Welcome to Desamarai

[Lyra]

There was a body in the sand on this western coast.
It wore salt-stiff clothes, blonde hair, sunburnt skin, golden wings and sunlight. Its head was twisted sideways in the sand and yes, somehow it was breathing.
He was alive.
He had been dropped there by the high tide and now that it was low in the afternoon, he just lay there, unconscious and in troubled dreams but alive.

Who knows how long it had been, clinging to a board in the sea with splinters in his fingers and the sun leeching away his life. He'd breathed painfully, dryly during the day until he couldn't feel it any more. He'd shivered away the dark, almost-moonless nights until he stopped realizing he was cold.
He'd lost all hope but he still survived, he was for whatever reason alive.
And why had he been there, clinging like a drowning rat to a scrap of tree, forcing tears back from his eyes and delirious in the sunshine?
There had been a woman who he loved, a boat, an escape from a country in turmoil and people in pursuit. There had been days and nights all spent working, sailing in a random direction and hoping for the best.
And there'd been a storm, heavy clouds that came over and then began to rain, began to send the boat careening over angry waves.
So they'd tied themselves to the mast, held hands and tried not to be afraid. He remembered she looked at him with those beautiful gray storm eyes and she must've said his name and he's never forget that picture, that look in her face and the butterflies that flittered in his stomach, even then.
And the boat snapped, they came apart and he held on for dear life, kept his eyes open for as long as he could, trying to see her as he screamed her name.
She was not there, she was no doubt dead.
So here he was, with one word, one name coming from his sleeping,dragging off dry lips- "Alauniira.."

[Akira]

The fields were watered, flooded in the case of the rice, the cow fed and locked up, the yard swept and the floors scrubbed.
It would do for the day, she hadn't had a proper day to relax since the winter when the snows had kept her locked inside for a week of boredom. Boredom with a cow.
Leaning backwards and yawning, Sephrenia knuckled her back and groaned, though happy for once to be free of the workload for a few hours.
Since spring had hit it had been almost nonstop work, till the fields, plant the seeds, keep them watered, feed the animals, hunt for food, clean the house, cut the wood, mend the roof, and the barn...too much to do in so little time but it was the same every year.
She did have the advantage of living close to the coast...not too bad but considering the state of the soil she guessed she'd be moving in a year or two.
The dracarien sighed and winced as the solid weight of the basket jolted her leg.
A picnic on the sand, of an afternoon and perhaps..yes perhaps a chance to bask in the glory of the sunlight, so bountiful today.
Trailing a hand through the long grass she caught up a cat-tail and plucked it neatly, sticking the stalk into her mouth so the bushy end bobbed as she walked, musing.
Perhaps she could collect some more of those strange things the little sea goblins left, shells? Moving tiny houses...indeed. And then she could fashion another chime..she did like the chimes so far, they made such a pretty noise when the wind touched them and aided in her prayers for strong generous sunloght to bless her crops.
A good harvest would be surely much better than the poor fare last year.
Sephrenia grimaced at that thought, stumbling a little as her worn boots found sand and sank several inches.
Crimson gaze scanning the beach she frowned. There was an awful lot of driftwood washed up here, and not all of it old she guessed by the recent weathering.
Stumbling and wavering towards a piece she nudged it with her foot and pushed it over, examining the remains of the 'Dawntreader'.
Another ship caught out at sea then...briefly she offered a prayer to the poor souls who'd no doubt lost their fragile lives to it, wandering along the beach a little, almost stepping on the young man half buried in the sand.
Several moments passed, staring blankly at the figure, then out at the waves bursting onto the shore some distance out.
Was he alive?
She grunted. If he wasn't, and it looked to be that way, she'd better give him a proper buriel or the gulls would have him. Shuddering at the thought she unhooked the fishing pole from the back of her belt and gingerly reached out, poking him with the end.

[Lyra]

He was sinking in and out of dreams, wading through recollections.
He dreamt that they were in that inn, the one they'd stayed in the night after the ball and they were just waking up and she was smiling in the sunshine, all turned into this golden sculpture, this delicate work of art still half-molten. His hands were in soft feathers and hair and he smiled. She tickled him lightly, under the chin, and he laughed and curled up. And she spoke but this wasn't what she had said in the memory. "You been watching the stars, Veron?"
"Why?"
"They might come in handy."
And she jabbed his side and it felt real, very real.
He opened his eyes and squinted in the sunlight. A soft groan came from between parched lips. "'Niira?"
But she wasn't there- he couldn't feel her in the air, smell her smell like that just after the storm breaks. It was someone else, with a strange feeling. And now that he thought of it, he felt awful. His lips were dry and his eyes felt like they scraped about in their sockets. His head was pounding.
He moved, clothes cracking with dried sea-water and he very slowly, shakily, turned himself around in the sand and sat up.
In a voice like snapping branches, he asked her, "You? Who are you?"

[Akira]

Alive!
Seph breathed a sigh of relief, the emotion plain on her face.
"I could ask you the same thing kid..."
Chewing lightly on the corn stalk she crouched easily before him.
"It would be stupid of me to ask you if you're alright. I don't know how long you've been laying here. And I'll bet you're famished too. Here. It's Sephrenia, by the way."
She lifted the cover on her basket, and drew out a waterskin, handing it to him, her face all seriousness.
"Are you hurt at all? I don't think I need to guess much more than your ship was wrecked in a storm offshore, judging by all the driftwood."
She quirked an eyebrow, crimson eyes caught aflame in the sun as she eyed him with that calculating gaze.
He was quite interesting to look at she figured, even if he as in a poor state.
A pleasant face framed by pale hair and two peculiar appendages which she presumed were his ears. They looked rather feline. Even his clothes were of an odd cut, rather outlandish and though she'd traveled widely, they definitely weren't from around here. They almost looked like...
Nah. Plenty of collars have that style of cut. Sleeves too..and pants...impossible..that's all finished with now.
Still that niggling doubt at the back of her mind.

[Lyra]

Veronion looked her up and down with those aching eyeballs and then took the waterskin from her, drinking it all and then falling back on the sand, pressing the sides of his head with the heels of his hands. He barely understood a word she said and wanted to go back to sleep, though he knew he might never wake from it. "I'm Veronion. Veronion Alaven the Second, prince of Ser..."
He trailed off, eyelids flickering. Forcing himself to stay awake, he asked, far from politely, "Got any food? Only I haven't...haven't..."
He grunted and sat up slowly. Maybe he wouldn't fall asleep like this. Making himself as uncomfortable as possible, he hunched over his legs, hands still digging into his skull. "Haven't eaten in...a...while."

[Akira]

He seemd fairly preoccupied with holding his head. She watched him a for a moment then reached out slowly, impolite not to ask but he could barely sit up on his own.
Gently she laid her palm on his head, feeling the warmth of the sunlight condense around her form, filling her with it's song as she sang a few notes under her breath, feeling that warmth trickle down through her arm and slip through her fingertips, washing the pains away like a gentle tide. At least, a considerably gentler tide than the one he had obviously come in on.
Carefully she removed her hand and turned all attention to the basket still on her arm.
Sephrenia stuck the fishing pole handle first into the sand then sat the basket on the ground before them, taking the waterskin and replacing it.
Lucky I get so hungry...
"Well Your Highness...you were bloody lucky if I do say so. Here...thre's..stuff. Some bread, some meat...help yourself, plenty back on the farm."
She lifted the cover off the basket, revealing a fresh loaf of bread and what appeared to be raw carrots, celery, and a lot of..sausages?
"Meat is uh..good for you."
Sitting back on her haunches she stabbed her fingers into the sand, making a small complex pattern, apparently now not paying any attention.

[Lyra]

Veronion felt her hands on him and he flinched, looked up, surprised and scared like an animal. But then she hummed and light seemed to flower in his skull. And the pain was gone, or, at the very least, hidden beneath all those other pains that plagued him.
"Thanks, uh-"
He turned towards the food sharply, and most impolitely, snatched at it, taking a hunk of bread. He couldn't even be bothered to try to be at all cordial- her tore savagely at it with his teeth. It was gone within seconds and soon he was stuffing a sausage into his mouth (that sounds weird). That was soon gone and he was just reaching for a carrot when he realized it.
He looked sheepishly up at Sephrenia. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."
He couldn't really think of what to stay. though his head no longer hurt, it was still incredibly fuzzy inside, like reaching through a golden fog.

[Akira]

WIthout realizing it a broad grin had spread over her face and she began to laugh, one hand resting on her knee, the other in the sand for balance.
"You sure are hungry..eat, eat.."
And she began to laugh again.
"You're not exactly all stuffy and noble for a prince are you?"
Carefully she reached into the basket and removed a small tin, which contained worms. Her bait for the fishing. It wouldn't exactly be right to let him eat those.
Placing them aside she tore off a hunk of bread, dusting sand from her hands and began to eat too, chewing slowly, her gaze never leaving Veron, brimming with curiosity.
"Well Mr. Veronion...What exactly, aside from slowly dying, are you doing here? It's not often people come here for a social visit...and certainly not in these circumstances."
Two in two months...how strange..first that huge painted stranger and now a strange hybrid claiming he's royalty...what to do...
Shoving the last of the bread she'd taken in her mouth, she spread her hands.
"I'll hold no hostility or hard feelings if you're a devout follower of Isiliah and plan to attack or murder me, by the way. But just so you know, you'll be biting off more than you can chew."
Her grin was...unnerving at the least. Grim words with such mirth.
He followed Isiliah, or at least intended to...thank the light he was sound and sensible...this one..he doesn't look like he worships anything...he just looks confused...almost..lost.

[Lyra]

(Veron: ... *eats a worm surreptitiously*
Lyron: I SAW WHAT YOU DID THAR. ಠ_ಠ)

He groped for another sausage ( o gods) while looking at the woman oddly. She didn't seem quite...well...human. Her vibes were similar to something else but he couldn't really guess what. So he shook it off and, after swallowing a mouthful of sausage, spoke.
"Well, us Carnilgenien aren't...weren't very...uhm. Stuffy or proud."
He bit again, closing his eyes when he swallowed. His throat was starting to burn again and he'd already had all the water. Frowning, he spoke.
"I am from...somewhere else. My..."
He didn't know what to call her, Alauniira. The thought of her suddenly madeh im hurt all over and he stopped being hungry. He Carefully placed what was left of the sausage in the basket and curled his legs closer to him, burying his face between his knees.
"My uh, friend and I were running away...In a boat. We got caught in a storm and I don't know where she is."
His eyes stung and he felt his throat constrict. Tears wet the ragged, salt-stained cloth on his knees and his back twitched with suppressed crying.
At the same time he wanted her to notice and for her to ignore him. To have someone comfort him was both desirable and frightening at the same time. Goddess, what madness this all is.
"I don't know who Isiliah is but I won't hurt you, don't worry." He choked over his words and hugged tighter onto his legs.

[Akira]

[HAH. GROPE.]

The grin left her face to be replaced with concern as she reached out gingerly touching his shoulder. He seemed awfully upset for losing his friend and she wasn't sure what to do in such a situation.
She turned her head, gazing a ways down the beach. There really was a lot of driftwood.
"Hey..shh..calm down...if you washed up here...well a lot of your ship seems to have made it here too. Though I haven't seen anyone...I haven't looked yet..."
Either way, glancing over him now, he didn't look in the sort of shape to be able to walk along the beach and search, though she wouldn't doubt that he'd try. The options were minimal..and she really didn't feel like placing trust in this..Carnilgenien. Not when she was unsure of who exactly he was but then..what did it really matter?
After all, she had taken that other stranger in, and he'd been in worse shape.
Sephrenia sighed and rose, rolling her shoulders and straightening her back to her full height.
"Alright...I can't just leave you here like this...so...I'll give you a choice...you can come with me...and I'm going to search the beach for anything else before I head back and sort you out...cause frankly you're in a bit of a mess...or I can take you to the nearest town and set you up with a doctor somewhere...whichever you feel safer. But the sooner you decide.."
She shrugged and turned her back, then neatly took off her belt, depositing it in the basket. It would only get lost if she didn't remove it, at least, the buckle would, and she was rather attached to that buckle.
The dracarien ran her forked tongue over dry lips. It was a risk but...there really wasn't that much to lose..what did she expect, neighbouring farmers to come hammering on the door with torches and pitchforks?

[Lyra]

Sephrenia's touch made Veronion tense for a moment before he realized it was well-intentioned. Then he relaxed, or at least as much as he could when he was crying and in pain over this loss and in pain from his ages in the unforgiving sea and in pain from his homesickness and...
He lifted his head just a little- just enough to wipe his eyes- and, red-faced, he looked up at her.
"You won't find her," he said, sadness trying to drag his voice back down, "I didn't see her for...for however long I was out there."
But she went ahead anyway and he had no way to protest.
He couldn't up and walk away- he didn't know this place and he didn't feel well enough to do so.
He didn't want to either. He didn't want to do much really so he just curled up in the sand as she left, closing his eyes and feeling the world lurch him into sleep.

[Akira]

Standing over him, for a moment she felt glad. Was this what her mother had felt, knowing those souls in her hands were in her hands? Safe...
Anyone else could have found him or..not at all.
You still leave your mark, even so far away...
It took but a few seconds, an eternity for the dracarien to change, claws half buried in the sand as she blinked in the bright sunlight, adjusting, then snuffled about, before gripping the basket delicately in her jaws.
A fine boned, almost delicate looking creature. But still a dragon nonetheless. No less dangerous than before.
Thankfully he'd let his exhaustion slip him into peaceful slumber again. It would certainly make her end easier. Less to explain.
With the wind gently ruffling her feathers and the light dancing from the golden touches of her scales, she padded forwards and pushed herself into the air, beating heavily with her wings as her paws sought the Carnilgenien. Hauling him up somewhat awkwardly she folded her forelegs around him, clutching the young man to her chest and searched for the warm air current, before gliding away from the beach, back towars home, leaving no more than footprints in the sand.

[Bah. Humbug.]

[Lyra]

Veronion was so tired, sleeping comfortably for the first time in those eons spent clinging to life that he didn't notice Sephira's sudden transformation, her claws curling about him and the sensation of being lifted into the air. He only twitched in his sleep, started dreaming about flying through some vast room with windows open to the sky.
He woke not too much later though, convulsing suddenly when he couldn't figure out where he was. It was not the height necessarily, just the surprise of being in the air. He nearly fell out, almost slipping between her claws but he clung on for dear life with what strength he had. Normally, this wouldn't have frightened him, but his wings had been hurt in the storm and without them he felt vulnerable. so he clung all the tighter, wiggling back to safety.

[Akira]

"My apologies little one, soon we shall be landing. We did not deem the beach a safe resting area."
The wind caught and tugged playfully at her feathers, tail streaming out behind like a banner as she rumbled around the basket handle in her mouth, adjusting her grip a little on her passenger. Naturally she would have preferred him to be comfortable and clinging to her back, despite not having had anyone ride like that in a long time, but the predicament was such that an unconcious person cannot hold on..conciously.
Air whistled through her horns, playing a gentle melody as they flew, banking away east then sinking towards the ground across a vast expanse of grassland, until they flew so low that her rear feet brushed the waving tufts with her claws, tickling and bringing forth a choking laugh from within.
A swift beat of those wide feathery appendages shot them skywards again to glide towards the simple 'cottage' backed by a tall barn for crop storage.
"Not much, but it's comfortable..."
She hovered, lowering herself to the ground carefully and standing with Veron clutched in her paws until he too was lowered to the dry dusty expanse of the yard and she could fall back onto all fours, a light spark of mirth dancing in her orbs.

[Lyra]

(Lol I typed an awesome reply to this and lost it. Tired. Shall post later.)