[IC] Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek let out a few deep breaths as Onyx finally set him down. He leaned forward slightly and rested his hands on his thighs as if he were resting after some physical exercise, though it was really that he was coming down from the high of adrenaline that the flight had given him. "I feel like I've done something that no Karisskan has ever done before, and for some reason, am not too thrilled about it. Still...the flight back wasn't as bad as the flight there. I just...I think I just need time. I need practice, if you can call it that. I'll get used to it; I'll have to. Even in flight, it might take a day or so to get there."

Standing back up straight, Tarentek looked back at Onyx. "So, what now? Are we just relaxing for the rest of the day?"

[Vesuvius00]

"Well, I suppose you could relax if you wanted to, but I should make sure that I'm ready for my coming-of-age ritual tomorrow. It's not too late yet, I could go get anything I needed from the market now and then make dinner while thinking of everything that will happen tomorrow." Onyx said as she looked at the sky. "I'm a bit worried about the test of skills. I don't know what a test for a prophet would be like, so there's no way for me to prepare myself for it."

[EliteCommander]

"Oh, right, that is tomorrow. If being a prophet is what is meant for you, then I'm sure whatever skill they will be testing for is one you possess. Who knows, maybe it will be swimming? Wouldn't that be just great?" Tarentek joked.

Tarentek shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I wish I could be more help, but I know less about it than you do. Unless you need a partner for something, it might be best for me to stay here. I would slow you down, otherwise. If you have enough ingredients left in your den, I can go ahead and make dinner while you're away, at least. I do wish you luck in your ritual tomorrow, though. I doubt it would be appropriate for me to be there, being an outsider and everything."

[Vesuvius00]

"Ok, you go ahead and do that. I won't be gone too long." Onyx paused a moment before taking off again, debating what to say. "I don't know that you wouldn't be allowed there, but I'd think that some people wouldn't want you there anyway. I suppose it's up to you if you go or not. I wouldn't stop you, but others might try." Onyx Took off then, hovering for a moment to say one last thing before leaving. "I'll be right back, definitely before sunset."

[EliteCommander]

Once Onyx flew away, Tarentek returned to her den and took a few minutes to store away his weapons before he searched around her kitchen for something he might prepare. He could see why she mentioned going to the market, as she did not have too much left in the way of food. What she did have he couldn't make anything particularly spectacular, so he just put together something with the remaining ingredients. He cut up the one fish she had remaining to split between them, then started to roast a few carrots with some spices she fortunately had available. As a side item, he set aside some peaches, then started to sear figs to go along with them. It wasn't exactly a traditional combination of ingredients, but with the right herbs and spices, he felt he could make something they would both like.

[Vesuvius00]

Onyx tried not to get too lost in her thoughts as she was at the market, and she managed to do exactly that. She returned to her den after not too long, with a basket of food to show for her trip. As she put away everything she had gotten, she looked over what Tarentek had done while she was gone, not surprised by the strange use of ingredients. "Well, I got more food at the market so we don't have to have two strange meals in a row, but at least this looks edible." Onyx smiled as she spoke and sat at the table.

[EliteCommander]

"I'll settle for edible." Tarentek commented as he served Onyx her meal and took a seat himself. The parts of the meal were strange together, but at least they tasted fine if taken individually. "I suppose I'll just relax here tomorrow, as I wouldn't want to do anything to disturb your ritual. I understand its importance to you. So what will this change for you? I know that you'll become a prophet, and you'll be considered an adult, but what comes with that? Are there any changes you're particularly looking forward to? I remember once I started being considered an adult, there were some privileges I enjoyed gaining...along with a mountain of responsibilities I wasn't so thrilled about." He recalled with a laugh.

[Vesuvius00]

"Well, I told you about the name part already, and I suppose that's one part that I really am looking forward to a lot. Once the ritual is complete, I will be a Prophet, and everyone will call me Bri'nx instead of Onyx in respect to my new role in the tribe. That's a big change in itself, as that is the everyday proof of my acceptance by the tribe." Onyx paused to eat some of her meal before continuing. "As for my responsibilities, I will no longer have any daily tasks to complete unless I want to, and I won't have to attend the Elder's teachings and stories anymore. I will have new responsibilities though, such as looking after those who are still to come of age and going on daily patrols around the nest to help anyone who may need it. Any duties related to my role as a Prophet would also become new responsibilities for me, such as going on diplomatic missions or helping to ease the worries of the tribe."

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek nodded. "Hmm, and I suppose I can guess what your first major responsibility will be. It is only going to be a few more days before I'm ready to go. How do you feel about visiting a foreign city? I have been to Tel Nof before, though only once. As scouts, my squad was adept at crossing the desert terrain, so we were assigned to escort a diplomatic envoy to the city. It is smaller than Amman, or most of the surrounding cities, but it is still much larger than this village. It is built on an old Human ruin, a military base. Actually, it was a place where the Humans kept the airplanes and helicopters I told you about. Not even wreckage remains of those anymore, though. All of the metal was taken and reused in building up the city. Still, the Karisskan living there were able to recover quite a few weapons, and have since gathered more from the surrounding area. Amman often traded ammunition to them. They are well armed, which is one reason I believe that they will make for useful allies." He explained.

[Vesuvius00]

"I'm a little excited, but also very nervous. I told you I've never been in another city under very peaceful circumstances before. I hope for the success of this mission, but I worry about what would happen if we fail." Onyx fell silent for a little while, thinking. "They are your people, but how different are they from your city? Like how our tribes are different from each other, or are there less differences between your city and theirs than I am thinking?"

[EliteCommander]

"Well...I don't know if I would call them my people. I mean, they are my species of course, but the Karisskan of Tel Nof are quite different from those of Amman. We do share a common background, but we split away from one another long ago." Tarentek began. He did not know everything about the Karisskan of Tel Nof, but he had learned some in preparation for his visit to their city years ago. "There are fundamental differences in our beliefs and the way we live our lives. We see our gods, especially Jhala, differently. For my people, as you know, we are called to develop a deep understanding of the world for the honor and service of Jhala, but the Karisskan of Tel Nof follow a different path, one that can change with their leaders. They split from our people by following their first king to settle Tel Nof. Since then, all of their kings and queens have had absolute authority over their people. They believe that Jhala imparts her wisdom on their monarch, so they serve as leader in state and in spirit. Still, those shared roots we have make them somewhat similar to my people, in a few ways. A lot of our social norms, like the way we behave and talk around one another, are similar, so I can be of help in that regard. They do trade with other cities, so they are accustomed to interacting with other races, and are...reasonably understanding when they make mistakes. Mostly."

[Vesuvius00]

"So the major difference between their city and yours is that they follow your goddess in a different way than you do?" Onyx asked before changing her mind. "Actually, nevermind. That makes sense, they have different values, so they follow their own set of rules. The different tribes of my people are somewhat similar, those who are more focused on survival don't actually have a specific ritual for things like coming of age or a funeral, while a tribe like mine that is focused on exploration has a very strong belief in keeping the traditions of our ancestors going strong." Onyx paused a moment as she searched for the thread of thought she had started with. "So, the way their leadership works is very different from yours, but social custom is still similar. Is there anything I should know about what to, or what not to do?"

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek nodded. "Oh, yes, quite a few. More than I could go over in just a few minutes. A lot of it is behaviors that might offend you which you and the others will have to learn to accept. I've encountered a few of those in my time here, if you recall. I wouldn't want you or the others to think someone is trying to insult you when they're not...or that they're being friendly when they're actually trying to insult you." He said with a chuckle. "We might want to set aside some time one day before the mission to go over all of that in detail. Preferably, with the others who will be escorting me. I may ask your father to decide a few days early on who will be joining me so we can properly prepare."

Tarentek was nearly finished with his meal, though he wasn't in any particular rush. "I think you'll be fine, though, as long as you let me lead the way and try not to make any assumptions if you're unsure about what someone is meaning. You seem to have been reasonably understanding about our differences so far, even if there have been a few misunderstandings. Is there anything you can think of that the others joining us might have issues with?"

[Vesuvius00]

"Well, the most obvious thing is that they wont want to follow your lead at first, but even after they accept that they may still be rude or insubordinate. But it also depends greatly on who 'they' actually are." Onyx quoclky made a list in her mind of all those who would be most likely to accept the mission and follow Tarentek's orders without too much bad behavior. "I can think of quite a few people that would be included in the best case scenario, but there is an even higher number of unknowns and negatives too."

[EliteCommander]

"I would guess that your father would want to send along the people who would best get along with me, or at least be focused enough on the mission to accept my expertise on the matter. If they do not intend to listen, it would honestly be better not to have them at all. We want to make a good impression on the locals, and there are some things that could actually get them in to some trouble if they make the wrong mistakes." Tarentek explained. He finished his meal, so he opened his canteen and sipped on his water as he continued.

"If we are lucky enough to get an audience with her, probably one of the most important rules is to do everything that the Queen tells you, without question. In diplomatic negotiations, you can disagree with her, that is fine, but in everything else, the Queen's word is absolute law, and she doesn't like to be questioned in her own home. If she wants you to do something you don't like or don't want to do, it doesn't matter; you do it. Disobeying the Queen is something they can and will arrest you for, and, well, you really don't want that." He added.

[Vesuvius00]

Onyx finished her meal as she listened to Tarentek, and began to clean up everything while she thought how to respond. "How likely do you think it is that we will actually meet with this queen? I'm not certain that our entire group would actually go into the city, some would stay outside either to show less intimidation or simply to avoid the possibility of making any mistakes." Onyx had finished cleaning up now, so she sat back at the table and started sorting through her med-pack. "Speaking of mistakes, it would be extremely bad if we were to come to a misunderstanding while there. Are there specific, rules of court, or anything like that we would have to follow? I suppose you'd tell everyone on the mission at some point along the way, so you don't have to tell them all right now."

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek nodded. "There are rules specific to the court, yes. Actually, when I was there, they sent someone to us beforehand to instruct us on their rules. It seems they are not so unreasonable as to punish people for rules they know nothing about. No, they make sure to tell you the rules before arresting you for breaking them. Still, I will tell everyone all that I remember. A lot of the etiquette is simple...fluff, is how I would describe it. Who to bow to; who walks in front when you're going somewhere. That kind of thing. One thing I found strange was that guests, or anyone, really, are forbidden from talking with any of the servants while in the palace. There are specific officials who are permitted to relay orders to the servants. It's a security thing, I believe. All of the servants are...well I don't know if slaves is the right term. They all live quite well, and actually receive a good amount of respect in the palace. But, all of them are hatched in the palace, and are forbidden from speaking with anyone outside the palace...ever. Through their entire lives. I think it is meant to ensure that no outside plots ever find their way into the minds of the monarch's servants."

Though she had not asked, Tarentek paused a moment to help clean up. By this point, he had been in Onyx's home long enough to know everything's proper place. "As for meeting the Queen herself, it is actually possible. She does have advisers and other officials who can act on her behalf, but what we are going to be asking of her people is pretty major. We're asking for a military alliance against a force greater than her city could hope to conquer alone. That is important enough for the Queen herself to take interest. If that happens, just do whatever she says. We're not going to be allowed any security in her presence, so it will just be us who has to worry about that."

[Vesuvius00]

"You've lost me. Slaves and, servants? I understand the concept of slavery but, your people actually do that?" Onyx shook her head, confused but resigned. "Nevermind, we can talk more about this later. The ritual tomorrow starts a little after dawn, and the sun set a while ago. Will you be ok tomorrow? I will be busy for most of the day, so you'll be alone for that time."

[EliteCommander]

"They're not really slaves, exactly. Their arrangement is different from that, from my understanding. Also, as I've said, these aren't really my people. My people are the Karisskan and other naturalized citizens of Amman. Truthfully, I don't have much in the way of kinship with the people of Tel Nof." Tarentek clarified as they finished cleaning up the kitchen.

"I should be fine for tomorrow. You've just restocked your kitchen, so it isn't as if I will have need of anything. I would say I'm going to take the chance to talk to your father about the others joining us on the mission, but I assume your father is going to be present at your ritual. I'll just have to find some other way to pass the time. If nothing else, I can try to take an extended nap." He answered, shrugging his shoulders.

[Vesuvius00]

"Sounds like a plan." Onyx smiled as she spoke. "I'm going to sleep now, I'll see you sometime later tomorrow. Goodnight." After saying goodnight, she disappeared into her room, falling asleep almost immediately.

She had dreams of flight and of water, flight through a place with no land where the calm waters below perfectly reflected the sky above and the moon was 20 times its normal size, a great white orb that glowed with a knowing light. She was alone in the air, but she could see ripples in the water below that set the reflection wavering, and could hear the laughter of many people, although she could not see them.

She drifted down until she could sense the water right below her, and the reflection on it's surface stopped altogether from the ripples caused by the unseen sources of the laughter. She landed and stood on top of the water, while the second her feet touched the surface it became mirror-still once again and the laughter stopped. She walked a few paces towards the moon, and heard a scream. Attempting to take flight again, she was unable to, the water reaching up to pull her down and the scream coming ever closer.

She was pulled under the surface, and the scream ceased. It was dark for a few moments, but then she could see again. This time she was in the same place, flying again with the laughter and the ripples in the water, only now she could see the creatures that made the sound. As large as the moon had been in the moments before, the sun was nowhere in sight, and the sky that had been so clear was now overcast and lightning flashed around at the edge of her vision.

The laughing creatures that caused the ripples in the water were pure black, Onyx could not even see their eyes in their upturned, mocking faces. Just as she had before, she drifted down until she was just above the rolling surface of the water, unable to control herself as she landed and saw the water mirror the stormy sky above. The creatures slid closer to her, no longer disturbing the water with their movements, but unlike the time before they kept laughing as they got closer and she heard the scream as coming from herself.

This time when she was pulled under the water, the scene changed to white. She opened her eyes to find that she was safe in her room, looking into the rising sun as it slid over the horizon between two mountains. Jumping out of bed, and keeping quiet as she could so as not to wake Tarentek if he was asleep, she prepared for the ritual in just a few minutes and left as the sun finished clearing the horizon.