The cavern walls, for all of their ancient glory, were damp with moisture and slick with lichen that cast their own pale luminescence despite the ensorcelled stones parsed every twenty tiles. The white moonstone - or opal, or howlite, or whatever forgotten material had long ago been used to fashion the place has become cracked long ago and let the water and life outside in. It delighted the young boy, far more than it did his mentor. He traced his fingers over the cracked runes, letting the moisture and mildew cling to his fingers without a care. He looked over at the stately figure standing down the hall - a tall, regal figure of pale purple skin and hair the color of sun-bleached bone. His face held deep wrinkles, and his eyes shined with a bluish light that matched the magicks of the stones he had produced for the child.
"Your home is so pretty, ael'cor'avar. I love it here."
"It was once much moreso, il-lean, but history lessons can wait. Tell me, do you know what it means to choose?" His voice was a razor, cutting through the silence of the halls and growing to encompass everything the boy could hear. He did not know why, but the sound of his voice left him feeling... small, exposed. As if he had been put in front of all the family he had ever known, and must answer truer than he knew.
"To choose means to decide between ..."
"To choose is conviction." He interrupted, clearly unsatisfied with the answer he was in the midst of recieving. "You must be absolutely certain in your choosing. There is no room for doubt. There is no room for guesswork. To choose is what you were born to do. Let this be engraved upon your soul."
- Present -
He had not been prepared, he thought to himself, as he stood at the end of the caravan trail and looked upon the bustle of the city ahead. So many souls, flowing from place to place in paths of least resistance. The sharp rises of wood and stone that made up the facilities and homes of the fabled city broke these routes to some extent, but only little. The air was a clash of smells that reached him - the dung of the horses freshly stabled, the soil and mud after the rain, the sweat of the gates-men taking their papers, and the whiff of scents tumbling forth from the various building just beyond the walls. Not a single lichen, so far as he could tell. But the River Chionthar... even so far away, it smelled of the same waters that fed Verire. That kept him grounded, and allowed him to dream of home for a few moments.
"Excuse me, mister, you look new. Tour for a gold piece?"
Ilean turned his eyes to meet the voice of a street-ragged child, his eyes keen and his palm upturned. A gentle smile danced across his lips and he pulled a coin from a pouch hidden beneath his layered shirt, placing it in the awaiting hand. "Sounds like a deal to me," he replied, before taking step behind his would-be guide. He had to start somewhere, he supposed, and it was a chance to help a child whom might be in need. As good a place as any to steel his conviction, and begin his search.
"What does it mean, to Choose?"
-
zhevrun
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2022 11:30 pm
Re: "What does it mean, to Choose?"
"Each soul is their own. I would find it improper to disagree with any one's nature, and though I may not approve of some practices it does not detract from the remarkable uniqueness of the individual." Sayushi said in the way only she spoke, walking astride the moon elf and slowly paced, heavily overburdened dwarf at her back. Drothrak Horn smiles watching the duo, his lantern casting long shadows across late evening corppice of fruit trees. Behind the dwarf, a small dark-furred wolfdog kept pace at his heels. Ilean responded in an almost playful manner, his lips spread into a soft smile. "An evasive answer, noble one."
"Hrmmm, late crop, I expect, though perhaps a bountiful one." The shou woman said as she paused to inspect Beregosts' orchard, one of the reasons for the days' journey. Behind her, Drothrak wiped at his brow with a cloth, sweating along with his pack filled to bursting. "With any luck," the dwarf agreed. After a few more steps away from the orchard, she began once more to speak. "Perhaps in your interpretation, Mister Il-Lean, but I find it impossible to take offense to the simple nature of what any soul is. That is a universality, a indelible quantity of the singular among the cosmos... Thank you, Mister Hown, for the company," she paused briefly to give a small bow to their guest before returning to her conversation with the moon elf. "The blacksmith is just ahead, he shall likely have some guidance as to where one might find weaponry of such type as you might seek."
"Aye thunder 'ammer runs a good smithy from what i 'ear. Nae dwarf work but solid." The short figure's hat danced with his every step, lantern light swaying almost hauntingly in the night rainfall.
"I meant no offense, and now take your meaning more to heart. I thank you again for indulging me my foolish dream-chasing... Oh! Before I forget," The youthful figure's pale lavender skin shone in the lantern's glow as he approached Sayushi where she had taken up station at the forge's craft table. Delicate hands reached into his backpack and drew forth the bottle of gaseous ether and shells from the earlier encounter with the local wildlife. Drothrak paused a moment, either pausing to wipe his brow once more or to prepare a pipe for when he finally freed himself of all that burdened him. "Oi now lad, dream chase'n aint foolish. Good ta travel 'n wander. Makes yeh a more rounded person."
Sayushi Furuki ground the collected shells into a thick paste, and mized them with a variety of oils and unguents from her bandoleer, taking a few moments to ensure the task was done to her satisfaction, before turning to face young Ilean. "Here, these should help you as well." The two traded handfuls of goods, before he could get a proper look at what she had proffered to him. "Oh... thank you. What elixer ... hmm..." He sniffs at the contents, and gives a nod. "Skin-of-wood. I see." She nodded in response, and continued, "Apply it to your skin to release the essences from your vanquished to aid you one last time.Though you may not see the scarabs from the road exhibiting great valor, they fought and died to defend that which was encroached by an outsider of great strength. Honor their sacrifice."
He nods solemnly. "To stand and fight, and fall in battle is the greatest of honors." A pause. "Mmmm, though my wording is far less than the idea I wish to convey. I must recite my poetry once more, and read further," he says softly, as if ashamed.
"Though they may be simpler creatures, they are not lesser, the mark and merit of a soul is measured in the conviction to strive for the ideals and protect that which one cherishes most." The rain was starting to clear, and the moon's light had almost become visible in the night sky when Sayushi waved over her shoulder. Behind her, Drothrak Horn gave a quiet tip of his hat so as not to interrupt the conversation as he departed towards the stables.
"Noble is the soul that, even under impossible pressure and strength beyond which to face, stands upright and true. Caan ean fa alvmilelaw teague hiine quarlani." (*Translated: Elven "Let it be engraved upon your soul.")
Sayushi Furuki offers him a warm clap on the shoulder. "Well said, though with practice and opportunity you can refine it to greater purity. Through opportunity and familiarity, come to learn the distilled truth of what the universe offers." The boyish elf paused a moment, looking up at the stars that had finally begun to number the sky. A hand ran through his wet, silvered locks before he finally found it in himself to open up to this kindred soul. "This is my purpose. To find those, and to Witness them." She smiled at the elf's confession, taking a step toward him and bringing his chartreuse gaze back to her.
"Good. That is a noble step on a very long path. But to witness such souls, you must be prepared to walk where doom and death fears to tread. You shall venture along concourses lost to memory, and shepard the departed from the battlefields of their lives. And for that you will need a beacon - to banish the darkness, and guide your wayward charges to the next step in their journey."
He thought his heart would stop for a moment, as she finished speaking. Her eyes bore into his soul. She knew, he thought, though he had not yet told her of this truth. Somehow, she knew his soul. "...yes, I know." He sighs sadly, and rests a hand on his cheek. "I fear that I do not yet understand that strength of soul necessary. I've seen Her... but I am not Her." A long pause hung in the air between them. "I am mortal, down to my soul."
"You speak in contradictions, friend." Sayushi's soft chuckles, full of mirth, broke the spirit of the silence and dispelled the mood that was beginning to hang upon the foolish moon elf. He turns and forces a smile, his eyes mostly closed as notices Drothrak's return. The visibly less sweaty and much more sprightly figure bounded up to the pair with a grace Ilean did not anticipate. "Well I'd say tha' do be a good trip. Stableman 'ad a fine young pony for sale. Strong back good muscle to 'im and a temperament o' a gentle lamb." When the dwarf paused to look between the two, Ilean's cheeks were a deeper shade of voilet that the rest of his pale lavender skin, flush from his words. "It is nothing, noble one," he says, quielt waving the conversation off.
"Yerselves finished yer shopp'n? Look'n fer anythign specific? I might know a dwarf 'r two."
"Oh...? Ah, mayhaps." He looks over at Sayushi and waits her response.
"Hrmm, something in particular, yes. Though I am fairly confident where it shall be found, Mister Horn. I appreciate the offer."
"Aye o'course. Well if'n yerselves 'r spend'n the night I recomend trying the imported ales 'ere. Local brew could use some work. Think'n I'll be take'n a detour ta Gullykin. Visit the hobbitfolk for some of their pipeleaf."
"It has been my honour to travel with you, noble Horn. Stars above, watch. Wind from my back to yours."
"May your course be bountiful with fortune, and guided by the countless celestials embedded in the Dome of Heaven, Mister Horn."
Drothrak tipped his hat, and began his departure as the exchange of words came to a close. "Watchful eye see you both safely along your trails." He motions to Lorgar, the wolfhound that had followed him along the road. "We're off lad."
Ilean waited a few moments until the jubilant stoutfolk was well on his way, and then he cleared his throat slightly. If she noticed, Sayushi did not response as she exchanged a small jade coin with the smith, and nodded while he busied with a privately requested task. After some time, he returned and presented the tavern-keep a long, loosely wrapped object. In return, she gave a bow and a small completion of transaction, before Sayushi turns from the business. She finally speaks with a small, self-satisfied smile. "I thought as much. A useful visitation, in a few ways."
"Oh?"
"It pays, in my position, to be abreast to rumors and tavern-tales of various sorts. But I must ask you, formally, as to what your goal is." She smirks, "We can move out of the thoroughfare, if you prefer." A soft sigh escaped Ilean's lips before he could bite it back, and he nodded to her. "You place me in an unexpected position, noble one. I would appreciate somewhere with less hammer ringing." She nods and motions the man along, her parcel protruding from under her arm.
"Do you prefer the acknowledgement of civilization, or the more natural terrains?"
"Mmmm, perhaps a harmony of both. There, beneath the windmill's shadow." He points down the path a ways to the windmill gently turning in the night breeze. It was still strong from the recent storm, but the strokes remained steady and unyielding to any pace but it's own. Sayushi nodded, glancing about to appraise the man's choice of location. He looked up at the windmill's blades with his chartreuse eyes, and breathed in the cool night air long and deep. Slowly, he lowered his head as if to enter prayer, and begins to softly sing in elven. Sayushi smiled slightly, watching and listening as the elven priest went through his actions.
"Enyor irasl, fete, alushfaen ent vcema..."
"Aul tel' inal cillwla, sharti tel' arsurinyae akh..."
"Milelaa sel tel'quias avel, nesh tel' rysar ath Cor'Quessir..."
"Welsa tel'quiet tel' durra... ath tel'quias revari..."
"LE uva drim!"
"Ilnymelala tel' menatu, LE uva drim."
"Aulor tel' theri ath tel' cor..."
"Elilcealan keryness, LE'cc drim arta ethili ath vcema."
Translated:
"Battle hymn, fire, blood and glory..."
"In the distant lands, where the gods command..."
"Raise high my sword, for the reign of kings..."
"Open me the gates... of my dreams..."
"I will fly!"
"Across the knowledge, I will fly."
"Into the skies of the legend..."
"Valient warrior, I'll fly on wings... of glory."
He ended the song a long crescendo, that drags into a low whisper. Sayushi's slight, gentle smile never wavered: content simply to let the event occur, waiting patiently. "I am bound to Choose. One day, it shall be my duty to carry the honourable hero-dead to the next great clash that needs them." He paused a moment, and lifted a hand to gesture out to the edges of Beregost, where they had fought the giantkin."For now, I Call those souls that Heed unto me." She nodded, listening to his words.
"I, too, am a Shepard of sorts. Though where your task is to guide those who have approached the end of their path, mine tends to focus on revealing the nature and existence of that same path. It is in this role, of facilitating the greatest prosperity - for your future, for those you shall guide, and for the wayward soul I hold before me - that your paths may become one with greater purpose and harmony."
"Ah, no wonder I feel this kinship I cannot put into words," He nods slowly, his face turning from soft and vulnerable to relaxed. She unwrapped the parcel she had been carrying, revealing a blade. Forged of fine mithril with a silvery hue, the soft gleam under moonlight revealed the presence of thin etchings of extraordinary detail along the curved surface. Ilean's eyes look from her to the weapon, and he starts to protest... but silences himself before bringing further dishonour to the fine gift. His breathe was visible in the cool night air, his eyes transfixed on the etchings.
"As perhaps were you, this soul was out of place, found by another and brought to a minder. I bequeath it to you, Il-Lean of Myth-al Varin, to see it's legacy written. Mind the truth of the matter, Il-Lean of Myth-al Verin, as this is not a gift, but a charge. Each transaction must be repaid, through deed, effort, intention." Ilean knelt, lowering his head until his chin touched his chest and his moonlight locks drapped wetly over his face. His gloved hands reached out, gently awaiting her to hand it safely from her hands to his.
"The legacy of this blade is your responsibility to write. Honor it well."
"The weight of your charge feels heavy on my shoulders, noble one, but I would give it to no other. May I be worthy of these deeds, and usher forth a blazing trail with this silver gleam for all to follow it's shine."
Sayushi laid a hand on his shoulder, and a soft surge of both cold and heat seemed to emanate in creeping tendrils from her touch. There, faint but visible, are twisting ribbons of both umbral and radiant mist leeching from her gloves as she gives him a solemn nod to hear his acceptance. "By the power vested upon me to ensure the Prosperity of the Universal Harmony, and the Kingdoms above and below the Heavens, I bear witness to your pledge, Il-Lean of Myth-al Verin. May it serve you well in the trials to come." With that, she gave his shoulder a light pat and a warm smile decorated her face as she stepped back a few paces.
Ilean's hands closed tightly on the hilt of the blade, and he rose in a singular motion with a test of the blade's balance. Finding his balance at the height of his stance, he gripped it tightly in one hand. With a swing flashing it out and away from Sayushi, the blade sang in the cool night air. He smiled as it's gentle, hum-like ring faded almost instantly at the end of the arc. "I shall call it 'Avaern', Purity. With it, I shall cleanse the souls and make ready the afterlife for those whom it must." He quietly sheathed the blade with a swift motion, though he slows deliberately near the end of the motion to allow the guard to settle without damage.
"A worthy vessel for the burden of this duty, and a promise-made-physical to you, noble one. I could ask for no finer companion for my road ahead." Ilean finally said to Sayushi, whom had been waiting patiently for the young elf to collect his thoughts and find his balance."I am pleased to hear that. Fairr infrequent are opportunities to mend and merge such fitting paths as we have had the chance tonight. I shall look forwards to seeing how your fates weave together, into a strong bond and a stronger purpose."
"I think... I shall trance here, this night. The wind feels right, and the shadows dance just enough on the edges of the windmill's blades. I shall commune with Avaern's weapon-spirit."
Sayushi offered a polite bow, saying simply, "As you wish, I shall leave the two of you to commune, and find others of my flock in need of tending." Ilean gave her a respectful, deep bow until his body was the shape of an upside down L. "May the stars above burn with your passing, that all might see."
(*Translated from in-game elven engine, not proper espruar. I may edit for proper elven in the future.)
"Hrmmm, late crop, I expect, though perhaps a bountiful one." The shou woman said as she paused to inspect Beregosts' orchard, one of the reasons for the days' journey. Behind her, Drothrak wiped at his brow with a cloth, sweating along with his pack filled to bursting. "With any luck," the dwarf agreed. After a few more steps away from the orchard, she began once more to speak. "Perhaps in your interpretation, Mister Il-Lean, but I find it impossible to take offense to the simple nature of what any soul is. That is a universality, a indelible quantity of the singular among the cosmos... Thank you, Mister Hown, for the company," she paused briefly to give a small bow to their guest before returning to her conversation with the moon elf. "The blacksmith is just ahead, he shall likely have some guidance as to where one might find weaponry of such type as you might seek."
"Aye thunder 'ammer runs a good smithy from what i 'ear. Nae dwarf work but solid." The short figure's hat danced with his every step, lantern light swaying almost hauntingly in the night rainfall.
"I meant no offense, and now take your meaning more to heart. I thank you again for indulging me my foolish dream-chasing... Oh! Before I forget," The youthful figure's pale lavender skin shone in the lantern's glow as he approached Sayushi where she had taken up station at the forge's craft table. Delicate hands reached into his backpack and drew forth the bottle of gaseous ether and shells from the earlier encounter with the local wildlife. Drothrak paused a moment, either pausing to wipe his brow once more or to prepare a pipe for when he finally freed himself of all that burdened him. "Oi now lad, dream chase'n aint foolish. Good ta travel 'n wander. Makes yeh a more rounded person."
Sayushi Furuki ground the collected shells into a thick paste, and mized them with a variety of oils and unguents from her bandoleer, taking a few moments to ensure the task was done to her satisfaction, before turning to face young Ilean. "Here, these should help you as well." The two traded handfuls of goods, before he could get a proper look at what she had proffered to him. "Oh... thank you. What elixer ... hmm..." He sniffs at the contents, and gives a nod. "Skin-of-wood. I see." She nodded in response, and continued, "Apply it to your skin to release the essences from your vanquished to aid you one last time.Though you may not see the scarabs from the road exhibiting great valor, they fought and died to defend that which was encroached by an outsider of great strength. Honor their sacrifice."
He nods solemnly. "To stand and fight, and fall in battle is the greatest of honors." A pause. "Mmmm, though my wording is far less than the idea I wish to convey. I must recite my poetry once more, and read further," he says softly, as if ashamed.
"Though they may be simpler creatures, they are not lesser, the mark and merit of a soul is measured in the conviction to strive for the ideals and protect that which one cherishes most." The rain was starting to clear, and the moon's light had almost become visible in the night sky when Sayushi waved over her shoulder. Behind her, Drothrak Horn gave a quiet tip of his hat so as not to interrupt the conversation as he departed towards the stables.
"Noble is the soul that, even under impossible pressure and strength beyond which to face, stands upright and true. Caan ean fa alvmilelaw teague hiine quarlani." (*Translated: Elven "Let it be engraved upon your soul.")
Sayushi Furuki offers him a warm clap on the shoulder. "Well said, though with practice and opportunity you can refine it to greater purity. Through opportunity and familiarity, come to learn the distilled truth of what the universe offers." The boyish elf paused a moment, looking up at the stars that had finally begun to number the sky. A hand ran through his wet, silvered locks before he finally found it in himself to open up to this kindred soul. "This is my purpose. To find those, and to Witness them." She smiled at the elf's confession, taking a step toward him and bringing his chartreuse gaze back to her.
"Good. That is a noble step on a very long path. But to witness such souls, you must be prepared to walk where doom and death fears to tread. You shall venture along concourses lost to memory, and shepard the departed from the battlefields of their lives. And for that you will need a beacon - to banish the darkness, and guide your wayward charges to the next step in their journey."
He thought his heart would stop for a moment, as she finished speaking. Her eyes bore into his soul. She knew, he thought, though he had not yet told her of this truth. Somehow, she knew his soul. "...yes, I know." He sighs sadly, and rests a hand on his cheek. "I fear that I do not yet understand that strength of soul necessary. I've seen Her... but I am not Her." A long pause hung in the air between them. "I am mortal, down to my soul."
"You speak in contradictions, friend." Sayushi's soft chuckles, full of mirth, broke the spirit of the silence and dispelled the mood that was beginning to hang upon the foolish moon elf. He turns and forces a smile, his eyes mostly closed as notices Drothrak's return. The visibly less sweaty and much more sprightly figure bounded up to the pair with a grace Ilean did not anticipate. "Well I'd say tha' do be a good trip. Stableman 'ad a fine young pony for sale. Strong back good muscle to 'im and a temperament o' a gentle lamb." When the dwarf paused to look between the two, Ilean's cheeks were a deeper shade of voilet that the rest of his pale lavender skin, flush from his words. "It is nothing, noble one," he says, quielt waving the conversation off.
"Yerselves finished yer shopp'n? Look'n fer anythign specific? I might know a dwarf 'r two."
"Oh...? Ah, mayhaps." He looks over at Sayushi and waits her response.
"Hrmm, something in particular, yes. Though I am fairly confident where it shall be found, Mister Horn. I appreciate the offer."
"Aye o'course. Well if'n yerselves 'r spend'n the night I recomend trying the imported ales 'ere. Local brew could use some work. Think'n I'll be take'n a detour ta Gullykin. Visit the hobbitfolk for some of their pipeleaf."
"It has been my honour to travel with you, noble Horn. Stars above, watch. Wind from my back to yours."
"May your course be bountiful with fortune, and guided by the countless celestials embedded in the Dome of Heaven, Mister Horn."
Drothrak tipped his hat, and began his departure as the exchange of words came to a close. "Watchful eye see you both safely along your trails." He motions to Lorgar, the wolfhound that had followed him along the road. "We're off lad."
Ilean waited a few moments until the jubilant stoutfolk was well on his way, and then he cleared his throat slightly. If she noticed, Sayushi did not response as she exchanged a small jade coin with the smith, and nodded while he busied with a privately requested task. After some time, he returned and presented the tavern-keep a long, loosely wrapped object. In return, she gave a bow and a small completion of transaction, before Sayushi turns from the business. She finally speaks with a small, self-satisfied smile. "I thought as much. A useful visitation, in a few ways."
"Oh?"
"It pays, in my position, to be abreast to rumors and tavern-tales of various sorts. But I must ask you, formally, as to what your goal is." She smirks, "We can move out of the thoroughfare, if you prefer." A soft sigh escaped Ilean's lips before he could bite it back, and he nodded to her. "You place me in an unexpected position, noble one. I would appreciate somewhere with less hammer ringing." She nods and motions the man along, her parcel protruding from under her arm.
"Do you prefer the acknowledgement of civilization, or the more natural terrains?"
"Mmmm, perhaps a harmony of both. There, beneath the windmill's shadow." He points down the path a ways to the windmill gently turning in the night breeze. It was still strong from the recent storm, but the strokes remained steady and unyielding to any pace but it's own. Sayushi nodded, glancing about to appraise the man's choice of location. He looked up at the windmill's blades with his chartreuse eyes, and breathed in the cool night air long and deep. Slowly, he lowered his head as if to enter prayer, and begins to softly sing in elven. Sayushi smiled slightly, watching and listening as the elven priest went through his actions.
"Enyor irasl, fete, alushfaen ent vcema..."
"Aul tel' inal cillwla, sharti tel' arsurinyae akh..."
"Milelaa sel tel'quias avel, nesh tel' rysar ath Cor'Quessir..."
"Welsa tel'quiet tel' durra... ath tel'quias revari..."
"LE uva drim!"
"Ilnymelala tel' menatu, LE uva drim."
"Aulor tel' theri ath tel' cor..."
"Elilcealan keryness, LE'cc drim arta ethili ath vcema."
Translated:
"Battle hymn, fire, blood and glory..."
"In the distant lands, where the gods command..."
"Raise high my sword, for the reign of kings..."
"Open me the gates... of my dreams..."
"I will fly!"
"Across the knowledge, I will fly."
"Into the skies of the legend..."
"Valient warrior, I'll fly on wings... of glory."
He ended the song a long crescendo, that drags into a low whisper. Sayushi's slight, gentle smile never wavered: content simply to let the event occur, waiting patiently. "I am bound to Choose. One day, it shall be my duty to carry the honourable hero-dead to the next great clash that needs them." He paused a moment, and lifted a hand to gesture out to the edges of Beregost, where they had fought the giantkin."For now, I Call those souls that Heed unto me." She nodded, listening to his words.
"I, too, am a Shepard of sorts. Though where your task is to guide those who have approached the end of their path, mine tends to focus on revealing the nature and existence of that same path. It is in this role, of facilitating the greatest prosperity - for your future, for those you shall guide, and for the wayward soul I hold before me - that your paths may become one with greater purpose and harmony."
"Ah, no wonder I feel this kinship I cannot put into words," He nods slowly, his face turning from soft and vulnerable to relaxed. She unwrapped the parcel she had been carrying, revealing a blade. Forged of fine mithril with a silvery hue, the soft gleam under moonlight revealed the presence of thin etchings of extraordinary detail along the curved surface. Ilean's eyes look from her to the weapon, and he starts to protest... but silences himself before bringing further dishonour to the fine gift. His breathe was visible in the cool night air, his eyes transfixed on the etchings.
"As perhaps were you, this soul was out of place, found by another and brought to a minder. I bequeath it to you, Il-Lean of Myth-al Varin, to see it's legacy written. Mind the truth of the matter, Il-Lean of Myth-al Verin, as this is not a gift, but a charge. Each transaction must be repaid, through deed, effort, intention." Ilean knelt, lowering his head until his chin touched his chest and his moonlight locks drapped wetly over his face. His gloved hands reached out, gently awaiting her to hand it safely from her hands to his.
"The legacy of this blade is your responsibility to write. Honor it well."
"The weight of your charge feels heavy on my shoulders, noble one, but I would give it to no other. May I be worthy of these deeds, and usher forth a blazing trail with this silver gleam for all to follow it's shine."
Sayushi laid a hand on his shoulder, and a soft surge of both cold and heat seemed to emanate in creeping tendrils from her touch. There, faint but visible, are twisting ribbons of both umbral and radiant mist leeching from her gloves as she gives him a solemn nod to hear his acceptance. "By the power vested upon me to ensure the Prosperity of the Universal Harmony, and the Kingdoms above and below the Heavens, I bear witness to your pledge, Il-Lean of Myth-al Verin. May it serve you well in the trials to come." With that, she gave his shoulder a light pat and a warm smile decorated her face as she stepped back a few paces.
Ilean's hands closed tightly on the hilt of the blade, and he rose in a singular motion with a test of the blade's balance. Finding his balance at the height of his stance, he gripped it tightly in one hand. With a swing flashing it out and away from Sayushi, the blade sang in the cool night air. He smiled as it's gentle, hum-like ring faded almost instantly at the end of the arc. "I shall call it 'Avaern', Purity. With it, I shall cleanse the souls and make ready the afterlife for those whom it must." He quietly sheathed the blade with a swift motion, though he slows deliberately near the end of the motion to allow the guard to settle without damage.
"A worthy vessel for the burden of this duty, and a promise-made-physical to you, noble one. I could ask for no finer companion for my road ahead." Ilean finally said to Sayushi, whom had been waiting patiently for the young elf to collect his thoughts and find his balance."I am pleased to hear that. Fairr infrequent are opportunities to mend and merge such fitting paths as we have had the chance tonight. I shall look forwards to seeing how your fates weave together, into a strong bond and a stronger purpose."
"I think... I shall trance here, this night. The wind feels right, and the shadows dance just enough on the edges of the windmill's blades. I shall commune with Avaern's weapon-spirit."
Sayushi offered a polite bow, saying simply, "As you wish, I shall leave the two of you to commune, and find others of my flock in need of tending." Ilean gave her a respectful, deep bow until his body was the shape of an upside down L. "May the stars above burn with your passing, that all might see."
(*Translated from in-game elven engine, not proper espruar. I may edit for proper elven in the future.)