The journey had been a long and tiresome as she leaned forward on her faithful steed. The white haired halfling ran her sun-kissed fingers through his hair and smiled a bit. He always knew what she wanted and how far she was willing to go. He was her eyes but there was also another person who was her eye sight. 

She could feel him next to her. Her crystal eyes did not have to see him to know he was looking out for her, Vadimas. He had been by her side for what seemed like forever now. As they had entered the desert she felt the dry heat onto her skin. She knew they were almost there. He had shared stories with her and she listened patiently.

Crystaline was eager to be near her mother for the first time since her childhood. She wanted to know why her mother and Primus had disappeared or if it had all been a terrible accident. Right now she was mildly confused. "We're getting close now." They had recently entered the oasis and she reached up and felt the leaves of the trees for the first time in days. "This is Sularia?" Were they close to the city now?

They were almost home, the place that Vadimas had considered home for a very long time.  Part of the reason was that he did not want to have to deal with all the undue attention he tended to receive… but for Crystaline's sake, he would.  At least until she was safely in the arms of her mother.  Then Vadimas would find another place to travel.  Far away from her.  It was only for the best.  "We are quite close.  Again, I wish that you could see.  the streets are of precious metal, and lanterns light every street at night.  Sularia is a place of beauty.  And perhaps you will see it," he said, his voice with a touch of reverence.  Many had journeyed here just to see the wonders, and perhaps the physicians of Arri could do something for her eyes.

It took only minutes to establish that the second Oracle of the Rosen clan had come home.  And he very quickly made it clear that he wanted to get to the Purple Court as quickly as possible.  They were escorted through the streets, and Vadimas saw that very little had changed.  That was a comfort.  He noticed little as they were escorted into the Court itself, and there was only respect in his voice when he spoke again.  "Lady Catherine, I have brought your Crystaline home.  Our old home is no longer, and we only have Sularia now," Vadimas said.  Of how much of the shattering of their old home was known, he did not know.  But all that should matter to the Purple Queen was that her child was safe.

Cathrine was up at the top of the staircase as they arrived. In her visions she had seen her daughter arriving on the arm of a silver haired man. While her visions were not as clear as an oracle's she knew that it had to be Vadimas. She gave them a warm smile as she picked up her skirts and came down the stairs to greet them.

Though it was a shame about DaeLuin she knew that the time had been coming long before then. When she fell through the portals that had been cracking long before the void creature had come. She leaned over and kissed his cheek before kissing Crystalline's cheek and hugged her close. There was no need for words as they embraced. Crystalline let Vadimas go as she started to cry. Cathrine pet the child's snow hair and nodded over to a servant of the house.

Taking both of them she led them up the stairs and to a bedroom with two beds inside. She did not have to speak for this part but she ushered them in and waved her hands. "Rest now the journey here has been hard." Her voice sounded through telepathically as she shut the door on them and went back to her room. She knew they would need a break and she was willing to let that happen.

Her face lit up with excitement as she listened to how he described everything. "You give me such hope Vadimas but I don't know what else they can do for me. As far as I know my sight is a lost cause." There was no sense sugar coating it even though it made her sad on the inside she just sucked it up and kept going. She had been this way all her life and she wasn't expecting that to change.

Crystaline's embrace with her mother was brief but heart warming. It had been a long time since she had even smelled the fragrance of her mother's perfume or felt her skin. She was glad to have that chance for that small while. She held onto Vadimas as they were escorted to their room.

Letting go of him after they were alone she held her hands out and felt around the room for where things were. "We're staying in the same room together." She blushed a bit as she felt both of the beds then she went to a dresser and felt the knobs. "How long do you think we'll be here before we leave Vadimas?"

Though he had mostly known Catherine only through repuation, Vadimas knew that every Rosen queen was grateful for a child's return home.  And this was no exception.  He said nothing for now, letting mother and daughter have their moment.  And quietly, he was glad.  He could leave Crystaline here with much less of a guilty conscience than he had thought before.  It would still be hard on the girl, no doubt, but Vadimas had the best of intentions.  He bowed to the queen as she left, and waited for Crystaline to start finding her way around the room. 

He said nothing about them staying in the same room, but went onto her next question.  "I think it might be best if we stay here for a few weeks…  I need to try and find Bryony.  And this is the best place to recuperate from our journey.  Leaving from one land for another is always a strain.  And your magic is still rather unpredictable," he added.  She had slowly been learning to control it, but there were people here who would likely be able to help Crystaline quite a bit. 

There was a pen and paper sitting in a desk by the window, and Vadimas moved towards it, speaking as he did.  "For now, rest.  I have a few letters to write.  People to reconnect with, paths to seek.  Then perhaps we can take a walk through one of the gardens," he suggested.  Once twilight had fallen, the night gardens would be open, and that would be more suited to Crystaline.  She would not have to see the lovely flowers, as their scents were more pronounced in the moons' light.

Crystaline felt the objects around the room and listened to Vadimas's soothing voice. If she had to put a picture to the way he spoke she would say he was like summer to her. She had seen pictures from her time spent in the House of Keys as a child. Most of the time she did not speak about the adventures that Judge took her on. 

"I see. Bryony has to be here, that one is always the first one to have the news of the world it seems." After all Bryony was the first oracle. She ran her hands over everything and eventually came over to Vadimas. Her hands ran up his shoulders and she felt his face. Perhaps she was looking to see if he was tense. Normally she knew his emotions well. Her empty eyes stared towards him with hardly any blinking. Her facial expression gave more away than her eyes thankfully.

Finally Vadimas moved from her and she sighed. "I know, you've told me before it would be good for me to connect with others." For some reason it felt odd to her to think about all the people she was about to meet. "Vadi?"

His name rolled off her tongue as she followed his foot steps and bumped into him. "Summer. You are like summer." She pushed her mind towards his as it opened up and she flooded him with images of a perfect summer. Rolling hills and blooming flowers. Their scents followed and soon she cut it off and fell onto the bed exhausted. "I know what the seasons look like Vadi and you remind me of summer. When life is at its peak." She laid down on the bed and her eyes closed.

The girl wouldn't have told him she was exhausted but she was gone within a few moment of closing her eyes. Soft breaths left her lips as she finally had a moment to feel safe and not worry about what was around them.

He heard the words, though Vadimas' mind was working quickly.  There was guilt building, and he knew it was time.  "And I agree with those words still.  There are others here that see things differently, just as you do.  And yet others that would help you learn to refine your aura sight.  Here, we're home.  We're among family.  It isn't like Daeluin, where we were exotic strangers," he said.  He froze for a moment when she touched his face again, but it was simply her way of seeing what her eyes could not.  There was a chuckle when she described him like a season, that was a first. 

Once she fell to sleep, he began crafting a pair of letters.  The first was to Bryony.  It was a simple thing, informing her that he and Crystaline had returned to these lands.  And that he would find her, soon enough.  There were certain things he had to take care of first though, and Vadimas knew that she would understand his nomadic ways.  The second was more painful.  He would have to have someone trusted read it to the girl, and only hope that she would understand.  He told only the truth.  That he had started to care for her, and that would have consequences he did not want to face.  That he would lose his ability to protect her through his second sight.  That separating himself was only for her good. 

When twilight fell, he ordered a light supper for them both.  Rosepetal tea woke Crystaline up, and there were some sandwiches.  "Once we finish, I will take you to one of the night gardens.  Something you do not have to see to enjoy," he said, the smile returning to his voice. 

“It’s still odd Vadimas. I’m not use to even being around my family.” She had a bit of a whimper to her as she thought about how she was abandoned on the step of her aunt’s. Now that she knew where her mother got stuck she was glad to be home but still there was a sense of loss to her. “I don’t know these people! I know you and I know Aunt Angela.” It was hard for her to cope with for a moment as she drifted around the room. Her emotions got her distracted as she tripped herself up.

Once she was awake from her nap and no longer in a state of emotional distress she pulled herself over to where the sandwiches were. She could smell the tea and gave a light smile. “I will enjoy it for sure. Even if I need to see I know you can describe it to me. You’ve always been good to me that way Vadi.” She felt for the cup and took it gently into her fragile looking hands.

“I’ve never been to a night garden before I’m excited. I hope we get to walk it a lot when we come back for visits.” She had her mind set on going with him it appeared.

There was something sad in the girl's voice, and he was beginning to have second thoughts once more.  But Vadimas steeled himself, and kept his voice smooth and pleasant.  He needed for her to feel comfortable here, and that she would adjust.  "It is a shock, I know.  But think of all the stories I've told you of Arri before I crossed over.  And of the many people that are your family.  We protect each other, you just have to give them a chance and let them in," he said with a shrug that he knew she could not see.  It at least made him feel better.

The walk to the night garden was not a long one, and the place was much as he remembered.  That was good.  Taking her hand, Vadimas helped the girl to touch one of the flowers.  "That is a night-glory, a cousin to morning-glory vines.  They have a slight glow when the moon's light makes them open," he explained.  The petals were smooth and pleasant feeling, and often a favorite of maidens for decorating their hair.  They continued walking, and he showed her other flowers that only showed their true beauty in the night.  Lillies, roses, moonflowers, and many others were present, each with their own scent.  And Vadimas took care that he showed the girl each one the best he could, knowing that Crystaline might well not forgive him for what he was soon to do.

They talked of small things on the way back to the room, and Vadimas reassured her that she would be fine here.  Once he could tell that she was asleep, he left the note where a servant would see it and be able to read it to Crystaline quickly.  Strolling through the darkened streets of Sularia, he considered just where he wanted to visit first.  Somewhere far away from here.  He only prayed that the girl would not be fool enough to try and follow him.

They had her doing all the boring stuff. She flipped the pages of the book as she checked names and wrote them. Finally though there was a slight glimmer to her eyes as she felt her apprentice and son like boy Vadimas return home. "Do you think he's here to stay?" She flickered her eyes over to a long haired woman. 

"Maybe but then again maybe you should enforce him to stay. You don't see what he's about to do because you are too close to the boy."

Bryony cocked an eyebrow for a moment. "I'm listening." From there a wild tale was told. It took from the time he took Crystaline on her walk until they got back to the room. From there she grabbed her glaive and looked at the other oracle. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Just be easy on the poor boy."

"Oh I'll make sure he's alive… It's not like we can't do that." She smiled wickedly before leaving and climbing up onto the gate of Arri. She stared down as she noticed the white haired man. "Where the FUCK do you think you are going?" She hopped down and began a merciless beating with her glaive at least on the none sharp side. It was just like the times when he was a troubled young boy.

"I will not let you make this mistake." She stopped to get a clear look at him. "You need to go back. NOW." There was a motherly tone to it. "Or so help me by the grace of the Matron Mother I will beat you into oblivion until you understand."