Completed A Day of Blessings [Part I]

[Rhydian Lamoze]

5th of Summer, 522 A.V.
The Protea Inn

Although it had only been naught but five days since Rhydian had arrived within Syka and become a resident of the lands, the Eypharian had managed to develop a few interesting relationships. There was the owner of the inn that he had been staying at, Taz, whom he had gotten along with splendidly. There were also a couple of children from the children's pavilion that he had managed to develop a somewhat sturdy relationship with. Young Brea and Luke had allowed for Rhydian to feel as though he were truly himself for the first time in a long time. Having the opportunity to explore the settlement and make friends here and there... Those that had blessed him with their presence likely wouldn't ever understand just how much they had meant to him.

It is thanks to this profound sense of respect that he has for this group of people that Rhydian had found himself interested in spurring things along for building up his family. The Eypharian had figured that it wouldn't be best to reside within the Protea Inn forever, despite how much he had enjoyed waking up to be able to see Tazrae, and as such he had found himself wandering along the shores of Syka. From what he could remember of the tour that Tazrae had given him, there had been a few other locations in which one could reside. Either them could develop their own home on the shores, after having acquired some property from the founders of Syka, or they could move into one of the buildings that had already been up and in need of residents. Unsure of which route he had really even wished to take here, Rhydian had decided to give a brief look at the places that might have been available for next season.

The Bungalows

From what he could remember, there had been two main residential areas in which one could reside. There had been the bungalows and the overwater ranchos. Figuring that he might as well give them both a once over, Rhydian would continue to walk along the shores. Eventually though, as he had managed to have found himself passing through the bungalow filled area, a soft voice had been heard coming from nearby. "Honestly, I think that I'm going to have to pick up another gig at this rate. If I am going to get those trinkets, it feels as though I am going to have to step up my game. Aren't most of the inhabitants on the island capable of escorting themselves now though?"

Not quite sure what was being spoken about, the Eypharian would stop in his tracks and move a bit closer to the source of the voice. After a few more steps, thanks to his vast height, Rhydian would find himself looking through an empty doorway and into one of the many bungalows that had encompassed the area. Peering into this doorway, Rhydian's eyes would subtly fall upon an auburn haired beauty with a unique set of antlers placed atop of her head. The very sight had greatly intrigued Rhydian given that this was the first time that he had ever seen such beauty. Honestly, the Eypharian had found himself staggered a bit upon laying eyes on the woman. This would only last for so long though before the woman would turn about.

A bit shocked by the fact that someone had been watching her from just outside of her home, the woman would leap back a bit. "H-hey..! Who are you and what are you doing creeping into my place like that?!" Rhydian immediately found himself a bit confused at first, seeing as how he hadn't really considered his actions to be creeping into her home. He could understand where it was that she was coming though and as such, he himself would take a few steps back on his own. As he would do this, the Eypharian would raise all six of his arms up in defense. "I-I'm sorry ma'am... I was passing by and overheard your voice. I guess that your beauty just really caught me of guard..!" A bout of awkward laughter would filter through the Eypharian's lips after that statement but at least this had managed to subdue the woman for the time being.

"Right... Are you new around here? I've never seen your face and I am sure that I would recall seeing another Eypharian that wasn't Brea." Already the two had been off to a strange start.. but she had known Brea! With that having been the case, Rhydian himself would begin to feel a bit more comfortable with the situation. "Yes ma'am.. I only got here a couple of days ago. I've been spending a chunk of my time at the Protea Inn so that might be why we haven't met.. I'm Rhydian! Rhydian Lamoze." Not wishing to be rude to a prospective customer, the woman's lips would subtly begin to curl upward into that of a reassuring smile. "So you are new to Syka. That is good to know. Are you perhaps lookin' for a guide of sorts?" A bright smile now overtaking the one that had been plastered upon her face previously, the woman would close the distance between the two and would offer a hand. "The name's An'un. An'un Dui."

Word Count: 885
Total Word Count: 885

[Rhydian Lamoze]

Not wishing to be considered any more rude than he might have been, Rhydian would simply agree to the proposition that An'un had thrown his way. She had been offering her services as a guide and as such, the Eypharian had planned to take her up on it. "I.. Yes please! I would really appreciate it if you could show me around a bit." Pleased with the fact that she had at least managed to secure some form of funding, the Inarta woman would begin to smile. "Right than. Well in that case, I think that we should get started, yes?"

A bright smile still on her face, An'un had begun to make her way along the shoreline and towards a new location in which Rhydian had believed himself to never had been. An'un had decided to traverse on foot via simply walking but Rhydian on the other hand had decided to challenge himself. If he was going to be out and about than he was going to get in some swimming practice! It wouldn't make much sense for him to avoid better himself otherwise. In between each stroke, when his face would turn to face the sky, Rhydian would speak aloud to An'un. "So. Where. Are. We. Going?"

Amused by the Eypharian and the personality that he had tended to display thus far, An'un had decided to go along with him and would simply answer his question without putting up too much of a fuss. "Well we are heading to Kihala's Shrine of course. I am sure that you have heard of her up to this point." Although it would be difficult to do beneath the waves, while his body had been swaying from one side to the other, Rhydian would nod in response to the woman's words. While he hadn't quite heard of Kihala's Shrine before, he had heard of the goddess of life herself. "R-right.. Is. It. Far. Away?" A soft chuckle would escape from the Inarta's lips as she had continued on her trek and watched the Eypharian. "It shouldn't take us too long to get there."

Kihala's Shrine

Having finally arrived at the shrine after about fifteen or so chimes, Rhydian would find himself lugging his body onto the shore. Swimming for all of that time had still been a bit much on his body.. Perhaps with time the process would become easier for him. Either way, once he had finally managed to secure himself on stable ground, Rhydian would proceed to follow after after An'un. Upon fully arriving at the designated location, the pair would find themselves standing just before five totem pieces, a large set of stone pools, and various small ponds. Taking in the sights that were strewn about before him, Rhydian would find himself taken aback. There truly weren't any words that could accompany this experience... None of than shock. This was the first time that Rhydian had ever really found himself feeling comforted in a location that wasn't the sea. "Wow.. This is.." "Beautiful? I wholeheartedly agree."

Word Count: 507
Total Word Count: 1,392

[Rhydian Lamoze]

As far as Rhydian had understood, An'un had been entirely correct in her observation. The area in which Kihala's Shrine had stood had been entirely beautiful. So many of its pieces had been sculpted in such artistic ways that one couldn't help but find themselves enamored by the surroundings. Whether it be the flamboyantly colored fish filled pools, the beautiful tree that seemed to be sprouting some kind of fruit, or even the massive stone bust of the goddess Kohala herself, every inch of this land had been a true work of artistic beauty. "I.. I honestly don't know what to say."

A soft smile would overtake An'un's features as Rhydian would go on to say this much. She could understand the awe that had filled him in this moment and was glad that she had brought him here. "Would you like for me to speak more on this place for you, Rhydian? I am sure that it'll be well worth the wait..! After all, who doesn't like a tour provided by their guide to be accompanied by social commentary?" A small bout of laugher would than escape from the auburn haired woman's mouth, which in turn would cause the Eypharian accompanying her to return that smile.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Anything that you say, Miss An'un, must be wonderful~" An'un's laughter would cease at this point as she would turn her full attention back towards her Eypharian counterpart. "Drop the Miss. It's just An'un." Taking a moment to plop down onto one of the stone ridges of the pools nearby, An'un would gesture for Rhydian to do the same. Once he had decided to do as he had been asked, An'un would gesture to the pool of glimmering fish. "We call these Gem Fish. They come in every color of the rainbow and are quite vital to the Syka Commons. I'm not quite sure how or why it is but since the arrival of these gem fish, the insect population has been relatively regulated around the common area." Reaching forward so that she could brush her hand along the back of one of these gentle giants, An'un would begin to pet several of them. "Come now, Rhydian. Do give it a try. They are quite gentle overall."

Seeing that this was an opportunity to try something new, Rhydian would take the initiative provided to him and would crouch down beside his guide. From there he would reach out with each of the arms on the right side of his body. One by one, he would softly pet three of these gentle gem fish. It was an exhilarating experience for him and one that had allowed for him to feel closer to the very sea itself. Perhaps with the assistance of these gem fish, Rhydian could come to a further understanding of marine life overall. "You uh.. You're right, An'un. This is quite nice." Naturally his gaze would eventually drift back towards the totem nearby. More specifically though, Rhydian's gaze would make its way onto that of the barracuda that had resided among each of the guardian statues. "I know that this is a Shrine dedicated to Kihala, and that she is the goddess of life and creation, but I never really thought about how tied into marine biology Kihala was.. It's quite fascinating to see."

Word Count: 559
Total Word Count: 1,951

[Rhydian Lamoze]

"I wish that I could answer that for you, Rhydian, but I suppose that that is the kind of thing that only the gods and goddesses above know. Perhaps she worked together with Laviku beforehand to decide on the kinds of creatures that were going to exist within his domain? I'm sure that you could always try and ask them if you ever find yourself lucky enough to speak with one of them."

Meeting one of the several deities that had existed within this world wasn't exactly the kind of thing that Rhydian had ever envisioned for himself. While he was sure that it would have been a life changing experience, the chance of encountering one such being was rather unlikely. He would have to at the very least obtain a Gnosis of said being before ever having a chance of encountering such a divine existence. At least that was what the Eypharian had believed in this moment. "Well.. I suppose that I'll just have to ask them in the event that I ever run into one. I'm not too sure that that would ever really happen though. Although it would be quite nice to encounter Laviku someday.. I'm sure that there are tons of questions that I would love to ask him."

A soft chuckle would escape from An'un's lips before one of her hands would gesture off in the direction of an extremely beautiful and ornately unique tree. The tree itself had seemed to have been blooming fruits that would hang quite low and heavy. "You see that tree over there? It is said that Kihala once stood in that very spot. The tree itself is known to spawn these fist sized fruits all year round, known as Marassa fruits." Upon hearing the name Marassa, a look of recognition would wash over the Eypharian's face. From what he could remember, the Marassa were the followers of Kihala. "The Marassa fruit are named after the Guardians of Syka. I am sure that have noticed the many totem statues hanging around that denote to our beloved guardians. Anyways, they have a delicious creamy interior that has an unusual and appealing flavor. They can be consumed as a food but also contain various healing properties. Some even use them to create salves that would remove poisonous toxins. They were and still are a gift from Kihala so be sure to never remove one from Syka's terrain."

A few quick nods would be given to An'un in confirmation as Rhydian had thought about attempting to reach up and grab one of the various delectable Marassa fruits. Rather than be disrespectful in the midst of their conversation though, Rhydian would instead opt to keep his mouth closed and his eyes focused on An'un. "Now there is but one other thing that I wish to show to you before we head on back to the bungalows." Now gesturing her hand out towards the water that was cascading off of Kihala's stone hand, a small smirk would begin to settle in over An'un's visage. "The waters that flow from the hand of Kihala are also said to be a gift from our beloved goddess. It is said that any who drink from the freshwater of our lady's hand shall have an abundance of seed and no problems in conceiving a child. It is almost as though she is gifting us with life itself."

As An'un had spoken with Rhydian about the holy waters of Kihala's hand, the Eypharian would begin to take note of an extremely particular copper ladle that seems to have been placed upon a small copper hook. It wouldn't be long before An'un would take notice of where Rhydian's gaze had been going. "Oh? Should I take it that you are looking to bring new life into this world, Rhydian? If you would like, you can always go on over and use that copper ladle there to take a sip. I'm sure that it would benefit the village in many ways." Having taken note of An'un's approval, Rhydian would do just as she had said. He would stand up from where he had been sitting and would make his way on over towards the goddess's stone hand. Once he held the ladle within his hand, the Eypharian would utilize it so that he could gather some of the freshwater together. Once the ladle had been practically overflowing with water, he would partake in it heartily, swallowing down some of the most delicious water that he had ever partaken in.

Word Count: 757
Total Word Count: 2,707

[Rhydian Lamoze]

As the refreshing feeling of water would cascade down his throat, Rhydian couldn't help but feel the energy flow back into his body. Whether this was due to needing a cool glass of water after all of that walking or because of the magical properties that the water supposedly held, he couldn't be sure. The Eypharian had chosen to believe that it was due to the blessings of the goddess of life though. Once he had finally finished off what the ladle would provide him, Rhydian would carefully set the ladle back upon its copper hook and would than turn about to face An'un. Just as he had turned about to face his newfound companion, a seemingly spiky green and red fruit would find itself flung off towards the Eypharian. "Catch."

Reacting purely out of instinct, Rhydian would attempt to grab ahold of the fruit that had been flung in his direction. He hadn't been quick enough on the draw to catch the fruit on the first try but after the fruit had gently pelted itself against the Eypharian's chest, it would eventually find its way into his hands. Taking a quick moment to glance down and focus on the fruit now within his grasp, Rhydian would see that An'un had gone out of her way to collect one of the Marassa fruit before tossing it over to him. "O-oh... Thank you An'un." With a curt nod, the woman would return his words. "No need to thank me. I'm sure that you would have gathered one for yourself anyways. C'mon, let's head back to my place now. I've got something to give you, seeing as you are new here and all. I figure that it might be beneficial for my client to stay alive for as long as possible."

Although Rhydian hadn't quite known what to say in response to the words that An'un had just thrown at him, he did still decide to follow her back to the bungalows. At least if he had an escort back to the area, despite the fact that it wasn't all that far from where they had come initially, he was sure that he could come to understand the surrounding area with relative ease. "No need to be so worried, kid. I promise that you'll enjoy the things that I have prepared for you. Well.. The things that I am allowing you to take with you anyways."

After quite a bit of walking back, the pair of them would eventually return to the bungalows. "Just one moment. I'll be right back out." A few moments later and the antlered woman would return with a hefty box of sorts. After making her way down to the Eypharian, she would simply set the box down onto the ground and open it on up for him. "Right, well, you are a big strong Eypharian. I'm sure that you can handle lugging this crate back to wherever it is that you are staying. Let me just go ahead and speak to you about the things that are stored within here. Can't have you messing them up after all."

The first thing that An'un would retrieve from the crate was several mason jars. From what Rhydian could tell, upon his first glance, there hadn't really been anything unique about these things. Perhaps she had thought that he had needed some drinking wear? "These, my dear patron, are what are known as the herbmaster's mason jars. These are special, one of a kind, glass jars which were specifically made by a wandering herbalist to grow small plants within them. No matter what kind of soil you put in these jars, it will always change to a dark colored mix that will continue to keep any plant they put in it alive so long as they continue to water it once per day. Plants grown within these jars generally require little upkeep, just plenty of sun and water to reach their full potential which they tend to reach a little quicker than their wild or garden grown counterparts." If what An'un had been telling him was true than these were going to be quite the useful objects to carry around. The idea of attempting to grow more of the Marassa fruit within them had appeared within the Eypharian's mind but that was something that would have to be tested at a later date.

Placing the mason jars back into the crate, An'un would move onto the next object that had been stashed away. What she would remove from the crate would be a cloak made of moss that had been cobbled together with various vines and leaves. From what he could tell, Rhydian would assume that this cloak had been some kind of ghillie suit. It would very clearly blend into the jungle quite well. "Next we have the camouflage cloak. While there are several of these in the world, this one is made to specifically benefit any who choose to wear it within the jungle. It is quite useful for emulating its environment and can be utilized to hide within the jungle itself. It also happens to come with a unique function that shall leave its wearer both warm and dry!"

The next thing that the antlered woman had chosen to remove from the crate, after having placed the cloak back within, had been something that Rhydian quite honestly hadn't been expecting. From within the crate, An'un would remove... a relatively ordinary looking wooden box with handles the end. There hadn't seemed to have been anything special about this box, which was okay, but he thought that it was weird for her to have placed this box within another box. "Now this is our traveler's supply kit. Perhaps one of the few items in here in which you'll get the most use out of. Outside of the cloak of course. On the left handle here, we have Syna's symbol. And on the right? Well on the right handle, we have Leth's symbol. As I am sure you know, Syna herself is the Sun Goddess. Her domains are that of the sun and sight. Naturally her symbols consist of a glowing Sun and an eye with a burning sun pupil. As for Leth, we both know that he is the God of the Moon. His domains are naturally the moon, change, reflection, and thought. And as you can see here, Leth's symbol is that of a Crescent Moon."

Truthfully, Rhydian had no clue who Leth or Syna had been. This was the first time that he had ever heard of them or bore witness to their symbols. Thankfully An'un was quite insightful in a great deal of things! Anyways! Each of these sides of the box open up during their own sequence of the day. During the day, only the left side of the box is able to be open, and inside one can find basic medical supplies like bandages, ointments and small surgical tools that replenish once per day after a full night cycle. As for the right side? Well The right side of the box which only opens at night contains a wooden tankard, a small flask, and a wooden pipe. While holding the flask, and speaking either “Beer”, “Wine”, or “Whiskey” one will find the flask full of whichever they decided upon, and to miraculously contain more than such a small flask should contain but only if it is poured into the provided container. The pipe also comes each night pre-filled with Syliran Tobacco which replenishes every night after a full day cycle. Now I can see why you might think the right side to be less vital than the left side but.. Never underestimate the advantage of having a good drink!"

Word Count: 1,295
Total Word Count: 4,002

[Rhydian Lamoze]

Taking a quick moment to peer into the crate, Rhydian would note that there were only two other objects within. Well.. Sort of. Two things if one were to count sets as one whole. The first of the two objects that An'un would remove had been a set of metal torques. "Alright! We are almost done. These here torques are known only as the Twin Torques. These metal torques always come in pairs, and are meant to be worn by close friends and/or lovers. When worn by a pair of individuals that share a close relationship with one another it enables the pair to know the direction the other one is from them, and roughly how far because the torque will get warmer the closer one gets, but only while they are concentrating on the other person. If one of the pair feels like they are in danger, it will alert their counter part, and give a brief idea of their direction without the partner having to concentrate on the other person however they will have to do so after if they wish to continue tracking them. These torques when worn for the first time will change aesthetically to fit the wearer’s taste, but only for the first time, after which the change is permanent. That being the case, you must be careful in deciding whoever it is that you wish to give the second one to."

And finally the duo would make it onto the last remaining object within the crate. All that Rhydian could see at first had been that of a small cloth bag. Unsurprisingly though, as An'un would go on to show him, it was what was within the bag that had been important. Pouring out a handful of gems into the palm of her spare hand, An'un would begin to speak on them. "If I am correct in remembering, these are Dreamglaze Gems. There is a ton of things that I could choose to say about them but for now, I think that I'll keep them to myself. You may take the gems of course but only on a single condition. You must wear them on a necklace or a bracelet. The choice is yours as to which but that is my condition. Do we have a deal?" Not wishing to lose out on any of the things that were being offered to him, Rhydian would eagerly nod in response.

"Yes! Of course! Thank you..!" Having poured the gems back into the cloth packaging, An'un would place the bag back into the crate and would than place the lid of the crate back atop of it. "I'm glad. Now be sure to take these things and go. I'm sure that we shall encounter one another again. I look forward to seeing you again, my young Patron." An'un would than return to the inside of her bungalow to prepare to head out for her next expedition. Hoping to try and test out any of the things that he had just been given, Rhydian would gather the crate and head back towards the Protea Inn. Things were only going to continue going up for him from here on out.

[EXIT]

Word Count: 532
Total Word Count: 4,534