Choices (sion AU, mature)

Kamini stretched and yawned, belatedly covering her mouth when she noticed the Head Priestess shoot her a glare. It was obvious she'd been up late. She didn't understand why she couldn't just fall asleep like the other initiates. It was like the full day of work and study just didn't tire her out as much as it did them. And then there were the stars. That multitude of lights shining down on her from the heavens. She could gaze at them forever. And, as she had last night, often times snuck out to climb the temple roof and sit on tiles to feel their light play on her face and skin. It danced, and tickled and tingled, and she could swear there was something they were trying to tell her.

"Kamini!"

She flinched at the whiplash in the Head Priestess' voice, "Yes, N'Torl'n?"

"See me after class."

A short while later, after the 3 other initiates left the study room for their duties, Kamini found herself standing alone with N'Torl'n. The head priestess was a stern woman, past her beauty's first bloom, but she'd aged well and knew a few tricks. She was the one who'd found Kamini, alone and crying on the street as a child. Kamini kept her silver eyes downcast.

"Pay heed to your instruction, Kamini. As much promise as you show, you are trying my patience. One cannot be constantly distracted and still serve as a priestess of the lady N'Ioli." She gave a kind smile, "My dear, you simply must stop your nightly jaunts. You're tired and it's unbecoming."

Kamini bit the side of her cheek to keep the tears she felt from falling free. It was impossible. Not visit the stars whom guided her or not become the priestess she'd trained to be? How could she betray one part of herself for the other? "I...yes, N'Torl'n."

Kamini was still pondering this later that day as she swept the marble floor of the temple proper. Carefully avoiding a standing candleabra, she didn't notice as she bumped into a patron. "Oh gosh! I'm sorry to disturb you."

It had been some time since Emanulle had ended up in this world, but he hadn't been able to tell much about it. The only thing he knew for sure was the fact it was a slowly developing realm. The techology was far behind his home, or even the earth realm at the current time so he decided to keep a low profile as he often did in such places.

The Arkon had found out a bit of information in his time here. Gods and other such beings seemed to exist here in reality, that wasn't unheard of from where he came from. In the Earth Realm espeically, Gods still walked among the earth as mortals did. He hadn't heard too much about his kind, then again he preferred his actual race name Arkon then 'demon'. All too often, people forgot that demon and angel was merely a race catergory, nothing more. It was similar to calling someone an alien; it told you a classifcation but nothing more.

Emanulle found a village to stay at, mostly living in a very quite home he had got some earned money from during his travels. For the most part, he earned his keep here by teaching various things, the village didn't really have much of those here. But having nothing to do for the day, he headed to the temple finding his thirst for more knowledge get in the way.

It wasn't too long before someone bumped into him; a very beautiful young woman; supernaturally so. "It's all right, I should have been paying more attention to where I was going." He said politely. The scent and her apperance..she had to have some divine blood in her viens. He was certain, he had been around it enough.

Kamini's looks made her stand out in the village, with pale skin, white hair and silver eyes, she was easily spotted from the villagers who were predominantly found in shades of brunette. The temple was to N'Ioli, the local's goddess of love. While the priestesses wore passionate pinks, Kamini's buxom figure put them to shame in her initiate's virginal white silk gown. The slinky thing clung to all of her curves.

She blushed a little when she noted how handsome the man was who she'd bumped into. He seemed...different. "Are...are you new to the village?" She blinked, "I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name's Kamini, I'm an initiate here at the temple of N'Ioli."

Emanulle nodded. "Yes. I've only been here for about a week at the most. My name is Emanulle Santos I'm.." He thought. "..You consider me a traveling scholar of sorts." He couldn't quite say he was a former prince from another realm; it wasn't as if he had any proof of that and he disliked bringing up his status. That and he doubted something like that was widely known, but he had only been here for a short time.

"I just wanted to learn a bit more about the temple. I was curious, so I decided to come here myslelf."

"It's nice to meet you," Kamini smiled, "I can tell you about the temple, if you don't mind speaking with an initiate. I can ask if a priestess would speak with you, if you'd like." She set her broom aside and looked about the main temple chamber. A couple of priestess' in their more revealing pink gowns were speaking with other parishioners near the altar. The room itself wasn't overly large, but was definitely finely crafted. The floors were rosy marble, with matching pillars around which gauzy fabrics in reds, pinks, and white were strewn. To the side walls were candleabras for light, and seating areas created with piles of lush pillows. The altar itself was a magnificent pearly marble table, with a statue of an impossibly beautiful woman clothed in a sheer dress. She stood in a sultry pose, smiling at the people kneeling before her.

Emanulle was curious about a few things. He was never really a religious man but he had encountered gods and other 'higher beings' before back in his home realm so he knew to an extent other things were out there. At the same time he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to follow a religion, his mind simply wasn't geared for it.

"No, I don't mind you telling me a bit about this place." He said to her, smiling slightly. "Besides, it would be good practice, wouldn't it?"

The girl's smile brightened, "Yes, it would definitely be good practice, thank you. This is the Temple of the Lady N'Ioli, our goddess of love. She is patron of all love, be it for friend, family member or lover. Here the priestesses provide counseling for worshippers, perform rites of marriage, and strive to share N'Ioli's love with those who seek it." She gestured to the front, "Priestesses wear pink to show their rank, while initiates like me wear the white and the high priestess wears red. If anyone has need for a demonstration of N'Ioli's love, they can speak with one in pink and when they come to a suitable time arrangement, they proceed to one of the back rooms," she gestured to three sets of red curtains in the back wall.

'..Interesting.' Deities controlling or influencing certain aspects weren't anything new, though he did worry sometimes about beings having Too much control. "So is there any other gods around here that are taught about? I come from..a place very far away so my knowledge of such things here are limited."

"Oh my, yes. There's Roshun, God of Storms; Hesperos, God of the Stars; Giviol, Goddess of Battle," she smirked, "although I think since you're a scholar I think you'd like Knossis, Goddess of Knowledge. There are a lot of gods, but this is the only temple in the village. The next closest temple would be...in Apple Blossom Village. It's for Roshun. Are there many gods where you come from?"

Emanulle thought about it, and nodded. "There is. There's the Trinity Goddesses who are powerful and guard earth, their home from different beings. Nao is the Goddess of life, Mori the Goddess of death and Reinforce, the strongest of them the Goddess of Destruction. Her power is more geared towards fighting then any of the others, I suppose more for the protection of the people there."

Kamini listened intently, always eager to learn about far off places. "Strange, that destruction would be strongest. Here, N'Ioli is one of the most powerful, for doesn't love and life always find a way to win over strife?" She smiled, and if her words sounded naive, at least they were honest to her beliefs. The initiate walked towards a mural set in the wall, her hips swaying as she looked back towards the stranger. "This depicts our lady in the Epic of the 3rd Era, when she caused Knossis and Givioli to lay together to bring an end to the war between the ancients." Indeed, the delicately tiled mural showed the same goddess as the statue in the temple, looking down on the two other goddess' as their bodies twined in ecstasy.

Emanulle tried not to get..too distracted by Kamini, the hip swaying didn't really help. He liked to consider himself a gentleman but he was still a man with certain thoughts and feelings. That and there was just something about her.

"Rein isn't evil, or Mori. Some people would think a Goddess of death would be but that's not the case. It's just a natural part of things. Some immortal beings actually go to her because they're tired of living. I don't think I would want to be immortal myself.." He trailed of thinking. "..What are the ancients?" The art was a bit more intimate then he was used to, but nothing he hadn't seen before.

Kamini pondered what Emanulle said, and brushed his arm with her small hand, "Here, it is Tcholi, the Bone Mother, who takes you to her breast when you pass, letting your spirit rejoin the wheel. She is patient and kind, I'm sorry if you mistook what I said for meaning death is evil." She smiled and gazed at the mural again, "The ancients are the first people, our ancestors whom were lucky enough to have the deities walk beside them."

Emanulle felt a pleasant warm feeling at the slight touch, but tried to ignore it for now. "It's fine. Your patheon sounds very interesting. And from what you just said it doesn't seem as if the gods walk too often among the people anymore. Back on earth, my second home, there are still many who d o. However, they're hidden and keep a low profile. Yo could pass them by and wouldn't even know. Perhaps its the same here?"

"Either way.." He paused a second longer. "I think if you don't mind I would like to visit you again after this maybe tomorrow. I don't have too many friends so far in the village."

Kamini smiled, "I would like that, Emanulle. I have my lessons in the morning, but I shall be here caring for the Temple in the afternoon." She frowned a little, not liking what he said about not having many friends as of yet in her village. "I hear the Inn is popular in the evenings, there are bards and storytellers, you may find more people to converse with there as well."

Emanulle didn't have any problems with that and nodded. "I see. I'll keep that in mind for the next time. Is there anything I could help you with at the moment? Or a bit more to the tour?"

Kamini gave a sad little smile, "I'm afraid I must continue with my chores. But I look forward to seeing you tomorrow." She rose on tip-toe to kiss his cheek, "May N'Ioli's love light your heart, Emanulle." With that the initiate was gone sweeping more of the temple floors.

Kamini didn't get to bed until well after the three other initiates. She'd had to study to make up for the nap she'd taken during their lessons today. Even with that, she'd only slept for an hour before waking again. The starlight shone through the initiate's dorm window. She gazed at the patterns it created through the frosted glass. Unable to stay away, Kamini silently donned her gown and left the room.

Usually the stars' song would just draw her up onto the rooftiles of the temple, but not tonight. She followed it through the village, clear to other side and into the woods before stopping at a ledge overlooking the sea. Kamini sat on a fallen log, closing her eyes as she let the starlight dance on her skin.

Emanulle found himself unable to completely sleep. After wandering around the village for a bit, he had stayed at the tavern. The company was generally pleasant and the conversation more so. While the former prince had no desire for alcohol, they had a variety of other drinks for him to enjoy. Some of the women there glanced at him from time to time. He had an idea, but didn't pursue it.

Some time later, he decided he had enough of the tavern and gave a polite goodbye to some of the new friends he had made. While he traveled around the village, he noticed Kamini. She was watching the ocean as moonlight seemed to make her form almost glow. He always knew she was very attractive since they first met, but something about how the moonlight..

"It's beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Emanulle said, as he went to find him some place to sit nearby.

"Oh yes," Kamini smiled, turning her face to look at Emanulle as he sat nearby. He seemed even more handsome than before, with the moon's light on his dark hair and eyes. "I like the starlight, sometimes if I concentrate I think I can hear them singing to me." She frowned a little, "That does sound a little strange, doesn't it?" She sighed, shifting on the log and adjusting the skirts of her white gown.

"Are you enjoying the village so far?"

Emanulle smiled softly. "I'm actually enjoying it. I went to the tavern and interacted with more of the people there. They're interesting. Most of the people of this village seem human, but you see a few others here and there. I like learning about the history. And no, I don't find that strange at all. There are people with even more exotic gifts they don't understand. It may be nothing but wouldn't surprise me in this case."

Kamini's silver eyes stayed on the starscape far above as Emanulle spoke. "I'm glad you like it here," She rose and moved to sit next to him on the grass. Maybe after what he said, about her not being so strange, maybe she could trust him enough to share more. "Ever since I was a child, I've been this way. Sneaking out at night to watch the stars. To feel their light dance on my skin," she held out her arms to the sky almost in supplication and indeed one with supernatural eyes would see the star's light practically dancing on her, making her almost glow.

She dropped her arms, instead holding them in her lap. "It gets me into trouble with my studies because then I don't get enough sleep. But I just...can't help it." Kamini smiled shyly, wisps of her hair blowing in her face from the night wind.

Emanulle didn't believe in love at first sight or anything of that nature. In his opinion, you couldn't love someone you didn't know. Emanulle however wouldn't deny that some people just had chemistry and were drawn to each other. It was this way with Kamini. Besides just being very attractive, he was drawn to her in some other way he couldn't understand.

He also didn't get why his instincts started to act up around her.

Focusing on the present, he gave the half-goddess a warm smile. "I understand. I myself am different. I'm from a race called 'Arkon.' It just means just that. You're different. Nothing wrong with that. I have a few abilities because of what I am, such as the ability to manipulate energy."

"I've never heard of the Arkon race. But, I suppose their from that other realm you spoke of. I...don't really know what I am. The Head Priestess found me, running through the village. A dirty little orphan girl, that was me," Kamini shrugged, "And now I'm an initiate of the Temple. Although," she smiled again, "I become one of the priestesses in a week--provided I pass the exams and then...then there's the actual ceremony." She bit her lip, blushing.

"It is. I haven't encountered any of my kind here. Humans, elves..dragons and a few others." All and all, it seemed like a standard fantasy-like world that he was on but he had yet to get the name of this place. But then again, since it wasn't a really developed country, must wouldn't know they were sitting on a planet exactly which meant there wasn't yet a offical name of this place. He'd have to ask.

Her last reaction was curious. Particularly the blushing. "What happens there?"

Kamini blushed a little deeper, ducking her face so it was hidden by her snowy hair. Then she finally looked up again, a little calmer, and tucked her hair behind her ears before she turned back to Emanulle. Her silver eyes caught his, "Emanulle, would you...would you kiss me?"