[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0EjtAmP.png[/img]
[img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjcyLmJhYmFiYS5TWFpoSjB0eWFHOW8uMAAAAAAA/lovecrafts-diary.regular.png[/img]
[color=silver]~~The Illuminator~~[/color][/center]

[i]Location:
White Dawn - 1 week before the Pilgrimage[/i]
[hr]

A cold air blew through the far northern village of White Dawn, carrying with it the salty air of the sea. A number of people milled about, thick furs protecting them from the impossibly frigid environment. A group of hunters returned from the forest, carrying satchels of fruits and berries, with several large beasts strung up and being carried towards the center of the settlement to be butchered. On the opposite end of the village, a small wooden construct had been built, jutting out from the land and into the shallow water. Upon it's edge, sat a man with a long odd wooden pole in hand. Tied to the end of it was a string, and at the end of the string a small piece of meat. Suddenly, the man jerked forward. A bite! He struggled with it, before inevitably, the old weary line snapped and broke. Dismayed, the man rubbed the back of his head, shaking it. He would need another.

"Bryyre!" Suddenly, a cheerful voice called out to him from the end of the wooden landing.

"Lahzria?" The man turned, blinking in surprise at the woman before laughing jovially. She was dressed in the typical animal hides one would expect of the region. "What are you doing here? Shirking your studies again?"

"Haha, come on. I'm not stupid enough to skip on the Kadisht's lessons." She returned the laugh. "He let me go early. He's discussing with the other Lloi's about who they're sending on the pilgrimage to Hlakth in seven suns." She scooted closer, smiling pleasantly up at the larger male. Immediately Bryyre sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. He already knew where this was going. "Sooooo...you promised you'd take me to that secret spot in the forest." She grinned, holding her hands behind her back. "You know! That place that you said had those weird many-eyed creatures!"

"La, no." Bryyre replied with a shake of his head. "I need to finish working. The fish aren't as hungry for some reason." He replied simply. "And I must get a new rod. This one's age finally caught up to it. You're not even a hunter or proper Lloi."

"Tsk, no fun." Lahzria replied with a small pout. "But fine, fine...if I keep you the Kadisht will make me clean animal hides for a weak. Blegh."

"Go run along and play then, iw'an." He replied, waving her off. "I have fish to be accounted for."

"Try not to come home smelling like fish to Yvur!" The tease made Bryyre blush lightly, scoffing at the thought as Lahzria skipped off.

"And you stay out of trouble!" He shouted back. Ah...if only she knew what was going to happen in seven suns, would she be so naively joyful?

Lahzria weaved through the tribe, pleasantly saying hello to other people in her usual fashion. Being only just sixteen winters old, she was often still considered young and inept by those around her, but it didn't matter to her too much - so she tended to get away with quite a bit of mischief because of it so long as she did reasonably well in her studies. Which she did, of course. Mostly. Usually...okay she wasn't the brightest fish in the barrel, but that was just the way it was. She still loved living here and the people here. The smells, the wooden huts, everything.

"Ah! Egru!" She stopped, sliding a few inches on a patch of ice before quickly correcting herself as she passed one of the lead hunters. A massive man, wearing tough but relatively easy to move in leather armor over his protective coats. An impressive spear was being carried in his hand, decorated with bones and other charms from the Kadisht. "Catch anything good today?"

"Yes, as you can see." He replied curtly, hefting the shaft of his spear against his shoulder.

"...uhm, okay?" Lahzria blinked. She hadn't been expecting such a curt response. Normally her and Egru were on good terms - in fact, he had tried to gain her affection on numerous occasions. They were usually on pretty good terms. This was odd - she didn't recall a single time he had ever behaved in such a manner to her. "What snow rodent crawled up your backside?"

"None did." He continued gruffly. "I'm busy, Lahzria. Go back to whatever it is you normally do."

"...uh, what?" Her mouth curled into a frown as she raised a curious eyebrow. "Uhm...are you alright, Egru?"

"Fine. Just fine. Now get out of here, iw'an. This isn't the place for you."

"Wait wait wait, what's with this attitude of yours, huh?" She asked back, feeling more than a little hurt by the treatment. She took a few steps closer to Egru, and instantly regretted it. Not even one step later, the muscular male had grabbed her wrist, and began twisting it painfully. Lahzria gave a sharp cry of pain before she had her feet roughly kicked out from under her. A few of the other hunters took a few steps forwards, obviously shocked by this incredibly harsh treatment he was giving her. 

"I said. Get out of here, iw'an."

For the first time in her life, Lahzria was felt what could be called fear. Egru was an absolutely massive man. If he wanted too, he could snap her neck like a twig. Holding her wrist, she scrambled back, looking wide eyed up at Egru. Of course, no one did anything. No one would do anything against the towns greatest hunter. Even if the other hunters looked like they were ready to intervene, it was quite likely if they did so they would lose whatever their own standing was with the village.

"Alright, alright." Lahzria scrambled to her feet, heart beating like a war drum. "I guess the Illuminator took what little brains you have, huh?" She grunted, wincing as she moved her wrist. "Fine, I'll leave."

[i]Lyssian Forest
One Week before the Pilgrimage[/i]
[hr]

The forest was still.

The thick, sturdy pine trees cast a cold shadow upon the ground. A few small animals moved about, a white furred mammal quickly hopping through the forest. A few birds flew overhead, singing a cheerful song. A stark contrast to how she felt. Lahzria frowned, studying the ground as she walked. Just what was that? What happened? Had she done something unknowingly? Urgh, Egru almost twisted her wrist right off it felt like. Ah...well, whatever. The forest was always a nice place to visit. She wouldn't go far, just far enough to gather her thoughts and not have to deal with...whatever the shiestal that was. Brain-dead fool.

[color=silver]"Hmm...where did I put my jar of eyes?"[/color] She stopped walking. A voice? Here in the Forest? Was someone else from the tribe here? They couldn't be. The forest was off limits to everyone but the hunters. Mostly for safety reasons, but most people didn't care too much about that. Most just didn't have a reason to go in normally. More importantly...jar of eyes? And whose voice was that? She didn't recognize it at all. For a moment, she simply thought the forest was playing tricks on her. It had a funny way of messing with ones head. They said Lord Iva'Krorh had done something to the forest that made it seem larger than it was, to get turned around despite even if one walked in a straight line they would end up back where they were.

So going deeper in the forest was assuredly going to get her lost.

[color=silver]"Ah...there it is."[/color] A laugh. [color=silver]"Wonderful wonderful...now lets see...a little tar."[/color] What was that voice? It was oddly enthralling. Feminine too, from the sound of it. It made her curious - like little sparks in her mind. And what it was saying made no sense. Tar? Eyes? She should leave, that's what she should do. She wasn't a hunter or a someone with knowledge of the forest. Going in would be akin to throwing herself into the frozen waters surrounding White Dawn naked.

yet - she couldn't stop her feet from walking closer to the voice.

[color=silver]"Hmm, good good!"[/color] A pleased giggle. [color=silver]"Shape it, just like clay. Stay put. No no, quit dripping! Bah! Making living liquid is annoying."[/color] Living Liquid? Just what was this person doing? She kept walking, until she could hear the voice clear as day, cautiously approaching a tree and observing whoever it was from behind.

A woman. At least, she [i]thought[/i] it was a woman.

[hider=The Hag??][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/17/df/ab/17dfab01b853ed9af16befbdb17e53bb.jpg[/img][/hider]

She was lanky, and nothing but skin and bones and wearing clothing far too light for this climate! Just a tattered, dingy looking cloth robe of some sort. And she had never seen such beautiful white hair before! The rest of her body wasn't so picturesque. Dirt and mud caked her skin, likely from rolling around on the ground that she was currently occupying, and her white dress seemed to have some odd red stains on it.

[color=silver]"Annnd...hm, no not done."[/color] She hummed, tilting her head from side to side. [color=silver]"Missing...missing...something is missing? The blackness of the Devilish one? Hm, no no. The naivety and gentleness of the plants? Perhaps, perhaps."[/color] Lahzria didn't know what this woman was saying, but she must be completely brain-dead. Living out here in the forest would do that! Perhaps she was one of the previous people who attempted the Pilgrimage.

Suddenly, the womans head turned in her direction.

[color=silver]"Brain dead am I? I can hear your thoughts, little human. Loud! Very loud. Perhaps better silence yourself."[/color] Lahzria stumbled backwards, gasping and quickly shoving her hands over her mouth as she realized she had apparently found. She couldn't have known she was here, could she? "Of course I can hear you. You are mine, after all. Come here."

"U-uhm..."

[color=silver]"Frightened? Bah. Such a useless emotion. Fear is the mind killer. Stifles comprehension."[/color] Lahzira simply stared in disbelief. She had no idea how to react to this situation. Here she was, having her mind almost read exactly by some old looking crazy hag. She didn't seem hostile, which was good...but then what was she doing out here? [color=silver]"Help. Perhaps I'll help you, little La-Zha."[/color]

"...eh? La-Zha?"

[color=silver]"That's your name, is it not? Or am I wrong? Ah, so hard to think sometimes with all these thoughts rolling around in my head!"[/color] She giggled in a mildly disturbing manner. [color=silver]"Well, La-Zha...what are you here for? Wondering through this forest, aimlessly like a dumb animal? Seek the lost lands, perhaps? Or something else? A thought for your thoughts?"[/color] Again, part of her mind was telling her to just book it and run back to town, mention this odd encounter with the Kadisht and let them handle it...but at the same time, she was curious. This woman was odd, certainly, but she found herself oddly comfortable around her.

"W-well...uhm, La-Zha isn't my name." She took a few steps closer to the hag as she knelt back on the ground. "Erm...but what are you doing here?"

[color=silver]"Bah! You want a question answered you answer first? A thought for your thoughts? Are you not curious, why big-scary Egru was so mean to you?"[/color]

"...how do you-?"

[color=silver]"I know many things, tee-hee!"[/color] A rather silly sounding giggle as she was cut off. [color=silver]"Like what they're planning. They're doing it for me, after all hee! But I've grown bored of waiting for those fools to send me someone. So I'm going to...have a little fun with them, hee!"[/color]

"Planning something?...what do you mean?"

[color=silver]"Bah, I've already given you the answer. You just have to use the brain I gave you."[/color] The hag paused, standing up and dusting off her hands. [color=silver]"Help help...what do you think this little one is missing?"[/color]

"Eh?...little one?" Lahzria paused. She really couldn't get a word in edgewise here with this hag, could she? For the best she supposed, she wasn't making any sense whatsoever. Brain that she gave her? And how did she know about what was going on in the village? She had to know these things - but a single question needed to be answered first. She glanced down to what the woman was indicating. It looked like a small pillar of black tar substance, molded to be roughly the shape of a man. It had head, shoulders, and the only thing it was lacking was any facial features or limbs. "...eyes, maybe?" That answer felt right.

[color=silver]"Haha! Yes yes! See, you do see! Fools. And they want to get rid of you. Bah. I should eat their brains."[/color] She scoffed, reaching into her robes and pulling out what could only be the aforementioned jar of eyeballs all of various colors. [color=silver]"Yes! Eyes! A very important organ. Window to the soul and all that...but so easily used by others, hee!"[/color] Before the hag could go about doing whatever she was doing with the eyes though, she couldn't help herself. She asked.

"Who are you?" The hag paused in her tracks, her head doing a slow, methodical ninety degree turn to face her. Her heart skipped a beat. The air felt hostile, even if only for a second. Fear for the second time that day.

[color=silver]"...hee."[/color] A humorless laugh. [color=silver]"Pay attention, brainless! Tell me, what is wrong with this picture? Stare at my beautiful self all you want until you figure it out. I enjoy the attention!"[/color] Lahzria frowned, furrowing her eyes. Well, aside from her lankiness and odd clothes, and obvious lack of the ability to feel cold she seemed perfectly normal...wait. The woman hadn't blinked the entire time they had been speaking. Not only that...the more she looked at her facial features, the more they seemed off. Her mouth may have been stuck in a perpetual grin, but the lips hand't moved a single time. Out of the corner of her eyes, it seemed like the face was entire wrong as well - as though the womans eyes were higher or lower than they should be, and asymmetrical.

"You..you can't - Iv-" Before she could finish vocalizing the name, the hag placed a hand over her mouth, pressing their faces almost impossibly close together. Close enough so she could only stare into those large, white, unblinking eyes. Her skin was oddly soft.

[color=silver]"Hee!"[/color] A jovial giggle. [color=silver]"Lesson for you! When all other possibilities fail, then only the improbable is left! Or something like that."[/color] Iva's other hand grabbed Lahzria's hand, grabbing it firmly. [color=silver]"A little gift for entertaining me!"[/color] She shouted, trying to squirm and wiggle out of Iva's grasp. Her hand felt like it was burning, but the god was far too strong for a puny mortal. [color=silver]"Hold still! Knowledge hurts! This shall be over in...now, actually!"[/color] Urgh, it burned! It felt like her flesh was falling off! Her vision began to falter, edges of it filling with white.

[color=silver]"Hee! Careful who you show that too! Show it to those fools in the White Dawn and they'll not take too Kindly! Pride and idiocy has been rooted in their upbringing. Bah."[/color] Iva released the girls hand, causing her to stumble backwards and trip over a rock, nearly falling into a puddle of goo of some sort. [color=silver]"Toodles darling! I have experiments to do and things to see! Return to White Dawn...and do not let them take that precious mind of yours for granted."[/color]

By the time her vision returned, Iva was gone. She glanced down at her hand, a small imprint of an odd symbol on it - the same one that was hanging on an old tapestry in the Kadisht's home. Panting heavily, she pushed herself to her feet and began running. She...she needed to get out of here.