Two weeks ago...
The temple had been quite nearly all day long and now that it was close to dinner time she was considered leaving and going visit those she called friend.
The quarters in the temple that was hers was not large at all, enough for the simple single bed and a dresser that she kept her trinkets in. Large enough for one little water maiden. She didn't mind it at all. It was a bed and much more comfy then the floor of the cave she had spent most of her time in since her arrival to Rhy'din.
Making her way from her room and down through the hallways. Her course was the double doors that left the temple and offered up the city to her. Before she even got to the joint hall, however, she heard pounding footsteps echoing behind her. Blinking she turned and found herself being charged at by one of the women of the temple. Eudora was an older Greek woman who, much like the rest of the Scathachians, placed Kai on edge. Specially when you see one of them charging at you as this woman was doing. Her mind went through the process of trying to figure out what it is she done wrong before the woman caught her.
Before she figured it out Eudora was upon her, grasping the water maiden's upper arm and continuing on with the now baffled Kai in tow. "Kai! I've been searching all over for you girl. You are needed in the main chamber."
"Needed?" Kai questioned Eudora but to no answer. Instead the woman pulled Kai through the temple.
Upon reaching the main chamber she was pulled to stand Sanding before a sight Kai wished she would never have to witness. Tearful parents huddled over a young girl no older than five. The little figure cradled by the father was gruesome. Burns all over her small, broken body. It looked as if something had fell across her left eye and cheek, burning the eyelid closed. The way the little girl's limbs laid was not natural and caused Kai's breath to catch in her throat.
She was knocked out of her state of shock when the mother moved over and grabbed her other arm, dragging her away from Eudora. "Please," the mother begged through sobs, "Please help her!"
Slipping down to her knees Kai looked around then to the child. There was no water around for her to use which meant this was going to be even more painful.
Pulling free one of the crystals that was normally hidden within her sleeves she'd press it down to the child's barely moving chest and concentrated as hard as she could. The child's spirit was hardly there and it was hard to link together with her but the link was made and when it was she felt a cold spread throughout her body. This wasn't normal. Normally there was a warmth like the caress of summer mid-morning sun light, comforting and soothing.
The child's pain flooded her, making her mind reel but she would not be turned from the task at hand. Instead she started to pull on the child's wounds, drawing them through the link and onto herself. Giving herself to this child who she didn't know. This was her blessing and her curse. One she never complained to if it meant helping those that suffered. Like this young one.
The child's breath hiked up suddenly and Kai felt it, like cold ice spilled all around her. And the child's life fade away completely. The feeling was like something cold and dark had reached into Kai's very soul, clenching and dragging her with it.
There were no words for the pain and emptiness that followed. Her hands fell from the little body as the parents wailed, the water maiden struggling for breath.
Panic rose when the mother suddenly charged at her, swinging fist and hand. There was no protection over the slaps and hits the woman rained down upon the water maiden. No guard against the sharp venomous words. "You killed her! You killed her! Bring her back! Bring my daughter back!!"
The woman's wails filled Kai's ears as Eudora pried the woman away. The mother's wails continued to cut deep with words of insults and hate even after she took to huddling alongside her husband and the body of her child.
It was a sound that Kai would never be able to forget.
Dazed she felt Eudora reach under a arm, pulling the water maiden to her feet. Whatever words of comfort that Eudora had offering were lost on those pointed ears. By the time she did hear Eudora the woman was shaking her, trying to bring her back to reality, "Kai?"
She pulled herself free from the Greek woman, her limbs as heavy as her heart. "Help them.." came the water maiden's respond, weak and heavy-hearted.
She failed and by the looks of it, it would be a cold day in hell before the parents allowed her near the body. She turned and stumbled her way back to her room.
What she didn't to mention to Eudora was that the link was never severed when the child passed. Thus she was doomed to follow the child's fate. The cold, empty feeling would grow as the days passed until she consumed and taken.
The temple had been quite nearly all day long and now that it was close to dinner time she was considered leaving and going visit those she called friend.
The quarters in the temple that was hers was not large at all, enough for the simple single bed and a dresser that she kept her trinkets in. Large enough for one little water maiden. She didn't mind it at all. It was a bed and much more comfy then the floor of the cave she had spent most of her time in since her arrival to Rhy'din.
Making her way from her room and down through the hallways. Her course was the double doors that left the temple and offered up the city to her. Before she even got to the joint hall, however, she heard pounding footsteps echoing behind her. Blinking she turned and found herself being charged at by one of the women of the temple. Eudora was an older Greek woman who, much like the rest of the Scathachians, placed Kai on edge. Specially when you see one of them charging at you as this woman was doing. Her mind went through the process of trying to figure out what it is she done wrong before the woman caught her.
Before she figured it out Eudora was upon her, grasping the water maiden's upper arm and continuing on with the now baffled Kai in tow. "Kai! I've been searching all over for you girl. You are needed in the main chamber."
"Needed?" Kai questioned Eudora but to no answer. Instead the woman pulled Kai through the temple.
Upon reaching the main chamber she was pulled to stand Sanding before a sight Kai wished she would never have to witness. Tearful parents huddled over a young girl no older than five. The little figure cradled by the father was gruesome. Burns all over her small, broken body. It looked as if something had fell across her left eye and cheek, burning the eyelid closed. The way the little girl's limbs laid was not natural and caused Kai's breath to catch in her throat.
She was knocked out of her state of shock when the mother moved over and grabbed her other arm, dragging her away from Eudora. "Please," the mother begged through sobs, "Please help her!"
Slipping down to her knees Kai looked around then to the child. There was no water around for her to use which meant this was going to be even more painful.
Pulling free one of the crystals that was normally hidden within her sleeves she'd press it down to the child's barely moving chest and concentrated as hard as she could. The child's spirit was hardly there and it was hard to link together with her but the link was made and when it was she felt a cold spread throughout her body. This wasn't normal. Normally there was a warmth like the caress of summer mid-morning sun light, comforting and soothing.
The child's pain flooded her, making her mind reel but she would not be turned from the task at hand. Instead she started to pull on the child's wounds, drawing them through the link and onto herself. Giving herself to this child who she didn't know. This was her blessing and her curse. One she never complained to if it meant helping those that suffered. Like this young one.
The child's breath hiked up suddenly and Kai felt it, like cold ice spilled all around her. And the child's life fade away completely. The feeling was like something cold and dark had reached into Kai's very soul, clenching and dragging her with it.
There were no words for the pain and emptiness that followed. Her hands fell from the little body as the parents wailed, the water maiden struggling for breath.
Panic rose when the mother suddenly charged at her, swinging fist and hand. There was no protection over the slaps and hits the woman rained down upon the water maiden. No guard against the sharp venomous words. "You killed her! You killed her! Bring her back! Bring my daughter back!!"
The woman's wails filled Kai's ears as Eudora pried the woman away. The mother's wails continued to cut deep with words of insults and hate even after she took to huddling alongside her husband and the body of her child.
It was a sound that Kai would never be able to forget.
Dazed she felt Eudora reach under a arm, pulling the water maiden to her feet. Whatever words of comfort that Eudora had offering were lost on those pointed ears. By the time she did hear Eudora the woman was shaking her, trying to bring her back to reality, "Kai?"
She pulled herself free from the Greek woman, her limbs as heavy as her heart. "Help them.." came the water maiden's respond, weak and heavy-hearted.
She failed and by the looks of it, it would be a cold day in hell before the parents allowed her near the body. She turned and stumbled her way back to her room.
What she didn't to mention to Eudora was that the link was never severed when the child passed. Thus she was doomed to follow the child's fate. The cold, empty feeling would grow as the days passed until she consumed and taken.