In some ways she was grateful. The banishment, the splintering of themselves had been a lesson in humility. No matter how vast, how powerful, arrogance would be one's undoing eventually. The world belonged to the young, but they faced ancient enemies with few to match their extensive reserves and powerful knowledge. Even her current level paled to what her whole self could conjure.
[color=#cccccc]“I would welcome it, Revas. It would not just help strengthen, but increase my ability to sustain it for a longer period.”[/color] She’d chuckle lightly, nodding. [color=#cccccc]“While it is indeed, not sensible, it is something I and Megara have decided. Protecting those who seek the Hearth has always been my way, I see no reason to change such a fundamental core about myself now. The Vhenadahl, the tree I played and sang from as a child, will do its duty as sanctuary.”[/color] Understanding his concerns, Sylaise attempted to ease them. [color=#cccccc]“We will prevail, Revas, I’m sure of it. Still, should the worst happen, I will do my best to preserve Megara and buy the other all the time I can.”[/color] She would make Elgar’nan pay for every inch of ground before allowing him into the Vhenadahl.
Such thoughts however, melted away as the ancient pair reunited after countless ages. Time, place, form, it did not matter, Sylaise was convinced she smelled the scents and sensation of his touch and air, transported to a moment lost to time. That longing which had followed her, ate at her was quelled now being in his arms, the loss of him soothed now that a shard of his being had surfaced. [color=#cccccc]“Even if we don’t, I am at peace knowing something of us survives, even fractured as we are.”[/color] Drawing back to take in his face, looking past the features of Revas to her love, Sylaise chuckled. [color=#cccccc]“I will not deny, it pains me not to kiss you, but while I know Megara would not mind, I will not subject Revas to it,”[/color] her eyes narrowed slightly. [color=#cccccc]“Be at peace, ma vhenan, he is a friend to us, no?” [/color]
Power was such a fickle thing. Used properly, it could care for many, but so many had done the opposite and the outcome had almost cost this entire world. If that would occur once again, he couldn't be certain. At least, not until he had met with those that still carried some of the other Evanuris. If they had calmed since being sealed, or if their fury towards Feredir had only grown since being trapped, he would not assume anything until he had spoken with them personally. No matter if he was alive enough, another all out war was ideally something to be prevented. Elgar'nan of course however, just had to be a fucking problem, as he had been for centuries already. Nothing in that regard had changed, but their options and capabilities had to protect those that now inhabited this world. So young and unaccustomed to the wrath of a mage who thought himself god-like. It was because of that singular fact, Revas did not bother trying to stop to disagree with what Sylaise and Megara had already intended to be done, squandering such strength would do them no good either.
[color=#008e02]"Thank you. You have my word that I will provide what strength I have when the time comes. I would not wish to sway you from what you feel is your duty my lady. Though I fear it is not a case of should, but when. Elgar'nan will not sit idly by forever when so many of the People flock here."[/color] Dangerous to speak of perhaps, but looking at things tactically in the past had always been one small part of his own duties. No thought to be god would settle for anything less then total control, and starting with the place that held the most elven in one area? Well, he could see why Arlathan would be a target. The problem was their lesser numbers, still he would find a way around it. There had to be a way to further strengthen any wards he might create. New methods to be found. A problem best saved for another day, for a different man. Once he was assured of another's safety.
It was as he let his own consciousness fade to the background, as June took control that his form sagged a little. Relenting in her hold, the warmth of being and memory alike. No matter if it was another's face, he saw his love and would always see her. No matter how little of her remained. [color=#c14700]"If you are at peace, my love, then that is all that matters to me."[/color] Her happiness was a balm to his own soul, splintered and broken, but she soothed what was yet to be. Gave him hope for something better for the two of them, in due time, it had to be. Of course even as he looked over her expression, and heard the boy rather loudly protesting to the idea, the frown upon his face is clear to see. Obvious in his displeasure, both at the lack of such contact and speaking about the young elvhen as a friend of sorts. At the moment? That was hardly the case.
[color=#c14700]"A friend to you perhaps vhenan, the boy's mind is like a shattered minefield, he does not trust that I will not use his secrets against him. Especially concerning that mutt." [/color]
[color=#008e02]"He has a name firstly. Secondly, what the heck did I say about my personal matters?!"[/color]
The rattling of unease rocketed through this body that was not his, a sure sign that it's proper owner was highly uncomfortable about his talking about such thoughts and secrets, in any context. Unfortunately for him, the once named god of crafts had seen everything the elvhen's mind contained. Secrets and failures big and small, most were not his to tell and he understood that. But if he shared anything with anyone, it would be his love, and the child would simply have to deal with it. Have a little trust in his vhenan as he used to. [color=#c14700]"Regardless, he knows what is at stake and is willing to work with me for the time being. Foolish he may be, he is not completely inept."[/color]
The duty of the Elder was to guide and council the young, for the future belonged to them. Things had their time, fading into memory and if kept alive, could offer council to a new generation. Their people had been fortunate enough that wisdom prevailed over wrath and while Elgar’nan pursued vengeance on her brethren, Sylaise would not stand idle on the sidelines this time.
[color=#cccccc]“I did not expect you to sit idle either,”[/color] the Soul chuckled. [color=#cccccc]“But yes, preparations are already being made, when he comes we will not be caught so off guard.”[/color] Weaving wards was much the same process as a tailor wove cloth, the intricacy of the pattern dependant on the knowledge and skill of the craftsman. She would shield the people with a tapestry of bindings, layer by layer, yet sustaining such a defence took a great strain. Eventually it would fail, steadily dwindling down as host and souls combined reserves gave out. The lending of others mana would aid in sustaining that duration.
Sylaise set aside the mantle of Evanarius for that of a spouse, the other half of her soul long missed. They continued, even after all that had transpired in the ages between. [color=#cccccc]“I’m at peace because I knew it was only a matter of when, not if. If I survived, I knew you would not allow me to walk alone, you would one day find your way back to me.” [/color]Sylaise sensed the tension rising in him, lips frowning at his words. [color=#cccccc]“Vhenan, have some respect for your host…. As for the mutt as you so eloquently put it, there is no point in being angry for what has long since past.” [/color]
Her hold loosened when the host and her soulmate appeared to have a disagreement, the slightest of curls tugged at the Hearth’s lips. [color=#cccccc]“It is rude, dear husband, to share others secrets without their permission. Though I’ll agree, the boy and frankly, many like him, lack a guiding hand. They have fallen down some dark cracks, not always for the better.” [/color]
Reaching, Sylaise pinched his nose between a finger and thumb not too gently. [color=#cccccc]“Vhenan. What did I just say? Your rudeness is not helpful.”[/color]
No matter the vows he had made, words he had given in service to the People or how long it had been since that time. Revas still considered it apart of his duty, seeking to grant the freedom others wished for often meant fighting. If such meant he would have to stand on a battlefield once again, then he would do so, there were even more now in this new age that could not protect themselves from such threats. While still uncertain as to what the Thedas of today meant for someone like him, and wherever he might belong within it, that would not stop him from dealing with bastards like Elgar'nan and those that followed him in the meantime.
A nod of his head, of understanding, if preparations were already being made then he would help where he could until then. Travel as he had since awakening and find those far less prepared for such attacks, if nothing else those who lacked such knowledge had to be warned. But as he stepped aside for June to take control, such matters were pushed aside. Or more accurately, ignored entirely in favor of the warmth of having one he loved beside him. In his vhenan's words at first, they were in agreement. While his memories being returned to him was of great concern to the inventor, nothing had mattered more then finding his other half. The better part of his soul, of himself some would say. [color=#c14700]"Always, vhenan, there was not a second I did not hope and worry over your safety."[/color] Quiet for a moment, further words unspoken, tempting though it is. He knows the boy would disapprove, it was not his body after all.
Speaking of such, the mention of said mutt brought nothing but a low grumble, he could drop such a topic for her sake but his dislike would remain. He had never liked the damn wolf and had rarely bothered trying to hide it either. Why Mythal had chosen someone such as that, he would not understand, nor did he want to. Or even begin to understand the boy's care for the mutt either. Some things it seemed even in this new age, were mysteries best left unsolved. Though truthfully he had not seen the error in calling the boy that held his soul for now inept. It had only been through chance that he had found his vhenan again, not through the child's own searching. Clearly that was not enough.
[color=#c14700]"Aah- ow! Ir abelas, ma vhenan."[/color] He hoped that much, was enough to get her to let go, he could feel said child's annoyance without even needing to reach out to their shared bond. Though his apology was more certainly genuine, so many years alone had not improved his social skills. [color=#c14700]"I shall speak to the boy properly later, but it is difficult when he refuses to trust. Beyond that he insists on not staying here for long, despite my finding you."[/color] All because of that damn mutt. But better to keep that part to himself. He suspected a yelling match in his near future with his 'host', no need to add more fuel to the fire.
Sylaise had already decided what she would do once whole. She would retire. The cottage was not Meg’s desire, it was Sylaise's. She wished to return to where her tale had begun. Sat at the heart of a tree singing to the birds of the air and enjoying the simplicity of life again. While magic made life easier, there was no craft to the invention of things, how else did one spin cloth to clothe themselves in winter, or carve hooks and arrowheads for hunting? One day, June may join her, or like their youth, came and went between turns on his own journey. It was his choice to make.
She smiled wide as he declared his devotion, never wavering and enduring eons of separation and unknowing. Even now, she could not remember how she came to truly end, where she’d been, where he had stood… sat… no sense of time or surrounding space could she recall. Perhaps it for the best, time stood still for only moments, but it eventually passed. Their end would come like the seasons.
Perhaps that was why she bore the Wolf no ill will, his cause had been just in the end, she saw that now. Inaction had brought nothing but ruin, pain and misunderstanding. This New Arlathan offered a chance to make amends, do the right thing and go beyond defensive and supportive.
Her brow arched knowingly, only lingering a fraction longer before being released. Concern then wrinkled across her brow, and words formed an apology, but not to her husband of generations. [color=#cccccc]“Forgive the mild discomfort Revas, but I will admonish my husband and remind him that until he is whole, he is a guest, not a King.”[/color] Her head turned in a way her spouse would understand, he was in her sights and the next few words were for him to consider carefully. [color=#cccccc]“I can have Megara form an amulet to keep you asleep. It would take some time, and cost some energy, but if you are being troublesome as a da’len then I see no choice…”[/color] her voice drifted, the threat teasingly drifting into a chuckle and then into a flurry of laughter.
[color=#cccccc]“Stubborn. Every single one of you. Perhaps, if you weren’t so concerned with finding me, or being angry with Solas, you may have stopped to listen and help him.”[/color] She chided lightly, her head shaking. [color=#cccccc]“I am easy to find now. Go help him.”[/color] Whatever quest he had set himself on, Revas was bent on seeing it through, what difference could June do but learn, listen and advise the boy. She did the same to Megara. [color=#cccccc]“He’s your new apprentice, be kind to him, Vhenan.” [/color]
There were still plenty of answers to find, truths to be gained since waking and while Revas understood to a degree - that June's primary concern would always be his beloved. That did not mean it took priority over his own life, no matter how much the Evanuris that currently dwelled within him might wish it were otherwise. He had seen it time and time again whenever he had ventured into Court long ago, he could not blame those devoted to one another being of such a single mind, but he might do just that. Just a little, when it concerned his own existence. Talented or not, despite having no control over his form at present, he let his unease be well known. Even if Sylaise could not hear it now, June most certainly could.
The mild irritant of pain that shot through him was an oddly familiar one, it was not the first time his Vhenan had berated him in such a manner, nor likely the last. But rarely had she done so with such an aura of disappointment. It seemed a conversation was bound to occur, if he wished to avoid this happening again, a compromise to be found with the raven who insistently flew after a wolf that seemingly did not want to be found. Still he dared not voice any sort of protest before the potential wrath of his wife, the teased warning of being sealed away even more than he had been before Revas found him? It was more than enough, the chastised look upon a face that was not his own rather obvious.
"But you-" In truth, the inventor cut himself off as she continued, while that pull to keep her close, to stay at her side now he had found her remained. For the most part, her host seemed to be staying in one place and her insistence towards helping his own host was hardly a factor he could ignore. It was with a drawn out sigh, that the inventor finally nodded out his acceptance. "Alright vhenan, I'll help him. We'll have to come to an agreement of some sort, I suppose. He seems to have boundless energy searching for a few things, so it may take some time." Time that they now had, as long as Elgar'nan did not ruin things, there would be light to be found in due time.
Sylaise watched the interplay between Revas and June, a mixture of frustration and determination simmering within her. June’s primary concern was his beloved, a fact that Revas seemed to struggle with, caught between the bonds of devotion and his own existence. It was a delicate balance, one that Sylaise understood all too well but still found a path to navigate. The Path of Peace was not an easy one to tread.
She had often chastised him, but this time, her disappointment was more pronounced. It was as if the weight of their past decisions was pressing down on her, making her wonder if they could ever truly find forgiveness from those they’d abandoned. She needed to make him understand the importance of their compromise, to show him that their connection was not just about him or her but about finding a way forward together. Old and new.
As June finally agreed to help Revas, Sylaise felt a reluctant relief. The journey ahead was uncertain, filled with the boundless energy of June’s search. Sylaise knew that patience and understanding would be key. She peered through June to look at Revas, seeing the wariness in his eyes, and wondered if they could truly reach an agreement, if they could find a path that allowed them all to coexist without losing themselves in the process.
Sighing softly, she reached out to June, squeezing his shoulder, hoping to bridge the gap between their worlds. We have time, she murmured, the weight of their shared past and the potential for their future hung in the balance if a balance wasn’t brokered. As long as Elgar'nan doesn’t disrupt our path and we don’t wallow in despair, there is still light to be found. Megara is one of those lights, Revas will serve you just as well if you stop fighting each other.
Taking his arm, she’d slid hers into the crook. Come, let us talk as we used to. Tell me about your travels and what you have seen?
