(no subject)
Title: A Visit
Story: The Dragonfire Chronicles
Characters: Kavi, Chana, Micah
Flavours: Rocky Road #2 [Countryside]; Tangerine #11 [All you can eat]
Toppings: Butterscotch
Extras: Fresh Peaches [Communication of all kinds should go well today]
Word count: 981
Rating: G
Summary: In which Kavi visits Seraiah's family.
Notes: Relevant backstory is relevant.
It took Kavi a few months to finally summon up the courage to visit Chana, as per Seraiah's request. The whole idea of it had just made him feel oddly nervous - he didn't want to intrude in her period of mourning but he felt, one day, that if he didn't visit now, he never would.
She lived in a small house out in the country. It hadn't taken too much work for Kavi to find her, not with the people he had working with him now and he set off the day after he received the information, arriving at the house two days later, at dusk.
As he lifted his hand to knock on the door it opened, revealing a young, pretty girl who smiled up at him with dark eyes. "You're about an hour late by Seraiah's prediction," she said. "But then, he never was great with specifics."
"Chana?" Kavi said.
She nodded. "One in the same. Would you like to come in?"
Kavi nodded and followed Chana into the house, pausing when she shut the door behind him. He could hear a child's voice in another room. "That's Micah," Chana said, noticing the tilt of Kavi's head as he listened. "I told him about you. Told him what Seraiah told me. He's excited to meet you."
Kavi smiled at that, turning to look at Chana over his shoulder. "Did Seraiah tell you why I was coming here?"
Chana shook her head no. "But I think, whatever it is, it can wait until after dinner. Yes?"
"Yes, of course."
*
Dinner was not a formal affair; there was plenty of food but Chana split her time between speaking to Kavi and helping Micah with his dinner.
It almost hurt Kavi to look at him - his eyes were the same as his father's, same colour and shape. He'd grow up to look like him, Kavi knew.
Chana put Micah to bed an hour after dinner and she and Kavi settled in the sitting room.
"Micah has visions, sometimes," she said. "He doesn't understand them, of course - but he knew of Seraiah's death before I received his letter."
"He's inherited it from his father?"
Chana nodded, her face serious. It wasn't a look that suited her and Kavi blamed himself for putting it there; had he not come she might not have to dwell on such matters.
"Seraiah inherited it from his father, his father from his father and so on, back for hundreds of years from what we can tell. I knew Micah would- But Seraiah told me he saw his first vision when he was five or six, not when he was two."
Kavi frowned. "I came here tonight to offer you something - and now, it seems more important than it did before."
"Offer me what?" Chana asked, her eyes shining with worry for her son. Kavi swallowed.
"Seraiah had you send me all of his prophecies. I wish to study them. I've begun studying them. I don't- I don't hold the same views on magic as our King or many citizens, Chana. I'm not a fool. Magic is a tool - but it can only be bad in the same way as power can be; it can be controlled."
"What are you saying?"
"I want to protect you and Micah. They have already been scouring the cities for magic users and it will not be long before they decide to search country folk, too. We need to keep Micah safe; I know that to my very bones."
"Even though he has magic?" Chana asked, her voice a horrified whisper. "When everyone else would betray him?"
"Despite that, and because of it. Seraiah told me on a hilltop one night a prophecy that I believe is linked to the return of magic to our lands someday in the future. But I can't know for sure, not until I and others I trust have studied his verses in more detail."
"You want to use Micah, as well as protect him?" Chana's mouth was set in a firm, stubborn line and Kavi couldn't look away from her piercing gaze.
"Yes," he said.
Chana stood. "I will need to think on it. I am not going to put us into your care if all you want is to use my son for it. We are free people, Kavi. We need to be sure of that."
Kavi sighed. "I know."
Chana nodded. "Good. Now, come. I'll show you to the guest room."
*
Kavi woke early, dressing before he walked through the house and toward the kitchen with a heavy heart. He hoped Chana would take his offer. He wanted to study Micah's visions the way he'd studied Seraiah's, yes, but there was something else. He had to protect them, too.
He knew the woman would defend her child as best she was able, but he doubted it would be enough. Micah was young and not in control of his powers. If he had one vision whilst they were being checked, that would be it. Both of them would be gone - killed. Kavi felt he owed them protection - for Seraiah as well as the woman and child he had loved.
Chana looked up when he came in. Micah was sitting on one of the countertops, swinging his legs with a cheerful expression.
There were three full bags on the small table. Kavi frowned at them.
"I decided we're coming with you," Chana said. "For now, I need help protecting my child. But when he gets older, if he wants to leave-"
"He can," Kavi replied. "I don't want to cause unnecessary pain, not for either of you. I simply think that, for now, this is the safer option."
Chana nodded. "I will tell you of any visions Micah has, Kavi - but only you. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly."
Story: The Dragonfire Chronicles
Characters: Kavi, Chana, Micah
Flavours: Rocky Road #2 [Countryside]; Tangerine #11 [All you can eat]
Toppings: Butterscotch
Extras: Fresh Peaches [Communication of all kinds should go well today]
Word count: 981
Rating: G
Summary: In which Kavi visits Seraiah's family.
Notes: Relevant backstory is relevant.
It took Kavi a few months to finally summon up the courage to visit Chana, as per Seraiah's request. The whole idea of it had just made him feel oddly nervous - he didn't want to intrude in her period of mourning but he felt, one day, that if he didn't visit now, he never would.
She lived in a small house out in the country. It hadn't taken too much work for Kavi to find her, not with the people he had working with him now and he set off the day after he received the information, arriving at the house two days later, at dusk.
As he lifted his hand to knock on the door it opened, revealing a young, pretty girl who smiled up at him with dark eyes. "You're about an hour late by Seraiah's prediction," she said. "But then, he never was great with specifics."
"Chana?" Kavi said.
She nodded. "One in the same. Would you like to come in?"
Kavi nodded and followed Chana into the house, pausing when she shut the door behind him. He could hear a child's voice in another room. "That's Micah," Chana said, noticing the tilt of Kavi's head as he listened. "I told him about you. Told him what Seraiah told me. He's excited to meet you."
Kavi smiled at that, turning to look at Chana over his shoulder. "Did Seraiah tell you why I was coming here?"
Chana shook her head no. "But I think, whatever it is, it can wait until after dinner. Yes?"
"Yes, of course."
*
Dinner was not a formal affair; there was plenty of food but Chana split her time between speaking to Kavi and helping Micah with his dinner.
It almost hurt Kavi to look at him - his eyes were the same as his father's, same colour and shape. He'd grow up to look like him, Kavi knew.
Chana put Micah to bed an hour after dinner and she and Kavi settled in the sitting room.
"Micah has visions, sometimes," she said. "He doesn't understand them, of course - but he knew of Seraiah's death before I received his letter."
"He's inherited it from his father?"
Chana nodded, her face serious. It wasn't a look that suited her and Kavi blamed himself for putting it there; had he not come she might not have to dwell on such matters.
"Seraiah inherited it from his father, his father from his father and so on, back for hundreds of years from what we can tell. I knew Micah would- But Seraiah told me he saw his first vision when he was five or six, not when he was two."
Kavi frowned. "I came here tonight to offer you something - and now, it seems more important than it did before."
"Offer me what?" Chana asked, her eyes shining with worry for her son. Kavi swallowed.
"Seraiah had you send me all of his prophecies. I wish to study them. I've begun studying them. I don't- I don't hold the same views on magic as our King or many citizens, Chana. I'm not a fool. Magic is a tool - but it can only be bad in the same way as power can be; it can be controlled."
"What are you saying?"
"I want to protect you and Micah. They have already been scouring the cities for magic users and it will not be long before they decide to search country folk, too. We need to keep Micah safe; I know that to my very bones."
"Even though he has magic?" Chana asked, her voice a horrified whisper. "When everyone else would betray him?"
"Despite that, and because of it. Seraiah told me on a hilltop one night a prophecy that I believe is linked to the return of magic to our lands someday in the future. But I can't know for sure, not until I and others I trust have studied his verses in more detail."
"You want to use Micah, as well as protect him?" Chana's mouth was set in a firm, stubborn line and Kavi couldn't look away from her piercing gaze.
"Yes," he said.
Chana stood. "I will need to think on it. I am not going to put us into your care if all you want is to use my son for it. We are free people, Kavi. We need to be sure of that."
Kavi sighed. "I know."
Chana nodded. "Good. Now, come. I'll show you to the guest room."
*
Kavi woke early, dressing before he walked through the house and toward the kitchen with a heavy heart. He hoped Chana would take his offer. He wanted to study Micah's visions the way he'd studied Seraiah's, yes, but there was something else. He had to protect them, too.
He knew the woman would defend her child as best she was able, but he doubted it would be enough. Micah was young and not in control of his powers. If he had one vision whilst they were being checked, that would be it. Both of them would be gone - killed. Kavi felt he owed them protection - for Seraiah as well as the woman and child he had loved.
Chana looked up when he came in. Micah was sitting on one of the countertops, swinging his legs with a cheerful expression.
There were three full bags on the small table. Kavi frowned at them.
"I decided we're coming with you," Chana said. "For now, I need help protecting my child. But when he gets older, if he wants to leave-"
"He can," Kavi replied. "I don't want to cause unnecessary pain, not for either of you. I simply think that, for now, this is the safer option."
Chana nodded. "I will tell you of any visions Micah has, Kavi - but only you. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly."