The Place Where Lost Things Go (Paragon)

[Norani]

Previously...
A loud scree was heard across the jungle island of Agst'rasera, followed by the most joyous of giggling. As Norani fell from the heavens, unconscious and untouchable by her magics and her companions, Ruvaf was swooping in, Vomi Vani upon his back. She had made a saddle of vines and flowers, and a streak of petals and pollen left a trail in the winds behind them as she laughed and whooped and hollered. Ruvaf raced down in his approaching arc, knowing inherently that doing so was faster than a straight line. As they came in close, Vomi Vani shot out a net of vines, catching the unconscious elementalist. Once she was entangled in the plants, there was a small poof as several flowers similar to the mature state of dandelions sprouted out, rapidly slowing Norani's descent, letting her float gently on the wind. The five companion elementals quickly caught up, worry still stricken upon their face, as Vomi released a calming and pleasant perfume into the air around them.

Soon, the entire squad floated down, landing just outside of Astrid's hut.


Many days later....

Norani woke, her entire body awash in pain, her body hot and aflame. She tried to open her eyes, finding them bandaged over. She tried to speak, her throat dry and parched, trying to say hello, but all that came out was a scratchy rasp. She tried to move her legs, her arms, but they must have been bound tight for some reason because they refused to respond. She wasn't even sure that she could feel them. She tried to reach into her aether and it felt like she'd grabbed a hot soup pot, sending her attempt back to her in pain. And then she faded back into nothingness once more.


Many more days later....

Timestamp: Frost 85, 122 following viewtopic.php?t=4481

Norani woke again. Her eyes slid open, heavier than stones, but they opened. She could see she was in her hut. She moved a little beneath the blanket of leaves, and with it came horrible fits of pain. It felt as if every muscle fiber had been torn. She pulled back a leaf, still burning warm, and she managed to croak out a, "Hello...? Astrid..?"

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

Leaning against one of the walls of the hut was not Astrid but an armored woman. She wore leathers in earth tones with matte metal plates protecting a few places across her form. Various belts had knives and daggers strapped to her. One such dagger was in her hand and she was slicing meat, chewing on the food thoughtfully.

“You’re awake.” The woman quirked her head. Her black hair was in a tight braid. Her ears came to a point and by the cast of her skin, she was a Siltori elf. “It’s about time.”

The woman ate another slice of meat.

“While you’ve been napping and prancing about with your friends, the world has continued to go to shit.” The woman spoke matter-of-factly. Grey eyes cast a glance at Norani. Calculating. Hard. Intelligent.

“Astrid is sick.” The woman took another slice of meat and chewed on it. “While you’ve been exploring your feelings she’s been holding back the rot that you should have already dealt with.”

Around the corner a large black furred tiger made an appearance. Blue stripes lined its fur, stripes that had an aethreal sheen to them. Vibrant electric blue eyes peered at Norani for a moment before the big cat nudged the woman’s hand. She fed the rest of the meat to the tiger.

“So, you ready to get up and be useful?” The Siltori fixed Norani with a cold and unsympathetic stare.

[Norani]

Norani looked over, seeing a warrior there. The elf spoke to her in an impatient tone as Norani pulled herself upright. While she didn't look Ecithian, for there weren't so many elves in this part of the south, she seemed to share some similarities in garb and appearance. Still, Norani found herself wondering just who this was. Must be a friend of Astrid's, no one else had come here in her time here, and Norani suspected that it was rare for visitors.

As the woman berated her for a lack of action on her part, Norani pulled back the blanket of flowers and vines, her naked form shining in the filtered sunlight. Her muscles weren't as strong or defined as many of her race, but she was still an Ecithian Orkhan and a warrior all the same. Her Runes brimmed and glowed with power, her citizenship marks detailing the lands she called home and the family-around-her. And over her heart, the lotus that burned more clearly now than it ever had before, placed by Seer Vuka over her bond with Yeva Bleu.

Norani strode over to the woman, the glint in her eyes turning sharp as her lightning struck in the darks of her pupils, as she locked eyes with this elven warrior. With her intention alone, Ooshi appeared, and Norani turned away from the woman, no longer acknowledging her. She crouched down, coming to eye level with the little wind elemental. She conjured some water, breathing it into Ooshi, turning her into a cloud, "Take that to Astrid for me, please. Give her my thanks. I'll be quick."

She stood back up, turning and looking skyward, knowing the great tree was above her. She closed her eyes, and reached out with her aether to that power, that force that she'd felt in her time here, that deep and impossibly old and big presence. It reached out, mingling with her own, as the roots of the World Tree wrapped around her. Leave sprouts, thorns grew, vines darkened and hardened. The roots pulled away, and Norani was in a warrior's armor of her own now, gifted by Agst'rasera, perfectly fitted to her lithe form, a flower blooming over that gifted by Yeva.

Norani opened her eyes once more, looking the woman in the eyes, "I am Norani Windwalker. Thank you for coming to our aid." She then turned toward the black tiger around the way, locking eyes with it, and bowing her head slightly, "Thank you for coming too."

Turning back to the elf, her eyes raging with lightning, as a storm began brewing over the entire island. There was no anger here, not for this woman's lack of etiquette or introduction. Norani of old may have been hurt by this, just as she'd been by those city orks when she first met Yeva. But she was reborn as Windwalker. She knew her missions in her heart of hearts, she had bonded with the elements, finding and bringing about balance alike. Still, she couldn't let her go entirely unanswered, as the air around them bristled heavily with lightning, threatening to explode the air around them. It surged through the Orkhan and she knew that she had bonded with it, absolutely and truly. She felt fast, incredibly fast and powerful. She was the Wind and the Fire, given direction and purpose. She was Lightning and it was time to end this.

A smirk grew in the corner of her mouth, "Yes, I am ready." Her energy bristled more, "Can you keep up?"

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

She watched Ooshi zip off to Astrid’s side without comment. The Siltori’s eyes remained steady, attentive and alert. When the elemental armor was revealed it received the slightest arching of a brow from the elf. Norani was taller than the woman so the elf had to crane her neck slightly when Norani drew nearer. Up close, there were scars upon the Siltori woman’s exposed skin. A fine latticework of cuts on the backs of her hands and at the base of her neck. Cuts that were so small that were Norani not as observant as she was, they would have been easy to overlook. But they were there when the light shifted. The tiger leaned forward to sniff at Norani curiously for a moment. The animal’s eyes were an electric blue with a slight violet at the edges. After sniffing at Norani for a few moments, the tiger then sat back quietly, its tail swishing back and forth.

“Huh.” The Siltori turned her head. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

Astrid was walking toward them quietly. Ooshi was perched lightly on one of her shoulders. Vomi Vani was in her arms, the flowery elemental was napping lightly, a few bees buzzing on her flowers. In Astrid’s shadow was a pair of curious eyes that peered at the group.

“I shouldn’t do a lot of things. Yet, here we are.” Astrid looked tired but there was a peaceful air about her. She came to stand just within arms reach of Norani. Vomi Vani’s light snores saw a few of the bees near her mouth sucked in and then blown back out.

“Are you going to introduce yourself?” Astrid’s head was turned to the Siltori woman.

“No.” The Siltori answered bluntly. Astrid simply stared at her. And kept staring at her. Finally the Siltori sighed. “Fine.”

The Siltori looked at Norani. Her expression was that of someone who was contemplating whether it was worth it to eat a food that might cause indigestion, a satisfying taste now with an explosive consequence later.

“Mirella. Just, Mirella.” The Siltori woman, Mirella, folded her arms over her chest. Astrid smiled and pet a few of Vomi Vani’s petals.

“Thank you, Mirie.” In response, Mirella grunted.

“Whatever.” Astrid gave a fond shake of her head.

“Are you ready to learn something magical, Norani?” Astrid’s ensuing smile had an air of excitement to it.

[Norani]

The elf woman came in closer, Norani noticing her scars, not trying to hide her observation. Orkhan were known for their curious and seeking eyes, habits from always reading one another's markings upon their bodies. To seek understanding that way was not rude in their culture. As she turned and spoke, Norani turned to look as well, and smiled broadly.

Astrid, Ooshi, and Vomi Vani were there, as was the little shadow elemental whose name Norani had not earned yet. Norani did not push Astrid to take it easy for her illness. She had long since that Astrid was resolute in her decisions, stemming back to when as a child, she chose imprisonment so as to fulfill a prophecy that would lead her and Norani meeting here at Agst'rasera. Norani watched the dynamic between the two other woman quietly, reminded of how two of her own mothers spoke to one another.

At the introduction, Norani nodded, "Well met, Mirella."

At Astrid's question though, Norani found her own excitement growing. Her entire time here had been magical and a world of learning. She did not try to contain the emotion, even in the face of the looming conflict that was to come. She nodded, about to speak, when a head peeked in from outside, 'Raaaawk.'

Norani looked past Astrid and saw Ruvaf there, ferrying several other little elementals upon his back. She stepped forward, pulling his beak against her torso, speaking to the elementals in the language that they now shared, "Hello little ones." She looked back over at the shy little shadow one, "And hello to you too."

Looking back at Astrid, "Yes, I am ready to learn, Astrid. What must I do?" The air around her grew charged with her anticipation, summoning clouds from out in the sea toward the electricity building in the air over the island. Norani felt powerful, felt whole, felt.. unbroken. The burning lotus upon her heart gave her the confidence that her love was out there somewhere and that she had the strength to reunite with her. The elements that she was reborn from allowed her to know, to absolutely know, that she was capable of completing this impossible task, and so much more.

And come out alive.

She smiled, nodding resolutely, as thunder cracked overhead.

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

Around Norani’s ankles the small elemental of light gave the Orkhan woman a gentle headbutt before hopping over to Astrid’s shadow. The eyes of the shadow elemental followed the light one before blinking slowly at Norani. Its attention then returned to the light elemental that was emitting soft musical chimes at it. Astrid watched them with a soft fondness.

“Did you know, Norani, that the God of Light and the God of Shadows are brothers?” Astrid looked in the direction of the Orkhan woman. Her eyes were still hidden behind the bandage but the intensity of her gaze was palpable.

“For Shadow so loved his brother, that he sacrificed himself to the darkness and ever since, Light has shone as brightly as possible in order to give Shadow hope.” Astrid gently set Vomi Vani on her feet as the flowery elemental stirred awake with a snort that sent the bees around her head buzzing. “Some say that the war between Light and Shadow is not a war at all, but a quest wherein one brother is always seeking to save the other either from themselves or the world that would destroy them. The innocence of Shadow became a seething rage that seeks vengeance for the atrocities committed in the Light’s name. The peaceful strength of Light’s protection became a righteous fury that burned away the injustices that take place Shadow’s name.”

Astrid knelt down, removing a bit of powder from one of the pouches on her hip as she did so. It was a glittering glassy dust that she began to pour in a circle around her.

“When I was a girl, I had a dream and in that dream I saw a road made of many other roads.” Astrid began intersecting various lines over the ground. A complex star with over a dozen points began to take shape within the circle that she was forming.

“Along that road, I saw Light and Shadow, Fire and Water, Earth and Air, Wood and Metal. All of the primal forces that comprise our world. They did not fight, but they reached for each other. They drew each other close. They yearned for one another, ebbing and flowing, joyful and sorrowful. Violent and peaceful.” Astrid finished making her ritual circle. She closed the pouch of dust then removed it from her hip to hand it to Norani.

“From that dream, the spirits taught me that our world sits at the crossroads between all of the forces that form the fabric of our daily lives.” She gestured to the colossal tree. “And the roots of Agst’rasera are embedded in the soil of all of them.”

Astrid clasped her hand over Norani’s, touching the pouch.

“This is Sorcerer’s Sand. It is made of dragonshards from all of the primal forces. Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, Light, Shadow, Order, Chaos, Blood and Aether. Attuned in balance with each other. You will need it every time you wish to use this technique I am showing you.” Astrid pointed to the ritual star circle she had made.

“Each point and the symbol within each point, represents one of the forces that I have just listed.” Astrid gestured vaguely to the world around them. “All of what you see is the culmination of those forces coming together and there exists within the make of our world, roads that can be traveled to lead you to the greatest concentration of that force anywhere on Ransera.”

Astrid took one of Norani’s hands and guided her toward the symbol and point that represented Air. Gently she urged the Orkhan woman to kneel and touch it.

“You need only attune yourself to the path and then…” Astrid began channeling her magic. A great crackling of supreme elemental force began flowing through her. For Norani, it would feel like she had been struck by that bolt of lightning all over again. All at once, the elemental forces around Astrid began singing in harmony with the witch that called out to them. Every single one of them flowed in perfect balance through Astrid as she lent her power to the work she was asking Norani to perform.

“...follow the road to home.” Astrid nodded to Norani. “Now, find the road home, Norani.”

[Norani]

Norani watched the little light and shadow elementals interacting. She did not yet know their names, did not yet know their elements personally. She smiled at them, knowing that she would get to know them, in time. She would get to know all of them.

At Astrid's question, she shook her head, "No, I didn't know that."

And she listened. And the more Astrid spoke, the more a troubling feeling within Norani grew. One she'd had ever since claiming her citizenship marks, ever since becoming a fledgling soldier of the Ecithian military. War. To kill Imperials indiscriminately, to take lives and ruin land and culture and everything all because some people said to do so. A quest of saving was a nicer sentiment than going to war.

And it resonated strongly within the Orkhan lass.

She watched as Astrid poured out the kaleidoscopic dust, and she listened. Elements reaching, holding one another close, seeking balance in one another. Just as the gods had done that she spoke of. Just as Norani had done with Yeva. Just as Norani had done with herself. Norani took the pouch of dust that was offered, looking up at the World Tree, still amazed that such a force could exist in this world.

She felt Astrid's comforting hand on her own.

A curt nod, Sorceror's Sand of twelve types, the twelve primal forces that constructed the world, it seemed. It was all so big, and yet Norani found herself understand. And appreciating. There was still so much to learn, and that excited her. But she knew her mission at hand, for the world, for Astrid, for the spirits and Ghoron, for Yeva, and for herself. She attributed all of this to memory, the precise shape, how Astrid poured the sand, the meaning she explained behind it all. A way to travel the elemental planes to anywhere in the world? Astounding, terrifying, powerful.

And Norani gave full trust in Astrid as she moved her hands. Air, Norani's first Arche and her closest of elements. She was a being made to fly, to feel the race of the breeze and the laughter of the winds of the worlds. Norani kneeled and touched the point, and began to Attune to the power of the winds. First from without, her aether reached far and wide, touching every wind, every spirit of the wind, blended or otherwise, and she called to them.

She pulled the attuned power from around them into herself, and focused into her hands, following the natural flow of this ritual. Astrid cracked with lightning, which raced through Norani's attuned form, and it burned and shocked and raced through her, but it was not painful. The elements do not harm Norani, they do not attack her.

They reach for her, and she reached back.

Grasping the lightning, that blending of her wind and the fire in her heart, she attuned herself with the point on the elemental compass, and with one destination in mind, the place she would call home was not Ounokt Nora, was not Drathera, was not the hut here on Agst'rasera. It was the tiny, ramshackle hut that she and Yeva had built. Home was where her heart was. Home was with Yeva. And she knew that she needed to go back there, for home was a sign, perhaps given by the same god that Yeva followed, The Unseeing Seer.

With a thundercrack, she disappeared from the mortal plane, a soft "Thank you," left on the winds behind her.

When she opened her eyes, she was in her Prescience form, her figure formed of the winds themselves, with lightning racing through her. She was floating, in between a world where winds raced, far more abundantly, loudly, and violently than allowable on the mortal plane, and a world where it was nothing but a raging inferno, a heat so powerful Norani wasn't sure her protection as an Elementalist would be enough. She looked down at where she hovered from, seeing one of Agst'rasera's great roots that touched onto all worlds, all parts of all worlds.

And she saw a bit of lightning race through it, dashing off in front of her, and she followed after it.

[Aegis]

REVIEW TIME

Norani - Note, I'm reviewing this on behalf of Paragon with his permission.


Loot:

Secret Elementalism Quirk - Planeswalker - Norani has been unlocked to ancient Elementalism ability to allow travel between the Elemental Planes, to allow for significantly reduced travel in the Mortal Plane following the roots of the World Tree, as well as providing access to the Elemental Planes themselves, including the Planes of Order, Chaos, and Blood. This ability requires a complex ritual to be drawn with the pouring of Sorcerer Sands from the 12 Dragonshards associated with the 9 Base Elements, Order, Chaos, and Blood. Norani must then attune with the runic drawing, and this will open a portal.


Injuries: None

Points: 15, may not be used for magic.

Comments: Will Norani ever be any good at elementalism?