- Journal solo about Namira's feelings about her place in Yael. how she felt when she came to the island and how she felt watching the Elaria bloom and grow.
- journal or rp about weapons training (she can determine what weapon she prefers) - affinity solo (if weapons training is rp'd)
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:28 am
Prentice Journal ✍ entry 1 The shore and what lies beyond
Down on the shore, Namira patrolled the cliffs. She stopped to dangle her feet over the edge with her back to the volcano. She gazed at the expanse of water before her. She knew, somewhere across the waves was the place she first bloomed. She remembered little about her bloomplace. She remembered feelings and some blurred faces. She did, however, remember the tree. The island was covered in trees but it wasn't The Tree. Even as a youngling she remembered looking up to its branches and recognizing its significance. Aisha, the giver of all life. She was one of her chosen children an Alkidike. For reasons she did not understand at the time, she was separated from that tree and brought here. Namira leaned forward a little and brought her hand to her chest. She remembered how painful it felt, a tightness in her chest that ached.
But that was a long time ago. She knew now why her people had to leave. A weakness had gripped the minds of their leaders and fellow sisters. There was a conflict and her sisters chose earthlings over their own people. To Namira, that betrayal hurt worse than being banished from Aisha. The new matriarchs were bright enough to take a piece of Aisha with them and that seed grew into Elzira. The new tree was a symbol of hope to Namira. A hope that one-day Elzira and Aisha would be one tree again. She knew she may never see that happen in her lifetime. Elzira was a sprout in comparison to Aisha and the size difference represented the time it would take before Elzira's influence would be strong enough to make any significant change.
She let out a sigh and looked down at the beach below. The waves looked calm and she could be the waters were warm. She had a line of rope she had braided herself wrapped around her waist. She tied it around her spear and anchored the spear between two rocks. She used it as an anchor to lower herself down the cliff. With the rope tied around her like a harness, it made it easier and faster to descend. Namira repelled down with relative ease. She had fallen half way down this cliff when she was little. The fall had sprained her ankle and she had to wait for her mothers to find her. She never forgot how helpless she felt that day. She learned her lesson and always carried a rope with her now.
When her feet planted in the sand she quickly untied the knots and ran to the water. She loved the ocean. She dove under the surface and swam out a bit. Namira then turned onto her back and let herself float on the gentle waves. The sound of the ocean calmed her. It was her getaway spot. She didn't have to think or worry if she didn't want to. The matrons couldn't yell at her, and her mothers wouldn't think to look for her for a few more hours. She let her worries melt away into the salty water, at least for now. She needed time like this to soothe her restless mind. Namira worried about her place with the elaria and the future of the alkidike constantly. She felt tied up in a conflict she desperately wanted to resolve. She often felt resentment towards the other alk. She didn't understand how they could misuse Aisha like they did and why the loved earthlings more than their own sisters. It left her confused about her place as an alk and what that meant to the elaria. So sometimes she just needed time to just be Namira.
Namira kept close to her grey sisters as she traded cold stares with the locals. This was her first time she had been back on the mainland since her sisters' banishment. Namira kept her fists clenched, her nails making little moon shaped impressions on her palms. She had many feelings about coming here. Initially, she hadn't wanted to come. She doesn't care what the Dretch do to the earthlings and the traitors. When she first heard about them she thought they might have been a blessing. A plague to wash away the filth from the mainland. Namira would have been content to stay on her island with Elzira and the others if Aisha hadn't been in danger. As much as she loves Elzira her heart still ached to see Aisha's branches once more. She likely would never see them again. Even still, just being so close to her parent tree filled her with anxiety, and hope, and sadness.
She had to be here, not for the earthlings or the hybrids or her fallen sisters, but for Aisha. If Namira had any hope for the future she had to be here to help protect Aisha. If she were left to be damaged or whithered it would surely weaken Elzira as well. And that, simply could not be allowed to happen. She knew deep in her heart that the true alkidike would return here and reclaim their home. Namira just needed to make sure that on that day, her kin would have a home left to claim.
Namira post 2
It had been too long since she had last seen the village. It was larger than she remembered it. Being in the presence of so many mainland alkidike clearly bothered the elaria. She followed the others who had noticeably crowded closer to each other as they made their way to the elder's hall. Namira appeared proud as ever and seemed to be more at ease than the others. She did not fear an attack from the Alkidike, she knew they were weak-willed. Not that the alk couldnt slaughter all of them here in the now crowded hall, she just knew they wouldn't. The mystics were gathered, it had everyone on edge but it should also give them a reassurance of peace. Naq still looked obviously irritated but she couldn't think of an appropriate way to reassure her that they weren't walking into a trap. She resigned to standing behind her on their side of the crowded hall.
She still was unsure how to feel about the dretch threat. Sure they were a threat but she didn't quite understand the urgency of the meeting. Why had they not resigned to the island and fortified their forces? If there was any hope of eradicating these creatures they would need to know their base of operations. She hoped to high Elzira that someone knew where to find them because she wasn't going to volunteer to go poking behind every tree in the countryside. If it were up to her she would ship all the alk to chibale and cleanse the forests with fire, or let the earthlings sort it out. There must be more to it than that, she did her best to wait and listen patiently as she shot death glares at all the filthy hybrids across the room. She was surprised those sick things were even allowed in the hall, it was just another sign of how far the alkidike have fallen.
Namira post 3
As tensions rose she was relieved to hear her matron say what she was thinking. The words from the other side were pleading and again without substance or answers. Naqenni's response surprised and impassioned her. She had never seen Naq like that before. (it was kind of hot) Her face flushed with pride and she placed her hand on her shoulder to show support.
"This is not going to turn into a peace ceremony. We are here to exterminate this threat if it is within our means. We are not here to exchange niceties or pretend to be polite to each other so let us get to the point of it." She had pushed herself forward towards the middle.
"So what has been done up till now? Have there been traps made or tracks found? What attracts them and when?" She was tired of pretending to be polite to these weaklings and their freaks. She wanted to get in and out of there so they could get back home to their Elzira. They needed to tackle this problem head-on, sitting back and whispering to each other had produced nothing.
Namira post 4
Her ears hushed the others to listen to what Danika was saying. She sounded reasonable enough and carried herself like a true mystic. The ways she spoke about the Dretch made it sound as if they didn't have a form or could appear and fade like vapors. "Whatever our ancestors used to fight these fiends has truly been lost to us." Namira shook her head in dismay. If the elders and the matrons did not know of a way. She could finally see where this was leading. Once again they would be taking their problems to the earthlings. It made her feel helplessly frustrated at the idea. Coming here was bad enough but going to them for help was appalling.
To think that any of those animals could be good for anything but fertilizer was unthinkable. Namira had heard about mages and scholars, types of earthlings who squirreled away information and used magics. One of them might know something her kind do not. While Alkidike and Elaria were superior in every other way, magic use was one of the earthlings unique quirks. While Namira tried to concentrate, some of the insults began to slip in. She had to clench her jaw to hold back her own snaping that came out as an aggressive huff. She glared at one of the misshapen things that was spouting insults. She took note of every word as she seethed. She would remember every one of their ugly faces. She would not kill them today, but she wanted to remember them well for when she hunted them in the future. She took a deep breath and held her eyes closed for a moment to calm herself. Everything about her wanted to take her spear and cut every one of them down that instant. Her muscles twitched with anticipation and it pained her to hold back. But she knew it wasn't the time. Not yet, patience. Patience. Her mother's voice echoed in her head.
"Mystic," she addressed Danika directly, something she normally wouldn't do, but the room was increasingly becoming an open forum. "Do you mean to suggest the earthlings might hold information about these creatures magics that we as a collective don't?" The question in itself sounded like an insult to the alkidike and elaria because it was. It was painful to think that they didn't have all the answers. It was beginning to look like the alkidike didn't know anything helpful about the dretch after all.
Namira post 5
She threw her arms up in frustration. This is what they were lead here for! Crawling to the damned earthlings! Namira made an angry groan for her aggravations. She hated this, she hated that the matron was right. She hated that they were in this situation. What if they go to the earthlings for help. What if they actually agree to it. What if they actually did help and the dretch were defeated.
The instant the threat is over, her family and the elarians will be the next target. Being that far from home is not where she wants to be found in that situation. Anytime anything bothers the earthlings they rally together and kick it back into the dirt just as it begins to sprout. Earthlings are dumb and short-sighted, and there were so damn many of them!
Muttering curses Namira pushed her way through the crowd towards the entrance of the hall. She needed some air, she needed to scream, she needed to kill something.
Namira post 6
She had been so enraged Namira didn't see Naq's reaction. So when the grey sister grasped her wrist Namira nearly swung back a strike at her. She was instead relieved it was one of her own and gave her a short nod in response. If someone had tried to stop her at that point or if one of the misshapen things had touched her instead, there would have been blood on the floor. Her fuming was noticeable enough that the others stepped aside as she made her way out with Naq.
As soon as she was in the open air, she grasped one of the training spears leaning against the hall. Namira let out a yell and swung the spear so hard at the ground it splintered in half. She was beyond words. She could not express her frustration and rage in any other way. It was as if they were asking her to go against everything she was and stood for. She could hardly tolerate the half-breeds as it was. She should have known they would have wanted to ask their earthling lovers for help. It always comes down to them. Namira turned to Naqenni, "They just- How? Why would they- Aaaagh!" She was pacing and pumping her arms. "This whole thing has been such, a waste of time!" She held the broken half of the spear and with both hands tried to break it again without success. All the restraint she had shown up till now had taken its toll and she couldn't contain herself. "The earthlings should fear us. If they do anything it should be because we demand it of them." she pointed her finger angrily at the hall. "We come here and they wave those half shapen things in front of us. Invite those things into their sacred hall like they are proud of it. I should not be surprised they want to seek out their animal lovers. They have not changed a bit in our absence. They will choose earthlings over Aisha every time."
Namira post 7
Her ears were still hot with anger by the time the hall began to empty. Arms crossed and posture stiff, her antennae twitched with irritation as she watched the half alk and earthling lovers pass by. She was unsure how many of her clan would be staying and who amongst them would be going back home. The whole meeting had felt like a failure and an insult. She tried to reach out to some of the strongest of their group. She hadn't seen the matron or mystic leave yet, they had seemed quiet, what were they planning to do if the rest of them left? She was fairly certain Naqenni would be leaving for home too. "Pyrrha, Pruu" she broke her statuesque posture to approach them, "What do you make of this? We aren't really going to stay to fight with earthlings, are we? Our dead would be rolling in their graves if they saw us take up arms with those creatures." She wanted to leave this place and this situation. Her and the elaria were proud people who hold themselves to higher standards. She needed reassurance that she wouldn't just be leaving her mystic in this wretched place.
Namira last post 8
She hadn't gotten the response she was looking for and felt a little disappointed. "I think being so close to them has dulled my senses," she muttered, "I need to return home to reflect. This trip has been beyond stressful." She had been grinding her teeth without realizing and took in a deep breath as she massaged her jaw muscles. "I know the dretch are a threat, but if we go this far from home again with such low numbers we will be leading ourselves to slaughter." The only thing she did know, was that if she had to fight the dretch with earthlings or hybrids, Dretch blood would not be the only thing wetting her blade. No, the elaria had to be smarter than this. This was a mistake, but one they could recover from. Namira stepped away from the others to make her way out of the village. She needed to breathe air that didn't stink of hybrids.
