Lyra

Lyra, with Pantalaimon hidden within her clothing, examined the strangers carefully as she followed them. She couldn't quite figure them out. They human who had spoken before wore some form of armour, but the metal, silk and the light blue sapphires adorning that armor were all unfamiliar to her. In a holster on the side of the armour, there was a stick made of similarly unfamiliar materials.

The second figure was also male, and had not stopped talking to the other since they'd set out. He, too, was wearing a set of that unusual armour, though he had a large, two handed blade on his back. Something about that silver and black blade made her uneasy, harkening back to her time trapped in the Magisterium's facility in the north, where they had attempted to cut Pantalaimon away from her. She shivered at the memory, and turned her attention to the third person.

This one was the only female, and the only one not wearing the unusual armour the rest were wearing. She wore something that would not have looked out of place at a ball back home, a long dress that just seemed terribly impractical for the jungles they were moving through. Across her back, she had a bow almost as tall as her, and her red hair was styled into a ponytail.

"Curioser and curiouser," she murmured, as she heard the second man, she was pretty sure his name was Dos, regaling them with a story about his time with a group he called the Confederate Marines, every word confirming that she was a long way from home.

"So what do we do with her?" Dos asked, looking at Deven, who was clearly the leader, though he looked uncomfortable with the position.

"She came through the anomaly, I imagine the priestesses will want to ask her a few questions. I'd like to know quite a few things, too. Her language and accent is archaic, but it's listed in the database as Ancient Terran."

"How do you feel about all this?" Anya asked her, softly, as she extricated herself from a tangled section of vines.

"I'm a little out of my element," Lyra confessed "I came through the 'anomaly' as you called it looking for a friend of mine. He has a way to travel between worlds. He usually closes the breaches he made, but he left this one open, which is dangerous, so I suppose that's why it's closed itself now. I'll need to find him if I'm going to get home again."

"Is this something your friend has been able to do for awhile?" Deven asks, interested in the conversation.

"Yes, but that's not my story to tell. If I find him, perhaps we'll tell you about it if he agrees."

"I would like that."

Deven

Lyra was an enigma, that was for certain. The acolytes of Shi had asked their group to figure out what the strange anomaly in the jungles was. In exchange, they would invoke their goddesses powers to grant the group a catalysation each for their troubles. It was an unusual request, and a far too generous payment in Deven's opinion, but while he had studied at the university on Shaya, and covered many subjects, this anomaly was completely unfamiliar to him.

He continued to think through the strange occurrences in his mind, as they reached the temple of Shi. It was not the original, which had contained Shi's catalyst, for that had been destroyed and devoured by Nefarious, the Wyrmmother of Void. The temple itself did not have the same power at it's heart that the previous temple did, though the faith of Shi's followers is strong enough that they can still perform miracles drawn from their covenants with her. Deven knew some still gain Dream Magic from the goddess, though it was unclear to him how that was possible. But the priestesses had offered it as a reward for their mission, so he hypothesized there was still a piece of the goddess somewhere.

One of the priestesses was waiting for them when the group returned. Silvaine was her name, though Deven knew very little else about her. Like all priestesses of Shi, she was garbed head to toe in silks, her face hidden by a veil. Deven questioned the judgement of the priestesses to wear full body clothing on a planet as hot as Yanthara, but guessed that their garb was made of some form of magical material which regulated body heat. He made a mental note to ask Lucinda about it later. She had opted to remain behind when the group had gone to investigate the anomaly. As the group's artificer, she found she had very little time to do what she was best at: creating magical items.

"You have returned. What have you learned?" Silvaine asked

Lyra

Deven and the others gave their report. Lyra wasn't paying attention until the woman turned to her.
"And your name is Lyra, correct?"

"That's right," Lyra said "I fear you have me at a disadvantage."

"My name is Silvaine," said the woman "I wondered if you could answer a few questions."

"I'll answer what I can, but you'll understand if I omit some things. I don't know you, and this world is unfamiliar to me."

"You have already given me a few things," Silvaine smiled "But I accept your terms. Now, my first question: when I look at you through divination, I see that your soul is split into two parts. How did you do this? Some form of animus, where you have stored a piece of your soul?"

Lyra considered for a moment. "I don't know what that means, but I don't think so." She opened her coat, allowing Pantalaimon to climb out onto her shoulder.

"This is Pantalaimon, he's my demon. Everyone back home has one, and the two of us share a single soul."

"Fascinating," Silvaine murmured, reaching out "May I?"

Lyra took a few steps backward, startled.

Silvaine lowered her hand.
"I appear to have made a bit of a faux pas. I apologize."

"It is not a problem. It's just that where I come from, to touch another's demon is a serious violation."

"I would like you to stay, and tell me more of your home. But I will respect your wish to keep them to yourself. For now, I must grant the payment I promised to your companions. You, too, are welcome to gain the gifts of our goddess. If you survive the experience, you will be granted Dream magic, or another ability."
Lyra had a decision to make.