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Holmes: Chimrea realizes, as Rhoziar relays the information about their path into the deep of the White Wood that it's a desperate plan. She's proposing them going into the otherworld. The problem is that Chimrea has not awoken her fetch yet - that part of her that can guide her through the spirit world.
Holmes: The only way to even theoretically get back is to observe for the signs very carefully, and follow them perfectly.
Holmes: Another problem is that it's possible that Rhoziar might be getting something wrong. She's only human, and old, old, old.
Chimrea: While Arblak is looking at the elf, Chimrea sidles up next to Agnes and says, "Um, about this trip after the root..."
Agnes: Wither her eyebrows, Agnes prompts Chimrea to go on.
Chimrea: "The thing is," she continues, peeking around Agnes with morbid curiosity at the goings-on, "you really should have a real guide to go as deep into the woods as she's talking about. Like Fahd."
Agnes: Keeping her voice low so as not to disturb Arblak or Rhoziar, "why Fahd? I had a peek into her mind and it sounds like it's more or less just down the path."
Chimrea: "She, um, may not think of the same thing you or I would mean by 'path.' I'm not sure I can get us back--I'm not a shaman."
Chimrea: Chimrea, a rather politer person than her mother, doesn't opine that Rhoziar is batshit crazy, but she certainly seems to be edging around it.
Agnes nods. "So, are you willing to try it anyway? Or should I go alone?"
Chimrea boggles a bit at Agnes. "What about going back to get help?"
Chimrea: "Uh, not that I'm scared."
Agnes: "Look, we're the next generation here. I know it hasn't sunk in with you yet, but I watched your parents...um...disappear. Our parents are gone. It's our turn to step up."
Chimrea: Chimrea's upbringing has included mixed messages about foolish quests. Looking down, she says quietly, "I... just wanted to make sure that you were sure."
Agnes: "Wait, I'm sorry. I was manipulating you. I'm trying to stop doing that -- it's just the only way to get things done where I'm from. You don't have to come if you don't want to. Really, I'll be fine." Agnes seems entirely earnest.
Chimrea looks up, smiling. "Thanks, but what you said is true. If you really insist on going now, I think I'm your best chance to come back. Between the two of us, anyway, we'll make it."
Agnes beams. "Thanks."
Chimrea: "'Sides, my brother will be *really pissed* at me for this," she adds, brightening even further at the prospect. "You want to wait until Arblak's done looking at your friend?"
Agnes: "Yeah, I think he's about done."
Agnes: As Arblak's investigation seem to be winding down, Agnes addresses him. "So, what have you discerned?"
Holmes: Arblak looks at her and says haltingly, "I can fix. But it will - take time."
Agnes: "What needs to be fixed? What will it entail?"
Holmes: "Well, there's something in him that eats his spirit," he points to Serrin. "And something in her, too. I can sever this, but it will not last if you remain in contact with them. Because it comes out of you. It is like the forest serpents."
Holmes: "I don't know if I can fix you," he says.
Agnes: "I...need to be fixed?"
Agnes: "How could this happen?"
Holmes: Arblak says simply, and as though it is not important, "You are bound to the gate of the temple by birth."
Agnes: "Please fix them. Perhapse we can discuss your employment status later, if you're available." Turning to Chimrea, "Let's go then."
Holmes: Arblak nods, looking at Rhoziar, for a moment, not understanding her complacent nature through all of this.
Chimrea opens her mouth to ask Arblak more questions, looks at Agnes, and shuts it. "Right!" she instead says brightly.
Chimrea: "This way. Just, um, we really need to be super-careful about the directions."
Agnes: "OK." Agnes mounts up and starts paying close attention to the surroundings.
Agnes: "Rhoziar, we'll find the root for you."
Chimrea heads off in the direction of the green rock, hoping this won't end too badly.
Holmes: *
Holmes: *
Holmes: The green rock mentioned looms ahead. Normally it would seem a very impressive outcropping. But given that it's dominated by the monstrous bones of the former arboreal inhabitants of this place, at first it seems not so large.
Holmes: By the time they are next to it, however, the top of it can't be seen due to it's being obscured by it's own mass.
Chimrea: "Three times this way, and then..." Chimrea starts looking around for the next direction.
Agnes: "Wow...big. I can see why it's a landmark."
Holmes: It takes a while to get around three times, but in the end as they're finishing the last turn, something is happening to the trees.
Holmes: They've become impossibly tall grass, slowly but surely
Chimrea: "I heard this is what they used to be like." Chimrea speaks quietly, as if worried the trees will hear her.
Agnes: "That's weird. So we've made some kind of transition..?"
Holmes: These grasses wave under a now cobalt-blue sky. One gets the feeling that they go on forever.
Agnes tries to spot the path.
Holmes: And then a perspective change happens, and they both realize that it's almost as though the grasses aren't long, but that they are very, very small.
Holmes: Rhoziar had said, "Listen for the buzz of the bees, and go in that direction until you find the tree with their hive."
Agnes: As they listen, Agnes reaches out to calm Chimrea's mind, helping her to find the sound of the bees -- giving her focus.
Chimrea: Chimrea closes her eyes and stands, face upturned, as if she was standing in a normal field listening to the day.
Holmes: Apparently some of the bees are ranging far from the hive today, because the sounds seem to come from many directions. Soon they are ranging out through the grass, looking for the hive. But instead they run across a great hole in the ground. As they do, a huge cobra many times their height comes out of the hole, and begins swaying back and forth.
Holmes: It hisses at them, "Sssso, vissssitorssss."
Holmes: It's eyes seem to whirl in a pattern of light, as it sways. Sooo sooothing, it's motions. So easy to watch. And watch...
Holmes: Rhosiar had warned of the snake. Simply try not to look at it, and keep on going to the bees' hive, she'd told them.
Holmes: The both recall the warning, and use their considerable mental resources to tear their eyes from the snake. Walking past, it hisses, "Ssssooo, I'll sssseee you ssssoooon?
Agnes: "Perhapsssss you will!" Agnes flashes a smile.
Holmes: The pair realize that, to have any chance to get back to the rock, they will have to use this as a landmark. There seems to be nothing permanent anywhere to lock on to.
Chimrea: "Maybe we can find it something to eat," Chimrea says hopefully as they hurry on.
Agnes tries to remember the way.
Holmes: Moving on, they find the bee's nest. The bees, it turns out, are monumentally large. As though the grass were proportional to the size of the bees. The hive is in the trunk of a dead tree that seems to touch the sky it is so tall.
Agnes: "Wow...I hope we're too small for them to feel threatened."
Chimrea: "I hope your lizard doesn't get any ideas about lunch."
Agnes: "Oh, he's very well behaved."
Holmes: In the hive, far above, Chimrea can see that the combs are packed full of honey that looks, for all the world, like gold.
Chimrea: "Look at it..." she says softly, staring up.
Agnes: "Wow. I wonder what that tastes like..?"
Chimrea: With a monumental effort of willpower, Chimrea says, "We could take another look on the way back..."
Agnes: "You know, as long as we get home in one piece, no matter what, this'll be a great story to tell!" Agnes is grinning silly. She follows Chimrea's lead to sneak past the bees.
Agnes: "Look, I bet the roots of these herbs will help mask our scent if we dig them up."
Chimrea: Keeping one eye on the giant bees, Chimrea hunkers down to scratch at the roots.
Holmes: After preparing the herbs, they start moving forward. A bee comes down suddenly to look at them, apparently attracted to the smell! Once it does smell them, however, it seems to drop into a stupor. In fact, it hovers near the ground. No matter what they do, it seems to just follow them dumbly. It occurs to Chimrea that, if somebody were to get on to one that they might be able to drive it.
Chimrea: With an intense look of concentration on her face, Chimrea tiptoes toward the bee and ever so gently touches it.
Chimrea: If it doesn't freak out, she'll try to settle herself on its back.
Agnes watches, intrigued by Chimrea's rash behavior.
Chimrea has felt a bit like she was in a story ever since her parents disappeared. Rushing off into the woods only heightened the feeling, until it's as if she's just forgotten the danger.
Holmes: Getting on, she feels that all she has to do is think, and the bee will go where she wills.
Chimrea thinks about the next stop on the way.
Agnes: "Can you fly it?"
Holmes: *
Holmes: *
Holmes: A bit later, they've found the flower. Landing, Agnes follows up behind quickly. As they approach the largish blue flower that grows there, they become aware of it's fragrance.
Holmes: And the already swimmy spirit world begins to swim even more.
Agnes: "Wow." Agnes blinks in concentration as she pulls a cloth across the bottom half of her face.
Holmes: Keenly aware of the scent of the flower guarding the herb, and used to intoxicants, Agnes takes direction for Chimrea who tells her a quick way to extract the root. She gets in and out before the fragrance can overwhelm her, though, for a moment she feels part of her tugging as if it wants to remain with the large flower in the clearing.
Holmes: Root in hand, and using the bee to navigate, they make their way quickly back to the green rock. Turning around it thrice once more, they are back in the slightly less otherworldly environs of the White Wood.

Holmes: Tez feels her mind clearing up at last, as night has fallen. Soon she'll be fine. Looking out her window, she sees that the moon Charun has arisen - the red moon.
Holmes: As her uncle referred to it, the blood moon of Akalatan.
Holmes: Klysus, his father is the sun.
Holmes: A red ray of light comes down from the moon, and strikes Tez between the eyes. She feels as if somebody is looking over her soul in close detail. Bit by bit.
Tez looks around the room, her pupils dilating in the dark, then contracting as the moon strikes her eyes. She closes them again for a moment, taking a moment to murmur a short prayer to Akalatan, then she sits up, slowly.
Holmes: With a sharp clap, an imp appears in the room. A demonic being about three feet high. It comes to the bed, it's eyes bright. "I have a message," it relays.
Holmes: It is so close that Tez can feel it's hot breath upon her.
Tez controls her startled reaction with an act of will. "Speak, imp."
Holmes: The twisted creature's visage looks like a combination of a man's and a badger's, with a strange beak. It's voice is somewhat clicky. "You have a mission in this place by this lake. You need to bring it's people to the worship of my master, Akalatan."
Holmes: It looks at her briefly, but continues, opening it's odd maw again.
Holmes: Tez is now sure that it's "speech" is actually being somehow turned into something she can understand in her head. "If you do this, you will be exalted by the son of Klysus."
Tez: "I thought I already WAS exalted." she hmphs
Tez: "They do not understand, here."
Holmes: "Make them understand," it offers. "Convert their leaders, and the rest will follow."
Holmes: There's a noise in the hall.
Holmes: The demonic thing backs on furred legs into the beam of light from Charun, and is absorbed by it, sucked up to it's blood-red home.
Holmes: Teodric enters the room.
Teodric: "I heard a noise in here Tez. Is everything alright?"
Tez looks up, startled. "Oh. It's you."
Tez looks at him for a long moment, then smiles brightly and stands, hugging him. "Teo, I'm sorry, I wasn't in my right mind."
Teodric: Teodric hugs her cautiously. The sudden change in heart is refreshing, but surprising. "Well Tez, I'm glad to see you are feeling better."
Tez: "I could use a drink, really." she smiles again.
Teodric: Teodric pulls back. "What would you like?
Tez: "Wine, red if you have it... or water."
Teodric: Teodric leans out the door and calls for two glasses of water. He turns back to Tez "Probably best to start with water. Why don't you tell me what happened to you?"
Tez: "Heh." she makes a face. "I was studying with my Uncle, learning the mysteries of Lankan religion - I'm part Lankan, did you know that? Anyway... everything was going fine, and my Uncle, well he's sort of odd, but a nice guy once you get to know him. Misunderstood. The whole religion is, you know?"
Tez: "People just fear what they don't understand. I was doing fine there, learning. I was studying to be a priestess, I hope...one day I will be the head priestess." she smiles. "Will you help me?"
Teodric: Teodric backs slowly toward the door, "You aren't better. You are just trying to get us to let you out of here."
Tez: "I'm fine, Teo... what's the matter?"
Holmes: A small bird, typical of a sort that once lived in the White Wood, and now blesses the Green Lake colony with its beautiful twittering song, lands on the sill of the still red-tinged window opening.
Tez 's gaze darts to the bird in irritation, then returns to Teo. "You don't know what you're talking about."
Teodric: Teodric looks to the window "The Tez I know wouldn't be interested in being the head priestess of that religion."
Tez: "You barely knew the Tez you knew, though, didn't you?" She stands. "Did you even know who I was before you met me?"
Holmes: The bird hops down to a stand by the bed, and it looks at Tez in a strangly unbirdlike manner.
Tez: "I was never just Tez. I ran away from who I was..and.. what's with the BIRD?"
Tez waves her hands at it
Teodric: Teodric wonders that himself "I've become quite the judge of character, it's important in the work that I do. You ran away for a reason."
Holmes: The bird takes flight and lands on the sill again, looking down intently again.
Tez: "Yes, because assassins killed my family." she laughs, a short, barking laugh. "The Ruin House was never my enemy... it was Him...the one who controls the city."
Teodric: "who controls the city?"
Teodric: Teodric slowly realizes that the bird must be the one that Thrakelust had spoken of, the one that contained the soul of Aysha. "... but what is she doing here?" he wonders to himself.
Tez: "The Lord of Ardania, of course." she considers thwacking the bird with the nearest loose object, but finds nothing of use. "And I'm going to find out exactly who he is, no matter how many layers of secrecy he's hiding behind."
Teodric: Teodric looks from the bird to Tez, "What god were you to be the high priestess of?"
Tez: "There are many gods, for instance, tonight's moon is known as the blood moon of Akalatan. He is the son of Klysus, the Sun."
Holmes: The bird, at the name of Akalatan, starts to chirp excitedly.
Tez eyes it suspiciously
Teodric: The name Akalatan rings like a bell within Teodric's mind even as Aysha chirps. Thrakelust had told him that Aysha had been a priestess of Akalatan.
Teodric: "Is it Akalatan that you worship now? or Klysus?"
Tez: "Klysus is the father, he is worshipped above Akalatan."
Tez: "Yet, all of the gods should be given their due, and so Akalatan is given praise and glory as well."
Teodric: "And these are the gods worshipped in the Ruin House?" Teodric decides that it is wise to keep his knowledge of Aysha to himself.
Tez: "Have you heard of them?"
Teodric: "I have only heard of them in passing."
Tez: "I could tell you more, but let's save that for another day. How are you and Lana doing? That woman never came back for her, did she?"
Teodric: "She hasn't come back ... yet. People like that don't give up easily. I am fine."
Holmes: Rahkleth can be heard in some other part of the house shouting for Teodric.
Teodric: Teodric bows slightly to Tez, "I'm afraid I have other business to attend to, perhaps we can finish our discussion tommorrow?"
Tez: "I don't think I can sleep anymore tonight." she looks around the room restlessly. "You're not going to keep me locked up and drugged in here are you? That wasn't very pleasant, and I'm not sure why you think it's necessary."
Teodric: "There are elements here in Green Lake that think you may be a security risk." Teodric doesn't mention that this includes himself. "Until we can convince them that you aren't, I'm afraid you will have to remain here. I will see what I can do about the drugs." He slowly turns and begins to exit the room.
Tez: "Teo, don't leave me here." she pleads, clutching his arm. "Please?"
Teodric: Teodric slowly extracts his arm from her grasp "I'm afraid I have to go, and you have to stay. I will return don't worry."
Tez 's eyes darken, angry, and she turns away suddenly. "Leave." she commands.
Teodric: Teodric's eyes narrow at her back. As he suspected, tonight was only an act. He turns and leaves the room.
Tez wraps her arms around her chest, and glares at the bird, now the only other occupant of her room. "Some friend."
Holmes: As Tez turns, she sees Bird on the sill, still. It quivers for a moment, and then seems to burst open, snakes emerging from it's fragile shell. White snakes, like ones found out in the desert, if Tez were familiar with that realm.
Tez narrows her eyes at the bird-snake-thing, measuring how much power she has versus how much it would take to destroy the creature. And how much more she wants to use it on Teodric.
Holmes: After a moment, the horrific twisting serpents seem to suddenly retract, and the bird forms itself back together again.
Tez realizes after a moment what she must be, still not used to the idea of such transformations, but she drops her guard a bit and leans up against the door. "Well now. Are you bringing me another message?"
Holmes: The bird bobs up and down. Affirmation?
Tez: "Unless you know a way to convert the population of an entire city while stuck in a small room, go away."
Tez slumps on the bed and then flops over on her side.
Holmes: The bird hesitates, but then flies off.

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