A Whisper Of Things To Come

Aquilo
JP with White_Caribou and Omni
When it came to feeling welcomed and understood by magikal kin, Shalia hadn't felt any intimate connection since before leaving the mountains. The Priests of Yther and Viher were gracious and curious about her, as was she them, but it was not the same as it was when she interacted with Islana. They stood in starkly different places with only magik to hold them together, and even that was a weak bond.

The ice witch had gotten a chance to ask more of the Ozainae mages about their origins and they all sounded alike--every one of them similar to Tamazzalt’s story. *Gifts from the gods.* It was quite surprising to her, but she still had so many unanswered questions about the nature of this undeniably powerful force which shaped her life. Worst part of it was that the others around her seemed none the wiser. Either they were once gifted by deities or born into the world just like her: clueless and kicking. That was as far as she got.

Then came Ba’hela, a sorceress who Shalia initially expected nothing from that she hadn't already seen in Arcadian travels, but it only took an introduction prior and asking around to broaden the field of her questions. This woman was something unknown--both thrilling and terrifying.

Before her by the fire sat a blood witch. Before her sat something new.

Shalia returned the greeting with a smile of her own, acknowledging the sisterhood that came with the power they held, and took a seat a few feet back from the small fire. Adjacent to Ba'hela now, the ice witch looked on at the woman and her book with evident interest.

"Did you sense me on my way to interrupt your light reading?"

Ba’hela responded in the Ozainae tongue, "Sometimes, the spirits whisper of things yet to come. And those who know how to channel them may see visions and hear such whisperings with better clarity. But no, I did not sense your approach, however I've learned that in this world, few meetings are truly by chance, especially among those of us who are touched by the deeper currents of magik."

She closed her book gently, an implicit gesture of respect and attention towards Shalia, signaling her willingness to engage.

"The Still Valley teaches one to be mindful of what lies beneath the surface. Each of us, whether kissed by ice or woven from the blood and earth, carries tales not so easily read from a distance. I'm curious, what brings an ice weaver to seek out a conversation by my fire? Is it the warmth, or perhaps something else that you seek?"