Private A Spark in The Dark

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

CC looked at Seren after she spoke to them, a small blink in his eyes.

“I could not agree more, Lady Seren, and don't worry I have made sure we are much better stocked. Also I kept the ship clean the way you made it.”

The droids continued loading up the ship while CC directed them with strict precision. Varin looked back at Seren, a small smirk on his face.

“Let's just say I learned really quickly not to argue with them.”

He looked back at the ship for a moment as a small gust blew past them, his footfalls slowly walking back to his old ship, his hand gently running along its hull.

His home away from home.

He looked back at Seren, now realizing it was not a dream, he was finally out of confinement, finally out of restriction and he was finally with her again.

A small breath left him as his lips curved ever so slightly.

“Let's get to Malachor.”

The journey to Malachor consisted of uneventful tasks as they traveled. His back was still getting used to travel but he walked where he could. During the times it became too painful to walk he would sit in the pilots chair, watching as the stars flew by.

But not once did he complain about his time with Seren.

Sinew would do her best to help him move around, occasionally using her body to hold his weight. CC would do their best with advising he rested, but Varin was stubborn believing he had plenty of time to rest.

But eventually he would relent and sit.

When the ship landed, and the ramp dropped, Varin already had his Black Blade at his side, holding himself up on its hilt.

He had not been on Malachor for some time, but it all felt as recognizable and familiar as if he had been here the day prior.

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

A faint warmth touched Seren's expression at CC's proud announcement about the ship's pristine condition, her glowing amber eyes briefly shifting toward the droid as loading continued with almost militaristic precision. "Then you have accomplished what many living crews fail to manage," she replied dryly, her voice carrying a rare note of genuine approval. "Maintaining order during a medical crisis."

The faint humor lingered as she fell back into step beside Varin, her hand brushing lightly against his arm while they crossed toward the ship together. Even with the lingering stiffness in his movements and his occasional need to steady himself against the hilt of the black blade, he was walking under his own strength now; it was a quiet victory, and Seren found herself treasuring every small, stubborn sign of his recovery far more than she had anticipated.

The journey itself quickly settled into something calm and strangely domestic despite the grim realities of their lives, blissfully devoid of emergencies, sudden battles, or desperate rescues waiting at the next destination. Instead, the days were filled only with travel, deep rest, and quiet conversations shared when he had the energy for them, interspersed with long stretches where the stars blurred silently beyond the viewport while Sinew stubbornly supervised his physical therapy and CC repeatedly attempted to enforce medical protocols with varying degrees of success.

And eventually, the oppressive, dark silhouette of Malachor greeted them once more.

Seren stepped down the lowered ramp beside him as the cold, biting air and dark stone of the world settled heavily around them, her gaze briefly lifting toward the distant, jagged horizon before returning to focus entirely on him. He looked tired still, but he was undeniably steadier now, looking more grounded and present beneath the familiar, heavy shadows of the planet than he had in weeks.

When they finally entered the narrow stone passage leading deeper beneath the surface toward her subterranean home, Seren instinctively adjusted her stride to match his slower pace without making the gesture obvious, her hand resting lightly but securely against his arm whenever the uneven terrain threatened to shift his balance. The dim lights embedded along the passage walls illuminated the familiar, winding route ahead in soft amber tones, casting long shadows, while Sinew trotted a few paces ahead confidently, as though personally leading the expedition back to her domain.

After a few moments of quiet navigation, Seren exhaled a soft breath and glanced toward the steep, winding descent that still lay ahead of them. "I may have to look into building a closer landing pad," she murmured thoughtfully, a faint trace of dry amusement touching her voice as she looked back over her shoulder at him. "Or perhaps a tunnel carved directly to the surface, because apparently I designed this sanctuary without properly accounting for recovering royalty and oversized tuk'atta."

The deep warmth beneath her humor lingered in the quiet air, and her fingers tightened gently against his arm for only a moment as they kept moving forward. "Though I highly suspect both of you would ignore the convenience and take the difficult path purely out of stubbornness anyway."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

Her pace had matched his as they descended the ramp, the cold wind biting what exposed skin he had while his clothing maintained his body heat from within.

The familiarity of entering her home had his gaze looking about the confined space as they descended. Sinew taking it upon herself to lead the way as they made their slow pace downward, led by the warm lights. Any time he took a near misstep she was right there at his side to help correct.

“Well, to be fair, I don't plan on being in rough shape like this very often.”

A soft chuckle left him as she urged him forward.

“Though I certainly see the benefits of an easier entrance, but think of all the possible intruders that could find their way in.”

He looked at her with a jesting look in his eyes.

“I think you should add a maze. Maybe a few Sith spawn.”

The scabbard tapped the stone floor just beside him as he continued beside her, the closer they got, the more familiar everything seemed to be, and the more he realised he had missed being here.

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren adjusted her pace instinctively each time the uneven stone threatened his balance, never making the assistance obvious enough to wound his pride but never straying far enough that he would lack support if he needed it. The warm amber lighting lining the passage cast long shadows across the carved walls while Sinew confidently trotted ahead as though she had personally reclaimed the territory in his absence.

At his suggestion of a maze and Sithspawn, a faint breath of laughter escaped her.

"Mm. A maze I could manage," she murmured dryly. "And I am sure we could find a reasonably behaved Sithspawn somewhere."

Her glowing amber eyes flicked sideways toward him with unmistakable dry amusement.

"Ideally, one less interested in removing your eye specifically and more focused on unwelcome guests."

The humor softened naturally afterward as they continued deeper through the familiar passages, the colder air gradually giving way to the warmer currents carried from the chambers below. The further they descended, the more the space began to shift from tunnel to home; the rough stone softened beneath carefully placed lighting, with subtle signs of habitation returning around every turn.

Eventually, the passage opened fully.

The familiar cavern spread before them once more, warm amber light spilling across carved stone, shelves, worktables, hanging plants, and the quiet life Seren had built within the depths of Malachor. The distant sound of water echoed softly somewhere deeper in the cavern while the crystalline flower resting within the garden caught the light faintly, its amber petals glowing softly against the darker shimmer beneath the surface.

Sinew immediately surged ahead into the open space with visible excitement, claws skidding slightly against stone before she began inspecting the cavern as though ensuring everything had remained properly in place.

Seren slowed near the entrance itself, her hand still lightly resting against his arm as she watched him take it all in again.

And for the first time since Korriban, since the hospital room, since the fear of losing him entirely, something inside her finally seemed to settle.

"Welcome home, Varin."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

Varin thought back, reflecting on the beast that took his eye, not looking back in sorrow or anger but in a way of remembrance. A soft reflection on the features of the beast and its ability to hide in shadow. A fitting Sithspawn for his Lady.

He then looked back at her.

“I think that would make the perfect guardian for you.”

A small smile reached his lips.

“So long as it doesn’t have a generation craving for what lies in my sockets.”

As they passed through the natural cut trail he noticed it gave way to a trail cut with purpose. Warmth pierced through the cold as they neared the interior of her domicile, and a welcoming feeling of…ease washed over him. As the warmth touched his skin his eyes closed and he stood for a moment and breathed in the familiar scent of her dwelling.

He heard Sinew as she made her own way towards the living space, her sharp nose taking in what could be led as foe, threat or treat. Nothing really in between. But she knew not to ruin anything of Seren’s, she was welcomed into a home and she would not wreck it.

When Sinew had deemed the coast was clear she gave a small huff.

It wasn’t until Seren welcomed him home that he opened his eyes first to see her, then his surroundings.

It was like the place had held its breath just waiting for him. Nothing was moved or changed. The same hearth that kept him warm after falling in freezing water still kept the place heated.

His hand slowly ran along the doorway as he remembered his first night here and helping her with the garden. The distant sound of water that softly echoed off the walls could be felt by him. A gentle caress light in its touch it soothed him.

Then he saw the Floralite Rose.

Amber in color resembling her eyes as a golden hue seemed to glow from its center. Varin’s gaze met the crystalline plant, not moving past it. Something within him stirred. A burn within his chest that moved to his guts.

It took…and it survived…

Varin let out a soft breath as his smile softened.

“It’s…beautiful…”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren watched him quietly as his attention settled fully on the Floralite Rose, the soft amber glow from its crystalline petals reflecting faintly across his features while the hearthfire warmed the cavern around them. There was something almost reverent in the stillness that followed, as though the flower itself had become a living testament that, despite every hardship meant to break him, something beautiful and fragile had still managed to endure.

Her glowing amber eyes lingered tenderly on his face rather than the flower at first, completely captivated by the rare, softened expression he so seldom allowed the world to see, and tracing the deep, quiet relief woven intricately beneath it.

Only after a long moment did her gaze finally drift toward the Rose as well, watching the faint light shimmering through the dark crystal beneath the petals like distant stars caught beneath layers of ancient amber glass.

"It did not bloom easily," she murmured, her voice naturally dropping to a quieter, more intimate register within the calm safety of the cavern. "For a while, the silence in here was heavy, and I truly thought perhaps I was doing something wrong."

Her fingers brushed lightly against the rough edge of the stone planter, her gaze remaining fixed on the glowing flower as if recalling the exact weight of those solitary weeks.

"You told me it required care, but…" A faint breath escaped her, thoughtful and deeply vulnerable rather than uncertain. "…I did not fully understand how much of my own soul it would ask for in return before it would finally trust the air in here."

The admission settled softly between them, hanging in the warmth beneath the crackling hearthfire.

"It responded to everything I tried to hide. Attention, raw emotion, and a constant, quiet presence. I even found myself sitting here in the dark, singing to the stubborn thing before it ever showed a single bud, just desperate to give it a reason to wake up. The more honestly I poured myself into caring for it, the more it seemed to reach back out to me."

Only then did she glance back toward him again, a faint trace of softened, self-conscious amusement touching her expression at her own confession.

"I may have spent an unreasonable amount of time sitting right here beside it once the first petals finally opened, just making sure it was real."

The humor lingered briefly before his earlier comment about Sithspawn guardians returned to her thoughts, shifting her mood into something more playful. Her eyes narrowed just slightly in consideration, a spark of calculation lighting up her amber gaze.

"Do you think I could tame one of them?"

The question arrived with entirely too much sincerity to be reassuring, a perfect contrast to the gentle moment they had just shared. A small pause followed before the faintest hint of dry amusement returned to her voice.

"Preferably a breed that is significantly less interested in consuming parts of your face."

Behind them, Sinew immediately let out a loud, dramatic huff, shifting her weight as if deeply offended by the mere possibility of another creature being considered for guard duty within the sanctuary of their cave.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

At her admission of how difficult the process was to bloom a small breath of amusement left him, a small smile curving the corner of his mouth, before his voice quietly sounded.

“It never is…but when you successfully grow one, the hardship is worth it.”

He looked over to her.

“The Floralite tests as it grows. Just as a relationship takes persistence, so does this crystal. When things get hard you did not stop.”

He looked back at the rose.

“You simply adapted and dug deep.”

When she spoke of how long she inspected the plant a small chuckle left him.

“My mother told me the same thing when my Father gifted her one. The amount of effort it takes, then to see the bud form, it…it is so hard to believe at first.”

He smiled at her before looking back at the crystalline plant, gently running his fingers over the petals. A soft pulsing glow resonated from within as his fingers felt the surface.

Warm to the touch.

He pulled his fingers back when the subject changed back to the Sithspawn. Varin's gaze finding hers after she asked her question.

“Well, it's difficult to say. I don't know a whole lot about those Sithspawn, but with Sinew I had to kill the alpha. Then she just followed me home as a small pup.”

He thought back to that encounter, how it stalked, how it learned and how it hunted.

“Those seemed more like solitary hunters. Perhaps they mate for life and only stick to their partners and young. It's not fully unheard of to stumble upon Sithspawn like that.”

When Sinew huffed Varin looked at her and snapped his fingers quietly, but the command was clear. She then sat and waited patiently.

“Taming and training take time and bonding.”

He spoke to Seren, never taking his eyes off of Sinew.

“With Tuk'atta, you have to maintain yourself as the alpha, or they will try to overtake you.”

His gaze then looked over to her.

“But I believe it is possible you can tame one of those creatures. Maybe even raise some.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren listened quietly while he spoke, her glowing amber eyes drifting between Varin, Sinew, and the Floralite Rose resting within the garden. There was something deeply grounding about hearing him speak of these things here rather than in fragments scattered between conflict and survival. Family traditions. Creatures raised instead of hunted. The slow persistence required to nurture something fragile until it became strong enough to endure.

It made the cavern feel warmer somehow. More lived in.

When Sinew immediately obeyed the quiet snap of his fingers, Seren's gaze softened faintly toward the tuk'atta before returning to him again.

"You make it sound deceptively manageable," she murmured with dry amusement. "Though I suspect the part involving killing an alpha predator first may complicate the process somewhat."

A faint smile lingered briefly before her expression settled back into quieter thoughtfulness.

"Have you sensed any more of them near the temple since then?"

The question came naturally, curiosity threaded through it rather than concern. Seren had always listened carefully when he spoke about his home and the creatures inhabiting it, perhaps because every detail revealed another piece of the life he came from before everything became war, exile, duty, and survival.

Her gaze drifted again toward the Floralite Rose afterward while his words about his parents lingered in her thoughts.

The image settled easily in her mind somehow. His father crafting the crystal with patient determination while his mother sat beside the bloom afterward in disbelief that something so delicate had truly survived.

For a moment, Seren simply stood there quietly beneath the hearthlight, absorbing the softness in the memory he had offered her. Then her eyes lifted back toward him again. "Tell me more about them," she said softly. "Your family, I mean."

There was no hesitation in the request now, no uncertainty about whether she was permitted to ask. She wanted to know them through him. The people who had shaped the man standing beside her.

A quieter warmth touched her expression afterward. "You speak about them differently than you speak about almost anything else."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

A faint huff of amusement left him after she spoke of killing the alpha and its complications.

“You are certainly not wrong. Though that is probably the quickest way to earn the respect of Sithspawn, it is certainly not the easiest.”

His voice grew a bit softer as his hand rested on Sinew's head, giving her a soft rub as it lingered.

“Most people tend to get that confused. That quicker is easier.”

He looked at her with a warm smile.

“Though, I think depending on the Sithspawn, you certainly could do it.”

Her question then caused him to think for a moment.

Since he had lost his eye he had remembered what the creature felt, sounded and smelt like. He knew they relied on hiding in shadow so sight was almost practically useless. He had trained his body to reach its senses outward to search for what was hidden.

Finally, he answered.

“I have not, but I have a suspicion on where some may be located. Some prey I had found in the sands of the Golg Desert, wounds that did not match Tuk'atta, but something about it felt familiar. I suspect there could be some hiding in a nearby cave. Nocturnal hunters waiting for nightfall.”

The surprise question about his family drew something out of him. A quiet fondness as he thought of various memories from his childhood. He looked at the nearby chair and slowly sat down.

After settling in his gaze found her. A softness in his eyes as he thought about what he could tell her. So many times the thoughts would just come to him, and now after the first time being asked, those examples left him.

A small smile followed.

“What would you like to know?”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren listened as he spoke of the desert and the hidden dangers lurking in the caves beyond the Golg sands. While the tactical side of her mind filed the information away for later consideration, knowing with a quiet sort of certainty that her curiosity would eventually drive her to go looking, the rest of her was anchored entirely in the present. Whether following that thread would be an act of wisdom or poor judgment was a debate for another day. Right now, there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

As Varin settled into the chair, a wave of profound comfort washed over her. She moved about the cavern with the easy, quiet familiarity of someone returning to a sanctuary she hadn't realized she was aching for until she stepped back inside. The hearth radiated a steady, deep warmth through the stone dwelling, painting the walls in soft gold. Crossing to the storage alcove, she let her hand linger briefly against the cool stone, just taking a breath to ground herself in the reality of being back here. With him.

Sinew's ears immediately perked up, breaking the quiet. The tuk'atta might not have understood the nuances of the Sithspawn discussion, but she possessed an undeniable, almost supernatural radar for the exact second food entered the equation.

"Do not look at me like that," Seren said, her voice dropping into a low, affectionate murmur as she retrieved a thick, wrapped cut of meat from the freezer. "You are already getting fed, you completely insatiable creature."

Sinew merely blinked, refusing to break her laser-focused gaze.

A soft laugh escaped Seren as she shook her head, turning back to the work surface. Next came the fresh herbs she had gathered from the garden. Some had been rooted in the soil out there for years, weathering the elements, while others were delicate things she had transplanted more recently, nurturing them until they took hold. Looking at the spread, the garden's bounty, the careful markers of cultivation, and the supplies they had brought in together, it hit her all over again. This cave had long since stopped being a temporary refuge from a hostile galaxy. It had become a home.

The word still felt heavy and strange in her mind, but it was a beautiful sort of weight.

She began slicing the herbs, the rhythmic thump of the knife against wood acting as a soothing baseline to the crackle of the hearth. She set a heavy pan over the fire, waiting until it was perfectly hot before adding the seasoned meat. The instant it hit the surface, a rich, sizzling hiss filled the cavern, sending the fragrant aroma of seared oils, sharp garden herbs, and woodsmoke curling into the air.

Only when the meal was safely searing did she let herself pause, leaning lightly against the counter to look back at Varin.

The question he had left in the air seemed to hum between them, warmer and more intimate now that the initial surprise of it had softened. What would you like to know? A genuinely warm, unreserved smile touched her lips, reaching all the way to her eyes. "Everything," she answered, and the absolute honesty in her voice was bare for him to see.

She picked up the knife again, though her pace slowed as she began chopping a handful of bright vegetables. Her thoughts drifted to the man sitting across from her, tracing the lines of his posture, the quiet strength he carried, and the history she had only ever glimpsed in fragments.

"I want to know what your mother was like, and what your father was like. I want to know about your sister, too, what it was like growing up with her, and the kind of trouble the two of you managed to find together."

A bright trace of amusement danced in her tone, a gentle, teasing light entering her expression.

"Mainly, I want to know if you were always this impossibly stubborn, or if that particular talent required years of dedicated, rigorous practice."

Setting the knife down completely, she swept the vegetables into the pan, letting them mingle with the sizzling meat. Then she turned her body fully toward him. The playful edge in her voice softened into something deeply tender, her gaze holding his with an unspoken intensity.

"You know so many stories about me, Varin. Most of them you discovered whether I ever intended to share them or not, because you have a way of seeing right through me."

She let out a quiet, breathless laugh, her shoulders dropping as she let go of the last of her guardedness.

"I would love to finally know more about the people who loved you first. The ones who shaped you into the man sitting in that chair right now."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

Everything.

She wanted to know everything that formed him into who he was, more importantly those who helped build him.

The sounds and the scents of what she were cooking danced around him as Sinew waited practically drooling for a cut of her own food.

Varin sat quietly for a moment, just watching the hearth. Listening to the crackle of flame.

“My mother. Lady Ravnika, was her name and title. Leader of the Shield Maidens. She was fierce on the battlefield. But when it came to motherhood, she was wise, gentle and so very patient.”

A small breath left him as the corner of his mouth lifted.

“She was the reason for our massive garden in the mouth of an extinct volcano. Started from an oak tree and just built from it. Making her own little sanctuary.”

“She taught my sister and I how to garden, how to care for life, the life we hold responsibility over. Using it as lessons for ruling. She tried to teach me alchemy and I just did not have the talent for it. But Nier, she was a complete natural.”

His thumb gently rubbed over the side of the scabbard that laid in his lap.

“She absorbed the knowledge of alchemy like a sponge. Knew measurements just by sight, what chemicals and herbs were used by smell.”

He looked over to Seren.

“And she had no force capabilities. Completely force dead. Normally Sith families would likely get rid of such a “weak link”. But my Father, he saw something in her the moment she was born.”

A small sigh left him as he thought of memories.

“She was able to recreate a Sithspawn that our planet deemed holy yet extinct. A Lava Wyrm. And she was so proud of it.”

A small quiet chuckle left him.

“We used to sneak into Father's study to read some forbidden texts. We got caught every time, but I always took the blame. Father knew it was not just me. So he would see through it.”

He paused for a moment, something within him changing, slowing down.

“Then there was Father.”

His voice was quiet.

“The man's presence commanded respect when He entered the room. During feasts after a great hunt people would be having loud conversations and merriment, but as soon as His hand would lift, silence would fall.”

“A balance of fear and respect. He held the crown of the Ignatis Mortis. The life blood of the throne. What controls our planet. Even the mountains would bow to Him. Our people loved him, they also feared Him. But they respected Him.”

A small breath left him.

“But there was only one person that would make him break composure. That was his daughter Nier.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren listened without interruption, her attention fully shifted to the cooking as she let him speak. The rhythm of his voice filled the space between them, a grounding presence against the steady crackle of the hearth.

The image forming in her mind wasn't at all what she had expected of Sith nobility. Instead of cold halls and harsh edicts, she found herself picturing a woman tending a vibrant sanctuary within the shelter of an extinct volcano, teaching two children how to cultivate life rather than destroy it. As she stirred the heavy pan, the rich, sizzling hiss of the meat and herbs filled the air, and her eyes drifted briefly toward the small garden patches she had carefully nurtured just outside the cavern mouth.

A faint, knowing smile touched her lips, and she glanced back over her shoulder at him.

"I think I would have liked your sister," she admitted softly, her tone carrying a light trace of amusement. "Anyone capable of recreating an extinct species and holding onto that kind of stubborn pride sounds like someone I would understand very well. And your mother... it makes me wonder if our own little garden out there reminds you of home, even just a little. A small pocket of green against a harsh world."

The warmth lingered in her expression before settling into a quiet, contemplative focus. The rest of what he shared, a Force-dead daughter cherished rather than discarded, and a terrifying ruler whose composure broke only for his children, painted a far more complicated picture than the rigid legends of the Sith. It was entirely more human.

She turned the food over in the pan, a fresh wave of fragrant woodsmoke and sharp herbs rising with the steam. As she absently watched the vegetables soften and mingle with the searing meat, a realization surfaced, a missing piece in the tapestry of the history he was sharing.

She paused her stirring, resting the utensil against the edge of the pan, and looked back at him to hold his gaze.

"You speak about them differently than most people speak about powerful lineages," she observed quietly, her voice dropping into a low, tender murmur. "Not about the titles they held or what they conquered, but about who they were when the rest of the galaxy wasn't watching. Yet, for all of that..."

Her head tilted slightly, a sudden gentleness softening her features.

"I realized I never actually learned your father's name. I know what he was to your people, and I can see exactly what he meant to you, but I don't think I have ever heard you say his name aloud."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

A small chuckle left him as he listened to the meat cook but kept his gaze on the firelight.

“She would have been all over you. I think she always wanted a sister figure.”

His gaze flicked to the small garden nearby, a small smile creeping on his face as he thought of the garden back on Carcosa. Truth was, it did remind him of home. It was likely why he helped her with it for a bit the last time he had visited.

“Yeah. It started small. But it will grow, and you will know abundance.”

When she brought up her curiosity for his Father's name, something made him freeze. Not out of fear, but of surprise. His thumb stopped running along the scabbard for a moment as his hand stilled.

“Truth is, I am so used to our way of life that it has still followed me. Even after the changes in my life.”

He spoke softly, but with enough volume to reach her.

“Back home, we were not allowed to say his name. It was either Father or Lord Mortifer. I had only heard his name once, which He had permitted. And never once have I uttered it.”

He took a deep breath after realizing he had not inhaled for some time after she asked her question.

“But he has passed. As has his time on the throne. Perhaps I can break protocol just once…”

He looked over at her, a new look in his eye. One of nervousness and vulnerability. A look of someone who had not broken a specific law but he was stepping out of his comfort zone to do just that. For her.

“Lord Valerious Mortifer. Previous King to the throne of Carcosa and prior controller of the Ignatis Mortis.”

The name still held such impact within him, he could not control saying it like it was drilled in his head that he were to also identify his status and title. The very mention of it held a weight that even Sinew felt. Drawing a soft whine from her as she rested her head in his lap.

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

The thought of Nier attaching herself to her almost immediately earned a genuine laugh from Seren. It was not a polite smile or quiet amusement, but a real one. The sound lingered warmly between them as she returned her attention to the meal, stirring the vegetables into the meat while imagining some younger version of Varin and his sister wandering through volcanic gardens and finding trouble together. For a moment, it made the galaxy feel very small, and comfortably so.

"I suspect we would have either gotten along wonderfully or become an absolute menace to everyone around us," she replied, the warmth still evident in her voice. "Possibly both."

His mention of the garden drew another smile from her. It was a simple thing to hear, yet somehow it settled deeply. Abundance—the word carried more meaning than he probably realized. She had built much of this place from scraps, persistence, and stubborn hope, so to hear him look at what they had cultivated and speak of growth rather than survival filled her with a quiet sense of pride she rarely allowed herself to indulge.

"I think it already has," she admitted softly.

Then the conversation shifted, subtly at first, though she noticed it immediately. The pause, the way his hand stopped moving, and the slight change in his breathing all told her everything she needed to know. Even before he explained it, Seren understood she had stumbled onto something important. The warmth of the conversation did not disappear, but it settled into something quieter and more reverent. She found herself listening more carefully, not because he was speaking louder, but because he wasn't.

When he explained that he had never been permitted to say his father's name, her expression softened. The revelation cast so many earlier conversations in a different light: all the times he had spoken of his father, all the memories, and all the stories, never once had he used his name. And now he was choosing to, for her.

The realization settled heavily in her chest. Seren did not interrupt or rush him. The only sounds in the cavern were the crackling hearth, the gentle hiss of the pan, and the distant movement of water beyond the cave walls.

Then he said it: Lord Valerious Mortifer.

The name seemed to linger in the air long after the words themselves had faded. Perhaps it was imagination, or perhaps it was simply the weight Varin himself carried, but whatever the reason, the atmosphere within the cavern felt different afterward. It felt older somehow, as though a door had briefly opened onto a piece of his life that few people were ever permitted to see. Even Sinew reacted; Seren's gaze drifted briefly toward the tuk'atta as she whined and rested her head in his lap before returning to him.

For several moments, she said nothing, not because she lacked a response, but because some things deserved a moment of silence first. Finally, she turned the heat beneath the pan lower and stepped away from the hearth.

"Valerious," she repeated quietly. The name felt strange on her tongue—not unpleasant, simply unfamiliar. "I think that may be the most personal thing you have ever shared with me."

There was no teasing in her voice now, only sincerity. Her hand found his shoulder as she passed behind the chair, her fingers resting there gently.

"Thank you for trusting me with it."

The words were simple, but she meant every one of them.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

“I think the option of both is the likeliest outcome.”

He responded with a quiet voice, a soft smile forming on his lips before he looked back at her. His gaze found hers when she repeated his Father’s name to him. He looked deeply into her eyes, listening to her words even as the feeling clung deeply into the air.

The atmosphere slowly returning from the moment, Varin offered her a slow nod when she thanked him. He could feel the warmth of the hearth and the welcoming atmosphere of her home, now partly his home as well. A slice of sanctuary that they had built together. It wasn’t Carcosa, but it was theirs.

He would happily take it as home.

For a long while all he did was watch her movements. The feeling of clarity and familiarity within how she moved about. The confidence she held as if this was a ritual she had done so many times before.

He could watch her for hours.

Like watching a small flower brave winds that it long grew accustomed to. Strong, elegant and graceful.

Beautiful.

“I don’t think there is anyone else in this galaxy I would share that with.”

He spoke quietly, a warmth in his voice that sounded as if he were not afraid of the secret and that the level of trust that ran through him and to her was deep. Roots strong enough to break foundations and stir the soil.

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

The warmth that followed his words settled deeper than Seren expected. For a moment, she simply looked at him, not searching for hidden meaning or questioning whether he truly meant it, but simply accepting it. There was something profoundly humbling about being trusted with pieces of a person that the rest of the galaxy would never see; she had spent much of her life surrounded by secrets, half-truths, and carefully maintained masks, yet the things Varin shared with her always felt entirely different. They weren't dramatic, but they were real. A small smile touched her lips before she finally looked away, if only to keep herself from staring.

"Then I will consider it an honor that you did," she murmured.

By the time she turned back to the hearth, the food had finished cooking. The vegetables had softened, the herbs had infused the meat completely, and the rich aroma filling the cavern made it abundantly clear that Sinew's patience had reached its absolute limit. The tuk'atta was trying very hard to behave. Trying being the operative word, and Seren was not entirely convinced the creature would continue succeeding.

A quiet laugh escaped her as she retrieved several plates and began serving the meal. "And before someone decides that patience is no longer a virtue...Dinner." She drifted her gaze meaningfully toward the beast as she placed a separate portion on the floor, carefully stripped of anything that might upset a tuk'atta's stomach. The moment the plate landed, Sinew's self-control ceased to be a relevant factor.

Satisfied that dinner-related disaster had been safely avoided, Seren carried the remaining plates over, setting one carefully in front of Varin before taking the seat right beside him. She didn't sit across from him; she chose the spot close enough that their shoulders nearly touched, a choice that felt entirely natural now. Reaching for a nearby pitcher, she poured water into two glasses and offered him one, watching the firelight dance across the surface of the liquid.

As she settled back into her seat, the warmth of the hearth at her back and the familiar comfort of home surrounding them both, she simply paused to enjoy the quiet. The cave, the fire, the rich scent of food, the soft sounds of Sinew enthusiastically devouring her meal, and his presence beside her all blended into a rare moment of peace. Finally, Seren lifted her glass slightly, her eyes meeting his.

"To finally being home." The words were quiet, but there was no uncertainty left in them. Not anymore.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

Sinew only held just enough patience for the plate to touch the floor and for her hand to be out of range before she began tearing into the meat. Growling in a way that could be considered…happy? Perhaps even playful.

Varin watched as she ate, devouring her dinner with minimal attempt at chewing.

“I don't think she even tasted it.”

He spoke as a chuckle left him. When she sat next to him and offered him his food and water he smiled as he took them.

“Thank you.”

He spoke softly, then he met his glass with hers, his voice dropping to just above a whisper as the hearth cracked quietly.

“To home, and to us.”

He took a small sip before setting the glass down.

His gaze once again found the floralite, looking at its golden hue and amber petals.

“You did an amazing job with raising it. It looks healthy.”

His gaze found hers.

“The signs of persistence and care.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

A soft laugh escaped Seren as she watched Sinew annihilate her meal with all the restraint of a natural disaster.

"I believe tasting it may have been a secondary concern," she murmured, the warmth in her voice lingering as she took a slow sip of water.

Her gaze briefly followed his toward the floralite resting nearby. The amber petals caught the firelight beautifully, their golden centers glowing softly against the cavern's dark warmth. His praise brought a genuine smile to her lips. Not because she disagreed, but because she remembered exactly how much quiet desperation had gone into keeping it alive.

"It was not always healthy," she admitted, her voice dropping to match the quiet intimacy of the room. "There were weeks where I was convinced it would fail, and others where I was certain I was merely imagining progress because I wanted so badly to see it."

She let her eyes linger on the flower a moment longer before drifting back to meet his. A faint, fond trace of amusement touched her expression. "Do you remember that gathering you brought me to, some time ago? Back when I was still just your advisor and friend, and considerably less comfortable attending social events?"

As the memory settled, her smile softened, and her fingers curled lightly around the glass in her hand. "We only ever sang together that once, but...you may remember that I can sing. This flower, it responds to emotion. To intent, and to presence. So, when I was alone here tending to it..."

For the first time, a slight hint of embarrassment colored her tone, though she didn't look away. "I sang to it. Quite often, actually. The bud seemed to respond best when I stopped treating it like a project and started treating it like something alive—I sang my emotions straight into the seed as it grew."

She looked at him fully then, the firelight catching the warmth in her eyes as she offered him another piece of herself she had never shared with anyone else.

"After dinner, if you would like, I can demonstrate," she offered quietly. It wasn't a formal performance, but an invitation. "Though I should warn you, my audience usually consists entirely of plants."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

Her words met him softly, gently drawing his attention from the crystal rose and back to her. Imagining the difficulty it took to grow, the time sacrificed, the energy given.

The loss of hope when it just sat in the dirt…

His eyes softened when she mentioned how difficult it was to not see progress and his hand gently placed on her knee for security.

He slowly nodded to her question.

“I remember…you have such a lovely voice.”

He spoke softly as he looked back at the time on the roof of the Red Ronin. The music that they played, he was younger then. Far less wiser than he was now. Yet, something about her even back then kept his attention on her.

At her admission that she sang to the floralite, he noticed the slight embarrassment in her eyes, and his other hand rested on her cheek.

When she offered to sing in front of him he was stunned in silence. Not in disbelief of her allowing him to listen to her sing again, but just being able to be there with her, to see the emotion she poured into the floralite.

It meant a great deal to him.

A soft smile curved his lips as he nodded.

“I would love to hear you sing after dinner.”

His hand gently lingered on her cheek for a second longer before it relaxed back towards him, picking up his fork, he started with small bites before taking bigger ones.

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

A small smile lingered on Seren's lips as she watched him begin eating.

"Then I will consider myself properly warned," she replied softly.

The conversation drifted easily after that, turning dinner less about the food and more about the simple comfort of sharing a space together again. Topics wandered without urgency, touching on the quiet things that had accumulated during his absence, the shifting patterns of the garden, minor repairs around the cave, and a stubborn herb that had refused to grow until it was moved just a few meters away. They laughed over Sinew's increasingly questionable behavior while staying with Lina, but mostly, they settled into the easy understanding of two people who no longer felt the need to fill every silence. For perhaps the first time since his return, the evening felt entirely normal. Not a matter of recovery, survival, or duty: just a quiet, shared normalcy.

When the meal was finished, Seren gathered the plates before he could even attempt to help, sending him a look that made it clear she had anticipated the gesture.

"You may assist once your physicians stop threatening me with lectures," she teased, the amusement in her voice easily softening the refusal.

The cleanup was a familiar, unhurried routine. While water ran softly through the basin and dishes were set aside, Sinew remained contentedly nearby, having long since finished her meal and now occupying herself with pretending she hadn't just inhaled enough food for three creatures her size.

By the time everything was put away, the hearth had burned down to a low, steady hum. The cavern felt quieter now, softer, with firelight dancing lazily across the stone walls and catching the amber petals of the Floralite resting in its planter. Seren found herself looking at the blossom for a long moment, remembering the months of uncertainty, the waiting, and the quiet melodies she had offered it in the dark.

Turning back to Varin with a gentle invitation, she gestured for him to follow. "Come."

She led him toward the edge of the garden, where the warm glow of the hearth mingled with the softer illumination of the cavern beyond. Standing there among the living things they had cultivated together, she paused and folded her hands loosely before her. For the first time all evening, a trace of genuine nervousness touched her expression, softened by a faint smile.

"You know," she admitted with quiet honesty, her eyes drifting to the golden hue of the flower, "it is considerably easier to sing to flowers than to people."

Varin Mortifer