Excerpt #3

 Excerpt #3

     Alessia is looking at a special virtual vid screen, set up in her palatial home in Aetherius by Shai-Hulu'ud to allow her to see what is happening to Iriisii after she left Mundus. She has followed Iriisii's path fervently. She feels she is not alone and turns to see Talos.

     Talos: "She is doing far greater than any of us could have expected. In a lot of ways she is just like you."

     Alessia: "You have a problem with that?"

     Talos: "We are not mortal now. I understand far more of what drives you now. Besides you always come home to me and as long as that is true I have no problems with you."

     Alessia smiles, "Keep that up and you will never get rid of me."

     Talos: "Consider it done then, I will hold you to that. But you really need to do something with the little one. He cannot survive here on his own, and it is not fair to him to have to depend on us to keep him alive."

     Alessia: "I know, I have been trying to decide who to place him with."

     Talos: "You know who you want to raise him, what is stopping you?"

     Alessia: "But she is so far away now."

     Talos: "You really need to pay closer attention to the little things in her life. The answer is right there on Nirn.

     Alessia: "What?"

     Talos: "Her 'Fortress' in the great forest outside the Imperial City."

     Alessia: "Yes?"

     Talos: "It can reach her Krang, you know, that great big mass of towers floating on that star. And the Krang can reach her, or when needed act as a bridge between her and her Fortress."

     Alessia: "How can that work, the power needed would be enormous."

     Talos: "She has the Krang tethered to that monster of a black hole. She can draw power from it from now until everything goes dark without draining it, so that is not an issue. And she has access to enough power of her own through her followers that she can support you even without thinking about it. So there is really no reason not to take him to her, granted their relationship would be a little difficult to explain. But no one else needs to know, do they?"

     Alessia: "You are being awfully supportive of this."

     Talos: "She is my daughter as well, and he is the child of her body, so in my humble opinion he needs to be with her, simple as that."

     Alessia: "It would not have anything to do with..."

     Talos: "His Celestial heritage? That too points to she should be the one to raise him. We can no longer keep him safe. There are those to whom Aetherius is not an impediment, and unfortunately we are not powerful enough to stop them should they decide to come for him. She has access to enough power to make even them back up and think before trying anything. Besides, there is no reason you could not stay awhile and see what is outside Mundus."

     Alessia: "You would not be trying to sidetrack me for awhile now would you? Go chasing after one of those void matrons?"

     Talos: "I promise you, I am not even considering anything like that. I am only thinking of what you might like. Besides if you do not hurry up, you might miss the wedding."

     Alessia: "WEDDING?! What wedding?"

     Talos: "You watch everything she is doing but you miss something like that? Serana has asked Iriisii to marry her."

     Alessia: "Wait, Serana! How did she? Ah, it does not matter. I expect Iriisii said yes?"

     Talos: "She did. And if you want to get there before the wedding you need to get moving."

     You have been a tremendous audience tonight and I have enjoyed sharing my life in song with you. But before we go I have a special treat tonight. Let ne ask you all a question, have you ever loved someone more than your own life and happiness? I see some of you nodding your heads, others looking at the one you are with and wondering how to answer that. Let me give you my answer to that question tonight. She signals to the backup band brought in just for this song.

     Iriisii begins after the musical intro:

     

     Iriisii:     "Some say love, it is a river                           

                   That drowns the tender reed"

     Desidarius:     "Some say love, it is a razor

                            That leaves your soul to bleed"

     Rigmor:     "Some say love, it is a hunger

                         An endless aching need"

     Illyria:     "I say love, it is a flower

                     And you, its only seed"

     Dettlaff:     "It's the heart afraid of breaking

                        That never learns to dance"

     Byrsael:      "It's the dream afraid of waking

                        That never takes the chance"

     Yennefer:     "It's the one who won't be taking

                          Who cannot seem to give"

     Serana:     "And the soul afraid of dying

                       That never learns to live"

     Iriisii:     "Just remember in the winter

                    Far beneath the bitter snows

                    Lies the seed that with the sun's love

                    In the spring becomes the rose"

     Iriisii: "Sing it with us, please. Just read the words from the vid screens."

     As the song begins again, Rigmor walks up to Iriisii with a deep red rose and presses her hands around the stem. Then she puts a hand around Iriisii's neck and draws her into a kiss. Illyria follows next with a white rose with edges tinged in red, she too gives Iriisii a kiss. Dettlaff gives her a deep purple rose with edges almost black, his kiss is deep and draws a lot of sighs from the female members of the audience. Byrsael come up with a light green rose with streaks of orange, her kiss is one to remember as she thinks back to when she lay dying in a hobbit home, having just been stabbed with a Morghul Blade by Durcot, Iriisii and Tinruth are desperately trying to save her life. When it looks like Byrsael has no time left, Iriisii tells her that she loves her and gives her a kiss that makes her give one last effort to hold onto life.

     Serana has been looking at the roses given to Iriisii by the others and looks at the one she has. The last one in the flower shop she had Tricia take her to. She feels it is not as pretty as the others, not worthy to give to Iriisii to tell her how she feels. Tricia reads what is going through her mind and feels she has to intervene before it is too late.

     Tricia: "Serana, do not worry about whether or not the rose is good enough, it is your heart and soul that matter right now. The depth of the love you hold for her, have held for her ever since she first freed you from the crypt your mother put you in to hide you from your father. Your Gods made a bargain with you to not interfere and let her go back to Rigmor all those years ago. You have been patient, so very patient, but they no longer need her, and so the bargain is fulfilled and payment is due. This is your time now, she is not the same as she was then, neither are you. What could not be done then, there is no reason why it cannot be done here and now."

     Meredith: "You know she is saying nothing but the truth. Iriisii's heart is as big as it needs to be to bring all she cares for into it. She has learned this along the way and now it is one of the things that defines her most. You above all others have the right to stand with her in honor of the sacrifice you were called to make. And it is not just us who believe in you, look at your rose now."

     As Serana looks at it, she can hardly believe it is the same rose she bought earlier. She cradles it in both hands and the petals peek over the edges of her hands. Its color is a brilliant pink with orange streaks, its scent is light but powerful. She looks to Meredith in awe.

     Meredith: "My Goddess also believes in you, in the depth and power of your love for Iriisii. This is her way of telling you it is your time to ask for the debt to you to be paid. She knows the blood within you, she hears it sing, feels its heat, knows who your beating heart wants to listen to its rhythm. Go to her and ask your question, this is the place, now is the time, she is the one, go to her and let her awaken the blood within you that you both share."

     Tricia gives her a gentle nudge and Serana walks out into the stage lights and goes up to Iriisii. A few rose petals drop down over the arena from the night sky.

     Serana: "Let this rose show you what my heart wishes to say to you."

     Serana kisses Iriisii, and Serana feels the tears running from Iriisii's eyes are crossing over to her face. As they part and gaze each into the other's eyes, Serana makes her deepest desire known. More rose petals drop over the arena and the stage. Rigmor sees one drop and as she catches it, it sings a song of joy and happiness that the leaf still wrapped around her heart picks up and joins.

     Serana: "Iriisii Starborn, Dovahkiin of Akatosh, will you marry me?"

     The audience's reaction drowns out Iriisii's response, so she has to raise her arms to quiet the crowd.

     Iriisii: "Serana Volkihar", as Iriisii traces a fingertip down the side of Serana's face, "Yes, I will marry you."

     Serana wraps her arms around Iriisii before anything pulls her away, glances at Rigmor, who gives her a wink and a thumbs up. Serana silently mouths, "Thank you!" More petals begin to float down, the crowd begins to notice them now.

     Iriisii then turns Serana to the audience, "If you will remember in the previous video, there was a glimpse of someone standing at the front of Dragon's Perch looking on as I was seen riding south to the border between Skyrim and Cyrodiil on my way to Bruma to see what kind of trouble had found Rigmor. I had said that there was someone who had let me go when the letter from Bruma had found me. This is that person, who has asked me to marry her, and I have said, Yes, that I will marry her."

     The response from the audience threatens to raise the roof off of the arena. As a flood of petals drop everywhere, but around Iriisii and Serana they are like a flood of every color imaginable. Then a bright line of light runs across the stage floor until it reaches near Iriisii then rises to form a door. The door opens and A woman who Iriisii, Rigmor, and Serana immediately recognize walks through with a baby cooing in a sling draped from around her neck. As his hands try to catch the rose petals still dropping from the sky, "Have I missed the wedding?"

     Iriisii's mouth is open in shock, and Serana chuckles as she takes full advantage and places another kiss on Iriisii's open lips. Alessia grins like the cat in that book she read that Talos somehow got and gave to her. The crowd raises their voice yet once again as the partial dome above shivers. And even more rose petals drop from the sky.

     Rigmor: "You go girl, kiss her like you mean it."

     Illyria asks, "Who is she?"

     Rigmor: "Which one?"

     Byrsael: "Both."

     Rigmor: "The one kissing Iriisii is Serana. She has a history almost as old as mine with Iriisii. If not for her, none of this would be happening now, so all of us owe her a debt we can never repay. And it looks like the 'Nine' have finally paid their debt to her. The other one is Iriisii's Celestial mother, Alessia. As Iriisii is the 'Mother of all Dragons', Alessia is the 'Mother of all Minotaur'. I guess I will have to tell you the story of how Iriisii freed the last one from the catacombs beneath the Imperial City when Sethius' wife, Morag Bal trapped her down there, with the expectation the Minotaur would kill her. But that will have to be later. We have a wedding to plan, and if I do not miss my guess, the entire world here will be on the guest list, 'Were', 'Vampire', 'Fae', everyone who can possibly make it here in time will show."

     Dettlaff: "Who else could there be?"

     Rigmor: "All of those who owe her in one way or another, if they can get here, they will."

     Dettlaff: "That would be more than could even fit here!"

     Rigmor: "Oh, I think it could be managed. It has already been done once, I think this time it will be even bigger."

     Dettlaff: "You mean the 'virtual arena'?"

     Rigmor: "Yes, I am sure Shai-Hulu'ud knows about this already and is putting the plans together as we speak. I wonder...wait! Did you feel that?"

     Jean Claude and Tricia walk up, as Iriisii and Serana following approaches as well. Jean Claude looks hard at a shadowy patch just offstage. A figure slowly and gracefully walks toward them, his face half covered by his long flowing hair. The part they can see would even make gods weep at the beauty it shows, if not for the emotions and pain that has scarred what can be seen. Iriisii looks at him as well, but she sees something entirely different from Jean Claude. She does see the pain, the anguish, the suffering etched in every part of the visible side of his face. She knows what the other side looks like, a burned, scarred, flowing ruin. The result of torture with fire and holy water performed by devout monks hundreds of years ago during an Inquisition by the dominant church of the times. Iriisii walks up to stand in front of him, and says only his name as a greeting.

     Iriisii: "Asher."

     Asher: "Who are you? What are you? Your name has been on the lips and minds of every human and 'Were' from one side of this country to the other. The things they say and think about you, are they even half true?"

     Jean Claude: "As always, you go too far. Be respectful, for she is the hand of Gods far more powerful than any we have ever known."

     Asher: "What Gods have we even known? We have only known what those who spoke the words said of them. And you know well what they say and feel of us."

     Jean Claude: "That does not make their words true. What they did to you went beyond anything we thought them capable of."

     Asher waves his hand derisively, cutting Jean Claude off, then looking at Iriisii expectantly.

     Iriisii: "I see who you are Asher, I feel the torment you underwent all that time ago, and which you have never forgotten for a single second of time. Know that if you should desire greatly enough, believe in me enough, you can be healed of your pain."

     Asher: "Phah, those are the words 'he' is supposed to have said thousands of years ago. The one, they who did this to me did in 'his' name! Can you not speak for yourself rather than parrot another?"

     Tricia: "You go too far Asher! I have seen who she is, what she can do, and even the 'one' you speak about would have to bend the knee to her such is her power."

     Asher: "Then why is she even here, singing for these cretins out there. Why does she not bring fire and judgement on them for what they have done all their lives!"

     Iriisii: "That is not my responsibility, also from the time I have ascended, I have strived never to forget my roots, where I came from, what my life was like, thus I see those 'cretins' you speak of in a different light. I can and have brought judgment to those who have broken the 'Mother's' Laws, but judgment is not why we are here. To 'right' the Great Balance between 'Good' and 'Evil', 'Light' and 'Dark', is why. To seek those who by their actions have tipped the scale toward chaos and destruction. And along the way, if I can help those I come into contact with, show them who 'she' that placed my feet on this path is, what 'she' wants for them. Then I have done as I am to do."

     Iriisii raises a hand to cup the hidden side of his face, Asher turns that side away from her.

     Asher: "You do not want to know what hides under the shadows of that part of me."

     Iriisii: "I have great pain and scars in my own life as well, let me be the judge of what I wish to see and feel when I touch you."

     Rigmor steps up, "Listen to her words for she speaks the truth. She wears her scars inside, under her skin. I once wore mine outside as you do yours. I suffered under the whip of my captors, felt the flesh of my back, my sides, my legs, part as the whip kissed my tender flesh. I could feel the bloody leather slide across bone as my blood ran like little rivers to seep into the dirt between the stones of the dungeon floor. A friend saved my life when he took me from that cell, took me into his home, spent much gold to find the best physicians to treat me.

     But it was not until I met Iriisii that I began to feel there was someone who understood what I went through. And when she healed me of my scars, only then did I know the weight I had borne when it was gone. If you will allow me to touch you, I will show you the memories of what happened to me so you will know the truth of what we say."

     Asher looks to Iriisii, "What does this 'She' you speak of want for me?"

     Iriisii: "If you will but allow me to show you, 'She' will tell you herself."

     Her hand gently turns his full face to hers, as they lock eyes upon each other, he begins to see Iriisii's history. He sees the losses that she has endured her entire life as a mortal, how she almost killed her own young son while addicted to 'Black Lotus'. He sees how those called Gods, who he holds to be so uncaring, when she herself held the very same thoughts, guided her to the answers she sought. And he now knows those answers as well. He begins to unfold his own history, different in many ways from hers, yet also the same.

     She sees where he and all those like him were abandoned by the God that was to mentor and guide all within this Realm, not just those who blindly followed 'him'. She draws upon this to let Asher see that the mistakes were not his own but rather due to the abandonment of the duties of the God placed here. And that she is here now to deal with that very issue along with others.

     But on a more personal level, he sees she does not judge him no matter what he has done in his past. She does not judge him by what his current appearance is and his reactions to those who cannot see behind it to who he was and wants to return to. Then Rigmor gathers his attention and shows him her history, and he is riveted by what he sees. He sees and experiences what she has already told him about, the whippings in the dungeons. He marvels at her strength and tenacity in not giving in to her captors demands and desires. He sees in her mind the memories of how Iriisii rescued her time and time again and how she reached out and threw her own failings onto Iriisii's shoulders. Yet Iriisii still stayed with her, taking the brunt whether it came from their enemies or from Rigmor herself.

     He wanted to know how she could do this, how could she stay despite the abuse she suffered. And then she showed him the answer, that Iriisii knew this was not Rigmor heaping all of that pain and torment on her. It was the pain and torment Rigmor suffered seeking a way out, a way to spread to others. And Iriisii taking it all kept it from spreading to others. And so he sees himself in both of them, each mirroring different parts, but the story so familiar to him. Then he sees how they stopped the cycle, learned to heal themselves of the pain, the scars inside and outside, that had made them vulnerable. Then he hears 'her' whispering to him.

     Mother of the Cosmos: "You see now how my children found healing within one another. And it had to begin with the healing of their scars. So too will you find what you have sought for so long. They are willing to show you the way, if you are willing to walk the path."

     Asher: "Why would you do this for me, I am not human as they were. I am vampire, and so considered something to be tortured and killed."

     Mother of the Cosmos: "You saw the one who has asked my child Iriisii to wed?"

     Asher: "Yes, what of it?"

     Mother of the Cosmos: "When she first met Iriisii, she too was vampire. Iriisii did not judge her then and kill her as others would have. Instead she reached out her hand and helped her, even to taking her back to her father, into an entire clan of vampires. She was offered to be turned by her father, yet she declined. For her strength and daring to hold to her decision, he merely banished her from the Castle instead of setting the clan upon her. Within Nirn, there exists a way for vampires to regain human mortality, regain a soul to replace the one taken from them when they were turned. Iriisii never asked Serana if she wished to become human once more, even though she would have done so had Iriisii asked. Rather she accepted Serana as she was, and left the decision for Serana to make in her own time.

     Later while pursuing her kidnapped daughter, Kathea, after she was shown a dream vision of what she had to do to find and rescue her. She realized she needed the vampire Dettlaff van der Eretain to accompany her through the Dreamlands, across 'Where The Dead Gods Lie Dreaming', to find her and all who went to return. The problem was that vampires do not dream, they are denied entrance into the Dreamlands. So how was she to find a way to bring him with her into and across the Dreamlands?

     The only way was to share her blood with him, thus it would infuse him with her abilities as a Great Dreamer and allow him to enter the Dreamlands. But to do this with him as she was but a newly ascended goddess, it would begin him on the path to Godhood, and tie him to her. Not as slave to master, but as one love to another. She could have said no, and abandoned her daughter to whatever fate would be hers. But she did not, and so he became her first male mate and first vampire mate. As she was born Aasimar, he would become her Vyrkolos, and he then would become a God over all vampire kind. The first to ever be known. She would not hide any of this from you if you would but ask her.

     I tell you of this for you to know that she will not judge you by what you are, by who you are, but by what lives within you, what drives you, what you desire and why. She can and will heal you if you wish it. And because she already has a vampire mate, you are free from the possibility of binding yourself to her. Rigmor however is another matter. She has experienced what is possible for her with a vampire mate. And as she is not Aasimar, you would not be bound to her by her healing you, unless you wished it to be. But that is to be the decision of you both to make. It would require you both to want it for it to happen. If it is what you both want then I have no problem with it. If you want healing, the price begins with penance with the goal being redemption. Once redemption is complete, true healing can then take place. The difference being true healing heals not just the body, but the mind, and the building of a new soul to fill the absence of the one taken when you were turned. You will still be vampire, unless you would renounce it, it would be your decision to make it, but it would change the kind of vampire you would become."

     Asher: "What changes would happen?"

     Mother of the Cosmos: "You would gain the ability to father children, you would not need to subsist on blood, and you would gain Celestial power as Dettlaff does from Iriisii. In your case it would depend on who you choose to become a mate with. Mate with one who can 'balance' you and you can progress as far as they progress. Each of you expanding what the other can learn and do, with that other rising to balance. If you choose this road, you will be only the second to succeed in the billions of years I have held this 'mantle'."

     Asher: "The 'second'? Why did those before not succeed?"

     Mother of the Cosmos: "They were ill prepared for what they attempted and so failed. In Iriisii and Dettlaff, you can see what is needed to succeed. I have spoken to Iriisii and Rigmor, they will say nothing of what we have talked about. The decision of whether or not to speak and to who is your decision to make. If you wish to walk their path and gain true healing for your self you have but to ask them. And yes, there have been others before to accept penance from Iriisii. They now have their parts to play in what comes and all are important. Should you and Rigmor decide to be together, your part will be one of high adventure and legendary feats."

     Asher: "And if I decline, what then?"

     Mother of the Cosmos: "That would be up to you to decide, do you wish to continue down the path you now walk? To separate yourself even further from those who love and care about you? No one will force you to make either one decision or the other, you must make your own choice. As Iriisii learned this from yet a different vampire when she was mortal, choose wisely and you can have it all. Choose not so wisely and lose everything."

     Asher: "I understand."

     Mother of the Cosmos: "Morag Bal chose not so wisely, and in the depths of Table Mountain lost everything. I see you making a different choice than the one she made. If you like, ask Iriisii of her and the decision she made, and in the end what happened to her."

     Asher: "Thank you, Mother, for having the mercy to speak with me, and show me that all is not lost for me."

     Mother of the Cosmos: "I look forward to welcoming you into the family, my son. When you are ready, so I will be as well."

     Jean Claude and Tricia are watching the three of them closely, they can feel some kind of interaction going on. They just cannot tell what kind or what may be being said between them. Then Asher comes out of it and staggers, Rigmor catches him and holds him until he can stand. Jean Claude starts to move to help, but Asher motions him to stop.

     Asher: "No, I will be all right, I just need a few seconds to gather myself."

     Once he can stand, Rigmor releases him and as she pulls her hands back he catches them and thanks her for what she shared with him about herself. Rigmor blushes, and lowers her head. Asher uses one hand under her chin to lift up her face.

     Asher: "You should never feel less than anyone else for what you endured. For a great many would have given up and died where you fought and lived. Be proud of that, be the one all others should aspire to be like in their own lives."

     Rigmor looks up into his face once more, seeing not who he is now, but who he could be if he chooses to be. Then she places one hand behind his neck, the other cupping the ruined side of his face as she draws him into a kiss. Just as their lips touch she hesitates for a fraction of a second then kisses him as she has seen Iriisii kiss Dettlaff.

     It has been far too long since anyone kissed him like Rigmor has just kissed him. He cannot quite place what the feeling is that rushes through him. but he looks at Rigmor's face and sees the smile she has for him and he only knows that he would do anything to please her. He looks toward Jean Claude and Tricia, sadness in him at the way he has been toward them for these last years until he gave them no choice but to send him away.

     Asher: "I am sorry for the way I have been. I know it does not make up for the pain I caused but..."

     Jean Claude: "It is enough that you see this now. I see there is truly hope for you to find your way forward now."

     Tricia: "What did they talk to you about, what did they do to you to bring this about?"

     Asher: "We will speak when the time comes to speak. I am not yet ready for that, but soon, yes."

     Tricia: "Jean Claude! Are you going to let him go without finding out what the hell just happened? Why will they not say what they did? Did they cast some spell over him?"

     Jean Claude: "Tricia, stop! They are under stricture not to say anything. It is up to Asher to speak of what happened. Should he wish to speak to us or not, it is his decision, not theirs and not ours. You will let it go! What has happened falls under Celestial Law and we will not cross that Law and risk losing him permanently."

     Tricia: "I am sorry, it is just that I have never seen anyone bring such a reaction from him, not in all the time I have known him."

     Jean Claude: "I know. Mon Cheri, believe me I know. But now is the time for patience, he must make his own decision according to what he wants. Nothing else must interfere with this or we lose him forever."

     Alessia: "Tricia, my dear, listen to him, if only for this one time, listen and do as he asks. Great powers are moving in the spaces beyond our sight. They see what is happening here, and they too want to know how this is going to change what they have seen up to now."

     Alessia looks to Iriisii, "Morag Bal's decision is the key here, she went one way and now Asher must decide which way he will go. All any of us can do is wait and trust him to do what is right for him, now that he knows what could be his."

     Iriisii: "You are right, mother. He will tell us when he is ready, not before. We have much to talk of ourselves, do we not?"

     Alessia looks to the little one still in his sling sleeping, "Yes, we do. You knew this is what I would decide?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I did, not necessarily the reasons why but this is what I expected."

     Alessia: "Then we need to speak of those reasons, because they have become very important."

     Tricia: "Who is this Morag Bal and how is her decision related to Asher's?"

     Iriisii: "There is much concerning her fate that I could go into, but I will speak to only that which is directly related to the question Asher must decide. Morag Bal was the daughter of Molag Bal, one of the Daedric Lords of Oblivion, all of his children whether of his body or of his spirit are vampire. Within the Realm of Mundus, he is the Father and source of all vampires.

     I was with her in the Throne Room of the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. My Rigmor had just been taken into custody to await trial. The charge was 'being a pretender to the Throne'. I will not go into what we spoke about, it was a private matter between the two of us. But I did say this to her before I left her presence, 'Morag, you have a choice to make going forward from here. Choose wisely, and you can have it all. Do not choose wisely...'. she then called the guard and had me returned to the quarters I was occupying until the trial."

     Tricia: "What happened to her? How did she choose?"

     Iriisii: "What she chose was her decision to make, what happened...was this. We later met again under Table Mountain, she thought to sway me to her side using her vampiric wiles. As a 'brood mother' she was strong enough to command my body for a short time, but not strong enough to command my will. She realized this and gave me the one thing that could affect me. She gave me the 'Kiss of Death', and threw me back away from her. As I rose up from the floor, I drew my sword, leaped back to her and took her head. As the area erupted in flames in preparation for her father to enter our Realm there in that place, I sent everyone who came with me, including Rigmor back outside, while I awaited her father."

     Tricia: "So you killed her because of the decision she made?"

     Iriisii: "Because of the direction her decision was going to take my homeland toward. She was already deeply involved in betraying Tamriel to the Tsaesci. Her decision set the path that found me on the Throne of the Empire, seeking to rebuild it in time to meet the Tsaesci on our shores four years later. Had she decided differently, she and Ariel Sethius, would have kept their positions on the Thrones and their lives. As it was, well you know how that went. I am not saying that the same would happen here, the particulars would be different, but the end result would likely be the same."

     Tricia: "You are saying he would not survive, that you would kill him?"

     Iriisii: "I do not know what exactly would happen, when it would happen, or even what form it would take, who would be involved. These things are clouded for good reason and so must be accepted as they are."

     Tricia: "Thank you, I think. I am going to have to give thought to what you have said. This goes much farther, much deeper than I anticipated."

     Jean Claude: "Come, my love, let us return to the 'Circus'. It seems we have much to ponder over."

     Alessia: "You did well with that answer, my daughter. I know how difficult it can be to know how much to divulge without crossing the line. Things happened as they did, and we must understand what we can and take the rest on faith that we did rightly and wisely."