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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:51 pm
about Name: Uquin (uck-win) Race: Leaf Earthling Gender: Male Class: Monk Future Class: Scholar Significant Other: Single Children: Padma and Ujana, with Pahana RP Color: Crimson
personality
Hard Working Never willing to settle for a sub-par job, Uquin spends most of his life hard at work, in some facet or another. While he has become an accomplished physician, he hasn't let his success make him complacent; he is always seeking out new knowledge, researching techniques and methods from far off lands, and keeping himself busy, be it with his actual work or through busy work. His ideal vacation day is a chance to leave his work, and attend to other business, either in tending his garden of foreign herbs and plants, recording scrolls of what he has treated, or doing what he can to aid his daughters and extended family while they are close by. He is a man who feels hugely unhappy when he doesn't have something in his hands, or a goal in his mind to accomplish.
Pretentious Proud Even as a boy, Uquin took great pride in his many talents, talents earned through hard work and perseverance. While in his youth this pride was, often times, out of place next to his mediocre abilities, as he's aged he has actually become an expert in his field. And he knows it. Any attempts to question the quality of his work is taken as a grave offense.
Even when learning a new skill, Uquin works under the sometimes misguided assumption that he can, somehow, better the work and improve upon it. This has mellowed, slightly, with age, as he has learned to respect those whose skill exceeds his own. They just have to convince him of that skill first.
Perceptive Uquin shows an uncanny attention to detail not only in regards to the quality of his crafts, but in his assessment of people. Living with someone who could switch from extremely mellow to volatile in moments taught him, early in life, to be especially perceptive of people, when given enough time to learn their habits.
While this is a major strength in what he does, it also leads to a quality that can perturb many new acquaintences; when looking at a person, he seems to be looking through them, or assessing them rather than paying attention to what they say or do as a person.
Overall
Uquin is a quiet earthling who tends to sit back and observe before making decisions or taking action. Harboring a great respect for the earth and the spirits, Uquin is slow in his actions and is thorough in all that he does so as to not negatively affect the earth. He works hard, and tends to be generous with those he favors, yet despite this he has a habit of repulsing others due to his better-than-thou attitude, along with his annoyingly slow and unceremonious movements.
He can be spurred to action, if necessary, but would rather ponder and watch events unfurl than be an active participant.
Uquin is the sort of person who would nurse you back to health with gentle fingers, while scolding you for your stupidity or lack of sense.
Uquin has a medium talent for many skills, including sewing, repairing, and gathering - but his true skill and passion is for healing. He has patience for those who are ailing, and has great skill healing them with herbs, doctoring, or any other type of healing.
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:11 pm
Childhood Uquin was, presumably, born into a happy family in Isd. Presumably because, by the time he was old enough to remember, his father had died horribly, leaving him in the care of his mother, Iquis, and much older sister Isaya. From an early age, the boy was raised mainly by his sister, nearly fifteen years his senior, while his mother withdrew from them, becoming a silent shell of a person who spent months at a time in nearby settlements, or sleeping the hours away in their tree loft home, ignoring that she even had children in the first place.
Growing up, he knew that Iquis was his mother by birth, but he quickly came to see Isaya as his true mother, despite her actual lack of material softness. She was harsh, at times - blunt and to the point, and brutally tough with him, but she cared for him deeply and in his childhood he was well cared for. As the de facto head of the household, Isaya was often exhausted from working to support them, and so they two became incredibly close.
Isaya's selflessness and the resulting loneliness he saw in his sister instilled two very important traits in Uquin, from a young age: the desire to provide and care for those in need, so as to help lift their stress- and a detached reservation, so that his loved ones didn't worry about placing strain on him as they shared these burdens. By the time he had grown to adolescence, Uquin had taken over tending to the home, to the point of even providing support for other family of Isd by mending clothes, taking care of minor injuries, and collecting wild herbs and goods that he could trade to help support the family.
By the time Uquin was fourteen, Iquis slowly began to return back to the family. At first, Uquin was elated at the change. For the first time, his mother was eating dinners with them, not merely ignoring her children, and even showing pride and interest in his skills. For a short while, they even went about the town together, taking care of errands.
However soon, the good times ended. Iquis would often remark about how much he resembled his father, and by the time Uquin has turned fifteen he was rarely able to leave the house without his mother following him like a shadow, as if fearing he'd be snatched up right under her nose if she didn't keep a close eye on him. As time passed, her possessiveness grew, until Isaya and Iquis fought almost constantly over what was best for Uquin. Iquis forbade Isaya from coming into their family home, and Uquin was left alone with his mother for hours of the day, while Isaya hunted and stayed with her hunting friend.
Isaya insisted he become a warrior, like his father. Iquis decided that he should stay inside, where it was safe.
Ignoring any word he put in edgewise, neither woman seemed particularly impressed with his desire to become a physician.
Uquin was deeply uncomfortable with his mother's obsession, and while he never dreamed of abandoning his family normally, an incident one night made it clear that leaving was the best thing, for all of them.
In the middle of the night Uquin fled with all his tools, traveling with a group of pilgrims to settle in Yera.
Prentice: Wartime Adolescence Chapter 4 - Arriving in Yera, the elders of the settlement allowed him to take up residence in an old, dilapidated treehouse along the outer edge of the village. It was sufficient for a young prentice, and he spent his days earning his keep by running small errands, collecting goods to mend with sewing, and trading gathered morsels for more substantial food. This was how he met Chimelu, another young prentice, as well as Yaholo, Samoset, and Kennet - who helped him feel welcome in Yera.
Despite this, Uquin felt lonesome and useless as a prentice in a new place. He longed to be recognized for his talents, and so when news of the battle in Jauhar reached Yera, he was among the volunteers eager to go to the battlefront. Specifically, he worked under Biroki and alongside another prentice, Mella, in the healer's tent. At the end of the battle, Uquin retreated carrying the wounded prentice Nuawahn on his back, and tended to him in Neued until the blonde had somewhat recovered.
His task finished, Uquin headed home - and it was traveling through a Jauhar settlement that he learned of a family struck down by a mysterious illness. Solving the mystery gave the prentice the push he needed to seek proper study, and through practicing magic and healing in the villages of Jauhar he achieved the rank of Healer.
Healer: Finally Acknowledged As a Healer, Uquin finally got a sense of the respect he had long dreamt of - but it was through this new responsibility that he came to realize how much he had yet to learn. Jauhar had given him what it could as far as learning the arts of healing - and he returned to Yera with tomes donated in hopes of learning more. On the way home, he once again ran into Mella, now an artist in her own right, and established a tentative friendship.
Back home, Uquin saved a wounded Aldabuck which soon became his companion, a loyal auburn creature he named Ishtu.
He took up study under Biroki, hoping to learn more about offensive magics.
Then, shortly after returning home, Uquin participated in a festival celebrating the return of warriors from the battle - and during this festival he got uncharacteristically drunk and met, and slept with, Pahana. It wasn't until later that they realized that Uquin knew Pahana's brother, Yaholo. As luck would have it, their night together resulted in the birth of two daughters, Padma and Ujana. Despite having children together, Uquin and Pahana decided to not pursue a romance, though they remained close together for the sake of their daughters.
While Pahana was pregnant, Uquin traveled Jauhar to learn more healing skills, and was present at the Battle of Neued, though he escaped before the settlement fell. On the way back home he ran into a traveling group and met Rilind, establishing a somewhat tentative acquaintenceship. Once back home, while working with Biroki and Ikkio to heal the refugees from Jauhar, Uquin was injured by a patient, Ruelash, and suffered a knife blow to his face and eye. Uquin and Pahana traveled with their family to the Tale Camp, and were present during the final battle against Oba, where Uquin once again ran into Mella, and began to realize he had romantic feelings for her. With the battle won, Uquin finally resolved himself to have his injured eye removed, and sought someone to craft a prosthetic for him - settling on Viveka to craft an eye-spacer out of rock and stone.
Family Life With the girls growing every day, and the war over, Uquin returned to Yera where he became a local healer of some renown - raising a garden of herbs as best he could. Before long, however, Pahana admitted that she wanted to move closer to Andile to be with her family. With neither parent able to imagine life without their children, they finally ask the girls to choose where they would like to remain. Ujana goes with her mother, while Padma stays with Uquin. They continue to write letters to one another, and even briefly visit when time allows.
For a time, Uquin and Mella discussed traveling with one another, when Padma was older, but ultimately Uquin was too worried about taking Padma out on the road for such an extended period of time, and their hopes were dashed, any hope of a relationship between one another shattered by his inactivity.
A few years later, the Alkidike Extremists (Chapter 7) march on Sauti, and Uquin takes Padma with him to flee the march, settling in Sauti to help defend against the attacks. In the wake of the battle, Pahana and Ujana, and their Alkidike relatives in Jauhar are missing - assumed dead, and Uquin's life falls apart.
For years, Uquin kept Padma close, training her in his skills and traveling due to his work. It was over a decade later, after a festival in Oba, that Uquin once again reunited with Ujana, who had survived the extremists' attack and lived in Oba for years. She lived with him and Padma briefly in Yera, where she became pregnant with her first child, Eurig. During this time she also introduced Uquin to her Alkidike lover, Ariya, and daughter Subira. Ujana moved to Jauhar, to start a tavern with Ariya - while Padma announced her plans to leave his side and travel.
Rather than feeling sorry for himself, Uquin reveled in his daughters growing up, even if he had mixed feelings about Ujana's Alkidike family, still unable to forgive the extremists for the pain they'd caused in separating Ujana from him. Even so, he was happy for his family. For a few years, he remained in Yera, traveling between Jauhar and Sauti to continue his healing practice, and to visit his daughter and his new grandchildren, Uja and Ujiri.
Soon... with his family grown up, Uquin turned his eyes towards distant lands, intent on exploring in his 'old' age, and learning new techniques in Belrea and Yael.
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:12 pm
scholar
☑ 2 Month's Time - March 5, 2015
50 RP Growth Reqs (15/50) ===☐ ██████████████████████████████████████████████████ ===☑ Little Miscreant - RP - 5 pts ===☑ Lost Letters - 605 words - 2 pts (5 words left over) ===☑ Remembering the Past - 840 words - 2pts (240 words left over) ===☑ Alike - 590 words - 1 pt (290 words left over) ===☑ Faces - RP - 5 pts ===☐ Rollover Points from Solos Above (535 words) - 1 pt
10 EXP Growth Reqs (3/10) ===☐ ██████████ ===☑ At Large - 1 pt ===☑ Rhonann - 2 pt
1 Completed Class Quest ===☐ Growth Quest
Quote:
RP Growth Points || 300 word solo = 1 point || 10 post RP = 5 points || 7 posts in meta = 5 points
EXP Growth Points || 1 crafting solo = 1 point || 1 beast battle = 1 point || 1 battle = 2 points
birth family Isaya (sister) For most of his life, Uquin saw Isaya as the maternal figure in his family. While Iquis spent most of her days sleeping or ignoring her family, Isaya was always hard at work - running herself ragged to care for her little brother and ailing mother. She would have become a skilled warrior, but she was unable to risk falling ill or being killed on the hunt or while in battle - so she postponed her hopes until Uquin was older.
Isaya could be harsh and scolding, but she is a caring woman and in the end wanted what she felt was best for Uquin. The two were very close until Uquin grew into a young man, and less of a child - something that prompted their mother to finally come to her senses and attempt to retake her place as matriarch of the family.
Over time Uquin and Isaya were forcibly distanced until Isaya left the family and moved to her own shack at the edge of the village, and Uquin was barely allowed to see her unless she was arguing with Iquis about something. Uquin didn't get the chance to explain things before he left home.
Iquis (mother) For the majority of Uquin's life, Iquis was a silent figure. She maintained her own body, but lived in an addled state, offering a few quietly mumbled words every now and again, but mostly keeping to herself. Uquin cared for her - bringing her food and helping her maintain appearances and stay healthy, but they didn't have much of a relationship other than as invalid and caretaker until Uquin hit a growth spurt and became a prentice.
This somehow pushed Iquis to regain her agency, revealing a possessive and domineering woman. At first he was happy to have his mother's affections after so long, but as time passed Iquis pushed Isaya, his dear sister, out of his life almost entirely. Before long his previous freedom was limited and at times he was pressured by his mother to not leave the house, for fear of him becoming injured. Her protectiveness became terrifying. For a long time he did as she wished out of reluctance to disappoint her, but finally something in Uquin snapped and he left home. He hasn't spoken to her since, and she has no idea where he is.
romance Mella:Ex-Love Interest =="I have good memories of her, but after Ujana... it was too hard." Mella and Uquin had a blooming romance, but after losing Ujana he just couldn't go through with it.
Pahana:Ex-Love Interest =="After the extremists... ... no one knows where she is. For all I know, she may be-" After a drunken one night stand, Uquin and Pahana became the parents of Padma and Ujana. They lived seperately, but tried to raise the girls together - until Pahana moved with Ujana to Andile, where they would eventually go missing after the Alkidike Extremist war.
children Padma:Daughter =="When Pahana moved to live with her brother, we let the girls choose who to go with - and Padma opted to stay with me. She is ... bossy, but ultimately a good girl. I hope she grows into a strong young woman." Uquin's daughter with Pahana, sister to Ujana. Lives with him.
Ujana:Daughter =="I suppose every parent has a feisty child, and Ujana is definitely that. She's made a good life for herself, even if she makes me worry." Uquin's daughter with Pahana - moved to Andile with her mother. She went missing after the Alkidike extremist war but recently reconnected with her father.
friends Biroki:Friend =="The 'Master Sage' who oversaw my work at the Battlefield in Jauhaur. While I know almost nothing about him, I know for certain that I wouldn't have been able to function at that battle without his guidance." Met in 'Meta: Invasion' where Biroki managed the novice healers in the tents during the battle. Reconnected with Biroki in order to train, hoping the man would be willing to become his mentor.
Uquin woke with a start to the sound of padding footsteps, the crinkle of grass underfoot loud in the quiet of night, somehow, despite the croak and chirps of thick forest life. His eyes snapped open, and as he shot to sit up he realized he was soaked with sweat, despite the chill of the nighttime air. He had no supplies to speak of, so he had conceded to sleeping uncovered, unlike the other members of the caravan who slept covered in thick blankets, nestled together like anyone would expect family to. Well, most people.
Still shuddering from his sudden return to consciousness, Uquin turned his head towards the source of the noise and found it was only a mother leading her youngling away from camp to make water, her hand holding a pudgy arm in a gentle touch. His eyes followed them as they stepped into the foliage, and he only relaxed once they left his eyesight, letting out a tense breath and leaning back once again against the hard pack he had been given as a makeshift support, his arms settling around him, the sweat at his brow chilling in the nighttime air, leaving him shivering for a different reason than before.
A nightmare? He couldn’t remember the particulars of it, but the pounding of his pulse in his ears, and the general shakes of his body made it clear this was the case. He never used to have nightmares… no, compared to other horrors he had heard about, he had no just cause to have them. Disgusted with his weakness, Uquin peeked across the camp, taking in the shapes of his sleeping saviours - saviours whom he was coming to trust more and more, and even had started to become fond of. Most of them were Taleans, not unlike himself, a group that had come to his small home in Isd often and whose faces he was somewhat familiar with. They weren’t traders, in the normal sense, but they were pilgrims - people who traveled the lengths of Tale, inspired in ‘philosophy’ by the Wind Earthlings - family of ‘kooks’ as his sister had often hissed derisively.
He’d grown up being told stories of this group. In his home… OLD home, that is, there were stories told to the children of how one wicked Talean had a bride who was incredibly foolish, and how he had fooled her into allowing him a second wife, then a third, when he created some cult based off the family units of the people of Sauti. All his life he’d come to see this group, who came to Isd with trinkets and smiles, as some terrifying cult that would steal children into the night and turn them into wives and pack mules.
This was why he’d chosen this caravan - chosen this group that his hometown found so strange as his salvation. No one would expect him to willingly leave with them. And it had been difficult convincing them, a young prentice in the dead of night trying to steal away with them, to let him tag along. They weren’t offering him a family - nor were they offering to let him join them for a long while, but in the few weeks he’d been traveling with them, as they moved from Isd south to Vers, and eventually back to the north and west towards Yera he had come to almost regret vowing he wouldn’t try and join their family.
These people were kind - much kinder than the superstitious and suspicious people he had left in Isd. Part of their philosophy, ‘kooky’ though it was, was that family and friends were the most important units in one’s life. During the days, as Uquin walked along with them, he watched the children play and the women sew as they walked. They knew the best path between the settlements, and yet casually veered from it - knowing where small pockets of foods were, and just when to happen upon them so they would be found in bloom. Along the road they would bump into other travelers and traders, and would collect foreign knick knacks - some of which they freely gave to Uquin. Handfuls of Sauti nuts, traded meat and bulbs. They would laugh as they walked, and whenever a problem hit a head the people worked together to solve it.
It felt much more like home than Uquin had felt in his previous years of living - and even if none of these people allowed themselves to get close, since he wasn’t a permanent member of their group, they still treated him kindly. One elderly woman would even stroke his hair back and tie it so the long, auburn strands didn’t dirty with sweat as they traveled. She would then give him a somewhat toothless smile and pat the top of his head. And it warmed him.
And yet at night he was alone again, and under the stars he realized how truly tired he was. ‘Once I’m in Yera, it will be better.’ Uquin told himself, pressing a hand against his chest and feeling as his skittering heart finally calmed, the pounding of his pulse finally lifting from his ears. And yet everywhere he looked, in the dark, he thought he saw movement - shapes. Closing his eyes tightly, to force away the images, Uquin shuffled down to sleep again, wishing he wasn’t so scared. Now, at this moment, he yearned for the wrinkled touch of the old woman, or even a small hand curled on his own - something to tell him he wasn’t so completely and utterly alone. And in the dead of night, as he forced himself to drift back off, he almost believed the lies he told himself, that come morning someone, anyone, would look upon him as worth something - as family. And with one hand curled awkwardly in the grip of the other, pretending to be the hand of someone else, Uquin almost believed himself.
The people of Yera had gathered at the base of their trees, where the market was usually erected, their voices a loud hum in the afternoon air. Stalls had been closed, goods were being carried out and set in a growing pile in the center of the main road, and somewhere in the crowd Uquin could hear a child sniffling and crying, followed by the cajoling, but somewhat pained laugh of what must have been the child’s father. Word had come in the early morning, while the majority of the residents still slept - but the merchants, who set up market once a week and had been awake early to move their products down to their stalls, had met the messenger. A Shifter, shaking and covered in sweat from running, had stumbled into the town, drinking water gratefully from an offered skin, telling the assembled townspeople his message.
Oba was coming. They would meet at the Fairgrounds - the place which, only months before, had been a joyous place, where the people had first learned of the Oban-threat. Uquin knew little of the actual event - but he had heard whispers, words of general unease about the strange people even before his journey to Yera. Even now, as he helped carry what supplies could be spared to the middle of town, Uquin felt numb. War. People would fight - people would die. He took a furtive glance into the many faces around him - none of which were especially dear to him, but all familiar, faces he recognized, and had experiences with.
His hands slowly pulled away from the pack - which he had settled down, his eyes ducking to look at it. It was a large bag - filled with herbs, many of which he recognized. Had used. He didn’t know magic yet - he had little experience in it. Where other prentices would have found someone to teach them a trade, Uquin didn’t have such a luxury - there were healers here, yes, but he lived alone and no one in Yera was about to give him charity. That they’d already allowed him to stay in a run-down, but well-secured house in one of the trees meant enough. If he wanted to eat, he needed to get it himself.
And yet all his life he had wanted this - to become a healer, to be able to see someone ailing and help them. Uquin could have been of some USE in this war, but instead his own selfishness had denied someone the chance to live.
Uquin’s brow furrowed and he shook his head, so minutely that he barely noticed he had done it. Standing, he stepped back, away from the pile, his arms bracing across his chest, half-holding himself, even if the poise was usually one of strength - he felt weak.
No. If he had stayed home, he would be no closer to being a healer. In his mind’s eye he could imagine it. He could almost feel the leather hilt of a sword pressed into his hands, clumsy and unusual - could feel his sister’s bright eyes on his face, ‘We are WARRIORS - we will fight to defend our home. You are no coward mage, Uquin, you fight with your hands.’ He could imagine her touch, as she curled his fingers around the hilt, the sword heavy in his grip.
On the other side, he knew he’d never have gone to war if he remained at home. That sword may have been placed in his hand, but his mother would have gripped his wrist - he could almost feel her sharp nails digging into his wrist, wresting the sword from his hand, then gripping his face and hair, tugging him close so he couldn’t move. ‘You’ll stay with me forever.’ Mother would whisper, her voice quavering with madness. She’d rather slit his throat than let him leave for war - he had no proof of this, but he knew it. He knew her.
‘Then this is it? I am doomed to uselessness, to sit and watch people die?’ He thought, and for a moment he felt weighed down by utter helplessness.
No, not useless. Never useless. His hands dropped, clenching at his sides, and Uquin raised his chin, staring ahead. 'I don’t know magic. I never learned or studied, but that is a lost cause now - I can’t moan about what may have been. I’m alive, and that is what is important.’
But his other skills were better than most. Back home, before he left, he had singlehandedly saved the life of a man who had been hunted down by a pack of Witu. How many babies had been born in Isd thanks to his hands? He had set broken bones with ease, had correctly pinpointed the poison a man suffered from, and saved him properly. His failures were his own to carry - one day, he would have magic and could help everyone, even those untouched by herbs or a firm, sure hand.
Uquin may not be a healer yet, but he had the soul of one - he WOULD be a healer. And not one that relied on magic - one who knew when it was needed, but could set bones naturally, could help the bleeding and sick. In the future there would be a day when he knew that a person who died only did so because every other alternative had been tried - not because they’d been left to their pain. Even Uquin could have a use.
Around him, warriors who had decided long ago that they would leave for war were breaking away from their families, moving to pick up the assembled supplies - the fighters were moving out. Uquin had no one to say farewell to - no parting kisses to give. And yet, for once in his life, Uquin didn’t care - because he felt pride in himself when he stepped forward and picked up the bag of herbs, settling them against his shoulder and raising his eyes. He was going to war. He may not come back. Death may win, against his patients … or ultimately against him. But Uquin would know it had been fought, tooth and nail, every step of the way.
They lost. For Uquin, losing had equated in his mind as them all dying - he had never really thought about what would happen if the retreat was sounded. At first, in the calm after the battle, when the leaders had yet to announce the next moves to take, the battle-weary fighters had welcomed a brief reprieve. The healers, Uquin included, had poured their excess energy into refining the battle-hasty patch ups of before - refining the slings of broken limbs, double checking patients who had lost blood, or received crushing wounds or head injuries. But eventually, even the healers ran out of wounds to tend - and thoughts turned instead to those who were missing.
Uquin thought of the Alkidike woman who he had tended to - and he wondered if she was somewhere in Neued, alive and well, or if she was a body out in the fields who had been left behind in their hasty escape. Come the next morning, the silence that had been a relief to most became a horrible sentence. Energy and emotions ran high, and unsure of what the next step would be many were loathe to leave Neued - at least until word came from their leaders. During that time, Uquin had no shortage of broken noses and bruised knuckles to tend to, and it would have been funny - the amount of bickering and fights, had interracial friction not been such a terrifying prospect. Those who had banded together to fight an enemy now shot recriminations at one another.
Why would the Sauti or Zena peoples bother to participate, REALLY participate in this war, when the battles were so far from the homefront? Others were concerned about the Alkidike - they weren’t so unlike the Oba, were they? They may not have a king, but they had never hidden their feelings regarding the other races. Others, namely leaf earthlings, had worried that moving their entire fighting force to Jauhaur would leave Tale open. Sure, there were mountains separating them - but just sharing a border was enough to prickle the nerves.
Uquin would admit that even if he did want the races of Tendaji to get along, he didn’t outright trust them either.
Finally, the elders were done convening and told the battered fighters the news - that Freya and Besian were missing (who those people were Uquin didn’t know, but apparently this was a big deal - many people in the crowd seemed shocked by the news). With the need to wait assuaged, those able to leave did so, but for now Uquin decided he would remain in Neued to oversee the healing of those still unable to be moved. He had hoped that, after the battle, he could track down Biroki - the sage who he’d worked beside during the battle - and ask him to teach him, but the shifter was nowhere to be found.
Even the other healers he had worked beside - Alec, Mella - they were lost in the crowd. Like the few small connections he had made had snapped easily, and he had been left behind. It was a silly thought - they had worked with one another for the sake of the battle, nothing more, yet he still felt somewhat bitter for being left behind. Even those he healed left without a word. Not that he expected to be lauded or thanked for healing, healing was a thankless task - being vomited on by sick patients helped remind him that healing was definitely not a glamorous profession.
He couldn’t help but laugh at that as he washed his hands clean, having been checking over a slice wound in an Ice Earthling’s leg, and he shook his head, shuddering in disgust at the memory. No, definitely not glamorous.
“It’s free of infection, for now, but make sure to mix this with water and apply it to the wound each morning and evening.” Uquin said, somewhat distractedly, picking up a dried root and grinding it in a pestle, pouring at least two week’s worth of the powder into a small pouch. The man grunted in response, his nose wrinkling in slight distaste as he was handed the powder, seeming to fall deep in thought as Uquin wrapped the wound once again.
“Couldn’t you… I don’t know - actually heal it?” The man sneered, but Uquin paid him little mind. The man had been testy throughout the procedure - at the beginning, he had derisively stared down his nose at the younger man, and made plenty of comments about Uquin’s age. Uquin was tired of people getting angry at him for ‘daring to heal him when he wasn’t a healer.’
So instead of admitting he didn’t have the ability, Uquin calmly tied the bandage off, then turned his eyes up to the older warrior’s, tilting his head slightly in question. “The wound isn’t deep - I say at least a week, with the paste, and the wound will close.”
The ice earthling huffed, but had little else to say. Uquin nodded and rose, knowing when he was dismissed. At first, moving on from a patient after making their well being his world’s mission for that given amount of time … had hurt. But slowly, Uquin was getting used to being dismissed. He was a healer, and if he wanted a trophy or announcement of his good work every time he dealt with a person… well.
It was ridiculous, but at times he felt like he left a part of himself with everyone he tended to, even if they didn’t seem very pleased to have him as their healer. Lifting his bag with him, Uquin moved from that patient, turning his head to watch another group of fighters leaving the town - their packs made up, some with makeshift staffs to lean upon. One woman, a Shifter, had a bandage around her middle, and Uquin realized it was one that he had treated while waiting for the Elders.
Just like with the Alkidike from the battle - the one he was sure had died, it was strange to see someone he treated leaving. He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, trying hard not to imagine her dead on the battlefield somewhere - her or this other Alkidike. And it was strange to realize that as much effort as he put into someone healing… he never knew if they would turn around and get into a situation that would make it all for naught. Was this what it was to be a healer?
Yet… as he watched the woman move off and away, Uquin also felt some weight lift from his shoulders. It was in this moment that Uquin finally realized, and truly understood, that he couldn’t personally be responsible for making sure everyone lived.
Suddenly the loneliness of being left behind didn’t matter as much.
It was a huge relief to be back home, in Tale, after what felt like an infinitely long time. When he’d left Yera, one among a large group heading to the battle against the invading Obans, he had still been a prentice; convinced of what path he wanted to walk, and naively believing that he was enough to make a difference out there on the battlefield. But the battle itself had dragged him partway to reality. And meeting the renowned hermit healer had pulled him the rest of the way.
Coming home was ...strange. Mostly because he hadn’t lived in Yera for very long, so it didn’t exactly feel like home. It actually felt strange, how different things were. As a prentice, he’d been helped along by the occasional charity, but he had been almost homeless - living in an abandoned tree with weather-eroded wood slats and in need of much repair. On his homecoming though he was a Healer - and healers were always welcomed heartily. It was as if obtaining the amber beads now wound around his wrist had magically gifted him knowledge enough help - although he had known, before, how to heal with his fingers.
Now, though, he had magic - and that seemed to be all the difference. Uquin wouldn’t lie to himself; he’d learned a huge amount from the healers of Jauhar, who had gifted him the beads, and taught him how to wield magic. As a prentice he’d never once felt the stir of magic - but an sage had taught him how to seek out the wellspring of his mana, and now it felt like a dark spring had been tapped, erupting in a desert with no end in sight. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed with the energy of the world, which he’d never dreamed existed before. From there, reaching for his magic was easy - almost too easy, intimidatingly so.
He’d grown a great deal, yes. But the change of how he was treated - as if he was only now worth something - made him feel bitter and somewhat resentful of the people here. So he retreated away from the cluster of homes and open market stalls, and instead ventured a few trees over to where the trees thinned and he could see the overwhelmingly bright sand at the edge of the treeline. Here he sat - taking a deep breath, and closing his eyes. Reaching out with his newly discovered magic, Uquin began to try and distinguish between the life forms he felt around him. He could tell what was a plant, and what was an animal - that much was easy. But he wondered if he would, at some point, be able to distinguish between plant species? One day, maybe, he would be able to sense where a certain herb grew?
It made him wonder. It also made him turn his mind to the idea of making a garden, like the hermit he’d learned from had…
In the midst of his musings, with his magic still reaching out in his meditation - he felt a sudden disturbance. To him, it felt like he was a Menzuri - stretching his magic out like a large web throughout the Yeran grove of giant trees, and the panic of some creature along the web sent reverberations back to its center, where he sat. His eyes opened with a snap and Uquin rose to his feet, stumbling - still so new to using his magic that the feeling of panic was overwhelming, as if he had experienced it himself. It had come from…
Before he knew it, Uquin was stepping through the thick shrubs and bushes, finding it exceedingly easy to traverse compared to the jungles of Jauhar - and so it wasn’t long before he stepped past a set of brightly glowing crystals and saw it. An aldabuck, its horn hanging askew in a ghastly manner. On its flank was a deep gash - but it was old, obviously infected. For the moment, the creature was sitting - its legs folded beneath it in such a way that suggested it had reluctantly settled to rest, rather than fallen over.
Honestly, Uquin wasn’t too fond of animals. They were a welcome food source - and he knew plenty of his kinsmen hunted Aldabuck for food, or for their horns - and Uquin had never turned his nose up at aldabuck meat. As he slowly stepped closer, he could tell the gash at the Aldabuck’s side was a deep cut - the horn, meanwhile, looked like it had been smashed with a blade, no doubt someone trying to cut the horn from its head, but hadn’t succeeded - the blade hadn’t cut enough to detach the horn, but had weakened it - obviously so. Whatever had been done to the creature, it was clear it was in pain - and THAT was what drew his attention. A hunter should end the life of what it hunts - this seemed more akin to a poacher, catching an aldabuck and trying to take its horns, but releasing it afterwards. It wasn’t kind, it was cruel - especially considering the horns were an aldabuck’s main defense.
In the end that was what convinced Uquin to help. Somehow he had stepped close enough to be within arm’s reach, and still the creature slept on - that was a clear indication of how sick it was. With his hand extended, Uquin hovered his hand over the deep wound - and used a spell he had been taught when given his beads, focusing his power into them, then letting it spread further down his hand - until it slipped from his fingers, and into the body of the aldabuck. Panacea. Beneath his hand, the sickly colors of infection cleared away as if it had never existed, leaving a bloody but clean wound.
Uquin breathed out in relief, sparing a glance at the aldabuck’s face to see if it had moved - only to tense up, his breath hitching in near panic. How long would it take the creature to stand - to impale him with its one remaining horn, or to kick at his face with its hooves? And yet, the aldabuck was looking right at him - its eyes open, head turned to watch. It appeared calm - not wide or panicked, but… tired. Trusting. Slowly the tension lifted from Uquin’s shoulders, and the hand that had previous hovered above the infected wound instead moved slowly towards the creature’s face, hesitant. With the slightest motion, the aldabuck pressed its nose into the palm of Uquin’s hand - a nudge, its nose warm under his fingers as Uquin pet it. The fur was rough, bristled, but clean.
It was so strange. Uquin had always scoffed at the idea of familiars - he’d seen what trusting an animal could do in the case of Mella, how her own creature had sliced her skin with its talons, with no clear regard for her. But this aldabuck trusted Uquin implicitly, without even understanding or knowing what his intentions were. It had let him this close, close enough to touch it, before it knew for sure he was going to heal it. And that trust startled him, and warmed him in a way that he couldn’t quite explain. He felt responsible for this creature - fiercely protective of it, because if it let HIM this close, then if he healed and released it who knew what would happen?
With a frown, he huffed out a sigh, opening his bag and retrieving a vine. He showed it to the aldabuck, which sniffed the vine and gave it a curious tug with its lip, after which Uquin raised his hands and carefully straightened the creature’s horn, winding the vine around it and tying it off, letting a bit of Healing magic sink into the horn, letting the torn nerve within the horn mend itself back together.
“How did you survive into adulthood, you trusting thing.” Uquin muttered, aghast, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. He dropped his hand to once more rub the aldabuck’s snout. The animal made a soft snorting sound, its large ears perking forward, but realizing its horn no longer hurt it snuffled and nudged its nose against his hand again, earning it a soft laugh from the healer. “Right - there’s no way I can let you go now. You’ll just wonder up to the next hunter asking for roots.” He said somewhat fondly. Uquin didn’t understand the idea of familiars - but he supposed he could make an exception.
Someday, Uquin would stop being surprised at finding himself back in Jauhar during his wonderings. Life, back home, was getting... chaotic, and he had felt something in him long for travel. He was sure that disappearing in the middle of the night was unlikely to win him any points with Pahana, whom he was... what... wooing? He didn't even know, himself, what his relationship with the woman was becoming.
But he needed to move - and for him Jauhar was the best place to go, to feel useful. It was where he had learned his art, and so he hoped that he could offer some help there. He hadn't expected his thoughts to be that accurate.
With Ishtu's pack filled with supplies and bandages, Uquin neared the town of Neued, blinking in surprise as it appeared swollen with people, despite the apparent destruction around the struggling settlement. Charred wood was scattered throughout the jungle, as if there was fear of the hunks of charcoal lifting and reassembling itself - and in the town he saw the ruined remains of buildings, hollow eyes, and exhausted faces.
"I had thought most would have left after the previous battle." Uquin questioned a wind tribesman, who held a spear and stared outside the borders of the town as if suspicious. "They did! But... but the Obans are moving. They've come closer and closer to Neued recently, and... they fear an attack soon enough."
"An attack?" Uquin responded, aghast. He... he thought maybe sickness, injuries - but another battle? The first had been chaotic, and they'd had... the strength of Tendaji behind them. A simple glance around the settlement revealed a hearty contingent of defenders, but nowhere near their previous numbers. Most had retreated to their homelands, no doubt hoping the invasion would stop in Jauhar. He could see that fear in the faces of the shifters that stood, tense and nervous, at the bases of their trees, chattering with the outsiders who had assembled.
Neued was along the borders of Oba and Jauhar. It had taken months for the Obans to advance this far - and surely they would push further into Jauhar first. What would happen if Jauhar was taken? Maybe they'd take the Alkidike homeland, or... or they'd head east, to Tale. To Yera. This battle, defending Neued, it was pointless - Pahana was at home, with the risk of pregnancy, and here he was stretching his neck, for what? What if he fell here, at this battle, and the rest of Tendaji gathered their forces after Neued into a true battle, and he had fallen HERE at this battle, which was sure to be a massacre if Oba had any intentions of killing. And why wouldn't they, right?
His eyes turned back into the jungle, and he could've sworn the wind boy was watching him, eyes hopeless and defeated. And yet Uquin didn't, no... couldn't move.
He was frozen in his place, Uquin couldn't imagine turning around and leaving - fleeing back to Yera. The idea made him feel murderous at himself for even considering it. No - he had to stay here, had to, and if he didn't he'd never let himself live it down. So he heaved a deep sigh, then looked up at the wind tribesman. "Where can a Healer set up?"
Uquin didn't consider himself a vain person. He could count the times, on one hand, that he had gazed into a clear surface and recognized the face there, beyond the general hairstyle he chose to adopt. It didn't matter to him if his face was scarred, plain, chiseled, grizzled, or babyfaced - what mattered was that he could work at his best. That was why, he told himself, the loss of his eye had hit him more than he would have expected. During the course of the war, he could distract himself from the wound - saying that it wasn't festering, that infection could be kept at bay as he worked, but the war ended. The Obans had retreated to the newly proposed outpost at the border of Jauhar... and the fresh faces of Matori pilgrims, coming to see where their freedom had been won, could only distract him for so long.
He had his eye removed on something of a whim one day, as he sat in the tent where, once, there had been a throng of injured Obans to tend to. An empty tent where he and two other healers sat, tapping their fingertips against their laps. "Welp..." An older healer sighed, smacking his hand against his thigh before pushing himself to stand with a grunt of exertion, cracking his knuckles and turning to Uquin. "It's about time to change the compress on that eye." Tugging the bandages off, the older man's lips pressed firmly into a grim expression, but Uq knew he wouldn't press - wouldn't insist on the eye coming out. Uquin had refused each time it was offered. But this time, he took a deep breath and gestured, roughly, towards his face with one hand. "If there's nothing better for you to do, I suppose you could..."
A look of relief was tossed his way, and suddenly the bored healers went to work - crushing dried roots and reducing them into a water concoction, resulting in a milky white consistency. A kinfa bone, the marrow long scraped away, was held with a finger pressed against the opening as the mixture was carefully poured inside, and Uquin was made to lean back, his wounded eye held open by his fingers as the milky substance dropped from the end of the bone into his eye. It's purpose was simple - to deaden it as best they could. Even that, he feared, wouldn't be quite enough, and admitting his concerns won him a handful of wet, waxy plants, which he chewed and chewed until... he was reduced to a loopy, forgetful mess. He probably screamed at one point, but if he did he couldn't remember it... all Uquin knew was that the next morning he awoke with less pain than he’d felt in weeks, but a strange soreness instead. Rolling to his side, Uquin cracked open his eye (the other was wrapped with a compress and bandage), and saw, infront of him, his reflection in a small square left on the ground of the hut, propped up against a small satchel.
The mirror was an import from Oba - pressurized sand fired by mages and ground by workmen (or slaves...?) until smooth and contoured in just a way that a reflection was sent back at him, to look. It was a strange thing, but something the healers had found a use for - catching difficult angles while attending their duties. And in that reflection Uquin saw a man, thin, his hair messily splayed across his face, chin and cheeks grown with auburn fuzz from a few days of hard work and no time for hygiene. Drawing his hand with a wince across his rough cheeks, Uquin sat up, hesitated, then leaned to reach for the mirror - ignoring the sense of vertigo that slammed him in the belly as he did so.
He'd tied such compresses on wounds before, but doing from this angle, on himself, had been strange at first. By now he was more used to it. As the bandage was drawn away this time, however, he didn't see the bloody cut he'd become used to. It was gone - just as he knew it would be, and yet seeing it still forced a shaking breath from his lungs. The socket was now hollow, somewhat swollen from the intrusion, but not as badly as it could have been - thanks to a small amount of lightning magic that was sometimes used to promote circulation.
And yet, what didn't come was the spark of misery he'd almost feared. Would he be the one that cried at realizing a limb was missing, he had wondered in the past, the one hit by the realization only when the limb is gone, and ghost vision or pains haunt you?
Apparently not. Instead, he almost felt a sense of wonder - leaning in towards the mirror and drawing his hand carefully against his eyelid. The result was soreness, but nothing like the agony of keeping the eye all this time. The thought brought a smile of triumph to his face; having confirmation that removing the damaged piece was better, overall, was a relief given the amount of wounded pieces he'd had to liberate from people the past few months. During the battle, he'd gotten embarassed by his injury - he'd been primping. In retrospect, Uquin realized, he hadn't quite minded other than the sentimental thoughts towards his daughters, until he'd run into Mella. The moment he saw her, he'd felt shamed by his injury, a reluctance to show her the results or speak overly about it. How she'd inadvertently elicited such vain thoughts in him he didn't know, but now ... he felt amused by his behavior. Once he'd finally settled on WHY he reacted to her the way he did... it was easier to understand. And easier to wave his actions off as a lovestruck fool.
A prosthetic, at least. He decided, tying the compress bandage over his eye once more.
Yera is a quiet place when they return, their packs empty and spent from long days of travel from the Sauti border. Residents, still unnerved by recent times, peek out from their homes in the trees as footsteps ring through the dry underbrush - vine-rope ladders have been rolled up for the night, and the once lived in market at the base of the trees looks unlived in, as if abandoned in a hurry. By some miracle, in their march through the land to get to the Sauti border the Alkidike hadn’t lingered to kill or pillage, as many had feared - but the procession of a large group of heavily armed Alkidike had startled the locals anyway, and even after their banishment many were wary and mistrustful of the Alkidike that remained.
Uquin just had to remind himself that the damage could have been worse, here. Leaving Padma to sit at the base of their tree (he had rolled the ladder up before they left), the healer crossed the debris no the forest floor to where Pahana’s father lived, peering up into the dark above and whistling to catch his attention, rapping at the bark with his knuckles. They would, he rationalized, let down their ropes and he and his daughter could ascend, and join Pahana and Ujana up in safety. After all, why would they remain in Jauhar during the conflict? The extended family that Pahana had moved to stay with had all come to stay here, so surely they’d be here by now. They would have met up sooner had Uquin not left to do his duty at the battle - and let Padma come with him, unable to deny her the chance to help somehow.
And yet as he waited, there was no response from the tree above - despite the repeated whistles, and finally the sharp, impatient call up above. Finally, a head poked out from above - a middle aged woman who looked at him with such a pitying look that he instantly resented her, even as she released the ropes and watched him clamber up gracelessly. “Healer - you should know, Pahana and your daughter - they didn’t make it in from Jauhar. We haven’t had any news of them.”
Of course, the locals would have waited - would have kept track of who came and went. And Pahana - she had grown up here, hadn’t she? They would know if she had returned home. The realization hit him like a blow to the belly, but he took a shuddering breath and nodded, stiffly, thanking her gruffly for her information before turning on his heel to cross the platforms to his home. As he untied the ropes so Padma could climb up as well, his mind raced - surely, he thought, they were fine! It was very likely that the Alkidike had marched past them, left them untouched just like Yera. But Pahana and Ujana had LIVED among shifters and Alkidike. They may have stayed holed up, knowing they could be overtaken if they left on their own - but then why hadn’t they come with Yaholo and the others?! Without her Alkidike brother, Pahana would have been unprotected from any extremists that resented her presence. And Ujana...
Ignoring Padma’s confused look and quiet questions, Uquin turned and stepped into their home, ducking to light a lantern. Just as he’d been told, there were no letters left here from the girls - letters he had come to count on. Breath hitching in realization, Uquin gripped his hands helplessly into clenched fists, then turned, sharply, towards Padma. “We’re going to Jauhar - be ready to leave by morning.”
