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[The first thing Sorey thinks as he falls is what Lailah said as they left Camlann; that without his domain, all of them would instantly be hellions. The ground collapses beneath his feet, the wind drake behind him snaps up his cloak in its jaws and he sees the terror on Mikleo's face just before Symonne's laughter shrieks out and he and the drake fall together.

If they're too far away from me-

He can still feel their connection. He can still feel them, even if they can't go to him, and Sorey prays that's enough.

Wind rushes past them and Sorey tries to wrench out of the drake's grip (It's gotta be a wind seraph, Zaveid had shouted as they were thrown into the thick of battle in the tight corridors of the fortress), twisting and turning, sword in his hand. They'd weakened the drake considerably as a team but he's not sure he's powerful enough on his own to purify it, not even with all the strength he's gathered. Not without the others.

Hopefully, because Rose is there, they'll be okay. Please, please, I can't lose anyone else-

They fall far but hit a collapsed spire at an angle; in the mess the drake releases Sorey (or maybe his cloak tears, he can't tell) and he tumbles, bumps against it and hits the ground hard enough to rattle his teeth in his head and jar his bones. He pushes himself up, ignoring the bruises and aches, the constant, thumping worry of his heart and puts his sword between he and the drake as it sways up to its feet.]

Don't worry, [he promises the poor thing, because thank god, thank god it's not a dragon yet. There's still hope.] I'm going to save you. Don't worry, it'll be over soon.

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[I believe you, Sorey says, open and trusting and loving. It occurs to Dezel, not for the first time, that he's going to hurt so much more when nature reclaims Sorey and his soul. He won't fall-- that's not an option-- but then Dezel will be alone again, and god, he just can't think about that right now. He can only think about what's in front of him.

He can't see the emerald green of Sorey's eyes, can't memorize the little bit of gold that leaks into his brown hair when the sun hits it. But the wind tells him everything he needs to know regardless. It tells Dezel that he's smiling. It describes the roundness of his nose, the crinkling of his lashes at the edges of his eyes. Dezel can imagine the rest. He can feel the boldness of Sorey's thumbs on his cheeks, hear the roughness of Sorey's voice.

Dezel's eyes flutter open, a pale silver-green like the edge of a cloud. He looks for a moment like a man who's never been loved before or at least not in a long time. His cheeks burn beneath the Shepherd's tender touches; he tries to keep his breathing steady, but it hitches at points as he realizes just how deep he's in.

Sorey loves his seraphim, but he could never love Dezel like--

And just like that, Dezel finds himself pulling away from the touch that both grounds him and sends him spinning. It isn't a violent motion-- rather, he just gently takes Sorey's hands and holds them for a moment.]

W-we should get going. Daylight's burning.

[Time to roll out of bed.]

[That...absolutely wasn't just him. No way. Dezel had looked so young in that moment, breath hiccuping, and the way he'd held Sorey's hands before pulling away-

Sorey pushes himself up to sit, hands clenched into fists he presses to his chest before he slowly slides out of bed. He's always been close with his seraphim; it's simply a side-effect of sharing a body with someone after all. It's impossible to not be close with someone after that, but this isn't the same. This is a kind of intimacy that has nothing to do with a Shepherd's pact.

His cheeks are still burning even after he pulls on his boots and cloak.] -uh, um, I was hoping- do you think we could drop by the weapons' shop? I'd like to at least, y'know. Be able to look after myself.

[Dezel pulls on his boots and gloves. Sorey's moving slowly, but that's all right; if his gestures seem troubled, Dezel doesn't acknowledge them. Sometimes the wind seraph is a bit too self-absorbed, it's true, and after a close call like that... he's eager to think about practically anything else.]

That's where we're going. I don't know if we can find a ritual sword like the one you used, but we can commission one later.

[He's pretty sure Sorey's actual sword ended up... in the care of someone, somewhere. Maybe Alisha's family? He'll have to do some investigating. It isn't something he's thought about in a long time, after all.]

We'll grab breakfast on the way.

Ah, Dezel, [Sorey grabs at his arm,] actually, I'm okay without getting another sword.

[Just, something about it. He'd used it to catch prickleboars sometimes, sure, but a bow is just as effective. His last memory of holding a sword is pressing it into the chest of a man in terrible pain, so...he'd really. Yeah.]

I was thinking a bow, maybe a hunting knife. We should probably try to avoid hellions anyway since we can't purify them, right? So, just for wildlife. That should be plenty.

[Dezel hesitates at the touch to his arm. A bow makes a lot of sense-- Sorey's trained in one-- but it also reminds him a bit of Mikleo's water artifact. Dezel doesn't know specifically what went down between Sorey and Heldalf since he had to stay behind, but he can kind of imagine someone like Sorey wouldn't want to run the risk of killing more people. He'd been so against it, right until the end.]

We can get you something else.

[Dezel leads him out of the room.]

If your aim's rusty, don't worry about it. I can give you a little boost.

What d'you mean, if my aim's rusty?! [ELBOWS DEZEL!!! His aim is still impeccable, thank you!

They don't spend long at the weapons' shop. Sorey can't make heads or tails of the prices; the numbers are completely different from how they were before, even if everyone still uses gald. He can't tell if Dezel is spending a ton of money on him, or if he's really just picking something meeting the bare minimum requirements, as Sorey requested.

It still feels admittedly good to slot the bow over his shoulders and snap the string against his chest. Just having it makes him feel a little more normal, a little more him, the same mountain boy who'd spent hours and hours stalking game in the forest within Gramps' domain.

The Scattered Bones are a little more complicated. Dezel has to lead him down a series of dark alleyways to make sure they haven't been followed, finds this tiny wooden door tucked between two buildings and executes this complicated-sounding knock in order for anyone to even open the door.]

[Dezel spends a decent amount of money on Sorey just to make sure he's prepared, happy, and fed before they set out. The bow is of extremely good make. Dezel examines it for at least five minutes while the merchant explains that he has a seraph friend who helps finish the things he sells. His brother is the blacksmith, the man explains, and he has a water seraph quench the metal.

Dezel makes no remark on it. He lets Sorey ponder the meaning of that while they make their way to the Scattered Bones. There's the sound of at least fifteen locks sliding out of place and a shuffle, and then the door opens. Dezel pushes Sorey inside.

It doesn't seem like much. Someone's house, perhaps a little darker than usual.]

Downstairs.

[Whoever granted them access is nowhere to be seen, at least until the basement door creaks open. Then it looks like a proper hideout, complete with oil lamps and cozy bits of furniture. Someone definitely lives here.]

Hey, it's me.

[Suddenly about five people pop out of the woodwork-- one of them literally, a redhead with his hair tied back who emerges from a swinging bookcase. He's armed with at least one hand-and-a-half sword and two daggers, and he's dressed in gray and red. His eyes are a surprisingly-familiar shade of blue. The others appear to be clothed similarly, yet they defer to this leader who can't be much older than Sorey. Maybe twenty five at most. Yet they greet Dezel warmly.

Dezel explains that this is Sorey, the Shepherd of some years past, and he wanted to speak to them. He knows Sorey must be nervous, so he keeps a hand on the middle of Sorey's back. I'm here. See, he can do it, too.]

Edited 2017-01-27 07:59 (UTC)

[Sorey had never been truly afraid of the Scattered Bones, and even less so when he came to know them personally but he couldn't quite shake his unease even up to the very end. Differing ideals and that weight of "if you screw up, you're dead," kept him from truly seeing eye-to-eye with many of them so while he regards them kindly, Sorey never really connected with them on level deeper than acquaintance.

If course, those people are long dead now.

And yet here stands before him a man the spitting image of Rose. Same eyes, same hair, same nose and brows too and with that same cooly calculating expression as he sizes Sorey up. Dezel's hand on his back is an appreciated reminder that he's here too, a living bridge between two ideals, as Sorey was a thousand years ago.

Sorey sticks out his hand for the man to shake.] I wanted to thank you and your kin for keeping Rose's letter to me safe. Seeing her handwriting, her own words...it was a greater comfort than I ever expected to have.

[Dezel isn't really the best ambassador, but he does his best. The Scattered Bones and the Sparrowfeathers both are his charges. And while there have been small scale calamities since Heldalf, they've always been quelled by the Shepherds. Nothing that can be called a curse has happened since the Windriders, and for that, he is grateful.

Maybe something about Sorey cured him. He'll never really know.

The man takes Sorey's hand and gives it a concise, firm shake, not unlike that of a merchant doing business.]

It was something we promised to do a long time ago. While our sister guild focuses on enterprises, we make sure that history isn't forgotten. It would be stupid for us to forget our own roots.

[He regards Dezel with a mild expression.]

Even if I wasn't concerned with my ancestor's legacy, this guy wouldn't let me forget it. Is there anything else we can do for you while you're here, Shepherd Sorey?

[Dezel clears his throat and adjusts his hat.]

We're headed over the ocean. Anything we should be worried about? I haven't been that way in a while.

I can't think of anything recently.

[Dezel nods, apparently satisfied, and defers to Sorey if he wants to say anything else.]

[Well, he wouldn't be Sorey if he didn't say something about this, because despite all this time he still feels so strongly about it:]

This might come off as rude, especially after what you've done for me, but...I hope there comes a day when you don't get any more contracts. I'm going to continue working toward that day.

[Surprisingly, the Scattered Bones leader doesn't flinch or really change expressions. He's heard some of the stories even if Dezel isn't one to sit down and share them. There's a book or two about the Shepherd Sorey, after all.]

Every time we see each other, my brother asks me if I want to join him in the Sparrowfeathers. And every time, my answer is the same.

I walk this path so that good people like you, Shepherd, don't have to get their hands dirty. That's the life I've chosen and everything that comes with it.

[His eyes close halfway. There's a hint of a smile.]

If the day comes that the Scattered Bones are no longer needed, I hope I can meet you there.

[They really ought to get going. Dezel makes a note of this and says his farewells, then leads Sorey back up the stairs and out into the alleyway. He thinks Sorey might need a moment. Dezel certainly does.]

[Sorey is quiet all the way up and through the alleys back to the main road, half a pace behind Dezel as he collects his thoughts.]

...he looks just like her, huh?

... Yeah. He does. [And talking like that... It's enough to give him shivers, sometimes. Rose, too, had been so resolute, and sometimes resigned to what she had to do. But she never let it get her down for long.]

Is there anything else you need before we hit the docks?

Yeah, just one more thing. [Sorey stops, waits for Dezel to stop before taking a couple swift steps forward and wrapping his arms around him, pressing his face against Dezel's shoulder.] Thank you. You kept it safe all these years too.

[Dezel freezes for a moment as Sorey's arms find their way around him, but it's only for a moment. He relaxes after that, something felt more than seen. He can't help himself. Home is the people he loves, and Sorey is all that's left.]

Like I really had a choice, [he murmurs, leaning ever so gently into the hug.] We-- we all made sure this was a world you'd want to live in. At least, that's what we hoped.

I know it still has problems. There's still work to do. Feels like it never ends, sometimes.

[Sorey pulls back to get a good look at Dezel's face, concerned.] You guys...I'm not disappointed or anything. You know that right? This world is beautiful.

[Sorey's face brooks no argument, that's for sure. Dezel can tell from voice alone that he isn't lying-- but just in case, while no one is paying attention to them in the shadow of the buildings, he wants to make sure. He touches Sorey's nose so gently, like he'll flinch or pull away at anything, and then draws a bare thumb across the boy's lips.]

... It is, [he murmurs, and finally lets him go.] I guess I believe you. You only make a face like that when you're really serious.

[Dezel's thumb passes over his lips and Sorey's cheeks flare red, but he reaches up to return the gesture, emboldened.] And you only make this face when you're unsure. [And he'd noticed Dezel glancing at him whenever humans mentioned having 'a seraph friend' or when people came up to Uno and spoke with him like everything is normal. Dezel wants to see if Sorey loves the world they'd all created with him.]

I promise. Seeing humans and seraphim living together makes everywhere feel like home to me now. [He takes Dezel's hand in his and winds their fingers together, hiking up his own gear and bag onto his shoulder before pulling him down the alley.] Now let's go! We're skipping the library because if I set foot in there, I'll want to stay for weeks. So that's on the list for next time!

[Dezel makes a soft noise of surprise as Sorey just reaches up and does the same thing back. Hey, no one said he could do that! And now Dezel's blushing, too. He had no idea Sorey really paid attention to the faces he made; that's kind of what the hat is for. But before he can argue this, Sorey steals his hand and drags him in a direction, and it's all Dezel can do to keep from stumbling.]

Hey, do you even know where you're going?

[Sorey, please. Dezel's chuckling, though. When they hit the main road proper, he tugs his charge in the correct direction. The docks are facing the water, which is fine, but there are a few very tall, very wide white towers that rise above the industrial part of the city. Dark shadows blanket them briefly-- the arrival of another airship that darts into the side of a tower.

Dezel leads him inside. There's a mechanical lift made of pulleys that takes them up, up, up. No one seems to pay them any attention as this place gets a lot of traffic.]

[Sorey bounces after Dezel, a little giddier than usual with their fingers intertwined, Dezel's hand warm and strong in his. Sorey can feel the edges of his gloves along his fingers with his thumb and he runs the pad of it along their seams, reveling in the town around them and exclaiming whenever he seems something obviously constructed with seraphic artes-

Until they reach the seaport. And there, glittering as it stretches beyond the horizon is the sea as beautiful and amazing and otherworldly as Sorey has always found it, but what really draws his attention are those gigantic spires towering overhead and the enormous machines circling them like carrion birds.

They really are boats. Not completely ship-shaped, but he can see people on the decks of the lower ones, can see them tethering the vessels to the towers. He gets a little dizzy trying to crane his neck and watch them as they head inside the nearest tower, leaning against Dezel on the lift to recover from it.]

Dezel-! It was in the air! How does it do that?! Is it seraphic artes, it looks like it's metal! Isn't it too heavy? How does it stay up in the air, how does it move up and down like that?!

[Sorey's exclamations are actually pretty freaking adorable, and he can't hide a smile even as he's faced with a barrage of questions. They have a little time on the lift so he can oblige.]

It's a mixture of seraphic artes and Rolance ingenuity, [he explains patiently.] Humans made something as light and buoyant as possible with the ability to steer. And some wind seraphim were able to use artes to make a gas that was lighter than normal air.

They use a machine to control the pressure inside the big pockets on top and a bunch of rudders. Fish have little bladders in them, that's how they float or sink. It's the same principle.

They modeled it after fish to make it lighter than air? [The lift shudders to a gentle halt at the top of the tower and Sorey shifts his weight back onto his own feet, gaping at the ship tethered just beyond the open door.] That's incredible. Seraphim and humans really can make amazing things together.

Fish and birds, [he says, gesturing to the lightweight metal forming the outer hull.] You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it, but it's lighter than an ocean-faring ship.

[He speaks with a midshipman to let him know who he is, and he shows a little bit of paper as proof. The man nods and lets them aboard. In that way, it's not too much different than boarding a boat. There are ropes and anchors, wood forming ramps-- but that's where the resemblance ends.

The massive, massive envelope like construction above them is held in place by metal clamps, but there's plenty of wood in its construction too. It comes together to make something that looks both rustic and timeless, and it's beautiful in its own way, even with the whir of machinery and the clunk-clunk-clunk of gears beneath the deck. There are plenty of places to watch and the intricate railing is certainly high enough to discourage anyone from jumping.]

There's usually three decks in a ship like this. The middle one has the rooms and the kitchen, and there's cargo below that.

[That's all very interesting, but,] They just let us on? We don't have to pay anything?

Edited 2017-01-30 05:28 (UTC)

[Dezel adjusts his hat, feeling a little sheepish about this.]

Wind seraphim can help the ship sail in a fraction of the time, so he's letting us ride for free. Flying over the ocean can take a couple days otherwise.