Welcome to Gaia! ::

Youkimi felt anxious at the sight of the blade that Dixon drew. Perhaps it was because she had not been expecting it. It seemed a strange contrast to the day and what it had been made into by the people, the harvest, and the work that had been done and seen to. Yea, the steel caught the light unlike anything nature grew, and in that coldness warned of danger. It seemed to her a quiet promise.

Then came his words.

Democracy.

It was a word that was meant to identify the people of Bellris. These were people who had no king, who felt loyalty to those closest to them, and from what she could hear and what she understood of the people, they had no loyalty to their leaders, who were not so dutybound to protect them, but to assign others to their protection. The vaunted self-righteousness of the Bellris' court was bothersome, perhaps, but to reduce the effectiveness of a response by depending on others for a decision to effect a nation!

It was a terrifying thought, indeed, to have trust in the consistent structure suddenly vanish away. Indeed, the threat of losing it entirely lingered, but she had hoped to see Ethe retain its crown and its nobility....

Yet... when those sworn to their lands by birth so quickly fled... who would the people trust but they whom they choose for themselves? What a dangerous situation! Where even a silvery tongue might steadily convince a break from tradition and lead others to war against their kin! Why did she so fear this outcome?

Nevertheless, Dixon was confident in what he said. If there was, indeed, to be democracy, then he wished to take that step. It would relieve the queen of the pressures of ruling the kingdom, allowing her to rest. This thought better allowed Youkimi to accept the idea of change, but only if Dixon could handle the office and the authority that came with the responsibility.

.... Youkimi nodded slowly and turned her attention to the table, absently shifting around a few items upon the cloth. This was a possibility she hadn't considered. Had she been too distracted to see this? Was there no other way? (And had he referred to her as 'dear'? She would set this thought aside for the moment. She couldn't comment on his phrasing now. There were other things, more important ideas, that he brought up.)

"If this is what you feel must be done, you have my support." She brought her hands together and turned to face him again, to look up at his face. He was a bold one. He had always been so. "All I would recommend is caution. I would hate to see you lose yourself in conceit or pride."

Youkimi raised an eyebrow, unsure if he was merely jesting or if he was sincere in regards to his ward. He meant well, Youkimi hoped and expected. After all, it wasn't terribly long ago when they were in a similar situation, but he looked to her as a mentor instead of being the one teaching. Perhaps this served as its own marker of him growing up. A curious thought, but not the main point.

He spoke fondly of the goddess and of her words. Whatever she had spoken to him about, whatever she had said to him meant something dear indeed, for he took it to heart and he would be honorbound to keep it. He wasn't going to let others stop him. He would not be swayed. She worried a little bit about him being unable to gain the help of others if they felt this emotion radiating from him and misunderstood its origin.

She reached out to him but her hand stopped in the air. Her senses registered the heat he radiated, the energy of his emotions that licked at the air. The anger. There had been instances when she took the heat to herself, disguising his feelings from others in the room so as to keep a political and social situation calm. She did not do so here. She didn't know what to do with this level of emotion, this hate....

Yet, he seemed to return. His tone calmed. He then turned the conversation to her. She sat beside him, returning her hand closer to herself, but resting her hands in her lap, folded together.

"Yes. The Goddess walked here and brought fruit to the trees and lifted the ferns and greenery from the ground." Youkimi affirmed softly. Her dialogue with the goddess had been minimal and she was humbled by the experience. What would she say? What could she say of that magnificent being that was worthy of being said? Could she do justice to a telling? While her people had asked what had happened, asked her to describe the goddess, Dixon had been spoken to. He knew for himself who and what the goddess was. What would he ask her?

"I'll admit.... I didn't expect to see her. Those who came with me were so happy to have even a small bud to take back and show the others." The baroness looked ahead and seemed to watch the others as they cooked and continued to gather what they wanted for the humble and impromptu harvest festivities. "Yet, she came here. She wove life from the ashes. Yet, despite this magnificent work, she..."

Youkimi stopped herself. Her eyes were starting to tear. No, this wasn't necessary now. Dixon hadn't asked her any of this. To hide this, she closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, the answer is yes. She did."

Lacking from the grace and magnificence? No, surely there was nothing that Youkimi perceived. Only good feelings followed the image of the Goddess in the baroness' mind, at least, of her person. But introspection crept in the way and made it hard to define. There was such great joy at what had been done, such excitement at seeing her homeland alive and green once more. That joy brought happy tears.

But... inversely, Youkimi thought she heard the voices of doubters and of critics. She already anticipated the claims of the nobles whose land she began to look after, should they ever return. She had not lingered in the land. She had not stayed. Like many, she also had fled. She had gone to dwell in Bellris. That fact didn't change. Some wondered if she was truly loyal to her home country, if this was her reaction, if this was her choice.

In this thought, had she been weak? Going to Bellris to stabilize the dealings and family connections and using those resources to help those in Ethe? Would not a true Ethian have lingered in the ashen land instead of only returning when there was a sign of life?

"Her Magnificence lacks for nothing. There is such generosity and kindness about her that I do not deserve." Youkimi said, readying a smile as she looked back up to Dixon again. "Was I wrong in leaving? Did I lack the faith necessary to help here? Or would my presence have made any difference?"

How fortunate the timing to illuminate and to help bring home what he said. The soul of Ethe visited them, walking among them, and speaking with them. She greeted both Youkimi and Dixon warmly when they paid their respects to the sacred fire. She had no anger, and neither did Dixon, for what had been done. There was something very calming in that thought. Perhaps it was his words. Perhaps it was the comfort she found in how he held her hand.

When did he grow to be such a man?

Her expression softened into a smile that was appreciative and grateful. She worried for him, yes, but she was proud of him. It was a blessing to have him visit Kaishin again. Fortunately, she wasn't so clingy or tactless as to throw her arms around him, as perhaps some cliché might demand in a situation like this.

"Then I will remain dedicated to Agni and Ethe until the end of my days," Youkimi affirmed and decided so that she could not hesitate on the question should it ever return or be brought back to her attention. "Thank you, Dixon."

Youkimi oblidged and began to show Dixon around Kaishin. Some of it seemed to be changed, for the landscape had definitely been affected by the ashfall, yet there was a familiarity in the plants that were to be found. The ferns, the orchards, the flowers. There was a natural slant to everything, suggesting that these plants naturally grew from the soil and were not planted. This land no longer felt like farmland.

After she showed Dixon the fields and they spoke with some of the people, the festivities began. All gathered together to light a symbolic bonfire. Because there was so much healthy foliage, it was decided early on that only dead branches, that had fallen off naturally or that were sensibly removed in the effort of grooming the plants, would be burned. As a result, there was no wood to burn. What was gathered were things that they no longer needed. Worn and broken desks, furniture pieces destroyed in the eruption, kindling from homes. These were thrown into a fire and it was lit. Looking back on this, it seemed to be a way of letting go and saying that the past was gone. They were building new homes. Fire was necessary for the replenishment of the world.

After the word of silence and the ritualistic prayer of gratitude to the goddess, they broke formation and flocked to the food. All ate and began to speak. Smiles formed across many faces. It was a simple arrangement. Breads, a few sweet rolls, many fruits and vegetables, imported meat supplied by the Baroness. At a glance, this might have seemed a little uncivilized.

It couldn't have been further from the truth. This was the core of civilization.

There was nothing that needed to be said. All that was shown was more than enough. The excitement, the gratitude, the hope. The simplicity was vital for life, beautiful and clean. A people needed that. More, they needed aomething to call their own, something they didn't have as displaced people in strange lands.

Now home, there was work to be done. Hard, yes, but theirs.

At the end of it, Youkimi left with Dixon. There was more to do, for while this was ak achievement, it was not the end. It was life: the work that would never end.


(Exit with Dixon)

Evelyn and her son were escorted to Kaishin by several guards. her son had yet to find his phoenix... or more likely his dragon form, so the little boy rode on his mothers back, giggling slightly as he crawled around, making the mother nervous as she jerked her wings to keep him center.

The small party was very noticeable, after all they were escorting a dragon into Ethe. She slowly glided to the ground and laid her body flat against the ground so her son could wiggle and slide down her black wings. The dragon would than stand before transforming back into her human form and picking up her son. She was happy that it was a little bit warmer and the wind had at long last stopped, it was the only reason she was able to leave Bellris without spikes of ice driving though her wings. Evelyn looked at the Kaishin guards that had brought her here and she brought a hand to her son's hair and ran her fingers thought it. She hated doing this, she had just got him back, but she knew it was for a good reason and she hoped it wasn't for to long...despite her trust of Youkimi she would probably feel her world shatter if the boy came to see her as more of his mother then she was.

Evelyn looked at the boy again and held him tightly, moving her fur coat around him so he would have some extra warmth as she waited for the head of house Kai.