7th Day of Summer, 511 AV
Elhaym hauled herself up the rocky ledge, grunting under the strain as she threw her legs up and onto the natural platform. Rising from her knees, she stood and turned back to take in the view. The view would have taken her breath away if there were breath to take. As it was, she sucked in air and expelled it with equal vigor, her eyes scanning the jutting mountain peaks and falling to the platforms of Lhavit in the distance. The clouds seemed both above and below her when she was so high on the mountains, and no doubt the altitude had something to do with her fatigue. It seemed her breath was worth less here than it had been in Sylira.
Her left hand rose tentatively to her other shoulder, brushing across the leather bound hilt of her sword. Strapped snug to her back by a thin leather strap, she still worried she would lose it during the climb. Her destination was not far, but it had been when she began. Not a often taken path, if you could call it that. Most paths did not require climbing steep mountainsides and shuffling between crevices. She could train anywhere in Lhavit, but sometimes time away was a blessing. There were days she could not snatch half a bell to herself, and bless his heart but sometimes she wanted to strangle Kota and throw him off their balcony. Thank Zintila he was a patient man; she had never lived with a man before and it was painfully obvious.
With renewed breath she turned and began her climb anew, finding a handhold and pulling herself up. Her loose fitting clothing wasn't of the typical Acolyte variety but instead her old clothes. She hadn't work the loose fitting shorts cut at her mid thigh or the thin cloth shirts in a while. It was oddly liberating to be in something other than a uniform. She fumbled for a foothold, and continued the slow pattern of crawling up the steep surface. It wasn't a totally vertical climb thankfully, and there were plenty of stout protrusions to take a hold of. Still, it was slow going and soon her breath was labored once again.
Upon reaching the next narrow ledge she paused again, panting heavily and dropping her hands to her knees. Hard habit to break, that was. Shaking her head, she straightened her back to expand her lungs and stood tall, fighting the urge to crumple under her fatigue. A lingering though floated to the surface of her mind, and for once she didn't bat it away. No one were here to impress, she didn't have to appear stoic as steel. Yet the Flux beckoned, not a true impulse but a notion that it wouldn't do any harm to use. Truly it wouldn't; she had been informed that she could scarcely draw enough djed at this point to do her body any true harm in it's excellent physical condition.
Elhaym's hands were already twisting into a series of precise gestures before her rational mind could protest. Aided by the concentration and focus they wrought, she felt the gates open. A second heartbeat appeared that centered itself somewhere she couldn't place, growing stronger with every pulse. Euphoria swept away fatigue, and Elhaym's jaw went slack waves of heat seemed to pass throughout her body. Without delay, she lept towards the remainder of the climb and sought a handhold. Her muscles were renewed and she felt worlds stronger, but in truth she only moved a bit faster than before. Waves of strength passed from her toes to her fingertips, unrestrained djed passing through her entire body. She could not control where it went, or even really how much. At this stage, she could only open the gates.
Heaving herself over the final ledge and rolling a few feet, Elhaym stumbled to her knees and slapped her hands on the ground. It felt true to harness that power in a way, as if she could touch some apex her body could never manage on her own. Realization struck, and Elhaym shook the sweat from her face to center herself again. Rather than continue to feed the heartbeat, she just… let it go. Without a way to taper it off, the djed simply ebbed and flowed it's course. The result caused her muscles to clench and cramp, sending a burning sensation like a hundred needles prickling underneath her skin that last for a few seconds. The thin white overcoat she wore flapped violently in the breeze, and Elhaym's head rose to take in the small cluster of trees that had managed to survive on the summit. She'd made it, but she needed a rest. It seemed like these days, she spent more time exhausted than anything else. Crawling on her hands and knees, she twisted and plopped her bottom down against one of the thick tree trunks. She didn't sleep. She only took in the view.
She really was alone up here.
Her left hand rose tentatively to her other shoulder, brushing across the leather bound hilt of her sword. Strapped snug to her back by a thin leather strap, she still worried she would lose it during the climb. Her destination was not far, but it had been when she began. Not a often taken path, if you could call it that. Most paths did not require climbing steep mountainsides and shuffling between crevices. She could train anywhere in Lhavit, but sometimes time away was a blessing. There were days she could not snatch half a bell to herself, and bless his heart but sometimes she wanted to strangle Kota and throw him off their balcony. Thank Zintila he was a patient man; she had never lived with a man before and it was painfully obvious.
With renewed breath she turned and began her climb anew, finding a handhold and pulling herself up. Her loose fitting clothing wasn't of the typical Acolyte variety but instead her old clothes. She hadn't work the loose fitting shorts cut at her mid thigh or the thin cloth shirts in a while. It was oddly liberating to be in something other than a uniform. She fumbled for a foothold, and continued the slow pattern of crawling up the steep surface. It wasn't a totally vertical climb thankfully, and there were plenty of stout protrusions to take a hold of. Still, it was slow going and soon her breath was labored once again.
Upon reaching the next narrow ledge she paused again, panting heavily and dropping her hands to her knees. Hard habit to break, that was. Shaking her head, she straightened her back to expand her lungs and stood tall, fighting the urge to crumple under her fatigue. A lingering though floated to the surface of her mind, and for once she didn't bat it away. No one were here to impress, she didn't have to appear stoic as steel. Yet the Flux beckoned, not a true impulse but a notion that it wouldn't do any harm to use. Truly it wouldn't; she had been informed that she could scarcely draw enough djed at this point to do her body any true harm in it's excellent physical condition.
Elhaym's hands were already twisting into a series of precise gestures before her rational mind could protest. Aided by the concentration and focus they wrought, she felt the gates open. A second heartbeat appeared that centered itself somewhere she couldn't place, growing stronger with every pulse. Euphoria swept away fatigue, and Elhaym's jaw went slack waves of heat seemed to pass throughout her body. Without delay, she lept towards the remainder of the climb and sought a handhold. Her muscles were renewed and she felt worlds stronger, but in truth she only moved a bit faster than before. Waves of strength passed from her toes to her fingertips, unrestrained djed passing through her entire body. She could not control where it went, or even really how much. At this stage, she could only open the gates.
Heaving herself over the final ledge and rolling a few feet, Elhaym stumbled to her knees and slapped her hands on the ground. It felt true to harness that power in a way, as if she could touch some apex her body could never manage on her own. Realization struck, and Elhaym shook the sweat from her face to center herself again. Rather than continue to feed the heartbeat, she just… let it go. Without a way to taper it off, the djed simply ebbed and flowed it's course. The result caused her muscles to clench and cramp, sending a burning sensation like a hundred needles prickling underneath her skin that last for a few seconds. The thin white overcoat she wore flapped violently in the breeze, and Elhaym's head rose to take in the small cluster of trees that had managed to survive on the summit. She'd made it, but she needed a rest. It seemed like these days, she spent more time exhausted than anything else. Crawling on her hands and knees, she twisted and plopped her bottom down against one of the thick tree trunks. She didn't sleep. She only took in the view.
She really was alone up here.
