Welcome to Gaia! ::

Golden eyes stared up at the leaves above her. Teiluj felt broken, torn, destroyed. Her hybrid, off colored antennas, twitched every once in a while when the chilled air crossed her skin. Her mother hadn't come home in quite some time now. N'kole had disappeared. A tear fell down her cheek, streaking across her Alkidike markings. A feeling of foolishness and empty loneliness ached in her heart.

Perhaps N'kole had just regained his memory and returned to the life he once knew? Maybe he had a family that was missing him and she was the person getting in the way of his life. Remorse, guilt, shame. All these feelings swelled in Teiluj she didn't know how to cope. Where was she to go now? What was her purpose now that N'kole and her Mother were no longer here.

Tao whimpered and licked her hand, laying his reptilian head on her lap. His tail curled around the hybrid girl. The creatures head perked up at the sound of something or someone approaching through the trees. A curious, questioning sound chirruped. It's head raising back off the young womans lap, eyes fixed on the location of the sound.

"N'kole?" Teiluj whispered. Her head slowly turning to look at the same direction as Tao. "Is that you?"

Deep gold eyes continued to survey the direction of the sound. Dancing back and forth as she tensed to rise. Tao only shifted to give his master some room, remaining where he was currently laying. Showing only mild interest in the sound. Only sniffing the air to disregard the event. It was no concern to the radaku a known individual who was not a threat.

Leaving her bag and book in the place she was sitting. Teiluj tentatively took steps forward. Unsure if she was dreaming, or if her mind was playing tricks on her due to her loneliness from no longer being around her loved ones. The isolation was starting to get to her soft heart. Sniffling back tears, Teiluj quickly wiped away the streaks on her face. If it was N'kole, she didn't want him to see her sad.

Bending and climbing through the underbrush of the forest Teiluj reached forward to lift a branch out of her way. "N'kole is that y--..."

Mixed emotions flooded through Teiluj. Her eyes fell upon someone she had met in the past a young Alkidike who she had once helped get back home. Her eyes scanned over the large stature of the familiar woman before her. It wasn't N'kole though, and her heart sank a bit. Her face showing a pained grin as she attempted to hide the disappointment on her face. Dem was still a very happy memory and a wonderful individual she considered a friend.

"Dem, you're alive."

Teiluj watched the woman in front of her first with caution. Her muscles tensing unnecessarily. She needed to remain strong, keep the coursing emotions under control she couldn't show weakness in front of another Alkidike. She wanted to belong with them, had an ingrain need to prove she was powerful despite her small stature. It all shattered in an instant when V'demhe's voice pierced the silence.

Trembling began to take hold of Teiluj. She could no longer keep her emotions together. Arms raised to wrap across her shoulders, tilting her head the side at the grief that now took the most visible aspect of her demeanor. The tears she fought so hard to hold back spilled out of her yellow eyes and down her marked cheeks. Words failed to escape her, her head turning slowly from left to right and back again. She was not okay. She couldn't even pretend to be okay.

"He- He's gone..." Teiluj breathlessly whispered amongst her tears. Hands tightening around her arms in a desperate attempt to keep herself together. She knew what Dem's body language meant and yet she couldn't bring herself to approach the welcoming Alkidike. She couldn't poison the woman further with her mixed blooded nature. She was an abomination of Aisha, and not worthy of Dems presence. She couldn't help but think that perhaps her own mother had reached the same conclusion and that's why she too had disappeared unheard of.

Muffled whimpers slipped from Teiluj as she was pulled into V'demhe's embrace. Emotion after emotion tumbled through and around her. Her chest aching, shivers racing through and down her spine. Her breath was lost to her. All of which was quickly replaced with warmth. A warmth that grew from within her chest and belly flooding her veins like an addiction she so desperately needed. Her body trembled as she let free a fit of sobs. Tears pooling from out of her golden yes. Her hands moving up to timidly wrap around Dem's mid section in a returned embrace.

Teiluj stood there, as they were for some time before the tears had run dry. Eyes puffy and red with sadness as she looked up at Dem. At least one friend she knew was still alive, still thriving. She wanted so much to keep the strong woman around. "Dem... he's gone. He vanished after the war. I still haven't seen my mother. It's been just me and Tao for so long. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel lost. I don't know what to do with myself anymore."

The words spilled forth out of the hybrid. Her words mixed with sniffles from a stuffed nose brought on by her sobbing fits. In the background Tao yawned and stretched, dragging himself to his feet to prance over to Teiluj. Shoving the part of his head that connected to his right horn into her hand as if demanding a scratch. A low rumble meant to soothe the hybrid's emotional state.

Teiluj sniffled, taking a step back away from the powerful woman. Her left hand resting on Tao as they moved together. Nodding solemnly at the reassurance from V'demhe. "Thank you, Dem." Teiluj muttered, her eyes cast downward submissively. "But how can I ask for help when I don't even know what help I need?" She truly felt lost. It made her feel terrible, she was old enough to be living alone. She should be tough enough to handle this, and yet she couldn't.

Wiping her eyes dry and giving another sniffle. Teiluj made sure to push away whatever strands of hair, were still clinging to her face from the streaks of tears. The wind catching her sandy blonde hair for only a moment. Rustling the leaves and plant life around them. She listened to the silence, grateful for the companionable silence that Dem offered her in this moment.

"I can't really go searching for mother. There must be something important for her to be doing right now. She wouldn't leave me on my own without a reason." Teiluj spoke, her feet shifting in the earth beneath her feet. "It's N'kole i'm truly worried about. Would I be wrong to see if hes gone to Oba?"

A glimmer of hope lit up Teiluj's eyes. Maybe that was all that she was missing when it came to N'kole. Maybe there was a chance that he had fully regained his memories and that he was just unable to get back to her. Golden eyes looked back up into dark orbs. Fading at the mention that Dem was going in a different direction than her.

Teiluj had never been to the Oban's territory before. She didn't know the way, and had very little experience in traveling alone she had always been with someone else. Someone who knew the dangers better than she did. All she knew was her small home the thought of having to try to make her way alone terrified her.

"I'm afraid of going alone, I don't really know the way Dem." Teiluj reluctantly admitted. Her weakness was showing again and it made her uncomfortable to say the least. She was supposed to be strong, independent. She was no warrior though, she wouldn't have the skills to defend herself if she met bandits along the way. She only had healing magic, there had to be some other way that Teiluj could safely reach Oba.

Nodding Teiluj agreed with Dem. Having someone to go with her would certainly put her at ease when it came to traveling across the vast unknown. Running her hand along Tao's horn Teiluj looked down to regard her companion. "Would you suppose Tao could still travel with me?" She mused before turning her gaze back towards V'demhe. Her lips shifting to the side in contemplation, her head tilting the other way.

Eyes perked back up again at the mention of a daughter. Since when had V'demhe matured so much that she had been granted a daughter by Aisha? And why would an Alkidike woman be living in Oba so far away from the great mother? Not that traveling was that unheard of, despite the yearly migration back to Aisha for the celebrations.

"I wouldn't want to put you out with money Dem. Especially since you've got children now." Teiluj's grip on Tao's horn tightened before letting go again. Why was the such a burden on others? Would there ever come a time when she was strong enough to compete with a pure blood? At least around N'kole she felt like she had a purpose. Like she really was strong enough. Even if he was the fighter between the two.

Taking in a deep breath Teiluj turned towards the spot she had been sitting moments before. Her footsteps barely making any audible sound as they touched the earth. "I can pay for a guard, I have herbs and berries and stuff that I could trade off in exchange." Teiluj chirped while gathering up her bag and books. "How will we find a guard?" Teiluj questioned.