Submission (#1938) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Advancement Act: A Peculiar Self
Act Type: Character
Word Count: 2,513
Otherworldy creature: Krisek - https://toyhou.se/4739453.krisek
Peculiar self: https://toyhou.se/113566.amirynth-delnaria (Her original version)
[Noble] Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Noble Rank Unlock

     "So what is the b-b-best direction to take?" Amirynth looked up at the tall kimet who was looking off into the distance as if gauging something. "While I c-c-can fly, I am severely out of p-p-practice." She was feeling an inner strength that she had not felt in a long time, especially not after the attack, but still wasn't sure how good her flying would be. She placed a paw to touch the necklace around her neck to feel the familiar crystals than hung from the chain. It was a few strands of gold that looped together, small green crystals placed evenly between each chain strand. It brought her comfort, even more today than before, and kept her grounded.

     Krisek turned to the small faenin, dwarfing the kittom with his immense height. "I will need to carry you with my feet. We will head over in that direction," he pointed out towards a thicker part of the jungle away from the winding road, "and I should be able to pick the trail back up. As soon as we can find evidence of either the creature itself or its lair we can head back to the village and let the local guardian know and let them decide what they wish to do with it." He gestured to his blades with a wry smile, "While I am prepared to fight if I need to, I will not put you in any unnecessary danger."

     She nodded a response, ready to face this before she lost her nerve. "I am ok with this, are you able to land with me in your c-c-claws?" She wondered for a moment how that would work.

     "That is where your flight will come in. Here, hop on my claws, I should be able to take off with you already attached." As an afterthought he rummaged through his packs and pulled out a length of rope. "And just in case," He tied a loop of it around his ankle and then tied another loop on the other end. "This way you have something to hold on to if something went wrong." He waited for the faenin to follow his directions and get a secure grasp before flapping his wings with a few strong beats and lifting off the ground.

     Amirynth gasped as she was suddenly in the air. Being just a small kittom, the few times she had flown it had been close to the ground, more hovering than anything. Now she was up high in the air, able to see for quite a distance, the brighter islands of Ilrian floating over the ocean expanse to their right and the darker lands of Vahl D'sari looming behind them. Everything else was jungle, the thick canopy obscuring the mountains she knew hid under them. She peered down to where she could see the winding road they had been traveling on and then tried to see the trail Krisek had been talking about. His eyes must be so much better than mine. Rynn felt the wind in her face change direction and the canopy rise up to meet them. She heard Krisek say something above her and tightened her grip, guessing the words had been a warning of their immanent landing.

     It was softer than she expected. With a few powerful flaps Krisek masterfully changed their direction and partially glided, partially hovered over the tops of the trees for a moment before dipping down into the branches and securing a perch. He paused for a moment to let her disembark before untying the rope from his leg and draping the other loop onto a shorter branch. After glancing around, head cocked to the side, listening for any potential creatures, he silently glided down to the ground leaving her up in the safety of the branches. "I will find the tracks, stay there while I look." she heard the whisper float up to her and she sat down on the branch, inspecting to leaves that now surrounded her.

     She sat in an odd state of stillness, the sounds of the world around her seemed to soften as if coming to her through a fog. As her mind drifted she rolled the crystals of her necklace in her fingers, feeling them grow warm. A tingling came up her arm, across her shoulder and up her face, centering around the brow of her bad eye and her cracked horn. The whispers came back to her but instead of them being shadowy and dark, they sounded clear, like the chiming of bells. Rynn glanced around, wondering if this was a new aspect of her mana sickness before she noticed a figure sitting next to her, smiling down at her with miss-matched eyes that mirrored her own. "Who...?" She felt a small dizziness come over her as the world seemed to shift sideway a moment.

     "You." The figure chuckled, her voice clear and soft, the stutter non-existent. "Though, only in spirit. You called to me." She smiled, her eyes shining with warmth. She was thin, almost ethereal, the world shimmering around her in a golden hue. Crimson robes edged in golden runes flowed around her and her pale skin was speckled with freckles. Long red hair draped loosely around her, a single braid holding some away from her face on the right. Her bangs obscured the left eye but Rynn could see the tale-tale signs of the same damage that she had. She reminded the faenin of the ieldi with her long ears but didn't have any wings about her.

     Rynn felt she had so many questions but wasn't sure how to start... "You are me? From... somewhere else? You have...?" She gestured to her eye, once green was now silvered and cloudy.

     "I am you, Amirynth, but I am from a world called Azeroth." She gestured to the shimmering portal behind her. "I sensed something and came to investigate and found you here. This is not the first time and will probably not be the last." She moved with the assuredness of experience and sat down next to the faenin, the branch swaying a little with the weight. At the hesitant question she nodded and brushed her bangs from her face revealing the claw marks and silvered eye, the milky surface gazing into nowhere. "I was attacked like you once were. For me it was the Scourge. I was sick for a very long time, almost didn't make it, but I recovered and found someone who helped me learn to be stronger. They brought me out of my shell and taught me that if you live a life hidden away then you will never learn to truly live. We fell in love and now we have a family together." She pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around them, staring out into the jungle. "I realize now how lucky I was, not everyone gets that chance. I once went back to an alternate world where I did not meet my love and I had been taken over by the demons. It was a little disconcerting to see what could have happened but I learned the importance of striving to be the best you can be within your own power, not to rely on an outside source."

     "Demons? Are they like Daeva from the stories?" Of all the tales of monsters and beasts alike, they were the scariest thing she could think of. Rynn wondered for a moment if this world of Azeroth had the same shadow creatures that was said to stalk through Vahl D'sari. Her mind was reeling. She had come to face her fears, she did not expect to be facing herself from another world.

     The visitor shook her head, "No, I do not know of daeva but we do have fel magic and the demons." She raised a hand and conjured up a small ball of green fire that danced around her palm before she released it into the air to dissipate harmlessly. "I do not deal in fel magics any more but my spells will forever be tainted by their energies. I have learned to control them instead of letting them control me. This is something I know," She turned towards Rynn and placed both hands on her paws, "And I know, you will learn this too." She smiled again, "You are already there, I can sense it. Maybe that is why I finally heard your call."

     The faenin was amazed at the show of magics and sat mesmerized as she listened. She could not believe what the vision was saying, she did not feel stronger, but a seed was planted and her mind went to Malis. "I have met someone... they took care of me after my attack." She unconsciously twirled the gems of her necklace in her fingers as she spoke. Her mind went back to those first few days, the tentative touches and careful aura; the soft voice and random chats to keep her company. Then she remembered when she first got her sight back, and the moment she realized it would never been back to normal. Malis had been there for her, keeping her spirits up and holding the shadows at bay. She felt the warmth grow from within as she remembered how Malis had stood up so protectively when the larger kittom thought she had been threatened. "I don't think I realized quite how much..." she murmured to herself.

     "Having someone there for you can be one of the best things to help with healing, not just for the physical support but the emotional." The illusionary elf nodded with a soft smile, "I am glad to hear you are finding your way." She chuckled as a thought came to her, "I would say you could contact me if you had any questions but that would not be possible. However, if you have any questions now..." She let the sentence hang in the air, waiting.

     Rynn considered for a while before shaking her head, "I would not even know where to start." She had acclimated to the idea of talking to herself but still her mind was awhirl with thoughts. "Maybe... How did you know you were on the right path? Do the voices ever go away?" She considered a few other questions, before mentally discarding them. The faenin thought a little more, watching as Rynn touched up her braid, using her magic to manipulate the strands of hair that had escaped back into the clasp. She liked the idea of learning magic but only the greatest ranks had abilities like that. She had done a few magic related classes at Ilrian, to conjure fire from the air itself was something she had not seen in person. "I don't suppose you could teach me how to do magic like yourself?"

     The visitor tapped her chin thoughtfully before answering the first question. "My love said it best," She squared her shoulders and deepened her voice a little as if mimicking him, "Trust in your gut, it will never leave you astray." returning to her own soft voice she added, "Your instinct is a good person, if you trust in it you will be ok. The support around you will also help, listen to them and not the voices from the shadows." Her face grew a little more serious. "The voices never truly leave. They will wait for the moment when things start slipping. Don't give in to them but also, don't let the fear of them rule you and take away your life. As for magic," the visitor noticed her image shimmer slightly and looked up at the portal she had come from, "That will have to wait. It looks like my time here is over." She stood up and brushed off her skirts that now looked slightly transparent. "I am glad to have met you Amirynth, I have a feeling you will do well here."

     The faenin felt a sudden ache as she realized she probably would never see this being again. She was about to ask her to stay before realizing that she had been granted a great boon; the knowledge that there was hope. Rynn nodded gracefully from where she sat in a gesture of thanks. "I appreciate this moment. Thank you for coming here today... Please... stay safe where every you go." She watched as the visitor gave a curtsey and a smile and walked toward the portal.

     "Who did you say helped you out here again?" The elseworld Amirynth paused in her step, turning back toward the kittom for a moment, the shimmering opening in the air swirling behind her.

     "Malis, she the one who helped chase the beast away and then took me to the healers. She has been there for me the whole time I've been healing." Rynn felt a little warmth rise to her cheeks as she spoke about the larger blue kittom. "She is also the reason why I am back here, she thought it would good for me to face my fears and..." She looked up at the departing vision and stalled in her words at the expression she saw.

     "Malis?!" The merriment was almost palpable. "Oh my, just wait until I tell her! She is going to..." The shimmer of the portal enveloped her, the swirling air growing less distinct, dissipating like the fog when it is hit by the suns rays. Rynn blinked and the vision was gone.

     She sat in the tree as the world came back to her. The sounds of chirping birds filled her senses and she could feel the warmth of the sun breaking through the canopy on her back. Rynn mulled over the words her other self had told her before she realized something. There was another Malis too! She considered telling her when she got back, not sure if people would consider her crazy. Maybe she wouldn't tell others, but Malis was safe... Her thoughts were interrupted by the return of Krisek.

     He came back on silent wings. With a quick glance over the faenin his brow furrowed, "Is everything ok?" His head tilted to the side quizzically.

     "Yes, everything is fine. D-d-did you find what you were looking for?" Amirynth blinked a few more times, shaking her head as if to clear the fog from her mind. She had not realize quite how much time had passed and realized the shadows were much deeper than they were before.

     Krisek nodded, "Yes. While I did not find the creature, I did find what looked to be a lair which might explain why the beast had not retreated to the deeper jungles and instead was attacking people along the path. I am guessing it thinks we are invading its territory." He reached down and grabbed the looped rope he had left on the high branch before tying it back onto his leg. "It's about time I keep to my promise. Are you ready to guide me towards the village? We don't have much time before sunfall."

     Amirynth nodded, "Yes, I am quite ready."