The mirror: Kevali

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The Kevali inhabit vast cavern systems beneath the surface of their hostile planet. The twin suns constantly boring down on the surface have created a harsh desert environment. The days are long, the nights longer (the normal day lasts 36 hours). The intense heat of daytime and the bitter freezing cold of evening drove the Kevali underground centuries ago.

Phosphorescent algae provides an ambient glow, while oil lamps set into carved niches in the walls provide most of the dim light.

The capital city of Andhakara'a is built around an inky black subterranean river, the water is mostly drinkable...

The air is stale, it's crowded and the air is filled with the sound of tools and working.
It never seems to stop.

Map

"I am glad you find it so." Kaliyani told him. "I hope you had enough time to discuss all you needed to."

"Yes, we did, thank you" Andre said with a nod.

"I am glad." Kaliyani told him. She didn't look it. But then, she really never seemed to smile or look anything but serious like everyone else here.

Jarral wandered downstairs bleary eyed, rebraiding his long hair as he walked to keep it out of his face.
"Did you all enjoy your tour?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, we did." Max said, looking to Jarrel and bowing a little in respect . "You have quite the city hidden away here."

Jarral nodded. "There are many more settlements along the river, but this is the capital and our ancestral home. " He told them.

Kaliyani bowed her head respectfully to the young Lord. "How are you feeling my lord?" She asked.

"Better." He replied dully.

"Better is good." Max said with a smile

"Did you want to try another healing?" Andre asked kindly

"Is there still more to heal?" Jarral asked.

Kaliyani looked worried.

"Why do you have a bowl?" Jarral asked the Carpathian with the gems.

"Oh.. My Lord, our guests had some suggestions about these." Kaliyani told him.

"Yes, as we said before, to heal your blood will take more than one healing." Andre said then looked over to the one holding the bowl of gems.

"Lanterns could be made from them, it would give more steady and brighter light." Max said and showed him the one he had fashioned from the gem. "Though as I told Kaliyani, glass is easier to form into a lantern without magic to assist."

Jarral looked bewildered.

"You heat sand, it becomes clear. It is called glass." Kaliyani explained.

"we have a lot of sand." Jarral spoke flatly.

Kaliyani nodded "We do, though we would have to send someone above ground to collect it. Not many have been up there in... generations. "

"The way is still clear." Jarral told her.

Kaliyani frowned, she wanted to ask how he knew that but caught herself.
"They.. they also believe the stones may have value to outsiders. We.. we could trade them for things we need."

Jarral nodded. "make a list of the things we require then."

"As you wish my lord." kaliyani bowed again.

Jarral took a seat on the throne and indicated the Carpathians approach. "And fetch more blood."

Kaliyani bowed again and relayed that message to the sour looking steward outside.

All the carpatgians came closer, bowing then settling as a group.

Jarral settled as comfortably as he could and let them do whatever they had to do.

Kaliyani bustled off to get things together.

They touched Max, letting him be the lead again as they worked on heling his blood of the inherited sickness. They stayed like that for a minute or two before releasing him and one another, taking seats nearby to recover.

Jarral watched them placidly.

A few minutes later the steward would return with blood for them.

She bowed to Jarral and asked him something in Kevali.
He shook his head.
She hurried out again.

The carpathians took the blood, each of them drinking what they were given and most wondering what had been said between them.

Jarral seemed fairly comfortable with silence, so he just sat and let them drink before finally asking. "Where are you all going to sleep?" The chamber upstairs wasn't really large enough for this many was it? unless they wanted to get cozy.

"We would need a room." Max replied then shrugged a little. "Or to take other forms for restimg."

"Is that comfortable?" Jarral asked. He shook his head. "We can set up bedding down here if you would like." They would probably fit fine in this chamber, even if it wasn't the intended purpose.

"The other choice would be to sleep on the ship, but we would not be able to go back and forth during the day." Max said

Jarral nodded. "That seems impractical. I will have the steward bring bedding." He called out and the Steward reappeared.

they had a brief conversation and she bowed her head and hurried out again.

Max bowed his head at that and finished his drink. The others had finished theirs as well.

Kaliynai returned with velum to write on, and ink.

She bowed her head to Jarral, then looked around at everyone. "The Steward seemed angry." She remarked.

"She is not happy about my father's death." Jarral spoke flatly.

Kaliyani frowned. "Do you believe she is a threat my Lord?"

Jarral shook his head. "not to me."

Kaliyani looked unsettled.

"Fate needed you to take over, if she had not, your father would have survived. " Andre said then looked away. It wasn't his place to speak like that.

Jarral looked faintly bemused by Andre, and shrugged. "It does not mean everyone is happy about the situation though. " He looked at the ashy floor, while someone had swept most of it, there were still patches of ash here and there. "My father deserved to die." He spoke matter of factly. "He was insane and he was cruel." His gaze moved to Kaliyani, then away again.

Kaliyani bowed her head and remained quiet.

The carpathians were quiet, each trying to think of a better topic to discuss.

Kaliyani lapsed into silence herself. Jarral just watched them all cooly.

At length the steward came back in with one of the Elders.

"My Lord, Elder Surya wishes to speak with you." The Steward bowed her head, though still managed to look sour about it.

Jarral tilted his head and sat up a bit.

The small robed figure of the Elder stepped forward, glancing behind themselves a little surreptitiously.
The asked a question.

Jarral shook his head. "We are not keeping secrets from our guests." He spoke flatly and confidently, which seemed to startle the Elder.

The Elder bowed their head and nodded. "V.. very well my lord." They spoke in heavily accented and very awkward common.

"What do you want?" Jarral asked rudely.

Kaliyani kept her head bowed, she looked worried.

"We must speak about the orb." The Elder told him in barely a whisper.

"What about it?" Jarral stared the poor Elder down, who flinched.

"It must not be found." The sputtered.

Jarral looked confused. "Why not?" He demanded.

"it was lost for good reason my lord... Fate seeks to break her prison, she seeks to extend her influence..." The Elder babbled.
He was clearly quite terrified of the child who sat before him.

"And why is that a bad thing?" Jarral asked curiously.

The Elder nodded. "Because My Lord... Fate is... not to be trusted. She has not the best interests of the people are heart... she wish.." The Elder fell silent, gaping at the young Ishvara.

Jarral had risen from the throne and walked toward the Elder, his expression blank, his movements stiff and awkward as if he wasn't in control of his own body.

"Now you see why we had them imprisoned..." The voice that spoke was not Jarral's, genderless, ageless, it echoed unnaturally through the hall.

The Elder cowered.

"The seek power for themselves, to sow the seeds of mistrust within my own vessel. They are jealous of my power, envious. They tell petty lies."

The elder seemed unable to speak now, he scurried backwards away from Jarral.

"Tell them Surya, already my power grows. Let them cower, let them despair, your time is up. You have spent too long squatting inside those hosts, you've lost that what you once were. You are old, you are weak, and I am strong. I grow stronger by the day. The orb will be mine, and I will rise once more into this realm. Things shall be as they always should have." An awful smile crossed the boy's face.
Blood was trickling from his nose.

"GO." The voice commanded.

The Elder ran.

Jarral collapsed onto the cold stone floor as Fate relinquished control.

Kaliyani whimpered in terror, too scared to approach her Lord.

The Carpathians were staring at all of this with wide eyes, surprised by it. Christine was the first to move, going to the child to check if Fate had killed him then bringing his head to her lap after sitting down. It wasn't his fault that Fate had taken him over after all.

Andre soon moved over to help Christine, though the others stayed back since two would normally be enough to help and they were uncertain now. Fate had not sounded very good.

Jarral was alive, he stirred in Christine's hold and groaned softly, moving to clutch his throbbing head and mumbling something in his native tongue.

Kaliyani took a few steps toward them, and crouched so she could see the boy better.

"My Lord, are you alright?" She asked tentatively.

Jarral opened one eye, hissed in pain and asked again in common "What happened?" He was slurring his words slightly.