It was a quiet day as she bent down and felt the crisp coolness of the pond in her room. The sun was pouring down on her and if she were still a tree she knew that she would flourish. The rocking of the realms had stopped for a little while longer. It made her bird very happy as the little songbird flew around her and whistled happily. Her bi-colored eyes were happy as she reached up and let her bird land on her finger. What a happy day this was despite everything. For a while, she had been given flashbacks of how much the land rocked during the Godslayer War… It hurt her so much as her fingers ran up the burns she had acquired. 

“Shayla?” the voice was soft behind her as she stood up and dusted off her kimono. The bird began to nest in her long white hair and she found herself frowning towards the person who had given her a second chance at life.

“My lady you shouldn’t be out of bed in your condition.” The tree moved over to her goddess and she gently supported the woman leaning in the doorframe.

“Don’t worry about me Shayla. I was rather worried about you. I know that you have been having nightmares since the shaking started.” The goddess reached her blackened hand out and gently stroked the woman’s hair. “I was hoping you could do a favor for me. I don’t think I have long but I do have a wish.”

The tree’s eyes got a little sad. “I’ll hear it and complete it.”

The goddess gently nodded and frowned. “You see… if I die I need someone to help Naota and his wife. She’s pregnant with triplets my dear and I was hoping you could look after her and them. Live with Naota until the triplets are old enough to care for themselves. I can’t do it and I don’t think I could even if I was in better shape. Can you do that for me?”

Shayla’s eyes got sad as she looked back at her room and back at Angela. “I can… Will my room always be here?” She realized it was a long shot but if the goddess did die then it would be gone. “Do you think he will let me plant trees?”

Angela smiled a bit. “I think if you saved his wife and helped his babies he would let you do whatever you wanted.” 

Shayla was on her way after that. She knew that Angela was most likely trying to stop the shaking from bothering her but also she was concerned about the miracle triplets that Echo had conceived. Shayla was a tall woman, taller than most human men. Her eyes were brown on one side and green on the other. White hair flowed almost to the floor. The sides were pulled back and decorated with weeping willow branches.  Her kimono was crème at the top and aqua towards the bottom but it was oddly enchanted to show the life cycle of a willow tree. Her skin was a beautiful shade but towards her neck was burnt and her hand on the left side as well, the left side of her body completely was covered by the scar of her past but she looked so happy as she packed a basket full of food and wine.

She arrived at the temple as soon as she could. Making her way into the altar room she stopped and she merely stood still. Her earthy smell and aura filled the room by accident. She was so still it appeared she was the tree of her past life. Her gentle breathing was the only thing that made sure she was alive. She would wait until the master of the house or someone addressed her, that’s what tree spirits usually did anyways.

As it was he was the one in the altar room today.  With Naota gone, he and Kōsen were the only defense here, it made their work days long.  And while he didn’t mind staying at The Crystal Palace, he was used to being sent out into the world for tasks.  But really, he couldn’t think of a more important job than that of guarding the Lady of the house. 
 
Every time he looked at Echo-Rose in her crystal encasement he was filled with anger and an almost unbearable feeling of protectiveness.  Not just for her and the three frozen lives inside of her, but for his lord as well.  As much as he wanted to keep the Lady safe, it felt wrong knowing that Naota was at that…witch’s domain.  And for what reason?  To calm her?  Soothe her?  Talk reason into her?  It was pointless!  And frustrating.  Some people were beyond help, but he knew Naota wouldn’t accept it, not with his family on the line.
 
So, with a sigh he remained in the throne room.  A few people had come in and out to pray at the altar, but the room felt dead with the Lord of Light being gone.  The ever-floating throne of black tourmaline remained empty of course, but people still spoke as if he were sitting there.  He wondered if he was able to hear them where he was…Things like that weren’t exactly appropriate questions, even if Kōsen shot her mouth off any chance she got. 
 
Presently he was sitting in one of the high rafters, reading a book whose leather cover was worn soft from use.  He’d read this one over a dozen times, but its familiarity gave him a sense of calm and focus.  When nightfall came, he would get a break and it would be Kōsen’s turn to watch over the throne room, but until then he had to remain diligent.  His eyes lifted up over the pages and down into the room when he heard another person come in.  Another person begging for protection?  No…This was someone new.  This wasn’t one of the people that had used the temple for sanctuary during this most troubling time.  That put him on high alert.
 
The smell of earth and nature flooded the room and his eyes widened.  He had the urge to summon his weapon and his hands buzzed with energy, but he kept it all at bay.  Whoever they were, they weren’t kneeling at the altar or leaving an offering, in fact they looked completely out of place.  His eyes halved and he dropped silently to the floor behind them.  Despite his height, she was only one inch shorter and he hadn’t expected that…While he was tall and strong in build, he was impossibly light due to what he was and made no sound even though the drop had been over twenty feet.  Who are you…?  His eyes narrowed in thought and his voice was quiet and deep as it echoed throughout the room, “I don’t recognize you.  What’s your business in Suisho no Kyuden?”

Shayla found herself in a world where she was happy. This pleasant quietness was her happy place. This was where she went when the world was scary and dark. With the flick of a single word, her mouth twitched and her strange eyes opened up so she could look at the man talking to her. She let a deep bow as she began to formulate the words that needed to come out of her mouth. The young man looked like he would chop her head off at any moment and she just gave him one of her smiles. It was a calm, kind smile.

“I was told to come here and be of help to Echo.” Was it Lady Echo? Her face twisted for a moment as she thought about it. “I suppose… Lady Echo? I’m not sure I am only doing what my Lady has asked of me. I’m her baby monitor… healer?” She thought about it again as the words came to her mind. “Midwife!” She looked ever pleased with her as her green and brown eyes had a twinkle in them now that she knew her words.

Once more she was trying to find her words. Her mouth formed the sounds of the letters but she was uncertain. “I’m not very good at this speaking thing just yet…” It had been a long time since the Godslayer War but still she was rather new to this human thing. “Lady Angela said, in case that something was to happen to her that I should be here in her place to take care of Lady Echo and the three little ones.”

The bird in her hair chirped happily and Shayla let a little hush from her lips. “Not yet,” she let the little one know as she reached into the basket and pulled out an apple. She was gentle as she reached out with her burnt hand and took his. She put the apple in it and gave a smile. “An apple a day keeps Angela away. Or… so the children say.” She thought on it more. Why did an apple a day keep her away? Why would they want her to stay away. Her eyebrows even looked perplexed at the thought of it.

He was shocked by her eyes when she turned, but it didn’t bring his guard down in the least.  If anything, his suspicions increased when she stated her business.  It went without saying that he didn’t believe her at all.  Were Angela to be sending someone then his Lord would have told him or Kosen.  Then again, The Mother was known for marching to her own beat and following her impulses.  She wasn’t exactly in her right state of mind as of late either.  That didn’t comfort him, but at least it would have made this meeting make sense.  More sense anyways.
 
She took his hand and he immediately went rigid: each muscle tense and ready to strike should he need to, even though her touch couldn’t have been more gentle.  He looked down at her burned hand and was taken aback but grew more confused when she put…an apple into his hand?  He held it up in front of his eyes, spinning it between his fingers, but sensed no poison or tarnish.  What was this?  Some kind of trick?  Was this woman…not all there?  He kept it held and lowered it down, his thumb pressing nervously at its stem as she kept on with her tangent.  He sighed, another strange person like Kosen. 
 
Without warning he rose his other hand up and touched his middle finger to the center of her forehead over her third eye.  His near black eyes locked with her discolored ones as he searched her mind.  Everything she’d told him replayed in his mind as if he’d been there, all in a flash, and then suddenly there was fire.  Screaming.  The smell of ash and smoke and a thousand shouting men.  He pulled his hand back and rubbed his fingers together, trying not to decipher what that last bit had been.
 
“Well then, Shayla is it?”  He’d seen it in her head, “Unfortunately for you and your lady, my lady is not allowed any visitors.”  His eyes shifted and the stiffness in his muscles eased only slightly.  When he continued his voice was softer, but always with that edge of suspicion, “There is no need for a midwife at this time, Lady Echo is presently preoccupied.”  Encased in crystal.  No one else in the realm other than Naota, Kosen and himself knew that though.
 
“Now then, unless you have a prayer or an offering I’m going to have to escort you back out.  The temple is on higher security with The Northern Light being gone.”  What was he supposed to do with this apple though…?  Likely he would just end up putting it in the Emerald Room with the rest of the food.

Shayla looked at him and sighed a bit. Reaching into the bag she pulled out what appeared to be a lapis gemstone. She set it down and gave him a smile. “My lady said that if anything were to stop me from seeing Echo and it wasn’t Naota to show this to the person!” She was sort of happy that she got to see it. She wanted to know what it was. Applying a little bit of an earthly energy to it made the rock glow.

Before too long an image of Angela, blackened skin and all, appeared on the ground. She offered a smile to Kagayaki as if she knew where to look. “Greeting! If you are getting this… it means that Naota is out of the house and I don’t get to give him the details of Shayla’s abilities. I’m going to spare you the boring lecture. I’m taking by his tone the other day that he put Echo into a sleep, trance, whatever it is that he does. This is just an educated stab in the dark. If for some reason THIS IS what he did… Let Shayla examine Echo. You’ll see what I mean when she does it. There is a possibility the babies could already be damaged by the feud we caused. I’m hoping that isn’t the case but if it is and Shayla catches it… she can fix it.”

The gem broke and Angela disappeared. “My Lady looks really ill..” Shayla looked very sad as she looked to Kagayaki. “Can I see her now, please? I don’t want any more death or sadness. No more.” She gently shook her head full of white hair. 

This was taking longer than he wanted or intended.  Normally he would be more cautious before touching a woman, but he couldn’t help but think that this one would need a little bit of physical nudging.  He would be gentle.  Or he would have been if she hadn’t set a lapis lazuli on the floor.  He recognized the stone immediately and his eyebrows furrowed.  Just as he was about to ask what it was for, an image of The Mother shone before both of them.  His hand went to his hip, ready to summon his weapon but having no need when all the image did was speak.
 
Angela did not look well, to say the very least.  The stories were true: she was dying.  And if she wasn’t then she at least looked as if she was.  It was sad, but he kept his resolve: his expression ever stony as he listened quietly.  He wasn’t ignorant to the situation Echo was in and this news wasn’t taken lightly.  If anything were wrong with her or the lives growing inside her and he didn’t let this woman do her job, then his Lord would never forgive him.  Actually, he would, and that was the worst part…He considered hailing Kōsen to go to The Lady’s chamber, but he was confident he could hold this woman off should the need arise.  Besides, they couldn’t leave the temple without at least one of them there.
 
“…Fine.  Come with me then.”  He said reluctantly, and moved towards her, gently touching her shoulder before flickering them away.  This was a space that technically existed between realms, the safest place his Lord could think to hide his wife, accessible only by the three of them.  The space was black with a soft blue glow to illuminate the area, and it came directly from the unbreakable crystal encasement that Echo was kept in.  The light had been forged by Naota himself, and it was the only source in the entire area.  All around them was black darkness, and aside from the frozen Lady, Shayla and Kagayaki were the only souls here.
 
As it was, Echo was completely upright in this encasement, her hair splayed and hands folded neatly at her middle.  Her fingers had been joined together in a warding gesture to keep any would be evil at bay: a last touch that had been added.  Other than that, she appeared to be in peaceful sleep.  He walked up to the crystal, it floated a foot from the ground and for once he had to look up to see her face, “Whatever it is that you need to do, make it very quick.  We can’t stay in this place for very long.”  Even though he didn’t know the intricacies that plagued a deity, he knew with absolute certainty that Naota, wherever he was, knew that the two of them were here.

Shayla had a happy look on her face as Kagayaki gave in to her Lady’s wishes. It would be for the best and Shayla knew that Naota would understand. Angela had gifted the Willow spirit to him for a very good reason. Her understanding of healing arts was a design in her soul. It was something most tree spirits could do and furthermore Shayla knew them well. That was why tree spirits were so welcomed as clergy members in Angela’s temple.

In the dark room, Shayla took a deep breath. It was the darkness that scared her the most. She flinched at his words. “Yes, of course.” She came up and her feet almost rooted into the ground. Her hands reached out and gently touched the crystal. “Verloz.” the word left her lips as green energy poured out of the crystal, no out of Echo.

Finally take a step back it looked like Shayla was reading a diagram of Echo. She was dissecting it bit by bit. She would move pieces of the energy and she would almost magnify certain parts. A gasp left her lips. “LADY ANGELA. This is most displeasing not to know.” She looked up at Kagayaki and blushed. “Lady Echo is infertile. The scarred skin around her womb indicates severe trauma. It means without divine intervention… a spell, potion, or blessing this birth isn’t possible. It scared me for a moment.”

She blew what equaled a kiss to the image and three little spots of energy appeared. She did the same thing to the three little bean like figures and she seemed pleased. “They are all healthy. They are all about the size of a prune and while she was highly stressed… it seems to have leveled off just fine." She pinched areas of the energy and hummed softly. “They appear fine.” The magic disappeared and she blushed at Kagayaki as she realized she took control of the situation as soon as she got busy. “I’m not normally so pushy I’m so sorry.” She bowed deeply to him.