Advice for the Giving

Few clouds, clear sky, rising temperatures, and glaring light. Praise the Sun! Now that He is praised, could He take a rest behind a cloud? Dim a little? Throw in a cooling breeze? While there are seasons other than freezing, roasting, and drowning, sometimes it seems as if they are relatively scarce. Still, this does not stop Aya from walking through the temple plaza, though it does put her path close to the temples, themselves; for brief morsels of shade rather than zeal or faith, but closer all the same. While she may be able to generate some personal shielding shadows of her own accord, less conspicuous seems better than more given current events.

Exiting the Temple of Daeus there is a blue-scaled sith whom is a fairly conspicuous figure. His white cassock is one thing, though here in the temple district that's not surprising. Part of it is the crystal limbs of course. Particularly in the sunlight they glimmer and shine. Really though, it's how he carries himself these days. His back straight, no flinching. No hiding. He's a far cry from the sith he was when he first came to Alexandria all those years ago. More for him than for the city have passed though. Enough to change him.

He notices Aya as he comes out, and seems indecisive about if he should approach her or not. After a moment's hesitation however he does so. "Peassssce on your nessst." He offers the greeting politely, but perhaps a bit stiffly.

It may be for better or worse that Aya aids the approach upon noting the cerulean Sith Sunguard by altering her course towards him. "Peace on your nest, Sunguard. Zeke." A pause before she offers, "It is certainly a day for Daeus, no?" as she glances slightly upwards, squinting against the light. "I am not the fiend," she then adds, rather casually, if confidently.

Zeke glances skyward briefly and nods. "Yesss. The Dragonfather sssmiless on usss today." He shifts his tail back and forth in pleasure at the warmth provided by the sun and then returns his green gaze to Aya. "Thisss one sssussspected sssuch. Given that you are not looking for.... your-ssself, or harming the people."

"I was never one for harming people, in general," Aya agrees, "though I still very much search for ... it. It also seeks me, so far as I can tell, if indirectly." Her words pause as she shifts her focus to him, looking him over briefly; starting at the shifting tail and then moving up, and up, to the more upright and imposing top of him. "You are well, then?"

The bluescale blinks at the question, clearly not expecting to be asked after. He starts to answer automatically, but then actually stops to think about it and then rolls his right shoulder. "Thisss one isss well enough. There hasss been... a lot of late. Thisss one hasss been aiding Sseldan, and the Temple ass needed. Thisss one hass been thinking of late how-ever that thisss plasce doess not... need thiss one any longer."

He looks down at her placidly and seems to assess her. "However, thisss one ssshould be asssking sssuch of you. Thisss one hass heard that you resssurrected the man you killed."

One might think that such would not still sting, though Aya's sudden wince strongly suggests otherwise. It passes nearly as quickly and then she nods. "He should never have suffered for my choice, but I should have known better. A fiend's test... or sense of amusement. We are now ...reconciled." It is the closest appropriate term that comes to her mind.

Aya then moves to his latter comments. "I heard Seldan and Malik had sold their home. I am not surprised that they, or you, might seek matters elsewhere. This city seems to draw far too much unpleasant attention."

Zeke shakes his head. "It isss not the unpleasssant attention that thisss one mindsss, but the lack of care in the heartsss of thossse that call thiss plasce home." He looks at Aya, and if there is some judgment there in his eyes, then she might begin to guess at where it comes from. "Thisss one never thanked you for what you did for Lily, and thisss one can not. However, ass one who wasss for a time her caretaker... thisss one undersstandss what could drive one to make sssuch a choisce." He nods low to her.

The nod is returned, though Aya's eyes remain lowered for a time. "I knew that I was not akin to yourself, Seldan, Serene and the sort. I cannot protect a city or a nation... but I thought that I might be able to spare just one..." An exhale and she straightens. "I regret that the consequences spread to others, but I cannot say that I regret that choice. There are many before that which I do. As for others' hearts, I am sure that Alexandria is not the only city nor nation in need, and there are bound to be more caring hearts elsewhere. Not to say that I wish you to rush out of the city; you only just returned."

"Thisss one underssstandsss. Thisss one did not go with Sseldan to protect a scity or nation. But to protect kin." Zeke's tail continues to shift back and forth behind him and after a moment he reaches out, telegraphing a gentle touch on Aya's shoulder. She has more than enough time to pull away from an unwanted contact. "Thisss one iss not sssure yet where thisss one will go, only that thisss one will sstay at the ssside of Sseldan, and Geir. For they are clossse to thisss onesss heart."

Aya is not against the contact and does not avoid it, yet she is surprised by it. A brow arches over the eye regarding him. Her other hand then moves, slowly, towards the contact. A brief pat to the touching hand, though similarly telegraphed and easily avoided. The brow lowers and her eye are intent yet ...softened. "I know that you cannot condone nor absolve, nor would I expect either. That you understand, that is more than enough." Then there is the matter of kin, to which she nods. "Those closest to me are here, and so I will be. Whether or when that might change..." She gives a slight roll of her shoulder.

"The sssoft-ssskin sssaying isss... home isss where the heart isss yesss?" Zeke got it right in the first try, which means he's heard it quite a lot, and he takes his hand back only after she returns the touch with her own. "Thisss one mussst have a difficult heart, for it hasss led thisss one on a merry chassse."

He seems amused by this and he looks at her with an expression that one gives when they are old and the person they are looking at is young. "Yoursss too Aya. Hasss led you on a difficult path. When you are unscertain in the future, thisss one hopesss that you will remember that it will guide you where you need to be."

There goes the brow again, though now it pulls up a half-smile along with it. "That does seem apt. Anything else is merely a place." She considers a moment before noting, "I have heard another; that nothing worthwhile comes easily. If so, then what we have earned is the most worth having. I believe that true. I might have known far earlier, been guided easier, had I listened to it, then."

Zeke emits a light amused noise and shakes his head. "You are young yet. Time enough to learn from passst missstakess." His laughter fades into something far more serious however after a moment. "Thisss one hass meant to asssk you for sssome time. Why did you sssummon the demon into the temple Aya?"

Another choice that still stings. Moreso, even, as it is not so easily reconciled. A sigh is exhaled and her eyes lower. "It was never my wish to bring him there, and I will ever regret such, but I was unable to leave." Her gaze then rises back to the makari. "Seldan, Serene, the archmage... we were all invalids. Most of those who would stand against him were helpless. Had he known, he would have immediately struck. He owed me a boon, and I claimed it to heal myself. One to stand between him and others, if need be. Why not use his own power against him...? not that I succeeded, in the end."

Zeke blinks at her. "But you risssked all of you... You risssked every-one in the temple. To heal your-ssself early? If he had found Sseldan in hisss weakened sstate, or Sserene - asss you sssay..." Zeke shakes his head. They both know that the demon would have gladly taken advantage of such a situation. Perhaps particularly where Seldan was concerned. "No. One can not change the passst. One can not undo misstakesss made, it isss enough that you have regret. It iss enough that you have learned." He nods to her again.

"I did not know they were present," Aya notes, "though that absolves nothing... and I won't claim that stopping him was my only motivation to be healed. I was foolish. As the Silverguards are right to note, I have much to answer for. I do and shall."

"Aye, yet you hunt the demon that wasss your-ssself now. A noble quessst." Zeke nods. He's not really sure how else to put her hunting a demon that was once a part of her. "If you have need of aid in thisss, do not hesssitate to asssk thisss one. Yesss?"

Aya nods almost absently. "It threatens those closest to me, but also many others. It can't be allowed to survive." Her expression perks at his offer of aid. "I would be most grateful. Like its former master, the problem is not slaying it, but convincing it to remain so. Fiends are so-" her words stop and her eyes widen as some thought appears to strike.

It seems that Zeke might have some advice on this, for he begins to open his mouth, but her eyes tell him that some thought of her own has struck and he changes what he was about to say. "What iss it?"

Aya's lips purse and her brow wrinkles. "What you said, that the demon was myself. I just realized... you might be completely correct." She does not explain further immediately, though its possible the seed remains. She also now realizes that she interrupted. "If you have advice on utterly destroying a fiend, I would welcome it. Aside from marching to the Iron Hells to slay it there. That is not the ideal, but not out of the question."

Zeke nods, but doesn't really understand. He senses that she doesn't really want to explain now. Perhaps she needs to further think upon it. Either way he continues at her request. "There wasss a misssion, and a weapon that Eclavdran... desssired. Becaussse it could kill any-thing. Thisss blade wasss named: Mortal Dread, and Sseldan wielded it for a time. It iss one of sssome number of weaponsss that are rumored capable of killing a demon - regardlesssss of where it sstandsss."

Aya blinks at that revelation. She was obviously not aware of such a thing. "I can think of many reasons why he would desire such a thing, none of them pleasant. Seldan possesses this weapon?!"

Unfortunately, Zeke shakes his head in the negitive. "No. He did wield it for a time, and Mikilossss posssesssed it before him, but thisss one believesss that it was returned sssome-how to the one that they retrieved it from. Thissss one doesss not know exactly."

Aya's interest remains, though the spark of an immediate, easy (relatively) answer dims with a nod. "I suppose that is not something he would, nor should, be permanent guardian of. Reunion is active enough as it is. I will ask them of it. Thank you. A weapon is an option, and one that I understand far better than rituals nor lore."

Zeke nods to Aya, clearly pleased to have been of aid to her in her quest. "Thisss one would sssuggessst assking one or the other - perhapsss both. They can scertainly aid you better than thisss one in thisss regard. However, thisss one will ponder the quesstion ass well. How to desstroy a demon yesss? We will find a way together."

"Crushing it with my bare hands would be prefered," Aya admits with a wistful edge, "but fiends are not so politely simple. I will welcome any and all possible options. I will speak with Mikilos, first. He is already working against the fiend," a sudden frown, "and has his own motivations against it."

"Asss you will." Zeke replies simply, looking out beyond the woman before him and giving himself a little shake. "Thisss one sshould be off. Thisss one hass dutiesss to attend to; unlesss there isss ssssome-thing elssse that thisss one can do to aid you?"

Aya considers that for a moment or three before shaking her head. "No, thank you. It is good to see you again, Zeke, but I won't keep you from your duties." She dips her head in a deep nod before offering, "Peace on your nest..." a slight squinting glance upwards, "and may He always light your way?"

-End