Visions and Whispers

[Anjali Raskor]

"Iss-Ka, come here." Anjali commanded to her Voritor companion. The female lizard had grown so much over the past months. She still recalled her as a youngling when they had met after the cataclysm that had devastated so much life on Dathomir. The Witch's life had drastically changed since then. She hadn't expected to become Clan Mother to the reformed Lavender Rift, but she had embraced the responsibilities, whether to her new small clan orthe rest of the Dathomiri who had made it through, since the new whole organization of the community was still up in the air. Though a male, the Shaman's mate, was on a mission to find the Night Sisters a new home, she kept busy with taking care of the survivors, forming younger sisters and brothers to tasks that would help the clan and make them stronger.

The lizard hissed in what the Beast Warden recognized as affection and she briefly brushed her hand against the reptilian nose pressed against her skin. She had lost so much with the volcanic eruption but she had also earned a lot, Iss-Ka being a constant reminder.

Today, she was to visit the Shaman, still unsure of how deep the prophetized bond between them ran. She was curious and eager to unravel the mystery, which was why she was on her way to meet with Megaera. Life kept them both busy but it was time to speak more.

[Megaera]

The survivors of the cataclysm continued to take refuge in the mountain caves, far to the west of Aurilia and the Burning Mists lands. That was where Megaera judged them to be at any rate. It was difficult to be sure when Domir's light was obscured in ash. They would remain there until Tristan returned, and he would return. That was not even a question in the mind of the Nightsister. She had complete faith in her mate, having always sensed of touch of destiny in Prince Tristan Alastor.

Smiling slyly into the Book of Shadows before her, Megaera carefully inscribed a new entry regarding the acquiring of a strange crystal (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Nightsister_Force_crystal). A Nightbrother by the name of Xorag had brought it forward to her keeping, stating that it had belonged to the male shaman of his former Nightbrother village. The shaman had perished, but not before giving the stone to Xorag to protect. He had carried it this far, and now with great respect has entrusted it to Megaera. It was one of the duties of a shaman, to safeguard talismans, artifacts and other items of significance to the clan. So she had taken it, recorded it's origin, and left room to add more later after she'd had greater time to study it.

A hissing and clicking approach alerted her to the presence of the voritor lizard and her Dathomiri companion, Anjali of the Lavender Rift, coming her way.

"Hello Iss-ka.", Meg greeted the lizard, knowing her desire to be acknowledged with importance.

"Anjali.", she inclined he head to the Nightsister they had met while they were all lost in the destruction.

"I have heard the spirits whisper that it is Mother Anjali now?" The last remnants of Anjali's people from the Rift had rallied around the Beast Warden who had led them to safety, recognizing her as the strongest of them and naming her their Mother. A high honor..

[Anjali Raskor]

Iss-Ka sat down quietly, her head slightly lowered at the Shaman, appreciating being acknowledged. Anjali simled because she knew that the lizard had quite the personality, though it wasn't unusual in wild life, even semi domesticated one. She bowed her head to the Shaman, grateful to get the opportunity to meet with her. "Megaera," she returned the greeting.

"Indeed. The survivors of my clan and a few others I found have chosen me to lead them." She paused, for it was still an honor she took seriously but that had caught her by surprise. "It feels... Bizarre to still exist under the Lavender Rift name. After all we went through and the fact that not all survivors are clearly assembled under one Clan, I have made sure to show protection and help to all who needed it, even those outside of the reformed Rift Clan."

In a way, she would like to keep part of the name, and wondered whether they would find another Rift that could be a new beginning and yet honor what came before them. She knew that acting in haste wasn't warranted in the situation though and she took things as they came.

"How have you been?"

[Megaera]

"Everything feels strange right now." Megaera nodded her solemn agreement.

Offering her new Sister a crude cup filled with precious water, Megaera hunkered down close to the voritor lizard with a shallow bowl of the same. Iss-Ka was no less part of the clan than their rancor, and would be treated as such.

"It is difficult to return to a life of traditions when all that we knew was tossed up into the air like casting bones. When the pieces finally came back down some were gone. Some were replaced with strange new ones. They still function well enough, but what came before will never quite look the same, never be the same, again.."

Smiling ruefully, Megaera shook her head. That was the way of a shaman, was it not? Philosophical utterances to explain the nature of the Spirits. To interpret Their will, or Their displeasure. Megaera still did not know what they had done to cause the Cataclysm, and maybe she never would, but she dreamed of it almost every night. Sometimes she woke up screaming for Matier. Sometimes for Arikos. Sometimes she just screamed... the horrors too terrible to put into words.

"Tired.", she glanced downward. They were wasting away. All of them. The last of her own strength had been spent channeling spirit ichor into cohesion with Tristan.

"He'll come back."

It was unclear whether she spoke of her mate, or of one Spirit in particular.

The Fanged God.

[Anjali Raskor]

Anjali smiled to her Sister when offered water. Iss-Ka let a content soft hissing when offered the same. The Beast Warden was still mourning all that had been lost and had numbers of nightmares plaguing her at nights, but she also did her best to appreciate what tragedy had given her. It was hard to keep going but it was the nature of the Night Sisters to survive regardless of what happened to them. They were stronger because they weren't bound by limitations that other inhabitants of the planet had.

She quirked a brow at the Shaman, always curious as how such gifted individuals could mean or imply. "Traditions are difficult to rely on and yet they allow us to rebuild. I have always been anchored to the tangible realm. It is difficult for me to see beyond practical aspect of putting the clan back together as well as possible with our different origins and experiences."

Megaera's last words intrigued her and she wondered who the Shaman might be referring to. There were several options. "I hope we can find a new permanent home soon though with all the devastation, this is no easy task."

[Megaera]

Megaera did not like to dwell on what would happen to them if they did not find their new permanent home soon. Finding shelter, as well as sustainable land and water, was her top priority. If they failed, they died. Simple as that.

"I know the Cataclysm was vast, but surely it could not have scorched the whole of Dathomir?", Meg queried in frustration.

The voritor lizard tossed her scaly head, hissing in response to the witch's frustration.

"Sorry Iss-ka..", she muttered, not wanting to upset their animals any further. She could understand what they were going through, the animals took their cues from the witches. She had to do better at holding it together..

[Anjali Raskor]

Anjali observed Megaera in silence. A blend of physical and Force-imbued cues helped her understand other living creatures better, and it even extended to her fellow Nightsisters. She was unsure of how she could serve best the reformed clan but she was willing to give her everything.

"I doubt it wiped us all, but many is a probability. With how the winds have been, I believe that going South East might let us find other survivors. The mountains are still standing and there might be shelter in some of the caves." She wasn't sure how devastated the rivers and their flow had been but it was their best shot at finding others.

She was surprised to see Iss-Ka be already so accustomed to the Dathomiri. The bond she had forged with the Voritor lizard had definitely been helping her in the wake of the devastating losses she had suffered. And her survivor's instinct was also set on pushing forward, despite the nightmares and fears.

Iss-Ka hissed a little bit more, before coming to sit at equal distance between both women.

"I can lead a recon mission, or stay here to continue gathering resources."

[Megaera]

"As you see fit." Megeara was not going to tell the newly appointed Mother where she should go, or what she should do. Still the Shaman was grateful for the chance to make suggestions, and did have a solution that would benefit them both.

"If you decide to stay, we now have a number of Nightbrothers that have joined our group. I advise sending them off in search of potential habitation, or for other survivors. They will be able to easily follow any progress we make, and you will still be here to lead your people?"

"One of the younger Sisters, a Nightspider, has repeatedly put in a request to go back out and join the search. Perhaps she can keep them on task.", Meg teased.

It was not easy to make light of anything right now, but the lesser capabilities of the majority of males was common ground for any Dathomiri female. The truth was, most of the Brothers that had survived were tested by the Selection and worthy of their armor. It was a good plan.

[Anjali Raskor]

In a weird way, Anjali was dealing with the disastrous loss better than she was with her new leadership position. She had always been the responsible kind and led at her scale when need be. Yet becoming a Clan Mother had never really been in the cards for the former Beast Warden. She didn't hesitate when the opportunity arose and that her people needed her. She nevertheless struggled and feared not being able to do enough. Of course fear could be a strong motivator but not necessary the one she wanted to live all of her days through.

"The Nightbrothers would do well. Many of them we accepted seem highly promising but sending that young Night Spider sounds like a good opportunity. It never hurts to have a woman to keep the males in line. And it would be a good trial for her too." Assigning people to be challenged as well as to use their skills to the best of their abilities was something she was quite good at.

She paused for a moment, unsure of what to say next. She disliked revealing herself but she also knew that sometimes sharing concerns, as she had been doing at times with selected people, including the shaman, had proved highly valuable.

"I am proud to serve my people, but I wish I had been better prepared." She hated how it came out but it was the truth. "I was the best Beast Warden in the region, and had even helped others older than me to improve themselves. I wish that my training had been more thorough in all areas."

[Megaera]

"When the time came to choose they chose you. I think that says much about the preparation and dedication of Mother Anjali." Megaera offered.

None of them could have prepared for this, and they would all just have to do better than their best if they wanted to have any chance of success. Of life. The young who should have had years of training ahead of them were being forced to step into more advanced roles, and to take more active parts. They were no longer assisting the wardens, hunters and scouts. They were the wardens, hunters and scouts, and they the elders. It was a harsh reality.

But one that will make you all strong and worthy. A voice whispered to the Shaman's ears.

"No one can do more than what you are doing, Anjali.", Meg reached out and squeezed the other woman's shoulder gently. "You will lead them because you have to, and the spirits will guide us all."

[Anjali Raskor]

Megaera's words came as much as a reassurance as a challenge, and Anjali was grateful for that. While she had visceral attachments that could drive her, her duty was equally meaningful to her. She was still getting used to be Clan Mother, and had had her doubts about the position she now occupied but deep inside, she appreciated it. She valued it as the recognition her people, old and new, had given her. There could have been a few selected others, including the Night Sister before her, who could have taken the leadership, but she herself was the new Clan Mother. And she wouldn't disappoint. She'd protect them all with every fiber of her being.

She nodded to the blonde's words, still mulling over them. A faint smile appeared on her lips as Megaera's hand gently reached her shoulder.

"They will, and I will too. We will protect the Clan."

She paused and pondered a moment on what she had to say next. "A result of the catastrophe was the loss of my mentor. I have done my best to grow by myself in my abilities, but I have felt called to do more and better. Would you be able and willing to offer some guidance, Nightsister Megaera?" There was a solemnity in her tone because it was a difficult matter and one that she would only seek counsel on from someone she trusted. And the Shaman was one of the few she did trust because of how the Spirits had brought them together.

[Megaera]

"Just Megaera, sister." She assured Anjali. The time for boundaries and formalities was done. They were all in this together now.

And yes, I would be most pleased to share any knowledge you would wish." They had not really talked about it since they had found each other in the ashes, but Megaera knew, the spirits had brought them together for a reason. She would trust in that, and strengthen the bond as she could.

"We must strengthen not only ourselves, but the others as well. We are being tested, and I believe with will prevail but it will require sacrifice." Both of their stamina and strength, but that was all she was willing to give at this point. There were simply too few of them.

[Anjali Raskor]

Anjali's lips curved into a brief but warm smile to Megaera's correction. The shaman was right, there was a time for formalities and one not to bother with such things. The spirits had been adamant enough about their connection too. From the corner of her eye, Anjali saw Iss-Ka come between both of them and just lie down, looking almost playful but quiet, as if she was curious about the conversation. This Voritor was one hell of a smart one, and the spirits knew the species had that reputation of being highly clever.

'Thank you very much. I would appreciate it. My connection with beast and nature is obviously my strength, but I was to learn more about other skills when my mentor died in the cataclysm. I am not sure what she had in mind though." Anjali wasn't certain either of what the shaman was knowledgeable about but she was willing to expand her horizons.

"I agree. We must be prepared for anything. Most survivors in the extended region have joined us, but we already had to ensure the territory was ours." Rare bloodshed had happened since the new clan had come together, but Anjali hadn't hesitated to get rid of threat. Rebuilding was one thing but they had to be together and stronger than other forces that would attempt to destablize them.

[Megaera]

Although Megaera was honest in her offer to teach Anjali, first she had to learn more about the other witch.

"My clan was called the Burning Mists, as I have told you.." Speaking the words tore the scab off an all too fresh wound. She would never get over the loss of her brother and sister, or their mother. Use it, Meg.

"The name comes from an actual mist that blankets the entire area. It is unclear whether the Mist was the source of our power, or if our power created the Mist. It protected and hid us from our enemies and.. for me, it was where I drew my strength. I thought this connection would be lost leaving my land behind, but it is not so. I can still feel it. Do you have such a bond, Anjali?"

[Anjali Raskor]

Megaera's words resonated with Anjali more than she had expected. She felt the pain of losing her sisters and her people all over again, as her mind brought her back to her own home clan and place of birth. She felt the death of clan members, and of beasts, voritors and rancors, and other critters and hunting game.

Her voice sounded hollow when she answered the shaman. "We were the Lavender Rift. A pretty name that most people didn't think much of it. Those were ignorant and always felt into the trap of thinking us some supposedly good witches. The hills were covered in a rare type of lavender bushes. They were the natural habitat to one of the deadliest cousins of the Voritor lizards."

Iss-Ka perked up and almost gave a smile, as eerie as it might be from her, almost as if she understood.

"The Rancors population was vast and terrible in the woods at the foot of the hills. Our bond with nature was visceral and primal, but we were also strong in the art of deception and of thinking out of the mold. Pretty did not mean weak. Bright colors did not make us rancor baits. We were Rancor Riders."

Her insides were painful as memories pierced through the veil of her mind, but she was also proud of her lineage, feeling the dark energy coursing through her veins.

[Megaera]

Perhaps for Anjali, the landscape, the flora and fauna themselves, that was the connection. The Mist seemed singular to Megaera's land, but whatever secrets it had held they were inaccessible now. For now at least, she had to leave it in the past.

"And what about your.. spiritual beliefs, sister? Did your clan have a connection to the spirits of the Dathomir?"

Has The Fanged God made himself known to you? That was what the shaman truly wondered. It had been moons since Megaera had seen Him, but she did not doubt for a moment that He watched over them, and in time would make Himself known again. It would make sense that he had other, more pressing duties than the struggles of one shaman and the burned and bleeding remains of her people, Megaera thought. He would come back, and when He did... Anjali should be there.

[Anjali Raskor]

"Yes, we did. We still do," Anjali corrected at once. As long as she breathed, her former clan still carried on. "Mother Arala was a Shadow Killer (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Shadow_killer_%28Nightsister%29) and followed the spirits of the elements, seeking their counsel."

The new Clan Mother pondered for a moment. "Most of my line consists in Sisters of the Voritor and Beast Wardens. I am both. I sense the wounds of the earth, the cries of the mountains, the anger of the trees."

She felt the tremors at once as she was answering the Shaman's question. "I feel the anguish of the dead Voritors, Rancors, and our lost Sisters who tamed them. I still feel the ripples in the depths of my soul."

[Megaera]

Megaera's head bowed as the Clan Mother spoke. She too could feel the cries of their world, she wasn't sure if it would ever be the same again. Could you recover from so much loss?

The question had been answered, though not in the way Meg had thought. No mention of the Fanged God? Perhaps He had chosen to speak to Mother Arala, before the cataclysm. Perhaps in time He would reveal himself to Anjali?

"We few, we are watched over now.. I have seen Him, spoken with Him even.. The Fanged God." The was fear and reverence in her voice, but also faith..

[Anjali Raskor]

When Megaera mentioned His name, Anjali's expression changed, a mixture of sorrow and wanderlust. For a moment, the Clan Mother traveled back in time before her mind's eye. Memories of child laughter and then the early tales that would eventually come to fruition when the cataclysm brought Megaera and her together, shaman and beast warden, united to ensure that their kind would survive and prosper, no matter the dire losses they had suffered.

"Mother Arala said that He guided us, that he was watching over the strongest through pain and victories," the Night sister remembered. "I never saw Him but one of my sister did, shortly after our mother died and I was raising the two little ones." The loss of her mother had been a healed wound, but her sisters' deaths still tore her soul, even though she knew how much strength it gave her to lead her people.

"Lyta was but a child, but she saw the Fanged God," Anjali said in a whisper full of reverence.

[Megaera]

The weight of their shared grief made the air around them feel heavy.

Megaera thought about when she had first seen Him. (https://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?55410-The-Book-of-Revelations) It had been right after they had fled her home, just a few burned and battered souls and their rancor. He was unlike any of the other spirits that had always chosen to interact with her. There was something tangible and harrowing about being held in His white gaze..

"Then she was in His favor..", she said. "May she walk beside Him in the next life.."

[Anjali Raskor]

"May she do as such," Anjali repeated with a small bow of her head. She did hope so. She had been so proud of her sisters and knew they would have done great in this life, but fate has decided otherwise. And now what mattered was the present.

"Two of the recent survivors we found are with child. I see that as a sign that the Fanged God watches over us as well."

While not a spiritual leader as the shaman was, she had already grown wiser as a leader, since she had been established as Clan Mother. It had intimidated her at first, even though she wouldn't admit it freely. She had welcome the challenge, putting her rage and grief into the process.

[Megaera]

It was news to Megaera that two of their sisters were with child. Bringing children into the world as it was today was a daunting prospect. It would be up to them, herself and Anjali, to prepare as best they could.

"I will look in on them both.", she assured the Clan Mother. "Restoring the cycle of life is a priority."

It was certainly not a lack of effort that kept Megeara's womb vacant. Her own mother had born many children, and Megaera had always expected to as well. The stress of their trials, and the meager existence they had lead since had made her will strong, but she would admit to feeling frail at times. Beneath the tatters of her clothes, her pale skin was stretched over her bones. So it was with all of them, until they found a home.

"He is with us, even now.. You will see Him eventually." Megaera felt sure of it.

[Anjali Raskor]

Anjali gave a small bow to Megaera, when the Shaman assured her that both pregnant sisters would be cared for. What the blonde said next resonated with something that had been on the Clan Mother's mind. It seemed appropriate to actually bring up to the other woman.

"Now that we are building up our settlement, and that we are replenishing our resources, I am planning to personally look among the fittest Night Brothers in the near future for breeding purposes. As you said, restoring the cycle of life is a priority."

Reestablishing her lineage was important to Anjali, not as much because she was a leader; but because it was important to her after having lost everyone else from her blood family. From a personal point of view, she had begun to develop an inclination towards one of the Night Sisters of the reformed Clan, but that was a different matter to her from the desire to carry on the Raskor line.

When Megaera said that the Fanged God was with them, she believed her wholeheartedly. "I look forward to this day," she said regarding getting to see Him one day.