them into giving up information, brought a crack of a smile to her otherwise concerned frown. She left the bribing up to Alric as her experience with the birds was fleeting at best. So, she watched him approach the nearby birds. Listening to the man trying to sweet talk some birds nearly caused her to laugh; forcing her to bring her hand over her mouth to keep from interrupting the spectacle. The entire back and forth felt a bit silly to her but Ialari had to admit that considering how weird things had been so far, it was actually mundane by comparison.

She too waited to see what the birds would do or say in response to Alric’s bit of bribery.

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