Day 250 (228th)

Day 250 (228th):
I awoke in darkness. The sun was nowhere to be seen. I felt an odd coldness, a kind I had not yet encountered. It was not undead cold hatred. It was not the weather outside, even though it was snowing. This cold made my heart hurt. The fire could not relieve it. Set awoke and came to where I was by the fire. He was visibly shivering.
"What is this? Why are we so cold?" his voice had pain in it.
"I don't know. We have to find the source of this or shake ourselves apart from shivering."
Vanity and the other swords floated to me. Forming a frame, I began viewing, looking for the source of this cold. Family, friends, dragons, faeries, plus many others we viewed. All were safe and whole. Turning inside the Castle, every person was fine, down to the prisoners in the dungeon.
"Since it is no person," I spoke aloud, "let us see if any thing is the cause."
Building, grounds, every structure was fine. We viewed the portal. It was still the same chaos.
"The Elvador Crown is the only thing different. Could it be doing this?" Set asked, nearly standing in the fire to get warm.
Nodding, we changed to view the crown. For some reason, the crown seemed fuzzy, out of focus, like we were looking through a poorly made spyglass.
"Why can't we see it clearly?" I asked to no one in particular.
"I think we need to look at it closer, in person," Vanity told us.
Getting a good look at the treasury, we slid into kirlan and arrived a dozen paces from it. Even in person, the Elvador Crown was vibrating so hard that it still looked out of focus. I took a few steps forward. I was hit with an intense blast of the same cold.
"Get away from me! No more pain!" a voice screamed in my head.
Holding my aching head, I said, "No one is here to cause you pain. Who are you?"
"Go away! Stop hurting me!" it shouted again.
"Whatever it is cannot hear, apparently," Vanity observed as she tried to take some of my pain.
"Who said that? Who is here? Why are you hurting me? Where are my people?"
"Be calm, please," I sent mentally, "We're not hurting you. Can you tell me your name?"
"Narvicnal, King of Crialas," it said as if through clenched teeth.
"But Sarvicnal is King," Set added.
"'Sarvicnal'? That was to be the next name of the king after Ravicnal. But that is not for two more generations. My grandson, Parvicnal, was just born not long ago," it said, speaking seemed to ease its pain.
Also, the crown had slowed its vibrating. Now, it was pulsing. The swords and I hit upon the same answer at nearly the same time.
"King Narvicnal has become one with the Elvador Crown," I said aloud, since he apparently could not hear spoken words, "Whatever killed him fused him, or at least his mind, with the crown."
"Where did you go? Talk to me! Explain!" he shouted, vibrating the crown back up to a frenzied state.
"Sire, please, calm yourself. We are still here. We know what has happened to you, but not why or how. The answer you may find hard to take."
"Tell me!" he shouted.
"Your body has been dead for four generations. Your great-great-great-grandson, Sarvicnal, sits on the throne of Crialas. You, Narvicnal, have become one with the Elvador Crown. The pain you are feeling is, I think, due to the portal being unstable and the gateway completely absent."
All talk, mental and otherwise, ceased. The crown pulsed slowly. Through the swords, my sisters were alerted to our location and situation.
"I was attacked," Narvicnal slowly explained, "by the Wizard Gaross. With two rods, two rings, a head piece, and a pendant, he assaulted me with a great ball of power. Time froze. Everything went bright, then dark. I screamed, ordered everyone to fall back, demanded, begged, did anything to get some response. Nothing, only darkness and silence. I tried to make sense of this non-feeling state. Had he killed me and I was in limbo? Was I alive but unconscious, being carried by my men back to the tents?
"Once in a while, I would hear something, but it left before I could find it. Or something would touch me, like a spider-web or moth wings, but those, too, left all too quickly. Recently, I felt a touch, soft and warm, like a lover's touch. This one stayed, held me, cradled me. I felt safe. I stayed that way for a while. Then, another warm touch, hotter but softer, brushed me for the briefest of moments. After that, the cold returned. Just as I was cursing the loss of the warmth, this pain began to build. I began to push back, to force the pain away. The more I pushed, the greater the pain. I stopped pushing and it enveloped me, building upon top of that pain. I called, but, I guess, you were the reply."
My sisters, the Crowns, Narisha, and Orania appeared beside me as Narvicnal finished his tale. The tears on their faces let me know they had heard it all. Sarvicnal approached the crown.
"Father, do you hear me?" he sent mentally.
"Son! Wait, not my son, but of my family. Are you the Sarvicnal they talked about?"
"Yes, I am five generations removed from you. My grandfather was the son of your grandson, Parvicnal."
As he absorbed this information, Sarvicnal touched the crown. The vibration ceased.
"Child of my child! You are touching me! I feel it! You touched me before, but only briefly."
"Yes, Father of my fathers, I held you when you, the Elvador Crown, was discovered and handed to me. I sent the crown to the treasury, not knowing you resided within it."
"This pain? The gateway is gone? How?"
"I, too, disappeared for awhile. Ravicnal died and no one maintained it," the King sadly reported.
The crown pulsed. We were all pondering what to do now.
"We can't leave him this way," Sarah pleaded, "All alone in the darkness. It isn't right."
"Sloth," I asked, "can the spell used to make you into swords allow him to see and hear?"
The sharp note he made gave us hope. The swords surrounded the King and Crown. Spouting ancient words, a spiral of magic engulfed the pair. When it was finished, the swords returned to us. The crown was silent, but I could tell he was taking in his new senses.
"I can see!" he yelled, "I can hear! What joy! No longer in silent darkness. Sarvicnal? You look just like my father. You have his eyes and same bearing."
"I have been told of my resemblance to Marvicnal by others," Sarvicnal said aloud.
"I heard you speak! Great joy this is to me. Yet, how did I get in this state? That is the puzzle."
"Sire," Sloth spoke, "It is my opinion, as a wizard, that the combination of Gaross' magic, the mystical properties of the Elvador Crown, and your own will to survive achieved the state you were in. We completed the process to give you your senses back."
"How do you know such process? Which one of these before me is this skilled wizard?"
Sloth floated from Anna's scabbard and hung before the crown.
"Centuries ago, I was known as Barcabas, a brownie-kin wizard and blacksmith. I am now known as Sloth, one of the Seven Swords of Power."
Narvicnal actually chuckled, "Yes, then, you know that process all too well. Let us find a more pleasant place to talk than this dark treasury."
We all agreed. The Crowns and other elves headed to the royal apartments. We seven went to get out of our nightclothes and dress for the day. The sun was well above the horizon when we had finished dressing. We spoke as we dressed and walked to the royal apartments about our actions from the time we woke until meeting at the treasury. They told me how the Crowns didn't believe them until they heard his voice for themselves. Narisha, as chronicler, had to see it for herself while Orania, as the keeper of one inhabited item, went to be of aid, if she could.
While the heart-numbing cold was gone, there was still something "off" about the castle, different from the normal chaos the portal maintained. It was still nagging me as we entered the apartments.
To an outsider, walking in on four elves speaking to a large crown would seem like madness. Yet, there they were in the Crown's sitting room, chatting away to the Elvador Crown, which was resting on an ornate pillow placed on the central table. As the servants could also hear Narvicnal, they behaved as if another king was in the room, which there was even if he was embodied in a crown.
I looked at my sisters and realized what was "off". Alice could not read Narvicnal's history or bloodline. Anna couldn't get any history from the Crown. Sarah nor Lisa could tell his health or well-being. The crown still sang to Gretta, but differently while Callie could not focus on it long enough to feel its strength or weakness. Once fully bonded with the crown, I could no longer feel anything from him: pain, happiness, nothing. This was not right.
Orania, very perceptive woman, noticed our uneasiness. Away from the rest, she spoke with us. We explained as best we could. She told us she would voice this to the Crowns and let us wait in the area outside the dining room. Elenvarna was the one who returned with Orania.
"Girls, I understand your uncertainty, but I am not sure how to ease it. Narvicnal remembers his entire life up to the point of the blast from Gaross. His words are matching with the official records."
We looked at each other, trying to find some solution.
In the other room, we heard a crash. We all raced back to find Sarvicnal's hands covered in blood and broken glass. A servant was cleaning up the remains of a decanter and several goblets.
For reasons I could not name, I grabbed the Elvador Crown and shoved it into Sarvicnal's bloody hands. He looked at me in fear as I pressed his dripping hands to the massive silver plates. Suddenly, as if a door had opened, I could feel Narvicnal and see his glow, not just the power of the crown. My sisters also gasped as their perceptions were opened to Narvicnal's presence. Sarvicnal, still wide-eyed, did not look at me in fear, but wonder.
"I feel him," the King whispered, "like another part of my soul. I feel him."
"I feel you as well, my son. I also feel complete, like the last piece has been put into place."
Sarvicnal set the crown back upon his pillow, hands healed as he dusted the glass off of them. We all sat around the table and crown.
"Kayla, what made you think to do that?" Narisha asked, pen posed to write my answer.
"I am not sure. Just as I knew to place my cut and bleeding finger to Vanity when we found each other, I knew that Sarvicnal sharing his blood with Narvicnal and the Crown would produce a beneficial outcome," I told them honestly.
"Chance just happened to make this girl falter, me reach to catch the items on the tray, and crush the delicate glass to cut myself," Sarvicnal observed, "Which allowed you to see my bloody hands and get this unnameable knowledge to thrust the Elvador Crown into my grasp and get us to connect this way."
"I believe in Fate," I said automatically,
Everyone laughed. Narisha finished her writing and we all had breakfast.
With a true elder advisor sitting, literally, on his head, Sarvicnal gained more confidence, a bit he was lacking from not having his father slide the kingdom seamlessly into his hands.
A servant told us a message from the silver mining had arrived. Orania read it aloud, letting everyone know that Elenvarna's crown was complete and being brought to the castle. As a joke, the Queen stated that her's was "just a plain crown of god silver, nowhere near as special as the Elvador Crown". We got the joke, even Set laughed.
Our conversation turned to the gate. Retrieving Aloriana's list, we had two more powers to find. We had Rollis, a water sprite, Treant saplings being sent by elder Treants, the World Builder, Scotvla, Aloriana, Galvadore, and the descendants of the Founders. The last two were a dragon native to Crialas and something, or someone, called a Givagar. None of the elves, Crowns nor servants, had any idea what that was or who it could be. We had locations for both. Sarvicnal insisted Janesh and Narisha should go with us. We welcomed their company.
We went back to our rooms to get ready for a winter's day out. Once we arrived, Bo stated he wished to stay at the castle. Although he wasn't sick, he was looking very shabby. Dawn, too, requested to stay behind, ruffling every time the wind whistled through the trees and around windows and doors. She lost at least one feather for each shake. Since they would be together, and safe, we did not make them join us. I, still, felt no need for extra clothing, but put it on anyway to stop my sisters' nagging.
We met Janesh and Narisha at the stables. They had prepared our horses for the cold trek. Comparing the locations, we saw the dragon's lair was closest to the city. We made as straight a trail as we could, pass the Well of Truth, to a place of crags and caves. Janesh and Narisha spent most of the trip wondering how a full grown dragon was going to get inside the castle to the portal.
We arrived at the place our list said he would be living. Set roared a greeting, but no response came. We looked around as Set called again. The entrance shown evidence of inhabitation. Just as Set made to call again, a young female elf walked out.
"We heard you the first time. The cave is deep and it takes a while to get from the living area to this opening," she said, slightly annoyed.
"We apologize for our rudeness," I said, bowing slightly, "We did not know the size of your dwelling."
Somewhat appeased, she asked, "What do you wish with Aper See? He is very old and not interested in dragon slayers."
"Dragon slayer? No, milady, I am a dragon rider," I said, holding out my riding set for her to see, "Sarroset here is my partner and companion."
Set added, "We don't want to kill anyone. We need his help."
"Help? With what?" she almost demanded.
"The Faerie Queen has told us that Aper See can help rebuild the gate around the portal in Crialas Pagoue," I said as calmly as I could.
The woman's attitude dropped drastically, "It is my turn to apologize. Aper See and the Faerie Queen did meet about the gate. Please, come inside. We have an area to leave your horses."
The elf maiden escorted us just inside the cave's mouth and showed us a stable-like area. The girl, who told us to call her Chobi (SHOW-by), led us deep into the cave. We understood why it had taken so long for her to reach us. Far from the opening, a massive space ballooned before us. A staircase led down to a hoard of gold, gems, and other treasures. Nestled among this sparkling hill was the largest dragon I had yet to see. He made Leo look like a hatchling and Falcon like a juvenile. His head was as long as Leo's entire body, tail included. With eyes larger than the massive shields around us, he regared us coldly.
Chobi bowed deeply to him, "Master, these are the people the Faerie Queen told us to expect."
Aper See moved slightly to see all of us at once. He "whuffed" a cloud of smoke from his huge nostrils.
"I take it I do not have to verbally speak to you," he said, almost as an order.
"No, Elder, we can hear your mind speech just fine," I said, bowing as Chobi had.
He "whuffed" again, no smoke, but smelling of burnt stone and old ashes. He looked at all of us, moving his eye only.
"She said seven girls. Who are you two?" he nearly demanded.
"I am Major Janesh Water Dancer, an officer of the Crialas forces. This is Narisha Sun Stone, chronicler of Crialas. Our royalty wished us to accompany the Sisters to keep them safe."
A thin stream of smoke sailed from Aper See. He squinted at Janesh and Narisha.
"They do not need your protection. I wager your royalty wanted military and historical opinions of the 'beast' in your kingdom. Do your people still view me as evil incarnate?"
"Unfortunately, Elder, most of my people have forgotten about you. Other troubles occupy our short lives," Janesh cofessed.
Aper See squinted at him a bit more, then turned his eye to us seven.
"How do I benefit from the portal's rebuild? The changes in this area have caused me no trouble."
"To be honest, we don't know," I told him flatly, "We were told to seek you out to rebuild it."
Aper See physically laughed, causing piled of treasure to shift and the cave floor to tremble. Chobi, Janesh, and Narisha looked very frightened. We seven and Set rode out the vibrations until he stopped.
"Honest to a fault, I see. You were sent to me because I was there when it was first built. If you have not found the transcript of the ritual, I have a copy. Granted, it is written in Draconic and is the size of a man from head to foot. I wrote it for other dragons and it had to be large enough to be seen. Also, you cannot reuse the Chalice. The new sacrifice would push out the spirit of the old sacrifice. You need both spirits, plus the King in the Crown."
"How did you know about Narvicnal?" Janesh interrupted, hand instictively goint to his sword.
Again, Aper See laughed, making more piles slide and shake. He regared Janesh harshly. Aper See blinked twice. Janesh found himself swordless and without armor.
"One does not live this long as a fool."
Surpressing the urge to look for his items, Janesh stood silently at attention. Aper See watched him for a moment, then answered Janesh's question.
"I was nearby when the battle took place. I watched the elf king be fused with the crown. I took the crown off the battle field for safe keeping. It was not until Bi (BEE) stole it had it left my sight. When she died by the Well, it was buried with her. I knew its location, but let it stay until properly returned to the King's family. Just because I don't fly much does not mean I am ignorant of what is going on around me."
We thanked him for his care and vigilance. He rose from his treasure bed, nearly reaching the roof of this large cavern as he did. He stretched massive wings and a huge, barbed tail.
"I am going to fly for a while, too high to worry your people, Water Dancer. While I am gone, Chobi, Chobin (SHOW-bin), and Chobo (SHOW-bo) can help you look for the chalice to house the second sacrificed spirit. Take that only. I will know if anything else is missing."
With that said, he vanished. Janesh was startled when his armor and sword reappeared upon his body. Chobi, followed by two other girls, approached us.
"Our master does not organize by item, so we will have to look all over for the chalice you wish," Chobi told us.
Understanding, we huddled to decide who to look through the huge amount of treasure for one chalice. Janesh and Narisha kept peeking at the three girls.
"Those are not elf names," Narisha commented.
"They are not names, they are numbers," I informed her.
"Numbers? Why does he call them by numbers?"
"If you were that old, could you remember all the names of the people around you?" I asked her seriously.
Narisha thought, then answered, "I suppose it is better than 'Hey, you' or something similar.
We all agreed. I thought to get a vision to find the chalice, but only received impressions from Aper See, the girls, and all those that had previously touched it. Anna and Alice were also nearly overwhelmed. Gretta could not sort anything as different except by value. Methodically, we began sifting through the hoard. We soon had a pile of goblets, cups, glasses, and chalices off to one side.
Taking a break from digging, we examined what we had. One felt very different. Picking it up, I got nothing. No left over imprint from its maker, no impression from previous owners, not even Aper See nor any of his girls. I asked Anna to give it a look. She felt nothing either, no history at all. Gretta only got that it was pure gold. Callie was the only one who could get anything from it.
"It feels incomplete, but I don't see any weakness nor hole. Since I am getting something, I guess it isn't shielded, but how can it be like this?"
"Well, well, well," Aper See's mind voice sounded in our minds, "you managed to find it without help. I am both surprised and proud."
"Aper See? What do you mean? Was this the chalice we were suppose to find?" I asked him.
A deep mental chuckle vibrated through our heads. Janesh and Narisha seemed excluded from this conversation as they were huddled together in a deep discussion of their own. The three girls, from somewhere, brought a case that had a mold of the chalice we were holding.
"Aper See hid this among his hoard, hoping you could find it for yourself," Chobi told us, "You are correct in your finding. The reason you could find no history nor emotional energy on this is the maker of this chalice was already dead when he made it. He was a lich king."
We were all shocked. Even Janesh and Narisha stopped their conversation to listen.
"He made it to house another soul, to, literally, drink from to feed his power. Aper See destroyed him and claimed this, among other things, from this undead creature's castle. He had it separated until the Faerie Queen asked for aid to rebuild the gate. That is when it was hidden. Also, I will be his agent at the portal to bring his power to the gate."
We were thrilled. To have such an ancient power was a great relief to us, especially one who had been there for the original creation of the gateway. We placed the chalice inside its holder. We told Chobi that we had one more power to find before we could be assembled to rebuild the gate. We asked her if she knew who or what Givagar might be. The three girls looked at each other. I felt an exchange between them and Aper See. Chobo separated and went to another part of the cave. Janesh and Narisha had finished their private consultation and joined. us. Chobo returned with a scroll.
"This explains Givagar. It is suggested to study it overnight and proceed tomorrow. You will need to follow these instructions carefully for they expect certain... behavior from their... guests," she told us with a bit of apprehension.
"Are all three of you coming to the portal?" Narisha asked, somewhat anxiously.
"No, only I wil go," Chobi informed her.
"Then, let us aid you," Janesh said, just as anxious as Narisha.
" 'Aid' us? What do you mean?" Chobin asked, quite puzzled.
"To free you, release you from this servitude to such a creature," Narisha answered.
"Free us? There is nothing to free us from. All three of us are here of our own wills. Aper See is our master," Chobo reported.
Janesh and Narisha exchanged looks. I could tell the pair did not believe them. We moved to separate them from the three girls. They resisted us and pushed through us to confront the girls directly. The two of them began shouting at them to "throw off the shackles of this beast tyrant and live free elf lives". The three girls were appalled. Every step they took backwards, Janesh and Narisha pursued. The panic on their faces begged us to help them. Focusing only on the two, I called for them to freeze. They stopped in place. The girls stepped back and relaxed. We asked them to go to another part of the cave while we talked with this pair.
"I know you can hear us, so please listen," I began, "Every girl that has been in this cave has been here freely and willingly. They are his apprentices, here to learn dragon magic from an elite master with ancient skills. As such an ancient, and large, dragon, he can bond with all three of them. Actually, he can bond with seven easily. Their's is similar to the bond Set and I share. Now, I am going to release you. I hope you will show wisdom and not try to harrass them again."
I released them. They stood and looked at each other. After a few moments, they accepted what they had heard. The three girls returned. Janesh and Narisha apologized for their assumptions and for jumping to conclusions.
Chobi escorted us back to the entrance of the cave where we retrieved the horses. Outside, we realized how long we had been in there as it was past mid-day. We were in the saddle and on the way back to Crialas before my sisters realized I had not redressed for the winter weather. They tried to force cloaks, shirts, extra skirts, etc., but I told them they were not needed. I guess they were too exhausted to fight me. It was nearly sunset when we arrived in the city. We were in the stable when Orania found us.
"Well? Who did you see? What is in the case?" she questioned us quickly.
As we handed off the horses to the stable hand, we told her about Aper See, the chalice, and his three girls. Orania opened the case and examined the chalice.
"This is amazing. Did Aper See explain why these three enchanted items are so important?"
"Alas, no, he did not. I wager we will find out when the gate is complete. He did provide us with a scroll of instructions for dealing with the Givagar. We would like you, the Crowns, and the Palace to meet with us to look this over. We have yet to open it until we all get together," Lisa told her.
Orania said she would get them gathered for us in the throne room. She left to begin this task. We left the stables, with the chalice and case, to go check on Bo and Dawn. Janesh and Narisha left to attend their duties.
We were almost to our room when we encountered a gaggle of servants talking in hushed tones. They became silent when they saw us. One of the older maids approached us.
"Sisters, your animals are very sick. We went in to freshen your linens and found the skin of your snake and a multitude of feathers from your bird. Neither animal could be found. We searched, but to no avail."
We thanked them for their concern. They left like a group of mourners. We entered the room. The skin and feathers had been gathered and placed upon a table. Lisa and Alice searched for their companions. Set sniffed around. He took a sniff of the skin and feathers. He put his nose to the floor and searched. He headed to the fire and stared into the flames.
He gave a sharp bark and said his first spoken word, "FIRE!"
We all gathered at the fireplace and looked inside. We saw what looked like Dawn, but the flames made it hard to see clearly. A beautiful trumpeting sounded and we backed away from the fireplace. A fountain of flame shot out and Dawn flew out. She was gorgeous. Larger than before, her feathers were like frozen flames. Her tail was almost peacock-like as it fanned behind her.
Alice was nearly in tears as she explained, "Dawn went through her next-to-last growth phase. Being only part phoenix, the fire was needed to fuel her change. She is now almost fully grown. When we met, she was about the equivalant of a fifteen to sixteen year old girl. Now, she is equal to an eighteen or nineteen year old, a young adult. To finish, she will have to grow some more and make her own fire."
Lisa asked Dawn about Bo. Dawn looked back at the fireplace, then up the chimney. Lisa gasped when she realized Bo was inside the chimney. She got as close to the fire as she could without burning herself.
"Bo, are you alright? Can we help? Are you stuck?"
A strange sound echoed down the chimney, making Lisa back away from the fireplace. A strong gust of wind blew flames out of the opening. A blur of color flew by us. When it slowed, we saw it was Bo, his wings were complete with polished scales that resembled feathers that reflected the light into sparkling rainbows. Set approached Bo and sniffed him. Bo flapped his completed wings and hovered in the room. Set playfully nipped at Bo's tail. Bo lightly hissed and skimmed over Set's head. Set took this as a challenge and took to the air. I put out my hand and asked the balcony doors to open. They swung open just ahead of Bo, with Set close behind. We went out onto the balcony and watched the two of them fly, dive, circle, and chase each other in the winter air. Dawn stayed with us, but sang even lovelier than we had ever heard her. It was a joy to watch them and hear her. Inside and out, people began to assemble, drawn by Dawn's song then witnessing Set and Bo playing. A group of minstrels began mimicking Dawn. Some children were running below Set and Bo, following their shadows and movements as close as they could. The Crowns and Palace arrived in our room as part of this crowd. It wasn't until Dawn's song had ended did the servants realize they were standing as equals with the Crowns and Palace. The servants nearly ran out to avoid any punishment. The Crowns looked closely at Dawn and Bo, when he and Set returned, noting their changes. We returned inside and explained what had happened. Taking the scroll and chalice with us, we all headed to the Throne Room.
In that room, we told the assembly about Aper See and his girls. We showed them the new chalice before Orania secured it with the first. Once they settled down again, we opened the scroll. It read:

"Givagar: a unique race of beings. Formed when the intelligent gargoyles evolved to a near-humanoid state and bred with both the small statured clan of rock people and the underground elves. They took some of both races and their gargoyle heritage to form a unique civilization. They are military minded, which serves them well in keeping the underground elves and stone race from unneccessary conflict. Elves, humans, and other above-ground races may be shocked by their appearance. Standing nine to twelve feet in stature, they resemble the idealized Minotaur and have been called such by uninformed witnesses. However, they are not. Due to their breeding, they have lost the elvish mind-speech and cannot communicate mentally. Included is a spell, to be read by one person only, just prior to entering their realm. The spell lasts twelve to sixteen hours, excessive talking shortens the spell time. Even with this, the person speaking must be mindful of voice tone, volume, and speed. Too fast, loud, slow, or soft can be seen as an insult. Also, hand gestures are to be kept to a minimum. This, too, can be seen as an insult. Keep in mind their military ways, as they view everyone and everything by threat levels. Those approaching them cannot appear too strong as to be a threat nor too weak as to be a waste of time. Just as their stone and gargoyle ancestors, Givagar are living rock, if slightly softened by the elf blood. Unlike the stone race, they can appear as carved statues, even their hair appears to be chiseled from stone.
"Your first meeting with them will be highly ritualized. Memorize the steps following the spell. Each word and movement must be precise and correct. No margin is given. Fail and you must wait a full month to try again. Any sooner by any member of your group is an insult and could have disasterous results. Practice for at least one day, more if you need it. Do not attempt until you are absolutely certain of success."

The instructions were separate from the spell. Keeping hold of the spell, we passed the instructions around. Some attempted the protocol, but found themselves gesturing too much. Others didn't even try. They read the first few lines, then gave up and handed it to the next. The Crowns were the last before giving it back to us. We handed it, spell and all, to Lisa without a thought. It just made sense that it would be she who would speak with a military-minded race. She, too, seemed to accept it without thought, for she did not hand it to anyone else once the whole room had seen it. The Crowns did state that more than Janesh and Narisha should accompany us, in case things went badly. We did not protest, even though we didn't think it was needed. The assembly parted and we joined the Crowns for dinner.
Bo spent much of dinner flying around the room. Dawn behaved as before, but ate more as her new size and today's activities warrented. Set was happier now that, as he said, Bo and Dawnn could form complete sentences and not "baby babble". I told him how proud I was that he had spoken his first verbal word. He had hoped it would be something important or special, but decided "Fire" was as good a first word as any.
"At least it wasn't something stupid, like 'poopy' or some nonsense gibberish."
"You can try other words as you feel ready. We talk well enough this way, so you don't have to push yourself."
"I know. Besides, when I try to talk with my mouth, sometimes I bite myself. It hurts."
"We can practice. I'll show you where to place your tongue so you don't bite it. I just hope it doesn't fork as you grow or you will have to learn all over again."
Set moved his tongue around in his mouth, feeling for any indication of forking. He felt no evidence and, when he stuck it out for me to look, I saw nothing.
We all finished dinner and made our way back to our rooms. Set and I practiced his mouth movements while Lisa went through the ritual. Dawn tossed some of her old feathers, the really tattered ones, into the fire. Bo got her to toss the most mangled part of his skin as well. We were all very tired when we finally laid down to sleep.