Not All Who Wander Are Lost

[Moon Jae-Seong]

TIMESTAMP: Calid March 29, Searing 123
NOTES: -

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In the early days of Glade, Jae-Seong had provided aid to a fishing port nestled along the shores of Lake Udori. He’d been drifting through the area at the time, Lake Udori itself being somewhere he was fond of fishing. For him, the blare of the village’s alarums signified a call to action rather than one to flee. Sort of like a siren’s song– it was impossible for him to have resisted, and he was glad he didn’t. The experience was an exhilarating one, for the others who’d answered the call were mages the likes of which he encountered only rarely. For him, it was a fond memory.

He’d been meaning to return to the village and check in on it, but had found himself otherwise occupied with how busy Kalzasi city proper had been since the shokaze’s coronation. The little port had not been destroyed during the attack, but there had been unavoidable casualties and property damage. And though he was a warrior not a builder, he’d still found himself wanting to return and offer his hands in aid more and more in recent days.

Once Kalzasi had begun to settle into the reign of their new leader, the nobleman figured he’d get little flak for leaving on a short sojourn back to Lake Udori. And besides, he was no politician; he was most useful elsewhere. Gathering what supplies were standard for him, the Rathari set off on the road that would eventually branch all the way from the city to that little port. He might’ve been able to secure direct travel by portal, but there was something about traveling by foot or wing that he found cathartic.

On this day, he was dressed similarly to how he’d been during the incident; pleated umanori hakama layered over a paired kimono. His clothing was finely tailored and durable, well suited for travel. Observers with relevant knowledge might recognize from the fabric quality and some of the dyes that what he wore outclassed the standard traveler, but all the same, he was far from ostentatious, keeping ornamentation minimal.

If he were to pass anyone that saw him that day in Glade, it'd be easy for them to recognize him, even if they never interacted directly.

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'Thoughts'

"Synskrit Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Inandoth Tongue/Speech"

[Aegis]

Despite being Searing, it was still cold in Kalzasi, and much of the world. The permanent winter did not seem to be breaking. But the people in the north were a hardy lot, more accustomed to this frozen cycle than most. And those in the villages on Udori were no exception. The lake might be frozen, but that didn't stop them from carving holes in the ice with tools and magic to reach the fish that they were known for. They stayed fed and produced enough to sell to the main city, as was their way.

Still, they worried, knowing that if the Lake never thawed and see the sun, the fish would begin to starve, would not lay more eggs until their lake would become a desert in the water.

One such worrier was standing near the end of one of the ice locked docks, a large parka wrapped around her, a fur-lined cap over her head and her pointed ears. Her green skin stood out easily in the landscape of whites and blues, and her dark eyes held a longing for more. Her hands laid down a bundle of white and blue flowers down at a small shrine there, leaning against one of the dock posts, Snow Orchids, common in winter but usually die off in summer.

As she stood up, she winced slightly, an arm cradling her swollen belly.

She turned, walking back down the dock toward her village home. She huffed and puffed, rubbing at her arms despite wearing a thicker layer of fur clothing than any other here. She nodded at the polite greetings of her fellow villagers, but the normally jovial woman, warm and social was as cold as the crystals forming from her breath.

Until her dark eyes saw someone who did not normally walk through the wooden buildings of her village. She paused, biting her lip, conflict raging in her dark eyes. She loosed her lip, raising an arm, her voice ringing out over the frigid air, "Jae-Seong?" She waddled quickly toward him, "What brings you back here?"

She hoped he'd remember her, they'd met briefly, saviors and survivors. Her name was Naia. She was the only Orkhan that lived in this village, having moved here from Ecith with her husband, a human from Kalzasi. He'd died the last time that Jae-Seong was here, along with a number of others. "Aren't you cold? Do you want some tea? My house is right over here."

A large grey wolf leapt over a fence of a nearby house, sprinting toward them, barking happily, standing taller than Jae-Seong's waist. The creature came over, and gently pressed his nose against the pregnant belly and Naia gave him happy pats. She stood up straight, looking the noble in the eyes, as one of the few women in the area that stood as tall as he, "Are you hungry?"

The wolf walked at the woman's side, as she gestured to her quaint little home of pine wood, sealed with pine tar against the elements. Unlike many of the other wooden houses of little adornment, hers was painted in swirls of blues and greens and purples and reds, with ornate carvings inlaid in the wood. She opened the door, not having needing to lock it due to the low amount of crime in these parts, and made her way in. There was a fire in the hearth and another smouldering in the stove. She stoked and fed both, and put on a collar, shrugged off her coat, revealing arms and pregnant belly covered in tattoos ornate and extensive. She slumped tiredly into a chair at her kitchen table, smiling at the man.

"Have you been well? How's the city holding up with this winter?"

[Moon Jae-Seong]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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In comparison to some of his longer sojourns, this one was, luckily, less than a day's walk. He wasn't quite sure how long he would stay in Mizuhara, as that would depend largely on the village's status and with what he could help, but he luckily did not have to limit himself with time constraints for now. And, if for whatever reason he needed to leave quickly, he could always fly– the wings of his Lycan form carry him far quicker than his feet ever could.

As he neared the little fishing port, he saw several faces he’d met the season before, exchanging pleasantries with them as they passed. One in particular, a woman named Narai, the sole Orkhan resident, sought him out when she noticed his presence. When she called his name and his attention shifted to her, his demeanor shifted warmer than his usual stoicism.

“Narai! Good to see you,” He hoped she’d been well enough despite the grief that must be weighing on her.

“I like to visit the places I’ve been from time to time, but because of Glade’s events, I wanted to check in on you all in particular– lend a hand, if my help would be wanted,” he answered her question with a wan smile.

When she inquired further about how he wasn’t freezing, the question made him exhale a breath that almost sounded like a laugh; the contrast between how heavily she was layered and what he wore was stark– particularly because she wore heavier furs than what was average for the locals, too.

“No, no– don’t worry about me. I can afford to dress light for mobility’s sake because of my Elementalism,” he explained while he reached into a pocket hidden in the folds of his clothing.

From within it, he withdrew a small crystal; it hummed with warmth, glowing gently with soft, shifting red-orange hues. “It’s a lodestone. I can make one or more for you, too, if you’d like.”

He’d only recently figured out how to make lodestones, and the ones he could craft himself were limited in scope and mild in effect, but he could, at least, imbue them with warmth or turn them into a heatsink for the purpose of temperature regulation.

Following her as he explained this, however, the two of them soon arrived outside the house that must be hers. And when they neared, a wolf emerged from a short fence. It exhibited no aggression, in fact the opposite, in its ingress, halting in front of Narai with the giddiness one might expect of a puppy. Now a group of three, they’d continue into her abode where the woman tended to what few tasks required her immediate attention.

“If you make anything for yourself, I’ll happily share, but don’t go out of your way on my account.” Given how heavily pregnant she was, he really didn’t want to make her wait on him. Really, he wouldn’t want to do that normally, but it felt flat rude to do that to somebody while they were in the process of growing a new life.

“Does your lupine friend have a name?” This was the first thing he thought to say, even before answering her queries.

“...but to answer you, I’ve been well enough. The city perseveres, still pulsing with vibrancy and life, even in this perpetual winter.” The way he expressed himself was always fairly impassive, but somebody perceptive would still hear the subtle tones of what fondness he held for Kalzasi in his voice. “For as much as it can be exhausting, I’m at least glad of that.”

“And you? Mizuhara as a whole? I wish I could’ve stayed longer, but in the leadup– and then the aftermath– of the coronation, I didn’t feel like I could wander farther than the city gates.” Missing the tragedy of Talon’s wedding had him paranoid about being away during major events, and the crowning of a new Shokaze certainly counted as ‘major.’ That, and many of his family members often attempted to badger him into lingering longer and longer every time he returned.

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'Thoughts'

"Synskrit Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Inandoth Tongue/Speech"

[Aegis]

At the offer of lodestones, she smiled, "Thank you, but I'm fine. Nothing a little fur and fire can't fix."

There was a whistling through the house, and she grunted as she hefted herself back out of the chair. She grabbed the kettle from its hanger in the hearth, moving over toward the counters, "I'm sure he has a name, but he hasn't told it to me yet." She smiled, she knew northerners liked to name their pets, whereas animals back homes usually named themselves, in their own ways, and weren't treated as pets, but partners, family. She poured the water over a pile of tea leaves in the bottom of two mugs, and carried them back to the table.

At the mention of the permanent winter, "I fear what this winter means for home. Here, the people seem used to the cold and the snow and the darkness. Back home, unyielding winter means the skies never stop raining." She sipped at her drink, "I love the tea from the mountains here."

She paused, and sighed. "This village is doing well enough. Moving forward, everyone is friendly and helpful." A hand came down to caress her exposed belly. "I miss her father. I see him everywhere here." She smiled, "He would've enjoyed the coronation. I like a good party as much as the next girl but..." We don't celebrate kings where I'm from. Not anymore.

She sighed once more, and smiled as her dark eyes glistened over the cup, finding Jae's own. "I know you've already done so much for us, helping to protect us as you did, all of you. But... might I make a request of you? It's not one I would normally make, but since Hae died..." She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She brought the cup of tea up to her mouth with both hands, finding comfort in its warmth. "Since Hae died, I find myself longing to go back home, so our daughter can be raised among family there. But I can't travel, not this far along."

She smiled softly, "Do you think maybe you could find someone to take me home to Ecith? I have some money, and the Commonwealth would pay more to bring a citizen in need home."

He was a man of means and of magic, he had proven himself honourable and helpful, she just hoped that he could and would.

[Moon Jae-Seong]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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Jae-Seong nodded at what she said regarding his offer of lodestones– understandable for many. If one wasn’t too inconvenienced by the added bulk of more traditional forms of insulation, it made sense.

And to her answer about the wolf, he almost looked pleased at the notion. The nobleman’s gaze flit to her furry friend, “Ah, fair enough– he is beautiful.”

Since his acquisition of Elementalism, he’d actually gained a greater appreciation for the spirits of nature around him, and that had bled into his respect for all of nature’s wards, too. It wasn’t that he’d not valued animals and the natural world before, no, it was more that his connection to the world around him had simply become deeper. He could only hope to continue to nurture this bond as his runic prowess increased, too.

When she returned to the table with both mugs, he would take his and wait for a moment– wanting to make sure the tea leaves had the appropriate amount of time to steep. And when he first brought the cup to his lips, he’d make subtle use of enmesh to modulate the temperature per his preference.

Looking now to Narai, he would listen in respectful silence as she answered his questions and spoke of her woes. It would appear that she was growing homesick in the absence of her spouse, and he nodded in understanding when she mentioned him. Jae-Seong, too, held a special fondness for his home, making it all the easier to empathize with her.

“Luckily, there’s many potent mages within Kalzasi– finding one capable of that feat is easier here than elsewhere, and I’m happy to find one for you,” he began.

“But Ecith is a big place– where precisely do you wish to go? I’ll try and find somebody who can get you as close to home as I can.” Asking this question, his words were laced lightly with curiosity– while the information itself was pertinent to getting her where she needed to be, he liked hearing about far away lands on a personal level, too.

“But you’re right about the tea leaves that grow in these mountains– I often gather it myself when I travel. Sometimes, I add flowers, herbs, fruits and the like for variety,” the mercenary added, appreciating her taste in fine flora.

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'Thoughts'

"Synskrit Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Inandoth Tongue/Speech"

[Aegis]

She smiled at him, sipping at the tea, "Well, I'm told that foreign portals to Drathera do not work, but perhaps Ailos." Her face grew sad, "My husband's sister is from there. I... don't know what happened to her after the war began." She set her cup down, "I have heard no news of the Isle of Light since the war ended. I don't know if anyone still lives there. I don't know if there's anything left to go to. They destroyed everything they could." Tears started to stream down her face. "It used to be so beautiful, the people happy, safe, welcoming. They were ardent believers of Arcas, his believers from a life before here."

Shakily, she reached across the table, beckoning a hand from Jae-Seong, an ask of comfort. "No family was left untouched in the war. My parents both fought and died in it, my brother, several cousins. Too many friends." If his hand was given, she squeezed it, "I don't understand why they would attack us like that. We never bothered them, but they just laid waste to everyone and everything. No mercy, no quarter."

She sighed deeply as the door creaked open, the wolf letting himself in. The door blew itself shut, as he sauntered over, laying his head in her lap, and she began to stroke him between the ears. "I need to return home. My kin need as much help as they can get, and I do not wish to raise this child alone." She wiped away her tears, "So you can help? When can we leave?"