Tales of a Child Eternal [NSFW]

[Tethras Clan]

It's several minutes, in fact, before Zevran returns. Wrapping his knuckles with a strip of linen. "Apologies, that took a touch longer than expected," he says, voice light, eyes glinting as he retakes his seat.

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one apologizes if this one has given offense or discomfort," they murmur, eyes on Zevran's knuckles.

[Tethras Clan]

"You are innocent in this matter," Zevran snaps, then takes a deep breath. "I am not upset with you. Not at all. I'm sorry for snapping."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Can--" A deep breath. "Can this one be told what the matter is?"

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran takes a deep breath. "I was... it is easy to forget that the gods are not people. That they... that they cannot be judged, much less by our standards."

[Helene Dakesh]

"The-- the gods?" Helene looks startled. "Blessed Alydra did nothing wrong! If anything, it was she who saved this one."

[Tethras Clan]

"Aldyra took an oath of unending and complete servitude from a child and then made them pay for it," Zevran hisses. "That is a violation, a- a- travesty and a sin. Were a mortal to have done such a thing, they would be reviled and slaughtered to the praise of the multitude."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Alydra gave this one purpose. This one..." 

They hesitate, then steel themself, taking a deep breath. "This one had determined that this life was a mistake, that this incarnation was malformed. This one was considering beginning anew."

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran needs a moment to work that out, to realize what Helene is suggesting. When he does, he lets out a soft sound of pain and flexes his hand, glancing at the now slightly pinked wrapping. "I... that... is... slight justification," he says begrudgingly. "But certainly such a heavy price was unneeded?" he almost begs. "Why were curses and a life of sla- servitude required?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"It is this one's fault. This one swore an oath that was... open-ended. The path was chosen by Alydra, because this one refused to choose, to give the matter the weight and deliberation it deserved." They shift uncomfortably. "This one is likely cursed in this way because of that, because this one was too young when this one swore, and because this one-- if this one had waited, this one would likely only have ended up with the second curse, the one tied to the unsettlement of this one's spirit in this one's shell."

[Tethras Clan]

"If you were too young, then why would they accept the oath in the first place?" Zevran demands. "Why not just... give you a task or... provisional service? Something shorter, something lesser, that could be reaffirmed later if you wanted, after you were old enough, mature enough, to make such a weighty decision."

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one was only a child as humans mark time," they argue. 

[Tethras Clan]

"You said you were three as a human would consider age. Which means you were... ten or so? As in, still well below the age of fifty, which is when a samsaran is considered an adult?" Zevran asks pointedly.

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one was physically only a little younger than this one is now, will always be. But, as Samsarans mark time, this one was Three-and-three, which is considered quite advanced. To have knowledge of three lifetimes, and to be beginning a fourth, is remarkable. To recall who this one was within the first two years is remarkable. This one is advanced, and carries much accumulated wisdom. This one should have listened to the inner voice, to the part That Was Dakesh, rather than merely the part called Fille." 

[Tethras Clan]

"..." Zevran squints a little. "I'm not sure I followed that. You were... thirty three years old? Which is... roughly... elven for a human? The rule is divide by three for a rough guess, no? But you had previous memories so there's... bonus years of a sort?"