"The Story of Daytaii Valere:"

Crowned in Sin and Clad in Guilt, In Truth, What Can You Find?

Softly, slowly, sounded the gentle sound of footsteps upon pale spring grass. The gentle rays of bright sunshine shed their first dim light; the quiet wisps of the light wind blew carefully through the fields. The delicate blades of pale green grass glistened with tears of dew, birds chimed their joyful songs from their tree top perches. All of this was one and the same, inseparable and indestructible, as it became that midmorning day.

Children ran through the grass, their laughter and joy ringing out clearly to all. The world, for the moment, was peaceful, tranquil, and perfect in every respect. In some way the scene seemed delicate, fleeting; and yet somehow the memory was infinite, unshatterable. Perfect.

A young woman watched this scene, a smile upon her delicate, lightly tanned face. Little could be read of what she saw in this happiness, little was revealed upon her smiling face spare the simple joy of the cool spring morning and the frolicking children.

She smoothed out her pale blue dress, newly sewn but a few days past. It was only recently that she had discovered her adeptness with a needle and cloth, although before her entire experience consisted of staring at the process in her mother's hands... though that was so long ago, so misted in time, she wondered occasionally how she could even recall that memory.

She stood slowly, almost elegantly, as the folds of her light dress cascading to the ground in her doing so, split perfectly down the middle to reveal the white breeches and knee-high blackened leather boots underneath. The dress itself had no sleeves, and a light white shirt underneath fell short-sleeved to her elbows, and about her waist was tied a large, light red ribbon, bowed at the back. Her hands donned pale cuffs buttoned at the wrists, and her neck held a small, simple, silvered bell, hung from a chain to fall upon her chest as if the trinket were in actuality, a pendant.

Her steps were slow, her movements fluid. Slowly, her soft, violet eyes- as pale as if tinted glass- scanned the yard, watching with amusement and a certain noticeable care, as if to prove to herself that no trouble laid behind the enthused cries and joyful laughter of the children who played here.

However, the affection in her eyes hid the pure truth of the moment. She watched over these children with those delicate, careful eyes not only out of care... nay, her affection for children was great, but hardly great enough to end her days of nomadic wanderings and set her down in the middle of an Orphanage on one of the most southern Aquavy Islands. She watched them also out of duty, out of purpose, out of repayment.

It seemed so long since the day she had awoken here, sore beyond words from overexertion- cut, scraped, and bleeding in half a dozen different places. She remembered the sore, throbbing pain, the foggy vision, the blurred memories, the lapse of time between the moment she collapsed in a mind-tearing fear and the moment she awoke to the dozen pairs of curious eyes.

The words of that moment were so broken, so non-sensible even now... They had fallen upon her listening ears yet nothing came of them. No meaning shone through. Only tiny bits of information could be recalled with any degree of certainty....

"...The Orphanage of Aquavy..."

".....Founded by the -Ethos-.."

"..And haven to only a small number of 'older ones'..."

"..A few farmers, a few kind people.."

"..And Billy..! What would Billy say about the girl found in pieces in the forest?"

"......Would he be mad that they saved her?"

She gave a quiet, soft little laugh. It was almost musical, almost chiming, if not for the dimmed enthusiasm. The children were always so curious, so fond of talk. Their words were so open, so innocent... And yet, they did have a bit of a reason to worry. Billy, one of the Etones of the -Ethos-, whatever that was, was a bit stunned, but then again, its not often that people were found in such shambles in this peaceful area. After the initial shock, the answer to her fate was simple- no truly kind person would turn away a girl so polite and willing to help as herself. After all, the masses of curious children, along with some of the adults at the Orphanage, had saved her. And she willed more than anything to make it up to all of them.

It had been nearly two months. Two months of treading these grasses, of watching the children. She had become quite attached to them, and they to her. After all, she was the type that was ever young at heart, and spoke to them in tones that were somehow in no way degrading, and yet so full of understanding and love. In a way, she was old enough to watch them, young enough to be one of them, and better yet, she never had to go off to do jobs for the -Ethos-. Like an eternal playmate, she wandered those grasses, ever in a state of blissful peace while in the presence of those adoring children.

Never before had her life been so peaceful, so joyful, so perfect.....

Foolishness!! Can't you see? This isn't -Truth-.....

For a moment she closed her eyes, still and silent as the gentle winds blew back her light, almost sandy, brown hair. It was bound by a bright blue ribbon into a ponytail, and fell near to her shoulders. She simply stood, poised as thus, as if recovering slowly, carefully, from a well targeted blow of her own doings.

What does it matter? There is no -Truth- for me now.

There is only me. The Orphanage. The Children.

The peace.

And nothing else.

I gave up that -Truth- the moment I laid eyes upon their innocent faces....

"Taaaaashi! Tashi! Tashi!" Her eyes flew open, to meet the joyful face of a young boy, a book held out in his extended hands, "Tashi! Come read to us! Pretty please?"

'Tashi' laughed a more happy, relieved, little chiming laugh. 'Tashi' had been her dubbed nick-name since the moment she introduced herself to the children. She had simply curtsied elaborately and introduced to them her full name- Daytaii Shianna Valere. But as children go, they tend to need to simplify, and 'Daytaii' was a difficult mouthful for a few of the younger ones. Thus one child had paused for a moment, pondering her fluidly, rapidly spoken name and chirped, 'Tashi!!!' One's best guess is that it was derived from the 'Tai' of her first name and 'Shi' of her middle, but then again, who can truly know the workings of a child's mind?

She smiled, shaking her head lightly at the fond reminiscences. Grabbing hold of the book the boy held carefully in his hand, she grinned, responding with a clear, almost musical voice, "Well, of course, little one! Gather up your friends and take a seat. I'd be more than pleased to tell you a tale!"

* * *

There were only the shadows, the darkness, the fear.

Panic. Desperation.

Flares of magic, screams of rebellion, sounds of footfall and rapid fleeing.

Only the screams against Fate.

There were only the tears. The sorrow.

Hiding desperately... praying.. Hoping... wishing....

And the Fear.

No.... not fear..... a dread, panicked, horrified fright..

Beyond words. Beyond comprehension.

The flight.

No care to health, no care to Fate.

Only the desperate want... need, to escape.

Whatever it was was without consequence.

There was only the flight, the darkness, the fear.

And the -Truth-.

"Mother.... Why?! What's wrong.. what's happened....?

.......What's happening to me..........."

...Always the -Truth-.

And those words without meaning.

Years ago, forgotten in time...

Or was it only but a few months past?

Lo, feel the Vengeance of -Truth-, Riddler Divine...

..The anger of Odakah...

Daytaii woke up with a gasp. She sat up rapidly in her small bed, shaking, sweating, whimpering, tears flowing down her pained face.

The words meant nothing to her. They never did.

The images were foreign. As they always had.

It had nothing to do with her, nothing to do with her life, nothing to do with who she had become.

And yet.... If that was so, why did she fear? Why did she weep so fearfully at the echoes of such strange words within her dreaming mind?

She simply held her arms close to her, holding back her shivering, comforting herself in the only way she knew how, and let the tears flow silently.

Deep inside, somehow, she knew what was happening.

But lo.....

How she feared it.

* * *

Rain.

The wine of the desperate, Bane of the child.

It fell unendingly. Pouring from the skies like a flooding of the heavens.

Daytaii simply stared, watching the rain with a fascinated, nearly curious look, watching the spring torrents pour to the quickly muddying land below. Thunder cracked, lightning flared. Yet none of this seemed to disturb her in the least.

On the contrary. It seemed to fascinate her.

Rain fell often here, pouring upon the newly seeded plants, filling the rivers full to the brim, and turning the earth to a wet, slippery mud. The children despised it. It dampened their toys, muddied their things, and made it impossible to enjoy a day of playing.

Yet Daytaii was certainly not a child.

Ever flowing, ever falling, being drawn to the skies only to fall once more. The cycle of waterflow was never ending and ever true, a demonstration of the worlds elemental balance in the fullest. And while the children stared at the falling rain with looks of dispisation of its watery form, Daytaii looked at something completely different.

Balance, flow, free, eternal.

Power of the Elements in full force and majesty.

Drawn from the earth to feed the earth, borrowed from the oceans to quench mortal thirst. Borrowed to give. Given for borrowing. The eternal cycle of life and death, repeated in mimicry in yet another of nature's callings.

This was the -Truth- of the event of rain.

At least when seen through Daytaii's curious, pale, glass-violet eyes.

Then she felt those eyes upon her.

Strong enough to break her from her curiosities, she turned slowly, to meet the eyes of a small little child.

Her gaze was powerful; her eyes spoke more than any uttered word could manage. And such an astonishing power of expression was held in the form of the tiny little girl known as Primera, Billy's younger sister.

Her hair was a fine, white-silvered color, falling a bit father than her shoulders. She wore a light blue and white dress that reached to her feet, designed as if in mimicry of a habit of sorts. Her skin was moderately pale, and her large, child's eyes were a sort of peculiar brown-burgundy color.

Primera didn't speak. Daytaii never knew the reason; she never wanted to intrude so much on another as to ask such a question. Besides... The truth of the matter may not be such a thing fit for Daytaii's unworthy hands.

Her eyes spoke. You could feel them, sense them, and read them almost as if the child spoke as fluently and rapidly as any other normal child of her age.

Simply, slowly, she turned a curious, childish gaze to the deluge of rain, then to Daytaii. Without words, without elaboration, she seemed to state an entire question with the glance of her wide, brown eyes.

Daytaii smiled a soft smile, almost delicate and quite kind, "Primera. Hm.. Is it strange that I enjoy the rains? It simply holds my attention, little one. And there is little else for me to do at the moment."

Primera's gaze was questioning for a moment, then a smile spread across her small face. Gently, she tugged at Daytaii's hand, and pointed to a shelf of books at the other end of the room.

Daytaii grinned, and she stood slowly. It was unusual for Primera to give any attention to her, although the young child hardly seemed to be truly happy unless in the presence of her family. However, whatever she had been through had not changed her that greatly- at heart she was still a little girl.

Daytaii paused for a moment, her sudden stop giving a rough jingle to her amulet-bell. Was she ever such a child? Young, playful, full of affection? She fumbled for memories, for signs of a childhood that she could recall... relieve herself with, to fondly recollect with a tinge of regret and a heart full of joy. And yet no memories came. All there was.. was the Orphanage. And distant memories of a guardian, a woman... her mother, perhaps? It was impossible to tell.... impossible to know... it seemed like ages ago......

Fumbling for such thoughts, she wondered. Time lapsing, time unforgiving. When would her Time be given back to her? It was inevitable. It was undeniable. When would she be granted the fond memories of the past that every other soul claimed? It seemed so wrong. Such time had passed since she knew the kind eyes of her Guardian.. her Mother, and in such, she felt ages older than in truth. And at the same time, she held the world in the same curious light and piercing gaze as a small child. She seemed so young at heart, so old in mind... When had she broken so? She was seventeen. Surely she should be able to remember something, anything.....

No. She shook her head slightly. It was simple. She lost her mother when she was a child. And those days were long ago. The rest of those years were repetition.. Running, surviving. Nothing notable. Nothing within the realms of that which can be recorded. It wasn't unusual. It was simply time. And change.

It was her nature to be curious. As questioning and innocent at heart as a kitten. As happy and pleasant as a child's imagination. Always had she been so. Was there anything to worry about in such innocence?

Primera tugged at her hand again. Concern. Confusion. Why had Daytaii stopped? Why was she simply standing there, a look of quiet debate on her face? Those eyes, so wide, almost fearful looking in their vast expression, spoke it all.

Daytaii laughed softly, weakly, and continued on.

She worried herself far too much. Those senseless dreams had finally gotten to her.

They meant nothing. Nothing at all. After all, she was a normal young woman. A watcher of children. A curious, polite, and friendly elder teenager. That was all, but.... wasn't it enough?

This was her -Truth-. Whatever happened before was forgotten, lost.

It wasn't her. Not anymore.

She didn't even remember what it was, anyway......

But..

Why.. did the -Truth- cry out so angrily?

Something was wrong.....

Deep in her heart, deep in her soul, her being... She knew this.

Something... Something was wrong.

* * *

She sat upon the steps to the main building of the Orphanage. Her face was unreadable, a faint, soft smile lying upon her face as she scanned the yard carefully.

A pair of young boys pushed each other on a set of swings, a few little girls sat off in the grass, talking, laughing.

Everything was as it was supposed to be.

With a sort of relaxed, relieved sigh, she let her smile brighten. All was well. Everything was perfect. As it almost always was here. And to think she had feared that her dreams were anything more than simple dreams. Useless, worthless, drifting images. They were simply that... Nothing to worry of. No -Truth- is revealed in the nighttime wonderings of the mind anyway...

"Tashi!" A little girl cried out, running towards Daytaii, a sort of half-uneasy look upon her well tanned face, panting as she ended her dash towards the young woman, "T-Tashi! They told me not to tell, but.. but...."

Daytaii blinked, staring at the little girl with a curious, quizzical glance, "Little Miss, what is it? What has happened?"

"A... a few girls... went into your room, Tashi. They said that there was a pretty treasure in there- a pretty little crown! They wanted to go see, and I told them.. yes, I did tell them, Tashi! I told them not to play with Tashi's stuff, but they didn't listen, not at all... They wanted to pretend they were princesses, and I couldn't stop them! They went in your room, Tashi, and I wanted to tell you, 'cause I don't think you want anyone playing with your crown, do you, Tashi?"

Daytaii blinked faintly, a look of confusion crossing her face before it was replaced by a bright look of shock, followed by a panicked gasp, " 'Crown'?! Oh dear God!" She flew to her feet and took off at a dash in one fluid motion, heading towards the small building given to herself.

It was a small, wooden building, little to look at. The inside was even less amusing. It was simplicity to its fullest- a one room building with only a small bed, dresser, nightstand, and desk to adorn it. Discarded cloth and a kit of sewing utensils sat discarded in one corner, a small pile of worn, aged books in another. The small place, while tiny, was kept in surprisingly good upkeep, and was organized with an obviously critical, meticulous hand.

And in the middle of the room stood one single child, a young girl of perhaps ten years of age. Her eyes were alight with wonder, oblivious to the world about her as she held a tiny, silvered metal object in her young hands.

It was more like a circlet than a crown, designed of a simple silver band with an elaborate 'winged' design sprouting from the center of the headpiece- a soft red gem. When worn, it would curve and frame the wearer's face, while branching out in a four-pointed 'star' upon the top, curving like the outstretched wings of a bird in flight.

"Odakah!!!" Daytaii screamed, her voice harsh and far more cruel than her tone usually was, "Drop that!! NOW!!"

The girl ripped her gaze from the headpiece, her eyes full of a sudden terror as she dropped the circlet in a movement of panic, "T-Tashi.....! I-I... I'm sorry.... I just wanted to play with it a bit! I would have given it back....!!"

Her eyes narrowed, coming close to a glare, "You shall *NOT* 'play' with the Odakah! Do you have even the faintest idea of what that is?! Your unfit mortal body would wither under the whims of the fullness of -Truth-!! You would of been engulfed in the flames you're only too unworthy to be bathed in!"

The little girl took a fearful step backwards, her eyes full of a stunned, terrible fear. She opened her mouth to speak, yet no words could come from her paralyzed, fear-struck voice. She paused a moment, then fled the room as fast as her legs could take her, sobbing in a pure, honest fear and pain.

As if her legs collapsed from underneath her, Daytaii fell to her knees. Only her outstretched arms kept her from striking the hard, wooden floor. Carefully, as if in fear to break its metal frame, she clutched the circlet in her hands, slowly bringing it to her in something like a protective embrace. There she knelt, half-bent over, eyes full of tears as her anger tinged face was transformed swiftly to sorrow.

Anger was unlike her. It was unbecoming. It wasn't.... her.

And yet, she was so afraid....

All that child would of had to of done....

...Is worn it.

And the results would be catastrophic. Disastrous.

And the -Truth- would of victoriously come forth once more.

But who... who would ever believe that? Who would understand... The -Truth-?

She sighed gently, staring at the circlet. Old and aged, it seemed timeless and ancient all at once. The light played off it in a peculiar, almost enchanting way, glistening and catching the metal and flying across its delicate frame like bright falling stars soaring across the midnight sky. It pulsed with energy, with power... With anger.

It angered at Daytaii. Its anger was without word, without thought.

Like the 'words' of Primera, it expressed, felt... Not spoke.

It angered at its discarding, its being forgotten. At Daytaii's refusal to don it, to use it, to become what she was once more.....

No... That -Truth-... That was no more.

Fate was cruel, unkind, unforgiving. There was no reason to leave safety, to leave this peaceful perfection only to return to the cruel, unforgiving world... To return to her true calling... her destiny.

Truth-Seeker, Truth-Finder, Riddler of the Divine.....

Slowly, tears fell down her face. She sobbed, her body wrenching at her pained, terrible sorrowed sobbings.

She didn't want this. And yet it willed to have its way....

She had left the days of wandering, of foraging, of struggling to survive behind....

She had left behind the forest, the pain, the suffering.

Why... why did Fate so long to return her to it?

She had no destiny worthy of luring her back into pain.

She had no reason to suffer for a quest she had little desire in fulfilling.

There was only the Children, the Orphanage. Herself.

Her new destiny.

Surely.... it couldn't be her Destiny.... to return.....

Return to that -Truth-...

The -Truth- so powerful... so tempting.. That it so nearly destroyed her and stained her life with those shattered cries, those tears, that blood.....

Those memories recalled ever stronger...... But they weren't hers, couldn't be hers..

Could they........?

The door gently swung open, a shadow silhouetting the light that fell upon Daytaii. A silent, slow step. Another. And a quiet, soft pair behind it.

Gently Daytaii wiped her tears, attempting to retain her dignity as she slowly rose to her feet, "Y-yes?"

"What happened?" The voice was quiet, almost confused, and perhaps a touch cautious.

Daytaii turned quietly, her fingers tightened to the point of paling about the small circlet. There stood Billy, an Etone, as the others called him, a look of confusion upon his face. At his side stood Primera, her piercing eyes full of an obvious stunned gaze so powerful that it could almost paralyze Daytaii in her footsteps.

"I... I....," Daytaii sighed softly, then took a deep breath and attempted an unbroken speech, "I simply got distressed. Do forgive me... Its just that the children were playing in my things, and.. well.."

His eyes fell upon the silvered circlet clutched so tightly in her hands, "That is what they were 'playing' with?"

She nodded slowly, carefully, "Its... Its very precious to me. Beyond words. The idea of one of them playing with it...well, I just... Couldn't......" She choked faintly on tears, desperately struggling for a way to state what truly happened without doing the same, struggling and failing. She simply sighed, giving up on the whole ordeal promptly, "Oh, do forgive me, sir. I didn't mean to snap at her as thus. I should really learn to control myself better...."

He blinked a bit, "I never thought I'd hear you say that, Daytaii." He shook his head lightly, "Mistakes happen. Just.. uh.. be a bit more kind in your reprimanding next time, all right? You scared that child half to death...."

Daytaii nodded slightly, a weak, forced smile upon her face, "Y-yes.. I'm so sorry."

With a nod, he left as quietly as he had entered, though Primera remained for a moment. Her gaze was so piercing, so deep, full of a confusion and an accusation in the same glance. Quietly she seemed to see the truth of the matter, the importance of the headpiece, and yet at the same time, she saw nothing, and simply stared at her with the curious eyes of a young child.

She saw nothing....

...But those eyes could surely fool anyone....

Who looked for accusation amongst those they cared for...

The little girl then smiled a tiny, almost timid smile and walked out slowly.

Daytaii sighed as if in relief, replacing the circlet in a drawer of her dresser, inside of a soft, azure pouch embroidered with a symbol quite foreign to even Daytaii. In many ways, it seemed like the sort of twisted cross of the -Ethos-, although in many other ways it seemed more to resemble an archaic symbol long lost in the waves of time and change.

The Odakah.... Stood ever a memory.. It lashed out at her, cried out at her in an outrage, attacking her in ways she could not possibly defend herself from. It willed for it all to be as it was, to be as it should....

Yet that was not at Daytaii's hand. Those were the words, the doings, the actions of her mother..... Her Guardian.

And she had passed away upon that night ages ago.

Why did the Odakah never lash out at her mother? Why did it only long for the skin, the emotion, the mind of Daytaii?

She shook her head slowly. Nothing came of senseless ponderings. She had left it behind. And she would do everything she could to keep that memory locked away. Discarded, forgotten.

Like the rapier which leaned against the wall. Forgotten. Discarded. Left to accumulate time, dust, and disrepair. Uncared for. Beyond need. Beyond use. Left to decay in its own special way amongst its once elaborate, beautiful ribbons that cascaded about its hilt, and the fine, razored blade which never seemed to dull throughout the everlasting vastness of time. No matter how much she willed it to, it still refused to.

She let out a soft, defeated sigh and sat down upon her bed as its aged frame creaked under the weight of her body.

She simply closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the ceiling, her face serene and innocent for a single moment.

With a pure, beautiful chime, she flicked a nail against the silver bell which hung about her neck and let its beautiful tone ring throughout the room, singing out with all the beautiful innocence of a lost childhood and forgotten, pure love.

Her face never faltered, although her voice did as she simply whispered one wavering, pained word, "Mother......"