Brewing Storms (Charon pls)

[Kashik]

48th Day of Spring

Anyone who has spent a few nights in a tent during a storm can tell you: The world doesn't care all that much if you live or die.
~Anthony Doerr

Since beginning her training at the Kendoka Sasaran, the young Drykas girl had discovered just how much less fit she was than she'd thought. So, though her Master never once asked it of her, she took to getting up an hour before dawn each morning and running.

It was different doing so in Riverfall than in the Sea of Grass. There was little to no flat, open space in this city the way there was in the wildness of Cyphrus. No, this was more hiking than anything else, a constant uphill climb from the inn she stayed in at the bottom of the falls all the way up to the top of the waterfall. It was grueling those first few days, leaving her thighs burning and a stitch in her side - but as the days wore on and she kept at it, it got a little bit easier. Not easy by any means, but she learned better how to plant her feet when going uphill and downhill.

Today she made it all the way to the top without having to stop and catch her breath, though she bent over and leaned her hands against her knees as she sucked in air and groaned a little. She'd purchased a pair of loose trousers and cut them off just above the knees, and a sleeveless tunic, both of undyed linen, to wear while she exercised, cheap and easily replaceable when they wore out, though they made her look like a peasant. Sweat-slicked skin and tightly braided hair did nothing to help the effect, but she didn't much care what she looked like while she toiled away and pushed her body to its limits.

When she reached the the top this morning, Syna just breaching the horizon, she looked up - and saw a familiar shadow on the horizon. A storm! she thought, heart racing faster in excitement. Teal eyes widened as she stared through the gates at the plains stretching outside the walls... and without another thought, her feet started walking, until she was past the guards, crossing the bridge, until she felt the grass of the Sea brushing against her ankles, and she grinned as Zulrav's winds touched her skin.

[Charon]

To train the body from a loose form to a built sanctuary took time and dedication. With most people the time was taken while pursuing other goals and the dedication and motivation varied from one mind to the other. The Akalak people within Riverfall typically were not seen exercising or running the streets as a task in itself but at these early moments before the majority of the city really got moving there were few to see the Drykas and none that batted an eye. Kashik was not the first to run these paths that wound their way around the buildings, boulders and cliffs that formed the beautiful city and she would not be the last, but none of that crossed the Drykas' mind as she pushed herself toward an internal goal that on this morning she would achieve.

She had noticed the sensation before--the reaching of this summit her personal bar was set at--but until now it had not been as rewarding. To accomplish the task without stopping along the way to take in the beautiful sights, as Kashik may have half-heartedly attempted to convince herself the stops were for, made reaching the top of the city an uplifting experience in itself. From this point she could see the start of the massive falls, feel the stronger breeze blow through her loose clothing and weave around her body, smell the freshly farmed wheats and grains, and witness the vast and open beauty of the distant Suvan Sea far below her. She quite possibly may have also been the first to discover the approaching storm coming opposite from the direction Syna greeted the city.

Though turning toward the plains which stretched beyond Riverfall put the storms to the back of her, the winds seemed to kick-start her flight toward the freedom before her. Her legs pumped and her lungs filled and Kashik noticed a significant change in the effort required to do so, even though she was only walking, for the first time since her running regiment began. It made sense. Three thousand feet above where she started her runs the air was indeed thinner but she did not let that bother her. Her senses were sparked and her mind set- she would not allow a bit of a challenge in her breaths stop her spirit.

Above her, the skies started dueling. The powerful sun lit the Sea of Grass and illuminated each rise of the land and every long blade of grass. The reeds seemed to bow toward Syna in prayer from the forces placed on them by the quickening winds. The dark storm raged forth, ready for battle as the clouds rolled onward to meet their adversary. A collision was inevitable but the moments before that happened seemed to be more powerful in many ways. Both powers were present- above Kashik the sun itself prepared to defend itself against the deeply gray clouds. Around her the light forced its way across the ground as the winds fought in the opposite direction. Captivated by the synergistic involvement of the dual natures that constantly surrounded her, the Drykas simply stood in awe and did not worry about being caught in the middle.

The winds soared upwards as opposed to across the grasslands as the clouds gained ground and started to cover the sun. Shadows won out over rays of light and the dim atmosphere engulfed the Sea of Grass until shade was the only thing to be found. With clothes rustling restlessly and her hair blown about in a flurry, the first pelts of water found their way to Kashik's head. It was a warning of things to come, for sure, but the Drykas knew she did not have time to react. There was no cover near here and nowhere for her tired legs to whisk her away to and before she could consider any of that, the wall of moisture reached her and shortly no wind in the land could whip her drenched hair around her head and her clothes now hung limp and heavy, hanging onto her body and clinging to her skin. Her form was obvious and evident if there were anyone around to notice. It just happened that on this morning, captivated by the storms brewing over her head, she just may have missed a figure just this side of the next rolling hill.

[Kashik]

Kashik stood in the middle of the rolling hills that marked the border between Riverfall and the Sea of Grass, head tipped back as she watched the storm crash across the sky with wide, bright eyes. She had watched storms roll in a hundred times, standing just like this as the final beam of sunlight winked out and shadow swept over the plains. But every other time she'd had the tents of her pavilion at her back, or was tucked beneath a bit of protective rock - she'd never been through the full force of Zulrav's fury without any shelter near at hand.

The feeling of accomplishment that she'd felt when she topped the rise of the Akalak trail now filled her again; instead of feeling proud of herself for a simple run, she closed her eyes and thought of the life she'd led - proud and fierce, holding nothing back, her heart given in every action she took. She felt the winds whip her hair, rushing upward from her feet as if she were the center of her own little tornado, and before she even realized what she planned, a prayer spilled off her tongue.

"Mighty Zulrav," she whispered, knowing that she need not try to shout above the gale - for He was the wind that tugged at her curls and slapped them against her cheeks. "I know that your Stormwardens are touched by your hand at birth, that you choose them and guide them through the whole of their lives - but you must have heard the prayers I've breathed to you since I first learned to speak. You know how your storms sing within my bones, that your lightning flashes through my soul. Let me serve you," she breathed, as she did in every storm that beat against her skin.

It was then that the first drops of water splattered against her upturned cheeks - and only a moment later when the skies opened up and poured rain upon her.

She felt battered by it, soaked to the skin in mere seconds, as if she stood beneath the waterfalls of the city she'd left behind. Though she clenched her eyes shut, she refused to hunker down. Enough crouching beneath a tent wall. She would ride this storm like a fractious horse, would break it or be broken by it. There was a feeling of importance to this that weighed in her heart as heavily as her clothes weighted down her shoulders. She had been waiting her whole life; perhaps it was time to do something other than wait.

"Please," she murmured.

Kashik lowered her head a little, eyes still closed as she sensed the way the winds blew, where the storm swelled and moved like the waves of the sea. One foot lifted, then another, and she headed deeper into the storm. When she finally opened her eyes, the rain was almost too thick to see anything. It stung her exposed skin, and she had to lift a hand to shield her eyes - and even then, when lightning tore through the clouds and she saw the faint outline of a figure ahead, she wasn't sure at all if she'd imagined it or not. But that was where the thick of the storm was, so her feet carried her forward without any further hesitation, though she stumbled a little as the winds buffeted her in sharp gusts.

[Charon]

The tornadic activity swirling within and without the Drykas created a whirlwind of feelings and emotions that could not have been recreated anywhere else in Mizahar. Very few beings felt what Kashik was feeling now and it was her steady and unfaltering devotion to Zulrav which opened the entryway for her spirit to sense her surroundings with such sensitive reception. The winds swirled around her wet body and clothing and seemed to carry her mind into a distant heaven she could only dream of when sleeping sweetly. Suddenly the lightning flickered from a distance and the Drykas did catch a glimpse of something or someone just beyond the next rolling hill.

Her feet and legs once again took up their rhythm like large sails catching the wayward breezes of the seas. Though she could steer, the winds took her where they desired more than allowing the woman to determine her exact movements. Rushing toward the darkened spot that her mind convinced her existed, Kashik had no hesitation that the winds were directing her to where she needed to be. It had been a figure there... The winds were sure of it.

As her legs sailed the Drykas over the sea of flowing grass beneath her, the black figure ahead took form in front of another bright flash that was nearer than the last. It was indeed a human form though it seemed cloaked and not nearly in the same rush as Kashik. Closing the distance quickly, another heavenly flare that landed behind her shed light on the figure's face. It was a dark-skinned human dressed in a pitch black hooded cloak over what seemed to be a pair of gray pants pulled up in an amusing attempt at keeping them free of mud. He appeared to be unarmed, save for the dagger at his hip that caught the brilliant light and reflected it back toward Kashik's eyes, but the tone his muscles appeared to enjoy would certainly deter many potential adversaries. He spotted her bolting toward him as a bolt of lightning herself but did not make any movement to evade or defend himself.

In a mild and almost amused deep voice the man greeted her, almost inaudibly, "It seems the grasslands have gotten the better of my sense of direction. Shelter was the goal of my most recent hunt but it seems I've failed in that task." Calm and unafraid of the storm that was now surrounding them, the man was either enjoying the rain or had given up on any possible alternatives than to accept what fate had in store for him. Kashik could only hope for another flash to illuminate their surroundings, but at least it was not quite dark enough yet to be blind. The brief description she caught with the last strike of Zulrav's fury proved to be accurate, though the dim lighting could easily hide any number of other characteristics she may have missed earlier.

[Kashik]

A voice.

Just a normal man's voice, and a normal man's form, and for a moment Kashik just blinked dumbly at him. She had been sure... well, she wasn't even sure what exactly she'd expected, but this man with his pants rolled up and a calm little smile wasn't it. She'd almost expected him to call her by name, to riddle something fantastic, and it took a moment to adjust herself and get her brain to work on an entirely mortal plain once more.

And when it did, she realized she was cold, and wet, and exhausted, and for a split second she considered just sitting down in the grass and crying. But only for a second, because for all that she was human and could feel despair as keenly as the next, she was too petching stubborn to feel it for very long. Cold and wet, yes, but this was one of Zulrav's storms, and no physical discomfort could cancel out the fact that she was more at home here than she was anywhere else.

"Utterly failed," she called back over the storm, and couldn't help the burst of laughter that followed it. It wasn't at all directed at him - more at the situation, a good-natured sort of Oh, look where we've found ourselves sort of feeling behind it. "You're not too far from Riverfall, though. Do you need help getting back?" she asked, shoving a sopping bit of hair off her face as she tried to get a better look at him. Her eyes flickered to the dagger at his belt - Gods, I don't even have a weapon on me! - and back up to his face. "I'm Kashik Brightsmile of the Diamond Clan," she said, offering a hand as if they weren't in the midst of a spring typhoon.

[Kelpie]

Another crack of thunder bathed the landscape in blue-tinted light. The rain that pounded on them was constant; incessant pricks and hits that battered both of their bodies. The air itself seemed to have the scent of rain and freshly-ground earth, of dampened grass and exhilaration. But to Kashik, the rain felt like a second skin. She was gradually beginning to get used to it, but she knew the storm would only grow worse. It was either live or leave, but would she risk her desire to meet her God? The man seemed oddly at ease in the wake of the raging storm. It might have appeared odd to the Drykas that he seemed so utterly at home in the vicinity, with a smile plastered on his dark face and his body lacking any sign of discomfort. He regarded Kashik with a nod of his head, “I don’t think that’ll be necessary, youngin’. See a shelter was what I searched for, but seeing as I had no real luck with it, I think it’s safe to presume that I should probably continue looking for my lost companion.” His mannerisms and his lack of perceived worry of his “lost companion” only seemed to further add to the rather cryptic allure. He fiddled with his pants for a moment, seeing if they were covered in as thick of mud as his shoes, then stretched out his hand to grasp Kashik’s. “Greetings, Kashik Brightsmile! It’s great to see a Drykas around here, but must I say that it would have been better to meet under better circumstances. Zulrav is at his finest here, I’d say. The names Jatyu. Just your neighborhood traveler.” There was a pause as he looked out over the expansive sea of grass, now shrouded in a thin layer of mist brought on by the pounding rain. “Say, would you like to give me a hand looking for my companion? I’m sure she’s mighty frightened out there.” Even without so much as a response from Kashik, Jatyu was off, walking at a leisurely pace farther away from the sanctity of Riverfall.

[Kashik]

Kashik blinked as the strange man shook her hand and then strode off into the storm as if he hadn't a care in the world. For a moment, she looked around at the water-drenched landscape, licking droplets of rain from her lips as she considered. Then, as she was wont to do, she just shrugged and let a grin twist across her face.

"Hey, wait up!" she cried, skipping forward through the mud to catch up to Jatyu. She settled into a walk beside him, holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the rain as she peered up at him. "What's your companion look like? Terrible luck to get separated in a storm like this, but I'll help if I can," she shouted over a peal of thunder as she turned her head to scan the Sea for any signs of life.

[Kashik]

I'm closing this thread because it's just been open too long to feasibly continue it. Hya, thanks for offering to help!

[Baku]

Thou has written, and thou has completed, so I award thee the following.... Kashik: Running +2, Observation +3, Rhetoric +2, Lore: Realizing Current Physical Limits, Running: Flag Ground vs. Hills, The Differences in Terrain, Finding Pleasure in a Coming Storm, Experiencing a Storm in a New Way, Praying to Zulrav, A Meeting in Fierce Storms, Realizing Vulnerability, Keeping Calm and Casual Under Nature’s Fury, Surprising Actions, Offering Help to Strangers, Additional Notes: This was an interesting set up, it was a shame to see it go to the wayside as it did. Should you want to pick it back up sometime, let me know.