Slowly stretching out a leg, Shadiya bent backwards in a stretch. Her fingers tingled, but eventually the girl found contact with the ground. There we go. As her back cracked the Oban let out a sigh of relief. While she was on the run city taverns had housed her, but while she was in the wilderness it appeared that nature was her bed. Mostly the rough ground at that. Smiling ever so faintly the girl still patted the ground before standing back up on her feet. At least I have some help. A family of small good traders were traveling through and thankfully she had been invited to travel with them after they finished resting up their beasts.
I suppose they should be ready to leave soon. She had rested up herself and enjoyed a meal courtesy of the trader’s wife who claimed she was beginning to see Shadiya’s ribs. The thought caused Shade to chuckle lightly. I doubt that. She had too many fine meals left in her from the noble’s life for that. Yet, admittedly it had been weeks since she had escaped and now that she was reaching the borders food was becoming scarce to find. Stretching her arms out above her head once more the girl began to head back towards the open road.
It was while she turned back around that the faint whispers of rumors reached her ears, “Yaeli?” Shadiya pursed her lips thoughtfully. If she had been living with her uncle still then perhaps she would have heard of these strange creatures, but being on the road isolated her from the latest gossip. Mostly it was her fault because even at taverns she tended to stick to the shadows away from crowds. Crowds, after all would draw attention and put her even more at risk.
“Oh?” One of the Oban traders looked towards the girl with a half-smile, “It’s a strange situation that Tendaji has yet to hear of. These strange creatures came out of the island where the Alkidike extremists were banished to last year.”
Shadiya’s gaze widened, “I heard about the battle, but I thought the Yaeli were like us….well in a sense.” Each of the races had their own unique traits and the Yaeli just happened to have a few extra. Glowing eyes aside she doubted they would harm them as long as the rest of Tendaji behaved. So much fighting between all of us. It’s seriously a waste of lives. She shook her head before the trader’s protest caused her to pause again.
“Not the Yaeli, but what the Yaeli are calling monsters rising from their island.” The Oban reached up to tuck more belongings into his wagon, “Apparently they’re creatures to be feared.”
“Yes, they are!” The voice of his wife called out from the other side, “I hear that they can literally suck souls up from children and no wonder the Yaeli are coming to us. Those poor mothers losing their younglings to such strange monsters.”
“Worse yet is when they take your soul with their glowing eyes.” Commented the couple’s own daughter who was sitting astride her Xaraan, “I wonder what would happen then?”
Shadiya gulped, “You mean to be soulless?” She crossed her arms in a protective gesture, “I suppose either they can control you completely then or leave you to become a mindless body. Could that make anyone a monster in a sense? Like without a soul to fill you with spirit and emotion what is left?” But to destroy everything in their path? Almost like some insatiable monster…the thought sent a shiver down her spine. I would never want that! Her soul was full of life and happiness. How could she dance without it? Perhaps that would explain her uncle. He must have been soul sucked by one of these creatures a long time ago. Despite her fear the thought created a soft laugh.
Still as she continued to travel with the family towards the next Oban city the girl had to wonder. If the Yaeli were leaving their island after all this time, didn’t that hold some truth? Something had to be scaring them, even more so than the extremists, if they were leaving their island now. From what she had heard earlier today it seemed that they weren’t the type to be easily moved. I wonder just how much of it can be true? Perhaps Tendaji wasn’t done seeing war after all. This time, however, it would be with something the likes of which the races had never seen before.
The thought was enough to make Shadiya’s blood run cold.
I’m sure whatever it is we can fight it, right?
At least that was her hope.
I suppose they should be ready to leave soon. She had rested up herself and enjoyed a meal courtesy of the trader’s wife who claimed she was beginning to see Shadiya’s ribs. The thought caused Shade to chuckle lightly. I doubt that. She had too many fine meals left in her from the noble’s life for that. Yet, admittedly it had been weeks since she had escaped and now that she was reaching the borders food was becoming scarce to find. Stretching her arms out above her head once more the girl began to head back towards the open road.
It was while she turned back around that the faint whispers of rumors reached her ears, “Yaeli?” Shadiya pursed her lips thoughtfully. If she had been living with her uncle still then perhaps she would have heard of these strange creatures, but being on the road isolated her from the latest gossip. Mostly it was her fault because even at taverns she tended to stick to the shadows away from crowds. Crowds, after all would draw attention and put her even more at risk.
“Oh?” One of the Oban traders looked towards the girl with a half-smile, “It’s a strange situation that Tendaji has yet to hear of. These strange creatures came out of the island where the Alkidike extremists were banished to last year.”
Shadiya’s gaze widened, “I heard about the battle, but I thought the Yaeli were like us….well in a sense.” Each of the races had their own unique traits and the Yaeli just happened to have a few extra. Glowing eyes aside she doubted they would harm them as long as the rest of Tendaji behaved. So much fighting between all of us. It’s seriously a waste of lives. She shook her head before the trader’s protest caused her to pause again.
“Not the Yaeli, but what the Yaeli are calling monsters rising from their island.” The Oban reached up to tuck more belongings into his wagon, “Apparently they’re creatures to be feared.”
“Yes, they are!” The voice of his wife called out from the other side, “I hear that they can literally suck souls up from children and no wonder the Yaeli are coming to us. Those poor mothers losing their younglings to such strange monsters.”
“Worse yet is when they take your soul with their glowing eyes.” Commented the couple’s own daughter who was sitting astride her Xaraan, “I wonder what would happen then?”
Shadiya gulped, “You mean to be soulless?” She crossed her arms in a protective gesture, “I suppose either they can control you completely then or leave you to become a mindless body. Could that make anyone a monster in a sense? Like without a soul to fill you with spirit and emotion what is left?” But to destroy everything in their path? Almost like some insatiable monster…the thought sent a shiver down her spine. I would never want that! Her soul was full of life and happiness. How could she dance without it? Perhaps that would explain her uncle. He must have been soul sucked by one of these creatures a long time ago. Despite her fear the thought created a soft laugh.
Still as she continued to travel with the family towards the next Oban city the girl had to wonder. If the Yaeli were leaving their island after all this time, didn’t that hold some truth? Something had to be scaring them, even more so than the extremists, if they were leaving their island now. From what she had heard earlier today it seemed that they weren’t the type to be easily moved. I wonder just how much of it can be true? Perhaps Tendaji wasn’t done seeing war after all. This time, however, it would be with something the likes of which the races had never seen before.
The thought was enough to make Shadiya’s blood run cold.
I’m sure whatever it is we can fight it, right?
At least that was her hope.
(785 WC)
