• Closed • Politics and Weddings

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Timestamp: 23rd of Saun, 717
Location: Kura's House, Scalvoris Town

Kura let a deep breath and drew back on her bow string until the fletching of the arrow was touching her cheek. Her aim was still steady, but she was starting to wear out fast in the Saun heat. No matter, she would keep working at the problem, regardless of the heat. Pushing the punishing temperatue of the season away, Kura dug deep within, pulling on the power that was so intrinsically part of her, trying to infuse it into her bow and arrow. After a moment, she felt something trigger as her power welled up. But this, this was known. If she loosed her arrow now, she'd be able to send it from here to to the top of the Faldrass Volcano if she chose to look at the volcano. Deadeye was not a new use of her powers. She pushed the familiar ability aside and dug deeper into her Domains. After a moment, she felt something else trigger and fired the arrow. However, she wasn't able to keep a grip on this new power and it faded without doing anything as the arrow buried itself in a tree trunk, alongside nine others that she had fired in the past hour.

Kura growled and went to get another arrow from her quiver, but the moment she took a step, her world spun and she dropped to her knees, breathing hard. It wasn't the arrows she had fired, or even the Saun heat that was wearing the Mortalborn out. It had been decades since she had tried to evolve her powers in any way and it was draining her. She knew the consequences of what she was doing though, so she stood back up and walked over ot the tree. No point in risking damaging more arrows than the ten she had already put into the tree, so she began to pull them out of the tree.

Once she had all ten arrows, Kura walked back to where she had been and started the process over, digging into her power before firing each arrow. Each time, it fizzled out. After ten shots, she retrieved her arrows and started over again, her breathing growing more and more ragged with each shot. Unseen to Kura, Cally was standing nearby, looking increasingly worried. After a moment, she went from the backyard of Kura's house, where the Mortalborn was practicing, to wait in the front yard. Faith and Padraig and others were supposed to be coming today, and Faith could probably use her medical expertise to convince Kura to take a break. When Faith and her companions arrived, the ghost waved cheerfully at them. "Greetin's, everyone. Kura's out back, tryin' to give herself heat stroke." she said, before looking seriously at Faith. "Please make her stop, she's been at this for far too long and is wearin' herself out really fast." she said, before frowning. "Though I'm not sure exactly how she's wearin' herself out so fast..." she muttered.

[Faith Augustin]

The heat of Saun was unbearable for almost everyone and, as Faith glanced at Padraig she considered aloud, "We really need to get going on making those clothes, you know. The ones that would mean you aren't close to passing out, that is." It would be easy enough to do it again, she was sure, they'd undertaken the task previously after all. Walking hand in hand with Padraig towards Kura's house, Faith's hand in his was cool. If it made him more comfortable, she was happy to nestle against him with her arm around his back so that he could use her as a sort of cold-water bottle. The heat of this Saun was beyond even the norm and for the last few trials there had been dreadful lightning storms as well. Two trials before, in fact, Faith gone out during a storm, rowing out to Pash's boat which had been struck by lightning. Kali'rial had been injured and Faith had needed to stitch up an unpleasant wound where wood had pierced the sev'ryn's abdomen, but she had also banged her head and was still unconscious.

Faith was, there was no doubting it, worried about the young woman who was becoming more and more of a friend to her, but she was also confident that Kali'rial would pull through this. After she'd got home that trial, though, Faith had been surprised at how tired she was and she'd slept for a solid six breaks that night, much more than her norm. More and more that was happening and she was coming to the conclusion that morning sickness was not the only way that the pregnancy was affecting her. Yet, she looked healthy and well. Even when she was throwing up.

It was tricky, physically, and Faith was fighting her natural tendency, it had to be said. Usually, she would say nothing about feeling tired or nauseous, simply because there was nothing that he could do and so it seemed futile. But he wanted her to tell him and Faith had come to a conclusion about that. This was his child as much as it was hers and he wanted and needed to be involved. That meant knowing what was happening, what she was experiencing because it was as relevant to him as it was to her.

"Katie said she's going to call by to Kura's, too," Faith grinned at him. Wedding planning was about to happen and they both knew it. Still. "At least these trials we're both clear on what we want. I've stopped organising it to within an inch of it's life because I'm afraid of doing it wrong and we are going with what we want to do. Both good things. And I had a thought about my dress." With a grin, she looked up at him. "Do you think we can make my dress mirror what the stone in the center of the tiara does? Like, refract and reflect light and just seem to be different colours? I don't want flashy or over the top, but details in something like that could make it look lovely."

With an almost wistful expression, which she was entirely unaware of, Faith leaned her head against him. Discovering her own taste in clothing had been quite a journey for her ~ thinking about clothes in a way that wasn't entirely pragmatic did not come easily to her. Still, she had some ideas for her wedding dress which were changing now that she was pregnant and would be very pregnant by the time the wedding came.

When they arrived at Kura's house, though, it was Cally who greeted them and spoke of Kura wearing herself out. Faith glanced at Padraig and raised an eyebrow. He had with him the small piece of ice which never melted, shaped like a wolf tooth which meant that he could see and converse with Cally. "Alright, Cally. We'll do what we can." The first thing that she did, was walk up to the front door, not go around the back. There she knocked and, should Kura not come, she'd call her friend's name. Kura would hear her, Faith had no doubt.

When Kura answered the door Faith smiled and hugged her friend. "Good trial!" The house was noticeably cooler and Faith glanced around at her friend. "How are you?" The question seemed reasonable, actually, looking at Kura. "Have you still got time to plan wedding things?"

[Padraig]

"We could make the clothes, certainly," Padraig said as he and Faith walked arm in arm towards Kura's home. "But on the one hand Saun is so far gone, I feel I've finally built up a tolerance for it. And besides, why rely on something so mundane as cooling cloth, when I've got you to hold close all breaks of the trial and night?" Much more interesting, and appealing than a new shirt or pair of trousers, he meant.

There was no question that the hottest season of the arc could be hard on just about anyone. More for some than for others. He wondered how those who worked outdoors tolerated it, but then figured they must build up resistance over time. As for him, most of his work was indoors. More frequently in fact during Saun. He worried though for Faith. She might not feel the heat nearly as much as others. But there was also the pregnancy and her body's reaction to it. And while he knew she told him quite a lot, he still suspected that there were some concerns that she kept to herself.

"Good," he said when she confessed to having stopped trying to organize the wedding within an inch of its life. "There's no right, there's no wrong. There's only what you want. What we want," he told her. And as for the dress? "Of course we can. Mirror dust, another reagent or two that would be useful. It would be simple really and take no time at all." Naturally he didn't see or hear Cally approach, but it was no surprise. Where Kura was, so was her spirit companion. So it seemed perfectly within the norm when Faith stopped and spoke to her. "Hello Cally," he said with a smile. "It's good to..."

To what? See or hear her again? Either would sound silly and he grinned and shrugged. "Hello." When they went round the house to find Kura, Padraig released Faith's hand as she went forward to meet their friend. "Good trial, Kura." Eyeing the tree then that she'd filled up with arrows, he grinned again and asked, "What'd that tree ever do to you?"

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Cally let out a sigh of relief as Faith said they would help, or at least she looked like she was sighing. "Hello, Padraig. Welcome to the Owlery." she said cheerfully. Kura didn't actually call her house that, it for a number of reasons. Cally, however, was more than a bit of a dork and had decided the house needed a name. So she had come up with the single most fitting name she could think of.

Meanwhile, once Faith knocked, there was a yelp of surprise from behind the house, then a mild curse at something unseen. "Come 'round back, please." came Kura's voice. When they did, they found the Mortalborn bent over, hands on her knees as she breathed hard. "I'm...I'm fine. Just...been ignorin'...the heat." she said, before grinning at Padriag's comment about the tree. "It said unkind things about the color of my house, can't be havin' that." she said. In through, her house was made out of black stone. It was a very Imperial design, but if she was going to spend a small fortune on a house, she wanted one that felt like home. "Yeah, i got time." she said, taking another deep breath. "Just been tryin' to unlock a new power. Pullin' on the...the...you know, I have no idea how to explain it." she said, pausing in thought.

"Best I got is that I've been reaching into a raging inferno and tryin' to make somethin' solid out of bits of flame." she said, grimacing slightly as she started to lead the way back to the front of the house. After a moment, however, she stumbled and fell to her knees. "Damnit..." she muttered as she pulled herself up and leaned against her house. "Trying to do that isn't easy. Whatever I may be, my physical body is still Mortal, to an extent. Trying to learn new powers puts a strain on it. Damn thing can't always be keepin' up, it seems." she said, with an irritated sigh. "Anyway, happier things. Come on inside." she said, using the wall as a faux walking stick as she led the way back to the front door.

Once they were inside, Kura flopped onto a chair with an audible sigh of relief. "Give me a moment and I'll give you a tour." she said, though they had all been buy a few times while it was in construction. "So, how's things at home? Rose doin' okay?" she asked, her tone genuinely curious. "Oh, and I think the council might have approached you to be their medical councilor, Faith? They didn't tell me if you'd accepted or not, or even if they had done it." she asked as her breathing started to return to normal.

[Faith Augustin]

Why rely on cooling cloth when he had her to hold close? Turning her face to look at him, Faith focused on his eyes as she spoke in quiet tones. "Well, Professor, you can always rely on me to be there should you need it, you know that," her eyes twinkled with teasing him, whilst still being entirely serious. "But it might get in the way of your teaching or lab work you know. I feel that Professor Dashiell may grow annoyed too. Maybe we should consider a compromise position?" He was so much better at casual romance, at expressing what he felt on any given moment. Faith was, to use her own expression, shoddy at it. Still, her expression turned earnest as she assured him, "but if you want to, I'm there. Any time, trial or night." Her smile was teasing, but she meant the words.

Of course he said yes to the idea she'd had about her wedding dress and Faith hugged herself against him for a moment as he explained what it would take. "Thank you, Professor. I do believe that if I asked you anything, you'd find a way." Faith shook her head slightly, nestled there against him. "It's quite mutual." There was a time when she would have checked that he knew that, but Faith was in no doubt that he did. So, she contentedly nestled against him and could not suppress a grin as he spoke to Cally.

They made their way to the back of the house, at Kura's direction and Faith looked up and grinned at Padraig as he asked her what the tree had done to her. Faith looked at Kura with the eye of a medical professional and she spoke honestly. "You should slow down. Even if it is something your body can deal with, it worries the mortals among us. Alive and dead." When Kura fell to her knees, stumbling, Faith moved. She was by one side of the mortalborn, not even looking to see if Padraig was at the other, but simply knowing that he was. "I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't be working this hard. You know that." Faith could actually do stern quite well. "I'm just going to point out how worried you'd be if it was me, or if it was Cally or Padraig. Well, that's how worried we are about you. So, please, take it a bit slower and easier? Not for yourself, but for us?" Faith gave a sudden and rather wicked grin. "You've got the time, after all."

Inside, where it was cooler, she kept an eye on Kura as she answered her. "Yes. They've asked me to be the Welfare Officer on the Council. I've agreed, but on a voluntary basis. I don't want to be a career politician, it isn't why I'm there. So, I'll be starting next season." Padraig knew about it, of course, but how she was going to manage it all Faith didn't entirely know yet. Especially in light of some things they hadn't yet told Kura.

One of which, she said now. "We wanted to say to you. We're going to Desnind next season. If you wanted a break, to come at the same time, you're more than welcome. Luna's doing well." Kura was tired, Faith recognised. She was tired and she was overstretched, over exerting herself. How was Rose, she'd asked, rather than Luna. "She called herself I. It was..beautiful. Like watching a flower bloom. She's done it a few times now, still intermittently, but when she's not thinking about it, sometimes it pops out. She and Cyrus get on so well. Steps forward, steps back, but more in the right direction than the wrong one. It's the best we can hope for, I think."

Faith looked at Kura and gave a smile, then. "And, I've done a complete about face on this wedding. I don't want to over organise it, over plan it. I've been scared of doing it wrong, letting Padraig down," she squeezed his hand as she said that and then she smiled. "But I've finally realised that I can't do that. So, we've got a new plan," Faith turned to Padraig and gave him a grin. "Would you like to tell her, Professor?" They both knew what they'd agreed after all.

[Padraig]

Padraig had only grinned and squeezed Faith's hand in his when she suggested that remaining up close and personal during his lectures might seem a little unconventional. "Oh, I don't know," he countered. "It would be a good learning tool don't you think? Magnetism, gravitational pull, even a little chemistry into the mix." He wasn't exactly being serious when he'd suggested it. But it did have its appeal after all. As for Cally, whatever it was Kura's unseen companion said to them both, there'd been a time when he'd needed to rely on Faith to interpret. Strangely, since his time in the ice caves, that was no longer the case. It still unnerved him to be honest.

"Well there's no accounting for taste," he added with a smile once they found Kura, and she joked about others, and the exterior color of her new home. He was making light, of course, and added that it was all very fine and seemed to have come together nicely. But he was more worried by the extent of their friend's exhaustion. Saun's heat could be brutal on a body and wreak havoc. He didn't need to be a healer to know it. "Faith's right," he said as they helped her inside. "You should take things easy, pace yourself in this heat."

While Faith lectured Kura, Padraig fetched a glass of full water for her to sip. He knew of course that Faith would be dabbling a bit in local politics and had no objections so long as it didn't prove to be stressful for her. Not for him however. Politics at the university was more than enough for him. "She and my grandfather have become thick as thieves," he added with a smile when the topic of Luna came up. "I tend to think he's as responsible for her transformation as anything else. Maybe more so."

Having found a place to seat, he smiled when Faith brought up their wedding, but added solemnly all the same, "I keep trying to tell her. She could never let me down. For our wedding, what I want more than anything is what she wants." No truer words had ever been spoken. But when Faith asked him to explain what they were planning? He couldn't help but grin and shrug. "There are things that I suppose are expected. Tradition. But we've never really paid much mind to what's conventional or expected. Why should our wedding be any different?"

So instead of all the ceremony, the fuss, show and bother, they'd decided to go with something more personal. More intimate, he told Kura. Something for just them, family, a few close friends. For others? Perhaps some sort of larger celebration afterwards. On a beach? A cliff overlooking the sea? "Cyrus, Katherine, Luna, yourself and Niv, maybe another or two," he suggested. "But maybe," Padraig added then, almost impulsively as he looked Faith's way with a grin, "We might consider throwing what convention remains to the wind, and elope to Desnind? We'll all be going there anyway, and I believe that Niv's already there." For the most part, he was teasing, conjuring images of a forest glade on the outskirts of a forest city, flora and fauna and nature serving as their wedding chapel.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura gave a bitter laugh as Faith said she shouldn't worry the dead among them. "If I'd worked this hard before, there wouldn't be dead to worry." she said, her tone a little bitter. Then she shook her head. "Need to get that under control, I know, Cally." she said, her tone a little wry. Cally, who had been opening her mouth to berate Kura for her tendency to too easily accept guilt, promptly shut it and smiled at her. "You know, you do stern far better than one would expect, Faith." she said, laughing slightly at Faith's reprimand, before frowning at the comment at time. "No I don't, not really. I've been out of time for seventeen arcs. Trouble is coming, worse and worse. I have to be ready for it." she said, her tone showing how serious she was about it. Then she shook her head. "Not for you to worry about. Not for me to tell you." she muttered, still evidently having some trouble tracking. If Faith had grabbed Kura's left arm when she went down, she'd have noticed an incredibly tense line running from Kura's wrist to her shoulder, one that didn't track with the muscles or bones of her arm.

Once they were inside the house, Kura nodded at Faith's comment that she was running the medical part of the council as a volunteer. "Despite that, if you haven't already come up with some proposal or another, I'd be very surprised." she said, grinning at her friend. At the comment about going down to Desnind, Kura hesitated a bit, the nodded. "I'd like to come, if you'll have me." she said, grinning slightly. Then Faith told her about Luna and Kura grimaced slightly. Rose, or at least the Rose that Kura had known, had died when the mortalborn had been in her early twenties. They'd been students together. "I'm glad Luna's doing well. And you're right, that is a good sign of progress. It was wonderful to hear Cally actually use her name for the first time." she said, before grinning at the mention that Luna had taken up with Cyrus.

"Cyrus is a very rare type of person. Gruff and taciturn and offputting to most at first glance. Infinitely reassuring to people who have been hurt. He'd make a good therapist." she said, her tone showing she liked Cyrus as well. Then came the explanation of their new wedding plans and Kura grinned widely. "That suits the two of you far better than the original plan." she said, before giving Faith a teasing look. "Still think it would be a good idea to cater your own weddin' lass?" she said, her tone cheerful. As she spoke, Phelan came out into the living room and sniffed at Faith for a bit before licking her excitedly. "Also, Phelan says congratulations for...some reason. He won't tell me." she said, giving the wolf an odd look.

[Faith Augustin]

Magnetism, gravitational pull and chemistry? Faith simply grinned. "A little bit of chemistry? I'm afraid you've got your quantities all wrong, there, Professor. I'll show you what I mean. Later." Faith managed to look at him and keep her expression both totally innocent and entirely mischievous. The young woman would not have even considered being quite so flirtatious in her previous life but now, in the life they had together Faith was an entirely different person. Thanks to him, as far as she was concerned.

Still, they got to their friend's house and started to move towards getting Kura back somewhere comfortable and sitting down. As they got Kura indoors, Faith listened to her friend talking and all she could think of was the words which Kura's mother had spoken to her. There were such similarities between her and Kura, Faith considered. Still, when Kura said that if she'd done her best there wouldn't be dead to worry, Faith shook her head. "Maybe, although I don't believe that" she said with a smile. "but if you weren't who you are, if you hadn't worked as hard as you do and been the person you are. If you hadn't given hope to someone hopeless, then there would be no souls worrying about you, alive or dead." It was as simple and as complicated as that. Cally had refused Vri and Famula in order to stay with Kura.

When Kura said that Faith did stern better than one might expect, Faith grinned. "Poor Padraig, can you imagine? I am and have always been snippy with him. Argumentative. Stern." She turned to look at the man who would soon be her husband in name, as he was already in all ways and she smiled. "Despite all my training, from the moment I met Padraig, I was myself." Faith's eyes on him showed her feelings, but then she turned back to Kura. "If it's coming, well, we will face it together. All the better to help if we know what's going on, though. Ignorance is only bliss to those who know."

Kura would come with them to Desnind? Faith's joy at that showed on her face and she nodded in pleasure. Then, however, Padraig made a suggestion and Faith turned to look at him with an expression which told him the simple truth of her next words. "Oh, that sounds perfect. Us, the four of us and ...Padraig, could we do that?" Her face told the truth of what Faith said. It sounded perfect. "Nature as our temple and there together, just us. Could we do that? But what about what people will... " Possibly for the first time in her life, Faith stopped that phrase and shook her head. "I would love that." Let people think and say what they would, this was their wedding, no one else's. Her eyes shone with delight at the prospect.

Yet, at Kura's message from Phelan, Faith looked at Padraig and gave a slight, wry grin. "Phelan, it seems, is somewhat spoiling our surprise. Please, tell him thank you. We're very pleased." She reached out a hand, holding on to Padraig's as she spoke. "I'm pregnant," she said softly. "We found out at the beginning of Saun, but we aren't telling anyone outside of immediate family and our closest friends," Kura was just that, of course, their closest friend. "Anyone else, we aren't telling until Vhalar. But yes." Faith was beyond delighted, that shone out of her; she had not looked like that when in Rharne, but then it had been a very different circumstance.

But then, of all things, Faith turned to Cally. "Speaking of which. Of our wedding and so on. I have a gift, Cally. It isn't one I can use often, because of how it works. But.. Well, it's like this." Faith stood and moved to where Cally was and then she put her hand on the ghost's arm. With a transference of some of her own ectoplasm, although not too much, the ghost of the young woman became visible, physical in the room. Faith breathed out and smiled. "It should last for about a ten-trial, but will fade gradually over that time. It will help, also, against the risk of losing yourself and becoming Hollow." Faith smiled, but the exertion made her look a little pale. However, her smile was delighted as she looked at the ghost who loved her best friend so well. Putting her hand into Padraig's, Faith said nothing more, instead sat next to him and let the two of them see each other, for the first time in four decades.

[Padraig]

It struck Padraig that the way mankind, each of them seemingly, held on to old baggage no matter how old, apparently wasn't a thing reserved for mortal-kind alone. The tendency apparently was present in those who were caught somewhere between mortals and immortal, as well. Perhaps, even the Immortals themselves indulged in second guessing themselves. As a scientist, someone who appreciated logic more than most, he'd have told Kura that it was both illogical and counterproductive. He'd have told her, except that he'd done it himself more than once.

Did Faith do stern well? "She does," he agreed, even before Faith herself confirmed it. What trouble, he wanted to ask. And if she couldn't share the nature of what was coming, not even a hint, then why hint at its existence in the first place? "Of course," he said when the topic of Desnind came up, and Kura wondered if they'd have her. "I've never been there but have read a little about the place. I'm looking forward to doing some exploring. Maybe a little study."

"Don't let Cyrus hear you say that," he added, and laughed when Kura wondered that his grandfather might make a good therapist. "All those touchy feelings flying around would cause him a case of the vapors. At the least, he'd be quick to run out of patients after he'd told each and every one of what for." Get a grip, man up, if feelings are bothersome then stop it. Padraig could hear it already. But more and more he was coming to see a side of Cyrus Augustin that he'd never realized was there. He just hadn't been looking, was all.

But Desnind. Could they, Faith asked? "Why not? It's our wedding. Guests are guests. They don't choose the venue. We do," he maintained. And if she loved the idea, then that was exactly what they'd do. As for Cally and Faith's gift, Padraig smiled when the spirit changed in front of their eyes. He might have known she was there already. But Kura being able to see her? That, he guessed, was truly a gift.

As for the wolf...Well, he appreciated the sentiment though it inevitably pushed forward a scenario he'd have liked to delay for just a bit longer. A secret. Just him and Faith, Cyrus, Katie and Luna. And another or two. But the truth was that enough others knew by now, that inevitably someone would talk. Sooner or later, and courtesy Phelon, the time apparently was now. He didn't mind though, judging by the way he smiled and reached affectionately for Faith's hand.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura merely looked at her feet as Faith said that Cally would probably have remained if she hadn't die the way she had, not responding. For once, the Mortalborn's thoughts were entirely closed off from those around her. Then Faith said that she should tell them what she was talking about and Kura sighed. "Maybe in a bit. After I'm recovered a bit. You won't like it, either of you, though." she said, her tone grim. She smiled at the comment of Padraig doing a lot of research on Desnind however. It was something that fit him very well.

Kura grinned slightly as the topic turned to the wedding the possibility of a quiet elopement in Desnind. "Fits you both better than some elaborate ceremony." she said, grinning slightly at the pair. It was true though, a great elaborate ceremony had never really fit with the oddball couple who always did things their own way. "And hey, sometimes being told what for is exactly what people need, lad." she said, grinning slightly as she said it. True, a lot of people who went to a therapist actually needed genuine help, but some where just there because someone told them to act their age and it had hurt their delicate feelings. Then the news about them being pregnant was revealed and Kura gave a wide grin. "Congratulations! The two of you will make excellent parents." she said, her tone warm and happy.

Then Faith started to talking to Cally and Kura fell silent. The ghost, meanwhile, gave the short woman a very interested look and watched curiously as Faith reached out and touched her. "What'll last a ten-trial?" she asked innocently, before a surprised gasp had her look at Kura, who had risen out of her chair. After a moment, she reached out and touched Cally's shoulder, physically touched her, and Cally's eyes grew wide in surprise. "You...you can see me?" she asked in surprise, before letting out a gasp as Kura pulled her into a hug.

After a moment, it became clear from the movement of her shoulders that Kura was actually crying, a mixture of happiness and surprise. Cally didn't, but she returned the embrace, her touch almost hesitant before she realized she was fully solid and returned the embrace in full. "I tried, Cally. I couldn't...couldn't find you in time." Kura said, her voice breaking up as she tried to apologize to her friend.

"I know, I know. They countered you. I couldn't even see the owls." she said, her tone calm comforting. After a while, neither of them could have said how much, Kura got herself back under control and the embrace broke, Kura wiping her eyes.

"It's good to see you again, Cally." she said, smiling. Cally returned the smile and laughed excitedly.

"Good to be able to talk to you again." she said, before turning to Faith and Padraig. "Thank you, Faith. For everythin'." she said, before she gave another excited laugh and hugged both Faith and Padraig. "And don't worry about makin' me solid too often. You've got to help the livin' too, and for me, even if you can only do it once every ten arcs, it would be a gift." she said simply. After a bit, Kura sat back down and Cally elected to perch herself on the arm of Kura's chair, resting slightly against Kura. It was pretty clear from their behaviors that both took comfort in that contact. "You should tell them. About why you worry so much these days. Knowing them, they'll be involved anyway." Cally said, her tone calm as she looked at Kura.

Kura let out a sigh and nodded. "You're right, lass." she said, before taking a deep breath. "All right. I don't know how good your history lessons were, but near to 718 arcs ago now, the Immortals signed an accord, bringin' an end, after a fashion, to the Immortal War. Now, the Immortal War, it was a terrible thing. It destroyed Idalos, the third time the world came to an end, accordin' to the Empress. But, the moment the accord was finalized, Ziell made a prophecy, declarin' that after 700 arcs had passed, the accord would see it's greatest threat, that the world would come close to its fourth endin'." Kura said, letting out a sigh. "And we're on arc 717. All the troubles we've had, that mess down in Oscillus, that civil war in Rynmere, they aren't the worst. The accord hasn't been threatened yet, not really. Worse is comin'. As a Mortalborn, I am in part responsible for the safety and upkeep of Idalos, the security of its people. So I have to be prepared for when that threat comes." she said, grimacing.

Cally, however, just rolled her eyes slightly. "Good to know you still believe you need to shoulder every responsibility you come across." she said, her tone a mixture of resignation and amusement. Kura just laughed and gave a slight nod, admitted Cally had a point at that.