#Mae'syrStarsong

[firemagicked]

Visitation

The shadows of his enchanting room were dark and deep. The setting sun cast the light directly into his eyes if he happened to glance upward. Lyren didn't glance anywhere. He set careful threads of glittering silver power into the fabric under his hands, intent in the careful crafting of power under his hands.

Something slunk out from behind him, unseen, unheard. There was nothing to give her away. A dagger slid out of the sheath at her thigh, the soft shink of the metal should have been muffled by distance and the mage's inattention.

His ear twitched. She gave a mental curse and lunged.

Too late. The room erupted in fire, crawling across the floor, the walls, over the fabrics and under the tables. Runes lit up on the ceiling and fire flooded over head in an overwhelming deluge of heat and light. Her lunge missed, her opponent having rolled out of the way. She thanked her own enchanter for giving her highly fire resistant gear as she dodged the blast of fire toward her - even if the heat might be absorbed the concussive force could easily send her head over heels.

She ducked beneath a table lit in flames, he whirled to pick up a sword from the rack by the door. With no shadows to live in she raced to his hopefully unprotected back - and was met with the blade of an entirely different sword. She gaped, mouth opening in shock. "Did you - did you just pretend to have no weapon to draw me out? Uncle! That isn't fair!"

He was smirking at her and she was spitefully glad of the few inches she already had on him. "Sorry, fair? Remind me who just ambushed me, an unsuspecting innocent mage in his own home, intending who knows what manner of vicious, underhanded - "

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled. "You knew I was there. I don't know how. I got all the wards. I'm sure of it."

"You did," he agreed, still smirking at her.

She waited. He turned away, the fire fading slow from the room to leave scorch marks across the walls but leave the fabrics surprisingly untouched. She grimaced. She had hoped doing it here would prevent him from being so free in trying to boil her blood in her veins." "So? Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Nah," he said, gold eyes flicking over in time to see her mouth drop again in fury. "You'll catch bugs that way."

"I hate you," she said, shoving her dagger back into its sheath. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Because how will you learn if I do?" he said, all mild innocence. She glanced away, definitely not sulking to hear the same logic that had been used on her for as long as she could remember. "And also, because it’s hilarious."

"Uncle!" she protested, definitely whining. "What if I need to know one day and I die because you didn't tell me?"

"I highly doubt that specific set of circumstances will arise but I assure you if it does, I will certainly cry at your funeral," he said, taking a seat. "So what brings you here today? Besides giving married old elves heart attacks?"

She rolled her eyes. "Your like, not even a century. Are you even half?" She eyeballed him but like usual, he refused to answer that question. "Fine. Be that way."

"I will, thank you for the permission," he said, dry. "Now, will you be answering my question?"

"I shouldn't," she sniffed, sulking as she leaned against the wall. "Not when you're being a jerk."

He watched her, waiting as she fidgeted. Finally she added, "I'm, um, leaving home. Permanently this time. I, uh… I know you wanted me to try and wait until I was at least sixteen but I… she's…I can't I can't Uncle."

Her throat closed up. There was a wild, fluttering bird trying to escape her chest and she could feel her breaths shortening as she tried so desperately not to think of why - and a hand was on her shoulder, one cupping her face. "Mae'syr."

She sucked in a deep breath, shook her head. "I'm - I'm fine. I'm okay."

"Liar," he said, sighing. "Let me get you some tea - "

"No. I don't… I don't want to stay long enough to leave traces. She'll know its permanent. When she realizes what I've done and I - she already wants to go after Uncle Lyn. I don't need to give her any ammunition." She avoided his gaze, knowing what question was next.

"Okay," he said, slow. "I'm not going to ask why you're running away after what just happened. But I think I need to know what you did."

"I um. I snuck into the Silvermoon Registry and removed my name from Starsong's records. I thought of putting it under Un - Father's. But. That would have still given her claim. It took some bribing to make it… everywhere. But I'm no longer her heir. Her anything. And without my presence she can't get me reregistered." She kept her eyes on the floor, studying a very lovely looking mark of soot by her boots.

"Oh," he said then after another moment added with feeling, "Shit."

She giggled, clapping a hand to her mouth when it threatened to become a sob. "Yeah," she agreed. "Shit."

"Don't swear," he told her, absently, eyes gazing long distance in the way she knew either meant he was working something out or talking with one of the other two. "Okay. Do you know what you're going to do for money?"

"I - I'm good with ward breaking. And I can sneak. I figure between those two… I'll figure something out. I can't take any of your gold, or items, or anything. Even these clothes are…" She grimaced. They were good leathers, but risky. She had bought them using Starsong gold and she wouldn't put it past her mo - AUNT to track every single piece that he passed in and out of her lands somehow.

He frowned at her a moment. "I wish I could have gotten you a better ward breaking teacher but the only other ward breaker I know is Flynn…" He trailed off, still watching her. "Actually… I have an idea. Something you can do all on your own that will make you plenty of gold. I think you'll like it. But first… I'm going to get something - it’s not something I or anyone she knows made, and it will let you keep in contact. Will you wait here? I'll just be a few moments."

The silence stretched. She could leave. She could even let him go and then leave but they both tried to be honest with each other. But… she didn't want to be all alone. Even as risky as it was she wanted him to be right. For there to be something her mother wouldn't track. She closed her eyes, nodding. "Okay. I'll wait."

He leaned up to kiss her forehead, making her grimace like she had as a child. "Thank you, starbright. I won't be gone long."

She heard him a moment later at a near run and let herself collapse onto the floor. A few minutes… she could give herself that.

[firemagicked]

Fleeing for Firelands

The worst of the debris had been cleared away from Atlas' paths - but with so many things to repair it was inevitable there would be a smaller build up in places. Magic whirled in front of two slowly walking figures, arcane energy carefully shifting the pieces to places along the sides where it would least disturb the vegetation. Green - perhaps not the way it had been, but always Atlas was green and lush.

"You're spending a lot of extra energy to move it that way," Mae'syr observed, frowning in confusion.

"Yeah, don't hurt the plants. It's probably not quite as bad as hurting the dragons but I'm not risking it." Lyren smirked at Mae'syr's doubtful look, stepping lightly over wooden boards not yet replaced. They wobbled, but stayed steady. "Don't say I didn't warn you - careful!"

The boards beneath his niece's feet sounded off a crack - but as she hopped a couple paces ahead of him, they stayed. Still, he marked a careful rune in the wood with just a touch of fire. "You turning as disgustingly tall as the rest of your family has some downsides I see."

"I also have a frame that really works against sneaking sometimes," she sighed. "Curse my father for being built like, well…"

"A classic muscle bound warrior cliche?" Lyren asked, wry. "He wears it well. And you, thankfully, aren't that bad. Your birth mother was normal sized. You have heigh closer to your father's but I have no doubt you're managing your little love note business sneaking about just fine."

"I guess," Mae sighed, looking as fretful as any self conscious not-quite-sixteen year old. "Not like I can do much of it from here," she added, looking at him sidelong.

He searched her expression but there wasn't disappointment, just puzzlement. He shrugged. "I'm leaving for… I'm not sure. I'll be back by the Midsummer festival at least. Darnath gave me permission to bring you to the island months ago but…"

He gestured to the space around them, gone wild but marked with memories of the devastation that had wracked the island. "This happened. Azeroth got stabbed. It seemed prudent to leave you where you were until the situation was stabilized and it's… getting there. I don't know if its portalling back to Silvermoon everyday stable but I couldn't risk you there while I was gone without backup either."

"I had the comm you gave me," she remarked, tapping the brooch he had put it into. "I could have asked for help."

"You wouldn't have," Lyren snorted. Since leaving her Aunt's home she had been determined to prove she was more than a spoiled noble heir. 

She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Maybe. Will you - be safe? I know Sunsoul will be with you but Arenlia… Are you sure you should take her? She's a little kid, Uncle. Surely, she would be safer at home?"

"Home isn't safe," he said, flat and uncompromising. She jerked to a stop, hurt, but he couldn't make himself say anything more, hands clenched into fists as he walked on. "She's like me, so she comes to Firelands."

"Okay," Mae said softly. "…Home isn't safe, but Atlas is? What happened - "

"Don't," Lyren said, sharp and too high, something like panic fluttering in his lungs. He bit his lip, reminded himself she was fifteen. She didn't understand, couldn't yet because they protected her from so much. "I can't talk about it, Mae. It's… between me and Ash and Lyn. That's all. Here is safe. Find Darnath, Mira, or Lis if you need something."

"Your dead sister from a different universe? I'll pass," Mae said with unexpected firmness. "It's… kinda creepy to think about."

He blinked, the one taken aback now. "What? Why, you never met her before today."

"No. But its still weird. And I remember Uncle Tem. I was young when he died but he talked about it sometimes, what it was like for him to lose his twin… and a little about you too I think. It was, y'know… in ways I a little kid could understand. But I remember now. It's just… weird to think about. I'm sure she's nice?" Mae'syr sounded doubtful about it. Then again, Lyren had done quick introductions to his sister when bringing Mae to the island a few hours ago and she had reason for that tone. "But I'll stick with the other two options."

"If that's what you want," he said, carefully. "I'll have my comms still. Darnath told me I could take a transmission booster so if you really need me, I'll find a way out. It probably won't be as easy to establish a mage portal so it may take some time to get to the closest natural exit but - "

"You'll answer. I know. I wish you'd tell me why its so important to go to Firelands - but I'll stay here while you're gone. There were those other kids almost my age right? If I get bored I'm sure they'll have some ideas," she said, offering him a grin.

He barely hid his wince. "That… would be great."

"Wow, that was a terrible. I've watched you lie better straight to a fuming nobleman you were caught stealing from literally red handed." She was definitely laughing at him now. "We'll get along fine."

"Not what I'm worried about," He muttered under his breath, but came to a stop as they approached the entrance to the building holding the apartments. "Bend down a little would you?"

Snickering, she did and he leaned up to lay a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Love you, Mae'syr. Be safe."

"You too, Uncle," she said, leaning into the hug he offered. 

He waited until she was safely inside before turning away. He had one more stop to make, and then he, Sunsoul, and Areni would be gone.

In the place he had set up a makeshift office while repairs went on the rest of the island he left, to his own amusement, a giant sticky note.

"Gone to Firelands. Be Back Soon."

(( @mira-ashsong @darnath @tulyon for mentions.))