Tessera 26, 81383

Private for Lycanscar.

**

Koani sat up quickly and immediately felt a sharp pain jolt through her body. It started somewhere around her right wrist and travelled all the way up her arm in lightning fashion. For a moment she forgot where she was and panic settled in. It was dark and she was alone in a strange place. Koani stumbled to her feet and it was in that moment that everything started coming back to her. The Grader cradled her right wrist as best as she could. She could feel the splint that held her wrist firmly in place. She had been injured – but not badly. It was only a small fracture. However, with the current ban on all magic, it would have to heal on its own. The world was in chaos and the government was doing their best to try and hold everything together. Koani glanced at the clock at her bed side. It showed her the time in its dark red display: 4:13 am. She might as well just get up. There were plenty of things to be done.

With her hair tied up neatly – she had cut several lengths off of it in order to make it more manageable – Koani stepped out into the cold morning air. Her fur was still damp from her shower, but she welcomed the cold. It was nice to feel and made her long for Ajita. It would be a long time before she could go back home. The clean up crews were working day and night in order to clean up the rubble. The Grader Manor itself hadn't been too badly damaged – it being built on an extremely solid foundation – but others weren't so lucky.

When Koani arrived at the Council's operation base in Mansukh, she was not surprised to come across a crew of pendragons who had been working there throughout the night. Sometimes Koani spent the night there with them, going over plans and assisting in issuing commands. Last night though, she had wanted to be alone. No one had found her right hand man, Vythe yet. Koani knew that Vythe had been on Ajita when the massive floating island had been ravaged by earthquakes on the 12th. Many had died. Being a realist, she imagined that it would only take time before his lifeless body was dragged out from amongst all the wreckage.

"Ms. Grader'ba! Morning!" It was Szambel, one of Koani's personal guards who greeted her.

"Hi 'Bel. Shouldn't you be at home with your new hatchling?" Koani asked as she approached.

"No Ma'am, thought I'd help out here for a bit. Any word from Vythe yet?" Szambel asked, his eyes hopeful.

Koani shook her head sullenly and then shrugged her shoulders. "I think if he were alive, he would have contacted us already. It's already been 14 pui since the disaster... Besides, we have bigger things to worry about."

Iro yawned tiredly as he traveled towards his destination around 4:12 or 4:13 am. This was all fast and chaotic as the world was in complete havoc. The aura around the world told him about this rampage on the planet of its suffering. His white velvet trench coat with a red inside swayed along with the wind as Iro walked to the Mansukh to the Council operation base to give his report to Koani Grader, his boss. This was his first time being here, but he knew what he was here for and that was to deliver the report and get his new task. It would have been easier if he just sent a message about the report through some fancy communication device, but no, all those systems are down from whatever this chaos is.

Once he arrived at the entrance to this place, the security checked Iro over twice. They took his rod that turns into a quarterstaff by the push of a single button and led him inside to see someone who was in charge of the facility or a higher up like a council member or something. Iro followed as he took his hand and brushed across his messy white hair as they approached someone. He noticed the aura was indigo and was shaped like Koani, which surprised him to meet her straight away like this. The guards stood and waited for the arden and Koani finish their conversation before saying anything. “Grader’ba. Someone is here claiming they have business with you.”

Iro stood there with his hand up doing a small wave at her as the security mentioned him.

Szambel eyed Koani silently. He knew that she had a relationship of some sort with Vythe. He just didn't know how far it went, or just how serious it was. Both Koani and Vythe kept rather tight lipped about each other (except for whenever Vythe was angry about some decision Koani had made). "Well, I'm sure that he'll show up eventually."

"Yeah, in a body bag," Koani muttered under her breath so that Szambel couldn't hear her. It was then that she noticed the security personnel standing in the corridor. They ran regular patrols at all hours of the day and night, so Koani wasn't at all surprised to seem them. By the looks on their faces though, they were waiting for her. When Koani made eye contact with the guard nearest to her, he spoke up. "Grader’ba. Someone is here claiming they have business with you."

Koani tilted her head and looked past the guard. They were in fact escorting someone, and Koani recognized his face immediately. "Iro Blindhan," she nodded. "Yes, he does have business here... although early. I wasn't expecting anyone at this ghastly hour. Shumc iyo for bringing him to me. The two of you may go back to your stations now. He's trusted." The Grader said as she made a shooing motion toward the guards.

"I hope they didn't give you too much trouble Mr. Blindhan, but you know how it is."

Iro smiled at Koani when she looked at him. He also bowed his head lower to her in the honor of respect to a higher up, especially when she called his name to acknowledge him on his arrival and business. As the guards started to walk away, he caught the arm of the security arden that held his weapon. “Weapon, glauta.” The blue arden asked as the guard looked at Koani before handing his enclosed quarterstaff to him.

Slowly he moved over to be right next to Ms. Grader as she spoke to him kindly just after shooing the two ardens away. She was basically apologizing to him on how things were, but also told that it was necessary in these conditions. All Iro did was nod to an agreement in what she told him as he pulled out the report from his last mission and handed toward. “That is the report on Ajita and Bhim, like you requested Grader’ba.” He mentioned about the file he was hand her.

His blind eyes glanced around the place seeing the fornima history of the place they were at. He knew full well that the use of fornima or magicka was forbidden, but his inner sight was more than that, it was a way for Iro to see, but yet he was still extra careful on those who know or saw him use such a trait. Turning his gaze onto Koani once again, he noticed the empty void in her heart and side of Vythe missing. “How are you holding out, Ms. Grader’ba?” He questioned in concern as he cared for this thill from both her being a leader and friend.

"Shumc iyo," Koani said as she took the report from Iro. She absolutely hated how the ban on magic had affected her job. It was an unfortunate, but necessary precaution though. It was amusing just how reliant they as a planet had become on Fronima. Now that so many things had come screeching to a stand-still, it gave you time to think. Ramath-lehi's reliance on Fronima was a definite weakness. It was a luxury that so many had grown used to having. Even Koani was at fault for using it for trivial things (like drying her hair, masking her presence, or persuasion...).

"I assume you mean how I'm holding out personally?" Koani queried quietly. Without her mask of magicka which she used to wear like a second skin, she was slowly finding out that others were being able to read her more easily. As a Grader, the touch of Fronima was as natural as breathing to her. Without magic at her fingertips, she felt rather powerless. Still, she was striving forward. It was the only thing that she knew how to do. "Certainly I've seen brighter days. Certainly Ramath-lehi has seen brighter. Things have been... odd, to say the least. My sister-in-law collapsed in a dead faint, only to be spirited up by some creature in her sleep. No leads on her whereabouts.

Vythe, as you've probably heard, has been missing since the earthquakes ravaged Ajita. He was last seen on Ajita... so as you can probably imagine, he's most likely a statistic now. Other than that... ah, my son is faring well.

These are all but trivial things though when you think of all the work that must be done. The lives of the many... outweigh the needs of one. What about you? Have you been finding it difficult to use your sight?" She asked as she placed Iro's report down on her make-shift desk that was already piled high with papers.

“Iyo’ja falkyna” Iro replied in return to her thanks when she took the paperwork from him. It was true that this world relied on fronima and magicka a lot, but there were those who did. However Iro with his condition relied on fronima in order to see the world through his defaulted eyes. He is blind by natural sight, so he had to train in the ways to see without using his eyes, but unfortunately that required the use of fronima. It was rather difficult for one to live away from and two to hide from officials who sole purpose is to bring those whom use fronima and/or magicka in for questioning and be dealt with.

His sight was locked on Koani’s face as she explained her personal well being of these troubling times. Even without the paint aura on her face of her expressions told him she was troubled and concerned and a little more. Iro heard about the incident in Ajita and about Vythe, which kind sad since Iro sort of bounded as a friend to Vythe as he worked for Ms. Grader’ba, but right now he had to stay strong for the future instead dwelling on events that happened. He should have guessed she would ask him, since the world sometimes just works like that; a question for a question, an answer for an answer. The world seemed almost poetic with this system of life.

Iro shook his head of his train of thought and looked at her. “Me? Well, like you I seen better days. I’ve seen people die before, but yet it still a ghastly feeling to see those who don’t deserve their fates. And of course I’m still single.” Iro mention in a little bit of a joking tone before continuing his statement. “As for my sight… well, it has been hard to hide as you could say. As you already know, I trained my eyes to be linked to the world and life of fronima so I can see. Without it then I probably am no good to you as an employee.” He stated once they arrived to what looked to be her office or work area.

Slowly Iro took a seat in a wooden chair that was into front of her desk as she placed his report down onto it. Watching her curiously and wondering what sort of job or task she would have in store for him now or were they just going to have a good time with one another before then. Either way, Iro was fine with getting to know Koani more as she found out more about him.

Koani nodded and masked a yawn with her left hand before wiping her eyes. The dull ache in her left arm was back. She'd been putting too much strain on her left arm as of late, and with her right wrist out of commission, it made getting work done in a timely manner difficult. Specially now that so many things required signatures and printed instructions.

When Iro took a seat, Koani was secretly glad. Iro had to be at least a good two feet taller than her – and Koani didn't exactly consider herself as being short. Over a long period of time, she imagined that he could put quite the strain on one's neck. Koani pulled her long aqua coloured tail to the side and perched unconventionally on the corner of her desk instead of seating herself on the chair behind it. A few of her papers toppled off of their piles, but all of them remained contained on the desk top.

"Dying, even violently, is a natural thing. We're on this planet to live, and if there was no death, what would be the point of living? I never was a soldier, but I've still witnessed my fair share of deaths. There are times even... when death is the only kind thing that you can give to someone." Koani smiled wanly. "Still single here as well, but you have your youth, Mr. Blindhan. Don't get consumed by your work, and I'm sure you'll be just fine. Hm. Truthfully, I've wondered about your sight. Have you noticed the fluctuations in Fronima first hand? Any disruptions? Or have you been able to maintain a steady stream without any hiccoughs?"

Iro gave a sly smirk at her when he saw her hiding her yawn and wiping her eyes from her tired tears. Noticing her right hand being in encase made him wondered what happen to her while he was away on his task. He should ask later when she wasn’t in much of a tired and weak state, but then again that wasn’t the point. Koani was stronger than anyone Iro have ever met. Always wondering how she could be herself and maintain the order with such pressure on her shoulders.

When his eyes glance at her and seeing a fluctuation in her fronima that revealed she was happy about something. Curious on why she was happy about during this time. Seeing the papers toppled over, he moved and fixed up the stacks for her despite if it was an order or a request or not; he was just kind to help anyone and was willing to do anything for someone who was in need. Iro gave her a toothy smiled before sitting back down after he arranged her stacks back up. Nodding to what she said about death and all made him look away with a nod at the words she said. He listened to her comments about him and questions on his sight of fronima.

“I have been able to maintain my sight to see the world, but to read it is difficult, but yes I have seen disruptions and fluctuations. A little here and there, but the greats was in the hotspots.” Iro muttered looking down at the floor before looking to her. “Koani, may I ask how’d you got your hand in that situation?”

Koani thanked Iro with a bright smile as he righted her stacks of papers. No amount of sorting would be able to untangle the mess that was growing a life of its own on her desk. She wondered when it would be leaving home and she would have to fork over khasi for its tuition. Soon. Hopefully soon. Despite this monstrous beast of a work load, Koani was grateful. It was a small gesture that she greatly appreciated.

"Well," Koani began slowly and then paused. Szambel had caught her gaze. She hadn't even told him what had happened fully. She had glossed over the truth, just as she was about to do again with Iro. "It's just my right wrist actually. A small fracture, nothing serious." The Grader said as she gently cradled her wrist in her left hand. "With Vythe gone, I suppose there's been a bit of a gap with security. It's strange getting used to working without him, but we're managing."

"I keep on wondering about the state of Fronima though. You notice the disruptions. I can feel them. I know that others can too. I have to admit, it's got me rather worried and so many lives have been lost because of it. Sometimes I wonder if we rely too much on it, but without Fronima, what would we be?"

Iro bowed his head in acceptance to her thankful smile. His white eyes glance at Koani little worried about her when she told him about her. Her aura fluctuated a bit, which told him she told him just her feeling and condition of her wrist. However Iro respected Koani and just nodded to what she said to him. Watching her as she cradled her wrist made him kind of smiled, but his grin turned upside-down when she told him about Vythe being gone and they were managing without him.

Her next statement made him worry more than usual. The condition of the world was worst than anyone could ever foreseen. Then came her comment on them relying on fronima too much, that may be true, but it was their life force practically. When she asked him the question about them being better without it got him to think more than usual about this stuff. His answer always came as the same. “I do believe we rely on Fronima too much, but we have too. It is the very essence of us being us. Without Fronima, we’ll be a culture without a spiritual world, or just life itself. It’s one of the many advantages and disadvantages of being a Ramathian.” Iro replied looking into her eyes.