Back where it all Started (Chyril 23rd MT)

[Vanadius]

By the time the intrepid duo had set foot in the ragged hut, the chicken was all but plucked and cleaned. Vaga began cutting it into smaller pieces and throwing them into a stew pot, which had a cheery little fire burning underneath it.

The hut looked different than Gavin remembered. Her low bed was gone, now replaced by several thick blankets and sleeping furs on the floor. Much of the dusty jars and tomes that had been there before had been replaced with bare walls and empty shelves. It was almost as if she were removing the comforts of her life and depriving herself of them. Yets despite the absence of some of the comforts, it was a warm shelter, and not completely devoid of a rustic charm.

"The Islay mislike ol' Vaga something fierce youngling. They have cursed me as much as they are able, and trust me less than you."

"The only thing Vaga fixes now are poultices and salves. Healing now. Just healing."

She seemed to take that for an answer to his plea for help.

"Aye, I remember. Vaga might be old, but she remembers. How did you fare with the ship, and the wights, and the curses of younglings like Cristobal Scion and other folk too stupid to know better than to leave the old things alone with their dust?"

[Syrawenn]

Syrawenn perked up at the name Cristobal. She knew that name. It was connected to the ship and the ilness she had been looking to cure so long ago.

Or so far in the future.
Or anythin in between.
Stupid time. Why can't it just go in a straight line?

"Crissie, eh? Heh...yeah, see, I knew we shoulda met up sooner. Stupid stuff. Oh well. Too late now. Old stuff wasn't left alone. On the contrary. But it was fer nothin anyway. So, how do we get up those stones, eh?"

The girl eyed the chicken, sniffing the air to get a whif of the stew.

"So why do they mislike ya?" She scratched her head. "Kinda like they scared of what they don't know? Oh wait, Gavin didn't say anything about stones yet. Hrmmm....you gonna explain or I explain, Gav?"

Syra looked up at the bearded man, feeling rather awkward in the little hut.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Gavin watched with interest as Vaga cut the chicken to pieces, tossing them into the pot and frowned only slightly when she mentioned how people of Islay did not quite like her. It made him feel guilty for having assumed that she had been a servant of the demon, but he had to make sure and thus the next few words came out in a somewhat strained manner. "We met a demon in our dreams, Vaga. She wore your face. I have come to talk and see if it was just a trick. Do you know anything of it? She was the one who made the wights and whose servant tried to kill Cristobal and burned Hafne. She tried to destroy Islay and controlled her servants with small red stones. I was given one by the wights, but it did not work."

He shrugged and turned to Syra "You tell her about the stones. All else is not important if she can help us with the stones. And I do not think Clans will dislike her if she helps us with those. Or....Well, seeing how stupid they acted and how they used Milky to put their words to him, maybe it won't be like that. Still, stones are import......" Then something dawned on him and the big man stopped mid-sentence. "Wait. You said you only do healing now. What did you do before? Other than healing?"

[Vanadius]

The old woman continued her work without looking up and scoffed heavily at the mention of being scared of what the clans didn't know.

"Heh! Keeping to old ways means keeping to old ways. Not picking and choosing among them! Heh!"

The Hex gave Syrawenn a sharp look from her green eye, not the brown one.

"You're a clever little thing aren't you? You speak true little one. I know what scares them, and what scares them most is what they don't know!"

She looked between them as Gavin and Syra conversed about who should tell her about the stones. She listened to Gavin, although one might never know by the way she finished cutting the meat and then added a few pinches of this and that to flavor it.

Her disgust of the clans naivety was suddenly rivaled by her disgust as Gavin mentioned dreams and their portents.

"Dreams! Bah! Empty and vile things happen in dreams. Men fly in dreams, never knowing they can in waking world if they chose to. Demons and monsters haunt corners of mind, then are fleeting in light of day. Face enough horrors in flesh, there would be no need to face them in Aether."

She pointed the knife at Gavin, more of gesture than a threat, before letting thud into the cutting board where it stood, quivering.

"You want to know if Vaga is real? Come see Vaga. Your eyes see Vaga now. That is what is real. You see Vaga in dream? That is trick."

The old woman seemed suddenly stirred up and full of energy.

"Vaga healed more than body once. The cityfolk need Vaga to make charms and potions. 'Free me from my curse' they ask. 'Make man fall in love with me' they ask. 'Make my baby not sick' they ask. Old Vaga help many, only ask to left in peace as payment, but still they come. They not listen. Still they come."

She turned her green eye again to wait for Syrawenn to speak.

[Syrawenn]

Syrawenn grinned and nodded at Hex. Suddenly she liked the woman. "I try to keep up. An yer wrong about dreams. I think most people know they might fly. An I think that scares the shit out of em too. Cause it would break em out of normalcy an hey, we all know how people love to be as normal as normal can be to not be the one who's head gets chopped off, eh?"

She took another look around. It looked empty, as if more stuff was supposed to be here. Yet the girl had no clue what those things should be.

Prolly eye of newt an snake's tongue an all that. A little skull wouldn't exactly be misplaced here either. Maybe some dried flowers on the ceilin.

"Face enough horrors in the flesh an ye'll recognize em in yer dreams. They just wear a different mask, tha's all. They'll be there all the same. Ain't no escapin. Sorry, I disagree again." She shrugged. There was not much about the horror of dreams that anyone could convince her about.

"An fer what it's worth, I'd come to ya any day fer help. Yer okay. But yea...if ya wanna be left alone I can see that's a problem...an here we are anyway to ask. Sorry. Not gonna leave either. See, we got a real problem here that will grab everyone here, you too. The goddamn stones are down by the stupid Domininnies an we gotta put em up again, but the clans are fightin over power an trade with the Duke an they don't wanna see that the real power is slippin away cause of the stones an they they started to argue an wouldn't listen to the one guy who knew an then that one guy who knew kinda figured he didn't know but he went with us anyway so we had to find another place to find our information an then Gav said you were the one to go to cause he had to ask you stuff anyway an then maybe you'd understand about the stones an puzzle this through with us."

Turning slightly purple after the humongous sentence the girl breathed in deeply. "Yeah. An then there's the dead Koreymen. Figure we can do somethin about that too?" She cocked her head to one side.

[Turi]

The old hedge witch sniffed, unimpressed by Syrawenn's argument. "Young you are," she declared in that infuriating way of the elder folk. "Still have to learn what is dream, and what is not dream. Good thing you are young," she cackled and nodded with finality, deciding that would be enough to put an end to that nonsense.

She listened with mad-eyed interest to Syrawenn's explanation about the fate of the Stones and if she had any difficulty following it, she gave no indication. She only shook her head and muttered at the foolishness of men. "Too late for stones," Vaga Hex informed the pair. "Too late. Death has taken the ones who knew the first Ways by heart – the ancient ones like Mag and Aetya. The rites of the old religion are only babbles and hand wavings now. No power in them. The Mother’s pact with the sea is broken and the Lord of the storm and the water comes to reclaim his dominion. All Hexes like Vaga can do - ” she pulled the knife back out from the chopping board and stuck it at the roof – “is make shelter.”

“The Koreymen dead too, you say? Huh.” At this news the old woman’s face fell grim and she was silent for a time. Then –

“The earth moves in circles,” she ventured eventually. “Many things that are born may be born again.”

[Gavin Tylvan]

There was a softest of whispers that issued from Gavin's lips as Vaga spoke of dreams, the comment meant for nobody's ears, but a simple statement of facts. "I met Syra in a dream." He said no more, letting the pair of women speak for a while, coming closer to the pot, though he still steered well away from Vaga, instincts keeping him out of reach of her knife. The rest of Vaga's reply disturbed the tall warrior, causing him to fall silent for a while, though he was certainly not afraid, just concerned about the way things were developing.

One word she spoke caught his attention, though he kept the words at bay until he solved another problem. "It is different now. People come to you so you would solve their problems, but they never solved yours. This problem now, is not our problem. Not a problem of just Syrawenn and me. It is a problem of us two, of the Duke, the Clans and everyone on the island of Dort. It is even your problem." The time came for the name to be mentioned again, and Gavin chewed his lip for a flicker under his beard. "Aetya is alive. At least that is what Gwayne and Amber told me. I am not sure if it is the same Aetya you speak of, or Aetya Syrawenn traveled with, but by Gwayne's reaction I would think it is so. I am not sure if she still knows what needs to be done, but perhaps we ought to seek her out." His eyes went to the knife stuck in the roof and then to meet Vaga's mismatched gaze. "You say you can make a shelter. I would know what it will shelter you from and if you could teach others to do it? Milkhaire said Dort is dying and I won't accept that as a fact. Even if it is in vain I will try to save it. Screw the odds, unless I try there will be no chance of success."

[Syrawenn]

Anger bubbled up. There it was again: someone telling them it was no use, that there was nothing to be done. It was amazing how many people were willing to just lay down and roll over instead of challenging the odds a little.

"Broken things are there to be fixed." The girl straightened her back, a coolness entering her voice. "And if you won't believe that, then I guess we're in the wrong place."

Gavin's words made her nod. "Yeah, Aetya is around. So, if ya say the world goes round an stuff, then the Koreymen might be back too AND the stones. I don't see nothin in yer words that tells me it's impossible. So the pact was broken? Fine, we'll go talk to people who know about pacts and sea and stuff. An Mom ain't too bad. At least she tries stuff. An I ain't gonna sit here an do nothin. So, if ya say it's too late, then I say it's time to move."

And indeed the girl got up to walk out. To her it sounded just like another wild goose chase to be sitting here trying to lure anything useful out of a woman who clearly only saw the end.

"Come on, Gav, time to cheat the dice."

[Vanadius]

Although softly worded, and more softly spoken, Gavin's reply was felt by the old Hex like a stinging slap.

"I say there is problem. You do not have to tell. Vaga knows!"

She leveled her mismatched gaze at him once more.

"Vaga knows Aetya is alive. But Vaga knows that baby Aetya is not powerful warrior Aetya, or great healer Aetya. Aetya is baby. Reborn but not yet grown. Vaga entrust her care to one of Swans. Teach her to live and to grow and to learn."

"Shelter is needed. Storms come. Rains and snows and waves and wind. You would do well to seek high ground. Cave or rock. Storm Lord will come to reclaim it all. Man's time is an an end here!"

"You would learn? Still? Even now? Too late for stones Vaga says. Too late. White hair says Dort dies. He is right. Survival is not out of question. Men learned long ago. He must do so again. If you would learn. Learn how to hold light. Learn to hear water speak. Learn how wind cuts deeper than sword. Learn the movement of stone. Learn language of rock and sky. Learn these things, man survive."

[Syrawenn]

Syrawenn growled low and spun around. "If Vaga KNOWS then this might be the time that Vaga TEACHES! We're HERE, bloody netherbats, we're here NOW. Stop wastin time an start TEACHIN us somethin we can use then! It's NEVER too late until we're all down to ashes! We would learn, but it sounds like YER given up already!"

The girl dropped herself unceremoniously on the floor and crossed her legs, staring at the woman. "Well? Come on, we would learn! Teach so we can survive! Learn the language of rock. Was startin to do that. Learn of the sky. Some insane ancient Adhiel taught me about the stars. Learn to hear water speak. Actually, I learned how time flows, does that count too?"

Every word was a challenge, trying to get beyond the fatalistic attitude Syra tasted in Vaga's words. She hoped she was wrong. She hoped fervently that she was wrong about the woman and that she'd help them out right here and now. They needed every bit of information they could get if they were to succeed and with everyone around them telling them to drop it, the girl felt more determined to make it work, if only to spite them.

[Gavin Tylvan]

There was a creak of leather as Gavin's hand tightened into a fist, the gloves stretching and straining against his wrist, the tall warrior tilting his head and remaining silent for a while. "She is right, you know. If you know what needs to be done, then you must know who can teach us how to do it. Either it is you or someone else. And even if you refuse to help, it is still not an end. We will simply find someone else to help us." He shrugged and tilted his head sharply, his spine crackling as he stretched it out.

"If I learned anything these past few months it is not to ask the questions you don't need answers to. Don't ask why something happened, ask what you can do about it now. Stuff like that. So, it does not matter who did it right now. Or why this is happening. What I.... What we want to know is how we can make it better? So, as she said, teach us to talk to rocks. And if we need to teach the others so be it. I won't mind doing it, if that will help." He sighed and grinned without much joy behind it. "I don't care what people say and what they do. This [i]is[/b] a good thing we are trying to do. And if someone don't like it, like that Storm Lord you mention, well I guess we shall have to teach him to keep away from our island. Any way we can." And with that he sunk down next to Syrawenn, in a clinking heap of steel and leather, crossing his legs and glancing at the pot. "You can tell us what we need to know while the stew is being made. And if you need more time, we can come again."

[Vanadius]

Vaga the Hex had been old when the men and women that now ran the city were but children. She had seen many things. Some terrible, some wondrous to behold, but never in her many yahren had she seen something like these two before her.

She gave the pair a look that would curdle fresh milk. When she spoke again, her voice was as low and calm as any living man had ever heard from her. It spoke about the miracle of self restraint that she was exhibiting right before their very eyes. Yet despite all that, there was a glimmer of something there. It might have been amusement but for the scowl she now wore. It might have been disgust, but for the way she was still speaking to them. Regardless of what it was, there was a hint of something going on beneath the surface.

She picked up a bucket of water with a wooden ladle in it and scooped out a full cup. She poured the water from the ladle back into the bucket slowly, deliberately, letting the many tiny drops fall and create tiny ripples in the surface of the water. Then she set the bucket in front of the pair

"See that younglings? Find any one of those drops you saw."

She gave them a moment to ponder over it before continuing.

"Truth is. Is impossible. Even pulling spoon out, each drop is different already. Understand?"

She cocked a sad eye at them.

"Such is way of Stones younglings. What is broken cannot be brought back same. New way must be found. Lore that built Stones was many generations old. Ancient Picti and Seers long dead made stones. Picti gone. Seers gone. You seek to learn what none can teach while you live. Vaga cannot teach generations in a day, or month, or yahren. Vaga will die before knowledge is gained. You die before knowledge is gained. So new way must be found."

She hobbled over and stirred the stew, tendrils of steam began to rise and the warm and inviting smell permeated the hut.

"Aetya is baby. You make shelter, live long, Aetya can teach when she grows into woman. White Hair knows some. He can teach."

The old crone shook her head. It was not a gesture of refusal, it was a motion of sad resignation.

"Vaga knows old stones and old ways dying. Vaga will pass on what she learned. First lesson is eat. Next lesson is smile. Hope is spark. Life clings to hope like baby to mother. Next lesson is patience. Vaga will not teach when being yelled at. Vaga will not teach to unruly pair who demand answers without paying respect. Vaga will not be given orders."

She spooned a bowl of soup for herself and began to eat.

"If younglings agree, they can eat and stay. If younglings say no, they can go."

[Syrawenn]

“Wow...” Syrawenn regarded the old woman. She sounded perfectly calm, trying to hide the huge disappointment building inside. “You know, I know I ain’t much. I know I don’t know much. I know that every goddamn single thing I’ve tried to do has turned upside down into a heap of netherbatdung. I even know I don’t have much in manners. An if I offended you with that, well, sorry. We came here for help. We’re desperate for help. Instead we get a lecture on manners. For everything that you have and are that is better than me, at least I know a need when I hear one.”

She swallowed. “Too bad you don’t hear the questionmarks. A shame that I didn’t emphasise em, but you know what, lady? I’m scared. I’m scared shitless, okay? Is that what you wanna hear? I’m pissed off at being scared. I want to do this right and I’m doing it by doing the only thing I can think of right now and that’s asking for help.”

Slowly she got up again, dusting off her breeches. “So I am askin you now: what is more important, teachin us how to talk in questionmarks or for once listening behind the words and help us make that first step towards a possible solution. I ain’t orderin you. I can’t order you. But I can’t sit here an pretend to look up to you when all you’ll do is wipe us with our clumsy words an make me feel absolutely useless. I gave you the truth. I’d like some clarity in return. So if the old ways are dyin an a new one has to be found, that’s what we’ll do. Put in the questionmark wherever you want it, but that is what we’ll do. Maybe ya call it respectless, I call it stubborness and it’s the goddamn last thing we got to hold on to.”

Her head turned to Gavin, her hands going up in a helpless gesture. “Sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t sit here playin games. I’m sure Vaga is wise an all that, but if the old ways are dyin, then perhaps our new way of thinkin ain’t so bad. Vaga, can we work together here, or have I gone too far already? I just gotta know...you evoke my anger an then slap it back in my face. What do you want? What do you expect from a pair who’s only wish is to help out Islay? Does that really make us that bad?”

Echoes of the past.
“You were born bad. You’re a bad seed. Nothing you do will ever come out right. You’re a disgrace to the family. We’d be better off without you. You’re bad luck.”

“Im nothin. But I’d like to do somethin. If the first step is eatin an the second is to smile, then tell us somethin to smile about, cause that’s what we came here for. For hope.”

Bleh, I talk too much. Said too much. Fuck it. She ain’t gonna help us if she’s such a stickler on manners in the face of death. I’ll find another way. Maybe the dreams. Maybe I can get into em an do stuff there. Everything got a projection there. I know that. Maybe we can do something there.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Vaga's gaze, no matter what it held, and what the undercurrent was, Gavin met with a steady gaze of his own, steely grey eyes staring back at her without a challenge, simply looking. He di not expect anything from her, he did not dare her to do anything, he was simply observing her and waiting for a reaction, though he did not seem as he would be too upset if no reaction came. He was simply calm and a full flicker passed before he drew a breath in, preparing to speak. And then he changed his mind, reaching towards the bucket, dipping a finger in and letting a droplet of water roll down it, lingering on the fingertip for a moment before disappearing into a bucket.

He ignored both women, staring at the droplets, watching the water grow calm once more, not even looking up as he spoke, staring at a wet finger. "Drip-drip. Two little droplets." Once more Gavin's finger dipped into the bucket and he let a few drops fall on his other palm, eight specks of it glistening on his skin. Ever so gently a fingers touch one droplet and smeared it across his palm, connecting three more and moving to his wrist. As he did so, all three slipped down the wet path he made, where they hung upon his skin just a moment before. Another droplet was touched and again it connected with three others, and then to the path first four have made. Water flowed down his skin, over his wrist and came to where the first quartet of droplets stopped, pushing them lower, disappearing into his sleeve.

With an almost childish smile, he looked up, glancing first at Syra and then at Vaga, his entire face lit up by joy. "Look. Two droplets made the others move. And together they made my sleeve wet. But, They did not know how to move alone. I helped them. Taught them how to do it. Before that they were alone and exposed on my palm and now they are together and hiding in my sleeve." He rose up with and stood, looking at Vaga intently, the smile no longer childish, nor innocent, but still there. "I don't ask you to like me. I don't ask you to show me how you can like me. I only ask you to help me do what is right. You agree that Islay and Dort should be saved, right? Well, we want to save it. Teach us how. Cause that is important. Manners are not, but if it will make you happy I can try to be polite, and nice. As long as that gets me the knowledge to save my home and people I like. Just, don't demand I be nice. Don't order me. Ask me. Like I ask you to teach me what can save Dort." His voice trailed off, eyes on Vaga's, the big warrior not in the least disconcerted by their mismatched color.

[Vanadius]

The old crone ate heartily, seemingly unconcerned with their decision. Her eyes watched Syrawenn as she stood and voiced her frustrations. She continued to eat and to chew, her eyes regarding her visitors carefully.

She sat there for a long time, saying nothing, just chewing and swallowing, chewing and swallowing. Perhaps her saying nothing was her way of actually saying something, it was difficult to tell. For all their words and protestations, she seemed completely at ease with the way she had left things verbally.

Even as Gavin worked with the droplets she watched and ate, apparently more interested in the contents of her bowl than in any revelation he managed to evoke.

When her bowl was empty, she went over to the pot and refilled it. Then resumed her place and her meal. With her mouth half full, she belched loudly and then croaked some words.

"Food gets cold while younglings talk. Ask Vaga what you have come to ask. Vaga will tell you. Vaga has nothing to hide."

[Syrawenn]

The little drip-show Gavin performed brought a grin to Syrawenn's face. Her heart felt far from laughing, yet he managed to point out the flaws she felt in Vaga's story and that was worth any acknowledgement she could conjur up.

"I'll bloody well let you do the talkin next time." She grumbled. "Not much I can add to that now, can I?"

It was good to have someone on her side. It was even better that he seemed to understand so completely. It was insane that the guy even existed, let alone that his thinking was so very much following -or rather preceeding- her own.

And yet...

Useless.
It was very hard to ignore the growing feeling.
It was going to be useless again. She was going to be useless again. Always too late to manage, always running after the facts. Gavin was doing fine in managing Vaga. She should learn to leave matters to the people who knew.

The girl picked up the bowl and started to eat. Food was a rare commodity once they got into a hasty pattern. It would be foolish to pass up on it now.

It was tempting to waltz over her earlier admission of fright by bashing into Vaga with a series of sarcastic remarks, yet that would completely negate the purpose of their call and this was something she was as of yet unwilling to give up on.

"Alright, so old ways are useless. They made up that stuff in the past with the information they had. So, tell us more about those deals between Mommy and the Lord of Storms and the Sea and such. What kind of deals were made, what kind of promise, what did they need each other for? What boundaries were set? Cause therein must lie the reason for the stones."

Not bad.

Useless.

Awh come on, that wasn't a bad question!

Like it's gonna help ya. How much do we bet there's gonna be another vague answer.

Oh, shuddup.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Gavin was not frustrated in the very least by Vaga's actions, her silence, met by a single arched brow and a silence of his own, followed by a shrug as he picked up a bowl and filled it with stew, eating it slowly. The beard and mustaches were a bit of an obstacle when eating, food always getting stuck in them, and he did not have much to say to Vaga, his questions coming after Syrawenn's. Through association with Syra he had learned that some questions, while they could help you understand the situation you found yourself in did not really matter in the search for the solution. "I would like to know of those deals too, but I want to know something else too. You mentioned shelters and that they could be built. How do we build those shelters and what do we need to learn before we can do it? And how big can they be? Could an entire city or even the island be put into a shelter?" He paused as if pondering something chewing the meat in the stew before adding. "If the stones can't be built again, is there another way to achieve the same effect? Some way to have the island safe like the stones kept it for so long?"

[Vanadius]

"The Storm Lord was powerful spirit."

The old woman began.

"He claimed this island long ago from Lord of Sea. But Mother wanted her children kept safe from power of Storm Lord. She wanted safe harbor for her children. So she make pact with Storm Lord. Put an end to storms, save children."

Vaga put her spoon down as she was finished with her meal. The stew was hot and brown, not exactly a delicacy, but enough to warm the innards and the spirit.

"To protect her people, she create powerful spirit of her own to guide and teach. The oldest learn from spirit. Learn secrets of stone and sea. Create elder circles so if spirit die, promise can endure."

The Hex's eyes travelled to Gavin's once more.

"Shelters can be built, aye. Big enough for city or island? Take many lifetimes, but can be done. Aye, can be done."

His next question brought about an interested gaze and glance to Syrawenn as well.

"Aye there is way. A path thrice damned. New pact must be made. Three curses suffered. Curse of shame. Curse of pain. Curse of blood. When three damnations are fulfilled, then pact can be done. Then safe harbor for all can be had."

[Gavin Tylvan]

Gavin at standing, bowl nestled in his palm, the leather of his glove shielding his skin from the warmth of the stew. He looked as if he were alone and did not show the least bit of surprise at Vaga's words, letting the old woman speak of the Storm Lord and what needed to be done in order to appease him once more. "How likely it is that the Storm Lord might refuse a new pact? That he will wish to take what was once his back no matter what is offered in return?" If such were the case they would need to start building the shelters Vaga mentioned while the pursued the Storm Lord and the pact, to be ready in case it failed.

Finishing his bowl he set it down gently, making sure the spoon was resting securely in it, before turning towards Vaga once more. "This spirit guardian the mother created. I think he is dead. We spoke to a dwarven priestess of Mother and she told us of a battle between the spirit and manifestation of Dominicus. So he can not teach us no more, and Koreymen are gone too, so they too can not teach us much. The Duchess said the books of old lore that spoke of the circles were taken to the Abbey. We will go there later." The tall warrior's shoulders shifted uncomfortably, uneasy about how effortlessly he started organizing everything, remembering what had happened upon the blasted plain, before the walking forest. "Tell us more of this pact. What exactly are the sacrifices that need to be made? And how do we find the Storm Lord?"

[Syrawenn]

Shame, check. Pain, check. Blood...hmmm. The girl touched her scarf. Ah, check. Well then, how bad can it be?

She listened to Gavin's answers and questions, yet it did not quite add up yet. "Hooooold it....those three curses are just to find a safe place? Or would they actually restore what those idiot fanatics broke? An why would anyone want others to suffer in order to make a pact? Starting to sound like Dominutcase all over again. Are you SURE yer talkin about another power? Curses...phah....that's a powertrip if ever I heard one. Why can't those weirdo's upstairs not just tell us what they need instead of inflicting all kinds of curses on the people who are actually trying!"

The girl was counting on her fingers. "Oh! And exactly what was that pact? Didn't get an answer to that one. I mean, how did they actually decide? She wanted safety, he must have wanted something to. What did he get?"

Craaaaaaaap....we're talkin overly fanatical godtypepeople again! NOT my strong point! Can't we just go kick something and be done with it? An who says that lord is gonna take this pact! Gav is right, what if he refuses? We can hardly go twist his arm, can we?
Or can we?

The fantasy brought a smile to her lips.

[Vanadius]

The old crone looked at the two intently with her mismatched gaze. They seemed to be having a difficult time grasping what she had already told them. Their questions would have her talking in circles, but the old woman was nothing if stubborn. If they wanted answers, she would give them the same answers over and over again until they understood.

"Guardian spirit of island is baby Aetya. Was Aetya before, is Aetya now. Powerful magic in island. Make things destroyed new again. Fires burn forest, island make new trees. Rocks dissolve in sea, island make new rocks. If Korey are dead, then island remake them too."

She cocked her head, almost pleading for them to understand.

"Pact is as Vaga said. Curse of shame. Curse of pain, curse of blood. Shame must be felt by those who wish to rebirth pact. Pain must be felt. Blood must be given. When shame and pain are felt and blood given, pact restored like tree grows again. Storm Lord cannot refuse any more than moth can refuse flame."

Syrawenn's question made the old woman close her eyes for a moment. She opened them and continued to talk.

"Pact was Mother's children live, thrive, grow. Storm Lord gets rain and waves and lightning. Shame makes man humble. Pain makes man grateful. Blood is man's life, and must be given because pact is life for man on island. Mother wants man to live and grow. Storm lord wants wind and rain. Curses make man take seriously. Vaga not make rules, only learn them. Life given for given life. You understand?"

[Gavin Tylvan]

It was still quite confusing, but the confusion was not what made Gavin frown. It was one tiny detail amongst all that Vaga said that drew his attention and held it, anger starting to slowly rise in him at her words. Suddenly he did not like this Storm Lord very much and seriously pondered asking another question that rested at his heart, but kept his quiet instead. "Will new pact mean new guardian? And will the new pact mean new rules? You say Storm Lord will accept the pact as he does not have choice, but does he have a choice in rules we make. We are not Mother and it will be hard to get the same or better rules and agreements than one she got."

"I understand that sacrifices must be made, but what I do not know is how are they to be made so they would count? People feel shame every day and they feel pain often? And much blood is spilled time after time. Both blood of men and animals. But, are they all part of the pact? Or do you need to do it all in a certain manner for it to count?" Can we just kill a cow or something and make it count. Cause I ain't gonna let anyone die for some stupid pact. If Storm Lord wants a human sacrifice then he can go find it somewhere else. I wonder if ancient beings can die? Can a sword cut them?

[Syrawenn]

Syrawenn snapped her head around to Gavin as he pretty much worded what she thought. Okay, either I'm going nuts or this is just another dream or the guy is actually thinking the exact same things by accident. Roll them dice, lessee which one it is.

"Life given for life. I don't get it." She mumbled. "No one is gonna remember the guy or gal that died, otherwise we woulda known now too. So it's not about rememberin the sacrifice or anythin. Time for new stuff. I wonder if the gods are actually growin with their time or if they get stuck in some time an the habits that belong there. Dommy surely went with his time, although he went over the top. So why would a lord of storms not be willin to see things differently, eh? Besides that I'm pretty sure Dommy squealed to his guys an made them grab the stones an everythin. He had a big plan. They weren't gonna stop at the stones either. They were gonna get the core. An if this was the deal, then the core has to do with the lord. An if it has to do with the lord, then..."

"SHIT!" She exclaimed out loud and hit the ground full force with a fist. "That means we're too late AGAIN! Friggin netherflies on a cake! It's been MONTHS! They surely got to it! Oh, fuck this all, we gotta hurry, Gavin, if we wanna convince this stormlord that we're actually okay, cause with a bit of our typical bad luck the dominidiots have completely screwed up. Let's go find out how 'in the time' he is, eh?"

[Vanadius]

Vaga's eyes looked sad, and her withered faced creased into a frown. Clearly they were hearing much, but not truly listening. The old Hex drew in a breath to reply to Gavin's questions, but the little one interrupted and flew into an angry tirade.

"Everything new." She said quietly, not stopping even if someone spoke over her.

"Storm Lord follows rules because of nature of Gods and man. Gods protect followers, followers protect Gods. Not even Storm Lord can tear down. Shame, pain blood all come from ritual. Ritual is followed. Pact is restored."

She fell silent for a moment, it seemed she had much more on her mind. She was obviously distracted by something, then her face indicated she made a decision. She stood, walked over to her sleeping pallet and rummaged around in her coverlet and furs before pulling forth a small wooden box. As she walked back over to resume her place, she placed the box in front of Syrawenn.

The old crone sat back down and cocked her eye at the young girl, almost daring her to open it.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Other than pressing his ear to Vaga's lips, there was little more Gavin could do in order to listen to her better and to hear her words any clearer. He had dealt with weird before, but this time a fate of entire island depended on what he knew and what he would do. He was not about to let a slight technicality cause him to mess everything up. He was about to speak up when Vaga moved and produced a box, placing it before Syrawenn, and making it very hard for Gavin not to crane his neck. With a bit of effort he managed to turn away and glance at Vaga. "One more question. Was there anyone else present when the first deal was made? Other than Mother and Storm Lord?"