Sacrifices (Cayenne - Kell - Satu)

[Satu]

Year 510, Spring, Day 80 The Konti had traveled far, far away from the small cave in the Wildlands. On foot, in wagons, and at times, clinging to strangers on horseback, she moved from road to campsite to village on her slow journey elsewhere. The places she stayed meant nothing to her, and so did not register in her mind. Where she took comfort or how long she stayed held less importance then the uncaring time that passed with the weeks. In her travels, Satu was considered a beautiful oddity, and a rarity. Oftentimes she was pleasant, but she was also no stranger to violence. Her moods were mercurial and shifted with the tides of feeling that surrounded her at any given moment. She felt them all, all the people she traveled with, supped with, or brushed against. The potency never diminished. Sometimes she would tell fortunes and truths in exchange for meals or shelter, though most of her patrons thought she carried a peculiar air. At times, her conversations were unusual, filled with ideas others could neither comprehend nor follow. The temporary companions justified her behavior as normal for a Konti Seer, having never before met one, but little could they imagine the tragic story behind Satu’s rebirth into the world of Mizahar. Since Opportunity, Satu was herself no longer, though she was unaware of the fact. While it was true her HeartSense had grown in clarity, it was also true the Konti had no grounding in which to temper the newly engulfing sensations. Her HeartSight, stronger and more vibrant than ever, could now discern people’s feelings with ease, but every petty or scathing emotion that assaulted her senses became a part of her. A barrier had been shattered in Opportunity, and Satu could no longer shut out the colorful noise that surrounded her, so she sunk deeper with each passing day into a private world of madness. Had she been at home on her gentle Isle, the white sisters of the Opal Order could have flown to her aid. But she traveled away from them, and the time was long past late for any healing. ========== The boat from Black Rock floated slowly along as the jungle slipped past in silent mystery. Satu stood at the railing, listening to the hush as it was punctuated periodically by a sudden din from within the dark embrace of the trees. As she watched, the shadows began changing, forming secrets among the greenery of branches and foliage. Leaning forward against the railing, Satu listened intently, cocking her head. The jungle hummed. Satuuuu…. Satu froze, straining to hear. Whispers too faint to understand floated out from the denseness.The jungle whispered! A light awoke in the Konti’s remote eyes as the birds cawed suddenly and took to wing, filling the canopy with noise and confusion. And Satu was convinced a message was hidden within the avian calls. Walk through the trees… Konti foresight buzzed along her spine and every sense tingled in warning. The jungle CALLED. A slight tremor shook her head. There was no time to waste! She needed escape from these passengers and their onslaught of worries and angers, hatreds and loves and… Let me be away! Away to the quiet of the jungle, to walk without energetic interference, Satu let the Freedom of such a prospect wash over her… It was easy to find a fisherman; one had his small boat tied against the larger ship. But convincing the man was another matter. “There is where I wish to go.” Satu informed the sunburned man, in her lilting Common. Pointing one long finger at the dark shores of Falyndar, she continued, “You will drop me on the shore,” the sense of urgency giving rise to a feeling of command. “There?” he stammered, “Bu… But… Mistress Konti… That is Jungle, Falyndar’s Wilds.” He took a breath, to calm himself, “Nobody just goes and walks in! And if they are foolish enough, they don’t walk back out!” The fisherman’s Fear was palpable, even without the use of her HeartSense. “There’s a hundred reasons not to go! All manner of dark and evil call that place home! Cannibals ride giant tigers, they say...” He reached out to touch her arm, but the beautiful woman intimidated him, though he couldn’t quite say why, so he wrung his hands instead. “The Myrians kill everybody. And if they don’t, the snakes get the rest. You really don’t wanna go there! Please say you’ll reconsider, Miss!” The shoreline drifted past, as the man’s Fear circled him, tightening and coiling about his torso. He was weak, Drainira would never have approved of him. But this little fisherman would do as she wished; he was a follower and Satu would hear none of his protests. Once he realized there was no use in arguing, slimy tendrils of Greed snaked around his Fear and masked it. “You will be paid well of course, for the little work required…” the Konti added, as the Greed flared in his Heart. Did Riches and Rewards tempt all humans? An enchanting smile touched Satu’s face, there was no doubt passage was secured. The fisherman agreed and went to make ready the little boat. Grumblings concerning the intellectual capacities of the entire Konti race versus the stupidity of fishermen could be heard as he worked quickly to prepare the vessel.

[Kell Northwind]

Often Kell had stood along Cyphurs’s west shore and gazed across to the land beyond. Now Kell was finally there and his first impression was that it was hot. Stormrunner’s hooves slowly plodded along the water’s edge, and Kell batted a low branch out of his face. He had never seen so many trees! Sure Sylira’s Wildlands had plenty of foliage but that was nothing on this jungle. Kell peered into the dark undergrowth, wondering if anyone actually lived in there. He had once heard of traders talking about people who rode giant leopards and ate your eyes, but that was clearly exaggerated superstition, if not outright nonsense. As far as Kell could see there was nothing around but the wildlife that he heard calling to one another. As interesting as the shore Kell rode sedately along was, Kell wanted to see what mysteries lay under the dense canopy. Every time he tried to turn Stormrunner inward however, she balked. Figuring she was just nervous of the unusually place, Kell let her maintain her shoreline trek until the mare was acclimated enough to venture inwards without a fight.

Taking his gaze away from the trees, Kell glanced out over the calm water that separated this steamy jungle from the grasslands of his home. It was amazing, he thought, how just a little bit a separation could cause two places to be so drastically different. Off to the south out in the deep water Kell spotted what might be a ship floating idly along. Kell’s interest was momentarily piqued until he remembered the seeming lack of civilization on this side of the shore, without so much as a dock Kell doubted the boat would be putting in over here anytime soon.

Returning his attention back to the trees, Kell caught sight of something bounding away. Probably some type of deer he thought. Kell toyed with the idea of string the long bow tucked into his saddle bag and going hunting, but decided against it. He had plenty of rations and didn’t feel like going through the messy work of cleaning his kill. Instead he prodded Stormrunner into a slow trot southward along the water’s edge.

[Satu]

The small boat tenderly rocked its occupants side to side as it approached Falyndar’s considerable shoreline. The Konti, normally so linked to water, only had eyes for the jungle. Rich undergrowth thickened amid the lush, dark foliage of green trees, and in their shadows, secrets... Satu searched the trees with her distant gaze while the fisherman took a few moments to locate a good landing spot. The nudge of the boat sliding onto rich earth brought Satu back to her immediate surroundings. Anxiety! The fisherman’s Fears were palpable, “Go quick Mistress Konti! I’ll not stay here long, nor make a proper landin’… May Laviku help you where you’re going!” Satu was in the process of pressing five gold mizas into the man’s hand when he mentioned the Sea God. The HeartSeer stopped to study his face, “Fear fills you,” she hissed, as his emotions strove to taint her Heart, “I see it! But it is you that has to carry it within! I shall entreat mighty Laviku for your sake instead…” And she folded his hand around the coins, grabbed her belongings and stepped lightly over the side of the boat. When he opened his fist to look at the mizas, he realized Satu had doubled the payment. The fisherman stared at the money in his wrinkled hand. Perhaps it was blood money… But he pocketed the coins anyway, overriding his worry. Let it be payment for the hell he was sure to catch from his wife for leaving the pale woman there, alone. But she had wanted to go, alone even, with none foolish enough to follow her. He had warned her! He had tried! The Konti was mad to attempt it. But Konti were strange, fey creatures, with stories of their own told about them. Just like the others within the jungle there. Maybe that is where she belonged, he rationalized to himself. Then with the hurried attempt of the Fearful, he left her as soon as her other foot touched upon the damp earth. Gentle sounds of water lapping over wood moss and branches cleansed Satu’s spirit immediately of the man’s Fear. She grasped long leafy vines to help her climb easily to dry ground. She had supplies and her pack, and of course Drainira’s thread tightly secured. But to the eye, the Konti did not appear prepared for a trek through the jungle wilds. Her clothes, originally of fine cut cloth with strands that shimmered throughout the length, had changed from pristine white to a dull grey after months of traveling on the road. Both the calf length skirt and the matching top showed signs of wear. The sleeves of the blouse were delicate and short, and ended just past the shoulder in frills dotted with black, tiny seashells. Many of the shells had fallen away, others held on by mere threads, though a number of the pretty baubles remained. And early on in her travels, after she had lost her shoes in Opportunity, a woman had noticed Satu’s lack of footwear, in pity she had gifted her a pair of yellow slippers. Unbeknownst to the woman, Satu still had plenty of mizas in her pack; she only lacked the inclination or the thought to spend it on shoes. These changes regarding her own physical appearance, the Konti failed to notice, and the once overly pristine HeartSeer now looked beautifully disheveled and unkempt. Her hair shimmered in chaotic whiteness, but it was never quite combed or styled as it once had been. All told, Satu looked very out of place. Climbing through the shoreline brush, the HeartSeer stood and straightened. Her foresight flared! Almost upon her as she stepped onto the path, was a man riding slow on horseback. Satu was not Afraid. She knew not Fear, for she did not question the path of the Chavi. But she knew; the man was here for her! Stepping to the side, the Konti raised a delicate looking hand in greeting, and a radiant smile spread over her face. Calling out loudly to him, she said, “You are a man of Vision! How fortunate you are here! I was sure no one else had witnessed the signs.” It was remarkable to meet another person with the same Insight and Vision! Her face glowed with delight to share something so significant. “Come! Come! I go to seek Freedom, it is there, I believe…” and she pointed vaguely into the misty trees. “Shall we travel together? Do you wish to follow me?”

[Kell Northwind]

It was indeed a ship bobbing listily in the middle of the current. Idly Kell watched as it slowly grew larger as Stormrunner plodded closer along the bank. lost in thought about the ship, Kell almost didn't notice the smaller vessel making it's way towards the shore. Someone to talk to, this should prove an interesting diversion for the afternoon. He gentle tapped Stormrunner's ides with his heels, encouraging her to pick up the pace. The mare snorted in annoyance but broke into a slow trot. Was the larger ship damaged perhaps? Or maybe there was a village near by that they were trading with. As Kell swayed relaxingly in his saddle he thought up countless reasons for the craft to be landing so far from anything of note. As he neared the spot where he estimated the boat had beached he slowed Stormrunner once more to a sedate walk. It wouldn't do to frighten his new friends after all.

The two, man and mare, rounded a slight bend and were greeted by a wholly unexpected sight. The boat was already making it's way back out into the open water, seeming to have stayed long enough only to deposit a woman upon the beach. Kell looked her over as best he could without seeming to be rude. Her clothes clearly had been through much, though they still seemed remarkably intact for the amount of travel grime that was ground into them. The woman her self clearly didn't belong in this wild tract of jungle. She seemed to be just a bit smaller than Kell himself, though much more slender. And she was quite pale. Around her neck Kell noticed a faint glimmering and some unusual formations in her skin. So she was one of those Koti, or Canti. Whatever they were called, Kell had never met one before. A slow grin tugged at his mouth, what luck, a new experience. Kell looked from the woman to the rapidly shrinking skiff that had brought her here and back. What completely inappropriate behavior, leaving this lady out here all by herself, he thought with a frown.

The woman greeted him with a smile and a wave, well that was more promising than some other greetings he had received in the past few years. Kell knew nothing about these signs the lady talked about, but she called him a Vision. That most mean she thought he was handsome, unconsciously Kell sat up a little straighter in his saddle. Freedom, sounded like a pretty good thing to search for to Kell, maybe she was an escaped slave of some sort, if so then it was of course his duty to escort the lady to wherever she wished to go. He dismounted Stormrunner and swept off his wide brimmed hat with a small flourish and a bow. "Good afternoon, m'lady," Kell offered with a somewhat sheepish grin. "I'm afraid I know not what signs to which you refer. However, to seek out freedom is a most noble pursuit, I will gladly escort you on this journey of yours. Kell Northwind of the Sapphire Clan at your service."

[Satu]

As Kell swept off his hat, Satu’s eyes shone at the lordly display. She clapped her hands together happily and lifted her travel skirt up at the sides, promptly curtseying before him. Standing straight again, she replied in heavily accented common, “Well, Kell Northwind of the Sapphire Clan, greetings to you! Satu... I am called Satu!” He was only a bit taller than the Konti, but tanned and lean of build. His blonde hair and blue eyes made her feel nostalgic for her Konti sisters back in Mura. Charming and agreeable was his speech, but it was his Heart that captured her attention. Accommodating... She felt as she spoke to him, that his energy catered to her and to her wishes. This pleased her greatly. Though he lacked the Aggressive and Threatening qualities she often searched for in others, she found him fascinating. Surprisingly though, he was neither Weak nor Helpless without the darker qualities of Heart. Satu smiled genuinely, this man was not a threat to her. He appeared to have perfect understanding of how she should be treated. And he wished to follow her! She could not disappoint one such as this. So the HeartSeer would lead, as she believed she was destined to do… Reaching out, she clasped his hand between her two scaled ones to hurry him. “Come! This is the way…” She said lightly. “It is very important we are here! Can you feel it? The Jungle weight that cradles us? It is calling… Calling us to meet our Fates!” Her touch was soft upon his skin as she pulled him along gently, playfully on the deer path. Skipping ahead she let go of his hand and as a young lover might she turned, skirt twirling to gaze back at him. Smiling radiantly, she wanted to make sure he followed and urge him to travel faster through the low hanging branches.

[Kell Northwind]

Kell blinked. Then he blinked again. This lovely young woman, Satu she had said her name was, was quite lively. It was a startlingly abrupt contrast to the somber and somewhat oppressive jungle Kell had been riding through. Kell still was at a loss for what the woman was talking about, a jungle couldn't call you, it had no voice. Giving a mental shrug, Kell let the matter drop. It would all work out in the end, it always did. He couldn't help himself and her apparent good mood infected him as well. Grinning along with her, Kell let Satu pull him onto a game trail that opened out onto the beach. Stormrunner snorted her disapproval from the beach. When her partner didn't return the mare whinnied for him. Still he did not return. With an unsteady step, Stormrunner followed the pair of humanoids into the dense undergrowth. Her body shook and her eye's rolled as she tried to watch every direction at once.

With Satu pranced along before him Kell batted another branch aside. The foliage the she danced around with such ease seemed intent filling as much of the path before him as it could. He recalled all the old legends he had heard the merchant's guards tell around the various campfire when he was young. About how men followed beautiful women into the forest and were never heard from again. Those tales were all full of horror and warning, but Kell's breif encounter with Satu left him wondering if the didn't return simply because they were happier. "Slow down m'lady," Kell implored Satu, "As I do not have your grace I am forced to bungle through these branches the old fashioned way. I am sure that I could be of much more help to you if I remain in one piece."

Kell was nudged from behind, turning he saw that it was Stormrunner nuzzling into him. That poor mare looked wretched, and was all a lather. The silly horse must have been frightened she wouldn't find him, Kell assumed. He patted her neck and hummed a few notes into her twitching ear to reassure her before turning once again towards the offending branches

[Cayenne]

All around Satu and Kell, the jungle sang. The song soothed the Konti’s Heart - it was a ballad filled with life and death, of community and isolation all at once. Falyndar was a place of treacherous beauty. Even the most disarming, delicate-looking flower could kill, here, for those that didn’t know what they were doing or what they were really dealing with. The song of nature called her, the lack of emotions around her almost strange after being surrounded and assaulted by them for so long. For Kell, the song of the jungle was different altogether – it was a song of the unknown, a surreal world where he had never been around so many trees in his life, even on a coast. He had been raised on the Sea of Grass, after all, as a Drykas… and while there was the occasional copse of trees, and he had traveled northward… but nothing compared to this dense overwhelming, concealing mess. Caiyha seemed to have a very weird sense of humour.

It was hot and humid for both of them, and even more heat seemed to seep out from the inner depths as they traveled a barely worn path – it was clear that it was used often, true, but despite this, the jungle was clearly trying to grow over it. And as they got in, Satu began to feel something. Aggression. It lurked on the outside of her senses. It didn’t come from one source. It came from plenty. Contempt. Zeal. Hunger. Hostility, Disgust. It was a heady, frightening cocktail of emotions that assaulted her with no discernable source. All she knew was that it was closing in on her like a net – everywhere. There was no place to flee – it was behind them, in front of them, to the sides… There was nowhere to go but straight on. There was nothing to see beyond the walls of green, the flashes of colour that came from overhead fruits and flowers and blooms, of brilliant birds and vibrant insects, from large beetles to enormous butterflies. There was nothing to hear beyond the song of the jungle, the song of nature untouched by civilization.

That was why it may have been a shock them as the path began to widen that an arrow struck a tree mere inches from Satu’s head as she lead the way. When they looked forward again, their path was blocked by a tall female creature. It wasn’t a woman, not quite – she was humanoid, certainly, but at the same time, she didn’t look like any human any of them had ever seen. She was built like a woman who was used to hard, physical labour, broad in the shoulders and hips, wearing leather boots and breeches with a breastplate of leather that fit like a second-skin that had no sleeves and exposed her strong arms. What parts of her skin that they could see were dark, mud-brown to the point of being almost black. Oddly enough, a thick section of hair stood up like a horse’s trimmed mane, almost the entire center third of it, stood up on its own in a thick mohawk, and the sides of her scalp were covered in a cross-hatched pattern of small braids. Woven into these were trinkets of shell, of bead, of bone and claw and fang. She covered in paint and mud, all of her, and dark eyes flashed at them. There was Hostility. There was Hatred.

There was Power.

She was carrying two swords of a strange material (something akin to bone, maybe?), one in each hand, and more still hung at her hips and presumably on her back, judging by the leather sheaths that hung there. She pointed one of the blades she held at them, at chest height. “Filthy trespassers,” the woman who radiated Power spat at them, “who are you? Why are you here?”

[Satu]

Mud, leaves and dripping plants became Satu’s world. Darting between leaves the size of her torso, she urged her companion further onward into the lushness. Though her slippers touched gently upon the ground, they became muddy, with small sticks and detritus clinging to the silky fabric. Heavy and moist, the humidity weighed her down and a thick sheen lay atop her skin and scales. Around them the jungle sounded with birds and unnamed things. But Satu paid these little heed. For the first time in her twenty six years, a blessed silence filled her Heart. It was not Drainira’s unnatural silence, this was different. It was welcomed and natural. The Jungle soothed and comforted her with stillness; a balm to her broken spirit. The Konti was in awe of it! “Kell?” She sang, almost giddily, “Do you feel? Nothing is there! The Heart is quiet… There is no emotion anywhere, except for yours, of course.” She sighed and smiled at him as if it was his doing that this miraculous event had occurred. “Only blessed silence….” The constant flood of feeling was blocked, and Satu could finally breathe again. What a glorious reprieve from the last two months! The Konti soaked it in. But the feeling was not meant to last, though hardily she fought to keep hold of it. It was no use. The comforting respite began to fade as her HeartSense felt the first emotions seep through the trees. They came again! It felt as if after a much needed remission, a sickness had returned to weigh her down and strike at her. She closed her eyes briefly, sensing them. There was nothing she could do to stop them, and they began to fill her Heart. Again, she felt them… Emotions, so many surrounded her! Satu turned in a circle searching for their location, but nothing could be seen. A sickly feeling tugged at her belly and crawled through her nerves. If Kell had been leading he might have seen the Konti’s eyes shift from playful into something more feral and cold. Satu whispered, “They are there! In the Jungle, surrounding us. Full of ill will and Contempt! Do you feel them? The Hostility? Encircling us with their Malevolence! Where are they?” She took a deep breath, looking once more in the dense jungle, but could not see nor hear anything. It was all the worse for not seeing. “Oh my Heart aches, they are Strong! I feel them. All around!” Aggression. Zeal. Hunger. Disgust, throbbed within her Heart. “They do not want us here. But they can not keep us away… Kell! Promise me you will be Brave!” She pulled his hand, more forcefully this time leading him on. The circling emotions reminded her of the other time she was surrounded with no hope of escape. Her Heart pounded wildly. “We are trapped! We are trapped!” As they closed in, a tinge of real fear appeared within the normally unflappable Konti. But yet, at the same time, the broken part of the HeartSeer welcomed these new feelings and silently urged them closer to fill and strengthen her. The arrow flew close by Satu’s head, and it scared her. But before she could process the close call, a tall woman appeared before them, brandishing her strange weapon. She was at least a foot taller than Satu and dressed oddly. What was she? Satu wondered. But the warrior’s presence... Hatred! Hostility! Filled the HeartSeer and took her breath away, it was perhaps the most Powerful Heart she had touched. The Konti was speechless as she felt the intensity scorch her own Vessel. So deeply did it burn! Satu’s eyes filled with tears. All she could do was stare as this new Power filled her. The woman’s Power offered Satu a sense of Strength and it was enough to wake her from her reverie. She shook her head, adamant, “We do not trespass! This is where we belong, the signs…!” Her Heart beat wildly and she looked to Kell, then back again. “We are called to be here! You would do well to give us passage. The Jungle wills it!” Her words were forceful yet truthful, and honesty rang through them. But one thing was apparent, she would not last a day on her own in the Wilds of Falyndar. And as an after thought, she added, “I am a Konti. My name is Satu.” As if there was any doubt as to what she was.

[Kell Northwind]

Kell was starting to get frustrated with Stormrunner. The mare's constant agitation continuously distracted him has he tried in vain to make sense of Satu's words. With an exasperated sigh Kell whirled on the poor equine. "Now listen here young lady," He admonished, "I get it, you don't like trees, but we're not turning back. I promise nothing is going to happen to you, have I ever let you down before?" Despite his efforts, Stormrunner only became more frantic.

So preoccupied was Kell with the mare that he failed to notice the Konti's increasing distress. He nearly ran her over before he realized that she had stopped. They were there? Who was? Certainly no one Kell could see. And of course we would be brave, wasn't he always? Kell was just turning to fetch his longbow from Stormrunner's saddle bags to ease his companion's mind, when a lone arrow whizzed by Satu's face. Well that settled that particular doubt for Kell at least. He gave up his pursuit of the bow as Satu confronted the female humanoid. attempting to string the bow stave while being menaced by at least two individuals would likely only earn him an arrow in the back. Instead, he turned his attention to the woman. The oddly grabbed amazon was probably in charge after all.

As Satu was winding down, Kell gently stepped in front of her, placing himself between the warrior and the Konti. "Now, now," he said, glancing at the arrow shaft quivering in the tree, "Was that really necessary? We are sorry if we have wandered into your land, it was not our intent. Miss Satu and I are merely traveling through, and I assure you we shall visit no harm upon you or yours. If you would kindly allow us to continue on our way we will make our way through your domain as quickly as possible and leave you be." He smiled friendly enough, though he wasn't quite foolish enough to take his hand from where they clasped his belt on either side of the buckle, within easy reach of his blade. If the woman proved to be unreasonable, maybe taking her as a hostage might convince her cohorts to parlay. Satu clearly would not back down, which left him little choice if he was to fulfill his vow to protect her

[Cayenne]

"You think you know the jungle?" Mockery was evident in every one of the strange female's words. "That pale-skinned deyhans like you belong here? You trespassed the moment you crossed the Goddess-Queen's borders without invitation. These our our lands, Myri's lands." Both of them had heard whispered stories of the savage cannibals who dwelled in the jungle. A feral people, by all accounts, who devoured any that they could catch and kill. Clearly, this was such a specimen in front of them. Her dark eyes flashed at them as she closed in, her movements reminding Satu and Kell of a predator's - there was a feral grace to her steps, the way she held those swords. One was held at their throat level, the other at her side. They were well taken care of, those weapons, but they had a reddish tint in the shade of the steamy jungle.

Bloodstains.

Despite the sound of birdsong and chittering insects, all around them, the overwhelming presence of hatred drew closer, as if guided by this malevolent spirit's words. There was so much Hatred it was impossible for the Konti to even begin to count its sources. Kell's mare startled, plunging and rearing as arrows from three directions peppered the ground mere specks behind her rear hooves. A trickle of Amusement passed by Satu's awareness. They were toying with them! "Lesson one, deyhan. You must know the jungle to know what it wills. It wills the strong to survive. I know what it wants. It wants your blood to nourish its roots and feed its children. Whose will be spilled?" There was a savage grin on her face. She exuded Confidence and Power, and Satu could tell with her HeartSense and her most recent ordeal that the Confidence was not wrought by pure Pride alone.

"You want into the jungle, white witch? Kill your companion and devour his heart. You claim the jungle says you belong here. A soft little kitten like you? Prove it." Oni stopped about three paces from them. If they wanted to begin a fight and try to take her hostage, now, perhaps, would be the best time to go for it - no time like the present, after all... especially when the future itself was at stake.