Magpie Valley

Prologue

All of a sudden, that day had unfolded in a sequence of dramatic scenes. Persons, known as friends, had turned out to be connected to transcendental spheres, had turned out to be traitors, had turned out to be lost in despair and had shown another side of theirs.

It had been a day of blood, rage, bravery, tears, loyalty and loss.

It had been the day when the Leviathan Stadium was destroyed.

Memories, warm and unpleasant images of the past years, had been burried in the ruins of the famous place, now only existing in the hearts of all those who were a part of the stadium crew.

It would take a long time to rebuild this place, as it would need even more time to heal all those inner gashes that day had brought.

But every ending is just the beginning of something new. And thus, after taking breath, a minute's silence, after wiping away the last tears, it was up to everybody where his first steps of the "New Age" should lead him.

Lucind knew which path she had to take next - back home. But "home" had a special meaning in her terms:

Three hours by dragon north of Barton there was a valley - Magpie Valley -, safely placed between a low mountain range and a rough coastal area, where several small villages laid closely together. In one of these, Feimurgin, Lucind had found accommodation at the "Greenhood Pension" several years ago. Meanwhile, she was treated like a member of the Greenhood family and being with them, Lucind was able to let go of her usual mask of distance she wore whenever she travelled through new, foreign areas or sometimes even on places where people showed her kindness.

North-east of the valley was a lake district - this was Lucind's birthplace. Because there, hidden between lakes, marshes and moor, Lucind's clan lived - the Varhetel's. It took you about an hour by horse to get from Feimurgin to the border of the Siren's territory.

Being an open secret, the inhabitants of the villages - mostly human - knew about the Sirens' existance and since Lucind's clan had settled down there some hundred years ago it had been a peaceful coexistance, most times, though both sides preferred concentrating on their own lifes.

After saying goodbye to Enki and the others, Lucind was now sitting in the protecting, yet rocking cabin on a taxi-dragon's back - he had flewn her from Barton to Feimurgin many times during the last years and knew the route by heart...which forced Lucind to check from time to time that he didn't doze off and lost his course.

She had to return for several reasons. The last pieces of her personal things, like clothes, herbs, money, a set of daggers - all lost in the shattered stadium. Then she desperately needed to get more sleep, that short nap at the camp in front of the stadium had only spent her enough strength for another few hours. Therefore, she could barely keep her eyes open now.

The most important reason was but to go and see the council of her clan: Lucind needed to consult the elders concerning what had happened during her soul invasion. Concerning what she had seen in Maximos\'s soul.

Wrapped in a blanket, Lucind leaned back in the narrow built seat and closed her eyes. With the cabin swaying in time to the dragon's wing strokes she drifted back into snooze. Right before she fell asleep a soft smile curled her lips when she thought:

Damn...I really need a coffee once I've arrived...or a Caramel Macchiato...

Prologue end

1 cm = ca. 1 km

"Please wait, sir," Lucind said to the coachman," I'll be back with your charge in a minute."

She motioned Rebecca to follow her. When she was about ten feet away from the massive, wooden double door, an apple suddenly came flying over the roofed wall, directly heading towards Lucind. With her reflex still working despite her exhaustion, she quickly catched it in height of her shoulder.

"What a joy, coming home." A smile curved her lips. One of her rare, you may call 'real' smiles. Not that her usual smile, like that she gave Rebecca, was faked, but a rather polite one. But seeing the Half-Siren standing in front of the entrance of the Pension, you could easily tell this was a place she was attached to. Her eyes twinkled when she moved on and slided open one side of the gate which was unlocked although sunset lay ahead.

Entering the small, graveled fore-court of the pension, Lucind turned left and walked to the backside of the house were a nice little fight was just about to reach its peak:

Dodo stood at one end of the pond, in his hand a squirming, slimy, brownish thing that resembled a salamander - but it had an oversized tail, huge gecko-like feet and...antennas.

Granny, with her back turned on Lucind and Rebecca, had put one feet on a stone in front of the pond and flailed with her arms, in one hand her knobbly wooden staff in the other hand another apple. "Leddim go, leddim go, willye...!!"

"Nooo," Dodo cried indignantly," it's eating my goldfish, this little, filthy b*****d!" The salamander like creature desperately tried to escape but then Dodo gave him a good shake, to stress that this was a body of evidence - you could almost tell that animal was in tears.

"That ain't true, and ye know't. Now, leddim go, yooouuu..." She raised her hand as if to throw the next apple towards her husband, when...

"Lucind...!" Dodo smiled at her, his voice suddenly warm and friendly. The strange animal took its chance and slipped uout between the man's fingers and jumped back into the pond where it vanished immediately in the suspicious dark of the water.

Granny blinked. "Err...dat's a trick eh?" She squinted her eyes, but eventually turned her head around. "Ah! 'Tis really ar lill Si'en!" She dropped the apple and hopped towards Lucind. "Got yer mail. But what wazzat?! Only hints and 'I explain everything when I'm back.'" The old woman grimaced.

"I'm sorry," Lucind shrugged," just wanted to drop a short note and come back as soon as possible. And I was damn tired....I am tired..."

"Yeah, ye look 'orrible," Granny pointed at Lucind's face, but her wrinkled face showed traces of concern.

Lucind grinned sleepyly and wanted to answer, but at that moment Sarah came around the corner, her sandals clicking on the wooden terrace. "You've already arrived! I prepared your room and some food," she broadly smiled. "And we've sent the message to your clan like you asked."

"I thank you - for both."

Meanwhile, Granny had waddled around Lucind to get a closer look on Rebecca. As if the girls was an interesting object of an auction, she scrutinized Rebecca. Finally, she poked Lucind with her staff. "Whazzis, eh?? A slave?"

Lucind turned around, then raised her eyebrows. "Nooo~...she's not. This is Rebecca and I decided to invite her staying here for a while. Or as long as she likes to. Because we had some...trouble at the stadium...and erm, well she's no place to go to now, therefore I thought she can have one of the guests rooms and help a bit in the household for payment." She gave Sarah a questioning look.

And so did Granny. "Can we keep'er?"

Sarah nodded and smiled warmly at Rebecca. "I don't see a problem with this."

"Yay!" Granny rejoiced and immediately started pulling on Rebecca's hand. "Come, come! Showye yer room...nahahaha!:3"

"Don't worry, it's okay. She won't eat you," Lucind encouraged Rebecca.

"So, it's true then?"

The Half-Siren glanced at Dodo who showed a serious frown.

"The Leviathan Stadium has been destroyed? The news already brought it around midday but nobody could give reliable proof."

"Yes...," Lucind answered," it's gone...."

"Now, now - there'll be time te talk bout that laters," Granny cried and cast an earnest look at Lucind before she vanished in the house, dragging Rebecca with her.

In fact, Lucind was relieved: she wasn't in the mood to talk again about what had happened just this morning. So she directly headed to the bathing-house, were she stripped, leaving all her clothes in a messy pile on the floor - though stepping with them into the river, they were still slightly smelling of dust, sweat and blood.

When she turned on one of the showers she sighed in relief and enjoyed the fresh water running down her drowsy form. She sat down on the wooden floor after soaping, placing her head on her knees. But soon Lucind realized that she was about to doze off, so she stood up and left the showering room - to find that someone, most likely Sarah, had taken her used clothes with her and instead left two fluffy towels and fresh smelling, light clothes.

Shortly after, Lucind and Rebecca had dinner in the dining room, together with the other three. The Half-Siren only nibbled on a sandwhich, though, before Sarah stated she should go to bed before she simply passed out at the low table around which they squated.

So Lucind sayed goodbye and staggered to her room where she only managed to kick off her slippers before falling into the bed.

She pleaded Var for some undisturbed, dreamless hours, turned on her side and fell asleep half a minute later.

And her plead was heard: it wouldn't be some hours, but in fact almost twenty before Lucind woke up.

Summation of posts!

Quote:** Wrote:

Of course, Rebecca would never argue... she didn't have anywhere to go, or anyone to be with, or any way to support herself. She had run away from home over a year ago in order to be a fighter and a hero like the knights she had heard of in stories... they did exist, she knew they did! She'd seen them, not that anyone in that backwater village of hers believed her! So she ran away, stole off, and left them all behind to start a new life...

She had needed to work 2 jobs just to keep herself fed before she had met Mr. Shadow. He showed her the Stadium, and got her a place to stay. But now it was all gone, and there was only one way to go from here... down.

Of course she would never ague with hospitality... she had nothing, they had everything. She had just lost everything that she had ever had, and when the chance came to run away again she had taken it.

"God damn bloody imbecile!" the young girl suddenly shouted violently and threw one fierce punch after another into the plush surface of the bed that she had been furnished with... another generous act on behalf of those around her. "God... damn... all of it..."

The curses came out slower and slower the harder she hit, her throat closing up upon her so that all she could do was take burning, heaving breaths and to hit it harder, trying to ignore the pain that she was feeling. Little by little the backs of her hands and the sides of her wrists began to glisten in the light, and the battered pillows that she had been pummeling became speckled with damp spots; her lips tasting salty as tears ran down her cheeks.

It really wasn't supposed to be like this... She wasn't supposed to just be a burden...

Quote:** Wrote:

"Guh...!?"

The muffled cry from beyond the door was the reponce that Granny recieved from the shut in girl. The sounds of shuffling and a few paniced cries that didn't seem to be directed at anything in particular. The pounding of feet, the ruffling of bedsheets, and then the climactic thump of a warm body hitting the floor in a mad rush to answer the door after having wasted so much time running to and fro.

Silence...

Silence...

And then the click of the latch broke that silence, the knob turned, and the thick wooden door edged itself inwards to reveal a sliver of the room inside... and one half of a pinkish face peeking out from it.

"Yes'm..." the young girl said solemnly and softly as she took another step towards the interior of the room and pulled the door open the rest of the way.

Her face was still a little red from the crying she had done earlier, though the only sign of what it had been lie in the faint silouettes upon her cheeks; the faint lines of salty teardrops that had dried upon her face. Her arms and legs were bare, her shoes were across the room, and the only article of clothing that she seemed to be wearing was a nightshirt that extended past her knees.

"...th..." Rebecca mumbled, stopping for a moment and hesitating to continue, "...thank you for your hospi... hospi..." she stammered, seeming to falter at the end every time she tried, until she finally got it out, "hopsitality."

"If... if there is anythin' that I can do to repay your kindness, please ask."

Her head hung down the entire time, afraid to look up at the elderly woman for fear of finding disapproval... so all the girl could do was stare at the floor and watch her toes wiggle while she waited for a responce.

Quote:** Wrote:

"...are you sure...?"

The girl could only look, rather puzzledly, at Granny as the elderly woman bounced about the pile of clothing. Rebecca wasn't really sure what to say... yes, it was true that she didn't have anything else... well, save for the thin thing that she was wearing just now, which she had found in a drawer in the room. But she had never felt comfortable accepting the 'hospitality' of others... especially not when it felt so convincingly like charity.

She looked once to her elder, and then to the stacked pile of clothing that had been laid out, and tenatively took a step fowards. Then another. Then another.

There was more than enough here to last for months, though there was no guarantee that it would fit at all. She paced for a bit around the edges of the pile, looking from one to the other, but too afraid of what it would mean to pick one up and look at it to be able to reach out and touch them.

"They're lovely, ma'am..." Rebecca sighed softly, picking her head up for a moment and looking to Granny for guidence; her bare feet shifting uneasily upon the floor.

Finally, a magpie landed on the entrance gate, hopping from side to side, its tail feathers twitching up and down. Lucind smiled and addressed the bird in Seireneia: "Long time no see, hn?" The magpie croaked as if to reply and followed Lucind into the garden, more jumping than flying, and eventually tripped into Lucind's room, where the Half-Siren already sat at the low table and wrote a short message for her brother.

The black-white bird curiously inspected the room and carefully picked at smaller things.

"You'll get your reward, don't worry," Lucind smiled, neatly folded the small piece of paper and tucked it into a tiny leather case which was connected to a double-strapped belting construction. The magpie, used to this procedure, didn't objected when the woman fastened the case to its leg but nevertheless pecked at Lucind's hand rather affectionately.

Finally, the bird soared off, swaying uneven in the air as if it was drunk.

Lucind was looking forward to see Larhien again.

Lucind's mouth twitched, when the figure came into her room: it was a tall man - at least six feet high - wearing closely fitting pants, light, elastic boots and a jacket partly made of suede, with shoulder pads and a broad cotton-belt fastened with several metal buckles. On the whole, his silhouette revealed an agile, athletic but not overly muscle-bound body. When he came into reach of Lucind's nightstand lamp, you could consider his short, ruffled hair to be of a dark blue.

He was carefully moving, making no sounds...or almost no sounds.

"Hmmng...still too loud, brother dear, too loud..."

The man stopped abruptly, then chuckled when Lucind opened one eye and, like a sleepy cat, peeked up. "I wasn't sure if you're sleeping or just dozing, therefore the sneaking," Larhien replied but nevertheless looked as if he had been caught in the act.

Lucind climbed out of the bed, stifled a yawn. Without a further word, she padded over and raised her arms to embrace her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck. The male Half-Siren hugged his sister tight, lifting her up for some seconds. "Was worried," he murmured, planting a soft kiss on Lucind's hair,"I'd been with our family the whole day therefore I hadn't heard about the horrid events at Latent. The stadium's really gone...?" He had visited his sister there several times and knew its meaning and legendary aura.

"That's right...nothing's left, only a field of rubble but most of the building has been eliminated or was blown away."

"And what about you?" Larhien scrutinized his sister's face, his hands resting on her shoulder. "Granny wasn't willing to tell anything - except from the hint that 'you've had a hard time'." His handsome face showed greatest concern and even a trace of fear.

She smiled, but slightly knitted her brows. "To be honest...I don't feel really fine. Physical, yes, still a bit exhausted, nothing serious... But I went through a particulary strenuous diving trip...it was pretty close." She leaned her forehead against his shoulder whereupon Larhien took her in his arms again, not asking more questions.

For she was pretty sure to hear two voices coming out off Lucind\'s room, Sarah knocked on the door and came in after heard Lucind calling, "Come in!"

She found brother and sister squatted at the low table on those comfy bean-bags: both of them laughed and giggled when Sarah slid the door open.

"Ah, already thought it must be you. Hello, Larhien^^"

"Evening Sarah! Am sorry I didn't say hello when I...hey!�_o "

Lucind had thrown the bottle's cork at her brother. "Common tongue, idiot~_~�"

"Oh..erm..yes.^^�" Larhien stuck out his tongue at his sister then turned at Sarah with an apalogizing grin and repeated what he had said.

Sarah tried to hide her grin and answered him that she didn't mind.

"Wanna have a glass, too?" Lucind grapped the bottle of wine - only to find it as good as empty. "But why's the wine gone..."

"Naw, not for me. Thanks! I'm heading to bed now. - Are you going to see the council tomorrow," glancing at her watch she corrected herself," or today?"

Lucind nodded. "Think we'll set out after midday."

"Fine. Then I'll cook for you, too, Larhien. - Good night^^"

"Great, thank you Sarah^___^ Sleep well!" Larhien waved at Sarah when she left.

"Think we should sleep as w...ouch. Lu!;_;" He pouted and stared at the cork which Lucind had got back and just thrown again.

"But it's fun. Hehe."

Lucind got into the starting position, equally balanced on both feet, her arms loosely on her sides but not without some inner tension. During her different "kata"* - sequences of connected moves either for meditation or, with more strength and real punches and kicks, like a fight against an invisible opponent - her look was always directed straight ahead, "into infinity".

She chose a fighting kata and only took some minutes to warm up before she gained speed and force in her moves. No matter into which position or rotation she changed, she always returned to the starting stance: both feet in hip-width and slightly bent knees. And that was it what the Sirenic fighting style was about: inner and outer balance to focus all life-energies within a split second.

Finally, Larhien threw one of the long daggers which Lucind catched in mid-air. After another couple of minutes the second sikil followed.

The male Half-Siren sat cross-legged on the terrace and intently watched his sister's performance with both blades. He frowned, but didn't say anything, until Lucind finished, slowly letting the wah sikeil sink on both sides of her. When she turned around and walked over, he simply smiled and nodded appreciative.

"She kick a**, doesn't she,"Granny cried, standing next to him.

Lucind grinned lop-sided. "I could be better, though."

"Argh, shuddup girl!!" Larhien shook his fist, mimicking Granny, and both siblings laughed.

(*I don't know if the word kata is used in other martial arts besides from karate.)

Around midday, both Half-Sirens stood at the pension's double-door, ready for take off: clad in proper travelling clothes, both carrying a handy leather bag - filled with various tasty snacks Sarah gave them -, and Larhien also had the bigger bag flung over his shoulder, in which Lucind had stuffed things just an hour ago.

Before she finally put on her cloat, Lucind went to Rebecca, asked her if she was okay for now and that she could send her a message whenever she wanted.

"If Granny gets on your nerves just tell her so,"she winked,"she can endure that. - And judging by what I've seen and heard so far, I think you're much more straight forward and brave than it might seem^__~ Just don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's how we all learn and develop what we are and want to be..."

From Greenhood, laying at the outskirts of Feimurgin, they walked into the village's center until they reached the local forge, owned by a bear of a man, called Griffith. He greeted Lucind and Larhien hearty, patting both with one of his huge paws on the shoulder - Lucind almost tripped whilst Larhien's smile froze on his lips although his eyes got watery.

"Long time no see! S'ppose you need two of my dears, hn? Going up there, ey,"he vaguely nodded to where the plateau was.

"That's right,"Lucind answered. "Are Dein and Caleph free?"

"Aye,"Griffith roared,"bet they're out of their mind with joy to see you again."

The blacksmith wasn't only widely known for his excellent metal work but also for an outstanding breeding of robust, kindly horses which always were desirable objects on the animal market of Magpie Valley.

But he always kept a small group of horses, of course to ensure offspring, but also for his family and for friends - he never wanted to be payed if someone of Greenhood rented one of his 'dears'. Nevertheless, Lucind always gave him a small present, like specialities of the 'Siren cuisine'.

After preparing the horses for the trip and fastening the bag at the saddle of 'Caleph', Lucind's black-brown, gentle stallion, brother and sister bid Griffith farewell and made their way to the plateau.

After leading their horses on a zigzag path up the slope on the south-west side of the plateau, Lucind and Larhien reached the edge of the wooded area, which was in fact mostly lower than the lake district, like a kind of pre-plateau. The soft wind that had tousled their hair was now gone between the closely standing trees, where little light fell onto the ground which was covered with dried needles and leaves and muffled the sound of the horses's hoofs.

Without aggreing on it, both Half-Sirens had fallen silent when entering the wood, but both looked rather relaxed and Caleph and Dein knew they were trotting along a safe path. A few minutes passed, when a bird-like, hoarse cry came out of one near oak. Still riding along, Larhien answered, mimicking the cry but varying its rythm. After a few seconds a rope ladder rolled along the broad stem and a man with long blue hair, braided into three long plaits in his neck, swiftly hurried down - a pair of wah sikeil stuck in a leather holster on his upper back. He turned around and smiled at brother and sister - his face was as handsome as Larhien's, though he looked more mature, older, yet his features showed no wrinkles or other signs of biological aging.

The male Siren approached them, while Lucind and Larhien got off of their horses, and touched his forehead, lips and chest with index and middle-finger in one fluid move.

Lucind replied with the same greeting gesture, then glided the reins over Caleph's neck and head, guiding him along.

"Good day, Murn'al. How are things going?"

"On the whole, everything's as fine as it could be,"he answered with his dark, smooth voice, the unmistakable strange, kind of vibrating undertone revealing that he was a pure-blood. "That rumour about wargs of the North lurking in the Nibel Forest* turned out to be wrong. Fortunately. The beast Jardem and I hunted down two weeks ago must have had wargblood in its line, though...." He frowned while he walked between Lucind and Larhien, accompanying them to the border of his guarding region.

Lucind raised her eyebrows. "Must have been a huge thing then, if you bothered to kill it."

"Indeed. Jardem and the others agreed we've never seen such a tall wolf in this area. And he showed the unusual tendency of unpredictable violent outbursts - that was why we shoot him at all."

"So everything's been quiet since then," she asked.

"Yes, the pack retreated north. We followed their track about three miles. No new sightings so far."

"Nevertheless a strange incident. What do you say, Larhien? I can't even remember when we saw wolfs here the last time..."

Larhien made some thinking-noises when he tried to call back such memories. "Well,"he concluded,"I'm not sure but I think we were told about wolfs occasionally hunting in the surrounding woods when we were kids."

Murn'al nodded. "That's right. Several decades ago there was pack that scared off the villages but didn't ever attack humans or one of us."

He stopped, for he had to return to his cabin hidden in the oak where Jardem waited with lunch for him.

"So, nice to have you back, Lucind. Suppose you're staying a while. Heard of your message. Must have been something important for Hetel said she want to announce a meeting as soon as you would arrive."

"Well erm...yes. But still nothing serious." She smiled warmly but thought: Hetel already convened a council? But I didn't tell Sarah to transmit anything explicit. Before she could go on wondering why their clan leader had done this, the male Siren continued.

"Ah, and before I forget it: We have a guest - Panha from Yel'lenidash. He arrived yesterday short after Larhien left to Feimurgin. Don't know what his visit is about,"he shrugged.

"We'll find out and tell you, lad," Larhien grinned at the other man, remembering Murn'al complaining in a rather joking meaning that he and the other guards were always the last to hear about clan news.

Bowing slightly and almost grinning, too, Murn'al thanked, then said goodbye and walked back. The others mounted their horses again. When Murn'al he was out of hearing, Larhien turned around to look at his sister and cast her a questioning glance. "Didn't you tell me your message was quite neutral...?"

"Uhn...something's going on, it seems..."

When the trees started to thin out they reached the path devided into two, one turning right the other, the one they chose, lead straight to the main-plateau.

They soon rided up a hillock or rather an embankment - standing on top of it they saw the first cabins of their clan.

(*forest north-east of the plateau)

Its door wasn't closed, so Larhien slid it open and walked in.

"Hello! I'm back...we're back."

Both siblings took off their boots - most of the floor of the Siren houses was covered with self-made, thin carpets - and put their bags next to a low table in the middle of the rather plain, yet cosy furnished main room, around which several comfy seating-cushions were placed.

"Where is she?" Larhien glanced out of the window, brushing the curtain aside which was decorated with tiny pearls and snail shells.

Lucind didn't answer but turned left, passed a heavy curtain to walk into the next room - obviously a sleeping room and from there Lucind got out of the cabin and onto a terrace just like the one Greenhood had, only that it was here directly built over the water of another lake. And right in there, about five feet away from the plank, there was a female Siren: her long bluish har hovered freely on the surface, the single strands ruffling and swaying like waterplants. As well did the Siren's clothes: the long-sleeved, light-brown cotton shirt with glimmering, harmonic-patterned braid trimmings, hold by a broad belt made of soft leather and the cloak like, dark-green cape whose translucent material seemed to change its shades in the water.

The woman stood with her back towards brother and sister, her head slightly leaned back, her arms outstretched with her palms touching the lake's surface. She was half singing, half murmuring - a mantra, maybe, or a prayer.

Lucind made some steps along the terrace and knelt down, whereas Larhien leaned against the doorframe.

Sitting on her heels, Lucind addressed the woman in the water: "May your soul be blessed by Var and her sisters and the moon's light shine upon your water," she spoke softly, cooaxing even whereupon the other Siren fell silent and slowly turned around: her features showed a striking resemblance to Lucind's and also Larhien's. Her yellow eyes were fixed on the kneeling Half-Siren, yet there was no hint of reckgnition or any other emotion. For several seconds it really seemed as if she was seeing somebody else but Lucind.

Then she blinked two times, her gaze cleared.

"Oh, my dear. There you are..."

Smiling, the Siren waded back and took a hidden staircase out of the lake and while she was doing so the water ran down her body in thin trickles so that her clothes and everything else was dry when she bent a knee, clasped Lucind's face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"My dear nice, I'm glad to see you back."

She stood up and gently pulled Lucind with her.

Lucind returned the smile and squeezed her aunt's hand. Secretly though she wondered why the other woman revealed almost the same signs of concern than Larhien had done the previous night - only that curiousity and a certain kind of knowledge mingled in her look.

Like a statue which instills deep respect and emanates a somehow unworldly aura, Hetel Vartenin sat cross-legged on a cosy seating cushion in front of the council, slightly risen by a platform that stretched along the back wall of the "hall of contemplation" - which was in fact a large room in the first floor of the clanleader's cabin.

Her hair seemed to be black, only the reflections caused by several paraffin lamps revealed that it was in fact of the darkest greenish blue. Parts of it were skillfully braided and fastened in a loose knot on the back of her head. The rest of the hair, which reached beyond her ankles, flew down her slim frame like springs of dark water.

There were tiny wrinkles around her mouth and her milky-yellow eyes, but these were the only hints of age her body showed.

When Lucind had entered, Hetel's eyes had already been laying on her, as if the clanleader were able to see her coming through the sliding door.

The young Half-Siren had touched forehead, mouth and chest with index and middle finger. After replying the greeting gesture, Hetel had asked Lucind to sit down, directly facing the Siren. Between them, about a metre away from the platform, there was a square hole in the floor with a deepening - the lid of this hatch that was usually put over it had been removed - so that only a couple of inches beneath the down leading wooden frame the lake's water glimmered.

Only the actual five council members were there, two Sirens on each side of the hole in the floor. Lucind immediately noticed that even Hetel's "maid", another young Siren which lent the clanleader a hand during the council meetings, wasn't there. That woman was, of course, obliged to absolute discretion.

When even she isn't allowed to hear what will be spoken, Lucind thought, then it is really a case of seriousness.

The Sirens seemed to be unmoved when the water curtain presented them the scene that Lucind had faced after running out of the café to see why everybody outside was screaming. After helping to evacuate the Merchant's Ring, you could see her approaching The Destroyer, the distorted, demonized version of Maximos.

A young, red-haired man in an obviously bad physical state desperately tried to distract the dark figure and fought against him.

I hope he's fine, Lucind thought again when she felt that memory being displayed. In the medical station of Latent someone of the Leviathan crew had told her it had been Sunstrike who protected her from being ripped by The Destroyer's sword.

The council could then see her mind's visualisation of the sould dive. Even at the sight of Lucind almost being devoured by the hell of the killer's mental core, the other Sirens kept quiet. But her resistance and psychic attack against that grotesque black knight in Maximos' soul perceivably tensed the atmosphere.

Lucind thought she could hear a gasp in the moment the mirror showed her mental and verbal calling for the help of the First Five.

After the two boys had reunited and young Maximos vanished through the door, walking away with that disguised, hooded figre, the scene suddenly changed, the ceiling of a tent was shown. Lucind broke the connection and the mirror grew smaller, until it only left some riples on the dark surface.

"So, you've never heard of him? - But that's only logical if it's true what he said." Lucind chewed on her bottom lip. "Anyway, that was why I actually sent a message. I wanted to ask your advice - maybe this shadow god really dwells on a hidden place and is about to break free."

"And we're going to inform our sisters. But in case that...god spoke the truth, we won't find the littlest hint in our archives." Hetel shrugged, than looked down at her fellow council members. " Maybe it's helpful if we even contact some of our allies. The monks, for example, or the orders of the south. Well, let's talk about that later." The others nodded, and the clanleader concentrated on Lucind again.

"Anyway, there's no harm in it when we are attentive from now on. - And I think that I begin to understand now: it seems your and our matter are connected."

Lucind slowly grew tired of the fact that the council wanted to keep its matter secret as long as possible. But she didn't obejected and answered when Hetel wanted to know what she felt when Nocturne's thoughts flooded her mind.

"I was scared. Really scared, because I realized I underestimated him, and that he was indeed ancient. But I also felt...anger." She saw Hetel slightly frowning but just went ahead. "In the same way his memories scared me, they touched...something deep inside me. It felt like an electrical tingling. And I felt so...strong in that moment. Strong. And then totally calm. - Ah well, but it only lasted for a heartbeat."

The Half-Siren thought she could see a faint smile spreading over Hetel's face but before the other women could reply, Lucind continued with a touch of impatience in her voice. "So, please, will you tell me know what's going on? Mildroa said some of you felt my invasion. What does it mean?"

"I'm sorry for putting you on the rack. I just wanted to make sure you don't misinterpret your memories by revealing you everything immediately.

• In fact, there was a mental interaction during your dive, because those of us who were 'swimming' in the lhor'aven at this moment could...kind of witness your action."

"That's...impossible." Lucind blinked in confusion.

"It is possible - namely, when you managed to open a door to the lhor'aven by yourself." Hetel's eerie eyes stared directly into Lucind's - who sat there, dazed - this time not from a conjuration - with her jaw dropped. Then she laughed and raised her brows.

"You know what you've just said...?" She looked around but all other Sirens wore the same inscrutable look like her chairwoman. "You can't be serious. Half-Sirens aren't able to connect to the lhor'aven...!"

The lhor'aven, the collective unconscious, was the pivot, the center of a female fullblood Siren. They 'swam' in it to locate hurt or damaged souls or to contact other Sirens. On a deeper level was the sphere were they had been collecting memories since the beginning of their existance.

Furthermore, it contained a region the Siren's soul reached after dying, called lhor'kuraim, 'the last sea'.

The First Five had been a manifestation of the lhor'aven.

"I know. We always though that," Hetel replied. "But think of the fact that during the last fivehundred years several Sirens were born without the ability to enter the lhor'aven. We can't exclude the possibility that our race now develops in this new kind of direction. - And to come back to this shadow god. I suppose he provoked your soul's reaction, so that you unconsciously searched for a support which was able to stand against his force."

Lucind just hummed a non-verbal answer. This 'revelation' didn't feel as spectacular as it maybe should have. In fact, what Hetel had just told felt pretty unreal and she didn't know if she was supposed to be happy or feel extraordinary now.

When she heard the clanleader's voice again Lucind realized she had absently stared on her hands.

"Of course I have to test you. Maybe it was just a single phenomenon. - But don't worry, I won't do that now. Come to me in about two weeks, please, when you've fully recovered from that dive."

"Hmm...ah, okay. I will come to see you then," Lucind murmured, than cleared her throat. "Is there anything else? Because...I'd like to visit my mother now."

This time, Hetel really showed a warm smile. "No, Lucind. You can go know."

So Lucind said goodbye to the council and left the room. Outside the cabin she took a deep breath. A dull pressure was throbbing in her temples.

She made her way out of the village, heading west, from where the sea sent a gentle breeze.

"...can you imagine that? - Maybe I should be excited now. Or maybe even worried." Lucind raised her voice and grinned at the flag. "...or maybe I should ask your son why he prefers to eavesdrop on me instead of coming close."

Larhien indeed stood several metres behind his sister and laughed. He had followed Lucind after seeing her leaving the village - he'd immediately known where she was heading to.

And Lucind had heared him but didn't turn around for she knew he would approach sooner or later.

The young man sat down close to his sister and casually waved at the marble stone. "Yo, mama^____^ Already heard, your daughter's a big hit now."

Lucind smiled. "And I don't think I like it..."

"Ah come on, I think it is really exciting," he shrugged. "What if it turns out to be true? With new powers - with these kind of new powers - you could manage so much more you've ever dreamed of. - I guess you're a peculiarity now, a case of highest interest...a sensation." Larhien beamed, then chuckled when he saw Lucind's mouth twisting.

She didn't return his laugh, even if he was only teasing, but looked thoughtful and nodded. "See, that's exactly what I don't like of this story. I'm not keen to be in such a position." She run a hand through her hair. "I know it's...stubborn...but this just feels strange - only twenty years ago, I barely had any connection to the clan - and everyone was fine with that -, and today I'm worth and interesting enough for a secret council meeting. - And besides from that: I didn't even notice anything special, no super power, no connection to the lhor'aven..."

Instead of answering Larhien wrapped his arms around her and leaned his forehead against the back of her head. "Know what," he began," I just think you're a bit scared. Of the possibilities that might present themselves to you soon..."

Was he right? Lucind leaned back, closed her eyes and listened to the wind.

What if he is right?

Do I even care...?

(( I am Jill's sense of guilt.

It has been far too long since I've posted anything at all RPing. And it makes me sad. And it makes me feel bad for having made you wait, if you have.

Now, to appease my guilt, I throw myself at your RP mercy. Or something like that. ))

Lucind Varhetel Wrote:

"Come on, don't be shy - just take what you like, then you can try it on in your room. Tis really okay^___^ You'll 'ave enough chances to pay back with helping 'ere with the guests or in the garden or summing like tha'."

Still waddling around the clothes, Granny grabbed a nice dark-green top with a tiny bow on each spot where the straps met the main part of the garment.

"I'd wear this myself - if I was only ten years younger...and maybe a bit taller nahahaaa~"

"Th-thank you, ma'am!" the girl said quickly; almost doubling over as she pulled the garment against her chest and bowed her head feverishly to the elderly woman. Her cheeks flushed red with embarssment, but no matter how much her toes fiddled or her feet refused to keep from squirming on the floor, the girl kept her head bowed and continued to mutter pleasant thank-yous to Granny.

"I-I-I... I really don't know what to say, ma'am, except that... well... I'm grateful for the hospitality, ma'am... really, I am, so very much, ma'am... and... and..." Her knees were shaking just a bit as she stammered out the words, trying to get them to an end, but not being able to find a way to bring herself there. She stopped for a few moments, taking deep breaths, before raising her head a bit to look at the diminutive woman with a meek smile.

"Thank-thank you, ma'am. I'll do whatever you ask to repay you, just put me to work! "

Granny Wrote:

"By the way, do you have a hobby? Or an occupation?" She glanced at Rebecca, her wrinkled mouth still curling into a friendly smile.

The girl stumbled when the elderly woman asked that of her; taking a step back with her right to catch herself as she began to fall, and nearly dropping the garment that Granny had picked out for her in the process. Her face turned white as a sheet suddenly, and then quickly filled again with heated blood until she was glowing red with in the cheeks.

"Erp... um..." she said, shaking her head a little bit as she tried to fight off the panic that always came with trying to explain her position... not to mention that she had been absent from her job for the past month or so, which wasn't a far shot to say that it wasn't her job any longer.

"Well, ma'am... I'm... or... I was... but..." Rebecca tried to keep her feet together on the floor, so that she wouldn't fidget as she spoke, but it was hard to do when she felt so out of place and so much like an unwelcome and undeserving guest. "I had a job, at a market in town. But I... um... I was injured and... and hospitalized..." her right foot began to twist and turn to the side as she clutched the garment tighter to her chest; looking down at her feet and her squirming toes instead of towards her hostess, "I think... ma'am... I don't think I have that job anymore."

Six days after opening the new Feimurgan book-cafe and library Lucind was on her way to Magpie Valley, as usual sitting in the swaying cabin on the Wyvern's - called Iyove - back. But this time the male beast carried another guest: Evan White was seated next to her. She had send a message to Hetel two days ago that she was finally coming to undergo the test and that she brought a guest with her, stating who Evan was.

During the three hours-flight she found time to tell him a bit about her clan, how many Sirens lived on the plateau, that the Siren race was in fact a matriarchal one, about the prejudices about it living in human tales.

Lucind also explained what the lohr'aven was, to give him an idea what her problem - the new, unusual connection - actually was.

The lhor'aven, the collective unconscious, was the pivot, the center of a female fullblood Siren. They 'swam' in it to locate hurt or damaged souls or to contact other Sirens. On a deeper level was the sphere were they had been collecting memories since the beginning of their existance.

Furthermore, it contained a region the Siren's soul reached after dying, called lhor'kuraim, 'the last sea'.

The First Five had been a manifestation of the lhor'aven.

Sirens spent many hours of a day connected to this spiritual sphere, getting mental and thus also physical power from it.

Like she had done when traveling to the valley with Rebecca, Lucind then leaded Evan from the 'dragon-station' into the next village were they took a carriage to Feimurgin. Once they arrived, Lucind directly headed for Gryffith's forge to get two horses for them.

"Are you familiar with sitting on a horse's back?" She smiled at Evan.

"Ah, good to hear that!"

Lucind saddled the stallion Caleph, which she could almost call her pet by now, and Griffith asked Evan to choose his horse after realizing the man had some knowledge about this field.

After almost an hour of a calm ride they reached the zigzag-path which led up into the wood which covered the South-East of the plateau.

Once inside of it, they met the guards Murn'al and Jardem who had left their hidden cabin high up in an oak and were now sitting on a small clearing, having pratridge and rabbit for lunch, together with broth and some potatoes which cooked in the fire's ash.

"Naah, what about constant vigilance guys?!"

"Hah, you don't think we've heard and seen you long time ago, do you, Lucind," Jaren grinned while gnawing flesh off of bones. His shiny blue hair was completely braided into 'rasta locks', with tiny dark pearls worked in here and there, and tied at the back of his head.

Murn'al stood up and wrapped his hooded coat tighter around him.

"Hello, Lucind. - Good day sir,"he addressed Evan and nodded,"I suppose you are the announced guest. My name is Murn'al - nice to meet you." He nodded again, then looked back at the woman. "Hope you find some time to come out here after settling your things."

"Of course - as usual^^ See you later then!"

Both mal Sirens said goodbye to them and continued with their meal.

Lucind then lead Evan to the Siren village itself, riding along its border towards the stable.

((I ask you to go into the Siren thread, page two, post no.6, there's a short description of the village, the stables and the forge^^))

((Well, in fact I didn't send her away^^ But if you think it's better to quit here due to your lack of time I'm also fine with that. Dun worry ))

((@Nye: Sorry I didn't finish the story above ._. - Btw, what I wrote in italics, the conversation between the Sirens, it's not meant to be some sort of telepathy but simply indicates they're using their native language.))

Around six months after the attack on Latent

Lucind wondered when her birthplace felt that strange and 'new' to her the last time. She had missed two seasons colouring Magpie Valley and the plateau, where her clan lived, in their own fashion - that hadn't happened in a long time. The woman let her horse strolling along the path, taking for granted the fine mare knew where she had to go, after using this route up the plateau so many years, while Lucind herself relaxed, breathing in the fresh air, scented with resin, soil and wet moss.

Hetel had called, so now she was here, still tired from the journey by car, train and dargon, crossing the continent to reach the West Coast. It was a tad colder here than it had been in Latent during the last weeks and the familiar breeze the Half-Siren had grown up with was blowing - altogether quite enjoyable for her. And most likely a compensation for the gathering which was to start in the early evening. A meeting of all clanleaders of Gaia, and also a few from the other continents, in the lhor aven to discuss the most important issue which currently existed in the Siren world: the arrival of two Sirens and a halfblood of Azum in Latent, right on the day the town was attacked by necromancers and hordes of undead creatures.

A squirrel crossed the path and the horse jumped a bit but directly fell back in her lazy pace when the woman mumbled something soothing.

Azum...

It was one of those stories you get to know as soon as you're old enough to show curiosity for the adults' conversations:

They've broken the code.

They've done murder.

They had to be punished.

How often had she heard those comments? Just like, 'None of them survived.' And when you asked directly, hefting those innocent eyes of a child on your mother or aunt, you never got an answer beyond those being made for fairytales. Later on, everyone, Lucind as well, became satisfied with the official explanation:

Two clans, one dedicated to Odenai, the other to Var, were banned from Gaia and from the Siren society for using forbidden techniques which had led to the death of seven Sirens. They had to emigrate to Azum and there to an area where they wouldn't get into physical contact with other Sirens.

All this happend nearly five hundred years ago.

Late in the following night...or very early the next morning, a few fires on the platform were still burning, sending sparks into the darkness which tried to compete with the stars. It was a chilly night. A thin layer of frost covered grass and other low plants, glistening in the light of the half moon.

Close to one of those fires, that was placed at the outskirts of the village where no house was to be seen anymore, two figures sat on knee high stools, wrapped in thick, dark brown capes.

"If you do it, I won't let you go alone." It was the first thing to be spoken since the twins had settled down there, right next to the small memorial of their mother: a marble plate, skilfully decorated with patterns and saying carved in the stone.

"Yea...I'd be glad to have you by my side..." Peeking out of her large hood, Lucind softly smiled at her brother, who was a bit surprised to not hear one the woman's usual comments, mocking his urge to play her guardian. Larhien grinned, his faintly flushed cheeks indicating he was proud, and took a sip out of a leather drinking bag before passing it over.

Lucind grimaced when this heavy version of Siren wine ran down her throat and finally burned in her stomach quite pleasantly.

"It's a trap...

"A trap rather." The man nodded, exposing his head to the harsh wind. "And Hetel doesn't like the idea of you leading the mission. ...but what else was there to do for her then agree with the other tennin? They want to find out what you're capable of, if you're 'worthy' of messing around with 'their' lhor aven. I mean, with you having always been prone to stumble from one chaos into the next...and now even having access to the psionic plane - no wonder you got detention. He chuckled wryly.

"Let's face it: one big mistake - and I'm out. And if I really caused trouble within the lhor aven it's only their right to expel me. I might be a special case..the only halfblood having access to...still, no one - I can't allow me to be a threat to our world. I'm living a dangerous life, so I really don't mind being observed, but..." Another sip.

"Hetel didn't come out with all reasons...like she does so often...really annoying..."

Rubbing his hands, Larhien stared into the fire through squinted eyes.

"This time even I noticed. ... All those hidden warnings...between the lines - that's what I dun like 'bout women: why can't they just tell you what's wrong?? I'm a sucker for interpreting those strange female code..."

"If it helps you: even I don't have a clue what exactly's the matter" The woman laughed quietly. "Yet... This time something's telling me we have to be careful - extremely careful. Like I said: I think it's a trap - there's more going on behind the scenes and Hetel isn't sure how much she can tell...or if she's just seeing ghosts. The same goes for our aunt.

"And you say you didn't have a clue..? o_ô "

"Heh...just a feeling." Lucind gave the drinking bag back and wrapped the cape tighter around her.

For a while they fell back into silence, until the woman stopped sucking on her lower lip.

"'Find companions over there. Allies. Not for us, but for yourself.'"

"...?"

"It's what Hetel said to me before she went back into her house."

"Well, seems it isn't going to be an easy walk then," Larhien shrugged. "Maybe we should start searching for help directly here...or in Latent. It's still a month before we set off.

"I was going to, yes. And I think I already know whom I'm gonna ask. Only problem is to find them..."

"And to persuade them to risk whatever they have to give." He laughed.

"Ah no...that would be the least problem." Lucind grinned mieschivously, her eyes reflecting the flames.