The summons is quieter than Carnage's, and yet it's pull is undeniably stronger. Perhaps not of its own merit, but because of how I interpret it, and because of who I am; not one to go and kill senselessly, but one bound hand and heart to her kingdom. My eyes and ears strain south, to the looming of the Mountain just beyond Pangea's borders. I long desperately to flee now, to gallop across the plagued terra until I reach the place of the summons.
But Solace and I have agreed that I am not to go to plagued lands if at all possible, and never to go to Pangea. So, settling my nerves and squeezing my eyes shut, I wait.
And wait.
Sleep takes me at its own pace, but the moment I am within my own dreams, I take control. Less than minutes pass until I am waking up in the shadow of the Mountain, the ice coating its sides sending a wave of sickness through me, and a jolt of pain through the long scar which mars the beauty of my face. The last time I was here, it was to gain Solace's immortality; I shake off the thought, wondering where my wife is, and how she is faring with our son Aegean.
These thoughts are replaced by more urgent ones as I make my way towards the gathering group, and spot a pair of wings atop a small, familiar back.
Valdis - daughter.
Sidling up next to her, I meet her gaze pointedly before raising my eyes to consider the faeries gathered in a semi-circle around us. Santana, a child of Sabra's, stands not far off as well, and I acknowledge the creature with a dip of my head. The others I do not recognize as of yet, but more will come, I am sure.
I want to say something to Valdis, but find my mouth dry and mind blank.
The arrival of Solace next to me is not much help in the speaking-department, but my eyes well with silent, understanding tears as I meet her gaze. I love you, I press into the curve of her jaw as I give into the need for physical comfort. The rest must go unsaid: the fact that we are both here for our children and our kingdoms, the fact that we love each other as wife and wife more profoundly than any could understand, and the fact that I trust her to have left Aegean in good hands. It is too late to tell her to turn back now, and indeed, I would never dream of it. We are equals: and we perform better together.
A faerie steps forward; speaks into the frigid air.
Those brave enough will go to Icicle Isle. You will find the heart-shaped pond and bring back several frozen stems of water; the first ingredient in a cure for this pestilence that has been released on Beqanna. But it will not be easy. You will have to do so without any of the gifts we have previously allowed you.
I inhale to speak, feeling anxious in the vagueness of the male faerie's instructions, when he stomps his hoof and disappears. Those gathered behind him go as well, and with them, our magicks. As they dissolve from their crowning place atop my head, the weight of my antlers disappears, too. My head feels strange without them, but after a quick shake, I grow accustomed to the change. Panthera had not come with me today, but I feel the lack of her telepathetic presence strongly. Otherwise I am unchanged; when I look to Solace, she appears incredibly bare. I reach out, feel her lips and the bare skin of my poll as my own find the pale skin of her shoulder.
"Let us go."
The journey from the Mountain to the Isle is not as long as from the Cove to Tephra, but it is long enough. I trail after Valdis as she heads off first, making sure to keep her in sight as well as Solace. I call to her softly when she seems to be lost, all three of us having easily navigated through the foothills of Hyaline, but somewhat jumbled in the forests of Taiga. I look to Solace frequently, as if to speak; but every time I find silence to be our only companion, a grim line taking the place of a smile as I absorb the comfort of her company while I still can.
Nerine comes next, a mostly barren kingdom with sparse copses of trees that are sorry excuses for forests; but seeing as the Leviathans are surrounded on three sides by the cruelty of the ocean, it makes sense that their fauna is not extensive. The going is comfortable at first, but as we come to the edge of the northern kingdom, things get rocky.
Sorry, is now not a good time for puns?
Wondering whether her balance will be affected by the lack of wings, I make my way slowly down a rocky slope towards the beach which connects to the sea just meeting Icicle Isle. I never stray far from Solace, allowing her to use my body to catch her if she need be.
Shuddering, my hair stands on end as we watch the waves before us. Valdis has already surged into its grasps, and we are next.
Again, I find her eyes; again, I press my lips to her cheek.
"I love you. I'll see you on the other side." The words are a promise as well as a command, for I will not let her think that drowning is any kind of option today. Inhaling powerfully, I step into the waters, then again and again until the bottom gives out and the nearly frozen water embraces me entirely.
"Fuck." The curse is the only word to escape me as I push through the black waters, mist rising from my nose as I breathe and expel water that accumulates there. The whites of my eyes show as the strength of the waters occasionally pushes my head beneath its topline, but every time I resurface, kicking harder and harder as my stress levels rise. I want to look back at Solace but can't spare the extra energy; instead, my ears go back, straining to catch the rhythmical beat of her own spluttering breathing.
Although it feels as if we shall never make it, we at last are dragging ourselves up the shore. Water falls from me in sheets, and I find that I am glad to be rid of the extra weight of my antlers: I would not have been able to make it with them atop my skull, weighing me down. I would give anything to dream myself dry and warm, however; and as I look to Solace, who also shivers, I wish it even harder for her sake.
Permission from Lav to powerplay/mention Solace, who will also be entering this quest.
![[Image: kag]](https://78.media.tumblr.com/2e8039018ce4dff6112c167ec23e886a/tumblr_p72zjit7wC1s5a0qvo1_100.png)
dreamweaver