Still Waters Run Deep (Rayage)

by **Jabari Dreamchaser** on June 7th, 2013, 4:18 am

- 15th of Summer, 513 AV -

Peace and quiet at long last.

Jabari leaned back against the far wall of the bath, his arms spread out sideways and relaxing along it's edges. With the majority of his form submerged in the lukewarm waters, the Vantha settled into a quiet contemplation of the journey thus far. Had it only been fifteen days since he left Konti Isle? Such a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things felt like an eternity to the Chaser of Dreams, who had never been away from home before. Continued reflection on the past two weeks brought him to a conversation earlier in the day, a chuckle accompanying the memory.

* * *

"You need a bath."

During the last handful of bells, Jabari had done his best to acclimate to Vysia Prakmat's blunt outlook on conversation. He rarely had a problem with honesty, preferring it in fact. Her's was just so, sharp? Yes. That was it. In Mura, most truths were wrapped inside pillows and fluffed before their presentation. Vysia sharpened her truth with a whetstone and held it at your throat. Still though, even with his limited perception, Jabari could sense that the monk took her responsibility of the Safe Haven Hostel very seriously. She was the one who gave him directions to the Spa, and warned of the informal curfew within Nyka.

* * *

Looking up at darkening skies visible through an open roof, Jabari was happy for the timing of his arrival at Asra's Bath House & Spa. Alone he stood within it's waters, assuming most the Nyka residents had already come and gone for the day. Allowing his eyes to close, Jabari reached for the key worn around his neck and held it there, it's cold touch having grown comforting over the years.

Then, as quiet introspection began to give way to drowsiness, soft footsteps could be heard. Jabari wondered if Asra had come to ask him to leave as curfew grew close. She had been kind to him earlier, offering a smile and showing Jabari to the changing rooms. The teenager wondered if all of her people were so polite. What had she called herself, an Eypharian? Opening his eyes and preparing to thank Asra for her patience, Jabari noticed that it was someone else entirely who made their way towards the bath.

by **Rayage** on June 7th, 2013, 5:57 am

It had been quite a long day. Nyka had proved more of a challenge for her than she had first anticipated. Having found no sign of Forus quite yet Miro and Vick had moved to Ravok. Ray however stayed for more personal reasons. Her magic was quite useful to anyone, especially the wizards at the Thumb. It did not take much for her to find her place there, and even though she was not a monk, she was allowed to teach Alchemical Theory. Petch, teach Alchemy in general. It was almost shameful what Mizahar had forgotten. Luckily she had not, and the secrets of the world stood out to her, whispering forbidden words in a language not heard but rather felt.

However, right now was not time for contemplating the latest mystery of the universe. Right now Rayage needed to be present. Or at least that is what the nuit reminded herself as she made her way to one of the changing rooms. The Alchemist was rather hesitant of leaving her stuff here as she disrobed, but there was no one else around. She had come in just the right time; everyone else seemed to have already taken their bath. Which was good, she did not want to be discovered as a nuit, and although her movements were not of the normal grace of a humans, her sluggishness showing from the de-synchronization of mind and body, her soul not bound as tightly to the body as a normal persons, she made and effort to make that awkwardness seem natural.

Her eyes fell to the steel-cloth cloak which she had folded nicely. The purple fabric glistened in the dying light in the room, and its weight was surprising to those who had never beheld such a thing before. To her it was lighter than normal armor and more versatile. Her craftsmanship in Alchemy was unrivaled indeed, and she smiled at it, placing the cloak over the rest of her cloths, weighing them down with an unnatural force. The only thing she left on was the ring with two smaller blue stones in it. This ring was the thing which painted the illusion of life onto Rays very dead body.

Wrapping in a towel the nuit prepared to head out. She had assured herself that everyone else was away from the pool and that she could bathe in peace. It had been a while since she had felt almost nervous, but she did not want her secret to be discovered. At least not right away. The ring had allowed her some sort of acceptance into the human society, the kind that she had not felt since she was indeed alive. It was quite refreshing, and she would be selfish for a moment and want to cling onto that for as long as she could. Perfumes were applied in a generous amount to the body in an attempt to override the stench of decay. Although the illusion of life on her body gave a good first impression, upon further inspection of the person in question it was not hard to see that she was indeed a nuit.

Ray took the walk in a slow almost lackluster pace. Silent and contemplate was her walk to the pool. She made an effort in her strides to make it look as though she meant be going as slow as she was. She did. The pace was to set an atmosphere about her, a quiet and relaxed one. A pace to help cover up her nuit condition, for if she was slow to react in a ‘relaxed’ state then perhaps people would write it off as just that: she was overly relaxed and felt no hurry in the world. She took in the architecture and even considered what she looked like wrapped in the towel.

Black hair fell to almost the middle of her back, bangs almost meeting the green eyes. Her pale body was dirtied from travel and she desperately needed to check it, rise it, wash it. A good nuit knew how to properly take care of a body, for to have one was a precious thing. The gift of life in death was not something to be looked at in the mouth. It was something to be taken advantage of, and that was exactly what she was doing with her life. Or so she liked to tell herself.

Ancient eyes spied the youth in the pool. Her gaze moved outward as reality set back in. Stopping in her tracks she silently considered her options. A chime or so might have passed of the nuit just staring at the stranger before a decision was made as what to do. She would offer him a friendly smile and nod, and go to the edge of the pool. Whereas the youth was on one end of the pool, by an edge, the nuit would enter the pool herself by a different edge of the rectangular bath not too far from him, but not close either. It was evident that she wanted her space. At least it was not crowded, and this boy was one of the only people here.

The water had a way of relaxing the undead. Whenever she needed a break from her latest research project she would go and spend hours just checking and washing her body. It was in that time that she felt most thoughtful, and time slipped away. She enjoyed this time, and she wasn’t going to let anyone ruin this for her. In all of Mizahar the bath was almost as enjoyable as the Alchemists Alter.

Mod Note :

x

by **Jabari Dreamchaser** on June 8th, 2013, 4:37 am

As the whisper of soft footsteps approaching grew closer, Jabari caught sight of womanly contours that suggested the new arrival was human. Other than that, he couldn't make out much about her, partly due to the darkening skies overhead, and partly due to not wanting to stare. When Jabari did feel it appropriate to steal a glance, he noticed that she carried herself as someone completely at peace. That is at least, until her eyes found him. How an awkward silence could manage to make itself known in an already quiet room was beyond Jabari, but there it was.

For a handful of moments the woman remained still, considering Jabari. I'm not supposed to be here. He thought to himself. This is when she comes to be alone. Then, almost as if on cue, the stranger smiled and offered the teenager a nod. A tick after the gesture registered, Jabari did the same, happy to have broken the ice. Well, happy to at least have chipped at it a bit.

At that point, the Vantha politely turned his back on the woman to offer her some privacy as she made to enter the bath. Jabari was no stranger to the female form, clothed or otherwise. Nearly 16 years spent growing up on an island full of Konti assured some amount of exposure to the anatomy of the gentler sex. However, Jabari was even less a stranger to behaving like a gentleman. And so he stood there, back towards her in an effort to offer what little concealment he could. Wandering eyes found the statues overhead, observing the scene quietly from their balcony. Jabari contemplated what the life of a statue might be like. A strange topic to consider, but under the present circumstances...

And then he was reminded of Avalis and wondered if she was watching at that moment. With a smirk he half-prayed, half-observed to himself. Hmm, a warning might have been nice you know. 'Oh and if you find yourself in Asra's Bath House & Spa on the 15th of Summer alone and at peace, things might get a little weird.'

The sound of a body entering water drew the Chaser of Dreams back to his current situation. At least now, the reflective surfaces of the bath would allow for some cover as the two of them shared it's waters. Turning back around, Jabari looked over long enough to notice how relaxed the newcomer seemed to be in the pool. He felt like an intruder. Pale of skin, and slender of form, the black haired woman must come here often to get away from her day to day cares. Jabari was raised better than this.

"Pardon me..."

He started, speaking quietly and with courtesy, moving closer if need be so that she could hear him.

"... I can't help but fear I've interrupted your daily ritual. Are you used to having your privacy around this time? I could leave if you'd like?"

He made the offer sincerely and hoped she could tell. The unknown lands of Mizahar were full of so many faces Jabari had yet to discover. He would prefer not to make an enemy his second night in Nyka.

Mod Note :

by **Rayage** on June 8th, 2013, 5:24 am

The relaxing waters soothed both her body and mind as she allowed the stress in her body to be washed away. Even though this was a communal bath the waters seemed clean enough to suit the nuits purposes. Not all baths are the same, that fact was learned over years of traveling and visiting many other bathhouses. This one, so far, was not so bad. The water was warm, or at least warm enough, and she was alone. Or as alone as she was going to get in such a place as the option of renting a private bath was not offered here, much to her dismay. It was for that reason alone that she had plotted to come here at such a time.

Unknowledgeable of Nykan customs Rayage was pleased to see that the boy had some respect for her. The feeling of eyes on her did not really come back until she was addressed by the boy. Turning to face him she once again just stared as if unsure of exactly what to say. On one hand she wanted to be alone. That would be good. However this was a public bathhouse and he had every right to be here as she did… weighing the two options in her head, she soon came up with a third and even a forth one.

”No, no,” she began shaking her head, ”you do not have to leave. While I do enjoy my privacy, I would not be coming to a public bathhouse to enjoy that.” She told him. Although she had strategically planned her visit to avoid as many people as possible. She did acknowledge it was a public bathhouse but she was above putting on a show for everyone.

”I was…” the nuit thought of how to word what she was going to say next in the most polite way possible, ”just expecting this place to be vacant. I am not from around here, and so I thought this time would be most appropriate. Did you come here at this hour too because you did not wish people to see your body?” She almost, kind of, in a way told the stranger that why she came at such an hour.

Although their wishes might be the same, their reasons for wanting someone not to see would, most likely, be entirely different. One was a confidence issue, and the other, Rayage’s, was because of her nuit condition. She did not wish to be found out, especially in a bathhouse of all places. Her eyes searched the boy for answers, face mostly, hair, neck but they began to wander.

”If that is the case,” she started, ”then you are only fooling yourself.” being a nuit she thought she was an expert at what body looked nice and which ones did not. His form was not necessarily built, but it worked for him and she appreciated it in a way that only a nuit could really enjoy. His face showed that he was still so young, and she half wondered what he was doing here all alone.

Her eyes focused on the youths face and black hair, but it was not entirely black. Instead it had streaks of color. Such a thing she had never seen herself, at least not naturally. She could easily duplicate the effect with Alchemy and clever glyphing, that was for sure, but this child wore it as natural as he did his skin. She wondered if he was carrying any magic in him.

”Your hair…” She started, taking a step closer to him as if to get a better look. A hand reached out as if to touch the guys head, but stopped mid-way and retracted. Rayage almost got distracted enough with her fascination that she got carried away. Such things happen, especially to a wizard who is used to doing what she wanted.

Hand retracted she just stared at it again, before noticing the color of the boy’s eyeswhich is?. She took a step back reminding herself that this place is no longer Sahova, and these people are not hers to do with what she wanted.

”Forgive me.” she said looking down, the nuit purposely acting embarrassed. But her own heart betrayed her. She could not properly made the facial expressions or blush like an embarrassed person. She was almost emotionless, relying on her voice to carry the meaning. It had been too long since she had actually felt the emotion of embarrassment. Age has a way of washing away such insecurities. Her eyes caught sight of the key around the boys neck, and curiosity set in.

”I am Rayage.” she introduced herself. The best way to satisfy curiosity, especially the many ones this boy carried, was to get to know the subject. A more civil plan was set into action, a selfish plan…

x

by **Jabari Dreamchaser** on June 9th, 2013, 12:21 am

She stared at him. I've offended her. I should have just discreetly made my exit. Jabari thought to himself as eyes turned amber with mixed emotions. The empathy of the Konti came naturally to the daughters of Avalis. Jabari, on the other hand, had to actively work towards improving his ability to sense what others were feeling. Often, he found himself overly concerned for the emotional well being of those he spoke with. Such was the case now, as the Chaser of Dreams prepared to pardon himself from the newcomer's company and make an exit. But then she spoke.

”No, no, you do not have to leave. While I do enjoy my privacy, I would not be coming to a public bathhouse to enjoy that.”

Relief washed over Jabari, as the female continued politely.

”I was… just expecting this place to be vacant. I am not from around here, and so I thought this time would be most appropriate."

Not from around here? So then they were both strangers in a strange land? Already, he began to feel like the two shared a bond. Was she far away from her home as well?

"Did you come here at this hour too because you did not wish people to see your body?”

The question caught the Vantha somewhat off guard. It wasn't until puberty that his family on Mura even began to teach their adopted son about privacy. Even then, he was never made to feel ashamed of his body. It was simply explained that the men and women of the world were different in many ways, and those differences were meant to be respected and valued. After that, Jabari began bathing in private. A slow realization set in "too?" While he hadn't gawked at the woman across from him, the handful of stolen glances since her arrival acknowledge the stranger as attractive. Was she self conscious about her form? Would it be inappropriate to offer her a comforting compliment?

As he began to consider a reply, the mystery woman added.

”If that is the case, then you are only fooling yourself.”

Was her comment flattery? Words of wisdom? Or perhaps some inner-monologue he happened to overhear. While she looked him over, Jabari found himself intrigued. Maintaining focus on her green eyes, he waited politely as she surveyed him.

”Your hair…”

She moved closer and made to touch the dampened locks before stopping herself, seemingly embarrassed by her actions.

”Forgive me.”

"Oh there is no need to apologize, nor is there any reason to be uncomfortable around me."

Jabari had only recently begun to learn of just how much personal space most expected in the lands outside The White Isle. Back home, all of his sisters, aunts and nieces were quite affectionate. It was strange to be among people who would just as likely strike you as shake your hand. The teenager found loneliness in that realization. Reaching to take the glowing strands of purple between his fingers, he continued.

"It is... part of my Vantha heritage."

The words came out as much a question as a statement.

"I've been told that the change in my eye color as well, I inherited from my birth parents. Their people are of the Aurora Borealis."

It was almost a recital, as Jabari knew little else of the Vantha as a whole. He was told early on about the blood that flowed through his veins, but the subject rarely came up thereafter. It was doubtful if he could even point to Avanthal on a map.

"I am Rayage."

An introduction! Wasting no time to encourage a more relaxed atmosphere, Jabari replied.

"A pleasure to meet you Rayage. I am Jabari Dreamchaser."

He made attempts to keep his tone casual, but a youthful eagerness was still there, amber eyes giving way to more enthusiastic shades of violet. While Jabari had never been very good at hiding his emotions, the iris of his gaze had displayed more colors in the past two weeks than his entire stay on Mura. Culture shock would certainly describe the experiences of the last handful of days. Resolute to see the conversation continue, he asked a question of his own.

"So what brings you to Nyka?"

by **Rayage** on June 9th, 2013, 5:15 pm

”You are quite the polite boy, aren’t you?” she sounded amused by her observations, but made no move further towards him. Vantha… Apparently are people with color changing eyes, and colored hair to match? Yet, she hadn’t seen the hair change color. Perhaps it just stayed that way? One color… that would be boring though. Her eyes watched carefully every nuance of emotion coming from the boy’s face. She took it all in trying to guess his thoughts. Trying to see what he was thinking. The skill was harder than she ever guessed it to be, as most of the time she came up blank. Was she really this useless without magic? Maybe she relied on it a little too much?

”Jabari is a nice name.” she said, nodding as if the action of conformation would make her words truer. Jab-are-ee, she repeated the name in her head, reciting it carefully as to not forget it. She did this with everything she wanted to remember, carefully cataloging the information for further use in future times. She matched the name to the face, and did her best to absorb everything about the boy as she could with her eyes. Her behavior was carefully acted out, as not to give the boy any cause for alarm. How was she doing? Well, so far so good.

”What brings me to Nyka?” she repeated the question to herself, whispering it softly. Speaking up she continued, ”Would you laugh if I told you that it was love that brought me here?” she asked, pausing a moment as if contemplating what else to say next, but she was instead planning her next move, a subtle hypnotic suggestion, a double whammy both a suggestion and emotional response. Eyes looked over the watery surface before flicking back to Jabari, looking into his now violet eyes. It was certainly something beautiful. The color changing eyes were extraordinary, and she half wondered if she could somehow take their beauty with Alchemy.

The pause allowed for enough mental concentration for her to formulate the spell in her head. She was going to wrap her words in hypnotic honey, and slowly over time she would get him to trust her more and more. The path of a hypnotist was not an obvious one, but rather subtle. It was the expression here, or a word or two there. It was just building on the emotions already present in her voice, to try to get him to feel a certain way. The first step to controlling reality is to control ones perception of it and that is what Hypnotism does beautifully.

Finding confidence in her resolve, in her moments of mental preparation she went to work lacing her words with hypnotic influence, ”Yes, it was love. A love so deep that one would do anything to protect it, cherish it, the fully embrace the act.” Her words sounded dreamy, and she used her own djed, carving off a portion of her own soul –a steep sacrifice indeed compared to the worldly magics-, to resonate in Jabari’s subconscious the word ‘love’ and accompanying feeling of such. She expended her djed to set the stage for the grand performance, after all love is the most powerful driving emotion, even more so fear itself. ”A love lost.” she announced.

Her eyes moved across his face and chest before centering at his eyes again, ”Do I dare say, revenge?” As if she would tell Jabari the truth. It was way more fun to make up stories, but this one was more symbolic to her cause than ever before. Her sort of love was not the happy go lucky emotion mortals had, it was a timeless dedication, and although that might sound romantic it was anything but. She was dedicated to Alchemy and her research first and foremost, it had become her love, her obsession over these many years she was alive, and she would have her revenge on the person that tore her from her lab. She would have vengeance on Forus.

”I cannot return until I’ve taken what is owed to me.” which was more or less the truth.

”You see, this person took my children away from me.” She said, stating another half-truth. With her away from Sahova, Project Vinonen…

”If I am going to be alone in this world, then I will at least have justice. I do not expect a child like you to understand, but please I do not want your pity.”

She took a step closer and with a wet hand she touched the top of his head, feeling the semi-wet hair and she smiled at him, "I would want my son to be a nice boy like yourself."

x

by **Jabari Dreamchaser** on June 10th, 2013, 7:25 am

”You are quite the polite boy, aren’t you?”

Face turning red, Jabari had trouble maintaining eye contact and decided now might be a good time to further examine the statues of Asra's Bath House & Spa. Had there always been so many of them? Rayage seemed amused by the courtesy she was shown, but not in the same way as the monks outside the gates of Nyka. No, Jabari doubted she meant the comment as an insult, and so allowed himself an embarrassed sort of satisfaction from her observation.

”Jabari is a nice name.”

Jabari's focus returned to the dark haired woman across from him.

"Thank you. I quite like Rayage as well."

With a slight bow of his head, the Chaser of Dreams further acknowledged his appreciation for her words. They remained there for a moment, two strangers in a strange land, silence no longer so uncomfortable for Jabari. At least this stranger now had a name.

The Vantha made it a point not to let his field of vision venture too far off from her eyes, always the gentleman. Even so, there were things to be discovered within those emerald spheres. He wasn't the most observant of individuals, far from it. However, if you consider something long enough, you are bound to gain some understanding. Rayage struck Jabari as an intelligent person, well read perhaps? He thought too, that there was a warmth there, though it was just as likely the teenager was projecting his own personality unto her. Before Jabari could continue his contemplations, Rayage spoke.

No, she did more than speak. She opened up to him. Jabari remained silent throughout her tale, each new word Rayge articulated making him feel closer to her. He began to sense that this was someone he could trust, as if the two shared a bond stronger than first anticipated. Her story moved him, as irises became a pale blue. Sadness.

Love. Yes, Jabari knew of love. He was young true, but even Gabrielle had said that their love could rival that of the gods. According to the Konti still waiting for him back on Mura, the two of them had spent countless generations as lovers. It was a difficult concept for a younger Chaser of Dreams to accept, but Gabrielle's stories had eventually won him over. The scent of Nootka Roses found him in that memory, and reminded Jabari why he was here. Was this the same type of love Rayage proclaimed?

Revenge. Jabari was unfamiliar with the concept. He had experienced anger and frustration to be sure, but the women of Konti Isle had a way with the youth. They always understood what he was going through, regardless of the circumstances. Somehow knowing just what to say or just what to do, they saw to it that his vexations quickly dissipated.

And what was this about kidnapped children and a quest for justice? Now the questions came, flooding his mind faster than his lips could even consider formulating them into spoken word. Before an attempt to do so was made, Rayage touched the top of his head.

"I would want my son to be a nice boy like yourself."

And finally he spoke, instincts taking over before rational thought could protest.

"I don't understand. Why were your children taken from you? Where are they now? Who took them? Why? Did you have many children? Was it a son, a daughter, both? Who took them? Why did they take them? Why?"

Jabari did not realize that there was water leaking from his eyes. How could he? The adopted son of The White Isle barely knew that he was speaking. Lost in the emotion of it all, he stood there openly crying, in part due to the words and hypnotic suggestions of the nuit, but also in part due to his own sadness of being so far away from home without a clue of when he might return.

"why?" it was a whisper

by **Rayage** on June 10th, 2013, 1:57 pm

"Why?" she asked, considering the boy for a moment. She really did not have a reason for why. "Why is the sky blue and fire orange?' she asked, "Why do your eyes change color? Why does Fate write unhappy stories? Why do the gods laugh at me?'

"Why, why does anything happen?" she looked at him, moving her hand down she caught the tear and wiped it away. "You still are young, aren't you?' she said, forcing a smile at the naive child she was actually interacting with. Was this the kind of social meeting that she yearned for, that she felt she need deep within her? She was a bit moved, stunned by the show of emotion.

"You are asking the wrong question, child. If you continue to question everything 'why', 'why', 'why' you surely will go mad. Somethings happen because they happen, a preordained Fate if you will. Instead of passively asking why, you should instead ask 'how can I make this better?' Do not let yourself become a victim of the gods cruel game of chance and fate."

Dropping her hand back into the water, she feared if she had any more contact with the human that he would discover just how cold and unpleasant her touch really is. "I have found my answer. I will go and stop this man from doing any more evil. That is how I will deal with my own fate."

"To be honest with you, I wasn't quite a mother yet when the man struck. But believe you me that the pain of loss is still there. Years and years of wanting a child, a single child is all I asked for, and finally I get one only to have it taken away. It is unforgivable."

"But please," a hand reached out again, but stopped. She was unsure of what to do, and the uncertainty was making her feel awkward, "please dont cry. Enough tears have been shed already." which was another morbid truth of her experimentation. They tended to cry, especially when dealing with humans. In the lab it did not bother her, but here, in a bathhouse, she was out of her element.

"The time for mourning has passed. The time for action is here." she said desperately trying to believe her own words, but even those had a hint of uncertainty to them. If she couldnt calm this human down, how could she be a good mother at all? Biting the bottom of her lip in a nervous tick that hadnt manifested itself it in years, she was actually feeling the weight of her own situation closing in on her. It was too late to go back now, and besides everything she said was the truth... More or less.

Eyes darted around for answers, looking desperately to be shown a way to smooth everything over. Shaking her head, "Enough about me." she said dismissively, "What, what about you?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"Why did you come to Nyka?" The perfect solution, change the subject.

x

by **Jabari Dreamchaser** on June 12th, 2013, 1:47 am

Through his weeping, Jabari's ears registered the sound of Rayage speaking. A clouded mind took some time to piece vowels and consonants together into the words she spoke, but an understanding reached him eventually. Fewer questions. More actions. That was the path to changing one's fate.

She was right of course. Questions only lead to answers, if you were lucky. Actions. Actions were what would lead to results. Jabari didn't agree that the gods were cruel, wondering why Rayage said they laughed at her. He had been raised to revere the beings who watched over The White Isle: Avalis, Laviku and Rak'keli. While his knowledge of the other two was miniscule, Jabari loved Avalis as a mother. Were there malevolent deities as well?

She wasn't a mother yet? Was she with child or trying to conceive? More questions. Too many. They would have to wait for now. He had pried too much, and Rayage already seemed uncomfortable with his display of emotion. Moving to wipe his face in a futile attempt to dry tears with hands wet from the bath's waters, Jabari began the slow process of composing himself. Somewhere deep in his psyche, a subconscious noted a touch that a less observant child had failed to sense. "cold."

"I... " *sniff* "I am on a quest to know without knowing."

With a deep breath to further calm himself, the Chaser of Dreams began to steadily share his own story.

"I was born in Mura, on Konti Island. The daughters of Avalis raised me as their own. I do not know much of my birth parents, only that they are of the Vantha."

The act of narrative somehow assisted in soothing the child, light blue eyes slowly filling with a calmer shade of dark brown. Jabari dared not pause, as each word spoken helped to ground him in that peaceful state of yarn spinning.

"When I turned 10, the truth of my fate was revealed to me."

He wasn't sure why sharing came so easily with Rayage, only that it did.

"There is a darkness that has been following me ever since my 16th birthday a couple of weeks ago. Even among the seers, a solution has yet to show itself. I couldn't risk putting those I love in danger, so I left my home and came here, to Nyka. I doubt I'll stay very long."

It was true. Nyka was the first stop on what the teenager imagined would be a long journey. He found resolve there, as the tears ceased and conviction returned. Absentmindedly a hand went to rub at his side, where the mark of the once Otani queen had formed.

I haven't forgotten, Avalis. Jabari thought the last to himself, as lips attempted a reassuring smile for present company.

"I'm alright now, thanks. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

by **Rayage** on June 27th, 2013, 9:39 pm

The childs story and quest fascinated the nuit. To know without knowing, and having some ‘darkness’ follow him around. It made her particular to investigate further, but in her own unique way. The kid had a mark. She did not know of what god or goddess, but her eyes traced the design and she smiled a bit.

”To know without knowing.” she repeated his mission, and chuckled at it, ”Boy, do you even understand the words that you utter?” she asked, ”There are methods to know, but all the ones I can think of take conscious effort. How do you propose to go about your journey? Why do you want to know? But, more importantly what do you want to know? Do you seek out this ‘darkness’ you speak of?”

Humans were so interesting it was hard to resist not to ask questions. She had little knowledge of the konti island, only that the place was near Sahova. There were stories of the seer’s powers. Strange stories, and some of them fascinated the nuit, but as of yet she could not investigate her own curiosity. Perhaps she would start with this one.

”The journey to learning is a difficult one, especially if what you seek is forbidden.” she told him, ”I do not know about your ambitions, I am not one of your seers, but Id caution you who you tell your stories to so willingly. This world is unforgiving, and I do not mean to insult, but you come off as rather naïve. Sheltered.” she said.

”Worry not. I do not wish you harm, and while you are with me no one will harm you.” she told him. ”I find you to be very… cute.” and sad, and idiotic, and easy to manipulate.

”That mark on your side, what is it?” she asked wanting to confirm her suspicions. She had seen god-marked people before. Pointing to it her look was quizzical, ”It’s very nice, but I wouldn’t expect a boy to be wearing flowers is all. It must have some special meaning to you.” The mention of the mark was all part of her plan. She wanted to see how he would react. The discussion was focusing to a very fine point on the boy, and so was Rayage.

x

Completed Still Waters Run Deep (Rayage)