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Indira's last trip to Grandfather Tree had been in the dead of night. She'd thought it smart to avoid the heat from the sun, to make her vision quest easier. Grandfather Tree had answered with the gift of endurance. Since her trip to the Tree, she'd pushed herself further and further in the Barrens, testing her limits. Her control over her gift had deepened and expanded, but she's come up against another hard limit. She knew there was more magic, it was like a deep well beyond a wall she simply didn't have access too. She needed Grandfather Tree again. She needed to become an adept. Her apprenticeship had been a trial by fire, but now she was ready for more.

This time, the sun blazed down upon her, and she felt all the better for it. It was like being in the Barrens. And each step she took out there she knew she was fulfilling her role on Vykeli. If each step forward wasn't one that helped heal their broken planet she was clearly wasting her time, and her gift. Today she was simply excited. Certainly there would be another trial, but she was so ready, and the possible reward was so great. She reached Grandfather Tree and looked up, reverently. "I've come back for more."

wc: 217

The sun beat down on Indira, baking her back. She didn't mind. She was in the Barrens, exactly where she was meant to be. Grandfather Tree had given her these gifts, and she was going to use them. Looking at an especially barren patch of ground, she pondered which of her gifts could best be used to restore it. Reaching into her mind she searched for her magic. The familiar place where it was was just ... empty. Barren, like the landscape around her. A sense of terror began to creep over Indira. Her gifts had become such an important part of her she was nearly paralyzed now that it was just suddenly gone. Surely there must be some mistake. Or this was some sort of test. It had to be that. Indira tried to tamp those frantic feelings down. There was a solution to this, she just had to find it.

Something pulled her forward, further into the Barrens. Before long she could here rancorous laughing. It had to be more than just one of two Nouls with the amount of noise they were making. Indira stumbled forward. Maybe this was her solution. She wandered into what appeared to be a ramshackle camp, in the shade of a stack of rocks. Four Nouls were lounging in the small pocket of shade and seemed to be imbibing various fermented juices. The camp smelled lived in in the worst way. There wasn't a growing thing in sight, and the cracks in the ground seemed particularly deep and forlorn. As broken and dead as most of the Barrens were, this little patch seemed worse somehow.

One of the other Nouls staggered to his feet, swaggering towards Indira. She took an instinctive step back. A sweaty unpleasant stench wafted towards Indira as the Noul approached. She was just about to tell them to back off when she noticed his horn. Black. That caused her to take another step back. "C'mon Indira? What are you playing at? You get something else for us to drink?" The others turns towards her. Black horns. Every single one. And they seemed to know her. What on Vykeli was going on?

The first black horn was right up to her. He tipped his horn forward and unhooked a sash with bottles on it that had been draped over her. Indira inhaled sharply. She'd brought fermented drinks to these exiles? These traitors to Vykeli? "Thanks Indira, the party continues!" He trotted back to the others, triumphantly. Indira's heart pounded against her rib cage with unbridled violence. No gift. Other black horns. It could only mean one thing. Indira had turned away from Grandfather Tree. From her gifts. From her calling. From life's very meaning. Her legs shook, hardly holding her upright.

The traitors had unstoppered her offerings and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Indira felt like throwing up. The was everything she dreaded. Everything that made her wake up at night, drenched in sweat. She spun around, and galloped off from the camp. The traitors called after her. She ignored them. As much as something had pulled her to this camp, something even more powerful was pulling her elsewhere in the Barrens. She fervently hoped she knew what this other pull was.

Indira ran, and ran. Her body felt like it was going to give out, like it had nothing left. She pushed herself farther, calling on every reserve of strength she had. She didn't falter, she just kept running. Whatever mistake it was that she had made, she was going to make it right. Maybe she'd strayed, done something wrong. But there was still breath in the lungs and life in her body. Indira would make it right.

After what felt like an eternity she was there. She stopped and looked up. Grandfather Tree loomed over her. Indira fell to her knees in front of Grandfather Tree. "I'm sorry!" She cried out, with everything she had. "Whatever I did, it was in error! I pledge my life to Vykeli! I will do my part. I'll do more than my part!" Her sides heaved. "Anything! I know what is required of me. I must have strayed, but it was just a mistake. I will only use my gifts for the good of Vykeli. I will put Vykeli above all else... Please." The last was just a whisper.

There was nothing for Indira to do but wait, and hold onto the feeling of deeply, immovable remorse.


wc: 745
twc: 962