the tide pulls, she wavers (not)

“I would imagine the soul of anyone given form would have great power, but that’s not what I was getting at…” it might bestow great power, but was it really worth the risk? You were weaponizing your soul. Jude didn’t like the sound of that at all, even if it appeared to be so beautiful when formed.

So teriques could even allow one to fly? “How do they resemble monsters?” though ‘zephyr’..? If he remembered correctly, he had read somewhere in Barona that it was related to breezes, or the wind itself. Sighing to himself at the thought, his friends kingdom had a true obsession with the wind element in every way.

“I can’t say I have…” heard of those ruins that is. However..? That might be something to look into if he wanted to obtain more history from this place. Though would spirit artes work as a substitute for eres? Or would these ruins be able to tell the difference? He might need to figure that out first.

Some things, even worlds apart, don’t change. “Mm, I do! It’s well known as a healthy tea to drink. I may have forgot to mention it earlier, but I’m also a doctor. The type of research I do needed me to be a doctor, so as a doctor, it’s something I would recommend to anyone.” it sounds harder to obtain here on the Legacy, but they had certainly achieved it.

The talk of spirits increased his interest tenfold. Spirits being in entirely different worlds were fascinating. With how close Jude worked with spirits, learning more about spirits, even otherworldly spirits, was not something he would pass up for a second.

Jude opened his mouth to inquire further, but caught himself before he continued, falling silent as a result. Six spirits? And Shadow– a spirit he barely knew anything about. He wanted to go into detail, draw the comparisons and yet he knew if he said too much, his cover would be blown. Unfortunately… he’d have to keep his questions simple.

“What six spirits are there? And would that mean Shadow protects this place? Is it possible to meet with this spirit?”

“Some souls are more powerful than others,” Shirley said, staring into her tea, “others resilient. We each learn to train and control them at a young age and only those possessed with the utmost will to survive go into battle with them.”

That was what the zephrys were - the souls of the guards, hardened into a shape not unlike the birdlike garudas and rooks that haunted the highest peaks of the Legacy. For the first time she thought “iron” was not such a bad translation of the erens that used their powers to strengthen their physical abilities for it required a hardness of spirit she could not help but envy and fear in equal measure.

As for the exact details of how they resembled monsters...

“Er, well they have wings for one. Um... not like the wings on my teriques though. These are more leathery, I suppose? Oh, and talons that spread out kind of like -”

Shirley began pantomiming to her best ability the outline of a zephyr only about a head shorter than her. Jude, to his credit, seemed to focus on her clumsy attempts at an explanation with rapt attention but eventually she had to laugh at herself.

“I suppose they are something you have to see for yourself. And even thought the zephyrs our guards summon all have the same shape there are still slight differences in coloration and temperaments since they do each represent a different soul.”

She would have said the same of the spirits she had mentioned but Jude seemed to take to that topic with the same naturalness he had their discussion of Mainland tea. A doctor and a researcher he had said, it certainly showed in his insights.

Still - and she thought this without any malice, he seemed almost overly insightful on this matter.

“Um, the spirits are... let me try and remember.” She had to count each on her hand for while she knew the elements well as a mage it was Will who had met with all of them. “There’s Celsius for ice and Gnome for earth. Efreet and Volt both live underground right now but they’ve been spotted just the same. Then of course, there’s Shadow who I’ve mentioned and his opposite Rem."

Each of the spirits seemed to be made of opposing elements according to Will but none seemed inclined to harm the other. In fact, the Legacy had been very peaceful since they had first come. Of course there were still a few problems here and there.

“Shadow is... well, I’ve only met with him once. The villagers all give him a wide berth as they are unsure what to make of him but he seems friendly enough. He likes riddles.”

He had moved to a cove not to far from the other side of the lake. Often when Shirley was making her rounds at night she could hear him moving about within.

- “you know...”

It came out despite herself. She had just been passing through the training grounds, really. She had seen the same man here before, but never taken notice of him besides recognizing a kindred determination in him as the one in her brother.

But Senel wasn’t the one she was thinking of now as the sworrdsman lashed out at the practice dummy in front of him.

“You know, your fighting style is very much like a friend of mine’s. She uses a blade as well. Although hers is a single long sword.”

Send ‘🌸’ to hear my muse’s mother or mother-figure talk about the muse

“Shirley, come on now. It’s alright! You can get up!”

Stella knelt down, trying not to let the disappointment show on her face as she surveyed the nuts they’d gathered all strewn about on the forest floor thanks to Shirley’s tumble. She gently lifted her sister’s skirt to over her knees, trying to find the scratch but the sight of blood - no matter how tiny - made her little sister start crying all over again.

“No… it hurts!”

Shirley gripped the leg Stella had tried to steady and drew into herself. Stella sighed, Shirley’s face was a mess and she just knew they wouldn’t bring the provisions back in time for the community dinner.

But this was what she had chosen. If the Elders had their way they would have taken Shirley from her, she knew it. If Stella hadn’t insisted on them living together at least until the birth of her little sister’s wings they would have had her start training to be the Merines even now at four years old if they could.

Stella may have been only six years old herself but she had already grown weary of Ferines society. She wanted to protect Shirley from it for just a bit longer.

baby girl.... baby

“Not at all, I assure you,” Richard nods once. They were the sort of people that would even take in a child they did not know, found unconscious on the road with no home or family of his own. There was truly no boundaries to the Lhant’s generosity, Richard owed them more than he could ever fathom repaying. “Lhant has no inn of its own, so they often find themselves host to travelers. No one will mind.” 

The road is not long, few in Lhant were with the community being as small and tight-nit as it was. Greater were the farmers fields and windmills beyond it that gave the village its livelihood. Richard began along the one leading south, waiting for Miss Shirley to fall into step next to him. 

“Bread? That is all?” Richard blinked and couldn’t help a chuckle. “I’m certain there will be some fresh bread, but you need not fear asking for more than that. I seem to recall talk of stew and buns among the maids this morning.”  

They sounded like wonderful people. Shirley could not help but draw closer at Richard’s description. If she could not stay long enough to meet them, at least she could hear about them!

“No, no! Bread is more than enough!”

Shirley trotted after him, adamant in her one request. Still talk of stew made her wonder what ingredients it might have. They often made Sea Food Stew on the Legacy.

Thinking this she noticed the greenery surrounding them as they walked down the path Richard said led tot he manor. On one of the larger structures (trees, that was it - she remembered because of the Crystal Forest) there hung bright red orbs.

The wind blew the branches and one of the orbs broke off, falling into her path. She crouched down to pick it up with the hand not currently carrying her satchel of purchases.

Senel. Can’t say he had heard a name like that before. Nor could he say he had heard of a Marine Trooper. Though he supposed it didn’t quite matter in this moment. It certainly wouldn’t if he hadn’t made it. When their gazes met, he felt a sense of shame and resisted the urge to look away. It’s not fair of him to show his doubts so easily. At least put on a brave face.

But that was increasingly difficult with the time frame she had given. A lot can happen in a few hours, but a lot of nothing could happen too. The voice in his head kept saying he had to be dead, he couldn’t have survived, the odds were against him. Taken by a roper perhaps, or something worse. She should give up and be grateful she survived-

Her sudden outburst startled him but thankfully silenced the wretched and pessimistic voice. Maybe, maybe there was still a chance. If she got thrown out, he might have too and the tide could have carried him further down the coast. If he was an expert, it’s certainly possible that he had escaped.

“Well… I mean if he’s your brother, don’t people usually feel if something bad happened to their sibling? So you could be right. And if he knew what he was doing, he probably did get out. Still, a few hours is a long time…” He winced, once again thinking of his own sister. The grief, if any, she would feel when all was said and done would pass and she could live her life. “Listen, you could catch a cold waiting here in those clothes. It might be better for you to get to an inn. I can get someone to come have a proper look and wait in case he shows up.”

But she was nervous, and his approach seemed to have spooked her before. “That is… if that’s alright with you. Or I can… wait with you?”

If he’s your brother-

While his words were almost certainly meant as a comfort, Shirley’s face only further contracted in pain with the memories they brought to the forefront of her mind. They had been family. Once. Before the third member of their trio had been so fatally ripped away from them.

Shirley tries not to compare the horror of that day to the anxiety bubbling at her core now. It wasn’t like that. It was just the sea, not soldiers and the sea wouldn’t-

She wobbled almost as if on cue as the red-haired man asked after her health. She felt her head, warm - too warm, but she had weathered worse than this before.

“I... want to wait.”

Having said so, she sat back down and clasped her knees to her chest. Her body was still inclined toward the man and she glanced up at him through her bangs. He wasn’t trying to force her to do anything... so maybe, just maybe this was alright.