A Withered Lotus [PK]

[Zemzy_Oakheart 347]

The Last of Ney'La the Rah'mun

 

 

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HICcDAWSS_A

 

 

 

“I am the grim reaper, I am here to lay claim on what is mine; your soul.”

 

The words wafted through the darkened meadow, only lit by the dim glowing light of a forgotten deer-headed shrine. They held a hauntingly blood-filled raged tone as a mysterious uruk approached her, dragging a freshly-sharpened halberd along in their wake. A pair of footsteps greeted the farfolk woman by crunching through the darkness & shrubbery as she backed up in caution, readying herself. Something felt off about the moment for Ney'La, not just a casual bandit out for a bit of blood & mina; it went primal fairly quick as she was forced to defend herself.

 

 

It felt so long ago & yet such a short time that she remembered living alongside the other Rah’mun people within the orcish sands of the Horde. Making friends with the locals & witnessing a vampire brought to an end for their sloppy actions. It was almost as if it were yesterday she’d remembered being scarred by the cacti she trained with, only to be tended to by a visiting child she fell in love with over time. The times she'd helped carry bale after bale of hay to the cities to knead into bread & bake for those in need of travelling rations. Even the night she'd accompanied to a wrestling tournament in town only to lose within a few rounds was both a regret to train harder & a joy to experience with others.

 

 

So many good memories, so many bad, & yet the days had gone & passed by in the blink of an eye.

 

 

Somersaulting out of the way of a swing would only collide into a hefty kick to her chest, knocking the wind out of her. After dodging the relentless barrages of swings by the uruk that claimed to be Death, Ney’La was beginning to believe the claims as she struggled to catch her breath any.

 

“By th.. The grace of Hesthor, if ah’m.. Going anywhere.. It’s gonna be t’.. HER shores....!”

 

The uruk’s halberd flung through the air with such force with its dull side that her attempt to block the force would only seal her fate as her lungs burned for the lack of air for so long. The force made her body skid across the grass, gasping for air in her scrambled thoughts as a menacing cackle approached her crumpling frame on the ground.

 

"You will meet the demons I call my brother, dear Ney'La."

 

 

“If y’h put m’h & a dog side by side, would y’h treat m’h any diff’rent? ‘Cause all ah’ve been feelin’ has been y’h tellin’ m’h t’ ‘Come’ ev’rywhere y’h want m’h t’ go.” The words stung as Ney’La gritted her teeth, packing her own bag with the last remnants of her home with the pharaoh standing in the doorway. “R’spect goes both ways & ah’ve been tryin’ t’ give y’h what y’h d’serve ever since y’h first started this here civilization from the ground b’fore Krugmar, but there’s a DIFF’RENCE b’tween havin’ people accompany y’h places as equals & treatin’ ‘em like fodder! Ev’ry life d’serves t’ have r’spect & y’h can’t even give any t’ the person who built yer town from the ground up!”

 

“Everything I’ve done for you - and this is how you repay me.” The pharaoh’s words were cold as Atemu-Ta held his crook in hand, as if to remind her how low on the hierarchy she was to his inflated ego had become so long ago.

 

“...Git off yer high pedestal so y’h don’t ride it where Ra’s sun don’t shine & ah’ might share a drink with y’h later.” The words still looped in her thoughts as Ney’La’s heart broke to see someone she’d looked up to for so long turn on the opinions he forced his own hand to seek. “Ah’m already packin’ up; what else y’h want? Since y’h don’t appreciate that which stuck by yer side from the start....”

 

She’d helped Atemu-Ta build time & time again from the ground he’d been knocked back to for so long that she saw it as opportunities to strengthen their bond to help the man, yet here she remembered after all these years how little her efforts mattered to the pharaoh as she remembered being treated like she was nothing; that she didn’t hear the praise he claimed to give her for her efforts. It was all his will of the gods, not her own hand helping. Even when it came to rescuing her own neighbors did it not exist in the pharaoh’s mind when the pair argued it out in the last of her home. Ney’La hated the idea of leaving Rah’Tuma when she’d put in so much effort to help build many shrines for him, many walls & more than one city for him, all to be washed away by the Isfetian thoughts tainting Atemu’s senses.

 

“One more word, wretch, and I’ll take you to be consumed by Ammit in the hall of judgement for your impurity.”

 

 

 

“DINNER IS SERVED!” rang through her ears as a firm hand grabbed at Ney'La's braid to hoist her off the ground briefly, despite her attempt to cut her own hair off in the fray. Within a flash of movement, Ney’La could feel herself body slammed into the ground by the full force of the uruk above, pulling her into a headlock as she couldn’t find the footing to catch her second wind.

 

Between the force of the uruk & the other figure covering her face in what felt like a thousand cactus needles digging into her very soul, the sounds of the forest waned from existence for her. There were no more screams she could hear, though the internal CRUNCH of bones could be felt from her shoulders through the agony that took over her senses. Ney'La could feel the last strand of life cut from her body by a wave of force the one in front of her summoned forth, ripping what was left of her breath from her lungs burning for air before her body gave out at the same time the light of morning through the trees had been snuffed out.

 

 

The world was cold at first, then.. Nothing. No light, no cold, no pain or pressure. Opening her eyes in the unknown place she would find herself along the sandy shores of a desert oasis, one she’d not seen in many years, but a comfort to see nonetheless. A familiar face she hadn’t seen in MUCH longer of time approached the sands while holding hands with a figure of light, adorning a cow head smiling softly.

 

“M’h li’l lotus, Ney’La. Welcome home....” The woman let go of the light figure to embrace Ney’La in her arms, the pair of women taking the moment to reunite once more, “Ah’ see y’h’ve grown so much since ah’ was gone, but.. Hesthor’s told m’h so much.”

 

“Ah’m sorry, Ma....” Ney’La mumbled as she hugged the woman tightly, “Ah’ just wanted t’ b’long somewhere after y’h disappeared…. Ah’ tried m’h best fer Atemu…. Fer Narithen.. F-fer.. Hesthor....”

 

Glancing up to the cow-headed light figure, the deity of Hesthor herself nodded in understanding as she listened before placing a light hand upon her head, the feeling of comfort washed over her thoughts to calm her soul; there was no need to cry anymore, for Ney’La had suffered enough by life’s impurities.

RIP ~ Ney’La

The Desert Lotus

Hand of Rah’Tuma

Hesthor’s Fellahin

 

 

 

[!] Some notes had been found at an abandoned residence, only to be distributed accordingly by a cloaked, wandering figure. The notes were private until they reached their intended destinations.

 

Pelym:

Spoiler

I’m not sure where you’ve gone after so long, but know I still loved you with each passing day in the fields. I await your return, whether it be 1 year or a thousand. ~~ Your Desert Lotus

 

Narithen & Karuna:

Spoiler

As much as I loved you, Narithen, I pray your life with Karuna is filled with love & opportunities. Where everyone went since the city fell is beyond what I could find, but know I’ll be here at home, outside the old city in Hauner’s 4 until you visit sometime. ~~ Ney'La

 

 

Atemu-Ta:

Spoiler

I know it hurts to hear an honest opinion, but I’d rather tell you the truth than feed you a lie you wanted to hear instead.... I loved you like family & hurt to be outcast for staying pure like Hesthor’s light guides me each day, but know I’m always a field away to call for help like I’ve always been. To protect you, our neighbors, it’s all I’ve ever wanted. If it means casting me from the grace of home for your happiness, then know I’ll continue to pray to the gods you will see the light again someday. There were so many words left unsaid that day we fought, but perhaps someday we may speak again on better terms about everything. ~~ Ney'La

 

[ValleyOfLavender 580]

Karuna stared at missive left to her and her husband, why it was addressed to both of them was beyond her, for it spoke only of love from her friend to her lover, the woman simply hummed in contemplation, she had never told her husband she had known what went on between the two in the past, in fact, she had tried her best to forget it, a sigh escaped the woman and looked towards the moon "I wonder... what caused all this hardship of late..." was all the disguised ame said as she set the missive down for her husband to read