The Keep, Ebon Askavi, Kaeleer, Dawn (Kaeleeran Time)

[glacial_witch]

Karla was deep in the Abyss--or deep inside her Self. It was impossible to tell, honestly. She was perched on a thread of the Sapphire, peering down at the glimmer of Ebon-Gray far below her. Past the Red, past the Gray, so distant that she could only see it by concentrating on the darkness that was not Darkness. She had no idea how much time she

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[glacial_witch]

Just as dawn was staining the sky outside the windows, the giant doors leading to the Dark Altar opened and Karla...

Well, she would like to have said that she'd strode through, tall and proud. But she was pretty damn exhausted, so it was more like a happy plod.

So, Karla happily plodded through the doors, footfalls loud enough to wake anyone who had fallen asleep, cradling a Jewel in her hands. She paused briefly in the room, then opened her hands to show the assembled the Jewel that had been left on the Dark Alter next to her.

In her palms lay an uncut Ebon-gray Jewel.

"I did it!"

[trigons_child]

Was running for a happy hug the proper etiquette for this sort of occasion? Raven didn't care.

"Karla!" she said happily. "Congratulations!"

[glacial_witch]

Karla reached out and hugged Raven back, still clutching her Jewel. "Thank you!" she said. "Thank you so much! You don't know how much I owe you. I couldn't have done this without you."

[trigons_child]

Raven drew back and gave her a puzzled look. "This was all you, Karla," she said. "All we did out here was wait."

She took Karla's hand in hers and looked down at the jewel she held. "That is Ebon-gray, is it not?" she said. "The darkest you could obtain?" See, she'd studied!

[glacial_witch]

"It is," Karla said, glowing with pride. Eat up, Raven. "The second darkest Jewel. Only the Black outranks me now."

Technically, she outranked Lucivar now. Not that Lucivar would ever acknowledge it, but she did!

"And I didn't mean tonight. I meant...before. You remember when. I needed extra power tonight and it was there. Because of you."

[trigons_child]

That didn't make the puzzled look go away for a moment, as Raven tried to think of what Karla was referring to. "Oh!" she said when it clicked. She dropped her voice. "Your Virgin Night?"

Yes, she was blushing just a little bit.

[glacial_witch]

Karla nodded, also blushing. "It was pretty weird, being called a 'silly girl' by the manifestation of my power released by having sex for the first time," she said with a laugh.

[trigons_child]

"It is fuzzy, like a dream almost, but I remember seeing you there, in your inner web," Raven said. "You told me I made it possible for you to descend to your true strength. I was not entirely sure it was real." Or just some sort of post-orgasmic hallucination.

She blushed again, pressing her fingers to her lips. "We had best not let this information get out," she said, smiling. "Unless you wish your Court Healer to be inundated with requests to join couples on their Virgin Nights."

[glacial_witch]

Okay, Karla was just going to crack up at that, exhaustion and giddiness combining to create something close to hysteria. "I dunno," she said, stuttering in her laughter. "It would be a lovely side venture for you during peacetime!"

[trigons_child]

You could be her pimp, Karla!

"A guaranteed successful Virgin Night with the added potential of a deeper descent during your Offering," Raven giggled. "We could fill Glacia's coffers."

[glacial_witch]

"One more successful business venture I can add to my list," Karla said, calling in a notebook and scribbling something down. "I'll just run it by my Steward. I'm sure he'll agree with the brilliance of this plan."

Sure, having their Queen running a one-female Red Moon House with her Court Healer wouldn't go over like a lead balloon.

[trigons_child]

Raven struggled to keep a straight face and failed miserably. "As your Court Healer, it is my duty to make certain your people are well cared for," she said. "To the best of my abilities."

[glacial_witch]

"You say that now, just don't be surprised when I take you up on it," Karla warned. "Anything for my people."

[trigons_child]

For a moment, Raven wasn't quite sure if Karla was serious or not.

"Well, I cannot say for certain the second part would work for anyone else," she said. "I think that might only have been because of the love I bear for you."

[glacial_witch]

Karla burst out laughing at Raven's expression. "I joking, silly gi--"

She paused and made a face. That phrase wasn't going to sit well with her for a while.

"Just joking, Raven darling. Just joking."

[trigons_child]

"I know," Raven said, blushing again at her silliness.

She gave Karla another quick hug. "And I am so very proud of you. I knew you could do it."