Quest [Enclave] Searching for Answers (Aose)

[Harrier]

Timestamp: Summer 6, 513

A dream came to Aose early in the morning of the 6th. She dreamt she was flying across the Unforgiving, the great mountains and cliffs and forests beneath her swept away with each beat of her wings. The breath of the air as it flowed across her feathered form was exhilirating and the speed at which they moved enlightening!

They were flying west of home, Wind Reach somewhere behind her and the world somewhere ahead. She felt sure that they were going somewhere important, some lost landmark. A place of wood and bird and song. And as she flew, she was sure she could see it on the side of a mountain....There! There it was! The temple! But the name escaped her as she hurriedly approached, beating wings carrying her ever closer, unaware of the nightmare that lurked beneath the canopy of these ancient trees. She was so close she could hear the great song of some fantastical bird and her body was shifting forward to land, feet extending, wings beating hard until something blocked her path.

It was the Glinting Swiftmist! Its great trills were words and its pretty reflection was fire. It spoke!

"GO BACK GO BACK GO BACK YOU ARE NOT READY GO BACK" And back she must go for the bird had said as much. And as the dream rushed her away from the beautiful temple of bird and forest, she felt the strong urge to find its name...but where? Where could she find the name of such a beautiful place?

The answer came when Syna peeked upon Wind Reach. She had to go to the Enclave.

x

[Aose]

A dream is indeed just that, a dream. Yet this one was more vivid as if it was truth. Flying through the air as if on a set of wings all her own Aose could feel the wind thrumming through her feathers, the tips wavering to keep her steady as she took to the thermals and the sinkholes as she was a natural flier.

There in the distance Aose could see the location of the temple in her raptor eyes. Eywaat's temple! Amazing in all it's splendor, yet the name flitted away from her much like the shimmering image of the Glinting Silvermist in her waking hours some days ago.

Landing was eminent and necessary, her feet extended as if beyond her control, wings arching backwards to buffer herself against the fate known as gravity. And speaking of the devil the beautiful bird came screeching out from the treeline, throwing the words quite clearly into her mind, GO BACK repeatedly before ending with 'YOU ARE NOT READY' Aose's dream body released a cry of surprise and immediately flapped her large powerful wings, pushing away from the ground that was just below her talons.

No! No! I got to see it! Nooo! I got to remember the name... yet her dream was not out of her control and the world sped away beneath her as she returned west, and with a thud into the ceiling of her cave her dream-bird shape dissipated into a cloud of glittering dust and Aose woke with a startled scream in her bed. Sitting back straight and a look of fright on her face, swear drenched her body as she tossed the blanket aside and stood. Other yasi were looking at her yet Aose ignored their looks.

“Piss off.” She snapped as she hurriedly dressed, running her hands through her tangled bed-raggled hair Aose looked around, “Siilark! Let's go.” Shouldering her quiver containing her bow and arrows the yasi girl started out of the cave network in search of her destination..

The Enclave, that will have the answers... It must!

Template Credit: Euthisa

[Harrier]

Indeed, Aose would find her answers at the Enclave. But the search would not be easy.

Kirna was in a tissy as soon as Aose arrived, something about an argument with her lover and the early summer party that had occurred in the Endal aeries. She was definitely not in the mood for dealing with snotty Yasi who thought they owned the world and every Chiet and Avora in the city was at their disposal.

Presently, Kirna was busy sweeping up a pile of dust left from some idiotic Dek the previous day, grumbling under her breath the whole time. Aose could try and slip by her while she was busy, and hope to find what she needed on her own, or she try and weather the Avora's normally docile temper and ask for assistance.

x

[Aose]

Aose could careless what Kirna's issue was, she had important god-related information she needed to obtain and the Enclave was the best location of said information. Aose smirked as she watched the usually cheerful Avora sweep up dust and grumble on about Endals and lovers.

“Ya know, work is important in dis day and age. What with Ivak loose and such. And I appreciate the runnin' occurrence of yer summery mishaps really I do. But I am lookin' for somethin'. Ya might be able ta point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.” Aose gave a big old grin to boot. “But ya shouldn't let no Dek take and leave a mess for ya. If dey can't do der own work, give 'em da boot.” Aose nodded and knelt down and took hold the dustpan for Kinra. Angling it enough so that the Avora could sweep it up into the scoop before Aose handed it back over.

“Dere.” the yasi nodded, “I am lookin' for a temple.. maybe in the Unforgiving or a mountain I think.” Aose nodded, the dream was a bit fuzzy in details and Aose's waken mind was failing to recall the details to be completely honest. “I just need a good idea of where ta look in here.” Aose looked around the Enclave.

“I figured askin' ya was safer den just comin' in 'ere and just go all over da place lookin' for what I need.” Aose chuckled a bit at that.

Well I could've just gone off and done it myself, but what good is that if I don't even know where to look?

Template Credit: Euthisa

[Harrier]

Kirna looked about ready to explode when Aose spoke up, the librarian having not expected to have her self-rant interrupted, especially not by a bratty Yasi. But when the girl bent and held the dustpan steady instead the fire dimmed some. Instead, the woman just pursed her lips and glowered for a moment, eventually straightening with the used pan in hand, and headed to a pail for dumping.

Turning back to the girl, now, the woman gestured off into the stony hall of the Enclave, saying, "And you're smarter for it, chick." She said sourly. "You are best checking Cartography or Kalean history. I'm afraid I don't know of any temples in the wilds anywhere near here. Four shelves that way, take a right, left, and look at the bottom. There are maps over there." She pointed with one finger towards a wall beneath a sunshine filled stained glass window. "Do you know the name of the temple? Or what god it followed?" The obvious suggestion that she could also try Religion hidden beneath the woman's tone.

Siilark had been sitting complacently on the girls shoulder the entire time, only shifting when she had stopped to help Kirna, his large curved bill hanging over her head and bright green eyes looking silently about. He kraa'd loudly after Kirna's question and gave Aose's ear a nip, launching from her shoulder and flying towards the bookcases the librarian had originally suggested. The warning was clear: the bookkeeper did not need to know any more than she already did. It was not her business.

x

[Aose]

Aose listened to what the librarian spoke her mind and then started to give directions, her head nodding in time to the information given. Eyes having followed the path and Aose had to mentally remember the turning sequence to the one section, but she was sure she could figure it out in the long run. When asked who the temple was dedicated to Aose's mouth opened, yet before she could utter a word Siilark nipped at her and Aose swatted towards the large bird.

“You bugger!” She watched as he landed on a shelf and sighed, Bastard bird. Learn some kinder way to tell me eh? Aose, having ignored that she never gave an answer to the librarian, walked her way to the bird on top of the shelving. “Git down 'ere.” She tapped her shoulder and looked up at him, “Dat crazy lady will have yer tailfeathers if ya don't.”

Looking away from the bird though Aose allowed her eyes to trail the titles and subjects of the books enclosed on the unit before her, there were a variety of books, yet true to the librarian's words the books on cartography and Kalean history were there, right on the bottom shelf. Stooping down to a crouch Aose glided a few fingertips from one book spine to the other, muttering the titles to herself.

Nothing jumped out at the yasi... Not a bloody book title jumped out in it's obviousness.

“Eywaat. What am I looking for?” She muttered.

AOSECredit to Fallon for creating

[Harrier]

Siilark simply stared down at her, shifting on his perch to turn and hop down onto the books below him but not near enough to the girl to be caught. He was a wily thing, like most ravens, and had displayed his intelligence a number of times. Even now, one could almost see the gears turning in his mind as he watched his new, and rude, keeper.

Aose's search would seem fruitless as she moved across the different titles, looking for just the right one. Nothing was jumping out at her, however, for she didn't know what she needed to find besides a temple. That was when a folder above and behind her on the shelf there suddenly slipped from the shelf and landed on the ground behind the girl, scattering several of the pages.

Many seemed random: sketches of birds in random positions; forests with various fauna grazing beneath the trees; strange statues. But two jumped from their pages to catch the eye. The first was of a beautiful bird. It was large, the form of a man seen near its feet, with brown, gold, and forest-green feathers. It had long, digigrade legs with large talons on each toe. The wings of the creature were sharply cut, like a falcons, while the face lacked that of a beak and many feathers. It also appeared to have teeth. The second image was far more frightening.

The creature was tall and slender, seeming to flow with liquid grace as it "drifted" upon the page. The long arms waved beside it, feather-like drawings extending from its arms. But it was the face, that awful, horrifying face which drew the most attention. Its eyes were solid black on an otherwise humanoid face. A crest of feather-like extensions rose from its head and the fingers of the drawing seemed to bare talons instead of nails. It was terrible and in the upper lefthand corner, scratched shakily onto the page was the word "Journeyman".

x

[Aose]

Aose picked up the two images, looking around quickly to ensure she wasn’t being watched the Yasi rolled up the two images and crammed them into her clothing, praying to Eywaat the whole time that they weren’t visible when she shifted about or turned. Once the girl felt satisfied about the whole circumstances of the situation Aose turned from the shelf with a look of resignation and called out to the librarian, “Thanks fer da help. I didn’t find wut I was lookin’ fer though.”

Waving goodbye Aose started towards the exit pausing for a second and looking back at Siilark, “C’mon. Lets get ya some foods eh?” Yet her mind and body language spoke volumes of other words. Lets get outta here so I can take a better look at these images so the grumpy librarian can go back to her ranting. I’ll feed ya when we get outta here, seriously. C’mon though.
`
“Eywaat, what the petch am I getting into? No one even knows of a temple!” the girl muttered as she slipped out of The Enclave and out into the walkway, turning a corner a few seconds later Aose slide to her bottom by the wall and pulled the pictures out from her hiding place.

The first one, the bird image, was odd and Aose wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I’ll take a look at this later, maybe at home” She nodded and held up the one with the shaky word and the odd drawing above it. “Journeyman?” She frowned, having no clue what that was.

AOSECredit to Fallon for creating

[Harrier]

While Aose contemplated the two pictures, a young man came traipsing up the warren to the Enclaves entry, a roll of parchment under his arm. He had a wary look in his eye and kept muttering under his breath. At least, until he had arrived and spotted the yasi sitting outside. He wouldn't have thought much of it but for the giant raven standing beside her, the large curved beak clicking quietly.

He stopped to admire the bird and then noticed the pictures which Aose was considering, his brow raising in surprise at the top picture. "Whoa...where did you get that from?" He asked, crouching beside the girl and reaching for the sheaf.

OOCSorry it's so short Working my way back into this quest; I'd gotten distracted...

x

[Aose]

Aose hadn’t noticed the man that came up the hallway, she still didn’t notice when he stopped to admire Siilark. Shyke the yasi didn’t even notice him when he blocked her view. When Aose did finally he was already reaching for the parchment papers and it took her by surprise.

“Excuse me...” She pulled them away from the man’s hands, “...These are mine. Besides why does it matter where I got ‘em.” Aose squeaked, the man must know she took them from the Enclave, but judging from his words, his stature, and the direction he was facing Aose had a feeling that he was going towards the Enclave, not from it.

She studied the man, he appeared scholarly, but nowhere could she see hints of being a book reading fiend. “Why do you ask anyway? Do you know something about them?”

OOCMeh also short >.<
AOSECredit to Fallon for creating