The day was dark and somewhat cloudy; and although it surely but a dampener on more than just Revanoci’s stringy black hair nothing could stop him from going on his current quest. He was currently walking amongst Vespora’s beautifully clean docks looking for a shining boat that would take him to a supposed Water Shrine! For a week the half-Elf had been garbed in a green shirt and brown trouser, forsaking his katana, throwing knives, katar, even the crimson sash he usually wore tight around his waist was placed carefully in the care of his apprentice assassin’s hands. All in an effort to use only a newfound power of his for protection…magic!

“Excuse me sailor!” He asked a rugged young man hauling in some rope from a small schooner, when he didn’t respond Revanoci feared the increased ocean winds had stolen the sound from the man’s ears, but just as he was to ask again the man responded. “But isn’t the transport to the Water Shrine supposed to be here?” The sea traveler looked to his left where Revanoci pointed toward an empty dock. When the sailor chuckled arrogantly at him the assassin’s nerves ran just a little shorter.
“Ya it is boy!” His voice ruff and salty like the seas he crossed. As he looked the sailor over for more details he realized that he had both the same stringy black hair and grey blue eyes, though was more built then him. “But looks like you missed it! Should you be even going on it!” he teased none too playfully. Apparently this one had a bully’s temper. With assured grace Revanoci covered the distance between the two and gave a very serious threat….
“Young man, I have been sailing since before your grandfather’s parents even wanted children!” He hoped the bluff would force him to back down, of course this all depended on him seeing that his ears where clearly not human…and not noticing they weren’t fully Elf either. Although he was half-Elf and was confident his father’s blood would keep him young for some time he wanted nothing to do with a foolhardy human who was actually about his own age. “So when will it be back!?!”
“I’d watch you tone if I were you old man!” The ruse had worked but now the sailor was angrier instead of humbler, he soon tried to grab Revanoci’s wrist; only to find a very chilling surprise. “AGGH!” he cringed as ice enveloped their hands. Allowing it to crakc under the pressure Revanoci hid the exhaustion of the technique as a once bull headed sailor flinched in shock.
“When does it come back!?!” Revanoci asked patiently. The Sailor told him what he needed to know and soon as the Water Shrines personal ship appeared over to the docks The fledging magic user boarded and debarked for what he hoped would be the place where he finally understood what he could do.

The white ship was truly magnificent, however he was more occupied meditating on deck then he was purveying the cruise. He hadn’t meditated in quite some time and now was a good opportunity to do so. Normally Revanoci would be reciting the chant his father taught him to use before battle, but this time he was using his own, self made version. One that still used the old language of his lands Elvish culture only more loose and versatile in nature. After reciting it her spoke it in English.
Din favors; Faith protects me, Love compels me.

Over and over again he spoke it until reaching his destination. He disembarked hurriedly but still somewhat in control of his excitement. The scenery was a big change for him. He had spent his life in woodlands and mountains. Only recently had he undertaken the task of sailing to DaeLuin in search of a new life. But still the magnificent blue temple captured his eye and was in every way what he had expected. Regardless it felt alien to him. And rather than approach the shrine he called out from the beach sand. He was unused to such a direct approach, normally he would be sneaking in. on top of that he had always done his best to avoid sacred places. “Hello!?!” disappear

It wasn’t often that the Avatar ventured out from the walls of the Shrine. Truthfully she had no time for it. Between her own child and the two children of the high priest of Darkness that she had been entrusted with, it left her little time for anything else. Her daughter, Aunrae, was still young and required much attention and caring for. The other two, Rei felt guilty about ever leaving. They had suffered the loss of their mother and now the near abandonment of their father. They were given as much time as Aunrae. Larren was troubled and often times she read him stories- happy stories- while Rowan was bright and cheerful and constantly wanted to play with dolls. Lately however, the sea dragon that always encircled the outside of her Shrine had been bringing a friend.

A six-headed friend at that. Thanien had made it a habit of venturing out away from the Shrine borders and bringing back a particular hydra, which he seemed to fancy. Rei knew, of course, she would eventually be housing this mighty beast and thus had already named it- Scatha. Until the hydra got used to presence of people, it would be unsafe to allow it on shore, so the Avatar would go out onto the beach and attempt to get the serpentine creature acclimated to people.

The sunlight glimmered off of the hydra’s swampy green and dusky gray scales. It looked terrifying enough with what appeared to be solid white orbs for eyes, pointed and snarling teeth, and sharply pointed maws. Though from what Rei had seen of the creature, it wasn’t malicious. For now it seemed only guarded and wary. It was likely the sea creature had a run in or two with sailors out at sea. Thanien’s long neck of aqua and green scaled lounged lazily on the shore, his burnt orange eyes watching the pair curiously.

Scatha extended out the neck of one of its heads towards her, eyeing her and taking in her scent before pulling back a few inches. It seemed a small sign of approval for the time being. But before much progress could be made, there was the distant and faint calling one a person from the front side of the beach. The hydra’s necks snapped towards it and an array of six hisses spat from the vicious maws. Thanien reared his head and snapped at the creature, beckoning them to go back out into the sea.

Rei blinked into existence several feet away from the man. It could be quite startling for a person to suddenly appear right before your face. The ethereal glow about her skin only seemed to intensify in the sunlight. Bright blue eyes watched him curiously and her hair shimmered as pure as freshly fallen snow. Deep blue silk robes drug in the sand as she took a few steps forward. “Well met and welcome to the Shrine of Water. How may I assist you?”

Standing there on the shores of this island was a very exciting experiencing for Revanoci. Ever since he had encountered Victoria Giles, a full blooded Elf who he had learned form that he was attuned to water, a far cry from his fathers violent fire and lightning elemental magic, he had done his best to use his powers. But it hadn’t been until his bathing had been disturbed that he had unleashed a ball of ice had he truly convinced himself that he needed to find the Water Avatar.

And so Revanoci had stood there waiting for some sort of sign that he should approach the shining Shrine when his loneliness was destroyed by a spontaneous appearance! “Well met and welcome to the Shrine of Water. How may I assist you?” a woman in blue robes had popped into existence without warning.

“Hello!” Revanoci replied on pure instinct as he swung his hand to his waist just as reflexively, only to remember his lack of weaponry. Of course lacking a weapon to defend himself should have been not a problem; this was said to be a place of peace but the multi headed hydra was definitely impeding his ability to relax. He certainly didn’t see her as a motherly figure, but she definitely exuded an aura of power and respect that reminded him of a matriarch. The newly appeared woman was strikingly beautiful, in that respectful way one admires an elder woman, like a mother; this helped him a lot to let go of his overwhelming desire to drop into a defensive position. Here was definitely not the place to show hostility regardless of how they approached.

“Are you the water Avatar?” The half-elf asked politely, recalling the descriptions he’d heard of the woman. “I’ve come here to understand my magic. I understand that your time is your own but I wish to learn from the source, per say…” After a short respectful bow he shuffled a little to keep himself from viewing the sea creatures that had sounded off in the distant shore. “I see you have a hydra!” the last comment acme more awkwardly, he had been told stories by the firelight of his homeland about the fearsome creature.

Though she had given it her best attempt not to startle the newcomer, it seemed she had anyway. The hello seemed almost an instant, knee-jerk reaction to hearing a greeting and it was blatantly obvious that his hand had jerked to his waist for something. From the look of him and the sense she had of his magic presence, he was far more a martial person than set in the magical world. Certainly the potential was there and within him laid the faint connection to water, but it was untapped. He didn’t know how to use this yet.

The half elf seemed to eye the hydra warily as even the roughest of sailors should. Rei took a glance over her shoulder to see the mighty beast disappearing into the deeps of the ocean alongside the sea dragon guardian of the Shrine. “Yes, I am the Avatar,” she replied softly, though her smile danced somewhere between welcome and amusement. “And I always teach anyone who is willing to learn and who asks. And you… you have an underlying connection with my element- something you have yet to learn how to use.”

The Avatar’s smile grew in its amusement as he remarked about her hydra in the most awkward fashion she could imagine. “Have? All of my creatures are companions. I certainly don’t own them. The hydra recently came here, following my sea dragon companion that is the guardian of this place.” Perhaps he was not from here and perhaps that was why he seemed so surprised and startled at the things around him. “But if the ways of water is what you wish to learn, these please come inside. Though this will detail far more than training in combat. Water speaks and it has purpose and desires. You will learn these things. Water is not always used for warring.”

Rei turned then and made her way up to the gleaming silver doors of the Shrine entrance. It had always been her opinion that water was the most powerful of the elements. There existed no fire that water could not put out, the chill of air strengthened it into another form, and it softened and eroded the earth. The Avatar also had learned that it was perhaps also the most flexible. It could be used for means of attack and means of war, but also for defense and it often played a deep part in the magics of healing. But it did not stop there. Water was a part of a person and it related to their emotions. It was why she could easily read the emotions of people as if they were colors plainly painted on their face.

She pushed open the doors, her hand sliding lazily over the silver rails of the bridge as they crossed. The waterfall concealing the door parted and they entered into the altar. The water that comprised the altar was the purest that had ever existed at any time. It shone with a clarity that could not be found anywhere else. Though it often changed shapes, for now it was transfixed in the position of the coiled up sea dragon. “The element’s presence is strongest here,” she explained, her eyes lingering lovingly on the altar. “Can you hear them as I do?”

Mentally he checked back on his statements after she talked of waters uses other then war. Normally someone had a right to speak of him using new knowledge for offensive tasks, but often because they either knew of his profession or he had slipped off a side comment concerning such matters. This time though he was sure he had seemed humble, and not interrogative as to how he could grow. But then he remembered what a young woman had once warned him while on his trek here to the Shrine, that Avatars and Deities could sense the emotions of people among other things! Of course he agreed with her on this, he wanted more than war; still it was a reminder of how much further he needed to go before he could say that assassination was no longer his life. He smiled a little hearing the very Avatar of his element acknowledge that he had magical potential, however faint and then lost the facial expression after hearing her explain his mistake about the sea creatures. He wondered how bad a mistake that was, but felt that she was like water and thus not so easily disturbed by a naïve mistake. I wonder if I’ll make any friends in the oceans or the seas…

Happily Revanoci followed the Avatar across the island and its view towards the door with runes glowing softly. On them was a script he barely read. Its text he thought was elvish looking, but not of the kind he had been raised on; apparently his and DaeLuin’s Elf languages had similarities as he discerned the meaning to be equivalently “Only patience in here.” He felt that it had a more poetic translation that eluded him but on seeing the doors open into a gigantic room he forgot all about writings! The silver railing was a masterpiece unto itself, but seeing the pool of water below gave him a surge of hope, surely this was a place to learn of his magic! In the depths of liquid he spotted many denizens of the deep and noticed one in particular, but before he could find its identity or why it attracted him he watched it swim off.

Crossing the bridge led to a beautiful waterfall that sent a memory of Adela into his mind, but he pushed that recollection out as quickly as it came, he didn’t need that thought in his head right now! Passing through the falls Revanoci wished he could have walked through it, imagining how it might have felt; but another door captured his gaze and then it opened into what had to be the Water Shire proper. When she asked if he heard anything a moment of panic reached him; but just for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and the image of the sea serpent, formed of water so uncontaminated by any other thing that it was the shrine itself remained etched in his vision, and every sense he had seemed to be magnified around it. With a feeling of elation he rarely felt voices of indistinguishable forms began to trickle into his mind.

Some were strong and roaring, yet nonviolent while others had the treble of a babbling brook. Most didn’t make any sense word wise but he accepted that; not everything needed words to make sense. Still a few spoke to him, cool and sparkling words swished around his mind, and in a way through his sense of hearing. Most spoke greetings and comforts, reminding him of what the Avatar had said and a few just seemed playful! “Yes, yes I can!” The half-Elf exclaimed gratefully opening his eyes to face the being he now followed.