Closed Burning Tales

[Ari'Ellin]

38th Fall, 520AV

The air was crisp as the night started to take over, the sun slowly setting beneath the horizon and illuminating the skies and the pillowy, light grey clouds with a variety of bright yellows, fiery reds and oranges, rosy pinks, and a few hints of deep purples. The sky wouldn’t stay like this for long as the clouds darkened and the sun sunk further.

Ari’Ellin kept her eyes looking towards the sky, marvelling at it’s beauty and how artistic it looked, almost like something someone would paint rather than something she’d see with her own eyes. She wanted to commit the unusual beauty to her mind as she watched the clouds darken and the deep purple begin to take over, followed by a darker, even deeper shade of navy blue.

Ari kept walking, keeping her eyes down as she made her way from work to the area close to her home on Sharai Peak. She’d heard rumours that there would be a bonfire and various merriment, and Ari’Ellin was determined to try to find a way to meet new people and make some more friends in the city. It had been too long that she’d been in the city, too concerned of how people would view her, and now it was time for her to drop those worries and try to enjoy her time without caring about peoples views of her.

Sighing slightly, she shook her head, pulling her coat tighter around her as the last few rays of sunlight slowly disappeared as the sun dropped below the horizon, letting the night and the moon take control of the skies. Had it not been for the clouds, she was certain that Zintila’s stars would have looked beautiful.

It wasn’t long before she saw a large orange glow igniting not too far away. She guessed it would be perhaps a ten chime walk and a slight smile spread across her face. It looked as though the rumours she’d heard were correct and she made her way closer and closer to the area, beginning to see a group of people making their way in the same direction, a hum of conversation in the air as she managed to get closer to them.

It was a warm atmosphere, despite the coolness starting to creep into the air even despite the lack of winter for the past few years, and as Ari crept closer to the bonfire she saw a group of people taking turns telling stories to each other and quietly she made her way closer to them, sitting just on the outskirt of the group as she listened in intently.

“They say that his ghost still roams the port, just looking for an unsuspecting traveller to take over and force to commit such heinous acts.” the man said, narrowing his eyes as he spoke, his voice in hushed tones that forced her to listen carefully to him though his voice wasn’t so quiet as to make it hard to hear every detail, every piece of information that he conveyed in his story.

She couldn’t help but lean in slightly, listening carefully to every word as she was drawn into his story and the way he was telling it. It was entrancing, inviting, and intriguing with a hint of suspense and certain unnerving qualities that she hadn’t expected.

Word Count555 Words

[Lyra Nix]

38th of Fall, 520

Goosebumps pricked Lyra's skin as she walked, the evening air rolling in as the kaleidoscope of colors in the sky shifted around her. Syna bid her farewell to Lhavit, the myriad of shades in the sky darkening as Leth took her place. The cool air was refreshing for the painter, unphased by her lack of coat for the time being. Where she was headed, it wouldn't be needed and she'd just end up carrying it around. Word had reached her ears of a bonfire set to happen this night, with all manner of merriment to be had. It had sounded like an opportunity too grand to ignore, and so after cleaning up from the studio, Lyra began making her way towards the Estates.

The walk there wasn't very long and Lyra quickly found herself enjoying it as she found herself among others headed for the same destination. Some traveled in small groups, others were couples hand in hand under the moon, and still more like herself traveled alone, but all with the same goal in mind. A night of food and music and fun. There were few things in life able to bring people together the way a bonfire could. Simple wood and simple flames but they held such power over all those who got near. The warmth, the light, the way the flames danced and licked the air, even the smell of the burning wood had power in it. The glow of the fire shone like a beacon in the night as Lyra approached the area. A good number of people were already in attendance, taking part in the many festivities the event had to offer.

Casually making her way around the area, Lyra noted everything there was to do. There were tables of food and treats, their aroma filling the air nearby and making her stomach rumble. Various drinks were stationed near the food, Lyra deftly snagging a cup from a table on her way by. Bringing it close to her face, a scent not dissimilar to fresh apple pie wafted into her nose. Taking a sip, Lyra's lips were met with a warm tangy liquid as she discovered it to be snow apple cider. It'd been some time since she'd had any, already grateful she'd chosen to attend this evening as she strolled onward.

Music filled her ears as she neared the next area of activities. Several musicians played side by side while another sang, an ethereal tone traversing the breeze to reach ears even farther away. The music was upbeat enough to invite dancing but slow enough to be wonderful ambient background noise for idle chatter among those not dancing. The fire's warmth was lesser in this area, but joining in the dancing was an easy way to remedy that.

Moving along once more, Lyra approached a group huddled in a circle, everyone present intent on one man. By his body language and intense features, Lyra guessed he was telling a story. Getting closer, Lyra began catching bits of the tale, quickly finding herself as interested and enthralled as those around her. From what she'd heard, it was a tale of a harbor ghost who preyed on unsuspecting travellers to possess and do his bidding. Continuing his story, the man spoke again, his lowered voice barely reaching Lyra's ears where she stood.

"It's been said that every time the moon is full, he possesses a new victim and forces them to the outskirts of the city. What atrocities they commit there are known only to the select few who keep the misdeeds under wraps."

Unbeknownst to her, Lyra'd been gravitating towards the storyteller, eager to hear more, eager to hear every detail, until she was snapped out of her stupor upon impact with another. She'd bumped directly into the person ahead of her, a flash of white filling her vision and the collision sending her teetering off balance and down into the dirt. Arms and legs flailed outwards as she fell back onto her backside, her cider splashing up the side of her cup and onto her shirt, though she managed to save about half of it. Her shock and mortification plastered her face as she scrambled for words. "Ugh! Frack! Did I spill you?" Shaking her head, she corrected herself. "Did I spill my drink on you? I'm so sorry", she said picking herself up.

[Ari'Ellin]

Ari'Ellin had been too engrossed in the story that was being told, a slight shiver running down her spine not from the cold, but from fear of the idea that the ghost they were speaking of could be real. She even found herself cautiously looking up the moon, silently praying to Leth that it wasn't a full moon, at least not while the storyteller was telling tales of what this ghost supposedly did on the full moons.

Possession wasn't something that the Konti knew much about, and it wasn't something she ever wanted to find out about. In her minded it sounded vastly unpleasant, losing control of your own body and being stuck within it as some sort of foreign entity took control and forced your body to do a variety of potentially unsavoury acts to anyone nearby. Possession was something she hoped to never bear witness to.

Cautiously she glanced to those within the group that were sat listening to the man, looking for any signs that any of them had heard the tale before, but instead, they all had seemed just as entranced by the tale as she had been, a look of shock, horror, or surprise visible on each of their faces. As she realised that nobody else had heard of this ghost, Ari'Ellin felt herself beginning to relax slightly.

It was then that something bumped into her, and she felt some sort of liquid splash against the back of her neck. Unable to stop herself, Ari'Ellin yelped slightly, startled by the sudden sensation, instantly ripping her attention away from the storyteller and the group listening to him.

She turned almost instantly, silently cursing herself as she realised that she'd been terrified by what seemed to be a human girl who was apologetically struggling to find her words. Ari'Ellin offered a hand to help the woman, staying silent for a few moments as she translated what the girl had said in her mind before shaking her head, choosing not to embarrass her by pointing out the damp patch at the back of her neck.

"No, is okay," she said as calmly as she could, only just realising how quickly and shallowly she had been breathing. She was almost hyperventilating and that sensation was not one that she particular enjoy, and so she pointed to some seats away from the group. "We sit? Get you more drink?" she suggested to the woman, spending a few moments looking the woman up and down whilst trying to avoid the woman noticing her breathing, though not even waiting for an answer as she went to sit down, simply assuming that the pretty woman would follow her.

Silently she sat for a few moments, eyes looking towards the moon as her breathing steadied slowly. She narrowed her eyes before looking back down to the first for a few ticks, before looking to the human again, offering her hand as an awkward greeting to the woman.

"I Ari. My common... not best... sorry." she said, her voice calmer than it had been earlier. "You come for fire? Fire good. Don't know what to do though." she chuckled slightly, shaking her head as she admitted her awkwardness. It was the first real social event that she had come to since she arrived in Lhavit, and it felt strange to be in a group of so many people.

Everything was so different from her life on Mura. It was bizarre to her seeing how different and varied everywhere could be. Mura had been so tranquil, even during celebrations, while Lhavit so far seemed to be so lively and warm.

Word Count604 Words

[Lyra Nix]

Taking her hand, Lyra stood up, setting her mostly empty cup down and brushing her clothes off. To her immediate relief, the woman denied that any of the drink had spilled on her. Upon hearing that, Lyra let out a breath she’d been unaware she’d even been holding. Surprising her once more, the woman offered for them to sit nearby and get more to drink. Happily following her, Lyra took her seat, spending a few nervous ticks in awkward silence before the woman relieved them. She reached a hand out in greeting, introducing herself and breaking the ice between them the best that she could.

Flashing her a warm smile, Lyra shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you Ari. I’m Lyra. I did come for the fire. And if it makes you feel any better, I’m not too sure what to do either. I was wandering around and then heard the storyteller. I didn’t even realize I’d stopped to listen until I bumped into you. I’m sorry again for that. I’m glad you’re alright.” Pausing in conversation, Lyra observed Ari, noting her striking features glowing in the firelight. Lyra didn’t know very much about the other races of Mizahar, but growing up in Lhavit meant she had at least seen many of them before and knew some by name. It took only a tick or two to realize Ari was a Konti. The conclusion explained not only her features, but also her Common. She had no idea what it was called, but Lyra knew Konti had a language of their own, and she wagered to guess it was Ari’s native tongue and she began learning Common later on in her life.

“I think your Common is actually pretty good, Ari.” Lyra said, hoping to help encourage the woman. “I understand you.” Glancing around them, Lyra discovered the storyteller had concluded his tale while the women were getting acquainted and he’d moved on. Feeling guilty, Lyra turned back to Ari. “Looks like the storyteller has moved on. I’m sorry I ruined the end of it. Would you like to go get something to eat and then see what else we can do here?”

If Ari agreed, Lyra would stand and casually lead them back to where she’d seen the food tables when she arrived. Picking up a new cup of cider, Lyra would offer one to Ari before browsing what there was to eat. There were trays of various meats, pots of soup, and an entire table of pies, pastries and sweets. Knowing full well she should eat something solid, Lyra indulged her sweet tooth and moved directly to the table of desserts. It was a party, right? No one eats properly at parties. Picking up a plate, Lyra selected a few pastries and candies, turning then to Ari. “These smell so good! Would you like some too Ari?”

[Ari'Ellin]

As the woman exhaled in relief, Ari couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “You so worried about spill? Don’t worry so! Spill easy fix! Even if did spill it okay.” she chuckled and nodded as she spoke, looking at the woman and smiling as she did so, eyes looking over the woman as she introduced herself.

“Lyra? It pretty name. Suit well.” she hummed softly as she spoke. “No sorry. It okay. The storyteller good, and fire pretty. You nice so it okay. If you mean, not so much.” she found herself nodding as she spoke, glad to have seemingly met a nice person. Shew wondered if she could maybe find a friend in the young woman and make her time in Lhavit a little less lonely. At least that was what she hoped.

Then she heard the womans word as she said that her common was pretty good and an even bigger grin spread across her face. “You think? I think it sound… awkward? Not flow so well. Not like storyteller.” she tried to explain. “But as long as can understand main point, good.” she offered a thumbs up as she spoke before humming softly to herself. Then the woman mentioned the storyteller coming to an end in his tale and Ari glanced to where the man had been, a slight frown briefly appearing on her face.

“It okay. There more story later. We find more. Or we tell own story.” she smiled again, looking to the woman. “But yes, we see what here can do.” she kept close to the woman, perhaps too close. Her time so far in Lhavit had been lonely, and now that she had found someone she was comfortable enough to talk to and that was willing to deal with her less than adequate understanding of the common language, she was too eager to spend time with them and get to know Lyra better.

Deciding not to worry so much about how she came across, Ari kept following her, looking at the pastries and candies and furrowing her brow slightly. She had seen things like the pastries before, but rarely had she tried them in Lhavit.

“They good? What are they? I know pastries and pastries sweet, but what in them?” she tilted her head, exhaling softly before picking one out. “I not know what get here. In Mura I like pastries, here not tried much.” she chuckled out slightly.

“We go sit to eat? Yes?” she quizzed, gesturing to a place to sit slightly closer to the fires where people were not constantly walking through to get to the tables of candies and sweets.

[Lyra Nix]

Lyra giggled at the puzzled look on Ari's face as she selected a pastry. "Honestly, I don't really know what exactly is inside them, but they taste so good that I don't mind not knowing. I definitely recommend trying a few of them." Biting into one of her own, Lyra's taste buds melted into the flavors filling her mouth. It was fluffy and soft as she chewed, the sugar making her mouth water as she devoured it. It was followed by a sip of her new cider to wash it all down, a satisfied smile resting on Lyra's face. She graciously nodded to Ari when she suggested eating nearby in peace, following the woman over and sitting close enough to her to be easily heard.

Picking up another pastry from her selection, Lyra bit off a chunk and happily munched on it for a moment before turning to Ari. "So Ari, how long have you been here in Lhavit? Do you like it?" She sat quietly awaiting her answer and tried to imagine what it would be like to leave her home and move to another city. She couldn't really come up with much. Lyra loved Lhavit so much that the thought of going anywhere else had never crossed her mind growing up. Sure her childhood here had been a trial, but it was still home. Even without leading a particularly social life, Lyra couldn't imagine leaving her memories and experiences behind and starting over somewhere new. Those were the things that made her who she is. Who would she be if she were to move on without them? It was a terrifying thought, though she was sure Ari had her reasons for undertaking such a thing.

Looking around them, Lyra breathed a gentle sigh of content. They'd found a good spot to linger while they ate. Of course the activity of the festival could be heard all around them, but here it was more of an ambient background noise than forefront in the senses. It allowed them to talk without struggle of hearing and while also out of the way of passersby. They weren't all that far from the fire where they sat, but they were still away from it enough to be conscious of the lingering cooler air. Lyra didn't have the goosebumps she'd had walking there, but the wind shifted just enough every so often to remind her skin of it's presence.

Turning her gaze back to Ari, Lyra added on to their topic of conversation. "I grew up here. I've never been anywhere else. Never considered it actually. I admire what you've done coming to this city." She smiled warmly at the woman, hoping she was enjoying herself as much as Lyra was. The whole notion of going out and making friends was oddly unfamiliar to Lyra, even at her age. She didn't undertake much besides work. The realization sunk inside her a little harder than it normally did, and she couldn't fully pinpoint why exactly that was the case. She couldn't recall having an actual desire to avoid people, but yet she couldn't recall having a regular desire to engage with them either. It was a dilemma she feared would be a lingering thought after tonight.