"Yeah." the magus responds, wheels turning in her head. "Based on the answer to Rhadaya's question, there's nothing guarding the chamber upstairs. Other than possibly traps it may be a simple matter of inserting the statues. Maybe some of us can go up and do that while the others stay with Fea and help her get her bearings."
Fae devours the rations quickly though with much less ferocity than Lea had the first time she had ate. She steals a few glances at the other tieflings occasionally, trying to figure out which was supposed to be Cyna. "Thank you. I feel much better now, what are you doing here anyway?" She asks.
She shrugs, unsure of what to do now she looks at Sadhana an expression of fear and anxiety on her face. "We still don't know anything about this tower. Like how far it is to the top, or what nasty things wait for us on the other floors. Maybe Cyna and Lea can stay with her? I've got the statues in the bag...I just...I can't think right now. Our families are there...our friends and our friends families too....Pirates...crazy Anizari rouge bi+<hes....how are we supposed to stop all that? We can't....we just can't....it's too much...just too much...." She stammers before feeling suddenly dizzy.
Rushing to catch Arista before she falls she looks at Fae, "We're here to restart the tower of Order." She says as she grabs a hold of Arista and looks at her, "See...this right here is why I said you needed to rest. All of this is taking a really big toll on you and the baby....you can't keep doing this Arista." She says in a no nonsense tone.
"I think a moment alone might be for the best, I can catch up quickly if you find trouble." Cyna suggests after a little consideration.
Lea looks at Cyna. "You want me to stay too?"
Her eyes shimmering with tears she pulls away from Tesia, "Don't you ever tell me what I can and can't do...just don't. That crazy lying <un+ locked me away in a shard for over FIVE HUNDRED years and I lost EVERYTHING! When I woke up my whole life was just gone and for what? Some stupid twisted game that she had set in motion? My home, my family....my life was gone as if it never existed and you just want me to relax while I'm about to lose a whole bunch of other people that I love and care about? What little is left of my family? Alethiro's family? My sweet little Celine who I've hardly had any time with? Just how many damn people do I have to lose?! NO!! I will not relax and take it easy....we are going to finish this and then we are going to kill every last person that dares harm a hair on the head of anyone that I love. If it means wiping out an entire race...then so be it." She says as hot angry tears fall from her eyes and her shoulders heave up and down with every ragged breath she takes.
Tesia takes an involuntary step back while putting her hands up in a defensive posture, "It's okay Arista....I'm sorry....but you're not the only one that has lost things, we all have. I know that you're angry and hurting right now, but I don't tell you things to hurt you. Getting upset like this isn't going to help you or your baby...try to take a few deep breaths and calm down. We can't be everywhere at once but we'll do the best that we can and deal with things one at a time okay? You can't just decide to exterminate an entire race because there are a few crazy chickens in the hen house....know what I mean?" She talks in a slow and quiet calming tone as she tries to reason with the irate warpriestess.
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Sādhanā strides over to Arista, giving the bristling Rhadaya a look as she does that forestalls her angry reaction. Gently she rests her hand on the aasimar's shoulder. "Breathe Arista. She didn't mean it that way. We're going to make it through this. You're not going to lose them. We aren't going to let that happen, but if you keep pushing you could risk losing your new little girl before you ever get to meet her. She's just looking out for your best interest." she says pulling her sister in for a hug.
"I know it seems like everything's against us, but we and the best place for you to be to keep your family safe is in the midst of them. No one's saying you need to pick up knitting and put down your sword. Just cutting back on the world hopping and giving your family a chance to actually feel like a family is all."
The iar in the room begins to stir as an angry expression crosses Rhadaya's face as she sees her wife recoil from Arista's verbal onslaught. The look that the towering Sādhanā gives her, coupled with Tes' maintained calm hold back her retort, but she subconscious move over to where Tes stands resting a hand on the small of her back.
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Cyna shrugs. "If you'd like. You're now a part of our family too right?" She asks.
Alethiro was at a bit of a loss for what was transpiring in front of him, and with the news of the Anazari moving on Valwick, his concern clearly shown on his face. His question came to him and he blurted it out with no thought beforehand. ”Will activating the Tower protect Valiwick from the Anazari?”
Arista sags against Sadhana as she's hugged and cries out all her anger, frustration, and fear. After gulping in some air she says, "I...I'm sorry....I know....I just feel like I'm drowning and...there's nothing I can do. It's just....too much right now. I'm sorry...." She chokes out in between sobs.
I know it is, and I understand. We're all a little scared, because I'll telly you what, this.....all of this....it's too much for any one of us. But we're not alone, hon. None of us are. And that's what we have that they don't. We're in this together. We have each other so none of us has to be at our strongest all of the time. It may be too much for you, or me or any of us, but it's not too much for US." the magus says comfortingly. "It's ok to be scared. The only people who are never scared have nothing to lose, nothing worth losing
She takes a few ragged breaths as she stays held in the magus's arms, "I...know you're all my.....family too. I didn't mean....for it to sound like you weren't. I....I'm sorry I snapped....I didn't mean to....I just lost it. I know you're right....you all are....it's just hard sometimes." She says as her shaking starts to calm down as her family talks to her.
Tesia puts a comforting arm around Rhy and let's her wife know she's okay. Arista needed this release and she knew it. She could see it building for a while as the warpriestess usually kept all her feelings bottled up. If she was the catalyst that helped her release those harmful negative emotions, she was okay with that. Taking a step forward she says, "Its okay Arista....it's okay for you to be scared and angry and frustrated, it's even okay for you to express them. Just don't let them rule you. You don't have to hide your feelings from us, we're all here to help each other and we'll help you get through this if you let us. We just care about you and your baby too much to let you do whatever you want....risks be damned. Sometimes being a friend means being able to tell someone the truth even when they don't want to hear it. We just want you both to be safe....okay? We aren't trying to be mean." She says gently as she tries to comfort Arista in her own way.
She nods as she continues to cry on Sadhana's shoulder, "I....I'm sorry. I don't mean to be bad....I don't mean to say bad things. I'm so sorry....I'm so sorry." She says as her body just seems to lean against Sadhana as she feels her strength leave her.
"Family, huh..." Lea muses.
"The Anizari are immune to the effects of the Tower, despite their intentions," the spirit answers.
Ylrhea finally thinks of a question. "Where are the kytons?"
"At the bottom of the Tower, defending the Shard of the Sky which allows them passage into this world," the spirit answers. "The Shard is in Vencious' laboratory."
"Figures he had a laboratory..." Ylrhea sighs.
"It's not bad, there's nothing bad about feeling. It's what keeps us in touch with reality. With all the power we've been granted it's our attachment to the people we love that reminds us that we're mortal and makes us fight to protect them." Sādhanā says gently rubbing Arista's back as she holds her. "You never have to apologize for having feelings, especially not with us."
Taking a step closer she puts a gentle hand on Arista's back as well, "She's right....you're not bad for having these feelings and there's nothing wrong with you for having them. You are simply having a normal reaction to a stressful and slightly awful situation...that's all, it doesn't make you a bad person Arista." She turns her head to give Alethiro a scathing look. You would think of all people that her own husband would be able to tell when his wife was having a complete meltdown and be able to at least comfort her. She hoped for Arista and their children's sake that he made a better father than he did a husband.
She nods slightly, "I...I just don't know what I'm feeling most of the time. I try to....to turn everything off so I can....concentrate on what has to be done....but that doesn't seem to be going well. Nothing about this feels "normal"....I feel like....like I'm going crazy."
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She laughs a little, but not in a mean way. Smiling at Arista she says, "You're not crazy honey....you're pregnant and this really is normal. I'd be more worried if you weren't having all these feelings and calm as a cucumber all the time. That would scare me to all nine hells to be perfectly honest. Someone would have to be inhuman to go through as much hell as you've been through and not have this kind of reaction to that news. You're okay...believe me."
"You're not. You're pregnant and we've been through a lot," Ylrhea reminds Arista. The gnome chuckles at her and Tesia's similar answer.
She closes her eyes as she tries to stop crying, "O-o-okay." She says as her breathing almost starts to slow and the hiccups start. Looking around she says, "I...I'm s-s-orry I wasted so much time, I think we should g-get going."
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"Are they always like this?" Fae asks carefully. She pulls herself to her feet feeling heavy and weaker than she was used to, but at least whatever magics had dropped her here someone had the mind to provide her with clothing.
"Usually," Ylrhea answers.
Lea notices Fae's unsteadiness. "It will take some time, but you'll get used to your body."
She tries to get control of herself so Sadhana doesn't have to worry about her falling or anything, "That's why I try so hard to keep my feelings to myself."
"You are who you are, Arista," Ylrhea says. "No need to cover it up."
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She nods, "Okay..." She takes a deep breath, "Okay...okay....let's cut all the feeling crap and go get this thing started back up because I'm feeling the serious need to kill some a$$holes." She says feeling more like her old self after purging a lot of the feelings and thoughts that had been bothering her for a while that she had shoved down deep inside of herself.
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"Now it sounds like the usual." Cyna answers with a smile.
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"I like the usual," Lea remarks.
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"You bottle it up too much it gets to be unbearable. Sometimes you just need a good cry." Sadhana adds "And sometime you just need to kill a lot of bastards." she finishes with a grin.
She nods, "Yup...and sometimes I can do both...just not at the same time. I can't gut people while bawling my eyes out, it just wouldn't be practical. Thanks though....for everything. You always seem to know what to say....you too Tesia....sorry I blew up, thanks for putting up with my volatile ass. Now let's go get this thing turned on and kick some evil butt." She says as she pulls back from Sadhana after giving her a light hug to let her know she's really okay now.
"Sounds like a plan," Ylrhea says, heading to the door opposite the one you entered from.
"We'll wait here with Fae," Lea says, exchanging a glance with Cyna.
"Alrighty then, we'll be back." She says as she follows Ylrhea.
She just smiles at Arista and nods her head before giving her wife a light squeeze and following the others to the door. She wondered if Arista knew how lucky she was to have these people in her life. They were all like one big family.
Smiling, Rhadaya leans her head a gainst Tes for a moment, happy that her wife was substantially more level headed than she was. Her nurturing nature was one of the things she loved most about her. That and she was about a thousand times more patient than Rhadaya herself.
With a small smile she followers up the spiral staircase.
Leaving the three tieflings behind, the rest of the group ascends the stairway. After leaving the spirit's abode, there seems to be no more rooms until you reach the highest point of the tower. One grueling climb later, you stand before a door that has a relief of the heavens carved into it. You see figures of some of the gods carved into the door with several empty slots.
As Rhy leans her head against Tesia, she leans her head down and kisses Rhy on her forehead, "I love you."
Taking the two boxes of statues out Arista looks at them trying to figure out where they go, "So...anyone have any idea how this crazy puzzle works. I'm not so good at these."
"I love you too baby." Rhadaya whispers back basking in the spontaneous moment.