• Closed • Arrivals

[Ent]

Ashan 68th, Arc 717

Annok carried the barrel of fish with ease, its strong smell wafting into his nose as he hauled it off of the ship. His large muscles flexing and the veins popping as he lifted it. The gang plank flexed and bounced with each heavy step as the dockhand moved the barrel onto the long wooden dock, he never had gotten used to the smell of fish even though he worked there so often. He dropped it onto the long walkway with a thud as he turned back to climb aboard and collect the next barrel or crate. He needed to shift cargo, the more he shifted the more money he got.

He took to the gangplank at a brisk walk as he made his way back aboard, collecting two large sacks. They appeared to be filled with sugar, it seemed light and so he managed to haul up another sack. This new sack was slightly heavier and from the dust that came out he assumed it was filled with flour. He pulled the three sacks up onto his backs, the weight pulling him backwards as he flexed his stomach to keep up straight. His face a little reddened as he walked his way down the plank again and headed for the dock.

The sacks were dropped down next to the barrel with another loud thud, dust billowed out a little from the flour sack. This time when he turned he was surprised to find himself facing down a very attractive woman. He could tell she had been travelling for a long time, her clothes seemed worn and she didn't seem like she had been able to access a good method of cleaning for a while. Yet, even in her current state he could tell she was attractive and he flashed her a slight smile as he waited for her to pass so he could continue his work.

"Mornin miss, lovely day, hope your journey were okay." He said as he looked around at the sky, a few clouds were scattered around and a breeze blew gently around them making it feel cooler than it was. There had been respite in the Rebirth rain showers and Annok had been happy with that as it made his job much more bearable. It was certainly a good change from the recently ended Cylus, Annok had not been able to work during that time and so now he was doing every possible job to make as much money as he could. 30 days with no work really drains the coffers.

[Rey'na]

Rey walked off the boat, glad to finally be at her destination. She knew little of the place, but when she asked around this was where she guided to. The journey, however, wasn't enjoyable. She rarely traveled, and never by boat. It was an experience she hoped to never have again.
Rey gave a gentle smile to the man in front of her, trying to avoid eye contact. She didn't feel comfortable around people, never really had. But this time it was different. Before she could ignore it and just imagine their death, imagine the ways she would kill them in Lisirra's name. But those days were over.

"My journey was enjoyable, thank you" she smiled, aware of her poor appearance. Beauty had always been important to her, but for the first time in a long time she didn't care. She wasn't hiding anything anymore, she didn't need to look beautiful to avoid being caught. She just needed to be herself, whoever that actually was.
After a few trills of mustering up courage, Rey'na brought herself in front of the man. "I don't suppose you could help me" she asked quietly, eyes looking down. "I came here looking for a healer, a powerful one. I need help removing a...growth."
She looked to the man finally, her eyes meeting his with a pleading look. She was blatantly hurt, in need of help. For the first time in her life she felt helpless, alone and afraid. Even when she was alone with her father as a child, she had never felt this - and she hoped to whichever Immortal was out there she'd never feel it again.

She lowered her gaze again. "I have gold, anything. I just need to find someone. Please" she pleaded, eyes beginning to tear up.

[Ent]

At first Annok had little interest in the woman, he was not there to help random people and she had been lucky the man was in a good mood and had even greeted her. At first he had ignored her plea for help and instead walked onto the boat and unloaded another large barrel. This one was filled with some liquid, probably ale or wine from a far off land, it did not matter to Annok. All he really cared about was getting paid, the money was important to him and it was how he lived. He moved cargo, he was a cargo mover not a guide or a civil servant and so the new woman was not his responsibility. He would have been fine leaving her to find her won way, as he had done in the past.

However, when she blocked his way at the end of the gangplank and looked at him with those pain filled blue eyes, he almost felt a flicker of sadness for her. Not enough to make him change his mind but enough to influence him to definitely say yes at the mention of Nel. He would be happy to make some extra money, to refill his still rather empty coffers. He noticed next the gloss that came over them and then the tears and he was gone, he would help her find what she was looking for.

"Cummon now miss, don't you go cryin." He placed the barrel down on the dock next to the rest of the cargo he was unloading. Then he faced her again, placed a gruff hand on her arm and forced a smile. "Tell you what, you give mi fifty Nel and I will tell you what you want to know but not only that I will take you to em too." He released her arm and placed his big bulging arms at his side. The veins still popped from all the lifting, even with his immense strength he could feel the burn from carrying things over time.

He brushed the muck off of his hands on a just as dirty cloth that was hanging from his pockets. "How does that sound? You wan me to take you to em?" He knew the way, Desnind was not that big of a place. Of course there was no guarantee these people would help the girl, had Annok known Rey'na was marked by Lissira he may even have told her she would find no help in this place. Alas, as it was he would help her for the small cost.

[Rey'na]

Rey shivered as the man touched her, recoiling slightly for a trill.
Care from strangers was far from common for her, so much so that it felt uncomfortable. But she needed this opportunity, more than anything.
"Make it 70" she replied quietly, just audible to the man. She pulled out her pouch and collected seventy gold nel before handing it to him. Her face showed her unwillingness to compromise. Why she paid extra was beyond her, perhaps she felt she was in debt to the man. Perhaps, she thought, it would make sure he took her to the best healer he knew.

Rey would follow the man wherever he took her, looking at the sights around her. She was beyond scared at what would happen next. If they knew what she was, she could die. But as of now, it was a risk worth taking. With that thought, the egg began with the very thing that made her seek this new path. A voice of malice and spite spoke in her ear, subtle whispering quickly becoming what felt like a scream. Rey'na's head started screaming with pain, which she tried to ignore.
Her hand went to her head, gripping the front of her hair tight. She took a pause for a moment from walking,
the pain becoming unbearable. "Shut up..." she muttered quietly, so nobody could hear. Lisirra's voice could be ignored, but the sharp pain and guilt couldn't. Lisirra had given her the world, and Rey'na was going behind her back. This pain was deserved for a million different reasons.

She looked up to the man reassuringly, carrying on with her walk. Hopefully he would put it down to her 'growth', but she couldn't be sure. So long as she ended up at her destination, it didn't matter.

[Ent]

The sound of more money was always soft on Annok's ears and definitely quick to make him agree to whatever was wanted from him. He was indeed a simple man with simple pleasures and to him Nel was one of the most basic of those pleasures. He happily took her coin, gratefully and quick to shove it into his trouser pockets for safe keeping. He smiled happily as he wiped his hand again and prepared to lead her to the temple where the greatest healers in Desnind could often be found. The walk was not long only around 20 bits but it was long enough for him to notice some oddities among his new acquaintance. Working on the docks he saw many odd people come and go, some mad and sick and some just secretive folk who wished to keep their business a secret.

With Rey'na it was clearly more the sick part, her hand would often move to her head and she would seem in some kind of pain or discomfort. Perhaps she would find some comfort in the beauty of the budding forest, recovering from Cylus and returning to its new arc glory. Maybe she would be impressed and surprised by the trees built high in the branches or even the branches that were houses. Some trees were buildings in themselves, sung into place by the tree singers. The walls would be certainly something she would notice as they passed them on the way into the city, the wall of trees thick solid and tangled. It was like a fort but made purely from nature. The walls were easily as high and impressive as any she would have seen in and maybe even then some, built from the trees themselves it trully was a sight to behold.

His concern grew as he heard her barely audible mutter, voices in her head was nothing new. The Sev'ryn that lived in Desnind all had a voice in their head, that of their familiar. Alas in the case of Rey'na it did not seem to be such a pleasant voice.Those of the familiar were the voice of once inner self, the part of them that had separated from them long ago but was still part of them. So unless the girl beside him was actually Sev'ryn and having some sort of bad connection with her true self he could put it to nothing else but madness.

"You okay there missy, try to relax and take in Desnind in its magnificence, whatever is in that ead of yours is not important just ignore it, I am sure you'll ave it fixed soon." Although, this was not exactly true because he was ill informed on what this tumour was she had spoken of, little did he know that it was an egg of Lisirra herself. If he had it is doubtful he would hold such a positive outlook.

The magnificent Temple came into sight, the home of worship to Moseke and all her achievement. Home of the Oludïbọ Cïkäkkẹn and the base of the Aiséirism religion. This place was truly holy place, a place of life and love, a place of worship and great importance to the Sev'ryn people. Here was where Rey'na could find the powerful healers, the Oludïbọ Cïkäkkẹn had a healing branch, one with people marked by the great immortal of life. "Well, ere we are, this is the place, Moseke's temple and home of the Oludïbọ Cïkäkkẹn. Here you can find a healer by the name Ephi'ta Mẹẹd, she is the leader of the Aik, the healers." He looked at her and wondered if this was what she needed, she was the most powerful healer in the city.

[Rey'na]

Despite the beauty of the place, Rey found no comfort. She could acknowledge the incredible scenery, it was like nothing she'd ever seen. But as far as she was concerned, beauty was nothing anymore. When she worked for Lisirra she used her beauty to mask what she really was, it was a tool. People never suspected the girl in the stunning, expensive dress and the bright blue eyes to kill people. Yet, it was her, and nobody ever found out. Beauty was nothing to her, now.
"Thanks" she replied quietly, looking to the man with a forced smile. Her hand kept it's place on the side of her head as she walked, ignoring the screaming pain and sharp voice. He spoke of fixing it as if it was possible, but Rey was having doubts. They might not even help her, if they knew what she was.

When they arrived at the temple, Rey'na looked around. She looked to the man and nodded, nervous. She then approached him slowly, her gaze remaining low until she arrived in front of him, when her eyes met his. "Thank you" she said quietly. She put her arms out cautiously to hug the man. If he showed any signs of not wanting to, she would back down. Otherwise she would follow through.
Rey'na would then walk away, saying her farewells to the man. She would stop at the entrance to the temple, looking at it for a moment - conflicted. If she walked in here, as a worshipper of Lisirra, she may die. Even if she lived, she was taking time that someone else might need. Maybe it was best she just walked away. Though, she came all this way - she needed to do this. She wouldn't let fear rule her anymore.

Rey'na entered the temple, keeping her head low. The egg was screaming louder and louder, the sharp pain making her vision blur and her eyes water. She put her hand to her head, everything seeming a thousand times louder than it should be. Mutters sounded like talking, voices sounded like they were all screaming. She couldn't take it, her tears turned to sobs and she stopped moving, ignoring everyone around her.
"Please help me, please" she begged, sobs of agony and sorrow leaving her mouth. It was a feeling she hadn't known before, so much helplessness, trapped inside her own head. She screamed her heart out, her body contracting and her cries echoing to whoever was near. Her hands gripped her hair tight as she begged for the voice to stop, for the memories to fade. But Rey'na knew they wouldn't, they wouldn't fade. One day, maybe - but not today.

She looked up, her mark an even deeper blue in her tears. She looked around at anyone nearby, her voice shaking with heart-break. "Please, I need to see Moseke, or Ephi'ta. Please help me."

[Ent]

Annok was not expecting to see the young woman reach her arms out as she did and although he did not retreat he did engage in the somewhat awkward hug. Gently patting her back with his large burley hands. He had not been hugged for sometime and to say that he was surprised was an understatement, in truth he would never have guessed it would happen. Then again with how emotional the poor lady was, perhaps it was more obvious of an action than he thought it was. Still as he held her he felt confused, unsure how it was him being hugged. As far as the kindness of the people of Desnind went he was not even close to the most kind and helpful person there, in fact he was far from it.

"You are quite welcome mi lady." The dock hand smiled and released her to approach the temple. He watched her walk away and scratched his chin, still somewhat puzzled by her odd actions. She was an interesting lady and not someone of the likes he thought likely to see around Desnind. Then again many odd people visited the city in search of medical help and also spiritual searching. "I hope you get the help you need." He added as she approached the door and he two turned away and headed back the way the two had come from. His hand playing with the Nels in his pocket, their cool surfaces calming for him to touch.

Inside the large tree temple was very little, there were statues of immortals scattered around. In the centre was a small tree and before it a statue of Moseke alongside that of Ymiden. A few people knelt in prayer before the statue of the divine being they worshipped and a few others were scattered around, standing and kneeling. They did little but some seemed very aware of what was happening in the temple, their eyes scanning around and watching the people. One such woman, an older Sev'ryn lady who was dressed in furs and with a tree that seemed to have grown into her skin across exposed parts of her body, noticed Rey'na enter and her clear distress.

As the girl began to ask for help she stood and moved over, her steps quiet and shallow but to Rey'na likely sounding like a stampede. She watched the girl curious as she reached to her hair and grabbed on tight, her eyes tearing and a brilliant shinning blue. At the mention of her name her pace quickened and as she prepared to whisper her calming whispers, an ability awarded through her mark, she stopped. She noticed the unmistakeable glowing eyes of one marked by the sworn enemy of the Sev'ryn people.

So instead of the whisper she raised the girls face and head up with one hand and with the other blew across her palm, releasing a strange yellowy green powder that floated into Rey'na's nostrils. "Sleep servant of the plague." She would very quickly fall to sleep, the blackness creeping across her eyes within trills. Left in Ephi'ta's firm grip to be dealt with as was deemed necessary by her companions.

[Ent]

Name: Rey'na

Knowledge:
Desnind: Mutums (city docks)
Desnind: Moseke's temple
Desnind: A city of trees
Desnind: Home of the Sev'ryn
Annok: A dock hand in Desnind
Annok: Greeted you at the docks
Annok: Took you to Moseke's temple
Resistance: Fighting with a voice in your head
Resistance: When mental and emotional pain becomes physical

Loot: -70GN for paying Annok
Injuries: None
Fame: None
Devotion: -5 to Lisirra searching out a way to remove the egg

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5
Magic: N/A

Comment: Great job on this, you play Rey'na's struggle greatly and the mental and physical pain she is feeling is very well expressed. You are a great writer and I feel honoured to be able to run this modded plot with you and hope I can do it justice. Keep up the good work and keep rolling with the punches, you area pleasure to work with.