Thread: Light in Shadows (Fates and Flame)

Father, why did you do that? Kaia still couldnt believe Kai had actually kicked the poor man out of her shop. In all her years living in the village, shed only ever known her father to be kind. Her father never hesitated to help the sick or the needy even going so far as to turn down their money when it was offered to him. Yet this was a side of him shed never seen before. Kaia, those people are dangerous! he told her, angrily sweeping up broken glass from the mishap of Aezons departure. He wasnt here but five minutes and look whats happened. Things dont just fall of their own accord. It was Shadow magic! I still think it was wrong to treat him that way, she argued against her father, He seemed perfectly reasonable to me. While Kaia was reluctant to believe the mysterious young man had caused the accident, she had to admit it was pretty strange. Not only that, but there was the peculiar sensation of a second presence around him. She could feel goosebumps forming just thinking about the weird occurrence. Despite that, there was just something about him. some feeling she couldnt shake. Kaia knew the Shadow Tribe was dangerous. The carelessness of their people had almost destroyed the world, after all. But she didnt see why one individual should be spat upon over the actions of someone from 300 years ago. Even though the specifics of exactly how it happened were lost to the ages, there was no denying the Shadow Tribe was responsible. It was from within their own sacred city that the ritual had been cast a ritual to merge the realm of Shadow with that of the physical world. On that day, the skies blackened while the planet trembled. A great rift formed over the skies of their holy land, which spread to consume every living thing it touched. As the realms collided, the Rift continued to grow, stretching its tendrils to consume most of the Fade. The rest of the world would have been quick to follow if not for the Light Ascendants of Radiance. Though they were unable to reverse the damage or close the Rift, the Ascendants managed to keep it from spreading any further. The world appeared to be saved, but the truth was that the chaos had only just begun. For centuries the 6 provinces lived in relative harmony. There were squabbles every now and then, but the idea of large scale war remained an unknown concept. That all changed in the wake of the collision. A long standing trust between nations was shattered by fear. The Shadow Ascendants completed a horrific act which had left their people decimated and the world scarred. Their sacred city of Everfade was left a ruin a drained husk caught between the realm of the living and the dead where it was said no physical being could survive. How long before the Ascendants of another nation did something worse? All provinces suffered in the fighting that followed, but none so much as the Shadow Tribe. The few who survived the destruction of their homeland were forced to lead nomadic lives in a world too terrified to accept them. It seemed like a combined hatred of their people was the one thing the other five lands consistently agreed upon. Many were killed out of anger and fear while anything relating to their scriptures and cultures was sought out and destroyed. The death toll in the years following began to rival that of the event of itself. Eventually, the High Ascendant of Radiance was able to unite the provinces under banner of peace again albeit it fragile. The brutality finally came to an end, but the world would never be the same. Enough, Kai ordered. The Mist is all youve ever known, girl. You could not possibly begin to understand the motives of the other nations. Kaia felt her pride bruise a little over the comment. Ive read plenty of texts the other cultures! she countered, As many as you can find out in this wilderness anyway. How could I ever be expected to learn more when you scarcely even let me sail down river without throwing a fit? She let out an angry huff, trying to keep her emotions from exploding out all at once. But this is all beside the point. Our respect for a person should not boil down to where they come from. If you just I SAID ENOUGH, KAIA!! Kai slammed a meaty fist down, knocking over a few small vials that went rolling across the table. Have you forgotten what you are? Where you come from? Youre mother gave her life to see you safe. Are you so eager to see her sacrifice wasted? Now put that satchel where it came from and go straight back home! Her fathers words cut deep, and Kaia remained deathly silent as she gathered the satchel of Shadow Root and opened the drawer. But when going to replace it, she hesitated. A quick look over her shoulder said Kai was too distracted to notice her filching the contents and stealthily slipping them into her pocket. Her heart racing over what shed done, she closed the drawer holding the now empty bag. Maybe she did it out of empathy for the Shadow Tribe boy. Maybe it was just out of the temptation of learning more about a seemingly dead culture. Or perhaps it was a way to get back at her father for the emotional blow she was dealt. The tension was palpable as Kaia went to collect her bow and quiver from its resting place. She strung them over her back and passed one last doleful look at her father before leaving the shop as instructed. Home, however, was the last place she would be going. Kaia knew her parents just wanted to protect her, but she was a grown woman now not a child in need of coddling. She loved Kai and Lena with all her heart but she feared they would never come to understand that. Kaia looked around, wondering where her mysterious customer disappeared to. It didnt take her long to determine hed left the village. Some kids kicking a ball around pointed out the direction theyd seen the strange dressed man go and she was able to pick up his tracks soon after. I wonder why he came out this way She wondered, navigating the mists with a practiced step. If he was going to Kaja Lai or one of the other villages it was much safer by boat. But after seeing the way Kai treated him, maybe he couldnt find one. The wetlands were mostly a series of islands. Even the larger masses of land were dotted by large pools, and if you didnt know the way it was all too easy to stumble into one. Kaia could tell her quarry was one such person. His tracks were easy to follow given his style in footwear. Most of her people wore simple rope sandals or nothing at all. While he blundered blindly through the fog, she was able to gracefully leap from one small island to the next, following his trail like a practiced hunter. Kaia learned long ago how to fine tune her senses to see through the haze. It was the only way to survive out here. When she managed to trace his steps back to the clearing, Kaia slowed down to a crawl. The weird feeling she experienced back at the shop returned to her. It was so strange, yet somehow it drew her closer. Quiet as a mouse, she stalked through the reeds and took a closer look. She furrowed her brow as she noticed him sitting in absolute silence upon the round stone. Not only did she sense a sort of energy coming from him as he sat in solitude, but she could swear she felt the presence of someone else. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her but even the mist seemed to wisp around as if some unknown animal prowled within it. She soon spotted another animal, however, when turning her attention back to the one meditating. A viper had managed to slither its way up the very boulder Aezon sat upon. Deep in his trance, he remained blind to the dangerous serpent creeping ever closer to his position. Kaia reacted in a flash, drawing her bow and nocking it without even thinking. She burst from her hiding place, popping out of the fog and wordlessly fired. Her arrow sunk directly into the vipers head, dropping it dead just inches away from his knee. Kaia meanwhile screamed, tumbling back to her rear as a large pair of spectral-looking jaws materialized through the fog to snap at her face.