[Sanctuary] The Hearts of Weavers (Kavala)

[Ronan]

Ronan breathed deeply as Kavala revealed the mark seemingly burned to her flesh. He had heard of Gnosis marks, but pondering back, he realised this was probably the first time he had seen one so closely and vividly. The Konti had been blessed by the God's.

As she explained, he listened intently, fascinated. So captivated by her words of God's and dreams, he gave a start when she rushed forward and took a hair from his head. He ruffled his own hand through his hair with a frown.

"A key..." he whispered. To walk through dreams. He wondered what one might see or find in the world of the dreams. Everyone's being was connected in that realm. Could Kavala see his own past with that hair?

"Oh, of course," he said, looking down at the floor. If he died. Perhaps he had kidded himself that he would be invincible on this journey, especially with Sam by his side. Well, that wasn't the case. Mizahar was rarely safe. Between the cities lay great swathes of uncharted wilderness, and the wild creatures weren't the only dangers. "It's not like I'm going bald or something," he finally added, trying to be a little more optimistic."

When she began to reveal her ancient secret, he blinked, wondering if he was imagining this. She clearly trusted him, and that made him feel more secure, more stable than ever before. Someone had put their faith in him, and his heart swelled.

He was left reeling. Sanctuary held a depth beneath its surface that he could never have imagined. Past lives. A force of darkness opposing the pantheon. He shook his head in shock, suddenly feeling very small, a player in the great game of the world.

The Cytali. And he could walk the dreams alongside Kavala and the others - and protect the God's. It was almost unbelievable, but something clicked in his mind. All this time he had been looking for his purpose. And somehow, he had shoehorned the Watch into that belief, half heartedly stumbling along a brighter road. But now... now he had the chance for redemption that he had never faced before. He could embrace the light.

He calmed his breathing, and looked back into her cool eyes. He nodded firmly, mouth slowly turning into a smile - but he resisted breaking into a grin. "I say yes. I'd like that more than anything," he said, emotion breaching his voice. "Thank you, Kavala. For telling me everything. And for giving me the greatest chance. I... I want to be a part of the Cytali. I want to walk the Chavi."

[Kavala]

She watched him for the longest time after he nodded, searching his gaze and his features for any sign of indecision or hesitation. It was one of those moments, those endless perfect moments when things came together that neither of them would truly understand until later.

Finally, she offered him a smile.

"Then lets get too it. You'll like Nysel if he deems to come. If he sends one of his own though, it will be an experience you wont' forget. I never know what hes going to be like or what he will request. Often he just doesn't grant things, especially access to information, without a price being taken or a favor done in return." She said softly, wiping the last of the invisible dust from the table and tossing the cleaning rag down. She beckoned to him and set about heading deep into the clinic, leading him to the one place where it would be suitable to make such a request.

Though Ronan might have seen it before, Kavala lead him into a clinic that was beyond question growing too small for their operations. They walked through an exam room that was separated from the veranda by double doors and then out into a reception area. While utterly stark in its cleanness, the clinic was also busting with supplies. He could see an open room to the right and left that housed herbs, medicines, and work tables. Once in the reception, she lead him through a door that lead to an overcrowded lab that was loaded with glassware and equipment. Projects were being carried out even as they moved through the space, fueled by low burners that kept things at very very slow boils.

A stairway lead down into what he could only perhaps consider a dungeon though it was clean and well lit. Cages lined the walls, some full, most empty all very clean with food and water. A potbellied stove at the end of the long row-like room kept the basement warm. It was just by looking around he realized that some of the denizens here were heavily bandaged, eyes glazed, mostly looking ill or in various stages of recovery. There was even a large man-sized cell or two, one of which was occupied by a large comfortable looking bed that held a woman in the last stages of her pregnancy. She lifted her head, hissed at the two of them with teeth that were overly long, and then laid back down as they passed. Kelvic, and very very unhappy, Ronan could see the thick collar around the woman's neck. She looked like she was being made as comfortable as possible in a very difficult situation and he could see the compassion in Kavala's eyes as she 'checked' on the kelvic as they passed.

"She ate her last offspring the moment she birthed it. She's here because the owner loves her and didn't want her destroyed. She'll birth soon, and we'll be ready. We're going to try and get her to accept the child once its born, though we don't have a lot of hope she will. A lot of kelvics here are Ravok cast-offs and they all have some pretty big mental hangups. At least we can save the child this time, though. The man was foolish to take a big predator on as a breeder but he says when he saw her he had to have her and the truth is she has a great affection for him. Its just the pregnancy that has made her unruly and very very unhappy." Kavala said, then added. "I really like the people here, Ronan, but sometimes the Akalak aren't the most... understandable of men." She said, shaking her head sadly.

They walked up to a wall, just a wall, which Kavala tapped and a secret door slid open. She took a lantern from the wall, lit it from the potbellied stove, and then ushered him inside.

They entered a large circular chamber. There were pillars of stone at each quarter and large alters to a multitude of Gods and Goddesses. Rak'keli's he could recognize easily by the symbolism. Nysel's was there two with his double helix spiral recognizable by Kavala's display of her mark. Akajia and Wysar of course, and Eyris by a book of knowledge. And then the Drykas Gods of Wind and Earth were also represented. The temple had an overall feel of a Drykas tent, its walls draped with fabric to soften its outline.

Kavala lead him into the center, gathered what looked like a stuffed feather pad, two of them, from a side cupboard, and rolled them out complete with pillows. They were silken and soft.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Kavala said, then beckoned him to lay down. "We are going to sleep and dream, and if we are very lucky I'll be able to take you where I want to go, not just via a dream, but in reality, Ronan."

She gathered a vial of liquid from the same cupboard and offered it to him though she took none himself. When he'd drank it fully, if he would, she would return the empty file and beckon for him that it was time to sit down on the pads.

When they had both settled onto the pads, Kavala indicated she wasn't exactly done by reaching up under her left shoulder and drawing a dagger. She picked up his hand, sliced his palm open shallowly, and did the same to her own. She clasped the two hands together, then encouraged him to lay back so they were stretched out side by side, bloody hands clasped.

"Nysel. Hear us. I wish to bring one before you... capture your attention, so that he can state his request and perhaps join the ranks of the Cytali." She spoke further, her words lengthy and reverent, but Ronan's eyes were growing heavy and he couldn't seem to hold his head up. The wound on his hand did the oddest thing.. it seemed to heal into the wound on the healers hand and he had the impression that the konti's blood and his own where mingling as if they shared one body. He felt his body warm to that and thought he tasted the salt of the sea on his lips for a moment before he felt his conscious slip outward outward, expand, and blend with Kavala's as she seemed to wretch them from the here and now and into some long lost place mortals had forgotten. His last conscious thought was of the Grasslands, and even though Riverfall only perched on the edge of The Sea of Grass he could somehow feel the long swaying strands all around him as if he lay on his back and worshiped the sky.

Continued: [Nysel's Temple] The Dreamlord's Challenge (Cayenne)

[Tabarnac]

XP Award! Ronan XP Award: Webbing +3; Observation +2; Cooking +2; Storytelling +2 Lore: Sanctuary Web; Nakivaks; Dreamwalking; Nysel; Cytali; Ruv’na Kavala XP Award: Webbing +1; Singing +1; Horsemanship +1; Cooking +2; Interrogation +2; Teaching +2; Observation +2; Storytelling +2 Lore: Ronan Windsong Additional Notes: Ronan, I was under the impression that one had to trance out of one’s body to truly read the Web, but Gossamer wrote the Lore, so I’m assuming she would have told you if you’d misplayed it. You might want to give the wiki another read-over, and I will too, just to be on the safe side! Good luck with the Dreamwalking! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns. Keep writing!