In Syzygy

[Sivan]

"I know," he said gravely of Zaichaer. Perhaps he would contact the Kindred and only tell Destyn if something useful came of it. The witch covens were so antithetical to Zaichaer's government that he wanted to trust them implicitly, but perhaps Destyn's caution wasn't untoward. It was something to think on.

"I will arrange something, then," he said with a smile. "If I know how long you plan to stay this time."

Avamande sounded familiar, and then he realized it was the name of someone who worked at Ale'Ephirum. He nodded, wondering how many Kalzasern citizens had gone on this expedition to Ecith. Perhaps he should have gone to keep an eye out for his friend, but it seemed as though good things were happening for him anyway. Imogen sounded familiar, as well; at least, Aurin had mentioned someone by that name to Torin at some point—an Orkhan woman he fetishized if memory served.

"...a salty slime person?" he wondered aloud. "Was it a water elemental from the swamps or something like that?"

Zin were rather fastidious, but they were kin to fresh, flowing water. An elemental from someplace brackish might be slimy, or perhaps—well, in truth, Sivan didn't know much about the continent of Ecith other than that it was far away, wild, and that there had once been an elven migration to the deserts there.

"I remember the sea from Silfanore, but I'm not familiar with it. Not really. I've always been a creature of the land. And you're a creature of the air, so best avoid the sea, eh? Don't want to get your wings wet and bogged down in slimy things. Although... there are some sea buggies that are delicacies..." He supposed he could boil some crawfish from Lake Udori and see if they appealed to Destyn's palate. Chances were, he would want to try them raw, and Sivan wasn't sure about that.

[Destyn]

In Syzygy

25 Frost, 122

The fae smiled,

"I can, you know, stay for a while. I think that maybe the baby tree is why I went down there anyhow. When I go back it should be to find what the baby tree needs to, you know, grow."

Destyn shrugged.

"I do not know what she is. She changed colour, though, and was blue sometimes. She is from the ocean. Since I know little of the ocean I cannot say whether she is some sort of creature native to the depths that we rarely see on land. She was not like Korvaelis, though, who was blue but not salty. I do not know."

He nodded along with Sivan's apt observations about the sea and Destyn's place in the world.

"Yes! Yes! It is very dangerous and I almost drowneded in it, because I was tied to a staff which was being controlled by Imogen's magic and then she got attacked by birds and lost control. The ocean is very scary and imposing, but it does indeed have delicious, giant buggies! They are called crabses, but that sounds stupid, so I only call them giant buggies that crawl at the bottom of the ocean.

"They are very sweet inside, but their shells are thicker than small buggies that crawl on land and fly in the air. Imogen told me that the large ones are cruel masters who lord over the smaller ones, so we tried to, uh... You know, stop the oppression and get the bigger ones. I felt a little bad about eating the smaller ones, because they are, you know, victims. But now I just will eat the ones that come on land or right near the edge of the water, because further in is, you know, too treacherous." He paused for a lengthy beat.

"Can you take me to Silfanore one day?"

In Syzygy

[Sivan]

Sivan considered. Korvaelis, from what he had heard, was part Druskai and part Fae'ethalan, so he assumed Destyn would be able to suss out if someone were his own kind. Not having met the woman, he couldn't bring his Semblance to bear upon her and try to figure it out himself.

"You know, there are crab-like things in Lake Udori. Crayfish... or crawfish... I can't remember the name in Common. Not as big as those from the sea, I think, but not as salty either. They catch them in wicker basket traps, although you might be quick enough to catch them with your hands, clever fae." Sivan smiled adoringly. Destyn's innocence even in the face of experience was a heart-warming thing. "People boil them and dip them in melted butter, and any number of other things, but I think they are safe to eat fresh from the water like you prefer, too. Would you like some?"

As for the rest, "Of course, I'll take you to Silfanore someday. Laurevere has been asking me if I have plans to go back... Perhaps between your amulet and Torin's experiments with portals, it will be easier than it was for me to get here to Kalzasi. Lady Leukos gave him a valley near Starfall... he's going to link it to his shop, to my tower, and to a couple of other places. That way none of us will have to be cooped up in Kalzasi when we don't want to be." His golden brow knit. "I wonder if he could open me a portal to wherever you go... so I can help you figure out what the water woman is, and what the baby tree needs to grow, or in case you need help."

For all his innocence, Destyn did have a knack for surviving, but life was an all too fragile thread and he would grieve terribly if his friend were to die because he went off without anyone to watch his winged back.

Speaking of wings...

[Destyn]

In Syzygy

25 Frost, 122

Destyn furrowed his brow bemusedly at the mention of 'crayfish', perplexed that a buggy would have 'fish' in its name when they were so incredibly distinct. Buggies had their bones on the outside, and fish on the inside. Was this buggy just called a kind of fish because it inhabited the water? Nonsense.

"You mean gliomach fionnuisce?" He clarified in his own tongue. "I am familiar with these buggies, but they are small like regular buggies... Well, like the bigger side of regular. The giant buggies that crawl at the bottom of the ocean are many times the size of these. They are smaller than buggies that are monsters, but larger than buggies that fly or crawl on land or also in Lake Udori. My clan used to wander the shores, you know, of the lake. That is one of the reasons it was very nice to go there with you and Ti-To." Which was an abbreviation of 'Timon & Torin' that he came up with the same moment he uttered it.

Destyn nodded, and beamed at the mention of this valley. That was like a dream come true to Destyn, even though he didn't personally feel any connection to Kalzasi outside of it being the home of his holy saviour and, at present, his best friends.

"I would love if you could come with me! The jungle is very beautiful and strange. The others think there is something that is wrong with it. I think it is different, but I do not know if that is wrong. Maybe it is right for there." He shrugged. "You do not have to worry about the slime person, but I would appreciate help with helping the baby tree to grow. It is, I think, important.

In Syzygy

[Sivan]

"Gliomach fionnuisce..." He rolled the word around in his mouth, always happy for more Valasren vocabulary to use with his Fae'ethalan friend. From how Destyn described them, he could only nod. The saltborn versions would be bigger, of course, and certainly there would be giant varieties in the deep seas. He hoped never to encounter them. And, of course, his mind didn't need help translating the Destyn-specific word. He was used to those by now. In no time, he might start referring to them as Ti-To.

"I will, of course, play steward to the baby tree. Hm... perhaps I ought to seek out some Dragonfly spirit to teach me how to fashion wings for myself. Then you can teach me to fly and we can more easily navigate the jungles." He paused. "You will have to teach me how to avoid collisions with Avialae, as well."

So far, his use of Animus revolved around the gifts of the Wolf spirit. His senses could be augmented. His teeth and nails could harden, sharpen, and grow. He could speak intelligibly with Huntress, who was used to the humans in her pack if not quite domesticated. He would never be Fae'ethalan, but he might learn to mimic their glamours, and keep up with his friend. And if Torin truly mastered the ability to harness his lover's railrunning magic, Sivan might actually be able to follow Destyn around on some of his wanderings.

"Now... are you hungry? Thirsty? You know I have to tend to all the living things in my garden. Even you." He booped Destyn's nose. Sivan had never acted this way before, even with his younger half-siblings, but so it was when one was friends with Destynrael.

[Destyn]

In Syzygy

25 Frost, 122

Destyn nodded rapidly when Sivan used the proper term for the water buggies he'd been misapprehending to be some sort of 'fish'. This was clearly ridiculous, so Destyn wished to be encouraging in educating his misinformed elven friend.

"Very good, Sivan! That is correct!"

The notion of Sivan gaining the ability to fly, lit Destyn up like firefly! And the fact that he even seemed to understand that dragonfly wings were the best wings, proved that he was an apt pupil and made the Fae feel more encouraged that he wouldn't continue to mistake buggies for fish in the future.

"That is a wonderful idea, though!" He beamed, "It would be great in the jungles, but not only there, though! Also everywhere, because flying is better than walking. Up in the sky there is not so much stuff that gets in your way!" He wrinkled his nose, "Except in Kalzasi. That is why it is better outside of the city." He huffed,

"Och! If I knew how to avoid collisions with Avialae, I would have much fewer, you know, bruises!" He griped, although he had no such bruises at the moment and, unless they were on a patch of his skin covered with dirt, he wasn't wearing the most concealing garb so it would likely have been visible.

He blinked at the boop, as if his nose was a button that controlled his eye lids, and he froze for a second, before grinning broadly and exclaiming:

"I came all the way from South Ecith! Of course I have hungries!"

In Syzygy

[Sivan]

"Tapadh leat, a charaid."

Mindful of those dragonfly wings and carrying his elegantly curved blade in its scabbard, he wrapped an arm around the Fae'ethalan's shoulders and guided him toward the tower door. The garden was warm enough, yet cooler than other seasons. The plants needed to know it was Frost so their cycles weren't sent awry. That meant the food was indoors rather than easily picked and foraged outside. He released his friend once they were indoors so he could pull out various fruits and buggies from the garden that he had had candied or salted for his friend.

"It's settled, then," he said. "The next time you are in the city and it's warm enough, we will go out in search of dragonflies to lead us to a dragonfly spirit and I will seek some instruction. Then, once I can manage the wings, I will rely upon you to teach me to, you know, fly. I was thinking perhaps I might find a hibernating bear while it's cold... it might be nice to be able to hibernate when I need to catch up on my rest... and bears aren't as scary when they're asleep." Rivin had been with him when he met Wolf, Destyn would be with him when he met Dragonfly; perhaps Torin would go with him to ensure nothing terrible happened when he tried to meet Bear. But with Destyn there just back from Ecith, his mind wandered to other possibilities.

"Have you encountered any plants or animals in the jungle that you've wanted to borrow from?"

His gaze swung to Destyn once more, looking for signs that he had glamoured himself some new bits.

"Oh! I don't know if it's a secret, but Torin's man... he can open portals now. That's how Torin is making his traveling magic now. I have heard that if someone gets powerful enough, they can open gates to other planes. We could conceivably visit the Everwilds from whence your people came!"

[Destyn]

In Syzygy

25 Frost, 122

With glee at hearing his own language on the tongue of his friend, he replied:

"Tá fáilte romhat, a stór!" And allowed himself to be easily led toward the house.

"Yes! It is definitely wiser, I think, that we find dragonflies around here and not if you come to visit with me in South Ecith, because the creatures that are, uh... indigo-ness to those lands are often unusual. They are, often, aligned with elements. It would be bad if you met, you know, a fire dragonfly- Which is not a dragonfly mixed with a firefly, but rather a dragonfly that is always on fire and will burn you if it lands on you." It seemed Destyn was in a very didactic mood today. He knitted his brow in confusion at Sivan's musings on Animus.

"I can, you know, think of many reasons why it might be appealing to be a bear for a while. They are very strong, their fur is nice and warm, their babies are very cute and cuddly... But it has never occurred to me to wish to be a bear because they are good at sleeping." He shook his head, disapprovingly.

"You are, sometimes you know, such a grownup, Sivan Sunrunner." He giggled until the question was posed about his jungle encounters.

"Ahhh, I think not, because they are so strange. I think that it might be dangerous to mix with them in that way. I could be wrong, but I would, you know, consult someone more knowledgeable first. Ecith is, you know, a frontnear. Which means that it is not much explored, even though it sounds like it would bean it is very familiar because it is close and in front of you, but such is Common..." He plopped down and began to munch on some locusts, but he nearly spat them out at the suggestion that they might...

"Visit the Everwilds! But that is what my clan was seeking to do for many, many years! And this human can simply do it at will?" His entire demeanour took a downward shift into a level of abjection Sivan had likely never seen him don. Rather than delighting him as many things did, it made him think of the people for whom it would have meant so much... who died before ever having access to what they considered their rightful home. And now it was being offered to him in a manner that seemed so cavalier it broke is heart.

"That is..." He thought to say it wasn't fair, but he didn't, because he was a creature of Nature. And to understand Nature was to acknowledge that fairness was a civilised concept. Not a natural one. So, he just trailed off and let his handful of locusts fall from his palm back into their bowl. He stalked away from Sivan, slumped against a wall and crumpled to the floor, where he stared off into nothing.

In Syzygy

[Sivan]

Sivan grinned at Destyn's malapropisms, but only because he had made several similar errors while learning Common here in Kalzasi.

"I wonder if Khal could protect me from a flaming dragonfly," he wondered aloud. There had been a point where he considered the elemental Rune, but Runes were dangerous and Summoning had seemed more helpful given that he could already communicate with wild spirits. Now that he knew he was tough enough to weather the storms of threshold sickness, though, perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea. Merging elemental power with elemental familiars might open many new doors for his magical engineering.

The elf was startled by Destyn's reaction. The lad was always so chipper, one forgot that tragedy still loomed near enough in his past. Sivan came carefully over to kneel beside him, not touching, but not retreating from his grief. He had never been good with the feelings—his own let alone those of other people—but Destyn and Torin had made him feel like perhaps he was learning. Setbacks like these were galling and made him worry it had all been for naught. He hadn't meant to hurt his feelings.

"Not at will," he explained softly. "I think it will be some time before he has the power and the skill, but the most powerful travelers have been able to travel to other planes. Perhaps he will be able to... and he can take you so you can fulfill the dream of your clan for them. A ghràidh, thoir maitheanas dhomh. Ciamar as urrainn dhomh seo a dhèanamh ceart?"

The spirits too came to cluster around Destyn, curious and perturbed by his sudden sadness. He was beloved by all who lived in Sivan's tower and in his garden.

[Destyn]

In Syzygy

25 Frost, 122

Destyn glanced up to Sivan as he approached, and a wan smile slightly curled his lips as he said:

"Ní dhearna tú aon rud mícheart. Is maith a mheabhrú." He reached up to take the elf's hand and kiss the back, as his eyes darted to the swarming spirits above. Their concern made him tearful.

"Níl sé sásta cuimhneamh, ach tá sé tábhachtach." He let out a sigh, and sat upright.

"Your home is so nurturing. I am glad that I have decided to stay here awhile longer. It seems I have been neglectful many things that are important." He would need to amend that. The jungles of Ecith were a formidable mass of chaos and one which proved to be a potent distraction from the bad but also, it seemed, from the good. There was so much to do in so alien a place: New foods to try, new plants with whom to commune, and new friends. None had approached the level of closeness he felt with his little Kalzasern commune, but they were still fun diversions from what had become a static, stagnant existence in Kalzasi.

Things were shifting now. Perhaps the baby tree would grow and change things even more, but even if not they would soon have a home abroad of the city. Then, at last, he would have the friends and the environs of his desiring all in one place. As his malapropisms implied, his Common tongue was imperfect, but he believed this to be a sound definition for the word 'home'. He told Sivan as much, as his smile grew a bit broader and he wended his way back toward happier subjects while not forgetting the path that brought him to them.

Fin

In Syzygy