Private Tales Of Sand & Dragonfire

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
“I can help you.” Persian said calmly, speaking very much as he would to an angry tiger he was just barely keeping at bay. “I’m an engineer. This is a piece of engineering. Old, but with innovations I haven’t seen before or since…is this typical of Krynian weapons?”

Tianau glared at Persian and stepped closer to Ausar. “Why would I tell you anything about my people?” He growled.

Persian looked between them, sighing, and gestured to the main strut. “I need him to lift this. Listen, I’m trying to help.”

Tianau looked between Persian and the ballista distrustfully, then at Ausar. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. Kreneides was in pieces but at least Persian looked like he had taken it apart respectfully. The brass fittings had been cleaned and there was a bottle of oil nearby. The old wood was slowly being taken apart, but Persian was doing his best to stabilize the bones that were integral to any Volker weapon. Without those bones, there was no weapon.

__________________________

Seikilos nodded, folding her arms over her chest. “I’m glad we were able to help, then, if the hotbed is helping stabilize her temperature.” She said softly. She chewed her cheek, looking over at Rehema. “I’m not sure of the consequences of taking the Well from her, but if it’s interfering with her magic, perhaps doing so would heal it. It would be a singular source of healthy magic, like a blood transfusion.”

Seikilos rubbed the back of her neck. “I would make them very strong. The entire house responded to her. It was at her command, and not mine. The hotbed nearly melted itself.”
 
Ausar eyes narrowed when Persian asked about Krynian weapons and he took Tianau's hand when the boy stood next to him, stroking his wrist comfortingly. He watched Persian warily. Seteta might have grown to trust him some, but Ausar knew better than to think the fae did not have an ulterior motive.

"Don't tell him anything about your people," Ausar whispered to Tianau. "Nothing good will come of it. But I'll do whatever you want in regards to the ballista. Even bury Persian up to his neck in sand to keep him from touching it again."


Rehema was relieved that Seikilos didn't question her further about Seteta being a dragon or a demon. The Inizae had certainly had encounters with both types of creatures throughout the history, but the dragons... those were the ones they'd lived alongside in the ancient myths. Only Aptuv, and possibly the fae, knew what might have actually happened all those ages ago.

"I don't think the Well has... caused any of the problems," Rehema murmured. "The soul fracturing is the main issue right now. But it's certainly not helping anything at the moment. I just... don't know enough about the Well. I'll have to ask Tianau, I think."

Her brow furrowed in thought, and she nodded as Seikilos explained about the house. "Will you walk with me, around the grounds?" Rehema asked, turning to leave the hotbed chamber. "I'll be able to make the wards stronger if you can help me understand the sentimental value this place holds to you. It... might be prudent to send your family to spend a day or two at the beach."

Three layers of warding should suffice. The border of the grounds, just in case anything went catastrophically wrong and they needed to keep magic from flooding the desert and the sea. The main house and gardens, to contain a magical explosion if it got out of control. The ballroom and the shrine itself, to hopefully render the outer two wards unnecessary.

"I have another favor to ask of you as well," Rehema continued, offering her arm to Seikilos. "A soul healing is a very intense ritual, and with Seteta's magic growing, the more strength I have available, the more likely I will be able to keep everything controlled. I need four others, in addition to myself, to stand in for the different elements in the ritual. You will likely feel drained afterward, but there shouldn't be any permanent harm done. As high priestess, I will be spirit. Ausar will be earth, because he has a strong connection to it and his magic is most like Seteta's. Tianau has agreed to stand in for water. I would have you be air, and Chaceledon be fire. Would you be willing?"
 
Tianau squeezed Ausar’s hand, and stepped forward to examine what the fae had done. There didn’t seem to be any trickery at work here….just repairs. He slowly, gently wound his fingers around the intricate panel of bone along the shaft of the ballista, and peeled it free. The wood needed replacing. All at once, the weapon seemed to…sigh. As though it had been waiting for Tianau to do just that. Almost as if on cue, the wood crumbled to dust.

Persian swore, stepping back as the brass pieces and fittings sagged and fell off the swiftly decaying wood. Wind blew the last fragments and shards off the landing. Tianau approached Ausar and settled the long bar of inlay into his arms. It was a good three feet long of carved human bones, painstakingly fitted together. However, touching them produced a crackling, horrific sensation of…wrongness. Oor’s magic infected the bone like a cancer, shadowy and malevolent. It felt like oil along the bones themselves. “Guard that with your life, or I guarantee you’ll never see me again.” Tianau said solemnly.

He turned to Persian. “Well, where’s the replacement wood? We can have her put together if we move quickly.”

_______________________________

Seikilos sighed. “I’ve seen Volkers perform a few times in my life visiting the Summer Court. Wraith magic isn’t like ours. I was born of fire and wind and you were given your gifts with earth. They’re pure magics. The Well is a combination of blood curse, prison, and memory retention. It was complex even the last time I saw it. Maintaining it is a large drain of resources…the person it’s bound to not only commands it, but feeds it. I’d wager it’s using resources she desperately needs right now.”

Seikilos took her arm, grateful to step away from the hotbed. “The geode of the main hall was raised by my late husband, with the help of your people. Saltarello was more gifted with dance and plants than the earth, but he knew enough.” She caught the eye of a housepet. “Please get all the staff off the grounds today. Everyone. Take the twins to the beach, and let my son and daughter know to avoid this place. Persian can do as he likes.”

The pet bowed and scurried off. Seikilos turned her attention back to Rehema as they entered the garden. “Yes…I’ll do what I can to help. I’m not sure if I’m the best woman to stand in for wind…but I’ll do my best.” She admitted.
 
Ausar gawked as the ballista crumbled into dust when Tianau pulled the bone out of it. The enchantment on the bone must have been all that was holding it together, preserving it through all these long ages. Really... Tianau was probably older than all of them, except for Persian. Even the dragons.

He tried not to recoil as Tianau settled it in his arms, but he couldn't help cringing. He had no doubt it was cursed, but he wasn't going to ask about it with Persian there. He nodded solemnly when Tianau instructed him to protect it, holding it gently but securely and stepping a fair distance away from Persian.

Chaceledon said:
[Tianau] turned to Persian. “Well, where’s the replacement wood? We can have her put together if we move quickly.”
Click to expand...

"Won't the wood need to be cut and sanded?" Ausar asked.


"Her magic also destabilized the Well," Rehema murmured thoughtfully. "Killing one host, and forcing another to take his place. Both magics are feeding off the chaos of that, desperately trying to stay whole. Seteta's been caught in the crossfire."

As Seikilos gave instructions to the housepet, Rehema waited to the side, her thoughts harried. There was... so much she didn't know. She needed to speak with Tianau about the Well. She needed to place the wards. Something felt off about Seteta's soul as well. There was more than just her soul being fractured, but she wasn't going to know what it was until they were in the ritual.

Aptuv, god of water and life and mysteries... she breathed a silent prayer, guide me.

She walked to the gardens with Seikilos, then knelt down and removed her sandals. She needed to be in contact with the earth for the wards.

Chaceledon said:
“Yes…I’ll do what I can to help. I’m not sure if I’m the best woman to stand in for wind…but I’ll do my best.” She admitted.
Click to expand...

"You are a better choice than myself or Ausar," Rehema answered, gently patting Seikilos hand. "You, at least, are borne on the breath of the wind when you fly, unlike us Inizae. Chaceledon would be the other choice, but his passion for Seteta makes him better suited for fire."

The two women worked their way through the grounds and the house. Rehema would ask about the history of certain items, the thoughts behind certain designs, and let the stories and the emotions behind them flow through her into the earth, binding protection and shields in place.

When at last they finished in the ballroom, Rehema wearily stretched. "I will raid your kitchen, if you don't mind," the priestess said. "We should all have some sustenance before the ritual. We will need strength."

She invited Seikilos to join her, and when they'd assembled a tray of fruits and cheeses and bread, she asked the dragoness to take it to the ballroom and to have Seteta and Chaceledon begin to make their way to the shrine.

Rehema went to find Ausar and Tianau, tracing her steps back to where she'd last spotted them.

Ausar saw her first, and smiled, though his eyes seemed strained.

"It's nearly time," Rehema said, coming to stand beside him and turning her attention to Tianau and Persian. "We've prepared food. We should all eat. The healing will be taxing. Tianau... I have some questions about the Well, if you don't mind."
 
“Have tools will travel.” Persian noted. “The timber was the hardest part. They’re roughly cut, so we should start on shaping. Ever try and find lumber in the desert?”

“I wish it were black pine.” Tianau grumbled. Having a Krynian weapon re-made from local wood seemed so wrong. It was his only recourse, and mindless manual labor kept his mind off the ritual at hand.

They worked until Rehema showed up again. Tianau finished planing the new shaft, and looked up at her. He set the blade aside, rubbing the back of his neck. “What questions..?” He asked, uneasily.

___________________

Seikilos helped her place the wards, thinking. There had been so much ruminating about her past husband. She hadn’t thought so much about him in ages, and to be honest she had tried to forget more than once. Now Seteta and Chaceledon had come in like a whirlwind, digging up the past. She hoped for all of their sakes it was worth the heartache.

She brought the tray of food with her, vaguely stymied in the back of her head how a dragon was listening to a human. Had she really fallen so low she was carrying snacks for a mammal? Then again, Saltarello wouldn’t have blinked. She set the tray down in the ballroom and nibbled delicately at some fruit; there was no way in hell herself or Chaceledon would touch the cheese and bread. This wasn’t some indulgent holiday.

Chaceledon wrapped Seteta in the hot blankets and carried her to the ballroom. He kept her warm as much as he dared without burning her, kissing her forehead.
 
"How it can be transferred from one person to another," Rehema said, glancing between Tianau and Ausar. "Seteta's not strong enough to maintain it, and she'll need a time of rest for her soul and her magic to stabilize before taking the Well again."

She took a deep breath, mostly ignoring Persian's presence. "Ausar would be the best choice right now, if it's possible. If..." she paused to look at her husband, her eyes shimmering, "...he's willing. I know the Well can be transferred, but I wasn't sure how difficult it was. Or if you even know how it's done."

"If it's needed to save our daughter, of course I'll do it," Ausar said, voice thick with emotion as he fought around the lump suddenly knotting in his throat.

Rehema rested her hand on Ausar's forearm. "I know, sehejib," she said softly. "But this is still the sort of thing you ask about first."


Seteta roused when Chaceledon lifted her out of the hotbed, curling into him and resting her head on his chest. Despite the hot blankets and his magic, the moving air as he carried her to the ballroom still made her shiver.

She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and sat up as best she could when she saw Seikilos. Her mouth watered at the sight of the fruit.

"I would like some fruit and cheese, please," Seteta told Chaceledon, and then she bowed her head--carefully--in Seikilos direction. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused so far. You have been a far more gracious host than was ever expected of you, and I will owe you a debt after this is finished."

Then she settled back wearily into the nest of blankets that Chaceledon had somehow managed to haul with her. Her mother would be here soon. And then... maybe it would all be put right again soon.
 
Tianau froze. A transfer? Now? His hand went to his sternum. In a lot of ways Rehema was right. Seteta likely couldn’t survive both the healing and the Well both. There was a reason a wraith carried it. But…Tianau wouldn’t be just making a decision for himself. He’d be making a decision for all of them. Especially the host. He didn’t have time to think about it. He didn’t have time to try and reach out to the others, or conduct a vote, or anything even in the remote neighborhood of fair.

He would have to take the plunge and pray.

“It’s not easy.” Tianau began slowly. “And it’s not the sort of thing we change back from. If you do this, you’re the steward of the Well. Over six hundred men, not all of them as sane or friendly as I. You’ll be privy to everything they do and say, everything I’ve ever done and said. You’ll be responsible for continuing the line, and making our weapons from the bones of the mothers.”

“He’s right. This isn’t a light decision.” Persian piped up from sanding the new hollow for the bone insert. “In all likelihood you’ll have to leave the Inizae at least for a few months out of the year. I have breeding contracts, so you’ll be taking those. Managing the Volkers is a bit of a celebrity undertaking; not everyone takes no for an answer when contracting the best fae killers.”

Tianau bit his lip. “He’s right.” He muttered. “I start the transfer. You can’t force anything without Oor. I have to offer. I haven’t ever witnessed this before, or done it. As far as I know the only ever transfer was with Seteta.”

Persian was watching them tentatively, almost eagerly. It was a rare thing, and to think he could witness it!

_________________________

Chaceledon arranged a plate of fruit and cheese for her, taking it back to her nest and offering her a bit of sliced strawberry. “Slowly.” He kissed her forehead, and bowed his head at Seikilos. “She’s right. Thank you…” he said softly. He poured a cup of tea for Seteta, holding it to her lips so she could drink.

Seikilos nodded. “Now all we’re missing is your mother and the Volker.”
 
Ausar blanched a little as Tianau and Persian explained what it meant to be the steward of the Well. "On the positive side," he murmured to Rehema, "Seteta won't accidentally stumble across... well... you know. If I'm in charge."

Rehema snorted. "Please, she's walked in on us plenty of times already."

Ausar flushed for a moment, but cleared his throat and met Tianau's eyes. "I'm willing, if you are. But since you said you're having trouble accessing the Well, we should talk with Seteta first."

His eyes flickered back to Persian. "I doubt that any of those contracting killers will be an issue. They'd have to find him first. And I also doubt that Seteta consented to the breeding contracts. Anything bargains left unfulfilled from the wraith are not our concern. We will renegotiate later, if at all."

Then Ausar gestured to the bone he guard, more than ready to have it back in Tianau's care rather than his. "Where do you want this? I don't think it will be appropriate to take it into the healing."

It felt incredibly foul. He'd managed to push the sensation away for a while, but even thinking of having it near Seteta made him feel ill.
 
Tianau flushed and took the bone insert from Ausar, placing it into the hollow that Persian had been sanding. It slid in tightly, and Tianau tapped it with the heel of his hand to make sure it wouldn’t budge. “Seteta can’t do anything. She’s too weak.” He told Ausar, and breathed in tightly. “If you want to do this, we do this now.”

Tianau looked back at Persian. “You put her back together but touch that bone…it doesn’t matter which body I’m in. I will end you.” He growled.

“Note taken.” Persian folded his arms and nodded to Ausar. He wanted to see this. He wished he had brought some sort of notebook. Tianau looked like he was about to explode from nerves. It was a lot of responsibility to put on a man so young, but the Well was healed. He could feel it, he just couldn’t access it. He reached out his hand to Ausar. “I’m guessing this will hurt.”
 
Ausar and Rehema watched quietly as Tianau put the bone into place on the ballista. It felt like there was a rock in the pit of his stomach, and he clenched Rehema's hand tightly.

Chaceledon said:
“If you want to do this, we do this now.”
Click to expand...

Ausar nodded mutely. He wanted to say something to assuage Tianau's nerves... but nothing felt adequate.

Chaceledon said:
He reached out his hand to Ausar. “I’m guessing this will hurt.”
Click to expand...

"I hope not too much," Ausar murmured, then gently nudged Rehema aside with a hand on her hip. He wasn't sure what would happen. She shouldn't be in the immediate vicinity.

He ignored Tianau's hand for a moment, though, and instead stepped forward. He cupped Tianau's face in his hands, and leaned down to give him a gentle kiss.

Then he pressed his forehead against Tianau's, and wove their fingers together.
 
Tianau tilted his head up, and closed his mouth around Ausar’s eyes. The Well was healing. It was delicate, but it was pulling from Seteta’s magic like a plant trying to drain a river. It was interfering with her healing. Tianau could see a few of the remnants, quietly resting, trying not to tax the Well too much. Most of them were in the sunroom. Tianau took a deep breath. He didn’t have time to explain and he didn’t have time to field questions.

He grabbed Ausar by the wrist, and kissed him. “I really did like you.” He muttered, and pushed him into the office.

It was still the tent that Seteta had set it as. It would conform to Ausar’s desires, but in that moment the Well healed. There was a strong pull in Ausar’s chest, as though someone were attempting to rip his heart out through his sternum. The spell burrowed deep into him and stuck fast. Outside of the office, silence and nothingness reigned. No one was awake. They were all once again in the hallway.

Outside on the landing, Rheinhard opened his mouth and stumbled away from Ausar. Persian looked rather green; Rheinhard had ripped away Tianau, much like a snake shedding its skin. The last fragments of albino skin were turning to dust in the light.
 
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Reactions: Seteta
Ausar didn't bother to look around, but he still got the impression of sand. Everywhere. They stood right outside a tent. There were people as well, a few that looked up in interest, but Tianau grabbed his attention.

Chaceledon said:
He grabbed Ausar by the wrist, and kissed him. “I really did like you.” He muttered, and pushed him into the office.
Click to expand...

"I know," Ausar murmured against Tianau's lips. "I liked you too."

And then everything went silent as magic punched through his chest. Ausar hunched over, gasping for breath and rubbing at his sternum until his heartbeat slowed and calmed. Then he took a deep breath and stood tall again, looking around.

He laughed softly. The inside of this tent, whatever significance it held to the Well, looked much like one of the tents that they'd lived in when Seteta was young, even down to the patterns of the rugs. Clearly her influence on the Well had not been insignificant.

He ducked down and stepped out of the tent. There was sand as far as the eye could see, and bright blue sky overhead. Yet there were still... doors and halls that led to other places, somehow. Down one hall, he could see pedestals lined with people. There was no one lounging and relaxing like there had been a few moments before, so he figured that the magic had been... reset.

So Ausar went to the hall. He walked up and down rows and rows of men, who all appeared to be sleeping. He didn't see any sign of Rheinhard, so Ausar hoped that meant the man had been restored to his own body.

At last, after hundreds of men, he found Tianau. Ausar reached out and took his hand, waiting to see if he would awaken.


It took Seteta longer to eat than she would have liked, even the small amount of cheese and fruit, and she gave a little whine of frustration after sipping the tea.

"I hate being weak," she pouted, leaning against Chaceledon.

She took a breath and was reaching for the plate of food again when she flinched, curling forward and pressing her hand to her sternum.

"The Well," she gasped, face going pale and sweat breaking out across her brow. "Chacel--" her voice cut off and she slumped forward, unconscious.


Rehema nervously chewed at her lip and flinched when Tianau's body vanished in a strange burst, Rheinhard's exploding out of it. She'd... not been aware that transferring the Well would send the host back. Tianau had agreed to help with the healing... but would Rheinhard?

As Rheinhard stumbled back, Rehema reached out a hand for him to take if he needed it. "Are you aware of what has been happening?" she asked him quietly, silently nodding toward Persian so that Rheinhard knew of his presence. "We are at Dahn Hedoni currently. Do you have any questions?"

She glanced up at Ausar, but he still stood there, eyes closed. She would just have to wait.
 
Tianau opened his eyes and blinked, looking back and forth down the hallway. They were down in one of the deeper levels; it must have taken Ausar quite a while to find him. He looked a little different than he had taking over Rheinhard’s body; there was more scarring along his cheek and arms, and his hair was cut short against his skull. He was wearing deerskin pants and a long heavy coat made from moose hide, with a fur hood. He looked far more prepared to go trekking through snow. He flung his arms around Ausar and buried his head in his chest.

“I didn’t know if I could make it back here.”
He said softly. “But the Well already feels stronger. Better. Your Magic’s healing it, even as we speak.” He stood quietly, resting against Ausar.

_______________________

Rheinhard blinked, shaking his head and backing away from her hand. He didn’t like people touching him as a general rule. A vicious headache was bombarding his skull, and when he reached down to rub his sternum it felt…wrong. He looked down. The glittery kaleidoscope of color was gone. He grasped desperately at the thread between himself and Seteta. She was gone. In its place was something alien and masculine. Someone he didn’t know. Someone burrowing around in his brain.

He bared his teeth at her. “What have you done?” He growled dangerously.

“Easy...” Persian held up his palms. “…Seteta can’t survive the healing with you attached.”

“So you rip her and I apart? Is this your doing?” Rheinhard rounded on him. He may have had a pounding headache, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take a few fingers off.
 
"Good," Ausar murmured, holding Tianau close. It felt as real in here as it had out there, to his immense relief. "Do you know who Seteta had awake? There should probably be at least one other besides you, to help me understand things. But we don't have much time right now. I need to be there for the healing."


"I have done what is necessary to save my daughter's life," Rehema answered calmly, keeping her distance. She knew better than to approach an angry animal, and that was exactly how Rheinhard was acting right now. "Persian had no say in it. This was something I, Tianau, and Ausar agreed to."

Rehema stepped into Rheinhard's field of vision, but kept out of his immediate reach.

"Her soul is fractured, and I couldn't risk you and all the souls you carry getting mixed in during the ritual. But between the Well's instability and her own magic fluctuating, it was beginning to drain her very life force. She should be able to take stewardship of the Well again in the future, but it will be several weeks until its possible."
 
Tianau unashamedly snuggled into Ausar’s embrace. “I don’t know any of the Well’s remnants after me. When I woke up in the desert was the first time I’ve been awake. Maybe we should wake the latest man to be added? The host’s father? Or grandfather? Has Seteta mentioned anyone?” He asked. He couldn’t help but be a bit selfish in hoping that Ausar didn’t wake anyone at all. Perhaps the man could visit him more often that way…with no one to compete for his attentions.

_________________

Rheinhard glowered at Rehema, and opened his mouth to say something when Chaceledon burst through the terrace doors. The dragon flung his arms around Rheinhard’s neck and crushed him to his chest. “My gods I thought when Seteta said the Well she meant you were gone!” Chaceledon burst into tears. “She passed out…I know things were getting unstable but you’re back now. I missed you so dearly, Hardy my darling. My son, my sweet boy…” he kissed Rheinhard’s hair and tugged his head up. “Let me look at you..”

Rheinhard sighed and consented to Chaceledon’s fussing. There would be no settling him. Either he’d be fussed over or deal with a pouty dragon. “I’m glad you’re back my son, but we need you. Seteta is getting worse…Rehema has a spell that could help. She woke up something deep inside of her that fractured your Well and damaged her soul. We need you.”

How could he deny Chaceledon anything with the teary dragon’s face like that? Rheinhard sighed heavily. “Alright. But I want an explanation after…have you lost weight?”

“Sweet of you to notice.” Chaceledon kissed his forehead.

“It wasn’t a compliment.”
 
"She... mentioned someone named Nestor, I think," Ausar murmured thoughtfully, stroking his hands up and down Tianau's back. He thought that was the name, back at the temple. The one who'd controlled Rheinhard's body and gone crazy looking through all the records.

He drew back from Tianau and leaned down and kissed him softly, then took his hand and led him back toward the entrance. "Since you were so far in, I assume the most recent generations are further to the door?"

Ausar noticed with curiosity that the names etched on all the pedestals were in the Inizae script and dialect. "Does the Well adjust to each steward in this fashion?" he asked.


Rehema scooted out of the way, though her brow furrowed at the news that Seteta had lost consciousness. It probably wasn't unprecedented. She'd barely been stable and then a large portion of magic had left her suddenly.

She let Chaceledon and Rheinhard have a brief moment, remembering full well how they'd parted at the temple, but soon cleared her throat.

"We should head inside and get the healing started," she said, not wanting to discuss the details in front of Persian, but she needed to know if Rheinhard would help. "Tianau agreed to help with part of the ritual." She glanced at Chaceledon as well. "I will also need your help, but I figured you wouldn't refuse anything that would help Seteta."

Rehema bit her lip and glanced at Ausar again.

"Do you have a way to... rouse him, Rheinhard? Are you able to communicate with him?"
 
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“I think so. It detailed itself to Seteta.” Tianau said quietly. He returned Ausar’s kiss, chewing his lip and looking down the line of sleeping men. It looked so strange to him. Instead of standing with their eyes forward they lounged on the blocks, asleep, sprawled like cats. He followed Ausar up the spiral steps toward the door, his eyes scanning the nameplates. He took a few minutes to read each one, puzzling out the Inizae dialect.

“I can find Nestor…you likely need to go.” He stood and held Ausar’s hand, leaning up to kiss him. “Promise me you’ll come see me again soon…?”

_______________________

“Of course, anything for her.” Chaceledon nodded in agreement. He was relieved Rheinhard was back, but gods he was worried about how they had departed. They had been so angry at one another. Rheinhard clearly still harbored some of it; he stood away from Chaceledon as soon as the dragon let him go. “Youre right, we shouldn’t keep Seteta waiting…darling?” he looked hopefully at Rheinhard.

Rheinhard eyed Ausar. “He’ll awake when he leaves. He’s the owner of it now. It wasn’t designed to be collaborative. He can stay in as long or as short as he likes.” He told Rehema, and brushed past Chaceledon. He wanted to see Seteta. He could follow Chaceledon’s scent easily enough. He had to pause for a moment in the hallways, touching his upper lip. Blood was trickling out of one nostril. He wiped it away and snorted to clear the smell, following Chaceledon’s scent to the hotbed.
 
Rehema sighed as Rheinhard left. The point was that she needed Ausar to come out of the Well soon. Seteta and her father had one thing in common: if something caught their interest, they could immerse themselves in it easily, losing track of time. She reached up and rubbed her brow, turning to Chaceledon.

"After the healing, Ausar and I will tend to Seteta for a while. You need to mend your relationship with your son."

Then she looked over at Persian. "I assume you will want to observe the ritual?"


"You can find him, but can you wake him?" Ausar asked, returning Tianau's kiss with a smile. "I will come see you again soon. I will also need to figure out more about this Well. Seteta will hopefully be able to tell me some but..."

Ausar's eyes grew distant and worried. Rehema seemed more concerned about the healing then normal, though, and he wasn't sure how quickly time was going in the real world compared to within the Well.

Then he sighed, handing tightening around Tianau's for a moment. "It can wait. I need to take care of Seteta first."

He embraced Tianau one last time. "I'll be back as soon as I can, but I will have to make sure Seteta and Rehema are all right first. Don't worry. I won't forget you."

Then he released Tianau, stepped back, and followed the magic out of the Well. He squinted against the sunlight, hearing Rehema's voice. He grunted, shaking his head a little, and looked around.

"Did it work?" he asked, only seeing... Rehema, Persian, and Chaceledon. "Where is Rheinhard?"

Rehema looked over at him, relief washing across her face. "It worked. Rheinhard went inside to see Seteta."

She looked around at the three men. "We should go in. Seteta's energy will likely wane soon. There is food waiting inside as well."


Seteta took a deep breath, her eyes fluttering open. She was lying in her blankets, on her side. She reached for Chaceledon, but only found empty air. Wincing, she pushed herself up and looked over at Seikilos. It was just the two of them, it seemed and... her stomach churned and she swallowed hard, not wanting to be sick.

"What happened?" she asked Seikilos. "Where is everyone?"
 
“Of course.” Persian replied. He wasn’t missing this for anything. Not if he wanted to keep an eye out for opportunity.

Chaceledon took a deep breath. Gods, their mothers should be friends. He knew Rehema had a point, but now was not the time to be bringing it up. It reminded him of Peridot, occasionally. Put those two in a room and watch the verbal warfare begin. He rubbed his temples. He knew he needed to patch things up with Rheinhard, and now Rheinhard was angry with the intrusion of his privacy.

He waited anxiously for Ausar to come out of the Well. “Who’s awake?” He asked. “You’ve got to keep tabs on everyone in that Well or things can go very bad quickly. Pick men who get along or they’re going to give him headaches. Don’t ever wake Klaus. Don’t wake Jess either, and for gods sake don’t wake the both of them together. Don’t try and touch him unless he gives you permission, and keep an eye on the books in the office, they’ll tell you how he’s doing.” Chaceledon knew he was nagging, but it was important Ausar know. Worry about Seteta, worry about Rheinhard, it was getting to be too much.

“Come on. I’m not hungry. We have to fix this before something else happens.” He said heavily. Chaceledon headed back toward the ballroom, chewing at the skin under his claws. Something he could hide if the need arose.

_________________________

Seikilos reached over and touched Seteta’s shoulder with a warm hand. “It’s alright. Breathe.” She said comfortingly. “The ritual will start soon. Chaceledon had to go find…well, I’m not sure but he seemed very concerned. He’ll be back soon. Here, drink some warm water…slowly.”

She looked up and tensed as Rheinhard walked through the door, and immediately knelt at Seteta’s side. The older human ignored the dragon entirely, which made her bristle a bit. Of all the arrogant-

“Seteta? What happened to you?” Rheinhard asked quietly, grasping her hand.
 
Rehema didn't miss the way Chaceledon ignored her, but she wasn't going to press the issue right now. Seteta was her priority. Persian confirmed his interest in observing the healing, and Rehema gestured for him to accompany her through the halls.

"Only Tianau is awake," Ausar answered, following Rehema and Persian with Chaceledon. "After the healing, I'll wake Nestor as well. I figured it would be easier to manage for now with less of them wandering around."

He kept a close eye on Persian as the fae walked next to his wife. If he made any sudden move toward Rehema, Ausar would call the stone up from beneath them to restrain Persian. Or kill him. Fae weren't invincible.

"You should stand near the entrance of the ballroom when the ceremony begins," Rehema instructed Persian. "There's a chance of magical blowback, and at least you'll be able to be on the other side of the wall quickly then."


Seteta sipped at the warm water, wishing that Chaceledon was there for her to lean against. When Rheinhard strode through the door, she let out a surprised gasp, clenching the blanket around her shoulders and attempting to stand.

Rheinhard was kneeling next to her before she could actually stand, though.

Chaceledon said:
“Seteta? What happened to you?” Rheinhard asked quietly, grasping her hand.
Click to expand...

"Everything and nothing," she murmured, reaching up to touch his face as tears gathered in her eyes. "I'm so glad to see you in the flesh again. The... the Well. I don't know what happened."

Seteta gazed at him for a long moment, stunned by the depth of her affection for him. She hadn't realized she'd grown to care for him as much as she did Chaceledon, just in a different way.

"Mut says my... soul is fractured," she said at last. "She's going to attempt a healing. I've been... sleeping so much. Barely able to eat. My dreams are... so strange. And it's so cold, except earlier when Seikilos let me sleep in the hotbed."

She gave the dragoness a grateful smile, then sighed and leaned forward, resting her head against Rheinhard's shoulder.

"Thank Aptuv you're all right," she murmured.

Seteta barely stirred as her Rehema and the others entered the ballroom a moment later, shifting her head just enough to look up and see them.

"I guess it's nearly time," she sighed. She squeezed Rheinhard's hand. "I love you, you know," she murmured quietly before the others reached them. "I know I'm not quite a parent to you, but you've become very important to me."

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, then held out a hand to Chaceledon as he approached. "Come sit with me a little longer, please, sehejib," she implored.

"Have you been able to eat some?" Rehema asked, and Seteta nodded wearily. Her mother sighed with relief. "Good."

Rehema looked around at the others. Seikilos, Chaceledon, Ausar, Rheinhard. Herself. It was going to be a long afternoon, but hopefully by the end of it, Seteta would be restored, though her physical body would still need time to adjust and heal.

"Last chance to eat, drink, and relieve yourselves," Rehema said. "And... thank you all, for agreeing to help. I'll explain more about the ritual as we start, but if you have any questions, please ask them."
 
“How concerned for my safety. I’m touched.” Persian chuckled, and left them at the entrance to the ballroom. He leaned against the doorway and pulled out a sketchbook, beginning to scribble down notes. Chaceledon patted his shoulder as he passed; hopefully the Inizae would become used to Persian. They had closer ties to Pedeo than ever now.

“Don’t get up.” Rheinhard put his arms around Seteta. Old, familiar scarred arms. “I am glad you’re alive. It’s a miracle neither of us is dead.” He drew back slightly, and pressed his forehead against hers. The words soothed him. She would never be his parent, at least not in the way that Chaceledon was, but it gave him hope for the next generation. “I will be here.” He reassured her, and stood.

He was surprised at how rattled he was being separated from Seteta. He knew Volkers by their very nature grew attached to the person who held the leash, but his bond with Seteta had deepened into actual affection. She loved him, and he loved her. What a strange little family had grown on the road from the woods all those months ago.

Chaceledon returned to Seteta’s side, pulling her against him to try and get her body heat up. He kissed her forehead.

“We have waited long enough.” Rheinhard told Rehema. “It’s time. Where do you want me to stand?”
 
"It's less concern for you, and more about the warnings I'm obligated to give as high priestess," Rehema replied wryly to Persian as he leaned against the doorway. "I don't doubt you'd meddle somehow if you could, either."

Aptuv would prevent that, though. Once the circle was formed, no one--mortal or spirit--would be able to intrude unless the god permitted so. Persian's notes would give him no more than the methods of the healing, not how the healing itself was obtained. That would be between Aptuv and Seteta.

Rehema watched Rheinhard and Seteta interact with conflicted emotions. Who would have thought the son of her father's murderer would become her daughter's child-by-marriage one day? Rheinhard and Chaceledon traded places at Seteta's side, and the priestess looked over the group.

"I will stand at the head of the basin," Rehema answered Rheinhard, loudly enough for all to hear. "Ausar will stand to my left, and you will stand to his. Seikilos will be to your left, and Chaceledon to her left. Please put yourselves at equal distances around the basin.

"Chaceledon, you will take your place last, after helping Seteta into the basin. There will be a crystal at each spot. Don’t touch it yet.”

At Rheinhard’s spot sat the green aventurine. Ausar would have the petrified wood, Seikilos would find the chalcedony, and Chaceledon had the rhodochrosite.

As they all took their places, Rehema reached into the basin and retrieved the sapphire pendant. Normally she would wear it in a healing, but Seteta was so weak that she would need it to easier facilitate the connection between her and Aptuv.

She brought it to Seteta and looped the chain around her neck, pausing to kiss her forehead. “I’m sorry we took the Well away without asking you first,” Rehema murmured. “If you wish to do so, you should be able to take it back again in the future, but you’ll need to give your body and your soul and your magic time to heal and settle first.”

Seteta blinked back tears, reaching for her mother’s hand. “I understand,” she answered. “It was just… a shock. I thought the Well was gone for good, not just… gone from me.”

“I’m sorry, bit,” Rehema said, understanding flooding her face. “I did not mean to frighten you.” She glanced at Chaceledon. “Either of you.”

Rehema pulled back then, and laid her hand over the pendant, resting it over Seteta’s heart, and spoke a blessing to begin the healing.

“May Aptuv’s consecrated waters lend you strength, wash away your weariness, and make you whole.” Her voice was reverent and soft.

Rehema looked to Chaceledon and nodded. “Please bring her to the basin and help her into the water now.”

Rehema turned and took her place, where a piece of selenite sat. “Once Seteta is in the water, take the crystal in front of you and hold it in your left hand. Step up to the basin and place the fingers of your right hand into the water. If you need to lean against the basin for support, please do so. We may be here for several hours.

"Once we have all placed our fingers in, we will say together, 'I lend you my strength for your journey.'"
 
Persian gave Rehema a wounded look. Meddle if he could? He was observing! Good lord, as though helping keep their daughter stable wasn’t enough. He sighed and began to sketch the set up, shaking his head. Trust was going to be slow with this lot. He’d have to invite them to dinner or something, build some more of that trust. Chaceledon would be his way in, he was sure of it. The dragon had been an ally for centuries.

Rheinhard took his place, tilting his head at the green stone. He glanced at Ausar to his right. That was his new master, the new leash holder. He missed Aetes dearly. They had been so rudely interrupted, and now…what did Aetes even think of him anymore? Could he ever face the man again? He had been nervous before about appearing strange. It was probably too much. He looked at Chaceledon, across the basin from him. He wasn’t sure where they stood either. Chaceledon clearly liked having him back but was it truly because he was back or because he was…well…far too attached to him?

He needed space to smooth out his rumpled feelings but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Chaceledon helped Seteta into the basin, kissing her forehead. “You’ll be fine, my darling. See you on the other side. I love you, koiros, more than anything.” He returned to his spot and picked up the rhodochrosite, holding it tightly in his left hand. Seikilos did the same with her chaceldony, and Rheinhard with the adventuring. One by one they settled their hands into the water. They were ready.
 
Seteta gasped as the cold water lapped at her skin, shivering as she clung to Chaceledon's arms while he steadied her.

"The chill will not last long," Rehema murmured comfortingly.

Seteta nodded, but let her hands linger in Chaceledon's warm ones for as long as possible.

Chaceledon said:
Chaceledon helped Seteta into the basin, kissing her forehead. “You’ll be fine, my darling. See you on the other side. I love you, koiros, more than anything.”
Click to expand...

"I love you too," Seteta whispered. "No matter what."

"Come near to me," Rehema instructed. "So I can reach you."

Seteta squeezed Chaceledon's hands one last time, then bit her lip as she fought back shivers, slipping deeper into the water. While she'd never experienced a soul healing before, water rituals similar to this were a common part of worshipping Aptuv.

She situated herself at the head of the basin, where Rehema stood.with the selenite in her left hand, her back to the basin wall.

Seteta took a moment to look around and the others, eyes flickering from face to face--Ausar, Rheinhard, Seikilos, Chaceledon--as if etching all of their features into her memory. Her gaze lingered on Chaceledon the longest, only breaking away when Rehema's right hand gently settled on her head.

As everyone picked up their crystals and placed their hands in the water, Rehema spoke to Seteta.

"Do not be afraid, bit," her mother whispered. "Aptuv and I will keep you safe."

Seteta blinked back tears, and only nodded.

Once the intonation Rehema had given the others was spoken, Seteta closed her eyes.

"Take hold of the sapphire with both your hands," Rehema instructed. "It is your catalyst for the healing."

Once Seteta had done so, Rehema spoke again. "Deep breath, bit," the priestess murmured first, then spoke loudly with authority and conviction, "may the waters of Aptuv guide you home."

Seteta relaxed, and let Rehema's hand push her beneath the surface of the water. Rehema released her gentle grip on Seteta, but kept her hand in the water.

Bright light flared from the sapphire, shining between her fingers and suffusing the water until there was only light, and Seteta vanished from view.

All those aiding the ritual would feel a warmth spread through their submerged hands, then flow up their arms. Those attuned to magic would feel a gentle stream of it connect to the crystals they held in their left hands and begin to flow out of them into the water. Those not attuned would feel drowsy more than anything.

The room around them would seem altered as well, awash in Aptuv's light, and they might see strange things from the corners of their eyes.

"Do not remove your hands from the water," Rehema said quietly. "You will feel weary by the time the ritual is complete, but Aptuv will not allow you to be out in danger.

"And do not be frightened by anything you might see," she finished. "Right now we are all connected to the realm of the spirit. You may see glimpses of Seteta's healing, but you may also see glimpses of things from yourself, or each of us."

Mother Mountain, this is when I need you, Rehema silently prayed. Please shield my baby from getting caught up in this!

This early in her pregnancy, the infant's soul and magic would be deeply entwined with Rehema's own. It was a risk, but one she'd been willing to chance for Seteta.

Persian, from the doorway, would see mostly only the light shining out of the water, so bright and all-encompassing that no shadows could be found, and Rehema's words spoken aloud would sound strange and muffled to him, as if he was trying to hear her speak through water.


Seteta felt her chest constrict almost painfully as her head slipped beneath the water. Her entire body tensed against the cold, and then she squinted against the blaze of light.

When she opened her eyes again, the water was gone, and there was only light and a warm presence. She was crouched on the ground, hands clutched around the sapphire. Her eyes widened in surprise. There was ground? Usually in Aptuv's presence she was always suspended in warm light.

"Come, child," Aptuv spoke, eyes warm and hand outstretched. "Let's make you whole again. You do not have to clutch the sapphire the whole time, either. The Waters hanging around your neck is sufficient."

Seteta released the pendant and scrambled to her feet, gasping when she realized there was no pain. No shivers. No fatigue.

She took Aptuv's hand, and looked around.

"What... what is that?" she asked quietly, pointing toward a hazy bubble in the direction she'd just come from.

Aptuv waved a hand, and the haze cleared. Inside the bubble, she saw... Herself. Her body, rather. She looked frightfully weak and frail, and she was laid out on a stone pedestal. But around her... stood the others, as they had around the basin. Her mother at her head, then her father holding her left hand. Rheinhard's fingers gently clutched around her ankle. Seikilos at her other ankle, and Chaceledon holding her right hand. From each of them flowed magic in different colors, feeding into her body. And, she realized, into... her. She could feel the magic, and looked down at her hands and feet, saw softly pulsing light at each of the points where the others touched her body. At the crown of her head, she realized she felt gentle warmth. Her mother's soothing touch.

"Am... I dead?" she asked quietly.

"No," Aptuv chuckled. "But for this type of working, and with the current condition of your body, you need to step outside of it for a while."

As Aptuv spoke, Seteta realized that behind Rheinhard stood many hundreds of men, linked together by their hands on each other's shoulders.

"The Volkers?" she said quietly, suddenly blinking back tears.

"Many of them have grown quite fond of you," Aptuv said with a smile. "These are the ones who have agreed to aid the ritual. To help sustain your body. You expended a great amount of energy to keep the Well functioning after your awakening. They have seen now how close you came to death."

Seteta lingered a little longer, surprised when her mother looked over at her and smiled.

"She can see us?" Seteta murmured.

"It is part of her gifts as my high priestess," Aptuv answered. "She will not be privy to all that you must see and experience here, but she will be aware of you the whole time. If needed, she will be able to guide you back to your body as well."

Seteta nodded in understanding, then tilted her head curiously. There was... something--someone, rather-- present that she didn't recognize. Someone standing behind her mother, cradling something in their arms.

"Who is that?" she asked, pointing to the unknown entity.

"Qimming," Aptuv spoke, mirthful warmth in their voice. "An old friend I have not seen in a very long time. She is the goddess of Krynid. She is here at Tianau Volkers request, to guard the babe as best she can while you heal."

"Is it so dangerous for my mother and the babe?" she asked.

"It is not without risk," Aptuv answered gently. "So we should not linger much longer."

Seteta nodded and turned back to dace her god.

"I'm ready."

"Good. Now remember... No matter what you see, and who you encounter, you are Seteta."
 
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Chaceledon wouldn’t tear his eyes away from Seteta for a moment, watching her sink into the water. He desperately wanted to bleed some of his own magic into it when she shivered, but he didn’t dare add anything that could corrupt the ritual. He would wrap her in heat in the hotbed, he swore it. His sweet love wouldn’t feel the hideous cold any further. She was almost draconian, balking from cool water that shouldn’t have bothered a warm blooded creature. Chaceledon pushed his worries from his head, and gripped the crystal tightly under the water. She needed his strength of spirit now, not his worry. She needed him to prove that he was worthy of standing next to her throne.

Rheinhard was completely and utterly concentrated. His spirit was open to her, and somewhere in him he could feel their severed bond reaching for her, weak and dying. It was a blind, hungry thing only wanting her magic to stabilize itself, and he ignored it. It would die, and join the withered still thing that had been his bond with Oor. Instead he focused on lending his own power. The Well generated it constantly; it was in many ways an echo of the great engine that sat under Pedeo. Hundreds of souls burned brightly in a pyre, supporting not only the Well itself but the one it attached to. As Rehema spoke, he felt hands settle on his shoulders.

They were cold and predatory, and he knew them instantly. Klaus. At times it was hard to remember that Seteta had earned his respect…Rheinhard wondered faintly if he had any idea what was going on, or if he simply sensed the magic at work here. Despite his brutality Klaus had always been sensitive to Oor’s magic. Maybe it worked the same with her. More hands linked onto his shoulders, or Klaus’, starting a small network of men. Nestor, Aron and Tianau surely, but their allies as well. Aluid would help because Aron was, and Guimel for Tianau, Jess for Klaus, and the network grew.

Rheinhard heard a soft gasp come from Seikilos. She may not be attuned enough to see all of the Volkers, but she clearly saw something. Ausar would be able to see them clearest; some of them would look at him with suspicion, others hate, others confusion and wariness. They did not know him. They did not trust him. In the way of Volkers, they ignored him.

A woman stepped behind Rehema. Unlike Aptuv, who was light and warmth, desert air and clear oases, she stepped with a great weight. She was frozen tundras and heavy stones, and was tall and muscular. There was not a thing on her body that could be called ladylike by any draconian standard; her shoulders and arms were corded in muscle, her thighs and belly generous and full, her face rounded with slender almond eyes that called to mind squinting winter foxes. She was dressed in heavy furs, a mountain of them, bound in rope and granite charms that swung heavily as she walked. She touched Rehema’s cheek, and looked up to smile at Tianau. She was here at his request, her lost chick so far from home.

Qimmiq brushed aside the tangled layers of Rehema’s soul entangling her baby, like she was brushing shale off of something. It was gentle and reverent. She brushed away fragments of it from the child’s face with a thumb, and drew it up into her waiting protective arms. The child was swallowed in furs and arctic wind. It would be born with snow in its heart, the bugles of elk and calls of coyotes, the song of deep whales who swam beneath frozen seas. That was her price, that the child would know her and one day seek her.

Chaceledon prayed quietly, pouring out all that he was into the water, into Seteta. She could take all of his flame, everything he was. Aptuv could burn him alive for the sake of her.
 
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