It was late morning, and Vadimas was beginning to brew the tea for himself and Crystaline.  He had become rather fond of the young woman, though he had sworn to himself he would not become attached.  It was a means of protecting them both, really.  She was selecting their book for today, a ritual that they both enjoyed.  Reaching for the tea, Vadimas paused and he could feel his mind going blank.  Something was about to happen… and it was not good.  The tea would just have to wait.  Closing his eyes, the Rosen focused… and he knew that it was time to leave.

Hurrying to the young woman, he spoke more quickly than he ever had before.  "My dear, we must get ready to leave now.  Have your maid gather the things you cannot leave behind.  We will take the horses, so keep that in mind.  We have about… thirty  minutes.  I will be back," he said, before rushing off to gather his own things.  While Vadimas realized that his manner had been harsher than usual, it was also a necessity.  There was still time, but only a little.  And his ability allowed him to see that most of the court would be fine.  And he could not help anyone, beyond those in the cottage.  He had only a few things, a small number tomes that were precious to Vadimas, and a certain gift from Bryony that would likely earn him a beating if he forgot it.  Hurrying to the stables, he was relieved to find another of the servants already saddling the horses.  Between the four of them, they would be fine. 

Leading his own horse and Crystaline's back to the cottage, Vadimas could hear the stablehand behind him.  The maid had his friend outside, along with a small number of bags.  Quickly lifting her onto the horse, Vadimas said only a few words.  "Stay with me, and do not deviate from the path I am walking.  Do that, and we will be fine.  Come!" he said, setting off into the woods.  He knew where they had to go, and where they would find safety.  Though he wasn't quite ready to tell Crystaline where they were heading.  It was sad to leave Daeluin behind… but there really was little choice. 

Crossing over was a simple thing.  But where they ended up wasn't exactly where he expected.  Vadimas did wonder if his friend would notice the change in the air.  "Hmph.  Not where I expected that we would end up…  Well, this just got more interesting," he grumbled.  The maid and stablehand were looking around in alarm at the Gardens, they had never seen their like before.  At least Vadimas knew that he was home.

Crystaline sat there in her chair running her hand over the book she had selected for today's reading. The cover was indented so she could feel each letter under her hand. Vadimas was very gentle with her and had helped her understand what the cover said. She knew each letter. She knew that it could be made anyway as long as it got the point across what it was. She ran her hand down the spine of the book and felt how many times they had read it so far. It was like cutting a tree and seeing how many rings were there. 

The smile washed from her face as she listened to Vadimas's voice. Most people could not detect the slight change in him. “What's wrong?” She could though. She had almost mastered her other senses to help out in place of her eyes. She suddenly found herself up and reached her free hand out to feel around. She knew this cottage well enough but just in case someone had changed something. “We need to pack. Vadimas says something is coming.” The maid said nothing but got her mistress ready to leave. 

She lead out to the stable and she took a deep breath of home in. Still having hold of the book she felt herself getting lifted up onto the horse. “Alright.” She answered him. She knew that he would keep her close and she leaned down and told the horse exactly what to do for her. It was the way her horse was trained.

As soon as they had crossed over she almost froze from the warp. Her magic had been set completely surging through her body. Her senses were over loaded and Crystaline was suddenly falling off of her horse. She fell into the soft grass and groaned a bit. “Vadi..” Her hands clenched the grass as her blank crystal eyes stared up into the sun. They could never be bothered to notice what was different.

“I'm so confused. I can't focus on anything..” Her eyes began to tear up as her senses were overloaded. “Make it quiet.”

Once they had crossed over, there was a rare smile on Vadimas' face.  He knew just where they were, and again he felt pity for his young friend.  of all the places in Revaliir, this was one that he wished she could see.  In his distraction, he didn't notice Crystaline falling until she called his name.  Rushing over, he took her hands but didn't help her to her feet just yet.  she would still be unsteady, not to mention it would take some time for her to adjust to a new world.  "I am sorry, my dear.  I did not think of how the transition would affect you.  Take a few deep breaths, and guess where we are," he said, a rare show of good humor in his voice.  Even on the lowest tier of the Gardens, Crystaline would be able to smell the exotic flowers. 

"We are… somewhere else now.  I fear that Daeluin is no more.  Or at the very least lost to us.  But I know precisely of where we are.  Perhaps you have heard the tales of Sularia and Arri?  Well, we shall be able to journey there now… though it might take a few days.  We are on the wrong continent," Vadimas said.  His voice was calm, though with a current of excitement.  Hopefully it would calm his young friend.  It was clear that he was pleased with where they had ended up.  And he could likely get them back home, at least home as he thought of it.  It had been several years since he had left to wander, though Vadimas was looking forward to walking the lands of Revaliir once more. 

The white haired halfling listened to her friend's voice. She took a few deep breaths as she reached up to his face and ran her fingers across his lips. “You are very happy. This is unlike you.” She took a tilted her head up and thought about for a while. “We're in a garden. No, not just a garden it is unlike any that I've ever smelled before.”

Listening to his answer there was a frown across her porcelain like face. “I see.” She started to get upset at the thought of losing her loved ones but he was attempting to keep her calm. “I've heard about them from Aunt Angela. She use to describe them to me.” She pulled herself together out of her slump and held onto Vadimas.

Something struck her like a storm. She sensed the others. Standing up she regained her balance. She began to water as she held out her arms. She had no idea she was on a floating platform. “I feel them.” She reached her hands up and her hair flowed behind her. “I can feel them deep down. Their power.” The dress she had on showed the scars from where her wings had once been.

“My mother is alive. We didn't think that was possible. Aunt Angela. Aunt Toya. Aunt Lily. I feel the others as well.” She turned and held her hands out as she made her way back to Vadimas. She felt his power most of all. “I can feel you.” She pulled him up and pressed her ear to where his heart was. “I am so happy. I can feel everyone even if DaeLuin is gone what matters is here.” She was tearing up as she thought about it. 

She put her hand to head. “My aura sight is trying to tap into everything and its giving me a headache. I can't be for a little bit. I wish I could see the colors.. Will you describe everything to me? Like how you use to when we out for walks.” She held onto him before reaching out for her horse and petting his long mane.

He decided to let her figure things out, and Vadimas was not disappointed in her conclusions.  "No, there is no garden like this anywhere.  It is truly unique," he said, looking around.  It had been many years since he come to the Hanging Gardens, but they never failed to disappoint.  Following Crystaline closely, he knew that they were some height in the air.  There were ways down, but he wasn't quite ready to explore them yet.  She would enjoy this place quite a bit.  He almost regretting telling her of what he guessed happen to Daeluin, but he had always found the truth was more important than a pretty lie.  His head canted to one side, she could feel their family, even from out here?  How interesting…

"it does not surprise me that they survived.  And we will find them, though it will take a bit of journeying.  From here, there isn't really a direct way to Arri," he explained.  The description of how her magic was reacting was a bit odd, and it wasn't something he was certain of how to help her with.  Perhaps it had to do with her halfblooded nature, that tended to interact with Rosen blood in unique ways.  "You need to concentrate a bit first, dampen the energy that you're processing," Vadimas explained.  It would take her a bit of time to understand how things worked on Revaliir, but with the Rosen women around, it would be quite a bit easier.  Guiding her hand to a flower, it was one with silken petals and long, grasslike petals.  "That one is called angel-hair.  Silvery white in color, and the leaves are a pale golden-green.  The flowers also have healing powers," he explained.  They could wind their way to the ground, and take their time in getting to Arri.  He wasn't exactly looking forward to dealing with his female counterparts again…

Crystaline turned her head so her ear was towards him. She listened to him and smiled. “Not even like Aunt Angela's?” That seemed weird to comprehend that the Avatar now turned Goddess had a garden to compete with. She bent down and slipped off her slippers. Holding them in her hands she felt the ground with her feet a bit better. She could tell the ground better. “Magic. There's a lot of magic here.”

Listening to him about her family she smiled a bit. “It's not just that. It's that my mother is alive. They had no idea where she was. I couldn't feel her at all on DaeLuin. I thought she was dead. Here I can feel her Vadimas.” Her magic was still vibrating through her as she felt the magic beneath her. “We're high up. I can tell from when I had my wings. No matter where you are the winds always feel different way up high.” She said with a smile.

Going with him she smiled as she brought her other hand over dropping her slippers. She felt the petals and the grass like leaves. “White like my hair?” She smiled a bit and ran her hands down the stem. “Pale golden was Aunt Lily's aura. I miss her. We will see her soon I think. We will see everyone.” She took Vadimas's hand and before she put her other hand up to his lips for a moment.

“What are you thinking about?” She removed her hand and sat with him. “You know that even without your voice and being able to see you I can normally tell when you are thinking about something,” she teased him a bit as she held his arm close to her. “You should be happy that everyone is here. We don't really have to go to Sularia and stay there. Unless you want to leave me with my mother.” She said it sadly. “I know it can be hard taking care of me.”

"I believe so.  I would have to check the archives, but I cannot recall such a place like this.  It has a sad story behind it though," Vadimas cautioned.  He didn't want to crush the young woman's spirit with how this place had come into being, given how much she was enjoying it.  When she mentioned that she could sense the magic of this place, Vadimas sighed a little.  "I wish that you had your sight, my dear.  Words fail to properly describe this place," he admitted.  Normally he was quite eloquent, but he knew that Crystaline would not have a true picture of this place without being able to see it. 

It was likely that Crystaline would find quite a few surprises on Revaliir, and not just long lost family.  "We are quite a ways up.  But it is easy enough to get down.  We can start moving when you are ready.  A place like this is to be savored though," Vadimas said.  He was in no hurry, especially since he was certain that others of the Rosen clan would still be filtering home after awhile.  They could wait for a time.  "They are.  There are other flowers too, shades not seen anywhere else in Revaliir.  And I believe you are right.  Tell me, can you feel Bryony as well?" he asked, a note of concern to his voice.  His mentor had always played a large part in his life, and he was certain she was safe.  But he would not believe it completely until he could see her. 

There was something in her voice that worried Vadimas.  It was a note of self dislike that he knew well of, and he wanted to allay her fears as quickly as possible.  "No, it is not that.  But we should go to Sularia and at least visit, I am sure that many would be glad to know you have arrived safely.  Where you stay is up to you.  But I prefer to wander, and there are many places I would like to visit again," he said.  In his heart, Vadimas knew that he was beginning to grow attached to the young woman and her gentle spirit.  Perhaps it would be better if she stayed in Sularia, at least for a time. 

Crystaline gave him a sad smile. "The most beautiful people and places in the world normally do Vadi." She had called him that off and on recently.  She heard his sigh and a chuckle left her lips. She reached over and pressed her lips to his cheek as soon as she found it. "Someday maybe I will. You never know with how magic is. For now I will settle for how beautiful you weave your words. You paint the world for me. The auras do the rest." Right now she could not see all the beautiful colors but that would have to do.

She reached up to his white hair and pet it softly. "I want to savor it. The magic of it and everything you have to teach me." She reached out to other flowers. Feeling each one and even wincing when she grabbed hold of a thorny one. "I can feel her too. She is here but a while away like the others." She moved her hand over blades of grass.

A smile came back to her face as he soothed her. "Aye, Sularia would be a good place to go." She took a moment to think and moved her hands back to his face. She felt his features and his muscles as he moved his lips. "I want to go too. I would feel lonely without you." She felt his face more before smiling. "It would be weird not to have you with me. Like how it was when I was a child I always had my brother." It was a weird comparison. "I don't want that feeling going away again."

She found a flower she liked the shape of. It was a vibrant iris in many colors. She picked it and felt where his ear was before putting it there. "There now you have something pretty for your normally grumpy face." She chuckled softly at him. "Someday I will see the colors again. I will see what colors the aura of life has. Maybe that will close this void I feel in my heart." She took his hands and stood up slowly. 

"I'm okay now Vadi if you want to continue looking around." She pulled on him softly before hugging herself to him. "Thank you for saving me and being there for me."

He felt silent for a few long moments.  Vadimas knew that he was beginning to grow attached to the young woman, and to the Oracle that was dangerous.  Both to him and to her.  A plan began to form in his mind, but he would give no hint of it now.  Not while she was enjoying this place.  Would Crystaline understand?  He had no idea, but likely not.  The best thing he could do was to leave her in Sularia, she would be safe there, and perhaps the Academy would be able to bring her sight back.  And Vadimas would retain his visions.  He had lived for quite some time without any attachments, and it was better for everyone that way.  Even if it was difficult for some to understand. 

Relaxing a bit when Crystaline confirmed that his mentor was indeed here, Vadimas kept the bright tone to his voice.  "Good, I would be surprised more if she was not here.  I think we should plan to visit Sularia for a couple of weeks at least.  Willow should still be in charge there, and she will know where everyone is," he explained.  And from there, messages could be sent, and connections made to ensure the Rosen clan was still whole.  At least as much as possible.  There was an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach when Crystaline wanted to stay with him, he knew that it was definitely time to move on.  It was only for her own safely, once he grew attached to someone, then Vadimas would be unable to see any visions related to them.  And he would be able to better prevent disasters from occurring.

Letting out a hrmph, Vadimas got his bearings once more.  "Grumpy, am I?  And you are quite welcome.  I do not think I would have been forgiven had I come home without you.  Not to mention, I would not be so cruel to abandon people to a dying world if I could help it.  Now, lets get you back on your horse.  It is quite a ways down," he said.  It would take a few days to get to a civilized part of the world, but the Airship would still be available, and that was their best bet.  And the sooner he was able to leave Crystaline somewhere safe, the better for them both.