• Closed • Home, under the light of Yldria

81st of Ymiden 720

The crystal city of Uleuda is accessed from the minds of the Yludih. A safe haven from the persecution suffered in Idalos, Uleuda provides a place for Yludih to learn about their people from the Ancients, congregate together about the light bringing crystal Yldria, and begin the process of unlocking their 'gates' to eternal life.

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Home, under the light of Yldria

81st of Ymiden, 720th Arc
Morning
Yldria, Uleuda


The vast, empty blackness was cold. It provided an escape from the pain. He didn't really remember what pain but it was better to be here without it than to be there with it. That much he knew for sure. In this void of nothing, he allowed himself to bathe in the warmth, to bask in the light. Here, he was-... Wait. Light? Warmth? Sintih opened himself up to his surroundings, peeking out of one eye first, then the other. His face remained unchanged. It took him all of a trill to know where he was. And to know that he didn't want to be here. Coming here hadn't been his choice. It had been forced upon him. He had to leave, before anyone annoying showed up. He closed his eyes once more, his face unchanged as he did. But nothing went anywhere. Sin just stood in the same place, a mosaic of thousands of tiny crystals forming a humanoid shape with an almost fully translucent cloak draped over him. He peeked out of one eye, still bathing in the light of Yldria. It felt welcoming and he felt himself getting angry over the fact that he felt that way.

It had been over an Arc since last he'd been here but he still knew the way. The way that carried him through the smaller streets of Uleuda, further from the bright light of Yldria that provided sustenance for all Yludih, further from the crowded center around the crystal. Away from perceptive eyes, away from recognizable crystal faces, away from others. The light and warmth of Yldria faded slowly as he managed to put distance between them. That was how it worked. One source of survival with a limited range. It kept all Yludih safe and together. Together in a happy bunch of happy crystals all being happy. Sin whistled a short and sharp tone from his crystals, the Yludih equivalent of clicking your tongue, although with a little bit more anger than usual.

He passed through all three tiers of the city, ignoring the crystal people gathering together for their lessons in the meetings area and crossed between smaller crystal buildings used to house Yludih families while they stayed here. Here, where they could be who they were, without danger of being hunted down. Here, where they each shone with a bright light, one that faded in comparison with the light of Yldria, but bright enough that each one of them was a crystal lantern in various colors. Here, where they talked, laughed and learned in safety before waking back up in the cold, hard reality of Idalos. Once he'd passed the houses and the people, there was a short, open space before he reached the giant wall surrounding the entirety of Uleuda, the last line of defense against the cold, hard reality of where ever Uleuda existed.

As he started climbing the stairs up the side of the wall, he wondered why it wasn't possible to use his magic here. Stairs always tired him out. But he got to the top. The wall had Yludih on it, providing security against the outside but ever since his arrival here so many arcs ago, he'd never heard of anything coming even remotely close to the wall. But it allowed him to see far, to sink deep within himself where things were better. He found himself a flat crystal that made up part of the irregular building style of the Yludih and climbed on it. He was aware of the long drop down on the other side of it but he focused on the view ahead, rather than the view downward. Sin sat himself down, crystal feet dangling over the edge, at the bottom of which, sharp crystals awaited anything trying to get closer.

In the distance, the crystal forest stretched itself out, surrounding Uleuda in full. There was no break in the wild growth of the crystals and many of them had grown tall enough to overshadow even the wall he was sitting on. And beyond all the crystal and light, there was the actual nothing. The blackest, coldest void he could think of. The most terrifying place he could imagine. There, death would be a gift you'd be delighted to receive. Idalosians had it so easy with their fears. If only they could understand. He dove deep within in himself and from there, let himself sink deeper, dragged down by thoughts and memories that linked themselves together with the oddest of hooks. As he sank deeper, the light carried be each and every Yludih, the light that, at the best of times, was barely a strong candle flame within him, grew dimmer until it equaled that of a faraway star in the Idalosian sky.
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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria

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Previously...

She moved through the crystal forest with great haste. The steps taken were large and swift, carrying her quickly away from that place. The scenery flashed by and she made no effort to pay any attention to it. She did not want to see it. She did not want to be assaulted by memories anymore. The Yludih focused inwards as she ran, repeating the mantra over and over and over, clinging to it as if it were a lifeline. Her body operated mostly on autopilot, keeping her from running headlong into trees, stumbling over the uneven ground, or smacking her head on one of the many low hanging branches.

It mattered very little where she’d end up. Yana did not care about location. All she wanted was to not see the destroyed part of the forest anymore. To not see the memories. To no longer have to endure the baleful stares of the crystals all around. To no longer hear the cracking and shattering of trees and ground and Yludih. To shut out the screams. That was all that mattered. Her idea clearly had been a bad one. Not bad, the voice of the monk popped into her mind, calm and soothing as always. Familiar and friendly. A wave of pleasantness among the aggressive parade of chaotic recollections. It was just too early for you. Be patient. Give yourself time. There’s no use in running when you cannot even walk yet.

Yana slowed a little, the warmth of his voice and the reassuring quality of it helping to push the memories back behind the armored steel door inside her brain. Thick and reinforced, and heavy too. Where she kept the things she’d rather not recall. Aided by the mantra, peace and quiet returned to her mind, and the Yludih’s running ceased. She took a few moments to recover, gaze sweeping over the new elements added to this place.

Whether by accident or driven by some purpose, her body had brought her to the edge of the crystal zone, the edge of the void. Once this place had been where she’d seen Quiome wander off into the darkness, but it had undergone drastic changes the past few years. Where before this section of the forest had been relatively unprotected –relying on ground patrols by Yludih—there now stood a wall. Just as tall and thick and imposing as the one running around the other parts of Uleuda. In fact, it was part of it, she saw, connected to form a barrier without cracks or gaps.

The Yludih must have put a lot of effort into growing it quickly, she realized, as the color was characteristic for constructs that had been around for a few years. Yet, despite its youthfulness, the wall already had its own battle scars.

She wasn’t certain what drove her up the stairs. Perhaps a self-destructive urge to stare into the abyss and feel it stare back, some form of self-flagellation to deal with the guilt and shame that still roiled within. Or maybe she just wanted to assure herself that she had indeed grown. That the forest was just too much for her at the moment, but that she was already walking the path of recovery. Either way, she climbed its height, one step at a time, feeling an anxious anticipation settle in her chest. Nervousness. Fear.

From up there she couldn’t see much of Uleuda, tall trees and other vegetation blocking the view. The void was on full display though. Vaster than any ocean she’d ever seen, and much calmer too. It did not move, did not change. It just sat there, cold and uncaring. Somewhere in that darkness, the Nulliem were hidden, Yana knew. Skating elegantly around without aim or direction. Entropic. It was strange how she could look upon it and feel… almost nothing. Fear, yes. Tickling her abdomen, clogging her throat. But it wasn’t crippling. It didn’t unlock the door in her brain. Perhaps because there was nothing to see. Maybe that would change if she did see a Nulliem. She quickly turned away.

That’s when she saw him. Seated on the wall a bit further away, staring into the absolute blackness as well. At first Yana thought she was hallucinating –but no, there was only one person with that unhealthy and fragile twig-like body type. It had been so long since he’d been here. A year at the least, perhaps even more. It wasn’t like she used to meet up with him every time she visited Uleuda, but every once in a while they did. She couldn’t remember if it’d been a spoken or unspoken agreement, or if it was his or her idea. Either way, it had worked for them. The downside, of course, was that she couldn’t tell when he’d started avoiding Uleuda.

First, she had thought he was avoiding her. Perhaps something she’d done. Something to offend or upset him she hadn’t realized she’d done. But his parents hadn’t seen him for an equal length of time either, so it’d been more likely he’d stopped coming to Uleuda altogether. She couldn’t fathom why.

She approached gingerly, as if he was a wild animal she didn’t want to startle. Ironically, the idea of him bolting did not seem so farfetched. Though she sincerely doubted his ability to slip away from her. “Sintih?” she called out to him, the chimes of her voice laced with worry. Yana did not really know how to start this interaction, so there was a brief pause while she tried to decide on something casual to say. Nothing came to mind so she just gave up.

“I didn’t expect to see you… here.” Fuck, great. Hopefully that didn’t sound too much like an accusation. Had he noticed the hasty addition of the final word?


Last edited by Yanahalqah on Sun Jul 05, 2020 12:37 pm, edited 2 times in total. word count: 999
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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria


Something had to be wrong here. You didn't get stuck in Uleuda. Well, you could but that meant you'd died and become an Ancient. This definitely didn't feel like how he imagined that. It occurred to him that he'd never actually asked his parents what it was like so how could he know? He pushed the thought aside, that wasn't the point right now. He held his train of thought for a moment and misted the thought. Gone. Back to the train. You didn't get stuck in Uleuda. He'd always had a way out, he'd never had any problems like this. Just a thought and he was out of here. Nothing kept him here, Uleuda wasn't a jail. It was supposed to be freedom. Which meant... what exactly? That this wasn't the re-...

His entire body brightened up. From a little dot of light to a full flare. That voice. His name. White eyes popped up in his mind. His body was filled with energy, shining brightly with light, love and loss. The eyes distanced themselves from him and he could see her fully. It had been so long. He lifted his head up, back to reality and turned, stopping halfway, the side of his head pointed in her direction, hesitant. He could see her smile, so rare, priceless. Light purple skin, dark purple-blue hair, traditional Eidisi markings. Tough, athletic, dressed to the codes of the Iron Hand. It made him smile, invisible to anyone else, but it faded as quickly as it popped up. Saeri wasn't-... He misted the thought before it even began.

He pulled his feet up on top of the wall and finished turning around, letting his feet slip down and touch the floor of the wall, on the safe side. Only then did he dare open his eyes. Disappointment. Sin wondered for a moment whether other Yludih thought like him. He had no physical or sexual attraction to the true form of his loved one, or any other member of the Yludih race he'd seen in the past ten to twelve arcs. He knew who was in there and he knew exactly how he felt about her but he couldn't help himself feel disappointed as he saw her there. He was pulled from his thoughts as she chimed at him once more. Was that worry in her voice? The light in his asterism dimmed visibly as he felt ashamed, realizing that he'd made her feel that way. He wanted to close the distance between them and just hold her, tell her he was sorry, that he'd tried his best, that it was all his fault. But she wasn't-...

"S- Yana." He hadn't done this in a long time and he immediately felt it. Ulehi wasn't an easy language to speak and neglecting it for more than an arc had left its mark. He wanted to tell her all about it, apologize for everything but he found most of the words were absent from his mind in the moment. Luckily not all of it was gone yet. "I'm stuck." He chimed back at her, as if that made it alright, as if that explained everything. So stupid. But it didn't really matter either and yet it did. He felt it, the embarrassment, the light focusing on his cheeks as he mentally reprimanded himself for not being able to find more words to say to her. Yet, at the same time, he had so many words to say to her that he didn't know where to begin.

He leaned forward and put his weight on his feet, looking at them as he did so. They were bright and warm, filled with energy, although he could see and feel it start to fade already. Then he focused back on her, standing so close to her he could simply step up and wrap her in his arms. His disinterest in her crystal body was starting to lose to his desire to want to touch the person inhabiting those crystals, to be close to Saeri, to feel her asterism pulse in sync with his, to fill him with light and energy. With power. Without wanting to he'd taken a step towards her, his arms moving up to hold her. Something moved behind her and he froze for a moment, before pretending he'd always meant to cross his arms instead. Even here he felt the need to be civil, despite all of this being nothing more than-...

He misted the thought again and tilted his head to look past Yana at two of the guards walking in their direction. Then he looked behind him to see one more. All three of them had noticed the duo on the wall. He could even hear the indistinct chiming coming from the two. Gossip? He focused back on Yana. "Let's take a walk?" He motioned towards the stairs behind her. He didn't want climb down them again but it was the only way to get some private time with Saeri, for however long it would last this time. At least he knew what to expect this time around.
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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria

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It felt good to see him again. With all that had happened, with all the stress and the countless situations that required her attention in Idalos, Yana had had very little time to let her mind wander. Very few moments of peace and quiet where she could focus on her private life. It’d been one thing after the other, all clamoring for her to focus on them. As a result, she simply hadn’t had time to miss him. Yet, with Sintih standing right in front of her once more, she realized that a void in her asterism had just been filled. A certain longing had been satisfied.

Damn, how she’d missed that smart-but-stupid, fragile stick-figure of a man. It hit her like a sledgehammer. Not only knocking her off her feet, but high into the sky as well. Her asterism pulsed with more vigor, sending more intense, more bright waves of light and heat through her crystal form. An invisible smile crept up her non-existing lips as he struggled with the language for a few moments, needing to take a second or so to get accustomed to its complexities again. Ulehi was too different from any fleshling language, musical notes and chimes and bells produced by vibrating the crystals in one’s throat. Not speaking it for an extended length of time would see it degrade quickly.

She wanted to rush up and hold him for a while, making sure he was really there. Grab him tight and feel his body against hers. Close. Intimate. Warm, even if his asterism had trouble providing its crystals with the necessary heat. However, she didn’t know why he’d refused to come to Uleuda for so long, and if such closeness would be reciprocated. Sometimes it was better to be ignorant.

“I’ve missed you,” she wanted to say, “where have you been?” But instead she raised a hand and produced a quick series of signs. Sign is good too, if that’s easier.

“I’m stuck,” he said.

Yana cocked her head slightly, uncertain what he meant. “You don’t look stuck to me.” She waited, but he offered no explanation. That was fine. Knowing him, he’d bring it up again if he felt it was important. Or –and considering the blush spreading on his cheeks, this was far more likely—he wouldn’t speak a word about it again, because it was something stupid he’d done. Something embarrassing he’d rather have her forget.

He stepped forward, arms raising partly, then stopping for but a moment. They crossed in front of his chest, and Yana felt a surprisingly large wave of disappointment crash into her. She glanced behind her at his indication, spotting the two patrolling Yludih approach. From the other side came another guard, but Yana’s noticed him already beforehand. She understood his reluctance, of course, but did not share it. The guards be damned, let them gossip and stare. A small price to pay.

Nevertheless, she wholly agreed with moving to a more private location, if only because it would make Sintih more comfortable. She took her time descending the stairs so he wouldn’t feel like he had to rush. Once on solid ground, there were some options available to them. With the exception of the guards on the wall, not a lot of people came this close to Nulliem territory. A lack of people made for a suitable environment when discussing sensitive matters, but it wasn’t exactly private. The alternative was the forest, of course, but Yana did not want to head into this part of it. So instead she began to lead him along the wall for a couple minutes, until they reached an older section, and then headed into the tightly packed trees. Even then she still moved at an angle away from that place though.

“You’re stuck?” she asked, and then, “Where are you right now?” Curious. Voice forcibly kept neutral. Still there was something different about it. The softness of the chimes wasn’t usual for her. It could be chalked up to a certain awkwardness between them, as they’d not seen each other for so long. But it was more akin to tiptoeing around a delicate matter.

A phrase popped into her head, something she didn’t want to say. It would be best if she didn’t say it. It would change the mood completely. She didn’t want this to happen right now, the first time she could be in his company again. Yet, before she realized it had slipped out, quietly. “I went to Oakleigh to visit.” There’d been no-one there. Not the mercenaries. Not Lord Venora. Not Sintih.

And it hurt.

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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria


He remained still, leaving Yana to descend first. He shook his head slightly, barely perceptible for anyone except for Yana but she had her back to him. Of course she'd thought stuck mean in place. Why would any Yludih consider Uleuda a place to get stuck in. They enjoyed their lives here, away from Idalos, away from all the worries that that place brought them. Every smiling face, every friendly handshake, all of it could be evil in disguise, another person who could find out who you really were and then death awaited, if you were lucky. If not, death came only after experimenting and torture. Or at least, that was the history that had been shared with him in the beginning. He'd never seen it like that. So for him stuck meant stuck in Uleuda, although it didn't matter anymore now that he'd seen Yana.

He walked after her down the stairs, taking his time, thankful that Yana still remembered. Here, in the large open space between the wall and the housing area, very few people ventured. Near the houses you could occasionally see some children play but they stayed close to the buildings. The only people who spent any length of time here were the soldiers, passing through to get to their assigned positions. This was also one of the easiest places to spot an Ancient, due to the empty, open space. This would have been good enough for Sintih to stay and talk but it seemed like Yana had some place in mind. He'd thought that maybe this time around things would remain like this for a while longer but it seemed he wouldn't get the chance.

As they walked along the inside of the large crystal wall, Yana led them to a different section. By the time they'd reached it, Sin had adapted to the situation and his light had dimmed back to what it normally was, paling in comparison to that of other Yludih. He approached the walk with a businesslike attention, focusing on the action more so than on the person he was with. She was just a bunch of crystals here. Maybe once he'd been able to blend Saeri and Yana together while they were here but it had been some time since he'd last seen her and, he had to admit, he hadn't wasted much time on thinking about her. But there she was again, striding through one of the many gates like the warrior she was. Their path continued to take them away further from where they had met.

Here, among the crystal trees, Sin could let his eyes wander. Even now, the crystals here drew his attention, beautiful in their growth, brimming with light which slowly faded the further away they got from the wall. Neither of them had seemed keen on speaking first but Yana gave in first, chiming at him softly, something he wasn't used to, definitely not in public. Although there wasn't any sort of public around here. He moved his hands behind his back, clasping one with the other. "In Uleuda." He looked from the crystal forest to her. She knew better than to ask. But then again, it had been a while. "I'm stuck in Uleuda. I think I..." He tilted his head slightly as he tried to remember. It was all quite fuzzy. "I think someone punched me." He didn't know why he was sharing that. It wouldn't matter in the end.

After walking around for a bit, Sintih had remained quiet after, just walking with Yana through the forest. She chimed up again, quietly once more, as if people were listening to her. He found that odd. She didn't used to be so quiet, so shy almost. "I know." Of course he knew, they'd spent several trials together the last time she'd been there. Those nights were some of his best memories he'd kept of her... Why would she want to bring that up. Was that the most important thing on her mind right now? Oh. "Oh." Right, that made more sense. She wasn't talking about those visits. He hadn't told her when he'd left. He didn't remember why he thought it hadn't been necessary but he hadn't. "Euhm..." He hadn't planned for things to go as they had. Who could have planned for that anyway? But would anything he say here, now, make a difference for anyone? "I'm sorry?" His chimes didn't sound very sincere, as if he didn't really care too much about it anymore. Or maybe he was struggling with the language still. He'd never been very good at it. It was hard to tell at this point. He'd changed so much.

He didn't go into anything further. It seemed like Sintih was having trouble focusing in the moment, focusing on the person he was with. Which, if you could have a look in his head, made perfect sense. The young Yludih was using a set of mental exercises to remind of what this was and who the person was he was with. None of this would matter in a little while anyway. But part of him did want to indulge, to love her and live with her. To sit and talk and laugh. But it wouldn't make a difference in the end. In fact, it would just make it worse. Again.
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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria

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The apology felt half-hearted. Insincere. Yana sighed, a low buzzing or humming coming from deep within her chest. Likely he didn’t understand what he’d done wrong. Or perhaps he knew and just didn’t care.

The thought drove a knife into the star within her chest.

But he’d seemed glad to see her again though. Back on the wall. That did not add up. If only they weren’t in Uleuda at the moment, she’d have an easier time reading him. Here, without facial expression and with Sintih struggling with the language, it was more difficult to understand what was going in inside his head. Or perhaps the years apart had grown a rift between them. Perhaps the Sintih before her was not the Sintih she knew.

Pushed it deeper into the wound.

Yana wanted to drop the issue then and there, not being brave enough to continue on. For all her curiosity, she too had questions she’d rather not know the answer to. Yet, there was one last thing she needed to clarify, make him understand. Because she felt it was important.

“Look, I’m not seeking to stifle whatever plans you made or will make. I’m not saying you need my permission to pursue your own goals and ideals. We agreed at the start we have our own lives and careers and objectives. That’s fine. It’s great, even. But, I do wish you’d keep me informed if you travel to other cities. If only so I know where to send my letters.” A pause. “Just because I agree you should live your own life, and live it for yourself doesn’t mean I don’t want to be part of it.” But maybe he didn’t want her to. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t sent letters in so long, why he’d left without telling her.

Then twisted the blade for good measure.

Yana pushed the matter into a dark corner, dropping it altogether. With a gesture she even made it clear that was the end of that subject. That she didn’t want to talk about that anymore now. Not that she expected Sintih to voluntarily reopen that topic himself. Yana didn’t want him to either.

Her thoughts were forcibly steered into another direction, to the male Yludih’s conundrum.

Stuck in Uleuda. That really had been an unexpected answer to her question. Not that she could really say what she had thought he’d reply. Perhaps a complicated problem he’d been wrestling with for a while, something he struggled with. Where progress was slow and often non-existent. Or perhaps something a little more literal. Like being trapped due to a cave-in, or underneath some rubble. But certainly not Uleuda. She’d never heard of anyone being stuck in Uleuda.

Well, except Ancients. They couldn’t leave. But then again, they had died in Idalos, their consciousness –and perhaps their soul—remaining within the Yludih exclusive crystal zone. There was no body for them to return to. Which begged the question if they felt ‘stuck’ or the opposite. She leaned more towards the latter, but she’d never asked an Ancient that question, so there was no way to know for sure.

Someone’d punched him, Sintih said, which certainly caused her to raise her eyebrows. Pity she had none though. Unconsciousness. She’d heard of concussions sending people into a coma for a while, but she’d never experienced it for herself. As far as Yana was aware, you needed a brain to concuss for that to happen, which Yludih did not. But the body sometimes did strange things to protect itself and the consciousness inhabiting it. With Sintih being so weak and frail, perhaps his body had shut down to heal faster?

“Did you deserve it? Being punched?” she questioned, trying to imagine a scenario that ended in the male Yludih getting decked in the jaw. There were quite a few, Yana came to realize, as Sintih had a tendency to come across as … well … himself. Abrasive at times. Stubborn. Questioning his superiors to the point of infuriating them. Wasn’t that why he’d left the Hand in the first place?

“How long have you been here for?”

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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria


He paid attention to her, to what she was saying. He could hear her and would be able to recount the conversation in general back to anyone who'd ask about it in the next few trials. But despite all his attention, he didn't look at her, at least not longer than a few moments at a time, especially when she surprised him with her answers. It was quiet after he'd apologized to her, he didn't feel the need to say anything more and she didn't react to it at first. So the two Yludih just walked, side by side, through the forest. Crystals reflected the light from Yldria even all the way out here. In fact, any and all light you would find in this place originated from Yldria itself. There was no other source of light here, except what little was produced by the asterism that kept a Yludih going. But that wasn't enough to be picked up on by the crystals. And then enough time had passed for Yana to break the silence between them.

He listened, hands behind his back, eyes on the forest ahead. He wasn't quite sure where they were but the crystals absorbed the light from only one direction so finding home wasn't a difficult task in Uleuda. He remembered making that agreement with her. It had been an unspoken thing between them for a while but they'd gotten to it somehow and the two of them had sat and talked it out, the both of the coming to an agreement that they could stick to. They would keep their own schedules, work on their own projects and, whenever their schedules aligned, they would meet. It was made infinitely more bearable because they could spend time together whenever they were both in Uleuda. Sin had thoroughly enjoyed each time their schedules overlapped, especially once they'd gotten back from Viden so many Arcs ago.

But that wasn't the point here, he realized. She was upset because he hadn't let her know what the plan was. A simple letter would have sufficed. But he hadn't done it and he couldn't remember why. Even if he could, it made no difference now, it was already too late. She paused, he wanted to say something, to explain it, but he stopped himself. It didn't matter anyway. She continued after a moment of silence. He'd never want a life for himself that didn't include her and he wanted her to know that. He turned his sight from the forest to the Yludih next to him just in time to catch her gesture, stopping his response. It was odd. She was odd. She'd always let him share and talk before. But it was better this way. Easier. So he turned his eyes away from her, with difficulty, and back to the crystals around them. Although he was aware of her presence next to him as they walked.

Silence returned for a while, Sin doing his best to focus on the forest while things were quiet. He didn't recognize this part, although he'd never spent much time outside of the walls. Actually, only when he'd been assigned work outside of the walls had he been here. Outside was dangerous. Even more so than Idalos outside. There were all sorts of things that could happen to you in the Idalos-outside. Scrapes, bruises, cuts, hunger, cold, monsters, bandits, accidents,... The list was endless. In that regard Idalos was worse. So many things could happen from so many different sources. In Uleuda it was much simpler and infinitely more dangerous. You could shatter and die, you could slowly fade and die or you could return to the city in unharmed. Those were your options. Instant death, slow death or life. Simple and final.

She made him smile. She always could. Out of all the responses someone might have for a loved one getting punched in the face, how many loved ones would shrug and ask you if deserved it? Sin couldn't help a smile, the feeling of ghostly, unseen lips moving to smile was familiar to him whenever he'd been around Yana. Even now it still happened. He shook his head, trying to get away from those memories. How long had he been here? Good question. Time was a different problem all together. Sin had no idea how long he'd been here. Bits? Breaks? Trials? If he let himself sink deep enough, time sometimes passed by breaks when it only felt like a few trills. When he thought and mulled over things, trills could feel like breaks. "I'm not sure. Less than on-..." He'd turned to face her as he spoke and his eyes went wide with fear. Absolute terror.

In the back of his mind, a little rational voice tried to pipe up and explain it away. It was already too late anyway. It didn't matter. But love did strange things to rationality. His asterism flared up as bright as when he'd heard Yana's voice for the first time in Arcs earlier but not with love this time. Sin reached for Yana and tried to grab her by the arm, to yank her in his direction, trying to force her out of the way of Death. Slow or Instant. It would be Death in the end. He knew it didn't matter, the voice in the back of his mind was right, but his asterism made him move despite knowing it, despite an entire season of training, despite having spent all he could on not acknowledging her while they'd walked. All gone the moment he laid eyes on nothing. Black. Empty. Void. Nulliem. Lightless hands reached for Yana's head. Fight or flight kicked in and it chose save. Save by pulling Yana out of reach from the grasping hands of death. He knew exactly how this would end now.
word count: 1008
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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria

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Sintih pondered over her question, apparently taking this very seriously. Her fault for asking, really. She sighed internally, and waited as he thought. Yana was in no rush to leave; this part of the forest was empty of memories. For a moment she wondered if she should seize the opportunity to sort out her own thoughts, but ultimately decided against it. The Monk’d been right; it was enough for today. Tomorrow would bring another chance.

Behind her something crunched. Like tiny shards being crushed into dust. Slow. Persistent. It gave her an uncomfortable feeling, and she was about to glance over her shoulder when Sintih began to respond, formulating his answer. Yana focused on him once more, ignoring the sounds for now. Yet something did not sit comfortable in her chest. A hunch that made itself known. Sharpened senses from several years working as a guard. Danger lurked close by.

As Sintih’s crystals paled, his asterism pulsing faster and faster, Yana knew she should have listened to her gut. Light was drawn out of him, sucked into something behind her. A lightless void that drew in what it had not. From the edge of her vision, she could see her own light be sucked away as well. It wasn’t harmful in and of itself, but the creature that caused the phenomenon sure was. Her head turned to glance over her shoulder, to see what she knew was there. A Nulliem, very close, wading through the crystal floor as if it was snow. The floor reached halfway up its legs, making it look deceptively short, but it still measured only a head shorter than Yana.

Hands of pure darkness were already on both sides of her face, as if the Nulliem wanted to cup her cheeks. Only its hands would eat right through her crystals, and she’d never wake up again. If she was lucky, some shards of her would still be left. If she was really fortunate, someone might even be able to identify them as being hers. So her mother would at least know she’d perished.

This is it? But this is such a stupid way to die though… I can’t believe this is how it ends… I don’t want to go like this. I don’t want to—

Someone yanked her away from the Nulliem with surprising strength, sending her to stumble a couple paces past them. Sintih. But now he was closest. Now the Nulliem would take him instead. No no no no no no no! No! This wasn’t how this was supposed to go! She’d finally seen him again in so many years! There was so much more for them in the future, certainly! That couldn’t just be chopped off abruptly here! That wasn’t supposed to happen!

The Nulliem did not go for the male Yludih though. It stopped for a moment, tilted its head as if confused, then made an effort to glance past the Yludih. It stepped aside, lower legs cutting through the crystal ground, crystal being crushed into dust inside of its body. Past Sintih, it began to stride, seemingly uninterested.

Yana wasn’t certain if she felt more confused or grateful –or afraid— at the creature's hesitation, but the brief pause was enough to mentally kick herself out of her stupor. Freezing up was not a good idea now. Instant death or not, it was always better to struggle desperately rather than not at all. Her body definitely came to its senses too, ready to dash away as fast as possible now the mind no longer held it rooted in fear.

Now it was her turn to tug on Sintih’s arm, way harder than intended, nearly pulling him off his feet. If he didn’t move his legs, she’d be dragging him along. Because Yana didn’t wait. Fingers clamping down hard on his hand, she had begun to run away without second thought. Even when he no longer stumbled, but ran alongside her, she did not let go.

word count: 681
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Re: Home, under the light of Yldria

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Sintih:

Knowledge:
Tactics: Sticking to side streets to avoid attention
Navigation: Uleuda's city layout
Rupturing: Can't be used in Uleuda
Meditation: lose yourself in a distant view
Meditation: Let your thoughts take you where they will
Psychology: Black nothingness is terrifying
Linguistics: Don't use a language? Lose a language
Linguistics: Ulehi: A difficult language to learn
Medicine: The asterism fills the body with light

Yanahalqah: Not as attractive in her Yludih form
Yanahalqah: Still the same after all this time, yet different
Yanahalqah: Went to Oakleigh after you left
Uleuda: Nulliem
Uleuda: Nulliem absorb light to eat
Uleuda: Nulliem hunt Yludih

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.

Points: 15

Yana:

Knowledge:
Running (Home, under the light of Yldria)x2
Psychology (Home, under the light of Yldria)x2
Meditation (Home, under the light of Yldria)x2
Linguistics - Ulehi: Deteriorates quickly without regular use
Linguistics - Ulehi: Difficult to learn
Linguistics - Ulehi: Speak by vibrating resonant crystals

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.

Points: 15

- - -
Comments: I was a bit confused about why Sintih thought that he had been forced to come to Uleuda and how exactly he got stuck at first, I have to admit. Fortunately, you explained it later on.

I appreciate that you mentioned Yludih being able to be who they are in Uleuda, without danger of being hunted down. Your description of the city was quite atmospheric in my opinion.

I changed your "Cartography: Uleuda's city layout" to "Navigation: Uleuda's city layout" as that seemed more appropriate to me. Your PC's actions didn't have anything to do with making maps.

I like that you tied this thread to a previous solo, Yana. You described your PC’s surprise at seeing Sintih again very well.

Sintih’s and Yana’s reunion was painful and kind of awkward, but they still seem to care about each other, and I think this mixture of feelings is what made this thread so interesting.

The Nullien showing up at the end of the thread made things exciting. I hope that there will be a sequel!

Enjoy your rewards!
word count: 361

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