Pax - The Stone Cube ~ Chyril 27th, Early TT

[Mara Zucaro]

"The key to what is happening in this town." Mara murmured as she gazed upon the cube with new interest. Vernon clearly knew much more than he was letting on. "Let us bide a moment. Perhaps this mystery needs to be looked upon with new eyes."


It is true that the Father will grant us the power to work His will in the world. Lasswen once taught her. But it is unwise to ask for such gifts without understanding. Focus your mind upon the Father within and the truth of the Aether shall be made manifest. Mara took a deep breath and concentrated. She always thought of it as looking into a starry night sky and finding wisdom among the constellations. Once Mara had calmed herself and felt at peace with herself, she spread forth her mind and looked upon the cube with Aetheric sight.

[Ophelia da Yrsa]

As Luca made jokes about her theory Ophy had to bite down on her bottom lip. She gave him a casual back-handed slap on the upper arm. "Shhh!" But a widening grin, one only prevented by sharp white teeth, supported the idea that she was rather enjoying his merrimaking.

When the bead hit no sort of obstruction inside the cube she had to reason that it was a rather deep chasm within. Withdrawing the cord her fingers swept over the dampened surface. "It's wet..." She mumbled while placing a hand over the void to see if cool air rushed from it the way she anticipated. If it did she'd place that very hand over the hole. "We need a stick or something longer... or something. Or a bit of something that's got fire on it, so maybe we could see inside - atleast a bit, or try to tell how far down it goes."

Childlike and bursting with enthusiasm (as well as crazy ideas), Ophelia looked back up at Luca hoping he could procur what she was looking for. "Do... you think there's something inside it? What if it's like a room or something. Maybe there's treasure in it!" Replacing innocence was the greed of finding something worth money, thus fueling her interest even more-so as she spoke and thought of any other ways to access what could be inside the curious cube.

[Luca di Fabro]

Watching Ophelia dangling the bead inside the hole, he waited to see what would happen. Nothing happened of course..but then she came up with her next idea...something with fire. He could see that she was waiting for him to help her with her idea. Cavolo! This chica was quite demanding!

He grabbed the backpack from his back and opened it to see if he had anything useful in it for this situation. "The cube is large enough to contain a room....but it seems so solid though..." As his hand moved through his stuff he found one part of what he was looking for, his flint & steel. He looked up at Ophelia with an excited look on his face. "Ah!" He said, although he kept his discovery in his hand and kept on searching for the other item, not showing Ophelia what he found or what he was planning.

When Luca reached deeper into his bag, tongue out of his mouth to further enhance the excitement for Ophelia to find out what he was looking for, he found a liquorice stick. "Got it!" He said as he pulled the stick and the flint and steel out of the bag. There wasn't much time before they might attract attention to themselves, so he didn't wait to see Ophelia's reaction, but immediately started to use the flint and steel to light the dried stick on fire.
"Come on baby, work with me. Burn, baby, burn"

[Guido Cercatoro]

Focusing her mind upon the Father, Mara sought to use the power that he granted her to examine the cube through her aetheric sight.

The stars glimmered. Small pinpricks of light set against a dark sky. Yet one grew larger in Mara’s sight. It was pure white; angular, sharp rather than soft. And from the side closest to Mara a bridge of bright energy arced over her head.

The energy she perceived was unlike any that she had ever sensed. It was both there and not there at the same time; as if it were lost, dislocated from some other place.

And Mara sensed great power before her perception dissolved as the real world disrupted her concentration.

“Take my bloody ladder, will you.” The workman who had been talking to the guard’s by the building from which Luca had purloined the ladder, had quietly walked over to the stone cube. Pushing Malocan out of the way, he grabbed the ladder and began to stalk off in the direction of the ruined building.

The cloaked man laughed. “Oh dear, they’re stuck up there now.”

Meanwhile, on top of the cube Ophelai and Luca were oblivious to the events below….

Ophelia felt a slight sucking of air as she placed her hand over the top of the hole and outlined her new plan to Luca. With some enthusiasm, her companion extricated a flint, steel and dry stick from his backpack. A spark was quickly procured and the herb slowly smouldered as it caught the spark. A pungent odour wafted through the air. By repute, the herb was good for respiratory complaints. How good it would be as an illuminator of dark holes remained to be seen.

"They're trying to set fire to it," muttered the cloaked man in disbelief as he caught sight of the smoke.

[Mara Zucaro]

All thoughts for the pair on top of the cube were forgotten as Mara sensed the power coming from the cube. Or leaving the cube. Mara was not really sure which was happening. She craned her neck back and turned around to follow the starlight arcing over her hand and cursed quietly as that movement and the bustle about her caused her to lose her concentration.

"Vernon?" Mara pointed in the direction she saw the energy arcing toward. "What is in that direction from here? Both in and out of the city." This cube was linked to somewhere and Mara wanted to know what.

[Ophelia da Yrsa]

So far as Ophelia was concerned, something was better than nothing. She watched Luca with great interest as he rummaged about his his pack and managed to procure things of infinite power - flint & steel. Such a wonderous duo and entirely linkable to man's increasing technology. It could be said that the ability to create fire was man's greatest gift. In Trothgard it was said that the Ice Queen granted fire to her people so that they might survive the coldest of winters and that it was they who taught the rest of Tazlure about how to cook their food and many other things. That is, of course, just the story told in Trothgard. So many other islands had their own idea of from where it came.

When the strong smell of the burning stick started to gather around her face Ophy swatted around her nose and mouth to draw in fresh clean air. "Ick.. what is that?" Her nose scrunched up and her eyes squeezed down to slits. She giggled through a light cough after inhaling some more of the scent. "You don't have anything that will burn brighter?" Hope rolled off of her in waves, but she continued to keep an eye on Luca should he drop the stick into the ominous hole and she was quick to move in so that she could see better - even if it meant getting a lung full of the herb.

[Luca di Fabro]

Luca was completely oblivious to the fact that their ladder had now been taken away. He was too focussed on his little fire. He grinned as Ophelia mentioned the smell. "It's a stick of liquorice. Very tasty stuff..that is when you don't burn it, hehe."

He was about to put the stick into the hole, the burning side first, when Ophelia gave him her next demand. "Something that will burn brighter?? I didn't really prepare to shed some light on any stone cube today you know..." He tilted his head and gave her clothes another look. "We could use a piece of cloth from your clothes...but we might just want to try this first. I have two or three more sticks. Clothing might produce too much smoke to be able to see anything through the hole."

He then released the stick into the hole, hoping it would be enough for them to be able to see anything, although he himself doubted that they would become any wiser. He gave her a nudge. "Try to see if you can actually see anything in the hole now." As she moved in, it gave him a chance to look around and see if any of the guards were actually moving in. He now noticed that the ladder was gone, but as the cube wasn't that high, he didn't felt all too worried about it. They should be able to slide off pretty easily and so he didn't mention it yet to Ophelia. He looked back at her when he was done checking the surroundings, obvious excitement in his voice even though the reasonable side of his brain told him that there was little chance of them getting any wiser this way. "And??? do you see anything?"

[Guido Cercatoro]

Down below

Vernon’s eyes swivelled to follow Mara’s pointing finger. “If you travel in that direction you will reach the south wall of the town. There is a small gate but it is seldom used. Outside the gate is a small area of scrub and bushes but it is only a short distance before the mountains rise steeply. There’s a small grass-covered mound where the children often play mid-way between the gates and the mountains. Apart from that there is nothing of note in that direction. Why do you ask?”

Up above

Luca’s plan to illuminate the hole with a burning stick of liquorice met with mixed success. As the stick fell into the hole it revealed that the first part of the shaft has smooth sides and was made out of the same stone as the entire cube. The stick was soon a distant pinprick of light and revealed nothing more other than the fact that the shaft clearly went down for a considerable distance. After a few flickers Ophelia heard the faint sound of what appeared to be a slight splash echoed up the shaft, as if the stick had fallen into some liquid.

Luca noticed that the ladder had vanished and also caught sight of the rather irate owner of the ladder marching in the direction of the guards who stood outside the ruined building. He noticed one other strange thing about the top of the cube. Whilst it appeared to be flat, there was a barely perceptible slope in the surface from the edge down to the recess in the centre.

[Mara Zucaro]

Mara frowned in thought. "There is an energy surrounding that cube Vernon." She stated. "I can't tell if its coming from it or leaving it but the energy arced up from the cube in that direction. I find myself convinced that if we follow this trail, we will find another piece of this mystery. When my meeting is done, do you have time for a walk to the south?" She asked Vernon.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Down Below

The giant woodsman nodded his head slowly at Mara's remark concerning the cube. "The person I will taking you to see will be most interested in this and I am sure that she will want me to accompany you to investigate this matter."

"Now, do you want to continue to wait for these children to finish their climbing game, or shall we depart?" Vernon directed a look of disdain and reproach at those on the cube.

[Mara Zucaro]

Mara took a last look at the pair on the cube and then shrugged. "If there is one thing I've learned in the Mouth, it's that you can't protect fools from themselves. Let's go, Vernon. I want to hear more about all this before I get involved." She stopped long enough to gesture of blessing towards the pair. "May the Father guide your blundering steps." She murmured and then gestured for Vernon to lead on.

[Ophelia da Yrsa]

"It's deep," she whispered with her eye pressed against the hole. "And it sounds like there's water in it, way down there, like a well spring." Her hands were firmly planted on either side, her round bottom up in the air with only the severe slope of her spine to draw the eye back to her face which peered up at Luca with curiosity all over it. She caught his distant look, one that betrayed he was looking elsewhere and thus she turned to check what was going on behind her where she saw the swaying top of the ladder being carried away and toward the guards.

"Hahah! We're in for it now!" She giggled and slinked along the slight bowl of the top of the cube. "Come on, let's get... I want to check this out better, but not when we have to worry about being caught by the guards," she grinned and slid further until she was at the edge. "Plus, I'm ready for that dinner." With that and a wink she swung her legs over the lip and scooted until her bottom was precariously hanging over, her booted feet kicking against the hard surface, and then turned in mid-slide to allow for her belly to rub on the cold stone. It was a swift movement, as gravity pulled her downward and she gave a well-timed shove to push herself away from the strange rock block.

Tumbling with laughter she rolled across the ground and managed to land at Mara's feet while the girl offered the complex hand movements associated with prayers to the One god. "Pardon, miss," she pushed herself off the ground and gave a sharp look at Malocan. "Nice job watching the ladder, blondie," she snapped toward the foreigner while awaiting Luca's decent.

[Luca di Fabro]

Although Luca heard what Ophelia said about the cube, the words did not register in his brain until somewhat later. "It's not flat..." He thought out loud as he looked at the surface of the cube. He looked up at Ophelia with renewed excitement showing in his eyes. "the surface is not flat! We should fill it up with water or something..."

Ophelia had seen the man walking up to the guards too however and she had a good point about not getting caught. The Mouthie nodded. "Yeah..we can come back another time. And dinner does indeed sound amazing, bella." He grinned and then followed her movements as she tried to slide off of the cube. It seemed to go pretty well until she actually pushed herself off and came tumbling down on the ground. He couldn't help laughing, fully realizing he still had to go down himself which would probably not be much more successful either. Better get that over with asap..

Luca swung his feet off of the cube, trying to get a good grip on the cube with his arms. Of course that horribly failed and he came tumbling down even faster than Ophelia had. He quickly jumped up off the ground and walked up to her pretending like nothing happened. He rolled his eyes at her comment to Malocan. "Who needs a ladder anyway." He chuckled and then held out his arm so she could intertwine hers. "Ready for some dinner, bella?"

[Ophelia da Yrsa]

Ophelia's bright blue eyes scanned over the surface, trying to get what the Mouthie meant by it being "not flat". In her eyes, it appeared fairly well squared off, but as she shifted and slide off the surface, and her face slipped by the corner, she could sort of see what he'd meant.

Luca had made himself known with his boisterous laughter at her less than graceful decent, and so as he came tumbling down she joined in with the fun at his expense. He offered an arm, to which she was not so inclined to become intertwined. Ophelia was many things, but wise in ways of court - or even merchant class displays - she was not. She just assumed he wrenched his elbow with his awkward landing.

"I'm ready, yah," she said with her ever present grin, more ready than ever for the next bit of adventure that Pax might provide. Plus, her stomach was rumbling something fierce. She hadn't eaten anything since that extremely powerful wine at the Provost's office. Dangerous stuff, that was, she thought to herself even now while taking up a spot alongside Luca. She kept his pace easily, and it was her intention to maneuver away from the cube, atleast for the time being.

OOC: Continued in: Dinner for Two. Thanks Guido! Can't wait to get back and examine this cube some more...

[Guido Cercatoro]

Mara

Vernon led Mara away from the square towards the eastern wall.

During the cold winter months, the south-eastern area of Pax had gradually taken shape as a quiet residential area. Most of the houses were small wooden buildings, essentially little more than shacks, but of a more sturdy construction than the earliest hovels that had been constructed following the influx of refugees. Strangely, none of the houses had been affected by the bizarre twisting and re-shaping that occurred throughout most of the rest of Pax. It was as if this area was immune to whatever was afflicting the town.

In a quiet secluded corner of the residential district close to the eastern wall, was a modest but well-constructed wooden one-storey building. A plain, grey-haired middle-aged woman could often be seen entering and leaving the shack, occasionally accompanied by an unusually tall, bearded human and a small, pretty dark-haired girl. The door to the shack was a typical, slatted wooden door that had a small knocker affixed to it.

Vernon knocked on the door, which was soon opened by a pretty dark-haired girl dressed in a plain white dress. The little finger on one hand was adorned with a slender silver band. The ring was inset with a red gem that sparkled as it was caught by the light.

The girl looked strained but she gave the woodsman a polite nod.

“We have been expecting you,” she said to Mara in a friendly tone, accompanied by a weak smile. “I am Ines, please enter.” She opened the door wide and stood to one side to allow the woodsman and Mara to enter.

If Mara entered she would find that immediately inside the doorway was a small kitchen saturated with a pungent smell emerging from a bubbling pot cooking over a fire. Ines would then lead Mara and Vernon through to a large room that ran along the entire rear wall of the shack. A large, comfortable-looking high backed chair was placed in one corner of the room and several other chairs and a large sofa were scattered around a large, low table.

“My mistress will be with you shortly. Would you like some refreshments?” The young girl gave a questioning look towards her two guests.

**********************************************************************

Back at the square…..

Ophelia and Luca reached the ground unscathed and departed for their dinner date….

…the aggrieved ladder-owner was too deep in conversation with the guards to pay any attention.

…the failed ladder-holder, Malocan, had fallen into a deep silence, remaining with his back leaning against the cube…..

….the jocular cloaked man had completely vanished, perhaps making himself scarce lest he be implicated in the ladder-stealing , cube-climbing escapade…

[Mara Zucaro]

Mara raised an eyebrow when it was revealed that she was expected but she said nothing. The large chair has the look of belonging to the owner so Mara sat in one of the other chairs around the low table. "No thank you." Mara nodded to Ines. "I ate not too long ago." Mara fiddled with her hands in her lap. She still did not who she was meeting, Lasswen or this Nyrellon of hers. Vernon had been deliberately vague on that point and Mara had not pressed him on it. Still, that uncertainty set her on edge. The sooner this mistress arrived the better.

[Guido Cercatoro]

With no refreshments required by either of her guests, Ines departed, presumably to attend to her duties. Vernon remained silent, content to stand in front of the sofa, giant arms folded across his chest.

After a few burns, the door opened softly and a middle-aged woman entered. She was attired in a plain grey dress with long silver-grey hair tied back in a tight bun. She nodded to the woodsman and moved to stand directly in front of Mara, giving her a penetrating stare with a pair of intense, violet eyes.

“I am Nyrellon,” said the woman. “Vernon informs me that you have been looking for me. Why?” The small woman spoke in a neutral manner that signified neither friendship nor hostility. However, her voice had an authoritative tone, as if she was someone who expected and usually obtained an answer to the questions she posed.

[Mara Zucaro]

Mara rose as the woman entered. Lasswen has taught her that it was proper to stand humbly with eyes downcast in the presence of a high priestess. Yet Mara was proud and this Nyrellon needed to prove herself to Mara before she could show that kind of respect. Mara met her gaze and spoke firmly.

"I am Mara Zucaro and I was ordained a priestess of the Father by my mentor Lasswen. One of her last gifts to me before the legionnaires deported her from the Mouth was to speak your name and urge me to seek your wisdom and guidance should I come to Pax. Have I come to the right place?" Mara asked. "Is there one in Pax that keeps the faith of the Father alive?"

[Guido Cercatoro]

The grey-haired woman returned Mara’s forthright words with an equally resolute stare. It was evident that the woman must have been something of a beauty in her younger days, for the traces of a pleasing countenance underlay the lines that now covered her stern face. The merest hint of an amused smile played across her lips as the violet eyes held Mara’s own in an increasingly concentrated stare.

After a few flickers, Nyrellon pursed her lips and spoke, making no attempt to answer the achadhiel’s questions.

“So you say that this Lasswen trained you to be a priestess of the Father. How very interesting. Now, tell me, what are the most important lessons that you learnt in your training?” The question was posed politely but it was clear from Nyrellon’s manner that the answer was of some importance; the high priestess, if that was what she was, gave every appearance of being about to test the new arrival.

[Mara Zucaro]

A small hint of a smile twitched Mara's lips. Lasswen used to ask her the same question when she taught. Nyrellon even spoke it with the same inflection. Mara blinked away the tears that filled her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. Time to focus on the now and on the question.

Mara fixed her gaze on Nyrellon's stomach and spoke clearly. "I learned that I am small, a speck floating in the vastness that is the sky. Yet, with the power and support of the Father, I can glow like a star in the sky and thus become a point by which others can navigate the ways of this world. I learned that things are best when the influence of the Mother and Father balance each other and that by worshiping the Father I balance male and female within myself." Mara sighed. "Those were Lasswen's greatest teachings. The truth that smallest might become the brightest and the truth that the Father is not all. Yet we learned another truth together in the streets of the Mouth. Dominicus is truly mad as are many of his followers. Often we talked of the Father and Mother needing to reign in their son and whether we could or should do the same as followers of the Father of All. I learned fear in the Mouth, Nyrellon, and it is a lesson I wish to unlearn here. I want to be bold for my god." Mara fell silent and looked down at her shoes.

[Guido Cercatoro]

The first part of Mara’s answer, concerning the symbiosis between Father and Mother appeared to satisfy the priestess, for she responded with a scarcely perceptible nod. However, she frowned as the achadhiel spoke of her experiences in the Mouth, her views of Dominicus and desire to be bold.

“If you learned fear in the Mouth, then it may stand you in good stead, for these are troubling times.” The grey-haired woman ran her hands down over her dress as if to smooth out the creases. “You may find Pax equally as troublesome in its own way. Being bold for your God can be a wise or foolish aspiration depending on the circumstances.”

The woman let her eyes wander over Mara from head to foot as if she was inspecting some unusual specimen. Yet, although her eyes were firm, they were not unkindly, merely questioning, determined and powerful. Indeed, the longer the achadhiel stood close to this simple, ordinary woman, the more she felt an underlying resolution and power radiate from her.

The violet eyes returned to Mara’s own and held them.

“Your teacher will have taught you how to pray to your God. Seek out the Father, child. Show me how you submit yourself to him. Pray to your God for guidance.”

[Mara Zucaro]

Submit myself to him? Mara's mouth gaped open but only for a moment. Mara had never considered her relationship with the Father in those terms. Dominicus made you submit to his power by the sword and by fire. The Father guided you with wisdom and understanding beyond mortals. Mara would seek the guidance of her god but not in obedience to Nyrellon's command. She would ask if this woman was truly one to follow.

Ideally, Mara would consult the night sky for her answers but on the Aether she learned to find the stars under the brightest sunlight. Mara bowed her head and templed her fingers. The thought of Nyrellon judging her was a distraction that passed with several deep breaths. Mara sunk into center and gazed into the night sky of the Aether.

"Father of the Heavens, please hear the voice of Mara your servant. Once more, I have stumbled upon the path laid out for me in map of the heavens. Once more, I have tried to navigate by my own skills and find myself lost and alone. I look to the stars once more to seek your wisdom, Father. Guide me, please. Share with me your wisdom that I might find my path again."

Mara grew still. She gazed out at stars that only she could see and strained to catch the sound of the Father's voice.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Mara’s gaping mouth drew no response from Nyrellon who continued to regard her guest with an intense stare. Sinking into the Aether, the achadheil saw stars…

Small beads of light, blinking slowly against a deep dark background….in the centre a semi-circular necklace of stars, at first like the others and then slowly moving, coalescing into a shape…two wings and a beak…a radiant starbird moving through the sky, closing in on Mara…

And she knew that was not alone awaiting the flight of the bird; the priestess stood beside her in the aether, comfort and warmth radiating from her presence – a waterfall of stars, spilling from her as she stretched out a hand towards the bird…

The bird alighted on Nyrellon’s hand and the priestess sighed…..two large specks of light beamed at Mara, as if they represented the eyes of the bird…

And the bird sang…the Father sang to his followers….. the star bird’s song echoed insider her mind….

…..Child, the guidance you seek will come from my beloved priestess

….You may judge her harshly but it is the burden she bears

….A burden she bears for her faith and her love for all those who walk beneath her stars..

….A burden you may need to share…

…She will guide you….

As if a sudden breeze had taken it, the bird lifted off into the dark sky, the priestess' eyes following it intently as it grew smaller..

A small drip of star-laden tears rolled down Nyrellon’s face…

And she was back in the tether. The feeling of warmth and comfort persisted. The arms of the priestess were around her holdling her tightly

“Welcome, child. I am Nyrellon, High Priestess of the Father. Welcome to my home.”

[Mara Zucaro]

The Father was beautiful. So beautiful and wise. At long last, Mara was where she was supposed to be. Mara wrapped her arms around Nyrellon and buried her face in the folds of the high priestess's dress to muffle her sobs.

"Thank you." Mara sniffed. "I have not felt welcome anywhere in far too long." Mara never wanted to leave that warm embrace but after a few burns she pulled back and wiped her tears away with the back of her hands. "And thank you too Vernon." She smiled at the large man. "For trusting me enough to bring me here."

[Guido Cercatoro]

The woodsman nodded in response to Mara’s thanks but remained silent. Nyrellon beamed an unmistakably affectionate smile towards him that broke her normally stern countenance. Vernon’s eyes twinkled in response.

“Vernon is my conscience,” said Nyrellon, cryptically. After a few flickers, her face returned to Mara.

“Now, tell me, what should I do with you? Do you seek spiritual guidance, to further you knowledge of the Father? Or, do you have other plans for wish you require my assistance? Or, have you sought me out to assist me in the burden I must bear for the citizens of this town? If it is the third path you seek, then I must warn you that troubled times are ahead.”