Spooky Arts and Crafts

I have never feared the storm

Sah finished up his drawing and began to attach it to the base when Seren gave her hushed warning. The Outlander's eyes narrowed as he glanced towards the sky. "I see. I guess I should have guessed that you'd be watched constantly." After all, if a parent had the capability to always keep an eye on their kid, most would do the same.

Seren's question got a long sigh from the Outlander, who put his craft to the side and faced her. "Its complicated." He began, choosing his words carefully and making sure no one was within listening distance. "I don't want to fight in another war, no. But I'm not the kind of person who can just ignore one. I don't want to destroy the Ascended either, that's genocide. But nearly everyone I love is either neutral or for the Old Gods."

Sah sighed and pressed on. "In a war amongst gods, I've found that neutrality never lasts. And of those who are neutral, the ones I care for will likely go for the Old Gods in the end." He raked a hand through his hair. "That would put me on your side. But I can't participate in genocide, I'd never willingly do that. And destroying the Ascended is just that."

The Outlander eyed his friend, eyes conflicted. "Backing up from all of that,  choosing a side in a war between gods involves choosing a god. I spent my entire life in the service of Mune. I would have spent the rest of my life doing so." Letting out a deep breath, Sah continued. "I've been in Caido for a year. Swearing myself to one feels like too much of a betrayal. And even if it had been a decade or more....I'm not fond of any of Caido's gods at the moment. I don't know them, don't trust them. But I do respect them as the gods they are. Does that make sense?

It was a complicated mess, too many factors and contradictions. But it was why the Abandoned Outlander was still neutral. Those he loved were basically on one side. But that side's goal conflicted with his morality. And choosing that side meant swearing loyalty to a new god. It was to much for a quick decision. But one fact remained. Sah's eyes met Seren's, his gaze warm but steely. "Regardless of where I end up, I will not harm you. I already swore, remember?"

Sah

This is the long forgotten light at the end of the world

Her glance to the open sky and the light shrug suggested that yes, her mother was probably watching, one way or another. And that no, she did not particularly mind it, though many might find it intrusive. Not Seren.

As Sah faced her and grew serious, the demigod set her own lantern aside and raised her gaze to meet his. A little reluctant, unsure whether she wanted to hear this answer. It... left her feeling about the same as she had expected. Torn, greedy - not in a good way - and a little ashamed, that this beautiful world had to be so steeped in conflict. Sentiments that reflected on her face, until she dropped her gaze again. The steel in Sah's gaze worried her, and the promise that bound him to her looked too much like a shackle.

"Maybe you would be surprised to find that I don't agree with everything the gods decree either," she murmured. A scaly nose pushed its way in between them, and Seren stroked Umbra, glad for the distraction, for something to busy her hands with. "There are many aspects of this conflict that doesn't sit well with me. The treatment of those born with magic - " she carefully steered away from the term Abandoned, hating the way it wanted to curl on her tongue " - and the fate of the Ascended are only a few issues I have. Shared with many others, no doubt. Only fanatics and madmen actually want to eradicate a people, and unfortunately many of that type will flock to a cause if only for a place to live out their cruel desires." Stormbreak came to mind, and not for the first time did she wish she could just leave the place.

"I... would lie, if I said I didn't want you on my side," she admitted, mouth drawn into a frown - directed inward, at her own selfishness. "But I don't want to force your hand or put you in a situation where you have to choose anything. If that were to happen... I - I'd almost rather cut things here and now and not speak again if it meant you never had to be dragged into this mess." The thought of never seeing Sah again was unexpectedly painful, a sharp thorn stabbing into her chest. But though it made her eyes prickle and sting with sudden moisture, there was a determination too, as she gazed up to catch his gaze.

"Even if you never choose a god and swear neutrality, if you stay near me, you will be swept up in this," she warned, wishing the truth wasn't so grim. "Because I already am, and I don't have a choice." At least not one where she came out alive and sane.

And perhaps that was all the choice she really needed, and one she'd already made.

Seren

I have never feared the storm

Sah's lips twitched slightly, one hand going to stroke Umbra as well. Lilly too, pressed against Sah and Seren's legs in support.  "I'm not surprised at all. If there's one thing that I know for sure about you, is that you have a good heart. There's no way someone like you would be ok with every aspect of this war, of what the gods want." Sah assured Seren. Her concern for him made something deep in him ache. Her reluctance but determination to leave him alone if he wished it, hurt even more.

Hearing Seren lament her shackles in this war, shackles he'd hare as her friend, had the Outlander sighing. Gently, Sah reached out and cupped her cheek, giving the Demi-god a gentle smile, wiping the moisture from her eyes. "I know. Seren, I know what being your friend entails. I've known since we first met. And I'm still here, with no intention of leaving." His eyes met hers, willing her to understand. "It's a choice that I've made of my own volition. You haven't pushed me into it. And as dear to me as you are, I'll make my own choices in this war. You won't force my hand, because I'd never let you." It was stated bluntly, as factually as it was.

Sah was a stubborn and proud person. Highly individualistic. Seren wouldn't be able to sway him once he'd made up his mind. And right now only a few things were certain. Those things being that Sah did not want to be Seren's enemy, he wanted to protect his friends and loved ones including Seren, and he did not want to destroy the Ascended. And for the foreseeable future, he refused to bow to any of Caido's gods.

Sah

This is the long forgotten light at the end of the world

She wasn't crying. She was not crying! Even though she should be weeping, to have such a friend. When had that happened? Had she done anything to earn this kind of loyalty? Stars above, let her never disappoint the faith this boy had in her goodness. Even if it wasn't true, even if there was darkness and shadow aplenty within her, she could be good for him. Would be.

Pressing her cheek into Sah's palm, Seren breathed in shakily and tried to carve those words into her chest and mind. He won't let her. "That shouldn't be so reassuring to hear," she mumbled, "but it is. Please let me know if anything I ask of you ever come close? I'd like to promise I won't ever ask for your help with the difficult things, but... I'm not sure I could keep it. Having you around is too reassuring." An awkward thing to say, framed by a shy smile... but true. So very true.

Friendships aside, Sah was also growing rather powerful. It would be all too easy to begin relying on that strength more than she should.

Seren

I have never feared the storm

Sah brought his other hand up to aid him in wiping away the Demi-god's tears. Her words only made his eyes soften. "I will. Don't be afraid to ask, that's what friends are for. As for if it's too far, too much to ask, I'll say no. And you should do the same." Sah chuckled slightly. "Boundaries and all that. We'll figure them out as we go."

Sah smiled softly at Seren, one hand leaving her to return to Umbra and Lilly. He ran it over both companions soothingly. "I'm glad that I can be a pillar of reassurance for you. And.." He bit his lip nervously. "I don't know how, but you're one of stability for me. Sanity more specifically, I think. You're just soothing to be around." It was awkward to admit for sure, but it was also the truth for him.

Sah had no idea that Seren saw him as powerful. The Outlander certainly didn't seem himself that way. Constantly comparing himself to his former power, his current capabilities still seemed so meager.

Sah

This is the long forgotten light at the end of the world

This was how they did things, it seemed. Heart wrenching confessions and secrets revealed, until someone caved and needed reassuring. A moment of fun, of laughter and lighthearted banter... And then off it went again. Whether it was a sign of trust or a testiment to the burdens they carried already, Seren couldn't help but wonder if the soothing hands around her face was something she should learn to rely on. Or if she would be better off learning not to cry in the first place. At least, there was something about the gentleness of Sah's thumbs smoothing away dampness from her skin that she might find herself growing addicted to.

Seren really hoped he would not end up regretting his decision to be her friend. Because she did not seem to have the strength of will necessary to push him away. Not when he spoke of learning about one another like he meant to stay.

Slender fingers rose up to wrap around his wrists. Not to pull his hands away - just to hold on, and maybe steady herself. His pulse under her fingertips reminded her that this was real. Strange... She never needed proof of that before. Something about this whole situation was drawing heat to her face, the blush faint and softened by the dusky evening.

"I'm... glad I can be anything at all to you," she all but whispered. His nervousness was infectious, and her own heart was beating faster because of it. It was easy to forget that they were surrounded by people. "Thank you. For being my friend. I don't actually have that many... so it really does mean a lot to me." Of the people around her of her own age, only Maeve was closer. Not that such things could be measured.

Seren

I have never feared the storm

Sah felt himself melt a bit, warmth filling his chest at Seren's words. "Thank you as well. I don't have many either, and I'm thankful to have you as one." He whispered, feeling that this conversation was too personal to be had at a normal volume.

Lilly seemed to think that this was enough melancholy for a party and jumped onto the bench in-between them. With a small whine and a wagging tail, she gave Sah and Seren both a lick on the cheek. Sah chuckled at his companion's antics. "Alright, alright. I got it."

With a warm grin, Sah gently flicked Seren on the forehead. "Lilly's right. It's a party. We should have some fun. How about we finish these lanterns and then go make some dolls?"

Sah

This is the long forgotten light at the end of the world

If this had been a book, Seren would likely have rolled her eyes and sighed at the mushy lines and skipped ahead a few pages, to see if there wouldn't be any action coming up soon. In real life, with sweet words delivered her own way, she found it far less tedious indeed. Oblivious to the milling crowd, in that moment she knew only the hand on her cheek, the amber eyes of her friend and a fluttering, nervous sort of happiness that sputtered to life within her chest.

Until, that is, a young wolf leaped up onto the bench and wriggled in between them, shattering the mood with whines and slobbering licks to the face. Seren laughed in surprise and wiped at her face, and recoiled with eyelashes fluttering when her forehead was flicked. Playful and gentle, perhaps, but no less of a callback to where they were, and what they were supposed to be doing.

"Right," she mumbled, rubbing at her forehead. "Let's do that."

Her thoughts remained scattered as she turned back to her lantern, however. The last assembly was done more on feel than anything else, because Seren was very much focused inward. Flustered in hindsight upon looking back on the conversation with Sah, and all the hugs and... now this. And she had cried again. Not much, but enough to be annoyed over. It was concerning. All of it. Most of all the lingering feeling of emptiness in her hands, like something vital was missing now that she wasn't holding on to -

No. Nope. Not going there.

Scowling at nothing in particular, the girl set her finished lantern aside and reached for felt and wool and some needle and thread. Any time her shoulder bumped into Sah's she almost flinched, but very stubbornly the girl neither moved away or shifted closer.
"Tell me more about Mune?" she requested quite suddenly - almost blurting the words out, in desperate need of a distraction.

Seren

I have never feared the storm

Sah attached the designed paper to his base, and fit the candle holder in as well. Soon his lantern was complete, but the entire time he kept glancing at Seren in concern. She was clearly agitated given her scowl, but he figured she'd speak about it she wanted to.

The inquiry about Mune had a wistful smile coming to the Outlander's face. "Mune was... incredible. Beautiful, wise, so kind but so protective and fierce. I loved her. When my mother died and I took power, she practically took me in. She became my role-model, my confidant, my.." He trailed of for a moment. "She became my second mother."

Sah took a moment, letting out a sigh before he continued. "Mune was part of the reason why I was even able to lead, to take power at the age of 16. To become Alpha midway through a war. She was there to advise me, guide me, mold me into the leader that my pack needed. The champion that she wanted. I'd been groomed from a young age in regards to becoming Alpha. My mother died before she could finish teaching me everything, so my Goddess took over." He never would have been able to be the leader he was without her.

The Outlander bit his lip, eyes going to the sky where the moon shone brightly. A hand went to his neck, to the scar that he'd shown Seren one. "And when I nearly died, her choice to heal me was not made lightly. My injuries were too severe for her to heal by her typical means, her magic. She.. .she used her own blood to heal me." Sah let out a small chuckle. "I wasn't a Demi-god after or anything, but I wasn't the same as I was before. Far more powerful.

Sah

This is the long forgotten light at the end of the world

It was exactly the kind of distraction Seren had wanted. Gradually as she listened the scowl on her face faded and vanished, and her thoughts became absorbed in the tale of a foreign goddess. One who kept reminding her of her own mother - though she didn't press the likeness. She had promised not to try and sway her friend, after all.

The reminder that Sah had come close to dying once before had her swallowing thickly, hating the idea even in a tale of the distant past. "Maybe that is why you feel so much weaker now?" she suggested, and glanced down at her own hand. Even stirring a finger made night and stars come alive around her skin, trailing cloak of darkness and light announcing the divinity in her own blood. "If you got used to that sort of amplified strength, I bet even a return to your original capabilities might have felt lacking. To start over from the beginning after that... must be very frustrating." She did not mention that the removal of that sort of blessing indicated that Mune was truly no longer within reach.

Keeping herself busy with the sewing of what might end up as a Ludo plushie, Seren mulled over the war he kept referring to. "What... kind of things were you fighting over, back then?" she asked. "Were your wars caused by gods there, too?" Did Mune ever call for the murder of individuals? Or was her moonlight free from shadows, only pure and bright? Seren couldn't bring herself to ask that. It sounded mean in her own ears, after Sah's declaration of love for the lost goddess.

Seren

I have never feared the storm

Seren's idea made sense and Sah found himself nodding. "That makes sense. Too much sense." A cynical grin appeared. "A new humanoid body that is not only weaker, but also now lacks the blood of my Goddess. That would certainly explain the sharp decrease in my power." The Abandoned knew the implications that might mean for Mune, but he had already assumed that she was gone. How could a deity exist after all if they're domain was gone? His world's moon was destroyed with the rest of the world.

Grabbing some black fabric, Sah began to work on his own Ludo doll. "The wars? Ah.. they were more complicated then that. At least one of them was." He took a breath before diving into some of the darker parts of his home's history. "The first war I participated in was originally started by a human. One that had lost part of his soul when his companion died. In my world, companions like Lilly and Umbra were tied to your very soul, so if they died, that piece was gone. The result was....agony. Such agony that any who felt it went mad. Generally people were 'put down' as soon as someone realized what had happened. A mercy kill for the victim before they lost themselves." A dark but necessary solution.

Sah took a sip of his drink before continuing. "But this human somehow avoided that. So he fled, and the pain and madness festered. He began to seek out anything to fill the hole in his soul. Using any means, no matter how immoral, no matter how many lives it cost. No matter how much destruction it caused. He scoured the world for something to dull his pain, destroying everything in his path. And growing steadily more powerful through the horrific experiments and attempts he made. Some say he'd attempt to fuse with any form of magic, to fill the whole left by his companion. None of them worked but he'd come out with stronger magic and even worse desperation. He even used his power to create armies to help his search." It was like a snowball effect of insanity and loss.

The Abandoned paused before continuing. "It got to the point that his man was so powerful, so broken, that even the kingdoms of humanoids couldn't stop him. They called out to the gods for help. And so Mune and others answered the call. That was how my kind ended up involved. We fought beside our Goddess, the people, and other Gods, to destroy the man's army and put him out of his misery." Sah shook his head, pity in his eyes. "It was a horrible war."

Sah

This is the long forgotten light at the end of the world

Privately, Seren thought the war brewing on the horizon now seemed plenty complex. But she bowed her head over her craft and merely listened, keeping her comparisons to herself. As the picture grew, she came to wonder if something similar had happened to the Voice. Was it a madness, a sickness of the mind and soul that brought her to do what she had? Or was it something far less obvious - mere curiosity, a desire to find the limits of power and keep pushing, no matter the cost? She doubted she would ever find out. Or that it mattered much.

"It sounds terrible," she mumbled softly, for lack of anything better to say. What did you say, to something like that? "Did you all win, then?" It was easy to assume so, but she had to ask. The notion of a wound to the soul of that degree, of having to 'put someone down' for a loss that was already terrible, made her feel ill. Umbra too let out a soft keening sound, mourning for the severed bond - their minds curled in on one another, wrapping tight in a tangle of impressions until Seren all but lost track of where her body ended and his began.

Seren

I have never feared the storm

Sah picked up Lilly and placed her in his lap, needing to hold her for a moment. The pup had been sending him bursts of concern and affection as he told the story. It was only when she was curled up in his arms that the Outlander continued to speak. "Yes, we won. With a heavy death toll." He stated bluntly as there was really no other way to put that.

Running a hand over Lilly's ears, Sah began to explain the second war. "The other war, it started when I had just turned 19, only after a year of peace. This one was more simple, but far more destructive." He grimaced slightly. "A god had grown angry over their lack of power compared to some of the other deities. How they had less followers and such even though in their eyes, they and a far more important domain. They were one of the gods of war, specifically the god of civil wars. They felt that they should have the same amount of power and influence of the god of rebellion, the god of wars of survival, etc." He began the tale.

Sah ruffled Lilly's fur, taking a breath before continuing. "And so they stated a civil war amongst the gods, with the goal of gaining power for themselves. They attempted to remove the other gods of war and take their domains, to become the only god of war. As you can imagine, a war between all of the gods is no joke. And although Caido is headed towards one, I'm just glad that there's only a handful of deities here." The Outlander was incredibly grateful that the coming war wasn't between dozens of gods. He really didn't want to see one like that ever again.

"And so, gods chose sides, their people and followers chose sides. Neutrality failed in all attempts and the entire world was plunged into war. Eventually we won that one too, in a year. A devastating year." Sah shook his head with a humorless chuckle. "Yet even that isn't what ended my world, I don't even know what did. Everything was fine one second, and then literally falling apart the next."

Story finished, Sah let out a breath. One hand continued to run through Lilly's fur, soothing both the Abandoned and his bonded. Taking a sip of his drink, he tried to chase the ghosts of his pasts out of his mind.

Sah

This is the long forgotten light at the end of the world

Part of her regretted asking these things. The pain and bitterness in Sah was difficult to see, and it brought her no joy to dredge up these memories and make him recall them. But perhaps... this of all moments was the right time to speak of it. When death and end times were on everyone's minds, when memorials to the past were encouraged and an abundance of food, drink and merry making might take the worst of the sting out. After all, it was hard to feel sad for long when there were so many beautiful things to rest the eyes upon. Glitter and ribbons, fine fabrics and papers, color and smiling faces - and above the dark sky, littered with stars and dancing fireflies.

If ghosts could not be banished - perhaps times like these might at least offer a chance to invite them for a dance or two.

Not that a girl who had never known loss would know anything about such things. She just saw the way Sah ran his hands over Lilly and was grateful for the weight of her own companion's head in her lap.
"I'm sorry you had to leave that, and be plunged into another such scenario," Seren said quietly, eyes downcast. Maybe it was not her fault, nor something she should feel responsible for - but she did all the same. Guilty by association, through star-smattered blood and the weight of purpose enveloped into the shadowy recesses of her mind. Her gods were doing this. Regardless of who rebelled and who followed, of cause and excuse - they were still the ones who did this.

How terrible was she not, to love them even so.

"I wonder what the world will look like, when all of this is over." A stray thought, tossed out at random - Seren for once did not know what to say at all. Couldn't find anything that felt adequate to console Sah through this. Her hands felt too tainted to reach for him this time.

Seren