[SE] responsibility is an illusion we place on ourselves

Zavien

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

The news of the Family's departure was like sunlight breaking unexpectedly through the clouds of a stormy cloud. Right when he'd thought the storm was about to come crashing around them - when the world was going to rain blood and violet chaos - it just.... stopped. He wasn't complaining, in fact, he was ecstatic and overjoyed and relieved and all the emotions that came with suddenly not have a tyrannical group of people attempting to take over. It was a little disorienting in a pleasant lack-of-dread sort of way, and the only thing he could think to do was thank every god in Caido for the turn of events. 

He made his way through the Observatory, laying out various offerings and items (with particular attention to Vi), speaking soft words of thanks under his breath as Sol darted in the rafters above. Only once he'd felt content with his abundance of expressed appreciations did Zavien depart, heading down the stairs. He didn't stop there though, heading down another flight of stairs in the depths of a tree. Supposedly, there was a collection of books beneath, and he thought he might something for Lena or at least an idea for thanking people - deities, Sunjata, all of King's End. 

Regardless, he stepped down the stairways, careful to avoid Sol who decided that weaving through his legs was more fun than walking separately. The lighting dimmed and the smell of must books and wax candles greeted him as he stepped into the underground space, looking around with wide eyes.

Alys

It was strange for Alys to find herself collecting offerings for the various gods of Caido. She'd always been a superstitious sort, of course, but she'd also spent a very long time resenting the world's deities for their disdain for Abandoned. It had only been within the last few years that she'd found peace with the gods. Perhaps that was why, when the Family vacated Caido and left peace in their wake, the seer went a little bit overboard with her offerings.

She'd lovingly crafted a tarot card for each of the deities, complete with imagery she associated with each. Mort's card, for example, contained soft sunlight filtering through a long, pillar-lined hall, reminiscent of the vision she'd once seen of the god of death's home. Vi's card, in contrast, held the brightly blazing midday sun, shining down on a field of wildflowers. And so the cards went on. Alys had even included one for Dygra - just to cover all her bases.

When she'd laid her offerings out, she made her way to the Undercroft, craving a bit of solitude and quiet. She'd cloaked herself in her illusion magic, making herself invisible as she meandered down, down, down - but that was until she spotted a familiar face. As she lifted the illusion, seemingly appearing out of thin air, Sascha rumbled a wary greeting to her bonded's friend. "Zavien, hey," Alys said, coming to stand beside the dragoon. "How's it going?"

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Zavien

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

"Whoa!" 

Zavien nearly tripped over the last step, and Sol, and his own feet, as Alys appeared out of nowhere. He managed not to fall on his face, but he looked appropriately surprised, stumbling forward to find his footing again. Sol gave a small chirp as he dodged out from under, trotting forward to greet the seer and her companion. 

The shock immediately transformed into laughter, bright and warm. "Geez, Alys. I didn't see you. Where did you come from?" Straightening, he ran a hand through his hair and looked around like there might be some secret passageway that she'd slipped out of. It only then hit him that there was a much simpler explanation, one that he'd seen in action on the battlefield: illusions. 

His eyes widened, an impressed grin on his face. "Wait. Were you doing that with your magic? That's so cool."

Alys

Sometimes Alys forgot just how effective her illusions were. Such was the case now, when she popped into existence, startling Zavien enough that the poor man stumbled over his own feet. The seer reached out instinctively, as though to steady him, laughing ruefully. "Oh, sorry. I forgot that people don't usually appear out of thin air." Then, grinning more widely in response to Zavien's awe, she added, "Yeah! It's my illusion magic. It's fun to play with." And to think, she'd once thought it useless!

A sudden sparkle caught her eye, and Alys glanced down to Zavien's wrist, where a golden, dragon-shaped bracelet sat. It was beautifully made, and for someone like Alys - who was currently decked out in no fewer than five rings, two bracelets, and a necklace - it was certainly worth a comment. "That's a beautiful bracelet," she said. "Do you mind if I take a closer look?"

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Zavien

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

Laughing, he shook his head about 'people appearing out of thin air.' "Not usually." Although he supposed he should expect it more considering how many times he'd seen it, including Mel. However, invisibility was different than illusions, and Zavien tilted his head. "How convincing are they?" Were they only visual? Or could they imitate the other aspects of whatever she chose to make?

Suddenly distracted, Zavien glanced down at the bracelet the indicated, the golden dragon head catching in the low candlelight. Sometimes he forgot he was wearing it. "Oh sure. It's actually a shield too." Sliding it off his wrist, he offered it forward, a smile on his face. "Safrin helped me with it."

Alys

It was true that Alys's illusions might not be true invisibility, but it had been convincing enough that it had tricked the Void yeti - not that the seer was keen to bring that particular instance up in casual conversation. Instead, she smiled. "You tell me," she said, conjuring an image of Sol. The illusionary dragon began to copy the real Sol's movements, realistic down to the smallest detail. After a moment, Alys allowed the illusion to evaporate. "I've worked hard to master my illusions," she explained. "It's the strongest magic that I have."

But then her attention was caught by the shimmering gold of the bracelet, and she reached out to take it carefully from Zavien. Holding it up, she examined it in the dim light of the Undercroft. "Fascinating," she said, her tone almost reverent. "How does it -" Whatever she was going to say, however, was cut off abruptly as Sascha made a move towards Sol, trying to initiate play. "Oh, Sascha - not down here, love." Disappointed, the little ursur dropped to the ground, lying in a fluffy white pile and trying hard to look as pitiful as possible.

Rolling her eyes affectionately, Alys laughed. "Companions," she said ruefully. "Anyway - what are you doing down here? Anything I can help with?"

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Zavien

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

His eyes widened as the duplicate of Sol appeared, the little dragon giving a pleased chirp as he moved forward, their features identical in every way, from the golden scales to the nubbed horns on his head. Zavien knelt down compare the two, trying to find a fault of some kind, but spotting none. He tilted his head, reaching forward to lift the doppelganger in his arms so he might get a closer look - and his hands went straight through. Lost in his own curiosity, he'd completely forget that it was an illusion, tipping forward when the lift of his arms met no resistance. 

Letting out a laugh, he looked up at Alys as the duplicate vanished. "That's really impressive. You could easily fool me." 

When he stood to explain the shield part of the bracelet, his attentions were immediately pulled away when Sol gave an excited chirp of playful acceptance to Sascha's invitation. He shook his head gently. "Not here. Maybe once we get outside." As long as the others didn't need to depart quickly. Still, it seemed enough to placate the dragon for now, and he settled for chirping quietly at the ursur.

He chuckled in agreeance with Alys's exasperation, a realization brightening his expression at her polite inquiry. "Actually, I wouldn't mind some help. I'm looking for a book Lena might like - and maybe you'd have an idea on how to thank King's End for helping the Breakers?"

Alys

Zavien's interest in her illusions had Alys's chest swelling with pride, and she smiled at him as he admitted that she would be able to fool him easily. Then the companions were preparing to romp through the Undercroft, and their humans were admonishing them, and with all thoughts of the bracelet forgotten, Alys accidentally slipped it into her pocket for safekeeping.

As for books, the seer tilted her head to one side. "I don't know Lena well," she admitted. "She's the Celestine caretaker, right? Up in Stormbreak?" With that in mind, Alys began to lead Zavien through the stacks of books. "So maybe something cataloguing the creatures of the Greatwood, or some area that she might not know as much about? I'm sure there's something right about - aha!" She pointed to a shelf, which contained all sorts of tomes on animals, their habits, and other such things.

While giving Zavien a moment to browse, Alys considered his other query. "You don't have to do anything for King's End," she said. "We were happy to be able to help."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Zavien

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

It was Zavien's turn to swell with pride, his grin full of the love he held for his girlfriend and her passionate heart. "She is." He did his best not to use the past tense, keeping faith that they would end up back in Stormbreak soon, where Lena would be free to resume her rightful and divine position within the Celestine. 

Suddenly distracted by Alys's movement through the shelves, Zavien followed, his eyes roaming the shelves without attempting to read the titles. That only changed when she indicated that they were in the right section. He leaned forward, scanning intently at the flipping and spinning letters before just picking the biggest one he could find. It was probably an encyclopedia or something, but he figured Lena would appreciate it as he said, "I'm sure this'll be perfect. Thank you."

He tucked the book under his arm, offering her a warm smile as he shrugged his shoulders. "We know, but we'd still like to show our appreciation. I don't know what we would have done without your help." They could have ended up stranded in the Wilds somewhere with no food or supplies, but they'd taken them in, giving them as much of a home as they could scrounge together, and Zavien couldn't thank them - or the gods - enough for that.

Alys

The book that Zavien chose was a thick tome that did indeed appear to be an encyclopedia of some sort. Alys wondered if it had sections on both flora and fauna, and if so, if she might also find it interesting to check out sometime. "You're welcome," she told Zavien with a smile. "I hope she likes it."

Sascha rumbled from below, and Alys looked down to find her companion leaning against her leg, still looking pitiful from her earlier chastisement. With a small smile, the seer reached down to pat the ursur, scratching her favorite spot behind her ears. To Zavien, she hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we do have our regional quest - I know some of you are helping with that," she mused. "But, otherwise? I'd have to talk to Sunjata to see how we might best use your people. Maybe you could help us train some soldiers? I know we don't have many, and the Dragoons are probably more experienced, as a whole."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Zavien

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

Chuckling, Zavien shrugged his shoulders, a shimmer of affectionate humor in his tone as he said, "As long as it has to do with animals, I'm sure she'll find a use for it." Even if it was purely for informational purposes, he was sure Lena would somehow use it to help more creatures. He couldn't help smiling at the thought, hoping she might soon be able to do so within the Celestine again. 

The matter of thanking the people of King's End was a little more complicated, but Alys made it sound so simple, like teaching a few men how to hold their sword better somehow equated to months of hospitality to an entire city of people. Shaking his head, Zavien smiled. "The regional quest is a given, but maybe I could put some training together for the soldiers - not that I think that's enough." Sol peered up at Zavien, an obvious pout in his stance that asked why Sascha was getting attention and he wasn't. Rolling his eyes, he reached down to rub against the dragon's head as he glanced up at the seer. "But thank you."

Alys

To Alys, thanking the people of King's End was simple - or, at least, it should be, because they didn't require thanks. They had only done what any reasonable region would have if asked. People had been in need, and King's End had been in a position to provide aid. Still, Zavien didn't seem to accept that as an answer, and Alys tilted her head in thought. "You might check with Sunjata. There's always the opportunity for trade once you go back home, and other such things. Who knows, we might need help in the future, and this time you'll be in a position to give it to us." She very much hoped not, but anything was possible.

In any case, the seer glanced around, getting her bearings. There was a book a few sections over that she'd wanted to look at. "In the meantime - did you need help with anything else? I was going to go look at a book while I was down here, but I have some time, if you need."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Zavien

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

Nodding his head, Zavien adjusted the large book in his arm. "I'll try to see Sunjata soon." He added a smile as he confidently said, "We'll always be willing to give King's End assistance. I thank the gods every day that you all were willing to take us in." With another silent prayer up to Vi, he gave Alys another deep dip of his head. She may not see it as a big deal, but Zavien would always come to their aide thanks to the kindness they'd shown. 

Hearing that they might be done, Sol darted forward to give Sascha a goodbye sniff, his tail wagging at the prospect of playing in the sun. It made the Dragoon chuckle, glancing towards the stairs that would lead back to the surface. "No. I think that was it. I should be heading back anyways." The smile on his face was warm with appreciation when he looked back at her. "Thank you for the help, Alys. I hope to see you again soon." And with that, Zavien left her to her book hunt, making his way up the stairs to find a ride back to King's End so he could give Lena the book he'd found. 

[FIN]