[The Sanctuary] Life Has Its Moments... (Ronan)

[Kavala]

It was a relief to be moving, to be laughing, dragging her friend towards Sanctuary. Ronan confused her like no one else ever had. He was special, deeply sincere, and most importantly he was a sort of hybrid between past and future that was a whole lot of Drykas but yet in a forward thinking way that wasn't so bound to the Drykas traditions. He was astonishingly refreshing and she was so entirely thankful that he and Sama'el and their entire party had made it through the wilderness and home. She'd yet to ask about the mission and how they'd done completing it. But she knew all that happened hadn't been bad.

This had been a trip Ronan had needed to make. She could tell. He was different - older - though not in a bad way. The Konti was glad he was here, alive, and .... she paused, caught him up in a hug that wasn't anything but thankful for him being alive, and then resumed her forward progress across the sand. It wasn't something Kavala would have normally done. But she was so relieved. So terribly relieved. A huge weight seemed to fall off her shoulders. Deep down she'd thought Ronan dead. Truthfully she had. With all the destruction they had with forewarning, there was no way a wilderness party could have made it alive without a tremendous amount of luck. Ovek was obviously watching out for them, and apparently so too was Semele.

Kavala bowed her head as she moved forward through the sand and gave them both a brief prayer. She'd not trusted herself, not once, to look at Ronan's Chavi to see his fate. She'd been too scared, to unwilling to face what she thought was the truth. Wasted time though... all that mourning. It was for nothing. And it was a good lesson. As her fingers tightened her grip on him she told herself cowardice had no place in her life. She'd look next time. She'd always look.

And so it was she was smiling when she stopped in front of the Sea Doors. "We expanded the sea cave down here. I know you've seen it, but we needed shelter for storms for the animals.. all of them. It was a miracle that we started so early on the construction. It was done in time... more than done. And other stuff as well. Come see." Kavala said, giving the huge double doors a wide push. They swung easily, hung perfectly so that a child like Tasival could open and shut them if necessary. The stone doors were carved with Glyphs on the outside and inside, each looking charged for the gave off a faint djed glow.

Inside the sea cave was enormous. It had two parts, a lower region with a bunch of stone corrals and stallion boxes, then an upper region with what looked like one large holding area. The two regions were divided by a series of easy steps with fresh water running over them in the form of a bedrock stream that divided one region from one to another. An alcove off to the right housed a freshwater waterfall that provided enough fresh water to supply the cave indefinitely.

Kavala lead Ronan from the lower region to the upper region and crossed the stream by a wooden bridge that arched over it about a foot above the water. Then, following an obviously wide footpath, she skirted the upper holding area which was starting to fill up with hay, and crossed to a second set of doors. These were also glyphed. Throwing them open, she gestured to a huge ramp that lead upwards gently. It was obviously the path spiraled to make the climb easier. The tunnel ramp was wide enough for a pair of horses to be lead downwards or upwards on it and definitely big enough for an horse cart to be drawn up and down.

Kavala gave Ronan a chance to look around then lead him up the tunnel at a brisk walk. They climbed rapidly though the slope was gentle, and paused at a side branch which Kavala took, opening another heavy door. Down a short corridor there stood another set of heavy doors. "This is the common area... kitchen, living quarters." Kavala said, leading Ronan into a room with a lofty vaulted ceiling that was an open floorplan. She paused at the enormous hearth, all worked with stone carvings, and shifted gesturing down two separate ways. "Library and guest rooms down that way, my quarters, and temple and training rooms that way." She said, pausing to let him take it all in.

[Ronan]

Ronan found himself beaming, and locked in an embrace once again. There was so much thankfulness from both parties. While Ronan had feared the storm's destruction of Sanctuary, Kavala had nursed her own shadows.

Finally, he found himself at the large doors - the sea doors - as Kavala pointed out to him all that they had done. All that had saved them.

"They are beautiful," Ronan said, touching the glyphed stone as they passed through into the enlarged caves she had described. Marvelling, he whispered, "you have been busy."

He took for granted how easily he could converse with Kavala. It was a blessing to talk in his mother tongue with the Konti. Pavi bore the most natural words to roll off his tongue. Even though his Common was passable enough, it still sounded so foreign and clumsy in his mouth. For a moment, he wondered on Kavala's mother tongue. Was it the Pavi of the grasses she had grown up in, or Kontinese - the words of her race?

The inside was just as magnificent. Flowing fresh water, and tiers connected by ramp and bridge. It was a natural, rough beauty. It was no marble and gold gilted palace, but for all that difference, it made it all the more beautiful. He felt connected to Semele here, among the stone and craft.

Eventually they came to the network of rooms. The common area was spacious, perfect for lounging, eating, drinking, and talking. She pointed out rooms, training space, and a temple.

Much had changed since he had been here last.

"I am so thankful," he said, bowing his head in reverence for just a moment. "As I said before - it's beautiful Kavala. It's turning into the space you used to talk about. And do you know what makes it all the more perfect? Your passion is embedded into everything. It's like a mixture of so many influences."

Without warning, he suddenly closed his eyes, fulfilling a very Drykas urge. He sought the balance, breathing deeply to calm his body. Slowly, he slipped into the Web. He smiled soon after. The Origin still hummed melodiously. The fibrous threads around them were untainted, though as he touched one carefully, the storm's memory jolted through them.

All was good. All was blessed.

He came back out of the Web quickly enough, and smiled again. He shrugged, as if to say - sorry, I had to check.

[Kavala]

Kavala nodded, waiting patiently. She had assumed he'd look for the web. The Drykas were just not at ease unless it flowed around them ready to be tapped at a moments notice. She said nothing as she lead him from room to room, showing off quietly what they'd built. Stonework had been painstakingly added to the floor, in interlocking patterns and colors. Some of it was checkered, some done in vines and florals, and some even decorated with animal tracks blended to look like more decorative motif.

Kavala's stamp was everywhere. The colors were rich Drykas tones and the rooms had no corners, only rounded walls as if someone worried that a toddler might smack into a boundary between a corridor and a room. The furnishings were all elegant, not outlandish, but quietly rich with deep colors and heavy designs that would last throughout the years. Chairs had carved legs and tapestries hung from the walls to warm up the rooms. The hearth had an elaborate decorative façade, and deep recesses in either side that stored cords of wood. Throw rugs were everywhere, so too were tables that held art or books piled up that looked to be well read rather than just for decoration. The rooms were dark, colored richly with some walls being made of lapis while others were decorated in malachite sheets that would most likely only be produced by an Earth Reimancer.

Some things she pointed out - like where weapons were stored - while other things she quietly passed by. The prison cell was one of those things which Kavala wasn't sure she had an explanation for. They needed one, of course, because they had enemies. But Kavala didn't want to go into that with Ronan quite yet.

She lead him through the library that was richly decorated, had plenty of shelves, but was somewhat devoid of books. There were plans for books and stacks of journals left in a place designed for them. But in terms of being like the Library in the city, there was no comparison.

Kavala showed him the guest rooms, which were large and shared latrines between them. She had six in all constructed though there were signs that the Sanctuary was being expanded even more. The bath came next, but it was incomplete... there were sketches in chalk in the walls of its blueprint layout, but nothing more really was done. Leading him back through the private quarters, she turned into another large doorway, through a well hung stone door, and into her chambers. It was a suite with mutiple parts, even a bathing room incldued, though one space rambled into the other with seemingly no boundaries or rules. In part of the suite, the walls were hung with drapes that reminded Ronan of the inside of a Drykas Pavilion. In other parts there was stonework that looked like a mosaic of a coral reef under water.

Where there was stone set on the walls for color, the gem was primarily Alexanderite which seemed to change colors as one walked past wavering from deep blues to purples to even a hint of red. It gave Kavala's chambers an ambiance that was soothing and somewhat mysterious. She had furnishings... a huge bed, closets, dressers... and even a sitting area with a large writing desk.

"There's more construction. We aren't done by a long shot. But we're getting there. The Within is habitable now." She said softly, and paused leaning against the desk. Kavala looked worn, too thin, and she rubbed her hands together briefly. Closing her eyes, she smiled and glanced towards the new construction as if she could see it through the wall what else needed to be done. Truth be told she would have loved to get to work on it in that moment, if Ronan hadn't been there. Not working on it all morning had caused an ache in her that was growing like a craving for sweet wine in a Akalak addicted to the liquor. Kavala opened her eyes and they sparkled overbrightly. "Later today I should get one more section of the hall done that will connect the library to the labs. Then we can start moving in the equipment we still have stored in the Sea Cave in crates." She said, her fingers curling and uncurling as djed started to pool against them , oozing slightly out of her palms in a tiny almost finite trickle.

The constant building had been how she coped, truth be known, with all the fear and loss and devastation of the Djed Storm. "We have foals too. They are all out on the grass now, but the were all born the night and day of the Storm the first of spring. We lost a few but the remainder were extraordinary." she said momentarily, smiling fondly. "They are fine strong horses.. the first of a new breed I suspect." She added, then paused to let him absorb more of it.

[Ronan]

Subtlety in beauty. Nothing shouted at him, and yet a reserved attractiveness flowed through every room of this new development. He smiled. It was so very Kavala.

As they entered her own chambers, he marvelled at the gemwork. It was like stepping into Semele's womb. Rock and crystal, throbbing, thrumming, glistening. He touched the walls, getting just a sense of that raw, primal power.

When she finally stopped touring him round the heart of stone, she leaned over the desk, taking a moment to breathe. He began to notice that she had lost weight. She looked worn, and tired. Ronan selfishly looked back at his own journey of tribulations, but Kavala had been through enough here.

He walked towards her and held out a single hand for her to hold. He did not stand right in front of her, nor did he move to embrace her. It was symbolic of their relationship really. One part embrace, another part separate lives.

He nodded in interest as she described the foals, holding her hand tightly with his Semele blessed one.

"I am glad so many good things came of the storm, to balance out all the death and destruction. You'll have to take me to see the foals later, or tomorrow. But now... gods, Kavala, I'm so tired. But you look tired too. You need to rest."

[Kavala]

Kavala took Ronan's hand, let him squeeze hers and nodded. She understood the symbolism, but for her it meant something else. Her life was different now. She wasn't owned property and her choices were all her own. The man before her was someone she bared her entire soul to, in one way or another, in one form or another.

But she understood in that moment that his trip to Avanthal had perhaps changed him, in good ways and perhaps in bad ways, as all major life events did. He had responsibilities elsewhere, on the Sea of Grass, which while once was her home was no longer. Her home was here and she lived her life the way she chose too. Kavala made her own decisions and ran The Sanctuary the way she felt it needed to be ran. And regardless of what was between them, that reality held sway.

She simply nodded to his words, released his hand, and did what she always did for people in need. Kavala provided.

"I'll let you rest then. I have an appointment I need to see to in less than a bell and work to do afterwards so feel free to rest up as much as you need too. There are projects here that can't wait. I'll be seeing to them. If you get hungry, we'll put on food at the twentieth hour. The weather's nice so we'll all eat outside. If your up, come feel free to join us. If not, we'll save you a plate for when you do wake." And with that, she lead him towards the private chambers, opening a door to one that was unoccupied and showing him in.

Kavala left him there, to take his rest and went back to work. It was the only thing she could do, having read his message loud and clear and took it for what it was worth.

[Ronan]

Finally leading him to chambers he could retire in, Kavala grew cold, as if a bleak realisation had swept over her. She let go of his hand, returning to her duties and walking away from him.

She seemed to leave on a sour note. What had he said to make her react in such a way? There were so many unspoken words between them. Just as he came close to holding that rose, his flesh was pricked on a thorn once again. And he bled.

Slumping down into the mellow serenity of the bed, he raised his hands to his head, holding his temple in arduous frustration. What was he missing? What could he do to fix her?

But Ronan’s journey had been long. His thoughts turned to white snow and silence. Nysel’s realm took him in its patchwork quilt.

Beyond the walls of his chamber, Kavala’s own thoughts tumbled. Falling, dancing, crying...

OOCGood place to stop?

[Mist]

Thread Grading! Kavala XP/Skills: +2 Construction, +3 Deduction, +2 Hostessing, +1 Persuasion, +2 Reimancy, +3 Socialization, +2 Storytelling, Lore: Stair design required by the sea, The Permanence of an isle her own, Ronan: Alive not a ghost, My body is my own, Showing restraint, Avoiding topics for know, Item/ Consequences: Mild Neural Trauma- Obsession with working on/ completing her private isle. (Will have a gentle nagging to work on it, which will grow to a noticeable distraction after 3 or 4 days without doing so, which will make other tasks more difficult.) *Requires 3 marked healer to fix* Additional Notes: So, an interesting thread. I really liked seeing Kavala's reimancy, and the fruits of her labor. It made me question a lot on what I previously thought is possible with reimancy, in a good way. I will certainly be reading some other instances of your usage of it, and try to find out more about it. * *** * Ronan Sunsinger XP/Skills: +1 Observation, +1 Rhetoric, +2 Socialization, +4 Storytelling, +1 Webbing, Lore: The good amongst the bad, Kavala: Finds comfort in the sea, Kavala: Full of renewed hope, Sanctuary: Destroyed in the storm, Kavala: Free of her bonds, Sanctuary: Destroyed but not gone, Item/ Consequences: N/A Additional Notes: It was interesting to see how Ronna reacted to things. I really loved that part were he was explaining to her he was not a ghost. I am real! All in all, a good thread, gave me a good look at the way Ronan's mind works. -If you have any questions about the grade, don’t hesitate to PM me.