Reminiscence

You tell Lorina, "Pardon, Lady Lorina. Would you happen to have the time and inclination to have
that meeting we spoke of? My apologies for not responding sooner, I have been otherwise occupied."

Lorina hisses sibilantly into the corner of your mind, "Ah! Greetings, Mister Avaris! I do have some
free time now in my hectic schedule! No apology is needed as the time for me was merely a blink of
an eye, so you seem prompt to me! Where might you feel comfortable?"

You tell Lorina, "Ah, then it would be remiss of me to not capitalise on this opportunity, if it is
a rare one. I am comfortable either within the grounds of the old Tahtetso guildhall, or my Lady's
Realm - Though I am amenable to elsewhere, should you feel more at ease at another locale."

Lorina hisses sibilantly into the corner of your mind, "It is quite alright anywhere. Most do not
bare me ill-will, so I can go most places! I'll come to in the city, as that gives me a reason. May
want to notify the city, as my presence can be rather disturbing."

You tell Lorina, "I shall do so, if only to spare my mind their needless caterwauling."

(Celest): You say, "Lorina will be entering the city for a time to speak with me, do not be
alarmed."

Effervescent motes of light flow in from the west, gracefully coalescing into the form of Lorina.
A golden glow precedes the arrival of Valashi, the Inner Sea serpent, slithering in from the west.

Lorina greets you with a sincere smile.

(Celest): Gurashi (from the Aetherways) says, "She is a nice lady, yes."

Antennae twitching at Lorina's arrival, Avaris looks up from his contemplation of
the pool and rises smoothly to his feet, whereupon he bends at the waist and executes a precise,
elegant bow. "Greetings, Lady. It is good to meet you in person, after hearing so much of you."

Lorina gentle bows her head in your direction, and lightly lifting her hand in a gesture of
greeting. "And the same to you. Lady Aeldra has mentioned you fondly in our exchanges, and I regret
we have gone this long. She mentioned so much about your stalwart and noble ideals that brought joy
to my heart knowing agents of the Light still existed." Lorina treads lightly upon the island of wet
grass and finds a comfortable spot to lean against the massive sea serpent.

Straightening to his full height, Avaris regards Lorina directly, wings flicking
and shuffling as he utters a quiet, faintly embarrassed, "Ah." The stylised eyes that fill the span
of all six of his luminous wings shade from brilliant white as a subtle tinge of pink alters their
hue, the pupils of the myriad markings sliding away to stare at everything and anything other than
Lorina. "That is...Most kind of her to say, and you, as well, Lady. I have much to learn, I assure
you." Clearing his throat, he gestures at Valashi, the Inner Sea serpent with his lower right hand,
the golden chitin of his arm gleaming in the light. "Who is your friend?"

"Yes, anyone Aeldra speaks highly of instantly garners my respect before I even meet them.
I've known her for centuries, and trust her judgment," trails off as she looks to Valashi, the Inner
Sea serpent who stares back her with her slitted eyes. "Ah, Valashi is just one of the descendants
of what lies in the deeps far down below in the seas. It is a vast place, and a much different world
than ours." Lorina smiles as she looks to you, studying your wings with curiosity. "I must admit,
seeing you in person does not do your descriptions given to me by others justice. Truly, moth-like
kephera physiology."

You think to yourself: "'Just' one of the descendents? How many other such are there, down below? A
curious notion."

Avaris's pointed chin dips sharply as he nods in decisive agreement, replying,
"Though I have known her for but a scant few years, I believe it a wise thing indeed to trust her in
such matters." His perusal of Valashi, the Inner Sea serpent is interrupted by the remark about his
appearance, which causes him to pause, tilting his head down to look at himself bemusedly. "Mm. I
suppose so - I am less moth-like now than I was before I became a demigod, for good or for ill." The
points of his long, armoured fingers glint in the midday sun, shining with deadly promise as he
gestures to himself with a small twist of the wrist of his upper right hand. "The size
and...Ostentation is a practical choice, though it may not appear so. I admit, you are a most
striking individual yourself - I have not had you described to me, but in truth, I do not think it
would have prepared me for you in person."

Tilting her head forward to peer upon her form, Lorina studies herself for the brief moment, before
looking back to you and remarking, "I have not gave myself much thought. My form changes shape every
couple decades, simply from the perceived internal perception being made manifest on the outside. I
assume, the same has happened to you. The spark within you has been lit, and you are but a shade
away from divinity and the connection to the immanadivinus." Her facade reads of curiousity and
focus, as she retorts the words she has studied with a well-practiced air of a professor of the
collegium. She moves about, closer to you, circling you in appraisal and stopping before you once
she has made a full revolution. "The notion of as above, so below rings true in many things, and in
many ways, correct?" Lorina says, giving you the slightest of smiles.

Avaris's answering laugh is sudden, a brief, rich chorus of harmonious sound
startled into life like a flock of songbirds on the wing. "A shade? Goodness, Lady, no - I am as
close to divinity as I am to the stars. I might bathe in its light, but it is a faint and diffuse
power, and not at all comparable to the true concept." The spiked halo of the naturally formed
pauldrons that adorn his upper set of shoulders gleams, the sunlight tracing the spires of gold that
thrust up into the white of his mane like towers reaching into the clouds. "Typically, I believe
that is the case, but my shaping was a more deliberate effort. From what I understand, ordinarily it
is a natural assumption of a new form, to reflect the internal form of the soul - Not so, in my
case." The ridged flares of his jaw angle upwards as he tilts his head aside, considering. "Though
whether I will shift to some other shape in time, as my initial working fades, I do not know."

"It does effect in different ways," Lorina says as she falls back to Valashi, the Inner Sea
serpent's side, turning to continue facing you as the look of curiosity leaves her. "So... Aeldra
tells me you have questions on many topics, and I admit, it piqued my interest. She wanted to throw
you my way, so I wanted to offer my insight," Lorina comments, as she straightens herself, her tone
shifting to a more serious one, with her many hues in her hair begin to radiate waves of golden
yellows, scarlet and burnt umber.

The last vestiges of any hue other than pure, stark white fades from the eyes
within Avaris's wings as they shift about, several turning to study Lorina intently as the kephera
himself regards Lorina in turn. "I feel that when one has run out of questions to ask, that is the
day one either dies, or is in dire need of reinvigoration." Folding all four of his hands together
at the small of his back, he lapses into silence for a time as he considers the matter. "I suppose
there is the matter of your perspective on the alliance with the Glomdoring, to begin with - And
from there, your absence from the Oder. Lady Aeldra is keen to bring you back into the fold."

"I do remember Lady Aeldra mentioning briefly your thoughts on the matter, as she brought it up to
me because she said we thought the same," Lorina breathes out, afterwards pursing her lips in
disdain, with her long hair suddenly turning a shade of dark red that starts at her scalp and flows
to the tips. "These questions are good... Yes," hesitation permeating her voice only briefly before
she regains composure, "But I do not feel the strong ties the Light has with the shadows is
fruitful. The will of the darkness has been suffocating the Light, but not many can see it. I do not
wish the alliance would break apart, but simply the Light refocused its own goals." Lorina exhales,
and as she does so the restrained fury in her face recedes, yet the shades remain in her hair. She
looks to you and nods, "Yes, she wants me to return, but it is a struggle for me... I do not wish to
put the Lady in an awkward spot to save my feelings or that of the city's, since I no longer feel
the city and I see eye to eye."

The red in Lorina's tresses is echoed faintly in the flicker of crimson light that
flits through the eyes of Avaris's wings, the angry lambency passes as swiftly as distant flashes of
lightning. "I believe so as well. It astonished me, initially, that so few seemed able to recognise
the shadows that have infected the Light, or outright embraced them. Now, however, it saddens me.
New Celest has strayed far from what I had hoped it would be." The four dense strands of sanguine
aether that flow up from behind his crest bend towards Lorina curiously as he asks, "And what do you
want, Lady Lorina?"

"The shadows hide many things... It hides spider that is pulling at the strings, trying to catch all
within her web," Lorina softly speaks as she looks down to stare intently upon the grass, as if
looking for a particular blade. "As for what... I... want?" she trails off even further into her own
thoughts, "That is... difficult to convey. I want the best for the city, I want to feel useful again
and to have the Light feel my love for them again, not this searing rage I so woefully inflict upon
them." The dark red shades begin to ripple away from her hair, replaced by a sudden deep blue and
indigo palette in swirling, stormy shades. "It's better if I ask, what do you want, Avaris? I want
what everyone wants here, I think... or hope."

Avaris's fingers curl gradually, inexorably into fists, the joints at his knuckles
flared and pointed so that each of his four hands is rendered a large, modestly spiked mace of pure
gold. "Yes," he says flatly, the eyes within his wings narrowing with displeasure, "Though it seems
that those here are all too eager to rush headlong into webs without prompting. She has little work
to do, this arachnid, if seduction is Her aim." Exhaling slowly, the breath escapes from the
seamless visor of his helm-like face in a faint hiss. "I would dearly like for the city to be worthy
of your love, Lady - I fear that it is not, as it stands. It may be that they require the heat of
your anger to burn away the webs that blind them." He is silent for a span, leaning his head back to
gaze up at the sky. "I want to make it so that my Lady is happy. To ward Her from that which would
seek to harm Her, and to crush them into motes of endless agony for daring to do so." Gesturing at
the surroundings with a curt, circular motion of his lower left hand, he continues, "As for New
Celest, well. I wish for them to come to their senses. Gently, if possible, but if not, I will drag
them kicking and screaming into the Light, until they, and it, are cleansed of all traces of shadow,
of corruption."

As if struck by a bolt of lightning, Lorina's hair suddenly bursts into bright white and and gold
colors, with many of the strands animatedly flowing back of her in an explosion of swaying tendrils.
"Kicking and screaming, I approve. Such talk in my tenure here would have been frowned upon or even
reprimanded. Still, I think such notions will get you branded a heretic," Lorina chides, more
mockingly than anything, as she softly pushes off Valashi, the Inner Sea serpent and glides softly
to you, her entire aura suddenly shifting to a more bright and jovial atmosphere. As she lands
before you, she extends her right hand offering it in handshake saying, "This I like. It is a
pleasure to meet you, Avaris. You have proven to be more of an ally than I could have hoped."

Avaris's antennae snap upward in reaction to the abrupt transformation of Lorina's
otherworldly locks, the condensed red quivering like banners snapping in high winds before they
slacken, returning to the more relaxed, gently curving state. "It has been met with displeasure,
yes. My Lady has cautioned me to be more circumspect, and even the Even Bladed has tasked me to
learn poetry, so that I might speak to their hearts with less...Force." Lorina's approach elicits no
alarm or tension in the huge kephera's form, as he instead merely watches Lorina's approach with a
curious air. Without hesitating, he clasps Lorina's hand within one of his own, the long, naturally
armoured appendage eclipsing Lorina's entirely. The golden chitin is warm, and flexible, despite the
obvious protective quality it provides, and his grip is a fine balance of strength and care as he
shakes the offered hand. "It is an honour, Lady Lorina. I hope that we may speak more, in the
future."

Haughtily smirking, Lorina says, "Apologies then, for eliciting negative behavior. I also suffer
from... let's call it passionate zeal. Tempering it has proven to be difficult, so I wish for you to
find a healthy balance." Lorina laughs loudly, so much so it echoes in the entire guildhall with
her. The composed woman that once first entered is gone, replaced by a bright star of a person,
ready to take up an entire room with her presence. "You, I like. I see why Aeldra kept poking and
prodding me," she smiles as she looks at you, letting go of your hand finally. "So do this old woman
a kindness, and share with me your journey with the Lady Empyreal. I miss hearing of Her."

The bladed crests that sweep up from Avaris's brow glint and glimmer in the last,
faltering light of the sun as he nods earnestly, the layered, choral nature of his voice heartfelt
as he responds, "It /is/ difficult, is it not? I have been striving for balance, but it ever eludes
me." The volume of the laugh draws the attention of every single one of the countless eyes that
dwell within the feathered expanse of the kephera's wings, the stylised eyes blinking at Lorina as
he inclines his head. "You are kind to say so, Lady. As for my journey with my Lady, there is little
to tell, in truth. I am but recently come to Her service. I have spoken with Her but a handful of
times, but I have experienced the memories that She allows us to share in, many times. Did you do
so, as well, when you were Hers?"

 "Oh, Her memories," Lorina says nearly crooning in her reverence, "those were just an absolute
delight." She inhales, her shoulders rising, and then exhales slowly in a deep sigh. "I miss those
deeply. She offered up some wonderful ones, especially that of Lord Eventru. She knew Him so well,
and it brought up my own memories! Her connection with Him is what initially drew me in to Her
Service," says dreamily, her eyes nearly welling with tears... unknown if from sadness or joy. "Like
Her, I served Him, albeit just two centuries compared to Her eons! I was happy to find a place
amongst Her ranks as one of the Anointed... before my departure," her voice falls off as she speaks
the last words, her presence dimming.

Avaris watches Lorina without expression upon the smooth, unmoving plates of his
face, the azure spheres that form his alien eyes faintly luminescent as he studies Lorina. Unbidden,
his wings gradually expand until they arc out at half their total span - still massive enough to
eclipse the tree behind him from view, replacing it with a wall of staring eyes of stark, white
light. "You are the second to hold a place of high esteem in Her eyes that has said they joined Her
Order due to a fondness for the Exalted." The quality of his voice is difficult to ascribe a single,
clear aspect to - It is a strange mixture of quiet, soft words, threaded through with a peculiar
intensity as he continues, "Tell me, Lady. Would you have joined Her Order, and loved Her as you
did, if She had no connection to Lord Eventru?"

You think to yourself: An intricate array of emotions form a faceted, glittering ball of light,
crafted of satisfaction at such a display of reverence for his Lady, a growing appreciation for the
strange woman that shimmers and shifts in hue before him...And the slow, stirring thrum of anger
that slides spines of wickedly sharp resentment from the orb. "I do not appreciate my Lady being
valued largely because of Who She worked with, and not for Her own sake. I do not like the taste of
that at all - But She does not seem to mind. Perhaps it is a comfort to Her, to have those that
admired Him as She did."

"Oh, the hard questions," Lorina says just before biting her lip in contemplation, staring at you
with a puzzling expression. Moving from her repose against her serpent, she slowly paces back and
forth, tilting her back to the sky studying the stars. "I can't... really say. The Exalted Lord made
me who I am, and is connected to my very being, still to this day. I would be a much different
person, with an unknown course. The answer is probably... no." Lorina says matter-a-factly, as she
turns on a heel to you, her bare feet planting in place in the wet grass. "I wouldn't be the Lorina
now."

The kephera's head does not turn to follow the path that Lorina takes, and nor do
the pupiless spheres of azure that are embedded in the visor of his face - but the eyes of Avaris's
wings do, unerringly. Calmly, he places his hands behind his back, where they interlock into a
bulwark of ridged gold plates, the immense, curving talons of his own feet sinking into the earth as
easily as a blade through flesh. "I see. Indulge me with another query, if you would be so kind. Do
you love my Lady because of Who and what She is, or because of Her connection to, and fondness of
the Exalted?"

Lorina folds her arms before her, shifting her wait to her left leg with her head slightly tilted to
the side - her gaze not particularly focusing on anything, but rather focused on her own thoughts.
"That is another difficult one to say... Her fondness is what drew me in, but Her teachings are what
kept me. When I came to Her, I was still broken from losing my Lord a century ago, as I had forged a
deep connection with Him. His passing had nearly destroyed me, to my core. Her teachings on healing
not just the body, but the mind and spirit helped alleviate some of the pain, and brought me into
Her fold." Lorina's gold and white hair slows its rippling and waves, and as she smiles, soft
pastels of pink bloom about her locks. "Once I had healed a bit, I begun to find I genuinely
resonated with Her teachings of fortitude, purity, devotion and wisdom...." Lorina trails along as
her tone shifts to a softer one, "but admittedly my devotion wavered to Her. I felt as if I failed
Her."

You think to yourself: The razor protrusions retract, but neither they nor the anger that birthed
them recedes entirely. He could understand such a path to Her, but it did not sit right with him.
She deserved better than love offered merely via association. Far better.

Avaris is silent for a time after Lorina grows quiet, weighing Lorina for a time
with his innumerable regard. "I regret that I was not able to meet Him. I have yet to hear a word
spoken against Him, and He was kind to my Lady, in Her memories." The sharp, flaring edge of his jaw
angles slightly upwards as he studies Lorina intently, before he asks, "What made you feel so?"

"I seemed to not... succeed at executing Her Will, I felt like. I did not feel like I was a
Celestian. I couldn't find Captain Teyitha Contelli. I struggled to form ideas on the Argent Light's
goal..." Lorina forlornly blurts out, ending with another long sigh. Her stance relaxes as she turns
to look at the sky away from your direction. Lorina turns just her head to look back at you and
asks, "But why do -you- server Her? What made Her stand out to you compared to say... The Even
Bladed?"

You think to yourself: "Captain Teyitha Contelli?" A name entirely unfamiliar to him, which
engenders little but puzzlement. Was this Captain important to the Lady somehow?

The vast span of Avaris's wings retracts, the colossal pinions folding neatly into
three pairs upon the broad expanse of the kephera's back. his words come evenly, voice steady as a
shieldwall. "I hear much of how you felt you were failing, and not whether She judged that you had,
Lady Lorina. Did you ask Her for Her feelings on your performance?" The upper pair of antennae bend
towards Lorina at the question, as he, too, tilts his head up to face the sky. He remains so for
quite a while, perhaps gathering or sorting through his thoughts, before he replies, unhurried. "The
Even Bladed is a fine Goddess. I feel that I would do well in Her service, but...She has an
abundance of swords, and of far finer quality than I. I am already given to a cold bent of thought,
of a certain...Pragmatic view on matters." Unlocking his hands from where they rest at the base of
his spine, he lifts them even as he lowers his head to study the long appendages, fingers curling
and uncurling in small, gradual motions. "My Lady fascinates me. I have ever had the utmost respect
for healers, but I think even had I not, I would be drawn to Her. She makes me feel as I do when I
stare up at the distant stars, when I am alone at night. She is...More, than the Others, I think."
He allows his hands to drop, the spikes that form the halo of his pauldrons rising as he shrugs.
"Though She does not need it, I wish to shield Her from further hurt. I cannot do that from afar, so
I do what I can to draw close." A short, rough laugh, faintly bitter. "It is a childish notion, I
think. I want to be Her Knight. Is that foolish? I think that it is."

You think to yourself: "Ah, but I am poor at articulating this. How can I adequately express such a
thing as what my Lady means to me, and why I serve Her? What words can frame how Her gentle nature
balances my harsh inclinations, even as Her anger resonates with mine like the sweetest harmony?"

Lorina turns back to you, her arms still folded as she glides to be closer to you and begins to
speak softly, "That... is a wonderful notion. The idea of protecting someone is never foolish, and
even a cherished ideal of Shakiniel. For you to want to be Her Shield, or Knight... is a noble
pursuit that I am happy to watch unfold." Lorina smiles at you, unfolding her arms to lightly place
a hand upon your shoulder. "I genuinely love your reverence for Her. As for... the feelings... I did
not give Her time to ask, or really speak to Her about. I simply just rushed away, having lost my
fortitude. I thought making a clean break would be easier, but it was not, but at this point, I
can't speak to Her about it..." she breathlessly rolls on as her hand drops from your shoulder, "...
as I do not know what to say."

Avaris gestures at himself with a vicious, clawing motion of his upper right hand,
the savagery of the golden talons at odds with the calm manner with which he says, "If that someone
is a mortal, yes. She is a Divine, and One of the oldest. There is nothing that I can do for Her
that She cannot do Herself. I have no illusions as to that. But, you are kind to say so, Lady. I
thank you for that." A brief, fitful swell of glittering motes of light fills the seven blue spheres
of his natural eyes, before dimming once more to steady azure. "I think that you did both Her and
yourself a disservice with that, Lady. I, of all people, know that communicating is arduous, but it
must be done, or all that will come of it is pain." Gently, he places his own hand atop Lorina's,
urging, "Speak to Her. The attempt itself will be enough. You have said to me all that She would
need to hear, Lady. Mend the gap that has come between you both, so that you can both be healed."

"It never hurts to have more on your side, even if you are are an immortal divine!" Lorina smiles at
you, winking then giggling lightly. "You wanting to be there for Her, even if you can't fight Her
battles, is helpful..." Lorina's smile fades as she continues, "I am not sure what I will do yet, in
regards to the Lady Lantra, as I am unsure of what I need to do. I'm sure I will figure it out, one
day." Her smiles resumes, as she looks back up to the stars in the night sky, then back to the pond
to stare at the placid surface reflecting the same stars. "I do not want to keep you, if you have
anywhere to be, as I can droll on for decades, if I am not careful."

You think to yourself: "Not in my estimation, alas, as well intentioned as your words are. Without
sufficient strength, that person at your side can be a liability in battle, drawing your attention
when you need it most, or further draining your reserves as you compensate for their lack. I would
never wish to be that to my Lady."

Avaris utters a low, noncommittal sound that vibrates from within his throat, a
blend of bass notes and higher, sweeter tones. "Perhaps. As for you and the Lady, I hope that you
do. I am sure that She misses you, even as you miss Her." Limned in the distant light of the stars,
the gold of his form is diluted to a softer silver as he stares upwards, a shade of longing in his
mien. "I should go to my rest for a time. I would very much like to speak with you again, when next
you are willing, however. It has been a pleasure being in your company, Lady Lorina."

Lorina looks up from the pond to you with a smile and says, "I am sure it will... all work out. It
always does." She moves from the edge of the island, a sudden smirk on her face as she saddles up to
you before stopping a few feet from you, resting both fists on her hips in an arrogant pose. "Now,
would you please tell Lady Aeldra we met? Though, stand back as she might explode from joy," Lorina
says with a chuckle. "But yes, we will speak further, as our beliefs are similar on a few things,
and I would enjoy passing on what I know from my centuries of existence."

Avaris lowers his gaze from the stars to regard Lorina with an inscrutable
expression for a time, before he dips his chin in a nod of assent. "I shall. Though she may be
disappointed that I have not managed to woo you back into the Order." The humour that suffuses his
voice is a shade dry, but genuine as he steps back arcing talons flexing up from where they pierce
the ground. "I look forward to our next meeting, Lady Lorina. Mind your eyes, if you please." So
saying, he stretches all six of his wings out to their full, monstrous span, the eyes that they
contain as numerous as the stars they stare at - save for the largest one within each pinion, which
remains fixed upon Lorina. In an abrupt burst of displaced air, the snap down in a blur of golden
light, shooting the large figure upwards, arrow-swift, until he is naught but a swiftly receding
mote of soft luminescence, lost amongst the sea of stars.