[Quest] A Blind Man's Faith (Nira'lia)

[Paragon]

The Konti were the daughters of the Sea, birthed from a divine union of the Ocean and the Seer. But it was not only Laviku and Avalis that watched over them with tender eyes. They were born healers -- Rak'keli revered them in her own way too. Nira'lia's prayer was a useful one. Though only a mortal ritual to the Konti, the divine heard. Hanna's father turned over to face Nira'lia as she knelt, though he kept his eyes closed. "My name is Sarin," he said quietely, then paused as if contemplating what she had said. "Hanna, would you mind fetching some things for me from the market? All the food will be gone soon if we don't stock up." He briefly sent his daughter on her way, then relaxed a little. He opened his eyes slowly, and Nira'lia would be slightly taken aback by the sight. His eyes had gone bone white. No pupil. No iris. Simply bone white orbs sat in the sockets. This was no normal patient, and nor was this normal blindness. "I am sorry but I don't like to talk about it when Hanna's around. I don't want to upset her." He swallowed, rolling over a little so he could stare at the ceiling. "I look up at the sky... when the storm began. Only the Gods know what that was about. Then suddenly I had a flash of something. Something monstrous, fiery. And then I blacked out. When I came to..." Sarin choked on his words, "I was blind. All my vision had left me."

[Nira'lia]

Nira'lia bit her lips to keep herself from reacting to what she saw. Blind people had pupils, and this man had nothing at all in those white orbs that were supposed to be his eyes. The konti's expression was full of concern and worry, and also of fright. What was going on? "Monstrous... and fiery...?" repeated Nira'lia. This seemed like nothing she was trained to do, as if it was beyond her mortal seeming. He had said it himself -- only the Gods knew what that was about. She remembered when the storm hit Zeltiva. It had not been something brought about by nature on its own. 'I don't know what to do...' The konti brought a hand forward and examined his eyes further. She found nothing that could help her confusion. 'Gods... Goddesses, what's going on?' OOCEven I have zero percent idea about what's going on lol, hence the short posts. xD

[Paragon]

"Yes... monstrous. It was... it was screaming, trying to break free. I only saw it for the shortest of moments, but its fire burned the image into my mind." As Nira'lia began to study Sarin's eyes, the man turned back to her, eyebrows arching in some sort of confusion. "Why is it you wear the gloves?" Though he had not seen them, he had felt them against his flesh. Sarin looked straight at her through those lifeless eyes. "Do you think I'm contagious or something?"

[Nira'lia]

Nira'lia's hands froze for a second when he asked those questions. Carefully, she stopped examining him and put her hands on her lap. She had a sheepish grin, one that he couldn't see. "No, sir, that's not the reason." In her mind, she scolded herself for being so careless. "I'm a konti," she explained, her voice slow but clear. Nira'lia didn't really like speaking about her gift. She didn't even tell those people whose memories she involuntarily saw about it. However, now, in order not to offend this man further, she had to talk about it. "We konti are given a gift that is unique to each of us. For me, when I come into contact with someone else's skin, I'm given a glimpse of their past... of, uhm, their happiest memory. Most people don't like it when I look into their memories without permission, and it can also... it can get overwhelming at times. That's why I wear gloves. I'm sorry if I offended you, but that wasn’t my intention." Nira'lia smiled to herself as she looked at this man before her. She never thought his illness, if one could call it that, could be contagious. Whatever had happened to him was supernatural, and she knew from how he spoke about it that he probably had the same impression. "Sir, what do you think that vision was about?" she asked. If he had some introspection about it, there was a chance they'd get closer to solving the mystery. "You said something about the Gods... was that a figure of speech, or do you think they're connected to this?"

[Paragon]

"Ah, the Konti. Of course. And Avalis. Are you marked by Avalis, child?" Sarin's question was quite insistent, and it seemed he had an idea. Some way of knowing; some way that Nira'lia could understand that moment he had experienced. Of fire and oblivion, of death and torment, of release and the end. "I... I think it had something to do with what caused the storm. I had a feeling." Sarin rolled back, putting his hands behind his head. He sighed in resignation, then committed to suggesting the unsuggestable. "If you are marked by your Goddess, then explore my past. Witness my vision, Konti. Maybe... maybe you'll know how to fix it then."

[Nira'lia]

The Konti looked at the back of her right hand, even if it was currently covered. She had been born with Avalis's mark -- a beautiful and intricate mark of a lily that had been there ever since life was breathed upon her. It was a second part of her, and it connected her with her Goddess, Avalis. Her Goddess had helped her many times in the past, and Sarin's suggestion made her realize that she had to turn to her once more. "Yes, I'm marked by Avalis," she said curtly. She could explore one's chavi and see what one has seen. "With your permission, I'll look into your vision now..." Nira'lia concentrated and used Avalis's power to explore the man's chavi. Her eyes turned into a daze as she was lost in a world that was not this one. The part of his chavi which contained his past was vast, which was expected of a person of his age. Images of his life flashed before her, even those that she didn't need at the moment. However, she knew what she was looking for, and she closed in on it. The Konti saw the mayhem of the storm in his eyes, saw the panic in the other people's faces. She was getting close... And then it happened. The old man's sight trailed up to the sky, and then his surroundings changed completely and in an instant. Nira'lia pursed her lips and awaited to see what he had seen -- the vision that had caused him to lose his sight completely.

[Paragon]

"Of course," he said, though an uneasiness crept into his voice. He hoped this fragile Konti would cope with the intensity of the vision. The White Seers were like noble lilies, their cause absolute, yet their stature so elegant and delicate. Nira'lia made contact, scouting Sarin's chavi. At first, she witnessed the chaos of the storm. Zeltiva exploded around her -- her very being existing within the memories. Her view turned to the sky, and dread filled her, knowing the moment he spoke of was coming. Yet curiosity filled her too. What had happened? What had he seen? Suddenly, Nira'lia was not in the room anymore. She was not in Sarin's cottage. She wasn't even in Zeltiva. Heat blasted at her, somehow she could feel its intensity. All around her was fire and rage. And there was a voice. A cry that reached her very soul. This was... Lightning and fire exploded around her -- and in an instant, she would know this was the storm starting. This was the beginning. Here, in the fiery bowels of Wind Reach. There was a blast that split everything, and Nira'lia was thrown into emptiness. She floated in darkness. She could not walk, for there was no ground beneath her, but if she tried to move her arms and legs it would be something like swimming. A feeling natural to a Konti. There was only inky blackness around her. In one direction, barely visible, was a pinprick of light. Radiant, inviting light. If she turned, she would see it, and perhaps swim towards it.

[Nira'lia]

Fear enveloped the Konti and all she could do was watch things unfold before her. An intense feeling of dread accompanied the fright. Did this vision have something to do with the storm? Right at that moment, she was sure, the storm had been a product of something much bigger than simply nature taking its toll. 'Whose voice is that?' Heaviness lingered inside her. The intensity of what she could see caused her to simply watch with wide eyes. She didn't move, and she even had to remind herself to breathe. Was this what Sarin saw? Before her mind could function any further, she was swept into darkness. She looked at down... nothing. Where was she? This had never happened before. 'I can move...' she realized when she finally decided to do something. Nira'lia knew for a fact that she couldn't move around when she gazed into someone's chavi – after all, it was simply seeing the memories of one person. She wasn't actually there. It was like being in water, something which she was familiar with. She was a Konti, no matter where she came from, the sea was as much as her home as land was. However, she had never swum in darkness before. 'Where am I...?' she wondered. Nira'lia looked at her hand -- she could see herself. It was evident that this was not someone else's memories anymore. It didn't make sense to her. She glanced around, and the only thing that was different in all of this was a very small source of light. Nira'lia started to 'swim' towards it. It was an odd feeling, to be floating in darkness, but it wasn't difficult for someone like her. She led her way towards the light. The light was drawing her closer. The closer she got to it, the louder her heart beat. She was scared, but also very curious. Other than that, she knew she had no other choice but to see the source of the light. The light became more radiant as she came closer. She squinted her eyes. It was slightly painful, but she kept her eyes on the light. The Konti didn't know how long it took or how far she swam in the emptiness, but finally she was close to the radiance. Mustering up all her courage, she investigated the light, wondering what it was.

[Paragon]

OOCSorry this is so late! First came fear. Born into the dankest darkness she had ever seen, Nira'lia was forced to swim first, and think later. Everything was unnatural, but here, the Konti had an edge over their human kin. Their ethereal, lithe forms, lathed and ready for a world much like dreams, far away from reality. As she came closer to the radiance, the fear seemed to dissipate, until it had been pushed so far back into her mind, she wondered why she had ever been scared. As the light touched her skin and her scales, she began to feel calmed too. Soothed. Healed. When she finally came close, Nira'lia would see the light was actually a person. She was a strikingly beautiful woman. Framed by long, dark hair, her eyes emanated a light that seemed able to push back all the darkness of Mizahar. She looked at Nira'lia, and smiled gently. Her posture was one of total control. "I have been waiting for you, Nira'lia. I wonder if you recognise me... I am known to the Konti. You are marked by my sister."

[Nira'lia]

The source of light was actually a woman. She was a very stunning woman, and Nira'lia knew, amidst the surrealism and the confusion, that her being encompassed Nira'lia's. When the woman spoke, Nira'lia's suspicions were confirmed. The Konti stared as she attempted to gather the thoughts in her mind. She looked down at the mark on the back of her hand – the intricate lily that said she was blessed by Avalis. Nira'lia was a Konti, and even if she didn't grow up on Mura, she was familiar with the more important things. Other than that, she knew enough about her Goddess, the Goddess of Divination, to know who her sister was. "Beloved Rak'keli..." said Nira'lia softly. Her voice was stunned and barely a whisper, but it was audible in the silent darkness. The puzzlement on Nira'lia's features was evident, and she recomposed herself to make herself presentable to the Goddess. What was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to ask why Rak'keli was waiting for her? Nira'lia hesitated. The question seemed impudent to ask, as if she doubted the Goddess's intentions, whatever it may be. "Beloved Rak'keli, why have you called me here?" asked Nira'lia, mustering up her courage. She quickly added. "Is there anything you need me to do?" Nira'lia's face suddenly lit up. Sarin, the old man who was suffering from a strange case of blindness! He was the reason she was sent here. Nira'lia still didn't understand what was going on, nor could she interpret what she had seen through Sarin's eyes. "My Goddess! Mister Sarin... can you help him?" she asked. As soon as she said that, she realized how impolite her question was. Of course she could help him. "I mean... of course you can, I'm sorry. Please, I ask of you, please help him! He has fallen ill because of a strange vision that emitted during the storm, and only you can do something for him. Please." Suddenly, and unbelievably, the reason why she was here, swimming in darkness and facing Rak'keli was completely lost to her. All she could remember was the cause of why she ended up here, and this led her to asking for a cure for the man.