Fire Dreams (Leo Varniak)

[Gossamer]

Before Leo's words died down (and Taln once more wondered who Ivak was since it had been enough time for the geis to steal the knowledge from him) the fiery circle erupted with power. To the Azenth, it was obvious what was happening as the glyph's trigger word ignited action and the circle which reacted to the presence of an Azenth initially exploded. Fiery djed washed over them, leaving Leo unharmed but Taln slightly scorched, his clothing smoking. It blazed up the walls illuminating a map etched in the plain stone there that had been invisible to mere mortal sight at first. It outlined Deep Cave, the Lake more specifically, and caused the words to glow on the side of the wall. "It is the truest secret of all that nothing dies, not really. Peace fell, but within death He did not linger. Instead, changed, He rules here still. Can you feel Him? Can you feel us? Fire has not died either. For all the warmth and emotion would have gone from the world. Both will return. Both must return. Immortal hands slew. Mortal hands will breathe life. Here you stand before a window of sight, sound and knowledge. You are looking in. Things look outward. Opportunity persists. They gather, powerful in their knowing. What you do is not just what you do. Actions have consequences. One goes free. One once dead lives again. Others want want want. In Death Death Captured. Sanity Questioned. Power Contained. Will you answer the Questions? Will you play the Game? Can you move just one piece without setting the whole board in motion? The way lies east and then down, so far down, so profoundly wet, no fire burns. More than one key is needed. Blood. Breath. Will. Faith. You will be asked to cross over and pay a price. Are you willing?" The burning Glyph released its power, illuminated the worlds bleeding from the wall in enormous glowing letters. For a moment the two watchers were illuminated. Inhuman, scaled, enormous. One would say wyrm or snake, but one would be wrong. Velispar, instead, coiled together and no longer of the mortal realm having passed beyond the brilliance of their old age and having come to rest in Wind Reach guarding Sylir's Tomb. Once, they were his creatures, sentient far past humanity once they grew into their own. Now they were Godless and waiting, holding vigilance in case peace came again. Such ghostly things could not touch the living. But their presence was strangely comforting regardless. Velispar were powerful signs of an age long past where there was peace and prosperity. The way the light burned down after the flareup caused their eyes to travel around in a circle, sliding past the writing and past the map and back to heart of it all. The box in the center of the room was burned away. Two golden masks lay where its ashen outline persisted. One looked like Leo's face. The other bore Taln's visage. On the wall, a map glowed faintly before fading. Deep Lake Cave. Though, in truth, they'd have to past through Lina to get there.

[Leo Varniak]

A fiery conflagration trailed after Leo's words, nearly sweeping him off his feet. The circle had reacted to his mention of Ivak's name, releasing untold amounts of energy and revealing the silhouettes of their eavesdroppers. The sight of serpentine coils reminded him of Dhani at first, but he soon realized these creatures were both larger and physically different. Whatever they were, they had steered Leo and Taln on the right path. Hopefully there wouldn't be any further need for that, but it was nice to know someone wished to help for a change. He patted his clothes back into proper place and tilted his head at Taln's scorched appearance. "That is precisely why I told you not to bring anything that catches fire easily." The Dek might have died if he'd been carrying anything flammable on his person. Leo's gaze moved to the wall, where a map of the Underground Forest as well as a lengthy inscription now made a display of themselves. He didn't like what he read. Not one bit, and not just because he appreciated prose over poetry. Leo searched Taln's face and saw some confusion surfacing there. It was a heavy curse the Inarta were born with; the Azenth would have found it unbearable had he been conscious of it. The mechanism messed with one's very ability to remember, to form opinions; yet, at the same time, it was the bright arrow that had first led Glav Navik here. The more he thought it over, the more Leo convinced himself that the entities who had imprisoned Ivak were also the same who eventually wanted him free. Why they wanted him free was the worrisome thing. Divine equilibria would shift, dormant powers would awaken. Which was a nice way to say there would be war. "We are trying to find Ivak's prison," he reminded the Dek, pointing at the writings on the wall, "the god of fire. You keep forgetting about it because there's a spell of sorts upon your people. It makes you forget. You aren't supposed to know about Ivak. It's not just Ivak, though - it's Sylir, too. Do you know him?" Leo spoke the names as if it were obvious, but Taln hadn't been born in a city named after the god of peace which rested in the middle of a region that was also named after him. "I am not quite sure how the two are connected, but this place is holding both of them somehow." He approached the center of the circle, where the box had been. Squatting down, he picked up the golden mask made in his likeness. He noted Taln had his own, meaning that the Dek was truly supposed to be here. There would be no turning back for either of them now. He put on the mask, identifying him as a person and a role, indistinguishable from each other. Inwardly he considered the sacrifices that would be required of them. Life? Sanity? Future? Past? And what purpose would they serve? Who were the others who wanted? Leo had interacted with more gods than many people knew existed, and each had wanted something of him. Some had wanted him, dead, just so he couldn't live to see this moment. Masked, he started down the path to Lina cave. "Let's keep our guard up. It gets tough from now on." Whether he referred to the path or the decisions awaiting them was unclear. Leo had never had any problem meting out judgement on others. He'd passed sentences over people, ending lives he'd deemed unworthy and preserving other that were worth allowing to blossom. Somehow he doubted it was going to be that easy today. For one, he had every single person on Mizahar standing behind him. It was them he would judge, their lives he would change. For their sake he would have to muster blood, breath, will and faith. Even if it was the last thing he ever did.

[Taln]

Like a terrifying flashback to childhood, Taln forcefully threw up both arms to reflexively protect his eyes, driving him to his knees. The inferno erupted for a chime that lasted eternity. Sheer terror coursed through him, leaving any physical harm unheeded for the moment. After several chimes passed, he stood up again but trembled violently. It was bad enough for something to get near his face after years of being a target, but the flash fire brought out a deeper panic. The stumbling painful blindness of him as a five year old crawled over his memory like cockroach. It took longer than he'd like to admit, but Taln finally slowed his racing heart and ragged breathing. He shook his head hard to shake it all away and bring himself back to the present. His memory worked back to when he'd rubbed the citrus peels on his clothing and possessions to fireproof them. "Ivak? What God of fire? Spell? No of course I don't know this Sylir guy. Is he an Endal?" Taln scowled in frustration. "What are you talking about?!" Words somehow emblazoned themselves on the wall in a mysterious way. He could sense they must be magical and therefore important, but he couldn't read it. Never in his life had he wanted the ability to read so much! Maybe Leo would know what it said--of course he would, he was.. something. A thought danced just out of reach and he couldn't catch it. "What do the letters and words say? It's important stuff isn't it?" Just as Taln asked about the writing on the wall, he caught sight of the pair of Velispar. The Inarta just couldn't fathom what the hells those things were and what they were doing here. 'Am I dreaming? Did I hit my head? What are those things?' The Dek thought in confusion. It was all too much at once with these strange magical happenings. He was just a simple guy who worked, ate, slept and pretty much nothing else. When the blaze died down to a comfortable level, he saw a pair of golden masks that-- It couldn't be! Taln squinted at them as hard as he could, but the similarity was definitely Leo and him! The tall man moved to stand beside Leo and had a better look at the masks. "Why does, -how- can this have my face on it?" The whole situation was frustrating beyond belief. He couldn't read the writing on the wall, didn't understand what the -hells- those lizards were, what the weird masks were for, or what Leo was talking about with this Gods nonsense. Not to mention him saying that Taln had forgot. No way! Taln was proud of his eidetic memory so there was no way he could've or would've forgotten important things like imprisoned Gods or spells. It made no sense at all! He watched his companion place the mask on his face and gingerly, Taln copied his motions with what appeared to be his own mask. The weight of it was strange and he felt like he'd somehow stepped out of himself into something... more. Before he could fathom all that had already happened in such a short time, he saw a glowing map on the cave wall. It looked like Deep Lake Cave. His gaze moved to Leo's face in an expression of what had to be a thousand silent questions. He didn't know exactly -why- or how Leo would know all about these kinds of things, but he had faith in him. And that was enough for Taln. "Yes Sir--Leo."

[Gossamer]

Though the Velispar were visible only when the fire flared, both men could feel their presence still, following along with them. Watchful. Guarding. Their whispers washed over them as simple wind on stone, even though now they knew the ghostly duo was very real. With the masks fitted in place, neither felt different nor was their sight hindered. Instead, the metal was cool on their cheeks and wrapped down around their chins and slowly warmed with the contact to their skin. As they moved forward, the temperature warmed noticeably and the humidity increased most likely due to the fact they were coming up on a lake two caverns away. Both could move forward, towards Lina, totally unhindered because the path was clear and free of any of the types of vegetation they'd slowly been growing used to passing by on their entrance to the underground forest. With the retrieval of the masks, all evidence of the fiery glyph was gone. The world around them was almost unholy dark, even though their bodies still glittered with fungus spores, at least on the back side where the fire didn't singe them off. Treading carefully, walking slowly, the two of them managed to pass through the space connecting the cavern they were in with Lina Cave. Lina opened into an astonishing site. Gorgeous blue-veined stone bled into a deep flecked green stone, coating the walls and illuminating the space with the sheer wealth of life growing within. It was a garden, albeit the strangest one they'd most likely ever encountered, for it was super sized and groomed with a precision that spoke of care and a love of neat organized lines. Pathways stretched around it, lined with crushed shells that looked like the outer casings of fruit bearing 'trees' that grew along the garden. Flowers of all shapes and sizes bloomed, most huge in size meaning far larger than their topside cousins. The smallest of the blooms were well larger than Taln and Leo's heads. The largest they could step inside. There was no heat source nor a light source like in other caverns. Instead the pathway itself was illuminated, the crushed shells underneath somehow giving off luminescence. Once they got well into the cavern and began to explore, they'd notice several things. The pathways skirted off in various directions as the garden was divided up. Each pathway opened up off the main path, which meandered still, showing flares in the path where the side pathways flared and parted around statues. Each statue was different. From where they stood, Leo and Taln could see at least six of them. Some of them were recognizable. Others were not. A statue of Glav standing casually made of stone could be seen with another of Akvin lounging in the distance. There was one of a woman, head bowed and blindfolded, gorgeous but no one Leo recognized. A fourth statue was hideously deformed, as if he were once a man and somehow transformed into a monster with leathery wings and part of his face torn away. It was strangely familiar to Leo, as if he'd seen it before. It took him a moment to realize Leo had in fact seen the creature before. The statue was of the was the creature Yshul had lead away by a chain, when Leo had slain the Black Hand in Syliras. The fifth statue was of a male Isur wearing a crown, incredibly regal and noble in bearing, he rested on a throne as if patiently holding attendance. The Isur held an upside down hammer in one hand, the other likewise occupied. The last statue was of a man sized creature that had wings and horns, leather-like and hunched over a book held in one hand reading it. It was a Gasvik though odds are neither of them knew what one was, having their existence been erased from the memory of man. Its other hand held out an orb. Unlike the other statues, this one definitely breathed, as if stone was its natural form. All the statues held clear orbs the size of apples that could be lifted from their hands. Each had various colors threading through them so they could be told apart. Behind them, around them, above them, within them, the Velispar whispered again, hissing in agitation. There was writing on the far wall leading out of the cave and into the next cave. It was carved into the laps lazuli and malachite mixture that made up the walls. "They want to be with you. They offer help. Some will be of significant aid. Others will be dangerous aid. Take one. Take all. Take none. The choice is yours. Choose wisely." Life scurried through the cavern, natural and prolific. The things that crawled, flew, and otherwise made themselves at home carried on as if nothing was wrong. The visitors didn't bother them or give them pause int he least. It was as if Leo and Talns presence were an everyday normal thing. Like the last cave, this one was completely different than the Dek had remembered it being.

[Leo Varniak]

If the truth be told, Leo was feeling just a bit too nervous about visiting Lina cave to stop and provide Taln with the lengthy explanations he required (and which he'd promptly forget at the first opportunity.) Still, he said what he could in the time they had, neither of which amounted to much. "No, Sylir is not an Endal. He is, or was, the god of peace. They say people gathered into tribes and nations because Sylir willed it. He died five hundred years ago, during the Valterrian... which is when Ivak very nearly destroyed the world. Very little remains of Sylir today. And because he and Ivak aren't around, this world is going to ruin, fast." Glav remained, and the Windoak, but both were secrets Taln could not be told at this time. What he didn't know couldn't be tortured out of him. The mask felt cool against Leo's skin as he strode through passages revealing unknown sides to the two travelers. He supposed the masks had to do with this, and half-suspected that if he took his off, this alternate version of the Underground Forest would crumble all around him. This time he did not feel the need to stop and talk. What he said, he said on the march, without turning. There was obviously something about this next cave that ate away at his usual exterior ice. "The writing said a lot of things, warnings about choices to be made, sacrifices, prices to pay. Hopefully that part wasn't talking about you, even though I have to say I'm getting the growing feeling you were supposed to be here all along. Maybe as a representative from those who have been guarding Ivak's prison all this time without even knowing it." Ironic, but strangely fitting, that a Dek would end up being charged with the task. The laws of men had no bearing on the greater wheels of fate. "As for the mask... I suggest you do not dwell on the mechanics of it. The gods have their ways, and a flair for the dramatic. They wouldn't be gods otherwise." Lina cave made Leo's heart skip a beat. It certainly looked nothing like he'd expected, and nothing like anyone had ever seen it before. A garden of giants in the bowels of the volcano. He would have stopped to watch, but was still feeling the presence of the ghostly velispar closing in behind them and pushed on. Ten paces into the cavern and he exhaled deeply, as if letting go of something. He seemed to relax, his clenched fist opened once more, but a look of mild disappointment crossed his face. She's not here after all. Of course she couldn't have been here. Leo had already dissected the significance of this cave bearing the name of Lina. Such silliness was unbecoming of an Azenth. Leo walked side by side with Taln down the main pathway, observing the bifurcations and branches in the road. The statues struck him as incredibly lifelike, but he did not think much of them unless he was confronted with the next set of writings on the wall. Then he understood what he had to do. He also understood why this cave was called Lina. The cave of aid and nurture, like a mother. But not all aid was born equal, it seemed. He clicked his tongue and spoke honestly to Taln. "Looks like the statues represent people who can help us, though their help is not without its risks. I think it is for me to decide which one, or ones, I want to bring into the next caves. Can you please... wait for me one moment?" There would be choices for Taln, of this Leo was sure now. But this, he felt, was a decision for him. Taln didn't have enough information to make the choice. And so, Leo Zaital backtracked and made a point of stopping by all the statues, studying the look on their faces, and moving on. 'If I were looking for the safest choice, it would be to take none.' A victory won with the least amount of force would cause the least disturbance... but would he win at all without help? He doubted that. He was under no illusion of omnipotency. Anything he'd accomplished so far, he owed in part to allies supporting him. What then? Glav, wise and good-natured but also embroiled in divine politics? Akvin, perhaps the best mage in Syliras, smart and resourceful but otherwise unknown to Leo? The mysterious blindfolded lady, head bowed down (the owner of a certain leash, maybe)? The creature from the night of the Black Hand, quite possibly a proxy for Yshul herself? The regal Isur, whose god had probably had a hand in crafting Ivak's prison? Or the strange beast whose scholarly love belied its monstrous appearance? The words from the previous cave came back to him. Can you move one piece without setting the whole board in motion? Any option, it occurred to him, had the potential to alter the future. Even the most innocent-looking. No guarantees, no certainties. Leo could not rely on logic. He'd have to rely on the heart, on his sense of justice, on his spirit as an Azenth. As expected of Leo Zaital, his wouldn't be the wisest choice, though it would be the just one. And if Ivak had been here, Leo suspected he might have made the same choice. He took in some air and declared to whoever may be listening. "All are equal before the flame. All have offered in their free will. All have likely helped in the past, each in their own way." "I take all. May the danger rest on my shoulders alone, and may they be broad enough to bear it all." Maybe the question wasn't if he could move one piece without setting the board in motion. Maybe the question was if he wanted to do such a thing. Like Ivak, he was fire. Fire knew that it burned where it would, and everything else would follow in its own time. And so, he collected the orbs from the six statues, one by one, before rejoining Taln to continue through the next cave.

[Taln]

The cool mask relaxed him despite the growing heat on the rest of his body. Taln took out a couple mushrooms to place a double mark on the edge of the cave before leaving it. It helped to show where they'd been in case they got lost. Leo's explanations on the way to Lina Cave seemed too far-fetched to ever believe, but considering what had happened so recently, they couldn't be dismissed so easily. 'We're play toys of the Gods; well that's not a surprise. And other Inarta wonder why I don't bother with names of deities. The whole damn fickle lot of 'em. Besides, saying that a God died just doesn't make sense at all--doesn't God mean immortal?' The Dek shrugged at the mention of dire warnings not even taking it with a grain of salt. He half snorted at Leo's concern. "I'm a Dek. Every chime I live is an unexpected blessing. My whole life is a chance at daily sacrifice sir.. If I was meant to die today, then so be it." Taln honestly wasn't worried about the possibility of death or injuries on this journey. It was a Dek's place to expect the worst and be grateful if it was even a little better than horrible. The pair entered the cave and he exhaled in surprise at the strange and unfamiliar place. "This isn't the Lina Cave I've known all my life..." Although he couldn't see the Azenth's expression of dismay, his tone was crystal clear and Taln wondered at the disappointment. This average cave was suddenly an incredibly beautiful, statue filled area of amazing beauty. Taln nodded in immediate obedience to Leo's command and stood silently by the doorway. These masks were great for letting him have his thoughts and the emotion wouldn't betray him by showing on his face. His gaze wandered immediately to the statue that was blindfolded with her head bowed down, and his heart went out to her. He could feel her blindness, her subjugation. He'd been in that exact position more times than he could count. On your knees, head bowed and not allowed to see -- especially because someone else held total control over you. Her utter obedience was etched into every painful line, the sculpture looked so real he longed to reach out and touch her shoulder to bring her some comfort. A subtle movement caught his peripheral vision and he stared hard at the sixth statue. 'Maybe it was just how -ugly- the thing is that--it breathes!' Taln thought in total shock. "It's alive. That last ugly statue just -breathed-! That's not a just a sculpture if it breathes right? Is it magic or really living or maybe my eyes are worse with the mask..." He said, barely above a whisper. Taln's emerald eyes widened and he stared at the hideous thing even harder. Sure enough its ribcage moved in an out, its shoulders rising and falling in a natural breathing rhythm. The whispering Velispar hissed in his ears and it made his skin crawl at the reptilian sound. They didn't say anything useful or do anything except make him feel watched. 'Were these things helpful to lead us into treachery or were they -good- Gods that guided us? And what was up with all the little sounds and useless glyphs on the walls? Why don't they just speak up plainly. Not all of can read or guess what they're saying or writing.' He thought, more than a little resentfully. He could see a pattern starting already in the short time he and Leo had been down here. Magic and reading were key to the whole journey and they were the two subjects that Taln couldn't possibly know less about. The tall man seriously began to wonder why he was down here. A guard dog for Leo? A meat-shield in case of danger? A ... sacrifice brought along for the Gods at the end of it? As a Dek he knew it wasn't his place to question his purpose-it was to instantly obey without question. He certainly wasn't there for brains or even a guide anymore. This was definitely not a cave he'd ever seen before. His gaze shifted uneasily between the humbly bowed woman and that of the breathing, moving creature that most certainly was not art like the other gray stone things in here. He stood as still as five of the statues, listening and watching the Azenth, and more importantly, accepting his words and actions as final. This was an educated man who probably just needed a servant like Taln for carrying or guard dog duty to take the arrow for him when the moment arrived. Half of him wanted to venture an opinion, be able to read all these important things and easily know all this inscrutable magical and religious stuff. But the other half of Taln knew better. He was illiterate, unskilled and the only thing he was born to do was follow orders. His sole value lay in being a loyal and dedicated servant who did as he was told and that's exactly what he needed to remember. Leo's comment broke him out of his train of thought abruptly. Why would he say that danger should rest on his shoulders alone? Isn't that taking away Taln's only purpose of being here? Confused as he was, he remained more silent than ever, knowing better than to question someone's decision.... out loud. Mutely, the Dek held out an empty skin toward Leo to offer to carry some or all of the Orbs, depending on his orders.

[Gossamer]

Leo and Taln had their little exchange at the end after Leo gathered the orbs, and the two then exited the cavern headed for the next location. It wasn't one transition from Lina to Deep Lake cave, but rather a long sinuous corridor that flanked Vaulted Cave for a while then disappeared into the back of the cave complex to exit out into the Deep Lake Cave. The orbs, whomever decided to carry them, weighed next to nothing. They neither hindered nor in any way burdened the one bearing their six forms. Taln would know it was treacherous here, with a great deal of the travel way exposed to the denizens of Vaulted Cave, most notably the giant bats. The bats, called Vankausi by the Inarta, were not terribly aggressive unless food supplies were low or it was mating season for bats. They often performed impressive aerial displays in the Vaulted cavern then disappeared to parts unknown and outside to hunt. Their roosts were elsewhere and like the Inarta, they only hunted the Vaulted cavern for food. The Inarta, like everything else edible, hunted them for meat but only in the winter when braving the outside on Eagles was treacherous and foolish. In the past, there'd been times the Inarta had hunted the Vankausi almost to extinction. There'd also been times when the Underground Forest was almost hunted bare that the Vankausi had hunted the Inarta for survival. All in all it was a good relationship, one that was often mutual in terms of its needs. But now, in this time, there was no shortage of food, no matings, and certainly no need for each to hunt the other. The forest spilled out of the Vaulted, into the narrow passage to Deep Lake, and only a trail made sure that Leo and Taln headed the right direction. The Velispar followed. And after several hours of hiking the narrow corridor, a new cave opened up. A lake, enormous in size, lay at its back wall, illuminated from below with a golden glow. There were no words on the walls, nothing to guide the pair. The only unnatural thing about the Cave was its back wall which was not of natural stone but instead carved like the walls of a sunken fortress or temple. Pilars rose from the water, half buried in the far wall's stones so that only their long half-moon shapes would grace the viewers. They could see no bottom. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Back at Lina, as soon as the pair exited, the statues all seemed to rise at once. The Gasvik snarled at the blindfolded woman who slipped off her blind fold to reveal two perfectly pupil-less white eyes. She simply stared at the creature and shook her elegant head. "There's no chance, creature, that your Master will live again. But its... endearing... that you are trying." And with that, she laughed, a rather cruel and heartless echo. "I, on the other hand, am not going to waste this. And none of you, not even my beloved husband, can stop me." She added, turning surveying the room. She made no move to follow the pair, nor like there was any need. They already carried six free passes to the biggest show on Mizahar and a mere thought would have those gathered joining the duo. King Sultros rose from his throne, ghostly, and shook his head. "Enough. They haven't a chance in all the Ukalas to pass the next test. There need not be any fighting amongst us." Glav and Akvin simply looked at each other, saying nothing, as if they needed no words explain their feelings. The last, a hideously deformed creature who'd been snarling and chained, rose up and spoke with a voice Leo would have recognized if he'd heard it. "You misjudge them. Leo is no fool. He will do well and those he chooses to allow to accompany him will as well. We'll be there to help. All of us, whether you like it or not." He added. "He has chosen, and whether you like it nor not, that is how its going to be." He said, the pride and love in his voice evident. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Meanwhile at Deep Lake Cave, the two men had no clue what came next. They stood, perhaps on the shoreline, and gazed around finding no clues and nothing to help them decide their course.

[Leo Varniak]

While Taln's face was covered by the golden mask, Leo thought he could sense his mounting frustration at being kept in the dark. But there was no way he could possibly explain to Taln that he really didn't know much more than the Dek did. Not in a way that Taln would believe, at least. It was, however, the truth: Leo may possess the knowledge to attach names to faces and descriptions to names, but the puzzle here was one he couldn't even begin to fathom. What he knew was, in the end, trifling next to what he could only conjecture, which was nothing next to what actually was. And that chained beast looked strangely familiar, come to think of it. He handed the orbs to the Inarta, knowing it probably made no difference who actually carried them. It might make Taln feel more useful, though. It seemed like his companion was fretting over not being of use. In Leo's eyes Taln was already being of help by just standing alongside him. "Would you have made a different choice? I took beauties and beasts alike, but that's just me. Shape never mattered much to me. There is no meaning to shape." He asked out of curiosity. "And that last statue did breathe. The creature with the book. It was breathing, that much I could tell. How or why, I cannot begin to say. I know less than you think, Taln. The rest is just educated guesswork." They spent several bells trekking through the lower recesses of the Underground Forest, closer and closer to their destination. Leo largely ignored the bats, so long as they ignored him. The air felt more humid with every step taken towards Deep Lake. It really had to be a big one, or maybe it was nothing special in the ordinary Underground Forest, but pretty much a boundless ocean in this dreamlike version of it. Eventually his suspicion found a rather ominous confirmation when they came upon Deep Lake. It was a lake, and it was deep. Unfathomably deep. Hostile. Leo regarded the waters for some time. To a man of fire, a large body of water was the most dreadful of scenery. He recalled days spent near the Pavi lake back in Syliras, meditating on the nature of the world and its unseen axles, but to actually enter its depths would have been unthinkable. He turned to Taln. "No writing this time around. Probably there's nothing to say that's not been said already." He hesitated for a moment. "This... this is exactly the worst kind of test for the likes of me. A test of faith. I've always struggled with those. Ivak is down here, you see, beneath these bottomless waters. I can't even swim, let alone breathe water. But the writing said 'blood, breath, will, faith'." He went closer to the shore, peering into the abyss. "What do you believe in, Taln? I don't mean things like serving or obeying. I mean what do you believe in when your eyes are closed? When Dek and Endal have no meaning." Leo's voice was a cool monotone. "I used to believe in what I could see. As a result, I was only the part of myself that could be seen. Like, you wouldn't believe there was a dagger in my hand right now. But there is - to me, Ivlir." And suddenly there was an ornate blade in Leo's right hand. It looked like wavy flames entwined with two clasped hands. "So, Taln, is there a force in your world that would make you step into a bottomless lake on faith alone?" He took off his glove and, standing over the edge, cut the palm of his hand open with Ivlir. He let the drops of vermillion fluid rain into Deep Lake. "Have a taste of my heart. Drink your fill, you cruel waters," he murmured. His fist still clenched, he turned his back to hear from Taln. It was folly, it was glory.

[Taln]

He felt a measure of comfort in taking the orbs to carry with him. At least he was doing something for the guy instead of just bugging him with stupid questions. One or all of these could help us out with this journey or they wouldn't have offered them. It's like someone's almost cheering us on without exactly yelling 'go team' or whatever. Leo would know what they were for. Taln had complete faith that Leo would make the right decisions. The more Leo spoke, the more pensive Taln became. This guy wasn't just smart, he was wise. He shook his head negatively at the question of choice--and that he disagreed about the idea of shape. There was no one to tell him not to speak or venture an opinion, nor had Leo admonished him for speaking without being asked. "I.. uh.. no, it seems like the right choice I think. But I think shapes do matter. Not the whole beauty or beast thing, but that we judge by appearance. You say you like fire and hate water. This huge bottomless lake is much more intimidating than a puddle we have to cross--it looks worse to you. Shape affects a lot more things than we think." Taln was glad that the mask hid his disbelief at the Azenth's denial of knowledge when he'd already proven his wisdom in action. As they got closer, he felt a clammy layer of sweat coat his arms and neck. Moving further, the bats hung eerily from the ceiling and the Dek did his best to not dwell on them. He knew it was a fairly safe time to be near them, but it didn't take away his instinctive fear of the ugly things. "I can't swim either, but all we know is that it -looks- deep. That's judging by shape, appearance. There's water here and if we need to get under it to what's his name Iva-something, then that's what we'll do." He stood by the water's edge, curious at the changes in this cave as well. Listening to his companion, he found out what the writing said; well at least the most pertinent part. 'Blood, breath, will, and faith. Leo's afraid of the water but we have Gods apparently following us, giving us masks and orbs and writing on the walls. Is he afraid to die in the water or is it his personal phobia that should be overcome?' The tall Inarta frowned under the mask, unsure of what to say. Did the man merely need reassurance against his fears or did he actually want to know what a Dek would think? The strange monotone was almost otherworldly and maybe he was being careful to make it a clear question rather than a command? "I suppose that to me, faith is about finding comfort or security in a thought, something or someone. It doesn't even have to be something I can see, but rather, something I can believe. I don't trust my sight so I don't always believe what I see. I believe I'll live as best as I can until it's time for me to die. I don't know a lot, but I do know that while I'm still living I'm grateful to be alive. If death comes then so be it. It would only be a tragedy if it didn't happen to everyone." His eyes widened at a blade suddenly appearing in Leo's hand and then purposely cutting his hand. Leo's question hung in the air in a long, pregnant pause that lasted for several chimes. "Force? I don't know about force but if a task must be accomplished, then we do it. We were told to.. to.." Taln stopped, trying to recall exactly why he was even here in the first place. "Maybe it's not a matter of force or faith. Maybe it's focus. All I remember is that we -must- do this task no matter what, so that's what we'll do. If we have to walk into this lake to get it done, then we will. Focus on the problem, break it down, determine how to do it, and carry it through no matter what. Think like a Dek on this one Leo. We've been told to do something impossible so we'll be determined and work at it until we've done it. If you want the ends bad enough, you'll find the means at any cost." Taln shrugged. He'd never be a philosopher or wise man. All he knew was Dek life and that was pure determination. Try hard, work hard, and do what needs doing no matter how hard it looked. If a Dek wasn't determined in everything he or she did, they'd die awfully damn quick.

[Gossamer]

Leo's dagger appeared on cue and sliced his palm easily. The blood dripped into the lake and was seemingly captured by a current and drawn down into its depths, disapating much like any liquid would when added to a vast body of water. Water lapped at stone. Wind whistled slightly. In the distance a fish jumped, pale and eyeless in the dim glowing water. Leo could hear Taln breahting and moving. Taln could hear Leo breathing and moving. But otherwise there was almost reverent silence in the Cave. It had a definite 'temple' feel to it, as if both men were encroaching on the sacred. Otherwise, nothing happened. Nothing appeared. No sounds of voices or writing displayed itself. There was only the cave, the vast lake, and the temple carvings on the far wall that showed no entrance and no potential doorway, and no clues as to how the two men should proceed. The two Velispar ghostly and invisible simply watched the pair, certain they would go no further on this course. They were guardians, once faithful companions to Ivak, and they more than anyone else wanted him free. The smaller of the two, the female, studied her mate and even in death the two grinned. "You can't." The male said. "I will." She replied. "Soon. If they don't act." Her voice was light with determination. Before, they hadn't interfered. The pair had regretted it their whole life. Here and now, she would, and all the remaining days of her existence until she could find some rest.