Solo Second Nature

[Pulren Marsh]

Second of Winter, 514 AV

Very Early

Pulren had spent the most wonderful of nights with Nya. It was clear they she was meant for him, just as Syka was. When he had made his way home, his head had been swimming from the energetic interactions that had passed between them. By the time he got back to the land, his tent and bedroll looked very appealing. His mind and body were still in a rush with emotions and sensations that he couldn't remember ever feeling. Not since Zeltiva had he felt so at ease and at home. Slipping his pants off, he hung them on a bush to air out. He crawled into the small tent and sat on the bedroll, looking out on the Suvan, her scent still strong on his own flesh. A new man was present, but it was really the man that had been left behind in his home city when Uncle was born in Zeltiva. Not like the shady bastard was dead, but he just wasn't necessary anymore. Pulren was more than enough.

He slowly slid back, his attention on the light breezes that blew against the tent. Rolling on his side, he looked at his shield and trident. he knew that he had business to take care of tomorrow. Business that would make an impact on the lives of the people of Syka as well as he and Nya. Fighting the excitement in his body and mind, he slowed his breathing and closed his eyes, meditating on the sound of the surf until sleep unwillingly came.


Midday

Pulren had been struggling with the idea of wearing his armor, but thinking back to the ill fated meeting with Tyler Johnson, he thought better of it. Instead, he wore his linen pants from the bush, his fitted high boots and his black linen shirt. He had taken some time to stretch and do some rudimentary positions with his weapons, as he had little use for them so far in his time on Syka. That was a good thing, but for the position he was seeking, they would be a necessity. Tools of the trade and old friends. He remembered where Buraga could probably be found, since he had met the man with Nya on his first day on Syka.

Walking down to the surf, he knelt on both knees, the water running over them and between his legs in their eternal rhythm. He bowed to the Father and dipped his trident and shield in the ocean, praying for a blessing to make a good showing with Buraga and get the job he was seeking. He also prayed that the feelings between he and Nya would grow and that the people of Syka would remain safe and healthy. Finishing, he stood from the waters and started walking up the beach toward the settlement and his destiny.

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[Pulren Marsh]

As he walked up the beach, his chest full of renewed vigor, he looked over at nya's tent, the long drapes of material blowing in the breeze. he knew she wasn't there. She was out in the bush somewhere, looking for something. he wondered if she was in her true form or that of Nya. Well, they were the same, but still. ..he shook his head as the energies from the night before continued to course through his veins and his very soul.

As he passed by the Commons and through the paths of the settlement, people called out to him and waved. It was apparent that news traveled fast. He wondered if Nya had told people or if it was just plastered on his energy. Fortunately, some of her own wild energy now coursed through him and he didn't particularly care about the source. He was proud of the fact and he hoped that everyone knew it. His chest couldn't help but swell with pride. That same energy also had him slightly jogging wherever he went, anticipating his arrival.

As he approached Buraga's home, the man was already out front, ready to greet him with a shit eating grin on his face. A resounding slow clap came from the master swordsman. "I should've seen it. You tow, always running around together. What's it feel like?" Pulren nodded and greeted the man. "It's good. You ready to get to work?" Buraga held a pensive face, eyeing Pulren's weapons. "Well, you are going to work, actually. I don't doubt your skill, though if you want to spar a little, I'd be happy to try you when you return. Anyway, I want you to walk around the settlement and assess the settlement. the others have told me how you have some good ideas for security here."

Pulren shrugged and continued to listen, partially relieved not to be sparring with someone so deadly with a sword. "You can leave your weapons here if you like." The younger man reflexively pulled back with his weapons protectively. "Better not. Never know what I might run into out there." A knowing nod came from Buraga. "Fair enough. When you finish, I want you to write up a proposal for us to present to the founders. To be honest, I've been so preoccupied with my personal project that I haven't given security the time and attention it needs."

It sounded like room for advancement. Not like there was a real hierarchy here to dominate. Why was he thinking about dominating. Must have been the new feral energy. "Alright, I'll get to work then. Want me to come back here with the writeup?" Buraga nodded curtly, already looking at his own pile of papers on his porch.

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[Pulren Marsh]

First things first, Pulren made his way back to his humble abode. As he walked back, he looked around the settlement with new eyes, scanning the lands for weaknesses. He had already seen room for improvement on his arrival and subsequent tour, but now he was actually tasked with the job of oversight and it made him jubilant.

His eyes were set upon the ridge that separated the lands of he and his lover. He had been up there before, looking around after he had made his claim, From the eastern point of the ridge, the majority of the settlement could be seen, as well as the Suvan. It was a perfect place for a guard post or tower. His mind went back to the great harbor of Zeltiva, the docks and the ways of the Wave Guard. As he put his shield and trident away inside the tent, changing those weapons for his journal and a quill and ink, he thought about his time as a Scar in Sunberth and a mercenary in Nyka. It used to be his life to look for weaknesses and chinks in armor.

His desk looked so odd, sitting on the partial foundation of a house in a tropical jungle. It had already started to get water spots, but it was a well crafted desk and he was glad that he had it. Pulling his equally incongruous armchair up to the desk, he opened the journal, dipped the quill into the inkwell and began to write on the page. His penmanship wasn't the best, considering it had been so long since he had written anything. Maybe drawings of areas with small notations, but proper handwriting concerning matters of impot was an entirely different animal.

It just took a few moments for him to write up his recommendations. He looked at them and looked out to the ocean, his mind combing the many possibilities and the resulting strategies. He crossed a line out and wrote into it something else, the sound of the surf lulling him onto a sense of belonging. He had Nya, he had a home. Now he was defining a purpose in that home. All of the attempts in the past had led to this moment. He wiped his cheek, realizing a drip of salt had left his cheek. He looked down and silently cursed as it had fallen on his writing and left an ugly blot. He fanned at it with his hand and stood, looking out on the Suvan and just enjoying the perfect moment.

Satisfied, he checked the writing and its dryness and gathered his journal, taking care to seal his inkwell and store it and his quill back into the tent. Grabbing only the trident, he started back toward Buraga's house, his gait measured and even. As he approached, the man looked up and greeted him. Surprisingly, he had company. Randal Zor, Mathias and Captain Chaliva were there with him. "I hope you don't mind, Pulren.", the swordsman said to Pulren. "I thought it would expedite the situation to get them over here while you were gone." He noticed his usual nervousness wasn't present, replaced by a cool being. He thanked Nya's energy for that. Planting his trident in the sand, tines down, he shook the hands of the founders and stepped back. Looking over at Buraga, he asked, "Didn't you want to look at it first?" Shamzen waved it off like nothing. "Go ahead, buddy."

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[Pulren Marsh]

He had the floor, book in hand. The founders of Syka were ready to hear wwhat he had to say. Pulren opened the book to the page of his suggestions and looked at them. Before he opened his mouth, however, he thought of something better and closed it. Placing the journal on a chair beside him, he took a deep breath and decided to come clean. "Okay guys, before I tell you my ideas, I think that it is a good idea that you know some things about me. If you are going to trust me with Syka, you should know who you are trusting." The men assembled seemed to nod and smile.

" I was born and raised in Zeltiva. I took courses at the University, mostly in geography. I grew up with my drunk uncle and learned how to swim and fish, which all Zeltivan boys do. I joined the Wave Guard and served for a few years, dealing with security and the public. I killed my first person there too. A woman. She was a Reimancer that had taken a ship with some cohorts and had killed a lot of people. I killed her and she made me one. I am a Geomancer, though I am not very good at it. I have always worshiped Laviku, which is why I chose the trident. If it's good enough for the Father, it's good enough for me." A few chuckles.

From there, I went to Sunberth on a mission with a Knight friend of mine, Markus Andres. During the course of my stay, I developed some unfavorable traits and ended up joining a vigilante gang called the Scars. A lot of blood was shed, but it was that of the wicked, I assure you. I would just rather you hear it out of my mouth than on the wind of rumor. I was known as Uncle there. We were eventually run out of town and we scattered to the winds. Went back to Zeltiva, got my senses together and headed to Nyka. I worked as a mercenary there and encountered a lot of mind bending, horrible things. I went into the Aperture and saw things not of this world. Fortunately, I was called up on a mission and was flown out of Nyka on Wind Eagles for a long trip to Endrykas. I spent a season traveling with the Drykas and worked with their own guard units there."

"I eventually made my way to Riverfall, joined the city as Kuvan and took a year off to try to get my mind right. Nyka did a job on it. I joined the Antiquities Society and heard about the settlement here and got on the first available trip on the Veronica, where I met Captain Chaliva." Nodding to him, the man said, "I think you can call me James, Pulren.", with that smile he had that made you feel like having a brew with him. "Okay, James. So, here I am. I want to make a home here and stay here, so when I came off of the ship, I started looking at the defense of the area, which is lacking. No offense."

He reached down for his journal and then flipped it open, looking back to his audience. " Okay. First thing is a tower. The settlement is so spread out that a central high vantage point to oversee traffic, both naval and not, is essential to security. "I chose the eastern point of the ridge between my and Nya's land because from that point you can see the settlement coast up to the Ranchos as well as the open Suvan. It will need to be probably twenty to thirty feet high. Some kind of a bell or horn to signal you all don here would be a great idea as well from up there. Which brings me to my next point."

" With the bulk of the people here spread out , doing their own thing, there needs to be a way to summon everyone to a central place like the commons. I was thinking a large bell in its own tower would be perfect. You guys could decide on what the strikes mean, but a way to have general assembly of the citizens is a great way to do head counts and also to make sure that everyone has the same information. Rumor can be as deadly as wildfire. Also, in the case of fire, raiders or any other big problem, everyone can be roused day or night. No surprises. A guard will eventually need to be posted at the bell, but for now, it can be used as needed."

"Speaking of information, we could use mail. Isolation is not a good way to exist, especially considering the resources that we need here. I suggest a central point for mail and a way to post general notices so that people can be informed of local, regional and world events. A knowledgeable community is a prepared community. As for the wildlife here, Nya has been doing a great job of keeping the big snakes at bay, but we should also make sure that everyone has basic knowledge of the flora and fauna in the area. Maybe Uta can do some classes for everyone. What is poisonous fruit and what is good, that kind of thing."

"Two more items and I'll relax." He was in his tempo and wanted to keep his momentum. "Fire.Most of the settlement is constructed from materials that would go up in a pinch in a fire. From a lightning strike to a botched meal, every resident should have water on their land to fight a fire. Probably some kind of rainwater collector being a standard would be the way to go with that, plus it provides some fresh water to those without ready access to streams." He had their attention and they were listening. "My greatest concern is that of raiders or any other seaward threat. The bell and the tower are great measures for that, but short of a dedicated guard unit, we'll need to create some strategies for the populace, using the strengths of each."

He put the journal aside and said, "Well, what do you think?" They all murmured among themselves. Mathias stepped forward and said, "I think, with Buraga's blessing, you're hired."

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