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 Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 9:22 pm
The bright glow from the Core wasn’t visible outside of the caverns, but its presence was strong across the Hall. Every torch burned brightly, at full force, and every one of Soleiyu’s spotlights hummed with energy.
The Hall was bathed in as much light as they could manage, and Alastor could only hope that it would be enough to keep it safe–and everyone inside.
But, if the light wasn’t, that’s why they were there.
They’d volunteered to protect the Hall, and they had their places. They were going to do their best.
The rest just fell on Alastor, now. And Sessrumnir.
This time, he didn’t bother trying to conceal the uncertainty in his heart as he guided Sessrumnir out of the great, onyx building. The storm swirled above them dangerously, but for a moment, the rain had stopped. The thunder had stopped.
Things felt eerily still, but the air was heavy.
The spiraling clouds seemed like a predator waiting to pounce.
Alastor led Sessrumnir to the gate, and every other step brushed their elbows together. He didn’t want to lose him to the shadows, didn’t want him to get hurt. It was easy to steel himself for the worst case scenario, but as they neared the wall out to the forest, he couldn’t help but glance at the Knight next to him, just to make sure he was okay.
He knew Sessrumnir wasn’t going to back down. He knew they were in this together.
When they passed the gates, he didn’t bother to close it behind him.
If the Chaos was going to come, it was going to come over the wall, anyway.
The shadows stretched ominously from the forest; it was maybe a five minute walk from where they stood if they were to go right into it. Alastor looked at the handheld GPS device Soleiyu had equipped them with. A marker dropped where the strongest surge had been, but Alastor passed the device over to Sessrumnir after looking at it for a moment. He didn’t read it as well as he knew Sessrumnir could.
And, anyway, he already had a sinking suspicion judging by how Soleiyu had described it to him.
The grass whipped up to their knees; the storm came in small gusts. Lightning flashed, but the thunder was silent. Sometimes, little golden fireflies sparkled in the air, like the Core was trying to show them the way.
He sucked in a breath and nodded to Sessrumnir, before he could ask if he was ready.
“I don’t want to go right into the forest. There’s a path, it leads into Arista. It’ll be safer to head that way, first. If we go right into the treeline there’s a bit of a drop. It’s wet enough, you’re likely to just slide down. No matter what you see, don’t stray from my side, all right?”
He had Sessrumnir’s ring to ground him; he wore it on his finger, now. He hadn’t given Sessrumnir anything to make sure he was grounded, and he worried about him now more than ever.. Quietly, carefully, he reached into his shirt. His fingers curled around his wedding band, and though he held it to his chest for a moment, he finally lifted it over his head. “Wear this for me. I know you’ll take care of it.”
He needed Sessrumnir to take care of himself, too.
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 9:32 pm
His heart was racing in a way he couldn’t quite explain. Yes, everything felt ominous and heavy, but there was a familiarity to bits and pieces here and there. Nothing he could say for certain, just… a feeling. It wasn’t quite deja vu, but it wasn’t quite a memory either. Maybe. He didn’t know.
He didn’t know what they were heading into, but if the opening act was any hint at what was to come, Sessrumnir wasn’t looking forward to it. Before, Alastor had just dealt with a piece of the Chaos that awaited them.
Sessrumnir didn’t look back as they made their way through the gates, and he didn’t seem to mind their elbows brushing every other step. It was comforting to know Alastor was still so close. He refused to let him fail in his mission.
Alastor’s World would be rid of the Chaos that infested it. It was just a matter of them figuring out what they were up against.
He glanced at the GPS device that was handed to him, and nodded when Alastor explained that they would be heading towards Arista first.
“Probably safer to make our way around that first bend in the path and then head back down towards the river,” Sessrumnir suggested as he stared at the GPS screen that did not indicate any paths or rivers. Just points along a grid, since Soleiyu didn’t have access to the world’s geography.
He frowned at the screen, because… maybe he saw a map at some point. Or Alastor talked to him about a bend in the path. He couldn’t remember. It had just been an unconscious thought that came out as words.
Maybe Alastor would just assume he was pulling ideas out of his a**. Surely all paths had some kind of bend in them and a river to head towards.
Thankfully, he was able to distract himself with Alastor handing him his wedding ring.
He stared in surprise for a few moments, but didn’t argue. He held out his hand to take the ring from Alastor, and then removed the chain to store in subspace as he placed it on the finger that was missing his signet ring.
“I want to be able to feel its weight,” he explained, hoping Alastor wouldn’t be too upset that he wasn’t wearing it around his neck, but he was willing to put it on the chain with the orb if requested. “It fits, at least.” Just as well as his signet ring fitting Alastor’s finger. “Thank you.”
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 9:40 pm
It was a strange sensation, to hand over something he had worn for a thousand years. If not on his finger, he'd always had it on a chain around his neck. Now, without it, he felt strange. And yet, he knew it was in good hands. He ran his thumb over Sessrumnir's ring to familiarize himself again with its shape and form. He knew its weight enough that he had already accepted it.
Devyn often wore rings; he liked to decorate himself and dress nicely, but Sessrumnir's ring was special. Percy had worn it once. Then, Michael. He could draw strength from it. And, as long as he and Sessrumnir stayed close, he wouldn't have to worry about him needing to send a message.
His wedding band wasn't something he'd have ever shared with anyone else, but this was different. This was important. This was Michael, and he knew Percy would have understood the circumstances.
Or, at least, he thought he knew. He hoped.
He couldn't let anything happen to Michael, and it was the best thing he could think to give him to make sure he was safe. Michael knew how important that ring was to him. He'd take care of it. Which meant, he had to take care of himself, too.
"You sound like you've been here before," he teased, but there was some honesty to it. He clasped Sessrumnir's shoulder briefly before he took long, hurried strides towards the forest. He didn't know how much time they had, so they were going to make the best of it. "Much of the path has been washed away, but my feet know the way. Around that first bend it's a little less steep, but the river's dangerous. On this side, it's flooded badly. On all sides, it's flooded badly," he shrugged. "It moves fast. It used to be an easy stream, except during the rainy season."
It was definitely the rainy season.
"The slope's steep, it'll be slippery. Don't go fast. If you start to slide, just go feet first, don't let yourself tumble. There's a lot of rocks down there. And," there was something like dread in his voice, like he hoped they weren't going to have to head towards it, "A cave."
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 9:57 pm
Sessrumnir made sure to keep up with Alastor as he hurried towards the forest, his thumb brushing over the smooth metal of Devyn’s ring. He didn’t have time to fully inspect it, but he could tell that part of it wasn’t metal at all, but some kind of stone or crystal. Another part seemed to be made of wood.
He knew how important the ring was to Devyn, how long he’d had it and kept close to his heart. It was still warm, and it helped Sessrumnir calm a little more. He would do whatever he had to in order to return it to Alastor.
“I’ll try not to fall,” he promised, deciding now was not the time to think too deeply about whether he’d been there before or not, or if he was just saying things that came to mind because they made sense overall with no actual familiarity.
“Lucky for you, I’m an excellent swimmer,” Sessrumnir said as he was careful about his footing, making sure to keep an eye on both Alastor and the GPS as they moved parallel to the place where they needed to go. If it was too dangerous to go straight into the forest, then of course going around was the better option.
“Good thing we brought flashlights,” he said after a moment in response to Devyn’s comment about a cave. He could feel the trepidation in the air, although whether that was his own heart or the Chaos causing it, he wasn’t sure.
“We’ll go fast. Hopefully it won’t be in there.” But Sessrumnir already had a bad feeling.
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 10:04 pm
Alastor had gone into the forest before, while the shadows had taken residence. He’d gone to Arista–not recently, but he’d been there at some point in–well, the past hundred years. He couldn't pinpoint any better than that.
Mostly, when he needed to collect the sap for his candles, he stuck to the trees on the outskirts of the forest.
He’d never let the Hall out of sight.
Now, as they moved down the path, he felt a sinking dread as they went further away.
It was safe. Protected. There were people there to defend it while he was gone.
He looked over his shoulder twice, but it was gone by the time he looked a third time. The trees seemed to have closed up around them, and he could hear the thunder picking up again. The forest softened it but even if the rain had stopped a bit, when the wind shuddered through the branches, cold drops showered them.
“That is lucky for me. Did I tell you about this cave?” he asked as they walked. They weren’t quite there yet, but he had an idea where they’d wind up.
He expected the Chaos could hear. There was a layer of shadows that rapidly darkened, just a few yards out in every direction. Nothing moved, not when you looked at it, but it was an uncomfortable sensation of something shifting just out of sight.
The golden fireflies would manifest briefly, like tiny burning embers just before they burned out. They guided them down the path before flickering out of existence. The smattering of light in Alastor’s hair and on his clothes were as illuminating now as when the Core had first bestowed the extra protection on him, and the orb around Sessrumnir’s neck rivaled it in brightness.
Alastor had a lump in his throat as he continued forward, because he could see where the lights were guiding them.
A distant, familiar trail down a steep slope ahead of them. The forest was overgrown, and it wouldn’t be as easy to make their way down as it had been the first time he’d gone down.
“I got stuck in there. Perce had to come rescue me. It was storming badly.”
How familiar. He couldn't see the river, but he could hear it. The water wasn’t just loud, it was violent, like it was trying to swallow up everything in its path.
“I couldn’t make my way out, he had to come find me. I thought we were going to drown down there. I haven’t been back since, so. Would be nice if we didn’t have to go down there. I don’t know if I ever told you this, but I actually really don’t like being stuck in a cave that’s filling with water. It’s one of those things, you know.” He spoke a little quicker and didn’t look at Sessrumnir as he followed the path. If they were going to head down to the cave, he knew Sessrumnir would know soon. They were past the bend on the path, and the cave was nearly a straight path downwards to the far left.
He didn’t look at the GPS deliberately because he hoped Sessrumnir could tell him it was somewhere else.
The fireflies disappeared from the long-faded road to Arista. They wouldn’t be going into town to find the Chaos.
Alastor thought he saw one of the fireflies drift into the foliage by the bend.
It was becoming more difficult to think that they might be heading anywhere but the cave.
“...Just not a fan.”
His heart sank again. He didn't need Sessrumnir to tell him where they were going.
He could already feel it.
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 10:23 pm
Sessrumnir could see the way Alastor kept looking over his shoulder as they ventured deeper into the forest. He knew he was worried about everyone else. Worried that the Hall would be protected enough.
He was worried too, which was why he was determined that they would handle whatever the Chaos threw at them, and be back to the others as quickly as they could.
As Alastor told him about the cave, how he got stuck there and Percy had to rescue him, another of those strange sensations fell over Sessrumnir. Like remembering something that was just out of reach in his mind. More hidden in his subconscious than anything else. He felt the urge to make sure his fingers weren’t injured, which was weird because there wasn’t any reason to think that they would be.
“I keep feeling like I know the answers to things, when I know I’ve never been told the answers before,” he admitted, wondering if he was just making a big deal over nothing. But he hadn’t felt like this… at least not this concentrated. His heart was still racing, and he didn’t know if it was because of the adrenaline that he was experiencing, or the adrenaline his starseed once experienced.
“You almost drowned in a cave -- a different one -- when you got that scar on your chest. It was storming then, too,” Sessrumnir used as an example. He was fairly certain Alastor hadn’t told him about how he got his scar, or at least not where he was when it happened, but he felt like he knew the answer.
“Sorry. I don’t know,” he admitted. He didn’t know what else to say or how to explain the feeling he had of knowing something he didn’t know before being on the World. They definitely weren’t like the memories he’d experienced back on Jupiter. Maybe it was because of the Chaos…
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 10:36 pm
Sessrumnir’s recollection of events that Alastor hadn’t told him about earned another curious look. He seemed surprised, and maybe a little impressed. It was a welcome distraction.
“No, you’re right. That’s true. It wasn’t around here. When I got my scar, I fell down a ravine into the river, had to take refuge wherever I could. It was a bad storm, I was laid up for a while. But I didn’t just fall, I’d been attacked. Back when I was important enough for people to try to kill me. Actually, now that I think about it, people were trying to kill me the last time I got stuck in this cave, too.”
He pushed the bushes aside and grimaced at how slippery the path down was. He could see a layer of mud and leaves atop some of the stone, and he knew that it was best if they took it slow.
There was a presence at their backs, like someone standing there, but when he turned to look there were only–
Shadows.
He shined his flashlight behind them and waved it a bit, like it was a fan to dismiss some smoke. The heaviness eased, but the longer they were in the forest, the more it felt like something was closing in on them.
Thunder rattled again. Lightning flashed. He could hear the rain in the distance.
“Come on, let’s get down before we’re competing with the water, too. Be careful here, the rocks are slippery. Oh, but you’ve got on good boots, I hope. I do, let me know if you need me to carry you.”
In the distance, he could make out the dark shape of the cave. They needed to descend a bit to make their way down there, but he hooked his arm around Sessrumnir’s as he took the first step.
He didn’t have to look at the GPS. The sickening haze of Chaos was impossible to miss. Even in the darkness, he could see the glittering lights–faint, but deliberate–guiding him.
He didn’t think the Core would lead him anywhere other than where he needed to go.
“I should have expected the Chaos would be down here, you know. I really should have. I said I wasn’t ever going to come back here, so I suppose it’s the best place to hide.”
Since it knew so much about him already, sure. Why not.
Just take him into another pit of despair.
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 10:48 pm
After Alastor tried getting the shadows behind them to dissipate, Sessrumnir tucked his flashlight under his arm so it was shining behind them rather than in front of them. Using Alastor’s flashlight to find out where they were going would be enough.
He frowned at the thought of people trying to kill Alastor, but he supposed that was just what happened in a world fighting for power. He didn’t like it, but Alastor was obviously putting everything he had into trying to protect his world, no matter what.
It was a good thing that Alastor took hold of his arm, because almost as soon as he did, Sessrumnir slipped on some of the rocks. He hissed at the pain the sudden movement caused, but shook his head before Alastor could worry.
“I’m okay,” he promised, pushing himself back up, and bracing his hand against a tree that seemed to still be holding on, despite the torrential downpours.
“You’ve been there before… what can we expect?” he asked, trying to keep himself distracted from the shadows around them. He could see movement -- but there was nothing. It was just in his mind. Maybe.
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 10:57 pm
Sessrumnir’s loss of balance–however temporary–was enough to alarm Alastor. His attention snapped to him and he gave him a stern lookover just to make sure that he was all right.
“You’re okay for now, I don’t want you to fall and twist your ankle. There’s a lot of climbing down there, if you get hurt now, I can’t take you down there with me.”
He said it seriously, as if he would have ever actually been able to part with Sessrumnir now. He couldn't leave him alone in this dark forest; he’d wind up carrying him down into the caves with him if he hurt himself and couldn’t walk.
“If you’re worried about sliding down this, let me carry you,” he insisted. “If you’ve got your footing, we can move.”
Slowly, carefully. He gave Sessrumnir a moment to decide what he wanted to do while he answered his other question.
“The cave’s worse than this. It’s steep, dark. It gets narrow in some places. Or, it did, the last time I was there. It’s easy to get lost, especially if you don’t have a light or anything. I wasn’t clear headed back then, I was sick, hungry. But I’m in a better state now. It’s not the worst caves I’ve ever been in, it’s just smothering down there. Bad memories from being there for so long probably make me dislike it a little more than I would have ordinarily. Now, I don’t have a lot of good memories of caves or water.”
He took another step down, but held his arm out for Sessrumnir to see if his boots could handle the angle and slipperiness of the slope.
“I got pinned with the current. It started rising and I could get out. We busted out a wall to get out before we could drown, though. I don’t know how much it’s changed over the years. Getting into it wasn’t the problem, getting out was. But I think I’m in good hands with you.”
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 11:14 pm
Sessrumnir’s eyebrows raised slightly for a moment. He might have been surprised by how quickly Alastor was alarmed, but he supposed it was only fair, since they were getting ready to go into the depths of where the source of Chaos was holed up.
“I’m okay,” he repeated, reaching over to place his hand on Alastor’s for a moment, and then carefully took another step down after Alastor. “These shoes are made more for libraries than rough terrain.” Or he really just lost his balance on the wet ground.
“You don’t have to carry me. You’re going to need both of your hands ready to use if something happens,” he reminded him. “I’ll let you know if I need help. I promise.”
He knew that being stubborn now wasn’t going to do them any favors. If he felt like he was getting caught up in everything, the sooner Devyn knew, the better.
“Alright, so we’ll watch out for the current and keep our heads above the water. If we absolutely have to, I can get us out. We can go to Jupiter and regroup before heading back here,” he suggested. He didn’t want it to sound hopeless. They would make this work. They had people waiting for them back at the Hall.
“The Springs is a cave with water. Maybe not all caves are bad.”
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 11:32 pm
Alastor gave him an unconvinced look, but he only adjusted his grip on him to make sure that Sessrumnir wasn’t going to fall if he lost his balance or slid on something.
Still, he nodded with Sessrumnir’s suggestions. If it got too dangerous, Sessrumnir could pull them out of the cave. He just wasn’t so sure that he could get back to Alastor if they left. It was a hurdle he didn’t want to have to jump if he could avoid it, but he supposed it was better than drowning in a cave. Again.
“No, not all caves are bad. But don’t be so quick to defend this one, Michael. You’ll see,” he warned.”
Percy’s scream echoed in the back of his mind, with such ferocity that he jerked his head over his shoulder again because he was so sure someone was standing behind them.
There was empty space. Sessrumnir’s flashlight illuminated mud and grass, slick with rain. It was catching up with them and he could hear the loud patter of droplets against the leaves above their head. The river was roaring in the distance, and now that the rain was picking up again he knew this wasn’t going to get any easier.
Already it was getting harder to see the fireflies; his flashlight was reflecting off the falling rain, and the silver mixed with the gold. But, he knew he was going to the cave. It would give them some cover, at the very least.
“Although, I got lost in the caves in Sessrumnir, too. Perce and I went exploring and wound up in Valhalla. Did you find that lake down there, the one with the house? I always wanted to go back. I never asked Serge about it, either. I was more worried about making sure Percy was okay, though. He got hurt pretty bad, I didn’t know if they’d let me come back to visit after that.”
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 11:44 pm
He didn’t say it out loud, but it was sweet that Alastor was so protective of him. He supposed he couldn’t blame him, especially after what he’d experienced at the Core. If Sessrumnir could have done it for him, he would have. Being forced to kill someone who took the form of someone he loved would have been traumatizing for nearly anyone. Someone weaker might have broken and let Chaos consume them.
But instead, the Core granted Alastor what felt like some kind of lasting protection. Even though he’d powered down temporarily, it did nothing to remove the bright light that clung to him, even after the magic repaired his clothing.
And they were still being guided by the Core’s lights. Sessrumnir took it as a good sign.
“You-- Sessrumnir connects to Valhalla?” he asked in surprise, although he was being careful as he walked, making sure his footing was solid before taking another step forward. He made sure to hold onto anything that seemed stable as well -- not just Alastor.
“I’ve never seen a lake with a house,” he said with a shake of his head, but he sighed in slight distress. “You both got hurt all the time, it seems…”
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 11:56 pm
“Oh, we got into all sorts of trouble,” Alastor said, encouraged to keep moving when Sessrumnir found good footing. The rain was coming down a little louder, but he didn’t think that was working entirely against them; though it meant they had to be more careful with their descent, the falling rain seemed to scatter the light further. It was cold, but not to affect him any more than it had already.
“I deserved it more than Perce, though.” He spoke a little louder so Sessrumnir could hear him over the rain. Light flashed faintly above the treeline, but it did little to illuminate anything for them. The shadows pulsed around them, like they were trying to cut them off from the outside world. The thunder broke through, though; it was loud and rattling.
Alastor expected it, waited for it to pass, and then continued, “You’ve really never seen it? Maybe we can find it again. We should see if Valhalla’s got any idea what I’m talking about. Maybe he’s seen it. If not,” he shrugged, and glanced at Sessrumnir. “We should see if we can find it.”
Something to look forward to when they were done here.
Because, they were going to make it out of here, and he was going to stick around.
He’d promised.
He was going to make good on it.
…No matter how horrible this plan was starting to sound.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2022 6:09 am
“I don’t think you deserve the trouble, or getting hurt,” Sessrumnir grunted his disapproval as he almost slipped again, but Alastor’s hold was strong enough to keep him upright. He was impressed by how easily Alastor seemed to be able to tell where to step, but then again it was his world.
“We can look for it, yeah,” he agreed, because it was something to look forward to. They just had to fight off whatever was waiting for them in the cave.
The thunder didn’t bother him as much as one might have expected of him. Those noises were natural for him. It was other noises that bothered him, like fireworks and gunshots. Maybe it had something to do with being a Knight of Jupiter, he wasn’t sure.
The shadows pulsing around them though… that was eerie enough already, much less trying to find its source in a cave.
“Is that what we’re looking for?” he nodded towards a dark overhang of rocks. From where he was standing, it didn’t look like it was a cave, but again… that feeling of familiarity was heavy.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2022 8:58 am
Alastor gave him another look, this time a bit more exasperated when he slipped again. He wasn’t judging him, he was just worried. Sessrumnir hadn’t said he felt like he couldn’t do it, and Alastor didn’t press the matter. They were descending quickly enough, and if Sessrumnir slipped, he would catch him, and he would carry him the rest of the way. He didn’t have to say it out loud, the promise was visible on his face.
His light had dipped a bit so they could see the ground where they were walking, but when Sessrumnir spotted the rocky silhouette before them, Alastor nodded. “Yeah. That’s it. Assuming there hasn’t been a cave in or anything since the last time I was here, the entrance is just a bit around the other side. We’ll be on flat ground though, it’s easier to make our way there. If I put my hand on the side of it, and hug the wall we’ll find our way in.”
He didn’t have to explain that he’d done it that way before, and for as much as his world had changed since he’d been alive on it, some of it had stayed the same. They made it down a few more feet, and though he’d briefly held the flashlight up enough so they could examine the rocks that protruded from a steep, muddy wall, he mostly kept it in front of them so they could walk.
Sometimes, he shook the flashlight a bit, as if to scare off the shadows that seemed to creep closer. He imagined that they hissed when the light touched them, but it was undeniable that they shirked away from the brightness.
The water was rushing so ferociously nearby, just out of sight, that some of the rocks around them clattered. He could feel vibrations in the ground, and a strange hum of energy that was neither Chaos nor his own.
Maybe it was just his nerves. He drew Sessrumnir a little closer, anyway.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, because–
Percy wasn’t there for it. No one was. He had a lot of grief, a lot of regret, and no one left to forgive him. It wasn’t Michael’s obligation to, but–
It needed to be said.
Alastor could see him picking up the pieces, here and there. Memories of a world he hadn’t seen in this lifetime. Places he’d known a thousand years ago.
He didn’t know what else he’d remember, or when.
He needed Michael to know he was sorry for it.
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