Don't Drink The Water [Invite Only]

[Cachet]

TimeTime this whatever you want as long as you both agree.
Silver Lake was as serene and as beautiful as any of the sites in all of Mizahar. It stretched on for quite some distance. It was morning, bright and early golden fingertips stretched lazily over the horizon indicating it was indeed going to be another bright day in Mura. The lakes crystalline surface was a giant clear mirror disturbed only every now and then by a small blonde haired child deciding to play in it. They were careful though not to drink the water, even the smallest Konti knew the possible consequences of such action. But that didn’t stop them from playing in the clear fresh water.

It was said to be a gift from Avalis herself; it could cause clear visions of the past, present, or future. The waters were traded outside Mura, but only to Mura’s most trusted allies that V’nessi personally felt could be trusted with the visions they would see. But despite this the Silver Lake was not guarded, no if a visitor wanted to see a vision they were welcome to partake of one. But any Konti would warn them that the consequences of these visions would indeed weigh heavily on them from the day they received them. It was almost like being granted Avalis’s gift but only for a short foggy period of time.

The waters waited for any and all that were brave or insane enough to try and partake of them. Before any who ventured laid a very treacherous path. Who knew what troubles lay ahead in the visions, or what journey they would make during these visions. Not to long ago a man went insane for a short period of time and stormed Rak’keli’s south tower while under the influence of the vision water. But then again he had been drinking the waters for seasons.

[Hadrian]

50th Spring, 512 A.V. Hadrian had never particularly wanted to become a prophet. To his mind, a vision of the future that was stamped with divinity's seal was limiting to one's free will. Then again, he would argue the opposite point, that even a perfect vision granted to an imperfect vessel would be altered; one could not observe a thing without changing it. But since the storm had unlocked his gift from Eyris and he had begun his strange dance with Nysel, he was beginning to understand the chavena from more than one angle, and he guessed that Lady Avalis' visions might just be another perspective on the chavena. He had known Konti seers; in fact, he often lusted after them. Sondra could suss out a man's secret sins. L'orlei knew a person's name without asking. The gifts were manifold, and of course he wondered what form such a gift would take if Avalis planted it within his soul. He found nowadays that he would not mind her gift, but he would seek knowledge and -- more importantly -- wisdom from it. And perhaps a path to a more unknowable deity, Tanroa of the hourglass, and Lhex of the fates. And beyond them... what? But today he merely walked to the Silver Lake to see what was to be seen, perchance to drink of the water. Perhaps the Lady would take notice of him then. Tiki accompanied him, the pair of them having grown closer on the long sail from Avanthal, but closer was not bonding, and he wondered at the Kelvics who grew close to him but did not bond. Perhaps it was something wrong with him, much as the gods had taken their sweet time in paying attention to him. But the world was vast, and there was only so much attention, he supposed. When they reached the lake, he paused to take it all in. It was idyllic, the beauty, the little blond cherubim, and the lovely weather. He smiled faintly. For some, this would be paradise. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked casually. Tiki would likely enjoy this with a purer heart than he.

[Tiki]

Tiki had been following Hadrian. They were off to…well Tiki didn’t quite know what they were up to, but it did seem like the appropriate thing to do! The previous days in the Mura “wilderness” – the forests actually seemed very tame and peaceful in comparison to the other forests he had wandered through – had been enlightening, and this could just be another step. Tiki had been wondering a lot more than usual about what he really wanted to do. That didn’t even properly describe…there’s that, it’s a feeling, but it’s not all of heart. There is this experience in the future to behold and it’s just in grasp, but something is in the way, and just to catch a glimpse of it would be fulfilling. It was deep for Tiki to think of, perhaps too deep for his understanding and worse yet to put to words. He had only mentioned it in brief to Ethan on the seas between Mura and Avanthal. Tiki hadn’t spoken much of this feeling since, not at all actually. The Call, as the Konti call it, the drive to find life’s purpose and passion in an individual, that was what he sought after. Young, free, and wild, it was a bit much to expect him to settle down as say “This is what I want to do with my life.” It was a miracle he had the life he did, some magical experiment fully bloomed. As of the moment, life called him here, with Hadrian. The walk through Mura was so rich with culture that to find one’s self now back in nature was refreshing. Tiki felt the lake’s cool waters trickling down his throat before he could even break the surface. It was a lake to Tiki. The connotation of its name, and therefore powers, did not penetrate Tiki’s basic wants or needs. He was the cat to be told, “Go, fetch the deer in the Bladed Ravine,” if such a place existed, and he would go hunt the deer unaware and uncaring of what the name entailed of treacherous terrain, only acknowledging and dealing with it then. Such a lack of planning had its uses, impulse demanding immediate action, but could be fatal given the proper circumstances. On that note, in all the bliss and beauty that the lake entailed, Tiki saw a water pond. The cat glanced up at Hadrian with reassurance that he was heard, and Tiki did appreciate the beauty of the lake. That wasn’t important right now. It was a water pond, Tiki could use a few licks, and his black behind was already on its way, tail swooshing back and forth in his trot, for a drink of the vision water. Ugh, the onetime Tiki’s seemingly boundless curiosity could save him troubles and here he is charging forward. What a kelvic, what a kelvic…

[Cachet]

Out about them not to far away a few young Konti girls were playing in the water wearing long white dresses. Their mothers only about knee deep or so in the waters supervising them as they played. The Konti were very careful for some reason to not let the water be swallowed by their children. Even the children seemed to know that the waters were especially dangerous now…since the storms. Something about the waters changed; usually it took perlonged exposure to trigger the vivid visions that many seemed to have. But since the storms the water was especially potent. And as such the Konti felt it pressing to warn the two men.

The pointed to the group and one of the mothers nodded and then moved through the water to the two men. “Gentlemen, come to the lake for a vision?” She questioned as she looked the two over, it seemed her Konti gift was telling animals from Kelvics. Because she looked right at Tiki and smiled.

“Yes, gentlemen dear Kelvic.” She said looking deep into the large cat’s eyes. She knew, without even a hint or anything. Seemed all the Konti were blessed with certain gifts. What these gifts were though was anyone’s guess.

She made a motion over the lake then spoke again her eyes staring out over the glassy surface. “These waters are blessed by Avalis, and as of recently the visions they have been granting have been very vivid and exact. The storms have amplified the power and intensity of the waters to levels we have never seen before. I task you, be careful.”

[Hadrian]

"We came to see, at least, Mistress." He was anthropologist enough to know to tread carefully upon such matters as the Vision water of Mura around a gaggle of pretty Konti. Were there any ugly Konti? This visit to the isle of seers was certainly a lesson to further his anthropological studies, and so he asked questions as well. "Would it offend your people if we were to chance a draught of Lady Avalis' lake water? And, if we did, how exactly could we be careful? One drinks or does not drink, is that not so? Perhaps one of us should drink while the other abstains, the better to prevent the swallowing of one's tongue should the vision bring seizures?" He spoke politely enough if his words were strange. But he was curious, and few people approached him as this woman had. Perhaps she had the maternal instinct tied into her gift and knew that he was a motherless son.

[Tiki]

Tiki was blinking as she spoke, his motions stopped in time. Tiki shifted for the first time that morning, and took a seat near the water’s edge as the better of their company exchanged words. Tiki stretched his arms and sat back to listen to them both. He didn’t think of what brought the Konti to recognize him as a kelvic, she had though. The talk of visions, however, was something to pay attention to. Tiki hadn’t learned much of anything about the Konti, and now this woman spoke of the gods, Hadrian too. It gave Tiki direction at least. His timing was off and misplaced from Hadrian’s question, but appropriate for his own self-serving attitude no less. “Who is Avalis, and what visions do the waters bring? I’d like to try them.” Tiki was eager to volunteer himself to try the waters. It could serve Hadrian to test the water before he drank himself, unless he shared Tiki’s curiosity on the matter. Tiki’s questions would determine the risk of drinking. Knowing of the goddess who blessed the lake was a sign of their power and alignment, no? “May I, Hadrian?” Hadrian’s approval meant the world to him.

[Cachet]

She looked the two men over with her amethyst eyes. Judging what kind of character they had. The man seemed to be interested in the culture, and this was indeed a large part of it for these women. These waters were the largest source of income for the women here. They only traded with those that they trusted however; because the waters were very powerful; as well as a gift from the goddess Avalis herself. So they were careful with whom they traded.

“You would not offend if you drank of the waters. It could be enlightening for both of you. But some words of wisdom…” She smiled and then nodded some.


“I can tell you depending on the visions it will not matter if one of you takes of the water and the other does not. I can only ask that you drink only what is needed to induce the visions. Drink small amounts and you will know when to stop. But I would suggest doing so away from the water, incase the vision sets in immediately and you fall into it. That is all I can tell you. I myself have never taken of the waters, but many visitors have in the past. Some had better results than others.”

“Avalis is our Goddess…our mother…our matron. The Goddess of visions, fortune telling, and divinity. These waters are a gift from her directly.” Her eyes were soft as the sunlight sparkled in the pearls of water that were caught along her long strands of blond hair.

“You see these waters are one of the only things we have to trade to the outside world. Powerful as they are we still only trade to those we can trust. For the foresight that the waters bring with them can be used in a variety of ways. I ask that you choose to use whatever vision is granted to you for the good of all and not just the good if yourself.”

[Hadrian]

Hadrian put his hand on Tiki's head to quiet him until he could discover what the Konti would want in exchange, whether it was right for an outsider to partake of the waters. Thoughtfully, he took the skin of water from his belt and drank the rest of it, the better to have a container for what he would take. The hydromancy did not even require a gesture anymore. He concentrated, and a cord of blue res formed between the mouth of his waterskin and the center of the pool. The water snaked up the blue, a thin ribbon, and collected in the waterskin, half-filling it. Then the blue energy dispersed like fog in the sunlight. "I hope this shall be enough for the both of us," he said both for the woman's benefit and for Tiki's. "I promise to use the knowledge and wisdom I gain for the betterment of my fellow creatures. Tiki, will you do the same?" Then, "I would not take something for nothing. To whom can I offer recompense?"

[Tiki]

Tiki eyed the res forming between Hadrian and the lake cautiously. He didn’t like it, at all. The slithering form was need to raise alarm enough, let alone it being of magic. It was distracting, frankly, and diverted his attention from Hadrian’s question. But, in all honesty, what harm could Tiki bring with a little future knowledge? He was actually shying away from Hadrian after the event. Dunking the water sack into the pool would have been equally effective. Tiki knew, he did it often. Hopefully it didn’t cause any alarm in the Konti who offered to treat them. Tiki trotted away from Hadrian, away from the lake a few feet just to put some distance between them before he looked back, his eyes in full wake. He was staring down the water sack, more importantly the space where the res steam had once manifested. If there was one thing that drove its way between Hadrian and Tiki – more than Ethan’s nosey beak even – it would be magic. Tiki was a stranger to the practice in its purest forms. He had never seen it much as a child, and even then was warned to avoid it. Nothing good came from magic was the common lesson among all the stories or lectures he heard. Tiki lowered his head, ears forward, and wagged his tail back and forth. He still trusted Hadrian. Hopefully the Konti would take that as his agreement, or at least understand the harmlessness of Tiki’s nature. He knew no guile, and thus gave no reason for the Konti to have suspicion. His eyes went between the two, wondering what was taking so long. He would have been plenty comfortable taking a lick from the lake itself…but of course what egotistic kelvic wouldn’t be? OOCShort, just to help bridge the exchange. Awaiting orders.

[Cachet]

The Konti smiled and shook her head some. “The waters here are free to take. Nothing is needed to replace what you take. It is a gift from Avalis herself. Just know; again if you are not careful you could end up mad.” She gave that last bit of information and nodded.

“just know and be aware that you are traversing a very interesting path now. That the past present and even future will mesh together. None can be quite sure what they will see on the journey. But only that it will involve both of you somehow. It is a personalized journey meant for the two of you.” She nodded and then spoke these last few words before returning to her children.

“Beware the truth, for it is what will come forward.” Those words would echo true with the both of them.

This was the Konti's most prized possession. What nations traded fortunes to gain, and spent lifetimes trying to decipher. Intricate trade relations had to be forged before the Konti would trade this resource to any. But here they were ready to partake of it and set themselves on a journey that they had never seen before. None could ever be sure where they would end up in this. None could ever be. Only that madness was certain if they accidentally stepped a little to far over that imaginary line. The line between madness and sanity was a fine one; and like gravity all it took was one small push...and you were over the edge for good.