Awakening

[Yeva]

Ash 65 722

Yeva stretched like a cat in the sun, a soft groan slipping from the back of her throat as she rolled over. The young woman yawned and rubbed at her eyes, vision adjusting to the details of the thatch ceiling. She had held grand plans of rising early, and had nearly succeeded. But with every attempt to push from her sleeping arrangements, her limbs felt heavier, her eyelids heavier still, and before she knew it, she was sinking back down into the abyss, as if pulled by an unknown string, and swept into a cluster of soon forgotten dreams.

She awoke again, much later, with a headache. Too much sleep. The woman winced, clutching her head. She could still see shadows dancing on the back of her eyelids, and she stumbled to her feet, staring at the room around her with a look of mild confusion. She knew where she was, and yet there was a sluggishness to her movements, as if having to slowly be reminded. She felt… off.

Thirsty?

Yeva licked her lips, mouth both sour and dry and soon found her water skin, half full, and drank heavily until she was breathless. She reached for her toiletry bag next, digging around for the tooth powder and brush, half wondering what she would do if she ran out while on the expedition - which felt likely, right? - proceeded to brush her teeth, but even after she rinsed, her mouth felt gritty. It was unlike her to be so drained. Usually, slumber slipped away like a cloak, and these actions felt comforting. Now, they felt rather mundane. Out of habit and necessity, Yeva continued anyway, finding a place to relieve herself, then to a little creek her and Norani had found, where she could undress and wash herself.

In the distance, she could still hear the sound of the beach, very faint voices calling out and talking to one another. A small civilization. There was the scent of a campfire still lingering on the wind. Behind was the great expanse of the unknown jungle, hidden by twisting limbs and vines, and from it, the strange calls of birds and monsters, calling out to her curiosity like a siren's song.

She never went alone.

It had certainly appealed to her, and more than once she had toed the line of the explored area and unknown danger, lingering on the precipice of an unseen wall. Here, at the waterway, she sat nude upon a smooth rock, hot from the rays of sun breaking through the branches as skin dried, and took the moment to listen, basking in the light, in the warmth. Sunlight illuminated her hair, turning the outer curls resplendent, like a crown of twisting gold.

Her headache still remained, and if anything, felt more oppressive. A pressure swelling in her skull, making room. She winced chest softly rising and falling as she tilted her head back and her vision filled with orange behind closed lids, meditating on the sensations around her. A soft breeze rustled the peaceful day, cooling her and sending goosebumps along her skin. She shivered, but kept her eyes closed, the waves of the ocean faint but still present. The water at her feet bubbled over pebbles, and moss. Orange replaced itself with inky purple; the warmth ceased and began to fade. Clouds in the sky, she acknowledged silently, imagining herself rooted to the earth, feeling the connection of self and environment.

And then a new sensation, a tickle that moved up her leg, starting at her knee, and creeping towards her core, her belly. It was no stray leaf or figment of her imagination. No loose hair that may have fallen to be swept away. Concentration broken, Yeva's eyes shot open, blinking as they adjusted to the shade. Murky shapes formed back into nature, the illuminous clearing was now overcast, shadows stretching longer to appear ominous and watchful. In her lap, the tickle climbed higher. Yeva froze. Making its way across her body was a black spider, its thorax fat and clear like a crystal ball, filled with an inky, shadow-y substance. It crawled forward, balanced on thin legs, sharp as onyx needles.

The hairs on her neck stood up, and she had to curl her toes to keep from moving. Stay calm. Don't show fear. Her breath turned shallow, as the warmth drained from her skin and the feeling of someone standing behind her made her shoulders lift towards her ears. She tried to look back, towards the trees, but the spider crawled faster, up and across her stomach, towards the valley beneath her breasts. With delicate care, she lifted a flat palm towards the spider, holding her breath as she made a platform for the creature to climb upon. It stilled, lifted its front two legs in warning and the two did not move.

Don't bite me. Don't bite me.

The feeling of being watched continued to press upon her bare back. She ignored it.

Reluctantly the spider lowered its legs and moved to her hand. She lowered, tilting her chin upwards to keep her hair from brushing against it, and gingerly transferred the creature to the ground, where it scurried under a rock. Relief flooded her as she sat up and turned back towards the creek. Her shadow was no longer there, overcast by the figure standing directly behind her.

Yeva jumped up with a gasp, spinning to face-

No one.

Her heart pounded louder still, spying nothing out of the ordinary within the clearing or the tree line.

The wind blew, the clouds shifted, and the sun poured upon her skin once more. She called softly for Norani, straining her ears to listen. There were too many signs in this place. What did spiders mean? Patience? Entrapment? Her skin continued to crawl, shaken by the encounter. Like a scared doe, Yeva snatched her clothes hanging from the tree and held them against her as she sprinted towards the beach, kicking up dirt and water as she ran, not caring that she was nude, or that others might see her. She ran, sensing danger, and threw herself back into their hut, but Norani had not returned.

She felt childish once back indoors and with one of Norani's chakram in hand, which was heavy and awkward in her grasp. She waited, once again listening, but all she heard were the cry of birds and water, and those that lived down the sands. Nothing had come to take her or eat her or kill her. Foolish girl, she reprimanded, trudging back to where the weapon had been sitting to return it. Yeva rubbed her eyes and massaged her temples. It was this damn headache. It wasn't making her think clearly.

Calm once more, she nibbled on some fruit that had been picked and retrieved her tarot deck. The clouds were restless and the signs had been too present to shake. Dressing once mores in her skirt and mid-drift top, she slipped from the hut and headed towards the place she had favored for meditation, cards and incense in hand.

The feeling of danger was gone now, the sun was bright once more. After arriving, Yeva took her seat and cleansed the space. She knocked the cards and shuffled them, with prayers and intention. Then, she began to read the fates.

[Aegis]

And as Yeva began to read the fates, another trembling as she stared at Fate fast approaching. The beautiful Orkhan woman, the demigoddess of Prophecy, Writing, and Compassion, a champion of her people many times over, stared with her pure white eyes at what was coming. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her hands were shaking as she muttered, “No..” into the celestial darkness of the Astral Sea.

And as Yeva would begin laying out the three cards for her next reading, she would feel a charge in them, an energy that wasn’t there normally. One that her grandmother had mentioned before in a manner that showed she wished to feel it once more. Senses in Yeva would begin opening up, she could feel threads of power tying the cards into a world beyond what she could see.

The first card fell.

Death.

Terminus, carnage, loss, passage, evolution.

The second card to fall though would be one that dropped from the deck, landing face up. It was not part of the normal deck at all, but as it landed, an unexpected breeze whooshed up from it, blowing back Yeva’s hair. It was the card that Yeva had asked Norani to make for her Oracle Deck to be. And Norani had toiled away at making it just right. It was done in Norani’s charcoal style, and was by no means an artistic masterpiece.

The Tempest.

It was a sketch of the storm that had come when Norani had found out about Juno and her family’s deception. But there was more to it than simply the pain and tumultuousness of that night. Norani had confided in Yeva everything that night, had fully opened up herself in her rage, her pain, her sorrow. But when she had given Yeva this card, she spoke of that night as the beginning of their new journey together, of the deepening of their friendship, how storms tear some apart but bring others together. It was one of the few times Norani seemed to be looking past her pain and fear and doubt.

And then the third card would fall. It had the same backside art as all of her other tarot cards, so Yeva would know that it was one of hers, but as she turned it over, there were artistic representations of the major or minor arcana. No.

The card she turned over was the purest and darkest depth of black.

As she would look on the card, a shadow would fall upon her. And when she looked up, she would see the Unseeing, the Fatescribe, the Rememberer, and so many other titles that belonged to the white eyed Orkhan woman that was smiling down at Yeva. Her eyes were looking directly at Yeva, and a name would flash through Yeva’s mind, something she would know, absolutely know.

Galetira.

A door had opened before Yeva, revealing the demigoddess standing in Yeva’s own space that had been gifted to her. She was dressed in simple robes of the Ecithian style, colored purple and gold, covered head to toe in tattoos that actively moved and changed before Yeva’s eyes. She was beautiful, smiling, but there was a sadness in her face, a tired look. The smell of an herbal tea wafted out, the very same Yeva would remember that her grandmother often made.

A green hand was offered by the proud Orkhan woman, “It’s time, Yeva Bleu.”

[Yeva]

It was difficult not to react when one pulled the death card. As Yeva sat, staring at its imagery, the messages and signs of intuition swirling in her mind, she fought the instinctual impulse to throw up her defenses. Her lips pressed tighter together and she focused. Death was a difficult lesson to learn, to understand. It could be painful, particularly if paired with the Tower, but death signified the end of a journey. An evolution, a chance to let go of reluctance that stagnated one's progression. It was to lose to gain. And like dying, it would come whether one was ready for it or not.

Yeva's hand hovered over her deck, feeling a weight, a draw, a power. Captivated and curious, the elven woman picked up the cards and cradled them.

At once the wind blew, raking its hand through her hair and pushing her curls back, a single card flying from the deck in her hands to fall to the stone before her. Eyes widening, she slammed her hands down to catch the cards before they were swept away, waiting for the wind to pass. Her pinky upon death, the other beneath her palm. A shock ran up her arm, her chest, her throat, eliciting a gasp from the mystic. Visions of storms and churning waters. Lightening. And then it was gone. Yeva pulled back, black dust coated her fingers and The Tempest stared back.

Something strange was happening. It was as if the world was watching. Reacting. Wind and water and-

Yeva's eyes flickered up, to the smoke that still lifted from the incense and curled to the sky. Then, to the gift Norani had crafted for her. She leaned close, studying its imagery. The power she felt was still present, but she needed more clarification. She didn't understand yet.

Brushing her fingers against the top of the deck, same deck her grandmother had painted, she turned the final card over to see...

Void.

There was nothing on the card but endless darkness, an inky black that ran border to border. Death, Tempest... she did not know its name, nor what to call it. It was infinite, it was a vacuum. And it was not something that had been there before.

"What is this?" she whispered, a flash of confusion and fear creeping into her expression as another shadow fell upon her. Yeva tensed, looking up to see-

"Galetira."

Her mouth dropped, eyes widened and she knew. She didn't know how. This was a far cry from the wizened old woman at the dock in Zaichaer, the one who had turned over the Wheel of Fortune. The one she had believed to be the first sign of her pilgrimage, the catalyst.

"Fortune is a funny thing", she had said, the strange catlike creature poised upon her shoulder, "But it seems that He has chosen to humor me today."

The wind had blown, the final words being spoken by the old woman, "Follow your fortune."

That day Yeva had been led to a door, the very one the goddess stood before now. She looked at the hand offered to her, speechless. It was time.

All the signs. Was this what they were pointing to?

Yeva hurried to gather her cards, grabbing Galtiera's hand as she was drawn to her feet. She paused, wanting to say goodbye to Norani, to find a way to tell her friend what was happening, but she could not keep a goddess waiting. She glanced back at the lone incense still burning, vowing to explain everything once she return. She was going to be a Seer! Smiling up at the Orkhan woman, Yeva followed her into the Unknown, drawn in by the smell of pleasant memories.

It was time.

[Aegis]

With a gentle touch, Galetira pulled Yeva and into the floating doorway into her parlor, the door shutting behind them both, severing any trace that none perhaps the most astute of mages and demigods could hope to find. After all, the Astral Sea, while not her domain, was a place that Galetira was more in tune with than likely any other.

Save maybe that pair.

Once inside, Yeva would find that her parlor, which still very much was hers, appeared to be coming alive, in a way. She would feel a welcoming warmth, an unseen embrace. And the space certainly welcomed Galetira, for she had made it, but she had made it for Yeva. A pillow crawled itself over and Galetira slowly lowered herself to it. Her body still looked strong, like so many of the Orkhan kind that Yeva had come to know, but her movements were that of a woman far older than she appeared.

A little table shuffled over, a few tea cups and saucers dancing upon its surface, as a porcelain kettle finally arrived, jumping upon the table, the feeing of a chuckle despite no actual sound. The kettle poured out an herbal tea into the cups, the scent of which Yeva would recall being a favorite of her grandmother’s.

Galetira smiled, “Your grandmother made this tea for me once, many years ago.”

A cushion presented itself for Yeva as well. Galetira’s features were soft and pleasant, as she poured a little bit of honey into her cup, stirring softly. She looked at Yeva with her pale, all white eyes, her most well known feature. The Unseeing Seer being blind was no secret, but it had not always been that way.

“As I said, it is time, Yeva Bleu. I know that you have been warned and informed of some of what being a Seer means, but one can never truly know before they choose. That is the world we walk in, a world of unknowns and mysteries. So it is a choice of yours, one that will greatly alter your Destiny and that of so many others.”

She smiled softly, sipping at the tea, “I think your grandmother made it better, but it still takes me back.”

Setting the cup back into the saucer, “But if you’re ready to become a Seer, to carry my Emblem, and to join me in my purpose upon this world, then you’re ready. You’ve done what so many in this world, your grandmother included, fail to do. For your whole life, you’ve followed the signs, both those the world provides on its own and those I’ve placed around you. You’ve helped to ease the Suffering of others, and you’ve shown to care patiently about those around you.”

As Galetira looked at Yeva, her world would go white. Then Yeva would see the dozens, hundreds of little trials that life and Galetira had laid out in Yeva’s life. Each one showed when Yeva was listening, paying attention, trying, caring, loving, and sharing the burdens of the world. When it came to current, the world returned back to Yeva’s vision.

“But before you choose, you might wish to ask me anything. If I am able to give you an answer, I shall do so. Here, time doesn’t flow in the same way, so we have as long as you need.”

[Yeva]

Ash 65 722

The first time she had met the room, it had held the essence of a forgotten storehouse, a lone workshop tucked away in Zaichaer. Cogs and gears scattered on the floor, unused and forgotten. An old wood burning stove stained with soot was pressed against the wall, and a laboratory with equipment darkened with a thin layer of refuse. Her boots had left small indentations on the old floor, and Yeva had spent the initial arrival clutching her cards, tiptoeing around the space, expecting another to show up and accurse her of trespassing. There had been a feeling of sanctuary, of peace. But there had also been a quiet, an absolute presence that had felt observant. Curious, but cautious.

"Hello?" Yeva walked around the table, leaning over it to observe the mortar and pestle left discarded on the table. There was still crushed herbs cradled in its bowl, as if it set down with the intention of returning, and yet cobwebs laced across its mouth, "Is... anyone here?" she tilted her head, reservations lessening as she wandered to the tinctures and unlabeled glass bottles tucked along the wall. Alchemical reagents.

Yeva absently shuffled the cards in her hand into a single deck and tucked them into the small pouch at her hip, spying a tea pot hanging from a hook on the wall. On its face was the same indention of the cat's eye that marked the front of the door, and with both hands, Yeva lifted it from its place and used her thumb to swipe away the grim. A sense of deja vu swept over her and she stared at the distorted reflection of herself for some time before her feet continued onward. A whiff of herbal tea replaced the stale scent of the room for a brief moment and the young woman lifted its lid, half expecting to find tea sitting inside it, yet it remained empty. Images twisted in her mind and she felt her heart clench at a memory of her grandmother and then the smell vanished.

She hugged the kettle to her chest, cradling it like a babe as she continued her exploration. Tilting her head back, there was a loft visible from where she stood, higher than she would have expected and hardly cramped. The ceilings were tall, and a small stairway with bookshelves tucked beneath its steps lead to its balcony. The bannister was coated with dust, but along the wall was a thick mattress draped in handsewn quilts, the fabric embroidered with tiny flowers, elves, mushrooms, constellations. Yeva smiled, crouching down to admire its detailing, and all the lush pillows of various shapes and sizes beckoned her closer. Even from where she stood, the elf saw nothing but comfort. A large, circular skylight, domed outward and lined with stain glass stories, revealed the clouds and cast a warm glow on the bedding, and no doubt would be a delightful view on a clear night or thunderstorm.

Signs of life were certainly in the room, but none so recent as to set off alarm. Yeva glanced around, setting the teacup on a low table that could be used for eating, and climbed upon the cushions, shaking out the blankets as she collapsed upon them with a mischievous smile. It was hard not to squirm, to feel as if she might be trespassing, but as the scent of dust faded into that of her grandmother's perfume, she inhaled and closed her eyes, unable to fight the magic of the room. It willed her to relax, to be. Honey eyes half lidded, Yeva rolled on her stomach, her curls spreading outward and tucked her arms beneath her pillow, scanning the room from where she lay. A basin for water, sat against the wall. It could have been for washing, but the ornate silver of it whispered scrying. More signs of fortune telling and divination were abound. Mirrors on the wall, never facing the other, one covered with a silk cloth circled various parts of the room. Sticks of white sage. An abalone shell. An collection of dried plants, bundled in twine and hung above the bed to ward off evil.

It felt like home, and had it not been for the sheer concern she was possibly lying in a stranger's bed, Yeva finally left when her nerves got the best of her. But she knew as she made her way down the stairs and spied the Seer's ball and her own tarot card on the table, beside which laid a key. She was meant to find this place. This would be her sanctuary.

---

Stepping through the door, Yeva blinked at all the sudden sensations. The room she had found in Zaichaer was alive, and it was eager. Different in many ways than her first visit, it felt as if it had finally awoken in the presence of the goddess, the tea cups wiggling, the fire burning. She gasped, having felt the watchful presence in her first arrival, but now it was if there was a celebration. She could feel the energy, no longer soothing and sleepy, but like an eager child coming in for a hug.

Yeva laughed in disbelief as pillows moved forward to greet them and the tea pot began to pour two servings, "Your grandmother made this tea for me once, many years ago.”

Her eyes lifted to look at the smiling Orkan woman, "She did?"

It felt almost like a dream, being here with, seeing these wonders. Yeva had studied and practiced for years, certainly not as long as many others, but it was a passion that might soon be realized. This was it. She would be able to return back to Norani a Seer. How proud she would be! Yeva beamed at the thought... All those that had supported her over the years, she would finally ensure their sacrifices had not been in vain. They would be happy, and the thought made her giddy as well.

She sat, listening eagerly.

"As I said, it is time, Yeva Bleu. I know that you have been warned and informed of some of what being a Seer means, but one can never truly know before they choose. That is the world we walk in, a world of unknowns and mysteries. So it is a choice of yours, one that will greatly alter your Destiny and that of so many others.”

She nodded seriously, her expression breaking back into a grin when Galtiera added, "I think your grandmother made it better, but it still takes me back.”

Yeva looked down at her cup, inhaling its scent and took a long drink. She was reminded both of her childhood, and also of her vision in the chieftain's tent, both bringing a tear to her eye. Still, she smiled, so thankful. So humbled.

As Galtiera talked, the room melted into a world of white, and endless expanse, moments of her own history playing out before her very eyes. Many she recognized as conscious decisions, others were surprising, memories along forgotten that had been instinctual, led by intuition rather than learned knowledge. Yeva had always known she had studied hard, but in this moment, she understood just how far her skill exceeded. Even before she understood, she knew. There was humility in these acknowledgements, but there was also satisfaction.

She was ready.

She could feel it in her bones.

Yeva took another drink, sitting straight in careful regard. There were many things she wanted to ask, but even after the current world returned, Yeva remained silent. She thought carefully, "I have many questions," she started truthfully, feeling the heat of the tea though the cup, "The first-" she paused again, scooting forward on her cushion, "I have learned many things, but I understand there is still much I will come to understand in time. But, I must ask, is there... is there a lesson I need to learn more than any other? I mean... You must know me."

In Ecith, Seers were thought to know everything, either sooner or later, "Given who I am, do you believe there is an area in my life that I should focus on, that maybe I struggle with, that I should learn to embrace or... approach differently? The orkan have many tenets, and, I often wonder where to start..." she knew what she wanted to ask, but not quite sure how to go about it, "If there is an area I am weak in, I should aim to improve it."

"I want to be a Seer," this she said confidently, displaying Hytori resolve, "But I wish to be the best Seer I can be."

"And, the second," Yeva tried not to list off too many of her questions, "I have heard so much about sacrifice, and loss when this path is chosen," she swallowed, a tinge of fear catching her throat, "I know I must not be selfish, and that by choosing this path, I am being gifted something greater than myself... I... Is it possible... to..." she felt her face warming, but she pushed her shoulders back and spoke clearly, "Can a Seer also love another? Or... will it always end in sorrow?"

[Aegis]

Galetira listened closely as Yeva shared how she felt and what she wished to know. The goddess was proud of her Seer-to-be, she was truly growing into her own woman, following the tenets she’d pledged herself to. And was seeking guidance in a way she might not have once before.

The Unseeing Seer thought deeply, sipping at her tea.

The goddess had seen many of Yeva’s own potential destinies and knew that the words she spoke now could greatly influence the elf’s life. And she knew that if she spoke errantly, it could bring great suffering down upon the woman and the rest of the world.

And Galetira picked her words, in a way to answer both of Yeva’s questions.

“‘Can a Seer love another?’”

It wasn’t a mockery, and soon Yeva’s world went white, Galetira’s vision taking over once more. Yeva and Galetira both would still be seated upon their cushions, next to a lake surrounded by mushrooms as tall as the buildings of Zaichaer. And across the way were two Orkhan woman, around Yeva’s age, laughing and chasing after one another. One was in long, flowing Ecithian robes, her hair braided in the same way as Galetira’s own, a smile upon her face, her eyes a deep amethyst. Chasing after her was a taller woman, softer in her features, blue of skin, green of eyes, wearing little to hide her feminine form, a wooden flute bouncing off her hip, singing a soft song in an older form of the Ecitharese Yeva knew.

“She was my first love, and love her to this day I still do. While I learned what it meant to be the First Seer, she was there with a song, a laugh, a touch, to pull my spirits out of the Suffering we must wade through.”

The world flashed white and a new scene settled. The younger, purple eyed Galetira was walking along a cosmic river of stars, stopping to touch a light and a memory opened up that she peeked in. She was humming a song and smiling as she went. Then she paused, seeing a light not far from her, one that was growing and coming closer. It swallowed entire swirling galaxies and thousands upon thousands of stars and memories. And Galetira, arm trembling reached out and touched it, opening it like any other memory.

The Astral Sea was pierced by the sound of her pained screaming and everything went white once more.

This was followed by Galetira running through the same Astral Sea, her breathing ragged, panic clutching her. There were monstrous sounds in the dark, and she was clutching a hand over her mouth to contain her screams.

Then a small song, the same song before, leaked into the Astral Sea. Galetira paused, hearing it. She then chased toward the source. As she ran, the sounds of combat and monstrous screams of pain in the dark behind her echoed and grew distant.

The next scene was Galetira clutching her knees sobbing in the corner of a small hut. Her friend, the woman from before, was kneeling next to her, “Leti… please say something. You cannot hold it inside. It’s been days.” Galetira looked up, her face furious and pained, her eyes blank and white now, “Go away Ren!”

Galetira and this woman Rem and a large, broad chested and brown skinned Ork were standing upon the peak of Drathera mountain. As far as the eye could see, there was fire and wild chaotic magic, and a swirling vortex of magic was racing toward the mountain from the Crystal Sea. Galetira reached over, taking Ren’s hand, “Thank you for never giving up on me, Syren.”

Syren looked over at Galetira, “You never gave up on us either.” Then the Bard cast her face forward and she began to sing that same song, one of love and embrace, one of community and acceptance. A power flowed between the three friends, forming a kaleidoscopic aurora around them and Drathera and was growing drastically, illuminating the many Orkhan in a panic on the mountain and jungle floor below. The blast struck the shield, sending waves of chaotic and wild magic splashing off for miles in all directions.

Syren and Galetira both fell to their knees in pain, and the man was straining to remain upright by sheer physical will. His weight shifted, and he cast the loving eyes of a friend at theme “It’s up to you two now.” Galetira quickly saw his path of Destiny having made up his mind, “Raxen, no!”

The man smiled, then turned, leaping off the mountain, his great sword drawn backwards behind him. The aurora shield shattered and the blast burst through, and Raxen swung his sword to meet it.

The world flashed white once more and Yeva and Galetira were back in the present once more. “My advice to you would be to love as strongly, as often and as many people as you can. Suffering breeds strength, this is true, but so does love. The work we do is because we work so that love may grow, so that the strength of the world can be built upon it rather than suffering.”

Galetira reached out to grasp Yeva’s hand, “A life without love is no life at all.” A soft smile, “And that includes loving yourself as well.”

A soft squeeze of her hand was given. The door to the room opened once more, spilling out into the river of stars and galaxies from the visions shared. “And if you’re ready, shall we venture into the Astral Sea? I take all Seers there the first time to witness the next Fate before giving my emblem to them.”

[Yeva]

Galetira responded to her question with an intimate sharing, a glimpse into a the life of the goddess herself. Two women, young and Orkhan, chased each other. The first wore flowing robes that jumped and swayed as she ran, the other, less modest in dress, raced after her with strong legs and a beaming smile. Yeva shifted closer to the vision, surprised in some sense, but also intrigued. There were details that struck cords of familiarity within her, and Yeva scooted closer to the vision, trying to recapture the feeling for herself. Yeva smiled suddenly at the song, her fingers touching her own face, confused by her own reaction. Something about it...

Had she heard this tune before?

Faintly, barely more than a breath, Yeva tried to mimic the tune, but every few notes, her memory faded or her knowledge was lacking. She thought she knew the words, could recall their lilt, but the sound snagged and she mismatched with the song hummed in the memory, and like a child catching fireflies, she tried to grab at it, only for the sound to slip between her fingers. The words were older than anything she recognized, and so she silenced, eagerly watching the young Galetira sweep through the galaxies, reaching out in hesitation to touch a bright orb of light.

Stars recoiled around them, fleeing. A flash of light boomed outward and Yeva winced, blinded by the mix of light and dark, color and void. A raw scream clutched her heart. The sound echoed in her mind, so pure and loud, Yeva was unsure for a moment if she had started screaming too. But as her vision returned and she was plunged into another memory, the young elf saw it was the history of Galetira, curled in the corner of a hut, while her lover hoped to inspire a connection.

Go away, Ren!

When she blinked, three individuals stood atop the mountain, overlooking a scene of destruction. There was a peace among them, an absolution, and the two women fell after their power expended, the man, a hulking figure lifted his sword and looked at his companions with a warmth that sealed Yeva's understanding. His body language was decided. His fist tightened around his sword, and Yeva's eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do. Fear replaced panic, and she nearly rose from where she watched the memory, feeling as if she was there, "No! Don't!"

The memory of Galetira looked up, seeing without vision, “Raxen, no!”

He leapt from the mountain, swinging his sword and met its foe. Yeva sat, dumfounded. Raxen. Syren. Galetira. This would be the first of memory history lessons she may witness, Yeva realized. When she finally looked back to her mentor, she sat with the goddess in the present time.

“My advice to you would be to love as strongly, as often and as many people as you can. Suffering breeds strength, this is true, but so does love. The work we do is because we work so that love may grow, so that the strength of the world can be built upon it rather than suffering," Galetira's hand was large and warm as it took her own, “A life without love is no life at all. And that includes loving yourself as well.”

Yeva sat silently, meditating on all that she had witnessed. On the loyalty of Syren and the commitment of Raxen. Of the wisdom of the goddess that wished to share her emblem with her. And when she met Galetira's endless gaze, she felt an overwhelming rush of emotion. Yeva set aside her tea with one hand, and held Galetira's with the other. The door opened, revealing the flowing river of stars and galaxies she was beginning to recognize.

"And if you’re ready, shall we venture into the Astral Sea? I take all Seers there the first time to witness the next Fate before giving my emblem to them.”

The next Fate.

Yeva could feel the Astral Sea, the mouth of the door waiting. But she first rose to throw her arms around the goddess and buried her face in the elder's neck. How was it that a blind woman saw her so clearly? That was the power of Galetira. Of Seers. There would be sacrifice, but there would be love. Love for others, and for herself, "I will do my very best," she vowed, hugging Galetira, as if this could be her first act, "For as long as I live, I swear it."

When she pulled back, there was confidence in her eyes. Love was perhaps one of her greatest strengths and resilience would come. Yeva's eyes had grown misty, but she did not cry. Instead she rose, offering to help the elder should she need it, "Thank you," she added, picking up her tea to finish it off and set it eagerly on the table. She pet the animated teacup with affection and ran towards the door, waiting for her guide, "I am ready. More than I've ever been before."

She felt alive, that this was her newest beginnings. Her rebirth. The tarot 0. The Fool's Journey.

[Aegis]

As Yeva embraced Galetira, the goddess embraced her back. She poured her own love for Yeva into this moment, for she had been following Yeva’s life since she’d been born. In her own mind, she was a mother to Yeva, just as much as Yeva’s true mother was. As much of a mother as her grandmother was.

And Yeva would need the strength to make it through what was coming next.

“I know you will, Yeva Bleu,” and she gave one last little squeeze. Galetira saw the confidence blossom in the young Seer’s eyes. Good. She had led the woman into the right path of Destiny. At Yeva’s proffered arm, Galetira took it gratefully, bringing herself upright.

At her words, “Then let’s start your new path.”

Galetira gently guided Yeva, her arm tucked into Yeva’s own, leaning lightly onto the young woman. Galetira took a deep breath before entering the doorway, a habit from when she had first learned to do so all those millennia ago.

As they stepped through, the first thing to be noticed was a sense of nothingness. There was no feeling of weight or gravity, no feeling of air, no smells lingering, nothing that felt like the mortal world they had departed. All around them were infinitely more stars, some distant, some close, some were planets, others simple rocks, in all directions. There was no ground beneath their feet, no point in which to come back to. And the portal they’d come through was gone. They seemed to be floating without floating in this vast, celestial world.

“When you become a Seer, you will come into this place, this Astral Sea with a spiritual body. This leaves your physical body behind, and mingles your own power with mine to bring you here. You’re experiencing the Sea now as you would when you would be Divining. Always come here with a Purpose, something which you’re looking to Divine, this will help you to find your way, and your way back. Coming here to simply explore and wander will result in your mind being lost in here forever.”

Galetira flourished her free hand, and a river of starlight and aurora flowed into existence before them. Looking into the river, Yeva would be able to see constellations of stars, connecting to each other, breaking off from one another, and some never touching at all.

“This is the River of Time, through which all Destinies flow. Destinies are the paths that come from choices mortals make. Each choice you make forms a new branch, and each choice you didn’t make also forms a branch.” Galetira stepped down into the River, pulling Yeva gently with her. As the Time raced by, Yeva could feel it, but in a way that could only be described as having acquired a new sense that no one else has. Galetira reached into the flow, gently plucking where two celestial paths met.

She touched it and Yeva would find herself entering a memory of her own. It was in that bar in Drathera, when Yeva’s legs were burning from those stairs, finding a table with a sleeping Orkhan lass upon it. She could look upon her older self, when her body was a bit softer, not as trained by living the Ecithian lifestyle, her skin was a bit more pale, her clothing more conservative, her skin unmarked. “This is when your destinies crossed.”

Galetira released them from the memory, returning to the demonstration in the river. She pointed at a previous junction, “This is the path your life would have gone if you had chosen to stay in Zaichaer.” Then she pointed at Norani’s “And this is where Norani decided not to join the Ecithian military.”

Galetira looked over at Yeva, “There are millions of choices we all make and will not know what could have happened. This fear of the unknown causes much emotional suffering in many people. Paralysis at having to make decisions, shying away from them and people altogether.”

Galetira touched a glowing point on the path not taken by Yeva, leading them into another memory, a memory that never was and never would be.

There was a great crack tearing open in the sky of Zaichaer. Chaotic light was shooting out of it in terrible and threatening shards of lightning. The sky behind it grew dark. From her spot on the rooftop of the Gobbler, Yeva could see fires all through the Knob and West End, while she was safe behind the glowing blue shield that was the tavern. A hand wrapped around her waist, in a way that only a lover can do, as the bartender she’d come to know slipped in close to her. “That mad goblin did it. He actually went into that terrible scar.” All around them on the roof were those who worked at the Gobbler, choosing to not get on the escape ship flown by the great Captain Vanessa, choosing to stay and fight for their home.

Then the scene ended.

“The road never traveled can be dangerous and addictive but you can learn much from it.”

Galetira waved a hand and the River dropped down beneath them, so that Yeva could see how it flowed through the universe. “Now I will show you the next Fate. Fate is an incredibly rare event, despite what many mortals seem to think. Where Destiny is built of choices, Fate is carved into stone. When a Fate is formed, all Destinies will lead to it,” she gently glided them over the river, as they approached a point where the river seemed to disappear into an empty void of darkness. The River of Time flowed through it but all the constellations of the choices of mortals stopped with it. “And new destinies will form after it is finished. In my memory of this place, that piercing light that robbed me of my sight, that was the Fate of the Sundering that nearly destroyed the mortal world and all people in it. Fates are powerful and cannot be ignored. But they are hard to see, even for me. It can be like staring into the sun. And the closer it gets, the harder it is to understand.”

She squeezed her grip on Yeva’s arm just a bit, to give some comfort, “We use this power to ease the Suffering in the lives of as many people we can. People wish to be happier, healthier, stronger, more free, more loved, and to understand their world, and themselves bet—“

Galetira stopped the gentle gliding toward the next Fate. The darkness was moving up the River of Time toward the pair. It was coming upon them quickly, the River of Time having twisted to encapsulate them both once more. Galetira reached out with her free arm, seizing control of a large ball of light, a star of some sort, and pulled it down into the River with them. The Dark Fate swallowed it up with ease.

Galetira squeezed Yeva in close, her free hand now glowing with a moving eyeball painted in the palm, moving to place the Emblem upon Yeva’s chest.

But the darkness swallowed them both up before her hand landed upon that freckled skin. All around Yeva was true nothingness. No light. No sound. She couldn’t feel if Galetira was holding onto her arm or had let go, she couldn’t tell up or down, nor would she be able to tell if she was still breathing or even moving. Just absolute nothingness.

Then a bright glowing light appeared.

A ball of silver light formed, and inside of it, a great dragon, purple in scale, white of eyes. Galetira’s true divine form, which Yeva would inherently know. And around the sphere of light, shadowy claws of darkness scraping against it, leaving deep grooves. A ball of light formed around Yeva now too, and she would be able to see claws and fangs and talons and hands of every imaginable and horrible type trying to reach her within her shield too.

Galetira’s draconic head looked over at Yeva, “Follow your love.” She opened her maws, and breathed galaxies and stars and the milky whiteness of the universe in the sky at Yeva. It sent her with her little ball of light punching through the darkness. And in her tumbling jettison, Yeva would be able to see a claw breach through Galetira’s shield, stabbing into her chest, but no scream could be heard.

Yeva’s ball launched out of the darkness, returning to the River of Time and the Astral Sea once more. She was flung from the orb, and she went hurtling into the River below. She would be able to see the orb, now visible as an Eye, falling into the river downstream, touching a star there and disappearing into that memory. Upstream, the Dark Fate flowed onward, consuming every Destiny it came in contact with.

Yeva was now in the river of time and that feeling from before while with Galetira was now intensified a thousand fold. There was no gentle gliding or walking through this. The currents pulled and twisted her, throwing her this way and that, she had no control over where it sent her. No control except for the ability to reach out and touch a star.

[Yeva]

T I M E L E S S

Like a young child imitating her mother, Yeva took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway and into a sense of liberation she had never felt before. In the expanse of nothingness, Yeva was freed from her body and its limitations, floating in a space of cosmic beauty. She flailed at first, adjusting to the absence of ground or weight, a baby bird learning to fly among the stars. Her grip on Galetira's arm tightened, but it was the rich voice of the dragon goddess that stilled the woman's surprise.

"When you become a Seer, you will come into this place, this Astral Sea with a spiritual body. This leaves your physical body behind, and mingles your own power with mine to bring you here..."

Galetira was allowing her into this space, and one day she would be conduit for the such power. The thought was humbling and she looked up at the face of the orkan woman with holy reverence, "Always come here with a Purpose, something which you’re looking to Divine, this will help you to find your way, and your way back. Coming here to simply explore and wander will result in your mind being lost in here forever.”

Invaluable information. Yeva nodded. She knew her purpose on this day.

Before her, a river of stars was called forth by Galetira and her lesson continued. A dozen constellations, interconnected by strands of starlight. Galetira plucked them liked cords of music, knowing precisely what each one was, or could have been. This is where she met Norani.

Thrown into a memory of her own, she felt the emotions, the embarrassment. The dread, the doubt. And then the curiosity, the hesitant relief of friendship. She saw herself, in a sense she could not explain. As if she lived the scene and yet observed it. She had been so pale, so clumsy. Her gaze had been avoidant, skittish, and yet it had been Norani who had awoken from her dream and taken the foreigner under her wing with no hesitation. Norani had claimed her as a friend, and so began their journey.

Yeva flowed down into the river after Galetira, pulled through the branches of her life and those around her. Norani and the military. Her own had she stayed in Zaichaer. Galetira spoke of the unknown; of emotional suffering. Galetira's hand reached out and she plucked another strand between her fingers.

Yeva stood beneath an apocalyptic sky, chaotic powers crackling above a blue shield that protected her. Fires were alit in the distance, burning grey stone buildings were burning all over the city, while black clouds curled into the blacker sky. A hand slid around her waist, a mouth pressed against the hallow of her ear. She could feel the lover's breath, smell the tinge of spirits and smoke, "That mad goblin did it. He actually went into that terrible scar.”

Around them were others, standing, crouching or sitting upon the roof, staring out at the same scene, each holding an expression of determination. Of war.

The figure beside her came into her peripheral vision. Close. Intimate. They were a comfort to the other, and her feelings rose within her chest. Every complexity this moment entailed.

And then it was gone. Yeva was back in the Astral Sea, shaken at how real it had all been. Questions formed on her lips. What had happened to Zaichaer? Mad goblin? Who? Franky? What had happened? How? Who-?

She searched for the same thread Galetira had plucked, opening her mouth to speak but the goddess knew the minds of mortals, especially of one she had chosen, "The road never traveled can be dangerous and addictive but you can learn much from it.”

Not quite reprimanded, but feeling abashed all the same, they dropped deeper into the river, towards the next fate. Galetira's words comforted her, and with this knowledge, she knew it would be her chance to bring comfort to others. When Galetira stopped speaking, Yeva looked forward, at a swirling darkness that devoured towards them. Tendrils of concern laced her words, "What is that?"

The goddess did not answer, acting quickly. She snatched a star, a ball of light to fuse her powers with, as threads of shadow began to darken the stars. For the first time since arriving in the Sea, Yeva felt the cold kiss of fear, feeling the urgency in which she was pulled close. The star burned in radiant silver, brought close to her skin.

And then there was nothing.

She floated in a blanket of nonexistence. Space without stars, or light, or time. She could not hear. There was no touch, no reassuring embrace from her guide. Her voice was lost, her vision gone. Did she exist?

Was this death?

A ball of light. Beacon of hope. Encapsulated within it was the true form of Galetira, a purple dragon. Monstrous shadows clawed at the sphere, desperate evil scratching deep grooves. A shield of power protected her and she recoiled as horrible monstrosities, claws and fangs, pincers, tentacles, and teeth, "Galetira!" she screamed, her voice shrill and panicked.

The dragon turned her head, breathing out a million stars to sweep her protégée away from this battle. Follow your love. Yeva screamed in fear, then in horror as she witnessed history, "NOOOO!"

A clashing of power erupted as Galetira's shield was broken. The token of the eye tumbled, twinkling as it disappeared into a memory.

She spun and tumbled into the racing of time, forward, backward. There was no control, no ease of floating or guided flight. She had been torn, knocking in every direction, disoriented and desperate. She screamed, unable to cry, unable to understand.

Yeva snatched outwards, trying to catch herself, to stop. And as the mystic's fingers touched her first star, she felt as if she shattered into a million pieces.

Her new path had begun.

[Aegis]

Yeva's world flashed white as she disappeared into the memory that she touched. Just as it had been with the memories she'd stepped into with Galetira, she was simply an observer in this one. However, without Galetira, without the Emblem of the Seer, the memories were truly no different than tumbling through the River of Time. Yeva might be stuck in this memory for what would feel like ages, she might stumble out into another in mere moments. She was now lost in the clutches of the Astral Sea. She would not age, she would not have biological needs while here, she would not sleep, she would not tire, she would not dream.

She was lost, but she was not stuck.

She was not the first to be lost in the Astral Sea, and it was very likely she was not the last. The Astral Sea had claimed many over the course of the eras of mortals, those who sought to explore beyond their realms. Without the flow of time tethered to them, it was hard to say for how long they wandered. Many, though they felt no physical tiring, found a mental and emotional fatigue from wandering this place, and chose to take their own lives. Some went insane, falling in love with people who could not see them in memories, only to lose their minds when they inevitably were torn away to another memory. And others still... some were hunted, chased, and consumed by those that did live a life in the Astral Sea. These creatures, if such a word was appropriate to them, did not bother Galetira or those who bore her mark, for she had reigned as the mightiest of the beasts that same in these celestial waters. To touch a hair upon the head of a Seer was to invite the wrath of the Dragon of the Astral Sea, a dragon with white eyes that could see all, a dragon whose breath burned with the fury of ten thousand stars.

But no mortal without the Mark of the Seer had ever escaped the Astral Sea.


Meanwhile...

The darkness that had overwhelmed Galetira, that had pierced her chest with its claw was gone now, the Fate having come to pass. The great dragon hung limply, how innate powers keeping her from tumbling about in the River of Time. Upon her chest, a black and veiny splotch, her draconic head stirring. Her white eyes opened, and she slowly and painfully righted her orientation. She cast her all seeing gaze along the River of Time, seeing where Yeva had landed, seeing where the Eye had landed. She saw the new Paths of Destiny forming and stitching themselves anew. Her heart broke as she saw path after path coming to an end, the lives of those attached snuffed out after this Fate.

Galetira resumed her mortal seeming, looking down at Yeva within the memory, knowing the Seer-to-be was lost, alone, and powerless, her face hanging sadly.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Yeva Fatebreaker."

Galetira turned, opening a doorway back to Drathera, a smile growing upon her face. As the light of her temple streamed in on her, she looked through it, her left eye white, her right eye black.

"Time to get to work."

!

Message from: Aegis

Yeva is now officially lost in the Astral Sea. As stated above, she will not experience the passage of time, she will not have biological needs while in the Sea. She has no control of where she goes as she traverses from memory to memory. We've spoken about the rules of using memories and such of other PCs and how Yeva's time in the Astral Sea will function. Being a new experience for any PC, we may end up making adjustments to process and rules while Yeva is here, to make for an enjoyable experience for any who use the Astral Sea, Seer or not. Anytime you finish a thread in the Astral Sea, ping me and I'll review it personally.[ Enjoy, and feel free to continue that memory above at your leisure in a new thread.