In the beginning, there was Akachi. It wasn't the best beginning there could be and it didn't promise a good start, but it was a beginning non the less. She herself was a way of perceiving the world, thus she was the world – the alpha and omega of all things that exist. So her world started with Akachi and the gift he brought was spirit-eating. And before that there was nothing – her life before the gift had been a lie, a game of thoughts that had fooled her to believe it actually existed. If sounded quite implausible – who in their right mind could believe that a freakish elven stalker, obsessed with seeing you bathe and a ranger who could cast spells without even having a deity could exist in real life? So her life, her world and not the illusion she until recently had thought to be a part of her, had so far been great. It was a miracle that such small things managed to make it a misery.

"Hey, puppy?" – Cayla asked and looked around to see if One of Many was close.

.: Yes:.

"I remember us staying at the Veil theatre. Why isn't there anyone here now?"

.: I don't know. But I don't sense their presence either. Perhaps it will be best if you ask someone. :.

"Like...who? There isn't anyone here at all."

.: Look around, search for clues. If you happen to find something hostile, please do tell me – I still want to kill something. :.

Search for clues...easier said than done. Everything in the Veil was as normal, everything was located where it should be, but something was missing. Perhaps the actors had gone on a tour or a picnic... Magda said something like that last week. Suddenly, two palms covered her eyes and a smooth, melodic voice asked her:

"Guess who!"

Unfortunately for the voice, it was Gann's. So she kicked him where it hurts the most and turned around.

"WHAT did I tell you about touching me!?" she roared in anger, seeing him coiling in pain. "My day has so far been great – I've killed a...well, non-existent ghost from my past and met a new personality of my pet...and you touch me and ruin it! Now I probably have Gann-germs!"

And then heavenly music started to fly in the air. Cayla sighed – this was getting worse with every second. The Dove waltzed thought the door, full of confidence and baffling naivety.

"Have no fear, Gannayev, I will tend your wounds for Ilmater has given me the strength to heal and help those in danger. No evil will be unpunished, no pain will stay untended, because in Ilmater..." and so on, and so on. Cayla didn't remember the Dove casting any spell before reading a long speech about the nature of her magic powers and then a three-hour long prayer to Ilmater and long before she had finished, the victim was either dead or unconscious.

"...ka-ehl miah-vai zinobial... "

.:She doesn't even know how her prayers translate, doesn't she:.

'What do you mean?'

.: Her prayers are in my native language. In a nutshell, most of them are "I can has healing spell, plz" and then it's said how great Ilmater is and how big and heavy are his...chains. Some of them have a nice little interlude, like "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts"- like what she said just now - or "Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum" or something like that... and then in goes the divine power and she casts the spell. Naïve creature...can I kill her:.

'Wait, are you saying that most of her prayers consist of nothing but...nonsense?'

.: That's if you can't see the sense in "Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum". It's not so bad – some of the tyrran spells make joke of Tyr's missing limbs and the Helm ones are about what does he do during the vigils, if you get what I'm saying. :.

'What does he do during the vigils?'

.: Rumor says he has fun with maidens and lots of wine. But say this to a cleric of Helm and...well, say this to a cleric of Helm and see what happens. :.

'And...my spells...please tell me I'm not running around, screaming "I have a lovely bunch of coconuts"!'

.:Trust me, you don't want to know how yours translate. You'll give up sorcery. :.

After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, she mumbled:

'Okay, maybe I don't want to know that...'

.: Now can I please kill the cleric or the shaman:.

'Not today, puppy. Another time, they're still useful.' And with that, she walked out of that door, stepping over Gann's body which was still curled up in a fetal position. Some day, she would let the Many feed on them, but not until she finds their suitable replacements.

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"Cayla, are you here?" Kaelyn asked loudly, while entering the sorceress' room.

"I am. And no need to apologize for waking me up, it is perfectly normal for you to do it." Cayla mumbled, pushing the blankets away and sitting up in bed.

"We have found a map to the Sunken City of the Coven. There you may find your answers and we may finally lead the Crusade against the injustice that the Wall is."

"Err...great?"

"And I have finally healed Gann. But tell me, what did you do to him that he fainted?"

"I kicked him between the legs." She smirked. That one got a blank stare from Kaelyn.

"Pardon? I've been wounded there, but it doesn't hurt so much as to make one lose consciousness."

"Eh...eh-heh... Kaelyn, you see, men...um...have different lower body than us, women."

"Why?"

She was supposed to give the 'bees and flowers' speech to one of the most powerful clerics in the realm who just happens to be an adult?

"You know, it's hard to explain. And if the only real friend I've got weren't an undead construct, I would've gladly demonstrated the "why" and "how"...

.: That still doesn't stop you. :.

'What do you mean, One?'

.: Nevermind. :. He sighed and continued sulking in the corner of the room.

"Cayla, please. I am always eager to learn new things."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. It is my duty as a cleric of Ilmater to learn new ways to help people."

"That doesn't count exactly as help, but okay... here goes." She took a deep breath and backed away from Kaelyn. Just in case.

A couple of hours later...

"Oh, brave and dashing leader, we are ready to leave. Though it may be wise if we leave the songbird have some well-deserved rest. You know, just the two of us and the wilderness of Rashemen." Gann's melodic voice woke her up...again. This time she threw the blankets in his general direction and jumped from the bed, passing from sleep to being hyper without a middle state.

"You can keep dreaming, Gann. Kaelyn will come with us and so will One of Many."

"Ah...and here you are mistaken. The Dove seems to be...handicapped at the moment. She's sitting in the corner of her room, hugging her knees and staring into the empty space, mumbling nonsense."

.:You didn't expect that, did you? Stupid girl.:.

'Yeah, I care about you too, puppy.' But aloud she said:

"We're going to take her with us, like it or not. I don't feel like dying in the middle of nowhere with nobody to resurrect me."

"It's your choice, my sweetheart. I will inform her of your decision so we may make haste."

And so he exited the room and left her to wonder about the consequences of her actions.

-------------------------

Actually, the Skein wasn't so bad as long as Gann kept his mouth shut. And he didn't, most of the time. When she was young, Daeghun once brought her a wooden puzzle – she played with it all day until the few brain cells she had started to itch. It didn't matter that she had no success with the puzzle – it was the intention that was important then. And now the Skein reminded her of a giant version of that puzzle and thus she knew that they weren't going to get out of it. Being lost wasn't as fun as it was the last time and all of the corridors and archways looked alike.

Kaelyn was walking as if she were in a dreamscape, mumbling quiet and staring at the floor. The only sentence Cayla managed to distinguish was "This isn't what my mother told me", so most probably it was the "when two people..." speech that shocked her so much.

.:Well what did you expect? People don't usually go insane because they don't like the weather or the humidity of the air. :.

'I didn't realize...I didn't want...'

.:What do you care about her anyway? She's just another tool, another toy and one day when you don't need her, you can dispose of her permanently. I wonder...will she taste as good as her siblings did...:.

'You...killed Efrem and Suzah?'

.:Not me, the Child. The Many. We're evil, what did you expect? The Many cornered them in a dark alley and fed on them. Next time you don't want me to kill someone, please inform me on time. :.

'I guess it's okay...As you said, I had no use of them anyway...'

.:Now you're talking! A little more time with me and maybe you will get smarter too. :.

"Oh beautiful, we seem to have come to a dead end." Gann nearly sang and pointed ahead. There was another stream of water and a waterfall over one of the broken archways. It was common in the Skein to see such things but there was no need for the heroes to cross one of them...until now.

"Why? It's just a small stream, we can cross it."

"Do you know how deep it is?"

"Yes, I can see the bottom! Look, I'm on the other side now! I'm jumping around from side to side, nothing dangerous here. See? See?!"

"Oh glorious leader, I am afraid that something terrible will happen if I cross this horrible stream. It isn't supposed to be crossed at all!"

"Come here, you big baby!" – she yelled from the other side of the stream, but the rippling of the artificial waterfall dulled the sounds.

"I refuse to follow you! Do you know how dangerous it may be? First of all, the waterfall may ruin my hair and my clothes and what will happen if I get dandruff because of that, huh? Not to mention that our celestial songbird refuses to cross it too and I can't just drag her across it even if I want to."

"Fine! Do what you want!"

"Of course I will! And then my hair will stay perfect and my clothes will stay dry! And I will get no dandruff and..." and so on and so on...

Cayla's reply was interrupted by One of Many – she could sense how angry he had become and now she saw him getting closer and closer to Gann without the hagspawn noticing him. Soon he was in front of the dreamwalker, tentacles rising in the air...

And then he headbutted the shaman.

All the sorceress could do was watch how Gann's limp body fell in the stream of water and then almost got dragged across it - she knew how angry he would be after he wakes up. And that made her extremely happy. After jumping though the stream, she stepped on Gann's body and hugged her undead pet. It wasn't the reaction he had been expecting from her, but escaping for her arms was nearly impossible so he just stayed still and cautiously tried to find his way out of this in case she decided that hugging is not enough to show how grateful she is.

Unfortunately those thoughts had been crossing her mind too. She turned to kiss his cheek...if he had one and she really would've done it if he didn't turn his head to face her in the same time.

Gannayev's unconscious body had been lying in the water for a while now and Kaelyn was silently watching all of this with a mad glint in her eye. And Cayla screamed.

Author's Note: Don't you just hate it when you're in the Skein and the PC refuses to cross shallow streams of water that a normal person could jump across?