middaeg | [closed]

Entry tags:

[closed]

Who: Caster (Cú Chulainn) and Rider (Iskandar)
When: 4th of Iuneril
Where: Harbor (Inkchanted after hours)
What: Discussing leylines and adventures
Warnings: idk, booze?

Inkchanted might be closed for the day, but that doesn't mean its offices are going to stay empty. With talks about Rilla is organizing a new expedition to The Silent Forest, and both Yona and Archer expressing a desire to travel there and help? Cu figures that the best person to ask is no one else but Iskandar since he was part of the initial trip.

A question turns into a chat, and that turns into the decision to discuss the details after the work the next day. The back-office might not be as well-stocked as nearby Sea Slydog is, but it's private. Caster wasn't ready to travel outside the city during Feoveuer, the healers would have him in house arrest if he attempted it, he's sure of it.

But now, a few months later? Sounds like a good time to catch-up. Besides, Yako was looking into leylines, perhaps her work could be of use. So he pours them both some rum and makes space on the table since Iskandar mentioned maps

"So the witches can focus only on supplying the leyline, when the ritual starts, hm." He rolls the glass in his hand. "Good we got Archer going. There's a new witch that wants to be there, but as far as I know, she's without official Bond"

Do you want your share of gossip, King of Conquerors along the way?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Once you start there is simply not enough focus to spare on anything else. You either concentrate entirely on what you are doing or it does not work. "

Iskandar unrolls a tightly bound piece of paper on the table revealing the promised map. It's less detailed than he wished he could make it. It's not even the first iteration and the scale is still a bit off.

"Getting there is half of the problem but even that is by no means an easy feat."

There is ... there should be a teleport at the outpost that the Wilders were able to set up in the end. Or so he thinks. That was the plan at least. If he'd were to be completely honest, his memory of the events following the ritual is still a little blurry.

"Hm, a new witch you say?" Iskandar frowns already shaking his head even before he continues. The real question being is it just no official Bond or no Bond at all? Because the latter is infinitely more dangerous than the former. "Temporary Bonds were fine so as long as she can get one, it should be enough. Without it, she might be frowned upon. A lot. While I don't remember this being required, they certainly strongly recommended going with your Bonded. To which I must agree seeing how things proceeded."

Yes. It was that bad.

"That bad, huh?" it might have been unsaid, but Caster caught the implication. His knowledge of the outpost exploration just based on hearsay. Admittedly his focus was elsewhere when it was happening, and he wouldn't allow anyone to berate him for that.

"She can get a temporary Bond, who knows maybe she'll get a permanent one even. We'll keep an eye on her." Cú leans over the map, noting the outpost placement and how the leyline runs in comparison to other landmarks. Noting the tone Iskandar is presenting the information. He looks up at the mountain of the main, with slightest of frowns.

"I trust Archer to have my back, but his job would be easier if he knew what to expect. Tell me what happened"

"Two eyes, as often you can spare them." Iskandar takes a deep breath before continuing.

"It was bad. I caught only glimpses what happened in the camp while we were busy with the leyline but that, and having it related to me later in more detail, I think I have a complete picture." Waver's retelling was a bit chaotic and fragmentary at best but Iskandar asked around.

"All the way there we were followed. Not by predators. Shades. Hordes of them. From what I understood, it was the presence of so many Witches what drove them to our expedition. Not surprising given what we already know about those creatures and yet still rather disquieting. The nights were the worst. Not an hour has passed without an attack. We kept watch but still, you never knew when the attack will come or from what direction."

And yet this was but a prelude... Iskandar smooths the map on the table, tracing the route of the expedition. It looks so short on paper. It felt much longer when they were on the road.

"All this was nothing when compared to what happened after the cleansing started."

Time has passed and he still remembers it vividly. Night sky alight with fire, the howling, screeches and inhuman screams.

"It was as if the whole forest rose against us the moment we touched the leyline. Waves upon waves of infected. Relentless. Unstopping. Untiring. All that the forest could throw at us, it did."

And he could do nothing but hope that the defenders will hold. The cleansing itself was far from pleasant. So were its subsequent side-effects.

Caster rubs his forearm, as if getting rid of excess energy. He's not the one to be called anxious, but he absolutely can be restless. And this task sounds... dangerous. Thrilling. Exciting.

It's been a few months of being holed up within the city, healing. The idea of escaping from it for a while to do something is all that is on his mind. However, his excitement shouldn't be taken for ignorance. He listens intently to Iskandar, following his hand on map and drawing conclusions.

"It's as if Cwyld fought back. It did not want you to clean the infection." Like a hivemind. "As if we needed more proof it's not just a sickness."

It's something else, a curse on this land.

"How did it change when your work was done?"

Iskandar gives him a smile that is almost apologetic. No wonder Caster is curious, he was the one well-versed in magic even before they came here, not Iskandar.

"I was told it all stopped when we stopped, or at least the attacks lessened. The next day, we continued to what is now called the Northern Outpost."

He looks at the map and just shrugs. This part is significantly less detailed and for a good reason.

"This where my map might be inaccurate," he admits. "I don't remember much from the next few days after the ritual. I can't even tell how many of them passed before we reached the outpost. I think it was three at most but I can as well be wrong."

He wasn't in the best shape after that leyline cleansing, and by far he wasn't alone in his dishevelled state. All that took part in the ritual were more or less affected.

Cú has never really gotten close to expelling too much of magic, so that's good information to have. While he's not certain whether the side-effects Iskandar suffered were from the flushing process, or because of the contact with leyline at this point it doesn't really matter. Only that it occurs there.

"Not the smoothest ride it's going to be..."

He shrugs, mostly unbothered. Aside from one small detail.

"I'll make sure that any newbies don't work too hard on it, then. Me, you, we're seasoned." Experienced, they surely can take more punishment. But there are a lot of new Witches, still not accustomed to their skills. So while this is his true intent, he instead grins, sharp-toothed, and finishes with poking fun at themselves— "The youngsters are needed to drag us back."

Yet there is another issue—

"How much for a copy of your map?"

Iskandar laughs. It takes a Celt to receive such news so calmly. Hardly can he remember the last time he had as horrific nightmares. While he'd tended to interpret them as bad omens, here such realistic and vivid dreams usually mean something else entirely. Though in this particular case he'd agree to ascribe them to infected leylines' influence.

Still, not even the most horrible nightmare won't stop Iskandar from pursuing what he intended. But he, and Caster, they are from sturdier stock. Many here are of the frailer constitution.

Last question he just dismisses with a wave of his hand. It is the King's privilege to be generous.

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't charge friends for favours. I'll make you a copy if you'd like one."

"You have my gratitude. For the tale and for the copy that would be of immense help."

Caster takes a sip from his glass only to realize it's already empty. "Ah, time for a refill soon." he mutters, wondering if there are any questions and ideas that come to mind. Then sudden curiosity strikes him.

"So then, if I were to ask what do you think about this entire endeavor— a fool's errand? Or first step towards something grand?" King of conquerors surely had seen plenty of both and could make an educated guess. Some could say his entire quest driving him through the world was the first. He snerks "Not like the first option would bother me— the lower the success rate the more interesting it's going to be"

Like every Celt he's here for a tale, for a fight. But this whole druid thing must be rubbing off on him, if he's seeking bigger answers.

"That very much depends on how well, if at all, the effect of the purge held."

He taps at the map impatiently. For all that it had cost the previous expedition, it is nigh impossible to tell.

"It was a long shot even for the Witches proposing it. If we go back and see that the area have remained clean, if it worked for longer than our stay there. Well, I would still think it would be too early to call it a victory but at least it would be a good sign."

There are no easy victories in this particular war. The Wilders lose and gain ground to the disease all the time. Should the Northern Outpost survive, it would be a major success.

If the purge held, that they are going to see soon enough. With how things look on the Outpost.

"If the leylines can be used as the route of cleansing... then the path to the heart of Geardagas could open once again"

Caster muses and taps the table's surface.

"This corruption has been around here for ages. Not unlike a shadow that haunted island I hailed from—" as long ago as it was "There's a balance in this battle, you know? A battle that has been fought and will continue to be for years after we turn to dust."

But the Dream showed them once a Gaerdagas free of the Cwyld, with mirrors left as a reminder of how it has been cleaned.

Iskandar knows that the task he took upon himself here is as impossible as the one before. That only makes pursuing it more interesting.

"I wonder what's there. The heart of Geardagas. I've never heard much about it. Did you?"

Caster always has good stories at hand. That one? Iskandar looks at his map. Suddenly, he's less content with it than he was just a moment ago. Too vague, too little. He should make another one. A better one. He should have put the leyline there too.

"Do you think there's map of leylines somewhere? I wonder if anyone tried to map them before."

Now, that's an ambitious project they could tackle...

Cú takes his gaze away from the map and Iskandar. His memories take him back to Yako who was so fascinated with the leylines and the history— they found plenty all about it. But then... then she disappeared. And things turned bad here.

After brief pause, he answers

"I do. I not only have heard about heart of the Geardagas, but I also visited it in my Dream." He wasn't the only one to do so, but the people connected to that Dream are...less and less. It's a strange realization that he holds to this knowledge, ready to dispense it as needed. Once again almost like a proper—

Perish that thought.

"And to this day, we do not know if that visit happened to the past or in the present, like Dorchacht. As for map of the Leylines... I think it's confined within Coven. So far, we have not managed to get a glance at it"

Iskandar nods slowly.

"Curious things they are, those dreams," he admits. "Less frequent now than they were before. I wonder why..." It's as unlikely to know that as it is to know where they come from. Yet he wonders.

"And what have you seen there?"

It might make no sense to ask given that Cú Chullain just told him he's not even sure had the vision involved current or past events but Iskandar wouldn't be himself if he weren't curious, and being curious do not ask. He's not even expecting an answer.

That map, however, is a more realistic target. He has a great fondness for maps, that one thing is certain.

"Yes, it makes sense. If someone had done it, it would be them."

It's not easy to recall a dream that old. Usually, dreams fade within a few hours of waking up, fortunately, the magical nature of these makes them stick to memory a bit better. However if not for the fact that they have been discussed so often, they would also probably fade. Telling the stories is how you keep the mind sharp

"It was a court of the Fae, an unexpected meeting of two of them that stand in opposition usually. A special day and celebrations. We all were treated less like guests and more like... a curiosity." Not really surprising given their hosts. "However once you ventured outside, there was no way back. The castle was hidden behind the safety of illusion, and everything about the surrounding forest was dark and corrupted."

Fae are not a subject Iskandar has any experience with. Even the very fact that there would courts of them is new information. Less surprising said courts are antagonistic to each other. But the description feels so disjointed from their current reality. Much more than the dream of visiting the Black City in a dream felt.
Exactly as Caster has said, it could have been as easily an echo of distant past as a foreboding vision of what will come to pass should the disease succeed in devouring everything on its path. There's just no way of knowing...

"Let us then hope one day we will find out what this was about."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[closed]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject