Snowfire
2014-11-19, 07:56 PM
Sucheta had never visited the heart of the Radurjic faith before, in fact few Raaneki ever did except for those that joined the monasteries. Most, whilst they supported the religion, preferred to stay within their home nation. The outside world, for all that much of it was welcoming, was also a strange place, and not all of its nations were accepting of the peculiarities of the Painted Diarchy's culture. More, why would you ever want to leave? There was little that the prosperous nation did not have already, and even less that its people would desire. But Sucheta was not wholly a product of Raaneka, something she knew well, and the years of her rulership so far had left their mark as she grew from an exuberant teenager into an equally exuberant young woman. And a mark, or the feeling of it, was what had led her onto the road to Miji Mkuu.
It had been more complicated than she had imagined, but she had the Council's trust and they had hers, so it was less of a difficulty perhaps then many other rulers might have found it. Yet as she moved day by day closer to the Radurja's heart,, and moved swiftly, for the Nadanada was an excellent waterway, she found that the feeling that had prompted her decision to undertake the pilgrimage grew steadily stronger. In her dreams the last few days before reaching Miji Mkuu, she began to see black behind the fins that she kept wrapped around her arms, instead of pale bronze that she knew should be there. She'd visited the holy library in Avaya, read the Illuminated texts that recorded her families history, yet it had only given more questions. She'd even delved deep into the fragmentary journals left behind by her predecessors, searching for...something.
Yet nothing had materialised out of those records, even the miraculous illusion histories of Illuminations had left her almost aimless.
She knew herself, and because of that she knew her actions at the Coronation had not been like her. The her that she knew could not have spoken so coldly and without consideration, even in the knowledge that it was needed. It just hadn't been in her. She wasn't really sure that it was even now. Yet she knew the doctrine of her faith, and the weight of possibility - and the black that she still remembered from that day almost ten years ago, in a hall full of smoke and death - had led her to this place.
She arrived as any other pilgrim, dressed in simple clothing - the only difference being its quality - and walked slowly down main street of the city towards Unification Square, where she knew the great temple lay. She took her time even then, almost as if she didn't want to take the final steps that brought her across the threshold of the temple. But she did it in the end, passing through the vast square - a smile flickering upon her face at the sight of the vast spire of Raaneki sandstone towering fit to compete with the vast trees around her. It was a welcome sight, the familiar stones centering her as she crossed to the great temple. For all that she was dressed as a pilgrim, it was easy to identify her if one looked - the fins curled around her forearms gave it away - and she knew that she was expected.
It had been more complicated than she had imagined, but she had the Council's trust and they had hers, so it was less of a difficulty perhaps then many other rulers might have found it. Yet as she moved day by day closer to the Radurja's heart,, and moved swiftly, for the Nadanada was an excellent waterway, she found that the feeling that had prompted her decision to undertake the pilgrimage grew steadily stronger. In her dreams the last few days before reaching Miji Mkuu, she began to see black behind the fins that she kept wrapped around her arms, instead of pale bronze that she knew should be there. She'd visited the holy library in Avaya, read the Illuminated texts that recorded her families history, yet it had only given more questions. She'd even delved deep into the fragmentary journals left behind by her predecessors, searching for...something.
Yet nothing had materialised out of those records, even the miraculous illusion histories of Illuminations had left her almost aimless.
She knew herself, and because of that she knew her actions at the Coronation had not been like her. The her that she knew could not have spoken so coldly and without consideration, even in the knowledge that it was needed. It just hadn't been in her. She wasn't really sure that it was even now. Yet she knew the doctrine of her faith, and the weight of possibility - and the black that she still remembered from that day almost ten years ago, in a hall full of smoke and death - had led her to this place.
She arrived as any other pilgrim, dressed in simple clothing - the only difference being its quality - and walked slowly down main street of the city towards Unification Square, where she knew the great temple lay. She took her time even then, almost as if she didn't want to take the final steps that brought her across the threshold of the temple. But she did it in the end, passing through the vast square - a smile flickering upon her face at the sight of the vast spire of Raaneki sandstone towering fit to compete with the vast trees around her. It was a welcome sight, the familiar stones centering her as she crossed to the great temple. For all that she was dressed as a pilgrim, it was easy to identify her if one looked - the fins curled around her forearms gave it away - and she knew that she was expected.