[Flashback] Volcano's Breath [Solo]

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 498 AV "Food may be energy," her mother said, looking over her shoulder, "but it can also be a delicacy." Candira, her mother, and several of her siblings swam in a loose group, feet kicking in beautiful synchronization. Her father trailed behind silently, poking his head into crevices of coral and picking at the kelp with his sharp teeth. The young girl noticed his distraction. "Dad, you're falling behind!" Candira said, breaking from the formation. Though they were far from home, a trail of coral stretched unstopped before and behind them. Delicate spires of orange loomed over squat fans of red, and between the colorful display of sea life, quick flics of grey, green, and even yellow gave hint to the aquatic life thriving in the reef. She fingered a slimy piece of kelp, longer than her leg, with naturally curious fingers. Her father was head down in a ditch, his frantic digging throwing puffs of sand into the water. "Did you find anything?" she asked, nudging his shoulder aside. A treasure could be unearthed at any moment! She peered inside the small crevice, circling the man with easy strokes. He wouldn't let her see! Her father was a large man, broad of back and of chest from farming. Like Candira, his skin was a deep blue with tentacles flicking from his scalp and ears shaking with movement. "No, nothing," he sighed, pulling himself from the hole. He barely noticed his daughter's agitation as she scrambled forward after him. "I would have bet Makutsi that I saw a clam." He looked around in surprise. "Where did your mother go? Where did you go?" Candira had dug herself into the cramped hole. Pink barnacles coated the rocks in stubbly sections, and tiny fish tickled her face. She snapped at them playfully, her three sets of clinking with contact. "Hey, get out of there!" her father laughed, wrapping his slimy arms around her waist and pulling her from the hole. She giggled as he spun her head-over-heels into a rambunctious tumble. "Oh no, it's a whirlpool!" he shouted in glee, twisting his body easily through the water. They landed softly in a bed of plants, the leaves snaking around her limbs. She laughed, escaping from his grasp. A smile donned her face as she proclaimed, "I am too old for the whirlpool, dad!" "Oh, I must have forgot, there's so many of you!" He chased after her as she kicked away, flitting between the piles of rocks and plantlife, diving through screens of vegetation, and lurking in dark corners. Her trailing bubbles soon gave her location away, and her father glided slowly to her. "Found you, clamshell!"

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 495 AV She and her father entertained themselves in the reef, easily forgetting her mother's mission for the day: teach the children how to boil and cook certain vegetables. Instead, they scavenged the reef. Candira swam through an archway of rock and coral, formed from years of relentless currents and hungry plant life. She stroked the porous rock, peeling back a layer of algae from its surface. The roots remained stuck fast, and she braced her feet and yanked. The girl's fingers slipped and she flew back into the water with a grunt of surprise. "Never destroy, Candira!" her father said, walking along the sandy bottom. The water was shallow, and the sunlight struck through to the ocean floor. She could easily see her father through the clear waters. "I was just looking," she reasoned. He pushed off the ground in a bubble of sand, kicking and swiping the water. A serious look had taken control of his face. "Every living thing is sacred," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her down to the surface. The pair settled on the ground at his motion, and she dug her toes into the wet sand in apprehension for what was sure to come: her father lectured her bad behavior. "What makes you better than that snail over there, Candira, or that rock over there? Because you can swim faster? Or because you can command the coral? Pay attention!" Candira looked up from where she had been cupping the sand between her webbed toes and flinging it into mushroom clouds. "All life is sacred," she said. "I know that." "Then why did you pull the kelp from the rock?" "I wanted to see what was underneath," she said. "And what if I wanted to see what was underneath our home, and just ripped it up?" "Mother would grow a new one," she retorted, stubborn. The child wanted to play, not talk philosophy. Candira squirmed, but her father was adamant on making sure his daughter understood. "That is not the point. Each living thing, here or in the sun, is touched by the gods. Caiyha gives us the power to move the coral, but coral will not move unless we ask it politely. Even the schools of fish make way for each other, or else they crash!" Candira grinned at the comical picture her creative mind drew. "Then why do we eat plants, if they are living too?" Her father nodded in approval at her question, misunderstanding her subtle rebuttal as curiosity. "A plant does not die if you borrow a leaf. If you take a fin from a dolphin, or an arm from a star, they will leave this world forever. A plant stays and grows back, ready to give again," he said. "But taking them from the root, or taking without need, is wasteful and disrespectful." He held a steady gaze, and Candira shifted her pale eyes away. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Will you do it again?" came his quick reply. She took her time answering, knowing that she would one day forget again or make a mistake, or disrespect the gods. But she had to try! "I won't!" she promised.

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 495 AV "Good," he said. "Now, what did you find?" Candira clutched her empty bag, pathetic next her her father's heavy one. "Nothing ... " she mumbled. He stood up. "Do you know that conch shell I have?" he said. She nodded, recalling the majestic trophy displayed proudly in his quarter of the home. "Conch shells were once animals, and they live in the grass. Now," he teased, "if I'm not mistaken, there is a field close by..." Candira jumped up. "Yes! It was just beyond the archway, I remember!" Excitement coursed through her, and she swam quickly. The sea grass field was small, nestled between the folds of the reef. The grass itself was short and squat, sturdy against the increasingly warmer water and heavier currents. Candira remained close to the ground, frowning as she was forced to kick more furiously. "Tell me if you get tired," her father said, gripping a handful of grass. "Why are there such big currents?" she questioned, glancing to the surface. The water, only thirty feet above, glittered with sunlight and cast wrinkles of white along the grass and her skin. There was neither a storm nor a tide, both causes that the young girl was learning about in school. "We've been getting closer to the volcano, and Ivak's fury still heats the water. His emotions make it move," he said. "If you get tired, let me know." "I won't!" She turned her attention to the grass. The thin stalks ended in thick sand, dark with sedimentation and the picture of heath. A fish meandered by, eying the girl warily. She returned the look, and it shook its tail. A moment later, it dove down and disappeared into the foliage. The girl followed it with a quick kick, nosing the ground. A plant swayed unnaturally against the current. She grabbed the long step, running her finger to the root. She dug, touching something hard. "Ah!" she yelled, gripping a rock and pulling it from the ground. The girl held the piece in awe: it was smooth and black, struck with lighter ripples. The volcano-formed rock was heavy and fit perfectly in her hand. "Dad!" she called in glee, holding her find proudly in the air. "I'm keeping this!"

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 495 AV Her father swam over, reaching for the rock. She let him examine the piece, releasing it only reluctantly. "This is a good find," he complimented her, handing it back. She opened her reed-woven bag and placed it inside gingerly. Like many of Charodae products, her bag was a piece of art as well as functionality; the fine Widgeon Grass stalks had been woven together in a tight mesh that displayed intertwining green leaves, small orange dots of fish, and blue ocean swirls. It closed by a thick drawstring at the top, and a large belt held it over her shoulder and across her bare torso. Well worn and soft, Candira carried the bag everywhere. The girl looked back at the grass bed. She wanted to collect more, to be like her parents who throughout their lives had collected troves of treasures! "Now, I believe we've been gone long enough," he said, noticing the gleam of collection in his daughter's eye. They were floating gingerly between the surface and the seabed, drifting with the current. Candira spread her fingers, circling lazily. Perhaps he wouldn't notice if she just gracefully brought herself to the bottom? "Your mother might think we've been eaten by sharks!" "Oh, she wouldn't even notice," Candira said. "Danee and Nishem are with her." "All the same. Do you have your kelp with you?" She nodded. "And the sea spaghetti?" Candira nodded more dramatically. The previous day, her mother had taken the shoal north to harvest the thin, yellow strings from a natural field. They spend the entire day removing the small hairs, and Candira was proud of her work - even if it did hurt her fingers. With a word of agreement, the father and daughter swam off to face Ivak's and mother's fury.

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 498 AV The Charodae were traveling away from the coast, and the distance was apparent in the change of scenery. The ground slipped away under them and the colorful plant life was left behind. The waters became darker with depth, and the floor of the ocean smoothed to a gentle downward slope. Candira swam slowly, trying not to disturb the water. The sunlight was so far away; they had entered into an eternal dusk. Only the occasional water-caused ripple marred the perfect surface. Sound was muffled with water pressure and the unceasing, powerful undercurrents. "Where are the fish?" she said, her voice quiet and lost in the increasing doom. "They don't come here," he said. They descended once more into silence, and the small girl had to wonder: if the other animals, those happy ones in the reef, did not come to the volcano, why did they? Her pale eyes scanned the area; was this the home of the monster fish she had only experienced in stories? Suddenly, the ground dropped beneath them in a great cliff. Though she had not noticed it before, the landmark commanded the region with prowress. This land, this underwater desert, covered in forgotton ash and left dark and lifeless, was unbreachable territory. The waters cried, "You are unwelcome!" and the silence rang with fury at the tresspassers. She wanted to turn around. Candira could not find the strength, nor the will, to continue kicking. Her bones were deformed from the weight of the water, squeezing her and pushing her away. "Strength of Laviku, Candira," her father whispered encouragement. His words seemed so insubstantial against the depths. She kicked once more, determined to face the volcano.

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 498 AV As the pair neared the active volcano, the water temperature increased. Candira became uncomfortable in the heat, and slowed. "Dad ... " she complained, gills flaring to reveal tiny strips of pink flesh underneath. Bubbles fluttered from her neck, coiling strangely in the warmer water. "It's not all that far, clam," he said, twisting. His gills, too, flared and the tentacles on his head twitched in simple annoyance. The Charodae were built strong, despite the harsh changes the Valterrain had wrought on their bodies. This submerged volcano was only a faint repercussion of the disaster the god had leashed upon Mizahar, so many lifetimes ago. "The sulfur is good for your fins." "Is that what smells?" she said, padding her flat nose with her webbed hand. Her father drifted toward the very edge of the cliff, gripping onto the rough rock pieces. He dug his toes into the wall, standing upright with only his head poking above. "Stay near the wall," he commanded; she had begun to drift further out into the more open waters, gazing down in wonder. His voice cut sharp with worry and fear, and she dutifully settled close to the older Charoda. "Here, you climb. No swimming." He pointed at natural hand holds, and the girl grabbed them obediently. They were delightfully warm to the touch, and she leaned her exposed stomach against the rock. "Why not swim?" she whispered, curiosity forcing her musical speech to linger in the heavy surroundings. Wouldn't it be faster? "The currents will pull you away. This is a place ... " he shook his head, worry dotting his glazed eyes. "There is a current we use for boiling; it is marked by a piece of red coral. Can you see it?" Candira paused in her climbing, scanning the rough wall. "There?" she pointed. He pushed her closer to the rock, peering around her blue body. "Yes, that is it." He crawled to the indicator with deliberate motion, barely stirring the water with his passing. Candira copied, sliding a foot here, inching a hand there. Her back fins tingled, and she risked a glance over her shoulder. The dark, open water loomed like a great void of the unknown. She shivered, turning gratefully back to the rock wall. This, at least, was solid and safe. She gripped it with more force, craving safety and forcing bravery.

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 498 AV The red coral hung unnaturally beside a long, coiled piece of rope. The contraption was shoved into a large crevice; Candira reasoned she could squeeze inside if necessary. The current was stronger here, lifting her scalp tentacles from her shoulders and dragging them to her left in eerie waves. "Do not let go," her father warned sternly. The girl jolted in surprise when he did not heed his own wisdom. The Charoda let go, kicking furiously and balancing with his elbow shoved painfully against the formation. Desperate, he even used his tentacles to attach himself to the rock. "Okay," he strained, showing a false grin. He pulled out the algae-tinged cord and replaced it with his pack. Candira clung to the wall like a leech, watching with curious eyes. "This is where you attach the basket," he explained, holding the far end of rope. A claw of molded shell created a perfect hook. "Can you take our your basket?" Candira nodded, and removed one shaking hand carefully from the wall. She took a deep breath, the hot water making her dizzy. Her father eyed the child, ready to pounce if the unthinkable occurred. The pliable, green basket was filled with her shucked sea spaghetti, churning as the water rushed through. It unfolded in the current, bulging out to a more substantial size. At one end, the opening was tied tightly shut; a corresponding shell fit exactly with the one her father held. "Good." He handed the contraption to his daughter. "Now, let it into the current." Cautiously, the girl pushed the whole piece away from her. The water caught it quickly, tugging the food deep into the depths. The rope continued, dragging out until she could no longer see the end. Chimes passed, and finally the rope was taught. It strained against its tie, dug deep into the crevice wall by an ingenious Charoda of past times. "Now what?" she muttered through dazed lips, her clinging fingers loosing strength under the barrage of flowing water and high temperatures. "Now, we wait," he said.

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 498 AV They clung to the rock like leeches. Her father had snaked his arm around Candira's shoulders, holding her close. His large presence comforted the small girl, and she convinced herself that she wasn't afraid, that this was fun, that the empty ocean behind her did not exist, that breathing was not difficult. Her thoughts turned to her black obsidian rock, settled comfortably in her messenger bag. Candira chased her daydreams with grateful happiness, as she realized thoughts distracted her from the bells of waiting. Why was the boiling taking so long? The young girl felt like she was cooking, inside and out. But this is different! Imagine what her friends will say when she held up the rock treasure, or when she regaled them with her volcanic adventure. Will they be jealous? She hoped so. But what she really wanted was a conch shell: majestic and pink, sitting proudly on her designated shelf. Her father once said, if you blew into the shell above the water, it created a deep sound. 'Like a whale, calming and powerful,' he said. But the man refused to let anyone but himself - and occasionally his wife - touch the treasure, and Candira was left to stare in greed at the piece. She would do the same. She will do the same, with her rock, and let no one touch it. Perhaps she should fashion it into a necklace. Her sister had one: a faceted rock consumed by fingers of coral, hanging heavily from her thin neck. Candira was never one for jewelery, but if she could wear her find ... Everyone could see it! Maybe she should fashion a crown for her seahorse. When she got a seahorse, that is. Candira wanted that, too, so she could decorate the beast in pearls and coral. It was a good thing they would learn intricate coral manipulation, she reasoned. The young girl's imagination held so many beautiful ideas, and her mind wandered into the far reaches of invention and design with the fervor of a child. --- Her fingers slipped from the rock, and her father whipped his leg and arm around, catching the limp girl. "Candira?" he hissed, clutching his daughter. "Candira!" The Charoda did not move, save for the fluttering gills and twitching eyes. Her small body had given up under the pressure and the heat, and her mind had escaped from the discomfort of the depths. He was wrong to bring her here. The man should have thought about his daughter's safety, instead of letting excitement at teaching her a new skill. Candira was his favorite, by far, and he pampered her more than the other children. To look at her, in such a state, at his own doing, was torture. What was he thinking? The man twisted, using his head limbs to hold the girl to his back. He scaled the wall, more quickly than was safe. Hand, foot, reach! He moved quickly, jumping and swimming when he could not find decent hand holds. The water buffeted him, and more than once he slammed painfully against the sharp rock. But the father had a mission, a goal, and he would not be deterred. His daughter would not suffer, not at his hand! He had to get out of the hot water, back to the shallows. Forget the food, forget the teaching; ignore the danger; just swim, swim, swim until his legs and arms ached and his gills flared with the effort of breathing.

[Candira]

Season of the Winter, Day 40, 498 AV The man moved in intermittent bursts of desperate speed, returning faster than first leaving the reef. He was blind with panic, and to his unfocused eye, suddenly, the waters changed. The light increased; the water pressure lessened; and the temperatures crawled to lower numbers. Her father launched himself forward with a final, determined push and swam along the ocean floor. His fast passage stirred the water, and sand flew into the air. They were still in the open waters, but Ivak's fury ebbed as he struggled forward and Caiyah's love protected them from beasts. The coral reef poked its head from the depths, greeting the returning Charodae with vibrant colors and safe plant life. The man let a sigh of hopeful relief bubble from his gills, but the panic was not over. He was not a medicine man; he was a simple farmer, too simple to even realize the danger he dragged his child into! The man risked a glance at his daughter, slowing to pull her in front of him. Cradled in his arms, the man shook Candira. "Clamshell, to you hear my music?" She twitched, still lost in the throes of sleep. Her blue hue had returned in all its valor, and tiny pockets of air coated her skin as her body thankfully gulped the more temperate water. Her large eyes flicked under the their thin membrane. This time, he breathed a truer sigh of relief and swam more slowly, careful with his precious cargo. She would live; of that the man was positive. The harsh panic drained away, leaving him exhausted and struggling on. The lights of their city illuminated the night-darkened horizon, visible after another bell of steady paddling. He shook the girl for another, uncountable, time. For once, she stirred on her own. Her father responded with a jubilant cry, hugging her close. "Candira, clamshell! Sing to me!" A quiet moment lapsed as he tilted his intricate ear toward her mouth, straining for a sound, any sound. How many times had he done this on the return trip? His hope was strong force. "Father," she groaned, her music just a rasp of coral on rock instead of the graceful melodies of her kind. "Candira! Tell me," he demanded, "how do you feel?" "Tired," she said. "Why are we not near the volcano?" "Ivak sent a warning, and we had to leave." He shuddered in thought. How close had she been to visiting Lhex? Only the god would ever truly know. "Do you feel sick? Your eyes? Stomach? Limbs? Home is just a whale's length away." She closed her eyes with a sigh. So tired! "Yes," the whispered words, an answer to some unsaid question, barely fell past her lips as she ventured into dreamland once more.

[Candira]

El Fin Pun Intended