The land was beautiful here. Having left the forests far behind them, the procession found themselves in a green preview of the sea itself. The grass stretched far into the darkening horizon, rolling like ocean waves in a strong wind that carried the scent of flowers and life. The clouds changed from soft white forboding grey. Just as Damu Elessiant turned to the Tarik Orere for guidance, a bolt of lightning seared through the sky in a violent flash. In an instant the procession unravelled and people fled in every direction. Cries from families seperated from one another filled the air as it began to rain in unexpected sheets.
Ya Embaela had tried her best to keep her wits but fear overtook her and she fled in the direction she thought was the right way back to Damu and Dannic. Where are they? she began to feel a bit of panic as she stopped, turning in every direction. She could see nothing but the grey expanse of the storm all around her. Wet hair and shriveled flowers fell into her face, denying her sight as she stumbled through the nearly chest high grass. The dress grew too heavy to keep from stumbling face first into the mud. Losing the last of her grace and sensibilities, Ya Embaela truly began to cry as terror gripped her.
"Masu, Damu... DAAAAAANIC!" she called into storm but no sound save the rumbling of thunder answered her. As the storm descended upon her, so did night. She could not even find any kind of shelter to keep the rain from her, only grass and the occasional stone. She wanted to stop, she wanted to weep and wait for someone to save her, but something indistinct drove her to keep struggling well into night.
Her bones ached and her teeth chattered. Never in her sheltered life had Ya Embaela ever felt this cold. Even as the rain began to slow and eventually stop, the darkness of earliest morning kept her from any sense of direction. Still, she trudged on, except this time she knew what she was following. In the distance she heard a low steady rumble of thunder and it called to her. Surely the procession was being tugged by this same compulsive feeling as moths are drawn to flames
Even through the chill that pierced her, she could feel a faint warmth coming from the distant thunder. For a brief moment, she was sure she hear Damu's voice booming in the distance, calling to her, but she was uncertain where it came or whether or not it was even real. As the moments wore on, she began to hear more and more phantom noises. Strange trumpeting sounded above her, the ground felt unstable, clouds of colors sprang in the sky and vanished. Finally she could take no more of the fatigue and dizzying darkness and she sank into the grass.
"Oh Zchi, i feel as if i am destined to be lost out here. Have i been torn from Masu and Damu because i have been a bad child?" She began to cry gently as she wondered if this really was Zchi's way of punishing her for being a foolish child and running away in a panic. "e YA! Zchi, are you truly so cruel?" Ya Embaela half wailed, half prayed. "From the moment Tarik told me of the great Zchi i have felt a tugging at my heart to know you, yet you have abandoned me..." she fell silent, just listening to the phantom thunder and the dream trumpets intermingling with the sounds of her ragged breath. "No..." she finished "You have not abandoned me, you have strengthened me. For this I will keep going. Were it your wish to have me sent to Aurach, I would have died during the storm."
As she lifted her head, she took in a sharp breath of surprise. Laid before her was the most spectacular scene bathed in morning light. Behind her, where she'd been, lay the muddy tracks of what was once orange hardpan wastes yet beneath her muddy feet was warm black sand. Overhead giant featherless birds soared into the sunrise, trumpeting to one another in long breaths. The wind carried not the smell of grass but of the sea itself. The origins of thunder appeared to be the sea itself crashing into the polished iridescent black stone cliffs ahead of her.
"Have i truly found Zchi?" she whispered to herself. From the moment she left the procession to now, she could scarcely believe she was only five. For now, however, she could no long hold back her child-like expression of wonder and jubilation. As she ran to the edge of the cliffs to see the origins of thunder, several things happened at once.
"Ya Embaela!" Damu Elessiant called out from the distance. She jerked her head around to find the procession in the distance heading toward her. She called back to them in a fit of joy and turned too quickly for the smooth slick rock underfoot. Before she could catch herself she fell headlong into the rocky sea at the base of the cliffs.
**********
King Elessiant had successfully led a majority of his procession to the Hillsindry Cliffside of Zchi. There were only 3 reported casualties, two elderly women and sadly, his beautiful daughter. The scouts were dispatched to track her but she was no where to be found. He had almost lost hope when he spotted a speck of red and yellow in the distance. It was Ya Embaela, running full speed to the edge of the cliffs. Had she been struck mad by fever or fear. He tried to call out to her but was far too late. Helplessly he watched her fade out of view over the edge.
King Elessiant would never outlive the rumors that she had been driven mad by fear, or even still the rumors that before the storm the Tarik had frightened her into committing suicide. Despite the rumors, King Elessiant kept his composure as they chanted their prayers to the Living God, Zchi. Deep down, he knew that they would not be seing the deity this year either. Perhaps, he reasoned as they turned their backs to the sea that night and headed home, his faith too fell into the sea that morning. Perhaps Zchi had died long ago. Afterall, it was nearly 200 harvests since Zchi had ascended from the sea to speak to his people.
*******
The origin of thunder was still a cacophany of sound even after the procession of worshippers had departed. The sounds of a thousand plus Lasaeri wailing permeated through the labyrinth of sea caves hidden beneath their feet. He didn't mind the noise, in fact it warmed his heart that they still came, even though he had long since stopped addressing them. After all, he really wasn't a God at all was he? He was just Zchi, just Zchi alone, except this time he wasn't alone. Tucked in a corner, a small child slept peacefully despite the sounds that echoed through the cave. in the end, all Zchi had ever wanted was for the lonliness to end.
Ya Embaela had tried her best to keep her wits but fear overtook her and she fled in the direction she thought was the right way back to Damu and Dannic. Where are they? she began to feel a bit of panic as she stopped, turning in every direction. She could see nothing but the grey expanse of the storm all around her. Wet hair and shriveled flowers fell into her face, denying her sight as she stumbled through the nearly chest high grass. The dress grew too heavy to keep from stumbling face first into the mud. Losing the last of her grace and sensibilities, Ya Embaela truly began to cry as terror gripped her.
"Masu, Damu... DAAAAAANIC!" she called into storm but no sound save the rumbling of thunder answered her. As the storm descended upon her, so did night. She could not even find any kind of shelter to keep the rain from her, only grass and the occasional stone. She wanted to stop, she wanted to weep and wait for someone to save her, but something indistinct drove her to keep struggling well into night.
Her bones ached and her teeth chattered. Never in her sheltered life had Ya Embaela ever felt this cold. Even as the rain began to slow and eventually stop, the darkness of earliest morning kept her from any sense of direction. Still, she trudged on, except this time she knew what she was following. In the distance she heard a low steady rumble of thunder and it called to her. Surely the procession was being tugged by this same compulsive feeling as moths are drawn to flames
Even through the chill that pierced her, she could feel a faint warmth coming from the distant thunder. For a brief moment, she was sure she hear Damu's voice booming in the distance, calling to her, but she was uncertain where it came or whether or not it was even real. As the moments wore on, she began to hear more and more phantom noises. Strange trumpeting sounded above her, the ground felt unstable, clouds of colors sprang in the sky and vanished. Finally she could take no more of the fatigue and dizzying darkness and she sank into the grass.
"Oh Zchi, i feel as if i am destined to be lost out here. Have i been torn from Masu and Damu because i have been a bad child?" She began to cry gently as she wondered if this really was Zchi's way of punishing her for being a foolish child and running away in a panic. "e YA! Zchi, are you truly so cruel?" Ya Embaela half wailed, half prayed. "From the moment Tarik told me of the great Zchi i have felt a tugging at my heart to know you, yet you have abandoned me..." she fell silent, just listening to the phantom thunder and the dream trumpets intermingling with the sounds of her ragged breath. "No..." she finished "You have not abandoned me, you have strengthened me. For this I will keep going. Were it your wish to have me sent to Aurach, I would have died during the storm."
As she lifted her head, she took in a sharp breath of surprise. Laid before her was the most spectacular scene bathed in morning light. Behind her, where she'd been, lay the muddy tracks of what was once orange hardpan wastes yet beneath her muddy feet was warm black sand. Overhead giant featherless birds soared into the sunrise, trumpeting to one another in long breaths. The wind carried not the smell of grass but of the sea itself. The origins of thunder appeared to be the sea itself crashing into the polished iridescent black stone cliffs ahead of her.
"Have i truly found Zchi?" she whispered to herself. From the moment she left the procession to now, she could scarcely believe she was only five. For now, however, she could no long hold back her child-like expression of wonder and jubilation. As she ran to the edge of the cliffs to see the origins of thunder, several things happened at once.
"Ya Embaela!" Damu Elessiant called out from the distance. She jerked her head around to find the procession in the distance heading toward her. She called back to them in a fit of joy and turned too quickly for the smooth slick rock underfoot. Before she could catch herself she fell headlong into the rocky sea at the base of the cliffs.
**********
King Elessiant had successfully led a majority of his procession to the Hillsindry Cliffside of Zchi. There were only 3 reported casualties, two elderly women and sadly, his beautiful daughter. The scouts were dispatched to track her but she was no where to be found. He had almost lost hope when he spotted a speck of red and yellow in the distance. It was Ya Embaela, running full speed to the edge of the cliffs. Had she been struck mad by fever or fear. He tried to call out to her but was far too late. Helplessly he watched her fade out of view over the edge.
King Elessiant would never outlive the rumors that she had been driven mad by fear, or even still the rumors that before the storm the Tarik had frightened her into committing suicide. Despite the rumors, King Elessiant kept his composure as they chanted their prayers to the Living God, Zchi. Deep down, he knew that they would not be seing the deity this year either. Perhaps, he reasoned as they turned their backs to the sea that night and headed home, his faith too fell into the sea that morning. Perhaps Zchi had died long ago. Afterall, it was nearly 200 harvests since Zchi had ascended from the sea to speak to his people.
*******
The origin of thunder was still a cacophany of sound even after the procession of worshippers had departed. The sounds of a thousand plus Lasaeri wailing permeated through the labyrinth of sea caves hidden beneath their feet. He didn't mind the noise, in fact it warmed his heart that they still came, even though he had long since stopped addressing them. After all, he really wasn't a God at all was he? He was just Zchi, just Zchi alone, except this time he wasn't alone. Tucked in a corner, a small child slept peacefully despite the sounds that echoed through the cave. in the end, all Zchi had ever wanted was for the lonliness to end.
