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[img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/db5fbe56-1a70-4ebd-bb9c-42cc72afd124/ddc5bm0-52f6cbe8-4926-4a26-acda-073372af3464.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2RiNWZiZTU2LTFhNzAtNGViZC1iYjljLTQyY2M3MmFmZDEyNFwvZGRjNWJtMC01MmY2Y2JlOC00OTI2LTRhMjYtYWNkYS0wNzMzNzJhZjM0NjQucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.jr2B-FknPRW6aEiUD_3RBHLbPK9S9lY7Kki1c5t530A[/img]
[h2]Li’Kalla[/h2]
Goddess of Rain
MP 11     FP 16

[img]https://i.imgur.com/uPTBuPR.png?1[/img]

Year 47, 4 weeks into the Rot.
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[hr]


As Ya-Shuur continued his solitary southward walk, he reflected on the Rot and the terrible things he had felt happening during it, and also on what Daethyrd had told him when the grizzled executioner found him during that terrible period. 

When he had come Ya-Shuur had immediately sensed blood on him and had recoiled from the vall, whose red hair now seemed to Ya-Shuur like blood. “You have killed.” Ya-Shuur stated, though his voice betrayed neither indignation nor approval. Daethyrd frowned.

“I have delivered the price of blood.” The vall corrected tersely, and he went on to describe to Ya-Shuur details of the terrible things the demigod had already sensed. Ya-Shuur found Daethyrd’s methods disconcerting, but he could not deny that he himself had told them that the price of blood was blood. 

“It is for kin to ask after the blood of their own, not you.” The demigod spoke. “And you have in any case forgotten that forgiveness is good, though in this case it is not for you to forgive but for the kin of those whose blood was unjustly spilled.” Daethyrd pursed his lips and looked away, unconvinced.

“You are a just and kind god, Be’r-Jaz. But disobedience cannot be met with kindness. I am your vengeance; and I will strike down with great vengeance and furious punishment those who transgress, and they will know the full glory of the Land only then when retribution is due.” But Ya-Shuur shook his head and turned his back on Daethyrd.

“It is not my way and you are not of me.” He said as he walked away from the vall. Daethyrd looked silently at the god’s turned back. The Land was the face of merciful justice, and mercy was good; for the Land itself was good. But the ways of people demanded cruelty and retribution, and he would continue to bring about the Land’s retributive justice even if it turned its back on him. Retributive justice was a lonely path, it was true, but Daethyrd had never been afraid to walk alone.

The Horned One walked through the stench, and eventually he came upon a group of of twelve valls. Leading them were two, dressed in well-crafted furs and leathers. One of them sported white hair and blue eyes and the other dark brown hair and grey eyes, and Ya-Shuur immediately recognized them as Valthumir, the supposedly superior valls that the Queen-Mother had selected for rulership. This group seemed to be going somewhere with purpose, unfazed by the black rot and the terrible stench that had gripped the island for weeks now. Eventually they made camp and Ya-Shuur took the opportunity to approach them.

The Demigod approached from behind a thick concentration of trees as one of the Valthumir shouted, “Ah, there we go! Feast your grey eyes, Sun’Ka! This, this means you owe me two handfuls of nuts and berries, my friend!” The white-haired Valthumir said with a laugh, to which his fellow responded to with a chuckle.

“You were lucky this time. Say, want to do a double or nothing? Four handfuls, Takk’Takk!” 

“Eeeeh! Four!”

“Wait, someone’s approaching.” The voices became hushed and inintelligible, and there was a sizzling sound as a fire was put out. It all became deadly quiet, and by the time Ya’Shuur emerged into the clearing in the forest, it looked like nothing was out of the ordinary.

The demigod looked around impassively at the empty clearing, his herding stick in his hand and two molves at his side. One of them growled slightly, and the other released a loud bark. He approached the flame that had so quickly been put out and with a snap of his fingers there was a great fire. Dead branches rose and made their way into the flame, and in the light of the fire the horns of the demigod were clear, and his long brown hair and beard gave him the appearance of something ancient. Had the stench of the Rot not been so great, the hiding Valthumir would have been able to smell him! 

“The wind blows and the rain falls and it is cold tonight. Come sit with me in the warmth a while and we will talk.” He said as he sat himself down and waited.

“Y’call tis rain?” A deep voice rang out from the bushes.

“Ye, this only a drizzle!” A high-pitched one added.

And then the rest of the voices flooded in with their agreements, “Rite!” “It is” “Can’t even fill a waterskin wit tis weak drizzle!” “Ye, and I can’t wash m’balls.”

There was a silence.

And then all the voices erupted into laughter, until another one rang out, one of the first two the Demigod had heard, before the Valthumir hid from him. 

“Boys, do our friend a favour and shut your filthy mouths.” And surprisingly, the voices went silent. And from the canopy of a tall tree jumped down the black-haired Valthumir. His hair was long and silky smooth, with bangs barely reaching his grey eyes, and as he stood up there was an odd… Air, to him. He turned his icy eyes toward the Demigod and bowed his head in a respectful manner, holding his eyes closed as he opened his mouth to speak.

“Forgive our companions, Divine. I hope our uncouth banter hasn’t offended you in any way.” He said, opening his eyes and standing straight up again.

“Nothing you or your companions do could offend me, for it seems that your race are destined to disappoint. Nor could anything you or your companions do ever truly please me, for if you do well you are only carrying out your duty; and that is only to be expected and requires no praise.” Ya-Shuur did not look over at him, but spoke to the fire. Then he looked at the icy-eyed Valthumir and smiled. “Only I can disappoint me.” He gestured for him to come sit and his molves, which had disappeared, returned suddenly with game in their mouths. One had felled a deer while the other had brought them a wild goat. With a gesture the two animals were skinned and emptied. “Would you like them cooked or raw?” He asked as he brought the meat close to the flame.

The Valthumir spared no look to the Molves and instead stared at the two animals, gulping. He took a step back and regarded Ya-Shuur carefully, but finally decided to walk closer to him and sat down across from him, behind the fire. With a motion of his hand, the rest of his group came out of hiding. The first was the other Valthumir, who dropped down and wiped away some saliva off his lip. Then the Vallamir followed, all looking various levels of hungry and lean. They all moved to take a seat around the great fire, with Takk’Takk sitting next to Sun’Ka.

After a while, Sun’Ka spoke again, “My name is Sun’Ka, the one next to me with the blue eyes is Takk’Takk. And, cooked, please.” Ya-Shuur acknowledged Sun’Ka and Takk’Takk with a short look each as the goat and deer were brought over the flame and began to spin slowly in mid air. He noticed that the two Valthumir did not deign to introduce the others and guessed that it was due to their lower status.

“And what brings you so far east, Sun’Ka, Takk’Takk, and uncouth companions? Any further and you will be out of the forests and rot and in the mud and rot.”

“Ah, no, they have no names, our companions. No official names, at least. The Queen-Mother, Li’Kalla, promised them names if we succeeded in our mission. We’re due northeast, toward the Clay Spires. Our objective is a ravine in the area that is said to reach deeper than any other. It is a dark place, but the Queen-Mother expects a lot of great things from this expedition and it is the duty of all Valthumir to lead their brethren to the future.” Ya-Shuur listened impassively and then invited the twelve to eat once the meat had been cooked (at an unusually fast pace, for that was but a small things for divine beings!) But even though his face betrayed nothing, he was shocked to hear the name. It took a greater degree of discipline than he usually needed to maintain complete calm.

“Li’Kalla.” He said simply. “I am not unfamiliar with the name. Not at all. I thought her dead, but unless there happens to be another god named Li’Kalla of whom I was unaware, then your Queen-Mother would be…” Ya-Shuur smiled, “my mother.” He did not look at his guests at this revelation, but only looked into the fire. “If she has tasked you with this, then it is your duty to fulfill it as best you can. You nameless ones may be nameless, but even in your namelessness you must aspire towards excellence. And you who have names, you should not let that fact blind you. You must cultivate excellence. An excellent nameless vall is greater and more praiseworthy than a named one who lacks excellence. Remember that.” He paused for a few moments. “Perhaps I can aid you with this mission of yours. I know a rowdy vall, overly vengeful and bloody, but one who will surely be a boon to you...” and he gestured to one of his molves who leapt off to summon Blood-haired Daethyrd.

“If they can use a spear, and they have the guts to traverse the depths of the land, then they are more than welcome to join us, Son of the Queen-Mother.” Sun’Ka nodded,

“Wait just a minute, Sun’Ka, should we really believe what he’s saying?” Takk’Takk asked sudenly, perking up.

“Do we have any reason to distrust him?” Sun’Ka asked his group, all of whom but himself and Takk’Takk were eating. 

After a few moments of silence, Takk’Takk sighed and rubbed his neck. “You guys remember what the Queen-Mother said, right? The world is full of Demons like the Accursed Envy, the River Worm. We can’t trust all Divines this quickly.”

Sun’Ka rested his head on his fist in thought, and then looked at Ya’Shuur, “We require proof that you are indeed the Queen-Mother’s Son. I apologize, but you must understand. She’s never mentioned offspring of her own.” Ya-Shuur waved the request away.

“There is no need,” he said, “for she does not know me. The ways of the gods are beyond mortal comprehension, for I was born of a mother who never knew me though I knew her, and a father who neither knew me nor I knew. But I will travel to her soon, and we will be reunited at last and come to know one another.” Ya-Shuur then stood and cast his hand above the fire. “I will bless your journey and ease your way. Animals will aid you wherever you find yourselves, and my two molves shall accompany you and help you.” 

Just as he said this, the molf who had leapt off to find Daethyrd erupted from the trees, closely followed by another molf on whose back was a rider. The rider approached without descending from his molf and surveyed the two valthumir and their vallamir companions, and then he looked at Ya-Shuur. “The Land summoned and we answered.” He said.

“This is Blood-haired Daethyrd, and if he is willing then he will accompany you and aid you on your quest into the darkness.” Ya-Shuur looked at the vall. “These good folk are headed towards the Clay Spires. They seek a ravine in there that is said to reach deeper than any other. I have travelled in the dark places and I have seen the monstrosities that lie there. It is not for the weak of heart. But [i]it is[/i] for those who seek glory.” Daethyrd sniffed at these words and looked disdainfully at the two Valthumir.

“I don’t really feel like helping [i]their ilk[/i], but I just so happen to be heading off in that direction.” He waved a small spike at Ya-Shuur and the demigod immediately recognized it as being from Zer-Du’s tail. “My quarry seems to have run off there. So I’ll accompany this lot. For now, and only because the great Be’r-Jaz himself recommends it.” Ya-Shuur smiled thinly.
“That’s good. It seems like you will get along just fine.” And saying so he got to his feet, preparing to leave. But before he did he looked at the two Valthumir, granting them the opportunity to say anything they wished before he left.

Takk’Takk was the only one to speak, “I recommend hiding those horns, Son of the Queen-Mother. Try to look as close to a True Divine as you can. White Hair, Grey Eyes, glowing aura, I’m sure you know the rest. If you do that, your meeting with the Queen-Mother will go well.” Ya-Shuur nodded in acknowledgement of this information before heading off silently into the putrid night.

[hr]

 As Ya-Shuur continued his journey, now armed with the knowledge that the True Queen-Mother was in fact Li’Kalla, he found himself reflecting on some of the oddities and contradictions that existed when it came to this Queen-Mother. The way she had been described to him was very unlike how he remembered Li’Kalla. She was spoken of with fear, with respect, the many middelvalls seemed to hate her for choosing the valthumir over them. Yet the Li’Kalla she remembered had never been one to strike fear into a person’s heart and she was not the kind of person one could hate, unless they were unhinged or hateful by nature. And he could not say she commanded respect either.

The Li’Kalla he remembered was easily loved and adored, pitied, protected. You laughed with her and made merry and watched the world with wide and curious eyes. She was the kind of person who held a lot of pain, and he had immediately felt the need to protect her from any further pain. He had failed of course, though he no longer blamed himself. He had made his peace with his mother a long time ago, and peace with himself.

But the Li’Kalla who had been described to him seemed different. Certainly Takk’Takk’s warning weighed heavily on him and he found himself looking into a still lake and surveying his reflection. Maybe ones he could have said that he liked his horns and that he had some kind of sentimental attachment to them that meant removing them would have been truly difficult, but that was no longer the case. He was not attached to his appearance at all and did not care for it, as the long wild beard and unkempt hair showed. Things like this just didn’t matter, because the most important thing was being excellent. 

White hair, brown hair, blue eyes, gray eyes. These were all unimportant and transient things, and most beings had no control over them. When his hair and eyes changed, he remained the same. Yet Takk’Takk had suggested that for no reason other than the color of his eyes and hair his meeting with Li’Kalla was bound to go badly, and so to ensure it didn’t go badly he would have to change those cosmetic things. It seemed shallow, and he disliked the idea of being loved for something so shallow as his appearance rather than the substance of his self.

As he walked, he came across starved pilgrims heading to the Cave of Light and they stopped before him and praised him. He took a hand to one of his horns and snapped it from the base, much to their shock, and he gave it to the pilgrims. Then later he came across a solitary hunter, and he snapped the other horn and gave it to him as a trophy. And when he came across a stream, he waded out into it and washed himself until he was cleaner than he had ever been. He sat at the side of the stream and braided his hair and beard as he had seen the valls do, and when he looked at his reflection again he found that his appearance was tidier. His hair was still brown and his eyes were still the color of honey. He had made some changes, but he would not do all that Takk’Takk had suggested. If his mother had become so shallow that the content of his character was of no concern to her, but only the color of his eyes and hair, then she was no mother of his and Li’Kalla had truly died.

When dawn next came, Ya-Shuur found himself in the intense fog and rain that meant he had arrived at Li’Kalla’s manor.

He had arrived from the back and had not stumbled into the small settlement at the foot of the hill, and so when the demigod walked up to the large entrance doors, he was met by two Valthumir. The two were white haired and grey eyed, and they were dressed with the finest furs and leathers that such a primitive civilization could afford. One of them even had a hat made out of some exotic animal not found on the Island. 

The two Valthumir regarded Ya-Shuur with icy eyes until the one on the right spoke. 

"State your business, Divine. The Queen-Mother has had her trust hurt by your kind before, and it is our duty to make sure that doesn't happen again…" 

Ya-Shuur looked from one to the other impassively, and then smiled thinly. “I am here to speak with my mother. Please let her know that I would like to see her.” He held his herding stick before him in two hands and waited on Li’Kalla to permit him entry into her presence.

The one on the right scrutinized Ya-Shuur’s appearance, and after a while nodded. “Then you may enter. We’re not allowed inside without being purified, so you will have to find your way around the Queen-Mother’s abode on your own. Follow the path dictated by your heartbeat.”

After speaking, the two Valthumir bowed their heads in a quick show of respect and took a step to the side, the large wooden doors opening without a need for mortal assistance. The only light illuminating the inside now was that of the sun and when Ya-Shuur walked inside, the doors closed behind him. All that a mortal’s eyes could see would be dusty darkness, but that didn’t last long. 

From the ceiling hung large, strange and beautiful contraptions which slowly lit up the room with intensifying light. But it wasn’t a natural light, it wasn’t something created by the Goddess of Light, and so it lacked any warmth, and its colors were slightly off. Ya-Shuur stood and observed the odd light for some time, wondering if it truly made him uncomfortable. Eventually he concluded that he did not feel strongly about it whether it lacked or had warmth. That was good, to be thick-skinned.

Regardless, the darkness was no more, and with a light white tinge to everything due to the artificial light, everything could now be seen clearly. Ya-Shuur found himself in a large Entrance room flanked with two desks leading to closets. Past the Entrance room there was an even bigger Foyer with an ornate staircase and several doors leading to different parts of the Manor, they were locked of course, and none of the artificial light leaked out from under the doors so it was safe to assume they were not in use. 

Built into the solid foundation for the large ornate staircase was a small passageway toward the basement, but the sturdy looking metal gate to go into it was locked, and it was dark down there. 

The only path lit was the one leading upstairs, and so Ya-Shuur took that path, and it lead him through several twists and turns in the upper floor of the Manor, until finally he reached an unassuming door at the end of a dead end hallway. The door was ajar, and light spilled out from behind it. Soft crying could be heard from behind the door, along with muttering and the movement of heavy fabric.

Ya-Shuur paused before the open entrance and listened quietly to the crying. After a few moments he rapped three times on the ground with his herding stick to make his presence known. “Mother Li’Kalla, may I come in?” He asked in a clear, loud voice. 

There was silence, and then hurried shuffling before the door opened and the pale, white-haired and gray eyed Li’Kalla showed herself to be standing with her hands clasped. She inspected Ya’Shuur and gave the air a subtle sniff, which if Ya’Shuur wasn’t as wise, he would have mistaken for a badly hidden sniffle. 

“... Hello… Ya’Shuur? You seem familiar. Do I know you from before, as a fellow Divine? You’re not allied to that ghastly river worm?” She asked with uncertainty, fidgeting a little. Ya-Shuur looked at Li’Kalla for a few moments, taking her in and noting how she had changed and how she was yet the same. The tears were still there, it seemed. Then a small, shy smile grew on his face.

“Hello, Li’Kalla. Yes, I am Ya-Shuur. I do not know if you know or remember me, but I certainly know you. I lived with you for a time, long ago. It was a… beautiful time. You likely do not know this because it happened in a very strange way, but…” and it struck him only then how odd this revelation was, “you are my mother.” Ya-Shuur allowed his words to hang between them and watched for Li’Kalla’s reaction.

Li’Kalla opened her mouth to speak, but immediately shut it and looked away for a moment, then sat on her bed and remained silent, her wings drooping and resting on her big fluffy bed. Ya-Shuur cocked his head then put his staff against the door frame and stepped inside. “I just want you to know that, even though we never spoke back then, I have missed you very much. The island has not been the same without you. I am glad you have returned.” He placed a hand on her head and patted her comfortingly a few times, as he had done to the god with chopstick eyes when she had been sad. “And your friend the god with chopstick eyes came and asked about you. She was very sad because you were gone, but now I’m sure she will be happy again. And you simply must return to Melly and see her again, as you promised. There are many who love you, you must know this and must not be sad.”

Li’Kalla sniffled and rubbed her eyes, “B-But I don’t think they will like me. I’m not okay, I-I can’t help it… I brought this plague onto our island by not being able to shut up. These mortals were meant to grow strong to battle whatever is coming b-but I can’t even keep them alive… I want to be… Liked, yes. But no one likes me now… They liked me when I was weak and let everyone walk over me…” Ya-Shuur sat beside her and looked across the room, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“I don’t know what has happened and why this terrible Rot has come about, but you must know that there is no use in blaming yourself and beating yourself up about it.” He paused and thought. “Your Valthumir made mention of another god who hurt you recently; I am guessing they brought about this Rot because… you told them something they did not like?” He shrugged. “That is okay. You should not seek to be liked. It is certainly nice to be liked, I think, but it should not be your goal. Tell me mother, why is it that you feel that you are not liked?” He looked at her.

“Well… I went to Orvus and he called me a monster, then I talked to his daughter and she ran away from me. And I spoke before that to his other daughter and she was so uncomfortable she could’ve passed out… And Shengshi saw it fit to curse the entire land because of my words… So yes, I don’t think I’m liked. And if the others are the same, then I fear they might grow to hate me if I show my face to them…” Ya-Shuur frowned at these words and looked at her pensively.

“That does seem very odd. If you don’t mind, can you tell me exactly why this Orvus called you a monster? And what did you say to make his daughter uncomfortable or to cause Shengshi to curse the land?”

“I-I only said the truth! Orvus was a lonely sad god wanting to fit in with mortals even going so far as to get a mortal that he turned immortal, his daughter was a fine specimen and she hadn’t bred yet which is insane… What if she dies in battle?! Her bloodline will be lost! And Shengshi was the worst,” She sniffled and her wings stiffened and stretched, brushing Ya-Shuur’s back, “I just called him what he was. A deviant for protecting other deviants and being a half-animal and expecting to be treated as a full person. It’s crazy! He should’ve been thankful that I told him the truth, apparently no one else had been brave enough to do so! This gives him the chance to change his ways. And yet… Here I am.” She said as she deflated once more. Hearing all this, Ya-Shuur smiled in understanding.

“I see, so that’s what’s happened. So all of this has come about because you were concerned for their wellbeing, wanting what was best for them; and so you spoke frankly and inadvertently hurt them?”

“Um… I suppose.”

“Are you sad that you spoke to them like that? Or that they didn’t listen? Or both?” He continued calmly.

“I… I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t have many memories. I don’t remember any offspring, which should be my pride and one of my most treasured memories… I’m just confused. I don’t know.” She said and began sobbing quietly, tears falling from her eyes and mixing with the rainwater flowing over her skin at all times. Ya-Shuur instinctively placed a hand across her shoulder and brought her smaller body close.

“There is no need for crying or for sadness, mother. All these matters that are causing you sadness are simply beyond your power and control. Since you can’t do anything about them, you should not be bothered by them. You can’t force this Shengshi to change, and you can’t control what this Orvus says, and you can’t control whether you have your memories or not. None of it matters. What truly matters is what you [i]can[/i] control, what is truly in your power. Shall I tell you what that is?” He looked at her and wiped the tears and rainwater from her cheeks.

Li’Kalla sniffled a few more times and looked up at Ya-Shuur, “W-What is it?” He smiled and tapped her forehead gently with one of his fingers.

“It is you, mother. Your self. Your soul. Your character. You are the master of what you say, how you act, how you feel. The only thing that should truly sadden you is if you are not as you wish to be, or if you act in a way that displeases you and is not in accordance with your principles. If you are principled and always aspire to be the best version of yourself (if you are not a slave to emotion, to lust, to fears), then you will never have reason to be displeased. Take utter moral responsibility for your own actions and be indifferent to all else, not because you do not care for the felicity of all creatures but because such things are not under your control. Certainly seek what is good for others, for it is our duty, but ultimately what others do is up to them, just as you are the master of yourself they too are their own master. Others may like or dislike you, but what is most important is that you will like yourself, you will live in such a way as not to disgrace yourself and will not be less than what you truly could be.” He stopped, and knew that he had spoken for too long. He had not wished to preach, for he did not like that, but if perhaps it helped Li’Kalla even a little then he did not mind. It was not lost on him that in many ways he may have just done the same as Li’Kalla did to this Orvus and Shengshi. He looked at her and rubbed his head and laughed. “At least that’s what I believe, but maybe I’m a little bit strange!”

Li’Kalla had listened quietly to Ya-Shuur’s speech, and when the time came to respond, she chuckled while drying the last of her tears and returned his embrace with a wing, “You speak like a deity, Son.” Her words surprised him and he blinked a few times, realizing suddenly that there was a warmth in his chest and wetness in his eyes. He swallowed and blinked the wetness away.

“Mother,” he mumbled, his lips quivering ever so slightly, and he brought both his arms around her and closed his eyes, basking for the first time in his existence in the feeling that… “I have a mother.” One who knew him. One who acknowledged him. It was a few moments before he regained his composure and broke the embrace, all sign of the previous emotion gone from his face though the smile remained. He removed himself from the bed and got to his knees before her and kissed both her hands in respect. His mother had been returned to him when he thought her dead, and this time he would be a good and dutiful son.

“You do.” She said softly before dropping to her knees in front of his and embracing him again, “That was the first embrace I can say belongs to me. Just a little bit longer…” She whispered, her wings fluttering slowly, sending gusts of pleasingly cool wind around the room. Ya-Shuur obliged her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and bringing her smaller body into his even as her great wings surrounded them protectively. He found it warming that even as his great arms sought to hold her in a protective embrace, her great motherly wings held him in a greater, more protective one. That was how a mother was. Ya-Shuur had seen it in many living things - the mother spider allowed herself to be consumed by her children so that they may grow strong and live, the mother goat stood guard over her children and was willing to stand between them and the jaws of the wolf, and vall mothers carried their children for nearly a year and cared for them after that for longer, and he had seen the corpses of mothers wrapped protectively around their small children in an attempt to shield them from raiders with their own bodies.

It was motherhood, and Ya-Shuur had seen that love much but never felt it. Now with his mother’s arms and wings around him, he could say he had.

[list]
[*][hider=Summary]
Ya-Shuur continues his journey to speak with Li’Kalla. On his way he is appraoched by Daethyrd, who has killed in the name of justice much to Ya-Shuur’s dismay. Ya-Shuur makes clear that he does not approve of Daethyrd’s ways and they part on a bad note. Ya-Shuur then meets Takk’Takk, Sun’Ka, and their ten nameless vallamir companions. Ya-Shuur speaks with them and he finds out that Li’Kalla is the Queen-Mother. He blesses their journey and gets Daethyrd to accompany them (he is now pursuing two quests).

Ya-Shuur arrives at Li’Kalla’s new mansion and has an emotional reunion with her. She is sad that everyone appears to dislike here now and opens up to Ya-Shuur about it. He attempts to comfort her, but his overly rational approach does not quite work with the emotionally torn up Li’Kalla. Eventually he gives a small sermon on how she might go about overcoming sadness and grief of this sort by seeking to be the best person she can possibly be. It’s not clear whether this affects Li’Kalla, but she is happy that Ya-Shuur speaks “like a deity” and acknowledges him as her son. They embrace and it is therapeutic.
[/hider]
[*][hider=Might Summary]
Ya-Shuur spend 1 FP (discounted to 0 by Animal Domestication portfolio) to bless Takk’Takk, Sun’Ka, Daethyrd, and the Nameless Ten so that animals will aid them along their quest.
[/hider]
[*][hider=Prestige]
[hider=Prestige Rules][list]
[*]1 Prestige for each post in which a Hero plays at least a minor role; this should still be more than just an offhanded mention or a few lines of dialogue. The role must advance the story in a notable way. ✔
[*]1 Prestige for a hero if they are the focus and the star of a post. ✘
[*]1 Prestige to each hero involved, if the post was collaborated between two or more people. ✔
[*]1 Prestige if the post follows a hero on a quest. ✔
[*]5+ Prestige if a Hero completes a quest they pursued over three or more posts. If the Quest is completed in two posts, this is halved and rounded down to the nearest whole number. ✘[/list][/hider]
+3 Prestige to Daethyrd
7 Prestige in Total
[/hider][/list]