2023-04-12 & 2023-04-19 Secrets of the Seasons - Wik

"Now, tell me a little about this Temple you found in the Court of Harmony." Rux rolls their sleeves back down, having finished washing up, and beckons the other two towards the small stools in front of their wood stove. "It's not a Court I'm familiar with, and I travelled a fair bit when I was your age!"

"More like you were chased out of every Court that you made it to!" Yom says, nudging Rux with an elbow. "Until you met me and cleaned up your act."

"Right. Of course, love." Rux pulls Yom close, planting a small kiss amongst their hair. "Now! You were going to tell us about the Temple."

"There's not too much to say." Wik finds a spot in front of the stove, throwing a small log into the furnace before latching the door. "I'd been there before, back when the record keeper, Artolos, had first put out a bulletin. This time, though, the researchers from the Court had found their way inside. They wanted us to go through a new door they'd found, at the back."

Wik leans forward until their elbows are resting on their knees. "Well, they asked for Raine, and the rest of us were there to help. Actually it was the Master of Revelries, Kruxeral, that did the asking. Apparently Miss Carroway has a bit of a crush, which made the job a bit more fun."

"Oh how exciting! A mysterious Temple with mysterious doors..." Rux leans forward, living vicariously through their child. "And let me guess, behind the door was treasures beyond imagining?"

"Not quite. First was getting past the door. It was..." Wik looks to their parents, a bit sheepish, before taking a deep breath in. "It was made of cold iron."

Both Rux and Yom's eyes go wide, and they look to each other. They both open their mouth at the same time to say something. "Cold..?" They look at each other, and Rux nods for Yom to proceed.

"Cold iron? And you kept your distance, right child? You know what cold iron can do to us?"

"Of course, Yom. I know very well what it can do. You only told me all the time. I just hope the others didn't notice a golden dragonborn keeping his distance for no apparent reason."

The two parents breathe out, as though they had been holding it in, and share a relieved look. "Well, at least there were others, like you said. Any names we'd recognize?" Rux asks, reaching for a box of tea that rests alongside the stove.

"Hmm. Archie Haltuhr was there again. And Mittens McKittens, that tabaxi child I'd told you about from the first time I went to the Temple. And another, Corrila. I hadn't met her before, but she was very helpful."

"Ah, yes. I remember Mittens. Did the little one keep out of trouble?"

"Mostly. His use of magic was a bit overzealous once we got past the door. Once we'd found the keys there was a trap room with a water weird in it. I had to go back to fetch him after it grabbed his leg, but at least I was able to run it through."

"Oh well done, Wik!" Rux pats their child's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "Water weirds are tricky bastards. I remember once, I was..."

"Now, Wik was telling a story darling," Yom interrupts, their eyebrow raised knowingly at their partner.

"Oh! Right. Another time then." Rux looks sheepishly towards Wik. "You were saying, you had to get keys for this door?"

"Yes, the door before the water chamber had these keys. One was up by an abandoned chimera's nest. There was this symbol up there, too. You've seen that one that's been drawn around the city? That one. It was odd to see it there at the time, but now..."

Wik shakes their head. "I'll get to that, that came later. But the other key was down a set of stairs, past a fey spirit named Lily. She was... nice. I think she saw more of me than she let on."

"We fey are a tricky sort, to be sure." Rux sets the teapot atop the stove, rubbing their hands together. "Fey spirits are another thing entirely. You were careful? Was anyone else with you?"

"Just another of the researchers, a tabaxi named Bruno. But if he overheard anything, he didn't let on."

"I'm sure he thought nothing of it, dear." Yom reaches out to place a hand on Wik's shoulder. "So you found the keys, you fought the water weird, and then what? Did you find out what this door was guarding?"

"That's the thing. I don't think it was keeping anyone out." Wik raises a hand up to squeeze Yom's before rubbing their own together, deep in thought. "Once we made it through, we just found... more doors. A lot more. And a lot of them were cold iron, too." They roll their shoulders, closing their eyes tight. "I think the cold iron was keeping something in. Or someone."

"Hmm. Well, a cold iron prison would be an effective way to trap a fey. Do you have any idea who?"

Wik frowns, their gaze focused on their smooth, unblemished skin. The borders between their fingers almost blurs together, so hazy is their form.

"Only by something Lily said, when I asked. Something about it being the worst offenders of the Queen."