Every Action, A Consequence

by **Kaleidoscope** on January 21st, 2017, 4:36 pm

Every Action, A Consequence
"Speech"

Klarress huddled inside a doorway, bundled up in a large cloak, looking at the world through emotionless eyes. It had been just days since the absolute destruction at Morwen's Ice Palace, where Jijimi had managed to help her to escape with their lives through sheer coincidence and blind luck. If it hadn't been obvious what the fate of the Vantha was beforehand, now it was painfully, terribly obvious. Jijimi and her young companion were camped in a doorway of a tall house made of ragged, faded books, in the region of Alvadas that was colloquially known as Altiva- the Zeltiva illusion. It was not a comfortable place, but then they wouldn't stay long. It took their collective imaginations and fortitude to survive and blend it. Klarress did it by cutting off any and all emotion. Jijimi Skyglow did it by blindfold and heavy cloaks. It wasn't much of a disguise, but it worked for the time being.

***

They struck an odd pair, but then oddness was not exactly unusual in the city of illusions. Klarress murmured softly to the older woman, and the two walked through the city with the young girl acting as they guide. They were lost. Not geographically, but they had nowhere else to go. Friends avoided them, and businesses that once harboured them could help no longer, lest they bring down the wrath of the gods. Jijimi couldn't really blame them, she thought with a sigh of a thousand snowflakes. Kalea's Kiln, her workplace and supposed home, was a place of comfort. Not now. "We're being watched..." Those were the words she'd heard Miriam whisper, pain in her voice, as she'd watched Jijimi depart. Her heart panged as she thought of her friend and fellow potter. What would become of them, the hunted? It was a question she couldn't even begin to answer. Her hand tightly grasped Klarressa's own, and they continued.

***

Days had passed, more than the pair could count. They somehow eked a living, if it could be called that, constantly looking over their shoulders and mistrusting everyone. The morning of the 90th Winter found them in a particularly helpful abandoned house, small and cramped and musty, but functional for their purpose. Klarress stirred, her eyes flickering rapidly from colour to colour to colour until she fully gained consciousness with a little moan and stretch. Jijimi gazed at her with worry clear in her gaze. The poor child was learning every day, better and better, to keep her emotions tamped down and forgotten. Yet she gathered her senses, and silently handed the young girl a meal of stale bread.

"We'll get going again Klarress. I'll search the basement first, see if there's any other food here that we missed. Then we'll get going." She reached and gently took the young child into her arms. She didn't make any move to accept the embrace, or to push it away. It was like hugging a cardboard cutout, but the slightest flicker of colour in her eyes showed she did feel something. "Winter is almost over. It'll be over soon." It was an empty statement, she knew, but ever since the two had partnered together she had found her own hope bolstered. It needed to be. Klarress hardly spoke, even in private. Jijimi had to hold them both together, if they were to get through this. And so, she smiled even as her heart kept breaking, over and over. "We'll be safe soon, sweetheart."

***

The basement was dark and cold, cut off from above by a short, vertical ladder. Jijimi struggled down the ladder, cursing her old bones as she took ahold of the middle rung and stepped off the bottom step onto the pitch-dark floorboards below. The area felt small, and Jijimi squashed her nervousness as she hesitantly stepped forwards, letting her eyes adjust to the dark. A chime later, the woman could make out vague shapes: a set of shelves, a large, hulking barrel in the corner, an old iron pot and a bathtub. She traipsed around, feeling the shelves for edible or useful items. Yet she couldn't find a thing. Almost resigned to it, she walked into the corner where it was darkest. The inside of the bathtub was lined with old paper, stiff and crinkly. Jijimi almost withdrew, when she stopped, and rubbed her fingers together. Mud? She started feeling inside again, rubbing her fingers along the bathtub. It was slightly cooler than it's surroundings, and was caked with old, dried mud.

A breeze, unexpected and musty, brushed past like a ghost. Jijimi blinked, and started feeling underneath the bath where the breeze had inexplicably come from. She was beyond lucky. Her hands feathered past the underside of the bathtub, and felt a crack. Her heart started pounding. It was the unexpected which bothered her the most. Not wanting to worry Klarress, she started to fumble with the bathtub, pushing it to the side. Yet the girl was more observant than she let on, and appeared at the elderly woman's side, making her shake with fear for a moment. With the young girl's help, they soon had the old bathtub pushed to one side.

What faced them now was something of a mystery. Where hard flagstones should've been was instead a tunnel, descending rapidly into some dark hole where neither of the two knew. They exchanged a look, and came to some sort of desperate conclusion. Without any destination in mind, this was surely some kind of opportunity that needed to be taken. If it led them into the lion's jaws, then so be it. If it led to safety? So be it.

***

[Required: Nephti, Nemori, Arisia, Maro, Phobius, Phira, Dexius, ~~Zifor~~]

Required Reading :

"Hi, yes, you, hello." The man waved, after peering over his shoulder at the distance. "I'm Liedo. Can I speak to you?" He was tall, with a mop of bright blonde hair and silver-coloured eyes that seemed to sparkle with some foreign light. His complexion was pallid and pale, and dark bags under his metallic eyes gave him a harrowed and hurried look, only heightened by his skittishness. Quickly, he would hand over a note. "Burn this after you've read it, please. You can trust me, I... I know what it's like." Giving a look of sympathy, the tall man would hug his arms around his torso, looking cold. "If you want to help, do what it says on the note. There's always hope, right?" After handing over the scribbled note, Liedo would disappear as soon as he'd appeared, walking swiftly on soft-heeled shoes. The note reads:

I'm sorry I couldn't talk. There are Listeners everywhere. I've been doing my own watching, I know you sympathise with the Vantha. I do too, it's why I've set up a safehouse for them. I don't know if it will work, but we've got to try. Please come to this house [sketch of the building] on the 90th. I'll be needing your help then. There's always hope.
~Liedo.

OOC FAQs:

Please only post IC responses to this thread. Thanks.

For clarification, this thread is in response to those wishing to help the Vantha, and is the consequence of your actions, if you like. It is an IC thread.

Q: Will this be a separate thread?
A: No. This is both the information thread and the actual quest/modded thread.

Q: What is the date it will start?
A: The 90th.

Q: When is our deadline for finish?
A: There is no deadline, just a requirement to post before Winter is over (i.e. before March).

by **Nephti** on January 24th, 2017, 8:19 pm

She couldn't sleep that night. Leth's light had pierced through the window of her room, casting sharp shadows across the floor, but that wasn't the problem. On any other night, the light would have soothed her and made sleep even easier, knowing that the moon watched as a sentinel over her. That night, however, her mind was on fire, blazing with thoughts she knew she could be killed for. Thoughts that traced back a long time, but ones she had been able to overlook until now.

Not tonight. This was the last night, and she couldn't ignore them any more. The Vantha needed her help. The chance had been handed to her on a silver platter. And although she had been wise enough to pretend nothing had happened up until now, she was needed now. It was time to find out the answers to the questions that had plagued her, but more importantly, finally do something real to help.

Tossing and turning under the sheets, the girl pressed her gnosis mark tightly, sending the longest prayer she had even whispered to Priskil. It was long, and not exactly to the point, but if she had to sum it up, it was her begging for hope and support and safety from her goddess. She needed to know whether she had the support from her. Even if she didn't, she didn't care. She'd go through with it anyway.
She didn't get an answer in the end. A yes, it was. Priskil would tell her if it was the wrong thing to do.

Leth rose and sank in the sky, Nephti still awake. The candle she had lit to keep her company had dwindled down to a bare stump, wax dripping down the sides. The longer she waited, the weaker she felt, the more she felt her light draining out of herself. The anticipation was killing her. It was the 90th - it had to be, despite the darkness outside the Inn, it had to be early morning on the 90th. She couldn't wait any longer. She needed to help and she needed to do something. It was about time she left.

Rising slowly, she kept light on her toes. Dressing in the clothes gifted from Sayana, the black dress and cloak that would keep her a shadow in the Underground and hopefully keep the Vantha safer, she laced up the sandals, peering through her jewellery and considering whether or not to wear it. Deciding against it, she hesitated on the the necklace, the shooting star from Sayana. That, too, came from the woman who had also gone against the Speakers, and was a token that represented Nephti so well. She couldn't leave it behind. Scooping it up, she pulled her hair down one side, attaching it quickly before tucking it under her clothing to keep it safe. She knew she had to have it with her for this. She just had to.

The scimitar didn't require much thought, nor did her tarot cards. The latter she took almost everywhere, and the former... She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't doubt that a weapon would be useful. Taking a good last look at everything, she decided against bringing any other possessions.

Carefully, she moved out of her room and through the Inn, moving as quietly as she could past the other rooms on her way down. The entire building was fairly steady that night and it didn't take her long to descend, reaching the empty street with a sigh. Once out in the open, she moved quicker, although not too much to arouse suspicion. At least, more suspicion than she normally would if she took a night time stroll. In the darkness, she could barely see a few steps in front of her, so pressed her hand against the houses along the right, following where they took her. Putting her entire faith into the city, she let it lead her to Claudia's little house, eyes sparkling as she caught sight of it.

The first person she had told had been Claudia. If she had to pick anyone, the woman was the first choice to be the one to accompany her, having promised to do so when they had first met. The woman had agreed to go with her, and together they had burned the evidence, reminding each other that speaking of it until then was too dangerous. But now, she was ready.

Tapping against the door lightly, it was pulled open an inch, wide eyes staring out. "Nephti?' she whispered, met with a quick nod and slipped out silently, "Ready?" The girl nodded again, beginning to move.
"I know where to go," she replied softly, gesturing for the woman to follow her, remembering that she had spotted the house at one point. She had stared too much, especially as she hadn't been expecting it. The two moved through the streets quickly, hidden by the darkness, Nephti guiding Claudia to where she believed she had once seen the house. Would they simply enter? Was that safe? She tried to plan ahead, but got nowhere. Her heart pounded too much.

Before Syna had appeared, they had reached the safehouse, both secretly clutching their weapons. Nephti did it a lot more subtly, with other hands out to wave at Claudia to follow, but the way her cloak bulged still made it obvious. For all they knew, this was a trap. With another quick prayer to Priskil, the girl marched forward, knocking against the door of the house from the note. Without noticing it, her breathing stopped, waiting for an answer, for anything.

"Let us in," she asked softly, not sure whether anyone could even hear her, "There will always be hope."

by **Arisia** on January 24th, 2017, 9:44 pm

Arisia lay in her bed, wide awake and thinking, the sun had only began to rise, rays of sunlight floating in through her window, showing her room to be the same as it always was.

The note terrified her, of course it terrified her, how would they have found out she wanted to protect them, she hadn't been obvious about it, had she? Perhaps at the beginning of the season she has been less tactful, perhaps it had been overheard then. However, she was now being a lot more cautious.

Having hurried back to her room with the note, after she made out the word 'Vantha' on it, to make an attempt of reading the rest. Not the greatest reader, having little education, she had struggled to make her way through the note. Luckily, she managed to eventually, the message got through and she burnt the note, throwing the ashes out of the window.

She thought about it through the night, oddly enough she could also feel her bondmate's troubles, who was clearly also awake. Arisia had considered going to her, but had decided it might have been rude to go in the night, and she would ask what had been on their mind the next time that they met.

It was obvious that she had to help, she knew that from the second she read the note. Her mother was a Vantha, and it would be awful of her not to help anyone she had the chance too, as she already felt guilty about not being able to help her mother.

Arisia hastily grabbed her bag after she dressed, wearing her black cloak to cover her usual clothing. She knew it was a bad idea to go without a weapon, yet she didn't own one, nor know how to use one. So she decided that she would just have to hope that her current knowledge of unarmed combat could help her through.

Quickly, she stepped through the streets, her cloak held tight to her and her hair flowing behind her because of the speed she was walking. She would be fine, she had to be. She held onto the hope that this was genuine, and if it wasn't, then she couldn't help it.

She reached the safehouse quite quickly, recognising it from the note, two people stood in front of the door, seeming to be here for the same reason she was. To help the Vantha, she hoped they were here to help.

As she neared she recognise one of the figures, and she let out a small gasp upon realising it was her bondmate. Arisia realised that some of the emotions she had been feeling through the night about the situation were not hers. Nephti was clearly here to help as well, as she knew how the Eypharian felt about the Vantha being hunted.

by **Phira** on January 26th, 2017, 1:34 am

88th Winter 516

What could she think that she hadn’t already about this darn vantha issue. If they had such a problem then why didn’t the gods go to see Morwen? And if Morwen didn’t want to be seen then why didn’t they force her? Surely the force of multiple gods was stronger than the powers of just the one. Or even still why didn’t they get a new goddess or god of winter? This was all so ludicrous she couldn’t think about it for one more second.

She had told her dear Alex that she was going to help, even if the odds were against her. And they were. Began walking home after a shift at the Surf and Turf, she could tell that this was going to be another long night she was going to spend awake worrying about the children of winter. This had to stop, and when winter was over she doubted it would. Not until Morwen has paid for her sins. She quickly hurried back trying to avoid any crowds. She simply wasn’t in the mood, unless of course it was Alex she bumped into, but she doubted it. Shoving the thought of the man out of her mind she kept going. She could see The Wolf’s Cave just ahead when she was pulled into an alley way.

♦♦♦

Later that night she found herself awake and next to the fire. She inhaled and exhaled deeply and sat in front of the fireplace, the embers still red hot from the fire. She closed her eyes and began to meditate and tried to think about something else other than the winter issue.

She must have spent a good half bell trying to decipher the letter that the alleyway man Liedo gave her, but at the end of it she was shocked. Someone knew about her? How? Did they over hear her and Alex one night talking about the situation? Did they see her with Maro on Arriving Night helping the Vantha ghost? Or with her friend Madeira the first days she was in Alvadas get chased into the illusion Avanthals ice castle? When?

She shook her head it didn’t matter when, what mattered is what she was going to do now. Should she go about as if nothing happened? Could she act that well? She was terrified at the idea of being caught. What would Alex do? He would help no matter what, is what he would do ”Stupid Alex.” She breathed in heavily, and let it out as slowly as she could, and threw the note in the fire as instructed. She began packing her bags in case she needed to make a hasty retreat. She dressed in the outfit she used to train with Alex, and sat in the chair in her room. She had two days to decide whether or not she was going to go. And she was going to go, that much was certain, but did she have the courage to follow through with it when the time came? That, she will have to wait and see.

She stayed awake for what felt like forever a couple bells after that, rekindling the fire and trying to meditate again. Her eyes were closed and calming scenery popped up in her head, all of different things until she found one that she could concentrate on. One chime she was lying in an open field, sun shining on her, cool breezes sweeping by, the next she is back in her room in front of her fire, alone.

♦♦♦

90th Winter 516

Two days were spent avoiding everyone and dreaming of a sunny lit clearing in the jungle, and the handsome face of a aggravatingly selfless ex knight. Every time she thought about him she had to quickly wipe away the tears that quickly formed. She had thought they had something special. He had said as much. She had thought that he was the one she would bond with the feeling had been that strong. They had spent so much time together, all of it debating happiness and being happy. So where was he? Why didn’t he come to her? She was scared that his stupid ideals got him killed and if that were true she didn’t know what she was going to do.

But the 90th came quickly and as Syna slowly set she began on her way to find the place in the sketch. It was burned into her mind and she hid her metal gloves in her cloak as she traversed the streets in a hurry. To onlookers it appeared as if she was trying to get back home before the sun set, but she knew that she may never see that room again. She stopped and hugged herself to a wall in an alley, trying to find her resolve again. Think about the vantha. Think of how scared they must be? Get up Phira you coward and keep moving. she thought over and over again.

She pushed herself up off the wall and began walking again. Syna had long set, and Leth now looked down at her, probably with disapproving eyes, and she walked until she found the house. Just as it was in the picture. She looked around in every direction, up, down, left, right, behind, forward to make sure no one was around, before she quickly ran over. She tried to turn the knob only to find it locked. ”Oh this is fantastic. she spat in a whisper. She knocked slightly but hurriedly, ”Open up! You gave me a letter to meet you here and now I’m here. Liedo? Anyone? she hissed and began looking around again for signs of movement. She would give it just one more go before she left. If someone knew about her sympathizing then she didn’t want to be out in the open for long.

She raised her hand to open the door, but before it connected with the wood it opened, and she didn’t think or take the time to assess who opened it or what was on the other side and pushed herself in as quickly as possible. Liedo came from out the shadows and began ushering her down a dark tunnel. She could tell that this was going to be the start of something, but whether she would survive it until the end was up to fate.

by **Nemori** on January 31st, 2017, 9:01 pm

The metal stick that hid Nemori’s stick tapped carefully against the floor in front of her. The roads were uneven and every so often the tip of the blade would slip slightly into the uneven cobblestone. Everything seemed darker, more creepy and it bit uncomfortable into Nemori’s mind. Her muscles were tensed all over and starting to feel painful from the strain of it. Every part of this screamed trap, the mysterious letter, the dark abandoned house, picking the outcastes who nobody would care if went missing. Her green eyes were glued firmly to the ground, hidden by her hood. The noise was muffled slightly by this but she still attempted to listen intently to her surroundings. Each noise of the occasional passer-by setting her more on guard. Why had she agreed to this? Nothing felt right to her yet still here she was, inexplicably drawn to what she was increasingly certain was her demise. She wished Alex was here, she wished she had a guard, she wished she was better at using her new weapon.
Her thoughts turned to hope in an attempt to calm herself slightly and she found herself silently preying to Morwen. She wanted protection from whatever, or at least guidance to let her know. Was this stranger some messenger of hers? They had claimed they wanted to help the Vantha, they were gathering people who did. Nemori gulped again, gathering them all together was dangerous, probably foolish. She wondered where Infilia was, it was better for them to turn up together. Part of her hoped that Infilia would be late, that would at least give her some chance to get away if everything went wrong. How many people had been invited? They had been people passing by but she was uncertain them all, not recognising any of the faces as safe. Safe. Was this really going to be people that might help her? The idea of meeting more likeminded was good but, in her mind she could see the described house ablaze and locked. It would be efficient at getting rid of the pests that her race were seen as.
Before she really registered it as outside of her mind the house itself appeared. It was run down but looked like it could be functional. Nemori found herself staring at it for a few ticks. In any other life she would have ignore it, never had to be anywhere near it. Now? She had no idea what this building meant, hope? Death? She prayed for the former but feared the latter. Her eyes were untrained and she could not identify any alternate entrances and exists then the obvious door, she hoped that she was wrong. With a deep breath she started towards the door and knocked carefully. They was a pause, then some shuffling from behind. Her hands moved down the length of the metal stick, one hand lingering around the blade release.

The door creaked open a crack and she waiting for someone to invite her in. When nobody appeared she moved forwards, knocking the door more fully open as she did so. She expected it to meet some resistance from someone hiding behind the door and was surprised when her pathway into the building was empty.
This was the start of it. Whatever it was.

Languages :

by **Maro** on February 7th, 2017, 4:30 am

90th of Winter, 516 AV

Soft and white, the glow of Soulmist from the vial Maro had on the necklace around his neck was the only light that let him know where he was going. It was early on the morning of the 90th, far too early, but that bell meant foot traffic in the streets would be light. For those rare few who were up at this bell, the Soulmist would keep any questions at bay. They would see him as just a spiritist, chasing some ghost about the city.

There was only one ghost Maro truly cared about, but she wasn’t with him. After much discussion since Maro’s encounter with the man who called himself Liedo, a decision had been reached. Maro was going to see this through to its end; whether that was falling into a trap or aiding the Vantha remained to be seen. There had been plenty of other options voiced and heavily considered. The common one that kept recurring was to tuck tail and run, leave Alvadas forever and head back home or continue on Maro’s journey to see the world. Autumn, not wanting to see Maro hurt, had been the first to suggest it, though it had already been on Maro’s mind. Soon, Maro became keen on the idea, but as their conversation took them on to where they should move to, Autumn convinced Maro to stay. It wasn’t like him to be overly courageous or heroic, but it also wasn’t like him to leave some curiosity undiscovered. And so he stayed, and Autumn’s comment on his curiosity quickly removed all options other than helping the forbidden children of winter.

To that end, he had rose early the morning of the day the letter had mentioned. Everything he was taking with him was laid out on the table. There wasn’t much; he meant to travel light. For his protection, he had with him both of his bolas; those he had tied in a knot to his belt that would slip loose with pressure in the right direction. Around his neck, attached to the necklace that belonged to him and Autumn were two vials of Soulmist, hanging like pendants. Dira’s bell, a gift to Autumn from the Goddess of Death and their personal good luck charm, was secured to his belt as well. In one pocket was a spool of fishing line and a single lure, though Maro doubted he’d find any use for it.

Lastly, in his other pocket, was a book of fairytales. It was a tradition of theirs to read a story every night before bed. This particular volume was one they had bought a second copy of by mistake, but their misfortune turned into a blessing when Maro began to spend more and more nights out on his own as he grew up. Now, whenever he intended to stay away from the house for a night or more, the second copy went with him. At the usual time of their nightly reading, each was to read a story, starting with the last one and moving their way toward the beginning of the book. That way they would each be reading the same story; no matter where the other was, it was like they were together. Maro patted the pocket several times throughout his preparation to make sure it was still there.

“We could still leave, you know?”

Maro gave Autumn his best confident smile. He didn’t feel it, and by the look on her face, she could see that much. “It’s gonna end up fine, Autumn. You’ll see.”

She shook her head. “No. It won’t. I should’ve convinced you to leave.”

“You did, and then, you convinced me to stay.”

She glared. “I should’ve reconvinced you.”

Maro shrugged and nodded. That probably would’ve been the best for everybody involved.

Autumn placed a hand on his arm, and a chill swept across his skin from her contact. “Be safe.”

“As safe as I can be. I promise.” He patted the pocket with the book.

“It’s there, Maro,” she reassured him. “It isn’t going anywhere without you. You’d best be reading that first story tonight.”

“I’ll be reading it with you.” That was a promise he hoped he could keep. Every moment of today gave him a worse feeling than the moment before it. “Do you have everything you need?”

They both looked to the table. Every possible container they had had been filled with Soulmist. Maro hadn’t let himself go to sleep until he was certain that task was finished. There were several soup bowls, a couple mixing bowls, and five glass vials. He meant to keep her as well supplied as he could, if this outing took longer than he expected. In the middle of the collection of Mist was the matching book of fairytales.

Autumn nodded. “This’ll do me for a spell. Get back soon though. The Mist is better when it’s fresh. It’s even better with good company.”

“I’ll try to find some of that when I’m out. I’ll bring it back if I find any.”

She didn’t laugh at the joke, but she did give him an attempted smile. “I’m serious, Maro. It’s your company I want. Come back. Come back safely.”

He nodded and said his goodbyes, and she saw him off with a cold kiss on his cheek. Now, alone in the early morning hours and lost on the streets of Alvadas, he wished he had the cold comfort of her company. Wandering aimlessly, he thought of the house, hoping his thoughts of the Vantha wouldn’t lead any Listeners to him. Soon though, whether Alvadas meant to betray him or aid him, he found himself standing in front of the house.

There was no way to enter a suspicious house unsuspiciously, especially when one had never entered it before. He needed a good excuse to approach the place, one that no one would question if they saw him doing so. An idea formed in his mind. Pulling the necklace off, he held it up, letting the glowing vial sway side to side as he walked back and forth across the houses on that street, muttering nonsense to himself. To any passerby, he’d look like a spiritist who had been possessed too many times and had lost bits of his sanity with each one. As he passed by the house in question, he let the vial slip from the chain and shatter on the ground.

His head snapped up, and he glared at the door of the house as if the Soulmist had told him something. Any real spiritist would know that this wasn’t the way things worked, but barring the sudden arrival of any Cravens, he’d be fine. “Gotcha.”

Boldly, he strode up to the house, shoved the door inward, and closed it behind him. To let whoever was on the other side know he meat know harm, while still keeping up the appearance of being nothing but a nutty spiritist, he muttered into the darkness beyond the door. “There’s ghosts here, shadows of hope. They’re always there.”

by **Phobius** on February 16th, 2017, 2:30 am

Phobius sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at the small scrap of paper that he held in his hands. It was a bit wrinkled, but he could still read the words on it. He'd read it as soon as that man, Liedo, had given it to him; then he'd read it again when he had ran over to Miss Maya's house and shown it to her, wanting her to see that he wasn't alone, that there were others out there who were as worried about the Vantha as he was, others who wanted to help them as much as he did. After that, he'd taken it home and read it another two or three times. He hadn't wanted to get rid of it--to him, it had almost felt wrong, to have to do such a thing--so he'd memorized it as best as he could, telling himself that he would burn it when he was done. Yet here he was, still holding it, still poring over it.

"There's always hope," he muttered aloud, eyes lingering on the last line. It was a nice little reminder, and the more he read it, the more he wanted to fold the paper up and stuff it back into his pocket. Terrible things had been happening in Alvadas, and he'd tried to keep his hopes up, but... it was hard to do that, now. If he could just hold onto the note for a little while longer, then...

Seeming to want to remind the Inartan that she was there, Nini squeaked all of a sudden. He flinched, surprised, then turned to look at her, and she looked back at him, tilting her head in a way that made him smile. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about you," he said. "I've gotta go, though. Before it gets too dark outside."

With that, he stood up and started toward the door, only to stop when he reached for the knob. The note was still in his hand. Frowning, he turned and went over to the fireplace. It took him a moment to drum up enough courage to crumple it; then he tossed it in and left it there. He couldn't bring himself to burn it; not now. But it was fine here, wasn't it? At least no one else would be able to read it.

"I won't be gone too long," he said as he slipped out the door, though it was a promise that he knew he might not be able to keep. "Be a good girl, okay?"

- - -

It was a bit quieter than usual outside, and as Phobius made his way through the city's winding streets, he couldn't help but wonder if he was being watched. Liedo's note had said that there were Listeners, everywhere; what if they'd hired some people to help them look for Vantha-helpers? Unsettled by the thought, the boy stopped and looked around, half-expecting to find a few pairs of eyes lurking in the shadows. When he was sure that was alone, he kept going, willing himself to ignore the tight feeling in his chest.

Liedo's note hadn't had directions on it, but Phobius had lived in Alvadas long enough to get used to not knowing where he was going. He wandered around, looking at buildings and comparing them to what he remembered from the drawing. And then, after what seemed like forever, he found it. It didn't look like the "safest" of houses, with its old, peeling walls and dusty windows, but Phobius walked up to the door regardless and gave it a soft knock. Then he waited.

What would happen, now? He assumed that Liedo would come and greet him, then let him in, but what if it was someone else? Or what if no one came because he wasn't even supposed to be at the door?

Getting nervous, the boy knocked again, then bounced on the tips of his toes as he continued to wait, hoping that he hadn't done something wrong or shown up too late. When there was still no response, he reached for the knob and tried giving it a twist. To his surprise, the door was unlocked, and after hesitating for a moment he opened it.

"Hello...?" he called quietly, poking his head inside. It was dark, and the darkness seemed to swallow up his voice. His chest tightened some more. "Is... is anybody in here?"

a Nari a Common a

by **Kaleidoscope** on February 18th, 2017, 3:23 pm

"Speech"

The silence of the house seemed to permeate through it's very timbers, yet after each subsequent knock, announcement, and arrival a certain kind of warmth replaced the silence. Each stranger that arrived was soon ushered in, past the creeping hallway and into a back room without proper windows, but lit with a few flickering, animal fat lanterns that gave off a foul smell but a bright light. If the strangers felt uncomfortable or ill at ease their fears of a trap would soon be dissuaded. A few chimes later, after Liedo fluttered around like an agitated moth, two figures stepped into the room. It was a tight fit, but their forms managed to squeeze in, with Liedo's tall and shadowy form standing like a sentinel at the door.

An expectant silence fell over the group as the elderly woman wrapped a sheltering arm around the smaller girl, and looked around the room with eyes as sharp as hawk's. Then Liedo spoke up, a quaver in his voice as he fidgeted with his hands and stuttered quietly into the enclosed space. "Everyone, keep your voices down, please. These are two Vantha, I know it's not many, but they're safe. It's almost the end of the season, they've survived so far but we're going to get them to safety. I heard... I heard that there's a city over the sea that might be safe, but moving them from this safehouse will be tricky, and it's why I summoned you all here. I need your help."

Liedo gulped in a deep breath to carry on, but Jijimi cast a glance at the man and laid a careful hand on his arm as she stepped forwards. "It's okay, Leido." Her voice was soft and warm, seeming to resonate in the small space. "Friends, and I class you all as friends now, I can't thank you enough for this. If you change your mind, you can leave. We wouldn't hold it against you. Risking your life for perfect strangers is more than I could expect, but you have mine and Klarress' gratitude, until the ends of our lives. I'm but a simple potter and she an urchin child, but we're going to escape from Alvadas until such time as we can return."

The plan began to unfold, Jijimi and Leido taking it in turns to explain. For half the season, Jijimi and Klarress had been living in the safe house, protected, fed, and watered by Leido who had been risking his life to bring supplies every ten days. Yet the venture grew riskier and riskier on each journey, and Liedo suspected there were people watching his movements. A plan had to be hatched.

Secrecy was key. "Smoke and mirrors", Liedo said, anxiety apparent in his voice as they outlined what would happen. In the basement of the house was a secret tunnel, that lead to the Underground. From there, Leido would transport Jijimi and Klarress out of the city, by ways of distractions and subterfuge. Those distractions were to be provided by the squad of strangers who accumulated in the house. As the trio left the city, in their wake they would leave a trail of surprises, mistakes, and double-takes to leave the Listeners and Speakers of the city bamboozled.

It was a foolhardy plan, but it was the only option they had. Was it better to wait like sitting ducks, or was it better to move, take action, and escape whilst they could? Leido had a small fishing boat ready with provisions to move the Vantha, and everything was in place. All they needed now was the assistance of these concerned citizens... Whether they would offer their help was another question. Jijimi stroked Klarress' hair as everything was decided. She hoped beyond hope that these kindly individuals would be their salvation, and she waited with bated breath for their conclusion.

by **Maro** on March 14th, 2017, 2:12 pm

Maro’s way was one of curiosity. Always he waited and watched, and once he understood something, then he acted. Recently though, his way was cast aside. Maro tried to pin it down, where exactly he had begun to lose his way, but that was a task too difficult. Without hesitation, he found things, moments and people, that he wanted to blame this on, but every time, he was forced to admit they weren’t the cause.

The first of these moments he came to was when he had used Dira’s gift to witness the moments of someone’s death earlier in the season. It seemed fitting to blame his change on the moment when he used a power he had promised his dearest friend he would never use. It also made it easier shifting the responsibility to someone else, but he knew the spiritist who had encouraged him to do so had only had the best interests of the dead in mind. It would be easy to blame his change on another, but no one had forced his hand then, and no one continued to do so now.

There were other moments, when he decided to leave Black Rock, when he helped a Vantha soul move on to the next life, when he had learned of the Kelvics’ connection to the Goddess Morwen, that could have been the tipping point, but always, Maro was forced back to the recognition that change was a choice that only he could make. And he had made it. This forced him to the second realization that he wasn’t as steadfast as he had always thought he was.

Maro’s way was one of curiosity, of waiting and watching, and so he waited for someone else in the gathering to speak up. There was an audible tension in the room, the sharp, short, shallow breathing of people who expected the worst to come descending upon them at any moment. They had all come for reasons of hope, but none of them knew what to do. When no one else spoke, Maro strayed from his way easily as he had learned to do so well over the season.

An idea had formed in his mind when Liedo had mentioned smoke and mirrors. They needed to shift the attention away from the Vantha to someone else, and Maro was sure he knew a way. It was terrible idea, one that was certain to land him in a mess of trouble he didn’t want to be in, and that made it a good one. He spoke up. “I have an idea for a distraction. I think it will work, but I’ll need a big crowd. With a big enough crowd, there’s bound to be some Listeners, and the more of them, the better. You’ll just want to make sure no one can associate the rest of you with me. Lead the way and let me know when a diversion is needed.”

He felt a sinking in his stomach and a tightness in his chest. Depending on how terrible his idea was, he might find himself away from Autumn a lot longer than either of them had expected. “Hope is powerful. I just hope it doesn’t betray us.”

by **Nephti** on March 21st, 2017, 8:39 pm

Then she was in. The house was dark, but the room they were taken to bright, the light of the candles burning brightly. People began to pack in, a lot worried or weary of a trap, and she reached her hand out, closing her eyes for a moment for another prayer to Priskil and to let the light from her gnosis burn bright, flooding the room with light that beat even the candles. It sunk into every nook and cranny, and touched everyone who entered the room. Give them hope, she prayed once more, All the hope they'll need.

That was what Priskil's light did. Give everyone the strength they needed to continue with this quest, however danger.

There were faces that were familiar. She reached her other upper hand out towards Arisia once she saw her arrival, glad to have her bondmate with her despite her not having told her about this. It had been too dangerous, that was why. She didn't want to drag the girl into something and get her hurt. There was guilt, that Arisia could feel, of not having shared everything. And relief and joy and happiness at the sight of her. Of course Arisia would be here. Of course. For her mother, if nothing else.

There were two more women too - one was a Vantha, she thought, having seen her eyes change, but it could have been the light. A man who she thought had mentioned ghosts. And Phobius, bringing brightness with his hair, and hopefully his soul. She gave all, whoever they were, the same smile - one that told them she knew they could do this.

Finally, the Vantha appeared, an old woman and the girl. A tiny, tiny girl who was more than innocent. With all her strength, she pushed her light stronger, brighter, towards them. They needed it more than anyone else. They had gone through so much worse than any who wasn't Vantha.

The man who had invited her, who had invited them all, spoke softly, speaking of a city across the cities that would take them in and protect them. It took everything in her to keep herself from muttering the word, "where?", knowing it didn't matter and would just waste time. There was somewhere safe - that was what mattered.

It was when the woman spoke that she finally said something. "I promise we will help," she said softly, both to be calming and also so nobody could overhear if they passed the house, "We do not need your thanks." Then she wished for more words. She couldn't say anything she wanted to, speak from her heart, reassure them that this was what any good person would do. She was so limited, but her eyes said more than just her words.

They would be creating distractions. The girl hoped she could do it. She had been trying to all season. But what now? How? She couldn't think of anything... not yet. Her eyes flickered to Arisia, then Claudia, wondering if either had a plan of their own. Before any of them could speak, however, the man spoke. He had a plan. But he didn't say what it was.

Which made sense. Them having knowledge of it could reveal something to someone. It was safer for them to not know then to pretend they didn't. But it didn't help her with coming up with a plan. A distraction.

"Hope is not betraying us," she said instead, gesturing to the fading light on her palm, "Priskil is with us." Priskil is with us... Maybe that was her distraction. The light... Priskil... "Give me candles, the brightest. I can make brighter. Blind them. Tell me when. I will..." she trailed off, once again unable to form her sentences. Her eyes flickered to Arisia and Claudia once more, waiting for help with her plan.

She was willing to do anything. She just didn't know what, and that had always been the problem.

Closed Every Action, A Consequence