Closed Divine Intervention [Tempest Pod]

[Callipsia Tempest]

Day 10 of Spring in the Year 514 AV

There were few things more beautiful in Callipsia's eyes than the morning and evening meeting of Syna and Laviku. As eighteenth bell approached and the sun kissed the ocean waters, the myriad of oranges and yellows spilled across Laviku's blue canvas. The young Lia smiled slightly as she dug her toes in the wet sand, feeling her tattered clothes in her hands nervously. She would have preferred to commune with Laviku naked, but she was not free to play in his waters, on the shores of Riverfall. While this particular communion was extremely important...he would understand.

Whether her podmates knew where she was - or what she was doing - was of no concern to Callipsia at this moment, as she began breathing deep and clearing her thoughts. After weeks of uncertainty, they had a Pod; a small, weak Pod, but a pod it was. And as Laviku dictates, every Lia must have a Pardisa to honor and guide her down her path. Tatianna's glorious octopus fit her, and fit her well, encompassing her majesty and poise with every slither of it's tentacle under the waves. But Lia Tatianna, she was not. Callipsia did not command the attention of men as she walked - not even in Riverfall, where every single woman, no matter how homely, was attended to with every courtesy. She did not give the stirring speeches as Tatianna once did, nor did she have her charisma. All she had was her blood.

And now a Pod, the girl reminded herself.

As the sea and sky burned together, she knew it was time. Breathing out, Callipsia took measured steps that sunk into the sand, lips tugging up into a relieved smile as she felt the waves caress her toes. Further she stepped as ankles, knees and hips were consumed in the ocean's water, chilling her body, though she didn't mind. Farther still her body moved, until her shoulders were just resting under Laviku's lifeblood, letting waves wash gently over her face as natural ebb and flow guided her breath, her thoughts. Her platinum blond hair, bleached from years of salt and sun, gleamed in the dying light. Brilliant blue eyes opened to stare it down, before closing again, as her prayers began.

"Oh Laviku, my Father of Fathers," she began breathily, letting the waves calm her. "Master of Waves and Commander of Sea Creatures; I beg of you now, to hear my prayer. As your loyal servant, and as your daughter, now and forever. If there was ever a time of need, where I was in need of your guidance - I believe this was it, oh Father."

The weight of her shirt tugged at her and she sighed annoyingly. After some thought, she relieved herself of it, letting the hole-ridden thing float where ever it would. It bore too many poor memories - she would buy a new one at the market on her way to the Pod. Sighing as the weight lifted, she felt a catharsis approach, tears upon her face welling. "Father," Callipsia choked, arms wading to keep her afloat, "I know not what to do. I was seventh in line, and now I am Lia. There were once fifty of us, Great Father, and now there are Six. There is pain in all of us - All of us, my Father. They all want to show it, to bear it. But I cannot. I am not permitted."

Tears now flowed freely down her face, as she splashed a fist angrily at the water, her voice practically screaming at the sun that slipped halfway over the horizon. "What cruel punishment is this, Father? Why have you done this to me?! Why have you taken all that is so dear from us, and left the weakest of your daughters when your children need the strongest? You kill the Octopus, and leave them a guppy! How do you expect us to survive? How will I lead them? How?! What have you done?!" As her voice reached a crescendo, her body convulsed into sobs that until then remained hidden at night, finally reaching a state of hysteria and anger long overdue. For chimes, she waded, cried, splashed, kicked, uncaring of who or what saw her. Should any have approached, friend or foe, they would have met a glare unparalleled in it's wake, a warning to stay away in this sacred act. Slowly, though, the cries quieted. The waves came. They withdrew. They ebbed. They flowed.

"Laviku, my gracious Father," She tried again, her voice practically a whisper. "I am sorry for the anger. I know you guide our lives in strange ways, but you have your reasons. But please- whatever your reasons, I need your strength. I cannot guide my Pod like this. We are angry, that another would so carelessly kill our kind." A dark strength came into her voice as she spoke. "Oh great Laviku, I beg of you, bless upon me a Pardisa and Tavan worthy of my station. Bless upon me a creature that shall guide our revenge, and make me the leader you know I can be - as you made me one."

A quarter of the sun was left on the horizon. Her eyes strained, turned desperately over the vast ocean. "Laviku, I beg of you. I've nowhere else to go. Please. We deserve better. We are stronger than this. We will rise from this, and take back the Tempest name. Answer my prayers!"

A crescent remained. With a disappointed huff, Callipsia bowed her head to the sea and turned to leave, when something...brushed her leg. Something also brushed her her waist. And breast. Hesitantly, her eyes turned down to the water... and two black eyes looked back.

A sea krait's head the size of her palm rested on her breast, nose painted a bright gold in the faded sunlight. Even in the dark sea water, she could see the light blue and black striping that ran along the body that entwined her; she must have been about five feet long, to have felt her body around her that far. Her face was bright, curious, friendly. Her tongue slithered out to taste her. Within an instant, the young Lia smiled, and mouthed her thank yous to Laviku.

As the sun finally disappeared from the horizon, a woman emerged from the sea. In place of a shirt, a large snake wrapped around her torso, coating her belly and breasts alike, with it's head curled lovingly around her neck.

And Callipsia's neck was held high.

[Tydus Tempest]

Never before had the Tempest Pod been in such a state of destruction. A rich, powerful Pod as any, it was now reduced to nothing more than six, an even split between men and women, though the latter were young, one even too young to be considered a woman. The eldest was five years his junior, and by the ill graces of Fate, the Lia. She was hailed in a short ceremony, in which Tydus was overjoyed to find that there was still hope for the Pod, but such joy had faded in the single day between there and now. She proved herself to be neither charismatic nor fearsome to behold, the only one terrified of her was, in fact, herself.

The Tempest scion looked up to Leth's glory shining down upon them, finding a quiet peace in the moon's light, a mug in ale in hand as he rested his head against the mast of Laviku's Wrath. The ship was far too small to support all six of the Svefra comfortably, or even at all, leaving the Pod stranded at land, as only a maximum of five souls could be aboard the ship at one time as it moved. The bedding arrangements were also terrible, at the least, for the rest of the Pod. Kel and Tydus rested in the living quarters, on hammocks, the rest, at Kel's behest, were relegated to staying on the deck, sleeping on wooden floors and in a sort of strange pile to keep warm. It wasn't the worst arrangement, after all, Nerida and Callipsia had spent nearly two weeks staring at podmember corpses and sleeping on a ruined ship's deck, but it was rather twisted.

Kel was unshakable and pitiless, though, and the Pod remained as was. Tydus shrugging in quiet acceptance of the arrangement. He had expected Callipsia, as Lia, to complain and overturn it, but she lacked the desire, or the force of will, perhaps, to counter Kel. It resulted in a very stagnant, weak leadership that the two eldest Svefra were bound to override. Something had to be done... The Svefra rose from the deck as he sough to confront his Lia, remembering she had spoken bells earlier of some sort of communion with Laviku, for a Lia's Pardisa, if he remembered correctly. Hopefully, the commune was complete, because there was now Laviku's business to be done. The Pods needed leadership of a certain magnitude that the Lia was unable to supply. And Tydus couldn't, or wouldn't, try to seize control from her. No, he had decided already that he was to assist in shaping the new Lia into one that the Tempests deserve.

By whatever means necessary.

The Svefra reached to his shoulder, plucking at the fabric of his tunic and slowly pulling it from his shoulders as he sought out his own commune with Laviku before confronting the Lia. He rose to his feet, throwing the tunic to the deck of the casinor before running to the gunwale, throwing himself from it and shaping his body into a spear's form, streamlining his fingertips so that he sailed through the water, plunging into the depths as his ocean's sense opened up to him again. This time, he did not seek out an ally, or a friend. Vesh, however, perked up from within the quarters of the ship as Tydus dove into the water, waddling to the gunwale and plunging into the water to follow his Svefra friend. The penguin sailed through the water and bumped into Tydus' back, the Svefra grinning and looking to his buddy before he called out,

"Oi, Vesh! Let's race, then! Whoever makes it first to the Lia wins!" The penguin bobbed its head underwater in understanding, spinning around twice before pushing forward with its wings, flying in and out of the water with tremendous speed for such a tiny creature. Tydus immediately regretted the decision to race, knowing that Vesh would rub the victory in his face later, but he swam along anyway, strong, hard pulls propelling the Svefra forward in the water as his legs kicked behind him. He wasn't a fast swimmer, or particularly stalwart, but he moved forward.

In the distance, the Svefra could sense via gnosis that his Tavan had stopped in the water, Tydus arching his eyebrows before cursing, Blast, he already found her, didn't he? Quick little git, Vesh is. He chuckled quietly, taking a pull and turning his body to the side to take a breath before continuing to propel himself forward. As he reached where Vesh was, about two chimes later, he saw what had made Vesh stop. A long sea krait adorned the Lia's body like a shirt, draping over her exposed breasts and stomach. He'd not yet seen the woman walk with such confidence. A momentary spark flickered in the Tempest scion before he rose from the water, a hand raising to brush through wet hair before he called out, "Ahoy, Lia! I trust you were successful?" he asks, motioning to her new Tavan.

[Nerida Tempest]

10th of Spring, year 514 A.V | Fratava | Common

Nerida smoothly cut through the water, imitating the movements of her Tavan. The sun was beginning to set, the sky darkening as the waves shone with the reflection of the light coming from above. It was the one thing that she could do and find herself relaxed afterwards, which is why she chose to think over their situation whilst moving through the water.

The Tempest Pod had reformed, their large numbers reduced to just six Svefra. With only one Casinor between all of them, the conditions were cramped, though they were a vast improvement from the dismal lifestyle she had led for the past two weeks. And of course, with Calli as Lia, there was the issue of her Pardisa. The time seemed to be perfect for her Pod-Sister's communion with Laviku, and in accordance with her thoughts Nerida changed direction, right hand on Rasia's back as they swam back to shore.

Standing upright on the sandy shore of Riverfall, the water reaching up to her thighs, she saw what was most likely her sister's figure nearby, as well as another's- from what she knew, it was probably Ty's. Wringing out her hair, she left the grasp of Laviku's realm, stepping onto the dry sand stretching across Riverfall's shore, and started out in her sister's direction, Rasia following in the water nearby.

As she walked closer, she could see something adorning her sister's torso - a sea krait, Nerida realised, as she reached the two. "Calli! I guess that's your new Tavan?" She called in greeting, walking within speaking range. The Svefra gave Tydus a smile of acknowledgement as Rasia came out of the water, her Tavan going closer to Callipsia to inspect her new companion.

[Callipsia Tempest]

Callipsia at first didn't notice voices. Her attention was entirely focused on the tourmaline, ebony and sunstone scales that now entwined and writhed about her body. Her deep black eyes entranced the young Lia, as two balls of darkness that felt utterly sympathetic. The snake's tongue tasted the flesh between her breasts and it released a giggle from the girl, who held up the snake's head and simply wanted to keep gazing into it's deep, black orbs.

At least, until she saw Vesh peek into view. Followed by Tydus. Then Neri. Then Rasia.

Sent by Laviku, after such a fortune, she told herself. Her hair, wet and slicked back, shined near translucent in the dying light. Yet as she regarded them, her neck didn't fall, nor did her pallor pale, or palms sweat. No - wearing Laviku's blessing as her armor, she was invincible.

"Laviku has communed with me, and blessed me well," the Lia spoke confidently. "I want you all to meet your new Pardisa. She seemed eager to meet me."

The curious snake looked at Callipsia as though asking permission, before nuzzling her and sliding off her torso to greet each newcomer. If each would allow, the krait would twine her way around the other Tavans and humans smelling and flicking her tongue at various body parts along the way in perceived friendliness - even to small Vesh, who she would approach almost timidly. Callipsia smirked at the display and reached out her hand for the snake when she was done with her inspection, looking around nervously. The Svefra faced much discrimination around Mizahar, and she didn't want one of them to be her indecency in Riverfall grounds. Sensing her nerves, the krait returned to her chest, and once again covered all parts, letting her resume her stance of confidence.

"I feel, we ought t'add a krait to our Pod tattoos, to represent th'addition of the new Pardisa," She found herself saying aloud, enjoying this newfound confidence while it lasted. "It's th'right thing to do - as we had with Lia Tatianna, and as we'll have with me. What's a more fitting metaphor for our newfound strength than a poisonous krait, yes?" Calli marveled in her words, marveled in her newfound confidence. This is what being a leader felt like. This was what strength felt like.

Strength felt like the weight of a snake upon one's hips and tied about one's breasts. Strength was the evening wind chill on one's beaded wet back and tattered skirt.

[Mayhem1]

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If anyone comes back, shoot me a PM for a grade!
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