c3p-0h

Realms of Sun & Shadow

_{Location: The Sun Temple}

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The waking world was a muddled haze, an intangible thing that danced out of reach whenever she tried to grasp at it.

_…Awaken…

And then all at once, it was solid.

Tia opened her eyes. Her new home in Dawnhaven had become a familiar sight in the last week – as had the presence of the odd man kneeling very close to her, a finger outstretched as he poked her face. She flinched away from him with a sharp intake of breath. Suddenly alert, Tia blinked at him, once again trying to wrap her mind around his total lack of personal space.

When Tia was a teenager living in the Sunfire Citadel, another young acolyte snuck a cat into their living quarters. It was against the rules, of course. But none of the girls had the heart to point that out - not when there was an adorable kitten just begging to be snuggled with. Of course, they all realized quickly that a bored kitten was a very difficult thing to keep hidden from the priests that oversaw their training. The kitten – Dewey, they’d named her, for her wet little nose – was insatiably curious, and all together unbothered with their attempts to keep her under control. She’d investigated every little nook and cranny, leaving evidence behind in the form of strands of grey fur, and books and religious ornaments knocked over and disarrayed. She’d go hunting for any sort of companionship she could find - just never from the girl that wanted to provide it at that moment. She’d chirped and mewed and yowled on a whim, chattering at shadows and dust motes in the air.

Having Gadez in the temple for the past week reminded her of that. He was just… a very smart, very muscular cat. He seemed to delight in figuring out what buttons to press, which weathered tomes were the most delicate, when Tia was least prepared for social interaction. By the end of the week, Tia had begun to feel less like a priestess, and more like a minder.

But she’d be lying if she claimed it had been all bad. For all of his poking and prodding, Gadez was surprisingly good company. He was intelligent, if odd. Charming, even. He was always ready to chatter on about a subject or history Tia knew little about, and was unbothered by her limited ability to respond. Most of all though, he always found a way to make Tia feel like a proper conversation partner, despite her silence. His keen eyes, so bright they almost seemed to glow, always watched for a reaction, eager to catch her little tells. It was the first time in months that she felt like a person, rather than a shattered ornament, hastily glued back together and placed on a shelf.

But his eyes...

There was something about him – the way he watched her like he couldn’t wait to figure her out. He struck Tia as a man who liked to take something apart piece by piece until he could see all the gruesome mechanisms that made it move. For all his kindness and cheer, for as fond as Tia had become of him over the past few days, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was more wild than domesticated.

Dewey the kitten had lasted a fortnight before one of the priests heard her meowing from their room. When he’d grabbed her, she’d hissed and spat before running her claws across his face. He’d gotten an infection so bad that it’d almost cost him his eye. He still had the scars.

Gadez was still watching her with those bright eyes. His voice was soft – soothing, even. Like she was the wild animal he needed to be wary of.

Tia tried to breathe as her heart rate lowered. Then she pushed herself into a sitting position, careful to keep the distance between them. At least her sleeping robe was covering her properly.

She gave him an awkward smile. She’d long since accepted that he just… didn’t have a concept of personal space. It didn’t seem malicious, at least. Honestly, she was surprised it’d taken him this long to trespass into her room.

More than that though, she was surprised she’d managed to keep the pages hidden – careful transcriptions of the three visions she’d had in Dawnhaven, written and rewritten until she’d gotten every last detail she could remember, and hidden away at the bottom of her drawer, should the Arch Priest allow her to share them, as she hoped.

If he responded to her letter, it might’ve arrived by now. She had to get to the post office to check – and to deliver the report she owed Queen Viviana. It was embarrassingly sparse, since she’d been sealed away by the blizzard for the past week. But it was still expected of her.

Getting out of bed, Tia let Gadez lead her to the front of the temple, the eternal flame still burning. It was smaller than normal – she’d had to ration out the wood, unsure how long they’d be trapped by the blizzard. But the fire had never gone out.

Sure enough, when the temple doors swung open, they were greeted with dark skies and a gentle snowfall. The blizzard was over. Tia took in a slow breath, a sinking feeling landing in her chest. Back to the real world, then – of a sunless sky, tangled prophecies, responsibilities that she didn’t feel worthy or competent enough to fulfill.

Back to being shattered.

Tia looked up at the clouds, obscuring the stars. She hadn’t seen them for so long that it ached.

Forcing a smile back on her face, Tia turned to Gadez and gave him a low bow.

“Thank you,” she murmured in her rasping voice. When she straightened and looked back at him, she met his eyes. Her smile turned soft and genuine. She swallowed, focusing on relaxing her vocal cords. “For the company.” He’d kept her from being trapped in her own thoughts. For that alone, she was grateful.

---

_{Interaction: Gadez Paladice @Dezuel}

Pokemon: Starlight Dreams

Sorry sorry! Life has been… a lot. I’m gonna try and get a post up soon I promise.

Pokemon: Starlight Dreams

I’m planning to have a post up today or tomorrow! I can move the Kazu/ikkou/mags crew through the line and yadda yadda them getting their stuff? I also think having the big group converge outside of town sounds good.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

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_{Collaboration with @Dezuel | Location: Sun Temple}

Paladice glanced over his shoulder, watching as the prince and princess continued along their way, alongside their guards. He thought he momentarily saw the princess turn to look back.

While the interaction had been brief, it was telling him plenty just what kind of person Flynn was. His behaviour on the stage was entirely different to how he had just appeared. With such a heavy burden parted unto him, perhaps it was not an odd thing. But he wasn't the only one who had to bear a burden, at least the princess would be carrying it as well. Although the burdens would come in different ways. As they always did.

Not all pieces upon the great board could move however they pleased.

Prince Flynn was indeed a different person when he stood upon the stage than how he was off it. It almost felt like he wanted to run. As if he wanted to run away from a destiny someone else had decided for him. The warrior-monk could understand this fully, after all.. he had been the same.

Although with some clear differences. When it came to the princess she had seemingly allowed the prince to lead the way. An odd sight considering what kind of man her father was, but perhaps she had inherited the other traits of her late mother.

Perhaps that was for the better of everyone involved. No doubt there would be both more questions and answers to be had later. The blonde was intending to speak with them both again. Alone. It would be crucial, or the fate of the world would be to burn…

Patience was the key. Perhaps even a greater key than the prophesied child that was to mend the world.

The warrior-monk began to walk away from the path, tracing along the outer parts of Dawnhaven when the weather took a turn for the worse.

'Tch. Pestersome winter.' He thought and narrowed his eyes, his hood blowing off causing his blonde hair to flow freely in the wind, and that's when he noticed someone far off in the distance, away from the buildings. Someone was out wandering through the snowy storm?

'Oh? Some unfortunate soul out there alone left for the wolves? Like I was...' He thought and looked to the sky. 'Some men flee from the looming doom, others charge towards it in complete defiance. I will write my story ending myself. Watch my defiance and despair goddesses!' Paladice began to move out into the deeper snow towards the figure in the distance, he raised his leather glove and called forth a gout of flame in his hand and used it to reach out from his hand, as if making a large hand of fire, then he show it through the sky from where he walked hurriedly through the deep snow.

"Over here! This way!" He yelled as he got closer, knowing that he had to yell many times the same line, the wind doing its best to silence him.

He rushed over through the snow towards the slow moving figure, trying to get a view of who the person was. Knowing fully well it could be a hostile blightborn. The warrior-monk wasn't a born native to the Lunaris climate, while he had lived in the land, it was still not something he could get used to or enjoy. 'Wretched wind, wretched winter. Wretched snow witch.' He mentally cursed Seluna and pressed forwards "Who goes there?! Dawnhaven is this way! Need a hand?!" He yelled out as he got closer, now being able to see the snow-drenched person in front of him.

Tia was exhausted. She was cold. She moved forward inch by inch on unsteady legs. All the while, snow obscured her vision, an opaque white fog that swallowed her whole –

– an opaque purple fog sitting heavy on the land in the distance. It loomed like a spectre, waiting to consume.

Her teeth chattered in her head. She couldn’t feel her limbs. The weight of her own robes bore down on her, heavy with a thick layer of snow –

– with a thick layer of blood, a crimson so deep it was nearly black as it saturated the fabric.

Her voice was gone.

Her voice was gone.

Tia squinted through the storm. Something glowed in the distance – golden and warm. Her last dredges of energy pushed her towards it.

Help.

Beneath the glow was a figure, dark fabric billowing around them. They were fighting through the snow to try and get to her.

Please.

She nearly collapsed into the person – a man, her sluggish brain realized – when they finally reached her.

Paladice had acted quickly, reaching out to try catch her before she would fall into the snow. The warrior-monk reached for her face with one of his gloved hands, as if trying to cup her cheek to get a view of her face, to see if she was responsive and hanging in there. But also to see who she was. "Keep your hands in your clothes! This one-man carriage is taking off right now!" He said in a reassuring tone of voice, before taking off his cloak and attaching it around her. He then raised his left hand towards the direction of which he had come , he had made sure to walk in a straight line as much as he could. He then channelled his magic and shot out a line of fire from his hand, aiming straight ahead with as much force as he could muster. The fire wouldn't last long, but that was fine. He only needed it to carve a path through the snow and make the pathway easier.

"Excuse me!" He said aloud and then attempted to swoop Tia up into his arms into a princess carry, whilst neatly wrapped into his cape. Time was important, it was about time this piece on the board to move. "My my you are quite light! Keep your eyes open! This will be over soon!" He said with a reassuring look on his face, looking at her face before he started to quickly move forwards, following the line he had made with his fire spell. The sooner they would be out of the blistering cold the better, the more he moved the more heat he would produce on his own and ward off the chill.

'This girl won't last long in this cold, and if I take too long, I will join her. Not going to happen you petty goddesses! Bring it forth. Try to stop me if you can!' He mentally issued his challenge, not knowing if anything would hear him. But to him it didn't matter, he would aid this woman which fate had attempted to play a cruel ploy upon. His blue eyes would look down to her eyes from time to time to check on her, he had to make sure she wouldn't go unconscious no matter what.

Tia clung to him, shivering under the layers of cloth and snow. But he was warm, as he commanded the fire. Her dark eyes fluttered, energy giving out as her body lost the urge to fight through the cold.

“T…temple…” Her rasping voice was almost inaudible in the wind.

"Hm?" Paladice glanced down, as best as he could, whilst being barraged by the snow, his hair now being fully swept backwards and for the most part with snow and ice all over it. His ears were taking much of the brunt of the chilling wind and his face, but his hands and feet were doing fine. The missing cloak did however expose his body to the cold more, but on the other hand, less air-resistance on his way forwards.

'Temper?' He pondered, what about his temper? That's what she said, no? Or did she try to mention the temperature? Well, he couldn't stop and ponder it. He rushed forwards, carrying Tia and making sure he didn't make any accidental steps or slipped. He was a trained acrobat and a monk, if there was someone in the world able to keep his balance. It had to be him.

Soon he could make out the silhouettes of buildings ahead. Temporary salvation from the biting cold. He did feel some relief, but the buildings were not the same ones he had departed from. The one which caught his attention looked like a more formal building.

'A temple? I see the goddesses have a sense of humour after all. I suppose we shall have a little truce for now.' He grunted as he thought about stepping into a temple again, as that was indeed what the building looked like. It had been many years since he had been in one or something like it. The monks very seldomly left the monastery, and when they did it was to acquire supplies or pray at the temple. How he despised being forced to accompany them to it.

But that was then. It was time to focus on the present. These sorts of temples usually had braziers or places where they would heat up the buildings in question, there was no choice. He had to step into one of the den of sins, the other one being the inn.

He made his way with hurried steps up to the building, momentarily letting Tia down, but leaning down to hold her steady as he opened the door and stepped inside, helping her lean on him. Then he used his foot to close the door behind them. The temple was alright. For a temple. There was a big fire lit. Perfect.

The blonde man, who now sported icy hair looked over Tia, smiling softly before picking her up again, carrying her over to the fire and putting her down. "I'll be right back." He said softly in a reassuring tone as he went to relentlessly search for any blankets within the place. Once having found a couple, the warrior-monk returned to the young woman.

They were both afflicted by the cold, they had to discard the outer layers of their attire. As Paladice quickly took off his gauntlets and his breastplate, which normally was quite cool, but now it was like wearing ice itself. He gave his arms a few stretches and then looked over at Tia. He had to show her that they had to momentarily discard their snow covered clothing.

There wasn't time. He took off his shirt, revealing his muscular chest and the large tattoo on his chest depicting an alchemical symbol. The blue eyed warrior swiftly moved over to help Tia take off her coat, boots and outerwear. Leaving her wearing a base layer robe which was still dry. He then put one of the blankets on the floor, urging her to sit on it close to the fire, while placing the other over her shoulders. Lastly he grimaced at the blanket he was left with himself. How many pretentious priests had cuddled with it? He didn't know. He didn't care. They had made it. So far.

"What's your name? I go by the name of Gadez Paladice…" He said in a soft, slightly weary tone. The use of his fire spell, wandering through the blizzard and having to carry Tia had done a great job at tiring him. Or perhaps it was the thought of being in one of the homes of Aelios? The blonde reached out for her hand, trying to feel it. “Still cold?”

Tia melted into the blanket, nearly blinded with relief. She was still shivering violently, but the temple was warm. She didn’t have the presence of mind to be embarrassed at this stranger undressing her, seeing the wicked scars that were carved along her neck.

“Tingara Tomae,” she breathed out. Her name was a soft, broken sound that fractured in the air. She turned her gaze to look at him, finally. But she was so exhausted, she had to fight to get her eyes to focus on him. “Tia… Thank you.”

“Tia? Such a defining name, as defining as the marks upon your neck. I have a mark myself. Although mine is self-inflicted." He seemed genuinely intrigued, then moved his hand over to the tattoo on his chest, then reached over with his hand towards her neck. Seeking to softly trace two of his fingers along her scar, before ending his fingertip under her chin. "Your name.. it means princess, or goddess.. depending on which interpretation one goes by. In our world, we all interpret things differently." He smiled softly, his blue eyes staring into hers.

Tia froze as she felt his fingers trace her scars, breath stopping in her throat. All she could do was stare back at him, her dark eyes meeting his.

That is not what your name means, her mother’s voice whispered to her in a language she hadn’t heard in years.

_{What is your name, child?}

Tia’s hand tightened around the little ring that she’d been clutching since the lake. Then she tilted her head away from his touch, gaze shifting from stunned to apprehensive. She looked at him — really looked at him, with his athletic build and his tattoo… but most of all, his piercing, searching eyes.

And then she looked away, turning her gaze to the crackling fire of Aelios. But her attention stayed on Gadez.

"I hope my appearance doesn't unsettle you? I have seen various blightborn within Dawnhaven. A one-eyed one, a wandering living torch and someone with blazing eyes. I suppose I do stand out a bit." He chuckled softly as he moved a hand up to adjust his hair which was slowly becoming less frozen, the melted water trailing down his chest in droplets.

"But then again, so do you. That isn't a bad thing. Perhaps someday you'll tell me how you received that scar, or that ring upon your finger? Among other things. Such as what drove you out into the snowy storm?" He smiled softly and his eyes wandered over Tia from top to toe, he liked what he saw. The young woman was striking his curiosity. What in the world was she doing out in the snow alone? How did she manage to survive whatever caused that scar? This one was extraordinary.

"I will tell you a few stories later, if you wish. I suspect this storm may last for a while. The fire may be pretty to gaze into, yet I think there's something far prettier in here than it." He looked Tia over and then turned to the fire and closed his eyes, his mouth corner turning upwards slightly.

Tia listened as his voice mixed with the popping embers, all the while feeling his gaze on her. It was… unsettling. Oddly familiar, in a way she couldn’t place. Guilt swam through her. This man had possibly saved her life, and now she wanted to escape a conversation with him. Perhaps he was just odd. Odd and harmless. His words were benign enough (if a bit… bold) but something about him had her nerves spinning.

Her scar tingled where he’d dragged his fingers along it.

She glanced at him, relieved to find that he’d closed his eyes. Biting her lip, she turned back to the fire, and hoped the storm passed soon – if only so she wouldn’t have to find out what her savior saw when he looked at her.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

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_{Collaboration with @The Muse}

Flynn’s steps slowed as he laid eyes upon the stranger who blocked their path home. His grip on Amaya’s hand tightened protectively, senses prickling at the feeling that there was something dangerous beneath the stranger’s cloak. The guards around them stiffened as well, their hands resting near their weapons, ready to act if necessary.

Amaya glanced up at Flynn. The unexpected feeling of his hand tightening around hers brought back to reality, and out of the haze of grief that was her mind. Then she saw what — who — had him so on edge.

As the group came to a complete halt, Flynn’s eyes locked on the cloaked figure, noticing the stranger’s pale blue eyes peering out from under their purple cape. The man’s words felt eerie—his presence entirely unsettling despite not saying anything that was directly threatening.

When the stranger mentioned his father, Flynn’s jaw clenched ever so slightly. The comparison to his father, something he had heard often growing up, now left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had once been proud of it, though with his current perspective, he wasn’t sure if it was meant as a compliment, or something else entirely.

"Thank you for your kind words," Flynn said, his voice polite but guarded. He offered the pleasantries expected of him as a Prince, but no more than that. Amaya was silent and tense beside him. "I’m afraid we must be on our way—it has been a long day for us and it wouldn’t do to linger in this cold for long."

His gaze lingered on the man a moment longer, searching for any sign of ill intent behind those pale eyes. Then, with a nod, he began to guide Amaya and their retinue forward, his grip still firm around his wife’s hand as they continued down the path. The guards fell in step, their watchful eyes flicking back to the stranger even as they moved, leaving the ominous figure standing in the snow. The Prince kept his pace measured, unwilling to show any sign of haste, but every instinct screamed at him to put distance between them and the man who now stood aside, smiling cryptically.

Amaya let Flynn move her forward, her nerves too raw to do much more than follow obediently. But as they grew further and further away from the stranger, she felt a prickling along the back of her neck. She felt unclean like he’d stained her with something she had to scrub away before it set. She felt exposed.

Still walking, Amaya turned her head to look over her shoulder at the blond man in the distance. She watched as his cloak fluttered in the growing wind, a wisp of black smoke drifting away from his hand held high.

Amaya never wanted to hear him speak about her mother again.

She turned her gaze forward as the storm built in the tense air around them, obscuring them from view.

---

_{Mentioned: @Dezuel - Gadez Paladice}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

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_{Location: Frostmoon Lake}

_{…The firelight flickered like stars…}

Tia gasped back into a world of blinding white. Frigid air shocked her lungs. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see. Frozen needles stabbed into her hands, her cheeks, her legs where they kneeled in the snow, wrapped in the heavy fabric of her robes. She coughed, her frigid hand coming up to her scarred throat – only to meet the fabric of her scarf, coated in a thick layer of snow.

_{It burned.}

There was snow everywhere. It filled the air in a growing storm, already having coated much of Tia’s body. She was shaking violently as her body curled in on itself. Her mind fought to make sense of everything.

Dawnhaven. The lake. A hand that was not hers.

Tia blinked, frost coating her eyelashes. She looked down at her hand – it was pale, shaking against the winter cold. But it was hers. Instead of fire wisping off her skin, there was only snow. The ring was a band of ice around her finger. With clumsy, uncooperative hands, Tia removed the opal ring, only to fumble and drop it to the ground. She clenched her chattering teeth as she grabbed it, the snow feeling like daggers piercing her skin.

She looked out at the lake again. Her mind felt frantic and sluggish, all at once. But all she could think about was warmth. Squeezing her eyes shut, Tia curled in on herself against the storm again. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t bear the thought of getting up and pushing herself through the storm, back to the heat of Aelios’ flame, back in the temple.

_{A gaze as heavy as a brand.}

Tia allowed herself another stuttering heartbeat in the snow. And then she pushed herself to her feet. She stumbled, falling on numb legs, back to the ground with a whimper. Her hand clenched tighter around the ring. She tried again.

When at last, she was back on her unstable feet, she turned her back to the lake. The footprints that marked her journey to the lake were long gone, hidden under a growing layer of snow. Some distant part of her mind realized that she’d likely missed the town meeting. It didn’t seem important at the moment.

Willing herself not to collapse, Tia forced her frozen body back towards the town, seeking the heat of her temple.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

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---

---

---

The stars flickered like

firelight,

above

and

_{…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…awaken…}b
_{…awaken…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…}e_{…awaken…
…Tin…ga…ra…awaken…}l_{…awaken…Tin…ga…ra…
…awaken…}o_{…Tin…ga…ra…awaken…Tin…ga…ra…}
.w_{…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…awaken…}

Darkness swallowed her. It consumed her with its inescapable gravity, pulling her deeper. She became lost in the void, the stretching, aching nothingness. It erased the boundaries that made her, one by one. She was boundless. She was nothing. She was a suffocating moment in the quiet of eternity.
_{What is the sun, Tingara?}
Something lurked in the periphery. It carved itself into existence and stalked a wide arc through the darkness with silent footfalls. For brief, scattered heartbeats, it flashed through reality like a wisp of smoke, like droplets of molten gold. It was as unknowable as death. As formidable as the sun. Its gaze was heavy as a brand. It burned her into the fabric of the world, with charcoal edges and a searing, consuming heat.

_{.........It burned………………}

_{.....It burned….}

_{.................It burned…………….}

Fire.

_{......It burned…..}

_{..............It burned…}

_{.....It burned………...}

She had a body, and it was burning. Fire licked off her skin like solar flares pulling away from the sun, the dancing glow of her flames serving as the only light through which she could define her world. Her hand was wrong. It was not hers. It hung suspended in the air, nails overgrown, palm lines miss-matched, and always, always veiled in flames. The flickering of the embers was the only clock with which to count the endless seconds, unknowable days, each suffocating moment in the quiet of eternity, stretching out to the last syllable of recorded time.

A heavy iron cuff encircled the thing that was not her wrist. It was covered in rust or blood, the fire coloring it all the same. Three thick chains hung from the starless void that was the sky, holding the metal cuff in place, pulling against the helpless weight of the thing that was not her body. The chains creaked as they rubbed against each other with every heavy, defeated sway of the wrist.

The dancing embers, the clattering chains, and the hand that was not hers. These were the only things in the universe that were real, suspended in a nebula of cold, damp air.
_{And so the heavens shined.}

The firelight flickered like

stars,

below

and

a_{…Tin…ga…ra…awaken…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…
…Tin…ga…ra…}b_{…awaken…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…
…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…}o_{…awaken…Tin…ga…ra…
...awaken…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…}v_{…awaken…
…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…Tin…ga…ra…awaken…}e.

Pokemon: Starlight Dreams

Oh yikes, sorry about the ankle! Hope it heals quick.

Pokemon: Starlight Dreams

Awwww he’s so protective of his little trash buddy! I’m in love lol.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

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_{Location: Frostmoon Lake}

Tia walked through the town with light steps, the soft crunch, crunch of snow still a novelty to her. There was just a thin layer on the ground, but it seemed to glow in the moonlight. Puffs of white escaped her lips with each breath. Shivering, she brought her hands together, fingers twisting around each other in an attempt to retain heat. Her thumb caught against the stone of the ring on her finger - a new adornment that still felt foreign and heavy on her hand.

It was a simple thing - a thin gold band, set with a single round opal that flickered like firelight. Tia rubbed the pad of her thumb over it again. It was a gift she hadn’t been allowed to refuse.

After depositing her letter to the High Priest with Pleiades, Tia had decided to make another stop before going to the square for the royal announcement. It hadn’t taken long to find the small home of the boy who’d nearly died the day before. As promised, Tia had knocked on the door, only to be greeted with the young boy’s parents bowing, embracing her, and pulling her inside. The boy - Shaillus - was doing well, all things considered. He was tired but chipper, bruised but bouncing back.

Tia had offered him a warm smile as she placed her hands against the sides of his head, her magic searching for any lasting damage that she’d missed yesterday. Upon finishing, she’d smoothed his hair, and flicked at his nose lightly, causing him to giggle. Something loosened in Tia’s chest at the sound, her own smile growing.

This had always been the part of the job Tia was good at. Not performing sermons, or interpreting prophecies, or spying on and then ritually sacrificing the Prince of Aurelia, just… helping. Healing. Easing the burden carried by those who’d faced the cruelties of a callous world.

When she straightened up, she’d turned to see Shaillus’ parents standing before her.

“We don’t have much to thank you with,” his mother had said. Tia immediately began shaking her head, raising a hand to say she didn’t need anything. “Please,” the older woman continued. She stretched a hand forward, fingers uncurling from a loose fist to reveal the ring. “This was my mother’s.” Tia’s eyes widened as she looked from the ring back up to the woman. “I had hoped to give it to a daughter, but…” Her eyes flicked over Tia’s shoulder to look down at her son - her only child, as far as Tia could tell. She looked back to the Priestess. “Let it go to the woman who saved my son.”

Tia stared at her with wide, shocked eyes. The woman smiled sadly at her.

“What good is a bit of metal and stone to us now, anyway?” she said, her voice dry and light. She took Tia’s hand in her own and pushed the ring into her hand, curling Tia’s fingers around it.

And what could Tia do, except bow deeply and accept?

Now, as she walked through the worn paths of Dawnhaven towards the square, between snow covered buildings and bundled-up citizens, she fiddled with the ring on her finger. It was small, and slight - modest, but for the brilliant flecks of color that sparkled like the stars above whenever she turned it. Aquamarine, pearl, emerald, lavender.

What is your name, child?

A small galaxy, glittering in the darkness.

Who gave it to you?

Tia didn’t realize she’d stopped walking. She blinked, looking up from the ring.

Sprawled out before her, wide and placid, was a dark, glittering lake. Disoriented, Tia looked over her shoulder, to see the outskirts of the settlement, torches breaking up the night with their warm glow. There, in the snow, was the faint outline of her footsteps, leading her here. She turned back to look at the lake.

Something lurked in the periphery.

It clicked in her mind. Frostmoon Lake. The Prince had mentioned it. Images of her dream rippled through her memory, distorted but no less commanding. Gnarled roots. The glistening surface of a lake. A shadowed pit carved into the side of a mountain, as deep and fathomless as the sky.

it flashed through her vision like a wisp of smoke, like droplets of molten gold.

The small clouds at her lips became fainter as Tia’s breathing quickened. She wasn’t in control of her own body as she slowly lowered herself to kneel before the water. The moon’s reflection shined, dimming the light of the stars - but they were there, even still. Aquamarine, pearl, emerald, lavender.

These weren’t the stars she was meant to find.

Transfixed, Tia reached out a hand, her ring catching in the moonlight. She gasped as she touched the water, frigid and biting. Her hand flinched away. And from that broken boundary, ripples echoed over the surface of the water.

The stars flickered like firelight.