Trials in Arlathan
Kalais takes Beck, Vena, and Nyx for a small test of a prototype veil measuring device. Unfortunately, this is not the only trial of the excursion.
a part of the DAADY au. Beck and Vena belong to @wickedadaar Nyx belongs to @so--whoonos Mentions of Desi Aldwir and Ezra who belong to @soturoayami and @lunammoon respectively
The forest is lively as Kalais strolls through the trees, hand in hand with Beck, with Nyx on their other side. The trio follows behind Vena as she forges ahead through the trees, waving around Kalais’ prototype, listening to the tone to find a suitable spot. Today they plan to test the device’s capacity for measuring the Veil with leylines, rather than ambient magic. Tests at the Necropolis proved it could detect nearby stationary lines at a fixed crossing. Now it is time to see if it could pick up any in a location where the lines might be in flux.
“Are you sure it was a good idea to let her handle that?” Beck leans down to quietly ask.
Kalais nods in response. “Yes. I trust her, and I have faith in my work to stabilize it. Any volatile spirit energy should be diffused or redirected through to prevent any kind of explosion.”
“That’s sweet that you thought about that for her.”
“It’s not just for her,” they admit. “If it’s going to measure Veil strength, it needs to handle being near all kinds of spirits for places where the Veil is very thin. I…well I did some testing on my own to make sure it could do that.”
Nyx raises a brow at that, glancing sidelong at them. “On your own? You mean alone?”
Kalais’ face turns a little red. Technically, they had originally planned so, but had run into Jerran along the way. “I didn’t do the experiment by myself. Jerran was with me in case anything went wrong.” They don’t mention how it almost did go wrong, and that voice they heard during it. It isn't important. The important part is that no one was hurt and the device survived.
Since then, Kalais has continued the work on the device, taking breaks as needed (often determined by Beck, or Nyx, or Vena), and had spoken to others who suggested ways in which it could be fixed. Desi suggested a larger battery, a fix which has yet to be tried unfortunately as Desi was focused on his grove, but Kalais feels would be the best option. Ezra suggested eliminating some efficiencies to force the device to use more of what is drawn in. It required some re-wiring and re-directing of how energy flowed through the prototype, but Kalais believes they have accomplished it. They did a brief test in the Lighthouse with some success. Now they are out here and so far it seems to be working, though its just on its most basic function. Once a suitable spot is found, they will set it up and run the device through the next activation steps, hoping it will read the leylines again. And if that works, they will finish the steps to generate the field. All in all, both steps should only need to be active for a few seconds to tell if they have done it correctly. Once that is determined, they can deactivate it and prepare it for a larger battery.
The group continues forward, chatting idly. Kalais asks after Nyx's new paramour, gently teasing but sincere in their interest, causing Nyx to blush when they respond. Vena races through the trees, stopping just long enough for the others to catch up, and once they're in sight again, she's off once more, disappearing between branches. Kalais tries to keep an ear out for her to keep tabs on where she is, in order to follow after her yes, but also with concern for safety. They know Nyx is surely doing similarly, keeping a spectral eye following the younger elf. All in all, Kalais enjoys the time spent with part of their family.
At some point though, something begins to feel off. Kalais stops joining the conversation, slowing down and listening. No birdsong. No small animals rustling in the leaves. The forest is too quiet. Both Beck and Nyx notice, though Beck is the first to check on them. "Is everything alright, vhenan?"
Kalais shakes their head slightly. "I don't know. It's too still. Just wind." They have learned from years in the forest, when everything is quiet, something is about to happen. Usually something bad.
They start moving again, then Nyx freezes up, all eyes wide, and wings popping out. Kalais' heart plummets into their stomach. "Vena. This way!" Nyx takes off immediately. Kalais and Beck follow after, with Kalais grateful Nyx didn't just teleport. If they had, Kalais is uncertain if they would be able to find where Vena had gone. Thankfully, she isn't far.
They find Vena in a small clearing, but she is not alone. Six Venatori are in the space as well. One holds Vena in his grasp, holding her arms tightly behind her as she struggles weakly against his grip. Parts of his robes look singed. She had clearly tried to escape herself. The Venatori must have done something or given her something to keep her in their hold. Four of the Venatori stand behind, knives and swords out and ready, looking to the one in command for instruction.
The final one, the one leading this group, stands in front, holding the device in his hand, inspecting it. "Well isn't this interesting?" He looks at Kalais, Nyx, and Beck. "What a fascinating instrument. Something extra to bring with us." He looks back towards his compatriots. "Take the elves, kill the qunari."
A bolt of necrotic magic whizzes past his head and slams into a tree behind the group, splintering bark from the trunk. "You're not taking anyone," Kalais says firmly, hand still outstretched after casting. "That was a warning. Let her go." On either side of them, Beck and Nyx stand with their own weapons out and ready.
The leader smirks while some of the others laugh. "No, we won't. And you know what else, we'll take this thing she was carrying as well, when we grab you all. Maybe it will help in the upcoming event." He looks over the device as he muses about it. "Of course, we'll need to figure out what it does." He glances at the trio. "Would one of you care to enlighten us before we gag you all?"
Kalais glares at him. Beck shifts slightly beside them. Nyx is motionless. But then tension is palpable.
"Very well." The Venatori reaches for the switches on the device.
"Don't do that." Kalais takes a step toward him. He stops and looks at them with a brow raised. "If you activate it wrong, it could be disasterous."
"Then, maybe, you should tell me what it does."
"Let us all go. I'll tell you what it does and you can have it—"
Beck looks at them incredulously. "Kalais—" she whispers.
Kalais puts a hand out to their side to stop her. "—You can have it, as long as you let us all go, including her." They hold their hand out toward Vena.
Without taking their gaze from the one holding Vena, Nyx whispers to Kalais. "You can't trust them." Kalais glances at them out of the corner of their eye. They know they can't trust them. But they have to try, if it gets them all away and to safety without injury.
The Venatori stares at them, then smiles. "What does it do?"
Kalais looks between Vena and the venatori. "Let her go first."
"What does it do?" he snarls.
They glare at him, jaw clenching. "It measures the Veil," they answer, tone tense and words clipped. "Finds places where its thin."
"Was that so hard?" His smile is back. "Of course, you could be lying so just to make certain-" He activates the device before Kalas can say anything else, flipping each switch in quick succession.
The artifact begins to glow and hum a loud high pitched tone. Kalais moves, dashing towards Vena. Several names are shouted, and Kalais hears their own and Vena’s from both Beck and Nyx. The artifact builds up energy, the excess crackling and shooting off bolts into the air. Kalais reaches Vena, placing their hand upon the arm of the venatori restraining her, focusing their magic on that connection point and pulling life force from him, inflicting necrosis that spreads up the venatori's arm. He screams in pain and releases Vena, and Kalais pulls her to them. The artifact sparks even more and with a loud crack, the energy explodes outward. Kalais wraps themself around Vena, summoning a shield around the two of them, hoping its enough. They feel a blanket of warmth settle around them, as Nyx's protection shelters them from the outburst of energy. The Venatori all scream.
Kalais' hair whips around their face in a way it shouldn't in this part of Arlathan. They glance over their shoulder. The burst of energy ripped a tear in the Veil. The venatori are all dead, having been too close when it happened. They're certain the only reason they survived, both Vena and themself, is due to Nyx. Kalais looks around, searching for Nyx and Beck. Both of them took cover a little ways away it seemed, as Kalais spies the two of them several meters away. Beck's mouth moves but Kalais can't hear her over the sound of the wind and pure magic. Signs that the tear is unstable.
"Da'len."
Their eyes widen and they slowly look back over their shoulder. Their hold on Vena loosens, and the shield drops.
"Mir enansal. Come here." Over the roar of magic and wind, soft and gentle tones call to them. Memories of what she looked like were long gone, but Kalais would never forget her voice. They still hear her in the lullabies they hum to themself some nights.
Despite every warning sign, despite Ezra's warning as well, Kalais turns and faces the rift. There is something, someone on the other side. Ezra warned them, reminded them of the danger, but they also said there was a chance. Kalais needs to know. "Mamae?"
"I'm here. You won't be alone anymore."
“Kal?” Vena’s shaky voice reaches their ears. “Kalais?”
They answer without looking at her. “It's my mom.” As Kalais stands there staring into the tear, they see her, a light shining through, a hand reaching out to them.
“Look at how you've grown! I'm so proud of you!”
Kalais smiles, eyes tearing up. It's all they've wanted to hear from a parent. "I've missed you. I've missed you so much!"
"Mirnehn, come here. Take my hand and we can be together again. Forever."
They take a step closer, hand half raised toward the rift and their mother. A different hand grabs their other, stopping them in their tracks. "Kalais, don't do this." Their name jolts them back into some focus. They haven't been Mirnehn for a long time. She doesn't exist anymore. But their mother wouldn't know that. Kalais can forgive her that.
"Together?" they ask the spirit.
"Yes. You will never be alone and never forgotten with me."
Never alone, never forgotten, together with their mother forever. If it's their mother. Kalais' grip tightens on whoever's hand holds theirs. The offer is tempting, but it sounds lonely. Even with all their fears and worries—maybe the reason those anxieties exist—Kalais isn't lonely anymore. They have love, family and friends they have found and surrounded themself with. "I can't leave my family. They need me," they say quietly. The wind whips harshly around them. In the back of their mind, they vaguely recall that as a sign the rift is becoming more unstable.
"I am your family!" The words are harsher. A tone of voice their mother never used with them. "Don't you want to see me again? Don't you want to spend more time with your mamae?"
They do. Kalais must admit to that. They always wished they had more time with her; wished that she had not become sick, that she had lived and they never transferred clans, never met their father, and lived a good life full of love. But that's not what happened; and as awful as their lonely upbringing was, Kalais would live it all over again knowing the love that waited for them.
Kalais steps closer to the rift, their hand slipping from their sister's grasp. The wind whips wildly around them, almost dragging them toward the tear at times and they plant their feet firmly to fight against the pull. "You can't give me that," they say, feeling tears fall down their cheeks. "You're not her, as much as you sound like her, as much as you pretend to be her. You can't be her."
The form of the entity flashes and snarls. The rift grows more and more unstable. Kalais recognizes the beginnings of a collapse, the Veil's attempt at fixing and righting itself after a violent tear. They need to break away soon or they won't be able to get far enough away to avoid serious harm. They focus back on the entity, who screeches and tries to lunge for them. Kalais stands tall and faces it for a final declaration.
"You're not my mom."
Kalais breaks away, cuts off the connection, just as a strong arm grabs them and pulls them away. The tear collapses in on itself, as the Veil rights itself with a final expulsion of energy in the area. The wave of it knocks Kalais and their protector to the ground, as a protective aura envelops both of them once again, keeping them safe from additional harm.
When the air calms, the arm around Kalais lets go. "Kalais, vhenan, are you okay?" Beck's shaky voice reaches them, as she looks over them.
Kalais sits up, gently pushing away her hands, wiping tears from their face. "I'm fine." They glance around the area, looking for Vena. Their sister stands next to Nyx, wide eyes watching. Nyx's arm holds her close as they, too, watch Kalais, worry evident, but Kalais is uncertain if its for them or Vena. "Vena…" their voice shakes.
"Kal…" Kalais cannot decipher the look on their sister's face as she grabs Nyx's clothes.
"I'm sorry," they say, trembling. They know they made a mistake, believing even for a second that they could trust whatever that was, and they all saw it. It was a mistake to even bring them out here, to put them in danger like that. "I'm sorry," Kalais repeats again, glancing up at Nyx. "This shouldn't have happened. I didn't mean- the Venatori and- it was activated too quickly- and the spirit-" They have trouble breathing as they try to explain. "I didn't think- I didn't know- I'm sorry."
Beck's arm wraps around them, pulling Kalais against her. Her hand gently grabs their chin, turning them to look at her. "You didn't know, and that's okay. We're all alive. No one is injured besides some scarps and bruises." She kisses their head as Kalais clutches at her armor and clothes, trying to calm their breathing and focus on her words. Her presence, the gentle pressure of her arm holding them, helps ground Kalais, and even after a short moment, they already feel calmer.
They take a deeper breath and look up at Beck. "Thank you, vhenan. You can let go, now. I would like to stand." Beck nods and helps Kalais to their feet. Once they're steady, Kalais turns their attention back to Vena, taking a small step towards her. Beck had said there were only minor injuries, but that might not account for everything the Venatori could have done. "Are you alright, Vena? Did they hurt you? Do anything to you?"
Vena looks over them with that same indecipherable look, then takes a hesitant half step towards Kalais, though still loosely holding onto Nyx's arm. "Is it you, Kalais? You're still you?"
They nod. "Yes. Yes, I'm still me, Ven."
"You rejected it? The spirit and what she offered? You're staying?"
Kalais nods again with a small smile. "Of course I'm staying. We're family," they say, motioning between themself and Vena, but also to Nyx and Beck. "You don't abandon family."
Their sister smiles widely and runs toward them, wrapping her arms around Kalais in a tight hug. "I was so worried, Kal," she confesses, voice slightly muffled as she buries her face into Kalais shoulder. "You said it was your mom and I was so scared you would leave."
Kalais returns her embrace, holding her just as tightly and resting their cheek on her head, closing their eyes for a moment. "Never. Never by my choice am I leaving."
A hand settles on their shoulder, and Kalais opens their eyes to see Nyx with a soft smile on their face. "We stick together and rely on each other." Kalais nods to them as well, wrapping an arm around Nyx and pulling them into the hug. "I don't know if that entity was attached to you or the artifact, but it is gone now, at least for now. Please, let us know if it comes back," Nyx says, pressing a kiss to Kalais' temple.
"I will. I promise," Kalais replies. They hope whatever it was doesn't come back. Resisting the temptation once doesn't mean they could succeed a second attempt. They will be vigilant for any sign of reappearance, and inform someone the moment it does. Kalais' hold on their siblings tightens as they bury their face against Vena's hair and the fabric of Nyx's clothes.
Behind them, Beck speaks up gently. "Kalais…the artifact…" They release their siblings and turn toward her, spending a moment just gazing at her with love, until they see the device in her hands. She holds it carefully in her hands as she brings it to them. "I'm sorry, vhenan. It's…broken." She holds it out to Kalais, who gingerly takes it. The dark stone orb is detached from the base, and a few of the thin metal plates swing loosely in directions they shouldn't. "I couldn't…there wasn't enough time to grab it and you." She tucks a strand of hair behind their ear, which flicks slightly as her fingers brush over it. "You are my priority."
Kalais nods, still looking down at the artifact in their hands. It looks bad, but the more they look over it, the more they already see opportunities to improve it as they rebuild. Like everything, it will just take time. "I know. I'm not upset about that. People are always more important than things." They look up at her with a small smile. "Thank you." They gently pull her in for a small gentle kiss. "It's not beyond fixing. Just a little more work."
Beck cradles their cheek, thumb brushing over their skin, admiration in her eyes as she gazes back down at them. "If there is anything I can do to help, just say the word."
They lean into her touch. "Having your love is already enough." They take a deep breath and step back, looking around at all of them. "Um…I suppose we should head back. This…was unexpected and I don't think it very safe for us to continue, and we should inform others."
"I've never seen them in such numbers in the forest," Vena says, shifting from foot to foot. "And he said something about an event."
Nyx places a comforting hand on her shoulder, and looks to Kalais. "I agree with Kalais, we should head back. We can inform the leader of the Veil Jumpers at the camp before we head through the eluvian. We will make sure others are informed to be even more cautious if they must visit Arlathan and to never go alone."
Beck gently takes Kalais' hand. "Then we shouldn't stay here. The longer we delay, talking about this, more people might be sent out without knowing how dangerous it is."
"Then let's go," Kalais says as they begin moving. "I know the quickest way back. We stay together, within clear eyesight at all times." They fall back onto the same rules they've had with teams on expeditions before, stepping easily back into that lead role.
Together the group moves, weaving through the trees, careful and cautious of any other threats, keeping an eye on each other. Kalais constantly looks back, checking that everyone is still following and no one has fallen behind. Eventually, the camp comes into sight and Kalais breathes a little easier. They allow their family a moment of calm and rest as Kalais informs Strife of their encounter, though deciding to omit the rift and the spirit. After, they regroup in front of the eluvian and step through, the group heading home to rejoin the Veilguard and the rest of their family.
