[Week Long Challenge] The Island Life

[Ialari Pythone]

35th Day of Winter in the Year 520 AV

With the passage of time within her Dominion being difficult to gauge, Ialari slept when she was tired and woke when she was not. There were no real signs of the transition from day to night as such things happened as she willed it. Having spent her time awake communing with her Dominion and pondering the various aspects of reality, Ialari found herself growing tired. Thus it was the life she lived within the Ukalas; ever pondering, trying to piece together the secrets that made up the weave that was herself. It was the lead up to embracing one of the pieces of her soul that hung from the Tree of Death that ever loomed over her claimed space within the fabric of all things. Sitting in front of the statue of the great coiled snake she’d crafted years prior, Ialari stirred from her meditations with a yawn. She’d been procrastinating on her return to Mizahar and to Syka. As much as she wanted to, it was not so easy to leave her Dominion. The dangers of spending too much time in the Ukalas included a transformation. The longer one spent there, the harder it was to leave. Simply being there affected not only the body but also the mind and even the soul. The fact that she knew she needed to leave was important as the it was the last thing to vanish when one was there too long.

Having resolved herself to leaving after a much-needed sleep, Ialari had prepared her gear and went over in her mind how she would reintroduce herself to the world. Instead of leaving through the Cave of Everywhere’s Door, she would open another door directly into Syka through the Panacea. It would be jarring to anyone who witnessed it but would also present an opportunity for some form of explanation. It was something she couldn’t keep hidden forever; her time away and sudden arrival. A conversation seed as she had come to think of it as.

With a bit of exhausted stretching, she stood and proceeded to walk over to the makeshift bed. Crafted from wood, leaves and bits of cloth, it was simple yet comfortable. Taking one last look around her at the beauty that had been created from the depths of her own mind, Ialari laid down upon the bed and allowed sleep to overtake her.

Waking was slow and foggy. The sounds of seabirds echoed in her mind while the distinct scent of the sea filled her nose. Opening her eyes, Ialari blinked several times and stretched her legs. As her mind pushed through the fog of sleep, she slowly realized that she was no longer lying in her bed. The ground beneath her felt different; as if she were laying on sand. Her eyes opened abruptly and light overcame her. Now awake, she quickly sat up and looked around. The ever-familiar sight of her Dominion was gone, replaced by a scattering of palm trees and sand. The sounds of crashing waves were all around punctuated by the calls of seabirds. The salty, fishy smell of the ocean tickled her nose.

“What the…?” She muttered as she stood. Looking around, Ialari found herself standing on what initially looked like the coast not unlike the place where she’d anchored her Dominion on the eastern coast of Syliras. At first, she thought that maybe the landscape of her Dominion had shifted as it had done years prior. This thought quickly vanished since she knew that that her enhanced bond with the Dominion had eliminated such shifts. Closing her eyes, she reached out and focused on that bond, reaching out to the Ukalas. She found nothing. The bond was not there, she was no longer in the Ukalas.

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[Ialari Pythone]

Furrowing her brow, Ialari felt confusion and even a bit of fear. While such unpredictable situations were common for her, this was something she’d not experienced before. As she tried to take in the reality of her situation, she soon realized that she was naked. While this wasn’t unusual in itself; she seldom wore cloths in her Dominion, her dagger as well as her magical Stormslinger were gone. Ever since her encounter with the tear in her Dominion and the horrific beast that had emerged, she always wore one of her weapons at all times. Now however, both were gone. In fact, all of her possessions were absent.

Hanging nearby from a young palm tree, Ialari noticed a burlap bag with a strap. She walked over and took it in hand. Opening it, she found a pair of deerskin moccasins, a crude stone axe, what appeared to be some sort of snare for catching small game and flint and steel for fire building. At the bottom of the bag she also found a folded piece of paper. Opening it up she saw that there was a crudely drawn map. There were rough shapes drawn upon it with wavy lines drawn between the shapes. There were also sketches of what looked like the fins of a fish. On the roughly drawn shapes there were symbols that looked like a creature of some sort, perhaps a rodent with whiskers. There was also a small red “x” drawn on one of the shapes and a larger “X” drawn on another some distance away. It didn’t take much for her to realize that the small “x” represented her current location while the larger “X” represented a destination.

Shaking her head, Ialari looked up at the clear blue sky and bellowed an angry cry. “Really? Why can’t just once, you gods speak to me without signs, omens or cryptic words. It’s always a damn game.” With a heavy sigh, she slung the bag over her shoulder and took a moment to get a better look of what was around her. While she could easily hear the sounds of the crashing waves and saw the palm trees and sand, she also saw a few tropical plants that she was rather unfamiliar with. There was however a few yucca plants which she recognized from the time she’d spent on the coast. Putting it all together, she reluctantly accepted the fact that she was somehow on some unknown island in an unknown sea. Behind her, a towering rock formation loomed.

“Alright, obviously whoever you are means for me to go from here to some other island for some purpose that I can’t yet comprehend. If that is going to be your game, I should probably figure out just what I’m dealing with.” She looked at the stone and noted its uneven surface. There were tiny outcroppings and uneven surfaces. With another annoyed yet concerned sigh, she decided that the best way to view her surrounds was from atop the rock.

With her metallic hand, Ialari dug into the stone and created gripping spot for both her hands and feet. She alternated this as she pulled herself up the rock face. Although not much of an accomplished climber, she took time to clear away enough stone to create solid grips. From what she could gather from the position of the sun, it looked as though it was morning thus there was plenty of time to get her bearings. She sunk her fingers into the stone over and over again, clearing it away so that not only her hands but her feet could find a safe and solid grip. More than once, she slipped sending spikes of fear down her spine and no small amount of panic. The rocky formation was quite tall and a fall from such height, even with her solid isurian body, would mean great injury. Taking her time, she pulled herself up the side as the sun beat down upon her skin. With a side thought, she considered trying to find some protection from the sun as she climbed. With no idea of how long she would be wherever it was she was at, there would need to be some important decisions to be made in order to survive.

Strong as she was, the effort of climbing the rock was taxing. With each reach of her arm and pull on her muscles as she climbed, Ialari could feel her strength waning. If she’d been more experienced, she’d realize the danger of exerting so much energy. Just as her muscles were burning and her ability to life her own weight was almost gone, her hand gripped the top of the rock. Pulling herself onto the small flattened ledge, she took a moment to catch her breath and allow her body to rest if for but a short time.

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[Ialari Pythone]

Getting to her feet, Ialari took in the sight that surrounded her. From atop the tall rock, she could see all around the small island below. Although not all that big for an island; perhaps 75 yards across at its longest point, there were several notable features that caught her eye. There were a number of palm trees, a scattering of coniferous pine trees as well as a few banana plants and of course the yucca plants. Along the coastline, there were a number of wave-swept rock formations. The sandy shore extended several yards inland where it gave way to sparse patches of grass. Sea birds punctuated the air with their harsh calls and the sun was slowly rising just above the horizon.

Taking out the roughly drawn map from the burlap bag, Ialari looked at it then looked out to the surrounding sea. A light fog in the distance made it difficult to see very far but from what she could see, there was next to nothing but wide-open ocean in all directions. There was but one exception, the shape of another island just barely visible through the sea fog. Squinting her eyes in an attempt to focus the view, she could not see much more than the obvious shape of the island. Details of what may lie there remained obscured at such a distance. Looking back at the map, she deduced that the island marked on it, north of the one marked with the small “x”, was likely the one she could just barely see. That was the island where the large “X” was marked.

Although her ability to judge distance above ground was much less than her ability to sense it underground, Ialari made a guess that that, with a serviceable raft of some sort, she may be able to reach the next island within the light of day. That was assuming that she left early in the morning and the weather was favorable. There would still be a lot to do to prepare for such a journey.

“A raft…well, that’s going to be interesting.” She commented to herself. While Ialari had been around rafts and boats off and on for quite some time, she’d never constructed one. The idea of doing so immediately felt a bit daunting but the alternative meant swimming in what the map showed were potentially infested with sharks.

“Ok, a raft…that will have to wait for later. First, I’ll need to deal with the more immediate situation. I’m on an island, in the middle of the ocean. I am naked with only a few items in this rather uncomfortable bag.” She shifted the bag so that it was no longer rubbing against her skin in the same place over and over.

Glancing around at the island below, Ialari began taking note of possible resource opportunities while pondering her immediate needs. “Alright, fire. I have flint and steel and there is plenty of material around here for starting one.” She reached into the bag and examined the flint and steel; simple but more than capable of getting the job done.

“Ok, food. Coconuts of course although those aren’t enough. There are bananas…assuming I can find ones ripe enough to eat.” She looked then to the shoreline. “I don’t know what the tides are like around here, if there are any at all. So, depending on the tides, I may have tidepools to harvest from.” Running her fingers through her hair, Ialari hoped that indeed there were accessible tidepools. She had experience with them from her time spent on the coast near The Retreat; they proved to be a life saver more times than she could count.

“If all else fails, I guess there’s whatever creature the map says is supposedly here. This snare may come in handy.” She examined the two cut pieces of wood with a looped piece of wire between them. Simple in function, it could prove quite useful.

With the potential for food looking at least somewhat promising, she next thought of shelter. The sun was still relatively low in the sky but that would not last long. “It’s going to get hot. I need some shade and something to shield me from the inevitable storm…” Her thoughts returned to the palm trees and their leaves. The palm leaves could serve as a suitable shelter along with a frame of some sort.

With a sigh of frustration, Ialari considered the process of building a basic shelter from the sun and rain. She’d little experience in constructing such a thing so the thought of doing so felt more than a little challenging. “Maybe I could do something with this huge rock. Maybe carve out a small section or something…” She thought aloud as she went over her options. None were perfect.

Deciding it was best to approach the issue of a shelter later, she moved on to the most important task, finding fresh water. “Of course, I would find myself surrounded by a literal ocean of water that I can’t drink. Well, there’s coconuts. Not my preferred choice but enough of them would do quite well.” She considered other options. “I could use the coconuts to collect rain water. Assuming it rains sometime soon. They aren’t going to be able to hold much though.” A thought then occurred to her as she looked down at her feet; at the stone she was standing on. “If I dug out the stone here to create a basin...It would be a chore to climb up here for the water but I could collect quite a bit if and when it does rain. I could be worth it though.” She took a mental note of how may coconuts it might take to collect an adequate amount of water. She was immediately thankful for the uncomfortable burlap bag.

Going with her idea of the stone basin, Ialari reached into the stone with her metallic hand. It parted as if she were sinking her fingers into wet mud or clay. Carefully she scooped away handfuls of stone bit by bit until a large indentation began to form in the ledge itself. She smoothed the rough surface with the flat of her hand as she formed a basin. Roughly six inches deep and two feet in diameter, Ialari regarded the basin as being at least serviceable for collecting any rain. Of course, there would be a risk of birds doing all manner of nasty things in whatever water was collected but if she could get to it quick enough and with a bit of follow-up boiling, whatever water she collected would be potentially life-saving.

With a plan, albeit shaky one, Ialari proceeded to climb back down the rock. Using the grips she’d already dug, she carefully descended. When her feet met ground, she got to work on getting herself set up to live on the island long enough to figure out a method of constructing a raft that could get her to the next island.

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[Ialari Pythone]

Day 1

Back on the ground, Ialari decided that the best use of what daylight she had available was to collect as many coconuts as she could. Thankfully there were several fallen ones littering the ground. Taking the items from her bag, she placed them at the base of a nearby tree. She then started picking up any coconuts she could find. Most of what she encountered were either ripe or overly so while she was able to find a small number of fresh ones. As she filled her bag, she dumped them out in piles; sorted by apparent ripeness. The whole process of gathering was rather relaxed and not all that draining. However, as the sun began to rise, so did the temperature. The heat and growing humidity began as a slight annoyance but that unrelenting growth began to sink into her body. It wouldn’t take long before she needed a break.

After having gathered and sorted over a dozen coconuts, Ialari continued to scavenge what she could from around the island. Fallen branches, palm fronds, various sized stones, all that she could find lying loose on the ground, Ialari took. Her primary focus, other than the coconuts, was to find any material she could use for shelter, fire or even possible raft-building. By the middle of the day, she’d gathered quite a stash of materials. During her gathering, she was also able to find a half-dozen eggs from seabird nests; the nests also taken for fire tinder. With the sun high in the sky, its heat beating down on the island, Ialari finally succumbed. She found a spot against the tall central rock formation where a palm tree grew close by. As a result, there was a decent amount of shade from which she could find respite from the heat, at least directly.

“By Izurdin, this is nothing like the coast.” She commented to herself as she leaned against the cooler surface of the stone. Her lips stuck together and her mouth was dry. She needed water. Looking down at the piles of coconuts, she reached for one of the fresher ones. From her experience surviving on the coast, the less ripe coconuts tended to have a few drinks of water in them. Getting into it was another thing.

The green coconut did not have the darker, fibrous husk of the more mature ones so peeling away the husk wasn’t an issue. Still, she would have to cut into it to free the water without destroying the fruit outright. The crude stone axe she found in the burlap bag would help but it not enough. With the method of cutting into the coconut in mind, she knew she’d need at least one more tool. With the coconut resting on her lap, she reached toward the pile of stones she’d gathered. Choosing one sized just right, she used her metallic hand to begin peeling away at it. She pinched away pieces, brushed away others and carefully smoothed and shaped the rock like she would a piece of clay; her metallic fingers effortlessly moving away the stone.

Gradually, the rock began to take on the rough shape of a knife with a handle and blade. With the blade, she created a narrowed edge that while not terrible sharp, would be enough to cut into softer materials. With the handle, she squeezed the stone to create a perfect shape for her fingers to grip it.

With the stone dagger finished, she laid it down and picked up the axe. Moving into a better position, she proceeded to chop away at the top of the green coconut. Piece by piece, she cut slivers from the top until she got closer to the center of the fruit. She paused several times to examine her work. When she felt she was close to the center, she laid down the axe and picked up the dagger once more. With the dagger’s point, she twisted it into the center of the coconut where she’d chopped it with the axe. When the stone blade finally pierced the center, she lifted the fruit to her lips and drank deeply the milk inside. Cool and refreshing as it was, there was only a few gulps before it was empty.

Ialari repeated this process until she’d consumed the milk from a total of four coconuts. The remaining fruit would take more effort to get into but at least for the time being, her immediate thirst was quenched.

With the heat of the day at its peak, Ialari decided it was best to rest and not do much else until the sun went down. So, she lounged about, pondering exactly what was happening. She assumed that at least one god was involved in whatever was going on. “Only the gods would have the ability to do something like this. Plus, only the gods would put me through something like this. Always a message. Always a lesson.” With a sigh of resignation, she looked up to the sky and said, “Always challenging me. Always pushing me. I will succeed in this, one way or another.” The heat exacerbated Ialari’s fatigue leading her to welcome a short bit of sleep.

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[Ialari Pythone]

Upon awaking, Ialari found some difficulty in gaining her bearings. The heat was oppressive. Covered in sweat and feeling weak, it took no small amount of effort to force herself to stand. Looking up, she could see that the sun was finally on its way to setting. A couple bells or so and it would reach the horizon. Although not nearly as hot as it was earlier, it was only a mild comfort. The groaning in her stomach was the first sign that she needed to figure out something for food. Looking at the spent coconuts, she remembered that they held a valuable food source in addition to the hydration she’d already attained. Using the stone axe, she proceeded to chop away, one coconut at a time. It took a number of carefully positioned strikes to gradually crack the out shell. Using her metallic arm, she brought powerful blow after blow to each fruit. One by one she eventually cracked them. Then, with both hands, she peeled away the outer husk. It was easier with the more mature ones and had the side benefit of creating valuable material for firestarting as well as the potential for cordage. It was somewhat labor intensive but Ialari was able to break open four more coconuts thus gaining access to the sweet material inside. Scooping out the soft white material inside, she consumed it with great enthusiasm. Sweet with a bit of salt in taste, she ate her full of the coconuts. In the end, she was left with but four intact with the rest split and ravaged. The remains made for serviceable bowls for collecting water and the fibers of the husk would be invaluable for firestarting material. With the sun quickly setting, starting a fire was becoming ever more necessary.

Retrieving the flint and steel she’d found in the burlap bag, Ialari got to work in starting a fire. She took some of the gathered wood and positioned it in the form of a pyramid. She piled bits of coconut husk at the base of the wood pyramid before striking the flint against the steel. Leaning in, she blew upon the sparks created. The first few attempts failed as did several more that followed. With a few light vocalized curses later, the husk material caught a spark. Blowing on it, the husk finally took to flame. Quickly she piled a bit more wood on it, careful not to smother it. Within moments, she had a fully burning fire just as the sun began to set.

With a growing fire, Ialari felt a sense of comfort that she didn’t expect. “Amazing how a bit of fire, even amidst such heat, can feel so good.” She muttered as the flames licked their way up the small wood pyramid. The temperature around her was growing noticeable colder although it was still quite warm and humid. Then came the mosquitoes. While they were a mild annoyance earlier, they’d become even more aggressive. Thanks to her dense isurian flesh, their bites barely fazed her yet the constant whining of their wings and tickle of their feet on her skin went from frustrating to almost maddening. She’d experienced such a thing before but not on this level.

The sun sank past the horizon and darkness fell. As it did, the island seemed to come alive in a way that was absent during the day. Her vision, adapted to the darkness of the subterranean realm she called home, caught sight of movement. As she sat on the sand next to the fire, she could see small shapes creeping and even darting from the shadows. Rats.

With a curse of disgust, she exclaimed “Rats? Really? As if the heat and bugs weren’t enough?” The rodent’s presence sent shivers down her spine. While she didn’t fear them, they possessed a sort of creepiness in the dark that she could not shake. At first there were but a couple but quickly they grew in number to a half dozen and then more. They darted about the rocks and sand, coming so close as to sniff her; brushing against her bare feet and legs. Then, there was a bite, followed by another and another. Ialari jumped with a screech of surprise more than pain. “You filthy bastards!” She grabbed a branch and proceeded to slam it against the invaders in a futile attempt to drive them away.

They were fast and plentiful. Biting at her feet and ankles, darting at her and retreating just before she could hit them. The fire didn’t seem to affect them. After what seemed like an eternity of battling the immortal foe, Ialari went for the large rock formation. Reaching out, she found the grooves in the stone she’d created earlier and climbed. In her rush to escape the rats, she lost her footing about ten feet up and fell flat on her back. The rats descended. Flailing wildly, she slapped at the rats and tried to fling them away from her while scrambling back to her feet. She tried once more to climb the rock face. She focused on her determination to escape the rats and measured each move, dedicated to finding the right grip. Little by little she ascended and eventually reached the ledge where she’d dug the basin for water. There wasn’t much room on the ledge but she took what she could get and laid down. In a fetal position, she held herself and tried to calm down from the experience she’d faced below. It was cold on top of the rock, far from the warming flames of the fire. So high up as she was though, the mosquitoes were few and thankfully there were no rats. “What I wouldn’t give for a Ukalas-spawned horror…” She whispered to herself while thinking that at least that was something she could face head on as opposed to rats using hit-and-run tactics that she could not defend against.

As she lay upon the stone, taking comfort in its touch, Ialari eventually found sleep.

Words: 1,006

[Ialari Pythone]

Thread Grade

Skills

Dominion: 1
Climbing: 2
Observation: 2
Carving: 3
Planning: 2
Scavenge: 2
Wilderness Survival: 5

Lore

Lore: Harvesting fallen coconuts
Lore: Preparing coconuts for sustenance
Lore: Carving a stone weapon
Lore: Creating grips in a stone surface for climbing
Lore: Combating a rat swarm