A Cold Wind Blows

[Théodred Heavenshield]

Falls of Crystals

The first signs of the coming winter hung in the air, the days were getting shorter and the light dulled regardless of the time of day. The ever constant falls roared with the tumbling water which came from the rock on which the village was set upon, and falling below into a valley which the eye could not see for the swirling spray. It was loud, yet soothing like waves crash upon the shore that seemed to speak to an old part of life which once called this domain home. Théo knew there was something special about this place, beyond the people that lived here and beyond their culture which was different to the rest of Midvinter. Try as he might, he could not find it through the force, although the force informed him that something was calling to be found. It reminded him of the caves of Ilum, that day in which he and his friend Kali had ventured into the caves and released the lost souls of dead.

It would not be put to rest until he tried to find it.

Circumstance had had him travel to this village, a meeting with the elders to speak on trading between them and the newly established capital of the Northmark, and beyond that still to the capital of the Crownlands. And once an accord was set he spoke to them of the history of this place and he leaned that there was indeed, more to this place. Not that they knew much themselves, only that the waters that feed the falls comes from within the mountains higher up. No one had dared venture further up, it was simply to dangerous, some had tried only never to return.

The Falls were also special for being the source of all the rivers on Midvinter, giving birth to them as they meander through the landscape until they all reached to Maw. It feed the lakes, the fen, divided and cut through the north, south, east and west providing a system upon which travel could be used for all Valkyri and peoples of this planet.

Théo stood upon the platform, the very same on which he had proposed to [member="Ylva Solveig"] and she had given her hand in marriage to him, he leaned with his back to the falls with his eyes cast up to the tops of the mountains, not that he could see much beyond the cloud but it was up into them the small group would climb for it was said that that was were the true source of the waters would be found.

But there was more to it then that.

He let out a long breath, a sign of resignation in a sense, because something was there that demanded them to come. About to leave and meet up with the others, he turned to notice the Northern Lights dancing on the sky to the far north, green as emerald and filled with a sense of whimsy. The last time he saw them? All hell broke lose.

"A cold wind blows from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things ...". GRRM

[member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] ​

 

[Yula Perl]

While Théo was off staring into the abyss, Yula had volunteered to tend to the mounts.

“Who’s a good horse?” She cooed to Ptolemy, the beast of burden gifted to her by [member="Vik Velkarson"]. Already she was missing him terribly, the depth of which was unusual for the young smuggler. The pair had traveled into the heart of Averlorn where Vik had reunited with his mother. The tension between Zeltron and Aelvar had broken not long after on the shores of the Frostvatn, a force nexus spiraling up from the frozen lake. When Yula expressed her curiosity about the Dawnguard, he’d escorted her back to the capital where she took up Théo’s offer to investigate this strange village and the lore surrounding it.

Ptolemy snorted in response and she laughed, stroking the length of his face with one hand while offering him an apple with the other. He was quick to snatch the fruit from her outstretched palm with a decisive crunch. Seeing this, one of the nearby horses whinnied and stamped his hoof. “Right, right. It’s coming.” Yula assured the other beast with a sheepish grin. After stroking Ptolemy’s mane one last time she made her way over to where the other horses were hitched, bucket of oats in hand.

All was going well so far. From the corner of her eye she spied a glimpse of green lights shifting on the horizon. Humming in the back of her throat, she took a few moments to pause and look at them before returning to her work. Nothing unusual, right?

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"] - [member="Boo Heavenshield"] - [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The young Pantoran was entwined by a pair of serpents.

The dark cloak enveloped his small form. The sable pelt a flash of color across the shoulders of the otherwise black and gray ensemble that the blue-skinned youngling wore. Between the cloak and the tunic, an amphistaff and a snugglesnek were coiled around the child and each other. It gave the purple-haired youth the appearance of a hydra, as the serpentine heads reared up from about this body to gaze out over the Midvinter landscape before them.

...and it looked like a completely ordinary Midvinter landscape.

To be honest, he had no idea why they were out here. Ser Scruffy, Lord of Good Intentions, had brought them out here. For reasons. To search for something. Also for reasons. That was about as much as Boo had gotten out of this so far.

Practically speaking, Ser Scruffy was staring up at the sky, looking like he was trying to divine the will of the Living Force from out of a bunch of green lights in the sky.

Were there supposed to be green lights in the sky like that?

An ordinary person probably ought to have opinions about these things, except that Boo was from Coruscant. And by Coruscant, he meant the Undercity. So just seeing a sky overhead was kind of an extraordinary thing. The fact that skies had all these different colors and lights in them just seemed to go with the whole 'sky' motif. It was their thing, it was just what skies did. Bunch of lights and colors.

But still, whatever Ser Scruffy was searching for... Boo doubted it was up there in the clouds.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Did Connor feel comfortable being here? Not really. But he wasn’t going to run again. It would take as long as it took in order to get things balanced.

There was an expedition going ahead out of Midvinter, led by [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] of all people. If Coci knew he had heard about this, she wouldn’t be happy. Yes, the boy – or rather, man – could take care of himself, but the last time he had seen his Shadow Sister he had sworn to eradicate her children and burn down her legacy as she did to him. Standing atop a high platform near a raging curtain of water that looked up to the glowing night sky, Théo was in the best place to be sent spiralling down to his doom from a heavy and brutal shove from behind. One down.

While Connor no longer served the Dark Side, the scars inside meant there was always a flicker of that dark ember glowing.

As soon as the thought came to mind, it went, and he walked up a wide series of stone steps to get closer to the son of Thurion and Coci. Who knew how Théo felt about Connor being back around his family, let alone taking note of where he was. The two had shared some good times together in the service of the Silver Jedi however when Théo was younger – training and even some death-defying escapades taking down gangsters and smugglers across the galaxy.

”You’ve certainly become the son of a Heavenshield, Théo. It’s easy to see you have your father’s pride, and your mother’s lust for adventure.”

If something was going to happen to gain favour, Connor had to be part of it, however difficult it would be.

[member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

A cold wind blew which sent a sliver down his spine. A voice, he had not heard in years spoke and a figure of a man walked up the stone steps toward him, it was someone he had not seen since Voss many years ago and now the familiar presence came again. This time it was Théo that towered over him, the last time he was just a boy meeting up with a master to train in the ways of the saber. A family friend by all accounts which, as time would decree, had changed. The history of it all chronicled within the library of the Silver Jedi and in the Dawnguard Fortress, there for all to see and a lesson to be learned by others. Yet, it had not been Théo that this man had betrayed but family honour would require loyalty not to mention the possible danger his presence would present to those that had come on this adventure. But the darkness in others was not a new thing to Théo, many of his friends used this to great ability for a good cause, and one in particular did not have a choice .. his son Boo.

There was more to it than simply black and white.

"Was I destined for anything else?", he asked the man as he neared and his eyes moved from the green lights to Connor Harrison. Master Harrison looked older, not just in his physical form but through the light in his eyes, but was he the wiser for it all? He supposed time would tell. "Not really expecting to see you here, let alone coming on his journey". Théo turned square on to the man, his eyes shot to the boy standing close by all wrapped up in serpents but knowing full well Boo could look after himself if it came to it, and then there was Azi. "Boo, this is .. Master Connor Harrison", he opened up the introduction uncertain if they had met before, "Do you still command the use of that title?", a little cutting in his words perhaps but considering his downfall and turning away from the Order, the question was valid.

Théo approached his son, his arm wrapping around his shoulder pulling him close with a smile and placing a fatherly kiss on the top of Boo's head. "I was wondering where you were". Théo stood back straight casting a look between the two, "There is another joining us on this journey, we best go find her".

​

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Yula Perl"]​

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor was actually surprised to see the strength that the son of Heavenshield emitted. A lot could change in days gone by, and it certainly seemed Théo had changed an awful lot. Connor knew what it felt like now to be the smaller of two people, because usually he was the bigger.

”Well, I’m like a bad penny – always turning up."

The young man who broke the air of tension between the two looked familiar. He could have sworn he’d seen the youth before….

”Hello. Boo. Short for something, or just Boo."

The name! That was it…..was this the boy who once had sheltered under Doctor Irajah Ven’s wing? If so, this really was a small world. If he was here under the Heavenshield name, then either he had fallen hard from the shadow of the First Order, or he was seeking some sort of redemption and destiny – much like Connor.

”And I’m no Master of an Order," Connor said, turning to Théo, ”but I know what it means to be a Master of the Force, and that’s the one that means something."

He gave a smile to the pair.

”Let’s not keep this lovely lady waiting, shall we?"

There was a spark. A spark inside him at that moment that took him back to Voss. It took him back to gearing up for a dangerous adventure with the Silvers and his brash but once charming swagger that he used to crash headlong into whatever lay ahead.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Yula Perl"]

 

[Yula Perl]

With the horses fed and watered, Yula was content to seek out the young Master Heavenshield. She’d sensed him nearby, the familiar thread of his presence twined with a few others she did not recognize. This part of Midvinter was different from Averlorn in a number of ways. Plenty of green in certain parts but colder with more snow cover—that, and not everyone here was sensitive to the Force as the Aelvar are. Which made the presence of Force sensitives outside of the secret forests uncommon.

She approached the group with a smile. “Long time no see, Théo.” Her eyes swept to the kid he was huggin’ on and like her, he had a different skin tone in contrast with the natives. This one was blue. Chiss? No, Chiss had those glowing red eyes. What was that other race of blue people…?

The thought dissolved as her gaze settled on the other stranger. The oldest of the group with a weathered appearance that spoke to experience.

She offered them a toothy grin. “Nice to meet you both. Names Yula, Yula Perl. Transport pilot extraordinaire.” It was the politically correct way of saying smuggler.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"] - [member="Boo Heavenshield"] - [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

"Short for something, or just Boo?"

Master Harrison.

The name didn't ring a bell, but the boy had the strangest feeling that he'd met the man somewhere. "Just Boo," the young Pantoran supplied in answer, his voice soft as he sized up the man that Théo had introduced him to.

Boo had met a lot of people in this galaxy. Some good. Most of them not. [member="Sempra the Hutt"]. Anja aj-Rou. [member="Jacen Cavill"]. All of them predators of one kind or another. It was different with someone like [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]. The power was there, but none of the...

...what was the word?

Anyway, back to first impressions. Boo wasn't certain what to make of this Master Connor Harrison. And that was a remarkable thing. Not a predator. Not a protector. Something different.

The question remained: Different good or different bad?

As Théo embraced the boy, the two serpentine creatures traveled out from under the youngling's cloak to slip and slither up either of Théo's arms, so that the amphistaff and the snugglesnek were entangling the pair together.

The arrival of the girl was refreshing for how matter-of-fact she seemed. None of the nuances underscoring the banter between Théo or Connor were there. She was exactly what she proclaimed herself to be. And she owned it with an air of confidence that was enviable.

"This is Azi and Coi," the boy remarked, supplying introductions for the amphistaff and the snugglesnek respectively. The obsidian colored biot was currently attempting to scale Mt. Saint Théo, while the snugglesnek was possibly checking Théo's pockets for food.

[member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Good", Théo smiled at the master he once looked up to, there was good in him yet. As they walked and talked they soon found Yula by her horses, from a distance the young lady looked very much like her mother, not simply because of her skin but the features of her face that Joza had imprinted on her. "Master Harrison I am sure you remember Master Joza Perl, well this is her daughter Yula". His attention was pulled to his sides as Boo's serpents explored him but Coi would be disappointed and find nothing to satiate his appetite. By the time they reached Yula, Théo would have Azi coiled around the collar of his cloak drinking in what warmth from his body Azi could get. Théo was much bigger than Boo so therefore, more warmth to be had.

"Good to see you again too Yula, I hope your .. journey went well?", the last they had met she and her friend had left Thainbroek for Averlorn. "I saw your mother over at Fridheim not long ago, she is looking well". A word of warning to tell Yula that mother was close.

"Come, I have this organised this place for us for the evening. So grab something to eat and sleep before he head off come the morning", Théo gestured toward the small house with windows ablaze with yellow light which fed them from the fire. Entering the place was like walking into a furnace by comparison to the biting cold outside and Théo soon shed his cloak and serpents. The small room had a table in the center of it, a hearth by the main wall roared with crackling wood and the scent of cooking stew and fresh bread filled their noses. Théo pulled off his gloves before ripping at the bread to present to Coi.

As the others entered and made themselves comfortable, "Tomorrow we set off on a climb toward the peak of the mountains behind the village. The Elders have told me of a path so old that it has all but been forgotten, it is said that the source of the rivers of Midvinter start from this point. Many have tried to find it, and have not returned", he let that hung in the air for a moment. "You may be wondering why I wish to try and have asked you all to come. I believe that there is more to it then this, that there is something more up there and with our combined power and skills .. we will succeed where others failed".

"It will be dangerous, be clear on that", he added moving away from the fire to take up a place at the table to eat, and if they had any question Théo would answer them to the best of his knowledge.

​

[member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]​

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a small nod to the one known as Boo, who seemed to share a familiar look to the former Silver Jedi, Connor stopped as they were joined by another. And what a – sort of – blast from the past.

The Zeltron-Human hybrid introduced herself but Connor failed to make the initial connection. She seemed eager and ready to get out there. It was only when Théo made confirmed it that Connor felt that blast. Daughter of one Joza Perl.

”Pleasure to meet you," he extended his hand for a casual shake.

Would his name have dripped down Joza’s stories to her daughters ears? From having a strong bond within the Silver Jedi Order, to a long-forgotten run-in at one of her bars where he still bore the small scar on his hand from her extinguishing a cigar on open skin, Connor had a complicated history with Joza and the company she kept.

But she was another who deserved an apology and a chance to repair damages with.

Connor nodded slightly, not saying much, as the son of Heavenshield took control – just like his father – and laid out the plans. Seemed fair enough, but just how welcome was Connor here? How many eyes would be on him? Would Coci have spies watching him, protecting her son from a vengeful strike?

He couldn’t blame her.

”Sounds a pleasant adventure to be had. What could go wrong?"

Connor smiled and rubbed his hands – partly due to the excitement of actually getting back out into the field, and partly due to the cold settling in.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Yula Perl"]

 

[Yula Perl]

For Yula’s part, the name Connor Harrison didn’t ring any bells. Maybe it would have if she’d paid attention to her mother’s stories more, or maybe his name had simply never come up in conversation on purpose. Whatever the case, she gave his extended hand a firm shake.

“Nice to meet you, Master Harrison. And you all as well, Boo, Azi and Coi.” A motley crew, but she had a feeling that this would be a good time.

She blinked in surprise when Théo mentioned her mother. Coincidence or was the woman keeping tabs on her? It was weird to hear her being called Master though. To Yula she was simply ‘mom’. “Very well, yes.” The Zeltron flashed him a toothy grin, thoughts traveling back to Vik before she was pulled back into reality.

As the gang settled down at the cottage for the evening, Théo briefed them on their upcoming mission. Sounded like danger. Mystery danger. “Any local legends about it?” She inquired between tucking into her stew. If it was one thing she’d learned while on Midvinter, it was that the planet had rich lore. Some of it—apparently—was true. “A river god or something?” She’d taken to examining the pair of serpents twining around their host, reaching out to gingerly pat the amphistaff on the head with a finger.

[member="Boo Heavenshield"] - [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] - [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

The streets of the Falls of Crystals were quiet, nothing stirred as all where in their homes to escape the cold wind that blows down from the mountain tops. It is Midvinter, it is snowing, a gentle fall as soft and slow as a lovers caress. In the distance one would hear the sighing of the wind, a lament of sorts with words only the rock would be able to listen to and understand. They had heard that song for thousands upon thousands of years and that song would eat at their hearts eroding their core until everything was spent.


The song of ice.

​

... nothing stirred, save for a lone creature who's hooves touched the cobble stone and came upon a small house with windows lit by fire and he stopped, turned his majestic head toward it. Eyes as black as the darkness at midnight, it is said in lore that it is through the eyes of the Vhaanir the sacred creatures of Midvinter, that the Gods witness the lives of mortals. And it is true for one stood before them now. Belawir, the most sacred of them all.

Inside the house, a young man would turn his head as if to look through the walls into the streets, he would sense Belawir, a presences he had known since childhood, since the night of his conception in fact, Belawir had been there. The day on which the young man had taken a mortal wound from boar a and stood inches away from Death, but it was Belawir that had guided his friend to him and saved his life. Heavenshield, more connection to the Gods he had that he did not know. And why him? Oh I am not going to give away that just yet.

The flickering light from the windows touched upon the pure white fur of Belawir, it shimmered like water ever constantly moving and shifted into another form of emerald green and gold and a man stood in his stead a growing smile of the purest pleasure parted his lips as he walked toward the door.

*knock. knock. knock.* Let me in, let me in, little pigs.

​

[member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Micah tol Powl]

In typical youngling fashion, the Pantoran was shedding clothing as he went.

Stripping down to an under tunic, the bare foot blue pirate was dashing through the house in order to try and see everything. The result sounded like a stampede of bantha, as the violet-haired youth darted from room to room.

For her part, Azi was content to curl up in a spot that was out of the cold. The offered head pat caused the serpentine form to wag her tail, much like a dog. Extending her head out toward this pink-hued stranger, the amphistaff seemed to be contemplating whether this woman was a warm lap for belly scratches or not.

Coi was off to explore, venturing away as though to see where Boo had disappeared to, then slithering back to a spot near where Théo was standing. Then she'd venture off again and the cycle would repeat.

Then there came a knock at the door and the stampede of bantha came barreling through the house like a 30 kilo wrecking ball. Sliding across the floor, the youngling arrived at the door in short order.

As he opened it, a strange look crossed his round face not unlike when he'd looked at Master Harrison.

Where did he know this face from?

Wait. This was the nerfherder who'd been hanging out with that other nerfherder. Thrand? Shrand? Thundaar the Barbarian? Something like that.

Taking a step back, the youngling called inside of the house. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaad.... It's that nerfherder from Northmark."

[member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Yula Perl]

Yula was patient with the amphistaff, allowing her all the time she needed to tentatively curl into her lap. Scritches were Azi’s reward, and food seemed to take a back seat in comparison to the strange snake.

Boo tore through the house doing Force knows what, and somehow it started to feel like home. Growing up on an urban world, there was plenty of noise all around. And even if there wasn’t, Yula and her brother bickered so much that they would make up for the difference.

The knock at the door sounded out of place, though. The Zeltron couldn’t place why—Théo hadn’t mentioned that they would be waiting for anyone else. Boo rocketed to the door, opening it to reveal…

…her boyfriend?

“Vik-!” Surprise flashed across her face and she stood up suddenly before remembering that there was a snake in her lap. Awkwardly, Yula nearly tripped over herself in an attempt to catch Azi before her focus went back to Vik. Something about him seemed off. Normally Vik exuded a gentle demeanor, but not this Vik. In fact, she couldn’t even read this Vik in the Force and that made her uneasy. It was then when she noticed his lack of pointed ears and Theo’s story of Velkar rang in her head.

He had the same features as her Vik, but there was something more sinister about them. Reacting on instinct, Yula surged forward to grab Boo by the arm and yank him away from the door.

[member="Boo Heavenshield"] [member="Velkar Odiirson"] [member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

It was strange to feel Belawir's presence, it was not something born from the force but something Other and each time Théo had sensed him it was different. Sometimes it would be serene and calming, another time it would be wise and giving but this time it was shifting and frivolous. The only glimpse he got of the great white hart was the turning of his antlers before vanishing to be followed by a knock at the door. As Boo raced forward with unspent energy of youth and heralded the nerfherder from the Northmark, Théo's eyes fixed upon the form of Velkar, the God of Fire and Mischief and his face ran white as the blood drained from it.

Nothing good ever follows Velkar, whether it is directly intentional or indirectly circumstantial. Théo rose slowly from his seat and moved to the door, face firm in stoic form but his mind racing to try to ascertain why Velkar would be here. He knew that the Gods look upon Midvinter from high but very rarely do they interject with the lives of it's people, except this one. He shot Yula a look as she initially called out Vik's name and rightly so considering who he was to Vik, Théo had made the mistake of identity when they met but Yula knew as soon as she got close and pulled Boo away.

Théo felt at odds at his sudden appearance. If it was not for Velkar his parents would be dead, in fact mostly likely they all would be. He had fought alongside them all, fighting against the hag of death that wanted for nothing but destruction of Midvinter and to rule whatever was left of it. He fought from the start of the battle unlike the rest of the gods who fell upon a dramatic entrance, Velkar had got his hands dirty with the rest of them. Théo admired him for that, owed him a debt in fact and even still Théo could not trust him. No one should be foolish enough to do so.

"Prince Velkar, this is ... a surprise", he ventured toward the God making sure he placed himself between Yula and Boo. Regardless of whether those in the room believed in the Gods of Midvinter or no, Théo did for here was living breathing proof of it and so he offered the God a bow of reverence. "Please .. please tell me .. that there is no portal outside". Midvinter could not suffer another attack on her soil so soon after the last.

​

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"] | The Other Chap​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Frankly, his announcement was a mystery to Velkar not knowing what a nerf was although he had a feeling it was not a term of endearment which only caused him to grin more. The young boy he knew him, the one that conjured the smoke demon woman thing at the battle and it was very impressive to behold. "A herder indeed, I have been called worse", he stepped through the doorway not waiting for an invitation.

The young woman was unknown to Velkar, yet she knew his son as her mistake revealed to him. A pretty thing which the flush of pink on her skin the likes of which Velkar had not seen before, the only time a Valkyri is pink is when they are freezing to death. She was not from here, that much he knew and so this intrigued him even more. So Vik had got off Midvinter, Velkar was pleased with that but his return worried him and after this Velkar would find him again.

"There is no portal", Velkar turned his piercing gaze away from the girl to Théo, "At least, not tonight". You would think that his words would set the boys heart to rest but it didn't maybe it had something to do with the fact that eventually it would happen again and his words were not reassuring in the slightest. There was another in the room he did not know and there was a sense of foreboding in the man, mostly self inflicted, a man with a mark on his heart as black as the sole of his boots. A churning of consciousness conflicted consuming and devouring him. Oh this was delicious. Velkar's emerald green eyes flick to him, a sparkle of delight as his grin grew.

He disregarded the stance of the man Théo, fully understanding the protective position he placed himself and step around him and approached the young girl. Velkar leaned in by her ear and whispered. "A chip off the old block as they say .. more so then even he knows", speaking to her of Vik, no one else would hear and as he pulled back a sly wink followed his words. "You are very pretty. If you ever grow tired of him ... ", he chuckled.

Not that Velkar ever needed warmth or food or drink, a goblet of wine appeared out of thin air from which he sipped with an air of casual grace. "So .. we are all off on an adventure", announcing he will be coming with them. And why was he do this? He had something he needed to hide.

​

[member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Yula Perl"] | The Other Chap​

 

[Yula Perl]

Yula’s eyes narrowed at once shortly after realizing her mistake. There was little time for her to marvel at the similarities between Vik and Velkar, not with the atmosphere in the room and the fact that they might about to be slaughtered. Well…maybe? She wasn’t sure what to think, to be honest. Théo didn’t seem to have a great liking for the God of Mischief if their first meeting had been any indication, and Vik hadn’t spoken much about his father to her. Still, she could tell that it was a troubling subject for him.

But now Théo was…bowing to the man? How strange. There was little time for questions as she found herself in Velkar’s sights as the God maneuvered around the Heavenshield shield and towards her. Yula found her muscles stiffened, stuck in place as he leaned down towards her ear. The young Perl was keenly aware of her own mortality in this moment, which was sobering.

She found her biting words as he pulled away, face scrunching into a scowl at the suggestion. “Don’t hold your breath.” The insinuation that she’d leave Vik—for his father no less—was insulting and caused her a surge of anger, but Yula was cautious enough of Velkar’s capricious nature to keep from doing anything further. What a way to meet the family.

A brow quirked as Velkar announced that they were all off on an adventure, God included. Despite the fact that she was raised with an unquestioning belief in invisible magic, Yula still had trouble wrapping her head around the existence of divine beings. Apparently, even the Force couldn’t explain this phenomenon. “We?” She peered around the room to gauge their reactions, looking to Théo specifically for guidance on the weird subject that was Velkar.

[member="Velkar Odiirson"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The best thing about being a fish out of water, was that the fish could afford to sit back and watch, listen and observe, waiting for the right time to make a move to asserting himself. The chill was ever present, and the small team seemed to be ready to move away, but a little drama was always welcome, and it began to unfurl.

With the arrival of the emerald sorcerer, Connor felt a strange draw, as if the two had similar threads through the Force; a sense of mistrust, deception and illusion, pride and hidden pain. Watching his rather theatrical entrance that seemed to come out of nowhere, Connor picked up on the immediate connection between young Perl and himself.

As he took them all in, the man - Prince Velkar – a Prince? – offered a fleeting glimpse to Connor. The others seemed to know the Prince, and it seemed he had a history of dangerous qualities. Yula seemed to be the one who was on the immediate defensive, and all Connor could do was try to move the stand-off on as he felt a dark swell in the room.

”We are in the presence of royalty, are we, Prince Velkar?" He stepped forward to draw some attention away. His hand extended. ”Master Connor Harrison. Pleasure."


[member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Velkar Odiirson"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

"A herder indeed, I have been called worse."

The youngling just blinked.

All the card-chips in the deck, and that was how the dude wanted to play it? Okay. With a shrug, the purple-haired boy tossed back, "What about bantha kar--whoa!"

A well-timed snatch by [member="Yula Perl"] yanked the tween away mid-retort. Which was probably a good thing, all things considered.

In short order, Théo was bowing, Velkar was fronting, Yula was huffing, and Connor was... actually being quite chill about the whole thing.

As the boy stood there, merely watching as the different players and pieces made their moves across the proverbial chess board, the amphistaff slid up his slight figured. A vibration along his left arm signaled an alarm pre-programmed into his wristlink. The hour of Halrormalenth was near. Time in which prayers to the gods of the Primeval needed to be made.

A subtle manipulation of the Dark Side of the Force played a sleight of hand with shadows and shadowplay in the room. The Pantoran took a step back and casually immersed himself into Force Stealth as he worked to try and extract himself from the adult conversation.

In contrast to his earlier movements, in which the boy had seemed a one-kid stampede, now the youngling moved with nearly no sound at all to his footsteps. He moved as a thief in the night, which was not at all an inaccurate description for him.

Ordinarily, he would have preferred to have prayed outside. But with guests over and Théo talking to god about whether the world was ending or not, it was probably best to just stay inside and out of the way.

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

With Yula’s “we?”, Velkar turned to face the pretty one with a smile and he gave her a rare wicked wink. As if any of them could stop him? The fact of the matter was that Velkar did not have to come with them to find what they believed they were looking for, he knew where the caves were after all. And he could simply materialise there and not bother with the arduous journey up the mountain side but where would be the fun in that? Velkar was quite the social God and beside there was no point to mischief if there was no one around to have mischief with.

These mortals would do nice.

“Yes my dear.. We”. A rather forward move by the dark one saw his shadow cross over Velkar’s vision of the pink splendour of a girl. And a tilted face with a stoic gaze met the man called Master [member="Connor Harrison"]. “You are indeed in the presence of greatness as well I shall have you know. But please call me Velkar we can dispense with the courtly protocols for now”.

“Exactly what are you the master of?”, might as well shoot the breeze while they all wait for the rather serious and grim Sun God to make his appearance, which would be soon enough. Now, Velkar being an all-powerful god, a fluid essence of ethereal energy had no need for this thing these mortals call the force, such a weak and limiting power it is and one that would be beneath him to use. He couldn’t anyway, as he is not of the natural world and has no connection to it so he is void within it. His power if far far greater.

“Master Weaver? Master craftsman? What is your profession?”. His eyes looked over toward Théo who was not particularly enthralled with the idea of Velkar accompanying them on this trip, “Oh don’t look so grim my boy .. you remind me of your grandfather. And he and I don’t exactly see eye to eye”. Quite frankly the Dawnbringer was an incessant bore with his doom and gloom outlook on life. Err Death? Either or…

Beside the adults, the young boy they called Boo took on a furtive posture creeping about the elders and heading for the corner of the room. Velkar's eyes followed him for the moment, curious about the the sudden change in him, the thing was Velkar had the ability to see all, and although the others might be 'blind' to him, Velkar was not. But he would let the boy have his fun as he looked upon his face with twinkling green eyes and a slight grin. The group was shaping up nicely with all their quirks and qualms and there was so many little hidden secrets they possessed .. he liked them.

[member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Boo Heavenshield"]​