[Head's up! This is a<i>long </i>one, even for my standards. That said, if you make it to the end and enjoy the world I've created here, it is open to be continued. The male role of Val is open.]<br/><br/><br/><b>[18+. Mature content ahead. Sexual themes. There will be lemon in this roleplay and a couple sour ones at that. You have been warned.]</b><br/><br/><br/>~~~<br/><br/><br/><b>Plot Summary:</b><br/><br/><b><br/>
	   The spirits are out of balance since the murder of Agnimitra, the sun goddess, at the hands of Alvmara, the goddess of dark, disorder and decay. The world is flung into chaos. Agnimitra's reincarnate has taken a mortal form: Solara. It is up to this Solara to travel the world to the temples of the sun goddess and restore the missing flames and fire emblems one by one. At the end of the ritual, she will relinquish her mortal form and ascend to the heavens to take her place on her throne once more.<br/>
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	   Turns out, Alvmara has quite the cult following, especially amongst those who profit from war and chaos. Solara is hunted by those who seek to prevent her return to form.<br/>
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		 Solara, joined by her unlikely companion Val, venture out into the world to complete her quest and return order to the world.</b><br/><br/><br/>~~~<br/><br/>Temples were a cinch.<br/><br/>Unguarded, open level plan, easily-scalable walls.<br/><br/>Rich people were always looking for unique pieces to furnish their lavish homes. They didn't care if it was an ancient artifact. The older it was, the more it was worth, and the more of a conversation piece became. Luckily it wasn't up to Val to sell it. He could rely on a fence to do that for him.<br/><br/>The temple at mount Idira was dedicated to the sun goddess Agnimitra.<br/><br/>Val concerned himself with this fact for one reason and one reason only:<br/><br/>Gold.<br/><br/>Agnimitra was first and foremost associated with gold and marble fixtures. They were said to mimic the sun's light but the thief couldn't have cared less about their spiritual significance. He knew they got him top dollar in the city. That meant extra money in his pocket and more food in his belly.<br/><br/>Val scouted the place out several days prior to his actual heist. He learned the temple maiden's routines, what rooms were empty and when, what routes would make for a clean break.<br/><br/>During that time, he overheard the maidens chattering on about some esteemed member of their order coming to visit. Apparently, this woman was something of a messiah to their order, the return of their goddess after her recent fall from grace twenty-one years prior.<br/><br/>Imagining what chaos a large procession could bring,--and what cover such a procession could provide--Val decided to wait for this supposéd goddess incarnate to arrive.<br/><br/>To his utter disappointment, the mortal goddess arrived alone, on foot, no servants, no horses, no carriage, no fanfare. Just a woman in a tan shroud with a large pack on her shoulders.<br/><br/>He watched from afar as she was received warmly by the maidens and disappeared into the temple. Welpl, looks like he waited for naught. Time to put his original plan into action.<br/><br/>Val knew the maidens prayed extensively at noon, in the heat of the day. At that time, all of the temple would be empty except for the prayer chambers in the very east of the building. Val waited for the sun to climb high into the sky before he made a beeline into the great marble structure and slipped into one of the unoccupied altar chambers.<br/><br/>Well, it was unoccupied.<br/><br/>Until the woman from earlier wandered in.<br/><br/>Val swore under his breath as he tucked behind a pillar furthest from the door. Light from the doorway spilled into the darker room, casting him in shadow.<br/><br/>The woman didn't seem to notice him. She knelt before the small goddess statue at the back of the room, removed her hood and bowed her head. Then she lit incense. Strange, he didn't see her with a candle of any kind.<br/><br/>Then, all at once, she was gone.<br/><br/>Val peeked out from behind the pillar, assuming she had just left through another exit in the rear of the room beyond his purview.<br/><br/>He waited in dead silence for several more moments before he went ahead and sacked the altar room. He filled his satchel with arcane relics and antiques alike in record time.<br/><br/>Val noticed something didn't feel right when he was preparing to go, but he had made such a killing he brushed it off and walked--instead of ran--for the entrance.<br/><br/>Like an eagle, the woman swooped down from above right on top of the thief. The impact of hitting the marble floors under the full weight of the would-be goddess knocked the wind out of him. His sack of treasures clattered noisily to the polished stone tiling. He gasped in shock and wheezed in pain as his body slammed against the unforgiving ground.<br/><br/>He'd been caught.<br/><br/>He couldn't believe it.<br/><br/>"Holy shit…" Val rasped under his breath, astonished by the phoenix-woman who had her forearm across his neck. She was stunning. And more than in just the sense of power.<br/><br/>The way the flames danced about her was an art form, turning her deadly flight into a gymnast's display of power and finesse brief as it was. That must've been how she vanished. She flew up onto the ceiling when he wasn't looking and perched there until he was making his escape.<br/><br/>She caught him.<i>Him</i>. The fastest man on the continent, nay the planet. And this fire starter had stopped him in his tracks.<br/><br/>For a moment, Val was completely enthralled. He'd never been so keen on getting to know someone, especially someone who's introduction was an attempt on his life.<br/><br/>"You are very bold to steal from one of<i>my </i>temples, speed demon." She proclaimed.<br/><br/>All the commotion brought the Tarsa maidens to gather in the doorway; gasps of awe rose at the prowess of their goddess.<br/><br/>After a moment of bewildered silence, the spell was broken because Val burst into hysterics, "Pfft, on of *your* temples? Who died and made you Queen of the universe?..." Incredulity laced his tone like arsenic: bitter and short-lived.<br/><br/>He trailed off as he started to put the pieces together: was only fire wielder in existence, lived in the Tarsan temples as her own, caught him in short order. . .<br/><br/>. . . And the Sun Goddess Agnimitra was recently dead, twenty-one years prior.<br/><br/>That last one could be a coincidence. There were plenty of young women turning twenty-one that year. But still, three out of four. Maybe there was some sort of divine intervention happening here.<br/><br/>The gravity of the woman's voice snapped him out of his reverie, "Put the relics back and I will release you, understood?"<br/><br/>Simple terms. No punishment. Val was surprised but smart enough to comply. He nodded and relinquished what small bounty he had to the goddess incarnate. As soon as they were within her grasp, she let him go.<br/><br/>"Now, leave these grounds."<br/><br/>Val rubbed his throat and, strangely enough, found himself walking off the temple grounds; he was empty-handed with his tail between his legs like a scolded puppy.<br/><br/>Wait, what? How did she--? Val did a double-take and slapped himself harshly across the jaw. Ordinarily, he would rob a person blind if they were dumb enough to let him go. But that woman, there was just something about her…<br/><br/>'<i>Arragh. Get a hold of yourself, Val. She's just another zealot.'</i><br/><br/>As he left, he caught her name on the lips of the temple keepers:<br/><br/><i>Solara</i>.<br/><br/>He felt that name etch itself into his brain.<br/><br/><br/>Evening fell.<br/><br/>Val had been waiting to try his hand a second time once this 'Solara' was nowhere in earshot. Instead, he found his curiosity got the best of him. He watched as Solara waved goodbye to the maidens. Then, after a moment of indecision, he turned and trailed her, forgetting the temple altogether. He really needed to get a grip and stop acting like a lost puppy.<br/><br/>"You travel alone?" Val asked as he popped out of the woodwork.<br/><br/>"Yes. And I'd like to keep it that way." Solara said in a 'not you again' kind of way.<br/><br/>Val pouted but continued keeping pace, "So what, no entourage, no servants for the would-be queen of our universe?"<br/><br/>"I'm very capable of taking care of myself." She didn't know why she was even entertaining him at this point. "Such a following would be a liability. Alvmara could easily possess one of my attendants or replace my maidens with her own. If I die here, I will have to start over in the next life."<br/><br/>"Hm." Val hummed, pretending to consider these divine consequences; it was all fanatical nonsense to him. "You really believe you're Agnis, huh?"<br/><br/>"Yes. As is my birthright. You don't take hints very well, do you?" She asked in return, referring to his refusal to do as she sternly implied. "If this is how you conduct your work, I'm amazed you haven't been thrown into Tartara."<br/><br/>Val shivered at the name. Yes, he knew Tartara. It was a prison. Quite an infamous one at that. It consisted of an isle, steep cliff sides, surrounded by water. They kept only the most dangerous inmates there.<br/><br/>Of course, he'd been there three times.<br/><br/>He didn't like Tartara, but an ability like his made him nigh impossible to keep pinned down. He was out and onto the earliest ship out before they could raise the alarm. There was a bounty on his head the size of a national debt, and he was quite proud of it.<br/><br/>After a moment of studying him, Solara finally managed to place where she'd seen him before, "You're Valen Saya, I presume. Famed thief of Azarin."<br/><br/>"Aha, so you've heard of me." Val felt his sky-rocket. He didn't know why he felt so validated to have a dragoness acknowledge him. He didn't stop to analyze it either.<br/><br/>Solara nodded reflectively, "I've seen your wanted posters about. Though, I've gotta say, I'm kind of disappointed. I'd have thought you'd be harder to catch."<br/><br/>And then, just like that, his ego sank like a rock.<br/>"In my defense, most of my would-be captors can't fly or breathe fire." He retorted.<br/><br/>And of course, she fired right back. "And luckily for you, I wasn't trying to throw you in Tartara."<br/><br/>Val huffed, nursing his bruised pride. Then, something struck him as off, "Wait…if you knew about the bounty on my head, why not turn me over to the state?"<br/><br/>Solara shrugged, "We all must do things to survive. You steal to feed yourself, put clothes on your back, and for a warm bed at night. Assuming you do not kill to achieve these means, I don't see any reason to have you imprisoned."<br/><br/>Val's pace slowed as he sat in disgusted silence at how utterly pious the woman sounded; she had to be a monk or something. "Okay, who<i>are </i>you?"<br/><br/>He was beginning to doubt her age. No twenty-one-year-old thought that way. At least, he didn't, but he supposed he was a bad example. Still, with a demeanor like that she had to be at least forty. Not twenty-one.<br/><br/>Solara adjusted the weight of her pack on her shoulders, decidedly enjoying the odd company that had found her that evening. "I'm Solara." She said simply. "I am Agnimitra's incarnate and I am traveling the world to restore my temples and regain my immortal seat in Empyrea."<br/><br/>It was hard to challenge her when she spoke with such assurance.<br/><br/>"And you really should go, Valen. I've got more than just a bounty on my head."<br/><br/>The fates must've taken this as a personal challenge, because the moment the words left her lips, her 'bounty hunters' arrived. Needless to say, her captors preferred her dead.<br/><br/>The earth quaked, the sky darkened and a bitter wind blew. Then, from the ground rose a litany of terracotta titans, donning the worn royal armor of the dynasty centuries prior. They breathed a violet miasma, eyes spilling a neon fuschia light. Mindless. Reanimated. And prepared to do their dark queen's bidding.<br/><br/>Val was completely speechless. He had never seen anything like this in his life. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure he hadn't dreamt the whole affair up. Before he could react,--which was saying something for the speed demon--Solara stepped between him and the stone soldiers. Her eyes glowed an opposing color: bright gold like the sun's rays, ready to cut through the darkness.<br/><br/>With a glance, she told Val to step back. Then came the light show.<br/><br/>Solara took a broad stance, fists resting at either hip as she drew a deep breath through her stomach. She held it in and Val stared at her curiously for a moment. Wasn't she going to attack?<br/><br/>Then she opened her mouth and like a dragon, she poured flame onto their assailants. The blaze started out white-hot where it left her lips and phased orange as it engulfed the enemy soldiers. Brutish and insensitive to pain, the stone warriors continued forward even as their bodies caught fire, even as their armor melted, even as they were turned to ash.<br/><br/>By the time they came within striking distance of the firebrand, their boots were all that remained. The rest was a smoldering pile of molten rock and metal and malevolent energy.<br/><br/>Solara wiped her mouth as she finished scorching the second life out of them. Val approached the hardening sludge that had become of the soldiers, prodding at with his boot before turning his attention to Solara.<br/><br/>She surmised he wanted an explanation. She didn't really want to give him one. He was leaving after all. She hoped the experience would be enough to scare him off as it had done so many others.<br/><br/>"Oh, she can possess the dead, too." The woman added with an air of inappropriate nonchalance as she side-stepped the tar-like remnants to continue on her way. It was apparent she dealt with this more often than she let on.<br/><br/>Val stood stunned for a moment longer before zipping ahead to catch up. "Woah, woah, woah. '<i>She</i>'? Who is '<i>she'?</i>And what was<i>that</i>?"<br/><br/>With a heavy sigh, Solara gave him a bit more information, "Those were the soldiers of my antithesis, Alvmara. She's my...counterpart in the pantheon. We embody opposing forces in the universe, light and dark. But she rose up and killed Agnimitra, forcing her to resort to mortal form, in me. She will stop at nothing to destroy me and to keep me from my throne. As long as I am not there, she rules untethered."<br/><br/>"That explains why the world has gone to shit…" Val mused. While he hadn't seen the dead rise, he had certainly heard many tales of ships lost to freak storms where waters had been calm for centuries prior, and of wars born from nothing.<br/><br/>"Which is why you need to leave. She watches my every move and if she assumes you and I have an accord, she will kill you too." Solara kept her gaze straight ahead as she explained her situation. There's a forlorn quality to her voice that suggested she lived a lonely life. Incurring the wrath of a full-fledged goddess for merely existing was no light burden to bear.<br/><br/>Val frowned once more. 'Kill you too?' Were their others with her originally who had met with a cruel fate at the hands of Alvmara? Val's sense of preservation kicked in and he considered heeding her advice. At a fork in the road, he parted ways with her.<br/><br/>Only to turn on his heel and run after her again.<br/><br/>He needed to stop doing that. She had told him more or less explicitly that following her would get him killed.<br/><br/>Nevertheless, he followed her. He couldn't explain it but there was a deep impulse, almost an instinct, that told him to stick by her side.<br/><br/>For several paces, Solara said nothing and let the thief follow her. Eventually she did speak to his decision however, "You seem to have a death wish."<br/><br/>"Eh, I wouldn't have become a thief if I didn't." He mused morbidly; it would be interesting to face a threat capable *of* killing him. Val admired the subtle otherworldly glow of her eyes in the twilight.<br/><br/>Solara cracked a very small grin, eyeing the man with a crooked brow, "You're different from the rest. No less hard-headed but definitely different."<br/><br/>"Thanks...I'll take that as a compliment?" Val ventured.<br/><br/>The two continued walking. "So, whereto now?"<br/>"I'm going to the sun temple of Orzala."<br/>"Orzala?" Val sputtered, "But that's three days' walk from here!"<br/>"I can't say I'm not trying to dissuade you from following me."<br/>"Hmph." He took that as a personal jab, a challenge to say he wouldn't go through with it.<br/><br/>"What will you do, Valen?" She asked calmly, clearly amused with his amazement. Val never would've imagined a woman so capable of destruction would be so overwhelmingly calm. Little did he know, he had yet to see her other side.<br/><br/>Val scratched the back of his head. He hadn't been to Orzala in ages. But, given his last heist was a bust, he didn't exactly have any reason to stay in Idira. He checked his wallet; just three gold left. That was hardly enough for one night let alone two with food and drink. From the look of her pack, Val surmised Solara camped rather than stay in the city. Which made sense if all that nonsense she said about Alvmara possessing people was true. He wasn't unfamiliar with roughing it in the outdoors, but it wasn't his idea of fun.<br/><br/>Decisions, decisions. Stay or go. Val chewed his lip. Why did his gut always have to disagree with his head? His head said this was a terrible idea for him personally, while his gut insisted he *must* stay by the numinous woman's side. Why? He didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't lose contact with her for some reason. So, before he knew what he was doing, he was giving his word,<br/><br/><i>"I'll come with you."</i><br/><br/>~~~<br/><br/>Three months passed. In that time, the pair traversed a quarter of the dry continent, Azarin. They'd seen three cities and two temples. The shrine at Vulcan would make their third.<br/><br/>Of course, by now both had faced multiple altercations with Alvmara. The disorder incarnate saw the duo as just that and had added Val's name to the ledger of people to target. That was obvious to both of them now as they ran through Vulcan streets from a pack of her minions.<br/><br/>Alvmara, realizing that her antithesis was stepping toward her goal, had taken to possessing live people. Needless to say, Solara had to be a lot more careful with her powers. Burning innocents was firmly against her moral code, even if they threatened her life.<br/><br/>As Alvah's influence grew, so did the mob chasing them. This was the very reason Solara usually stayed out of busy areas but Val had insisted they stay at an inn instead of camping on the outskirts. While Solara had to admit, an actual bed was a wonderful thing, she didn't think the small comfort was worth death at the hands of some possessed merchants.<br/><br/>Solara turned and fired warning shots as they ran, clearing a path for the two to run while stalling the angry crowd behind them with brief walls of flame. She fell behind Val as she focused on giving them ample space.<br/><br/>So Val skidded to slow down, hoist Solara over his shoulder and booked it around the nearest corner. Solara pointed to a set of open doors and so went Val barreling into the closest establishment, posting them both against the wall beside the door. The mob rolled by, not seeing where they'd gone. As soon as they were out of sight, Val put Solara down.<br/><br/>"I think we deserve a bit of a break." Val rasped, exhausted.<br/><br/>While Solara agreed, she could not have held more disdain for her unfortunate choice of establishment.<br/><br/>It was a brothel.<br/><br/>At least they didn't have to worry about anyone reporting them here. Well, at least until someone sober enough recognized Val but that usually took a good handful of minutes. Inevitably they would have to take off again. Luckily, Val wasn't so well-known here as he was back in Idris.<br/><br/>The two situated themselves at the bar, Val sitting closest to the door and Solara posted so she could see clearly through the nearest window.<br/><br/>"You're<i>disgusting</i>." Solara hissed as she wiped sweat from her brow.<br/><br/>"I'm a<i>man</i>." Val replied. His gaze wandered after a particularly curvy woman across the brothel.<br/>"Besides, you're the one who decided to come in here."<br/><br/>"Yes, so we wouldn't get caught, not so you can ogle women and get drunk." Solara seethed, obviously offended by the way these women were carrying on. A prude amongst libertines. She stuck out like a sore thumb.<br/><br/>"Touché, but who says I can't do both?" He mused, grinning loftily as a rather busty bartender sent him a wink and a smile. Solara glanced at him and then out the window, praying their pursuers would be gone and she could leave this house of debauchery. Men were starting to look her way and she didn't particularly care for the glint in their eyes.<br/><br/>It would seem that Alvmara was getting bolder in her attempts to snuff out Agnis' mortal incarnate. Before, the dark goddess wouldn't dare send her minions after Solara in the heat of the day when her powers peaked. But now, it would seem she wasn't being so careful with the lives of her pawns.<br/><br/>Solara frowned. That was a bad sign. If her highness could afford to get reckless with her soldiers, that meant she had men to spare. Her influence was spreading. Solara needed to step up her game, to stop her rot from eating away any more of the world she'd been manifest to protect.<br/><br/>"A cimmerian cocktail miss?"<br/><br/>The low tones of the bar bender's voice snapped Solara from her reverie. She hardly glanced at the dark elixir in the triangular glass; she was too busy focusing on his face. "Ah, no thank you I--"<br/><br/>"It's on the house, courtesy of that gentleman over there-e-e-e."<br/><br/>The words seemed to melt into madness as the barkeep's eyes shifted from humanoid to an abysmal black. Wait, how did he get inside? Weren't all her pawns still outside? When did he get so…<br/><br/>"<i>Solara</i>!"<br/><br/>Solara kicked over her stool as she stumbled away from the counter. Too late. She was too late.<br/><br/>The world span as Solara dropped like a stone. Her perception of time slowed so that even Val appeared to move at a snail's pace as he raced to her side. A single blow dart was stuck in her abdomen, a bit of blood and ichor dripping from the blackening wound. The poison seized her spirit. Her hazel eyes lulled back and she lost consciousness.<br/><br/><br/>An endless lake stretches toward the horizon in all directions. And in all directions hangs an impenetrable fog; there was no current or breeze to move it, so it drifted idly.<br/><br/>"<i>Well, I didn't expect to find you here so soon, Solara of Azarin.</i>" A disembodied voice spoke. Well, it sounded more like a chorus, a cacophony of different voices all speaking as one. It was terribly unsettling.<br/><br/>Solara landed on the water's surface and looked out at the featureless world. Well, near featureless.<br/><br/>Through the mist was a small hill. She could see it in the distance. It looked like a mountain from afar but the distance was hard to gauge with no landmarks to speak of.<br/><br/>Solara drifted closer without taking a single step. The hill was more of a mound now.<br/><br/>What's more, the amorphous form appeared to be writhing. Solara felt her hands grow cold.<br/><br/>A little closer and she could make out disembodied limbs. Hands, feet, arms, legs, all writhing in a hellish mass of misery.<br/><br/>The air cleared a little more. And she could see.<br/><br/><i>They were bodies.</i><br/><br/>Hardly alive but clearly suffering from the horrid chorus that filled the vacuous space.<br/><br/>Amongst the fray, she could see the uniforms of her maidens strewn with blood, sun emblems turned crimson and white robes ruby red. Solara wretched but could not vomit, so the feeling just festered in her stomach like a stale wound.<br/><br/>But there, in front of the mountain of carnage, stood a sole figure. Her eyes glowed fuchsia through the fog. Pale skin and hair the color of murder.<br/><br/>Alvmara.<br/><br/>Solara opened her mouth to confront her but could not move her tongue. She tried to move her arms but could not release them from her sides. So she drifted ever closer to the agent of her demise, helpless, frozen stiff.<br/><br/>There was a body in Alvmara's talons. As soon as the features revealed themselves, Solara felt another wave of nauseating fear ripple through her:<br/><br/>Val.<br/><br/>Alvah had Val.<br/><br/>A silent scream ripped from Solara's throat as she looked upon a limp Valen in the hands of the chaos incarnate.<br/><br/>Alvah brought the man's pale neck slowly up to her lips, her jaw unhinged like a serpent's to take in a sizeable bite of her prey. The entity had teeth like a moray. Solara felt the bile rise in her throat at the wet sick sound of tearing flesh.<br/><br/>Solara looked helplessly as the vixen chewed a hole into Val's jugular. The man coughed up copious blood and viscera as the dark goddess discarded him too, another victim for the ever-writhing pile.<br/><br/><i>"Look well, Goddess."</i>Alvmara spoke, demanding reverence. Her voice echoed endlessly into the expanse.<br/><br/>Why did her hands feel so warm and...sticky?<br/><br/>"<i>Because his blood,"</i><br/><br/>Solara dropped her head to glance at her hands to find torrents of sanguine syrup oozing from her wrists and pooling on the misty mirror at her feet. She saw her reflection,. . .<br/><br/>"<i>Is on your hands…"</i><br/><br/>. . . In Val's blood.<br/><br/>As the blood-pool grew around her in a black circle, she could feel the words sink in like a curse. The puddle became an abyss and Solara was falling, listening to the promise of her bane as she sank ever further into a pit of starless night,<br/><br/><i>"You'll never see your throne again, Agnimitra."</i><br/><br/><br/><br/>She woke with a start to find her surroundings were vastly different. It was dark. And quiet. Crickets were chirping. And she was resting on something warm… And breathing?<br/><br/>"Nnn," Val grunted as Solara shuffled in his lap. Instinctively, he reached up to console her without waking. One palm found her upper back and the other pulled at her shoulder to bring her against his chest again.<br/><br/>Her ochre eyes went wide as she found herself squeezed into a protective embrace. How many times had he done that since she'd taken ill? How often had she tossed and turned in her night terrors to warrant such an automatic response?<br/><br/>How long had he stayed like this for her sake?<br/><br/>He was propped up against a tree with a bedroll folded underneath them. If she squinted, she could just make out the lights of the nearby town in the distance. He'd run far. As she studied his worn attire, she wondered how long Alvmara's puppets had chased him. Val was so quick-footed she imagined not even the best of her minions could escape his dust for long.<br/><br/>Still. . .<br/><br/>. . . The fact that she was here meant that Val had fought to extract her from that brothel. He had put her life above his own yet again in this grand battle for balance. To know that he cared so deeply was strange to Solara. Because she knew he couldn't care less about her mission.<br/><br/>Up until this point, Solara had lived without the traditional ties of a family. The Tarsa maidens of the goddess had taken charge of her upbringing. She'd been raised by a society of women but she'd never really had a mother. She didn't know what to do with his affection, with his kindness, with his concern.<br/><br/>On the one hand, she was deeply ashamed of her performance. She hadn't seen the barkeep coming, hadn't felt his aura change as Alvmara's possession took hold. She was yet again in his debt and felt she must repay it.<br/><br/>And on the other hand. . .<br/><br/>. . . Val's devotion was unwavering even in the face of death. Solara couldn't say that about anyone else in this world, not even herself. No one was willing to sacrifice as much as he was for her. She couldn't help but be reminded of the knights of old, of men brandishing broadsword and shield, conquering titans just to keep his lady safe. The implications were clear. But, undeniable as they were, Solara refused to acknowledge them.<br/><br/>She couldn't afford attachments.<br/><br/>And neither could he.<br/><br/>As Solara pushed her resurfacing romantic feelings aside she shimmied out of his hold so she could assess her injuries. She was assured that barkeep had gotten her good. She'd let her guard down too much, hadn't seen the hit coming. Her brown skin was gashed where she'd attempted to dodge, the small dart lashing her skin on a diagonal path through her flesh.<br/><br/>A now-cool cloth pressed against her side where what she assumed as a poison dart had struck her. Her memory was vague, but she had prior experience to go off of. Val had done his best to dress the wound but now, Solara would have to undo it all and purge herself of the venom.<br/><br/>She hissed quietly as she peeled the makeshift dressing off her skin. Luckily, she hadn't been unconscious long, and the poison was fairly localized. The fist-sized deep-purple discoloration was the extent of its spread. Solara had certainly seen worse.<br/><br/>"<i>Althos Iri, Althos Kathairo."</i><br/>Solara chanted a healing mantra, bringing the solar runes on her hand to luminous life and setting her palm alight. She took a moment to steel her nerve before she pressed her hand to the area.<br/><br/>"Hssk." It burned like fresh hell but she had to do it. For a moment, she held her hand still, squeezing her own obliques to sop up the inky excrescence. Then, as she slowly hoist her hand, out of the puncture wound came the wine-red bile that was Mara's poison mixed with her own blood. Solara grunted as she purged herself of the vile essence. She used the cloth to wipe the dribbling ooze away and settled back against Val's chest, only for the smell of copper to hit her as it wafted off his clothes.<br/><br/>It was times like these that she wondered where she might've been if Val hadn't decided to follow her. At the moment, she figured she'd likely be dead or very near so, put at the mercy of her antithesis, Alvmara. Solara shuddered to think how slow and painful her demise would be at the hands of the goddess of disorder and malice.<br/><br/>Solara ushered her godsend out of his seated posture to lay supine on the bedroll they occupied. Val protested drowsily, "You need sleep, Sol."<br/><br/>"I've slept plenty." She kept her voice low and soft. "You need to heal. Were you injured? Can you show me where?" It's not a question she really needs to be answered as she could divine what injuries he had just fine. Still, she hadn't witnessed the battle. So shamefully decapacitated early on. She needed to make sure he was okay, and not just physically. Her hands made quick work of his leather jerkin, feeling her way through the clasps to pull the garment completely open. There was no time for modesty here. They'd done this too many times before.<br/><br/>A little more awake now, Val replied as he watched her work. "No more than usual, love." It was a marvel what she could do, magically sealing cuts and wounds as though they never happened, but he had already witnessed her miracles.<br/><br/>His eyes were trained on her face, studying her features in the glow of her solar divination. In her eyes was a concern that could almost be called tender. It was such a stark contrast to the vicious woman he knew in battle. Her expression held a slight frown as she focused on his small injuries. He could tell she was blaming herself for this, for oversight, for imperfection. Rumination.<br/><br/>He smiled and reached out to tuck a few strands of honey-blond hair behind her ear. "Hey," As she gave him an expectant look, he hoped to put her bitter thoughts to rest, "I'm better with you."<br/><br/>It's a simple sentiment but it seemed like she needed to hear it. It was true, too. He was better with Solara. Agnimitra's incarnate gave him a purpose aside from thieving or causing mischief. He'd been aimless before they crossed paths.<br/><br/>Her expression softened appreciatively and her eyes dropped shyly to focus on his pale skin riddled with bruises. The glow of her hands was reflected by her lemon hazel eyes, so they too glow like the moon overhead.<br/><br/>"Sometimes I wonder." She countered ominously.<br/><br/>Her statement suggested that she didn't believe him but her countenance said otherwise; if he squinted he thought he could see the ghost of a smile on her lips. His grin broadened a bit, "Well, like it or not you're stuck with me." He mused, turning his attention to the canopy overhead as Solara re-fastened his leather vest.<br/><br/>"'Cause I'm not going anywhere."<br/><br/>Meanwhile, Solara's dream replayed in her mind. She only prayed that she could protect him when the time came.<br/><br/>~~~<br/><br/>Finally at the temple of Vulcan.<br/><br/>Their third temple together, and Solara's fifth since her twenty-first birthday on the solstice.<br/><br/>By now, Val knew the routine and its purpose. She would disappear into the temple for a little while and in the following days, the drylands would be blessed with water. Then finally the seemingly eternal summer would end and fall would come.<br/><br/>He didn't know how. He didn't know why. Or at least, he didn't believe Solara's many explanations in the months they'd known each other.<br/><br/>Val lingered outside the temple doors for a little while, zipping around to see all the strange artifacts and getting bored in record time. And what did Val do when he was bored? Mess with Solara, of course.<br/><br/>Usually, he'd run off to do a trickster's bidding but something unusual stopped him this time. Val tapped his foot impatiently as an interesting sound caught his keen ear. It was a gasp. Not only a gasp, it was<i>Solara</i>who was gasping.<br/><br/>He couldn't even dismiss it as part of her strange ritual because the gasp was followed by several pants and a *very distinct* low whine. No, his ears were playing tricks, right? Because that almost sounded like. . . Like she was. . .<br/><br/>The muffled voice of reason in his head tried its damnedest to stop him but to no avail. In a heartbeat, he was pressed up against the antechamber doors with an eye peering through the crack. Val's eyebrows shot up at what he saw. There, before the altar, was the goddess incarnate on her knees, but she wasn't praying.<br/><br/>At first, he looked away out of respect for her privacy. But then, the trickster impulse kicked in; and privacy be damned, this opportunity was golden. Besides, he couldn't see beyond her ceremonial robes from this vantage point; such pesky obstruction would require a closer look.<br/><br/>Val glanced around to make sure none of the Tarsa were looking before he opened the door a smidge wider and dashed inside. They would have his head if they knew he was in their chambers; a man unaffiliated with their cause was not supposed to bear witness to their mortal messiah. Val disagreed, of course. He thought he should be an exception with how close he was to the reincarnated Agnimitra. After all, she owed him as many if not more life debts than he owed her.<br/><br/>He didn't make his presence known until he could confirm what he'd suspected from the doorway. His keen eyes readily drank in the erotic sight before him: Solara reclined on the floor with left hand between her spread thighs and right hand supporting her weight. Only then, did he raise his voice. His playful words and machiavellian tone echoed through the vacuous chamber.<br/><br/>"So this is what you've been up to all this time. This is all just a big sex cult, innit?"<br/><br/>Solara, reasonably startled, immediately stopped what she was doing and stumbled to defend herself. Ah, but he's caught her red-handed.<br/><br/>"What? N-No! I was just…"<br/><br/>Of course, he didn't stop there, "So this is why you're so devoted to this goddess. Prostrating before her does more than just cleanse the spirit, huh." He teased.<br/><br/>"Shut up! This is a very sacred ritual."<br/>"Hm, sure."<br/><br/>Goddesses, she hated it when he was like this. All smug and self-assured. He shouldn't even be in here; it was a wonder why the temple itself didn't reject him as it did so many others. She could tell by his wise tone that no amount of expositing would change his mind on the matter. He thought her a pervert. While his opinion shouldn't matter, she still found herself defending her--formerly--prudish image. Perhaps deep down, she did care what he thought of her.<br/><br/>. . . And she hated the fact that he was going to abuse that power, mercilessly.<br/><br/>"Y'know, if you wanted my help, all you had to do was ask." Val offered cooly.<br/><br/>"I neither want nor need your 'help'." Solara bit back, glaring up at him only to immediately avert her gaze.<br/><br/>"Really? 'Cause that's starting to look painful," He said, referring to the quite obvious wet slick between her thighs, pooling into the ceremonial stone beneath her. As she looked down, she uttered something between a groan, a curse, and a whine then shuffled her legs to cover her shame.<br/><br/>Val let his head lilt to the side, allowing his chestnut locks to hang over his eyes as he leaned slyly against one of the smaller statues beside the altar. How curious to see the lioness so shy. He was loving this. Never had he seen his partner in crime look so fazed, so unsure of herself, so absolutely needy but unwilling to admit it. They both knew she'd be damned before she accepted help from him. Her pride was too strong and while Val knew he caught her in a vulnerable position, he knew that if he pushed too hard he'd get burned… Literally.<br/><br/>"It's. . . A side effect of her majesty's role--er, *my* role," She corrected, trying to grow accustomed to thinking of Agnimitra and herself as one and the same. After all, it was quite apparent the goddess had sway over her body. "As a fertility goddess." She paused, letting the phrase hang heavily in the air along with her musk and incense. She surprised herself with how calm she managed to keep her temper. She wasn't even breathing flames, yet. She sighed and a breath of gray smoke billowed out. Perhaps her shame was preventing her anger and flames from coming to fruition.<br/><br/>"Fire is more than just a destructive force, y' know… It's also the spark of life. It was said that Agnimitra would commune with the sky god Amun when the weather warmed and winter melted away. Together, they would… create heavy rains so that seeds would grow. Every summer the world blooms and so…" Her voice trails off because her intent was clear. She curled further in on herself, folding her knees up under her folded arms.<br/><br/>He finished for her, "Mhm, and so do you. That's an interesting conundrum you've got there."<br/><br/>Solara steeled her nerve, preparing herself for whatever ridicule she expected from the trickster incarnate.<br/><br/>In the blink of an eye, he's poised at her side, fiddling with the open collar of his shirt and adjusting it to his liking,<br/><br/>"So, where's this Amun figure?"<br/><br/>Of course, she couldn't help but see his gaping jerkin and bare chest as an invitation.<br/><br/>Hm, not the question she expected him to ask.<br/><br/>It took Solara a moment to fully understand what he was implying. The moment she did, she shoved him hard.<br/><br/>"Oh you're crass if you think I would ever--"<br/><br/>Val chuckled and stumbled away from her. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm just trying to help, here."<br/><br/>Why does he keep offering to help? Solara can't help her reddening ears at the implications of his words. And<i>she's </i>the pervert.<br/>"I mean, with you? I couldn't--"<br/><br/>"Fine, fine. I get it. This thief isn't good enough for her highness." He waxed tragically, sarcasm heavy in his tone as he feigned injury and exited stage left like the grand thespian he used to be.<br/><br/>Or, he gave the appearance of such. Instead, he turned and waited until Solara was just about ready to continue before he whispered into her ear,<br/><br/><i>"Y'know, these fingers are good for more than just picking locks."</i><br/><br/>Oh and the way she shuddered.<br/><br/>Val knew the moment she overcame her shock--and arousal--she would turn around to hit him so he dashed out for real this time. The door shut quietly behind him.<br/><br/><br/>And so, Solara completed the ritual.<br/><br/>Outside the two sat in uninterrupted silence for several moments. He opened his mouth to speak. She immediately shut him down.<br/><br/>"Don't."<br/>"But I--"<br/>"<i>Don't</i>."<br/>"Fine, fine."<br/><br/>He couldn't help himself. He wouldn't drop it.<br/><br/>"...Did you finish?" He asked with a snicker befitting a manchild. Solara had enough and lunged at him, hands posed to wring his neck,<br/><br/>"Armagh!<i>That's. It! </i>C'mere!!"<br/><br/>She breathed fire and puffed smoke as she chased him off the ceremonial grounds. To no avail of course, but she did come dangerously close to burning him with her outbursts.<br/><br/>"You weren't even supposed to be. In. There." She seethed, every word ground out through her teeth punctuated with a flash of flame.<br/><br/>Val laughed as he ran, easily evading her wrath as he led them back to the inn for the night.<br/><br/>~~~<br/><i><br/>
"Oh So-lar-a.~" </i>The speedster sang as he waltzed into her room. The woman in question was seated on the inn floor, her legs folded in the lotus position with hands poised on either knee. She didn't even open her eyes. She knew the sound of his footsteps.<br/><br/>"What is it, flea?" Solara droned irritably; he was disrupting her daily meditation. After all, Agnis knows that the only reason he would get up at the crack of dawn would be to pester her. It made her wonder why she'd ever agreed to let him join her party; well, she might've wondered that if it had been a choice. There was a very good reason why she called him flea.<br/><br/><i><br/>
"Oh nothing.~"  </i>Val chimed, collapsing onto the bed he'd purchased with stolen coin. The inn was much more than Solara could afford on her stipend and both of them were tired of sleeping on the ground. Solara looked the other way and let him spoil them both. And after what happened in Vulcan, they made sure they stuck to small inns on the outskirts. "Just checking on you."<br/><br/>Nothing. It was never 'nothing' with Valen. She didn't have to look at him to know he was thinking of the day before.<br/><br/>Now, not only was she sexually frustrated but her companion was teasing her about it.<br/><br/>"You ready to head to hit Pyralis?" He asked in a no-less-taunting tone. Solara had to give him credit, though. At least he was focused on their quest.<br/><br/><br/>The "Amun figure" he joked about was supposed to be a part of the ritual. But, given she was in the mortal realm and Amun was still very much a god in the clouds, she had taken to her own devices to ensure the realm had sufficient water for crops.<br/><br/>And for a while, her version of the ritual sufficed. Rains came in her wake as Solara and her companion drifted from temple to temple, blessing the land. Fulfilling her duty and growing nearer to lifting the barrier of her mortality.<br/><br/>But of course, the fates were not satisfied with this accord. Agnimitra was slotted to be with Amun, whether earthbound or empyrean. Seeing that Amun could not be sent to Earth, and Agnimitra in the body of a mortal could not return to the heavens, the fates began plucking strings to make their own compromise.<br/><br/>Solara's mood soured as fewer and fewer rains fell and her heats grew more and more intense. It seemed as though the world could sense her frustration and grew arid in response. The world wasn't the only thing sensing her impending explosion.<br/><br/>Even Val had begun to tread carefully about the girl. Everything set her off. The woman had a short fuse but it was usually justified. Solara was many things, capricious was not one of them. If she was angry, there was always a reason.<br/><br/>What's more, she looked like she had an awful fever. Her skin gleamed with sweat, a sash of pink across the bridge of her tawny nose, and of course, her blonde brow was furrowed in discomfort. Val was really starting to worry.<br/><br/>"I need to visit the library of Pyra." She suddenly professed.<br/><br/>While Val was all for learning more about the quest he'd agreed to accompany her on, he got the feeling she wasn't telling him everything. Given how touchy she's been lately, he decided not to ask. Not yet, anyway.<br/><br/>"Lead the way, princess." He didn't argue. Instead, he trusted that all would be made clear in due time.<br/><br/>~~~<br/><br/>The Library of Pyra.<br/><br/>A great knowledge base situated in the midst of Tavora's desert.<br/><br/>Normally it would take days of travel through the unforgiving desert to get there. Fortunately, Solara knew the route well enough not to get lost and had memorized several oases enroute, while Val was the wind in their sails, making the great hike more of a skip.<br/><br/>The library itself was a great stone structure, towering in both directions, up into the sky and down into the ground. From the outset, there didn't appear to be an entrance way to the great spire. This too, was knowledge the would-be goddess received during her training. She felt along the tower base for a particular stone. When she found it, she pressed it further into the wall. A door rumbled open. Solara led Val inside, shutting the entrance behind her.<br/><br/>It was immediately cooler inside, something akin to a cave. The stones pulled cold air up from the depths of the sand and shielded them from the unforgiving sun outside.<br/><br/>Val heaved a sigh of relief and laid down on the cool stone tiles, letting them sap the warmth from his skin. Meanwhile, Solara went right to work, searching for something she would not tell him.<br/><br/><br/>After several hours of watching Solara pace up and down the aisles of the ancient athenaeum, he decided he'd had enough. The would-be goddess was going to stress herself into a mental breakdown and he didn't even know the cause behind it.<br/><br/>"Okay, you need to chill out."<br/><br/>Val then tapped each of her brass bracers, altering them so that they stuck together like opposing ends of a magnet. Solara's eyes snapped wide open in shock. Surprise became rage she tried to pry her wrists apart, to no avail. It had happened so fast, she didn't have time to react.<br/><br/>"What did you--Release me right now!"<br/>"Nuh-ah-ah. Not until you explain what has you so riled up."<br/><i>"Eat. Ash."</i><br/><br/>"Hmph," Val huffed, a touch of anger simmering within him before it dissolved into a sadistic grin. "Fine, have it your way."<br/><br/>As he passed he tapped her ankles as well, causing the metal bracers there to magnetize. Her legs snapped together and she collapsed in a heap, a growling, seething heap.<br/><br/><i>"Rah! I'll...I'll kill you! Let me goooo!" </i>Flames spat from her tongue as she sought to lash him with it. Writhing like a woman possessed, the brass cuffs glowed as she poured heat into the bracers; it was a rash attempt to get out of her bonds.<br/><br/><i>"Rrah! I swear to Agnis I will kill you when I get out of these!" </i>Of course, she only succeeded in burning herself with the scalding hot metal.<br/><br/>Val simply whisked himself across the room and waited for her to tire herself out. It wasn't the first time she had gotten like this, but this was the first time he had taken to such a drastic measure as restraining her.<br/><br/>"Well, it's quite vain to swear to yourself. D'you think you can keep that promise?" He admonished slyly.<br/><br/>Solara didn't dignify that with a response, not an intelligible one at least. Rather, the woman rolled and writhed and spat curses and shot bursts of fire that briefly lit up the cavernous space they inhabited. And just as he predicted, eventually she slumped, panting from her tantrum; she had essentially been fighting herself.<br/><br/>"Now then, ready to tell me what's been eating you?" He asked in a gentler, more solemn tone of voice.<br/><br/>"..." Solara didn't respond at first. Instead, she stared at the ground against her cheek.<br/><br/>"Solara, what's--"<br/><br/><i>"I can't tell you, okay?!" </i>She barked, unable to meet his eyes. Then her fire died down a touch, her body slouching against the cool earth. "I just...I just can't tell you."<br/><br/>"Why not?" He asked after great deliberation; he's getting a little exasperated. "I mean, if we're going to finish your little quest and set you back amongst the heavens, we need to fix this issue. And that starts with you telling me what's wrong."<br/><br/>Damn it, he was right.<br/><br/>She had to come clean. Piece by piece, she did.<br/><br/>"The ritual isn't working anymore…" She began with a despairing tone that put Val on edge.<br/>"The Tarsa knew why and I just wouldn't listen. That's why I came here, to check the manuscripts but of course, the sages were right, they're always right."<br/><br/>"Woah-woah-woah.<i>Why</i>isn't it working?" He tried to meet her eyes. She was staring in his direction with a far-away look, gazing through him.<br/><br/>Solara looked away again, this time speaking cryptically, "I didn't want to drag you any further into this."<br/><br/>"Solara, whatever it is, I need to know now."<br/><br/>"You're not even a descendant of Amun…" She mumbled.<br/><br/>"Solara…" He implored.<br/><br/>"But of course the oracle divines you're the next best thing. Blessed at birth by that damned wind demon..."<br/><br/>"Solara, focus! Please, just tell me!"<br/><br/>Then finally, an answer.<br/><br/>"To restore rain to the realm, you and I must…"<br/><br/>The silence that followed filled in more blanks than any of her previous blathering. So that's why she's been so cranky. With no Amun to extinguish her heat, eternal summer continued and scorched the earth. She'd only started these duties since her twenty-first birthday so this would be the first cycle, her first run of the realm since the goddess' death.<br/><br/>She didn't seem to be taking it well. And at such a hormonal time of her life, it was no wonder why. She didn't need the gods to amplify what was already there by nature; mortal impulses amplified by divine means, all bottled up in a prudish package. There was a simple solution. But he had a feeling it was one she wouldn't readily accept.<br/><br/>"Hmph," A smirk graced his devilish features. "Is that all?"<br/><br/>Again, she's shocked by his response. What did he mean, 'is that all?' This was no light task. But of course, he elaborated,<br/><br/>"I mean, Solara look at you. You're a literal goddess. I wish you'd spoken up sooner, this is such an easy fix--"<br/><br/>"No, you don't understand!" With an aggravated sigh, she cut him off. "You will be bound to me forever if we go through with this." Then her angry tone fell, breaking into the unease and anxiety behind it. "You will be my familiar. It's unfair to you. This is not a decision to take lightly. You will have more than just a bounty on your head..." That last phrase caught in her throat like a fish hook. She knew Alvmara would try to get to her through him but she hated the idea of living without him. Hell, she wasn't sure if she *could* do this without him now. Her last argument was null and she knew it. Alvmara already had Val's name etched in blood.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, Val was touched that she was so concerned for his free will and his say. If he were in her shoes, with the will of the very gods themselves at his back, he couldn't say he'd have done the same. The pros far outweighed the cons from his limited perspective. And even if he'd seen what she'd seen, he was too foolhardy to fear death.<br/><br/>"Hmm, that's a tough one. Let's see, I could spend the rest of my days tied to the most beautiful firebrand I've ever met as we run for our lives. Or. . ." She looked up at him expectantly, wondering what the other contingency was. "Or, spend the rest of my days tied to the most beautiful firebrand I've ever met. . ." He then proceeded to feign contemplation, scratching his chin as though both options weren't exactly the same. ". . .As we run for our lives."<br/><br/>"Nah, still don't see any cons." He shrugged.<br/><br/>Val could feel the heat radiating off the woman as she blushed and fought with some success to maintain her sober demeanor. That grin was damned infectious. Maybe he was a demigod after all with how stupidly charming he could be.<br/><br/>Still, she was surprised to find he was so devoted to her. It still bewildered her as to why he would do such a thing as follow her in the first place. She hardly compensated him for his troubles with anything more than her company. And even that was a stretch given their turbulent relationship. They were more like reluctant rivals forced to ally themselves to the same cause, not lovers. Maybe it was the excitement? That was the only explanation she could verify. Running for one's life was quite possibly the most exciting thing one could do. Maybe Val was just bored.<br/><br/>"Three days," She insisted, "Tell me you will think on it for three days before you decide. . . I know you do not think you will regret this but I still wonder. . ."<br/><br/>Val was silent for several moments as he looked the woman over. He was growing to hate that phrase.<br/><br/>His brow furrowed in apprehension; did she think she could last three more days in her current state? They could hardly make it through the city without Solara flying off the handle about some triviality. Even so, he was hard-pressed to deny such an earnest request.<br/><br/>"While I still don't see the need, I will honor your request and give it three days." He ceded with a sigh. He reached out to caress her cheek in a daring gesture; his hand was met with her over warm skin. She was burning up. Try as she might to resist her fate,--and his--to him, it appeared inevitable.<br/><br/>Val couldn't explain why he felt this way, just like he couldn't explain why he felt the way he did for her. After all, he was perhaps the biggest skeptic of the gods and their will in all of Azarin. That said, he couldn't deny this gut feeling; it was the same feeling he got when they'd met, even if she grated heavily on his nerves those first few days. If it was meant to be then it was meant to be. And this felt meant-to-be.<br/><br/>As he deliberated, he tapped once more on her binds and released the no-longer irate woman.<br/>"In return, you must promise me you'll take care of yourself and tell me when this burden becomes too much to bear."<br/><br/>With the magnetism gone, Solara rubbed her braces against one another again, marveling at their sudden lack of attraction; it had been so strong seconds ago. She nodded, rubbing her wrists to heal the burns she'd created when smelting the metal in her rage. "Very well." She accepted his stipulation.<br/><br/>How was it that such a profane man had been so favored to wield such powers? It was a wonder how he *wasn't* somehow a descendant of the gods. From the abilities to his manner to the markings on his chest which he insisted were tattoos from his early youth.<br/><br/>Val was orphaned as an infant. He thought his foster mother was a sorcerer and that his abilities were some unnatural hex, not some sacred benediction; the feathered runes across his chest were just testament to that fact in his eyes.<br/><br/>That a spinster would experiment on her own foster child wasn't so far fetched, but an empyrean instinct told Solara that wasn't the whole story. After all, she'd been brought into existence with her own markings. Solara wore bandages and brass braces on either arm to cover the golden runes that criss crossed her skin, marking her as a goddess incarnate. Aside from the Tarsa maidens, Val was the only person she trusted enough to let see them. Alvmara's pursuit was proof enough for her of their validity.<br/><br/>Solara believed his tattoos were the wings of Amun and that his speed was the result of his favor in the eyes of the tricky sky god.<br/><br/>His inexplicable attraction to her.<br/><br/>Her inability to push him away unlike countless others.<br/><br/>Not to mention his apparent immunity to Alvmara's control.<br/><br/>It would certainly explain a lot if he were under Amun's influence.<br/><br/><br/>Nevertheless, so went their agreement.<br/><br/>Three days.<br/><br/>Everything was fine on the first day.<br/><br/>Solara agreed to confine herself to Pyra's library so she wouldn't vent her frustrations on any innocent bystanders. Val went about gathering provisions and making her as comfortable as possible.<br/><br/>Well, that's how it went until her heat made like wildfire and spread to him.<br/><br/>On the morning of the second day, Val woke up hard as a stone…which wasn't entirely atypical for a healthy man his age. Still,<br/><br/>It wouldn't go down.<br/><br/>Not fully anyway. And he sure as hell wasn't satisfied with the adequacy of his own hand.<br/><br/>Val laid back down on his bed mat after a too-long trip outside to relieve himself. He stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought, frustrated,<br/><br/><i>Was this what Solara had been suffering for these last few weeks? This was unbearable!</i><br/><br/>The fates were getting impatient. Time ticked by at an agonizingly swift pace; on the one hand, there was but one day left before he would give his final decision, on the other, he would have to wait at minimum another<i>whole </i>day to get rid of his little problem. Well, it was quickly becoming a big problem.<br/><br/>Val peered over at his still-sleeping companion. The goddess lay sprawled out on the library floor in a mess of stray linen and straw bed mat.<br/><br/>She certainly had features that made her seem a little<i>more</i>than human. Tan skin and platinum hair so fair it seemed the goddess herself had stroked her hands through it. Her appearance almost made him believe the stories that she was a goddess incarnate. Well, almost as much as her pyrokinesis and deluge of evil stalkers.<br/><br/>And the fact that she was the only person to ever catch him.<br/><br/>And the fact that she was born on the very day the goddess perished, at least, according to the sages.<br/><br/>The more he thought about it, the less he doubted the prophecy, the less he doubted her.<br/><br/>Val quietly reached over to pluck one of the scrolls from the small mountain beside Solara. It was open, so he started reading where she left off.<br/><br/>As expected, it was the myth of Agnimitra and Amun, a story of how the sun and sky wed to create rain. And 'wed' was meant in the carnal sense; this was no chaste wedding.<br/><br/>Val's brows shot up as he poured over the worn inscriptions. Their language was antiquated and rough, but the meaning was still there. Besides, he had experience with the language of old playwrights; it was enough to let him understand what was written.<br/><br/>Laid bare was the ritualistic act that Agnimitra's incarnate had to perform to restore rain to the land of Azarin.<br/><br/>It was a literal Kama Sutra, a treatise on desire given global consequence.<br/><br/>Was everything in her religion this damn lewd?<br/><br/>Val covered his mouth with his hand as he kept reading, trying to contain the profanity brewing on his tongue. His fair skin grew ruddy as the stories of an incarnation passed became visions of himself and Solara. This was dirty even for him.<br/><br/>He felt like an animal in heat.<br/><br/>He wanted to rut.<br/><br/>'<i>Fuck.'</i>Val's inner voice swore as he dropped the dirty scroll and sprawled back across against his own bedroll. He wished he hadn't read that. As he turned his head, he noted the sunbeams had shifted, coming down to shine over Solara as she slept. Of course, she didn't shy away from the light. Her bronze skin looked so soft, like he could just reach out and touch--<br/><br/>Solara shifted in her sleep.<br/><br/>Val jumped and pulled his hand away.<br/><br/><br/>This was going to be an<i>ordeal</i>.<br/><br/><i><br/>
"Solara."*</i>A male voice bellowed.<br/><br/>Solara fought to stay asleep. But the voice persisted, female this time.<br/><br/><i>*Agni, can you hear us?"</i><br/><br/>Solara grunted, confused as she cracked her eyes open to see two figures looming over her.<br/><br/>She was dreaming again. This was another vision.<br/><br/>Why couldn't the other gods just stay out of her head?<br/><br/>The woman, completely dressed in green from head to toe, shook the poor mortal gently. She had a mother's manner. "<i>Wake up, Agnimitra. We need to speak with you."</i><br/><br/>"..?" Solara made an unintelligible sound as she realized just who was trying to commune with her in her dreams. Over the chaise she rested on stood the god and goddess of the mortal realm: Atam, the god of earth; and Avani, the goddess of life.<br/><br/>She was in the elysian gardens, a product of the earth gods' perfect union. Flowers of ever variety decorated the white marble platform and pillars that made up the garden center. The air was sweet. The sky was eternally in a state of pre-twilight; vibrant pinks and purples of early sunset splashed across the heavenly canvas. Dusk stars were beginning to glint and the moon occupied the same space as the sun. It would've been paradise if it weren't for the reason why she had been called there.<br/><br/>Before she could ask them what they wanted, the gods were on their knees and tugging at her ankles. So taken aback by their groveling, Solara nearly toppled off of the stone chaise.<br/><br/>In unison, the divine husband and wife chanted:<i>*O PLEASE make good with the god of the sky."</i><br/><br/>All at once, Solara wanted to be anywhere but here.<br/><i><br/>
"He's so upset, he's abandoned his duties! He won't let any rain fall in Azarin because it reminds him of you!" </i>Avani sobbed.<br/><br/><br/>"<i>He's making the highlands uninhabitable with his ceaseless hail and thunder!</i>" Atam stormed.<br/><br/><br/><i>"He's brewing massive storms to sink poor merchants at sea!"</i>Avani wept.<br/><br/><br/><i>"The people have abandoned their mines for fear of his sudden torrents of rain!" </i>Atam whined.<br/><br/><i>"Please, we beg of you your highness, put an end to his madness!"</i>They supplicated in concert, each god tugging at one heel. "<i>We can't take anymore!"</i><br/><br/>For a moment, all Solara could do was blink. Too bewildered to respond as of yet. In time, she found her tongue,<br/><br/>"E-Esteemed gods, I. . . What would you have me do? I'm mortal. Amun is sky bound--"<br/><br/>Immediately, Avani cut her off, shaking her head, "<i>His counterpart roams the earth."</i><br/><br/>Atam sternly concurred, "<i>The one you call Valen the swift has been touched by his influence."</i><br/><br/>So it was confirmed, then. Valen would suffice for the ritual. Solara groaned with unease. She felt herself turn a bit green. Looks like Val would be pulled into this whether he liked it or not.<br/><br/>Avani sympathized with the young incarnate's plight, "<i>We know it is not ideal, your highness,"</i><br/><br/>Atam nodded as well,<i>"But if you reconcile with your earthbound husband and return order to the skies, we can lend you our strength in the fight against Alvmara."<br/>
<br/>
"I can make it harder for her to possess the living,"</i>Avani announced.<br/><br/>No, stop talking.<br/><br/><i>*And I can make it harder for her to reanimate the dead." </i>Atam assured.<br/><br/>No, no, no! Didn't they know what they were doing?<br/><br/>This was an offer she could not refuse if she wanted to. It was bad enough putting off her union with Amun's stand-in had caused so much chaos in the living realm. Now she had reason to commune with him for more than just the sake of rain and a few crops.<br/><br/>Going through with this meant a major shift in tide in the fight for balance. Agnimitra was the force of order after all, and placating Amun's tricky tantrums would surely enough restore a vast amount of order.<br/><br/>Solara gripped her forehead as she felt her consciousness start to fade. She was waking up. As she returned to the real world, the voices of the gods echoed after her,<br/><br/><i>"Make haste, dear Agnimitra! Restore order to our realms!"</i><br/><br/><br/>She opened her eyes to Val shaking her. Apparently she had been tossing and mumbling in her sleep. He had assumed it was another nightmare and sought to console her. For once, she didn't take total comfort in his presence. His mere proximity was riling her up now that the goddess of life herself was backing their eventual coupling.<br/><br/>"Thanks Val, I. . .Just a bad dream. I. . . I need a bath and a long walk."<br/><br/>The thief nodded, noting the deeper flush in her tan skin. Concern colored his own features and pooled in his green eyes. Whatever was happening to them was getting worse with time.<br/><br/>Three days might've been too long to wait.<br/><br/><br/><br/><b>Character Notes</b><br/><br/>Valen (strong) "Val" Saya (swift)<br/>Nicknames: Val, speed demon, flea<br/>Age: 23<br/>Associated Elements: Electricity and Wind (Related to speed)<br/>Abilities: Super speed, blessed by Amun (unknowingly), can magnetize certain metals.<br/>Temperament: easygoing (except when it comes to Solara sometimes), playful, combative, heroic, self-sacrificing to a fault, STUBBORN, trickster, FLIRT, sometimes an idiot, eternal skeptic<br/>Occupation: Thief, Former Actor<br/><br/>Brief Backstory:<br/><br/>Val has the wings of Amun tattooed across his shoulders. Symbols of his ties to Amun who saved him at birth. He'd been abandoned by his parents in woods dedicated to the trickster god, and so the god took pity and lent him some of his power. He also saw to it that the infant Val was taken in by a wandering spinster. His last name was not traceable to any family so much as it was a descriptor of his power: Saya, swift. It fit him a little too well.<br/><br/>The woman would go on to give Val his feathery touch as a thief, skills he would use up until his bout as a traveling actor. When the actors broke up, he returned to thievery.<br/><br/>Solara (the sun) "Sol" Alvaro (guard of all)<br/>Nicknames: Sol, princess, firebrand<br/>Age: 21<br/>Element: Fire<br/>Abilities: Limited flight, spiritual divination, healing<br/>Temperament: Grave, diplomatic, feisty, somewhat easy to anger, dutiful, regimented, STUBBORN, quiet, introverted to a tee, vengeful (a goddess scorned), submissive (but she'll be damned if she admits it), sassy.<br/>Occupation: Priestess, Keeper of Ignis, Guardian of the Eternal Embers, Scholar, Traveler<br/><br/>Brief Backstory:<br/><br/>Her parentage is unknown. She was raised her entire life by the Tarsa maidens as she moved from temple to temple in her youth to learn the duties she started to fulfill on her twenty-first birthday. She was also trained to wield her fire powers since a very young age and is adept at combat.<br/><br/><i>The Pantheon</i><br/><br/>○ The Goddess Agnimitra - sun goddess, goddess of order, balance and growth. Warrior mother.<br/><br/>● The Goddess Alvmara - goddess of darkness, disorder, decay, and chaos<br/><br/>○ The God Amun - god of sky and wind and weather. Lover of Agnimitra every spring and fall. Known for his roaring (thunderous) laughter. Trickster. Temperamental.<br/><br/>□ The God Atam - god of earth and minerals.<br/><br/>□ The Goddess Avani - goddess of life, plants and animals.<br/><br/><b>[My Requirements]</b><br/><br/>((Whoo, if you made it through ALL that, then you are truly worthy.))<br/><br/>**Please be Descriptive.** I have a 8-10 line minimum range but I hate line requirements, and will not be strict about them; I prefer paragraphs (obviously). That said, if you are not descriptive enough, I reserve the right to abandon. I may also lose interest and I apologize ahead of time.<br/><br/>Grammar is appreciated. I'm no grammar police. Let's just say if I can't understand your response, I won't reply.<br/><br/>I'm not too picky about timing of replies. Daily would he nice but I can more than understand if sometimes you can't meet that.  I won't hunt you down for quick responses. I'm a quality over quantity type of girl.<br/><br/>Thank you so much for reading~! I hope you enjoyed it I will do reposts upon request.<br/><br/>//A few tags/ideas for continuing the story: NSFW!, LEMON, there may be an oasis/bath scene?, Solara will take some reassuring to finally give in, the earth gods are dirty bastards, whether or not they actually hold out until the third day before doing the deed is up to you, Val is quite a ways more experienced than Sol, that said, Sol is no newbie, it's just that fire powers scare most men away.<br/><br/><i>Let's have some fun~</i>