|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 2:55 pm
 |
|
|
 |
I N T R O D U C T I O N x S O L O
Worlds Apart
“I want to hold her.” Phosphorescent pale green eyes flicked to a neatly swathed bundle held in the matron’s arms and locked there.
Nivalis stood solidly in her elder’s path, chin turned up, eyes widened, and small pink lips parted in excitement. As a young mystic, she was allowed to accompany her Alkidike cousin in the older woman’s tending of freshly bloomed lotuses. Scarcely was she permitted to do much more than peek through the blankets at the small, scrunched faces before they were passed to their parents. But today she wanted more. This little one was special, with no parents who had pled for her. Elzira’s gift to the world.
It was a good sign when a goddess wanted you to be born and a feeling Niva could identify with. Her goddess had bloomed her without parents as well, and while some might think it a lonely, unwanted, burdensome existence, Nivalis was nothing if not proud.
It felt as if it was her duty to share this wisdom with her sisters born of similar means.
The matron glanced at Niva briefly, then dipped her head in agreement. “Sit, child, and be very still and quiet. She will not be pleased if you wake her.” She waited until the young mystic dropped to the ground, legs crossed, arms open, and grinning, before the matron set the bundle in her lap.
Few things were more beautiful than a healthy infant freshly unwrapped from her bloom. This one was no exception, with her round cheeks, clenched eyes, and tightly curled fists. Her antenna had yet to fully unfurl from the lotus casings, but they would in time. Until then, Niva soothed a finger gently down a cream-freckled nose. She felt the matron’s warning tension and drew her arm beneath the bundle once more.
“You and I are both very special,” Nivalis murmured softly. “You will be a strong, noble, fearless, and intelligent warrior. The earthlings will cow before you and surrender their lands in fear. That is how you are special. This is our destiny. Mother has told me so.”
“Nivalis,” The girl’s gaze darted up at the stern tone of the matron’s voice. “Elzira has not shared her words with you, yet, child. You are too young. Don’t pretend.”
When Niva’s gaze fell back to the infant, she was still smiling and continued on as if nothing had been said. “That is how I am special, you see,” she informed the bundle. “I was born when a bolt of lightning struck our mother. Our older cousins thought it was an ill omen, that the heat would cause our goddess to rot and decay and die. She is still considered ‘young’ by their standards, you know. But no. The surge of lightning gave her strength. She used that energy to create a bloom with enough magic to form a special bond with her, so that one day, she could convey her wisdom to our tribe. Through me.”
A shadow cascaded over her, then the matron stooped to pluck the infant from her arms with a shake of her head. “A day that won’t come if you dally,” the older woman retorted. “And it would do you well to consider that you may be an omen of strife to come.” When Niva’s expression puckered in distaste for her elder’s commentary, the matron continued more softly.
“I did not say it would be a strife too powerful for you to handle, my beautiful lotus blossom, only that you should hone yourself for whatever the future holds.” She patted Niva’s head softly and stepped past her briskly. “You will run archery drills with Layeta this morning. When she is satisfied that you’ve made progress, you will find Shoshiry and allow her to accompany you on an endurance run through the forest. Cyenna will take you and a small group of other Elaria children to the beachfront, where you will swim against the surf until your arms feel like jelly. When she is finished, you will return here to meditate, on your own, in silence. I will retrieve you when we are ready to deliver this little one to her new parents.”
Niva’s gaze snapped up, expression brightening immediately. “You will not do so without me?”
“Not if you train very hard. Go.”
She did, darting off amongst the roots to seek out today’s first trainer.
x
x
Results: Niva is eager to greet the world and all who inhabit it.
Word Count: 730 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:05 pm
|
|
|
|
P R P x R E F L E C T I O NOut For a Swim
Oh, the day ought to have been going wonderfully.
The Matron told me I'd be permitted to help fully bring one of Elzira's gifts into the world if I was very quick with my morning training, and even that wasn't meditating or study! They were my first swim lessons, something exciting and heart pounding.
It was dreadful, and I despised every moment of it. My older sisters were all much better than me. Stronger, faster, more brave... While they dove ahead, I fell behind. We started out with a run toward the ocean, and I couldn't even do that very well. I'm... too small. I didn't want the other girls to wait for me or hold themselves back. I just thought I would do a little better. I thought I would be more on par with them, though I've very little physical training as of yet.
Anyway, it didn't work out like that. The other girls abandoned me, and even my instructor was very harsh. I don't mind. I do want to succeed.
But I was also very grateful when Kanika stepped in. She seemed so alarmed, like she thought I was being pushed too hard, like she thought the Alkidike was going to let me drown in the waters. I don't think she would've, but Kanika stayed by me, anyway. It was nice to have her be so encouraging...
Results: Met and learned to swim with Kanika.
PRP Posts: 10
JR Word Count: 230 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:07 pm
|
|
|
|
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
To Give a Name to a Thing
The morning went slowly, as some were prone to do. In this instance, it was due in no small part to Nivalis' eagerness to return to the matron's side and be there when her youngest sister was passed into the arms of her new guardians. The infant was not hers to give away, Niva understood that, and she'd certainly had no say in deciding which of-age cousins would take the little girl beneath their wings, but it felt like her right to be there, all the same.
As her older sister and one of the very first to hold that swaddled bundle in her arms, Niva thought it her duty to ensure the still-unnamed infant had the best start to life that could be offered.
Of course, it wasn't her duty. Not yet.
But when she was old enough, it would surely be the greatest blessing to be the conduit that would pass Elzira's gifts to the worthy chosen. Soon it would not include her Alkidike cousins at all. Though it likely still would in her time as mystic. As Niva ran through the morning's physical exercises, she wondered how she would feel as an adult, handing her baby sisters over to Alkidike guardians. Would she even want to? It would spoil the whole process if she had to end it by doing something distasteful... But if Elzira deemed those who pleaded acceptable parents, she couldn't refuse that...
It was a far-off trouble and one to consider at another time. A more immediate issue occurred to her as Niva neared the matron's tent after returning from her workout. The Alkidike elder was with the infant still, bundling the now awake and displeased child into a fresh cloth to send home with her new caretakers.
Nivalis watched with narrowed eyes as the matron rocked the youngling gently in her arms, murmuring quiet, soothing sounds as she did. When the Elaria's cries were reduced to petered whimpers, Niva spoke. "Who will name her?"
"Those who plead for children have the honor of naming them," The matron answered as she stepped briskly from her shelter. Niva didn't know when precisely this little one's guardians were set to retrieve her, but she expected the process had been waiting specifically on her due to the pace the elder former-mystic set. Niva followed in her footsteps at a trot.
"But this little one was not pled for," she argued, scurrying to stay at the matron's side, rather than a step behind. "I should name her. She is my sister, and I will be her mystic. It must be an honor to have your name chosen by-"
The matron's pace didn't slow. She didn't so much as glance in Niva's direction. "No," she answered in a clipped tone. "A child's guardians will tend to her for her entire life. Raise her, teach her, give her everything she needs until she can take it for herself, and longer still. Perhaps those I have chosen for this precious bundle did not ask for her, but that does not mean they don't want and deserve this gift. You will let them name the child, as you will do for all of your sisters in the future."
Niva pouted, and she made sure her elder heard the dissatisfied huff she released in response. She didn't think she was asking too much, and if she wanted to take something from her cousins, it was only because she deserved it more than them. Not that the matron would listen to that argument. "Who named me, then?"
The answer took longer than Niva might've liked. She cast a quick glance up to see clearly that the old woman was mulling over her word choice, trying to determine exactly what she should say.
"I named you," she admitted at length, and it set Nivalis directly on the path to continue her argument with full force. "You were cared for in your infancy by another, but as soon as you were of age to speak and learn and act, it was I who saw to your care and teaching. And you have a long way to go yet, my child."
Niva puffed disinterestedly, but just before she looked away, she thought she saw a spark of mischief enter her elder's eyes. When she glanced back, it was as good as gone, but the old woman was speaking again. "Besides, Elzira whispered your name to me on a breeze, in the same way I knew you were special. You might say your mother named you." This Niva didn't expect was true, if only because why should her goddess whisper anything to an old Alkidike mystic.
She didn't question it, anyway.
x
x
Results: Niva thinks she deserves to give her sisters their names.
Word Count: 783 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:12 pm
|
|
|
|
P R P x R E F L E C T I O NVoice of the Goddess
Though I've tried to make it a point to spend a bit of time with all of my older sisters when I am allowed to, I haven't had any great amount of opportunity to be with Naqenni. We have met, of course, and spoken briefly in the past, but it never felt... substantial. It's probably due mostly in part to our ages being so different. When I was younger, there wasn't much she could do with me, and my presence would've only kept her from her training. I do not want to be a distraction or deterrence. I want to be useful and good enough to take up her time.
I don't think I'm there yet. Even if I try my hardest and do my best, I don't feel like I'm at the right level to engage with my older, more experienced sisters. Particularly those like Naqenni, who doesn't... really look to be enjoying herself in even the best of times.
She did let me shoot her personal bow, though, and I don't think many of our sisters are given that opportunity. So she must like me a little bit. On some level. We have many years to spend together still, so there's still time to earn her respect. But it would've been nice to have a better first experience. There's no do-overs with the first time.
Results: Trained with Naqenni.
PRP Posts: 10
JR Word Count: 227 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 7:45 am
|
|
|
|
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
Shades of Grey
The world was inexplicably bleak, and not just from the usual dimness brought on by the constant shade of hundreds of trees. Everywhere Nivalis looked, the comfortable, familiar places of her home where edged in a peculiar fuzzy gray outline, with muted colors and indistinct shapes. She likely wouldn't have recognized the Zinris camp if it wasn't all she'd ever known. But it was most certainly her home, and this was most certainly where she was supposed to be.
It felt almost surreal, if she'd ever felt such a thing, before. There was no one around as far as she could see. The camp was silent of even normal forest sounds. Just quiet, dim, grayness and loneliness. It ought to have been disconcerting. But it wasn't, only strange and curious to be alone in this place, at this time.
Nivalis moved from her hut, and her feet guided her off the path that would take her toward the main camp. Instead, she headed out into the jungle, with no set destination in mind, but with a sense of purpose, all the same. Many times, she'd traversed the lands available to her, now that she was old enough to do so without constant supervision. She thought herself familiar with anywhere she cold get in a handful of minutes and any route she could take to get there.
She'd hardly set foot out of camp when nothing looked familiar. The bleary, dull, blue-green of her home morphed into hazy shades of violet and indigo. When she looked back over her shoulder, it was as if her hut had never existed.
Niva's brows pinched.
She should be alarmed by this. Her sisters and cousins would worry if she was lost, and there were many things in Yael's jungle that were more than a match for her. But still there was only a warm curiosity, edged on by a gentle reassurance from what may as well have been the air around her. 'Keep going.' She did. Since she was already here, there was no reason not to.
Especially since this land seemed as unobtrusive and silent as the one she'd just come from. It was different, with different colors and different trees and different grasses, but it was still silent, misty, and peculiar. She walked on, and in the same manner that she'd been zipped from her own home to this new land, her next step brought her immediately to the edge of a camp. Not her camp, of course. Not Zinris, but it was similar in so many ways. It didn't look like any Earthling camp she'd ever heard of, but it was far larger than the Elaria set-up.
Far larger. With trees towering so high and broad, they blotted out the sky. And little huts built right into and onto them, with glowing stones and fungi sprouting up in every which way. It might be nice to live so far off the ground. Not that she would know. Maybe it just meant less crawling bugs and more flying bugs made it into beds at night.
Either way, once she'd had her fill of ogling, Nivalis looked ahead. There before her stood what was very likely the largest living specimen she'd ever seen. The tallest and broadest of all the trees, with a root network that reached out every which way, beneath her feet, even now. It was bigger even than Elzira. She, Niva corrected herself. She was bigger even than Elzira. And wasn't that a special feat in and of itself?
Compelled to move forward once more, Niva strode along the winding path of roots set before her. Once close enough, she dusted her fingers over ages-old bark and had a sense that this tree had seen the beginning of time. It sort of reminded her of her own mother goddess. An older, wiser, time-hardened Elzira.
The corners of her lips quirked up into a soft smile, and she glanced up. And up and up as far as her gaze could see. She started with a soundless jump as her mint-colored eyes found the sitting form of a girl.
A girl.
A young Alkidike girl. She was high up in the branches, just a yellow-green spot. But she was definitely no older than Niva herself. Just as small, just as untrained. Nivalis wanted to call out to her. She was the only person she'd seen so far, after all, and if they could only communicate, then there was probably much to be learned about this land and this tree and this world.
But shouting was beyond inappropriate, at this moment. She could feel the dull buzz of refusal in her chest. So she only sighed, closed her eyes, and tipped her head down. Next time. Next time she would be ready to speak to the other little girl.
For now, her lashes flicked open, and she was back in the familiar blue-green Yaeli foliage. She could return to her hut from here. These paths would take her home in a matter of moments. So she walked, and as she did, the gray dimness of the world turned bleaker and darker, edging toward black. Nivalis blinked to clear her vision.
She opened her eyes to the backside of her hut, to the sound of leaves rustling overhead, and to aching legs, as if she'd run ten miles. She was sitting up, legs folded, arms open, meditating, in the solitude of her own home. Her own realm, as whatever she'd just been in felt like a whole other scape.
She'd been meditating. Meditating.
A vision? She'd never experienced anything quite like that, and it seemed like something to boast over. But all she'd seen was a large tree and a young Alkidike. It was worth sharing with the matron just for progress' sake, but the dream itself seemed to be of little relevance. But if she disregarded the peculiar content, then...
Niva beamed and bounced to her feet. Her mother had spoken to her, noticeably, for the first time.
x
x
Results: Niva dreams of an Alkidike youngling.
Word Count: 1005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 6:02 am
|
|
|
|
F A M I L I A R x S O L O
Cidae
"Niiivaaaah-"
Nivalis recognized the voice without opening her eyes. Her brows pinched together, and the corner of her lip twitched down. Her fingers tightened in her lap, and she sucked in a steadying breath. Zinnia was a young Elaria, bloomed a few short moons after Niva herself, but growing at such an alarming pace that the mystic youngling was already nearly dwarfed.
She was also loud, mannerless, and spoiled silly by her Alkidike guardians. At the time of their meeting, Niva had, of course, adored her by sheer virtue of what she was, a sister. Now she wasn't so sure. She didn't really appreciate when her meditation was disturbed for non-important reasons.
If the playfully amused tone of Zinnia's voice was any indication, it wasn't important.
With a quiet sigh, Niva opened her eyes and faced her younger, larger Elaria. "What can I do for you, Sister?"
The girl was beaming, as she should, there was hardly a reason not to at this time, as she dipped down to crouch at Nivalis' eye level. "I saw something weeeeird out in the fo-rest," she chirped, reaching to poke Niva's chest as she did. "Something that hasn't never been there before. You'd like it. Or, even if you didn't. You should see it. Because it's weird, and maybe it means something."
Needless to say, Niva was skeptical. Her powers of divination and deduction were still a long way from being as sharp as they ought to be, but they still likely far outclassed Zinnia's own abilities. She doubted anything the younger female thought was mystical actually was, but neither could Niva dismiss it without a thought. That would hardly be fair.
With another sigh, she nodded, rose, and hummed out what she hoped was a suitably unimpressed, "Show me what you've found, then."
Whatever it was, at least Zinnia was excited about it. It, and everything else. She prattled on and on and on about just about anything as the two girls made their way out of the main camp. She wanted to tell Niva all about her training and about how all the other girls weren't doing as well and about what she had for dinner the night before. Nivalis felt obligated to listen, as it was her duty to be council for her sisters, but try as she might, she could not bring herself to care about the boasting of one of her younger sisters. Though she felt just a smidge of guilt about it, as well.
When they finally made it to the camp outskirts (not even out into the forest beyond, as Zinnia had initially said), it was a blessing. And a curse.
"Whatcha think, huh?" Zinnia asked as she walked up to what was probably the ugliest piece of dinner Niva had ever seen. She crinkled her nose. Some people might call them 'bugs.' Zinnia, apparently, thought they were 'pets,' but to Niva, it was just food.
Food she'd never seen before, but the creatures certainly were large enough to feed at least two full grown sisters. And they were clearly stupid. They let Zinnia walk right up to them and pick them up! "Here." The younger girl offered a dark red and black, leggy specimen for Niva to hold. "I picked this one out for you. I told you, you'd like it!"
"Sah... Yes," Niva agreed slowly. "It looks delicious. I bet the Matron has a way of preparing it so that it tastes-"
"You can't eat it!" Zinnia piped.
"What do you mean, I can't," Niva snipped back. "Why not?"
"It's a gift," the younger Elaria explained pointedly. "You can't eat a gift."
Despite Nivalis' immediate response to be that you most certainly could, she swallowed the thought down, and peered at the hideous reature in her arms. "What else are you supposed to do with it, then?" It didn't look like any of her older sisters' or cousins' pets. Most of those seemed to have a use. This thing did not.
Zinnia shrugged. "Dunno." Niva had to forcefully remind herself not to snap at the other girl. "It'll follow you if you feed it." She didn't want to feed it or for it to follow her. "It'll make pretty yard art. I even picked out a name for you!" Niva pinched her eyes shut and shook her head. This was quickly turning into a whole ordeal. Either way, Zinnia grinned as she chirped. "You can call it Cidae!"
x
x
Results: Niva acquires some yard decoration.
Word Count: 744 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:17 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:03 am
|
|
|
|
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
Hurry Up and Die
Click, clack, click, scuttlescuttlescuttle.
Nivalis' face scrunched. She hated that sound, and when she whipped her gaze to glare at the little body making its way beneath a woven rug, she scowled. Cidae was still a hideous, obnoxious creature, even two years after unfortunately obtaining the large maglardilla as a pet. During that time, Niva had looked for nearly any out to be rid of the thing.
Maybe the Matron wouldn't want it near Elzira, or she would mistakenly put it in the night's cookpot, or maybe she just wouldn't like it (as Nivalis did) and kill it on the spot. That didn't happen. Niva hoped for other things. It would run away. It would starve. Someone else would pick it up. Or it would even just die. Because it was a bug. And bugs had no business living for years. If it had come from anywhere else, she would've done the deed, herself. But the creature had been a gift from a dear sister. And now she was stuck with it.
But really, she shouldn't be letting the insect distract her.
Today, Niva had chosen to undertake a task on her own, one that wasn't in her immediate need to study, but would be soon enough. She read from one of the Matron's scrolls from the former Alkidike mystic's Chibale days: a detailed list of the types of plants useful for herbal remedies, sleep aids, sickness deterrents, and cure-alls. Unfortunately, it seemed most of Chibale's greenery wasn't quite the same as its Yael counterpart. She'd never seen or even heard of so many of these things...
But! Such was the goal of today's endeavor, to find a Yaeli replacement. It wasn't a task that would be completed overnight. In fact, it wasn't a task that was likely to be completed ever, as there were always new things and better ways to achieve old goals.
The selection of leaves, shrubs, and ferns she had before her was not as vast as she would've liked, but it was a start. Niva's mint gaze scanned down the notes scrawled long ago in the Matron's quick and small script. 'Silvarti root: Long, thin, winding. Gray and bitter. Good for headaches.' Hopefully if it looked the same, felt the same, and tasted the same, it would have a similar effect? In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't much to go off. Even less when she didn't have someone to test it on.
Or, not much to test it on, anyway.
"Is this going to take very much longer?" Zinnia asked with a low groan. "I kinda thought you already knew what to give me. Didn't know I was some practice dummy. I'm also not... real sure I want to eat something that you don't know what does, either."
Nivalis disregarded her sister's words. "It is a great honor to help the mystic in her tasks." If Zinnia was going to impose unwanted creatures on Niva, Niva would impose foul-tasting plant life on her. She scratched off a layer of dirt from a knobby grey tree root. "Besides, I'm tasting it too. If something bad happens to you, it'll also happen to me. You don't want our sisters to think you let me try it alone, do you?" With a broad grin, she proceeded to put a fingernail's worth of the substance in her mouth.
Strong. And more sour than bitter. And not as 'winding' as was listed in the Matron's notes. But still as close as she was likely going to get, at least in terms of appearance.
With a shrug, she chopped off two chunks of root and handed them to Zinnia. She thought she heard the other girl mutter, "Kinda sounds like you're blackmailing me..." Before she popped the two bites into her mouth. "Ugh, you might've... gotten more of the dirt off, at least."
"And take away some of the substance?" Zinnia frowned. Niva grinned. "Anyway, that's all I've got for now. It'd be a great help if you'd report back to me any any out-of-the-ordinary changes. Hopefully it's good for something, though maybe not necessarily headaches..."
Zinnia scoffed, rubbed the back of her neck, and moved to pull Cidae out from under the rug. "Y'know, if you wanted Chibale plants, like from that book you're reading, you'd pro'lly be better off going and getting those. At least you'd know for sure what they were capable of." She picked the maglardilla up, held it high above her head at arm's length, and watched its skinny bug legs kick out in protest.
Niva scoffed. "If I had access to those herbs, I'd use them happily. But I don't. Such why there's a need for this." She tapped the end of her cutting knife to the edge of a table to flick away debris, then wiped away the remaining juices with a rag. "Even if I went to the mainland, I still wouldn't be able to obtain Chibale herbs. The Matron says no non-Alkidike is allowed on their islands, and though we Elaria are far superior to any Earthling, we still aren't Alkidike. Until we are strong enough to take those lands, as well-"
"No one said nothing about going to Chibale, yeah?" Zinnia interrupted. Niva shot her younger sister an unimpressed look and made to point out the flaws in that plan, before the other Elaria continued. "My guardian told me there was gonna be a big ole gathering on the mainland. She said it happens every year, around this time. Even heard some Yaeli merchants talking about before she dropped down on 'em and sent 'em clear out of our forests. Said a bunch of Earthlings and even Alkidike get together to peddle off their wares. Make a few coin. So if the plants you're looking at still hold any value, bet you could get them there."
Briefly, all Nivalis could do was stare at her sister. Everything Zinnia'd said was absurd. Alkidike and Earthlings getting together to- Well, maybe that part wasn't so unbelievable. It was why her extremist cousins had been banished, after all. For disagreeing with that sort of mingling (and the sort that it led to, as well).
The more unbelievable part was that she thought Niva even could go, if she wanted to. It was such a long way from Elzira... She really had no business leaving. Not for something she probably had on the island, even if she didn't know the name of it or where to find it exactly. But it would be useful to have cures that would for sure be beneficial, as opposed to sticking random herbs in her sisters' mouths and hoping.
Regardless, even with a reason, the Matron would never let her go. She was a long way from completing her training. A trip to the mainland was out of the question.
Even if it would be nice to see beyond Yaeli soil... just once.
With a quiet scoff, she shook her head. "Foolishness. You go, then, if you think it will be so beneficial. My tasks are here." She dusted the ends of her short skirt and turned back to her book. "I'm done with you, by the way. You'd best get back to your training."
"Ahhhh. Yeah, yeah, I'm going." She tossed Cidae atop a cabinet, then turned to Niva. "Is it just me you're a sour sport to? All the older girls think you're the sweetest, most innocent little thing. Ya are pretty little, at least. Anyway, maybe I will go. Bring you back a souvenir too," Zinnia retorted as she strode out the door.
Niva rolled her eyes and couldn't help the upward quirk of her lips.
Foolishness.
x
x
Results: Niva learns of a giant marketplace on the mainland.
Word Count: 1283 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 2:06 pm
|
|
|
|
C L A S S x A F F I N I T Y x S O L O
A Faraway Place
When Nivalis first mentioned the grand market to the Matron, she did so in passing. It was dark already in their abode, and the pair was nearing the end of their evening meal. They'd exhausted the topics of Niva's training in nearly every form, and so, to keep the conversation going (and in a more lighthearted manner, at that), Niva brought it up. She smiled, and a short snicker escaped her as she said, "Zinnia thinks she'd like to travel to the mainland, to join in on the Earthlings' market festival."
The Alkidike elder's eyes narrowed fractionally, though Nivalis missed it entirely, focused on scooting the scraps of her food around as she was. "Oh?" The Matron hummed softly. "You've heard of that, have you?"
"Yes," Niva replied. "Though I can't say I know much about it. They've got a lot of nerve calling it 'grand,' I think. Something like that couldn't possibly live up to expectations, and I-"
"Will not be attending," the Alkidike asserted in her crisp, no-nonsense tone.
Nivalis' mint-colored gaze darted up to her mentor's face. She hadn't meant it to sound like she was asking for or even wanted the Matron's permission. Such was it that she didn't think it especially wise for any of her sisters to attend the event, let alone herself. But the tone from the elder immediately made a surge of defiance swell in Niva's throat. "I didn't say I was," she clipped in a huff. "But if I wanted to, I'm sure I could find enough reasonable excuses to do so."
"And I'm sure I could find enough reason to stop you." When Niva huffed and glowered at a meat scrap, the Matron murmured more softly. "But if you've no intention of going, anyway, I suppose there's no reason for either of us to run our mouths. The rest of the world is not going anywhere. There will be many chances for you and your sisters to explore, once you've honed your skills."
They left it at that, though Niva had to remind herself she'd called leaving her island 'foolishness' the near-instant Zinnia brought it up.
Still, it was only a handful of days, during the morning stretches, when Niva thought to mention it again. "It wouldn't be completely out of the question, if I did want to go," she informed the older woman, as Nivalis dipped to touch her toes. The Matron didn't look surprised by the commentary. Niva continued, anyway. "I've never been off the island. Most of my sisters have never even been off the island. It would do... all of us some good, I think, to see what was out in the world." She straightened and tossed a wad of berry-colored hair over her shoulder.
The elder Alkidike tapped Niva's arm, coaxing her to twist. "Yes. It will 'do you good.' Unfortunately, your information came a bit late, it seems. It is a long distance, and this year's market has begun already. You'd never make it in time to see it." Niva twisted at the waist, frowning a bit. "Perhaps next year, if I deem the world ready for you."
Next year.
It seemed so far away. But, as she'd continued to tell herself, she didn't want to leave Yael, anyway. Maybe by next year, she would want to. In the meantime, there was much to keep herself occupied with. Continued physical drills, spellwork, the processes of rituals and rights that she would one day need to perform for her people. Nivalis didn't forget, though. Because even though the Matron had said she needed to deem 'the world' ready, Niva knew she had much growing to do herself, before she'd be allowed anywhere.
She needed to show her elder a maturity that had yet to bloom. Advance in ways that she hadn't yet. Prove that she was ready for the world. Of course, Niva fancied the idea that she always worked hard and was constantly improving.
The Elaria expected her to be what she was born to be, a mystic, worthy of their goddess and worthy to speak for them. She had to train hard to live up to that goal. But it seemed such a distant one, a future ideal still many years ahead of her.
The market, at least, was only one year. A much more short-term, achievable desire, should she try hard enough.
So, she did. Where there were once idle hours in Nivalis' schedule for relaxing and mingling, she cut those down to a minimum and instead filled her time with anything that seemed necessary for her role. It meant that she devoted more time to her magic, more time to study of the Matron's old, faded scrolls, and more time to weapons practice.
It was a foggy spring morning when she met with the spearmaiden, Layeta for their session. Though it had only been a few short years since the beginning of her physical training, Niva was starting to realize that she likely wouldn't sprout as far upward as several of her sisters had. She was young yet, and would likely continue to get bigger, just, not as much as she might've hoped when she was six.
It shifted her thoughts on which weapon she might carry. Once she'd thought blades were beautiful, and they still were, but the sisters that carried them did so with a grace Niva didn't think she would ever possess. Once she'd thought the careful and quick precision of a marksman was worth striving for, and it still was, but Nivalis needed patience in everything else, so perhaps, when hunting and fighting, maybe she could do without.
She dipped, arching the bladed edge of her weapon out and up, angled to hit her sparring partner in the hip. Despite her age, Layeta was quick. She twisted backwards, putting one foot forward as she spun to knock Niva's weapon away with her own, then lunged.
Layeta, at least, had a sort of rhythm that Niva was beginning to learn from years of training with the woman. She was quick, practiced, patient with Niva's falters and flinches, but when the time was right, when the young mystic was too exposed, Layeta wanted it known that in battle, this was an unforgivable mistake.
Nivalis knew this, and perhaps exploiting a circumstance specific to one woman was maybe cheating, but then, battle didn't exactly favor predictableness, as Layeta was being.
When the Alkidike dove in, Niva slipped back, shifting the hold one her weapon towards the end. Her bare toes slid against the packed dirt of the earth, carrying her just out of range of harm. She circled, and with a quick flick of motion, arced he wooden pole of her weapon around and down against her sparring partner's back.
It landed rather solidly, leaving Layeta a bit winded, but actually looking rather pleased as her posture eased and she turned to face the young mystic. "You are improving, Nivalis," she commended with a slight dip of her head. "It would be disappointing if you fell for the same tactics repeatedly, I suppose." Niva relaxed as well, and acknowledged the praise with a nod of her own.
Layeta reached a hand out to flick a speck of dirt from Niva's arm. "It suits you, doesn't it?" She hummed in approval. "This fighting style. I know many would prefer you take a more.. distant approach when fighting. The bow would be a safer option, but..."
"But it doesn't feel right," Niva agreed, "I could use a bow. I know how. But it isn't... quite as satisfying, I think. There is a-"
"Recklessness."
"Recklessness to fighting like this that feels more natural, somehow. Perhaps it isn't what others hope for me, and maybe the feel of it doesn't make too much sense, but that seems to be in line with what I know, anyway. To go with what feels right." She peered up at the taller woman, who looked so at ease with the familiar weight of her weapon, and in this training environment. Niva rolled the end of her spear against her palm. "If you have the time, I would like to spend a bit more time learning your craft."
"You honor me, Mystic," Layeta hummed. "I will speak to the Matron about lengthier practices." There was a brief pause, but the Alkidike continued quickly. "Though I hope your aren't making decisions too hastily, in light of the coming market. I'd heard that you might be... interested in attending this year, despite the danger of it."
Nivalis spun on her heel, throwing her weapon over her shoulders and hooking an arm over it as she did. "Of course not." She shot a broad grin over her shoulder at her Alkidike companion. "But when you do speak to the Matron about my schedule, be sure to mention my improvement, as well. I think she'd like to hear of it."
x
x
Results: Niva elects to train harder for her duties and takes up the spear as her primary weapon.
Word Count: 1487 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 11:01 am
|
|
|
|
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
Flight of Fancy
Their war was a silent one.
Nivalis stood stock still, her posture straight and stiff, feet apart, chin up, gaze attentive and challenging. The Matron sat across from her in a wicker rocker. The elder was very near to the most displeased Niva had ever seen her, with her pale green fists curled tersely around the armrests and her dark eyes narrowed to slits. The pair said nothing to one another, only stood staring for several lengthy minutes. The silence wasn't to last.
The young mystic was the first to break, and she did so with a rush of hastily spilled words. It helped that she'd gone over and over what she might say. "I didn't demand their cooperation," Niva asserted briskly. "I only asked if they would-
"You," Niva's teeth clicked shut, and it was a struggle not to dip her head beneath the Matron's intense gaze and fierce tone. "Ought to know better than to bring other girls into your fantasies. You are a child, and Zayana and Kanika are hardly more than that. It is not safe- It is not plausible to send three young prentices across the ocean to the mainland." Nivalis opened her mouth to interject, but was stalled by a brisk, silencing hand and clipped words. "I do not care if they agreed to escort you. I do not care if they have permission from their guardians. I do not care how much you've 'improved' in your training, and I do not care if you and your sisters think you are ready to face the world."
The Matron's fingers uncurled from the armrests. She shifted her shoulders against the chair back and tried to look fractionally more relaxed. Her success was minimal. "You will not leave this island," the elder Alkidike informed Nivalis. "The fact that you would brazenly chose to involve two of your sisters in your ill-guided plans does nothing but assure me of how unprepared you are. No. You may not go."
Niva thought she'd be ready for this. She'd had a plan. She knew exactly what she was going to say. She thought she'd had arguments for anything this woman might say to her in this moment. All but bits and pieces were completely dashed from her mind as the Matron stared at her.
She was supposed to have said how she was bringing older, more experienced Elaria for her own safety. Or how they were sticking to a small group to be less noticed. How they would pack rations for the entirety of the trip, if necessary, to keep from eating earthling food. They couldn't continue to be so sequestered off from the rest of the world. They had no information from beyond their island, and Niva wanted more, more, more.
But her throat felt so tight that she could hardly breathe, let alone speak. So she only stood staring at the older woman blankly and trying to will her mind to make sense of all her previous arguments.
"There will be no more discussion of this, Nivalis. You will tell the twins that this plan was foolishness from the beginning, and none of you will be going anywhere." She flicked her hand dismissively. "There is much day left. Return to your training."
Niva didn't think she would argue. She could scarcely think enough to move or speak, let alone formulate anything worthwhile enough to be reasonable explanation for why she ought to be allowed to go. So when her words did come out, they weren't well-thought, and they certainly weren't reasonable. "You can't stop me."
It started as a quiet hiss, enough to give the Matron pause, but when she repeated it, it came out louder, and fiercer. "You can't stop me. I have worked hard and trained every day in all the various arts you've placed before me. I am not a master of any trade, but neither am I weak or stupid. My sisters have all spent more than a decade on this island. They know nothing of the world except what you've told them." She sucked in a breath. Her fingers were shaking. "We've followed all of your teachings and still have nothing to show for it and still no idea what awaits us out there. One day, we will strike out on our own. But today, if I want to just go and look at the dumb earthlings, in their dumb market, then I will, and you can't stop me."
There was more shaking now. From her hands, to her knees, to the tips of her antenna. She'd never spoken to the Matron like that before. She'd never spoken to anyone like that before. But it was all true. The Alkidike spoke of the earthlings' weakness, but the former mystic was so concerned about the danger the posed. Yael was dangerous too. If she could survive here, she could survive anywhere.
Besides, Nivalis was special enough that no misfortune could possibly befall her.
She didn't apologize for the heated words, and as Niva stood there shaking before her guardian, the old woman's posture dipped. "I could," the Matron retorted. "And I should. But I won't. If this is the path Elzira wishes for you, then you will go, regardless of my say." Niva's heart thundered, and she too tried to ease back. "But," the young mystic stilled again. "Understand this."
"When you journey far from home, for a cause you believe in and have shared with your sisters, the lives you take with you are your responsibility. Your sisters are young, but they have been taught that a Mystic's words are worth fighting and dying for. If you lead them from here, away from Elzira's protection, whatever happens, whatever ails you face and whatever blood is spilled, will be on your hands. This is the burden that comes with your power. Do you understand?"
Niva swallowed. The Matron had led her sisters from Chibale to Sauti. There'd been a battle. Many had died. And they'd still ended up banished. She knew the story well, and knew that the results had hurt many. But the woman before her looked very old and tired now, different from only moments before. She'd lost sisters. And though they'd found a new home on Chibale, there were still scars.
This journey would not be like that.
But she understood the concept of what she was being told. Nivalis dipped her head, and in a quieter, more muted tone, she murmured, "I understand."
"Good girl, Nivalis," the Matron replied just as softly. "You are such a bright and beautiful little flower. Your travels will last many days, and you will likely need to use everything that you've learned. Do not fail your sisters. They trust you already. If the mother goddess is good, then this warning will be unnecessary. Go. Prepare for your journey. And take Naqenni with you. She has more experience than the others. Her insight will be invaluable to you."
"Yes, Matron." She gave another, much more subtle bow before turning and scuttling from the tent. She'd known their discussion would get heated, but it turned into more than she'd bargained for...
Still, she had to inform her sisters.
x
x
Results: Niva sort of gets permission to leave the island.
Word Count: 1202 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 11:10 am
|
|
|
|
M E T A x R E F L E C T I O NThe Grand Marketplace
What a peculiar place Tendaji is. I don't suppose I really knew what to expect, considering this was my first adventure out of Zinris, but it wasn't really what I got, anyway. Since the Earthling and Alkidike fought so viciously over territory, I had to assume that most of the mainland's soil was worth living on. So maybe I thought it would all be similar to what Alkidike are accustomed to living in.
It was not. And while some places did seem rather inhospitable and unfriendly toward my sisters and I (the desert is surely an impossible place to live- so bright and hot), this world is beautiful and worth the strife of conquest.
I might never have guessed what lay beyond my island. I'm so used to Yael that seeing mountains, plains, and deserts just... I couldn't have imagined. I had no way of knowing. But now I do, and I understand why my cousins would fight for control over it. I want to control it too, but for all the beauty of the land, it came with a great, impossible swarm of Earthlings. Their numbers grow exponentially by the day, it seems, as even during our short visit, a whole new brand of them- two new brands made themselves known.
The Elaria are a close-knit but small tribe... And I've no idea how we could ever begin to rival these insects in numbers. I am uncertain about what is to come.
Results: Discovered two new Earthling races.
META Posts: 7
JR Word Count: 244 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 10:05 am
|
|
|
|
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
Dabbling in Repair
Things were not really so different upon her return from the mainland. Niva told the Matron of the new earthlings and their flying machines and felt confident that her sisters would spread the word as well. She expected the old Alkidike to feel as she had: alarmed, annoyed, cautious, and desperately eager to do something about it. Maybe she did on some level, but the Matron insisted that whatever problems arose on the mainland were not Niva's to deal with, at this point.
She still had much to study and learn. Elzira had guided Nivalis to Sauti (against the Matron's better judgement) so that she could see and be prepared for what awaited her one day, but now that she knew, it was time to return to her tasks as a growing Mystic.
"Magic is a difficult art to master," explained the Alkidike elder as an aura of pale light radiated from her palms out to the tips of her fingers. "Perhaps more so than any other, as, like the forces of nature, it is always moving and changing. You cannot command nature and energy, but you can guide it. Only when your spirit harmonizes with the earth's magic can you hope to make use of it as an ally. Come closer. Watch carefully."
This was to be her first lesson in the magical arts. It was a role she was expected to play, and a gift the Matron assured her she had. Although, as far as Niva could tell, she had as much magical prowess as any of her sisters.
Minimal.
But it was fascinating, all the same. And while she'd seen the Matron cast before, Niva had seldom been allowed to join the older woman as she tended to their tribe. It was an unnecessary risk to have a young child about while caring for the sick and wounded, but now that Niva was older, she was trusted to not be bothersome and in the way.
As it turned out, the two of them were not alone this day. One of the Alkidike warriors had gotten herself gouged deep into her leg by a wirenth near a week ago. Rather than seeking a salve or stitching for it immediately, she'd instead opted to let the deep, open wound fester into a swollen, pus-filled and still-leaking mess that smelled as bad as it looked. Niva didn't have to ask 'why' to know that her cousin's pride had kept her from finding proper aid more quickly. Either way, due to the now-severity of it, she had no choice but to turn to the Mystic for assistance.
One Niva stepped forward to observe, the Matron's glowing palm rubbed gentle, smooth circles around the edge of the gash, using her magic to coax the swelling down and to encourage a bit of color back into the sticky, greyish looking skin that surrounded the wound. The process was not slow, and Niva noticed a definitive improvement near-immediately. Just moments ago, the warrior had barely been able to support her own weight on the leg. It looked better already.
The Matron elder shot her sister a stern look, but continued to speak to Niva. "If she'd found us sooner, we could have given her a bit of poultice to rub on it in the evenings and sent her on her way."
Niva blinked, and her pale gaze shifted from the atrocious marring back to her mentor. "You wouldn't have used magic on her right away?" Was she not supposed to do so either, when the time came for her to care for her sisters? This process seemed so much quicker than letting it heal on its own, and Niva could hardly fathom how she could let any of her siblings suffer for longer than they had to when she could do something about it. "Why?"
"The body learns, just like the mind." Niva squinted, because to her that meant next to nothing. The Matron continued, "It's important to let the body heal itself whenever possible. Salves do speed along the process and help keep out infection, but it still encourages the body to work for itself. Magic doesn't, and if you abuse this power too frequently on any one person, they'll come to expect it, and their wounds won't heal on their own, anymore."
"But some of your sisters will be as foolish as mine and will take on more than they can handle." Their patient grinned sheepishly. "So it sometimes will be necessary to help them along back to a place they can manage."
Once the swelling was down and surface bruising seemed to be receding, the Matron's magic faded from her fingers, and she resumed caring for her sister in the common way. She carefully washed the wound with a wet cloth, applied a generous helping of some pale green goo, and wrapped up the gash with a bandage. She passed a small armload of supplies onto the woman, then gave her the necessary instructions for the rest of the healing process. Bandages changed and cleaned twice a day, with a small period in between to let the skin breath.
As the warrior moved out of their tent (with less of a limp than when she entered), NIvalis shot her mentor an annoyed look. "I thought I would get to practice healing," she complained with a pout. "Watching has hardly taught me anything! You just glowed a little!"
The Matron's answering scoff almost sounded like a snort of laughter. "You wanted to 'practice' on my injured sister? Nonsense. It will be less dangerous for all of us if you start with something less precious." She moved off toward a swatch of heavy blankets. Niva followed dutifully. "This will be your practice partner," The elder instructed, carefully unraveling a bit of the cloth.
Nivalis had to crane around the Matron's arm to see, and when she did, she immediately felt a stab of annoyance. An animal. Of course it was. She might have argued that it would be better for her to work with something she actual cared about, but already the young woman knew the Matron wouldn't hear of it. This would have to do for now.
x
x
Results: Niva gets her first healing magic lessons.
Word Count: 1035 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
