Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

[voidtreckermods]

Ritual

The jellyfish is no more and as red team take stock of their injuries, or collapse from exhaustion the lights zip around them, singing their song of joy. They gather around the light that had been inside the jellyfish and now that it has been released it is obvious this light is different. Stronger. They surround it and the song gets even louder as they begin to move towards the plinth.

In the caverns where the purple and orange team are there is a stillness. For those in orange team still in the cavern they can only hope that the instructions they gave out had been followed. Luckily for them they have been, Purple team have done a remarkable job of defeating the crabs and cleaning the temple. The priests gather around the shell on the alter, arms linked together in prayer as they seek to re-sanctify their temple. As their prayer begins they will invite the voidtreckers to join them, though no one is forced into taking part in the ritual. They suggest that they use their strange wrist jewellery to open communication with their friends in Bui.

The monster on the beach is defeated and though the fight is still raging against the crabs, a beacon has been built and lit. The islanders who are not fighting gather around it, linking arms, drawing any voidtreckers who don't object to joining them into the circle.

The song begins hesitantly, almost as if everyone has forgotten the words and only half remembers the tune. The SCA translates, the prayer is simple, a blessing on the land and its people, deliverance from the darkness and hope for the future.

The light from the jellyfish reaches the plinth and is set upon it. The song heightens and the light shoots upwards, blinding in its brilliance.

Through the dark storm clouds a light streams towards the island, most of it towards the beacon on the island though there is a break away light that goes towards the train, where some of orange team have set up a second beacon. It swirls around those on the train roof, singing a song of happiness and bounces back towards the island.

The light reaches the main beacon and hits it with a strength that lights up the whole sky. The light splits more solidly into two and speeds off over the ocean. Light pours into the underground caverns, not caring about the ocean and rock in the way, the light pools into the shells, the caverns glow warmly.

Outside the storm calms, clouds roll back, the sun shines. The sea stills. The wind stops. The sun is rising, a beautiful dawn. Any monsters left scuttle away, vanishing into the ocean, away from Bui.

Those with any powers that they couldn't reach before find them returned in a rush. Those who can sense life find this world teeming with it. A song that dances between every plant and creature.

Some of red may have evacuated to the train but those who stayed to see the ritual through, the world around them seems to melt away and they find themselves back next to the rock pools. Among their number there are some confused looking islanders who intrinsically draw closer to those who helped free the lights.

Orange and Purple

Down underwater there's noise and a babble of voices as the citizens of Bui wake up. There's a shimmering around the city now, like a shield though they can pass through easily. Parents scramble to locate their children and all check on loved ones and friends.

The familiar voice of train announcements is heard through Orange team's SCAs. Orange return to the VoidTrecker Express. Once everyone is on board it flies low over the ocean, skimming the waves.

In the underwater temple the priests finish sealing the ritual and then it is time to begin the return trek. There are no monsters this time and after a few hours, as they emerge onto the first of the sandbanks they will find the VoidTrecker Express is waiting for them.

Red and Blue

The monsters gone, those of the island gather everyone from the rock pools and for a few hours everyone sleeps.

At about noon the islanders begin to stir, begin putting things to rights. Wood is moved from the strategic points to more communal campfires on the beach. Any dead monsters that haven't been gathered for food have been washed out to sea, disappeared into the depths. They begin to prepare food and won't turn away any helpers. Though those who have been fighting are encouraged to rest.

The islanders bring blankets and start to gather. Everyone is exhausted but the children, in the way of children find the energy to play in the sea and the sand.

Beach Day

Early afternoon the train lands on the beach and everyone gets a holographic message to their SCA.

Mission successful. Well done Voidtreckers. Enjoy the rest of your day. You will find suitable clothing in the dressing room. A new recipe has been added to the kitchen information points.

The dressing room is indeed open once more, this time it holds swimsuits of every style, shorts, t shirts, wraps and beach skirts. Sun hats and sunglasses can also be found. It's a bit of a mush mash but they should be able to cobble together something other than their uniform wet suits.

Time to laze around on the beach or for those who still have energy swim or play. A few hours later a ripple across the water brings some of those from Bui and they swim or lounge on rocks to talk.

Food and stories

Food is cooked and shared, the islanders will happily try the voidtreckers' offerings and share their own. As the sun begins to set they gather around the fires. Stories and songs are shared and there's even some dancing for the brave.

Voidtreckers can choose whether to sleep in their own beds or spend one last night on the island before the train flies off into the sunrise and into the void.

Comments

Re: YAY!Re: Bonus AC time!

[sell_tickets]

He laughed. "Most of the Queens I know are more likely to blow up the kitchen than bake edible bread."

"I think we must have been. Why would dark mean evil? Dark just means powerful. It is how the power is used that makes one good or evil, not how dark their power."

Re: YAY!Re: Bonus AC time!

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel grinned. "The Eldar do like to do things our own way! We blow up our workshops instead."

"Well, in my world dark itself isn't evil. The Dark Lord, however, is the one that destroyed the Two Trees and plunged Arda into darkness, and has an aversion to Light, so I think that's what it is, at least for us. He is an agent of Discord and Disharmony. He is the sour note in the Song."

Re: YAY!Re: Bonus AC time!

[sell_tickets]

"Oh, I can think of a few who do that as well. Thankfully the Hall has strong shielding spells and the High Lord fast reflexes."

"Odd," he said considering that. Witch plunged us into darkness, but for a short time, to make a point. She's the Darkest of us there ever was, but she is also the kindest heart I've ever met."

Re: YAY!Re: Bonus AC time!

[laurefindil]

"Definitely a different flavor of Dark, then," Glorfindel said. "I would never consider any part of Melkor as kind." He shook his head firmly.

"It is different, I think, in intent. She sounds like she was trying to teach a lesson. Melkor and Sauron just wanted to bring pain and suffering to the world, to ruin what the Great Song had wrought. I would be willing to refer to them as something other than Dark Lords in order to not confuse the issue." He paused a moment. "Especially now that we have a Dark Elf on board who is quite kind himself."

Spoilers for Black Jewels.

[sell_tickets]

He nodded. "Probably for the best," he agreed, grinning a bit. "As for why she did it... she did it more to protect the High Lord than to teach a lesson. If she hadn't found a way to stop the Council, he would have killed every last one of them to protect her. So she gave them an ultimatum and then.." he grinned and shrugged a bit, though there was something almost feral in his eyes, something dangerous and glittering for a moment, transforming the affable young man into something else.

"The Dark Council declared that Uncle Saetan was unfit to be a father to her, because our art and fighting teachers were demons, and because there was still prejudice against Guardians in general and him specifically because he is the High Lord of ****. " He still was smiling, he still sounded amused, but the light hearted sense about him was gone, replaced with something closer to malice. It wasn't... quite malice, but neither was it kind. The air cooled slightly.

"So they called her into a hearing, along with the High Lord and Prince Anduvlar, who they no doubt also objected to." He didn't realize he was edging towards cold, just remembering it. In the moment he hadn't been this angry, but he had been surrounded by the anger of his friends, and they were always so much Darker, could be so much colder than he. But then as now, there was also a fierce satisfaction in him, and a pride. She could have killed them all and no one would have blinked. What she had done instead was so much more a statement of the Witch she was.

"We could all tell when they left the Hall, Uncle Saetan went prepared to murder them all, to protect her, and so she wouldn't have to. The Council wanted to give her back to the sort of people that she was born to, the kind of ******s that would" every plate in front of him, and there were many, shattered into uniform shards about the size and shape of grains of rice.

The sound made him realize that he was too close to the killing edge. Too cold. He took several breaths, and reminded himself that no one who had hurt his friend, his cousin, his QUEEN were here. None of them walked among the living. None of them even remained in ****. They were gone.

Still, it was hard to leash his temper. He closed his sleepy looking glazed eyes, wishing his wife was there, or Jaenelle, or any of the Coven. He needed that soothing female presence, he needed that warmth. Or in the case of Karla or Gabrielle, that whack upside the head and tartness.

Thinking about them helped, He closed one of his hands over the other and his palm rested over his wedding ring. Memories of his wife flooded through him, calmed him, anchored him. Mind filled with her and Jaenelle and Karla, and all the other girls in the First Circle, all the Queens he knew and loved, he spoke again, keeping his eyes closed as he focused on the pride he felt, rather than the anger. The pride in her, and the pride that came with serving so great a Queen.

She hadn't killed the guilty, how could he serve her if old memories drove him to attack the innocent.

"She listened to what the Council had to say," he said, his voice more hollow now, the fierceness gone, While the air didn't warm, neither did it continue to cool. "And she stood before them. And she gave them her ruling. According to Prince Anduvlar," No... family. Focus on the connections. "Uncle Anduvlar, the idiots did not yet realize with whom they were dealing. She told them that she would not argue, that they could appoint new guardian for her, when the sun next rises."

The pride came back, the air warmed, and when he opened his eyes some of the feral danger was still there, but so was the warmth. "We didn't realize that night that not even Uncle Saetan knew what she was planning. We all knew as soon as we heard the terms. As soon as the sun next rises. So of course, for the Blood, it wasn't going to rise."

He put an invisible shield around his hand and slid it into the sand. "She is Witch, she is a Queen, she would never harm the Land. She found instead a way to separate Blood from not. For all the Blood it was as though the sun had failed to rise. Three days on the cusp of daybreak, never once seeing the light... three days before they agreed to her terms...."

He let the sand drift from between his shielded fingers, focusing on the way the wind caught it. Trying to bring himself back from the fragile precipice. "And apparently I have scars on my soul I was unaware of," he said so softly it was almost a whisper. "I appologize."

It's been years since I read it! I forgot how intense it got!

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel simply brushed away the shards that struck him from the plates. The story was compelling and he did not blame Khary for being angry at it. It obviously still bothered him, even now. As an elf, he could feel the cool rage that swept through the other, then, after he touched his ring, how it gentled him.

"She sounds like an amazing person," he said softly. "Like one of our queens, even." He smiled slightly. "My cousin, for example. She is not one to tolerate fools lightly, for all that most see her as kind." For him, it was easier to understand some of the strange worlds if he could relate them to his own. Khary's was very relatable thus far.

Glorfindel waved off the apology. "We all have scars. The longer we live, the more we collect. While time can dull the older ones," no not really, but let's not get into his, "those still fresh can sting as though new quite easily, especially if you weren't aware they were there. Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked gently.

I didn't know you knew the series!!!!

[sell_tickets]

"She is. Though she's as often to be found squeaking in protest when her big brother decides she's pushed herself far enough as she is to be found doing grand magics." He let the memories of her help to further soothe him. "She never wanted to rule, she says. But She's the best Queen any of us could have asked for. Even now that she claims she's retired and just rules a small area, she's still the Queen."

He leaned back a bit, trying to gather his control again. "I thank you for the offer, but I suspect that cousin you mentioned could do more for me than any male friend could, no matter how well meaning. And you are right. We do all have scars. I guess the only benefit to being one of the shorter lived race is that we don't have to live with ours as long."

Heck, I even got to meet the author at a con I went to :)

[laurefindil]

"Some people are meant to be great, regardless of their own feelings on the subject," Glorfindel said. "They claim to be ordinary people reacting to extraordinary situations, but to those of us watching," he shakes his head. He truly does not believe that he is one of those extraordinary people, despite the fact that he was reborn ahead of any others and is the Valar's Champion. He feels he was sent back to protect those who were the extraordinary ones.

"If you need someone like her..." Glorfindel paused a moment, then continued. "Might I suggest you go and speak to Nerdanel? She is a former Queen herself and has millenia of experience dealing with young men and their scars." Like her seven sons and various cousins.

"I would not necessarily agree that is a benefit. But I suppose you would know better than I, as I am not one!" Glorfindel said with a grin.

I am so envious. BEst I have is a bookmark proclaiming me a "lover of wolves".

[sell_tickets]

"If you would be so kind as to make an introduction, I would be honored to meet her," he said, grinning at the other's comments about great people. That suited Jaenelle to a T.

That's pretty cool too though :)

[laurefindil]

"I will be happy to do so. Perhaps when we are back on the Train?" Glorfindel said. While he was certain Nerdanel would be pleasant, it looked like she was with her husband just then, so later would be better.

Odds I can enable you to app one of the Coven?

[sell_tickets]

"I would appreciate that, thank you."