Roen stirred at the familiar voice. She first felt the chill of the stone pressing against her cheek and her thoughts swam in murkiness. When she felt a hand upon her shoulder, her eyes blinked open and the distant light from the cavern entrance began to chase away the darkness.
“Where…?†she groaned as she sat up, her eyes squinting to try and focus in the dim light. Her disorientation left her feeling like she was wading through thick honey. “Ah. We are out of the…†She paused. “Whatever place that was.â€
It took her another moment as the haze of unconsciousness began to dissipate and memories began to coalesce. Her eyes widened as she spun to Khadai. “Are you alright?â€
The Au Ra nodded slowly. “We found what we came for, at the least.†He patted the pack next to him before glancing back at her. “And yourself? I cannot imagine that the experience was overly pleasant. The places that deal in such large amounts of aether rarely are.â€
The paladin blinked, as if she was trying to remember and process all that had happened. There was a distant ache in the back of her head and her stomach roiled with a hint of nausea. Her face twisted in pain for a moment, but she was quick to shake her thoughts loose, focusing on something more immediate at hand.
“I am unhurt,†she coughed. Her eyes scanned over Khadai again, this time with critical scrutiny. “And did you get what you were looking for? What was it that they bequeathed on to you? Who were they? What were they?†She stopped herself with a sigh before more questions came tumbling forth. She laid her hand upon her forehead with a bewildered expression. “I have so many questions.â€
Khadai patted his pack again. “This is a keystone, I presume. It contains instructions for how to keep aether from leaking from our temple. And if the aether is fully contained, then it can continue its function.†He sighed. “There is no way to know for certain until I’ve returned it to my people, but at the least, it is something. As for them,†the Xaela glanced towards the unmoving stone wall they presumably emerged from. “They claimed to be gods. Whether that’s true or not, I do not know. Perhaps they were simply what your people call primals; there was certainly sufficient aether to materialize whatever they wanted within… that place. Or perhaps they were truly gods. I suspect that their true nature is one of many things that mortals are not meant to know.â€
Roen nodded as she reached for her waterskin. Something about that place, it left a lingering salty dryness that chafed her throat. She let out a long exhale after a few gulps of water. It seemed they were out of immediate danger, at least for now. Her thoughts still spun with all that she had seen and heard.
“Your people. They seek immortality?†She studied the Xaela curiously.
“Where…?†she groaned as she sat up, her eyes squinting to try and focus in the dim light. Her disorientation left her feeling like she was wading through thick honey. “Ah. We are out of the…†She paused. “Whatever place that was.â€
It took her another moment as the haze of unconsciousness began to dissipate and memories began to coalesce. Her eyes widened as she spun to Khadai. “Are you alright?â€
The Au Ra nodded slowly. “We found what we came for, at the least.†He patted the pack next to him before glancing back at her. “And yourself? I cannot imagine that the experience was overly pleasant. The places that deal in such large amounts of aether rarely are.â€
The paladin blinked, as if she was trying to remember and process all that had happened. There was a distant ache in the back of her head and her stomach roiled with a hint of nausea. Her face twisted in pain for a moment, but she was quick to shake her thoughts loose, focusing on something more immediate at hand.
“I am unhurt,†she coughed. Her eyes scanned over Khadai again, this time with critical scrutiny. “And did you get what you were looking for? What was it that they bequeathed on to you? Who were they? What were they?†She stopped herself with a sigh before more questions came tumbling forth. She laid her hand upon her forehead with a bewildered expression. “I have so many questions.â€
Khadai patted his pack again. “This is a keystone, I presume. It contains instructions for how to keep aether from leaking from our temple. And if the aether is fully contained, then it can continue its function.†He sighed. “There is no way to know for certain until I’ve returned it to my people, but at the least, it is something. As for them,†the Xaela glanced towards the unmoving stone wall they presumably emerged from. “They claimed to be gods. Whether that’s true or not, I do not know. Perhaps they were simply what your people call primals; there was certainly sufficient aether to materialize whatever they wanted within… that place. Or perhaps they were truly gods. I suspect that their true nature is one of many things that mortals are not meant to know.â€
Roen nodded as she reached for her waterskin. Something about that place, it left a lingering salty dryness that chafed her throat. She let out a long exhale after a few gulps of water. It seemed they were out of immediate danger, at least for now. Her thoughts still spun with all that she had seen and heard.
“Your people. They seek immortality?†She studied the Xaela curiously.
