Amongst the Magma Flows{Hilana}

[Barakael]

ϟ32nd of Glade, Year 124, A.o.Sϟ

ϟ Warmth and tranquility was what Barakael sought during his excursion into the undercity of the Solunarium. He wasnt all too comfortable being in the Umbrium of all places, but there was a reason he was here. The magma from Mt. Sorokyn was a welcoming sensation, feeling the heat and finding solace in it. He found himself drawn particularly to where the Magma Blooms sprout from, as that was as close to the magma flows as he could get without overstepping boundaries he dared not cross.

Setting his mace aside, he sat down within the field of vibrant flowers and began to meditate. He did this as a way to kill two orcs with one stone. For one he got to commune with the heat and fire spirits that seemed to frequent the area, and it was the easiest way to calm his fiery personality when it got too overwhelming for him to handle. Given his profession, he knew it was a good thing to do to stay level-headed. When in the thick of battle one tends to get swept up in the fervor and zeal of the event and fueled by the cheers and demands of the crowd.

He knew however that being a fire half-giant meant that he could go beyond being passionate about something and become overbearing or worse. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his body to relax, followed by his mind as he reached out to the elemental energy around him. The earth came to him first, as it was the most prevalent of the elements around him. It cradled his sitting form, soil and dirt molding onto his legs as he began to think cooling thoughts, calming thoughts. ϟ


"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

"Well, you enjoyed Khalcifer, you'll enjoy this place," Hilana told Lia as they walked through the Umbrium towards the fields where she liked to gather the magma blooms in the underground half of Solunarium. "It's a good place to be when you're arche to fire, or if you know how to use magma blooms."

"Which you're low on for work," her sister was amused, raising an eyebrow. "And you can use extra hands for carrying full sacks back. Am I right, soror?"

"You wound me," Hilana laughed. "But no, I enjoy your company and wanted to show you something different." Lia smiled at her, and the two women walked companionably until they entered the cavern. "See?" she indicated the magma not too far off. Her elder sister was comfortable automatically in the heat that came to meet them, while Hilana needed to moderate it herself with her Elementalism. This would have been a good time for Lia to practice her Negation, to practice minimizing the heat and adjusting the temperature around her sister the way Rickter did like it was second nature.

As they made their way into the flowers, they noticed the half-Moratallen in the distance, and the Vastian sisters shared a glance before electing to be quiet for the time being. He seemed to be meditation, and interrupting him would be rude. Lia wore a hand-dyed grey and white kaftan with sleeves that reached her forearms, and while she stayed near her more colourful sister, who was dressed quite differently, she was quiet, and her attention was on the lava in the distance. Hilana, in the meantime, went to work, unfurling her sacks while they stayed a respectful distance away from Barakael. Hilana's long, tiered skirts were a vividly dyed indigo blue and purple, hanging off off her hips with her midriff exposed by her sleeveless linen blouse.

Neither of them wanted to interrupt him while he meditated, and Hilana sought to be as quiet as she could with her knife and the magma blooms, starting to begin the process of collecting them. She paid attention to the stems, knowing it was a good a time as any to collect some of the older ones in order to make room for the younger ones to come up and grow. As she worked, she popped a petal into her mouth. She had energy and to spare, but she always did enjoy the taste of them, and it was a good a way as any to test the health of the patch.

[Barakael]

ϟ32nd of Glade, Year 124, A.o.Sϟ

ϟ Warmth echoed throughout his body as he gathered his thoughts, allowing the warmth the soothe his body and put him at ease. He was inclined to commune more closely to the elements present and tapped into his Rune of Elementalism. He was greeted warmly by the earth, but fire was there as well eager to be at Barakeal's call. The ground rose up to meet his hands, the soil that he sat on swirling and dancing between his fingers as he channeled the intent and emotions of the ground itself.

Calm, steady, unyielding. These were the feelings that radiated his body from his connection with the ground. it was a nice feeling, like children playing, treating him as a monster they must defeat because of his size. It wasnt till the earth felt the approach of others that his mind focused on the reality of things. From what he could gather, it was two people. Both of whom the elements seemed rather fond of. He could always tell who the Elementalists were from how happy the elements reacted. It was clear the two that were coming were just that.

Standing he dusted himself off and turned to greet the new faces. They were both beautiful, Vastian from the look of their skin. The earth's voice sang in his ears as he watched them work, delighted to be in their presence. He could meditate some other time, but it would be rude to ignore them, or in this case be in their way. "Greetings ladies, come to enjoy the warmth and quiet of the lava flow? The magma blooms are looking well today don't you think?" ϟ


"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

The Vastiana sisters had figured to leave him to his meditations and work quietly around him (in Hilana's case) or go off into the distance to investigate the lava and the fire spirits (in Athalia's case), as neither wanted to bother him. He certainly wasn't anything they would call normal to the eye, but in Solunarium, it was never wise to challenge those you didn't know. With the security provided by the Sentinels and the Golden Guard, if they were here, they were allowed to be here. Perhaps he was a citizen; they didn't know. But he was clearly comfortable in this temperature, and visiting with the elements was sacred as an Elementalist, so Founders only knew.

Hilana was steadily collecting magma blooms, her knife making quick work of each of them as the sturdy stems were investigated with a knowing eye for what she was looking for - the age of the plant, which helped determine the potency, and what needed to be culled to make place for new ones. There was a lot of them here, so she wasn't overly concerned about harvesting too many; but it was still smart to be cognizant of how many people might want to take after she had. Some understood the potency of the magma blooms, some did not. The fortunate thing was for many people, they did not need to have the specialized knowledge that she had to get some use out of them, as Hilana looked up from her work when Barakael approached.

Well, he was certainly a tall drink of water - the hybrid towered over the two women easily. Lia started in her sister's direction to rejoin her as she greeted the spirits who stayed around the gladiator. "Salve," Hilana smiled brightly, inclining her head to him. "I am sorry if we interrupted you. I came to collect some of the magma blooms for work, and my sister enjoys the heat a great deal, and she wanted to see the lava this close. I am Hilana, and this is Lia," she introduced the pair of them. Lia canted her head to him as well.

”Salve," she offered a greeting. "You are part fire as well, no?" The spirits certainly seemed to think so. His colouring was quite unique and different, and if they had to guess... well, some parent was definitely not Vastian or Re'hyaean... While Hilana could Semble, it was rather rude to do so to a stranger.

[Barakael]

ϟ32nd of Glade, Year 124, A.o.Sϟ

ϟ "Salve" he returned, giving both Hilana and Lia a slight bow. Of the two one of them seemed more akin to him than the other, but he didn't find it strange that she asked if he was part fire. Hilana apologized for disturbing him but he waved it off. "No need to apologize, I needed only a moment to gather my fiery nature." he answered to Hilana and nodded to Lia. "That I am. My Vishan blood makes me like a beacon to the fire spirits. As an elementalist, fire has always been a friend of mine." he spoke coming to feel the fire spirits as they were excited to have both Barakael and Lia present.

"I am Kemri Len'Mahes Barakael, but you can call me Kael for short." he bowed politely once more before taking a knee in front of both women. "I dont normally come down here, but because of the lava flow, it reminds me of my father's people. It reminds me of him." he noted, feeling the fire spirits dance around him with a joyful aura about them. He sat down in front of them, watching Hilana work, her method meticulous but careful and he was fascinated by her method. His attention turned to Lia, and wondered if she was like him.

"I take it you are Vishan like me, is that why fire likes you so much?" and then to Hilana. "And you, are you an elementalist, I can see how much the elements react to you too." he asked, looking to both women with fiery curiosity. ϟ


"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

Ahh, Vishan. HIlana knew from her medical studies that that meant a Moratallen of the fire persuasion. That explained a lot. But he didn’t seem to be a full-blooded one; so that made him mixed. They weren’t so rare to see around here, particularly in the deep desert, but they weren’t so commonplace, either. There were a few that enjoyed the Expanse, and she had experience with meeting them during her travels in the Sands. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kael," the younger sister nodded. He was a tall drink of water. Not the tallest she had ever met, but still... a tall drink of water.

At his line of questioning, the sisters shared a glance. “Ah, no,” Lia shook her head politely. “I am also an Elementalist, like Hilana... but I am Arche to the element of fire, whereas she is still a generalist.” That might well explain it. Someone who could become fire likely was as close to being kin to fire as a mortal could be to the spirits. Whereas one who was still a generalist, or just not Arche to fire, might not be received quite the same way. Earth seemed closer to her than fire, but considering she seemed to work with plants, that might make more sense.

"Your father is Vishan?" the more colourfully dressed sister inquired as she bent easily in order to find another stem with her fingers. This one she did not cut; the stem was old and it was better to remove it entirely so that it stopped taking up resources from the rest of the patch. Instead, Hilana guided the soil away from its roots, and retrieved the whole plant. Brittle, old, and best to be culled. The flowers would still be good, but it wasn't going to grow again if she trimmed it down, and that meant it was time to go. It would still be treated with respect, but the cycle of life continued. Magma blooms grew for many years, and could come back so many times, but one couldn't escape the cycle. The plant, roots and all, completely tidy of the soil that they had been buried in, was tucked into another sack and Hilana surveyed the patch for her next cutting before choosing some younger flowers. They would be good for what she needed at Sweet Remedies.

"Were you raised in the Expanse, or here in Solunarium proper?" He spoke the language so well she didn't think he was raised beyond their borders, but one never knew.

[Barakael]

ϟ32nd of Glade, Year 124, A.o.Sϟ

ϟ He nodded in agreement in it being nice to meet them. He didnt really get out of the chateau much, especially with everything going on now that the Luxium crown was going through a succession crisis. It was nice to be around mages of the same ilk, fellow elementalist. Both women seemed to be pleasant, both easy on the eyes for sure. As much as he admired their beauty he knew better than to think they would be interested in him. His own mother didnt want him, and tossed him aside to his father, so what made him think any other woman would want him either?

No, it was best to stick to what he knew, and that was the elements, they never steered him wrong and were a constant friend to him. Hilana asked him if his father was Vishan, to which he nodded. "He was a good man and even greater father. He was known as the Red Dragon of the sands, a gladiator unlike any other. He is the reason I fight in the Sand Dragon League of gladiators now, to carry on his legacy and soar to greater heights." he paused for a moment and took a breath from her next inquiry. "I was raised mostly between the Expanse and the Tetrium. I picked up Vallenor from my sponsor, though my mother is a Re’hyaen Sunborn" he noted, laying into the soft earth that came to caress him.

It was warm to his skin, the heat and dirt becoming comfortable under him. "Color me curious, but what do you plan to use the Magma Blooms for? You must be quite the herbalist, I can tell from the way you have collected them since arriving?" he now was flipped over onto his belly, his legs rising and falling like a child watching insects in the grass. There was a genuine curiosity in his eyes as he watched Hilana work. ϟ


"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

The sisters nodded at his explanation - that made sense to them, at least. Vishan weren't terribly common, but they were more common than most in the very deep desert where they thrived in that relentless heat. Lia and Hilana might attend the blood sports on occasion, but that was more if they were invited out or on a date. But it did depend on who and what was in the ring; there was much to be learned from the tactics of others that were able think quickly on their feet and sometimes there were tricks that one could pick up when they paid close attention. But swords and boards weren't the only method of fighting in the pits; those who used magic could be quite fascinating to observe.

In the Expanse offered opportunities for ample space and training, and Tertium had a number of arenas that catered to every type of spectator. Sailors coming home had deep pockets, and not operating such a thing there was foolhardy. There were those there that had won and lost a dozen fortunes, but the call of the bookies was simply too strong to ignore. And if someone had lost enough, they were close to somewhere where they could skip town in a hurry if they had to. In the coastal city, her great-aunt had arranged for her to shadow the surgeons of one of the bigger arenas in order to have an opportunity to watch them perform surgery, and get a rather up close and personal study of anatomy. But he spoke in past tense, which seemed to indicate that that his Moratallen father was no longer amongst the land of the living. "We are sorry for your loss. I am sure that he was a wonderful father to you," Lia remarked, inclining her head.

"These? Elixirs, teas, and baking, mostly," Hilana explained. "The petals have a bit of a kick to them, but I like to use the whole flower in order to get the most use out of them... one shouldn't waste the whole plant, after all. It just takes a deft hand and a lot of knowledge to understand how to utilize the magma bloom. Some of these older ones that are less potent I can dry and grind up for seasoning when I'm cooking, or as reagents in alchemy. Once they reach the end of their lifespan, they need to be culled from the patch so that the nutrients can go towards the younger plants. The stems can be made into fertilizer to return the nutrients to the soil."

[Barakael]

ϟ32nd of Glade, Year 124, A.o.Sϟ

ϟ He nodded at the one vastian sister as she gave her condolences, the halfborn rising to his feet, dusting off his attire as he smiled. "He lived and died doing what he loved, and he was a great father to me, more than I can say for my mother. Though Dominus Aya has been more of a mother to me for as long as I can remember." he noted. Curiosity filled his eyes as he looked on while Hilana explained her methods of cultivation, and what she planned to use them for.

Color him amazed that there were so many uses for these warm and beautiful flowers. His attention turned to the other sister, the one who seemed to be more inclined to fire as he was. He was curious as to how far she was in Elementalism. It was always nice to meet others of the craft, compare notes, and whatnot. Looking between the two vastian women he coaxed the heat around his hand to become flame in exchange for some of his aether. "If I may ask, what do you two plan to use this craft for? Surely it can't be just to cultivate plants and such."

Lifting his hand up into the air he let the flames dance around his hand like a cat pouncing on a mouse, teasing its prey before the kill. He was curious to hear the ambitions of others if only to see what drove them. He was curious about what drove these women, what made them take up the craft, granted it was common among those lucky enough to wield magic, but it never hurt to hear the why for taking magic. If they indulged him with their answer, he would do so in kind, and invite them to ask him a question in return. ϟ


"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

When he got to his feet, they could certainly see where the family resemblance kicked in. His height certainly did lend to Re'hyaean and Moratallen - he was over a foot taller than Hilana, and she stood a good head over her sister. "There is no better way to go." Sure, many people enjoyed the idea of going peacefully in their sleep, and it was often the kindest way, but that didn't mean it was what everyone would prefer. But if the man was a gladiator, then chances were he went out in the arena and was rendered unto the Founders. Neither sister spent much time watching blood sports, as popular as they were in the city; but if a date wanted to go, then they would go. Some of the fights were interesting to watch to see how people moved in a fight, at least, and to try to learn new techniques that way.

At his question, the sisters shared a look. That was new - no one had ever asked them why they had that specific Rune here, considering how common it was. Magic was a divine gift, after all, as per the tenets of Varvaerynism, and not having some level of magical prowess at one's fingertips was stranger than having it. "Elementalism, you mean?" Athalia asked him. "It's valuable to have out here in the desert. As you are able to manifest fire, we can manifest water if required when we are out in the sands. We are of the nomadic clans that spend our lives in the Expanse, usually... and most clans do at least have one Elementalist for that reason alone now. Even if Vastii can go without water for a great deal of time."

Their maternal clan was one of the largest to roam the sands, and had most Runes there. A divine gift was meant to be used, and it was valuable to have. They may not have had the classical education that one raised in the cities received, but something was better than nothing, and had she taken them up on that offer all those years ago, Hilana might have learned from them. Had they not lost their mother, she would have been the one to pass her Rune on to her daughters as well. But one couldn't change what had happened, all they could do was go forward and carry on. Go with the flow. "What do you do with it? Do you find it useful in the arena? Does it come easier to you due to your heritage?"