Stuck In Limbo [Silmeria] [M]

[Stardancer]

Tessa smiled back. "Okay, then what's this symbol mean?" she pointed to one in the book that vaguely resembled a spiral with a star shape inside it. His confidence in her did help a little, so Tessa figured she would try her best. It was either that or be stuck here forever. And that was not an option.

[SilverLuna]

Not being able to see Kayden relied on his touch to identify which one it was. ''Thisone is a healing mark. Very effective if you need to mend wounds.'' He replied.

He turned several pages. ''Thisone, is garden. It was a diaginal figure which looked a bit between an f and p with half a cirle on the top. Due to the location of the garden it it best to combine it with symbol of light and dark. He flipped a few more and it was noticeable light and dark were mirror runes. Light being a sun with a line beneathit and then three moonfases. Sickle half anf full. surrounded by a few spirals. Dark was the opposite''

[Stardancer]

Furrowing her brow, Tessa studied the symbols with squinted eyes. "Do I need to draw these runes first?" It seemed easy enough, so she figured it shouldn't take her too long to copy them onto the paper. But she would need to keep practicing the drawings over and over.

[SilverLuna]

''''You can draw them on parchment first to get aquinted with them, yes.'' Kayden replied. ''And when you feel comfortable enough you can write down the real one.'' he exhaled calmly and yawned. ''Not sure about you but I am deadtired. I suggest we get some sleep.''

[Stardancer]

Now that he mentioned it, Tessa also felt tired. "Okay, let's." she snapped the book closed, and got up also letting out a yawn. This whole situation was a completely new one for her. Not only being stuck in a gray haze called limbo, but also sharing it with one other person, a man whom she had quickly gotten rather close to in a short period of time. She felt she might even be falling in love with him. It both scared and excited her in equal measure.

For now, she headed back to the bedroom with Kayden and crawled in the bed getting underneath the covers, before shutting her eyes. Before she knew it, she was asleep in the land of dreams.

[SilverLuna]

Kaydeb climbed in bed as well and closed Tessa in his arms. He dreamt of all the people he had met. Tah-leen. Laraine. Echo. Silmeria. He wondered if her egg was still where he left it. Had it hatched? Would it still be dormant? Was she lonely?

More thoughts struck him. Michael. One of the occupied armorstands. Was he real? Kayden had been lonely and he knew what that could do to people. The manticore... the dragons... Tessa...No. Tessa was real. He spoke with her. Felt her. Still. Nightmares haunted him. He did not stir in his sleep though. Instead after several hours of many torturing nightmares he woke up. Still feeling Tessa in his arms and gave her a gentle kiss on her head before he left the bed and went to the study to an old hidden bag in the corner where he sat down with a red feather in his hands.

He liked Tessa and her presence but it surely had broken his walls

[Stardancer]

Five minutes after Kayden had left the bedroom, Tessa stirred and woke up then. Stretching her arms over head and cracking her neck of any kinks, she looked around for Kayden. She felt warm, the feel of Kayden's arms still lingered even though he wasn't currently here in the room now. Using the chamber pot quickly, she washed her hands in the hot spring and then went to the study to go find Kayden where she suspected him to be. And she was right. Sitting by himself in a corner, looking forlorn and holding a single red feather in hand.

"Good morning," she stated, then promptly remembered where they were before snorting very unladylike. Going over to him, she sat down beside him and looked at his face. Then motioning to the feather, she asked, "Where'd you get that?" After all the feather was too brightly colored, a vivid fire engine red to be from a normal chicken or bird. And Tessa did not know what a phoenix was, as none existed where she was from, at least none she knew of. If they did exist, they would be quite rare.

Glancing at him again, Tessa frowned. "Is everything okay? You look pretty bummed out."

[SilverLuna]

''I've been here so long... everyone I once knew is dead... I could not keep her egg safe... I do not even know what is real in this place... what if you arent...'' his hands held the sides of his head. His thoughts hurt him.

Something like this was perhaps to be expected though. He lived things out here after giving up by not being exposed to things that talked back since his head made up conversations for him. The despair now just resurfaced and his walls just collapsed in and around him in his head.

''Michael... Jeanna... Mary... Lozos...'' he mentioned several more names of persons he had created throughout the thousands of years. They too had been people he knew. People from his nation. ''Who's alive... who's dead... who is real... who never existed...''

[Stardancer]

"I am real." Tessa insisted to him. "I am very real and alive, and most importantly I am here with you."

Grabbing his hand, she placed it upon her cheek. "See? I am real." She moved his hand down to her shoulder then. "If I wasn't real you wouldn't be able to feel me, much less talk to me. So, don't you dare lose it now!"

Talking more calmly, Tessa huffed. "I don't know what you've been through all this time, but as long as I'm here you don't have to be alone anymore."

Finally she moved his hand to her heart to feel the steady beat from inside. "Feel that? Real. It is just as real as I am." And Tessa would make sure that he knew this through and through.

[SilverLuna]

Kayden shivered. Barely holding himself together. The feather had fallen from his hand next to him. Feeling her warmth and the beating of her heart though. Was that real? Was his mind not playing tricks? Voices in his head had told him more often not to lise it. No. There were some things the head could not make up.

His shaky breath calmed and so did his own heartbeat. ''Real...'' he spoke softly. ''You are... real...'' his hand slowly dropped next to him and he soon leant forward, his head on Tessa's shoulder. It was then though he cried. He did not scream it out though. Just the pain of loneliness. All those deaths of he went through in these thousands of years. Realising how long he had been here and everyone he loved was long turned into dust. The realisation Silmeria who transformed back into an egg was most likely lost to him too despite his promise he'd look after her and raise her.

[Stardancer]

"You bet your ass I'm real." Tessa told him firmly.

That was when he put his head on her shoulder and cried. It caught the woman off-guard though and for a few seconds she just stilled. Then she embraced him tightly, letting him know he could lean on her for support. "We will get out of here and you are coming with me!" No way in hell she was going to stay stuck here and neither was he. They would both escape and be happy together after that.

[SilverLuna]

Kayden gave a weak nod but other then that did not move. He had quite some tears to shed but his current ones were died out quite soon. He spoke a silent apolagy and truth be told he did not know how long he stayed this way with her.

He looked tired though when he finally sat back against the wall he picked up the feather. ''It belonged to a phoenix once and was the last one she took out before she died. She turned into an egg and I watched over it until I ended up here. She was a very close friend. Like a sister. And was one of the few who understood the burden of long lufe. No matter how much bad things happened to her she always recovered from it.''

[Stardancer]

Tessa hugged him for as long as he needed her to do so. It was for quite awhile, and she too felt his heartbeat pounding away in a soft rhythm. She stroked his back too.

After they pulled away, Tessa sat next to him against the wall but furrowed her brow when he mentioned Silmeria. "Um, what's a phoenix? I've never heard of one before."

His story was sad, and Tessa wanted to comfort him as best she could seeing as how she felt strongly for him. But she didn't know if he felt the same. The fact that they had had sex together didn't mean squat, as she and Vennis had as well and they only felt lust and curiosity at the time. But it wasn't love. She also didn't know why she was falling so hard for him. Perhaps it was his kindness. His good looks. His ability to protect her in this dangerous place. His manly scent. The sweet way he had made love to her. Perhaps it was all of the above. Tessa was not normally a do-gooder, but with him it was different. She wanted to help him, and by the polluted earth she would.

[SilverLuna]

''A phoenix is a firebird. Can grow till the size of a small till medium sized dragon. Sharp talonscand formiddable strength. The masters of fire and their tears can heal everything regarding physical wounds.  The ferosity of an eagle yet elegant as how a swan can be. Out of self defence she had learned how to morph into a human or elf as well.''

He looked at Tessa with a bit of a lonely smile. She was killed due to aftereffects of magic. A phoenix though does not just die. They are rebirn from their ashes. A few times with their memories. Turning into a younger version of themselves. Cycles they are called. When they are over, they become an egg and hatch with passage of time into a new person. At the least that was how it worked with her.''

He inhaled deeply and breathed out calmly. ''Thank you... I had shut my mind from many things since I got here. I do not like the reality of having lost everyone dear to me but I must not let their shadows torment me either. When we are out of here... I will stay with you.  Not because you are the first living person I met since so long but despite your characteristics with throwibg ancient stuff, I like you and hope to get to know you more''

[Stardancer]

Listening to his explanation of what a phoenix was and of Silmeria, Tessa pondered this bit of new information just a tad. "Fire bird huh? So can they breathe fire too like ancient dragons could?"

At his confession that he liked her and wanted to get to know her better, she hugged him tightly again and muttered into his chest. "Good, because I'm not going away, so you'd better like me!"

Hugging him fiercely for just a second longer, she pulled back and looked up into his opal white eyes. "You and I are going to go on a walk somewhere safe. No buts mister, you're going whether you like it or not even if I have to drag you!" And with that, she pulled on his hand insistently, urging them both up.

[SilverLuna]

Kayden got up dropping the bag. As for the feather though, he placed it on top of it quickly. ''Where do you suggest we go to mi-lady.'' he asked. Although there was only one a few safe places and they were connected. The farm and butterfly house it stood inside in, the study and the bedroom. Still he allowed himself to be guided away by Tessa.

''Oh must not forget this.'' he said and after missing a few times grabbed his staff.

[Stardancer]

"How about the butterfly house again? And anywhere else we can go that's good." Tessa quickened her pace, dragging him alongside her.

"And let's bring some more of that wine too." she picked up a bottle that was still sitting on the table and proceeded to take it with them. After all that wine was definitely something, despite the fact that it had given her a hangover after only four glasses. She would have to be careful not to drink too much this time around.

[SilverLuna]

''Just be... careful thistime.'' Kayden said with a chuckle. There were no more then four or five glasses in the bottle though and Tessa did not yet know where the stache was.

He smiled when they reached the butterfly house but he still had not reclaimed his hand. If Tessa wanted to pull him along further, she could. It was quite a big place after all and the first view they or rather said she, had was just the tip of the iceberg. That garden had been designed to let people walk around in it for a good few hours. There were paved pain paths but on treebark paths that were a bit smaller and brought you closer between the plants there was still plenty to be seen.

[Stardancer]

Tessa continued to drag him through the doorway to the garden, reveling in the feel of his hand in hers. The place was indeed bigger than she had first thought, and as they walked on further, there were hidden pathways amongst many plants and trees and bushes in just about every direction she looked.

"This is so neat." Tessa said in awe of their surroundings. "It's all so spacious and colorful. Very different than back home, what with its cavern walls, moss-covered ground and no trees anywhere in Teinar. The plants we do have are nothing compared to this. It's like a piece of paradise in a gray void."

Letting go of Kayden's hand, Tessa reached up to pluck two more apples from one of the trees and handed one to him while she bit into the other. "Mmmmm..." she murmured, loving the taste. "Apples are pretty much non-existent in Teinar too. Except what we can forage from The Meeting Place and Sevenwinds that is." Tessa took another bite of apple and swallowed it, still walking and enjoying the sights. There were even some birds and squirrels here too! The former's tweet tweet tweets and the chittering of the bushy-tailed animals could be heard as they strolled along contentedly.

Soon they came upon a small clearing, albeit just a break in all the shrubbery thereabouts. Plopping down on the smooth grass, Tessa sighed happily. "Perfect." she stated, looking up at Kayden. "Sit!" she commanded him, patting the ground next to her as though he were a dog. Opening up the bottle of wine, she took a hearty swig of it before offering some to him.

[SilverLuna]

Kayden took the bottle and earlier had accepted the apple too.

''Just be careful with the alcohol love, other then the apple you have not eaten anything this morning'' he said kindly. Last night he had thought to make some boiled or scrambled eggs but with his small panic attack it kind of was forgotten.

As for the term love, for some reason it just came out of his mouth without any sign of irony. He felt really comfortable with Tessa.

''When we make it back, maybe I could use my rune magic there to color things up a bit.'' he suggested. He used when but truth be told it would be more of an if. He needed Tessa to be as confident as she could be and if he displayed doubt it most likely would be over.