Build It Up

The walls, at least, are up.

A bright, wan sun shines down upon the isolated mountain reach in the Redridge that Zeke and Seldan have selected for their shelter. Only reachable by flight and, when they are finished, teleport, it is a small space, but the two of them don't need much. Seldan had brought along the number of scrolls of _wall of stone_ that he would need for the day - the construction of this is not cheap, but the paladin has the money to spare, and the safety and security of the place is his foremost concern.

The space is triangular, rather than square, the better to blend it into the mountainside, and two of the three needed walls have already been erected, the largest one leaning from the ground against the mountain itself, and one of the two triangular supports that bind it to the mountain's edge. The other remains to be erected, as does the floor, and the hearth that will warm the place, but - there is a measure of shelter, and although it remains to be shaped, it is, at the least, hidden from view.

Seldan allows the dust of the scroll to fall from his hand into nothingness, and surveys his handiwork with a boyish grin that betrays satisfaction. "That shall do, I think. The last wall shall include the shape of the hearth, but that shall be yours to craft. I have not that skill."

"Thisss one will begin it then." Zeke offers, clapping his claws together and setting to the crafting of the hearth with his own magics. He has - at need and with foreknowledge that they would be doing this - requested from the Dragonfather the appropriate spells for the day. Shaping the stone then is easy, though Zeke is not the most skilled crafter in the world, he at least can fix any mistakes that he makes easily enough. While he is focused on crafting the hearth he speaks to Seldan. "Thisss wasss an excellent idea kin."

"We were in need of shelter," Seldan chuckles quietly. "The rope trick serves as shelter enough, but it is not what I would deem comfortable, and it seems that my task shall not be a quick one. Few enough fly, and concealing from prying eyes shall deter those that do. I know that it is colder than you would like, here, but I would be well outside Alexandria's walls. The guild continues to collect fools."

Zeke huffs a small laugh at Seldan's words and nods. "Thiss one will be glad of a real plassce to ssleep. Even if it isss cold, it will only be ssso outssside." He nods again at this and focuses his attention on the shaping of the hearth for a moment. A very important addition to their hand-made and well hidden home. "Doesss it? Thisss one hass not had much experiance with the guild. Though the misssion thisss one did rescently wasss sssurprisssingly... well-handled."

Seldan looks up in surprise, from where he had been pulling a third scroll from his bag, with the clear intent of erecting the final wall that would close the dwelling off from the weather, and where the door will be. "Even so? You did a mission for the Guild? This tale would I hear."

Zeke is glad not for the first time that his kin can not simply smell his embarrassment. Though the quick glance downward might give it away. He moves on a little bit. Shaping that which needs attention so that the building comes together properly. It's odd, but interesting that this task is one that requires both their skills, and which they can do together. "Thisss one went to miness with that female that you were unscertain about. The one with the white bird? The mine had releasssed a consstruct which attacked. It wasss sshaped like a creature of the hellssss."

Here Zeke rolls his shoulder in a shrug. "Thisss one wasss of little enough help. Though thisss one did heal thosse injured onsce the othersss dessstroyed the thing."

"Oh. Mistress Lupecyll-Atlon," Seldan immediately identifies when Zeke mentions the white bird. "She and her husband purchased the house, and one of Eclavdran's minions accosted them." He shakes his head - clearly, he felt quite bad.

He pauses to listen, allowing Zeke to finish before moving on and in the meantime unrolling the scroll to read it. "That is no small thing, Zeke. It matters, because what if you had been set upon a second time?"

The blue-scale nods to Seldan's identification, and briefly bares his teeth at the reminder of Eclavdran and the creature's minions. "They have not had any more sssuch difficultiesss have they?" He asks, hoping that such is the case and that things with the demon are as done as they can be. After everything that Seldan went through...

"You are right of courssse kin. Thisss one did not think of sssuch a thing." He pauses in his shaping long enough to survail his efforts and then nods, beginning to form the larger framework of the area from which smoke would rise. "It sssoundss to thisss one, ass if you met a foolisssh member of the guild?"

"There have been no more troubles, or none of which I have learned." Seldan's answer is absent, and clearly of a thing that no longer troubles him. Instead, he raises a hand and begins to read from the scroll, chanting in a stentorian voice the arcane words that will create the final wall to close them in. Even as he speaks, the crude wall forms, blocking them both in and sealing the domicile firmly to the ground. It will be for Zeke to open them a doorway, when he is ready to do so, but for now, there is grass beneath their feet still, although the sky is blotted out overhead, a silent acknowledgement of Zeke's needs in that regard.

When that is done, the scroll crumbles to dust in his hand, and he turns to Zeke. "The Guild holds all sorts," he replies. "I think this one a young fool, who has not seen the truth for herself. Schara, I believe she named herself. She spoke of celestials being as fiends, but with the decency to make excuses." He all but spits on the ground.

There is a moment of silence from Zeke as he takes in the last wall and readies yet another spell to shape the doorway with. He pauses though, blinking at Seldan's words and then the name clicks in his brain. "Ssschara?" He offers the name hesitantly, then wrinkles his snout and shakes his head. "Thisss one unfortunately met thisss individual alssso. Thisss one isss... not sssurprisssed that ssshe thought of fiendsss and celsstialsss in the sssame way. Ssshe ssseemsss... rude."

"You have met her?" Surprised, Seldan wanders over to his pack and fishes from one pocket in it a small bead, but merely palms it and straightens. "How did this come to be?"

"Ssshe wasss out-sside the scity when thisss one went to vissit Geir in Mictlan." Zeke explains, finally getting into the actual process of shaping the door. He seems very focused on it. Perhaps too focused. Seldan can tell the signs. He's discomforted, and displeased. "Ssshe wasss... very interesssted in thisss one. In thisss onesss limbss ssspecifically."

At once, Seldan's eyes narrow in the way that says that he doesn't like that. "What did she seek?" Steady and even, the words are, but icy steel backs them. Zeke will know that tone. Someone is on thin ice. He falls silent, then, watching Zeke work, and waiting for him to respond when he will.

"Ssshe wanted to know if they hurt thisss one, more about them. Thiss one consssidered the quessstionsss quite rude and... given that ssshe isss not a child, thiss one left." Zeke's voice has a surprising amount of steel beneath it. It's patently obvious that he'd found the entire encounter rude, and perhaps even a touch insulting. "Thisss one doess not underssstand how one can think it appropriate to asssk sssuch thingsss of one they do not even know. Ssshe asssked _why_ the Dragonfather gifted them to thiss one!"

He huffs out an insulted breath and finishes with the doorway. With that done he turns to Seldan and looks at the other man. "Though there isss lesss wondering if ssshe truly believesss that fiendsss and celesstialss are the sssame!"

Seldan's eyes remain narrowed. "I see. It is well to stay well clear of that one. Far more curiosity than sense." He remains seated in the grass, watching Zeke, bead in one hand. "Are you finished with the hearth, kin? I would begin a fire." The pack rests against his knee. "Some have I met of late, with better sense than many I have known, and yet - enough yet do not-"

Zeke nods, clearly in agreement with Seldan. "Yesss. Thisss one believesss that the hearth issss sssufficiant now. If it isss not, let thisss one know. Thisss one isss almossst done with the doorway." Indeed, it seems that he is almost done entirely. A few more seconds and he will be. "Thisss one hopess that thossse without wisssdom will grow and learn." He huffs. "Until then, they are bessst avoided yesss?"

"If Mithralla has not learned by now, he is unlikely to. It is not in my mind that that one shall learn better." Seldan nods his understanding, and casually flicks the bead in his hand into the crafted hearth. A word spoken to it, and it bursts into cheery life, immediately spilling its warmth into the room. Zeke will be well familiar with the campfire bead. It only lasts a few hours, but Seldan has more than one.

"We will need a door for the doorway sssoon. Lessst the heat esscape. Do you have sssome-thing for it?" Zeke's voice is thoughtful as he attends to the important tasks of building. "Thisss one will sssay, that though thisss one knowss that sssome never learn, that there are sssome thingsss which can teach even thossse who are thought unteachable."

He hefts a sigh and looks at Seldan. There is some floor-shaping to do, but he takes a brief break. "Though thisss one would not wisssh sssuch harsssh lesssonsss on any."

"That do I not have," Seldan frowns suddenly. A good point. "Such would require considerable craftsmanship, or else an illusion to conceal it." He stands and goes over to the larger sack he'd brought, a large bag of holding. "I wish such lessons on none, and yet have I seen too many who do not learn." His eyes lower. "Still - as to the door. Of what shall we craft it?"

Zeke considers the question at hand. "Ssstone would be too difficult to move thiss one thinksss. There are wooodss which are gray. Perhapsss that would be besst? Thisss one can retrieve a door made of sssuch. Thisss one knowss you take great risssk in every time you go to the scity."

"Will it withstand the weather here?" Seldan sounds concerned, but he does scoot aside to make room for Zeke near the hearth, across the shelter from where the door is. "I can enchant to keep the wind and weather out, for tonight, and install the door when it is ready. I would meld its hinges directly into the stone."

"Sssuch thingsss can be made well enough to withssstand ssuch." Zeke offers, eagerly getting closer to the hearth. There may be some work yet left to do, but he will be the better for some warmth. "And it isss wissse to merge the two. To keep the heat in, and to ssecure the door. Would you like sssome tea Sseldan?" Such cold made tea sound like a blessing to the sith-makar.

"Tea would be most welcome." Seldan knows better than to ask whether Zeke has a tea service. "The kettle is in the large sack," he tells the sith-makar. "For now, the tripod will suffice us, although we should add a hook to the hearth itself. "Perhaps when we are done here, we shall hunt ourselves dinner."

Zeke gets out the kettle and fills it with water. He sets up the tripod over the fire and putts around happily. It's nice seeing him so relaxed, at ease in this their new home however makeshift and unfinished it is. He thumps his tail once happily and turns toward Seldan once everything is ready to boil. "Thisss one doess not enjoy isssce-fisshing very much. And it isss difficult to find prey in the wildernesss in the winter." He sighs lightly. "Thiss one thinksss perhapsss a rabbit? If we can find one."

"Do you wish it, there is the jerky from last week's hunt," Seldan offers, nodding to the large sack sitting in a sheltered corner of the walls. They had prepared it from a buck Seldan had brought down the previous week, and had taken great care to ensure that Zeke watched, and had a hand in, the manner of its preparation. "I know not if there are yet vegetables, but perhaps a stew?" He, too, is relaxed, a smile to see Zeke happy forming on his lips. "There is much still to be done, but it is warm and dry at the least."

"A nisce sstew sssoundsss perfect." Zeke putters around a little bit more, beginning to see what they have for the makings of stew. "Have you done any-thing elssse lately? Met any-one interesssting?" His curiosity is a gentle thing, easily shaken aside if Seldan doesn't feel inclined to talk. He hums as he looks over their stores with some degree of disappointment. They have enough for a stew, but not much more than that. It is beyond time for the collection of supplies. The jerky gets a hard look and a sniff in spite of everything, but in the pot it goes with a few potatoes and some other odds and ends to be spiced and stirred.

"I have spoken of the vision, and of the statues, have I not?" While Zeke is sniffing at the jerky, Seldan is fishing from the large sack the iron pot that they use for cooking. He makes no mention of the sniffing, merely allows Zeke to satisfy himself on this point. "I am also aiding some of the younger guild members. It is in their minds that they have found a portal of some sort, but they wish to be certain. That much will I willingly do."

Zeke nods attentively to Seldan's words. "Yesss, you have mentioned thessse thingsss. Have you had more dreamssss sssince giving the sstatue back to the one who gave it to you?" There's mild concern there, but the visions had been a gift from Eluna and he can not begrudte a deity communion with their servant. "What of thiss portal? It isss doing sssome-thing unusussual? Like or unlike the one to Am'ssshere?"

"I have not dreamt again since," Seldan shakes his head, then fishes from his own pack a packet of herbs, purchased from a seller in Wilderness Pointe well familiar with those living in the wilderness who can't cook. The entire contents of the packet go inside the pot, and he stands up, pulling a small camp bucket from the bag of holding. "I shall return," he tells Zeke, and disappears outside. Zeke is likely to know his intent - he's getting snow to melt for water to add to the stew.

-End