Flashback The Valterrian Tree

A bored young Nythis escapes the Gilia Medical Center.

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

The Valterrian Tree

Postby Nythis Drawne on August 26th, 2015, 6:12 pm

Gilia Medical Center, 1'st of Spring 339


The twentieth bell died down with a last decisive ring. Nythis rose from his cot, stuffed two extra cushions under his blankets in what he hoped looked like someone sleeping, closed his remaining eye and stood still in the small white room and listened. He could hear the faint cries of a newborn from above and the even fainter clatter of what may have been a food trolley. After a few moments he slid open the door as quietly as he could and peeked around the frame. Nothing. No unwelcome tapping of shoes on the marble floors. Just as he had hoped. The unburnt side of his mouth curled into a smile.

Both Nythis and Sithyn Drawne were unbearably bored. Having a second person in his head was still very much new to Nythis and he still couldn't decide if he liked his new companion. He talked too much and kept on telling Nythis what he should do. Still, Nythis was glad he had someone to talk to in his mind during the long days when he was stuck in bed, hurting too much to do anything but stare at the ceiling. For the first few weeks after it happened he hadn't even been able to speak. He had been worried that his voice had gone away forever, but the nurses had told him that it was the hot smoke that had hurt his throat and his voice would return eventually. And it did. He hadn't believed them until then. There was a look on their faces as they talked to him that he couldn't place, but with a child's intuition he knew that something was wrong. Sithyn seemed sure it was his burns that caused the strange expressions. They had told him that he would have scars, but he didn't mind. His friends and he used to show each other their scars, telling each other stories about how they had gotten them and when a grown Akalak with a particularly impressive scar would walk by they would look on in awe. Sithyn told him that their scars were different. They would not be the type of scars he would ever want to tell the story of. The kind of scars that made you ugly, not proud.

Nythis was too afraid to consider the possibility that Sithyn might be right.

He was definitely right about getting out, however. There was very little to do in the small white room except listen and even listening was harder since... since Sithyn woke up. He had been doing a lot of that over the last three months. It felt like he had caught a hundred different little bits of people's lives scattered through the air like autumn leaves.

He listened and learned that the healer who helped him had a little boy around his age as she spoke about how well he had been doing at the Valkalah Academy.
He listened and heard that that one of the mothers had not wanted her boy to be taken away... And then he had understood why there had been so much screaming that night. He knew why the lady who had been moved down to the first floor across from his room and cried in the night while he could not sleep from the incessant itching. He knew why they carried her out beneath a blanket as white as the spotless walls a few days later.

He listened and found that the healers were concerned about the reception desk being unattended for a few minutes due to the change in shifts and the two handsome, well handsome to the healer that that had mentioned them at least, who guarded the entrance. That bit of information had given Sithyn an idea, which Nythis had agreed to instantaneously. After some consideration they had decided to ask one of the healers taking care of them why they had a different healer during the day and night. They knew the answer, but the healer responded to the rasped question with the information that the needed. She worked until the twentieth bell, when the healers who worked the night shift arrived for work.
Nythis scratched at the strange, tight clothes they made him wear. He had pulled a simple shirt and a pair of pants over them and combed his hair over the burnt side of his head before leaving. The floor was cold beneath his feet as he walked down the hall. He almost stopped in his tracks when a door in front of him. ''Wait. Try to pretend that you are where you should be. Like... Like you're on your way to to do something important.'

There wasn't time to debate the point. Nythis started walking again just as an Akalak with a bad limp entered the hallway. Nythis sped up his pace from his silent, cautious walk. He looked straight ahead like his goal was in sight, only giving the other Akalak a nod that he hoped came off as dignified. The frown he received made his heart beat faster, but he continued on, determined to get outside.

It was only when he entered the lobby when he realised that his plan had failed. Two guards were standing close to the reception desk, their voices echoing in the empty room as they talked.

The receptionist may have been late, but the guards weren't. He took a step back, hoping that the shadow of the doorway would hide him. Hopefully the two Akalak hadn't decides to use their infravision.

Nythis lingered, knowing that he should turn back. Disappointment tightened his throat. He should have asked more questions. Been more specific. All because he was to stupidly shy to speak because of his stupid voice.

The receptionist entered in a flurry. The Akalak greeted her and made a joke about the dishevelled state of her clothing that Nythis couldn't quite understand. Their conversation was interrupted however when a man entered. He was speaking loudly, demanding to see somebody. The guards asked him to calm down and hand over his weapon. He refused.

Nythis hesitated, knowing that this was his only chance to get out, slim as the possibility of success was. Taking a deep breath he entered the lobby as the guards attempted to calm the man down, walking slowly to avoid drawing their attention, his steps growing unintentionally faster as the door got closer. He payed close attention to the heated conversation going on behind him, half expecting someone to stop him.The man had left it open in his emotional state and Nythis slipped through quietly, the cool evening air refreshing on his face.

Unbeknownst to him, there had been eyes following him as he crossed the lobby and even as he laughed at the heady sense of freedom as he ran down the quiet street, the conflict inside the medical center was dying down already.


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Nythis Drawne
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The Valterrian Tree

Postby Nythis Drawne on August 26th, 2015, 6:24 pm

The Roads of Riverfall, 1'st of Spring 339


Nythis let his inner eyelid slide down. The night came alive in a purples and blues, with the occasional green, yellow, orange and red. He found himself moving South, past the butcher's shop and a long, narrow building filled with laughter and music, the windows glowing red with warmth against the cool blues and purples of the night.

He passed a set of apartments too, the sign announcing "Cora Apartments". A door was open and Nythis stopped a minute to watch the people inside. They were exchanging gifts. One woman wiped her face after receiving her gift, her tears red against the orange and yellow of her skin, before they quickly cooled to blue.

From where he stood the gift looked like a wooden horse, intricately carved, legs stretched in a frozen run, tail and mane flying in the wind. Nythis wondered if she was part of the horse people from outside Riverfall. Or maybe she wished to be like the little horse, riderless, running free. She cradled the carving against her chest and stood on her toes to kiss the Akalak who had given it to her. Nythis looked away, embarrassed, but not before the glint of her golden undan caught his eye. She wanted to be like the horse then, he decided with the complete conviction of a child putting the puzzle of life together.

Nythis turned to continue on to Zhongjie Warrens where some of Riverfall’s inhabitants were speaking for everyone in the crowd to hear, making propositions on pedestal erected for the occasion when a flash of rapidly moving yellow and red caught his eye. Too fast for the occasional pedestrian. After a few moments of looking for any other signs of what he thought he had seen he headed toward the park, passing the Tuvya Sasaran.


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Nythis Drawne
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The Valterrian Tree

Postby Nythis Drawne on August 26th, 2015, 6:34 pm

Semele Park, 1'st of Spring 339


Semele park park smelt of Spring. Wet earth, flowers and green things. He took a deep breath and headed down one of the paths, the stone smooth and damp beneath his feet.

It was then that he saw the tree, surrounded by ribbons, the slab of marble in front proclaiming it to be the Valterrian tree of that year.

He wandered over to the tree, before sitting down in front of it. He inspected his foot. The newly healed burns were raw from his trip and dirty. He poked at it, still intrigued by the strange lack of feeling when he touched some of his burns. Sithyn snapped then and Nythis was startled by the sudden Stop that!’ after his silence.

‘It’s so small. I don’t think it can do a good job of being our hope for the future. It might get blown over. Or struck by lightning. Or burnt.’ Nythis shuddered. ’There wouldn’t even be a single leaf left.’ Sithyn said.

Nythis scratched at an itchy spot on his arm and looked toward the remains of the old tree that had been dragged to the side.

‘Something had to take the place of the old tree after it died. I’m sure the gardener will take good care of it and it’ll grow to be just as big as the old one.’ Nythis answered, proud when Sithyn had no immediate answer.

‘Maybe,’ Sithyn agreed.

He reached towards the tree and plucked a leaf.

Nythis jumped when the weight of a rand was rested on his shoulder. He spun around to find one of the guards from the lobby behind him.

“Thought I’d give you some time to stretch your legs. I’d go crazy if I was stuck in that place for so long.”

Nythis was amazed at the warrior’s reaction.

“But- But you work-”

The guard grinned, his gaze wandering to the tree.

“Your life’s a little bit like that tree, you know that?”

“Yes.” Nythis hadn't known it was anything like tree until that moment.

“You think the new tree will be all right?” The older Akalak asked.

“Yes.” At least he hoped so.

“Good. Come on, let’s get back to Gilia before we both get into trouble.”


OOCMy fist thread. Apologies for any unintentional mistakes I might have made.
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Nythis Drawne
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The Valterrian Tree

Postby Konrad Venger on March 6th, 2016, 7:37 pm

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Hey, Nythis! Once you get back and deduct your Winter Seasonal Expenses, I'll grade this up, no problem. PM me when you get back!

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Note: As of Fall 517AV, Konrad is known only as "Hansel" in Endrykas
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