Closed This Little Light of Mine...

[Prophet]

The creatures pressed their attack but found the flames to be very daunting. One of the fiends flew too close and the thin membranes of its wings melted. In a shriek of pain, it fell near Jasmine and snapped its tiny mouth with pointed teeth to try and ward her off. The canine she had rescued pounced on the small animal and snapped his square jaws down over it with a sickening crunch. The dog shook his head several times and then flung the thing away from them. He stayed very near to Jasmine and her fire but snapped his teeth at any of the things that flew too close. They looked like white, flying weasels but had bigger teeth and were much more aggressive.

As Jasmine waved the torch around her and above her head, the crystals above the well caught and flung reflections of the light about the clearing. Whenever one such shimmer hit the airborne rodents in the eyes, they would shriek and fly off elsewhere. It was obvious they didn’t like the light and quite possibly the root of their agitation. Despite the dangers and unpleasantries, the vermin continued to swoop down from the canopy in droves seeking to eliminate the trespassers and make a meal of them. The dark and dreary clearing was a terrible sound that echoed through the whole forest. The noise was enough to wreak havoc on one’s mind and make productive thinking more of a dream than a process. It might even be enough of a distraction to prevent one from realizing that Syna’s light was peeking through in a single sliver from the intertwined and heavily woven canopy. The little bit of lumination that was observed would reveal that the well was exactly in the middle of the clearing and its crystals would be well placed for direct light were it not blocked by the big tree limbs. The flying rats never ceased their swarming through all of this and it seemed as if day’s approach intensified their resolve to eliminate what they considered a threat.

Are you ready to learn your fate?

A Firenze Template

[Jasmine Stormblood]

With so many of the strange things flying around her the blond didn't know if it would do any good to pull her bow and arrows. Covering her face and head Jasmine kept trying to make some kind of plan, but nothing seemed to come to her mind at all. More and more slices appeared on the woman's arms and body. The noise was beginning to confuse Jasmine making it nearly impossible to think clearly. When her flames caught the wings of the little white monster; Jasmine was amazed to see the wing turn to ashes. Smiling she began to try and hit more of the weasel type things. The dog attacked the strange animal before getting close to her. Looking around she spotted the crystals and saw how much light they were giving off. Getting up Jasmine ran over to the crystal staying ducked as much as possible. Leaning down behind the crystal the blonde lifted the torch up letting the crystals start shining. Trying to move it the woman found that the large reflective stones did not turn as she had hoped they would. Staying low she used the crystal to hit several of the weasels in the eyes.

Jasmine did not want to kill the creatures, but at the same time she did not want to die in the forest. There was still so much that she wanted to do. Growling gently the current tactic she was using was not getting enough of the animals away from her. Looking around she had to fight through the noise to keep going. Forcing her mind to try and concentrate had begun to be much harder than it was before hand. Staying kind of hidden under the crystal so that it would be used to keep the creatures away Jasmine looked around and spotted her axe not too far away.

“If I can just get to it maybe, I can get some lower limbs cut away from the canopy,” Jasmine said looking up into small open sections.

There was not many open sections to look through with all the winged devils flying around. Moving just a tiny bit the blond spotted that the crystals would be the perfect way to send the monsters away IF she was able to light them up all at once.

“The crystals all lit up at once would be a perfect way to send them all away, but how?” Jasmine asked very confused.

Finally the blonde spotted a way to get into the trees. Fixing the torch to where it wouldn't move the woman dashed out and grabbed her ax on the way. Using the moment she had already acquired Jasmine climbed up into the canopy away from the weasels at the moment. Crawling onto the thinest point of the branch the blond used the small axe to chop away at the limbs. Slowly they began to fall to the ground exposing more and more of Syna's light. Yelping Jasmine held on tight when the branch she was on broke and swung down so that she was upside down.

[Prophet]

The cleverly placed torch sent beams of colored light flickering all around the clearing. The snarlwings went into a fury and began to attack everything including each other. There were strange noises coming from the shadows on the north end of the area but it was lost in the screeching of the flying creatures and the growling of the dog. As some of the smaller limbs fell away, the first rays of Syna’s gaze bounced into the crystal dome. The resulting explosion of light chased half of the flying rodents back into the shadows. As Jasmine slipped and ended upside-down, a loud cry finished clearing the snarlwings.

From within the darkest shadows, something moved. It stared at the blonde and seemed to do everything to avoid the dancing dots scattered about by the flames and sunlight. A pair of cerulean eyes flicked to life and moved along the edge to where they could be seen by the woman. Unbeknownst to her, he touched a mark on his inner arm and this fueled a poison in his words. It wasn’t something that could make her sick but she would soon feel the effects when his words touched her ears. A forked tongue flicked across dry lips for a tick before they parted in a loud exclamation in Common. “Sssstop!”

A large head covered in scales rose up above the bushes. He was bare-chested and covered in more scales but the color was hidden by the darkness. He bobbed up and down as he slowly weaved in and out of the dancing lights. His voice was soft but loud and powerful. The other aspect of it, the one related to the mark, was that it rang with an angry tone like that of her father’s. “Sssstop cutting the treessss!” He shifted his weight and disappeared then reappeared on the other side of the clearing. He continued to talk to her but he was slipping unspoken words into her mind that touched on her fear of being alone; her fear of losing those closest to her. “If the light getssss through, the journeyman will return! He’ll kill usss both AND our familiessss!” The Dhani was very convincing in his tone. He disappeared again and reappeared in his original spot as he avoided the brilliant beams. “Come down, ssssweetie… I can help you esssscape thissss placsssse!” His blue eyes pierced into her mind. His voice was laced with waves of fear and apprehension.

Are you ready to learn your fate?

A Firenze Template

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine gasped and looked over when an unknown creature shouted at her. Looking around the woman finally spotted the creature. A strange sliver of fear ran down her spine at the sight of it. Finally the blonde could no longer stay up down due to blood rushing to her brain. Yelping the woman found herself falling the ground with a grunt. Groaning she sat up popping her neck and flipping her hair back.

"Journeyman? They only live on the plains. Why would one live here?.... Why should I trust anything you say?" Jasmine said fighting the fear creeping up on her.

The Drykas was not sure of how to take the new race before her. Jasmine had heard rumors and stories growing up of a race called the Dhani. From what the woman could recall they were a race of half snake like creatures that liked to feed on other races. Whether the stories were true or not Jasmine was not sure of due to never having met one. Looking around she spotted the dog and patted her leg motioning for him to come. The pair needed to run before it was too late and they were lost in the forest. The man's promise of freedom nearly made the woman jump and run to him. Instead the blond forced her body to listen to her mind and not the excitement she felt. Sitting in Syna's light the woman prayed her thanks to the goddess for her light.

"You've been here for a long time yes? Tell me what was this place made for," Jasmine said looking at him wanting to understand the pillars and what appeared to be a well better.

[Prophet]

The wicked creature continued to elude direct answers and the radiance of Syna by bouncing back and forth in the shadows. He was clever but also impatient. The will of this woman and her need to ask questions grated on his nerves and his response revealed this as well as a hint of his true purpose. The change in volume was so abrupt and extreme that the words bounced off of some of the still remaining limbs which protected the tiny alcove from the celestial lights.

“No more quessssstionsssss!” The figure retreated into the shadows and reappeared on the other side with a tone that was both quiet and apologetic. “Ssssso Ssssssorry, m’dear.” The cold eyes closed for a moment while the Dhani restrained from devouring them both. The dying torch had allowed more darkness to creep into the area but Syna had climbed a bit which presented a more fortunate angle for refraction and made up the difference. “Thisssss isssss a terrible alter to ssssssinisssster godssssss.” The dhani squared his broad shoulders and pushed against the brush in front of him. His voice was now just a hiss but it seemed to make his point all the more convincing. “People have been sssssacrificssssed here.” He did not know that she had seen the glyphs and carvings on the well. If he did, he would not have been so obvious in his lies.

The dog growled in response to the sound of the snakeman’s voice. It seemed the mutt had no fear of the thing even as he paced and back and forth to keep his body between the shadowed figure and the girl who saved him. Twice, he nudged the woman’s hand which held the ax as if encouraging her to use it.

The serpent touched his mark again sending out a shockwave of fear and doubt ahead of his words. “Do not be a fool! Destroy the cryssstal, girl! The godsssss will blessssss you for it holdsssss the ssssecret to the journeyman’sssssss power!” The acolyte was rather proud of that line. He’d been trying for years to eliminate the artifact but because of his own divine associations, he was too easily detected and the object seemed to have defenses for beings such as he. Years of waiting finally produced a tool which he could manipulate and bend to his will to serve his goddesses. Hungrily, he watched the woman. Once the crystals were shattered, he would use the darkness to devour her. “Ssssave ussss, woman!” The creature pleaded. “Become a hero!”

Are you ready to learn your fate?

A Firenze Template

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine listened getting more and more unnerved by the creature's answers or lack there of. When it shouted for her to stop asking questions the blond stepped back from him some. Confusion entered the woman's mind as he spoke of the alter being used for sacrifices. Looking over at the alter once more the blonde tightened her jaw and lifted her head some turning to it.

"You're lying. I'm not destroying anything you want me to. I saw the glyphes on the well and the towers. I am letting in more light whether you like it or not," Jasmine said with a glare to the creature.

Putting her ax on her hip once more the blonde climbed up into the trees again and continued to work on the limbs. Pulling out her ax the woman sat down wrapped her legs around the thick part of the branch and began hitting before her. After some time it finally started to creak and fall leaning back the limb finally fell to the ground exposing more light. Stopping Jasmine watched as more dots appeared glittering around the grove. The woman ignored the creature no matter how loud he shouted at her.

[Prophet]

The reptilian man howled in rage and charged after Jasmine. The instant light touched him he seemed to shrivel from it. He bounced from shadow to shadow looking for a way to get at the troublesome human. When the branch fell, he roared again and smashed the tree trunk with his tail several times trying to make the girl fall down. The more the light filled the clearing, the more the crystals sent it into the woods around the well. Suddenly, a bright beam shot down as Syna sat directly above the crystalline strcture. The light coming from it was so intense that every living thing was forced to close its eyes. The Dhani slithered away into the shadows jumping from one to the next never to be seen again.

The reflected light struck out in all directions as if the burning orb of the sky had landed on top of the well. The forest responded in a very strange way and it could only be witnesses by turning away from the light. As the rays permeated everything, the damp and coolness was replaced by a gentle warmth. The benches and well that were covered in bushes and vines were released from their bonds. The greenery retracted and left the stone benches exposed to the direct light which seemed to polish them. The well seemed to catch on fire as the towers which held the crystal came to life with the glyphs and images reasserting themselves into the stone. All debris was blown from the area and as the light dimmed, the oval opening in the canopy revealed that everything was as it shown on the well.

The dog came running up to Jasmine and barked once then hid against her ankles. A second flash of light would force them to cover their faces once more. When Jasmine looked up, she would see a beautiful woman with golden hair, a brilliant smile and a flowing sheet of gold silk wrapped about her body in the most elegant of ways. The woman seemed young but her eyes were an ageless presence that inspired hope, joy and energized the soul. The gorgeous face beheld Jasmine for a few moments before the woman moved in bare feet over the grass. She seemed to be glowing and once she got within a few feet of Jasmine, she stopped and spoke in a voice that was sweet like the whistle of a breeze through tall grass. “Hello, Jasmine. It seems we finally have a chance to meet.” The woman walked in a slow circle around the Drykas. “You have done me a huge favor by freeing my well from the shadows that had kept it dormant for so long.” The golden woman moved to the well with graceful steps that made her appear weightless then touched one of the towers with her delicate fingers. After a long pause, she looked back over her shoulder and smiled that radiant grin at Jasmine.

“Do you know what this place is designed to be? It’s purpose?”

Are you ready to learn your fate?

A Firenze Template

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine screamed falling to the ground when the Dhani slammed his tail against the tree. Grunting the woman landed on the ground with a groan. Slowly getting up the blonde shielded her eyes from the bright light reflecting off the crystals. Looking down the woman hid her face as the bright light shown. A light whine at her legs caught the girls attention, the faithful protective hound had ran to her and hide his face behind her. Jasmine fought to keep from falling when everything was blown away from the grove. Finally with the light dying out once again the woman looked and saw one of the most beautiful women.

The young woman could not contain herself from staring at the being before her. Shaking her head the blond pulled her head out of the clouds and stood up straight when the being walked to her and spoke. Surprise registered when the woman said Jasmine's name. Confused she watched the being closely beginning to get nervous once more.

"No I don't. From what is looks like it was possibly an alter to a god or goddess perhaps, but the glyphs tell of a story filled with sadness," Jasmine said walked over to the woman slowly, "how do you know my name?"

[Prophet]

The woman bathed in light approached the well and traced her elegant fingers along the stone. For several chimes she did not respond to the Drykas. Her face was obscured and so the emotional rollercoaster that traversed her expressions was also hidden but soon came to rest with a peaceful and content face which is the one she turned and directed to Jasmine. “Come and sit with me and I’ll tell you a story, girl.” The woman did not seem older than the other but her piercing gaze seemed to register an ancient power. As the woman made her way towards a bench, the light seemed to follow her and strip away more of the overgrowth and impurities of the grove. “A long time ago, I used to walk around and leave my mark on the world.” The woman sat on a bench and stared with curious admiration as her will pulled at Jasmine to join her. “This was one such place. The crystal used to be buried in the skin of Semele but it reflected the light so well that nothing grew too close to it and the rays glistened like a beacon day and night.” She would take the woman’s hand when the Drykas finally decided to sit beside the radiant storyteller.

The woman continued explaining that, in the early afternoon bells, this used to be her favorite spot. She talked about how her friends would all gather here and they would celebrate life and joy but especially one another. The woman leaned close to Jasmine. “I have a special someone that I watch all of the time. We constantly chase each other around in a wonderful game.” She tickled Jasmine playfully as if they had been friends forever. “Do you have someone that is special to you?” The golden woman laughed softly but not in a hurtful way. She leaned against the far side of the bench and watched the rays of the sun dance through the crystaline structure and set the grove on fire with warm light. A trained eye would notice new flowers opening, the sounds of birds singing in the sunlight and several small critters chattering in one of the tall trees. “Of course you have someone special, Jasmine. You’re a beautiful and strong young woman who most certainly has a home where you are dear to someone’s heart.” The woman smiled as a mother over her child and leaned in close to Jasmine’s face. A graceful hand took each cheek and held the girl steady so that the two blondes were almost touching noses and staring into each other’s eyes.

“You have given me a gift, Jasmine Moonstone and I, Syna, and now giving you my gift.” As the words rolled off her tongue and between her full lips, golden djed spiraled from Syna’s gaze into and around the right eye of the Drykas woman. It would sting but only for a moment and then the blast of heat would feel pleasant. As the ticks fell away, the light would become too bright for a mortal to bear. Several long chimes would pass before Jasmine could open her eyes again. When the area had returned to normal, the Drykas would find herself alone aside from the rugged canine. Around her right eye would be a new mark, a sun with a single ray and it would indicate to all that she was a child of the sun goddess. The power it held would be strange and hard to understand but a fresh ring of golden images ran around the well’s ledge. It detailed the story of Inavalti as well as how it was to be used. The well was free of its bonds thanks to Jasmine and she had her reward.

Are you ready to learn your fate?

A Firenze Template

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine listened to the woman as she spoke. Slowly the blonde walked over listening to the history of the site. Looking around the clearing she could imagine people dancing, laughing, and having fun all day and even all night. As the story unfolded Jasmine sat beside the beautiful woman on one of the stone benches. A sudden question of her having someone she cared for deeply caused the blonde to stop for a moment. At one time she believed with everything in her that she belonged. After all that had happened earlier that season everything became so uncertain.

"I wish I had the same confidence that you have about that. For a long time I believed that someone truly cared for me, but I'm unsure if there is anyone who does any more. Though I am happier under my current ankal that I had been the last decade under my past ankal," Jasmine said looking down.

The woman's soft touch caused her to look up confused at first. Caught off guard at how close the other blonde's face was Jasmine went wide eyed for several ticks before relaxing feeling no immediate alarm. That is until the woman said that her name was Syna. Amazement coursed through the woman's body, she had been talking to the Goddess and never even realized it. Yet another wave of confusion washed over her as Syne spoke of a reward? Grimacing at the pain in her right eye, Jasmine tried to keep her eyes open as long as possible. Though it did not work like she had planned. After several chimes the woman slowly opened her eyes once more to find herself alone. Looking at the dog gently the blonde stood up and spotted the bottom of the well.

"What is that?" She asked quietly and walked over kneeling down looking at the glyphs.

It appeared to speak of some kind of power that the wielder possessed. Shaking her head Jasmine stood and patted her leg gently. Smiling at the old dog the girl looked at the way she came from.

"Let's go home," Jasmine said with a smile.

It took several bells for the pair to make their way out of the forest. Finally the two were bathed in Syna's light in the open. Smiling brightly Jasmine leaned her head back so glad to feel her warmth once more. Whistling Chaser bounded up to her excited to see his rider back after being gone for so long. Hugging the stallion's neck Jasmine got the old dog situated on his back before mounting up once more. Turning towards home the woman allowed the horse to set the pace going up the hill towards open plains again. After some time and Syna's light beginning to darken showing it was nearly night Jasmine spotted the family's tent ahead. Pushing on Chaser's sides gently he picked up the pace. Haggar started barking excitedly seeing his home and family again.