Well Met by Starlight [Freya]

[Kala Leukos]

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...continued from Under a starlit sky.

Duchy of Dardouen
Some distance from the next village
10th of Ash, Year 123 of Steel

It was, they said, better to ask forgiveness than permission, but Kala didn't intend to ask for either. In any case, the Queen-Regent had been the one to attempt to control her movements, keeping her as safe as Kalzasi could keep someone, to keep the revelation of her wings from spreading. But now she was merely the Dowager Queen, and Karam Senue had risen to the throne of the Shokaze. He hadn't made any explicit decrees that she would have to ignore at her discretion.

Kaus and their winged companions were gone, scouting out their quarry, a small unit with a pair of Kathar thralls. Kala remained with Asallon, the summoner currently communing with spirits, and so the first winged Avialae woman in Ransera for generations, the young noble lady and goddess, was tending the small cookfire. She was clearly not growing too big for her britches. The kettle was on for tea, and she was preparing fruit, bread, and cheese for when the boys returned. They had already supped, but after hours of flying and tracking, they would likely need a snack before bed and nightwatch. Of course, the spirits Asallon and Indric could bind to keep watch would likely be enough, but four out of five of them were Avialae and they were in the Imperium—albeit far from the madding crowd—and they weren't taking any chances.

"A... spirit comes..." Asallon murmured, still in a trance. "Quickly."

Without seeming to hurry, Kala moved over to kneel beside Asallon. She placed her hand on the small of his back and focused on their bond. Much of what surprised her these days were the things she intuited through her divine nature. 'Tis a Star.

The pale blue wyrmling flung itself through the branches, circled the fire to slow down, and once Kala brought up her arm, it alit upon it, curling around her, keening in adoration.

Gui-Mao, my child.

Soon she was communing with the stellar spirit, and Asallon came to long enough to turn the tables on their state—now his hand was on the small of her back so he could understand her communion via their bond. As such, they were quite unaware of the air spirits circling frantically when the wagon approached. The cookfire flared, a salamander in the coals trying to warn them, as well. It wasn't until Gui-Mao glanced over to welcome the newcomers that Kala, and then Asallon glanced toward the treeline. Gui-Mao was not alarmed, and so Kala was not quite alarmed, and if Asallon reached for his dagger, it wasn't so much that he was alarmed as embarrassed for having not paid attention to the sentries he himself had set up to protect them.

The Siltori summoner was kneeling next to his winged goddess, a stellar wyrmling coiled around her wrist as they all looked at the new face.

She should have kept her cloak on, its glamours protecting her wings from sight, but she had needed to stretch them after so long and... well...

"Good evening," she said. "Welcome to our fire."

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[Freya]

The abundance of spirits in and around the small stand of trees was surprising. It was true that Wild spirits were more common throughout Ransera than those of the other realms, but even still they rarely came together in such numbers. A small wind spirit flutter by her in the shape of a moth with green markings, and a stone spirit popped its head up from under a small pebble where Freya only just managed to avoid stepping on him. Still more curious was the number of shimmering spirits that floated paper lanterns in the wind.

"Celestial spirits." Came a soft voice from her collar, "Little ones who are born from the dust of the cosmos."

He did not say it, but Freya could sense his surprise that they were here. It was rare that they wandered outside of their homes in the deepest parts of space. When she came to the edge of the firelight Freya paused to look at the two near the fire. One was a siltory man whose features were lost beneath the visage of the woman he knelt beside. Pale hair, beautiful features that were difficult to describe, but more than anything Freya's eyes fell on the wings upon the woman's back. Those wings were a symbol, not just of the woman herself, but of something much much bigger. It was impossible that she was here, that she even existed at all.

Captivated as she was the fortuneteller did not notice immediately that she was seen, but was startled out of her wonderment by a voice like tinkling bells. The welcome the woman offered was gentle, but held a meaning she didn't quite understand. Then Freya noticed Gui-Mao on the woman's arm and a few pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, though not enough to give a complete picture.

After adjusting her hat she stepped forward into the light, folding her hands politely in front of her and giving a half bow as seemed only proper, even if she didn't know why.

With an awkward smile Freya said, "Thank you." and came forward a bit closer. She was at a loss for what to do then, quite unlike her usual self. It seemed ages since she last felt so flustered, but then she had never acted so brashly before. Blue eyes with vertical pupils went back to examining the woman, and then her companion before at last speaking again.

"It is late, and I did not mean to intrude. I followed this one here," she indicated the wyrmling, "and gave little thought to the outcome."

"10, an ending and new beginnings."

[Kala Leukos]

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Kala resigned herself to the situation. She rose, then set a hand upon Asallon's shoulder that he might not startle out of his trance. That gave him headaches. Then she returned the half-bow.

"You are welcome to camp nearby for the night," she continued, "however, a woman with wings is a target in the Imperium and I would not wish to put you in danger, nor would I like for you to put me and mine in danger either. Can I rely upon your discretion?"

The young woman asked star spirit as much as the Dratori woman who - was that something draconic in her aura? - gazed at her from the edge of the circle of firelight.

"Three other Synnekar Avialae ride the winds hereabout, tracking. There are Kathar to be freed." Two, to be precise. If this foray into Imperial territory was successful, however, it might be the beginning of a war of attrition against the Obelisk, a quest given to her by Mother Naori even as she was given her divinity. Apparently, she thought honesty was the best strategy here. If the woman proved problematic, she was certain they could contain her until it was unnecessary, and then turn her loose. But if she traveled with stellar spirits, Kala hoped she would be an ally.

"I am Kala. This dreaming one here is Asallon." She indicated the kneeling Siltori with a nod of her head. Gui-Mao crept up her arm to perch upon her shoulder, beaming like it was the highest of honors, and then began to sing a strange, delighted song. One had to wonder if it was draconic or stellar or... both. The greatest gods were called Dragon Gods, after all. What that actually meant was a mystery of faith.

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[Freya]

Some of the awkwardness was fading as time continued to pass, and where there was uncertainty quickly became curiosity as Freya grasped the situation. Again her eyes flicked to the two wings on Kala's back, and then down at the kneeling man who she now recognized as a summoner himself. Was the Wyrmling his familiar? Did he guide her here?

Asteri gave a strong impression in her mind, indicating the man was not Gui-Mao's bonded master, which seemed to Freya the obvious conclusion to draw given the circumstances.

"To free Kathar..." Freya mused, "A dangerous thing to speak of, and deadly to attempt."

Glancing down at the deck of cards in her hand she idly shuffled the deck before plucking out a single card and holding it up in front of her eyes. The feline face of the star gazed back at her, and beside it the winged woman stood as if to reflect its meaning.

"My name is Freya, Freya Starseeker." Freya smiled showing slightly pointed teeth as she felt her composure returning, "I am a traveler in these lands, and no citizen of the Empire. Be at ease as your secret is safe with me."

The card was quickly shuffled back into the deck and Freya herself came a bit closer to stand on the opposite side of the fire from Kala, "Perhaps the stars aligned just right, or this could be a fated event. Now that we are here together, would you like a fortune told?"

There were some thoughts as to the dangers of the situation. Even without the ability to see Aura's, Freya's very blood echoed with the power the woman gave off. Not a suffocating or overwhelming aura, but one which made her heart beat faster by the sheer weight of the magic it possessed. She was not a true dragon, but she could smell magic when it was this thick on the wind. Perhaps this was while the spirits gathered. She didn't say it, for it did not have to be said. This was the one she was meant to meet. Now... she just needed to know why.

[Kala Leukos]

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Kala nodded; her work in the Imperium would always be dangerous - for others as much as for herself. The Kathar were in danger of punishments. Bystanders were in danger of becoming collateral damage. And, of course, she and her people were in danger of capture, experimentation, and worse. She watched, curious, as a card was pulled from a deck and matched against her, and she almost laughed at the woman's name.

Starseeker, indeed. Well, she had found them - her familiar, Gui-Mao, and their young Mother.

Instead, she smiled.

"Welcome to our fire, Freya Starseeker," she said. She indicated camp chairs and a small, portable table. "I would welcome the wisdom of your cards." She knew how to read them herself, but was not in the habit of doing so regularly. While she was a jane-of-all-trades, she deferred to experts when she could.

Kala sat in one of the chairs, managing to make her etiquette by the cook fire seem entirely appropriate without making things uncomfortable. Asallon was coming to, aware enough to participate if he was needed, but still slightly off as he listened to the chorus of the spirits doing his bidding. He began to pour out tea for the women, and for himself. When the lads returned, there would be plenty for them as well.

To Freya's familiar, she gave a sober smile and a word, Welcome.

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[Freya]

Adventures were a curious thing. At first they seemed glamourous or exciting, but quickly they became tiring, uncomfortable and at times quite frightening. This was an adventure of sorts, Freya imagined, not that she had been on many herself. Her travels had been along established roads, and the dangers quite tame all things considered, so she thought for a moment as she was racing toward this stand of trees that an adventure was what awaited her. If that were so, then perhaps this adventure was a peculiar one, as as she settled herself down in the chair opposite Kala she felt as she were doing what she had always done.

After removing her hat and settling her robes comfortably around herself, Freya set the deck on the small table between them, "The cards are not like a book that speaks in clear sentences, and the stories they tell are not always possessed of a beginning, a middle and an end."

Asteri poked his head out from her collar to blink at Kala as he was greeted, and Freya smiled before moving him to sit on her shoulder closest to the fire. She scratched his scaled head with one finger before taking out a talisman and holding it up, "Before I begin there are a few preparations."

She extended the talisman to Kala, "If you are willing, place a drop of blood onto this talisman, and we will see what stars were present at your birth."

Freya would wait patiently for Kala to accept or decline, but if she accepted it would only take a single drop of blood somewhere on the talisman. Instantly the paper would catch fire, burning a bright silver blue flame which made Freya's brow furrow in confusion before she released the paper to hover over head. Still burning the flames would lick outward, and from them a shimmering dome of magic spread to cover the entirety of the small encampment. For those who knew of negation they would recognize the magic at play. All were still able to enter and leave at their own will, and there were not obvious signs as to what the ward was for. That is until Freya tapped Asteri on his head, causing the little familiar to yawn and crawl down her arm onto her palm.

Closing her eyes Freya felt their link strengthen as she fed him her aether, and the liziard burst into motes of light that traveled up and filled the entirety of the dome. Stars spun into galaxies, explosions of color and starlight which twisted and moved as eons and eons passed in moments. Freya watched the changing skies as her own confusion, barely masked, grew as it seemed Asteri was going back further and further in time, impossibly far as the number of stars steadily grew less and their lights increased... but then as if time reversed the stars blinked back into existence and after several seconds the scene stilled onto one particular arrangement.

15th day of Sundered Rise... the spirits voice came to Freya's mind as she looked around at the stars that were now all around them, 102nd year of your current calendar.

"You were born after dusk." Freya looked back at Kala before picking up the deck of cards and shuffling them, "The sign of The Keeper. Those born under this sign tend to present a strong presence that many find difficult to approach, but as a Keeper must always be warry of those they do not know, their compassion for those within their care is boundless. They also tend to be inward focused, but not simply focused on themselves but also those who they are close to, often taking on nurturing roles when they see the need."

Freya smiled and continued, "The stars say you care deeply for your mission, or maybe the Kathar specifically. I would be fearful to stand between you and what you feel you must protect."

The deck was set down closer to Kala then, and Freya motioned her hand at the deck, "What question do you have that burns in your heart? Ask, and we will see what the cards have to say."

[Kala Leukos]

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An introduction to the cards was nice. She knew them, but it didn't hurt to hear another person rehash them with her own words. Especially if the elf was going to read her cards, it would behoove them to develop a rapport first.

The request seemed odd, but Kala only hesitated for a moment. She didn't sense any taint of blood magic, nor did the affectionate star spirit warn her of any ill content. 'Twas a small risk then. She took out her curved dagger and pricked her finger like the proverbial princess, although this wasn't a the spindle on a spinning wheel.

Once the talisman had its due, they were treated with a bit of a show. Strange fire, and then the star spirit's map of the sky.

Kala smiled at the woman's description of the Keeper, nodding at those parts that resonated most with her. And then her own question was inspired by what Freya said.

"I wish to know more about this quest of mine," she said. "Whether we will be successful, about consequences, anything the cards wish to share."

At Freya's bidding, she took the deck and began to shuffle the cards, concentrating on her question, letting her aura linger over the cards, informing them. Compliant, she cut the deck per Freya's instructions, and then handed the reconstituted deck back to her. In the flicker of firelight and false starlight, Asallon brought them tea cups and set them on the table, but out of the way so the cards would have their space. Then he sat back, near enough to watch, but not so near as to crowd them. The Siltori liked a good mystery.

When Freya fanned the cards out, face down, and bade her select one at seeming random, Kala did so, then flipped it over and set it down on the table between them.

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[Freya]

The first card was drawn, but as it was placed down it would rise with the Aidolon's power that suffused the space within the ward. The card turned in place, displaying a figure with the head of a stag, its mouth agape in an agonizing scream as scarabs covered its skin and crawled between flame licked antlers.

"The Prison." Freya breathed, "It is a card which carries with it sudden change, whether good or bad it is difficult to say. It was drawn in answer to your question on the success of your mission, and references the Kathar themselves. They are a bound people, chained and shackled, and whether you succeed or fail your actions will cause chaos."

"The shackles break but minds are not easily changed." the star spirit's voice came from all directions as the stars that made up his body shifted.

From the deck another card rose. A blue dragon curled around a naked blade without a guard, the number four emblazoned in blue ink at the corners.

"Four of Dragons. Like the creature on its face, this card signifies great pride and strong will of an individual, or perhaps individuals." Freya looked at Kala before continuing, "Hearts are difficult things to predict, and those who have lived a certain way may find it hard to live another. Your mission may not end as you expect, and the people you seek to save may not see you as a savior in return."

Once more the stars shifted around them and Asteri spoke, "A force acts in opposition. A Heart that forces order, rejects chaos."

Two cards hovered between them, slowly orbiting around the deck.

"Should I continue?"

[Kala Leukos]

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Kala's wards weren't the strongest, but they were carefully constructed and only occasionally flickered into view. The milieu in which Freya read her cards was strange, but then they were surrounded by stranger things that arcane shields—star spirits, for one.

The young Avialae admired the art of the cards even as she tried to remind herself that the iconography needn't be so dire as it looked, though it might indeed be so. She remained calm, remembering how long it had taken Baudric to come to terms with the truth of what had been done to him. Perhaps she had been given immortality because the work would be long, not the work of one woman's lifetime.

"Breaking the chains shall amount to naught if they are unaware of the chains or, worse, are comfortable with the chains," she acknowledged. Then, she nodded. "Yes, please. Do continue, especially if they offer advice how to make them aware of their chains and chafe at them."

Naori had given her the means to break their bonds to the Obselisk, to wingless overseers. She didn't want to core bond each of them in order to force them away from the Imperium, however. That wouldn't end well, would be cruel as the slavery of the Emperor.

Gui-Mao settled in her lap like a cat, content to be in her presence. That was a boon as it could be quite distracting if it wanted to be, or even if it had no such aims but was riled up. Such had brought Freya here to their hidden camp. And thankfully, Kala detected no alarm resonating through her bonds to Kaus, to Ceran, or to Indric.

Blue eyes turned curiously once more to the woman before her.

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[Freya]

The comfort that both Asteri and the other star spirit displayed in the woman's presence made Freya smile. Despite her seemingly ordinary appearance, Freya felt that Kala must be more than she seemed. Their surroundings were remote, an odd place for a party such as theirs to wander, and given how brazenly the woman spoke on the Kathar despite being near the heart of the Imperium spoke of a confidence few could boast.

With a simple wave of her hand the two floating cards were plucked from the air and returned to the deck where they were shuffled by practiced fingers.

"At times the greatest changes are done through the simplest of acts. Some would say a mind is much like earth itself. Soft and mailable in the young, yet grows hard and brittle with age. A river does not seek to wear away the stone, yet over time its persistence turns even the roughest bolder smooth."

Once she was satisfied the deck was set between them once more and Freya indicated for Kala to draw three cards, pointing to where they should be laid face down.

"You ask the fates of the Kathar, and what you can do to alter their path. We will begin with the first card which signifies your current situation." Turning the card over they were greeted with a humanoid figure with the head of a crow, its black wings spread as it hung upside-down by one taloned foot.

"Sacrifice." Freya glanced up at Kala as she spoke, her pupils narrowing to slits as she examined the woman's expression, "The kathar have existed as they are for centuries now. They are like statues, a people caught in stasis by training or simply habit. Many likely do not see themselves bound at all. It would be wise to consider a different perspective."

Around them the stars shifted to mirror the night sky itself, galaxies spinning lazily as comets shot from one edge of the dome to the other.

"The Ace of Dragons." Freya smiled a toothy smile as she turned this card over, "A dragon's fang will pierce the heart of any lie. A dragon's tongue will speak truth that shatters illusion. This card is a recommendation to cut through the fog around the kathar... Speak with them as no other would, and introduce to them a life they have never thought to dream of. It will be words, not steel, which will reveal the chains for what they are."

When the final card was turned over Freya paused to consider its image. A multi colored fish, similar to a koi that swam around a silver cup. The number eight was inscribed in its corners.

"The Eight of Cups. A sign of change, and one possible outcome." the dragonborn lightly tapped the card with one long nail, her expression contemplative, "It is a sign that, through effort, the Kathar can be made to see themselves as something more than Kathar. Through enlightenment of their minds and with hope of the possibilities, they may come to see the chains that are currently invisible to them. This is a card which embodies the element of water, and water tends to surge into a flood from the thinnest trickle. All it takes is a single crack in the dam, and then time will do the rest."