brave_kreyu | OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part 12

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.

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From:

27_53

The blazing tail of the comet has caught his eye, and he wraps one arm around her body and pulls her in closer, with the intention of a true kiss lingering on the horizon. But first he smirks gently against her mouth.

"I believe I did more than kiss you under these stars," he mutters playfully. "Though it is nice to see at last what they looked like that night, beyond the roof of our home."

From:

brave_kreyu

"You did," she whispers against his lips, voice slightly rough. The memories of THAT night are quite clear and quite pleasant to recall!

"I DID see one star that night," she admits. "You, the star who wandered into my world. The star I found, invited into my heart and my bed."

From:

27_53

It is Skellig's turn to flush, touched by her words and praise.

"I was quite lucky to be spotted by one with such a keen eye as yours," he says honestly. "And one so brave as to see the star wandering without course and not run in the other direction out of fear. Instead, you helped me find my place here among this world, among these heavens."

From:

brave_kreyu

"We were both lucky," she says, smiling. "I ached with wanting for things I couldn't name, but my star saw what I needed, was brave enough not to fear the truth of my nature."

Skellig can probably hear Koschei and Ajax kissing quite...enthusiastically somewhere behind them.

From:

27_53

Skellig can hear Things Happening behind them, but he chooses to direct his attention to gentle (and increasingly lingering) kisses with Kreyu instead, rather than listen to Ajax and Koschei exchange...gratitude.

After a moment, he chuckles under his breath.

"Would we be better served to move lower among the branches," he whispers. "Give them a bit of...privacy?"

From:

brave_kreyu

"Might not be a bad idea," she whispers. "I don't think they'll get TOO frisky, but better safe than sorry."

She chuckles, takes him by the hand. As they exit the crystalline dome, Kreyu waves a hand and light flows over the door. It's suddenly MUCH harder for even Skellig to hear whatever might be going on in there! "Remembered something Elihu told me, about the Procession having the ability to create a kind of sound dampening for things inside the dome. With a lot of people inside, the echoes off of the crystal could get QUITE loud."

They head down the tree to the passageway with the owl carving. The ramp branches off into a small section they didn't notice on the way up. A place for people to rest, apparently. Quite small and close, but undoubtedly welcome.

From:

27_53

"Even with just the four of us in there, it was...loud," Skellig admits - closing his eyes briefly and exhaling with relief once she casts whatever she does to help with the noise. "That is...better. I was filtering more than I realized..."

There is a branch that has been worn smooth with time into a 'bench' of sorts, the stone clearly has seen many people pause here along their journey into the top of the crown of leaves, or perhaps just a spot to wait if the chamber was crowded?

He sits, opens his arm to her so she can sit beside him.

From:

brave_kreyu

Quite possibly both, considering the climb and how popular it once was.

She takes that invitation gladly, leaning into him a bit. "So very lovely," she murmurs. There are apple blossoms of stone, with bees and butterflies perched here and there either on their way to the blossoms or 'feeding' on them.

From:

27_53

"It is as if every creature that they had knowledge of was included, all the way down to the insects," he says, still a bit amazed at the detail level.

Once she has leaned into his body, he relaxes further, tipping his head back to rest against some leaves - which they too, have been worn smooth with time, no sharp edges to poke against his scalp. "Each creature matters, to the universe, no matter how small it might be."

From:

brave_kreyu

"I think they did," Kreyu says, wonder in her voice. "It must have taken centuries for this to be built, with all this detail." Far, far longer than any human could hope to live, even if they had the skill to replicate the work.

"Yes," she agrees. "We all matter, great and small. I think people, especially those with power, tend to forget that."

From:

27_53

"You are right about that," he murmurs quietly - mostly grateful for the quiet that surrounds them in this space. There is still an underlying level of noise he can hear, almost as if the tree itself is a living entity, but it is mostly residual echoes as they move around the inside of the tower.

(He knows outside is likely more chaos awaiting, as there has been killing of guards and anyone else unlucky enough to get in Gorgon's way - but for now he is ignoring anything below them on the 'ground level' so to speak.)

From:

brave_kreyu

She leans into him, enjoying the closeness and the quiet. "I hope Silur will come out of seclusion, once her greatest work can be seen again."

From:

27_53

"Her work deserves to be appreciated in all the glory it deserves," he says honestly. "I do hope of it is able to be seen by those who would wish to view it, that perhaps she can regain her place as the creator of it. It truly is a wonder."

He glances up into the leaves.

"The amount of care and time that went into this is truly unimaginable."

From:

brave_kreyu

She looks up where he is, spots a cheeky looking squirrel peering down at them.

"I can't either," she admits. "To remain dedicated to a project for so long..."

She laughs. "My attention tends to wander, with projects."

From:

27_53

"It just gives you greater opportunities to create new things," he shrugs slightly. "What works for one soul does not necessarily work for another, and there is nothing wrong with that."

He strokes her hair lightly.

"What is your favorite project you have discovered so far?"

From:

brave_kreyu

She leans into his touch. "It depends on what you want to call a project."

"Ah, I have one, though I don't know that I would be able to claim it is my favorite tomorrow." She grins.

"This was early in the history of the Ring Islands, not long after the first people had come to settle. We started having other arrivals, in small, disparate groups. They were having far more trouble getting themselves set up properly than our first arrivals did."

"Different culture, different language, less of a community to draw upon for help. My students and I had settled in a complex they had already started calling the House of the Wise. We had taken the latest set of arrivals into our walls for quarantine, as there were many plagues about in those days. I knew they needed help, food, support, at least until they could get back on their feet. My students and I built something we called the House of Welcome, where one in need could go for food, shelter, supplies. It grew from there, we started taking requests for workers from those in need of such in the city, passing news of those requests to those who were staying with us."

She snuggles into him a bit. "There are many places in the Capital that fulfill that function now, including all of the temples."

From:

27_53

"A soft landing, so to speak. That is quite a large project to undertake, but based on what you have spoken of and the things I saw when we were in the Capital... it seems to have been quite well put into motion," he says proudly. "I am certain those who took use of it in the beginning upon their arrival were greatly appreciative."

He presses his lips to the side of her head.

"Similar to how you treated me when I arrived in a foreign land, unsure of the culture and where I could find help..."

From:

brave_kreyu

She blushes at the pride in his voice. "It has been the work of many hands, many minds, over the years. It is the people who have grown it, cultivated it."

"You will see one of them, almost certainly, when we head back. My great temple, where the ceremony is, sees the most people in need out of all of them. It IS centrally located, but I think the idea of it being so busy makes it...easier, for some people? Some of them feel ashamed, embarrassed, and being among so many gives them a feeling of anonymity."

From:

27_53

"It can be hard to ask for assistance," Skellig says. "Especially if you are completely lost. I...I know that oftentimes the reception that strangers are given, especially those who are in the greatest need of help, can be quite off-putting."

To say the least.

There are memories buried deep in the recesses of his mind, locked away from Before, that even though he cannot quite reach them here and now...they linger. Reminders of scorn, disgust, pain and mistreatment.

"A society will have levels, they always do, but it will function easier if there are not people who are lacking the basics for survival."

From:

brave_kreyu

"People can be cruel, especially when the fabric of society has been frayed by famine, by plague, or by war." And, of course, people seeking a home in a new place are often fleeing a famine, a plague, or a war in this time period.

She runs her fingers through his hair, wraps an arm around him to comfort him in the face of those deeply buried memories.

"Absolutely. What use, denying some what they need to survive when you have enough to help them? They will do what they must to survive, or perish, and either way what they could contribute to society will be lost. The world is cruel enough without our adding to it."

"I looked for compassion in those who would become my students, and that continues with those who are my Wise. It is safer to entrust the power of magic to the compassionate, though not foolproof."

From:

27_53

"It is less likely to be misused by those who would naturally be drawn to compassion, who would seek to aid others. Not foolproof," he agrees. "But the odds are better stacked."

Skellig is grateful for her fingers in his hair, her arm wrapped around his body, the relative 'quiet' of this little space they have found themselves tucked away into. There is more to face outside the walls of the tower, and he is certain there will be a 'mess' to contend with...but none of that matters here in this moment.

"I am most grateful I stumbled upon a soul with compassion," he whispers softly. "Who chose to use her magic to aid me."

From:

brave_kreyu

"So am I," she whispers. "The thought of what might have happened to you if you'd wound up somewhere else..." She shivers, although it isn't cold in here.

From:

27_53

"May have ended up like Tyr," he mutters softly. "Locked in a cage, as some plaything for the rich." Or worse...

Her shiver runs through him and he sighs gently, keeping their bodies close together, not just for warmth, but comfort.

From:

brave_kreyu

The mere THOUGHT of that happening to Skellig is too horrible to contemplate.

"My vote is for me concealing us with magic and Koschei pulling us through the wall to the outside of the palace. Letting the chaos be a problem for Ajax's brothers instead of us." She says, after a while.

From:

27_53

Though his energy is overwhelming full of Light and positivity at the moment, he ALSO does not want to contemplate the idea of himself locked up in a cage, wings tied back, feathers plucked and sold as trinkets, chained to the ground and unable to fly...

"As...strange as that was the first time, I think I would vote the same to make our 'escape', as it were." He nods slightly. "I don't think Ajax will want to encounter his brothers, either."