Surfacing Ch. 39

Morix wasn't sure whom he addressed, him or Soul Drinker, so he waited.

"I have no parents as I am," the Fey Devil said, continuing to glide down the stairs. "We all died in that one extraordinary event, and I was made, born anew. I *am* the Parent now. I am the Father."

"YOU ARE OUR CHILD!" Soul Drinker cried. "AND YOU HAVE DONE THIS TO US WITH CRUELTY! YOU TURNED THE FORGE-GIFT AGAINST US!"

Indrath chuckled softly. "So. You have discovered this, too. Yet by every tale whispered, and every sign a blacksmith makes to keep away such attention, I doubt the Soul Forger even knows where his creation ended up. I doubt very much that he gifted it to you to use when you were losing the battle. One of us simply moved faster when it dropped between us."

The Ice Lord paused, shifting his attention from relic to bearer, barely moving his gaze. The To'vah-krav could not truly choose where to focus his attention as Soul Drinker continued to scream in agony, while Indrath's voice remained smooth and seeping into his mind like a Human's lullaby. He had no choice but to listen.

"It is important you understand, Morixxyleth, now that you have come here in this way. It is important to understand there are the natural births beneath the Sun and Moons, those who come to eat and grow and mate and die... And there are rebirths born of pure Will when one is not ready to rest. Miurag has a very long history of this, such a flexible world thanks to the legacy of the Broken One. This quality can be seen in many very close to you, some of which you are not aware. For a price, I could name those who have come and gone...and some who have stayed."

Morix sucked in a breath after bearing the pain as long as he could in silence; it was tracing down his back and flanks now, reaching for his legs where he would not be able to spring. Already he could not fly.

He shook his head. This wasn't why he was here.

"No bargain on that?" the Ice Lord teased. "Very well. I shall offer two, free of charge. Ah, I see you know already. Yes, the shadow of your familiar patching the soul of the Baenar girl, and the 'Chosen Champion' with the splintered mind. Gaelan and Sirana. How I would enjoy a talk with them of their rebirths, so like mine in ways."

Morix growled; still Soul Drinker wailed, and Indrath tilted his head.

"You might keep in mind, To'vah-krav, that Rennyn sees in them what he saw in me, once, and as it was then, he cannot bring himself to kill one of his children ever again. Be wary, still, for he will always be watching them."

*I. AM.* Morix thought, temporarily drowning out the cries and croons of both challengers. *AND I AM NOT HERE FOR THIS.*

He released a roar he'd been withholding until now, forming with it a Word which broke itself out of his bonds of pain. The Dragon surged forward in the opening it made, one burst of strength yanked back from Indrath's palm. He pushed himself forward off and down the rock while he still could.

Morix aimed again for the darkness, the wound in the world where he'd seen Glain's fate. He aimed where he'd see more of the Heart and what happened in this place. No one, not even the Ice Lord, could hide what he'd see as a To'vah—

"No!" Indrath cried. "Kran!"

The shadow jumper appeared instantly in his periphery, and the small, Yungian Man possessed a strike of one many times his size. Kran did not strike Morixxyleth, however, but the rock in front of him. A crack appeared in the long-fallen rubble at the same time as a shocking, sonic pulse slowed Morix's progress, disorienting him for a few moments.

It was a pause long enough for Soul Drinker to go blessedly silent, and for the Ice Lord to plead for his attention.

"I hear you, Dragon-in-Dream, you come seeking a Bargain of Birthright!" the Fey Lord declared, his voice loud and commanding in the abrupt silence. "And in that light, I have come prepared to make one. You called me, Elf-Son. I dare you to deny it."

The pain withdrew rapidly alongside the relic's screams, repealed from out of his back and wings and shoulders, relief following every joint but for that one wrist which remained sore. Morix could regain his feet, extend his wings and fold them down again without trembling. He opened his eyes to peer at Kran, who had dropped to one knee, one fist on the ground, bowing his head as if in apology.

"Lung jinshen," he murmured, this one phrase perhaps all he remembered of his birth. "Please hear my Lord's proposal before doing something so rash."

Morix snaked his tail this way and that, sitting back on his haunches and curving a long neck around toward Indrath. "I will listen, Ice Lord, if you do not speak of my companions. Not at all. Not Jael, Sirana, or Gaelan will be part of this discussion."

The Ice Lord looked down on him coolly, poised and considering. He nodded once. "As you wish, Morixxyleth. What of Tamuril?"

Morix's ears turned back, but he answered, "Allowed. And I thank you for silencing Soul Drinker while we Bargain. You have proven your point, and you have confirmed my choice of my path."

"Indeed. And what point have I proven, Elf-Son?"

"That you and I can become enemies very easily," the To'vah-krav rumbled, "but that you are a Father of Elves like the Tilabil, and protector of Miurag like the To'vah, and our paths will always intersect. It would be an eternal feud with harsh risk for my companions and allies, and such a feud will feed nothing but a mistaken impression that my principle can be impressed upon you."

Indrath's demeanor warmed once again and he even relaxed, bowing his head. "And like me, like Rennyn, you do not choose to be alone like some of your Grandfathers. I understand this, Morixxyleth. My compliments to your Tilabil, they have taught you well." He chuckled in pure serenity. "May I ask which principle it is you would impress?"

"The one which proves I have none of the Infernal in me, as you do."

"Ah. Loyal subjects, you mean?"

"Slaves."

Kran lifted his head and frowned in disappointment up at him. "I am not a slave anymore, Morix. Perhaps I began that way, but...I chose."

Indrath let that statement hang between them as Morix studied the Yungian as he stood up straight, knowing he could argue still but also knowing it would change nothing.

"I grant there are slaves among my holdings, Morixxyleth," Indrath told him, "but those are the weakest who would merely be a burden upon the free, those willing to work, if not given purpose. My best will always have a choice."

"As long as the choice is you."

Indrath merely hummed, allowing him to have the last word without further comment. "May I ask, how close are you to Becoming?"

In his body, his heart had begun to pound harder. It was no secret in this form; the Ice Lord would be able to see it in his aura. "Perhaps another Sleep. Or two."

"Astonishing." His voice was pure admiration. "Few of your kind make it this far, Morixxyleth. I dare speak for all of your Fathers, Elf and Dragon, to say we are proud of you. You are gaining such strength and power, I will delight to see how you use them."

Though his reasoning was unsatisfyingly vague, Morix still asked, "And what of my Mothers?"

Indrath smiled with distinct amusement. "Curiously absent."

"What do you know of that?" he asked.

"Is that your Bargain, Morixxyleth?"

He growled softly at the block. "No. I am still here because of Soul Drinker and my allies' future."

"Very well. You may always change your mind, my Son, though there would be a price." Indrath had been descending the stairs very slowly this whole time, and now he was close to the bottom where Morix sat. "The To'vah are very protective of some knowledge, my sharing it would not come without its consequence for my own. You understand."

Morix nodded once. He understood only too well.

At last, Indrath had reached the base level with him, his own russet-red wings arched to perfection, his image as enchanting as Morix had always feared. Even now he had not heard any steps taken, though the Fey Devil had walked on legs, not floated.

"Before we Bargain," Indrath said, "with your agreement, I would like to bring in one witness."

"Kran is not good enough?"

"We need one who shares our blood."

"Why?"

The Ice Lord's tone cooled a bit. "It is in the Sight, Dragonchild. Do not pretend you do not understand of what I speak."

If Graul had been here, he would be the balancing witness... but still Morixxyleth would not call on Jael. Even if he was sure he could at this point, she was not ready. The To'vah-krav would have to try for Balance on his own when it was already weighed against him.

"So be it," he agreed.

"Thank you. She has been waiting."

Indrath nodded once, looking forward at Kran, and Morix followed his gaze. He blinked to see another standing behind the Yungian bodyguard. Kran was not a tall Man, but the female who stood behind him was a bit shorter still. She had her bright red arms wrapped around the tattooed Man from the back, wrists crossing elegantly in front of his heart and she held him to her like a child held a favorite doll. She peered at Morix from over Kran's right shoulder, and he could only see her face from the nose up.

The Infernal girl had yellow eyes without pupils, smooth, black-violet hair the color of his own scales, and a set of small, white horns implying she was still young. Her ears matched Indrath's almost to perfection, as did the rust-colored wings rising on her back. Morix could see a coiling, spear-tipped tail playing near the floor, but the rest of her was hidden behind Kran.

Morix watched her graceful, feminine hands as she played her claws very lightly over the Yungian's skin. As she dragged the sharp tips across, his nipples hardened, gooseflesh rose on his bare torso... yet he breathed out in familiar determination, seeming to have regained his focus rather than have it distracted by her touch. All the same, the Man began to form an erection within his breeches.

The two servants stood between the Dragonchild and the wound of Ice Heart, and together, Morix knew, they would be an effective barrier if he tried for an unescorted vision again. Morix forced himself to blink and look away from the newcomer, back to the Ice Lord.

"An introduction to your witness?"

Indrath bowed his head and splayed one clawed hand toward his servants. "Kran? If you would."

The tattooed Man gently took one wrist and a step to the side, regretfully leaving the warmth of her embrace. The Human revealed a nude, finely curved Devilblood of disturbing allure, far more elegant and regal than the feline cum-drinker at Sarilis's Tower—even as she was similarly red-skinned.

Her hair, mound-fur, and nipples were all dark, royal purple, and Morix could clearly see the Elf in her but was unsure of the branch from which she'd come. She was mature, yet diminutive, and her aura had less subtlety than the Ice Lord, seeking and succeeding in caressing his as they made eye contact, triggering a Draconic erection of his own against his will. The movement out of his black sheath made her smile with a curiously innocent delight, and then Morix could see the resemblance all too clearly.

"The Heir Apparent of Vintern Hjem," Kran said reverently, eyes down but lightly holding her hand in presentation. "Lady Indra Rousse, Daughter of My Lord Indrath."

Vague as it was to say why, Morix knew this was not the "witness" he would have preferred. With her arrival, somehow this had become three-to-one, for when she bowed at the introduction, her scarlet breasts showed tight nipples as her shadow-jumping bodyguard held back less of his own aura in her presence.

"My pleasure and gratitude," she said, "to meet so captivating a creature. Tell me your name, Dragon-Son."

His claws dug into the stone, scratching and chipping it as he withdrew quickly from the temptation to answer her exactly what she wanted. He might let his anger rise as a shield but it would not hold the strength of his own conviction, because the truth of it was she forced nothing, there was no attack. She had simply asked him a question, and her aura was as open and vulnerable as few creatures of power would risk in a place like this.

Not even Indrath was flirting with such a thing here and now, and that must be part of their intent. Kran was her first defender, and more powerful than he'd seemed at first, and Lord Indrath himself would no doubt do his all to keep her safe. It would do not good to get angry; it would only give away control to these three.

Yet still, it crossed his mind that the To'vah-krav could keep guard as well, that he could watch for trouble. If the Lady was in danger, he might help them, as any strong male should.

*Rrrrrr...not why I am here.*

"I am Morix," he answered politely. "The honor is mine, Lady Indra."

She was pleased, and her eyes trailed over him again, lingering on the proof of his maleness. As he had resisted the impulse to tell her his full Draconic name, so too did he breathe to draw down his arousal, a bit at a time.

*I will keep away threats. I will not become that threat.*

Indra sighed as if she heard that then turned her gaze to her Lord-Father and bowed her head as was appropriate to honor her sire, and she stepped back, giving them room.

"I am here to bear witness to a Birthright drawn from Vintern Hjem, as is my duty as Heir Apparent," she said, pausing before blowing a soft, affectionate kiss toward the Ice lord, who now stood facing the Dragonchild with the broken wall at his back.

"At your tolerance, Father."

********

After Jael had left the nazein ahead of us, but before Krithannia next gone to return to Guild matters, I asked to speak in private. I'd not had the opportunity until now.

"What about?" she asked curiously.

Instead of answering aloud, I signed, *Shyntre.*

She stared at my hand, and I detected wariness, but she nodded, smiling just as my stomach growled loudly. She smiled warmly and gestured for me to follow her. *Water and food first.*

Alright, so she had a point.

"Just don't push me off," I said.

"I will not, Sirana. Let's go to the mess."

That took some time as we talked with some of the other Dwarves about supplies needed and some of the deals passing through with the Guildsmen. Once finished, however, we ended up in one of the unused rooms closer to the infirmary, door closed. She brought a small lamp stone out of her belt pouch, setting it on the small table and activating it to offer a little light to better see hands or expressions.

On the whole, Krithannia was the one I'd seen the least in the past couple months. She'd been there for us at the very beginning, and had made effort to get us things we had asked for to keep us occupied. I'd been thinking of all these questions to ask her, things I wanted to bring up or hoped she would; things I knew my Priests wanted to understand.

For over two months now, the Drow had cooperated to keep low when Guild members were moving in or out, either in the mess, the infirmary, or the nazein. Peng Lok and Nianzu were our regular Human contacts and started staying in one room in between the Dwarves and us, joining us at meals at times and certainly being willing to take us outside now and again in small groups. I could even tell it was slowly warming in Augran; the season would shift well toward spring very soon. Even Talov had visited us more often and as far as I could sense, all the Drow had found something to respect or like about him.

If there were two in particular who were avoiding something, it was Krithannia and Gaelan. I was willing to give Gaelan all the time she needed to decide if she wanted to even touch Graul's hoard. But Krithannia...?

Well. I did have to bear in mind that I wasn't trying to run a city like her. Even Elder Rausery had a few more in authority than it seemed the Guild Mistress did. Or it could be an excuse; I'd never really know unless I either sensed her thoughts—which hadn't happened yet—or she shared them with me.

At least she hadn't put me off for being too direct.

"Go ahead," the Noldor offered, and the wide-open offer with the neutral tone made another moment where I had to decide where to begin.

"Have you spoken to him at all after our first arrival?" I asked.

She paused but shook her head. "Not beyond a brief discussion of spell components with Gaelan and Auslan."

"You haven't asked him any questions about where he came from? Or the Dark Sister?"

She pursed her lips. "No. Was this a requirement?"

I shrugged. "I'm just wondering what's taking you so long. I mean...both Tamuril and Mourn said you were looking for signs. He's a sign, and we're not planning to be here that long." I paused. "Unless Mourn already filled you in?"

She granted me a nod in that. "He'd provided me some information, yes. Nothing which needs urgent discussion now when Gavin has agreed to a Guild gate at his Tower and most of you haven't adapted to Sunlight yet."

"So you're planning on waiting until we get settled there?"

She smiled. "I will announce it more formally after Mourn Awakens, but will tell you now that I plan to make myself available regularly as you near your birthing, Sirana. I have much wisdom I can offer your new family, in particular with your firstborn, and there will be other opportunities to speak with Shyntre."

"So sure?" I challenged mildly, even feeling something pretty warm hearing that. "Things change fast out in the open, you know that even better than me."

Krithannia exhaled, acknowledging that in a nod as well. "You must forgive me some of my Noldor ways, Sirana, and you did miss most of the initial engagements when your family first arrived. Shyntre was hostile and distrusting, but he calmed down more than I expected when you awoke and treated me well. I thank you for that.

"However, I have also noticed him testing every supply brought to him since—mundane or magical— and he is looking for anything harmful or deceitful."

Yeah, I'd noticed that, too...

"He sees me as a Matron-figure for my desire to keep you all safe and hidden underground while we wait," Krithannia said, "and there is not much I can do to change that, because he is right at least about the fear of Matronly control. Without Talov's council, you may not have seen the streets at all. It is simply better I remove myself and let him and the Guildsman handle your excursions than be involved."

"Pretty insightful," I granted. "You are starting with him behind even the Dwarves, I guess. He was neutral toward them."

She shrugged. "Not unexpected, Sirana. But I would rather wait until Shyntre is comfortable outside in the daytime and feels some of his own autonomy, until he has healed some, before I approach him with this discussion. I can see he has many raw wounds, not unlike how Mourn was when I first got to know him."

As much as I wanted to hear more about that, there was still another factor she had not mentioned at all.

"And Auslan's face?" I asked. "They told me you cast against him when he arrived, trying to dispel any illusion or deceit yourself."

Krithannia smiled wryly. "Yes. I never said Shyntre's hostility was not earned. Another matter I would like to become less fresh before we speak of potentially painful things."

I narrowed my eyes. "Painful for you at all, or just them?"

Her eyes flicked briefly toward the ceiling and she nodded an affirmative. "Me as well. I ask you not to probe deeper in this direction for now, Sirana. Be patient. It will be better for not pushing things."

My curiosity flared—how could it not when she said something like that?—but refusing to abide by her direct request had no justification.

"At least give me a hint why both you and Tamuril had such strong reactions to Auslan," I said.