Draelish Stories #2

Ridel Clan Tsuunkarn: Taedra's Slumber - Nakamura, 192nd Cycle, 13th Column

7:02 PM
It was night, and as Patuk looked out across the vast sea of stars overlooking Olum, he wondered to himself: “What am I?” Sure, he knew what kind of creature he was: he was Draelish. Strong, self-reliant, and fueled by the sacred energy his people called Essence. But what was he really? What was he spiritually?
His matriarch claimed they were descendants of a vast empire, a Kingdom made up entirely of Draelish, with their Parent-gods Kykuun and Akulus ruling over them. Everything was good back then…until the war started with the Sankara. And now here they were, picking up the pieces and trying to reconnect themselves with the Duma. Or, at least Kykuun, as that traitor Akulus had deserted them and aligned himself strictly with the darkness.
Patuk sighed. This was getting him nowhere. Besides, his family prospered. They had food to eat, good hunting bands to get them more, and a lead on a new Essence Pool. They each also knew how to defend themselves from the Wilds. Essence filled them. Life was good.
But a longing resided within Patuk. The future seemed good, but what was he supposed to do now? The matriarch spoke that a Kingdom was coming. One that would have the Draelish be united once again. Would that mean he would have to get used to talking with Sankara? Patuk grumbled at that thought. Depends on which parent wakes up first, he decided. Then a real judgment would happen. But until then, he must wait. That’s what he was: a wanderer waiting to be reunited with his parents, who would then help them forge their destiny in this world. And all he had to do was wait...
And wait.
And wait...
7:03 PM
But what was he supposed to do in the meantime? He fell back down onto the stone ridge. He felt connected to the Daegu and enjoyed learning how to use the individual stream he’d been gifted with, his Jaeda. Was there a key somewhere hidden in there, he wondered? Some sought out the resting place of their divine Parents, adventuring out and attempting to find a way down into the Wandering Halls. Others sought to find them in the Daegu, meditating night and day and fiddling with the different ways the Jaeda expressed itself.
All this pondering still didn’t answer his question though. What was he? Or rather, what was he supposed to be?
He's Draelish, and the Draelish were a wandering people looking for their lost gods. Looking was all they knew about. Looking and waiting...
7:04 PM
He sighed again. This was getting him nowhere.
He looked to the stars, gazing up until he was looking at the moon his people called Neluun. Was there someone he was supposed to become? Surely his gods had plans for who he was to become, should they ever wake up and retake Heaven. Life offered plenty of distractions in the meantime. He was becoming a better warrior-smith, making and tuning weapons to battle the giant armored Hukel-beasts they encountered the other day among the hills and valleys below the escarpment his clan now camped upon. And Rjurn promised to teach him how to weave baskets using some weeds they had found together while looking for a freshwater stream the other day...
Now that he thought about it, the interactions he had with his fellow clanmates did make him happier. But did it fill him with purpose?
Patuk started suddenly as he realized that a joy had filled him, removing the sense of listlessness he felt earlier. Perhaps..perhaps there was not one big answer to what he was. Patuk looked up at the stars far above him for a moment, thinking deeply. Perhaps it was a bunch of small things that came together that made up who he was. Perhaps life doesn’t rely on one thing, but a thousand. He looked up at the stars once again and thought, “Perhaps life is like the sky: a beautiful tapestry made up of a thousand points of light instead of one point of light.” And like the constellations, there are paths that can be found between them, leading to greater things.
Patuk got up. He felt much better and knew what he will do tomorrow. He will finish those new shoulder guards he’d been working on all week, then he’ll outfit his clansmen and they will go on a hunt together. Then he will learn how to cook with Rjurn, they will put on a feast for the family, and he’ll connect to the Daegu once more. His gods were out there somewhere, but in the meantime, he will ready himself for whatever they may have him do. For that was faith, wasn’t it?
He looked to the stars once again and felt, almost imperceptibly, a kinship to them. Perhaps he will come out here more often, but next time, he won’t be alone. Stars don't live by themselves, after all.

by Maricu Mana