What Magic Lurks Beneath the Waters

by **Seirei Dawnwhisper** on February 22nd, 2016, 4:54 pm

The water was wonderful. That was the only way to describe it. Good, or bad, insane, or not, she was glad she came. As she sank into its depths, the waters did as she hoped, washing the aches and pains of her pregnancy away. But as the water closed over her head, the world...lurched. It spun rapidly around once, much the way a child would twirl a rock in a bag over their head to build up the strength in their arms. Then it was over.

Seirei surfaced, almost reluctantly. The waters felt wonderful, but she really needed to get back home. The twins would need to be fed soon enough, and her friends would worry if they woke to find her not there. With that thought in mind, she opened her eyes, preparing to lever herself out of the water...only to fall back in shock as she took in the world around her.

The pool ended at a grassy bank. A line of trees grew nearby. Seirei didn't know how far they went, but she did know that they shouldn't be there. They certainly hadn't been when she'd submerged herself in the pool. Startled, and more than a little confused, Seirei pulled herself out of the water, and looked around, searching for something familiar. Something that made sense. There was nothing, and the world felt...off to her somehow. Strange. Probably because she wasn't in the same place she'd been mere ticks before.

There were others standing nearby. Drykas, by the look of their clothes. That was something, at least. Maybe they knew where they were, and how to get back home? A path lay before them, seeming to lead deeper into the trees. It felt almost as though it was waiting for them to follow it. That it knew they were there, and it wanted to lead them to something. Was that the way they were supposed to go? But there were smaller trails, too. And there was a sound coming from behind them. It sounded much like the sound of the waves along the coast where the pools she had been in mere chimes ago were.

She couldn't find Kairi, anywhere. But as she looked at the people, she realized that she recognized one of them. Shahar. Did that mean that Naiya was there, too? If so, who was back at camp with the twins? Seirei looked around, but she didn't see Naiya anywhere. So she made her way over to where Shahar was standing as quickly as her swollen belly would allow.

Seirei didn't have an answer to her adopted brother's signed questions. So she responded with one of her own. It seemed likely that Shahar and the others would have noticed the path already, but she gestured to it anyway, asking a silent answers there? Her own worry, and desire to return home were obvious in her tense, alert posture, and the hesitant confusion in her hands.

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by **Azmere** on February 23rd, 2016, 3:42 am

Azmere staggered under the weight of this person. He absorbed the blow fairly well aside from the tangled mass of hair that whipped his face. The tip of a wet curl flicked him dead center in his right eye which caused a grunt to be silenced behind closed teeth. Azmere peered in Leth’s light as it blazed along the deep red tresses now slick from the pool. This was not just a woman but a healer and his friend, Amunet. After a few ticks, the recoil of the woman’s fall had passed and the Drykas set her down gently. He started to say something but the tiny woman was off exploring the foreign territory. The watchman rolled his eyes and went about the task of dredging himself from the strange water. He dug his fingers into the grassy soil and pulled himself up by rocking onto his wrists and then extending his arms until his elbows locked out. This raised him up high enough to twist his body and sit on the edge. Unhappy would be a word that fit the expression on his face.

The archer went about gathering the arrows he was able to retrieve before the good healer’s flying episode. He slipped into his bow, adjusted his quiver and then scooped up his wet clothes. His eyes scanned the area again focusing on details he may have missed before. There was a path cutting into the woods but it was an obvious trail. The way the trees formed a tunnel over the walkway gave Azmere pause. From one who spent so much time in the open air and endless fields of grass, the Diamond warrior hesitated to confine himself in the forest. He did note a few smaller, more subtle trails; perhaps they were used by deer or other game. That might be a more viable option. From the opposite side of the pool came the sounds of waves crashing against the coast.

Azmere turned towards the sound and there was suddenly another person coming out of the pool. The protective nature clicked on and the Drykas dropped his wet clothes. In a practiced move, the man dipped from under the bow and completed the motion by drawing, notching and aiming an arrow at the newcomer. The distance was too great initially to identify any kind of markings or features so the archer remained still. The person coughed and sputtered as he collected himself. He looked around to see them and spoke Pavi. He began to sign and Azmere quickly lowered Vihar and re-shouldered the weapon. The watchman moved around the edge of the water towards Amunet to bring himself between the man and his friend.

Azmere signed Drykas and motioned to himself and Amunet. Azmere rolled out a series of signs to try and match the things this other Drykas was communication. He posted confused then a sign for calm or patience. “Azmere.” This was said plainly with the title of watchman signed immediately after. Azmere was about to ask for the man’s name when another figure emerged from the strange pool. It was a woman. Azmere glanced back towards Amunet. He felt better knowing these people were Drykas but she was his friend and a magnet for trouble. The archer took another step to keep himself between her and the others then returned his gaze to inspect the fourth member of their party. The man ran his hands against his skin to shed what lingering moisture that he could. The air felt great but the droplets clinging to his tanned skin did not.

The last person to join them was a woman and a pregnant one at that. She approached the other man as if she knew him. Azmere’s mind instantly put them together as a family with a bun in the oven. He watched their interaction with flat curiosity. She asked her man about the path. Azmere looked at it again and still felt uneasy about that direction. Certainly one of the game paths would make more sense. He hoped that this fellow Drykas male had some experience in the wilds. It would certainly make life easier. Once they all seemed to be taking normal breaths, Azmere glanced one more time at the water waiting for anyone else to join them. A silly thought but one that he felt deserved to be entertained. The watchman addressed the others, his contrasting eyes bouncing to Amunet as he drew his breath but with the first words, they would find their way back to the expecting couple.

He signed the word united, “We need a plan.” His fingers twisted to suggest using the web. He was going to inform them that Amunet was a blessed individual who could help the pregnant woman but elected to not speak for anyone but himself at this juncture. “Will you work with us?” His hands expressed a question of skills and names in regards to the couple. Azmere hoped they knew enough about the Watch to have a general idea of where his strengths lie.

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

by **Amunet** on February 27th, 2016, 9:17 pm

The graceful arc of her fingers danced to sign to the Hunter. Her memory was fairly good. “Shahar?” She said softly as she moved to check to see if he was ok. She gave Azmere a look as he was stepping close and just about in the way protectively. It was a two edged sword as she realized the need of it and the needlessness of it. Azmere did not know this man. The Healer relaxed and relayed to him to remind him who she was and her name in sign. “Amunet” friend, no danger, relax please.

The girl put a hand on Azmere’s shoulder. “Azmere” The girl introduced gently. Watch, protector, good man. Those graceful fingers stopped as she spotted the pregnant one. As her head turned the opal winged serpent shimmered as she assisted the pregnant one out of the water. Amunet fussed over her to check and see if she and the young one within was doing well. She moved slowly but seemed to be in little to no discomfort but still she hovered close. “Hello. I am Amunet, I am a Healer and doctor for the River Flower, how far along are you? Are you experiencing any pains anywhere?” She asked gently while The Hunter and The Watchman conversed their course.

The young healer bit her lower lip as she took her cloak off to wring it out. The woolen shirt and cowl was also dripping. She looked at the forest paths vs the other paths vs the coast. Her eye was drawn back towards the forest paths. “The trees would offer more defense and food. We will need a fire to dry off. “ She offered up as she looked at both men.

Once making sure Seirei was as well as could be, the red head moved towards the forest paths as she tried to peer down the trails to determine what lay beyond the darkness. It revealed nothing but she had to try. She pursed her lips as she looked at the three. One more twist of her cloak saw another trail of water out of it. It wasn’t as if she had any marks to be taken off, but what did that water do? That question circled around her head as those eyes for details looked a bit more closely at the details of their circumstances. It was warm. Did time speed up? There are trees so was this a different place than the sea of grass? The girl moved towards a stand of grass to get a good look at the variety of it. They were not in the sea of grass that was for sure. “This grass is different.” The girl said out loud and may not have realized it as she furrowed her brow in confusion. The defense and shelter the trees could provide. “We are too exposed here.” The girl moved back towards the group to see what their decision was. They all seemed healthy at the moment.

by **Seirei Dawnwhisper** on February 28th, 2016, 4:59 am

While Seirei waited to see what Shahar thought about the path, the other man began to speak, saying that they needed a plan. The man stood between her and Shahar, and a red haired woman she had never seen before. The man was obviously a Drykas. But was the woman, as well? Seirei couldn't tell for certain because she couldn't see any sign of visible windmarks.

The man drew Seirei's attention again when he asked them if they would work with the others. His signs asked for their names, and what they were good at. Seirei wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't good at anything that might help them out here. And what good would knowing she was good at carving wood do? Surely the man would consider her to be a burden. Would he be angry at her for being there? Seirei knew that Shahar would defend her if anything happened. He had protected her from Lian last summer, after all. And then were family now. Seirei couldn't help but be nervous around the strangers, though. And her anxiety was made worse by the situation they were in.

But before she could say anything, the red haired woman introduced herself as Amunet, reassuring them that they were safe. Safe? How could Amunet know that for certain? Did she know where they were, and how to get home? The man was introduced as Azmere, and a member of the Watch. Amunet then started questioning her, and Seirei was happy for something she could answer.

"My name is Seirei Dawnwhisper." she began softly, answering Azmere's earlier question as well as Amunet's.

"I'm a little over four months pregnant now. Nothing's bothering me at the moment, but thank you for asking. The waters of the spring helped before...before whatever happened that brought us here."

Amunet seemed to lose interest in the conversation, which was just as well. Seirei was a little nervous about healers she didn't know. She realized that they would probably treat her differently now that she was no longer a captive, but the memories of cruelty, and indifference remained, making it difficult for her to trust. The healer moved towards the trees, and Seirei's gaze followed her. What kind of trees were those? Would they have good wood for carving? Seirei itched to look for branches she might take to experiment with at a later time despite knowing the potential danger they might be facing in this strange place.

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by **Naiya** on March 4th, 2016, 8:56 pm

oocI thought I would help by pushing things around some. Good luck with this. I only did the two people because they had the easiest lead in, please feel free to use the additional landscape information.

Seirei

The grass beneath her feet was clearly different, as Amunet had claimed, never before had grass felt so soft, so plush beneath her feet. It was welcoming, like a grandiose rug, promising only to make her feel better as time wore on rather than making the swelling of her feet worse. It grew tall swishing around her calves, perhaps worth harvesting to be woven, given the texture.

The drifty healer had meandered back, words of caution on her tongue, but the whistle of the wind through the trees danced in Seirei's mind, soothing her, coaxing her to explore the space they had while they still had time. It was a promise that moved her forward, towards the lit path rather than towards the beach. Leth's light still bright in the sky allowed her to examine the wood, finding the bark grew in dark whorls, like the spin formed in stirred water. It seemed to radiate from a number of points, the lines of the swirl lighter, seeming to glisten under the moonlight.

It would be beautiful carved, if it were possible, worth much more than common wood. More so if the wood beneath was as lovely as the bark. She scoured the ground, seeking a branch and finding one that seemed far too large to carry, but when she pulled at its end to feel the inner wood it seemed nearly weightless in her hands.

She glanced up, surprised, as something dripped down from the tree onto the top of her head. Only the tree stood above her. She tossed the oddity around in her mind for a moment before a distant light caught her eye, bobbing far down through the trees. A moving lantern, perhaps. Where she had a sense of the plants and the air of the clearing, she received no message from the light, no feeling of comfort or danger, an emptiness. They would have to guess whether or not the path and it's inhabitants were safe.

There was magic clearly woven into this place, perhaps it was time they did something about it. Used the resources around them, and quickly, because Seirei felt quite sure that the serenity that hung over the clearing would not last for long.

Azmere

The web was his first solution, and he reached for it with a few moments preparation. What he found was not the web, not as the Drykas knew it, but rather spun djed laced the area, everything around them glowing with such strength, the earth, the trees, the air, it was overwhelming, and he quickly found he must abandon the magic.

Most of what he gathered was that they faced a great threat, although it was slow approaching. The magic had hung heavy in the air, but the space that had been the pool was darkening, fading, and upon opening his eyes once more, he could see the effect. The grass was beginning to fade, a slowly growing pinprick of brown spreading to encompass the shape of the pool.

They had perhaps ten and five chimes before the grass in the pool was dead, and once again that time would find the dead grass fading into an abyss as black as the wings of a zith, the circle of decay would spread to encompass the clearing. It was a promise surely, one that spurred the watchman to look around with new eyes.

They had few weapons, none of their animal companions had made it, and they had only so long before they were forced make a decision. They needed supplies.

The leaves of the trees swayed with the wind, the sound unfamiliar, thick and wet rather than the dry rustle of trees at home. The night was not so still any longer, the sound of animals could be heard rustling through the grass.

by **Seirei Dawnwhisper** on March 6th, 2016, 6:35 pm

The grass felt incredible beneath her feet. Soft, and plush, it was like walking on a thick, soft blanket rather than grass. And given the soothing effect it had on her feet, Seirei had to wonder if it didn't have some kind of healing qualities. Seirei wasn't much of a weaver, but the temptation to harvest as much of the grass as she could manage was too great to resist. She could always practice with normal grass first...if they ever made it back home. Which they would. They had to.

Seirei picked as much of the tall grass as she could. As she harvested it, she wrapped it around her waist above her swollen belly, so she would have her hands free. Seirei's first thought was that the grass she harvested could be woven into blankets for her, the twins, Naiya, and Shahar. She wondered if it could also be sewn into the linings of their shoes to ease discomfort caused by standing, or walking too long. And if it did have healing qualities, the healers at the River Flower might be able to make use of it...or teach her how to do so. There was another thing to consider as well. If it took them more than a day to find their way back, they could use the grass as bedding.

Seirei mentioned her thoughts about using the grass as bedding if turned out that they couldn't find their way home before they had to stop to rest. She also asked Amunet if she knew of a way to test the grass to see if it had healing properties. But the lure of the wood was strong, and while she waited to see what the others thought, she moved to search for samples of wood she might be able to collect.

When she found the branch, she admired the bark. It was dark, and beautiful, with a pattern she had never seen before. Normally when carving, she would strip any bark from the wood she planned to use. But this bark was too pretty not to take advantage of. Surely there had to be a way she could use it too if she could just find some she could take with her.

The branch was so big that Seirei almost didn't even try to lift it. There was no way she could carry a branch that size without a travois that she didn't have...and little chance of her getting it onto a travois even if she did have one. Nor did she have her axe, so cutting a more manageable piece off wasn't an option either. But something prompted her to try to lift the branch anyway. And when she did, she was amazed and delighted by how light it was. That decided her. She was taking the branch. Seirei's mind raced at all the possibilities she could use the wood for. If the wood was as strong as it was light, it would make an amazing javelin for Shahar once she was better at making such things. Or...the possibilities were endless. And with a branch that size, she could make a lot with that much wood.

Something dripped down on her from above, and Seirei looked up, startled. But she couldn't see what had dripped on her, and it didn't drip again. Could it have rained here recently, and some water still be clinging to the leaves? It didn't seem likely. In fact, it seemed impossible. If it were true, the ground would still be wet, wouldn't it? Seirei continued to wonder what had dripped on her until her attention was drawn to the light moving further in the trees.

Someone...or something...was out there. Wary, and alert, she searched the area for any more signs that they weren't alone. As she did so, she retreated back to the others with her branch.

"Someone's out there." she said tensely, gesturing in the direction the light was coming from.

The sound of animals could be heard rustling in the grass now. And Seirei was gripped with the certainty that the peacefulness of this place was about to be shattered. Seirei eyed the grass, trying to catch glimpses of the animals hidden within it. They probably wouldn't be able to stay where they were for long.

"Does anyone have anything we can carry water in? We should take some with us if we can."

Seirei didn't know where they should go. The trees still felt safe to her, and she liked the idea of maybe finding more wood she could collect. But she trusted Shahar's opinion on the matter far more than her own. Or Azmere's. As a member of the Watch, he would know far more than she would about where they should go, and how to stay safe in this strange place.

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by **Colt** on March 22nd, 2016, 2:22 pm

Amunet recognized him, but Shahar was distracted when someone else emerged from the pool: Seirei.

He stared for a moment, because of course this wasn’t strange enough already, but it was only a moment; whatever strange magic had orchestrated their separate journeys to this place, they were all here now, and that included his sister.

Confusion, offer to help, he signed at her, making his way forward. Amunet was quicker, and apparently more experience; she looked Seirei over with a calm appraising eye to make sure she was alright.

Taking a vigilant stance over the two of them, Shahar turned then to the other man––to Azmere, Amunet had called him.

Introduction, I am “Shahar Dawnwhisper.” As for working together, agreement, bad situation. He looked once more at their surroundings, at the strangeness of it all. This Azmere spoke of a plan, and Shahar knew they needed one; if he could only get a moment, he could ask the grass.

Trees, Amunet suggested. Shahar acknowledged it, good idea. Trees would have what he needed.

“Someone’s out there.” It was Seirei, bringing attention deeper into the distance, deeper into the trees––to light.

Automatically, Shahar dropped his shoulders and bent into something halfway between a fighting stance and a hunter’s crouch. He had his javelins… no, he had his javelin, his one javelin that he had used to test the waters of the pool, and it was growing awkwardly heavy. He had his hunting knife, but that was more tool than weapon; the rest of his equipment was back with Snow and Akaidras, wherever that was.

Waiting for Azmere’s attention, Shahar flashed off a sign of offering. I can scout ahead.

by **Azmere** on March 23rd, 2016, 2:22 am

Azmere watched everything that took place with the cold detachment of logic. Shahar was the name he’d heard. The man had the look of a hunter but he seemed to be without equipment. His contrasting eyes gazed about and took note of the women. Everything was not adding up but at least they had agreed to cohesion. The watchman was of the belief that a handful of Drykas could accomplish anything. Azmere signed that he was going to check the web and see what he could find. The man walked back over to where his pack and wet clothes were piled on the bank. He hastily organized everything and left the wet things spread so they might dry a bit then relaxed down into the grass. He closed his eyes and drifted into the calm breeze that rustled the leaves on the trees.

Azmere’s awareness rose from his body slowly. There was something wrong. Azmere felt blinded when he looked at everything. The trees burned like white hot suns and the pool glimmered like a massive gem. The Drykas felt his heartbeat quicken to a point where he was dizzy. Something like this had never happened before. He hadn’t made it ten feet from his body when the urge to return overwhelmed him. The archer snapped back into his body and sat up with a start. He gasped for air and pawed at his eyes. Azmere fumbled about for a moment before climbing to his feet. He took half a chime to pack everything into his packs and another half to strap up. He had his bow in hand and was taking a visual inventory of the rest of the group. Shahar dropped into a cautious stance and instinct made the watchman do the same.

Through his teeth, Azmere clicked his tongue twice to catch the attention of Amunet. As he started to creep towards the woods, he looked back to motion for Shahar to follow him. The archer adjusted his quiver then drew and notched an arrow. He made no attempt to put any tension behind it but he had a bad feeling about the entire night. Once the Drykas got to the smaller game trails, he took another look around and watched the green, lush grass and the bright water of the pool become dark. He was not normally one to allow emotions to affect his mental state but after his brief and horrifying web experience, Azmere was all but shaking. There was magic all over Mizahar but he’d never heard of anything like this let alone had to deal with it. He waved for Amunet and Seirei to join him and he contemplated the offer Shahar had given about scouting. The man seemed a bit young in appearance but his eyes held a confidence that was not unfounded.

Azmere brought his star-cut eyes to meet Shahar’s. The concept of a scout is highly advantageous but how would that work if he had no real weapons? The watchman knew the feeling of being caught off-guard and something in the hunter’s demeanor suggested he was not entirely prepared for what was happening. The truth is that none of them were. Azmere shook his head. He signed he disagreed with scouting. “We all need to leave.” His hands formed the sign for now. He looked over the man’s weapons and then offered the dagger from his own belt to Shahar, hilt first. “Something bad is here.” His free hand motioned towards the trees and then his fingers bent into the signal for hide. The expression on his face was nothing less than dire.

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

by **Amunet** on March 30th, 2016, 12:23 am

Seirei her name was called. The Healer smiled at her as she revealed that she was 120 days around there abouts. The girl’s attention drew towards the trees as it also did for Seirei as she meandered to look at the grass and wood. The redhead decided to stay close to the pregnant one just in case. She wasn’t sure this was a time for collecting wood or grasses but they also had no idea where they were at or what was around them. Amunet wrung out parts of her clothing in as much as possible as Seirei announced that someone was out there.

Amunet gasped softly as her head snapped around to peer into the darkness. As strange lights beckoned, the darkness crept into the pool and it was becoming palpable. It was at that point that Azmere said they had to get moving. The darkness was eating away at the pool and the clearing they were in. The darkness was eating away at the grass behind them. Amunet pointed at the encroaching black substance as she started moving towards the trees while sticking with Seirei in case she needed someone for balance.

“What is this place? “ The young woman said in a strained voice as the paniced urgency within her welled saying to hurry. She tried to quell it down as to opt for orderly hasty retreat with the woods. The men hopefully would have their flanks. Amunet kept vigilant with seirei and moved with her as the men either flanked or went ahead or whatever they decided to do. “We must hurry. “

At the tree line she put a hand on the solid bark of the first tree that was large enough to do so. The darkness was not yielding though she could see fairly decently. Leth’s light illuminated as much as cast shadows with the trees. In the grass you could see a great deal. In this place much could hide and there was a lot of shadows.

by **Seirei Dawnwhisper** on April 8th, 2016, 4:51 pm

The question of whether they had something they could carry water in or not was a moot one now. Darkness was creeping into the pool. As she watched it warily, it seemed as though it moved as if it were alive, and had a mind or a purpose of some sort. Seirei wanted no part of that darkness. Would it swallow them up the same way it was steadily devouring the pool? What would happen to them if it touched them? Seirei didn't want to find out. She doubted that it would be anything as benign as sending them back home.

The man who had introduced himself as Azmere earlier told them that they had to leave. The sign that accompanied his words made the urgency of his statement clear. Seirei nodded in silent agreement. She really didn't like the looks of that creeping darkness. And from what she could see, neither did the others. Especially Azmere. Azmere was a member of the Watch. Seirei had to assume that he was used to danger, and fighting. From her limited understanding of the Watch, that was part of their job. Protecting the other Drykas from things like bandits, and dangerous predators. Yet his expression was grim. And...was he shaking? Seirei couldn't be certain in this light, but she thought that he was. Was he scared? And if so...what did that mean for them?

Seirei felt a sharp twinge in her abdomen as her unborn child made its feelings known. She took a deep breath, and tried to calm her rising fears. The baby was reacting to her own anxiety, and that would not help matters any. Azmere's warning about "something bad" was not reassuring, but Seirei did her best to keep herself calm. Descending into panic would only make things worse. So she would not focus on the fact that she was heavily pregnant, and that she had no more way to defend herself or help the others if they were attacked than she did of suddenly growing wings and flying away to escape whatever danger they were facing. Instead, she would focus on what she could do to help.

As they moved into the trees, Seirei tried to walk as quietly as possible. She avoided stepping on any dead leaves as much as she could, and tried to walk as lightly as she could manage given her condition. Seirei kept alert, searching for any signs of immediate danger. She also kept a sharp eye out for rocks, branches, and anything else that might be useful to them. Although she knew nothing of fighting, it took little skill to throw a rock. Even if she didn't manage to hit anything, it might provide a distraction that would help them. Likewise, a broken branch with a jagged, sharpened end could be an impromptu spear. Anything they might use as a weapon would be better than nothing. Probably.

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