10th Saun, 717
It was daytime, that much she knew. Morning perhaps by the way the sunlight filtered through the trees to paint all it touched in a soft orange glow. Around the forest, birds sang and chattered a beautiful melody, familiar songs that came with the area. The birds in Scalvoris didn't sing this way, not in the throaty rich tones of the Desnind natives. Kali was in familiar territory, seated on the porch of her grandparents home with its blue painted walls and Poppa's rocking chair. Running her hands over the worn wood of the armrests, the young Sev'ryn smiled fondly. She could smell his pipe smoke in the air, as though he'd just walked away.
Looking up from the porch, she spotted a familiar figure standing by the path that led out of town. It was her Nonna, just as beautiful as she'd been before her death. Smiling, Kali'rial stood up and moved to make her way down the stairs.
"Nonna? What are you doing here?" Her voice was curiously muffled, as though talking through water. As she descended the stairs, she looked down to watch her step. When she turned back the older woman had moved further down the path, towards the entrance to the city. Frowning, the brunette hurried up down the stairs and began to walk towards her.
"Wait Nonna." She called out, stepping quickly to catch up with the grey haired who smiled kindly at her. The closer the huntress got to her however, the further away she seemed to move. Kali moved into a jog, and then a run.
"Nonna! Come back please! Don't go, don't go!" Her feet pounded on the dirt path as she ran after her, calling out with desperation in her voice. There were so many things she had to say.
What are you doing here?
Are you okay?
Are you proud of me?
I miss you.
Puffing from the effort, she saw the woman finally standing at the gates of the city, her kind green eyes watching the younger Sev'ryn as she approached. Kali slowed to a stop, an arms length away from Xan'neua, almost fearful now to reach out to the woman. The situation wasn't right, and as she panted looking at her grandmother her eyes welled.
"This isn't real, is it? I'm dreaming again." Sighing, she shook her head with a defeated sink of her shoulders.
"Of course I am. Oh Nonna, I wish you were here, that I could talk to you." Laughing bitterly, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and wrapped her arms around herself. Xan'neua smiled at her with love and patience, as though she was welcoming Kali'rial to speak to her.
"I left Desnind, Poppa made me go. I'm in Scalvoris now, well for a while. I need to find my Familiar he said, and I guess he figured if I went on a Journey it might trigger my Familiar to come to my dreams. But...I met...someone." Smiling back at the woman, she shrugged.
"He's kind, and sweet, and strong. He loves me." Her smile faded then, and she looked at her grandmother with a slight frown.
"Nonna, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm adventuring and dancing and drinking and falling in love with sailing bards. I'm doing everything except journeying." Xan'neua smiled at her, not saying a word, before sweeping an arm at the city entrance. Or in this case, exit. Kali'rial frowned and looked out at the sunkissed forest beyond the gates.
"I don't understand Nonna. You want me to go out there?" Xan'neua simply smiled, her hand remaining extended and green eyes warm. The huntress frowned, but moved to follow her Elders guidance, walking to the gates and stepping through them.
It was suddenly dark, night in the blink of an eye. The brunette stopped short, spinning back around to see nothing but a dirt path in the dark. There was no gate, no Nonna, and this was no longer Desnind. Turning back, she looked ahead. It was Scalvoris Town, or rather, it was the entrance to it. Kali frowned, making her way through the gates and looking around as she walked slowly. The town was dark and empty, void of any life by the look of it. Moving through the central square, the Sev'ryn saw the fountain was dry and the potted plants were dead and withered. She felt sick to her stomach.
Making her way through the streets, Kali realised her feet were taking her to the docks. To the familiar shape of an orange hulled sloop sitting low in the water. Climbing the side, she landed on the deck with a soft thud, looking up at the bow of the ship. Xan'neua stood there, somehow softly lit up in the darkness. She smiled at her granddaughter, the world around them still. No waves rocked The Muse, and no wind blew the sails.
"Nonna? Why are we here? Why is everything so dark?" The older woman simply smiled, before pointing her hand to the sky and looking up. Kali followed her gaze, looking up at a bright night sky full of stars. She could clearly make out constellations, but they were unfamiliar. And moving. Shifting like the whole black of the night sky was shifting too. The Sev'ryn stared closer, her frown deepening. A sudden roar burst through the dream and a flash of two grey eyes were the last thing she saw before she woke up.
Opening her eyes in the darkness, Kali blinked to get her bearings. She was in Pash's bed again, the Biqaj sleeping quietly beside her. The dream still tingled in the back of her mind, full of questions and yet not afraid. The brunette felt as though her grandmother had been trying to tell her something, and it left her with a feeling of warmth and peace. Smiling to herself, the huntress closed her eyes again, willing to drift off and wait till morning to discuss it with the bard.
It was daytime, that much she knew. Morning perhaps by the way the sunlight filtered through the trees to paint all it touched in a soft orange glow. Around the forest, birds sang and chattered a beautiful melody, familiar songs that came with the area. The birds in Scalvoris didn't sing this way, not in the throaty rich tones of the Desnind natives. Kali was in familiar territory, seated on the porch of her grandparents home with its blue painted walls and Poppa's rocking chair. Running her hands over the worn wood of the armrests, the young Sev'ryn smiled fondly. She could smell his pipe smoke in the air, as though he'd just walked away.
Looking up from the porch, she spotted a familiar figure standing by the path that led out of town. It was her Nonna, just as beautiful as she'd been before her death. Smiling, Kali'rial stood up and moved to make her way down the stairs.
"Nonna? What are you doing here?" Her voice was curiously muffled, as though talking through water. As she descended the stairs, she looked down to watch her step. When she turned back the older woman had moved further down the path, towards the entrance to the city. Frowning, the brunette hurried up down the stairs and began to walk towards her.
"Wait Nonna." She called out, stepping quickly to catch up with the grey haired who smiled kindly at her. The closer the huntress got to her however, the further away she seemed to move. Kali moved into a jog, and then a run.
"Nonna! Come back please! Don't go, don't go!" Her feet pounded on the dirt path as she ran after her, calling out with desperation in her voice. There were so many things she had to say.
What are you doing here?
Are you okay?
Are you proud of me?
I miss you.
Puffing from the effort, she saw the woman finally standing at the gates of the city, her kind green eyes watching the younger Sev'ryn as she approached. Kali slowed to a stop, an arms length away from Xan'neua, almost fearful now to reach out to the woman. The situation wasn't right, and as she panted looking at her grandmother her eyes welled.
"This isn't real, is it? I'm dreaming again." Sighing, she shook her head with a defeated sink of her shoulders.
"Of course I am. Oh Nonna, I wish you were here, that I could talk to you." Laughing bitterly, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and wrapped her arms around herself. Xan'neua smiled at her with love and patience, as though she was welcoming Kali'rial to speak to her.
"I left Desnind, Poppa made me go. I'm in Scalvoris now, well for a while. I need to find my Familiar he said, and I guess he figured if I went on a Journey it might trigger my Familiar to come to my dreams. But...I met...someone." Smiling back at the woman, she shrugged.
"He's kind, and sweet, and strong. He loves me." Her smile faded then, and she looked at her grandmother with a slight frown.
"Nonna, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm adventuring and dancing and drinking and falling in love with sailing bards. I'm doing everything except journeying." Xan'neua smiled at her, not saying a word, before sweeping an arm at the city entrance. Or in this case, exit. Kali'rial frowned and looked out at the sunkissed forest beyond the gates.
"I don't understand Nonna. You want me to go out there?" Xan'neua simply smiled, her hand remaining extended and green eyes warm. The huntress frowned, but moved to follow her Elders guidance, walking to the gates and stepping through them.
It was suddenly dark, night in the blink of an eye. The brunette stopped short, spinning back around to see nothing but a dirt path in the dark. There was no gate, no Nonna, and this was no longer Desnind. Turning back, she looked ahead. It was Scalvoris Town, or rather, it was the entrance to it. Kali frowned, making her way through the gates and looking around as she walked slowly. The town was dark and empty, void of any life by the look of it. Moving through the central square, the Sev'ryn saw the fountain was dry and the potted plants were dead and withered. She felt sick to her stomach.
Making her way through the streets, Kali realised her feet were taking her to the docks. To the familiar shape of an orange hulled sloop sitting low in the water. Climbing the side, she landed on the deck with a soft thud, looking up at the bow of the ship. Xan'neua stood there, somehow softly lit up in the darkness. She smiled at her granddaughter, the world around them still. No waves rocked The Muse, and no wind blew the sails.
"Nonna? Why are we here? Why is everything so dark?" The older woman simply smiled, before pointing her hand to the sky and looking up. Kali followed her gaze, looking up at a bright night sky full of stars. She could clearly make out constellations, but they were unfamiliar. And moving. Shifting like the whole black of the night sky was shifting too. The Sev'ryn stared closer, her frown deepening. A sudden roar burst through the dream and a flash of two grey eyes were the last thing she saw before she woke up.
Opening her eyes in the darkness, Kali blinked to get her bearings. She was in Pash's bed again, the Biqaj sleeping quietly beside her. The dream still tingled in the back of her mind, full of questions and yet not afraid. The brunette felt as though her grandmother had been trying to tell her something, and it left her with a feeling of warmth and peace. Smiling to herself, the huntress closed her eyes again, willing to drift off and wait till morning to discuss it with the bard.
