An elven woman appears in a dusty room in Myth Drannor. Dark circles hang beneath her crystalline blue eyes. She walks to the bed and lifts a diary into her hands. She flips through some of the pages and suddenly bursts into tears. She finally lifts a quill from the bed and sits down, she pens:
I killed Lady Sanria's child. I was mad, certainly, but I must deal with crushing reality of what I have done. I do not believe I shall be able to handle it. The necklace is out of my hands, but only after opening holes in reality and somehow enabling others to do the same. I do not know what multiplicity I have permitted to come into being, but certainly the runed wizard is right - I will be at the end of every consequence to come of it. I do not believe I shall be able to handle it. Sir Colin had murder in his eyes when he held me up. He shook me so hard, but I deserved it. I would not have fought back had he chosen to slay me. I would give my life over and over again for the one I took. I can only think of one way to endure my shame and my solitude. I will use my lycanthropy. I know in time, it will become my nature and I will lose myself - but that is the price I am asking of myself. I will be nothing more than an animal. In time, none of this will matter.
The elven woman sighs and pens a quick letter to two people. She closes her eyes and they vanish from her hands, traveling by magic to those intended to receive them. She utters a few words and shimmers into a very large white wolf with crystal blue eyes. The wolf, the size of a small pony, takes a look around the room. She lifts her voice in a long, solitary howl and heads off into the Myth Drannor forests beyond.
At the Park
Claire drifted on the magical currents faster than even the speed of light. She thought as she swirled on the eddies and vortices of the need to go far away. Given that they had gone to search for Kaliadra on the Eastern Continent, she did not feel it was a good choice to hide the necklace there.
She sped west until she joined with the makou tunnel and found her energy bolstered. Like lightning, inspiration struck and she found herself racing over the bridge into Heifong III. In a blast of dazzling purple light she appeared in the park. One of the bums laying on the grass gave an involuntary squeal of terror and jumped up, running as quickly as his drunken legs would carry him.
The otherwise deserted park was silent except for the scurry of rat feet as they rattled the garbage on the ground. Claire walked over to a stunted tree, taking care to look around herself before kneeling. From her pack she pulled a small locking casket. She took from it her mother's locket with a frown and slipped inside the necklace Kaliadra had used to traverse the planes.
Closing the box, she locked it and laid it on the ground. She tapped in to the lifestream of the planet, asking it to aid her. She placed her hands on the box and pushed. Willingly, the ground accepted the box, absorbing it. In her mind's eye, Claire watched the roots of the gnarled tree take the necklace into its grasp and tuck it beneath itself.
'May you never be found.'
Claire rose and looked around once more. Secure that no one saw her, Claire once more traveled the magical currents along the freeway out of the city and back into the makou tunnel she found herself back in the city of Westbridge in no time.
She sped west until she joined with the makou tunnel and found her energy bolstered. Like lightning, inspiration struck and she found herself racing over the bridge into Heifong III. In a blast of dazzling purple light she appeared in the park. One of the bums laying on the grass gave an involuntary squeal of terror and jumped up, running as quickly as his drunken legs would carry him.
The otherwise deserted park was silent except for the scurry of rat feet as they rattled the garbage on the ground. Claire walked over to a stunted tree, taking care to look around herself before kneeling. From her pack she pulled a small locking casket. She took from it her mother's locket with a frown and slipped inside the necklace Kaliadra had used to traverse the planes.
Closing the box, she locked it and laid it on the ground. She tapped in to the lifestream of the planet, asking it to aid her. She placed her hands on the box and pushed. Willingly, the ground accepted the box, absorbing it. In her mind's eye, Claire watched the roots of the gnarled tree take the necklace into its grasp and tuck it beneath itself.
'May you never be found.'
Claire rose and looked around once more. Secure that no one saw her, Claire once more traveled the magical currents along the freeway out of the city and back into the makou tunnel she found herself back in the city of Westbridge in no time.
One Last Task
Claire appeared in the room only moments after Gilean, his gold dust still fading around him. "Welcome back." The projection appeared at the dais with a bow. "I appreciate your success. On such short notice you both were...well...life savers."
'On the contrary... her life was very well safe.'
"We were able to bring them both back," Gilean said. "Though Sanria was quite unwilling to do so."
'She did not want to return, that is the truth.'
"I thought that might be the case," Throm acknowledged.
They spoke on Remus' methods for getting Sanria to return, a thing that, to Claire's relief, Throm did not request. 'She was not in danger, you realize,' Claire said. 'In fact, were it me alone, I might have left her there given her home situation.'
"Danger takes many forms Miss Claire," Throm said. "Not all of them sinister and ugly."
'If danger clothes itself as peace and balance and harmony, we should all be so lucky.'
"But those are the worst dangers of all."
"A trap of honey can still be a trap," Gilean said. Claire did not agree, but there was no need to continue. As Gilean said, it was done.
Claire still held the necklace and it troubled her to think that handing such a powerful artifact over would leave both in the hands of a single individual - and one connected to someone willing to kill to get his way - intended or not. 'We have retrieved the necklace though I would assume that you would perhaps wish it taken away and hidden?'
"You both have already done so much already," Throm began. "If I could ask you for just this I would be even more grateful."
'Should he take yours as well and hide it?' Claire suggested, nodding in Gilean's direction. 'If we separate then none will know.'
"Perhaps it is best for us all... even her," Throm said, "if one of you were to hide the second necklace."
Gilean took the necklace from the spot where it suddenly appeared. "I hadn't really seen it before," Gilean said. "It is quite beautiful."
'Better not to even commit it to memory in such a way.'
"Memory..." Claire looked up at Throm. He wore thoughful expression. She couldn't have known that somewhere in the city, a different projection was having a different discussion, a different feeling. He smiled a little and continued, "Thank you once again. Can I provide any assistance in your tasks?"
'I think not. Best that no others know where we take these.'
"Travel in safety is all I ask. Protect yourselves first, necklace second if need be."
Claire smiled. After time in the realms with her face be- hind a mask and a cowl over her head, 'I believe I know how to manage that.'
"I shall see you soon?" Gilean asked her.
'Perhaps,' Claire said with a smile and vanished in a blaze of purple light.
'On the contrary... her life was very well safe.'
"We were able to bring them both back," Gilean said. "Though Sanria was quite unwilling to do so."
'She did not want to return, that is the truth.'
"I thought that might be the case," Throm acknowledged.
They spoke on Remus' methods for getting Sanria to return, a thing that, to Claire's relief, Throm did not request. 'She was not in danger, you realize,' Claire said. 'In fact, were it me alone, I might have left her there given her home situation.'
"Danger takes many forms Miss Claire," Throm said. "Not all of them sinister and ugly."
'If danger clothes itself as peace and balance and harmony, we should all be so lucky.'
"But those are the worst dangers of all."
"A trap of honey can still be a trap," Gilean said. Claire did not agree, but there was no need to continue. As Gilean said, it was done.
Claire still held the necklace and it troubled her to think that handing such a powerful artifact over would leave both in the hands of a single individual - and one connected to someone willing to kill to get his way - intended or not. 'We have retrieved the necklace though I would assume that you would perhaps wish it taken away and hidden?'
"You both have already done so much already," Throm began. "If I could ask you for just this I would be even more grateful."
'Should he take yours as well and hide it?' Claire suggested, nodding in Gilean's direction. 'If we separate then none will know.'
"Perhaps it is best for us all... even her," Throm said, "if one of you were to hide the second necklace."
Gilean took the necklace from the spot where it suddenly appeared. "I hadn't really seen it before," Gilean said. "It is quite beautiful."
'Better not to even commit it to memory in such a way.'
"Memory..." Claire looked up at Throm. He wore thoughful expression. She couldn't have known that somewhere in the city, a different projection was having a different discussion, a different feeling. He smiled a little and continued, "Thank you once again. Can I provide any assistance in your tasks?"
'I think not. Best that no others know where we take these.'
"Travel in safety is all I ask. Protect yourselves first, necklace second if need be."
Claire smiled. After time in the realms with her face be- hind a mask and a cowl over her head, 'I believe I know how to manage that.'
"I shall see you soon?" Gilean asked her.
'Perhaps,' Claire said with a smile and vanished in a blaze of purple light.
Return from the Plane
Sanria floated Colin into the bedroom and finally released her spell, dropping him onto the bed. She walked to the other side and lay there looking over at him as he twitched constantly in his sleep. She couldn't know what he was seeing in his fitful dream. She couldn't figure out why she couldn't just love him. If she could have managed that, then she'd be happy. Things would be right. Unfortunately, they weren't. They wouldn't be... for whatever the reason... she and Colin were finished.
He woke and locked his eyes on hers. "Kaliadra, is she... is she okay?"
"I believe she is fine," Sanria said, still laying there looking at him.
"Throm... is..."
"He's fine as well. You apparently went in there and killed his couch before pass- ing out."
She watched as he struggled with this, oblivious to what he had done. He hadn't even been aware of his reaction. "I can't live like this."
"You can," was all Sanria could say in response. He'd have to. She frowned as the next topic of thought crossed her mind. "Colin... I want to take Orn back with me. The place I came from was beautiful."
"Is that where the rose came from?"
Sanria had forgotten the rose that still lay on the table. He had noticed. "Yes. Everything there is like that - beautiful."
"You can't take him from me."
"Colin, if he were raised there he would never hurt, never want for anything - he'd be at perfect peace and perfect balance. When you're there," she said, slipp- ing into her own recollections, "you forget... everything."
"Then take me. Let's all go."
"But, what about your other child?"
"She already plans on raising it alone. Take me to this place."
Sanria looked at Colin, his eyes at once pained and desperate. She didn't know what else to say - did she take him to the place where velentham was and live more of her life with Colin? Did she take him and remain separate? Would it matter if he were there or not? "You can't take him from me," Colin said again.
"Why?" Sanria asked.
"He's my son."
The sigh she let escape her was long. Sanria patted Colin on the shoulder. "Fin- ish getting your rest. I'll stay in the guest rooms."
"No, I'll go - "
"Please. You have my word I'll go nowhere until we've figured this out. I won't take Orn anywhere right now."
"Thank you," Colin said, his eyes grateful and tormented. Sanria rose from the bed and walked from the room. She went to the kitchen and picked up the rose and with a sigh, headed to the guest bedroom to sleep off her own weariness.
He woke and locked his eyes on hers. "Kaliadra, is she... is she okay?"
"I believe she is fine," Sanria said, still laying there looking at him.
"Throm... is..."
"He's fine as well. You apparently went in there and killed his couch before pass- ing out."
She watched as he struggled with this, oblivious to what he had done. He hadn't even been aware of his reaction. "I can't live like this."
"You can," was all Sanria could say in response. He'd have to. She frowned as the next topic of thought crossed her mind. "Colin... I want to take Orn back with me. The place I came from was beautiful."
"Is that where the rose came from?"
Sanria had forgotten the rose that still lay on the table. He had noticed. "Yes. Everything there is like that - beautiful."
"You can't take him from me."
"Colin, if he were raised there he would never hurt, never want for anything - he'd be at perfect peace and perfect balance. When you're there," she said, slipp- ing into her own recollections, "you forget... everything."
"Then take me. Let's all go."
"But, what about your other child?"
"She already plans on raising it alone. Take me to this place."
Sanria looked at Colin, his eyes at once pained and desperate. She didn't know what else to say - did she take him to the place where velentham was and live more of her life with Colin? Did she take him and remain separate? Would it matter if he were there or not? "You can't take him from me," Colin said again.
"Why?" Sanria asked.
"He's my son."
The sigh she let escape her was long. Sanria patted Colin on the shoulder. "Fin- ish getting your rest. I'll stay in the guest rooms."
"No, I'll go - "
"Please. You have my word I'll go nowhere until we've figured this out. I won't take Orn anywhere right now."
"Thank you," Colin said, his eyes grateful and tormented. Sanria rose from the bed and walked from the room. She went to the kitchen and picked up the rose and with a sigh, headed to the guest bedroom to sleep off her own weariness.
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