[Flashback] You Find Strange Things on the Beach (Blythe)

[Cilaes]

82nd day of Spring, 504 AV

I don’t recall the fall, only the impact.

The night was almost over, and only the finest slivers of light touched the eastern edges of the sea around Konti Island. These early morning rays lacked the strength to pierce the water and along the shallow bottom of the ocean the fish and crabs scuttled about in sand still silvery in the moonlight. Suddenly the scuttling and lazy drifting after a night’s feed became more urgent, and the small denizens of the seafloor hurried back to their respective burrows, nooks and crannies.

The change that sent them swimming was a strange heat. In the water column something was forming. This point held so much energy, was so hot, that water touching the growing mass vaporized, and rose roiling to the surface of the sea. The shape grew, and began to twist and writhe, as if trying to escape the pain of so much heat. But just as its arms and legs grew strong enough to kick out in protest the energy around it began to fade. The boiling sea calmed, and as the bubbles and foam drifted off the body of a man, new and freshly formed, rose to the surface.

His face emerged in the waters still frothing from his birth. It was slick and wet and the pale skin shone brightly beneath the night sky. He gasped, and drew a breath of mortal air. It was dry and heavy in his mouth. Without a thought the man began to swim for shore. The distance was not far and his new body was strong and cut quickly through the foam.

The Ethaefal stood and looked about the land he had come to. The warm waters of the eastern sea swirled about his ankles, pushing and pulling grains of sand between his toes and beneath his feet. His skin was still hot from the energy of falling through the rift, and the air of the earth felt tepid and oppressive around him. Before truly seeing the details of the island his head turned to the sky, and the moon. It was sinking low in the horizon and as the man watched it his indigo eyes welled with tears. Drops of sea water fell from his pearly white horns and as the rest of his body dried in the night breeze his cheeks still glistened with salty water. He stood in the tide and cried until the moon fell out of sight.

As dawn quickened and the sun rose the newly formed body began to change once again. This transformation did not bring with it the same blinding, agonizing energy of before. Instead, his whole body began to tingle. His muscles wriggled about beneath his skin, which blossomed with pigment. His grey-blue hair darkened to brown and the spiral horns wound their way back into his skull. The dark ink of tattoos began to weave its way up his leg and arm, and across his back. In some places the newly darkened skin began to bubble and loose the firm smoothness of his first body. In these places scars sprung up, some just thin pink lines, others heavier and knotted.

As the sun sprung over the horizon a Drykas man stood squinting sadly in the waves. In this mortal seeming form his memories of the divine dimmed, and his lonely pain was eased ever so slightly. But the grief left him exhausted, and he hauled himself from the surf onto the drier sand. The grains were still cool from the night, and clung to his bare skin as he lay down on the beach and slept.

[Blythe]

Blythe was walking along the beach, barefoot. The warm grains of beige colored sand were tickling the tiny spaces between her toes as she gently kicked them up with each of her soft, muffled steps, which left little more than a foot-shaped blob behind. Several sea gulls were cawing lazily to each other as she walked by, as though they were not too happy to be up quite so early. The sun was shining down on everything, lightly kissing the Konti's cheeks and casting her skin in a pale, golden-tinted glow. Her cheeks were beginning to feel warm as the scales that lined her forehead sparkled in the pale morning light. As she listened absently to the birds, Blythe realized that she was much like them, tired, yet incapable of sleep. She glanced up at them, the pale blue sky, seemingly devoid of cumulus clouds, or any other clouds for that matter. The words of her song were still tumbling quietly out of her pale lips, at little more than a whisper, so as not to disturb anything that may still be sleeping. Or perhaps, so that anyone who was awake could not hear her, after all, Blythe didn't have the best of singing voices. The words to Blythe's song were simple. Something she knew she had heard before, but not where. Something she had seemed to grow up with: Off the coast of Sylira, lies a tiny Island known as Mura, where lie the Konti girls, with their long golden blonde curls, shimmering scales, much like fish tails, and pale white skin. Their eyes seem to peer through you, and you haven't got a clue, how such a thing could be, but if you ask the god of the Sea, and the woman he adores, and never ignores, than perhaps you would know. Each of the Konti women, have more than one thing in common, they are each marked, from the day they first embarked, on the journey known as their lives, for you see, one of two goddesses gives, a gift to each one. A Konti may have the gift of truly seeing, or perhaps a touch that is truly healing, depending on which of the twins favors her more, or perhaps, based off what is at the girl's core, what path she is supposed to walk, when she reaches the dock, where a boat is tied to take her away. For each one of them must go, to a place they may or may not know, for each receives the call, whether or not they want to leave Mura at all, some may be sent to Syliras, Riverfall, or Denval, while others may go to Ravok, Lhavit, or Avanthal, or another place which cannot be found on any map. Each of the girls serves a purpose, which serves simply as the basis, for their long lives... Blythe's voice trailed off and her song ended abruptly when she happened among a nude man lying on the beach. He seemed to be asleep, and somewhat damp, as though the sun hadn't yet had the time to dry him off completely. She averted her gaze and covered her face in her hands as the edges of her cheeks began to grow red, and far warmer than the sun could ever make them in such a short period of time. Blythe's lips parted as though she were about to say thing; perhaps continue her song, but no sound came out. She closed them, as she stood awkwardly in silence, wondering if her steps along the beach, or perhaps now, her stillness would be enough to wake the man out of his slumber. She waited a few more moments in silence as her cheeks continued to grow red, "um, sorry, about you know... stumbling into you," Blythe finally stammered. "Do you um... have anything you could put on? I'm so sorry this happened. You must be so embarrassed," she added, as the bottom of her long white dress fluttered in the cool morning breeze. Her voice was getting higher and higher as she spoke, and she seemed little more than a small girl who had been caught doing something bad. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," Blythe whispered under her breath, hoping the man would forgive her. OOCSorry for the awkward first post. This is my sad attempt at making my Konti more Konti-ish... it didn't work, did it?

[Cilaes]

The soft voice of the approaching Konti was barely loud enough to be heard on the quiet beach. The naked man continued sleeping, breathing softly under the early morning sun as she approached. If Blythe had moved on without speaking he wouldn’t have woken up. But the sound of her apologetic voice roused him. Slowly he sat up, and looked about with confused eyes. The gulls, the sea and sand, it was all strange to him. The wind and Syna’s presence in the sky were the only things that seemed familiar on this beach. He was lonely, and his warm brown eyes grew sadder as they glanced about the foreign place for a sign of his lord. His mind, no longer in Ethaefal form was having difficulty recalling what exactly was wrong, struggling to explain the absence of Leth, and why that was a problem. In his dazed state of mind all he could really understand was that it was a loss.

My lord Leth, where are you? I have lost you, even in my thoughts…

The Drykas continued to search his surroundings solemnly as the woman stammered her apologizes, not completely understanding her distress. He didn’t feel embarrassed. It wasn’t until Blythe’s apologies fell to a hushed tone that his mind really recognized the source of her distress. He adjusted himself into a sitting position that obscured the most crucial parts from view. The man’s movements were slow and deliberate, a thought devoted to each. Gradually he was remembering the shame that one was supposed to feel for a naked body, but it didn’t seem truly important.

“No, I have nothing. I am sorry that I make you uncomfortable.” The man meant to sound empathetic, but his emotional energy was elsewhere. When the words left his mouth they sounded more like a sad question than a sincere apology. He didn’t know what to do now, and as he waited, watching the woman, he noticed for the first time that the blush wasn’t the only unusual thing about her skin.

A woman with scales… I know of nothing like it. At least, I don’t believe I know of creature like this. I suppose it may not be so strange, ah, where have my thoughts got to? My mind is so clouded...

He frowned slightly, and scratched his neck. The sand that stuck to his palm rasped against his tan skin and fell in a shower across his shoulder. The sun was beginning to heat up the world and the air was hot when the sea breeze died. As they fell several grains clung to skin that was sweating for the first time.

“Please, uh… Miss?” he murmured, struggling to remember what words might be appropriate in this situation. Finally he gave up and chose the shortest, bluntest route, hoping he might remember more with the Konti’s answer, “Where am I?” His eyes quickly moved away from her and returned to scanning the beach as her embarrassment began to make more of an impression on him.

OOCI enjoyed the song, it was like a nursery rhyme. If that increases someone's Konti-ness then I suppose it was a success.

[Blythe]

Blythe parted her fingers just enough where she could peek through them. No, this is not a figment of your imagination, that man is really there. The edges of her cheeks still felt warm, but she could see that Cilaes was doing his best to hide himself. That made her feel a little better, although, not much better. "It's ok," Blythe stammered, as she removed her hands from her eyes and forced herself to look at Cilaes. The first thing Blythe noticed about the man were his brown eyes. Then there was his tan skin, which seemed to glow in the sunlight. She was eyeing him suspiciously, wondering just what exactly had brought him here, and why he didn't know where here was. Wondering why he didn't have any clothes. "And you can call me Blythe." There was a slight pause as she tucked a few strands of blonde hair behind her ears, "and you're in Mura. The Island that houses the Konti women. Surely you have heard of us?" she asked. "We are known as fortune tellers and those gifted in the field of medicine," Blythe continued. "We run a large Opal Temple where several healers gather to learn and help the sick." There are another pause, "we are the daughters of Avalis and her sister, Rak'keli. The keepers of vision water." There was another light pause as several birds cawed overhead, and Blythe waited for them to cease, so that she may be heard without a fight. "Doesn't any of this ring a bell?" Blythe asked. Blythe was silent for a few moments after that, awaiting her answer. After which point, she added, "and who might you be?" she asked, as she tilted her head slightly to the side. "For you seem to be such a long way from home, and so very out of place here." OOC*Giggles* Thank you.

[Cilaes]

Sitting like a child on a school floor the man listened to Blythe’s description of the Kontis and Mura. The names of the goddesses sent a tingle of recognition through him. But the spark faded before his Ethaefalan knowledge could seep into the mind of a Drykas who had never heard of the Konti. Still, he nodded gently, “I believe I met a man once who had heard of you, or perhaps I am forgetting myself and you are not so strange as you seem…” He trailed off as the gulls started their ruckus anew. The man looked to be in his early thirties, and the scar that ran from the left corner of his mouth to his chin wrinkled in a strange manner when he pursed his lips with frustration.

It does sound familiar. Avalis and Rak’keli most certainly have daughters… But why does that seem right?

”And who might you be?” A thought pushed through his mind, a dark shadow beneath waters he could not reach. It was exciting, breathtaking to feel its presence but the words to grasp it were beyond him, and it slid back into the depths. He floundered, searching for an answer to give her.

There was sweat. Horse sweat and man sweat, mingling under the hot sun. The grass rippled in waves beneath its bright light. He could not see for the light, and his body burned with the heat of the day, his heart pounding too hard as he searched for something. There was a loud voice somewhere across the field of grass, a woman’s voice. “CILAES!” she cried.

That felt like a memory to him, that sounded like a name to him, and so hesitantly he claimed them. “I… I believe my name is Cilaes. And I remember grass Miss… Blythe, if that is helpful. It seems that I lived in grass once, and I see no grass here, so perhaps you are right.” Cilaes paused a moment, and then added, “But that is not where I was last, I don’t know if that is my home. I swam here, last night. I remember being in the sea, and coming up on the sand to look for Leth. He was beautiful in the sky…”

Cilaes looked up at the bright morning sky, and his eyes turned to slits as the sun greeted his searching gaze. Tears began to blur his vision, clinging to his dark eyelashes, unable to find a reason to fall. “I am alone.”

[Blythe]

Blythe eyed Cilaes warily. But how could he swim all the way from Sylira without drowning? He doesn't have any scales like the Konti sisters, so if he needed to sleep, wouldn't he.. Blythe's thoughts trailed off as the waves crashed into shore again. She glanced over at the sea, and couldn't help but wonder how they hadn't claimed this man. "Many places in this world are covered in grass Cilaes. What you are saying could describe quite the number of cities and wild areas- from the forests that surround Sylira, to... the Sea of Grass." Blythe whispered the last portion of her sentence, knowing that the area where her Akalak counterparts lived was surrounded by long, green grass. There was a slight pause, "do you remember anything else? How you came to be in the sea perhaps?" Blythe inquired. "Did you come on the ferry that takes people from the mainland to our lovely Island?" It was then that the man's words hit her, something about Leth... the sky. Leth is a god. Blythe brought her gaze back to the Drykas man that lay before her. She vaguely remembered stories of people falling from the sky into bodies of water from her childhood. She knew there was a name for them, but she didn't remember what that was. Could he be one of those people? The ones that fall from the sky? Blythe wondered. "Or did you fall from the sky, perhaps?" Blythe inquired. "Much like the rain." Even that didn't make sense to her, for the man had little more than a scratch. If that had been true, wouldn't he be a little more, bloody and beaten? Blythe shook her head slightly, several blonde strands of hair splaying into her face as she did so. Logically speaking, this didn't make any sense. Unless of course, the man was lying in order to derive some sort of pleasure out of the matter. But judging by the sound of his voice, and the tears that were clinging to his eyelashes, that didn't seem to be the case. "And you're not alone Cilaes, there is someone standing right in front of you," Blythe whispered. "All you have to do is look, and perhaps you'll notice her. Notice that she's trying to help you... perhaps you'll even remember a little bit more," Blythe finished, doing her best to help keep his spirits up. To encourage him to tell her more about himself.

[Cilaes]

In response to her inquires Cilaes shook his head and stared at his knees. His eyes fell on his windmark, which arched over his right kneecap in complicated knots. Slowly he followed the twists of dark green ink as they moved down his thigh, examining them closely, as if their shape might stir memories up from the fog in his mind.

I don’t even know where these markings came from. They’re new to me. How can I not remember my own body?

Blythe’s voice had changed again. Cilaes recalled that it was rude not to respond when someone spoke and dragged his eyes away from the tangled tattoo. “I-I… I am very sorry Miss. I am afraid that I don’t remember much more. I wasn’t in the sea for long, or if I was, I don’t remember much of my time there,” he paused, and frowned once again, trying to think of something helpful to say. After a moment’s silence he realized it was hopeless and shrugged, lifting his muscular shoulders ever so slightly before letting them fall limp again. “There was no falling that I know of. I remember being on the surface of the sea, and seeing the shore. I swam for it, that is all. I would tell you more if I could, but it seems that Leth has hidden my thoughts from me. Perhaps I have displeased him in some way.” The tone of the last sentence fell flat, and dull, the words cast out hopelessly. Cilaes wiped at an eye, brushing away another tear that had welled up and noticed that this arm was covered in the same markings as his leg.

Cilaes was beginning to feel frustration welling up from underneath his unexplained grief. The beach was growing warmer still, the air was too hot, the sand too reflective. It was blinding and sticky and smothering and none of it seemed right. There was a woman here, trying to help him and all he could say was "I don’t know." And she was strange and unfamiliar like all the rest. But the most frustrating thing was that it didn’t feel as though she ought to be strange, Cilaes had some sense that he knew things, and had memories that would answer her questions. But for some reason, perhaps it was the same reason he had woken on this beach, lost and naked, he couldn’t find even the answers that he knew belonged to him.

And now the woman was consoling him. “You’re right. You have been very kind, despite my… Inappropriate appearance. I apologize, it just seems to me that I am missing something, or someone…” he trailed off again, thinking about what she had said about herself, and the island they were on. “We run a large Opal Temple.” He clung to this.

“Please Miss Blythe, you mentioned a temple? Perhaps, if you are able to, you could take me there? I could pray for answers?” The thought of prayer, of stepping into a holy place nearly lifted his mouth into a smile. His voice rose above the depressed hush it had been into a normal tone. It couldn’t be said that Cilaes looked happy, though he had lost some of the desolate, forsaken look of before.

OOCI realize this could be a tricky request, if you'd like me to change it let me know.

[Blythe]

"We could go to the temple. Although, it's not entirely what you may be thinking of. The temple serves as a sort of training ground for local practitioners of medicine, as well as several healers. It houses a medical library, and offers classes on things such as medicine on herbalism so that the sisters may learn their craft," Blythe explained. "However, it is said that Avalis' twin, Rak'keli, goddess of medicine, also lives there from time to time." There was a slight pause, "you could always pray to her to help you." "If you would like to go to the temple, you can come along," Blythe continued. "But we will have to find you something to wear before you go inside," she added as she turned away from him and began to walk up the beach. "You could always wait for me at the gates, while I go retrieve something for you. Perhaps you simply do not remember how you came to be on this Island because you're too sleep deprived. Or perhaps you hit your head on something and that has caused you to forget." There was a slight pause. "Whatever the case may be, there should be someone within the temple walls that can help you. After all, it houses some of the most gifted people in the medical field." As Blythe walked up ahead, several grains of sand sank into the spaces between her feet. The grains tickled, and caused her soles to grow warm. A few beads of sweat had appeared on her brow, courtesy of the sun, and her cheeks were only marginally less red, for what she assumed to be the same reason. "Just shout if you need to slow down or rest for a bit," Blythe called over her shoulder. "It gets quite hot here sometimes, and it'd be best we don't have you fainting on us."

[Cilaes]

This description wasn’t exactly what Cilaes would have liked to hear, but he was feeling rather desperate. If the Konti could help him remember his identity did it truly matter what form the help came in? I wonder why she paused after mentioning Rak’keli… Perhaps Blythe does not want to bring me to the temple. He almost stopped to ask her, but she was moving down the beach, and the man was at a loss for what else he could do. I need her right now, it would be best not to question offered aid.

After Blythe had walked several feet down the beach Cilaes stood to follow her, keeping several feet between them. “Do you really believe that I’m injured? That your sisters can heal me and that will bring my memories back?” the thought was exciting. Cilaes had to admit he didn’t feel hurt, though perhaps he was, as she had said, simply overly tired. Nothing in him was aching or in pain, but his whole body felt a little too heavy, as though moving it took more effort than it ought to. But the pace Blythe set was comfortable, and it was not difficult to follow her.

Syna rose higher in the sky as the two walked down the beach in a silent line. Her warmth fell on Cilaes’s bare shoulders and kissed the tan skin. At first the rays were pleasant, but the longer they walked the more Cilaes noticed how exposed he was. The heat was sinking too far into his body, and his shoulders and cheeks were beginning to burn when their surroundings began to look more populated. Luckily it was still early enough that there weren’t many people up and about to see their strange procession. Still, Cilaes listened for Blythe’s directions, expecting to be told to hide himself from view any moment.

OOCCilaes has clothing in his starting package, can those be the clothes that he receives? How else will this work?

[Blythe]

"It is difficult to say," Blythe replied. "Your apparent lack of a memory suggests that you are having some sort of physical issue. Your disorientation suggests quite the number of things. So perhaps, it'd be best if we simply played it safe, and took you to the temple." There was another pause as Blythe considered her words. "And if there is anything wrong with you, the ladies at the temple should be able to help. They are very skilled in the field of medicine, and are oftentimes, gifted healers." After that, Blythe fell silent as she walked along, and headed towards the center of the city, where the temple was located. Blythe remained silent until she reached the large white gates that led into the place. They had been left slightly ajar. "Just wait here for a few moments," Blythe said, "hopefully they have something we can give you to wear." As soon as the words had left her lips, Blythe slipped through the gates, and proceeded along the pebble path that led up to the temple. Her feet ached as they walked over the stones, and the girl did her best to move on quickly, so they didn't have much time to sink into her bare flesh. Although, it didn't help much. The trees that surrounded the path on either side where just beginning to come back to life. Their blooms were small, and the pale green leaves that lined them seem to have furled into themselves. Blythe found them beautiful; shy for a plant. She smiled weakly as the lines of trees went by, and she arrived at the large white steps that led into the temple. She hopped up the steps one at a time, and then walked in through the open door. "Welcome to the Opal Temple. How can we help you?" Merida asked. "Well um... there is someone outside who has lost his memory, but, he is without... clothes," Blythe replied somewhat nervously. Merida said nothing. "Do you have anything we can give him, at least temporarily?" Blythe inquired. Merida nodded, and then turned around. She headed through a door that had been left ajar. She returned several moments later, with a bundle of white in her arms. "Here," was all she said, as Blythe took the clothing from her. "Thanks," Blythe replied as she walked back out the door, and headed towards Cilaes. When she had reached him, Blythe handed the man the clothes Merida had given her. It was a simple white tunic, and white pants. "This seems to be all they had," Blythe explained. "It should do for now. Just put them on, and then we can head inside." OOCI am honestly not sure. I mean, this is a flashback for six years ago... so perhaps he'd have gotten new clothes. Let me rephrase: I should hope your pc acquired some new clothing. Also note: as soon as you take the clothes from her, Blythe will turn around to give you more privacy. Also, I left it open as to where she finds you, just in case you wanted to disobey her request.