[Pumpkin Festival] Nothing shall ever stay the same (Kam)

[Alice]

It was obvious that Muti was very excited about their mission, but she did as asked and sat down at the couch. Just like an innocent child her eyes wandered over each piece of furniture and the intricate color patterns and mosaics that graced the mansion’s walls and floor. After a while, however, she jumped up, since she was unable to sit quietly when Kamalia was performing such an interesting ritual over there. During the rest of the preparations, she was peering over the wizard’s shoulder, although she knew the value of silence.

When Kamalia spun around there would be a short confusion … if that was the first time she noticed that Muti had stood behind her all the time. Although she was younger than the Timandre daughter, she knew one or two tricks about moving silently and swiftly. At least she liked to think that of herself.

Nevertheless she smiled and nodded with appreciation. “Yes, I’m sure your glyphing will help us a great deal at confrontations.” Then she frowned and added: “Of course, it would be even better if we could avoid confrontations, don’t you think so too?”

Regardless of Kamalia’s thoughts and answer, they were soon heading towards the location at the beach where the incident had happened. While walking Muti informed Kamalia of what she knew. Perhaps some of her gifts would be helpful as well, and sharing knowledge with her partner was definitely a good thing. “As you might remember, I can foresee the weather … Syna will bless us with her light for the rest of the day. I feel a fresh breeze, but that is not uncommon considering our proximity to the sea.” She smiled at Kamalia walking next to her. “Do you have any ideas about what could be lurking there?”

After all the necessary information has been exchanged, the rest of the way that took about a bell was covered in silence. The beach of the Silver Lake greeted her with perfect serenity and its typical white sand sparkling in the sun. Kamalia had been told to look for a strangely shaped hill at the other side of the lake – when they were completely opposite to it, they would have reached their destination. In fact, faint traces of feet stirring up the sand were still visible. Apart from these signs of chaos that had reigned the place for a few chimes, everything was calm.

Everything was like it should be, but then … something had to be different, there had to be more telltale signs, right? While Muti started to look at the water from different angles Kamalia was left with her own thoughts and imaginations.

[Kamalia Timandre]

The young wizard, of course, had no idea what lurked beneath the silvered waters. Oddly enough, the girl was not sure whether or not she wanted to know, now that their destination drew dreadfully closer and closer like an impending doom. All she could place her confidence on was her faith on the Mother Goddess and the gleaming sliver of hope that it was less of a threat than it seemed.

But the stunned, horrified expression on Shilavi’s face and the glint of uncertainty in Grandmother Shahal’s eyes flashed again and again in her mind with a horrifying clarity. There was this excitement that loomed in this opportunity, laced in the tip with that ever-present dread and fear of the unknown. She gently shook her head in answer to Muti, letting the journey pass by without much fanfare.

The Silver Lake had always been a pristine and a revered place to all konti, yet there was something rather uncanny, something rather unusual about the way the air smelled and stirred about that day. All things considered, the sight that greeted her brilliantly violet eyes was a perplexingly quiet scene, with only the backdrop of the horizons chasing away her imaginations towards the thing in the waters. A disturbing urge to let the waves wash her feet like she would in normal visits tugged at her heart, which only made her anxiety increase.
That was when her eyes traced the distinct makings of footprints in the sand, obviously the marks of panic and disorder. They trailed away from the water, reinforcing her less tempting desire to stay away from it. Brushing aside a falling silver lock of hair, she knelt on the sand, a slender eyebrow perking up in confusion. She scraped together a handful of silver sand and held it tightly in her hand. She closed her eyes, and softly chanted a prayer to the All-Seeing Mother, fervently hoping that the goddess will shed some light and grant her daughter a window to the past—the memories of what had happened some bells ago would clearly repeat themselves in her eldritch Sight.

[Alice]

Of course, the present individuals knew more than the appearance of the lake revealed, so it did seem a bit eerie to them. That was only natural. The Konti were known for their extensive knowledge of anatomy as well as the psyche of living beings which had led to the creation of the Opal Order and the development of the Medical Library in Mura. It was considered an honored profession to delve into medicinal studies at the Opal Temple and many Konti had gathered some limited knowledge about herbalism or medicine in general. A small group devoted themselves to the study of the mind, a difficult and mysterious discipline. However, the extraordinary gift of foresight made the Konti not only unique, but also mentally insecure. Most were very sensitive when it came to feeling the general “mood” of a certain person or location. Kamalia was no different and she felt that there was something … something that wasn’t right about the lake. Although Muti seemed to be worried as well, she didn’t possess the glass-like sensitivity of the Timandre daughter. If Kamalia told her about her feelings, she would acknowledge them, but without truly understanding. Impressions couldn’t be shared. Kamalia was the one who could gather the necessary knowledge. And that was what she was about to do. Instead of inspecting the place like most people would have done, she kneeled down and inspected the sand … the memories embedded in it. Sand was an amazing thing – it lasted for hundreds of years, conserved objects as well as organic bodies for a lengthened period of time, destroyed everything it touched like in the deserts of Eyktol, but still preserved the bones of ancient civilizations. It was in the sand of the lake and the sea where the Konti could find remains of their past. Of course, Kamalia had decided to try a slightly different method. Her words rose to the sky, rose to the Ukalas and reverberated in the ears of the Goddess they were meant for. Avalis was by no means ignorant – she just preferred to send hints and signs to her intelligent and gifted daughters. The gift could be dangerous – that was why she treated the connection with care. While Kamalia didn’t feel an immediate answer, her conscious slowly got access to a different layer of reality. The veils parted for the Konti, once more for a Timandre, and revealed the past. However, order and clarity of the vision was whole other topic. First blurred images and impressions crossed Kamalia’s expectant mind. Then the images started to clear, a few details could be identified. Once again she saw Shilavi, playing in the water, her scales glittering in the morning sunlight. Then the scene exploded into chaos and a strong copy of the girl’s emotions washed over the seer, consumed her. There was danger about being granted visions; they often affected the physical condition of the receiver. Then the scene changed, apparently to something completely unrelated. A cave could be seen … covered in pale blue light. Two white-haired women were facing each other, talking … in Kontinese, yes, but about things Kamalia couldn’t understand. The loud sound of a rush swallowed every word they spoke. A glittering object could be seen in the hand of the taller one and was given to her opponent. Colorful ribbons dangled from this one’s clothing, although they scattered tiny drops of water. Shilavi’s troubled face appeared again. Kamalia could feel that there was more to the case than she had probably expected. And suddenly the girl disappeared, the vision ended and the sand had run through her fingers. Silvery white sand. The vision had lasted for mere moments. Muti looked like wanting to dive into the unknown depths of the lake soon, but for the time being she was watching her companion with a questioning look on her pretty face. “Are you all right?”, she asked.

[Kamalia Timandre]

Mother Avalis answered her daughter’s prayer, much to her fleeting delight. Fleeting, for what she saw were visions hazy and unclear. First came the scenes of Shilavi in joy, then plight, which ebbed slowly into a scene where a pair of white-haired women conferred by the mouth of a great cave. The girl frowned; the All-Seeing Mother certainly had no plans to squander her abilities in whatever divine ordeal she had prepared for her.

The Sight lacked clarity, but Kamalia knew that those visions held ample clues that she may need to succeed in this endeavour. The goddess showed her slivers of the big puzzle, it was up to her to piece them up. The waters by which Shilavi played in peaceful gaiety, the cave with the two women in sullen conversation, now what could this mean? The seer mused.

Turning towards Muti, she tried to feign a wan smile, shaking her head in an abject, obvious denial. Looking at her vibrant companion plunged her heart into confusion; she had come to the beach not to help her find and slay the thing, no, this was her task to fulfil. She was merely to guide her to the site of the tragedy, and she had done that. There was no more need for her to be involved in this venture, although she didn't tell her outright.

Her soft feet padded the white sands towards the edge of the water, her arms clutching one another across her chest. She closed her eyes from the soft winds, delving back into the blurry visions the Seer Mother had granted her. The white sands, the soft waves, glee and fear. What did they have in common with the visions of the cave and the two women? She bit into her lower lip, frustration grating roughly against her pride.

Grandmother Shahal had entrusted this mission to her, so she would find the proof of gift and fortitude she had been seeking within herself. Failure was not an option, and to disappoint was unthinkable. Yet the reality of the situation was a matter of life and death, and while she perused in the darkness, she imagined a tiny voice from the oracular image inside her head, as if it was telling her something.

Shilavi's emotions once again seeped into her thoughts, though this time there was more than screaming and desperate struggling in her facial expression. Her lips were whispering something inaudible, but the clever Kamalia was able to discern the message. Why was she searching in the dark, when there was nothing there but the blackness of static and even more vagueness?

Taking a breath of the clean fresh breeze, she opened her eyes slowly. In the distance, the glow of the sun beckoned to her in fiery hues of yellow and orange, flashing ostentatiously against the intricate scales that laced her arms. The light which she exuded was gentle yet brilliant, and as a thoughtful smile crept to her in a momentary run of peace, something struck her then and there, and they flew open in realization: in the vision, there had been something in common. The shimmering scales on Shilavi's body which all Konti possessed, the small trinket and the tiny droplets of water from the dress that sparked in pale luminescence before the mouth of the cave. That's it! The creature has got to have a den somewhere, and it was a creature attracted to sparkling things!

Kamalia stood tall before the placid waters, a wave of determination finally replacing the fears and suspicions that beset her. A sparkling object. She didn't want to have to go and look for it, neither did she think it was necessary: the attack had only been a few hours ago, and since it was active then it couldn't have been a nocturnal creature, hence it was still around the lake somewhere, possibly waiting for another victim to claim. But what can she use to lure the beast out? While there was an intrepid streak in her, she wouldn't tempt fate by allowing herself to be a deliberate bait. And she would consider using Muti even less than that option. There had to be a shell somewhere in the beach, something sparkly enough to catch its attention. Crouching down and shuffling her fingers in the sand, she scanned the dryness of the beach, to no avail.

She cast another look on Muti, trying to gauge on other ideas. Quietly thinking, her hand absent-mindedly travelled to her hip to take support, where she felt something solid and smooth, Then she felt the spiral handle, drew it out, and it was there. She had forgotten it all along, that piece of exquisite whalebone given to her for protection. A grin broke through her frown. Her suvai! Just the sparkling thing she needed!

Now she had the tool she needed, but how would she do it? Putting it on the water would be a foolish idea, and holding it by the water would be tempting life and danger both. A piece of rope would have been excellent, but they had none of the sort. The place was also too hot to use her res in magical application of ice and frost.

Again, a rut. All this time she had been trying to do this alone, but then if Muti wouldn't be involved in terms of concluding the task, why wouldn't she have a hand in gathering and thinking?

"I wonder..." her voice trailed away as fast as it had come out. Getting back to her feet, she addressed Muti, who had probably grown worried and bored watching her. "Muti, is there anything that we may use as a line around to fasten a suvai? Perhaps you would know."

[Alice]

OOCI hope this is a decent post ... I just wanted to get that done after letting you wait so long!

Muti, although looking furrowing her eyebrows, didn’t reply anything to Kamalia’s frustrated expression. It made her sad to see her companion struggling with the answer to a problem that only she knew. After all, she had asked Muti for support, and there she was, but how could she help if she didn’t even know the whole story? It was obvious that Kamalia had discovered something, had been granted some limited insight by their Divine Mother. So why didn’t she tell Muti? The girl felt a bit hurt, but then she didn’t dare to ask Kamalia about it now. There was an invisible barrier that prevented her from bothering the Timandre girl.

Her eyes, however, followed Kamalia’s hands as they scanned the sand in search for a glittering object. In fact it was difficult to mentally divide shells from sand for even the uncountable amount of tiny corns was subtly glittering in Syna’s light. What had first appeared like a blessing, however, had turned into a curse.

To Kamalia it was obvious that no sentient being could attack an innocent child. How could one of the Konti who respected and cherished their children ever do something like that? No, there had to be something else lurking in the depths of the lake. But although several tales would come to her mind, none fitted the image she had already made of the unknown creature.

The only hint she could be sure about was its fondness for sparkling objects. Just then, Kamalia would also remember that the previous few days had been clouded and dark. The whole city had wondered whether the gods would actually bless the festival with good weather, but eventually the clouds had drifted away in the direction of the mainland. So the first sunny day also was the day the creature had first appeared. Another proof that strengthened Kamalia’s idea.

When asked about her advice, Muti got to her feet just as quickly as her opponent. This was the chance she had waited for all the time! She gave a smile that was meant as soothing, although Muti was one of those people who found it hard to have a positive effect on other people. “Well ... There has to be something lying around at the beach, I think. Maybe some algae we can roll a rope of.”

She took a few steps away from Kamalia, following the shoreline, short strands of white hair dangling behind her. Then she turned, hid her arms behind her back and tilted her head. “I hope you feel good enough to tell me what you’ve found out? So that dubious thing is attracted by things sparkling in the sun?”

It was hard to tell whether Muti knew that she was being rude or not. Even if she did, she wouldn’t stop, because they were friends – although not very close – and above all a team on that mission. They were supposed to work together, she thought.

[Kamalia Timandre]

Though her seer sensitivities and natural empathy, it was easy for Kamalia to discern that her sisterly protectiveness caused Muti to feel slightly upset. Kamalia was only trying to act nicely, and quite valiantly so, but deep down she knew that the younger konti had felt rather dejected, perhaps even unwanted. Still, as the elder among them, Kamalia felt the need to protect the girl and the compulsion to refuse her aid, aside from scouting and fetching needed materials. To put this young lady in the midst of an unknown danger would be quite a bit more unthinkable than simply taking matters into her own hands and acting selfishly.

She could feel a twitch of hesitation and confusion grating on the side of her lips, and clouds of doubt beginning to loom over her head. Even if she was not going to allow her to help, Kamalia knew that there was no way to conceal that Avalis had revealed scenes to her. She lowered her eyes. What was she being so indecisive for?

"There were only flashes, unfortunately." she conceded to Muti, her slender eyebrow suddenly heaving downward. The suvai blade still sparkled and shimmered with the light of the sun, and her delicate fingers tightened around the hilt. "It seems you have a grasp of what I saw. I saw Shilavi’s scales glinting in the sunlight, and a konti holding a gleaming item. Those visions portrayed that whatever aberration that almost slew Shilavi appeared to have a fascination with objects that glittered in Syna’s touch, and..." she paused, taking a deep breath before going all out about it. "Truth be told, I would not want to put you in harm’s way. The lake is fraught with danger and it would not be wise if I ask you to come near it to collect algae. Please let me handle it. I have an idea."

The konti mage began to unfasten the clasp of her immaculately white cloak. From a very young age, the konti reimancer had fostered confidence, clinging to the faith that she would be able to do anything with resolve and the blessing of Avalis, but in truth, without her magic and her weapons, Kamalia too would be vulnerable. She could already faintly feel the coils of uncertainty swiftly spiraling within her chest. A distant smile touched her lips as she cast away the cloak, letting it lazily land on the pristine white sands before undoing her boots and placing them closely together. "Please stay here and wait for me, and yell if anything happens,” she half-whispered, not really knowing the proper words to say to her. The mood was a bit sullen, and the tone apologetic, but she was neither. She was more determined than anything.

Her feet slowly waded through the clear, still waters, the first dip sending a chill up her spine; the water was cold, very cold. It was strange because it was supposed to be a rather warm day, and she had been expecting the same temperature from the water. With the suvai firmly in her grasp, she sharpened her gaze as she sank her head in for a start, before pushing off the sandy incline, propelling her lithe body with a dolphin's grace through the depths.

As the sounds of the earth muted around her in the folds of the lake, she could neither feel nor sense the creature. A paternal peace, Laviku, embraced her, which made her think better. If the creature would make a sudden attack at her, she was prepared enough to cast a spell to stop it in its tracks. Her feet were also ready to exert djed that she may be able to propel her body away and outswim whatever creature awaited her. The suvai in her hand, which still gleamed ethereally in the subdued rays of sunlight from the surface, would serve as a very good bait to lure the thing out. Its blade would spell paralysis should it slice through the horror from the depths.

When it does come, she will have a lot to offer it.

[Alice]

Muti listened with nervous interest, but a relieved expression crossed her face, saying that she appreciated Kamalia's speech. Of course, her unmistakable sixth sense told her that the burden Avalis had put on Kamalia sometimes weighed too heavily on the young girl's shoulders. Muti, however, could do nothing to ease the pressure of the mission the Timandre had taken on. Each of them would fulfill their role and that was everything they could do. If it wasn't enough ... Muti quickly pushed that thought away. They were still at the beginning, after all. Nothing to lose, everything to gain. She gave an encouraging smile and nodded. "I respect whatever decision you will make. Since you are the one with the experience and, above all, my friend, I trust you." The words were spoken sincerely and seriously, although her smile radiated warmth that was entirely different from Syna's hot rays.

She was watching thoughtfully when Kamalia went through her physical and mental preparations. Perhaps she was considering something ... perhaps she was just sending a short prayer to Avalis to protect her elder Konti sister. When Kamalia announced further instructions, she nodded once again. Seeing Muti that serious was unusual, almost eerily so. "I will watch out." After a short pause, however, she grabbed Kamalia's shoulder with a hand wet with sweat and looked her in the eye. "Please, don't do anything that will get you in danger! We're just here to investigate and collect hints. We can go back and tell them we haven't found anything just as well."

Of course, that idea wasn't the most courageous and effective one, but Muti's eyes radiated a bad mixture of fears - for Kamalia, for herself, for her sisters back at Mura. She was well aware of the fact that one the one hand they had to do something - but on the other hand they didn't have to put themselves into danger just to ... if they didn't even know whether it would help the ones they had to protect or not. Still she nodded and let Kamalia go. For the time being.

As the Konti seer descended into the lake she found that the water was as warm and comfortable as usual. That place was different than most lakes. Not only did it possess a temperature that was higher than average – some claimed that it was fueled by hot springs under the island –, but it also inhabited countless extraordinary species of underwater life. Fish, corals, sea horses, sea stars … and many other creatures that were unheard of in the rest of Mizahar. As she dove deeper and deeper into the lake’s depths, she would soon find herself surrounded by a colorful kaleidoscope of differently sized fish. They felt comfortable around the Konti – they were Laviku’s beloved daughters, so it was natural for the water to welcome them.

At first sight nothing seemed unusual. The water was ripe with life as ever, even more lively perhaps, because one of the pale humanoids was joining its dance. However, if Kamalia dove deeper she would slowly realize the differences. The deeper she got, the fewer fish curiously circled and followed her. The deeper she got, the darker and longer the shadows became. Her scales itched as if the eyes of a hidden entity were watching her.

Then Kamalia reached the skeleton of an abandoned coral reef, peppered with holes and dangerously sharp edges. Naturally the inside was covered in shadows, but in shadows so dark that they sent a shiver down the delicate Konti’s spine.

For a moment scales glittered in the darkness, moving lethargically and slowly. Then the shadows hid its shape and everything was quiet.

[Kamalia Timandre]

Kamalia swam in undulating motion above the reef, her white-silver hair floating about her like nimbus, and her arms laced with iridiscent silver patterns seemed to waver with the movement of the water. The shadows of the desolate reef slithered all around the konti maiden, and for a moment, the warm water seemed to stab with the coldness of danger. In the depths of the lake, little light could be seen, save for a distant flicker which pierced through the voluminous canopy of water above her. It seemed to compress around her, rendering her movements a little brittle and slow.

Kamalia remained floating before the grim coral reef, methodically observing everything through the shade of dimness, trying to feel whatever it was that waded about her. The direction of the flow indeed rocked back and forth across her skin, signaling the presence of some creature swimming around. It was definitely no small fish, and indeed the colorful and friendly ones have all but disappeared around her. The lake's bed felt hot beneath the soles of her feet, but she neither settled nor fled.

In the silence of her heart she prayed to mother Avalis for courage, and to Laviku for protection. Everything was for the sake of Mura; this thought she fastened to her hands as she thrust the suvai into the small ray of light that Syna cast from above, directing the sparkle into the coral bed.

[Alice]

The ray of light cast by the suvai was swallowed by darkness long before hitting anything. She had directed it towards the spot where scales had glittered moments before, but nothing could be heard or seen. After a while, however, a small eruption echoed through the water, not strong enough to push the Konti’s body away, but still rushing over her skin like the first hint of a negative feeling.

Then it reappeared, the sight of the dark scales in the depths of the reef; like a ghost haunting an abandoned home of a once happy family it returned and slowly crawled out of the dead structure, revealing its dangerous, yet exotic beauty. Its body was more than twenty feet long and covered in pale blue scales that seemed to reflect the color and pattern of their surroundings. Its head was directly connected with the body, but the quickest and most flexible part. Much like a snake’s, its sneeze was flat, its mouth broad, featuring a tiny hole between the lips. The eyes, however, were the most shocking detail: almond-shaped, greenish yellow, with slit pupils and intelligence sparkling in its depths. Indeed, it was obvious that this creature saw, recognized and knew more than the deer and birds that inhabited the surroundings of Mura.

Was it even an animal? Everything one could be sure of was that it encountered Kamalia in the shape of a giant sea serpent, one of those mythical creatures that hadn’t been observed for dozens of years.

And it didn’t look friendly either. With speed that was surprising for such a large creature it glided towards the Konti. Its opening mouth revealed two rows of long, sharp teeth. Apparently it was well aware of the fact that its enemy had lost its only sharp weapon in the shadows of the coral reef. It would glide towards her and attempt to crush her with the sheer force of its sharp teeth. Kamalia was defenseless … except for her magic.

[Kamalia Timandre]

Few races in Mizahar could move and swim underwater with the precision of a purely aquatic creature. A normal human, even one with extreme athletic ability and prowess in swimming, would have been of little match for this fearsome monstrosity's natural speed and power. Fortunately for the beleaguered sorceress, the konti were one of those races, along the charodae, that could swim in levels beyond other humanoid races. Having lived a life equally on both on the surface lands and underwater, swimming was one of the very few physical activities that Kamalia involved herself in. Despite this, she would need a virtuoso performance to outswim the creature, and it would be a long shot that she would be able to with so little space in so little time.

With the massive jaws and rows of serrated, jagged teeth closing in fast, Kamalia braced her heart with courage, waiting for the opportune moment to dodge the quick lunge of the beast. Seconds seemed like eternal moments with the black shadow slithering ever closer, eyes wide-open with a savage glint. The wizard's eyes narrowed in anticipation as she clutched her blade with resolve. Her free hand gestured an underwater spell she had used ever so often.

As it closed the distance between them, Kamalia closed her eyes for a split second to remember why she was doing all of this, risking her life in the stomach of the lake. She recalled Mura's people, the mystic smiles of those who have come to behold the serenity of her home. Everything that will transpire in the darkness of the lake that day, she was doing for her people and for her home.

Finally the beast was upon her, ready to incorporate her into its jaws for the one fatal strike it needed. Folding her legs to her chest, Kamalia kicked upwards with all her might, emitting a torpedo of res from her feet, and sending her body propelling upwards in a jet of force. The tip of her foot narrowly escaped serving as an appetizer for the creature, its head snapping slightly upwards as it followed her trail.

Fortunately for Kamalia, most underwater creatures attack in a rhythmic pattern: once they had missed their prey, they will try to regain momentum by swimming away, gaining speed as they went. Perhaps this dodge would be the first of many, or it could be the last in two ways. One, the creature would just give up, or two, it will succeed the next time around. And for the second strike, she did not err in preparing.

Kamalia began to weave her hands together, sending her res flowing out of her fingertips. The ever-familiar feeling of euphoria washed over her, pleasuring her senses with their incorporeal calls. Nonetheless she steeled her will as she fashioned a ball of glimmering silver res, cupping the orb within her palms as she waited for the right moment.

The moment the creature would charge towards her again and open its colossal mouth wide, the reimancer would send forth highly-pressurized water current projectile charged with wind power at such a high velocity that will cause the monstrosity to swell up like a balloon, and form air pockets inside the serpent’s body to make it explode.