Demon attacks are rare.
Of course, a single traveler or a small group of them is so fantastically unsafe from such that no one in their right mind would do that in the first place, but large caravans are usually perfectly safe.
Demon attacks are rare.
Of course, a single traveler or a small group of them is so fantastically unsafe from such that no one in their right mind would do that in the first place, but large caravans are usually perfectly safe.
He shakes his head.
...and pauses. "Ah - do you want some clothes? My other boyfriend can make cloth from stone."
He yawns and gets up off the floor.
"This has sure been an interesting day." He looks at Talyr. "Did you volunteer me for something?"
"Oh, sure."
He pulls layer after layer of stone-silk off the nearest wall and hands them to Talyr to be made into usable garments. And shoes, too, they're probably going to want shoes, he can do shoes. And maybe some bags for carrying stuff in? Not that there is really any stuff for them to carry?
She smiles thoughtfully at both of them and puts on shoes and clothes and takes custody of the rest for when she wakes the prisoners.
"...There should be someone in the world with the ability to capture a mara, in case mine gets loose," she says. "I'm going to be careful but accidents happen."
"Acquiring the ability is a very unpleasant process. Technically it's possible anytime someone is attacked by a mara, at home, but I'm not sure if anyone in this world could do it by themselves, and I don't especially want to rely on that, since people who can capture an attacking mara with no preparation are rare even in a world where everyone knows what a mara is; and locking them is much harder to guess, it needs to be taught. If you want to capture a mara you need a strong will and the ability to focus well under stress. And if you want me to give you the ability to capture mara you have to confirm that you understand how important it is not to unlock them casually. A locked mara is a source of considerable power that is almost never worthwhile to use."
"Yes, I got that impression very clearly from the - memories you shared. Well. If you want to give me this ability, I'll take it. Will I be able to pass it on to others?"
"We'll need to sit somewhere quiet for a few minutes." She glances at Izaneth. "Do you mind if I put you back to sleep? It's easier to deal with everything if fewer people are awake at a time."
The sparks in her eyes flare slightly, and Izaneth falls neatly asleep.
She looks at Talyr.
"I meant it about the process being unpleasant. Being a captive here was only usually worse, minute-for-minute. But it doesn't take very long. If you haven't picked it up after five minutes I'll stop trying."
—creeping clinging darkness sliding under his skin, pulling all his pieces out of place, licking at his bones with long cold tongues—
—and an inarticulable sense of how to make it stop doing that—
It feels like closing a door that someone else is trying very hard to shove open: a long struggle, and then click, and his mind is his own again. He blinks down at her; neither of them has moved while he was fighting the mara. He can't even tell how much time passed. It didn't feel like more than a few minutes, but it's hard to be sure.
"...you're right," he says. "That was unpleasant. Thank you, though."
She nods. There's - something about her, now, an intangible feeling of something huge and powerful and horrible wrapped up tight and compressed down to fit in a space as small as a person. Up close, it's kind of disconcerting.
"You'll know how to lock a mara if it ever comes up. I'm going to leave now. I'll let everyone wake up once we're far enough away."
He waits until he can't hear anyone moving in the hall, and a couple of minutes afterward, before he goes to check on Kemar and Mezeidai. The last thing he wants to do is startle anyone on their way out.
When he looks into all the rooms along the way, the only one still occupied is Nerine's.
"Slightly surreal, but otherwise yes," he says. "Raiel - that's her name - said she'll let everyone wake up once she and her rescuees are far enough away. I'm not sure how long that'll be."
"Okay." She snuggles in a little closer to Kemar. "...Do you think I made the right decision, staying?"