Chapter Thirty-Three
The little house elf popped next to Taryn and Draco, peering at them with large brown eyes. She, it wasn't hard to figure out the sex of the elf because of her outfit, was wearing a peach and lace edged drop waist dress with a matching bow perched over her right ear. She smiled at them. "Hello, Sir and Miss. My name is Deni. I apologize for not being there to show you your way back to the petite dining room, but it looks like you made it here okay. If you need anything just call for me. I'll be your personal elf during your stay."
Taryn smiled. "Were you responsible for the clothes that we found in the drawers? Because I have to say they're perfect." Taryn and Draco had been prepared to wear their clothes again – after a Scourgify or two – and had found their clothes missing. After a quick search through the room, they had found replacements in just their sizes. Draco wore a pair of distressed, dark wash jeans, a charcoal colored henley, and sturdy black boots. Taryn wore a pretty yellow shirtdress belted with a light brown leather belt and cute matching leather ankle boots.
"I'm glad that Miss and Sir liked the clothes," Deni said. "I've been told to tell you that the Master and Mistress will be down shortly and that you should order breakfast for yourselves if you like. Is there anything that you would prefer?"
"I'll have a bagel and strawberry cream cheese and some hot tea," Taryn said.
"I'd like a spinach omelet and whole grain toast with orange juice," said Draco.
"I'll put your order in with the kitchens. Please call for me if you require anything else," Deni said, before bowing and popping out the room.
"I'm so going to ask Kieve how he gets his house elves to wear clothes," Taryn said as soon as the little elf had left. "I wonder if they are getting paid?"
"Maybe," Draco said, "but I doubt it. A big old house like this? Probably generations upon generations of elves have been living here. You know they get insulted if you offer to pay them."
"Yes, I remember that," Taryn said with a frown, remembering her short lived S.P.E.W organization.
"I hope you haven't been waiting long," Shui said, as she and Kieve walked into the room and settled into chairs across from the couple. Shui looked bright and cheery. Her hair was pulled into a high bouncy ponytail and she was wearing a pretty white blouse and swishy looking navy pants. Kieve looked comfortable in jeans and a dark green t-shirt. Taryn could hardly believe that the the couple had grown children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
"We haven't," Draco said. "We just ordered breakfast."
"Good," said Kieve. "Today is going to be pretty busy. I thought that we could spend the morning getting you both ready for what you can expect to see in Selsenle. We will break around lunch time, Seth should be here around then, and then rest until early afternoon."
"We have to get you both properly outfitted," said Shui. "Clothing is very important in Selsenle. It indicates your rank and status. The family you belong to, or your favor with the Emperor, Kokobiel, can be easily determined by the clothing you wear. In fact, its a punishable offense to wear colors, fabrics, and styles outside of your station. Many of those of lower stature don't even wear clothing."
"Sounds like a caste system," Taryn said. She tapped a finger against her mouth as her brow wrinkled a bit in thought. "Are Draco and I going to be considered part of your family?"
"I'm going to claim you both," Kieve said, "You'll be allowed to wear my personal family color, Ca'faoar, which is a cobalt blue shade. After Father claims Draco he will be allowed to wear the Imperial family color. Father's color is Silver. Depending on his favor and your standing you'll be offered something in a shade of silver. The color I'm allowed wear as his eldest favored son, and that Shui wears as my wife, is a pure metallic silver. The shades darken the further down the family 'totem pole' you are."
"I'm not surprised by the color choice," Draco said, nodding at Kieve's streaky silver hair before tugging a bit on his own metallic locks.
Kieve chuckled. "Yes, well, only direct offspring have the silver hair and eyes. It's really another indicator of your parentage. You'll see several people with the streaked hair, making it fairly easy to tell who your siblings are. You and I, as Father's part human children, get the short end of the stick with the whole birthright thing. His other children, most of them anyway, live in Selsenle and aren't part human. They don't have to deal with nearly dying at sixteen if they aren't acknowledged."
"Family is the umbrella under which all the other classes reside. There are four different Roaáas, or divisions, of Selsenle society. They are Sa'rcaom, Pmaos, Dooarom, and Caurarroao," said Shui, the foreign words rolling off of her tongue with ease. "Sa'rcoams are the warriors of the realm and the highest class. Both women and men are allowed to join this class if they show proper martial prowess. Pmaos are the scholars of the realm. Within the Pmoas class are the teachers, advisers and keepers of knowledge. Dooarom is the trade class. It is, of course, made of merchants and the like. They procure items from the human realm and trade with other Watcher realms. Caurarroao is the agriculture and labor class, and is mostly comprised of everyone else not of the three other classes. Kieve can tell you much more about the Sa'rcaoms."
"Being a prince of the realm didn't guarantee my entry to the Sa'rcoam rank," said Kieve. "It took me two years training before I was even considered as an applicant for Sa'rcoam training. Sa'rcoam training, after you are accepted, takes another three years."
Draco sat forward, his face colored with interest. "What kind of training?"
"It's as rigorous as the U.S. Special Forces, Spetsnaz, with a sprinkling of SAS. You also have to have magic," Kieve said, a completely serious look on his face. "Magic, in tune with bladed weapons, are used during warfare. Sa'rcoams are the most respected class because we maintain the safety of the realm. There is always the threat of in-fighting between the Watchers and so we always have to be ready. I doubt that I will ever be Emperor of Selsenle. Father can only be killed by another Watcher or the Creator. I have many duties as Crown Prince, but my most important job is not one that I was born to. I am my Father's Chief Strategic Adviser during times of war, a title that I worked extremely hard for. I had to work twice as hard as the other applicants because of my 'disadvantage' of being part human," Kieve said with a scowl. "I only gained the Chief Strategic Adviser title after I was able to manifest a flaming sword by will alone."
Taryn pushed back an inappropriate smile at the thought of Kieve wielding a light saber, asking a question instead. "Like the flaming swords in the bible?"
"Not really," Kieve said. "As the son of a fallen angel my sword isn't divine. Any sword I create will never have the impact of a sword wielded by an angel still in possession of the Creator's Grace, no matter what Kokobiel claims."
"I might be interested in training," Draco said, interrupting the conversation before Taryn could pull Kieve into a deep history lesson.
"Spend some time considering it," Kieve said, "but don't make any hard and fast decisions. I trained before I met and married Shui. I don't regret it, but it is something that has taken me away from my wife and children on more than one occasion."
0o0
"Its just this way," Shui said, turning down yet another lavish hallway. Taryn followed quietly behind her, her gaze lighting on the elegant paintings that graced the walls.
They finally stopped in front of a dark polished wooden door. The door opened into a small, circular room painted a soft, creamy white. There was a tiny table in the center. A clear, crystal vase sat in its center and was filled with blue flowers that perfumed the small space with a sweet, citrusy scent. Three doors painted the same soft white color stood opposite from the table.
"These our our closets, well the ones that hold the clothes that we wear when we aren't in this realm. The one to your left has garments that we wear in Selsenle. We do, of course, have more clothes in our home there as well. Since this is such an important visit, and I doubt that the men will be concerning themselves with this, I thought that you and I could take this time to choose proper garments," said Shui.
A brief knock sounded against the door before it opened, revealing a sleepy looking Ava. Ava's thick curly hair was pulled into a big high bun. She looked cool and comfortable in a clover green peasant skirt and a white lacy blouse. Her bare feet peeped from beneath the skirt, showing glittery green painted toes. "Morning Grammy, Taryn. Sorry I missed breakfast."
"That's okay," Shui said. "You didn't miss much. You already know the history lesson."
Ava yawned. "Do you think maybe Sera will bring me– "
Just then an elf wearing a little purple dress and matching hat popped into the room. "I have your doughnut and coffee miss," she said with a smile. A small table popped into being beside her and she sat the saucer containing the doughnut and the cup of steaming coffee on its smooth surface.
"Oh my God," Ava said, reaching over to take pick up the glazed doughnut, and taking a huge bite. "You're awesome Sera," she said, mumbling around a mouthful of bread.
The elf beamed. "Thank you miss. Call if you need anything else," she said before popping back out of the room.
"Mmmm," Ava said, sniffing the fragrant steam wafting over her coffee cup, before taking a sip. "Just enough cream and sugar."
Shui smiled at her granddaughter's obvious enjoyment. "Ava, I'll need you to help with our hair if you don't mind," she said. "Also you'll be staying here for this trip."
"What?" Ava's disappointment and the way her face dropped was almost comical, reminding Taryn of the sad faced dog from the cartoons she'd watched as a child.
"We'll need you to keep an eye on things here," Shui said, "and to alert the rest of the family if need be."
"Okay," Ava said with a frown. "You should get on with the clothing choices especially if you want me to do your hair. You know its going to take the most time. I trust magic only so far when it comes to hair."
Taryn turned to Shui, a brow risen in question.
"Ava does hair for a living," Shui said.
"For runway shows," Ava explained further. "I've learned to do hair quickly for the most part, but braiding you and Grammy's hair will take a while. You can't rush perfection," the girl finished with a smile.
Shui walked over to the door to Taryn's left, and motioned the other two girls into the walk-in closet.
Taryn had thought that Tracey was a clothes horse, but Shui had her beaten by miles. The 'closet' was circular, painted a pale mint color, with white crown molding. A bright crystal chandelier hung in the center of the white painted ceiling. The room had three levels. The first level was made of white painted drawers, interrupted by full length mirrors and vanities. In the center of the room was a round island with drawers lining its sides, larger at the bottom and slender and smaller at top. A round white couch surrounded it, providing additional seating for that particular level. The second level consisted entirely of shoes, and the third was a racks and racks of clothing and shelves of folded items. All of it was arranged according to color.
"That door to your immediate right is a full bath," Shui.
"Grammy's closet is awesome right?" Ava said. "I used to have so much fun playing dress up with my cousins in here."
"I can see how it would be fun," Taryn said, goggling at the sheer amount of clothes.
"Most of the clothing worn in Selsenle is rather...brief, due to the tropical climate," Shui said as Taryn and Ava followed her up the two short flights of stairs to the third level. "You'll wearing a thigh length skirt, with a halter type top. Over that a thin robe is worn. It's not really a cover up, so I hope you aren't overly modest."
Taryn's brow rose. "Will all my important bits be covered? I don't want to be gallivanting about showing it off to all and sundry."
Shui laughed. "You'll be covered as much as you would wearing a bikini, a little more than, I should say what with the bikini's girls wear now."
"Grammy, you were alive before they even had bathing suits. Even before they called them 'bathing costumes'," Ava said, laughing at her Grandmother's mock appalled look. "Grammy is almost as old as Gramps," Ava said by way of explanation.
"I kind of figured that," Taryn said, "since you were the Lady of the Lake."
"Psht," Shui said, "I was barely Lady of the Lake long enough to gift Arthur with Excalibur. I actually trained to be the Lady of the Lake far longer than I actually held the title."
"Really?" Taryn said, her nerd senses tingling. "That's how you met Kieve right? Through Arthur?"
"No, I met him before all that. Kieve made a pilgrimage to Avalon to receive a blessing, which was a tradition for magical folk at the time. We met when I was merely an initiate. At the time I barely gave him the time of day. He was so cocky and arrogant," Shui said, a fondness in her tone. "We were friends first. It wasn't until later that it developed into more. I had to give up the title to marry him. No Lady of the Lake is ever allowed to be married. Taking lovers is allowed, even encouraged, but marriage is a big no. The Order of the Lake is probably the oldest feminist organization on Earth. I'm still a member, but I can never again hold an office."
"That seems kind of sad," Taryn said.
"Its fine," Shui said. "When I fell in love with Kieve, when I realized how serious it was becoming, I made my peace with everything. I love my husband, children, and grandbabies. I wouldn't change a thing."
Shui walked over to a nearby rack, pulling what looked like a necklace of layered strings of beads from a hanger. "This is the top part of your outfit. Don't worry," she said at Taryn's wide eyed look, "the thin blue fabric behind the beads provides you with coverage."
She pulled down a white skirt. "The men wear bottoms much like this, just a bit longer, almost knee length. Both are held up with a belt," she said, producing a heavy looking blue metallic belt. "Under the skirt you get to wear small kickers, so you don't have to worry about flashing...well you know. Over everything you'll be wearing this," she said, pulling out a swath of semi-transparent blue fabric. "Its called a sufa. It rests over one shoulder, and clips onto your belt. Most of the 'status' of our clothing stems from the color and accessories. Your 'blouse' is also jewelry. Most go barefoot, but sandals are also worn. Your hair will be braided and decorated."
"What will you be wearing?" Taryn asked, looking doubtfully at the 'clothing' Shui had just described.
"The same thing, just in silver," Shui said. "The men have it easy. They get the kilt, belt, and sufa. They also wear arm cuffs. Metal ones for the rich, leather or braided fibers for the poor. The cuffs are also an easy way to ascertain rank."
"Come on," Ava said, reaching down to grasp Taryn's hand. "We need to get started on the hair. Its going to take the most time."
Ava let Taryn back downstairs. Taryn watched as the other girl pulled out her wand and spelled a hair dressers chair near the door to the bathroom. The other girl hurried to the bathroom, her large bun bouncing. She came back with a large pink case, opening it to pull out a spray bottle of sparkly gold liquid.
"This will give you shine and hold. You'll have to use a mild Scourgify to loosen the product before washing your hair. It keeps humidity and water from ruining your style until you're ready to get rid of it," Ava said, motioning Taryn into the chair.
A light vanilla and raspberry scent rose in the air after Ava sprayed the 'hair spray' in her hair.
"You have nice hair," Ava said, pulling a brush through the thick length. "This is going to be fun."
0o0
"Selsenle was created by Kokobiel many millenia ago. I'm not sure when exactly. It was obviously sometime around the event of man, after which many of the Watchers fell. It is from Kokobiel that we get our chief power. The power to will anything into being. We cannot, however, create realms ourselves. It seems that is a power that the Fallen keep for themselves," Kieve said, morning light streaming down through the high windows of the room, making the silver locks in both of the brother's hair gleam.
Kieve opened a cabinet, revealing row after row of exquisite swords. "You will be called to prove yourself in combat. Kokobiel respects warriors. If you prove yourself a worthy opponent then he will most likely grant you his acknowledgment. I hope you can fight with a sword brother, because it is quite possible that you'll be using one."
"I can handle myself," Draco said, pulling a katana with a deep red lacquered handle from its stand. He stepped back, checking the sword's balance, before moving through a series of fluid forms. He felt his emotions calm as he moved through the familiar stances. A small smile quirked on his lips.
"Hmm, you seem rather comfortable," Kieve said, a little relief in his voice. "I thought that you might be trained. How long have you fought with bladed weapon?"
"I began learning sword and knife fighting on my ninth birthday," Draco said. "A sword was the only gift I received from Lucius that day."
"Lucius Malfoy," Kieve said, nodding. He smirked at Draco's look. "You didn't think I had you investigated? You might be my brother, but I wouldn't have let you near family without knowing more about you first. I didn't realize that you would be so well trained. I can tell you are just from what you showed me. It is, after all, part of my job to recognize skill and potential in warriors." Kieve pulled another katana from its rack. "I think that we have some time before lunch to go through a few styles that you can expect to see from whoever you're paired against."
Draco simply nodded. "I'm ready when you are."
0o0
Draco, Kieve, and Seth were waiting in the small dining room; resisting the urge to build themselves sandwiches from the cold cuts, cheeses, bread, and fixings laid out on the sidebar against the wall as they waited for the women to arrive.
"How long does choosing clothes take?" Seth asked with a groan. "I'm starving."
Draco laughed. "I wouldn't say anything about how long it took if I were you. You don't want to get your head bitten off do you?"
Seth sighed, metallic golden eyes glinting in annoyance.
Draco would have known what the other man was even if Seth hadn't had the characteristic metallic features. It seemed that those of the blood were able to recognize each simply by touch. Draco had felt the buzz of power against his skin when the other man shook his hand. Not shaking hands, Kieve explained, was rudeness at best or grounds for a fight at worst. It told the other person that you didn't trust them enough to reveal yourself, or that you felt you were powerful enough that you didn't feel the need to declare yourself.
Seth was handsome like every other offspring of a Watcher. He had long black and gold streaked hair, pulled into order by a low braid that ended at the small of his back. His skin was an warm tan and his features were chiseled perfection.
The girls soon arrived, bringing with them a sweet scent of vanilla. The men all stood, waiting for the girls to get to the table.
Seth was staring at Ava, making the girl blush a little. "Tell me that this isn't Taryn," he said before anyone could make introductions. His eyes never moved from Ava, giving the girl a intense look from head to toe.
"No," said Taryn, moving to give Draco a kiss on the cheek. "I'm Taryn. You must be Seth?"
"Yes," Seth said, his eyes still on Ava.
Kieve cleared his throat. "You remember Shui, of course. This is Ava Saro-Wiwa my great-granddaughter," he finished with a glare at the other man.
Ava rolled her eyes at Kieve. "Nice to finally meet you Seth. I've heard many stories about you."
"You aught to have," Kieve said under his breath. "The man is centuries older than you."
"Gramps!" Ava said, embarrassment coloring her voice.
"Why don't we eat?" Shui said, motioning everyone over to the side bar. "I'm starving, aren't you honey?" she said to Kieve."
"Yeah," Kieve said grudgingly.
0o0
"Your hair is nice," Draco said. He waved his hands at Taryn's hair. "I like the braids and the...barrettes?" His eyes took in the braided side style and the fragrant blue flowers braided into Taryn's shining cinnamon hair.
"It looks nice," Taryn said, kicking off her shoes and socks, wriggling her suddenly free toes before falling back onto their bed, "but it took bloody forever." Draco took off his own shoes and socks before he slid onto the bed next to her. She turned on her side, propping her head on her hand to look at him. "Just wait until you see what I have to wear. You get it so easy. A kilt, armbands, and robe. I get beads and a few scraps of fabric."
"Shit! I really have to wear that bloody kilt?" Draco frowned. He had told her about the vision he'd had when he was ill. Seemed more like a premonition in retrospect.
"Hmmm, not really minding the thought of you in a kilt," Taryn said, leaning over to press a kiss against Draco's lips, feeling the frown melt away. "It sounds pretty sexy."
She giggled when he reached over to tickle her side, before gently pushing her onto her back. He eased over her and kissed the laughter from her lips. He nuzzled his nose against hers before pulling back slightly. "Taryn?"
"Yeah?" Her voice was suddenly hesitant at the serious look on his face.
Draco swallowed. "Tonight we're going to be leaving, going to a place that we barely know anything about and...shit...I can't tell you how glad I am that you'll be going with me," he stopped, his voice lowering to a whisper. "I know I said that I would tell you this when I was worthy but I guess I'm too selfish. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow and I just want you to know...that I love you. I fuckin' love you so much. I can't even breathe without you."
Taryn was biting her lip during his confession. Her arms rose to wrap around him, and she grinned. "I love you too Draco."
Draco smiled, his expression suddenly light. He leaned down again, touching his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss, light, but soon deepened with sensual promise. He drew back, pulling his tee over his head, and they both did that awkward dance of disrobing while in bed before lying back down.
"You're so gorgeous," he said, murmuring against her lips. His lips nibbled at hers teasingly, before deepening the kiss once more, his tongue twining with hers in passion.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing their bodies even closer, relishing the feel of his skin against hers. Her lips broke from his and she arched her back with a moan, rubbing her breasts against his chest.
He loosened her embrace, before leaning down to press hot kisses down the line of her throat. He touched her breasts lightly, circling around the nipples, smiling when they tightened in arousal. She stiffened as sparks of pleasure ran through her body, a mewl escaping her mouth. She made no effort to stifle her pleasured noises, she knew that they drove Draco wild.
Taryn sighed in pleasure, her eyes closing as Draco traced his fingertips lightly down her abdomen. He moved down, laying a kiss against her stomach, his warm lips seemed to leave a hot trail against her skin. He moved back up her body, his mouth blowing a warm breath over her left nipple, before drawing the taut bud into his mouth and softly sucking.
"Uhh," she gasped as she felt his tongue circle her nipple, before gently flicking against it. As his mouth moved over to the other nipple she felt his hand softly moving down her stomach tracing gentle circles as he went, and she parted her legs to allow him access.
His fingers circled around her clit, ripping another moan from her throat, before gliding down further to press inside her.
"Uhhh, oh Draco," she sighed, as two fingers skillfully glided in and out of her. Her hips began to dance, as she thrashed against the bed, pleasure building and building. "Oh my God. I'm gonna–" her sentence broke off and she gave a kittenish moan as she came, her body throbbing in delicious sensation.
"Fuck baby," Draco said, his mouth moving to claim hers.
Her legs widened, cradling his hips between them, and he positioned himself; poised at her entrance. He kissed her again. "I love you," he said, before gliding smoothly inside her.
Her hands moved gently up and down his back as he moved slowly inside of her, riding her with rolling rhythmic thrusts.
"Take me Draco," she moaned. "Its so...oh my God its so..." she broke off, arching her back as his movements quickened. Her breaths came in quick gasps as he pistoned within her body. Her nails began to scratch down his back, and she couldn't stop herself. Tension built higher and higher, coiling like a spring until it burst. "Ohhhhhh fuck," she wailed coming hard. "Don't stop...Don't stop," she came again, her body writhing under him. She shuddered as spasms of pleasure played through her body.
He felt her contracting around him, his body tensed and then he groaned, coming with a quiver.
For a moment they lay still, catching her breath, before he gently withdrew and pulled her close to him.
Suddenly he chuckled. "How the hell did you hair stay neat through all that?"
Taryn joined him in laughter.
0o0
Draco looked at Taryn's outfit with hot eyes, taking in everything. On the one hand, he absolutely loved the outfit, and wanted her to wear it again and again. On the other hand, other men would see it. He certainly didn't like that thought one bit.
The beaded top clung to her curves, the blue beads glinting in the light. The top fastened around her neck and back where a bra clasp would. The blue shimmery fabric behind the beads kept her modesty intact. A pure white thigh length skirt, held up by a chunky metallic blue belt circled her hips. Over that was a blue semi-transparent robe.
"Stop frowning," Taryn said, pecking his lips. "You don't see me getting a sour face over your outfit, and I know that they'll be women eying you. Inhumanly beautiful women."
Draco's outfit was the dreaded white kilt, but his belt was metallic blue as well, unlike the silver belt in his 'dream'. Blue armbands, made of the same material as the belt circled his muscular biceps. An opaque blue robe came over his shoulder and clasped to the belt. He also wore plain blue circlet, denoting his brothers favor.
They both wore blue gladiator sandals, Taryn's more delicate and feminine, that laced up their calves. They both still, of course, wore the silver torques.
"They can look," Draco said, "but you know who I'm coming home with."
Taryn smiled. "I do know. Come on, we have to hurry."
They apparated downstairs to the dining room, where Kieve said everyone would be waiting. The other couple was wearing silver versions of the outfit that they were wearing. Taryn's eyes spied the silver knotwork pattern that circled the couple's right wrists.
Seth stood next to them, dressed simply in a pair of jeans and a white shirt with boots, a satchel strap slung over one shoulder.
"Why aren't you dressed?" Draco asked.
"Because I'm not coming. I'm simply assisting with the ritual, then I'll be staying behind with Ava," Seth said with a grin.
Kieve looked anything but happy at this. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by his wife. "Just this way," Shui said, leading them through the kitchen and into the butler's pantry.
Kieve opened the door to the wine cellars, and they moved carefully down the narrow stone steps. The walked past shelf after shelf of wines before arriving at the rear of the room.
Draco was unsurprised when Kieve cut into his palm before placing it against the stone wall.
"Ya'aum La'mc a'rlrloacs iya'au a' a'no," Kieve said, his eyes closing in concentration.
The wall glowed blue for a moment, before a section dissolved revealing a circular archway.
As they walked through the archway, Taryn was surprised when her feet moved against the softness of green grass. Light, a warm golden light, shone down, diffused through the tops of green leafed trees. The sweet scent of apples was in the air, flowing around them in a light breeze, but it was the large stone circle directly before them that claimed her attention.
"That looks like–" she began.
"Stonehenge," Draco finished, "but complete."
Kieve laughed. "Stonehenge bloody wishes it was this. Stonehenge is a copy, a rather shoddy copy of a Ca'mragh, a tool used to draw upon the Earth's power. I don't even think that even one of us could use Stonehenge to travel. Its energy, what little it had in the beginning being made by humans, has been tampered with for centuries by curious visitors. This Ca'mragh was built by Seth and myself and has only been used by nephilim."
"Hmm," Taryn said. She made a mental note to question Kieve or Seth, whichever she could pin down, at length about the construction and uses of the Ca'mragh at a later date.
"Well, I guess we should get this show on the road," Seth said, striding across the lawn into the center of the Ca'mragh.
Draco watched as the other man pulled out several white pillar candles, handing them to both Kieve and Shui to arrange in a smaller circle within the henge. They lit the candles, and the candles began to let off a heavy fruity scent.
"Here," Kieve said, handing Draco a piece of heavy paper upon which was a phrase of phonetically written Ta'ghauos.
Draco read it a few times before trying it out, Kieve correcting his mistakes several times before he got it correct. "Shit, I'm glad this phrase isn't long," he said irritably.
Seth laughed. "You tell him how lucky he is Kieve? You got the scaled down version." Seth dug into the satchel he wore, pulling out a heavy silver goblet and handing it to Kieve.
Kieve sliced into his palm once more allowing thick drops to plop into the cup. Draco was handed an athame from Seth and quickly slashed his palm, mingling his own blood with his brothers. Kieve healed his hand, and then the cup was passed back and forth, each brother taking a swallow, until it was empty.
"We need to sit in a circle, hands clasped," Kieve said. They sat down on the 'sun' warmed grass, and clasped hands. "Taryn, you and Shui will need to remain quiet, but please concentrate on helping us connect with Selsenle. Your magic won't help us travel realms, but the intent will. Seth will be outside our circle, lending his strength to the ritual. He will be circling our circle, keeping his eyes open for problems. He can assist if something should go wrong."
"Now, Draco repeat after me. Kokobiel, Erlnoma'm a'r Selsenle, La'mc a'r nroaos, Pmao a'r Soams, ghmoa aus omiy," Kieve said.
After a few sentences their cadence matched each others perfectly.
Draco felt almost dizzy as the air grew close, perfumed with the cloying scent of the candles. He closed his eyes against the sensation. It sounded like the ocean was in his ears, loud and roaring, blocking out his brother's voice, and still...he chanted.
The world seemed to pull taut, before loosening. Suddenly the grass below him grew hard, and he clutched at Taryn's hand. The hardness grew cooler, and damp. He was sitting on stone.
He slowly opened his eyes, blinking as they got used to the dim light of a cavern.
Translations
Ya'aum La'mc a'rlrloacs iya'au a' a'no – Your Lord commands you to open.
Kokobiel, Erlnoma'm a'r Selsenle, La'mc a'r nroaos, Pmao a'r Soams, ghmoa aus omiy – Kokobiel, Emperor of Selsenle, Lord of planets, Prince of Stars, grant us entry.