Rumination in the Rain

As the two companions splashed through wet sandy streets of Gra’akast toward the hovel and away from possible recognition in the crowd, they exchanged no words. Whilst trying to hide in plain sight and avoid confrontation with anyone after Gonyaul had nearly drawn a whole crowd of Ozainae to their attention, Voah tried to remain vigilant but became easily lost in thoughts spurred on by the uncanny scene that had unfolded tonight in that plaza.

Sometimes it seemed as if she had never really woken up from the nightmare that was Sentinel Island; like she was living in some strange fever dream…

She had taken on a non-believer as an Incus, met a live Vauxian, traded a promise with a witch for a vision of dark truths. Then came the unexpected invitation from Alexis on her natalday… that seemed like another pivotal moment to all of the strange events that occurred in the weeks and months that followed. That wonderful celebration… meeting friends new and old who would later search for her after being captured during their trip into the ruins, hallucinations in the dark, getting lost and found, falling in love with the impossible, a Vauxian, surviving an attack on Aquilo, forgiving a heretic who had become deeper than blood to her, letting a sorcerer go free, leaving the Inquisition, fleeing to the desert, meeting one of her beloved Gods and somehow surviving the encounter, losing her boon, surviving the desert, trying to make a home in a Holy city of foreign gods, dark robes, a Helian ice cryomancer, a holy prospector hunting the witch, an army of enemies amassing in the desert, an Arcadian blood witch, giant scorpions who shared a mind… and now Islana had stood speaking over a crowd of followers in seemingly fluent Ozainae as they chanted praises to her? The people looked to her as a new leader and embodiment of their gods… an Immortal Prophetess. What in the name of Orestes was going on? Each passing day seemed to escalate in surprise or absurdity

It was so bizarre that Voah had no idea where to begin as her brain floundered like a fish on dry land. What did this mean? As a representative of the Twin Gods, had Islana gained magikal abilities? Or powers from the “rebirth”? Was Vastad expecting the Immortal Prophetess to die by her blade??? Even so, could Voah follow through with killing Islana? It’s not like they were ever close… Was she actually considering it? What was Voah even doing anymore? Gonyaul would never forgive her. Hadn’t she had enough chaos, confusion, and woe?