The First Age of Man
Niraya turned at Seerah's voice, a wild and cruel hope fluttering in her heart...but then she saw Tekai behind her, with his bow. It felt like she'd been hurled off a cliff, the way her stomach rose into her throat. She quickly turned away.
"No," was all she said, her voice shaking. "I'm really not. I don't know what to do, Seerah. Part of me wants to go back and...just take whatever it is that's coming. Most of me wants to run and run and try to find somewhere I can start over. But either way, I guess I don't have good luck."
She wiped at her eyes with the back of her gloves.
"You...don't have to do this." The words were shameful. Cowardly. They tasted like ashes and bile, but she couldn't stop saying them. "I promise I won't come back. You can tell them you did it, and no one will ever know." A short, bitter laugh coughed out of her. "It won't even be much of a lie. It will be a small miracle if I live the night."
"No," was all she said, her voice shaking. "I'm really not. I don't know what to do, Seerah. Part of me wants to go back and...just take whatever it is that's coming. Most of me wants to run and run and try to find somewhere I can start over. But either way, I guess I don't have good luck."
She wiped at her eyes with the back of her gloves.
"You...don't have to do this." The words were shameful. Cowardly. They tasted like ashes and bile, but she couldn't stop saying them. "I promise I won't come back. You can tell them you did it, and no one will ever know." A short, bitter laugh coughed out of her. "It won't even be much of a lie. It will be a small miracle if I live the night."
KirayaTiDrekan
Adventurer
Seerah shakes her head, holding her hands out wide. She looks at Tekai and says firmly, "What I am about to say must never be spoken of. To anyone."
She then turns back to Niraya, "You are not the only with secrets you do not fully understand. My magic is not my own. It comes from a power beyond me and sometimes I feel as if that power may overwhelm me. We, you and I, are much the same, I think."
She then turns back to Niraya, "You are not the only with secrets you do not fully understand. My magic is not my own. It comes from a power beyond me and sometimes I feel as if that power may overwhelm me. We, you and I, are much the same, I think."
Tekai could actually feel his jaw muscles slackening. And he felt sick. What is happening in this tribe?! Have I been looking outward so long I no longer see inward?
Finding his voice, he asks "What...what did you do to Sialfi? Is he still a man, or...?" Tekai didn't know how to finish the sentence. What happened to people after they were magicked was the topic of more stories than wargs. And every one was different.
Finding his voice, he asks "What...what did you do to Sialfi? Is he still a man, or...?" Tekai didn't know how to finish the sentence. What happened to people after they were magicked was the topic of more stories than wargs. And every one was different.
KirayaTiDrekan
Adventurer
Seerah's reply was terse and held a touch of annoyance, "I healed him, nothing more."
"You healed Sialfi," Niraya said bitterly. "I turned into a monster. I don't understand how that makes us the same. People NEED you. You know things they don't, and you can mend in moments what would take days or more to heal...or that would get worse and kill someone."
More softly she went on to say, "Thank you for trying to help though, Seerah." After a pause Niraya added, "What about you, Tekai?"
More softly she went on to say, "Thank you for trying to help though, Seerah." After a pause Niraya added, "What about you, Tekai?"
Tekai looked at his feet and shuffled his weight around. He looked up and smiled shyly, and felt light headed about the whole situation. "Sometimes I wish I could turn into a monster. When Mother is yelling, or if there is a pack of wolves stealing my kill. Or, I could fly like an eagle to the tops of the trees. That would be great!" He grinned lopsidedly.
"As long as I could stay me. Flying like a bird is not worth being a bird."
"As long as I could stay me. Flying like a bird is not worth being a bird."
Piston Honda
First Post
Making sure everything around Sialfi is secure, Inguar retorts. "Don't believe I have ever heard of such a Nøkk, sounds frightening." Inguar chuckles as he climbs into the front of the cart and takes the reins. "Climb up, show me the way to your cave."
KirayaTiDrekan
Adventurer
Seerah takes another step toward Niraya, "You did help. You killed orcs. We all did. I with my magic and spear, Tekai with his weapons, you with...your spirit. I believe you are not a danger to us. You spoke to me while still in that form, recognized me. I do not believe you will hurt us."
She closed her eyes for a moment, looking inward, "And I will not let anyone hurt you."
She closed her eyes for a moment, looking inward, "And I will not let anyone hurt you."
Paradoxically, the hope that fluttered back to life in Niraya almost made things worse. She was so tired of it all right now. The despair, the moments of hope, the return of despair...now so much worse because of that brief time when it seemed like it might be all right. One or the other could be lived with. Swinging to and fro would drive her mad.
She got to her feet, slowly and heavily, as if wearing much more than the furs and jerkin she had on.
"Then you'd just suffer the same fate as me," Niraya said to Seerah wearily. "There's only one way to make sure we all stay safe, and that's if none of us tell anyone what happened here. I won't change again, and if no one tells anyone, then..."
Niraya trailed off uncertainly. It'd mean a return to a miserable status quo; one filled with uncertainty and fear...where anyone and everyone was a potential threat if she did even one little thing out of line. But it was what she knew, and it seemed the only way forward.
"...then it'll be all right," she concluded lamely.
She got to her feet, slowly and heavily, as if wearing much more than the furs and jerkin she had on.
"Then you'd just suffer the same fate as me," Niraya said to Seerah wearily. "There's only one way to make sure we all stay safe, and that's if none of us tell anyone what happened here. I won't change again, and if no one tells anyone, then..."
Niraya trailed off uncertainly. It'd mean a return to a miserable status quo; one filled with uncertainty and fear...where anyone and everyone was a potential threat if she did even one little thing out of line. But it was what she knew, and it seemed the only way forward.
"...then it'll be all right," she concluded lamely.
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