Restoring the Past

[Jen]

"Hold on tight." Kahlan didn't expect Vylrath to object as she concentrated on the way home. Kahlan was a jack of many trades and part of her existence had long been taking souls from Death's realm -- restoring them to their lives when she felt they had been cut too short. She was convinced that Death would not visit upon others what he had visited upon her. Kahlan would not allow any God to reap the benefits of a soul's demise.

Kahlan took a deep breath and exhaled as the realm rippled and shifted. If Vylrath kept his eyes open it might very well make him sick. He would smell the strong scent of roses and feel the world become more solid as he transcended the planes from Purgatory to life. Kahlan opened her eyes briefly and smiled as blurs of green, grey, and brown filtered into the grey and white. It took her a moment for her to catch her breath, as it always had, and she let go of Vylrath and took a step back.

"You're home. Your body is whole again but you'll have a scar around your neck always." Kahlan pressed her fingertips against Vylrath's throat to show him where the pale silvery white scar was. It might fade as he spent his days in the sun -- but it would always be there.

-------------------------

"Kahlan!" Isabella materialized out of the shadow of a thicket of trees. There was a clear pool of water nearby and she was damp from taking a bath. "I was afraid you wouldn't find us. We mobilized shortly after Vylrath..."

Isabella shut her mouth as she stared at Vylrath's form in front of Kahlan. She had a war of emotion on her face. Her hands balled into fists for a moment and then, as if the air had been let out of her, Isabella fell on Vylrath with a hug.

"You bastard. Don't you ever do that to us again!" How a woman so beautiful and strong as Isabella could love a man like Vylrath was completely unfathomable. Some individuals might find her love completely mental.

"Kahlan, please. You're still not as strong as you were before Vylrath's transformation." At that she glared at Vylrath and took Kahlan by the hand. "Igraine is going to have our heads for wearing you out." She smiled as Kahlan laughed, showing her with one hand where to go to find her one and only living daughter.

When the Queen of Ulster was gone to camp, Isabella stood before Vylrath and raised her hand and slapped the living hell out of him. Her hand hurt as she brought it back down by her side. It stung like fire but she didn't make a face. She said nothing more as she kissed his mouth, turned away, and began to walk the same path Kahlan took toward Camp.

[Vylrath]

Thank you Kahlan...

“I deserved that.” The sting would last, a short reminder of what he had done. He shouldn’t have left them, thinking that he knew this world like he used to know the old Xexoria.

He would rub at his face, if he didn’t have his hands full. He walked toward Isabella. “Roen wants you to have this. I met him in Purgatory. Your son helped me get the sword.” He produced the sword that had been resting against his side. Vylrath stopped her before she could get any further away from him. He placed the pouch around her neck, walking away towards the camp without another word.

Resting, he kept the sword close, feeling its essence drive into him. He could almost see the Goddess from all those years ago- tricking her into making the swords that could ultimately destroy this world. However, he hadn’t planned on her tricking him back.

The one thing that surprised him was that he didn’t see his mother in purgatory or his father. That meant that his father could still be alive and that his mother must be resting in the other planes.

“I wonder where my grave is…I wonder if the fucker even buried me.” Tracing a finger across his new scar, he smirked, wondering what the man’s expression would be like if they ever crossed paths again. He hadn’t lost much, but the thought naturally occurred to him. He didn’t blame Isabella for being pissed at him, but it made him realize that she had some feeling left for him.

He noticed that since he had materialized into this world that the sword had taken on a darker persona- almost sentient of Vuri.

Vylrath met with Isabella, still clutching the sword as if it were simply a new limb. “What’s our plan now?” He leaned on his broadsword, never feeling so relaxed. "Maybe Caela would be interested in seeing this sword and hearing about her brother..."

[Jen]

Bella glanced up at Vylrath as she leaned against a tree, watching the group at ease around a fire -- sharing their stories. Igraine was settled next to Kahlan and Caela was near at hand with Sebilla and Trydian. They were happy, they were forcing Kahlan to drink water and eat. The grown woman looked amused at their attempts, but took them in stride.

"I know why you love her. Kahlan, I mean. She's an amazing creature, and if it weren't for her we wouldn't be the way we are. Your daughter by her is beautiful." Isabella smiled as watched Igraine dote on her mother. It was the greatest regret she had, dying after the birth of Caela.

"I doubt Caela will want to know about her brother. He wanted to kill her before she was born. I'm not sure if she remembers that aspect of him or not. I'm sure she heard his words when he spoke to me and broke away from us." Isabella fingered the pouch hanging from her neck. It was soft, deerskin by the feel of it, and it felt as if there were sand inside. She lifted the pouch from her neck and slowly opened the drawstring. There were ashes inside and she frowned slightly. "Ashes?"

Bella tucked the string through her belt and secured the pouch before looking back at Vylrath.

"The dark sword?" She held her hand up before he could ask how she knew about it. They had been created after she died. "I was in Purgatory with Death. He allowed me to keep watch every now and again." Her eyes moved back to the group and then to the horizon beyond. There were patches of desert left in this Island nation, most of it were being swallowed by dense forest and tropical climes -- this was as different as a land could get.

"We're going to where Rivenfelde used to be. We'll secure the area and rebuild. Caela says that it was reduced to a crater during the Yuurei invasion so we have no idea what we're going to find once we get there." Isabella turned to face Vylrath with her hands on her hips. She looked regal standing there in the late afternoon sunlight, her face etched with thought and planning. She was infinitely more beautiful than she had been when she was Vylrath's wife, and he had bestowed that gift on her fairly recently.

"We'll have to play it by ear when we get to Rivenfelde. We have no idea whats waiting for us."

[Vylrath]

“All of my children are beautiful…even if they have loyalties elsewhere.” Vylrath said, with an obvious hint of arrogance. He knew that his children possessed the look of their mothers and he was thankful for that. Kissing Isabella for the first time, in a long time, he moved to where the children rested with Kahlan.

“Even though Trydian would rather slay me, I think he will find out later, that I would have been a better ally.” Bitterly ending the thought, he walked over to Igraine, careful of his sword touching her.

“Why don’t we give your mother a break? I can teach you some swordplay.” It was their first real meeting between them. Chaos usually interrupted any sort of bond he could have with her. He hugged Igraine close to him, feeling connected to her more than any of the others. The thought occurred to him, that it may be her Fae nature running through her body. By gods, if he could just have either one of them...the thought shocked him. Maybe he was just that way naturally, afterall.

It would be a first for him- showing affection toward any of his children with true sincerity. In truth, they would be considered the first royal family, if they could, in fact, restore Rivenfelde.

Turning toward the others, he let them know that he had other news in mind. His attitude drastically changing, he spoke directly toward Isabella and Kahlan.

"We will be travelling before the sun rises. We can no longer stay here. Since my encounter with the other humans, I know that we will be discovered shortly."

Are you up for more travel, Kahlan? We can wait.

[Jen]

Igraine was most likely the most trusting individual that Vylrath could come to. She had not been there when he had done heinous things to his own family, she had not been aware of his tremendous faults, and she possessed some of his attitude and a great deal of his temper. She was his child, but she had never grown to know him. So when he hugged her she smiled.

"I know some swordplay..." She wasn't sure what to address him as. Father? Vylrath? Both terms seemed a little awkward to her and so she simply let the sentence play itself out without directly addressing the issue of calling him some endearing term. "It might be useful to learn more, though Mother has taught me state craft and ways to diffuse potential hostile situations. Should I ever find myself in one, I am sad to say I probably would be at a loss."

Igraine was a regal young woman at seventeen summers. That Vylrath had fathered her by Kahlan was a true testament to his genes and ability to pick a good mother. The young wheat haired girl was in a way the perfect symmetry between Vylrath and Kahlan. Many of their best attributes and faults went into making her what she was.

"We can move, though we don't know what is going on in the patches of desert we will find. If the deserts are anything like the old Xexoria then we'll be forced to move by night and sleep through the day. If we're able to find more of these larger oasis' then we should take advantage of them." Kahlan spoke as she stared into the fire, sipping studiously at a cup of water as Sebilla and Caela watched her. Both women looked at Vylrath and frowned, but they did not protest. Whatever had killed Vylrath was most likely mobilizing, thinking that he was still dead. It was imperative that they get to Rivenfelde as soon as possible. Granted and rebuilding efforts could be jeopardized by the strangers.

"Isabella. You have telepathy. You will need to keep an eye out for any human source within range of us. Do you know how far your ability can take you?"

"No, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open as best I can."

"It wouldn't hurt to start a rumor of travellers going to rebuild Rivenfelde."

Isabella smiled and tilted her head in a nod. No one would remember who told them that Rivenfelde was going to be rebuilt, but the more hands to help rebuild the better. Vylrath would most likely be able to accomplish a foundation in a day's time, but the whole city would take at least two months if not more. Isabella paced with her hands behind her back as she thought long and hard about how they would achieve the rebuilding of Rivenfelde with Vylrath worn thin by the foundation.

"We'll need to hunt small game after we get to Rivenfelde. The Vuri in this group will need energy during and after the rebuilding efforts." Bella looked pointedly at Vylrath and smiled very faintly.

"Are you ready to be exhausted to the point of death, Vylrath?"

[Vylrath]

“Give me plenty of virgins and beer and I can rebuild an entire realm if you ladies desire it!” He snorted, in response to her comment on his strength. He was finally in a good mood.

He scoffed again at Isabella’s next comment. “I just CAME from death! The one thing that will kill me is a band of my own women. I never thought I would see this reunion.” In truth, it was the first that all of the women from his past had come together. It was odd and awkward for Vylrath. He almost didn’t know how to respond to the fact that he was in front of his past lovers and their children.

What kind of a man was he to actually enjoy this?

“The thing that killed me was human. I was tricked…” He muttered the last part of his explanation, too embarrassed at his own death by a mere human. His reputation as a rebellious demon had gotten him out of many situations- he didn’t want this rumor to be let out.

Feeling his scar, he looked ahead at the desolate landscape. “We’ll be able to do it. Your children come from me, a demon-turned-Vuri. They will be able to endure a little trip to our old world.” Vylrath almost sounded smug and proud, looking back at his flock of children gathered in one setting. They all came from beautiful and powerful women. He knew that the strength from their mothers would help them on this venture.

“I have the sword now. With my powers feeding into its metal, I feel as if I could fight my way through a handful of armies!” He looked to Igraine, admiring her beauty as if she were Kahlan herself. “I will want you in the front with me.
From the sounds of it, you couldn’t fight your way out of a gunny sack! You will learn from experience...”

He left them, more than likely feeling perplexed- especially the children. His plans were not elaborate and he was not looking forward to revisiting old ghosts.

Rivenfelde had not been a favorite past time of Vylrath Xanathi.

He would miss the secure walls of their Temple.

[Jen]

"We're all very capable of killing you Vylrath." Isabella chuckled softly as she accepted some food from Caela. "Only a few of us have very real reason to want to though, so you're safe." She craned her neck to search across the small sand dunes in the distance. They were at a loss to understand what they could find. Would there even be a Rivenfelde to resurrect? Had it been hacked off during the End and drifted into the sea? Well, no that there was anything left to worry over. It was the site itself that held the sentimental value -- even in this changed world.

"We'll be ready to move in about two hours, when night has fully fallen. By the gods above we'll be lucky if we aren't mistaken for Vampires on this journey." Isabella smirked as she settled in next to the fire, warming her hands that almost perpetually felt cool to the touch.

-------

Igraine smiled at her father and carefully disengaged from his hold. She wasn't going to be coming on this venture for very long. This was not her Kingdom to look after.

"I cannot stay for long. I am due back in the Faerie soon. I can journey for a day or two, but beyond that I have more lessons to learn and Mother will most likely join me." Igraine looked pointedly at Kahlan whom merely nodded, as if remembering something important she'd left behind -- the realization dawning on her.

"It is true, there is much to be done before you take Ulster. I will journey with you until we must go, but you know that I am just a summons away if I am needed." Kahlan smiled wearily and relaxed against a tree trunk. She looked like a shadow of herself, having to fetch Vylrath from Purgatory would have irrevocable complications and it was imperative that Igraine get everything she needed to take over for Kahlan.

"Mother you should rest more." Igraine knelt next to Kahlan and watched her mother smile. It was hard on the girl to see the woman so tired and worn thin by use of power she could barely comprehend, even after learning so much about her mother.

"I will be fine. A little trek is always good for the head and the heart." Kahlan laughed as everyone gathered watched her. "I'm not about to die from overexertion of power. I promise. If I ever do die I'll just end up in the Heavens. Nothing capable of killing me is stupid enough to allow me into Purgatory."

[Vylrath]

He knew that he could summon her whenever he desired it. His emotions toward Kahlan would never change, but inevitably she would have to leave his world. That wasn’t the type of woman he wanted by his side. He looked toward Isabella with that last thought, wondering if he could make an old flame spark again.

He could see the cold face of the moon rising against the husk of their familiar sand dunes. “Let’s move forward.” He let the women move ahead of him, certain of their safety under the night. Vylrath knew he walked next to Trydian, aware of the hatred that still stemmed from the boy. “You can either walk with me, or against me, but I will not let you ruin your mother’s plans.” Deep down, in this new shell of his, he knew that his son would never take up partnership – but he couldn’t bear the weight of having to kill Trydian in the future.

“I’ll make a deal with you…you can control whatever you like when we rebuild our kingdom. You can be commander of whatever you desire! However, like my Temple, I will know what you are up to in the end. Those walls spoke to me and I can do the same with this new kingdom...” It would be idiotic of the boy to turn down an offer of one with such power- Vylrath knew that he could kill Trydian, but he didn’t have the courage to with Isabella.

"Join my side and we can make sure that your mother stays safe."