A Tale of Arcane Space: Lost & Found

Liang tapped thoughtfully at his chitinous chin. "We're going to have to be very, very careful about if, when, and how we use these new capabilities, especially the Sun-Geyser. If we attract too much attention, we might find ourselves being hunted down by more than just Dag Thurmond's uncouth bunch."

George raised a finger. "There is also a political question to consider. Do we want to put ourselves in league with the descendants of the Goblin and Orc governments that built the Sun Golems in the first place?"

Danielle shrugged. "Things are very different now. While I certainly want to make sure that anything even vaguely resembling the fascist Human Hegemony never rises again, my read of historical records make it clear that there are no clear 'good guys' and 'bad guys' right now -- if ever there really were. Staying independent, at least for now, strikes me as our best path forward."

"Agreed." Liang paused, and turned to look at his A.I. crewmates. "I'm going to discuss this with the rest of the crew before making a final decision, but my feeling is that we should start by helping get our thankfully-sane nine Gnomish guests to a safe harbor -- and help the WarSaints in reinforcing their safety. If they really do hold the key to curing the mind-plague, then the already-affected Gnomes may well pull out all the stops to prevent that cure from taking hold. Our rescued friends will need all the help and protection they can get."

"We need to stop by Jardin Rouge Colonie first," Danielle noted. "SnowDrop, Cori, Lin, and myself have important obligations there."

"Yes, Cori told me. I haven't forgotten. Once we make sure your new combined systems are ready for a system-jump, we'll head there straight away."

George's golden snout took on a new grin. "That reminds me. I was speaking with our new WarSaint friend, Areeso. Using some of the technology in GraveDancer's frame that's been lost for so many years, I might have a way to replicate his unusual speed in system-jumping, for this vessel's use."

The captain laughed as they continued down the corridor. "Will the wonders ever cease?"

***

"How are you feeling, Lin?"

The priest was sitting up in his bed, taking bites out of a plate of chicken that Enrique had generously baked for him. "Much better this morning, Cori. Still sore all over, but it's a dull ache now. I don't even notice it half the time."

She nodded in satisfaction, looking down at his plate. "It's good that you're eating well. Shows that you're on the mend."

He dabbed at his lips with a napkin, and set down the leg bone next to an already-eaten remnant of a thigh, leaving a small wing uneaten. "Captain Liang thinks I'm out of any danger, but he'd like me to keep resting and not stress myself with any healing attempts just yet." He moved the tray away, and took a deep breath, meeting Cori's gaze. "This has been a crazy few days, hasn't it."

Cori squeezed his wrist. "I wouldn't trade them for anything. We found and rescued Dani from an eternity alone in that stony grave, we found and rescued those Gnomes from a fate worse than death, and we found... and rescued... each other." At his surprised reaction, she put a finger to his lips. "A few days ago, before this whole thing started, I was... empty. I only cared about the money we might get out of salvaging a wartime wreck. I had no real sense of what I was doing with my life beyond the immediate moment in front of me, or what I wanted out of life, much less what I was fighting for." She leaned in, her forehead resting gently against his. "Now, thanks to you, I know the answers to all of that -- and those answers heavily involve you. I'm honestly happier right now than I can ever remember being in my life."

She turned and nibbled gently on the tip of his ear. "And not just because you feel so gods-blessed good inside me. I swear, the very instant you're well enough.... Oooooo, I get shivers just thinking about what we're going to do. And what other surprises Danielle might have for us." She grinned. "She put that amazing bed in my new quarters, by the way. But it's too damn big without the both of you curled up in it with me. Get better soon, Lin." She laid a light kiss on his lips, and stood back. "I've been on duty all night, and need to get some rest -- but I'll be back later."

"Give Danielle a kiss for me, if you please? I already miss snuggling with you both, but don't hold back on my behalf."

Coriolis licked her lips. "But of course." With a last wink and a blown kiss, she left the medbay.

For about an hour, Lindauriel had the medbay to himself, quietly reading through some newer books on his tablet. Eventually, he pulled the food tray back towards him, and looked over the remaining chicken wing. With slow and careful will, he called forth a tiny ember of divine fire, and released it onto the last of his breakfast. Pleased that doing so did not cause him any bodily stress or discomfort, he watched as the food crumbled into ash inside his ceramic bowl, and spent the next few minutes whispering his morning prayers, as he'd done every morning for so many years.

He looked up from his table -- and The Queen of Silence stood in the middle of the room, the raven Y'shalnacht perched upon her shoulder. As he watched, she pulled back her hood to reveal an eerily beautiful face, whose features seemed a blend of all peoples, her skin the color of a starless midnight sky. Her eyes gleamed, and the room's light was somehow drawn into the infinite blades that formed her cloak, rather than sending that light exploding across the room in a dazzling cascade.

She inclined her head in greeting, one hand over her heart, and smiled.

Y'shalnacht spoke for her. "Do not stand, and do not fear, Lindauriel Moonblossom. The Queen of Silence is not here to escort you across the veil. She only wishes to visit, to bring comfort and company to a recovering friend."

Lindauriel managed a sort of half-bow from where he sat up in the bed. "You honor me, your endless majesty."

The deity reached into a pocket, and pulled forth a deck of cards. She grabbed a chair, and moved it and Lin's meal table back towards his bed. The deck was placed on the table, and Y'shalnacht flew from her shoulder, to one of the bed's railings. "Would you like to pass the time with a game, High Reverend Moonblossom?"

Lindauriel looked to the Raven in surprise, and then to the Queen. "High Reverend?" He blinked. "Ah, yes. A game would be very... relaxing. Please pick whatever game you like, my Queen."

With a nod and a soft chuckle, the goddess started sifting through the deck, removing the Major Arcana one by one, setting them to one side, and her Herald continued. "She does not normally make suggestions to the inner hierarchy of her priesthood -- but in this case, an exception will be made, to ordain you as High Reverend in recognition of your exceptional work. This is also part of the reason she wishes for you to visit her chapel in Jardin Rouge Colonie, where your title will be made official." The raven glanced over at the Queen's hands. "Ah. She wishes to play 'Quiet Lady', an old favorite." She held up the thirteenth Major Arcana, the card representing Death. The card was drawn in her image, her iconic cloak unfurled as she stood on a cliff overlooking a field of battle. "This shall be the Lady." She set that card and the deck containing the minor arcana down onto the table, and the herald continued. "You may shuffle and deal, High Reverend."

Flexing his fingers, Lindauriel slid the "Lady" into the rough middle of the deck, and took a few moments to gently shuffle the cards. They seemed to be ordinary card stock, with drawings similar to what he'd seen on other decks during his life and travels -- although for some reason, cats of all shapes and sizes featured prominently in many of the cards' artwork. He then dealt out the entire remaining deck, alternating back and forth between the Queen and himself. They both picked up their hands -- and he saw her perfect face make a small pout. He glanced down at his own hand, and realized that his opponent had been dealt the Lady. He looked to one side, and noticed Y'shalnacht studying his cards with interest. He pulled his cards to his chest. "Heeeeey. No cheating, honored herald," he said with a laugh. As he sifted out the pairs he'd received as part of his initial deal, he made a point of shuffling the remainder of his hand, giving the raven a raised eyebrow and another smile. "You go sit over on that side of the bed, I don't trust you." With a flutter, a caw, and a laugh, Y'shalnacht hopped across. "I concede the point, High Reverend. You may go first."

The game proceeded in silence, the three beings simply enjoying each other's company, as Lin and the Queen took turns drawing cards face-down from each other's hand in an effort to make and then discard matching fours of a kind. After a few minutes, Lin looked down at his latest draw -- he'd pulled the Lady from his opponent's dwindling hand, and made a small "tsk" sound. The Queen smiled a wide grin, and made a very quiet giggle. That little sound reverberated through him -- beautiful, relaxing, and kind all at once. He smiled back, and knew that he would treasure this moment for all the rest of his days, however many there might be in his future.

With a little smile, she plucked a card from his rather substantial hand... and immediately paired that Seven of Pentacles with her last three cards, which turned out to be the other three Sevens. With a newly widened grin, she slapped the quartet onto the table, emptying her hand and winning the game. Lindauriel set down his cards, and the Queen immediately gathered them up for a shuffle. "Another game, my Queen?" She nodded in eager excitement, and made a show of doing a rapid "riffle" shuffle. She then performed a second shuffle with just one hand, expertly dancing the cards around her fingers, her eyebrows wiggling with silent laughter.

Lin grinned in return. "I think for my own safety, I better cut that several times after you're done with it, your majesty."

Y'shalnacht bobbed his head as he watched. "A wise idea, High Reverend."

The medbay door opened, and a veritable mountain of a grey-haired Orc walked in, fully decked out in everything but the helmet (which he carried under one arm) of top-of-the-line metal/ceramic combat armor. A force-pistol was holstered on one hip, a sheathed longsword on the other, a rifle slung across his back -- and the imposing figure stopped in his tracks immediately after entering, his eyes going wide.

"Gathor!" Lindauriel looked up in pleased surprise. "My Queen, I apologize for the interruption, may I introduce you?" When she nodded, he continued, gesturing to the new arrival. "This is Gathor Harmsway, my instructor and overseer in the ways of the Crimson Flame, and a dear friend." He turned to look at the Orc, amused by seeing him caught completely off guard for perhaps the first time in his long life. "Honored Gathor, you stand in the presence of my chosen deity, the Queen of Silence. Mother of Winter, Third Sister of Three, and guardian of the cycle of life and death. Also, this is her Herald, the divine raven Y'shalnacht, who acts as her voice."

Gathor's mouth opened, but was too stunned to utter any sounds. Eventually, he seemed to find some mental footing, and bowed deep. "Blessings upon, divine one. You honor us with your presence, and with your patience at my interruption. My apologies."

The Goddess made a waving-away gesture at his apology, and pointed to a nearby chair on the other side of Lin's bed as she held up the deck.

"We're playing 'Quiet Lady'," Lin noted, and the Queen held up the Death card once more to confirm this, pointing again to the empty chair.

With a laugh, Gathor set his helmet and armament on a nearby table, and pulled up the chair. "By all means, please deal me in."

As the Queen of Silence sent cards expertly skidding across the table to her two opponents, Gathor reached out to pat Lin gingerly on the shoulder. "I talked to Areeso and Amelie, and reviewed the log of events from our link." His eyes flickered to the knife he'd given Lin years ago, now resting on a table behind the bed. "You did well -- but it's clear we'll need to work together on training your defenses. That Gnome gunner pulled an impressive trick on you, I'll grant, but you were too caught up in the rush of events to guard or heal yourself properly. You might not get so lucky the next time."

"Agreed, sir. I accept your judgement."

The goddess rolled her eyes, and made a small "pbbbt" sound with her lips, gesturing pointedly to Gathor's cards.

The warrior bowed his head, a bit nervous at the sudden attention from across the table. "My apologies, milady. I'll stop holding up the game."

She nodded in return, and the three players picked up their cards. With a quiet flutter, Y'shalnacht took up an unnoticed perch on the table just behind Gathor, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked over the array of cards fanned out in the Orc's callused hands.

***

Luxuriating in the wonderful mattress now located in Cori's quarters, Danielle wrapped her arms around the ruby-skinned Goblin beauty, resting her head against her lover's bosom. "Are you sure Lin said this was alright? I hate that he's missing out while he recovers."

Cori kissed the top of her head. "How many more smooches do I have to give you on his behalf to make it clear? He knows, and he's fine with it. I imagine we're fueling some very extravagant dreams that he'll be having, where he imagines just how many times I might make you scream my name tonight."

Danielle gave a dreamy sigh, and nibbled momentarily on Cori's hardened nipple. "Four so far. Care to go for five?"

Cori's fingers glided down the soft green skin along Dani's back. "Challenge accepted."

***

After Lindauriel won the next game, and then the Queen won the next after that, Gathor politely excused himself, saying that he "didn't want to intrude further", and that he'd check in on Lin the next morning.

As the healing solution IV drip continued its work, slowly mending the Elven priest from the inside-out, he took a sip from a water bottle that his Goddess had kindly grabbed for him from the medbay's refrigerator. "Thank you for your kindness, my Queen."

She ran her fingers through his soft red curls, brushing them away from his eyes. "After a day of such chaos," Y'shalnacht spoke for her, "Our queen thought that an oasis of calm would be restful not only to your body, but your mind and spirit as well. You have suffered enough as you accomplished the task that was set upon you. It is important that you be well for what may come next."

Lin nodded, shivering at the cool touch of the being he worshipped. "What should I be prepared for?"

Y'shalnacht fluffed out his wings for a moment. "The future is not written -- but certain educated guesses can be made. There will be more Gnomes coming to find what you protect. Be ever on guard, even as you seek to rescue them from their madness."

Lin shivered again, this time in horror as he remembered the cold and hateful eyes of the two captains, who destroyed themselves to try and hasten his death. "Understood."

"Your revealed identity as a member of the Order will no doubt bring trouble from many sources -- those who wish to use you, those who would kneel in supplication at your feet simply because of the power you contain, and those who covet that of yours what they can never have." The Queen met his gaze directly as her herald continued. "Take care to shield your crewmates from these troubles, and they will shield you in turn." With a moment's thought, he added, "Our Queen also notes that these words could well apply to Danielle GraveDancer, and her rather unique position in this galaxy. The two of you have much in common."

As Lin digested this, Herald and Goddess looked to each other silently for a moment, and then turned back to him, the raven hopping onto her shoulder. "Lastly, we offer some small advice." He reached back with his beak, picking at an errant feather for a moment. "You have chosen to share your heart with two others. This has its own hidden trials and vulnerabilities, as well as the rather obvious delights and joys. She asks that you be equally mindful of them both, in all ways, and in all meanings. This is the truest path she can offer and suggest."

Standing up, the Queen of Silence picked up the deck of cards, and with a flourish, the cards flew in a stream from one hand to the other. She set the deck down in front him on his small table. "Keep this," her herald said, "as a memento of today. And also, please accept this small gesture of her appreciation, for your service in the continuation of the cycle of life and death." The Goddess bent down, cupped Lindauriel's cheek with her hand, and laid her lips upon his for a long, soft, and lingering kiss.

Lindauriel gasped in ecstasy as he felt her tongue dance playfully with his, as her hand caressed the curve of his ear, the side of his throat. Just as it seemed too much to bear, she pulled away, and with another tiny beautiful giggle, she tapped the tip of his nose with a fingertip -- and faded from view, the sound of fluttering wings echoing through the empty room.

Lindauriel took a deep breath, and picked up the deck. On an impulse, he shuffled it three times, cut it three more, and then laid a series of ten cards out in front of him, face down. One by one, he turned them over, imagining the paths he had taken, and where those might lead him in days to come.

The first card: Judgement, reversed. Lack of self awareness, doubt, self loathing. He saw himself as a youth, full of hatred for the otherness that seemed to define him. "Gothos Ebonrazor," he whispered aloud with a laugh.

The second card: The Knight of Cups. Following the heart, an idealist, a romantic. He remembered his early days in the seminary, indulging in new worldly horizons as he opened himself to the glories of the world around him, accepting his chosen role as a priest -- and accepting himself.

The third card: The Ace of Swords. A breakthrough, discovering clarity, a sharp mind. He remembered meeting Gathor Harmsway for the first time, who explained to the young elf that he had been chosen to bear a great responsibility and burden as a WarSaint, a member of the Order of Tlaketh Crimson, a wielder of the Crimson Flame. He remembered well the endless training and painful rigor that Gathor put him through, as well as Gathor's sincere assurance that all of it was done with careful purpose towards strengthening his young pupil.

The fourth card: The Devil. Addiction, materialism, playfulness. Kallitrix, returning suddenly to his life, trying to pull him into the world she'd chosen, the world of Dag Thurmond. A world he rejected.

The fifth card: The Knight of Pentacles. Efficiency, hard work, responsibility. He saw Captain Guan Liang, extending a hand in friendship and common purpose -- to eke out a living for themselves, while doing as little harm to others as they could, and protecting those in need. Becoming a part of the crew of the Endurance, who welcomed him into their ranks.

The sixth card: The Queen of Swords. For a moment, he thought the card reversed, which would have meant one with a cold heart, bitter and empty -- but in truth, it was upright, meaning a person of complexity, perceptiveness, and a clear mind. He'd misread Coriolis Herikit at first as well, thinking her aloof and disdainful of him, only to discover a fascinating and beautiful soul once he saw her for what she truly was, and what she aspired to be.

The seventh card: The Sun. Joy, success, celebration, a happy heart. It was impossible not to imagine Danielle GraveDancer in that moment, a soul filled with endless warmth and smiles, eager to discover the new world that she'd been rescued into -- while never forgetting her boundless might as a warrior. He accepted all of this about her, and took joy in it.