Drop Off (Yeva)

[Norani]

Ash 25, 122

Norani was already topside when the spotters saw land and called it out. While her room was comfortable, and brought her some peace while she was in it, she greatly preferred to be in the open air, under the sun. She had been listening to these ocean winds. These ones sounded different than those back home. These traveled far and wide, and only stayed over the oceans. They were less excitable than those in her village. They sounded relaxed, enjoying the journey over the water, happy to meet the Duck and push her sails.

It was about midday when they came upon the great cliffs, taller even than the tree back home in Ounokt Nora, though not as much so as Drathera. Ruvaf was circling the ship excitedly, wanting to go explore the cliffs. But now, Norani knew, that unknown territory was dangerous territory. And she had to protect Ruvaf and Yeva. That was her primary purpose here. Protect her family. She let out a shrill whistle, calling Ruvaf back to the ship, watching as he returned, alighting upon one of the mast beams.

Norani stood up at the nose of the ship, in her usual attire, sketching the great cliffs as they approached. She found the stark, straight lines of the cliffs a pleasing contrast to the gentle curves of the water at their base. She could see many a seabird flying around them, a nesting area perhaps. She practiced trying to smudge the charcoal a bit where the waves crashed on the rocks, blurring the distant most cliffs, while trying to do sharper, cleaner lines for the closer waves.

She looked up regularly, trying to find Yeva, knowing that her friend would love to see this. It wasn't long for the entire deck to begin filling up, expanding and growing as people came topside. Norani, still concerned that she hadn't seen Yeva yet, reached out with her aether, touching the winds. A question was asked, a description of Yeva given, predominately focused on her great mane of curly red hair. The winds seemed to chuckle, and they sought out Yeva. They teased at her curls, at her skirt, in a way that defied how the other winds around the ship were blowing, gently trying to blow her in the direction of Norani.

[Yeva]

For all her misgivings about the Captain's intentions and the Duck's supossed affliction, Yeva had found a great sense of peace as a kept woman, tucked away in the magic garden and lush cave that allowed her a moment's reprieve. She had thought her days of travel would have been riddled with doubt, fear, or a great deal of conflicting emotions while she struggled to adapt to a life at sea, but it was not so. There was a quiet here, a space that felt more hers than Norani's, not at all like when she had traveled to Ecith after aircraft. Yeva, as much as she appreciated all that her friend had given her and was yet still willing to give, hadn't realized just how much she favored these times of sanctuary.

"You will be well again," she whispered, leaning forward on her knees to press her forehead to the grass, palms laid flat against the earth. She listened, with her ears and with her mind. There was a hope of connection, of memory. The feelings of the vision that had been shared with her the day of her recruitment still weighed heavily on her. The young woman had meditated regularly since, alone, seeking more answers in a way that she wasn't sure the others would understand.

She stayed there for sometime, to give the Duck its chance to answer, when she finally sighed and leaned back. Secrets would continue to remain hidden. Yeva plucked up a few strands of grass, rolling them between her fingers. A green residue stained her fingers. She decided it would be better to experience the feeling of real land, of sunshine and wind. Her room was a beautiful paradise, but like the mask the captain wore, she couldn't be so sure of its presentation. After all, the Duck was either cursed or diseased.

With a final whisper of goodbye, Yeva stood up, a small ache in her legs from where she had been bowed forward for so long, and the mystic took the chance to stretch. Her green and white dress settled around her shins and she moved, barefoot, towards the door, where she slipped outside and meandered towards the deck, guided by the smell of sea salt and cacophony of other passengers.

When sunlight kissed the crown of her head, she caught glimpse of the clear skies before her curly hair began to whip around her face, tousled the the kiss of wind. The sudden breeze surprised her and the mystic struggled to move out of the way, trying to see among the flailing coils.

She bumped into one or two people, offering instant apologies while one hand pressed down on the front of her skirt to keep the wind from lifting it up, while her other tried to push back her mane in an effort to navigate better.

"Norani!" she called, spying the orc with a book in her hand. It was not so surprising to see her friend had enjoyed the open expanse of the deck, but it was good fortune to find one another in the excitement of land spotted. Perfect timing, "It won't be long now," she tried to look for the land herself, wondering just how far they still had to go, "Have you been up here all morning?"

[Norani]

Norani looked up as her name was called, in the voice that brought a smile to her face, carried on by the helpful winds. Norani turned from her spot, journal in hand, as Yeva approached, and the Orkhan dismissed the playfully teasing winds. The green and white dress that graced Yeva's form drew in Norani's gaze, growing her smile further. Her dear friend was always a picture of beauty, regardless of when and where she was.

She gently closed the journal, sliding it into the leather pouch that hung from the leather straps that wrapped around her waist. "Yeva!" Without fail, Norani found her spirits lifted by her friend, as they always were. In their shared Ecithian tongue, for there were others around, "Yes. I heard the voices of the winds change this morning. I came up here to listen to them. The winds are different when land meets water."

Norani used her larger form to open up space at the railing for Yeva, crowding out one of the human sailors. The cliffs were coming in closer now, their greys differentiating themselves from the waters and growing more massive by the minute. There were squawks from overhead, and she cast her eyes upward, seeing large white birds. She reached out to the winds once more, sending a question on them up to the birds. As the little bit of wind reached them, she felt the wind get rebuked by tightly swirling winds around the birds. It felt familiar. It was like the night the storm hit her village, and she wrapped winds around Yeva to protect her on the climb. That was.. strange, and her face twisted in studious confusion.

Was someone protecting these birds with winds as she once had for Yeva?

She severed the connection, shaking the look off of her face, as the ship began cutting a direct course toward the cliffs. The spotters called out that they'd found an opening in the cliffs and the Duck was now picking up speed toward it. She was bouncing heavily as she cut over the top of the waves. Norani was used to Yeva sleeping in later than herself, it was an interesting trait that Norani found endearing. A knowing grin, "Did you sleep well?" The deck was nearly full and Norani found herself surprised at just how many people had been on the Duck. It appeared to be hundreds.

Her grin drooped to a frown. So many cursed people. She had to take this seriously. She didn't know how her and Yeva were going to save them all, but they absolutely had to do so. And she needed to keep Yeva safe all through this adventure into the unknown. She didn't feel the need to fill the quiet with chattering, there was already so much of it going around through the crew as the ship came in close to the cliffs. They were so terribly tall and sheer and foreboding, and the Duck clipped around a seemingly invisible corner in the rockface.

A beautiful, pristine bay opened up before them, a horseshoe shaped beach with pristine white sands, sloping up to the tops of the cliffs that seemingly protected it. The sands gently sloped upward a ways, ending at a tree line of mangroves at the peak. They had arrived, and Norani's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open a bit. She opened her journal, flipping through pages of sketches and words, finding a blank one. And she began to try and capture this beautiful view with her charcoal. It was messy, imperfect, rushed, but she followed her instincts as she went.

She was so focused in her drawing, she failed to notice Captain Kynne cutting through the crowd, making his way toward the prow, a mischievous gleam in his eye and a curl in his grin.

[Yeva]

Seeing Norani make space for her, Yeva grinned and slid into place, pulling herself against the railing and tilted her head back with a deep inhale. It smelled of salt and sweat, growing stronger as more bodies emerged upon the deck. When Norani looked upwards at the sky, Yeva looked peered into the waves, how they crashed against the side of the ship and sputtered sea foam in gurgled greeting. In the distance, the jutting shape of land reached towards them; and dark stone stretched upwards and curved inward, unseen. Her eyes strained as she stared at the distant monolith of journey's end (or beginning), at the way the stone cracked and formed.

It felt...

Ancient, she thought, surprised. Yeva lifted a hand.

There were no signs so easily deciphered as to foretell how the upcoming days would unfold that she could see. The weather was sunny and bright. Palm facing outward, she was still, opening her mouth to ask a question when Norani beat her to the punch.

'Do you feel that?'

"Did you sleep well?"

"Hm?"

She lowered her hand, turning to face the orc, "Yes... and no," Yeva scanned the growing crowd, voice faltering as the realization of the sheer amount of passengers began. The ship could carry so many with ease? No once had she felt cramped. How was that possible? Yeva continued to answer, "I did at first," she explained, looking a little guilty, "Then I started dreaming again." Strange imagery had filled her slumber, not all pleasant, much of which she couldn't remember upon waking, except that it held an importance that left her mourning when she attempted to write it down and find her mind reset to take on the day. Whether good or bad, these visions had begun stealing more and more of Yeva's rest, leaving her sleeping in to make up for the lost peace.

As if reminded, Yeva's body released a yawn.

The ship was pulling closer to the cliffs and with widened eyes, Yeva watched in awe as they sailed forward and into a hidden cove. White sands and tall mangrove trees lined the coast and one by one, dark masses appeared on land. Norani had begun hurrying to open her book and begin to dry, while strange dark shapes grabbed her attention "What the-" She gripped the Duck's railing, spying a traveller's chest, a knapsack... Was that a coin purse? Belongings blinked into existence, and Yeva squinted, stiffening when the voice of the Captain pierced the cacophony of talking passengers and silenced those around with promise of information.

"We have arrived," he announced, pausing only for a beat, "Well, let's get on with it."

No ceremony, no need to make more fuss. No more things seemed to be showing up on shore. She was finished.

"The Duck has delivered your trunks to the beach."

Yeva looked to Norani.

And then the railing was gone, suspended in the air. Yeva began to fall as Kynne's voice shouted, "See you in a year."

Surprise stole her breath and she flailed, screaming as she fell towards the water and slammed into its surface with a loud smacking sound. Her fall was neither graceful, nor becoming for young woman of such beauty. Pain bloomed across her chest, stinging exposed skin, and the mystic was stunned only for a moment before she began kicking and clawing towards air. Not a strong swimmer, but aware of the basics, Yeva managed to break through the gentle waves with a loud gasping sound, eyes stinging and vision obscured by the red hair the cling to her face and neck like red tentacles. Others popped up around the cove, and she searched for Norani and the shore.

When there was no immediate threat, Yeva worked her way towards shore with water logged ears. She spat out a mouthful ocean water, finally collapsing on a dune of hot grit. Her chest heaved and her dress clung to her like a second skin while she caught her breath and her senses.

"Are you alright?"

Once the sudden shock, fear, and immediate need for survival passed, Yeva sat up. She hadn't known real danger yet. In the water, no one seemed in immediate need of aid. There was no doubt that Norani would have saved her, just as she had in the storm, should she have required it to get to land.

Yeva lifted a hand to shield her face from the sun, taking inventory of her immediate surroundings. She was breathless and sore, "...Ow."

[Norani]

Norani nodded and listened as her friend spoke of being visited by dreams once more. Norani wondered if this was more common for Yeva than she had initially believed. Was it common in Sky Readers like her? Was it why Yeva slept in so much later than everyone else?

Norani smiled and scootched slightly closer to Yeva, elbows touching. She continued to watch and sketch, occasionally sneaking a sidelong glance at her beautifully sleepy friend. She loved seeing Yeva in the sunshine, the rays made her hair glow like fire, and her skin, now colored by the sun in Ecith radiated. She was stunning in her beauty, and Norani felt that familiar tightness in her throat, before she ripped her eyes away to study their destination.

Norani saw the chests appear on the beach, by a magic she did not know, and tilted her head a bit in confusion. Norani managed to look over, to see Yeva’s eyes seeking her own. Then the world disappeared from beneath her feet, and Norani immediately knew that they were falling. She knew that feeling well as part of the Ci’uvan brigade in Ecith.

Her training kicked in.

She instantly took a quick glance downward. Water. She ripped aether from her rune as fast as she could, taking control of the water immediately beneath her and Yeva, and sent a small plume rushing up to catch them, as she pulled her knees up and against her chest.

This softened the landing some, and more importantly, would likely prevent injuries and deter many immediate predators. Norani landed rump first, sending a spiking splash above her. She continued pulling her aether, keeping her suspended under the water, as she scanned the crystal clear bay around them.

She saw many a smaller creature, but nothing was coming in their direction.

She looked up and saw Yeva breaking the surface, highlighted against the sun above. Nodding, Norani kicked and swam upward, appearing next to Yeva, taking in a deep breath. A quick one over showed that Yeva seemed to be okay for someone who was just dropped into the ocean. Norani continued to influence the waters around them, pushing them faster to shore, easing their strain and hopefully reducing the likelihood of being picked off by a predator.

As soon as the touched down in the shallows, she released her magic, standing tall in waist deep water. She shielded her eyes from the sun, as a loud ‘Skreeeeeee’ rang out over the bay, an amused Ruvaf gliding in for a landing on the beach. Norani turned, seeing Yeva pull herself from the shallows, wet, bedraggled and stunning as always.

Yeva asked if she was alright, and Norani nodded, “Yes I am, thank you. Are you well?” As she spoke, Norani pulled a chakram from her belt, one in each hand, turning back to look up the dunes at the jungle.

Hostile territory, unknown lands, minimal resources, and zero information.

This was an incredibly dangerous place now. She looked over her shoulder to Yeva, “Stay close. We do not know what to expect here.” She whistled and Ruvaf crawled his way over to them. In her native tongue, “Circle high. Watch predator lines. Twice call if danger. Return before sundown.”

She reached out, patting him gently on the neck, before he flapped hard, sending sand spraying around, heading out on sentry duty. It was a task him and Norani both had practiced often in the military as one of their core duties.

She didn’t see anything moving, beyond the other members of their Expedition, and she turned fully once more to look at Yeva. “We will need to find shelter immediately.” She belted one chakram, walking over to offer a hand to stand Yeva up, “If I die, whistle to Ruvaf. He will take you home.”

Norani said this with her fierce intensity, this was not a joke in any way to her. She looked over, seeing the Captain lounging already beneath a tree, and her hand tightened hard around the grip of her chakram. She snorted her aggression out, trying to focus. She would deal with him later. For now, she needed to make them safe.

She nodded up the hill, grunting a bit, a habit of hers and her kind when slipping into survival mode, “We should take the higher ground. See if we can find a place for shelter there.”

She wished she had had the time to get Yeva practiced with a weapon. A failure of Norani’s own part. “If we’re attacked, do not run and do not try to help. I can’t protect you if we aren’t together, and we haven’t trained enough to fight well side by side.” It was not an admonishment by any means, but the cold facts in this dangerous scenario.

“Are you ready?”

[Yeva]

The sand was hot beneath her exposed skin and the wet clothes she wore soon turned muggy. The redhaired woman propped herself on her elbows and lifted a hand to shield her face from the sun's rays, the orc beside her not missing a beat. It took a moment for Yeva to realize that she had reached shore much faster should have been physically possible given her skillset, and that she would recover quickly while drenched and a bit shaken.

Yeva pushed flattened strands of hair away from her face, spitting little specs of sand that had slipped into her mouth, "Pfthht, pttfhhhfff," her tongue was still grainy, her hands coated in sand and so that she couldn't even wipe at her mouth. "Ugh.. I'm... alright." Uncomfortable, maybe.

Squinting, she readjusted her skirt in an attempt to recover a sense of modesty, looking over to find Norani on full alert. The strong woman was sending Ruvaf back to the skies and stormed around, nostrils flaring as she scanned the perimeter as if something would rise from the beach to eat them. For once, Yeva felt a strange sense of confusion, hearing the complaints of the others making their way to shore, scanning the water to see that no one was drowning. For the most part, they were all in one piece, no one gravely hurt. The whole ordeal felt like an unpleasant prank someone in her own family might pull on her, but when she looked at Norani, who gripped her chakram with one hand and thrust her other downward for the elf to take, she hesitated.

And then there was the captain, who Yeva noticed by following Norani's glare, lounging in the shade of a tree.

"We should take the higher ground. See if we can find a place for shelter there.”

The wilderness was more of Norani's wheelhouse. Despite a bit of initial apprehension, Yeva accepted the help, feeling rather light as she was tugged to her feet with an easy pull. The mystic lifted up and landed more easily on her feet, taking a moment to knock more sand from her drying skin.

“If we’re attacked, do not run and do not try to help," at that, Yeva blanched. Not help? Impossible. Still, she listened. Norani was more serious than she had ever seen the woman. It was strange and Yeva wasn't sure if she liked it. Effective, sure, but it felt like she was looking at a different person, "I can’t protect you if we aren’t together, and we haven’t trained enough to fight well side by side."

The orc barely stopped, "Are you ready?"

"No."

Yeva did not elaborate at first, simply staring back at her friend. It made her answer feel final, sudden, defiant. She understood her friend's fear, her concern, her frustration and desire to protect, "I am not fragile, Norani," she muttered, a bit ashamed, but also feeling rather exposed given her state of attire. Yeva crossed her arms, feeling strange to give any push back. Normally she trusted Norani implicitely, but part of that trust was expressing herself completely. If she couldn't start this tenet with Norani, than when could she? "My strengths are just different than yours."

"Thank you for thinking of me," she looked her friend in the face, "But we came here for others first. I cannot read the signs of the present if I am rushing to the future." There were others on the beach, after all, "And-"

Yeva exhaled, lowering her arms, a glint of stubborn determination in her eye, a resolute confidence, You are strong and quick, a good warrior. I have no doubt you will keep me safe. But there are things unseen all around us. Some things... some battles," she paused, expression softening. She wished for Norani to understand, "I will be better equipped to face. But, you have to let me try."

[Norani]

As Yeva said no, Norani felt her body instantly drop out of alarm. She looked at Yeva, seeing a defiant, fiery stubbornness there. Norani nodded, lowering her blade, her coiled muscles relaxing, as she watched Yeva slip away from that defiance into shame. Norani belted her chakram and stepped forward close to Yeva, her empty hands out in front of her.

And she listened as Yeva spoke. She kept her eyes on her friend's, an intense scrutiny, devoid of judgment. Yeva had Norani's complete and undivided attention, as she always did when she spoke. And Yeva spoke sound reason, opened her heart. And as she finished, Norani gave a nod.

"You are right."

Norani's moved apologetically, her face smiling sadly, as all combative energy in her was washed away by the fortuneteller, "You are not the fragile one here, Yeva Bleu."

Norani cast a gaze back up the slope, shielding her eyes from the sun, repeating herself, "You are right." She looked back at her friends, "Facing the battles side by side is better."

Norani turned back toward Yeva fully, "I have wronged you, and I am sorry. I am..." Her gaze cast itself downward now, as it always did these days when dealing with the complex storm of emotions from her family, "Afraid."

She took a deep breath, still staring at their feet disappeared in the white sands, "I am afraid of..." she didn't know how to word it. No, that was a lie. She was afraid of how she wanted to word it. There were certain things you never say about people, by Ecithian cultural standards. "Like Juno."

Tears snuck into Norani's eyes, nodding her head, still unable to look Yeva in the eye anymore, "You are wise, you see much, in the world, in people." In me?

"We do this together, each our own way, yes?"

She looked back up the slope, then over to the Captain, then to the sky as Ruvaf did his rounds. "Taking care of each other, and the others. And Ruvaf." She took a deep breath, wiping her tears from her eyes on her forearm, "I hope to be heartstrong like you one day." She smiled sheepishly, understanding what Yeva had said, "I think sometimes I am the racing wind. I only see what is right in front of me." Her eyes, still damp from tearing up, slowly crept up to find Yeva's own, "I need you to see what I cannot, to be what I cannot. You are better equipped than me, Yeva Bleu."

A soft pause, "And I will try to be better." A resolute nod, of course Yeva could try, Norani knew she would. Yeva always tried, tried so hard and so often, chasing every new thing and experience and knowledge. It was something Norani truly loved about her.

"Together?"

[Yeva]

Yeva's frustrations had been bristled, but it was a difficult thing to be upset with Norani for long. The orc was continually swept up in emotion, in action, but with a simple sign of resistance, the warrior relinquished control to the elf in apologetics and admittance to mistake. In fact, seeing her face downturn reminded her of the moon, Yeva sighed softly. Any feelings of being dragged along lessened to compassion, and she craned her neck in hopes of catching Norani's eye, "I see how much you care," Yeva had no intention of leaving Norani on this day, and while she knew the dangers of the Unknown and what it had done to so many in Ecith, Yeva still struggled fully with its comprehension. She wrung out her hair, gaze sweeping up the beach to see others moving from pack to pack to claim their own. Some moved togethers, others were alone. Yet she did not see any prowling monsters waiting to snatch her away into the depths of the forest.

"We fear what is not easily seen, that which we do not understand.... Norani, that is the path I seek. Maybe this journey will provide some of those answers,"Yeva did not claim to know everything, of being heartstrong, or wise. In fact, the young woman had been called headstrong once or twice, but her dear friend always did shower her with praise. She blushed, turning her body towards the sea, towards the Duck shifting her sails. Yeva had only ever seen it as a passenger, coming in from a door to the deck, and then down below to the magic of her quarters. Of flower fields and bioluminescent caves, the scent of flowers and the soft gurgling of water. The glow of wonder and promise, of... something. Someting she had meditated on. Some secrets she had observed in best forgotten dreams, "Look- She's leaving."

Where does she go?, she wondered.

Lifting her hand, Yeva waved goodbye, watching the grand vessel disappear into the horizon. A year was so long and short, in good measure.

"We are equals," the mystic corrected, after being called better equipped, "And I like you just the way you are. Now-"

Yeva moved over to gently take one of the chakrams her friend carried and slipped her free hand into Norani's own. "Let's go find that shelter you were talking about..." she struggled to carry the weapon, but tried to feign strength. After a moment, a grin split across her cheeks. Strengths and weaknesses, "Gods... Why are these so heavy?"

[Aegis]

REVIEW TIME

Yeva
Loot: N/A
Injuries: Nothing serious

Points: 10, May not be used for Magic

Skills Used Eligible for Expert/Master Progression: Leadership, Swimming

Lore Development Opportunities: N/A

Comments: Always good to set healthy boundaries.


Norani
Loot: N/A
Injuries: Nothing worth writing home about

Points: 10, may not be used for Magic

Skills Used Eligible for Expert/Master Progression: Swimming, Leadership, Survival

Lore Development Opportunities: N/A

Comments: Chill girl, damn.