Far Horizons

[Carasharr]

In The Temple of the Sun, a small figure kneels before the image of Serena. Her features are hidden by the voluminous hood of her simple grey robes. She rocks slightly to the tempo of her prayers. Evidence of battle stain the slender blade at her side, as well as her clothes.

The Bishop watches her with concern, but doesn't interrupt her prayers. He can see her hands in her lap, her fingers laced together tightly. Something has sent her seeking the comfort of this sacred place, but that isn't unusual for her. Something is different this time though. In the split second he glimpsed her face as she raced past him, he could have sworn he saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

Each new encounter with things unknown to her, each new question about the right or wrong of what she has seen that day, brings the young aspirant here. It was a safe place, warm and quiet. A place to shake off her fears, give thanks for making it through another day, and rest with fewer nightmares about what might be out there waiting the next time she steps out those doors.

Now it's almost a trap. The Scourge target this place, and she is just starting to believe she knows why. Her mind reels with new fears for what this could mean. Tonight though, it isn't her own safety that she fears for most.

[Carasharr]

There's a soft ... sniffing sound? For a moment Chi thought she was back on the farm, and Jinx the cat was letting her know it was time to get up. But there are none of the other familiar sounds ... horses and cattle milling about, birds chattering wildly, the clank of wooden buckets as grain and fresh water are scooped into troughs. But that would mean the rest was just a dream.

It was no dream. There's the soft drone of people praying, or speaking in quiet tones ..... and the sniffing. Very lightly, something tickles to her cheek. She's almost afraid to look ... so she opens one eye just a little. The statue of Serena looming above her is dimly lit. Then a pink nose fills the view, and whiskers tickle her as a soft little muzzle brushes her cheek. Sitting up slowly so she doesn't frighten it away, she finds a most unusual visitor. She grins and reaches out to stroke the soft fur. "Well hello there little one. What are you doing in here?"

She glances up at the Bishop questioningly. Then as the little rabbit starts to wander off towards the doors, he nods, then motions for her to follow it. Something about the gentle smile on his face tells her that she will be okay. She grabs her pack and scampers off after it, an odd sense of destiny clinging to the edges of her mind.

Through cool wet forest, keeping to the thick undergrowth, she follows. At the edge of a clearing, her guide stops, then starts nibbling at tender shoot. " Hmmm ... must be here. Question is .... why? "

Chimera looks out over the clearing for any sign of movement. There are a few deer grazing by a stream, but nothing that seems at all aware of her. She turns back to her little guide, but finds instead, a slender lady with elven features. Ebony skin framed by long white flowing hair .... looking for all the world like water flowing over polished stones. In her arms, seeming quite content, is the little rabbit.

[Carasharr]

The candle has burned down to nearly nothing. The young aspirant stretches, sets aside her books, and rubs her eyes. "Maybe some fresh air will clear my head."

The temple guard is changing. About now is when her mentor would usually be getting off duty. As she steps out onto the cool grass, damp with morning dew, she can't help glancing over to the bench where he liked to sit after he finished his rounds. Sighing sadly, she turns her gaze up to the citadel, a gnawing feeling inside. They refused her request , giving her no reason why.... but she could feel a tension in the air. Something is going on up there.

Something catches her eye .... a dark shape, a glint of steal. She rubs her eyes again and tries to focuss on the figure. Just then, Sir Dante steps out of the doors. He says something to the figure, and it turns to follow him inside. She gasps as the figure steps into the light .... armor as black as darkness itself ... evil looking ... like something that may have crawled up out of the hells. Her heart skips a beat ... a chill racing down her spine as she watches the figure vanish through the doors. "What is he doing? Who is this stranger? Why in the world would he be taking this dangerous looking creature inside? WHAT THE HELLS IS HE THINKING?"

[Carasharr]

As Chimera curls up in her usual spot, her mind races. There will be little rest for her this night. Evil has found a new way to twist the knife, and the cloud hanging over her mentor darkens further still. Anger wells up inside her for what they've done, but there is no solid target to strike out at. How do you fight something you can't see? How do you strike something down that has no physical form?

No sword is going to be enough to take down this foe. No armor is going to be enough to hold back it's attacks on spirit, mind, or soul. But that doesn't mean there is no way to fight it. She knows what she must do. Anger and fear begin to melt into the background as determination grows within her heart.

She gets to her knees and looks up to the graceful statue looming above her. In the softly flickering light of the temple she silently swears an oath to the Goddess. Asking nothing, speaking not a word, Chi offers all that she is, and all that she will ever become, to Serena. No doubt, no fear, and not an ounce of hesitation. This is her own secret binding oath. No witnesses, no official papers or ceremony .... just between her and the Goddess Herself. Whether she succeeds in her quest to become one of the mighty Galdorians or not, whether she succeeds in becoming a chaplain or not, this oath binds her throughout her life, and beyond.

[Carasharr]

Too wound up to sleep, Chimera flips through her notes. She can't seem to concentrate though, her thoughts racing, and that familiar tightening in her belly. Excitement, hope, faith .... fear.

She closes the journal, tracing her fingers lightly over the cover. A gift from her mentor in those earliest days, and she hasn't been without it since. She wonders what he'd say if he knew how many times she'd held it tight, like some sacred tome, and wished her nightmares away. When the dark shadows stalk her dreams, and the unknown terrors mock her with echoing laughter, she imagines the one voice that she knows will find her and lead her back.

Raising her eyes to the stone figure looming above her, Chi hugs the journal to her and silently prays.

[Carasharr]

Numb and motionless, Chi sits by the fire, waiting. Her tray of food sits untouched, her bed not slept in. Her pack still sits on the floor by the door where she dropped it. She'd told them, just like she said she would.

Dawn brings colored patterns of light streaming across the room from the stained glass. Two figures enter the room, quietly lifting one tray, replacing it with another. A fresh pitcher of water, breakfast, fresh towels. Chi can feel their eyes on her back, but she doesn't respond to their presence. They linger a moment, reading the room, then go as quietly as they came.

" How long are we going to let this go on?" The taller of the two lifts the tray she's holding, indicating the uneaten food. The other glances at the tray, then clasps her hands behind her back, turning to gaze down over the city of Helios. "Give her a chance." is the quiet reply. "Just tell me if anything changes."

[Carasharr]

The reflection looks the same in the still water. It's real ... it's there ....but at the same time, it isn't. Something we see every day, but never question. What if suddenly the the accepted, the expected, changed? What is it inside us that tells us when we're awake, and when we're dreaming?

Chi is no stranger to nightmares. You aren't always aware it's a dream until you wake from it. Until that shocking moment that you realize one reality has suddenly vanished, and another has taken it's place ... the dream was your reality. Sometimes though, you just know. There is that strange feeling in your gut that tells you something isn't right.

The most ordinary things, small things, just aren't the way you expect. Funny what we don't notice we've noticed, until it is different somehow. Tiny little bits of reality that nobody else would know. The unique way we perceive the people and things around us.

*Chi draws her finger over her reflection in the water.* What does it take to change that perception forever?

[Carasharr]

Chimera smiles, closing her eyes as she holds the freshly picked sage to her nose, breathing the scent in deeply. The peace and warmth, the fresh smells and familiar sounds of the garden ease the chill from her bones. Turning to reach for another leaf, her breath catches, the leaf falls to the ground, and she goes still as a statue. An apparition steps out of nowhere, materializing right before her eyes. Her first thought is that from now on she'll listen to her instincts, no matter how silly it might seem.

It takes a moment for Chi to recognize the figure, having only seen her from a distance all but once. A soft voice, like the whisper of a breeze through tall grass, " Vendui. Udos need to talk." Though softly spoken, the words carry an edge of urgency.

Rumor has it that this lady can call upon the forces of nature, and command the elements. Walking behind her, Chimera studies her discretely. Her footfalls make no sound, and leave no trace upon the land. Her stride is fluid and graceful, almost flowing over the ground rather than walking upon it.

They come to an old apple tree, where the lady places her hand upon the trunk and whispers something under her breath. The tree shimmers slightly, then all sounds from outside the reach of the limbs are silenced. She turns to Chimera, drawing something from a hidden pocket within her robes. "Keep this with dos. Felix is free from Tryssa, but there are others near. Usstan pray dos will have nau cause to use it .... but just in case." With that she takes Chimera's hand and places a small object in it, closing Chi's fingers around it gently. "Keep it someplace safe, but keep it with dos at all times."

[Carasharr]

One more try. Fizzle, pop, then .... nothing. Chimera stomps her foot in frustration, grumbling under her breath, then opens the book once more. Just as a few of those words the chaplains don't like are about to roll off her tongue, she hears a voice behind her, "Hey you. New dress?"

Biting off her exlamations, she turns to see Felix appraising her curiously. She scolds herself silently, (Great! Just great! Cursing and losing my temper both ... ughhh.) She's so busy berating herself for acting so childish that his comment about her dress almost escapes her notice ..... almost.

" Not new, but clean. I think I drug half the garden back on the other one today." Which was the truth, though she keeps to herself that it's not the only reason. "I don't think I've seen you wear that before ..." Felix indicates the pendant sewn to the velvet choker around her neck.

In an attempt to keep what she's thinking from showing on her face, she sets the book down and reaches for her bag. " I got it when I got the fabric for the dress. Like it?" Inwardly, she cringes at sounding like she's brushing it off so lightly. Pulling the bundle from her bag she turns to him. He grins, "Yeah, I do."

That's all it takes. Her cheeks flush, her grin brightens, and there's no hiding it. A small voice in the back of her mind is saying (Just say thank you silly.) But for some reason she can't quite put her finger on, those words never reach her lips. Instead, she offers him some of the treats she brought him from the garden, and starts talking about spells and gadgets. All the while, very aware something is different.

They straighten out a few problems with her studies, then fall swiftly into her favorite part of her training. This is the part where she gets to just talk with her mentor, understand better what he believes, and why. The chaplains have their angle on things, which she must learn and respect. They're not wrong .... but there are gaps in their methods that Chi isn't willing to ignore, even if they sometimes do. A painful lesson learned the hard way these past months, while Felix did battle with something they didn't know how to fight.

A twinge of that fear reminds her just how close they came to losing him. Listening to his voice, she remembers how scared she was that she may never hear it again. Watching his expressions, she remembers what it was like to see only pain there, and being helpless to take it away for him. She remembers how furious it made her that the chaplains offered only their skills in health and healing, but did not take care to listen to what he was really trying to tell them ... until it was too late.

As if reading her very thoughts, Felix encourages her more passionate approach, but also cautions against "losing it" in front of those she means to help. She knows he's right, and that she has to work on that a bit, but they both know she'll never be able to master " The Look". That stone faced, unreadable, unmoved expression the chaplains tend to wear to hide their own emotions. Good and gentle people, all of them, with genuine care for others. They just try so hard not to feed another's worries that they end up scaring the hells out of them. In times of crisis, that can make things a whole lot more complicated. Broken bodies or broken hope ... people are hard enough to reach through their trauma.

A calm comes over Chimera as it finally dawns on her what is different. Those little things that had been taken away ... the simplest things, gestures of trust, were coming back. Felix's manner is quiet, comfortable, more himself than he'd been since this all started. In turn, Chi feels a weight lift from her heart. He's letting her know, in his own way, they're gonna be okay.

[Carasharr]

Pics and posts in the works here too. Just don't wanna get pruned before they're finished

[Carasharr]

The Temple of the Sun is buzzing with activity. People from far away places are traveling to Helios by any means they can find. The Scourge have driven almost every one from the small farms and villages nestled in the wilds. The Galdorians are spread thin over vast expanses of land, doing everything in their power to get those people to safe refuge.

Chimera looks up as the sun breaks on the horizon, fighting its way through banks of dark clouds. Suddenly something inside her tightens, and a feeling of dread comes over her. A rumbling, almost like an earthquake ... but the ground isn't moving. The newly risen sun goes black for a moment, then returns to normal. Chimera looks around quickly to see if anybody else saw that. Most are standing dead still. As well trained as they are in being unreadable, they can't hide the color draining from their faces.

[Carasharr]

The wind howls outside as the storm rolls in from the sea. Chimera covers her head with a pillow to muffle the loud cracks of thunder and shut out the jagged flashes of lightning that light up her room one after another. She tries to think of how beautiful it'll be after the rain, everything washed clean, the air fresh and crisp, the morning sun making each droplet of water shimmer with it's own little rainbow. So intent is she on picturing such images in her mind that she doesn't notice the storm fading away, and she falls fast asleep as quiet settles once more over Helios.

Other images start to fill her mind as she sleeps. Some silly, like a pink dragon having a drink with a striped rabbit in the tavern, or a herd of puppies charging through the temple. But as another leg of the storm builds, thunder growing nearer and louder, her dreams turn dark and frightening. An image of Felix, a slight frown on his handsome features, looking at some one as if he didn't believe what they were saying. A voice, unfamiliar, strange, and a slightly sick feeling in her gut like something bad is about to happen. Turning to see who speaks, who has given Felix reason to frown, a huge figure comes into view. A large cloak covers much of the stranger, but can't conceal it size, or the odd voice that sends a shiver down her spine.

As the stranger speaks a huge shadow suddenly falls upon all three of them. Felix draws his sword and shouts for Chimera to watch out. She too draws her weapon and ducks just in time to dodge sharp talons and a gaping maw full of wicked looking teeth. She glances to Felix who is looking accusingly at the stranger. She looks to the stranger who begins to speak words of a language she's never heard before, lifting his hands towards the sky. There is a powerful explosion, blinding light, and a crackling sound that seems to build and build until her ears can bear it no longer. Then a wave of power sweeps out .... she can feel it engulf her... then with a jolt she wakes up, feeling as if she has been hurled into her bed from a great high place. She looks around quickly for Felix .... the stranger ... the creature that fell upon them from above .... but no one is there. A flash of lightning lights up her room brighter than the brightest torch, but nothing is there. A loud crack of thunder makes her flinch as she tries to catch her breath, feeling sweat trickling down her face.

" I remember ...."