Legacy

[Lethe]

A long time ago, there was war in a city of iron and shadows in the centre of the multiverse. A great Power, long caged within the central circle of the circle, broke free and began a war of conquest, aiming to destroy everything. Although few understand the distinction, it was not evil so much as ineffably sad, lonely and weary of the world. It accumulated a vast store of magical weapons and artifacts, and used them to conquer more, gaining even more magic.

Eventually, on the very edge of the multiverse, just within sight of reaching its goal, all the gods joined in an attack against it and banished it back to its prison in the City of Ghosts.

But its huge collection of magic artifacts; granting far too much power to any one individual, even a god, remained. The gods conferred for centuries (in their time, mere hours) on what to do, and eventually reached a conclusion. They chose a young sorcerer in the City of Ghosts; Jaedhar Talion, and bestowed on him the Legacy, as the collection of artifacts had come to be known.

The greatest item in the Legacy was the Omen; a great flying ship with the power to pierce the walls of the worlds. Jaedhar was to travel the multiverse, restoring the Legacy piece by piece to its original owners, or their descendants (since all of the mortal owners and some of the immortals were dead by now). In cases where this proved impossible, Jaedhar was to use his best judgement on how to proceed. It wasn't an enviable task, and would certainly take many lifetimes to complete. An added problem was that the Omen only flew one way; it could never return to the worlds it had visited. This meant Jaedhar would have to make sure every piece of magic belonging there had been restored before he left a world, or all hell would break loose.

One of the first places Jaedhar visited was an ice-covered world, ruled by a benevolent empire. While discussing the return of certain of the artifacts with the king, the eighteen-year old princess Kari saw Jaedhar and developed an instant crush on him; so much so that she stowed away aboard the Omen and was on it when it left in the morning. Kari was unaware that she would never be able to return...

Okay, I need just one player; to take the part of Kari. The idea of the thread is a sort of light-hearted anime-ish series of strange voyages, visiting the various worlds on the Omen's agenda, restoring the artifacts, getting in and out of trouble and trying to sort out their love-lives (Jaedhar is completely clueless about Kari's feelings).

Characters:

Jaedhar:

Average height, long blonde hair generally blowing loose in the winds from the Omen's slipstream. Dark blue eyes, generally dressed in midnight blue armour and a cloak.
Jaedhar is serious and often quiet. He speaks calmly and sincerely. He is a little too wrapped-up in the importance of his quest, and often neglects his own life in attending to the Legacy.

Kari:

Just below average height, with spiky red hair and laughing green eyes. Kair generally has a mischevious grin on her face, even when she's not planning trouble. When she is, she sometimes attempts a very unconvincing 'innocent' expression. She dresses in furs and much patched, tight leather clothes, from her ice-world home, which serve her equally well aboard the Omen.
She was the despair of her parents because she would never 'act like a princess', instead always getting into scrapes and trouble. Despite her brashness, she's still rather shy around Jaedhar, and (as yet) wouldn't dream of telling him how she feels. She claims to have stowed away 'for the adventure', which is partly the truth.

Any takers?

 

[Lethe]

Bump. Anyone?

 

[goddess_euphoria]

Kari

I'd probably taken more luggage than your average stowaway. Maybe I was never the perfect little princess that my mother and father had wanted, but I'd certainly learned to travel like one. I'd even convinced Shamira, my closest friend and servant girl since birth, to help me carry it all to the ship. She was fearful at first, though I calmed her, reminding her that she couldn't be punished for doing something which I'd ordered her to do.

Before I climbed aboard the ship she hugged me, telling me I shouldn't go, as she was sure my parents would miss me terribly. I scoffed at the idea, it would probably be a week before my parents even realized I'd left, so long as none of the servants alerted them. I handed her the letter I'd written, telling her she was only to give it to my parents when they finally did realize I was gone. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, telling her again not to worry.

"I'm sure I'll be back in less than a month," I said to her. "Father will send for me as soon as he knows what's going on. Hopefully before then I'll have some fun though." I winked at her, and she giggled. It was nice to see her smile before I left.

I quickly climbed aboard the ship and hid myself away. I had to be sure my presence wasn't detected too soon, I didn't want Jaedhar to send me back before I got a chance to know him better. I closed my eyes, picturing him in my mind. A smile spread across my lips as I remembered his amazing blue eyes, and how his hair shone in the light. It wasn't only that he was handsome, it was the way he carried himself, the way he spoke, so eloquent and calm. I imagined that he wouldn't have a temper like my father's, and since he was on this mission, he must have the heart of an explorer. He'd be more accepting of different things and ideas, he'd be someone I could talk to. I drifted off to sleep, imagining him laughing and smiling as we talked, imagining him feeling the same for me as I did for him.

I couldn't tell how long I'd been asleep, and for a moment, I couldn't recall where I was. The slight rocking movement reminded me, I stood and cautiously peeked out of a nearby porthole. Endless stars stretched out before my eyes. Judging by the constellations, we were all ready quite some distance from my home planet. I chose however to remain in hiding for a while longer, hoping that the further we were, the less likely he'd be to take me back. I paced a little to stretch my legs, being careful not to make a sound. At length, I sat down again and pulled some food from one of my bags, thankful that Shamira had been thoughtful enough to pack me a couple of meals.

I decided that I would wait until tomorrow to reveal myself. I was sure that would put a sufficient distance between us and my home planet. I spent the day reading, as well as writing in my journal about everything that had happened. Well, maybe nothing too exciting had happened yet. It was killing me to be so still and quiet. I finally tired again, from pure boredom I'm sure, as the clock I'd brought with me said only 6 hours had passed. I drifted off to sleep again, counting the moments when I would be again able to see Jaedhar again.

OOC: Hope that's what you were looking for, let me know.

 

[Lethe]

OOC: That looks perfect




It was cold on the top deck of the Omen. The ship was wrapped in a bubble of power, but still it was cold. Jaedhar stood with his feet braced against the slipstream winds and his eyes closed. His hands clasped the white crystal Navigator's Stone, the artifact that guided the ship through the dimensions.

The stars around started to blur into a long tunnel of light. Fine lightning crackled on Jaedhar's brow like a strange gemstone. He was nervous, though his face was as calm as ever. He had only done this once before, leaving the no-space of the City of Ghosts for this universe.

The stars and the darkness surrounding them suddenly blinked out, and there was nothing but grey void; the emptiness of nullspace.

Drops of sweat began to glisten on Jaedhar's forehead. The lightning reacted with tiny sparks. It was so hard, in the greyness between universes, to resist the pull of oblivion at the Omen. He could see a small dot of light in the distance beyond the greyness; the light of the next universe.

With one final, huge effort he dragged the Omen (it suddenly felt like he was doing just that; pulling the entire mass of the ship by himself) into the light and then collapsed on the deck.


He allowed himself to stay there, and then grimly pulled himself upright. He had a day or so before the ship reached the next world on the itinary; he had to use to go over the Legacy's inventory, work out what he would have to give back there. Make plans. But he was so tired. Perhaps he could spare himself a few hours, just to sleep.

Jaedhar sometimes wondered why the gods had had to choose him.


As he made his way down the companion way to the Omen's sleeping quarters, located near the middle deck, he passed rows and rows of the Legacy's artifacts. Weapons, armour and all manner of strange things, just crackling with power. Jaedhar sometimes thought he glimpsed, out of the corner of his eye, ghostly presences among the piled-up Legacy artifacts; flitting white shades of former owners or victims.

They didn't bother him, in fact he found them vaguely comforting. He'd been born and raised in the City of Ghosts, a place where the half-empty stone courts echoed with footsteps made in another age and the quiet shadows of conversations still lingered among the forests of columns in the cloisters. The Omen was a very empty ship, and ghosts were better company than none.

He glanced out a porthole at the slowly moving stars outside. This universe looked no different. Of course, why should it? Still, Jaedhar felt an odd twinge of nostalgia for the worlds he'd just left behind forever. The forest worlds; where men lived among huge trees, and the ice planet, where he'd given the ruling family back the Icicle Sceptre and there had been that princess, Kari?, who'd stared at him so oddly until her father had told her to leave them alone...

Jaedhar sighed, and continued moving down the corridor to his modest cabin. As he passed it, he noticed that the door to one of the cabins was slightly open.

Jaedhar glanced inside casually as he prepared to close it. And Jaedhar, unflappable Jaedhar Talion, recieved the shock of his life when he saw a slim, red-haired girl who should have been in another universe curled up asleep on the bunk, several large bags lying on the floor.

Princess Kari

He had to clear his throat several times before he felt capable of speaking loudly enough to awake her, and then the words just couldn't come. Eventually, he had to walk across the room and shake her gently by the shoulder.

How did she get here? And how will I get her back?

Jaedhar staring down at her sleeping face, began to feel the unfamiliar emotion of panic

 

[goddess_euphoria]

Kari

I was brought up out of a dream I couldn't quite remember, but had given me an uneasy feeling. Someone was gently shaking my shoulder. Still half asleep, I frowned and batted at the hand, mumbling. The shaking stopped for a moment, then persisted once more.

"Just another half hour or so," I mumbled, trying to roll away from the bothersome hand. Though instead of moving to the middle of my large bed, my knees hit against a wall. It was then I ventured to open an eye, and I sharply remembered where I was, and that there had been a hand. I turned back over, looking up at Jaedhar. He had the oddest look on his face. Not anger, at least not yet.

He looked perplexed, maybe even a little worried, or was that fear in his face. I swung my feet over the bunk, sitting up, then looked up at him again. I bit my lower lip and lowered my gaze to the floor. Surely any second now he'd start lecturing me. I glanced up at him, and he opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, then closed it again. My eyes began shifting around the room, not wanting to see any disappointment in his own. It seemed I was always disappointing someone.

"What," he started, then stopped, "how?" He stopped again, sighing.

"I'm sorry," I said, still not meeting his eyes just yet. "Please, don't be mad, I just wanted to go somewhere," I paused, venturing a quick glance up, "have an adventure." He still said nothing, so I went on, "I promise I won't be any trouble, just let me stay a little while, then you can send me home."

 

[Lethe]

She didn't understand what she'd done. Jaedhar felt a little ill watching her face, worried and anxious. She didn't understand at all, and he was going to have to be the one to break it to her.

Instead of speaking, he moved slightly, picked up something from the cabin's shelf just to have something to fiddle with, just to postpone the moment coming. It was a perfectly spherical golden stone; a Legacy artifact. The treasures of the Legacy had been stored all over the ship, wherever there was space. Carved from dreams, Jaedhar dimly recalled from the quick scan he'd done of the entire inventory at the start of the voyage. Strange, the things came back to you.

At last, he set the dreamstone down, and sat down on the bunk. He placed a hand awkwardly on Kari's shoulder. He'd been born the only child of solitary, cold patrician parents, in a city where children were few and far between and those that were did not laugh or play. He was not used to dealing with other people, especially ones like Kari, whose idea of an adventure was to sneak aboard a divinely appointed ship.

"The ship can't go back", he said at last, flatly. Then, letting his hand stroke her shoulder uncertainly. "I'm sorry. We're in another universe now. The Omen can never return. You can never return. Princess... I'm so sorry..."

 

[goddess_euphoria]

For a while, Jaedhar still seemed uncertain of what to say, he fiddled with some object for a while before setting it back down. He finally came over and sat next to me. Perhaps he wouldn’t be mad with me after all I thought. He placed a hand on my shoulder, I smiled a little, having him so close to me so soon was more than I’d expected. Finally, he spoke.

"The ship can't go back," I frowned, not yet comprehending what he meant. His hand was stroking my shoulder now, which I would have delighted in if not for what he’d said. "I'm sorry,” he continued, “we're in another universe now. The Omen can never return. You can never return. Princess... I'm so sorry..."

I sat there, dumbfounded for a moment, had I heard him right? What did he mean I could never go home? Then I figured it out, and jerked away from his hand, glaring at him.

“I realize you’re upset with me, but it’s no reason to be saying such horrible things!” I spat the words out, as usual, I spoke without thinking much first. If I had taken the time to think in this instance, I would have noticed the look on Jaedhar’s face, I would have known he wasn’t kidding. Instead, I went on, “You can just tell me you’re upset, yell at me even, it would be better than saying something like that!” I got off the bunk in a huff, striding across the room, intending to scowl out the porthole until he apologized. Instead, what I saw made the color drain from my face, the stars, the constellations, nothing was as it should have been.

I closed my eyes, shaking my head to be sure I was seeing straight. I looked up and again the same strange spacescape. I knew every star surrounding my home planet, it was one area of study that I’d loved, I could name practically every constellation in my galaxy, but this wasn’t my galaxy. I moved to another porthole to look again, and again, saw the same thing. I finally looked back at Jaedhar, and his face confirmed everything. I felt the floor swaying under me, I put out a hand to steady myself, but there was nothing there. Before I could hit the floor, Jaedhar caught me, bringing me back to the bunk. I sat there, dazed, resting my head in my hands and staring down at the floor to steady myself.

“What have I done?” My voice was barely audible, I felt myself began to shake. “I never meant to... I mean, I didn’t know.... I just... oh, what have I done?” The tears came then, I couldn’t stop them, and I hated crying in front of anyone besides Shamira. I felt his hand on my shoulder, he’d sat down next to me again. I turned towards him, burying my head into his chest.

At length, I sensed his awkwardness, I took a moment to dry my eyes before sitting up right again. I didn’t know what to say, and I couldn’t bear to look at him. My eyes again fell to the floor, I was quickly becoming very familiar with it at least. The silence stretched out between us, I wondered if there was any way out of the mess I’d gotten myself into. For once I wished I’d listened to my parents, just behaved myself like a good little princess.

“I’m sorry,” I said, still staring at the floor, “I didn’t mean to make such a mess of things. I understand if you just want to drop me on the next planet.”

 

[Lethe]

Jaedhar frowned.

"I know you didn't mean to do it. It's a terrible thing to happen. Your poor family..."

His voice trailed off. He wanted to touch Kari again, smooth down the tangled red hair and try and make her smile again, but he felt too awkward.

"I don't know what to do. Maybe if we found a world where you'd be happy, and a family who'd look after you... and we'll be seeing all the multiverse. Maybe somewhere out there there's something that could sent you home"

His smile was brief and fleeting as the sun in winter.

"And then again, we have the greatest collection of magical artifacts in the multiverse right here. Maybe there's something in the Legacy that could help. I don't know... I can look through the inventory, see if there's anything".

His hand darted out and brushed away a stray lock of the princess' hair. Her eyes were redrimmed with tears.

"For now, you'd better move into the cabin next to mine. It's the only area on the ship that I've kept clear from Legacy artifacts. Some of them are dangerous; particularly in dreams. It's best to sleep away from them"

 

[goddess_euphoria]

Kari

I smiled briefly when Jaedhar mentioned that there might be something that could get me home. Though there didn’t seem to be much conviction behind the statement. He went on to say there may be something on the ship that could help me, I looked around and for the first time really noticed some of the things that were scattered about. Odd looking artifacts, magical ones he’d said. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of my face, I turned to look at him. He was being so kind to me, and for that I was grateful.

"For now,” he said, “you'd better move into the cabin next to mine. It's the only area on the ship that I've kept clear from Legacy artifacts. Some of them are dangerous; particularly in dreams. It's best to sleep away from them." I nodded and stood, looking down at the pile of large bags, then back up at him. He understood and took one end of the first bag as I took the other. He led us through the ship and opened a door next to what I assumed was his cabin. The room here was much nicer, or maybe it was just that it only contained necessary things and wasn’t cluttered with artifacts.

We sat down the first bag and headed back for the others, three large in all, one trunk, and one small satchel. We brought in the trunk last, sitting it down with the rest of the things. Jaedhar sat on a nearby chair and looked over my things, shaking his head with wonder. I half-heatedly chuckled a little at myself.

“Everyone is always telling me I over-pack,” I swept my hand over the pile. “I guess in this case though it’s a good thing that I did.” I looked back over at Jaedhar, he smiled at my statement, but still looked troubled. I walked over and kneeled in front of him. “I promise I’ll stay out of your way,” I said, looking up at him, “and I’ll do what I can to help you, even though my manual labor skills are severely lacking, I am a pretty decent cook.”

“A princess that cooks?” He asked with a raised brow.

“I’m not your average princess,” I replied, a mysterious grin on my face.

 

[Lethe]

“I’m not your average princess”

"I'm getting that impression", replied Jaedhar. He paused as though he wanted to say something more, then shrugged, not sure what it was.

"The day after tommorow, we'll be arriving at our first stop in this universe; a nameless world that is host to one of the greatest markets in this or any other reality. The strange ones called the Masks run it all; they say you should never try and cheat them.
"There's no crime in the Great Market; the Masks won't permit it. It's bad for business. But there are other dangers. While we're there; accept no gifts from anyone, from a crown of diamonds to a glass of water, make no deals and never speak your name aloud or write it down.
" I hope not to have to spend too long there. There'll certainly be no good home for you in the Great Market, and no way home from there. I have to return a cloak made from tattered butterfly wings, one of the Legacy's artifacts, to a changeling lord who, for his own unknowable reasons, has chosen to take up residence in the Great Market over the last few millenia. There are also a handful of smaller artifacts that have or had owners in the Great Market"

Jaedhar smiled at her uncertainly.

"I would be honoured if you would cook, princess, but are you sure it is... appropriate? I can get by on ship's biscuits and things but you..."

His voice trailed off again, and there was an awkward silence. Jaedhar stared out the window at unfamiliar stars going past.

Eventually he stood, stretching a little.

"I should really be going to bed. Once again, I am so sorry for what happened, princess. I will find a way, I promise you"

 

[goddess_euphoria]

Kari

Jaedhar told me about the planet we would be visiting tomorrow, it sounded like some where my parents would never allow me to go, so naturally, the thought of it thrilled me. I nodded as he spoke of returning the Legacy artifacts, as of yet, I didn’t entirely understand what he was doing or why. He smiled at me, speaking again.

"I would be honored if you would cook, princess, but are you sure it is... appropriate? I can get by on ship's biscuits and things but you..." I didn’t quite hear what he said, I was still thinking about the Great Market we were going to see tomorrow. Eventually Jaedhar stood, stretching a little. "I should really be going to bed. Once again, I am so sorry for what happened, princess. I will find a way, I promise you." I stood as well, following him to the door, mostly just to see which room he went into.

“Oh,” I said, he turned to look at me, his hand on the door handle. “don’t worry too much about appropriate ‘princess’ behavior, I never have much,” I smiled, “besides, that, I’m sure my parents will want to disown me when they find out what I’ve done.” I had meant it to be a joke, but it didn’t sound so funny once I’d said it, and it seemed to un-nerve Jaedhar even more. We stared at each other for a moment. “Goodnight, and thanks for everything,” I said, slipping into my room and lightly closing the door behind me. I heard his door click shut as well and sighed.

I wondered if there was any chance he’d ever feel for me the way I did for him. I opened one of my bags and began putting things away, might as well settle in, I doubted I’d be going any where for a while. I thought again of Jaedhar, after this he’d probably just see me as a burden, some spoiled, inconsiderate princess that only thinks of herself. I laughed at myself then, look at my priorities, I’m stranded, I’ll probably never be able to go home again, and I’m worried about what this man thinks of me. Then again, at least thinking about him would keep my mind off that. I was sure it would drive me mad to think too much about what I’d done, to wonder if I’d ever see home again.

I had unpacked most of one bag, then decided I should write in my journal, there was certainly something to write about now. I pulled it out of my bag and sat at the desk across from the bed and began to write.

 

[Lethe]

Jaedhar lay down on his bunk and closed his eyes. The events of the day; the navigation, the inter-dimensional jump, the discovery of Kari, swam before his eyes. He wasn't sure what he should do.

Struggling for clarity and sleep, he tried a spell; a short incantation to Aspect, god of dreams, murmured under his breath. The spell seemed to take hold and the images slipped away from him. Slowly, his breathing became regular as he feel into a deep sleep.

His dreams were fragmentary and confused. Several times he dreamt of the City of Ghosts. He was standing at the end of the great avenue that run through the heart of the city, and at the end of it, by the great pillars, there was darkness. Jaedhar knew something terrible was in that darkness, but he still stepped forward, and kept moving forward, even though his mouth felt filled with dust and his feet made of stone as he came closer to the darkness.

It always ended before he reached the great pillars. Other times he dreamt of the signs the gods had sent, in those last, chaotic days before he came aboard the Omen. Jaedhar had thought he was going mad; hearing voices in his head and seeing lights in the grey sky. The gods were not kind with their chosen ones.

He dreamt briefly of the Great Market; somehow recognizing it despite never having seen it before.

Once he dreamt of the beautiful princess, Kari, who had stowed away and was left awake, shivering and sweating, with strange, puzzling fragments of a dream he could not recall.

It was a long night

 

[goddess_euphoria]

Kari

As I sat at the desk writing, I heard mumbling from the next room. As I’ve never been one to mind my own business, I crossed the room and pressed my ear to the wall. I didn’t recognize the language, but it sounded like some kind of spell. I softly repeated a few of the words to myself before it occurred to me that chanting words I didn’t know, that were also part of a spell, maybe wasn’t the best idea. I went back to the desk and wrote a little longer, though gradually I became sleepy. I slipped out of my clothes and into a white dressing gown before snuggling under the covers.

I awoke later, not knowing what time it actually was, but knowing that I did need something to eat. I crawled out of bed and slipped out the door, pausing for a moment, not even sure which direction the galley was in. I wondered around for a while, marveling at some of the artifacts that were stored on the ship. I finally stumbled upon the galley and began searching through the cupboards for food. I started cooking, humming to myself as I moved about. I was so preoccupied with myself, I didn’t notice that Jaedhar was standing in the door.

 

[Lethe]

Jaedhar smiled a little sleepily, and cleared his throat. Kari looked somewhat different in the white nightgown, with her hair mussed up even more than usual by the pillow. It made him feel vaguely uneasy.

She turned, around, startled.

"Good morning, princess. I trust you slept well?".

He looked over her shoulder at the galley shelves.

"There are all kinds of things there. I don't know where they come from; maybe someone a few captains back was a gourmet. There's firewine seeds from the Realms of Flame, and smoked fish from the rivers of Arborea, and dark bread from the Mills. Sort of a minature culinary Legacy itself"

He smiled weakly.

 

[goddess_euphoria]

Kari

I followed Jaedhar’s gaze to the shelves, looking again over the crowded shelves. I didn’t know what many of them where, but I was sure I'd have plenty of time to do some experimenting. I turned back to look at him, he didn’t appear to be very well rested.

“I think I may have slept better than you, it looks as if you’ve tossed and turned all night.”I directed my attention back to the stove and removed the sweet Rathian flat cakes from the pan and onto plates. I turned off the heat and took the plates turning back to Jaedhar. “Will you join me for breakfast?” I asked as I moved to the table and sat down the plates. "And perhaps you can tell me more about this Legacy you keep referring to, I have a vague idea of what it is, but I only heard so much in my eavesdropping before father caught me."

 

[Lethe]

Jaedhar nodded solemnly and sat down. For a moment, he just inhaled the smell of the flatcakes, yawning sleepily.

"You're right", he said, "I didn't sleep well. It doesn't matter. I won't need real rest until we get to the Great Market".

He nibbled the edge of a flatcake, not really tasting it.

"I suppose it's only fair I tell you about the Legacy. It began a long time ago, in the City of Ghosts - my home. There was an... entity trapped there, a lonely and tormented thing of great power. No one truly knows what it is. Some of the philosophers of the City call it the Wounded God, and say it was the original creator of the multiverse and its gods, that it made them to distract itself from its own constant pain, to have something outside the void. Others say it is the embodiment of entropy, the negative and equal force created as a balance to the positive force that made the multiverse at the beginning of time. Still others say that it is an eternal mystery, even to itself, and should its true name ever be learned, the multiverse will end.
"This power freed itself from its prison, many centuries ago, and declared war on the multiverse itself. It saw life as the chains that held it prisoner, the multiverse as the great prison from which it could not escape, and that was intolerable to it. It gained followers; nihilistic, despairing men and women who shared its hatred of prisons, as well as some greedy, foolish opportunists who thought they could profit from the war and somehow escape the consequences of victory for their side".

Jaedhar's voice had a strange note to it, almost as though he sympathized with the caged power without realising it.

"Their first great victory came in the War of the Nightmares, fought in the skies of Flaen. They captured the Warmagus' flagship, the Omen and with it, his vast collection of magical artifacts.
"No. Not the Legacy. The Warmagus' collection was far, far smaller. But it was the seed for the Legacy. Using the Omen's ability to pierce the universe walls, the power and his followers tore through the dimensions, raiding and pillaging world after world for the choicest magicks. They used them in war when it was needed, but they had a greater plan in mind. They planned to bring them to the outermost edge of the multiverse, where belief itself shapes matter and dreams take flesh, and there destroy them all, striking the spark for the conflagration that would destroy the multiverse.
"The gods intervened before they could do this. They destroyed the power's followers, and banished it itself back to the City of Ghosts. The Legacy remained, so they appointed me, for some reason, to restore it, piece by piece, to its original owners, or their line".

Jaedhar looked down. He didn't know why the gods had chosen him, but it wouldn't do to show weakness in front of Kari. Snatched away from her homeland, possibly forever, and trapped on a strange ship filled with strange things, the last thing she needed was him going to pieces on her.

"Sorry. That was long, and dull, I'm sure. I know you probably don't have much interest in dry history lessons or gloomy philosophy"

 

[goddess_euphoria]

"Actually, as far as history lessons go, I believe that's one of the more interesting things I've heard." I smiled at him from across the table. "I suppose it's because I'm involved in it. I always did better in my lessons when I felt somehow involved." Jaedhar nodded, not looking up at me. He picked at the flatcakes, and I pushed the syrup across the table to him.

"I always thought they tasted better with this," I smiled at him. Even in this predicament it seemed I was still the girl who always wanted to make people smile. I never had liked seeing anyone sad. "When I was six, I went through a phase where I insisted on pouring it over everything." He looked up at me then, not smiling yet, but looking as if he were thinking about it. "One night my parents were hosting a feast in honor of some of the most powerful rulers in the system, and here I am, this close to throwing a tantrum because my mother didn't want me pouring syrup all over everything," I chuckled a little. "Finally, she gave in, and I even talked the Duke sitting next to me to try it, much to my mother's chagrin." Jaedhar finally gave me a genuine smile, and I beamed in return.

"You should smile more often, it's very becoming on you," I said. It was only when he met my eyes I realized that I may have been being too forward. I felt my cheeks flush and looked down at my plate. "That's what my father always said to me when he got me to smile all the times I was determined to be in a bad mood." It actually wasn't quite what my father said, but close enough to save me from being too embarased.

 

[Lethe]

Jaedhar laughed, then stopped, surprised at himself. He rarely laughed.

"My parents said things like that too. Well, when I saw them. Father spent most of his time in his study, at the top of the north-east tower, and I only saw him at the formal suppers we had together every week. They were awful; sitting there in that long, dusty, empty room at that stupid, huge table, just the three of us while an ancient steward who should have retired decades ago limped up and down with the plates".

Jaedhar's expression soured as he thought of the ancient, silent, empty mansion in the City of Ghosts where he'd grown up.

"And Mother was always at parties. She took me along some times, but I hated them. There were so few people at them, all of them desperately trying to look as though they were enjoying themselves, wandering through countless empty rooms and trying to make enough noise to fill the void there"

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I can't seem to talk to you without getting morbid. My parents always made sure I was looking my best, is all I meant to say".

He looked at kari sidelong. She was so vibrant, and full of life. He could never picture her in the City of Ghosts.

 

[goddess_euphoria]

Kari

"I suppose growing up in a place called the City of Ghosts would tend to make one lean towards the morbid." I paused for a moment, thinking about what he'd said. "I can't imagine a party where there would be so few people. The parties my parents had were always overflowing with guests, it was impossible to get a moment of quiet by myself sometimes. Though even when we weren't having a party, there was always someone milling about for some reason or another. It was funny to me, how they were trying so hard to be a part of the palace, when I was trying so hard to get out." I smiled a weak smile shaking my head. "Suppose I succeeded a little too well this time." Jaedhar was still picking at his food, it seemed he'd pulled back into himself again.

"I made some tea as well," I said, motioning towards the kettle on the stove. "I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it's rather good."