Closed Valkalah's Call (Cailet)

[Calavera]

Valkalah's Call 39th Day of Fall, 512 AV Valkalah's Tears Open to Cailet Waves roared and crashed powerfully against the shore. A cloud of steam billowed into the air as the cold sea water foamed over the lava spilling into its depths. A few couples milled around the attraction, "Ooo-ing" and "Aaah-ing" over the natural phenomena. But not all of the pairs were that of the average couple out for a romantic evening. In fact, everyone present assumed the stern faced raven haired woman was alone. After all, who wouldn't be put off by the harsh set of her mouth and the closely knit V of her eyebrows? Only she knew that there was another. The ever present ghost child, a constant company and voice in the back of her mind. Cailet was hungry for knowledge. It was always there, gnawing not at her stomach but at her mind - wanting more. It was why she was here at one of the most mysterious occurrences within Riverfall. No one knew where this lava flow came from, and yet here it was. There was speculation and divine theory, but nothing had been proven. Some believed it to be a path to the ancient city of Valkalah. Others that it was a quirk of nature. Cailet was curious and her hunger to know burned. What she didn't know was that the answer to this mystery would not be solved by her today. Another path awaited, and as she meandered her way down the beach toward the Tears, her bare toes struck it with a bone jarring crack! Nothing was broken, but she would have a very sore foot for a few days. What her foot had smacked into was the protruding lip of an old vase. A beautifully crafted piece of earthenware in almost perfect condition, except for its two missing handles. The lid was sealed shut with an ancient resin, apparently unwilling to come apart without breaking the piece of pottery. Etchings were just visible in what seemed to be a primitive relative of Tukant and a beautifully rendered scene of men fighting a glassbeak. The colors had long been faded by sea water, sand, and coastal weather but upon very close examination by the professional eye, the very faintest traces of blues could be seen coloring the men's skin in the design.

[Cailet]

It wasn’t like the mysterious and unknown were new to Cailet, such things having long since lost their ability to startle or scare her. No, it was the lack of anything strange that made the tough young woman uneasy, the appearance of the unnatural something that she had been able to count on throughout the passing years. Though she had barely admitted to herself that she was doing so, Cailet had actively begun to search for such spontaneity.

Cailet knew the myths, to some extent, surrounding the lava that bubbled sluggishly into the sea, but it didn’t seem as if anything were to be gained by simply staring at it. Amdana didn’t even have sarcastic quip or semi-helpful comment; the little girl had already turned to stare longingly at the waves that crashed and raced to kiss the sand of the beach. “Nothing here.”

The stories are whispers anyhow, what did you expect? The shadow that clung to the underside of her raven locks chirruped its response as Cailet set off towards the little ghost girl, passing by and motioning her to follow. Restless and jobless, the young woman found herself unable to stand and simply enjoy anything, really, the efficiency drive within her keeping her searching and looking for something to do. It was why she had taken to patrolling, searching, and listening to the inhabitants of Riverfall. She wasn’t a spy in the slightest, but rather an observer.

Hard and quiet, not to mention a little weird, the woman hadn’t fit in well in the new city, mostly keeping to herself and staying out of her way, well aware that it was her own fault that she struggled so now. Meeting a few people here and there hadn’t changed much and Cailet felt rather like she was running up a hill of sand and going nowhere fast.

The sudden pain was blinding, the delicate structure of her toes crushed by the hard and unyielding whatever-it-was buried in the sand. The shadow tittered loudly in her ear at the misfortune, and only belatedly did Cailet realize that she was cursing loudly; Amanda stood slightly off to the side, her hands clapped over her ears and a clearly disapproving scowl on her face.

Ignoring them both as she tried to push the pain away, waiting for it to gradually dull to a throb, the young woman bent to examine the offending object, her fingers dipping easily into the moistened sand and scooping it away. The vase revealed itself quickly, though she thought nothing of it until it was completely free from the ground, carefully brushing the sand from it’s surface until the artwork was visable.

Then she gasped. Clearly, this was more than just a discarded jug left behind by some careless individual; the paintings were old, older than she could properly place not knowing much about Riverfalls history. Running a finger around the top of the vase and finding the lid stuck fast didn’t frustrate her in the slightest, but instead proved to only excite her further.

“This…”

Isn’t what it seems? No. I think you’re right. Amanda had drifted closer and was looming over the vase that Cailet carefully cradled in her hands. What are you going to do with it?

“I…don’t know. I don’t even know what it is. Why would it be out here of all places?” Pushing herself to her feet, Cailet continued to gently clean off the vase as best she could and started off back up the beach, towards the city. She had only gone a few steps when the shadow that was her constant companion whispered in her ear.

It looks like an antique… It’s voice devoid of emotion, Cailet blinked once, then twice before she caught on, a slight blush rising to her cheeks when she realized the shadows deadpan deliverance was the equivalent to a disbelieving eye roll.

“Right… The Antiquities Society.” That was someplace she’d heard of, her footsteps quicker as they churned through the sand, driven now by purpose.

[Calavera]

Kara and Deven, two employees at the Antiquities Society had their heads bent together, whispering in hushed tones. It was a dull but private conversation about the dues of a few of their members, one that need not be heard by others aside from Maltar, their President. They were out in the courtyard, enjoying the crisp fall day. A few new members were crossing the yard to enter the building, their help needed in the warehouse. Maltar had overseen an important expedition and they were storing the findings today. It was a quiet day at the facility, almost lethargic. Nothing overly interesting had happened nor was expected to happen. As such, everything was moving at a snail's pace, or seemed to be. Cailet would be greeted by the well-known statue of winged beasts killing the spoils of their hunt. Kara and Deven were seated a ways away from this point, going over some math and making sure money was in order. The first to spot Cailet was Kara, who was facing the direction of the entrance to the courtyard. She held up a hand to stop her companion's debating over which department a few spare Miza should be funded. He turned to look as well. The Akalak in him first zoned in on the fact that Cailet was a very attractive woman, appearing healthy and able to bear a son. But then the Archaeologist kicked in, noting the jar she carried. And of course it helped that he had Kara to smother any desires he had of women. She was a fine Nakivak. They both stood and approached, the first threads of excitement weaving into their smiles. "Hello," Kara greeted smoothly, speaking in Common under the assumption that their guest did not speak fluent Tukant like the Akalaks. "May we help you with something?" Though the answer to that was obvious. The 'something' was nestled in Cailet's arms, radiating mystery and undiscovered knowledge. Kara and Deven's mouths were practically watering. They could see some of the images inscribed on the pot's ancient sides, and the etchings of what appeared to be words written around the lid.