And Although I Wasn't Losing my Mind

[redlightgreenlight]

Characters:Valdis and open
Date: April 2017
Location: Various
Situation: Various
Warnings/Rating: In Headers



March hadn’t been the greatest of months. Her discovery of Milyn’s affiliation with the cultists had led to a less than pleasant confrontation with the Foreigners regarding the matter. She would have been lying if she told people she wasn’t surprised by some of the venom contained within certain conversations. But it was all part of the plan, at least, until Milyn had been murdered by the Snakes.

Even then, it took several days before she realized what the odd feeling in the pit of her stomach was. Guilt. The moment she realized it, Valdis fled Keeliai and disappeared into the mountains. While she wandered, she discovered a shrine, a mural depicting the turtle's shell and an eight pointed star. The peace radiating from within the small cave reminded her of the serenity of the turtle's head before Malicant's taint destroyed it. She lingered for days, meditating and finding a sense of peace. She was loathe to leave the place, but it was a discovery that she had to share with some of the others. Perhaps it could even help them awaken Tu Vishan.

Comments

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis opened one eye when the familiar blue-ish glow of Solomon's ka began to coalesce around him. She flattened her ears, her head lifting from her paws, something must be happening. Nothing felt out of the ordinary, but that couldn't be right, his ka wouldn't have appeared like this unless something was wrong.

He didn't speak, but she could see him tense, his knuckles white, his jaw clenched, but whether it was fear, anger, or some other emotion, she didn't know. It was disconcerting to suddenly be unable to feel.

Valdis recognized the exact moment when Solomon returned to his own senses, because he relaxed somewhat, he began to breath again and his heart rate slowed.

What happened?

[peacefullywreathed]

Solomon held up a hand to indicate to give him a minute, but he felt his fingers trembling, and curled them in. Scath's presence curled around him, reassuring and invigorating, so that after a moment Solomon straightened up again.

"The Void showed me something." Obviously, he wasn't going to completely trust it. "There was a wolf--it shattered your soul." He frowned. "It ate part of it."

That was not particularly reassuring. Even with the cracks showing between the Void's shadow and Valdis's light, he couldn't see enough detail to confirm that there was anything gone. At least, couldn't tell yet.

[redlightgreenlight]

She fell silent, watching him with one brow raised, not sure if she should be concerned for him or not. Whatever he had seen, whatever he had felt, it had rattled his calm enough that there were physical symptoms. Her ears flattened against her skull when he spoke.

It ate part of it?

That would explain why the cracks in her soul hadn't healed, she was incomplete...

Do you have a reason to doubt what the Void showed you?

[peacefullywreathed]

"Only that it's a manipulator," said Solomon, "and not a benevolent one. It might use the truth, but it lies too often to trust in either direction."

In this case, the harm the truth could do might be its only goal. On the other hand, if the Void thought the truth would be harmful, it wouldn't have kept it from Valdis.

"I should be able to confirm there's something missing," Solomon added. "The gap would be easier to find with the Void's shadows behind it, but since it insists on interfering you'll probably have to hold it back." But when he looked back at her soul his temples throbbed painfully, and he winced, his hand automatically lifting as if to shield his eyes. "Though possibly not right now, in either of our cases."

[redlightgreenlight]

Her head tipped. The Void was a horrible creature and Solomon's analysis of it was correct, and the whole thing was deeply disturbing. She felt fine, but Solomon was obviously out of sorts.

Very well.

She lurched to her feet and shook herself.

We shall try again another time.

[peacefullywreathed]

Next time Solomon would be better prepared, too.

"Please excuse me if I don't see you to the door," Solomon said dryly, inclining his head toward it. Even that made his head pound. "I'll contact you."