[CLASS QUEST] Phenyo

[Suhuba]

This Quest is for Phenyo who is striving to become a Blade.

OOC
||. You may not control any NPCs or other characters; Phenyo must face her trials alone.
||. Respond to the prompts given as you would any other RP.
||. Your responses may be as long or short as you feel necessary.

IC
It was still dark within Jauhar, especially beneath the thick canopy, which rarely ever saw light as it was. The multi-colored fungi, glowed brilliantly, lighting the path of any late night wanderers, reflecting in its stunning array of hues, the lovely flakes of snow as they drifted towards the...

...snow?

Surely it couldn't be, the rainforest never saw snow. But here it was, soft, white puffs, as brilliant and beautiful as they were in Zena... and yet, these foreign drops were not cold to the touch. In fact, they were quite silky, rippable, not melting in the least when they came into contact with warm flesh.

Upon closer inspection, it would seem that the snowflakes were actually petals, the tiniest, white petals, like super-miniature versions of Aisha's beautiful lotus petals. Their source was undetectable, but they had already begun to lay a beautiful, downy blanket along the forest floor, concentrating primarily around the branch that Phenyo frequently frequented.

Jauhar was silent. It seemed to be completely devoid of people.

...Was this a dream?

 

[RuddyPup]

Was it a dream? Phenyo was having a distinctly hard time telling as she held tightly to the trunk of 'her' tree, leaning down to run her fingers across the covering of...snow? Petals? Petals, she mentally agreed with herself, because there was no chill and there was no way there could be snow in Jauhar.

Because surely, snow in her homeland meant something catastrophic was going on, and that would be cause for panic. Which just wouldn't do.

"Great Mother, what is going on?" she spoke out loud, rubbing her fingers together and musing over the petals that melted away in her hand.  

[Suhuba]

A blur rushed through the falling petals, throwing the white flakes dancing in its wake. Again, it rushed by, making its way closer and closer to the Alkidike woman. Claw marks, small but well-defined, could be seen on the ground, left behind by the fleeing blur.

A creature, snowy white with a long, sleek body and an especially elongated snout, peered at the woman from behind a tree. The glowing fungi reflected off of its flawless fur, making it seem much more colorful than it actually was.

A sort of whimper resonated from between its jaws, but the sound was otherwordly, echoing through the small space. It stared at Phenyo, dark eyes penetrating, before slipping off into the woods, leaving a trail of smudged footprints in its wake.

From the distance, the whimper resounded again, a call. Beckoning.  

[RuddyPup]

At the first sign of sudden movement Phen's hand went to her carving knife, but her grip was definitively not in the usual manner of using it as a tool, and instead she was set to wield it as one may a weapon and dagger. Then the flash of white made her take more than a moment's pause, and she eased herself into a couching position to wait out...well, what ever it was.

It was both beautiful and unusual, interesting and eerie, and the sound that it made would be sure to haunt Phen's thoughts for a good, long time to come. That gaze was also something the Alkidike woman would not soon forget, but suddenly it was gone, dashing off farther into the trees.

There was no hesitation on her part now. The moment that the call echoed back for her, Phen took off after the creature. Slipping herself across the branches and down trees; the only thing that worried her was the possibility of losing it in these strange petals that continued to float from the sky.

This had to be a dream. Right?  

[Suhuba]

As Phenyo followed, the call became louder, more urgent. No longer was the snowy beast whimpering. The sound grew, reverberating through the trees, a howl. Distress.

But the sound seemed to be moving further and further away...

The petals swirled, narrowed, creating a sort of path along the ground, as if they had been dropped in the sleek creature's wake. Here and there, traces of those smudged footprints could be found, but the sound, although more distressed, continued to fade.

Suddenly, the petals came to an end. The edge of Jauhar. The ocean.

How strange, how they drifted against the edge of the land, not quite touching the water. The few fungi that glowed here lit the ground with their vibrant hues, creating beautiful swirls, reminiscent of the markings on Jerarda's face...

The howl sounded again, reverberating across the land. It seemed to be coming from Chibale Island, which could be seen, set out across the water.  

[RuddyPup]

At the water's edge, Phenyo skidded to a halt on the sands of Jauhar. Her whole body tensed, looking out across the ocean...

When was the last time she was back at Great Mother's roots? It wasn't something she remembered at this point in her dream-state.

Without much other thought, she simply dove forth into the waters. She'd feel the cold against her skin without really feeling it, rising and falling with the waves while at the same time never really moving. If Chibale Island was were she was being called to, then that is where she would go.

And if she died trying to swim there, then so be it.  

[Suhuba]

The water pushed against Phenyo, tugging her gently in the wrong direction, as if persuading her not to go on. The distant shore only seemed to diminish as Phenyo propelled herself further out into the swells.

Looking back, she could see that the land of Jauhar that she had just left behind was suddenly equally as distant as Chibale.

Again, a howl pierced the air. The sounds echoed from the depths of Chibale, seeming to originate close to the heart and soul of the island, close to Aisha.

Finally, Phenyo's achingly slow swim was reaching an end. The waves that had been begging her not to go were suddenly carrying her closer to her birth place. The wash lapping at the shore was gentle and calming, more white petals littering the ground. They seemed to be forming a loose pathway, into the interior of the island.

Another howl, more agonized than the first, screamed through the air. The atmosphere resonated with urgency.  

[RuddyPup]

Crawling onto the shore, Phenyo pulled herself into a stand and for a moment looked back at Jauhar - a swim that would have, should have killed her. Despite her body's insistent begging to gasp and lay down upon the sands to rest, her mind knew better and enforced order and purpose; she maintained her breath and stilled her heart. Perhaps not a dream, but certainly an altered state...and this was not something that could wait much longer obviously, because again the animal called out for her.

At the howling and begging from within the forests, Phenyo dug her heels into the ground and took off, shedding the water like a second skin. She picked up the pathway, following it as true as...well, as an arrow. Doubt and worry were gone from her thoughts, and her one focus became to see this through to the end.  

[Suhuba]

The howling continued, steadily increasing in frequency, though the closer Pheyno came the more the howls turned to panicked whimpering.

The path before Phenyo was narrowing, no longer the wide loose pillow of petals but a thin line pointing the way. The air changed, hanging heavier around Phenyo and distorting sound. The rest of the island was quiet save for the whimpering sounding from the other end of the petals.

Aisha drew closer, now the obvious destination. And it was under Aisha's large canopy, in the glow of the crystals forming on her limbs, the same large white animal lay by the base of the Mother Tree. It's breathing was heavy and there with it was a figure crouched by its side.

Eshe, the residing mystic, leaned over the injured animal whispering in the language of the trees, not yet acknowledging Phenyo's presence.  

[RuddyPup]

Once it became apparent that Aisha was indeed her goal, Phenyo almost didn't need the path anymore - despite her time away from Great Mother, the Alkidike would have been able to find her way back to her birth place even if she'd been blind. As Aisha's branches came to sweep above her, Phen paused briefly to pay her respects to the All Mother.

"Forgive my impatience...though, I'm sure you know more about what's going on here than I ever will," she explained with something like a sad smile on her face, before taking up the path once again.

Upon reaching the area where the animal and Eshe had settled, Phenyo paused. Her mind swirled, forcing her body to resist the urges of a spent runner before she moved forward and knelt down a respectful distance from her Mystic Leader.

"Is it dying?" she finally asked, concern in her voice as she settled back on her legs with her hands crossed over her lap.  

[Suhuba]

Eshe continued to murmur in the voice of the trees, her hand held over the large creature's abdomin.

Her steady gaze found Phenyo, though her thoughts were still with the animal before her.

"This being has travelled far and is in great pain. It's injuries are those that can't be seen. A poison from within is growing and the pain spreads like fire from its stomach."

She closed her eyes and continued murmuring in the Alkidike's native tongue. This continued, words steadily streaming from the mystic's mouth until she broke focus and turned back to Phenyo, pain on her face.

"This poor creature has not long to live without assistance that only we can provide. Though the medicine needed is a perilous journey..." Eshe trailed off and held Phenyo in a serious gaze. "The fate of this creature is in your hands. You can choose to mercifully end his painful journey now, or you can risk your own life to gather the medicine needed. Both are viable decisions and yours to choose from."

Her gaze softened. "No one would shame you for ending this poor creature's misery."
 

[RuddyPup]

Phenyo waited, patiently, until she was properly addressed. Her face visibly darkened and her fingers twisted the fabric of her skirt absently as Eshe explained the situation. The Alkidike shifted her gaze to the creature, weighing possibilities in her head. However, after a moment of thought, she realized there were still questions she needed answered before...before making her choice.

"What needs to be done? Where must I go?" Her mouth wrinkled in an uncertain manner. "Would I even...make it back in time?" Phenyo dipped her head, reverently looking at the ground as she spoke.

"I would never want to make anything suffer needlessly, but I could never make such an important decision without knowing the odds."  

[Suhuba]

Eshe could see the care in Phenyo for this creature of which she'd only just laid eyes upon. Such compassion for something of no meaning to her. She turned to brush a powder onto the creature.

"The journey is short, but the location is wrought with danger. On the west-most point of the island where ocean meets the land, there are large pale blue plants with spiked leaves. You would need to gather three of these leaves and bring them back to me for use in a mash for the creature." She heaved a small sigh.

"The west coast is a ring of cliffs and a sheer drop to the ocean below. The growth of these plants weaken the ground they inhabit and the floor will crumble beneath your feet if you are not sure footed and careful. This is the peril of the journey. The very plants you seek can possibly be the end of your life."

She looked directly at Phenyo as she spoke. "The powder I have for the creature is soothing its pain but won't relieve its ailment. It will die by midday today if not treated. It will be enough time for you to gather the plants necessary, though the choice is yours."
 

[RuddyPup]

Without taking her gaze off the ground, Phenyo listened to Eshe explain the task and the dangers that went with it. It didn't sound so bad, honestly; she was expecting a long journey through molten craters, or perhaps that the remedy itself was an Alkidike-eating plant, constantly thirsting for the blood of her warrior sisters. Spiked plants on perilous ground needed caution and dexterity, and Phen saw herself as having both in excess. The time limit required speed, and that wouldn't be a problem since this wasn't the waking world, anyway...

Then, like a spark, she remembered her trek across the ocean and Phenyo's head snapped up in realization, "But this isn't real. Right?" She met Eshe's gaze, holding it for only a second before becoming aware that she was staring directly at her Leader and immediately refocused on the forest floor, ducking her head in reverence.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, mentally scolding herself. "I'm wasting time. I'll do it, but please...explain this last thing to me. How was I able to swim here without injury? Is this a dream, or something else?"  

[Suhuba]

Eshe was taken aback by Phenyo's outburst. A dream? The animal seemed to shudder under Eshe's hands.

Her eyes met with the top of Phenyo's down turned head and she frowned slightly. "Phenyo, we have no time to discuss these things right now. You must hurry."

Dream or not, time was running short, and the consequences of failure if Phenyo chose to gather the medicine were very real. An interesting question: was this all a dream? Was the ambiance around her right? Did it feel wrong? What was true and what was distorted?

Phenyo was sharp, but even keen eyes can lie.