When the Fire Held the Light

Once again, this story is being written 100% by hand and then converted into editable text via OCR software. I do not catch every single misread the software causes.

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Rain poured down on Weiss as she urged Arion into a canter. Right now, she was riding relatively blind. she knew that a town key to the west of her, but she had lost all sense of direction at this point. She was supposed to be on her way to Hazelmere, a small town on the border. They needed an Illuminator of Lore as it'd been some ten years and they had sent a message to the Illuminator's Guild for help. The Guild had chosen her for the job, but she was fairly certain she was going to be delayed by several weeks if she stayed out in this storm much longer. She had been setting up camp for the night until she saw the eerie glowing, purple clouds approaching. She'd broken as soon as she could and headed toward the west. hoping to find sanctuary.  There! She could see lamps lit in a guard tower! She continued to urge Arion on. The air around them crackled with Aether and Weiss could feel her hair raising despite the rain. Damn it, she was going to get sick! Any Illuminator caught out in a Night of Shattered Threads storm on a moonless night was going to get Umbral Resonance Syndrome. She had been out too long. Damn storm. Why did it have to happen on her way to Hazelmere? It was almost too early in the year for this. She had never heard of a Shattered Thread this early...but so was the nature of magical storms. They were even more unpredictable than the normal weather. They reached the guard tower and town gate where Weiss pulled some of the light from the guard tower down to herself. The purple rain severely dampened her light and the glow it cast, but she could see someone looking over the side of the tower. "Please open the gate for me! I'm an Illuminator of Lore that's heading to another town! I need to get out of this storm or I'll get incredibly sick!" She spoke as loud as she could, though the magical nature of the storm Matt led her words and her request. She hoped they would allow her into town; she had unfortunately already come down with U R S if her hair defying the rain was anything to go off of. She would have to find somebody to treat her and she could only hope there was a Sanctum here that she could stay at and be treated. Several minutes passed and the gate opened. Weiss didn't allow the light to fade as that was what was guiding her way. She was just glad to get out from under the aether rain for a bit. However, her hair continued to stand on end as she sat underneath the archway. She wasn't wet despite the rain…or her clothes weren't, at least. She could feel a substance sticking to her skin as if her clothes weren't there. She shivered, her skin cold and clammy thanks to the substance coating it. A guard came down and berated her which she cut off with an "Enough!" she huffed. "Look, I know it's your job to keep the town safe but I'm no threat. I'm an Aetherian caught in a Threaded storm. My magic is going to be on the fritz for a while after this at minimum. Is there an inn or a Sanctum where I can seek shelter?" Ahe had no time or tolerance for this kind of nonsense. She needed to get out of the Threaded storm. Unfortunately, she couldn't stay under the gate's archway all night, so she'd have to brace the storm to get either to the Sanctum or the inn. The guard glared at her but gave directions to the Sanctum. "Thank you." She wouldn't be ungracious despite the guard being unnecessarily rude to her. He grunted and went back to the guard tower. She sighed and reined Arion, then urged her into a canter. The light Weiss held onto fritzed and fuzzed the purple rain cascaded down around them. Between the clouded, moonless night and the thick, magical rain, most people were asleep by now, so few candles flickered in windows as Weiss fled frantically through the streets. To those few awake, it probably looked strange to see a disembodied light going through the streets But she needed to be able to see and this was her only option. Unfortunately, the light went out which made her swear internally. She was in dire straits now. Without light, she couldn't easily navigate the town. If she had an Ever wild companion, this would be easier. But she was no Animance, so all she could do was rely on her own wits. At least, that was all she could do until she saw two, luminous amber eyes peer out an naturally through the darkness. She was surprised to see a Night Panther prowling about. but she certainly wouldn't complain either. "Please take me to the Sanctum," she begged. The eyes disappeared for a fraction of a second in a blink, then she saw a shape appear out of nowhere against the inky blackness of the storm. It seemed to be glowing darkness itself almost. But she could see it dearly outlined against the dark of the storm and rain. The Panther seemed to move slowly but ital ways stayed quite a bit ahead of Arion which she was glad for. After what felt like an eternity, a green flame started to cast its light out.  She had made it. Within a few moments other arrival, another person on horseback approached. She could see the shadow in the sacred flame to Vareta ." Please, follow me! "A masculine voice, but she didn't argue. She followed the Night Panther and the sound of hoofbeats through the storm until she saw the shape of a barn approaching. They got into the barn and Weiss breathed a sigh of relief. She was so glad to be out of the Threaded storm. A lamp flickered on and she saw a man dressed hastily in a tunic and pants. He looked older with most of his hair a deep shade of silver and other shades of gray. "I would ask if you were all right, but Niru told me to expect an Illuminator with the beginnings of URS to come by. I pray you can forgive my disheveled state; it is the middle of the night."  Weiss shool her head. "I'm not upset. I would've been here tomorrow at some point, but URS is pretty serious. I didn't want to catch it, but I'm pretty sure I did." She tried to slick her hair down, but it sprang right back up. She sighed. Annoying. This wouldn't kill her by any means, but it would delay her arrival at Hazelmere be quite a while. She needed her magic to complete her job there... She would have to stay at this Sanctum until she was healed. From the way the man talked, they might be able to help her. "Do you think you can help me here? I mean all I want right now is to get this sludge off me." A purple gunk had accumulated on her skin in thin ribbons. She shivered again, knowing it wouldn't come off until she got a hot bath that was combined with Nectar of Dawn from a few flowers. She could only hope and pray they kept auroraswifts here because Nectar of Dawn was imperative to their diet. He nodded. "We have a couple of Raelan priests here that can perform the Ignition of will ceremony for you as you stay here. But that can come tomorrow or the day after. For now, let's get you a bath. I'll have someone take care of your horse and get some Solaris Blooms."  "Thank you." she was glad that he knew what he was doing and how to treat her. He was probably a Niru adherent, if he had received a message from the All-Seer Himself. She wasn't exceptionally devoted herself, but she was sworn to the All-Seer due to her status as an Illuminator. She followed the man into the Sanctum where the halls were incredibly empty. She knew it was the middle of the night, but it was still so strange to see a Sanctum empty like this. She couldn't believe how wrong it felt to see the hallways empty. She was used to them being bustling with acolytes and fully ordained clergy running around, not a ghost town. Some clergy and acolytes were nocturnal, but so far, she had hadn't seen any. This almost felt sacreligious to see. He led her to what seemed to be a dorm for the Diviners, based on how many doors they passed. Weiss remained as silent as she could, not wanting to wake anybody up. It was late and she knew that they would mostly have to be up before dawn to start performing their various duties. She really hoped her intrusion was all right; then again, this man had brought her here himself; it wasn't like she had asked to be brought this deep into the Sanctum. Normally, non-Diviners weren't allowed this deep into a Sanctum, so she knew she had to be respectful. She was irreverent toward the gods, not disrespectful of holy ground. He led her to a small dorm room and motioned. "You can stay here while we treat you. Normally, we don't allow non-clergy to stay or even come to this part of the sanctum, but the circumstances are extenuating."  "Will you require me to wear robes or anything like that?" She just wasn't sure what all she would need to do to stay in this part of the Sanctum. Non-Diviners and other clergy were allowed here, but normal people weren't. Granted, she was far from normal; she was from a long line of Illuminators that stretched back a long way. She was a tairant in the southern capitol but this was her first job she'd really been sent on. She was young and one of the most skilled tairants in generations. She truly was extraordinary. "We can discuss things in the morning. For now, get the Nullmir off and sleep. You had a harrowing flight through the storm. I'll have an acolyte bring your things here. You'll just need to wait for the Solaris Blooms."  "Thank you." Weiss bowed to the man and went into the room. It wasn't anything impressive, but it was warm and clean. Well, as warm as somewhere could be without a fire could be in mid Lunaris without a fire. The man had at least left the lamp behind so she could see. She set about building the beginning sofa fire until she heard a knock on the door. A young woman, younger than Weiss, looked a little startled. She offered a small bouquet of Solaris Blooms to Weiss. Weiss offered her a smile. "Thank you. Do you think you could wait here for a bit and deliver a message to whoever's bringing my bags?"  "I— yes, ma'am."  “Tell them to leave my bags in my room. Don't be afraid to come in. Just leave my stuff here."  "Yes, ma'am!"  "Thank you." Weiss took the Solaris Blooms and went to the small, adjoining bathroom. It was nothing like her lavish bathroom at home, but right now, anything would do. The Nullmir was making her extremely cold and really seeping into her bones. She'd been out in the Threaded storm far too long. Even a tent wouldn't have been a reprieve as the aether-based rain went through doth as if it wasn't even there. Too much exposure could cause hypothermia but she at least wasn't to that point yet. She went into the bathroom and drew a warm bath, then squeezed the nectar from the flowers into the water. A lovely aroma of spices filled the room and turned the water a bright orange color for a moment, shimmering with bright light. The scent from the Solaris Blooms made her mouth water. She knew the blooms were sacred to Rhyza, but Nectar of Dawn was delicious. She'd had it smeared on so many different types of bread and as a filling in different types of pastries. It had a wonderfully spiced flavor and a warming effect that would last for a little while following being eaten. She hoped that warming effect would transfer over to her skin after she'd gotten out of the bath. She was frozen to the bone and desperately needed warmth. She disrobed and got into the blissfully warm bath, her skin tingling from the Nectar of Dawn. She sat there for a while, soaking in the warmth. She had desperately needed this after the mad dash through the Threaded storm on horseback. But she did notice the Nullmir hadn't dissipated yet. So with a sigh. she sat up and started to slough it off. Thankfully, it disappeared easily into the warm water. It almost felt too warm once the Nullmir was off her skin. That stuff could definitely be deadly if not taken care of in a timely manner. It generally only impacted Aetherians due to the rain being pure aether. And with Weiss' strength of magic, it was attracted to her like a moth to a flame. She was lucky she hadn't died out there. Luckily, there was a Sanctum nearby that could treat her. She stayed in the bath until all of the Nullmir had dissolved into the water and she felt warmed through. She was reluctant to leave the bath, but she needed to get some sleep. The mad dash to escape the Threaded storm had worn her out. She could only imagine her horse was too.The mare had really put up an admirable performance, going between a trot and a canter for hours on end. She was really glad to have not run the poor beast to her death. She eventually got out and drained the tub, though, watching the Nectar-laden water swirl away. She could still feel the chill from the Nullmir, but it wasn't life threatening anymore. She really had wanted to stay in the tub longer, but she needed to sleep. So she wrapped a towel around herself and went into the bedroom. Her saddlebags had been left in the room. Good. She needed her nightclothes to change into so she could sleep. She hoped that she'd be allowed to sleep in tomorrow. Normally, she'd rise with the dawn for all other duties, but it was the middle of the night, she had come under extenuating circumstances. She dried off entirely and day through her clothes to find a nightgown. She yawned widely. Yeah, she needed to sleep something awful. She slipped into her nightgown and blew out the lamp, the embers from the fire warming her and chasing away the last of the cold from the Nullmir.

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Weiss rolled over and eventually sat up. The fire had died down entirely. She wasn't sure what time it was due to the extremely internal nature of her room. No doubt well into the morning,though. She was glad nobody had bothered her; she could still feel the weight of the flight on her body. She could practically feel every step Arion had taken, now that she had rested. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. She really just wanted to get treated and be on her way. It would take weeks to get her magic backup to some form of workable. She'd have to send a Zephyrwing Dove to Hazelmere to the mayor to announce her travels had been delayed. Annoying and unfortunate. She got out of bed and put her things away, then got dressed. She wanted another bath after the Nullmir, but her hunger from the previous night was winning out. She was famished from the long ride and wanted nothing more than a good, fresh, hot meal right now. The Solaris Bloom bath had brought her body temperature up to where it belonged and stabilised it, but it hadn't replenished her energy expended by the long, hard ride. She left the dorm and looked around. She wasn't sure where to go or what to do next. The man she'd met with last night had said they'd talk about what all she needed to do in order to stay in the Diviner wing. She was technically sworn to Niru, but she wasn't especially fussed about being devout. She just didn't feel the need to worship Nira on a regular basis. If anything, she probably would worship Alaethe, but she just couldn't be fussed about worshiping anybody on a normal schedule or as part of her day to day. A man with blond hair and dressed in a deep scarlet robe with green and gold accents approached. "Um, good morning. Are you the Illuminator that arrived here last night...?" His voice was soft and he didn't meet her eye. He was obviously a Raelan adherent, but he seemed incredibly insecure. She had seen all Raelan adherents she'd met be brimming with confidence and a quiet steel. No fall were loud or bold, but they were at least quietly confident. So to see a Raelan adherent act like this, it was odd to say the least. Weiss nodded. "I am. What about the man that spoke to me last night?" she assumed he had to be awake because this guy knew about her and where to find her. She had thought he would be the one to come to her. Then again, he was probably busy. "What time is it?" considering everything, she figured it was probably later in the day which may or may not be good. All she knew right now was that she wanted something to eat. But she'd probably have to meet the man first, much to her consternation. Her body had really had to fight off the cold from the Null Mir. Thankfully, the Solaris Blooms had driven away the, cold and stabilised her body temperature. “Well, do you want to meet with him or get something to eat first? Diviner Arled has dealt with Umbral Resonance Syndrome in the past, so he thought you'd want something to eat first..." Weiss blinked but nodded. "I would like something to eat." Well, at least that Diviner knew what he was doing. Weiss had learned about URS growing up, but it wasn't the most common thing. It only happened when an Illuminator of Lore or other light Weaver got trapped in a Threaded storm on a moonless night. Nullmir was a given for Threaded storms, but URS wasn't. She was just extremely unlucky and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thankfully, there had been a sanctum with Solaris Blooms nearby to get rid of the Null Mir. The warm bath had been a godsend. "Okay. Follow me, then. And it's about noon. Uh, sorry for not answering sooner. I'm Jaune." He fidgeted with his robe sleeve. She wondered what his deal was. It was so strange to see a Raelan adherent be so...subdued. She really didn't know what to make of it. Then again, it wasn't really something she needed to worry about, was it? They were strangers and may never see him again after this. "It's fine; Jaune, you were asking what Fwanted to do first." She smiled at him, but he didn't return it. He turned around and started walking. Noon, though, huh? She hadn't thought she'd slept that long. But considering everything, it did make some sense. The flight had been several hours and she had been quite cold. She'd needed to recuperate as best she could for a while she thankfully did feel better physically, but she knew her magic would be on the fritz for a while. She wasn't too happy about it. but she would need to take some time to get treated. They were silent as they walked, Jaune leading the way. Eventually, they came to a cafeteria where Diviners, Aeverians, and others enjoyed their meal. Weiss went through the line and grabbed what she wanted. She was used to meals cooked fresh daily at home instead of buffet-style meals, but right now, she wouldn't complain. Anything was better than the cold, hard field rations she'd had to consume while on the way to Hazelmere. She stopped at Sanctums along the way which was definitely a godsend when inns in smaller towns didn't want to accept her money. And winter wasn't exactly a time when one could forage easily either. She sat next to Jaune again and he fiddled with the hem of his sleeve. "Is something wrong? Did I do something?" she asked. She was trying to not be too intimidating as she definitely could beat times. She wasn't somebody that let herself be pushed around easily. Nobody could do that without good reason. Her superiors in the Guild and the Order were the only ones that could order her around, but even then, the knew better than to try to make her do something unreasonable. Going to Hazelmere was far from unreasonable, even if the timing in the year had been bad. He shook his head. "No; you didn't do anything. I just ii. have a lot on my mind." His voice was soft and barely carried over the Diviners that were talking despite how close they were. Something was clearly up. but there wasn't much she could do about it. They were strangers that had just met. She was worried about him, but pressing into his past wouldn't do her any good. She nodded. "Are you an Aetherian? You already know I'm an Illuminator of Lore." She might as well have pleasant conversation with him while she ate. Physically, she felt fine, but she knew that her magic would be on the fritz until she underwent the Emberkindle Rite. She couldn't risk using her magic until then. "Also, do you think you could show me where the Zephyrwing Doves are after we speak to Diviner Arled? I need to send a message to Hazelmere about my delayed arrival." So frustrating, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She couldn't do her job if she didn't have access to her magic. "Yeah, sure. We're in regular correspondence with Hazel mere, so we have doves trained to go there and back. Dou you know who you need to send a message to?"  She nodded and took a bite, then swallowed it. "I need to send a message to the mayor. He was the one that requested an Illuminator." Yeah, she really did need to get a message to him. She'd sent a message at the last Sanctum she'd visited that she was making good time. But now, her travels were delayed indefinitely. She hoped it wouldn't take too terribly long together light weaving and ward crafting under control. URS was decently understood and the Emberkindle Rite was a better outlook than being in a Sanctuary of Harmonic Balance. She hoped she'd be on the shorter end of things and be out within a month or so. He nodded. "All right. And, uh, yeah, I'm an Aetherian, though my magic has never been particularly strong. I have both lightweaving and pyromancy. But I focus on my pyromancy because I'm a Flamekeeper of Raelan rather than a Lightbearer for Rhyza." He paused. "One thing I never understood was why Illuminators are sworn to Nir your Rhyza and Orlon."  "That's actually a good question." Weiss ate another bite and swallowed it. For buffet-style food, it was pretty good. She definitely wasn't going to complain about being fallon good food after having had travel rations for weeks on end in the dead of winter. "We're sworn to Niru because he's the All-Seer. He's the god of knowledge and scholarship. Illuminators are generally part of the Illuminator's Guild. We protect and expand knowledge in Illyria. Some Illuminators are more spiritual, but we're all sworn to Niru because we protect knowledge and heritage in some shape."  Jaune nodded. "That does make sense. I suppose... It 'so odd to think someone in the Illumancy path isn't sworn to Rhyza, Olton, Vareya, or any of their children..." Weiss nodded and took a drink. "It is something a lot of Aetherians struggle to understand. Most people think of the five paths as immutable, but they really aren't. A lot of times, they can overlap and intersect. Most people just see magic as something stagnant and rigid when it's living and vibrant." she paused. "Have you ever really looked into your lightweaving?" He shook his head. "Not really, no. Why do you ask?"  "Even if people have access to two types of magic, one can be stronger than the other. My older sister's an Illuminator as is tradition for our family, but she's a weak lightweaver in comparison to her wardcrafting. So she focuses more on wardcrafting than light weaving." Winter was truly good at what she did. Winter specialised in sanctified wards that protected important archives around the two capitols. She traveled often which meant they didn't get to spend a lot of time together. It sucked, but it was what Winter did. "I see. Well, my parents are Raelan adherents, so it was kind of expected of me…" He paused. "Was it the same for you? To become an Illuminator just because your parents were?"  "That's...kinda personal." Weiss took a sip. She was almost done eating at least. The meal and a full stomach felt nice after having been so long between cooked meals. She wasn't the biggest fan of buffet-style food like this, but she wouldn't complain right now. Any food was better than the travel rations she'd been on. "O-Oh, sorry."" He looked down. Weiss smiled. "It's okay. I can't use my light wearing right now, but I could still teach you if you were curious. Granted, I haven't studied the healing aspect of lightweaving much but..."  "It might be worth looking into."  Weiss finished up and took care of her tray and dishes. "All right, lead the way."