OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part 12

[brave_kreyu]

They wind up staying two full cycles of the Moon with Tyr's tribe.

Time enough to learn the various dances, share recipes, race through the Teeth, make friends, share stories, BELONG.

It might even be enough time for Skellig to sort out how he feels about being among other people with wings!

Tyr clasps Skellig's forearm in farewell. "I would call you my brother, if you would permit it?" he says, voice soft.

Comments

[brave_kreyu]

"I've never seen it, so I'm not certain of the echoes," Kreyu replies.

"Emotion echoes work?" Koschei asks him.

Ajax looks a bit confused at all this mention of 'echoes'.

[27_53]

"Emotion echoes are stronger, actually. They tend to be louder."

Skellig notices the mild confusion on Ajax's face, and smirks slightly, raising one shoulder in a bit of a shrug. There might be the very faint sound of a rustle of feathers that accompanies that motion...

[brave_kreyu]

If Ajax hears the feathers, he gives no sign of it, but he chuckles at Skellig's smirk.

"Desire, wonder, awe, joy," Koschei grumbles. "Wonder of the world, it was."

[27_53]

"That will help, especially among ruins of towers." Bright spots among any darkness and decay tend to stick out, even if only on an auditory level. He is amused slightly at hearing Koschei grumble such words, his gravely voice a sharp contrast to what it is he is saying.

[brave_kreyu]

"It might not be a ruin," Ajax says, a thoughtful frown on his face. "There's a tower in the palace that's supposed to be haunted, a place my ancestors used to store prisoners captured in war and other hostages. Supposed to be an old tower, VERY old. And the palace is on high ground, which might make it a good place to start your hunt?"

[27_53]

Skellig nearly agrees out loud with the comment of yes, if I cannot fly then at least listening from a high point will help but he regains control and holds his tongue before speaking. Instead, he nods.

Then another point is to be raised.

"If it is within the palace... gaining access might be difficult?"

[brave_kreyu]

"It would be, but there are advantages of having a prince on one's side, even one as ill favored as I," Ajax says, grinning.

"I have quarters there. While I spend MOST of my time away, it would not raise questions were I to bring some people with me to the palace."

"They could attack you," Koschei growls.

"Ah, but attacking me INSIDE the palace would be CRASS, my dear," Ajax counters. "Even murder has its rules, among the elite."

[27_53]

"And murder of a prince within the walls of the castle would likely cause a greater deal of alarm than say, the murder of a slave or member of the staff."

In short: they have an advantage.

Skellig glances at Koschei. "We would not let any harm come to him," he adds. "I know that is an oath you must hold true, but it applies to Kreyu and myself as well."

[brave_kreyu]

Koschei nods. "I know. But, better extra protection, yes?" He pauses. "And I would see my sister's great work again, be able to tell her that I saw that it was well with my own eyes."

"Understandable, Koschei," Kreyu replies. "But you're rather...memorable."

Koschei laughs. "Am, it's true. But built on stone, made of stone, palace is. Swim like fish beneath your feet, they will never know."

[27_53]

Skellig does not quite understand the meaning of Koschei's words, but he knows better than to question a dragon.

"I have full faith in our ability to find her work, and ensure it's security and safety," he says. (Not so secretly, he would love to see it as well with his own eyes - just the caverns from which the crystals were harvested were wondrous, so the piece itself must be magnificent!

[brave_kreyu]

"Morning, perhaps, after breakfast?" Koschei offers. "Rest would be wise for Ajax and myself." Ajax starts to protest, then changes his mind.

"He's right, much as I hate to admit it. Koschei fixed the physical damage, but today has taken a lot out of me."

[27_53]

"If you'd allow me to aid you just slightly, Ajax, I might be able to settle your mind a bit before sleep," Skellig offers gently. "I would not pry, but might be able to shift your focus just a bit?"

They have time to consider that of course, over another round of wine...

[brave_kreyu]

There is a flicker of amusement from Ajax and Koschei at his mention of shifting focus, for some reason.

"I would welcome any shift in my focus you would care to offer, Sokratis," Ajax replies after a while. "Provided your dear Kreyu would not mind you assisting me in such a way?" He glances at Kreyu as well as Skellig.

[27_53]

Similar to his first interaction with Ajax, Skellig's reaction is a bit 'innocent' and flustered, his attention turning to his cup of wine as he flushes a bit.

"I am...a healer by trade," he says after a moment. "And apparently one who is not well-versed in words."

Because he KNOWS that Kreyu has no desire to share!

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu lays a hand on his arm, soothing.

"Please forgive my presumption," Ajax asks. "I was not aware of your skill, and the only methods of shifting focus I am aware of are the various services this house offers." Sex, drugs, drink, that sort of thing.

[27_53]

Outwardly Skellig does not lean into her touch, but she will be able to sense the reassurance that comes with the contact.

"There is no need for apologies," he says quietly. "I did not tell you of my profession before, so there was no way you would have known. And today has been a day of new developments, of all types."

[brave_kreyu]

"An understatement, I feel," Ajax drawls. "Can the mind be healed, as flesh can be?"

"I, I don't know how to explain it, my heart," she tells Skellig. "I will leave explanations to you."

[27_53]

Skellig ponders a moment how to best explain things, as he has no desire to alarm any of them (and some of the things he is capable of - not that he would ever choose or consider to do with Ajax's mind - are not the nicest) with the idea.

"I do not pry deep," he says quietly, reassurance under his words. "It is not my place or my right. But there are echoes that are louder than others which can be deflected a bit by softly shifting the direction of things, and that helps, sometimes."

He smiles softly. "At the very least it might aid your sleep in preparation for tomorrow."

[brave_kreyu]

"I trust you," Ajax replies. "And I fear I will not sleep at all, without some assistance." His smile turns wry. "And I suspect your arts are safer than some of the methods I have used in the past."

He finishes his glass of wine. "Is there anything I need to...do, for you to help me?"

[27_53]

"Not anything in particular," Skellig says, shifting his body to rise from the couch where he has been sitting beside Kreyu. "I just need to sit beside you for a moment, lay a hand upon your skin so that I can better hear the noise."

He already can hear a great deal of it in the background of the room not only from Ajax bit also from Koschei, though he would not actively engage with a dragon outright without EXPRESS permission.

As he settles himself beside Ajax, he places a hand on the other man's forearm.

"I will likely not be able to settle everything at once, nor would it be healthy for me to do so. But I should aid enough to assist you in finding sleep tonight when you retire to your bed."

[brave_kreyu]

Ajax nods in understanding. "All things must have their season, must have time."

"Would help if I am not touching?" Koschei asks.

[27_53]

"It would," Skellig says, almost apologetically. "Dragons have quite a large amount of energy in their bodies and it can...interfere, a bit, with what I am able to hear when I listen."

He specifically does not say 'Karma', as he is not sure if that is common knowledge among those who know of dragons.

[brave_kreyu]

Koschei lets go of Ajax, shifts further down the couch.

The echoes of Gorgon's attack are loud, still, reverberating in Ajax's mind if not his bones. Terror and pain and helplessness like an acid eating away at him. Frozen in place by terror and the gaze of enormous eyes like fiery pits in the body of a black beast, the biggest living thing Ajax has ever seen.

[27_53]

The echoes are LOUD and in Skellig's mind they are practically vibrating as he cocks his head slightly to the side to truly focus and LISTEN. It takes him a brief moment to get past the initial horror and shock from the 'image' of Gorgon, but outwardly he doesn't really show much emotion.

"Not the nicest looking guy, is he," he mutters.

[brave_kreyu]

Ajax chuckles slightly. "Not to my eyes, certainly. I had not thought any creature could be that BIG."

He shivers. "Felt like a mouse before a cat, a thing to be played with."