[center][h1][b][u]The Exiles[/u][/b][/h1][/center]

[hr]

“We’ve been walking for days.”

Tohash stopped and turned. His son, Yulaf, and other Selka, Dikjonsun, were closed behind him. Dik was the one who had spoken. Tohash’s expression hardened into a glare. “What did you expect? We’re exiled. Walking is all we can do.”

“Maybe we’ll find another tribe,” Yulaf suggested.

“One that still has faith, I hope,” Tohash grumbled bitterly as he turned and continued, using his spear as a walking stick. His age was catching up to him. He was no longer built for this sort of travel, but he refused to let it show. The hours passed. They came across more than a few animals, but none that could threaten them. They stopped briefly to fish for their meal. Then, with Jonsun on watch, Tohash and Yulaf fell asleep.

In the morning Jonsun was gone. Tohash cursed. “Why did that fool even come with us?” At least he had the decency to leave them their possessions. They rose to their feet and continued onward.

The days of travel had begun to wear down Tohash’s senses. Nobody could remain vigilant for hours on end. Thus, his mind began to wander, and it was Yulaf who had to point out the structures that had been built up ahead. They were small, structures made of interlocking branches that seemed to just be stuck into the ground. However, they seemed almost haphazard, as if those who had built them did not truly know what they were doing and constructed in a sloppy manner as the smaller structures were built in a seemingly random fashion. But it soon became clear that they were trying to mimic the tall structure sitting atop a sand dune, made from wood and leaf just as the others had, but it seemed far more deliberate and sturdy than the others. 

Soon enough, there was movement through the village, other Selka moved through the village, some moving towards the water and others to the nearby forest. 

It was something, at least. Perhaps they might be willing to help two exiled travellers. Tohash advanced forward. “Hello there!” he called out when they came within earshot. Both he and Yulaf waved in greeting.

Some of the selka turned their heads towards the approaching pair, before they looked at each other and spoke in hushed whispers. One of them began moving at a quickened pace towards the massive structure atop the sand dune as three of the other approached, looking to one another nervously. 

The trio stopped a distance away, looking at Tohash and Yulaf before one began speaking, “Who are you and why have you come?” The voice was rough, and upon his shoulder was a singular scar. Though it seemed that he was the leader of this tribe with how he carried himself in confidence. 

They stopped waving. “My name is Tohash! This is my son, Yulaf! We were unjustly driven from our tribe, and now seek a home elsewhere,” Tohash replied.

“I do not believe you want to make your home here,” the man said, looking to those who stood behind him before back to Tohash. He stepped forward, approaching them as he looked back at the tall structure, and spoke in a hushed whisper, “You should go before she comes.”

Tohash furrowed his brow. “Who?” he questioned, following the Selka’s gaze at the tall structure, which prompted even more curiosity. “How did you build such a thing?”

“We didn’t,” he spoke as a tall woman of white emerged from the structure with the Selka who had entered, massive wings that looked of the night sky stretched as the selka pointed to the ground. “She did,” the male finished before stepping away from Tohash and looking at the sand. A singular flap of wings sounded as the woman moved towards the group. 

She landed behind the trio and gaze upon the father and son, a mostly featureless face unmoving as she stepped past the three. The male seemed to lower himself in her presence.

“Welcome,” the woman said as she approached, something in the sand trailing behind her. It was a massive blade, blackened and rippling with scarlet energy. As she stopped in front of them, she planted the blade in the sand in front of her, her hands never leaving its hilt. “Johas, who are the two?” she asked.

“They are exiles seeking refuge, my queen. Tohash and Yusaf are their names,” spoke the now submissive male. 

“Is this true?” she asked the two in front her, her eyeless face unmoving as she spoke. 

Tohash eyed the seemingly eyeless ‘queen’ warily. Then, he nodded. “It is. We were cast out because we refused to accept the worship of a false god.”

The woman turned her head to the trio for a moment before giving the attention back to Tohash, “Such is the nature of those who seek to force their beliefs upon others,” she said, pausing for a moment, “Forgive me, I am Atmav, God-Queen of the Aspasia. You may rest here for as long as you like.” She gave them a small smile as her head moved between the two.

“God-Queen?” Yulaf spoke up, adopting the same wariness as his father.

“Indeed,” Atmav confirmed, nodding her head to Yulaf.

“The only god we worship is Kirron,” Tohash said. “It is why we were exiled from our tribe in the first place.”

“Then you may worship Kirron. I do not care about worship, so long as you respect my authority,” Atmav noted, leaning on her blade. “I understand that your kind have a strong connection to Kirron and I will not interfere with that.”

“Thank you,” Tohash said, not truly feeling thankful but realizing it would do him no good to make her an enemy. “We can stay for a day or two, but after that we must move on.”

“And where would you be travelling? If you do not mind me asking, that is,” Atmav asked inquisitively. 

“I don’t know. I wish to find a tribe that only worships Kirron,” Tohash answered. “He is the only god I have ever worshiped, and I wish to find Selka who feel the same.”

Atmav was silent for a moment, thinking before letting out a disappointed sigh, “There is the Grottu, but they are savages as far as I am aware and they are my enemies. Yimbo defends them, but I have bested Yimbo. It is that sign that I do not believe the Grottu have Kirron’s favor.” Her voice became colder and colder as she looked down upon Tohash a frown coming upon her face before letting out a laugh. “But who am I to deny two traveller’s their wishes,” she spoke as she hefted the blade over her shoulder, “I will have a feast ready by the night if you two wish to join us!”

With that she turned and flew off, leaving the duo in the care of Johas, who kept his gaze down and approached them. “We welcome you, please come with me to my home” he said in a defeated voice.

“She… she bested Yimbo?” Yulaf spoke in disbelief. Tohash clenched his fists in outrage, but said nothing. “Yimbo is supposed to be our protector! Why did she fight him?” Yulaf continued.

“I suppose it was to prove that he is unworthy as a protector,” Johas stated, his voice saddened before continuing, “It was said that she threw him upon Grottu and killed many. I cannot imagine how Yimbo must feel for being used to murder those he was tasked to protect…” He let out a sigh before looking up at the two. “But I suppose the Queen is right, if she bested Yimbo and the Grottu, I do not believe they have Kirron’s favor.”

“Blasphemy…” Tohash hissed. “If they did not have Kirron’s favour, then why would Yimbo have defended them? Why do you follow that [i]murderer?”[/i]

“Were you not listening? She would kill us if we did not submit, we cannot hope to fight her,” Johas said, flinching from the words of Tohash. “I do not wish to see all those who I know and love be slaughtered just so we can hold onto our views.”

“Pray to Kirron for aid,” Tohash urged him. “He cannot allow this to happen.”

“If he did not want this to happen, then why would it?” Johas shook his before turning away from Tohash. “Would you not protect your son, even if it meant you had to turn your back to the divine? That is the choice I had to make for my people. There is no fighting it,” he continued. 

“I would not abandon Kirron,” Tohash insisted. “I follow my heart and I take what comes. That is how we are meant to live.”

“If that is what you want to believe. I will not allow my people to die just to solely believe in Kirron,” Johas stated, stepping away from Tohash before he continued, “I would recommend you become more open-minded, if not for yourself, then for your son’s sake.”

“You see no alternative other than serving a demon, and you say [i]I[/i] need to be more open-minded?” Tohash asked, clearly affronted, but doing his best to keep his voice hushed.

“I am surviving. Just as Kirron would want. I am sure that he would find my judgement to be sound,” Johas sighed, turning away from Tohash. “Perhaps I am as stubborn as you are. But like I said, I am not allowing my people to die just so we can worship Kirron.”

Johas began to step away, moving back to the tribe of crudely made structures. The two who had came with him to greet Tohash gave the father and son one last look before turning to follow Johas, leaving them to their own devices.

“What do we do?” Yulaf asked after they were out of earshot.

“The last time I tried to inspire others, they turned against us, and they were our own tribe,” Tohash recounted bitterly, then he sighed. “We will have no luck if we try the same here. And we cannot make this place our home.”

“What if he tells his ‘queen’ what you said?” Yulaf asked.

“Then we’re doomed,” Tohash answered. “She can fly. We can run now, and she will catch us. We can sneak away during the feast, but she will notice our absence, and catch us. No. We go to this feast, and leave in the morning. We must pray to Kirron that this Johas still has a shred of decency.” With those words he walked into the village, briefly glancing up at the sky.

[i]Kirron protect me.[/i]

[hr]

The sky had become a mixture of orange and blue as the sun began the process of setting in the horizon, bringing a time of silence upon the tribe as the people began to assemble outside the great house that Atmav had built. They all sat in one giant half-circle as their queen brought out several deer from her building and ocean-hunters brought fish by the handful. For the tribe, it was a bountiful amount of food, given there were only thirty adults in the village, but many more young mouths to feed. It was due to this abundance of food that there was a mixed expression of both happiness and fear.

Atmav gave a smile before her she ripped the hind leg of the deer clean off the body before using her massive blade to carve out portions of meat. She handed the meet to the children who sat in the front, fish also being passed to them as the adults merely watched from behind. It was silent as this happened, clear that the people were still more fearful of the giant woman more than they were happy of the abundance of food. 

Once the children were fed, Atmav distributed food to the adults, the first of which being Tohash. “I hope you have been having a pleasant day,” she said, a smile across her face.

“I have,” Tohash said as he accepted a piece. He was not sure what to make of the atmosphere. Though she was a false god and a demon, Atmav had been nothing but friendly. Yet if the stories were true, she had also murdered countless Selka and fought the Selka guardian. Furthermore, everyone was clearly terrified of her. Was this all a show, then? “Do you have feasts like this often?” he asked.

“As often as I can manage, though sometimes Sprite keeps me from going to hunt,” Atmav answered before handing a piece to Yulaf. She still held her smile before calling for Johas to take over food distribution, not leaving her guests for the moment. “I think the people appreciate the gesture, though I suppose they are still wary of my strength,” she said absentmindedly. 

“Who is Sprite?” Yulaf questioned after taking a bite of his piece.

“Sprite is my little friend, about this tall,” Atmav said, holding up her hands a few inches apart before continuing, “She is my right hand. Though I do question her leadership skills sometimes.” The Queen allowed herself to laugh a bit at her own words as she looked back to Tohash as her laughter faded a bit.

[i]She is mad,[/i] Tohash realized. [i]She thinks her own hand speaks to her.[/i]

“I try my best to keep the people happy,” She said, going back to their original conversation.

“With food?” Yulaf asked. By the look on his face, his thoughts were similar to Tohash’s - contrary to Atmav’s friendly demeanor and the plentiful food, none of these people actually seemed to be happy.

“Well… yes. A full belly is always something to boost the morale of a group, at least, that was my experience before I came to Galbar,” she looked back at the people who talked to one another, quietly and in hushed tones. Atmav only gave a saddened sigh, “Galbar is proving to be different than my old home.”

“Food will not always be plentiful,” Tohash warned her between bites. “My own tribe suffered a shortage.”

“That is… unfortunate. Though we have yet to suffer such a blight here, I will keep that in mind,” Atmav said, raising her hand to her chin and going into thought. She shook her head to return to her duty of entertains the guests, giving a soft smile. “Did your people overcome such a challenge?”

“They did,” Tohash answered bitterly. “At the cost of their faith. It is why we were exiled.”

“You people and your faith to Kirron. The Grottu felt the same way, probably still do,” Atmav commented, her own disdain coming to her voice, “I swear, if he did as horrible things as Vakk does then you would question the divine as I have.”

She allowed a finger to run across the blade of her greatsword before speaking in a softer tone, “But not all the gods are bad, I suppose.”

“You called yourself God-Queen,” Yulaf pointed out.

“A title Sprite bestowed upon me, with, perhaps, a modicum of truth. In this realm, I have been strengthened and made into something more powerful than what you could comprehend,” Atmav explained, still tracing her finger along the blade of her weapon.

“What do you mean by that?” Yulaf asked, his own wariness giving way to curiosity.

Atmav gave some thought for a moment before answering, “Well, the strength that I have been gifted allows me to do great things, like lift up the massive weight of Yimbo. I can drag trees. But that is not what makes my power terrifying to your kind, when in battle I have been known to fly into a rage so powerful that I lose the ability to feel pain.” She allowed herself to laugh a bit at the last sentence before continuing, “The Grottu threw rocks upon me and I felt nothing. I held open Yimbo’s mouth and I did not feel his teeth graze me.”

Atmav grew silent for a moment before shifting the hold of her blade to Yulaf, “Go on. Lift this blade.”

Reluctantly, Yulaf set down his food, and although Tohash shot him a warning look, he reached forward with both hands to grip the sword. When Atmav let go, the blade nearly dropped, but Yulaf tightened his grip, grit his teeth, and strained to keep it upright. His hands shook, and the tip of the blade wavered like a branch in a storm.

“My divine strength allows me to effortlessly wield that sword,” Atmav said, watching the young man exerting himself to hold up the sword. She crossed her arms and gave a wide smile, laughing a bit before commanding, “Is that all you can lift it? Come now, show me your inner fire, boy! Lift it!”

Tohash shook his head slightly, but Yulaf either did not notice or did not heed the warning. With an audible groan he raised the blade higher. The blade continued to shake, his eyes closed, beads of sweat rolled down his face, and his muscles bulged. Then he stopped, and it looked as though he could not go any further. A second passed, and his groan turned to a yell as he raised it as high as he could, pointing it directly at the ceiling. He held that pose for a few seconds more before the weight toppled him from his seat and onto the floor.

After a while, he rose to his feet, leaving the weapon on the floor.

Atmav’s eyeless face merely stared at the boy with her wide grin. “That is the fire I wanted to see!” She explained before clasping his shoulder as a hearty laugh rolled over her. “You will be strong in the future, boy! I can tell! A fine build for a warrior!”

Yulaf said nothing. His muscles ached, and he was exhausted. To say that he ‘sat back down’ would be inaccurate; he allowed himself to fall back onto his seat. He looked to Atmav and nodded.

“I think my son could use some rest,” Tohash suggested, shooting Yulaf a reprimanding look.

The Queen gave a disappointed huff. “If you say so,” Atmav sighed, moving to pick up her blade before stopping by Yulaf. “I can teach you a thing or two about being a warrior, all you need to do is ask,” she whispered into his ear before moving to her seat at the back of the building.

“Wait,” Yulaf managed to speak up between heavy breaths. He took a moment to collect himself, and then continued. “How strong can I become?”

“Yulaf…” Tohash began in a disapproving voice.

Atmav stopped, turning to Yulaf, “You can become as strong as you desire, so long as you work for that strength.” 

“And you say you can show me how?” Yulaf asked.

“I could, but it takes time, and dedication,” Atmav informed, still holding a smile.

“We have nothing else to do,” Yulaf said, sitting taller on his seat.

“Yulaf!” Tohash repeated, in a sharper tone. He looked to Atmav. “We will be leaving tomorrow morning.”

“Now, now,” Atmav began, looking back at Tohash, “Tell me, where does Yulaf sit? With the adult or the children?”

Tohash returned her gaze, though there were no eyes to stare into. It was Yulaf who spoke next. “Father… that Bird of Kalmar who came to our tribe. He did not force us to change, he did not force us to worship his master, he did not take away our right to worship Kirron. Anhaf accepted his help willingly, and you were the only one who objected when they built a shrine. I went with you into exile not because I agreed with you, but because you were my father, and I thought we would find another tribe. We walked for days until we found this one, and it changed as well. When do we stop walking?”

“When we find a tribe that still holds it faith,” Tohash answered, turning his glare onto his own son.

“And what if they all changed? What then? Do I bury you in the woods and then die alone?” Yulaf shook his head. “The Selka are changing, father.”

“You are, in fact, welcome to stay with us,” Atmav reminded.

“And they have food here,” Yulaf added. “The bird was right. Our shortage had nothing to do with Kirron.”

Tohash looked from Yulaf, to Atmav, and then to Yulaf again. For a moment, he hesitated. Then, his expression darkened, and he looked away. “You are no longer my son,” he said in a defeated tone. Without another word, he stood and walked out the door.

Yulaf rose to his feet as well. He took three steps to follow and then stopped, hesitating.

Atmav’s footsteps came from behind Yulaf and when she spoke, her voice bared anger this time, “How dare he?” She came up next to him, her mouth curled into an angered grimace. “You did nothing wrong and this is how he treats you? If that were my father then I would confront him and show him what happens when you disown family.”

“Nothing will come of it…” Yulaf muttered. “He had me, our tribe, and his faith. Now he only has his faith, and he won’t give that up. There’s… there’s no point in picking fights with old men.”

“If that is what you believe,” Atmav said, rolling her head for a moment before asking Yulaf, “And what will you do?”

“The bird said that we should look for ways to better ourselves,” Yulaf answered sadly. “And Kirron taught that we should find our fun where we can. Maybe I can do both. You said I can stay?”

“Indeed, you can,” Atmav confirmed, nodding her head as she took a singular step forward to look out of her home. “We could always use more hands, but they must be loyal hands,” she said before turning to Yulaf.

She saw tears in his eyes. With one hand, the Selka wiped them away. “Then I will stay,” he decided.

[hr]

[hider=Summary]
Tohash, Yulaf, and Dikjonsun have been wandering for days. Dikjonsun abandons them in the night. The next day, Tohash and Yulaf discover a village belonging to the Aspasia Tribe, ruled by Atmav. She allows them to stay the night, and decides to throw a feast.

Tohash and Yulaf then learn about her fight with Yimbo. Tohash is reluctant to stay with someone who fought the Selka’s guardian, and took over a tribe through force, but decides that they have little choice but to stay.

Then the feast occurs. Tohash and Yulaf ask some questions - about the village and about Atmav herself. Atmav then challenges Yulaf to lift her sword, and although he is barely able to do so, he eventually falls over. This is enough to impress her, and she says that if he works hard enough he can become a warrior.

Yulaf then decides to stay with the Aspasia Tribe and learn from her, much to Tohash’s anger and disappointment. He disowns Yulaf and leaves. Atmav encourages Yulaf to take action, but Yulaf refuses, and confirms his wish to stay with her tribe.
[/hider]

[hider=Prestige]
5 + 3 = 8

Yay.
[/hider]