Zion: Light of the New Moon Part 2, Ch 1.1 Bannihar
Zion - Light of the New Moon, Part 2 Chapter 1.1
Bannihar The Long Road Ahead
It appears that the Banniharian group has taken Iskiy's advice and has elected to get a move on. At this point, they are receiving + Delay and - Favor for their decision, but this may be subject to change based on future votes. For now, however, the party continues onward. Narration at this point will continue in 3rd person.
Jules slowly opened her eyes, a dull throbbing in the back of her head. The dim light of the lone lantern inside the covered wagon made the pain increase, but she powered through it, slowly sitting up. Keeping the thin blanket close, the Wild Lander glanced around the accommodations, letting her eyes adjust to being open for the first time in-- she had no idea how long she'd been out.
"Be careful." a voice spoke up from the blurred world around her, "You're still very weak."
"I'm fine." Jules quickly attested, using the best macho tone she had. Sliding one of her legs beneath her, the thylacine quickly realized that she was not as fine as she thought, and leaned back against the wooden wall of the wagon.
"YOu need to rest." the voice noted and, as Jules' vision continued to clear, she was able to make out the face of Priestess Delier, "You've been through a lot."
"You didn't kill me." Jules pointed out, as if it weren't already obvious to the priestess, "I was going to become one of them, but you didn't kill me."
"Of course not." the priestess smiled, laying a paw on Jules' shoulder, "You were cured."
The simple comment made the thylacine pause; the thought of someone exerting the effort to save her at the risk to their own self... it was... "What a novelty." she noted aloud.
"I don't mean to pry-- Jules, is it?"
"Yes. Jules." she acknowledged.
"May I ask you a question?" the priestess inquired courteously.
Something about the uniqueness of a priestess acting nicely made Jules go against her better judgment, "Sure." she noted, accepting a water skin from the wolf.
"Who is Dresna?" the priestess asked.
The thylacine paused, taking a moment to assess the situation. Jules had no doubt that it had been Priestess Delier who had healed her, but, at the same time, the Wild Lander realized that not everyone was familiar with the way her race was built. Did the priestess know she was female?
"A... friend." Jules noted cryptically.
"The way you spoke about her in your sleep made it sound as if she was something more." the priestess noted casually. Jules knew enough about 'casual comments' to know that the wolf was looking for more information.
"A very good friend." the thylacine stated flatly, providing more than a subtle hint with her tone of voice that suggested that she wanted it left at that.
"You are a very secretive woman, Jules." Priestess Delier noted, rolling out a length of bandage.
"I learned very early on that anyone who--" and the thylacine stopped her speech, "what did you call me?" she demanded.
"I assume you've got by for a long time on the fact that most people don't know about your kind..." the priestess noted calmly, gingerly peeling a length of bloody bandage from the Wild Lander's shoulder, "but there are those of us who do know, and are able to tell." she smiled comfortingly.
"You're not going to say anything, are you?" the thylacine questioned. She found her paws itching to go for her blades, but realized for many reasons that it was a stupid idea, "Don't tell anyone..." unable to do anything more, she swallowed her pride and added, "please."
"I have no reason to, Jules." the priestess noted, "You have my word that I will not say anything about it if you feel more comfortable being treated as a man." she promised.
"....thank you, priestess." the thylacine noted after a long pause. Though Jules realized she had no reason to trust Kayte, she couldn't help the funny feeling that there was also no reason to distrust her. The Wild Lander both hated her for it and found it endearing at the same time. Was the temple truly capable of creating caring people? Jules laughed at her own hopeful naivete-- no... she wasn't THAT foolish.
After completing his third walk-around of the party's newest chosen campsite, Lord Raes went to takes a seat on a large boulder next to where Elesin stood gazing off into the woods. "Looking for something specific?" he asked.
"Just looking." she answered quietly.
"Why are you on this journey?" the dog questioned.
"Same reason you are, I bet," the kangaroo noted, not bothering to look at him, "Orders are orders."
"You weren't ordered to come." Lord Raes challenged, "You're a bad liar."
"My battalion wanted to get rid of me, so they convinced the captain to send me." she explained.
"I already said you're a bad liar..." the dog stated, leaning over to look at her, "How about the truth now?"
"My grandmother is sick, and I heard that there's a mystical fountain in Zion that might be able to cure her." the kangaroo stated unconvincingly, still gazing off into the undergrowth.
"Almost believable, but still a lie." the champion declared.
"Damn... and I thought the third time would be the charm." Elesin stated flatly.
"You are putting all of us in danger by being here, Elesin... I need to know that there's a reason for your journey, and I need to know that you won't go out of control again." the dog explained.
"Yes, and no." the battle mage answered cryptically.
"What?" the dog questioned.
"Yes, there's a reason I'm going to Zion, and no, there's no guarantee that I won't change again." she elaborated.
"Then you're putting us in a very hard position." Lord Raes noted.
"No... a 'hard position' is the one on page 43 on the Doenian 'Stances of the Moon' prayer book." Elesin noted.
"What?" the dog inquired, dumbfounded at the comment.
"A book... 'Stances of the Moon'... it talks about all the different ways to have sex while enacting the Prayer of Unity." the kangaroo explained, "I've done most of em, but the one on page 43 is a really hard position."
The comment completely derailed the conversation as Lord Raes just stared at her, completely at a loss for words. After over ten seconds of silence, Elesin smirked, "I didn't just break you, did I, you poor man?"
The dog blinked, "That is NOT what I meant." he managed to find his words.
"Well... both of our comments are about as meaningful to my being here. Honestly, you don't care about position 43, and I could give a Shradian Dung Flinger's left testicle about what kind of position me being here puts you in."
"Shradian Dung Flinger's left testicle?" Lord Raes asked incredulously.
"Exactly. Right ones are much more worthwhile." the kangaroo pointed out inanely.
"I just need to know that we can trust you." the dog stated with exasperation.
"You can't." Elesin noted with a shrug, "That's what happens when you're Moon Crazed."
"Then tell me about it." the champion requested, "I want to understand."
"There's not much to understand." Elesin explained, "I'm cursed to change into a psycho, bat-shit-crazy monster, and that's really all there is to it."
"How did you get cursed?" the dog inquired.
"No idea." the kangaroo shrugged, "My mom apologized to me before she died... so as far as I can tell it's something she and my dad did at some point."
"She apologized?" Lord Raes asked.
"That's what I said." Elesin acknowledged, "She told me everything happens for a reason, and that she was sorry that I was going to have such a hard life." the kangaroo lowered her head, "and then she died."
"A death bed apology?" the champion inquired, "That must have been difficult."
"Even worse, because I was the one who killed her." Elesin explained.
"You found out she was at fault, so you murdered her?" the dog asked, aghast.
"No... I went into a Moon Crazed fit and when I came out of it our home was destroyed and my mom was laying in a pool of her own blood." Elesin's voice came out monotone as she gazed out across the trees, "It was the second time I went through the change."
"And it was too late to get help?" Lord Raes questioned.
"I'll never know." the kangaroo shrugged, "I was twelve at the time... I didn't know what to do so I just held her, crying, and asking her not to die."
"That could not have been easy." the dog noted sympathetically.
"No... it wasn't." she answered without emotion.
"And your father?" Raes asked.
"He died two months before." the kangaroo stated, flatly, "During my first change."
"I'm sorry." the champion offered.
"I've heard that more times than you can imagine." the battle mage retorted, "And the one thing I've learned is that the only thing people are sorry about is that they asked."
"I'm not sorry that I asked... I am sorry for your loss." noted the dog.
"Either way," Elesin continued, "It was a long time ago, and the only thing I learned about this damned curse since is that it's going to destroy me and everyone around me unless I do something about it."
"And what are you going to do?" the champion inquired.
"I'm going to get to Zion and have the priests there free me from it... or I'm going to die on the way... but either way, I've made my decision and this curse isn't going to run my life anymore." the kangaroo turned finally to look at the dog, "The only one choosing the way I go is ME."
"If you change again, we will be forced to separate you... or kill you." the dog noted in as an apologetic tone as he could manage.
"Personally, I'd go for the first... you have a better chance of survival." Elesin noted. Raes had a hard time figuring out if the comment was said in humor, or in advisement.
* * * * *
Welcome to Chapter 1, Post 1 for the Banniharian Caravan in this, Part 2 of Zion: Light of the New Moon.
We pick up the story a few days after the party escaped the huge undead swarm.
Jumping right into things, we're focusing on a discussion between Jules and Lady Marion as well as a talk that Lord Raes and Elesin have... in both cases a little more background is provided for the two Reader-Contributed characters.
Next week will involve discussions between Elias and Sebastian as well as Iskiy and Roarg. For now, contributing readers may vote among on the following:
Elesin's reader did not vote during the last post. As this is a Reader-Contribution story this does go directly against the whole point. Traditionally, the penalty is that the character loses 1 Willpower and the Party loses 1 Favor. Since this is the first offense for this part of the story, I'll take a poll:
1) The usual sounds fine; Elesin loses 1 Willpower and the party loses 1 Favor. 2) The party shouldn't have to suffer; make Elesin lose 2 Willpower instead! 3) We're a team-- dock us 2 Favor since we know it won't happen again.
Contributing Readers have until Thursday, November 3rd at midnight. In the case of a tie, or non-vote, the option will revert to #1. Thanks!