Thessia
The Wane Festival was one of several major festivals on Thessia. That meant most people would try to head for the great central plaza near the amphitheatre. It also meant there would be a great deal of chaos should the TI decide to launch an attack. So far, they stayed away for the last five years. It was believed the TI also made the same observance for the festivities. A relatively safe assumption. It also accentuated the proponents' argument that the TI could be rehabilitated. Fortunately, the majority were not inclined to that view.
Shepard hoped the TI would cooperate and stay away this year. Festivities began at dawn. From the chrono, it wass late afternoon. There was no chance they would get any parking space at the great central plaza. She called up the city parking lot system.
Dad made reservation at the Junesis for dinner.
Placing her bet that I would wake up in time for the festival?
You can say that. {amused} She wants us to have something positive to look forward to.
Point.
She punched in the restaurant name. The location promptly showed up on the local map, the Apepna Plaza. The number of parking lots nearest to it was also listed. They were mere seconds away from the exit that would lead them straight to the plaza and the skycar was three lanes from it. Shepard made a snap decision. She slipped the skycar adroitly past three adjacent lanes, narrowly avoiding the other vehicles occupying those lanes.
Forewarned by her bondmate's thought, Liara instinctively clapped two hands to her seat thought the seat restraints held her firmly. Not expecting the sudden maneuver, Hannah found herself lurching sideways. Well seasoned with Shepard's driving style, Aethyta was more prepared.
"What on earth..," began Hannah when she realised what had happened.
"Welcome to Shepard's world. The ride is wild and unpredictable," Aethyta said. "But safe," she added as an afterthought.
Another sharp swerve cut off Hannah's retort. She risked a look out of the window. The skycar was in a wide slip lane, taking it out of the mainstream. Theirs wasn't the only vehicle, there were several others along the lane. Her alarm increased when Shepard put on speed. It seemed as if they would crash into those vehicles but somehow, they avoided them all. They shot out of the lane, straightened into the main traffic stream smoothly. Before them was a cluster of buildings, one of which towered higher than all the others. As the skycar headed towards the building, Hannah realised she was clenching Aethyta's arm. With a murmur of embarrassed apology, she let go.
"Don't worry," Aethyta whispered, "I'm used to being a post of all trade. You'll never believe what drunken customers love to do when they feel they're a mile high."
Hannah decided not to ask her what the customers did. She had a feeling the matriarch was waiting to hit her with a distasteful anecdote just to see how deep was her fallow involvement with pubs. She looked out of the window again. To her relief, they had arrived at their destination.
Shepard slotted the skycar neatly into the carpark baffle and powered down the vehicle. She exited the skycar once it was lowered to the ground and toggled her omni-tool, linking with the registry pad the robotic parking attendant extended to her. Once everyone had alighted, the car-baffle withdrew into the underground cradle. An empty baffle appear, ready to take another vehicle into storage. She glanced at the two oldsters and thought Hannah looked decidedly put out. By what, she had no idea. Not that she was going to try to find out.
She held out her hand to Liara. "Ready?"
"Immensely," Liara said, taking the proffered hand. "Your hunger must be rubbing off on me, I am famish."
"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Interlacing her fingers with Liara's, Shepard nodded towards the crowded plaza. "Come on, let's see what we can find."
They walked away without looking back to see if their respective parent was following. Aethyta looked at them with an indulgent smile. She turned to see the doubt on Hannah's face as she watched the couple strolled away. After everything Liara had done, the human still didn't think the two belonged together. She checked that thought. Perhaps it wasn't Liara but Shepard she had doubts about. Was she thinking the gulf between them had some influence in her daughter's decision, pushing her into making the wrong choice? If that was what the human thought, it wasn't surprising. She had a better grasp of Shepard's personality and she knew that wasn't the basis of her choice. She wasn't about to enlighten Hannah however. The human would have to find out for herself.
"Shall we?" She gestured towards the plaza. They stepped out at a slower pace than their offspring.
"I should not be surprised she's a daredevil," Hannah said.
"Oh?" Aethyta queried attentively.
"She's been crashing baby strollers before she could walk. It didn't faze her at all when she crashed a hoverbike and she wasn't of legal age to ride the thing." Hannah shook her head when she remembered the email from Andrei. She had been horrified and sent off a castigating email to her daughter. The reply was apologetic and bore a slew of questions she couldn't answer. Not when they were all about her returning home, getting together with Andrei and the hopeful plans for them to be together.
"That doesn't surprise me."
"But that's only one part of her," Hannah said musingly. "There're a lot of stories, given her accomplishments. I can't put much stock in those, other than knowing she is spirited, courageous and the best marine of her generation." She looked at the couple ahead of them. "I don't know the woman herself. What can you can tell me about her?"
"To fully explore the depths of one's offspring, it is best realized without outside opinion." Aethyta waved at the crowded plaza. "This is a good point to start. Immerse in the festivity, enjoy the sights, observe and interact with her. That is the best way to understand her."
"I..." Hannah looked with slightly wide eyes at the flamboyantly dressed crowd around them. "I think..."
"You think too much," Aethyta interrupted bluntly, deciding to drop the dance of tact. "Hey, I know how it is. You worked your ass off, chasing down that comet in your sky and once you got it, you can't see it for anything else." She shrugged when Hannah stared at her, nonplussed at the sudden outspokenness. "Everything for you, is probably tucked away nice and neat in their niches but you have no idea where-," she nodded towards Shepard, "to put her."
"You don't know anything about me," Hannah returned sharply. The accusation hit too close for comfort.
"No, I don't," Aethyta said grimly. "But we both know you can't come waltzing in here on the sudden spur of overwhelming guilt. The spilling of spirits is nasty business in careless hands. It leaves behind an ugly stain that can never be cleaned up."
"Refinement seems to be an uncommon trait in this part of the world," Hannah said coldly.
"That part doesn't work when it comes to protecting our own," Aethyta returned the favour. "I do not speak just for my daughter."
"She is a human." Hannah forced down a surge of anger.
"Really? You would put her in so narrow a definition?" Aethyta said scornfully and relented when the human's eyes flashed oddly, knowing the deep turmoil she had been masking ever since she arrived on Thessia. It would only grow worse if the reconciliation she sought failed. If she refused to acknowledge Shepard's choice as legitimate, it would definitely fail.
"April is as much a child of my heart as my daughter. She has done so much for my child, sacrificed so much for this galaxy and my people." Softening her voice sympathetically, she continued, "I understand your position. Once I could only look at a distance at my child and could never acknowledge her out of pride and necessity. I watched her grow into a strong capable asari. I'm very proud of what she has achieved. Proud and humble still that she opened her heart and accepted me. It was not an easy process but we made the effort to understand each other. I desire to see the same for you and April. It will lay her innate unhappiness to rest. You will find peace. Lay aside your fears, your doubts and guilt. They will only impede you. Treat her, not as your daughter but as someone who can be your friend."
Hannah did not seem to hear what she said, her gaze unseeing and cold. Then, the icy facade cracked a little. "It is not that I do not understand. She..," began Hannah and then stopped.
"You fear she will not reciprocate?" Aethyta shook her head. "I know she has sent you emails on certain occasions through the years."
Hannah winced. The matriarch spoke the truth. Shepard had sent her emails and her response was brief and aloof. On occasion she answered very late, when her workload was high and her intended reply was forgotten. Only to be remembered when she checked her private emails days later.
"If she did not care, she would not have bothered. She was reaching out to you."
"It could be out of duty, nothing more."
"If you believe that, why are you here?"
A puzzled voice spoke loudly. "Are the both of you all right?"
Liara looked at them anxiously, Shepard stood frowning beside her. They had turned back once they realized neither parent was behind them. To see them standing in the midst of the moving crowd, exchanging words they could not hear. From the expression on their faces, it didn't seem like a cordial exchange. Liara was afraid Aethyta would kick up a row with Hannah. That may upset the chances of rapprochement between Shepard and her mother.
Aethyta flapped her hand languidly. "Oh, you know how it is when elders are catching up. All that farting and pissing, right?" She looked at Hannah whose lips twitched at the pungent statement.
"A proclivity which I'm afraid I'm not immune to," she agreed, drawing a look of surprise from Shepard.
"Much as we would love to leave you to it," Liara said archly, "I am afraid our stomachs have little tolerance."
"Are ours any different?" Aethyta laughed, exchanging a look with Hannah before indicating that they should proceed into the plaza.
The numbers crowding the enormous open space was astounding. All around them, small and big groups of people were pressed in together as they came together in arranged meetings. Foot traffic was hampered and difficult at times. Larger still were those that thronged the long tables ranged along the perimeter of the plaza, sampling the hundreds of edible fare that were available. To Hannah's surprise, they did not stop at any of the tables but instead pushed on deeper. Aethyta paused to offer her hand to Hannah. She stared for moment before she realised the other merely wanted to keep their little group together. The hand was cool and clasped around hers firmly.
Their progress was slow enough for her to have an idea of what was going on in the depths of the plaza. Through gaps in the crowd, she glimpsed bands of musicians, dressed gaily in flowing robes, on slightly raised platforms. The noise of the large host drowned out the music but she could feel the beat of drums in the air and hear the high lilt of flutes. At one instance, a flock of amber-hued birds with wings and tails that glistened in the cool light of the day, burst forth high overhead. They glided and fluttered over upturned heads, delighting the spectators with their swooping aerial displays.
Further off, a myriad of objects floated above another section of the crowd. It didn't look like a holo projection but real items that swirled around with attached streamers forming intricate patterns. She was just deciding that a machine was directing the movements when an asari came into view. A scarf was whirling around her as she floated in the air. Her body glowed with biotics. Was it a dance? Or some acrobatic performance?
A tug on her hand drew her attention away. For the next several minutes, they threaded their way around a heavy gathering that was moving in rhythm to the song they were singing. Nothing was coming through the omni-tool translator so she supposed it was a language that was not entered into the official indexes. Perhaps a dialect the asari preferred to keep among themselves. Whatever it was, it was enchanting.
When Hannah saw the feminine statue in flowing robes ahead of them, she realised that was their objective. A second look revealed it was not an actual statue but a holographic projection. Having read about asari culture, she supposed the image was a representation of the Goddess Athame. Pantheistic might be the mainstream religion of asari nowadays but Athame was apparently still revered, even after the revelation that Athame was a personality assumed by the Protheans. It probably didn't matter to the asari. The ancient religious custom had been extant for thousands of years. They couldn't deny the legacy of the Protheans.
Queues were moving beneath the statue. Hands reached out to pluck something from large bowls protected under sterile fields, spread on a table before it. Aethyta murmured softly to her before she released her hand and took her own place in the moving lines. She need not participate but out of curiosity, Hannah followed. The bowl was filled with what looked like dried herbs. She took one, the sterile field automatically cleansed her hand, and examined it when she rejoined the others.
Barely longer than her thumb, it looked like dried berry with a sharp tangy aroma. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Shepard placed her own sample in Liara's mouth with the young asari doing the same with hers. She glanced at Aethyta. The matriarch had a thoughtful look on her face, evidently tasting the herb. Hannah cautiously popped it into her mouth and nearly gagged with shock at the overwhelming bitterness. A hand reached out when she made to spit it out on to her hand.
"To decline to taste is to disprove the fruits of life," Aethyta said, trying not to chuckle at Hannah's facial contortions. She remembered how it was for her the first time the herb hit her tongue. "Swallow it, quickly," she advised when the human couldn't seem to make up her mind on what to do.
"Heavens," Hannah gasped when she managed to do so, "what is it?!" The lingering taste in her mouth sent a shivering shudder through her. She looked desperately around for something to drink.
"You can't drink yet," Shepard said, restraining her own laughter for Hannah's lips were comically puckered up. "That defeats the entire purpose behind the herb."
Aethyta took pity on the human when she looked a little green. "We'll take a look at the offering tables. This way," she said and headed towards the other tables at the fringe of the plaza.
Though they reached the tables with relative ease, Hannah felt it was not fast enough. Swallowing distractedly in a vain attempt to wash away the taste, she paid scant attention to her surroundings and nearly snatched away the tiny glass Aethyta offered to her. She downed the contents in a gulp. If the herb was bitter, there was little flavour to the drink but that was the least of her concern when most of the dreadful taste was washed away. A paper towel with some sort of finger size rolled appetizer was thrust at her. She didn't ask what it was. She ate it and was glad when the sweet crunchy vegetable that tasted vaguely of cucumbers and some sort of meat removed all traces of the bitterness. Another roll was offered and she took it. Miffed by the amusement in Shepard's eyes, she turned away.
From the food laden tables, they roamed around the plaza. The crowds around the revelries were too large for them to see much. Though ill at ease, Hannah gamely joined in the group dances at Aethyta's persuasion, keeping to the simplest steps after several failed attempts at the more complex patterns. At least she was on par with the children enthusiastically imitating their elders. The lyrics she knew not at all so she kept her tongue still and let herself be carried along in the rhythm. Shepard and Liara did not dance. They sang instead.
An hour later, they went to browse at craftsmen booths spread at the foot of the Junesis hotel. The wares on display were varied and finely crafted. Several were clearly adornments, others were strange and of no discernible purpose to Hannah. She looked over at Shepard who was at another booth with Liara before reaching for one of the pendants that caught her eye. The carved leaves and branches that wound all round the blue gem looked like birch and something else. It reminded her of the pendant Andrei gave to her. A faint pang of lost hit her and she replaced the pendant. She turned away and didn't notice Aethyta's curious look from her to the pendant.
With the departure of the sun, Hannah noticed there was something odd about the ground and the surrounding flora. They seemed to glow as darkness approached. All around her, people seemed lit with a faint nimbus. So too, were the rest of the group when she looked at them. She then realised that the source came from the woven designs on the tunics and scarfs. Intrigued, she examined her own scarf. The tassels were alight. Was it natural or artificial? The smooth surface of the ground beneath her feet shone a soft ivory. A touch on her arm and she met Aethyta's gaze. To her astonishment, the asari's face was subtly aglow as well. Aethyta smiled but beckoned, she had been lagging behind.
It seemed to her everything was luminous. Even the buildings along the street were alight but in different shades. Not so bright as to hurt the eyes but enough there wasn't any need for light globes. Ever since she arrived on Thessia she had seen gardens shining at night but never in such profusion everywhere. It had to be deliberate choice on the asari's part to choose a form of construction material for their buildings that would exude light on special occasions. How did they do it?
They entered the Junesis hotel and took a lift to the restaurant at the top. A bevy of hostesses were on hand to show the the steady stream of customers to their tables. To Hannah's surprise, the restaurant was a large three tier pyramid rotunda with a transparent dome. Their table was at the top tier. She paused to peer over the chest high balustrade as the others made themselves comfortable. At the center of the rotunda down to the lobby five floors down was a large fountain. Music and the perfume of flower blossoms drifted lazily in the cool air.
Bemused, she took her seat next to Aethyta though she had to sit cross-legged. The matriarch had her legs tucked sideways under her. The round table was lower than she was accustomed to. There were no legs on the couch though there were armrests and thick tensile cushions. As if her sitting down was a signal, a large platter with an attractive array of mouthwatering food was laid on the table by two servitors. Two large flasks and small glasses along with crockery and cutlery were swiftly set out before they retreated. She had barely time to take it all on when Shepard picked up the serving spoon and began to fill Liara's plate, then Aethyta's. She glanced at Hannah who was looking bemused and filled her plate too before she did the same for herself.
Frowning, Hannah pointed to a cluster of steaming finger-length shells that reminded her of conch seashells. "What are these?"
"They're similar to escargot. Here." Shepard reached for a fork and a two-prong fork with a hooked end. "Hold the shell in the tongs. See this little indentation? That's the best place to slip in the fork...like this." She demonstrated and a piece of apricot coloured flesh slipped out.
Recoiling a little when Shepard held it out to her, Hannah was not inclined to eat it. Molluscs was never on her menu. It hovered on her tongue to refuse it but a gentle nudge in the side from Aethyta froze the words of refusal. She took the fork gingerly and took a cautious bite. The flesh was tender and faintly sweet with an aftertaste that she could not place though it was pleasant.
"Great, right?" Shepard grinned at her surprise. "Now those-," she pointed to the dark slices on the plate, "are fish, rather close to tender venison in taste. Those are vegetables and there's soup of course. Hope you like spice, they can be somewhat hot. These are similar to flatbread." She picked up a small round flat piece from a stack on the serving platter. Tearing off a small piece, she dipped it into one the small sauce bowls beside her plate. "Thanks, love-," this to Liara who offered her a mollusc she removed from its shell. The endearment was jarring to Hannah's ear. Fixing her eyes to her plate, she focused on the rest of the molluscs and the food.
With some awkward fumbling and another demonstration from Aethyta, Hannah got the hang of removing the flesh. She finished the food quickly for she didn't like to dawdle over meals and sat back with a glass of tea. That it was tea and not wine was surprising but she was glad. The food was excellently cooked, with a subtle flavour not found in human cuisine. The tea was a fine wrap up. She thought of the rolled appetizers and the drink she had earlier at the plaza. They were just as suggestive. It was intended that way, she was certain.
She sipped at her glass of tea. With the meal done, her eyes inevitably flicked to the couple opposite her. They had finished eating and were leaning back on the couch, snuggled together so closely she doubted anything could separate them. They didn't seem to care any one could be looking at them as they sat there, arms around each other, looking up at the silvery aurora in the night sky. Neither was talking but she had the strangest feeling that they were. Their faces were animated. More of that mind melding? An inaudible cough drew her attention away.
"We are creatures of comforts. If we could sit, we would rather lie down." Aethyta shoved a cushion behind herself and made herself more comfortable. Hannah shivered when a cool breeze wandered by. "So, what do you think of the revels?"
"They're fascinating," Hannah said. "They are reminiscent to carnivals I went to as a child, back on Earth, but much more exceptional."
"When was the last time you attend one of those? It must have been years. You have that forlorn hungry air about you," Aethyta said softly. "Though you know nothing of the dance and song, you enjoyed it."
"You have not been poking at my mind, have you?" Hannah said lightly as suspicion flared.
"Tsk..." Aethyta shook her head. "Humans." She smiled when Hannah visibly bristled. "You have to understand that the touching of minds is strictly regulated. To take without permission is a great offense. I'm not saying there are no such crimes. There have been and these mostly involved those who are criminally inclined or mentally ill. Despite our innate abilities, we value our privacy and our own safety too much to randomly delve into strange terrain. A touch is just a touch. The eyes see what they see."
"I apologise," Hannah said uncomfortably and then added, "I supposed I was clearly readable."
"That is unusual, yes? Have you never taken some time away for yourself?"
"I..." Hannah stared at her glass. "I don't remember the last time I took leave."
"Clearly too long. You know you have a stick up your ass," Aethyta snorted when Hannah's gaze snapped back to her. "Wound up so tight, I don't think you're going to kick it out yourself."
"I don't need any help."
"No?" Aethyta sighed. "What're you going to do now you've taken the first step."
"Do I have to take a second?"
"I don't take you for a fool, so why are you trying to be one?"
"I don't think we see things in the same way."
"Retreat now and you will end up dry as a husk," Aethyta said. "Whatever had driven you before, whatever is holding you up until now, is no longer enough."
"Not enough for what?" Hannah scoffed and drew back in alarm when Aethyta pressed so closely that she could smell the scent of her skin.
"Do you not miss it? To face each day with confidence. To know there is a ready hand to catch you whenever you fall. An open heart to share moments that which you treasure."
"That is ridiculous...," began Hannah, annoyed at what the asari was implying.
"Then perhaps you ought to look upon them with less a jaundiced eye, less hunger and less envy." Pulling back, Aethyta took her time to shape the tensile cushion to rest more comfortably. "I don't doubt you are a very capable leader in the Alliance but does it really fill all corners of yourself?"
Flushing a little, Hannah said firmly, "I come here to mend the bridge between my daughter and myself, nothing else."
Noting the stubborn line on her jaw, Aethyta knew she was going to be one stubborn human. A stubborn human who needed a knock on the head to shake her out of that unlovely cocoon she enshrouded herself in. She prodded the human as far as she was inclined to. Time enough for her to think about what she said. If she was enlightened, she would do something to step out of the cage. If not, well, there was nothing else she could do. The reconciliation process might yet be a success despite her obstinacy to see beyond the boundary she drew. Who knew Shepard couldn't persuade her mother?
T'Soni Estate
The household were having their gathering at the hall when the security V.I. detected the approaching skycar. With no visitors scheduled to visit, a message was sent to Effia who immediately dispatched everyone back to their posts. Brushing down her robes, she went to the portico to wait. Presently, another message lit up on her omni-tool, easing her tension. When the visitor exited the skycar, she was ready.
"Shartes've'le, Director."
"Shartes've'le, Yilese," Telienos returned the greeting. "I ask indulgence for this sudden call but I seek counsel with the Prothean, Javik."
"You are ever welcome, Director," Effia said respectfully. "He is in the Garden Room. This way." She turned to lead the way and paused when Telienos did not move. It was then she noticed the matriarch's eyes was glazed. She suddenly smiled and nodded for her to continue. They went down the hall and past the kitchen. The doors to the garden room were opened. Telienos could see a white robe figure seated beside the fountain.
"Director, would you require an attendant?" asked Effia. she didn't quite like the glaze in Telienos's eyes. She didn't think the matriarch was drinking but it was clear something was affecting her.
"No. I am all right, Yilese. I need to clarify some matters with Javik."
Effia could only acquiescence. There wasn't any need to announce Telienos, she knew the Prothean had seen them though he did not look up from the datapad he was reading.
A tiny shiver ran up Telienos's spine as she walked towards him. She remembered how he had struck past her barrier. A sense of vulnerability swept over her and she had an overwhelming urge to turn around and run out of the room. She forced herself to continue forward. "Javik."
"You have questions." He didn't look up. Somehow that, and the fact that he wasn't wearing his hardsuit, eased much of her apprehension.
"I seek answers."
"I am not an Avatar of Memory but if I can provide, I will."
There were chairs about. He was sitting on a stool so she perched nervously at the rim of the fountain. "There have been no contact sensitives for a millennia. The talent is so rare, we could not hope to map the genome..."
"You want to know if we deliberately created this particular genetic strain among the asari," he interrupted, finally looking up at her. "The probability is high as your species have the potential to develop into civil and military support troops. One of the best shock troops by our calculations. With biotics and mind melding an intrinsic talent, the next step is obvious."
She felt a chill at his factual affirmation. "Are you aware of those among us we called Ardat-Yakshi?"
"Demon of the Night Winds," Javik said musingly. "A fascinating term when their basic instinct is to consume. If you are asking if they are the results of our meddling, it is also possible."
Her breath caught. Her eyes widened in horror despite her preparations for this interview. "Deliberate?" she whispered.
"Consider, we turned the Rachni, a peaceful gentle race, into a formidable force that few challengers could withstand their assault. The tools were there for us to shape." He set down the datapad. "The Asari were not the first nor the last species we uplifted but you are one of the few to have survived."
"Was there nothing else planned for us, other than to be used militarily?"
"You were one of several fail safes we prepared should we fall." His eyes bore into hers. "The fight would have been yours to carry on."
He had evaded the question. The chill within her deepened. "What would have happened if the Protheans succeeded in defeating the Reapers. What would our place be then, in the Empire?"
"You already know the answer, why do you wish to give yourself pain?" He dipped his hands in the water and fell silent for moment. "The Protheans would remain ascendant," he said softly. "We would see to that." He looked up. "What is it you seek?"
Looking away, she ran her hand along the surface of the water, noticing that she was trembling. Quickly, she clasped her hands on her lap. "Only to consider the next step my people should take."
"Something has happened that you do not like, uncertain, because it points a way?" he said shrewdly.
"Yes...no.," She frowned and closed her eyes. "One of our maidens had undergone an unnatural change. Her biotics are powerful, unusual and dangerous."
"Unnatural, as in based on Reaper technology."
"Yes. There is contention on what should be done."
"Naturally. Are you asking me what the asari ought to do?" he asked curiously. "Or whether you should meddle, find the means behind the augmentation to safely produce the next phase of Asari evolution? Or whether-," he stood up and leaned towards her, "she should be wiped from existence before she becomes common knowledge or even introduce a mutant strain that would eventually replace what is?"
"What would you do?" She tried not to fall back into the fountain, her fingers a death grip on the rim of the fountain.
"How curious." He turned away, picking up the datapad. "Even knowing the disposition of my own kind towards your species, you still come to me to point the way." His fingers tapped at the keys. "The guidance that which you sought is already provided." He glanced at her. "Your last Avatar left behind a legacy before she died, have you forgotten?"
"She said to create new paths..," she began tremulously. "No,she did not," she corrected and then frowned at her own confusion.
"You are no youngling so why are you behaving like one?" he said brusquely. "I need not tell you how to interpret her words. Words mean nothing and everything..." He came to an abrupt halt at the naked fear in her eyes. It was strangely familiar. Where had he seen it? "What are you afraid of? You came to...ah..no..what have I done?" he muttered when realisation struck. He tossed the datapad aside. "Your fear. It is my doing."
"What? No." She got to her feet and retreated when he stretched a hand to her.
"I was the Avatar of Vengeance. I was trained to attack, to take and to leave fear behind that our enemies would not be able to retaliate. That day, you asked me to show you what I can do. I did. In so doing, I left an imprint I should not have. Let me take it off you."
"No.." Telienos stumbled backwards, eyes darting around. There were no obstacles to prevent her from running out and yet, she was too petrified to try.
"Fiaria Telienos." Her gaze snapped back to his as if her name was a command. "Take my hand," he said gently.
"No." She shook her head.
"Part of you is fighting the compulsion. Take my hand, let me undo it." He stayed where he was, hand outstretched towards her. "You will never be yourself if you run away now."
Visibly shaking, Telienos stared at his hand. Hands clenching fiercely at her side, she forced herself forward as her mind whirled in conflict. The fragile calm she had achieved through hours of meditation, shattered. It took considerable effort for her to reach out. She gasped in terror when she touched his hand. Everything vanished around them.
Peace. I will not harm you. Breathe as you would during reflection...yes...
What did you leave behind? {curiosity}
The injunction to obey without question, to hide nothing and to fear. You came to me because you subconsciously seek a command from the one who overpowered your barriers.
Are you saying I have no self will?
You have limited control. That is the purpose behind my training. As we take, we ensured our enemies would end as our thralls. ... how do you feel?
{deep breath} Better. The pressure is gone.
I apologise for the anguish I have caused.
No. I can see you never intended to hurt me.
I have taken more than I should. Without your will.
It is forgiven. {pause} I would ask for something in return.
Which is?
Would you share your pain?
You would ask that? {amazement}
I am what I am. You are one, long lost in the flow of time and even now, you are still adrift. I would anchor you...if you are willing.
And you are curious. But you are right...are you certain this is what you wish?
Show me. Please.
