Welcome to Gaia! ::

"It's okay," Riven murmurs. "I'm here, so it will hold. But this is why I must become an Ancient... then I would have even more power to hold the seal closed. Forever. I can't forget my duty. I come here every few days..."

He turns to her then, dismissing Aeintor as he does so. "I can't choose for you, but you know I want you here as long as you can be. With me." His voice is husky. "I don't know how long I spent here, just me, and the other beings here, and the Barrier... I don't want to spend forever alone here again. That's not what a second chance means, it can't be."

Riven gently leans forward and kisses her on the nose, although he does sort of get his own nose really close to her eye in doing so. "Go visit the Earthkeeper. Then decide. I'll be happy as long as you are, really."

Riven squeezes her tight, then looks up.

At an expectant, very curious group of syreut, karmadoii, liros, and other Spirit Realm creatures, all peering at them...

"Um... Ghlyssa?" He gestures with one hand at them to back off a little bit. "Some of my friends are here..." He sort of slowly turns her around to look at them.


((Syreut are deerlike and quite graceful, Liros look like very large creepy birds, karmadoi are snakelike with large fangs... all have a very otherworldly feel to them.))

The creatures all sort of bow their heads in unison, then back off. Slowly.

Riven shakes his head. "They're nice, once you get to now them. Any one of them would gladly fight and die for me, were it needed... as it will be." He sighs. "We should go back, though, before they find something else for me to do. Are you ready?"

Riven doesn't answer her unfinished question - this has been strange enough without burdening her with the knowledge of the sacrifices. "Ssala?"

"My lord?" The Oracle floats up to them again, having retreated while they were healing the Barrier and then speaking afterwards.

"We're going to go now. I'll be back next time you call, alright?"

"Of course, my lord." Ssala bows hir head. "Farewell. And you, my lady... thank you for bringing happiness to our Lord. We are honored."

Riven grins, then takes hold of Ghlyssa's hand, feeling at the connection back down to Gaia with his mind.

A few moments later, Riven reappears in his bedroom, first phased out, then slowly fading back into substantiality. Ghlyssa's spirit snaps back into her body.

"Good," Riven says. "Oooh..." The world tilts around him a little, and he winces. "I think maybe I overdid it just a tad. Probably a good idea to rest." He gives her a wan smile. "I think I can make it to the door, though, to help you out."

"It is not your fault," Riven says, waving her off. "Just a little dizzy, that's all. If it's anyone's fault, it's my Guardian's... she's not here in Gaia right now, so it makes sense... don't worry about me. I'm fine. Really." He heads for the door and waits for her so they can go downstairs.

((Riven's not as strong as he usually is - since Sosi's not in the same world as he is right now, the thinned Guardian bond is affecting him.))

"I'm sure! Really!" Riven waves her off again. "I'm fine..." He moves downstairs to show her, and to be fair he isn't shaky at all. "Just a little headache, really."

Biome clatters partly up the stairs to meet them. "TeaTea help?"

"Sure." Riven follows the Fandangle down the steps and the hall, until they're in the front room and Biome detours into the kitchen. "Thank you for coming over though, Ghlyssa... I like seeing you." He grins and kisses her nose again, a bit more gracefully this time. "When are you going to go see the Earthkeeper?"