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 Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 7:01 am
“You’re sure there’s trees in here?” Michael asked skeptically as they made his way down the hall. Princess led the charge, of course, her tail wagging happily behind her.
There was a distant rumble of thunder, but as it was Jupiter storms were almost always present. Sessrumnir itself was always warm and dry, at least. Tapestries lined the stone walls, and carpets covered the floor. Most of them seemed to have survived the test of time to varying degrees.
The halls themselves looked like they were once lit by torch light, but every step Michael took on uncovered parts of the floor seemed to light up the stones with a faint green beneath his feet, similar to bioluminescent organisms that lived in beach sand.
Under Devyn’s feet, light glowed as well.
The archway they passed through into the oval shaped corridor was the least decorative. All of the others had columns carved into trees with twisting branches that crossed over each other to form the archways. The ceiling was supported by a canopy of stone leaves. Throughout the stone, veins of glowing green, gold, white, and pink crystals twisted and rose up with the trees. Some of the tree bark and leaves were left as the raw, naturally forming crystals.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 7:21 am
It felt like there were a thousand places Devyn hadn’t visited since Michael first brought him. Hallways that seemed familiar seemed new again. His feet knew the way, but his mind didn’t always connect the present to the past. If he blinked quickly enough, he could almost see the Sessrumnir he remembered.
Maybe it was just the residual lighting of the glow around the area. He’d been a bit distracted by that, between trailing his fingers over the wall, and occasionally taking a few extra, dramatic steps just to see the floor illuminate.
“Relatively sure,” Devyn insisted. “Look at Princess go, she’s so confident. My feet tell me this is the way. Have faith.”
He swung Michael’s hand as he walked next to him.
“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it? Have you never been back here?”
A little sad, a little less lively than before. A little lonelier. Centuries of emptiness, maybe. Devyn had hope that Sessrumnir just needed a bit of attention and it would be back to its warm, energetic self. Even if there weren’t classes being held, or people visiting to learn.
He’d pour as much love into Sessrumnir as he had Alastor, whether or not it made a difference.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 9:08 am
“Relatively sure,” he repeated under his breath, although it was clear that he was just teasing. He gave Devyn’s hand a squeeze just in case, and glanced over at him to admire the way the light sparkled lingered as Devyn touched the wall or when he took a step.
“Did Sessrumnir do this for everyone? I haven’t really had visitors to find out,” he said, although that was pretty obvious. He gestured to the way the floor lit under their feet and the walls. Something in his heart told him it was only something those who held the mantle of Knight, and their significant others. Maybe others who were important to the Wonder as well, but he wasn’t sure.
“I haven’t been back here, no. It seemed like it would be a deadend, so I didn’t bother,” he explained. Because sure enough they ended up at the end of the corridor with archways surrounding them.
Princess came to a stop in front of one of the archways and turned to look at the two of them, as though patiently waiting for… something. But Michael didn’t see anything.
Didn’t see anything… but there was a feeling that seemed to be pulling him. He hesitated, unsure of what it was, and glanced over to Devyn to make sure he wasn’t just imagining things. Or maybe it was something only he could feel, anyway.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 9:22 am
Devyn resisted the urge to deny that Sessrumnir would do this for anyone else and declare that he must just be special. “Sessrumnir is tricky. There are many good hiding places. I don’t trust any dead end I see, I always check for hidden passages. Earth doesn’t have many, I’ve noticed. But on Alastor? Here?”
He shook his head. “Best to poke around and see if there’s something you can find.”
As they reached the end of it, he reached down to comb his fingers through Princess’ fur. He crouched so he could give her a little extra affection, and he worked his hands across her back.
“Do you feel anything back here?”
There was an old energy about this place, and even without it being his Wonder he could feel it. But then, so much of Sessrumnir felt like it was humming with the same power. He often felt like there was some energy pulling him along, helping him decide where to go. It had been that way when he and Percy were still young, lost in the caverns.
If he felt a pull, he followed it.
Devyn trusted Sessrumnir completely.
If he could feel it, he was sure Michael could, too.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 10:29 am
Michael watched as Devyn went over to Princess, watched how thrilled she was for some affection, how she tried to lick his face after wagging her entire butt hard enough she nearly put herself off balance.
He couldn’t help but smile, and he moved beside Devyn so he could place a hand on his back. Not for any reason other than needing the physical touch.
The orb was nice to have, but feeling the warmth from Devyn himself was even better. It helped him focus and stay calm, both heart and mind.
There was a power that seemed to vibrate the very stones.
“Yeah,” he confirmed, smoothing his hand over Devyn’s back, as if he needed to for some extra courage. Or encouragement. Or something.
Slowly, Michael reached out and touched the archway. The stones radiated light from where his fingers touched, and something rippled and changed. The stone seemed to fade away, opening a dark corridor.
Beyond it, Michael could hear the light fall of rain. Nothing like what he’d imagine from the storms of Jupiter.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 10:54 am
Devyn was happy there, with all the attention he was giving to Princess and receiving in turn. Michael’s hand at his back was reassuring and calming, and it was those gentle little touches that made his heart skip a beat. He’d fallen in love with Michael a while back, but sometims his heart still had to catch up.
They were married, these weren’t coy, secretive messages and covert flirting.
The thought made him smile again, and would have even if Michael hadn’t found the passage.
Devyn wanted to look at Michael’s face, wanted to see his expression.
He couldn’t move his eyes from the trees.
His heart was beating quickly, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. He wasn’t nervous; he was excited, but there was still anticipation of the known and unknown. He wanted things to be how they were, but he wanted them to be better, too. Changed, but only if it was for good.
He scratched Princess less vigorously until finally, he rose. Absentmindedly, his hand found its way to Michael’s.
“I knew you had magic hands, too. It should be safe in here.” If it was anything like how it used to be. “You won’t have to worry about the weather. It’s a sacred place, everything should still be protected.”
Should be. He held his breath and hoped for the best, just in case.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 1:25 pm
“I’ve always said I’m pretty good with my hands,” he said quietly, not as much of a joke as the words normally would have come across as. Maybe if he wasn’t so focused on what was in front of them. “Magic, huh?” He wasn’t sure if it was him or if it was just the Wonder.
He squeezed Devyn’s hand in his own, and paused for a moment. Princess didn’t seem to want to wait and trotted her way through the archway.
Thunder rumbled overhead but it was muffled, and although rain dripped down from the leaves, the ground was surprisingly dry. Over the centuries, leaves and branches had fallen from the trees, covering the ground that might have once been meticulously cleared of debris. With no maintenance, wildflowers and grasses grew and spread and carpeted the floor of the grove. There was no evidence of paths that might have been taken.
But it wasn’t the flowers or the grove of trees that had Sessrumnir freezing in his tracks.
Above them, somewhere, a melodic whistling tune. Another tune in response whistled farther away.
“Birds?” he frowned with confusion, staring up at the canopy, but he couldn’t see where they were hiding. How was that possible? They’d seen the moths, and he knew Ganymede found butterflies on her World, but this was Jupiter. He supposed the grove was protected, but had they survived this long?
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 1:52 pm
When they’d first entered, Devyn was torn between lamenting that nature had taken over and being proud of it for having so much life. It was beautiful, and untouched so far as he could tell. He woudln’t have thought anything of the sound of birds if Michael hadn’t stopped.
Michael was used to the silent halls of Sessrumnir. Devyn wasn’t.
For a moment, he’d forgotten that all life had left this place. Birds would have been unknown to Michael. Princess seemed unfazed; he wondered if she’d found her way back here before. He wondered how long there had been birds.
Once, absentmindedly, he ran his hand across his chest. An old scar with an old ache; it was little more than habit, now. Storms always seemed to remind him of it, and Jupiter was no different. It was easy to ignore it, though; he was more distracted by the area before him. It was beautiful, but he was already wondering where they stored the rakes or if he’d have to bring his own for next time.
He stood still and watched the canopy above them, searching for any movement. He stood still so as not to disrupt them, and when he spoke he did so quietly. “Do you want me to climb a tree and catch you one?”
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:30 pm
Michael laughed softly and squeezed Devyn’s hand again, as if making sure he didn’t try to run off and find a tree to climb. “We can leave them be for now, I think,” he decided, but he was smiling.
There was something haunting about the grove, something that gently requested reverence. He couldn’t place his finger on it, but it gave him a chill up his back at the same time he felt at peace.
“What is this place?” he asked, because if anyone knew it would be Devyn. There was a part of him that thought he knew, but he didn’t know if he wanted to let his thoughts wander down that direction.
He’d caught the movement of Devyn’s hand over his chest out of the corner of his eye, and turned to him so he could wrap an arm around his shoulders again, pulling him into a quick hug.
“Thank you for being here with me. I guess it would be cheating if I asked if you knew where Percy hid the Code Piece.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:51 pm
The hug was not unexpected, but he was more used to sudden affection from Atticus. There was a brief moment when Devyn worried that something was wrong, but he calmed quickly and wrapped an arm around Michael so he could rub his back in gratitude.
“Is it cheating if we’re a team?” he asked. He was quiet for more than just the birds, but that was out of habit more than obligation.
Even if Michael had encouraged him to go climb the trees, Devyn wouldn’t. Not here.
“It’s a place of resting,” Devyn said after a moment. He walked slowly and seemed mindful of where he stepped. The path might have disappeared over time, but his feet still knew the way. “And remembering. Sessrumnir’s been around for a long time. A lot of people have passed through these halls.”
He was quiet for a moment. A part of him wondered if Michael already knew, if he could feel what this place was meant to be.
“This is how they’re memorialized. They’d be laid to rest here, and a tree planted in their honor. It was a very spiritual experience. Symbolic, a union of life and death and the universe. I think the people of Sessrumnir found comfort knowing they would have a place on this world where they’d exist, even after their mortal form faded away.”
The first time he’d come here he’d been overwhelmed by the place. Percy had brought him; they’d come to pay their respects. If he looked, he knew he could still find them.
In some ways, Devyn never really got used to this place. He felt small here. He felt young. He didn’t feel unwelcome, but he felt like a child in the presence of someone much older and wiser.
He wondered who the last person to be planted here was. He wondered who buried them.
“It’s a sacred place. But it’s not a sad one. Everyone here loved Sessrumnir enough to give themselves to it in life and death. I like to think their spirits offer a little extra protection. There were rituals to honor them. We don’t have supplies, but if you like, I can teach you. When we’re cleaning up, maybe we could start here.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 6:41 pm
“I would like that,” Michael said just as quietly. There were so many ways Michael was lucky to have Devyn by his side. Most importantly was because they’d fallen in love, but with Devyn, he was able to learn more about his Wonder than he ever would have on his own.
A part of him knew what this place was. He could feel the energy from it. Like a pulse. Similar almost to Alastor’s Core. It would make sense then for Percy to decide to place the Code Piece here.
Just as Devyn was, he was careful where he stepped. Princess seemed to be careful in her meandering as well, and every so often she would glance over her shoulder and tilt her head questioningly, as if waiting for them to keep up with her.
“Is this why you planted that acorn with Percy?” he asked, hesitant because he didn’t want to bring up bad memories. “I think he would have wanted that,” Michael said before Devyn could respond. “I don’t think he wanted to be away from you, but he respected Sessrumnir’s rituals and felt like he had two places he belonged, but his heart was always meant for you.”
Michael paused to clear his throat. The emotions in that place were stronger than elsewhere. Sometimes he felt like he was speaking without even thinking about it.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:12 pm
Devyn didn’t mind the questions. They came from a place of genuine curiosity, and he’d promised no secrets from Michael. What happened with Percy might have been ancient history, but it wasn’t. Devyn carried it in his heart still, and thought of it often. He’d expected the question, anyway.
“Sort of,” he admitted. “Sometimes, I thought that I should have taken him back to Sessrumnir. I should have given him back to his Wonder so his people could grieve for him.” His family, even.
“I wasn’t strong enough, though. I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from him for the rest of my life. We hadn’t really talked about it. Neither of us were thinking about death, and when it was on the doorstep we were thinking about other things. I didn’t want to think about where I was going to bury him. I was still hoping he’d pull through, that we’d find some cure to save him. And then,” he shrugged again.
He didn’t hide his guilt. Grief clung to him. But, Michael was there. He wasn’t alone, and he didn’t drown in it. He followed Princess, at a slow, responsible pace. It didn’t seem right to run or hurry here.
“I picked that acorn a long time ago. Off the ground of one of his oaks. I thought it was pretty. I told him I was going to carry it with me until I found the perfect spot to plant it. I know you know the story,” he said as an afterthought. He knew he’d told it before. “After he died–I mean, I coudln’t imagine any place on my world or any other that would have been more perfect than by his side. So I was keeping my promise. And paying tribute to Sessrumnir, I suppose. I wasn’t thinking clearly when it happened. But I wanted the tree to grow. I wanted it to be the biggest, most beautiful tree in the whole universe. I wanted you to be able to see it from Jupiter.”
He squeezed Michael’s hand gently, appreciatively.
“Maybe the clouds will clear up some time so I can look for it.”
It was the most beautiful tree he’d ever seen, even if it still needed to grow a bit bigger.
It had time. And now, with the sun, Devyn could only hope for the best. Leaves on every branch. And, if he was lucky, the tree might grow acorns of its own.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2023 5:45 pm
Michael nodded to acknowledge that he knew the story. He didn’t mind hearing it again. Maybe there would be more that Devyn hadn’t told him before.
He stepped carefully around the fallen limbs and wildflowers growing without restraint. It was beautiful, even knowing that the grove was essentially a graveyard.
“If it keeps glowing like it does, we’ll absolutely be able to see it from here,” he promised, lifting Devyn’s hand to his lips to press his lips to it. The gesture was chaste, not wanting to be disrespectful in a place like this.
“I don’t know anything about these flowers, if they’d wreak havoc on your world’s environment, but if you wanted to take any to plant near the oak…” A single tree wasn’t going to cause issues, but Michael didn’t want to cause problems for Alastor’s world, which was only just starting to heal after so long. But if he knew for certain that they wouldn’t do any harm, he was tempted to bring some for Atticus and Elliot as well. For their moon gardens, of course.
“I know it’s not my place. I know I’m not Percy and I don’t truly know what he was thinking. But I would want to be close to you, even in death. I think he would have been glad you kept him close.” It wasn’t the first time Michael thought it, and it wouldn’t be the last.
And while he was talking mostly about Percy, Michael hoped Devyn would understand how he felt and what he would want if anything were to happen.
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 12:20 pm
A soft smile crossed his face again. The grief was there, deep-rooted, but he understood what Michael was saying. It still felt like he’d lost Percy only yesterday. He knew that was wrong; he’d had enough time to fall in love with Michael. But then, sometimes it felt like he’d only fallen in love with him yesterday, and sometimes it felt like it was a lifetime ago.
He didn’t put too much faith in his concept of time.
All he knew was that he wasn’t ready to start thinking about losing anyone else so soon.
“Thank you, Michael.”
There were parts of Devyn that would always wonder if he’d done the right thing. He knew he’d never have all the answers. He knew no one did. It still meant a lot coming from Michael.
He understood what he was saying beneath it all, too.
“I think I’d like to be close to you, too. But don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.” He squeezed Michael’s hand once more. He didn’t say the words, he was certain he didn’t have to. They’d both had too much loss in their lives. He was going to give everything he could to make sure they had the rest of their lives–their long lives–together.
“Do you think Perce would like some of these flowers? They’re nice. Alastor’s a strong world, I don’t think they’d wreak havoc. They’re too pretty. And from a place as sacred as this? I don’t think anything malicious could come of it. I don’t know if they’ll be able to handle so much sun, though. Maybe the shade of the tree will keep them safe. What’s the worst that could happen?”
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 5:44 pm
He was glad that Devyn had no plans on going anywhere. He didn’t expect him to, but there was always that worry lingering underneath. There was a magical war going on. People were dying. The Negaverse was doing everything it could to destroy everything they had. Who would be next, taken or killed?
“I think the shade of the tree would be perfect for them,” he hummed, carefully stepping around the flowers as they walked.
Princess was being patient, but she’d stopped walking ahead of them and sat to wait. And as they drew closer to her, it was obvious why.
It wasn’t necessarily a clearing, but it looked as though the trees had been purposefully planted in a circle around what looked like a shrine. It had a roof to keep out the rain, but it was open to let the light from the Code Piece shine on the flowers and grass around it. Tiny orbs of light seemed to be floating around the clearing, but it wasn’t clear if they were magic, or some kind of insect.
“Is it weird to feel nervous?” he asked, leaning close to Devyn for a moment. It wasn’t so much nervousness as it was a heaviness he felt. He’d been a knight for nearly a decade and he’d only now found the Code Piece for the Wonder he was supposed to be protecting.
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