Hekti stilled as a labored breath broke the silence in the room. He motioned for Nalla to pause, eyes pinpointed at the sleeping figures before them. One changed positions underneath the fur coated bed. Tension seemed to flood into the room, weighing Hekti down. It was palpable. His heart bounded in chest, limbs poised, dragged gripped. They waited in the shadows for the silence to return and when it did, they moved forward.
They neared the bed, Hekti on his side, Nalla on hers. There was a twisted smile on her face, one that sickened him but Nalla wanted the same thing he wanted. Hekti looked down at the old man, a cruel human. His father, the village chief, sleeping next to his favorite bitch. A woman Nalla detested even more than he did- Her older sister.
It was their job to make it look like a fight had broken out between them. A sad situation they would say, ending in death. With both of them out of the picture, Hekti could take over the chiefdom and Nalla would be free to do as she pleased, no longer living in her sister’s shadow. Hekti knew what she wanted though. Every human had a seed inside of them, one that hungered for power, and who would throw away being the chief's wife?
With their plan clear, Hekti nodded to Nalla and plunged the blade into his father's heart. His father's eyes awoke as he gasped. Hekti began to feel hot, his blood pumping as he silenced his father with a hand over his mouth. He was a large man, his father, but Hekti held him as he struggled, feeling him grow weaker and weaker through his fingertips. Eyes full of hatred as they fluttered shut at last. Hekti looked over to see a similar scene with Nalla, though she had decided to stab her sister several times. The smell of blood permeated the room, coating the bed furs in crimson liquid.
Mouthwatering.
Before he could wonder why the blood smelled so good, he witnessed Nalla licking her dagger. He grew hot, uncomfortably so as he looked at his own dagger, still embedded in his father’s heart. It called to him, ever second his heart beat, every moment he felt thirstier and thirstier. With inhuman speed he wrenched his dagger free, and held it up high, letting the blood drip into his mouth.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
He smacked his lips, let the blood coat his face as his hands shook. Every drop, so delicious, so intoxicating. He stabbed his father again, repeating the process to his delightful smile. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nalla feasting upon her sister’s corpse, drinking and licking the blood that ran from her wounds. Hekti, aloof to his own reality, looked down upon his father and did the same.
It didn’t take long for his crime to take root in his mind, so caught up in the moment of the blood, that with startling clarity he pushed himself free and fell to the floor. He looked upon his shaking hands and to his horror he found them drenched in his father’s blood. He looked over to see Nalla, still lapping up what little remained.
“N-Nalla, what have we done?” he asked, holding his head.
The girl with the flame red hair looked up, her face stained in dark crimson as the moonlight glinted in her eyes. She was terrifying to behold. She spoke, her voice silky smooth as ever, “Tsk tsk, we did what we wanted and the gods gave us power for getting rid of these… insufferable people.” she said, walking over to him. Hekti flinched as she knelt beside him, pulling him into her bosom. He began to speak, but was silenced.
“Shh shh. No need to make a fuss. We did what we had to do to survive Hekti. Now you can be chief and I can be your wife. Should we…” She twirled his curly hair with a finger, leaning into his ear and whispered what all souls need from a lover.
The two got up, leaving the two corpses behind as they made their way through the silent halls of the long cabin. His home was not far, but first they needed to dispose of their clothes and clean themselves. He still didn’t know what was going on, or the new strength that pulsed through his veins, but the chiefdom was his and Nalla was his. What more could he ask for?
He pushed open the door to the outside world, the first few rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon. One hit him, and before he knew it, there was a flash of intense pain and then nothing.
Nalla, who had remained inside the cabin, watched as her ticket to power burst into flame before vaporising into ash. Instinctively, she lurched back into the safety of the shadows, now knowing what the sunlight brought. She tilted her head, a bemused look on her face.
“Well… Better him than me.” she said with a toothy smile, before licking her fingers.
Two humans kill for ambition and become vamps. One dies from the sunlight, and this tells the other one that sunlight isn’t fun.
Knowing full well Genesis had her own realm, but hesitant to leave her there by herself, Oraelia took her back to her own. Even if Genesis was Divine in nature, she still acted like she was a child, and by all accounts, she was a child. Children needed many things, but Genesis was a special case and did not require what mortals did. Thus the only thing Oraelia could give her, was herself. She had realized, unless there was some other god with a better claim then herself, that she was one of the only ones that could raise Genesis. Gibbou was a close second, but Oraelia couldn’t shake the feeling that her sister was hiding something from her. Not to mention that her confidence was still meager, and how could one give love to another, if they hardly loved themself? She hoped she was wrong, so very wrong, but for now, it had to be this way.
Oraelia took one last look at Antiquity, and then entered her realm, Genesis in hand. It was the same as before, an endless Prairie of golden grass and flowers. She pursed her lips, and scrunched her nose as she looked at it all. Beautiful yes, but for the purposes of creating an avatar, and even raising Genesis, she needed something else. A home within her home. She raised her free hand, and with a flick of her wrist, the scenery changed to that of a wide large clearing in the middle of a forest.
”Ooo...”
The clearing sprouted several cobble paths, erupting on the sides of them with flowers and other plant growths, overgrowing in several places. The cobble pathways eventually all met a head, singularly leading up to a large wooden cabin that materialized before their eyes. It wasn’t large or grand in any way, but had a modest feel to it with a large wrap around porch.
Oraelia then turned to Genesis and knelt down. She smiled warmly. ”Would you like to live with me?” she asked,
It took a tilt of her head and a few seconds of thought, but eventually Genesis gasped and hugged Oraelia, hopping while she did so and breathing extremely fast. ”Genesis stays with Oraelia! Yay! Lots of playtime with her, and baths and hugs and kisses!” She repeated excitedly, nuzzling her small delicate face against Oraelia’s.
Oraelia could hardly contain her smile, radiating an intense glow as she gave affection to Genesis. ”Good! I’m so happy Genesis.” she said, giving her a smothering hug. She then pulled away, grabbing the small girl by her arms gently. ”Okay, now listen, I have a job for you okay? I need you to… To go find the prettiest flowers you can, so we can put them in a… Pot! And then we’ll put the pot inside, alright? So we can always have color with us!” she said, overly enthusiastic. ”Can you do that for me? Pwetty pwease?”
Genesis giggled and playfully caressed Oraelia’s face, ”Uh-huh! Genesis will bring all the more pretty flowies for Oraelia!”
Oraelia quickly planted a kiss on her cheek and giggled before saying, ”Wonderful my love, now go find me some flowers.” she said, with Genesis running off into the forest with a chuckle the second Oraelia set her down. Oraelia watched her go, shouting out after her, ”And be safe!” she said with a wave, knowing the only thing that could hurt Genesis, would be herself. Which was probably not going to happen, right?
With a sigh, Oraelia fell back into the grass and watched the moving clouds. She had a lot on her mind. This new reality she found herself in, Gibbou, Lucia, Genesis, prayers from mortals, Neiya, and on and on. She felt overwhelmed. There was so much to do. She took a deep breath, and relaxed. First things first, it was time to open herself to Galbar. It couldn’t be too hard, rig-
“Please mother Oraelia, please, don’t let her die.”
Oraelia shot up. The voice had been so sudden, and she saw it. A young boy, his sister dying next to him from playing gone wrong. A tear fell down the Goddess’s face.
”Thank you for rising, Bright One. Give us strength when the trolls come again. Please. I don’t know how much longer we can last.”
An old man spoke, his village in ruins and his people taken or killed… or worse. Oraelia’s heart began to beat faster as more voices came, louder.
“Why don’t you care! All we’ve ever done is worship you! And ye cannot even protect us!” Said a man in the far north, beset by trolls and other monsters.
“Bright One, may you watch us in this night. May they not come to take my family. This I ask of you.” Said a woman in a village, fearing for her life from other humans wishing to take them.
“O sunmother, why do you forsake us? What did we do wrong? Why are you silent?” Came the voice of a young girl deep within the heart of her Prairie.
“I hate you Bright One! You let them come and eat us in the night!” Screamed a child, angry at Trolls.
“Why is your sun so hot, so cruel? When do you keep the rain from us?” Asked a desert dwelling Alminaki. “Another beautiful day, praise be to you, sun!” Exclaimed an older looking Genesis.
“Give me the power to kill them! I beg of you mother. They took everything from me!” Wailed a broken woman.
Oraelia squeezed her eyes shut as more and more prayers came. She held her head and leaned forward in between her knees. She stopped breathing as panic and shock overtook her.
Negative, positive, angry, happy, on and on. Every range of emotion, from every mortal under the sun. They hated her, they loved her, they wished she would do more, they wished she would help them. From the monsters in the night, from the trolls and flesh eaters, to the slavers and the murderers. They broke her heart a thousand times and they healed it again and again. What had she done? What had she let happen? There was so much death and loss on her hands and she had done nothing to safeguard the day, like she was supposed to. Her promise with Gibbou, she had failed. But those Trolls, creatures of the night, eaters of flesh. She had seen how the humans despised them and she began to have her doubts as more and more prayers came for her sunlight to destroy them. Did Gibbou… Did she create them?
Suddenly, Oraelia felt the familiar softness and warmth that was Genesis’ small hand trying to get a hold of hers, and slowly the sounds of the prayers grew further away and those of Genesis humming quietly came to the forefront. ”Ah… Choo!”
She snapped her tearful eyes open, gripping the small girl’s hand tightly. She breathed again, quick and fast as she took Genesis into a hug. She attempted to stop crying, but the tears flowed. She needed someone, anyone after what she just witnessed. ”G-Genesis- Did you b-bring back flowers?” she asked in a shaky voice. Genesis returned the hug as best as she could.
”Yea… Is Oraelia ok? Don’t cry please. If Oraelia is sad, then… Then Genesis will show her what she does when she’s sad!!”
Oraelia sniffled, wiping the tears away from her face. ”And what does Genesis do when she’s sad?” she asked.
”Need a small river and mud. Very important, the two. Genesis will go to the mud and put her feet in it, you see. Like a tree! It feels very nice and soothing. And Genesis not get thirsty.” Genesis pursed her lips and then buried her nose in the mass of undulating light that she could only imagine was Oraelia’s hair.
Oraelia cracked a small smile and took a deep breath. ”That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” came her quiet voice. But there was no more time for idleness, not now anyway. Galbar needed her more than ever before. A part of her. It seemed the only thing that protected life during the day, was her sun and even that did a poor job. No, she needed something more, something that could ease the tide of these misfortunes. She would help from her realm of course, but this required a more direct approach and she had just the idea in the form of an avatar.
She shuffled around, and picked up Genesis who held a bouquet of flowers mixed with blades of grass in her hand. Oraelia smiled as she situated the girl. ”Do you remember what Illyd and Gibbou said about avatars? Let’s make them, then we can go find a stream and play in the mud alright?”
Genesis nodded as soon as she pulled away from the hug, ”Okay. How are avatars made?”
Oraelia gave a slight frown. ”I think we take a small part of ourselves, like a piece of hair, or in your case a leaf, and then we make it grow with our power. Reach deep down inside Genesis, think about what you want, visualize it. Then, will it to be.” she encouraged, placing her back on the ground.
”Mmmm..” Genesis hummed in thought, then reached up and plucked a single leaf off her head, making herself hiss, then take in a deep breath. ”... owie.”
But the pain did not stop Genesis, for she plopped the leaf down in front of her, then sat on her knees and closed her eyes, both palms pointed toward the leaf.
She thought hard. She overworked her imagination to the point where her leaves were twitching uncontrollably, and then she exhaled. Just like that, the single leaf began to be encased in what looked like a new kind of crystal--Golden in colour, and not completely solid. It grew thick, as if it was a shield keeping the leaf safe and then around the crystal, more things began to materialize.
A bone structure, followed by vital organs, a nervous system, muscles… skin… Everything that made up Genesis’ body was replicated in the new, forming entity, but it was bigger. More of a grown up person than a child.
The new avatar, which at some point had begun to float as it formed, then dropped to the floor, her head falling conveniently on Genesis’ lap, who opened one eye first, then the other and finally let out a loud squeal of excitement.
The features were soft and delicate, with a slender body frame and graceful curves… But while she resembles Genesis, her colours were all different. Her skin for example was white, with several light pink accents near the joints, and her leaves were much longer but also slimmer, and a very pale pink in colour. And her eyes, when they fluttered open, revealed themselves to be an icy blue.
Genesis couldn’t help herself, she excitedly pet her avatar’s head as she bounced a little in place. She looked up at Oraelia and was about to speak when the avatar suddenly huffed, swatted Genesis’ hands away, and stood up, causing the little girl to flinch and pull away with a bit of a heartbroken expression on her face. ”Ow!! Why-”
”Geez! I just woke up and you’re already messing my leaves up, Genny. C’mon kid, I have an image to uphold!”
At this Genesis turned to Oraelia, eyes watering. ”B… B-But Genesis asked for a brotheeeer…!” She began, sniffling. Her avatar responded by sniffling quietly as well.
”H-Hey…! I didn’t ask to be a girl, y-y’know. You made me this way, you...” She hissed some air out through her tightly closed jaw, and then turned around and began to presumably wipe tears off her face.
There was a look of surprise upon Oraelia’s face, before she put a reassuring hand upon Genesis’ shoulder. She looked upon the new being, this new avatar of Genesis inquisitively. Something irked her about how it had treated Genesis, who did something many would consider innocent in nature.
”Why did you swat her hand away? You couldn’t have just asked for her to stop?” she asked, her tone neutral.
Genesis’ Avatar sniffled one last time and turned around as if nothing had happened, but quickly blushed a light shade of pink and rubbed her hands together nervously, shrinking her posture. ”U-Um,” She began, and looked away, ”I just got made so… I’m kind of sensitive and I’m not used to being touched, I guess...” The Avatar explained, then knelt in front of Genesis and put her hand on her childish creator’s head, rubbing through the leaves gently. ”Uh, sorry Genny. I guess I should be thankful I even exist, even if you don’t like me as I am...”
Genesis wiped her tears and looked up into the icy eyes of her avatar, then shook her head, voice coming out squeaky and shaky, ”N-no, Genesis likes you... Exodus is very pretty... like Oraelia. G-Genesis likes you, but… But she wanted a big brother. To play with.”
Exodus sighed awkwardly and then forced on a smile just for Genesis, whose eyes sparkled. ”Well, uh, sisters can play too, right? You don’t need a brother to have a good time, Genny.”
At this Genesis turned to look at Oraelia and asked, ”I-Is that true?”
Oraelia nodded. ”I have Gibbou, do I not? She’s my sister and we play all the time.” she agreed. She then looked at the avatar. ”Welcome to life, Exodus.” she said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Exodus rubbed her neck sheepishly and stood up, then began work on opening a portal to Galbar. As she did that, she spoke one last time to Genesis, ”See you around Genny. Talk to me whenever you want, alright? I’m your big sis after all.” She said, looking at the girl over her shoulder and winking at her, an expression that Genesis tried to imitate with varying rates of success. ”Oh, and those flowers you have in your hand, you’ll want to plant them where there’s plenty of sun, and give their roots ample space. Who knows? They might grow all the way to the sky!”
With that, the portal finally opened, but as Exodus prepared to step through, Genesis perked up. ”G-Genesis wants-”
Exodus shot her a look, and Genesis shrunk a little and rephrased, ”Gen… Genny? I. I. I… Want to play with Exodus!”
Exodus chuckled and stepped through, the portal closing behind her. After a moment, Genesis looked at Oraelia and tilted her head. ”I? Why does Genesis have to say I instead of Genesis?”
Oraelia blinked as she looked down at Genesis. ”Well… It’s your sense of self? When you say your name, referring to yourself, but already speaking- uh…” she paused, how did one explain this? ”You don’t have to say your name when talking about yourself honey. I know who you are, you know who you are. I, as in me, as in Oraelia, you see. So ‘I’ can say I, instead of my name. It means the same thing, but just means… You’re learning and growing and becoming… A big girl!” she said enthusiastically, tickling Genesis on her sides. Immediately the girl began giggling and trying to squirm away to no avail. Eventually the giggling became full blown laughter and tears of mirth overflowed from Genesis’ eyes.
”Oooah! N-No more… No more!!” She repeated, laughing even harder.
Oraelia eventually stopped and stood back up with a gleeful look in her eyes. ”Alright, alright. You did a good job Genesis, creating your avatar. I’m sure she’ll do good work upon Galbar. Now…” she said, cracking her knuckles. ”It’s time for me to make one. Stand behind me, dear.” It took Genesis a while to recover but when she did, she did as asked and quietly positioned herself behind Oraelia, watching on with curiosity clear in the way her leaves twitched.
Oraelia raised both her hands up into the air, and concentrated in the clearing before her. Then, she took a deep breath and breathed out slowly, as she did, a ray of yellow sunlight touched down from the heavens of her realm. It landed in the clearing, illuminating the land in vibrant rays of extremely bright light. This light seemed to be a wave, flowing and receding, pulsing in silence. From this beam of light there came a figure. Or the beam of light became the figure, for as it emerged the beam dissipated in a flash, but Oraelia was unphased by this, for light was kin to her and she saw what it had become.
Standing three times as tall as she, marched forth a giant of ethereal gold, solar flames racing across its body. It was see through, but tangible all the same and illuminating. It had no discernible features other than that of a strong man’s build and two glowing eyes of gold upon his face. He wore a halo of pure white, sat above his head like a crown. The halo itself was circular, running in a singular band, unmoving from its place. His long strides were with purpose, coming to a stop before Oraelia rigidly, like a statue, before moving his head to gaze down upon her. There was a silence between the two, as Oraelia took him in.
She nodded approvingly and folded her arms. ”You are my son and I name you, Solus. Welcome to life, Solus!” she said, waiting for the giant to respond, but she only felt a vague sense of knowing from his eyes. ”You know what to do, don’t you?” she asked softly. To this, Solus gave a slow nod, and held it, as if to show respect. Oraelia gave a sad smile in return. ”Go on Solus, I won’t keep you here any longer. You know your task, and it is a daunting one my son. But you will not be alone in doing it.”
Solus lifted his head and turned his head right as he lifted an arm to match his gaze. A portal materialized, a tear in reality and Oraelia could see but a glimpse of her home, and taste the air and feel the breeze. Solus dropped his hand, and turned his body before beginning to walk through. ”Know that you are loved, Solus.” she whispered, as the portal closed behind him.
Sometime during the whole show, Genesis had hugged Oraelia’s leg and just now squeezed a bit. ”Oraelia made a fire and light ghost. Why?”
”Well… I made a promise a long time ago. To protect the world Genesis. It’s about time I honored that.” she said, looking down at Genesis with a smile.
The small girl lay dying. Her brother, beside himself lay cradling her head from where she had fallen on that stupid rock. It was a simple push, he hadn’t meant it. Now he prayed to any god that might listen, to save his sister’s life. Her breathing was becoming shallower, and he was too afraid to run and get help. He couldn’t leave her. Not like this. Not here.
There came a strange noise, two footsteps, one after the other. They shook the ground and his stomach sank. Troll. There was a troll behind him. He couldn’t let it take Ifti! He placed his sister’s head down gently, and then spun around, fists primed to go.
It wasn’t a troll he saw, but an equally terrifying thing. So tall, and it hurt his eyes to look at. He shielded his face, falling backwards next to his sister with a scream as it came closer. He shielded Ifti with his body, but a blow never came, and he was never taken, but the giant seemed to stop, and he felt a warmth flow around him, before it walked off, footsteps becoming distant.
When he at last felt safe, he opened his eyes and saw Ifti staring up at him with a grin.
“Ifti! Y-You’re okay!” he cried out, his eyes watering.
“Ya! Course I am! Now get of’ me, you witch’s wart!”
The boy recoiled slightly, a grin of his own erupted across his face. He got off her, and helped her up, wiping his tears away.
“Come on Ifti! I’ll race you home!” he exclaimed. Ifti wasted no time in bolting off, but the boy paused, looking back to see where the giant had gone, but it was nowhere to be seen.
Oraelia and Genesis go back to her realm, where she creates a home and asks Genesis to live with her. The little girl accepts and then she tells Genny to go find some flowers. Oraelia then thinks about everything going on, and then opens herself up to prayers. She gets hella overwhelmed with what’s going on in the world, and it takes Genesis’ touch to coax her out of it. They have a moment and then Oraelia comes up with an avatar idea. She then tells Genesis to make one and she does. Exodus the avatar is born and then she leaves to Galbar after a talk. Oraelia then creates her own avatar, names Solus and sends her son to Galbar as well.
Oraelia 5MP/5DP Free- Avatar creation Free- First teleport
-1DP Heal a peasant girl (5/5 of Healing) -3MP Claim the Healing Portfolio
2MP/4DP Remaining.
Genesis 5MP/5DP Free- Avatar Creation Free- First Teleport
Oraelia gasped. Consciousness returned to her as if the sun had exploded. Her eyes opened to find herself in the same place as before, a dark void with herself being the only source of light. As she tried to calm herself, her thoughts turned to Lucia. She grabbed her head and let out a small wail, remembering her last thought of Lucia. Her daughter’s face had been one of pain and sadness, a thought that cut deeply.
Before she could even think about it more, a bright tear in reality ripped open in front of her. She recoiled, even blinked as she looked upon the intrusion. Wait- Was it an intrusion? Or was she… She shook her head, reaching out a hand to it and felt… She felt several presences, divine in nature. Siblings? Gibbou! Where was Gibbou? Why didn’t she feel Gibbou!
Then before she knew it, a small thing came out of the portal screaming and wailing as if her best friend had just been murdered by a clown. Golden coloured tears trailed her cheeks, frow burrowed as she desperately tried to get away from the portal, only managing to flail in place in front of the rift.
The void wasn’t a proper place for a plant girl like her, it seemed. As she started to visibly panic, she turned to the Goddess of Light and threw the misshapen ball of clay she had been holding toward Oraelia. ”TREE-JACK IS DEAD, BAD MEN WILL EAT GENESIS SOON!! BUT MOONIE WILL BE OKAY WITH THE SUN, MOONIE! D-don’t forget Genesis...” She pleaded, reducing herself to a whimpering, quivering ball towards the end of her heartfelt speech.
Oraelia caught this 'Moonie' before she could even react to what had just occurred. "Genesis?" she asked herself, feeling as if she had heard that name once. The one before her was Divine but also a… Child. Made of plants? Or she was plants? Her thoughts quickly flashed to the baby she had once carried before she swiftly made her way over to the little one and knelt down beside her.
”Ah!” The little plant girl squealed upon seeing what she had thought was the sun move, and so she curled into a ball and tightly closed her eyes.
Oraelia shoved her thoughts aside and her feelings, instead choosing to focus on the life that was before her. In a gentle voice she began to speak. "Is your name Genesis, little one?"
After hearing Oraelia’s voice and her own name, Genesis hesitantly opened her eyes and looked at the Goddess of Light, then nodded once. The movement was so small it was almost unnoticeable.
Her heart broke a little, seeing the child so afraid. ”Hey, heeeey. There’s no reason to be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you. I would never do that to a friend of Moonie’s!” she whispered with a warm smile. Genesis’ golden eyes sparkled slightly as she perked up.
”Y-You know… Moonie?” She asked in a small voice, hopefully. ”The Sun saw um… Her beauty page-ants? She won-” Genesis frowned and started counting with her hands, one finger at a time until all ten fingers were outstretched. Then she showed her hands to Oraelia. ”Um, she won more page-ants than this!”
Oraelia nodded, happily smiling as her heart began to feel warm again. She moved from her knees and sat down cross legged before Genesis. She looked at Moonie and with one finger, touched the misshapen ball of clay. It stirred to life, floating up like one of her wisps, before circling Genesis’ head. ”There! She’s awake and ready to win more Page-ants.” Oraelia winked at the girl.
”Oooo!” Genesis cooed, looking between Moonie and Oraelia as she wiped at her old tears, ”Moonie was sad, ever since the others told Moonie she was ugly. Now Moonie is happy again!! Thank you Sun!!!” Genesis grinned widely, springing up then twiddling her thumbs as she looked up at Oraelia. ”Ummm… Hug?” She asked quietly, hesitantly spreading her arms.
”Of course!” she said, happy tears coming to her eyes as she enveloped Genesis in a very tight and warm hug. ”Oh you sweet little thing, I’m so glad I could make you smile.” Oraelia said. Genesis let out a little happy squeal as she was squeezed and she squeezed back, not letting go.
”The Sun is very nice! Genesis knew someone that makes tasty light has to be good! And you made Moonie happy!” Genesis said quickly, her leaves quivering almost as much as her over-excited voice. Meanwhile, Moonie floated over and settled on top of Genesis’ head. ”But you see Sun! I escaped from these big bad men! I came into this grey, big place and there was a man. The bad man saw me and jumped to me and it was sooo scary! Like… Like a biiig giraffe! The bad man was going to eat Genesis’s leaves.” She explained with a pout.
Oraelia frowned slightly. Who would want to hurt her? Then again… She was a child, or acted as one. No, she was probably a child. Could she have perhaps, misinterpreted what was going on? It was likely, but Oraelia wouldn’t know for sure until she met these ‘bad men’. What was this place she talked of? Her gaze wandered to the portal. What was through it?
She turned to look back down at Genesis. ”I see. Well, you know what? I’m not going to let those bad men hurt you. This is a safe place. But…!” she said looking around while Genesis squirmed giddily in her arms, ”This place needs a touch up, don’t you think? Would you like to help me?” she asked excitedly.
Genesis pursed her lips, then nodded. ”O-Okay. Will Sun show Genesis how to help?”
”Of course!” she said, getting to her feet and helping Genesis to hers. She took the child’s hand within hers and gave a little squeeze. She didn’t really know what she was doing, but it felt right to do something, anything, with the space before her. But what to make it? She thought about this for a moment before an idea sprung to her mind. She looked down at Genesis and said, ”Alright, all you have to do is raise your arm up like mine, okay? Then think about a really, really big sun and a blue sky, and fields upon fields of grasses with a gentle breeze. Can you do that for me?” she asked.
Genesis nodded and closed her eyes tightly as she imitated Oraelia’s raised arm, then groaned a little as she started to think harder than she ever had before. ”O… Ooo! Genesis can see another Sun! And sky!!” She almost shouted, her eyes still closed.
Oraelia giggled, and willed it to be. First came a sun, far, far away. An imitation of her first born, but it would work all the same. Next, the blackness that surrounded them erupted with grass and trees, and the sky became a beautiful blue. A gentle breeze began to blow, carrying with it pleasant aromas. From the endless grasses burst forth flowers upon flowers, coming in all different colors under the sun. It was a start and one that Genesis would think she helped with. She gave a slight frown at the thought of lying to the girl, but she doubted she would know the difference. Plus, she would soon forget anyway.
”Alright Genesis, open your eyes and look at what we’ve done!” Oraelia exclaimed and Genesis positively jumped, gasping as she opened her eyes and took in the view, quickly turned to look at Oraelia with starry, wide eyes and an euphoric grin.
”G… Genesis did THAT? Yaay! Genesis made a new Sun!”
”You did such a good job Genesis! Look at all the flowers, oh and the breeze and the blue skies… Oh, it’s beautiful… But… It isn’t really Galbar is it?” she seemed to whisper to herself. Where was Galbar?
Genesis frowned and tilted her head, confused. ”Galbar has… Very big mountains, Sun. and a big tree! And very big, like, bowls of water. Galbar is very big. Genesis thought this for a long time. Genesis has many thoughts, but they all sound different, It is a little scary.” The girl admitted a little sadly.
Oraelia quickly returned to the moment and bent down with a look of concern scrawled across her face. ”What do you mean, Genesis? You have different thoughts?”
”Uh-huh… Many thoughts in many voices. Genesis thinks it’s the voices of her drowned friends, but there are too many new ones, and sometimes they say scary things. O… O-One time Genesis thought of burning plants! It was very scary. Fire is scary. It is not like pretty Sun. Genesis likes you, Sun.”
”Oh Genesis…” Oraelia said, wrapping the girl into another hug. It was a frightening development, and a reminder that not everything was what it seemed to be. Genesis was a god, after all, and it seemed Gods were many things.
Before she could say anything else, a familiar voice echoed throughout her realm. Gibbou! Her head snapped to the portal, as she heard her sister cry her name. Then she heard another god, angry or perhaps annoyed, talking about... Vacation? What even was that? She shook her head, and pushed it from her mind- Gibbou was all that mattered.
”Genesis… Listen. We need to go back through the portal, okay? I promise I won’t let the bad men hurt you.” Oraelia pleaded.
After a moment’s hesitation, Genesis nodded and grabbed Oraelia’s hand. ”O… Okay. But if they try to eat Genesis, Genesis will run.”
”Then they’ll have to eat me too!” she said playfully, walking towards the portal.
Oraelia wakes up in her realm. Ruminates on what happened, but before she can delve deeper, Genesis arrives and Oraelia goes full mom mode. The two bond and Oraelia creates her realm before hearing Gibbou and Tekret. She then decided to go to the portal.
The Kavijama | the thing of ink & poetry | The Hibrach
&
Lucia
The breeze was pleasant that morning. The sun sat high in the sky, warming the land with it’s gentle rays. Lucia felt the tallgrass between her fingers, each yellow blade soft against her skin, almost tickling her. She stood upon the edge of the Prairie with bated breath. She was anxious, and uncertain what she would find within. Though she was familiar with the area, it was an entirely different beast up close. Most of the grasses grew up to her stomach, while others grew over her head. The smell was… Not what she had imagined, but it was growing on her. Floral scents with a strong smell of grasses as she stood before the sea of yellow that it came from.
She had left Orb back in the Temple, as insurance, and in case anyone showed up while she was away. Orb was well hidden, but could see a majority of the temple from his vantage. Lucia had decided to venture out, she needed a break from her training, something to occupy her for the remainder of the day. She smirked, before taking her first steps into the unknown.
The first thing she realized was that the grasses could not only be ticklish, but itchy upon her bare skin. Maybe she needed to invest in what Qael had been wearing. What did they call it? She snapped her fingers trying to remember the name, but it came up blank. For now, she let the sun warm her with each step and scratched when it bothered her too much. She came upon many different flowers, with bees and other pollinators going about their day. She stopped to say hello, but they gave no reply. That was okay though, they were just busy little bees.
She continued on, coming across a small stream, or rather she stumbled into it, because the grasses were so tall beside it. She felt the mud underneath her toes, and squished about as she couldn’t help but smile widely. The mud was about the same color as her skin, perhaps a little lighter, but it was odd nonetheless. It gave her pause as she grabbed a blade of grass and compared it to her arm. The difference was startling, the colors were so different but contrasted well. To prove her point, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, and the golden hairs matched the grass almost perfectly. As she compared, there was a rustling in the grass, and instinctively, Lucia brought herself low and almost into the water. It gave her shivers and then goosebumps, but she couldn’t complain as she saw a trunk emerge from the grass, followed by a white tusks, and a large gray head, with eyes even larger than hers!
It dipped it’s trunk into the water, and scooped it up before giving itself a drink. A deep rumble came from the creature, as it continued to sate it’s thirst. Before long more heads peeked through the tall grass to join the first, even a baby! Lucia remained very still and breathed quietly as she watched with a sense of fear and excitement. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel energy coursing through her veins but she remained calm. There was no need to panic herself, all she was doing was watching, and before long, the giants meandered off. Slowly and surely, she felt herself relax, letting loose a loud sigh.
Still, she decided to follow them. Carefully, she walked through the water where it was shallow and there she pulled herself up onto the opposite bank, before following one of the large paths of trampled grass. It wasn’t long before the grasses became shorter and in the distance she could spot them. They were large animals, with powerful legs that carried them. They traveled in a single file through the grass, following the largest one, with the baby in the middle. They began to descend down a hill, and were eventually out of sight to Lucia. She pursed her lips and slowed down, not knowing what awaited her on the other side. As she got closer, she began to see many brown animals, and when she crested the hill, she took her breath away. She had seen the fields of brown before at the temple, but up close, she was blown away at the sheer size and vastness of them, before her. The animals from the stream wandered through the ocean, giving them no heed. It was a strangely beautiful sight and one she would enjoy for a time. The gently swirling sky of red and green and blue and yellow, and a myriad other colours and hues, seemed to lend the scene a greater life and energy and vastness. The plains stretched out gold and eternal to kiss the equally endless sky, and everywhere she looked life teemed.
As she continued to watch in a state of utter ease and peace, parts of the heavens seemed to stir and boil, and gently - ever so gently, so gently that one would hardly notice that anything was odd or out of place - swirls of sky descended in a coiling, darkening cloud. And with it came a soft humming and crooning, full of immediate and inexplicable, agonised joy. All about, the creatures of the golden grasslands were caught up in the sound and looked up, and they gave off their sounds - gently, ah, gently - and they buzzed, and chirruped, and bleated, and trumpeted, and bellowed, oh and they sang to the tune of a higher song. Dust rose and the song echoed - soft yet present - across the yellow flatlands. From the sky came a long, low moan as the descending heavens could descend no more, and it disintegrated against the plains of gold in a great spattering of colour and melody; and hidden amidst nature’s sublime tune came mournful words of ecstasy.
The sun does not rise, and it does not set Except that by love of you I am beset I am amazed by you and me Oh love that I’ve not seen or ever met!
And the sound fluttered off and the clouds ebbed away and the animals all stood in stupor for what felt like the longest time… before they returned to the banal business of mere survival. But among them something seemed to stir, and even from a distance Lucia could see that elephants and deer and a myriad other animals seemed to congregate around a single space far off.
And within Lucia, too, something had stirred. Wholly different from the power she felt when she practised with mana. No - this she felt in her heart, deep, deep down inside. It had filled her with a happiness so profound, she had thought it would break her when the feeling subsided. She yearned to feel it again, and it was not long before she wiped the tears from her eyes and walked down the hill, the congregation awaiting her. No longer did she feel anxious around the animals, for they only acknowledged her presence and nothing more. She wanted to hear that voice again.
She passed trumpeting grey giants, shivering gazelles and bleating deer, grunting bisons, and even little voles that seemed to chatter in excitement amongst themselves, running between the legs of their larger comrades towards the epicentre of… this. When Lucia first saw the thing at the centre, it was a cloud of vibrant colours, without form. It swirled slowly, bobbing in silence as the animals around it turned and snorted and bellowed and trumpeted in an oddly rhythmic and harmonious orchestra, seeming to direct all their sounds at the formless cloud of colour. But something changed when Lucia approached and the subdued swirling of the cloud changed into something quick - a drum, swelling suddenly and contracting, pigments bursting, shedding, ebbing. And the cloud shifted and changed in a roiling frenzy of colour - soundless, mind you, there was not so much as a sigh or moan - and it condensed until a vaguely humanoid, pitch-black, eddying form stood there. Writhing tendrils of ink were its hair, and its face was in constant flux. And as Lucia looked, colour seemed to slowly seep into its form - a dark green at first. A hand rose and gestured for her to come closer, and another rose to where its mouth might have been and brought an index finger to it. And a passing breeze seemed to whisper - shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Lucia, mesmerized by the form she saw before her, did not hesitate as she walked closer. She did not feel threatened, and she was not afraid. So closer she went. With each step she took, the strange thing gained definition to its form and more colour, so that when Lucia was little more than a handspan from the thing, its face - mimicking her features -, was as clear as the dark liquid it was made of could be.
Green and grey and yellow and blue mingled in him and around him, and his glistening eyes looked upon her and he seemed to breathe her in. He leaned in and his eyes stole a glance at the animals all about them before he closed them completely and sighed. And when he spoke, his voice came soft and rhythmic though he did not sing and did not speak in rhyme. ‘You sound… beautiful. A wondrous solo. The centrepiece when joined by creation. Ah!- can you hear that?’
Lucia, if it could be seen, blushed as she avoided eye contact momentarily. Why was she feeling this way? The man, if she could call what was before her a man, was a pleasantly strange sight. One she had not known she would find so intriguing. But why did she sound beautiful? Had she spoken before this man in the past? There was only one way to find out. She looked at him again, and asked, ”Hear... What?” Murky eyelids drew open and the thing of ink & poetry smiled ever so slightly and extended a hand to her, and from his newly-formed lips came song and word and moan and sigh.
‘If eyes must see then ears must hear And for that I must disappear Oh ink-stained beauty of eyes bright Come hear with me what’s out of sight :- The tinted sky’s where music grew On hearing it you’ll see it too; Beneath the depths, beyond the veil The singing stream, the dancing dale The bull, the deer, the bird up high All dance and sing to the world’s sigh - The song of lovelorn ecstasy That lies beneath the deep blue sea, The dance that woke a sleeping bard The face it blessed and soul it scarred - If you too want to sing and dance Then come with me, let’s steal a glance!’
And Lucia heard the call, and she was intrigued. There seemed to be an electric energy in the stranger’s eyes, a barely contained excitement and building fervour that yearned for release. He seemed on the verge of bursting at any moment - at the briefest touch -, and his words elicited such joy to her heart, and temptation to see what he offered. She eyed the hand and thought about Orb back at the Temple, a little guilty for not going back, or bringing him with her. But such an opportunity might never present itself again and she so badly wanted to steal a glance. And so, tentatively, she took the man’s hand. His grasp was gentle, soft… trembling. His expression contorted, wincing and smiling as black tears exploded from his eyes. “Oh!” He sighed, and gave off a long trilling sound broken by rhythmic rises and falls even as his body disintegrated all about her and the great cloud of colour and ink swirled and rose and whipped the air around, before lifting her from the ground in a sudden explosive gale- and almost as suddenly and fervently as it exploded, it all came to a pause. Ink and sound swirled all about Lucia in a frozen miasma of wondrous roiling colours and shapes and patterns. Words swirled here and there and a tender, intimate voice whispered into her ear…
Hear the Song the sunrays sing If you don’t yet hear As the light of life they bring Day on month on year: Feed your visage love and peace If you want for bliss! Gift all faces joy and cheer With gifts joys increase! Life feeds joy and zeal and zest Suckle at her breast! Brave life’s crags, don’t live in fear! - Or from living cease! ‘Tis the Song and divine verse That sunrays rehearse, Hear and learn the wisdoms there For a life most fair For a life that teems with glee Love, for you and me!
Sunlight seemed to momentarily pierce the thick roiling ink, and there came with it an intense warmth and husky monotonous note that, gently and persistently, rose and trilled, then ebbed before rising once more - higher, more piercing, more powerful, hot. No words could be discerned, though it was almost certain that the rays were indeed singing a song of sonorous sound that, even cleft of meaning, carried pure, unadulterated heat and steadfast will and hope - an unbreakable hope and will to life. It permeated through the ink and turned it into the gold of Lucia’s flowing hair. And arms seemed suddenly to wrap about her and discarnate fingers traced her brows, along her cheeks, her lips, along her neck, her arms, the curve of her breasts and the flat of her dark stomach, the subtle contour of her hips, her thighs and calves and feet. Her body seemed all of a sudden aflame as singing ink of pure light carved itself into her skin, and the cloud of ink & poetry seemed to sigh all about her with rhyme and yearning.
And though her body was there, carried off in that stirring celestial inkpot, it was not the light and ink she saw but the world of colours and the eternal opera and anthem of the world - not with her eyes of gold, but with a hearteye that had long been closed. She heard the ink freshly sculpted and engraved into her, loosing love songs to the skin above and the flesh below, yearning madly and impossibly. She heard the rays from which the ink - the how of it escaped her - had been drawn. She heard the echo of the sound that had emanated from the thing of ink & poetry when first she heard him, but even though it was a mere echo was it clearer and more heartrendingly joyful than she remembered. And then she heard… I? And the moment it was heard there was no more I, there was no more a thing of ink & poetry, no more earth or sky or sun or moon. There was only the song -
At the door of the beloved I stood Said he: who is it at the door? ‘By the door stands I, as though upon a distant shore!’ ‘You do not speak as lovers should ‘And define love poorly in distinguishing us.’ And time passed and again I knocked at the door Said he: who is it there on the outer floor? ‘Come look! It is none but you here at the door.’ ‘Oh you speak as lovers should ‘And have defined love only as true lovers would ‘So enter, oh me!’
Poet and poem, singer and song, hearer and heard, seer and seen, all of them rose up and- disappeared. There was no Lucia, for what was Lucia before was now the Song - had always, in truth, been the wondrous, breathing, sighing song. She was submersed in it, and could hear (and was) the song that emanated from her body as it floated within the roiling, pining thing of ink & poetry. And she could hear now and feel - and she was - the urgent pain that emanated from the joy-anguished god. It was immediately paradoxical and manifestly right, for to love was the greatest joy and to be ever-denied its ultimate and perfect fulfilment the greatest misery; but that was the stuff poetry and song was made of.
Lucia inhaled, breathing deep with the world, and released a sigh that sent tremors throughout the Worldsong; and she travelled with the tremor, and she was the tremor. She breathed the thrum of the mountains, tasted the giggling of the grasses, ebbed and flowed with the timeless, unceasing roar of the world-ocean. She rode the winds, laughed and whistled and fell in a great tumult only to rise again with some flexing updraft. She swayed with the trees and listened to their snoring hymn, and raced with the auroran deers, heard their noble song and felt the sting of their rays. And somewhere in all of that she - they - danced. They danced to high heaven, they danced past the moon, they danced amongst the infinite failures of a desperate, yearning, tormented creator. She danced with him and he with her, his song erupted with her voice, the hand that held her hip was hers, her hand about his back was his. They danced, they twirled, they burst and spewed across the world.
She did not know how long she was the Worldsong, how long Lucia was nothing and all things, but in time she found her again. Beneath a lone tree, lying in the cloudy, unformed arms of the thing of ink & poetry; eyes closed (now fluttering open), breath deep, and visage at utter peace. And she noticed, then, that her body was no more the obsidian it had been before her ascent into the Worldsong, but one that was stained with many beautiful swirling patterns and glowing golden shapes. And they seemed to shift slowly and to be in constant flux.
She let a gasp of air escape her mouth, as she brought her arms up to look at the designs before moving her gaze all over her body. She sat up then and blinked rapidly, feeling every emotion begin to fade, with one lasting longer than the others - longing, but that too soon faded into a lull of confusion.
She looked behind her, feeling a familiar presence that wrapped around her comfortably. ”T-That was… Beautiful.” she said, her voice full of awe, dropping into silence as she re-lived the experience through her memories. They weren’t as vivid, and a lot of it began to fade, but it was… Everything. She lay back down into the inky cushion and let out a relaxed sigh. The thing of ink & poetry made no response, but it too seemed to sigh, and with sighing deflated between Lucia and the tree until it had constricted into that colourful humanoid form. Shaking hands on her onyx shoulder, he brought her gently into him and, placing his head over her shoulder, looked at her.
‘Did you see how the headsprings mingle with the river, and the rivers with the ocean?’ He asked musically, though even through his voice of silk she could hear the nervous trembling.
She tilted her head lightly as she looked at him with a smile. ”Why yes, yes I did. I never knew that the water flowed so far!” she said excitedly. Her expression then changed to one of slight concern and she asked, ”Why does your voice tremble? Are you alright?” The colour on his face seemed to drain to a pale white for a few brief seconds, and then flushed a deep crimson.
‘I- uh.’ His hands on her shoulders shook even more violently and he quickly, if sadly, moved them away so she would not notice. ‘I am…’ he leaned back against the tree and inhaled, and all he breathed was her. ‘I am shaking. Because- ah. What you saw and heard.’ He bit his lips. ‘Is what I see and always hear. It- it fills the cup to bursting!’ The calm he had been attempting to maintain disappeared with his final exclamation, but he quickly balled his hands into fists and pressed himself back against the tree again, as though wishing it would swallow him whole. ‘Sorry!’
Lucia turned her body to look at him, her face inquisitive as she looked upon the man. Her symbols shifted and shimmered (causing a sharp intake of breath from the wide-eyed bard) and slowly got to her feet. She brought her hands together at her belly button and relaxed her shoulders as she asked, ”Is there… Is there anything I can do?” her eyes wide and soft. The god’s eyes glazed over for a few seconds before a convulsion shook him out of the trance.
‘Love, nothing but your holy name Can assuage my hurt of late Without it I’m ill and lame For ‘tis my reason, end, and Fate’.
The words were not as smooth and easy as what Lucia had heard from him before, but there was no doubting the well of wild emotion from which they came. She smiled warmly, her eyes briefly shutting before they opened again. ”My name is Lucia, daughter of Oraelia. Who might you be?” she asked, taking a step closer. He visibly relaxed when she spoke her name, as though her name alone was a cure for all the affliction that welled up within him and was the source of his inexplicable joy and pain.
‘I love all names that are like Lucia’s name Or come from the same wellspring that hers came All other styles, though great may be their fame Fall silent before her in awe and shame’.
He spoke with far greater calm, a fond smile decorating his inky face, and when his eye caught hers the smile grew into an embarrassed laugh. ‘My name… ah -
‘She spoke her name and smiled at me Don’t blame my name if it should flee Why, curse my name! Of it I’m free It’s Lucia’s name I sigh to see In sublime grace ‘tis matched by she A goddess of pure pedigree!’
He paused with a sigh, ‘but if you must refer to me, call me love; and if that is heavy then - but only then - call me Meghzaal. As for who I might be - I don’t know, but I only know that there is a yearning here, a song, a poem, a dance; and I have gone singing and dancing and searching the world over until - ah! Until I found you, Lucia. And you have filled the cup, and you have emptied it with your name and filled it again.’ He rose to his feet and gazed into her golden eyes. ‘Is it not more fitting that I ask what you are, Lucia, and what it is that you have done with my heart? Why is it that I came into this world yearning - for you.’
What was that feeling, she had felt? The one where her heart beat fast, where she perked up and felt embarrassed, even though she knew she shouldn’t be. Her eyes blinked rapidly, as she didn’t know what to do with her hands other than twirl her hair with one, and rest the other upon her hip. She looked at him, and she knew what that feeling she had felt was, the same one he had asked for her to call him. But what is actually love? Or perhaps a sense of connection, an intimacy shared between the two like never before felt? She did not know.
”I-I-” she stammered, before taking a deep breath before exhaling. ”I do not know, love. I do not know many things, but perhaps it was for a reason. That reason being to show me so much beauty from your heart, that I might take a little with me so I can always have it. Always know it.” she paused, smiling again as the gold upon her body expanded, giving off warmth. ”It is nice to know your name, for it rolls so easily from my lips. Love.” Meghzaal gazed upon her, failing to keep the helpless adoration from his eyes and face.
‘My heart has no beauty, dearest, but is a perfectly calm pool. All beauty you see is but a poor reflection of your sublime visage and song.’ And he extended his hand and took hers, bending low and placing an inky red kiss on her palm that made itself at home amongst the golden tattoos and onyx skin. ‘I will not offer you a little of my heart, nor even all of it - for you are my heart; love for you was planted in my inky flesh before I knew of ink or flesh. In my sleeplessness in the times aforetime, I was naught but love - pure love - for you. For after all, nothing in the world is single, all souls - by a law divine - in one worldsong meet and mingle; so why not your soul and mine? My soul is your soul, and your soul mine; if you will, then I will, and if I will, then it is because you have willed.’
Lucia couldn’t help but blush as the god kissed her palm, yet she did not look away from him. Her golden tattoos began to pulse ever so slightly as the shimmer never stopped. She could hardly wrap her head around the confession. How could a god love but a simple mortal? Her mother never gave mention of this, nor did she ever think that love would come to her so soon. It made her heart beat quick, her palms grew sweaty as she shifted back and forth. Why did the sun suddenly feel so hot upon her cheeks? Her breath quickened as she spoke, ”I-I’ve n-never-” she began, her calmness broken by a wave of uncertainty. ”I-I will.” she whispered softly like a gentle breeze, her tattoo’s pulsing faster. The lovelorn poet seemed to freeze in place for a time, his wide eyes on hers, waiting… waiting on the song to end, the vision to fade, the dream to burst. He opened his mouth to speak, but doubt shot through him. What if he had misheard or misunderstood? The overflowing cup caused the lover to see and hear what was neither present or spoken, after all.
‘Oh you contain a gaze that felled my heart Its piercing ray has split my pith apart Were’t so that my beloved spoke again A speech that heals all wounds and cures all pain Her word may then treat ails upon me pressed Or else I’ll perish, and so be at rest’.
He looked at her, the hand holding hers tightening ever so slightly. She had but to affirm that his ears had not deceived him the first time, that it was no jest or joke. Lucia squeezed his hand back, and placed the other one on top of his, before she leaned in ever so close, eyes fading shut, lips trembling in anticipation. With but a whisper she spoke, ”Yes.” conveying a grander meaning behind the simplicity, as the mortal kissed the god. Their lips met in an explosion of momentary silence, before god and lips and ink shattered into an infinity of sounds and songs, the cloud of ink & poetry wrapping around the form of the beloved Lucia as though desperately trying - hoping, yearning - to melt in her; to no avail. But there came a song, full of warmth and joy, savouring in the pain of being unable to truly annihilate the stubborn selfish self into the beloved.
Oh passing breeze, convey my joy and agony Drinking of love has only increased me in thirst My beloved’s love is planted in my body The union of our lips has caused my soul to burst Her word is law; her will has me in love submersed!
And with that, the great cloud of ink condensed all about Lucia into the form of flowing, wispy garments of ink, and every now and then those garments sighed, and every now and then one sleeve or another tightened - as though seeking reassurance - around her wrist or hugged her body in a yearning to be desperately lost in her. When the lover is lost in the beloved they are found!
He felt cozy, and Lucia couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the cl-
Clothing!
That was the word!
She laughed out loud (and her laughter sent an aching shiver through the ink), before beginning her journey back to the Temple, humming as she went.
Lucia is out exploring the Prairie of Sol, taking a break from her training with Orb. She spots some elephants and gives chase. Eventually she crests a hill and sees the wondrous sight of the Prairie stretching out before her. As she takes this in, Meghzaal descends from the heaven in a cloud of ink & poetry and sings beautifully with the animals. Lucia approached him and after a brief conversation, he tells her to take him by the hand so he can listen to everything. She takes Meghzaal by the hand, and her touch makes him all emotional, and so he melts back into the cloud of ink & poetry and engulfs her, carrying her off into the sky. There is a slight pause before they properly set off when sunrays pierce the cloud of ink and Lucia partially hears the song of the sunrays. But then the song gets into full blast and the words aren’t clear, but it is hyperstrong stuff, and from that light and song Meghzaal extracts an ink that he then uses to give Lucia a golden tattoo of geometric patterns all the way from her brows, down her neck, chest, arms, belly, and beyond. After that, Lucia hears more and more of the Worldsong and more or less enters an out-of-body experience that culminates in a state of oneness with the Worldsong - the I, the individual, disappears, to be replaced by complete unity with everything in creation through the Worldsong. One with the Song and each other, she and Meghzaal dance and sing their way throughout existence. Eventually Lucia re-emerges from this state of oneness and sits with Meghzaal for a bit, the experience having bonded her to him more powerfully than otherwise possible in such a short time. This culminates in Meghzaal - who feels certain that his lovelorn state and meeting with Lucia were somehow fated - declaring his love for her. Surprisingly, Lucia requietes his love and kisses him. Meghzaal gets so excited by this that he explodes back into his cloud form and begins swirling around Lucia, his singular desire being to truly become one (spiritually) with his love. He then adopts the form of clothing and wraps himself about her. The two then head back to the temple.
Meghzaal - 0 MP, 5 DP Grant Ability: 1 DP (Ink Enhanced) - Dermoglyph II Lucia was tattooed by the Ink god himself, and the ink he used was made of pure sunrays. The tattoo is in the form of decorative golden geometric patterns flowing down from her brows, down her face, neck, arms, back and torso, belly, and legs. If Lucia focuses, she can hear the spirit of the sun-ink in the tattoo singing and reciting songs and poems of love and yearning for her. The ink is ever shifting and moving, and reflects Lucia's emotional state. With this, Lucia has the ability to tattoo anyone using the same seamless and painless divine method the god used on her. She also has an affinity for inks and can create ink out of near anything - out sounds, substances (physical or metaphysical), objects, and so on. Inks are generally saturated with the character or traits of whatever it is they are made of (e.g. ink made of sunlight is warm, can become exceedingly hot, is a lightsource, ink made of ice is cold, can potentially freeze things, may go bad in warm weather, etc.). Moreover, the ink in the tattoo appears to have a life of its own and will act to protect Lucia from harm, erupting from her body to do so. With time Lucia will likely gain control over the emergence of the ink, its movements, shape and so on, but initially it reacts on instinct to protect her.
Grant Ability: 2 DP (Ink & Poetry Enhanced) - Crimson Kiss I Initially a simple tattoo left by Meghzaal when he kissed Lucia’s palm, it has the capacity to recite beautiful poetry that any spirit will appreciate. Lucia must will the Crimson Kiss to recite poetry for it to do so, it will not do so of its own volition. While Lucia would not initially know of the Kiss’ ability, attempting to create poetry of her own may indirectly activate the Kiss.
0 MP & 2 DP Remaining | 5 MP towards Song Portfolio & 3 DP towards Tattoos/Glyphs Portfolio
The small ball of light zoomed through the vastness of space, on its way to Galbar once again. Oraelia felt better, much, much better then she had been. Gibbou was a brilliant Goddess, her best friend, and her twin. She loved her more than anything. This she knew, and she also knew she would see Gibbou again, but for now, she had work to do.
She descended into Galbar, finding a very strange change. The sky was no longer blue, but a colorful display. At first she was unsure of the change, but slowly it crept up on her, and reminded her of the Luminant. She wondered who had decided to do such a thing, as she flew towards the crimson desert. It was time to make good, in the name of life, she had to show that her sun was not so bad.
The desert was a cruel place, hardly anything lived on the surface. It was just too hot. She flew into the caves and to her great surprise, found that life flourished there. It’s own unique ecosystem thrived beneath the sands. Full of bioluminescence and plenty of water, but it was still a place fraught with danger. She spied the mortals from a distance, hunter gatherers in the dark. So different then the humans in the north, with their large eyes and glowing tattoos. They were perfectly suited here, but Oraelia still felt as if she needed to do something for them. She returned to the surface and looked over the land. She could not deny that it was unique, and the life here had adapted to the dry and arid place. So what could she do?
The place lacked an abundance of water, and even in the caves, it never replenished. It was a dwindling supply, and then an idea struck her. The day was cruel, and that needed to change. An idea came to mind, but to keep the uniqueness of the place intact, it needed to be a rare occurrence. Far from over the black mountains, storm clouds gathered, never venturing over those peaks. But no more. With a flick of her wrist, Oraelia gave them a push and at last, they came, billowing black and greys. Soaked with water and ready to burst, but Oraelia knew that too much water could be a bad thing, and she could not risk flooding the desert underground. She then snapped her fingers, and as the desert grew dark, the sky began to trickle. A slow, gradual thing, enough to make small streams, but never a torrent. Manageable for the people, flora and fauna here.
The vast storm would block the sun's rays and allow for day incursions, but only for a period of around thirty days, before the storm would break apart again and not return for another year. This would insure the land could be replenished, while not drastically changing it. She rubbed her hands together, delighted, before flying off.
She once more traveled north east, to the Aberrant of her creations. She stopped at the border and peered within. She saw many things, some were twisted, some wondrous, but most hardly what she had envisioned. It saddened her greatly, but there was not a whole lot she could do. It existed now, and the life within was… Well… Alive and with whatever their downsides were, they were thriving. She scrunched her nose and crossed her arms as she looked upon it. She couldn’t come up with anything, or her fear of trying blocked her. There was no telling what the Lifeblood would do if she tried to alter anything, so she decided to leave it as it was. A reminder to her, that not everything can be so perfect.
She left, flying south until she once more came upon where the Highlands fought the Prairie. She paused for a moment, as she perceived many humans had made the trek west. This surprised her, but not entirely. They were welcome in the sunlit land, as any creature was. They looked wary however, the trek must have been long and full of danger and though the Prairie was boundless, there was little natural shelter. So she had an idea.
On the boundaries of both lands, she raised a large hill. There she summoned her sun’s light, and it illuminated the hill in a golden light, brighter than even the day. From this light, rose a small temple of white pillars, growing in size and height as they ascended the hill on either side of a golden path. Over top came slabs of white, connecting the pillars as they lay on top. When it reached the top of the hill, the land became smoothed, and around a circle of pillars rose, taller than those that came before. A dome of stone, fixated with glass, erupted from the light at the top of these pillars, as supports were made between them. The glass allowed for natural illumination within the area, always focusing on a central pool of water within the chamber that was surrounded by flowers. Trees and other vegetation popped on the top of the hill, but sparse they were and never overwhelming the view the hill provided.
When all said was done, Oraelia descended and flew in between the massive pillars where she landed next to the pool of light. She hummed a little, and danced around it before diving in. The water was warm and pleasant to her senses. She knew any mortal would find it much the same. She left the pool and walked around, taking in the sights and sounds. This Sunlit Temple would provide a beacon of hope for those traveling through the land. A place where they could stop, and relax before heading beyond. It provided an excellent view of the Prairie and of the Highlands. It was large enough to accommodate many people comfortably and keep them warm. Oh! She almost forgot to make bushes with berries!
She clapped her hands and the bushes around the area erupted with fruits and berries that matched the new skies. She may have been a little too enthusiastic however, because before Oraelia knew it, she was no longer alone. From the ground emerged more Leeoli wisps that danced about and from the pool of light, emerged a dark skinned hand. There could be heard a gasp of hair as two large eyes with a head of golden hair erupted from the surface. It took Oraelia a moment to register what she was seeing, before motherly instincts took over and she helped the girl out of the pool. Wet hair dripped upon Oraelia as the girls large, golden eyes blinked rapidly, as she took large gasps of air as she tried to focus on everything around her.
Oraelia, now sitting on the edge of the pool with the tall girl cradled in her lap, spoke. ”Shh. Shh. You’re safe now, focus on my voice. Look at me, little one.” she said reassuringly. It was for the first time she got a good look at her face. Golden orbs for eyes, eyebrows of golden, to match her hair. Her face was round, not unlike the desert people, but she had no feathers in her hair either. Upon her dark lips, two triangles of gold, one facing up and the other down rested in the middle. She wasn’t entirely human looking, or desert person looking, but something else entirely and it was that uniqueness that made the life in her hands special.
The girl focused on her and took a deep breath, as she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, whether in pain or anger, Oraelia could not tell. She exhaled again and snapped her eyes open, her face relaxing as she looked at Oraelia again. Slowly, she reached out one of her hands, and touched the Goddess’ cheek. The girl’s hand was warm, and a deep contrast to her golden skin, but there was a curiosity there and an innocence.
”You- You are Bright, mother.” She said, her voice rich and exotic in tone. ”I-I… Where am I?” she asked, looking around.
Oraelia, though perplexed at how the girl had come to be, smiled warmly. ”Welcome to life. You are here, in the Sunlit Temple.” she said simply.
”I remember… I was… Born in light.” she said, looking at the pool. ”But I tried to breathe and I could not.” she looked back at Oraelia. ”Why?”
Oraelia pushed the hair that had fallen out of the girl’s face and said, ”You can’t breathe in water, dear. Not many can, in fact. The pool you came from was one of my creation, and it seems the residual power within brought you to existence. What a wonderful mystery.” Oraelia cooed. ”You need a name, something to call you by. An identity.” she said again before pausing for a moment. ”How about… Lucia?” she asked.
”Lucia? Lucia…” she whispered, testing the name. A small smile fell on her lips and she nodded. ”I like that name, mother.”
Oraelia gave her a hug and said, ”Come on, I want to show you something.” She then stood up, helping Lucia to her feet. Her build was much like her own, lithe and petite, with narrow shoulders. Unlike Oraelia, however, Lucia was at least a head taller. She took a step, and nearly fell over, but Oraelia caught her before she could. Lucia simply laughed. It was a sweet sound.
”Tricky thing.” she said aloud, as she stared at her wiggling toes. She then straightened herself and tried again, as Oraelia hung on her loosely. Lucia took a step, then another, and before long she was walking by herself. Oraelia took her hand within her own, and together the two walked over to the vantage point, a balcony that overlooked the Prairie.
Lucia gave an audible gasp as she looked out at all the fields of golden. She felt the breeze on her face and she stared at the sky for a minute, digesting the world all around her. She ran her hands through her hair, and touched her skin, before picking up a bright pink flower and smelling it. She smiled a toothy grin, revealing white pearls.
”It is… Beautiful, mother.” Lucia said aloud.
”Isn’t it?” came Oraelia’s reply, as the two shared the view. Another unexpected surprise, but a good one Lucia was. She would have to teach her things for a time, give her powers, be a good mother. But Oraelia frowned slightly, before smiling again. How bittersweet, time was.
Oraelia ventures back to Galbar, and makes it so the Blood Basin has an annual rainstorm that lasts for a month. The rain itself is but a trickle, giving life to the desert and never flooding it. She then ventures up to the Aberrant and thinks about it, but doesn’t do anything with it, because she doesn’t know what she would do with it. She then ventures towards her prairie and spots several humans who had ventured there within. She then makes the Sunlit Temple, a place residing on the border of the prairie and the boreal highlands, upon a high hill that overlooks both territories with a great view. Surprise! A hero is born from the residual energy from her pouring her might into it. Lucia is her name, and more will come out of her. The post ends in a bittersweet tone.
1MP/0DP
Free - Large Ecosystem. For a period of thirty days, every year, it rains in the blood basin. This rain is gradual and consistent. It comes down as never more than a trickle to prevent flooding.
-1MP(Discounted for free with Sunlight Port) to create a holy site, the Sunlit Temple. Titles Sunlit II (Discounted for free with Sunlight Port) - The Temple has a unique architecture, that absorbs and focuses the sun rays for a variety of effects. One being that the Temple is always pleasantly warm and nourishes the life that grows within. Another effect is the focusing of the light in the central pool of the temple, producing a pool of light that is warm and cleanses the body of grime and dirt. (As we use UV rays to rid our bodies of bacteria and what not)
Free- Create the Hero, Lucia. Titles -1MP to grant blank, Healing Hands I- With this title, Lucia is able to understand physical wounds and how to cure them in a natural, or unnatural way. With a simple touch, Lucia is able to heal most wounds with ease but grave and fatal wounds still escape her grasp (This being the unnatural way, because normally, wounds don’t heal that fast) Sun Forge II (Discounted for free with Sunlight Port) - This title grants Lucia minor control over the sun. Lucia can make tools with pure sunlight. These tools are about as strong as iron tools, currently and they are considerably weaker at night. Though, this does not mean Lucia can always use these tools efficiently, which would require more titles for true mastership.
Oraelia flew, hardly registering where she was going. She felt restricted, like she couldn't breath and her heart was racing, bursting in her chest. Why did she create that? Why why why? What had went wrong? That hadn't been the plan! In her nowhere journey, she passed through the red desert, further horrified how her sun had turned cruel. In a burst of speed she rocketed off and up, passing over a ruined floating land. Everything had been racked by a battle of power. She couldn't think, couldn't act, only run. And run she did, flying further up and passed the golden temple of…
Death.
She shut her eyes instinctually as she shielded herself from it's touch, but only found flashes of death to accompany her. The bat, the leon and many more.
She opened them again when the presence was gone and only then did she stop. She looked upon a purple moon, and then the great shimmering veil beyond and she again she wondered why? They hadn't been there before, who had created them and for what purpose? Where they twisted like she was?
She clutched her heart, a look of pain flashing across her face. Why had she thought that? Was she twisted? Had she broken? Her breathing quickened again and she felt like she was suffocating. Her tears drifted off into space as she zoomed for her sister's moon for no particular reason. Perhaps it was instinct to seek such comfort. She landed on the rock, lunar dust flying up into the air as she wept for what had occurred. She felt terrible, she felt as if she had let the entire world down and all those mortals in the desert… How could she let her sun do that? She held herself tightly, her thoughts unable to stop.
"Who's there?" came a familiar voice, backed up by the hollow clunk of a club striking stone. "Not to be rude, but I've had a lot of visitors today and it's taxing my person quite a bit." Around the corner of a tall rock came an exhausted Gibbou, wielding a dark-as-night bat in her right hand. She immediately dropped it upon seeing who had arrived, though, and it turned to smoke. "Oh, hi, sis! Oh, I've missed you so much!" The moon goddess kicked off to tackle her sister with a hug, but slowed down considerably before impact upon seeing her mood. She instead floated over and wrapped her arms around her neck soothingly. "What happened? Tell me."
That voice. That lovely voice. Oraelia looked to Gibbou and tried to smile at her, but sobbed again as she felt her touch. "Oh Gibbou, it's so good to see you." she said, leaning into her. She began to calm down slightly, her mind focusing on the moment. "I've had, what feels like, a very, very long day." she said before asking, "How have you been, sis?"
"Oh, don't even get me started - 'cuz I don't know where to begin…" Gibbou's plum cheek rested and rubbed itself against the scalp if Oraelia's golden head. "... But I think I can start off by saying it's been a very, very weird day. Or days. I don't know, it's hard to tell up here. Here, just lay like this for a while, okay? I'll keep you safe." She took Oraelia's hands in her own, as she had accepted hers after creating and killing the very first life, and squeezed them affectionately.
Oraelia returned the squeeze with a soft smile on her face. The two stayed like that for a time before Oraelia sighed and said, "I don't know what happened… I was creating another ecosystem, just filling the land and I felt- I felt something snap. I don't know what it was or where it came from but I could feel it and…" her voice grew quiet, "Then the land grew twisted and overgrown, full of life that were aberrations of what they should have been. I saw… I saw a cross between a wolf and a bear attack a giant moose and they were so ferocious and hungry. I panicked, sis and I ran away across the continent and I fell upon a red desert that my sun was responsible for and I never even created that. Then there was the tornadoes in my prairie that I didn't want, that I never even designed. I saw so many things on my way here and I didn't know what to do but run." she said, taking a deep breath.
Gibbou shook her head slowly. “That’s awful… The Lifeblood really is a terrible force at times, isn’t it?” She paused for a time. “I’m sure we’ll find a way to fix it, right? We’re the best gods in the entire world, right? If there’s an issue, Gibbou and Oraelia can fix it!” She squeezed her sister a little tighter. “But even we just need to vent sometimes, y’know?”
She pulled away from Gibbou and looked at her with a surprised face. "Gibbou! The lifeblood! It was the lifeblood! Oh how could I be so foolish!" she said, hugging her sister tightly. "I love you. You're so smart, Gibbou! And you're right, we can fix it and we will!" she said happily. She relaxed finally and held Gibbou for a time before looking at her again. "You've had a lot of visitors today?" she asked.
Gibbou blinked, then turned the reddest her skin could possibly manage, looking almost like an overripe grape. “OhyouImean, huhuhuhuhuhuh,” she bubbled proudly to herself at the sound of praise. As the conversation switched to her visitors, though, she turned in the smile for a slight frown. “Yeah… You know Enmity? They’re, uh… They’re a bit weird.” She hummed. “They look so lonely, though. Makes me a bit sad.”
Oraelia blinked in return before narrowing her eyes before Gibbou spoke of Enmity. At the name, she shivered slightly. "Indeed. I don't really understand what 'they' are but Enmity was friendly… I think. Who else sister? I've met… uh…" she thought for a moment then sheepishly said, "Like two others besides Enmity, but I've heard names."
“Oh, they were friendly for sure - despite that thingy they did to my moon,” she pouted in annoyance, “but they weren’t the most exciting visit.” She took a deep breath and gave Oraelia a small, shy smile. “Ssssooo… There’s this other one. Really, really handsome. Do you know… Cadien?”
"That's one of the names I've heard about but no, I haven't met him. Handsome you say?" she smirked.
”Dangerously so,” Gibbou confirmed. “Just standing near him sent me into orbit - or, well, I was here already so-... You get the point. Either way, you just -gotta- meet him. Just, uhm…” She hummed. “... Beware that he may get touchy.”
Oraelia gave a small shrug. ”Touchy? That doesn’t sound… Right.” Oraelia then went wide eyed and she firmly grabbed Gibbou by her arms and looked at her with a serious face. ”Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?” her tone changing to one of concern to reflect her expression.
“No! No - well, he tried to, but I said no!” Gibbou switched the grip so she held Oraelia’s hands. “Oh, please don’t think of him like that - I’m sure it was just a heat of the moment-thing, and I’m pretty sure I led him on and, and he just looked so sad when he left and that make me feel sad, and, and yeah - he’s a great guy, though! He made that for me!” She pointed at the horizon, where a wonderfully beautiful statue of herself stood and saluted the planet proudly. Her smile sort of faded. “Yeah, he, he took himself some artistic liberties with that one, I know.”
At her sister’s words, Oraelia let her hands fall into her lap, still holding Gibbou’s. She followed where her sister pointed and saw the statue of Gibbou. It was… Amazing to say the least. She turned back to GIbbou and sighed through her nose. ”Well… Okay, I trust you Gibbou. But, hey, artistic liberties? That’s you, silly. Same as my eyes see you, right before me.” she gave her a warm smile.
Gibbou giggled, but there was nothing genuine about it - not when it came to the statue. “Heh, no… I could never be like that. Say, I’ve had this idea!” In trying to change the subject, she snapped a drawn schematic into reality and pointed at the centre, which displayed a horn of sorts - at least, it looked vaguely like one. “You ready to have your mind go all… Bwaaah?!”
Oraelia gave her sister a knowing look, before turning her attention to the schematic. ”Oh? What’s this do?” she asked.
“See - I’ve been wondering - like, really wondering - how I can give mortals a way to protect themselves when we can’t. I’ve been going on about this aaaaall the wrong way. Check it out,” she materialised a piece of chalk in her hand, “here - I’ll have the natural gods fill a bit of their divinity. Then, when a mortal fills it with something drinkable, the liquid is infused with the essence and grants the drinker the ability to perform miracles granted by us! Isn’t that awesome?” She could barely sit still afterwards.
Before Oraelia really pondered the idea, Gibbou’s excitement rubbed off on her, and Oraelia quickly followed suit. It was a wonderful idea! ”Oh Gibbou! You’re so smart! Now I won’t feel so bad about leaving the humans and those desert people, who I haven’t met yet, alone!” she said giddily.
“Huhuhuhu… Smart… Yeah! My thoughts exactly,” she declared proudly and gave the page a little pat. “I juuuust gotta figure out how to make it and, uh, who to ask when it comes to blessing it.”
"You can ask me! I'm a natural God! The first!" she said happily.
“Well, asking you was a given,” Gibbou giggled. “But okay - would you like to bless my artifact?”
"Yeah of course! I thought you would never ask." she feigned with exaggeration in her voice.
“Oh, yooouu…” She giggled to herself and then suddenly looked as though an epiphany slapped her in the face. “Hey! Why don’t we make it right now? Us two! Together! Making things! TOGETHER!” She could barely sit still.
"Yeah yeah yeah!" Oraelia said quickly. "We should! I'd love to make something with you!" she squirmed.
“Yay!” Gibbou exclaimed and clapped her hands together, forming a ball of darkness between them; however, her excitement seemed to affect the spell and accelerate it a bit too much. Her eyes widened and she went, “Uh-oh… Help, please!”
Oraelia immediately began pouring her strength into the ball of darkness by using her hands. A golden light began to flow in on the ball, warming the area. "Go on and shape it, Gibbou!."
Gibbou regained control of the form and swiftly cut and shaped it into a horn-like silhouette, hollowing it out so it resembled a drinking horn. The shadow and warmth both faded and revealed an obsidian-rimmed ivory drinking horn. Gibbou blinked at her creation and turned it around in her hand. “Fancy.”
”OOOO! A horn!” Oraelia said, wide eyed as she looked at the ivory.
“It sorta looks like the schematic, I guess… That bump is a bit out of place, but, eh…” She shrugged and made the horn a little strap so she could hang it from her waistband. “Oh, wait, blessings!” She hummed ponderously. “What should I say, y’know, to bless it?”
Oraelia shrugged whimsically. ”Dunno sis. We’ve already poured our might into it, shouldn’t it be… Blessed already?” she asked.
Gibbou made a pout. “I should’a made it more ceremonial… Said some big words or something. Prrt.” She then stood up and lifted the horn up high. “Oh, great, uh…!” She tasted various names. “Billy? Yugamor? Queso? Lobo?” She gave Oraelia a shrug. “I’ve got nothing.”
The bright girl brought a finger to her chin and thought a moment. ”Well, you want it to help people right? Or protect them I should say and all they have to do is fill it up and drink from it? So, maybe something simple? Or a name that tells what it is? Like, the drinking horn? Kinda lame, I know. What about the Hornacopia? Because it will have a lot of things!”
“Eh, I’d like something that’s simple and direct, while also somewhat mystical and open for the big thinkers.” She looked around. “Hmm… Maybe name it after something here… OH!” She nearly butterfingered the horn into space. “I know!” She gestured between herself and Oraelia. “I’ll call it Hir.”
”Hir! A lovely name, sister! So simply yet, so… Compelling. You are right, that does make one think.” she whistled.
“What does it make you think about?”
”Well… This moment really and the joy I had watching your idea come to life. Hir. I’m just glad I could help, Gibbou.” she said, holding her arm.
Gibbou blushed and looked at her horn. “Well, I hope this can be used to grant mortals the powers to defend themselves and their loved ones.” She turned to look down at Galbar. “Only one way to find out, I suppose.”
She looked onwards. ”Indeed, Gibbou. I… I would join you, but I have to go bring some sort of comfort to that desert. I can’t let my sun be so cruel. Not again.” she said with strength in her voice.
“Oh… Yeah, no, I understand.” She squeezed Oraelia’s hand and pulled her into a cool hug. “Be safe, okay? I love you.”
She returned the hug. ”I love you too, Gibbou… And thanks for being Hir.” she said with a giggle.
Oraelia flies off and has a panic attack or crisis basically. She sees a lot of the world in a short amount of time and doesn’t process it very well. She passed the burned floating island, she sees what her sun did to the desert, and she passes Thaa’s Temple. She arrives on the moon and Gibbou is thankfully there and the two talk it out, and Oraelia feels a lot better about things. The two catch up a bit, and then Gibbou and Oraelia make the first Druidism artifact, Hir. They then part ways.
Gibbou 3MP/1DP
-2MP: Make Hir, the Primal Horn, the key for mortals to unlock access to druidism and druidic magic. It is blessed with the following titles:
Druidic II: Using this artifact (in this case, drinking from it) empowers the user with the power of druidism. This effect is negated by powerful attunement to mana and will negate any weaker attunement.
Durable I: Being crafted by gods, this item possesses a durability unheard of in mortal-harvested materials of similar kinds.
She knew not the passing of time as the Prairie healed. What she did know is that the wind storms, these tornadoes, as she came to call them, were now a part of her Prairie. They came again, but never as bad as the first time. One here, another there, sometimes two… They tore at the ground and at first she wanted nothing more than to rid herself of them, but they grew on her. The animals learned that when they came, they needed to flee quickly, and the grasses began to grow stronger, more resistant to the winds. An equilibrium was forming naturally, and despite her urge to protect her life from outside forces, the tornadoes became natural.
When it no longer seemed that the land would suffer so greatly, Oraelia knew it was time to move on. She told herself that a lot, didn’t she? And as she hung suspended in the air, thinking on that statement, she smirked, then flew off in no particular direction. She reached the edge of the Prairie and the beginning of the Highlands, noting that the Prairie inhabitants were beginning to trek their way in. The Auroran deer were still there, and she could see several plumes of smoke from her vantage point. As she ventured further in, she came across a Pride of Leons, using the high terrain to their advantage.
She saw the male lounging upon an outstretched rock, basking in the sun while two cubs played with his tail. She snickered at that, bringing her hands to her hips as she began to chuckle. Her gaze then fell a short ways, as she saw three Leoness’ stalking something. A hunt! She scrunched her nose, the idea unpleasant to watch, and she began to turn away but something caught her eye. Their prey.
It walked upon two legs, had a head full of chestnut hair and carried a stick in one hand, fruit in the other. Perplexed by this strange animal, she flew in closer, only to see the Leoness’ burst forward at the two legged thing. The creature, hearing the Leons, brandished the spear to ward them off. She frowned, knowing It was not her place to interfere in the hunt. Then the two legged thing shouted for help as a Leoness flew at him. Her eyes went wide and within a second, she was between the Leoness and her prey. She stopped the Leoness with but a thought, and lowered it to the ground as the voiceful thing behind her began to shout in surprise, falling over backwards.
Oraelia then looked closer at the two legged thing, and look closer she did. She saw his memories, his emotions, the good and the bad, names, thoughts, feelings and everything else, all within a second. She blinked back her tears of awe and turned to the Leons once more, who stared at her, pacing back and forth.
She held up her hand, palm facing them. ”Tell your children and your children’s children, every Leon that passes to and fro, let it be known, that this life, these humans… They are not your prey. Do not provoke and only defend yourselves when your lives, and your Pride’s lives, are threatened. This is my command, as your Goddess. Now go, live in peace.” she said, a flash of light resonating from her hand. The Leoness bowed, and as they did, their sun symbols shined brighter before they flew off in the opposite direction.
Oraelia then turned to the man, whose name she knew as Tutono, but he was gone. She could hear him, running through the trees, his breath quick. She was about to go after him, but then she heard it, a distant wail. Powerful, godlike yet heart wrenching and full of agony. Worry overtook her as she immediately thought of Gibbou, but she knew it was not her sister’s voice. Nor was it Evandra’s, but another precious sibling. One who was in pain! She pursed her lips, and then took off. The human, as they were called, would have to wait for now.
It took her awhile to pinpoint the location of the scream, and even then it wasn’t as accurate as she had hoped. It wasn’t until she heard more shouting, this time many voices in tangem, did she finally find herself next to a great river. A tribe of humans by its shores, shouting and yelling, voices full of rage and grief. She quickly descended, her radiance reflecting in their eyes as they turned to look up at her. She took note of the small stone mound, and the man laying beaten and bloodied beneath the crowd. It made her feel… Concern?
”What happened here?” she said as her feet touched the ground, causing the yellowed grass to turn green again. An older human, one with grey in his beard approached, bowing before her. “Greetings, Bright one. To think-... Another would come to see us this day.”
She tilted her head slightly. “Another? Who- Ah, the one who screamed? I see… But first, why does that one lay beaten and bloodied?” she asked, walking over to him, the crowd parting, giving her suspicious looks.
“He-... He killed Jovon. Pushed him off a cliff.” said the Elder.
“Arek killed my love, so he could try to-to get with me. Who does such a thing?” Came a girl’s voice, eyes red amongst the crowd.
Oraelia looked over the man and knelt beside him, gently touching the bruises and broken bones, before looking up at the tribals. ”All life is precious. To the smallest mouse, to the largest of Leons. In nature, there is no revenge, but there can be cruelty- Even if it can’t be perceived as such. Yet this is actuality, the natural cycle. There is life, and there is death. But, you stand here now. Capable of thought, speech, feelings… Love, hate, anger, sadness… So complex, this ability to act above basic instinct. It’s a gift, a beautiful, wondrous gift and it means you are now a part of the cycle as well. You know what’s cruel, what revenge can do, what loss feels like. Most animals understand, but they act upon their nature foremost, but you? You understand perfectly, or you will understand, in time.” she said with a sad smile. She looked back at Arek again, ”What he did was wrong, there is no doubt in that. But to kill him outright…” she looked back at the tribe, ”Can there not be another solution?” she asked them.
There were murmurs among them and angry looks, all quieted by the elder.
"Bright one-... What do you mean? A life for a life… That is the way." The elder spoke.
She nodded slowly. "Yes, that is fair, but is it right? What if I offered you a solution, one that could please us both. I will take Arek and I will renew him, and in doing so he will return to an innocent state. A pure state, untainted by his desires and I will whisk him away to another, that way you do not need to see him, ever again. Think upon this for a moment, if you would." she said.
And they discussed this solution amongst themselves. Their conversation went in many directions, chief among the voices was the red eyed woman and the chief. The former advocating for Arek's death, while the latter did not wish to upset the 'Bright One'. Most others were leaning with the elder. Oraelia had mixed feelings about being appeased. She knew it did not please her, she did not wish to be pleased. She was simply acting in the interest of continued life. She wanted them to be better.
Eventually the Elder came before her and nodded with a heavy heart. "We have decided-... Take Arek away, far away. He is not, and never will be, a part of our tribe. His taint must be removed."
She nodded and before their eyes, two items materialized. From the ground came an oaken branch, dark and gnarled running with green vines. Then came a long white blanket, that wrapped around Arek's body with a flick of her wrist. The branch then flew into her hand and Oraelia placed the tip on his forehead. Before their eyes, he began to heal. Bones mended, and bruises disappeared, while dried blood reabsorbed. A mix of confusion, awe and rage erupted from the tribe as they saw this but they quickly went silent as they saw the blanket's power work. Arek awoke and then he began to change. There was a fear in his eyes, that quickly faded as his body aged backwards. From adult, to teenager, to boy and then at last to a baby, or perhaps a toddler. All happened quickly before their eyes, and shocked the silence with the small ones' cries. Oraelia wrapped him up in the blanket, cradling him with one arm. She soothed the child, ushering the tiny thing to sleep with but a whisper.
She then turned to the tribe and said, ”I will take him now, but before I go I offer you two things. Words of advice, and a gift. There are animals with my symbol, a shining star and a halo of light. If you are ever to come across these, they will do you no harm unless provoked. I ask that you respect them, and they will respect you. Spread that word, so all might hear it. As for the gift, here.” The oaken branch floated over to the elder, who tentatively took it. Others looked at the branch with curious eyes. ”I know I cannot heal your loss… But I can give you a tool that can heal you physically. Simply touch the tip to your forehead, or wound, and it will heal you. Elder, this is a mighty gift for your people, I ask that you do not misuse it, or I shall know. I do have one more thing to say… I am sorry for your loss. Life is a precious thing and… To have it not die a peaceful death, one of old age… My heart shares your loss.” she paused, taking a deep breath. ”Goodbye, dear humans. May you live long and happy lives.” She began to lift off, but the Elder stopped her with a simple phrase.
“Thank you.” She turned to look at him, his wizened face expressed in understanding, perhaps even reverence. “Thank you, Bright one. What is your name, so that we might know to tell our children? So that we might-... So that we might thank you by name.”
She smiled happily, ”I am Oraelia, Goddess of Sunlight, Mother of Life, Bright One. Your thanks has been received… But before I forget, who was the one that screamed? The god before me, what was their name?”
“Her name was Neiya, Bright One, and she said her love was eternal.”
It was later in the day when she found him. The man named Tutono, whom she had saved from the hunt. He was with several others, they were picking berries in a dense pocket of forest. He stood close to a woman, and as she watched from afar, they were playful with one another. She knew what that meant, if at all these humans were like other animals. When the two went off by themselves, Oraelia quickly descended before their attentions went elsewhere.
Tutono and the woman looked up at her, shielding their eyes for a moment before realization dawned upon him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Oraelia beat him to it. ”Hello! I bet you weren’t expecting to see me again.” she then smiled at the two. ”I mean you no harm, I just want to talk.”
The woman went behind Tutono, eyeing Oraelia and the baby worryingly and at first he looked as if he wanted to run again, but after a moment he nodded and said, “Thank you… For saving me, uh…”
”Bright One.” she said happily.
“Bright One.” he said with a small grin. “I… I am sorry I ran off. You are like… Like Cadien, yes?”
”Cadien? Yes, I suppose I am. But do not worry about running away, the Leons will never bother you, or any human again, unless first provoked. Actually I was hoping you could help me. You see, I have a child that needs parents.” she said, showing them the sleeping baby.
The woman tentatively stepped out from behind Tutono as she peered at the small, sleeping face. Tutono looked at her and then to the baby with a curious expression. “A baby… I have never seen one before. It’s so small… How would we… What would it eat?”
Oraelia blinked, having thought the answer was obvious. She pointed at the woman beside him, ”A baby needs a mother.” she smiled looking at her, hearing two heartbeats. ”Soon enough she will produce sustenance for the little one, until then… Mash those berries into a pulp and feed small bits.” she then paused, ”I… I have no right to ask this of you… But please. Take the child, raise him as your own.”
Tutono looked at the woman, and she looked at him before she nodded. She then took the sleeping child within her own arms and held him close, instincts kicking in. Oraelia then imparted on them knowledge and a gift. She told them as she told the other tribe, her animals would not harm them unless provoked, and she gave them the blanket. A powerful tool of renewal, and she charged Tutono with its protection.
She then bid the two, farewell.
Oraelia flew in no particular direction as she thought about the day's events. It seemed mortals had arrived in the world, and it was a wonderous thing indeed! Yet, filled with its own set of challenges. She hoped the world she had helped build was ready for them. She hoped it was fleshed out enough so that they could prosper and live in peace but as if an answer to her question… She came to a land just as barren like her prairie had once been.
She sighed. What were the others doing?
She shoved the thought from her head, it was time to create another ecosystem, wasn’t it! She cracked her knuckles and thought about what she might want to see, or perhaps, what the continent needed. Perhaps another forest? A couple mountains?
She waved her hand over the land, and before her sprouted a mountain range not unlike the Boar’s but smaller, and from beneath it sprouted shoots of trees like grass. Thick evergreens and tall pines with numerous other trees and berry bushes for life that would-
Something snapped.
She recoiled in fright at the sound, she had no idea where the noise had come from, but it felt as if it was all around her, but not originating within her, that she knew. A sickly sweet aroma filled her nose and she could taste it too, and then from before her the trees began to grow. The mountains began to rumble and quake as they ripped apart, sending large chunks crashing into the growing trees, sending the spires jagged and broken.
Oraelia tried to stop it, but nothing worked. She even shouted at it to stop, but even her voice was without meaning before the power before her. The trees grew gnarled, limbs cracking, growing wider, piercing other trees like giant swords. Wood burst apart, exploded from the growth as the trees began to stop, now towering over the very hills, resembings giants. Their canopy was so thick that it blocked out most of her sun’s light from below, covering the land in twilight. Oraelia was horrified at what she saw as she flew in closer. Everything was overgrown, giant sized and twisted. The plants and animals also had changed, to fit this new environment. Giants in their own rights, with many looking like mixes of several species put together. Plants had grown vines and flowers that did not seem to mesh, with colors and scents not smelling right at all. She had a panic attack as she saw a pack of wolf-bears, maul a giant moose to death and she flew off into the sky.
This had not been the plan.
What had gone wrong?
Prairie healed and tornadoes integrated, Oraelia heads east and comes across a pack of Leons in the Boreal Highlands. She sees the leoness’ hunting a human and intervenes. She tells the Leons never to attack them again, and imbues that within them. She then hears Neiya’s scream and goes to investigate and finds that tribe mourning the dead hunter. She sees they brutally attacked the killer and once again intervenes and offers them another solution. They accept and she heals the killer, then turns him into a baby. Then she goes and finds the human she saved and they talk, and the human agrees to raise the baby/toddler. She then goes and creates a new ecosystem but something happens and the ecosystem becomes a twisted version of itself.
2MP/3DP
-2DP, Artifact of Renewal. Origin (Innocence II- This Blanket, when placed upon living tissue, reverts it to it’s most innocent form of existence. For now it only works once every generation, but as it levels up, it’s cooldown will become quicker.)
-1DP, Artifact of Healing. Oaken Branch (Mending I- This artifact can heal physical wounds. As it levels up, the mending process becomes quicker and it never breaks)
-Free, Large Ecosystem. Aberrant, the twisted woods.
She didn’t have time to think about her meeting with Yamat. In her domain form, she zipped through the land, spreading life to the areas destroyed in the wind as she headed for the Leon cubs. The orphans. What had befallen them was as Yamat said, tragic. But from tragedy, there comes hope for better. She found them where she had left them, huddled together on a rock. They were no longer shaking, but their eyes spoke a different story.
As soon as she changed forms, they came bounding over to her, huffing and rubbing up against her. She fell to her knees and rubbed them both equally, as she spoke in a small voice. ”I’m so sorry. So, so sorry little ones. I should have stopped it sooner, I should have tried to go after your mother and your sister.” she said, letting her emotions out again, in a flood of silent tears. ”Now the Prairie is hurting and and… I wish Gibbou were here.” The cubs laid down beside her, both using each other's warmth for comfort.
She sat and contemplated for a moment, before rising again. She needed to go out and heal what she could, but she couldn’t leave the cubs again. They followed her to the rocks edge and she overlooked the prairie again as they sat and looked at her. ”I have an idea, little ones.” she turned to them and they looked up at her with waiting eyes. ”There is only one of me, and I can’t be everywhere at once, as much as I would like to. I need guardians, beings that will help this world, that will help usher in a new day. Would you two… Would you two be the first?” she asked them, taking a knee before them.
They looked at her again, before walking forward and rubbing their heads and bodies against her once more. She smiled as she giggled. ”I’ll take that as a yes then.” she said, getting to her feet. She then kissed both of the cubs upon their star, and she watched as they began to grow in size and in age. One male, one female. Both grew far larger then any normal Leon. They’re fur began to glow a golden hue and two Halo’s of sunlight erupted around their heads.
When they at last stopped growing they knelt down, and looked at her with light blue eyes far bigger than her own head. Intelligent eyes, eyes wanted purpose. She smiled and caressed their large snouts.
”Look how big you’ve grown!” she laughed, she then looked at the male. ”I shall call you, Nisin and you shall restore that which is broken, battered, and old. That which needs a gentle push to become new again. You will usher in renewal.” she then turned to the female and said, ”I shall call you, Eesis and you shall alleviate the suffering of others, those who live in pain and fear. You will usher in healing.” She then took a step back and looked at both of them together with pride. ”Both of you will work together. Nisin will renew that land and you Eesis will heal it. Lean on each other when the going gets tough, and never forget, that I love you, so, so much my little cubs. Now go… Go and make the world a better place.” she said with happy tears in her eyes.
The two golden Leons hesitated as they looked upon her with sad eyes. Eesis then nudged Nisin and the two began to wonder off, picking up their pace as they headed into the damaged Prairie, before taking off with their massive wings. Oraelia watched them go, then flew off on her own, tending to the land as best she could.
Oraelia heads back to the Leon cubs, and shares a moment with them. She then empowers them, turning the two cubs into mighty golden Leons with Halos over their heads. One is named Nisin, the Leon of Renewal. His task is to renew that which is broken. The other is Eesis, the Leoness of Healing. Her task is to heal wounds and alleviate suffering. She then sends them out into the Prairie to do their jobs, while she goes off to do the same in a different direction.
2MP/5DP
-1DP to create a legendary beast of phenomenal power, Nisin, the Leon of Renewal. (1DP towards Renewal Port) - Nisin has powers like the Auroran Deer, but singularly focused on renewing that which is broken or damaged. -1DP to create a legendary beast of phenomenal power, Eesis, the Leoness of Healing. (1DP towards Healing port.) - Eesis has powers like the Pool of Radiance, but mobile. She can heal physical wounds and alleviate suffering.
Oraelia lay on the banks of Radiance for a time, eyes shut as she listened to the sweet sounds of nature. She was happy with the Luminant, and she felt at home there. But the stirring in her heart for more, meant she could not rest just yet. She had barely seen the rest of the world, and she had so many ideas. With a longing sigh, she stood up and looked upon the lake once more, before taking on her domain form. She floated up, and within a second she was little more than a blip in the sky.
She traveled north, until she came to a gloomy land full of marsh and plains. It was a different take on life, and one she found fascinating. There were hardly any inhabitants though in this empty land, so she decided to introduce species that would benefit from the marshes. Small amphibians with red and orange stripes came from twigs while large owls with wide eyes came from the leaves. More and more came, to fill the place with life. Oraelia then created wisps of gold who floated here and there, giving off a little light, with some warmth. They reminded her of the birds in the Luminant. Upon the plains she modified animals she had already created so that they were adapted to the new biome and added others yet unseen in the world. When she was satisfied she ventured west, to check on her Prairie.
However she was surprised to find another land where once was barren rock. Tall trees with rolling hills and crags. Vast open lands filled the dense areas in between with large rivers. Another land, with little life. As she thought on what to put there, she eventually reached the area where her prairie and the new biome met. Both areas fought each other for dominance, where sparse prairie interconnected with the trees, their roots battled for nutrients.
They needed a balance. Something to ensure no side ever overtook the other for too long. A new idea came to mind and Oraelia whistled and the ground shook, and from the tall grass, and behind the trees they came. Cousins to the common deer species she had littered across the continent. Yet these… These were of her specifically. Bucks and does of solar energy. They stood tall, but not as tall as her leons. The bucks were thicker than their lithe counterparts, to accommodate their solar crowns. Between the antlers of the bucks came an ethereal halo that radiated the light of her sun, and their power. These would serve a great purpose, to renew the land when it was time, by being reborn anew in flame. Evandra would like that, she thought. But it would serve as a practical use, by renewing the old growth into newer growth. As such, these… Auroran Deer, would reproduce much slower than their counterparts, and have shorter lifespans. For though they could be reborn from ash at the end of an old life, they were still mortal, as part of the cycle.
They would call both lands their homes, renewing the land where they went. She liked the dynamic of the two lands, it reminded her of GIbbou and herself. She wondered how her little sister was doing.
She continued on, off to find new lands to populate. Unbeknownst to her, a great diaspora was about to begin between the two biomes, where creatures from both sides would venture to the other.
Oraelia leave the Luminant and goes north where she finds the Weeping Plains. THere she gives it life, and adds her own species to the mix. Then she goes west, and finds the newest biome next to her prairie. Noting how the two biomes clash, she creates the Auroran Deer as a means of renewing the two biomes with flame. It all sorta reminds her of Gibbou.
3MP/0DP Free- Added mundane creatures to The Weeping Plains. -1MP(Discounted to 0 by Sunlight)- The Leeoli Wisps, golden motes that give off light and warmth in the Marshes of he Weeping Plains. -1MP(3MP species in actuality) Auroran Deer. Creatures of renewal, they act as a phoenix would but without constraints. Native to both the new Tiaga/Boreal biome and the Prairie.
The small orb that was Oraelia’s form flew south east, over ocean and land she went, until she came upon a most verdant land. She stopped here and looked around, noting how the fruits and vegetables grew in such size and abundance. It was a strange land, and she wondered who had created it. What purpose did it serve other than to make animals fat? There were so many herbivores here, eating the resplendent feast that was before them. As such, this brought the carnivores, who hunted on well fed prey. She could taste in the very air just how fertile the land was. The water fed the soil and the soil fed the plants, whose roots grew deep.
Yet, it needed something but Oraelia did not know what. She hovered for a long time, before moving on, further west. She would have to revisit that place, perhaps then an idea would form. For now, her idea that she had gained from Evandra, needed to take shape.
She eventually arrived upon the western coast of the continent, where she was satisfied with what she had found. Nothing but her siblings trees and plants surrounded her, with the occasion hill and stream. The land was special, even though it lacked anything out of the ordinary. Oraelia’s feet touched the ground as she shifted forms, and she knelt down grabbing a handful of dirt.
She then blew the dirt from her hand, and as it went, it expanded, changing the landscape as it did. The trees expanded, bark coursing with luminescent lines, as it grew in height while their leaves began to glow a bright yellow. Other trees began to glow reds, and oranges, with blues and violet barks. Yet some trees retained their greens, and instead bore fruit that twinkled even in daylight. The ground vegetation became vibrant colors that shimmered and hummed as the wind brushed their tops and all of the grasses became different shades of blues. The waters here became crystal clear, refracting the light into millions of small rainbows. While the animal life changed to reflect their surroundings. Colorful birds began to radiate their colors until they were nothing more than lights that could fly. Others became brighter, more colorful and incandescent.
When the changes settled, Oraelia grinned ear to ear. Though the Prairie of Sol reflected what her siblings had done, this new ecosystem was entirely by her design. She would name it the Luminant, and it would be a shining jewel, a place where the sun never truly left.
Yet it needed something else, a final touch of both her passions. She ventured deeper into the Luminant until she came across a lake. Here she waded in and tasted the clarity of the waters and knew what to do. She thought about her conversation with Enmity, and how he could help him. Though she knew this never would, it was a start.
She poured a different sort of power into the lake, one of life and healing. The lake’s shimmer grew tenfold and it radiated an aquamarine as several new streams were created, sending it’s healing waters flowing through the land. She would name this place, this holy site, the The Lake of Radiance and it was there, she would bask for awhile.
Oraelia goes south east and finds The Garden. She is perplexed by this, and thinks something is missing, but doesn’t know what. She moves on and arrives in the east of Toraan. There she created the Luminant, a very bright and incandescent biome. She then creates a holy site, the Lake of Radiance.
4MP/0DP Free- Large ecosystem, the Luminant. -1MP- Holy Site, Lake of Radiance, (Healing Waters I- These waters have healing properties that can mend physical wounds)
Member
Cyclone
Vec
Tim the Yeti
Fetzen
Crusader Lord
Enzayne
Timemaster
King of Rats
