Closed The Meaning of a Wish (Johanne)

[Eoin]

29th of Summer, 513

Nose tickled from the dust, Eoin let out a thunderous sneeze stifled pitifully by the crook of his elbow. Immediately he was shot with a glare from Kirna, to which he returned with an apologetic look. The Enclave was fairly empty, though the library was rarely perused as expected. After all, scholarly is the furthest thought when it came to the Inarta. The lone Avora sat with a non-fiction title in hand, "An Introduction to Medicinal Knowledge", trying his best to flip each page slowly to avoid another dust cloud. Currently he was on the chapter discussing the four humours, that yellow and black bile, blood and phlegm could be used to analyze a person's health.


"To remove the toxin from the system, one must extract the diseased blood by use of leeches, which can be applied to the most severe areas."


The text went on and on, but the more Eoin read, the less he trusted it. Though he knew little of medicine, the Avora suspected there was more to it than simply removing the toxic bodily fluid. Suspicious, he flipped to the hard cover in search of the publishing date, and upon seeing the number, immediately rose to return it to the shelves. Slotting it in, Eoin began to look through the remaining titles, hoping to find something more credible. Without a foundation to start from, he resolved to randomly pick a title that interested him, this one named, "Diet and Nutrition: First Steps to a Healthy Lifestyle." Of course, this resonated with the budding chef, who, after grabbing a few related books, returned immediately to his table. He spent a great deal of time going through the books, occasionally jotting a few notes in his journal (a gift from Rista) in neatly printed letters. From them, he learned about the nutritional value of various foods, and confirmed his belief that meals balanced between all sorts of foods, grains, vegetables, and so on, was ideal. He, like the author, believed in prevention, and though the title concentrated on foods, there were snippets of information pertaining to the diseases that certain foods were thought to fend off. Knowing that the Enclave was lacking when it came to the great libraries of Zeltiva or even Mura, Eoin took this information with a grain of salt, cross-referencing with the other pieces of literature in attempt to find the truth. Since the Avora was free for the rest of the day from his duties, he would have continued late into the night had Kirna not interrupted his session.


As she explained the situation, she began to collect the books that Eoin had completed, tying the rest together for easy transport. The problem was simple: a Chiet was scheduled to read to the Yasis, but sent word that he was unable to reach the Enclave due to a resurfacing leg injury. Kirna doubted the excuse, for she knew the man personally, but either way, the young Inartans were without a reader and Eoin was the only other person left in the building. Reluctantly, he agreed, for Kirna gave him little choice for she held his books hostage, tucked away neatly behind her desk. Once she handed him the text of the day ("Jak the Sparrow") with a small, knowing smile on her face, Eoin made his way toward the storyteller's well.


He wasn't one to be nervous, but when faced with 15 Yasis, all unwilling to sit still, it was only natural. The average age of the group seemed to be 7, give or take a few individuals. Before Eoin could even introduce himself, a boy called him out, and began questioning the Avora about Tye, whom he could only assume was the beloved and missing reader. Answering as concisely as he could, he sat himself down and began with the story, hoping to discourage the boy from further questions. As he went through the text, the same boy continued to berate him, trying to make a fool of him when he had a chance. The others giggled occasionally, boosting the Yasi's ego, pushing him to continue. He would criticize Eoin for simply reading the book rather than showing them the pictures, for his monotonous reading, for his lack of song and dance. The Avora seriously doubted that "Tye" would do either as he read "Jak talked smack, earning him a whack", and he could practically feel his dignity crumbling by the chime. Once or twice, he thought he heard a stifled laugh from Kirna's direction, but ignored it and all other distractions as best he could. Eventually, as his patience was reaching its limit, Eoin stopped his reading and asked the boy a question.


"What is your name?"


The boy was startled, but quickly recovered. "Evri, what about it?"


"Evri." His tone was cool, devoid of the irritation he felt. "Would you like to read the story instead?"

Some of the other Yasis smiled, others were surprised to see the Avora speak up. Young Evri huffed silently, his cheeks reddening as he muttered a response, something about not being able to read. Seeing his entire demeanour change, Eoin felt a bit guilty in embarrassing the boy, but he knew that discipline was much needed. Had it been another Avora, young Evri could have suffering more than just a stab to his ego.


"Alright. Then let us continue." Eoin replied, this time his tone a great deal more gentle, eyes a warm green.


For the rest of the reading, Evri was silent as he glared at the Avora, but eventually he forgot to be angry and instead found himself enjoying the ridiculous story of Jak. Eoin too, was beginning to enjoy himself now that he wasn't constantly interrupted, with smiles coming easily as the Yasis giggled with amusement. It was natural to be caught in their flow, to become a child again, his storytelling improving as his anxiety diminished. For instance, when he spoke in the voice of Jak, it was high-pitched, compared to the gravelly tone of Jak's father, Tak. Before he realized, the tale had ended, with Jak growing up to be a brave sparrow and finding joy in befriending an Inartan girl. Closing the book, the Yasis began to rise, some still smiling. Too quickly, they left, with Evri straggling behind. As he passed the seated Avora, he mumbled a "Tye's still better." before running to catch up with his friends.


With a light smile on his face, Eoin returned to Kirna's desk and exchanged one novel for three. She did not outright applaud his efforts, but did mention that readers were always needed.


After a few more hours in the Enclave, the Avora decided to end early so that he may wake early for tomorrow's shift. As he walked through the warrens, he stopped at the courtyard, allowing a moment to take in the fresh, outdoor air.

[Johanne]

The mountain rose endlessly behind her, it seemed, and stretched down endlessly below. Here in Wind Reach, everything was born of stone, and shaped only by the endless toil of these slaves they called Dek, their hands carrying chisels and their souls carrying hardship. In the Courtyard of the Sky, there was nothing but stone, and that stone was warm to the touch as nightfall fell and the sun disappeared.

Johanne stood by one of the walls, watching the redheaded people scurry back and forth, moving into the Warrens or down through the city. Some sat at the tables, talking in their birdlike language with their clicks and choruses about who-knows-what. It frustrated her no end that she could not understand the lyrical Nari, that their stories eluded her. Nineteen days in the city and still everything was strange to her. She lost her way in the caves so many times, not at all used to living underground, every meter of rock looking the same as the last to the Denvali girl. Johanne missed the trees and the skyglass of Lhavit.

Standing amongst the stone, none of the Inarta spared the brown-haired girl a second look. Instead she enjoyed the air, breathing deep as the last of the sunlight drifted away for the night, before she would be shut up in the darkness again, sleeping in the Commonrooms with the Inarta. She had heard on several occasions the moans she recognised from the Temple of Nikali in Denval, and had not been able to sleep for embarrassment. They lived hard, these Inarta, with no shame for their passions and their urges. Their bodies did so much of their talking for them, but if only she could understand their words...

The sun finally melted away beyond the horizon. The Courtyard was covered in shadows, but still the night was unbearably sticky, even so early in the season. It was going to be a hot Summer here on the mountain. She looked up at the sky, unwilling to enter the mountain just yet, enjoying the air that didn't smell like must and underground: and there it was.

A brief strike across the sky - a meteor!

Johanne had lived in Lhavit for three years, she knew of the stars and she knew them well. The goddess of them had lived in her very city, after all, right across the Surya Plaza. The first strike lit up the sky like diamonds, moving so quickly and then falling away. She smiled, sadly. Just one was enough to make her miss the place she was stolen from, a place she could not get back to just yet. But not just one.

The meteor falls continued, endlessly, endlessly, and she laughed in the darkness. How beautiful they were! But she could not watch them from a hall of stone. No, such a natural beauty could only be watched surrounded by what Caihya had intended. Looking around desperately, she noticed a man standing out in the night air like herself. He seemed young, and was shorter than Johanne, with fiery red hair and a handsome face. Walking quickly over to him, she asked quickly in Common: "Excuse me, is there a park or a grove or somewhere nearby that I can watch the meteors from?"

Ah... but of course... the language. She hoped he understood but could do nothing if he did not.

x

[Eoin]

A warm wind brushed against the chimes that hung from the arches of the courtyard, filling the air with an organic song. Eoin closed his eyes, tilting his head to one side, then the other. Having spent hours seated in one position, the stretching of stiff muscles was beyond satisfying. He rolled his shoulders backwards slowly, one more resistant than the other from the books he carried. Reasonably comfortable, the Avora decided to depart, but hesitated upon noticing a tall woman heading his way. Foreigners were not an unfamiliar occurrence, not since the storm of the year past which opened Wind Reach to the world, allowing greater accessibility through the trade routes. That alone welcomed many travellers, most of which his meals have fed, but it was rare for the Inarta to engage directly. Ever since his 15th year, the responsibilities of an Avora has given him little time to speak with visitors to the city, from which he had learned much in years past. They were perhaps the most accepting of the strange boy, who was often shunned or teased simply for being quiet and slow-paced. This time, it seemed he would have the chance, for the young woman had stopped to ask him a question.


As many Inartan women barely reached 5'4", it was no surprise that her height was Eoin's first impression. Alongside her slim frame and lethargic gait, she stood out like a sore thumb, a large herbivore amidst tiny, red-haired predators. Before she spoke, he had expected a similarly paced speech, but was caught off-guard by her rapid-fire words, though it hardly showed in his stoic demeanour. Grasping at his unpractised command of the Common language, Eoin answered, not that he was all that certain of what she asked.


"Watch mammals at a park? There is no zoo." He raised an eyebrow in confusion, gazing upward through short, red lashes, his voice clear and smooth. "Meteors" was not a common word to learn, particularly when the Inarta were not particularly interested in the meteors or constellations in general. The night was for rest, to prepare for the next day. Rare was the chance to look up at the sky, for when time was allowed, their people gathered in large groups, thinking of little else but their company and often, how to get others into their beds. Tirelessly they worked for their survival, but just as passionately, they celebrated. As the Avora continued to guess at what the stranger said, he continued in his explanation, just in case she did in fact want to see some "mammals".


"Unforgiving; the wilds, if you want to hunt."


Eoin doubted this woman was much of a hunter for she lacked the appropriate musculature, and found himself waiting for further clues.

[Johanne]

"Mammals?" Johanne asked in confusion, her voice tight, ever aware of the constant shower of stars and meteors in the sky above her. If only she could have been watching this display from Lhavit: where the mountain tops reached as far as they could into the sky, and where the Alvina of the Stars made her city from their matter. But here she was, in a city of stone and fire, the center of the explosion that had rocked the world so thoroughly last year, and she had to make do.

"No, not mammals... meteors..." Her voice was desperate, all the more aware of the frustrating difference in their languages. Common was smooth, but Nari, Nari was the language of the birds, and Johanne did not possess a beak. When she had moved from Denval to Lhavit, she had experienced nothing like this, both cities being Common speaking, and so the frustration she had felt these past few days was endlessly confusing. Only sometimes did she meet someone who spoke her language and could understand.

The man before her, short but well-built, was clearly confused, and yet gamely trying to help this foreigner demanding help. Johanne was aware she had no real standing here. The Valintar had given her a job as a papermaker in the Craft Gallery, making her only what these people called "Chiet". For all she knew, this man could be one of the Endal, and she was doing their culture a great insult for speaking out of turn. And yet still, he willingly helped the lost foreign girl.

"METEORS," Johanne tried again, speaking slowly and clearly, enunciating each syllable. Her mind scrambled desperately for synonyms and maybe-words she could use to explain herself better. "Falling stars... the rocks in the sky..." Sighing, she lifted a finger, pointing up to the sky where the meteors fell in brilliant displays of light, landing who knows where. "You see? These, meteors. I want to watch them somewhere... a park, the trees... Not hunting. No hunting." Johanne, hunting? The image was positively ridiculous.

x

[Eoin]

As the foreigner continued, her voice grew frantic, frustration marring on her light features. Slowing her tongue did little to help - it was like explaining advanced alchemy to a Yasi - and so the Avora stood waiting, trying to hide his confusion. Whatever this woman searched for was important, and Eoin did not want to drive her to a panic with his dazed expression. It was fortunate it was he who stood before her now, for a proud Endal would find great offence in her attempts to dumb down her words, leaving in a huff if she was lucky. Though most visitors to the city were at least Chiet or above, often Avora who wish to sell their wares, he treated all equally. From the Inartans' view, Eoin was the oddity here, stranger than the outspoken foreigner for caste mattered little. This was not to say he disregarded it, for he respects and understands the need for the system, just not the need to treat the lower castes with cruelty. There are slaves and there are Deks, and though the names differed the result was the same. It was yet another reason for the bullies of his childhood to torment him, calling him a Dek lover and running from him as though he was as filthy as the drudges themselves. Despite this discouragement, Eoin holds true to his principles and continues to treat other with courtesy, much like the people of Lhavit.


Sighing, the woman offered one last attempt at an explanation as she pointed to the sky. Following a long arm, he saw nothing but the stars above, and found it odd that he did not recognize the word "stars". Before he could inquire further, a light sailed through the sky, quicker than any falcon he had seen before. Meteors, he realized, the soft lines in his face immediately melting. Filing the miscellaneous knowledge away, he turned his attention toward the stargazer.


"The cherry grove, do you know it?" Eoin asked, his tone smooth and eyes gentle. She denied knowledge of it, but already looked a great deal more relaxed than before, which he took to be a sign of his accuracy. It wasn't an easy location to get to by any means even for the natives, and the Avora did not want the stranger to wander off the path and enter the jaw of whichever animal found her either, so that left the only option: to guide her there. "Please follow." He requested, before making a move toward the grove.


He, like the stranger, walked slowly, though his steps were always meaningful and taken with purpose. The two moved like tortoises, and if they continued at such a speed, she would surely miss the entire spectacle. Of course, her limbs itched with need, which did not go unnoticed by the observant Avora. He quickened his steps, but made sure he did not leave her behind. "Do not worry, we will be there soon." Eoin reassured, turning yet another corner. By now, the foreigner must have felt a bit suspect of his intentions, leading a young woman through a winding and unpopulated path. Aside from the relatively unused road, all that surrounded them were rock, and soon, only forest. Tactless, Eoin was unaware of any possible concerns with their situation and continued the journey in dead silence, nary another word for comfort.

[Johanne]

Even as Johanne spoke, so desperately fumbling for understanding, she was surprised that the man had not shook his head and walk away. Not only was she a foreigner, an outsider who spoke not a lick of Nari, but she had been assigned as a Chiet, barely above a Dek. She should have been offended when the Valintar had told her this, but she was not. It was merely another affirmation that Johanne, despite her dreamings otherwise, was not very good at anything in particular. She was grateful, though, that he did not shake his head in disgust and walk away. Perhaps not an Endal, then.

Finally, though he spoke no words of understanding nor confirmation, the lines of consternation, held around his eyebrows and his lips, melted away into understanding. Meteors. He had not known the word, but Johanne had inadvertently educated him. If only he could let her know the word in Nari... but she was simply glad that he knew it. And more words in a language she cherished spilt forth.

"No, the cherry grove? I have not heard of it." Johanne had barely left the city carved into the mountain side since she had arrived. Back in Lhavit, she had rarely ventured from the peaks, too afraid of things that lurked in the dark. Here in Wind Reach, everything only seemed more dangerous, more terrifying. Lhavit was a lot quieter and gentler. Here, Wind Reach killed to survive. "Follow? Oh... thank you..." Before Johanne could even protest, say that it was not a trouble, that he need not bother, the Inarta turned and walked quickly, leaving Johanne to catch up.

So slowly did they weave through the Warrens, Johanne so sick of the stone. Still, he plodded like the tortoise that ran the race, and she was careful not to protest. Ever, though, she was aware that the meteors and their beauty may fade like the night, and be lost forever. Perhaps he noticed her need, for he quickened his pace, and she gratefully followed. On and on he swerved through paths unrecognised to Johanne, and she looked to the sky dubiously. Would they get there in time? Would she see the meteors before they died? She followed him down the path into forest, away from civilisation... in the hands of a man who she could not understand.

OOCPlease try not to control my PC without asking first.

x

[Eoin]

oocI've wrung all the words I could from Eoin, but he should have more to work off of in my next reply.

Though the journey was short, the unending twists and turns in the road greatly skewed the experienced time, with little else but the faint song of the Chakama to hint at their proximity. Nonetheless the trip was worthwhile, for the cherry grove was a sight to behold. With pastel petals mixed with the light green leaves of the many Kima trees, the area was picturesque and an inspiration for countless artists. Giving the colours structure, the dark branches weave through the patterned view, grounding it. Here was where the two finally arrived, entering the circle of roots that enclosed the grove. Eoin then lead the stranger to the center, where the view above was as unobstructed as possible and framed by the dusty pink of the trees.


"The cherry grove." He announced in Common, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he took in their setting. Rather than the natural scent of the Kima trees, which tend to seduce its guests and fill the area with a romantic air, the Avora found his spirits uplifted simply from the view. It had been too long since his last visit, or engagement in any sort of relaxing activity really, for he often took the opportunity on rest days to work on his craft or study in the Enclave. And though rest should proceed sleep, often the Avora found himself lying awake, left to wonder and regret until the mental exhaustion eventually took his mind, lulling it to anxious dreams. Here now, at least, he found a brief moment of peace and clarity, staring at the sky as the first meteors since their arrival grazed the night.


The grove was a popular attraction, to natives or otherwise, and so there were a few other visitors in the area. Most however, had already succumbed to Cheva's touch with their bodies close and hearts closer. Some may feel uncomfortable with the atmosphere, but Eoin was all too used to public displays of affection living where he did, blind to all else but the view above and the stranger by his side. "Meteors falling." He spoke softly, as though any louder, the beauty would fade away. Lacking the knowledge of phrases such as "meteor shower", he could only describe what he saw, his words tinged with a Nari accent: short sounds that resembles the chirps of the birds. Strangely enough, it gave a false sense of fluency for words were spoken much quicker than expected, though it often called for repetition than anything else. "We call them Zintila's tears" He added, slowing his pronunciation of Nari just a tad as he took care in avoiding offence to the woman's intelligence.


There was sometime where the two did not speak, with Eoin remaining silent until spoken to. He watched the rare spectacle with mild fascination, with the dimmest of light warming green eyes, standing in the centre as though he were alone in the audience.

[Estrellir Konrath]

EOIN

Skills
*withheld due to inactivity

Lores
*withheld due to inactivity

JOHANNE

Skills
Observation +2
Teaching +1
Socialization +1

Lores
Nari: The sound of spoken words
A meteor shower
Communication problems
Location: The cherry grove
Nari: Zintila’s tears

COMMENTS

Thanks for what could’ve been a lovely thread. I loved how you two struggled with the language barrier. That’s also how Johanne earned teaching xp. If you've any questions or concerns, by all means PM me!