Ryleh has great difficulty getting her telepathy through the cocoon, and when it comes, Phaezeriel's mental voice sounds broken and exhausted, and seems to be coming from very far away.
::trying, Lady .. trying not to be .. something evil .. blood is so strong::
As he speaks, chaotic swirls of red and silver dance across the surface of the cocoon.
::You are more than your blood,:: she said crisply, not willing to take any excuses as she puts her hand on the cocoon and sends a strong pulse of psychic energy to Phaezeriel. ::And I am tired of losing students to their own natures.::
Ryleh can tell that her efforts are bolstering Phaezeriel, both because the chaotic fluctuations across the cocoon seem to be slowing and the red fades out of it leaving only black and silver, and because his mental voice comes stronger; however, there is a sensation left in her mind that is akin to the film left on fingers after they reach into water that has oil on top of it.
::Thank you Lady. I know I am more than blood. That is why I fight. I fight my heritage every day, but when it is surging like this it is so much harder to fight. I fear I may have been lost without your help.::
As Ryleh continues to pour energy into Phaezeriel, for she can now sense his mind in the center of it as he grows stronger, the chaotic spiky surface of the cocoon calms and becomes oily smooth with swirling patterns of silver. The psychic tension and angry telepathic muttering fade slowly to nothing.
"Not to be a downer, but there's a possibility that your other half is dead or dying. We don't know for sure. The sooner we sort all of this out the better the chances for a happy outcome, in my opinion. And never trust a disembodied voice. That's just good sense," she said crisply, trying to bury fears under intense practicality.
Oniero just nods somberly.
"I didn't want to say anything, but... yeah."
"Well, that's a reassuring profile."
"Alright, what do we do now? Khassar's suggestion about trying to use dreams to find the book is a good one, but now we have to decide who stands guard and who naps. And I'm not even going to try to unravel that rhyme."
"I can't sleep, and Jeran doesn't like mind mind magic like onieromancy, so it would have to be you and Khasser."
Ryleh can tell that her efforts are bolstering Phaezeriel, both because the chaotic fluctuations across the cocoon seem to be slowing and the red fades out of it leaving only black and silver, and because his mental voice comes stronger; however, there is a sensation left in her mind that is akin to the film left on fingers after they reach into water that has oil on top of it.
::Thank you Lady. I know I am more than blood. That is why I fight. I fight my heritage every day, but when it is surging like this it is so much harder to fight. I fear I may have been lost without your help.::
As Ryleh continues to pour energy into Phaezeriel, for she can now sense his mind in the center of it as he grows stronger, the chaotic spiky surface of the cocoon calms and becomes oily smooth with swirling patterns of silver. The psychic tension and angry telepathic muttering fade slowly to nothing.
::Well, then it is good that I came to investigate. I apologize for not coming sooner, but I have been dealing with another urgent matter until now.::
There is a constant undercurrent of calm beneath her words and her mental energy.
"Not to be a downer, but there's a possibility that your other half is dead or dying. We don't know for sure. The sooner we sort all of this out the better the chances for a happy outcome, in my opinion. And never trust a disembodied voice. That's just good sense," she said crisply, trying to bury fears under intense practicality.Oniero just nods somberly.
"I didn't want to say anything, but... yeah."
"I can't sleep, and Jeran doesn't like mind mind magic like onieromancy, so it would have to be you and Khasser.""Well, that's a reassuring profile."
"Alright, what do we do now? Khassar's suggestion about trying to use dreams to find the book is a good one, but now we have to decide who stands guard and who naps. And I'm not even going to try to unravel that rhyme."
She sighed. "I knew it was a bad idea having me as the only chaperone."
"Alright, well, I suppose that means we have to make camp. I can make a paper hut which should keep us relatively safe..."
She sighed. "I knew it was a bad idea having me as the only chaperone."
"Alright, well, I suppose that means we have to make camp. I can make a paper hut which should keep us relatively safe..."
"If Khasser is right, we need to find out where to sleep first, and that might be the place the dweomercats are guarding. The futher we move into the jungle, the more things try to stop us, so it makes some sense."
"Peachy. I'm so looking forward to it."
She picked up her arrow. "Find dweomercats."
"What? It worked to find you. It's at least worth a shot."
"There is only one me though." Oniero says as he watches the arrow go spastic.
"Well, I was hoping they were all in a group. It would have made things easier. Umm...given the current behavior of that arrow...exactly how high do you think the chances are that they've surrounded us?"
"There were enough of them..." He replies as he risks a glance into the jungle. "We could have trouble if they all decided to rush us."
A surging ripple of silver floods out from one end of the cocoon causing it to grow. This process repeats several times until the cocoon is twice the size as when it started. When it stops, the cocoon is mostly silver with oily black designs swirling across it. Phaezeriel's voice comes through sounding tired, but not exhausted.
::I have the evil in here contained and separate from me, I think I will be okay now. I appreciate your help, I could not have done it without you.::
Wakes up, and kips up and looks around before asking...
"What is it?"
Wakes up, and kips up and looks around before asking...
"What is it?"
"It's cold. Not a little chilly. COLD. Very unseasonably cold. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't seen your breath making puffs of steam in the air. She's coming," Nala said, pacing back and forth, agitated.
A surging ripple of silver floods out from one end of the cocoon causing it to grow. This process repeats several times until the cocoon is twice the size as when it started. When it stops, the cocoon is mostly silver with oily black designs swirling across it. Phaezeriel's voice comes through sounding tired, but not exhausted.
::I have the evil in here contained and separate from me, I think I will be okay now. I appreciate your help, I could not have done it without you.::
::Very well. I am glad I was able to be of assistance. If you are done metamorphosing in time I'm having a meeting to discuss the other problem I've been dealing with in about three hours. Don't feel bad if you can't make it. Being inside a cocoon is an excellent excuse. I hope that the rest of the transformation goes more smoothly fo you.::
Ryleh stepped back from the cocoon. "I believe that should make your work environment more pleasant. Now please stop sniping at each other. It's not becoming," she said to the bemused healers as she left.
"There were enough of them..." He replies as he risks a glance into the jungle. "We could have trouble if they all decided to rush us."
"Then I strongly suggest we all prepare for trouble. The arrow is getting even more agitated. I don't think this means anything good for us."
"Do we need to leave? Who is it?" He says still somewhat sleep addled
she yelled, turning to face him.
"Of course we can't leave! This is the only place I even stand a chance and even then I'm not sure....I'm not sure that the school's defenses will stand up to my - my mother," she said, her voice cracking as she tried to rein in her terror.
The snapping waes him up...and he frowns
"No, I meant the room. Like to get faculty help. To not be caught in a tiny bedroom..."
"Oh." She blushes. "Sorry."
"Yeah, we need to go talk to the Headmaster. She's not here yet. We probably still have hours at least....oh no. The operation. I was supposed to be studying to perform it...he doesn't have the time to wait for me to sort out my personal problems!"
After getting the message Enre goes to Aananda's laboratory to wait bringing a book to read to pass the time.
As Ryleh leaves, she can sense Phaezeriel withdrawing even that small portion of his attention that allowed him to speak to her. As he does, she can feel a deep gratitude that nothing short of telepathy can express.
"When was the operation supposed to happen? Umm, I think all parties involved would rather you could perform the operation, meaning you were safe...lets go talk to headmaster Ryo while that's still an option."
"Right. That's what we should do. Okay, let's go," she said, completely unaware of her disheveled appearance. It was the first time he'd ever seen her not totally put together. She picked up Vasya from her burrow in the bedclothes and headed for the door practically running to get to the office.
Professor Adsila bursts out of the Headmaster's Office and blows right past Nala and Ryuozu, mumbling something about not letting some frosty &%^$@ ruin her gardens and how the flame petals were a good idea after all.
Nala almost stopped her headlong rush, but decided against it as she burst into the Headmaster's office before the door had a chance to close.
"Headmaster! The Winter Queen...she's coming here. WIthin a few hours I think..." she sounded panicked.
"We figured that out." The Headmaster replies. "I assume you know why she is coming then? Please calm down and tell me what you know."
"She's coming for me," she said in a small frightened voice, tears rolling down her cheeks and freezing into ice crystals that shattered as they hit the floor. "She's my mother."
"Once let into the school, a student is under my protection, even if that means I must protect them from their own family. I won't even let her on the grounds if you wish."
"Then I strongly suggest we all prepare for trouble. The arrow is getting even more agitated. I don't think this means anything good for us."
"As smart as they are? I'd be surprised if they weren't the cause behind all the trouble we've been having." Oniero takes several sheafs of circular paper from his pack and tosses them into the air, where they fill with air and light until they look like small paper stars. "Form a half-circle ahead of us and fire upon any tiger that looks decidedly fey-like. It's standard strategy otherwise."
The lanterns bob in the air and form the half-circle as requested.
"Jeran, can you follow our scent back to the river? We can get back on the right track there. We need to move pretty fast though."
Nala nodded. "As a parent, on a scale of 1 to 10, she comes in at a -8. But only because I ran away before she could get worse. She....I can't tell you why she wants me. I don't want to talk about it again. Please, don't let her take me. She'll kill me this time. After...." she shook her head, unable to continue.
"It's not a problem," Jeran growled. "We left enough of a trail, scent is hardly necessary."
Ori climbed back on her paper tiger which was still waiting for her.
"Would you like to ride as well, Oneiro? It will certainly allow us to move more quickly."
"She won't take you." Ryo says with confidence. "Professor Agave alone is angry enough to bring her power to bear against your mother."
Ori climbed back on her paper tiger which was still waiting for her.
"Would you like to ride as well, Oneiro? It will certainly allow us to move more quickly."
Oniero eyes the tiger critically.
"I think I'll fly. I've had just about enough of magic tigers today."
Ori climbed back on her paper tiger which was still waiting for her.
"Would you like to ride as well, Oneiro? It will certainly allow us to move more quickly."
Oniero eyes the plane critically.
"If you can keep the plane together, I'll handle any aerial threats that are sent our way."
"She won't take you." Ryo says with confidence. "Professor Agave alone is angry enough to bring her power to bear against your mother."
"It's never that simple with her. She's tricky. She won't attack with power. Especially since she doesn't currently have a knight. That's why she wants me back. It's...Ryuzo can explain the details." Nala sat down, shaking.
Ori climbed back on her paper tiger which was still waiting for her.
"Would you like to ride as well, Oneiro? It will certainly allow us to move more quickly."
Oniero eyes the tiger critically.
"I think I'll fly. I've had just about enough of magic tigers today."
She shrugged. "Your call, but the flying creatures around here are nothing to be trifled with. Fair warning."
"It's never that simple with her. She's tricky. She won't attack with power. Especially since she doesn't currently have a knight. That's why she wants me back. It's...Ryuzo can explain the details." Nala sat down, shaking.
"If it bothers you this much, I'd much rather here about what you think will stop her."
"If I knew that I wouldn't be so scared. I've been looking for a loophole in the laws since I got here. I knew she'd find me eventually. The Summer Queen might help, but in her own way she's just as bad as the Winter Queen. I wouldn't want to owe her a favor. Or consider what chaos the fey will end up in if she finds out about any of this."
"Basically the way things are right now, as long as I exist the fey are out of balance."
"Explain why your existence throws the fey out of balance, if you can. That may be the key to keeping you safe."
"Because I'm the Winter Princess. As long as I'm alive she can't have another princess. And without the princess there can't be a Knight. And I won't...not again...please.." she sobbed.
She shrugged. "Your call, but the flying creatures around here are nothing to be trifled with. Fair warning."
"I think I might be a bit better at melee combat then you, but thanks for the warning. Oniero says as paper wings spout from his back. "Lead the way for those of us who are less then wilderness savvy, Jeran."