Welcome to Gaia! ::

He'd feel uneasy. . . a hit to his solar plexus, his "gut" Would make him shiver. Then his nose being hit by James's forearm would knock his head into the hardwood shelves.

Temn would bleed through hsi nose, by huge quantities. He was an easy bled person, especially around the face,. Speaking of his face, it would turn a light green colour before he spoke, only to be interrupted.

"Oh. . s**t. . I'm gonna. . . BLERRHEEEH"

Yeah. . he'd throw up all over James due to the hit to the solar plexus. A combination of that, and Temn forcing himself to.

"Looks like my secret attack. . worked. . . BLEREEHEHEHHH"

Temn would throw up again, this time on the floor. He let out a groan and looked at James. He smirked and held his arm straight out, his index finger pointing at James.

"AHAH! I win! you lose! you have been defeated by my attack of disgustingness."

Then his arm would come down to his sides. He then going into an epic win pose, which was so awesome it couldn't be described.

" I. . . don't think I care."

This would be followed by a classic anime style head tilt that would make the sleeve hit the bookshelf behind him. He'd slid his hands in his pockets, thinking that he still wanted to fight. . . but this man certainly didn't want to.

He yawned slighlty, making a sort of "Gwaarr" noise towards James. Maybe an insult about his mother would work? or. . talking about how hard he banged James girl/boyfriend? or a gay joke? . . . decisions, decisions.

((Previous chapter can be found on page 45. I could actually post a summary before going on. I could. ...but I'm way too lazy right now. Mwahah. Or you could go and read the last few passages of the last post on said page.
Either way, you're invited to read and enjoy.))


Part VII

(1/2)

Blood, dust and ashes
(Derzurum, East Coast, Nikalanta)


The soul mirror went on the very same moment: Fhezi was walking towards Kaled, followed by a confused and suspicious pair of eyes, namely Vahn's. Kaled himself watched the girl anxiously and you wouldn't have been surprised if he had done a step backwards. Nobody else moved.
Right in front of the tall man, Fhezi staggered - and was hold by Kaled's arms, instinctively being pulled close. The tripping or the contact obviously made her switch back to her usual self. Clinging to the man's leather tunic, sniffing and crying a bit, Fhezi looked like any other scared girl of about ten years...only that this situation - several dead people lying on the floor and nobody knowing what exactly Fhezi had seen or done - was more than a bit scary.

Owle and Vahn finally turned towards Lucind to ask what was going on, the Half Siren informed Max. "My face must've told them I knew more, or at least had a foreboding." On the screen Lucind addressed Kaled, though. I asked him, Why...Kaled? There would've been better ways. - I do understand you, though." He was close to going off, vehemently pointing at the blue haired woman. "You don't know nothing!! You and all your friends."
Standing left of Lucind, Vahn's hand tightened around his sword's hilt.
"You grew up in the West...you will never understand what..." Kaled blinked, turned his eyes and head away, grinding his teeth.

Then, all of a sudden, Kaled grabbed Fhezi's shoulder and pulled his scimitar to threaten the girl with it. As an immediate reaction, Vahn drew his weapon and stepped in closer - but at the very same second Lucind held him back by blocking his way. Through Owle's and Lu's eyes Maximos would notice Fhezi's weird reaction: despite the fact a very sharp blade lurked only an inch away from her pale skin, she was completely calm. Wet streaks were still visible on her cheeks, but otherwise she had found back to her usual serenity.
"With her smile she told me I shouldn't worry, that everything was alright. And I believed that smile, even though the state she had been in minutes before had frightened me a bit - back then I directly assumed it had been the First Five being in control of Fhezi's body...but for the time being I refused thoughts concerning what they might've had to do with the incident at the zin hasin.

We heard employees approaching, which made Kaled put his weapon back." But his face stated very clearly nobody should make a single step. Right and left of him, three Sirens peeked in. "Their shock and outcries alarmed the whole zin hasin within a minute. T'was Kaled's chance since the others mistook the tense mood for our reaction on the horrid discovery. He fell back in his role of being the vice captain of the fourth Nikalantian border troop and gave notice he was going to bring the girl to his mother where he would interview her since she was the only survivor of this tragic accident. He ignored the question why he thought this had been an accident but added he would also inform the CoD headquarter and the Aishwarya council. Actually, he wanted to do that first."

And pulling his communication device from within his tunic he guided Fhezi out and vanished. Again, the employees of the zin hasin - and a few guests who had become curious by the mayhem - where unaware of Vahn's silent protest, Lucind holding him back with an intent look and whispered words. Owle wanted to protest, too, but after the Half Siren lightly touched her arm and explained something, Owle nodded hesitantly and seemed to heave a sigh.

"I asked them to trust me and let Kaled go...quite the unreasonable demand after the wearisome behaviour I'd been showing over the last days. But the promise of giving a full-fledged explanation as soon as they could leave the scene made them, like, Okay this one last time." Lucind grinned lopsided and got up to open the window. Outside her room, the number of guests must've gone up for the muffled noises coming from the bookstore and café below as well as from the restaurant area above them came and went in waves but had grown louder the longer it took Lucind to tell Maximos the whole Azum story. Half leaning against her desk, half sitting on it, she folded her arms in front of her chest and went on:

"Before we could decide what to do next, Larhien and Murnal hasted into the spa's lounge. We had informed them from the speed ray, giving the approximate time of our arrival...now that I think about it, this picture repeated itself again and again, my brother and our friend always awaiting us or coming to us with the same worried look on her faces. Though this time..." This time, Murnal's expression was...a bit out of place, or overdone. The man with the thick blue hair and the long face, that always had a rough, sort of concentrated touch, had eyes for Lucind alone. He stared at her, fine pearls glistening along his temples, stared as if he needed to be absolutely sure the woman was really there and okay.

"Even while we gave'm a quick summary on what had happened - always trying to make sure nobody else caught a word -, I felt Murnal's gaze on me. But right when I wanted to have a word with him in confidence, a Dorya team entered." The memory skipped a few scenes. "And there, not even five minutes later someone from the Aishwarya council - actually the new vice speaker after Eshnared's death - and a few relatives or friends of the dead arrived as well. As it turned out, Kaled had indeed informed everybody.

So once more, Owle, Vahn and I reported that the scene of the ten bodies on the floor hadn't been changed, aside from Fhezi being gone. The Doryas asked us to visit their office in this city's section or the headquarter to sign our statements." The water screen showed how Lucind nodded at the others, beckoning them to come closer. Without putting on a secretive look she spoke to them, earning short nods on all sides.

A few short scenes followed, displaying the group of five heading once more through Nikalanta's stuffed underground streets until they went through the high, veiled passage in that massive wall that had brought them to the immoral, yet safe back yard for the first time only a few days ago. And just like the first time, Sugi was leaning out the window, the same sugar sweet smile on her rouged lips. Change of scene again.

Lucind, Larhien, Owle, Vahn, and Murnal were assembled in a small room, probably a tea room, dimly lit and without any windows. Lucind's brother had activated his own Siren staff - unlike the female staffs with different shaped tuning forks the staff of male Sirens ended in blade -, performed some complicated moves combined with a short sung formula whereupon the air within the room seemed to flicker...or was it a swift wind swishing along the walls, gracing the candle's flames and flowers in their vases before it returned to Larhien's weapon?
"Even though we didn't fear anybody to eavesdrop on us, I asked my brother to seal the room with an audio interference shield...simply means if you tried to listen to what was said inside you'd just hear undefined buzzing. Not that you couldn't break it with the right technique, be it magical or...well, if you're interested I can tell you more about that another time.

I had brought them there to reveal everything. And I mean everything. Starting with what I'd already told Owle: every detail as to what had happened during the reconnection test, the role of the Grand Circle, the great conspiracy concerning the Azumerian Siren's psionic potential; that I'd been threatened to keep my mouth shut; that my mother had been let in on the secret when we were still kids; and finally: what I had experienced, learned and heard during my stay at Caliph Hasmab's harem."

The woman sat back on the bed and stared at the soul mirror before she sung a short melody, a variation on the theme that had activated the sphere, with the effect that the water lost its special shape and gently dribbled back into the bowl.
"I figured this here might be just as strenuous as opening a minor link between us. So, unless you have any objections, I'm connecting right to your mind..."

If the Shadow didn't mind, the Half Siren would choose a song to carefully dock to the outer wall of his mindscape. In case this didn't suffices to enable him to receive the memory stream, Max would feel her asking to relocate the connection to another, maybe deeper lying spot of his inner world.
For the next minutes, Maximos would see two combined strings of memory, actually giving the whole thing some movie flair, more than the recollections coming from different angels had already given off so far.



The crowded corners and alleyways of Nikalanta - by then a possibly familiar picture for Max: this time, it was Lucind and Larhien hasting along, obviously having a heading. At a station they got on a train which was much smaller but not less comfy than the one leading around the underground city. "Derzurum. The CoD outpost the militant Meohar were planning to attack in about two days - that is where this tracks brought us." Sitting across from her, Lucind's brother stared out of the window even though the naked tunnel wall was all he could marvel at. And: he was fuming; his fists unclenched and tightened; he had difficulties controlling his breathing. Hopping to his eyes, Lucind glanced at him with a smile on her lips that could only be guessed and wasn't really there to point at. There was understanding and love in those amber pools of her, but also the plea for a portion of restraint.

A flight of steps ended in the dazzling light and heat of the Eastern sun and shielding their eyes, the siblings found the fort Derzurum to be a conglomeration of houses officially marked as being property of Jitro’s executive as well as facilities of residential merchants, hostels for travelling private persons or traders or craftsmen otherwise benefiting from the daily business at the forts, such as blacksmiths or shoemakers. And around all those buildings a wall had been erected – obviously later though since it showed uneven slops or corners while giving its best to snuggle around the houses, hangars and warehouses protectively.

At one of the entry gates, both of them slipped back the hoods of their cloaks and, as Maximos would now be able to hear it, gave their names and purpose of their visit, namely seeing Kaled Onroy. One of the guards, who assumingly checked their data with the help of a computer like device, nodded after browsing through papers on a flip chart: "Since you're unofficially signed as assistants for a current investigation of the Clan I can give you permission to enter. You see, the pack is assumed to arrive only the day after tomorrow, but we're already set and ready...well, or as good as. We always check who's comin'n'going. But now all retail sellers or drovers arriving are our men undercover or at least the parties entering have half of their usual members being replaced. So, the vice captain's at the Golhaera tavern - can't miss it, go ahead, second street turn left, then right and left again...well, it's the only real tavern anyway so... But I highly advice you to leave as soon as you're done with your business here. Or..." He tilted his head and leaned in, now full of curiosity. "Or are you and your men going to help us those Meohar asses?" Larhien gave some vacant answer, that it was likely to happen but only if things turned out worse than expected.
"I wondered," Max would hear Lu's voice echoing in the background, "how much those soldiers actually knew about the crisis' details, that Lahadamean extremists were the wirepuller behind the upcoming attack. But as you can see I first had to make sure to keep up with Larhien and quickly dropped such questions."


Back to the cosy, eavesdropping protected room at Sugi's Garden. Regarding the fact everybody's expression had turned from curious or troubled to utterly confused, upset or worried sick, it was probably clear Lucind wasn't following the chronological order of the talk she'd had with Vahn and the others.

"Okay...and now, before I go to get Fhezi back, there's one more thing I have to tell you," Maximos heard the Half Siren say in her memory movie. The tone of her voice undoubtedly indicated she was reluctant to give the last piece of important information - probably for she wasn't keen on dealing with everybody's reaction. "...you have to promise to stay calm and listen, okay?" That didn't really help turning down the tension a single inch.


With Larhien leading, the siblings finally entered the tavern the guard had named: aside from the barkeeper and a pudgy guy looking as though he never did anything else than hanging on a bar stool gazing at a drink right in front of his nose, the pub was empty...almost. A short corridor revealed another room nearly as large as the first one: closest to them was Fhezi, kneeling in front of a wooden bank, playing with figurines made of stone. She got up, beamed at Larhien and he but gave her a scrutinizing, You're okay, yes? look. The girl then scampered over to Lucind - whereas Larhien crossed the room with long, aggressive steps to reach Kaled sitting at the back wall. In the moment he reached out to yank up the muscular Dorya captain who seemingly wasn't going to offer resistance, Lucind saw Fhezi watching with mild worry and a larger portion of understanding and accepting what was going to happen. However, when Larhien's fist collided with the other man's jaw, the girl reacted like any girl was expected to: pressing her face against Lu's ribcage, she covered her ears with her hands.


"The last thing Fhezi told me before she guided me out of the new lhor aven was that...Kaled." Her eyes wandered from Vahn to Owle to Murnal to her brother. "It was him...who tried to kill me."


Stepping back out onto the corridor, Lucind shielded the girl and hummed some song, while in the background you heard the distinct sounds of someone being beaten - until a clattering sound suggested the attacked found he had accepted enough punches. Upon a frustrated grunting coming from the other man, Lucind whispered, It's enough now Larhien.

After a few more blocked attacks, silence fell over the room and Lucind turned around to see both her brother and Kaled staring at each other, clenching their staffs. The latter, though, showed fresh bruises all over his face, even a chipped bottom lip. After it looked as though Larhien was going to go at his opponent once more, he just grabbed the other man's weapon, tossed it aside and spit on the floor next to Kaled's feet, hissing something in his mother tongue and left the room for a moment, likely to get his emotions back under control.


What?!
No way...
You can't be ********, then why're we still here!! I mean...you crazy!? How could you possibly let him go? With Fhezi?!
What if he does something to her?
Or takes her hostage...
No, he won't.
Why can you be so sure of that?
Let's go-
No! I told you...trust me. Fhezi's okay. He loves her. She's part of his family.
Oh, so you think you know how he’s ticking? He fooled us all..!
Most of all, he fooled himself. - I don't deny this is a situation most critical, but mainly 'cause he's ashamed, deeply ashamed of what he's done.
Oh please...
Larhien...
Hell, no! What...I mean...if he was okay with murdering you who knows if it wasn't him organizing what's just happened at the zin hasin?? You remember his face?? ... What's his motive, after all?
I still can't believe it. I really liked him.
All he wanted was to protect his home - and when he was offered power, power for a few of his family members, all he saw was the chance to hold his own world together.
Power?
What power? And why not for himself?
This doesn't make s-
Because he was offered a temporary connection to the lhor aven for a group of full blood Sirens being members of the Dorya clan. This offer...was made by Gaian Sirens.
Lucind, what does this mean?
Kaled lied!! Of course he did! Bet he d-
We were sent on this mission to be tested. Especially my loyalty was to come under scrutiny. But also among the Western Sirens there's what you can call extremists. And a certain party wants to see me dead...a certain person, rather.

The last sentences of the excited and uncoordinated discussion were accompanied by the scene of Lucind quietly staring at Kaled who had sat back down on his chair and was removing some blood from his chin, avoiding any eye contact. Dust danced in the honey colored sun light fighting its way though thick curtains. Fhezi resumed playing with the stone figurines.
"Why'd you bring her here?" The Half Siren's question would fall on silence.

"I tried hard...really tried to despise Kaled, seeing him sitting there," Lucind explained the scene. "It didn't work out. All I wanted was to kick his sorry a**, calling him an imbecile for putting himself in so much trouble. But at the same time, I completely understood him.

From Fhezi I'd got to know he had been blackmailed. The deal was to send me six feet under, then his friends and colleagues would receive the temporary power boost - that alone was likely an empty lie for after what I've seen during the reconnection test, such a temporary channel most likely can't be hold for longer than a few minutes, even if two Sirens handled one Aishwarya. And lending them their own power...well, it's possible, playing the host. Exhausting, but possible. Yet I doubt they'd be ever willing to do that.

The additional, crucial factor was that they, the group of Gaian Sirens, made Eshnared their spy. And Kaled had to watch how his friend was being turned into a puppet. What I've done with the cat in the alleyway...they infiltrated the man's mind like that, tagging him and thus making it possible to be up to date with view on the progress of Kaled's order...or to harm Eshnared.

So, I stared at Kaled, remembering the utter disbelieve of the others when I said I wanted to go alone. Since I knew they'd never agree to that and for I didn't want to start a fight, I was okay with Larhien coming along. But even though Kaled had pretty much allowed my brother to release his fury, probably thinking he deserved it, I then questioned myself why I'd been so damn sure he wouldn't hurt Fhezi, nor that he wouldn't snap once he'd see me.

I thought...think to know what he felt like.

Then I saw him sitting there, brooding, moody, with a trace of resignation. Will he attack me? In front of the girl? No...somehow Fhezi's presence seems to represent my safety, or so my mind told me, cause I knew Kaled loved the girl and what she stood for. His family. His family, what he defined it to be, was the reason why he had agreed to that foul deal. And that was what I'd seen in his eyes all along: the fear to lose his home. That was why I'd felt like we were alike all the time."

When Kaled still didn't respond, Lucind started confronting him frankly with everything she knew. Kaled didn't even looked up when she mentioned Shankar had been the eyes of the Grand Circle although this information was new to him (that, Lucind had heard from Fhezi as well).
There was shame in the vice captain's eyes and when Lucind was indiscrete enough to accuse him of being silent all the way back to Nikalanta - if he had only threw in a few hints, they might have been able to do something - Kaled jumped up, nearly bringing his chair to a downfall.

"Your people lied", he roared. One of Fhezi's figured fell to the ground. "They went back on their word and simply discarded the others as if they were inferior beings, making me...making me a..." Raising his index finger, Kaled looked as though he could barely hold back his anger, yet his eyes and forehead twitched occasionally, reminding of the typical expression of someone about to cry. In that moment, nothing was left of the dark, humble man they had first met at the docks of Latent. Human he was, and it visibly pained him to lose it like this, but shame and self-hatred prevailed.
"It likely doesn't make sense, Kaled, but I doubt Shankar and the others were murdered. Actually...I feel like they wanted to keep their part of the deal, but something's gone horribly wrong."


A flashback of the discussion at Sugi's. Vahn scratching his head, an uneasy look on his face. "You don't think...I mean, don't get me wrong, but what if the girl has something to do with it? You saw how scary she was when we found her, Lucind..."


"Ah sure, protect those who sure weren't sorry when ten of us...of my people died - even though you didn't seem to mean much to them as well."
Lucind snorted, her eyes wandering up from Fhezi to the Dorya captain. "God, Kaled, shut the ******** up. - Did you even ask them why they wanted to see me dead? No? Well, then let me give you an idea of what all this s**t is about. Maybe then you understand that you and I are actually sitting in the same boat. And maybe..." Her voice softened. "Maybe you even start understanding the motives of the Western Sirens...and that they aren't that different from those of the Aishwarya."

Part VIII

(1/2)


In the end...



"Alright then. Let's open the last chapter of this story.

But first..." Lucind slid off the bed. "Be right back." With that, she vanished in the small bathroom - all the cappuccino and tea claimed freedom.

"Can I bring you anything else? More milk, another macchiato? A snack?" Smiling softly, the woman stood in front of him, head tilted, hands in her jeans' pockets.
Irrespective of what the man chose, Lu would definitely leave the room to get herself some green tea. But she also prepared a plate with salty crackers, cheese and grapes for the two of them.
Oh and by the way, the woman pretended to be completely unaware of the inquisitive looks and half hidden grins of her employees.

Back in her room, Lucind put the bowl full of water on her desk and a tray with food and beverages on the tiny table instead. Then she closed the window and crawled back on the bed, nibbling on a slice of cheese.

"Four and half days I was gone for the funeral. And when I returned to Nikalanta, Kemecha welcomed me, telling that the Feiruza had left that morning." The Half Siren tapped into the stand-by connection to Max's mind by chanting a low, fairly short theme, just a few measures.
It was the Port of Semyon, as crowded as ever. The one watching turned around towards the dock, and there it was, already around five hundred feet away: the ship that had brought Lu and the others to Azum. There was Tagis, and the all over tattooed Prishazan at the wheel; and you could see a man that likely was Sun...and Larhien seemed to be standing close by. The connection went back to its stand-by mode.

"Fake, of course. When I arrived at the Dorya headquarters, completely in local clothes, two scarves around my head...and I even used a toned cream to make my face look less pale...so, Kemecha directly escorted me to the other end of the over ground part of Nikalanta - right to the lizard Chimera clan. Or, to be precise, it was more of a tiny community of shamans plus a very few 'normal' lizards. Their place was popular since they, like the Sirens, were known to be excellent healers, though their treatments and rites are mainly based on spirit channeling and elemental magic.

The reason why I chose this place was that, when I mentioned I'd need living water, like a natural pond, and that it probably wasn't safe to head for the beach or any of the springs at the zin hasins, Sunstrike suggested to use the pool for rites at the shamans' main house. Fortunately, the Chimera had no problem with that, even when I warned them that the procedure we were going to do would assumingly mess with their own vibes...spiritual flow...or however you wanna call it.

But exchanging a few words with the eldest instantly made it clear why they had also assisted Sunstrike in reviving the salamander in him: the most important thing for them was, so they said themselves, to keep the balance of nature, to sort out what was to stand on the positive and the negative side. To put it shortly, it means they don't always help those in need when they find it's just within the given, necessary order of their gods. A disputable view of things, of course, but since we had their allowance and directly started with initializing the installation, I didn't have any time to chat with them, although I would've liked to know more about their believes.

Okay, watch out, gonna reconnect."

The place the lizard Chimera resided at looked pretty much like what Maximos had seen so far: lots of dry earth, palm trees, a herd of goats picking dead grass and idly waddling chickens between huts. A single flat house, with walls made of brick and clay, built the center of the small community, which didn't stand for its own but was close to a station of mechanists employed by Nikalanta's public administration.

Skipping a good part of the memory, Max would find himself standing in a well lit cave of modest height and width. A fireplace was on one side of the cave - cowhide and cushions lay around cold ashes and the remnants of wood. A shallow pond with crystal clear water was at the opposite side.

Next to the water, Lucind was busy taking off her clothes...or at least all layers clothes until a thin undergarment was the only thing left. Fhezi, clad in a wrapping dress, beamed up at her as if they were about to go to the zoo or some sort of theme park - and not to go through a dangerous mental operation.

Larhien and Murnal were sitting crosslegged close to the pond. Blankets and cushions had been placed on all sides. "Nobody of us could tell how our bodies were going to react to the psionic impact, but fainting or just loss of control was an option.

A few of the shamans were waiting at the entrance, by the way, ready to step into action should everything go, like, completely wrong."

Turning around, Lucind's eyes directly met the one's of the spectator - which was Owle, as you could see Vahn standing on her left, looking quite uncomfortable. "I know you don't like it, Vahn," Lucind said. "But don't worry, I'm sure it all works out. The mothers reassured me once more they could clean my psionic system afterwards should I suffer from any disturbances." Grunting something, Vahn finally nodded and glanced over at the cave's entrance through which Sun had just appeared. "Everything a'right?" The red head asked almost cheerfully. Grinning broadly and giving him a thumbs up sign - that was Fhezi's answer which in return made Sunstrike chuckle and huggle the girl, before his attention went on to the others.

The view jumped to Sun's eyes, and you saw and heard Owle ask Lucind if they were ready to start.

"Ah...I see no reason why we should delay this any longer..."

So finally, Lucind and Fhezi waded into the pool's mid, where the water reached up to the woman's knees and to the girl's waist.

"The two days of our return journey to Nikalanta, Fhezi and I spent in the new lhor aven. Slowly, I figured out how to operate it. And even though it still didn't feel...like...a home, you know, familiar, I no longer got lost in there and the visualization also has changed from grey, misty confusion to a calm and soothing endless ocean surface, perfectly matching the first plane. This alteration wasn't only possible to me growing attached to it but also since my presence allowed the First Five to conduct the final adjustments.

It was to be expected that many more things would have to be fixed after launching the 'new side', but for then it was okay - the mothers were convinced nobody would have a real problem once he was connected to their latest masterpiece, at least not as in feeling unwanted or threatened by the brand new psionic plane."

Both Fhezi and Lu knelt down.

The woman took a deep breath, obviously giving her best to relax and solely concentrate on the task at hand.

The girl softly smiled at Lucind before she, too, focussed on her inner world.

The water sprites woke up, gently licked on their arms. An affectionate greeting. Then they withdrew.

For a minute or two, nothing happened. With their eyes almost closed, the two just kneeled in the pond, as if they had frozen on the spot.

But then, Maximos would witness the same effect coming over Fhezi like back on the beach: five ghostly layers appeared in front and behind her frame (Owle gasped something incoherent), wavering for a second until they seemed to dash towards Lucind. They disappeared even before they reached the woman's body, but the effect made clear something was definitely going on:

A jolt ran through Lucind's body, her head tilted back, her eyes shot open...became heavy lidded again...otherwise, she remained in this posture.

Sun stirred, but decided to wait. He was kneeling on the right, farther away from the water than Vahn, though closer to it than Owle. The view jumped to his eyes: Fhezi's back was right in front of him, but he also had a good view on Lu.

On the opposite side, Larhien and Murnal obviously were busy with what was happened inside their minds, too.

Once more, the memory came from Owle, giving a last shot of the whole scene, before connection was put back to stand-by.



"Alright...what happened inside?" Lucind thoughtfully chewed on a grape.

"I first entered the new lhor aven to meet there with...oh, forget something - watch out."
Another memory had to be squeezed into Lu's report.


"Ispahan...? Sounds familiar...somehow."

Maximos had seen this room before: it was back at the coach in the house of Duruin, the oldest Siren Lu had met so far - and for sure one of the oldest on all Gaia. Lucind had made herself comfy on a pile of cushions and blankets, frowning and fiddling with a glass of tea in her hands.
"Oh, it's a name you can find in a very few legends or chronicles coming from our people. And I think I've even seen the name used in a foreign report of a sage from the far north," Duruin nodded thoughtfully, having a sip of tea herself.

"Once Fhezi's role was opened up to me I remembered I've heard about such old stories once or twice when I was a child. But I bet I wouldn't find a memory where someone dropped this term, despite feeling like I've heard it before."

"Maybe you did overhear the adults' talking," the full blood smiled. "I can't really tell you when I realized what burden the girl's carrying. But now we can be sure it was her, the mother's rather, who sent me those dreams of you."

"Ah, yes, heh. Already asked Fhezi 'bout that on the way here and she just grinned and nodded. Tagis, the second in command of the Dorya security unit, had them, too, Fhezi admitted. Tss, so much ado about bringing me here," Lucind joked half-heartedly, brushing a strand behind her ear. Placing her empty glass on a tray, you could see something was working in her head. Finally, she murmured:
"Not everybody will be...compatible with the new lhor aven."

"I thought so."

"Really?" Surprise and the hope to be understood mingled with the simple reply.

"Oh, yes." A benign smile. "And I'm sure this is something that deeply troubles the mothers. But, honestly, I think it's not so much of a problem that the eldest amongst us won't be able to connect to the new side - but they, too, have to make a decision. Do they really want this, starting all over again?

In this way, it is the dawning of a new generation. The ascension of a modern age, if you want to call it so.

Even if most things are going to be adopted, it won't be the same anymore. And without any trace of bitterness or disappointed I'm going to say, This is not my world anymore. - Oh, please, dear. Don't make such a sad face...and there's no need for tears either.

I do believe we're following the right path. Our world needs this profound change. And for that, everybody has to sacrifice something.

Just hold on to your decision, my child. Your mother would be so proud."

"Ah..."


The recollection faded and Lucind reached out for her cup of tea. "So, I met with Fhezi...Ispahan on the new side, where we discussed the different stages of the implementation a last time before things got serious."

"What happened then is..." The blue haired woman rested her lips on the cup's brim, searching for a good description. "Basically, I opened a door on the new side, as if I was going to leave it. But instead of 'logging off' I also opened a water gate to the old lhor aven. In the background, I felt the First Fives starting work immediately: they veiled the first entrance, not only to shield it from view but also...or mainly to suppress the osmotic pressure emanated from the new side. The second both entrances stood erected next to each other, me between them, the twin infused its older brother. Means, we didn't have much time for the installation at all.

My cocoon had been activated all along, happens automatically when we enter psionic or mental areas of whatever sort. But it's usually invisible. What I did, though, even before I set my foot into the second door, is switching to a higher level - sort of using what I showed you over in the library, that black, flame like cover. Almost the same form I'd used before when Bahi had forcefully dragged me into the lhor aven when I was talking to my clan leader. Only that for now, I just wanted to keep a low profile, decrease the pulse of my soul signature. 'Cause, you see...

The tricky part for me was to hold up until the the mothers had seamlessly connected both gates - this was the condition for them to be able to run the program.

But no matter how well the Five's construction work, no matter how still Fhezi was holding not to disturb them...no matter how well I disguised myself: we all knew we wouldn't stay hidden for long.

After what must've been three or four minutes for the others since the girl and I fell oblivious for the outside world, and after a mental time span not quite long enough for us psionics, I was detected by two Sirens and asked to fully show myself. Asking to stay calm in return, that I just wanted to meditate in seclusion only resulted in their answer that I could still quickly pull down the cocoon for a second, then they'd leave me alone.

I hesitated. Heard Fhezi in the background, asking if I was okay. Said I was, but that things might get troublesome in a bit.
So I lifted the cocoon-- By the way, for them I wasn't wrapped in black clouds but only appeared as a vague figure on the ocean's surface. And when I became visible, their look made clear they didn't know who I was. But that would change within seconds for this patrol directly started a chain of connections jumping from one mind to the other...until their neutral expression changed to being alarmed...and kinda aggressive: So child, you've been forbidden to play with the adult's tool. But you didn't listen. And now what? Bear the consequences, ma'am? Oh yes, exactly."

Lucind chuckled quietly. She put the cup back on the table to shift and lean against the wall, leaving half an arm length space between Maximos and her.

"Just like when I waited for the reconnection test to begin, I felt a group of other Sirens emerging around me. All of them in a hurry.
The first to pop up called to bind me even before she turned from a blurry soul band to her physical projection. The other two reacted. One of them wanted to grab my shoulder but I pulled back...as in, slid back a few metres on the water, humbly asking them to wait. In the very moment, several Sirens around us became visible just when the woman who'd touched my shoulder shouted I hadn't completely entered, meaning to warn the others - which led to the urgent question why the hell I had an gate right behind me...or to precise: why I was half standing on the threshold.

A woman I think was among the high ranks of the Grand Circle ordered not to move and on her sign, the two patrol Sirens came to capture me once more....which was the moment for me to activate my cocoon on the highest level: Just like it had happened with Bahi, both women were sent flying backwards. My last attempt to offer words of negotiation fell on deaf ears. I thought to hear or feel that somewhere someone reminded everybody I'd already been degraded and with the fact I had staged my own death and now obviously was putting everyone in danger I'd automatically outlawed myself.

I was fair game.

I teased out the last bit off my cocoon to keep the next and fiercer round of those who wanted to arrest me...or directly take me out. But after a moment I knew it was time to call for help, to give the mothers a bit more time."

Gently prodding at the docking point to Max' mind, another memory wanted to present itself.
Back in the cave, Lucind's position hadn't changed, but suddenly, the Half Siren raised her right arm as if she pointed at Vahn kneeling close to her. The man frowned and clenched his teeth. "Vahn...! C'mon, it'll be alright," Sun urged, then shot a glance at Owle who gave a sign she was ready.

Swearing under his breath, Vahn put the Fang in front of him, holding its hilt with his right - and making the rapier change into the heavy flamberge. His left was extended so that finally his fingers touched Lucind's. This obviously made the water sprites step into action: where they had wriggled around the woman's hip, they then crept up her side, wrapping around her arm and hastily ran down to connect both their fingertips.

Vahn's expression turned from uneasy to concentrated and a second later his black flame ignited around his right, enclosing his weapon, shooting across his chest and finally met the living water: sizzling and hissing noises erupted and smoke rose from where Lucind's and Vahn's hands touched.

"A stupid...or at least risky idea, you might think. And it really was." She chuckled. "Combining the powers of fire and water. But you see...the form of my cocoon, the tendril like outgrowths, that's not normal - I got it from him. A long while ago, Latent was under attack. Army of undead...but well, my point is, that the Fang saved me from electrocution and in addition I got into contact with the man's black flames on their highest and rawest level when he changed to some sort of...dark devil...or avatar mode.

The disarray, not to say mess in my head must've caused the assimilation of a few traits of both forces to mend the pieces of my mind together until my aunt Mildroa and Hetel started fixing it...which was also the first time I repulsed other Sirens within the lhor aven, in that moment without really pushing for it, though.

My aunt and my clan leader kept it secret, even though they didn't like to see I didn't think about filtering the foreign influence.

And Vahn himself wasn't exactly happy to hear about that side-effect, too, since he'd seen how people were prone to give in to their 'dark' side, especially after getting a glimpse of Efreet's works. So now you understand why he didn't feel like supporting my idea of lending some more of his power so I could guard the double gate between the old and new lhor aven as long as possible. He only gave his okay when I reasoned that it should be much less dangerous since he wasn't going to use those tendril like, out-of-control black flames...far too risky for everybody around." The woman grinned and ran a hand through her hair.
"Additionally, I promised I'd search for a way to 'cleanse' my soul and mind of the alien elements. And I'm really going to...once I've went through with the next point on my to do list."

The memory was stopped.

"But it worked just as I had hoped. Also 'cause Owle was doing an awesome job: I had asked if it was possible for her to shield Vahn's power and thus the trail to his soul, just like the isolating top coat of an electricity cable - while in the same way hiding her own presence by blending with her surroundings, that is, my mindscape or its waves as good as possible.

Until the very last moment, the attacking Sirens didn't notice I had a live power supply for they just got more and more furious, feeling my defense grew stronger, hurt and disturbed them, especially due to the strangeness coming from it.

Finally, one of them took a closer look and screamed indignantly...immediately started to pull and rip off the link to Vahn - which gave him and Owle some trouble. I wanted to disconnect but Owle said she could hold on for a bit longer.

And right when I felt that one of the Sirens had nearly broken through to Owle and Vahn, Fhezi demanded silence.

And she really demanded.

I mean...it was creepy, you know, it was her voice, but it was full of those of the First Five, distorted by the pain and anger - and their cry went like a wave of shock through everybody, freezing the attackers and those who had shown up...and probably all other Sirens who were using the lhor aven right then.

Just like when I met the mothers on the new side, the rest of my people was supposed to get an explanation what the hell was going on. But Fhezi appearing alone and everybody directly sensing in growing awe what her presence meant caused some mayhem. As I said, for me - under the influence of drugs and mental stress - it was...horrible to be close to the First Five, their voices and power. In that situation, all the other Sirens didn't feel crushed or intimidated, but nothing short to a mass panic threatened to spread: exactly what we didn't need right then. When I think about it now, they all started to resemble the primal nature of the First Fives with their increasing anxiety and fury.

I asked the mothers what we should do, but in their untamed, primal nature and under the pressure they just murmured - one of them barked - that they'd only need a bit longer, just a bit...

And suddenly, Fhezi started to sing.

It was a very simple song, of the kind mothers teach their children. A very simple melody. But it was so, so wonderful...pervasive. Nobody could ignore it."

Lucind's voice started to quiver, for the first time ever since she had begun her story time.

"I...it felt as if she was taking us by the hand, every single one of us. Like children do in their ingenuous, innocent way, giving you a bright smile that reminds you how easy...or...good life could be if you only looked at it from the right point of view.

I felt like being catapulted back into those happy and warm moments of your early years...the memory of a hug, or a praising word...or a gift...or...just...walking along the beach with your family..."

She wiped her eyes, smiling apologetically.

"Just calling back Fhezi's song and what it did, the emotions it woke up..." Slightly shaking her head, the woman obviously was listening to the girl's song in her head.

"I'm sure that even the mothers were a bit astonished and interrupted their work for a split second. Maybe they had forgotten that, with being their mouth, especially in the physical world but also within the lhor aven...their tool to be close to us, she was given special powers - and sure as hell she had her own strong will.

So they used her influence to finally initiate the installation.

I felt it starting right behind me, as if a program began infiltrating the old lhor aven from there, running along its borders as if closing it in before it would eventually seep through all layers.

The first effect was that all full and half bloods that weren't yet connected at that moment got a 'call', that urged them to enter the lhor aven. That was a really, really amazing performance the mothers did there cause...I told you at some point that I first wasn't able to create an entrance to our plane, let alone use it without the help of Hetel who taught me step by step not to drown in there but to work it. Yet, in that moment, the mothers called them in and hold them, hold them in place...I mean...I can only give a rough estimation, but here on this planet there should be at least...eighty thousand half bloods. And the biggest surprise was to even see the male Sirens being connected, or rather... You see, every Siren, no matter the sex, shares a bond with the lhor aven - that only goes lost when you own less than fifty percent Siren blood. Thus all your life you benefit from a natural bond, though it's only an indirect one when you’re either a half or a guy, you can't actively communicate with the lhor aven. ...with me being the exception, heh. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised to find others like me whose powers just haven’t yet been discovered. Anyway…

So...imagine you're standing on an ocean's endless surface under a blind, sunless sky and no matter where you look you see people, Sirens in this case, appearing all around, no matter where you look. You first see the soul thread, that water ribbon and then a full body follows, either completely clear and obviously in control of the situation - or slightly transparent which then were the projections of the halfs or males.

It was like an intimate family meeting.

Okay, a large family meeting.

But once everybody was inside I could feel that, as the final step of the first phase, the lhor aven was locked: the initiating program had run around the plane's border once, so to speak, to enclose it. With this, I didn't have to spend so much strength into keeping the gate open for I felt and knew that both sides, the new and the old lhor aven were then fixed and tied to each other. And only a small part of my mental self remained on the threshold.

And while Fhezi's song was still lasting, the girl herself stepped through the hidden gate 'behind' me - and she literally appeared from behind me. This, too, wasn't part of the plan we had discussed earlier," Lucind smiled. "I can only suspect that, upon seeing the positive effect of Fhezi's song, the mothers had decided to let her start with the next phase: an official speech to fill in all Sirens of this planet on what was going on, that great changes were about to happen...and that they weren't in danger.

Means the others simply heard what I had a couple of days ago. Only that they heard it coming from the girl's mouth...ah, I mean, sorta - like I mentioned she doesn't move her mouth when she's in the lhor aven as well.
It was a wise decision. No matter how carefully Fhezi chose her words, no matter how sincere, concerned...how lovely she was, the others slowly fell back into...well, not into panic but confusion, worry, angst...or suspicion. I heard the name 'Ispahan' being whispered in disbelieve or humility, whereas defense or the fear to be trapped spread in other corners.

And when Fhezi explained, tears in her eyes, that likely not all Sirens were going to be compatible with the new side, that a small percentage wouldn't be able to connect after the exchange was complete....well, I suppose you can at least roughly imagine the uncoordinated, intense wave of all sort of emotions washing over the endless field of Sirens. The situation threatened to get out of control since either the wish to escape, paralyzing anxiety or aggression got the better over my people - and those who couldn't move, means everybody else aside from the fullbloods, immediately felt vulnerable or helpless in two ways."

The woman thoughtfully bit her lip, glanced at Maximos and added: "You sure know how it feels when your very being is touched, not only your soul, but when your very existence is stirred...and when you're to face the primal origin of yourself.

...

Fhezi's voice was drowning in the chaos - when suddenly the First Five themselves pushed through the gate to demand everybody to shut up in their own way.

Made me jump and instinctively disconnect from Owle and Vahn...wasn't too pleasant for them. Especially Vahn had a nice headache afterwards my brother told me. And…heh, I wanted to hug Fhezi close to protect her - but then she ended up holding me, 'cause the mothers' united shout knocked everybody for a loop...and honestly, I was scared to no end they might explode and release endless disappointment over us...and that everything would end in devastation.

Yet...in that moment, they were really just what they were: mothers.

Oh yes, they reprimanded the crowd...harshly...but like you do with children who've gone wild..." Frowning and blinking, she searched for the best words to describe the scene and its atmosphere. "The Five were disappointed and angry, but when that disappeared, only deepest concern and worry remained. Of course, they are very old beings and this raw element of them was always present. Still, the few sentences they addressed to us where like a hug...like a, Please believe me, we did all we could, we tried our utmost - but even we aren't almighty. Maybe you can forgive us one day. This has to be done. Just be sure that...we love you, every single one of you."

Again, tears swam in the Half Siren's eyes and finally fell in a couple of pearly droplets. If Max was to look at her with his white eye he would see, though, that the woman wasn't really sad but in her general weakened state didn't have the strength or will to block those past emotions.

"Then they ran out of time. The lhor aven didn't like the mothers' blatant presence therefore the third and final stage was opened: the installation itself.

With an amazing speed the program infiltrated the depths...until...only a minute later, we saw the sky changing its color, first to a light purple, then an unnatural hue of green mixed with the familiar grey and blue.

I could tell everybody was tensed...and most of us still scared.

But now it was too late to stop it.

Someone gasped.

The water beneath us, the surface itself had turned black. I mean, it was always really dark. But that moment it was like looking at solid blackness. And I knew that, all the time, the same processes were happening in the new lhor aven.

Finally, the mothers changed sides by sinking through the surface.

Fhezi followed them, smiling all the while.

And what we saw then - Fhezi waiting for us on the other side...the mothers had vanished in the depths...it reminded the Aishwarya, me and probably many other of us what we had felt many a times before, even if only unconsciously: the pull to reach the other side, to go to a place that felt better...that felt like hope. It was an offer...and the please to decide. Now.

Those who were ready forgot everything around until only one single wish resounded within their souls: leave. Leave, walk through the mirror to contract a new bond with the sea that expands between dimensions, the one which connects all souls of this planet, the one which holds the subconscious knowledge of Gaia, the one which is the collective unconscious - and which was about to be renewed.

When the pulling became extremely strong and irresistible I noticed that the expressions on the faces around me could be divided in two groups. Anticipation and bliss. Skepticism and reluctance.

The next thing I saw and experienced myself was that those apparently being glad about what was going on...well, they...we went onto the other side by...stepping through the surface. You know, we made a step forwards and our foot gently vanished in the water...but this single step didn't end because...we rotated around the old surface's axis...one hundred and eighty degrees.

Up became down...became up.

We were standing on the other side. The new side.

For a moment I had this picture in my mind of both lhor avens mirroring each other - and us standing feet to feet with those who had decided to stay on the old side.

...

Then we simply...woke up in the area I had come to know quite good already. And for the others the phase of getting used to the new plane began right then. Or, with view on the Aishwarya, the time of being able to explore their full power for the very first time in their life."

For the past few days, a man dressed in many layers, carrying many packs had begun frequenting the shop. He did not say much, but ordered a drink and sat off in the corner, appearing to work on a few scrolls and looking through his books.

Like the advertisement in the newspaper had said, Eriksson was looking for adventurers to help him search a ruins for an artifact. So, for the past few days, he had been coming by to wait for people with an adventurous spirit.

CA$H MONEY! - Town of Latent - Feimurgan Cafe
[ If there is a problem with this post, just PM me.]

Goin' round...

The door to the tavern opened up with a slam, it rang against the interior of the building before rebounding a few inches upon the creaky hinges and stopping. Oddly, or not, no one in the room shifted from their current activities or even craned their necks out of curiosity for this new arrival. There had been a war here, if it could be called that, thus it was to be expected of the men and women of this town that it would take more then just an opening door to peek their curiosity. As the light poured in, it framed the man in the doorway in the strangest of ways. From the clothes he wore, the outline made him look like a snow angel; which was a bit ironic considering his given career path. He took a step in and breathed out softly through the large nostrils of his aquiline nose. Carved into his face was a sort of grim determination that never seemed move more than few degrees towards Joy or Sadness. He had all the looks of an executioner, and none of the attributes that might have given away what he did. That is, had it not been for his clothes.

The massive crimson robe that stopped just above his sandal adorned feet, it's hood thrown back and relaxed like a miniature crimson cloud. A strange metal cross hung from a leather thong around his neck, imbued with a large ruby in the center that was not cut but instead was polished to near pearlescence. But most important of all was his hair style, or lack thereof one. His head was shaved all the way down to the grain, and it almost appeared as if he didn't grow even the making of peach fuzz across the large, bare dome. Going back up to his face, the man's feature were strong, fierce, and devout. His determination was accentuated by a large and powerful jawline that immediately marked him out as an Alpha Male. It was marred slightly, by one jagged and old scar the ran from the bottom of his chin to the top of his right lip. Perhaps this was the reason why he appeared to be so neutral in his emotions. A square brow peeked over his eyeballs and masked them under a slight shadow, breached by a dozen odd trenches in the form of wrinkles.

His eyes were a charcoal gray, they were the ashes left behind from a thousand villages set ablaze; a million men laid upon funeral pyres; a hundred thousand torches carried by servants for their knights during long marches in the darkest of days when not even the moon shown in the sky. These were the irises of a redeemer. The man that would lead dozens of conscripted soldiers to their deaths and then ask others to pay for their countless trivial sins. It took a certain kind of person to perpetuate this level of hypocrisy, and he happened to fall well within those ranks. And yet he was flawed...

His robes had been made of the finest wool, at one time. The amulet had been the envy of many that belonged to his ilk, at one time. Those sandals on his feet had been comfortable and new, at one time. Everything he had on now was suffering from age and disrepair. The weave of his robe was frayed in certain spots and the filigree woven into the cuffs had begun to tarnish. More than just a few minor scrapes made themselves known on the precious metal of his amulet, while the ruby had become slightly loose. And his sandals had been tread on to the point where just a thin sliver of wood and leather now accounted for a sole. He may have been pious, but the man was definitely far from rich and famous for his deeds. Slowly his arms slid back up across his stomach and allowed his hands to interweave with one another, hiding them from view. Clearly he cared not for the simple manner of closing the door behind one's self, as he rudely walked away allowing for the internal biosphere to become completely ruined.

In each sip and in each sup.

He slowly walked over to the bar, this was after all, a very generic building in his mind. There were your patrons; who enjoyed the food, there was your staff; who took care of the various necessities, and the bar; serving as the center for everything. Wanted to get some food? The order was going to eventually through there, along with anything else that might be partook of. Eventually, he came too a stop at the base of the bar and hailed the closest bartender with a simple tilt of his head upwards. The large priest stared the other man down with as much self-importance as some minor Lord's twice removed cousin. Despite this, even with the robe on simply by looking at the outline of his bone structure was it rather easy to tell that this priest was HUEG. Big, broad shoulders, a thick neck, thick chest, and he appeared to be at least six feet tall. And although youth seemed to have left his body ages ago, there was a certain drive that willed him into being nothing short of excellent shape.

"Have you seen Eriksson Caddure?"

His voice came out as a loud growl, a landslide traveling down a mountainside. Perhaps there was somewhat of a smoker within him, as no person should rightfully have such a bass to their tone. Without missing a step, and only affording the bartender a half-moment to try and start to say something; the priest was about to rudely interrupt it.

"If you have, tell me where I can find him. Please."

His name was Ulrich Slate. And he was not a man easily negotiated with.

[ O O C : ] Yes, Kraun is running it.

Ulrich's face sunk lower into a state of disapproval, if such a thing were possible. He seemed on the verge of growing given how the edges of his lips twitched softly, there was also definite tightening in his cheeks and chin. Underneath the surface, there was the makings of an inferno when before it had been a quiet aggression towards some unknown foe. A lion, metaphorically, was about to pounce. Slowly his eyes shut as the attendant fought to answer in some coherent manner, and he sighed aloud. Visibly and mentally he was fighting to transfer the hate in his belly and chest into mild annoyance on his brow. That was when the woman interrupted his small mental conference and his eyes shot open unexpectedly. The priest's head flicked towards her without the slightest grace, it was a cut and concise movement that echoed he was about to impugn her.

b***h! Am I going to have to knock this bar upside your head?!

He would have said, if he had been a lesser man and was part of the Hip-Hop generation. Rather, the terse growl he had been expressing turned into a hardly real smile. The look did not suit him, especially with the long scar on his face. As he listened to her words, the aura his body language was giving off almost seemed like he was going to truly kill everyone in this building. Words like incompetent, wretched, ghastly, wench filled his mind, quite odd for a man that seemed to be professing faith of some kind. When she finished, his hands unknit themselves from the inside of his robe and hung limp.

"Much obliged, m'lady."

His voice ground out in a foul attempt at kindness and courtesy, still displaying that mock smile. The hulking man of cloth turned in a square step and walked towards the wall in which the bulletin board could be found. Unlike before, it was more apparent that he was a bit older, given he paused to crack his neck and grunted about halfway through the walk. Once he arrived, he scanned eyes across the various meaningless advertisements, requests for help, things for sale, all of them he didn't understand. As a priest, he could obviously read, but judging from his outfit there was a general lack of modern technology in his realm. Steadying himself, the man pressed a giant palm against the board and closed his eyes. Sighing softly for a second time, as his head tilted forward, he looked up and over. Spying a genuinely strange man carrying a drink, attempting to talk to another who was knee deep and nose thick in books. Others sat around them idly thumbing through their own purchases, eating, writing, or using strange contraptions. Yet, this pair caught his attention.

He shunned the visual word thrice now, as Ulrich brought up a memory, repeating it and reciting it. Opening his eyes again, he stared at the man, not the one speaking, but the one reading. His upperbody turned towards their direction while his hand slowly fell from the board. The sandals on his feet made a rhythmic clip-clopping as he crossed the distance and stood before the two. Not giving the other fellow the least bit of regard he turned towards the more important of the two and reached out slowly. In his hand was a newspaper that seemingly had been produced from nowhere. When it had crossed the table's width and was being held directly in front of the man reading's vision he released it. Dropping it straight onto the open book in front of his eyes and recoiled.

"Eriksson Caddure."

There was no question in his voice, merely conviction.

Circled in black ink around the small advertisement in the paper was the one that Eriksson had put in about his venture.