1st of Summer, 505 AV
Nine days had passed since the surrogate incident, and Sorana was still cautious around her, as if her daughter was a caged animal, only waiting to the right time to attack. Maybe she was. Sayani had wanted to cry, for a while, after what had happened, but she didn't allow herself to. Crying was a sign of weakness, and she wouldn't let her mother think she was weak.
But she felt like a monster. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Symenestra had affinity with blood, and yet, what she had felt while the surrogate died in front of her eyes were something much greater than affinity. And no matter how much she tried to think only about the pleasure she had felt, guilt always came crawling back to her mind.
"Sayani." the deep but gentle voice startled her, and she turned to look at her father. His violet eyes, much brighter than hers, shone with excitement, and the young Symenestra felt an urge to hug him.
"Are you not... Wary of me, father?"
"Of course not." Duran smiled, and knelled down to face his daughter. "You are first born. You are supposed to go on Harvests and all that. Feeling a connection to blood is only natural for you." it hadn't been only a connection, but she smiled, and hugged him. Duran laughed. "Good, good. See? You are still perfectly normal." straightening up, the man looked at her. "So, to prepare you, I'm going to give you a lesson in hunting. Would you like that?"
A lesson? Sayani's smile broadened, the thought of learning something with her father something new. Usually, it would be her mother's voice talking about purity of blood, surrogates, duties of a Symenestra and all that. A hunting trip seemed much more interesting. She nodded, excited.
Duran guided her to the surface, the silk paths easy to navigate through for both Symenestra. It was long before Sayani could finally see the morning sky, clear and bright. It was beautiful, and the summer breeze that brushed her face was comforting, as if telling her everything was alright, and that she was alright.
Her father passed his hands around her shoulder, and guided her to the forest near Kalinor. "Hunting, Sayani, is something that requires patience. Which you have plenty of, I agree." Duran made her stop. "It's not only an activity. It's an art, that requires time to perfect. A good hunter is the one who doesn't rush, who investigates the victim, and who employs the best technique to catch it. Know not only the prey, but also the environment around you." Sayani listened, her eyes fixed in the trees closer to them, but her whole attention turned to the words that left her father's mouth.
Nine days had passed since the surrogate incident, and Sorana was still cautious around her, as if her daughter was a caged animal, only waiting to the right time to attack. Maybe she was. Sayani had wanted to cry, for a while, after what had happened, but she didn't allow herself to. Crying was a sign of weakness, and she wouldn't let her mother think she was weak.
But she felt like a monster. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Symenestra had affinity with blood, and yet, what she had felt while the surrogate died in front of her eyes were something much greater than affinity. And no matter how much she tried to think only about the pleasure she had felt, guilt always came crawling back to her mind.
"Sayani." the deep but gentle voice startled her, and she turned to look at her father. His violet eyes, much brighter than hers, shone with excitement, and the young Symenestra felt an urge to hug him.
"Are you not... Wary of me, father?"
"Of course not." Duran smiled, and knelled down to face his daughter. "You are first born. You are supposed to go on Harvests and all that. Feeling a connection to blood is only natural for you." it hadn't been only a connection, but she smiled, and hugged him. Duran laughed. "Good, good. See? You are still perfectly normal." straightening up, the man looked at her. "So, to prepare you, I'm going to give you a lesson in hunting. Would you like that?"
A lesson? Sayani's smile broadened, the thought of learning something with her father something new. Usually, it would be her mother's voice talking about purity of blood, surrogates, duties of a Symenestra and all that. A hunting trip seemed much more interesting. She nodded, excited.
Duran guided her to the surface, the silk paths easy to navigate through for both Symenestra. It was long before Sayani could finally see the morning sky, clear and bright. It was beautiful, and the summer breeze that brushed her face was comforting, as if telling her everything was alright, and that she was alright.
Her father passed his hands around her shoulder, and guided her to the forest near Kalinor. "Hunting, Sayani, is something that requires patience. Which you have plenty of, I agree." Duran made her stop. "It's not only an activity. It's an art, that requires time to perfect. A good hunter is the one who doesn't rush, who investigates the victim, and who employs the best technique to catch it. Know not only the prey, but also the environment around you." Sayani listened, her eyes fixed in the trees closer to them, but her whole attention turned to the words that left her father's mouth.