Stories By Firelight (Nira'lia, Sylkra)

[Sariana]

64th Day of Spring, Evening

Sariana lay beside the firelight on her bedroll, resting side ways propped on one elbow, head resting on her hand. She had been travelling with the wolf kelvic and the shimmering pale konti for a few days now, and was enjoying the company. They had talked about the weather, laughed about men they had known and even travelled in silence, forming the start of the camaraderie that developed on a journey.

This evening the drykas had helped set up camp, fed and watered the ever patient Vrathetu and thanked him for his assistance, then performed her evening travel ritual. She washed using a damp cloth, brushed her thick black tresses and settled down beside the fire to care for her Rapiers. Carefully, she inspected them for damage and wear before sharpening them rhythmically with a whetstone whilst she left the other girls to their campside work. Cooking was not a particular talent of hers, and the first night she had 'cooked' for the trio had also been her last. Burnt might not bother the blue eyed woman, but it was not everyone else's taste.

Putting away her blades beside her bedroll, the warrior now threw little twigs into the crackling fire, waiting for the other girls to settle in. Sariana appeared relaxed, but in reality she was ever watchful, keenly aware of her unspoken duty to protect them on their journey. The drykas felt responsible for the other girls, as a member of the Diamond Clan, it was in her blood. A soft breeze blew across the encampment, and Sariana stopped to listen.

"The Winds favour us tonight."

[Sylkra]

Sylkra sat down on top of her bedroll and put her pack down beside her. There was no monsters yet, and Sylkra never even heard of the dangers that lurked within the wild of Mizahar. She hoped to the gods that she wouldn't have to find out. Who knows what kinds of evil demons could be in the very trees before her, watching her.... without her even knowing it? Sylkra happily curled up as if she was a wolf, looking like a little ball. She wasn't inside of her bedroll, but on top of it, like it was a nest. She watched Sariana as she fed the fire, carefully tossing the sticks in. She watched the flame... so mesmerizing. It crackled and shed light over the three. She turned her attention to the glowing white moon above them. It seemed to say, "Hello". Sylkra realized she had never howled to her god tonight, so she quickly scrambled up and got onto her knees. She let out a long, musical wolf howl that was an offering to the moon god to her. When she was shown the outside world, she joined a small wolf pack. They taught her how to hunt and fight. They also taught her that the moon was a god. "Ah... don't you just love the moon?" she told them, but remembered they don't know how much power the moon had.

[Nira'lia]

Nira'lia remembered the first night, when Sariana had offered to prepare them a meal. 'This is wonderful!' she had said with a bright smile, and she had eaten it as not to offend the raven-haired girl -- but she did toss away the last few bites when Sariana had not been looking. Since her older sister was the one who usually cooked, Nira'lia didn't have much practice in cooking either, and these last few nights were her attempt to learn. Sylkra had caught a rabbit for them earlier. Nira'lia had skinned it using the dagger that she had -- cooking was the only use she had for that blade. Since she wasn't very skilled in cooking, she had accidentally cut off most of the meat as well. But the rabbit that Sylkra had caught was a good catch, and there was still a lot of meat let for all of them. Nira'lia cut up the meat in bite-sized pieces and pierced them on a stick, adding a bit of seasoning, and then roasting her own share atop the fire. She put the other sticks aside for the other girls, because she didn't want to cook it for them -- she didn't know how they wanted it. For all she knew, Sariana actually liked her meat burnt. Nira'lia listened to Sylkra howl to the moon. She found herself grinning to herself. Kelvics were indeed a very interesting race. "The moon is really pretty," replied Nira'lia as she looked up at the skies. The moon shone brightly, and while she didn't know why wolves howled at it, she did agree that it really was a sight to behold. Nira'lia examined the meat that she was roasting. Just a few more minutes, and it would be burnt... she didn't want that. She blew on the meat to cool it down. The Konti stood up from the fire and sat down on her bedroll, as she couldn't stand staying too long near the heat of the flames. Nira'lia glanced at her two companions. A kelvic wolf, a drykas woman... and then there was herself, a konti. It was a strange combination, but it worked. She leaned against the tree behind her and waited for her food to cool, and wondered what interesting topic her companions would think of tonight.

[Sariana]

Sariana listened to the wolf howl her haunting song to the great glowing orb in the sky, nodding slightly as the two women spoke. Sitting up, she took the skewered rabbit and placed it directly into the fire with only the end sticking out. Legs crossed, she looked up at the moon again.

"I remember, a good few seasons ago now, my trainer took me out under the moon to help me better understand that battle during the day was far different to battle during the night. We stood out in the grasses, crickets churping around our feet and sounds of creatures calling to each other in the distance. There was an eerie sort of feeling, being watched by those unseen and seeing yourself and your foe outlined by the glow of the moonlight." Her blue eyes looked into the distance, seeing without seeing.

"I fell on my ass so many times that night. I recall telling him that he could burn in the furtherest reaches of the Underworld...I was so angry at him for beating me everytime. But then later, when I lay beside the fire nursing my pride, I watched him dance....his white hair shimmering like spidersilk in the night light..." Blinking, she looked back at the girls as a cool breeze tugged at her hair. Suddenly she laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm rambling. And I wouldn't be surprized if he's laughing at me." Glancing at the tightly sealed jar on Vrathetu's saddle bags, Sariana shook her head.

"So, what is it exactly that brings a kelvic and a konti out on a journey to the City of Mystery?"

[Sylkra]

Sylkra watched the moon as they told of how they liked the moon. So peaceful, so powerful... the moon was like the force of nature. There was stories of how it got there... somebody flying a giant white cheese up in the sky... created by lots of rock in space forming together... but they were all fake. Sylkra knew these fables weren't real, but still enjoyed listening to them. She certainly didn't know how the moon was put there. Sylkra escaped from the moon's trance and went back down to Mizahar, listening thoughtfully to Sariana's story. She had always loved stories, they reminded her of when she was just a pup. She especially liked how her master said that battle was far too different at night than in the day, because he was right. It certainly was. Sariana looked at her bags, which was odd. Sylkra tried sniffing the air, but coughed a little because the scent of the smoke practically dried out her throat. She was going to answer Sariana's question, but needed some water. "Sorry for not answering your question," she rasped, "but I need some water. Can we go search for some?"

[Nira'lia]

Listening to Sariana, the konti thought that she was speaking with a dreamy tone of voice, as if that was one of her most cherished moment. And the way she described the memory, it seemed magical, and Nira'lia actually had half the mind to peer into Sariana'a chavi just to be able to see it herself. "Oh, Syklra..." said Nira'lia as she looked at the kelvic with concern. ”Are you okay? I think I do hear a stream nearby, I think it's coming from there... can you hear it as well?" she asked as she pointed to the east. She knew that Sylkra's senses were stronger than theirs. Judging from the sounds, the stream should only take a couple of minutes by feet. She stood up and waited for her companions to follow. Nira'lia needed a cold drink as well. She needed something to refresh her throat, and a stream sounded like the perfect idea. As they walked, she looked at Sariana with a smile. "I'm not really sure why I'm going to Alvadas, I just have a really strong urge to be there. It's my call... I'm not sure if you would be familiar with it, but sometimes, a konti feels like she has to be some place at a certain time in order to fulfil a task. I'm not sure what I need to do yet... all I really know is that I have to look for someone I met in the past." She grinned, not saying anything more. Nira'lia had found herself rambling.

[Sariana]

Standing up, Sariana picked up her rapiers and slid them into the sheaths that crossed over her back, following the konti after helping Sylkra to her feet and running to grab the waterskin from Vrathetu's saddlebag - the sealed jar left alone completly. The kelvic made her smile, childlike in her actions and such an honest creature. Walking along beside Nira'lia and Sylkra, the drykas brunette nodded with a familiar understanding.

"I wasn't familiar with the Call, however I do know what you mean about that urge to travel somewhere, the guiding of your destiny beyond your own control. That is the reason I am on my path, not because of Alvadas but because of a higher purpose. Karithus, my trainer, he passed from this world not that long ago. He was not from Endrykas, but far away in the City of Ice, a Vantha. I promised him I would take his remains back to his Goddess to release his Spirit to her." Tapping the waterskin on her palm, Sariana looked up at the stars. She found herself wanting to talk about Karithus, there hadn't been anyone she had spoken to about it - not even her parents or her brothers. Family bonds were there, but after she had moved into the Training Pavillion they were...just family.

"I left Endrykas, and his spirit has guided my feet. He took me through the Sea of Grass and guided me to shelter when the Storm hit. It was his spirit that led me to you two. Eventually, he will take me to his home, but there is a journey he wants me to make first. A final lesson, I think." Glancing back at the shimmering woman and the wolf kelvic, the warrior smiled warmly.

[Sylkra]

Sylkra stopped at the river to lean down and take a drink. It cooled and refreshed her throat. She found herself drinking more than she needed, it was cool and crisp. The stream trickled down the earthy land, it was peaceful. She licked her lips as she lifted her head back up. A little bit of water dripped from her lips, so she licked her mouth clean. The drykas started talking about how she got there and the spirit of her master. Sylkra respected that, masters were always wise and kind. Well, not always kind. When she was a pup, she saw one of her friends being hauled away on a leash, very strange. What was even more strange was that Sariana described the master as training her. Masters don't train you, do they? Oh well. Sylkra thought they deserved an answer from her as well, so she blurted out the only thing she could think of. "I came to look for a master." She couldn't think of anything else. And she kind of was, she would go anywhere for a master. "Hey Nara'lia? What are Kontis like?" Sylkra thought out loud. Kontis were strange, and Sylkra never met one up close. They were weird, people with scales.

[Nira'lia]

The spirit of Sariana's trainer was guiding her feet? Nira'lia blinked and looked at Sariana, contemplating if that meant that her trainer's ghost was with them. She didn't really understand Sariana's story, but she thought it better not to ask. All that she needed to know was that Sariana was going to Alvadas for a similar reason as hers, and it was because something bigger than them was guiding them to do so. Nira'lia kneeled down and cupped fresh cold water in her hands, sipping from it. It was a good feeling, and she splashed water on her face, feeling replenished. "Oh, yes, I do hear that Kelvics do not feel entirely whole until they find a master... is that true?" she asked Sylkra curiously. She paused for a while to think about Sylkra's question. "I've never been to my homeland, but I can say for sure that we Konti are a peaceful race. And yes, I guess we are strange... I mean, we can't have sons!" she added, giggling, because from Sylkra's expression she knew that the kelvic found her odd. Because of the flow of the conversation, Nira'lia realized that she really didn't know much about other races. Though she had spoken to many kelvics before, she did not fully understand their concepts... same as with the Drykas. Nira'lia stood up and glanced at Sariana. "On that note, what are the Drykas like?"

[Sariana]

Sariana smiled again at Sylkra, admiring once again her childlike honesty. Looking at Nira'lia as she spoke about the kelvic's feeling empty without a master, the brunette felt her smile faulter a little.

"You feel...incomplete? Without a master?" The thought that the young wolf had to have someone to control her made the drykas feel slightly angry. She was a wolf, a hunter and a warrior, a proud creature that shouldn't be controlled or owned like some...some pet. An idea swirled around her head, nearly leaping out of her mouth. Swallowing her words, Sariana closed the waterskin and sipped from the stream. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she sat back.

"How do you find your master? Is there someone you are destined to find, like Nira'lia? Or is your path guided by a force beyond your control? Do you choose your master or does your master choose you?" So many questions came to mind, and still the idea niggled at the back of her mind. A rush of sudden cool wind blew along the stream, smelling of wild honeysuckle and far away rain. Sariana stood up and chuckled at Nira'lias comment about her own race. Unable to have sons? She had heard of a race made all of men and blue all over...it made sense she supposed to have a race all of women. Her mind ran ahead of her now, wondering with some pause - how did an all same-sex race reproduce?

Shaking off the thoughts to deep for casual conversation, the blue eyed woman smiled at the konti and rested a hand on her hip, the other slinging the waterskin over her shoulder.

"Passionate, roudy...emotional." Her smile turned into a grin and she winked playfully before continuing and slowly walking back to camp.

"We value our ties deeply, and embrace friends as family. Our whole lives revolve around our horses, and bonding with a Strider - like Vrathetu - is the true sign of really becoming Drykas. Each Clan in our city has a different calling, for example the Saphirre Clan are expert readers of the Web. I am of the Diamond Clan." As if to emphasize her point, the warrior pointed to her dress, fashioned in whites and silvers with diamond-like quartz worked into the ends of her woven belt.

"My Clan are Warriors, protectors of my people in times of need. We also read the winds, and in return those who are most devoted to Zulrav recieve great power in the winds." Glancing at Sylkra, she smiled again.

"Often warriors take a guardian with them, an animal that can both be a friend as well as a companion and protector."