Fenlauch seated himself at the head of the table, Garlech at his side. "You have done well, Sanria," he began in a rich baritone. "Now, I suppose for the sake of your assembled company, I should begin by telling you who we are?"
Sanria looked across the table at Kineada, who seeming busy contemplating Fenlauch. Vorcet, by contrast, seemed to patiently wait for the introductory speech. She looked back and nodded. "Please."
"We are Rilmani, from the outer planes. We've been in this place, your material plane, for a very long time. Ever since the fall of Myth Drannor and the rapid appearance of demonic forces there."
"You mentioned that before," Sanria said. "Why?"
Fenlauch looked at her with a patient smile. "Balance. With an influx of evil, we had to come in order to keep watch and ensure that their forces could not gain a foothold and tip things out of order. We've noticed, however, other troubles since the Gods have gone missing, and it is this new threat that causes us to counsel with you."
"You've been here a long while," Kineada said. "You've never sought anyone out in all that time?"
"No," Garlech said. His voice matched Fenlauch's, but his demeanor was much more businesslike. "We had no reason to interfere as there was not enough of an imbalance to reveal ourselves."
"I've been concerned with the void left by the Gods as well," Vorcet said.
"Indeed," Fenlauch continued, "there are troubles that concern us. Extremes, if you will, that aren't exact opposites, but are not in balance and harmony. We prefer not to make appearances if we can help it, but I'm afraid our time for anonymity is at an end. Unless you are willing to help our cause?"
Kineada sat back and Sanria frowned. It was a pitch. "What cause?" Vorcet asked.
"You are all here because you seek balance, correct?"
"Yes," Sanria answered.
"We will teach you how to gain that balance, provided you take that knowledge to others in the realms in the hopes of evening out the growing polarities. We will aid you by lending you our castle, our advisors, and even our libraries." Both Sanria and Vorcet seemed to perk at the mention of books. "We do not wish to be the driving force to the point we reveal ourselves fully. But if lead by their own kind, I cannot fail to see how the material plane and its citizenry would respond."
Sanria looked across the table. To learn to balance her own life, to spread that ideal to everyone, what an incredible world it could be. Something she'd chased, being right here, offered to her, it was too much to pass up. "It would require each of you to make a commitment," Fenlauch replied.
"Certainly," Sanria chimed without hesitation. Her heard fluttering with excitement.
"I'd like to ask my own questions, if you don't mind," Kineada said.
"Yes... I also have a few of my own," Vorcet said.
Fenlauch smiled and nodded. "I assumed you might. Why not ask as you take in the castle. Garlech, could you take our guest, Vorcet and walk with him? You," Fenlauch said, looking at Kineada apprasingly, "Seem to respond best to those of the fairer persuasion. Do you not?"
Kineada's face relaxed a bit as he gave a chuckle. "You see through me."
"Enmach," Fenlauch called, and in an instant, the beautiful silver-skinned woman was at the side of the golden man. "Take Sir..."
"Kineada," the WuJen replied, a smile on his features.
"Kineada on a tour of the castle. Answer any questions he might have."
"As you wish," she said with a bow of her head.
"And Lady Sanria, you will come with me and tell me of your meditations."
Meetings in the Mists
Sanria walked with her two companions westward and back into the deeper Haon' Dor. The travel was rather quiet, punctuated more with bird calls and squirrel chatter than amiable conversation. It suited Sanria well enough, her preference was silence in the wood, allowing nature to create its own symphony without her input. There was always enough talking when one visited the city or had company.
They had walked in silence until the large, marked trees greeted them. "It's just up ahead," she offered and rounded a few large oaks. There, the tails of mists slithered along the ground and she stopped to point it out. "We'll go in there and I'm certain he'll be along."
"Interesting," Kineada offered, his face otherwise unreadable.
"He lives in the mists?" Vorcet questioned.
"No, not exactly. He finds you in the mists... he lives... somewhere else."
Sanria walked ahead, going deeper into the mists, breathing them in. They had the distinct scent of lake water, but there wasn't such a place to be found, nor a source for their rise. She could feel the two men behind her, walking closer so as not to lose her in the deepening blanket of fog. "Hello?" she called out and no sooner than she called, the mists parted, revealing a man who was not Fenlauch, but looked nearly identical, save the blinding white light that shot from his eyes.
"You must be lost, traveler. I will send you on your way once more -"
"Wait," called the familiar voice of Fenlauch. "Garlech, these are my guests."
Sanria smiled and turned to see the faces of both Kineada and Vorcet rather frozen with what she could only assume to be awe and confusion. She turned back to Fenlauch and gave a bow. "I did as you asked. I brought others to learn."
"Now, wait," Kineada said in a low voice, "I never said I would go to learn, just to meet this man."
"Just... trust me, please," Sanria said.
"Vorcet Thopen, at your service," Vorcet said, approaching Fenlauch with a bow.
"Fenlauch, and my colleague, Garlech," both the huge golden men bowed, their impressive golden armor clinking. "Shall we?"
"Shall we..." Sanria began uncertainly.
Fenlauch chuckled and waved a hand. In an instant, they were in a beautiful meeting room, a fireplace burning at the end of the table. Globes of fire drifted on the air, not unlike Sanria's home, and tall windows gave a stunning view to beautiful gardens beyond. Fenlauch held a hand out to the chairs.
"Please. Be seated."
They had walked in silence until the large, marked trees greeted them. "It's just up ahead," she offered and rounded a few large oaks. There, the tails of mists slithered along the ground and she stopped to point it out. "We'll go in there and I'm certain he'll be along."
"Interesting," Kineada offered, his face otherwise unreadable.
"He lives in the mists?" Vorcet questioned.
"No, not exactly. He finds you in the mists... he lives... somewhere else."
Sanria walked ahead, going deeper into the mists, breathing them in. They had the distinct scent of lake water, but there wasn't such a place to be found, nor a source for their rise. She could feel the two men behind her, walking closer so as not to lose her in the deepening blanket of fog. "Hello?" she called out and no sooner than she called, the mists parted, revealing a man who was not Fenlauch, but looked nearly identical, save the blinding white light that shot from his eyes.
"You must be lost, traveler. I will send you on your way once more -"
"Wait," called the familiar voice of Fenlauch. "Garlech, these are my guests."
Sanria smiled and turned to see the faces of both Kineada and Vorcet rather frozen with what she could only assume to be awe and confusion. She turned back to Fenlauch and gave a bow. "I did as you asked. I brought others to learn."
"Now, wait," Kineada said in a low voice, "I never said I would go to learn, just to meet this man."
"Just... trust me, please," Sanria said.
"Vorcet Thopen, at your service," Vorcet said, approaching Fenlauch with a bow.
"Fenlauch, and my colleague, Garlech," both the huge golden men bowed, their impressive golden armor clinking. "Shall we?"
"Shall we..." Sanria began uncertainly.
Fenlauch chuckled and waved a hand. In an instant, they were in a beautiful meeting room, a fireplace burning at the end of the table. Globes of fire drifted on the air, not unlike Sanria's home, and tall windows gave a stunning view to beautiful gardens beyond. Fenlauch held a hand out to the chairs.
"Please. Be seated."
Faltering Steps
Sanria stopped, both of her hands on the strap of her pack, and stared at the stranger who leaned against the gates of the city as nonchalantly as if he owned them. "I'm sorry... do I know you?" she asked.
"My apologies, Vorcet Thophen at your service!" he said, offering a bow.
"Sanria... Sanria Stone. And... I don't think now would be ideal. I'm meeting a friend."
"I had a feeling that was the case," Vorcet said. "Then a question or two before you continue? Though a bit of an explanation so this sounds less like a case of stalking."
"That would ease my mind a bit," Sanria admitted.
"I've had a watcher in the city looking and listening for something specific. It reported back your conversation with a certain sword wielding man."
The idea of having her conversation overheard, even reported on, made Sanria a little edgy. "And what of this conversation concerns you?"
"The part regarding your interest in balance."
Sanria was stunned, but kept the expression well in check. "How so?" she asked.
"When the god's were banished I saw the hole left in what was keeping things together. I've spent a little effort attempting to gather some people of like mind together myself. Two more people that seem to have an interest so similar was something I could not ignore."
While Sanria dealt with the idea of being recruited even as she recruited and for the same reason, she also remembered Fenlauch's words. She couldn't learn balance alone, for such an approach was imbalanced as well. Fenlauch had re- quested her to find others. Why not this one who sought her out for exactly the same reason she sought Kineada?
"So you seek balance as well?" she asked.
"Ever since the fall of the old religions it has been my goal," Vorcet replied.
"Well, I suppose having you come along with Kineada and I wouldn't be an issue. I assure you, if you do anything, I'm certain he could dispatch you quickly."
Sanria could, in fact, make no such claims - but the man unsettled her a bit. "I assume you'd like to join us then?" she asked.
"Very much so. And as to your concerns about me being dangerous, once I would have agreed with you, but no longer. I gave Violence up long long ago."
"I think whatever questions you have about balance, he'll be able to answer."
"I've found little enough answers on my own," Vorcet said. "If you think this, Fenlauch? can help Id love to speak with him."
So it was that Sanria found one more. It struck her as she walked away from Vorcet to find Kineada that she now had three people. It wasn't balanced, but from an uneven number of minds came agreement and concord. Three people could never polarize. Three people in truth, was more balanced than two ever could be. A smile lighted upon her lips. Fenlauch would be pleased.
"My apologies, Vorcet Thophen at your service!" he said, offering a bow.
"Sanria... Sanria Stone. And... I don't think now would be ideal. I'm meeting a friend."
"I had a feeling that was the case," Vorcet said. "Then a question or two before you continue? Though a bit of an explanation so this sounds less like a case of stalking."
"That would ease my mind a bit," Sanria admitted.
"I've had a watcher in the city looking and listening for something specific. It reported back your conversation with a certain sword wielding man."
The idea of having her conversation overheard, even reported on, made Sanria a little edgy. "And what of this conversation concerns you?"
"The part regarding your interest in balance."
Sanria was stunned, but kept the expression well in check. "How so?" she asked.
"When the god's were banished I saw the hole left in what was keeping things together. I've spent a little effort attempting to gather some people of like mind together myself. Two more people that seem to have an interest so similar was something I could not ignore."
While Sanria dealt with the idea of being recruited even as she recruited and for the same reason, she also remembered Fenlauch's words. She couldn't learn balance alone, for such an approach was imbalanced as well. Fenlauch had re- quested her to find others. Why not this one who sought her out for exactly the same reason she sought Kineada?
"So you seek balance as well?" she asked.
"Ever since the fall of the old religions it has been my goal," Vorcet replied.
"Well, I suppose having you come along with Kineada and I wouldn't be an issue. I assure you, if you do anything, I'm certain he could dispatch you quickly."
Sanria could, in fact, make no such claims - but the man unsettled her a bit. "I assume you'd like to join us then?" she asked.
"Very much so. And as to your concerns about me being dangerous, once I would have agreed with you, but no longer. I gave Violence up long long ago."
"I think whatever questions you have about balance, he'll be able to answer."
"I've found little enough answers on my own," Vorcet said. "If you think this, Fenlauch? can help Id love to speak with him."
So it was that Sanria found one more. It struck her as she walked away from Vorcet to find Kineada that she now had three people. It wasn't balanced, but from an uneven number of minds came agreement and concord. Three people could never polarize. Three people in truth, was more balanced than two ever could be. A smile lighted upon her lips. Fenlauch would be pleased.
Unfamiliar Familiarity
Sanria wrote a note, something so familiar now. She was on her way out again, this time to meet up with Kineada to visit Fenlauch. Part of her felt bad for not just telling Colin to his face where she was going. The other part just wanted to avoid the questions, the concerned looks, the inevitable face that Colin would give her. She did love him - but there wasn't a way she could reconcile what he had done. Her options were to forget it and return to a sickeningly sweet version of her old life, or stick with her beliefs and move into the world as her own person. Sanria chose the latter.
She left the note and headed outside, her pack shouldered, and turned her feet toward Westbridge. The day was crisp, the sunlight through the leaves of the wood dazzling. Even once she had cleared the treeline to walk the road, her heart was unexpectedly light. She was off to adventure, to something new. It had been so long. She hadn't taken her airship out for ages and as she walked Sanria began to formulate plans to go somewhere, anywhere, in her ship. Certainly, she was pregnant, but that never stopped her before.
What stopped Sanria now was the very strange looking wizard at the gates who seemed very interested in the beauty of the day - and accompanying her into the city.
She left the note and headed outside, her pack shouldered, and turned her feet toward Westbridge. The day was crisp, the sunlight through the leaves of the wood dazzling. Even once she had cleared the treeline to walk the road, her heart was unexpectedly light. She was off to adventure, to something new. It had been so long. She hadn't taken her airship out for ages and as she walked Sanria began to formulate plans to go somewhere, anywhere, in her ship. Certainly, she was pregnant, but that never stopped her before.
What stopped Sanria now was the very strange looking wizard at the gates who seemed very interested in the beauty of the day - and accompanying her into the city.
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