Will I Find My Home? (Sol, Elerian, the Family Lux)
I.Â
âIâm off,â Halei announced, slinging her pack over her shoulder as she stepped into the sitting room. âIâll be in Norrikdown for a few days, then heading south on foot to some of the villages. Iâll circle back around and portal home when Iâm done.â
Aviva hummed an acknowledgement from the sofa, palming the strings of her mandolin and looking over her shoulder at the Drow. âDid they request you in the villages, too?â
âMmm,â Halei nodded. âBig property dispute in Fairdale and a murder case in Lionshead. Off to dispense some swift justice.âÂ
âHopefully there wonât be any tragically uninformed bandits this time.â
Halei chuckled, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger in exasperated amusement. âWhat was that, a year ago now? Gods.â
âThereabouts.â Aviva shook her head in a shade of disbelief that bordered on admiration. âI canât believe we actually got to say âDo you know who I am?ââ
âThey certainly learned right bloody quick.â
Aviva huffed a wry laugh. âI almost felt bad for them. Of all the people you could attempt to rob on a rural roadside, we were⌠probably a poor choice.â
âWe delivered them to the constable, alive and conscious. Justice was served.â Leaning over the back of the sofa, Halei slid her arms around the Tieflingâs neck and gave her a squeeze. âBe good.â
âNever.â Aviva tilted her head enough to kiss Haleiâs cheek. âI love you.â
âLove you too.â Releasing her wife, Halei made her way toward the door separating their quarters from the rest of the royal manor.
âByyyyye!â Aviva sang. âMake Tyr proud!â
âThatâs blasphemyyyyy!â Halei replied in similar sing-song as she disappeared into the hall, closing the door behind her.
âIs it blasphemy if we created the Gods?â Aviva wondered aloud, mostly to herself, though the cat at her side responded with a disinterested yawn.
The comment was flip, but once again it got her thinking. There were parts about her place in the grand design of the universe that she knew her mortal mind would never comprehend. She had met Bahamut, the great God of the Dragonborn, and at that meeting he had helped reveal the Heroes of Lightâs true origins. She was Flame, the very concept personified, ancient and eternal. They had made and remade existence itself. She was the Mother of the World. Yet Halei still called upon Tyr for strength in battle, and Aviva said nightly prayers to Selen just as she had as a child. It was a discrepancy she could never parse.
With a great sigh, Aviva set her mandolin aside and stroked the soft fur behind Demonâs shoulder blades. âI tried to philosophise before lunch again. I told you to stop me next time I did that. Haleiâs not even been gone five minutes.â
Demon of the Abyssal Reach purred.
II.
The roses needed trimming, as did the taller topiaries to the west of the manor. They had needed tending for days, but Elerian insisted on doing the work himself, and so they waited. Celestine had long since given up trying to hire gardeners for the detail work; instead, groundskeepers merely did the daily weeding and watering, allowing the Seer to execute his vision for the rest of the gardens. For this understanding, he was eternally grateful.
Elerian inhaled deeply, the scent of the roses filling the garden around him. It felt like weeks since he had last been able to walk the grounds -- in fact, given his endless list of official tasks, it may very well have been. Slipping the clippers from his belt, he considered the overgrown bush.
As if on cue, the gentle tones of a violin floated toward him from somewhere above the manor. It had taken a few months of residency, but Aviva had discovered several ways to access the roof, and as always, it had become her preferred place to take time for herself. She had eventually requested a trellis be installed outside the windows of their quarters, for well-decorated ease of access. It was then, he had noticed, that she seemed truly and completely at home.
She was working on a new piece, or so it sounded. The music paused every so often, picking up a few bars earlier and continuing until another pause. It matched the mood of the wind, of the warm, white clouds obscuring the sun but never threatening rain. It was the melodic embodiment of a peaceful afternoon, the perfect accompaniment to his task.
Music was Avivaâs true language, the lens through which she interpreted and understood the world. It was one of many things he admired about her.
Elerian smiled. He needed to levitate to reach the tops of the topiaries; when the shaping was done, perhaps he would visit her in her rooftop sanctuary. For the moment, he was content to listen.
III.
âOh no!â came the wail from the sofa.
Halei stopped cold, the knife she had been using to cut the vegetables for dinner hanging in midair. âWhat?!â
âIâm too pregnant to play the lute!â
â...What?â
Incredulously, Halei approached. Aviva looked up at her in comical despair, trying in vain to press the rounded body of the lute against her equally round belly. âThereâs just too much baby!!â
Suppressing a laugh, Halei ruffled the Tieflingâs hair. âIâll go get your guitar.â
Aviva smiled. While her misery was (somewhat) feigned, her adoration was not. âYou are a goddess.â
âI know.â
IV.
âHeaded to bed early; exhausted. Pregnancy still sucks. She kicked today, though. Morgan says hi, hopes to see you. Miss you terribly. Love you endlessly.â
Halei smiled. âMiss you too,â she murmured, the magic of the Sending spell transporting her words all the way back to Aelfheim. âNearly finished here. Verdict, then home. Tell Morgan Iâll bring pastries. Keep the hearth going and the bed warm. I love you.â
V.
âNope, sorry darlings.â Mae shook her head as she stood in the doorway to the bedroom, blocking the Elvesâ entry with folded arms. From behind her, a string of curses in a variety of languages landed in the sitting room like arrows embedding into a target. âYou are not playing this round. Not you--â she pointed to Halei, âand definitely not you.â Her gaze shifted to Elerian.
Startled, the two Elves began to protest, but Mae held up a tattooed palm. âThe kid said no, so the answer is no. You can stay out here and if she changes her mind, Iâll have Su come get ya.â
The Elves admitted their defeat with a grumble. They would respect Avivaâs wishes, as much as it unsettled them to do so. âIf I may enquire, why âdefinitely not meâ?â Elerian ventured, eyebrows raised in stark confusion.
Mae raised a brow in return, her illustrated tail swishing lazily as she leaned against the doorframe. âBecause, your royal highness, the situation in there is pretty definitively your fault, and the kid is about to say some things that under normal circumstances would get her done for treason. Best not to put yourself in the line of fire unless she asks.â
â...Fair enough.â
An agonised scream ripped through the sitting room. Halei tensed, her hands balling into fists at her sides. âBrings back bad memories,â she muttered.
For the first time since sheâd arrived, Mae softened, messy bun of greying dark hair bobbing as she nodded. âI know. Youâve been through a lot with her. But sheâs strong, and once this is over, thereâll be a brand new generation of Lux for you to meet.â She smiled. âSheâll be okay. Trust me.â
âMari?â came Esperanceâs voice from somewhere within the bedroom. âMari??â
âThatâs my cue.â Mae pushed off from the doorframe and straightened. âFortify, you two. Youâre not the ones pushing out a baby!â With that, she turned on her heel and closed the bedroom door.
Halei glanced at Elerian. âI still canât get over the fact that Vâs tattooist is also a midwife.â
âThe two are not so dissimilar,â Elerian answered. âThere are many many ways to guide someone through pain.â
After a moment of contemplation, Halei shrugged. âSpiritual people are weird.â
With a snort of laughter, Elerian shook his head at the Drow. âYou are a terrible paladin.â
VI.
Exhausted beyond words, Aviva held the warm little bundle to her chest, smiling sleepily as Halei and Elerian gathered around her.
âAda, Nana,â she addressed them in murmured Elvish, âthis is Zahira.â
VII.
Celestine glanced at the ornate Gnomish clock on the wall of her office. She had woken at Elerianâs side, had seen him at breakfast, had reminded him of the items on the dayâs docket. He had attended the morningâs meeting and completed the first half of the to-do list, then sequestered himself to rewrite a speech and promised to join her again at half past three. As the hands of the clock neared four, Celestine stood. Elerian the Seer was not one to miss an appointment.
Making her way through the busy kitchen and up the manorâs back stairs to the domestic floors, Celestine checked Elerianâs bedchamber, then the study. The speech sat mostly revised on his desk, which was a relief, but its writer was still nowhere to be found. She stepped back into the hall, looking this way and that, her hands on her hips and a confused frown on her face. The manor was large, but it was not that large.
âCeles?â
Rounding a corner, Astos canted his head, dark hair freeing itself from behind one long ear. âYou look as if youâve lost something,â he noted as he approached.
âOur husband,â she responded with a sigh. âWe have to finish the plans for next weekâs reception and he was supposed to meet me half an hour ago. Have you seen him?â
Astos shook his head. âIâve not. But if I had to wager, heâs probably with the girls.â
âI donât believe Iâll take that wager.â Celestineâs smile began wryly, but quickly softened. âIâll check their quarters. Weâre lucky the baby canât get that far yet, or Iâd never find him again.â With a wave, she left Astos to chuckle to himself as she turned down the next hallway.
Reaching Aviva and Halueiâenâs door, she knocked politely. They had given her free reign to enter unannounced long ago, but she preferred an invitation when possible. âAviva?â No answer. âItâs Celestine. Is Elerian with you?â Silence. âAviva? Halueiâen?â After one final pause, Celestine pushed open the door and poked her head inside.
Halueiâen sat slouched on the sofa, her head tipped back against the pillows. Aviva lay on her belly with her head in the Drowâs lap, stretched longways across the seat cushions, one arm dangling over the side and brushing the floor. Elerian rested on the floor with his back against the sofa, nearly mirroring Halueiâen but for using Avivaâs hip as a pillow; cradled in his lap lay baby Zahira. All four of them, Celestine realised, were sound asleep.
From atop one of the back pillows, Demon opened her amber eyes and blinked. Celestine nodded at her. âYouâre right,â she whispered. âIt can wait. Iâll come back later.â
Demon closed her eyes.
VIII.
Blinking away the fog of sleep that momentarily washed over her, Aviva stifled a yawn. Well aware of their vital importance, she could not help but find Elvish ambassadorial meetings to be monstrously tedious and often irritating affairs. Despite Elerianâs marriage to the leader of the Wood Elves and his close working relationship with the new Archmagistrix of the Drow, there was always some petty squabble or long-held grudge from the lower ranks delaying and complicating negotiations. Even Haleiâs presence as a neutral Arbiter could do little to keep the table of testy Elves on track. For her part, Aviva represented the Tieflings and other marginalised communities within each of the Elven nations, interjecting on their behalf when necessary and advocating for them to receive the help they needed. Of course, given the pace of the talks, she suspected she would not need to speak up until next week at the earliest.
Zahira stirred in her arms. Tiny golden eyes blinked up at her, framed by an expression of mild confusion that never failed to make her smile. âHi baby,â she whispered, gently running her fingers across her daughterâs cheek and through her white-blonde hair. Zahira fussed in response, freeing a hand from her blanket and grabbing at the low neckline of Avivaâs tunic. âHungry again? Okay, okay, hold on.â As a Wood Elven administrator droned on from across the table, Aviva loosened the ties of her tunic, unwrapping one side and shifting the girl into position.
âExcuse me!â barked a voice, cutting off the Wood Elf mid-stream. Looking up to see what had caused such an outburst, Aviva realised the voice belonged to Elerianâs most obstinately old-fashioned advisor, and that he was looking at her as if he had just stepped in something unsavoury. âThat is most indecent!â he continued in Elvish. âRevealing, flaunting herself in the middle of an official conference! Itâs not proper!â He shifted in his chair to address Elerian. âMy Prince, I request she be removed at once.â
Before Elerian could respond, Aviva cocked her head. âI am feeding my child, my lord,â she explained in measured, fluent Elvish. âIt is both natural and a necessity, so if there is a law against it, I pray you show it to me. Or perhaps you are cranky because you are hungry too?â She gestured to her chest. âI do have another breast if you need a snack to quell your tantrum.â
A ripple of laughter spread across the table, punctuated by Haleiâs sharp snort. Elerian tried valiantly to keep his expression neutral, but the pride in his eyes betrayed him. The advisorâs face reddened and he spluttered a few times before sinking back into his chair, duly cowed.
Elerian spread his hands. âMy apologies for the interruption. Please continue, Ambassador.â
From the far end of the table, Halei caught Avivaâs eye, a psychic âI love youâ passing through the Tieflingâs head. She gave Halei a wink.
IX.
âTea?â
âNothing would make me happier.â
Esperance smiled at her daughter, sitting at the kitchen table as if sheâd never left, then at her granddaughter, amusing herself with wooden blocks at Avivaâs feet. âWarm milk for the baby?â
âNah, sheâll have her lunch in a bit. I grabbed some jars of food before we left.â Aviva patted the pack occupying the chair next to her. âI almost miss when I was the only source of food. Much easier to carry.â
âBut soon youâll be able to start cooking with her.â Esperance set two mugs of tea on the table before easing into the closest chair. âAnd start baking.â
Aviva grinned. âFew more years before we get to that. Things take for-fucking-ever for Half-Elves.â Raising a defiant eyebrow at Esperanceâs reproachful look, she sipped her tea. âDid you finally get Pippa to start baking?â
âNearly,â Esperance answered with a smile that took years from her face. âShe managed not to burn the house down. Weâre working on it.â
âIâm glad you two got together.â Aviva leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on the table. âYou deserve to be happy.â
Esperance flushed girlishly, gold eyes fixed on the steaming swirls of her tea. âSheâs a good woman. I thought it would be strange, such an old friend of your fatherâs⌠But it helps that she knew him. That she still misses him sometimes too.â She met Avivaâs gaze. âHe would be so, so proud of you. Your music, your family, your friends, your work. The world we know is because of you. Because of your capacity to love and believe, despite everything. He would be⌠at least half as proud as me.â
It was Avivaâs turn to flush. She looked at her daughter, who bore her fatherâs name, then at her mother. âI wouldnât be me without you, Mama.â She reached a hand across the table, finding Esperanceâs fingers and lacing them tightly with hers. âThank you.â
X.
âMama? Nana?â
Aviva rolled toward Zahiraâs voice, bleary-eyed. âWhat is it, baby?â
âI had a bad dream.â The girlâs voice was muffled behind the plush dragon she held tightly to her chest. âCan I come sleep with you?â
âOf course, my love.â
âAnd Maergrahn III?â
âAlways.â
Before Aviva could shift her weight, Halei had already risen, stepping around the edge of the bed and and scooping Zahira into her arms. Planting a kiss on her cheek, the Drow set her daughter beside her wife and crawled back under the covers. âThere we go, love. Have a lie down and your mama and I will make it go away.â
With a small nod, Zahira shimmied beneath the blanket until she could rest her head on the pillows. Propping herself up on one elbow, Aviva kissed the girl, then the stuffed dragon, then kissed the fingers of her other hand and tapped them to Haleiâs shoulder. Settling back down, each mother wrapped an arm around Zahira and closed her eyes.
XI.
âGood,â Aviva nodded. âVery good. How did that feel?â
Lowering his bow, Ofer kept his back straight, violin tucked against his chin as he went over the piece in his head. âIâm still having trouble with the third movement.â
âYou are, but it was the best youâve done so far. Remember to hold on to that when you start to get frustrated. Your head knows how to play it. Your hands just need a little more time to get there.â
âYes, Lady V,â the young Tiefling recited. Aviva could not help but smile. âLady Vâ was the compromise she and the boy had come to, delicately balancing his wide-eyed deference to the Hero of Light and Princeâs paramour with her personal discomfort at having so many damned titles. It did occasionally cross her mind that âLady Luxâ would have had more of a ring to it, but what had once been armour had long ago returned to its rightful place as a family surname. âLady Avivaâ was her name at formal ceremonies and on official papers, so âLady Vâ was the best she could get from Ofer.
âDo you want to run through it again, or work on your other piece?â Aviva waited; when the boy did not respond, she cocked her head. âOfer?â
Ofer blinked. âYeah. Sorry, Lady V. I wasâŚâ He shrugged. âI dunno.â
Aviva settled into one of the plush high-backed chairs dotting the manorâs drawing room, watching Oferâs face. âWhatâs up, sweet pea? Somethingâs been on your mind all day, I can tell.â Ofer nodded sheepishly, his shoulders slumping. Aviva smiled. âThen letâs rest for a minute and you can tell me about it.â
âOkay.â With a sigh, Ofer set his violin and bow in the open case at his feet. âMy parents⌠Ever since I got my own room, they make me sleep with the door open. So they can check on me during the night. And last night, I woke up, and I saw my mum at the door, and⌠I dunno, I just got mad. I got out of bed and I told her to go away and I slammed the door.â He looked at Aviva helplessly. âShe didnât say anything this morning, but I could tell she was sad. I donât even know why I got mad. She's just so nervous all the time. If I'm not where she expects me to be, she panics, and then dad gets mad, and I just⌠I don't understand.â
Aviva listened, and when the boy had finished, she nodded. âThat's a lot. It's okay to be frustrated.â Ofer started. âIt is. My mother used to be like that when I was little, and it was hard. I can get like that sometimes too, and it's hard on Zahira.â She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. âHow much have your parents told you about the Calling?â Even after all these years, the word still sent a chill down her spine.
"Not a lot.â Ofer gave a small shrug. âIt was scary, and it's why they have scars and why dad has a glass eye. And that you saved them.â
âNot just me. They were strong. They let me help them.â Aviva took a deep breath. âThe Calling is a wound, a trauma our people are still recovering from. For many of us, it was the worst in a long line of bad things. There was a time when we thought there wouldn't be any of us left.â A sad smile flitted across her face. âI still get nightmares about it sometimes.â
âYou do??â Ofer stared at her, his eyes as large as saucers.
Aviva chuckled softly. âIs it so hard to believe? I get scared too. And when I wake up, it can take some time to reassure myself the nightmare wasn't real. I can talk to my wife or to the Prince, but sometimes I go to Zahira's room and look in on her. Make sure she's still there.â She took one of Ofer's hands in her own. âOur people have lost a lot. Things are better now, but it's hard not to worry about the people and things we love. We want to keep them safe, and sometimes we show that in confusing or unhelpful ways. Your parents mean well; their hearts are in the right place.â
âSo what do I do?â
âTalk to them. Explain how they're making you feel. They may mean well, but your feelings are valid, too. Talk to them about what they went through, how itâs still affecting them, and how thatâs affecting you. They may not be ready to talk about everything just yet, but you can start the conversation and go from there.â She squeezed the boyâs hand. âWhatâs most important is that they love you. So, so much.â Tilting her head, she smiled. âOkay?â
Ofer nodded, and smiled in return. âOkay.â
âOkay. Want to take another crack at the third movement?â
âOkay!â
XII.
Aviva loved the light in Elerianâs bedchamber. The delicate curtains drawn across the windows and pinned over the skylights diffused the afternoon sun, scattering and softening the rays into a meditative glow. By contrast, the rich damask canopy of the four-poster bed kept sleepers in the embrace of darkness even at midday. It was a humble place, at least relative to his station; while the public spaces in the manor were for show, the bedchamber was for him alone.
âReminiscing?â
From her position against the doorframe, Aviva looked over her shoulder, smiling as Elerian approached. âElâan,â she greeted him. âI suppose I was. The first time I saw you, you were asleep in that bed.â She smirked. âA pale little thing, you were. Caused us all quite a bit of stress.â
Elerian laughed lightly, resting a hand on the Tieflingâs hip. âA most wretched sight, to be certain. I imagine I was the very picture of Elven frailty, was I not?â
With a grin, Aviva looped her arms around his neck. âLuckily for us, youâre sturdier than you look.â
âWaiting for you and your Heroic kin gave me the strength to carry on,â Elerian responded with utter sincerity, then broke into a chuckle at Avivaâs raised eyebrow. âI knew you would come. I had seen it many times before. The only information I lacked was who you would be when you arrived.â
âDo you miss it? Being able to See?â
Elerian considered that for a moment. âThere are times that throw into sharp relief just how much I relied upon it. When the chapters of oneâs life have been laid out for them from their first breath, stepping onto the unknown page is daunting, to say the least.â He slid both hands around her waist, drawing her close, and she lowered her forehead to rest against his. âWhich is why I shall forever thank my good fortune that you are one of the writers of these pages.â
After all these years, he could still make her blush. âGi melin, elrandir.â I love you, star-wanderer.
âGi melin, feanare.â Spirit of Flame.
XIII.
âThereâs my wife!â
Setting her pack down by the door, Halei stepped into Avivaâs waiting arms, burying her face in the Tieflingâs neck. âHello you.â
âHi sunshine. Welcome back.â Aviva rested her cheek against Haleiâs head. âYou hungry?â
âStarving.â Lifting her head, Halei nodded over Avivaâs shoulder to the large basket sitting on the dining table. âIs that what thatâs for?â
âIt most certainly is.â Aviva released the Drow, who knelt to greet Ladybug of the Line of Demon as she trotted in from the kitchen. âI was away, then you were away; it feels like we havenât eaten together in ages. Elâan has the baby tonight, so I thought we might have a walk in the garden. What do you think?â
Halei smiled. âNothing would please me more. Let me get my armour off and we can go.â
âSure. Iâll finish packing.â Aviva paused, then smiled, remembering the first time they had taken a dinner basket into the manor garden. âWear something soft.â
On her way to the armoury closet, Halei stopped, looking back at Aviva with a knowing smile. âItâs a date.â
XIV.
âStill with me, kid?â
Aviva let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a purr. Mae laughed. âGood. Almost done. Time to come back to reality.â
âIâm here.â Aviva was no stranger to trancing out during tattoo sessions, breathing deeply and evenly as her mind wandered far from where she sat, topless and backwards on a chair in Maeâs tent in Corneria City. âPerfect timing, I was just thinking I needed to pee.â
Mae snorted and good-naturedly muttered for her client to shut up. A few minutes later, she lowered her needles. âThere. You want to see it, or do you want to pee first?â
Aviva tried to shoot a withering look over her shoulder, but it quickly melted into a smile. âLetâs see it.â
With a nod, Mae slid a large mirror from beneath the low table at her side and held it in front of her. After cracking her neck and gingerly rolling her shoulders, Aviva peeked at the image freshly decorating her back. A sun, a moon and a star danced across her shoulder blades, connected by subtle, flowing lines that called to mind the night sky, or streaks of flame. She exhaled slowly. âItâs perfect.â
âOf course it is,â Mae scoffed, but her grin was genuine. âNow letâs get you wrapped and get you home.â As she stood to move the mirror and retrieve the oils and bandages, she leaned down to kiss one of Avivaâs horns. âHappy birthday, kid.â
XV.
For all the thrilling adventures she had experienced in her life, there was nothing quite like an audienceâs applause. And oh, did they love the Hearthmother.
Aviva grinned, radiant, and dipped into a sweeping bow, the teal-emerald-indigo fabric of her gown shimmering like sunlit ocean water as she moved. She gestured to her side, introducing her friend and collaborator Rhos Liadon to the approving roar of the crowd. Caught somewhere between terror and elation at the sheer size of the Aelfheim concert hall, the Half-Orc sketched a somewhat less fluid bow, then wrapped Aviva in a crushing hug and planted a kiss on her cheek. Stepping back, they selected their preferred instruments from the collection behind them -- they planned to play a great variety of music tonight -- and with a shared wink, they began.
A reel. A waltz. A ballad. A Cornerian folk song, sung in round. A duet of piano and cello. Solo violin. A raga. A chiftitelli. A chaconne. An Elvish sonatina. Lute and illusory drums. Mandolin. Paired voices, a symphony of two. The bards had travelled across the world and back, and they brought all their knowledge and experience to bear in pursuit of musical perfection. They had planned a concert unlike any other, and they would not disappoint.
Finally, Rhos slung a banjo about his shoulders while Aviva tuned her guitar. He told the sea of excited faces that they had written a song together, and asked with a cheeky smirk if they would like to hear it. The response was deafening. Once the cheers had faded, Aviva conjured a set of keys before them, coaxing a gentle melody from the air. Their voices started softly, as did their strings, gradually building until suddenly they burst into an exuberant chorus. The lyrics wondered if they would find their home, even as the notes told them of course they would. A question answered with perfect surety. They knew where home was.
Even through the brightness of the lights, Aviva could see the little boxes built into the sides of the concert hall. Less ostentatious, comparatively, than other theatrical architecture, they sat nearly flush with the wall, providing a clear view of the stage without obstructing other patrons. Ensconced in the furthest box, she might not have seen the occupants at all, had she not known precisely where to look.
Elerianâs head was nodding in time with the music; Halueiâen was bouncing Zahira on her knee. In the box below them, Morgan chatted animatedly with Esperance, tapping her fingers on the ornate wooden railing. Maergrahn danced nimbly about behind them, perfectly content to filter the music into his own little world. Wilhelm, in a rare appearance outside his tower, sat rapt, as if trying to take in every detail of the performance. Zahira noticed her mama glancing in their direction and waved her hands, turning to say something to Halei before resuming her wave. As the song ended, Aviva blew the girl a kiss.
Rhos took her hand and gave her a spin. They laughed, and bowed. Her heart soared.
My home in you.
(Art by @sbeepâ, @aguydrawsgamesâ and @kimblesâ)
Endless gratitude and love to SB for playing Sol and for telling this beautiful story with me (and for trusting me to go nuts with the epilogue, and for the exquisite art). Even more gratitude and love to @stonegolemâ for creating this wonderful story and expansive world for us all to muck about in, as well as playing Elerian and rolling with my schmaltzy story ideas. Iâm gonna miss telling this story, but Iâm so, so glad itâs been told.














