The Muse

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: The Alchemy Chambers

Flynn, feeling the exhaustion of the day weighing heavier on his shoulders with every step, led the way to the Alchemy Chambers after asking a squire to find a room for Willis at the Inn and dropping Tia and Eris off at the Temple of Aelios. Anxiety gripped his chest as he reflected on the day's events: Lunarian guards showing up unannounced, the Queen of Lunaris was dead, his wife was understandably distraught, and a blight-born nearly killed a child and the Priestess of Aelios all in one day. And now, with Willis walking beside him, Flynn knew he had to show compassion. Many of the blight-born he had taken into Dawnhaven had proven themselves useful and capable of civility. He couldn't let one incident sour his view of all of them.

Orion walked beside Flynn, his eyes constantly scanning the dimly lit areas of Dawnhaven. The flickering torches cast long shadows, and the scent of herbs and potions from the Alchemy Chambers ahead of them wafted through the air. Orion’s gaze occasionally flicked to Willis, who shuffled along with them, trying to discern his emotions from his facial features. Was he apprehensive? Surely he must be given the day’s events. But who was to really say with this one?

"Through here," Flynn directed, unlocking and holding open the door to the building where all their research was being done. It was cold, quiet, and dark, as all the sages had left for the day—and Eris was recovering at the temple. Once Orion and Willis stepped inside, Flynn headed toward Eris’s study, where he and Orion had been conducting their interviews.

Orion’s gaze lingered on the shelves, lined with an array of alchemical tools and potions. Glass vials filled with vibrant liquids, mortar and pestles stained with the residue of countless herbs, and intricate apparatuses for distillation and extraction caught his eye. His mind drifted to the research they had been conducting, the countless hours spent poring over ancient texts and experimenting with new compounds. The search for a cure was a constant, driving force behind their work. Every new blight-born that arrived in Dawnhaven brought with them a glimmer of hope, a potential key to unlocking the mysteries of the blight. His eyes flicked the blight-born beside him then.
Could this be it? Their potential breakthrough?

“Take a seat," Flynn instructed, gesturing to a wooden chair across from a desk. "The questions I will ask are for research purposes, as we are trying to find a cure. And, it will decide whether I allow you to live here or not." Flynn took a seat at the desk and grabbed the leather-bound journal and ink pen lying there. Opening the journal, Flynn flipped through dozens of previous notes to find a blank page. "What is your full name?" he began, leaving no room for small talk.

“My name is Willis Philips, but you can call me Willy.”

“How long have you been blight-born?”

“For 4 months now.”

A tinge of sympathy hit Flynn then, realizing that Willis was new to this. No wonder he had been causing such destruction recently. Nonetheless, Flynn wrote down his answer and moved on. “Are you fed by blood, energy, emotions, sex, psyche, souls, or magic?”

“I drink blood.”

Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the situation. Blood drinkers were notoriously difficult to manage, their unpredictable nature and insatiable thirst posing constant challenges despite the protocols in place.

“How were you turned?”

“I was turned after I got caught in a blight-fog.”

“What abilities did you inherit?”

“I can fly by turning into a bat, and I can heal really fast.”

“And what of weaknesses?”

“Bright lights and loud sounds really hurt my eyes and ears. I can’t taste my meals, besides the salty taste of blood, and if I eat a normal meal from a tavern I get really bad stomach cramps.”

“And what brings you to Dawnhaven?”

“I’m hiding from Lunarian persecution, bounty hunters, and mercenaries sent to kill me. I came to Dawnhaven because I heard people like me are safe here.”

“Are you willing to abide by the laws and customs of our village?” Flynn looked up from the journal this time, his eyes narrowing on Willis. His story was not unlike many of the other blight-born here, but he had already broken their laws. Yet, in the back of his mind, he was reminded that Tia wanted this man to live.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Can you co-exist peacefully with the humans and other blight-born here? In Dawnhaven, you are not allowed to feed on anyone here. This is a sanctuary, and I expect you to treat it as such. Do as you will with the people outside of Dawnhaven, but if you are caught, there is nothing I can do to help you. You will be at the whim of the King of Lunaris. I advise you find other means of sustenance, not humans.”

“Well yeah, but if they are attacking me I will defend myself!”

Flynn nodded in understanding. “Just don’t attack anyone here.” He stated, looking back at his journal notes. Flynn had not forbid anyone from defending themselves outside of Dawnhaven, he knew he could not stop anyone from hunting the creatures outside of his domain. “What was your profession before you died?” He asked, moving the interview forward.

“I was first sergeant of the 13th Special Forces Group belonging to the 3rd Ranger Battalion serving under the Royal Army of Lunaris.”

“To live here, you must contribute to the wellbeing of Dawnhaven. As with all people here, you will have a job and commit to helping the community. Are you willing to do so?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. In fact, I will gladly obey you if you wish great harm to befall on anyone.”

Flynn looked up from his notes, almost allowing a smile at Willis’s offer. “I appreciate that, though I do not wish harm on anyone.” He resisted adding “yet” to his statement, though he would be sure to keep Willy’s offer in mind if it came to it. “I have Orion for that, anyway.” He glanced over to his advisor with a hint of a playful smile before turning his attention back to Willis.

Orion met Flynn’s gaze with a slight nod and a small smirk of his own, his eyes reflecting a quiet understanding. He knew his role here well, so there was nothing more to be said, his expression and presence conveying all that was needed.

“You said you can transform into a bat.” Flynn began, looking over his notes. “Can we trust you to assist with courier services? We have another blight-born, Pleiades, who has done the brunt of the work for some time now. I am sure he could use some help with the smaller objects that you could transfer on your own.” In the back of Flynn’s mind, he noted that he would only trust Pleiades with his most important of letters. Willis would need to earn that level of trust. Still, he could be useful for the average citizen in Dawnhaven.

“Sure can!” Willis bursts into a puff of smoke. As it dissipates, a brown bat hops onto the desk, extending their wingspan in front of Flynn as if to take flight. “I can deliver anything as a bat as long as they fit on my human body!” Bat Willis raises his head, speaking to Flynn. “Orion can tell you just how fast I can be!”

Flynn arched an eyebrow when Willis vanished, only to be replaced by a small talking bat. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, though it was hard to surprise him these days. He jotted down a few additional notes on this peculiar transformation before shifting his focus to his advisor, anticipating his input.

Orion watched the transformation keenly, noting the fluidity and precision of the man’s movements. He had seen this agility before and knew well the positive and negative potential it held. As Willis completed his demonstration, Orion nodded in agreement with the assessment.

“He’s right, Your Majesty,” Orion said, his voice steady and confident. “He’s fast and efficient. With proper, and perhaps heavy guidance in the early stages, he could be a valuable asset to our courier services.”

Orion, always perceptive and thorough, considered additional questions that might provide further insight into Willis’s character, capabilities, and potential integration into Dawnhaven. He cleared his throat slightly, signaling that he had more inquiries.

“Are there any specific triggers that cause you to lose control or act aggressively?” Orion asked, his tone measured and calm. His eyes remained steady on Willis, observing every nuance of his reaction. “We need to identify any potential risks.”

Flynn redirected his focus to Willis, feeling reassured by Orion's presence, knowing Orion could catch any details Flynn might have overlooked. The day had been extraordinarily long, and Flynn found solace in having Orion's sharp mind to rely on throughout this arduous process.

“Uhm, a trigger…” The bat pivots on the table to face Orion. “I guess, yeah! The sight or smell of blood when I’m really hungry. Or when my life is under threat.”

Orion nodded thoughtfully, absorbing every nuance of Willis’s response. His eyes flickered briefly to Flynn, a silent signal to ensure he was noting the potential risks. Then, with a calm yet probing demeanour, the prince’s advisor continued his line of questioning.

“Can you recall any specific incidents, especially recently, where you lost control due to hunger or feeling threatened? It’s crucial we understand the extent of your control,” Orion explained, his tone still measured but now carrying a hint of urgency. His eyes bore into Willis’s, searching for any flicker of hesitation or truth. If there was any, he would know, bat form or not.

“Hmm… I will tell you what I remember, but please don’t judge me harshly.” Willis says anxiously. “A blight-born is most vulnerable at the moment when they are reborn, and I’m no different. I have a memory of uncontrollably ripping into my dead comrades, when the blight-mist turned me, to drain them of blood. That was 4 months ago. The first thought I had after coming to my senses was not guilt or shame for killing my friends, but a chilling voice in my mind telling me to go find and slaughter the rest to cover my tracks, and a dark urge in the pit of my stomach to drink all of their lifeblood. I knew my life as a human was over but… I made the mistake of going back to say goodbye to my family…” Willis suddenly averts his gaze from Orion, and says in a trembling voice, “I-I didn’t do it, I swear! I was compelled!”

Flynn frowned as Willis recounted his past. Many of the blight-born he'd encountered had committed unspeakable acts upon their transformation—Willis was not alone in this. Flynn sympathized with them, though their unpredictable behavior remained a cause for concern.

He took a few sharp breaths, to regain composure. “The urges, they come and go, but it was never as bad as that 1st time. Because I never let myself starve. Then about 2 weeks ago I… got in trouble with the Baron whose land borders Dawnhaven. I was chased relentlessly and got badly injured in many ambushes he set for me. So yesterday, when his men cornered me at the mountain pass, I decided to end things there. I killed a big number of them, and felt thoroughly refreshed, and I let the rest go. But it was a controlled frenzy, you get me?” He paused. “Oh! Also, the kid I injured today at the marketplace was an accident. That’s an oopsy daisy on my part, sorry!”

After jotting down a few more notes, Flynn glanced up from his journal. “The voice you said was telling you to kill people. Does that still happen?”

“Ehh… I don’t think so.” Willis replies.

Flynn shot a quick glance at Orion, concern evident in his eyes. “Please inform us if you feel that urge again,” he said, turning his attention back to his notebook and then to Willis. “We are here to help yo—” Suddenly, a frantic knock at the door interrupted him.

“Come in,” Flynn called, closing his journal and tossing it into a drawer. Nervously, the squire Flynn had summoned earlier entered the room. “Sire.” He bowed respectfully to the Prince and Orion. “A message—from someone new in Dawnhaven. She claims to be the Lady of Durnatel and requests an audience.” He handed a note to Flynn, who couldn’t help but let out a sigh as he took it. Yet another task on his very long to-do list.

“Thank you,” Flynn replied, opening the note to see the woman's name written by the guard who received her message. He closed the note and stuffed it into his pocket, then returned his attention to the squire. “And what of the Inn?”

“The Beholder is full, my lord. Sya said she cannot house anyone else until the new addition is finished.” the blonde squire reported, casting a nervous glance at Willis.

Flynn leaned forward on the desk, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes tightly. He sighed, his mind racing with ideas on what to do with Willis. He considered taking Willis himself, putting him in one of the spare bedrooms. But then a vision of Willis attacking Octavia or Elara in the night flashed through his mind. No, that idea wouldn't work. He couldn't put them in danger.

Opening his eyes, Flynn leaned back in his chair for a moment. “Very well, thank you. You're dismissed,” he said to the squire, then turned his attention to Orion as an idea formed. “Orion…” he glanced at Willis. “Do you mind?” He frowned, knowing he was asking a lot from his advisor. “Can you put him in your spare room? It's only temporary. I'll find a house for him in the morning; I believe we have one that hasn't been assigned yet, but I need to speak to the builders.”

Orion gave a curt nod, his jaw tightening slightly as he processed the prince’s request. The weight of responsibility for Dawnhaven’s safety and the delicate task of integrating Willis into their community loomed large in his mind. This decision was not just a step, but a gigantic leap out of his comfort zone, right into uncharted territory. The man in question had already been a source of significant trouble, a thorn in his side that he had to manage carefully. Yet, voicing these concerns to his prince was not an option. He had to maintain his composure and focus on the greater good, even if it meant swallowing his reservations and pushing his boundaries further than ever before.

“Of course,” Orion replied instead, his voice steady and reassuring despite the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “I will make sure he is settled in and monitor him closely.” Very closely, this time around.

Orion turned to Willis, his expression stern and unyielding, a clear signal that there would be no room for negotiation. “We’ll get you situated for the night. Follow my rules and there won’t be any issues.”

“Thanks for taking me in, Orion!” Willis, in batform, does a happy little victory lap around the table, shaking his butt. “And you too, Flynn!” He stops in his tracks. “Is there a blacksmith in town though? I need to repair my equipment that was damaged from my last fights.”

“First, let's get you back to my place. We'll discuss the details of your equipment repair in the morning,” Orion replied, his tone once again making it known he was not about to be flexible on this.

Flynn stood and moved towards the door, gesturing for everyone to leave ahead of him as he held it open. “Thank you, Orion,” he said, watching as they each exited the room. Locking the door behind him, Flynn led the way out of the Alchemy Chambers, noting that Eris still hadn’t arrived. Perhaps she was staying at the temple for the night; the women had endured a rather traumatic ordeal.

Leaving the chambers, Flynn locked that door behind him as well and glanced back at Willis and Orion. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he nodded to Orion, silently wishing him luck with the new blight-born man. Flynn at least had faith that if anyone could handle Willis, it would be Orion. “Goodnight.”

With that, Flynn took his leave and headed back towards his home, where his distraught wife awaited. He hoped she had gone to sleep; she would need her rest for tomorrow when he broke the news of the late Queen to the town. Sighing, Flynn ran a hand through his hair and carried on in silence, his mind racing while listening to the rustle of leaves in the wind as he made his way home.

---

_{Collaboration with @Qia & @BOOM}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Aelios Temple / Hot Springs | Time: 9pm

It was odd being back at the Sun Temple - it wasn’t quite home, but it was familiar still. The faint scent of incense and oils filled the air, and Tia couldn’t help but breathe in once the men - the prince, Orion, and Willis - had finally left after dropping off her and Eris at the temple. It had been decided that both women had been through an ordeal, and that the best thing for the both of them would be a wash (Tia was still absolutely covered in dried blood) and a long soak in the hot springs. She was too exhausted to try denying it.

Tia turned over her shoulder to look back at Eris. She gave the other woman - the other magic-user, the other trauma patient, the other caretaker - a small smile. She held up the bread Orion had given her in a silent offer.

Eris returned Tia’s smile and broke off a small piece of bread. She gently tapped it against the larger loaf, mimicking a toast, before popping it into her mouth. As she chewed, Eris surveyed the temple, taking in her surroundings. Compared to the grand Sunfire Citadel in Aurelia, this temple was tiny, but it would suffice. Her gaze then landed on the eternal flame at the center of the temple. She approached it, feeling its warmth intensify with each step. Standing before the flame, Eris paused, bowing at a 45-degree angle and closing her eyes. Silently, she gave thanks to Aelios for allowing her and Tia to survive the ordeal with Willis.

Opening her eyes, Eris turned towards Tia. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked, her soft voice echoing through the empty temple. "I’ve never experienced anything like that." she added, recalling how her disrupted magic had rebounded on her like a weapon, impossible to absorb. She had been exhausted before, after pushing her magic too hard during her research studies, but this was entirely new. To Eris, it was more fascinating than concerning. Something new to be studied. Looking at her hands, she saw her fingers tremble, her body still suffering the consequences of trying to protect the Priestess.

Tia took a bite of her bread, a dirty hand held under it to catch the crumbs. She considered Eris’ words, remembering the way Willis had punched through her shield. Swallowing, she paused. Then she held out the bread for Eris to take with an embarrassed bow.

Both hands free, she took out the notebook and charcoal again and wrote a short message before holding it out to show Eris.

I can only heal. Most don’t try to resist that.

Tia looked down the hall to where the bathing chambers were - she’d spent some time exploring the temple before venturing out into Dawnhaven. She held out an open palm towards the hallway, looking back to Eris.

Eris smiled at the note that Tia wrote, though her eyes were drawn to the notebook itself. Was that… Pleiades's? She could’ve sworn she'd seen it before. But why would the Priestess have anything of his? Shaking off the thought, Eris’s gaze followed the direction in which Tia had gestured to. Having been to the temple before, she knew exactly what the Priestess was suggesting.

“We do need a bath, don’t we?” she said with a smile, following Tia down the hallway. Suddenly aware of the dried blood on her face, she felt a pang of embarrassment—especially in front of a Priestess of Aelios. Then again, the Priestess herself was also covered in blood. As Eris looked at Tia’s hands, her smile faltered slightly. “I swear, Dawnhaven isn’t always like this…”

Tia wrote out another note.

At least I know I’ll be of use here.

If her first day was anything to go by, healers would be very necessary for the survival of Dawnhaven. Tia began walking down the hall. She looked down at the notebook to see her page nearly filled with her own handwriting. She turned the page - only to stop in her tracks.

There were drawings. They were intricate and precise, done with a delicate hand. Notes were scrawled beside each diagram, descriptions of color, texture, size…

Pleiades’ face flashed in Tia’s mind. This wasn’t just a notebook - it was his. Tia’s eyes widened. Her cheeks began to burn as blood rushed to them and Tia was filled with a stunning and complete mortification. He had been offering to loan her the book for their conversation, and she’d presumed to steal it. She could only stare down at it, frozen in place.

Eris stopped a few steps ahead when she noticed Tia had paused. “Everything okay?” She asked, her eyes scanning Tia before settling on the notebook she held. Closing the gap between them, Eris peered at what had caught the Priestess's attention. Drawings? She glanced back up at Tia, who looked shocked, and then back at the drawings. A memory flashed in her mind of Pleiades sitting on the roof of the Alchemy Chamber, sketching not too long ago. “Where did you find this?” She asked, assuming Pleiades must have lost it.

Tia jumped when she heard Eris’ voice suddenly so close. She blinked at her. Then back down at the notebook again. Her face was burning.

She flipped back to the previous page filled with her notes - she wouldn’t dream of writing on a page he’d been working on. She found a space to the side that was free, her writing small and slanted.

Pleiades let me borrow it. I should return it soon.

Eris raised an eyebrow at Tia’s note. "Hm… I didn’t know Pleiades could be kind…" she said, beginning to walk down the hallway with Tia once more. Truthfully, she had never given Pleiades much of a chance to show kindness. Whenever he was around, Eris froze up under his gaze and she tried to avoid him as much as she could. Clearly, the Priestess was much braver than she was.

Tia smiled softly. Under the embarrassment, there was warmth - Pleiades had been both the first blight-born and the first kind face she’d encountered in Dawnhaven.

Exiting the interior of the temple, they were greeted by warm steam blanketing the air and the soothing sounds of the waterfall flowing into the larger public bath area. From above, Eris could make out a few figures in the public area, though the steam obscured their identities. "Seems we're not the only ones with this idea." she remarked, her eyes shifting to the private and gender-separated hot springs situated at the top of the cliffs. Turning her gaze back to Tia, she waited to see which direction the Priestess preferred to go.

Tia hesitated. She was used to the expectation that she lead by example, but it never rested comfortably on her shoulders. She dipped her head, the motion more habit than anything else, and began walking towards the secluded pool. She didn’t have the energy to deal with any more people today.

Tia wound her way over the stones, until she found a small pool out of sight of the temple’s back entrance. Steam rose off the water’s surface, billowing into the night air. After a quick look to Eris for approval, Tia turned and made swift, neat work of her robes. She was careful to wrap the notebook deep in the layers of fabric, lest it get exposed to any water before she had the chance to return it. It was already going to be enough of an embarrassing ordeal, she couldn’t also give it back ruined.

Free of her robes, Tia paused when she looked down at her skin. She was positively covered in bruises, rosy marks along her thighs, her waist, her ribs… marks that would only grow deeper and more mottled as the days went on, evidence of the chaos of her first day in Dawnhaven. Tia pressed her lips together. She didn’t have the nerve to look back up at Eris, and see what expression the other woman might have. It was bad enough she’d seen the mass of scars at her throat. She would think… well, Tia didn’t know what. But the marks on her skin seemed like another failure, all the same.

Eris grimaced at the sight of Tia’s body covered in bruises and quickly averted her gaze, focusing on undoing her belt. Guilt washed over her—she should have been able to heal the Priestess more. She wished Tia’s first day here hadn’t been so terrible and longed to change it, even though she had nothing to do with the cause.

Tia stepped a foot into the spring. She gave a short inhale, body adjusting to the change in temperature. Then she gingerly lowered herself until she was submerged up to her collarbones, feeling every ache and bruise as she moved. A long, shaking sigh escaped her as the water’s warmth seeped into her skin.

Much less gracefully, Eris tossed her clothes aside haphazardly and quickly entered the hot spring to shield her bare skin from the brisk air. Lowering herself up to her neck, she closed her eyes, savoring the moment. "This is nice." she mused, opening her eyes and focusing on Tia again as she raised herself so the water level was just above chest. "I'm glad you're here." Tia, who had taken to leaning back against the edge of the spring, head tilted up and eyes closed, opened a dark eye to look at Eris. She offered a small smile, cheeks slightly warming.

Slowly, Eris waded over to the edge of the pool, looking down toward the public bath. "I'm sorry about what happened…" she said, crossing her arms on the edge of the hot spring and leaning on them, trying to figure out who was at the lower level. Upon inspection, she noticed one of the figures had wings.

Not wanting to grab Pleiades attention, Eris turned back toward Tia and leaned against the edge of the pool. "So..." she began, about to ask Tia in-depth questions about herself, but then realized that she would be forcing the Priestess to try to answer without her notebook. Instead, she opted for yes or no questions that Tia could nod to. "Did you train at the Sunfire Citadel?"

The priestess gave a small nod. She paused, before wading over towards the edge beside Eris. The snow, pale and feather-light as it fell, had formed small piles all around the edge of the spring. Tia reached out a hand and with a finger drew out a loose rectangle, with two large dots in opposite corners - the capitals of Aurelia and Lunaris. She dotted a small grouping outside the bottom left corner, and tapped it twice, looking over her shoulder at Eris. Then she dragged a smooth line through the snow to the Aurelian capital.

“I was there for a few months, training with a healer. It’s a magnificent place.” Eris said, watching as Tia drew something in the snow. She studied it for a moment, trying to decipher what Tia was communicating with her. “The Ember Isles?” She asked, looking to Tia for confirmation. “Is that where you’re from?”

Tia nodded, still looking down at her makeshift map. The look in her eyes was distant, as she smiled sadly down at the small dots that had been home - for a short time, at least. Few Aurelians knew much about the Ember Isles. Most had baseline assumptions: they were impoverished, isolated, with a vastly different culture from the mainland. She hadn’t been there since she was a child.

Blinking away the memories, Tia looked back up to Eris. She held an open palm up to her, and then back down to the map, head tilted in a question.

Looking at the makeshift map in the snow, Eris pointed to the large dot that Tia had drawn a line to from the Ember Isles. "I’m from the capital," she confirmed, turning her blue eyes back to the Priestess. "I’ve never been to the Isles... I’d love to hear ab—" She hesitated, suddenly realizing the difficulty of what she was asking. The Priestess couldn't easily share information about the Ember Isles, especially without a notebook. Tia couldn’t help but flinch. "Er— I’m sorry. They sound extraordinary from what I’ve read." she offered with a smile, sinking a little lower in the water, unsure if it was from embarrassment or from the cold nipping at her shoulders.

As Eris sank, so did Tia’s spirits. She looked back down at the thin layer of snow, her slender hand resting beside it. There was still a fine line of blood under her nails. Heavy emotions weighed her down like ballast in the shallow pool - a thick mix of guilt, shame, grief, even though she couldn’t put a name to what exactly she’d lost. She felt Eris’ own emotions filling the space beside her, threatening to drag her down like the current of a sinking ship.

A hand went up to trace the scars of her ruined throat.

Then Tia’s other hand began tapping a slow, steady rhythm against the stone. She whistled, high and bird like over a lilting melody - an old folk song from the Ember Isles. If Tia concentrated, she could just make out the memory of her mother’s voice singing to her, even if she couldn’t make out the words. It was a light tune, drifting like the wind, if a bit melancholic. It filled the air just as the snow did, falling around them before the flakes melted away to nothing in the clouds of steam.

Shifting towards the center of the pool and sinking deeper until the water came up just above her nose, Eris watched and listened as Tia began to whistle. She closed her eyes, relishing the warmth enveloping her aching body and the melody of Tia’s song bouncing off the surrounding forest trees. She had never heard whatever it was that Tia was whistling, but it was comforting.

As the Priestess continued her tune, Eris submerged herself completely for a few seconds before resurfacing to shoulder level. She pushed wet strands of hair out of her face and began to scrub the dried blood from her hands and then her face, memories of the day flashing in her mind's eye.

As Tia’s song came to an end, Eris looked up at the Priestess and smiled. “That was beautiful,” she said, glancing at the map Tia had drawn. “Is it from home? It doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard in the capital.”

The corner of Tia’s mouth quirked up, though she still didn't look up to Eris. She listened to the light waves she made, the water lapping gently against the stone. She nodded. Words seemed to catch in her throat. She could’ve said them, she knew. Her voice was weak, but not completely gone. I was young. I miss them. But Tia couldn’t seem to make the words real, couldn’t give them to Dawnhaven.

She wiped away the map in the snow with a sweep of her hand. Tia pulled the long needles from her hair so it fell in a pail river down her back, floating across the surface of the spring. Then she took a deep breath and dipped herself underwater. Emerging, she took Eris’ lead and started cleaning the day off of her body.

“I’m Eris, by the way.” the brunette said softly, suddenly realizing that she had never even introduced herself to the Priestess. “I lead the research operations.”

Tia looked up at her as things clicked into place. A researcher. She remembered her earlier assumption that Eris worked with the prince - that would explain it. Dawnhaven wasn't just a settlement, it was a laboratory as the prince searched for a way to defy his fate — the one that ended with Tia driving a ceremonial dagger into his heart — and find another way to stop the blight. And Eris was heading that search.

She must’ve been brilliant.

Tia’s lips parted. Her mind was suddenly spinning with warring thoughts. Her orders from the Queen, her duties to the High Priest, the dread and overwhelming thought of carrying them out or worse, failing them — Seek the violet flow…

“Willis.” She couldn’t stop the word if she’d tried. Above her mess of thoughts, the words she’d dreamt floated to the top like bubbles on the surface of roiling water.
Tia pulled back, like she could retreat in on herself, lips pressed closed. Her eyes darted around as she tried to get control of her thoughts. She looked back up to Eris, her dark eyes suddenly clear and direct, where before they’d been distant. There was urgency in her gaze. Tia swallowed, focusing on her throat, on controlling the sound.

“His blood.”

“His blood?” Eris questioned, furrowing her brows in confusion as she sensed the immediate shift in Tia’s demeanor. Her mind flashed back to their earlier encounter with Willis, but she didn’t recall seeing any blood on him. It was Tia and Eris who had been covered in it. “What about it?”

Frustration buzzed under Tia’s skin - in her throat, in place of words. She darted her eyes around, looking for some way to communicate. Her skin was too wet for paper, the snow drift had melted away, and –

Tia looked back to Eris, an idea forming. She took a step forward.Reaching for her hand, slowly so she could understand what was happening, Tia held Eris’s palm up between them and traced out letters on her skin.

S T U D Y I T.

Tia’s dark eyes met Eris’ blue ones, urgency thrumming through her. Tia didn’t know why Willis’ blood was important, but clearly Aelios did, and now she was with the one person in town who might be smart enough to figure it out. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

Eris watched carefully as Tia traced the letters on her palm, trying her best to focus despite her hands still trembling from exhaustion. “Study…” she murmured, glancing up at Tia inquisitively. She was puzzled as to why Tia wanted her to investigate the blood of this new blight-born. “Um… Okay, I will see what I can do.” She nodded, trusting that there had to be a reason. The Priestess wouldn’t ask her to do something without purpose… right?

Though she did not wish to see Willis again any time soon, it seemed Tia had other plans for her. “Maybe he’s… willing to make a donation?” She cringed at the thought of asking the blight-born man for a sample of his blood and how he might react. She’d have to talk to Flynn and Orion about it first. The idea of doing this alone with Willis was terrifying. “Have you seen his blood?” she asked, wondering why Tia would even bring it up. Perhaps she had noticed something during their first encounter?

Tia hesitated, before nodding. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious about this. It wasn’t exactly widely known that she had the capacity for prophecies. The High Priest knew of course, and the Queen, but when she’d been training under him he’d instructed her not to tell anyone else. He’d said the attention would overwhelm her, and until her ability could be properly relied upon it would be best to not give anyone the false impression that her visions were to be trusted. He was right, of course - the vision of Willis was only the second prophecy she had ever been shown, and could she even tell if it was real? Two instances was not a reliable pattern, and who knew if this wasn’t just a nightmare fueled by stress and overexertion? But still…

_...Tin…

She felt the weight of those golden eyes…

_...Ga…

...Even now.

_...Ra…

Tia’s eyebrows pulled together as she looked at Eris. She couldn’t give her nothing to go off of, especially if Tia was asking her to go face Willis again. And… the High Priest would understand, wouldn’t he? This wasn’t Tia, this was the goddess demanding action. She forced a long breath in, like it would steady her. Looking down at Eris’ palm, she traced out another word.

P U R P L E.

She didn’t have it in her to defy the High Priest, nerves holding her back. Fear was vice-like around her heart at the thought of disappointing him yet again. When she was sure Eris had the word, she wrote again.

L I K E B L I G H T.

Eris locked eyes with Tia, searching for the truth as if she could pull it out with a mere look. From what she could tell, Tia was being honest. She didn’t know the Priestess well, but what reason would she have to lie?

Purple blood was intriguing, though it wasn’t the strangest transformation Eris had seen. Still, it seemed odd enough to warrant investigation. “Interesting…” Eris said aloud, her mind racing. “I’ll look into it,” she affirmed, taking the hand Tia had been drawing in and gently squeezing Tia’s hand reassuringly. “Thank you for letting me know.” She wasn’t sure if Willis’s blood would lead to any breakthroughs, but it was more of a lead than they had come across in the last two months. So far, nothing new had emerged.

A sudden splash in the water below made Eris jump, and she squeezed Tia’s hand a bit harder for a moment, clearly skittish from the day’s events. Releasing Tia’s hand, she looked over the edge of their pool at the public bath beneath. “Seems Pleiades is having fun…” she remarked, relieved that the Priestess hadn’t chosen to subject their naked bodies to the likes of him.

Tia looked down at her now empty hands. There was a chill in the absence of Eris’ warmth. She didn’t believe her, not fully. The Priestess could tell. But she’d been kind.

Tia clenched and unclenched her fingers, guilt and nerves swirling in her - she should’ve told her the truth. She shouldn’t have said anything at all. Why should Eris believe her? Tia wasn’t even sure she believed herself, but something had to be done, right? She glanced up at the back of Eris’ head, her hair inky and dark from the water. Pleiades’ name sent another wave of anxiety through her body - she’d stolen from him because she was an idiot who couldn’t tell when someone was just being polite and she was a liar and she’d been sent to spy on the town and she couldn’t be trusted with anything, she was a disappointment, she was a failure, she was going to be sent away again –

The splash of water was gentle against the stone as Tia emerged from the spring, reaching down to grab her robes. Her fingers were too quick as they fumbled to keep the hard shape of the notebook wrapped in her dirty outer robe, separating out the relatively clean inner layer. The winter air was a shock against her body that immediately had her shaking - at least, she told herself it was because of the cold. It took too long before her arms were through the holes, and she couldn’t even stop to bother tying it shut. Her long, sodden hair stuck to her back, soaking through the cloth. She clenched the two sides closed together, the silken bundle held in front of her.

Tia spun on her heel to face the spring again. She couldn’t even manage to look at Eris before bowing deeply. Shame and fear and guilt were a frenetic mix in her blood as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Then Tia straightened and walked as quickly as she could away from the pool, fighting with her own quick, short breaths that rattled in her lungs.

Eris frowned as Tia swiftly took her leave, a weight of anxiety suddenly pressing upon her chest. Had she said something wrong again? The Priestess had left without warning, just as Sunni had earlier that day. Eris was starting to notice a pattern of her own terrible social skills. Clearly, it was her problem, so she didn’t try to object when Tia left.

Spotting something glinting in the moonlight, she noticed that Tia had left her hairpins on the ground next to where her robes had been. Picking them up, Eris twirled them around in her fingers, watching how the moon's light reflected off of them. Sighing, she glanced up at the moon, listening to the distant chatter in the public bath area. It was so much easier for others to make friends, even Pleiades, it seemed. Why was she so inept at simple human interaction yet so skilled in almost everything else she put her mind to?

Reaching outside of the hot spring, Eris tucked the hairpins safely into her skirt pocket. She’d make sure to return them to the Priestess at some point, though it seemed that Tia had reached her limit with Eris for the night. Feeling defeated, Eris sank further into the pool. She figured she should leave as well, but the comfort of the water felt more needed for now. She’d go home... in due time.

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_{Collaboration with @c3p-0h}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Hey all! I added the map to the World Lore section on the Characters tab. There's also a URL below the image to go to an interactive map that has a few important labels. I'll develop this as we go. :)

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@Dark Light Absolutely! We'd love to have you :)

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@AliceInRedHeels She's wonderful! Go ahead and post her in the Character tab :)

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@AliceInRedHeels We'd love to have you! :) also quick correction, we haven't entered the 2nd day of the RP just yet but we will soon-ish. It's currently 7pm of the 1st day still.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@amorphical you can go ahead and post them :)

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: The Royal Cabin, Wenyr's Home, & The Blacksmith Forge

For a brief moment, Wenyr had been worried about the prince not reacting to his knock at the door. His benefactor had given him quite the rundown about Dawnhaven prior to his departure, but how to address a prince properly had not been a real part of that. One just so rarely had the opportunity, so he should consider himself very lucky to be here, Wenyr figured. Yet what if he'd screw up ? When the entrance was finally opened, he could almost feel the rush of adrenaline running down his back.

Just as Wenyr finished his probably rather half-assed curtsy, he spotted that the prince had closed the door just as quickly as had opened it before. Preserving the warmth inside one's home was a quite understandable thing, but needlessly exposing oneself to the cold outside was not. Had he... had he just disturbed the prince in some kind of difficult affair ?

"Hello Flynn!" he replied, putting up a slightly nervous smile. "Seems I have found you first. Did I interrupt something important ?" It was a complete shot in the dark, but maybe camouflaged in enough politeness not to be noticed as such. If the situation was inappropriate somehow, he needed to figure it out before talking about his list of items first. Negotiations could shatter to bitter pieces if conducted under the wrong circumstances!

“Don’t worry, you have excellent timing.” Flynn lied, his tone warm and reassuring as he noticed the nervous smile on the blacksmith's face. The Prince had many talents, but his mother often praised his ability to become a chameleon among people the most. Flynn could easily compartmentalize his stress while under the public eye, shifting into whatever others needed him to be in that moment. “As a King should”, his mother would proudly remind him. Wearing a mask every day was mentally draining, but he knew he was adept at making the people of his kingdom feel comfortable around him, never letting on how much stress he was truly under.

Flynn paused, considering how best to steer the conversation away from any potential awkwardness. "Actually, I was just thinking about the progress on your new home. Why don’t we go see how it’s coming along?”

Stepping away from the cabin, Flynn gestured for Wenyr to follow him towards the area of Dawnhaven where they had been building most of the homes, only a short walk from the royal cabin. "I am told it should be completed within the next day. I've heard your forge is already finished in the town center, as well."

Flynn clasped his hands behind his back as he walked along the gravel path lit with torches, his eyes scanning the construction progress of each home as they passed. "You can take up room at The Eye of The Beholder until everything is finished. I will pay for the inconvenience, of course.”

A few minutes later, Flynn paused in front of a cabin home that was nearly complete. Stacks of wood lay outside, evidence of the ongoing work. "Home sweet home.” Flynn chimed, holding a warm smile as he looked to Wenyr, hoping that he would be pleased. It was nothing like the luxury of living in the capital of Aurelia, far from it, but it would at least keep him safe and warm.

On the superficial level, Wenyr's visit seemed to keep going like any one of the clock towers in Aurelia's capital: smoothly and with pinpoint accuracy. Yet it took a lot of deliberate ignorance not to know just how considerable the effort to make them do so was and the blacksmith had little doubt about the same thing holding true with the prince's approach to this meeting as well. To suspect that not every gentle smile and not every lucky coincidence was real, but to consider the possibility that they actually were in the specific instance was the double edged blade every merchant and artisan had to both defend against and wield himself, the question of which of these two was the right thing to do being a complication in its own respect.

Seeing how Flynn paid attention to the construction work around him as they walked was almost even more interesting for Wenyr than paying attention to the construction work himself. He had not met the prince for any significant amount of time before, so trying to have a glimpse at just how good (or bad) hands the future of Aurelia rested was tempting. He halfway inadvertently stayed slightly behind Flynn so the latter hopefully wouldn't notice Wenyr looking at what he did, at least until they finally arrived at the site.

"Home warm hope I hope it will be. I've heard the winter can be quite harsh here." His eyes instinctively wandered towards the skies as if there was any good news to be seen there, but there wasn't. Wenyr was eager to go inside, but also didn't want to waste the prince's time. Flynn had to be a busy person after all. "I'm sure it will look as good on the inside as it does on the outside already." Maybe his stay in Dawnhaven would turn out to be better than he had actually thought of prior to his arrival ? "And the forge is at the center of town, you say ? Good choice! That way the smell and smoke won't annoy the entire neighborhood." The walk back and forth from his cabin to the forge would not hurt either -- unless it had to be in the middle of a ferocious thunderstorm of course, but that kind of thing would put anybody in distress. Wenyr had not really cared much about the local weather yet except for the obvious that it was way too dark for way too long a time during the 'day'. He still called it that way out of sheer convention, but that mental inertia would not hold up for long anymore and he might lose track of time entirely at some point, the blacksmith anticipated.

"So,” Flynn continued, turning towards Wenyr, "Your patron sent us a list of supplies required for you ahead of time, so we have much of them in your forge already. Sunni should be expecting another shipment of goods soon, as well.”

"Let’s go take a look at your new forge as well.” He said decisively, guiding Wenyr out of the designated neighborhood area and towards the middle of the village. As they walked, Flynn pointed out various shops, some already built and others still under construction. He indicated the courier's office, the inn, the apothecary, the merchant's exchange, and the alchemy chambers.

"Here we are.” Flynn said, pausing just outside the doors to allow Wenyr a moment to take in the structure of the building. After a few moments, Flynn pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside, waiting for the blacksmith to follow. For now, the forge was cold and quiet, but soon, Flynn hoped, it would be warm and filled with the symphony of metal on metal, each strike of the hammer against the anvil resonating through the building.

Wenyr craned his neck to have a look onto the structure from bottom to top, noticing the large chimney immediately. It was the telltale sign of a forge and this one had probably been built a tad higher so the smoke could spread out over people's heads instead of coming down onto them. A sturdy construction it seemed, but he was no expert on this. His true realm lay inside and behind the walls.



The sight of an anvil cast that subtle bit of a twinkle in Wenyr's eyes that was indicative of great anticipation. He stepped forward and took a deep breath of the cold air, then touched the large, complex counterpart for his hammer with his calloused hands. "This is the smell of nothing an artisan experiences on only two occasions: Before the workshop is put into action for the first time and after it has gone out of commission." He blinked his eyes towards the prince. "Not that I'd expect the latter to happen in any foreseeable time!" The place looked great and it probably was even large enough for some people to have a stay once the freezing cold had started to reign outside.

"As for Dawnhaven,” Flynn began, walking out of the blacksmith's shop and gesturing towards the surrounding areas as he spoke, "When people aren’t working, you’ll likely find them at The Eye of the Beholder.” he noted, then his eyes trailed to the north, where the Aelios temple stood along the ridge of a mountain, next to a natural hot spring. "Or the hot springs, especially as it gets colder.” He smiled, his gaze returning to the rugged man before him. "Is there anything else I can do for you today, mister Targath? Any questions?”

”There are hot springs?” Wenyr’s amazement about this news was pretty blatant, so far he had imagined those ‘springs’ to be much more like your usual case of a steady water supply. ”That could save a lot on firewood in the winter. I’ve been rather concerned about Dawnhaven starving of fuel and other goods while the passes are likely closed for heavy traffic.”

Flynn smiled genuinely at Wenyr’s interest in the hot springs. While most people enjoyed hot springs, to an Aurelian they held a deeper significance. Not only were they considered sacred in their homeland, but they also provided a comforting reminder of home in such a cold and unforgiving environment. "I knew this would be a good place to settle once the hot spring was discovered.” He chimed happily, making a mental note to himself that a trip to the hot spring would be nice after such a stressful day.

Wenyr pulled his cloak a bit tighter around him as the outside was still significantly colder than the inside with the added wind and snowflakes. "You are probably right. I assume my patron must have figured the same, because at least as far as I know him he's not keen on committing to things that don't have a prospect of actually working out."
At this moment, a brainwave hit the blacksmith: Flynn might be the perfect opportunity to find out more about his own employer. It wasn't that he knew nothing about him, but those nobles tended to keep their secrets and he was just eager to learn more about the man with that much coin. Wenyr had to suppress the idea of asking the prince right now, feeling that it might be inappropriate. "Speaking of him...My patron must have paid a lot of attention when I spoke to him. This looks very good so far. I could start producing the most important things in advance as far as possible if there is any need. Do you think we should put priority on certain things more than others right now ?”

The hot springs didn’t go out of his head but not only for the nice outlook of taking a bath there. A steady source of warmth from the earth could maybe be exploited in other ways, too. He would just have to gather some ideas first and then make a proposal maybe.

As Flynn considered Wenyr’s question, his thoughts drifted back to the Lunaris guards who had arrived in Dawnhaven unannounced. Briefly, he wondered if he should have the blacksmith focus on crafting weapons. Would they need to arm the townspeople if the Lunarians attacked? Was the King of Lunaris planning to declare war? The Queen of Lunaris was dead, and the King was clearly unpredictable. Adding to his concerns, Dawnhaven was also settling on the King’s land, far from Flynn’s home country.

"Swords, spears, axes, and shields.” He decided, trusting that the blacksmith would understand their position. The Lunarian’s posed a large threat on their own, but so did the blight-born that were being welcomed into town. "Horseshoes, as well. We should make sure our animals are well taken care of.”

"Understood." He had honestly not expected this answer, and even though it was a perfectly valid one and working on weapons tended to be much more rewarding than other items in terms of learning and just accepting the challenge, they also meant serious business in an entirely different sense of the word. A sense that left an imaginary, but bitter-sweet taste on Wenyr's tongue. "I will get to work on these as soon as possible. Are you expecting trouble ?" The question had just burst out of him quicker than his mind had been able to catch it. Now the blacksmith bit his lips for having dabbled into what probably was politics.

Flynn turned to the blacksmith, weighing how much he should confide in his fellow Aurelian. "I…” Flynn locked eyes with the man who was clearly older than him and had lived a much tougher life in many ways. "I hope not. But one can never be sure…” He sighed, letting his words hang in the air for a moment “I would appreciate your discretion with the rest of the town. I don't wish to cause alarm, but recent events have me concerned,” He admitted, deciding that his armorer was one of the people he should be putting trust in, if anyone. Wenyr could help him better if he knew the Prince’s concern, though Flynn wasn't yet ready to reveal everything. The announcement about the Queen would have to wait until tomorrow. Octavia needed to grieve, at least for the day. "I trust that I can count on you?”

Wenyr nudged his head towards the door they had just come out of, a gesture that they should get back in. There was no reason to believe in anyone eavesdropping on purpose, but preventing accidental events was often better than not to. The sturdy door's first ever test would not prevent anybody from coming in, but to deny the spoken word the way out. The blacksmith's face had turned more serious than before as he addressed Flynn: "You can. However, if I may, I would not recommend revealing more detail to me than you think is absolutely necessary. Not that I would not trust myself on that, but I can't tell what I don't know even by pure chance." He paused briefly, digging his fingernails into his mane to scratch his head a little. "That being said, I should probably try to make the weapon crafting business a bit more of a discreet affair as well ? I mean, if anybody sees how the town is stocking up on arms and armor, it is easy to add one to one."

"We will provide newer weapons to our knights here.” Flynn said once he had followed Wenyr back inside. "We can use that if anyone starts asking questions, for now.” Flynn’s mind raced with ideas on how to maintain discretion and avoid raising alarms.

"We can trust Sunni, the town merchant, and Orion, my advisor, with this information, and no others. Sunni can attest that we are trading arms for goods, if necessary.” He sighed, the weight of the day evident as his Princely demeanor faltered slightly.

"I hope that we will not need these weapons, but… we must be prepared, if we do.” Flynn added, giving the blacksmith a faint smile, "Thank you, Wenyr. I won't say more on the matter for now. Perhaps my concerns will ease in time...” He tried to sound optimistic, but a sense of unease lingered in his thoughts, hinting that his suspicions might be justified.

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_{Collaboration with @Fetzen}

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TIMESKIP

_{Current Moon Phase: Full | Current Weather: 30 Degrees, a light snow is beginning to stick to the ground | Current Time: 7pm}

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Realms of Sun & Shadow

Hi all! Just an update - I've updated the World Lore section of the 1st post of the Characters tab. The Moonrise Sanctury (in Lunaris), the Sunfire Citadel (in Aurelia), and the Aelios Temple, Seluna Temple, and the Blacksmith Forge have been added to the details in the Dawnhaven section.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Hey all! Just wanted to add here for those not in the Discord - we'll be doing a time skip to 7pm soon! Hold tight.

I have one more collab going and then we'll do the skip :)