[se] earthly scenes

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Hesitation towards the Climb had only started in prior years, due to the circumstances surrounding Stevie’s mysterious death, the walls of crimson, and too many other plunging roles leading up to the war. From there onwards, time can simply ensured it had passed without her presence amidst the molten caverns.

She’d dressed for the notions of picking away at rock and debris with a light sundress and dread; uncertain and apprehensive at best. Mittens had been left home for its own benefit, for the Caretaker feared the little snowball might melt, and then she wasn’t certain what would happen after that…but it couldn’t be good.

So the unease meandered through her hesitant steps, and she didn’t go very far inward, afraid, ultimately, of getting herself lost amidst the seemingly endless and infernal wake.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

The sun's coming up

Unlike Lena, Noah spent more time investigating the Climb in the recent year. As the Ancients made their way back to the surface of the world, Noah knew this was the place that he could find answers. though Safrin had said that Dygra was not an outright enemy like the Voice had been, Noah was still suspicious. He couldn't help it, really. It was in his nature as a Halovian. While he had always been more trusting than his kin, Noah's skin had hardened against that since the first opening of the Voice's portal.

While Noah was on the hunt in the climb for works of the Ancients, he hadn't expected to see who he did. Even from the distance, and dressed much differently than he had seen her before, Lena was an unmistakable creature. Using his magic to close the distance between them, Noah appeared some ten feet from the woman. He waved, hoping he hadn't startled her. "We can't keep meeting like this."

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Given how her nerves were already clambering, it didn’t take much to set her alight – jumping upwards at Noah’s voice swiftly behind her. Bringing her hand to her heart and huffing a breath, the Caretaker didn’t hold it against him – the apprehension had long since been contorted – but she laughed just the same. “I agree.”

Shaking her head and fingers, hoping to dissipate that sudden influx of dread again, at least Noah’s presence was a comforting sight – one of safety and protection and shelter – rather than anything else she might’ve found in the depths of the Climb. “I don’t come here often,” which was an understatement. “Do you happen to know the best places to find obsidian? Or ruby?”

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

The sun's coming up

"I don't blame you." Noah said, closing more distance between them until he was only an arms length or so away. He was careful where he stepped, still unsure which places had only a paper-thin surface to hot, molten magma beneath. Furrowing his brows at her question, Noah turned his head and looked around the soot, ash, and fire.

"Probably closer to the Cathedral." That was a guess, but it made sense to him with what the place was called. And, if he remembered correctly, Edmund had gathered some last time Noah was here and encountered the young ancient. "Kind of a long way to gather something I'm sure someone already has to buy or trade for in the city." He turned back to look at her skeptically. "Did Frey send you for it?"

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Treading lightly too, as that seemed the safest option, the Caretaker clutched her basket tighter along her arm, following the trailing steps of the Sentinel, pausing each time he did, glancing about. She wasn’t quite certain what she was looking for – other than the obvious – but the notion of other potential sights left her with breezy apprehension.

“Oh, okay,” she nodded in insinuation of where the elements might be located, relying solely on Noah’s experiences and logic. Then she shook her head, feeling a bit foolish again. Maybe everyone else had the same idea? “No, not for Frey. I wanted to use something for the upcoming festival.” Perhaps he hadn’t heard of it, with so many other obligations. “Are you going?”

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

The sun's coming up

While his lynx form never would have enjoyed being in such a place as this, it was moments like this that made Noah miss the form dearly. It had such finesse and was swift, better than walking across such treacherous terrain than his own human feet. He had to pay much more attention, unable to look at Lena for long as the anxiety of stepping through soft earth into molten lava below (even if the chance in this area was lower than others).

"I haven't heard much about it." He stopped for a minute to scan for what Lena sought. "But I think I'll go." Was his answer -- and the ignorance his motivation. The pulsing desire within him to protect those he loved never wavered, and he knew that many citizens of Halo and his dear friends would let their curiosity and desire for fun and fellowship lead them to the festival. Thus, Noah would go, too. If only to make sure nothing happened to those he loved.

"Do you know what its about?" He asked her, wondering if this was a tradition that the people who had been more connected to the world in their lives knew, unlike him who hadn't been outside of Halo until he was already well into adulthood.

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Her eyes on the walls, widening ever so slightly the more they drifted in and around, she strived to commit the swindling of caverns to her memories, picturing and framing them in her mind if she ever returned here for some other trip. She couldn’t fathom why – for all her experiences hadn’t been grand – but who knew what the future held.

Hearing Noah would go at least calmed some of her nerves, because maybe it meant she wasn’t foolish in her notions of attending. A long breath drew out of her lungs, and she began glancing over interesting lines along the pathways. “I don’t. I don’t know much about the Ancients at all.” Her mouth formed into a frown, perhaps disappointed in herself, her education and sagacity on the matter, or all the other consternations floating within her mind. A curious stare was sent to Noah, perhaps, hoping, he had some knowledge to impart and share.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

The sun's coming up

Me either, unfortunately. I've honestly been coming to the Climb to kind of research them." Stalk? Research? It was all the same to him right now, and as long as he didn't cross paths with Danta again, Noah was fine with it. "I've met a few, but we haven't sat down to discuss in length their goddess and their history." Noah chuckled and flashed her a toothy smile.

A glint of red hit Noah's eyes and he stopped. Lifting a hand to point it out to Lena, Noah closed the distance to it and crouched down. "This looks promising." He said. "Did you bring any tools with you?" For he hadn't -- because he hadn't come here to mine, but to learn.

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

“Oh,” she mentioned, as if the possibility were a surprise. It made sense that they would frequent the Climb, given the proximity of heat, and the springs – perhaps this place was an indulgence for them, like Torchline was for so many. “That makes sense,” and she returned his grin, a little softer, still feeling sheepish and ignorant. “Were they nice?”

Only when the Sentinel ceased movement did Lena do the same, peering around his form as he pointed out the ruby proportions in the wall. “I did!” With a chirp and a hum, she snagged at the cloth tucked around her basket, unveiling a small set of tools. She’d figured if worse came to worse, she could’ve dug around with her fox claws and given it an attempt there. Then she began picking away with her tiny portions, inclining around the top first.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

The sun's coming up

Of course Lena would ask such a thing. Noah looked up at her and couldn't help the laugh that broke loose from his lips. "Well, one that I met tried to kill me." Maeve's son, Edmund, in fact. When he was a molten tiger he tried to end Noah, and it was only through his own magic and shifts that he was able to keep the youngling from doing so. His tenacity had been unmatched in that moment, and Noah didn't know why.

"Oh, good. Then hopefully this won't take too long." Noah said before he took a pick-like tool from her basket. He aided her in chiseling away at the rock around the precious gems. It didn't take long, in fact, for the first few rubies to come loose from the crevices that held them. They were small, and there were several larger ones near, so Noah put those that fell in her basket and then kept chiseling away.

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Her eyes widened at the laugh, glancing upwards from her little ax picking at the walls – rounding even more when he mentioned the reasoning. “But why? And what did you do?” Obviously the man had made it through the altercation – but her experience with the Ancients hadn’t been in such a corrosive way. Some inkling rampaged down the back of her throat, and she wondered if all the apprehension would be worth it.

Chiseling, her brows furrowed slightly, wondering if she was keeping him from something. Not one to actively or purposefully impede anyone, she took his words for something else. “Sorry. You can go if you want.” Especially as the stones were beginning to loosen – small little rubies, sparkling along the cavern, half tempted to inspect them as he placed them in her basket.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

The sun's coming up

"Some sort of madness." Noah said, inspecting some of the rubies in his hand. "I thought it was a real molten tiger at first when I got attacked, but I knocked it out and it was a boy." Maeve's boy. Noah's laugh didn't etch a smile on his face, instead it turned into a frown as he recalled the meeting. "I healed him and he told me that if I turned my back on him he would lose it. It was almost like he couldn't control himself." and Noah knew it was only out of fear that Edmund hadn't attacked him again, and had run off when he commanded him to.

"It's ok, Lena." He reassured her as they harvested more of the reddened crystals. "I'll be on my way soon. It was better to see you than it was to see any of the ancients." Even if it had been originally what he had come for. "Is it ok if I have some of these, too?"

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Madness, boys who were molten tigers, and lack of control made her eyes widen, rounding again – so different in comparison to what she’d witnessed on the beach, amidst the gathering of souls. “I wonder if that’s a common occurrence with them,” she muttered, idly, mostly to herself. Pocketing the stones, and placing their tools away when they’d acquired enough, she smiled back at the Sentinel – still grateful for his appearance, regardless of the way they rushed around. “Thank you for helping. And of course.”

From there, they could part on their separate ways, perhaps with a little more inclination or observation about multitudes.

{FIN}

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all