Okee, I finished that long ass chapter of the story, and also added a short description of Enko's appearance to the front. Here it is if you're interested in seeing it. Please comment.
[sblock]Enko has short dark brown hair. He is of about average height and build, and has darkly tanned skin thanks to his constant traveling. He is quite handsome, and has a soothing presence that helps when he is treating the sick and injured.
Enko was born with the mark of the Blackfrond fern. Living in Cuirlen, he often travels to the outlying farms and hamlets to check on people. Coming across as somewhat timid, Enko actually has an aversion to conflict rather than a fear of pain or punishment. A compassionate young man, some have thought that his kind heart could easily lead him into trouble.
Enko's mother is a spirit talker, while his father and grandmother are hunters. Additionally, Enko has a (four years) younger sister and an aunt who manages the small stretch of land behind their hut for domesticated herbs. Enko has yet to build himself his own house or begin courting to start his own family.
When he was three years old Enko wandered into the Noonshadow. No one is quite sure how he survived, but they found him sleeping at its edge thirteen days later. After much discussion his survival was attributed to the strange spirits of the forest. In any case, the even caused Enko’s parents to become somewhat overprotective of him for a long time afterwards.
Three years ago, Ceryan, a boy Enko had often played with as a child was exiled from the village. Since his parent’s deaths, Ceryan had turned his back on the spirits against the command of the tribal elders. Despite his obviously fragile temperament, the decision was made to exile the boy rather than allow him to anger the spirits of the hunt and bring down their anger upon the entire village. He gave no excuse, leaving quietly, though as Enko watched him run into the forest he saw the tears in his eyes.
Deciding to follow his childhood friend, Enko made his way into the Noonshadow. Aiding an exile was forbidden, but the boy had been his friend, and though they had grown apart over the years Enko simply could not help himself. As he passed the first tree he found to his surprise that the place was not quite sodark and foreboding as his parents had made it out to be when he was a child. Most likely his parents had merely been exaggerating the dangers to scare him away. Enko sighed as he looked around for traces of the other boy's passing.
“What are you doing here?” called an angry voice to his left.
He turned to see Ceryan sitting hunched against the trunk of a nearby tree.
“I…” Enko started to reply, but trailed off as no words came to him.
“What do you want… Blackfrond boy? You’re a spirit talker. What are you doing here?”
“I’m… I just....” Enko stuttered
“They’ve thrown me to the wolves!” The boy shouted in return, his voice breaking.
“I don’t… no. Why would you not respect the spirits? You knew what would happen.”
The boy glared at him.
“Spirits!? What spirits!? The spirits my mother and father honored every day without fail until the day they were killed!? The spirits let them die!”
“No!” Enko shouted. “They did not abandon them!”
“Then why are they dead!?”
“They-….” Enko once again trailed off. The boy put his head down on his knees and started weeping quietly. It was clear that he did not even intend to try to survive. He had given up on everything.
“The spirits… they cannot always protect everyone. And that beast was a monster. Perhaps that beast’s spirit was stronger than the one protecting your parents… I… That monster is to blame for their deaths, but they have been avenged… You should be at peace.” The young man looked up, his eyes still wet.
“Wait here, I’m going to get you some food and a branch for a spear.”
“I can-“ Ceryan shouted, but Enko had already left. He returned quickly, hauling a sturdy tree branch with a freshly sharpened end and holding his shirt so that it formed a basket full of berries and mushrooms.
“These are the safe kind. You can tell because of the black rings on the trunk and the slits on the top. Don’t eat any other fungus. The only berries you have to watch out for are the bright red ones that shine in the darkness, and the green ones. The green ones aren’t ripe yet. Therefore the moon spirit shall protect you by showing you the bad berries. The pine spirit shall protect you from wolves, and the spirits of these berries and fungus shall protect you from starvation.” Ceryan stared up at him.
“Why are you…” now it was his turn to trail off.
“For the safety of everyone, those that do not respect the spirits, and incur their wrath, must be exiled… But I… I won’t let you die like this… No one deserves to die like this!” Ceryan did not reply, he simply sat there with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Don’t go too far into the woods, make a fire. I’ll try to come back tomorrow if I can.” Enko said, turning to leave. He knew that Ceryan already would have done those things. Everyone else seemed afraid of the forest. He didn’t know why, the only really dangerous things he’d ever seemnin here were wolves, and they usually avoided humans.
He carefully returned to town, and somehow made it back without being spotted, or so he thought. As he came around a building he nearly slammed into a girl who seemed to have been waiting for him, for she immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying in a quiet but urgent voice.
“You, you’re Enko Blackfrond! You followed him didn’t you?”
“I…” Enko said, a feeling of familiarity coming over him.
“I saw you! Did you find him? Is he alright?” She continued without even giving him a chance to answer.
“Eh… yeah, he’s fine… just, unwell in spirit. He blamed the spirits for his parent’s deaths, so he abandoned them… but I think he might understand now. Um, I know you…”
“I am… Eleinya…” The girl said, now that he wasn’t worried that she was going to pound on him or expose what he’d done he got a chance to look at her. She was dressed in mostly leather clothes, so perhaps she was a hunter. Like Ceryan’s parents… She had long brown hair that was tied back out of her eyes in a horse tail fashion, and she had a pretty, freckled face with dark brown eyes that bore same red marks around them as Ceryan’s, meaning she had been crying recently. Eleinya continued speaking.
“You… said he understood… does that mean he can come back?” She asked him hopefully.
“I don’t know… It’s up to the elders… but… I’ll try to convince them. Maybe because I am an apprentice spirit talker they will listen, but… well I’m only an apprentice.” As her face started to fall he quickly repeated, “But I’ll try!”
The next day he snuck out again to check on Ceryan, as he approached the point where he had left him the day before he found him kneeling over a dead wolf looking distraught.
“Ceryan, is something the matter?” the other boy quickly looked up at the sound, fear evident in his eyes and voice.
“I- this wolf came at me from out of nowhere, I barely had time to reach my spear. It did not fear my fire, and look at it; it is far too healthy to need to hunt one of us.” Enko looked down at the wolf and saw that it had indeed been a healthy creature. Aside from the fatal wound in its side, it had no apparent injuries, and it looked like it had not lacked sustenance.
“This must be a trial by the spirits! By slaying this wolf you may have earned some repentance.”
Ceryan shook his head. “Or perhaps it was merely their first attempt to punish me for my betrayal…”
Enko shook his head more vigorously. “No! You have shown your remorse, even as you spoke just now. You must not lose hope, if not for your own sake, then for the sake of one who loves you. Don’t let Eleinya mourn your death.”
Ceryan looked up at him in surprise.
“Eleinya!? You have spoken to her? How is she?” Enko smiled at Ceryan’s reaction, so there was indeed someone living who he truly cared about.
“She is fine, except that she worries for you. I believe that she hopes to see you again. Don’t you feel the same?”
Ceryan seemed taken aback by the question and quickly answered.
“Of course I do! But how am I supposed to do that? I am an Exile. My fate is to die out here.”
“Don’t say that. This wolf was a trial, please trust me. You must work hard to gain forgiveness and survive, and I will get the council to pardon you.” He left Ceryan to think over his words as he returned to town, carrying several bunches of herbs that he had collected, as the supposed reason he had gone to the forest in the first place.
On his return he again met Eleinya, and he related to her what he had seen of Ceryan and what they had spoken of. Seeing the hope and joy in her eyes strengthened his resolve and he told her that he would speak with the council that very day. Together they went to plead Ceryan’s case, pleading his case to the council members from Eleinya’s perspective and saying the he was surely repentant now. Enko told them that he had seen Ceryan performing a hunting ritual over a dead wolf while he was collecting herbs in the forest, which while not the entire truth, was in fact entirely true. In the end it was decided by the council that under one condition would Ceryan be allowed to return.
“It is most interesting that you have chosen to champion this boy’s cause. He is not much older than you, and he has taken to camping in the Noonshadow forest, that once spared you as a child. Because of this, it has been decided that he may return to us as well if he can survive within the forest for thirteen days, starting from the day he was exiled.”
Neither Enko nor Eleinya were exactly ecstatic about this decision. Enko himself had trouble believing the story of his supposed abduction and return by the spirits of the forest. He had never encountered one since, after all. He told Eleinya that he would return to the forest tomorrow to tell Ceryan of the council’s decision, but she told him that she would go instead. Enko agreed, it would do Ceryan good to see her, and his parents did not like him going into the forest.
The days passed, and every day either Enko or Eleinya went into the forest to visit Ceryan. They learned that he had slain several more creatures that had attacked him without provocation, though now they approached him openly, plainly showing their aggression as if they were challenging him. Enko read this as a sure sign that he was being tested, and encouraged him to continue fighting, paying respects to the spirits, and using the meat from the creatures that attacked him for sustenance.
By the twelfth day Ceryan would have been nearly unrecognizable to anyone other than Enko and Eleinya. He had grown a surprising amount of facial hair, and the hair on his head had grown as well. He wore the skins of the animals that had been part of his trial as a sign of respect, and as protection from the claws of those that were to come, wearing the head of the wolf upon his own. He had also gained many wounds, but thanks to Enko’s birthmark, which Enko had taught him how to use, they had quickly become little more than scars. He wore each as a reminder of his folly, and what repentance was worth to him.
Enko came to him that day, reminding him that in only one day he could return. They both felt joyous on this occasion and even more so when Eleinya came and joined them. In fact, they lost track of just how long they had been there, they only noticed when the forest began to visibly darken. Ceryan looked around suddenly, looking worried.
“You must both leave now!” he said urgently. “The trial beast will come at any time now. I do not know what will happen if you are here when it arrives. You must hurry.”
The two of them were reluctant to leave him alone to whatever danger he would face, but he was insistent, and the urgency in his voice eventually convinced them. They turned to leave after bidding him farewell until the morning, and had only walked few paces when they hurt a sound that shook them both to the bone. The sound was akin to that of an angry bear, at least this is what Eleinya knew, but no bear could be this loud. They spun around and the land thing Enko heard was Eleinya’s yell of shock as something collided with him and everything went black.
He awoke to the sound of chirping birds in the dim morning light. For a moment he kept his eyes shut, feeling perfectly at peace. Then he felt the pain, it was in his left arm, mostly, he tried to move his arm, and the pain became considerably worse. His eyes shot open as the pain brought back memory, and with memory came fear. He looked around him and he saw to his right a massive creature, just, lying there. He had to find Ceryan and Eleinya, and make sure they were alright.
He tried to get up, but the pain shot through his arm again and he looked over at it. It did not look damaged aside from some small scrapes he could see as his sleeve had been pushed up, presumably when he was thrown, but he realized that along with the pain, there was a strange feeling in his shoulder. He tilted his head to look at it and became somewhat queasy, it was clear that the shoulder was broken, or at least dislocated.
Quickly he reached over with his right hand and concentrated hard. This was one of the most powerful forms of healing he had been taught, the ability to heal wounds with nothing more than the power of the spirits. In a matter of seconds, his arm was as good as new. It fact the pain he had felt all over his body was also gone. He felt as if he had just woken from a night’s sleep… which he actually had. He stood up and looked around, remembering the others. His eyes quickly locked onto Eleinya’s prostrate form.
She was lying face down on the ground; her hair had come loose and was splayed in every direction. Enko rushed to her side, to check her for wounds, and a few became immediately apparent. There were several puncture wounds on her back that appeared to be from sharp teeth, and part of her skirt had been torn away, revealing a long gash down her leg that looked like it was made by a large claw. He dropped down next to her and franticly checked for signs of life.
“Thank the spirits…” he muttered as he felt shallow breathes coming from her slightly open mouth, he was too relieved to consider which one in particular he should be thanking. Judging from the wounds on her back, she had been grabbed in the mouth of that massive beast. Enko carefully turned her onto her back, and found tooth marks there as well. Wounds like this were very dangerous. If they were deep enough they would not heal normally.
He once again channeled the pure healing energy of the spirits, this time into Eleinya’s body, and the wounds on her chest and back quickly healed. She gasped and regained consciousness, immediately wincing in pain. She looked around, saw him, and immediately yelled.
“Ceryan!?” He looked around him. “He must be around here. We need to look. Just let me heal your leg.” Enko channeled the healing energy once more, and the wound on Eleinya’s leg shrunk to a scratch. Enko suddenly felt strange, as if he had lost something.
It was not a horribly unpleasant feeling, but it was strange. Also, it was strange that the wound had not fully healed. He stood up looked around again.
“Um, come on. We need to find Ceryan.” Eleinya nodded, and he gave her a hand up. They walked towards the beast very carefully, and when she reached it they split to walk around either side of it. Enko soon realized that it was a bear. At least it would be a bear if not for its immense size and the strange boney protrusions sticking out of its fur at points. He made his way around to the other side and saw a sight that made his stomach jump nearly into his throat.
“Cer…” without even thinking to finish he rushed forward and fell onto his knees beside Ceryan. His right eye was nowhere to be seen, there was nothing left but an empty socket, and the res of him was not much better off. He had terrible wounds all over his body and both his legs looked broken.
“Ceryan…” Enko muttered, finding to his relief that he was breathing, though his breaths were ragged and weak. He once again channeled the healing energy of the spirits through his body into another person… but nothing came. He stared at his hands in disbelief, now when he needed it most, the power had somehow left him. He sat there speechless. Eleinya came around the other side of the beast and spotted them. She cried out Ceryan’s name and rushed to his side. Ceryan began to stir.
“Heal him!” Eleinya yelled urgently at Enko, as he continued staring blankly at his hands. “I- I can’t. It’s not working.”
“What do you mean!? Well then we have to take him back to town and get another healer!”
“N-no, his wounds are too grave, we cannot move him or he’ll surely die.”
“Well then, hurry! Go!” Enko started to rise, but then Ceryan let out a groan, and muttered.
“Eleinya?”
“Ceryan! Yes it’s me!” She replies, staring down at his face.
“I can’t… really… See you… Is Enko alright?”
“Yes, he’s fine. You saved us both.”
“Is… he here” “Yes, he’s just about to go get help.”
“Wait… I… need to… tell him…” Enko leaned in close to Ceryan and muttered. “I’m here.”
“G- good… Listen… I- *cough* need to thank… you… You’re the reason… I lived this… long out here.”
“Do not start saying goodbye, you shouldn’t try to speak! Just conserve your strength, I’ll get back soon, and you’ll be fine! You’ll see!”
“Enko…” Ceryan muttered, but Enko was already running back to town.
He ran all the way, the sun rising quickly in the sky. One of his neighbors saw him as they left their house and came running. “Enko! What are you doing out here? Your parents thought you had been taken again! Thank the spirits you’re alright! Eleinya is missing too. They think she may have gone to search for Ceryan.”
“She was with me!” Enko blurted once he finally caught his breath. “I was collecting herbs, and a beast attacked us. Luckily Ceryan was near and he saved us, but he is badly hurt!”
“Well… that is what happens to Exiles…” Said the man grimly. “You should go to your parents… but, where is Eleinya?”
“She’s with Ceryan. She would not leave him. Listen, forget about my parents, I need a healer! Ceryan is hurt!”
“Well yes, that is what ha-“
“NO! Listen to me! Ceryan was to be given pardon and allowed to return if he survived to this day! I think that beast was some sort of trial, only our presence interfered and forced him to expose himself to protect us! I must get a healer who is stronger than me, and who is not my mother!” Enko was starting to become desperate now. He did not have time for idle chatter of this sort. He tried to move past the man.
“Enko, where are you going? There is no need to be rude.” The man muttered indignantly as Enko raced away. He started heading for Lykourgos’ home. If anyone could save Ceryan it would be him. Enko rounded the corner of a house at full tilt and collided headlong with someone he did not even have time to notice, falling to the ground on top of them as they let out a cry of pain and surprise that was echoed by one of his own.
“Ow!”
“Ow!”
Enko’s vision cleared and he realized whom he had collided with, and was now laying on top of. By some bizarre twist of fate it was Artemisia, a girl, or rather woman, three years his elder, and in his opinion the most beautiful in Cuirlen, as well as a skilled hunter, though somewhat inexperienced. “Ub…” He exclaimed, as he scrambled aside and accidentally brushed her chest in the process. “Guh…” He muttered, turning bright red as he seemed nearly paralyzed in embarrassment. Not only was his friend dying, he was making an imbecile of himself in front of the most beautiful woman in the town.
“Enko? Is that you? What are you doing? Ow… Are you alright?” Artemisia stood up, looking concerned. “Don’t tell me you’re all worked up about running me down like that. It’s no big deal, really, I’m fine.” She reached out a hand to him to help him up.
“Ceryan… hurt… Lykourgos!” He finally managed to stutter. He jumped up without taking her hand and ran past her, blushing profusely as he cursed himself for wasting even more time. He finally made it to Lykourgos’ home and knocked frantically on the door.
“Lykourgos! Please open up! It’s urgent!” After a moment he heard noises of stirring inside.
“What? Who’s that? Hold on I’m coming!” Lykourgos’ wife, Penthisilea opened the door, looking like she had just gotten out of bed. “Oh, Enko, whatever’s the matter?” She turned back inside. “Sweety! It’s Enko, I think you had better hurry.”
Enko heard Lykourgos reply and after a moment the one eyed healer appeared at the door as well “So what’s the matter kid?”
Enko took a deep breath and started talking; “Ceryan was supposed to be allowed to return if he survived until today and he did but last night Eleinya and I were attacked by a great beast when I was collecting and herbs in the forest and he came to save us, only he’s badly hurt now and I couldn’t heal him!” He took another deep breath and said, urgently, “He needs help badly!”
Both Lykourgos and Penthisilea stared at him silently for several seconds, in shock. Finally Lykourgos spoke, “Alright, come in and help me get my herbs.”
Enko hurried inside and a few minutes later they had collected all the needed herbs. Enko hurried to the door, flung it open and started to barge through, only to run headlong into someone who had just been about to knock on the door. Thankfully no one fell down this time. “Sorry!” Enko shouted as he quickly bent down to collect some of the things that had fallen from his arms due to the collision.
“Enko… we have got to stop running into each other like this.” Said a familiar voice. Enko looked up to see Artemisia looking at him with both amusement and concern in her voice. “I thought you could-“
“I- I’m sorry Artemisia, but we need to hurry, a life depends on it!” Enko said, hurrying past her, his way was blocked again by a pair of horses.
“Yes.” Said Artemisia, calmly. “I figured that out, so I borrowed these horses for you and Lykourgos. I figured they might help.”
Enko whirled around, trying not to drop any of the pouches he was carrying. “Ar- Uh… Thank you…”
Pentisilea came up with a basket and handed it to Enko, who dropped the pouches in it. Then he and Lykourgos mounted the horses and sped off towards the forest.
They arrived in considerably less time than it had taken Enko to get back to town, and Enko started leading Lykourgos to the right spot, just beyond the edge of the forest, where light still filtered in sufficiently to see fairly well. There they found the massive beast, as well as Eleinya, crouched next to Ceryan, who lay in the exactly the same place Enko had left them. Enko’s heart sank and his stomach churned as he saw her sitting with her face buried in Ceryan’s chest. Something was wrong. As they approached and dismounted he noticed just how still Ceryan seemed to be. His face was turned away from them, so he could not see the empty eye socket. “E- Eleinya?” Enko called out softly.
She looked up at the sound of his voice, her eyes were red, though whether that was just because of tears or because if the blood on her face from all of Ceryan’s wounds, he could not say. “He’s dead.” She said, emptily. “You’re too late…” She put her head down again and Enko could hear her crying.
To this, day Enko is unsure exactly why he did what he did, but at that moment something in him snapped and he was overwhelmed by some urgent fear. Without thinking about it he scrambled back onto his horse and fled, riding all the way back to town. He stayed home for several days after that, not daring to go outside for fear of meeting with Eleinya. He couldn’t bear to see her after failing as he had. Eventually he was able to leave his home again, and he returned to doing what he knew, collecting herbs, and healing. He continued however to avoid Eleinya, feeling that it would pain her to see him, and remember why Ceryan had died.
This point in Enko’s life served to strengthen his resolve as a healer considerably, and is the main reason that he works so hard to this day. He has dedicated himself to making sure that nothing like this happens to anyone else ever again. This is one reason he started traveling to the outlying farms and hamlets, both to help those in need of his aid as a healer and also to make certain that no one ever again makes to mistake of angering the spirits and becoming an exile.
[/sblock]
Dang wolves just aren't as friendly/conniving on this world! Do we have domestic cats to deal with pests? (I know we wouldn't view them as pets, but they'd be useful to have about)
I am still excited for this game and going back and looking at the posts it seems that several players are making this setting more "real", which is fine by me. Things have to make sense. I just hope Zurai doesn't loose track of the thread and the plans in the reality debate. I may not post after this, but don't take it from a lack of attention on my part, I'll just wait to add to the world after I'm in 
.
