[Solo] Thank Kihala, a Blessing From Above!

[Vira Oreleous]

5th of Spring, 508 AV, Late Afternoon Twenty miles off the coast of Sunberth Life was truly more beautiful under the sea. Every ray of sun was bent, amplified and celebrated by the waves. Each sunset lit the sky a flame and beautifully distorted by the ocean. Creating unimaginable colors. Calarune, her seahorse, mimicked the bright oranges and blood reds. His skin swirling slowly with color as he grazed on growth growing out of cracks and boulders. The sky held many stunning colors, but it was a world apart from her. No closer than the moon. The sea was her true world, her true calling. The ocean was a fine dark blue. Tinted with orange near the surface. All the light was draining from Laviku's realm and it was a tradition of hers to stop and see the sun set every night. It had always been her favorite time to sing and pray as well. Her own little tribute to Caiyha, Makutsi and Kihala. Three of the goddesses she worshiped. One of animals, water and life itself. All the things she wished to learn and study. All the things she cherished. Vira pushed herself up from the rocks she was resting in and started to swim. Leaving her spear and pack behind she swam a hundred feet up. Closer to the waters surface. She floated there for a second. Completely still in the water. She started to sing in her native Char. It was an old Hymn her mother taught her. Celebrating Laviku and his daughter Makutsi. The music seeped slowly into the ocean around her. Filling the water with her dark misty voice. As the verses picked up speed. She began to dance. At first she began to spin slowly in time with the verse. Soon her motions turned to various twists and turns, loops and spins. Swaying in beat with the song. It was a beautiful dance to be sure, but nothing compared to the Charodae of Charbosi. The Dance of the Sea was much more graceful. This was but a humble tribute to the gods of the sea. Nevertheless she gave it her all.

[Vira Oreleous]

Vira danced for nearly an hour. Time lost all meaning when she prayed. It was a beautiful, but impractical. Although that could be the most important part. To not care for yourself and simply show your praise. Waste of time or not, she felt calm and alive. Relieved to show the gods she cared. Hopeful that they would hear. Slowly, Vira sank back to the ocean ridge. Where she left her mount, grazing and hidden between juts of rock. The ocean was filled with dangers that could snatch him up. It was hard to remember that, when faced with such grandeur. Calarune. Vira Sang, as she drifted towards the Seahorse. Come here boy. She swam further down where the juts of rock hid the creature. It wasn't like Cal to ignore her calls. When he came into view. His skin had settled into a deep cobalt, almost black. The sun was still setting and the ocean was aflame with bright oranges and reds, but he kept to the shadows? ”Cala, what is a matter? Where near the coast. Nothing will harm us.” As she came closer he shied back and wouldn't look at her. She had to gather his reins and caress his neck to calm him down. In the ocean, you listened to the creatures around you. From the barnacles to the whales. Their body language helped you to survive. Told you of the tides and the deep currents. Warned you of the bigger predators. You were a fool, not to listen and no true Charodae. She quickly swam to her things and clutched her spear. Before wiggling into the rocks, with her horse. It was a tight fit but she was able to keep her spear in front. If anything came hunting. It would be up to her to chase it off. Both of them waited, for tense minutes. No sounds reached her and the water was still besides the ragged breath of her mount. Her obsidian eyes could not see anything either. And from their vantage point the whole underwater canyon was in sight.

[Vira Oreleous]

Calarune started to thrash about anxiously, as a long dark shadow crept across the valley. He was devilishly strong when frightened and it took a couple minutes to calm him back down. But he eventually let her take the reigns again. ”Don't be a little beast. It is only a ship” Calarune was a strong mount and carried her wherever she needed without protest, but he was awfully thick at times. The “creature” that had frightened him. Was a sea galley. Quite large and strangely built. Vira had always loved the idea of going aboard a human's ships, but the risk outweighed her curiosity. It was well known that human's couldn't be trusted, sailors didn't care too much for her race and slavers wouldn't miss the opportunity to catch such and exotic creature. Logically, she should of just packed up and left. Leave the humans to their nets and hooks. But something about the ship bugger her. The design was all wrong, and it was hardly moving at all... She gently swam on top of Cal and guided him towards the ship. To get a better look. Their nets could only go so far and their harpoons could hardly catch whales let alone Charodae. Water rushed through her “hair” and tugged at the silks she wore. Calarune surged forward gracefully. The movement of his body fascinated her even when she was puzzled. And the closer they got the more puzzled she was.

[Vira Oreleous]

The ship was... destroyed. The realization took her breath away. She sat upon Calarune and slowly drifted with the current. Taking in the toppled mast and ripped sail, floating on top of the water like a dead mosquito. How could this have happened? She had seen many strange monstrosities in the ocean, but nothing that could break a ship of this magnitude. At least not without sinking it. She urged Cal a bit closer but he wouldn't budge. Faithful as he was, the horse knew there was only death on that ship. ”So be it.” She muttered and slid off the saddle. Making sure to grab her spear. Whatever was up there. Good, or bad. She would be prepared for it. Normally it would be nearly impossibly to get onto a Galley without a rope ladder, but in its current state. She could climb up. Swimming from below, she grabbed hold of the broken mast and wiggled her way on top. Things always felt strange when she left Laviku's grasp. Without the weight of the ocean, her movements felt much quicker, and more elegant. If you weren't used to it, you had a tendency to over shoot things or reach too far. Or in Vira's case, move to quickly and fumble about. She clumsily scurried along the mast. Like a wet frantic spider. Her spear awkwardly fixed to her back. And stopped when she came over an large open space. Where the deck had collapsed from the impact. And exposed the innards of the hull. Even as she waited there, contemplating. Her hands kept slipping, the dark rubbery skin making it hard to grip onto anything when wet.

[Vira Oreleous]

She crawled onto the deck without incident. And quickly went to work. Took off her pack and rummaged through the contents. Grabbing her journey and oil pencil. She opened the pages to an open date. "5th Day of Spring... 20th bell..." She scribbled impatiently. Then went onto describe her distance to a nearest landmark. The state of the crew and condition of the ship. Both where dead or dying. Men and women were scattered through out the deck. Their clothing torn to shreds. Most if not all the bodies were bloated from decay and exposure. Vira set out five small glass jars. She always loved glass. The feel of it on her fingers. The way it reflected light in peculiar ways. These jars were plain and uncolored. Easy to see through and didn't smudge easily. Not the prettiest things in the world. With its bulky square design. but she loved them all the same. They where given to her by her father when she started her more advanced schooling.