A Difference of Perspective

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"Lost in his own grief, the dragon would become an empty shell of what he had been, forgetting himself and his people both. Deaf and blind in his sorrow, he would wander the heavens aimlessly, searching for something he knew he could never get back. He found himself far from his home, over an endless sea, and realized he was tired, oh so tired. Tired of his heavy body, and tired of his heavy heart. Landing upon the waves, he let the ocean claim him, closing his eyes as he sank to the bottom."[break][break]

Hyaska finished, finally, his voice falling silent as he closed his eyes a long moment, letting out a deep breath. His eyes opened, and he focused finally on the children before him, their restless energy quieted completely while he spoke. The air had turned somber, and serious, but there was note of something else as he glanced sideways to notice Nanai watching him, a curious and knowing look glimmering in her soft gaze. The silence stretched out for a long moment, uncomfortable and swelling in the empty space, before finally, looking as though the weight of it might crush him and squirming slightly, Miklan spoke, his features twisted uncertainly. "Whats... whats the meaning of the story?" He seemed hesitant, either intimidated by the quiet, or perhaps hesitant to pose the question but at a loss for any other, his expression grimacing a moment later, as though he knew it sounded foolish aloud. Almost immediately the younger boy beside him piped in as well, his voice a nervous squeak. "And the dragon, was that you?"[break][break]

One of the girls shifted forward suddenly, sharp as a snake, her expression mortified as she hissed at the boy and made to drag him back from the front. "Don't ask such questions!" Hyaska however, only shook his head, soothing her fears with a soft response. "No, he is fine." Propping his elbows up and cradling his jaw in his hands, he considered the questions. "The meaning of the story... Cherish what you have and love and care for your family. Even if you fight, protect each other, and never do something which cannot be undone." A sigh, deep, and weary. "It is just a story though. The dragon found peace in the waters and ceased to suffer long ago."[break][break]

There was quiet again, and finally Nanai stood, dusting off her skirt carefully with a nod. "Thank you, Hyaska, for your story. Your parents will come in for the evening soon, go swim along now children." She made a playful shooing motion with her hands, and the children, slowly, caught between reluctance and a strange heaviness, stood and began to disperse. Miklan and the younger boy beside him hesitated, standing but lingering before, after sharing a look, the younger one hesitantly moved away. Miklan stayed, fidgeting slightly when Nanai gave him a pointed look. "I... I want to stay" He muttered uncertainly.[break][break]

The elderly woman looked towards Hyaska, who returned it with a slow blink. He didn't mind Miklan's presence, but it was not his place to decide what the teenage boy should or shouldn't do. Tersely, Nanai shook her head as she let her gaze return to Miklan. "Go with your brother. Hyaska will be here tomorrow." The boy looked crestfallen, but, after a moment of looking at his feet, he nodded finally, and moved away. She turned back to Hyaska, looking at him thoughtfully a long moment. Passively, he met her gaze, sensing she was working up to say something, and merely trying to find the phrasing for it, or perhaps musing to herself first. He shook his head, deciding to say his own part first, recognizing the tense atmosphere he had left the young ones with. "I apologize. That tale was not well suited to the occasion."[break][break]

Nanai hummed to herself, then shook her head finally with a smile. "No, no I think you are just fine. It was a bit deep for some of them maybe, but they were quiet and attentive, and I think some of them learned something from it." There was a glint in her eye here, and she rubbed at her chin thoughtfully with one hand as Hyaska pushed himself to his own feet. "It wasn't just a story though, was it?"[break][break]

For a moment, Hyaska didn't answer, his gaze straight ahead, studying the houses and the faint glimmer of the sea in the afternoon light beyond them. Then he shook his head, admitting to his partial lie, frowning slightly as he did so. "Some parts of it are just story. But not all, no." Nanai didn't ask which parts. She only nodded, seeming to have made the conclusion already without his answer, and let her hand drop with another thoughtful hum. "I think there is someone else you should tell this story to. She is a good friend of mine, though a little too old to walk on land these days." There was a question silent in Hyaska's eyes, one that Nanai noticed, but only smiled at, shaking her head. "If you'll join me, I'll pick up a few things for her from the merchants."[break][break]

A moment, considering, but as usual Hyaska still found his best course of action was the go with the flow for the moment and see where this took him. Acceding to her request, or offer rather, in the polite and gentle tone she offered, Hyaska let himself nod once more. "I shall accompany you then." Her smile crinkled deeper in her eyes, and turning, Nanai started off, Hyaska stepping in line half a pace behind her and at her side.[break][break]

It was a simple enough thing to visit the merchants, Nanai handled the transaction herself and asked only that he carry the hemp sack of fish and the leather canteen of coconut milk while she carried the spices, coconut meat, and seaweed. It was strange... Hyaska wasn't unfamiliar completely the human way of living, or concepts such as money, using tokens, coins, or in this case, shells, to do business with each other and trade goods, but the concept still felt odd to partake in directly. He had little need of such things, he wasn't a mortal creature, but he had seen so many live in a fashion similar to what he was helping with now, small fishing villages hunting and catching their meals, doing trade, mending and cooking. Their lives were always so busy and short, like the burning of candles, flickering, energetic, bright, but burnt away so swiftly.[break][break]

A frown etched over Hyaska's features silently, creasing the sharp tanned features of his human face, ochre eyes only distantly watching the ground underfoot as sand sloped down to a small inlet, water pooling into a cove in turquoise waves that washed upon pale sand. An elderly mermaid lay half upon the rocks and half in the water, a woman who seemed older even the Nanai beside him, though peaceful and happy enough as her grey hair fanned out behind her, her head resting in her arms as she dozed in the late afternoon sun. Upon seeing Nanai and Hyaska, she roused herself, waving and offering a gap-toothed grin that Nanai returned, the two women close as they warmly greeted each other. "Nah! I take it you are well today?" "Good afternoon Nanai! I am, and I see you brought company today! A new Other-Worlder?"[break][break]

Nanai nodded, glancing at Hyaska and gesturing on partially burdened limb towards him. "Aiy. Hyaska Sinmaru. Young Miklan and my grandson Zane found him, along with the other children, and he shared a story with them today to keep them company. I thought you might like to meet him as well, and perhaps hear the story yourself." Nah nodded, her long rippling tail flicking behind her, an azure fin rippling the water, and pushing from her rock, she swam along the rocky edge closer, her hands bracing along the stones, and her weathered gaze studying Hyaska curiously. "Hyaska... That's quite a name. Come, join me, I am old now and good for little these days, but I do enjoy company, and a good story. There's no rush though, feel free to join us for a meal hm?" A slow blink, and a nod, Hyaska silently consenting before verbally adding to it. "I will join you, yes."[break][break]

Nanai began setting down the supplies she had bought, and Nah took a moment to move away to poke in a niche between the rocks, taking two small black stones and offering them to Nanai. Hyaska set what he had been carrying carefully beside the supplies Nanai had brought, making sure the sack of haddock did not tip or touch the dried herbs. Nanai fetched some dried wood from where a pile lay against a short rocky ledge, making a small and rough stack, topping with long-dead and dried blades of yellowed crinkly grass. She grimaced at the stones in her hands a moment, as though bracing herself, then looking thoughtful, turned to Hyaska, nodding her head for him to come over. "Here, would you mind helping? My wrists are no good anymore, you just need to strike the flintstones against each other next to the grass until the sparks catch and blow on it a few times."[break][break]

Hyaska approached, and took the stones, listening to her explanation with a strange but curious expression slightly crinkling his features, brows drawing together and low. Was this how they made fire? It seemed... tedious, but he supposed that described much of the living style of the humans he had known before as well. Still, he was tired, and it was easier to humble this request then to conjure his own fire, nor was there really any room or place for him to assume a larger shape here. Kneeling by the kindling and wood as Nanai began placing flat stones about him, he struck the rocks against each other. It took a few tries to figure out how to make them spark, and a few more to angle the sparks into the grass, but embers lit in the dry and dead kindling at last, and Hyaska exhaled over it, blowing out through his lips carefully. Orange glimmers glowed red and white for a moment, then faded again, but it spread, crawling over the grass and then finally catching onto the wood as the sparks turned to flame.[break][break]

Returning the stones to Nah, Hyaska watched as Nanai set a few of the fish out on the stones, and moved to assist her as she gestured for assistance stripping the leaves from the stems of the dry spices and herbs, tossing the stems aside in a small pile. Some of these she kept, crushing in a small stone bowl with a rounded stone tool, the rest she set aside. After that Nanai handled most of the rest of the cooking herself, her and Nah singing a song softly together while the fire cooked the fish.[break][break]

When it was ready and done, the sun touching the horizon and beginning the drown beneath the waves, Hyaska was surprised to find he had an appetite, his stomach twitching in the sensation of hunger. It was... odd, and in a manner, disturbing, and where he had intended to politely decline the wooden plate with the freshly cooked and seasoned fish steaming atop it, he found himself hesitantly taking it instead and watching it uncertainly. Sensing there was something amiss with her guest, Nah pulled herself partially atop the rocks, the older woman leaning on barred arms and tilting her head towards him in question. "Hyaska. You seem bothered, is something amiss? I'm not sure what you are used to eating, but if this proves unpalatable, we won't be offended. I'm sure this world is quite different from yours."[break][break]

Hyaska considered how to respond a long moment, mulling over his words, and they came hesitantly when he finally began to speak, shaking his head slowly. "No, it's not that... I've never been... hungry before." Nanai and Nah looked at each other, sharing a look of surprise. Nah raised her brows, and her expression turning to concentration a moment, Nanai seemed to think about this, and nodded, slowly, hesitantly. "It might be the Reflecting Pool, the place you arrived here from. It seems to change otherworlders. Many say they feel weaker, more uncoordinated, and some say they lost powers of abilities that they possessed before." Hyaska's frown deepened slightly, his eyes closing in thought. So... was he stripped of power? No, not entirely... he was still a dragon after all, and still able to change shape it seemed. But just how much had changed?[break][break]

A hand gently touched his shoulder, Nah having shifted onto one arm to clasp her other hand comfortingly on him. Hyaska's eyes flicked open, surprised by the touch, and his head turned towards her. "Why don't you eat, and tell me that story of yours? It's best to handle it piece at a time and take things slowly, you won't get anywhere trying to figure it all out at once. I know it's rough for you Other-Worlders, but take time to adjust, I'm sure you'll be able to figure things out in time." Hyaska hummed, doubt mirrored in his gaze, but he did not argue. She had some sound advice none the less, and nodding silently, he took the utensil for the haddock carefully, examining the pronged tool before putting the tines into the fish and twisting. Spearing the piece that separated itself, he bit in, savoring for a moment the hot and flaky meat with closed eyes before slowly chewing and swallowing. He ate steadily, though not quickly, savoring the meal, and when he was done, he laid the plate and tonged tool beside him on the stony ground, licking idly at a thumb before sighing, pleased with the quality even if the situation was still unfamiliar and odd to him. [break][break]

Nanai and Nah had both finished before him, and as the sun finished sinking under the horizon, the sky turning dark and vibrant shades of purple and red with the last light, the flames still flicking between the three of them, Hyaska told his story again, Nah listening intently as Nanai watched her, seeming to gauge her reactions and intently seeing her response.[break][break]

It had the same ending, but Hyaska hesitated this time as he finished, feeling perhaps that it was not right to use the false ending to this story. Still, Nah nodded silently as Hyaska's voice fell quiet, the water rippling quietly as her tail stirred it. Finally, she spoke, seemingly thoughtful. "That was a wonderful story. Thank you Hyaska. It sounds like this story lays heavily on your heart. I don't know how much of it is true or is fiction, so I will have to take it in the manner you have told it, and I know little of dragons or any other such great being, but I do know this.." Nah hesitated, seeming to pick her words, her gaze trying to meet Hyaska's, who after a long moment, let his own lock with her's. "You seem to be lost still. It's important to remember the past, and to learn from mistakes, but I think you need to not hold on. Each winter is washed away by spring when life springs back over that which died, and each low tide is followed by a high one that cleans the beach and washes away whatever plagues the waters. You need to do that as well." She shook her head here, slightly, hesitating. "Again, I don't know how much of the story is true. But that is what I get from it. The dragon was unable to forgive himself, and instead drowned the land and himself in his grief."[break][break]

A long moment of silence. Hyaska's gaze broke from hers, weary dark brown eyes looking across the sea. "Perhaps." He murmured at last, though he shook his head a moment later. "But I was foolish, and what I did still cannot be undone." He stood, carefully brushing himself off. "Thank you for the meal, and your words..." He murmured, feeling suddenly exhausted. Nanai stood as well, along with a younger woman... how long had she been there? She must have joined them while he was sharing his story, her silent gaze watching him a moment, lingering on... his hair? Before she turned and moved to Nah, crouching beside the elderly mermaid. Nanai was also looking at his hair in bemusement and confused, Hyaska raised a hand, feeling the hard growth of horns, and realizing belatedly that his nails were turning to claws, scales growing along his temples and around the ridges of his fingernails. "You must be tired, here, why don't I help you find somewhere to sleep the night?"[break][break]

Hyaska shook his head, blinking heavily and sleepily. "Thank you, but no. I will find somewhere quiet." He doubted anyone could house him anyways. If he was changing back, he was already quite tired, somewhere amidst the rocky shoreline would do just fine. Besides, if these people were not used to dragons, then it was better not to force his presence upon them. Moving away from the fire-light, Hyaska moved carefully along the shoreline by the light of the moon, slitted reptilian eyes shimmering slightly in the faint light, searching until he found a place that seemed to suit him well enough for the moment, settling down with a sigh of scales rasping against each other, coiling atop himself and laying his great muzzle down, eyes already closed.[break][break]

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