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Do we have to go, Sissy? This place could make us disappear. Krz' voice briefly echoes in Kallik's etheral thoughts, then he retreats back to Qizzlvutz' scythe.
A windchime of ooos and ahhs flood the air with appreciation, along with a smattering of applause for Gabriel's transformation. The sounds seem to be coming vaguely from Abnaki's direction.
Krz weeps in the background as well, the pain of being separated from all of you at various times pouring out of him like musical crystalline isolation.
"About ten thousand years, I think. That was a long dream." Krz seems to be speaking from Qizzlvutz's strange scythe these days, but it is difficult to tell for certain.
Qizzlvutz, the axe replies, "Yes, and you are the mushroom-person Qizzlvutz. It's nice to meet you. I like singing and dancing." He says all of this in a distracted tone---his attention is clearly on the changeling how is staring at the pair of you.
The axe nervously calls out from your back, "Umm, is it normal to attract weird things that duplicate you? Are we going to get eaten next?"
Krz says, in a clear voice, "May I have those pumpkin seeds, Abnaki?"
Actually, "all of us is with me". Hee hee. There's only one Krzysztoff now! Don't you remember, you silly vine-head story el? I like music stories now, but before I only liked one. You-me liked stories, and Kallik-me liked music."
"Oh! Do you remember I can cut through to other planes? You have to slice just right though!" This chipper male voice comes from the axe that Qizzlvutz scavenged from Heap.
Ha! Can't hear my voice, stupid thing! That's one nice thing about being half-ghost with you, Sissy.
The axe, now stowed on Qizzlvutz's back, gives the small myco a playful psychic shove. Heroes always go first! Let's go! And the first step is taken. No sudden attacks from killing black tentacles; simply a funereal silence. A musty smell, feeling somehow older than the rest of the myco's warrens, pervades the path ahead.
Yes, I'm sure I'm still alive. Although there are many rumors of the Court of Gems coming here soon and taking over everyone's mind...but I'm sure it will be okay!
Sissy? Are we ghosts now? Krz sounds sleepy.
Yes! This is very different! The clay figure fits in your hands. It is covered in small Oread writing -- pieces and phrases from all of Abnaki's tales are scrawled onto the arms, legs, and back of the figurine. "Thank you Abnaki! I will still ask for a story at bed time, alright?"
"Oh! I like stories and music now- Wonderful!"
Krz speaks. This close together, it is difficult to tell which Krz is speaking. "I remember being Kallik's twin. I was given over to the Fey, brought up in their ways. But I do not know why there are two of me. One loves music, and the other loves stories. Are we pieces of the same el?"
One crystalline note from Krz rings out; the thorns blacken and fall away. (Odebie is still dead) Out loud, he says, "Don't worry, Sissy. We're not dead, and though being alive can be bad, we can be heroes. We can make this a good place, too."
Abnaki: Krz is hanging on your every word. He listens. He reads the books of your mind. He learns. He is like a child, in a way, soaking up new facts and ideas like dry sand drinking the rain.
Kallik, whining enclosed: Just as you try to apply your mind to the complex magical theories in play, Krz shouts,
It's because we're twins, Sissy. I think that's why they could make copies of me. Maybe I'm not even the real one. You hear nothing, but you know your brother is crying.
Both Krzs are uncharacteristically silent!
The two Krzs begin talking simultaneously, one in Creak, the other in Rasp.
Kallik's axe says, "I'm her sister! I'm the real one!"
You hear a strange grinding noise, coming both from Kallik's axe and the general vicinity of Abnaki. It sounds like broken speech, trying to piece itself together.
Krz rolls his eyes, somehow. Fine. But make sure the bards warm up with tales about us first.
I think I'm getting used to elen food now. What if we order...mushrooms that grew under the songs of glowworms for a hundred years?
Yes! We ARE heroes! You can feel Krz wish to be adored by the crowd as well.
All Krz can say is, Those must have been the bland trees! How horrible - I was doing multiplication!
Krz wails into your mental ear, Ahhhhhhh!
Maybe we can sit down and tally some figures. Making sure things are balanced is important, after all. Krz' voice is drifting toward monotone.
Uncharateristically, Krz is silent a few moment. He is shocked. These...these are all Fey.
Krz is about to give some snide reply to Abby, but he simply trails off when the non-descript elen enters the conversation. He seems disquieted.
Yes sir, yarn-weaver! You can count on me!
Oh! Watch this! We can be heroes too! -and with a pop! Krz has teleported you to the Quiet Elder. But only you. The others, apparently still have to walk. You feel Krz' slight chagrin at the imperfect result, but stronger is his pride. Wspaniały! That will be part of our tale someday!
Krz gives a few ting, ting sounds in approval, some twinkling approximation of Fey applause. Very good! Your stories are always so delicious, Abnaki!
Abnaki, just remember that you have chosen this fate - it is noble, in a way, as you are helping your fellows elens with these new abilities. In another very real way, it was also foolish. Too bad about the orange blossoms, eh? We should see if there are any musicians who want to play a song in our honor!
Do you think they sell fermented orange blossom petals here? I think you would like it!
Abnaki, Krz tings in your mind, an unexpected note of sympathy. Why so glum? Let's go do that stupid Pond thing and then we'll do some more good deeds today! He is obviously trying to cheer you up.
Abnaki, as he blithely pokes around your sensitive head, Krz says, Abnaki: Oh, they think Samen's idea is dumb, by the way. They want to plant a Quiet Elder in Light instead. And you and your friends probably get to do it, which will be fun. I think we have a Tree that will resist Moon's madness - we're good at stuff like that! Tell your friends all about it...after we punch the bad guys and after your funny concert. We have to tend to our duties first, hahaha!
Abnaki, Krz nudges you through your headache. You awake pal?
Everything is fine, Abnaki. When I was chosen for this...partnership with you, I was expecting a greedy fool or an arrogant ass, like they tell in the tales. You are not that. I wonder if all elens are this boring.
And with that, your Fey partner recedes into the very back of your mind, dormant.
There is a long moment of silence. You think that Krz might be pretending to be asleep. But then he says, You are a...good person, Abnaki. My body is still in [i]Wrozkadom, and I can do as you ask. What would you have me report?[/i]
"Prudence, yes, wisely said! And wine, too!"
As Samen prattles about killing cities and being boring and not talking about the Fey, Krz says to Gabriel, "Hey! Sneaky guy! That old warlock doesn't know everything about everything, you know. Maybe white obsidian can help you if you get just the right amount!"
Krz chuckles impishly beside Abnaki, and a few other places throughout the mist. He seems to be enjoying the chaos.
"Sorry oh Host, despite your mediocre flattery I cannot travel much beyond your own sight, and I can see very little that you do not; your limitations are my own, to wit."
You hear Krz tinkly laughter at Samen's twirling. "Very good! Just as graceful as golems dancing!" Abnaki, you get a strange image of wet tunnels and metallic limbs, jostling in tight spaces.
Doing a very poor imitation of Abnaki, the high voice attempting to sound older, "I think we should burn the sweetest incense and find the greatest singers in the land to entertain him. And dancing too. Is that a good idea, uh, wizard friend?"
"Sorry, this plotting-child-ox-parasite was told to be quiet." You can hear a cac-eating grin in the words.
"A likely story, oh unsubtlest of Warlocks." Did Krz just read your mind? |
