Completed [Naked & Afraid Challenge] A Stranger In A Strange Land III

[Tazrae]

Timestamp: 50th of Winter, 512 A.V.

Midmorning she found a berry patch – a thick thicket of black berries that spilled over onto the stream she’d been paralleling. She stopped to pick a bit there, eating as fast as she could though finding most of the berries eaten or past their prime. About ten chimes into what she considered her lunch break she smelled something sharp and musky on the wind and decided leaving the immediate area was a good idea. If the breeze was carrying the scent of a bear to her, she was downwind and unless it heard her, she was safe. The woman carried on, walking then jogging, then walking again, moving as fast as she could trying to make the sea before dark.

At one point the stream turned sharply south and Tazrae crossed it knowing that on her map she must leave it. That didn’t make her feel good, but with the dampness of the terrain and the lake to the north and sea to the south she felt certain she’d cross water again. The Innkeeper walked until it was dark, and this time instead of building a fire and eating, she climbed a tree and snuggled into its arched arms where she wrapped herself in her cloak and had a night breeze to carry insects away.

She itched all over and there wasn’t a bit of her skin that wasn’t blistered or broken by insect bites at this point. Talderian mosquitos weren’t tiny creatures that were hard to see. Instead, they were the size of normal dragonflies and their bites did serious damage to her skin. With each one she wanted to shriek. And the only thing that distracted her was food. Taz opted to eat some of the peeled cattail she’d had remaining in her burlap bag and a few of the crabapples she had left.

The location she picked to hold out the night was all but perfect until well past midnight, in the early morning hours, her bladder and bowels had screamed at her to relieve themselves. She would have done it over the side of the tree and avoided the climb down, but she was afraid the scent would be a huge advertisement that she was there.

So instead, awkwardly and dangerously, she climbed down slowly, carefully, and used the broken short sword to dig a small hole where she relieved herself and was able to cover it over before she reclimbed the tree into some of its lowest branches. The silence of the wood at that hour scared her. She’d never been truly alone out in the wilderness before.

Tazrae heard sounds she was sure wasn’t there. And the never-ending itching of her body made her incredibly uncomfortable – far too uncomfortable to get any sleep. So, she huddled back up the tree until the sky began to lighten and scratched and scratched at herself until she finally decided moving on was the answer.

[Tazrae]

Day 4

It was then, an hour into her walk, that Tazrae found the small river. It was more of a glorified stream, but the gradient was low, the banks sloped down slowly, and the mud on either side seemed to be teaming with life. Vegetation coated the margins and whereas the other streams she’d passed had a lot of rocks and boasted clear water… this sluggish pool seemed to be perhaps tidal influenced and deeper. It looked well over her head in the center, and the water rather than clear was a rich hue of muddy green that didn’t remind her of pond scum but rather seemed to hint at a high nutrient content or even perhaps a bit of mix of salt in with it.

Regardless the sight cheered her because she knew she was closing in on her X. She increased her pace, following the river, and came out on what she could tell was the shore of what she assumed was the Suvan Sea. She could smell the saltwater well before she got to the shore and she indeed heard the crashing of the waves long before she caught sight of them.

Sitting down on a bluff overlooking the ocean, Tazrae knew she had to rest. She was exhausted, having made what looked like an eight-day trip in four. Being in shape had its benefits, but she’d still lost weight and was thirsty all over again. She had a half-full waterskin and drank deeply of that. Then, once she was rested, got busy scouting a site that would be best suited to make a more permanent camp in.

Because of the caves listed on the map, Taz looked for them at first. She thought she’d find them above the ocean – perhaps collapsed sea caves from an old changing coastline – but that wasn’t the case. She found them overlooking the river, near the mouth, in a finger of an old rock slope that stretched out bisecting the river from the sea. She’d nearly missed them since part of the rock slope was made of columnar basalt and looked unstable. But where the basalt ended, bedrock – true bedrock – was exposed and displayed the caves beneath.

Taz approached the cave system cautiously. So many sorts of predators liked caves. It wasn’t the time of year for bears to be out, but one could easily be slumbering in any one of these caves. Bats and guano weren’t something she wanted to deal with either. She didn’t want to select a cave to explore that was easy to access. She’d rather have one she had to carefully climb up into rather than simply walk into. Predators could follow her.

But rather than risk running into something nasty, she cut a branch off a lower smaller tree, sliced the bottom of her threadbare cloak off, and wrapped it around the tree. Then, where the tree wept pitch, she covered as much of the newly-made torch with the substance as she could. Once it was well saturated all around, she used her flint and steel to light it up. The blaze erupted comfortingly to her and she began to investigate the caves for a possible living situation.

Some were just too large to defend.


Some were just too hard to reach. One she found bat-infested and another had a musky smell that permeated her senses. They weren’t all clustered together. But on the ocean side of the outcropping, she finally found one that had a small narrow opening she had to turn sideways to get into. Once in, it opened up to well above her head and had a natural vent for smoke and no remnants whatsoever of anything living in it other than perhaps rodents and spiders… maybe snakes.

[Tazrae]

Tazrae left the torch wedged in a perfect stone crack that seemed made for it and left the sanctuary of her chosen shelter and began to gather firewood. It was still early in the day and multiple trips could be made to stock her with enough fire to not only warm the cave but keep it well lit and perhaps rid it of any unwanted denizens in the meantime. She gathered tinder, larger driftwood pieces from the shore, and even found a deadfall she peeled bark from in case she needed more cordage. A seep off the rock outcropping made a nice water source though she hoped to find one closer in the cave itself if time lent it to exploration.

Once firewood was gathered and stockpiled, she made two trips to the riverbank to get clay. She left the contents of her bag at the cave and took the burlap carry sack down to the river and filled it with clay. She harvested handfuls of the gooey substance intent on hardening it in her fire for crude cups, bowls and plates. Two trips later she was satisfied she’d had enough, and in the harvesting of that clay she’d made another happy discovery when she’d went down to the river to wash. The bank was infused with clams and mussels.

Food.

She’d eat tonight.

The third trip she made was to gather that food. Taz ended up wading into the river, which honestly soothed the bites all over her, and turned to face the bank. The relief she felt from the raw skin all over here was immediate and finally cleared her slightly addled mind. She knelt in the water there, facing the bank about her arm’s length away from the margin. Having no idea what dwelt in the water – though comfortable that probably crocodiles weren’t included – she hurried as she made rakes of her fingers and combed the muddy bank starting at the waterline and running her way down into the water until she couldn’t reach the substrate any more without dunking her head underwater.

Her fingers caught on clams and muscles buried in the mud much like her clam rake at home would have captured them. Tazrae pulled them greedily from the muck, tossing them in her burlap bag which stayed handily strung about her body. The food was plentiful and she felt lucky she knew where to find it. It was a skill Randal had taught her early on… both coastal and freshwater clams and mussels were easy low-risk foraging.

When she had her bag full of what she thought she could eat comfortably, Tazrae rose from the dark water and climbed the bank headed back to her cave. She needed to find a rock, a large flat one that was small enough for her to carry comfortably into the cave.

Spotting one, she picked it up in her arms and headed towards the cave. When she got to the entrance, she had to slide the rock in on her hands and knees since it would not fit in carried in her arms. Then she had to push the bag in filled with its clams and mussels. Once those two things were in, she squeezed her own body through the odd narrow opening sideways. She left the bivalves where they were and instead carried the rock over to the fire. She lined it up against one side of the fire, piling some wood against it and adding to the fire to keep it going.

[Tazrae]

Then she brought her clams and mussels closer, but far enough away from the fire in their burlap bag that they would not begin to cook. She took them out of the bag, leaving them on the bare stone because she needed the bag to go gather bedding to help insulate her from the hard stone. Taz left the cave then, carrying her burlap bag and waterskin. She made sure to fill the waterskin from a cascade of water coming off the stone near the cave to provide water for the night.

She used the burlap sack to begin gathering moss and soft leaves that she plucked from the trees alive. Her intention was to line a bed for her to lay on. She hoped to cushion the skin where she lay. It was already growing worse from the bites, some of which had split open and were oozing pus from infections that had set in. So Tazrae filled in the remaining evening making multiple trips to and from the forest around the cave gathering the moss and leaves she was determined to bed down on.

The water probably wasn’t going to help them much other than introducing new misery into the broken skin. She needed to make a poultice of some kind of plant material but she had no idea what to use. The young Innkeeper had no medicines with her and no knowledge of herbs.

But what she did have was a memory of her mother making poultices for a rash from charcoal from the fire… mixing it with water and spreading it on the skin to cool it with some sort of… herb…. Herbs… she’d used peppermint – Tazrae remembered – but that wasn’t what she had. She had instead harvested normal mint to make tea from. The girl decided that peppermint and mint was close enough together that one would work for the other and the cooling sensation of the mint would feel so good on her skin.

But first… first she had to check the stone near the fire and line up the clams and mussels along the stone’s rim closest to the fire. They’d bake in the heat, the moisture inside them boiling the meat from the heat, making them safe to eat. She cooked them one row at a time while she shaped crude mugs, bowls, and a single plate from the clay she’d hauled up to the cave. Once she’d finished them, she’d tucked them into the fire to harden in the heat. Until she had a vessel of some sort, she had no way to mix the charcoal, mint, and water in any practical way to form the poultice she needed to soothe her skin.

[Tazrae]

So instead, she focused on baking the clams. They were clamped tight, but once the water in them boiled they spread open relaxing. Taz was able to use a spare stick of firewood to nudge them away from the fire at that point to cool. Then she played another layer out along the rim to cook, and set about popping open the now cooked clams and sliding the delicious meat into her mouth. The clams were sized all different ways… some small like butter clams but some larger with deep shells. These deeper shelled ones she saved the shells too, setting them aside while she finished her meal.

Taz ate until she couldn’t fit another clam in her mouth. She had never had a better meal, she decided, leaning back and letting it digest. She sipped from her waterskin and once she was feeling more revived, she nudged a well-charred piece of wood from the fire over to one side so it could cool. Then she retrieved the mint plants she’d harvested and used a small stone she found to cut them up and mash them in one of the clamshells. She added a bit of water to the shell, mangling the mint plants until they were nothing but paste. To the paste, she added charcoal that she chipped off the burnt log and mixed it in with the already mangled mint.

This action didn’t yield a great deal of the mixture – certainly not enough to cover her entire body – but it was enough to completely cover her face and neck in a light thin coat that was definitely going to go a long way to draw out the toxins of her infected bites. She built the fire up, leaving the crude crockery to continue to bake, and spread out the moss and leaves she’d brought in loads up. Full, exhausted, and in a great deal more pain than she realized, Tazrae drifted off to sleep on a warm bed of moss lightly wrapped in the pathetic excuse for a cloak.

Day 5 - 8

In the morning, her face and neck did indeed feel better. The rest of her was if anything worse. So she dragged the crude hardened crockery out of the fire, set it to one side via sticks, and let it begin to completely cool. She was determined to gather more clams and mussels and see if she could find any more mint to make more of the mixture for the rest of her skin. She nibbled pithy crabapples for breakfast, drank the rest of her water, and set out to refill the skin and gather more mint and food for lunch and dinner.

Tazrae was determined to settle in, get her strength, figure out an option for clothing, and see what she could do to survive now that she had the cave and was at where the X was supposed to be on the map. She’d wait it out the next three days, regaining strength, exploring slightly, and doing what she could to put in some stores in case she was going to be here a while.

Word Count: 2680

[Gillar]

“Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are,” were the words that Tazrae heard whispered in her ear by an unknown source. As the words were spoken, the soothing scent of flowers filled her nose. The melodic songs of birds filled her ears. The sweet taste of wild berries tanged her tongue. The soothing tickle of dandelion seeds brushed her skin. Finally, her vision was filled with a myriad of brilliant greens, blues and reds that undulated slowly, blending together and forming new hues of striking colors. These colors soon begin to transform from amorphous pools to defined shapes. It was as if a someone had dumped different colored paint on a canvas only to then paint a picture from the chaos. As Tazrae found herself floating in the middle of the “painting”, grass begin to form at her feet. Towering trees took shape around her. Flowers happily erupted outward into sight. Before her very eyes, an entire landscape came into being; created from what had been but a great splatter of color.

Within a matter of moments, Tazrae found herself standing on a small hill surrounded by grass that gave way to a seemingly endless forest. On top of the hill, looming over her, was a tree. It was quite unlike any other tree she’d ever seen. The first sense was that the tree was incomprehensibly ancient. There were a handful of exposed roots covered in impossibly thick bark. These roots led to a series of six trunks that twisted around each other to form a single, massive whole. Although not incredible in height, the main body of the tree formed by the numerous trunks was easily twenty feet in diameter. It rose at least fifty feet in height with countless branches. Leaves, the colors of which could not be described by mortal terms, were interrupted in many places by strange clumps of thumb-sized constructs that resembled miniature bundles of bananas. What stood out most however was the color of everything. The sky was a blue that Tazrae had never knew existed. The same was true for the grass, trees and flowers and even the birds and other small animals that came into being from otherwise moving swirls of color.

When the onslaught of her surroundings began to slowly normalize within her senses, Tazrae then realized that any of the wounds, scratches, cuts, bruises or worse, were gone; it was as if they never happened. The accumulated filth and grime of the past seven days…vanished. In fact, it felt as though she had bathed in the most luxurious bath ever to have existed. Her skin smelled of the best thing they’d ever experienced.

After a few moments of getting her bearings while trying to reconcile what she had experienced for the past several days with where she was now, Tazrae felt a hand lay upon her shoulder. Turning to look she would see nothing. Turning back, she saw a woman sitting on one of the great tree’s exposed roots. The woman was as naked as Tazrae was. Her skin was an especially pale green color while here hair was the deepest of green with the texture of moss. Her eyes were colored the deepest of brown. From her hair, it looked as though flowers grew from the moss itself. Her skin was flawless, her lips a ruby red. Her finger and toenails were an autumn orange.

Her head was lowered but upon being noticed, she raised it. In a voice that sounded like the best mother’s voice, carried on the wind, complete with the chill of long lost, cherished familiarity, she spoke.

“Saying that this is all rather odd…is not quite describing what you have just been through. For that, I offer my apology. Mortal words, no matter the language, do not fully encompass the experience.” The woman hopped down from her perch upon the exposed root and walked a few feet to stand before Tazrae. As the woman took her steps, flowers grew where her feet touched the ground.

“Again, forgive me for any lack of civilized manners. I may not be as formal as you are used to. You may know me as Caiyha, the Goddess of Nature. To answer your next unspoken question, you have undergone what you could consider a challenge of sorts or a test. It was a test to see if one such as yourself was capable of surviving in a place devoid of nearly all the trappings of civilization. Obviously, you indeed survived, despite the challenges.” Caiyha spoke while casually walking around the area beneath the tree.

She stopped at one point to pick up something which was concealed in her closed hand. Turning back to Tazrae, she smiled.

“I know you have many other questions. What is the purpose of this test? Why me? What happens next? Likely many others. First, the purpose of this test is simple, at least to me. Since the beginning, I have sought out those who show respect and reverence for all that I’ve created. Those who seek to protect it and nourish it, I show them my grace. Recently however, I began to wonder. What about those who don’t think about my creations or who don’t feel truly a part of it all. What about those who, with a little push, may discover on their own, that they are connected to me. This is why I chose you. There is something about you that peaked my interest. It isn’t something I can describe other than to say you have a quality about you. It was that quality I decided to test. Can this mortal, left with only a physical body, natural skills and talents and the least number of civilized connections, survive my creation? Obviously, you passed that test so what comes next. We will get to that in a moment. First however, I wish to offer you a moment or two to ask of me what you will, within reason.” Caiyha plucked a flower from her hair, brought it to her nose and took in its scent before raising it into the air. The flower then erupted in seed before the petals dried and fell to the ground; quickly consumed by insects and thus contributing to the greater cycle.

[Tazrae]

She was dreaming again. Tazrae admitted that to herself immediately. The young bard had vivid lucid dreams a great deal, and this was one of the more colorful powerful ones. Something she ate probably acted as a drug to her system. Were the clams bad? Was she even now dying? The deeper into the experience she traveled, the more the quality of the experience changed, deepened, and became something so much more than a dream. She wasn’t in the cave any longer. She wasn’t even any place that looked like places mortals roamed.

It was like she’d stepped inside of one of those wonderous toys she’d once seen at a booth in Riverfall’s Market. A Kaleidoscope. The colors swirled around her much like the device a generous merchant mistaking her for someone with coin had let her peer through once. He’d shown her how to turn its mirrored interior to form a riot of color at its furthest end. Had she stepped into one of those devices?

Only this was no reflected surface of trapped bobbles in a glass ended tube. This was something deep, provocative, and life changing. Tazrae could taste it in her fear and wonder… in the very essence of the colors swirling around her. She decided the colors would be what music looked like if it could be seen and not heard. And in that moment, she wished she had more talent for painting so she could capture the scene. Maybe a composer… just maybe someone who wrote music… could capture this scene; transferring visual into audio. Then… only then might someone believe her if she lived to talk about this happening. Because she wanted to talk about this… wanted to share this experience.

If only she wasn’t alone.

Grass grew, land rose, and she found herself before a wonderous tree. It wasn’t the first mystical tree she’d seen. Hadn’t one popped up in Syka before their very eyes… one that held special fruit as a gift from Kihala? But this was different… so different. And it was occupied. Someone stood before her within the tree’s sheltering roots. As the woman approached, Tazrae could feel her fearless and beauty, but her senses were also warning her of danger. Taz held her tongue as the woman began to speak.

Woman? No… Goddess.

It was the second one Tazrae had actually met face to face. The Goddess – Caiyha – spoke too… friendly, open, in an unbroken chain that made Tazrae half-smile. And when it managed to sink in that this was the Goddess of Nature, Tazrae sank to her knees and bowed her head for she’d been taught to honor the Gods and Goddesses and be reverent in their presence. They did not appear often, but some lived in the very cities Tazrae had dwelled in… walking the streets as if they were just citizens as well. Riverfall had been like that. Tazrae had never seen Akajia, her son Nysel or even Wyser whom people called Lord of Riverfall. But then again, she’d been busy at the Inn her parents ran. She went to market sometimes, and to school… but compared to her life in Syka, Riverfall had been a sheltered existence.

Questions? Yes… Taz had so many. They flittered through her mind like birds through the jungle canopy. She listened quietly to Caiyha speak, lifting herself from her bowed position to rest on her knees with her hands clasped across her thighs. It was almost a childlike pose, but the woman would not fully rise until the Goddess nodded or gave her some other sign it was fine to do so.

“Thank you.” She said first and foremost. The Goddess had paid her many compliments, not only in what she said but by testing her. “I have great respect for your wilderness, especially since moving here. The jungle calls to me. I’ve tried to learn as much about it as I can. And in that learning, I’ve come to realize that there is no use in trying to control it or change it. The key to thriving in the wilds is to work with it… at least that’s one of the most important things I’ve learned so far. It can’t be bent to suit you, but you must be able to bend to suit its whims.” Tazrae said softly.

“There are so many things I want to ask you. Recently though, it has fallen to me to become one of Syka’s Guardians. Kihala gifted the city with animal totems that can animate to help protect the city. I am able to communicate with them via the mark she gave me on my wrist.” Taz inverted her wrist to display the small glimmering mark that looked a lot like a gnosis mark but was not.

“And I have thrown myself into the learning of the jungle and its ways… and how to survive therein. And the thing I have learned most… what I just shared with you… is hard to adapt to a city. How does a small settlement that wants to grow and thrive in the jungle bend to the jungle’s will? How does it adapt? Can you give me any insight on how to live as a city must live… even a small one… and still be harmonious with our surroundings? How do I help Syka thrive and become something the jungle recognizes as its own?” She said seriously, knowing full well that she was wasting the opportunity to ask about her life, maybe her purpose for being here, and why she felt so different as an Innkeeper from what her parents had been. It was at the forefront of her mind even as she asked for Syka rather than herself.

Tazrae knew she’d asked multiple questions there, but she also knew the Goddess would get the bigger picture of what she was asking. It actually boiled down to one question… how to help Syka survive. Falyndar and the Jungle Wild was so much larger than any of them and certainly larger than the settlement. Syka had to be a tiny pimple on a hippo’s ass compared to the scope of how big the jungle they settled in was. But Taz had a driving motivation to keep it thriving. It was her home… her place of peace.

“Can you tell me too… why someone like me… a no-one girl from Riverfall can come here, fall instantly in love with the place, and never want to leave? It feels like it's in my blood, but I come from tame Innkeeper stock, with no mountain men or wild children in sight on my family tree.” Tazrae continued, then decided she’d stop at that… stop and listen truly to the Goddess’ answer.

[Gillar]

To Tazrae’s kneeling in her presence, Caiyha dismissed such a gesture by shaking her head and motioning for the young girl to stand.

“Child, there is no need for that sort of thing. I’m a goddess, not some self-proclaimed queen.” Caiyha said with a strangely musical quality to her voice. It wasn’t the type of music Tazrae was used to however. It was more like the type of music created in nature when the sounds of animals fill a surrounding forest; a mix of songbirds, buzzing insects and the calls of animals all at once in a soft melodic rhythm.

The Goddess smiled appreciatively at Tazrae’s thanks and comments on her outlook on the concept of nature. Casually moving around the area underneath the great tree, Caiyha paused from time to time to, herself, marvel at the tree while listening to Tazrae speak. From time to time, a songbird or two would flutter up, land on the Goddess’ shoulder and play with her hair.

“It is pleasing to hear of your growing perception of the world around you. Developing such a perception is a powerful step in the right direction. All too often, mortals are too concerned with their own selfish preservation of the meaningless aspects of lives to see much else.” Caiyha paused and turned to Tazrae when the girl offered her questions.

Considering Tazrae’s first series of questions, the Goddess ran her hand through her hair; her fingers brushing threw the luxurious strands. As she did, flower petals fell and were picked up by the soft breeze that rustled through the lower hanging branches of the massive tree.

“I am aware of Kihala’s gift and responsibility placed upon you. I myself have been pleased with that choice thus far. As for Syka and its growth, you need to change your ideas of what it is to be a thriving city.” Caiyha pointed behind Tazrae.

At Caiyha’s motion, the area behind Tazrae appeared to shimmer and swirl; the colors, forms and shapes twisting and morphing until the familiar sight of Syka appeared. Its appearance however was viewed from a vastly different perspective; it looked as though it was being seen from the eyes of a bird. The offered view moved as the bird did with different things being seen. The settlement itself with its inhabitants going about their daily business, the great surrounding jungle, the Stair-step falls as well as the various landmarks and bits of ruins seen from the vantage that only a bird could experience.

As the bird flew, offering the altered perception of Syka and the jungle, Caiyha offered a bit of a narration of sorts to what Tazrae was seeing.

“The answer to your question is right in front of you although it is not easy to see from your current perspective. The ruins that Syka sits upon are vast. You only know of a tiny fraction of what exists all around and beneath. The ruins of Pavena already exist in harmony with the jungle; at least as far as nature is concerned.” As Caiyha spoke, Tazrae could see what may have once been buildings, parks and towers now almost completely claimed by the jungle. There were but a few signs of the man-made beauty and grandeur that once existed where little else remained; or at least could be seen.

“As for Syka, I guess it depends on your concept of scale; how big do you imagine Syka becoming? What is your definition of thriving? If you simply mean how does Syka ultimately survive in any real way while being surrounded on all sides by an unforgiving jungle, look to those who have done so for centuries. There are beings who reside within the ruins who have found a way to live alongside the jungle long for quite some time. One such individual can be found some distance north of the settlement.” At Caiyha’s words, the bird’s-eye view before Tazrae offered a glimpse of the jungle as it moved away from the settlement. Although to a bird, the distance was slight, it was likely something quite different on the ground. It didn’t take long for the bird to catch a glimpse at a pair of ancient stone towers. They were surrounded by the jungle although located in something of a clearing. There were surrounding ruins that were barely seen through the overgrowth.

“This is the home of the Cheenga Guardian; protector of Pavena. His name is Zethas. If you wish for Syka to survive and do so in balance with nature, I feel that the Guardian of Syka should converse with the Guardian of Pavena.” Caiyha knew that such an answer may not be what Tazrae was expecting yet she suspected the girl would take to the idea of growing from such an experience rather than having the answers handed to her.

The altered view of Syka and its surroundings faded and vanished; replaced by the expansive grasslands and infinite surrounding forest with Caiyha standing in front of her. The Goddess softly approached and laid her hand on Tazrae’s arm. In response to the girl’s final question, Caiyha smiled lovingly and said, “It is not always about where you come from or even who you think you are in this life that defines who you will become. Existence as a whole is complicated to put it mildly. There is indeed something within you that is connected to this place. Call it an echo of a life once lived but it is that connection that I think would benefit from a little…push." With one hand still on Tazrae’s arm, Caiyha took Tazrae’s other hand and placed something in it; a small, smooth, iridescent seed.

“This is a seed from the First Tree.” Caiyha gestured to the great tree that loomed over them.

“These seeds are responsible for all life and all things related to life. This one in particular is known as Nature’s Heart and consider it a gift. Swallow it and that love and connection you feel for this place and nature as a whole will be experienced in a new way. Once consumed, the seed will sprout and grow within you. It could take no time at all or it could take a few seasons for the process to reach its zenith. When this happens, it will feel a bit uncomfortable and a little confusing; like something is moving just beneath your skin. Once complete, the seed will become a small, wooden, egg-like structure in the center of your chest and you will from that point forward be known as a Wildling. You will enjoy nourishment and health from the light of Syna and a good amount of water just like so many other parts of nature. In a similar manner, wounds will heal faster and poisons and toxins will be quickly expelled from the body. Your knowledge of nature, as it grows, will increase your connection with nature. You would be able to instinctively sense certain details about the jungle through meditation with your surroundings. Nature itself will recognize you for who and what you are.” Caiyha leaned in and brushed her lips against Tazrae’s forehead.

“In addition to this gift, I offer you a reward for surviving long enough to reach this place.” Caiyha’s touch upon Tazrae’s arm began to feel very warm although not uncomfortable. The skin on Tazrae’s arm began to ripple lightly as a swirl of color extended out of Caiyha’s hand and spread. The colors eventually began to take form until the image of a great tree began to form; the First Tree. The branches and roots of the tree wrapped around Tazrae’s arm. In an instant, Tazrae realized she had just been marked by Caiyha.

“Whenever you are feeling lost, angry or uncertain, simply think of this place and feel your connection to it and to the jungle around you. Hopefully, these gifts you’ve received this day will help you with your desire to help Syka and achieve a balance between the settlement and the world around it.” With Caiyha’s parting words, Tazrae blinked once and found herself in the very same spot she was before the whole ordeal began. The smell of flowers filled the area and the mark of Caiyha stood out prominently on her arm.

ooc :

Because of the delay in this award, you may play as if you have had the Heart for awhile now or you may play as if, during the present season, it completes its growth and the transformation completes.

Nature’s Heart

A small, smooth, iridescent seed. Nature’s Heart contains very special qualities that are discovered by swallowing the seed. Once swallowed, the seed sprouts and spreads throughout the body. The sprouting of the seed transforms a person. The transformation, while unpleasant and confusing, is not overly painful. The seed itself partially exits the body in the center of the chest, creating a smooth, wooden, egg-shaped structure. The individual transformed by Nature’s Heart becomes a being known as, a Wildling.

A Wildling is a humanoid being with a unique connection to nature. They are empowered by the sunlight and with adequate amounts of it as well as water, the Wildling will never fear starvation. While they may eat normal food appropriate for their race, they do not need it to survive as long as there is sunlight and water present. With the same amounts of sunlight and water, wounds heal twice as fast and L1 poisons will be expelled from the body within a bell or two; their effects lasting half that time. The greatest gift of the Wildling comes from its strong connection with nature. This connection is treated like a new skill.

Wild Sense

The Wildling’s connection with nature is unique among all of nature’s children. It provides the Wildling with the ability to instinctively sense certain details about the surrounding environment. This ability, while offering a lot of insight into the Wildling’s surroundings, is limited to the specific “biome” that the Wildling is tied to. Much like the biome’s of the Witches of Caiyha, the Wildling find’s their senses empowered by those specific places. The skill level in Wild Sense is determined by taking the average of skill levels in Wilderness Survival and Animal Husbandry. For example, if a Wildling has a 20 in Wilderness Survival and a 10 in Animal Husbandry, they would have a 15 in Wild Sense (20 + 10 = 30 / 2 = 15). Wild Sense has four levels of influence just like other skills, detailed as follows:

L1 (1-25) – The Wildling can sense the presence of all lifeforms within a half mile radius. This ability is accessed through mediation. Any natural animal as well as humanoids can be sensed although details of sensed creatures is very limited. The Wildling can detect the general direction of lifeforms and rough distance but other details are just out of reach. They can also detect the presence of edible plants although the exact knowledge of said plants is limited to existing skill levels in herbalism, botany, poison, etc.

L2 – (26-50) – The Wilding’s senses are enhanced. They are able to identify the exact species and/or race of animal/humanoid within a half mile radius through meditation. While they may identify the lifeforms, their knowledge of said lifeforms is limited to existing knowledge and lore. In addition, the Wildling will be able to sense general age and health of sensed creatures. They will also know if the lifeforms are engaged in instinctual acts such as sleeping, hunting or mating.

L3 – (51-75) – The Wilding’s senses grow to much greater levels. They are able, through intense meditation, to identify a specific animal within a half-mile radius and know everything about it. They will know age, health and instinctual motivation; sleep, hunting, mating, etc. They may also, while focused on this particular animal, see what they see, smell what they smell and taste what they taste. The Wildling becomes a passenger of sorts, unable to control but able to experience everything the animal experiences.

L4 – (76-100) – The Wilding’s senses have merged with their surrounding environment is a very intimate way. Through meditation, they can feel the movement of animals; smell their scent, taste what they eat and feel their happiness and despair. These feelings can be overwhelming at times and focusing too much on any particular sense can result in an overload that causes great pain and confusion. The Wildling is so in-tune with nature that they can give up a bit of their lifeforce in order to heal any creature or plant within a half-mile radius by exchanging conditions with said animal. Thus, if an animal is seriously injured, the Wildling can transfer that wound to themselves while sacrificing their health; restoring the animal in kind.

[Tazrae]

It was incredibly humbling to be in the presence of a Goddess. Tazrae had been marked by Rhaus, but he’d come to her in the guise of an older man who’d been sea-worn and friendly. She couldn’t help compare the Goddess’ visage to Rhaus’. Caiyha shone with a brilliance that was presence rather than light. And like Rhaus, Caiyha was grounded in a way that kneeling wasn’t required. So Tazrae stood before her, seemingly stripped bare, and marveling at the tonal quality of her voice. It was all mingled birdsong, tree-leaves whispering in the wind, insects buzzing, and frogs singing to the dawn. Taz loved it and wondered at what it did to her insides. Taz moved with the Goddess, their wandering having no randomness to it at all. Instead, it seemed to be more like the ebb and flow of creatures as they grazed or foraged. Birds joined them, perching on the Goddess as if paying homage to her.

Caiyha’s words marked Tazrae. Mortals were too concerned with self-preservation and didn’t see past that factor to enjoy the world around them. Taz took note, not wanting that to be mortal. So, she asked her questions carefully and listened intently to both what the Goddess did say and what she left unsaid in the spaces between her words. Her first concern, of course, was Syka. It was her home and she wanted it to persist. So her ideas of a thriving city needed work? Interesting. Cities could be so many things, and Syka didn’t have to conform to any of the known ones Tazrae understood the world was full of.

The ariel view of Syka was stunning, and put its diminutive size into perspective. Pavena had been a sprawling metropolis in comparison. And from what history spoke of, Pavena had been a very small city in comparison to what things had been prior to the Valterrian. Taz wondered, then, if Kihala and Caiyha didn’t also bring about some great reset to control humanity and the sprawl of people across the world like scars.

Then, to Tazrae’s surprise, Caiyha offered her a gift. It was a gift of a mentor who could advise her about Syka, its growth, and how it was to reside alongside the jungle in harmony. She saw the way to the individual’s home and took note that Caiyha wanted her to meet the individual. The Cheenga Guardian? He was a protector of Pavena? Zethas. Tazrae nodded, filing all the information away until it was time for her to go see the guardian.

When the scene changed again and the grassland sprang forth backed by the forest behind the Goddess, Tazrae stood stoic as the Goddess laid her hand on Tazrae’s arm and answered her final question. Tazrae felt like she desperately needed to hear what Caiyha said to her. She wasn’t going to be defined by where she came from or who she thought she needed to be or even was. She was even pleased to hear that there was a connection to the past and lives once lived... and that Caiyha was going to give it a bit of a push.

And then, Tazrae’s hand was taken and an iridescent seed was placed in her palm. Taz stared down at the seed, not speaking much at this point… just listening. This was a seed from the First Tree. Tazrae had never heard of the First Tree before, but Caiyha’s words put it into perspective for her, especially with the tree materializing from nothing behind Caihya. There was an energy to the seed, and even cupped in the palm of her hand, it sent tendrils of energy into her palm and vibrated with a frequency that Tazrae could clearly pick out with her bardic hearing. She knew, even as Caiyha explained it, that this seed was alive in such a vibrant way that was unique in all the world.

Taz raised her eyes to the great tree itself, turning partially away from the Goddess to face the First Tree. She dropped in a deep curtsey to it, already somehow feeling connected to it through the seed resonating in her palm. The First Tree felt like all things wild, holding an energy and a song that had echoes of Caiyha’s vocal qualities to it. Taz closed her eyes a moment, listening to its leaves, then lifted the palm of her hand so the seed nestled there was at eye level.

“Nature’s Heart.” Tazrae’s voice was little more than a whisper. It was reverent and at the same time colored with the awe she felt.

She almost swallowed the seed then and there. But Caiyha leaned over and kissed her forehead. Her lips ignited something in Tazrae that was a lot like passion but not of the sexual kind. Her arm electrified where the Goddess touched it. Raised markings traced from where the Goddess touched and painted Tazrae’s skin in an embossing that mimicked the great tree that stood behind Caiyha. The branches and roots of the tree encircled Tazrae’s arm like a lover, and the tree took on one of the visages of the behemoths that graced the heart of the jungle.

Vines stretched out from its branches and plants sprouted from its nooks and crannies as if it were an island of life onto itself. Taz swore she could feel the life in the tree now etched on her arm and on it moving through the image – butterflies gathering nectar from the flowers, parrots perching in its sheltering boughs, frogs hiding in the tiny ponds the clinging bromeliads up in the tree’s arms – even though the image was static. The light in Tazrae’s eyes deepened as the tree and all its life appeared. She felt, in that moment, not only more connected to Syka, but like a true child of Falyndar.

Caiyha kept speaking, painting a visual for her about finding her connection and picturing this place and the jungle to rebalance and find herself when she was lost, angry, and uncertain. Tazrae inhaled deeply of the smell of the jungle and the First Tree as Caiyha stepped back, her work done. Held aloft, the young Innkeeper turned Witch studied the arm that was now adorned. In her other hand was the seed and she carefully set it on her tongue and swallowed. It slid down her like a piece of chocolate and Tazrae felt it lodge in her stomach a moment before it seemed to come alive, turn energetic, and flowed throughout her body momentarily.

Taz felt as if roots drove from her feet deep into the soil and she connected to not only the roots of the First Tree still before her but to the roots of every tree that had ever lived on Mizahar. There were no words for the feeling of interconnectedness. She lifted her arms, as if they were branches, reaching for Syna and soaking in the Goddess’ light. In that instant, she was an emergent – one of the giants of the jungle – and casting a shadow of protection across everything beneath her. She felt Makutsi as well, as liquid flooded her roots, taken up through the tendrils of her roots and into her body. The sensation was overwhelming; the interconnectedness a loss of identity.

But thankfully it pulled back. The seed consolidated in her chest core and began what Taz knew would be slow growth. The mark on her arm with its raised intricate embossing settled into her skin, hiding until it was needed and until Tazrae was ready to embrace her place in Syka and Falyndar’s sphere. Taz looked up and met Caiyha’s eyes for a moment and knew…. knew she had time. There was something coming and she had a role to play in that which was coming. But for now… one step at a time.

“Thank you.” She said to the Goddess. There was nothing else she could say, not really, other than one last promise. “I will do my best to make sure you don’t regret these gifts. I… I feel the future and the weight it carries as if something is coming. I know I need time… I feel I need time. But I won’t waste it while I am getting ready and I will do what I can to be what I must when the time comes…. Regardless of what that role is.” Tazrae said softly, humbly, not sure if her role would be to feed half the settlement or take up her bow and fight to defend its right to exist. There might be yet again something else… Taz wasn’t a seer and had no way of knowing. But she could feel it… she could oh so feel it.

Caiya nodded, and when Tazrae blinked, she found herself standing back on the porch of The Protea. Frowning, confused, Taz glanced down at her left arm expecting to see something there and finding nothing. She lifted her hand and rubbed first at her stomach and then at her chest. She started to step forward and hesitated, half expecting roots to be anchoring her to the ground. Taz blinked at this, uncertain, and slightly dazed. She took a breath, then another, then another… and finally moved forward shaking her head slightly. The Innkeeper felt like she’d been away a week and that there was something missing… something she couldn’t quite remember. But it felt unimportant at the moment as if a bite to eat, checking on her dog, and seeing to the Inn was her number one priority at the moment.

So leaving those confusing thoughts behind, Taz entered her little Inn and immediately headed for the kitchen, looking for something to eat.

Word Count: 1617