Home Freezing Home|Malagard, Khelek

[Darastrix]

"Finally," Schuldig sighed as the group teleported into the palace. He didn't much miss the climate or the people, but it was nice to be home and not in some inn to just rest long enough for the next teleport. He hated long-distance teleporting. Even in a group, it was a drain on his reserves with how specialized he was. Thank fuck for Nagi's ring and Harmony's new sign.

"Welcome to Khelek," Nagi said to their Firegem companions. "We sent word ahead so your rooms should already be prepared with extra blankets and such. The climate was kind of shock to us when we first came here, too."

"There's a fucking understatement," Schuldig muttered. ~Locket, guess what?~

"It doesn't take all that long to adjust," Crawford said, stepping closer to Delilah. Even after Firegem, it didn't feel all that cold to him in the palace, but the Grandisle natives might feel differently.

[Kender Bard]

~Schuldig!~ Locket greeted energetically. ~You're home! So everyone else must be too, right? Where is everyone?~

"I hope not," Delilah murmured. Thinking about it made her shiver. She thought the palace was cool, though, not cold. Tolerable.

Felicitas and her family were quiet, looking around at everything. The calm colors surprised them; most of the homes in Grandisle sported tapestries or other furnishings of bright colors to draw the eye.

[Darastrix]

~Biggest sitting room in the place,~ he told her. ~We've got a group. Brad, Grandisle's queen, their high priest's daughter, and her four kids.~

Crawford squeezed Delilah's hand gently and gestured to a small couch. "Let's sit; I imagine Lucifer will be along shortly." He glanced at Schuldig, who nodded.

"Just don't let his manner put you off," the telepath said, plopping down in another chair. "He's a man of few words and more reserved than this one." He jerked his head in Crawford's direction.

[Kender Bard]

"I will endeavor to be understanding," Delilah answered with a smile as she squeezed Crawford's hand back and settled on the couch with him.

Locket found her way to the sitting room and gave an excited squeal. "Welcome home!!" She darted over to Crawford to give him a hug. "I was so worried!"

"This must be Locket!" Delilah exclaimed.

Locket glanced over at Delilah. "Are you the queen or the high priest's daughter?" she asked.

"I am Queen Delilah Valerianus of House Valerianus," Delilah greeted.

"I'm Princess Locket Kazimir of this house!" Locket replied. "Uh, oh wait, you knew that already, right. Well then. I'm Kristin. Bet you didn't know that."

"I did not," Delilah agreed with a grin.

[Darastrix]

Crawford found himself hugging Locket back and had to check himself from making it too enthusiastic. He'd missed them all far more than he'd thought he would, and with Delilah by his side, he felt too happy to put much effort into pushing Locket off.

"Locket is her temple name," he told Delilah. "I believe her family in Anarlina are the only ones who call her Kristin."

"We still need to make a trip to see them with the triplets," Nagi mused.

"It'll be your fault for not having gone yet," Schuldig put in. "You're the one who can teleport."

Nagi just gave Schuldig a pained look and rang a servant for tea. It wasn't all his fault.

[Kender Bard]

"They're going to be angry with us for not doing it sooner," Locket replied, her nose wrinkling at the thought. Though 'angry' in the O'Neil family just meant a scolding or a disapproving frown, really.

"Oh yes, you have triplets," Delilah recalled. "I would love to see them sometime."

"I'll show you!" Locket enthused. "And I'll show you the whole palace and the temple too." She flashed Crawford a grin. ~Trinket missed you too. I saw her sitting outside of your room once. Though she stopped that once I took her to Nagi's study and read to her in there.~

"I'd like to see my room," Tea spoke up softly. "Please?" That set off Felicitas's children asking for the same.

[Darastrix]

~I think she's too young to mi--~ Crawford broke off and stared at Locket. ~How?~ He knew Soahc was the Force of insanity, but giving her a third sign at this point? That was just stupid.


"Ah, Harmony," Nagi said. "Would you mind?"

[Kender Bard]

Locket's eyes lit up. ~That's right, you weren't here for that, were you?~

She wondered about teasing him or tricking him. Oh she was so terribly tempted to! But the false mind sign she'd inked onto her hand had faded long ago and it would be much less convincing without that. So she just pulled her locket out from under her clothes and let it hang in view, the amethyst glinting in the light. It almost seemed luminous when she was 'talking' though, lamentably, it didn't really glow.

~My lord gifted my prayers for the ability to speak with all of you.~

Harmony glanced at Nagi, sighed, and nodded. If it had been anyone else, she would have protested a little, but she had a hard time denying such a simple request from Nagi. "Come on, kids," she told them and led them out of the room.

[Darastrix]

~After we've all been visited by our Forces, I'm glad you finally got to meet yours,~ Crawford said. ~I was blessed to see Etaf while I was away.~ He smiled faintly, almost smirked. ~I'll leave you to guess the result.~

"Thank you," Nagi called after her and gave a smile and a nod to the servant who entered the room with a tea tray.

The servant gave a curtsy and set to filling cups, glancing back after Harmony and the children with an odd expression.

"What is it?" Nagi asked.

"Not to be rude, Highness, but shouldn't someone tell whichever of the children it is to rein in their aura?"

[Kender Bard]

Locket made a face at Crawford spoiled by the excited grin she was having trouble repressing. ~You're a mean man.~

"'Rein in'?" Felicitas asked. "I'm afraid I'm not sure how one would go about doing that."

Filly glanced at Felicitas in surprise. "You can't repress your aura?" Judging by Felicitas puzzled look, she guessed that was the case. "Odd. Then I take it that Fireteeth lacks all of the other blessings that the elementals received."

Now Delilah looked confused. "Blessings? I am aware that the Forces are much, much more active in Naruta. It seems miracles happen all the time."

Locket looked a bit startled at that announcement. "What makes you think that?"

Delilah shook her head. "Do you know how rare it is for blessings to happen on Firegem? They are the stuff of legends. Yet I have met two people who have been thus blessed and now I'm told that the entire land has been bestowed with blessings as well? Naruta is certainly a land where the Forces walk freely."

Filly resisted the urge to laugh. ~She has no idea.~

Felicitas cleared her throat. "Well. I'm sorry if my children cause offense or accidentally ensnare someone. We have no control over the matter."

[Darastrix]

~And you are the masochist who missed me,~ Crawford told her.

~I think their eyes might pop out of their heads if we went into what all we've seen,~ Schuldig commented.

"I suppose it's for the best that you all are lodged here," Nagi mused. "We had thought about using the embassy, but we didn't want to have to juggle anyone around if more ambassadors arrived. Things being what they are on Naruta, I'm afraid most elementals would be uncomfortable around a Firegem Clear."

"Most of us living here are from Contrasta, though," Schuldig spoke up. "We've never been around Clears. Nobody knows why, but Clears just never showed up there. But the blessings Filly's talking about weren't only Narutan. There were these dragons sent by the Elements to Naruta and Contrasta for whatever reason. Long story short, if a group did what was asked, they got blessings. I think a few places here didn't."

"Khelek did not," Lucifer spoke up quietly as he walked into the room. "As suited to the cold as Naruta's Ices are, Contrasta's are even more resilient."

[Kender Bard]

Delilah guessed that this may be Lucifer and she rose to bow her head politely to him. "Greetings." Felicitas went into a curtsy.

~We'll talk more. ESPECIALLY about whatever it was you were blessed with~ Locket informed Crawford with a curious leer. She gravitated back to Nagi's side. "So, aside from the glorious tour I intend to give later, what are our guests going to be up to for their stay. In fact, how long will they be staying?" She started in on a roll of questions. "Or are they going back to Firegem? If they do, can I go? What was Firegem even like any-"

Filly reached over and put her hand over Locket's mouth.

~What's it like anyway?~ Locket finished. Filly rolled her eyes and took her hand away.

"I'm a little lost as to what our immediate plans are as well," Delilah admitted.

[Darastrix]

"Most immediate, I think," said Crawford, "should be a day or two of rest." He looked to Lucifer. "From what Nagi told us, we don't appear to need to plead Grandisle's case with you."

Lucifer inclined his head. "We are at present coordinating with New Anarlina to send men and supplies south on our ships. As Firegem will have what is a largely naval matter on their hands, we will also offer passage back to Naruta to those who wish it so that Firegem's ships can stay where they are needed."

[Kender Bard]

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Delilah told Lucifer. "Regardless of the outcome of things, I know that there were families who had decided to flee to Celentia and Second Hope for sanctuary and that they would not be averse to coming to Naruta for further protection yet. Though I must ask where they would be harbored. Here? Or New Anarlina? Or left to find their own place?"

[Darastrix]

"Those who wish to find their own accommodations will be welcome to do so," Lucifer stated, "and Khelek will harbor what we can. We have not discussed this particular matter with Anarlina, but considering that they are also a displaced people, I don't anticipate any refusal so long as they have the means to do so."

"With winter approaching," Crawford added, "some of your people may want to seek refuge elsewhere. Cruuelka, our most southern village, will likely be the most hospitable to them. Aside from it being slightly warmer, the people there do a good bit of trade with Mentis. They're more accustomed to outsiders than the others."