Alys smiles softly.."I'm sure the Dawnflower understands..and no, that's not what you are here for..I believe you need guidance..that you are still unsure of whether you are doing the right thing and so the goddess has allowed me to talk to you across the years as it were.
She looks around.."This will be a house filled with love and kindness I can see that.You must never forget that even in the darkest times that lie ahead..and there will be dark times ahead for you Kallie...you have set your feet on a path that can bring both great satisfaction and great despair..the life of those who stand against the darkness is always thus"
"But you must know that the darkness holds its own temptations..ones all to easy to surrender yourself too...I see your distaste for killing and you have, I think, realised that sometimes it is necessary be careful not to take pleasure in your foes demise though for that is one way to the darkness..the way of wrath"
Kallie was at first visibly relieved that she wasn't in trouble, but Alys continued. The talk of her being on a path that could bring great joy or pain had her leaning forward. Well...okay...then I'm on the right path, right? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And if I stick with the others, I should be alright...
However, as Alys started to warn her of the temptations of darkness, she couldn't help frowning. Oh gods, here comes the "what's with all the black" speech. I must be dreaming. She certainly wasn't expecting the warning to turn towards "wrath". Her eyes widened from surprise, she stammered in response. "O-oh of course I know better than to act like that...wrathful, I mean. I mean, I've never been...I mean i haven't been particularly wrathful towards anyone lately! Have I?"
She sounded doubtful at the last. She knew she never had to kill a person before...even with the goblins that raided the festival, she couldn't remember actually killing any of them rather than simply frightening them. And the things in the chambers below Sandpoint were all just monsters of the worst sort. Weren't they? She couldn't remember taking much glee from... "Oh. The demon?" she quietly asked, looking up at Alys as she kept her head bowed, as if she were a child admitting to having done something wrong to her parents.
Alys smiles softly..."Aye the Demon...I won't belabour the point as you seem to be aware of the pitfalls yourself...but there is a darkness coming Kallie..one that will make your foe of today seem like the insignificant evil it really is. I am prevented from going into details for you but I can tell you that difficult choices will be made along the way, choices which could determine the fate of the world..I have to ask you..are you prepared to face this evil,even if it costs you everything"
Fate of the world?! Oh gods, I must be dreaming. The idea appealed to her though. This was huge. It sounded like the stuff of legends. To be a part of something like that...
The mention of the cost brought her back down. In her heart of hearts, Kallie suspected that she was a coward. Her mind raced over the possibilities of what Alys' warning could imply. As usual, her imagination ran away with her. This is too big. I'm no great witch! I'm just that silly little girl from a small nothing town! Oh I know a few tricks. So do a lot of people! Damn it! Listen to yourself! You have a chance to really prove yourself! To show everyone what you can do! And the town is still in danger! So what are you going to do?!
Kallie sat in silence for quite a while, wrestling with herself before steeling her nerves, clenching her fists under the table, and answering, "Yes. I am ready." There was a mix of determination and fear in her eyes, and her voice cracked, but she managed the words.
Alys looks into Kallies eyes.."I see your fear...your doubts in yourself..but you can overcome those Kallie. I know this because I had those fears, those doubts myself when I first set foot on the path. But you have friends you can rely on now...you must learn their strengths and their weaknesses as well as you know your own"
"I'm not..." she ceased her protest before finishing. She knew that her fear had shown as plain as the sky was blue. Gods, even in my dreams I can't keep up appearances...
After Alys' advice, she nodded, saying "Yes, ma'am." and looking a bit embarrassed at having added 'ma'am' instinctually. It was a bit like speaking with her mother, though Kallie did feel as if she was being taken more seriously.
So, I'm really meant to stand by Inikai and the others then... She tapped her finger and chewed her lip for an awkward moment, working up the nerve. "This...really isn't a dream. Is it." It was more a statement than a question. As frightening as it could be, she found herself desperately wanting this moment to be real. It seemed as if the world she had dreamed of was finally opening up to her.
Alys grins at the comment.."No not really a dream,or if it is we are both dreaming.I mean I'm not even a mother yet though that event isn't too far off...." she lays her hand on her stomach and you realise she's pregnant enough to show "....and here I am talking to my great grandchild..the goddess moves in strange ways sometimes. I am not allowed to know my own future so please don't try and tell me anything...but I am allowed to give you some..glimpses of what might..and I do stress might lie ahead off you"
She holds up her ankh symbol...the rubies and citrines in it gleaming in the early morning light that filters through the windows of the kitchen
"Look into the jewels my child and see what the goddess wills"
Oh gods...this is real... She felt giddy and terrified at the same time, but mostly she was awestruck, and it showed. "Y-you're my great-grandmother?" she asked though she knew what the answer was going to be. She suddenly felt so very small, sitting before the woman her mother had always told her tales about. She had long suspected that the stories had been exaggerated, but now, she was eager to believe them all whole-heartedly.
She looked at Alys questioningly as the beautiful ankh was held forth, and did as she was told, staring into the holy symbol and not entirely certain she was doing it right. She desperately wished she had her sister's understanding of the divine at that moment.
It's as if the gems expand to fill your field of vision...you see glimpses of places...a sea girt palisiaded camp, a cliff top mansion shillouetted against the night sky...a clock tower ..a tumbledown farmhouse which seems strangely out of proportion..a fortress strong and proud...mountains towering to the heavens..Sandpoint burning..dimly lit tunnels...and finally a great city fallen into decay and ruin....all seem to blur into each other until you cannot tell one vision from the next...and you fall into blackness.
Alys' voice whispers in your head..."Your will is strong child...you only have to believe in yourself...beware the seven deadly sins guard yourself and your friends from them and all will be well"
You awaken in your own bed...it's just past dawn and you can hear your mother moving below.
Kallie's mind raced, trying to keep up with the images and desperately fighting the urge to cry out. At Alys' parting words, she called back, asking "Wait! How? How will I know what to do?"
She awoke with a start, as rigid as a board in bed. Upon hearing her mother downstairs, she suddenly sat up, losing her balance and falling out of bed. Oh gods! Sweet Desna! She quickly raced downstairs, nearly tripping over herself, blurting out to her mother, looking wild eyed and as if she had just seen the gods themselves. "I've had a vision!" She paused for a moment, realizing it may need further punctuation. "For real, this time!"