[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/eT0fu7k.png[/img]

&[h1][color=darkorange]𝔖   𝔢   𝔦   𝔥   𝔡   𝔥   𝔞   𝔯   𝔞[/color][/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/0Q6erEh.png[/img]

[hider=Seihdhara of the Red Hair | The Crimson Goddess]
Goddess of [i]Martial Combat[/i]
5 Might and 20 Freepoints[/hider][img]https://i.imgur.com/o5T6T0Q.png[/img][/centre]
[indent][sub]Time: The Day the Gods Came[/sub][/indent]

The sudden hug had surprised Urhu, despite both women being tall Seihdhara was the stronger one and even lifted the traveller up with the bear hug. It was not only the suddenness of the action, but also the feeling that confused the wander, she could not remember her past, but she knew it had been a long time since she had been this close to anyone.

Once she was let go, there was only one word that could truly capture all that the warm and tight hug made her feel.

[color=c0783b]“Ouch...”[/color] she brushed over where she had been squeezed, it was still aching but Urhu was also being a bit of a baby about it. Seeing her pain, Seihdhara frowned and squeezed the other goddess’ hands slightly, apologising for being a bit too rough and trying to explain that she usually was not so clumsy - it was all that stupid old Ogre’s fault!

Urhu just shook her head and went from overreacting about the pain to trying to look cool and unharmed, not even minding the blood smeared on her arm during the hug! Though she would need a long bath later. 

[color=c0783b]“Well then…”[/color] she started awkwardly. [color=c0783b]“I will be honest, I don’t remember anything before I arrived here. There was something, for sure, but it’s all a blur. Seems like you and a few others, however, have more memories. So pardon me if I am not too fast at this ‘deity’ thing at first. Though, let’s see about this portal business.”[/color] Seihdhara listened and nodded slightly, her lips pursed in understanding.
[colour=darkorange][i]‘Oh… you can’t remember?’[/i][/colour] She seemed to find this both odd and horrifying, for her light green eyes going wide in astonishment. [colour=darkorange][i]‘Th-that’s terrible. I’m sorry. Do you think maybe…’[/i][/colour] she looked at the Architect suspiciously before lowering her voice into a conspiratorial whisper, [colour=darkorange][i]‘that maybe that old Ogre is hiding your memories away? Maybe if we open up the door we’ll be able to find more than the rest of me! Maybe we’ll find your memories too!’[/i][/colour] There was no small degree of excitement in the saffron-haired goddess’ voice as she spoke.

[color=c0783b]“That would be a pretty big jerk move, to mess me up specifically while not doing it to others. But nah, I don’t think Mr No-Depth-Perception over there did this. Maybe I just hit my soul equivalent of a head when being born, I don’t know, trying to look too much into that just makes me dizzy.”[/color] she shrugged, not sharing an iota of the excitement. However, it was hardly something that did not bother her, a soft frown and distant eyes on her face. Seihdhara appeared to see this, and her excitement seemed to fade ever so slightly, replaced by a somewhat grieved expression. [color=c0783b]“Anyway. Let me try to see this door thing. It just opened here, right? It should not be too hard…”[/color] Though she seemed unwilling to change the subject before Urhu opened up about that that look in her eyes, Seihdhara did not press the issue and graciously went along with it. She exploded enthusiastically, what was left of her hair bouncing as if it had returned to life and vigour. 
[colour=darkorange][i]‘It was right up there!’[/i][/colour] Seihdhara declared, pointing at a distant point far above them, from where she had originally plummeted. [colour=darkorange][i]‘That old Ogre took my hair and made me fall. I could have hurt somebody! I… I think I did. There was a bird I think.’[/i][/colour]

[color=c0783b]”Oh yeah, there was, but it was a big bird, she will be fine. Furthermore, we are gods, I don’t think we could  just accidentally …”[/color] at this moment she tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes, as a deity that was like an armoured mountain of iron started walking, just to carelessly stomp another god on the path. Noticing her sudden silence and that she was staring at something, Seihdhara looked behind them at what was going on. The wanderer blinked rapidly a few times. [color=c0783b]”Huh… Maybe we can. But you did not, and that is what matters.”[/color]

[colour=darkorange][i]‘Th-that was horrible! Why’d he do that?’[/i][/colour] Seihdhara asked, anger flashing in her eyes. It was only with difficulty that she managed to return her attention to Urhu, for a part of her wanted to go jump after the god who had been crushed and see if they were alright. Urhu took note of that and to ease the situation. [color=c0783b]”I think he will be fine, he is a deity after all. Though maybe it would be rude for no one to go check on him, I think it would be best if we looked for this portal first, the longer it has been closed, the harder it should be to try to find and re-open it.”[/color] Urhu’s words seemed to please Seihdhara immensely, for a great smile brightened her face and all anger seemed to seep away instantaneously. 

With that said, Urhu was quick to turn around and look into the thin air, extending her hands forward and moving them as if she was a blind person trying to find something. She huffed in annoyance. [color=c0783b]”Where is it... Don’t tell me it's fully gone…”[/color] Seihdhara scanned the empty space above, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the door.

[colour=darkorange][i]‘It should be directly above where I landed!’[/i][/colour] Seihdhara shouted excitedly, rushing over to the centre of the crater she had created in landing and looking directly upward. She made space for Urhu to join her. [colour=darkorange][i]‘D-do you see anything?’[/i][/colour]

[color=c0783b]”I haven’t hit anything yet.”[/color] she said, scanning the local area before suddenly grunting. [color=c0783b]”Ouch, my toe.”[/color] the goddess looked down and touched her feet. [color=c0783b]”Ugh… Maybe I should make like some of those uptight gods… or at least get some boots…! Hey… wait…”[/color] Seihdhara loosed a peal of laughter at this, looking over at Asceal and the hunter, Kalmar. Why a god who prided himself on being a hunter would want to be clothed, Seihdhara could only guess. And why would light need to be clothed at all? Would that not serve to hinder and darken it? Some gods just held odd notions, it seemed. She would have to talk with her sister sometime, maybe she would enjoy shedding some layers after seeing how much easier it made things! Urhu seemed to be distracted by something near the ground, and Seihdhara returned her ever straying thoughts to the task at hand.

It was just then that Urhu noticed she had stumbled upon nothing, there was nothing in front of them, but, there was something as well, something hidden. Without saying a word, she reached forward, her hands stopping in the air as if she was touching some sort of invisible box.

[colour=darkorange][i]‘What is it, Rhu-rhu?’[/i][/colour] Seihdhara asked curiously, trying to see what the other goddess was touching.

[color=c0783b]”The gate, I think.”[/color] she pressed forward, but her body moved back before her hands would move any further. [color=c0783b]”Damn… Even being the goddess of passages, I can’t make this thing even react to me.”[/color] in second thought, it was expected, a goddess of combat had just been beaten by the cyclopean deity, still, Urhu was not ready to give up, not until she tried everything.

Seihdhara knelt by Urhu and extended her hands to where the door was meant to be, but her hands passed through the area as though there was nothing. Frowning, she looked at Urhu in confusion. [colour=darkorange][i]‘I can’t feel anything. If I could get a grip on it I could force it open - I did it before! Maybe if you can get a feel for its edge or something? I don’t know how these work exactly, but I managed to hold it open from the edges. Was tough though, couldn’t keep it open long enough...’[/i][/colour] She seemed both saddened and frustrated by the memory of her inability to hold on.

The wanderer looked to her side and nodded as her sister spoke, indeed looking for the edges would be a good start, but she had to stop for a moment to acknowledge Seihdhara. [color=c0783b]”You held it open!?”[/color] she said almost in disbelief. [color=c0783b]”... wow.”[/color]

She started to feel the ‘gate’ for its edge, what she found instead was that it vanished suddenly and only a very small area was touchable. [color=c0783b]”Hmm… seems like most of the gate vanished for good, except this one small spot.”[/color] she wondered what could be the cause of this, brushing against the walls, feeling the perfectly flat surface… until one bit stood out, a small imperfection. [color=c0783b]”A crack? Whoa… there is a lot of pressure here, it is really trying to close but something is stopping it.”[/color]

Leaning forward, face even closer to where she sensed the gate, she started to claw at the invisible and untouchable area, soon, from thin air, a strand of red hair would appear, pulled out of the rift by Urhu. [color=c0783b]”Ah… I know this thing. Seems like some of your hair got stuck in the gate and is resisting the closure. Quick, grab it, let’s get it out before its cut again.”[/color] Seihdhara looked to where Urhu had been tugging and spotted the small strand. And it was moving. Exhilarated by the sight, the Crimson Goddess reached - ever so carefully - for the tiny strand and, gaining a strong grip on it with her thumb and forefinger, pulled on it gently. As if recognising the hand that touched it, the strand seemed to glow with renewed vigour and Seihdhara felt it become searingly hot. Biting her lip, Seihdhara looked to Urhu uncertainly. She had a grip on the strand, but was it safe to pull?

The wander took a deep breath and tried to gently hold Seihdhara’s hand, she did it a bit awkwardly, but the intention was true. [color=c0783b]”Don’t worry, I am a goddess of passages, maybe not one good enough to open the gates to the worlds beyond, but I will keep your hair safe. You have my word.”[/color] Smiling and glad for her sister’s encouragement, Seihdhara tightened her grip and slowly began to pull on the strand. At first she thought it would only be a small strand and come loose quickly, but Seihdhara soon found that she had to use both hands to draw it in. A metre, two metres, more. Seihdhara could not repress the giggle that left her throat as the parts of the strand she had managed to free began to wrap about her arm. When the entire strand had come free of the door Seihdhara had stopped thinking about how long it was. Sighing with relief, she knelt by Urhu and planted a kiss on her sister’s cheek.

[colour=darkorange][i]‘You are a good goddess Rhu-rhu. You are strong. Never have any doubt about that!’[/i][/colour] And Seihdhara would have hugged the wanderer again were she not worried that whatever the Ogre had done to her would make her hurt Urhu again. She had not known the wanderer long at all, but already she knew that this was a person she loved - and would grow to love all the more. And the feeling made her smile.

Urhu had become positively flustered at this, mostly just awkward but also a bit pained, a sudden worry and neurosis surfacing as she thought of this new friendship and tried to remember ones she had lost and then forgotten. She shook her head and focused her mind on the present, past was past, the future was yet to be, and she looked up at her sister and smiled slightly, happy to see the joy in her face. [color=c0783b]”Glad I could be of help, guess this is my first act as a goddess of passages, eh?”[/color] she laughed, a bit proud.

Beaming, Seihdhara stood to her full height and stroked the single living strand of hair wrapped about her right wrist like a great red torc. Though it was by no means her hair returned to her, this was a good step forward. Where there was life, there was hope, and Seihdhara was nothing if not full of life. She suddenly remembered the god who had been crushed and looked behind her, worry apparent on her face. [colour=darkorange][i]‘Rhu-rhu!’[/i][/colour] She exclaimed suddenly, [colour=darkorange][i]‘that other one - what’s his face? Orvy? I’m going to check on him now!’[/i][/colour] She looked back at the wanderer, her eyes glistening, [colour=darkorange][i]‘I can’t thank you enough Rhu. I’ll see you in a bit!’[/i][/colour] And she leapt away. [colour=darkorange][i]‘Don’t forget me!’[/i][/colour] Was the last she said before disappearing into the hole left behind by Orvus.


Those last words made her flinch, but with a deep breath, she smirked and approached the hole and yelled back. [color=c0783b]”Remember, no bear hugging! See ya!”[/color] she said, half in tease, half in worry for the likely hurt god.

[hr]

As the flash of red that was Seihdhara faded, so did Urhu’s smile, the wanderer suddenly shooting a look to her left, where a quartet led by a shining goddess talked. Her distant eyes when she talked to her sister had not always been caused by the wander being lost in half-forgotten memories, she had been paying attention to Asceal, and it seemed all her suspicions were true.

[indent][hider=Summary]Seihdhara and Urhu bond over finding a small strand of yet living red hair stuck in one of the Architect’s gateways. Working in unison, they manage to extract the strand.
The two notice Orvus being stepped on, and Seihdhara expresses worry for him. The two goddesses part on a good note as Seihdhara goes off to check on Orvy, and Urhu turns to the more serious business of seeing what that absolutist Asceal is plotting.[/hider][/indent]