The Last Night (open)

[Mai'na]

Time Stamped: 60th day of Winter Year 509AV

The air was chilled, the night was still, and the moon rode the clouds to its zenith where the stars greeted it with a twinkling welcome. A breeze moved across the island kissing everything with a hint of the Muran winter. While no snow lay on her quiet tropical shores, Konti and its inhabitants felt the season in their own way that others could not. The winter spoke those of the Konti that were blessed to hear it, and they knew that soon it would come to an end. It was on this calm night that Mai’na of Mura came to lay on the beach in the cold sand. On her stomach with her heavy navy cloak over her she looked like something washed up on shore, a large Ivaski lay beside her, his head high and alert. Mai’na loved this island. She loved it as she loved her mother, with a great respect, and honored it as best she could. She also loved the simple fact that in winter she didn’t have to deal with the “snow” that travelers would tell her is so common in other areas during the winters there. She had never seen snow, but that would change soon, everything would change soon, and she dreaded it.
Propping herself up with her arms, she flung herself over the dog and it huffed in placid response. Arms wrapped tightly, she hugged the great animal and sighed into its fur.

“This is our last night here Sable. Tomorrow mother sends us away. She thinks I’m trouble Sable, she wants me out of the way.”

Her gray eyes glittered with unshed tears which she promptly sniffled away as she drew the back of her hand across her eyes. She stood revealing a pretty white cotton dress with blue blossoms printed along the hem. Gritty with sand, brown in places it clearly shouldn’t be, it looked as if she had been laying on the sand since the evening dew fell. The matching blouse for some reason seemed to avoid the fate of its other half even though it’s pretty purple ribbon had come undone. As she made an attempt to brush the sand from her, Sable stood. A rumble of warning emanated from his chest, in a heartbeat it formed into a growl of intimidation as he locked eyes on the tree-line a hundred yards from them.

Turning her head inquisitively she hushed the animal with a loving scritch behind his ear.

“That’s ok Sable, you are a good boy, I know you’ll protect me.”

The question was, from what.

[Alice]

The white trees radiated a mysterious glow that was natural when Leth’s light shone upon them. Konti Isle was full of unsolved mysteries and fascinating phenomena, with some of them lying in the landscape and flora, but some of them also in its inhabitants. One could never know what awaited them when they followed the pathways; even the city was full of narrow alleys and strange objects dangling from roof overhangs or glittering in the various canals and pools of vision water. Storytelling, craftsmanship and natural beauty intertwined in and around Mura in more than one way and in other ways than the few common ones. Sable, the Konti’s small white guardian, was blessed with excellent senses. He had realized that something was hiding in the trees, something that was unusual in his tame animal world. He had never sensed something like that before, although on the other hand they had hardly ever strolled far into the wilderness. Perhaps some kind of wild animal had come into close proximity of Mura’s outskirts? Perhaps one of the other citizens was roaming the night in search for peace and reflection? Leth’s pale disc was only partly visible, so the light wasn’t good enough for Mai’na to see far or clear. The shadows between the trees – the white exemplars weren’t that big anyway – produced excellent shelter for every kind of being, feral or civilized, living or otherwise. However, nothing moved there. Upon Sable’s barking, a small light seemed to flash. Then silence covered the scene like a thick blanket. The first move was left to Mai’na.

[Mai'na]

Sable's ears pricked forward as a soft flick of light became visible in the treeline, it died out as soon as it came and he sniffed at the air in an attempt to determine what had produced such a strange sight. Energy building inside him he whined with anxiety as his hackles raised. Wanting direction from his pack leader he felt out to her in a questioning curiosity, afraid to ask if he should continue.

Mai'na has encountered many things on the island, some of which could be considered odd in many ways. But tonight she hadn't expected uninvited arrivals. Sable's desires reached her thoughts and she allowed him to move in front of her. She wasn't about to deny him his purpose. Placing a hand between his shoulders to show him that she was unafraid and called out to the unknown. Not thinking that it my be an outsider, she spoke in Kontinese, her accent making it clear that she was young and cared little for subtleties of conversational pronunciation. In short, she sounded like an ignorant child.

"If you don't stop teasing Sable, he'll make a snack out of you! Honestly it'll save me many Mizas in dog food. He hasn't had his dinner yet, so it should be quick."

Squinting her eyes in vain to see what secrets the trees held she decided to hold her ground. She knew better than to just walk into a dark copse of trees without knowing what lurked within. No. Whatever, or whoever, was in there would have to come out into the night's sparse light. At least with the beach at her back she and Sable might be able to swim home if there were trouble in the trees.

Waiting, watching, Mai'na thoughts played host to all sorts of imaginings, she hoped for a friend, rather than foe.

[Alice]

Upon Mai’nas loud words something started to move in the distance. First the underwood rustled faintly, then a few pale spots could be seen appearing from behind the trees. They came closer in a steady, coordinated movement, and soon formed the limbs of a woman who was wearing a long, figure-hugging black dress. She took her time approaching the girl, but soon Mai’na noticed that she was Konti herself. What had caused the glittering sight were most likely her earrings consisting of drop-shaped golden jewels embedded in slim silver frames. The woman’s hair was tied up in a messy bun. Her age was hard to guess as it was with every Konti, but when she spoke, her voice sounded rich and mature. Full of experiences young Mai’na had no clue of. Eventually she smirked and looked down at the girl and her dog. “What a cheeky little thing you are … but of course, that was to be expected.” She seemed to study Mai’na like someone studied a homeless cat, considering whether she wanted to give it a try with her or not. There was something strange about that kind of stare, and about the nervous twitching of her long fingers. The Konti were known for their extraordinary gifts that prevented them from betraying and lying to each other, but this one was different … It was hard to read her feelings and thoughts, although it was likely that she knew things about her opponent. She carried a mysterious aura with her. Leth’s silvery light crowned her white head like a halo. Suddenly she leaned backward, folded her arms and tilted her head. Still she looked more or less lost in thought, although the general atmosphere had turned to positive. “Now I understand. You have no choice, have you? Should I help you to become independent then?” A fresh breeze moved the pale trees and the grass in the back and caused myriads of tiny ripples on the dark water. It played with the hair and clothing of the women and the fur of the dog. In fact, Sable would feel slightly itchy. The air carried the smell of prey with it … distant, but nevertheless there, and not too far away to be reached by foot.

[Mai'na]

As Mai’na adjusted her eyes in the night a woman emerged from the trees. A smile skipped across her face and she ruffled Sable’s scruff playfully. Kneeling down beside him in the sand she whispered lovingly into his ear,

“Good boy Sable, I’ll handle it from here.”

Sable let fly a huff of polite submission, letting his pack leader know that he felt oddly about this. Something was still out of place, he didn't know what, but he would let his girl know when he did. Until then he would stay quiet.

Within a heartbeat she was standing straight again, and had began to walk towards the stranger in an attempt at an amiable introduction. She made note of the gemstones that hung glittering from the woman’s lobes, they were a sparkling energy over the calm black of her dress and Mai’na marveled at her beauty. Of course she thought all Konti were beautiful, but this one had added that extra element of surprise and intrigue, making her all the more dazzling. Jealousy piqued within her, she had never thought of herself as ‘pretty’ like the others on the island, the typical self-esteem of a young woman finding her way in the world. But she stifled the feeling, knowing that her gifts could give her away if she projected onto the woman. Wanting to break the proverbial ice she kept moving forward, however the new arrival beat her to it, speaking in such a way that Mai’na could tell she must be respected.

“What a cheeky little thing you are … but of course, that was to be expected.”

Stopping dead in her tracks, Mai’na wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes in a slight confusion. What had this Konti seen before coming to the beach? Had she predicted Mai’na lying on the beach with her faithful canine? Knowing inherently that it was a possibility with any of her kind to do so she wasn’t shocked, just confused. Had this woman ventured out to find her? And if so, why?

Delving deep into her memory she tried to think if she had ever seen this particular Konti within Mura, or anywhere else on the island. But she couldn’t recall ever laying eyes on her. For a fleeting moment Mai’na thought about probing forward with her gifts but knew how rude it would be. This woman hadn’t done much of anything yet, other than point out the painfully obvious. So other than look utterly confused, she did nothing.

As the woman folded her arms and observed her, Mai’na couldn’t help but focus on those eerie eyes. They seemed to be assessing her in some manner and she wondered if the Konti was using her gifts to do so.

“Now I understand. You have no choice, have you? Should I help you to become independent then?”

Mai’na’s brow furrowed in further confusion and the words spoken brought her back to her where her train of thought had been going. Back to her Mother, Mai’lia, and her plans for a better future for her way-ward daughter. She thought of the task of being forced to learn about the brother race her mother spoke so highly of, and of the more difficult trial of finding not only a mate, but a husband. Mai’lia wanted someone stronger than she was to protect her daughter for a lifetime. She knew that she couldn’t watch over her daughter forever, and she meant the very best for her, but that didn’t keep Mai’na from resenting what her mother has planned for her. She didn’t want to learn about the Akalak, she didn’t want to marry, she didn’t want children, but how could she refuse her mother? How could she, who was so young, argue against what her mother deemed was best for her? She knew little outside of Konti, and it was only now after a long life of sheltering that her mother felt she as ready for the outside world. How could she give up the opportunity to leave the Island? She knew that if she disobeyed her mother it certainly would be a long time before she would have another chance.

“Help me? How can you help me? Are you aware of my situation? Tell me sister what have you seen? Did it come to you on the wind or did you search for it with the sight? Either way my fate has been sealed by Mai’lia of Mura.”

Her hair drifted in a slight breeze as her nose turned up in an obstinate manner. So sure was she of her future, so sure was her mother. Beside her she could feel a tension growing in her companion. Sable’s fur stiffened and he grew anxious again. His primal desires where being stirred by a scent on the wind, something teased at his instinct to run and hunt, and devour. Mai’na wished she had been fibbing when she had told the woman Sable hadn’t eaten. The truth was that she hadn’t either. They had left together in the early morning after breakfast and had been walking around the island all day. Her desire to return home and stay there pulled at her heart. For a moment she nearly forgot that she wasn’t alone.

She turned her attention from Sable and their future together in the vast unknown and focused on her ‘company’.

“Who are you anyway? And why do you care if I’m independent or not?”

[Alice]

The woman didn’t show any signs of intimidation because of the huge, dangerous canine that accompanied Mai’na. In fact, she completely ignored the dog, be it because she knew how to handle Ivaski, be it because she sensed that he would be of no harm. At Mai’na’s outburst of questions she wrinkled her nose as if expressing her dislike of such bad taste. A real Konti shouldn’t display her confusion like that, instead interactions were based on empathy, understanding and knowing when to ask the right questions. On the other hand, it was never bad for a young and inexperienced one to ask. Questions, after all, were the stuff that Eyris’ wisdom had been built upon. The woman, however, seemed to dislike such behavior. Her smirk had vanished. Then she leaned forward again, a sign that her words would be important. “Tell me, who has not heard about the reckless Mai’lia and her daughter? Even those who have other gifts are blessed enough to see what is. Hmm, but it seems that you’re still too young to truly see.” Hesitating, she took in a deep breath, smelling the wind and listening to the slight noise of the water. Silver Lake – a place of serenity, but also a place of clarity of mind and soul. She was there to fulfill a task, that much was true, but she had the whole night to prepare. Time was a key factor of what she planned to do. What Mai’na said next, though, created an amused chuckle. “Your fate? Hardly ever does Lhex follow the plans of the living, I assure you!” Suddenly her amusement vanished and her eyes met Mai’nas in an intense stare. “My name is Norozia, of the Ulvalin family. As I already said, I am willing to help you if you prove yourself worth of it. Mai’lia’s understanding of right and wrong is more often catastrophal than not”, she explained, her voice carrying a certain edge that Mai’na couldn’t explain. The only thing she knew for sure was that that weird woman who called herself Norozia was related to the current Konti Matriarch, V’nessi Ulvalin. Whether that was a good or a bad thing was left to her own judgment. “As to why … You can guess. We can even call it your first test, if you will. Question time is over, though.” Grinning this time, arms folded, she shifted and waited. “Facts. Provide facts.” And when looking into Norozia’s stunningly steel blue eyes, Mai’na would find it incredibly hard to resist the urge to follow her instructions, if not impossible.

[Mai'na]

“Tell me, who has not heard about the reckless Mai’lia and her daughter? Even those who have other gifts are blessed enough to see what is. Hmm, but it seems that you’re still too young to truly see.”

Too young to truly see, her mother had sad something akin to that on a morning that Mai’na had woken from a fitful nights of dreams. Mai’na had complained about her unrefined sight, about not being able to decipher the patch worked images that floated through her mind when she slept. She had never been able to say for sure down to the last detail what the images meant, that is until the event came to be. It happen often enough to become an annoyance to her. She couldn’t see how dreaming of large amounts of water being somewhere it shouldn’t be could have helped her predict that her mother’s cold storage would flood due to a storm. Or how having seemly random thoughts of an all too hot sun while at market could have informed her that Sable had knocked over a shade loving potted plant at home. Her sight had always confused and frustrated her. So much so that at the age of 16 she had given up on the exercises her mother had taught her to refine the talent. Instead she had grown to depend on the empathic gift she had been given. So much could be shown in the emotions of another being. Mai’na enjoyed this method of sight; at times she had even been able to tell the plans of other before they knew themselves.

As she was losing herself in such thoughts she flippantly responded and the woman before her laughed. It was light and beautiful and full of a hearty, genuine mirth. She could feel it deep within herself, tickling like bubbles, making her want to laugh as well. But the amusement annoyed her, as pointing out to any child that they are wrong would do the same. Mai’na knew the woman was right, she knew that much could and would happen in the two hundred plus years that she had left and that there really wasn’t any destiny set in stone for her. But she still didn’t enjoy being told off, even though she may indeed be in need of it. Asking the woman’s name at that point became a distraction, Mai’na didn’t want to think about the heat growing in her forehead and cheeks. When she responded she gave Mai’na a whole new reason to be embarrassed.

“My name is Norozia, of the Ulvalin family. As I already said, I am willing to help you if you prove yourself worth of it. Mai’lia’s understanding of right and wrong is more often catastrophal than not”

Mai’na’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed for a moment before she dropped her head in a showing of respect for Norozia. Her face burned red, how she had previously been acting hit home in a raw way. She swallowed hard and brought her face back up to look into Norozia’s eyes as she continued to speak.

“As to why … You can guess. We can even call it your first test, if you will. Question time is over, though. Facts. Provide facts.”

Sable gazed up at Mai’na, bored with the semantics of the two ‘girls’, he licked his front paws and huffed at the grit that stuck to his tongue. He could tell that there was no danger now and rolled around to amuse himself. He couldn’t help but notice that Mai’na had become submissive to this other konti and that he might do well to respond in kind. Rising to his paws he began plodding toward Norozia to take her in. He wanted to learn about this new presence, and knowing not of any danger attached to her, he began snuffling around her feet.

Mai’na dropped her eyes to the ground once more as Norozia finished speaking. She had never considered herself important enough to tender attentions from someone born to the matriarchal line. Humbling quickly she stuttered her response.

“Norozia, forgive me for my glib manner. Mother tells me that if I listened as much as I spoke nonsense I would have been able to learn more useful skills by this point in my life.”

She sighed heavily and thought about the offer for a pause. She hungered for the thrill of new experiences and knowledge, much like her mother. And this situation was rife with the excitement of the unknown that had brought her into being in the first place. Her mother had possessed the same insatiable thirst until she gave birth to Mai’na, or so Mai’na had been told. But something had gone wrong. Something other than the birth of a new child had caused Mai’lia’s return to Mura. She hadn’t ever spoken of the man who had fathered Mai’na or of many of her adventures. She had proclaimed that her time away from the Island had only taught her the error of her ways, that she would never again risk everything she had for what she deemed as foolishness.

Mai’na however was of another opinion. Mai’lia’s efforts to shelter and protect her child had only made the girl crave more of what she was denied, and so it was this rebellion that spurred her decision. She closed the gap between them until she was but a step from the older, wiser, woman; then knelt. Boh her knees pressed into the sand as the large Ivaski settled on his belly beside the two of them to survey the tree line.

“I’m humbled for your offer Norozia of the Ulvalin. I’m eager to be your student, even if it might only be a short while. It would be my honor to learn from your experience.”

And as Mai'na knelt there a tremble shook through her, to her core where and excitement was building. An anticipation far more powerful than she had ever known.

[Alice]

OOCI like your last post. Kudos for that!

Steel blue eyes watched the girl’s transformations, from anger to embarrassment to enthusiasm. Perhaps it wasn’t right to reprehend the young one like that, but Norozia knew better than most Konti that sometimes even they needed a stern hand, words clear enough to understand and lessons to learn. Even the Konti, for all they looked divine and blessed by the gods, weren’t perfect either. Some individuals, however, forgot the simple fact that they were still mortal, trying to be more, more, until they had degenerated to less than they had been before. Norozia worked hard to bring those stray sheep back on the road of righteousness – She wasn’t even sure if it could be called that, but she did what she could. It gave her some twisted kind of sense. And wasn’t that what everyone was searching for? Sense? Even that Mai’na girl in front of her longed for something to cling to, that was clearly visible to her. While Norozia patiently waited for her opponent to pick up the pieces of her temperament, the huge Ivaski, Sable, started taking interest in the tall white creature, sniffing at her feet and inspecting her from every possible angle. Most animals felt a natural serenity and peace around the Konti, the Ivaski perhaps even more so if he had been bred from one of the old Ivaski lines that had produced generations of loyal companions to Avalis’ daughters. They simply knew them, although of course they didn’t remember anything. It was instinct. And because of that the dog seemed to calm down soon and lied down in close proximity to the two, bored by their conversation, but still wanting to pay attention to what they were doing. The salty, tart smell of prey, maybe deer or rabbits, still itched his sensitive nose, although he knew better than to just wander off and leave his mistress alone. As for Mai’na, as soon as she lost eye contact with Norozia, she found that her thoughts were clearing up. Knowledge imparted to her when she had been very, very young slowly returned to her mind, important bits and pieces about politics and the subtle hierarchy the Konti had developed to keep up their democratic community. After all, there always had to be a leader of some sorts. Someone who was more outspoken and courageous than the others. Norozia had always looked down on that age-old custom, but girls as young as Mai’na gladly embraced them. It gave them principles and guidelines to follow which was important in their age. Norozia could respect that, although she still didn’t like it. The flinch at Mai’na’s hasty words, however, went unnoticed by the girl. In so many ways Norozia would remind her restless opponent about her mother. Although harsh, both only tried to help her. There was one significant difference though. For all that Norozia knew about the story of reckless Mai’lia and her daughter – and she would never judge either of them, that was the job of others –, she didn’t understand their thirst for knowledge and adventure. The Ulvalin family had always been firmly entrenched in Mura, involved in its politics and the Grandmothers Circle. That was why one of them had eventually become Matriarch – even the younger ones had foreseen as much. However, Norozia knew how to detect other people’s aspirations and use them in order to get them to do what she wanted. That wasn’t exactly polite either, but the elders were often forgiven, she had learned with disgust, and in the long term they would discover that what she wanted for them usually was what they wanted for themselves as well. This one, however, was still new to the procedure. She would gain experience and learn in due time, but there and then she was just a piece of parchment that was mostly blank. And as the young ones usually did she had gotten something wrong. Norozia firmly shook her head, strands of hair fluttering around her face, and dragged the girl back to her feet whether the girl followed her grip or not. Again, she shook her head as she looked Mai’na in the eye. “No, I won’t be some kind of mistress to you. Six bells are far too few to enlighten you. Usually the most useful experiences are not the most pleasurable ones either.” She sighed and something else crossed her expression. Melancholy, perhaps, or nostalgia. It didn’t last long, however, until she had gathered her thoughts. A slender scaled arm extended and the index finger pointed out, away from the sea, away from the city, to the little piece of forest she had originally come from. Sable, getting the meaning of the simple gesture, would most likely get to his feet in glad anticipation of a hunt. He was right. It would be a hunt. Norozia smiled her smile that some regarded as eerie. “Anyway, I want you to go hunt. It doesn’t mind how you do it or how long you take. Of course, it would be nice if you could do it by the end of the night …” Her expression turned into a sarcastic grin. Then her arms folded in front of her chest. “Begin. And don’t complain if something goes wrong.” If Mai’na obeyed the older one’s instructions, she would soon find herself embraced by the shadows of the forest. Although the white trees common at Konti Isle weren’t that tall, their tops were close enough to prevent Leth’s light from coming through and shining at the ground except for small clearings. As soon as they wandered deeper into the forest the Ivaski would feel the ecstasy of an upcoming hunt taking over his instinct. His nose was made for just that. Mai’na would just have to follow his lead.