middaeg | [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

"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."

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