Kender Goddess: The Chaotic Dream
Fifteen years later
Nobody could remember the cold setting in so fast, or lingering so long, depending on how you looked at it. The kids had enjoyed the prolonged snow and where playing in the cool sunshine. Tas and Dreamflight talked softly in their bedroom as they packed for the next, perhaps last, trip as a family.
"I miss the summer warmth," Dreamflight sighed, pressing down some trinkets in an overstuffed pouch. "I think my shiver muscles are exhausted."
"Maybe it's just our age," Tas teased, eyes twinkling brightly as he tried to put one more pair of leggings in his clothing sack. "The kids seem to enjoy it." Dreamflight sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing out her skirt and kicking her legs back and forth against the bed frame.
"I caught Crentha singing a warming song to herself," Dreamflight countered with a sly smile. "I hope it's warmer in the Vale." Tas assured her it would be and the two paused their tasks to gaze out of a window to see their children.
Firespice, twirling his own hoopak (a present on his last Life Day), was casually poking and prodding his two younger siblings as they stumbled around the vast yard of the valley that was tucked nicely behind the small, but quaint wooden house that Tas had persuaded some friends to build with him. The house was snugly fit between two sides of rocky hills and led down to a lush valley.
They were playing Treasure Hunt, consisting of a map master, blind folds, and a hidden treasure (in this case, it was a broken vase that the children thought their parents didn't yet know about. As they intended to hide it anyway, they figured it might as well be used in their game.). All the participants were blindfolded, save for the map master, who guided the adventurers to their destination by verbal uses. The treasure was always buried in the "ice cave". If you were getting warmer, then you were going the wrong way. However, sometimes they cheated and put the treasure the opposite way. It made the game more fun that way.
"Crentha, you're feeling a bit chilly," Firespice announced, poking his sister's shoulder with a prong. Next, he rounded to harass hi brother. "Loki, your feet are on coals!" Loki ignored his brother, suspecting a ruse, and resolutely strode forward. Crentha had paused and lifted up her blindfold to watch.
"Heat is searing off your topknot," Firespice warned with a bop to Loki's head. Loki lashed out for Firespice clumsily, and missed by far. Sighing, he kept walking until Firespice tripped him.
"You fell into the volcano!" he taunted, giggling in glee. Loki took his blindfold off and grinned at his older brother. The two, always picking on each other, rarely held ill feelings about it. Loki rose up slowly, his arms outstretched before him and taking staggering steps towards Firespice.
"I am the undead knight of the volcano," he droned. "I will suck the blood from your bones!" Crentha, who wasn't as fond of the monster games as she was the treasure hunt, folded her hands and wings, sitting on the ground to watch. Firespice and Loki fell to the ground, wrestling and laughing. Their laughter carried up from the valley and filled the small house with its presence. Smiling, the two parents resumed packing for their trip.
Two days later, the Burrfoot family was on the move.
"Where are we going?" asked Firespice, taking the lead of his siblings. Already he was looking for fresh parchment and a quill in the recesses of his pouches.
"The Vale," Tas replied. Sulkingly, Firespice put his trade tools away. This was no new trip, and while he did enjoy visiting the Vale (which always wound up with a trip to Solace to see the friends of their parents) he was disappointed that they weren't going anywhere exciting. He was nearing his wanderlust age, and was beginning to get restless, and so Tasslehoff and Dreamflight had planned to take another family trip in case he decided to leave someday soon.
Dreamflight smiled at the hidden agitation in her son's voice, and gazed back fondly on the trio of children.
Firespice, the blue and gold eyed firstborn, was fifteen years old already. He'd fallen in love with the 'family business' and was learning the fine art of mapmaking from his father. Filled with the need to travel, he took well to all that Tas had taught him, which included a broad range of camping and survival tricks, as well as the older kender knowledge of how to pick locks and find hidden crevices. Of course all three of the children knew that much at least, and had been firmly raised in the mentality that deep down, all people were good and wouldn't mind showing off their prized possessions. And even though he didn't show it much, Firespice had a fine singing voice, and kept his mother's gift whistle close to his heart. To her regret, Firespice only sang if his brother and sister urged him to do so, and the three only came together in song if it were necessary, or proper.
Sighing softly and spreading her wings to the pale sun, Crentha hummed under her breath. The only daughter of the family was always humming, singing, or some other form of vocal music, as she had music within her blood. Even her voice had the melodious lilt of a soft flute. She confesses that she always heard music in her head, and this was the source of her abilities. Rather than being worried, Dreamflight was very pleased of this news, although she never divulged why. She tried to urge her daughter into taking the path of the bard, but Crentha surprisingly declined. She professed that she would rather be a cleric, though of whom, she was not yet sure. After this declaration, her Uncle Bacher had given her a blank platinum medallion (he was sketchy on the details as to where he had gotten it) to wear until she made a choice, and she wore it as proudly and boldly as if she had already been inducted into some prestigious order. At only thirteen years of age, she was still too young to worry about such details, but Tas foresaw early that she would grow to be a beautiful kender. Her dirty blonde hair came down to the middle of her back, even when held up with a topknot, so she had to braid it tightly to keep it from hindering in playing rough and tumble games. With a soft complexion that caught the stray gazes of even the human children, Tas grew to be protective of his daughter. While he wasn't overtly shielding her from the world, Dreamflight noticed a few things that he would do – such as gently guide her away from the more raucous city boys they sometimes encountered. Crentha didn't know this yet, and so had not time to be resentful (not that Tas thought she ever would be).
Finally trailing behind, gazing as clouds drifted overhead and dreaming of some far off place or thing, Loki fell into Dreamflight's gaze. She smiled to herself, admiring the way her young son was completely oblivious to all things around him, yet managed to walk without stumbling. Loki, a mere child of ten years old, was named by Dreamflight. When Tas inquired as to why she chose such a peculiar name for their child, she merely said that it had an otherworldly meaning and that he need not concern himself. The boy was small and frail, as kender go but a little more so, as he had developed a common childhood sickness. Fearful that they would lose their baby, Dreamflight and Tas pleaded with Mishakal to heal their son, who agreed but did so by leaving her mark. Loki was a helpless dreamer, his mind always elsewhere and he took an avid interest in all that his mother had to tell him about the goddess. Not long after his last birthday, Dreamflight had broached the subject of his future, and he only shrugged and said that he liked music and would probably wind up doing something concerning that. Dreamflight was immensely relieved for her son had talents unparalleled by any of his age, and that rivaled his older sister. While he showed little enthusiasm for singing (preferred to use his voice for chatter instead) he showed exceptional talent in musical instruments. Once, he had even found Dreamflight's precious and favored flute, and tried to play it. Although the notes he hit made no sense in the order played, he made the flute sing under his thin and quick fingers. After that, Dreamflight was swift to nurture her baby boy into the art of musical instruments.
Firespice and Crentha, Tas noted, were uncannily serious for kender children. Dreamflight had shrugged the detail away, proclaiming that they were their children and that was all they should want. Later, she went on to explain that all the gods were serious, that it was a part of being omnipotent – a prerequisite of godhood if you would, and that some of that seriousness must have rubbed off. Not quite satisfied with the answer, but not sure if he should probe further, Tas had let it drop at that.
Warmth swept a chill from her hard as Tasslehoff took her hand in his. A glance between the two passed and Tas grinned widely. He paused walking long enough to sweep Dreamflight into his arms, their lips brushing once against each others', teasingly, and then chased after by an ardent kiss that broke off suddenly. The two grinned, having not tired of their own games. Time had only succeeded in making a fervent love, all the more so. The three children brushed past their parents, ignoring this commonplace affection.
"You two could wait for the Inn," Firespice muttered.Tas laughed, giving his wife a squeeze and releasing her to walk the path behind the dawdling Loki.
"I'll never understand love," Crentha sighed in her melodic voice. Dreamflight embraced her daughter fondly, knowing well enough that Crentha only made such declarations because they were romantic and she had an insatiable love of drama. Loki, now alongside his mother, merely smiled and thought about what a perfect family he had. This wasn't counting all the strange uncles and aunts from his mother's side of the family. Most weren't even kender, and Loki was beginning to suspect that only Uncle Bacher was a real uncle in blood.
"Did you hear that?" Firespice cocked his head and listened carefully. "It sounds like... Humming. And flapping. Did you feel that breeze?" Tas and Dreamflight looked at each other in disbelief.
"It's been fifteen years," Tas whispered softly to her, taking pains that their children not overhear and being very unsuccessful. "We haven't been bothered since the 'start' of the war. It couldn't be, could it?"
"I bet it's the pseudo-dragons," Firespice said, nudging Crentha with his elbow. The younger sister stood with her hands on her hips and measuring the draft.
"Pseudo wings don't sound like that..."
"Well have you ever even seen a pseudo?"
"No, and neither have you."
"I've seen pictures!"
"But you can't feel pictures."
The bickering went on in the background as Dreamflight and Tas worried silently with each other. Dreamflight had a terrible feeling, something she'd gone without for years now... But its chill memory had never faded...
"I'll get to feel a pseudo now. Just watch."
"You'll get within ten feet and they'll probably step on you without a second thought."
"Oh yeah? I'll show you."
"Children, get back," Dreamflight warned. They did no such thing, of course. In fact, Firespice ran forward, swinging his hoopak in glee. Tas ran after him and Dreamflight guarded Loki and Crentha to ensure they wouldn't follow suit.
"Get back here!" Tas shouted, trying to conceal the thrill in his voice. He had missed the chase, although now it was him doing the chasing. Firespice ignored him, and so it was no surprise when he ran straight into the arms of the waiting locust. His surprised cry brought the rest of the family running. As he was being carried into the sky, a spider grabbed Loki, and a wasp plucked Crentha off the ground. Right before their eyes, the children of Tas and Dreamflight were stolen away. Dreamflight took to the sky, trying to chase after all three at the same time as Tas zigzagged below, shouting something. He gave a toss of his hoopak to the back of the spider, but it fell short and he slowed his run. Dreamflight landed next to him, falling to her knees as dizziness swam in her head. The world was spinning.
"My babies," Dreamflight moaned. "They took our babies!" Tas held her, but could offer little comfort. The dizziness both experienced grew, their vision darkened.
"I think there's something in the air," Tas murmured, resting his forehead against hers and shutting his eyes. "It smells funny. Strangely sweet." He couldn't get another word out, however, as their vision darkened and all was silent and peaceful.
Takhisis measured up the three demi-gods. They dangled helplessly in the grasps of their captives. The Queen of Darkness curled her lip and sneered.
"Mortals," she spat. "Weak willed little creatures. I was foolish to think anything of that... That fallen goddess would be within them." She turned her back to them abruptly and muttered at the wall. "At least Arikan was a brilliant strategist, but I don't need strategy right now. Power. Raw magical power." She turned back to the three kender children, and grumbled to herself.
Firespice roused and woke to see Takhisis glaring at him. He sucked his breath in surprise.
"Who are you?" he whispered. Takhisis answered, and was taken back by the child's glare. "Coward! Let my brother and sister go. Fight me one on one! I'll show you what happens when people bully my family. You should have seen that human I whipped a month ago!" Takhisis hadn't expected this kind of reaction. Mortals were to squirm and cower before her, but they showed temerity. And while this could have been potentially useful in some situations, Takhisis had no patience for temerity and decided that such rash actions could just well be stupidity. She laughed a high and piercing laugh. Firespice shuddered slightly.
"So I see now that the firstborn has his mother's audacity and his father's idiocy," she sneered. "Throw them away. Kill them if you will, but it would not surprise me if they popped up again like little cockroaches. It might run in the blood."
Firespice squirmed and shouted, waking his siblings. The younger two looked about in wide-eyed awe. Takhisis glowered at them as well.
"The Queen of Evil!" sang out Crentha. Loki nodded quietly. "She's not as pretty as mother described her in the songs."
"I think we should leave," whimpered Firespice as his captor cut into his arm. He tried to glare at the locust but movement wasn't an option.
"Just try," laughed Takhisis, becoming amused. "I may keep you if it's entertaining enough." Firespice looked around helplessly. He had no ideas, as his usual methods of swinging a hoopak and hoping it all worked out weren't available to him now. Loki appeared to enthralled with the situation to think, and so it was up to Crentha.
"Gods smile upon me... Grace us of what is and could be... My family is blessed... To be granted a rest... And be delivered safely from harm." Loki, always in tune to his sister's music, picked up the tune.
"Walk in light's sweet smile... Help me walk every mile... Neutrality by my guard... When the path becomes too hard.... Keep me from evil's path." Takhisis had now become angered at this effrontery, and she reached to slay them with but a touch (for she could do so in the Abyss), but a barrier stopped her hand. When she saw Dream's feather around Loki's neck, she understood what kind of protection the three were under, and growled in frustration. Crentha and Loki looked expectantly at Firespice. It took all three of them to make the magic work, just like the three moons as their father was wont to say. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he joined in tentatively.
"Guard my brother, guard my mother. Guard my father from the father from the dark... Guard my sister from evil's mark... From the evil that I see..." Three colors – red, white, and black – covered the children, lifting them up. The three gave delighted gasps of joy as they hovered in the air a moment, before blinking out of sight. Takhisis screamed her rage.