Fight the Dark

The words of the spell are swift, and the disorientation that comes with the twisting and reforming of the world around them is more fleeting for some than others. For Seldan, who does not release the spell or stop his murmured focus until the scene coalesces safely into his familiar living room, it is a different matter, and when he stops, the threads of the magic release, and he shakes his head quickly as if to clear it, then looks around.

A small, boyish smile that begins on his lips is instantly snuffed out as the reason for the swift teleport comes flooding back, and he turns at once to Zeke, his hand falling away. "I am sorry," he says, very quietly. "Shall I make tea?"

Reunion chimes in, in the old man's voice. "Don't be, boy. The cheek of that creature. We'd been minding our own business, and she wants us to _back_ her?"

It takes a moment for Zeke, the shifting of the world is not a normal occurance for him, and its disorientation lasts longer for him than it does for Seldan. For a moment, he is in the comfortable environment of Seldan's home. A place which was refuge for him once and it seems is again. Though he means it to be temporary only. "Thisss one isss the one that isss sssorry. To you and to Reunion. For her to inssinuate that you are a demon purely becaussse you would sstand up and ssspeak truthful wordsss..."

Zeke shakes his head. "Thisss one makess for poor company kin. Tea will not make thisss one better to ssspend time with."

"Not so, kin. Her words were but flailing, as with your nest-mother, and when a weapon is wildly wielded, it serves one well to duck, that it does not wound you." Seldan sounds unperturbed, although he takes a step backwards and gestures Zeke towards the overstuffed sofa. "I worry more for who else she might convince of such, but even so am I prepared to stand against her lies, that she not be permitted to do the demon's work for him."

"Yes, I know, Kanian. She asked your thoughts, and then grew angry when they were not what she sought, as a child at times does. It is in my mind, Zeke, that your once-cihuaa is little more than a child."

Slowly at Seldan's bidding, does Zeke move to the sofa and rest there. His sigh is a heavy one, and he nods to the words that his kin offers to him. Trouble brews on his brow. "Sshe was caught by the tower ass a young member of the People. Perhapss being trapped within for sso long delayed her growth to adult-hood. Thisss one doess not know for scertain. Sshe ssseemsss... fine for long periodsss of time and then ssshe doess thingsss that are wild and impulssive."

Zeke looks up. "Do you think that sshe will sspread untruthsss about you? That you are a demon asss sshe sseemsss to fear?"

"It would not be the first time that the adventuring community has turned against me, after she and I had hard words." Seldan's demeanor is thoughtful, more open than he displays in public, as he begins to remove his armor. He seems in no especial hurry, despite the process taking some time. Once or twice, he chants a cantrip to aid him in the removal of a difficult-to-reach piece, his tongue out in concentration as he uses the spell to lift what he himself cannot reach. "I - do not wish to endure that again, but I cannot permit her to go on in such a way, merely to avoid her ire."

This thought seems to consume Zeke for many odd moments while Seldan removes his armor now that they are in the safety of the indoors. Specifically the indoors of the other man's home. For a moment he looks up, thinking about that truth. That Seldan never goes anywhere now without arms and armament. That once this was not so. Yet when demons can walk freely the halls of the temples without remark from the temple itself...

What safety is there?

"There mussst be ssome-thing that can be done to sstop ssuch. You sshould not have to endure otherss turning againsst you for the sssake of..." For his sake. He feels a great swell of guilt in the knowledge that this is his doing. How does one combat words? The perception of others? He himself had tried to fight the perception of only one person, and failed spectacularly.

Concentrating as he is, it takes Seldan a moment to answer, and only when he sets aside his pauldron does he speak. "They turn against me for many reasons. For their own reasons. At times do I think ...." He sighs heavily and shakes his head. "Eluna is friend enough, and that She grants me you, and Serene, as well is much. That which is right is seldom popular, and never easy. The road of the gods is always the harder road, and yet willingly do I walk it, in defense of that which is right and good. I know that I do not walk it alone, and willingly do I welcome those who will walk with me. Most will not, and that, too, do I accept."

While he talks, he's begun work on the other pauldron. The arm and leg pieces are already off. "I perhaps fear more that she is not alone in her behavior, that reckless and rash behavior has become the norm among the Guild. To see one known to me turn to a green dragon and destroy several city blocks ... unleash oozes upon the city ... summon demons to fulfill their desires ...." He trails off, his eyes lowering. "The Tribune is not wrong, Zeke. How long ere we are cast from the city entire, for the Guild will not step forward, they wish only to protect themselves."

Zeke shakes off his lethargy with some effort and nods to Seldan's wise observations. "Thiss one would never have imagined that any of the People would be sso reckless asss to causse sssuch desstruction, but it isss ass you ssay. We are it ssseemsss ssurrounded about with thosse who would by their own ignorance and their own inability to be lesss sselfissh... Desstroy every-thing in their wake. We mussst sstep forward our-ssselvess. We mussst ssshow them through action that which they mussst asspire to become."

He looks toward Seldan and chuffs lightly at the sight of the man half-armored. "Do you need assisstance kin? Thisss one iss much dissstracted to leave you ssso unaided." The sith rises from his seat. Being unfamiliar with heavier armors he doesn't rush in to offer assistance, but he is ready to help should Seldan need it.

"That would be welcome." Seldan dismisses the spell with an arcane gesture, nearly at once. "Untying things with the mage's hand is no easy task. If you could reach the clasp in the back..." With that, he begins to talk Zeke through locating and removing what he cannot reach himself, even as he undoes those that he can reach.

Once the explanations are given, he resumes the conversation. "You have the right of it, kin. No longer can we idly stand by and pray that wiser heads will prevail, for is that not clearly a hope forlorn? No, we must act. Even as I must oppose Cryosanthia, does she wound in her recklessness, so too must I do with all. The innocent of the city are being injured and killed, losing their homes and their loved ones to this behavior, kin! It must end, and if none other will step forward, it must be us."

Luckily, Zeke is not totally without some experience, and he follows direction with total ease. All he needs is a little prompting and a little reminding and the armor comes away easily in his claws. "They will not like it Sseldan. People do not like being told what they are doing wrong." He has seen this many times and knows. It is a sad truth that what one is told to do, they often will turn about and do the exact opposite. "We then, mussst be prepared to be ass firm ass nesst-guardianss mussst be with their hatchlingsss."

"Nor do children, and too many of the Guild are as children. It matters little what they like." Seldan sets aside the other pauldron and begins to work on the gorget, directing Zeke to get the ties that he cannot. As he picks at the strap on front of his neck, he goes on, "I am bound by my vows to Her to protect the innocent. It matters not whether I shield them from demons, dragons, corrupted guards, or irresponsible fools, I must shield them all the same. If that means guiding fools, then so be it."

"Thisss one..." Zeke hesitates, working the ties delicately so that he does not accidentally cut them with his claws. "Thisss one knowsss that what you sssay iss true. The demon doesss not walk down the ssstreetsss killing the innoscent, and yet thiss one knowsss that membersss of the guild have done sssuch."

He sighs. "Thisss one will be ever at your ssside kin, through thisss trial ass with any other. If they do not like it, we mussst be asss healersss and nessst-guardianss and teach them in ssspite of their dessiresss."

Seldan lets out a long, slow breath, but does not turn immediately, waiting for the ties and buckles to come free, one hand going to the metal piece that they hold, to catch it before it falls. "None could ask more, Zeke. It is more than any others have offered, and it is much to me, to have you here. We shall walk this road together, and seek to guide, for by no other means do I see the demon failing in his aims, to divide us."

"What if... He hass already sssucceeded?" Zeke asks softly, looking at Seldan seriously. The last of the buckles undone and the sith holding his own claws now. It's a hard thing for him to ask, because his faith tells him that the light /must/ succeed, but his heart is heavy from the talk with Cryosanthia which had ended so poorly.

"In dividing us?" Seldan sets aside the gorget and begins to work on the breastplate, undoing buckles one by one. "Then - we must reunite. Thus must we not raise hand or harsh words, unless that be necessary to stop harm. We must inspire and remind, not discipline and punish." He speaks slowly, concentrating as he is, but this part he seems to have on his own.

This makes Zeke nod. "Thisss one isss of a mind that we are divided. That thossse who are sseeped in ssselfisssh action can not /be/ united. Thusss we musst bring every-one together. Thisss one doess not think that the demon had to work very hard to bring uss to thiss point, but now that we are here we mussst allow no further back-ssliding. No further quarter to actsss that harm othersss."

"I am uncertain that the demon did much at all. Perhaps was this his aim, but in a fertile field, little is required to sprout a seed." Still, Seldan nods his agreement, then takes a step away from Zeke, to lift it off over his head, and reveal the layer of padding beneath it. This comes off quickly, to reveal shirt and trousers beneath, light ones to accommodate the padding. He sets about arranging the pieces on the armor stand in one corner of the room, a process that gives him time to think, sadness setting into the lines of his mouth. "When we fight amongst ourselves, the demons benefit." A curious use of the plural. "And yet am I bound to oppose those who threaten the city's innocent. Therefore, they must be stopped, and brought to heel, for the good of the city."

Zeke watches Seldan put his armor away and can only nod in agreement. He notices the plurality and tilts his head. "Demonssss? Do you ssspeak of the one you mentioned to thissss one?" He shifts from foot to foot a bit uncomfortably. "Thisss one hass not had the chansse to sspeak with Ssabina, sshe wasss... very hossstile to thisss one when we met briefly of late."

"That do I do." Seldan turns towards Zeke, once that is done, the shirt and trousers left behind rather crinkled and damp with sweat. "She was hostile to you? What did she say? She is difficult to understand, but I have yet to find her hostile."

"Ssshe indicated that thisss one wasss not a good cihuaa." Zeke says gently, looking somewhat away from Seldan.

Surprised, Seldan stops short in his tracks, the state of his clothing forgotten. "Even so? Yes, she was among those who attacked me after hard words with Cryosanthia. I would have thought a servant of the Bard King less swift to judge, and yet -" He lets out a breath. "She is among those to be guided. If you will, perhaps I shall seek her out, and you may join me if you wish. I would learn where she stands with the demon, at any rate, for she does not willingly push the succubus from her."

"I would be glad to join you Ssseldan. At your liesssure." Zeke shifts his tail back and forth, feeling glad that he might be able to be of assistance. "When will you sseek her out?"

"In the coming days," Seldan answers, finally turning back towards the couch, and gesturing that Zeke should do the same. He hesitates only briefly in doing so. "As my duties permit. I do not doubt that you, too, will need to work around your duties, but when first we find ourselves both free, let us seek her out. Truly are there far too many if that ilk within the city, and I am forced to wonder how many have fallen prey to them."

-End