Peaceful Pathways (Finished)

[Gromhir]

((Feel free to join. I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to open or not, I don't mind either way.))

10th Day of Winter, 509 AV

The time of Syna was waning. She had raced across the sky all too quickly for Gromhir’s liking. Now, as she travelled past the horizon, Leth took his position to guide the travellers to their destination, to help sailors traverse their watery pathways. Gromhir looked up from his book towards the last vestiges of Syna’s light. Leth was large in the sky tonight; just like the very first night he met Kamalia. Gromhir smiled at that thought. A lot had changed since then.

He slipped off the balcony, rising to his full height. He straightened out his tunic and pants then looked down at his bare feet. Toes. He still wasn’t fond of toes. There was something strange about them. He wiggled them and they almost didn’t feel like his own. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned his attention to the room. It was dimly illuminated by candlelight; its only inhabitant was no longer awake.

He pushed his way through the veil and cast his acute gaze round the room. He didn’t need his senses to know that she was sleeping or even in the room. Their arcane connection had strengthened that Gromhir just knew she was asleep. He moved over to her bedside, pulling the covers over her fragile form, gently planting a kiss on her cheek. “Sleep well, Kamalia. Nature protect you,” his whispered gently in her ear. Stepping back, he blew out the candle and moved over to the small chest that contained his things.

Darkness had engulfed the room now but Gromhir’s kelvic senses let him see clearly. He reached in and pulled out a small blue crystal with a simple rune engraved upon it. Wordlessly, he removed his garments, wrapping the crystal in his leggings. White lights engulfed his body as the human was replaced by a form all the more beautiful. Vicious fangs, pointed ears, powerful legs, the Ivaski, now fully grown looked to his bondmate one last time before, collecting its package and moving back out to the balcony.

He hopped onto the railings and leapt the short distance to the nearest roof. He’s done this several times now. The path down to the Opal Temple was a winding one but one he could make without setting foot on the main streets of Mura until he actually stood outside the temple. The rooftops of Mura were his own playground, one where he wasn’t hindered by crowds or bothered by people. While he was better in crowds now, he still didn’t like them.

[Gromhir]

The Ivaski stalked along the rooftops, watching over the mystical land that had become home. Mura was evermore beautiful at night than it was in the day. Mists rolled in along the waterways, casting a ghostly glow over Mura’s streets. Walls shone like mirrors as they reflected the celestial being’s light back at him. But here on the rooftops, one could survey the city without fear of being lost in the rolling mists.

The past two winters Gromhir had experienced had been much colder than ones here in Mura. Yet, here he had protection from any elements that chose to assail the land with their fury. But in the snows of the northern forests, he had none. All he had then was the fur that covered his body. It did the job well but it was odd to think that he had things that he didn’t seem to need as much.

But that didn’t mean to say he wasn’t thankful for them. No, nature guided him to where he needed to go. It had guided him to the shore where he met the Timandre Sisters. It had guided him to his bondmate and strengthened their bond during their time together. He was very thankful for what he had been given. But this life of luxury and safety was something he still wasn’t used to.

He didn’t like it. Yes, Mura was home to a race of peaceful beings but he was still a creature of the wild. He thrived on the dangers of the wilds. Never knowing when your next meal would be, it was a life of constant moving. You could never stay in one place for too long. It was not the best life but it was one that kept him on the edge. It kept his mind sharp and his wits fast.

The last roof was slicker than he had anticipated and it yanked him forcefully from his reflections. Gromhir lost his footing on the tiles, he rolled down towards the edge of the roof. Exquisite craftsmanship smashed under his large form, shards carving cuts into his flesh. He growled, not leaving his Ivaski form as he scrambled for footing. He managed to stop two thirds of the way down the roof. He could feel cuts down his body but none of them were serious. It suddenly occurred to him that his stone, wrapped in the white slacks, was missing. He must have dropped it when he slipped.

[Satu]

Sleep was evasive, it was time to admit defeat; there would be no rest this night. Swinging her bare feet off the wide sleeping couch the Konti stepped down onto the cool stone floor and looked around the darkened room. Now that she had decided to leave Mura, the room appeared foreign, though not one item was out of place. The papolomus incense burned sweetly and the pillows felt satiny, but Satu had the feeling that it was she who was out of place, not her things.

Tomorrow, she told herself. Tomorrow, she must begin to make arrangements for the journey, and her pale eyes became misty at the thought of leaving home. She wandered about the room, light fingertips touching what she could, in an effort to ground herself to this place once more. Reaching the white, marble table, her fingers trailed along its unbroken surface until they came to rest upon her pair of suvai. Her fingers caressed the leather hilt of the nearest and images from earlier in the day came to mind.

-----
The news had been accepted well at the Training Center. Of course the women had all been greatly pleased that she had been Called. Some had completed their own Calling years ago, and others only dreamed of the day to come. If any had fought the urge as she had, no one spoke openly of it. She had been distracted prior to drawing the suvai out of their wrappings; the trip ahead and the telling of it had clouded her mind. Never should she have begun the match, for her mind was unfocused. Could none of the Konti have “seen” it? Or, had they “seen” and remained quiet because they had known Avalis’ will all along?

Evenly matched on previous sessions, her opponent, Gernia, had the advantage this day. The women loosely dressed and without shoes, stepped lightly on the mat. They each held before them their left hand and touched palms, intertwining their fingers. “For heart and health of all,” they intoned the ancient blessing.

Afterwards, Satu could not explain what happened, perhaps her hands were sweaty, or her heart was saddened by the impending absence, or perhaps she read something in Gernia that caused her to hesitate as they disengaged. Whatever the cause, when she reached out to grasp the extra suvai cradled in her right arm, her fingers fumbled as she tried to bring her weapons to ready. The blade, off balance, tipped away. She reached for it anew, but it was already falling and her right hand still held the other blade. Training dictated that a body should move away from any falling weapon, but Satu was not herself and she attempted to stop the sai between her hand and her thigh. Like a youngling, she only managed to give the falling blade more force and she paid in blood for her lapse of common sense. “Ahhh!,” the sharp intake of her breath as the blade sliced across the white skin of her thigh. A line of red appeared and welled into small dots that grew larger rapidly.

Gernia stood back, surprised, as were the women who were watching. There were whisperings, “When had Satu last made such a foolish mistake?” It was a wrong thing, a bad portent and they all felt the burden of it.

-----
Her hand dropped to her bandaged thigh, feeling the cottony wrappings pulled tight around her skin. The wound’s pain now dulled by herbs the healers had given her. “What does it mean?” she wondered aloud, but her voice in the large room landed hollowly, and provided no answers. Was it indeed a bad omen to have made such a error before her journey? Would that she were a Diviner of the Future! Shaking her head, she decided, “It is fresh air that I need to set me to rights.”

The night air was crisp and Satu pulled the cloak tightly around her shoulders as she descended down the marble steps. That she was in darkness and no one else was about did not bother her. The night held no terror for the Konti; there was nothing to hurt them here on their Island.

She made her way slowly and thoughtfully, gliding along in her footed, silver slippers. Perhaps she was inappropriately dressed for the weather, underneath her cloak, but she smiled to herself, she was leaving Mura. Many things would change in her future so it seemed acceptable for her to make this impetuous decision.

The cold, winter air began to settle on her skin and she pulled her arms about herself in an effort to warm them. Her body wanted to return to the warm and luxurious apartment, but her mind refused, “Not yet…” she whispered, “I can not bear the thought of it.” So Satu wandered the quiet city until she found a bench and relaxed upon it.

After the chill had seeped into her backside, she stood, ready to depart, but a clattering noise made her hesitate. She looked around surprised, but without fear and saw… nothing. Confused, she hesitated, but then she heard it again, from above. Pieces of tile began to fall off a roof, only to explode in little puffs of dried clay upon impact with the brick street. Taking a step forward she attempted to look up to the roof, but from the Konti’s angle it was too high and too dark to make anything out.

[Gromhir]

Gromhir looked around the rooftop frantically. That stone was the last link he had to his old life. Although it was only a half-life he had lived then, that stone allowed him to focus when he needed to clear his mind. He wasn’t sure what it was about it, maybe it was the rune but it allowed him to think clearer. Something he wished he could do right now. Where was it?

He caught sight of the bundle at last on the very edge of the roof. There was no way he’d be able to get there without slipping and falling off the edge. He wasn’t sure what to do but he knew he had to retrieve that stone. He transformed back to his human form, the light briefly illuminated the rooftop above Satu as she watched and waited. Gromhir took the remains of one the tiles in his new hands. Maybe if he knocked it to the ground, he could find a safe way down then retrieve the item.

He’d never thrown anything before but he’d seen Kamalia do so. It didn’t look so hard. He drew his hand back and made the motion of throwing but didn’t let go just yet. He had to try. The pottery flew through the air landing just before its intended target but it was enough. The bundle dislodged from the roof landing with a thud near Satu.

Light flashed from the roof again as Gromhir went back to four legs to scale the rest of the wall across the roof to the high wall on the corner of the temple grounds. The Ivaski dropped down onto the masonry then to the floor. The wind changed that moment and he caught the scent of another. Gromhir’s ears flattened against his head, hackles raised, as his tail flicked side to side. He moved round into the light and in full view of Satu. But in the darkness of the building he could not make out the figure, only that it was a scent he had never smelt before.

He let out a warning growl but made no move towards her just yet.

[Satu]

Something fell from the roof and Satu, barely able to see in the dark, almost missed it. The sound it made upon landing brought her attention to it, as it was much heavier than the tinkling of broken tiles that fell soon after. She bent down to inspect the package before her, but brightness flashed upon the roof and she straightened instead out of curiosity. A few noises carried to her ears, though she could not place them in the empty night.

While she pondered this strange puzzle, movement at the avenue corner caught her attention. An Ivaski, commanding the spot on which he stood was there. Her heart leapt to see him, one of the beloved Guardians of the Konti! But as she looked at him in full light he appeared not very pleased.

Quickly she turned to look behind her, wondering who might be there, but the look brought no answers. Returning her gaze back to the large canine she noticed the way his tail flicked back and forth, the raised hackles and the flat ears. He did not seem to be overly angry; at least she had not felt that in her heart yet... But it did appear to be her that he was growling at.

“Oh, dear brother Ivaski,” she whispered in the night, “What has gotten you so worked up? I am not harmful.” She had seen Ivaski in Mura many times and even conversed with a few. They were guardians to be respected and honoured, and someday she wished to bond with one herself. But she certainly hoped it would be on friendlier terms.

Looking down at the parcel at her feet, and then up at the roof, she exclaimed softly, “That was you up there! Are these your things? Do not worry; I will not disturb them...” And she brought her hands together at her heart and gave the Ivaski a small bow and then backed up slowly.

No warning did she feel in her heart that he would attack her, even in the midst of his display, Satu trusted her Heart-Sense. But then, she had not met an agitated Ivaski at this hour of the lonely night before. Standing before him, she waited. He was beautiful, even as he reacted badly to her, she waited as the Konti wait, peacefully, trusting in their innate gifts from Avalis to help them through uncertain times.

[Gromhir]

Gromhir watched the figure in the darkness. He didn’t move, he merely watched. He listened to each word but chose to believe none yet. By the way she spoke and reacted, one would have him believe that she was a Konti. But most Konti were asleep during this hour, why would one be up now? As she backed away from his things, Gromhir approached. His ears no longer flattened but he approached cautiously.

He nudged the parcel with his nose. The contents of the parcel were quickly revealed. A large stone of sapphire with a curious sigil engraved on its face and a pair of white slacks. Now closer, he could take stock of the figure. She was indeed a Konti, however Gromhir felt no shame in showing caution around his possession. The only other thing he would protect with his life was wrapped up in bed.

Once more, the white light flashed, but this time Satu knew the source. Indeed, once the light had faded, no more an Ivaski stood before her but a young man. He pulled on the shite slacks hastily and picked up the stone cradling it. Finally, he looked up at the woman stood before him. He bowed his head low.

“Lady Konti, my apologies,” he spoke calmly, not actually looking directly at her even as he stood straight again. “This stone is precious to me and even in the darkness of shadow, my eyes struggle.” He said nothing more, waiting for her response. He was a servant to the Konti and knew his place. It was not his duty to protect all of them at it was his Ivaski brethren but he held them all with the highest respect as had been instilled in him.

[Satu]

Satu remained still as the stone wall behind her as she watched the Ivaski move carefully towards his belongings, hard muscle rolling under the smooth white of fur. The parcel fell open with a nudge of the beast’s cold nose and from where she stood, the contents revealed a large jewel and a pair of slacks. She searched her mind, unable to recall if all the Ivaski coveted jewels.

White light burst before her, blinding her pale eyes, and magically, a young man stood where the Ivaski had been just a moment before. As he pulled on his trousers, she watched his face, searching for the animal he had been. It was there for the eye to see, a feral, wild look, only just contained. Dressing done and stone in hand, the Kelvic offered his apologies, head low.

He spoke calmly, his words simple. Her Heart Sense embraced the calmness in his voice and a smile grew on her face. Peacefully the Konti replied, “No apologies please, dear Guardian. It is I perhaps who startled you at this late hour.” She wanted to ask why an Ivaski was atop a roof. And she wanted to ask of the stone also, for when he spoke of it, some unknown emotion fluttered deep under the surface, but not close enough for her to Sense. There was a story there, she knew, but discretion prevented her from voicing the question.

“Do you have want of anything? Satu questioned, “To be out at this late hour you must require…” what did an Ivaski truly need? She had no idea. “Something…? Food or shelter perhaps?”

Surely he was bonded; all Ivaski’s she had met previously in Mura had all been linked with a Konti. She felt peculiar about leaving him if he wasn’t. So before the Kelvic could answer, she compelled herself to be forward and quietly asked one more question, “Where is your Bond Mate, Ivaski? Do you indeed have one?”

[Gromhir]

Gromhir listened to Satu’s words as she spoke them. He remained silent until she had finished. So many questions, for beings that were able to see the future and knew so much about the world, they asked many questions. Would they explode if they didn’t let all their questions out in a flurry? He doubted such a thing but it gave the Kelvic some strange satisfaction in thinking such a thing.

“Please, Lady Konti,” he spoke softly. “You did no such thing. I was merely careless.” He’d surprised himself with how quickly he’d been able to pick up speaking fluently in human tongue. The more he’d spent time with Kamalia and around the other Konti, the more he learned. Emotion was another thing he’d learnt. It was something he knew instinctively all along. He felt emotions in others, it was subtle but it was there. Skyla had said that all Ivaski were able to do so on some level but for a Kelvic and their bonded partner it was even more so.

“Are you familiar with the Timandre?” Gromhir inquired. He knew that Shahal was a highly respected Konti and was revered by even the Ivaski. Gromhir had never felt as though she was someone who deserved so much respect, indeed she was wise and fair but to him, she was simply another Konti under the surface, one who deserved just as much respect as the next. “I am bonded to one of their line, Kamalia. She sleeps in her chambers while I left to think.”

“Would you care to walk? I cannot bear standing around for too long?”

[Satu]

“I know of the Timandre, they are highly regarded.” Satu nodded, impressed, “But personally, no I do not know them. I am not of their stature,” she laughed lightly and said more to herself then to Gromhir, “Who is to say that stature leads to contentment? I have not the desire for it; I am content to live my little life just…” She hesitated, wanting to say that she would live her life just as she always had. But during the course of conversation, she had all but forgotten that her life was changing and she was leaving Mura whether she liked it or not.

“Master Ivaski, let us walk, yes. But please, call me Satu. Why have such formalities at this very late hour?” Walking pleased her, for the cold had settled in her bones and caused her to shiver. The warm cloak no longer contained the heat that was lost to her light weight clothes underneath it.

They walked in silence for a time, and Satu enjoyed the Kelvic presence next to her. It was comforting in some deep, primal way to have someone at your side. Perhaps Avalis’ call would lead her to a feeling of belonging, with something, or someone…

After some thought she asked, “You have you travelled away from Mura, have you not?” He had a wild look about him, a primitive look, deep and old; it was not a look one saw often in Mura. Even though he was still young, she felt it in her soul. “What is it like?” She asked naively, “The world I mean? Of course it can not be as pretty as Mura and the Konti Islands.” She had not paid much attention to her studies regarding the outside world, preferring to pursue more active endeavours like dance and weaponry and now she found herself mourning that lost knowledge. Her mind fluttered, and the words poured out, “Did you see other Konti in your travels? Oh! I will miss them so when I depart!”

[Gromhir]

“Satu,” Gromhir repeated, getting a feel for the word in his mind. It took him a few moments as he forgot his manners briefly. It was so rare he spoke to someone he didn’t know on this island. If he wasn’t in the Timandre Residence then he was at the Opal Temple with the Ivaski. “You may call me, Gromhir. I would offer you something to warm you but I have nothing I am afraid.”

As they walked, he mulled over what Satu had said. Like her, he could sense emotions, but it was not as potent as her heartsense. All Ivaski had the ability to sense the emotions of those they were with. It was one of their most highly regarded gifts. He had a theory that it was also the source of the strong connection he had with Kamalia. Even now, he could briefly feel her presence in the back of her mind if he focused.

Satu broke the silence with questions that he felt weighed heavily on her soul. “Why would you wish to leave your home?” Gromhir replied almost without thinking. “Sylira is land like any other. It is filled with more colour than is present here. Here the land is pale but across the water it is different. It is filled with colours. Greens, browns, blues. Nature is free there. Here it is tamed but across the water it is truly free. It is a land of many paths but not all are terrible and dangerous.”

He knew he should not pry into her feelings but he could not help it. While he was an Ivaski, it was his duty to serve and protect. “May I ask what it is that troubles you?” Gromhir turned his eyes away from the path and looked towards the Konti. “You try and hide it but there is something.” It was not unlike what he did while he was around Kamalia. Maybe that was how he noticed it, because he did the same thing.