Start of a New destiny, Part 1

Posted on Wed Aug 5th, 2020 @ 10:44am by Miss Amborsae Lyrius & Miss Kashian Lyrius & Miss Lushian Lyrius

Mission: The Past
Location: Near the Helios Shrine, Outside the Manor Wall
Timeline: Sarius 16th, 2136

"Do we really need to go all the way to the Helios Shrine for Korra Berries?" Kashian complained trudging after her sister. It was cold and the sun was many hours from coming up. Lushian had roused her sister in the night and made it clear that they needed to go to the shrine of Helios for Korra Berries. Kashian was less than thrilled.

"They are sweeter from the bushes in the shrine," Lushian said pulling the two heavy fur cloaks she had put on tightly around herself. She had taken two cloaks for reasons Kashian could not understand, but a lot of the things Lushian did only made sense in hindsight.

"I am trusting you on this, and if this turns out to be really about berries I am going to kick you," Kashian said as she shivered under her own cloak. Wearing little under her cloak beyond a linin chemise and fur boots to keep her feet warm, the night air stung. The day would be warmer, but night was always too cold to be comfortable.

Kashian was not at all surprised when Lushian suddenly declared she was taking a shortcut and left the path to walk into the woods, her own thick fur boots crunching into the snow.

The walked for what felt like hours through the dense woods before Lushian stopped. "Here..." she said in little above a whisper. "This is where we are supposed to be."

Kashian nodded and shivered. She hoped whatever they were there for would not take long to happen. How Lushian knew where to be was unknown to Kahian even at the best of times and it seemed just as likely her sister would lead her to berries as anything else, but Kashian would always go.

Months in the mountains had left Bal-kar afraid and almost dead, especially since the wolf attack that had given him the current wounds he was trying, and failing, to heal. He had no idea where he was, but right now, he needed help. As he took another step forward, he slipped, striking the ground and rolling down the hill, crying out in pain as he struck a tree, finally stopping.

He looked up as drops of snow fell onto his face. He struggled to move, moaning in agony as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He was sure he could hear talking, but he couldn't make anything out. All he could do was move his hand slightly, reaching out.

The tree the strange boy came to rest against was indeed not far from where Lushian had led them. Lushian hurried over and knelt in the snow, taking the strangers hand in her own. Te first words out of her mouth were not in a language Kashian knew, indeed very few spoke it at all.

"A trespasser? You brought us out into the cold to catch a trespasser?" Kashian said putting her hands on her hips. She was tired and she had seen a number of travelers try and sneak around the estate. "Why didn't you let me know so we could bring de Locke?"

"We need to take her to the shrine," Lushian said pulling the inside cloak off and wrapping it around the stranger, turning her full focus from her sister to this stranger. "Do not speak, listen to me, your legs will not hurt until we reach the shrine and then they will only feel cold." Her voice seemed to take on a quality of the aether, some ancient magic seeping through her hand into the stranger. "Now follow me." She got to her feet and looked down at the stranger. "Come."

Bal-kar could feel a little stronger, his legs not hurting anymore. Forcing himself up, he kept his eyes on the strange women. How could he feel stronger? And did the first one refer to him as she? Did she know his secret? He was too weak to be able to do anything else, so he followed her, almost entranced by her.

Lushian got to her feet and moved swiftly through the snow, leading the way through the darkness. "We must hurry," she said as she pushed onward through the snow.

"Why?" Kashian asked, making sure to keep an eye on the stronger. She trusted her sister, but she knew better than to fully trust Lushian's judgement.

"Wolves," Lushian said and pressed on.

Bal-kar remained silent, looking at the two as he walked carefully, seeing his wounds but yet not feeling pain. This was magic, he knew of that, but he didn't know what kind. What was happening? He looked around anxiously at the woods, afraid of wolves, especially since he had almost died because of wolves.

It did not take them long to reach the shrine, the warm light of the magical torches at the door shined brightly in the night. Lushian quickly moved inside the single room shrine, opening the chest inside and pulling out the bedding stashed there. All of the shrines had bedding tucked away so that if anyone got caught in a storm they only needed to make it to a shrine, visible even in the storms thanks to the bright torches, and they could hold out for days if need be. She pulled a bottle of red liquid out from behind the alter and uncorked it, the air filled with a smell of sweet spice.

"You can't use that, mother won't allow it," Kashian said in shock that her sister would even uncork a potion owned by their mother.

"She will understand," Lushian said and handed the bottle to the stranger. "Drink this quickly. It may hurt, rest until the burning stops." She pointed to the bedding.

Bal-kar nodded and accepted the bottle. He took a breath, and swallowed it quickly. It tasted sweet, and as he laid down on the floor, he suddenly felt a strong burning sensation within him. He growled in pain, but as the pain grew, he couldn't stay silent, and cried out in pain, feeling like his entire body was on fire.

"And this is why I don't like messing with mother's potions," Kashian said folding her arms.

"She was hurt. Wounds go deep into the mind. The potion heals the flesh," Lushian said as she kneeled by the stranger and gently laid her hand on the strangers forehead. "The fire does not burn." She said, her voice in that strange low tone she had spoken in before. "The fire flows and leaves new life." She knew she could do nothing for the pain itself, but she could ease the mind, at least she could when the wind told her she could.

"So are we staying her all night?" Kashian asked, sitting down on the warm stone floor and leaning against the wall. She was tired, but when her sister was touched by, well whatever seemed to touch her sister, she knew better than to let Lushian be alone.

"When dawn comes Miali will come with it," Lushian said softly.

Bal-kar cried out in pain still, but even as the fire burnt, she could feel peace within her own mind. She had been alone for months, and she had been angry with herself for all that had happened. She blamed herself for not being a fighter, seeing the dead of her home village. She didn't know what was happening, but she wanted to feel at peace. She cried out once more, her back arching in agony, wanting the pain to end.

Inside of his body, every wound he had ever sustained was being healed. Bones were knitting together, and tendons were reconnecting. He had been in pain for so long, and now the wounds, especially those that threatened to be fatal, were being repaired.

Kashian watched as the potion did it's work. "I'm not sure this is a girl, Lushian," she said folding her arms.

"Her heart is," Lushian said moving her hand over the stranger's chest. "I can feel her heart and her body at war." She closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate on something. "Peace... Let the troubles of your heart melt in the fire. Give your pain to the flame." The power in her voice was lessening, fading more and more.

The pain was starting to fade, and as it began to subside, Bal-kar looked at the woman talking to her. "Who..." he asked weakly, sweat rolling from his forehead to the ground. "Where?"

"We are in the Helios Shrine in the Lyrius Estate," Lushian said, her voice seeming to get weaker as the power seemed to leave her. "I am... I am..." She lowered her head and rested it on the stranger's chest. In only a moment she had fallen asleep, as if all of the strength had left her.

Quickly Kashian got up and moved to grab a blanket and cover her sister. "That is Lushian and I am Kashian. You are safe, now close your eyes," she said and placed a hand over the stranger's eyes. She was not as magically powerful as her mother and by far less than her sister, but her touch was still not without power. "When the dawn comes we will speak. Sleep now and know you are safe."

Bal-kar nodded softly. "Thank... you..." he said softly, his eyes closing. He couldn't stay awake, and as darkness took him, he could feel safe, for the first time in a very long time. It wasn't long before he was snoring softly, the first peaceful night's sleep he had enjoyed in a very long time.