Jet'a Vann's Background Story: "A Cage of Light and Stone" [Closed, OOC welcome] - Printable Version +- Hydaelyn Role-Players (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18) +-- Forum: Role-Play (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=27) +--- Forum: Town Square (IC) (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=21) +--- Thread: Jet'a Vann's Background Story: "A Cage of Light and Stone" [Closed, OOC welcome] (/showthread.php?tid=6926)

Jet'a Vann's Background Story: "A Cage of Light and Stone" [Closed, OOC welcome] - Blue - 04-14-2014 ((I had originally begun to post this story in my own personal site, along with a link on the wiki, but seen how this site is much more commonly used, I'll make a copy here also for whoever should feel curious. I have MANY writing projects going, so forgive me if this updates slowly... )) ((Also, the pictures posted are only for reference and to give an idea of the environment the scene takes place in. Jet'a's family has in no ways any relation with the Coeurlclaws ^^; )) ((Use this picture should you need a reference for how the characters involved in this story look like.)) Timeframe: Fourteen years before the Calamity Chapter 1 Jet'a never was fond of the Light. His conflict with it had begun very early in his life, and although everyone in his family belonged to the clan of the Keepers of the Moon, shying the light of the sun in favor of the nocturnal shade, no one of them was able to understand why he'd hold such a scornful grudge against it, to the point he'd refuse to leave their cave before nighttime, even though the thick forest of the Black Shroud would let very little light sneak in between its leaves. And the young Miqo'te wouldn't give a hint on the matter until around his sixth winter, the age at which the fat of a toddler subsides to the first developing muscles of a child. Starting to lose his baby teeth to welcome the fangs that would've accompanied him in his adulthood, Jet'a was beginning to control the movements of his tail, developing his sense of hearing and growing familiar with the scents of the forest. His cognitive abilities were increasing, allowing him to dress and bathe by himself, understand the meaning of numbers, and learn more words. All that newness in his power to see the world around him and understand it fueled a growing need of independence in him. And with the desire to comprehend life, also came the uncontrollable boldness of speech typical of his age, enough to make him speak his mind on a whim, when the mood would strike him to share his thoughts with the Matriarch, Lukhin Vann. "The Light is arrogant." The old woman had looked up from the plants she was mincing at that, with a questioning frown. Perhaps sensing that his answer to her question hadn't satisfied her, the child had immediately shun away from her gaze, bowing his head in respect, and staring down at the wooden cup in which he was pestling a few leaves for the ointment he was helping her prepare. The Matriarch smiled, and reached out to tilt his chin up to look at her. She loved to look in his eyes: they were the same as her daughter's, of the color of ice, the element of the Lover that their clan so proudly worshiped. "Why do you think so?" She had calmly asked, letting his chin go with a tolerant tone. Her grandson looked down again, resuming his pestling. "How should I call something that will hurt you just for looking at it?" He murmured. "We live in this forest to escape the Light. Even beasts are afraid of it, and keep distance from the one emanated by our campfire. I can look up to the sky only after the Sun is gone. "The stars and the Moon don't hurt you though, isn't that so?" She chuckled as he stopped to stare at her somewhat taken aback. "The Moon belongs to Menphina, and the Sun to her sister, Azeyma. You think our protector would allow her sister to hurt us?" "But..." "Jet'a." She shook her head and put down the plants and the youth's pestle to take his hands in hers. "You are too young to hate people or things. I think what the Warden wanted to tell you is that you should not stare at her Light, and instead let it show you your path. The night welcomes the weary and protects them in their rest. Use the light of day to watch the horizon. Look as far as you can." After she went quiet, he kept staring at her, in wait, as if he didn't consider her advice complete. Receiving no further instructions, he shook his head. "Look for what?" She grinned at that, and chuckled, playfully ruffling his short hair, of the same dark blue hue of his father. "If I told you, you'd stop looking the moment you thought you found it. You'll know when the time is right." The child's frown deepened at those words. To be told to wait was something he wasn't fond to, Lukhin Vann was well aware. But she also knew that fate was something that could not be rushed. And deep inside she knew it, that boy's fate would've been something much greater than he could ever imagine. Something in him told her that. She parted her lips to speak her thoughts, but stopped instead to look in direction of the door, when the mat of woven grass hung over the aperture that connected that room to the rest of the cave was pushed away to let an older male inside. He had Jet'a's dark blue hair, and eyes of an hue that could've been black, given the scarce light inside the cavern. He glanced at Jet'a before walking up to them and kneeling, bowing his head down and staring at the floor as he spoke with his deep, calm voice. "Matriarch..." "Good evening, Ghar'to." She said softly, with a nod. "Did you come for my daughter's ointment? I'm afraid it's not ready yet... Jet'a and I had a moment of distraction." Jet'a couldn't help but look down in shame when his father tilted his head to the left to give him a scolding glance; he wanted to apologize, but he knew to speak up without being questioned in presence of the Matriarch would've only put him in a worse position. The man shook his head and looked back down. "Even in this night of new moon the Lover's blessing seems to be upon us. Jet Vann's aches aren't troubling her as much as the previous weeks, so please do not feel rushed in preparing your medicine." He said politely. "However, she is concerned... She asked that all the huntresses return to the camp at once, and the only one we couldn't manage to find nearby is Prah Vann. The other huntresses are required to stay around our camp, and I was asked to assist them. I'm afraid I'll need to assign the task to our son, with your permission." The woman tilted her head slightly, her eyebrows furrowing imperceptibly. "Was this my daughter's thought? Does she think it would be safe...? The wind is rather strange today..." "She knows he's a fast runner, and thinks Prah Vann shouldn't be too far. She left not too long ago." He explained. His tail twitched slightly on the floor. The woman turned to look at the child. "Do you feel up for the task, Jet'a? I know you want to prove yourself, but you've seen only five years of Hydaelyn. Youth is not something to be ashamed of." Jet'a jumped slightly. He didn't expect to be allowed to speak in a conversation between adults, especially one with the Matriarch. Looking at both of them, he took a moment to think before nodding. "I can do it. I know aunt Prah's scent well." "There will be no Light to guide you tonight." Said the woman, putting a certain emphasis in those words. Imposing himself to not frown at her, Jet'a shook his head. "I don't need any guidance." He dared a glance at the Matriarch, and was a little concerned at the hurt look on her face. She let that expression fade quickly though, and as she picked up her tools again she nodded, taking a quiet, long breath. "Very well. You may stand up and go with your father then. Please be swift." Ghar'to Lado nodded and stood up, motioning to his son to do the same. Bowing to the Matriarch, Jet'a complied and followed his father outside. "I'm sorry." "Prah Vann went west to check on the bear traps." His father ignored the apology, walking out of the cave with a fast, silent pace, forcing Jet'a almost to trot to keep up. "If you're fast enough and don't get lost, you should find her before seeing the creek. If you start to hear the noise of water flowing, give up and come back. At this late predators like to lurk near it, because it's when antelopes bring their weaning babies to drink." They proceeded in silence through the fire camp, walking past the drying hides of the last captured animals, and bowing to one of the huntresses standing in vigil watch at the entrance of the rough fence they had built around the camp. "Father... why has Mother called the huntresses back? Did something happen?" Jet'a dared to ask, looking up at the man. It was normal for him to be concerned. The past few months had put their small community through a lot of struggle. It wasn't easy to take care of a family of eight people. Originally, Jet'a had been living alone with his parents, the Matriarch, and his father's sister Jani Lado. However, about a year before, the Matriarch of another branch of the Vann family had deceased, leaving alone her daughters, Prah Vann and Vokha Vann, along with their brother Sir'a Vann, without naming her successor. The siblings had so asked to join their family, to live under an established Matriarch line. Lukhin Vann had had only one daughter, and thus Jet Vann's future appointment to Matriarch was a given. In not too long, his aunt and Sir'a Vann had announced their wish to marry, and the Matriarch had performed their ritual of union. Having created a new family Jani Lado had now the right to be a Matriarch herself, so there were premises for her and Sir'a Vann to leave and establish their own territory. That was when Jet'a's mother had discovered to be pregnant. The new couple had thus delayed their leave to help Lukhin Vann's family preserve their territory. It wasn't easy with one of the four huntresses unable to fight, especially considering the many bands of rogues in the forest, constantly attempting to claim more land. In particular, in the past there had been a few clashes between them and a band of Duskwights, but the Vann family had always managed to protect their small territory between the Goblins' Meet and the eastern rocky mountains. Since when his mother had had to stop going hunting with the others, Jet'a had often tried to persuade the Matriarch in convincing the huntresses to let him learn how to wield a weapon, so that he could be of help. But he quickly had to face the traditions of his clan. The Keepers of the Moon lived in a matriarchal society, and the Vann family was one of the stricter bloodlines in preserving the rules of such culture. The males weren't allowed to kill: among the Vann was taught the belief that every creature has a soul within its body, and that such entity is released at the moment of their death. Always according to the Vann's teachings, in the ancient times all souls could reach the Heaven, because each creature lived and died naturally, according to their Fate. However, one day came the men, and in with them came wars and merciless slaughtering. Many souls would leave their slain bodies and end up astray, too scared to find the path to the Heaven. In order to aid the creatures, Menphina had thus granted women the power to lead the souls of their victims to the Heaven. Women alone, because only who could have the power to generate new life should be granted the power to take it from others. When a man kills something, its soul is condemned to wander aimlessly forever. This, Jet'a and those before him in his bloodline were taught. His age was too young for him to argue those teachings, and so he had quickly given up on demanding to be allowed to help the huntresses. Instead, he had been entrusted with small tasks around the camp. However he could, he'd help his father work the hides of their preys to make clothes and covers. And if his uncle Sirh'a was in the right mood, he'd let him help work the wood he'd gather around the forest, but only for rough and small tools. Jet'a's favorite task for now though, provided that it was during the night, was to deliver messages within his family territory. "Your mother sees and hears things you and I cannot perceive, Jet'a." Was Ghar'to's stoic reply. "Do not question the to-be Matriarch's orders." "I'm sorry, I'm just worried." Said the child, looking out into the forest. His father turned his head to look at him, something he had rarely done as far as Jet'a could remember. And even rarer was what he did after that, when he crouched down to look at him at the same eye level, resting one hand on his head. "Then carry on her instructions without fail. Always. Because we know it's the right thing to do. If you do what she says, there will never be anything to worry about." He said quietly, staring straight in his son's eyes. "Do you understand?" Jet'a stared back at him in silence, at first still looking hesitant; though the man could see the child's expression grow more secure and confident by the minute. It wasn't easy to grow up as the only child in the family, he knew that. Jet'a had never had someone that wouldn't cast a shadow over him, someone to feel responsible for, and he feared that would've slowed down the development of the proper maturity necessary to survive in that environment. And although his son had often times proved him wrong on that, displaying an outstanding control and acumen for his age, he was thankful he would've soon had a sibling to take care of. "I know your mother and I don't tell you as often as we should, but you're really a good boy." When his son nodded, Ghar'to Lado patted his head once again and stood back up. "All right, no more loitering. Find Prah Vann, and come back with her. Remember about the river." Jet'a nodded once again, then he immediately started running through the forest.