Eternally Bound: Part 12
----- Apparition -----
"M-m-mother?" Paige's was the sound of a mouse squeak. "I… What? I thought you were…"
Ari added bluntly, "Dead!"
"She is," Ember mumbled already preparing to pounce at the obvious ruse. Demitra reached over to restrain her fiance.
"You… were - are - dead! Is this a trick? I…" The woman struggled to even choose the right words. Her heart was pounding, her body flush. "Where… Where have you been?"
The ghost's mouth opened to give a hissing dry echo of a voice. "Serving Grenth."
Demitra raised an eyebrow. "Serving… Grenth? The god of death?"
Paige looked back at Demitra, her eyes filled with tears that were struggling to break free. "My father… He never used to talk about it, but I snuck a peek at his journals and discovered the truth: my mother had… left to serve Grenth."
"The Realm of the Djinn, the Mad King's Realm, the Underworld… All connected," Demitra exhaled a frosty breath at the revelation.
Ember came to her friend, uncharacteristically calm. She placed her hand on Paige's shoulder, mumbling, "Breathe, Paige. We're all here for you…"
She listened to her captain, took a breath. "I'm sorry," she exhaled. "I had given up all hope of ever meeting her and… I feel all these emotions… I can't even process…" Tears began to flow down her mocha colored cheeks as she gritted her teeth in a futile attempt to make them stop. "You… You left us; you left me…" Paige began to whimper.
Demitra came to her other side, assisting with the support her fiance was providing. "Perhaps she is here to explain, Lady Paige Dejarin. There may be no opportunity hereafter to listen…"
Paige was always surprised and humbled by the Elonian's wisdom. She nodded, sniffling, then looked up to see Vivian floating over to her. The specter reached a glowing hand of misty smoke up to the woman's cheek, as if she could wipe her tears away. When it passed into Paige's cheek, Vivian withdrew it.
"Why?" came a whisper from the sobbing woman.
"I do not have long," the ghost said. "The arrangement was for me to speak to you after you bested him. (He does love his games, it seems.)"
"Then what did you offer him to have this chance?" Paige was already working to solve the mystery.
"Servitude. For I am to become a member of his Lunatic Court." The echo-voice wavered only slightly at the statement, as if she were resolved to her fate, but did not like it.
"So, why would you even come here to see me? Why would you make that deal? What's so important that you… Father said you gave up on our family! You showing up here? It goes against everything I've ever known about you. You left me!" Paige screamed.
"I had to see you before I could no longer. Grenth is gone; the gods are silent. Before the Mad King's deal, I know not where my spirit would have gone. And, when I felt you enter this realm, I made a deal with his majesty. I just wanted to…" Vivian tried to take her daughter's hands, futilely passed through them. If it had been possible, tears would have come from her eyes. "I wanted to see the woman you have become. And, to tell you… I am sorry for… everything."
Paige bawled. Her knees wobbled and she would have fallen, had Demitra and Ember not helped her continue standing. She tried to collect herself, then broke down again, sinking into both women's arms and support. She looked up Demitra with sorrowed eyes that seemed scared and helpless yet simultaneously cautious and skeptical, a lifetime of doubt not able to be washed away so easily. Yet, a part of her wanted to believe - wanted to truly believe - the spirit's words.
Demitra bolstered her friend, just as she promised so many weeks ago. She spoke softly, carefully, and lovingly in Paige's ear. "People change, Lady Paige Dejarin. Regrets, aspirations, feelings, reflection of one's deeds within the afterlife. Would such a thing not be enough to change someone? Your mother is here to reconcile before moving on; there may be no other chance. Would she be untruthful in this moment?"
Paige took in a breath, and her friend's words, the wisdom Demitra provided. She found the strength to stand upright from Ember's reinforcement and steadfastness. She wiped the tears from her eyes, asking in a cracking (but steady) voice, "Mother… I don't want revenge. I don't want you to think I'm angry with you. I really have only just wanted answers. But… I must know… Have I grown up as you expected?" The last words were forced out, only capable due to her two friend's loving support. Finally, Paige extended her hand.
The spirit of Vivian floated forward, leaned in, and pressed her ghostly astral lips to her daughter's forehead. Paige actually felt the kiss of soft ether upon her. "You are everything I could have ever hoped for."
Paige broke down again. "M-Mother… I…"
Vivian suddenly began to laugh as the spirit's mouth spread into her cheeks. Her face grew large, replaced by a pumpkin, the face of Mad King Thorn. He grew large, towering over the women, laughing maniacally. "Time's up!"
"Wait! Give her a few more minutes!" Ari yelled at the king. "We played your stupid game. Show a little kindness!"
"Oh no, that wasn't the deal, now was it? How am I to be impartial if I don't follow my own rules?" he cackled.
"That's it. I'm eating him!" Ember widened her stance, began a spell-infused inhale, in an attempt to draw in his fire.
The Mad King looked as his skeletal hands, as if inspecting absent fingernails, ignoring the woman's attempt completely. "Tell your little 'hot' friend to stop trying to suck me. It's no use anyway. This is my world, you know. They do call it the 'Mad Realm'. That's no misnomer; I am king here."
Ember's spell fizzled, not able to sustain itself in the Mad Realm. She cursed, growled, and spat at the monster's feet in frustration.
Paige collected herself with Demitra's help, during Ember's attempt. "Mad King Thorn, how could we release mother from your contract? I can't believe she wants to stay if there's an alternative. Please tell us there's a way for her not to wind up serving you in the afterlife. Or… Does she want to stay?"
"Who wouldn't? My court is the best court!" the monster laughed.
Paige held her head, the entirety of her emotions now adding to her frustration. "Just… Answer the question: Does Vivian want to come back to our realm?"
The Mad King laughed. "Of course she doesn't! Why else make a deal to pay her final respects with her very soul? You can go back without a soul!" He tapped a boney finger to the pumpkin face where his chin would be and continued under his breath. "(Well, I mean, there are a few that are up there without souls, but why would you want to do that?)"
"Then… She's given up?" Paige could barely utter the defeated words.
"Perhaps, Lady Paige Dejarin, she wishes to remain? If, as the Mad King says, she offered her servitude because she felt your presence here and wished to see you once more; then one can assume she knew her fate, and the cost of such a deal," Demitra offered council.
"What would it take to get her back?" Ember shouted up at the menacing figure.
Ember combusted, armor and all. She launched herself at the king in a fireball of her entire body. As she impacted, the being exploded into a series of wisps and bats, laughing and cackling as he vanished. His chuckles echoed throughout the realm. Ember landed on her knees, slid into a large protruding candy corn shard. "Dammit!"
The women each looked at the other, all having been through an emotional journey. After a few moments of silence, Paige collected herself, looking up at Demitra. "Let's do what we came here to do, alright? I can still perform the ritual; I… I need something else to focus on." Her words were resolute, if not weary.
Demitra nodded, gave her friend a squeeze before releasing. She walked over to Ember and helped the woman up. "You almost had him, dear heart."
Ember grumbled.
Paige stepped away from the group, drawing her scepter and torch. As before, she ignited it with magic, began tracing a pattern in the air above her with the scepter. As once, the sands the Mad King had awarded her began to swirl, in sync with her motions. She could feel the power from the torch beginning to increase. It suddenly combusted with a boom, into a larger billowing green flame which followed the levitating sand spiral above the noble. "With this sand, I call forth the connection to our realm. Open the gateway and let us see, just where this artifact has to be!"
Ari sidled over to Ember and Demitra. "Did she just… rhyme?"
"Such is the way of some incantations. I have faith in Lady Paige Dejarin. She can do this."
Ember pulled out her fire sword, which had sparked to life, pointed its pulsating inferno toward the event. Demitra held aloft her hands, which also pulsated a purple and misty ice smoke. All three weapons energies were pulled into the swirling vortex of sand, necrotic magic, flame, frost and mirror shards. With a flash, a tear in the fabric of realities appeared around the bordering magic; a window into other worlds.
The Mad Realm's labyrinth was shown, followed by the Underworld, then the flaming volcano with the floating head of the colossal dragon, Primordus. Further still, the Realm of the Djinn flashed, then the image cycle repeated.
The border of the rip in reality revolved with their respective artifact's colors, until finally converging as a bright white. The rip flashed again, stopping the cycle and landing on a familiar area to all women: The Vault of the Djinn.
"Don't tell me she's back there?" Ember frowned.
The image flew into the snowy room of the vault, where Valandra's artifact, the sword of ice, could be seen in the chest above the pedestal.
"Valandra's sword!" Paige gasped.
"She put it back?" Ember said tilting her head.
"No. I do not believe this is the present," Demitra considered.
A small asura came into the scene, humming to herself and skipping in the snow. She reached into the chest, retrieved the blue icey weapon, then held it aloft. "A consolation prize… You may not be the ice bitch, but you are a powerful little thing, aren't you? And, I have the power!"
Ember was enraged, instantly ignited into an inferno. "I'm going to fucking kill her!" She leapt at the image, wanted to travel back to that moment and impale the rat. With a flash, the tear sent Ember hurling back, repelling her. She landed with a thud. "Every damned time!"
Demitra helped her impetuous fiance up, stifling a giggle at the woman's cute attempt. She thought it best not to laugh to add to the woman's frustrations, but the act truly was the embodiment of what was so enthralling about her.
"That's a different lab than before. Her lab was blown up!" Ember reckoned.
The scene panned through the numbered cylinders, showing most to be empty or damaged, with the exception of one in the distance. The closest however, had a label Paige nearly dropped her jaw upon seeing: 'Six-Alpha'.
"Six-Alpha?" Demitra blinked.
"It's Six's designation… I think this is where she's from; I think this is Lennk's lab! Oh Kormir's veil, if I see Lennk!"
Paige's uncharacteristic rage was palpable to Demitra. "Who is Lennk?"
"Lennk killed my pet drake, Snapper. He's… He's on some sort of mission to get Six. We… We don't know all the details. I just… if Kievaa's working with Lennk, it can't be good."
"But where is she? I'll gut her!" Ember threatened.
As if to answer her question, the scene continued to play, focusing on a small asura sitting hunched over the sword of ice in the dilapidated structure.
"Six would know where of the location, would she not?"
"She should; yes." Paige's voice was shaky at the prospect, but knew it to be the only way to track down the lab. Six had nearly lost herself to that place last time, and she wasn't sure how to ask her to lead them back to the nightmare she had begun to put behind her.
Demitra sensed Paige's worry. "Instead of Six, perhaps we can extend the ritual to use as a portal, right now. I can-"
Suddenly the portal snapped shut.
"Dammit!" swore both Paige and Ember simultaneously.
"Well, guess that option's gone," Ari scoffed.
The swirling mass faded, a bit of energy from each artifact returning to its source.
"Well, let's go get her!" Ember was already prepared for war.
"It may not be that easy; Six is currently on assignment with no way to contact. She is supposed to check back into the manor soon. We can proceed then. Demitra? As long as you're able to remove the bracers, there's no inherent hurry, is there?"
Demitra stared at the smoking icy gauntlets. "No; however, I am uncertain as to how long Valandra has."
Paige tapped her chin. "Well, we all need a bit of time to recover and rest before making the trek, anyway. And while we wait for Six, maybe a bit of downtime is what we need."
Ember's flame died. "Downtime?" The prospect was considerably less appealing than ending Kievaa's life, but as Demitra slipped her hand into her own, and beamed her emeralds at her, her hesitation quickly waned.
"There's the festival going on right now," Ari offered.
"That there is! And, since this is the first time you've seen it, Demitra, it would be a delight to see it through your eyes!" Paige said, trying to sound as excited as she could, despite the gambit of emotions she had been flooded with.
Demitra could feel the woman's emotions broadcasting. She needed this, more than anyone, given what she'd been through. She nodded. "Very well, Lady Paige Dejarin. Let us do such. I am anxious to remove my vessel from my person, so let us travel back-"
Wisps of black and orange smoke suddenly flew into the ground. They quickly dispersed, in their wake: Mad King Thorn. "What are you all still doing here? Didn't you get the memo?" He waved his hand, causing the ground beneath each woman to manifest a hole, which all fell into. "Get out!"
Suddenly, the group found themselves falling into the endless void which was the Mad Realm. They rapidly approached what looked like a solid floor, but upon impact became clouds of orange, teleporting them, as before, this time appearing back in Lion's Arch over a large central cauldron, constructed for the very purpose of catching exiting adventurers.
They each surfaced from the slime which filled the cauldron, looking at each other. Ari laughed; Ember grumbled as they pulled themselves from the magical impact reduction sludge. Paige looked at Demitra with the eyes of a child who had just said hello and goodbye to their mother. Demitra waded over to the woman, wrapped her arms around her.
Paige rested her chin on the Elonian's shoulder and had a good cry.
--Later--
The noble house had remained quiet in the week following the group's travel to the Mad Realm. While Paige never again broke down from the events, she had been obviously troubled and withdrawn from the day-to-day operations of the vineyard and affairs of the state. Thus it was with trepidation she reluctantly agreed to follow through with her plan to attend the Shadow of the Mad King festival hosted by various guilds in Lion's Arch. One look at Demitra made her instantly remember why the plan had been formed: the woman was an absolutely giddy bundle of energy.
A muffled protest came from Paige, but it was more feigned and uttered by the surprise then the actual act. Her face flushed in the softness of the Elonian's bosom.
"Hey! Save some of that for me!" Ember stood, her arms on her hips, pretending to be upset.
When Paige finally forced herself (albeit hesitantly) away from Demitra, she smirked at Ember with a silly kitten grin.
"Well, it's about time you joined us!" Ember said, very aware of the double-meaning behind her statement.
"I… Um… I haven't talked to Nalla yet… about joining…" Paige stammered, not ready for the question.
"I mean the festival!" Ember chuckled wildly much to Paige's chagrin.
"Dear heart, do not tease the woman." Demitra said, placing her hand on Paige's shoulder. She waited for Paige to nod in agreement, before adding, "There shall be plenty of time for such teasing things, later." Her emeralds flashed at Paige, who in turn got three shades darker.
The festival attendance was high, and the women crowded around the stage to hear the opening ceremonies and speeches. A guild of thespians put on a comedic play which depicted a humorously inaccurate depiction of the Mad King's fall from grace. And the main speaker explained the festivities to the patrons. There were haunted attractions, mount races, costume contests and bobbing for apples - an event Demitra seemed particularly excited in trying.
Paige laughed. "So I guess you want to attempt to get an apple?" she said, seeing the woman's eyes sparkle when the main stage announced it.
"Oh yes, please!" Demitra grabbed Ember's hand. "We do not have such things in Elona; It sounds so very quaint!"
Ember tilted her head. "What is bobbing for apples?" she asked.
Demitra giggled. "I believe it is where a fellow named Bob, whom you chase to reclaim the apples from!"
Paige laughed. "No… No, that's not…" She had a hard time stopping her laugh, exasperated by the Elonian and Ember's puzzled look. "It's a game, where you stick your head in some water and try to get an apple with just your mouth," she said, still giggling.
Demitra continued asking questions about the practice, to which Paige explained the history of the tradition as they all made their way to the event.
Paige also left her problems at the Estate. While the past month had been eventful and extremely emotional, she felt as though she had turned a page in her journal and began a chapter devoid (for the first time) of questions about her mother's fate. And, while she may revisit the subject, for now… and for tonight, she was enjoying her time with the two women which held her heart. Adding to her eagerness was the other object of her affection: a small asura named Nalla. She had contacted the asura earlier and now Paige anxiously awaited her visit to the estate in the coming days.
The women stood in line awaiting to be called. Demitra was laughing and pointing out various patron's costumes, while Paige attempted a masculine norn voice, in her fur armored outfit, which resulted in more pirate speak than she'd intended. Ember giggled and laughed at both women's antics.
One particular sexualized devil outfit a woman wore caught Demitra's eye. She nudged Ember in the ribs. "What do you think of such an outfit? Perhaps I shall be a devil on our wedding night?"
Ember glanced over her shoulder, and blushed profusely at the woman's attire and her fiance's (rather loud) comment.
Paige playfully slapped Demitra's hand. "Oh, you two behave now. There will be plenty of time with that later!"
"And you're going to join us for such, yes, Lady Paige Dejarin?" The Elonian's thick ruby lips beamed at the noble.
Paige looked as red as Ember, and attempted to clear her throat or swallow the lump in it. "Oh, perhaps we can go for a round of caramel apples after this, eh ladies?" She tried to move on.
Demitra giggled, nudged Ember again. "Caramel…" she whispered.
"That's me!" she exclaimed running up to the half-barrel filled with floating apples.
Ember put her arm around Demitra's waist. "Thank you for this. She… she needed this."
"I believe we all did, dear heart."
A sigh came from the small woman, and she rested her head on Demitra's arm. "It will be nice… our wedding. Perhaps in," she giggled, "Ember Bay?"
Demitra deadpanned, stiffened her stance.
Ember looked up at the woman. "What? It's beautiful."
"I believe you are quite enough fire for our ceremony, dear heart. But, we may discuss wedding plans in the morrow. Paige is to be meeting with her asuran friend, and perhaps we can finalize a few things, then get her input afterword, yes?"
The announcer called Ember to the stand, Paige standing from the bucket with a slight frown at not getting an apple. She received a ticket for her efforts, which could be redeemed later at the apple stand. She came to stand beside Demitra as they watched Ember. "Do you think you'll be able to get one, Demi? I came up short, unfortunately."
"Currently, I am quite uncertain," she said, watching Ember douse her head in the bucket steam rising from the water. "I do not know as to how well I shall do, obtaining the apples with my teeth. I mean, if it were my tongue, well… I have quite a skilled…"
Paige let out an audible squeak as her mouth dropped.
Demitra sensed a way of passion from her and inadvertently moaned, which made a slight echo in the cave. Everyone heard it and an unknown number of eyes turned to Demitra and Paige.
Paige felt the size of a mouse, wanting nothing more than to run and hide from the awkwardness.
Ember helped break the moment. "Dammit! I almost had it! Balthazar's ball sack!"
The line erupted in laughter as the woman made way for Demitra. She excitedly approached the bin, staring at the apple and listened to the instructions provided. She removed her hat, handed it to the sylvari, then dropped to her hands and knees, eyeing the floating red orbs.
On command, she arched her back, dunked her head into the water, and wiggled her rear high in the air. The small frilly skirt did little to cover the woman's thong and exposed cheeks as she hunted the apples with precision.
Ember's head caught fire, Paige's eyes grew wide, unblinking staring at the Elonian's butt. In fact, all in line shifted their weight, some in an attempt to better see the show, others looking off modestly and awkwardly. Ember audibly gulped, looked around at the crowd's gazing stare.
"We have a winner!" the announcer yelled.
Demitra pulled back, still on all fours with the apple firmly in her mouth. A slight grin could be seen from her thick lips. Water had soaked both her hair, as well as her top, which was now quite revealing; her breasts and the circle of jewelry which she wore on the left tip were clearly visible. She stood and cheered at the crowd, which suddenly became lively and cheered back at her, unbeknownst to the woman as to why. She went to a nearby table to claim her prize; Ember and Paige looked at each other, both sharing the same expression.
"Should we… tell her?" Paige asked.
"What that she just mooned and flashed the entire audience? Um… No, I think we'd better not."
Demitra came to stand before them both, still with the apple firmly in her mouth. The juices from it had dripped down, combining with her - already soaked - witch's blouse. She held up a caramel apple between the women. "My caramel apple is yours, Ember and Lady Paige Dejarin; you may both share in its sweetness."
[To Be Continued...]
