[center]

[color=ivory][h1]Arya[/h1][/color]

&

[color=yellow][h1][b][u]Karamir[/u][/b][/h1][/color]

[/center]

[hr]

Karamir paced back and forth restlessly.

His soul, his memory, his personality… all had been restored. What had been lost, good or bad, he could remember almost as if it had happened yesterday. His behavior and thoughts throughout the past day felt almost like that of a completely different person, yet they had been his.

He thought back to his earlier interactions with Arya, and grimaced. He had been cold, hostile, and downright ungrateful. It was as if his head had been full of fog. He had been capable of neither empathy nor gratitude. He had seen her almost as an object. One that was only worth his time so long as she had something to offer him. Even when she had been injured, his concern had been more because he needed her father to restore his soul than because of any actual care for her wellbeing.

Was this how Laurien had viewed him? When she smiled, when she showed interest in his stories, when she offered him drink, when she answered his questions… had it all been a pretense? Had [i]she[/i] only seen him as an object, to be used or destroyed depending on what was most convenient? And in the end she decided he was more useful to her dead than alive?

The thought made him shudder. To live a life like that, only seeing others as expendable…

And Arya… he owed her a lot. She had looked after him when he was injured. She had stayed with him when the rest of her people fled to a safer location. She had let him sleep on her bed, and where had she slept during that time - if at all? She had tried to help him, even after he snapped at her and was bitter toward her. He couldn’t help but feel guilty.

Shortly after he returned to the house, Karamir had noticed a piece of clothing discarded on a table. It was a dress, torn and bloodstained. It didn’t take a genius to deduce that it was what she used to cover his wounds until Shengshi arrived.

He had taken it. He had drawn upon raw mana, and did his best to mend the shreds back together again. Then he had called forth his skill in water mana, and with great effort had managed to wash out the bloodstains. That done, he had folded it, and left it on a table beside her bed. It was not the most efficient way to use his powers right now… but it helped him pass the time, and it helped ease his own mind somewhat.

After that he had patrolled the interior of her house. Every now and then he would hear a noise or seem some movement outside, and go to investigate, fearing that Vrog or some pigguts had decided to pursue them here. So far, there was nothing.

He sat down on a nearby chair and looked down at her, then cringed as he recalled his earlier words to her. He had told her he wanted to become a god… an objective he long since believed he was abandoned. She had thought it foolhardy, and rightly so. Now, what did she think of him because of it?

He’d have to explain himself when she woke up. Maybe she would understand. But how? Discussing his past before he left the Palace always made him feel uncomfortable. He took a deep breath. Maybe… if he practiced talking about it before she woke up… it would be easier to tell her when she was finally awake.

[color=yellow]“Kalmar made me as an experiment…”[/color] he said aloud, his own voice sounding jarring in the otherwise silent house. [color=yellow]“He had seen mortals like you, and Hermes, and wanted to know what it was like to make one of his own. His training was harsh, but I endured, hoping it meant something… only to be sent away and told to seek out my own purpose,”[/color] he shook his head. [color=yellow]“I met a woman named Atalantia, but all she did was mock me. Then I met Phystene, but she couldn’t put my concerns to rest. I felt abandoned. I was alone. I didn’t know what to do.”[/color]

He breathed deep. [color=yellow]“That is what first made me want to become a god. Anger, and bitterness. It was unlikely to succeed. Even at the time, I knew that. That didn’t matter. I needed something to keep going. I couldn’t have children, there weren’t any others of my kind, I was alone… it was all I could think of. I thought if I could get enough power, I would matter. I would have a place in the world… I’d be able to do what I want…”[/color]

It was like sprinting downhill: now that he had started, he couldn’t stop. [color=yellow]“I wandered Kalgrun for years. Then I found a drained river, and while I was exploring it, it refilled itself. I was washed into the sea, and Diana saved me…”[/color]

He looked away from Arya now, staring at the wall. He had never talked about this before. Not in detail, at least. [color=yellow]“I was on a raft with her for… I don’t know how long. She made it as uncomfortable and as miserable as possible. I itched, I sweated. She wouldn’t offer food or drink until I was on the brink of passing out. My sleep was plagued by constant nightmares. She once nearly drowned me just because I annoyed her, and only saved me when I began to panic. It was… it was horrible.”[/color] He felt a tear roll down his cheek. 

[color=yellow]“Then… we reached Dragon’s Foot. I could have left her, but… I stayed. I can’t explain it. Some part of me wanted her to like me, believed she cared. Another part was scared. If I left her I’d be alone again, this time in an unfamiliar land. So… I stayed. For years, and decades. I continued to endure all the pain, all the torment… there were times when I wanted to die. When I almost…”[/color] he shuddered, as tears began to flow more freely. [color=yellow]“I held on only because I thought dying would make me a failure. I made myself numb to the world. I told myself I was used to it. It was the only way I could deal with it…”[/color]

It was odd, talking like this to someone who wasn’t even awake to hear him, about such painful memories too. Yet with each word it felt like some unseen burden was lifted off his shoulders.

[color=yellow]“Eventually she brought me to Tendlepog. When we left, I saw her drop the orb. I didn’t say anything. I thought it was an accident, and I was relieved to see it gone. But… it seems now she had meant to drop it, and we saw where that led. Part of what just happened could be my fault…”[/color] he shook his head.

[color=yellow]“We arrived at the Palace. K’nell was welcoming… at first. But soon it was made clear that I had only been allowed there because of Diana. He refused to answer my questions or help me get what I wanted - which was no longer godhood, but just knowledge. I could either stay with her, or go back out into the world… alone. I… I wasn’t sure what to do…”[/color]

Karamir wiped tears from his eyes. [color=yellow]“And then I met you…”[/color]

[color=yellow]”I… I had found a library in the Palace. It showed me some of what was out there. Good and bad. That was… that was part of why I was uncertain. But meeting you? You were proof. You helped me make up my mind. You helped me recover…”[/color]

[color=ivory]”I’m glad.”[/color] Arya’s voice said weakly.

Karamir nearly jumped at the sound, and then, wordlessly, turned his head back to face her. Black tears streamed down her face as she sat up in bed. She looked tired, painfully so, but even through that pain, she still smiled softly. 

[color=ivory]”If you had stayed… I would never have gotten to see you in person.”[/color] she said softly.

[color=yellow]”I’m… sorry for the way I acted toward you,”[/color] Karamir said, recovering from the shock. [color=yellow]”Are you alright?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”It’s okay, Karamir.”[/color] she said, [color=ivory]”I’ll be fine… But… How did we get here? How did you recover? What happened to Vrog and those… things?”[/color]

[color=yellow]”Vrog hit you, and you were knocked out,”[/color] Karamir said, his gaze shifting to the bruise on her head. [color=yellow]”I was about to get us both away from there, but then Abanoc and someone named Mnemosyne intervened. The fight stopped, but Vrog only agreed to leave after Abanoc told him which god K’nell was closest to - which was apparently Shengshi. He took the creatures with him, but I... think some might still be on the island,”[/color] he said, rising to his feet and stepping toward the window. [color=yellow]”As for Abanoc, we came back here. He repaired my soul, Mnemosyne restored my memories, and then they left.”[/color] He looked away from the window, and back to her. [color=yellow]”Oh, and the asteroids stopped falling some time ago.”[/color]

Arya’s face was blank by the time Karamir had stopped talking. She seemed to sink back into her pillows and sighed. [color=ivory]”He cursed me.”[/color] she said absentmindedly. [color=ivory]”I feel fine now… Besides a headache but… I really struggled when I fought him. Everything was so heavy and I felt so slow, and sick. How can I… How can I protect people if I can’t fight?”[/color] she said beginning to cry. [color=ivory]”How is any of this fair?”[/color]

Karamir crossed the distance between them and sat down on the bed next to her. Tentatively, he reached out to put an arm around her. [color=yellow]”I don’t know if anything is meant to be fair,”[/color] he said sadly. [color=yellow]”Things were so much simpler when we were at the Palace, weren’t they?”[/color]

Arya laid her head upon his chest. [color=ivory]”It’s gone.”[/color] she said simply. 

[color=yellow]”What’s gone?”[/color] Karamir asked, suddenly concerned again.

[color=ivory]”The Palace. K’nell. Diana. Hermes. Xiaoli. Tendlepog. Most of the Dreamers. They’re all gone.”[/color] she said forlornly. [color=ivory]”They left the world… K’nell took them all to Paradise.”[/color]

[color=yellow]”Paradise?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”A place of infinite possibilities, a place of peace away from the eyes of the other Gods. An alternative to the Pyres that no one save a few know, Shengshi being one of them. I take it that’s why Vrog was so interested in K’nell… He wanted to know where he went but he’ll never get there. He can’t.”[/color] she sighed.

[color=yellow]”So that’s why the Dreamers kicked me out…”[/color] Karamir whispered, and then froze. [color=yellow]”Wait. What do you mean… an alternative to the Pyres?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”Those that go to Heaven… Their mind remains there… Or something. I don’t know okay. He told me so long ago and I just don’t like thinking about it anymore. I can’t tell them about anything happening here. Why would they care? Why bother them with events they can never help with? They’re so happy…”[/color] she whispered. 

[color=yellow]”And nobody save a few know?”[/color] Karamir asked, still dwelling on that revelation. [color=yellow]”There’s an alternative to the Pyres, and it’s being kept secret?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”Please… You can’t tell anyone, Karamir. Not yet. I can… I can teach you how to… Go there, if you want?”[/color] she said, her voice small. 

[color=yellow]”Not yet? When will other people be allowed to know?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”I don’t know.”[/color]

Karamir looked at the ground, and took a slow, shuddering breath. In the time since K’nell had created this… alternative… and sent all his people there, how many people died? How many souls were burned in Katharsos’s pyres, or left to collect dust in Azura’s vault? Now there was an alternative, and it was being hoarded.

He was tempted to bring that up. Yet, Arya was distraught enough as is. She had likely considered that fact already, and if she hadn’t, then bringing it up would only make her feel worse. He ran a hand through her hair. [color=yellow]”You don’t need to tell me,”[/color] he decided. [color=yellow]”I won’t go. Not until there comes a day when everyone in Galbar has access to it.”[/color]

[color=ivory]”But what if… What if that day never comes?”[/color] she asked. 

Karamir shrugged. [color=yellow]”Maybe Azura will have found a solution of her own by then. Or maybe my soul will be burned in the Pyres. I can’t know for sure. I don’t even think K’nell would want me in this Paradise of his - he had the Dreamers kick me out of Tendlepog not too long after I left the Palace. But don’t worry about me. Whatever awaits me after death, I’m not afraid.”[/color]

[color=ivory]”O-Okay… The Dreamers… I miss them. Why haven’t they come to say hello?”[/color] she said sleepily. 

[color=yellow]”I don’t know, Arya,”[/color] Karamir said. [color=yellow]”So… are you telling me that you had to keep this a secret for years… while leading and protecting this people… all on your own?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”You have to do such things… When you become a leader.”[/color] she said, yawning. 

[color=yellow]”I should have taken your offer…”[/color] Karamir said. [color=yellow]”Maybe I could have helped you.”[/color]

There came no answer though, only the sound of steady breathing. She had fallen asleep. Gently, and reluctantly, Karamir laid her back down on the bed before rising to his feet. He was tired himself, but someone had to stay awake.

There were still monsters in the woods.

[hr]

Arya woke up, a soft white glow illuminated the room. She rubbed her eyes and found the source, an orb of white floated at the end of her bed, as if watching her. She sat up, scooting her legs closer to her chest. The orb floated a little bit closer and though she had no idea what it was, she was strangely unafraid. Calm, even. A powerful feeling overcame her, a sense of pure longing and happiness washed into her as the light touched her skin. She outstretched her hand, a finger pointed as her eyes went wide. The orb floated closer, as her heart beat faster in anticipation. And as her finger touched the orb, she felt a spark of warmth, then the orb enveloped her like a gentle blanket. She felt warm, and so cozy, and then it faded into her skin. 

Almost immediately, the cozy warmth became hot, unbearably hot. She began to sweat, and ripped the covers off her, as her head exploded in pain. She fell to the floor, clutching her head as her vision blurred. It felt as if her body was going to burst into flame. She screamed in pain, before a wave of nausea washed over her. She quickly got up on her hands and knees, before vomiting black blood.

In a flash, Karamir had flown up the stairs, and there was a thump as he slammed into the wall. He fell to his feet and nearly lost his footing, but managed to recover his balance, and then he saw her. [color=yellow]”Arya!”[/color] he yelled, running forward and dropping to his knees beside her. He placed a hand on her back, feeling the intense heat that radiated through her clothes. [color=yellow]”No, no, dammit. What do I do?”[/color] he asked nobody in particular, his voice edged with desperation.

Karamir’s cool touch was oddly comforting, and she focused on it, allowing herself to breath for once. Through her ragged breathing she said, [color=ivory]”You did nothing… I did something.”[/color] she said, throwing up more blood. 

[color=yellow]”How do I help you?”[/color] he asked, his voice no less urgent.

[color=ivory]”C-cold… W-water.”[/color] she said weakly. 

Karamir’s cloak then wrapped around her, and he pulled her close as they floated off the ground. He winced slightly, as he realized just how hot her skin had become, but the frostguard ring protected him from the worst of it. He went carefully first, maneuvering cautiously down the stairs, past her furniture - one unfortunate chair had already been knocked over on his way up - and out the door.

Then, as soon as they were outside, he accelerated. Their surroundings became a blur, then all of a sudden they were standing waist-deep in a stream of water. Karamir slid a ring of cold metal onto her finger, and then his cloak released her. Keeping a hand on her for steadiness, he then lowered her deeper into the water.

The ring soothed her, as well as the water, but the burning did not stop. [color=ivory]”L-Let go…”[/color] she said between breathes. 

Karamir hesitated, and then released his grip on her.

Arya became submerged in the water, yet shallow as it was, she felt like she was sinking endlessly. The water began to bubble around her, and the water grew hot. Without the ring to protect him, Karamir had no choice but to step away as it began to burn his skin, and he began to regret letting go of her. [color=yellow]”Arya!”[/color] he called out.

‘Arya!’

It was a simple name, for a simple girl. But she was no longer the same Arya she had once been, so long ago coming into the world. She had grown up, and become who she was always supposed to be. A friend. A daughter. A sister. A companion. A sailor. A hero.

But there was so much more that she could attain. That she wanted to do and in that moment, the burning stopped. And with a powerful explosion of light, she erupted from the water and landed on the shore, breathing heavily. There was no more pain, no more aching, she no longer felt so angry and the sword’s influence… It was gone. 

Karamir recoiled from the splash, his cloak wrapping around him to shield him from the boiling water. [color=yellow]”Arya!”[/color] he shouted again, and began wading toward her. [color=yellow]”Are you alright!?[/color]

She turned to him with a large smile and waded into the water as well. If it all it burned her, she couldn’t even tell. For she almost immediately hugged Karamir tightly. [color=ivory]”I’m fine! So, so fine. I feel wonderful actually.”[/color] she said giddily. 

For a moment Karamir hugged her back, but then he pulled himself away, and looked at her oddly. [color=yellow]”What happened to you?”[/color] he asked in a worried voice.

[color=ivory]”I don’t know.”[/color] she said thoughtfully. [color=ivory]”I woke up to see a white orb hovering above my bed. It’s presence filled me with… What I’m feeling now, actually. Huh. But then I touched it and it faded into my skin after enveloping me. My entire body started to burn and I threw up… Ew. But now… Now I feel fine.”[/color] she said happily. 

[color=yellow]”Are you sure?”[/color] he asked pressing a hand against her forehead. [color=yellow]”You lost a lot of blood.”[/color]

[color=ivory]”Yeah, that was a little concerning, wasn’t it?”[/color] she said with a laugh. 

[color=yellow]”I thought you were dying…”[/color] he whispered with a shake of his head, before pulling her back in for a hug.

She returned his hug and then pulled back and said, [color=ivory]”I thought you were dying too. Look at us now.”[/color]

Karamir smiled. [color=yellow]”It seems Kalmar was right about one thing. Suffering has a way of making us stronger. Hey, I’d like to show you something…”[/color]

[color=ivory]”Oh?”[/color] she said. 

Karamir let go of her and glanced down at the water. [color=yellow]”Remember what I told you about mana?”[/color] he asked her, and then cupped a hand under the surface, before pulling it out. Instead of simply pouring out of his hand, the water formed into a round ball, which he now held before Arya. [color=yellow]”I… I wasn’t just talking madness. It exists. Do you still want to learn it?”[/color]

Her eyes seemed to sparkle at the sight and she let out an excited squeal. [color=ivory]”I never thought you were mad!”[/color] she said playfully, before poking the ball. [color=ivory]”I’d love to learn though!”[/color]

Karamir’s smile widened, and then he flicked the ball into her face.

The girl’s face went blank as she was splashed, and for a tense moment it looked like she was going to get angry, but then her lips turned into a smirk and she laughed, before shoving Karamir in what was meant to be a jest, but he was instead launched backward in an almost violent manner. He went under with a large splash, and did not come back up.

Arya at once recoiled and then rushed over to where he went under. And in that moment, something grabbed her legs, tripping her, and she too ended up underwater. Karamir resurfaced a moment later, with a smirk on his face, and waited for Arya to do the same. Yet, for some reason, she did not surface and with a keen eye, he could see her white glow swimming into a deeper section of the creek with ease.

Curious, he decided to wade in deeper to follow her.

Not a moment later, her head bobbed up out of the water in the middle of the deeper section. She had a concerned look on her face. [color=ivory]”This is going to sound weird but… I don’t need to breathe under the water. It’s like… It’s like I don’t need air. Even now… I want to breathe but it doesn’t feel necessary… And when I shoved you… I’m not that strong.”[/color] 

Karamir froze, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face. [color=yellow]”Maybe it was the orb…”[/color] he suggested. [color=yellow]”It must have done something to you. Where do you think it came from?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”I’m not… I’m not sure, but I feel so… I feel so happy and strange. Like… Like I’m floating on a cloud.”[/color] she said, looking at her hands. 

[color=yellow]”Well, it’s good to see you happy again,”[/color] he said, remembering what she had been like at the Palace, [color=yellow]”But… just be careful. We don’t know how else it might have affected you.”[/color]

She tilted her head at him and gave him a warm smile, but her smile faded and turned into a small look of surprise. [color=ivory]”You… You care so much for me. I-I can tell. How can I tell?”[/color] she said blinking.

Karamir responded with an equally surprised look, his cheeks reddening slightly. [color=yellow]”W-well, you have always been kind to me, and I have been trying to repay you for it…”[/color]

[color=ivory]”You… You say that like you’re only doing it because you have to… Do you really think that you have to repay me, Karamir?”[/color] she said, putting a hand over her mouth. Her eyes then went wider. [color=ivory]”But I know you’re doing it because you want to. It’s genuine...”[/color] she said, misty eyed.

Her words made him wince. [color=yellow]”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I… I’d still try to help you even if you hadn’t helped me, or at least I believe that I would. It’s just that…”[/color] he sighed. [color=yellow]”I’m no good at talking about this stuff, am I? I didn’t mean to upset you.”[/color]

Her hand dropped from her mouth as she blinked away [i]white[/i] tears. She noticed the color change as it fell onto the ground, where it then shattered into small pieces. She stared at that for a moment before looking back at Karamir. [Color=ivory]"I don't blame you… This is a strange night, for the both of us. Come on, let's go back to the house."[/color] she said, pulling her leg out of the water and then beginning to walk on the surface.

Karamir stared in astonishment. [color=yellow]”Wait… how are…”[/color]

Arya turned to him with a confused look, [color=ivory]”Huh?”[/color] she said, before looking at herself. It was then she saw her feet were above the water, and it was the strangest feeling that there was. She looked back up at Karamir and said, [color=ivory]”D-Do you know who else can walk on water?”[/color]

[color=yellow]”Kalmar, Fenris - that’s a creature Kalmar made - and D-Diana,”[/color] Karamir said, his voice growing shaky as his mind slowly reached a conclusion. But no… that couldn’t be possible, could it? [color=yellow]”Arya… when you say you know [i]why[/i] I’m doing things… do you mean… can you actually sense my feelings?”[/color]

Arya felt herself pale, even though she was stark as white, and slowly nodded her head at Karamir. [color=ivory]”O-Orvus can walk on water… So can K’nell… Shengshi… Arae… The entire pantheon.”[/color] she said gulping, looking at her hands again.

[color=yellow]”You’re stronger, you don’t need to breathe, you can sense other people’s feelings, you can walk on water…”[/color] Karamir stepped the water, turned to face her, then sank to his knees and closed his eyes.

[color=yellow][i]Arya. Can you hear me?[/i][/color]

She jumped at his voice. Then said, [color=ivory]”W-Why didn’t your mouth just move?”[/color] 

His eyes opened. [color=yellow]”Because… I didn’t say anything.”[/color] Karamir took a deep breath as he stood back up. [color=yellow]”It was a prayer.”[/color]

[color=ivory]”B-But only Gods can hear…”[/color] and it dawned upon her. The orb, her sudden condition, expelling her fluids, not needing to breath under water, her strength, her walking on water and her ability to hear his prayer- She had become divine. [color=ivory]”That’s not… That’s not possible… I can’t be a God.”[/color] she said

[color=yellow]”There might be some other explanation…”[/color] Karamir suggested. [color=yellow]”But I can’t think of anything else. Maybe another god could confirm it?”[/color]

[color=ivory]”C-Come on, let’s go back to the house.”[/color] she said, avoiding his question. 

Karamir only nodded, and offered her his hand.

She took it, finding a small comfort in the gesture, as her thoughts ran amok in her head. 

[hider=Summary]
Karamir waits for Arya to wake up and in that time, he opens up about K’nell and Diana and how they treated him. Arya wakes up during this, but says nothing and then they finally talk about things and what happened between Vrog. Arya is happy to see Karamir back to normal, and she then tells him about Paradise and he’s like, “that’s troubling, but ok.” and then they move on and talk about other stuff before Arya falls asleep next to him. 

Arya later wakes up, basked in a warm light. She finds the culprit to be a white orb, that drifts closer to her, but rather than be alarmed, she feels content. She then touches the orb, and it envelopes her before fading into her skin. All at once, she begins to burn up and starts to vomit her blood. Her screaming alarms Karamir who runs up to figure out what’s going on and sees her and he freaks out too. Arya then tells him to take her to water, and he does, leaving the house and out into a stream. Her body is burning so intensely that it physically hurts just to touch her, but he tries to help regardless. After a minute of holding her, he places her in the water and she submerges as the water begins to boil. 

She has a moment, a reflective period in the water, before she bursts up and onto the shore, feeling fine. Karamir is skeptical at first but she assures him that she’s fine. They then play around and Arya shoves him really hard, way harder than she thought. She goes over and gets pulled under, but instead of surfacing right away she swims a bit before coming up and being like, “Yo I don’t need to breath under there.” and Karamir’s like, ‘yeah ok’.

Arya then sees how compassionate Karamir is, and tells him about it and he says something weird and she’s like, ‘really’ and then she walks on water and they put two and two together and figure out that she is divine now.

Summaries are hard. 

(p.s. Arya is now a Demigoddess.)
(P.s.s Arya has already been vetted by the GM’S and I have permission for this)
[/hider]

[hider= MP Summary]

Laurien/Arya;

Starting 0MP & 4FP

Ending 0MP & 4FP

[/hider]

[hider=Prestige Summary]
Karamir
Beginning Prestige: 23
+1 for minor role
+1 for major role
+1 for collab
Ending Prestige: 26
[/hider]