un: sweet lily of the hidden valley; voice

[bearshermark]

[Eleven's voice comes through hushed, yet tinged with urgency]

This one is asking for a mirror.

[A different, fainter voice, words heavy and slurred as through from disuse] Take me to mirror..

[Eleven audibly hesitates, his attention turning briefly away from the network as his voice lowers, softer] Are- are there more of them? The one on the ship shattered..

[A halting pause from the other side] ..End pain..

[Grief, bleeding through compassion] I will. If I can't help you, I promise.

[Eleven takes in a deep breath and clears his throat] ..I know it's probably too much to hope there's another mirror we could easily find, but he seems convinced it would help. It was said the body in the lake had a similar aura. I didn't think much of it then, but now I wonder...

Comments

[corvis]

It would be nice if it were that simple.

Don't get lost or wind up dead, kid. And avoid taking a swim, because this weather might not allow you enough time to get back here to dry off in time.

[bearshermark]

..I appreciate the advice.

[Said as mildly as possible]

Later

[bearshermark]

Nothing terrible happened. The pall of undeath faded in the lake and he died.

[corvis]

I guess it would have been too easy for it to substitute as a mirror.

[bearshermark]

I guess so. Maybe it just releases them from undeath.

[corvis]

That would end the pain of the curse, true.

[bearshermark]

Not terribly useful, but I guess we learned that much at least.

[corvis]

And we still have no idea why the undead are "thawing", right?

[bearshermark]

I'd guess it's because Unhalad seems to be losing power.

[corvis]

But there's no explanation for his power deterioration, right? Just in case I missed something...

[bearshermark]

Uh, well, Anurr has a lot more support in the Citadel, now. There were even bodies pinned to doorways.. It wasn't hard to tell they must have been Unhalad's since they were all missing an arm. This isn't the first time, though I think it was a warning, back then. Now.. it seems bolder.

[corvis]

... You're saying they gain power through those who pledge to support them?

[bearshermark]

[A breath like he's going to say something, then thinks better of it. Audibly hesitates]

Ah.. It just.. seems like with the increased favor and emboldened attacks, that it means Anurr's side is strengthening. That's the sort of impression this attack gives, anyway.

[corvis]

[ that's not a very straightforward answer. The way it's worded makes it sound very generalized... And trying to generalize undead warlords just seems suspicious. He's not sure if this kid is hiding something, but for now it doesn't really matter. Some thoughts are better kept silent until they are better known. Otherwise, rumors and misinformation start to brew.

If there really is something to their power waxing and waning like the moon with those who believe in them and support versus those who do not ...

that's a much bigger problem than his first assessment of this situation. ]

. . . I see. [ no, not really, because now Gil has to consider this as a real possible thing. ]

[bearshermark]

[Winces]

Sorry, I'm.. not much for politics. It's just Karsa said no one from Unhalad's side returned from that clash, that we're 'half-safe', and with Unhalad's undead thawing now.. That's just what I thought of.

[corvis]

[ sighs, feels a tiny bit bad because.. . blonde kid Oz's age, sheesh. He's knows this because he's seen him wanting as around with his guardian or whatever he is. ] ...It's fine. It's not politics I'm concerned about, anyway.