Finding Tris, Again
Jun. 29th, 2012 07:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unfinishedtalesDaxutlan flew with her to the edge of astatl, where the water lapped and vanished into the consuming blackness. Izi built a steamship there. "Can you play for them?" Izi asked the bard. "Something they'll hear. Tell them it's safe."
"I will try." Daxutlan began to play, a haunting melody that carried over the water -- and into the void, Izi hoped. The music was full of sorrow and regret, but the bard did not sing; the message remained unspoken.
Minutes passed. Izi yelled, "Tristan! Come back! I need you!"
More minutes trickled by. Izi was about to move the boat and check somewhere else along the wall of darkness, when a naked man stumbled out of the void and onto the deck of her craft. "Finally. Have to -- " Izi started to say. Then vines rose from the sea, dripping over the rail to engulf Tris's body.
The human yelped and struggled in the vines. "Izi!" One dark-skinned hand reached out of the green net of tangling plants and towards her. Izi jumped for it -- but her fingers closed on air.
"Tris!" Izi screamed, as the net of vines collapsed around nothing.
Daxutlan's eyebrows rose. "She really did need him quickly."
Izi whirled on him. "What have you done to my brother?"
"Nothing, my First." Daxutlan raised his hands in a gesture of placation. "Lady Summer -- "
A massive ball of clay struck the Goi bard squarely in the chest, interrupting him and knocking him into the rail. He doubled over, wheezing.
"Bring him back." Mayswaul stood nude at the prow of the ship, her mouth twisted in a snarl. She gestured with one hand, and a giant clay cage formed around Daxutlan. "Bring him back now."
Daxutlan slid to his knees inside the cage, fighting for breath and raising a hand for patience.
"Don't think he took him," Izi said.
"Then who did? Nehwaul? I swear I'll make her pay. Was not casting us out enough?" Mayswaul advanced on Daxutlan like an angel of War.
Daxutlan shook his head vehemently. "Lady Summer," he wheezed. "Took him to the World."
Mayswaul looked at Izi. Izi shrugged.
"Same way ... Weaver went." Daxutlan drew a deep breath, wincing. "Remember?"
Mayswaul covered her mouth. "You did go back to the World?" she asked Izi.
Izi nodded.
Mayswaul's red-brown skin darkened in a flush. She waved a hand, and the ceramic cage collapsed to either side of Daxutlan. "I'm sorry. I -- just -- I thought -- "
The Goi bard put a hand on the rail and pulled himself to his feet, waving off Mayswaul's apology. She rushed over to help him to one of the ship's benches.
"What do we do now?" Izi asked.
Daxutlan sat down heavily and gave an elaborate shrug. "I have no idea. Normally that would be up to you, First."
"Why'd you keep calling me that?"
Daxutlan managed a smile, recovering his wind. "You are Summer's First-Chosen. She picked you to return to the World to aid her. Aloi is clearly gone from her service. So. You are First now."
Izi exchanged glances with Mayswaul. The Goi girl shrugged too, then sat down with her knees drawn up to her chest and her ankles crossed, by way of modesty.
"Could you explain that more?" Izi asked.
The bard nodded. He shrugged out of his vest and handed it wordlessly to Mayswaul, then leaned back with his eyes closed. He rested his head against the steel wall of the steamboat's engine room. "Aloi was the first mortal whom Lady Summer ever Chose for her service. She also selected him, typically, for service in the World. We agreed, long ago, that this made him First among those of us in astatl. From time to time, he would return to astatl, that another might serve the Lady in the World. But he was still her first-chosen. When Lady Summer took you into the World, we argued over what had happened. Some doubted the evidence of their own eyes. They thought Lady Summer must have destroyed you, because they could not believe that Aloi had been banished, as he must have been else he would have returned to astatl when another was taken to the World. Or perhaps they could not accept that Lady Summer might Choose a human to represent her in the World. Whatever the case, the Lady's will is clear enough now."
"Oh." Izi thought about that. She took a seat on the bench against the engine compartment, next to Daxutlan. The water lapped at the ship's hull, sending it drifting closer to the Void. "Is it? I thought she just picked me as the right person for that moment. I don't think it means she wants me in charge." The idea that someone, never mind a goddess, might put her in charge was disturbing.
Daxutlan blinked, turning his head to look at Izi. After a moment, he said, "No. It had better be you in charge. If it's anyone else -- say, Yuanastlon -- we're headed straight back to war."
"Why can't it be you?" Izi complained. "You don't want to fight."
"Because most of the humans will not trust me." Daxutlan produced a lap harp, and began to strum. "Shall we get back to shore, or did you want to tour the Void for yourself?" The hull on the port side brushed against the wall of darkness, and began to dissolve.
Izi jumped to her feet, reinforcing the ship with a thought. "All right, fine, let's go back. But nobody trusts me."
"I will try." Daxutlan began to play, a haunting melody that carried over the water -- and into the void, Izi hoped. The music was full of sorrow and regret, but the bard did not sing; the message remained unspoken.
Minutes passed. Izi yelled, "Tristan! Come back! I need you!"
More minutes trickled by. Izi was about to move the boat and check somewhere else along the wall of darkness, when a naked man stumbled out of the void and onto the deck of her craft. "Finally. Have to -- " Izi started to say. Then vines rose from the sea, dripping over the rail to engulf Tris's body.
The human yelped and struggled in the vines. "Izi!" One dark-skinned hand reached out of the green net of tangling plants and towards her. Izi jumped for it -- but her fingers closed on air.
"Tris!" Izi screamed, as the net of vines collapsed around nothing.
Daxutlan's eyebrows rose. "She really did need him quickly."
Izi whirled on him. "What have you done to my brother?"
"Nothing, my First." Daxutlan raised his hands in a gesture of placation. "Lady Summer -- "
A massive ball of clay struck the Goi bard squarely in the chest, interrupting him and knocking him into the rail. He doubled over, wheezing.
"Bring him back." Mayswaul stood nude at the prow of the ship, her mouth twisted in a snarl. She gestured with one hand, and a giant clay cage formed around Daxutlan. "Bring him back now."
Daxutlan slid to his knees inside the cage, fighting for breath and raising a hand for patience.
"Don't think he took him," Izi said.
"Then who did? Nehwaul? I swear I'll make her pay. Was not casting us out enough?" Mayswaul advanced on Daxutlan like an angel of War.
Daxutlan shook his head vehemently. "Lady Summer," he wheezed. "Took him to the World."
Mayswaul looked at Izi. Izi shrugged.
"Same way ... Weaver went." Daxutlan drew a deep breath, wincing. "Remember?"
Mayswaul covered her mouth. "You did go back to the World?" she asked Izi.
Izi nodded.
Mayswaul's red-brown skin darkened in a flush. She waved a hand, and the ceramic cage collapsed to either side of Daxutlan. "I'm sorry. I -- just -- I thought -- "
The Goi bard put a hand on the rail and pulled himself to his feet, waving off Mayswaul's apology. She rushed over to help him to one of the ship's benches.
"What do we do now?" Izi asked.
Daxutlan sat down heavily and gave an elaborate shrug. "I have no idea. Normally that would be up to you, First."
"Why'd you keep calling me that?"
Daxutlan managed a smile, recovering his wind. "You are Summer's First-Chosen. She picked you to return to the World to aid her. Aloi is clearly gone from her service. So. You are First now."
Izi exchanged glances with Mayswaul. The Goi girl shrugged too, then sat down with her knees drawn up to her chest and her ankles crossed, by way of modesty.
"Could you explain that more?" Izi asked.
The bard nodded. He shrugged out of his vest and handed it wordlessly to Mayswaul, then leaned back with his eyes closed. He rested his head against the steel wall of the steamboat's engine room. "Aloi was the first mortal whom Lady Summer ever Chose for her service. She also selected him, typically, for service in the World. We agreed, long ago, that this made him First among those of us in astatl. From time to time, he would return to astatl, that another might serve the Lady in the World. But he was still her first-chosen. When Lady Summer took you into the World, we argued over what had happened. Some doubted the evidence of their own eyes. They thought Lady Summer must have destroyed you, because they could not believe that Aloi had been banished, as he must have been else he would have returned to astatl when another was taken to the World. Or perhaps they could not accept that Lady Summer might Choose a human to represent her in the World. Whatever the case, the Lady's will is clear enough now."
"Oh." Izi thought about that. She took a seat on the bench against the engine compartment, next to Daxutlan. The water lapped at the ship's hull, sending it drifting closer to the Void. "Is it? I thought she just picked me as the right person for that moment. I don't think it means she wants me in charge." The idea that someone, never mind a goddess, might put her in charge was disturbing.
Daxutlan blinked, turning his head to look at Izi. After a moment, he said, "No. It had better be you in charge. If it's anyone else -- say, Yuanastlon -- we're headed straight back to war."
"Why can't it be you?" Izi complained. "You don't want to fight."
"Because most of the humans will not trust me." Daxutlan produced a lap harp, and began to strum. "Shall we get back to shore, or did you want to tour the Void for yourself?" The hull on the port side brushed against the wall of darkness, and began to dissolve.
Izi jumped to her feet, reinforcing the ship with a thought. "All right, fine, let's go back. But nobody trusts me."
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