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 Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:11 pm
Nesirah 1
Nesirah had traveled far to reach Ast, a settlement nestled between towering trees and hidden away in the shadow of Alkidike lands. It was smaller than she expected, quieter than places like Jauhar or Oba, but its presence alone was striking. Few shifters chose to live this close to the Alkidike, yet those who did had built a home that thrived. Nesirah admired that. It took courage to live so near those who looked down on them.
She adjusted the scarf draped over her shoulders as she made her way through the settlement, stepping carefully over the network of wooden walkways that connected the trees. She was here to spread the truth of Bergchi, to start conversations where others might hesitate. The shifters of Ast were said to be open to new ideas. She only hoped that extended to her own.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:12 pm
Corra 1
Corra struck the practice dummy with a sharp, controlled strike, ignoring the sweat rolling down her forehead. She had been at this all morning, and she wasn’t about to stop now. The others in Ast might be content with quiet lives, with acceptance, but she wanted more. She didn’t want to just live next to Alkidike warriors—she wanted to be one. And she was going to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she deserved it.
She was about to move into another sequence when movement caught her eye. Someone unfamiliar, standing at the edge of the clearing. Pale gray-blue skin. Honey-colored eyes. Dark blue crystals embedded in her face. A shifter. But not one Corra had seen before.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:13 pm
Nesirah 2
"You fight with great diligence," Nesirah said, offering a small nod. "It is a beautiful thing to see such commitment. Bergchi values strength in all its forms." Nesirah smiled gently to the young woman, hoping this was an excellent introduction to her Goddess.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:14 pm
Corra 2
Corra exhaled sharply through her nose, rolling her shoulders as she turned fully toward Nesirah. A preacher. Great. That’s exactly what she needed today. "Bergchi?" she echoed, her voice flat. "What, some earthling god?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:15 pm
Nesirah 3
Nesirah clasped her hands together in front of her. "Not just a god. A guide." Her voice was soft, yet unwavering. "She watches from the mountains, offering wisdom and endurance to those who listen."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:21 pm
Corra 3
Corra crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Yeah? And what does a mountain know about fighting?" She tilted her head, eyeing the shifter skeptically.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:22 pm
Nesirah 4
Nesirah was unfazed. "A mountain does not fight. It endures. It stands, unshaken, against the storms that seek to wear it down. That is a strength beyond the blade."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:22 pm
Corra 4
Corra scoffed. "That’s useless strength. Aisha made us. She gave us purpose, not some pile of rocks sitting in the distance."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:23 pm
Nesirah 5
"A mother may create," Nesirah countered, "but creation is not the end of growth. One does not stop climbing simply because they were given legs."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:24 pm
Corra 5
Corra’s jaw tightened. "You don’t get it," she snapped. "You don’t know what it’s like—what it means to prove yourself. You? You walk around whispering to the sky, thinking some spirit will give you answers. I have to fight every day for my place."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:24 pm
Nesirah 6
Nesirah’s gaze didn’t waver. "And if Aisha were to abandon you?" she asked. "If she left you to stand alone, as I have seen many do to their children—would you still be whole?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:27 pm
Corra 6
Something flared hot and dangerous in Corra’s chest, an ember of rage stoked by something deeper—something she refused to name. If I fight hard enough, if I prove myself enough, they’ll have to accept me. They’ll have to see me as one of them. Won’t they? Her nails dug into her arms, but her voice came out sharp, unwavering. "Aisha doesn’t abandon us," she growled. "The Sisters don’t abandon us. We are stronger together. That’s what makes us warriors."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:27 pm
Nesirah 7
Nesirah exhaled slowly. "Strength means little if it is only borrowed."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:28 pm
Corra 7
Corra clenched her fists. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She didn’t get it. Aisha was strength. Her Sisters were strength. It wasn’t borrowed—it was earned.
A tense silence stretched between them. Nesirah watched Corra, waiting. Corra glared back, unyielding.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 1:29 pm
Nesirah 8
Finally, Nesirah inclined her head. "I see this is not a truth you are ready for."
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