Welcome to Gaia! ::

"It's okay to be nervous," Riven says again, then realizes he's repeating himself. "We really are going around in circles. Nervous, it's okay, snuggle, repeat. I think it's time for snuggle again?" This time, though, he floats off of the couch and picks her up, carefully. "I have a better idea. Would it help you feel better about the Earthkeeper if you had some idea about what was going to happen?"

"Here, I'll show you." Riven carefully puts Ghlyssa back on her feet, then beckons for her to follow him. He floats down the hall and turns the corner, until they're in the part of the house with the stairway leading up to Riven's room. "Up here..."

He bobs up the stairs and darts into his room ahead of Ghlyssa, quickly shoving a few messy bits into the closet and closing the door, thankful that he usually keeps his room quite clean. He carefully opens the chest at the base of his bed and pulls out a large purple 'crystal ball', which he places on the bed. "Here, look..."

"I got it when I went to the Spirit Realm, before I grew." Riven puts both hands on the cool surface; the orb slowly begins to glow. "It acts like a connection between there and here. You remember... I think I took you to my 'secret place' before, a long time ago? You met Ssala?" He shakes his head. "That was just a memory of the Spirit Realm. If you want, I can take you to the real Spirit Realm, and you can talk to Ssala... shi has some power to see what the future might be."

Riven shrugs and grins. "It's not hard. I took Morion there once a few months ago, because he needed to find someone there." He doesn't go any further into it. "If you want to go, though, you should sit down on the bed. I can go there completely, body and all, but I can only take you in spirit. So you should sit down and get comfortable."

Riven nods. "Okay." Then he closes his eyes, spreading his hands over the surface of the crystal ball. He can feel the connection to the Spirit Realm in it, like a rope leading from anchor to ship.

Carefully, he pokes at the connection with his mind, coaxing it to widen like he does when he summons. As it responds, he also reaches out for Ghlyssa, finding her and holding on tight to the spark of her spirit.

The orb pulses once, particularly brightly, and when the light fades Riven is gone.

Riven opens his eyes to see Ghlyssa beside him, and the cascading gray mist and pale crystal outcroppings of the Spirit Realm surrounding them both.

Riven nods. "Yes it is... oops, here come the greeters." He moves slightly in front of Ghlyssa as a cloud of hyvaren ((spirit-sparks, think fireflies only not bugs)) swoop down on them, singing in high-pitched trills, curling around in an arc before zooming up into the 'sky' again.

Riven hears a chuckle, and looks to the side to see Ssala drifting towards them, his friend's fur ruffling slightly as shi moves. "An unexpected visit, my lo- ah," shi says, stopping when shi sees Ghlyssa. "Make that an unexpected visitor."

"Ah, you're the little earth child. I remember you, my lady," Ssala says, drifting around Riven and Ghlyssa in a slow circle. "You have grown since then."

Shi eyes the way Ghlyssa is glomming on to Riven and a slow grin spreads across hir face. "Ahh... I see. Well, well."

Riven blushes fiercly.

Ssala dips in closer to Ghlyssa and looks at her from all angles. "Earth power, very deep-seated, yes..." Shi turns and tilts hir head at Riven. "Another one reborn?" Riven nods. "Ah... welcome, my dear lady," Ssala says, bowing hir head to Ghlyssa.

"Ssala... I brought Ghlyssa here hoping you could See something for her," Riven explains.

"Oh?" Ssala pulls back, fur rippling. "What do you need such power for, my lady?"