Riddles Spoken by Shadows

Sililuuth departed from Usy and Ki'fel with a determined huff, trying to ignore the newly formed burns along part of her body. Electric patches of violet stretched exposed along her skin, singe-marks covering other patches of skin. Finding the darkest part of the Aerie she could find, she paused at the threshold... sighed... and stepped in, clearing her throat and speaking to what would ordinarily seem like nothingness. "Yantaria, I know you can hear me..." She trailed off as she looked around in otherwise silence, rubbing at her chin. "Please come forth..."

Yantaria would not answer right away. Instead what would follow is a long time of absolute quiet then the ever growing sound of sand against stone. A waking nightmare of shadows in the corner slowly building up into a form. Eventually pulling forth a figure that would move toward Sili. Sili's own mind would place features where they remembered. Including the four horns that splayed upon Yan's brow. The eyes would open revealing the sun touched blood color that Sili would know well. "keh, juanth thurirl." She spoke, that smoky voice seeming to swirl among whispers that spoke several different languages passing along as if to deliver a message. "wux tepoha relgra acht ve ihk vi dril?" She asked, a slight tilt of her head. She knew why she was there, but it seemed as if she enjoyed toying with forcing other's to keep speaking.

Sililuuth stayed silent, generally unmoved (so far) by the formation of shadows into the form she was familiar with. She blinked a few times as if to adjust, withholding the sigh that begged to escape as she heard Yantaria speak. This seemed different. This wasn't how she remembered her friend... but she humored the preference to speak in Draconic regardless. "Wux vucot kii si relgra acht wux..." There was a pause; her brow furrowed. "Vucoti coi jahus dout ivah si nymuera irsa wer ricin di fo. Jaka, si mi told jaciv tepohaic wielgtor sari sjachi. Svabol tir wux vucot di nomeno?"

Yantaria shifted, the shadows blurring the features until she became still again standing closer to Sili now. A smile would appear on her face, though Sili would see it as her friend's smile.. the true darkness hidden behind her friends image of her before the darkness. "si claxon jacioniv. wux geou tepoha jacioniv spical svadrav wux tepoha ehtaha vi idol ekess rihlilg doutan. riluoh.." She paused and moved closer still, till there was barely room between the darkness and Sili as if threatening in some way. "si dujzarn wux tir coi soon. fo'uh ui vi winirlet kethend. si guulac jaciv geou gahri drong persvek sia okarthel." The voice would sound cold. Then suddenly it would change. "You have one week, child of the light. Mend yourself. Or lose your daughter and... possibly your own life." The words in common would sound wrong.. distorted as if she was not speaking them but one of her shadows.

Sililuuth wasn't entirely sure what she was feeling, whether it was worry or frustration or... fear. A mixture of the three formed in a flicker in her eye. Even as the shadows came closer, she stood as still as her feet would allow her, her arms hanging tensely at her sides, her hands balled loosely into fists. "Why would you do this? I don't understand.." And the more she tried to think about it, the more it disturbed her. "... I don't know what it is I'm supposed to do. -I don't know what to do.-" She stated the last sentence firmly - or maybe desperately.

Yantaria would start to circle around Sili, slowly at first. Moments of stopping to look down upon her and Sili would still place her friend's features in the place of the darkness. Perhaps due to disbelief and comfort of knowing that somehow she knew this darkness and it would be nothing to fear. But, the moment Sili would start to realize this was not her friend any longer, the darker the features would become and the cold would start to seep in. "I sense you haunting yourself.. If you want him back, I can travel the nine hells to bring back what is left of him for you.. Look at you.. scarred.. Damaged.. A bright gem that once held so much potential..." That damn voice so harsh.. nothing like Yantaria. "Or if you truly wish to join him in the depths.." The voice stopped. "si shilta arrange batobot." Her voice came back for a moment.. though the cold would remain and it would feel almost as a threat. "Consider the life you have now.. your mate, your children, your friends and your home.. Is he really worth it?" Her image would start to blurr into nothing but streaks of red and black. Her last words seeming to fade into echos of whispers at a distance.

Sililuuth managed to find -some- shred of comfort in the idea that Yantaria still remained in some way. But the more that was said, the more her comfort was replaced by anger and frustration. She hadn't taken kindly to the threatening tone; the mix in her features transitioned, adding in guilt and hopelessness. "... Haunting ... myself. I don't think -I- would be able to cause this myself." Little did she know. She didn't even dignify the final question with a response, instead watching the fading of the shadows with a bubbling, electric flicker of rage that renewed the wounds that had barely begun to close.

Yantaria started to fade, features or not.. gone.. however the darkness would remain. That haunting of a voice. "One week. Any longer..." It too would start to fade, the sound of wings flapping as the shadows seemed to form into a disfigured creature at her feet. The more the wings flapped it started to take the form of a crow. "Follow him to the portal when you are ready." The whispers seemed to hiss. Yantaria did all she could to attempt to show Sili without doing it for her. This was something she had to put together herself. Would she choose a lost vision past life over the one she had created in its place? The small raven seemed to shift and struggle for a moment before it started to hop along the ground and stopped at Sili's feet. It made no sound other than the soft clicking and flapping noises. Its head would tilt, and in Sili's eyes.. the features of a live raven might be placed upon the image.. if it made her more comfortable. Otherwise it was a dark silhouette of a black bird. All other darkness seemed to fade into the corners leaving the room once again. Silence.. ringing in clearly leaving Sili to her thoughts.

Sililuuth looked with uncertainty toward the shadowy creature with a growl in her throat and the burning on the surface of her body. She had no time to collapse or retreat within herself, and she understood nothing about a portal - she hadn't seen one herself in quite a while. When she moved away only to find Thalk following her, she paused... but nodded slowly, sighing and heading off to prepare...

"One week. Any longer..."

The words sent a chill down Sili's spine anytime she thought of them - which was frequent, given the newness within her mind. Occasionally, she looked over her shoulder at the shadowy figure that had followed her ever since that moment. To her, the figure resembled the silhouette of a raven - seemingly her old Blackscale friend's preferred creature. There was no telling how anyone else's mind perceived the mass of shadows.

"Follow him to the portal when you are ready," she had been told.

But how was she supposed to know when she was ready, and for what? Where was she going? And was she supposed to go alone?

That final question was met with a starry-eyed Usyraz, who fell into step beside her as their paths crossed.

"Dask," she said, "have you discovered anything?" Judging from the uneasy way that her youngest daughter spoke, she could sense how unnerved and put off Sili was.

"Yes..." The Amethyst's pace slowed and she stopped entirely once she saw the horrified look on Usy's face. The colorful female had frozen in place, inching back away from her.

"That thing!" Usy pointed at the shadowy mass following her mother. To her, it had taken the shape of something horrifying; something that paralyzed her with fear, judging from the look on her face and the tension in her posture. In the Ice Crystal Dragon's eyes, it was a hulking mass, with two soulless, empty eye sockets, seeming to be melting into the ground. "Do you not see it?!"

Bewildered, Sili nodded to her, looking over her shoulder at the shadow creature. "Yes, I do. I am to follow it when I am ready..."

"Ready?"

"Yes."

"When you are ready?"

"Yes..."

Usyraz eyed her mother stubbornly. Suddenly, her head shook.

"No, Dask. I won't let you go alone."

"Usyraz..." Fatigue had already set in on the Amethyst Dragon's countenance. Scars from the unintended use of lightning had begun to form: purple-hued and electric, reopening every time a moment of distress caused a surge of sparks. She had no idea what to do to discourage anyone from coming; it occurred to her that her family would be too stubborn to let her leave alone anyway.

Sighing in defeat, she nodded to her daughter. "I assume you want to ask your mate along. Assemble what and who you wish to bring; do not amass an army. Only our immediate family and those close enough to your sister who may want to assist or come. There is too much happening within this place to draw a large number from their home."

She took a few steps toward the throne room, a small collection of gems in her hands - and she paused to look over her shoulder and speak once more to her daughter.

"... Meet me at the Power Core once you are ready."

Sili only left a few messages and letters behind before she gathered herself and returned to the Power Core where her daughter waited. Her efforts were straight to the point: something told her to commune with the Core. Something told her to try and seek guidance within it.

Usy seemed to remember well the process of bonding with the Power Core, and her mother made sure of a smooth process by taking charge. Rather than bonding through distant memories, Sili offered what had just been said to her.

The moving mass of shadows that - in her mind and memory - had taken the form of her old friend, Yantaria.

The cold way she spoke, entirely different from what she had told her daughters in stories, and different from what she remembered of her.

The odd, threatening way she seemed to... break through to her?

"You have one week, child of the light. Mend yourself. Or lose your daughter and... possibly your own life."

Sili felt her daughter's fear and offered her as much calm as she could, sighing as she quietly offered bits and pieces of her energy to the Power Core.

<Keep your mind open, Sætur Einn.>

Usy nodded at the words spoken to her, her eyes closed as she allowed her mother to make her offering. Then, it began to hit her.

In her mind's eye, she saw the brilliant aqua hue of the power core she knew so well turn to purple. The expansive walls and balconies of the Aerie gave way to two connected floating islands, revealing the sight of the new purple core sitting upon a base of stone, sheltered by a crystal dome.

<Dask... there is another.>

<I see it. I wonder what it means?...>

As they looked on, they felt as though they were gradually floating downward until they found themselves within the darkness of a cave filled with gold. In the center was a pool, and in the middle of the pool sat the statue of a dragon, chiseled from black stone. Before it at its right and left sat large crystals - red and purple - and between the crystals, there it sat.

The portal. She felt it: it was the portal that she would be led to.

Sililuuth suddenly broke their bond with the Power Core out of sheer surprise. She remembered her life in the Nexus - the talk of multiple cores - but she had never in her life seen another, whether in her travels or in mere visions. And yet where she seemingly needed to go, one existed.

As she sat there in shock, her daughter looked on with silent, wide eyes - until the Amethyst spoke one sentence.

"It is time to go."

The first day of their travel, Sililuuth said nothing to anyone. She remained trapped within her own mind, and yet her determination had caused her to stabilize herself in a way.

On the outside, she followed Thalk - perceived by her as Yantaria's shadow raven - without a word. Her wings flapped steadily and tirelessly, despite the scratches and tarnishing in the membranes. The electric wounds spanning her body reminded her of her old Sapphire friend, marred and beaten from his own torture. She couldn't help but wonder if she should have never returned from her place of origin - if it would have been better for everyone if she had taken on the mantle of leader for the Naam clan in the event of her father's passing.

But she was always reminded by that rational voice in her mind: if she hadn't returned, Weloriesh would have lost his mate. Fo'uh would have never existed, or Serelath, or Usyraz. Vetis' godson Ki'fel might not have changed his path if he hadn't met her youngest daughter.

The world would have been that much darker without Fo's gentle demeanor, Serelath's cunning, and Usy's bright light.

The only sign that she wasn't entirely devoid of thought (save the look of concentration on her face) was the glow in her violet eyes: a telltale sign that she was reaching out to something or someone telepathically.

Or she thought she was, at least.

<What do you think this could be about?>

<I am not entirely sure. All you can do is theorize based on what you've been told and what you've felt, Itov.>

Sili thought on this for a while, the metallic voice in her mind perplexing her almost as much as Yantaria had. Having conversations wih 'Vetis' had become commonplace, but sometimes, he made as little sense to her as Fo's capture did.

She did not possess the empathy that her youngest did. She could not feel the worry and panic that often rose in Usy's heart, only to be soothed by Ki'fel. Her mind was closed off; she did not even regard Weloriesh to acknowledge his presence as he followed her along. She was barely even aware there were three, let alone if there were more.

When they finally found land upon which to rest, she kept her eyes averted from the rest. And as she laid herself down to rest, she heard Thalk's haunting voice,  sitting patiently nearby and waiting for them to be ready to move again.

"Six days are left..."

The Amethyst still failed to speak audibly on the second day.

Usyraz had numbed herself that day, perhaps too emotionally drained to continue with the same frantic urgency. By then, only determination remained... but she could feel the tempest that was her mother's mind and heart as she worked tirelessly to make sense of the whole situation.

It was then that the Ice Crystal Dragon had taken to humming as they flew along, using the song to soothe her own troubled mind.

It did not occur to her that it aided in calming her mother as well.

While Sili languished over the static and chaos in her mind and the pursuit of her daughter, Usy had come to feel her own troubles.

Her sister was her best friend; her confidant. Even if they had lost track of each other from time to time once they left their cave, the youngest treasured her relationship with her.

At that time, it stung her to remember Fo's spoken sentiment - that both her siblings no longer needed their eldest sister.

It wasn't true.

Usy would always need her best friend to share her good and bad moments with; that would not change with age. She had her mate, and he'd stolen her heart - but nothing could replace her sister. Nothing.

As she looked toward Ki'fel, her expression fell. Had they even had a chance to tell Fo about their bond before she'd begun to change; before she disappeared? Maybe she should have been the first to know.

Inwardly, Usy kicked herself for not realizing that something was horribly wrong. Fo had been behaving differently; oddly. The way she spoke was not herself. Her ice had thawed and dissipated. The day she became startled, but showed no signs of fearful frost or snow,  had that truly been the influence of Callidus' teachings? Or had the change already begun by then?

She had not made the connection sooner, and part of her worried endlessly that they would not retrieve her in time.

As they landed for another night, Usyraz curled herself against her mate, but she did not immediately fall asleep. Instead, she was haunted by the memory - the sight - of her sister being pulled into the shadows.

As if to taunt her as she finally drifted off, Thalk spoke his eerie words once again.

"Five days are left..."

For the most part, Sili's silence continued on into the third day, save the thoughts coursing through her mind that manifested as muttered words. By no means were they coherent yet, but it was a step in the right direction: she was at least able to make some sort of noise.

If she was aware of any conversations happening around her as they flew - then later walked - she did not show any awareness. Instead, she continued to remain lost in her own head, having those same quiet conversations of her own.

As darkness returned to the land and they began to seek out a safe place to rest, Sili once again lie down in silence. Her words had retreated into her mind, the look on her face blank; drained.

<I am torn, Vetis...>

<Hmm? Why is that?>

The Amethyst pursed her lips, staring up at the tops of the trees in contemplation before she ever said another thing.

<It has been nice to hear you again; to see your memories as you did. I have missed your voice...>

<And I yours, Itov.>

<...But this pain... I don't know how much more I can take. It troubles me to know that memories are all they are; that I'll never truly see you again. Will it always be like this?>

For a time, silence filled Sili's head, as if contemplation kept words at bay. Then finally, Vetis' voice sounded within her mind again, syllables carefully calculated.

<It... should not be like this. You are hurting yourself; I did not want this. Not like this.> Another few beats of silence passed, and in those moments, Sililuuth's eyes became wet and stung with tears. <When I promised forever, this was not my intention. To cause you pain, to leave such marks on your body? No...>

Her brow furrowed and she dragged her hands over her face, a rattled breath unsteadily leaving her throat.

<This wouldn't be happening if I hadn't gone back to Amoras, would it?>

<Most likely not, Sililuuth. I don't know how this happened... but it needs to stop for your sake - for better or worse.>

Her voice would have cracked, had she been physically speaking.

<...But stopping would mean you would be gone again.>

This time, she was met with silence, as if Vetis could no longer speak. Her eyelids grew heavy, tear stains streaking out of the corners of her eyes.

"Four days left..."

Sililuuth didn't fully know who followed the shadowy creature along with her, or why. She'd had every intention of pursuing her eldest on her own, thinking it was a task meant for one, rather than an entire group... and yet she could at least feel them following - a group of them, regardless of how small or large. She hadn't paid attention to energies, familiar or unfamiliar, long-lost or regularly surrounding her. She just... followed, almost blindly, were it not for her need to pay attention to where they were going. She didn't say a word aloud for the first three days that they traveled, though for the first day or two, her youngest daughter's occasional humming seemed to keep her temperament soothed to a quiet calm. Still, Sili remained 'in her head,' the telltale glow regularly showing in her violet stare. In her mind, she'd been having conversations... even if a word hadn't been said. When it became later in the day, they found a route to travel on foot - and it was there that they were at that moment, traveling for the rest of the day on the ground. Night was approaching - they needed to stop soon enough to find a place to rest - and the land seemed mostly devoid of signs of sentient life where they were. And after a while... Sili began to speak in whispered words, keeping a drained stare locked on Thalk as he continued to lead them in the direction of the portal.

Ki'fel Inloilfrey had followed for a great distance trying to keep Usy's own fears and nerves to a minimum. As it looked they would be stopping soon he would brush his hand along her face and look to the others as if to ask them for a moment alone with Sili. No one knew where they were going exactly and Ki'fel felt himself worried this might be some sort of trap, or perhaps they were being taken further away from where Fo'uh actually was. He made his way up and only just got within ear range of hearing Sili muttering to herself. He hung back for a moment listening carefully, wondering if perhaps she was talking to her shadow friend Yantaria.

Sililuuth didn't seem to have the same amount of logic to question things the way her daughter's mate had. Usy had regarded Ki'fel with a nod of understanding, knowing he would reach out to her if she was needed - moving with the others to maybe start looking for a place to settle for the night. Sili didn't seem to immediately notice the Steel's lingering - not yet - and instead continued her quiet muttering, seeming to participate in a conversation half of which was apparently not spoken aloud. "...That would make no sense. That doesn't have anything to do with 'mending,' does it?" A low growl formed in her throat, looking upward for signs of the location she and her daughter had seen while bonding with the power core. "Yes, I -know- it isn't literal. It probably never is with her... and why was she so different? Has she really changed that much?..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey furrowed his brow and moved slightly closer looking around to see who else she might be talking to, but saw no one. He started to become slightly uneasy and cleared his throat to announce that he was near by. "Sililuuth?" he called out carefully. "Do you have a moment?" Looking around he took a few more steps closer. He still could see no one or hear the voice she was replying to.

Sililuuth nearly jumped out of her skin - but luckily, only a hint of static formed and quickly disappeared before she turned to look at him, ceasing whatever 'conversation' she was part of. "Ah! Ki'fel. Of course..." She blinked a few times as she looked around - as if suddenly aware of the silence otherwise. "What is it?"

Ki'fel Inloilfrey raised a brow at the hint of static and stopped not far from her. "I was wondering if you could tell me where we are going or .. what it was your -friend- Yantaria had said during your conversation. I thought maybe more than just one could give her riddles some thought. So that you're not worn out when we get there." He reached his hand up to scratch at his chin, his eyes being drawn to the damage on her skin rather easily. He would hold back on those questions for now, being he was unaware of what she was capable of as a race, he would not know if lightening was a new ability or not.

Sililuuth watched him in quiet thought, an odd fondness in her gaze that didn't go below her eyes - the sort of look one might find from one family member to another, though... she still didn't 'know' him all that well, in a way. "A good idea..." She sighed, the glow in her eyes returning; she was remembering, and... allowing her memory to broadcast it itself. The voice he heard would not be within his mind, but it would not be her own either; it would be Yantaria's, if she could manage it. "'You have one week, child of the light. Mend yourself, or lose your daughter... and possibly your own life.'"

Ki'fel Inloilfrey frowned as the voice sent chills down his spine causing his scales to stand on end. For the first time the steal dragon's easy going lazy gaze turned to one of unnerved fear. His breath picked up slightly and he had to take in a few deep breaths after the voice had stopped. "What.." He clears his throat again. "What does she mean by mend yourself? Was that all she said?" He asked while trying to regain his mellow calm from before.

Sililuuth at least didn't opt to quote her old friend so directly again. Part of her didn't quite grasp how unsettling it was for Ki'fel to hear a voice like that... not yet, at least. The momentary change in his demeanor caused her to tilt her head inquisitively for a moment. "I don't entirely know. I can't exactly control... this..." She had no idea how to indicate what she was trying to say; she ended up gesturing to herself, especially the more burnt parts of her flesh. "And yet she says that we can 'have her back' when I have found a way to control myself. She says she has taken her; that I am haunting -myself-, though I don't see how that's possible to begin with."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey rubbed the side of his jaw a moment as he attempted to piece together the words without thinking of the way they were delivered. When she had gestured to herself he looked at her wounds once again. "So.. that is not normal then?" he asked. "When did it start? What was going on when it happened?" He felt there had to be more. Perhaps something Yan had done instead of said? "Did she seem to be herself? Are you sure it was her?" he said, using part of the conversation he overheard from her as he came up. "We still do not know for sure if Thurkear was just pointing fingers so as not to be suspected. Could be we're being drawn further away instead of closer to even.. What if Fo'uh is somewhat safe but captured by him? Maybe that was his plan all along? To confuse us?" Right now he was just throwing straws into the mix. He did not know this Yantaria or what she was about. Just that Fo'uh was missing and so many questions left unanswered.

Sililuuth shook her head 'no' at his initial question, her lips pressing together into a thin line. "Of all the kin of my kind, I've not met one who's wielded lightning. Our abilities are of the mind, rather than the elements..." Her brow furrowed as she tried to think back with a deep sigh, pausing to rub at her temples as if trying to drown something out. "It happens in moments of stress or distress. It didn't start until maybe a week or so ago when things slowly became worse?..." Her own brow furrowed then, her hands dragging over her face. Though... mention of Thurkear seemed to work as a trigger as it had before, a dangerous glare in her features as her tone became unnaturally cold. "... If I find out that Thurkear had -anything- to do with this, he will not wish merely for death; he will wish for his very soul to be extinguished." Still, her head shook... and the tension in her shoulders remained for just a moment before dropping down again. "No... Yantaria... she is different, but I still don't believe she would mislead or otherwise lie to me. Perhaps she thinks there's some sort of 'lesson' to be learned here, though I do not know what that could be right now..." By that point, she was merely throwing out the first ideas that came to her mind, even if they made no sense to her at the time.

Ki'fel Inloilfrey started to circle around her as he thought. "Around the time you met me?" he asked with a tilt of his head. "When.. You showed me what had truly happened with my family?" He asked again, being careful not to bring up Vetis' name. He paused for a moment. "A friend who delivers a lesson without giving you enough to work off hardly seems like a friend." He pauses for a moment turning away from her looking at the water. "Why would she take Fo'uh? How is it she can protect her better than her own? There were a good 30 or more of us in the Aerie." He rubbed his chin. "And why are we traveling so quickly to this unknown place?"

Sililuuth tried to steady herself. Something about his circling made her uneasy, even if she said nothing of it. Passing him a sidelong glance, she hesitated, but nodded slowly. "Something returned with me from Amoras. Before I met you, I was merely more drained and fatigued than usual, and things just felt... different. But yes, you... served as a trigger for other things." Did she blame him? No. She and 'Vetis' seemed to be in agreement that her haunting was no fault of his. She thought about the logic he presented - and as she did, she paused and turned her head as if listening to something else. There was a delay before she nodded. "That's true, yes... and come to think of it, a friend wouldn't threaten either, would they..." Her stare hardened as she thought about it, unable to provide him answers for why the Blackscale did what she did... except for the need for haste. "The shadowy creature - have you heard him at the end of each night, counting down the days?" She paused for an answer before she spoke again. "... That is the amount of time we have left."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey listened to her for a moment then turned his head to look at her. Those stormy eyes seeming to flash slightly as she mentioned being threatened. "A countdown to what? What did she threaten you with?" He asked, his body language taking that of a tense body guard as night started to fall.

Sililuuth stared thoughtfully toward him. Her brows slowly raised. "Ki'fel... she told me I had a week to save her... that she likely wouldn't survive very long in her 'home' ... she's..." She might have -almost- had her epiphany, if the thought of the threat hadn't caused her mind to derail. "After she told me I was 'haunting myself,' she said that if I 'truly wished to join him in the depths,' she could arrange that..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey felt the scales on his spine stand on end again, this time it was more out of anger. "And you're going to her now? How is she helping Fo'uh by putting her in danger? how is she helping you by threatening to kill you?" and then he too had a moment of 'oh' expression cross his face... "Silil... Is Vetis the one haunting you?" He finally asked, his soldier like stance switching to one as if he were going to come to embrace her. His heart felt heavy at the thought of his godfather.

Sililuuth had no answers for his questions - and something about his anger caused her tension to return, nearly causing her to recoil from him - until his expression changed, and her own followed suit. Her features fell from calm and calculating to defeated and unsure... a tremor forming in her tone. She said no 'yes' or 'no,' but it likely became obvious as she spoke. "I hear him... all... the time." Her eyes welled... even if her tears refused to actually fall. "He tries so... so hard to speak sense. Sometimes it works..." Sili paused to swallow the lump in her throat, glancing away. "... And sometimes I feel as though he's merely taunting me... that he's gone and there was nothing I could have possibly done to prevent it. I couldn't have asked him not to try and find a way out... he would have been tormented by the thought that he could have found an escape for us if he had only tried." By then, she refused to look at him - found a 'particularly interesting' tree nearby to lock her stare onto as she spoke. "... But he would still be here if I had stopped him. He would be here with us. I'm so sorry, Ki'fel. I'm sorry you lost him because I never stopped him."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey moved and if she allowed it, he would place his hands upon her shoulders and offer a soft squeeze. "From what I remember of him, he would be happy you made it out at all. He sacrificed a lot. His life in the gold king's castle was not where he was meant to be. He knew it and he left. He was meant to find you.. he was meant to die how he did. He would see it that way.. I'm sure of it. That he speaks to you now.." He seemed to have his mouth open then close then open.. then quietly close it as he felt his own voice lost for a moment.. "I think.. Yantaria was telling you to choose between him and Fo'uh..." he finally said softly. "ithquent opsola please forgive me." he said. "But.. Maybe her threat was to wake you up? I just don't know how to..." he paused for another long moment. 'Haunting herself' came to mind... and he frowned.

Sililuuth did nothing to stop his hands on her shoulders. Centuries of life and suddenly, she felt she knew nothing of any of it. Not in a way that made sense. "He should not have been lost like that. There were so many plans..." Her head turned for her to look at him again with a deep frown of her own... she was barely 'holding herself together' at that point. Freezing in place, she looked at him as if something he said had taken the air from her. His notion or guess... it made sense to her, but she couldn't understand... "... Why? Why would she do that? 'Wake up' ... I-..." She found herself at a loss for words. Her brows knitted and her lips pressed together into a thin line. A rising warmth that she couldn't control came from the wounds that had slowly begun to close again, threatening to reopen them with another shock. As it was... perhaps she was too close to the problem to clearly see the solution for what it was.

Ki'fel Inloilfrey gave a soft shrug of his shoulders but kept at least one of his hands upon her. If the shock did come it would instantly go from her and through him to the ground. For now the threat of it seemed to go unnoticed by him. "Sili, you said that Yantaria had riddles. I think, in a way, this journey was meant solely for you. We wont leave you to do it alone.. Though.. From what you've told me.. It sounds like Yantaria believes that... maybe you ..." he hesitated. "Maybe it isn't Vetis.. maybe it is your guilt and love of him.. that you're haunting yourself with?" He asked. "Maybe she felt putting Fo'uh in danger was needed to shock you out of it?" He asked. He really could have no idea of what Yantaria had in mind for any of this. But he would continue to try and make sense of it. So far some of the puzzle pieces were being put together.

Sililuuth didn't look his way again until one of her tears finally fell, allowing her to quickly brush it away before she looked back at him. Ki'fel at least had a way of not causing her to become frantic again - likely from the mellow way he spoke and carried himself more often than not. But... his suggestion caused her to freeze again as she stared toward him. She swallowed; didn't say anything immediately. "... But you are right. No friend would go to measures like this, whatever the case..." Her denial caused her doubt as she thought about what he said, her frown remaining deep and pained. "I don't think my mind is capable of what it's been doing... but... not sure what else it could be, if it's what you're saying it might be..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey tilted his head as if to lower his height to look her in the eyes. "Vetis would never allow such marks on someone he loved. You saw what he did to my brother. He had no mark upon him." He said quietly. "I am sure of it.. and if Yantaria is really a friend at all.. though I am coming with you regardless of if she wants me there or not.. I have to protect my mother... But if she means well.. Then there is truth to her words.. and reason to her threat. I believe this is left to you to decide.. Vetis.. Or Fo'uh." He frowned slightly.. he was worried that she would choose Vetis over her daughter. He could only imagine the pain it would cause Usy to lose her sister. "We'll be here with you, whatever you choose." he offered.

Sililuuth met his gaze in silence at first. The bittersweet pain that she'd held in her stare after sharing his godfather's memories with him had intensified to something agonized. Her rationality continued to speak to her in that same voice; it already knew what the final choice was, and that there was no question about it. But the rest of her... was not prepared. Swallowing another lump in her throat, one of her hands moved to rest to the side of his head if he'd allow it. "... I am glad you and Usy found each other... and I am proud to consider you a son." It wasn't a direct thank-you.. but for some reason, the words failed her. "We will settle this... for better or worse." She at least seemed to accept that he would be coming with her. "... And I will do my best to make sure you're prepared for what we might be getting into."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey nodded softly allowing her hand on his face. He slowly moved his from her shoulder to hold it to his face. "I am sorry for the pain this is causing you. Just know you are not alone.. at all." he said in his gravely voice. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the shadow that was following her around. In his mind it seemed to roll around like a severed head. Though he had not acknowledged it, it caused him great pain that the thing seemed to enjoy tormenting him with his worst memory. "We should get food and get some rest..." He said looking away from it. "Get started early in the morning. We have no idea how much longer it is going to take us to get to this place." He gave her hand a soft squeeze.

Sililuuth nodded slowly. It was going to be a long night as it was... and she only nodded. As she looked around for the right direction, she frowned thoughtfully. "Thank you, Ki'fel..." The words finally came out, weak as they were. As they headed off - eventually - the shadowy figure (a raven, in her case) would give them their grim reminder.

"Three days left..."

As their time continued to wane, Sililuuth no longer spoke in any measure, whether audibly or telepathically. She was lost in her thoughts that day, and as the deep blues and oranges of evening swallowed the remainder of a setting sun, her shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. Even as her feet carried her along the ground, her stare locked on Thalk, as if even looking away for a moment would have caused her to lose track of him.

I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. Those eyes, that face...

An odd expression befell the Amethyst as she trudged along: the corners of her lips curled into a bittersweet smile. Fond memories flooded her mind of glimmering scales, both bronze and gem. In her mind, she saw the first time Fo'uh opened her eyes; the first time Vetis had laid his own upon his future mate.

Your soul... it was beautiful. You came into my life... and you saved me; gave me purpose that I had not felt before.

Her memories continued: the Bronze, dancing with her in mid-air, singing in his same off-key voice that had always struck her as nothing less than endearing. Her daughter, beautiful and eloquent, holding so much potential - and yet looking up to her for guidance, no matter how she'd grown.

As she thought, her eyes squinted at the sharp sliver of sunlight fighting its last breath on the horizon, defiantly shining itself in their eyes. The feeling of her feet traversing earth barely registered.

I did not realize just how much I could love another living being until you came to me.

More memories. Sililuuth in her full form, curled around and nuzzling affectionately into her three young children; Fo rested close to her shoulder. Vetis holding his mate close to his body, hidden away within one of the Aerie's many caves in Amoras; Sili murmuring happily to him in Draconic, speaking of their future.

Her smile never widened enough to show her teeth, and yet the apples of her cheeks rose to cause the corners of her eyes to wrinkle. Her eyes began to water.

Dusk had come and gone; night was upon them, and as darkness blanketed the ground, so too did it blanket her mind. Her smile began to fade.

...But you fell away from me. You were taken by something I could not control. You were taken from the one who loved you more than she was ever able to say.

The sight of Vetis flying away for the very last time filled her mind, her talisman around his neck and his bronze wings causing a brilliant shine in his scales. Just as quickly as it formed, it slipped away again, replaced by the memory of Usyraz and Ki'fel coming to tell her about Fo's abduction.

Sili's stomach turned.

I fear you will never be as I remember you. Never again. It will not be the same...

A plum-colored stare rested quietly on what little she could see of Thalk in the moonlight. Her expression was oddly serene for someone wracked with the burden of choice.

And then, her mind wandered into dangerous territory. Her imagination weaved gut-wrenching imagery. Fo'uh trapped in a merciless and hungry Shadow Realm. Vetis languishing in the nine hells as Yantaria said. Their cries of agony tore at her heart.

Another surge of electricity burst through her body as her stomach found its way into her throat, then back down. This time, she didn't so much as flinch, despite the searing pain that came to her.

As they found a place to settle, Sili lie back as she had each night, staring skyward with a heavy rise and fall of her chest, her sigh audible.

Please, please, forgive me for the choice I may make...

Nearby, Usyraz looked intently toward her mother, even as she lingered close to her mate. As if she felt the intent concentration and the difficulty Sililuuth had with her decision, she recoiled into Ki'fel... and wept quietly.

"Two days left..."

Sililuuth had continued on in silence, almost as if piloted by something that wasn't entirely herself. When they finally reached the floating islands and the collection of crystals caught her eye, she breathed a sigh of relative relief. Almost there. As she landed and passed a look around, she finally turned to face whomever had followed... and blinked in surprise. "Four..." she murmured to herself, looking contemplatively between them. "We've made it. The portal is in the cave within this island..." Her brow furrowed as she fell into another silent moment of thought. "We may want to rest soon before any of us does anything else. I would not truly ask any of you to follow any further, if you have any concerns about it; it may be dangerous..." But would she fight them on it? No. Of course not. Though she looked from one person to the next, she looked none of them in the eye - not yet - almost as if she was afraid to.

Weloriesh landed softly behind her, his brow furrowed as he kept his eye on that -orc- following by his mate, weary of it... especially since something told him it wasnt really an orc. He forced his eyes away from it and looked around once before looking at Sililuuth. "Perhaps, before rest, you should give us a better picture of what exactly is happening. What we should expect as well." Something in the back of his mind was troubling him but he couldnt quite place it. Almost as if something from his past was about to show itself. But from where in his past?

Usyraz landed along with the rest, giving a roll of her shoulders and a careful stretch of her wings as if to relax them. The whole time, she had been careful not to look directly at the shadowy mass leading them to someplace unknown; it frightened her too much to acknowledge its presence. So, she'd kept relatively close to her mate, her father, or the Emerald who had shown such concern for her sister. At no point did she drift nearer to her mother, despite how closely she'd watched her with a hardened stare after the past couple of days. As much as she'd wanted to speak to add to her father's questions, she refrained, and instead folded her arms, awaiting a response. That is... she refrained aside from one brief, curt comment. "You -aren't- going alone."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey landed not far from his mate, moving to stand beside her. His eyes focused on Sili for a long moment noting her not wanting to make eye contact and eventually turned to listen to Welo as he spoke. When Usy spoke he would attempt to wrap an arm around her as if to try and give her support. "Fo'uh is our family as much as you are. We will go with. Weloriesh has a good point. We should know at least some of what we are walking into. We have the time to spare." He said eyeing what was left of the sun. He would look at the shadow next to Sili and feel a slight recoil as the severed head would roll around on the floor in a mocking manner. His lip quivered as he wanted to bare his teeth at the visage and threaten it to stop torturing him. However he would tear his eyes from it and look back to Sili, waiting for her eyes to meet his as if he might get a glimpse of what she was planning or what her choice might be.

Dom'Ro followed the group to the crystal island and landed by the edge to get a better look of the surrounding. He hadn't said much during the trip as his mind was too busy thinking of Fo'uh. He stopped for a moment and looked at Sililuuth as she spoke. "My only concern is saving Fo'uh." He turned back to look at the surroundings. His mind going back to his thoughts.

Sililuuth held true to her original intent; she didn't fight them, but her shoulders sank for a moment as she sighed. The hint of a knowing stare rested on Dom'Ro as he spoke, a conflicted, but otherwise touched look flashing in her eye as she finally found the nerve to look more directly at each of them. "You're going to have to be strong - and I don't necessarily mean that in a physical manner..." Her own arms crossed, one hand bending up at the elbow to cup and rub at her own chin. "Shadows are terrible things when used against you, and I don't know what might be waiting on the other side of that portal. Keep your minds clear; do -not- believe what you might see..." She paused and finally met Ki'fel's gaze, but something in her seemed to try to mask her thoughts. A hint of conflict remained nonetheless, and finally, she glanced between her mate and her youngest daughter.

Weloriesh smiled and nodded his head as each of the others claimed that they would go with Sili to save Fo. As if to settle the matter, he crossed his arms and looked directly at Sili. "Well, I guess thats solved now. All of us are going." He felt his smile fade as his mate began to talk about what they might encounter. He saw the troubled look she shot Kifel and noticed it was not that she didnt trust him, but something... deeper. He would dwell on it later though as he continued to listen, feeling a little wary about what lay before them all, but not enough to make him turn away.

Usyraz leaned into Ki'fel as she felt his arm. Her head turned enough for her to look at him, one of her own arms moving to drape around across his back if it could. If she caught any signs of uneasiness granted by the shadow he saw, she tried to give him a reassuring squeeze. Dom's response caused a smile, even if the look came across as pained from her. As her mother spoke, she looked back at her; her smile faded and her eyebrow raised. "But... what are we going to do? How do we get Fo back?"

Ki'fel Inloilfrey heard Dom speak and suddenly felt very sorry for the young male. He glanced over his shoulder and gave him a slight nod of his head. As Sili spoke he would turn his attention back to her and then finally bared his teeth at the shadow beside her. "So we're to expect more of that thing there." He gestured with his chin and a glare. "What happens if one of us loses track of what is real? What should we do to try and bring each other out of it?" He asked turning his attention to Welo for a moment then looking back to Sili. His mind was set on his own choice, regardless of what happened there.. His intention was to leave with Usy. As much as he loved her family, she was the most important to him and he would refuse to leave her side. He would probably, at the first sign of danger that he could not protect her from, snag her and pull her from the realm and back through the portal.

Dom'Ro shook his head to clear the thoughts and sighed. He looked back over to Sililuuth as she spoke about the shadows. They did seem pretty horrible but he did wonder what she meant to not believe what you see. He couldn't think much on it and looked at Ki'fel. He caught Ki'fel's nod but only blankly stared at him as he spoke. He turned his gaze to the others. Waiting.

Sililuuth forced a smile as best as she could as she looked toward Welo with a slow nod. "Very well..." Her reluctance remained. She wasn't entirely sure bringing them with her was a good idea... but she couldn't say no to them - not after they'd traveled so far to retrieve Fo. Usy's question caused a sickness in her stomach; some of the color drained from her face, even if her expression remained fairly neutral. "Yantaria has made it clear enough what has to be done; leave it to me and only worry about yourselves in the meantime..." She nodded at Ki'fel's response. "Yes... more of those, and other things that can do far more damage than a simple blade. Sometimes, damage to your psyche can be far more devastating than anything a weapon can do..." There was another pause as her chin inclined. "Ki'fel... you and Usy can use your bond to your advantage. Should one of you encounter trouble, keep them tethered." As she spoke, she glanced toward Welo. The advice could likely have been the same for the two of them... but as she looked toward Dom, she paused thoughtfully, and a tinge of pain struck her heart. She spoke again after a moment of thought. "You, Dom'Ro, I will try to keep tethered myself." And as she looked directly toward him, she tried to enter his mind as if to provide him an example. Her eyes glowed violet as the effort was made. He might have felt a gentle push within his mind, just behind his forehead - and if he allowed her, a simple phrase would be offered into his mind before she withdrew from it again. <Do not fear...>

Weloriesh nodded his head once more as Sili mentioned the bond they shared. At the mention of it, he sent his consciousness over to her, gently pushing into her mind with the phrase <I shall protect you at all costs itov>. And it was at that moment that he was truly grateful that Usy and Ki'fel had formed a bond of their own. He knew that he would keep her safe. But as Sili mentioned Dom, he frowned deeper. What she said was true, he was probably in the most danger out of the 5 of them there.

Usyraz turned her attention to Ki'fel with a thoughtful frown, speaking to him through their bond. 'I can show you what she means by tethering, if you aren't sure...' And after she had, her hand sought out one of his, chewing anxiously on the inside of her cheek. At least for the time being, she wasn't staring daggers at her mother; she was only trying to process everything with a hint of fear and unease. "Do... you think we actually -will- end up in trouble?..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey looked into Usy's eyes and nodded. -When we are done here.- He replied then took her hand in his. He took in a deep breath and let it out. Now ignoring the head rolling around on the floor. Unwilling to allow his own past distract him from the mission before them. "Better ready for a fight than to walk in thinking we're all friends." he said, his eyes looking directly at Sili. He hoped it would not be a fight, but after his talk with his mate's mother he was sure it to best error on the side of caution.

Dom'Ro moved his eyes to attention on Sililuuth as she directly spoke to him. He would allow her to enter his mind. He reached up with his hand and touched his forehead as he felt a push on it. He could see that her lips were not moving but could hear her. To her words that she spoke into his mind his eyes shifted up to hers and he nodded. He heard Ki'fel's words as he spoke. He repeated to himself the words 'ready for a fight'. He felt the pain of anger to start to well inside him. His emerald eyes had a small glow in them. He thought to himself "I will not fear!"

Sililuuth seemed almost startled at first as she felt Welo reaching out through their own bond... but the expression changed as she looked at him with the hint of a smile, as well as a nod, as if at a loss for words. After a lingering gaze that remained on her mate's face, she glanced toward her daughter with a sigh. "I make no guarantees. The Yantaria I knew in the past does not feel like the same Yantaria I spoke to before we left. I would like to think that I could at least trust her to not make this even more difficult than it is already, but... be prepared, just in case..." She trailed off as she laid a more direct stare on Ki'fel, unsure of what to make of his own words. "Yes. Best to be safe..." Glancing toward the Emerald once more, she offered him a reassuring look. She didn't know him well enough to know how the Shadow Realm would effect him - but if she could help him, she would.

Weloriesh gave a reassuring smile to Sili as she smiled at him but once she looked away, his smile turned into a frown as he got lost deep in his own thoughts. He had known Yantaria before she had returned to the shadows. While definitely a darker being, she had always seemed kind, or at least, protective of Sili. What changed? What caused her to kidnap their daughter like she did? None of it was making any sense and he had a feeling that until it started making sense, not just Fo but all of them were in grave danger...

Usyraz dropped her gaze for the time being, only listening. Her brows knitted and she drew in a breath as if to steady herself, keeping close to Ki'fel; it provided her comfort where little existed otherwise. Anything she wanted to say, she felt she couldn't - except for one small thing. "She seemed so much kinder in your stories..." But... part of her couldn't help but wonder if somehow, the truth had been twisted for some unknown reason.

Ki'fel Inloilfrey moved running his hand down Usy's back and turned his head to look at Dom. "Brother, perhaps we could talk a bit before we rest.. inspect this island?" he questioned as if to try and break the tension. He still listened but he felt things had been said enough, now was the time for plans and rest.

Dom'Ro listened intently now as Sililuuth spoke. He wondered how different could that world be from this? He had heard of the place before but wasn't exactly told of what was inside. He assumed it was like here but instead of light that was like here it was just dark there like a cave. He shook the thought away as he heard Ki'fel and looked at him. "Oh, yes, we can do that." He wondered what Ki'fel could possibly want to talk to him about.

Sililuuth passed a look between them that bordered on paranoia. For a time, she didn't speak - but as the Steel and the Emerald arranged to speak together, she nodded slowly. "Yes... tend to what you need to, then rest..." She stretched her wings for just a moment, readying herself to push up into the air and move elsewhere to grant them a little more privacy. "There are a few things I too must settle first. I will be around if I am needed..." And with that, unless she was stopped, she flew off... likely looking for someplace to think in solitude.

Weloriesh eyed the two other males and nodded to them. "Rest sounds good. It has been a long fight and if were diving into danger, we need to be at full strength." He eyed Sili, noting the look he knew to mean she wanted to be alone for awhile and nodded to her solemnly, a sad look in his own eye. "Ssifisv algbo itov." (Rest well love) He then began to head down a bit, lost in thought as he tried to piece together what the puzzle could possibly mean.

Usyraz quietly noted Ki'fel's request to speak to Dom. As she glanced between them without a word to her mother as she departed, her brows raised inquisitively - offering to go unless he needed her there for whatever reason. As if she felt her father's sadness, she frowned as well, looking after him. "Goodnight, Op..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey turned watching as Sili moved off away from them. He then turned as Welo spoke, and did not need empathy to note the tone of voice or the expression in his face. "G'night Welo." he said softly. He would have offered for him to stay but figured he had his own thoughts to work through. He turned and leaned in attempting to kiss Usy upon her forehead before offering to pull her along with to stand closer to Dom as they spoke. "We should plan.. in case something comes up.. what each of us should do." He said in a hushed tone.

Dom'Ro watched as Sili flew up and away. He looked towards Welo and nodded to him. He turned to Ki'fel as he came closer to him. He nodded to him in agreement. "Lead the way, brother." A plan was a good idea to help him to try and stay focus with all this.

Usyraz looked inquisitively toward Ki'fel as he spoke - but she allowed him to pull her along with him, glancing between them with a frown that remained on her face. "But do any of us even know where to start with... what to do if something goes wrong?" She didn't even know if her question made sense; her thoughts were jumbled as it was.

Ki'fel Inloilfrey gave a slight shrug and started to move around the aerie looking for anything 'out of place' then once that seemed to be alright he would find a place for them all to sit and relax. Looking to his mate to make sure she was comfortable and at ease before he would turn to Dom. "You are probably the one we would be most concerned about.. I would suggest if we find Fo'uh, you go straight to her.. perhaps try and grab her and pull her back to our group if you can. Keep close to Usy and myself.." He knew that he was probably going against what Sili had suggested but at the moment he wasn't to sure he trusted where her mind was. Though he would take note that no electric charges had happened during their short conversation.

Dom'Ro followed the mates until Ki'fel found a place and sat down. He sat down by Ki'fel's left and looked down for a moment before looking up to Ki'fel as he spoke and nodded. "That sounds good and all but what if I can't reach her? What should I do if I'm stopped by Yantaria or any other beings that may be there? What if I do get to her but is bounded by chains or magic?" He looked down at the ground again and thought for a moment. "I don't want to fail the family. I don't want to fail her."

Usyraz didn't speak right away. Instead, her jaw remained clenched and she only settled down beside Ki'fel, a quiet gaze rested on Dom'Ro. Again, his words tugged at her emotions, and she swallowed. She wasn't sure what to say about how to reach Fo... but she at least spoke up for a moment, even if she did so quietly. "Don't worry about failing the family, because you couldn't - especially after you've come all this way with us. We will retrieve her, one way or another..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey listened to Dom's questions and he himself had not thought about such obstacles. "We'll be with you all the way, brother." He too caught hint of something there and wondered just how close Dom was to Fo'uh. He glanced at Usy and attempted to take her hand in his. "Chains wont be much of a worry.. as for other beings.." he would pause for a long moment. Thinking of the shadow that followed Sili and contemplated using it as target practice to see what they could do to it. However he did not want to upset Sili by attacking the placed familiar. "Just remember the training I gave you." He really had no idea what would work against the shadows, but brute force was all he knew to do. "As for keeping your mind clear," He would turn and look at Usy with a loving gaze. "Just think of Fo'uh. I am sure that if Sili somehow fails, Fo'uh will help you to pull out of it.. or at least the thought of her." He hoped that would be all he needed was Usy.

Dom'Ro looked up to Usy and nodded. "I would do anything for this family. It is a debt I can never repay." He turned his attention to Ki'fel as he spoke. "I have practiced everyday to make it my goal to protect the family." Then a cracked smile came upon his face. "I think about her everyday, every hour, every minute, every second. I couldn't see it before but I understand now after that time we went swimming in the creek. I understand now that after that kiss we shared I realized all this time that I...I love her." His emerald eyes started to well, The green hues turning a light gloss. He tilted his head down to the side. Trying to wipe his eyes with his sleeve.

Usyraz accepted Ki'fel's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Within seconds, her other hand came to rest atop the back of his, meeting his gaze with a slow nod as if to confirm his words. But as Dom spoke, she froze. She knew the two were at least friends... but she'd had no idea just -how- close they'd become. It finally struck her - really struck her - that it wasn't just her blood relatives that were affected by Fo's disappearance; her sister had touched someone's heart. To prevent her voice from cracking before she spoke, she cleared her throat. "All the more reason for us to do everything we can to bring her back. Hold onto that... continue to remember it. I think Ki'fel is right - that could help you..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey had leaned against Usy as well and as he was listening to Dom speak he frowned slightly.. Now they had more reason. He nodded in agreement with Usy, though his own dark thoughts would go to what he might decide to do if things got to dangerous.. He might abandon Dom and Fo'uh just to save Usy.. and he wondered if she would forgive him.. He gulped slightly and gave a slight cough before he gave a rather long yet fake yawn. "Well we should rest then." he finally spoke up. "We have a vague idea or plan.. now its just a matter of adapting to the situation once we're in it. I'll do my best to give orders and help out.." he nodded and would lean back if Usy allowed it, placing an arm behind his head and only then really noticing how beautiful the crystal dome was. It was almost as if it magnified the heavens. "It might just be in the great wyrm's claws now." he muttered.

Dom'Ro slowly raised his head as he wiped the tear from his eye to look at Usy. "Thank you Usy. I'll do everything within my power to hang on to it." He looked over Ki'fel and nodded. "Yes we do. I think I will go do some training before I turn." He slowly stood up and nodded to both of them and started to walk way unless stopped.

Usyraz allowed her mate to lean back; her own body followed suit, practically flopping against his as fatigue finally took hold of her. Her head moved carefully to his shoulder if she could, her eyelids drooping as she kept them open just enough to look after the Emerald. "Be careful not to be up -too- late though. Just in case..." She frowned - or her face at least tried to - as her tone faded, even mid-sentence. She was quickly drifting off.

Ki'fel Inloilfrey watched as Dom would leave then looked up at the sky for a bit longer holding his mate close to him.. then slowly his eyelids would become heavy till he too drifted off to sleep.

Dom'Ro nodded to them both as they fell asleep and slowly walked to an open area to practice.

Sililuuth said little to nothing overnight, having spent the better part of her time in silence, with not even signs of her muttering to show she was still 'present.' But when the time came - when she felt there'd been enough time to rest and prepare - she returned to the others, slowing to a stop a few paces away. Finally, she spoke. "It's time... Is everyone ready?"

Weloriesh opened up his eyes. They glowed a bright, pale blue from the meditation he was in to prepare himself but after a few seconds, they began to dim down to his usual shade. He rose to his feet and looked around to the others before looking back to Sili with a look of determination. "Si mi krathin itov." (I am ready) He had spent most of the night pondering all the different looks that not just Sili gave to others but that others were giving to Sili. He had come to a few theories as to what was going on but needed more information to find out how to best solve it.

Usyraz had been humming quietly to herself as if to keep her own nerves calm - but as she noticed her mother land near the rest of them, she stared at her for a moment... then nodded. "Me too, I think..."

Ki'fel Inloilfrey had woken up early and spent some of the splintering light just plucking blossoms from the tree and dropping them down around Usy. He had even taken the time to tangle a few in her hair, trying to get her to smile and take her mind off of things. Though when he heard Sili's voice and saw her he instantly went into soldier mode. Standing close to his mate more like a body guard than anything else. "Ready." He said firmly in a gravely tone.

Dom'Ro was a little exhausted but anxious has he slowly made his way to group that was gathering. He stayed up late than he thought practicing and laying against the pillar looking out thinking of Fo'uh. He raised his hand up behind his neck to rub the kink out of it. He looked up to address Sililuuth. "I'm ready."

Daughter Saved and Love Forgotten