The memory ended with the feeling of cold stone underfoot and Aragibal choked on the apology he had been saying. Purple ringed eyes still wide with shock and sorrow, there were no words for the way his chest was tight and filled with pain. He said nothing as the tears fell more steadily now, and, more than anything, he looked shell-shocked. Numbly he began to realize that Athala had to grow up at an incredibly young age and she had been alone until the day he dragged her into his light party... Not that that made her feel much better, considering her previous memory.
His breath came out as a shudder as he seemed to jolt back into consciousness. It was hard to move and everything felt heavy. His heart hurt, he felt disgusting, and he was so tired. This echo thing was a drain. He was about to lay down when one more memory rippled through him, causing him to make a pained sound.
It's evening, and Aragibal has stepped foot on the Steppe for the first time in years. He takes a deep breath and smells the grass on the wind. He's just gotten back home from Doma. He has a rough idea of where on the Steppe his tribe is, and it shouldn't be too far off now. He starts walking again, relaxed under the full moon. He arrives and there is a stirring in the encampment - it is not too long and he is knocked down by a full forced hug from a young Monx. She's certainly grown quite a bit since he's been away, and she's quite a bit stronger as he playfully wrestles her. Pride swells in his chest for his sister - she's grown quite skilled. They stand and he puts Monx on his shoulders like he used to when they were little and she immediately starts asking him questions about Doma and what he learned and what it's like and what about the food and what about the Empire and this and that and the other thing and -- He laughed. And he kept laughing. She always was very inquisitive. She'd make an excellent advisor when the Kha wins Nadaam in the future and he rules.
"I missed you too sister! We need to rest, but tomorrow, I'll show you what I learned!"
That seemed to sate her as she vaulted off of him, giggling as she took his large hand and pulled him back home. He hugged his parents and they went to bed.
...
Only a few hours of rest passed before Aragibal woke. It wasn't restless, but he did make a promise. He gently shook Monx awake, putting a finger to his lips so she stayed quiet. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she dressed in training clothes and left their tent. Aragibal gathered his samurai and monk job stones after dressing, made sure to grab his samurai sword, and joined her outside. They walked in silence through the dark and sleeping tribe, but Monx perked up and started with her incessant chatter once they were far enough away. Aragibal smiled, just delighted with his sister. They started climbing a rocky outcropping above the camp, which hushed her up for the time being.
Upon reaching the top of the outcropping, Aragibal set his stuff down and sat, patting the ground next to him. He gave Monx a job stone to let her looks at, the fires of curiosity burning bright in her eyes as the job stone glittered in the starlight.
"That is a job stone. It contains the memories and impressions of past samurai. Before you ask, you don't need a job stone to learn how to fight, but it helps speed things up a lot." He smiled. "That's why I am so good without having spending my entire life learning." Monx was clearly in awe at the lump of stone in her hands. "Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll find one yourself one day and be strong like me." He jabbed his chest as he said the last part of the sentence, grinning. She gave him the job stone back.
"I'm already better than you, brother! Dad says so!"
It wasn't far off - she was better at Gesi lancer traditions than he was. That was fine. He pushed on her head gently, knocking her off balance, and stood.
"Okay, but can dad do this?" He started iterating through his monk forms, aether visibly collecting around him as he focused his chakras.
"Oooooh..."
He was showing off. He started doing combos with the moves he learned while learning about monk fighting. He struggled with opening and closing chakras and moving aether through his body, but he enjoyed the challenge. He was a little slow to start, but once he got into it, his hands were moving so fast that it was hard for even him to follow them.
The sun was starting to peek at them, bathing the sky in purple and orange. He was warm, and he was happy.
He stopped and looked to his sister, who looked determined as she stood. He started the combos again, a little slow so she could see, then sped up. She started to mimic him. Monx was much slower, a bit clumsy, didn't have the aether charged in her attacks like him, but that was okay. He was proud of her for trying, and filled with warmth that she wanted so to be like her brother.
As much as he enjoyed Doma, the Steppe was his home and where he belonged. He wouldn't leave it again.
Aragibal's hand went to his chest at this memory, causing him to ache more. He missed his sister. He was jealous of her for the name she was making for herself out here, but he missed her so much. And he missed home. He missed the smell of grass and the hunting and the wide open spaces. He wouldn't trade where he was at for anything, but he wished he could live through that memory again - to see his sister and train with her like they used to.
His eyes focused back on the fire. He was breathing heavily and clutching at his chest with his right hand, blinking tears away. He was pretty dazed, unable to really find words for what was going on right now, and not really wanting to speak after the memories he'd seen.
Time for a little bit of happiness, even though it's 200 years later
His breath came out as a shudder as he seemed to jolt back into consciousness. It was hard to move and everything felt heavy. His heart hurt, he felt disgusting, and he was so tired. This echo thing was a drain. He was about to lay down when one more memory rippled through him, causing him to make a pained sound.
-----------------------------------------------------
But this memory isn't a bad one.
It's evening, and Aragibal has stepped foot on the Steppe for the first time in years. He takes a deep breath and smells the grass on the wind. He's just gotten back home from Doma. He has a rough idea of where on the Steppe his tribe is, and it shouldn't be too far off now. He starts walking again, relaxed under the full moon. He arrives and there is a stirring in the encampment - it is not too long and he is knocked down by a full forced hug from a young Monx. She's certainly grown quite a bit since he's been away, and she's quite a bit stronger as he playfully wrestles her. Pride swells in his chest for his sister - she's grown quite skilled. They stand and he puts Monx on his shoulders like he used to when they were little and she immediately starts asking him questions about Doma and what he learned and what it's like and what about the food and what about the Empire and this and that and the other thing and -- He laughed. And he kept laughing. She always was very inquisitive. She'd make an excellent advisor when the Kha wins Nadaam in the future and he rules.
"I missed you too sister! We need to rest, but tomorrow, I'll show you what I learned!"
That seemed to sate her as she vaulted off of him, giggling as she took his large hand and pulled him back home. He hugged his parents and they went to bed.
...
Only a few hours of rest passed before Aragibal woke. It wasn't restless, but he did make a promise. He gently shook Monx awake, putting a finger to his lips so she stayed quiet. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she dressed in training clothes and left their tent. Aragibal gathered his samurai and monk job stones after dressing, made sure to grab his samurai sword, and joined her outside. They walked in silence through the dark and sleeping tribe, but Monx perked up and started with her incessant chatter once they were far enough away. Aragibal smiled, just delighted with his sister. They started climbing a rocky outcropping above the camp, which hushed her up for the time being.
Upon reaching the top of the outcropping, Aragibal set his stuff down and sat, patting the ground next to him. He gave Monx a job stone to let her looks at, the fires of curiosity burning bright in her eyes as the job stone glittered in the starlight.
"That is a job stone. It contains the memories and impressions of past samurai. Before you ask, you don't need a job stone to learn how to fight, but it helps speed things up a lot." He smiled. "That's why I am so good without having spending my entire life learning." Monx was clearly in awe at the lump of stone in her hands. "Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll find one yourself one day and be strong like me." He jabbed his chest as he said the last part of the sentence, grinning. She gave him the job stone back.
"I'm already better than you, brother! Dad says so!"
It wasn't far off - she was better at Gesi lancer traditions than he was. That was fine. He pushed on her head gently, knocking her off balance, and stood.
"Okay, but can dad do this?" He started iterating through his monk forms, aether visibly collecting around him as he focused his chakras.
"Oooooh..."
He was showing off. He started doing combos with the moves he learned while learning about monk fighting. He struggled with opening and closing chakras and moving aether through his body, but he enjoyed the challenge. He was a little slow to start, but once he got into it, his hands were moving so fast that it was hard for even him to follow them.
The sun was starting to peek at them, bathing the sky in purple and orange. He was warm, and he was happy.
He stopped and looked to his sister, who looked determined as she stood. He started the combos again, a little slow so she could see, then sped up. She started to mimic him. Monx was much slower, a bit clumsy, didn't have the aether charged in her attacks like him, but that was okay. He was proud of her for trying, and filled with warmth that she wanted so to be like her brother.
As much as he enjoyed Doma, the Steppe was his home and where he belonged. He wouldn't leave it again.
-----------------------------------------------------
Aragibal's hand went to his chest at this memory, causing him to ache more. He missed his sister. He was jealous of her for the name she was making for herself out here, but he missed her so much. And he missed home. He missed the smell of grass and the hunting and the wide open spaces. He wouldn't trade where he was at for anything, but he wished he could live through that memory again - to see his sister and train with her like they used to.
His eyes focused back on the fire. He was breathing heavily and clutching at his chest with his right hand, blinking tears away. He was pretty dazed, unable to really find words for what was going on right now, and not really wanting to speak after the memories he'd seen.