Aurin learned on the job, guarding Valencia and offering his aether when he had nothing else with which to support her. Zaichaer descended into madness, but they did their part to get people out. When she released him to fight with the Sunsingers, he watched her go. Now he wasn't sure how or when he would get out of the city, immersed as he was in the covens' fight for survival. He saw Eshar at some point, but then lost them again. He fought shoulder to shoulder with witches of various covens; some recognized him, while others knew his name afterward.
A grateful Grymalka did wrest Rick's soul back from the Mists, handing him a cool soul gem. He tucked it away to give to the Whispers that they might release the soul in some sort of funereal ritual. Perhaps it would give them some sense of closure, if not peace.
It was several days and nights before he was able to quit Zaichaer for good—for good?
A Railrunner more skilled than him opened a portal far enough out of Zaichaer that Aurin was fairly sure he could play coyote for the injured Sunsinger and various refugees under his protection. He was going to get them to Kalzasi, and then he was going to get back to his normal life, such as it was: the theater, the keiretsu, his lovers, his schemes, and now various people he had to look out for. This was not what he had bargained for when he came to Zaichaer with his wild idea to join the covens as a means to pull information and power out of the Brass City, but he supposed he had made a silk purse out of a sow's ear all told.
An exhausted, injured, and depleted Aurin still had to put up a strong show in order to get the refugees to safety. Zaichaer might be more dangerous, but the open lands weren't exactly peaceful. Not now and not in living memory.
A grateful Grymalka did wrest Rick's soul back from the Mists, handing him a cool soul gem. He tucked it away to give to the Whispers that they might release the soul in some sort of funereal ritual. Perhaps it would give them some sense of closure, if not peace.
It was several days and nights before he was able to quit Zaichaer for good—for good?
A Railrunner more skilled than him opened a portal far enough out of Zaichaer that Aurin was fairly sure he could play coyote for the injured Sunsinger and various refugees under his protection. He was going to get them to Kalzasi, and then he was going to get back to his normal life, such as it was: the theater, the keiretsu, his lovers, his schemes, and now various people he had to look out for. This was not what he had bargained for when he came to Zaichaer with his wild idea to join the covens as a means to pull information and power out of the Brass City, but he supposed he had made a silk purse out of a sow's ear all told.
An exhausted, injured, and depleted Aurin still had to put up a strong show in order to get the refugees to safety. Zaichaer might be more dangerous, but the open lands weren't exactly peaceful. Not now and not in living memory.
fin.
