Fandom The Ties That Bind Us || Private

[Drekasal]

“Thick?” Haru echoed, tilting his head in bemusement. “I’m not sure that I—“

“Nobody is calling anybody here thick,” Kevin said quickly, emphasizing his words with a stern look, and it seemed to have the desired effect. Haru’s confusion turned into understanding, and he respectfully fell silent. Heaving a sigh, Kevin returned to the original subject. “It’s not that I—we think you wouldn’t understand,” he continued, readdressing the witch in hopes of placating her. “It’s just that...well, between what we’ve told you and what you’ve shared with us, there is a lot to take in. Doesn’t exactly help that we were already hit with a bunch of surprises before you showed up. N-Not that it’s your fault!” A nervous stammer entered his voice in his attempt to amend his words. “I mean that with honesty. But it’s...been a roller-coaster, to say the least...”

“Still doesn’t make any more sense,” Sigrid huffed. “Ok, so I want to take a moment and look over what we have. Faith, was it? Let’s just say, for now, that you’re right, and Jesse is working for someone. Benefit of the doubt here, that’s not the most far-fetched thing I’ve heard; it would certainly explain a few things, especially concerning the—“ She paused, barely catching herself before blurting the subject of their “quest”. “—our problem. But...Grimmur's a dragon.” She shook her head, mirroring Cat’s look of disbelief. “What could he possibly want from Jesse that he couldn’t get himself?”

Feeling more than a little frustrated with the lack of progress, Kevin noticed Teighenth had been unusually quiet while they’d been talking, his eye ridges creased in a thoughtful frown. “Something’s on your mind,” the boy pointed out, getting the dragon’s attention. “What are you thinking?”

The guardian considered his charge, and the rest of the group in turn, before letting out a deep exhale of breath. “I don’t believe, if what Cat’s mother told me is true—“ he ignored whatever looks of surprise that won him “—that Grimmur would have initially known the subject of our own plight, even if he is acquainted with their makers, but I’m certain if they were brought to his attention, he would seek to know everything about them, as his potential tools to his own ends. If there is one thing I know well of him, besides his desire for revenge, it is his obsession with power, both to be gained and to hold over those he means to rule, or worse, to destroy.”

A soft snarl made itself heard in his tone, and he scowled. “Before his exile, he had underlings to attend to his every will, but also to keep an eye on his opponents, to give him vital information on their weaknesses. Their Achilles’ Heel, so to speak.” His eyes then narrowed. “And Jesse has been known to pry before, has he not?”

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Faith turned her face in the direction of Teighenth and let out a small sound of distress before finally conceding, "Sort of."

"No sorta about it," Cat interjected. "Jesse loves getting any information he can, from any source he can. He's been that way for years. It's a survival tactic, and one he got good at."

"Yes, but it never feels like he's intentionally prying," Faith pointed out, her voice dipping a little lower as she listened to Sarah's remarks. "It's more like..." she paused for a moment, flailing for words and gesticulating wildly with her hands. "It's more like he—" She paused and winced at the ironic use of the words she chose next. "He charms somebody into telling him things. You want to talk to him, you want to tell him about whatever he tries to make conversation about. You don't notice that's what you're doing, and most people don't think twice about the...the danger in it."

Cat jolted a bit, staring at Faith agog momentarily. After a second, she glanced up at Teighenth, furrowing her brow in turn. "Donna ken if that'd work so easily on a dragon, but if Grimmur's somehow prone to flattery...?"

"What," Faith asked, "is the problem you're facing? If I can ask, that is. If Jesse's involved, I don't—" she faltered again, biting back where she was going before suggesting what sounded like the dumbest idea she'd had yet. "Maybe if I could talk to him, if he is involved, it might help a little?"

The dragonborn's eyes flicked from Teighenth to the witch, then back to the dragon before she looked at her friends, sucking in a breath.

"I don't like this," she whispered. "But she doesna seem like she's just gonna give up and go home if we tell her not to worry about it."

 

[Drekasal]

Kevin pursed his lips in deep thought as he glanced at Catriona, then to Faith before returning to his friends again. "Even if we did," he said, dropping his voice to a whisper as well. "It wouldn't feel right to do so, nor does it feel right to leave her in the dark. Everything that she has shared with us...it feels sincere to me, and we've barely told her half the truth. To just blow her off without a proper explanation...it would be callous."

"Agreed," Haru murmured, nodding his head. "And she clearly came all this way looking for help—it would be against our duty as Titans to not lend her our aid."

"We've already got our own problems," Sigrid argued, looking none too thrilled with what the boys were implying. "Problems which, by the way, seem to have been caused by witch-girl's boyfriend, so I'm not really eager to see his face right now. Don't think I'd keep myself from decking him if we do. Besides—" she looked to Kevin with a frown. "Didn't Taranau tell us to keep the Shears away from Jesse? 'Cause I'm pretty damn sure looking for him defeats the entire purpose of that."

"Jesse will come looking for the Shears anyway, once he finds out that Taranau doesn't have them," Kevin reasoned. "We're bound to cross paths, one way or another." The boy eye's flickered over to where Faith was sitting "And if there's even the slightest chance of reasoning with him, then I'm willing to take it. Who knows? Maybe...maybe it'll be better coming from Faith than from us."

"You can't be serious," Sigrid huffed, but when the boy met her gaze levelly, she seemed to finally give up, and she sighed. "You are serious."

"So we are to bring Faith, then?" Haru asked, looking around at his friends questioningly. "Do we tell her of our quest?"

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Cat drummed her fingers against her chin, looking between her friends and then casting a glance at Teighenth.

"I think yah have a point, and I'm a bit worried about the old scorch and how he might feel in all this—" she swept her gaze over them all again, not willing to admit she'd been worried before all of this began, especially where Kevin was concerned with the recent cloud of weight settling on him, "—but maybe we can compromise, somehow. No' sure yet how, but we can figure it out as we go. Have a plan B, isn't that what Nightwing's always goin' on about?"

From her seat, Faith waited anxiously, feeling Sarah seething somewhere below the surface, catching only snatches of whispers among the other teenagers, and getting the overwhelming sense the dragon—Teighenth, she was going to have to take her time learning to pronounce that—was deeply upset. Her hands were going clammy on her staff's grip as her stomach roiled, and she was genuinely starting to regret opening her mouth at all. Regardless, she was here, and without a way to get back across the Jump Sound, she was stuck.

"With hostile fools," Sarah added haughtily. Faith scowled as best as she could, but it was hard to completely dislodge the ghost's words. She didn't think she was in the company of fools by any means, but trying to get a read on any of them beyond their auras was proving difficult, and they certainly didn't seem to care for Jesse in the slightest. She hadn't entirely expected sympathy, but the direct opposite felt more than a little discouraging.

All the same, she had little else she could do. After a moment, she settled on trying to mend the one thing she could at that moment, and turned in the direction of the dragon, watching the slow-burning fire of his aura ripple in waves, and murmured a tiny "I'm sorry."

 

[Drekasal]

The dragon had turned back toward the ocean again while the teens had their discussion—he'd elected to stay out of it and let them make the decision themselves—so he wasn't expecting to be addressed again for a while. Thus, it took him a beat to register Faith's apology, glancing in her direction when he did.

At this point, his snarl had faded away, though a frown remained in its place as he regarded her, until eventually he sighed. "It's not your fault," he muttered, not unkindly. "Grimmur has always been my own problem to deal with—you wouldn't have been aware of the connection. Though I must admit—" and his expression turned weary "—I had dearly hoped he wasn't a part of this."

Rumbling quietly, he slowly laid himself down on the sand, his legs stretching out in front of him as he soaked up the heat below. Had company not been present, he would've unfurled his wings to catch the sun's warmth as well, but at the moment he couldn't afford to get too relaxed. That, and he privately didn't wish to injure anyone because of a stray wing claw, but that was besides the main point.

Seeing Faith was still looking in his direction, he was reminded of what he had initially been reluctant to inquire, but given the lull in conversation, his curiosity got the better of him. "Catriona mentioned that you were blind," he said slowly, testing the waters in the event it was a sensitive subject. "But you seem able to sense where and...what we are, for the most part." He paused, digging his claws into the sand as he wavered momentarily on his next words. "Has it...always been this way for you?"

 

[Cyanide Latte]

He sounded weary, and his voice was heavy with regret. Faith listened and waited, mulling over what he could mean. That the dragons knew one another wasn't too surprising—though it did occur to her it was probably silly to think that all dragons in the world knew one another—but this sounded like a wound that went much, much deeper than a surface level acquaintance. She wasn't entitled to whatever he was thinking, of course, but it still came as a surprise when Teighenth asked her cautiously about her sight. She sat up a little straighter, and then promptly slouched again as she hugged her arms in shame.

She'd wanted to avoid mentioning Sarah for a little while longer if possible, but she knew that honesty would be better for her in the long run than not.

"Um...not exactly," she answered. "I used to be able to see, before. But I was...I wasn't a very obedient person, and I didn't really have any respect for...stories, I guess I'll say." She drew her knees up close to her chest and hugged them instead, shouldering her staff in the fold of her arm. "It was my birthday, and a few friends snuck me something alcoholic after school. We were gonna celebrate, meet up at this old, overgrown grove at night like a bunch of uni students do. I took the half-rack with me there right off, figured I'd wait around and drink a bit of it on my own before they showed up."

Phantom sensations of the worst headache in her life came back, rather than the buzz of the alcohol. She grimaced and curled further up in her shame.

"They never did," she went on. "It was my birthday, so you can imagine how gutted I felt after hours alone, and I was already drinking so I kept on." She sat up a little straighter then, fingers digging into the fabric of the leggings covering her knees.

"I'm not proud of it," she added. "Not at all. But that wasn't the worst of it. See, the old place was said to be where the local witch was buried some hundreds of years ago or something, we all knew that. It was such a popular hangout spot for drunk uni students that most of us still in school just figured the stories of the witch were either yarns spun by adults to keep children away from it, or they were the sort of tales that anyone skunk-drunk would make up. None of us thought they might be true, least of all me."

"To your own regret, wasn't it," Sarah remarked, her voice clearer than normal, with honey-sweet cruelty. Faith scowled, but went on.

"I don't know how it happened, but I know what I saw, no matter how sloshed I was. It was like someone had set fire to the earth and then she came out of it. The witch, that is. Or, her ghost. The last thing I remember ever seeing was her shrieking, and then her hands coming for my face and—" Faith stopped, taking a long, shuddering breath, and had to steady herself before she spoke again. "That was the last thing I remember ever seeing. I barely remember the next day beyond the way my head hurt and how sick I felt, but I remember the world was just black and gray. Local coppers, they found me, and they told my parents I'd stolen the half-rack, drunk most of it and then used the rest to vandalize a grave site. Nobody believed me about the witch's ghost."

Something pulled away from her then, and a mausoleum chill that she barely noticed she carried with her any more left, leaving only the sort of cold that came from damp ocean air. But it wasn't totally gone; she could still feel Sarah, like they were connected by a thin but powerful cord, as the witch took the opportunity to manifest herself before the dragon.

She was tall and translucent, like a half-imagined hologram in the spray of the Sound. And she was beautiful and terrible, with long waves of golden hair that spilled out and over her dress, and an elegant, heartbreakingly lovely face that was marred by the cruel twist of her smile and the cold haughtiness of her eyes.

"The arrogant little snipe had the stupidity to disturb my rest," the ghost said, her voice clear and vindictive. "So I took her sight as penance. A trifle, really; I was actually feeling rather generous."

Faith glared at Sarah. If there was one thing in the world she could still see with absolute clarity, it was the ghost. With a grumble, she looked away from her, feeling her face burning hot.

"The fact she seems to have developed her own gift is a good omen," Sarah went on, sauntering over to Faith and curling smooth hands over the girl's shoulder, hands that looked so delicate and perfect, with long, well-kept nails, they belied the raw strength in the ghost's grip. And still, her eyes never left Teighenth, measuring the dragon's reaction. "It was an outrage, at first, that I should end up tangled in the essence of the living, much less that someone near-useless would have raw access to my power, but it's proven increasingly convenient. I'm still uncertain how her little gift has come about, but she can see the aura of humans, and the auras of all magical beings. I'm somewhat jealous; I never had such a quaint, helpful little skill when I still lived."

Feeling rather aggravated by this point, Faith gestured viciously between the dragon and the ghost haunting her. "Mr. Teighenth, this is Sarah Redfern."

Sarah's smile grew thin. "I would say I'm charmed, but it's a poor joke," she purred. "And besides, I can't say I've ever met a full dragon I liked."

 

[Drekasal]

The dragon had not expected an answer from Faith—truthfully, he'd begun to regret having even asked about her sight—so it came as a surprise to him when she obliged. Nevertheless, she had his full attention the moment her story began, and he carefully arranged himself on the sands to better face her while also trying not to crowd her too much with his mass. His sharp eyes caught every grimace, shudder and twitch the girl made as she spoke, making clear how much she did not like to reflect on the memory, and the dragon again felt guilt course through him from having been the one to bring it up.

Whatever apologies he wanted to make, however, escaped him at the mention of a witch's ghost—a moment that, in retrospect, really ought to have prepared the dragon for what came next. All the same, he cast Faith a questioning look, quickly becoming wary when something pulled away from the girl soon after. His teeth bared slightly in a hiss as it began to change, eventually settling into the form—shade was the better term, perhaps—of a woman. She was beautiful in appearance, at least by human standards, but Teighenth had lived long enough to know that looks could be deceiving.

With this woman, if this was who Faith was referring to, that was especially true, and besides, the coldness in her eyes told him everything he needed to know about her, none of which he liked. And the introduction she made, plus how she followed up to the girl's story with a cruel arrogance, made him like her even less.

His eyes narrowed to slits as he glared at her, nostrils flaring with a wisp of smoke, yet for the moment, he held his tongue. Somehow, he sensed that "Sarah" was intentionally trying to irritate him, and if that were the case, he wasn't going to give her that satisfaction. "In that sense," he said tersely, keeping his voice civil. "We are alike, to an extent." His gaze then flicked back to Faith, disapproval evident in his expression. "If anything, this explains the presence I felt alongside you earlier."

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Faith lifted her eyebrows, unable to hold back her surprise, and twisted in the direction where Sarah's presence felt coldest.

"See? Kunchen was right, you're not subtle," she remarked to the witch, before twisting back to Teighenth's aura. She watched it flicker for a moment, the shifting akin to embers being stoked to reignite flames. It seemed suited to him, in a sense. "You said we're alike?" she prompted, more than a little curious, and it was just as she squinted to try to see his aura better that she noticed something, just at the edge of her magic sight. It seemed to shimmer and elude her, as if it refused to manifest when stared at directly, but it looked like many, many tiny threads stretching outward from the dragon's aura, vanishing into the space beyond like a web...or a net. Frowning, she tried to focus on not looking at the threads directly, but all the same, they eluded her.

//

Cat was partially unfocused, trying to maintain her place in the debate between her friends and still casting glances over in the direction of Teighenth and Faith. The two appeared to be talking, though what about, she wasn't sure.

Won't do a lick of good to overworry just yet, she told herself, and after a second she realized she'd been addressed directly. She snapped her attention back to her friends, scrambling to recall and discern what she'd been asked.

"Hmm..." she mumbled, fist to chin again in thought. "I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt, at least summat." Furrowing her brow, she glance between the other three, and decided to posit a question. "I dunno how much Faith may know about any of this, let alone anything about the story of King Valemon. But I did have a thought. It's...not exactly the most honest way of goin' about it, but what if we ask her if she knows anything about the treasures, without namin' anything exact? Kind of feel out what we're steppin' inta' 'fore we commit to it?"

 

[Drekasal]

Faith's prompt caught the dragon off guard, his annoyance giving way to surprise, then dismay immediately after. His little remark had meant to be a passive jibe at Sarah in counter to her commentary, but the younger girl had taken it as a serious statement.

Not that she was entirely wrong, but it required an explanation that he personally did not feel comfortable giving to a stranger.

That thought was at the forefront of his mind as he struggled for a decent answer, searching the sky above him as if it would provide any help. Eventually, however, he let out a breath of defeat, his wings falling limp to his sides. "I did say that," he admitted, "and it is true, we are alike in a way. There are tethers that bind me, just as there is one that binds you to Sarah. But mine are forged from burdens of my own making, from a life I'd rather not speak of." Glancing back to Faith, he gave her an apologetic look, even though he knew she couldn't see. "I only hope that you will understand."

—•—​

"Mmm, I suppose that'd work," Sigrid conceded after giving it some thought. "Better than spilling out our whole plan, at least. But yeh, I'd still like to be careful about it, just in case."

"Any last thoughts, then?" Kevin asked, looking between them all. "Before we make our final decision?" He waited a few moments, hoping he was giving everyone enough time to decide to speak up, but no one did. Haru inclined his head in assent, followed by Sigrid shortly after, albeit slower and more reluctant.

It's settled then. Taking a breath, the mage nodded briskly as well, before he then turned toward Catriona. "You know more about the treasures than any of us. If it's not too much, maybe you'd be the best one to explain it to her?"

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Catriona offered the best smile she could under the circumstances, and gave her friends an emphatic nod. "Aye, I c'n do that!" she said, secretly just a touch relieved. Finally, back on track and she had something to do that would—hopefully—avoid potential conflict with Faith. Secretly, Sigrid's remark was lodged in the back of her head, and she needed something to do to avoid dwelling on it.

Witch-girl's boyfriend.
No. No she did not need to think too hard about that.
But it made some sense. At the very least, the sense that this girl was...twitterpated with Cat's older brother was pretty hard to get around.
But Cat did not have the time or patience to try dissecting that possibility, and especially not if it made their quest harder.
She did however, tuck the thought away for later. One way or another, she was going to wring some answers out of her brother the next time she saw him, even if she had to have Sigrid help her hold him down long enough to get him to talk.

She turned to regard the blind witch-girl and Teighenth...and froze.

Another figure was with them, a older woman cloaked in dark velvet robes that the dragonborn knew hadn't been there before. As fire crept up her spine, trying to urge its way down her arms and out through her hands, she noticed something odd. She could see the sea spray and the rocks and Teighenth through the woman.

The fire sprang into each palm regardless, but she kept the flames low, tiny flickers like the tongue of a cigarette lighter, and took a few hesitant steps forward, but at that moment the woman shimmered out of sight, and she tensed again, left to wonder if she'd actually seen someone or simply imagined her. Giving a rough shake of her head, she untensed—mostly—and walked closer to the dragon and the girl, snuffing the flames as she went.

"Oy, Faith!" she said, and the witch turned her head in her direction, blue eyes focused on nothing. "Sorry it took a minute while we talked it out, but you do deserve an explanation."

Faith had turned from Teighenth somewhat reluctantly, but she got the sense the dragon wasn't keen to share much more, and instead she listened with her head cocked in the direction of Catriona, shifting her weight a little anxiously. She didn't want to admit it, but much as she was desperate for help finding Jesse, his sister made her nervous for several reasons. Still...

"Whaddaya know about the story of the White Bear King?"

She paused, thrown completely for a loop, and opened and shut her mouth a few times like an idiot. What did that have to do with this? After a second, she warily answered, "Not much? Not that I remember, anyway? My gran told me the story a few times when I was little."

Cat shrugged, then remembered Faith couldn't see and made a rough verbal approximation of a shrug, and said, "Sounds about par f'r the course. Most people don't know much about the story, it's not that popular a fairy tale." With a sigh, she plunged forward, knowing there was no other recourse to be done for the growing mess she and her friends were caught in. "What...do ya know about King Valemon's treasures?"

She watched as Faith's brow furrowed. "Treasures?" she echoed. "What do you mean, treasures? There was only the one, wasn't there? The chain."

Cat went very still as she processed. The words mocked her memory, plucking and teasing at something out of reach. "The...what?"

 

[Drekasal]

Chain?

Kevin glanced at Haru and Sigrid, and the confused looks they gave him mirrored his own. Taranau didn't mention that being among the treasures, and it definitely wasn't part of the set she'd given to them...right?

Sensing everyone had short-circuited, Teighenth stepped in for Catriona, clearing his throat to get Faith's attention. "I'm afraid that you'll have to explain that to us," he rumbled. "The treasures Catriona was referring to were the shears of the King, as well as those made to aid the princess on her journey. A chain, however, was not mentioned among them, so I can only assume that there is a different version of the tale that we're not aware of."

"What he said," Sigrid muttered, though her words lacked their usual bite—Faith's question had really thrown her. "Pretty sure Ta—the tale. The tale mentioned four treasures, not just one."

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Faith twisted back and forth as she listened to them all, growing more and more confused by the moment. Finally, thanks to the combined voices, she sat up a little straighter, determined to settle confusion. Even Sarah seemed to come to attention in her headspace, as though primed and waiting to be called upon for additional guidance.

"Even if the same story has different versions," she remarked, "that doesn't mean all of them can't be true."

Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened her hands and started shaping the image of—at least, what she hoped came across as the image of—the golden chain she'd long dreamed of since childhood.

"When I was little, my gran used to tell me a lot of fairy tales," she began. "The story of the Polar Bear King was never one she revisited as much as some of the others, but I never forgot how she used to tell it. I'm not sure you've been told it quite the same way; I think the treasures you're talking about are what Gran used to call the 'queen's tools'. The only treasure she ever mentioned to me that belonged to King Valemon himself was the golden chain. It was given to him by his mother, the previous queen, and it was enchanted with powerful good magic."

Frowning at this, Cat placed her hands on her hips. "Good magic," she echoed. "What kind of good magic?"

The question made Faith fidget, just a little. She was already feeling a little self-conscious, and she was certain if it wasn't showing already, it was about to.

"Love magic," she finally answered. Had her voice gone a notch higher than normal? She hoped not. "At least, that's how Gran made it sound?" She gestured helplessly. "The queen-mother gave Valemon the chain to give to the woman he chose for his bride. It's supposed to be exchanged between two parties, I—augh, that's not right." She took a deep breath, massaged her temples, and tried again, speaking a little slower. "The chain was passed on to Valemon, so he could give it to the woman he wanted to marry. She would then be urged to give it back to him if she accepted. That's where its magic comes into effect. If there is love between the people involved who exchange the chain, the magic in it strengthens the bond of their love. It binds them to one another, through their love, and allows them to always find each other."

She sat up a little straighter, letting out a rough exhale.

"I don't know exactly how the chain works. Magic-wise, I mean. I'm still learning, and the best I can do is try to guess at it. I...think the chain could technically work for any kind of love, like the love between friends. It's just only ever been framed romantically, because of the story."

 

[Drekasal]

"So it is like san san kudo, then?" Haru asked, only to be met with silence as the others looked at him strangely. Realizing their ignorance, he quickly explained. "'Three three nine times'. At home, it is a binding ceremony performed by a couple upon their wedding. Both husband and wife drink three times from three sake cups, affirming the strength of their union in doing so. It is considered a very sacred moment."

"Isn't sake rice wine?" Kevin asked. "Sorry, I know it's bad timing."

"Daijobhu da," Haru reassured him. "Hai, it is. Unfortunately, I could not tell you how it tastes, I've never had it myself. You would be better off asking my parents, whenever I have the chance to introduce you to them."

"Of all the tangents I expected to come out of this conversation," Sigrid noted dryly, "I can safely say this was not one of them." Despite this, she had to grin at the sheepish expressions the boys shot her, but she was quickly serious again turning back to Faith.

"That said, the gold chain does sound vaguely familiar, now that you've gone and explained it. I think Mamma mentioned it in passing at the end of her version, but she made it sound more like a betrothal gift than an actual treasure, compared to the rest of ‘em, anyway." She shrugged, before remembering belatedly the witch couldn't see, and she added, "I suppose that's why I didn't remember it at first. I never was into the mushy stuff back then."

"By that, do you imply you've since changed your tune?" Teighenth asked, his tone unusually level. "I don't suppose it has to do with a certain someone, now would it?"

Now it was the shield maiden's turn to look sheepish as she felt her face heat up, yet she managed to shoot the dragon an icy stare all the same. "You're a riot, Teighenth," she huffed. "Anyways, that's besides the point."

"She's right," Kevin agreed, coming to her rescue. "We should get back on topic. Faith—" and he glanced to the witch, hoping he got her attention. "You said your Gran called the other four treasures 'the queen's tools', but either way, you're familiar with what they are and what they do, regardless?"

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Faith was withholding a grin when Kevin addressed her, and it slipped away quickly, replaced by seriousness as she nodded.

"More or less," she said. "It's been a while since I heard her tell the story, but I sort of recall the details." She held up her hand, four fingers splayed, and started to lower them one-by-one as she recounted. "The enchanted tablecloth will feed the hungry user, provided you know how to address it. The mantle grants its wearer a disguise that almost makes them fully unnoticeable. The shoes..." She frowned, trying to recall the odd detail about them. "The shoes were said to be lost. But, if I'm remembering right, they're supposed to be able to climb any surface, so long as the soles don't get wet. Something in their enchantment either won't work with water at all, or else it's weak to running water."

For a second, she wavered, still holding her index finger out. "And..." she swallowed hard. "There's the magic scissors, the ones they say were both cursed and blessed. I know there are different versions about how the sorceress was defeated by the princess, but Gran always told it like the scissors stabbed her through the heart and absorbed more of her evil magic, maybe even some of her sentience." Slowly she lowered her index finger and shuddered. "Even before...before what happened to me, that scared me as a little girl. It makes it sound like the scissors have such an evil lean. I don't see why in the world they would have been kept after that, especially when they were already dangerous."

Taking a deep breath, she braced herself and sat up straight again, turning in their direction. "I don't think I missed anything, did I? So... You all have something you're doing that has to do with the story of King Valemon?"

 

[Drekasal]

"...more or less," Kevin echoed, then immediately regretted it—there was no point in beating around the bush anymore. "Ok, yes. The answer's yes, we are. Doing something related to that, I mean. And—" Damn it, how am I going to word this? "—from what you've shared, it sounds like Jesse is doing the same thing. What Grimmur has to do with it, I still can't for the life of me explain, but the fact that he's even being brought up makes this a whole lot worse."

"Which makes it all the more important that we stop him," Teighenth added firmly. "Before he has the chance to do any harm."

"Assuming he hasn't done it already," Sigrid said gravely. "And if Jesse is helping him on this, then I can't mince words here—we'll need to stop him, too."

"But that's the worst-case scenario," Kevin broke in, though he felt sick to his stomach doing so. Not because it was a lie, but it still wasn't the whole truth. "And regardless of whether or not he's working with Grimmur, just being around him already puts Jesse in danger.'

"Unfortunately, it's unlikely he'll listen to us...and especially not to me. But maybe..." He hesitated, hating himself for having to ask this of Faith, but it seemed he had little choice. "...Maybe there's a chance he'll listen to you."

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Cat listened as Kevin gave the skinny on their situation, and caught the tightening of Kevin's expression as he understated the severity of their circumstances. She tossed a worried glance in Sigrid's direction, knowing the shield maiden would likely have noticed as well. Still, it wouldn't do to be pessimistic, not right at that beginning of their quest, even if Sigrid was right and they would need to stop her brother, should it come to that.

When Kevin remarked about Jesse listening to Faith, she felt confident that was her cue to sell the point. The four of them and Teighenth usually could handle any mission just on their own, and it was a lesson that Nightwing loved rehashing often, that you couldn't always trust an unknown quantity thrown into a situation. However, he also often stated to them that sometimes you had no choice but to go along with what a situation threw at you, and often adjust your strategy or improvise a new one along the way. And Faith was absolutely an unknown quantity, but if she could get through to Jesse, like it or not, they'd need her.

"Aye, I'm almost sure he'll listen to ya," she added to Faith. "The few times he's mentioned yeh t' me, it's clear ya mean a lot to 'im. He may be my brother, but he tends to still look at me as a kid, so even I don't think I'll have much chance talkin' sense inta him. If anyone can reach him, I'll bet my arse it's you."

The blind girl listened patiently, her face pale and her expression concerned, but she nodded with a strong resolve, clearly more steel and grit at her core than her appearance suggested. After they spoke, she stood, gripping her staff and standing as tall as she could.

"I'll help in any way I can," she said. "When were you going to set out? I mean, surely you're not just going to sit around here."

 

[Drekasal]

"Well, we were about to pack before you showed up." There was a hint of annoyance in Sigrid's statement. "We just had to leave a note first. Speaking of which, Kori's probably wondering why we ditched her."

At that, Kevin groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Fjandi, we did, didn't we?" And now obviously they were going to have explain Faith, on top of everything else. "Alright, I'll fill her in the rest of the way on what's happening. Least I can do to make up for running off earlier." He turned to the others. "You guys can get started packing while I'm doing that."

"Yoi keikaku," Haru said, nodding in agreement. "If you want, I can pack for you if needed? Just tell me what you wish to bring."

"Haru, I honestly don't think I'll know what to pack 'til I take a look myself, and get my brain settled. I appreciate the offer, though."

"Wait, hold on, what about Faith?" Sigrid asked, pointing towards the witch. "Who's going to—" A heavy snort caused her to turn, and she was immediately greeted with the draconic equivalent of a Resting Bitch Face. "Oh, right," she muttered "Of course. How could I forget?"

"I was wondering that myself," Teighenth mused, deliberately ignoring the sour look shot at him. "I'll keep an eye on her," he added more seriously. "Plan hasn't changed. You four get your things in order, and we all meet back here." He yawned then—assuming a thrumming bellow coming out of a toothy maw could be called such—before laying his head down upon his forelegs. "You got it?"

 

[Cyanide Latte]

"We got it, no sweat!" Cat said, throwing the dragon a quick salute. She spun on her heel, all but dancing as the building excitement fought to find a way out of her. She tugged at each of her friends to usher them along. "C'mon, we don't have time t' waste! We got packin' to do and a Tam t' talk to."

She waited until she was a little further away before turning to Kevin, glancing at the line of tension and stress in his forehead. She frowned, cut a glance to Sigrid, then looked back at Kevin.

"Ya want Sig and me to talk to Kori?" she asked, keeping her voice lowered. "So you have time t' breathe while you pack?" She threw an apologetic look Sigrid's way, hoping she wouldn't take too great an offense to being volunteered for the job. Kevin really looked like he could use a few minutes of privacy to re-center himself, and if there was one thing Cat had learned in all her time around her brother, it was that re-centering could be vital for magic-users. She didn't doubt that it would at least help her friend a little, until he got whatever was weighing him down off of his chest.

//

Faith for her part, listened to the other teenagers dart off, and she sat back to wait, feeling suddenly very small again near Teighenth. Perhaps it would have been better to stay still, but after a moment she turned back in his direction, seeking out the rippling image of his aura. Now, the longer she took to really examine and feel it, the more it felt like it wasn't the simple sort of living flame like what Cat had. There was something else there too, something that twisted and danced. It wasn't an absence of light, but it wasn't exactly luminous either. She frowned, trying to get a better look at whatever it was, but it didn't seem to stay still, or even solid, among the fire.

Suddenly recalling she must be staring and how rude it probably seemed, she cleared her throat and cast about for something to say.

"Um...are you always together with them? On, um...missions?"

 

[Drekasal]

The same thought seemed to occur to Kevin, his features twisting into a soft frown as he considered Cat's offer. Honestly, he appreciated her saying something, more than what he felt he could put into words at the moment, yet a part of him felt guilty. Everything that had happened last night—including what had been left unsaid—it was still fresh in his mind. A breather would make processing it all a lot easier...if he allowed himself to take it.

But I've worried her enough, already, a small voice inside protested. Besides, I'm just talking to Kori—I can handle this one little thing, can't I?

"I'm going to take how quiet you just got as a 'yes'," Sigrid said suddenly, startling the mage out of his thoughts. Shaking her head, she stuck her hand out, looking at him expectantly. "And I think it's about time you handed off those things," she said, referring to the Shears. "Trying to minimize bad crap, remember?" Not waiting for an argument, she pulled them gently out of his hands, before turning him round and pushing him forward. "Now get going."

"But—!"

"Get going. We'll meet you back here when you're done." The shield maiden pushed him again, and the boy rather wisely decided there was no point in resisting. Still, that didn't stop him from sparing one last glance at them over his shoulder, before he finally complied and followed after Haru, who'd gone up ahead.

"I swear," Sigrid huffed when he was out of earshot, "he's as stubborn as Tei, sometimes." Yet her words once again lacked her usual bite, and when she turned to Catriona, she seemed, even more unusually, hesitant. "Listen, I didn't want to ask right off the bat, 'cause let's be honest: a lot of shit just got dumped on us all at once. But I know Kevin doesn't wake up in the middle of the night unless something's bothering him." She paused to let that sit for a moment, before heaving a sigh. "You were with him last night...did he say anything? You know, besides worrying about the old scorch?"

—•—​

Teighenth had closed his eyes at this point, intending to bask a while in the sunlight—now that the storm clouds had finally gone away—before it was time to leave. He was still aware of Faith, of course, and he'd react accordingly should she suddenly decide to try something...but really, why would she? In any case, he wasn't terribly concerned: the others would be back soon enough.

That said, he was also very much aware of the witch's intense "gaze" on him, and out of curiosity slid an eye open to look at her. Immediately, she seemed to backtrack, looking embarrassed about having been caught staring, but for her sake he pretended not to notice. It must be strange for her, he reasoned silently, to see a full dragon for the first time. Very different from what she must sense from Jesse, I imagine. That reminded him, however, that the circumstances of this meeting weren't exactly ideal, either, so that probably played a hand in it as well.

He didn't have long to dwell on it, though, as she'd finally worked up the courage to speak and ask him another question. This one he found himself having to mull over as well, but thankfully not as long as before—it was more a matter of how to word it then something he was reluctant to answer this time.

"I am...around, yes," he said finally, swishing his tail gently in the sand as he spoke. "I watch over them to make sure they are safe, but I...try to keep my participation to a minimum." He twisted his head to look over at the witch. "I am too inherently dangerous to be allowed free reign, unless I am absolutely needed. I'm a last resort, to put it simply."

 

[Cyanide Latte]

The dragonborn winced at the question as she strode alongside the shield maiden, knowing what little she had to offer in the way of an answer might likely frustrate Sigrid as much as she herself had been struggling with the...peculiarity of the previous night.

"Bein' honest, there's probably a whole novel of what he wasn't sayin' last night when he was awake," she answered, pitching her voice softer to avoid being overheard. "He did mention worryin' about Tei, and after we talked through some of the weirdness going on, it became worry about that too, but there was somethin' bothering him he didna wanna share." She leaned in a little, casting a glance back over her shoulder anxiously, and then said, "Y'ever know 'im to talk about having dreams? Not the normal kind, but the kind that leave someone feeling...off, and upset way after they've woken up? He was talkin' about dreams last night, and he mentioned Tei projectin' something to him in his dreams, but you know how Tei is. He just kind of deflected. And even if it is t' do with their connection, I don't think that's all of it. If Kev was dreaming about something last night, whatever it was, it shook him bad."

She stood a little straighter then and stuffed her hands into her pockets as they approached the tower doors. If she didn't do something with them, she'd likely get fidgety and start playing with fire indoors and set off the alarms. After a beat, she decided to throw out a thought.

"I...don't like...prying," she began. "What ain't my business, ain't my business. But, if I can say so, you lot are like family t' me. And Kev's not likely to volunteer what he's worryin' himself green over. Last thing I wanna do is make him feel cornered; then he really might get closed off. But my gut says we gotta ask him. And I think it's gotta be all of us: you, Haru and me, and we gotta make sure he knows he doesna hafta carry whatever it is weighin' on him by himself. Whaddaya think?"

//

The dragon's reply gave her a moment of pause, before more questions flooded out of her.

"'Too inherently dangerous'?" she echoed. "Is it because you're a dragon, and there's a lot of issues on the part of humans that would complicate it? I know dragons have disappeared, er...well—I guess to humans it looks like you have, like you've gone extinct—and there were lots of reasons behind it. Is it because you're worried about about them—" she gently tilted the head of her staff in the direction she felt the four auras retreating, "—getting hurt? Is it something else?"

"Nosy", Sarah remarked with a bit of a snort, and Faith felt her face burn.

"Ah, sorry," she added at once. "If I'm being too pushy, you don't have to answer me, or you can tell me I need to mind my business."

 

[Drekasal]

The shield maiden was silent at first, pursing her lips as she considered Cat’s words. She wasn’t happy about it, but the dragonborn was right: none of them individually would get through to Kevin, as much as she wanted to believe they could. After all, he was always willing to listen to them about their problems—why couldn’t he allow himself to let them do the same for him? Of all the frustrations Sigrid had with him, this was chief among them: he never allowed himself to be selfish.

“I think we don’t really have a choice, do we?” she said finally, turning to Cat with a frown as they walked. “We have to talk to him. Maybe not today, or right now, for that matter, but at some point...” She trailed off, choosing to let the silence speak for itself, before letting out a sigh. “He can’t go on like this. You and I both know how he gets—if we don’t do something, he’s going to destroy himself...and Teighenth along with him.”

—•—
​

Despite himself, Teighenth could not help but chuckle softly. Quickly realizing how insensitive it must sound, he explained himself. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely, “It is just that you remind me of Kevin—you are both filled with questions.” There was an unmistakable warmth in his tone as he spoke, yet there was also a hint of sadness, his face falling soon after. “You are right in a way, on both accounts. Dragons have been gone for a long time, though I fear it may not have been long enough—it seems humanity is still not yet ready for us to return. They are not entirely without reason, though, of course, there is more to that story.’

“As for my wards,” he continued, turning toward the Tower. “I do worry for them greatly. Not because I do not believe incapable of protecting themselves—they are far from defenseless, and if nothing else, they have each other.” He let out a heavy breath, long and weary. “But it is because they are my wards...that I am their greatest danger. I have done harm...far too much harm, to those who were deserving, and to those who were not. If anything were to happen to them because of my own actions...I could never forgive myself.”

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Cat nodded as she listened, despite the sudden wave of upset she felt as she contemplated Sigrid's point. "It worries me to think on that," she confessed. "But sometimes I feel they could end up mutually hurtin' each other that way. Can't say nothin' about it though, not directly to them. It'd make 'em both pitch grim enough to hear it from someone else right now. I'd bet they both prob'ly have it on their minds more often'n not now, y'ken? What with their spell and all."

Almost at once, something occured to her and she stopped dead where she was at. "Hang on..." she murmured, frowning down at the Shears in Sigrid's grip. "Sig..."

She trailed off, fighting the sense of unease beginning to wash over her. She wanted to dismiss it as nothing, but she couldn't. Her instincts were clamoring too loudly and besides which, she knew trying to pass off her fear as nothing wouldn't fool her friend for a second.

//

Faith stayed quiet, soaking in the dragon's words as best as she could. There was a melancholy to his tone that plucked her heartstrings, and she found herself curling up to better give him her full attention, hugging her knees to her chest. Somehow it seemed the natural sort of posture when speaking with such a magnificent and ancient being. She allowed a long, contemplative pause after his voice trailed off, mulling over his choice of words. Eventually, she spoke up again, rather hesitant but unable to stop the words from coming out.

"It sounds to me like you care about them a lot," she said, rocking back and forth a little in place. "I know you said they're your wards but...it sounds more like they're kind of family, to you. Can't think of many people—or, well, dragons either, I guess—out there who'd worry so much over anybody they're just obligated to look after, much less worry over how they all affect each other."

She slowed to a stop then, and looked up at the unusual mass of the dragon's aura, wishing she could see his expression, his eyes, anything to know what he might be making of her words. But the pause was brief, just a quick beat, before she felt her way through the rest of what she was compelled to express.

"There's a lot that's really confusing me right now, but...I know if anyone that close to me felt that way, I'd want to know about it. Have you ever told them? You know, that you worry about that?" Fidgeting, she lowered her voice just a notch and added, "Sorry, I know that's probably rude. You just.... You kinda sound like how I feel about my parents. I wish I could apologize for what happened to them. If they were still a..." She choked on the word 'alive', and after a deep breath, went with "—around, I'd want them to know that. I'm not...exactly sure why. It just feels important, I think."

 

[Drekasal]

Sigrid could only nod her head in agreement, her frown troubled as she looked on ahead. Everything Cat said made sense—it always did—but that didn’t mean she had to like it, and her constant worry for Kevin did nothing to help that.

The shield maiden was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Cat’s sudden stop, at least until hearing her name spoken broke her out of her internal crisis. Confused, she turned toward the dragonborn, and almost immediately noted how stiff she looked. “Cat?” she prompted, confusion giving way to concern as she stepped toward her. “What is it?”

Her gaze follows the redhead’s down to the Shears, and somehow, without fully understanding why, a sense of dread crawls through her, and she’s almost afraid to ask what Cat is thinking...but she has to. “What’s wrong?”

—×—​

There was no immediate response from Teighenth, yet his shifting away from the Tower to regard the witch indicated his acknowledgment of her words. Truthfully, they hit far closer to home than he would've liked to admit—that raw part of himself he'd built walls around for centuries, only to be worn down over the course of a decade.

Much of that had to do his wards, though theirs' was only a recent chapter. The first cracks had come far, far, earlier, from the one he owed so much to. The one who's progeny he'd promised to watch over, to protect from any and all harm.

The one whom I failed to do the same for.

"There are...many things," he breathed out finally. "So many things... that I wish I could tell them. That I want to tell them...that I fear I will not get the chance to. And that, even if I did...I fear I would not be deserving of it." Even that admission hurt him to say aloud. "Therefore, I...feel it is better to let my actions speak for me...for they may be the only thing that will do any good than words will."

 

[Cyanide Latte]

Now that too many words had been spoken, they couldn't be stuffed back into a box...neither could the frightening implication that lurked in their shadow. Feeling a tension worm its way into her, Cat lowered her voice.

"Sig, yanno Grimmur hates Teighenth, we all do. And he hates Kev just about as bad." She paused, chewing the inside of her cheek. "I donna like my brother working with him, whatever the reason, but if he's after the Shears and he's answering to Grimmur... And the Shears have the power to cut through most magic..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the fear out loud, instead resorting to looking her friend, her shield-sister in the eyes and searching her gaze, hoping somehow she was managing to convey the thing she most didn't want to entertain considering.

//

Faith listened quietly to this admission, eventually letting out a hum of consideration.

Insufferable, Sarah snorted in a private thought, which Faith barely registered. After a moment, she decided to ask another question.

"I could be wrong," she began, "but for what it's worth, I think sometimes it could, I don't know...maybe help them to hear that you care that much?" Relaxing, she rested her worn staff across her knees and kicked her feet absently. "I don't really know, I just think sometimes it's nice to know, to hear you've got someone who worries about you and the danger you could be in, even around them. Actions are really important too; they can really help show someone's intentions are honest. But I think it's just nice to hear something confirmed, sometimes."

 

[Drekasal]

The sudden whiteness of Sigrid’s already pale cheeks proved no further words were needed—the implication she understood fully well.

To believe it, however… “You don’t think…?” Her words failed her part way, though it seemed it mattered little. She had her answer when Cat’s eyes remained unchanged, and the gravity of their plight truly fell upon her.

Grimacing, she looked down at the Shears, its metal gleaming coldly in the light, and she let out a harsh laugh. “Of course. Why else would he want these, when he can’t even kill them the proper way.” Disgust hung in her tone, yet one needed only look at her eyes to glimpse her sudden fear.

Taking a breath, she stilled her trembling hands, casting her shield-sister grave look. “So what should we do?”

—×—​

The dragon grunted softly, his frown thoughtful as he mulled the witch's words over. "You may be right," he conceded after a time, his claws digging furrows into the soil. “I just pray that words do not fail me when I need them most.” A heavy regret laced these words, persisting even as silence fell between the two.

After a while, a sigh left the dragon’s maw. “I’m sorry,” he said, turning toward Faith. “I’m afraid I haven’t been very pleasant company, have I?”