18 2 of Cups
"Basalt, pit viper venom, obsidian and distilled rainbow water... what am I forgetting?..."
"Powdered rubies and basilisk nails."
"How do you figure?"
"Basalt for building, the venom for the toxicity, obsidian for the mirroring, rainbows for the promise, rubies for regeneration, healing and love, basilisk nails for fierce magic and power over death."
"Wouldn't that be the eyes then?"
"No, the eyes are certain death and they will have different synergy with the venom. What is in the grasp of a basilisk is what the basilisk can choose to let live or give the gaze that takes life. You did well with the choice of metamorphic rock for the building, this will mean the love can grow and evolve and you did well to capture the path of fire adding volcanic glass. With these two you have both rapid and slow, present and future, strong as iron and sharp as glass. You remembered to include the venom for endurance as it will take something great to survive hardship. And you thought carefully to suspend these things in every color of light that forms after a storm, but you have so much passion in yourself you tend to take it for granted. This is why you forgot the rubies. Similarly you have so much magic within you you forget to use something from a magical beast. You are the most brilliant student of magic I've ever seen, Medora, your only shortcomings are not realizing how your strengths affect you. You have to remember every card has its reverse."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever since Zion had been in the mirror certain memories had become troublesome. The expanse of time had collapsed out there for a moment, and when they returned, pieces of the past came with like grains of sand in an oyster. Meeting the shade added an element to this. A spritely, elvish and childlike creature, the shade had followed them, changing their shadow.
Now standing surrounded by their best friend, their familiar, their pet project, and their previous power play Zion felt an annoyance boil smoke out of their flame eyes. The voice, their soul's voice, began to pour out of their mouth until everything stood still. Then, in a language long lost, the lich began moving each one like pieces on a board taking the white go pieces out of Lucky and Contessa.
Lucky willingly gave the piece to Zion, Contessa, on the other hand, was unaware she had one, but she immediately started coughing as Zion suspended her in front of them. The coughing got more intense until she expelled the go piece.
"When he uses that voice of his there is always an enchantment that follows." Zion cautioned Contessa. "Which leads me to you, Lucky, when were you talking to the Fae King?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the realm of the fairies things were different than they'd ever been. Their king had gone into a deep meditative practice and come out changed. Where he was once driven and calculating he seemed confused. He didn't recognize many things or individuals and was unfamiliar with magic or ritual. His mannerisms and body language were unique too. It was as if he was another person.
This was a huge problem, not only politically and economically, but personally. While it's true the Fae King was indeed cruel and calculating, he was also wise and wonderful with a gentle heart he needed cruelness to protect.
Changes had taken place in the King's demeanor before, both when he first met Medora and after Medora left. But with each change the Fae King never forgot, nor stopped trying to get Medora back. Now was different though. The King seemed to not remember so many things and Medora was chief among them. Moreover he was often alarmed by his own reflection. His loyal subjects who were privy to this current state of affairs began to wonder if he had intentionally purged his memory to be free of the pain of loss, if at last the king had finally given up.
Staring into a mirror with the Fae King's visage staring back was unnerving, enough to make him nauseous. The nausea gave way to dry heaves and finally everything in his stomach came out. He couldn't recognize what was in the oil slick looking fluid, but a small go piece drew him in. He fished the black piece out of his vomit and then passed out with subjects rushing in to aid him as he concealed it in his palm.
