Private Tales For Need of Water

[Nahir]

w/ Noelani

There was wild scream as a young man went flying over the crest of a dune at unbelievable speed. The long polished wooden board Nahir had had made in Annuakat crashed back into the sand, sending a long white plume out behind him as he raced onward. He let out another wild whoop of joy, weaving between the troughs of the dune field. His speed tore his cream-colored cloak straight back from his shoulders, its flapping deafening in his ears.

Nahir had been shocked to discover that his people had largely abandoned the practice of sandboarding. For one, it was a great exercise for a soul sage, as the constant sand technique that propelled the board forward kept the Sahu engaged, which increased endurance for elemental techniques.

But a blast on all that training nonsense! There was no other way to travel the desert! The speed, the turns, the wind blasting through your hair and making your eyes water like crazy, the feeling when you launched yourself off a sand dune and stuck the landing.... like this!

Nahir jumped his board again for the sheer pleasure of it, twisting his body to turn in midair, coming back around just in time to see....

the enormous drop straight down the cliffside into the ocean rocks below.

The young sand elf had completely forgotten how the sand fields just North of the Trident ran right up against the sheer ocean cliffs of the Western coastline. His cry of defiance turning to a yell of genuine surprise, Nahir's momentum died and the jump became a plummeting fall.

Collecting his thoughts, Nahir closed his eyes and focused his essence through his Ko, his Khaibit, and then his Sahu again. Calm Mind, Enhance Focus, Call Wind.

His soul brought into harmony, his eyes flashed open as a fierce gale ripped his body further out to sea in a harshly diagonal fall. Just before hitting deeper water, he saw his precious sandboard freefall to strike a jagged shoal, splintering into pieces.

Then everything was green and salt and headache.

---

Sputtering, Nahir dragged himself onto a soft white sandbar. His clothes felt heavy and awkward, and his eyes stung from the brine. Head ringing and body aching from the long fall, it was hard to keep from talking to himself. "Stupid cliff. My poor board. Stupid ocean, stupid water, stu-"

Ah. He wasn't alone. Looking up revealed a handful of friendly looking Mchawi standing in the shallows, baskets full of seaweed in hand, looking at him with barely contained mirth. Stupid ocean had probably been a poor choice of word. Fighting his way onto his feet, he tried for a smile, speaking Trade with as little accent as possible. "Hi there. Uh, which way to the village?"

 

[Noelani]

The women exchanged amused looks once more and for a brief moment they spoke amongst themselves in another tongue that sounded almost as complicated as the flows of the ocean itself. Whatever they were discussing they seemed to come to some agreement for most went back to wading into the shallows, drenching their long skirts as they went, whilst a slim older lady with silver at her temples motioned for him to follow.

"I am surprised they did not fish you out the water at the Gate," she kissed her teeth despite the amusement in her tone; clearly somebody was in for an earful when she ran in to them later on.

The white beach Nahir had found himself washed up on soon gave way to thick vegetation and swaying palms. Teams of men were gathered around the base of these large trees staring up at the member of their crew who was busy shimmying up the rough bark to collect the fruit at the very top. The woman leading paid them little mind though they all stopped and gave a cordial little bow when they saw her pass. Occasionally houses could be seen dotted amongst the trees but it was clear much care had been taken not to disrupt the natural environment as possible. Eventually the vegetation thinned and what opened up was a modestly sized market town bustling with activity. The town itself seemed split into two by a large, roaring waterfall on top of which, built into the rock face itself, sat a palace of sorts. In the waters of the pool beneath it great serpents frolicked or sprawled themselves out on rocks to sun their scales in the heat. Nobody battered an eyelid when one of the Lung's yawned and displayed terrifying rows of razor sharp teeth.

The people gave curious glances to the soggy newcomer and the respectful bows and curtsy's continued though his guide paid them little mind other than to greet them with a smile or nod. It became clear that there was somebody in her sights probably to Nahir at the same time it did to the young woman who was playing with a group of children, weaving baubles of water around the air to turn them different colours much to the children's delight. She abruptly stopped when she caught sight of the woman striding towards her and the water splattered to the floor as quickly as the children vanished.

"Here I find you playing when this man," she stopped, appeared to realise Nahir was behind her and not to her side, and roughly yanked him forward with a surprising amount of strength for a silvered old lady. "Makes it through our guards half drowned - all the way to the shore!"

"The guards are not my station, Grandmother," Noelani frowned and folded her arms beneath her breasts, glancing in an accusatory manner at the newcomer as though this were all his fault. "Dharius--"

"Is going to get the sharp side of my tongue later. But all my sons children should be protecting this island," she sniffed and pushed the elf forward. "And it is you who are so eager as to encourage outsiders to come find us!" Another sniff. "Well? Offer him food! He will think us rude savages! Look at the state of him - bones and more bones," the woman rounded on Nahir and the stony exterior melted away. "Would you like tea, child?"

 

[Nahir]

The hospitality of the Mchawi had always been widely lauded among the Abtati, but this was just ridiculous. Nahir gaped as he was led past a truly opulent gate of tropical stone and flowing water. How in the world had he made it over that? Had he really flown that far? He supposed his fear at falling may have caused Call Wind to blast him with a bit more force than he'd intended. If anything, this was more evidence that there was something off with his Sahu. The young elf was just relieved that the Mchawi seemed to have taken his intrusion so well. His own people tended to be less.... understanding with trespassers.

Beyond the splendid gate he'd unceremoniously fallen over, he was led through a veritable paradise, and his eyes couldn't get enough of anything. Nahir had never been allowed to visit the Mchawi in his youth, and now his chance was finally here. Their architecture, their garb, the tongue they spoke with one another.... Nahir drank it in as if he were dying of thirst.

In a temple full of children and serpents, (by the Ren, those teeth,) he was presented (see: yanked) before a young woman who did not seem all that happy with him. He fidgeted a bit when the nice old crone outed him as an intruder, then became flustered when she outed him as a skinny kid.

At her offer of tea, his trained etiquette finally kicked in. Falling to one knee in the sand, he bowed to the elder with his eyes firmly fixed on the ground. "Forgive my intrusion, I meant no disrespect. I am humbled by your kindness, and accept your invitation. I am Nahir, of.... the desert," he finished lamely, realizing he could claim no other home.

Awaiting the old woman's response, he snuck a glance at the girl beside her, trying to gauge if she still wanted to put him in a lung's mouth.

 

[Noelani]

Lani eyed up the Lung's mouth and debated throwing herself into its giant maw as the elder helped Nahir to his feet and patted his arm affectionately. She began to set a leisurely pace up the winding rocky steps towards the palace at the top.

"No disrespect taken child, none at all. I am Makuahine i ka mōʻī, Sorelia, and this here is my youngest granddaughter Noelani," the princess sighed and gave the Lung one more longing look before following in her grandmothers footsteps. She had no intention of falling too far behind - Sorelia had been known to drag people twice her size up those steps by the ear. Including the king. "I would like to hear how you got past our guards though," the touch of a steely tone was back for just an instance and her sideways look at the young elf could have skewered a grown man to the spot. In a flash it was gone though, replaced with a warm smile and meaningless chatter about parts of the town that revealed themselves the further up they went.

At the top Lani helped her grandmother up the last few steps, throwing apologetic looks at Nahir as the old woman kept on with her tales.

"Tutu... tea? Would you like it outside or in?" Sorelia seemed to consider whilst she got her breath back.

"In the mango grove I think," Lani nodded and glanced to a servant nearby who slipped away on quiet, bare feet. With the elders tirade interrupted Lani was finally able to ask her own question.

"Was it intentional you came to our shores, wao akua kāne?"

 

[Nahir]

Relieved that his apology seemed to have been accepted, Nahir followed Sorelia up through the terraced town, gawking like a child surrounded by colored glass. The bright colors and happy demeanor of the people, the respect for nature without sacrificing industriousness or refraining from construction.... though his eyes wandered, he hung on Sorelia's every word detailing the Mchawi's home. Flinching a bit at her piercing gaze, he refrained from offering her his arm as they finished their climb; many cultures were known to become offended if an outsider touched a spiritual leader without permission.

The Palace was even more beautiful up close, and turning away from it, he was treated to a vista overlooking the entire township they'd just traversed. Even high in these rocky hills, a warm salty breeze seemed to sweep up from the island's colorful beaches. From here, one could also see the high cliffs of the Amol-Kalit that Nahir had fallen from, a fair distance across the ocean. That had been an unpleasant swim.

Hearing Noelani's question to him, the young sand elf pointed with two fingers, gesturing along the high cliff walls. "Yes, I came to the Western edge of the Amol-Kalit seeking the wisdom of the Mchawi. There are low beaches where the desert and the ocean sit level with one another, but I've never been to this region. I had no idea where the cliff wall began. Travelling very fast across the sand, I was fooled by a desert mirage and plummeted towards the rocky shoals below."

He considered explaining he was a soul sage, but no one knew what that was anymore, and those that did would call him a liar, so Nahir kept it simple. "As I fell, I called a gust of wind to push my fall further out to sea, to avoid striking the rocks. My power overflowed, and I fairly flew over the waves before skipping like a stone for what felt like a league. I'm not sure if I flew over the great gate or through a wall made of water, but I'm sure your guards aren't usually on the lookout for flying sand elves."

Nahir wore a cloth wrap about his waist and simple sandals. His short cloak hardly covered his shoulders and left his chest exposed, showing off both his bronzed physique and his numerous bruises and friction burns from his fall. He hoped the Mchawi would believe his crazy story on account of being banged up.

 

[Noelani]

"You... flew... off the cliff?"

Noelani's head whipped round to look in the direction of the cliffs he was referring too. They were not close by any stretch of the imagination and resembled little more than a grey smudge on the horizon. On a cloudy day you wouldn't be able to see them at all. Her eyes flickered back to the elf as he peeled back the cloak to reveal the nasty collection of wounds he had earnt from his reckless behaviour. Sorelia was also looking at him with an incredulous look though she was quicker to snap out of it, throwing back her head and laughing.

"Ah to be young again," she sighed and set off for the mango grove. Lani watched her go a little way, shaking her head, before turning back to the elf.

"May I?" she lifted a hand and motioned to his wounds, water forming around her hand like a glove that begun to glow. If he consented she would rest the hand upon his chest where a warm sensation would begin to spread along his torso, neatly knitting the wounds together and smoothing out the bruises. "That was very reckless of you, the ocean is not so kind to everyone," the princess chided with a small frown, though whether that was due to her concentration on what she was doing or at the thought of elves flinging themselves off cliffs it was hard to tell.

 

[Nahir]

Judging by her reaction, Nahir had managed to misjudge just how far he'd been thrown. The Abtati could sometimes be strange about physical distance. They lived in an enormous desert full of mirages where a day's walk could easily end the unprepared, and so had a tendency to over- and under-estimate distance when speaking with other races. True, he'd swam a fair distance after crashing, but this likely meant his elemental energy was more desynced than he'd guessed.

At Noel- no, Princess Noelani's offer, Nahir recoiled a bit, fearing her anger, before assenting to her touch nervously. As his wounds began to fade, he marveled at the diversity of foreign magic. For a soul sage to heal a person using water, they would typically have to channel two facets of the soul at once: Sahu, for elemental control, and Sekhem, for dominion over life force. This "dual channeling" was something only the Master Sages could have attempted, and may have been exclusively the power of a God-King. But here, this Princess with her brown eyes and stern looks was wielding that same power. Remarkable.

He breathed a sigh of relief as her touch soothed his ache and warmed him through. "Thank you. I will try to be less reckless in the future." She stood too close to bow to her, so he simply smiled wide in thanks.

 

[Noelani]

Noelani ran her eyes over him in one critical sweep before kissing her teeth; that said plenty about what she thought of his promise.

Turning on her heel she motioned for him to follow her around the edge of the palace towards the gardens out the back. The roar of the waterfall begun to lessen until it was a distant rumble blocked out by the huge building. As such the gardens were pleasantly quiet aside from the sounds of birds chittering to one another from the tree tops, and the noise of the river which seemed to disappear beneath the palace. The flowers here were more kept than the wilderness beyond making pleasant and secluded spots where people could take tea without feeling as though they were taking up the whole garden. Sorelia had settled herself onto one of the wicker like armchairs where a serving girl delicately poured tea.

"Youngsters are so slow," the grandmother cackled at her own joke and the serving girl gave her a warm smile before pouring tea for the others and vanishing back inside. Noelani slid into her own chair and took up the iced peach tea with a happy sigh. It might have been drawing now into autumn but the hottest part of the day was still an oppressive heat at times.

"So, what wisdom was it that you sought, Sand Elf?" Lani cocked a brow.

 

[Nahir]

Wandering into the idyllic garden with wide eyes, Nahir hustled to his chair when he realized he was the only one still standing. He sipped at his tea politely, discovered it was like nectar, and realized how thirsty he was. So he knocked back the glass in one motion, a contented sigh breaking from his lips the moment he finished swallowing.

At the princess' question, the young man paused. Setting his glass down and steepling his fingers, he looked from Noelani to her grandmother as he chose his words carefully. "I recently went through something.... traumatic. Its changed me, and the effects have been worrisome. I'm trying my best to work through it, and to heal. One of the worst symptoms has involved my elemental.... magic."

He considered calling a breeze to demonstrate, but then remembered what had happened at the cliff. Not a great idea. Looking about the garden, he saw a little stone sitting among the flowers. Reaching out his hand, Nahir allowed a gentle tide of energy to pool in his stomach. Cautiously, he channeled energy through his body's elemental center. Earth.

The pebble rolled a few feet towards the sand elf, before floating up the rest of the way into his waiting palm. He held it up for Sorelia to see, explaining "My connection to Earth has been largely the same; nothing special, unless it's sand or dust. And my fire has never been very good, that's not concerning. But air has been wild and out of control. And water, well...."

He set the pebble on the table and waved his hand towards Noelani's glass of tea. The surface of her drink spun as if he'd bumped her elbow. It nearly spilled up over the edge of its container, but not quite.

Leaning to Sorelia, he whispered loudly with a grin, "That was supposed to splash her in the face," before straightening up and adding. "Water has always been my strongest connection. Now my ability is.... all but gone. I feel broken. Cut off. But the Mchawi are the Ocean's Children. Your skill is legendary among my people." Bowing slightly in his chair, he fought a sudden rush of emotion and entreated the elder calmly. "Please help me find a teacher. I wish to become whole again."

 

[Noelani]

Sorelia and Noelani exchanged a look.

The secrets of the Mchawi were exactly that: secrets. It was very rare that they agreed to take in students and teach them the methods the Seawitches used. They were ancient and culturally speaking, an incredibly fundamental part of the way in which the Mchawi lived and governed themselves. To allow an outside into that, to welcome them, was like agreeing to make them kin. It was not a request to be taken lightly at all. Whatever seemed to pass between the two women resulted in Lani frowning into her tea cup whilst Sorelia leant forward and re-filled the young sand-elfs cup once more.

"What you ask is not something easy. The water magic we use is a part of our very souls," with a tiny almost miscible twist of her finger condensation began to form on his cup and ice cubes formed inside. "Passed down from the Mother who founded our entire people. You might not be able to learn the way we use here, and if you can it could take many years. We start our training almost from the cradle."

"And you would have to stay," Lani cut in, earning a sharp look from her grandmother which she chose to ignore. "Whilst you trained, you could not leave the island. Our life, our ways, they are entwined with our magic. You cannot learn one without the other. You would be becoming Mchawi."

 

[Nahir]

Their words were almost disheartening. He didn't need their magic, he wanted his power back. Learn from the beginning like an infant? Years? Nahir might have been tempted to give up hope of finding help here, were it not for a particular word choice from Sorelia.

A part of our very souls.

Now, souls were something he understood. If their magic was truly connected on that fundamental level, it was no wonder the Abtati had always revered the Mchawi. Holding up a hand respectfully, he clarified his position to the princess. "I appreciate your candor and sincerity, but rest assured I would never ask something so personal as a stranger. Though I'd be honored to call myself Mchawi, these days I hesitate to call myself Abtati." He was unable to meet her eyes at this, and took a moment to compose himself before trying again.

"You honor me with your offer, but I have no desire to learn everything I've lost over again. I know I seem pathetic trying to move a cup of tea, but I remember what it feels like to redirect a river with one hand." He took up his filled glass, staring down dejectedly at the liquid. "I just.... I don't know. Some part of me is disconnected from the element. There's a part of me that's forgotten. I don't ask you to divulge your cherished heritage to an outsider. But if there's something the Mchawi do when their own powers.... weaken? Behave strangely?" He formed this remark as a question; for all he knew, there had never been a Mchawi with problems like his. "Whatever you do to grow closer to the ocean, to foster that connection, I need. Nothing I've tried has helped. I'm certain if I can fix whatever is broken in me, my powers will return." He didn't voice the secret fear in his heart; that his powers might be truly gone, and that the only way to feel normal again really would be years spent training on this beautiful island.

For a brief moment, he glanced at the island's princess and pictured himself living out the next few years here. A strange feeling stole over him. Would that really be so bad?

He made himself look away and flung the beginnings of a thought from his mind. The path he walked would allow for no such distractions. Chasing paradise was not an option. He turned to Sorelia. "If a Seawitch came to you with their powers weakened the way mine are now, would you know how to help them?"

 

[Noelani]

"See? It is healing he needs!" Sorelia flung her hand in the direction of the sand elf and shot her granddaughter a triumphant smile. Noelani rolled her eyes but a smile played about her lips: she had always lost bets against Sorelia.

"Healing is what we would suggest for a Seawitch who came to us with this problem," the princess clarified so that Nahir didn't think them both crazed. "What you describe can happen to those of us who over exert our gifts, or have something in their lives change drastically. Often losing a cherished loved one suddenly, but sometimes it could be giving birth or getting married. Something which changes who you are," she put a hand over her heart and then paused as she tried to collect her thoughts and think how best to explain.

"The Mchawi believe --"

"It is not belief child, it is truth," the older woman sniffed and then waved a hand for Lani to continue. She sighed but did continue after a pause to remember what it was she had been about to say.

"-- That the power comes from the soul, from the fabric of your being yes? But things can alter who you are. Like your body you can get wounds and deep scars that disrupt the fabric of your spirit. When that happens, a person must learn what these scars are and either heal and become who they were before, or accept that the scar runs too deep and they must relearn the Art as their new self."

 

[Nahir]

A chill rode up Nahir's spine. So it was true. The Mchawi drew their magic from the source of all power. Which meant there was very little chance they were wrong about this.

Nahir could not afford to learn water manipulation again. He did not have the time. No, more than that, he did not want to become someone new. He did not want to let go of the life he had once known. But, who he was before?

Towering cities of gold and pearl.
Was that a person he still knew?
A mighty host, ten thousand strong.
How to return to that time?
Playing, hunting, fighting, loving. Never working.
What part of him was still a prince?
Ten shining rings of power, within hi-
NO!

He shut his eyes tight against the memory, the dream, his heart racing. A deep breath. Breathe. Energy flowed through his Ahku, filling his lungs and calming his heart. They were gone. Forever. They would not destroy his life again.

Opening his eyes, he looked at Noelia with a poised determination. "What must I do to be healed?"

 

[Noelani]

Sorelia leant across the table and gently patted the young elf's arm mistaking his look of pain and horror for one connected to the daunting task of re-finding himself. Noelani, on the contrary, looked at him with a small crease between her brows.

"People do it in different ways," the older woman begun and sipped at her own tea. She slapped her lips together and gave a small snort of approval before taking another, larger gulp. Then she continued on with her lecture. "Self reflection is the key to finding who you are and some people do that best in quiet meditation," there was a certain edge to her tone that suggested what exactly she thought of that notion. "Others like to go on a journey across the seas, others buy something or learn a new skill. Some find that taking a new lover is all they need," at that she let out a loud cackle and Lani rolled her eyes.

"You must listen to yourself," Lani chimed in before her grandmother could regain her breath. "It is the water you need to connect with again, why not start with something as small as a bath? There are lagoons around the island filled by the springs, you cannot get much closer to pure water here."

 

[Nahir]

Meditation.... of course he'd tried that. Introspection was the heart of the Path of Abtatu, but simple meditation hadn't worked so far. A journey across the seas! He was on one right now. Buy something; Nahir thought sadly of his new sandboard, shattered on the rocky shoals under the western coast's sheer cliffs. Learn a new skill was an interesting idea. Of course, he was there to regain a skill he'd lost, but perhaps if he learned to sail a ship or hunt for-

At Sorelia's final suggestion, Nahir nearly choked on his tea. There hadn't been a woman in his life for.... several thousand years? Well, perhaps time spent in a magical stasis didn't count. But even as a prince, he'd quickly grown weary of shallow connection. She'd always be most interested in his throne, and he'd always be most interested in taking her to bed.

Respect and genuine admiration, on either side, was not something he'd ever found in consorts the way he had in generals and councilors. He'd grown weary of the façade, the politics of intimacy, and had given it up altogether. And then of course, there'd been the business with the rings.

As the elder cackled across the little table, Nahir suddenly found it hard to meet Noelani's sharp brown eyes as the princess began to speak. Her full lips threatened to draw his gaze as she spoke, and he nearly missed her words entirely....

A bath! Remembering how to process words, the Abtat stood quickly. A plunge in a cool spring sounded amazing. That'd get him thinking straight again. He nodded to both of his hosts. "I will think on your suggestions, Elder. I thank you both for your council, and hospitality. A soak seems to me a fine place to start. I'll be going now. The tea was lovely." And turning on his heel Nahir left briskly, away from the sweet scent of the mango trees, and away from those piercing eyes.

Of course, he had no clue where he was going. But how hard could it be to find a lagoon?

 

[Noelani]

Lani reached to pour herself another cup of tea when she got a sharp rap across the hand.

"Ow!" the Princess yanked back her arm and rubbed at the growing red mark across her skin, glaring at the woman opposite her in open scorn. Sorelia might have been the mother of the king, a cherished elder whom people worshipped and adored, but to Lani she would always be her grandmother. A grandmother who at times could act like a five year old child. "What was that for?" Sorelia reached for the tea herself and poured a cup, neglecting Lani's empty porcelain, and sipped at the cool liquid with her eyes closed. When she opened them again she looked at her granddaughter as if surprised to still see her there.

"What are you still sitting there for? Your guest is probably half way down the slope by now. Did that daughter-in-law of mine not teach you any manners?"

"He'll be fine, he can-- OW! Grandmother!" this time the slap had been across her thigh and she quickly hopped to her feet lest she be assault some more. "Fine, fine," she muttered several choice words Sorelia's daughter-in-law had most certainly taught her daughter, and begun her own journey back the way she had come. Perhaps it was a good thing Sorelia had sent her because the elf hadn't seemed to have gotten very far.

"Lost?" she laughed softly.

 

[Nahir]

His sandals flopped on the stone steps descending from the palace gardens into town. He heard her footsteps before her voice came, laced with a gentle mocking. Nahir smiled in spite of himself. "I'm... wandering. Can't be lost without a destination," he defended, not turning to look at her. Her expression would probably make him laugh, and he didn't want her to see his grin. Trying to stay grumpy, he huffed. "The desert is very flat. Sometimes you go up a dune, but you always go right down again. If you never go into a slot canyon, you never have to climb back out. And there are no mountains, no hills. No aching hikes up and down again."

He paused to enjoy the vista sprawled out before him; the tiered rooftops of the homes and shops below, the jungle all around them and the beaches further along. "But then, I suppose that means that when we want a view like this, we have to go and build a tower. Men hauling stone, women making bricks, children keeping their throats cool in the heat of the sun. Perhaps it's less work to take a hike up a hillside."

He looked out at the distant tide for a moment longer, then shrugged. Starting again down from the palace level, he turned a bit as he walked. "I suppose you'd know where all the good lagoons are. Where would you suggest?"

 

[Noelani]

Noelani clasped her hands behind her back and took up a leisurely pace alongside the sand elf as he chattered and begun to descend. Making this climb several times a day meant she often took for granted the view and sometimes it took a fresh pair of eyes to remind her of what she had. A faint smile played about her lips as she took it all in and breathed deep the sea breeze that reached them faintly this far in. Perhaps if he liked this view she would take him to the other side of the island where he would be able to see the other cluster of islands that formed her tiny kingdom.

"I would suggest following your gut. You are connected to the elements yes? Water, though faint?" her head listed to one side as she cut him a side ways look. "The lagoons come from deep within the islands core, they call louder than the waterfall does," she motioned a hand lazily to her left where they were descending next to the crashing waves. Even this close the sense of its power was diluted in comparison to the pressure from the ocean beyond.

"Here, stop," she reached out and gently gripped his shoulder to halt him before his next step, then turned him to face her. "Close your eyes," she took his hands and directed them, palm facing up towards the sky with her own hands beneath. She shut her eyes too. "Ignore the ocean, what is the next loudest song you hear?"