Loved and Lost

The Helagation

Walking into the Helagation, it feels as if there's a familiar presence. It's a chilly sort of feeling but I'm sure it's only because of the dimly lit candles. As we reach the entrance to the main room, the red rug underneath us continues down the long corridor. Kida and I continue on but I can't help but study anything and everything. The long hall. The large red and gold ribbons hanging from the ceilings. They're at least ten feet away from each other and they stretch all the way down the hall.

There's four rooms in this long corridor, two on each side of the room. Looking down at the first one on my left, there's someone meditating. I can't tell what since they're wearing a hood. Some others, I see, are reading books. Others I'm sure are conversing amongst themselves around here but obviously very quietly.

At the end of the hall, I see now as we come closer, is a stone staircase leading to a second floor and a giant stone door. Where the handle is, there seems to be a space in the stone carved out, only to be replaced with wood and dark sapphire. I see that over each archway and door frame, there's branches and twigs coming and going out of the cracks. They look so beautiful and well kept that I'm sure it's not a mistake gone amiss. "There's a common area where you can get food and drinks." Kida points to the entryway to the right of us. The corridors are diagonal from each other, going left, right, left, right, end of hallway, stairs and mysterious stone door. "Then the arena," she points to the open archway on our left. From what I can see, there's a number of weapons, some straw statues and a doorless patio that seems to lead outside to something greater. "The living quarters and meditation areas are on the right."

"What about that door? And what's upstairs?" I ask her. I'm sure she's trained here plenty of times. That's probably why she's so lethal. What I'm really wondering is how she's able to train me while simultaneously losing Rodac. We need to go after him but I know there's nothing that I can do until I learn everything that I quite possibly can.

"I knew I sensed the presence of death." An orotund voice from behind us. My heart jumps just from the boom in his voice alone. Without hesitation, I grab the hilt of my sword and as I turn around, Kida gently takes my shoulder in her hand, calming my anxiety.

"Master Baldyr," Kida signs, bowing to him. Turning towards me, she introduces this giant to me as she brings herself back up. "Ajita, this is my master. He has helped me through more dark times than you know. This man has treated me like his own daughter and I couldn't be more grateful for him.

"And yet, you're back on my doorstep." He cackles. "How have you been, younglin?" So she is half-Poliquin. Her voice is soft, softer than I've heard up until this point. It sounds like she truly respects this man, and with that, I'll respect him as seen fit. "He's the son of Thyr," Son to the God of War. Damn it. Now I have to give him my respect.

He chuckles, "You know," he begins, taking it slow. "It's not very wise to grasp your weapon in someone else's home. Especially when you've only just gotten here." He glares at my hand, which is still holding the hilt.

I snatch my own hand away, mentally berating myself on such idiocy. But then again, how was I to know that he was a demi-god? "I'm sorry, I was just startled." I tell him sheepishly. I bow my head just like Kida did to show my respect because even though he's not my master, he's still the son of a literal God. Nodding his head, he accepts my apology. I look master Baldyr over, examining everything from his steel boots to his five foot ten bald head. I don't know how but I notice his light colored eyebrows and can only imagine what he'd look like if he actually had hair. I'm pretty sure he'd be a dark, sandy blond. He has a really long sword, probably the size of his wingspan that he keeps on his hip. One that looks like it could block even Rodacs attacks. It barely scrapes the ground though, which would and does irritate me. I mean seriously, just touch the ground or pick it up a few feet and stay away from it. That's all I'm saying. Mentally, I'm shrugging my shoulders.