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Birds After the others - those who are free - have appeared, Birds-of-Trinity goes to the window and pushes the curtains open with a flourish.
Birds "I have to apologise."
Birds steps down out of the air and touches the ground. The floor creaks.
Cerin 's eye brows raise as Birds touches the floor. "For?"
Thirteen munches on a pastry, ignoring the open curtains, but cocking an ear when Birds steps down.
Birds "Well," she pauses, "wait, first there was something I want to tell you."
Cerin shakes his head and picks up a pastry of his own.
Birds reaches under the table and pulls out a chest. Inside, a pair of sandals and a set of orichalcum hand chains sit on top of a carefully folded robe. A staff appears in her hands, steaming with the chill of Elsewhere.
Birds "These were Alahwi's. I thought you'd be interested in the tomb."
Cerin 's forehead creases as he studies the artifacts before him "Interesting..and yes, I would."
Thirteen "Hm."
Thirteen "Excuse me."
Thirteen extends one finger in a flawless gesture. As it reaches its full extension, he explodes suddenly in sunlight; then it dims, except for his glowing castemark.
Birds "Zahara and Kai and I found it while we were in the East. Something happened, to do with Kiriath and the marsh."
Thirteen taps the hand chains lightly, listening intently.
Birds takes a pastry and munches, sliding the chest and staff over to the others to examine. Under the robe is a pile of drawings.
Cerin "An interesting technique." Cerin remarks, as he leans to pick the papers up
Birds The papers are notes on the grave goods and sketches of the tomb paintings. There is also an approximate floor plan.
Cerin "So your tomb was manse then?"
Thirteen "Thank you. I note that you have essentially the same capabilities."
Thirteen "Although yours are more effective, in that they are constant."
Birds raises an eyebrow. "A manse? Oh, yes. It must be. The candles."
Birds "That hadn't occurred to me."
Thirteen "So these tools were Alahwi's, then? And you say she fought together with Wei Dan at some time in the past?"
Cerin "My thanks." he says with a nod, looking over the sketches of the tomb paintings
Birds "A vision led me to the tomb; I had a similar vision upon meeting you, Thirteen Blooming Flowers."
Birds "I cannot say that it was precisely one of our fighting together..."
Cerin "Candles?"
Thirteen "How interesting. If I might ask, what was the content of this vision?"
Birds "In the entry there are four burning candles."
Cerin nods
Birds "I remember Wei Dan jumping onto a spear, smiling; hanging from a tree; fighting among burning wooden buildings."
Birds "Something told me those were the buildings of Alahwi's country."
Birds "So, I suppose you may have been my enemy."
Thirteen "Hopefully not."
Birds "But it is a possibility I do not prefer. Too many of us have blood on our hands from those lives."
Thirteen "I know the story of Wei Dan and his ordeal of the tree."
Birds "Oh?"
Thirteen "The other scenes I do not know, but they might be any number of things."
Thirteen "Here."
Thirteen doubles over suddenly, retching.
Thirteen removes a scroll in Old Realm from his throat.
Thirteen offers the scroll to Birds.
Birds takes the scroll and reads.
Thirteen "This is the story."
Thirteen "It is also engraved upon my spear."
Birds "It seems to be always your soul's destiny," Birds observes, "to be the hero-emperor of his people."
Cerin "Might I read?" Cerin enquires when birds finishes
Birds passes him the scroll.
Thirteen "As I am Wei Dan returned, so I bear his responsibilities."
Thirteen "After all, he has given me his power."
Birds "These dragons, do you remember much else of them?"
Thirteen "Mm."
Birds "They will make a majestic paean."
Cerin reads
Thirteen "Father Dragon wrote the world into existence, and spoke the people into it. He is the weakest of the dragons, for he expended himself in creation."
Birds shuffles her feet. It is strange having them touch earth again.
Thirteen "Mother Dragon planted the great tree and nurtured it, and through it all the plants of the world. She is powerful, but tending the tree is a never-ending task."
Thirteen "Child Dragon has done nothing yet. He is the strongest of them all."
Thirteen "These are our stories."
Cerin "The great tree?"
Thirteen "Those are the words of the legend, yes."
Thirteen "Birds-of-Trinity, why have you returned to walking on earth?"
Birds "That story has deep bones."
Birds "Ah, the earth. It is a penitence. You see, I had another vision."
Birds "It seems that my mind has not been my own, of late."
Cerin raises an eyebrow
Birds "I cannot explain, but if you wish to take the knowledge from me, then that is proper."
Birds "Something calls to me, and I must go to it, but I will return before long, and then I can explain everything."
Thirteen "Are you well, Birds? Are you sure you are not being led into a trap?"
Thirteen "Perhaps we might accompany you."
Cerin "If you cannot voice it in words, then there is no point." Cerin says "But when you can understand it, I will be interested to hear."
Birds "It will be dangerous, but I know what I am about. In the interest of your hearts' ease, I will not take unnecessary risks."
Birds "As for giving the thing a voice...it is not that I am unable to, but that, for me to name it would render it invalid."
Birds "It is a secret."
Cerin "Ah. I think I begin to understand."
Thirteen is still, saying nothing.
Birds 's face lights up with a grin and a Castemark. Her apology delivered, she takes a step back up into the air, and her expression of vague unease falls away.
Birds "I knew you would, Cerin. Do explain to Thirteen, Zee, and Kai."
Birds "We should be getting to dinner, I think. Those sweets you two have been eating are starting to go to your bellies."
Thirteen "That is not actuallly possible."
Thirteen "However, I appreciate the sentiment."
Cerin "I will, of course." He says with a nod to Birds
Cerin hands Thirteen back his story. He really would have to talk to Zahara about the collar.
Thirteen swallows it blandly.
Thirteen "What is for dinner?"
Cerin looks to Birds
Birds "A variety of fish."
Birds "I understand that we have Dragon King guests, so the menu is mainly meats."
Cerin nods "It will be good to see Ssithumi, I need to talk to her about a lab in Rathess."
Thirteen "Sounds pleasant. Thank you for your gracious hospitality."
Thirteen "Rathess, eh? What have you found in those ruins?"
Cerin "Well we are working with the Dragon Kings to civilise them."
Thirteen "Hm. In exchange for military aid? Or merely out of benevolence?"
Cerin "I would be lieing if I said it was pure benevolance. Of course we have considered the benefits of doing so. I am not sure that they have enough sentient members yet to contribute much in the way of military might, but it is something you can ask Ssithumi."
Thirteen chuckles. "I would not want to compromise your diplomatic relationship. Perhaps it would be better suited for one of you."
Thirteen "I am sure they have some way in which they could aid us."
Cerin nods
Tags: (:tags Alahwi, Kiriath, Wei Dan, First Age Flashbacks, Dragons, Collars, Rathess, Ssithumi :)
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