Rebirth [Rykanis Dakshata]

[Ilana]

Spring, 19th, Mid-day, 512 AV. Ilana looked around, a feeling of lose piercing her heart. Waves moved around her naked form and her wet hair clung to her slender body in long blond ropes. She could feel sand between her toes and the gentle swell of the ocean at her back, like a hand ushering her towards the shore. The water was cold, causing small bumps to rise along her arms and her long legs, making her shake with the cold. She was confused, wondering how she had gotten to this place, so full of sensations she had never before experienced. Tilting her head back she gazed up at the sun, shining down at her from its heavenly abode, somewhat mockingly. Memories of her past life, of countless days spent in peace, simplicity and beauty slid through her mind, mere fragments of her home and her goddess-mother. Sadness squeezed in her chest and she looked away, back to the new world around her. The salty, cold waves pushed her insistently and she took an unsteady step forward, her skin catching a ray of sun. Gold played across her skin, carrying with it a gleam. Her hair was tangled, wound around her horns, falling down her front in messy blond coils and a slimy green weed slid from her hip back into the ocean as the water grew shallow with each step she took. Something sharp jabbed into her foot and she winced at the unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling. Bending she slid her hand through the grains of sand around her feet, finding what had caused her pain. Pulling her hand from the water she gazed down at the shell she held. It was smooth, similar in a way to her horns, though lacking the glassy appearance, and conical, curving around into a sharp point. She ran her thumb over it, wondering what purpose it served in this world, or if it served any at all. A fish brushed against her calf and she jerked back in surprise. The shell flew from her hand and she landed heavily on her rear as the little silver fish darted away in fear. She frowned as tears jumped into her eyes and looked up, quickly finding the sun once again.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Recently Rykanis had been trying to make friends with a particular akalak, that worked in the docks, helping to load and unload ships. They had gone drinking a bit, and he had seen that one of his sides had rather loose lips... And having a source of info on the goings on of the docks, of the things coming in and out of the city... Well that could always be useful... Though so far he was not secured as an informant... But maybe he could work on from acquaintances... But today he had walked down to the docks, to look for him... And was having a bit of trouble locating him... He had asked a few people, and one had said he had gone off for a walk... Another had said he had not come in today... Regardless, seeing as he was already down near the shore, he might as well look for him, go for a bit of the walk by the shore himself... As he came along, chance would have it though, that not long after he had been walking, he did chance upon something interesting. At first he thought it was some beast that had washed up on shore, was thrashing around... But as he got closer, and saw it stand up... He saw it was a womanish form... Not exactly a woman though... He did not know of a woman with horns like a goat... Or that was the closest relation to the horns he could think of... And as he got closer, he also noticed... That the woman was naked... Why the petch did he keep running into naked woman in this city? He would have assumed she was a kelvic, if not for the horns. So what exactly was she? He walked over to her, taking off his cloak, and holding it ready to offer to her. Perhaps she would not mind a bit of covering. "Hello there... A nice day for a swim? Any particular reason you are out her in the water naked? Do you need some help? I offer you my cloak if you need it. You look like you are a bit cold..."

[Ilana]

Ilana looked away from the hot beaming rays of the sun and turned, jumping slightly, surprised by the deep voice. A tall, broad shouldered man stood before her, tall with dark purple, nearly black skin and dark hair. His eyes were much lighter than his skin and a rather lovely blue. "Oh, thank you..." She murmured gently, accepting the cloak gratefully and wrapping it around her narrow shoulders. The wool was soft and warm against her skin. It was too big for her and she had to hold it up to keep the ends from trailing in the water. A thought struck her. Perhaps this man could help her! Tell her where she was, point her in the direction of help, maybe he would even be kind enough to escort her. "I-I'm sorry to bother you but i seem to be a little bit lost. Where am i exactly?" She walked towards him out of the gently lapping water to stand on the shore, the dry sand sticking to her feet. Letting the cloak down she looked up at him and smiled slightly.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

As the naked woman spoke, Rykanis was careful to keep his eyes on her face not her naked body, and to give her a moment of discretion to wrap herself in his cotton cloak.Which was a bit over-sized for her, but was quite warm, and good for her to wrap herself in. Though as she spoke again, and smiled at him, he did wonder... She did not know were she was? How the petch had she gotten here then? She did not look like she had struck her head... So that did not seem to be the cause of the loss of memory... Could she have washed up on shore from a boat? Or swum here from somewhere else... At the moment, it seemed to him more important to know how she had gotten to were she was, than were here was. But he would have to be careful with his questioning... He did tend to jump right into interrogating someone, making them lock out... "Were are you? Why you are in Riverfall. Why is it that you do not know were you are... Do you by chance know how you got here?" He smiled back at her, trying to be consoling, and taking one of her hands in his own, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Lets start simple then. What do you remember? Anything at all? Even something simple, like your name? What is your name? I am Rykanis... Do you know yours?" He did wonder though what was going on... It was a bit hard to believe she had gotten here without knowing were she was... She had to know or seen something... It was not like she had just fallen out of the sky!

[Ilana]

Ilana gave his hand a gentle squeeze in return. His skin was warm. My name? She knew her name of course, she could even hear it in her mind at that very moment, but she knew that trying to recreate it with a mortal mouth would never work, no matter how hard she tried. Another pang of lose stabbed at her chest. Not only had she lost her home and her previous life, but she had lost her name as well. "I do know my name, but... I can't say it in this language. I'm sorry Rykanis..." she murmured frowning slightly and casting her eyes down to the sand between her feet. If she was meant to lie in this world then she would need to think of a name. "Ilana." She blurted suddenly, making up her mind quickly. Glancing up she smiled at Rykanis once again. "Please call me Ilana."

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis watched, as a confused look seemed to come over the woman's face... She seemed to be puzzling over her own name... Grasping at it, but not quite able to say it. What could that mean? She could not say it in there language? That made even less sense... She was speaking this language... And yet she did not know how to say her name in it? He would think learning to say your own name would be one of the first things to learn when learning a new language. So really, her words made little sense, and just added to the mystery she was forming into in his mind. Though he did see her downcast face on saying it, saddened by her own words... She seemed to be telling the truth, but was ashamed of it. Then her face grew bright once more, almost glowing with her happiness, as she told Rykanis to call her Ilana. Normally someone seeming to make up a name, and telling Rykanis to call them by it, would aggravate him, but in this case... It seemed like she was being honest... Regardless, he was at least not angry at her for it. Rykanis simply smiled back at her. "Nice to meet you Ilana. Though what other language is this that you speak? If you cannot say it in this tongue, could I hear you say it in your native tongue? I know some things do not translate well. I occasionally have issues speaking in common, taking things over from my native tukant." He continued smiling for a bit, waiting for her to respond. Then he would look her in the eyes, a quick glance at her horns. "I have to ask... Those horns... Are they real? I cannot say that I have seen ones like them... How exactly did you end up with them?"

[Ilana]

A blush rose on Ilana's cheeks when he smiled. He was far too handsome for his own good. She pursed her lips, thinking of something sutible to say. "I can no longer speak my old tongue, not in this body." Even that made Ilana winch, she sounded crazy, or at the very least mildly deranged. Groaning she ran a hand through her hair, pulling a few of the tangled strands away from her horns. Glancing back up, she eyed Rykanis. What's the harm in telling him? "It seems I cannot recreate it with this mortal mouth. You see, I am an Ethafael, one of Syna's celestial daughters. I don't know how I came to end up here, or how I am able to keep a solid form." She sighed, holding his cloak even closer. She was confused, and the small chaotic snatches of memories that she had left were not helping in the slightest. At his next question she laughed lightly, reaching up to run a hand over a horn, dislodging the last of the hair wound around it. "Yes, my horns are real," To prove this she gave the horn a small tug. They looked delicate; there was no denying that, especially with the slightly glassy complexion, but the truth was they were unbreakable. "They were given to me when I entered my goddess-mother's realm."

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis looked back at the woman, as she blushed at Rykanis' smile... Such a simple facial expression, and it so often made such a dramatic response... he himself did blush at times, more often when he had a bit to drink... Though it was rather difficult to see him blushing, with his skin being as dark colored as it was. But she could no longer speak her tongue, since her current body could not express it... That just seemed a bit odd... She could just be making it up... Or be crazy... Or she could be telling the truth... However unlikely, he always respected that as a possibility... An Ess-hafe-full? What was that? He felt like he had heard it before... But was not sure from were... He certainly was no expert on the many races of the world... Or was it even a race? Or something else entirely? He watched for a bit, as a curious, confused look came over her face... A bit distant... Rykanis wondered what was going through her head... Obviously something distracting... As for the horns... She said they were real... He supposed they were... Though receiving them on... What? Entering her mothers realm... She was just getting stranger and stranger... He was still not certain whether to believe her or not... Things did not really seem to be adding up... And it was still a mystery as to what she was doing naked in the surf... "Well, that is interesting... It must take some time to get used to having them... So... Are you wanting to go somewhere? Should I take you into town? I can't exactly leave you here alone. Do you have anywhere you would like to go?"

[Ilana]

OOCSorry this took so long! Sorry its so short aswell "Well, I have no money to speak of, and no belongings either, as you can see. Would there be a place where the poor may stay around here by any chance?" She titled her head to the side, studying him carefully. Was that common for humans? Purple skin? Or perhaps he isn't human at all. She wondered. Would it be terribly rude to ask him? There was a patch of sand drying on her foot and she bent to rub it off. Straightening carefully she smiled in success. It seems that I have gotten used to moving in this mortal body. She glanced back up at Rykanis. "Also, would you happen to know any way that I could get some money? A job perhaps?"

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis smiled at the woman, as she asked for a place to stay. A naked woman washing up in front of him, saying she needed a place to stay... Well, despite the fact that this situation could easily be taken advantage of... He knew he should not, and would not... No... He would be a good Akalak, to this woman in such an odd situation... "Well, lucky for you, there is a place for woman freshly in Riverfall, Godiva's Refuge. You cannot stay there indefinitely, but you can at least stay for a bit, while they help you get onto your feet." He almost smiled, as she asked her next question... Really, any of these would have been easily answered by someone newly arriving in Riverfall... Through normal means... But for obvious reasons, these were not visible when someone came walking out of the river... Rykanis wondered what might have happened to this poor woman, if he had not chanced upon her. "As for a job, you can go to the labor aid. I am sure you can find something there for work. In Riverfall, everyone who wants to work can do something, as long as you are willing to put in the effort." Well... This was also true... Though it was more really that everyone was expected to work... But really, what good person was such a layabout, that they did not want to work? So really, people worked because they wanted to... It was just that everyone wanted to work... "If you would like, I can lead you into town, and show you there. I am sure they would have some clothes for you to wear, so you dont have to go around in my bit of cloth forever." He said this smiling, and a bit jokingly, hoping to make her smile in return, or possibly laugh.