Vyor's Very Varied Vernacular(aka: Random Plot Dumping Ground)

Harry Potter and the Dreamers 1

Vyor

My influence grows!
So I figured I might as well start something on here for random things I've written.

Starting with this:

Harry Potter and the Dreamers, CHP 1
A Kidnapping and a Half


“... What is that?” Hellock asked after a moment, the stupefied look on his face drawing a laugh from his interrogation target.

“It’s a child, duh.” Yenessa snarked back, eyes rolling. “Isn’t he cute? And he has these adorable glasses!” She continued with a squeal, petting the unconscious child in her arms. “He had the worst company too, so Banal just being near their house hurt me. I still don’t understand how he stood it!”

“... You kidnapped a child from their home…” Hellock started blandly, “A home that was so Banal any fae would die from living there… and you…” The troll just sighed, hands over his face, “Keala, how is it I haven’t strangled her yet?”

A snort from the pale skinned, black eyed woman hiding in the corner of the room, “You don’t want to know the answer to that I’m afraid.” She whispered out, “The scar on his head, did you cause that, Yenessa?”

“Mmmnope!” The feathered pooka said with a grin, “Was there when I found him. In his bed. Asleep.”

The troll groaned, leaning over and cupping his face as a small and grouchy looking man took one look inside the room, saw the Pooka, and left; wanting absolutely no part of this developing dumpster fire.

The Satyr next to him, on the other hand, happily pranced into the room to look over the kid, “So what type of Kith is he? Or do you think he’s a Sidhe?” He asked in good cheer, half hugging the Pooka as the smell of wine filled the room.

“He might be a Sidhe, I saw his hair grow back abnormally fast when it was cut so he’s definitely going to undergo Chrysalis soon.” Yenessa nodded happily, “And when he does, I’ll raise him like my own child.”

“Oh god no!” Randy said from the other room, “He’d end up all farblunjet!*”

“I concur.” Hellock agreed, the sluagh in the corner nodding along with him, “I don’t think anyone in the country wants to have two of you around; half the court would enter Bedlam just from your presences.”

Yanessa waved them off, “You’re just jealous that I found him first. Anyway, I’d let Randy try and inspire him, he’s clearly a Dougal sidhe, he uses glasses after all!”

The noise, naturally, had begun to wake the child; who did not exactly look upset about being surrounded by monsters, even if one of them looked like a ghoul out of a nightmare. “Huh, this is a new dream.” He said with a blink, trying to get out of the Pooka’s hold, “Is this when you try to eat me?”

“See? He’s perfect!” Yanessa squealed, hopping up and down. “Not even scared of getting eaten, clearly he’s a proper Sidhe that will one day take over his house and help revive this dying world!”

“... What?”

***

“So you think I’m a… fairy?” Harry Potter asked, head tilted. “I don’t think I look like a fairy. Neither do you!” He said accusatively, pointing at the half drunk Jik, “You look like a goatman.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I am a goatman or I’d be upset.” Jik pouted, “I’m a satyr, thank you very much. And that’s a type of fairy.” The horned man crossed his arms.

“Oh don’t be like that.” Yanessa teased, “And yes, we-” She was interrupted by Hellock, “You.”; something she promptly ignored and continued on, “do think you’re a fairy! A sidhe specifically.”

At Harry’s questioning face, the small grump spoke up, “A sidhe is basically royalty, like the british queen and her family. It’s a whole lotta drek if you ask me, but they pay me in good Glamor, so I can’t complain. To their faces. Much.”

“Oh… so what do they look like?” Harry asked, “Do they have horns or wings or scary claws?”

“No, they look like humans, just prettier.” Jik started, “Like, really pretty. Jaw droppingly gorgeous. So pretty people make songs about them.”

Keala shrugged, “I prefer my fellow sluagh, they make better company.” She whispered over weak tea, “You know that if he turns out to be a mortal we’ll be in quite some trouble, yes?” Her hand waved, “Even now, I’m sure the rumors are stirring.”

“I’d claim I was discreet, but I’d be called on that instantly.” Yanessa started, wide grin showing she wasn’t the least bit ashamed, “But even if he is a mortal, he’s clearly not a normal one! Hair doesn’t grow like that for a normal mortal.”

Yanessa’s hand waved then, the pooka turning more fully towards Harry, “So how old are you Harry?”

“I’m 5.” He replied, awkwardly sitting on a lumpy chair, “I’m almost 6!”

“Oh, we’ll have to do something for that!” Yanessa said with a clap, “Birthdays are special, extra special. Oh, we should throw a party! But what presents to get… Oh, what do you like to do for fun, Harry?” She asked, leaning in; trying to engage with him, make him smile.

“Um, I don’t really know?” He said, cringing, “I guess I like to read? Aunt and Uncle never really let me do things…” The wave of Banality that poured forth from him made the group shudder, but Yanessa didn’t let her smile drop.

“Well, I guess we need to fix that then!” She said exuberantly, hugging Harry tightly, “I’m so, so sorry you had to go through that. Even if you aren’t a fairy, I still wouldn’t regret taking you out of that place. You don’t deserve that type of treatment.”

Hellock sighed, “Much as I hate to agree with her, she is right. You didn’t and don’t deserve to live under such conditions.” His head shook, “Family doesn’t do that to family, they just don’t.”

“Yes,” Came a quiet hiss, “Even the Unseelie would not subject a child to such torment. The loss of someone’s wonder and imagination so young would be a tragic waste.” Keala shrugged softly, “A later death of such at their hands, however, would be an acceptable price in their eyes; foolish and self destructive I think.”

Harry just frowned, “So what do you eat if you don’t eat people?” He asked, curiosity brimming behind restrained energy.

“The same things you eat, more or less.” Jik answered, “Sluagh like rotting and decaying foods though, and Trolls prefer meat… though that’s only because they need the protein.”

“Eww.” Harry said with a disgusted look, “That sounds gross.”

A snort from Keala, “It is not to everyone’s taste; unfortunate really. Our meal budget would be much lessened if it were…”

“See, this is why I like you.” Yanessa started, pointing at her fellow female, “You can take a joke and constructive criticism!”

“I feel that is why you are still alive…” Came a sardonic and dry reply. “Most would have snapped by now, I feel.”

“Precisely.” Yanessa said with a nod, “Anyway Harry, wanna live with us? Can’t be worse than where you would normally live. We even have adventures!”

Before Harry could answer, there was a pained groan from Hellock, “We aren’t taking them until and unless they bloom into a warrior and a fae. Or at least a mage of some kind.”

The glasses wearing boy pouted before saying, “I… guess I could live with you? I should get my stuff though… they’ll throw it out if they find out I’m missing.”

That just got him another hug from Yanessa, “Oh dear boy, I’ll get it for you. I’ll slip in all sneaky at night, take your stuff from your tiny cupboard room, and be out like I was never there at all. Easy!” Harry nodded into her shoulder, hugging the bird shifter back tightly.

“... Thanks.” He mumbled before yawning. “I’m… tired.” He complained, “I dun wanna sleep, I want to learn more about you…”

Hellock snorted, “You can ask whatever you want in the morning…” He started before adding, “Not from Kaela though, her you’d need to pay for answers.”

“Don’t scare him away.~” Said sluagh purred, “I take payment in stories too, I just make you pay me in wine.” She said with a laugh.

The troll sighed, “One of these days, Keala, one of these days I will get you back for that.” He said, slight grin on his lips belying the threat; one which made the nightmare inducing fae laugh.

“Come, Harry.” Kaela ordered as she stood, “I suppose I shall let you bed in my demesne for tonight; the others lack a spare as of now and you would best wish to avoid sleeping with them.”

Hellock coughed, “I’d say I was offended, but no she’s right. I move around too much and you might get, um, crushed by me.”

Yanessa nodded rapidly, “Flat as a pancake, he rolled over onto me when we were camping in the same tent once and I had to stab him to get him off!”

“No you didn’t, you just thought it was funnier that way.” The troll sighed.

“I didn’t want him in my bed anyway, he’d probably get it dirty.” Randy half growled. “And I’m pretty sure Jik has a girl he’s seduced in his bed anyway.”

“Hey!” Jik started, “Tonight it’s a man, thank you very much.” He sniffed imperiously, “I don’t discriminate on who I find pretty.”

“... You realize he’s five, right?” Hellock asked as Kaela sighed and started shooing Harry down the halls.

“Gotta learn sometime!” Jik replied with a laugh, “Besides, it’s not like I said what we were planning to do tonight… which is surprisingly tame now that I think about it. Man’s had a long day, so it was mostly going to be cuddling…” The satyrs head tilted, “I should get some hot chocolate on the way home…” He pondered aloud, drawing more sighs from Hellock as Kaela came back.

“A touch of glamor and he was out like a light.” She stated easily as she ghosted her way back to her seat, “Also, we have a visitor at our door, could you get it open for me Yanessa?”

“Wait what?” The pooka asked before the door rang out with a soft knocking noise. “I will never understand how you do that.” She noted before calling out, “Coming!” And darting to the door, opening it with a smile, “Welcome to Casa De La Kaela, what can I do ya for?”

“... I do think you mean De La Casa.” The bearded old man replied with a blink, “But you would be… oh, of course, a pooka. I assume you were the one that took young Harry from his home?”

“Yep.~” Yanessa said, popping the ‘p’ with a relish, “I’m Yanessa, who’re you?”

With a smile and a bow, his tall hat drooping to the side, he said, “I am Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin First Class and headmaster of Hogwarts. May I come in?” He asked gently.

“Hmm, I dunno, are you here to take Harry back to that awful and abusive place?” Yanessa asked with a squint that was almost a glare, “Because if you are, I have to say no.”

Dumbledore started, “Abusive!?” He asked, eyes wide and voice slowly taking an angry edge, “How… abusive are we speaking?”

“They had him living under a cupboard under the stairs, the horrid woman living there tried to shave him bald, and they treated him as one would a slave.” Yanessa listed off, “Oh, and he wasn’t allowed any friends or any real hobbies.”

There was a twitch in the old wizard’s eye now, he suspected it wouldn’t go away anytime soon, “I see.” He started, “I will not bring him back there anymore than is needed to insure his safety.” He swore, voice full of barely restrained rage.

After studying his face for a moment, Yanessa smiled widely again and moved out of the way, “Come on in then.” She stated, “Hey Jik, put on some tea! We have pleasant company!” She called out, Dumbledore bowing to the pooka before moving inside.

“Thank you for your hospitality and your concern for Harry’s wellbeing.” He said with a smile, “I’ll admit I haven’t been able to keep as close an eye on him as I’d have liked, it would put far too much attention on the house…”

“Oh no, I get it.” Yanessa said as she led him to the rest of the group, “If you knew he was taken so fast and could find him like this, then you must have some magic watching him or something. So he must have some enemies or whatever. And since you didn’t stop me as I grabbed him, it would have only been an alarm or tracking thingy, something subtle so other people don’t notice.”

Albus nodded easily, “Quite. I had someone watching him as well, I think your people would refer to them as an ‘enchanted’ human, but they had to remain a distance away personally to avoid attention as well.” Another eye twitch as he bowed to the others, “But I see some things will need to change.”

“I agree.” Kaela whispered, “What purpose is there for him to go back there? You mentioned something about his safety but… ah. Ah, ah ahhh.” She started, smile widening as she realized something, “This is that Harry. I see.” She said as though that explained everything… only to continue as Hellock promised her a case of her favorite wine if she actually elaborated, “Harry Potter, son of two dead mages and possibly killer of a dark lord of some kind; I have my doubts on that though. Definitely a mage, still possibly a fae; jury is still out on that.”

“... So the worry is that servants of this dark lord would come for him.” Hellock started, “But what does that have to do with being in that other house? Some type of blood magic?”

With a nod and a sigh, Albus leaned back and spoke, “Yes, he was protected by his mother’s sacrifice. Her dying to protect him caused Voldemort’s killing curse to rebound back upon him.” Suddenly, the man looked twice his age as he slumped; an impressive feat with how old he already looked. “I left him with his aunt to ensure that the protection would constantly renew itself, as being with a blood relation should do.”

Pulling at his beard, his voice was full of regret, “I tied a few protective enchantments into the link, concealment spells and a small tracking spell that only I can make use of. It would all break on his 18th birthday, but by then I’d hoped he’d learn enough magic to protect himself…”

Jik nodded, “Ya… ya I get that. Family is supposed to love each other, so you assumed that would hold true. Didn’t work out but…” The satyr shrugged, “Can’t exactly blame you for your decision, I’d have probably assumed the same thing.” A cup of tea was in his hands as he moved over to the wizened wizard, gently steaming, “What matters at this point, is what we do now.”

Dumbledore sighed again as he took the tea, “Yes, yes, you’re right. I can’t in good conscience have Harry live there long term; even if I threatened them into compliance and into being good people they would still abuse him, with neglect if nothing else. But he does have to be there at least for a few weeks of the year to renew his protections.” He explained.

“Mmm…” Hellock hummed in thought before shrugging, “Alright, simple enough. I’ll be his bodyguard for those weeks and if they try anything I make them go night night.” He suggested before Yanessa spoke up.

“Ya no, way too banal. You’d lose yourself in just a few days.” The pooka stated, “I’m sure Albus knows someone that wouldn’t suffer like that?”

Said wizard nodded, “I know a few, even.” He started, “One even tried to warn me about the Dursley’s… disposition, but neither of us knew just how poor they’d be. We assumed it would just be moderately unpleasant, not abusive. She’d make a fine choice as well…”

“It’s settled then.” Yanessa said with a firm nod, “He’ll stay with us for most of the year and then with a properly cowed and threatened Dursleys for a week or three for part of it; at least until he turns 18. Worst case comes we induct him into a Sidhe house that fits his temperament for protection and further learning.”

“... Sometimes I forget you can plan ahead.” Hellock noted, a shudder going down his spine.

“I assure you, that is quite intentional.” Yanessa replied, her grin just making the shudder worse for the man before her, something she enjoyed very much. “That said, Harry is asleep right now and I, frankly, am exhausted. Carrying around a child through the Dreaming is hard work and it’s been a long day. So I am going home.”

Dumbledore blinked before snorting, swallowing his tea and standing up, “If you wish, I could escort you, as payment for your kindness.” He offered, taking a small tome out of his pocket and floating it over to Kaela, “And for payment in regards to the use of your home, an alchemical treatise written by myself. I don’t know if you have a copy or not but if you do…”

“I do not.” Kaela replied, taking the book out of the air. “Thank you, it is not often an outsider respects our ways.”

“I try.” Albus replied, “As for Jik, the nocker, and the troll… I owe you a favor each I believe. I do hope you don’t abuse such.”

“They won’t.” Yanessa replied, taking a proffered arm, “They’re good people.”

“I would hope so.” Albus replied, making his way towards the door, “I am leaving Harry with them… though under closer observation than before.”

“Of course, I wouldn't expect anything different.” And with that, they vanished into the depths of Dreams.

*Translation: Mixed up.


So... thoughts? Comments? Angry hate mail?
 

Bear Ribs

Well-known member
A Pooka with long-term planning skills and what looks distressingly close to common sense. Didn't see that coming.
 
Harry Potter and the Dreamers 2

Vyor

My influence grows!
Harry Potter and the Dreamers 2
Dangerous Friends(?)


“Don’t touch anything.” Randy ordered Harry as the boy was led through a small workshop, items scattered about the room. “They might explode.” That got Harry’s attention, eyes wide as he stepped away from a whirring clockwork sphere.


“What are these things?” He asked, curiosity not tamped down in the slightest at the sight of the fantastical creations around. “They’re so cool!”


“Well, that’s a chimerical astrolabe.” Randy started, pointing towards that very same sphere, “It predicts the movement of stars in the mundane world and the Dreaming.” He explained, tossing Harry a small toy, “And that is a toy soldier. Well, I say ‘toy’ but, uh, try not to put any Glamour into that little spot on its back.”


Harry just blinked, “What’s the Dreaming and what’s Glamour?” He asked, head tilting, “Is it some type of magic?” The boy was almost vibrating with excitement, smiling wide as he messed with the soldier in his hand.


Randy snorted, “We ask that a lot ourselves, but the Dreaming is basically another world next to our own that some mages can access and all fae can make use of. It’s where we come from, in theory.” He wasn’t looking at Harry at this point, instead digging through a box and tossing tools around, “And Glamour is what the thing you’re holding is made from, it’s basically a magical building block mixed with, uh… mana from a video game if you’ve played one of those.”


Harry shook his head, “I haven’t but Dudley did?” He started, half cringing to himself, “But I did read some books with mana! I always wished I could use it…”


“Well with luck you’ll be able to magic yourself up things.” Randy replied, “You could be a fairy, a mage, a werewolf I guess…” He shrugged, “Lotta options.”


“Ohh, cool!” Harry replied, setting the soldier down on a table gently, “Do dragons exist?” He asked, sounding giddy, “Oh, what about flying broomsticks? Or magic carpets?”


“Yes, yes, and yes.” The Nocker replied, “Though I don’t recommend meeting the first of those without a good troll meat shield with ya, they’re usually pretty cranky.”


“Oh, ok.” That revelation made him a little disappointed, but he recovered quickly as five year olds usually did. “So you made all of these things? They’re so cool!”


“Yep.” Randy replied, getting out of his box and slowly walking over to Harry, tools filling his arms, “And we’re going to see if you have any talent at it.” Harry looked a little confused at that, but curious. “If you’re a fairy like us, we think the Sidhe House Dougal would fit you best, they all have some flaws to em. Like needin glasses an such.” Shrugging, the small inventor pushed a few items into Harry’s hands.


“And if you are one of them, you should have some mechanical aptitude.” A pause, “Not as much as a nocker, mind you, but some. So it’s been decided that I teach you some stuff and see how well you pick up on it. You’ll also be learnin to fight from Vanessa and Hellock cause apparently ya got some evil mages with a grudge after ya.” Randy shrugged, “Not much threat when you’re with us though.”


Harry nodded, believing and trusting the small fairy completely; they had already saved him once already. And they were so cool and magic and strong! “That sounds so cool!” He said, shaking some with excitement, “So what are you going to teach me first?”


“How ta make a small crossbow.” Randy replied with a grin, “It’ll only be good for throwing pencils at people, but it makes a good demonstration of how things work.”


Harry nodded rapidly, “And we need a hammer and screwdriver for it?” He asked, looking at the small tools within his equally small hands.


“Yep. Come on, it’s easy once ya get the hang of it.” Randy said with a grin, “Don’t worry if it takes a few tries ta get it workin though, things goin wrong is part o’ learning.”


Another nod from Harry as he followed the tinkering fairy, eyes wide and eager.


*****


Harry kicked a rock as he walked next to Hellock, frustration written across his features. Sure, he could make a crossbow that didn’t fall apart after a few tries, but anything more complicated just… didn’t work for him. It didn’t click.


“You know… Randy told me that you were frustrated, didn’t think it was this bad though.” Hellock noted, “Who knows, maybe you’re a Nocker!” He laughed, “Hope you don’t start cursing up a storm in public though, we’d get looks!”


That got Harry’s attention, “I… really?” He asked, “Randy didn’t seem that bad…”


“That’s because he knows how to reign it in around kids.” The troll replied, his mortal form only slightly smaller than his fairy one, dark skin and rippling muscle under a nice suit. “He’s a good man, noble, keeps his word and does damn good work. Saved my life a lot of times, course I saved his just as many so…” Hellock shrugged, grinning, “Not a big fan of being in debt to him, he’d probably have me test something… explosive, not a good time.”


Harry laughed, “So nockers are angry all the time?” He asked. “Doesn’t seem very fun.”


A snort from Hellock, “Oh it can seem that way sometimes, but nah. They’re… just easy to trigger. High strung. But if you learn their buttons you can usually avoid angering them too much, and if you deal with them right you’ll find they can be almost jovial. Almost.”


The young boy nodded, “What about Trolls? What are you like?” He asked, looking up at the large man before almost bouncing off a light pole.


“Watch where you’re going Harry.” The troll chided, “And it depends on who you talk to. Most of us try to be Noble, Good, Just. Defenders of the innocent and such. There are evil trolls, usually called Ogres, but they aren’t the majority. We also prefer very direct and honorable means of dealing with problems. You know, challenging the baddies to a duel or some such. Or testing ourselves in direct combat.”


Harry nodded again, listening closely and hanging onto every word. “Is that why you’re going to teach me how to fight?” He asked.


“Defend yourself, not just fight.” Hellock corrected, “Being aggressive is a good way to make enemies, but knowing how to protect yourself from those who want to hurt you just because is pretty important. Sure, it’s sometimes a good idea to go in and deal with things before they become a bigger problem, but that isn’t common and you should always listen to wiser voices than your own when thinking about such things.”


“Who do you listen to?” Harry asked, “Do you have a queen or parliament?” He struggled to say the last word some, “That’s who uncle Vernon always complained about…”


Hellock hummed, moving out of the way of a fellow traveler, “We kind of have both. And a King.” He replied, pulling Harry so he’d avoid another pole. “We also have noble houses, I personally follow House Scathach, though contact with them is… rare to put it mildly. They do have my loyalty though.”


“What are they like?” Harry asked, “Are they like you?”


“Oh yes, they are… hmm, how to describe them…” Hellock started, humming and thinking as his eyes scanned for the building he knew was near, “Noble, certainly. Like chivalrous knights holding a torch against evil. They want to return things to older ways, where the Seelie and Unseelie were equals. They’re also opposed to the coming night, very much against the nightmares that seem intent on returning to the world.”

He shrugged as his hand went to Harry’s shoulder, slowly guiding him to his destination: a kith run ice cream shop. “Maybe we’ll meet one here?” He suggested with a grin, slipping into the building with minor difficulty due to the small door size.


Harry, of course, had no such issues; smiling wide at the prospect of the sugary treat. “What type of icecream do you like, Harry?” Hellock asked, sitting at an oversized stool.


“I… don’t know?” Harry replied, “I kinda like vanilla?”


“Well that’s just sad.” A boy behind the counter said, large nose and pointed ears showing the truth of things to those who can see. “I assume the usual, Hellock?” He asked, grinning at the troll, “And something with a few flavors for the kid?”


“Got it in one.” Hellock replied, “I was thinking a banana split with all three flavors?” He suggested, looking to Harry for a look of disapproval; just in case he didn’t like bananas. Naturally, such a look never came, Harry looking excited.


Hellock could almost imagine stars in his eyes really, but then he had been watching too much anime recently… damn Vanessa and Jik for getting him into that.


“Roger that.” Came the reply, the boy flipping a scoop in his hands as he went to work, grabbing the various flavors and working the icecream to the perfect consistency against the cold stone.


Mint with a chocolate drizzle and brownie bits for Hellock and vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry for the sundae.


Harry was ecstatic as he moved to devour the confection, groaning in delight at the taste. “So, got any new rumors for me, Numa?” Hellock asked, eating his own rather gigantic pile of ice cream.


“Not too much that you aren’t already involved with.” The Bogan replied, nodding towards Harry. “Vanessa doesn’t exactly know how to hide a child on her yet.”

“Oh please don’t say yet.” Hellock groaned, “I don’t need her getting more ideas…”


Numa laughed, “Too late for that.” He noted, “But there is one thing, there are a few Sidhe looking for a way to get more in contact with mages. Maybe you could help them out? Hell, they might seek you out themselves with that rumor going around.”


“Mmm, what house?” Hellock asked, eyebrow raised, “Not Balor I hope.”


“No, no.” Came the reply, “Beaumayn and, some say, Scathach.” Numa frowned lightly, “Never good when those two are looking for the same thing.”


“No, it isn’t.” Hellock replied with a frown, “I’ll put my own feelers out, see if anyone’s heard anything. Thanks.”


“Anytime.” Numa replied, wiping down his counter, “Tell the others I said hi for me, been a while.”


“Course.” Hellock said with a wide smile, “Anything for a friend.”


“You know, talking about secrets in public is hardly a wise decision.” Came a whisper from behind, a veiled woman sitting alone with a milkshake. “Certainly not with your own court in the room.”


“... You’re very pretty.” Harry said, looking at her. “Why are you covering your face?”


Hellock just put his hand on the boy’s shoulder warily as the woman laughed, “You are very kind.” She replied, “And I’m wearing this because without it I’m even more pretty, and I don’t want that type of attention.” A sniff, “Mages might think I’m charming people.”


“So, my lady, what can I do for you today?” Hellock asked, “I would hope you don’t want me giving him to you, I made an oath to specifically not do that.”


“A wise decision.” She replied, a smile just visible through the veil, “No. I was actually going to say that you are changing fate quite a lot right now. I approve, of course, but you are bringing quite the level of danger to yourself.”


Leaning forward over the table, she looked Hellock in the eyes; piercing vision sensed even if not seen. “I wish to assist you in training the boy. I have foreseen that he will be quite useful to our cause, should he join.”


“... I wouldn’t try to force him to join us.” Hellock replied, “But I understand what you mean. An ally mage would be nice to have, but it’s his choice. We’re helping raise him for his benefit, not ours.”


“Of course.” She replied, “The freedom to choose is one of our house’s virtues, as you well know; Sir Hellock the Sidhe Slayer.” She paused to sip at her drink, letting the words hang in the air, “You were given the option to take those quests or decline them. You chose to pursue them, putting yourself in danger, because you believed in our cause. All I ask is for you to give Harry the same choice when the time comes and, until that happens, let me help train him.”


Hellock’s finger was tapping against the stool, nervous but trying to avoid showing it, “What would you be training him on?” He asked, “Combat? Smithing?”


She snorted, “Magic of course.” The sidhe replied, “Cantrips, the ability to use Glamour. You don’t have any experts on it and it will give him valuable experience if his own magic ever comes in.”


Hellock blinked, “You think he can learn it?” He asked, glancing at the boy, “He has plenty of Glamour about him but…”


“I can give him some of my blood, worst case.” She replied, “Just think about it. You know how to contact me.” She said with some finality, flicking what appeared to be a golden coin to the Boggan at the counter, “If you speak of this, I will know.” She noted.


“Wait, Lady Asra…” Hellock said, standing and touching her arm as she moved to leave, “Why not… ask Harry?” He suggested, “I don’t want to make a decision for him like this, even if he is only five…” Then the troll paused, “On one condition. You tell him exactly what your price is.”


“Done.” The sidhe replied instantly, turning towards Harry and kneeling so he could look into her face, her hand outstretched, “If you would have me teach you our magic, all I would require of you, Harry Potter, is an oath that you will only use this gift for what you believe is right; to control your own destiny.”


Harry looked a little… wary, feeling the power from the woman in front of him, the danger. “You’re… kind of scary.” He said softly, eliciting another laugh from the woman.


“We get that a lot.” Asra said, “But many things and people are scary until you get to know them. You were scared of Hellock when you first saw him, no? Of Kaela?”


Nodding, Harry smiled and took her hand, “Ok.” The contact was gentle, warm from her as she cupped his own, almost motherly.

“Excellent.” Asra said, “I think… we shall start three days from now, one day after your combat training and two days after your schooling from Keala and Jik.”


“I’d ask how you know our schedule…” Hellock started, “But I know you wouldn’t answer.”


“A lady has her secrets.” She replied with a small grin, letting go of Harry’s hand. “Goodbye for now, young mage, Sir Hellock.” Asra said with a bow before vanishing from sight.


“I hate it when she does that.” Hellock noted with a sigh, “Also she stole the glass you put her shake in.” He told Randy.


“Well, she paid extra so…” The boy shrugged, “I can just buy another one. Or make one. I think I’ll do that actually, I need more troll mugs…”


 
Alterian in Bet 1

Vyor

My influence grows!
In completely different news, have Original Fiction x Worm


Alterian in Bet 1


Space rippled, parting and fracturing as a young woman stepped through it, muttering to herself and looking at a map. “Three steps forward, turn right…” She mumbled, dress far outside of the norm unless one were in a renaissance faire. Her robe draped down to the ground and glided over it, staff tucked under her arm, sword and wand on a belt.

“The fuck is a Brockton Bay General?” She asked, still walking in the dim light. “And so late at night too.” She noted, stepping across the street without a care and still not looking around her. “Oh, it’s a hospital. Why the hell am I supposed to deliver a letter from gods to a single person in a hospital? Maybe they’re a healer that needs to be in a particular place at a particular time? And why do I need to lie about who sent me?” The woman sighed as she swept through the parking lot, “I swear, if I need to mentor this girl I’m going to go god hunting…”

Stepping through the front doors, which she only barely noticed opened on their own; something that left her impressed; she stepped up to the front desk and finally put down her map. “Right, so I’m here to deliver a letter to one Amelia ‘Amy’ Dallon on behalf of the Protectorate.” She said to the woman before her with a smile, “I’m Lydal Rose, do you know where she is at the moment?”

“Oh, um… let me call her over.” The receptionist replied as Lydal put the letter on the desk, folding her map up and slipping it into a hidden purse beneath her robes. “She’ll be here in a moment.” The woman said, “So are you a new member? I didn’t know they had someone using their real name transferring over.”

“Oh, no.” Lydal replied, hand waving, “I’m from out of town. And I have to admit that your hospital is very well kept and clean.” She complimented, eyes wondering the room as she internally wondered where in the ever loving fuck she was. “I’d suggest warmer lighting in the rooms where visitors arrive and the break rooms though, would help both guests and doctors relax.”

“I’ll pass that along.” The receptionist replied as Panacea, Amy Dallon, walked into the room, marching over towards Lydal.

“How did you even know I was here?” She asked curtly, arms crossed. “Actually, I don’t want to know. Just… give me the letter.”

“Stressful day then?” Lydal asked, handing the paper over, “Chocolate helps with that if you can afford it, otherwise might I suggest funnel cake? A bit of honey and sugar atop it makes a wonderfully delicious treat.”

Amy just rolled her eyes, opening the letter and frowning at its contents, or the lack thereof. “It’s blank.” She stated, handing it back to Lydal and sounding even more annoyed than she already had been.

“... I’m killing them.” Lydal stated after a moment, turning around and raising her free hand, “Kipost, Hylanka, Feston.” She said, pouring mana into the words and into the space before her. She waited a moment before frowning, “Ok, that isn’t normal. Hold on, performance problems are natural.” She snarked, doubling the amount of mana she put into the spell. “Ok, what the fuck.” She asked the air before shoving almost the entirety of her reserves into the spell.

To her credit, the air did begin to flex and shimmer before the spell died out, leaving Lydal standing there and pissed off. “Those bitches.” She whispered, “I’m going to skin them alive and wear their skulls as a hat.”

Amy took a step back at that statement, the receptionist turning on a silent alarm as Rose turned towards them, “Right, so who do I talk to about my getting stranded on this plane? Any interplanar travel agencies I should know about?” She asked, leaning on her staff and sweating slightly, “I am out of mana and can’t get home until I figure out how to break the ward keeping me here. So… help?” She requested, sounding hopeful.

“Um…” Amy started, “Are you… ok?” She asked, Lydal’s eye twitching slightly. “Not going to start killing anyone?”

“Hardly.” Rose snorted in turn, “But when I get my hands on the two gods that had me deliver this pointless letter… then some bitches gonna die. Violently.” She stated, “But to do that, I need some resources and a few extra mages to back me up. The ward breaking part I mean, I can kick godly ass on my own.”

Amy took another step back as Lydal felt every hair on her body stand up in alarm, the woman whirling around and pulling her blade out to face a flying newcomer, “Do not try to affect my mind with your magic.” She growled out, “I am not in the mood to be putting down a rogue mage today.”

The blonde blinked and started to say something before Amy interrupted her, “Vicky, aura!” The brunette shouted, a blush expanding across Victoria’s face, “She thinks she’s from another world.” Amy stated, “Just… call the PRT or something, please?” The unspoken message was clear even to Lydal, ‘Don’t antagonize the crazy woman with a sword’.

Not that Lydal cared if they saw her as crazy or not as she put her blade away, she already delivered a blank letter to one of them so looking sane wasn’t much of an option anymore. “So the PRT is who deals with inter-planar strandings?” She asked, trying to strike up a more pleasant conversation as the blonde pulled out… something and began speaking into it. “Do they have many mages in their employ?”

“... Are mages what you call people with powers?” Amy asked, eyeing Lydal. “If so… um, yes?”

“Well, magic is an expression of power, so sure?” Lydal stated with a frown. “Mages are just people that both know enough and have enough mana to make use of magic in a dynamic way. Sure, some people can make use of their meager motes of mana to do one specific thing, but mages can use them to, say, travel between planes like I was trying to do.” She replied, “You know, when there aren’t wards up and in the way.”

“I… see.” Amy started, “So when you say wards…”

“I mean a great big fuckoff spell that managed to block almost three thousand motes of mana without cracking even a little bit.” Lydal replied, “I put enough mana into that spell to crack a mountain and it did jack shit. So either a god put it up or similar. It bent enough to tell me I need to craft a specific spell to break through at least… or just shove six thousand motes into it to brute force things. Either one would work.” Rose shrugged, ignoring her growling stomach for the moment as she continued to look around.

“So they said they’ll be here in a few minutes.” Victoria said, “As for you Amy… Why didn’t you get a ride home yet?” She asked, “It’s seven!”

“I got busy, there was a gang shooting and I had to heal them.” Amy replied, sounding exhausted.

“Shooting?” Lydal asked, “But if there were that many patients, I can understand why you were so tired and grouchy. Good thing your girlfriend there is good looking, aye?” She snarked, Victoria and Amy coughing in surprise, Amy blushing hard.

“We’re sisters!” Victoria stated in shock.

“Not blood related, surely.” Lydal replied, “You don’t look similar at all. Who’s the adopted one?”

Amy just shakily raised her hand before turning and marching out the front door, eyes locked dead ahead, “Wait, Ames!” Victoria called out as she darted forward, flying over and lifting the smaller girl into her arms as they left.

“They sure are doing a good job of convincing me they aren’t dating.” Lydal noted sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she turned to the receptionist, “So… got any food here?”

+++

It didn’t take long for the rumble of an engine to be heard outside the reception area, Lydal chewing on a granola bar in some amazement. This world was far different from her own, wrapping foods in a metal foil even!

She thought it was metal anyway, it was shiny like metal at any rate.

Lydal kept chewing as a particularly large man stepped into the building, an overly complex halberd propped against his shoulder as he walked towards the woman. “Are you the woman that is saying she’s, quote, ‘from another plane’?” He asked, voice gruff.

“That’s me.” She replied with a smile, hopping up from her seat and sauntering over, “Nice armor, but uh… how do you see?” She asked, head tilting, “Is it one way glass? How does it take impacts if it is?”

“It’s a polymer nanocomposite derived ceramic.” He replied, “It allows extreme strength and resilience with low weight and high flexibility.”

“... I don’t know what any of that means, the first part I mean.” Lydal replied, “Anyway, I can’t get home without some help, so could you direct me to some?” She asked, smiling gently.

“I… think you should come with me.” The man said after a moment, “When you say ‘plane’ do you mean universe or dimension?” He asked, sounding concerned.

“Well, dimension is a strange term for it.” She started, “I suppose it could be another temporal dimension, which would explain certain classes of plane?” Lydal frowned, head tilting, “Wouldn’t explain the various hells and afterlives though. And the word universe means all of space and time, so having more than one of those is an oxymoron or paradox. So no, I don’t mean those words. I mean plane of existence.”

If the armored man reacted, Lydal couldn’t see it. “I see.” He started, “We’ve only had contact with a single other… plane before. We don’t know of anyone that can freely travel between them.” Lydal thought he sounded apologetic, or maybe she was just projecting it on him, “If you come with me to the Rig, we can debrief you and try to understand what happened to get you stuck?” He offered.

“Eh, can’t hurt.” Lydal replied, somewhat dejected that she’d have to work on the problem alone. She hated having to do that. It got lonely. “Doubt you have the expertise to do it though, if you don’t have solid inter-planar travel then I don’t think you can figure out how to break a ward of this scale.”

“If you told us how it works, we might be able to help in other ways.” The man replied. “And I am Armsmaster.”

“Lydal Rose.” She replied, sticking her hand out for a shake, “Strange name you have there.”

“... It’s a pseudonym.” He replied, taking her hand and giving a curt shake, “We hide our names to protect people close to us and keep us from getting attacked in our sleep or homes.”

“Well, that makes sense.” Lydal said with a nod, “Lead the way then?” She requested, hand waving gently.

“Right this way, Miss Rose.” Armsmaster sighed, sounding irritated at something as they walked.
 
Last edited:
Alterian in Bet 2

Vyor

My influence grows!
Alterian in Bet 2

Rose was endlessly fascinated by… everything around her, head whipping around as she poked and prodded at the machine she was sitting in. “So this engine, how does it work?” She asked what she assumed to be a soldier next to her, “I imagine it spins things and turns gears much like a windmill would do, but how does it do that? Does it harness latent mana somehow? The wind?”

“Uh…” The man coughed, “It uses gas explosions?” He started, looking uncomfortable, “I’m not exactly sure on the specifics. I can tell you how my gun works but…”

“What’s a gun?” Lydal asked, leaning in and smiling wide, “Is that the thing you’re holding? Is it a weapon of some kind?”

“Yes and yes.” He replied, looking to another man in the car pleadingly; someone that just snickered and waved him on. “It uses bullets and um… it would be easier to show you.” He stumbled over himself as he rifled through his bag, pulling out a spare magazine and from there a bullet.

“So this is a bullet.” He started, “The front bit here is what flies out of the barrel, uh, the front of the gun and this bit is filled with gunpowder, a low speed explosive.” He explained, Rose’s eyes locked onto the ammo like a cat looking at a bird, “When the back gets hit by the, uh, firing pin in the gun it goes off and sends the bullet down?”

“Can I hold it?” Rose asked, “And what’s gunpowder made of? Is it magic or chemical?”

“Chemical and… I don’t really know.” He replied with a cough, “And I don’t think I’m allowed to give it to you.” Another pleading look at the man, who fell over laughing at this point.

Lydal turned on the laughing man, treating him as new prey for her curiosity and amusement, “Do you know what it’s made from?” She asked, pupils pinpricks as the vehicle started to slow, “If I knew I could incorporate it into my spells and become much more useful…” That, she knew, was likely a blatant lie. Blatant to her anyway, probably not to them.

“Nope, no clue.” He replied, “Ask Armsmaster, he’d be able to tell you.” The other soldier said to a pouting Lydal, nodding towards the door. “This is our stop.” He stated as it slid open, two more soldiers on the other side. “Sorry about the escort, standard procedure.”

The redheaded woman shrugged as she stepped out, staff gently tapping on the concrete as she walked with the men. “So, who am I going to be talking to?” She asked, looking around at the tall and imposing buildings, “And wow, you guys build high don’t you?”

“We do.” The man behind her replied, “And I don’t know, it could be anyone.”

“Good lord you people are boring!” She complained as they stepped through the automated doors, “The least you could do is give me a silly answer! This is like working with zombies, and at least with them I can talk to the necromancer!”

“Ma’am, we’re just trying to do our jobs…” He sighed, “And it’s been a long shift. Please don’t make it harder on us than it needs to be.”

“Fine, fine.” Lydal sighed, bored as she walked and followed. “Can I get some sweets at least? I need some sugar in me to replenish my stamina.”

The man sighed, waving another soldier forward, “You still carry around Rip Its, ya?” He asked, eyebrow raised.

“If I don’t, I start getting withdrawal symptoms.” He replied, snorting as he reached into a bag and pulled out a can; handing it to the smaller girl after popping its top(something that made Lydal twitch).

“Thanks?” She said, looking confused before starting to drink the can of caffeine, minerals, vitamins, and artificial flavorings. “Oh god.” Lydal croaked, coughing as the taste hit the back of her throat before forcing the rest down her gullet. “That was awful, you drink this regularly?” She asked, the man laughing uproariously.

“It’s an acquired taste.” He snickered out, “But it’ll keep you awake.”

“And sick.” Rose replied, frowning as she roughly swallowed, free hand over her stomach, “I hope you have toilet rooms near where you’re taking me, because I fear I may need one.”

“Ya, there’ll be a close one.” The man in front stated with a sigh, “Sorry about that.” He said, stopping before a door, “This is our stop. If you need anything, just call.”

“Alright then, thanks.” Lydal replied, opening the door and blinking at its bare bones content. “What is this, a prison cell?” She asked, stepping inside and kicking the table and chair, “If I need to break out of this place, I’m burning the whole building down. Fair warning.”

A snort from the man she had been following, “All the other interview rooms are full, mostly of paperwork. So interrogation room it is.”

“Very well.” Lydal replied, sitting down on the chair facing the door. “I hope the door will remain open and unlocked?” She asked, eyebrow raised.

“Sure.” He replied, “Just wait there for your, uh, interviewer.”

Lydal just waved dismissively before leaning back against the uncomfortable metal, waiting for her stomach to settle; the only consolation being that it did wake her up a little.

+++

She didn’t have to wait long before an armed woman came into the room, darker skin rousing a raised eyebrow from Lydal. “I’d ask if you’ve ever made a deal with a demon, but from my understanding you lack those here?”

“No, I’ve not.” They replied, sitting down, “And even if we did, I certainly wouldn’t. My faith warns me away from that. I’m Miss Militia, you’re Lydal?” Militia asked.

“I am, and it’s good to see that the pains of the desert have not worn away such scruples.” Lydal replied with a smile, “On my plane, such isn’t the case unfortunately.”

“Not everyone has such beliefs, I'm sad to say.” Militia replied, eyes showing the truth in her words. “But you’ve mentioned your ‘plane’ a few times now, can you describe it for us?”

“Of course.” Lydal replied, smiling wide. “Magic is a widely known thing and with that comes some rather large risks, monsters prowling the countryside to eat people; particularly young potential mages.” She started, “Most of the population is thus nearby castles, or inside them. We have roaming bands of soldiers to keep monsters away from where our farms are, but sometimes it isn’t enough and, well… I’ve come across too many empty buildings to say life is good out there.” She didn’t sound sad about it, resigned and without much emotion in it. Merely stating a fact of life like that one would drown in water if they can’t swim.

“I… see.” Militia replied, frown barely visible beneath her bandana, “How dangerous are these monsters? Does your average soldier stand a chance?”

“Depends on the monster, some of them will kill a horde of knights each before they go down and some can be put down by a pack of hunting dogs.” She answered, “We mages are usually sent out to deal with the first, but sometimes that isn’t an option. The clergy can help sometimes, a direct line to a god helps quite a lot on occasion, but few of them are devout enough for it.”

“And you mentioned… demons as well?” Militia asked, “What are they like? Just another monster?”

Lydal snorted, “If only. No, they’re clever; too clever for my liking.” Lydal’s head shook, “They very much enjoy making deals with people, and each represents an emotional flaw in life. A Gluttony demon, as an example, may make a deal with someone promising that they’ll be full for the rest of their lives.” She started, hand on the table as she reminisced, “That one, as I recall, then went to a market, ate as much as twenty men, went back to the poor sod that made the deal and, well… put that food into their stomach; biting the man’s shoulder and…” Rose shuddered, “Let’s just say I didn’t enjoy what the result was and took great joy in shoving the bastard back to his hell.”

Militia looked a touch queasy but asked another question regardless, “If they’re that bad, why would someone make a deal with them?”

“Some of them aren’t as bad upfront.” Lydal explained, “I knew a Greed demon that merely promised, and delivered, the skills and mindset to succeed in business. What he didn’t say was that such meant stripping away every ounce of morality and empathy from the people.” Lydal shrugged, “Demons exist to spread their own vice, their own flaw. They gain power from it and the souls they take. Lust, Greed, Pride, Gluttony, Wrath, Envy… the last is the worst, the things people will do out of that disturb me, even after my two hundred odd years of life… there are things that scar you for a while.”

Militia nodded, thinking about Heartbreaker for a moment before shuddering and saying, “We have examples of that here, sadly. But… can you tell me about this ‘magic’ you have? How it works?” She asked, changing topic.

“My specialty.” Lydal replied with a smirk, “Magic is simple when you get down to it, every sapient has free floating mana, the lowest amount I’ve seen is a mere two motes from an unfortunate orc boy.” She said with a wave towards Militia, “You probably have around three or four, as is the average for a human. I, after a good rest and meal, have a little over three thousand. Your normal mage has closer to two hundred to five hundred.”

Militia blinked, “How do you use this… mana, do you need to do specific spells?”

“Nope.” Lydal said with a pop, “Well, in a way yes but really no. Spells are built off words. You can technically use any language for it, though some are better than others. But I’m being scatterbrained; effectively what one does is speak, sing, think, whatever your spell and push your mana into it. The more mana you push into each word, the more it’s emphasized. It would be easiest to give you an example?” She suggested, “A simple fire spell can scale slowly enough to avoid any damage to the room and, well, avoid knocking me out.”

“How… much fire are we talking about here?” Militia asked, eyebrow raised, “Because when I hear it won’t damage the room, I start to get nervous.”

“Hardly more than a candle would have.” Lydal replied, “Promise.”

The dark skinned woman shook her head with a sigh, “Go ahead then.” She said with a wave, scooting back a bit to have a bit more safety.

“Right, so if I say ‘Force, Fire’ I get this,” She started, a small flame appearing over her palm, barely bright enough to see before it vanished, “but if I put two motes into the first part of ‘Force, Fire’...” She continued, another small bit of flame appearing and launching upwards before fading, “I get that. Each word takes a set amount of mana, out of those two Fire takes more due to being the more complex concept, though it’s still more efficient than making heat directly.”

Militia nodded as she moved back to where she was before, “And anyone can learn this?” She asked.

“Oh sure, with varying degrees of success.” Lydal replied, “The more potential you have the easier it is to train. Someone with three motes of mana won’t be able to do much before they pass out.”

“A bit like aerobic exercises then, if you don’t have enough lung strength to start it can be hard to get going.” Militia noted, nodding in understanding. “Is there a limit to how complex a spell could be?”

“Only how much mana one has.” Came the answer, “A simple bolt of fire is much easier to do than, as an example, healing a wound even without bringing in how much more energy it takes simply to make that healing spell worth it compared to, well, lighting something on fire.”

“You can heal people?” Militia asked, sounding interested.

Frowning, the robed girl shrugged, “I can but it isn’t my specialty. I don’t know the optimal spells to do it. I can cheat to brute force things, and that lets me heal head injuries better than most anyone else, but for more fine tuned work I overspend compared to the best.” She explained, “Best healing magic I have is something that targets wounds and reverses time to the point before the damage happened. Extremely effective if targeted well but… not great against, as an example, cancer or disease. And it’s exceedingly expensive to do. Best to do through potions, not direct castings.”

“Potions?” Came the next question, something Lydal was all too eager to answer.

“They’re essentially precast spells into a specially designed flask.” She started, reaching into her bag to pull out a lightly glowing bottle, “This blue one heals people. The main way it works is… well, it takes the spell itself and encodes the words into the mana, which the bottle turns into a liquid. It’s brilliant stuff, designed by dwarves.”

“Interesting, could you use that to give yourself mana?” The brunette asked.

“Uhh…” Lydal coughed, “Not sure where you’d get that idea from, but not really? In theory it’s possible, sure, but I’ve never seen it done successfully. Most results just end in abject failure and others just end up in new ways to build a bomb.” She explained, “You can build something that allows you to channel ambient mana, my staff and wand both have that built into spells I cast frequently in combat as an example, but I don’t know of anything that restores one’s mana.”

“Oh.” Militia started, blush barely visible on her cheekbones, “I only ask because, um, games on our ‘plane’ have mana potions so I thought I’d ask?”

“Games?” Lydal asked, “You don’t have magic on this plane yet you have games that feature it? An amusing coincidence, what the mind can conjure is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?” She asked, smiling wide, “Oh, do you have flying machines? We have many stories featuring such and with your self moving carriages I thought I’d ask. I’d always hoped I’d live long enough to see one built.”

“We do.” Militia replied with an audible smile, “Several kinds, perhaps I can show you some once you’ve gotten settled?”

“Oh yes please, I’d enjoy that.” The mage replied, a wide smile on her face. “And if you have any treatises on how they work I’d be most appreciative. Learning new things keeps me sane, and there is much to learn here.”

“I… think you’ll be impressed by just how much.” The woman replied with a snicker, “We have much more than a few treatises on how our flying machines work. Schematics and entire fields of science could be at your fingertips.”

Lydal leaned forward rapidly, manic grin on her face, “Tell me more, oh please tell me more.”

“Well… we have this thing called the internet, and it can act as a giant library for information.” Militia started, “And misinformation, but I imagine that isn’t too surprising. Anyone can contribute to it anywhere and almost at any time with almost no limits to what they add. Even works of fiction and art.”

“That sounds… wonderful.” Rose replied, eyes wide, “If it allows such things, it would allow communication as well. Sure, such might cause new forms of strife, I've been around long enough to know that if you put ten people into a room there will be something all ten disagree with one another on, but I can’t imagine it being anything other than a net good.”

“It can be, but it can also add new methods of control for people that want to misuse it.” They replied, “It all depends on perspective and where you look.”

Lydal nodded, “Oh, you also mentioned your faith earlier? Do you have a holy book I could read through to understand it better? Better yet, as many holy books as you can get me.”

Militia’s eyes seemed to shine, “I can do that, I also know a great church I can take you to so you can learn from the priests there?” She suggested, sounding hopeful.

“Trying to convert me?” Rose noted, winking at the now blushing woman, “But it sounds fun, so sure. It would be nice to learn of a god that isn’t constantly asking me to do errands for them.”

“So, um, you have gods on your world?” Militia asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh yes, a few of them.” The mage replied, leaning back, “Most were put into place by the head honcho, Garlanda I think is the name they gave me last time, but a few were crafted or conjured by their people. Not real gods, but they’re close enough to count.” Lydal shrugged, “Yetura was the one that made our plane.”

“I… see.” Militia started, “Well, I can’t think of anything else to ask you about right now. Your story seems to be self consistent and you’re coming up with details that wouldn’t normally be thought of if you were making things up on the spot…”

Rose snorted, “Standard precautions, huh?”

“Well, yes.” Militia admitted, “But I really did mean what I said about the church thing when you get settled in.”

“And I still accept.” Lydal replied, hand going out for a shake, “Shake on it?”

“Eh, why not.” Militia replied, hand going out to take it.

“This will be a lovely relationship, I’m sure.” Lydal stated, “Now… when can we get dinner?”


Not super happy with this, it's a lot of exposition.
 

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