Karu 1 Leviathan cycles and 12 months (6 years) old
Karu stretched his feet out as his mother put him on the ground, only loosening his grip on her when his feet were flat on the dirt.
“Isn’t it a beautiful view little flower?” Xumu’i said
Karu looked over the edge of the mountain peak, the whole valley spread out beneath them. The oceans beyond them and the Dragons Gates mountains behind. The mountain range birthing the two offshoots creating the valley.
He didn’t see what was so special about it but he nodded anyway, “Why did you bring me here though?”
His mother opened her mouth, about to say something but stopped. And stayed silent for a bit, then started up again, “Have I ever told you why I called you Little Flower?”
He shook his head.
“Well, your name consists of two characters,” she sat down on the compact dirt path beside him, “The first being Zhi’iana, which can also be read as Kar in more modern times, meaning inner strength or will. The Second is U, the old word for water, all water with no distinction between salt or fresh. Together meaning The Will of Water. A deep, powerful, and old name, very respectable. But phonetically it spells out Karu, in the old tongue meaning little flower. It’s also the name of my favorite plant, a type of Jasmine with pink flowers.”
“Like those vines in the garden?”
“The exact same. And do you know what it means to gift someone Karu flowers?”
He shook his head.
“Well, it’s a gift of acceptance. Saying we will treat you like you are family, and I wanted to explain that to you now. Because we’re going to have family coming over… permanently, your niece technically, but more a cousin. She’s roughly the same age as you, so you should get along.”
Karu nodded.
His mother took a breath in, “But there’s something more you should know, her parents have… died through no fault of her own. So please treat her kindly. I won’t force you two to get along but don’t be cruel. Ok?”
Karu nodded his head, “Yes mama.”
OOO
Karu 2 Leviathan cycles and 10 months (11 years) old
Karu flew back, falling on his but. His tailbone unhappy with the arrangement.
“You leave your guard open when you attack,” His father, no, Kei’a the Sect Leader said, “Get up, do not waste time. I expect you to be better, do not end up like Xukali.”
“Yes Sect Leader,” Karu got to his feet.
“I gave you the name Karu for a reason. The Strength of Water, simple waves can sink even the greatest of ships, it can call upon storms that rip buildings from the earth. I expect you to live up to it.”
“Yes, father.”
The spar started once again, dust from the ground sweeping up into the air. As the suns above lowered below the horizon, leaving a blank black sky behind. The moons opposite taking their place.
OOO
Karu 3 Leviathan cycles and 15 months (16 years) old
“You have to be kinder to family,” Li’iu chastised his son Kei’a as they walked down the steps from the temple. Water rushing by them in a wall with a faint roar.
“That’s strange coming from you. I distinctly remember saying we should’ve thrown Xukali out to the streets in winter. And quote we shouldn’t tolerate bad blood like her,” Kei’a said mimicking his fathers' tone
“That… that was not right of me. But-”
“Why do you two even care about her,” Karu said with a twinge of childish rage creeping into his voice, “You’ve both said it yourself, she can’t do anything so why should we care about her?”
“I have come to realize flaws in that thinking little Karu.”
“I know your name better than your face, don’t call me little.”
“Don’t so speak rudely to your Grandfather son,” Kei’a chastised his son.
“Yes father,” Karu said in an even tone.
“You don’t have to worry about that Kei’a, I’ve gone beyond caring about my pride.”
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
“Yes father,” Kei’a said in an even tone.
Silence trailed on, only the sound of the waters roar, and a distant thumping of the river further down falling to the lake.
OOO
Karu carried a candle down into the family crypt below the Sect Leader's house. Stopping at the closest bust of a woman with a polished stone coffin behind it.
Lighting an incense with the candle he put it into the black ashes of the woman's organs sitting in a decorated bronze bowl. On the ledge where the bust was carved from.
Placing the candle down beside it Karu sat on his knees in front of it, giving a deep bow, “Hello… sorry I haven’t been visiting that much recently, Mom,” Karu licked his lip, his eyes wandering, just anywhere that wasn’t the statue, “So I’ve been given a choice to train with someone powerful. Grandpa says to follow my heart, Dad wants me to stay surprisingly. He says I should stay here, or I should come back after a year so I don’t waste time.
Karu paused.
“So… what do you think I should do? I know you can’t talk back, but if you could-... No nevermind,” He started to stand up but hesitated, “I saw something… a monster… Not like in the sense of a great beast or an evil man. But a monster. And there was a boy. And I killed the monster. But the boy died, I got him killed… I think that man can train me to be stronger, but he doesn’t want to take me.”
Karu looked up at the bust of his mother, the incense stick nearly burned away. He bowed his head, “Thank you for always listening, Mom.”
He stood up, waiting for his legs to wake up. Took the candle and left.
OOO
Sand stuck in between I’ani’s toes, the water of the waves lapping them away. A piece of seaweed washing up and sticking onto his feet. Panicking at the unexpected greenery I’ani frantically kicked it away, the seaweed flying across the beach and flopping onto the sand with a squelch. Water taking the plant back into its embrace.
Light reflecting off the water and hitting the side of I’ani’s face, making him squint. The rest of the illumination passing him by and hitting the hills just beyond the sand to the west. The mounds of stone and dirt growing bigger and bigger. Till two mountains created a cradle with a lake leading out to the ocean. The offshoots of stone connecting at the back, leading to the true Dragons Gate mountain range.
The peaks of the mountains reaching up above the clouds like spears or fingers reaching towards to touch the sun. The stars rising in opposition, climbing up on the horizon of the ocean, its light refracting off the wave. Wind roaring from the rise in heat, pushing forward fishermen up early on the sea. Gales pushing forward water in waves, roaring and crashing in on itself. Shock waves sending forth ripples to the beach. Washing off the sand stuck in between I’ani’s toes.
He stopped walking, looking forward at the sunrise. The suns light weak enough he could gaze directly upon their purple and blue lights. The wind whipping past him in a low hiss, water spraying onto him.
He reached into his pocket dimension storage. Pulling out a large glass bottle frosted a dark blue, with a bulbous gourd-like bottom containing the wine. The tome pulled from the body, tapering out into a long thin neck. I’ani grabbed the topper shaped like a diamond sealed with red wax and twisting it off.
Taking a sip he gagged on the wine, or was it beer, ah he didn’t care. He tipped it over onto the sand, the waves lapping it up.
“You know sis, I haven’t really gotten drunk in thousands of years. Nothing can really do it anymore,” He chuckled, “But then well… this happened,” He gestured at his body to no one's benefit, “So when I made this genius realization that my crippling would allow me to get drunk I tried it again… And stars I think it was the worst decision I’ve ever made. Seriously how does anyone drink this stuff? How did I drink this stuff for crying out loud?” The bottle stopping pouring out burgundy liquid, I’ani shook it a couple time. A few drops of liquid falling out.
He grabbed it by the neck upside down and flung it far out into the ocean, the thing falling into the water with a distant bloop.
“Hope you like it Quli,” I’ani whispered under his breath for only his sister to hear.
“You know,” someone behind him said, “That was one of Queen Mab the II prized wines, a powerful Elixir to.”
Turning around I’ani saw an almost solid ghost with bright blond hair and one cold molten silver eye. Its body cut in half like he had stood under a guillotine at the wrong time.
“Really? Ah, it must’ve gone dud a long time ago, I couldn’t sense anything.”
“No, you're just too weak to feel it now.”
“Fuuuc-”
The ghost snorted, “I’m screwing with you, don’t worry. But you should probably keep that from the Unseelie, they'd be pissed.”
I’ani tried to gently punch his shoulder, but his hand went right through, “Yeah, yeah. But anyways, how are you doing, oh Holy Diver?” he said elongating the title with a grin across his face
The ghost's neck went beet red, “Please don’t call me that.”
“Whaaat? You came up with it, I remember you being veeery proud of it when we founded the Fianna.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” He said, covering his face with his hand.
I’ani laughed, “Oh, you're easier than ever, so when did you wake up Kalin? It’s been a while since I’ve been back here.”
“Half a century or so ago. How long have I been asleep though? No one old enough to remember has told me.”
I’ani paused, “Roughly 14,000 years.”
Kalins eye widened almost comically, “Holy hell.”
“Thought you were truly gone there for a while.”
“14,000 years?”
“Yeah.”
“Lord… is… is everyone still alive?
“No one you knew has passed, we’re all still up and kicking.”
“Time has passed.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m over 15,000 years old.”
“Technically you’ve been dead for 14 of those, so I don’t think it really counts.”
“So… how are you, how is everyone? How have they… aged.”
“It’s been thousands of years, even I’m not stagnant.”
“Could I recognize them?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Everyone I knew is gone.”
“Everyone you know is here.”
“Would… would they recognize me?”
“How could we not, we’ve been waiting.”
“You’re not a prick anymore.”
“Screw you too.”
“I think… I think I need some time alone.”
He turned around to the mountains, walking away. Dissolving like strands of string pulled away by the wind. Disappearing like dust
I’ani standing on the shore as the water lapped away at his feat. Miles upon miles of ocean stretching out behind him. The blue and purple suns silhouetting him in their light, standing among them like he was one. Water and light reflecting off each other, splashing onto I’ani’s back. He looked away from where his friend was and continued on his way on the beach's sand.