The Vault

Posted on Sun Feb 12th, 2017 @ 8:41pm by Commander Ta'mas & Commander Paige O'Halloran "Banshee"
Edited on on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 @ 5:25pm

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Ireland, Earth
Timeline: 2388/06/25 1648 (June 25, 2388 1648, day after wedding)

The corridor that Paige was leading Ta'mas through was one of the oldest in the castle. Stone surrounded them on all sides, the walls covered with the previous Knight Protectors. There was empty space on the entry to the corridor for her own portrait one day, right next to her father's. He looked very dignified but there was an O'Halloran tweak of humor in his eyes as though inviting the viewer to join him in a grand joke. Younger he was, this having been painted when he took on the role after his father passed it over. A traditional act allowing for the Elder to transition into an adviser role at a time of their choosing. As many things here it had its own ceremony that held great meaning for the participants.

The paintings got older and older as they went, Paige carrying an old style lantern. By long family tradition this part of the castle was never modernized beyond what was needed to preserve what they needed to so in the Hall of Ancestors, so that meant Paige carried a lantern. Finally they arrived at a crossroads where the painting branched off to the left and right. It was not their goal to follow the paintings but was beyond the door directly in front of them.

Paige unclipped the old brass key ring from her belt and unlocked the several locks, after handing the lantern to Ta'mas. At the last lock being unlocked a very modern panel opened in the wall next to the door and Paige placed her left hand there. Then waited as it scanned her entire body making sure she was not showing signs of duress and that she was who she said she was. Which she had too at the end of the scan, “Identify, Paige O'Halloran, Heir-In-Right.”. In addition to the body scan was the verbal component. The little computer chirped and closed up, looking again like a stone brick to the right of the door.

The door clicked open then the fun began as they climbed the spiral staircase down, down, down, many flights. Finally they came to another door where Paige repeated the process as before. This door opened into a large cavern carved from the deep rock itself. The cavern was dark except for a modernized, glass room in the center of the cavern. It was large, had power, and climate controlled. In it one could see shelves upon shelves of books, parchment, scrolls. At a computer in the room sat an old man tapping away in a white protective suit, better to protect the ancient materials within. Not wanting to surprise him Paige used the lantern to guide her to the glass rooms entrance near where the man sat. She waved as he looked up, he beamed. Then stood, tapping a comm link by the door. “Paige my girl, I didn't know you were coming down today, just thought I'd do a bit of work backing up the latest on the digital archive as well the print. Hello Ta'mas...”

Paige grinned back with fondness at her Great Uncle, Senior Librarian for the family. “Don't let us bother you Uncle Bryce, just a bit of business to take care of. Light us up would you, please?”

He nodded, “Sure and I know what your about. I'll leave you too it, it's a private thing at any rate, I'll see you around by and by...”

He went back to the computer and tapped a few keys, then using the air lock style entrance to leave the room. With hugs for both, being a very huggy man, he headed up. One of the sets of three key sets on his own belt. He carried a lantern as well and used it to light a sort of storm drain that ran around the room, fire and light flew around the room. Then with a smile he was gone. The walls lit up and revealed the most amazing sight. An intricate tree was painted on the stone, large with branches, leaves and roots everywhere in the most life like detail. If one looked close one could see names. One from another generation upon generation. At first the earliest were in the same hand, one could tell they were re-writes from earlier records. No doubt by some long ago family librarian. Later though the names were all in different hands. The ceiling was painted with various ancient Irish Gods and Goddesses, one could see where centuries of careful painting kept it new and fresh. “The Archives.” She said a little in awe. “History of our family going back 2,000 years, though to be fair the first 1,000 is a bit more spotty than my Great Uncle would prefer...”

She took him the hand to one intricate part of the family tree wherein one could see someone had set up a small wooden table with a quill and a small ink pot. Above it were her parents names connected with an intertwining pair of branches showing marriage. Below that with a single branch indicating children where Paige's name next to her sisters'. Next to Paige's name someone had painted the double branch next to her name but the area to its right was empty.

“For centuries we have brought our life mates here, showed them our history and let them know this is now their history as well.” Her eyes met his as she continued, “Where there were two lives, there are now one. Where there were multiple families let us come together against all threats, shield to shield and sword to sword...” Her voice had a cadence of one reciting an ancient formula. She then picked up the quill and handed it to him. She picked up the ink well and opened it, “Do you Ta'mas Son of Tavor accept this charge?” Then she grinned unable to hold it in, “You better my mum spent time actually making this ink, it's traditional and she'll be very annoyed if you've wasted it boyo.”

Ta'mas smiled, "There is no chance of that happening. Seriously, Paige. I do understand the meaning of all of this....and what it means to you. Family tradition is something we have in common. So yes, I Ta'mas, Son of Tavor, accept this charge." His eyes remaining on her, he turned towards the painting, before looking away to carefully dip the quill pen into the ink well.

Paige put over hand over her mouth, partly weird shyness and part excitement. This was even more binding in Paige's family than the legal ceremony that followed. She watched him sign in elegant script, tall and handsome. In her mind as eternal as the mountains, she watched him step away as his name dried next to hers in the enduring homemade ink. She watched him put the quill back and she hugged him and smiled up at him, "No regrets?"

He smiled back, "No regrets. So...how about we get back to our honeymoon?"

Paige's smile change to one full of mischievous promise and she gently pulled him by the hand toward the door.


~End