Closed The Absence of Light

[Taurina]

4th Bell of the 1st of Summer 517
Following the events of Rose Colored

She was drowning in a sea wild and angry. Arms struggled against the waves, pumping and reaching for anything that might help her break the surface. Lungs ached desperate for air. Her mouth opened, body ready to betray her despite knowing if she did it she would die. A part of her knew it was senseless to struggle for life. That the surface was too far, the waves were too angry, and there was nothing but a vast empty ocean surrounding her. Her mind cried for her to just give in and take a breath. Lungs would fill with water and she would die from the inside out. Pass without anyone knowing she had ever existed.

She wandered so close to death. So close to giving up, but her heart was in living. She gathered what strength she had left and kicked hard while pumping her arms up with fingers splayed towards the sky. A strangled cry, a desperate plea, was released into the unforgiving depths. All she had left was given up and she watched as the darkness swallowed her whole. No one answered her cry.

Black. The color of darkness, the absence of all light, surrounded her.

She was unsure how she remained aware. How her mind processed thoughts at all anymore. Death had come to claim her had it not? Flashes came in reminder of the water pulling her under. Down and down she went after finally giving her lungs what they had so desired. If it had had time the salt might have killed her first. There had been so much of it threatening to consume her the long way. Perhaps she had been lucky that the liquid worked faster. It had flooded in and choked out all of the remaining life within her. All the light she had possessed, snuffed out before getting the chance to shine.

“Rina! You are here! You came!” nameless was the child who cheered.

The Ethaefal cringed back with terror and confusion as the girl came and wrapped her arms around her. The girl looked different than Taurina had ever seen her before. Her hair went unbound, not a wrap or knot in sight, and her eyes were blue. So blue.. Like the ocean that had just consumed the one she now embraced. That gaze that tore out secrets and destroyed souls had always been blue, but blue like the daytime sky. Now it was blue like the night. A shiver rippled through Taurina.

“Where is here?” she asked, her voice reaching out like an echo into a space void of all things.

“It is where I live,” the child spoke as if it were the most real and normal thing in the world.

“But you… you are nothing..” Taurina’s voice shook that time, unsure as something invisible gripped her.

Fear. The emotion that most frequently drew the little nameless child out of the deepest corner of the Ethaefal’s mind. A shiver spread through her once more. This was her greatest fear. To be trapped in an empty eternity with only her inner darkness for company.

“That is not true. I am not your greatest fear,” the child’s voice had turned cruel, cold.

Taurina balled her fists tight as if she was going to fight, but her heart thundered with the terror that filled her. She wanted to go home. Where had her family been when she was drowning? Why had they not saved her?

“They could not hear you Rina,” it was not the child’s voice that spoke, “you are ours now.”

Taurina felt her body go rigid at the sound of that voice. Male. She had heard him before. When she dared to look she saw the face of the one who had threatened her. Who had thrown insults into her face after taunting her throughout the day. She had not given him what he wanted and now.. now she feared he was going to take it anyway.

“Go.. Stay away,” the Ethaefal’s voice was quiet and weak.

A cruel smile curled on those lips. The male came forward and closed the gap. He reach out and captured her hands within his. Though she tried to yank away, she could not. She was frozen. His fingers were running over her palms, the backs of her hands, and lacing with her own.

“Such gentle hands,” his words were cold, calculated, spoken with anger.

The male was not trying to woo her this time.

“Let me go,” the Ethaefal’s voice failed her.

“No.”

A squeak made its way out of her before hands were suddenly all over her. His hands. Ripping and tearing clothe to reveal flesh as an invisible force rendered her powerless to do anything. He was moving on her, against her. Preparing to take all he desired that had not been given to him. His revenge for her refusal the first time. He shoved her down to the ground. The Ethaefal felt herself falling until she hit something hard and cold. Hands came down on her again, this time finding her throat.

“You will not force me away again,” a command growled by a voice so cruel and drunk on the power its owner wielded, “You. Are. Mine.”

~

“No!” Taurina woke with a shout.

The Ethaefal clutched her chest as breaths came in ragged gasps. Her heart was beating like the thundering hooves of a thousand stampeding striders. Sweat could be felt sliding down the sides of her face and pooling near the bottom of her spine most, but it covered every inch of her as she shook from her terror. She wanted to cry. She did cry. Whether it was from fear of the nightmare or from relief that it had only been that was unclear even to her. She felt like throwing up. If this form had had food within its stomach she might have done just that.

Taurina was not even aware of when she had allowed herself to fall asleep. It was so rare that she slept during the night. She remembered returning in the evening of the day before after that miserable afternoon at work and crawled into her section of the Stormblood home. Like she had been daydreaming during a majority of the too hot day, she had unclothed herself and rested against the floor of her area aimlessly sketching out some remedial figures as it was all she had felt she could handle after the day’s trials. Even after washing her hand at least half a dozen times she had still been able to feel the remnants of him on her skin. She wanted him gone, all memory of him erased, but her mind was cruel to her and did not care for her wishes.

That same hand gripped the Ethaefal’s chest now as she struggled to breath. She did not cease to shake or to cry. She just wanted to forget. Forget and never see him again. The thought of him coming back to get the fade job repair completed sent a wave of strangled sobs from her throat. What if he came and did not respect her wishes next time? What if he made good on his threat that it was not over between them? What if the nightmare became reality? What if what he did made the nightmare look like a pleasant dream?

Taurina moved her blanket away from where it was tangled up between her legs and drew her knees up to her chest. She clutched them close, making herself as small as she could in her taller, celestial form. In this form, she knew she could not just go unnoticed. She was taller, but not only that, she was beautiful. Her body forged by those who were not of this world. When she was out under Leth’s light she even had an almost opalescent glow to her that reflected her god’s domain. It just made it harder to be small, invisible. She did not normally desire to be, not in this body, but tonight she did. Tonight she wanted to just fade out of existence.

Tangled tendrils of ink black hair stuck to her unclothed body and snagged on the horns that grew from her temples that were now a green ombre. Summer had come, the change of the season had happened and her form simply reflected it. Summer. The season of her fall. Taurina gripped her legs tighter. If the male had not been enough.. she had that to remember as well. Tomorrow. She would let herself remember that tomorrow. Tonight she rubbed her swollen eyes and covered her miserable face. Another sob ripped through her. Manners about not wanting to wake anyone slumbering in the pavilion forgotten in this moment of grief and fear.

The Ethaefal’s imagination ran wild with her. Playing out all of what he might do to her and reminding her that there were things she likely did not know of. Horrors even she could not bring herself to dream up. Another tremor of terror. How was she going to keep it from happening? When he returned for that blasted work to be finished, how was she going to ensure he left without touching her again? How was she going to get away if he did take hold of her and decided her hand was not enough? She did not know the answers. That was what scared her most of all.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Azmere]

Azmere was sleeping soundly. He’d been getting a good night’s sleep ever since he and Jasmine began to share a bed. The young woman had not only opened his eyes to a great deal about life but she had also managed to calm the fire that had been burning inside his soul. For several seasons, the ankal had been ill-at-ease. It was something he hadn’t been able to put his finger on but the Drykas seemed to be more consumed by the mood of his people in recent years. If they thrived, he was at peace and the opposite was true. Wild grass waved and a cool breeze blew as the scarred man chased the wavy blonde hair. Skylla easily kept up with Chaser but the rider with the multi-colored stare held off for some time. He directed the young mare from one hip to the other of the older stallion. It was like Azmere was counting how many times he could fall back then get even again. He was laughing in his dream and the joyful noise was not something often heard from the stoic man.

The newly married man came up alongside his wife and found her smiling at him. Jasmin was beautiful. Her blue eyes, tan skin and thick lips always made watching her a sensual experience; whether it was a fired up debate, talking through pouted lips to an animal or watching the rays of her matron goddess reflect in the bright blue skies of her stare. Suddenly, the dream shifted. The warm day became a cold night. Jasmine was no longer smiling but angry. She was shouting ‘No’. Azmere was puzzled. The archer asked her what was wrong but he was only given a more adamant ‘No’ in response.

The man sat up in his bed, sweating. “No!” was the shout but it wasn’t the woman sleeping beside him. The blonde tresses were spread about like Jasmine was floating along a placid lake and the water was supporting her in a way that was almost divine. Azmere reached down and moved a single strand that had fallen along her collarbone. He leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead then slipped off the pad. The man grabbed a single piece of cloth and wrapped it around his waist then looped the tie sewn along the edge. The heat had driven the Drykas to forgo his normal habit of always wearing his leather breeches in favor of the loin cloth. Grey lifted his head but the man held his hand out, palm down, and then lowered it towards the ground. The canine responded by dropped his jaw back to the furs on which he lay. Azmere slipped from their divided section out into the common area of the large pavilion.

The ankal looked around and listened to the sounds of his family while they slept. Lodai was snoring away but that was nothing new. The rest of the bunch was relatively quiet though Tomas had a bit of a purr but there was another sound that caught Azmere’s attention. Whimpering. Sobbing.

Taurina.

Azmere did not hesitate. He moved on the balls of his feet to avoid making unnecessary noise to her divider and stepped through with a whisper to announce his presence. What he saw broke his heart. The dark hair was cascaded around the woman who was bathed in silver light. Her horns were green and the normally small frame was replaced by one that far different. The limbs were longer, more muscular but it wasn’t the shape of power like how Ixzo had been. This form, the Ethaefal, was mostly unknown to Azmere. He studied the lean curves and flawless skin but it was the overwhelming sadness that grabbed him more than her stunning appearance. The man was connected and invested in the Drykas form of the girl. He had feelings for her and it was something that was openly known but her other half didn’t seem to trigger that response or tap into those emotions.

The ankal knelt down on one knee along her side and placed his other foot behind her. He folded his big body around the woman and pulled her against his sweaty chest with his muscular arms. She felt different. It wasn’t the frail girl with caramel eyes that he knew but Azmere kept telling himself that it was - his soul was having problems keeping pace. Azmere was not one to give elaborate speeches but he had grown into a man who knew when to impart wisdom. However, one of his greatest unsung aspects was his ability to stay quiet. His hands worked slowly to rub along her hot skin and the gentle ridges of her spine while the other worked slowly up her neck and squeezed at the muscles which were tight from stress.

Once he got to the base of her neck and the soft black hair split his fingers, the scarred man pulled her head up gently but with enough strength to be recognized as more than a suggestion. The Drykas wanted to look at her. He wanted to see what was causing her pain so that he could excise it. Azmere was a problem solver by nature but he cared about this woman. When she finally did look up at him and her god’s light would reveal her anguish to the ankal, the scarred man with stars in his eyes would lean in and kiss her tear-stained cheeks; one then the other. In a whisper and still holding her tight, the man spoke softly. “What troubles you, zulkina?”

[Taurina]

Taurina did not hear him moving outside of her space of the pavilion. She did not recognize the signs of activity or the shadows that played outside of her divider. Her grief was too strong. It had consumed her and made her blind to all things operating outside of it. It was only when the ankal’s presence was made known by a whisper as he moved beyond the temporary wall that had just previously divided them that the Ethaefal was made to see. That her eyes were opened to see him seeing her while she struggled to find air in a sea of fears that only existed within her imagination.

They both knew her emotions were frail. That, unlike the one who he had so recently taken as his wife, she was not strong and rarely was she bold. Yet, despite the fact that he knew her and how she was, this scene was not one she wanted him to witness. She preferred to hide away. To shield herself and wipe away her tears on her own. To spare him the heaviness of the burden that weighed down her soul.

There was no one reason that came to mind as she gripped her knees closer and pressed her forehead to them in some sort of attempt to hide her sorrow from him. It was not embarrassment over her current state for he had seen her in it before. It was not that she did not want him near. It was not that she wished to deny herself his comfort or his seemingly natural way of making her feel better during the dark times.

The Eth knew what it was not, just not what it was. It did not truly matter, however, for if he knew of her wishes to weather through this storm on her own he did not listen. Instead Azmere came to her. Like he had come to her before in times of need he came to her once more. And despite her desire to spare him of the current burden, as his body surrounded her, she hoped that he would always come to her during times such as these.

It was strange being pressed up against his body in the Ethaefal form. It was not the way he had surrounded her or even the fact that her body was void of all clothe. His presence was the same as it had always been, but also not. There was a disconnect. A strange feeling that did not belong that Taurina could not put her finger on. She did not try to. Instead she focused all her attention on his touch and letting herself find any sort of relaxation she could in it. Tears ceased to fall and sobs became soft whimpers. When his hands found the base of her neck and requested she raise her head, she did. Indigo eyes met with the gaze of so many colors.

There was no hiding her pain. Not when he was so close and her head was lifted. Her eyes were red from the crying. Her cheeks blotched from the stains of tears. Despite all of the beauty her Ethaefal form possessed, Taurina could only imagine how ugly she must look to him in this moment. She wondered why he even bothered to try with her at this point. After all she did to him last season, all the anguish she had caused him, why did he still come to her in this time of distress? Why did he kiss her tears from her cheeks, hold her tight, and ask after the troubles of her heart? How had she not undone all his care for her? She did not understand. She doubted she ever would, no matter how many times it was explained to her.

“Azmere..” her voice was soft and hoarse in her throat, “so much troubles me tonight Azmere.”

If there had been another sob within her she would have sobbed it in this moment, but there was nothing left. She had drug up all the tears she had had within so that there was simply a dull ache in her chest left. Taurina broke her gaze away from her ankal’s and looked down to the ground just beyond where the two of them sat. There was shame in her fear. Shame of fearing a potential future not set in stone.

“I had a nightmare,” she admitted to him in a voice that was quiet, but was easily enough heard because of how near he was to her, “of many things. The past, the present, the future. It is the future that scares me the most. It was rooted in the past.”

Taurina lifted one of her hands from where it gripped her leg and touched the fingertips of the first two fingers to the knee of that same leg. She created a small circle on her knee and traced the invisible line over and over again. It gave her something to focus on as she told him the whole story so that he would understand.

“A man came to work yesterday. Fade job in need of repair, Injal wanted me to do it. So I could grow. Make progress,” Taurina started to explain, not using any signs for her hands were consumed, “He was very annoying. Picking at me, laughing at mistakes. I was already nervous as it was. He just made it worse.”

Taurina shook her head. There was not only fear of the man in her heart, but also anger. Anger for what he had done that day.

“I kept control. The whole time. Control. Control. Smiles and apologies. Keep the costumer happy. He took it as submission. Permission to do whatever he wanted,” she further explained, speaking slow for she knew her pavi was even more accented by her common in this state of distress, “when it was over, he acted like he could take me. Have me as his own. He took my hand..”

The Ethaefal lifted the hand that hand been drawing an invisible circle over her knee and wiggled her fingers as if to shake the feeling away. He had not even laid a hand on her in this form and yet she felt him as if he had left a permanent stain under her skin.

“..I pulled away from him. Told him no. He was not happy. There were threats spoken and names called. He left, but… the job is not done. He must come back to get it finished,” Taurina’s stress was rising as she reached this point of the story and the memory of the events became fresh once again, “the nightmare..”

Taurina swallowed, her brow furrowing. She did not want to remember the nightmare.

“So many things in the nightmare, but it ended with him. It ended with him coming and not listening. Coming and taking what he wished. What he believed his despite protest.” The tears had come back and filled the Eth’s eyes once more, but they did not fall. “I fear his coming back. I fear that he will come and will not listen. That the nightmare will become truth and that taking my hand will not be his stopping point.”

A shiver caused Taurina’s body to tremble despite the summer heat. She raised her eyes once more brimming with tears to Azmere’s before she sniffled and raised shaky hands to wipe the tears away before they fell.

“I’m sorry…” Apology. “I’m sorry I woke you for such foolishness as fear of what may or may not come. I did not think… a mistake I keep seeming to repeat,” her voice was a soft whisper and her gaze once more cast down to the ground in shame.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Azmere]

Azmere held her neck and wrapped himself around her with a little more strength as the recollection of her story brought anger to his surface. Her shaking and timid behavior started to wear on him. It was not a frustration against the Ethaefal but the sheer weight of her worries. One so seemingly innocent as Taurina did not deserve to carry these things in the way that she did. As the story wound on, the ankal found one of her hands and held it in his own. The fingers were longer, thinner and colder than when she was in her daytime form. His contrasting gaze took in the oddity of this stranger in his arms. She was glorious. Taurina’s true form shimmered as if there was a light inside of her that begged to be set free. The smooth lines were different than the tight, lean muscles of her Drykas form but equally –if not moreso- appealing. In this form, the woman resembled Jasmine to some extent. There was a power underneath the robust and womanly shape but the bloodshot eyes and streaked cheeks proved to the scarred man that Taurina did not know this about herself.

There was a pause after she finished apologizing and this made for a perfect opportunity to make his move. Azmere drew her in once more until she was cradled against his torso. He twisted his shoulders just a bit so that her horns would not create a strange torque against her neck and used one hand to stroke her long curls while the other compressed her smooth skin into his weathered exterior. He hummed a common Drykas lullaby for a chime or two allowing her to feel the vibration in his chest for he could feel her absorb the resonance. When he finally did speak, the ankal did so in a strong whisper though it was far from harsh. “Taurina, you are stronger than you know.” The left side, caked with scars, rotated against the side of her head as he brought his face down until he could press his lips against her temple. The soft brush created a spark for the man –a familiar sensation that reminded him of the daylight version of the woman. Azmere kissed her head again and felt the jolt of electricity course through him again. “But we are stronger together.” A smile lifted the right side of his face and the tone of his words reflected this. “You will one day learn that you’re never alone.”

Azmere lifted the hand in his possession to his cheek and then rose to his feet. The motion was slow, deliberate and calculated. The watchman dragged his pavilion mate to her feet but did so in a way that allowed him to turn his back before she could rise. The ankal had to remain objective in order to accomplish what he had in mind. He put a plan together as she unwound the tale of the rude customer. If anyone asked him, he’d love nothing more than to tell them how this man would be dismembered by the Tavehk’s own hands. Azmere made a mental note to ask Injal for information about this person. There was certainly room in the Sea of Grass for another corpse. “Get something on and meet me outside.” The man exited her room and made careful movements to avoid making unnecessary noise. The big man moved rather well on the balls of his feet and made sure each foot was on firm ground before moving the next. The only hiccup came when his toes nestled around a thick, bushy tail –Grey. He must have heard Azmere leave his bed and came out to the common area to wait for his master.

Once outside, Azmere looked up to the sky and stared at the stars. Had Taurina truly fallen from such heights? Did the impact change her so much that she feared the brash and somewhat savage horseclans? Or did she always lack an understanding of the Drykas? The ankal pondered if it was a superiority issue. Taurina seemed so sweet; he doubted she ever placed herself above anyone else. It was a piece of the woman that was endearing but the tanned warrior was bound determined to help the girl understand that she, indeed, was better than many. It was not a matter of arrogance or pride so much as a comprehension of reality. A thief was a thief and a liar a lair. These are untrustworthy people and should be held at arm’s length but Rina was genuine. Her hair might shift with the seasons and the passing of each day might morph her appearance but the character of the young woman was solid. Beautiful and innocent, the things that seemed to torture her were the ugly truths about the lesser beings in the world. Predators ruled the circle of life but there were insignificant ones that only stalked weak or wounded prey. It was this kind of person that Azmere deeply and secretly loved to encounter. He relished crushing the souls of those who scavenged the frail as a means to improve their own self-image.

The sound of the canvas flap opening caused him to turn as Grey exited the pavilion followed by Taurina. When the moon hit her, it stunned Azmere. Leth’s light gave such an impact that the contrasting gaze of blue and gold squinted to try and gain better focus. Once more, that familiar tingle raced up his spine until the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Skylla walked over and pushed against her human with the bone white snout and Grey brushed his side against the womanly legs then padded over to his master. Azmere snapped his fingers twice then pointed at the ground. Grey did as he was told and sat on his rear then stared up to the scarred ankal. The eyes which held the stars never left the sight of the Eth now wreathed in a silvery glow. Azmere smiled his half smile and reached a hand behind him to rub the neck of Skylla as she bumped into him with more force the second time around.

“Since sleep is running from us tonight. We will run until he finds us.” The watchman limped over to his yvas bag and fished out a dagger then extended it out for Taurina to take. Azmere then made a swift set of steps –nearly hiding his limp in the process- back to the pavilion and disappeared inside. He quickly reappeared with Vihar draped over his head and shoulder and four broadhead arrows in his left hand. He gave off that playful expression which was little more than half of a smirk then came to stand next to Grey. The dog had been watching his human move about with interest and now stood. Azure and amber orbs locked onto the stare of Taurina as his lips parted so that his tongue could press against his teeth. Azmere clicked once then hissed three short times. From within the shadows, a hollow noise like air being sucked into a large cavity preceded what sounded like something clawing at the ground. Another set of hissing was made and then the long figure of shifting shadows, a swaying back and a swishing tail came into view courtesy of Leth’s gaze; it was Nyne. The big cat looked at the people and animals assembled and stretched out until his face opened in a big yawn. This was the source of the weird sucking sound. Azmere pointed at Taurina. “Rub a circle with your palm against your thigh. When he comes over to sniff you, press his jaw in that same spot with the same hand. This is how he will know to follow you.” Azmere reached down and scratched the head of his canine. “Grey will track with me.”

After a few moments had passed and the ankal watched to make sure his directions were followed, he gave Taurina a tsk. “If you don’t catch me, you’ll have to do dishes for the season any time it’s my turn.” The Tavehk turned to face the direction of Endrykas and shook his head. She better catch him. The man could hardly walk without limping and anything long distance was sure to crush his leg’s stamina. “If you do catch me, I will give you a gift.” The yellow eye peered over his shoulder, a miniature sun nestled amongst a sky of scars and burns. The left side of Azmere’s face never showed any emotion because the damage had been great enough to wreck his nerves and rob him of muscle control. The world stopped for a moment and then he took off. Azmere ran by pumping his legs and focusing on keeping his arms going back and forth in rhythm to help offset the desire to limp or hop. For the first hundred yards or so, he was fine but his body began to ache and his lungs burned. Grey was used to chasing the horses and easily kept pace with the Drykas. The ankal couldn’t afford to look around for his opponent so he just kept going down the gentle grade of the steppe and then slowed as it rose again towards the city’s center. Torches light many pavilions but it was still a long way to get to the Wind Knotted Gates so the warrior bit down and charged onward though his limp was now very apparent.

[Taurina]

Though her eyes were filled with silver and her cheeks stained in red, Taurina noticed that something had shifted within her ankal as she revealed the nightmares that had come to plague her in the night hours. The Ethaefal was not a stranger to nightmares. She was not a stranger to fear. It came around so often that it had become something like an old, unwelcome, friend. Most times that which plagued her heart made it out onto the pages of her journal, spilled out for only her eyes to see and no one else to know. Burdens for her to carry the weight of on her own. Tonight had been different, however. The burden had become too heavy and when Azmere had come to her, she could not refuse his request to know. So she had told him and then she had apologized for it because she was ashamed of her fears. Ashamed of the frailty of her heart and the brokenness that lingered in her soul. Had it always been this way? Had she always been so weak on the inside, even in the life her mortal form reflected?

There was something growing within Azmere that the Ethaefal could not quite pinpoint. Part of that was her dwelling on her own shame and sorrows, but another part was her not yet knowing him well enough to recognize the signs of his anger. She saw his actions though. Felt as his grip around her strengthened and as one of his hands gathered up her own. He looked at her too. Looked at her like she had never seen him look at her before. Like he was seeing this side of her for the first time and was only beginning to understand it. Taurina raised her gaze to their hands held together. His hands were not so big against hers as they usually were now. Not when her form was that which had been gifted by Leth. Something between a strangled cry and a sigh escaped the Eth’s throat as she ran her thumb gently over the tender space between the ankal’s thumb and index finger. A piece of her wished that he were here, holding her, under different circumstances. Not because a nightmare had caused her to wake him, but because of something else. Taurina did not acknowledge that piece of her. Instead, she buried it. Beneath sorrow and shame and fear. She buried it as deeply within herself as she could so that it might not show its face even to her.

Azmere began to shift after silence had filled the air for no longer than a beat. Taurina allowed him to move her. She easily curled up against him where he directed, allowed him to press her body against his. She felt every touch of his fingers moving through the obsidian locks of her long hair, his other arm wrapped around her to hold her to him. The hum of a song long forgotten by the Eth caused vibrations to rise from the ankal’s chest and her eyes slid shut as she listened; allowing the melody to fill up her very soul. She knew the lullaby. She knew she had heard it before, but the memory was not there. Had it been her mother or her father who sang it to her before? Or perhaps she had been the one who used it to lull a child to sleep. She did not remember. That was the hardest thing about this life, not remembering. She wished that she knew her past. Even if the truth was ugly. Even if she had not been the person she sometimes let herself imagine she had been. Knowing would have been so much better than stumbling around in the dark, lost, with no where to turn.

“Taurina, you are stronger than you know.” Azmere’s whisper that broke the melody of his song came strong, but never harsh.

The Ethaefal lifted her gaze, indigo eyes meeting those of stars. What made his eyes shine with so many colors? She did not know, did not understand, but she also did not ask. Not this night. It did not feel like the time. Not when he was speaking words she did not know that she believed. Strong? She did not feel strong. She felt like she was drowning. Like she had been drowning for four years. Ever since she emerged from the sea. It did not seem to matter that she had made it to shore those long years ago. Somehow the waves still fought to pull her under. Somedays it felt as though was only a matter of time before she gave up and the icy depths came to claim her. Just like it had in her nightmare.

"Strong, but-" Taurina did not get to finish the whispered, doubt filled, words she had planned to say.

A bolt of something like flame ran down the length of the Ethaefal’s spine as lips brushed against her temple. She felt as the heat rose to redden her cheeks up to the tips of her ears. Azmere had brushed kisses against her temple, her cheek even before, but this was different. It felt different. Maybe the reason for that was because something had changed or maybe the reason was because she had changed. Taurina did not have the time to figure it out because his lips were pressed against her head once again and she suddenly did not care why things were different. She just savored the feeling.

“But we are stronger together.” Taurina could not help but smile at the words, though hers did not compare to the one lifting the right side of his face. “You will one day learn that you’re never alone.”

It was hard for her to believe such things, but she found it easier to believe in them in these moments. When Azmere was the one speaking the words over her. It was her greatest hope that he was right. That there truly was strength to be found within her that even she had been blinded to. That together, they were strong and with him she was never alone. She understood that on the surface, but it was like her mind was not in tune with her heart. The brain understood, but the heart did not accept. She hoped that the day he spoke of came soon. She did not want to be as she was, so frail and alone, forever.

Azmere began to shift again and Taurina with him. Soon they were standing, the ankal’s back turned to her. It was then that the Eth was made more aware of her state of undress. She was not ashamed of it, not when she was ashamed of so many other things this night, but a blush colored her already rosy tinted cheeks all the same. Taurina was debating finding something to cover herself with when the ankal instructed her to do just that as well as to meet her outside afterwards. Taurina did not understand why they were going out, but she did not question him. She trusted that he had a plan as she watched him silently exit her sleeping quarters. Then she, as quietly as she could, began to gather her things and pull them onto her body piece by piece.

There was nothing fancy about the clothes Taurina had to wear. Her shirt was off-white and worn, her pants brown and the same. She did not care, anything better would just turn to ruin in a matter of days out on the plains. So, dressed now, the Eth carried her boots in her hands as she began moving through the pavilion on her toes. Each step she took was painstakingly slow for she did not wish to wake any up and to walk quickly while remaining quiet was not a trait she had been inherently gifted. She made it from her chambers though, letting the divider fall closed behind her with a guiding hand so that it made as little noise as possible. She moved through the darkness, the dull light of Leth that shone through the canvas casting only shadows on the walls. It was those shadows and memory that kept the woman from running into anything more than furs and rugs as she continued to walk solely on the balls of her feet.

The Ethaefal met Grey near the exit of the pavilion. It was like he had been waiting for her, but he passed through the canvas door just before she was able to reach out to him. Taurina followed close behind, once more using a guiding hand to ensure the canvas door did not make more noise than necessary. A breath was released and muscles relaxed as the Ethaefal stepped into the direct light of her lord. She lifted her gaze, only for a moment, to see him. To let the corners of her mouth raise so that the dimples in her cheeks might be seen for a brief tick. The smile faded quickly, however, as she remembered her fall. ‘Tomorrow,’ she silently reminded herself, ‘I will remember tomorrow. Tonight has enough to burden it.’

Taurina sighed softly and looked down to the dog rubbing against her legs. A weak smile brightened her face just a little as she allowed her hand to reach down so fingertips might graze the fur over the top of the animal’s head before he left her to go to his master. The weak smile still lingered as the Ethaefal raised her eyes to see the one who Grey went to. It brightened just a bit at seeing Azmere. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. What did her ankal have planned for them this night? She did not have to wait long to find out.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Taurina]

“Since sleep is running from us tonight. We will run until he finds us.”

A questioning, curious, eyebrow raised at the words. What did he mean by that? Taurina remained silent, however, and just watched as Azmere went to his yvas. Something was pulled from one of the bags, a dagger that was then extended to the Eth. Taurina took it and clasped her hands around the handle. It was almost comical how the weapon he gave her was so much like the one she had carried with her for over a year now. The grip of it was familiar to her, the weight of it not that much more than her own. She knew no better how to wield this weapon, though, than she did her own. It did not matter that she had carried it around with her for over a year, she had never learned to actually use it. How had she let so much time get away from her? She tried not to think about it as Azmere came back outside to her, his own weapons with him now.

There was a look of playfulness on the ankal’s face that caused something to stir within the Ethaefal. The heat came to fill her once more, its flames lighting the embers in her soul. Taurina tried to ignore it. Tried to tell herself that he was just providing her distraction from the nightmares that had plagued her this night. It was nothing more. Just an ankal helping one of his family get through a tumultuous night. Nothing more. So the Eth attempted to bury her thoughts again. Only, the words Azmere had spoken earlier, the kisses he had given that had set her heart ablaze, had stolen something from her. Her fear, her shame, and her sorrow had been taken from her. At least, most had been taken and what remained was not near what had been. Without all that to bury her thoughts beneath.. well, it became much harder to deny that which was becoming more and more clear.

The strange sounds Azmere began to make were foreign to Taurina. Her brow creased as she tried to figure out what he was doing, and also where the second sound was coming from. She looked around her, searching for the source. It was just a moment later when Nyne came out, his large form stretching as he woke from his sleeping state. Taurina looked at the hunting cat, finding beauty in the predatory animal. She knew what he was for, but she had never used him or the other herself. Tonight, it seemed, was going to change that. The Stormblood ankal had a plan and Taurina was willing to go along with it. She was too curious to know how this night was going to end to turn away from the plan now. So she reached down to her thigh and rubbed her palm in a circle along her thigh over and over until Nyne’s attention was captured. The cat came to her, just as Azmere said he would, to sniff the spot she had rubbed her palm over. The Ethaefal reached down and cupped the side of Nyne’s jaw farthest away from her before pressing him against the same spot she had rubbed. The pressure applied was firm, but it was not harsh. Taurina released when she thought he was sure to have understood her direction.

What came next was a surprise. An unexpected, but not unpleasant surprise that froze a precious moment of time for Taurina and allowed the ankal an extra beat of time to get ahead. His words from before made sense now. The Eth did not understand the reason for it, but she understood the challenge. What she stood to lose and what she could possibly gain. So with a look towards her stallion, who stood with Skylla, Taurina gave a brief smile before she tore after her Azmere with Nyne by her side and that dagger tucked in her belt.

Taurina was not much of a runner, but she did not have the extra challenge of a damaged leg to overcome like her ankal did. Her legs pumped beneath her wild, but solid. She trusted herself to keep her upright as she traversed the plains land. The cat by her side was not ignored, but she did not check to see if he followed in stride. It was known that he would. So Taurina did not worry. Instead her focus was on running, on catching up and passing Azmere, on winning the challenge and gaining the surprise that was at the end. She was determined to succeed and she was confident that she would. Especially when it was so easy to move downward towards the tent city from their pavilion. Legs and arms worked together for balance and more fluid movement. Free curls of hair tangled as they flew wild in the wind behind the Ethaefal, black against a sky illuminated by Leth’s white light. Taurina kept going, her eyes locked on the ankal whose limp had begun to show.

The ground was beginning to shift upward in this direction and as it did, the challenge became harder. Taurina possessed a body free of scars, but Azmere knew more about what he was doing. The Eth breathed heavy as her lungs began to ache. Muscles burned as she moved up the hill. She thought about giving up, just doing the dishes all season long for both herself and her ankal, but thinking those thoughts did not make her happy. She recalled a time when she had been willing to give up with her art. She had known then that if she gave up than she would always give up no matter what. Give up when things got hard and she would never succeed in life again. So the Ethaefal pushed through and kept going. She ignored the ache in her muscles, breathed air hard and heavy. She would not give up. She would not fail. Taurina made it up the steppe and was closer to Azmere than ever before.

Indigo eyes fixed upon the back of her opponent. She knew Grey ran with him, had seen the dark shape moving beside him, just as Nyne ran with her. The animals, she knew, could run faster than this. They were used to running with the striders, not the mortals they ran beside now. Yet, they kept with those who had directed them. If she had paused to think, Taurina would have thought there was something special about that. The willingness to give up of all that inner strength and freedom to obey those who had trained them. The Ethaefal might have marveled at that, but not at this time. She had a race to win.

Overtaking Azmere took effort and time, but eventually it came. Taurina moved from behind him to the side and passed like a blur in the night. She continued to breath hard, to clench her fists as she pumped her arms, to feel the resounding ache in her muscles. Yet, she kept going. Forward and forward towards the center of Endrykas. She did not know if that was the goal he had in mind, but she did not think it possible for her to go much farther. She was unsure if she could even make it that far, but it did not make much sense for them to just head to some arbitrary point in the tent city before turning back. Not in this direction. Not when the wind knotted gates, illuminated by white moonlight, rose high from the grasses like a beacon calling out to all who dared listen. She did not know why, but Taurina made that her end goal and she ran for it.

Time had a funny way of speeding up and slowing down during times like this. Taurina could not have told one if a bell had passed or only a handful of chimes. Her focus was not on time. It was no more even so much on winning the race. She had caught Azmere and that had been the challenge. Catch him, overtake him, gain the surprise he had for her at the end. Not have to clean more dishes in a season than she was already required. Now it was more about pride and strength than anything. Proving, not to Azmere, that she was capable of something, but proving it to herself. Somehow, that was a much harder task to accomplish.

The gates neared. Two poles stretching ten feet in the air wrapped in ribbons from all of the seven clans. Each ribbon represented a person, a Drykas. Someone who had bonded with a strider and become one of their people. It was said that when two ribbons twisted together that something was to come of the union, whether it be good or bad. The first thing put up when they moved, the last thing torn down; the gates carried a piece of them all with it and Taurina was headed straight for them. Her steps were heavy now, dragging. She panted for each and every breath, sweat soaked through her clothes and dripped to the ground beneath her. The taste of salt filled her mouth and she wanted nothing more but to collapse where she stood, but she did not. She did not even pause her pursuit until she reached those gates and raised two arms triumphantly in the air.

“I did it!” the Ethaefal shouted into the sky with her last bits of energy.

Taurina through her head back and laughed. It was a breathy laugh full of life, cheer, and relief. She had actually done something. Proven that she did indeed have some strength within her. Proven that she could rise to a challenge and beat her ankal. It had not truly been a fair fight, but that did not matter to her so much in this moment of victory.

“I beat you!” Taurina panted breathy when Azmere came to join her, she struggled to stay on her feet and swallowed often as she tried to catch her breath, “I win. Now.. tell me.. what surprise?”

Taurina leaned over now, her hands on her knees. Sweat dripped to the ground from her face. Her hair clung messily to her neck and shoulders, producing more heat than what was comfortable. Those indigo eyes were lifted to her ankal, though. She truly wanted to know and was not going to be made to wait. What had he dragged them all the way out here in the middle of the night for? What secrets did he have to tell her tonight?

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Azmere]

Azmere pressed his body past its point of acceptable exertion. His lungs ached and his body glistened with sweat but nothing could keep him from finishing his task – not even the horrible pain that shot up his leg into his abdomen every time his left boot planted onto the ground. When he felt her presence and heard her steps, Azmere smiled which caused him to falter for a few steps. It seemed to facilitate the change of the leader. Her body shimmered as she moved past him and the scarred ankal couldn’t help but admire the grace in her body. Taurina was beautiful and held the same deadly lines as the sleek cat who charged along next to the Ethaefal. There was a twinge in the man’s chest but he refused to acknowledge it for what it was out of reflex. When the winded warrior caught up to the woman whose hair burned like a sacred fire in the light of her god, he smiled with an open mouth and twinkling eyes.

“Of course, you beat me.” Azmere leaned upon the gates heavily with his shoulder as his chest rose and fell rapidly. His arms wrapped around so that his weathered hands could clearly be seen n Leth’s light. Greatness. Strength. Inside. The man was slowly starting to regain his breath when he finished the signs and reached out to touch her shoulder with a delicate grasp that was both reassuring and intimate. He allowed the tips of his fingers which grasped the shafts of arrows to trace back and forth in miniscule ways for a few ticks before peeling away. Azmere stood and turned to the animals which watched their humans with a varying degree of interest. Grey was seated on his rump with a slowly swishing tail and following the movements of his master’s hands while Nyne was pacing about and licking his chops with those fiery orange eyes scouring the few patches of tall grass for a snack.

A heavy hand ruffled the fur on top of Grey’s big skull and he used the creature’s strength to start off towards a cluster of tents. Azmere didn’t turn around but limped forward at a steady pace, his fingers snapping and then his voice following behind to Taurina. “This way, Semekhe.” The ankal strode with purpose past the Conclave and towards a small tent near the Topaz clan’s spoke. The beaten soil was hard from hundreds, if not thousands, of hoof prints. This made the going easier but not easy as the pain continued to ripple up his leg. Grey’s thick coat was soft and hid the amount of power transferred on the peppered occasions when the canine would use his body to support his Drykas when a muscle of joint didn’t want to work. The Tavehk ignored the pain as best as he could and adjusted his gait to a much shorter one which helped to hide the limp. The downside was simply more steps.

After a few chimes, he had led them both to the very plain looking canvas abode. The flap was down but a sliver of orange firelight radiated from behind the curtain. Azmere waited for Taurina and then gave her a gesture that she should enter first. When she finally made that move, the small brazier’s light would flood the open space until the people entered. Grey and Nyne would linger outside, the dog right by the entrance and the cat remained more aloof. The woman’s vision would be filled with a partitioned space that was no larger than her chamber back at the Stormblood pavilion. The flame was on a table beside a set of paints that were held in four square carvings; white, blue, brown and green inks could be made out against the taint of the soft blaze. Most of all, certainly the focus and the reason for this pilgrimage, was the massive boulder set on an alter especially created for the relic. It was round and plastered in the colors which rested upon the table but the pattern was irregular if it could be called a pattern at all.

Azmere placed his hand in the small of her back, his fingers feeling the slick of her sweat and the heat from her body but he forced his mind to the task. The ankal ushered the young woman ahead towards the table and alter so that she could see the symbols of Zulrav and Semele intertwined in an intricate carving that was slightly skewed by layer upon layer of paint. After enough time had passed for observance, the warrior began the explanation as best as he could remember. “This is Ola Pohaku; the Life Rock. It is the collection of all Drykas both past and present.” The man was close to Taurina, he drew himself into his own arm until his hips felt her garment but he did not stop the retelling of the Drykas’ history. He simply allowed himself to be carried away by the story.

“Many summers ago, a Drykas found this rock and shaped it into a sphere. He carved the symbols of our gods into the surface and gave it as a gift to their power and bounty.” His chest swelled with a breath that was fueled by pride. “The colors represent life and death. Brown is the death of a man where blue is his birth. Green marks the end of a woman’s life.” Azmere used his free hand and took hold of the Eth’s by palming the back of her hand. He guided it slowly to the table where the paint trays rest and nudged her index finger out with his own. “White shows us the birth of a Drykas woman.” He applied just enough pressure to bring her close but she would have to dip her finger into the chalky paint of her own strength. Once she did this, he let go and slipped back a step, the air rushing around him left his body cool in her absence. If she were to look for reassurance, the indigo eyes would be met with the patient acknowledgment of his contrasting gaze that she should make her mark on the stone.

“You are one of us.” Strong. Beautiful. Free. Azmere’s face showed a fragility not often seen. His pride in this endeavor was apparent but there was compassion and something deeper beneath the surface that was making itself known. The ankal would say no more and simply waited for her to finish. Once she was done, he would step to her and close the distance almost immediately. His hands lifted to her face to encapsulate her jaw until his fingers laced into her hair behind her ears and his thumbs could steady her gaze onto his own. Their noses were nearly touching and his gaze was serious but alive though not like when djed activates the stars. This was his soul presenting its depth to Taurina.

In a whisper, he spoke to her. It was such a powerful statement that even the flames flickered with his every word. “You are bonded. You’ve been tied to the Web. You have made your mark on the stone.” He paused and searched her gaze to make sure she understood. “Taurina,” his tongue rolled the r in her name ever so slightly, “you are Drykas.” Azmere’s face lit up. All he had done was to show her the power she held. It wasn’t a transference of strength from the pavilion or a trick of magic. This was life. It was real. The Ethaefal was a Drykas in every sense because of her actions, her choices and her abilities. No dream could ever change that.

[Taurina]

He was not surprised that victory had been hers, but she still beamed with gladness as she panted over the ground. There was not much the Ethaefal could say she had accomplished in this mortal life. On her fingers she could count the number of times she had done something worthy of praise. Even bonding with Starfire had not been something she had done on her own. He had chosen her, she was just the one lucky enough to be the receiver of that choice. This though, this she had done on her own and that fact alone made her heart swell with pride.

The Eth ignored the rational part of her that tried to remind her that the fight had not been fair. That her ankal was not whole as she was whole. Such thoughts were easily pushed away. Not because she was cruel, but because, when she looked at Azmere, she did not see a man who was broken. She saw a fighter; a warrior; a protector. The rock on which their family had been built. And she knew that if she had taken pity on him, let him win, all those weathered hands would have signed was his disappointment in her.

Taurina watched those hands. She watched as words formed by them made her blush and felt as he used them to grasp her shoulders. The Ethaefal could only look at him under the light of her god, knowing pale her cheeks had been colored a deeper shade of rogue, and wonder what it was that caused such heat to spread throughout her when he did such things. Why such coldness came when he stopped despite how warm the physical exhaustion had caused her to become. A breath held in was exhaled slowly when the ankal pulled away, his gaze turning from the Eth to the animals who had accompanied them. Indigo eyes glanced over, but Taurina did not find herself overly interested in what their companions for this night were up too. Azmere was far more interesting to watch and try to figure out, no matter how little success the Eth was having with that last part.

Breaths were coming easier now. The ache in the lungs had lessened and even the sweat gathered on her skin had started to dry. Taurina found herself able to straighten and stand once more. Her limbs still felt like jelly, but she knew she was going to live. Just possibly be unwilling to run anytime in the near future. It was with near eager steps that she followed Azmere into the unknown tent. Each step sent pulses of pain through her calves and thighs, but it was nothing unbearable. Nothing like what she could only guess her ankal was going through with each step. She did not fail to notice his hold on Grey, how he used the dog for support when he leg failed him. She did not speak to bring attention to it, would never, but that did not keep her from wishing she could take his pain away. Take his hardships away.

Taurina sighed softly. The gift of healing was not one she had been given in either form. In this form there was the ability to age things a day, but with this she did not think that could do much. He needed a miracle and that was something she was unable to give him, no matter how much she wished to. So feeling useless, the Eth just simply followed and met Azmere just outside the entrance of the unremarkable tent.

The Ethaefal entered first, just as her ankal directed her. Though the tent was plain and unassuming, Taurina trusted Azmere and she trusted that he had a plan. It was not for no reason that this was the place he had chosen to lead them. So she entered into the space surrounded by canvas walls that was not much bigger than her quarters back home. The space was comfortably lit by a small amount of light, shadows dancing on the canvas walls. Taurina saw all there was to see and she was confused as to why Azmere had brought her here. Her mouth remained shut, however, her voice quiet. Even her eyes did not look to him for her ankal had come near once more and she felt the pressure of his hand against the lower part of her back. That familiar heat flared up once more and it was all she could do to not let him see her face. It seemed best to remain quiet. Remain calm. As calm as she could.

There was a story behind this stone. A reason for the patterns of chaos that covered it. This was not something that was meaningless or arbitrary. It meant something and Taurina was not surprised. There was little in Endrykas that held no meaning. The city was ever moving, ever wandering. To carry around that which meant little to nothing became pointless; a burden. Something Taurina had longed believed herself to be.

Azmere drifted closer, his hand now lifting her own and guiding it close to where the paints waited. What was it that he meant for her to do? There was a part of her that knew, that saw the obvious. Yet another part of her did not want to admit. Did not find herself worthy. This did not seem to matter to Azmere, however. He took her to the edge. Showed her where she needed to go and what she needed to do. He could not do it for her, but left it for her to do on her own. So the fingertips of a slender hand dipped into the white, chalky, paint. The Ethaefal remained unsure, however, and was almost fearful. Could she do this? Was it not wrong for her to make her mark upon the stone when she had not been born here this life? Yet, when indigo eyes raised to question she found reassurance in that gaze filled with the stars and she knew what she needed to do.

There was a certain amount of strength needed to accept those words as truth. So often Taurina questioned who she was. She questioned her strength, her beauty, and her freedom. Despite the bond she shared with Starfire, she still questioned if she was Drykas. Still questioned if she belonged. She likely would have for seasons, if not years, longer had Azmere not sounded so sure. So convinced that she was who he saw her to be. It was with borrowed strength from him that she stepped towards the stone and reached out towards where the symbols of gods intertwined. The tears that came were unintentional, but they were not sorrow filled. This weight upon her was heavy, but it somehow was not a burden. Her heart had become full suddenly and she felt as though she was meant to be here. Meant for this life. As her fingers pressed into the hard, cool, stone and stroked downward so that a fresh mark of white was left, tears fell.

The stone had been marked by her before. Somewhere within all the layers of paint there was a mark for her birth and for her death. For the lives of her grandparents, her parents, husband, wives, and children. Whoever had been in her life before and those who had come into her life after her fall back to Mizahar. Generations upon generations had been painted on this stone. A record for all to know that they were here and that they mattered. This was their lives marked for all to see. It was chaos, it was color, and it was beauty. They were Drykas and she was one of them.

If there was any doubt left, what Azmere did when he came to her cleared any of the fog that remained. There was warmth where his hands touched her face, where fingers tangled with her hair, and breath whispered against her skin. It was all she could do to keep from trembling in his grasp. All she could do to keep herself contained as she stared into the depths of those revealing eyes. He was so near, his soul so alive, but tonight was not about what she might be feeling or what she desired to do. It was about something more. Something so much bigger.

“You are bonded. You’ve been tied to the Web. You have made your mark on the stone.” The words he spoke vibrated through her chest, filled her soul with a fire she had not known she had. “Taurina, you are Drykas.”

Tears of silent joy trailed down her cheeks as a smile stretched across her face. For the first time since her fall, Taurina felt as though she was truly alive. She was not drowning. Not balancing on the edge between life and death. Instead she was just here, in this moment, and she belonged. She was home.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Wymez]

Taurina

✤ Endurance - 2XP
✤ Observation - 4XP
✤ Meditation - 1XP
✤ Socialisation - 1XP
✤ Storytelling - 1XP
✤ Stealth - 1XP
✤ Animal Husbandry - 1XP
✤ Running - 1XP

✤ Endurance: Suffering through a nightmare
✤ Meditation: Finding focus
✤ Pieces from a past life: A lullaby long forgotten
✤ Taurina and Azmere: Stronger together
✤ Stealth: Moving on tiptoes to keep quiet
✤ Animal Husbandry: Commanding hunting cats to track and follow
✤ Endurance: Pushing through fatigue
✤ Taurina: Finding her inner strength
✤ Azmere: A fighter; a warrior; a protector
✤ Location: The Wind Knotted Gates
✤ Winning a race against Azmere
✤ Location: Tent of the Patrons
✤ Ola Pohaku: Life Rock
✤ Ola Pohaku: Origin story
✤ Ola Pohaku: Covered in white, green, blue and brown fingerprints
✤ Ola Pohaku: Colours represent life and death
✤ Ola Pohaku: For men, blue indicates 'birth' and brown indicates 'death'
✤ Ola Pohaku: For women, white indicates 'birth' and green indicates 'death'
✤ Adding your print to Ola Pohaku
✤ Taurina: Truly a Drykas
✤ Endrykas: Home

Azmere

✤ Animal Husbandry -2XP
✤ Stealth - 2XP
✤ Massage - 1XP
✤ Leadership - 3XP
✤ Investigation - 1XP
✤ Endurance - 3XP
✤ Singing - 1XP
✤ Planning - 1XP
✤ Socialisation - 2XP
✤ Gambling - 1XP
✤ Running - 1XP
✤ Storytelling - 1XP
✤ Philosophy - 1XP
✤ Teaching - 1XP

✤ Stealth: Keeping to the balls of your feet to minimise sound
✤ Endurance: Holding the weight of your worries and a loved one's pain
✤ Singing: Humming a soothing lullaby
✤ Taurina and Azmere: Stronger together
✤ Gambling: Laying bets to raise spirits
✤ Animal Husbandry: Commanding Grey to 'sit'
✤ Animal Husbandry: Clicking tongue and hissing to call Nyne
✤ Teaching: Showing Taurina how to command Nyne
✤ Running: Swinging arms to aid with balance
✤ Endurance: Pushing the body despite its limitations
✤ Location: Tent of the Patrons
✤ Ola Pohaku: Life Rock
✤ Ola Pohaku: Origin story
✤ Ola Pohaku: Covered in white, green, blue and brown fingerprints
✤ Ola Pohaku: Colours represent life and death
✤ Ola Pohaku: For men, blue indicates 'birth' and brown indicates 'death'
✤ Ola Pohaku: For women, white indicates 'birth' and green indicates 'death'
✤ Taurina: Truly a Drykas

Comments

Beautiful read, as always. I love the chemistry between these two and you are both such amazing writers. I found myself wanting to read more once all was said and done! Do let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your grade and don't forget to delete or edit your request in the grading queue.

x