Sagiro’s Story Hour, Part 280b
Dreams, Deliveries, Disease and Doctrine
Before meeting with Rhiavonne in Kallor, Morningstar travels to Kynder Hold to see her parents. Dranko, her husband, goes with her. They arrive at dusk, hoping to catch her mother at home.
Morningstar’s mother and father – Domira and Rodvin – are delighted by the visit. Morningstar wonders how she’s going to break the news to them. What she ends up doing is babbling.
“We have some news. We didn’t think we’d be gone so long, but it turns out that we were gone longer than we though we had been, and when were there, we... we got married.”
There’s a second or two of awkward silence; Dranko leaps to fill it.
“I know it’s a little late,” he says to Rodvin, “and after the fact and all, but I would be honored if you would give me the hand of your daughter in marriage.”
As Morningstar’s father nods, bewildered, her mother blurts out: “You got married, and you didn’t invite us?”
“We’re really sorry!” says Morningstar. “It’s complicated. We weren’t technically on this plane.”
“Plane?” asks Domira.
“Of existence,” adds Dranko.
“We couldn’t get back,” says Morningstar. “There was a big enemy plot, and we had to stop them. For us, we were gone almost a year.”
“Time moved differently there,” says Dranko.
“You were off on another world, fighting evil,” says Domira. “I at least understand that much.”
“It was very dangerous,” says Morningstar. “And we weren’t sure about the whole ‘getting back’ thing, so we decided to get married, in case... you know....”
“In case something bad happened,” says Domira.
“And by ‘something bad,’ you mean ‘get killed,’ adds Dranko helpfully.
“But you didn’t,” says Domira, and, having finally accepted her daughter’s reasoning, she breaks into a grin. “And here you are. Congratulations! And don’t you worry – we’ll have another marriage ceremony now that you’re back, for your friends and family who might have missed the first one.”
Morningstar smiles back, but she can’t keep the worry off of her face. Her meeting with Rhiavonne is fast approaching. Domira notices immediately.
“I’d expect you to be happier,” she says. “Something else is bothering you, isn’t it.”
“She’s going to be talking to the High Priestess in Kallor,” says Dranko.
“The High Priestess Rhiavonne?” says Domira, surprised. “Well, dear, you are strong in the faith of Ell.”
“More than you know,” says Dranko. “But she and Rhiavonne are sometimes at loggerheads. They might have an... argument.”
“Rhiavonne decided to disband the Illuminated Sisters while I was gone,” says Morningstar.
“Yes, I heard,” says Domira. “I wondered about that. But we’re having a wedding ceremony, whatever Rhiavonne says to you.”
She smiles encouragingly at Morningstar, who can’t help but smile back.
“I’m honored to be a part of your family,” says Dranko.
“I’m sure that the church... appreciates you, for all that you’ve done,” says Domira. Then, speaking more to Dranko and Rodvin, she says with clear pride in her voice, “I know that my daughter can do things many other sisters cannot, a sure sign of Ell’s favor. It’s time they understood just what she does for them, how important she is to them.”
“Thank you,” says Morningstar, grateful. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about all this.”
“I’m still not sure how I feel,” says Domira. “I’ve never quite understood this whole ‘Illuminated Sisters’ business you’re involved in. But Ell is Ell, and if people want to serve Her, they will, and if she wants to bless them, She will. If your faith is strong, and your works are good, I don’t think Ell will mind the rest.”
“I wish more priests of Delioch were like this,” Dranko mutters under his breath.
“I did a commune,” says Morningstar, “and She didn’t seem to mind.”
Domira can’t help but laugh. “Do you see how she tosses that off?” she says to her husband. “’Oh, yes, the other day, when I was talking with Ell...’”
“She chats with angels,” confirms Dranko. Morningstar turns red.
“What did She say?” asks Domira. “Did She say ‘hi?’”
“She said I did a good job,” says Morningstar.
“See?” says Domira. “You can say about me, ‘oh, I’m just your mom,’ but you can’t say that about Ell. If She thinks you’re doing a good job, I daresay you are.”
“I didn’t seek the Illuminated Sisters out, they came to me,” says Morningstar.
“But they needed you,” says Domira. “They needed you to teach them.”
“Yes, for a task that’s not yet over,” says Morningstar. “So we can’t let them be disbanded.”
“So you just tell Rhiavonne that.”
“That’s what I’ll do.” There is now more resolve than doubt in Morningstar’s voice. “And I’ll ask that there be Daywalkers, just as there are Dreamwalkers, who will be able to withstand the light.”
Morningstar goes to church with her mother while Dranko stays behind to swap stories with Rodvin. After services Morningstar seeks out her old combat trainer, Clariel. They talk for a while, and then Clariel offers to spar, to see how Morningstar has progressed. She is astounded at her pupil’s martial prowess.
“How did you learn so many fighting techniques?” she asks.
“Mostly from having them used on me,” says Morningstar modestly.
“I’d love to learn more,” says Clariel. “How long will you be back in Kynder Hold?”
“I have to leave in just a few minutes,” says Morningstar.
“Off on another adventure?”
“Of a sort.”
* *
Morningstar’s meeting with the High Priestess Rhiavonne is at 1:00 A.M. As has been the case in previous meetings, the old priestess is standing with her back to the door, staring out a large window into the blackness of Kallor. She turns as Morningstar enters her office, looking older than Morningstar recalls, and more tired. But despite the extra lines in her weathered face, and shoulders that seem more stooped, the High Priestess still radiates an unmistakable piety and power. Her expression is unreadable.
“Please, sit down.” She motions Morningstar toward a chair. “You wished to have an audience. Here we are. Would you like to speak first?”
Morningstar clears her throat. “Do you know what happened? Where I was?”
“I’ve heard things,” admits Rhiavonne. “That you’ve traveled to the past.”
“That is true,” says Morningstar. “But not initially.”
While Rhiavonne listens with unwavering attention, Morningstar briefs her on her recent adventures, starting with the Sharshun plot to change history. She talks of the Emperor, and how he had never been banished. Unlike Lucas, the old priestess actually seems to understand the contortions of time involved.
Morningstar goes on to explain Het Branoi as plainly as she can, and how, with the Eyes of Moirel, they went back in time to preserve history.
“I presume that the very fact of our current discussion means you succeeded in going back in time, and preventing history from being rewritten after all,” says Rhiavonne, nodding. “And then you managed to come back to our own time. It sounds like you have had quite the adventure... and the details help explain some... odd... answers to commune questions posed by some of our sisters.
“And now you’re back.”
“Yes,” says Morningstar. She ventures a smile. “To be a thorn in your side once more.”
Rhiavonne looks up at her, a glint in her eyes. “I think the days of you being a thorn in my side are just about over.”
Morningstar cannot hide her dismay. She braces for excommunication.
“Don’t look so dour,” says Rhiavonne, seeing Morningstar’s crestfallen look. “I don’t mean what you think I do. Let me explain.
“There is a rule about being High Priestess of Ell, a rule with which you are unfamiliar. You know that Ell greatly values our independence, our freedom to make our own decisions. When one is the High Priestess of Ell, one may make only questioning assay into the mind of the Goddess, only one commune in her natural life. I had never used mine. I always intended to cast it at the end, to pose questions about my successor, to make sure things would be in good hands when I was gone. I won’t be able to do that now, because when I heard that you were back, and considering some of the details that had reached my ears, I knew I had to have answers. I had reached a more important fork in the road. So I asked questions of Ell. Do you want to know what she said?”
Morningstar nods.
“I have a clear memory of my discussion with Ell. I’m not going to share all of my questions; some of them were personal, and don’t involve you. Here are the rest.
I asked that if I allow Daywalking to become prevalent in the church, will that lead to the eventual failure of the church as predicted in the allegory I shared with you in this very room. The answer was: Only without eternal vigilance.
I asked if I should elevate you to a position of higher authority within the church. She said: She will find your own place.
I asked if she would be angry if I upheld the excommunication of the Illuminated Sisters, and let them find their own way in Her eyes. She said No. They would still serve Her.
I asked if she would be angry if I altered the policies of the church sanctioning all sisters to walk freely beneath the sun. She said: Less angry than disappointed.
I asked if you really did speak to her in the past. You know what she said.
I asked if her desires for the church had changed since she spoke with you. She said that her desire for a strong church has never changed. I’m not sure quite what to make of that answer. I have a feeling there’s as much in what she didn’t say, as in what she did.
I asked if you are acting for the betterment of the church, more so than for your own personal gain. The answer was Yes, she is as faithful as you.
I asked of the same could be said of Amber. The answer was No. For her, Power and Piety are of equal weight.
When I asked if I should remove her from power, even if I did continue to sanction the Illuminated Sisters to operate in daylight, she said: She has great potential.
I asked: You chose Morningstar for the task of defeating Naradawk’s dream-soldiers. Must she continue her vigilance regardless of my choices? The answer was: It would be prudent.
I asked if there were still enemy agents of the Black Circle within the church of Ell, here in Kallor. No, not in Kallor.
Elsewhere then? The answer was yes.”
Rhiavonne finishes her recitation. She looks thoughtful. She looks at Morningstar.
“What do you propose?” she asks.
“I know that my task is not done, that Octesian is still out there,” says Morningstar. “I have asked Ell: when Octesian is defeated, will the need for dreamwalkers trained in the light during my generation be fulfilled. The answer was: Likely? Yes. Certain? No.
“So, my thought is, I would like to create a group of Daywalkers, just as there are Dreamwalkers now. They would be of limited number, but they could withstand the daylight when needed.”
“A new order,” murmurs Rhiavonne.
“ I would propose that they would not stay in the daylight all the time,” continues Morningstar, “but would work there in shifts. I would also propose that the Illuminated Sisters be the first group of Daywalkers, and have them spread throughout the various temples of Charagan. This would help all sisters see who they are, and what they do.
“I do not agree with all the tenets of the Illuminated Sisters, and never have. But I think we need to be able to withstand all threats, and I think that’s particularly important now that Posada’s Boundary is down. Dralla is an extremely powerful force in Kivia; people have good reason to fear the night there.”
Rhiavonne fixes Morningstar with a steely gaze.
“I will tell you, Morningstar of Ell, Child of Light, that I will follow your suggestion, given what I now know. There will be a new order of Sisters, and they shall be called Daywalkers, and they will train beneath the sun.
“But I ask this of you in return: that you take the time, when you have it, to write your memoirs of your time in the past. I want the words you spoke to Ell, and that she spoke to you, written as holy text and added to the canon. I want you to write, in whatever manner you see fit, a work that will become required reading for all novices, that they will remember why we have Daywalkers, why they are the exception, and what role they will serve, and the dangers of following that path too far. ‘Eternal Vigilance,’ Ell advised. I deem the way to make that happen is to be sure none stay with the Church of Ell without hearing those words for themselves. Will you do this?”
“Of course,” says Morningstar.
“Then it shall be done. And Amber will accept it, since she will not like the alternative. I will invent a position for her that will be to her liking. And then this chapter of division within the church will come to a close. There will be grumbling, and a backlash, but if we manage things correctly that will subside, and we will be stronger for it.”
Rhiavonne’s eyes flash a dark fire.
“And when this Octesian comes back, you will throw him down.”
A bell rings out in the church, and Rhiavonne’s ardor subsides. Again she looks tired, old. “Would you care to join me for prayers?”
“I would like nothing better,” says Morningstar.
“Then let us retire.”
* *
More weeks pass, bringing more changes, and a tying up of loose ends. With much regret Yoba finally takes her leave of the Company, needing to return to her home of Evergreen. Her duties as Commander of the Southern Border will wait no longer. Ernie casts the plane shift himself, accompanying her and staying a few days longer than is strictly necessary. They depart with promises of many sendings and visits whenever possible.
When he returns, he takes upon himself the unpleasant task of flying to Kay’s family farm. He tells her parents and brothers of her great bravery and her role in saving the world from disaster. As for where she is now?
“She stayed behind to continue the fight,” he says carefully. “She’s still alive, but may not be back for quite some time.”
Her family seems to understand at least that much, and Ernie is disinclined to try explaining parallel dimensions.
Soon after, the Company loses the last of its temporary members. Snokas approaches Morningstar one day, looking sheepish.
“I uh... now, don’t take this the wrong way. It’s been an honor serving you, and I don’t regret a second of it. But... uh... well, I want to learn more. I’ve learned a lot traveling with you, and I appreciate it. Ell wanted me to protect you, and I have.”
He looks especially embarrassed as he adds: “I want to spend a while in the library.”
Dranko snorts.
“Hey, shut up!” snaps Snokas. “I’ve been working on my reading skills, and I want to read more about Ell. They have a really good library here in Tal Hae, so I figured I’d spend a few months educating myself.”
He looks nervously at Morningstar. “Do you think it’ll be all right, given that I’m a... you know, a guy?”
Morningstar laughs. “I’m sure it’s okay.”
“It means I won’t have your back for a while,” says Snokas.
“Go,” says Morningstar. “I think you’re going where you’re being called, and that’s very important.”
“Yeah,” says Snokas. “Thanks.”
* *
At the same time the Company is crafting magic items, they also get around to setting aside piles of treasure for those who helped them defeat the Cleaners in Het Branoi. Through a series of sendings and plane shifts, they make good on their promises to reward Ox, Kiro and Cashbox Jack from the Eye of the Storm.
They also take some time to write out full reports of their recent adventure, for delivery to the Spire. Ozilinsh still marvels at the account and is a stickler for detail. He also fills the Company in on what’s happened in their absence. Royce, Glade and Wellington had cleaned out another Black Circle bestiary that had become Unmasked, just before the party’s return. The brother-sister team of Jerzembeck and Junaya, together with their adventuring group, have been tracking down and eliminating enemies who fled the Battle of Verdshane. There has been no sign of Cencerra or Rosetta, nor of Tor or Meledien. No progress has been made in discovering the murderers of Grawly and Thewana. And neither hide nor hair nor simulacrum has been seen of Parthol Runecarver.
The rash – or Curse of Dralla – grows steadily worse over time. Each week it afflicts more and more of the Company, and it covers more of their bodies. More troubling, it starts to cause ability score loss – charisma and constitution are both affected. Still, since a daily battery of restorations can keep the effects at bay, the Company guts it out and finishes their full slate of item crafting.
* *
At last the day comes when all the loose ends have been tied up, and the Company decides it’s time to make the journey to Kivia. Dranko makes sure to tell Lucas where he’s going.
“And now that Posada’s Boundary is no more,” says Lucas, “you’ll be able to make regular reports.”
“As long as they’re twenty-five words or less,” says Dranko.
“Excellent,” says Lucas. “Though, regrettably, it means you’ll be unable to grace your communiqués with your usual colorful lingo.”
“Actually, it’ll be Morningstar sending the sendings.”
Lucas grins. “This is getting better all the time.”
“I like him,” says Grey Wolf.
With that taken care of, the wizards prepare to teleport to Djaw. Next up: a reckoning with Shreen the Fair.
...to be continued...