Maelstrom Saga: Scion of the Moon

Tun sat down next to the window, looking out through the glass at the distant lights of Quil, lights that were made all the more visible by his darkened room.

Night had descended on the town signaling the end of their final day in Quil. Tun bemoaned the prospect of leaving with an exaggerated sigh. It had been such a pleasant week. He had sampled delicious food, explored the single most beautiful valley he had ever seen, and most importantly of all he had made new friends.

Mel came over and sat on the seat next to him. She too was staring at the sea of lamps in the distance.

It was the night of the memorial ceremony, and the people of Quil were in mourning. Hundreds, possibly thousands of people migrated north through the town and hosh fields towards Veya's temple, each with a candle in hand.

There was a part of Tun that wanted to join them, but he and Mel weren't invited. They weren't natives and didn't know the victims of the recent tragedy. It wouldn't be proper for them to attend the ritual.

"She said she'd ask the priest at the funeral right?" Mel said to him.

He gave her an inquisitive look, not sure what she was talking about.

"Muta. She said she'd ask the priest permission to take Vosa with us on our trip."

"Oh!" Tun said, realizing her intent, and predicting her next question. "We'll have her answer by the morning I guess. They'll either come along with Kalen to send us off, or come with us."

She nodded and turned back to stare out the window. The storm of lights were settling on and near the plateau, creating a striped pattern through the towering boulders lining the path.

"I'm going to sleep." Mel said ,standing up.

She gave him a hug from behind and squeezed him tightly, before kissing him on the cheek. "You really shouldn't concern yourself with it. You didn't know them." She said into his ear, still embracing him.

He unclasped her hands from around his chest, breaking their embrace, and turned to look her in the eye. "I know. But the fact remains that another living, thinking, being has died. Twelve of them have. Death is a tragedy that effects all of us, even if we didn't know the person who died." Tun explained. "I choose to mourn these strangers, because I should."

Mel stepped away and sat on her bed. "You know, sometimes you say things that are very wise. Why didn't your dad send you off to be a philosopher instead of a mover?" She said.

"Father didn't have much of a say in my education. My mother had an iron grip on my life up until a few months ago. An earth mover is more likely to put food on the table than a philosopher. Besides, there are too many philosophers in the world already." Tun explained, still staring off into the distance. He could make out the faint sound of funeral chanting.

"Come here." Mel demanded from behind him.

He turned back around to look at her. Even in the dark he could see her familiar figure laying in the bed, the covers flung aside. She was holding a hand out for him to take.

"W-what?" He asked nervously, not sure if she meant what he thought she meant. She sighed and crawled to the edge of the bed.

"Get over here!" She demanded more aggressively. She grabbed his arm and with surprising strength and pulled him down to the bed.

"But, Mel, we can't"

"Oh relax, we're not being unclean. I just want to lay next to you tonight." She explained. Covering herself in the sheets and leaving the comforter for him to use. Tun fought back his inhibitions and wrapped himself in the blanket, putting an arm around his woman.

She nestled into his grip and rolled as close to him as possible. It was terribly awkward trying to get into a comfortable position for resting. Maybe that was why he couldn't sleep, that or his inability to calm back down.

They woke up bright and early the next morning.

Tun felt surprisingly refreshed considering how late he had gone to sleep the night before, even more amazing when one took into account all the tossing and turning the two had done throughout the night.

Tun got up and stretched while Mel tossed around in the bed, stretching in her more petite way.

They got to work immediately. Digging their twin bags out from under their beds and their clothes out of the dresser. They stuffed their shirts leggings and underthings to the bottom. They had long since given up o the prospect of keeping their belongings organized.

Tun took a last minute inventory, ensuring the collapsible tents were still functional, counted their rations, and ensured their multi-tools were still functional. While he did this Mel went about cleaning the room. She folded all of their blankets and used the broom from the closet to sweep up any mess they might have made. She didn't have to do this since the inn had room service, but Tun didn't bother stopping her.

They donned their bags and left their room. The hallway to the staircase was empty and they descended the stairs into the dining area without interest. They quickly ate their final meal in the Gend Inn and left through the front door, washing up at the trough along the way.

The couple made their way towards the entrance to the fissure and sat down on one of the two dozen benches near the gaping hole in the cliff face. They sat there for a while, listening to the wind rushing through the tunnel but keeping their eyes on the path for Kalen and, hopefully, the two white haired women.

Their patience was rewarded by the sight of three figures approaching them from afar. Tun stood up to wait for them and Mel did the same. A few moments later the trio came into view, and one look at the backpack laden Vosa and equally weighed down Muta gave them their answer. The priest had given them his blessing.

Muta walked forward to greet them, Tun followed behind her.

"Ahoy?" Kalen called out to them. Tun could just make out Vosa waving at them.

They met each-other halfway and exchanged pleasantries.

"I'm happy you could join us." Tun said to Muta.

"It took some doing, but father Gull was more receptive than usual during the funeral." Muta explained.

"Fantastic, are you guys properly prepared for the trip?"

"Yup." Vosa piped up. "Mister Kalen showed us how to pack for the trip."

"Do you have three sets of cloths?"

"Four."

"Kindle, matches, shovel?"

"Mhm."

"A collapsible tent and cotton blanket?"

"Got it."

"A lot of extra underthings?"

"More than I could ever wear."

Tun turned to Kalen. "You did a good job preparing them?"

"I also brought a weeks worth of food rations." Vosa bragged.

"Oh, right, of course. Food rations. How could I forget to check for that?"

They joked around for a little while longer while Tun wrote a ledger of all their belongings. When he finished they began the long walk to Riplay, a walk that began by passing through the tunnel to the main path.

Tun gave Quil a final look goodbye before it went out of sight.

Tun and his companions were greeted by a strong springtime breeze. It was warm and soft compared to the cold blistering typhoons that had been assaulting him and Mel throughout the winter. It carried with it the smell of pine trees an dirt.

He took a deep breath and walked on, kicking up dirt with every step as opposed to shattering ice. He felt alive again.

"Is all wind this horrible?" Vosa asked from behind them.

Tun turned around to look at her, she was shielding her face with her hands. He remembered Vosa complaining that she had never been outside the fissure, and an impossible implication occurred to him.

"Wait a minute. Vosa, have you never felt wind before?" It sounded absurd coming out of his mouth, but he couldn't recall a single breeze passing through Quil his entire time there.

"Well, we get some light breeze's during summer and midwinter, but nothing this strong." She explained.

Kalen took over from here. "Vosa, this is what would be defined as a light breeze. What we normally experience would be best described as a pigeons wing flap." Kalen analogized.

"A squirrel's tail wag." Mel offered as a better comparison.

"A slow wave of a hand fan." Muta tried.

"A mouse's flatulence." Tun exclaimed to uproarious applause from his fellow adults.

Vosa looked mortified.

"If this breeze is too strong for you we can go back in and wait for it to die down." Tun offered in all seriousness.

Vosa shook her head violently, her embarrassment giving way to what Tun almost mistook for rage. "No. We can go now." She assured them.

"Are you sur.."

"Yes! Let's go!" And with that Vosa took the lead.

The trail lead directly northwest towards the fork in the road Tun and Mel had encountered less than a week before, but that was four kilometers away so they had a few hours of walking to go. They spent the next few minutes snickering at their recent jokes ad coming up with more wind analogies. Mouse flatulence was still the undisputed best.

The conversation eventually died down and left them all to enjoy their surroundings. The path they were walking on was dug into the side of the valley leading to the Quil fissure, so they couldn't very well see any of the surrounding mountains and valleys, but the trenches between the path and the were already overfilled with freshly revived grasses and moss covered rocks.

The Scij mountains recovered from winter at an unprecedented rate.

It was nearly two hours before the group closed the four kilometer distance to the main road, but they eventually made it

The cliffs on either side of them cleared away to reveal the towering form of Kilt mountain in the distance, its thick coat of pine, fir and ceders was thicker and greener than it had been just days before. Many of the smaller, nameless, mountains and valleys surrounding it were still yellow and grey in many places where conifer forests gave way to deciduous woods and grassy fields.

The mountain range spread on endlessly in both directions, and served as the earths spine. Tun turned around to look at Vosa and her reaction.

He had never seen a more precious expression in his entire life. It was nice to know the girl was capable of mind numbing shock and wonder. Tun left her there to her own devices, not wanting to ruin such a wonderful experience.

"It's a shame that Kilt is blocking our view of the Eternal Plains." Kalen Lamented out loud.

Vosa snapped out of her trance.

"The endless Plains?" She asked. Apparently Mel had hit the bullseye when she said Vosa could learn a lot about geography. Muta clearly hadn't been teaching it to her at all.

"The endless plains are exactly that, an enormous expanse of grasslands starting at the food of the Scij mountains and stretching on into the horizon. It's a sea of solid green that lasts for weeks on foot." Kalen explained.

The sense of wonder returned to her eyes. "Have you walked across it before, Mister Kalen?" She asked innocently.

"I have. I was born in Klavet, a country to the south, and crossed those fields to get here." He explained. "That was decades ago now."

"If you're so curious about them why don't we pick up the pace. If we're lucky we might pass by Kilt mountain altogether with enough time to admire the emerald sea before sundown." Tun suggested.

Vosa didn't need any more motivation than that, and once again took the lead. Tun gave the signpost a few knocks for good luck before following. Mel and Kalen mimicked him.

They trekked along the dirt path with a new vigor, a vigor set by the knowledge starved girl at their front. The dirt trail was rougher than usual. Wagon tracks and bull droppings littered the road and took a great deal of care to avoid.

They eventually reached another fork in the road with yet another signpost.

"Kilt, the Evergreen Town. 2 Kilometers" The sign had said.

They continued on the main path without breaking off to visit the riverside city. They had to promise Vosa to visit it on the way back.

"What's it like. Kilt that is?" Vosa asked. Did her curiosity know no bounds?

"Well, it's placed at a fork in the river, serving as the halfway point between Riplay, Emery and Scij city itself. It's actually three different villages, each built on one of the three banks of the river. They are all connected by high arching bridges underneath boats pass through into the floating marketplaces and the docks beyond." Kalen explained at length.

At this point Tun had taken a great interest in the description as well. He was pretty sure his expression mirrored Vosa's earlier look of awe.

"That sounds amazing! Why are we not visiting there?" Vosa exclaimed.

Good question, why weren't they visiting there?

"Because Tun and Mel need to finish their marital pilgrimage by the start of summer and are already behind schedule." Muta answered.

Oh right. That's why.

They reached a rest stop less than an hour later. Like many of the rest stops placed along the main road it was little more than a shack filled with straw, but had a trough and water pump beside it.

Tun drew the water while everyone put their bags down to rest and eat their lunch. When they finished they all stepped up to the water trough to be washed. It was one of the few luxuries they had. Kalen used his water moving skills to wash Tun and himself. Muta insisted that Mel wash her and Vosa. Tun couldn't see how she found the act lewd or intimate but apparently she did.

They picked their bags back up and continued along. It would be another eight kilometers before they would reach another rest stop where they would make camp for the night.

The towering figure of Kilt slowly moved behind them as the hours went by, until the eternal plains finally came into view.

"It's... dead." Vosa complained. She was right, the emerald sea was a shade of rotting yellow. They were not deep enough into spring to fully appreciate its beauty.

"I'm sorry Vosa. You'll be able to see it better in a few weeks from the eastern mountains." Kalen apologized.

They didn't have time to let Vosa mourn her broken expectations. It was stupid of them all to have forgotten the seasonal factors. Tun made a mental note never to do so again.

They continued north for several more hours. Night was beginning to embrace them and lunch had been so long ago. The hunger and tired complaints had just started when an open fire came into view in the distance. I somebody had lit a fire then they had probably set up camp.

They walked the rest of the distance towards the fire and found the cabin and water trough of the rest stop. A small hill sat next to it where a small group of people could be seen sitting next to the fire with a wagon and two tents circling around it. It was a trading family.

"Ahoy!" Kalen greeted from afar, beginning to walk up the hill.

"Hello friend." A man called back.

Tun saw one of the figures huddled around the fire get up and stomp down the hill towards them. Tun and the others followed Kalen up the hill. They met and shook hands soon after that, exchanging greetings and names.

The man introduced himself as Jahn. He was a logger who was returning to Plumet for the spring season with his family, his wife Kayla and his son Fran.

Kalen asked if it was okay for them to camp together and Jahn said yes, not that they needed his permission it was just nice to make sure everybody was okay with it.

They split into two groups by gender. Tun and Kalen setting up their men only tent while Mel and Muta set up their own women only one. Vosa got to work setting out the folding pot to cook what little fresh food they had. By the time their tents were erected and their blankets nicely set out inside they had all worked up a mighty appetite.

The four of them took seats around the fire with Vosa and the Jahn family, Jahn being their last name. Vosa poured them all a healthy helping of potato and spinach stew. She was a surprisingly good cook. Tun wondered why she hadn't put any meat in the stew.

"Here you all go." Jahn said offering them a stack of beef jerky. Tun tried not to drool.

He placed it into the stew to soak and put his bowl down while he waited for it to cool.

"So." Jahn began. "Why and where do you travel, friends?"

"My fiance and I are on a marital pilgrimage to the shrines of the Trivium. Muta and Vosa are sisters of the Lunar church who decided to come with us, and Kalen is a retire who wanted some excitement." Tun explained.

"I'm not a nun yet. I won't earn that title until next year." Vosa corrected him.

"Wait, you're fifteen?" The son, Fran, cut in.

Vosa nodded.

"You um.. look younger." He offered. Not as polite a thing to say to a teenage girl as it was to a woman in her middle age, but Vosa thanked the compliment nonetheless.

"You know. We went on this same trip when we were your age." Kayla interjected, glossing over her son's embarrassment. "The Scij territory was a much more dangerous place back then. We almost got caught in a Scijian conflict with Klaven forces near the southern edge of the great Scurfam lake. You're so lucky to be living in such a peaceful age." She explained.

Tun turned to look Kalen in the eye at the mention of the war. He shook his head as if pleading with him not to ask, and so he didn't. He also didn't think it wise to outright ask how old they were, but the father looked almost Kalen's age.

"Didn't there used to be a temple to Ontan there? A big one?" He asked, feeling rather silly asking it in such a childish way.

"Oh yes!" Jahn exclaimed as if remembering fondly. "It was carved out of a cliff face and went in nearly half a kilometer. It was housing a small village at the time. And you're not going to believe me but it was maintained by an angel." He explained.

Tun looked at him oddly. "An angel? As in a person with wings jutting from their back?" He clarified.

"Mhm!" Kayla answered, taking a sip from her bowl. "We knew you wouldn't believe it, but he was there. Whatever did happen to him dear?" She said, this time talking to her husband.

"He vanished on our third day there. It was the strangest thing. Caused a bit of panic, and a lot of rumors of necromancers and witches of various sorts kidnapping him with a teleportation spell."

Tun and Mel looked at each-other, trying to make sense of it.

"Are you sure he wasn't an eagle zodiate?" Mel offered.

"He absolutely was not. He never once fully or partially transformed into an eagle. And besides, only the squid and arachna zodiates can grow extra limbs, and they don't tend to be wings." He offered.

He was right, at least from what Tun knew about the twelve shape-shifters.

"You know we can take you as far as the fork between Riplay and Plumet. Our bulls can handle the extra weight." Jahn offered.

"That would be great!" Tun replied, receiving an elbow in the ribs from Muta. "I, I mean, we don't want to impose."

"I insist! You bring back some fond memories to us. And besides, that way you'll only have to walk the last four kilometers to Riplay." Jahn demanded.

"Well." Tun sighed sarcastically. "We don't seem to have a choice in the matter. We humbly accept your offer."

This elicited some soft chuckles from the more humorous patrons of the fireplace.

They spent the rest of dinner discussing their respective pilgrimages and comparing their experiences. Most of their breath was spent comparing the states of the many locations they'd visited and how they had changed. Particularly Emery and Foss which used to be a small village belonging to the monks of the lunar church, and only later became open to people of other vocations.

The meals were eventually consumed and sleep began tempting them all into their respective tents. It took some work to try and find a comfortable bed arrangement in their tent, but Tun and Kalen eventually settled in for their night with enough space between them to rest comfortably. It was a severe downgrade from the previous nights sleeping arrangement, but Tun didn't complain.

Tun dreamed of eagles and flying that night.