Storms of the Past - Dreams of the Future (Torc)

[Gossamer]

Timestamp: 12th of Summer Location: Nighttime aboard the Blue Horizon Purpose: Character Development The Blue Horizon set sail a full two nights past, riding high in the water because her cargo this time wasn't trade goods or commodities bound for Karjin or other more distant ports like Riverfall. Instead she did have precious cargo, but of the mortal and not so mortal type. In the end, she'd left Syliras without fanfare just as the darkness was setting. Everyone who had joined the expedition was there along with one or two more stragglers. The Blue Horizon cut the water cleanly, slipping through the water with as much finesse as an eel slid through the water. Her sails seemed to glow white in Leth's light, reflecting his glow and the joy he felt on an almost nightly basis. Stars winked, though dimmed slightly in the face of Leth's enthusiasm. The sea itself was not quiet. I had a glassy appearance when they'd slipped their mooring and tacked out into the rolling Suvan proper. But now there was gentle swells that seemed to bring treasure sliding past the ship in the form of luminous fish with great wing-like fins that leaped along the Blue Horizon's wake, playfully on escort duty. Some people had long gone to bed, retreating below to the cabins they shared which contained four bunks each. Torc's roomates were snorers. He'd discovered that the night before, their first rest together, and decided it was no real rest at all. So instead, there was a deck to walk, wind to caress his hair, and a journey to oversee. So with the stars and only the night watch and skeleton crew of sailors on board, Torc could pace the upper poop deck unencumbered or overburdened. It was up to him what he did, what he observed, and what he thought of. Though, truth be told, there were watchers. Always. Some of which held no ill will, while others felt nothing but fury for what the ships passage meant. One thing was for certain, however... the Blue Horizon was passing through shallow water. She was skimming slow, the captain watching carefully, and he could see the kelp forest reaching up from below, its fronds grasping at the hull of the ship as it gently glided by making wake and teasing sailfin salmon. And occasionally, though he wasn't certain he saw it at all, he thought he saw the glimmer of a silver body escorting them far outside the wake - parallel to the ship in the cool summer waters.

[Torc Ironwood]

Torc stood on the upper poop deck looking at the stars. Not since he left the Temple of Kelwyn had seen such a grand view of the heavens. Stars sparkled against the dark backdrop of the sky. Soft dim colors, as if brushed with watery paint, spanned some of the sky. It was like an astral cloud of pink and red that drifted near the stars. Priestess Lara had said that it was the woven fabric from running Gods and Goddesses. Torc smiled, as the wind ran its wispy fingers through his hair. It was a good memory and with the simple logic of a child, Torc had accepted the answer. Now his mind wondered if the passing cloth was from those Gods and Goddess that ran from something or towards something. Sylir had changed Torc, and it had been done while he was looking into the eyes of a pure noble being. Torc couldn’t have imagined ever even talking to a God, or a fallen one, and Sylir had said that he would have given him marks. A shiver came over Torc at the thought; did he want to be a tool of a God? At times he felt the wave of energies that pulled through his soul, but somehow that craving for power scared him. Torc was a religious man, he thanked Kelwyn almost every few days for the things he had been given. As Torc brought his head down to look out onto the ocean, within his mind he saw something else. It was the face of Sylir, and within his eyes spoke of a power so vast and pure that it could destroy a person and yet it was as if the power wouldn’t allow it be to misused. The power of man was in his or her nobility, to hold one another against the coming of darkness. As Torc began to focus on the eyes, his hands began to trace a Glyph upon the rail of Blue Horizon. The polished grain swirled past his fingers as he wrote it again and then again. The glyph was the perfect representation of man’s nobility, and as his hands began to trace it again and again, Torc thought about Sylir’s eyes. Sylir’s eyes contained the image of a woman holding her child as a she was killed by a beast, her love for her child overcoming the pain and protecting her child’s life. Torc saw a child being hit by a bully, over and over again, and then one day the child balling up his fist and hitting the bully on the chin. One noble act of life, stopped the bully from ever hurting him again, a peace was reached. He saw an old man living in a hut, his son’s family dying of hunger in the middle of winter. He saw the old man stand up in the middle of night, his swollen knees aching as he undressed and began walking into the night. The old man stumbled, snow covering his skin making him hurt even more, and yet he pressed on. The old man knew if he stayed his son’s family would die just like him. Torc’s vision changed again a child stood crying from hunger. Surely the child would die soon, and yet a little girl perhaps a year older broke a piece of her stale bread and gave it to the child. The little girl walked away, knowing that she would never see the child again, and not asking for thanks. Torc vision began to open to see hundreds of people committing acts of unselfish love and charity. People sharing their warmth with one another when they didn’t even have blankets, neighbors stopping their feuds to join together in harmony during the harvest, people forgiven sins and grievances and helping each other, it was the domain of Sylir it was his power… the power of man. Evil lurked deeply in everyone, but Sylir saw the good, he had seen the connections of everyone and the possibility of joy. Torc began to feel as if he was going to drown in that power and a moment of panic seized him. A stab of pain snapped Torc out of his vision, looking down he saw the splinter that had penetrated his finger. He also saw perhaps almost a faint glowing outline of the glyph he had traced on the rail. Like all glyphs they had echoed with power, had Torc tapped into Sylir’s domain? Or was he going crazy? Torc began to suck on his finger hoping to pull it out with pressure and his teeth. Torc could feel the changes in his soul; already he was beginning to see the nobility of the sailors on the ship. They were rough and crass, talking about women in different ports, and yet the joined together as a team. They had an instinctual harmony with one another. They might have complained about work, but it all got done without one another fighting. They had forged a link, and the energy of it flowed about the ship. Torc had even began to join their link on a primal level. A joke here and there to keep them smiling, picking up rope or taking a sewing needle to a sail, some of the sailors even spoke about previous voyages. Surprisingly Torc had been almost found his sea legs in a bell of coming onto the ship, and if he had to guess it was because of that link. As Torc seized the splinter in his teeth pulling it out and then spitting it into the ocean, he finally was able focus on the sea. The sailors called the small waves Laviku’s fingers, like a practice illusionist passing a coin back and forth on his fingers, the ship sailed through Laviku’s. The movement of the ship brought the feeling of speed and life to the Laviku’s hand, while the kelp forest felt as if a lock of hair from Caiyha had fallen into the sea. Leth stood in the heavens seeing Laviku’s hand smoothly part and twirl Caiyha’s hair. Leth’s light gave them the ability to play and yet what was behind her quiet thoughts. Torc tasted the salt air and felt the cool splash of the waves against his face. The connection was there again, it felt like a thin cloth placed over the boat. It hummed fueling and feeding the connection with sea and kelp forest. The night was filled with feelings as Torc briefly turned on his auristics. He closed his eyes, knowing that he could feel the energies much better then he could ever see them. Torc felt the waves move against the hull, for a moment he felt the silk smoothness of Caiyha hair below. It touched the hull every so often; the sense of holding long brown hair against his face came. It smelled of earth and salt, like a woman drying herself on the beach. He bowed his head to Laviku, the man in the sea dream of her love, wanting and forever waiting. Torc allow a small tear to come to his eyes, if that was Laviku’s desire, he only understood it too well. Mona, Torc thought, Laviku is that why you allow life in the sea. Your love for her is forever and deep, yet her eyes never fall on you? Torc salty tear fell into the sea. “May you find love Laviku, and may she be sweet and soft.” Torc whispered. He didn’t know if it was a prayer, or something inside of his soul recognizing the connection he felt with Laviku’s fingers. Torc wiped his face briefly on his shirt and went over to the Captain. “Evening Captain, anything I can do to help?”

[Gossamer]

The ship picked up speed slightly as the massive kelp beds fell away. The pathway traders took into Syliras through the Suvan often lead through deep water and then into shallower plateaus where the oversized kelp beds grew. The place was called Trinity's Valley because it fell between three barrier islands that seemed to concentrate nutrients from the sea and provide for a fast verdant rise between the three islands. The beds were rich with life, though ironically fishing within them was difficult for the Sylirans. The fronds tore at the nets and tangled the lines, making it near impossible to harvest from the lush life zones and retain valuable gear. And of course, there was no way to encircle the fish with nets in the forest. Sailors quietly worked around him, appearing silently to give the captain support in the difficult navigation. They gave Torc space, but not to avoid him, rather to get the tasks done that needed to be completed to ready the ship for a more faster pace of sailing once they were free of the kelp beds. They worked efficiently but not seemingly in a hurry at what they did. They left Torc alone in his own world, clearly recognizing the inner gaze as he stared out over the sea. His makeup was different after his recent encounters, giving him food for thought and inner reflection. So too was his outlook, thought only now was some of the changes making themselves known to his conscious. It was somehow revealing that the God of Peace was dead. And yet, traveling below decks was his son, someone who sought to attain the seat his father formally held. As he cut his hand with the splinter and unconsciously traced the glyph, he felt himself opening up in a new way. It tied in with the thoughts he was having on connections, for the glyph was a never ending knot, similar to ones the Drykas used in decorating, but with a twist. This one was made of blood that stained the wood irregularly so that it looked more like fire than water even though his thoughts were on Laviku and Caiyha. It flared briefly, did the glyph, then was gone in an instant even though Torc had cast no spell nor had he released any power. It seemed to do so on its own. And that in itself was unusual. For a moment, the whole boat glowed, as if spotlighted by a distant light, then went back to its normal shadow shape in the night dark sea. The sailors seemed unphased. They continued moving through their duties unconcerned. The silvery shape that was further out seemed to pull back, though Torc only got a glimpse of it through the corner of his eye. And then... all was silent. He turned, still half lost in his thoughts and sought the captain. Finn Hanli was at the helm talking to the navigator who was about to take over. They were out of the worst of the challenges navigating into Syliras, so from there on out there was open water and a chance for him to get some other things done before catching some sleep. He smiled at Torcs approach, having grown used to him over the last day and a half, and shook his head. "No, no... there's nothing we need help with. Torc, thank you, but you'd only be in the way. Later though, we might very well need another hand if we have a storm or any other troubles. So keep an eye out. You might learn something of sailing and give us a hand." He said gently, then smiled abruptly. "Well, there is one thing you can do if you don't mind. We have a visitor. She has been known to stay a few days, so if someone visits with her its normally better. We never get a visit unless she wants something - and this time she definitely wants something. " He said, and left it at that. He gestured, and it was only then that Torc would notice a cloaked woman standing at the prow of the ship. She seemed to be smiling at the waves, even though her cloak was thrown up and halfway concealed her features. She looked Konti, for the moonlight reflected off her skin a luminous pale color. But any other features were disguised by the cloak she wore. The route to her was full of twists and turns, through cargo stored on deck and workers busy doing tasks that involved keeping the ship afloat. Everything was dark on the deck, even though Leths light shone bright enough to cast shadows everywhere. Everyone seemed aware of the woman at the forefront of the ship, but no one seemed to be reacting to her presence. It was as if she was an accepted member of the crew - or guest as Finn Hanli had called her - though she did no work and only seemed to be standing there communing with the sea. When Torc approached, she turned and offered him a smile. Young. Surprisingly human. She looked pretty without being striking. She had a cloak on that concealed her features, one that was embroidered with roses that wrapped around the hood and flowed down the length to trail around the hemline. She was shorter than he was by far, and when he looked into her eyes he knew something wasn't quite 'right' about them. The old saying went that the eyes were windows to peoples souls. This woman's wasn't. Instead, they were mirrors, and seemed to reflect back Torc's thoughts at him. The sea boiled in her gaze and reflected back an odd mixture of love and insight that was uncommon for a woman of her age. She had long straight dark brown hair and pleasant features that reminded him of happier times. "Torc Ironwood. Fair sailing to you. I've stopped by to visit with Glav Navik, but I'm glad to see that you are with him as well." It was then that Torc realized he was hearing her speak a language that was not his own, but clearly understanding every word of it. The earring in his ear was roughly echoing a translation to him softly. Then, the woman blinked, looked apologetic, and spoke again in common. "My apologies. I forgot for a moment all the languages in the world. Torc Ironwood. Fair sailing for you. I've stopped by to visit with Glav Navik, but I am glad to see that you are with him as well. How are you finding the night? Peaceful or restless? I heard you earlier... thinking about Laviku. He's found love you know. Avalis is his mate. Caiyha is only his friend, though that too has value. Some of us claim she crawled from the sea, birthed thusly like most of the rest of the life on Mizahar and indeed half the Gods and Goddesses." She said pleasantly.

[Torc Ironwood]

For the briefest of moments the Blue Horizon glowed, and Torc shudder. He felt like a child playing with his first flint and steel. Watching as he hit the flint again and again against the steel, seeing sparks fly about and not caring where they landed. What had Torc done, with his innocent dive into power that should have been left to others. If nothing else, Torc had casted more eyes upon the ship and its crew, and that was something that no one wanted. The knowledge of their mission was best left secret, and that meant Torc needed to steel his mind against such thoughts. He needed his focus on something other than the realm of civilization and peace. So Torc approached the captain and the man told him to entertain another. Torc knew that it was for the best, he could watch and learn from the men around him during the daytime with better lighting, and if he had restless nights he could keep his mind on magecrafting or general glyphing. As Torc pondered the woman and what the captain had said. ‘We never get a visit unless she wants something – and this time she definitely wants something.’ The captain had just relieved that the woman was powerful person; to demand things of people, spoke of a power far greater than your average passenger. So he slowly moved through the cargo and netting to the prow of the ship, wondering what power and say over the captain that she held. The moonlight gave the woman an almost white skin, he had seen Konti in Zeltiva and she reminded him of one, but as he got closer that thought quickly dissolved. A human in simple appearance, and yet as he looked into her eyes he knew that she was something grander. Her cloak spoke of roses, but her eyes spoke of souls. Torc focused on her eyes, just as he did with Sylir, and began to feel his mind relax slightly again. Within her eyes he saw the shape of his soul, how almost like a storm sent from Zulrav, Sylir had forge a piece of divine thought onto Torc. Sylir had been the God of Peace and Civilization, and Torc had been thinking on the nobility of man, but there was so much more to Sylir. Torc was only beginning to understand a small part of the vast power that had been Sylir, and that power was carving pathways in Torc’s soul. No longer could he forget the nobility of man, the power had opened his eyes to it. The connection to what was common to all men was the first step in peace. Torc began to realize that his thoughts were going to take him along a road in which he was going to slowly progress; his progression depended upon his own experience and thoughts to determine the time spent on it. There was no stopping this path now, Torc had seen the storm and it would either tear him apart or forge him into something new. As Torc continued to look, he realized why he only saw himself in her eyes. She was within him and every other person. This goddess echoes qualities within; her mere presence brought them to the surface of people and developed them. Torc felt his gut began to tighten as he couldn’t look away, he saw his soul was like a broken piece of rock. There were many people out there that he could join with to create a better whole, and the connections that he had made had done just that. Priestess Lara felt love for him like a son, and he had felt love for her like a mother. They had completed the need for family in each other. Chashakja had forged a similar bond; she had connected with Torc like two people sharing warmth. Friendship and love was given between them, it filled a space within Torc that had been holed out by Mona. Torc began to see other connections forged, the crew were filling in another need for family. In fact as Torc slowly began to understand their nobility, he felt like they were his brothers. They weren’t just sharing their movement, but they were joining each other as a team with one goal. Torc thought about what Sylir had said, ‘There is only one power stronger than peace in this world, and that is love’. The true joining of people was founded in love, ones soul could be ground to dust with hate and violence, but it was love that made it stronger than anything else. Love was simple, complex, and everything in between. As the woman talked Torc hand began to shake and slowly touched his earring. The earring had translated her words; Sylir had given him a gift of civilization. He had given him the understanding of communication. The passing of ideas were the hallmark of culture and people, the gift had come from his previous domain. As Torc watched his soul another pathway began to streak within it, at the head of the pathway was a small oak leaf, and as he touched it a small spark briefly joined in Cheva’s eyes. Fear began to wonder through Torc, the domain had been building power since Sylir’s fall, and Torc was beginning to prepare his soul for that power. The thought terrified him, just as Cheva’s presence scared him. Cheva already had pathways inside of Torc’s soul, but with understanding came growth. Peace cannot live without love. She was here to help prepare Glav, she was here to make the pathways to love grander in him. As Cheva spoke, Torc smiled. Laviku had found love with Avalis. Domain’s crossed and together they became whole. The gods and goddesses love, wasn’t unlike mortals. As love was shared their beings poured into one another. Mother and Son, Man and Woman, it was a shared bound that brought greater vision to all, and yet what of Cheva. She experienced it all, the uncountable connections that bound everyone, that was who she was, and yet only a few loved love. Cheva, goddess of love, marriage, passion, and vows formed the world with a web of warmth. Peace cannot live without love, for in that wed of warmth the world relied on Cheva. Sylir’s words made more sense now than ever before, and his sacrifice was greater for it. “I think Goddess that Sylir’s gift allows me to understand any tongue you wish to use.” Torc smiled wondering if the wetness on his face was from the ocean or tears from understanding. As Torc finally focused on Cheva mouth he felt himself slowly dim, like he was pouring himself back into the now and not the forever. “I must admit that I am happier now knowing Laviku found love, and I am finding out that like love, this night breeds both peacefulness and restlessness.” Torc smiled and then he offered his hand to Cheva. It was such a strange gesture, wanting to take the goddesses hand like Chashakja’s, holding it gently but with intimacy. Then he realized that it was his own connection to the Goddess that he offered, his hand was a conduit for Cheva… for love. It wasn’t an offering of devotion or of power, but a simple gesture steeped in her realm. “I think I understand something now. Peace cannot live without love. The saying has always echoed unspoken within us, but now I think I understand it more than any other time. Peace isn’t just about finding what people have in common, but it’s building a vow on the love of two people. The men on this ship act like brothers, and that has grown from the connections that they share. The Captain creates peace on this deck, because he builds on the love of the people here.” “Also, I loved Mona so much it made me hurt. Yet that connection to her was so overwhelming that it would have destroy all the other connections I made. Love isn’t about something that destroys other connections. It’s about a joining that can make millions of more connections. My love for Priestess Lara allowed me to find others and become their friends. My friendship of Chashakja allowed me to fill whole and take this adventure.” “I am not sure what I can offer you as far as conversation, but I offer my hand so that you have a friend by your side tonight and a promise to try and entertain you.”

[Gossamer]

Cheva looked closer, her bright eyes curious as she seemed to spot Torc's earring and then smiled slightly. "Ahhh Avaritalis wood. I haven't seen any since before the Valterrian. Clever and convenient that someone made it into one earring." She said, seemingly enchanted with the idea for a moment as one slim finger reached out to stroke the earring dangling from Torc's ear. Then she dropped her hand and smiled at him as he continued speaking. The Goddess took his hand readily and warmth infused him. It wasn't as if he suddenly changed inside. But it was as if he suddenly opened to new possibilities. The fact that Torc was seeing connections where there had seemingly been none before would probably settle as he got more and more used to living in the world where he was no longer so seemingly isolated... but rather a strand that was part of a larger weave. "Sometimes it takes being touched by something greater than yourself to understand how great the possibilities are." Cheva said softly, a look of amusement crossing her face. "You know, you are right, Torc Ironwood. But you are forgetting one important thing. Love starts from within. It is something that must nest firmly in your soul and spread outward. It involves acceptance of yourself first and foremost. Then it grows to appreciation. That appreciation blooms into admiration and eventually matures into love. It is only then can it branch off to more than one person. First, before that happens, love does many things to someone's heart, Torc. It gives them confidence and independence. It invites strength to come live in within them. It insights courage and forms the fundamentals to so many other emotions and strengths. But you are right. Love is the core. Love is the beginning of it all and in the end it becomes how we end." She answered him, then released his hand. "A friend is good enough, and far more than I have a right to ask for, though I wish it was that would satisfy me this evening. Conversation, aye, in spades we shall have. But I fear it won't be an easy dialog." Cheva reached into her cloak, and withdrew a lump of what appeared to be steel. She handed it carefully to Torc, treating it as if it was something precious. It looked, in fact, like it was once something vastly different, perhaps decorative, though shamefully someone had either thrown it on a fire or otherwise melted it partially down. For now it was only a lump, mishapen and warped by some unseen force. It was heavy in his hand and smelled of familiar things - metal, charcoal, and oil. "It was called The Kallisai once. It means 'masterkey' or in some languages "the all key". Long before the Valterrian it met a fate I do not think is safe to pass on to you, Torc. But it needs a blacksmiths touch. Someone with a forge and the will to make it whole again. I asked Izurdin. But he said it was forged by mortal hands in a time of desperation and that in immortal hands it could never be what it once was. He told me to find a smith, one that knew how to blend magic with iron and one that had the ability to see connections so that he or she could unravel what had been done to the Kallisai and remake it in its original form. Where Glav is going, he will need it. And without it he is doomed to fail." The goddess said, looking at Torc expectantly.

[Torc Ironwood]

As the Goddess took Torc’s callused hand, he felt the world open. Possibilities of friendships and connections made from love continued on ward. Some were snipped by anger or a wrong word, others were repaired by loving gesture or apology. The ones repaired were weaken and stretch thin, but if given the chance they could be whole again and perhaps stronger for it. Torc felt the grand tapestry of love and peace, and as he looked again at Cheva, he felt his soul expand and see other weavings. Some were forged from without, like the ocean that surrounded them, but they all connected shaping the nexus of the human soul. Unlike a God or Goddesses, Torc had the potential to forge connections of every domain, for they connected to him. A God or Goddesses lived in those connections and could only influence their threads. Unlimited power and control of their domain, and yet it was mortals that held ability to connect with all. For a grand moment Torc wished he could have given this gift to Cheva, the idea of infinite possibilities, both good and ill, and yet the terrifying and exciting feeling that you only had the power to choose one. Sadly, Torc knew that to give Cheva this gift was impossible, she could feel it through him, but never possess it herself. For a brief moment, he squeezed Cheva hand. It was the closest thing that he could give her for comfort. If he hugged her, he knew that her connection within him would overwhelm them both. Torc was a nexus of connections and Cheva was but one type of thread that made him. He was mortal, because he had the infinite choice of possibilities; she was immortal because she lived in all of them. Perhaps what was even worst was that they needed each other, Gods and Mortals. Without mortals the divine stage could never exist, this world would be gone. Mortals were all the tiny little points that brought all gods and goddesses to each other and gave them meaning. While the gods and goddesses help define people, allowed them become more noble or pathetic. Mortals had to worship gods because it was the only way to move their thoughts down one pathway. And so a single seed of self confidence was planted. All my life I have strengthened the pathway between Kelwyn and myself. I have always believed myself to be a lost cause, and as such I have reinforced the possibilities of being such a thing. I am just like any other man; the place where I belong is the place with the most possibilities. Family, friends, work, pleasure, good, evil, and so on, I am meant to be the nexus point of all. Slowly Torc felt new possibilities began to open. A seed had been planted, and it would take time to grow, but Torc understood his place now. Just as Cheva said only time could help him grow, and for the first time in a long time, Torc was happy and warm with love from within. As Cheva let go Torc felt the warmth and happiness dim, but looking about the face of the Goddess, he almost truly wished he could take her in his arms and dance a jig or two with her. She had freed a chain of thought from him, and even though Torc would always be connected with Kelwyn, he understood that he was free from being a lost cause. Then Cheva showed him The Kallisai, the Master Key, or the All Key and as Torc began hearing about the Kallisai a feeling of dread deep down in him started. The idea that the Kallisai was a key and that Glav needed it, could only mean that it opened the pathways from a nexus point or soul to a domain. Which meant once the door was open someone could go through it in either direction. Torc’s eyes shot up and all the thoughts of holding Cheva and dancing made him take a step back. This could start a war between us! Men who didn’t understand the balance between the divine and mortal could invade realms and kill them. Gods or Goddesses could step through and leave their realms behind them. The key could cause just as much unbalance in the world, as restore it. Torc felt sick, if men had forged it once before did that mean we already had a war? To be shown so much and then to be asked to do this… it was enough to crush a man. Torc understood what Izurdin meant; a mortal was needed to forge it, because a God or Goddess couldn’t access all possibilities. They couldn’t travel to realms that they weren’t connected to. In essence, everyone was a domain thief, their very souls tapped into the all realms and only the connections they forged allow them to draw on possibilities. However, Torc had been shown how to tap a closed pathway, and he had become a better thief in the process. The Kallisai didn’t need a Master Blacksmith or Metalsmith, it didn’t need an Archamge of Magecrafting. What it needed was a Domain thief opened to all possibilities, and willing to forge every connection into it. The forge was a metaphysical one and a physical one, it shaped the outside, Torc would need a simple forge, but to forge the connections… he would only need his mind and soul. The Kallisai was a key to attuning one’s soul to the proper connections. It would need every emotion and thought, while physically it would need fire, water, earth, air, life and death. There were a hundreds of reasons to say no, millions of reasons to through that chunk of metal into the sea and let it forever be. However, the one reason he kept coming back to was Sylir, he had made a sacrifice could Torc make any less of one? As Torc reached out for the Kallisai, he looked towards Cheva, “Could this start another war?” He closed his eyes, knowing the answer, and not needing to hear it from Cheva. Swallowing Torc knew that if he forged the key as he thought, it was too much power for anyone to have, God or Mortal. “Cheva, I… would ask a favor. Would you talk to Eyris and after the key has been used for Glav… would she erase my memory of its forging, or curse me to never reveal any knowledge of it?” Torc swallowed the wad of wetness in his mouth. He knew it was the only way to keep the object safe, the only way to forever lose the knowledge once again. Now for the next part, “When we are done with it, Tanroa must be the one to hide it. Men can’t be trusted to wield such a thing, and Tanroa would be able to hide it by spreading it existence throughout time. Or if she can’t hold it, have her tell me where to put it and then have Eyris curse me.” For a brief moment Torc’s fear of what he would do with it shook him. Already the temptation to invade Cheva’s realm and claim her was horrible, who wouldn’t want Cheva as their wife and mother of their children, and if for nothing more Torc knew that without her promise, he could not forge something that would bring war between them, whether it was a day afterward or a thousand more years. “Cheva, I can’t do this without knowing that protections against it future use will be put into place. If a party from either side decides to go to the other… it would take away the possibilities that you exist in and I choices I can make.” Torc felt like that pressure was horrible. He had to choose the right path, and sadly that meant another God needed to be born, but afterwards the key needed to be hidden. His life would be horrible with a curse of Eyris to bare, but sadly he needed to make that choice to be sure, he would never spill the existence of the key to anyone. Torc hand hovered over the Kallisai, waiting for Cheva to talk him out of it, to tell him that he was wrong, to give him any reason why he shouldn’t do this… but who else would give up the power to create and destroy gods and mortals? And who else could forge the key to open the domain of peace and civilization for Glav.

[Gossamer]

The Goddess of Love stood patiently by, watching the turmoil behind Torcs eyes pass to the surface - examined then moved beyond. She seemed amused slightly, though not condescendingly, about Torc and his thinking. At his first question, a true smile spread out across her face and in her gentle voice that reminded him of mothers and daughters and children catching sight of their first puppy or kitten of childhood, she replied. "Torc, the war never ended. It's constantly ongoing. Just because it seems to be a time of peace doesn't mean it is. Why do you think Glav left Syliras? It's simple enough to realize. Rhysol sent one of his prospective wives, a Druvin, to move closer to the city and infest its depths. He's not safe alone there for the power Rhysol grants his minions is equally on par to what Sylir gave his son. Had she caught wind of him, he'd soon be a dead man. Not because the druvin would have slain him, but because Rhysol himself would have saw to the matter personally." Cheva pointed out. Again, she listened to his words and shook her head. "You are fearful, Torc, when you must be brave. Caution is good, but passion will see you further in this case. Wise men know this even if they preach on the edge of wisdom and to look before each step is taken. Rage, Ivak's rage and grief, destroyed the world more neatly than all of Rhysol's careful plotting. If you can find a love for the cause, Torc, you too can move just as far and as powerfully. Anyone can. The Gods and Goddesses and even the people of this world are not all knowing. They can only know what is talked about and what is overheard. Say nothing and nothing will be known. The All Key is safer in your hands than in mine or even in Tanroa's. It is safer by far to be destroyed by your hand when you are done with it than given over to someone else who's motives might be suspect. If you cannot bear to part with it, then guard it. But never speak of it. And never think of it. Train your mind for it to be something other than what it is in case someone looks within." She advised softly, teaching, pushing, urging Torc to be more than he was at that time. "Torc, you cannot know the future. Ever. Even I do not. Even Tanroa cannot. The waters of the river of time constantly change. There are no set rules and boundaries regarding it. You cannot govern the actions of others nor can you dictate what your own actions will be. Sometimes the mind and body are of two different wills. All you can do is trust and love and truthfully often that is more than enough." She said gently, her smile suddenly lighting her eyes and softening her features. Cheva looked young then, like merely a girl, and her innocent glow flooded her existence - as if she was born from the pages of a fairy tale designed to capture the attention of young girls who loved the romance of life and didn't know any better in regards to the realities of the world. "Take it or do not, Torc. But you are my first choice. And who can you best trust with the decision if not yourself?" She asked, shifting to lean against the deck rail and look out over the water. The Goddess did not try to talk him out of it. She did not try to sway his judgment one way or another. She just provided avenues, pathways, and possibilities. Until, that is, she spoke one last time. "There is something more. Something important to consider. If you do this, you forfeit something of yourself, Torc. You will never live a normal life in the normal way other folks do. Handling power is to be changed by that power. The world you know will shatter and be rebuilt upon another truth. You will not see the individuals here as who they would describe themselves as. Rather, you will see how the world is linked, connected, and how it flows in stops and starts interdependent upon its denizens for guidance. I think, though, you're already starting to see this a little. And know too... that standing at Glav's side - if that is your choice - will not leave you unaffected. He walks in power. He is power. And power moves towards him urging the world to right itself and balance that which is out of synche. It is not an easy place to be in. And it is not often a place a mortal like yourself will survive let alone survive unscathed. If you want no more part of it, I will understand, but speak to Glav of your wish. He bears the marks of one who grants him the power to remove your memories. The step off this ship at Karjin rather than seek the supplies you need there to reforge the All Key - including the forge." Cheva said, then waited for Torcs response.

[Torc Ironwood]

It was perhaps the saddest thing he had ever heard. The war had never ended, and the reason why we few mortals still survived was because we fought against nature not ourselves. However, without a God of Peace, man will one day take up arms against their brothers. Even now, mortals kill one another, rape, and steal, for those men the war was inside of them. Cheva was right that the war never stopped, it was just being played on a smaller scale. Slowly, as Cheva continued Torc wondered if he could find love for this cause. In front of him was the Goddess of love herself, and he began to realized that what could tug his heartstrings. The pure smile, the small stature, the almost glowing hair, her voice and how it contained warmth that spread throughout the soul. The two of them interacted on the plain of love, and those things that he loved about her, were the connections in his own soul expressing what he loved. The pure smile came from his want and desire of a cleaver and yet shy woman. A smile that was happy and yet wholesome, while her small stature made him feel powerful and a protector. He remembered Priestess Lara’s hair and how smooth and soft it felt. He remembered feeling women’s hair on his bare chest, how it seemed to connect him to them. Her voice was a connection, letting him settle into himself, like a man who was finally fitting into his skin. Those were the things he loved, and it made sense why he wanted to kiss and yet forever make the goddess happy. Though Torc would have dragged his naked body across hot coals for her, it wasn’t his love for her that made him pick up the All Key. There was fear, anger, and resentment that the Gods and Goddesses expected this of him. Wasn’t a normal life the only thing he ever wanted? If he could not have children, at least he could have a wife to love and hold. If he could not be a grand magecrafter, then a simple hamlet forge would have been the world to him. Honor didn’t come from making a grand item; it came from forge something that was needed. A thousand horseshoes and plows would mean hundreds of more people would be fed, and yet the All Key would give peace to a warring world. No the reason Torc picked it up was because he made a promise. He made a promise to Sylir, and after seeing his sacrifice, he knew that he would work for Glav’s benefit. Yet Cheva spoke of finding love in the task. He didn’t know if he could find love in the cause, but he could find love in fulfilling his task. Peace was first built on love. Torc’s hand glided over the object feeling smooth metal. Slowly he placed it into his coin pouch about his neck. He took a moment to look out in the ocean, it was better not to look directly at the Goddess of Love. He wanted desperately to understand how he fit within the world, and now he was going to change for it. Would he mourn for himself once it was done? Was this the death, physically or mentally, of him? He was nested in a cradle of connections, he had seen as much in Cheva’s eyes. He had a place in the world, and now he would be changing it. Torc closed his eyes and for a brief moment thought only of himself. For a while, he could only think of his flaws and fears. Cheva, with her soft hair and soulful voice brought something else, the feeling of being better. As he thought about this feeling, Torc began to understand more about himself. His strength came from within, his hard work came from wants and desires, his voice and thoughts were his. A small sense of self moved, for years doubt had kept it dormant, but now it saw the smallest of lights. It was strange in a way, he was whole and yet he felt that the power in him would let his self grow. Only the connections that he allowed to chain him would stunt its growth. Slowly in the moments of silence and introspection did Torc feel like he was awakened. Thousands of thoughts clouded this simple pure connection to who he was. Opening his eyes, his mind was clear as he looked out into the ocean. His thoughts were focused on a feeling of self, a feeling of being true and whatever change occurred, he would be true to himself. “I seek a forge in Karjin, Goddess, what should my eyes look for?” It was a strange feeling to talk without thought. However, Torc felt the words were true to him, and as he turned to look into Cheva’s eyes, he saw a lot of the knots about his soul untangled and glowing. With a will onto himself, Torc softly brushed the hair away from Cheva face and placed it behind her ear. It was an act of love, Torc had done it from love of her beauty, soul, and divinity. He felt strange as his inner self acted with thought and care, yet there was no whispers in his mind. He moved like a man possessed, and yet it felt fight. The only time he had experience such feelings where when he worked at a forge; for his mind and body were as one. He could feel the weight at his chest and in an instant his thoughts changed the metal into an extension of himself search for its own place. Like a child in a crib, Torc felt that they would both find their places in the world. It was then that Torc turned on his auristics and somehow felt the pulse of his twin soul fragment. It had a feeling about it, like its aura was suppose to be one thing and yet it was another. The world had changed, and neither aura felt right. As Torc felt his hand stroke the fragment of his soul’s aura, he sent warm feelings of once again being whole. He knew that when it can to forge, both of them would find their new forms a surprise. Though Torc could only sense his fragments aura, he looked onto the Goddess in front of him. Cheva, her physical beauty brought feelings of love for wife, mother, child. Torc wanted to love them all and protect them from the world. Cheva’s physical aspect was about family, love that brought people together and forged bonds forever. Torc looked at Cheva’s mouth and was reminded of his love for her soul. The idea of purity and connecting, the shared intimacy that comes from talking and living, it was a love that is born in small shared moments and in each other’s arms. The soul sought to be connected and sharing itself, it sought love in another to be fueled and fed by each other. Her eyes reminded him of his love for her divinity. Built within every man was the ability to love the gods and goddesses and their existence in all moments. Torc would live with infinite possibilities and choices, they would live in all possibilities ruled by their domains. Loved existed for the freedom and power both had, and it was a love different then the two before. Not caring for a moment, Torc being moved and hugged the Goddess. In a way his form and mind hugged wife, mother, child, friend and Goddess. “I promise that I can find love in myself, for the both of us, and for the work that lays ahead.” He released the Goddess, his doubts and thoughts clear but for a few more moments, as he acted in his nature.

[Gossamer]

Cheva watched quietly as thoughts flittered in and out of Torc's mind, occasionally gracing his features as his vision of the world altered slightly and then settled in a new place - a place it hadn't been even moments before. Long hair kissed by Zulrav's winds twisted and tangled across the rail of the ship, dancing out into the air itself as if teasing Laviku. Cheva was perhaps not as Torc might have expected. She was not breathtakingly beautiful. There was a loveliness to her face that was more 'girl next door' than ravishing beauty. It was her gaze though, that startled, filled with a mother's love and a lovers smoldering flame and a puppy's devotion. She was careful though, Torc noticed, not to turn her gaze directly upon his. Instead, she looked out to sea and thought carefully. "When you seek a forge in Karjin, you're eyes should look for nothing. Instead, look with your heart and decide on the very best place you need to be. Don't be in a rush. If the first one doesn't suit, keep looking. There are lots of potential sites in Karjin. But remember, the forging could be dangerous." The goddess said softly, thoughtfully. She smiled then, as if seeing something out at sea, and turned to look at Torc once more, as if making sure he was listening. When he hugged her, which was a forward thing for a mortal to do, she seemed surprised, then leaned into the hug returning what he offered freely and smiling slightly. Long lovely fingers slipped into his hair and stroked his scalp gently, almost thoughtfully, as if she were touching something precious that might not be available to enjoy in the immediate future. Her fingers caressed the back of his neck and he felt a warmth there - a slight burning. It was gone in a moment though... leaving him unaware of the rose now branded at the base of his hairline. After a time she released him. "I hope you can keep your promise, Torc. It is very important." Cheva said softly, her voice filled with a quiet confidence. "Torc, listen to me. Crossing the Suvan to Karjin won't be an easy crossing. There are things at work here - like I've said - that are dead set against Glav completing his journey. You can be a strong supporter if you open yourself to his cause completely. If you do not and if you hesitate or doubt a member of your party, things could get ugly. There is a man among your group who has killed as well. He's known pain and the goddess of murder and pain uses him. He is on the cusp of drawing more of her attention and becoming her slave if he falters. He'll need a friend. A good one. A shield brother at his side who won't let him falter. Will you help him as well?" She asked, this time looking the mortal directly in his eyes. Ulric's face was reflected in Chiva's gaze, and Torc could feel her love for him cradeling the image in those twin bright blue spheres. "Glav will need him as well, for like you, he holds another piece." She whispered and waited, turning her head and breaking her gaze to nod to a figure approaching them in the dark. It was Glav, barefoot and wearing only a pair of sailors pants and a vest. He approached silently, and yet Torc could feel the worry in him melt away as the alvina joined the duo. Peace washed over him, helping to steady him after Cheva's words. Glav himself smiled at the Goddess, taking her hand to kiss it in the way of knights. "I felt power stirring on the prow. I'm glad to see it was you, My Lady. Recruiting?" He asked, glancing at Torc and offering him a smile as well.

[Torc Ironwood]

Torc realized that whatever happened between them, his love for Cheva was pure. As he held her, he felt the inner warmth spread throughout him. Holding her in his arms felt as If he held pure joy and ecstasy. It was intoxicating, the way that Cheva flooded his senses, her hair smelled of baking bread. The smell brought back memories of childhood, holding onto Priestess Lara’s skirts as she baked bread for the evening meal. Feeling that love and safety was a mantle placed upon his shoulders. For a moment, the soft round body he had felt perfect. Soft and yielding in his hands, warmth and just the tiniest of hairs on smooth skin. Torc remembered the first girl he had ever kissed. Darlip had been only ten years of age, while Torc was only twelve. Late one night they had snuck out of their communal bedrooms and met in the library. The night was clear and crisp, just like tonight, Torc remembered being so nervous. He remembered seeing her lips tremble as his own thoughts left his mind. Slowly he came closer to Darlip, placing awkard hands upon her waist. Slowly he closed his eyes, and then like the parting of a spider web, he felt her lips upon his. There was no urgency to do more, nor was there a rush of heated blood. Torc remembered the kiss making him lose the sense of time. He thought at the time that he was kissing Cheva, and now that the Goddesses was in his arms, he didn’t know how to compare them. All the elements were there and yet they were so different. The kiss was pure, just like this embrace, and yet it was like comparing two perfect experiences. As Torc withdrew from Cheva, it seemed all the sweeter for ending. It was like the last clear note fading away after a beautiful song. Like sweet wine slowly leaving the feeling of being full filled, and yet having a citrus note softening the emptiness. Torc’s mind slowly fading away the insignificant details, like the wisp of hair flying into his face, or the harsh voices of the sailors in the background, all that was left was the hazing feeling of complete love. Torc thought over what the Goddess said, and it made sense. Torc’s mind thought over the feeling of the right place. It was like the world knitted about him, he remembered working in the forge feeling the fire, the blow from the hammer, the tremors echoing through the tongs. His mind left him and everything just seemed in place. When he stepped off the ship onto the dock, he knew that he would commune with the part of him that needed to be forged and walk waiting to find the thread that would guide them both. When Torc looked into Cheva’s eyes, he saw Ulric and a small bit a jealously came to him. He knew that Cheva loved him and he loved her, but seeing that she loved Ulric was hard. He felt like a child seeing his sibling adored by his parents. He wanted to do anything and everything to win back her attention, and as he thought about that feeling, the visions of night came back. Peace wasn’t just sharing money or goods, it was about allowing love to be shared. The feeling of jealously slowly left him and was replaced with love and pride for Ulric. He smiled at Cheva, happy that his brother was seen by his mother. He was happy that she recognized him, that her love would help build him, and it won’t diminish her love for him. Perhaps this was what it meant to have family, he felt closer to Ulric and hoped to help his brother. As Glav entered into the light and company of the both of them, Torc placed a strong hand on Glav’s shoulder. He welcomed the man like a friend and brother, for it seemed so important to Torc to do so. For the moment Torc had no thoughts or worries that Glav would fail. Torc simply smiled expressing friendship and joined work, there was no pressure or expectations that Glav would fix everything. Torc knew that both of them would work and he was simply glad to be besides him during the endeavor. Jokingly Torc laughed, “Nay Glav, we were just talking about the journey ahead.” Torc gave Glav a firm but friendly squeeze. “The way forever might be tough, but we have each other Glav. We work and strive for a common goal, we share success and our failures. When I think about it Glav we have formed peace between us.” Though Torc touched tough subjects the smile on his face showed how he felt that it was a shared burden. Glav’s pain was his own, but together they would continue working and success would happen. When Torc eyes turned back to Cheva, he smiled a moment passed while he felt like his mother was looking at their children and he felt pride for Glav. “Do either of you wish me to leave? I understand that you probably both want some time to talk privately.”