Stuck In Limbo [Silmeria] [M]

[Stardancer]

"A surprise? For me?" Tessa was excited to know what this surprise might be, and taking the dress from him, slipped it over her head, letting it fall down to her ankles to dust the floor.

Reaching for her bowl, she immediately dug in savoring the taste, her stomach once again reminding her of the lack of food in it. "Mmmmm..." Tessa exclaimed, spooning more into her mouth. "This is so good!"

The fire in the fireplace crackled nearby and for just a moment of time, Tessa could forget that she was in a barren land of nothingness. It was homey enough and she became more and more content as she ate. With Kayden beside her, Tessa felt a certain kind of happiness she hadn't felt in a long while. She could get used to this.

[SilverLuna]

Kayden had almost forgotten how food actually tasted like and he ate the soup happily as well. For dessert though, he would take her to the appletree

''I'm glad you like it. I do warn you regarding meals there is not a lot of variety in what I can make.'' then again. Their supplies were limited too.

He easily took another serving but did not take more; first off it was Tessa who needed to last and second fortunatly he had made it wellfilled. He waited until Tessa was done and offered his hand in a gentlemanly fashion, complete with bow.

He lead Tessa to a new door. Well door, certainly there had been a window before that lead to nothing more but black and grey. Behind it was the large butterfly house and the barn of animals and he invited her to open the door.

[Stardancer]

Finishing her first serving, Tessa took a second and ate that as well. After finishing the second bowl, she could now say she had had enough. Rubbing her tummy contentedly, she took Kayden's hand as he offered it to her and let him help her up in a chivalrous manner. She didn't worry too much for now about the lack of food variety, as Tessa could also help with that. She had had to do so before, sometimes cooking in the place of her mother when the latter refused to do it, claiming she was too tired or some such. Plus she had also been a scavenger before this, collecting what molds and fungi she could grab, as well as anything else they could use in Teinar.

"Where are we going?" she asked, as he led them past some rooms before stopping at a wooden door.

Opening it, she peered inside and gasped in astonishment at what she saw. Butterflies flew around in circles and colorful groups of wonder, their winged bodies feeding off the many colorful flowers which grew here. How they thrived here, Tessa didn't know. The ceiling itself was made of glass, only showing the bleak gray of Limbo beyond, but the room itself was beautiful. White twisting pillars and flowering plants were located at each corner, the plants themselves scattered all around in a squarish format. A small pool of mineral water lay at the center, flowers growing in and around it, while an apple tree stood off to the side of it to the left. Red delicious apples shone in a luscious crimson color, and Tessa didn't doubt that they were just as tasty as they looked.

Tessa was flabbergasted. "How..." she began, not sure how to finish that sentence.

[SilverLuna]

''Rune magic and memories. The fact that I can bring things here, means I can send us out as well.'' Kayden said softly. He heard the chickens in the barn. He could not see the flowers at all but his very vague vision did show him a few colors at the least.

''But for as long as we a re stuck here I figured... despite it shows the limbo sky above, a bit of color would be good for you.'' he released Tessa's hand and walked to a rose bush. Taking out one flower which he placed in Tessa's hair.

''With your help. We can out of here. I can not promise knowing in which time we end up in. But when I have my vision back, I can always send you home. Your own time if you wish. Or the past when all of this existed.''

[Stardancer]

Tessa touched the flower in her hair, a yellow rose. "It's very pretty." she told him, referring to the flower. She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the mouth. "I do want to get out of here...but with you here it doesn't seem so bad now." Plus there was the fact that she may never see him again if they did manage to get out. And that thought was unbearable to say the least.

"You can stay with me, in Teinar." she pleaded him, eyes wide. "It may not be much of a home, but it's the only one I know." And if he refused for some reason, Tessa wasn't going to give up. If anything she would be adamant to the death about it.

Just then, a thought occurred to her. "Oh crap!" she exclaimed, looking very alarmed at that moment. "Kayden, what if...what if I get pregnant? After..after we..." she began to hyperventilate as she wasn't ready to become a mother just yet! "Ahhhh!" she screamed out, looking for a way to relieve her distress but not finding one. "This is all not fair!"

[SilverLuna]

''I took precautions for that.'' Kayden said calmly as he drew a straight line and a star around with a spiral in the middle. ''I drew a mark on you which prevents pregnancy. I had given that thought.'' He took her in his arms to calm her down a little and caressed her face with a smile on his lips. ''As long as I will draw it on you every time I promise, you will not get pregnant.'' He then held her close in an embrace.

''What I summoned here is nice but we are still in limbo. Where we will not age. I never did since the fall of my nationi to begin with but eternity is a long time I do not wish for anyone else to go through. Also. Despite being able to summon lifestock, crops and places like these, most likely it is not an everlasting source.'' He had heard her offer and the reason for the embrace was so she would not see the few tears that left his eyes.

He was not sure what in these halls were real and had slowly driven him to the edge of insanity. But now, with Tessa here maybe he could come back from this all and think of a live outside of limbo. Outside of this grey hell. ''Everyone I once knew has died. I will gladly stay with you. If, you have not grown tired of me in the meantime.'' he spoke softly.

[Stardancer]

Calming down at his words and warm embrace, Tessa quieted then breathing a huge sigh of relief. "Oh good, I thought I was doomed for a minute there." Looking back up at him, she grinned. "Every time? More sex that is?"

Sighing again, Tessa agreed with him. "I suppose I would want to see my mother again even if she doesn't feel the same. Things haven't been the same since my dad disappeared."

Tessa was elated when he agreed to come home with her. "You'd better!" she told him fiercely, "Or I'd drag your butt with me through the portal! Naked and all!"

[SilverLuna]

Kayden chuckled. ''Alright alright.'' he said. ''As for the sex. Only if it is mutual. Like I said before. I see women as something sacred. And be it drunk, or anger I will never force myself on you or hit you or hurt you.'' He gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

''On good terms with her or not. A woman who does not hate her child will always miss it when it is gone. If you are my eyes and art assistent, I will get you home. And I will not leave you''

[Stardancer]

Tessa kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him, pressing herself into him. "I wouldn't let you leave me anyway." she told him sincerely. Breaking away from him, she stepped back and looked at him. "Show me these runes you want me to draw. I'll try whatever I can if it'll help us get out of here."

Tessa wasn't confident in her ability to do such, but she sure as hell would try.

[SilverLuna]

Kayden nodded. ''There are books in the study. Unless you wish to stay here a bit longer though with the grass beneath your feet.'' he said kindly. Then pondered. ''Better idea. I'll be right back.''

He went to the study and came back with a couple of books. Sitting himself down beside the tree and patted the grass beside him. Truth be told he had been in the study long enough. A change of enviroment was good.

[Stardancer]

She watched him go, before looking around at all the butterflies again. Holding out a hand, she let one land on her palm before it flew off to rejoin its friends. Going over to the apple tree, she plucked one from the branch and crunched into the sweetness of it. It was very good, very sweet tasting.

Kayden came back then with books under his arm and patted the grass next to him. Tessa sat down beside him and took another bite of apple. "I'm ready I guess. Show me these symbols."

[SilverLuna]

Kayden opened the first. The symbols were easy and thank the Gods it was also in common. ''To get out of here I need a location. And I need to know everything about it. The type of material used to make it till the height of every bit. I will really need to know the inns and outs. A miniature version will be drawn from it, and around a really... really large ritualistic rune circle destined for teleportation. I do a reverse enchantment to get us out of Limbo, into the location drawn. Since we will not go to a place I know, it will be a little more difficult for me but manageable.'' If she permitted him into the very core of her memories or happened to know a place in's and outs from herself.

He flipped a few pages revealing the easy symbols, and the hard ones, and the very hard ones.

[Stardancer]

Tessa stared at the symbols for a good minute or two. "Those look...really hard to do." she commented slowly, running a finger over the intricate swirls, loops and diagrams depicted on the pages. There were runes of jagged lines, runes of abstract swirls, and runes of complex knotwork. Various shapes and patterns filled the pages from top to bottom, and Tessa gulped at the sheer complexity to it all.

She looked back up at him. "As far as the location, well it would be my home city of Teinar, located underground. Most of it is carved from the very stone itself, but with pieces and other stuff tacked on here and there. Really, it's whatever is available to us to use."

Thinking harder, she tried to recreate the overall image in her head but some parts were really hazy simply because she hadn't really been everywhere in the city itself. Some parts were more clearer than others, so she focused on those instead. "There is one place I visit often, other than my home where I live with my mother. It is a large garden plot inside the center of the city where we grow and cultivate all kinds of plants and molds for us to eat. I...can draw it if I have something to draw it with."

[SilverLuna]

''This will not be something you can learn in a month. But at the least I know which kinds we need. I will tell you one thing, I will be the only one to channel the magic and send us through. It may be a really scary sight though. As for something to draw with, a stick or a staff usually works but if you prefer something else then that is fine too. I often carved it or drew it with coal if I wanted it to be more permanent. Or even blood if the situation was dire enough.''

On am empty piece of parchment, he drew a rough draft. Well. Very rough draft with in the middle the garden in a square that was by itself present in a pentagram. The open spaces had three dots each. Each one resembling a rune. There were more stars and runes and the outer line was a circle. This thing certainly was not going to be small.'

''I think it is best to start with the garden which needs to be as detailed as you can possibly do. But I for one have faith in you.''

[Stardancer]

"Okaaaay..." Tessa then took the stick of coal from Kayden and set about to drawing the garden plot she knew of.

It took about five minutes but soon she had drawn the perimeter of the area, as well as the fountain in the center surrounded by all kinds of plants, roots and weeds, as well as mushrooms and vegetables. Carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and even some pumpkins she drew too. Around that area she drew the three benches that she knew were placed near the edges. For the walls, she drew trailing vines and shaded the areas a little with the edge of the coal stick to indicate gray stone and rock. Bio-luminescent plants were also strategically placed around the garden, as well as one weakly lit light bulb which hung down from the ceiling by a thin string.

Putting down the stick, she looked it over and then up at Kayden. "That's the best I can do for now with that area."

[SilverLuna]

For the actual drawing Kayden had lead her to an empty room. It indeed was large and most likely gave Tessa an idea of how much work it was going to take. But it certainly was not impossibly huge.

He gave a nod of approval. ''I am sure it is good enough.'' he said. Although all his vision showed him were black murkey lines on a grey surface. He set down the five points of the pentagram but did not drew the lines yet. Truth be told, he was still tired from before.

''I will teach you the first few marks. It will be fifteen in total. Three in each pentagram point that all have to do with the garden. Shall we do that in the study by the fire?'' he suggested.

[Stardancer]

At the sheer size of the room, Tessa's eyes widened. "This is going to be an awful lot of work!" she whined. So much so she was seriously starting to have her doubts they would be able to escape. And Kayden had said it would take awhile anyway to set all the runes up. "How long is this going to take?!" she exclaimed a bit petulantly.

For a little while Tessa did not move, not budging an inch. The enormity of the situation was beginning to really sink in for her and she didn't like it. In fact, she hated it. "This sucks big time!" she said, a little too loudly. And of course there was nothing to throw in here, so she settled for stomping her foot childishly.

Nodding at his suggestion although still peeved, she made her way back with him to the study so he could show her the runes and how to properly draw them and where everything needed to go.

[SilverLuna]

''Remember you do not have to do everything. I can draw many things as well.'' For a moment he thought about wine but remembering how it affected Tessa earlier he figured that it was not a really good idea. He sat down with her and after conversing regarding what the garden exited of and what lay around it he started to draw circles around the runes that would match the best.

Tessa would have to learn their shape and actual meaning. Just copying them would not be enough.

''A rough estemation is that we need about four till six months. It could be less.'' He wondered if his body would actually stay together long enough to send them through. Despite he would heal or even die (again) he needed to hold out and endure most likely the worst pain he ever felt.

[Stardancer]

Tessa couldn't believe her ears. "Four to six months!" she exclaimed.

Of course, the fact that she would be with Kayden the whole time and might not see him again after this made the time span much more bearable, but still. She wondered how many years would pass on Earth before they were able to get back and if her mother would even still be around. While Tessa herself hadn't aged at all. Despite the fact the two of them weren't always on good terms with each other, she still cared about her mother, and she hoped the feeling was mutual. But it was very hard to tell sometimes.

Sighing, she cracked open a book and flipped through the pages. "Okay, what do I need to learn here?" The warmth from the fire was soothing and she let that calm her nerves down some more as they worked.

[SilverLuna]

''You will need to learn how to draw them and what they mean. Until then you may not draw them on the mark. Parchment is no problem. The first fifteen will be drawn in the pentagram, 3 runes in each point. I can draw the moonstands in the 28th pointed star. The seasons in the four pointed star and outlines. 6 months may seem like a long time but it could be less. I will not allow you to study non stop since that will not be good. You must remember the runes not only with your head but also your heart.''

He smiled at her. Surely he seemed confident. Which perhaps was encouragement too