Morning Meetings (Anjalena Palla)

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

7th Summer 511 AV He woke, panicked. Almost thrashed around until he heard the soothing sounds of the ocean. The terrors of his dark twisted past melted away while he sat up some. He swallowed hard telling himself it was all indeed a dream. A terrible twisted dream. He swore he could still feel the whippings on his body; even though the dream was indeed not real the scars left from his past were. He ran a hand over his head and through his short cropped hair. He wasn’t short of breath; but he was a little tolled. He centered himself. Taking measured breaths and gently letting them out with the tide. He closed his eyes and listened to the lulling sounds of the ocean. Every crash washed away another memory with it. So many memories, so many of them lost to….wherever lost memories went. If he knew where they went he figured he wouldn’t have lost memories anymore. He sighed and threw on his baggy long sleeved shirt. He really needed to get a set of white clothing. That trip would have to happen sometime soon. He was getting tired of nearly overheating in this summer sun. He could always just not wear the shirt, which was a more attractive option to him. He figured if it got warm enough he would take it off and tie it by the sleeves around his waist. He exited his tent and pushed the flap aside. He was indeed still in Mura. A smile came across his face as he saw the beachhead. His tent was pitched in the forest, only about thirty feet away from the sands. He enjoyed being here; it was peaceful. The waves lulled him to sleep, and gently woke him in the morning as well. He crawled out and then stood. Stretching welcoming the new day into his life. He felt better now that he was learning how to better control how he felt. He looked at the morning with a positive outlook, and he found that this made him feel better. He had been slumbering hard the last few days; catching up on what sleep he had invariably lost. Looking out over the sands he knew that it was all going to be ok today. He nodded and stretched some more trying to work out all the kinks from his many muscles. They were stressed from the dreams he had. The sun warmed whatever skin was showing, his face neck and hands. He hadn’t had any new interesting interactions lately. He hadn’t seen Blythe or Angelique now in days. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw Blythe…If felt like so long ago. He didn’t know what happened to Eisi, had she left the island; and what of Angelique? It seemed like everyone he met save his teachers was completely distanced from his life right now. Well…he had things to tend to. Projects to make and things to do. Much to learn if he was ever to become a healer in the Opal Order; and even more to understand about them if he was to do this in the first place. Again there was much he needed to do. But he needed to shake the sleep from his body first. Really put some blood through his muscles to pull the veil of sleep from him. Figuring through his mind he came to what he wanted to do; a little hand to hand practice. He would go through the movements. He moved down to the sand his bare feet could feel the warm individual grains beneath his callused feet. Again closing his eyes he centered himself before starting. Something Ildin had taught him; it was always good to center yourself before starting anything. He started in his planted stance. Feet about two feet away from each other both facing the ocean. He opened his eyes looking out over the aqua expanse. The same body he had crossed to get here; his past was on the other side of that water. Those slavers were there; but that was his past. Exactly that; his past. And he was indeed going to keep it that way. Those men…that place held nothing on him anymore. No he was stronger than that now. Any of those men who would call themselves his owner would be painfully surprised at how strong he had become. He wasn’t the man they beat on; forced to fight in the pits or poisoned. No, he was a much stronger more intelligent man now. And he wouldn’t be taken alive again; he would die free. Whatever that took he was more than ready to meet the challenge head on with every bit of strength he had in his entire body. He would outlast, outplay and outwit his enemy; wherever they were…whenever they showed themselves again. He started. Every movement was not by any means graceful; but they were powerful. It was obvious he wasn’t worried about elegance here. He was more concerned with utility. If any of the hits would land on a body they would provide a strong forceful hit to the one receiving. His style was indeed a martial art, but more of something he had developed himself out of necessity. He hadn’t learned formally from anyone. He learned this style from use; and it was apparent. Ever movement fortified almost as if it had been rehearsed a hundred times. None of them mirroring the elegance one would expect from a Konti martial arts style. No; this wasn’t about becoming one with oneself; this was about defense, every movement made to kill. He went straight for about three minutes; breathing between strong blows to an invisible enemy. His body temperature was screaming below the long sleeved shirt. So he removed it tying it around his waist. The breeze caressed his glistening chest. He wiped the sweat from his brow while he caught his breath. Then continued. He wouldn’t notice any figures on the beach being that they would enter behind him to the south and he was facing north up the beachhead the entire time. He practiced again every movement he knew relentlessly one after the other taking steps up the beach. But the entire time his eyes were focused. His mind was sharpened. What was indeed remarkable was the range of his reach; he was large and as such his limbs had a large reach distance. He continued for another good five minutes or so and then stopped taking a few centering breaths. He could feel his muscles throbbing…he had awoken. His body felt more alive now. The gentle breeze seemed to congratulate him in his efforts. He smiled and nodded. That would do for a morning warm up.

[Anjalena Palla]

As Anjalena awoke, she was greeted by the rush of ocean waves. She squinted as she rose, still feeling slightly nauseated from her first travel by boat. The sand beneath her had been warmed by the rise of the hot morning sun. It was here that she ventured, curious and anxious to explore this new land, and drifted into sleep. The young woman dusted the sand from her long blonde hair, careful not to untangle the few slender braids she had incorporated during her trek on the boat to Mura.

She thought of how the waves had enticed her to lay on the beach that evening, and how sleep had welcomed her. Although pleased that she hadn't been disturbed, she knew now that there was work to be done. Her lips faded into a smile as she stood and walked out towards the water, inhaling the warm, salty air, a smell she had begun to savor.

Anjalena entered a trance-like state as she closed her eyes and contemplated where she would begin. Mura was a foreign land to her, one that must be carefully inspected and analyzed before she could make her move. Timing and detail were crucial to her success.

But first, Anjalena would need some basic knowledge of the island, and the city. The voices of those who had led her to her decision to travel to Mura echoed in the back of her head. She hoped they were right.

She opened her golden eyes, and allowed them to adjust to the bright morning sun before she lifted her arms straight into the air and stretched with all her might. She arched her back and yawned, and then bent down to touch her toes, remaining mindful that she was wearing a simple cotton dress that, if caught in the wind just right, could earn her a seat explaining herself to the local authorities. Remembering the laws and morals of so many places had not proved difficult to her, but they were plentiful all the while.

As she righted herself again, a figure caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Down along the beach stood a man. He lifted his shirt up and over his head, tying around his waist. She made out the glimmer of sweat across his skin as he moved. Herein lay her chance to get an early morning's head start. With thoughts to bolster her confident, she walked down the shore towards the man.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

He could feel the beads of sweat roll down his body. He had worked himself hard for first thing in the morning. The beads rolled down then were caught in one of the many depressed scars on his body. He was littered with them and all they ever really seemed to do was catch sweat and cause people to give him strange stares…or even act strange when around him. Most only saw the faint hints on his wrists, ankles and neck. The radial scarring from the restraints he fought while strapped to that pole and being poisoned and experimented on. He couldn’t help the struggling, his body just lurched and twisted anyway it wanted to; leaving deep radial scarring on his body. But what was more impressive was the bullwhip scarring on his chest and back. There were countless long wide scars on his body denoting that he had indeed been tortured for sport. These would become more apparent to Angalena as she got closer. But from afar they just looked like odd streaks of skin…but closer it was apparent they were something else entirely. He had actually gotten quite used to the reactions by others himself. That was just how everything was going to be he believed. A jet of water hurried across the sand and washed gently over his feet. A chill ran through his bare feet. The water was obviously very cool. A welcome feeling for him. He wondered just how the water seemed to stay so cool even in the summertime. It was warm out even first thing in the morning at times. And somehow the waters stayed cool. He shrugged and then bent over to scoop up some of the oceans gift on the next wave. It crashed and the water came jetting up. He caught some in his cupped hands and then poured it in his hair. Instantly he felt much cooler. He knew that most of a person’s heat exchange happened at the top of their head beneath their hair. Which was why he was glad is jet black hair was cut to only about a half inch long. That kept his scalp cool in almost all circumstances. The cool water washed the sweat off of his face and neck some and he then shook his head some to shake off some of the water. He liked how saltwater felt on his skin. It had done wonders for him indeed. His skin felt healthier to the touch…not like anyone else had found that out yet though. He got a strange feeling again…the feeling he kept getting every time he knew someone had eyes on him. He had developed this sense pretty well while here. Especially when on the beach. Maybe his senses were a little keener than he gave them credit for. He looked and there was the anomaly. A woman standing about five foot and a handful of inches tall was walking his way. She wasn’t Konti; no she was human. The first human he had encountered while on this Isle. The only other human he had encountered had turned out to be a Kelvic Fruit Bat; an interesting encounter that had taught him much about Kelvics. What he noticed immediately was her wonderful gold eyes…that weren’t typical of anyone he had ever met before. When coupled with her long blonde hair it made him wonder if his mind was indeed making her up. She seemed to walk with confidence as she approached him. Something he admired in a person; especially a woman. “Morning to you M’Lady.” He said once she grew closer. His voice even and calm, no sign of stress, weakness or fatigue in it. No there was only strength in his words, even though he was only greeting her…that was curious. But nevertheless the words were welcoming.

[Anjalena Palla]

Anjalena wasted no time in returning the gesture.

"And to you!" She stood a comfortable distance a part from him, the smile still present. The truth was, she wasn't sure where to begin. There were so many questions bubbling around in her head. She attempted to filter it down.

"This is my first morning in Mura... It's beautiful." She looked out to the ocean, and was hit with the urge to swim. She held back, waiting for the man's reply.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

He nodded with a smile coming across his face when she said it was her first morning here in Mura. “I remember my first morning here in Mura. That was about two seasons ago. But I do still remember the shock of the beauty.” He looked out to the sea and well he didn’t have the same feeling of wanting to swim, however he still did notice the beauty. He remembered fleeing oppression and how shocking it was to end up somewhere where there was no slavery. Where there was no torture; in a place of healing. Where almost everyone was kind and caring. Where he could learn to heal others; and better himself with a skill set that he wouldn’t learn anywhere else. “That sense of beauty…it will never leave you. It still hasn’t left me.” He said as he then looked back to her, “It still astounds me every morning of every day.” Silently nodded to himself. Yes Mura was indeed beautiful. Astounding really. Every time he woke here he was again awakened to the beauty that Mura had to offer. To the endless peace Mura offered him as well. It was refreshing to the torture he knew before this. And as to what he knew before the torture…well he had no clue nor any notion of a clue as to what his former life was. But he was here; in Mura and he was going to enjoy it as much as he could. The peace was what he found most refreshing, there was almost no violence here; no there seemed to only be healing. The women were helpful, and some in different ways than others. But every one of them was a gem. And this woman was a new gem to him. Something beautiful with many many faces. But beautiful. He smiled and then spoke. “So what brings you to Mura? Is it the Opal Order healers?”

[Anjalena Palla]

Anjalena could have squealed with excitement. She didn't have to pry or even pose the question! How could he have guessed? She put her hands on her hips, the undersides of her wrists turned outward. She faced the ocean and took a few steps forward so that the tops of her feet could be slid over by the waves.

With a nod that sent her blonde hair bouncing, she said, "I suppose you could say that. I come from Zeltiva. It was there that I first heard of the Opal Order. I'm curious to...." She fumbled for the words. "...to research it some." She turned to look back at him. The sun cast across their bodies, and she noticed a glint of off-colored skin on his neck. A scar. And then another. And another...

She didn't dwell on the feature, but instead asked, "How about yourself? What possessed you to come to this land of beauty?" Anjalena was naturally a curious being, and she often got too far ahead of herself. She scratched herself behind the ear.

"Silly me, how boorish! I am Anjalena; You may call me Lena if you'd like. I am very pleased to have met you this glorious morning." She smiled, flashing her ivory white teeth, something she tried not to do too often if she could help it. Some people noticed, and others did not...

Again she stumbled through her words, "I was wondering if, maybe, if you wouldn't mind, you could show me Mura?" A faint hint of rose coloring let up her cheeks as she asked. She was confident and outgoing, yes, but delicate in her own way.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Research the Opal Order. That usually meant the person was interesting in one of two things. Either healing others or getting healed themselves. But little did he know she was likely not interested in either. She was more interested in other things. But she hid them well. He did know because of her pause she was indeed interested in something, but she had cut off and re-routed herself. Meaning she was likely not interested in either of those two options. But that was usually the only two reasons someone was interested in the Order. Maybe she was sick like him and she didn’t want to talk about it. But it was funny. She looked healthy…remarkably healthy actually. Her hair was thick and well taken care of, her eyes were bright and her skin looked wonderful. So what could be wrong with her…if there was anything wrong at all? “I ended up her by chance.” He admitted shrugging. That was indeed the truth, he never intended on ending up here. Only escaping from the slaver camp; but to end up here escaped his wildest imagination. He could never have guessed a place like this existed. So to want to end up here was…impossible. Or maybe he did want to end up here...He pondered that until she introduced herself. She was outgoing, not many would approach someone like she had when they first got to Mura. He knew he didn’t. He spent a few days scoping the place out in quiet. But his situation was a little different. He had something to run from, something to fear that could follow him here to harm him. He was still afraid that some day they would find him here. And he would have to deal with them in one way or another. He still wasn’t sure how he would do this; but knew he would have to. But he was going too far. That was an if not a when. There was a big difference between the two. One he would have to learn better for himself. Her smile was interesting. Her teeth were so…white. He had never seen teeth as perfectly pearlescent as hers. Her canine teeth were also a little more pronounced than he would have expected. Interesting but he supposed everyone was a little different. But hers were so white! They made every other pair of teeth he had ever seen seem dull in comparison. He nodded. “It would be a pleasure to show you Mura Lena, I am Serrif.” He said answering her question and also introducing himself to her. He smiled and then made a motion toward the entry through the forest to the beach. “Shall we go?” He asked as he smiled and waited. The path into the city wasn’t long, but it was about a fifteen to twenty minute walk. Plenty of time for the two of them to talk alone.

[Anjalena Palla]

Lena took a step out to match herself beside Serrif and replied, "Of course, Serrif! Thank you kindly, for your assistance. I'm sure you can imagine my awe when I first arrived. It was a magnanimous change... One so large I could not have even begun to expect!"

As they walked, Lena wondered how vigilant this man was. Would he question her about her life up until this very moment? She had met those sorts, and she was always prepared. She had spent months fashioning her story, being sure to polish it and elaborate. There was nothing she wasn't prepared for. She decided to forgo the expected questions.

"So Serrif, I know you arrived her nearly two seasons ago. I'm curious as to why. Will you tell me a little about yourself as we walk?" It was more than just a ploy to revert him from questioning her. There was truth in her words; she did desire to know more about this man, including - possibly - the origin of his plentiful scars. The discoloration was evident when the sun hit his body just right. From her peripheral vision, she noticed them glimmer. More and more of them drew her attention, but she dared not look or stare. She had been well educated in the likelihood that abundant or obsessive staring could make him uncomfortable. Lena preferred most to avoid this sort of reaction. Her quest was crucial.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Magnanimous….now that was a word he hadn’t ever heard put together before. He smiled and nodded. He could only imagine what a change it had been for her. But for him it was more than a simple change of scenery. It marked a change in his very functioning as a person. His very aspect on life had been changed because of this. His very outlook on life had changed along with this. It was indeed magnanimous how much he had changed in the two seasons here. He didn’t ask her questions, although he expected them to come his way. Much like her people always wanted to know of his past…they wanted to read his scars. A story not easily digested by those that heard it. Oftentimes it disturbed those that could ‘see’ the story. Seers didn’t seem to get along well with him because of this reason. And he tried to avoid them because of the images they could or might see. His last goal was to disturb people here in Mura. He didn’t intend to do that at all. It was a story he almost tired of telling, but he knew it would happen. Just when was more of the question to him…And then she asked. He nodded and then formed carefully what he was to say. “I’m a healer, well working to be a healer in the Opal Order. Right now I am working with Lym one of the Temples many herbalists. She is teaching me much. I also am a student of Ildin. She is teaching me the art of the longbow. My history however is…” He paused thinking of how to correctly word this, “complicated…I don’t remember anything before four years ago. And I wish to forget everything I remember before Mura.” Yes that was a polite way to put it. There were many scars on his body. Some more pronounced than others. It was true the sun gave them away easily. But with her good vision and keen eyes she was able to easily see them as well. They were only three years old at maximum. And from what she saw of him shirtless some of them were much fresher than that. Maybe only at maximum half a year old. Whatever had happened to him…had to be horrible. He didn’t even want to speak about it with her. But she was a stranger whom he had just met. It wasn’t unusual for him to not want to share his deepest darkest secrets with her. And from the look of the scars they were indeed deep and dark. And likely very painful as well. “I have found a sense of peace here in Mura. It is different from anywhere else I can remember.” Now wasn’t that just the truth. He smiled and shrugged. “Do you wish to see the Temple First?” He questioned.

[Anjalena Palla]

Lena mused over his story, sifting through what little details she had been given. A man covered in a plethora of scars in every shape and size imaginable. A torture victim? Or cursed with gaucheness? She dismissed the latter conclusion. She had observed him warm up on the beach, and while he wasn't particularly elegant, he was not exactly ungainly, either. His history was "complicated," as far as he could remember. She hated to make assumptions about someone, but to figure them out as quickly as possible was to know how to read and react to them. This would prove the best results.

"You want to be a member of the Opal Order, you say?" This piece of information peaked her interest. "That's a high ambition you have, and it seems to me you are studying quite hard to achieve it! And yes, I would love to see the Temple. Tell me, Serrif, why do you want to be part of the Opal Order?"