Mystic Syn

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Ha! You thought this was for Q/Yulong? Dunno why, but people seem to love her lol. No, there's nothing to say about her since the rp is kinda dead. As much as I love writing about her, I do need a change of scenery every once in a while.

No, no, no. We are diving into another rp: Guardians of the Prophet. Ya know, the one I made that literally no one joined.

  Hyn Eisoku hummed quietly as she carefully whittled lines into her quarterstaff. Patterns appeared on the staff as she continued to carve, brushing the shavings away on the floor. She watched them flit to the ground for a second, then leaned back in her chair, continuing her progress on the spikey hazel wood. The staff had been given to her by her mentor as a sign of accomplishment for earning the rank of master in the Counselor Monks.
  There weren’t that many Counselor Monks in Kasjadu, but they made it up with their knowledge and serenity. Hyn had never been one to be the calmest in any sort of situation, but now it was expected of her to be one. She had received the tattoos of the rank of master a few weeks ago and was the youngest master yet, being the age of twenty-two. Every Counselor’s tattoos were different in their own ways––where they were placed, what they were depicting, and when they were received––and she’d gotten the strange dark blue windserpent tattoos, but she didn’t complain. She worked hard and she got what she’d been working for ever since she’d gotten there.
  The Counselors were one of the many different types of Talented in Huyat, a continent on Kasjadu. The Talented could come from anyone, be anything, but there were the rare few that were the Counselors, who went up north to the Yuhji Mountain Range to the Yuhji Counselor Monastery to train in their specific Talents. With the other Talented––the Deceptive, Imaginative, Intellectuals, and Exhilarated––it all came by instinct, with practice to make it perfect. With the Counselors, they had to undergo training to understand and control their powers. If one was the Prophet, they were given immediate attention and very special training to become the peacekeeper of the world.
  As of right now, the Prophet was a young woman by the name of Poio Iuyat. She’d never had a lasting friendship with her, but on the few occasions Hyn had met her, she was one of the kindest people on the planet. She always put others in front of herself, and that was why she was often away from the Monastery: Keeping the world at peace after the Magnuscassis, the greatest and bloodiest war in all the history of Kasjadu. Even though the people all around the globe were still recovering from that, Poio gave the people hope for a better future.
  It’s better that I was hidden away when that happened, Hyn pondered, softly blowing the shavings onto the desk. I would’ve made a horrid Prophet, Talents forbid.
  Hyn leaned back in her creaky chair, looking at her room.
  Her room wasn’t anything special, just another sleeping quarters for another master. It had been given to her when she became a master weeks ago, before then she was sleeping in a dormitory with two other initiates. Even after the weeks she’s been here, she still never got used to being finally alone with her personal room instead of having to share with others. When she walked into the quarters, she could see the small bunk on the right, with a desk on the left for work and studying. The middle of the room was left for personal meditation, open to the window on the wall at the head of her bed. 
  Honestly, it was a bit of a mess in the few weeks she’d been living here, but that’s how she worked. There was an organized feeling to the disorganized room; Hyn knew where each thing was, even to the things that were tucked away under her bed. The rest of the monks generally disapproved of her messy quarters, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it. They had to leave it be, only making side comments about how she needed to clean it and make it more livable, since she’d worked so hard for her rank and room.
  But the funny thing was that there were more sleeping quarters for masters than there were masters. When she was an initiate, she often talked with her master about how they should let the initiates have their own sleeping quarters, but was often shot down because it would ruin their tradition.
  “But I don’t like sleeping with Lucious or Rosaire!” she’d complain to her mentor.
  Her mentor had laughed, ruffling her hair a bit while he smiled warmly. “There are often things we don’t like to do, Initiate,” he’d said, “but we must be brave and push forward. You will be put in uncomfortable situations, and I want you to be prepared for it.”
  The memory made her smile as she pulled the staff away from her, tapping her glimmering knife on the wooden desk in front of her. Hyn looked over the carvings she made, admiring each and every pattern she unknowingly made. They swirled around the staff, depicting ferns on the forest floor, with the occasional windserpent intertwined with it.
  “The melody is gone, but it’ll be alright,” she sang, softly, brushing some of the shavings onto the floor, “as long as we hold on tight, the memory will remain…”
  Hyn trailed off as the sun shone right in her eyes, blinding her for a second. She blinked repeatedly, trying to get the spots out of her vision, then she squinted out the window, looking out the forested land.
  The slender pines swayed in the breeze, as if following the tune of her song, drifting from side to side. The chilly breeze drafted into her room, the smell of the fresh forest air calming whatever stress that was filling her mind. A flock of windserpents danced in front of her window, slithering through the air with their light blue feathers splayed out to catch the wind. They all gave happy little hisses to each other, dancing away as the wind shifted directions. The windserpents zipped into the forest, chasing the sunset.
  They danced to where the sun crested the forest line, which created a line of oranges, reds, and even pinks in the blue sky above. It glowed over the horizon, giving Hyn hope that tomorrow would be better, and that maybe, just maybe, she would be allowed to go back home for the first time in fifteen years to see her parents and brother, Sugita. Sure, she knew that the Counselors needed her here, to help with any incoming initiates, but Hyn also wanted to be free like the windserpents, chasing the next sunrise and dancing to the oncoming sunset.
  The longer she stared out the window, the more the woods called out to her, practically beckoning and begging for her to come and play in its mysterious depths, no matter how dangerous it would be or how furious the monks would be with her for disobeying the rules they specifically made for her. They knew that if she were to wander the Western Trews Forest, she wouldn’t find her way back easily. It was why she always had someone hovering over her, like a fellow monk or the resident Survivor, Huzh.
  An idea formed quickly and she grinned, stabbing her knife into the desk. 
  Hyn sprang from her chair, picking her tan travel robes from the floor and putting them on and over her skintight sleeveless tunic and trousers. Her travel robes were just a roughspan tunic and light, airy trousers for her to move around in, especially when it came to defending herself. Snatching her staff from the ground, Hyn made her way to the open window, looking down at the height.
  Hmm, only three stories, she considered, placing her staff in a special cloth clasp on her roughspan robes, having it go across her back. It’s not that bad.
  Sticking one foot out and placing it on the small edge, Hyn carefully and quietly climbed out of the window, careful not to disturb any of the assorted items she had on the floor or windowsill. She gripped the ledge tightly, letting herself hang for a moment as her feet felt around and found more suitable footing. Hyn let out a shaky breath, then started to descend the tall building, careful to avoid windows of any sort, lest she would be caught.
  Of course, she still hummed the happy tune, but softer this time. It helped her power through her aching arms, but it didn’t remove the pain. Sometimes it was like that: You could still be happy, despite being in pain. It was something Hyn constantly told herself, especially when she thought about her biological family and how they willingly let her join the monks without her consent––well, without her knowing fully what free will was. 
  After fifteen years, she still held onto the hope that someday she would be reunited with her family in Validus, even if that hope seemed slim. More often than not, her thoughts wandered how much they’ve changed over the years. Would they be the same after all these years, or would they be completely different people?
  Would they even recognize me? 
  The thought struck her that Hyn had to pause her descent, hanging roughly twenty feet from the snowy ground. Her fingers ached, wanting to just let go, but Hyn held on, pondering.
  Would me and Sugita get along like we did in the past? Or would he hate what I’ve become?
  Letting go with one hand, Hyn hung onto the sill and gazed into the eternities. Her breath puffed in the quiet breeze as she watched the sunset further behind the forested horizon. Little dots of windserpents danced on the drafts, happily swirling through the air. Above them were the earthhawks, their wingbeats spreading fresh soil to the forest floor.
  The beauty was something that the Monks could see every day, but she noticed that the rest of them didn’t truly notice it like she did. She was never one that spoke these thoughts aloud, but Hyn always knew that the placement of the Monastery was on purpose and not something that the founders chose on a whim.
  She wiped the forming tear, continuing down the building, jumping down the last few feet of the building. The relatively fresh snow crunched under her feet as she stood up and brushed herself off, as if she hadn’t been scaling a tall building.
  Good thing there’s not many people occupying the other Master’s Quarters. Hyn pulled her staff out, making her way to the woods. I would’ve been caught right then and there.
  The sun continued to set, setting the sky ablaze with life, but she didn’t let herself be distracted by the dancing lights. Hyn walked briskly and quietly into the wood, being very careful to not look up at the sunset. 
  That wasn’t the distraction she wanted––she could see that anytime she looked out her window. She wanted something else than staring at walls or wandering the halls of a building she knew inside and out for the past fifteen years. Hyn wandered in the open because she felt like she was given meaning whenever she did; it was something different than what the monks were offering her, especially ever since she’d received her tattoos.
  Her favorite clearing came up, and she immediately grinned.
  She couldn’t see the grass underneath the freezing snow, but just being in the clearing helped her to feel more relaxed. Hyn had found this clearing years ago, and it was her go-to place whenever she had been feeling stressed or bored. During the summer, it was a place of fantasy; right now, it was a clearing of chilly wonder.
  The frozen trees swayed in the wind, but they still had their stiffness as they swayed. Every so often, snow would fall from the branches, dropping to the ground with soft plops. The ground itself was covered with snow, chilling her feet, but she didn’t care. The ground made it easier to focus on herself rather than what was happening around her, freezing her to the bone.
  It was one of the most relaxing places she’s ever been to. The monks did help her relax at times, but they didn’t have the same effect as the woods did on her. It made her feel like she could be with her own thoughts and be free of the world. It reminded her of what the world could be if it weren’t for the races. There was no explanation why she loved the forest and why it made her relax, since she had been born in the city, but that really didn’t matter to her right now.
  Hyn stabbed her staff in the snow, then tore off her travel robes and cast them to the side, her skintight suit and skin now vulnerable to the cold. The breeze picked up, which made her shiver a bit, but it helped her focus on the now. Hyn stretched her arms, the hairs rising on her bare arms. She bounced on her heels for a second, then picked up her staff.
  Falling into the defensive Kelijahian form––her right foot out in front with her left making a backwards “L” shape, holding her staff in front of her to thrust––Hyn breathed in the crisp air, then started her exercises by making a thrust in the air.
  Jab after jab, Hyn fell into a rhythm. When she stabbed to the right, her left foot moved forward; when she twisted around and thrust to her left, her body followed suit. She wasn’t perfect at it, but it was what made her happy and that was what mattered to her right now. It had been the one thing that made her feel like she could actually do something besides fumble with her Talent.
  Moving with the breeze, Hyn felt sweat slide down her face as she continued to thrust her carved staff in the air, noticing that she’d attracted a few windserpents. They moved with her thrusts, jabbing the air when she did. They swirled around in the staff, as if they were one with the staff as Hyn was right at that moment.
  She could tell why the monks had given her the windserpent tattoo and had told her time again why she should only focus on defense: She could be a whirlwind when she was focusing and actually trying, and that’s what scared the monks. They always taught her to not use her wit or say quips without thinking, but like the windserpents, Hyn often found herself creating more damage rather than solving matters peacefully.
  Slowly falling into the aggressive Honqip form, Hyn grew faster and more precise with her blows, the windserpents following with excitement.
  The snow seeped into her cloth shoes, causing her to shiver ever so slightly, but the chill drove her forward. Hyn might catch a cold later, but she didn’t care about that. That was Future Hyn’s problem, not her problem. The chill reminded her that living with the Monks was still worth it, even if it could be boring now that she was completed with her initial monk training.
  This gave her training meaning, it gave her––
  Crunch
  Hyn whipped around to see Dhufar Kovfavah, who jumped back from the clearing when she pointed her staff at him. She lowered her staff, her breaths coming out in small puffs.
  “By Rokarian, woman!” he exclaimed in Validus, laughing as he edged closer into the clearing, careful to not be in range of her staff. “You’re becoming quicker with that staff of yours.”
  Unlike most Kelijahians that were overconfident and boastful, his pure, pupil-less dark red-orange eyes shone with kindness and laughter as he approached her. The exposed red-orange Kelijahian lines on his dark gray skin glowed with his joy, the rest of the glowing lines being covered by the light gray casual robes, showing that he was not going anywhere else besides here. 
  His dark gray hair was pulled back into a tail, revealing the glowing lines around his chiseled face that made him look too much like he’d been carved from stone and had been born this way. His own Councilor tattoo of a crystalbear was etched on the back of his neck, the head twisting around his neck to be visible under the left part of his jaw.
  He walked in the snow wearing sandals, of all shoe wear during this weather, but Dhufar didn’t seem to be bothered by the snow or breeze; it was a part of this Kelijahian nature. Like all monks, he was given a skin tight tunic and trousers, but he chose not to wear them and wore casual airy, light gray robes, saying that they distract him from his meditation.
  The other Kelijahians Hyn had come across during her time at the Monastery had always been stoic, full of themselves, and lived for the glory of battle. But Dhufar was the opposite: He was one of the most humble and selfless people she knew. The fact of him being a Counselor Healer helped him connect with the people who come across the Yuhji Counselor Monastery for healing.
  “You scared me!” she said, laughing along with him as he shrugged.
  “Not my fault you’re always on edge every time you come out here.”
  Hyn froze. “You mean, you’ve been watching me every time I’ve gone out?”
  He considered for a moment. “Not every time you’ve been out of the monastery without permission,” he clarified, “but every time I was assigned to watch you. ‘Course, Huzh likes taking turns watching over you.”
  “Yeah, ‘cause that’s any better,” she said, sarcastically while rolling her eyes. She got on her tiptoes and looked around. “Huzh isn’t here?”
  “No, he said he had other things to do,” he replied, chuckling. A twinkle appeared in his eye. “Why do you ask, young master? You wanted to see him?”
  “No,” she scoffed, a blush appearing softly on her cheeks. “I was wondering where the idiot was, so I could bash his head in for stalking me.”
  “Sure, that’s what you’re wondering,” he said, walking and sitting down next to her, gesturing for her to do the same. “You know you have to find a partner sooner rather than later.”
  “You know, of all people, that I don’t care about that.” Hyn sat crossed-legged next to him, not looking Dhufar in the eye. She placed her staff in the snow on her right, resting her elbow on her knee, sweat dripping from her brow. “I’d rather listen to Salkara go on about writing, or even better, live in the woods than live with someone for the rest of eternity. That’s a long time that I could be spending elsewhere.”
  “You like spending time with Salkara, so that isn’t saying much,” he laughed. “But you know the Councilors are dwindling, and the only way is to––”
  “I know what the only way is. I know that, because you guys have been telling me that all my life. I don’t think that’s the only way, though. I come from lines of Deceptive and Exhilarated, but I turned out to be Councilor. I don’t think that having children will suddenly make everything better.”
  “Ah, but having children of your own will improve the chances of them being Councilors.”
  “Dhufar.” Hyn gave him an exasperated expression. “Just because you have children of your own doesn’t make you qualified to know what’s best for me and when I find a partner.”
  His laughter echoed through the trees. “But you have to admit, though,” he said, wiping a tear. “My children are cute.”
  “Just because you made me their honorary aunt and that they are adorable as all the Talent combined,” she remarked, holding up a finger, “does not mean that you have a say whether or not you have a decision in my love life.”
  “You don’t have a love life.”
  “Not the point.” Hyn scratched her braided hair, pausing for a moment. “You guys never let me out to experience what the world has to offer to me, so how can I make a decision that affects my eternity when I don’t have a lot of choices to choose from?”
  “We don’t let you out because of the war.”
  “Yeah, the war that ended two years ago, out of the fifteen that I’ve been stuck here for. I’m beginning to think that you don’t trust me or my braids.”
  “I trust you just fine. Your braids are the sketchy ones.” Dhufar shook his head. “You know it’s not up to me whether or not you’ll be able to go out. I’m guessing when I say that they don’t let you out is because of your Talent.”
  “Oh, you mean the Talent they’ve been training me to use for fifteen years?” she seethed, softly, bitterness entering into her tone. “The Talent they’ve been helping me to hone and improve? The Talent that made me special enough to step foot here? That Talent?”
  “Well… uh, yes.”
  “Then why am I still stuck here if I have the rank of master?” Hyn pointed at her tattoos, which gave a soft glow. “They trusted me enough with this sacred rank, but they don’t trust me enough to go home and see the family I haven’t even heard from in fifteen years?”
  “I… I don’t know, Hyn.”
  She exhaled, her visible breath swirling. “I dunno. It seems like the Elders are being hypocritical about me finding a partner. They don’t allow me to even talk to my family. My. Family.” Hyn hugged her knees close, resting her head on them. “I just don’t know…”
  Out of the corner of her eye, Dhufar reached out, looking to lay his hand on her shoulder as a sign of comfort. Hyn snapped her head towards him, fear filling her eyes.
  “Wait, Dhufar––”
  Right as his hand touched her exposed shoulder, Hyn Connected.
  Panic filled him as Hyn started to tremble under his grasp. Her eyes and tattoos starting to glow a light blue, almost white. That same panic from him was being expressed through the Hyn’s expression, for what reason he didn’t know. Her breathing became erratic, her eyes shooting back and forth, as if looking for a way out, with now avail.
  He’d nearly forgotten what Hyn’s Talent was like, then cursed softly under his breath as he carefully held and cradled her gently. Dhufar rocked back and forth, pulling her close to his warm body, not knowing what else to do.
  Connecting their spirits must have had them share emotions, maybe even amplifying the emotion for her. It wasn’t clear what was happening, not that she had ever been clear about what exactly her Talent could do when used in an accident.
  “Hey, hey,” he said, his voice lowering to a softer tone than his bellowing laughter from earlier. “It’s going to be alright.”
  Hyn wasn’t convinced, showing him through her increased shivering.
  Doesn’t respond well to calming words, he noted, continuing to rock back and forth, trying to come up with a solution to how to calm her out of her Connection.
  “Hyn,” he whispered in her ear, “do you mind if I sing?”
  A moment of lucidity shone through her blank eyes as she shook her head slightly, before returning to her panicked shivering.
  “Don’t worry, my brave young lass,” Dhufar sang his native Kelijahian, swaying from side to side as he pulled her closer, resting her head over his heart. “Your home is down the cold mountain pass.”
  The warm memory of his mother singing this to him came to him, though he’d changed her lyrics a bit for Hyn.
  “Your journey will involve keeping evil at bay, but I will be with you, guiding your way.”
  His mother bounced him on her knee, when he was small enough to sit on it, years upon years ago. She constantly booped his nose, causing his younger self to giggle uncontrollably. She pulled him close, hugging him tightly as if he were the last time she would ever hold him.
  “Remember with all your mind and heart that I will be with you, even when I depart.”
  His mother sang to help him calm down, and it always worked. Not even his father could figure out how his mother could do such a miraculous task. She hugged him tighter, watching the hearth crackle as he slowly fell asleep in her arms as she sang quietly, her warm embrace calming him.
  It was her job as an Imaginative Musician, and it was often put to use to put him or his siblings to sleep. She made the greatest sacrifice of a successful career for her family, and he now knew––now that he had a family––that she never regretted one day of it.
  A distant memory of a forgotten time, but it always brought a smile to his face and always lifted his spirits. Music often did that, especially when it was done right by a Talented Musician. One of the most underappreciated Talents, in his opinion, since it could accomplish so much without one even realizing they were under the Musician’s influence.
  Dhufar repeated the short song a few more times, embracing Hyn with the same love his mother shared with him so long ago. He knew that eventually he would see his mother again; he didn’t know when, but he knew that he would be embraced with the same love again. Dhufar shared that same love with the girl who had not been embraced by her loving family in so, so long. He could barely comprehend how Hyn could survive so long without seeing her family, left only with the faint memories of a world at war and leaving her loved ones. 
  All he knew was that she missed her mother as much as he missed his.
  Hints of sadness showed in the memory, like little raindrops of reality trying to paint the canvas a different story. He expressed that he missed his mother through the song and memory, but it did calm him down during the stormiest of days. Either way, the memory calmed him down, and in turn Hyn as he could tell from her now controlled breathing.
  Hyn Disconnected.
  A chilly breeze found its way into her skintight clothes, causing her to shiver even more. The snow that had been soaking her shoes was not exactly helping her situation. But through the cold was the warmth holding her close, singing softly, but loud enough to be heard over the wind. Even though she knew that he knew that she was better now, Dhufar still sang the song, mostly for himself now.
  The image of Dhufar’s mother flashed in her mind again, her smile, warmth, and singing Imprinting themselves with the other Connected Memories Hyn had. There was always something that stood out enough to be Imprinted into her memory, whether that be a memory of the Connected’s parents or something that may have traumatized them in the past.
  “Thank you,” she whispered, finding the strength to speak.
  The song finished abruptly, but Dhufar didn’t seem to be bothered by it. He let go of her, helping her to her feet while taking a step back.
  “My fault for not remembering about your Talent, even though you had just been talking about it,” he laughed, his hearty laughter echoing through the treetops and filling the clearing. Dhufar looked up at the darkening sky. “We better get back before we’re both in deep trouble.”
  She followed his gaze. Stars were appearing, twinkling in the soft light.
  “Yeah,” she breathed, “we better.”
  “Well, c’mon then.” He gestured for her to follow, then paused. “Oh, and the Elders asked for an audience with you, by the way.”
  Sighing, a wry smile entered her expression. “Of course they did,” she said, reaching down and picking up her staff, shaking the snow off of it and wiped it down. “I’ll come back with you in a sec. You go right on ahead.”
  A grin split his face, then nodded as he turned around to head back to the monastery, heading out of sight into the frozen woods.
  The snow started to make her feet numb as she lingered, gazing wistfully back at the clearing. 
  As much as Hyn wanted to stay here and away from coming in physical contact with people, she knew that the Elders must have something important for her to do. Or scolding her for venturing too far out into the woods without supervision.
  Snatching and pulling her freezing travel robes on, Hyn began to follow in Dhufar’s footsteps back to the Monastery.

  The carved stone hallways of the highest level stretched forever, at least it did in Hyn’s mind. Having been practically raised in this building, all the nooks and crannies couldn’t hide from her. There hadn’t been anything that could hide from her, since the monks kept the tradition of keeping the building in almost the exact same way the founders kept it. But knowing just about everything in the building also meant she knew how long the corridor was and how long it would take her to trek past meditation rooms, quarters, and windows before she reached the Elders.
  Reaching out, she drug her hand across the wall, touching it lightly with her fingertips. The grooves were familiar, yet completely alien. They’d always been there, even when the founders had come here. Many believed it was something of a more ancient civilization, others believed it had been the rain, but now one knew for sure. It was one of the things Hyn knew nothing about, but it was something that no one could share their knowledge about.
  Coming into the warm building after being in the cold made her yearn to go back out into the freezing snow, but she knew she was in trouble if the Elders were calling her to the Ring. They couldn’t have figured out that she had been sneaking out to be outside. The only people that had physically seen her outside were only Dhufar and Huzh. They were trustworthy enough that she knew they wouldn’t rat her out on these things. She’d told them both how much it meant to her to escape from the monks for a few moments, and they understood, telling her that they both wouldn’t tell the Elders.
  Then why were they requesting an audience from me? she asked herself, shaking her head as she passed another torch, its warmth washing over her face. They never want to see me unless they’re going to scold me or––
  She crashed into someone, immediately making a Connection.
  Meijer fell to the ground, rubbing her head as a headache started to come, the image in her head fading as she was brought back into reality. She’d been fine just earlier, till she bumped into whoever had not been paying attention to where they were going. Meijer had other things to worry about than whoever bumped into her, but it still annoyed her that they weren’t looking where they were going. 
  Whoever had the Ko’ad forsaken gall to––
  She stopped herself from lashing out when she saw the young monk clutching her head while tears formed in the corners of her eyes. The girl was shivering, either from the cold or from whatever her headache was doing. Her clothing looked soaked so it wouldn’t be too far off to say that she might be cold from being outside. The windserpent tattoo on the girl’s right cheek glowed softly, which could only mean that she was using her powers.
  What kind of powers is she using? Meijer scooted closer, her annoyance dissipating as she carefully placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder to shake her. Is she reading my mind or––
  Hyn forcefully Disconnected.
  “… you okay?” a voice asked.
  The forceful Disconnection sent her mind spiraling, causing her to fall to her hands and knees, but she had the strength to look up at the woman, Meijer.
  What was strange about her was her short white hair, despite her youth. Hyn had never heard of someone Meijer’s age having pure white hair, or what she assumed Meijer’s age to be. There were the Eastern Ikuyoians, but cases of pure white were rare, and her golden eyes didn’t help where she came from. They stared into her, but they showed kindness instead of the annoyance she’d been feeling earlier. Another interesting thing about this woman was the scar over her right eye, which crinkled when the worried expression replaced curiosity.
  Who’s Ko’ad? “Yea–yeah,” she responded, her head slowing down to a dull throb.
  “Sorry ‘bout that, master monk.” She helped Hyn to her feet, a warm smile crinkling the scar. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Forgive me.”
  “It’s alright, because I wasn’t paying attention either. We all get distracted.”
  Laughing, Meijer started to walk in the opposite direction. “Sorry, yet again.”
  Managing a weak smile, she waved goodbye to the stranger in an optimistic farewell, but Hyn couldn’t shake the image that’d been in the woman’s head before she crashed into her. She walked off to where Meijer had been, the image coming back to her as clear as day.
  A young girl, a few years younger than Hyn, stood over a good handful of bodies, breathing heavily. The room had been dark, but not dark enough for her to tell the girl had her back turned towards her. The glistening silver one-edged blade dripped dark crimson blood from its sharp point, the blood seeping into and staining the wooden floors. Her stance showed hostility to everyone that came across her, even if they were or had been her friends.
  The girl turned towards her, her eyes pitch black and trailing smoke. Tears streamed down her face as she gave her an unhinged, bloodlust grin.
  The Imprinted Memory haunted her, and she didn’t know why. How could someone so young do an act so sinister? That child may be a serial killer roaming the world, waiting for her next target, but something deep down told her that the person she had seen in the Imprinted Memory wasn’t anywhere near here… not that she’s ever traveled the world.
  Walking up to the monk by the doorway to the Elders, Hyn stopped and nodded in respect towards her, placing her right fist over her left shoulder.
  The Fujakian monk responded with the same motion, then gestured inside.
  The small, yet spacious room had never changed, even after the years Hyn had been here to be scolded or instructed. The room carved from stone was circular, the back built for the Elders to sit in a semicircle on the ground to look upon the monks and travelers who sought their advice. Eight cushions were placed in the semicircle for the Elders to sit on––one for each Region––and they were all conversing with one another, barely taking notice of Hyn walking in the room.
  One of them, Hyn’s former master––Kofah Weao––caught sight of her. He smiled warmly, though his eyes showed hints of sorrow, which caused his swirling tattoo, which came up on both cheeks to look reminiscently like curling horns, to briefly glow. He kept his dark Western Ikuyoian scales in sight, showing his heritage despite the formal monk robes he was wearing. His bushy hair bounced slightly, revealing his curly horns as Kofah turned to the others.
  “Elders,” he called out, silencing the other seven. “She’s arrived.”
  The rest of the Elders straightened themselves, sitting up with their hands clasped. They nodded to Hyn, indicating for her to sit in front of them.
  Her footsteps echoed as she came to sit down, repeating the gesture she made to the monk at the doorway. Hyn sat cross-legged on the cushion placed a few feet from the Elders, sitting up straight as she’d been instructed.
  “Elders,” she said in respect, bowing her head to each one. “You summoned me?”
  “Yes, and my apologies, Master Hyn,” the Eldest, Reji Iuyat, said. The elderly lady bowed her head, her white Eastern Ikuyoian wings furling in. “We were discussing the situation at hand.”
  “What situation?” she asked, cocking her head.
  The Elders looked at each other, sorrow filling each of their eyes, even Kofah’s.
  “What situation?” she repeated, slower this time.
  The Fujakian representative looked towards the doorway, beckoning whomever was out in the corridor to come in. Hyn turned, her eyes widening as she saw a sight she didn’t think she would ever see in the Monastery at all.
  Two masters came in, holding a stretcher between them. On the stretcher was… someone. Hyn couldn’t tell, since there was a dark gray cloth covering the body. It was hard to tell who was under the cloth, or even if they were alive.
  Everyone was silent as they approached, holding their breath as the masters placed a stand, then the stretcher between the Elders and Hyn. They both placed their right fists over their left shoulders, bowing, then retreating from the room.
  Who is it? The body was asking for her to remove the cloth, but she restrained herself. Why aren’t they breathing?
  The Eldest rose from her place, walking gracefully towards the stretcher. Tears slid down her elderly face as she pulled away the cloth to reveal…
  Hyn fell back from her cushion in shock, her eyes widening even further as she recognized the person, and finally realized that they weren’t alive. She hesitantly rose to her feet, inching close as she covered her mouth.
  Poio Iuyat, the Prophet.
  Her once warm and bright blue eyes were staring into the eternities. The expression had long gone blank, but even from her sitting place, Hyn could see the hints of shock and fear. Her swirling pattern tattoos across her forehead were dull, no life to them like they had been when she had last seen her. Her midriff was exposed to reveal a horrible, bloodied wound, one where Hyn had to turn away from. She could still smell the death from the wound, and she didn’t need to look at it any further.
  “Hyn.” Cuv Oaqth met her gaze, his metallic Fujakian eyes emotional, rising to stand next to the Eldest. “We don’t know who’s done this, not that we blame you. The thing we’re most worried about is that we don’t know who will replace her.”
  Cuv’s words tore through her.
  It was taboo in every culture to harm the Prophet in any way; severe punishment would follow once they found the culprit, some cultures even going to the extent of the death sentence. The person who murdered Poio was still out there, unpunished from the crimes they’ve committed. Not only that, she had officially been the Prophet ever since the end of the war, so of course there wouldn’t be a Prophet ready to replace her yet.
  “The world’s going to be in anarchy,” Hyn whispered, voicing her thoughts. She turned to gaze into her dead eyes again, seeing the Eldest grasp the Prophet’s limp hand out of the corner of her eye. “Especially after the terrible war the world just came out of only years prior.”
  “Indeed,” the Dexoc representative, Dewe Gerdi, affirmed, clasping her hands as she rose. “That’s why we need you.”
  “Why do you need me? I’m not the next Prophet, we’ve been over this multiple times. Plus, you would never let me step foot out of here.”
  “We are aware of this,” the Honqip representative, Jasdi Ki, said in a stiff tone, rising to stand next to the Prophet. “And that’s why we’re sending you to Validus to find out what the High Autarch of the City Region knows about the whereabouts of the new Prophet.”
  Home. Hyn stiffened, not even a glimmer of excitement showing. They’re actually sending me home, after all these years.
  “You’re the only one in the monastery who has a basic knowledge of what Validus is like and where people could be hiding,” the Kelijahian representative, Jybuk Huwep, said, his gravelly voice echoing. Like the others, he rose to stand with the Prophet. “Not only that, it will give you an excuse to see the family you’ve haven’t seen in years, and––”
  “Wait, wait, wait,” she interrupted, holding her hands in the air. “How do we know that the High Autarch knows where the new Prophet is? As far as I know, we keep a very close eye on the whereabouts of every Counselor on the continent, so why would the High Autarch know where the Prophet is and we don’t? You just said that nobody knows where the new Prophet is.”
  The Elders paused, looking at one another as the ones who were sitting rose to stand with the Eldest.
  “We do know this, and have talked heavily about this,” the Qeoub representative, Chanq Kipko, said slowly. He nodded towards her, his yellow eyes full of promise. “But the High Autarch is the only lead we have, and it’s high time you finally leave the monastery to study the modern world.”
  “But we all know that you’ll tow me back here to study things I’ve already learned.”
  “And the world is full of mystery and wonder that you’ve been yearning to explore.”
  Hyn glanced at Kofah, who just spoke. He gave her a knowing smirk, though it held back much of the sorrow and mourning. He didn’t say anything else as he looked back at the Eldest, placing a hand on her shoulder.
  The Eldest had her eyes closed, but her lightdove tattoo glowed softly with warm light. She opened her eyes to look at the Xefic representative, Zefjo Dezx, asking her a silent question with her eyes.
  Zefjo nodded slightly, no words escaping her lips as she grasped Reji’s other hand. The speckles of white on her dark violet skin shimmered for a moment, then dulled.
  Reji’s light green eyes brimmed with tears, and Hyn didn’t need to make a Connection to know that she was thinking about her granddaughter. Poio had been one of the only grandchildren she’d ever had and raised; Hyn could scarcely understand what pain was going through her, seeing the child she’d raised dead in front of her eyes.
  “He’s the only lead we have, Master Hyn,” she said, emotionally, her wings drooping lower. “The sooner we find the new Prophet, the sooner the world will find peace.”
  The Elders’ tattoos started to glow as they came closer to the Eldest and placed their hands on her shoulders, even Hyn joined by placing her trembling hand on the older woman’s own hand. One by one, they closed their eyes, and let their tattoos brighten the gloomy room. They let their spirits comfort the Eldest through calming breaths and unspoken words.
  Through the chaos, there is my Talent. Through my Talent, I can achieve peace. Through peace, I can find my purpose.
  The words weren’t spoken aloud, but she could feel everyone in the room reflect the Truth as they bowed their heads in memory of the Prophet of the Past Generation. That Truth was always the phrase the monks fell back on, and everyone knew that. The Truth always brought comfort, and it was always said at the Prophet’s memorial. Most of the time, it was said in unison, but they all knew it was better to reflect than speak.
  Exhaling, she was the first one to open her eyes, remove her hand from the Eldest’s, and look up at the Ring of Elders. One by one, they focused their gazes on her, their tattoos still glowing softly. They looked at her earnestly, waiting for an answer.
  “I will go to Validus,” she said, her voice full of emotion. “I will find out what happened to the new Prophet, I swear it. And if you need me back at the monastery, I’ll come back immediately.”
  The Eldest exhaled deeply, looking to be a bit calmed by those words. The Elders around her removed their hands from her shoulders and gave her some space; all except for Zefjo, who remained by her side with her white speckles glimmering.
  “Let’s hope that you’ll find something,” she said, exhaling again. “Even if it isn’t the thing we want to hear, let’s hope that there will be something to find.”
  Hyn backed away and placed her fist over her left shoulder, the Elders returning the same gesture. Turning around, she started to make her way to the doorway, to get her things ready as soon as possible to go out into the world.
  “Oh, and Eisoku?”
  She turned back to see her former master smirking playfully despite the mourning in his eyes.
  “Yes, Master?”
  “You’re bringing Huzh with you.”
  She stifled a frown. That idiot?
  “He needs to find a better purpose than hanging around the monastery and doing nothing. Might as well give him a job to protect you,” he said, shrugging slightly. “You two know each other well enough to work together. I’m sure you two will figure this out together, if you give him the chance.”
  Kofah winked at her, which caused her to immediately blush softly. Maybe he knew that there was nothing between them besides spite and the occasional sarcastic remark from her and the overprotective comment from him.
  She smiled, regardless, then nodded. “Whatever you say, Elder.”
  Hyn shook herself silently, walking out the circular room for what she didn’t know to be a long time. For all she knew, she might not return, and that’s what made her excited for this journey.