My mind itched with Silah's scratching around. Even while she stood in front of me appearing to do nothing, I could see her tugging and pulling at my memories. Some held, some gave.
I couldn't bear the intrusion anymore. I moved into one of the hallways, out of sight of the others as they discussed what to do next. I pulled the milky white dress from my rucksack and allowed had her materialize in front of me. Her naked form was pearlescent for the moments that it took for her to return to being human. I smiled at her, feeling my adoration swell as I saw her face, even though the aggravation of her digging around in my mind was still fresh. I handed her the dress and stood in front of her, blocking anyone's view in case they came looking for us.
"What are you grinning at?" She said, sounding a little annoyed with, I assumed, the whole naked situation.
Her face belied the tone, though. There was a mixture of emotions on her face: a touch of anger, a bit of haughtiness, some appreciation, and perhaps even love. She looked at me sidelong as she dropped the dress over her shoulders and pulled it into place.
"Are you going to tell me what happened back there?" I said, ignoring her comment.
"Soon enough." She said, a quirky smile spread over her pale pink lips.
So, we're back to this. I thought, readily showing my distaste at these kinds of games.
"You and the boys are going to show me this portal, right?" She said, making the effort to regain her composure.
I nodded, still grimacing, and turned to head out. She grabbed at my arm and pulled me back around, pulling me close and planting a kiss on my unexpecting lips. Heat immediately rose in my face and I blinked vacantly.
"Shall we?" She said, jutting out her arm in my direction.
It took a moment for me to take in the offer, reeling from the cacophony of emotions ringing through my head.
"Come on." She waited, holding her glittering smile.
I looped my arm through hers, feeling almost drunk. The power she held over me, both over my heart and over my mind, was terrifying.
Floki smirked as he watched us emerge from the tunnel and he took a breath to say something, but he glanced at Silah, which made him reconsider, though the knowing smile remained there.
Bromm had taken a spot at the pump and had been readily removing the water that had began to pool again. It was in his best interest to keep the water at bay, and he, of all of us, seemed very aware of that.
"I just remembered that the tunnel to the portal is always submerged." He looked to Bromm, who looked at him and shook his head.
"I'll stay here." Bromm said.
"So, it's Silah, myself and who else?" He looked between us.
Danin didn't have the opportunity to see the room last time, so I obliged to stick with Bromm. Perhaps giving me a moment to collect myself about Silah's newfound ability to torment, whatever it was. Floki also seemed anxious to get a better look at the mural. The group of them proceeded to the tunnel and I nodded to Silah who turned back for a moment.
"Go ahead. Just be careful." I said, nodding to her.
She returned the gesture, looking a little anxious. I felt an ache in my side with the nauseousness pressing in as she moved beyond our bond. I was anxious, too, not being exactly sure why I didn't go along. Sacrificing my spot for others who hadn't had to opportunity to see the portal. I also could always engage with Silah afterwards, a benefit these others didn't have. I grinned at the thought of her.
"What's on your mind?" Bromm said with a grin. "I see that look."
"Yeah?" I said through the widening smile, "I'm not all that good about hiding things like this. And I can't say anything like her has happened to me before."
Bromm nodded, continuing to work the lever controlling the plunger up and down.
"Let me take over, I insist." I nodded at the lever.
I moved in and took the lever opposite Bromm and he released. He stepped back and took his time clearing his pepperbox pistol, using a tool to sweep out the debris.
"She is something very special, for sure." Bromm mused, remaining engaged in his cleaning process.
Then he continued, "What do you think about Kols?"
I chuckled while I worked the lever.
"Are you trying to convert me?"
"No." He said, "You did seem to be interested back at the temple."
"Yes, for the same reason you are." I explained, "To help Kols get his throne back. Attempt to bring things back in line. However, I can't fully ascribe to the strictness of the path you've chosen."
Bromm shrugged, clicking the body of the revolver in place and putting it back in it's holster on his right hip. He leaned against the water-soaked lift timbers gingerly and crossed his arms looking at me.
"Kols needs us. He'll have to accept the way that we'll be doing things. Our way may not particularly be his way, but times have changed."
"Sure, I believe in keeping oaths. But I wouldn't think it my place to enforce unless it caused someone undeserving soul considerable harm. Also, I'm more willing to forgive those who are unable to fulfill their oaths." I looked narrowed my eyes at Bromm, "Is that something that Kols, or you, could do? Release someone of their oath?"
Without shedding their blood as penance, I thought to myself.
Bromm thought for a moment.
"That remains to be seen." He looked introspective.
"I've made some pretty absurd promises in my time." I said, "In those foolish moments, I needed mercy; not justice."
"Are you trying to unconvert me?" He smiled tensely.
"No, not at all." I felt a little sheepish, this really wasn't my place. "I just don't think I could bear the weight of what you you've chosen to do. But still, I keep thinking about it. I just hope this choice becomes clearer for me."
There was a silence between us, I continued to pump away while his eyes looked off in the distance, his mind elsewhere. I didn't envy him, but I truly respected him. It brought another thought to mind.
"So, what happens if," I paused for a moment, feeling the heaviness of the words I was about to speak, "If your father crosses you in your new path?"
There was some commotion from the far side of the cavern, I reached up to my scabbard instinctively, but then realized Silah wasn't there nor was my campaign blade. I immediately felt vulnerable.
A few forms moved from the tunnel beyond, another lighted fletching stood above Floki's shoulder. Silah preceded the group, looking a little bashful. The milky white dress clung tightly to her form outlining every curve with impeccable precision. I lost my breath as my eyes drank in the sight of her.
"Don't say it. I'm fully aware of what I just did." Silah said, hand up to me. "And, yes, I didn't think about it either."
Heh, she has no idea how revealing... I cut the thought off, fearing that she may be able to hear me even now.
Bromm's own eyes could pierce through the gloom. I glanced at him and he looked toward me, nodding appreciatively. A smile crept across my face.
She approached, still seeming ignorant of the attention on her from all sides.
"But that doesn't mean you're getting out of treating me to a night on the town." She said with a low voice, pulling at the wet clothes, pulling the nearly transparent dress even tighter in order to squeeze water from it.
"So," I said, coughing slightly, clearing my throat and attempting to focus my thoughts. "What did you see in there?"
Silah described the room the way I had explained it, but the mural at the far end had changed slightly.
"Apparently, Kols is still in the picture. And I mean that quite literally." Sig piped up, "He wasn't on the throne, but he was in the background. That may mean that there are more followers, or it may mean that what you did, Bromm, is keeping him in place."
Floki didn't look well, he seemed having trouble catching his breath. And, surprisingly, Danin looked only slightly better.
"The mural at the end of the room is exactly what I expected: a portal into the throne room. It may be in our best interest to not collapse the entrance, but we take the very real risk of having another assault on the priory." Silah said.
You could tell that she was in her element now. After we had read that book on the planes together, I had begun to understand how complex the interconnection between us and the many other planes were. It was mind boggling how much existed beyond this immediate realm. Even the descriptions of the way that they had moved between the different planes, by way of the Ether Trees, was clearly described in the book, but still seemed to be incomplete. Even this group's short experience on Sidhe Lara surpassed the scholar's own understanding. I was anxious about such things, but understanding them had made me feel more prepared when standing face to face with the opportunity. I was fascinated with the idea that I might have the opportunity to traverse that space in the coming future.
"There was another set of footprints there." Floki had found his voice, color coming back into his face. "A small set, about Silah's size. It could be the agent of Gevurah hiding out in Hlofreden."
Bromm nodded.
"Raenir's friend, again?" He mused, "I wish we knew more about her."
"If anyone is going to let Gevurah know that Kol's temple is still active here, it might be in our best interest to track her down." Floki followed on with Bromm's thought.
Everyone fell silent for a moment and I looked around, still on duty at the pump.
"So, what's next?" I asked.
"We could clear out the spiders in that tunnel on the next level up?" Floki said.
Sig nodded, he seemed interested in the same.
"That place is a death trap, but we're more prepared this time around." I added my two bits, feeling a bit negative about the whole experience. "We could also investigate for more of that ore down the tunnel? Now that I know that Silah couldn't actually see in the dark, we might be able to move a little deeper to see if there is a gold vein."
"We can investigate that, but lets consider that for another time." Sig approached, "I like Floki's thought to push back the spiders. We brought all of the right materials this time."
I could remember seeing their beady eyes glistening at the edge of my vision. It would be different if I knew the others would be working side by side with me, but that hadn't been how things worked, besides having Danin close. I knew how much I'd get in the way of both Floki and Bromm's way in those tight spaces. It was a few moments of thinking about it when I finally shrugged.
"Hell, why not. Let's crush some spiders."
(Get to know Akeron.)
(Read Robyn's Account of Events.)
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