[center][b][h3]Saries[/h3][/b][/center] [center][b]I[/b][/center] Jiva hadn’t eaten anything since the previous morning, almost a day and a half ago, and even then he still felt like he was about to be sick. Let’s be honest, right? Coming back home with a massive God-Beast in tow and with strange new markings on one’s body is something that is [i]definitely[/i] not going to be well received! Gods were dangerous, strange things – Whispers of the God-Rock and the God-Man were enough to easily convince all the member tribes of the Accord to err on the side of caution. Offerings were encouraged, meant more as peace offerings. But actual direct physical contact and not only that, but bringing the god back home? That was another matter entirely. Jiva sat cross-legged on one of the eight tree stumps around the campfire. Sirele sat on the stump next to his except she sat with her legs neatly tucked under herself, and opposite the Twins was a large, hulking beast of a man. Sporting long dark hair styled into a single thick braid which he draped over his shoulder, as well as plentiful facial hair around the mouth but none on the sides, this man was their dad. Jiva’s father was a fearsome man. Even now he sat with his legs – each one as thick as a tree trunk – spread far enough that he nearly occupied the space that three normal people normally would. His arms, scarred from the dozens of times he’d wrestled and dominated wild beasts, were crossed over his equally marred chest. And his amber eyes, almost hidden by his thick brow, stared not at Sirele, but at Jiva. Couldn’t the earth just open up and swallow him whole right now? C’mon! Things weren’t all bad, though. Saries’ presence nearby was comforting. It was a shame it left the moment it saw the campfire, but there was nothing that could be done about that. Sirele clapped her hands loudly, which broke Jiva out of his reverie. “So there you have it dad!” Sirele clapped again, and then summarised her well-practiced excuse. It was a sight to behold – Her lower body stayed still like a statue whilst her arms and hands moved about every other second, in sync with the ups and downs of her tone of voice. “So in short, we were on our way to the Sacred Grove, but watched the God-Beast Saries fall from the skies whilst on our way there, so we diverted from our pilgrimage and tracked it down. At the time, it seemed like the best thing to do, you know! You’re always going off into the Valley to wrestle bears and catch Tormentas, so why not us? Anyway yeah, we thought maybe if we tracked it down we might be able to ask for its help, you know, what with the sky falling down and the earth bleeding its guts out and turning the entire Confederation into a wasteland, we thought that maybe having a God-Beast on our side might be good, and-” Their father raised a hand, and Sirele stopped speaking so suddenly she choked on her spit. “So,” Their father’s voice boomed. For a second, it almost looked like the campfire was about to go out. “You tracked down a God-Beast because you thought you had what it takes to tame-” Their father looked at Sirele for a split second and coughed. “A-hem, [i]befriend[/i], it. Without calling for help. While the very earth and skies want us dead? Did you know that while you two were gone, the Shaman-Tribe had to abandon their home? The caves filled with an evil miasma that first kills the mind, then kills the body. This could have very well happened to you.” “But Dad-” Sirele tried to interrupt, but was cut off by their father again. “And do you know how worried the entire Accord was, when they’d heard our envoys never made it to the first checkpoint? How disappointed they were when they realized we wasted weeks worth of food and manpower in a foolish attempt to appease the gods with an offering? You do know that your cousin Coso lost two of his toes securing the path you were supposed to follow?” “I-I-” Sirele attempted again, voice beginning to shake. Jiva glanced at her. His sister was braver than he was, but even she had her limits. “And what about your mother? About me? When our woodsmen all returned one after the other, telling us that none of them had seen you. When you did not appear for an entire week after that… I had to stop your mother from jumping into a fissure, do you know that? A woman’s life is her children. I’ve never…” Their father trailed off and stared into the fire for a while. The only sound was the crackling of the fire, and soon enough Sirele’s sniffling joined that sound. Eventually, their father took a deep breath and exhaled through his mouth. He uncrossed his arms and slapped them down onto his thighs. In an instant, he had deflated. “Don’t do this again, guys. Jiva, Sirele, you two mean the world to your mom and me. If you’re going to do something crazy, at least ask for help alright?” It was like a weight had been lifted off Jiva’s shoulders. Suddenly, he felt weak and floppy and had to catch himself with his arms before he fell over backwards. A glance from his father quickly reminded him what he must do, though. Finding whatever strength remained in him, Jiva moved over to Sirele’s stump and hugged her. She was crying now – even if Sirele had managed to fare better than some of the Accord’s seniors, it was still impossible for a normal person to survive such a direct attack from their father. “I’ll admit, all things considered, I did not expect you to actually befriend a God-Beast. And it’s Saries, right? The one who created everything alongside the God-Man Sarhush. At the very least, I can rest easy knowing you’ve got a good companion now.” Sirele nodded and squeaked out a response, not unlike a wounded small animal. “Y-Yeah…” [center][b]II[/b][/center] Saries huffed at the sight. Over the past few days, the skies had begun to clear a bit, and the rain no longer came down black and heavy, and the earth had sated most of its hunger, so Saries was able to take some time to just watch the world it had helped create. To Saries, it was easy to see every single detail even from the peak of the tallest mountain that surrounded that Valley. Every single tree, branch, leaf, and critter lived their life under its watchful eye. But that also meant it saw every tree stump, every campfire, every plume of white smoke… Saries hated them. It wanted to erase all those signs for good. Everything that reminded it of those early days that were filled with so much strife was something that it wanted to erase. And yet something prevented it from acting out its instinct. Ever since it had connected with the pair of ur-humans, it had felt inclined to leave them be, to allow them their small territories and to simply watch and shepherd them should the need arise. It’s not that it suddenly cared for ur-human congregations, no – It was that the ur-humans it had acknowledged as friends cared for their own lands and their own people, and knowing the depth of their love, Saries could not bring itself to take everything away from them. It would be no better than Sarhush if it did. It glanced to the side when one of its Blessed – one member of a species that the ur-humans had taken to calling ‘Flesh-Searing Yellow-Tipped Tormenta’, for its ability to discharge lightning at will by pecking or scratching at its prey – swooped down and perched itself on a tree branch. Its feathers, tipped with a glowing yellow made even more striking by the arcs of lightning that danced between them, ruffled as it pointed its beak in a particular direction. Fires, yes – Saries was aware. The world was burning and many were dying, it had been the first to feel it. There was nothing it could do about it, though. Even after the care it had received from its new friends, Saries remained exhausted. And the earth itself had helped anyway, by splitting open and preventing the fires from infesting the Valley itself. So as long as it remained watchful and reacted when necessary, all should be fine– Rancid smoke, months-old sweat, and the scent of burned hair all assaulted Saries’ nose in an instant. Sarhush! With a mighty jump and a fast transformation, Saries took off into the skies in its Hawk form and rushed towards the source of the scent – The wildfires at the edge of the Valley. [hider=Actions] The Twins confront their father. Their father is angry and disappointed because they failed to perform their pilgrimage and caused a lot of problems to the rest of the tribe as a result. Saries watches over the Valley from afar and eventually detects Sarhush’s scent, prompting it into immediate action. [center][h1]CONVICTION SPENDING:[/h1][/center] Starting Conviction = 1 No actions taken Remaining conviction = 1 [/hider]