Re-Reunion

Mikilos quietly makes his way through the temple, nodding politely to the Mourners he passes, headed to a particular room of recovery. Most people brought to the Mourners are on the other side of things, but there are exceptions. Pausing at the door to make sure everything is alright, Mikilos enters the room where Menel has been unconscious, and takes a seat. From his bag he takes a bronze kettle, a pair of mugs, a small bronze box, a plate and fork, setting them all upon a small table. Tracing a rune upon the kettle and box, the wizard settles back to wait. In a few minutes, the kettle begins to steam, the box begins to sizzle, and the scent of fresh coffee and bacon start to fill the room. Because of course he'd have portable breakfast in his bag.

The man is laying on his stomach, his upper body healed now, but his back shows an uncomfortable network of scars. Some are at least a decade old, with newer ones layered over, and over one another to form the most intricate and oddly beautiful snowflake. If not for the fact that it must have hurt for years to earn it. The young man doesn't stir as Mikilos enters the room, but the smell of food... This rouses him.

He awakens all at once, turning over in the bed and onto his side, his bright blue eyes opening and then brightening instantly at the sight of Mikilos. A quick friendly grin flashes across his face and stays there as he completes the turn and sits up in bed. "Mikilos! Or should I call you by your full name?"

Mikilos laughs, and smiles, pouring a mug of coffee. "Just Mikilos is perfectly fine. Take it easy, you've been out for days. I've been in contact with some of your neighbors, they said coffee and bacon would be sure to get you out of bed. Though the priests said you'd likely be up today anyay, I thought it wouldn't hurt to hedge my bets. How do you feel?"

Menel scrubs a hand through his hair ruefully and lets out a little laugh. "It's the smell of food. I feel like I haven't eaten in... well days I suppose." He looks slightly troubled around his smile though, and he lets his hand fall into his lap as Mikilos speaks. "I've been in and out. Way more tired than I should be and I don't know why. I was hoping to actually get out of bed today though; at least stay awake for more than an hour at a time."

Mikilos nods, frowning mildly. "You've been through a lot. Being exhausted is pretty normal. But the bacon should be ready in a moment, and I've bread, butter, and jam if you like. Do you take you coffee with anything? I typically stick to tea, so wasn't sure."

The young man brightens a bit at the offer of food and settles back in his bed. "I'm not picky, I'll eat just about anything, so however you make coffee will do." Menel’s stomach gives a low grumble and he has the grace to look embarrassed. "If you don't mind sharing that is. I don't want to put you out."

Mikilos laughs again. "I don't usually eat at all. Just a couple times a month to make sure I remember how. So you're perfectly welcome to take as much as you like." He frowns mildly, taking up the plate and using the fork to pull some bacon out of the bronze box, adding a thick slice of bread with plenty of butter. "You saved my life. Maybe even more than that. Not just myself, others as well. A bit of food doesn't even start to convey my thanks."

He waits patiently, his eyes darkening at the subtle shift in conversation. "I'm glad you made it okay Mikilos. I wasn't sure you would. I wasn't sure anyone would." Menel leans forward slightly, hands tightening on his covers. "I didn't save nearly enough. Not nearly enough. I should have died rather than let Her hurt /one/ person but..."

His shoulders hunch and he looks mournfully at Mikilos. "Do you remember any of it Mikilos? I mean... you recognized me."

Mikilos hands over the plate and mug of coffee, pouring a second mug for himself. "...almost nothing. Standing on the road with Demontry, and then, blank. A few vague impressions. Stone walls, an impression of time passing, and then on a snowy plain with you. Even that is foggy, but I remember most of it. But the tower itself? Almost nothing."

Menel takes the food and sets the coffee near at hand. "Thanks for the meal! I mean it, I can't even remember the last time I had... anything like this." He seems so intensely grateful for this simple thing, staring at it for a long moment before tucking in. He doesn't speak while talking, and he has incredibly polite manners, but the food vanishes so quickly that it's remarkable.

The young man shudders at the mention of the vampire, sighs and shakes his head. "Really, it's for the best you don't remember Mikilos. No one should ever remember what happened there." Menel breaks a piece of bacon in half and then looks up, a soft glad smile on his face. "I'm so glad you made it back. Even if you don't remember. We were good friends you and I."

Mikilos smiles at the idea, not quite a memory, but then frowns. "I need to remember. At least some things. How and where and what. Clues about the plague, to help finish a cure. Details about the tower, to find it. And the Mistress, to stop her. She needs to be stopped."

The young man shakes his head. "You don't /want/ to remember Mikilos." Menel leans forward slightly, and looks at the other man intently. "She'd probably kill you if you even tried. There's no way. Nothing She won't do to achieve Her goals."

He speaks oddly of her, this woman that can not be remembered, saying 'Her' as though it's important somehow. "Better to forget Mikilos. I swear it is. Trust me on this."

Mikilos considers a few moments, and shrugs. "Not sure I've a choice in the matter. Wanting to remember, and doing it, are two very separate things. But memory or not, I can't just sit idle. Even if it means she comes after me again." He considers a few more moments. "Do you know anything about Silvermoon?"

The name makes Menel wince and he nods once, his visage paling somewhat. Then, in a low tone, as if it is a secret that must stay between them only he speaks. "She hates it. More than Alexandria almost I think. She'll destroy it if She can. She'll destroy Alexandria too. Just because they might help Silvermoon." He coughs and looks around as though they might have been overheard, then straightens. "Why?"

Mikilos frowns darkly, and sighs. "We've lost contact. No messages in or out. Nothing coherent from the border. I've been waiting to hear something to work with, but it's looking like will need to go myself to find anything out."

"Then She might have already succeeded. What if She has? What if you go there and..." Menel bites his lip. "No it can't be... but it could be bad. Very bad. Definately not safe."

He shakes his head and watches Mikilos. "I know I can't make you stay, but there's no way of knowing what She's wrought there. You shouldn't go alone. I'd go with you, but I haven't even been out of bed yet." Menel looks toward the door with purposefulness and it's clear that the bed isn't going to hold him much longer; that it might not even hold him for a day longer.

Mikilos smiles. "I won't go alone. And not inside, just to the border. Find out what I can, make a plan, go from there." He ponders a few moments. "I'm from Silvermoon. My family is there."

Menel lets out a little laugh. "You told me before. Said if you ever got free you wanted to see them again. I suppose that it's natural that you'd want to go back now." He leans back again, plate empty; coffee gone. "I wish you luck then Mikilos, and when you come back... I promise to be in fighting shape so that I can help next time."

Mikilos nods, and considers. "...the snowflake. Do you know if there's something to that? Just an icon she likes, or is there more to it?"

This Menel seems to think about for a long moment. "I guess I don't know for certain. Everything's ice around Her. Ice and snow and freezing cold. I could never tell if it was on purpose or if it was somehow in Her nature. But She puts that mark on everything that's Hers. Marks us like we're property." He seems angry and with good reason, but as he talks the realization comes out, that he talks about her like this because he's served her so long. That she's become something greater than him in his mind. He's clearly served her for... a very long time. "It's Her mark. You should understand that Mikilos, being a wizard."

Mikilos nods. "I think I understand. But I don't understand Her. Rules change, depending on perspective. I know what Marks would mean if I put them there. When she does it, I'm less certain."

"I guess I don't really know. I've never really understood why She does what She does." He really thinks about it. "I think... it's an ownership thing for Her. But I also think it's practical. I've seen Her scry things with that mark. So... maybe it's something that makes that easier?" Menel shakes his head and shrugs helplessly. "I don't really understand magic I'm sorry."

Mikilos nods. "I think that's part of it, the scrying." He ponders. "I'll have to be careful, assume she's watching, until I can figure out some way to remove or block it."

Menel nods, understanding this entirely. "Be careful Mikilos. I know She's watching Alexandria, and even if She's not scrying you, you could be talking to someone She's scrying. Or someone that belongs to Her and doesn't even know it."

Mikilos nods. "I know a little about scrying, I have some ideas. It's mostly a matter of being aware. Though there are some details I'll need to check."

The young man nods and settles his plate on the stand beside his bed and grins at Mikilos. "I know you can do it Mikilos. I'm... I'm sure that the people here can find a way to make her stop. There's got to be a way."

Mikilos nods. "We've faced worse than her before. This time she's made it a little more personal. That was a mistake."

-End