Remote Viewing

In Flux, Sophia's group uses their technologically advanced, magic powered devices to watch the events of the week in Westmark.

73.

Remote Viewing

 

“Anything yet?”  Khord asked from underneath the cabinet.

“Just move it out from the wall, you’ll never reach it that way!”  Sophia suggested, but at that very moment an image flickered and then came onto the large screen television.

“There!”  Three or four of those assembled shouted.   Khord wiggled out from the cabinet and glanced at the screen.

“Go ahead, Sophie, it should display on it now.”

His wife tapped a button on her laptop and on the large TV came an image of Westmark.

“Hold on a second.”   The Drow lady told her guests, typing some information on her keyboard, which caused the image on the screen to change until it displayed the main ducal hall, where six coffins sat on small carts, surrounded by ducal guards wearing their parade-finest armor.

“Wow,” Alis said, glancing over to Sophia as the Drow lady lit a Dart’loxinchu cigarette, “So we are about to watch our own funeral through this… what is it called?”

“Television.”   Sophia answered with an exhale of smoke.   She no longer worried about offending the others, since the effects of the drug now did not bother them at all.   Most of them didn’t really like her smoking around them, but now they just didn’t have good reasons to complain.

“Television.”   Alis sighed, shaking her head and turning back to her husband who was seated next to her, “And to think all these incredible devices were being used here while we were being watched, unbeknownst to us!”

“It is a wonderful and somewhat frightening place.’   Aeric agreed.

“You’ll find it more wonderful than frightening, in time.”  Eioldth said to them as she came into the common room carrying three large bowls.

“Popcorn?” She offered Alis the first bowl, and the Half-Elf girl took it with wonder at the material of the bowl.

“Plastic.”   Eioldth explained, “Don’t worry; you’ll not be as amazed after a few weeks here.”

They were gathered together to see the funeral of Aeric, Alis and Abigae.   Their daughter seemed to be having the easiest time adapting to the new surroundings and she sat across the room chatting with Joila, Sirya, Aranthi and Leah as if it were a great holiday.

“Sometimes the young handle the change better.”   Deborah said softly to the girl’s parents as they looked at their daughter, “But you both will adapt quickly.”

“So what did you say that you saw last night?”   Aeric asked the Watcher.

Deborah sat back on the couch, scooping up some popcorn out of the bowl Eioldth had given her, “Well, I was having trouble sleeping - I think due to the dramatic change of weather we have now that Flux is in Synomenia.   Anyway, I couldn’t sleep, so I used my scrying program - the same one Sophia is using now- to check on the situation at Westmark.”

“And Amala married Carn?”   Alis asked, an image of the big Bugbear still in her mind.

“Yes, but he is quite a handsome Elf now.    You’ll see soon enough.    Carn, Amala, Aedric and Snoe decided to craft a ballad to honor the two of you, like it was done in the days of old.”

“For us?”   Alis said in excitement.

“Certainly!   Both of you have labored tirelessly for the Dullerms and for Northmarch.    You have been Aurei and Eleazar’s closest friends, and were like family to them.   Aedric is grieving almost as much as your son Aaron is, but he has Snoe to comfort him.”

“A ballad for us!”   Alis laughed, “Who would ever have thought it!”

“They even practiced singing it, so it should sound good.”   Deborah told them, “I think it is quite touching.”

“Deborah, did you also check on Aaron?”   Alis asked the Watcher, and the lady nodded with a sympathetic smile.

“I checked on him first.   He had sat with your family and friends at the wedding banquet, but excused himself early and went back to his room alone.   Aurei and Zeatt checked on him once and Aedric took a break from working on the ballad and also checked in on him.”

“Thank Yesh for our friends.”   Alis said, blinking back tears, “Is he going to be alright?”

“He’s strong, Alis, and feeling very alone right now.   But he has found a surprising friend that he has expressed his pain to.”

“Really, who is he?”

“Actually, it is a ‘she’.    After Aedric had checked on him, not long afterwards, Lysa the Orc - the lieutenant of the Orc Honor Guard- came and knocked on his door.   She had gone by there twice before, earlier in the evening, but was too timid to knock.   She found the courage the third time and he was actually very happy to see her.”

“Really?”

“She is quite a good listener, and she is a secret Paladin, so they have that in common.    He ended up talking to her for four hours about you, Aeric, Abigae and his regrets that he didn’t express how much he loved you.”

“He told all of this to an Orc lady?”

“She is a descendant of Lute and Siris, so she has some Ogre and human blood too, but yes, he really opened up to her.”

“That surprises me.   Aaron never really shared how he felt with anyone, willingly.”

“Lysa listened respectfully and encouraged him to take time for himself and think of healing before thinking of his duties.   Then she took his hand and prayed that Yesh would comfort him.   After this she told him that she would be happy to listen to him if he needed someone to talk to, and then she bid him goodnight and left.”

“Did it help him?”   Alis asked.

“He seemed comforted, for he knelt down and prayed for a long while after she left, then went to bed.”

“Siris was always a gentle, kind woman, so apparently Lysa has inherited her spirit.    Yesh bless her!”

“Hey, everyone!”   Haroldris called, pointing to the TV, “They’re coming into the hall to hitch up the carts.   I think the funeral service is about to begin!”

All twelve of those who were gathered in the room, quickly formed a semi-circle around the big TV, found comfortable positions with their bowls of popcorn and drinks and watched the magic image of the happenings in Westmark.

Reviews

[Elina]

"Yes, but he is a quite handsome Elf now." This sounds a bit odd. Perhaps, instead, something along the lines of "Yes, but he is a rather handsome Elf now" or "Yes, but he is quite a handsome Elf now."
"She had went by there twice before..." It will sound a little better if you change "went" to "gone."

[Eddie Davis]

Thanks, Elina.