Day 265 (243rd)

Day 265 (243rd):
We woke and went to Talrik's room. At his door, we found a crowd. They were angry and hostile. We went to the front of the group, which was mostly servants and townspeople.
"People, why are you here?" Gretta asked them.
"The monster is inside, ladies. Stay back while we rid the kingdom of it before it attacks the Crowns," said a man holding a large knife.
"What monster? Talrik is the only one in that room," Lisa countered.
"Talrik? It has a victim? We must save this Talrik!"
He and the rest rammed open the door, surprising Talrik as he was dressing.
"Monster!" the man shouted, "release Talrik and we might let you live!"
Talrik looked at us, puzzled. He tried to explain, but the man with the knife lunged at him. The knife shattered as it made contact with Talrik's stone-hard chest. His crowd gasped as the man looked at the remains of his weapon. Lisa seized the man and nearly threw him back to his fellows.
"This," she said, standing between Talrik and the crowd, "is Talrik, cleric of the Givagar. There is no monster here."
The crowd looked confused at Lisa and Talrik.
Another spoke up, "He cannot get near the Crowns. We can't let him eat them."
We seven and Talrik exchanged looks, then Lisa informed them, "He had dinner with them last night. The Palace was there along with all of us. Orania and those with her can tell you the truth of it."
The crowd looked at each other.
One of the servants replied, "The Crowns' private servants do not talk to us. They are too snooty and don't associate with us lowly house staff. We could ask, but they will not answer. Like one said 'Crown staff is a gem. House staff is dirt.' "
"By the Gods!" came an exclamation from the doorway, "No one has said that in five hundred years!"
Orania and Elder Liam entered the room, radiating anger and hurt. The crowd got closer to each other and slumped, becoming physically smaller. Orania, in spite of her small size, seemed to grow as she approached them. Liam stayed by the door, almost daring anyone to leave.
"We have talked with you on many occasions, for hours at times. Our staffs have circulated, moving from one post to the other."
Orania rattled off a list of names of people who had rotated between the royal apartments and the rest of the castle. Eyes widened as the list grew longer and included people this crowd knew or to whom they were related. Once the staff thing was settled, however, the house staff and the citizens launched into a "monster" being allowed to be in the same room with the Crowns. They were shocked to hear that Talrik was the second Givagar to get close to the Crowns. Some nearly fainted when we told them who we were expecting in the next day or two. Orania told us to go with Liam while she "straighted them out". Talrik finished getting dressed and we all followed Liam to the royal apartments.
The Crowns and a few Palace members met us. They were a bit annoyed but Liam explained our delay. The Palace went from annoyed to angry. A few discussed punishing them for "overstepping their positions", but the Crowns knew Orania could get them to understand. They also suggested that her wrath could make any punishment by the Palace look like a reward.
With that cleared up, we all sat down to breakfast. The round table shattered the Palace's comfort as they sought the "head" and "foot" of the table. The Crowns sat in their usual places and we in our's. The Palace found places to sit. Some began to protest Set, Bo, and Dawn being at the table "as equals to real people".
"Sir," I said to the one who spoke,"Set, Bo, and Dawn are intelligent beings on par with anyone else here. They have the same right to be at this table as any of us. The Crowns invited them, and us, to join them at this table. They, just like you, are here at their discretion."
The table went silent. The Crowns exchanged looks then Sarvicnal spoke.
"Kayla speaks true. We changed this table to be round so there could be less tension about position and place. Everyone is here by our invitation, including Bo, Dawn, and Set. Their unique perspective has brought us understanding that we could never have gained without them. Any who sees them as just animals are free to leave right now."
We seven did not move. Talrik looked at the Palace members, each in turn, to see who would leave. Liam did not move. The other Palace members looked at each other, almost daring each other to be the first to stand up. They seemed to decide that it was best to stay.
There was little conversation around the table.
Orania returned during breakfast, radiating with satisfaction.
"That little misunderstanding is settled. Also, rooms are ready for the Treant saplings and Aper See's lady. Messengers are ready to get the Founders' families as soon as those emissaries have arrived."
"Good work, Orania," Sarvicnal praised, "I knew you could get our home in order. What of the Glories? When do we expect their arrivals?"
"Your Majesty," I began, "The World Builder just needs us to toss his hammer into the portal and he will be here instantly. Scotvla, Rollis, Galvadore, the Lord and Lady of the Wild, and Aloriana need but a moment to arrive and be ready."
The Crowns nodded as did Talrik. The Palace, including Liam, just stared at me.
 One of them rose, "Your Majesties, Elder, how much more of this must we endure? Why are we playing along with these children? That... thing at the fountain was no goddess. The one who took our fellows, are we certain that was a god? And that woman who claimed to be the Faerie Queen? We have no proof of this. You," turning to Talrik, "just show up with a cart full of odd rocks and we take it on your word that you are a cleric with 'living rocks' to build the gateway. Do we have any proof of any of this, any of what they claim?"
"Haldark, be seated," Liam ordered, "We discussed this before. We, alone, have not the power to build the gate. We need these girls, their swords, these other powers and Glories. How many have we lost trying this ourselves? Our structures do not contain the portal."
"But we have the ritual now, we can do it alone!" Haldark countered, grabbing Liam and shaking him to emphasize his words.
Set growled low in his throat.
"Sit down!" Sarvicnal ordered, loudly.
Haldark and Liam nearly sat in the same chair to quickly obey their king's order. Once they were seated, Sarvicnal stood.
"I am tired of trying to convince you people of our task! Even with the ritual, do you have stone that can shape itself to enclose the portal? Do you wish to shed your blood and life to seal it? Are you going to stand there all day and night, everyday, to control and monitor it? Well, Harldark, what is your answer?"
Haldark bowed his head as his only answer. He knew anything he said would not cool his king's anger. His silence was actually the best answer. Sarvicnal sat and continued in a softer voice.
"Convey that to the rest of the Palace. I do not want to go through this when the rest arrive. Make sure they and the household know that they are honored guests and intolerance against them will not be permitted or go unpunished. No one will be referred to as 'monster', 'beast', 'abomination', or anything like that. Do you understand, Palace?"
They nodded, finished their meals in silence, and left.
Since Talrik could be the only person at the ritual who could not speak mentally, we got the scroll and went over the ritual with him and the Crowns. The dishes were cleaned up around and between us.
Dawn's whistle broke our concentration. She alerted us to the approach of the saplings. Royal Guards were sent to escort the saplings through the city and into the castle. We all headed to the main doors. As we waited, we began to feel their presence. While they felt similar to the elder Treants, they were markedly different. Younger, obviously, but more like humans or elves. I could feel the guards reactions when the two groups met. Fortunately, duty and training prevented those who did not like what they saw from doing anything harmful to the saplings. As with Talrik, a parade formed behind them and the guards. As I expected, they towered over the elves like young strong trees. They were also three in number; pine, elm, and oak. Unlike the elder Treants, these had gender, two male and one female. They looked liked trees in Springtime. Heads covered in the leaves of their type, skin like bark, features moving towards their tree form. I thought they were beautiful. They arrived at the doors and bowed.
From the crowd behind them, a shout, followed by more, until a chant of "Burn them" became deafening. The Crowns got the saplings inside then faced their people.
"Why? Why are you calling to burn our guests?" Sarvicnal asked after the crowd quieted down.
A man stepped forward, bowed, them began, "My King, can you not see they are monsters, some horrible combination of elf and tree? They must be destroyed."
Sarvicnal looked at him, back at all of us at the door, then back to the crowd, "What about him? What about these seven girls and their companions? Do you want them destroyed as well?"
The crowd murmured and whispered, looked around each other at us. They came to a conclusion and whispered to the man who had spoken. He nodded and faced the King.
"My King, the girls and their pets are of no concern. The large beast, however, must leave or be eliminated. We cannot have such as he in our city, putting you both in grave danger. That is our decision."
The King shook his head, "Why? What is the reason for you decision?"
The man, and most of the crowd, gave him a look as if the King was stupid.
"My Liege, look at him! Such an unnatural beast cannot have a good heart, if he even has a heart."
Red enveloped Sarvicnal. Before he could erupt upon his people, I stepped between him and them. I nearly pushed him inside. I gave him to the Queen, called for my sisters to join me, and shut the doors, shutting them and Talrik off from the crowd. The seven of us and our companions faced the crowd. Lisa addressed them.
"Shame on all of you! Based solely on appearance, you decide who had the right to live or die? We were in a place this summer that would have you killed for just being elves. People who claimed elves were evil by birth and only death was the way to deal with any elf. Now you behave just as barbarically as they. Shameful!"
The crowd look downcast, even the guards could not face us. I touched Lisa's arm and took her place at the front.
"We know you are afraid. We know the changes have made you doubt everything. We and these others are here to fix that. After the portal is repaired, the land will be cleansed, and all will be as it was when the old king ruled. Then, elves, gnomes, halflings, Givagar, Treants, centaurs, mermaids, humans, and all manner of beings can live in harmony and trust."
The crowd murmured some more and began breaking up. The guards went back to their posts. We went inside.
Sarvicnal was still red, but not as much. The saplings and Talrik were talking with Elenvarna, who let out a sigh of relief when she saw us. Sarvicnal's red dropped a bit more when we entered. We all walked to the Saplings' rooms and told them what was said. Lisa received looks of shock that she would speak so harshly to a crowd that could have harmed us. Lisa told them that she had no fear of them and that they needed, what she called, a "verbal slap to the face". The Crowns apologized for their people.
"We are not unaccustomed to such," Pine said, "I cannot tell you have many offers of curse, hex, and shape-shifter removal spells we have received. Also, we have been called worse things than 'monsters'."
The other two told of similar occurrences. This actually calmed Sarvicnal down, knowing that it was not just his people behaving poorly.
The rooms chosen for the trio were amazing. The walls were murals everywhere, making the suite look like a forest in full bloom. Even the ceiling was painted like a lightly clouded sky. I saw some sparkles on the ceiling. A staff member told us that, at night or when the room was dark, the sparkles actually glow like stars. While the saplings were not as tall as Talrik, their height was easily accommodated by the higher than normal ceilings. They asked if we could leave them to rest. They were told that they would be left until a servant called them to join us for dinner. They handed us a letter, explaining their diet and what they could eat. The staff looked over it and told them it would not be a problem. We left the saplings and went to the fountain to check on the stones, fish, and the rest.
Outside, the vines, in spite of the snow, were flourishing and in full bloom. The stones had actually softened even more than yesterday. While they had a give when touched yesterday, today they were like hardening clay. Set grabbed a couple more fish, which were instantly replaced, as were the frog Dawn nabbed and the lizard Bo slurped down. A Palace member chastised them, and us, for them eating the "gifts" in the fountain. We, however, did not have to defend ourselves. The fountain defended us. As he was berating us, a jet of water from the nearly hidden horn blasted him. He spluttered and tried to get out of the flow, but it followed him until he pleaded and said he was sorry. Rollis popped out of the horn, ending his torture.
"They are doing what is natural for them. These have been provided to aid not only these three during a lean time, but also prepare these stones as they need. By tomorrow, they will be perfect."
"Thank you, Rollis," I told him as the soaked man left, "We are getting a little tired of defending ourselves and explaining things others refuse to believe or accept."
"Yes, yes, I can see, I can see. Yet, part of it is our fault. We could have resisted a little longer, stayed around a bit more. But, we only thought of ourselves and our small parts. We have a new chance. We have resolved to be more of a presence in Crialas. These attitudes will change."
Talrik echoed Rollis' commitment, promising to push for a better relationship between Givia and Crialas. Rollis did not return to the fountain. He pulled a large pouch out of the water. He told us he had a task to perform for Scotvla, excused himself, and flew off.
We and Talrik took a walk. Even staying close to the castle, I could feel the influence of the portal was being cancelled by other energies. I could not tell if our guests were the cause or the changing attitudes of the people. Of course, if Scotval was getting stronger, she may be able to begin containing the energy. We got many strange looks as we took in the immediate area. At first, I thought either Talrik or Set was the focus of the attention. We walked by a group and I heard them whisper "echicgo" and hurry away. Lisa's eyes followed the group until they were out of sight. Her emotions were swirling.
"That word? Sister, what is it?" I gently asked.
"It is only a description. It only means 'winged serpent'. But, the way they reacted, they know the prophesy, I think."
"They do," Alice added, "they are novice clerics. Prophesies are part of their training, so the elders will have many eyes watching for the signs."
"We could expect their teachers," Anna predicted, "It is standard practice for them to report even the slightest sign. I am not sure how long it will take or if they will come to us."
"I'm not in tune with you, but are you girls talking about something?" Talrik asked.
"Sorry, that group was acting odd and we were discussing what problems they might cause," I informed him.
Talrik looked away, "You all must find me barbaric, unable to hear mind speech and needing you to voice everything."
"No, we don't," Callie countered, "A few months ago, we couldn't find a handful of people who could mind talk with us. Even here in Crialas, there are many who either can't or won't talk with us that way."
He perked up some at that. We walked back inside the castle while telling him of Kendar, Lehand, Droland, Carmon, and many others who could not hear or speak to us in the mind voice. Knowing we did not fault him or his people for not having this ability made it easier for him to rely on us.
Just inside the doors, servants informed us dinner was being served shortly in the dining chambers. Talrik said he wished to get out of his snow-wet pants and shoes so we went with him to his room. The Saplings' room was not far from Talrik's. As he changed, we went to see how they were doing. Staff was leaving as we reached their door. They were doing some kind of ritual, so we waited until they were done before asking to enter. How anyone could call these amazing beings "monsters" was beyond my understanding. Every move was like a dance, graceful and flowing. Talrik, freshly dressed, arrived at the door to ask our opinion of his attire. He explained that Givagar, at home, wore very little clothing, usually only to mark positions and rank. Their stone and gargoyle ancestry meant that they were not bothered by cold, heat, rain, or any normal weather. Boots to protect the feet, a cloth for decency, a belt for items, and a vest or stole was their normal dress. Miners had trousers to prevent injury as did blacksmiths and some other heavy laborers. A common phrase among the Givagar was "Less work, less clothes." The Saplings, also, asked for our opinions of their outfits. They, too, spoke of wearing little while at home. Clothing actually told the age of the sapling. The youngest, looking like pure humans or elves, had to be fully clothed except in the hottest of weather. As they aged and their skin became more bark than flesh, less clothing was needed. As rank and age were the same thing, special items were unnecessary.
A valet arrived to escort them to the dining chambers. Taking up the rear of this procession, we magicked a change of clothes to be "appropriate" for the event. We proceeded to the same large chamber we had been taken to when we seven had first arrived. Tables of honor were flanking the thrones. Talrik, Pine, Elm, and Oak were taken to their places. The Palace was already in place and we were shown to an empty table. We asked for another seat so Set could eat with us at the table. The staff looked annoyed, but got one anyway. Dawn perched on the back of Alice's chair and Bo entwined himself in the chair so as to lay only his head on Lisa's shoulder. The Crowns were not here yet. We were in place for a minute or two when the horns announcing their arrival sounded. The pair entered in full glory, hand-in-hand. They received applause from all those assembled as we stood to greet them. Sarvicnal wore the Elvador Crown while Elenvarna wore the companion crown he had made for her. They sat then we sat. The Palace murmured about the crowns before Sarvicnal called for silence.
"Everyone, the days of our trouble are ended. We await only one more mortal power to arrive before the families are called and the gate is constructed. When that is done, we can purge the destructive energy from this land and be free of all the taint the portal has caused. Crialas can flurish once again."
The assembly cheered. Sarvicnal motioned for silence again.
"Our last guest may give some of you pause. I have been told she is an elf and an apprentice to Aper See, an ancient King dragon who lives in Crialas. Please, do not ask her to leave, attempt to 'rescue' her, or pressure her to stay here. She is happy where she is and any who do anything to make her uncomfortable will answer to me."
"Thank you, King Sarvicnal. I am glad to hear you say that so publicly," Chobi's voice echoed in the hushed chamber.
Everyone was looking around. I felt the pull of kirlan and Chobi appeared not far from Sarvicnal. The Palace gasped. She bowed to King, Queen, and Palace. A chair was placed near Talrik and she took her place there. Sarvicnal sat down and the food was served.
I saw what the saplings were eating and found it rather strange. I've seen children make pies out of mud. I had done it myself, but I had never seen anyone actually eat one. There they were, eating plate- and bowl-fulls of mud, sand, and dirt. They seemed to enjoy it. Talrik was also enjoying his odd meal of mushrooms and cave moss. I noticed the Palace was avoiding watching them eat. I guess they found it disgusting or something. Chobi ate what the rest of us had, making her less of a focal point.
Chobi acknowledged us and mentally, as she was too far away to verbally speak with us, commented on Set's growth. She asked about Dawn and Bo, as this was the first time she had seen them.
Around us, I heard whispering. Looking around, I saw Palace members looking at Chobi, pointing, and whispering. The emotions swirling around them was not good. My sisters also noticed. Between all of us, we found that some were plotting a way to make her stay by getting someone to seduce her. We told Chobi. She was shocked. She stood up and told the Crowns. The looks they shot the Palace stopped all activity. Chobi also gave them a harsh look. The whispering stopped and everyone dove into their food. The Crowns continued to stare them down for a moment longer before returning to their meal. Chobi stared as she took her seat. Talrik whispered to her and looked in shock at the Palace. It was hard to tell if the saplings had heard, but they gave disapproving looks also.
While we ate, we felt out the reception of the saplings. We could get emotions across, but actual words could not be exchanged. Fortunately, Sarvicnal was the one who suggested we, the Crowns, and these powers confer after dinner to go over the ritual, both for our own knowledge and to better guide the families.
We all met up in a council chamber, laid out the ritual, and went through it step-by-step. Here, the saplings and Chobi told us their parts in this.
"The opening of the gate made by Talrik's stones requires a door, of sorts, to prevent accidental entrance," Oak told us, "We are providing that barrier. We have vines that, like the entrance to Starlight's temple, will grow over the stone and provide a living curtain that can only be opened by the controlers. No one will be able to casually walk in and go through the portal. These vines will also feed on any energy that might leak through, thus preventing the contamination Crialas is currently experiencing."
Chobi told us, "Aper See, being so large, is using me to be here at the portal. He is the power that will form the families' blood into the mortar that holds the stones. His is also the power that will fuse the sacrifice with the new chalice and make them one."
"Chobi," Sarvicnal interrupted, "has Aper See explained why we need two living chalices and a livng crown?"
Chobi gathered a blank paper and writing tool. She spoke as she drew, "These three living items, along with your three children, are needed to summon a seventh, the Spirit of Crialas. This is an entity composed of all the energies of everything living within this kingdom. In Brimgrove, you girls may have felt as if the forest itself was a living being. So shall it be with Crialas. This Spirit, summoned only in dire emergencies, can reshape the very land, expell invaders, and unify all beings born here."
"Like when Mara and Gavin kissed," Callie exclaimed, "They pushed demons out of Selvis."
"Exactly," Chobi continued, "that was the Spirit of Selvis being reborn."
We seven understood even though the Crowns were still puzzled. Elenvarna quietly brought of the subject of the sacrifice. Talrik, the saplings, Chobi, and we assured them that none of us would be performing it. While it eased them some, they were still nervous about that part.
During our review of the ritual, some of them attempted to get me to tell them who the sacrifice was. In all honesty, at that time, I didn't know. It took telling them several times before they quit asking. One last time through the ritual, then we parted to go to sleep. We were told where the families would assemble and that we should go there as soon as we woke up.

Days 253-264 (231-242)

Days 253-263 (231-241):
These past few days have been routine, of sorts. We made ourselves useful while waiting on the Givagar to arrive. Lisa began training with the Royal Guards, showing them moves none had seen before. Anna nearly lived in the kitchens, teaching recipes and sharing tricks she'd learned at the inn of her parents. When not doing that, she was with Narisha, helping with the chronicles from past recorders, some of which were "enhanced" to earn favor with the ruler at the time. Callie and the Builders' Guild had been going through the city and finding damage and weak spots in walls and other parts. Sarah's time was split between the Clerics' Guild and the Healers', doing her thing with both. Alice and Gretta found decorating the nursery for royal triplets to be just their ideal activity. I found it interesting that, outside of our group, Alice and Gretta would never socialize as they were from opposite ends of society. Within, however, they were equals sharing a common love.
I was busy as well. Set had discovered a new breath weapon and we went about controlling it. Besides his fire, he now could freeze things in ice. We were not sure how this developed, but we knew it had to be controlled. We also tested our riding set on him. It was way too small for me, of course, but it was perfectly proportioned for him. Some of the castle's children tested it for me and gave Set a taste of having a rider while both walking and flying. A few parents were not happy seeing their child on dragon back. The natural way some took to him made me think that some rider finders might find many recruits in Crialas.
The Founders' families set messages ranging from "All set" to "We need more time". We hoped the rest would be ready in time.

Day 264 (242):
(Vision dream)
I found myself standing before the fountain from which Scotvla had rose. Next to it were the rabbit man and the female halfling. I could not feel Vanity, Set, nor anyone else. I approached the pair.
"Nice to see you again. Is everything alright?" I asked.
"Everything is fine," the rabbit man said, "We just wanted to introduce ourselves properly and tell everyone we will be ready to rebuild the gate."
"I am confused. Why will you be rebuilding the gate with us? Are you Glories or powers?"
They laughed.
The female answered, "The Palace addresses us every morning. Remember what they say at this fountain?"
"They call on their gods, the Faerie Queen, and some other entities."
"Exactly, they call on 'Farey Regala', 'Faun Regal', 'Draconis Regal', and 'Flora Regala'. You know who 'Farey Regala' is, but do you know the other three?" the rabbit man asked.
"Let me think," I said as I pondered, "'Faun' is animal, so 'Faun Regal' is Animal King. Draconis is dragon. That means 'Draconis Regal' is the Dragon King. 'Flora' means flower or plant which makes 'Flora Regala' the Flower or Plant Queen. Do you represent these other royalty?"
They laughed again. As their answer, the rabbit man sprouted horns like a stag, grew a full beard, and became clothed in patchwork hide. The halfling grew to almost the man's height as she sprouted flowers and leaves in her hair. Her skin turned to bark and her clothes became sewn-together leaves.
"We are the Lord and Lady of the Wild, distantly associated with Treenaliza and the Goddess Nature. We are her local agents and considered by some, wrongly, to be deities in our own rights. You met the 'Dragon King'."
"Aper See? He didn't seem very royal."
"He is not the ruler of dragons, like many believe. Just as Set is an Emperor, Aper See is a King."
"Wow, if a King can get that big, how big will Set get?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.
The pair looked behind and above me. Turning, I saw Set as he would be at the height of his powers. The four stories, above ground, of the castle were dwarfed by his massive size. He was almost as big as Brimagor had been when he got us out of Scarnac.
"Kayla? You are really tiny. The whole city is tiny."
"It is the same size, you are just huge. This is how it will look to you when you are almost as old as Aper See," I explained.
"How did this happen? I'm not really to be big," he told us, voice shaking in fear.
"This is a vision dream, Set. We are both in bed, asleep. You have a long time before this happens."
He relaxed and opened his massive wings. He looked back at me and the two powers.
"Can we fly? I want you to fly with me before we wake up," he nearly begged.
The powers gave their permission. Set's saddle and gear appeared upon his body. I nearly flew into place. His wings almost blew the dream Crialas apart as he took us aloft.
High above everything, he covered the distance from Crialas Pagaoue to Aldoahrn in minutes. We crossed to the sea and over it. We went to the east and passed over Thantos, all of our home villages, Cassabla, Raval, and Selvis. We were just crossing the dwarf's' mountains when a sound woke us up.
"Kayla, wake up!" Callie was shaking me, nearly shouting at me.
"I'm awake," I told her, a bit crossly, as I sat up.
Set yawn and stretched. He looked at Callie and blew a stream of smoke at her, his silent protest.
"Vanity told us not to wake you, but the Crowns need us outside right now," she pleaded.
I stood up and magically changed clothes. Callie said something was wrong with the fountain. Taking her hand, I slid us through kirlan and we appeared at the fountain. Set appeared a second later.
The fountain was nearly encased in vines with a rainbow of colored flowers. In the basin, fish, frogs, and other small animals swam round and round. The Crowns saw me and rushed over, leaving the Palace looking over the fountain.
"Your sisters had no explanation. Do you know anything about this?" Sarvicnal asked, almost frantic.
"Everyone, calm, please," I told those assembled, "Two powers the Palace calls upon every morning, 'Faun Regal' and 'Flora Regala' visited me in a vision dream. That is why Vanity said not to wake me. This is their way of letting you know they have heard you. Also, because we helped them, they will help rebuild the gate."
" 'Helped them'? When did you help them?" Liam asked.
"Yesterday, Elder. The rabbit man in the morning and the female halfling in the snow in the evening. They are the Lord and Lady of the Wild, your 'Animal King' and 'Flower Queen'."
Even my sisters looked at me oddly. Those who had made the trip tried to see the two in their memory and find any hint they were more than they appeared to be. I could tell they had a hard time accepting that they were anything other than a human male with rabbits and a female halfling sprawled in the snow. I had no way to convince them I spoke the truth. If the condition of the fountain didn't sway them, my words meant nothing.
We all went back inside to get out of the cold. Only Set walked near me. The Crowns walked hand-in-hand. The Palace whispered among themselves. My sisters spoke to each other, excluding me.
"Set, Vanity, why can't my sisters understand?" I asked them alone.
"The other swords are explaining it to them. They will understand shortly. I went through this myself, when I was in the flesh. Seers are viewed suspiciously. Others, even those as close to you as you sisters, are not sure if you are just making this up or if you are going insane. When my eyesight was gone, my visions my only sight, I wondered about my sanity a few times. The Crowns and the Palace will accept it when these powers arrive at the portal. Do not take it personally."
"I saw them. They were real. The stuff at the fountain smells like them. Do you think they would mind if I ate the fish?"
I laughed out loud, which caused all eyes to turn toward me. To my sisters' mental questions, I shared Set's question. They also laughed, which caused more looks. The Palace was uneasy with leaving us alone with the Crowns. Only by Liam staying with us did they leave.
During breakfast, we went over the vision dream again, many times. Sarvicnal was utterly fascinated by visions and dreams. Elenvarna and Liam got a bit bored and spoke with my sisters about other things. Finally, the King was satisfied and we all left the dining room.
A servant met us at the door with a report that a Givagar had been spotted and should be in the city by evening. Orders were sent out to find a room suitable and to have the Givagar escorted so no harm came to him. A messenger was sent back to the Founders' families that their representative best be ready soon.
The tension was thick until the Givagar and his cart, flanked by Royal Guards, arrived at the castle doors. A small parade followed him, citizens watching him for any signs of aggression or hostility. The Givagar bowed to the Crowns and asked all of us to see the living stone he had brought. Inside the cart was a pile of different colored stones. I could feel the faint life force in each of them.
"They need to be kept someplace free of the portal's influence," the Givagar cleric, Talrik (TALL-rick), explained, "They will harden too quickly if continually exposed to the portal's energies."
We all looked at each other. The answer hit us all at once, "The Fountain!"
We helped Talrick take the stones to the vine-covered fountain.
He sighed with relief, "Yes, this is perfect. The life here will cradle these very well until we are ready to begin the ritual. We can lay them against the basin wall, allowing room for the animals to swim about."
Following his instructions, we arranged the slightly soft rocks around the inside of the basin, which barely raised the level of the water. Set interrupted our progress a couple of times by pouncing on the fish. He only ate one, but played with almost all of them. The frogs and other creatures were similarly terrorized, becoming Bo's victims. The Palace and Crowns gasped each time one was eaten, in fear of upsetting the powers who had supplied them. I noticed something that let me allay their fears. After Bo downed a newt, I saw a sparkle in the water. It formed a new newt just like the one he had eaten. They gave me odd looks until Set ate another fish and an identical fish materialized. They watched in amazement. The tail was still in Set's mouth as the new fish began swimming with the others.
"It is in my tummy, so it can't be the same fish. So I can eat them all and more show up?"
"Don't be greedy, Set. Eating a couple is fine, but don't push it, alright?"
"Alright, I will leave some. It is good to eat caught food again. Will more show up when the shiny is fixed?"
"That is our hope, my dear. The animals and other beings that the portal scared away may or may not return. We have to wait and see."
When all the stones were settled, we went inside and showed Talrik his room. Why one room of this building had twenty foot ceilings, I really didn't care, but was glad someone had thought to make it. Here, and in the corridors, Talrik didn't have to stoop or crouch. Fortunately, the main dining hall had high ceilings and plenty of room.
The Crowns, the Palace, we seven, and Talrik had dinner at a massive table. The Palace insisted Bo, Dawn, and Set not be at the table with us. A side table was found and they got comfortable there. Dinner was very stiff and formal, with the Palace nearly interrogating Talrik. A bit of an argument broke out when Talrik told them that the Givagar, while physically within Crialas Kingdom, did not recognize the Crowns nor the Palace as having any authority over the Givagar or Givia. The Palace tried to convince him that their location automatically made them subject to Crown and Palace rule. This argument lasted for about one-third of the meal. I lost interest and I am not sure if it was resolved. Sarvicnal was silent during the argument, but watched everyone intently. We seven, our companions, and Elenvarna talked about other things to occupy ourselves and drown out their harsh words. When the argument was over, the Palace began nearly attacking us. They wanted to know about Bo's wings, Dawn's growth, and Set's ice breath. For some reason, they would not accept that smoke and fire had aided their transformations or that we were unaware Set had a second breath ability. Talrik tried to defend us, citing his knowledge of phoenix, Ko-a-tie (Coati) or winged serpent, and dragon development. They did not seem to accept that he would know about such things. Several younger Palace members were given the task to check on these events.
We parted company not in the best of moods. The Palace was convinced they would find the "real" secret behind their changes. Talrik was at a loss as to how to deal with the Palace's attitude and misconceptions. We walked him back to his room and bid him good-night. We discussed their behavior as we went to our room and went to bed.