Clouds and Currents - VoK & HW 2021 Event Prompts
Author's Notes
The carved stones catch sunlight beautifully. Their washed-out color of off-white turns pink, orange, red, and navy over the course of the day and night. The crisp sea breeze is salty, as it always has been, but there is something else to it. Something sweet, and something with an edge. Is it tension? Is it the strange magics trying to change these lands? While this strange island is easily seen from shore and the skies, it doesn't seem to be affected by the titan's approach. There is a whisper in the wind.
Steady yourselves, heroes. What do you need from yourself? What do you need to hear?
Day 6 - The Scribe's Shrine
When they moved on from Edgar, Nahia could see the smile drop from her friend's face. She could tell Tamaya had been faking it, but she didn't realize she could hold it for such a short time now. Silently, she bumped her shoulder against hers as they continued walking, and Tamaya gave her another weak smile in return. She looked exhausted.
As evening crept over the land, they found themselves on an island, surrounded by stone pillars covered in intricate carvings. They weren't quite sure how they'd arrived here - They hadn't swum anywhere, after all, it was simply too unsafe with the whirlpools around - but one way or another, they were here now. Maybe there was a sandbar leading to this place during low tide? They weren't sure.
Either way, this place seemed... peaceful, somehow. Moreso than the rest of the land, at least, and the waters around it moreso than the rest of the sea. Tamaya laid down in the sand and sighed.
"You good?" Nahia asked.
"Mmm," the not-hero not-answered. "Yeah. I just... need to rest for a bit."
Nahia hesitated. "Alright," she said, and sat down next to her.
As she sat, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the fleeting rays of sunshine and the salt breeze which seemed to speak to her. What did she need? Her, Nahia? She... would be fine. She didn't need anything. Worst case scenario, she would go back home, and be alone again. Big deal. She'd lived with it before, and as much as it sucked, she would live with it again.
Heroes, though...? She opened her eyes to look at Tamaya.
"Hey," she said, and Tamaya looked up at her blearily. "Look, whatever happens... It's not your fault, you know? You've done your best. You shouldn't have had to go through all this in the first place, you know?" She laid down and rested her head on Tamaya's shoulder. "They shouldn't have pushed all this on you to begin with. You should be proud of coming this far. Whatever happens from here, it's okay. You did your best. That's all that ever should have been asked of you in the first place."
And Tamaya began to cry.
Author's Notes
Wordcount: 367 (Out of 100, 200, or 300)
Reward: 3 Ancient Coins