Dragon's Egg - Act II

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa's POV

"Will what last?" I ask Mauve. "Your ability to see me or my presence? Those are two very different things.

"I've been at Baldhart's side since she was sixteen. I watched her train. I saw her potential. I knew we were related, and I guess that's why the Boss sent me to her instead of another valkyrie. But what you see before you, Mauve, is the eight-hundred-year-old immortal soul of Nissa van Donk manifested as that young body of mine before it was destroyed by a bloodthirsty orc. If you were to run that spear through me, I would disappear, and maybe Baldhart would feel the pain. You can very easily remove me from your sight, or I can will myself away, or like when you turned to that fish thing and back… the magic that lets you see me will soon fade."

I turn to Baldy. "Drying the knife, by the way? Good guess, and at least it got you to hold Mauve steady so she wouldn't drown."

Back to Mauve. ​"It wasn't until recently that I was able to appear to Baldy. I sent her north so she could put her training to use. I mean, she'll probably be dead sometime in the next ten years. What a waste if the Goddess of Battle seeks her and she's never in a battle! Right? So anyway, I've been with you…" I address the whole room. "…all of you for as long as you've known Baldy. I see everything she sees. And you know how long that will last? Until Baldhart is dead. Then she will be a valkyrie like me.

"Oh, that reminds me, if the magic fades and I suddenly disappear while talking…" A bit tempting to do that now. Well, maybe Baldy wouldn't find it that funny. Better not. "…you can speak to me through Baldy any time."

I fly up to Ankari. "Sorry, no. There is no male equivalent of a valkyrie. I'm not sure what kind of man would seek an afterlife dwelling in a place in which women are not admitted, but he would be laughed off of the battlefield." I hover closer to the freshly cooked lizard meat. Snifffff… "I haven't eaten in almost eight centuries! I suppose I can have a taste, but… I wonder if it'll fall to the floor when I disappear?" I eat it anyway! "Mmmmmm! Ha, ha! Guess we'll find out, soon! Hope you mortals won't be offended by the sight of half-digested meat."

 

[Nihal]

I nod, some part of my mind registering the talk of Baldhart dying in ten years and remarking "They're so dramatic"; then, this thought is pushed away by another one.

"You would be an awesome scout." I smirk. "But I guess it would be against your code or something."

She's more like a vulture.

I hug my knees and lean closer to the fire. "Baldhart will have big, pretty wings."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa's POV

I fly over to Mauve, land, lean my elbows on her knees. "Yes. Big, pretty wings. And a good heart. She'll make it easier for those who fall. It's what we do.

"Please tell me you've heard enough by now that you know I'm not some heavenly being here to judge all of you. I was a common girl who died before her time. Every time I have to tell someone like Baldy that it's time to come with me, it pains me. Everyone has unfinished business. Everyone wants to say a last good-bye. But they can't. We valkyries can only say, yeah, I know how you feel. Been there myself.

"Oh, and every painting of a valkyrie is a young, pretty lady, right? Not to brag, but—like me. Well, why do you think valkyries are so young and pretty? We were young and pretty when we died."

I put my hand on Mauve's chin, hoping to get her to look at me.

"Look at what's in front of you. This is Baldhart's future. It is nothing to fear."

I look her in the eyes.

"It is nothing to rush either. I can help you.

"A few things you gotta know. I need fire and I need Baldy's mana. I can't go too far from the fire, and… I'm not sure how far from Baldy I can get either, but I can try carrying a torch to see how far I can get. My body may dissipate mid-flight, so expect to lose the torch. Most importantly, I cannot get hurt if attacked, but I can be forced to dissipate from an attack. That could actually hurt Baldy."



((About seven minutes…))

 

[Ravana]

Algernon has brought the boat with him (whether or not it got used to carried lizard hide), apparently being the only good-natured naive country boy in the party suspicious enough to consider the possibility it might otherwise not be there when we decide we want it. He also has the large bones from the lizard's pelvis, and its lower jaw. Both of these he splits in the middle, then starts whittling down the narrower ends of each piece (after removing the teeth, in the case of the jaw sections) into rounder configurations, leaving the larger, wider, flatter parts alone.

He doesn't expect them to yield particularly effective oars. But they'll be better than trying to row with shields, which is option number two, as he sees things.

When Nissa makes her appearance, Algernon stops his whittling. He looks baffled, albeit only briefly, then says "Hello!"

Some people are all but impossible to faze, it seems.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa giggles at my fellow barbarian's greeting before returning a giddy "Hello!" of her own. Huh. What else is there to say?


((Nissa's been active for seven minutes and five seconds…))

 

[Nihal]

I grow quiet when she gets near to me again, reluctantly looking in her eyes and frowning when she talks of Baldhart's future.

It's like she knows something we doesn't. She seems so sure that Baldhart will die in the near future.

Are we all going to die young? For our errors, recklessness, misfortunes... sooner or later it gets us all...

Sighing, I listen to her instructions and nod.

 

[Steerpike]

((Once the interaction in the room is done, is the party intending to rest long enough to restore HP and/or mana? If so, I'll move forward into the rest period. If there's anything else you want to do before that happens, or if you don't intend to rest that long, let me know )).

 

[Ravana]

((Well, Baldhart was the only one hurt during the battle with the lizard, and she's back to full. And no one got hurt in the fight with the trogs, unless I'm missing something. Which leaves the question of mana recovery. At least one point of which probably takes place in the time it takes to skin one big ol' lizard. Plus anything else people might be inclined to wait for… such as Algernon crafting paddles, if we still want to go kayaking.)

 

[Nihal]

((I still don't know how fatigued was Mauve and how much MP she spent to discover for how long she would—or if it's necessary to—rest.))

 

[Sparkie]

((Recharging mana may be a good idea, but I think we should avoid staying in one place too long. Let's see what's in the place that Nod saw!))

 

[Sparkie]

The Dirge of the Dead - Codex 7:870 through 878

All creatures die

It is the way of things.

Even the seasons

Revolve around death and rebirth.

Do not fear

This part of life

But do not surrender to it

Without a fight.

Many have asked

"What happens after?"

No one can say with certainty.

Do we end?

Do we begin?

Does it matter?

What counts for us

Is the life we lead

And the name we leave.

Act now.

Fight for your life

Fight for your love

Fight for your family

Fight for your God

Fight for your name

And do not waste time

For that is the material of life.

And when you lie

Alone on the battlefield

Bleeding for you faith

Betula will make known to you

What answers you seek.

Psalms of War - Codex 7:870-878

*****​

I step forward, towards Nissa, and motion to get her attention.

"I... I want to say something, but I'm not sure how to say it. In the Armory we always took a pragmatic view of the afterlife, which is to say that 'it's of no use to the living'. Yet here you are. I have questions, like everyone. I'll refrain from asking them here.

"I suppose I just want to acknowledge your place in the way of things. I have never attempted to embrace my human side, nor will I in the future. Still, I can imagine myself as a human man, hoping for someone like you to guide souls like mine to Valhalla. I respect you, Nissa. You perform a service unlike any other that I know of.

"If Betula wills it, I may have a place with Him when my time here is done. Until then I have a life to live, as do we all. I would hope, however, that Betula would be good enough to allow you to be my escort to whatever plane of existence I may find myself in."

I look toward everyone else in turn, making special effort to look Ankari in the eye, as I continue.

"We may or may not live to see the end of the Taint, but I can think of no greater company than these, my fellows, in the face of death. Let us all stand united, a wall of hope against evil."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa darts through the air over to Rydh and embraces him, then hovers back a bit, embarrassed. "Sorry. That was well said, and… Baldy knows I think you're the looker of the group. I guess I wanted to do that since I first saw you praying on the ship; now I can, so I did. But you're being serious, so I should be. I can't get into what arrangements have been made between my Goddess and your God, and it's not my place to reveal such mysteries. What I can tell you is that death is nothing to fear. Never stop being the good cleric that you are. If there is more you can do, speak Betula's name with pride as you continue to serve Him to the fullest in a way that serves those you fight for as well."

After Nissa is done talking to my allies, she flies into my arms. We embrace, then an expression of fear crosses her face. She begins molting. As feathers fall and fade into nothing, they leave nothing behind. Soon there are no wings, and all I am holding is a little mauve toga and… a partially-digested chunk of lizard meat. I toss the meat into the fire. Just her piece—I'm enjoying mine!

By the fire, I see Nissa—whole, winged, clothed in her usual white toga. It was fun while it lasted, Baldy!

 

[Nihal]

The Valkyrie is gone, at least from our sight. I stretch my cloak near the fire, hoping it'll dry, and lay on the ground while the others go on their affairs. Tired as I am, it doesn't take too long to fall asleep.


((I don't think there is a problem spending I don't know how much time here, it'll be fast forwarded anyway. Unless you want to drag Mauve around, because she couldn't even walk.))

 

[SeverinR]

"Wouldn't the child warrior have loved to see her?"
Leaning against the wall.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Yeah… we'll head to the Crow after we're done here, right? We made a promise to Burnbright that we'd see her, and I don't want her to worry."

I fold the piece of mauve cloth. Nissa will need this. I'm not sending her out naked… that doesn't seem right! One cloth. One torch.

"Then there's the boat. We can't all fit on it. Mauve…" Baldy! Don't wake her up! Oh, right! "…if she can swim, that's a much safer way to travel. Nissa can light the way and tell us what's ahead. Maybe we'll know the distance we need to cover as well."

An overly optimistic thought crosses my mind. "We stumbled onto that one boat, but who's to say there isn't another? Or maybe there isn't much distance to travel…"

Rest, Baldy.

"I need to replenish my magic if you want Nissa to look ahead. I'm so glad she found a way to…" I look around. The shock seems to have worn off from the group. I guess we've seen enough monsters and demons that it was nice to see evidence of the supernatural on our side, for once. "…I would have said something if I thought anyone would believe me. Even with Burnbright, she sounded more like she wanted to believe me, but there must have been doubt." I look at Sir Cadell. I wonder what he thought of it when I confided in him. I wonder if he knows how much I appreciated him listening.

 

[Steerpike]

((Longer post coming at lunch)).

Darin takes in the small valkyrie in silence, keeping his thoughts to himself. He checks over his weapon and and armor, willing to do the same for any others who request it. He approaches Baldhart in particular, after Nissa vanishes.

"You've got a weak point in your armor, lass. That beast must have had a hold you you but good. Hold still a moment." If Baldhart is amenable, Darin retrieves a set of tools from his pack and sets about readjusting and tightening bits of Baldhart's armor that were loosened or damaged in the attack. It only takes him a few minutes, and when he's done he takes a step back, considering. "Not perfect, but it will do until we get to this town of yours. When we have more time, leave that armor with me for a while and I'll get it back in prime condition for you."

"Now, if we're all ready to press forward, I suggest we not delay further. Those lizards rigging the net are going to be missed at some point, and I'd rather be pushing into the enemy than reacting when they come up to see what happened to their friends."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Thank you, Darin." I gladly accept his assistance! "What do you recommend we do next? Follow the water or go to where the shaman came from?"

 

[Sparkie]

"Agreed," I say to Darin. "Down further into the tunnels seems like a good place to go. Ready your weapons, everyone. We take the fight to the enemy."

 

[SeverinR]

"I agree, we paid in blood and sweat for entry on the water, but we still have some work to do to follow that path."
"I think we should rest by the fire until the fatigued are rested. Then we can go onward in the tunnels."

 

[Ireth]

"I'm inclined to agree with Aliron. If nothing else, Mauve needs new footwear as well as rest."

I pause, then pull my pack toward me and dig through it. Good, the sewing supplies Hiljikki left me are still intact. I smile at Mauve. "If anyone has some spare cloth, I might be able to sew you some stockings or the like."