Fantasy Cessation

[Project Naiad]

"Yeah I imagined so, but you never know." He said as he began eating quite eagerly, the meal tasted great, he had never eaten venison before, and certainly not cooked that way. The vegetable seemed a bit odd, but he ate it nevertheless to avoid offending his guests.

"So, -- he asked between morsels -- What do you think of these attacks? Are they just bandits, or should we prepare for something worse?"

 

[Ashvaliaen]

"I do not think so, all wounds are too precise and targeted to specific areas. There is also a sort of signature they leave at each scene, and that is one thing I've never known bandits to do. They don't take anything from the trade stock either." Sa'Netel said as he stirred the stew with one slice of the strange vegetable. He'd never cared much for the spice, but with the venison it wasn't a bad thing. At least, not to him. It was just a bit strong for the vegetables they used.

 

[Project Naiad]

He finished his stew before the other and sighed quietly, taking another sip of infused water.
The sun was starting to set, and the jungle trees around them started casting their shadows over the ground.
"Who could bear such a grudge against your people? And what kind of signature do they leave?"

 

[Ashvaliaen]

"I do not know who would bear such a grudge. The signature is a set of words found at or near each scene, it isn't in either of our languages though. The Keeper translated it, and wrote it down." Sa'Netel said as he tried to remember what it had said, "It was something like; learn your place, keep your pace and face your doom. Signed Redemption. There's more than just that but I don't remember it."

 

[Project Naiad]

He scratched his chin in thought, "It almost sounds like a personal revenge, although I might be wrong. It's quite intriguing. I'll ask the keeper more information later, when she'll let us know what course of action we should take."
He checked the darkened sky above them as some torches were being lit around them.
"Or rather, tomorrow, it's getting late."

 

[Ashvaliaen]

"Then I should show you to your lodgings." Sa'Netel responded. He thought about the man's speculation, and found that if he was right there would be more questions. Of course, he wouldn't rule it out but it would give him more to think about. Things like who would hold such hostilities, and when such feelings might have arisen. He had been told up until they settled on the island that outsiders had never been allowed to view them. In fact, the sorcerers of the island had even constructed elaborate illusions to deter anyone from outside of their specific group. That left only three possibilities in the commander's mind, and he wasn't sure which of them was worse.

 

[Project Naiad]

Ramses stood up from the bench, ready to follow him and thanked the girls that had served them with a nod of his head and a smile.
As they walked, he noticed that Sa'Netel was deep in his thoughts, and stayed silent not to bother him.
It seemed like his hypothesis of a personal revenge had upset him. Maybe the keeper didn't hold as much authority as she thought after all?

 

[Ashvaliaen]

The guest quarters were much the same as the other structures of the island, seeming like a caravan wagon rather than a building. On the inside though, there was a feather bed, bookshelves filled with various different kinds of literature, and other leisure items. When they got to the small building Sa'Netel spoke up, "You also have access to any facility you may find interest in. There should be a map o the islands and their various buildings in the cabinet by your bed."

 

[Project Naiad]

He checked inside with curiosity and nodded. "I'll be fine here. Will someone come find me when the keeper has made her decisions?"
He asked, laying down the leather bag with the stuff he had brought with him from his home and his engraved gilded staff.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

"Of course, you wouldn't be excluded from any of the central information or important council. If you need anything, servicers are marked by silk belts. They can answer general questions and fill your drink jug." Sa'Netel said. There was also a jug on a table just inside the small building with smooth ceramic cups. The jug was filled with another form of infused water, made to boost general health. The fruit in this one was mostly citrus.

 

[Project Naiad]

He lit a candle and placed it on a table to cast some light inside the wagon.
"Alright, I understand, I'll wait for some news. Tomorrow I'll go take a look around and make some friends. -- He said chuckling -- I guess I'll see you around, thank you for your time".

 

[Ashvaliaen]

Sa'Netel nodded, "I wouldn't recommend trying to befriend the older people, they are most displeased with the Keeper's choices. I will go now though, goodbye." he said. With that, the man left to his own quarters to think over the different scenarios. He didn't think that he'd get much sleep until he'd explored the various possibilities.

 

[Project Naiad]

After Sa'Netel left, Ramses went back inside his room and relaxed a bit, leaving his staff and his bag in a corner and pouring himself a cup of infused water. He tried checking some of the books on the shelves but he didn't understand much, so he resorted to reading a few pages off a prayer booklet he brought with him, before finally blowing off the candle and drifting to sleep.

The morning after Ramses decided to go exploring the isle as he waited for the Keeper's will. He washed himself and grabbed his stuff, heading out into the surrounding vegetation. Now that the morning rays filtered through the canopy, the jungle seemed more welcoming again, albeit no less wild.
By following one of the paths cleared through the grass he soon managed to find a small market. The people there looked wary and bitter, but he still enjoyed browsing the wears and smelling unfamiliar scents all around, and when he got hungry he managed to exchange some of his golden coins with a bowl of a spicy soup and some bread, while a young girl wearing a silk sash kindly filled his jug with infused water, like Sa'Netel had said.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

Throughout the day, Eikana went about ordering the necessary equipment be set aside for travel. She felt younger somehow, like she was just training with the hunters again. By the time she decided to call a small council of people she would take back to the mainland, most of the checklist had been taken care of. By the next day a fairly large caravel would be prepared with the wagons which had thick wooden skates near the bottom, shaped so they would glide easily across the sand when pulled by the special mounts kept by the Shexili people.

These beasts were the symbol of their travelling god, these creatures were powerfully muscled and built for long hours of walking. They were shorter than a horse or camel would be, but one look at them would be enough to know they were just as strong and possibly even more resilient. Their horns were carved with holy symbols as they grew, an action that the creatures didn't seem to mind. This time there would be ten of the great beasts travelling with them. She wondered if she should introduce her guest to the unique creatures before the boat ride, since it wasn't likely for him to have seen them yet. They were now kept on an island just off the main one where they were treated with only the highest respect, higher than the Keeper herself.

Now she'd sent messengers to summon the three others she planned to take on this journey, along with the woman she would put in charge while she was absent. So in the meantime, she revised the list of things they would need on their journey and wondered exactly what Ramses would think of how they travelled. Surely it was far different from anything he would be used to.

 

[Project Naiad]

Around midday Ramses looked for a quiet spot to say his prayers to the sun goddess; his sacred duty, no matter how far from the Gleaming Temple in Sen-Aten he was.
He found a sunny clearing among the palms and there he performed his rites, tracing a glowing glyph with his staff on the ground around himself, and saying the mantras in his tongue. As he continued, the light around him started to bend and dance, surrounding him in flashes and flickers that slowly started to fade as the ritual ended. In the main temple where Ramses officiated, the light reverberated across the whole building, in a blinding display that could be spotted from any point in the city.

Then in the afternoon he decided to go back to the Keeper's wagons to check on the preparations for the journey, and found a small crowd going about packing around some strange animals Ramses had never seen.
He kept some distance to stay out of their way as he watched them work while also keeping an eye out for any known faces.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

The messenger had taken a while to find Ramses after he'd found the rest, luckily the man was at the Keeper's wagon gawking at the group of grazing mounts which were surrounded by priests as always. The priests were perhaps the most modestly clothed people thus far; their silken purple robes stopped just before they hit the ground. The sole purpose of these people was to care for and transport the creatures, and their long sleeves were adorned with small round pieces of copper that would chime if they moved suddenly. The creatures themselves didn't even bear harnesses. A few of them regarded the newcomer with curiosity.

The messenger finally caught up with Ramses after a long search, "The Keeper has summoned you for a council." he spoke curtly in his attempt not to sound winded.

 

[Project Naiad]

Ramses stopped studying the animals and their priests and nodded, thanking the messenger.
He stood up and headed towards the Keeper'a wagon, taking a bit of distance out of respect when walking by the sacred beasts.
As he entered the room he noticed some people that weren't at the first council. He greeted everyone politely and took his place, waiting for the Keeper to speak.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

There were two naga who were unfamiliar to Ramses, one man with his hair completely shaven, and a woman who seemed to wear robes similar to the priests. The big difference in her robes were that they were white with each of their godly symbols along every seam. Her golden hair had been pulled back into a tight bun, and her face was stern. There was also a brightly colored red and gold bird, a phoenix as it was commonly called, sitting on a stand and preening it's feathers. There was a new chair in the room since last time Ramses had been.

"I'm sure everyone here knows that I will be taking a small, but undoubtedly elite group to scout a relatively untouched portion of the desert. The preparation for supplies has been made and ten Gedas have volunteered their assistance. I would estimate that we will be able to set off by midday tomorrow provided there are no interruptions. So, Commander Sa'Netel will set up that all warriors be ready to mobilize when they see the phoenix. Mage Warden Talruun will prepare all necessary magic artifacts. Visitor Ramses should take this time to acquaint himself with the Gedas, so as to obtain the approval of Dedinde for this journey. High Priest Mashia will attend the boat and clean it before preparing to lead in my absence. Does anyone have additions, questions, or objections?" Eikana spoke clearly, and though she had spoken in statements these were the official orders of all involved.

There was an almost imperceptible reaction from the Priestess at the mention of Dedinde's approval, but she raised no objections when given the opportunity. Instead she simply nodded in understanding for her task. The man now known as Talruun had an air about him that was almost offended, it seemed though, that was his perpetual state. Sa'Netel was the only one,aside from the phoenix, who seemed pleased with the situation.

 

[Project Naiad]

Ramses tried not to look as confused as he actually was. He was about to start asking some clarifications but he noticed a bit of tension in the atmosphere, especially coming from the priestess and decided to keep his silly outcomer questions for him, and maybe later ask Sa'Netel after the council.
When the Keeper looked at him he simply nodded, and since no one else had expressed objections, the council was quickly dismissed.

After exiting the Keeper's wagon he noticed the unfamiliar animals were still there, being tended to by the robed figures, and he wondered if those were the Gedas Eikana had spoken about; so he quietly approached the priests: "Huh, excuse me, I think the Keeper advised me to get to know these animals better for the journey?" He asked, somewhat awkwardly.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

On priest responded with a nod, "She had told us that you would be seeking Dedinde's approval, it was quite a shock." he fished something that looked like a little knife out of his pocket as he spoke and offered it to Ramses, "The easiest way for them to get to know you is to carve something into the base of their horns, perhaps something sacred to you." he explained. This was similar to a rite of passage all who passed training took, the ideal was the same anyway.

At the sight of the knife all of the creatures turned to stare at them, it was unclear why they were. A couple of them made a sort of chuff sound; though it could easily have been mistaken for an agitated noise, it was more curiosity than anything.

 

[Project Naiad]

Ramses began to slowly understand why the high priestess looked displeased as he slowly took the knife from the priest's hand, quietly getting closer to one of the creatures as to not upset it.
"So, I'm gathering that Dedinde is your deity?", he asked as he chose an empty spot on the Gedas's horn and cautiously started carving what looked like a stylized eye surrounded by rays.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

"One of them, yes. Dedinde is the chief god, and the one we followed across the world before coming to this island. These are said to be his personal beasts. This will be the first time in history that a symbol from a different religion is added to their collection." The man said as he meticulously groomed one, despite it already looking very much pristine.

The gedas that Ramses approached seemed to thoroughly enjoy the process of carving, it seemed to react as though Ramses were scratching some kind of itch. The others seemed to be settling down, a few laying in a cluster nearby as the other priests cleaned their hooves.

 

[Project Naiad]

He nodded as he continued, his religion also had a number of sacred animals, so it wasn't hard for him to understand their devotion.
Seeing that the animal didn't seem to be bothered at all, Ramses relaxed a bit, finishing the carving by adding a set of wings to the symbol and blowing away the horn powder. He handed back the knife to the priest and gave a scratch behind the gedas's ear, hoping it wasn't disrespectful, then he took his leave and turned around, where some laborers were still finishing preparations. With the rite out of the way he assumed everything that was left for him to do was to get ready himself.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

It hadn't taken long for Sa'Netel to ready the troops, now he'd taken to watching the trainees. He thought that a few were ready to be tested, or at least almost ready. For how young he was, there was a very meticulous process by which he'd already organised the way things were run within the warrior's ranks. He'd always had a knack for organisation, thought he could never quite organise books right.

Meanwhile the priestess Mashia had set to work in her own manner, though instead of cleaning she'd been ensuring the gedas would refuse their requests. That would certainly be a show of how the gods themselves disapproved of their naive leader and her actions against the old ways.

 

[Project Naiad]

There wasn't much left for him to do, so Ramses spent some time watching Sa'Netel's troops training, and when he started to get bored he walked back to the docks from where he arrived and enjoyed the sounds of the merchants, the birds and the crashing waves around him, as he sat down on a stone ledge to admire the setting sun.
As it got late he bought a modest dinner from a lady that sold shellfish at a small stand, mindful that he had to face another ship ride, and ate it as he headed back to his wagon to get some sleep.