I am finally writing again, and I targeting one chapter a week. We'll see how I do. This chapter didn't come out the way I wanted it to, but I hope you enjoy it regardless. Reviews help me move forward, so thanks to those who took the time.
"Put him down," Kaylin instructed quietly, in flawless High Baranni. Grace came to Kaylin only under the direst need, and the mutating form of the Hawklord certainly drove all petty concerns from her mind. She was surprised that Tain had consented to carry him, and more surprised with the care Tain showed when setting the Hawklord on the ground. Then, at last, the Baranni Hawks knelt before the High Lord. At a different time, Kaylin would have complained - they were there as Hawks - but right now she only had eyes for the Hawklord. The High Lord didn't appear to notice, regardless. Kaylin knelt beside her Lord, an eerie calm blanketing her as she examined him. She moved to unlock the bracer before remembering that she had taken it off the day before. Kaylin had gotten complacent; learning that Shadow was not intrinsically destructive had lowered her guard, but looking at the Shadow warping the Hawklord's wings, she was reminded of why Shadow was so feared. "He's alive," Kaylin told the room at large, because there was nothing she could do if he wasn't.
"There is nothing that can be done," the Aerian beside Moran spoke coldly. "He is lost." Kaylin's heart froze at the words. Looking at the amount of damage the Shadow was causing, Kaylin wasn't certain he was wrong. She would have to strip most of the flesh from his wings, and didn't know if she would be able to rebuild them. Would he want to be saved if he couldn't fly? It didn't matter. Kaylin couldn't let him go. She couldn't let the Shadow take him without trying, even if it was selfish. He could decide, if he survived, if it was worth it. She tuned out the discussions surrounding her and gave herself to her task. She watched her hands carefully as she reached for the Hawklord, concerned about how her shadow gloves would react. Seeing no change in them, she proceeded with the healing. The Shadow touching the Hawklord seemed drawn to him, as it had been with Bellusdeo in the recent fight. It showed no signs of spreading, but focused on the victim on hand. In this case, the Hawklord.
Tearing the corrupted flesh from the Hawklord hurt, but it was a necessary pain and Kaylin worked through it. She pushed herself to rebuild what was lost, including his wings, and replace some blood, although she knew she would pay for that. Once his body was stable, she addressed the greater problem; he wasn't there. Remembering Caitlin, Kaylin forced herself to think of the Hawklord. To think of his rare, unwilling laughter. To think of his pride, and his pain, and his determination to make a difference in a city that was so hard to balance. Holding onto these memories, Kaylin reached out. As she got a hold of him, other memories came. His frustration with her about her lessons was vivid and it made her smile. Slowly, she leaned back and broke the connection. She wasn't certain how many hours had passed, but she could barely feel her own body, so it was more than three. Kaylin was vaguely aware of a conversation passing around her. Was that Grethan? And what was Tiamaris doing in the middle of the Baranni High Court? If she'd been anywhere else, or if anyone else had been injured, Kaylin would probably have laid down on the floor and slept. Since she was nearly certain the Hawklord hadn't tripped over some Shadow on the floor and gotten eaten, there was reason to believe someone was trying to use Shadow to assassinate her Lord.
"High Lord," Kaylin interrupted, forcing her eyes open. Her legs were numb, and it would be work to stand; she didn't bother. From her knees, she addressed the High Lord. "I request permission to use the mirrors."
"You are a member of the High Court, Lord Kaylin, no permission is needed." Kaylin nodded her acceptance and stiffly leaned forward to touch the ground between the Hawklord and the High Lord. Even if she'd been able to walk, she would have been unwilling to leave Bellusdeo and a vulnerable Hawklord behind. The Baranni High Court was never friendly and she would be extra careful until she had identified her Lord's enemy. "Mirrors," she said. The ground in front of her shifted, and Kaylin could feel the consternation of the Court as a pool of water rose from the ground. The Baranni Hawks moved, while remaining on their knees - Kaylin suspected they had not risen from them once in all the hours she had spent healing - otherwise they would have been knocked over. Kaylin dipped her fingers in the water. "Helen," she called out, and Helen answered.
"Kaylin, dear?" The avatar of her home formed in the pool. "Is something wrong?"
"My Lord has been injured," Kaylin replied, her voice entirely without inflection. Kaylin's rage at someone's attempt on the Hawklord had initially been superseded by her panic that that she was going to loose him. Having completed the healing, however, Kaylin forced the fury that threatened to choke her back. Her first priority had to be his safety; there would be time for rage later. "I would like you to guard him. Anyone who intends harm to my Lord is my enemy. Kill them." Kaylin's voice had rarely sounded so cold, but she would not be moved in this.
"I understand," Helen said after a pause. "Would you like to send him over now?"
"I'll have someone bring him-" Kaylin began, but Helen shook her head.
"We can take him through the mirrors." Kaylin's eyebrows shot up.
"You're willing to let someone travel through the mirrors?"
"These mirrors are very strong, dear. The security won't be compromised." Kaylin stared at the water figure of Helen. "Your familiar can help." Kaylin glanced at him for confirmation and he bobbed his head in agreement. He leapt from his place on Kaylin's shoulder, and picked up the Hawklord by the remains of his shirt. It should have been impossible: the shirt should have ripped, the tiny familiar should never have been able to lift so much weight. It was, however, happening, and Kaylin watched in silence as Helen's water avatar took the Hawklord from the familiar. A moment later, he was gone. The familiar settled back on Kaylin's shoulder.
"I have made a room for him, dear. I will make sure he is settled."
"Thank you," Kaylin acknowledged. "He's going to be grumpy," she added, almost apologetically. No Hawk made a good patient; it was practically a rule. She was fairly certain it was Teela who chuckled, but when she craned her neck around to check, Teela's eyes were black. Which matched the deep red of Bellusdeo's. Oh good. Just what she needed. Two enraged Immortals. "He'll insist he's healed long before he is. He needs a full week of rest."
"I am not a prison," Helen replied with a frown. Kaylin met her eyes in silence, and Helen's sigh was her surrender. "I will try my best to detain him, dear. I will not, however, use force." Kaylin nodded in acceptance. Helen's avatar melted back into the water, and Kaylin turned her attention to the people hovering around her; quite a group had gathered while she had worked. She was aware that the Court was observing her, but she was far too tired to know what to do about it.
"Grethan, what are you doing here?" She asked, starting with the person who seemed most out of place. Grethan smiled at her concern.
"I am not as important as the Keeper, but as his apprentice, I am afforded some protection from political... difficulties." Kaylin stared at him. Why would he deliberately enter the Baranni High Court when he could wait and talk to Kaylin as soon as she left? If it was up to Kaylin, she wouldn't enter the High Court. "The Keeper sends his regards," Grethan continued, getting to the purpose of his visit, "and a gift." Kaylin eyed the box warily.
"I don't think I want anything from the Keeper," she replied skeptically.
"Take it, Kaylin," Grethan insisted. Kaylin frowned at his tone. "He'll lock me out until you accept his gift." Kaylin hesitated, torn. On the one hand, she really didn't want a gift from Evanton; it couldn't be anything good. On the other hand, it really wasn't Grethan's fault, and if she didn't like the gift, she could just take it back. Decided, she reached out, and bit back a curse and magic bit her arm. She glared at Grethan, who seemed sympathetic. "You should open it." Stuck, because she didn't think she could put it down until she did, Kaylin carefully opened the box. Inside was a gold station necklace with five coloured gems. Looking at them, Kaylin could see the names for Fire, Water, and the Maker. More faintly, she could make out the words for Earth and Air.
"I don't want this!" She yelped, trying to shove the box back, to no avail.
"It's yours while you live," Grethan told her, still sounding sympathetic. Grethan's sympathy clearly wasn't getting in the way of him dumping this on her lap. She had worn medallions, briefly, that contained the name of a single Element, but she's never even seen one with all of them. Considering how recently the Maker had been added to the Garden, this had to have been made by Evanton himself.
"Has Evanton lost his mind?!" Kaylin asked, with a strong suspicion as to the answer to that. "This belongs in the Garden!" Bellusdeo shifted beside her, most likely with another comment on Kaylin's complete lack of respect for the Keeper, but Grethan spoke before she could.
"The necklace will stay with you until you die, then return automatically to the Garden," Grethan explained, as if Kaylin had never spoken. "I'll help you put it on."
"I don't want to wear it!" Kaylin protested.
"It'll be very hard for you to complete your duties while holding the box," Grethan pointed out, making Teela snort. Kaylin was distantly annoyed that this was providing entertainment for the Baranni. Frustrated that Grethan was right, and determined to take up her complaint with Evanton as soon as possible, Kaylin allowed Grethan to fasten the necklace around her neck. He had to bend down to reach her neck since she was still kneeling, but she hoped to get some blood back in her legs instead of falling face first when she tried to get up. Grethan carefully avoided the familiar perched on her shoulder. "It suits you," he assured her, which earned him the look that comment deserved. The necklace was strangely warm around her neck, but Kaylin figured she wasn't going to be wearing the damn thing long enough to find out why. Wishing vainly for a shirt which would cover the necklace, Kaylin cursed all things formal in the privacy of her mind.
"Is this going to kill anyone who touches it?" Kaylin asked, remembering the very strong warning she got from Sanabalis when she wore his medallion. Grethan hesitated, which Kaylin took as a yes. Her shoulders sagged.
"Not if they know the names of the Elements," Grethan offered, apparently trying to make her feel better. Kaylin grimaced. Teela was better at comforting her than Grethan.
"The Keeper has excellent taste," Teela commented, on cue, and despite her nearly black eyes, Kaylin knew she couldn't be serious.
"You wouldn't be caught dead in this!"
"Well, it certainly wouldn't do me much good after I'm dead."
"Is there a reason the Keeper is treated with such blatant disrespect?" A red-eyed Bellusdeo interrupted. Kaylin's shrugged.
"He's Evanton," she explained, because really what more was there to say?
"I believe my master does not feel the need for formality with the Chosen," Grethan said, clearly trying to appease the angry Dragon. "I have been told hundreds of times that he would rather have her as an apprentice than me." Kaylin winced.
"I'm sorry." Grethan shook his head.
"There is nothing for you to apologize for, Kaylin. Anyone can see that you can be trusted with great power, and you have a strong affinity for the Elements. It's natural that the Keeper would want you as his successor." The fact that Grethan was the one comforting her was all wrong, and made Kaylin feel worse. Moran cleared her throat.
"Perhaps discussions about the Keeper's choice in jewelry can wait."
"What happened?" Kaylin asked, because as much as she didn't want to face the reality of it, someone had tried to kill her Lord. Moran glanced over to the thrones. Kaylin took the hint; the Baranni High Court was not the place to discuss assassination attempts.
"High Lord, Lady, we have inconvenienced you long enough," Moran said, bowing the the High Lord and Lady, instead of answering Kaylin's question. "Thank you for your hospitality; I had hoped to introduce myself to you under better circumstances."
"The praevollo is always welcome in these Halls," the High Lord replied. Which made sense to Kaylin, because, like him, Moran was a barrier against the incursion of Shadow. Kaylin hadn't even had a chance to greet everyone who had showed up - or figure out why they were here in the first place - but she was eager to get out. She could get answers somewhere else. Anywhere else. A pile of shadow covered flesh remained on the ground, however, and Kaylin considered how she could safely dispose of it.
"Tiamaris," she began, feeling the weight of his stare on her back, "if you breathe on this, will that get rid of it?"
"A Dragon," Lord Evarrim interrupted, coming towards them in a swirl of robes, because no visit to the High Court was complete without his unsolicited commentary, "is not permitted to breathe fire in the High Halls." His tone made it clear that a Dragon should not be allowed to breathe in the High Halls, period.
"Do you have a better way of getting rid of this?" Kaylin asked, because at the moment she really didn't care how they dealt with it as long as it was safely disposed of.
"I will ensure the contamination does not spread," the High Lord offered, to Kaylin's surprise. Her eyebrows flew up, but she folded in a bow.
"Thank you for you consideration," she replied.
"High Lord," a Baranni Lord Kaylin wasn't familiar with came forward. "Given the contamination of Lord Kaylin's hands and the grievous nature of the Lord of the Hawks injuries," Kaylin felt her stomach drop, knowing this wasn't going in her favour, "it seems like Lord Kaylin is most likely involved in this incident. It might be best if the Court offers their support to the Hawks in this instance." The High Lord's eyes had shifted to a deep blue while the Lord spoke, but clearly the man didn't feel that there was any flaw with his words. Kaylin forced herself to her feet to meet this challenge.
"I serve," Kaylin said, with a passion no one present could have matched, "Lord Grammayre, Lord of the Hawks. I would never harm him."
"And your hands?"
"The Shadow Lord Kaylin carries on her skin was an injury taken in my defence," Bellusdeo interjected before Kaylin could reply. "I'm certain the High Court would not say such an effort was wasted." The irony there was heavy, and everyone heard it, but it wasn't a comment which could be publicly refuted without starting a fight. Or a war. The Baranni Lord stiffened in anger.
"Both Lord Bellusdeo and Lord Kaylin were fighting on my behalf," Moran added cooly. "The Outcaste Dragon was spreading corruption in the Aerie, and we are surely in agreement that he needed to be stopped." The Baranni Lord narrowed his eyes at Kaylin; he was very expressive for a Baranni Lord. If Kaylin was honest she understood his concern - she wasn't comfortable with her new gloves, herself - but she wasn't in the mood to defend her actions before the stranger.
"How dare you bring such filth into the High Halls?" He asked, his voice almost shaking with rage. Before Kaylin had a chance reply, she felt flame engulfed her.