Starrie was learning the hard way that avoiding Storm wasn't working...At all. So, he waited until she was asleep, or he thought she was, and he slipped into his room, with the door as sealed as he could manage it. Clothing, diaper, and any other adornments she'd given him shed before crawling into the nest of blankets and clothing he'd made out of what used to be a completely respectable bed. Human form still lanky, it wasn't hard to curl up in the middle. It didn't take him long to relax and drift off, despite dreams of fighting and horror, his body still needed sleep. A subconscious murmur caught his attention for an instant before sleep fully claimed him Be ready, mini-me. All hell's about to break loose. I'm coming tonight, and we're going to get Mama back. The communication was minor and gentle, barely a brush of consciousness against consciousness.
It wasn't long before dreams claimed him, but this time they were almost peaceful. A sense of silence, and clarity. Images of light braiding itself, of power twining. Energy flowing and crackling against darkness. Solidarity of the highest form. He rolled over, arms flopping out. Oblivious as the walls around him began to flare, green writing and runes, diagrams and sigils writing themselves in green fire. This shade darker than his own.
The room he'd claimed wasn't his. Apparently never had been. The wards weren't things he knew, they were too complex. Those spells had taken years to write....And were now coming into play. Activating and bringing to bare the height of their power. Doing exactly what he'd told them to do in case of a intruder. Except, there was a black spot rapidly appearing across the wall adjacent to the door. The intruder knew the wardings weak points. It didn't take much for that black spot to become a portal, as a young man stepped through, the wards glowed brighter for an instant, almost burning white. A curt gesture from the male cut them off, and they were gone less than a heartbeat later, nothing more than afterimages on burned retina.
He looked to be about twenty, perhaps a bit older. Green eyes a shade darker than the boy's, they were built similarly. They looked related, and in truth were. Just, not in any way that any others would understand easily. He moved gracefully. Silver earring in his right ear swinging as he looked around, moving to climb on the bed, reaching out to shake the boy's shoulder. "Starrie." The word hissed, hitting just the right sharpness to make him jump, rolling over and muttering something unintelligible.
A soft sigh echoed in the empty chamber, he climbed further on the bed, the tip of his sheathed sword scraping across the bare bed. "Starrie. Up. Now. Come on." The whispers coordinated with the shaking, and this time he got reaction.
Faster than he'd anticipated, his double was sitting up, green eyes slit and draconian. Freezing seemed by far the easiest reaction, for a long moment, the boy examined the man. Subsequently relaxing as he realized that he knew him. "Vanyel." The word barely breathed, though he remained sitting in that odd posture, one arm holding him up, the other down at his side. "Why're you here" Where the hell have you been?" He swallowed carefully, trying hard to now disturb the collar and chime around his neck, only the faintest of tinkings was produced.
No comment made on his position, voice rising a bit as he spoke, speaking quietly but not whispering. "I'm here to help get Mama back. My gut says I can track her and help get her ba-" His words broken off as the Boy moved, covering his mouth with his free hand. "Shh! You really, really don't want to wake up Storm! We won't be able to go tonight if you do that. Whisper!" Relayed in a frantic hiss, before letting him go and sitting up properly.
As he was released, the man blinked a long moment, before nodding, and continuing in a whisper. "I think we can get her back. But, it has to be a "we" thing. I need your power...I've been fighting for a very long time....I just don't want to leave Mother caught any longer than can be helped, and we can go tonight....So we should." A bit of a nod, glancing down at his alter as he stepped back. "Now, why are you sleeping naked?" Asked with a raised eyebrow and a tilted head, still carefully whispering. "Unless you're far more immodest than I thought you were.."
Starrie blushed, a fact noticeable even in the near pitch black they were in-or, perhaps Vanyel's night sight was far better than it had any right to be. "It's because of Storm...She keeps putting me in baby clothes." No mention of diapers, a bit of dignity remaining. "So, what?s the plan?" Still whispering, tracking on Vanyel's motions only by his energy.
A laugh was choked off, and he shifted slowly to stand. "Simple...We go get her...Now...Or, after you get clothes on....Arm yourself however you like, we're walking into hell."
Starrie moved then, climbing out of the nest and off the bed. Clothing found and pulled on with regard to fit, more than style. Jeans and a long sleeved shirt, daggers slipped in various places on his person, at least one up each pant leg, sleeve, and one in the small of his back. He turned back and nodded. "Ready as I'm going to be. You know where she is?"
"Good...I can feel her. Now...We need to slip out, and past the wards...This isn't going to be fun, but, we can do it. I'll handle the wards." Van's whispers smooth, and he'd lead the sneaking..Past the main nursery and out, following an older path that Starrie hadn't known was there
Out of his old room, and out of the Lair. The wards handled carefully, Vanyel stepped through first, one hand on Starrie's shoulder. They seemed to just open around them, letting them slip through. The boy eyed him a long moment as they continued walking. "How did you do that?" Was asked finally, as he followed, they were in the Glen, following some invisible path that Van could see.
A soft chuckle came from him, a shrug resettling the sword across his back, the strap shifting a bit on the top of his shoulder. "I helped work some of them....I paid attention to the back doors. That stunt only works from the inside...On the outside it'd just trip them, and the attack wards I laid in the background too...Set to trigger when someone tries to break them from the outside." A slight nod. "But nothing offensive would trip from the inside without Mother or Father causing it to...That way no one gets hurt.?
The air around them began to stink. Rotting flesh and a scent that could only be described as evil. Starrie gagged and coughed. Vanyel frowned, jaw clenching and ticking a bit. The small silver dragon in his ear and the one on Starrie's collar apparently hissed, the metal changing as the dragons moved, coiling as if to spring. Neither noticed this change, both were trying to expand their senses, expecting an attack here as they continued forward, skirting the wreckage of the grave, and continuing onward...
Searching for Icer.
It wasn't long before dreams claimed him, but this time they were almost peaceful. A sense of silence, and clarity. Images of light braiding itself, of power twining. Energy flowing and crackling against darkness. Solidarity of the highest form. He rolled over, arms flopping out. Oblivious as the walls around him began to flare, green writing and runes, diagrams and sigils writing themselves in green fire. This shade darker than his own.
The room he'd claimed wasn't his. Apparently never had been. The wards weren't things he knew, they were too complex. Those spells had taken years to write....And were now coming into play. Activating and bringing to bare the height of their power. Doing exactly what he'd told them to do in case of a intruder. Except, there was a black spot rapidly appearing across the wall adjacent to the door. The intruder knew the wardings weak points. It didn't take much for that black spot to become a portal, as a young man stepped through, the wards glowed brighter for an instant, almost burning white. A curt gesture from the male cut them off, and they were gone less than a heartbeat later, nothing more than afterimages on burned retina.
He looked to be about twenty, perhaps a bit older. Green eyes a shade darker than the boy's, they were built similarly. They looked related, and in truth were. Just, not in any way that any others would understand easily. He moved gracefully. Silver earring in his right ear swinging as he looked around, moving to climb on the bed, reaching out to shake the boy's shoulder. "Starrie." The word hissed, hitting just the right sharpness to make him jump, rolling over and muttering something unintelligible.
A soft sigh echoed in the empty chamber, he climbed further on the bed, the tip of his sheathed sword scraping across the bare bed. "Starrie. Up. Now. Come on." The whispers coordinated with the shaking, and this time he got reaction.
Faster than he'd anticipated, his double was sitting up, green eyes slit and draconian. Freezing seemed by far the easiest reaction, for a long moment, the boy examined the man. Subsequently relaxing as he realized that he knew him. "Vanyel." The word barely breathed, though he remained sitting in that odd posture, one arm holding him up, the other down at his side. "Why're you here" Where the hell have you been?" He swallowed carefully, trying hard to now disturb the collar and chime around his neck, only the faintest of tinkings was produced.
No comment made on his position, voice rising a bit as he spoke, speaking quietly but not whispering. "I'm here to help get Mama back. My gut says I can track her and help get her ba-" His words broken off as the Boy moved, covering his mouth with his free hand. "Shh! You really, really don't want to wake up Storm! We won't be able to go tonight if you do that. Whisper!" Relayed in a frantic hiss, before letting him go and sitting up properly.
As he was released, the man blinked a long moment, before nodding, and continuing in a whisper. "I think we can get her back. But, it has to be a "we" thing. I need your power...I've been fighting for a very long time....I just don't want to leave Mother caught any longer than can be helped, and we can go tonight....So we should." A bit of a nod, glancing down at his alter as he stepped back. "Now, why are you sleeping naked?" Asked with a raised eyebrow and a tilted head, still carefully whispering. "Unless you're far more immodest than I thought you were.."
Starrie blushed, a fact noticeable even in the near pitch black they were in-or, perhaps Vanyel's night sight was far better than it had any right to be. "It's because of Storm...She keeps putting me in baby clothes." No mention of diapers, a bit of dignity remaining. "So, what?s the plan?" Still whispering, tracking on Vanyel's motions only by his energy.
A laugh was choked off, and he shifted slowly to stand. "Simple...We go get her...Now...Or, after you get clothes on....Arm yourself however you like, we're walking into hell."
Starrie moved then, climbing out of the nest and off the bed. Clothing found and pulled on with regard to fit, more than style. Jeans and a long sleeved shirt, daggers slipped in various places on his person, at least one up each pant leg, sleeve, and one in the small of his back. He turned back and nodded. "Ready as I'm going to be. You know where she is?"
"Good...I can feel her. Now...We need to slip out, and past the wards...This isn't going to be fun, but, we can do it. I'll handle the wards." Van's whispers smooth, and he'd lead the sneaking..Past the main nursery and out, following an older path that Starrie hadn't known was there
Out of his old room, and out of the Lair. The wards handled carefully, Vanyel stepped through first, one hand on Starrie's shoulder. They seemed to just open around them, letting them slip through. The boy eyed him a long moment as they continued walking. "How did you do that?" Was asked finally, as he followed, they were in the Glen, following some invisible path that Van could see.
A soft chuckle came from him, a shrug resettling the sword across his back, the strap shifting a bit on the top of his shoulder. "I helped work some of them....I paid attention to the back doors. That stunt only works from the inside...On the outside it'd just trip them, and the attack wards I laid in the background too...Set to trigger when someone tries to break them from the outside." A slight nod. "But nothing offensive would trip from the inside without Mother or Father causing it to...That way no one gets hurt.?
The air around them began to stink. Rotting flesh and a scent that could only be described as evil. Starrie gagged and coughed. Vanyel frowned, jaw clenching and ticking a bit. The small silver dragon in his ear and the one on Starrie's collar apparently hissed, the metal changing as the dragons moved, coiling as if to spring. Neither noticed this change, both were trying to expand their senses, expecting an attack here as they continued forward, skirting the wreckage of the grave, and continuing onward...
Searching for Icer.