Chosen [Part 13]
Nov. 13th, 2011 10:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
esp_dragonFandom: Original
Summary: Ras has just been chosen by the Gods to protect humans from geists, beings that prey on people's souls. Sent by Them to aid her is Aldran, a psyven; through the bond forged on their first meeting, Aldran can pass his magic to Ras for her to use against the geists. Only those bonded with psyvens can fight the geists, as a psyven's magic is the one magic that is truly effective against them.
But stories are told to children to placate fears and soothe nightmares. Ras has to learn that Aldran and living as a khertan are not what she expected and that the danger is very real.
While she adjusts to her new life, she and Aldran begin to discover all is not as it seems; however, realising and accepting the truth is not easy and ultimately, in the end, is it worth it?
Rating: PG-13
Notes: You can find my commentary on this part here
Genre: Fantasy/Friendship
Word count: 1,991
Total word count: 32,522
Status: Work in progress
While they were walking, Ras remembered a question that Ceilha had asked their guide.
"Quiss," she said quietly, graining the other woman's attention. "With Olsak's body, have you set down the wards and protections...?"
Quiss nodded, her eyes closing briefly. "Yes, he's - his body is at the church, so it will be safe from possessing spirits." There was a small pause. "What should we do with...it?"
Ras' heart sped up even further than it had originally been beating, already faster than usual because of the situation. Her memories flashed to Ula's parents, to the snatches of conversation she had overhead while in Sous before the funerals had been arranged.
"We...can't decide that," Ras said slowly. "That isn't our right." It was for the family or friends, but if Olsak had neither... Ras tried to take a calming breath, but it didn't work. "We can't bring Olsak's soul back to his body - we're sorry."
Quiss looked away, nodding slowly, her breath shuddering. "I was afraid of that. As soon as I can, I'll as our priest to begin preparing his body."
Ras couldn't help the small ball of ice that formed in the pit of her stomach. His body was alive - but it was no longer inhabited, and to make sure that it would stay that way... Ras nodded. As she had said, that wasn't her decision to make.
It didn't take them long to reach his house, Ras knowing they were nearing it by the pricking of her skin. Silently, Quiss lead them to the door, before stopping next to it. She motioned them in, but when Ras peered at her curiously, Quiss shook her head. Of course, Ras thought as she entered Olsak's house, who would want to willingly spend time in a place that a geist had been and fed on someone?
The inside of the house was deceptively normal, as if the occupant had merely just left and would be arriving back shortly. Again, there wasn't a scene of great destruction -if there had been, surely someone would have come to investigate?- the bedsheets being tossed haphazardly to the bottom of the bed being the only thing of note.
But it had definitely happened here, there was no doubt.
While Aldran wandered over to the right, Ras started searching the left of the room, feeling completely lost and unsure of how to proceed. They wouldn't be able to find anything from here, would they? Not unless the geist had broken down the door -which was likely- but that hadn't happened in this case, the door whole and still working.
She tried peering out the window, but that yeilded nothing.
When she reached the other side of the room, she frowned across it, staring at the door. She hadn't found any other hints that this was a geist attack, but that wasn't really needed. But she was starting to wonder how the geist had stolen itsway into his house. There were no holes in the wall, and the door was still in its proper place, no matter how much she stared at it.
"What's wrong?" Aldran asked quietly, nearing her.
"How did it get in?" Ras asked, gesturing towards the entire room. "Unless he invited it..." He may have, Ras realised, her stomach sinking. If this had happened at night, it would have been far harder to see if the person he was talking to had slitted eyes, and by the time they were in the house were Olsak could see them properly, it would have already been far too late.
"I think that might have been what happened," Aldran said, frowning slightly. "But," he added, looking back at her, "I don't think we can find anything here that could be used to track the geist."
Ras nodded. "I agree." She started to walk back to the door, when Aldran caught her by the sleeve. She stopped moving and peered back at him curiously.
"Ras, please-" He struggled with his words, his head ducked, and Ras waited patiently for him to find the words that he wanted to use.
"Please, be careful," he said, his words barely over a whisper.
This time, Ras didn't have a dry remark in her head in response to that, and she nodded. "Of course I will be."
"But my magic..." Aldran looked away. "Could you try to use it as least as possible?"
Ras looked at him in alarm. "I can't do that - if we're being attacked by a geist, then I'll be throwing everything you give me at it!"
Aldran looked panicked at her words. "But-!" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Then, could you try attacking it with the smaller bursts of magic, rather than the one large attack?" he suggested.
Ras nodded slowly, considering it. "It worked better, definitely."
"And you needed less magic to do it," Aldran added.
"All right," Ras agreed. "When we fight the geist, that's what I'll do."
"Thank you," Aldran said quietly.
* * *
Ras and Aldran weren't able to find any more signs that there was a geist in the village over the next few hours, and disheartened, Ras eventually suggested that they should rest for the night after the moon had risen. They wouldn't be able to see anything well by that light, especially a geist's eyes, but at least they would be able to feel it coming.
With a sigh, they started to make their way to the tavern, the village too small to house an inn.
Hearing the chatter stutter when she and Aldran entered, Ras resisted the urge to duck her head herself. It eventually picked up again, going from a murmur, and then back to its usual volume once it was obvious she and Aldran were not doing anything.
She briefly wondered if anyone would invite her for a drink, but then dismissed it. Probably not, and she'd rather rest straight away and wake up early in the morning, rather than dragging herself out of bed.
Feeling the weight of people's gazes on her, Ras and Aldran made their way to the barkeep, a heavyset man who watched them shrewdly from the corner of his eyes.
"If you could give us a night here," Ras said, reaching for the purse of coins at her waist.
The barkeep's eyebrows rose, as his eyes flicked first to her chest, and then her waist. Ras frowned at him.
"Too much attention tended to make her uncomfortable; that kind of attention, she didn't want.
Before she could say anything, the barkeep said, "You're paying? I thought you would be getting the room free of charge?"
Ras stared at him, her thought processes tripping over itself. He wasn't...? He was looking at her pendant, not her-
Ras sighed, collecting her thoughts. "I'm...not entirely sure of the procedure, but I'd feel better if I paid for our room." They definitely had enough coin, and Ras didn't want to put them out by not paying.
"At a cheaper fee?" the barkeep said warily.
Ras hid a sigh. She definitely was not in the mood to barter at that particular moment. "No. The full price," she said firmly.
The barkeep shot another considering look at her - the pendant (Ras felt like she wanted to hide it soon, if it would be drawing stares) before nodding. "It's this way," he grunted, and began to lead them to the back.
She glanced at Aldran, who she realised had been watching the tavern while she had been talking with the barkeep. Watching her back. He noticed her attention straight away and blinked down at her. Ras tilted her head towards where the barkeep was going and Aldran nodded, throwing one last look at the people around them before moving to follow.
Ras paid the barkeep the ten senra he asked for when they reached the room, and after they left, looked around properly. There were two beds, a fireplace, as well as a couple of chairs, and really, that was all Ras really wanted. The barkeep had also mentioned that they had places to wash themselves, which Ras had to admit, sounded nice after trying to find and failing to find the geist. Maybe she could use that time to try and put her thoughts into order.
"I'm going for a wash," Ras said out loud, musing about the directions the barkeep had given them.
"You are?" Aldran looked startled, his tail freezing briefly before moving again.
Ras nodded, humming. When she started moving for the door, Aldran started walking with her. "You're bathing as well?" she asked.
Aldran frowned, and then shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I just...don't want to leave you alone."
Ras sighed, nodding. That made sense, especially if there was a geist in the area.
* * *
It took Ras a while to fill the tub to a satisfactory level, but after that was done, she striped off her clothes and sank herself down into the cool water, just letting herself drift in the sensation of the water surrounding her for a few seconds.
Lifting her hair away from her neck, Ras felt around for the clasp for the pendant chain. When she found it, she fumbled for a few seconds with it before she undid it. The chain slithered into her palm, though it very nearly plopped into the water. She held it up to the torchlight, letting it swing in her grasp; while she could see it well enough when the pendant was hanging around her neck, it felt easier on her eyes seeing it at a distance, rather than peering up close at it.
There wasn't that much of note, really. It was a flat oval shape, smaller than her thumbnail, a loop at one end to thread the chain through. Spreading through it all like veins were lines of gold, jumping over the chain links – chain links that were far too small, too fine to have been made by hand, but by magic.
Ald this was another symbol that marked her as a khertan, but Ras didn't understand why it was needed – Aldran at her side was proof enough that she was a khertan. Though, she had to admit, there were bound to be times when she and Aldran would be apart.
Sighing, Ras reached over and put the pendant and its chain in a pile on the small table beside her tub.
She'd put it back on after she'd had a good soak.
* * *
While Ras felt better after the bath, she hadn't been able to settle her thoughts into any sort of order. She wrung as much water from her hair as she could before she pulled on her clothes. Ras checked the room for anything in case she had left anything, and found the pendant. She picked it up, not feeling like fumbling with the tiny catch at that particular moment.
She exited the bath house, and greeted Aldran, who had been waiting by the door, with a smile. "All ri-" Ras stopped talking when she saw Aldran's face, focused intently on her hand.
"I took it off," she said as way of explanation, and she started to put it back on -she could bump into someone and drop it- but she froze when her skin prickled, and it definitely was not because the wind had changed.
Cursing, Ras span around, trying to find where the geist was, and it was only then she realised she could hear someone running towards them. Gods, please let it only be the one geist this time!
Ras swapped the hand she held the pendant in, leaving her dominant hand free to cast Aldran's magic - she just hoped that she wouldn't need to draw her dagger in this fight. And dammit, she shouldn't have taken the pendant off, or taken so long before deciding she should put it back on!
Summary: Ras has just been chosen by the Gods to protect humans from geists, beings that prey on people's souls. Sent by Them to aid her is Aldran, a psyven; through the bond forged on their first meeting, Aldran can pass his magic to Ras for her to use against the geists. Only those bonded with psyvens can fight the geists, as a psyven's magic is the one magic that is truly effective against them.
But stories are told to children to placate fears and soothe nightmares. Ras has to learn that Aldran and living as a khertan are not what she expected and that the danger is very real.
While she adjusts to her new life, she and Aldran begin to discover all is not as it seems; however, realising and accepting the truth is not easy and ultimately, in the end, is it worth it?
Rating: PG-13
Notes: You can find my commentary on this part here
Genre: Fantasy/Friendship
Word count: 1,991
Total word count: 32,522
Status: Work in progress
While they were walking, Ras remembered a question that Ceilha had asked their guide.
"Quiss," she said quietly, graining the other woman's attention. "With Olsak's body, have you set down the wards and protections...?"
Quiss nodded, her eyes closing briefly. "Yes, he's - his body is at the church, so it will be safe from possessing spirits." There was a small pause. "What should we do with...it?"
Ras' heart sped up even further than it had originally been beating, already faster than usual because of the situation. Her memories flashed to Ula's parents, to the snatches of conversation she had overhead while in Sous before the funerals had been arranged.
"We...can't decide that," Ras said slowly. "That isn't our right." It was for the family or friends, but if Olsak had neither... Ras tried to take a calming breath, but it didn't work. "We can't bring Olsak's soul back to his body - we're sorry."
Quiss looked away, nodding slowly, her breath shuddering. "I was afraid of that. As soon as I can, I'll as our priest to begin preparing his body."
Ras couldn't help the small ball of ice that formed in the pit of her stomach. His body was alive - but it was no longer inhabited, and to make sure that it would stay that way... Ras nodded. As she had said, that wasn't her decision to make.
It didn't take them long to reach his house, Ras knowing they were nearing it by the pricking of her skin. Silently, Quiss lead them to the door, before stopping next to it. She motioned them in, but when Ras peered at her curiously, Quiss shook her head. Of course, Ras thought as she entered Olsak's house, who would want to willingly spend time in a place that a geist had been and fed on someone?
The inside of the house was deceptively normal, as if the occupant had merely just left and would be arriving back shortly. Again, there wasn't a scene of great destruction -if there had been, surely someone would have come to investigate?- the bedsheets being tossed haphazardly to the bottom of the bed being the only thing of note.
But it had definitely happened here, there was no doubt.
While Aldran wandered over to the right, Ras started searching the left of the room, feeling completely lost and unsure of how to proceed. They wouldn't be able to find anything from here, would they? Not unless the geist had broken down the door -which was likely- but that hadn't happened in this case, the door whole and still working.
She tried peering out the window, but that yeilded nothing.
When she reached the other side of the room, she frowned across it, staring at the door. She hadn't found any other hints that this was a geist attack, but that wasn't really needed. But she was starting to wonder how the geist had stolen itsway into his house. There were no holes in the wall, and the door was still in its proper place, no matter how much she stared at it.
"What's wrong?" Aldran asked quietly, nearing her.
"How did it get in?" Ras asked, gesturing towards the entire room. "Unless he invited it..." He may have, Ras realised, her stomach sinking. If this had happened at night, it would have been far harder to see if the person he was talking to had slitted eyes, and by the time they were in the house were Olsak could see them properly, it would have already been far too late.
"I think that might have been what happened," Aldran said, frowning slightly. "But," he added, looking back at her, "I don't think we can find anything here that could be used to track the geist."
Ras nodded. "I agree." She started to walk back to the door, when Aldran caught her by the sleeve. She stopped moving and peered back at him curiously.
"Ras, please-" He struggled with his words, his head ducked, and Ras waited patiently for him to find the words that he wanted to use.
"Please, be careful," he said, his words barely over a whisper.
This time, Ras didn't have a dry remark in her head in response to that, and she nodded. "Of course I will be."
"But my magic..." Aldran looked away. "Could you try to use it as least as possible?"
Ras looked at him in alarm. "I can't do that - if we're being attacked by a geist, then I'll be throwing everything you give me at it!"
Aldran looked panicked at her words. "But-!" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Then, could you try attacking it with the smaller bursts of magic, rather than the one large attack?" he suggested.
Ras nodded slowly, considering it. "It worked better, definitely."
"And you needed less magic to do it," Aldran added.
"All right," Ras agreed. "When we fight the geist, that's what I'll do."
"Thank you," Aldran said quietly.
Ras and Aldran weren't able to find any more signs that there was a geist in the village over the next few hours, and disheartened, Ras eventually suggested that they should rest for the night after the moon had risen. They wouldn't be able to see anything well by that light, especially a geist's eyes, but at least they would be able to feel it coming.
With a sigh, they started to make their way to the tavern, the village too small to house an inn.
Hearing the chatter stutter when she and Aldran entered, Ras resisted the urge to duck her head herself. It eventually picked up again, going from a murmur, and then back to its usual volume once it was obvious she and Aldran were not doing anything.
She briefly wondered if anyone would invite her for a drink, but then dismissed it. Probably not, and she'd rather rest straight away and wake up early in the morning, rather than dragging herself out of bed.
Feeling the weight of people's gazes on her, Ras and Aldran made their way to the barkeep, a heavyset man who watched them shrewdly from the corner of his eyes.
"If you could give us a night here," Ras said, reaching for the purse of coins at her waist.
The barkeep's eyebrows rose, as his eyes flicked first to her chest, and then her waist. Ras frowned at him.
"Too much attention tended to make her uncomfortable; that kind of attention, she didn't want.
Before she could say anything, the barkeep said, "You're paying? I thought you would be getting the room free of charge?"
Ras stared at him, her thought processes tripping over itself. He wasn't...? He was looking at her pendant, not her-
Ras sighed, collecting her thoughts. "I'm...not entirely sure of the procedure, but I'd feel better if I paid for our room." They definitely had enough coin, and Ras didn't want to put them out by not paying.
"At a cheaper fee?" the barkeep said warily.
Ras hid a sigh. She definitely was not in the mood to barter at that particular moment. "No. The full price," she said firmly.
The barkeep shot another considering look at her - the pendant (Ras felt like she wanted to hide it soon, if it would be drawing stares) before nodding. "It's this way," he grunted, and began to lead them to the back.
She glanced at Aldran, who she realised had been watching the tavern while she had been talking with the barkeep. Watching her back. He noticed her attention straight away and blinked down at her. Ras tilted her head towards where the barkeep was going and Aldran nodded, throwing one last look at the people around them before moving to follow.
Ras paid the barkeep the ten senra he asked for when they reached the room, and after they left, looked around properly. There were two beds, a fireplace, as well as a couple of chairs, and really, that was all Ras really wanted. The barkeep had also mentioned that they had places to wash themselves, which Ras had to admit, sounded nice after trying to find and failing to find the geist. Maybe she could use that time to try and put her thoughts into order.
"I'm going for a wash," Ras said out loud, musing about the directions the barkeep had given them.
"You are?" Aldran looked startled, his tail freezing briefly before moving again.
Ras nodded, humming. When she started moving for the door, Aldran started walking with her. "You're bathing as well?" she asked.
Aldran frowned, and then shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I just...don't want to leave you alone."
Ras sighed, nodding. That made sense, especially if there was a geist in the area.
It took Ras a while to fill the tub to a satisfactory level, but after that was done, she striped off her clothes and sank herself down into the cool water, just letting herself drift in the sensation of the water surrounding her for a few seconds.
Lifting her hair away from her neck, Ras felt around for the clasp for the pendant chain. When she found it, she fumbled for a few seconds with it before she undid it. The chain slithered into her palm, though it very nearly plopped into the water. She held it up to the torchlight, letting it swing in her grasp; while she could see it well enough when the pendant was hanging around her neck, it felt easier on her eyes seeing it at a distance, rather than peering up close at it.
There wasn't that much of note, really. It was a flat oval shape, smaller than her thumbnail, a loop at one end to thread the chain through. Spreading through it all like veins were lines of gold, jumping over the chain links – chain links that were far too small, too fine to have been made by hand, but by magic.
Ald this was another symbol that marked her as a khertan, but Ras didn't understand why it was needed – Aldran at her side was proof enough that she was a khertan. Though, she had to admit, there were bound to be times when she and Aldran would be apart.
Sighing, Ras reached over and put the pendant and its chain in a pile on the small table beside her tub.
She'd put it back on after she'd had a good soak.
While Ras felt better after the bath, she hadn't been able to settle her thoughts into any sort of order. She wrung as much water from her hair as she could before she pulled on her clothes. Ras checked the room for anything in case she had left anything, and found the pendant. She picked it up, not feeling like fumbling with the tiny catch at that particular moment.
She exited the bath house, and greeted Aldran, who had been waiting by the door, with a smile. "All ri-" Ras stopped talking when she saw Aldran's face, focused intently on her hand.
"I took it off," she said as way of explanation, and she started to put it back on -she could bump into someone and drop it- but she froze when her skin prickled, and it definitely was not because the wind had changed.
Cursing, Ras span around, trying to find where the geist was, and it was only then she realised she could hear someone running towards them. Gods, please let it only be the one geist this time!
Ras swapped the hand she held the pendant in, leaving her dominant hand free to cast Aldran's magic - she just hoped that she wouldn't need to draw her dagger in this fight. And dammit, she shouldn't have taken the pendant off, or taken so long before deciding she should put it back on!