Session 89: 29th March 2022 - I don’t trust me either
Xan spends a few months gathering the prettiest stones from around the entrance of the volcano, and creates a small ceremonial pattern around the egg, which she has tucked on a rock mound. She lays her cape by it and sits carefully next to the egg to guard it, keeping a close eye on Steros as he mutters to himself in the distance. Theo posters around the entrance of the volcano, listening to the movement as the party ends their negotiations. She pulls out a dagger and after catching a glimpse of herself in the metal, she gives herself a scrub with her belt fabric, getting rid of as much of the soot as possible.
Alke emerges from the volcano - a lizard queen shaped Alke. Theo immediately greets her and with the voice coming from the form Xan quickly works out this is Alke. She removes her headscarf and reverts to her usual form.
Xan updates Alke about the Steros situation, telling her they have an oath to help him to retrieve his father. They were to head this way anyway and that they will help him in his task.
The others appear with a dead body, the real lizard queen.
—
Xan presents her egg to Calliope.
“I know you don’t trust me, I don’t trust me either” she pauses, “At home, trust gets you killed.”
“I’m trying really hard to not be like them. I tried to get you an egg. I thought King Acastus might give us a dragon, I did ask him for you - Hipofilius was there. So I got you an egg.”
“The Island - I’m scared to go there. I just ran away. I had… have… nowhere to go. I couldn’t stay there. Someone on that island killed my mother. I don’t know who did it, it could have been anyone.” Her mind flashes to anyone, and sees her father standing in a crowd with Callus at his side.
“I… I don’t know if it was meant for me. I don’t know what I’m doing, apart from fighting”
Calliope responds. She understands Xan a little.
“If I understand it correctly we are at the end of the world. I want to fight with you and I want us to win.”
Calliope says she does feel she can learn to trust Xan.