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 Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 6:39 pm
A silvery gray faun with a long mane emerged from the trees surrounding the lake. She'd been to several of them with no luck at all. She was damp, and very tired. It had been a long journey and she was ready to have it finished. Her eyes widened as she saw the temple emerging from the water. It had to be in here!
Excited Belvah ran forward into the water and started to swim. It was no where near her strong point, and she absolutely hated it, but the water felt so good against her skin. It was a bright sun, and she was burning up in the heat of it. The cool waters of the lake were a relief even to her.
It took her a very long time to get there, longer than it would have a normal pae. At least a pae with feet, or even wings. She had hooves and was therefore, impaired with swimming. Part of the reason she hated the act of it so much. Belvah was exhausted and out of breath when she finally got within range. But where was the entrance? She groaned a bit. Apparently she forgot to look in the distance for an entrance while she was swimming. The faun tried swimming around it until finally she saw a spot to get inside the enormous castle.
With a very happy sigh, she started to the inside, hoping there was something dry, or at least above water, for her to sit on.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 6:54 pm
Queen Tariel had been watching the faun from a distance. The calling and gathering of the Faun had piqued her interest, but she wasn't able to gather as much information as she had hoped. Her spies didn't have hooves, so they couldn't get in to the tree.
However, a message had been delivered to her only this morning, letting her know to expect a visitor from the Tree. It was just mysterious enough that the young Queen wanted to tend to this on her own, without going through proper security channels. What threat was there anyway on this island? Certainly none that she had encountered. Well, except the possibility of drying out if she stayed on land too long, but that was a tale for another day.
She did not know the purpose of this visit, so as she watched the silvery female enter the temple, she quickly swam up to greet her.
The top level of the temple was designed for non-water adapted Pae'il who still wished to show their respects to the Water Element, or to visit the temple.
As she ascended the final staircase that led from the water to the dry room, her fins turned to legs and she strolled towards the faun. "Hello. Welcome to Alu Spring."
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:00 pm
Belvah jumped, falling on her bottom as the queen made her presence known. "Qu-queen Tariel!" She blushed, scrambling to her hooves only to bow respectfully.
"Your palace temple thing is amazing. At least what I can see of it." She smiled, truly meaning it. The faun straightened her spine, still smiling. "You are the queen right?" It was only an after thought, Belvah would be extremely embarrassed if this lovely naiad in front of her turned out to be someone other than the queen.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:07 pm
Tariel smiled and bowed her head to the young faun. "I am Queen Tariel. And who might you be? It is not often that the queen herself comes to the surface to greet newcomers." She smirked a little and moved closer the girl.
"This is only the tip of the magnificent temple. I can show you around." She meant that, quite literally. Tari flashed a playful smile, eager to give the land pae a tour. She so loved giving the tours and watching the reactions. They matched her own when she got her first tour of the temple.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:17 pm
"My name is Belvah, I'm one of chief Rais's candidates." She smiled, blushing a bit. "It's an honor, Queen Tariel." Her smile beamed out. Rais had been the furthest thing from her mind while she took in the temple.
"I'd love to! But isn't most of it under water? I can't breathe underwater." She frowned, wishing she could see the rest of it..
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:24 pm
That infamous mischievous grin that usually preceded Tari's (mis)adventures appeared. A candidate for Rais, hmm? "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Belvah. So you are a candidate for what exactly for the Chieftain?"
She held out her hand, "Come with me, this temple was created for us; you and me. I'll show you."
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:37 pm
"Earth Mother is looking for his wife; I'm one of the few women that made it to the final rounds." She smiled, quite curious to know why the queen was giving that mischievous grin.
"I'll be able to breathe under water?" She asked, raising a brow. Yet she took the queen's hand; Belvah was sure the queen wouldn't kill her in such a stupid way.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:46 pm
Tariel had to hold in the laughter. Rais mother? He had a mother? She tried to imagine what such a stubborn faun's mother might look like. And the idea that she is finding his mate for him was just funny. Silly faun. She was glad to be the Queen and not have her mother around telling her who she could and couldn't canoodle. Though the thought did cross her mind that her mother might be lurking somewhere, hiding, if Rais' was. But then, she also did not know the whole story about what happened in Laisidhiel. She herself was new to this island and way of life.
"Trust me." She said, with a gleam in her eye.
She led the faun down the stairs into the water. And as Belvah descended, she would notice a bubble would surround her head, allowing her to breath underwater.
"If you enter the water from the temple, you can breath with that bubble. Alu protects us. But once you hit the surface, it will pop, so be careful."
Tariel proceded to swim slowly down a few descending ramps, going deeper into the temple. The beautiful marble walls and columns looked pristine as if the temple was brand new, not showing any signs that lay in ruins just a couple years ago.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:58 pm
Belvah was amazed, watching the bubble of air form. "I won't run out of air with this thing?" She asked, following the queen as close as possible.
She heard the queen's rules on it and made a note to not hit the surface again until it was time to leave. Not that she wanted to leave the beauty of this place any time soon. Pity it was all underwater- Belvah was entirely uncomfortable. Still, beautiful place...
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:05 pm
"No, you'll be fine." Tariel said as she took Belvah's hand to help her along.
"I want to show you what the temple really looks like," Tariel told the faun, and took her through one of the windows on the upper level. Outside, the temple would appear to glow, with lights lining the structure all the way to the bottom. Even illuminated, it was hard to see the bottom of the temple, which was where they were going.
"I will take you to my throne room. I want you to see something important."
Tari did not ask for what purpose the girl was there, at least not yet. She wanted to show a land pae'il her home first.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:29 pm
She blushed a bit as the queen took her hand. The faun was still smiling as she was led about. "This is a really deep temple isn't it?" Belvah was amazed at it. She didn't think a lake could possibly be this deep.
"The throne room? Sounds really fancy~" The tree didn't have anything so formal. Or did they? She wasn't entirely sure about that. No matter, the temple was just so overwhelmingly amazing, she couldn't remember exactly why she was here. She'd remember it soon enough in any case.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:43 pm
Tariel moved the pair of them down deeper into the lake, staying close to the temple, but not going back inside. Each level contained the homes of naiad, so she didn't want to disturb them.
The deeper they swam, the darker the water got, to where the only light was coming from the temple itself. "Stay close, it's easy to get lost down here."
When the island crashed into the sea, the bottom of the lake remained intact, except for a few cracks and holes that allowed the local sea life in. Fish that had never before been seen on Telrunya now called Tuatha Ri Lake home.
Down at the bottom, beside the temple, there was a mass of jagged coral that looked like it just broke through the sea bed. Tariel pointed at it. "That used to be my home. This island crushed it." She spoke with an indignation when she talked of her former home. But she did not dwell on it, she ushered Belvah into the Temple, through the tall doorway that could have fit a whale through it.
At this level, there was much more activity among the naiad. Many stopped to gawk at the hooved visitor, having never seen one before. "This way."
Tariel lead the faun to a very large and open room. The archways had to be dozens upon dozens of feet tall and the sheer size of the temple was overwhelming at this depth. Across the open room was a very wide ramp that led up to a very large and ornately decorated throne made of marble. Beside the throne, on each side, where smaller places designed for Naiads to sit. They were shaped more like a chaise lounger, than an actual chair.
And behind these seats was a very large glowing globe that took up most of the wall behind the throne. Inside this globe, the liquid glowed and flowed and it was easy to see it constantly moving with different patterns appearing as it flowed.
"Come." Tariel whispered to Belvah. "I want you to see the Water Element."
In the center of the giant globe, there would a pulsing blue crystal, almost difficult to see among the swirling patterns in the water contained.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:54 pm
She was utterly amazed at the beauty of the lake. Yet she couldn't get over the odd feeling that she was in way over her head. Well, she was in the sense of the water was deeper than she'd ever imagined possible.
"That's the water element?" She asked, bewitched by the swirling patterns in the water. It was gorgeous. It took her a moment to look deeper, trying to see the pulsing of the blue crystal. It was.. different, harder to see, but there it was.
As soon as she spotted it, that's when Belvah remembered her quest. "That's what I'm here for!" She blurted, blushing as soon as she'd said it. "Earthmother sent the female fauns in search of the elements. I'm here to ask to bring the element of water back to prove my body is worthy of Cheif Rais." She was still blushing, truly a smitten maiden.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:04 pm
Tariel turned to look at Belvah. "This? Oh you can't have this. It has to stay here. It's the source of everything you see around you. It's my job to make sure it stays there."
She backed up a few paces, wary of this faun if she came to claim the Water Element. Would the chief really send someone to take it? She thought only the winged pae desired to steal the elements.
Tariel thought for a moment. Something the girl said rang true in her head, and she had to concentrate. What would Alu do?
"You cannot have it for free." The words were like music flowing through the water. Tariel's eyes flashed as the mischievous smile appeared again.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:08 pm
"I'm sure she only means to borrow it." She replied, trying to sound convincing. Belvah was sure Queen Tariel wouldn't willingly part with it. No one would part with something so amazing easily.
She blinked, hearing that. "What would you have me give for it?" The faun perked up instantly, almost certain that she would pay any price for trying to get to Rais' heart.
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