light the silver lamp

Death was nothing new.
Death happened every day, sometimes in more interesting ways than others.
Quanil was used to death. But it'd been a long time since someone they'd really known had died, mostly because most people distanced themselves from them. So, yeah, death was nothing new, but this particular sting was fresh.

It seemed right to come here to remember her, to come to this shrine for this god in this place. They didn't know, at first, what to say or to ask. It was foolish to demand her return; the gods didn't work like that (and didn't like having demands made of them). Every question they could think of was immediately discarded.

So, in the end, they cleared their throat and said, quietly, "I asked Miss Maea once what I could do to help her. And she made me promise to learn how to fight so I could defend myself. She wanted me to go see Mr. Sunjata at his new boxing ring, and I'll do that. I will, because I promised her that specifically. But... I know she was a friend of yours, Ludo. Sort of. If you have friends? She kind of made it sound like 'friends' wasn't the right term, but I don't know what is.

"Anyway, she was a good person, and she didn't want anything to happen to me. So, if there's some way you can help that wish of hers come true, some way you can help me better defend myself and others - especially others! - I'd..." They paused to wipe away tears; they weren't actively crying or sniffling so much as their eyes were leaking. A lot. "I'd appreciate that, please. I don't know what or how... I just know it was what she said she wanted. She was a really good person. But you probably already knew that."

Now they sniffled and rubbed at their eyes some more. They'd been keeping it together okay until they'd decided to talk about their last conversation with Miss Maea Valair. Maea the Disappeared, gone for good now, they supposed.

A soft wind; a hush of waves slapping against the shore; a sensation of something arriving. [say]"You have come a long way from home, sweetling."[/say] Ludo appears wrapped about the statue at the shrine, its rags clinging to it like a shawl or a blanket. [say]"All this way to mourn a friend. That is something to be admired."[/say]

As for what Quanil had come to see the deity for, Ludo's mask tilted this way and that, as if trying to see something within that was not visible on the surface. [say]"To honour her memory? Yes, I believe I can help you fulfil her wishes."[/say] The god would seem to smile, a strange sensation in and of itself.

[say]"Go. First, train at this boxing ring with the one they call Sunjata. Then train once more with that stick you have been using. Finally, speak with Mort's daughter and learn more of death, of memory, of Maea's departure. Return to me once you have completed these tasks. Bring your staff."[/say]

---

Quanil has received a quest from Ludo!

- Complete a training thread with Sunjata focusing on hand-to-hand combat.
- Complete a second training thread focusing on using a staff.
- Complete a thread with Delphia to learn about death, memories, and Maea's last moments.
- Return to the shrine, bringing the staff with you.

They blinked when they actually got to see Ludo up close, sniffling once more. They'd caught occasional sight of... it? the god when they were all playing hide-and-seek, but this was very different. Don't stare, it's rude. Are gods used to being stared at? Is it still rude if they are? Maybe they like it? Maybe they're used to it but they still don't like it. I don't want to anger a god. They wouldn't be Quanil if they didn't have buckets of curiosity slopping over with questions.

They just nodded at Ludo's... approval? admiration? comment about coming here to mourn Miss Maea. They weren't sure what to say or do, except that... well, they'd done what seemed right by her, that was all. They didn't feel like they'd really gone out of their way. This was how it should be. (Also, they weren't sure if they liked a god calling them 'sweetling'. Do gods eat people? They probably could if they wanted to. But do they, on a regular basis? Would all people taste sweet to gods or is it just me? Maybe it's just... a term of endearment? Quanil wasn't sure if they wanted to be... endeared.)

The questions were a bit more distant in their head than they normally would have been. Background noise, running through their mind like children running and playing through the Fields, somewhere off in the distance, and all you could hear was the laughter and happy shrieking. Quanil's attention was first and foremost focused on the first god they'd ever truly met.

They smiled a little, hopefully, when Ludo said they... it?... would help. They tried not to show their uneasiness at the sensation of Ludo smiling. I mean, someone has to collect the dead. It doesn't make Ludo bad or mean. Good, if anything. Death was nothing new.

They almost, almost ran from the shrine as soon as Ludo said "Go". Because, y'know... a god told them to do it, so... Fortunately, Ludo wasn't done speaking yet, and as it did so, a light came into Quanil's eyes, a smile spread across their lips.

A QUEST.

An actual, true, god-given quest, and all the questions in their mind fell away as they committed to memory the steps they must undertake.

They nodded. "Yes! Thank you! I-I will! Do that. All of it. Thank you!" They backed away a few steps, then turned and ran from the shrine, eager to get started.

To honor Miss Maea, they'd been given a quest! To be able to defend themselves and others, just as she'd wanted them to! A quest, to learn and improve!

They wouldn't let her - or Ludo - down.

{Finished}