Vhalar 17, 719
Qit'ria opened her eyes, finding herself standing upon the surface of Rharne's lake. Caza was being babysat by Hork's mate. The woman adored Caza and was more than willing to take care of her while Qit undertook her spiritual mission. She'd told them everything. And they urged her to focus on taking care of herself during the days, and when able, leave the evenings for her family.
So, here she was, at her largest anchor, ready to do what she did best. She needed to hunt down her totem spirits. She took a moment to sit there on the still water, sitting within the Beneath, so as to not be bothered by living people during her hunt. She closed her eyes, taking in the feel of the water beneath her. She focused on her breathing, despite not actually needing to breathe. It calmed her. She put her brother, his mate, out of her mind. She put her child out of her mind. She put Faith, Oonah, the Order of Adunih, out of her mind. She needed to be free of distractions. She needed to become the one thing she was always destined to be.
The Huntress.
As she quieted her mind, shutting out memories as they tried to fill the silence, a glowing figure from the distance began floating toward her. It bounced and bobbed coming ever closer, Qit not noticing it as she meditated. She put her heartbreak over her father, she put her death, she continued putting everything aside. The final thing she put out of her mind was the fear of her spark, the monster within her that had caused so much pain and change in her life. The catalyst of her own destruction. Once that was shut out, everything was quiet.
And the Huntress opened her eyes.
Before her was a single, golden glowing firefly. The same one that had guided her around this lake when she received her spiritual mission. She knew it to be a friend, deep within her soul, she knew it. The Huntress opened her eyes, smiling at her friend. It was time to hunt. She stood up, taking a deep breath of the air from the lake, able to actually smell it for it was her anchor. It flowed through her, making her feel truly alive.
The Huntress let loose an ear spitting feral roar, a cacophony of every animal she had once been. The roar released everything within her that she was not, sent it out into the world, to no longer be a part of her. She unleashed her pain, she unleashed her fury and rage, she unleashed her fear, her worry, her suffering. She set it all free. The Huntress accepted only that which she was. She only let those things remain. These things ripped apart her form, rending away her Ectoplasm to shreds.
To her left, the Mother, belly large, child in her arms, protective fury in her eyes, slashed at the Huntress with the claws of a bear. To her right, the Sister, with a short black haired woman with crimson eyes and a Tunawa woman, attacked her in unison, cutting at her with weapons of magic, divinity, and love. Behind her, the Healer, draped in a cloak pure as driven snow, also accompanied by the black haired, crimson eyed woman and the Tunawa woman, as well as an older man, all of whom laid hands upon her, stitching her essence back together just as fast as it was rended away.
The three opposing forces clashed heavily, churning the waters of the lake around the Huntress with pure, unabated power. The golden, glowing firefly still buzzed around in front of her, forcing the Huntress to maintain her focus, her mission, her drive. The world flashed white around the Huntress, and for a moment, she was blinded.
When her sight returned, the Mother, the Sister, and the Healer, were walking toward her. They all touched her, as those that had helped, stood around, looking on, smiling. The three pushed into the Huntress, disappearing within, and the world went dark.
She didn't know how long she was blacked out, but eventually, Qit'ria came to, laying upon the surface of the lake in a heap. She shook off the dizziness, the weakness she felt. She looked up from her heap, seeing the golden firefly there, beckoning her forward. She smiled, and nodded. And as she took her first step after it, the Huntress took over, while the Mother, the Sister, and the Healer, all looked on from within, smiling.
