A few weeks had passed and Lyndra had been keeping Sha'uri company. The Mistress of the Citadel had her good days and bad days. The day Cadence came for a visit was a good day. The week that followed had been bad for Sha'uri. Lyndra did what she could and even found herself praying for the Mistress. It was the first time she'd thought about her religious beliefs. She didn't know what to believe, but she knew Sha'uri believed in Corellon. And then there was her parents. Lyndra didn't know who to pray to, so she prayed to all three. The progress was slow, like the progress of the tide upon a shore, but the Mistress was getting better little by little.

Today had been a good day. Sha'uri and Lyndra were walking together along the streets of Exodii. Lyndra had convinced Sha'uri to go on a shopping spree. They had a servant with a cart full of presents walking along behind them as they moved along the walkway that took them into the monumental park.

"Are ye sure ye wanna walk into here?" Lyndra asked.

Sha'uri nodded with a somber expression.
"Maybe I just need to. It's as close as I can be right now. An right now is the time when family matters."

The two walked in, moving along the paths. The place gave Lyndra the creeps. The statues were so lifelike it was uncanny. Especially that one of Sha'uri's mother... Sharalis. The statue stared at her no matter where Lyndra was. Even if she were behind the statue, it always felt like the goddess was watching her. In fact, she swore the statue was slowly turning when they were approaching it from behind. Lyndra gasped and the statue immediately stopped.

"What is it Lyndra?" Sha'uri's gaze was immediately upon Lyndra.

"Uh.. Nothing. It was the shadows I think. Made it look like the statue moved. Silly me, was just the shadows." she tried to explain it away with a grin.

Sha'uri cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at the statue, but her movement seemed to freeze in mid turn...

Lyndra blinked and narrowed her gaze on her friend, taking a moment to realize Sha'uri was in a strange way. A moment from then and it was apparent that everyone around her was also likewise frozen in place. Even the birds in flight were paused as if time itself had just stopped, but not for her.

"What in .." Lyndra started to say.

"Ball blazes is goin on round 'ere?" a sultry voice finished.

Lyndra shifted her gaze to see the statue just a few feet away from her, talking and walking and breathing. She nearly fainted.

"Aye now... Lass, ye should sit a spell on that bench there beside ye." Sharalis moved her hand, motioning the way and Lyndra was suddenly on the bench sitting down..

Lyndra could only stare at the goddess.
"How.. who? Why?"

Sharalis laughed softly. "All in good time, lass. All in good time. First, though, there's the matter 'o family. I'll cut 't the chase then. Ye were designed 't be me."

Lyndra blinked. "Aye.. by the Headmaster's rival, Erique. But I'm not ye."

"No, but yer 'th spiritual product 'o what could be considered Bri's an Sha'uri's daughter." Sharalis came to sit next to Lyndra and gave her a moment to digest that information. "Yet ye feel fer 'im, don't ye."

Lyndra didn't know what to say. She felt herself confessing anyway, nodding helplessly.

"Tha's cause yer body is me avatar."

"I don't understand."

"I know it's complicated. But ye feel that way because the body was designed 't house me soul and so there's a connection that not even Eversmart could sever completely then."

"But I thought.."

"Erique's vial plans, and magics to trap me into the body, were stopped. The connection was not cut. The body must be destroyed to sever it."

"What does that mean?"

"Part 'o me is still connected to ye. Ye've some of my strengths an power. Ye've been studying magic an I've slowed yer progress 't accept it o'er time. If ye were 't gain it all, t'would 'ave its repercussions. It might drive ye insane. I don't expect ye 't understand that yet, but since ye've increased yer abilities, I need ye 't understand that ye're me avatar. We're connected. We're different an yet 'th same in a unique way."

"Ye are confusing me."

"It'll sort o'er time, Lass. Ye'll be fine ... It'll be all right. Just know that in essence, ye really are connected to me." Sharalis lifted a hand to cup Lyndra's cheek.

It was odd, but Lyndra felt an understanding forming and with that came the sensation of the connection. It was just beginning to make sense.

And just like that, Lyndra was standing again back in the place she'd been before watching Sha'uri turn her head to look at the statue, which was also back in the same position on the pedestal. The birds were flying again, the people were moving. It was as if Lyndra had never moved.

Sha'uri looked at the statue for a long moment, then back to Lyndra. A moment passed and a grin formed..

"It is kinda creepy isn't it. I sometimes wonder when she's gonna jump off that pedestal and come talk to me." Sha'uri shrugged and slipped her arm with Lyndra's. "Come on, lets go get some hot cocoa."


"Aye, I second that one!"