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 Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:24 am
Youngling Solo 1 Zadia awoke to the sound of padding footsteps, feet somehow dragging against the floorboards in the quiet of the night despite the users tender steps. Her eyes snapped open and she shot up to realize she’d been covered in sweat despite the relative chill of an Autumn moon. Looking about her room she realized the door had been left open, no doubt by a well meaning parent coming to check on her sleeping form, and that the night creature was slipping past. Unlike her brothers she had no one to share her room with, and since coming to Tale she’d been given the kind of freedom most girls only dreamed of. Except, in moments like this, she’d much preferred having them a little closer.
Still shuddering from her abrupt return to consciousness, Zadia crept out of bed and followed the source of the noise only to discover it was her mother creeping away into the kitchen. In the flicker of candlelight Zadia could see that Maritza’s eyes were bright and aware, no doubt due to her nocturnal hours. From the cover of darkness she watched her mother snatch up a few nuts from the tableside bowl before sitting down to work on her papers. It wasn’t terribly uncommon for Maritza to steal away in the dead of night for hours at a time to catch up on work, but Zadia wished she wouldn’t all the same. It was time she should be sleeping so she could play with them in the day, but even now, when she wasn’t supposed to be working she still was.
Her eyes followed Maritza as her quill scratched out lines and patterns on the paper, matching only the furrowed lines on her mother’s brow. What was she working on that made her so tense? She didn’t look happy; if anything she looked pained. It didn’t seem to stop her, though, and with a little sigh Zadia turned away to go back to bed. Only when she was safely tucked back into bed did she wipe away at the sweat still clinging to her skin and now that the adrenaline was gone the little girl found a chill had settled in.
Why had she woken up in the first place? Hearing her mother slink past was hardly a rarity, and now that the initial shock was gone she remembered it. A nightmare. She couldn’t remember details, but the gripping fear that caused her heart to shudder remained. Zadia remembered a pair of hands, blue as the water, but puffy coming for her throat to pull her down....Clutching her blanket, the child pulled it up over her head and cowered in a ball as close to the wall as she could. She remembered why it was him, and knowing it didn’t make things any better.
Before her mother had returned Zadia had gone to market with her father. It had been a special day, just the two of them and he’d taken her to the water’s edge to look at the local flora. She’d been so excited to explore that she didn’t hear him calling to her until it was too late; until she saw him. A man laid face down in the water and his body was as blue as it was swollen. At first the shock was too great for her to scream, but somehow, as soon as her father had reached her the simple act of his hand on her skin kickstarted her lungs. It was her screaming that had alerted others, and soon enough her father was packing her in his arms, holding her as close as he could, but no amount of coddling could soothe her. Everytime she closed her eyes Zadia could still see that man’s chest and the way it remained still no matter how long he floated. Thankfully she hadn’t seen his face, but in her nightmares she saw it all.
She’d been told the red eyes weren’t real; that they were only her mind playing tricks on her to cope with the trauma. Still, she saw them as clear as day and the sleepless nights were starting to take their toll.
Zadia often woke up before her father, which meant she spent a great deal of time at night with her mother. Maritza did her best to coax the child back to sleep in the beginning, but when it became apparent that Zadia simply couldn’t she gave up. Instead, Maritza began planning nightly activities in the hope of tiring her daughter out. It worked for a bit; at the very least she was able to take a nap before her brothers woke which left her in a far better mood.
Her studies were beginning to falter and Zadia in general had trouble concentrating. She absolutely refused to be placed in a bathing tub, and would throw an awful fit just having water placed over her head. Giving her the simplest of baths had now become a chore on the entire family. She screamed in outright terror every time because in her mind even just the act of having a cup of water over her head meant what had happened to him would happen to her too. The amount of bruises she’d left on her parents from fighting tooth and nail to escape were countless. It had gotten so bad at a time that she remembered drinking tea before a bath and being in a semi-sleepy state for a while. It was like her body knew it was being cleansed and yet, she hadn’t really cared.
Worst yet, her garden had begun to reflect her fragile mental state. Zadia’s lack of focus had meant several of her carefully cultivated plants had begun to wither and die, which only caused the child more stress. The more she did to fix it the worst off they became to the point where many of the plants had to be dug up. It wasn’t a failure so much as it was an inevitability, but to Zadia it was inexcusable. Just another reason to keep her up at night and more fuel for her tears.
Now she had to take a special tea every night before she went to bed. There was no way out of it, no matter how bitter it was. Zadia had been told in no uncertain terms that her lack of sleep would make her sick and that the tea would help. It would make all of her dreams go away. It wasn’t a cure, but rather an aid, just enough to get her body better while they worked on her nightmares. Sometimes it worked better than others. Some nights she would sleep until late the next day, but tonight….tonight it hadn’t worked at all.
She could still see his bloated hand reaching through the reeds towards her face, silently begging her for help and every time she screamed her lungs would bubble up like she was drowning. Tears freely falling down her face, Zadia burrowed deeper into her blankets and sobbed, doing her best to stay quiet lest her mother hear. They were going to find out tomorrow that she hadn’t slept well and she didn’t want to answer any more questions. She was just sick of it! Why couldn’t he go away?! Why couldn’t she just get better?!
[1239]
[4]
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Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:42 am
Youngling Solo 2 When next Zadia awoke it was in a land of violet smoke and blue grass stretching out as far as the eye could see. There were no trees, stones or homes to differentiate the landscape; just an endless field that rolled like water. The haze that covered the land seemed to call to her in much the same way her father did, but from a distance. It was as if she could hear a voice saying her name and every time she called out they got further and further away.
Zaaaadiiiiaaaaaa Zaaaaaaaaddddddiiiiaaaaaa
“Where are you? What do you want?”
Time and time again she would cry out to the spirit, but everytime the only word repeated back to her was her own name. As if spurred by fear itself the child took off at a dead run across the field, but found that the landscape did not change. It continued to roll before her, moving up and down like waves, and causing her to lose her balance. She fell to knees and with a shriek found that she’d begun to stick to the grass! Each time Zadia pulled one leg free the other would be pulled twice as hard until it became impossible for her to free herself at all! No amount of screaming brought any sort of help and soon enough those same hands snaked around her neck. Except, this time instead of just two there were dozens, all snapping and popping out of the ground like broken twigs. She called out for her mother, her father, her brothers; anyone and everyone until she started to choke.
The hands ripped her onto her back and Zadia’s body started to submerge into the grass. They ripped at her skin, digging gnarled fingernails into her flesh. No amount of sobbing and pleading for the pain to stop would take it away. All at once the grass gave way to an endless void of water and Zadia’s chest burned. I can’t breath! I can’t breath! She was practically hyperventilating in her vain attempt to get air back into her lungs, but that voice was still in her eye, dragging each syllable of her name out over and over until the child went mad.
Zaaaaadddddiiiiiiaaaaaaaa.
”LEAVE ME ALONE!”
Zadia shrieked as loud as she could and all at once was ripped into consciousness. The screaming should have stopped as soon as she saw her room, but it didn’t. Now there were others screaming and rushing about, a new set of hands on her and she was fighting once more. Except this time there was no water, just an endless torrent of fire that caused her wounds to burn. She couldn’t focus; everything was so loud and terrifying that she felt like she was going to die-
And all at once there was darkness.
[486]
[1]
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Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:52 pm
Affinity Solo - Arcanist It was another late night and Zadia wasn’t surprised at all to find half of her family awake. Her father was tucked into bed while her mother and brother discussed yet another set of blueprints. He must have recently gone down for the night because not an hour before the whole house had been as loud as if it were noon, but now there were only murmured ramblings coming from the kitchen. Zadia stepped out of her bedroom, passing by the pair with a little wave on her way to get a cup of tea before retiring to her own research.
Ever since she was a little girl she’d loved herbology. There was a passion in her that had been planted by her father long ago for the natural world. In so many ways she was Uquin’s baby girl; a true magical study, one that came by her skills through hard work and perseverance. However, like her mother before her, she was determined to make her own strides in the world. She wasn’t as keen to walk in their parent’s footsteps like Isaia was. Zadia wanted more.
In Tale she’d had her garden where she’d bypassed raising regular plants at a young age. With her father’s help she’d cultivated toxic ‘babies’ and raised them with all the respect they deserved. She studied their foliage, the effects of ingestion, antidotes, and remedies…everything she needed to know!
However, it hadn’t been enough to satisfy her. So when Isaia came to Belrea to apprentice himself on the airships she’d come as well to apprentice herself with a true master. She wanted to learn more about the poisonous plants of the world; about what they could do and how to bounce back from it. One day she wanted to learn about antivenoms as well, but only when she could truly dedicate herself to it.
So, with that in mind, Zadia had come to Belrea to study. In her eyes they were the best place to go for the most advanced knowledge and she was ready to take advantage of what they had to offer.
[350]
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Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:37 pm
Prentice Growth Solo [Zadia's hard work has paid off and she's been offered an apprenticeship with a distinguished Arcanist! But, is it as perfect as it seems? Mr. Fowler isn't as 'noble' as he appears and Zadia is faced with a decision; turn away the opportunity of a lifetime or turn a blind eye to blatant crime in order to pursue invaluable knowledge!]
Zadia turned toward the Apothecary door with a smile. Ever since she’d gotten an apprenticeship at Mr. Fowler’s shop, she’d done her best to be on personable terms with his clientele. His nephew had been in her classes and as talented as the boy was Zadia had quickly surpassed him by sheer grit alone.
Alocius Fowler had been quick to take note of her passion and had approached the young scholar with the opportunity of a lifetime. Mr. Fowler was well respected in the medical community as an herbologist who specialized in toxic elements. Not only did he have years of extensive research under his belt on various poisonous plants he also grew them in a special greenhouse just off his apothecary in Zenner. Even though he was an established Academy member, Alocius preferred his dwelling in Zenner for the sheer fact that it was easier to get his imported specimens. He’d branched into venomous creatures years ago, as well, and should he need a foreign trainer it was easier to nab one off the airships.
Getting the letter from him had been a dream come true. Zadia hadn’t been able to contain for weeks afterward. Of course, he’d been expected to take a fellow Academy member under his wing, but when he’d picked her, he’d upset quite several Belrean scholars. Not that Zadia minded; she’d earned this spot. So what if they were upset? They could bemoan their lot in life from beneath the heel of her boot!
“Good morning, Miss Galway.” Ah, that was a formality she’d yet to get used to. Surnames weren’t as necessary in Tendaji, at least in her old village, but in Belrea they were everything. A family name could open doors.
“Good morning, Mr. Fink. Your usual?”
The older Geian nodded, and she moved to the back to the pack up his tincture. Mr. Fink was one of their better customers; a regular, as it were. He always ordered top shelf tinctures and at first, he’d been a little nervous around Zadia. After a few weeks of faithful service, however, he’d grown to prefer her mixtures to Mr. Fowlers.
“Here you are, sir.” Zadia placed the vials atop the counter and set about tallying up his total. “How have things been with that landlord of yours? Still giving you trouble?”
“Oh, she’s been much quieter these days. I say after today I won’t be hearing from her again.”
“Is that so? Well, I’m happy to hear it.” Zadia was just happy to see him smiling again. At first, he’d been so grumpy over the old woman who was constantly harassing him. “Here’s hoping you can sleep easier.”
“I don’t think I’ll have any trouble with that~” He smiled and slid a bag of coin her way. After Zadia counted out the amount she bundled his purchases up in a nice, soft cloth and slipped them into his open basket. “Blessings to you, sweetheart.”
He was such a kindhearted man that it was hard to believe he was capable of murder.
In the beginning Zadia hadn’t known the truth. She’d just assumed that Mr. Fowler’s apothecary was a place of research, but when little things about Mr. Fink started to click Zadia started to get worried. His landlady had died from a rare poison, one that slowly built up in the body to look like a natural death, but Zadia could piece it together. Normal folk wouldn’t, but she could…
So when she brought it up to Mr. Fowler he’d simply leveled his gaze with hers over a glass of tea. It was late in the evening, long after the shop had closed and the moonlight glinted off his bright hair.
“Zadia, what we sell here is a service; that’s all. I’m in the business of research, just like I thought you were, and what happens with that research is no concern of mine. I’m only working to further my pursuits.”
So as much as her tinctures could help alleviate bodily aches and ailments, they could also be used to kill…just as they had been already. For a while sleep didn’t come easily to Zadia. She had to make the decision as to whether or not she was alright with that knowledge; that product SHE made and cultivated could be used to end a life.
Still, it wasn’t guaranteed, was it? That it would kill? What if she was able to study rare venom because of the funds she made from a simple poison that was used to kill a cheating wife? She could save thousands of lives on the coin made by ending one! It didn’t settle well with her, but…Zadia was willing to take the risk.
So, day after day she returned to Fowler’s Apothecary and greeted every patient with the same smile, fully aware of what her work might do.
[809]
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Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2023 12:13 pm
S2 Solo 1 The day following her change Zadia sent word to her brother and father that she wouldn’t be joining them that morning. In the letter she sent with carrier it spoke of ‘emotional exhaustion’ and a need for space. Hopefully that would be enough. She’d certainly gone through enough turmoil over the last few weeks to earn a morning alone by the ocean, even if she wished that morning could stretch into the next twenty years of her life.
Since she couldn’t bring herself to look upon her reflection, Zadia’s face had gone unwashed and her hair was in the same bun it had been in yesterday. This, naturally, meant that more than half of her hair was left tumbling down her shoulder in a wild, unkempt heap. If anyone noticed her state they didn’t comment; after all, with all the wreckage around her, it wasn’t as if Zadia was the worst looking one here.
She stumbled out with the morning sun onto the obnoxiously warm Matori sand and walked westward. Waves lapped up on the sand around her, occasionally swallowing her boots in the process and leaving them covered in a salty film. The hem of her dress was utterly soaked, making the walk all the harder and despite the heat Zadia kept a shawl pulled tight around her shoulders.
What had she ever done to deserve this? All of this? Tears welled up in her eyes and Zadia felt her heart clench, but she wouldn’t allow them to fall. She was still far too close to the refugee camp to cry. She may not have physically looked like her old self, but her clothing was the same and surely someone would notice if she made too much of a scene.
Her parents would have stayed and dealt with the changes as they came. They were both strong willed enough not to buckle under the weight, but Zadia was so tired. Even when she was home in Belrea she had to hide her true work from everyone lest she be locked behind bars and the weight of death pulled at her skin so much that every evening her bones ached. When she’d signed on to work with Mr. Fowler it had been under the pretense that sacrifices had to be made for the greater good to succeed. A few would use their work for poisons, but through that they could find out how certain concoctions worked and create antidotes that no one else would dream of. She believed in Mr. Fowler and his studies. So much so that she’d put herself so far in the trenches that if he were caught she would be just as guilty.
And so then why was she here? Her father’s advice had been sought after the moment the volunteers found out he was a healer, but she was just as knowledgeable. She had been trained as a healer, same as he had. Uquin far surpassed her in experience, but Zadia had a Belrean education and while she may not have known as many ways to reset a bone she could help. She knew so much about herbal medicines that assistance should have come easy to her and yet, she hadn’t spoken a word to a single volunteer.
Not a damn one of them knew she could help.
And why was that?
You never wanted to. She was so focused on Isaia and Maritza’s well being that she didn’t care if those around her died. That was the key difference between Zadia and anyone with a healer’s heart. Even Vaani, without training, had jumped in to do anything she could to bring comfort. And yet Zadia had remained by Isaia’s bedside while Uquin chased after Maritza, keen on looking after one man while so many around him begged for the pain to stop.
On her way to sleep the night before ‘the change’ Zadia had come across Geian woman’s bed. Over half her body had been badly burned and she was sobbing for someone to cool the flames. An exhausted Matorian sat by her bedside, murmuring sweet nothings to calm her, but it did little. She was lost somewhere in her mind and when the Matorian made eye contact with Zadia she knew the truth of it. This woman wouldn’t survive a journey home; the fact she was alive now was a miracle.
So, instead of going straight to sleep, Zadia had offered to sit with her. The man told her not to expect much, that they’d run out of pain-relieving herbs earlier in the day and nothing could be done. Zadia accepted her task grimly.
The first few hours the woman was inconsolable. Though she’d quieted it was only to cry with her head tilted away from Zadia, her sobs muffled by the thick cloth they’d used to bandage her shoulder, and when Zadia thought she might have passed entirely she turned her head to Zadia.
“Why was I spared? Why couldn’t I have just died?”
After a while something in Zadia shifted. There was only so much of this she could take before sitting straighter in her seat. She adjusted the folds of her skirts to remove a little pouch and from there she produced a pair of gloves. With everyone else around her sleeping, Zadia was free to then take out a tiny vial of thick, green liquid.
In a moment of clarity, the Geian woman tracked Zadia’s movements, but there was no fear. She didn’t protest when Zadia gently lifted her head. There was no struggle when her mouth was opened to accept the liquid and she didn’t need to be prompted to swallow. For a moment neither woman moved; they simply waited. Soon enough, however, the Geian gave a series of hacking coughs before the air left her body completely.
With a special cloth, Zadia wiped the woman’s lips and slipped all the components back into her pouch before rising. There was a moment where she reached for the woman’s still hand and gave it one final squeeze before moving away to go to bed.
Now that she walked along this beach Zadia had to wonder if this was her punishment. That was the first life she’d knowingly taken, but she couldn’t find it in herself to regret doing it. If a healer couldn’t help her then it was up to someone like Zadia to finish the job. The worst part of it all was that she couldn’t tell anyone about it. She was surrounded by healer’s and volunteers that had one another to lean on in moments of stress. Who did Zadia have? Who in this camp would understand the sort of things she did just to make a difference?
Even if she explained what happened to her father he would wonder where she got the poison, how she knew how to handle it, why she was so experienced…It wasn’t worth it. Opening to anyone with that sort of knowledge would be a liability to not only her research but Mr. Fowler.
No, she had to find a way to deal with this and to get herself in check. With a shuddering breath, Zadia pushed back tears she wasn’t aware had been falling and continued her walk.
[1208]
[4]
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 9:20 am
S2 Solo 2 To Alocius Fowler,
I hope you’ll forgive my late response, but getting the time to write, much less the materials to do so, has been difficult. My brother’s condition improves daily and while he may remain limping, I suspect he’ll be walking on his own in no time. His mental state remains a mystery, however, and I doubt that will change until we return home.
Which is the reason I’m writing. I regret to inform you that my return is going to be delayed. I have no grand desire to get aboard an airship, much less to put him aboard one, and sea travel will take some time. This is, of course, after my mother has either been found or all efforts to find her have been exhausted. We must try, Mr. Fowler, and I hope you understand. I know well and good that you have a business to run so if you choose to replace me know that I will bear you no ill will. You have been nothing, but kind to me and will always hold my deepest respect.
Sincerely,
Zadia Galway
Looking down at simple letter gave Zadia pause. She’d written out several different versions, each with more details and far more ramblings than the last, but decided against all of them. Mr. Fowler was an empathetic man, but a concise one at his core. He wanted facts, not fluff, so sending him something short would be best. If all worked out in her favor then she could return as his apprentice and if not…Well, maybe she could shift gears and give healing a chance. If nothing else this stint in Matori had taught her that it was always in demand and maybe her father could give her some pointers.
…Spirits, she hoped Fowler let her come back.
[301]
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