88th of Summer, 514 AV
Everything had to be perfect.
Hirem had spent the last three days wandering about Riverfall in a daze, understanding of what he had to do and, at the same time, terrified of taking the final steps to do it. He had come to this city lacking purpose, trying to understand what his life was meant to be devoted to. Now he stood in the full light of Yahal's grace and filled with nothing but conviction... and afraid of losing touch with that wondrous period of indecision. For the joys of Riverfall had not just been found in the city itself, the locations within and the people that tended to them. Riverfall had allowed Hirem to cleanse himself of prior sins and look once more towards the future with determination in his heart, and the journey that he had undertaken to reach this point was almost too sweet to end. He had experienced happiness in this city, had felt comfort in the company of others. He laughed and cried, and danced and sang, and had vomited more than a few times over the course of the season. And love too had been formed over the Summer... a deep and abiding love that had grown for this beautiful city of the Akalaks. He loved the stones and cliffs of this place, loved the sea breeze and the warm winds that swept through the streets by day and grew absent by night. He loved the people that lived here, the strong and hardy Rivarians, blessed with the virtue of character as well as diligence. His romance with Riverfall was unlike anything that he had ever experienced before...
and, like the sweetest of pleasures, it had come to an end.
Everything had to be perfect.
He stood on the Alements patio and stared out into the peaceful Suvan Sea, thanking Yahal and the other gods that held dominion over the weather for blessing the afternoon with moderate heart and cool, refreshing winds. It wouldn't do for his last night as a free man to be spent sweating uncomfortably underneath his clothes thanks to the oppressive heat wave. The sky was bright and clear above, with only a few rolling clouds discernible above the strangely calm sea. As he leaned against the patio railing and felt the tender hands of Zulrav slide down his scarred cheeks, Hirem reflected on the fateful day in the past that had seen him arrive at this very patio, just in time to catch Kavala of the Cytali in her moment of peace. That conversation changed my life, he thought, and smiled at the memory of it. Though the day had played host to its fair share of horrors - learning about the existence of the Ruv'na had chilled him to the bone, and the waking nightmares that had plagued him in the morning had proved similarly disturbing - overall Hirem had slipped into bed with a wonderful sense of duty filling his heart. And as I drifted to sleep, I found myself whispering a prayer to Nysel under my breath, wondering if he was listening and if I was fit to speak with him. The importance of that conversation had never once left him, and he knew that it was only fitting that he return to this patio for this last, quiet celebration.
He did not stand alone at the patio; sitting in the far corner, tuning his guitar and humming a pleasant tune to himself, was a fellow Benshira named Urqad. Urqad was a man of easy smiles, soft fingers, and disarmingly bright eyes, an experienced musician and entertainer. Hirem had encountered him earlier this season at the Rat Hole, playing his under-appreciated Eyktolian tunes for a crowd of less than impressed thieves. While Hirem, as a rule, did not trust men that offered their services to the owners of the Rat Hole - which, in itself, was hypocrisy of the lowest order - he had grown to like Urqad for his impressive talent and irresistible charm, as well as for their shared heritage. When the time had come to plan this celebration, he turned to the musician in order to arrange some entertainment, figuring that he would at least like to hear some music from his homeland on his last day as a free man. The fellow Benshira had been more than welcoming in this respect, offering his services for a measly gold miza that Hirem was quick to part with... after all, what need would he have of money? This casual disregard Hirem possessed for his own coinpurse also allowed him to expend a great deal of money in order to pay for the night's food, believing that he could not leave Riverfall and his friends behind without at least paying them back for the trouble he had caused them throughout the season. He ordered this food directly from the Alements as well as other nearby vendors, purchasing a great variety of dishes in order to cater to the many different tastes he was satisfying.
The result was a quartet of banquet tables arrayed along the corners of the patio, reserved entirely for the guests that Hirem was hoping to seat at his large dinner feast. With Caelum's permission, the Benshira rearranged the furniture so that one large circular table dominated the patio, a large host of wooden chairs padded with soft cushions surrounding it. Hirem looked back on this table now and frowned, wondering if he was going to have as many guests as he had been hoping for with this night's celebration. Yesterday evening had been consumed with the hasty writing of invitations and the equally harried rush to distribute them throughout the city, Hirem hoping that they would reach their intended eyes. The invitations were not personalized and read, in a very shaky and unpractised hand, I am hosting a dinner at the Alements on the 88th of Summer. It would do me honour if you could arrive at my table. - Hirem, from the tents of Alachi, of the sons of Rapa. It was unmistakably Hirem's hand that drafted the letters, for no one else could write so messily and expect that others would be impressed by the terse nature of his message. He had sent out eight invitations, one for each of his friends in Riverfall: Edith, Jaye, Alyra, Caelum, Lyn'nice, Kavala, Jek (and he would tolerate Ashar's presence if it meant at least feeding their shared body) and Alaia. And if more than he expected arrived... it would be no great trouble for him to accommodate their presence as well.
Everything had to be perfect.
Everything had to be perfect.
Hirem had spent the last three days wandering about Riverfall in a daze, understanding of what he had to do and, at the same time, terrified of taking the final steps to do it. He had come to this city lacking purpose, trying to understand what his life was meant to be devoted to. Now he stood in the full light of Yahal's grace and filled with nothing but conviction... and afraid of losing touch with that wondrous period of indecision. For the joys of Riverfall had not just been found in the city itself, the locations within and the people that tended to them. Riverfall had allowed Hirem to cleanse himself of prior sins and look once more towards the future with determination in his heart, and the journey that he had undertaken to reach this point was almost too sweet to end. He had experienced happiness in this city, had felt comfort in the company of others. He laughed and cried, and danced and sang, and had vomited more than a few times over the course of the season. And love too had been formed over the Summer... a deep and abiding love that had grown for this beautiful city of the Akalaks. He loved the stones and cliffs of this place, loved the sea breeze and the warm winds that swept through the streets by day and grew absent by night. He loved the people that lived here, the strong and hardy Rivarians, blessed with the virtue of character as well as diligence. His romance with Riverfall was unlike anything that he had ever experienced before...
and, like the sweetest of pleasures, it had come to an end.
Everything had to be perfect.
He stood on the Alements patio and stared out into the peaceful Suvan Sea, thanking Yahal and the other gods that held dominion over the weather for blessing the afternoon with moderate heart and cool, refreshing winds. It wouldn't do for his last night as a free man to be spent sweating uncomfortably underneath his clothes thanks to the oppressive heat wave. The sky was bright and clear above, with only a few rolling clouds discernible above the strangely calm sea. As he leaned against the patio railing and felt the tender hands of Zulrav slide down his scarred cheeks, Hirem reflected on the fateful day in the past that had seen him arrive at this very patio, just in time to catch Kavala of the Cytali in her moment of peace. That conversation changed my life, he thought, and smiled at the memory of it. Though the day had played host to its fair share of horrors - learning about the existence of the Ruv'na had chilled him to the bone, and the waking nightmares that had plagued him in the morning had proved similarly disturbing - overall Hirem had slipped into bed with a wonderful sense of duty filling his heart. And as I drifted to sleep, I found myself whispering a prayer to Nysel under my breath, wondering if he was listening and if I was fit to speak with him. The importance of that conversation had never once left him, and he knew that it was only fitting that he return to this patio for this last, quiet celebration.
He did not stand alone at the patio; sitting in the far corner, tuning his guitar and humming a pleasant tune to himself, was a fellow Benshira named Urqad. Urqad was a man of easy smiles, soft fingers, and disarmingly bright eyes, an experienced musician and entertainer. Hirem had encountered him earlier this season at the Rat Hole, playing his under-appreciated Eyktolian tunes for a crowd of less than impressed thieves. While Hirem, as a rule, did not trust men that offered their services to the owners of the Rat Hole - which, in itself, was hypocrisy of the lowest order - he had grown to like Urqad for his impressive talent and irresistible charm, as well as for their shared heritage. When the time had come to plan this celebration, he turned to the musician in order to arrange some entertainment, figuring that he would at least like to hear some music from his homeland on his last day as a free man. The fellow Benshira had been more than welcoming in this respect, offering his services for a measly gold miza that Hirem was quick to part with... after all, what need would he have of money? This casual disregard Hirem possessed for his own coinpurse also allowed him to expend a great deal of money in order to pay for the night's food, believing that he could not leave Riverfall and his friends behind without at least paying them back for the trouble he had caused them throughout the season. He ordered this food directly from the Alements as well as other nearby vendors, purchasing a great variety of dishes in order to cater to the many different tastes he was satisfying.
The result was a quartet of banquet tables arrayed along the corners of the patio, reserved entirely for the guests that Hirem was hoping to seat at his large dinner feast. With Caelum's permission, the Benshira rearranged the furniture so that one large circular table dominated the patio, a large host of wooden chairs padded with soft cushions surrounding it. Hirem looked back on this table now and frowned, wondering if he was going to have as many guests as he had been hoping for with this night's celebration. Yesterday evening had been consumed with the hasty writing of invitations and the equally harried rush to distribute them throughout the city, Hirem hoping that they would reach their intended eyes. The invitations were not personalized and read, in a very shaky and unpractised hand, I am hosting a dinner at the Alements on the 88th of Summer. It would do me honour if you could arrive at my table. - Hirem, from the tents of Alachi, of the sons of Rapa. It was unmistakably Hirem's hand that drafted the letters, for no one else could write so messily and expect that others would be impressed by the terse nature of his message. He had sent out eight invitations, one for each of his friends in Riverfall: Edith, Jaye, Alyra, Caelum, Lyn'nice, Kavala, Jek (and he would tolerate Ashar's presence if it meant at least feeding their shared body) and Alaia. And if more than he expected arrived... it would be no great trouble for him to accommodate their presence as well.
Everything had to be perfect.
Ledger :
