Tea Time

JP with Winteroak and White_Caribou

"I am Agizul. Sand Horde emissary, Water-Bearer of Yther." He said in flawless Odon with a deep bow, taking his left hand to cover his heart. He pulled a chair not far from him to allow you to sit. As you sit he pours a steaming hot liquid into a small intricate glass and places it in front of you.
"A delicacy from my homeland. Hibiscus tea. A type of flower that grows in oases." He says with a smile refilling his own glass and taking it to his lips almost immediately so that you wouldn't think its poison.

His Odon was good. Great, in fact.

Shalia leaned forward and inhaled the steam with eyes closed. The scent that filled her senses was fresh and draped in the earthy floral of the hibiscus, clearing her mind almost instantly. As she opened her eyes, she saw Agizul taste the drink. Shalia followed suit and gingerly held the detailed glass, eyeing its design. It didn’t matter how hot the liquid was against her lips or as it trailed down her throat, it reminded her of all the Mizaran teas she savored in her lifetime.

She set the glass down with a gentle clink and looked at him. “Quality tea is rare but enjoyable when found. Thank you for sharing a bit of your home with me.”

The man nodded his head at Shalia. "It is our custom in the Great Desert of Skulls to always share tea when two people meet for the first time. Or water if your are travelling through the shifting dunes." He said with a smile.
"But I'm also curious about your home Shalia Nix. The home of your forefathers that is..."

Sometimes she forgot where she came from. Shunned it away from her identity, scorned the very name of it. Strangled by the idea that she, too, came as an invader once. Shalia never talked much about it nowadays for she had no reason to.

"Ah...yes. Helias. I am from a region there called Mizar. Full of shrines and old cities. Beyond that there is a jungle, mountain ranges, and a great library full of wonderful knowledge. There's even a place that is deemed so wicked it's forbidden. I haven't had the chance to see any of that myself--my native land is not friendly to people like us, you see. The gifted ones. They say their gods want us purged."

Agizul listened intently to her words. Unaware of how much the woman knew of his religion he decided to keep religion off the table. The Wandering and the teachings of the Twins Viher and Yther was clear on the matter. There were no gods apart from Dust and Water. All others were demons.

But this was a political and military meeting not a theological one. But her description of her birth place with its many shrines spoke of a forsaken people, pawns to the schemes of demonical beings.

His mind was immediately cast back to the Ancient Prophecy. That her people's arrival in Arcadian heralded the end of the the world.
"How long have you lived among the Odonine?" He asked trying to change the subject. "I must say I was surprised I was to meet with a woman." She could tell he meant no offense. "A woman with your status among the mountain clans is almost unheard. Although our blessed Prophetess once called the mountains her home."

"Yes, I get that often. Four years now I've been with the Aghul. Arcadia called to me and the mountains have been my haven since. Though, I can only attribute my peculiar position to the power I wield. You adapt to Fang rather quickly when it's all you have."

Every time the Prophetess was mentioned, a strange sensation came over over Shalia, a distant, foggy familiarity and yet she knew nothing more than what Yashker told her the night before. Her hand around the cup had cooled the tea enough for her to take a longer drink.

"What made her leave?"

"You are too modest. The Frozen Fist of the first Odonine Warchieftan in over a century. His Voice of Winter. Yes, your power helped but there is more to you than just power." He told her with a smile.
"Our Prophetess was exiled from Fang for preaching tolerance and understanding between the faith of Fosia and Noraura. Fire and Ice." He grinned at the thought and the metaphysical implications of what came next. "In the Great Desert where she was supposed to die she found the true two gods, Dust and Water. And their revelations gave birth to our faith, 'The Wandering'..." He closed his eyes for a second as if in prayer. "And in return she has been with us for over a thousand years." He finished and kissed the hem of his robe's sleeves where Shalia noticed that same crossed tusks as in the banner behind him.