Undying Ch. 22-26

"Are you angrier that he murdered the entire order or that she succeeded where you failed, brother?" Odos' teasing tone was light as he added, "Decorum is overrated, effectiveness and loyalty are worth a great deal more."

"Tell me Edra, why did you kill those who wished to help you?" The other god came to stand in front of Vezar.

"The words you spoke, Brother Somi, that I was living in a wasteland of my own creation and that I must choose to change my lot. You said death was a gift denied to me and granted to others, you said I was a creature beyond law and reckoning and that I must embrace what I am." Vezar took a breath and tilted his head up proudly. "That is what I did."

Master Odos began to laugh as his brother looked sheepish. "Imos, you persuaded him to kill an entire order of your own priests!"

"He misunderstood me." Imos eyed her. "How would you have taken my words?"

"Truthfully? They sound like you wanted him to embrace something awful inside himself, his gifts could have been used to good ends, he could have been an unrivaled healer," she watched Imos' eyes widen and head tilt slightly. "But you came at it from the worst possible angle. You encouraged him to embrace killing and told him he was above consequences. With guidance like that, no wonder things didn't go well."

Imos looked at her with an unreadable expression. "How much?" His silvery eyes shifted to Odos. "How much for the rook?"

"She isn't for sale, brother." Master Odos looked viciously proud.

"You once said anything that isn't for sale can be stolen. Name a price or I'll-"

"Oh, this I've got to see." Syreilla interrupted him by coming to her feet. "Chains haven't been made that can hold me, and if your temples are any indication, I wouldn't have a moment's trouble getting out of anywhere you tried to keep me."

"On your knees, my little rook." Master Odos squeezed her shoulder and she grudgingly sank to her knees. "The only way to steal her is to steal her heart. It would require you to share your own, brother, a feat you've yet to manage. Even Vezar Edra, the Undying, a child of Hevtos, has managed to take a piece of her from the ones I gave her to. At a high cost. You're here because I succeeded where you failed. My little rook is the reason he chose to return to his true form."

"You're not supposed to say our uncle's name." Imos glowered at him.

"According to you, brother. Not even our father is that angry with him."

Imos turned to Vezar with annoyance, "Is it true, Edra? Did you steal a piece of this thief?"

"I have tried. I love her. She has loved me as a brother and I have loved her as I have loved no other. I will keep her from her chosen family in the mine. I will guard her as gold for all of my life." The set of Vezar's jaw and the earnest passion with which he spoke made her want to embrace him as much as it made her want to argue that he couldn't and shouldn't keep her from her home and family, from her husband.

"The torn expression on her face is much like our mother's is it not? She loves her family and her husband, and yet she loves this one as well." Master Odos stroked her hair and tilted her face up toward him. "My mother will speak with you and find the truth of what you want, little rook."

"My mischievous son," a softly sighing voice graced her ears. "For the second time, you bring before me a child of my children."

"Yes, mother. I would ask a boon on behalf of-"

"Of your own daughter? That is unbefitting." The soft voice almost sounded teasing.

"His own..." Imos blinked and looked at Syreilla again more carefully. "He hid her well. I believed she was a simple half-elf."

"On behalf of one I love. I was a teacher, never a father to her."

"Brother, a poor father is still a father. I would be willing to ask on her behalf, if," his lips curved in a smug smile, "she never plunders another of my temples."

"Done."

"And-" Imos was enjoying himself now. "She secures them, preventing other thieves from plundering them."

"There is one tiny problem with that," Syr offered cautiously. "A clever thief will always be able to find a way in. As long as you understand that, I can offer suggestions to secure your temples."

"I disagree. If anyone can secure a temple thoroughly it would be the daughter of Odos." Imos looked at her sharply as if she were trying to deceive him.

"You could bar all worshippers and priests from your temples, put traps everywhere you can think of, and ward the doors to do awful things to anyone who enters through them and a clever thief will get past all of it. Time and tools are all they need." She shrugged. "I'll give you my opinions and suggestions if Master Odos says I should, and I'll stop looting your temples if he says, but you won't ever keep every thief out. There will always be a way in. It just takes time."

His measured look before he glanced back to his brother told her she'd been heard. "The things I could have done with a child that clever, brother."

"I'm aware. Why do you think I hid her so well?" Odos asked dryly. "She'll stop plundering your temples, and she'll advise those you send to her of how best to protect your temples."

"I would have her come to the temples." Imos looked at Odos as if he were attempting to dupe him.

"I would have her home in the mine with the family I arranged for her."

"She would be wasted in a mine." Vezar and Imos spoke at once.

"Everyone says that but it's not a waste if you're happy there," Syr muttered and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Truer words, my little rook, truer words." Master Odos beamed down at her.

"Very well, brother, but don't attempt to get her out of her obligations. If she leaves the mine she must visit one of my temples to offer her suggestions."

"Agreed." Master Odos looked at her expectantly.

She inclined her head to him. "Agreed."

"Mother, I ask a boon on behalf of my brother's child," Imos spoke clearly.

"I will grant her one." The voice was sorrowful and as it died away she found herself kneeling before a sad-looking woman on a throne. "I will show you two paths and my boon will be the choice you make."

Her eyes were so familiar and filled with such pain, Syreilla had to ask, "Why are you so sad? Is there anything I can do?"

A smile lightened her face and her eyes shone like water with the sun behind it. "My Odos would be the one to have a soft-hearted child. Should I ever need you I will summon you."

In front of where Syr was kneeling was suddenly an image of her at home in the mine, content and curled close to Kaduil, her belly swollen with what she knew would be a son with his father's dark looks and her mischievousness. It was only a glimpse but it made her heart sing and her eyes water.

As quickly as the first image had appeared came the next, Vezar holding her close and whispering words of love undying. She could love him and they would find joyful purpose together. The image faded and she looked up at the once more sorrowful goddess.

"Would it be wrong to ask you-"

"To show you what happens to them when you choose the other?"

She nodded.

"No, but few wish to see such sadness."

In front of her was Vezar, his golden-brown eyes filled with pain and rage, hunched and shackled in a shadowy place. His life devoid of joy and purpose, devoid of love, his heart devoured by betrayal and hatred. The image faded immediately into the next, Kaduil hunting the world over for her. His good heart aching and breaking far from home and utterly alone.

"You must choose."

Syr's throat was closed by the agonized lump in it and her eyes watered and burned as she tried to think. Bowing her head and covering her face, she tried to breathe and not let the growing desperation get the better of her. She had to think. Neither one could be allowed to happen.

Breathing deeply, she lifted her head and asked with only a trace of a helpless jest, "Can you split me in two and let me walk both paths? I can't break Kaduil's heart any more than I can let that happen to Vezar."

The goddess looked at her carefully and then smiled with the brilliance of the sun. "I can. One half would be the demi-goddess, immortal and gifted, the other would be the mortal thief, still a half-elf, still charming, but not as quick or as lucky."

"That sounds... perfect." Syr smiled and shook her head. "Vezar would need the immortal half, and Kaduil would love me no matter what, I think. I might even be a better wife to him if I have to be more cautious."

The goddess lifted her hands beckoning for the half-elf to come closer and take them. By the time Syr reached her, two identical-looking Syreillas were standing there and took hold of the goddess' hands.

"You must walk to find your way out, I know the two of you will have a great deal to discuss and I would give you the time you need." The goddess smiled warmly and released their hands and suddenly they were left alone together in the strange hall.

"Should we change our names?" The two asked at once. "Syreilla and..."

The demi-goddess smiled "Syveilla?"

"You could go with Anissa, he liked that one."

"He did, but he loves his perfect Syreilla." They looked at one another and grinned.

"Syreilla Hammersworn and Syreilla the Rook?"

"That I like. The Rook. I'll have to talk to Master Odos about our parentage, by the way. We've been blaming the elves for abandoning us and never considered blaming the gods."

Hammersworn laughed and shook her head. "We never considered there were gods to blame. What's bothering me more is the question of how much of our skill was ours and how much was inherited from Master Odos."

"I guess you'll get to find out, I'm a little jealous of that." Rook smiled ruefully.

"And you get forever to find out if Vezar was telling the truth about his pleasures and perversions." Hammersworn lifted her eyebrows and smirked.

"I hope he was, or I'll be doing a lot of dreaming about Kaduil while I teach him some new tricks." Rook bumped her, swallowing the worry of whether or not she actually wanted to look at Vezar that way. It would be an adjustment to completely change the way she thought of him.

"I hope Kaduil is going to be happy with just a half-elf. He always treated us like we were some kind of goddess."

Rook took a deep breath and grinned, blushing slightly, "I'm almost certain he wouldn't have done some of those things with a goddess. His heart is yours Syreilla Hammersworn and you get to enjoy it for as long as you live."

"And you get to enjoy Vezar. I almost want to ask you to tell me what that's like some time if you can." Hammersworn squeezed her hand encouragingly. "He's affectionate and beautiful. If he isn't too decorous you could have an eternity of fun. And what was that about joyful purpose?"

"He is beautiful, the amount of decorum he has is worrying though." Rook frowned. "Kaduil did everything right, I can't imagine better. Not a better lover or a better husband."

"Focus on the good. That kiss had promise and Vezar is charming. It might be a nice challenge to teach him how to be a good lover. I think he'll be a good husband for you on his own, he wanted the chance to make us happy and you get to give it to him." Hammersworn offered Rook a reassuring smile.

"True. It was a good kiss. He is charming and he has a good heart. I hope you're not taking all of the optimism with you." Rook smiled back.

"If I do, you can come visit any time you need some. Bring some divine luck with you, I might want to borrow it." The two grinned and wrapped an arm around each other.

"I don't feel... less anything yet. Do you?" Rook asked curiously.

"I feel hopeful. But I do feel a little less like I want to go out and work. Some time to rest at home would be ideal." Hammersworn let her lips twist.

"That's odd, I feel like I need something to do. You asked about the joyful purpose... I don't know any more about it than you do but I am looking forward to it." Rook paused. "What will you name your son?"

"I'll have to talk to Kaduil about that. Oduil isn't a bad name but neither is Baduil. I don't know if Kaduil would agree to either."

"I like both of those." Rook nodded her approval.

"Of course you do!" Hammersworn laughed.

*Twenty-six*

Vezar closed his eyes and prayed silently to Zyulla. He needed more time with Syreilla to get her to choose him over her husband. To be without her for eternity would be a worse fate than being locked in the box in deathlike sleep. It would be a worse fate than death.

"You have no idea, child of Hevtos," Imos murmured as if he'd heard.

"Why do you say that, your illustriousness?" Vezar kept his eyes cast down.

"For your many sins, Hevtos has a task for you. As one of his, you will obey or you will spend eternity in torment. If Syreilla chooses to return to her husband, as she should, will you spend eternity obediently serving out your penance? Or will you be trying to seduce her from her husband's side?" Imos' smug tones said he knew the answer already.

"An eternity without her would be an eternity of torment without any other punishments needed." He closed his eyes and began to pray again, even for hours with her no matter her choice. Never to see her again would break him.

He prayed for days with the unaccustomed feelings of hunger and thirst beginning to afflict him. The furious entrance of Kaduil, he mistook for a hallucination at first. Once he realized the dwarf had been brought so that Syreilla could make her choice standing before them both, he studied the dwarf with open hostility. Kaduil was squat and hairy, his face was rugged and without refinement. How could she find such a creature beautiful... How could she find a creature like himself beautiful?

Vezar waited, needing to make one last plea to his perfect Syreilla before she left him. When she walked in twice he thought he must be dreaming. One walked to him and the other to Kaduil.

"I'm Syreilla the Rook," she smiled down at him ruefully. "You and I are going to be spending a very long time finding out if you're true to your word, Vezar Edra."

"Kaduil Hardjaw, I'm Syreilla Hammersworn. Do you still-"

The dwarf cut her off with a strangled cry of relief and swept her feet out from under her, catching her as if he'd done it before. "My golden-haired girl. You're coming home with me."

The one who'd introduced herself as Hammersworn began to laugh and kiss the dwarf's face, "Husband, I want nothing more."

Reaching out, Vezar grabbed the hips of the woman standing before him. "Syreilla? My Syreilla?"

"Your Syreilla. We asked to be split in two because we couldn't bear to hurt either of you." She looked hesitant. "You said you loved me, and that you'd never part with me, do you still-"

"Yes! I will love you and keep you until the oceans burn and the sun dies. When all of time has run its course I will still love you, sweet Syreilla." He pulled her close, clutching her hips to his chest and staring up at her in breathless surprise. She had chosen and he was not alone.

"He has been given the task of finding and ferrying the lost and lingering dead to the realms below. Think carefully, Syreilla." Imos cautioned her. "You would be in Hevtos' service."

"A joyful purpose." Her hands smoothed his hair and she smiled like the sun breaking through the clouds. "Didn't I say that ferrying the dead home is what we do together?"