Common Text
Xanthean Text
Kashehino Text
Saun 1, 718
Qit'ria awoke, on her side, little Caz'aria in her arms, bound up in a blanket given to her by her dad, who she could still hear snoring across the house. She allowed herself to smile, rubbing her nose through her baby's downy feathers. Nearly everything felt right in the world. She didn't care what the others thought about her being a mage, or looking like a beast out of a nightmare, this moment was pure happiness for the huntress. She continued to rub her nose through the feathers, taking in her child's scent. It would be one she knew she could never forget.
She felt Caza stirring, and she rolled her over. She was 11 trials old at this point, such a small and fragile thing. She had cried exactly one time since she'd been born, and that was because her father had forced it out through a pin poke, to check that she could breathe well. She could. Looking down at the little one, she watched as her eyes flutted open, revealing her father's eyes. Those dark crimson eyes, in their almond shapes, looked back at her. Qit'ria was sure that Caza could see her, even though her dad said that most couldn't see more than blurs for the first season or so. But Caza's eyes were locked onto Qit'ria's, and she was certain she could see just fine. A strong, beautiful baby.
Qit'ria pressed her lips to the baby's forehead, and gave her a squeeze. Qit'ria sat up, supporting her head with her hand, and let her begin trying to find her nipple to feed. Her father had told her it was better to let the baby find it on its own, rather than helping it. Once Caza latched on, Qit'ria began running her hand through her daughter's feathers. As she did so, she studied the change to her nails, triggered by her Sparks latest outburst, as it vied for control of her body and soul. They were an orange-brown hue, and while the shape resembled sharpened fingernails, she knew them to be smaller versions of the gasping skitterer's spines.
It seemed that in its tantrum, her spark had left pieces of each creature she'd bonded with upon her self. It was a strange feeling, a sacrifice for the power she'd gained, a cost for not being strong enough to control her spark. At least now that Caza was born, she could transform more freely. It was liberating. That first night after Caza was born, she remembered being curled up around her daughter as her massive grizzly bear self. It had allowed her to heal herself after the birth, something new that came with change in her spark. Between the healing and the birth, she'd been exhausted for trials, but she healthy and spry now, and began to feel that itch. To get out into the wilds and run, to hunt something.
Once Caza was finished feeding and burped, Qit'ria checked her baby wrap. She stood up, and carried her daughter to the one table in the hut, and quickly cleaned and changed her. She looked at the necklace dangling down her daughter's front, and picked up the knuckle bone at the end of the leather chain. She teased it toward Caza, and the little girl began to suckle on it, with the leather stopper on the end there to keep her from swallowing it down.
She carried Caza over to her sleeping father, and nudged him with her foot. "Yeye." He grunted but didn't wake. She nudged him again, a bit harder, and her startled awake. "Watch her for me, Yeye. I'm going to go hunt. I'll be back by midtrial or earlier." Her father grunted and accepted the child, holding her as delicately as a flower, sitting up. He grunted again, giving his acknowledgement. Qit dressed, grabbed her hunting equipment, and set out of the hut.
Being Saun meant that it never got truly dark here, but it was still early. She was going to head south, hunt in Makubwa Lori, where her mother had trained her. She never had a proper chance to hunt there as a girl, little more than small birds, mammals, and reptiles. But she was a proper huntress now. Time to prove it, in her homeland. Javelins on her back, hunting pack slung over a shoulder, the huntress marched on, seeing that a few people were already up and setting about for their worktrial. Some stared at her, some didn't notice her at all. She didn't care. She knew she'd been changed and couldn't change it back, so she was trying to accept her new self for what she truly was; a monster. With her bigger eyes, her bear fangs, her nails, she wasn't horribly different, but most certainly not normal.
She didn't bother to snarl at any of them though. Let them stare. There was no needing to hide who or what she was any longer. She was a becomer, and it was likely that many people knew it, in Desnind at least. She was a proud mother of her spark, of her child, of her totems, and was stronger than any of these judgmental types that had nothing better to do than worry about others. Her father still loved her unconditionally, despite everything that had happened, her child loved her. What more did she really need?
Xanthean Text
Kashehino Text
Saun 1, 718
Qit'ria awoke, on her side, little Caz'aria in her arms, bound up in a blanket given to her by her dad, who she could still hear snoring across the house. She allowed herself to smile, rubbing her nose through her baby's downy feathers. Nearly everything felt right in the world. She didn't care what the others thought about her being a mage, or looking like a beast out of a nightmare, this moment was pure happiness for the huntress. She continued to rub her nose through the feathers, taking in her child's scent. It would be one she knew she could never forget.
She felt Caza stirring, and she rolled her over. She was 11 trials old at this point, such a small and fragile thing. She had cried exactly one time since she'd been born, and that was because her father had forced it out through a pin poke, to check that she could breathe well. She could. Looking down at the little one, she watched as her eyes flutted open, revealing her father's eyes. Those dark crimson eyes, in their almond shapes, looked back at her. Qit'ria was sure that Caza could see her, even though her dad said that most couldn't see more than blurs for the first season or so. But Caza's eyes were locked onto Qit'ria's, and she was certain she could see just fine. A strong, beautiful baby.
Qit'ria pressed her lips to the baby's forehead, and gave her a squeeze. Qit'ria sat up, supporting her head with her hand, and let her begin trying to find her nipple to feed. Her father had told her it was better to let the baby find it on its own, rather than helping it. Once Caza latched on, Qit'ria began running her hand through her daughter's feathers. As she did so, she studied the change to her nails, triggered by her Sparks latest outburst, as it vied for control of her body and soul. They were an orange-brown hue, and while the shape resembled sharpened fingernails, she knew them to be smaller versions of the gasping skitterer's spines.
It seemed that in its tantrum, her spark had left pieces of each creature she'd bonded with upon her self. It was a strange feeling, a sacrifice for the power she'd gained, a cost for not being strong enough to control her spark. At least now that Caza was born, she could transform more freely. It was liberating. That first night after Caza was born, she remembered being curled up around her daughter as her massive grizzly bear self. It had allowed her to heal herself after the birth, something new that came with change in her spark. Between the healing and the birth, she'd been exhausted for trials, but she healthy and spry now, and began to feel that itch. To get out into the wilds and run, to hunt something.
Once Caza was finished feeding and burped, Qit'ria checked her baby wrap. She stood up, and carried her daughter to the one table in the hut, and quickly cleaned and changed her. She looked at the necklace dangling down her daughter's front, and picked up the knuckle bone at the end of the leather chain. She teased it toward Caza, and the little girl began to suckle on it, with the leather stopper on the end there to keep her from swallowing it down.
She carried Caza over to her sleeping father, and nudged him with her foot. "Yeye." He grunted but didn't wake. She nudged him again, a bit harder, and her startled awake. "Watch her for me, Yeye. I'm going to go hunt. I'll be back by midtrial or earlier." Her father grunted and accepted the child, holding her as delicately as a flower, sitting up. He grunted again, giving his acknowledgement. Qit dressed, grabbed her hunting equipment, and set out of the hut.
Being Saun meant that it never got truly dark here, but it was still early. She was going to head south, hunt in Makubwa Lori, where her mother had trained her. She never had a proper chance to hunt there as a girl, little more than small birds, mammals, and reptiles. But she was a proper huntress now. Time to prove it, in her homeland. Javelins on her back, hunting pack slung over a shoulder, the huntress marched on, seeing that a few people were already up and setting about for their worktrial. Some stared at her, some didn't notice her at all. She didn't care. She knew she'd been changed and couldn't change it back, so she was trying to accept her new self for what she truly was; a monster. With her bigger eyes, her bear fangs, her nails, she wasn't horribly different, but most certainly not normal.
She didn't bother to snarl at any of them though. Let them stare. There was no needing to hide who or what she was any longer. She was a becomer, and it was likely that many people knew it, in Desnind at least. She was a proud mother of her spark, of her child, of her totems, and was stronger than any of these judgmental types that had nothing better to do than worry about others. Her father still loved her unconditionally, despite everything that had happened, her child loved her. What more did she really need?
