Yuoriey Talon
A 21 year old, Female Miqo’te. She has pale green tinted fur fading into a white, her hair is long and waves naturally, she likes to keep it up in braids or ponytails. Her eyes when she was younger were both a vivid orchid, but now on is a slightly lighter shade of orchid and dulled.  Yuoriey’s skin is the color of  soft peach. She is physically fit, with an athletic build. She has smarts in some things but completely naive in others, such as she can completely disassemble an airship and then turn around and put it back together in perfect working order. And if there is a problem with a mechanical thing she can normally fix it, and quickly. Things that she has trouble with are social settings, making friends, and having feelings of love and emotion, mainly because she is socially awkward. Happily she spends her days working at the Gridania airship docks alongside her adopted Elezen father who is one of the head mechanics there, Pips, short for Nibix Pipasine.Â
((This was wrote to "Say Something" by Great Big World.))
~The Monster and the Nightmare that Followed~
Her small fist and arms pump hard pushing her to go faster. Athletically thin wiry legs take long stride adding to her imaginary flight, suddenly a giggle burst from her as she zigs and zags through the forest. Emerald green tresses trail behind her like a vivid flag announcing her, as her bright orchid eyes scan nonstop taking in all the natural beauty that surrounds and embraces her. This is her life, free, alive to be the spirit her parents have brought her up to be. They always taught her to respect the land and all it’s living things. To love that which she has, and to not want. Then the last thing which her father always said was the most important, to look at everything with wonder and curiosity. This is how she accepted everyday of her fifteen year life since she had been able to understand what they told and taught her.
Yuoriey skids to a stop feet from where she knows her prey awaits, with a huge grin and silence feet she inches forward. The ferns are dense and provide excellent coverage for her. Drawing an arrow and notching it, she pushes through the foliage. With eager eyes she leans and looks upon the small clear grove. Suddenly her emerald eyebrows knit together in a frown. She glances to her left then turns her head quickly back to the right. Where are they? For five years since her father had taught her to use a bow she had been coming here with regular visits to hunt the squirrels. But now there was nothing, the grove was completely empty. Carefully pushing her way through the rest of the ferns and shrubs she steps tentatively out.
Stopping after only a few steps then realizing just how silent everything is, nothing, no insects, no wind, like the whole world has stopped, just stopped. Her orchid eyes slowly trace around the grove taking in the emptiness of it all, then with a slow turn she scans behind her, slowly her eyes and head tilt up.
Something she can’t explain, can’t even comprehend is there filling the sky. She wants to look away but she can’t, as her brain tries to figure what it is she is seeing. A monster, a horrid nightmare that haunts dreams, then fire. Fire engulfing her world. Yuoriey unsure how long she had been entranced and feeling the heat of the flames around her turns then lets out a scream of terror, “MOM…..DADâ€. This seeming to have broke the trace that had her, she runs. Even faster than before her whole body being pushed by the terror that is now trying to consume her. Fire dances everywhere around her, the heat of them with her fast pace causing her soft skin to glisten with a sheen of sweat. All her mind can think about is “are her parents safe, are they okay.†This pushes her harder and faster, her muscles beginning to ache from the harsh pace.
Orchid eyes look about with worry as she now sees how close she is to her home. Her mind starts a mental countdown from five as she hurries closer to that unknown that was everything to her, her life. Five…the big elm with the target that her dad first taught her to shoot a bow. Four…the small garden that her mom grew all their fresh vegetables. Three…the small clubhouse that her parents and her had spent hours playing pretend in. Two...the stand of trees that sheltered her house. One….
The house ablaze. Yuoriey for the second time stood and let her eyes take in the scene before her, as her young mind worked hard to process it. Her body trembled from the exertion of her fast run here and now from what she saw. Finally dropping the bow that her father had made her, both her hands and arms coming up, she runs forward screaming “MOM and DAD†towards the fire ball that had once been her home, her everything. She doesn’t care what will happen to her, her brain has shut off, she wanted them to be safe, be safe and with her.
When about twenty feet from the flames that would have licked out and ate her too, an explosion shook the sad remains of their fiery house. Yuoriey was lifted and thrown yards back slamming hard into one of the old sturdy trees that encircle her house. The pain burst through her small body and spread like the fire that even now was consuming all that she held dear in her life. Falling unable to stop her body from her impact with the tree, and unable to stop her mind slipping into an abyss of blackness. Yuoriey could do nothing but fall into the darkening silken arms of that which waited, her last thoughts were of her hope, that she might be with her parents wherever they are. ~
~Commander Usoux Prugoy slips his glove off and wipes at his face, “Sir, this next home is owned by Sia Talon and his wife Emla, it says that they have a daughter that lives with them too, Yuoriey,†the soldier speaks in a tone that the Commander feels, tired, leary, and desolate.
So much lost and destroyed, each day since the Calamity they have been out here searching, looking for those that may need help. Gridania had been taking in many refugees, trying to help those that had been hit hard and lost everything. So many, Usoux could only be thankful that there were those that could be helped, his soul hurt every time the troop came to a home that clearly nothing could be done. The Sergeant would take down the details and make notes of the names and when they returned to Gridania they would try and find the families, so that they would know if they were alive or lost. Five of the longest day of his life passed slowly in this fashion. They still had many to check on, so many and with each day his soul broke a little more with each loss.
The company of Adders moves slowly down the road leading to the Talon’s house, the troop stopped as one leaving Commander Usoux and the Sergeant to move forward alone. The pile of smoldering ash and twisted melted metal stands like a solemn shrine to the lost lives that once lived here. Commander Usoux begins, “Take down the details and make note to check on our return for the family. This homestead is a complete loss.â€
The Sergeant nods and begins writing, as Usoux takes a few more steps towards the devastation. Something small on the far side catches Usoux eye and he tilts his head studying it. Then with long strides he moves, stopping just a couple of feet from the young Miqo’te female form that is hunched into a small ball. His heart instantly aches seeing the young girl. Her long pale green hair is singed in spots all the was down to her scalp. Her small body is badly bruised and burned, she is emaciated from the lack of food and water. Red angry burns dot her skin all over, but her hands are just raw and fleshly as if she had been digging in the mound of smoldering ash. Usoux could see were all her wounds were starting to get seriously infected. Kneeling next to the small child Usoux hears the Sergeant come up behind him, Usoux speaks in as soft as a voice as he can. “Sergeant what was the girl’s name?â€
The Segeant speaking just as lightly as the Commander, “Yuoriey, Sir.â€
With a nod Usoux lean’s just enough so that he blocks the eyes of the girl from her view of what he believes was once her home. He takes a small breathe as he looks into her eyes the right one is a vivid orchid color, the left is a shade lighter and just a bit duller. “Yuoriey?â€, he gets nothing in response.
“Yuoriey I am Commander Usoux of the Twin Adder’s, we are here to help you.†Still nothing, he can see her breathing but other than that she shows no signs of being alive or aware. Slowly he reaches out and touches her arm, no response. “Yuoriey, sweetie I am going to take you some place to get you help. I promise it will be okay.†Commander Usoux’s voice barely a whisper, as his heart shatters at the thought of what this small one has had to face and endure.
With a gently hand he carefully lifts Yuoriey helping and encouraging her to get her to her feet, she makes no move or action to acknowledge his presents, just stands. He shifts her with the guiding touch of his hands to start her moving towards the path that had lead him to find her. She walks slowly and he can see her trembling muscles weak from the days of neglect. The troop watches with sadness as they see the Commander and Sergeant return with the small Miqo’te girl. Turning they start to lead the way back down the road words of amazement and horror at the sight of the small figure being spoken in hushed voices.
At the bend in the road Yuoriey turns, with dead eyes she looks back at the home that is now nothing, she stares hauntedly. Usoux gently lays a hand on her shoulder, one of the few places on her being that is free of burns. Softly he says, “Yuoriey you need to come with us, please there is nothing here for you, I need to get you some help.â€
Nothing.
As if a ghost just passing through this world, that is what this little one is. Anger flashes through him and he knows deep inside he wants more than anything to save this girl. She deserves to live, to have a life. They all do! But this little dear one, Yuoriey he has to make sure she lives. So many lost, so much destroyed, but not her. The Calamity will not take her. No! Knowing that by picking her up he will cause her great pain, seeing how so much of her is damaged, but he gently with great care reaches down and scoops her up. Commander Usoux cradles her carefully in his strong arms, she feels like nothing, just a wisp of air. Slowly the Sergeant and Commander start off, Usoux feels Yuoriey move in his arms. He looks down to see that she has let her head fall back to look towards her home with those mismatches orchid eyes, tears glisten as they fall gently making clean trails in the soot and ash down her cheeks.