#dorji himaa

Two loud voices could be heard in the midst of an argument even through the natural muffling of the stone door and insulated wooden walls.

“Why can’t you understand that I won’t accept what you’re offering?”

“Why can’t you see reason, Dorji?”

It had been several days after the events at the summit of Mt. Gulg, and with Dorji having woken up from her aether-induced coma, the two sisters were finally able to talk to one another about their next steps. Stubborn as they both were, neither were budging from their chosen positions.

Dorji, as she was wont to do, spoke from a place of bottomless hope, even as she experienced loss after loss. “G’raha’s gone, for now or for good. He…tricked us all to see me survive. We’ll find another way.”

There was a hardness in Emegen’s tone that she rarely used against her twin, but this was one of those situations where she refused to compromise. “And what if there are no other ways? Ryne can only do so much to stabilize the Light running rampant through you; even with me flooding you with all the Dark aether I can spare, I fall short of containing it. We have to start thinking of —-“

“—- Of what Y’Shtola talked about. The very last resort.” Dorji’s voice was quiet now in her interruption. The whole of the Scions had had a conversation shortly after Dorji had awakened (which she had hated), when their blind companion had gone through a few scenarios with them all to help chart a course for their future. The most effective plan involved another sacrifice that no one wanted to witness.

Emegen’s frustration diminished as Dorji seemed to curl in on herself in sadness, any further arguments withering away. With a heavy sigh, the older twin moved to embrace the younger, planting a chaste kiss on her forehead. The mage had always been soft for her sister. “I know you are opposed to it, and you know I have no longing for death. But if I can give you even an hour more of peace, or an added day to decide how to expel the excess Light within, I will gladly give my life with no regrets. Besides, haven’t we heard since we were young that we complete each other? We would become one being, as we were meant to be from the start.”

Dorji, mindful of the sharp pieces of her armor, buried her face into her sister’s shoulder, arms wrapped snugly around her middle. “…I don’t want to live in a world without us both in it. It’s not fair. We’ve come so far together…I won’t let this be the end of our journey.”

A pleasant memory surfaced while the feel of the warm breeze and scent fragrant blooms steeped into Emegen’s senses.

She and her sister had only seen about eight summers in this recollection. Cooler temperatures were beginning to sweep across the plains of the Steppe, therefore duties involving preparations for the upcoming cold season were assigned with more frequency. As children, Emegen and Dorji may have had lesser chores than their older community members, but their tasks were no less important.

On that particular afternoon, the twins were assigned to help gather wool remnants from the freshly-shearn sheep in a pasture. It was a routine task, something they had done numerous times before, so the adults in the area were none the wiser when the girls snuck away with a small rucksack full of discarded wool.

They managed to find a hiding spot in one of the shaded and rocky areas close to a nearby river without alerting any large creature or older person. Truly, their escape was more of an impulsive action than planned idea, but since they had run off, they decided to enjoy their free time and relax.

Between the gentle birdsong in the air above and soft grasses below them, it did not take long for the two Himaa to fall asleep in the comfortable ambience, curled around each other as they preferred. The rest of the idyllic afternoon passed them by with no interruptions.

Emegen next remembered that they were discovered by one of their cousins right before dusk, when she had been more than a little afraid of what punishment awaited her and Dorji back home. Luckily, said cousin promised not to tell their parents about them shirking their duty that day, so long as they promised in turn to work harder in the future. They both enthusiastically agreed of course, and went home right away to avoid any further risk of trouble.