Eld Fen & Clockwork
Agarwaen litse, roma uuvanimo.
Eld Fen stirred in his rest, the textures of his face shifting for a moment, before he and his face seemed to relax once again from the disturbance of his sleep.
Tel'ksh Eru cuiva rato!
The being stirred again, and along with his face the features of the sand he was laying on began to shift in a spiral around his sleeping figure. Strange lines seemed to pulse from his frame into the sand below him, and sections began to form; rising and falling in time with his breathing, which was becoming more and more shallow by the moment.
QUALM-LLIE!
This time, the cloaked being shot upward as the sand surrounding him did the same, forming something of a hollow obelisk that raised at least 50 feet in the clear desert sky. His hands supported himself against the obelisk as he willed it apart, his breath laborious but silent; the only indication being the rapid rising and falling of his chest.
"Seldarine o'aman." Came the grating whisper of his mouth-less voice, echoing in the minds of those near enough to hear his quiet prayer.
With the tower of Sand undone, he lifted the hood of his yellow cloak and vanished, only to appear several meters ahead of where he once stood. He continued this strange method of movement until he found himself standing before one of the few huts in the latest of their occupations, and his voice echoed into the minds of those inside.
"Child-Friend, are you prepared for the day's labor? He asked softly, attempting to make his harsh tone gentler for the child and her family; he certainly wouldn't wish to hear his own voice this early in the morning, so he did his best to lessen their burden.
"Here we may reign secure; and, in my choice,
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.""Better Hell than Heaven" indeed. The book had long since wasted away, the papers withered and yellow, the ink faded. Clockwork had to turn each page gently- almost reverently- through fear of tearing one or bringing the book entirely apart. But it was that passage that had managed to almost wholly survive the passage of time, save for a few missing letters here and there. She thought it was quite fitting.
Clockwork had been rooting around the farm to the best of her ability, but it had been Percival who had stumbled upon the cache of old, human literature stashed beneath the floorboards. They had been carefully sealed in leather wrappings, in an attempt to protect them from whatever elements might reach them. Evidently, the books had been loved as just as much as they had been feared. The one in her hands now was titled simply "Paradise Lost"- nothing more, nothing less. The cover, too, had faded considerably, but the contents had quickly caught the child's attentions.
She looked up from her book at a soft yelp of pain, head tilting slightly in her best approximation of curiosity.
"What happened?" Her voice was toneless, giving away as little as her expression.
"Have you been injured?"From his spot in front of one of the kitchen's cleaner counter-tops, Soren glanced over at his youngest daughter, smiling warmly.
"It's nothing. I just grazed myself- that's all." Pressing his lips together, Soren pulled his hand away from the pile of cured meats laid out before him, careful to not let any blood spill on any of it.
"I should have really been more careful, but I suppose I was just lost in thought.""Do you need to be healed?""No, I'd rather you didn't-" Before he could continue, a soundless voice had sliced cleanly through the air, taking root in both their heads. Clockwork glanced out the window, and Soren followed her gaze, wincing a little. He had gotten used to the odd method that Eld Fen used to communicate, but it tended to have a bit rougher an effect in the morning. Regardless, he smiled as he gave Clockwork a little nudge, gesturing outside.
"It seems like Mr. Fen is waiting for you."Clockwork nodded, idly reaching out to heal the gash in Soren's hand now that he was close enough (and purposefully ignoring the disapproving frown shot her way).
"Indeed." She drew a ribbon from her pocket, and, carefully setting it against her current page, closed her book and set it down.
"I'll go to meet him, then."In one swift movement, Soren bent, planting a quick peck on Clockwork's forehead. He ran a hand through her hair as he straightened.
"Enjoy yourself. And if you need anything, call for me or your brother.""Yes, father."As Clockwork slid out of her seat, padding out of the kitchen, Soren's face fell a little. Raising his hand a bit for inspection, he shook his head, cleaned the remaining blood, then returned to his work.
It took a few minutes for Clockwork to make her way outside, not quite able to easily reply to Eld as he had called for her. She moved at a quickened pace to compensate, and eventually found herself standing before the odd being, head craned back in order to better look him in the face. Or where his face would be if he had one proper, at the very least.
"Good morning, Fen. It's good to see you again." Given the fact that her expression didn't move an inch as she spoke, she didn't exactly appear to be pleased, but the sentiment stood nonetheless.
"I apologize for the delay- I was with father. I'm ready whenever you are." She didn't blink. Even after she had finished talking, she merely stared.
It wasn't entirely abnormal.
"Good Morn' to you as well dear, likewise." He murmured softly, although that was not likely to be how the girl would register his grating, hollow voice.
"Time is fleeting child-friend, but fear not it's waste." He continued, and had he a face it would have been smiling, before he rest his left hand on her shoulder.
After a mere moment, the scenery surrounding them changed drastically; the once sandy terrain was replaced by the smooth textures of marble floors as he moved the pair of them into his Yellow Cabin. Taking his hand off the girl, his head twisted to the right and his form tensed, only momentarily, before relaxing again. Taking a few steps forward, he seemed to be surveying the room they were now occupying; the floor was an enormous slab of marble that seemed to stretch indefinitely, and nearly no other features of the structure could be observed. They were standing in a single room that seemed to stretch out for an eternity, it's walls and ceiling unperceivable through the thick darkness that radiated from everywhere the duo wasn't. In his constructs, source-less light seemed to emanate from living beings and follow them where they walked, however this light only seemed to extend a few feet in any direction; a fact that wasn't particularly useful in such an empty expanse.
"I was considering Victorian, or perhaps Roman Gothic..." He mused aloud as walls began to rise from the floor, creating rooms and things of the like.
"What say thee, Child-Friend?"It was only now that Clockwork blinked, somewhat dazed by the transition from sand to stone. Even after the many times it had been done, she supposed that she would never get fully used to it. Once she had recovered enough to be suitable, she let her eyes wander the empty expanse, heels clicking against the floor as she turned. With nothing to muffle it, the sound echoed into the distance.
"I've always held a preference for the Victorian era," she said. Her fingers hovered a few inches from a wall as it rose- not quite touching, but simply held steady.
"The style, at the very least. Dignified. Ultimately, however, it would be your choice." Clockwork stepped away from the rising walls, opting to observe from a safer distance. Seeing as she had no power over the domain, there was little else to do than watch and talk for the moment. That hardly bothered her, however. Given the current state of affairs that the group had been facing, it was actually somewhat refreshing in its own right.
"Then Victorian it shall be." He replied in a voice that seemed somewhat lighter than standard, indicating he was pleased by her response.
Keeping her in his sights, he began to appear and disappear at various distances from her, each location he had occupied moments before growing from an empty expanse to a decorated room, the location Clockwork was standing becoming what appeared to be a library, equipped with empty shelves and an unused fireplace. After disappearing from her sight for several moments, he appeared in front of a shelf with a stack of books in his hands, and began to place them in the shelves.
"Would you care to assist me Child-Friend?" He asked, gesturing to a desk with several stacks of books varying in size that was not there moments ago. Many of the titles were fictional, ancient tokens of human creativity and wonder, but more commonly, horror. His Grandfather had long ago instilled an affinity for terror of both a terrestrial and cosmic sense in Eld Fen, and that affinity was ever-present in the vast catalog of literature he had acquired.
Unbeknownst to any of those around him, early in the days of his awakening he had wandered many parts of the world; appearing and disappearing into a vast multitude of ancient structures and caves older-still. During these travels, he had found many a journal or novel, and nearly each one brimmed with knowledge that would be best kept unknown. Books of these nature he kept on his person at all times, albeit in a smaller form than the one they knew naturally. It was also among those long-abandoned fortresses that he also found and collected furniture and other amenities, things that he could not will in to existence. These things all helped him greatly in creating suitable quarters for the ever-growing tribe he had aligned himself with.
And just like that, the void was given life.
The only two living beings within the space were them, of course, but it felt far more livelier than the vast emptiness. Homier. Clockwork took a few moments to admire the freshly-filled room around her, turning towards Eld Fen once she noticed that he had fully returned from his decorating.
"Excellent work as always, Fen. And of course." She didn't smile- her best approximation of one tended to come off as more of an odd, half-crooked grin that looked wrong on her face- but the praise was genuine. Brushing off the front of her shirt, Clockwork made her way to the pile of novels and gathered up an armful (although given her size, "an armful" was hardly impressive). She took a moment to adjust their weight in her arms before trotting over to the shelves, giving the books a quick glance over as she neatly tucked them away. Some titles she recognized through her own readings, others from her stolen memories, and a few were completely foreign to her. Liberty had provided its own share of reading material when she had resided there, but it had been a bit...lacking when it came to culture and imagination.
Clockwork stood up from where she had been crouching, then went and retrieved another armful.
"I believe that I might write another list soon." She paused, hoisting a considerably thicker novel into place with a quiet grunt.
"Of titles to read. Would you happen to have any further recommendations?" Eld seemed to know the horror genre like the back of his hand- even more so, perhaps. Some particularly interesting readings had come from his direction, and she saw little reason to forgo it for the time being.
Eld Fen's head nodded graciously at the compliment to his work, the structure they were standing in now. He continued to place the books on the multitude of shelves, and for every book he placed another seemed to appear in his arms. He heard the soft pattering of feet as the young girl joined him, and for a moment his mind was silent, and he smiled internally; but his visions stayed close to him oft' and the moment was only that, a moment. With another twitch of his head, he listened closely to the girl's words, being certain to separate them from the whispers of his tortured mind.
"Perhaps some poetry would be of use.." He mused softly, before producing an untitled book made of a dark, unidentifiable leather.
"From my Grandfather's own collection," He stated then paused, attempting to remember the title. "'Fungi from Yoggoth', if my mind still serves me. Written by a man I'm sure you've familiarity with, Howard Phillips Lovecraft. My Grandfather, Alistair, believed him to be very much of a mind like ours. Cursed, perhaps."
He sighed softly at the mention of his Grandfather, then quickly moved his thoughts to another topic, lest he be reminded of the terrible scene he had seen him in last. Changing his focus, he produced a few other novels, setting them on the edge of the book-shelves, then began reading their titles.
"The Twins by Aleister Crowley, Comus by John Milton, Avons Harvest by Edwin Arlington Robinson, and He said, taking a moment to pause and read the title of the last book before him, "Lucretius by Alfred Lord Tennyson." He concluded, before moving the small collection of books to the seat of the desk in the Library's center, which was uncrowded by books.
Turning back to the task of organizing his bookshelves, he began to ruminate aloud to Clockwork, something he often did while they were together.
"If man had a saving grace, it would surely be their devotion to the ideals of love."His whispering voice grated softly, followed by a slight twitch in his right hand which accompanied the momentary shaking of an empty shelf. "Even in tales of the greatest darkness a man could find, he'll whisper still to the purity and value of such romances as these. Perhaps beasts as I can not understand, or may my insanity obscure such, but these hopes I've never found replicable. I fear the same stands not for you, Child-Friend. He concluded, his wording becoming increasingly obscure, a telltale sign of whispers clouding his mind. With a soundless sigh, he took a step back from the now-filled shelf before him, his absent eyes evaluating it's order. Then, he moved to the next shelf, and began to fill it's empty slots.Poetry wasn't something that Clockwork read often, preferring the length and stories novels more easily provided, but it was hardly something that she would turn up her nose at either. So she gave a nod in response, the ringlets that made up her hair bobbing slightly with the movement.
"Thank you, Fen." She gave the leather-bound book a cursory look, although her focus shifted towards her companion at his sigh. The wistful sort of longing she had come to know quite well, herself. Staring at the man for a moment, Clockwork stepped forward, gave Eld's arm a gentle sort of pat, then returned to her work.
"I believe that love is one of the forces that drive man. My father has said that those same forces are what makes one human. I'm inclined to agree with him." She crouched, filling up another lower shelf before moving on.
"'To be driven by something is to live'. Love, an ideal. Purpose." Soren held a certain tendency to lecture in front of his own children, advising as he baked or worked- even sitting them down, from time to time. Of course, Percival would typically crack a joke when the conversation got too sentimental for his tastes, but he listened nonetheless. They both did.
Clockwork glanced over her shoulder as Fen finished speaking, head cocked to the side as if she were listening for some distant tune. He waned between full clarity of speech to vaguer, more puzzling comments, hindered by the fog that had plagued him for so long, but his words often still remained of certain importance.
"Perhaps," she said, eventually.
"Perhaps not. Although I've found that hope tends to more easily bloom when it's most needed." Clockwork blinked. Something in her face moved- just a flicker, nothing substantial. Then she plucked up a few more books, standing on her toes as she pushed them into their proper place.
Eld Fen's head and form twitched occasionally, often accompanied by structural twitches as he attempted to discern the words of his companion from the words of his insanity, paying close attention to do so. In his focus, he paused from his task of shelving the novels in his arms, instead opting to rest them on a shelf as he reached up with a shaking hand to rub the location of where his temple once was; a habit he had long ago found to ease the burden of his own mind.
"Then is death to melancholy, Child-Friend, or undying alone?" He asked, grimacing physically at the deterioration of his own literacy, something that stood as a monolith to the semblance of sanity and humanity he retained.
"And what hope, but a prayer to credence, to perdition?" He asked, unsure of whether or not he hoped for a response. Had he been in the presence of any other member of their wandering kin, he would have ebbed his own pessimism; but the Child-Friend and he had discussed much heftier topics prior, and would witness things far worse than dark words in the future. He knew the girl could handle ideals of such nature, for at the very least, she could handle him.
The odd, stilted sort of syntax that Eld Fen had adopted did not go unnoticed by Clockwork. Nor did his nervous fidgeting, the sort of shakiness of someone steadily losing their grip. She slid the rest of her books into place before turning to stare at the man, as unreadable as ever.
"Some might argue that feeling anything at all is a sign of living. In some sense, what constitutes that could simply be a matter of perspective." She straightened, fingers skimming lightly over the covers of one of the books Eld had laid out for her.
"Regardless. Even if hope might appear absurd, it provides motivation. Hope for change could be seen as why change is made at all." Clockwork went silent for a few moments, before once again approaching Eld and lightly tugging on his sleeve. Her eyes were glazed.
"Are you in need of a break, Fen? You appear quite troubled." The man was often troubled- Clockwork knew that well enough from the time spent with him- but there were periods where he became particularly overwhelmed. It was something unavoidable, but something that could, at the very least, be handled.
Eld Fen's swirling mask of flesh turned to face the small girl pulling his sleeve, and his mind began to untense, his form following shortly after. Letting out a low sigh, he lifted the stack of books, before noticing that the voices were quieting noticeably, and his speech became clear.
"No child, I'm fine." He whispered quietly, his voice seeming less harsh than normal, significantly so.
Then, he was aware of what was occurring, the voices were silencing themselves, and visions were not replacing them. The cycle had stopped, and he stood silently for a few moments, visibly inhaling and exhaling as he considered his next words, the madness momentarily absent from his mind. The feeling was near Euphoria to his tortured thoughts, and his disposition changing dramatically at the relief.
"Perhaps Clockwork, To live is to breath, and to breath is hope for another moment of life?" He asked, his voice becoming smoother, but still in a whisper. He could suddenly remember what drew him to poetry; it's romance of existence.
The moment of pure sanity was bliss, but a moment nonetheless, and he soon returned to his common nature. He did, however, appear to be much less burdened as he returned to stacking books.Clockwork's ever-unyielding gaze lingered on Eld Fen for a moment longer, as if trying to read the mass of writhing flesh that made up his features. Then she released her grip on his sleeve, stepping back and giving a slight nod.
"I see. Very well, then." She stepped away, the tension that had taken root in her shoulders easing somewhat. Clockwork's hands busied themselves with the chore of sorting and stacking once more, but she kept Eld Fen in the corner of her eye, watching him in his silence. The effect would have likely been incredibly off-putting to most- especially as her gaze didn't seem to be losing its unwavering, unblinking nature anytime soon.
"It would not be out of the question. Living for the sake of life. A self-perpetuating cycle."She gathered up another bundle, balancing them on her knee for a moment to adjust her grip before moving on.
"However, life itself could be taken as whatever one chooses to make of it." The weight of her comment was somewhat hampered as she stumbled a bit, having been standing on her toes in order to better reach a shelf.
Perhaps she would bring a stool with her next time.
A fair amount of time had passed since Eld Fen and Clockwork had finished organizing the vast expanse of Eld Fen's Library, and they had since found their way out of Eld Fen's Yellow Cabin. Now, they were merely walking to the place Eld Fen had originally collected Clockwork, with intent to return her. The walk was not particularly far, as the encampment was not a large one; something that wasn't entirely uncommon, given that his Cabin could provide ample living room.
"Do be sure to notify your Kin that the Cabin is ready for occupation, Child-Friend, I doubt many are fond of the dust and beasts prowling the grounds they sleep." He instructed absentmindedly; he was sure the girl would do such regardless of his prompt, but he chose to say such anyways.
"And should anyone need me, I will be in my Cabin; I've begun a new literary project, and will likely be writing in the Library. I expect Toby will join me at some point for some reading, which should be fine enough. Have you any plans for the rest of the evening, Child-Friend?" He asked as they approached the structure she and her family had been staying at for the time being.The Cabin trip had left Clockwork in a rather pleasant mood, some of the dullness of her eyes clearing. In her arms was the rather hefty number of books that Eld had suggested, tucked carefully beneath her chin in an effort to strengthen her hold. Occasionally she would stop, clutching them tighter when one seemed about to fall, then quickly hurry back to the other's side. If Clockwork was bothered by the weight of it, no word of complaint left her lips.
"Of course," she replied.
"I'm certain that the others will be glad to hear the news." Especially in light of...recent events. It was in times like these that the word of something positive would do wonders for the morale of the group. Clockwork turned to Eld at his mention of a new project, head tilted in question.
"That sounds quite promising. Would you be willing to tell me about it when you have the time?" She paused. Adjusted her grip.
"I will likely continue in my reading, myself. Percival had mentioned the idea of giving me knife-training later today, as well." The fact that she had little in the ways of defense hadn't gone unnoticed by her brother. He had been trying to teach her the proper handling of a blade, although progress had been somewhat slow-going. Her fingers, freshly calloused and lined with scabs, showed evidence of such.
Upon reaching the house's yard, Clockwork stopped, turning fully towards Eld.
"Thank you for the trip, Fen. It was very refreshing. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." The sides of her lips quirked- not quite a smile, but still noticeable- and she spun on her heel, plodding on back to her family.
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