[Sanctuary] Crackling fires and warm bodies.

by **Adrien Dair** on November 29th, 2014, 3:03 am

Adrien nodded to Aoren the crouched down to be on Lillians level. "Hello there, I am Adrien" he said with a smile. His eyes upon her mark for awhile before he stood up. The rhino had an uneasy feeling about him, a cold chill running down his spine caused him to walk over to Kavala to help her stack the timber. Once that was done he turned to look at Xira again before stepping over to Aoren. His arms crossed his chest as he stood next to one of the people he knew there. Adrien chewed on the inside of his cheek, something about Xira made him uneasy. His eyes glanced over to Kavala and then to Caelum. He sighed softly and sat down on the ground.

There was nothing wrong with the company other then the slight feeling of being trapped and cramped that he was getting. He shook his head it was something he would have to get used to. The Sanctuary housed a lot of people and he would never be truly alone when he was inside of it. There would usually be someone around the next corner or working on some sort of project and the Kelvic enjoyed that. Everyone seemed to stay busy and the place ran smoothly, at least from what he could see. But everything had a kink in it at some point in time. Nothing ran perfectly forever and he knew that things would need to be fixed at some point in time.

Cadra walked behind Adrien and leaned over his shoulder. "Whats up?" she asked. Adrien looked up at her with a questioning look on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked. "You seem uneasy, something bothering you?" she asked. Adrien chuckled and reached behind to pat her head. "I am used to more space and a sky over my head. Being nearly three thousand pounds and in a cave is something I have to get used to. I've been in here before but it still makes me feel the same every time. Not everyone can be a house cat." He flashed her a smile, trying to convince her what he said was true and for the most part it was. He did feel a bit uneasy every time he came underground and now with this many people it was a bit more cramped then normal. Cadra nodded her head and hugged him from behind before scurrying off. He sighed and crossed his legs staring into the fire that was coming to life.

It had been a few days since he had prayed to Syna. He had focused more on his work and the rest of the Sanctuary, trying to build a relation with the Kelvic twins especially it had been a little rough to start with. His eyes looked over at Cadra, who was playing with Tasi. She was easy since the first time he had talked to her alone she treated him like he had been there for a long time. She hadn't quite opened up fully but he didn't expect her to, not that soon anyway. But she treated him warm and he returned the favor offering to help her in the kitchen. Larik however was a totally different puzzle. He enjoyed the quiet nights he had spent with the eagle. Building a mutual respect between the two over the silence the two shared. He was slowly understand Larik even without him talking. The eagle seemed strong and wise, but he seemed more withdrawn in himself. Adrien remembered what Kavala had told him in the market. He wondered if the eagle was as uncomfortable as he was the first time he had come to the sea cave.

Adrien felt like within the next year the three of them would be closer. His eyes turned to Kavala and he smiled slightly. His mind wandering to recent events between the two, his eyes turned away from her and looked back into the fire. He needed to grow more mature and he knew it. His ears picking up the singing of the stones in the cavern. He and Kavala were the only two that knew of his new found power at least as far as he knew. His eyes glanced up to Caelum and then to Xira. He wondered if the two of them had known magic. Then his gaze turned to Aoren. He knew of his magic, he had seen it earlier that morning. He sighed and stood up beside Aoren.

He leaned closer to his ear and he placed his hand on Aoren's shoulder and smiled before walking over to La'del and Ralac. Cadra was cradling them both in her arms and smiled at him when he came over. He gently took Ralac from her and held the child in his arms. He smiled as Ralac looked up at him. It was not very often he had actually held the akontak and he cherished every moment that he could. He wanted a child of his own one day, but for now that was a distant dream. He had to much on his plate to really worry about that. He knew that Syna would give him guidance if that was the path that he was suppose to take.

by **Eselle** on December 1st, 2014, 7:57 am

Where the summer heat had been too much, the early seasonal chill was just right. Eselle had quietly followed a step behind Aoren. There had been no cause to explore the underground and so their destination was all but a mystery to the Konti.

Returning to Sanctuary had meant she immediately tended to Simon. By the time they arrived back, the morning had long since passed and the day grew old. What had seemed like a fresh powdery blanket on the land now reminded her of an elder’s mane. The horse sat warm in his stall, now as she entered the gathering. Smiles and nods were all the Seer managed before an unwanted vision seeped over her gaze.

It happened from time to time, though Eselle tried to keep reins on her Goddess granted gift, it was not always possible for someone as unskilled as she was. The sight was rapid flashes in succession; a storm darkened sky, crashing of lightning, Isikai and finally a glimpse of Aoren. Heartbeats was all it took but the storm sent her into a long pause. Blinking dumbly at the walls.

What did the storm have to do with Aoren? Perhaps he was a worshipper of the storm God, Eselle only knew of the deity in passing and not much else. The male seer had appeared upset though. She had only just begun to consider the symbolism of a storm, because it might be a metaphor, when she remembered where she was.

By the time she snapped out of the daze, realizing she was standing like a simpleton among her friends Eselle had already faded into the background. Luck glossed over her heavy pause. The background was where she most often enjoyed being in most situations, especially with so many people present. Courage had found purchase in the Konti when she met these people, there had been a drive to become acquainted with each. Some starts were rocky such as when she met Caelum. Then there was Aoren, who had met her prior to today but foolishness had blanked from memory. Adrien who had cried the first time they spoke, although the onions had been the culprit it was not a quick memory to fade. Kavala, a daughter of the white island. Where Eselle found a Konti she always seemed to find common ground.

There were others yet, members of the Sanctuary who she would endeavor to meet. Glancing at the tanned man, whose name she had no doubt missed during her daze, Eselle nodded and prepared to greet him. Waylaid by the beautiful child beside Aoren and Adrien, the seer realised her error there were more daughters of Avalis here than just Kavala and herself. The array of the gathering had distracted her still too much, for the gentle thrumming against the lily mark upon her ribs made itself apparent. At first Aoren made the most sense, a known Divinist but for once, proximity brought clarity. There was a third Seer; the young girl.

Perhaps if Caelum were a closer friend she could offer guidance. If the last piece of advise she had given him hadn’t been so outright insulting it might have helped as well. Aoren seemed close to the Ethefael hopefully he could provide the child with trusted guidance. To be a Seer was not without its pitfalls, unwanted visions only a small piece of it.

“Isikai” She called with a hand out for the enormous black canine to sniff. Eselle settled down to watch the others. The day was auspicious for fortune tellers and she hoped observations might be able to provide insights into the coming season.

by **Kavala** on December 13th, 2014, 4:25 am

OOC: NPCs can be found here.

The food arrived as promised, carried in baskets by both Chalce and two other females. One was a child of long feral hair that looked half wild herself. She was the spitting image of a blonde man whom Kavala had hired to run the forge. Asdar Brightlin was going to have his hands full with work for The Sanctuary. And since Kavala and Adrien had supervised the building of the main forge, it was fully operational. Beneath, of course, was the magecrafting lab. Asdar knew of it, but pretended it did not exist. Megan, his lovely daughter, was the light in his eyes and even though he followed Chalce carrying the pieces of a portable table, his attention was all on his young kelvic daughter. She moved like a cat, clutching her basket to her, though the way she guarded it was almost predatory. Chalce didn't seem upset by it and simply ignored the behavior as little Megan took another young woman's hand and looked around shyly as her father surveyed where best to set up the table.

The second young woman was a girl in her late teens. Rune Stonesong was taken in by Kavala who paid off her debt in full to Riverfall to save the girl from Nakivak status. She was Drykas but without family, and had no where to go even back on the Sea of Grass. Kavala had promised her a job and the ability to repay the debt Kavala had paid off over time if she simply helped with the grooming around the place. Rune had agreed readily and was slowly discovering a passion for decorating and design along with her horsemanship abilities.

The two adult males who also accompanied Rune looked over her protectively like older brothers. The hired hands of The Sanctuary had soon realized that being around Kavala and the kelvics, Caelum and his daughter, and some of the other denizens had been more like being adopted into an extended family than being hired on as workers. Cedar was also a groom, though he found himself working more with Kavala's Imperial Watchers than anything. He helped Rune and had grown fond of the girl because she reminded him of one of his lost sisters.

There was so much loss on the Sea of Grass. The last two years had been rough. So as the crowd of newcomers came in to mingle and socialize, carrying food and friendship with them, the menfolk put together the portable table and started laying out the feast from baskets.

It was the third newcomer whom everyone's attention was drawn too. Red-headed with short cropped hair and beard, Red, was gregarious and already teasing Cedar and Asdar about how to put the table together. It was his clever hands that managed to fit the Drykas style portable table together while Rune and Megan (having left their baskets) ran back up the ramp to haul down a hand cart filled with portable pillows for lounging around the table when the feast began.

Chalce had the wineskins and had passed out glasses from her own baskets.

Meanwhile Kavala had been busy securing little coats and gloves and hats on the children, all of which she'd pulled from a bag that had been set aside earlier. Then, with a knowing grin once the bonfire was raging... she pushed the sea cave doors wide open and revealed the almost breathtaking view of heavy snow falling outside, framing the sea gently frothing up the sand on the beach below. The cave was warm, its vast cavern usually retaining heat because the black stone with its colorful mosaics tended to reflect it back. And it was sheltered from the wind. She stood there, at the doors alone for a moment, admiring the sight of one of the first big snowfalls of the year. The Konti wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her opposite forearms as if she was cold. She wasn't though. Her leathers were was warm as her heart was at that moment starting out into the wilderness. She was, instead, filled with gratitude for the security and the family that enjoyed it that surrounded them.

After a time, she turned back to the group. Chalce had gotten done directing the girls and the feast was all laid out. There were fixings of all kinds, mostly prepared ahead of time. Bread, cheese, sliced meats, leftover fruits, and deserts made from honey they'd raised themselves decorated the tables. Everyone, by then, had a wineglass and had wine or juice filling it. Kavala picked up a plate and loaded it with still-warm bread which she slid butter and then honey over. She added a few figs to the plate, a couple of slices of apple, and went to find a seat by the children. Her plate contained enough to share with them as well. And so she sat among them and broke bread for whomever was hungry, passing around the juice she'd selected because she knew she'd have to share.

Her eyes briefly met Adriens and she smiled at him, engrossed in his conversation with Caelum. She nodded to Eselle when the woman put in an appearance as well, hoping everything was fine with the girl since she looked a little far-seeing in the eyes. To her, all seemed well within the world, warm and supportive. She knew the conversation she'd have with the rest of them would be harder. So she let them enjoy their moment while it lasted, breaking their fast and enjoying the company that surrounded everyone.

by **Caelum** on December 30th, 2014, 8:28 pm

For a little while, Caelum was content to watch his daughter interact with Aoren and then Adrien. The tiny konti glowed beneath the attention and smiled shyly for the men. When she made her study of Aoren’s gnosis mark from Avalis, she eventually announced, “Yours is prettier.”

“Over there,” Caelum murmured when his daughter began to look around, shivering a little but not from the cold. Following the nod of her father’s head, Lillian squinted in Eselle’s direction. After a moment, she smiled and lifted a hand to wave at her fellow konti.

“Is it a meeting, Daddy?” She wanted to know.

“Yes,” Caelum replied very seriously. Dark eyes glimmered with humor as he glanced at Aoren and gathered up the child-sized winter gear Kavala was handing out. “It’s a meeting. You didn’t see it coming?”

Lillian harrumphed at the teasing and burst into giggles as Caelum tugged the hat down over her eyes and fluffed the scarf right around her neck like a pillow. She began batting it down and he just kept tugging it back up until she twisted away with squeaks of laughter. The toddler promptly joined the other children in their tumbling from one playing to food to playing with food and back again.

“Well, that’s Lils,” Caelum muttered while arriving at Aoren’s side. This time he had a plate in hand, having compiled an odd collection of things. He nudged Aoren’s elbow and offered him the plate even as he made a face over a slice of fruit that apparently didn’t settle well with him. There were a lot of Aoren’s preferred foods on the plate. “She likes you. Surprise.” By his tone, he wasn’t in the least bit surprised.

The Drykas promptly buried his face in a glass of wine and observed all of those gathered, taking especial interest in some of the newer employees Kavala had hired recently. The remaining two wine glasses he had carried in a rather casual balance back with him from the food tables he proceeded to offer over to Xira and Eselle. His mouth twisted into a smile for each of them. Service never ended, but he clearly didn’t mind.

“Drink up,” he encouraged. “Gods know there’s plenty more.”