Session 72

S72 Masks of God

Deep crimson velvet curtains hung heavy over the windows of the mess hall, their folds deep as chasms, catching the fading afternoon light. The glow was muted, regal, as if the very air conspired to paint the room in a subdued elegance. Candles flickered atop the tables, their reflections in the fine glassware creating a delicate dance of light and shadow. Eleanor stood in the center, her gaze sweeping the empty room. It was supposed to be a date. Aqol, Dax…they should’ve been here. But the space held only silence. Her smile faltered, and, as if to distract herself, she began gathering the untouched settings, her movements slow, deliberate.

Ember asks Dax about Gar and if he has trouble resisting. Dax answers that when Gar tries to take over, the one thing that helps the most is he thinks of Fungar. Ember casts enhance abilities in hope that it could help and Dax is grateful. Dax mets up with Mack and they both head towards Zaelira. Ember steps over to Preslynn to say goodbye. Preslynn is sad but knows that it is what is best and the two spend the last moments together.

Aydriann climbed to the top of one of the crows nest. His plan was simple, he had a left over mechanical dragonfly left over from the days he was living in volaris. He was going to try and get Venoxyin’s attention. He send it off to fly, the mechanical dragonfly buzzed low over the deck of the Valiant, its glow soft but persistent, as though it carried the remnants of a dying storm. Twilight bled across the horizon, a smear of molten orange that stained the endless expanse of sky, and still the dragonfly pressed onward. Its fragile wings, delicate as whispers, cut through the heavy air, their hum weaving into the fabric of the deepening dusk.

It wasn’t merely flying. It was searching…its movements more urgent than random, its path spiraling with the clarity of purpose and the desperation of something too small to bear the weight it carried. The crew had stopped speaking, their usual banter replaced by murmured awe as they watched the little machine trace its arcs, each pass more strained than the last.

It hovered now, a trembling thing caught in a storm of its own making. Its glow flickered, a heartbeat made of light. Something burned within it, a will far too big for its tiny frame. It sought her. A phantom memory, a bygone era. Her, with the eyes like a blue flame, twin tails bouncing as she laughed, and a smile sharper than most would dare wear. Her banter was directed at another unfortunate spirit.

But that was then. That was when laughter had rung clear and bonds had felt unbreakable, forged in the fire of shared moments. Now, it sought only the shadow of what had been, a fractured memory it couldn’t hold onto long enough to understand. It strained against the unseen forces that sought to stop it: time, entropy, the weight of failure. The world whispered its disdain for the girl, shunned her. Perhaps even she believed she was better off hidden.

The dragonfly faltered, its wings jittering as its glow dimmed. How could it reach her, the one who had closed herself off, who carried a dangerous wound hidden deep? Could it reunite what had already unraveled? Could it spark life where silence had settled? Its purpose wasn’t to ask, only to try. It had been born of desperation and magic, a fleeting thing tasked with the impossible.

The crackle of its enchantment was faint now, a threadbare hum that barely held its pieces together. Yet it refused to stop. Its wings clawed at the air, tearing through the weight of inevitability. It needed her…needed her to see. Needed her to remember. Even if it cost the last dregs of its fragile existence.

And then…inevitable…failure struck. A tremor. A collision. The dragonfly veered wildly, careening through the air like a broken star. It struck the deck with a brittle sound, its once-graceful form now crumpled, twitching. For a fleeting moment, it rallied, lifting its battered body just enough to catch a final glimpse of the horizon it would never reach. She was out there, somewhere. Hidden, lost. Beyond the reach of this small, determined thing.

Its light faded. Its magic dissipated into the cold air, scattering like the ashes of a burned-out hope. There, on the planks of the Valiant, the dragonfly lay still, a tiny, failed messenger. Its purpose undone. Its story unfinished.

The crew whispered now, low and uncertain, their words failing to grasp what they had witnessed. But the dragonfly’s final act carried weight, unseen and unmeasured. It left behind no answers, only questions. No triumph, only the bitter echo of what might have been.

Somewhere, beyond the edge of the horizon, the girl remained. The dragonfly had not reached her. But its attempt, fragile and flawed, would linger like a shadow…a memory of light that dared, however briefly, to push against the darkness.

Orianna looks for Sirius to say goodbye, instead she finds someone different. A creature in a grey hooded cloak, wearing the mask of a plain porceline mask of a bear. Sirius voice rang through as she approached, letting her know that this creature was him. He explains that he is to set off to Volaris and join the temple of Spirit walkers. He has become one himself and bears the new name Petra. Orianna is sad to see him go but likes that he has choosen this path. She encourages him to say sorry to Peach, which he agrees to before he leaves.

Dax and Mack find Zaelira in the Aether Chamber of the ship. Zaelira takes the opportunity to ask about if Dax is still serious about going to the Dark world, Dax replies yes. Zaelira then warns Dax about the Dark World again and tells him the weapon, Nightfang, belonged to her husband, Maeryn. Dax and Mack ask about if Zaelira can teleport the group to the Kaicrumao. She says yes but it would have to wait till tomorrow due to Venoxyin already used the teleportation spell already today to get to the Kaicrumao.

Dax is thrown off by this, asks Mack since Mack seemed to know what Venoxyin was up to. She explains briefly that Mack had agreed to Venoxyin helping find Char but she didn’t think she would head off to the Kaicrumao. Dax and Mack bid Zaelira good night as they go to tell the others of the plan for tomorrow and that Venoxyin had left to the Kaicrumao.

Peach says good by to Elira, Elira is sad but hopes to see Peach soon. Promises to make lots of wood carvings for him and try and make friends

Aydriann, spending a few hours in the crow’s nest, thinking he might have caught an illness, decides to abandoning the attempt for Venoxyin to come out of hiding. He heads inside the ship to ask if people had seen her but they reply they haven’t. The bedroom doesn’t have evidence of her. He starts to give up but Tess visits him. She asks him many questions as he heads towards the place he was staying. One is that she sees that Aydriann is sad and she wants to help. Aydriann says that she does already.

A good meeting with Peach and Sirius. Sirius tells Peach sorry for all that he had done in his past life. He is sad to know that Peach will, if they want to get into Eden, will have to sacrifie himself with the weapon. Sirius wanted to take that burden away as a way of redemption but says that he won’t argue about it now and respects Peach’s choice. Peach tells Sirius they leave for Kaicrumao and wishes Sirius luck with Spiritwalking. Also asks when it is time, Peach wants Sirius to walk him to the outerlife.

Aydriann retires for the day and heads to Peach’s Bedroom. Peach had asked for a knife earlier and Aydriann brought it ou. Peach wanted to cut his hair to do away with the memories. Aydriann does this for him. Peach and Aydriann talk about the kiss from earlier. Aydriann, being called out, goes ahead and kisses Peach again. Aydriann says he wants to talk later about it. Peach agrees and then weeps over his hair.

Dax and Mack finish up telling everyone what they were told from Zaelira. Dax heads off on his own, to an empty bedroom. In the quiet, he says to Fungar, “We need to talk”