The Undertow: Session Nineteen

Mikansia: The female sword singer elf, played by Lena. Mikansia had cut a hole into Dream last session in an attempt to escape Zaina and the High King's sword singer forces. While in Dream Mikansia ran into the souls of Jabez and Yngvar; Dream is a connecting point to all places. Marian, the Countess of Fire, got them out of Dream. They're now in the past, in the ruins of Argentum Prime. Jabez and Yngvar asked specifically not to be brought  back to life, to keep the past as it was. Heartbroken, Mikansia agreed to her friends' wishes.

Akseli: Mikansia's former captain in the Sword Singers. He had been in love with Makirta, Mikansia's mother, until he learned she was a double agent for the dark elves. Akseli abandoned Makirta in a rage. Akseli hasn't lived a day since where he didn't regret that. When they went into Dream, Akseli was heartbroken to hear his friend Yngvar's request that he not be returned to life through mucking with the timeline. A dark force had gathered around Akseli when he refused his best friend's wishes. Akseli was literally dragged out of Dream, kicking and screaming.

Yngvar: Akseli's best friend and Mikansia's former Firstsword. He had mistrusted Mikansia at first because of Makirta, but eventually became one of her firmest friends. He had gone back to Kotae Mah to spy  for Mikansia and Akseli. Last session Zaina, along with several dozen elven warriors, had beaten him within an inch of his life. And then throw him to his death in front of Mikansia and Akseli.

Jabez: A friend of Mikansia's, who had died protecting her from her wretched father Krakeru.

Marian: The Countess of Fire. A member of Those That Sailed, a group dedicated to helping the world as they can. Marian was just given a Dagger of Betrayal by her friend Anneli, who has gone to the East to look for the Island of Eternal Youth, as detailed here, specifically Session Twenty-Three.

Nomi: A former dark elf who had decided to try and find a better way, even if it almost killed her. She has been comatose for the last 48 hours.

The Dragon/Fish: A Dagger of Betrayal, if stabbed into someone who the wielder does not have a relationship with, will turn its malice back upon the wielder and turn him into a dragon. A certain dwarf did this. And in his birth-throes, the dragon ripped Argentum Prime apart and started a power vacuum that has gripped the eastern half of the continent. It is rumored that another Dagger of Betrayal can be used to control the dragon.

Mikansia was shaken to the waking world. Marian towered above her, black eyes sparking: "He's gone. And so is the Dagger."

"Who? Who's missing?"

"Akseli. He took the Dagger."

Mikansia was up, sword in whitened knuckles. She charged out the little cave she and the rest of the time travelers had been shown by Marian and Telos. Bright light and desolate landscape greeted Mikansia. There was hardly a stump to be seen in the former rainforest. Mikansia paused a moment, trying to get her bearings. Marian came running out of the dark behind them. "Did he say anything to you, anything at all?"

"Well, he did see that you brought the Dagger back and he was surprised by that. But he just seemed surprised! Nothing else seemed off. He's not like this, not normally."

Marian was right in Mikansia's face. "But he did it! How well do you really think you know him then? Really?"

A sudden shockwave knocked them both over.

Screams were heard from the ruins behind, shouts from the cave behind; everyone came out in a heap, Telos pushing at the end. Marian looked west. "That came from Sabina's Castle. The dragon!" Marian took off as fast as she could. Mikansia kept pace.

Another shockwave knocked them to the ground.

A shadow loomed over them; bits of cement and stone fell betwixt them.

The monstrosity of stone found empty ground.

But it was the screams of death from within the structure that hurt, which stopped when it shook the ground. There were cries all around: pain, surprise, anguish, men, women, children. All of them screeching into the air, turning into an echo chamber of failure. Marian started and stopped, brow furrowed. Mikansia and Marian tried to move, but all the cries...

Look at each other, they nodded. "If Akseli succeeds it will be worse than this" Marian declared. "All of these deaths are on him."

Mikansia kept pace. And her tongue. Marian seemed to know where she was going, but Mikansia had no idea what she intended. Marian was known to Mikansia by reputation, but only vaguely. Who knew what she was capable of? Marian was powerful, she knew that, but how much? Mikansia didn't want to find out at Akseli's expense.

As they ran, Mikansia heard all the cries. Some threatening, cursing. Demanding. All wanted help. She ached. It wasn't just her lungs that hurt. She was torn, right down to the core. These people needed her. Now. Immediately. And she needed to help them! Who else was going to? Who else could? She could, right then, right now.

But who knew what Marian would do? Mikansia didn't know Marian. Akseli needed help and Mikansia had to help him. She had to. Even if it meant blocking out every last cry, young and old, as she ran. And run she did. Was she running toward Akseli? Away from these people?

Did it matter?

There was a forever expanding cloud of dust where Sabina's Castle had been. At the center of the obscurance was a gigantic heap of rubble.  At the center of the rubble was a hole, leading down into the black. They took a second to catch their breath.

"How does the Dagger work with the dragon?" Marian asked between gasps.

"We don't know. Nomi said you'd hollowed out the handle and made it into a flute for her. None of us thought to ask why or how it worked. We just thought you had figured something out."

"But I'd never even heard of it until you came from the future. I've run into time travelers from before, so I made sure to get the dagger.."

Huffing and puffing announced the appearance of Salt. "You... you seriously... thought you were going to go underground without a dwarf?" Marian shook her head, a wry smile in her eyes. Mikansia stifled a laugh.

Glass, twisted metal, and elongated slivers of wood refused almost any attempt at purchase of the walls. It was slow going, no matter the rush. Eventually the pit found a floor, which went left and right. An acrid stench came from the left. "That's magma. It'll be coming sooner or later, so we need to hurry!" cautioned Salt. They picked their way way across the dark passageway to the right. Mikansia pulled out her sword. Cascading light poured upon the wracked walls. A sudden roar reverberated down the tunnel; crashing and thundering rumbled down, through the rock. The fumes were behind, the roaring ahead.

At the end of the line stood Akseli. In his upraised hand was that loathsome dagger. He was jumping back and trying to jump back in through to the hulking form beyond. The dragon was trying to dig further, but kept turning to roar and swipe at Akseli.

"Akseliiii!"

Barely looking over his shoulder, Akseli yelled back "Mikansia, I need to do this!"

"No, Akseli, please! Let's talk about this!" Marian hung back a bit behind Mikansia, but her body was unyielding. "This isn't going to fix anything!"

"Of course it is! I can take this dragon and fix everything! EVERYTHING! It's one month away from when Jabez dies!"

Mikansia's jaw dropped; Marian tensed even more.

"I know! One month! And I can stop it!"

He ducked the tail and screamed "Mikansia, we can save them all!!! Don't you want that?"

"You know I do! But who knows what that will change?" Mikansia kept Marian in her periphery; she wasn't moving.

"But we can do that, we can figure that out, together! We can do anything together! Anything! Can't you trust me?? Trust us?? Don't you think I'm better suited for this dragon than Nomi, of all people?? Aren't I the more worthy candidate for this dragon than some crazed dark elf? Aren't I the one who can do right by this dragon?

Marian's hands tensed; a little spark jumped from them. "Akseli, you know I trust you, with anything, everything! But can we please not have this conversation with a dragon roaring at us, underground???" Mikansia pointed behind them: "Lava's on the way! we don't have time for this! We need clear heads and time. To talk."

Akseli turned to face Mikansia, and the dragon rushed forward. Akseli whipped back around, swinging with the hateful thing, and the dragon fell backwards, causing everyone to stumble from the shockwave. "you think we'll have time later?? Cause he loves me now!" Akseli yelled as he backed the dragon into a corner again. "This isn't a good time to say later!" The air above him practically split from the tail swipe. "NOW OR NEVER!"

"You think we can't take a dragon? What the hell??? I've got a sword that can cut holes in reality! I'm holding it!" Akseli darted to the side again. "Right now! Why are you doubting us!"

"I could stun the darn thing, if you just got out of the way!!" Marian roared.

Akseli turned to retort. The dragon lunged again. But this time Mikansia and Marian came rushing in. Mikansia's assault was a dizzying array of cuts and thrusts, blinding and confusing in its avalanche of light. The beast fell back.

"Get down!" Mikansia hit the jagged floor.

Marian's raven hair flew back as white flame roared from her hands. The dragon roared in pain, swooned, and crashed to the ground.

Marian's back was turned to Akseli. A cunning glint was all the warning Mikansia got. Steel rang; Marian turned and tried not to gape; steel was barely a centimeter from her stomach. Mikansia pushed Akseli back  as he tried to break her guard. "This isn't you, Akseli! come back! Please!"

The glint vanished.

Akseli stoppped. He slumped against the wall. "No... no... you're right."

Marian backed up a bit. "That wasn't him. For one second he was someone else."

Mikansia knelt down next to Akseli. "That wasn't you. Who was that, Akseli?"

Akseli swallowed. "It was... it was Krakeru."

Mikansia wasn't shocked, but she could feel the blood running from her face anyway. Damnit.

"Wait, Krakeru's dead?"

They both looked up. "You know Krakeru?" Mikansia asked.

"It's hard not to! He's..." Marian blanched and said nothing more for a minute. "Um, he's dead when you're at?"

"I killed him. Twice." Factual. Blunt. Marian was looking at Mikansia with a new-found respect. "Bastard didn't have the decency to stay dead." Mikansia tried to think of something else, anything else. Why the hell couldn't she keep this monster out of her life? Out of anybody's life?

"Oh, he has no decency at all." Marian stated. And then, turning to Akseli: "He imprinted on you in Dream, then. Sometimes the dead do that, if you suffer enough while you're there. You have his memories, all of them. They'll be filtering in, slowly, over the next few weeks." Akseli and Mikansia went pale. "I'm so sorry", Marian said, softly.

Mikansia could barely feel her hands. She focused on them. She still couldn't feel much. "Is... there anything we can do? Can we undo it?"

"I'... I'm sorry. I have no means to undo what the dead did. Their word is usually final on such matters. Maybe if Anneli was still here, she could have taken Akseli with her, but she has moved out of my sight. I see her no more. I cannot in good conscience send you to where she may not be, not in this environment."

Akseli stood up. His eyes stayed where they were: on the ground.

Marian tried to talk again but Mikansia gently put a hand on her shoulder. Marian closed her mouth.

The dragon began to stir. Everyone started.

Nomi, skeletally thin, walked right up to the dragon. Nobody had seen her. Or heard her. She seemed to apparate out of thin air. Eyes glazed, she approached the hulk of shadow. Before anyone could do anything she looked into the flickering lids. The dragon's eyes snapped open.

Flaming shadow and deadened souls stared into each other for an eternity.

"FZZSsssssh..." she muttered, and fell onto the dragon's head. The dragon relaxed. She fell asleep. The dragon held her, gently accepting the sleepy snuggle.

Everyone held their breath a minute.

The dragon and Nomi looked quite comfortable.

"Well, I'll be" Marian whispered.

They stared another minute. The dragon and Nomi did not move.

"We need to move out of these tunnels", Mikansia whispered. Still looking at the dragon and Nomi, she turned to Akseli. "Can I.. can I please have your sword?" Something died in Akseli's eyes. He nodded. Mikansia grimaced. She hated how it made him felt to ask. "I know what that sounds like. You're still you, Akseli. That's not what this is. But we... we have to make sure. Please trust me like I trust you." Akseli couldn't meet her eyes as he handed his blade over.

They made their way out of the tunnels, climbing out of the pit. The dragon followed, footsteps rumbling behind them. Nomi was sleeping soundly on its head, still. The dragon was quite gentle with sleeping form.

They found a structure in the city that hadn't been utterly destroyed; the cave they'd been in was structurally unstable. When Mikansia went to bed that night, she found herself holding the sword close to her. It felt comfortable. Safe. Simple.

She awoke with a start.

It was Akseli.

"I'm... sorry... can I sleep in your room? By the door?" He motioned at the ruined doorway. Mikansia sat up, holding her sword in its sheath, rubbing her eyes. Was this what it felt like for Akseli, after Mikansia had been assaulted by Krakeru? To be relied upon? She had needed him, so badly. Akseli had been there for her whenever she needed him. It had made all the difference.

And here he was. Akseli looked to Mikansia's right, over her shoulder. "I... I keep having these dreams. I can't sleep. Not where I'm at. Alone. I just want to be in the doorway. Is all." Standing up, Mikansia gently laid a hand on Akseli's shoulder. "Of course you can. Want some company?" Akseli nodded. They padded to the doorway, starlight peeking in through the walls and ceiling. They sat down. Mikansia began a lament in her alto. Akseli tried to join in.

The song caught in his throat.

Mikansia sang for the both of them, starlight bearing witness. She sang of times past and the sorrows that others had survived in those past times. And of their hope that they would survive this sorrow too, in this bloody present.

Akseli nodded off.

The night went on.