maybe the stars align

Sohalia Lumaris

The last piece of Sohalia's quest for Vi was to gather dirt from the Greatwood, and what better place to do it, she thought, than the Eyes of Vi?

She wandered amongst the pools, content to spend time enjoying the views. There was, after all, nothing else quite like this in all the rest of Caido - at least, not of what she'd seen. And by now, she'd been a great many places. While she supposed there might be something in the Cordillera that could compare, some instinct told her that the Eyes of Vi were unique. Strange and not altogether safe, they were nonetheless beautiful to look at from above.

Choosing a spot beneath a towering oak, Sohalia set down her satchel and pulled out a spade and a large jar. Then she set to digging. She removed the topmost layer of soil, marred by a layer of moss, and began to turn over the darker dirt beneath. This she began to scoop into the jar, little by little, so focused on her task that she didn't realize that there was someone approaching.

From Halo the Greatwood, Noah soared, the wind a fierce force against his feathers, even though Flowerbirth was upon them. The sky stretched endlessly before him, a vast expanse that wrapped around him like an embrace that he had never experienced before. Every powerful beat of his wings sent him higher, the earth dwindling beneath him until worries became as distant as the ground. While Noah had been airborne before this shift erupted from his soul, it was not the same as soaring through the skies with his own wings.

Getting close to his intended place, he began his descent. He loved the sharp exhilaration of the dive, the way the air roared past his ears, his instincts guiding him in perfect harmony. For the smallest of moments, he could focus on the feeling as it exhilarated him, rather than the grief that weighed his heart down and the determination that kept him pressing into the tasks against the Family.

Large paws and talons hit the ground with impressive grace despite the way his massive body commanded the area around him. Glacier eyes looked around as he folded his wings against him, starting his way into the Eyes of Vi in search of a rose.

noah

you touched my heavy heart and made it light

Sohalia Lumaris

Oblivious to the newcomer to the Eyes of Vi, Sohalia continued to gather dirt. She turned over spadeful after spadeful until her jar was nearly full, then she pulled out the lid and screwed it on tight. Satisfied with her work, she carefully smoothed out the divot in the ground she’d created, trying very hard to leave minimal signs that she’d been here at all, and then stood, tucking the jar into her satchel and dusting her hands off on her pants.

Then she turned, only to huff out a squeak of surprise - for there before her was a huge griffin, the likes of which she’d never seen. It was part cat - massive, massive cat, with a lion-like mane and lynx-like ears - and part bird, with wings so huge that she felt dwarfed in comparison. ”H-hello?” she stammered, unsure who or what this creature was. She wasn’t familiar with any legends of the Greatwood that indicated that such a beast wandered here naturally, but then she wasn’t an expert. Or maybe this wasn’t a wild creature at all, but some other Attuned? ”I’m sorry - you just startled me,” she tried, on the chance that this was indeed a person who would respond to her inquiry. Hopefully, whatever or whoever it was, they were friendly.

Noah lifted his impressive head, closing his jaws. He hadn’t noticed the woman at first as he searched for the bright streak of crimson. If he could smile to diffuse the tension, he would. But instead he let a pulse of warmth spread across the attuned bond. I’m sorry if I startled you. I didn’t expect to see anything this deep in the forest. He shifted his body some and then shifted down, arms up and palms showing towards the woman — familiar enough as he searched his brain for her name.

”I’m just looking for a rose.” He said, stepping towards her with some caution as not to press any more pressure on her. He recognized how intimidating it was to be approached by such a creature as he was, having been approached by Remi as a manticore more than once. He had always been thankful in those times that Remi was his friend.

noah

you touched my heavy heart and made it light

Sohalia Lumaris

The voice through the Attuned bond left Soh weak with relief. ”Oh, no, you’re fine!” she assured the stranger, whose mental voice was deep and perhaps vaguely familiar. ”I was just gathering some dirt.” She gestured to the overturned dirt behind her, smiling ruefully. ”I just got a little too absorbed, is all.”

The griffin shifted, and before long a man who was indeed familiar stood before her, though for the life of her, Soh couldn’t recall his name. That he was looking for a rose did not surprise her, and she did her best to keep the wince from her features. ”Me too,” she said. ”Or, well, kind of. I’m questing for one from Vi. I’m Sohalia, by the way - I can’t remember if we’ve met, but I swear you look familiar.”

As she visible eased, Noah let his arms fall to his sides and he also let himself come forward to close the distance between them. As she offered her name, he half-smiled, the memory clicking in to place. Seeing that she was at a familiar impasse, he let his smile widen. "Noah Olson," He said, extending his hand towards her to shake. "I remember you helped open Stormbreak to the abandoned." He said, letting his face speak to the final recognition of who she was at the offering of her name. Helped was an understatement, but he only remembered her from the rally of sorts she held in Halo. 

He too let himself soften to her when she brought forth the nature of her quest. "Vi, is it? Well, I'd do anything to help someone on a quest from my patron." Noah, after all, knew what disappointment looked like in the god of life's eyes. The title Forsaken still hung over his head like the weight of a guillotine.

If this is all the love my spirit can give

Just take it back tonight

Sohalia Lumaris

At the mention of her role in Stormbreak, Soh softened further. If there was one thing she was proud of during her tenure as Heart, it was that she'd been able to open the city to the Abandoned. "I did," she said, offering a small, if somewhat sad, smile. "That was a long time ago, now." Back when Stormbreak was decidedly less purple, and she was both younger and dumber but also, in some ways, more confident. These days, she wasn't even sure she deserved to take Stormbreak back, if such a thing were even possible.

"Oh!" she said suddenly. "You're Vi's demigod!" Hearing his name paired with his patron, Soh recognized him more clearly. "Actually, I wonder if I might ask a question -" she added as she turned her attention to digging around in her satchel. "One of my tasks was to gather dirt from the Greatwood, so I came here." Retrieving the jar of dirt from her bag, Soh held it up for Noah to see. "Do you think this is enough, or should I gather more? Vi didn't really say how much to bring."

Noah did not know all of the inner workings of how Sohalia had lost her seat in Stormbreak, but knowing who sat there now, he knew it was not without trauma. Not willing to press an issue he had no business pressing — especially on their first meeting — he let her sad smile go with a fleeting smile of his own. 

The demigod was fully expecting the reaction to his name, and was well prepared for it. Where it once would have caused his ears to turn red, he now accepted the recognition with a simple nod. There were still swirling expectations of him as Vi’s demigod, given his title, but Sohalia’s expectations seemed to be on the more positive side.

”Of course.” He said, taking the jar from her and examining it for a moment. He took in a deep breath and then let it out, as softly as he could. ”Vi does not allow anything that is half done bring him pleasure. A full jar should suffice, but I wouldn’t bring less.” He handed the woman back the jar.

If this is all the love my spirit can give

Just take it back tonight

Sohalia Lumaris

Noah took the jar, holding it up to inspect. It was packed full of dirt - as full as she could have made it and still closed the lid - and Sohalia waited with bated breath to see if it would pass muster. When the demigod handed it back, she thought about his words for a few moments, inspecting the jar with a creased brow. "Maybe I'll bring two, then," she decided, tucking away the full jar in her pack. "Thank you."

It seemed that she still had work to do, then, before she could return to Vi. Offering a grateful smile to Noah, she gestured out towards the forest. "I'm off to find more dirt," she announced. "Just in case. Take care, and good luck with your hunt." And with that, the Luminary gave a little wave and flounced back towards the tree she'd been digging under, pulling out an empty, extra jar as she went.

fin