Jaela is only half awake as Mei carries her to her room. She's aware of being placed down in bed, Mei slowly and carefully taking your armor and underpadding off. She gently pats your side as she works, smiling all the while.
"Mother?" Mirajane's voice, from the other side of the room. Hard to focus on it, really. "Do you need anything?"
"Rest," Jaela responds, sticking to short sentences. "Ensure Vul'lath keeps surveillance."
"I will," Mirajane says, "Congratulations on Apasa."
"Had it coming. Who's next? Ask Balyss."
"I will," Mirajane promises, as Mei sits next to you, gently stroking your hair. "Don't push yourself, mother."
"I'll sleep now."
Mei smiles as you rest, stroking your hair as you easily drift off.
As you do, your eyes shutting, you see Mei in triple, smiling as she soothes you.
How fitting, Jaela thinks as she drifts off.
You sleep.
You dream.
Annalise. Her hair, her smile, her presence. A forgotten memory, surfacing in the black sea of your mind. A rug. You remember a rug of all things, lying next to her.
In a blink, the lovely lady becomes the towering Gathgorian, looming above Afina as his blade slices the air in twain, tornadoes unleashed as Afina dodges. You remember the adrenaline, the panic, the pain of the battle. A blur that melds together, a conflict seemingly never ending, Gathgorian forever chasing you.
Why is Elena here? She's here, holding a cake and smiling. You have to wake up, training's soon. It's a beautiful day and you have to train. You get up and step into Water, swimming through it as Canderella watches, sitting on a bit of floating rock and smiling.
"The trick is to never stop swimming," Canderella says, "As long as you're moving, you won't get caught."
You swim into the skies of Air. You stand in the court of Princess Chan, surrounded by hundreds of devils and soldiers. Chan says something, you can't hear it, but you know it's important. You listen.
Gathgorian is still chasing you.
You swim. You run.
You remember the pain after Abigor. It has a moment of clarity alien to your dreaming mind, as you remember your own pain and seeing Adrian shirtless, grappling with the same as Misalea tended to him. You watch Dana tend to him, slapping him on his back.
"Get it together! You can't swim if you're hurting and bitching."
How odd. "She's right, you know," Canderella says, as Hanna kneels before her, resting her head in Canderella's lap. She slowly strokes the planentar's hair. "27's right too, and that's the important thing."
You look up. Hungry. You sit at home - your first home, the faintest memory, more sunlight than solid. A voice, Hanna's voice, gently holding you as you eat. A song of Celestial that has no meaning, something hazy and indeed far away.
You shudder as Abigor is still chasing you.
Mirajane brushes your hair as you watch the army of archons march on. "If life is a race, what will yours say when you're caught and it finishes? The Duke of Destiny is still chasing you."
You looSTARTLE
You sit up, dazed and sweating. You're hot, lying in bed and everything surreal several moments. Mei is there, offering you water silently.
Jaela can't help it, so even as she accepts the water with a smile and sips it she looks for any leftover cakes.
No sign of cakes, unfortunately. The water is cool and refreshing, soothing you as you drink. Mei sits once more, a gentle smile as she strokes your hair.
The cake was a lie! Jaela stifles her sigh, smiling back at Mei and closing her eyes anew. There's no point in being productive, not when her goddess all but directed her to bed rest until the next day.
You sleep.
You dream.
In a way, you were lucky. Did you need that destiny in addition to what you already bear?
The voice is hazy. Tepen lectures, coming into a faraway sort of clarity.
"Beware it. Your cup has enough sorrows and enough weight. Do not mourn it. Now, I'll take questions from the man chasing Jaela."
Taelfagn is still chasing you.
You look up to the moon, the full moon in the beautiful daytime sky. You walk up it from the stairway of the Graceful Blow tower, Mirima at your side.
"That's too many Hannas away, there's better choices," Mirima remarks, as she bleeds from a hundred slices.
"It is, isn't it?" Tepen continues to lecture, standing atop the moon as he speaks. "After all, the race isn't over yet. Is he gaining on you? Can you afford a pleasure trip to the moon?"
Your meal is warm, a perfect array of cold chicken and sweet apples. You remember this meal, coming in from a cold winter's day as a child.
Was he chasing you even then?
Hell is still chasing you.
In stark clarity, you recall your battle against Sehanine Moonbow. Yet here she is naked and with a lover, bodies entwined. An embrace of passion with Annalise. The vampire looks up, desire and lust all over her face. "That was your mistake. Were you happy? The absolute light, did it make you happy?"
Then your spear and Afina's blade sever the moonlight battle, as you walk back - no, you run. You run, you fly.
"As you can see here," Tepen lectures, ancient and withered once more. "The race is not yet over. Will there be one result or three results? That is the important part, take notes on this. You will be tested on this material."
Hanna carries you from the lecture-moon to your room. She sings to you, again a song of Celestial that has no meaning to you. As she leads you through the forest to your room in Aurora, "Are you hungry yet? I don't know if one destiny was enough to fill you up for the race."
Hell is still chasing you.
YouSTARTLE
You blink awake in a daze, throat dry and head pounding. Your vision's blurry and you feel sweat on you, soaking your sheets and body.
"I keep on having nightmares about Gathgorian and Taelfagn chasing me," Jaela says tiredly, not even bothering to open up her eyes beyond that initial blink. "Normally, I'd say it's nothing serious but given the chance of spiritual contamination from that abomination I want Priest to look me over."
You feel cool water against your lips. A moment later you hear Elena says, "On it, he'll be inbound," Elena says.
"Thanks, you two," Jaela mutters with all the gratefulness she can muster, sipping the offered water.
You drink. After, you feel a cool cloth on your forehead, cooling you and wiping your brow clean. Then your cheeks and the sides of your neck, not a word said amid this.
Jaela rests, waiting for Priest's arrival. Though she doesn't struggle to remain conscious, since he could examine her just as well regardless of whether she's awake.
You are drifting away when you hear Priest say something. You miss it, but it stirs you. Blinking your eyes open, you see him over you, a hand on your forehead as he gazes down at you.
"Rest," he says, "I am ascertaining your condition."
She nods as best she can from her supine position and closes her eyes anew.
You drift in fever, dozing. It's not long before Priest's words stir you.
"You are not ill. You are merely spiritually overwhelmed by direct contact with the Triune," Priest says, "The dreams are a mere side effect of that. Worry not, there are no signs of diabolical influence on you. As for the nature of the dreams, is not Sehanine Moonbow one of the Triune, and she rules over dreams. Dreams are ethereal things that speak truths hidden in lies, half meanings and misdirections.""
"Thanks," Jaela mumbles, drifting off to sleep once more.
You sleep.
You dream.
You lie in your bed, 27 sitting next to you. He's the size of a housecat and looks out at the horizon before you, the end of a starry night giving way to the dawn.
"Are you hungry? 27 asks.
"No. Is it morning?"
"Almost," 27 replies, "We'll see if it's a good morning or a bad morning. I'm scared."
"Why are you scared?" she asks with a sigh.
"I don't want you to die," 27 says in a small voice, "You may still die in the final battles. Losing people hurts. I miss Ithea."
"Ithea isn't dead," Jaela immediately corrects him. "And everyone can die in the final battle. I don't want to die, either, but I can't avoid the risk entirely."
27 looks down, "She's watching you, Jaela. Mei sees more than you think she sees."
"Like what? I don't underestimate my friends, I know she's awesome, but you seem to be going for something specific."
"It's because she's given up so much," 27 says, "She spends her days in reflection of the Triune or working towards their will. It makes her an instrument. You are one as well, but not as refined yet. Mei's sacrifices have accelerated the process within her, in spite of your transformation to an outsider, you lag behind there. The Triune's blood is within her, by your own hand no less. Do you understand now? She watches you. Mei sees more than you think she sees, because she is not the only set of eyes watching you."
"I don't think the Triune needs another servant to watch me," Jaela responds with a frown. "And even if she did, I'm trying my best to follow the duties set for me. What's the problem with that?"
"It's not like that." 27 says, "Why does a deity watch a favored servant?"
"There're only two reasons, aren't there? In case they'd need support, and in case they've strayed. Being a favored servant already presupposes being trusted and loved."
"It's because they love you and care about you," 27 says, "Don't you see? It's why I miss Ithea, too. They were there when you were falling asleep and brushed your hair with Mei. Didn't you see them?"
"I felt that way, yes."
27 looks to y-STARTLE
You awaken, blinking your eyes and sitting up. The fatigue is gone completely, leaving you clear headed and refreshed. Mei comes over to your bedside, offering you water.
"Thanks," Jaela says, taking her hand and squeezing it. "For everything." She accepts the water, then, drinking it slowly and testing the way her body moves after this prolonged rest.
Mei gives you a warm hug, smiles and helps you up.
You feel fine, nothing wrong and everything in good working order.
"Elena, can you tell me the current situation?" Jaela requests, rather than force Mei to go through silly charades. "What's the time, what leads Afina provided for our next attacks, anything awaiting my attention?"
She tests her magic as she speaks, a simple cantrip to ensure her clothes are presentable rather than wrinkled by bed rest.
Okay, let me pause you here. Iddy shouldn't run much longer - just a good evening of posting should get him in line with y'all. I'm not sure on Neph and Tryll due to Yuth's wedding awayness, they may just have to be staggered a few days on account of it. We'll see. But for the moment I'm pausing you.
Lucy's still going.