The Sunken Gardens - Silvia
Apr 21, 2022 22:12:02 GMT
Delilah Daybreaker, Celina Zabinski, and 2 more like this
Post by Wixspartan on Apr 21, 2022 22:12:02 GMT
Sorrel lets herself in to Silvia's house carefully. She's been using the keys Silvia gave her most nights while the girl is away. The bed is more comfortable, the decor more appealing and the house - well, it smells of Silvia. She's not exactly at ease. She hasn't lived in an actual house since she was 16 and the concept still feels alien. And she has no idea what goes on a kitchen. But she finds the bottle of 25 year single malt matured in a rum cask, pours out a generous glass and lets her shoulders ease back. Removing her weapons takes as while, as does setting the traps and secreting the poisoned dagger and silvered shortsword in the bedding. Then she lies back and gazes up through the skylight at the stars. The glass falls from her hand, but her backpack is beside the bed so the fall is cushioned and nothing breaks. She sleeps. Which is saying something. It's morning when she wakes up, the sun shining through the skylight. Suddenly, and with a gasp, the form of Silvia materialises beside her, fully armoured and with trident pointed at the ceiling.
"-will find you and-"
She looks down and sees where she is.
"...Um, hey, you're actually staying at the house that's nice... How is the temple? Still there?"
"Well, obviously not. I'm here. Your teleport has not split your consciousness between destinations, you will be relieved to hear. I saw that happen a couple of times. Nasty business. Coffee?"
"Please. Also um, how long have I been out of the house? Can't have been more than a couple days right?"
Sorrel leans over and kisses her.
“Over a week,” she smiles affectionately. “So I figure you have quite the story. Now, let me put the coffee on while you slip out of those metal things and into something more accessible.”
Silvia quickly changes from the battered leather armour she wears and into a loose dress. As Sorrel makes coffee downstairs she lays back on the bed and sighs in relief of being safe and alive in her room. Suddenly she feels a sharp pain in her side.
“Shit, forgot I was still wounded…”
She shouts down the stairs.
“Darling can you also bring up some bandages, this gash is really not comfortable.”
Sorrel smiles, touches her Autumn Warmth choker and, with the slight scent of a fey spring, summons ten small but perfectly formed apples onto one of Silvia’s plates. She brews the coffee strong enough that the spoon can stand up by itself then stacks the lot on a tray and heads for the stairs. As her foot is about to touch the first step she pauses, and examines her situation. She is working at Selune’s temple. She has just made breakfast for her leather armour wearing adventurer partner and she’s preparing to heal her. “I have become my mother,” she says to herself. “This is an unexpected development.” Then she clambers up to lay her wares alongside Silvia’s battered body.
"Thank you Sorrel.."
She winces slightly as Sorrel begins to patch up the shark bite in her left torso.
"So um, last thing I remember was just under a week ago, although for me it was more like ten minutes ago I guess. We were fighting- no, let me slow down and start from the beginning. I was in Port Ffirst to visit the bank, clarifying a few things and such, when I ran into Sterling. Sterling Pann, artificer, short guy, you must have come across him at the fort, always tinkering on that dog of his. Anyway, ran into Sterling and apparently the cursed coin he got by fucking up and committing to his cover as a Breaker a couple months back in a mission we were both on was fucking with him and he wanted it dealt with. I of course felt the adventuring itch- no don't look at me like that I know that's the only reason you throw yourself at dangerous jobs half the time darling. Anyway, I felt the call and decided that if he was going to do this I may as well make sure he didn't get killed in the process, along with anyone else he brought. Speaking of, Amble and Lolli, both tiny little wizards, Pipper, another artificer that was with us when the coin issue happened and also ended up with a curse, and Glade, that nice druid with the branch hair. Anyway, we assembled and made our way to the temple of two faiths, still getting used to religious establishments again so was a bit of an overwhelming place, lots of statues and music and stuff. Gaudy really, not like our little chapel back home. It's there we meet our in, some earth genasi, didn't catch his name. Turns out he's a spy as well as being a crewmember on a ship, a ship we were going to take into the Sunken Gardens. Apparently no one had ever come back and any ship that attempted to explore it crashed. Oh and did I mention it was also at that point I discovered we weren't getting paid. But I had said I would come and I couldn't have their deaths on my hands so hey ho in we go. We hopped on board the ship, can't remember the name now but it was a good enough name for a boat, and set off into open waters. After some very taxing ship work due to us, the adventurers, being the only crew bar the fucking captain and the spy we got to roughly the right spot. From their it was hours of chasing down some spot in the middle of biting winds and cursed gales. This is where I go romantic and say my first and only desire was to be out of that hellish cold and in your warm arms which sounds like I'm lying to be soppy but honestly it was that cold and I was in that sour of a mood that you were the only thing I could think of to stay sane. Ahem, anyway, where was I...
Oh yes, we eventually reached the spot. Turns out it was a fucking leviathan of the depths that rose like a great giant from the water and waited in front of our ship, asking why we wished to enter the Sunken Gardens. Sterling tried convincing it through a mixture of persuasion and lying but it wasn't working. I uh, I was in a bit of a poor mood about the whole situation but especially the cursed coins being given as a "gift" for y'know.. reasons, and so I may have gone on a bit of a speech but hey it got us in so yay? Anyway, turns out the Sunken Gardens was underwater and neither Sterling nor the captain who wanted to be the first to ever sail the Sunken Gardens and return had actually prepared anyway of us being able to breath. Good thing all we had to do was place our hand in this thing's mouth and let it bite us. Oh at that point I think it had become smaller, it was somewhat hard to tell. Then we were in a tunnel of strange lights and visions as it swallowed the boat, but what's new about that I guess..."
She finally stops talking, looks up, and smiles weakly.
"Sorry, that was a lot and I'm only halfway done, it was very stressful, I'm still dealing with post battle jitters and I'm in a lot of pain. Kiss me please and then I'll continue."
Sorrel smiles affectionately, breaks off from the bandaging and kisses her warmly - managing to slip a goodberry apple into Silvia's mouth just afterwards. "Eat that, and then as many as you can - they'll heal you and reduce the pain. They're filling though, so when you can't eat any more we can... I don't know. I suppose they can be made into pie or something. Cooking isn't my strong point. And if that isn't enough I have some of the goddess healing to help. Now then, seeing as I have clearly infected you with my perverse desire to follow knowledge like a sinking star beyond the utmost bounds of human thought, I think it's only fair you finish your story and then sleep. A lot." She kisses her again, touches the charmed necklace of Selûne and feels the warmth flow from her fingers into Silvia's wound. Silvia smiles as much as she can.
"Perks of having a healer for a girlfriend I guess. Where was I, oh yes the tunnel. Well we crashed into the ocean floor because go figure that's what apparently always happens, turns out there is a temple we need to get into, at its centre a whirlpool of sharks and at the centre of that Millincalli, the bitch fish who started all of this. We make our way in, some of us trying to be quiet and others of us failing, but somehow we make it through the temple and its traps mostly fine. First guard we come across, I take the opportunity when his back is turned to jump on, grab his mouth and begin leeching his life. This was meant to be a quiet, quick, effective kill. But for some reason several other members of the team decided to get involved and move around and cause a scene. This is why I endeavour to work with professionals like you darling. Anyway, he goes down, our cover seems to have held. I honestly didn't focus on what the others did next as I hung around and watched them tinker around with tools and prodding walls and such but eventually we made our way into the whirlpool of sharks. Ow! By Ilmater that stings. Uh, sorry. Anyway, we had made it onto a bridge of sorts leading to the centre of the whirlpool on which lay a podium-meditation-pulpit thing and our quarry. She had a poor mind controlled girl with her, which of course put me on edge. You know I hate seeing people like that, if I had my way I'd hunt down anything of the sort and personally inflict bloody vengeance on the perpetrators but I'm trying not to become someone I used to hate so that's off the table. Anyway, the two cursed children tried talking to her and failed so I gave up and just threatened her, which worked, because I am terrifying, fear me. She proceeded to end the curse, on the girl next to her, causing her to begin drowning. At this point you know me well enough to know that I wasn't taking it anymore, shadowclaw did quite well I should say. Pinned her to the ground in one blow, for a second I even saw fear in her eyes."
At this point Silvia begins to grin, seems to catch herself and shakes her head before scowling.
"I gave her a warning, we didn't have to fight like that..."
"Anyway, the next few minutes were a blur, she summoned a blinding light and escaped into it. There were sharks attacking my companions, I- I should have made sure they were safe but I was so furious I charged into the light after the sea-bitch. And, well, here I am, having achieved nothing, not even knowing if my allies are all dead, and in a lot of pain. But at least I have you, and honestly right now I need that more than anything Sorrel. I'm starting to feel like I'm either going to quit or turn into something I've tried very hard to not let myself or anyone I love become..."
Sorrel frowns thoughtfully. So many questions and yet Silvia is clearly wired and needs sleep. She has some herbs she can boil up into a drink but she is curious.
“So you came through the… sea bitches magic and arrived here?”
She waves her hands and mutters a few arcane words searching the room for traces of magic, though she finds nothing.
“As far as I can tell, a week after I left.”
"So whatever magic she was using knows where you live?"
Silvia stiffens.
"Yes, yes that would be the case wouldn't it."
"You need sleep and food. I assume that if it or she wanted you dead right now, something would have followed you through. So you're safe. I'm here and between us we can take out pretty much anything in this world or the next so let's not worry for now. Get some rest. I've got some herbs that'll help you sleep and then when you're up we'll eat and take a view. It'll be fine."
"It'll all be fine, thank you Sorrel, genuinely. I don't think the herbs will be needed though, the battle is starting to catch up with me. Mmmm comfy comfy bed..."
She lies back almost to the point of exaggeration and smiles at Sorrel before very quickly falling asleep. Sorrel reaches into her pocket and takes out the locket holding the gift of the crystal queen, a small crystal that glows with a gentle white light. She threads it carefully around Silvia's neck. It's power will help her against any magical attack although it's not as foolproof as she'd like. She prays fervently to the Moonmaiden for her sanctuary, and feels the glow of her love flow out and around Silvia's sleeping form. It's not enough but it will have to do for now. She checks her weapons, slips into her leather armour and sits next to Silvia as she rests, going through the guardian rituals in her head to stay awake and alert. She smile at Silvia's face at rest, remembering the troubled girl with the thread knotted around her hands. "She has come so far and yet she is the same," she leans down and kisses her cheek softly then settles back to keep watch.
"-will find you and-"
She looks down and sees where she is.
"...Um, hey, you're actually staying at the house that's nice... How is the temple? Still there?"
"Well, obviously not. I'm here. Your teleport has not split your consciousness between destinations, you will be relieved to hear. I saw that happen a couple of times. Nasty business. Coffee?"
"Please. Also um, how long have I been out of the house? Can't have been more than a couple days right?"
Sorrel leans over and kisses her.
“Over a week,” she smiles affectionately. “So I figure you have quite the story. Now, let me put the coffee on while you slip out of those metal things and into something more accessible.”
Silvia quickly changes from the battered leather armour she wears and into a loose dress. As Sorrel makes coffee downstairs she lays back on the bed and sighs in relief of being safe and alive in her room. Suddenly she feels a sharp pain in her side.
“Shit, forgot I was still wounded…”
She shouts down the stairs.
“Darling can you also bring up some bandages, this gash is really not comfortable.”
Sorrel smiles, touches her Autumn Warmth choker and, with the slight scent of a fey spring, summons ten small but perfectly formed apples onto one of Silvia’s plates. She brews the coffee strong enough that the spoon can stand up by itself then stacks the lot on a tray and heads for the stairs. As her foot is about to touch the first step she pauses, and examines her situation. She is working at Selune’s temple. She has just made breakfast for her leather armour wearing adventurer partner and she’s preparing to heal her. “I have become my mother,” she says to herself. “This is an unexpected development.” Then she clambers up to lay her wares alongside Silvia’s battered body.
"Thank you Sorrel.."
She winces slightly as Sorrel begins to patch up the shark bite in her left torso.
"So um, last thing I remember was just under a week ago, although for me it was more like ten minutes ago I guess. We were fighting- no, let me slow down and start from the beginning. I was in Port Ffirst to visit the bank, clarifying a few things and such, when I ran into Sterling. Sterling Pann, artificer, short guy, you must have come across him at the fort, always tinkering on that dog of his. Anyway, ran into Sterling and apparently the cursed coin he got by fucking up and committing to his cover as a Breaker a couple months back in a mission we were both on was fucking with him and he wanted it dealt with. I of course felt the adventuring itch- no don't look at me like that I know that's the only reason you throw yourself at dangerous jobs half the time darling. Anyway, I felt the call and decided that if he was going to do this I may as well make sure he didn't get killed in the process, along with anyone else he brought. Speaking of, Amble and Lolli, both tiny little wizards, Pipper, another artificer that was with us when the coin issue happened and also ended up with a curse, and Glade, that nice druid with the branch hair. Anyway, we assembled and made our way to the temple of two faiths, still getting used to religious establishments again so was a bit of an overwhelming place, lots of statues and music and stuff. Gaudy really, not like our little chapel back home. It's there we meet our in, some earth genasi, didn't catch his name. Turns out he's a spy as well as being a crewmember on a ship, a ship we were going to take into the Sunken Gardens. Apparently no one had ever come back and any ship that attempted to explore it crashed. Oh and did I mention it was also at that point I discovered we weren't getting paid. But I had said I would come and I couldn't have their deaths on my hands so hey ho in we go. We hopped on board the ship, can't remember the name now but it was a good enough name for a boat, and set off into open waters. After some very taxing ship work due to us, the adventurers, being the only crew bar the fucking captain and the spy we got to roughly the right spot. From their it was hours of chasing down some spot in the middle of biting winds and cursed gales. This is where I go romantic and say my first and only desire was to be out of that hellish cold and in your warm arms which sounds like I'm lying to be soppy but honestly it was that cold and I was in that sour of a mood that you were the only thing I could think of to stay sane. Ahem, anyway, where was I...
Oh yes, we eventually reached the spot. Turns out it was a fucking leviathan of the depths that rose like a great giant from the water and waited in front of our ship, asking why we wished to enter the Sunken Gardens. Sterling tried convincing it through a mixture of persuasion and lying but it wasn't working. I uh, I was in a bit of a poor mood about the whole situation but especially the cursed coins being given as a "gift" for y'know.. reasons, and so I may have gone on a bit of a speech but hey it got us in so yay? Anyway, turns out the Sunken Gardens was underwater and neither Sterling nor the captain who wanted to be the first to ever sail the Sunken Gardens and return had actually prepared anyway of us being able to breath. Good thing all we had to do was place our hand in this thing's mouth and let it bite us. Oh at that point I think it had become smaller, it was somewhat hard to tell. Then we were in a tunnel of strange lights and visions as it swallowed the boat, but what's new about that I guess..."
She finally stops talking, looks up, and smiles weakly.
"Sorry, that was a lot and I'm only halfway done, it was very stressful, I'm still dealing with post battle jitters and I'm in a lot of pain. Kiss me please and then I'll continue."
Sorrel smiles affectionately, breaks off from the bandaging and kisses her warmly - managing to slip a goodberry apple into Silvia's mouth just afterwards. "Eat that, and then as many as you can - they'll heal you and reduce the pain. They're filling though, so when you can't eat any more we can... I don't know. I suppose they can be made into pie or something. Cooking isn't my strong point. And if that isn't enough I have some of the goddess healing to help. Now then, seeing as I have clearly infected you with my perverse desire to follow knowledge like a sinking star beyond the utmost bounds of human thought, I think it's only fair you finish your story and then sleep. A lot." She kisses her again, touches the charmed necklace of Selûne and feels the warmth flow from her fingers into Silvia's wound. Silvia smiles as much as she can.
"Perks of having a healer for a girlfriend I guess. Where was I, oh yes the tunnel. Well we crashed into the ocean floor because go figure that's what apparently always happens, turns out there is a temple we need to get into, at its centre a whirlpool of sharks and at the centre of that Millincalli, the bitch fish who started all of this. We make our way in, some of us trying to be quiet and others of us failing, but somehow we make it through the temple and its traps mostly fine. First guard we come across, I take the opportunity when his back is turned to jump on, grab his mouth and begin leeching his life. This was meant to be a quiet, quick, effective kill. But for some reason several other members of the team decided to get involved and move around and cause a scene. This is why I endeavour to work with professionals like you darling. Anyway, he goes down, our cover seems to have held. I honestly didn't focus on what the others did next as I hung around and watched them tinker around with tools and prodding walls and such but eventually we made our way into the whirlpool of sharks. Ow! By Ilmater that stings. Uh, sorry. Anyway, we had made it onto a bridge of sorts leading to the centre of the whirlpool on which lay a podium-meditation-pulpit thing and our quarry. She had a poor mind controlled girl with her, which of course put me on edge. You know I hate seeing people like that, if I had my way I'd hunt down anything of the sort and personally inflict bloody vengeance on the perpetrators but I'm trying not to become someone I used to hate so that's off the table. Anyway, the two cursed children tried talking to her and failed so I gave up and just threatened her, which worked, because I am terrifying, fear me. She proceeded to end the curse, on the girl next to her, causing her to begin drowning. At this point you know me well enough to know that I wasn't taking it anymore, shadowclaw did quite well I should say. Pinned her to the ground in one blow, for a second I even saw fear in her eyes."
At this point Silvia begins to grin, seems to catch herself and shakes her head before scowling.
"I gave her a warning, we didn't have to fight like that..."
"Anyway, the next few minutes were a blur, she summoned a blinding light and escaped into it. There were sharks attacking my companions, I- I should have made sure they were safe but I was so furious I charged into the light after the sea-bitch. And, well, here I am, having achieved nothing, not even knowing if my allies are all dead, and in a lot of pain. But at least I have you, and honestly right now I need that more than anything Sorrel. I'm starting to feel like I'm either going to quit or turn into something I've tried very hard to not let myself or anyone I love become..."
Sorrel frowns thoughtfully. So many questions and yet Silvia is clearly wired and needs sleep. She has some herbs she can boil up into a drink but she is curious.
“So you came through the… sea bitches magic and arrived here?”
She waves her hands and mutters a few arcane words searching the room for traces of magic, though she finds nothing.
“As far as I can tell, a week after I left.”
"So whatever magic she was using knows where you live?"
Silvia stiffens.
"Yes, yes that would be the case wouldn't it."
"You need sleep and food. I assume that if it or she wanted you dead right now, something would have followed you through. So you're safe. I'm here and between us we can take out pretty much anything in this world or the next so let's not worry for now. Get some rest. I've got some herbs that'll help you sleep and then when you're up we'll eat and take a view. It'll be fine."
"It'll all be fine, thank you Sorrel, genuinely. I don't think the herbs will be needed though, the battle is starting to catch up with me. Mmmm comfy comfy bed..."
She lies back almost to the point of exaggeration and smiles at Sorrel before very quickly falling asleep. Sorrel reaches into her pocket and takes out the locket holding the gift of the crystal queen, a small crystal that glows with a gentle white light. She threads it carefully around Silvia's neck. It's power will help her against any magical attack although it's not as foolproof as she'd like. She prays fervently to the Moonmaiden for her sanctuary, and feels the glow of her love flow out and around Silvia's sleeping form. It's not enough but it will have to do for now. She checks her weapons, slips into her leather armour and sits next to Silvia as she rests, going through the guardian rituals in her head to stay awake and alert. She smile at Silvia's face at rest, remembering the troubled girl with the thread knotted around her hands. "She has come so far and yet she is the same," she leans down and kisses her cheek softly then settles back to keep watch.
