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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]
She pondered his response for several paces, brow knitting just a bit as the only physical manifestation of her churning thoughts. It was all vague, ambiguous at best, but what more could she expect? Even back at home she had known Akajia to be a dark and secretive woman of the shadows. The Goddess was an enigma to the Myrian, and one she wished to crack. Yet her devotion and reverence would press her to yield to the wishes and workings of the deity. The patron of her clan was the one in control, and faith alone would be the staple to guide Kaie to understanding. It seemed what the Akalak was really trying to instill in her was the concept that Akajia would act on her own will. All would be as she saw fit. Nothing more or less. Perhaps when she broke it all down, that was the easiest thing for her to accept and understand even if it was essentially blindness.
The purple being's question was what finally broke her from her own thoughts. As if she were awakened from a deep slumber, Kaie blinked twice and jerked her head in his direction. A knowing smile had seemed to grace his features, probably silently mocking her ignorance. First there came uncertainty. A foreboding conscious that willed her to keep silent as she had for so many years prior. Still, it was an answer for an answer it seemed. That was fair. Besides, he shared the faith.
"Before Myri, clan was one that..Thrived..In the dark. Elders say Akajia appeared to one of the first of our women long ago. Been taught to respect and pray to the Goddess since," She explained slowly, battling past the uneasiness that came with the confession. The Goddess she sought after was not a common one in Taloba at all. "Understand. But how do Kaie know to find one as secretive as the Goddess that blessed them?"
She couldn't help but trail off at the realization that very well have been a bit of a joke made by the man. He must've known that at her current level of obliviousness, she hadn't a shot in the dark at finding one marked by the Mistress of Night. That is unless they stormed through the doors of the bar he had seemed to lead her to, and declared themselves. Hope all she wanted, that scenario was nothing near realistic.
"Thank you for what you say. Was...Helpful. Know more now than before," She admitted to the man while finding her own seat beside him. Whether or not she was permitted to even be there was far over her head, let alone drink. "And what of you kind? Akakjia and the other male the only ones worshiped here? Maybe Caiyha, too?" She asked casually, eyeing him as he ordered his drink. There was more than just a basic wondering about the mysterious woman that connected herself to the strange colored men here. While she seemed to have some of his attention, Kaie thought it might be good to see what else she could find of the strange spriritual culture of Riverfall.
Recoomas wasn't bored of taking about his mother, that normally didn't happen. He did wonder at times if enough people talked her up, if she would show herself, but that never happened. Oddly enough, some of the questions Kaie had, Recoomas also had them, but like her he didn't have an answer for them. He wasn't marked by the Goddess and so he had no link to secrets and he could guess he wouldn't have any luck with those blessed by her, who were probably guarding secrets for her. He had no way of knowing.
"If you've learned anything from what I've told you, you should know to look for your own answers." He turned to look at the girl and held up his hands where she could see the barely visible red veins crawling up his knuckles and fingers. "As you can see, my mother has not seen fit to mark me with her grace, for that reason I couldn't be the one to lead you to her." It was a puzzle when one thought it over. Akajia was a secret to everyone who weren't marked by her, and to those that were, they wouldn't talk.
"The other male? Wysar is that who you mean? Wysar is the father of the Akalak and we pray to him for strength, control, and discipline. There are many here in our city, some from different backgrounds and life. When they come here they bring their Gods and beliefs with them. So I'm sure there are some here who worship Caiyha."
The woman returned with his drink and Recoomas quickly drank it down and pushed toe mug back towards the woman. "Another. Wait..make that two." he finished and glared at Kaie. If she was going to keep him company then she was going to enjoy a drink with him as well. "There is a story that I heard long ago. A story about a young man who spent night after night praying to the Goddess of shadows and asking her for guidance.
This went on for years they say, then suddenly one day she appeared. No one knows what he asked her, but after she touched him..he vanished and no one knows where he went." Ann returned with two mugs this time, and gave Recoomas an odd glance. He didn't care and passed one to kaie. "Drink up girl." he chuckled to himself and downed the second mug.
The more you try to silence me, the more I'm gaining ground.
Amber eyes fixated on the hand held up for her inspection. Immediately she was drawn to the strange red veins that twined along his hands. For an Akalak with such a distinctive color, the crimson lines were hard to miss to her observant eyes. However, though he continued to speak to her, Kaie couldn't shake what she had seen. She couldn't remember Favchean having different colored veins when she had met him. Then again, that's a detailed easily overlooked when the hands are turned into swinging fists. The Myrian continued to fixate on the seemingly minor detail until a new name was presented to her: Wysar. The god she had been trying to reference before.
"Thank you," She interjected as soon as the man's stare found her eyes. As she understood, it was an almost expected response when someone offered a kind gesture. A free drink was certainly not something the young Myrian woman would pass up. Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was offend the man who aided her.
Her had come to knit itself together at his story that proved but perplexing and of great interest. Kaie had heard of deities that appeared, spoke to, and marked or cursed people. Transporting a being somewhere else entirely out of thin air was a completely foreign idea. It fueled her curiosity further, but she knew the questions regarding that tale needed answers neither of them had. So she instead obeyed him and took a drink from her own mug. The liquid flowing through her parted lips was noticeably more bitter, the alcohol obvious on her tongue. Rather than embarrass herself by spitting out the foul taste, she took a single swig and forced it down. At least she had managed to keep from making a face.
"That is...Strange. I have heard stories where one marked by Caiyha leave and never return to Taloba. Never one where god or goddess takes," She finally answered slowly as if still taking her time to process what she had been told. Bronzed hands tipped the mug back toward her until it sat perfectly on its edge, her hand still clasping the handle. Kaie rocked the mug back and forth, watching the ale's consistency as it churned within its confined before she spoke again. "Sometimes Kaie wonder why she came to clan at all. Why Akajia chose our first clan mother? Now, think it best to leave goddess to her secrets, no? Best be grateful. Guess if she wish, she snatch me up in darkness when she wants."
Kaie stared off into her drink for several ticks, simply watching it swirl. Her thoughts lingered between home and the strange place she found herself in. Riverfall. Another city where the deities strolled among their own. It made her wonder if there was any treachery in her decision to travel abroad. Her mother certainly acted as if it was so. Would Myri?
"Gods and Goddess walk with you in streets like Taloba. Myri appear to all. I hear it is almost same here. Have any appeared to you?" She asked suddenly to distract herself, only then looking up at the Akalak once again and taking another gulp of ale. "Sorry. This not okay to ask?"
Recoomas was slowly getting less annoyed with the young Myrian girl. If she had been male, and older, he would have already dismissed him or challenged the man to a fight. But her language and way of expressing herself gave him a tickle. She had so many questions, but the question that was biting at the back of his mind was why would a girl of the jungle care so much for Akaji. She had said that the Goddess had visited her jungle and he believed her words to be true. His mother went where ever she wanted, whenever she wanted, this was true.
But that said only so much, and he himself had met more than one God, but that didn't mean that he had to travel to their city and seek them out. He wouldn't think on it long, the girl's ambitions were her own and had nothing to do with him. "The Gods and Goddesses do what they want and when they want..to whom they want. We are but cattle to them and any visit or request from them should be looked upon with grace and honor."
Recoomas finished another drink and slid the mug back towards the woman again. Pale blue eyes glared at the girl and he noticed that she had barely drank at all. Was this how she showed gratitude for someone taking the time out of their evening to speak with her and offer her not only a drink but knowledge as well? "Do what you want, if she wants you she will find you. But the question is, what do you have to offer her? What can a tiny girl from the jungle do for a Goddess who knows all?"
Kaie had more questions, as it seemed she had a book of them. The darker brother didn't mind them, but if she was going to continue, he needed entertainment. "Bring two more mugs, same drink." He turned to look at the girl and folded his arms. "I have, I met another and walked with her in the sea of grass. but before I say more why don't you join me and actually drink? We'll make it fun, a question for a drink?"
The more you try to silence me, the more I'm gaining ground.
Pale blue hues were suddenly met by lively amber ones, a certain fire flickering behind the even stare in reaction to his points. Her lips parted softly and brow furrowed as if she were about to give an indignant response to defend her worth, but then her jaw snapped shut quickly. They could sit there and debate her value all day long, but the base of the argument would remain the same. The gods and goddesses were far more powerful and omniscient than any mortal would ever be. They had transcended to an existence so far above their followers that it was laughable. So what use could the Goddess of Night and Secrets find in an average savage from Falyndar, indeed?
The young girl's tongue probed the side of her inner cheek speechlessly for once. For several moments she faded back into her own head and simply watched the Akalak. Apparently he liked his ale as much as anyone judging by how easily he downed one mug after another. Kaie certainly struggled to finished hers by the time he ordered two more mugs.
He said it was a her. Another Goddess that appears to people outside those of Falyndar and Riverfall? I wonder what realm she rules...
The youth nodded in agreement to his challenge and shrugged her shoulders. She spun in her chair to face him, her expression far more playful than before rather than inquisitive. Without a word she dipped a hand into her coin purse and procured a set of Mizas, then placed them on the table. All the while she studied his reaction carefully in hopes she didn't shatter some kind of cultural belief. If she emasculated him by buying his drinks, it went clear over her head. What else could be expected from a woman who grew up in a fiercely matriarchal society?
"Okay, Kaie make better. We make guess, and if wrong drink. Myrian goes first," She offered with a mischievous smirk, pushing the coins further across the counter toward the bartender. Kaie eyed him carefully and pursed her lips in thought, arms mirroring his and folding across her chest. Her head tilted one way and then the other. It was as if she expected to reveal his secrets with nothing more than a careful glare. Finally after a tick or two she made her first guess."You say she. Goddess not from Riverfall. So...Guess that she has something to do with body? Somehow give followers power over another?" She attempted vaguely after assessing the heavily muscled Akalak with a nervous bite of her lip. It was as far of a stretch as she could make considering Akajia was the the only Goddess outside Falyndar she knew of. Besides, he looked like a guy who sought out physical power over someone every now and then at least. Why wouldn't he worship those that offered him an extension of that?
Pale blue, almost white eyes narrowed and slowly lowered to the table. The girl had produced a few mizas and was willing to pay for a few drinks. To that, she also wanted to raise the stakes and make the game a bit more fun. Recoomas liked the idea and smiled, one hand lifting to wave the bartender back over again. "Bring us a gallon. This might go on for a while." Settling back into his seat, Recoomas looked the girl over. He had no way of knowing, but she didn't look at she could hold a drink.
But looks could be deceiving and going by the crap that her kind ate, there was no telling what the girl had swallowed. Her common needed work and it took him a long moment to guess who she was talking about. They had mentioned a few Gods and Goddesses since they had sat down, and her question wasn't all that clear. The dark Akalak looked down at his hand again, and gently moved his fingers over the dark veins displayed. "Do you mean her?" He asked with a grin, rolling his wrist around before pressing his hand against the table.
"I can't say that I know where she is from, or when she came to be. Akajia is about secrets, but looks to me that they all have their secrets. Something to do with body? What makes you guess that? I'd say that it goes so much deeper than body, but in a way you are right. She wants us to feel and she reflects on those feelings in her own way." When she asked about giving power, Recoomas chuckled a deep and dry laugh and shook his head. "Do I look powerful to you? Do I look like I have power over anyone?"
Flexing his arm, Recoomas willed his gnosis into use and reached a hand out and gently slapped her thigh. The imprint had been set, and he could now award her with a cruel pain while only inflicting a small amount of damage. "I never thought about the Gods giving us powers. We are tools to be used and discarded at their will. But, being a willing tool does have it's perks. You should know this, doesn't your Goddess bless you with..something?"
The more you try to silence me, the more I'm gaining ground.
The thought of a gallon caused the young woman's brow to arch for a single tick before her playful poker face returned. Myrians could sure drink, but the art of alcohol tolerance wasn't something she was well versed in just yet. Naturally she'd never admit that to the Akalak. Where would be the fun it that?
This should get interesting...
Amber hues traveled along his hulking figure to find the area of his flesh he seemed to be showing her. It was the very same section of his body she had been pondering over moments before. Like the tiny branches of trees, his purple veins slithered along his wrist. The sight of them somehow made the Myrian mentally fall back on her guard, her fingers itching for a weapon she simply didn't possess. Kaie had gotten an inkling the strange occurrence was one received by divine intervention. Who that deity was and what realm they dominated was far beyond her.
Yes and yes, Kaie answered him quietly rather than responding to the almost rhetorical questions. He was muscular in a way that could be achieved only by hard work. Hard work and a damn good amount of training. It was impressive really. However all that silent appreciation disappeared the moment he made contact.
"Petch!" She snarled at him, leg jerking away as the nerves writhed in agony beneath her bronzed skin. The Myrian just about went back in her chair in her instinctive attempt at distance, one hand almost snapping to the mug to acquire a makeshift weapon. However it did soon ebb painfully from her, leaving her dumbfounded with the reality of his gift. Who was this Goddess?! "Yes," She began slowly, still digesting the previous situation with a slow nod. There was only a touch of scorn in her young voice, but not enough to convey true anger. After all, though unbearable the touch left her with knowledge that intrigued her. The kind that needed to be experienced rather than explained. It wasn't truly so different than the manner in which Yitmah had taught her to use a gladius, beating her senseless until she got her shyke together.
"When fifteen, Myrian go through Coming of Age trial. Tests from clan. If do well and Goddess Queen see it fit, she marks her children. Only then is Myrian a true Myrian." Kaie turned in her chair then and swept her brown curls across her right shoulder. With her thick locks kept at bay, claw-like slashes were exposed upon her neck. "Blessed Myri watches over her own. Give us edge in battle. Help us toward light of victory."
Lore: Akajia: Goddess of The Night Akajia Does What She Wants Wysar: Father of the Akalak The Night Tower's Beauty
Loot Ale, Gallon: -2sm
[Don't forget to update your ledger. Next time, try not to break the bank so much, yeah?]
Notes Loved reading this. I know it was short, but I thought it was beyond cute. I wish I could have kept reading and awarded more. I was really, really hoping to read a drunken Kaie post. Maybe next time.
Riaris Dovukalis
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