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 Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 4:18 pm
Devyn didn’t often pay careful attention to where he was walking, but here he did. It was different than walking through any other flower covered field. Percy had told him this place was sacred, and even if they were just following the path–however lost to time it might have been–he didn’t want to leave this place damaged.
His expression softened again when he laid eyes on the Code.
Percy would have been the last one to touch it. It was a silly thing to get caught up on, but he was the last Knight of Sessrumnir.
The Code was different at every Wonder–connected, yet separated. Did a thousand years feel the same to it? Did it know? The sudden lump in his throat was distracting enough, and his stomach felt oddly heavy.
“I think it’s normal.”
He didn’t feel nervous, but he didn’t know what he felt.
“I cried the first time I saw the Core of my world.” Of that, he wasn’t ashamed. Who wouldn’t? It was beautiful. Powerful.
This place was the same.
He felt like he should apologize to the Code. He’d have brought an offering if he knew to plan for it, but he doubted the granola bars and beef jerky would be a suitable gift now. Princess might like them, at least. She did deserve a treat.
“But just remember, you’ve got nothing to be nervous about,” he promised. “Sessrumnir has always been picky with its Knights. It chose you for a reason. You’re welcome here. Wanted here.”
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Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 5:38 pm
“How old were you, the first time you saw your Core?” Michael hummed, but it was more of a rhetorical question. He knew Devyn had been young when he was brought to the Hall. He had to have been young when he saw his Core for the first time. An answer was already supplying itself in Michael’s head, but he wasn’t sure if he was making it up from potential memories, or if Devyn had already told him.
Here, and on Alastor, Michael was finding some of the emotions and memories harder to differentiate from himself and Percy than when he was on Earth. Probably because his starseed had strong ties to those places. Or he was just assigning explanations to what seemed convenient for his active imagination.
On one side of him was Devyn, but Michael was momentarily startled when he felt something cool against his other hand.
Princess seemed to sense his anxiety and had circled back over to sit beside him, pressing her nose against his palm, before licking his hand. Michael gave her head a pat and scratched behind her ears as he continued to stare, frozen to the spot.
Sessrumnir might have once been picky, but he wasn’t so sure if he’d been chosen because he was convenient or if it was simply because the Code wanted Percy’s starseed as its Knight again.
“I want Devyn -- Sailor Alastor -- to be able to come here without me. I trust him, and I know Percy trusted him,” Michael spoke to the Code, but wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. Just that he wanted to make sure it knew of his intentions.
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Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 5:57 pm
Another time, Devyn would have answered Michael. He’d been young when he first saw his Core–seven or eight, he couldn’t quite remember. He didn’t think it mattered much in the grand scheme of things, maybe he’d still gotten emotional if he’d been older, too.
It seemed wrong to answer now while Michael was speaking to the Code.
He saw Princess out of the corner of his eyes and didn’t have to look over to know what she was doing. She was smart, and intuitive, and caring. He was grateful to have her here, to ease and support Michael in whatever ways he couldn’t.
It didn’t surprise him when the Code didn’t speak; he hadn’t expected it would. The boys had interacted with a larger piece of it on the Moon, but they both had smaller pieces to tend at their Wonders. So far as he knew, it was the same for all Knights.
What did surprise him was the way the Code seemed to glow after Michael spoke. Maybe it was a trick of the light, or maybe it was just what he wanted to see. It didn’t feel unfriendly, as far as he could tell, but a part of him was still waiting for the glowing orb to explode and blind him, or for a voice to start screaming that he needed to leave.
It didn’t come, but he couldn’t bring himself to relax, either. He held Michael’s hand tightly and stroked the back with his thumb once more, as much to ease Michael as it was to ease himself.
He didn’t think it would be so easy; he wasn’t sure the Code could grant that ability. If it could have, he was certain Percy might have found a way to make it work before.
But then, maybe Percy had never asked.
Even with his concerns, Devyn couldn’t help but smile softly at the idea of Michael asking.
It was sweet.
The weight of the grove didn’t feel quite so heavy around him.
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Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 6:26 pm
Michael could see the way the Code orb glowed. And he could feel the apprehension in the orb at his chest. He kept his hand tight around Devyn’s as he waited for --
He wasn’t sure. But at least now he knew where the Code was in case he needed to come back to it for whatever reason. He doubted that talking to the Code would give them the ability to have Devyn go to Sessrumnir on his own, but he felt better knowing that the Code knew Devyn had permission. For whatever it was worth, coming from Michael.
There wasn’t much else he could think to say. There was a warmth that came with the stillness around them. But up ahead somewhere, mixed between the sound of rain and distant thunder, birds were singing to each other.
This place felt safe, at least. He didn’t have to worry about someone else getting their hands on the Code while it was there. He nodded to it, a sign of respect, and then turned to face Devyn again.
“Thank you. I’m glad I know this place exists now. I wish I’d known before. Let’s talk to Soleiyu to see what he needs to get everything working. Sound good?” Because the sooner they had a way to get to each other if something happened while the other was on their World or Wonder, the better.
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Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:07 am
Though his attention lingered on the Code, Devyn nodded as Michael spoke. His eyes were half-lidded, not quite tired. The Code wasn’t bright enough to hurt his eyes, but his focus almost seemed stuck on it. It stood out against this place, natural and overgrown as it was.
He could feel the magic radiating from it as much as he could the trees.
The birds seemed louder than before, but maybe it was just because he’d been so focused on the quiet that now they stood out.
A few seconds passed before he came to his senses and tore his gaze away. When he blinked, it lingered, and a halo of light seemed to surround Michael when he made eye contact.
How could he not smile?
“That sounds like a good plan, Michael. Thank you. I’m sure we’ll be back here, soon. I’ll show you everything I can, we’ll make up for lost time.”
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