Location [Entrance] The Rolling Waves

[Phyolea]

2 Fall 513AV

Phyolea had arrived. It had been over a year since she began her journey... and she was finally here. She approached the surface cautiously and looked at the port ahead. She had come through the strait in Mathews Bay and was eager to begin her studies.

Quietly she swam past the ships toward the docks. Something seemed awry but she could not quite yet identify what was wrong. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary... yet. The docks seemed rather busy today. There was some sort of commotion. Phyolea's curiosity and thirst for knowledge drove her to pull herself onto shore and out of the familiar comforts of the water.

Phyolea staggered for a bit while she got used to breathing air and walking in bipedal motions on land. It had been a long time since she last walked on land. She moved closer to the throngs of people. What she saw filled her with trepidation. Sentinels. They were conducting searches of everyone that had come from sea. A sentinel was coming for her. He did not look the least bit friendly.

"You. State your business."

"Um, I'm here to enroll in the University," came Phyolea's lilting voice. Her fear did not hide the traits that marked her voice as decidedly Charoda.

"Are you with the Zeltiva faction? You here to give 'em reinforcements?"

"The wha-"

"You're bringing them rations, aren't you?" Perhaps the sentinel had not liked her voice. Perhaps her silvery skin and her dorsal fins didn't make the best first impression. The sentinel searched her, unbidden.

"No, please don't take that!" Phyolea had let him frisk her down until he touched her pendant. She had been holding it in her hand in silent appreciation for making it safely. The sentinel took it and inspected it closely. Satisfied that the pendant posed no threat, the sentinel grunted and tossed it back to her.

"Get out of here. We're in the middle of a coup d'état. If you're a smart little girl, you'll help us Denvali. Otherwise, you might die. Got it?" Phyolea's fear left her speechless. She only nodded. "Good." With that, the sentinel went on to the next traveler. "Welcome to Zeltiva. You can call it Neo Denval," he called as he left.

[Aylaru Loru'iel]

11 Fall, 513 AV


Aylaru's meditative trance was brutally interrupted by his collision with something rather solid. [...] His hands groped about for a moment, searching for the surface he had crashed into while swimming underwater during his half-aware state of meditation. When his fingers felt the smooth rocks his head had collided with, the realization of his location hit him harder than any stone wall could ever have: Zeltiva. He had finally reached his destination. [...]

He swam upwards along the rock wall of Zeltiva's docks until he reached the surface, then grabbed a protruding stone and hoisted himself out of the water. [...] When finally he was out of the water and standing on both feet, he found himself nose to nose with a man in full armor.

"State your business."

[...] Aylaru blinked twice and fainted on the spot.


OOCRead the whole story on the The Rulers of Zeltiva thread by clicking the asterisk. *

[Sinoa]

Sinoa 28 Fall, 513 AV It had felt like a century since Sinoa had stealthy become a stowaway on a ship to who knows where. The wooden create that the tiny Pycon had taken refuge is was cramped and uncomfortable but he was still thankful she had somehow managed to get herself out of Alvadas. While it was a beautiful city with many interesting sights, Sinoa didn't feel the least bit safe there nor was it a happy place to be. The Pycon hoped that his new destination was a peaceful one with many new things to see and places to explore. He had overheard the occasional conversation of a few of the crew and from what he could gather the ship was on course to Zeltiva. Growing up in his pyve back in Sylirus she had heard many wonderful things about Zetiva and how it was the city of knowledge. This information made the Pycon very excited but this was short lived as he also heard of a Coodayta that was plaguing the town which was a source of great anguish for the crew of the ship. Sinoa tried to imagine what this creature might look like but doing so only gave her terrible nightmares. When the ship arrived at it's destination, Sinoa sneaked out one of the port holes and into the water. After swimming to shore. She could see the Captain of the ship being interrogated by a very stern looking human man. The Captain seemed very nervous during the interaction and with Sinoa's limited understanding of human expression the Pycon couldn't understand why. As he walked around, Sinoa noticed that many people were tense and a few jumped in alarm when she greeted them. Sinoa was starting to feel that he should be on guard as well in case the Coodayta shows up.

[Amelia Cross]

[60h day of fall 513.a.v.]
[Middle day]

Just seeing Zeltiva from a distance had brought a whole new spectrum of feelings back to the girl, but now, stepping her feet back on the streets and inhaling the salty air of this city. It was so familiar, she could almost see the way she ran along these streets a child and how she wished to be a sailor once, not for long though, her mind change quickly and she decided to be a teacher, then something else and now she was an apprentice of a mage, earning a living by fortune telling.

Either way, the people she arrived with had scattered on their own little things, they knew where to meet up and how so she wasn’t worried. Actually, Amelia was even sure she was most familiar to this city. So having Fauna by her side, smiling to the people crossing her way and asking for directions once a bit lost, she made her way to the closest inn. Finding some food and maybe a job around here would be the next in her priority list.

The girl had wished to come back eventually, but was she really prepared for this emotionally was not clear…after all, Zeltiva was the last place where she had a family, where she was loved.

[Elin Mata]

16th of Fall 513 AV Midday Gods, how Elin hated the weather. Oh yeah, first it's all like, 'Hey, I feel like being sunny today!' and then the next second it decides to go all stormy and cloudly and pour its petching rain all over you! The girl had just trudged into Zeltiva, leading her horse by the bridle. She'd have to find somewhere to stay and stabling for the colorsplash. With any luck, they'd be near each other. Ever since the news of the destruction of her city of birth had reached her ears, Elin had been fretting over the survival of her people. But then there was Zeltiva. She'd heard that there were other Denvali here. A port city, like Denval. Secluded, like Denval. Granted, it was more crowded than her old home, but it was close enough to suffice for the girl. She could hunt for the Zeltivans, maybe. Head out into the wilderness like she did in Syliras, so they wouldn't have to eat fish all the time. Did they eat fish all the time? Did they barter, instead of using money? How would she get a job? Elin raised her head, strands of hair heavy with water sticking to her face. Petchin' rain. She would've preferred wind. At least it wouldn't soak through her clothes and chill her bones. The young girl tugged on the reins, the horse following her obediently as she trudged through the streets of Zeltiva. First things first: Find someplace to stay for at least the night. Every town had an inn of some sort, right? So she'd look for that. After another half-bell of going in circles, she found it. Kind of. Elin thought it was the right place. World's End Grotto, right? Yeah. So she just... walked in. And that was that.

[Elan]

~Elan~ 10th of Fall, 513 AV Leaving the Glacier's Howl was harder than he'd thought. He'd become attached to the old lady, he knew every inch of her deck from scrubbing it when his name had come up in the rotation every few days, he had lovingly rehung many of those ratlines he gazed at as he stood on the dock. It felt alien for the ground beneath his feet to stay still, as if all the life had gone out of it, as if it was just waiting for him to fall and bash his face against it. Elan narrowed his eyes at the ground, then glanced up at the Glacier and waved a final farewell before turning and walking in the direction of the city. He was headed to the World's End Grotto, he'd been told by some of the dock hands that they were in need of an extra cook. Nothing glorious, just an extra pair of hands for the simpler dishes. So that's where he was going, he glanced over his shoulder and sighed, just when he'd gotten used to being a sailor. Here it was, his new life in Zeltiva.

[Bakk]

Bakk stepped through the last little bit of the forest and moved a tree out of his way. his helmet bobbled a little bit as his heavy feet picked up in pace as he approached the entrance. he had been surviving off of wild game for weeks on end now and couldnt wait to bathe, have a small meal, and find some place to sleep for the night.

the city left Bakk in awe, it truly was more marvelous than the other small cities and villages he passed, and he simply marveled at the site of the university

i should take on a few classes over there while im here,

he thought to himself as he stepped in through the entrance. his warhammer was being used as a walking cane. his tired legs could only carry him so much farther, but to be honest his stomach was doing most of the walking as he approached the inn. the only thing that was on his mind as he approached the entrance was food and sleep.

[Midna Coolwater]

19th day of Fall, 513 av Down east street she went with the broken windows and the rising damp, with the lechers and watchmen all sniffing the flowers of evil; down east street with the cracked walls and broken windows; down east street with the flowers of evil; down east street to a new flat with the stench of rising damp and wet wood burning in the hearth; down east street she went, with man-and-machine, with wood turners and chandlers and other ropemakers; down east street with ragged men huddling around an old brass brazier; down east street from the shipyard, from the fish market, from the gentle ropes from the lovesless love nests, with the smell of the flowers of evil. Lasheela's ship finally pulled into the docks and the beautiful pier after being delayed for three days in a horrible storm that rocked the boat and threw off ropes and candles and wood and other goods and forced you into land to wait it out with no rations, starving Midna finally came to the docks with wet clothes and a rumbling tummy under wet sack clothes and shivering and covered in bumps with the cold (but what does that matter to an old Vantha?); finally comes to the warmth of old men, bad booze and long stories, and the warmth of hearths and too many questions and an altar to Priskil and the god of Wet. And she mused over the too-many warm questions; 'aren't you a pretty young thing?' No - 'Vantha, ey? Avanthal - boy I was there many a wae won meal ago, with the white brass coming over the hills all colours and the milky sky and eyes of all colours; which hold were you from, girl? I know all about Avanthal, I had a girl there - let me tell you, if I didn't know about Avanthal, would I know that Snowsong is two hundred and fifty meters from Skyglow; did you hear about that girl from Skyglow who was murdered? Have you ever really seen Morwen? Hows your mother?' (Midna would spit and sigh, or vomit - 'I came here to bury Avanthal,' she'd say, 'Not to praise it.') She put her feet on the pier; Zeltiva! Zeltiva! Massive old city of shacks and stonemasonry, massive old city of commerce and small traders and the old guard; stumbled into a fray of scurrying thieves and fat merchants and sailors with large hairy forearms and beautiful fat noblewomen, and brass and silver and gold strings on harps and people who walked right by you and not even leaning down to say, 'Hello.' How could it be? To a little Vantha-Myrian never out of her hold, and get lost! Get lost, tangled up in the flowers of evil and tresses of nets and ropes and the wae footsteps on the wooden pier; and where blood and soldiers and force poured down from the scummy quarters on the sides and plots and reactionary violence; how could such a thing be, outside of a hold - but what does that matter to an old Vantha? 'Get home and get inside,' she thought, 'and get into a bottle of wine.' She forgot about soldiers and old men and bad beer and busy markets and no eye contact and lovenests and she even forgot about seeing a man with a dagger in his heart in the empty thoroughfare, welcoming her drunken body to Zeltiva which stunk of the flowers of evil as she went down east street - but what does that matter to an old Vantha? 'And your name?' said a sentinel; big and hairy and light flesh, Midna was his shadow cowering under him and he was a big candle eliminating all shadows far out to every corner, 'Midna,' she stammered, 'Midna... Coolwater.' The sentinel frowned and Midna cowered and the sentinel asked a lot of other questions, like 'what is your business here?' - 'To make ropes, gov' - 'How did you get here?' - and she came off like a terrorist, probably, or a tramp, because she could hardly push out the words in her rusty Common; and her shaky hands made her look like an underage courtesan, probably, strayed from her madam, or a drunk like she was - 'Are you carrying any weapons?' - 'no, sir farthest from my mind' - she was too milquetoast for big sentinels. 'I'm going to be sick, sir.' Let me go down east street and smell the flowers of evil. 'Did you come to praise Avanthal?' she pictured him saying; 'No, I came to bury it.'

[Kalina]

60th Day of Fall, 513AV Kalina was not the first of her travelling party to get off the boat! nor indeed was she the fastest. The small Kelvic, currently in human form, was desperate to be off the sea bound vehicle and onto dry land once more. But, even after so long on the ship, she had not gotten used to it and her legs were just as wobbly as they had been on her first excursion on a boat, back in Ravok. For the most part, the girl was lucky enough that she could just curl up anywhere and sleep; that seemed to make the time go faster. The feline Kelvic was not as horrified by water as she had been when Marcus first took her away from the Kelvic Research Institute. Since beginning their travels, Kalina has spent more and more time around lakes and rivers, even going as far as to attempt to learn how to swim. A big incentive was the fact that she hadn't had a single piece of fish since leaving Ravok, and she knew that, should she be able to brave the water. She could attempt to catch one herself. Following closely after Amelia, who was seemingly taking her sweet time in exiting the vessel, Kalina grips her Master's hand with all her might, partly because she needed his support physically, still feeling nauseas from the choppy sea. But also the one year old didn't really understand why the four were travelling so much; she was confused, and was generally close to his side, straying off to explore less and less. This new city was not as enthralling as the last; the buildings looking the same to her, for the most part. They had not been in Nyka for long, which had not left Kali with any identifying features with which to separate the two in her mind. Except the smell. They both differed greatly from Ravok, however; although this city had a port, it was nothing like the lake based city she had come to call home. Thinking on it, though, she imagined that this city would be full of places to eat fish in... and that made her smile.

[Marx Eisenstahl]

75th of Autumn, 513 A.V. Sunlight streamed through the mountains, dappling the countryside with bright ribbons of light. Birds chirped and sang at each other, calling for attention. Gaudy wild flowers huddled together, sheltered from storms and wind by the mountains. From a distance, a creaking could be heard. Marx Eisenstahl held his hand in front of his face, shading his eyes from the glaring sun. He stood on the side of a caravan, wearing all his mismatched armour. He sighed with relief. He was worn from travelling, worn from spending nearly half a year travelling. But he knew it was worth it. As he looked down at his battered armour, he knew it had to be worth it. He'd been out of work- good, well-paying work- for some time. He'd saved up, and made one last, desperate journey to Syliras, which he'd heard was very busy. He didn't stop to consider that a city run by over seven thousand knights might not need mercenary support. And now, after so much travelling, he had arrived at what he thought would be his resting place. As the caravan creaked onward, into the city, Marx hoped that he was right.