Not Enough

[Luca]

The stone path gives way to a flight of weather-worn, stone steps. As Al'ar leads Haley and Akuji up these steps, the fog begins to lift around them, revealing the ruin of a temple. The temple sits above the banks of the island, and is overgrown by beautiful plants unknown to the rest of Alanor. The air is fragrant with the smell of ferns and flowers. A thin mist scuds across the ground, but otherwise it seems that as soon as you have stepped into the temple, you have somehow escaped the haze...as if it were a magical defense, and not a natural weather phenomenon.

Despite how much the temple has fallen into disrepair, the gardens that spring up from it at random seem well-tended, and there are a few rooms which still possess all four walls and roof. Fragments of spectacular stained-glass windows, sculpture and fountains give a hint to what this place looked like, in its heyday.

The phoenix comes to a halt on a dias, and indicates with an outstretched wing that Haley is free to explore.

[Haley]

As Haley and her mantel trailed after Al'ar they both visibly relaxed, though neither completely let down their guard. It was against Haley's nature to be comfortable in any environment save for her own living quarters. Some might call her paranoid, she called it prepared. When confronted by unknown variables, Haley subconsciously responded by attempting to be ready for anything that would come her way. She believed the phoenix’s assurance that she would face no danger in this sacred place, but that didn't mean she could convince her body to believe it too.

Haley couldn't hide the expression of amazement that overtook her face once the temple was in full view. Even without the bird's unspoken permission to explore, Haley found her pace quickening, her hazel eyes fire-bright with eagerness. It was an expression akin to the one that had graced her face the first day she had set foot in Alanor. Though the Seelie court had quickly lost its lustrous appeal, Alanor consistently amazed the little Nimbus. Reaching out with a petite hand, Haley ran her fingers lightly over the wall closest to her, her fingernails scraping gently against the stonework. She wasted no time in inspecting the stained glass that littered the ground and still clung to the window-shaped holes in the decrepit walls, fond memories of her adopted mother's glass work wafting through her mind. A soft smile topped her lips; a truly happy smile not commonly seen on the cynical Nimbus's face.

She would have been content to explore the temple for hours, even days, but after several minutes of picking her way through the area, Akuji in tow, the woman hesitated in front of a fountain. Haley traced her fingers cracks in the now-dry object as she stared somewhat off to the side, her eyes slightly unfocused. Then, thoughtfully, she turned back towards Al'ar, "Why has this place been abandoned?" Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper as if she were afraid to speak.

[Luca]

Al'ar watches the young faerie explore, his expression content as a monk's. After a time he also begins to walk, moving to perch on the paw of a marble gryphon; one of a handful of sculptures that are still perfectly intact. The statue is so detailed, it seems as if it might at any moment burst into life. In an alcove twined in climbing jasmine, a similar statue that looks very much like Al'ar stands regally.

"Oh, it was never abandoned, my dear. We cast everyone out." The phoenix looks thoughtful as he remembers, glancing around the atrium where the nimbus and her bonded have paused. "It repairs itself a bit when there are faerie here to study, but it was only fully intact for a day. Fate wished that it would be eternally crumbling and overgrown. A reminder that the Fae are not gods, though they were mistaken for them long ago." He chuckles and walks toward her, apparently not so bothered by the story that he cannot enjoy a private joke. "Does it please you? She hoped it would."

[Haley]

A reminder that the Fae are not gods, though they were mistaken for them long ago. Haley nearly choked on her own spit as she fought back a peal of laughter that threatened to erupt from her throat. She wanted to make some snide remark about how obviously it didn’t work or maybe the fae need another reminder but she figured it would be a bit inappropriate and the spitfire Nimbus was feeling somewhat subdued in such an awe-inspiring place. Instead she swallowed her laughter and watched the phoenix, a bit of mirth twinkling in her eyes.

”It’s beautiful.” Haley’s voice grew a bit bolder as she voiced her opinion. Who in their right mind would not be enchanted by something like this? ”Though I cannot help but think it has ultimately failed in its intended purpose.” In the end she couldn’t resist making a jab at Alanor’s current inhabitants, ”The Fae I’ve had the pleasure of meeting seem to think themselves greater than gods.” She refrained from naming names, her fingers trailing lightly across the top of Akuji’s head.

[Luca]

Al'ar chuckles, as he tends to do, and his eyes crinkle with amusement. "You are the first faerie to set foot here in hundreds of years, Haley. Only those who have heard a message can be moved by it." His laughter slows as he seems to consider something. "Although perhaps if the Drow have their way, your Seelie court will also look like this. A reminder that is closer to home may prove to be more convincing." He ruffles his feathers and shakes his head, as if this is not a polite matter for discussion right now. "But that is not why we are here. We are here because this place may have value for you now, in these troubled times. You, and perhaps a few others."

He steps off the gryphon's paw and begins to stroll around the space, considering each of the lifelike statues that are within view. "This place was once called the Isle of the Eloquent, the seat of a group of faerie called the Eloquent Intellects, the partners and friends of the Quixotic Kith, to which I belong. That is a long way of saying that the fae who studied here were seekers and learners, willing to set aside their court values and blood discrimination for the sake of knowledge. For those who made great progress, Fate would bestow special rewards."

[Haley]

Haley raised an eyebrow. Hundreds of years? It was rare for Haley to feel belittled. Though she knew many faerie in Alanor were hundreds, even thousands of years old, Haley rarely felt inadequate next to them. But now, standing in a place that was established centuries before her birth caused the Nimbus to suddenly feel quite…small. Haley quickly brushed aside this feeling as she listened intently to Al’ar, though her expression soured a tad at the mention of the Drow. There was no way in hell, not while she lived anyways, that Haley would allow the Drow to set foot in the Seelie court. She would have liked to press the issue, but Al’ar was quick to change topics.

She drew in a deep breath as he moved, taking in the primary terms mentioned. Isle of the Eloquent. Eloquent Intellects. Quixotic Kith. Haley shifted her weight slightly, unnerved by her own ignorance of the terms presented, and unsettled by the phoenix’s description of the isle’s inhabitants. Seekers of knowledge? Haley was certainly one of those, but she was anything but eloquent, and, to no surprise to her, Haley was already formulating just how she could use this place to her advantage. It was likely that the little Nimbus would not fare well here – her thirst for knowledge was fueled by her desire for power – and Al’ar was giving her the impression that faerie like her would not be admitted into the area for long, if at all.

Still, Haley managed a sliver of a smile, ”So I am to carry the message of this place back to my fellow faerie?” She asked calmly, her eyes tracing over his frame. Haley was managing to maintain face, but the weight of the situation at hand rounded her shoulders. She was fighting back her selfish desires to remain on the island forever, to forget about the rest of Alanor. Unfortunately, this didn’t seem to be plausible, and a part of her brain whispered the benefits of exposing the place to her Seelie brethren as the first step to perhaps securing a future for their court.

[Luca]

The Phoenix laughs with more earnest at Haley's supposition, his chuckle giving way to comic-sounding guffaws. "Ah, no, brave Haley. You do not strike me as an evangelist." He laughs again, a little more softly, and almost appears to smile. "You are permitted to tell whomever you please, of course; only the worthy will be able to remain here long. But Fate has another purpose, bringing you here."

Al'ar strolls toward Haley as he speaks, stopping at a distance that suggests both respect for her personal space, and the desire to have a real conversation. "I have a question for you," he says matter-of-factly, "What is it that you want in this world? What would make you happy?" He seems genuinely concerned by this question, all traces of amusement fled from his expression.

[Haley]

Haley remained silent, neither amused by the pheonix’s chuckled nor annoyed by it. By now she was simply content to just stand there, her fingers entwined in the fur of Akuji’s nape. Haley’s eyes trailed over the bird as he came closer, narrowing at his question. Leave it to a mystical creature to pose an unanswerable question. Haley shifted back, leaning against the fountain, her free hand brushing back strands of her auburn hair. An amused smile, perhaps a bit cynical in nature, graced her lips, ”Me? Happy?” Haley’s eyes were sharp, ”I think you know very well phoenix that it is hard to satisfy someone like me.”

The little Nimbus shifted her weight as she continued to speak, her voice level and calm, ”Someone who constantly quests for power can never truly be happy. If you offered me a goblin blade I would use it to take the throne. If you offered me the throne I would use it to enact revenge. I can think of a million and one things that could satiate me for a short while, but nothing that could placate me for eternity. I have that already.” She was referring to Akuji of course. He was the only thing in this world that kept her sane. ”A horse would be nice though.” She added jokingly, her smile broadening but quickly fading. Her look grew serious.

"Honestly, Al'ar, there is one thing that could ease my heart a great deal. Realization of my ignorance when it comes to this world, and more particularly my enemies and how to destroy them is something that now plagues me, stealing my sleep. The ability to bring myself and the other members of my court some peace of mind would be welcomed but not expected." An assault on Haley’s home and on her mantel was something the little Nimbus could not tolerate. It would bring her immense peace to see the Drow punished for what they did. As for the Queen….thoughts of dethroning her surfaced in Haley’s mind. There were conflicting reasons behind this desire. Part of it corresponded with her prior wish, and part of it was pure selfishness. Haley was not blind to her own ambition, and she was sure she could be a hell of a lot better ruler than Annette currently was, but now was not the time nor the place to bring up such a topic.

[Luca]

Al’ar listens to the faerie respond, intent upon her words, as still as the statues around him. He seems unmoved by her confession; unsurprised. When she finally does answer his question, he considers it for a time before responding, himself.

“How queer that you should consider happiness and satisfaction the same...but I am old and featherbrained, so perhaps I do not understand faerie feelings. If it is satisfaction you seek, I can see that you will have a hard time coming by it. If you succeed in usurping the Seelie throne, you will be plagued by whispering enemies and critics, as every monarch is. This court that you wish to protect is no more worthy of protection than the Unseelie, and no more friendly to you, I think.” He pauses, tilting his head to regard her from one bright blue eye. “I do not mean to discourage you by saying so, but I wonder if you have thought about why you thirst for power and status. Does your lack of influence plague you as much as your lack of knowledge? If you had to choose between remedying one or the other, what would you choose?”

He begins to walk away even as he is finishing his sentence. “Hard questions, I know. You do not have to answer now. In the meantime there is the matter of the island you have discovered. It has been given to you to protect, if you would have it. It will be given to others for other reasons, but all who take this place as their own are responsible for it, and for its inhabitants. You may find it easier to discover the truth if there are others seeking the same. The Eloquent Intellects are not a court, per say, but they do derive power from one another, and from the island they serve. Knowledge and Power are closely linked, even without the magic of this place, but some have been known to come into Sidhe grace by their service, as well.”

The phoenix stops by a doorway, through which the image of the garden beyond shimmers strangely, like a mirage. He turns back toward her, and stands a bit straighter beside its carved arch.

“Do you accept Fate’s gift, and the responsibility of guarding it?”

[Haley]

Al’ar’s words stung, though Haley did not find them surprising. She was a naïve child - that much she could admit. Her entire life had been spent under the shadow of parents who constantly considered her actions not good enough. The disappointment in their eyes haunted her till this day. Haley knew that was why she felt so unsatisfied with such a low status. Her mind was so tainted with an inferiority complex, the feeling that no matter what she did she would never be good enough to stand at the top, that she was blind to the fact that perhaps being who she was would suffice for what she wanted to do. Al’ar’s question was not one she hadn’t pondered before. She knew the answer to it – she just didn’t know the solution.

She watched him, unaware that by now her fingers had curled into fists, her nails biting into her flesh, nearly drawing blood. There was anger in her gently shaking flesh – anger at herself and her inability to effectively express just how frustrated she was with everything in her life. Haley didn’t like thinking about these things but Al’ar seemed to love bringing them up. She was grateful when he switched topics, though it was Akuji who broke her from her stupor, his maw moving to nibble rather harshly on her clenched hands. Haley let loose the breath she had been holding, her lips parting into an overly-cocky grin; a blatant attempt to cover up her earlier unease.

”Yes.” There was no hesitation in her answer. Haley was never one to back down from a challenge or a task. That was what had made her a good soldier and that was what made her a good court subject – if used properly. Whether or not this task was meant to be a challenge was beyond the point. Haley would do it, and not because it offered her the chance to further her knowledge and possibly her power (though those two points did factor in to her decision). No. Deep down Haley was bored, and a bored Haley needed something to throw everything she had into.