"Velentham?" Gilean asked, his face alarmed. "No. Sanria. We haven't heard anything from my cousin for so long now... let's not disrupt that."
"Then I'll seek him out," Sanria answered.
"Oh, Sanria, no. Look, ok, I can see. I just don't know how to get him to go along with it."
"Let him know I'll see him if he will agree to listen."
Sanria knew what it could mean, she knew that if Velentham were given the opportunity, he could wipe out her memories of this world and keep her with him. Still, she knew that with Thasmudyan powerless, no matter how frustrated it made her, he couldn't stand up to Maya. At least if she could convince Velentham to help Maya get home, she could bring Lyvinnia to a safe place to be raised with her sister and father - whether she was there or not.
With Gilean's promise secured and the future secured from unexpected births, Sanria set off to Ror's home. When she found him absent, she went up into the room that had been Nioma's and to keep busy, she dismantled the crib. It did not take long for Ror to appear.
She did not share with him any of the reasons for her leaving him - the reasons that were Orn, Colin, Thasmudyan, Velentham, and the danger that would be soon facing her. She merely admitted she was weak in matters of love and watched as he retracted his affections. She knew she had hurt him, but their parting had to be done, more than anything, for his own benefit. Better that he hurt over a short relationship than get entrenched in something deeper and be ruined for women that might come along later.
Sanria left the tree and appeared in the Keeper's castle. She quickly went to her office after leaving Nioma once again within Enmach's capable arms. She would tell Orn she had left Ror. She would tell him she was now alone. She would tell him about Velentham. And she would try to simply bury herself in the things she had been neglecting until the time came for her to uphold her end of the bargain to free Lyvinnia. It may cost her everything, but she would ensure that, no matter what, she would do something right.
Into the Blue
Sanria listened to Gilean and the other priest, Bertrand, talking while Nioma and Lyvinnia played. The two girls seemed delighted with one another, but on seeing them, the moment they touched, with a blue glow that spread like starlight, Sanria snatched Nioma into the air. It sent Lyvinnia into tears while Nioma thrashed about in Sanria's arms. She'd never seen anything like it, but she couldn't risk a toddler vanishing to a place she didn't know, and it certainly seemed that they were on the verge of taking off.
She allowed Nioma back to the ground, Sanria's eyes cautiously watching, and listened as Bertrand told them how abusive Maya truly was. Why she felt that this was any of her obligation, she didn't know. But before she had considered any other way, she had Bertrand promise to ask Maya if she could have the little girl. "I've asked for the girl," Bertrand said. "Maya always summons her, I've even left with the child once. The child is a puppet to that order, I wouldn't hold out on being granted the child."
"Sanria's home does have special protections on it I helped to place there," Gilean replied. "The child would be safe, if she is in danger ...so long as she didn't leave the house."
"Then take her, before the lass is dead."
"She'll kill her?" Sanria asked with alarm.
In that moment, she felt a great many things. One, in particular, was anger. Thasmudyan should be doing this, this was his mistake. He should be here, fighting for his daughter, not trying to make a life with her and Nioma. He should be solving this...
Lyvinnia vanished in a swirl of gray smoke, summoned, Bertrand reminded them, by Maya. Not long after, Maya walked into the temple, setting Sanria's stomach to ice. "Your bastards growing too it seems," Maya said. "Your idiot husband still playing happy father?"
"As a matter of fact, Colin and I are no longer together."
"So you've allowed the mooch back into your heart then, your home... or are you on to someone entirely new now?" Sanria did not miss a beat. There would be no way she would let Maya know about Ror. "No. No one new."
"So you have then, he is with you." Maya stared at Sanria, her eyes cunning, searching.
"Not entirely. No. After all, he is prone to vanishing which isn't conducive to any sort of relationship. I am, for all intents and purposes, a free agent at the moment."
"He's always done that to you though hasn't he dear.... yet here you sit with the oil of his loins."
The distaste Sanria felt for the woman before her was sickening and intense. She could not, however, let any of her inner feelings show through. It was a damning exercise, as when she requested Lyvinnia, Maya brought the girl forth from nowhere, grinding her boot into the girl. "What is it worth to you, to save this piece of rothe dropping Sanria?" "What do you wish?" Sanria asked, keeping herself from stepping forward. "Come to me with an offer, if its soon, We will negotiate... or you can send your man to fight for his pathetic mess. I doubt it though."
Both Maya and Lyvinnia vanished and Sanria let out her pent up breath. She was furious. She watched a parent abuse their child before her eyes and did nothing, but she knew if she had made a move, the girl would have suffered even more. Only when Bertrand had explained who Maya was, how she was stuck in the world, how they would need the help of a wizard if a bargain was going to be getting Maya back home, did it strike Sanria. A name she hadn't thought about in ages came back to her. "Gilean... what about Velentham..."
She allowed Nioma back to the ground, Sanria's eyes cautiously watching, and listened as Bertrand told them how abusive Maya truly was. Why she felt that this was any of her obligation, she didn't know. But before she had considered any other way, she had Bertrand promise to ask Maya if she could have the little girl. "I've asked for the girl," Bertrand said. "Maya always summons her, I've even left with the child once. The child is a puppet to that order, I wouldn't hold out on being granted the child."
"Sanria's home does have special protections on it I helped to place there," Gilean replied. "The child would be safe, if she is in danger ...so long as she didn't leave the house."
"Then take her, before the lass is dead."
"She'll kill her?" Sanria asked with alarm.
In that moment, she felt a great many things. One, in particular, was anger. Thasmudyan should be doing this, this was his mistake. He should be here, fighting for his daughter, not trying to make a life with her and Nioma. He should be solving this...
Lyvinnia vanished in a swirl of gray smoke, summoned, Bertrand reminded them, by Maya. Not long after, Maya walked into the temple, setting Sanria's stomach to ice. "Your bastards growing too it seems," Maya said. "Your idiot husband still playing happy father?"
"As a matter of fact, Colin and I are no longer together."
"So you've allowed the mooch back into your heart then, your home... or are you on to someone entirely new now?" Sanria did not miss a beat. There would be no way she would let Maya know about Ror. "No. No one new."
"So you have then, he is with you." Maya stared at Sanria, her eyes cunning, searching.
"Not entirely. No. After all, he is prone to vanishing which isn't conducive to any sort of relationship. I am, for all intents and purposes, a free agent at the moment."
"He's always done that to you though hasn't he dear.... yet here you sit with the oil of his loins."
The distaste Sanria felt for the woman before her was sickening and intense. She could not, however, let any of her inner feelings show through. It was a damning exercise, as when she requested Lyvinnia, Maya brought the girl forth from nowhere, grinding her boot into the girl. "What is it worth to you, to save this piece of rothe dropping Sanria?" "What do you wish?" Sanria asked, keeping herself from stepping forward. "Come to me with an offer, if its soon, We will negotiate... or you can send your man to fight for his pathetic mess. I doubt it though."
Both Maya and Lyvinnia vanished and Sanria let out her pent up breath. She was furious. She watched a parent abuse their child before her eyes and did nothing, but she knew if she had made a move, the girl would have suffered even more. Only when Bertrand had explained who Maya was, how she was stuck in the world, how they would need the help of a wizard if a bargain was going to be getting Maya back home, did it strike Sanria. A name she hadn't thought about in ages came back to her. "Gilean... what about Velentham..."
Library
The door of the library opened, and the figure of Ror entered. He quietly closed the door behind his back and walked past the rows of bookcases to his familiar wooden reading table. "Got lost?" inquired the familiar voice of the librarian behind him. Ror turned his head, his hand still resting on the chair before the table, and said, "Something like that."
The librarian chuckled and she studied Ror, her arms crossed, "So you're back, huh?" He cocked his head a bit to one side while giving that thought, then pulled the chair back and sat down. "I never left," he said. "Right. Gotcha." She paused, before asking, "On an entirely different topic, did your friend like his gift?" Ror moved some books from one pile to the next, bringing order to chaos, "Who? Alsin? Yes, he did. Thanks for that by the way." She nodded to herself before walking off, leaving Ror to himself and his books.
The sage motioned with his hand causing the selected book on his table to float up and open. With the minor flicks of his hand, he started to read.
The librarian chuckled and she studied Ror, her arms crossed, "So you're back, huh?" He cocked his head a bit to one side while giving that thought, then pulled the chair back and sat down. "I never left," he said. "Right. Gotcha." She paused, before asking, "On an entirely different topic, did your friend like his gift?" Ror moved some books from one pile to the next, bringing order to chaos, "Who? Alsin? Yes, he did. Thanks for that by the way." She nodded to herself before walking off, leaving Ror to himself and his books.
The sage motioned with his hand causing the selected book on his table to float up and open. With the minor flicks of his hand, he started to read.
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