Maea
The kind of flawless they think I should be
It was warm. A brilliant sun shone down upon the land with generous delight, awakening every flower and tree from the slumbers of Deepfrost with gentle kisses. A storm had passed by the other night and the torrentuous rain had washed away the last of the sodden snow, carried off all the fallen twigs and leaves and left the waters of the Oasis sparkling clean. In the balmy heat of the day, the glittering waters were enticing, full of promises of cool embrace, if one only dared to brave the icy chill that still lingered - a last reminder of the ice that ruled the lands until just recently.
Maea breathed in deeply as she dropped the satchel onto the ground and looked out over the pool, then let the air out of her lungs in a long sigh that released much of the tension that had built up in her shoulders over the winter. She har always felt most at ease out here, alone and unrestrained in the remote areas of the land, where the green of the leaves har yet to fade and the air was free from soot, smoke and the voices of man. Here she could breathe easy, think clearly and simply exist; not even the grief felt quite as close, and she thought that för a while it might be alright for her to set it aside.
Spreading a blanket onto the sunwarm rocks by the waters edge, Maea untied the leather cord that held the long hair back and let it fall freely across the shoulders. Pale fingers combed through the wintry cascades and a shudder of delight as nails scritched across the svamp sent goosebumps down the skin of her arms. Untying the simple fastenings of the deras, the slender girl let the fabric fall from her shoulders to pool around her feet. Easy steps brought her over to the rim of the pool, without a trace of embarrassment; for all the knew she was alone, sensed no one in the vicinity to disturb this moment or lay eyes upon her. There was nothing to fear...
A shuddering gasp tore from the lungs when she stepped out into the frigid water, but though it was cold enough to hurt the girl only laughed and pressed on, until the water was deep enough that she could submerge herself. Another deep breath, and she disappeared down beneath the rippling surface, down and down until not even a strand of hair could be seen...
... and with a single kick of her legs she shot back up, breaking through the surface in a cascade of sparkling water.
It was such a beautiful day. Would this all eventually fade and become nothing, along with the animals and the trees, with the people that called the place home and worked so hard to eke a living out of the tortured soil? Was Jigano really right in his assessment, when he said the Hollowed Grounds were slowly dying? And would that process be halted, not thst the demon guarding the Spire had been vanquished, leaving the tower open to exploration?
Impossible things kept happening blow by blow. She did not want things to happen, yet they always did... For all that it was a cage, Maea loved it here, had never wanted to leave or go anywhere. The prospect of the barrier falling was as frightening as the idea of it never coming down.
Maea breathed in deeply as she dropped the satchel onto the ground and looked out over the pool, then let the air out of her lungs in a long sigh that released much of the tension that had built up in her shoulders over the winter. She har always felt most at ease out here, alone and unrestrained in the remote areas of the land, where the green of the leaves har yet to fade and the air was free from soot, smoke and the voices of man. Here she could breathe easy, think clearly and simply exist; not even the grief felt quite as close, and she thought that för a while it might be alright for her to set it aside.
Spreading a blanket onto the sunwarm rocks by the waters edge, Maea untied the leather cord that held the long hair back and let it fall freely across the shoulders. Pale fingers combed through the wintry cascades and a shudder of delight as nails scritched across the svamp sent goosebumps down the skin of her arms. Untying the simple fastenings of the deras, the slender girl let the fabric fall from her shoulders to pool around her feet. Easy steps brought her over to the rim of the pool, without a trace of embarrassment; for all the knew she was alone, sensed no one in the vicinity to disturb this moment or lay eyes upon her. There was nothing to fear...
A shuddering gasp tore from the lungs when she stepped out into the frigid water, but though it was cold enough to hurt the girl only laughed and pressed on, until the water was deep enough that she could submerge herself. Another deep breath, and she disappeared down beneath the rippling surface, down and down until not even a strand of hair could be seen...
... and with a single kick of her legs she shot back up, breaking through the surface in a cascade of sparkling water.
It was such a beautiful day. Would this all eventually fade and become nothing, along with the animals and the trees, with the people that called the place home and worked so hard to eke a living out of the tortured soil? Was Jigano really right in his assessment, when he said the Hollowed Grounds were slowly dying? And would that process be halted, not thst the demon guarding the Spire had been vanquished, leaving the tower open to exploration?
Impossible things kept happening blow by blow. She did not want things to happen, yet they always did... For all that it was a cage, Maea loved it here, had never wanted to leave or go anywhere. The prospect of the barrier falling was as frightening as the idea of it never coming down.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
