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Priam
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Post by Priam »

....and feel the nudge, I do. A familiar pulling, tugging, of some force trying to control me, not realizing that this is exactly what must be.

Ah, it is good to feel the familiar ebb and flow once again. Deep sleep and indifference kept me from enjoying the sensation but Pahlia now knows of my presence but foolishly thinks it is chance.

No. It is destiny.
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Colu
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Post by Colu »

Fear not, Terret. Time is not uncounted on Pahlia.

I thank you for helping me focus on this moment.
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Illume Eltanin
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Post by Illume Eltanin »

How lovely! The Centaurs have thrived on the southern plains. I believe it is time they explored more of Pahlia beyond Rattan.

There is time yet for such explorations, yes Colu?
Illume Eltanin
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Colu
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Post by Colu »

There is Time.
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Terret
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Post by Terret »

An Unpleasant Encounter

They say it's always darkest before the dawn, but that's just not true. It's actually quite light before the dawn. It's the deep reaches of the night, the hours just after midnight, when real darkness can be found.

But inside The Gilt Lyre, a run-down tavern on the edges of Empahna, smokey torches and guttering oil lamps cast a dirty light on the games tables no matter how dark the night was outside.

Despite the hour, a steady hum rose from the patrons, a motley bunch with nowhere better to go, and nothing better to do with the markets closed for the night. And around one table in particular, an unusually large crowd seemed to be growing as the cards were dealt yet again.

For at this table a local ne'er-do-well was winning. And winning. And winning. Karl wasn't exactly a fixture at the Lyre, but he wasn't a stranger either, and most of the staff could recognise him if they saw him. He usually propped up the bar with a cheap drink in hand, and sometimes joined in a pokir game or two. He'd been known to toss the dice and lose every now and then, and was usually available for jobs of a slightly questionable nature.

But tonight, every hand turned in his favour, and not everybody was happy at his sudden good luck. The more he won, the more some players muttered. And his attitude wasn't helping either. Every win seemed to make him more insufferable, and less aware of the prevailing mood, until a giant of a man across the table leapt up and slammed his fists down on the warped boards of the playing field.

"You're cheating!" he bellowed at the suddenly bemused Karl.

"N-No, no," came the stuttered reply, as Karl took in the scowling faces around him. "I've only touched the cards I'm given," he added. "Ask the dealer."

The dealer nodded sourly, as all eyes turned to him.

"See?" Karl broke out. "It's not my fault. Luck's just on my side tonight."

A wave of silence washed out from the table, and Karl's eyes grew huge. Even a fool knew you never claimed Luck's blessing, or ever spoke of it aloud. Temples built to Luck invaribly burned down, and telling people it favoured you was a sure road to ruin.

Karl leapt to his feet, sweeping his winnings together, and sprinted for the door.

And in the corner, a shadowy figure grinned unremarked, as an over-burdened bed from the rented rooms upstairs chose that very moment to crash through the stressed floorboards directly above Karl, its enthusiastic passengers oblivious to their descent.

As his winnings rolled from Karl's outstretched hand, the huge gambler passed a hand over his face, whispering "Terret turn away."

And the shadowy figure did.
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Illume Eltanin
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Post by Illume Eltanin »

splishsplish

The ripples gently undulated throughout the puddle with each pebble Kage slowly released from above. His delighted laugh lilted through the air with each one, drawing disapproving stares as his neighbors hurried by on their daily tasks. One could almost read their thoughts in their body language: Such a waste of the village’s resources, keeping that one around. Surely his mother could find some use for him. But even she has given up on him.

Kage took no notice of them, as he took no notice of anything other than the patterns of life around him. The patterns made sense; were predictable where all else was chaos. Patterns were safe.

At the edge of the lake, his mother was finishing up her laundry. Moira glanced at Kage as his laughter floated down towards her. Her never ending disappointment once again crashed in to her soul. Oh, he was well formed, her 17 year old son. But one only needed to look at the innocence in his face to see the oblivion he had to his surroundings. Nothing she or the Elders had tried throughout his life had penetrated his awareness. Kage took interest only in what grabbed his attention, and woe to those who tried to deter him. As he aged, his violent resistance to outside input became dangerous as he became stronger, but only when forced to stop what already engaged him at the time.

The joys of life: friends, exploration, pain and the growth from lessons learned after that pain, even simple companionship. These things were denied him.

Oh, my boy, my boy. Perhaps the others are right, and you are a waste of time, effort, and resources, Moira thought to herself as the disparaging looks of her neighbors bombarded her with their judgment. Even your father left you to fend for yourself, leaving me with you in his wake. How alone you must be; what sorrow you must feel in your isolation.

…how shall I set you free from this confinement you’re in, and ease the burden of your existence on the village?


Her mind in turmoil as she considered a path she never thought to tread, Moira gathered her laundry and began the tedious process of convincing Kage to follow her home. As she removed the wrapping from a piece of waybread, fragrant with herbs and spices, she wafted the aroma towards Kage. No matter where his thoughts are, food always brings him back, she recited to herself for the millionth time. And held very still as a plan insidiously made its way in to her head.

***

“Come on, Calypso!” her sister, Traewen, called. “The lake will be here tomorrow.” Extending her wings so the sun would dry the areas the chamois could not reach, Illume grinned as her oldest sister attempted to reign in their youngest. Not that one was truly older than the other; Traewen hatched just minutes before she did, and Calypso within seconds after. But Traewen took on the responsibility of absent parents anyway, at least when the rest of The Nine allowed her the opportunity to get away with it. Those times were coming rarer, though. Gryphon and Aliyah have already departed for who knew where; Illume assumed they went in search of other dragon kind. They always felt out of place with the descendents of those who were set to safeguard them. Feh, she knew better. Those two felt out of place with all of them. If all dragons were as aloof as those two, she had no idea how Mother tolerated Father. It would have been nice to have seen, though.

Their other brothers remained in the conclave with them, but they became more independent by the day. She suspected they all would separate sooner rather than later. The thought excited her; their caretakers have done their jobs well, but maybe too well. She was anxious to see more of their new home then had so far been allowed.

The sun having done its job on her wings, Illume cast her glance around the lakeshore as she waited for Traewen and Calypso. Her gaze lingered on a woman collecting greens next to the shoreline. Her brow puckered slightly as she recognized the plant the woman was gathering; there was no safe use for spotted cowbane that she could recall. She took in the woman’s surroundings, and saw the discarded laundry on the muddy shore. Those clothes were just washed, yet they are strewn in the mud with no care for their cleanliness. Why would she do that?

Making her way over to the woman, Illume saw the damage the plant was doing to the woman’s arms and legs as she gathered bunches of the spotted cowbane. “Do you need help?” she called to the woman. As the woman looked up, and Illume saw the expression of recognition give way to one of dread and then desperate cunning, she placed the woman as Moira, descendant of a much loved family of human caretakers. She had heard Moira was challenged in the raising of her son, but knew little of her circumstances beyond that. “I can help you gather more plants, or give you a hand back to shore?”

Mutely shaking her head, Moira climbed out of the lake and came to stand next to Illume. “No, lady,” she whispered. “You should return to your sisters. None can help me in what I must do.” Drawing the spotted cowbane closer to her body, Moira started off towards the village, her discarded laundry forgotten.

***

Something’s not right, Illume thought, as she took the time to gather Moira’s laundry. Moira’s sorrow had been palpable to her, and the sorrow had a hint of despair. I need to investigate this further. As she decided to enlighten herself further in the situation, a sense of rightness and purpose sparked within her. Yet, it was something that had always been there, just not as strong.

Nodding to herself, Illume knelt on the lakeshore and washed Moira’s laundry.

***

The greens simmered in her best cook pot, the aroma astringent yet appetizing. Moira took her time in seasoning them, so Kage would enjoy their last meal. She knew no matter what she did to them, she would have difficulty eating. But she would match Kage bite for bite. Without her boy, she had no reason to go on. And they both were burdens to the village. As she stirred the pot, her tears added a saltiness she did not intend.

The one chore Kage had learned to do was set the table. Her boy loved to eat, and he approached all mealtimes with enthusiasm. Setting the table only brought sitting to table happen faster. As she dished the greens on to a serving platter, Kage plodded around the table humming a happy monotone in time to putting down the flatware. The table set, the food plated, Moira and Kage sat down to their meal.

***

Hospitality is engrained in the people of Pahlia, and while this meal could not be shared with others, habit forced Moira out of her chair at the knock on her door. Her jaw dropped as she saw the half dragon holding her freshly washed laundry. “My lady! Oh, you shouldn’t have. Let me take that from you and allow you to return to your own dinner.”

Illume smiled gently as the clothing was removed from her arms. Turning to look at Kage, she spoke. “I know you’re hungry, Kage. But you should wait until all are seated before eating. Will you wait for us, please?” Caught in the patterns the firelight made on her golden scales, the young man nodded and set himself to waiting.

Addressing Moira, Illume gazed at her lovingly. “Your sorrow radiates off of you. Enlighten me of its cause, and allow me to share your burden.” She gently placed a guiding hand on Moira’s shoulder, and led her to the privacy of Moira’s garden.

Never, never, since Kage was born, did someone offer Moira the chance to speak. Kage’s father tried beating obedience in to them both before he departed. The Elders offered advice and guidance which worked for other children, but they never listened to exactly what Moira had to describe. Illume sat quietly while Moira attempted to gather her thoughts. “He is alone, isolated. He misses out on so much…”

And the dam broke.

When she finished, Moira found herself embraced not only with arms, but with the lightest touch of wings. Illume’s forehead rested gently on top of her own as she quietly murmured comforting sounds. Moira hesitantly drew herself away, and muttered her greatest fear, “He must hate himself.”

No…” Illume whispered. “I can enlighten you on that. Do you not see he is content the way he is? His life is happy, mostly carefree. The only time he becomes distraught is when others try to push him. Yes, he has challenges which will always affect him. Yes, like me when I was younger, he will always need caregivers. But he is a blessing to our village, not a burden. Wherever he is, he brings joy. He is free with his laughter, and those open to receiving it find it contagious.

“Do not fear that he hates himself. He has no concept of hatred in any form.

“You keep him safe. He wouldn’t be content if you didn’t.

“For that, he loves you.”

Slowly standing, Illume drew Moira up with her and kissed her forehead. “You were given a gift only you could appreciate. You have shown you deserved that trust. Now, with your help, allow me to enlighten our Elders and people as to the gift we all have been given.”

Illume then broke in to a light laugh as that little spark within her seemed to grow even brighter. “And we will start tonight at my family dinner.” Striding back to the house, Illume stuck her head through the door.

“Come along, Kage! Tonight we feast!”
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Illume Eltanin
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Post by Illume Eltanin »

Kage!

The young man pulled his gaze from the spiraling pattern of the seeds in the sunflower in response to being called. A smile slowly formed on his usually blank face as he recognized the young half-dragon waving at him. He stood placidly, as he waited for her to join him.

“Kage, did you not feel the rumbling of the ground? We are to go to our assigned drill locations, in case of a larger tremor.”

“We go to the mines?” Kage slowly asked. Ever since his mother Moira and he had feasted with the seven half-dragon siblings, they had been taken under the wings, so to speak, of the family. Each of the siblings appeared to have a gift; nothing major, but combined they had been able to introduce him to concepts which always eluded him before; speech being one of them. Learning these concepts was a slow and ongoing process, but life had improved drastically for his mother as his abilities grew, and he would do anything to make things easier for her.

Illume, the half-dragon in front of him, nodded. “That is our assigned task, is it not?” Holding out her hand, she gently pulled Kage in the direction of the mines, and trotted toward them with him beside her.

Her wings shimmer in the light, Kage thought as they jogged. Yet the pattern remains hidden to me. Everything has a pattern, so it will become clear to me one day.

Suddenly, the ground shook with more force, and a huge cloud of dust rose in front of them from the direction of the mines. The two were thrown to the ground as the trail heaved beneath them. Kage covered his head and curled in to a fetal position, but he felt Illume pulling at him as she shouted something towards him. As he moved his elbow enough to hear what she was saying, her words became clear. “Kage, get up! I need you to trust and embrace me. This will be faster!”

Kage fearfully unfurled himself; he was scared of more shaking, but he trusted the half-dragon. Putting his arms around Illume, he watched as her wings spread out and started fluttering. His attention drawn to the luminescence before him, he did not feel the ground drop away, nor was he consciously aware of the breeze on his face. All he saw were the lines of light throughout the leathery, delicate hide in front of him. There is a pattern! One which seems unique to her, but it is there. I wonder if it is a family pattern, or if the others have individual ones as well.

With a soft thud, he was brought back to his surroundings as Illume landed. As he glanced around, he took in the activity at the entrance to the mines. The mine shaft had collapsed! Had all the miners escaped after the warning of the first tremor?

As they got closer to the others, voices began to make themselves clear. “We need to determine if anyone survived.” “First we need to make an air hole; then we can determine if anyone is alive!” “We don’t even know where to begin drilling.”

Kage turned to Illume, confused by the concern in the voices. “Why aren’t they digging them out?” he asked.

“No one knows where to begin,” the half-dragon answered sadly.

“But, but, they just need to follow the patterns of light to the cavern where they are huddled,” he cried.

“Be quiet, boy,” one of the foremen called over to them. Approaching respectfully, the foreman gently laid a hand on Kage’s shoulder and said to Illume, “Perhaps the lad should be taken home. This work will probably be beyond him.”

Kage violently shook off the foreman’s hand, and stalked about 6 dragon’s lengths to the left of the mine entrance. “They are in a cavern right below here. But if you dig straight down, you will make things more unstable. Can you not see the lines of the veins to follow in order to reach them safely?”

Illume cautiously approached Kage. “Kage, what has happened? This is more than you have ever spoken at one time, but what you are speaking makes no sense. There is nothing here to show us where to dig.”

“I can see them, Illume! They are glowing in a cavern about 3 dragon’s lengths down. And there is a natural path to them, which would be far easier to excavate than to dig elsewhere.” Putting both his hands on her shoulders, he gazed at her beseechingly. “If no one else knows where to dig, what would be the harm in me guiding the attempt?”

Illume cocked an eyebrow at him, and shook her head in wonder. “Have you always been able to do this, Kage? Were you just unable to tell anyone about it before?”

Nooo…” Kage answered. “I’ve always found peace in the patterns of nature, but have never been able to see inside things before. But once I saw the pattern in your wings as we came here today…”

“You what?” Illume exclaimed. She extended a wing and studied it. “All I see is leathery hide.”

“Oh, your wings always shine, but I could never discern a pattern before. As we traveled here, I was able to discover a web of light throughout them. And now, if I focus, I can see patterns -- and objects foreign to those patterns -- outlined in light everywhere I look.

“The miners are below us. They are moving, but not often. Can you convince the workers to let me guide them?”

Illume drew back and studied the sincerity in Kage’s eyes. “…born with a spark of divinity,” she murmured to herself.

“Kage, I am at a loss to explain what happened to you today. However, whatever it is, I am glad to see it, as I know your mother, and most likely the entire village, will be over time.

“I will encourage the excavators to listen to your guidance.”

Illume had quite the argument with the foremen, but eventually convinced them to Kage’s thinking in that if no one else had any idea where to begin, they may as well allow him to guide them. First Kage guided them in installing an air hole. When the drill broke into an open cavern just after Kage told them to be prepared for it to do so, the hearts of the village lifted with hope. They lifted even further when a rhythmic tapping was heard traveling up from the hole.

The excavating took about three days all told, but it needed far less shoring than was typical and proceeded at a pace until then unknown in their village. Unfortunately, not all of the trapped miners survived, but they had been killed in the collapse and there was nothing to be done for them. A few days were set aside to mourn the dead, which was followed by a celebration of the successful rescue. Kage and Moira had never been the subjects of celebratory attention before. They were quite happy when life returned to normal.

or so they thought.
Illume Eltanin
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The Illumined
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