Private Of Salt and Silence

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The morning mountain air on Tython was cool and clean, laced with pine resin and the distant hush of falling water. The sky above was pale with cloudlight, and the wind passed softly through the crags like a living breath — not in a rush, not in warning, but as if simply being, and that was enough.

Issar Rae’Velis moved as though the stone knew him. His long, serpentine body coiled over rocks with an almost lazy grace, arms steady as they pulled him forward along narrow ledges, across jagged inclines. Despite his towering frame and alien form, there was nothing cumbersome in his motion. He climbed in silence, in rhythm, in ceremony — limbs working like flowing ink, never clumsy, never abrupt.

This part of the journey was meant to burn the outer noise — to fill the muscles with ache, the lungs with silence, the mind with space. One did not descend into shadow without first shedding distraction.

They had been walking since dawn, almost exclusively in silence. Now, as the sun reached its apex, they crested a rise where the mountain briefly opened to a flat expanse of weathered stone and low grass. A lone tree stood nearby — old and wind-beaten, its roots cracking through the rock like veins.

Issar slowed. He let Reina catch up. Then he turned his gaze out over the valley below, arms folding behind his back, the faintest sound of wind moving through the beads and bronze charms that hung from his belt.

He did not look at her as he spoke — his voice low, but perfectly clear, as if the mountain carried it rather than his throat.

"The place ahead will ask more than your body. It will not demand answers — only truth. If you would speak now… if you would ask… this is the place."

The silence after was not pressure, nor invitation.

It was space — wide enough for whatever she might bring.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

She was closer than normal. With her replacement leg still not being something she was fully accustomed to, it was a slow and toiling road up the mountain. She did not speak during the journey, preferring to save oxygen for the climb as she pulled herself up slowly but surely. She could have brought her harpoon with her, to use it as some kind of walking aid, but Reina had decided to forgo the idea of bringing any weapons on this journey. It was meant to be a journey about her. Not about the items she carried on her person, but the weight that burdened her.

As much as Reina hated the ground, the dirt beneath her feet, the higher they climbed, the closer and closer she felt to the sky. To the air that filled her lungs. It was what she wanted. Needed in this moment. To feel high above the clouds, even if she wasn't physically. The higher she went, the more and more she felt free before they eventually reached the top and Reina looked out amongst the valley, folding her arms along her front before she listened to Issar's words, and she shook her head for a moment.

"...I've never been good...at asking questions Master...Sometimes I find out answers I don't want to know. Or answers I can't begin to understand...And I feel like any question I ask right now, the answer would be one I can't understand. I'd need...to experience it to understand."

She responded to the silence carefully, keeping her arms folded. It was both defensive but also comfortable for her. It was better than leaving her arms hanging loosely at her sides at the end of the day.
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[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

Issar did not turn to look at her. Not yet.

He listened first — not merely to the words, but to the rhythm behind them. The way they came not as confession, nor even defence, but as something else entirely: a truth carried with effort. Like stone borne in a rucksack for long enough that it began to feel like a spine.

When she finished, the wind moved again. Higher now. Thinner. He felt it drift through the peaks like breath through ancient lungs.

"Very well."

The words were soft. Final in their way — not dismissive, but trusting. He gave no comfort, no lecture. She had said what was needed. That was enough.

Without another word, he turned once more and resumed the path.

They walked for some time in silence again, weaving now through narrow ridgelines and switchbacks of worn stone. The trees thinned, and with them the sounds of life. Eventually, even the wind withdrew, as though the air itself were listening.

When they reached the next rise, Issar slowed. The path ended at a cleft in the mountainside, jagged, unmarked, and wholly unremarkable to the eye. No altar, no icon, no steps. Just a narrow split in the rock, as if the world had once been cracked open by something too vast to comprehend.

But the Force stirred here.

Subtly at first, like the whisper of a long-dormant current beneath still water. But to any sensitive soul, the truth was undeniable: something old and strange and watchful resided within.

Issar stopped before the entrance.

He was utterly still for several long moments — not meditating, not inspecting. Merely listening.

Eyes closed, arms folded, breath low.

Then, slowly, he turned to face her.

His voice, when it came, carried no gravity — and yet it seemed to settle into her, rather than over her.

"This place does not demand strength, only presence. What awaits you is neither enemy nor friend. You must not hold back."

One of his four hands reached forward — slow, deliberate. He placed it on her shoulder. Not heavily. Just enough to ground her. His four black eyes softened — just slightly. Enough to reveal the immense stillness beneath them was not coldness, but care.

"Are you ready, Reina?"

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

Reina let out a content sigh as she felt the wind against her hair. It gave her a blissful feeling. Not entirely joy or happiness but it felt good. The wind was a part of her. It blew against her sail and kept her moving forward. Even when her legs wanted to give up, even when she wanted to take a breather, Reina felt the wind against her back, keeping her moving forward as she followed Issar further up the mountain...until the notable absence of the wind caused her to stumble. It was as if it was there for one moment and then gone in the blink of an eye. It was an uncomfortable feeling if she was honest to herself, that blissful sensation finally gone...

Yet she continued to move. Following her master's every steps. They managed to reach some split between the rocks, the presence of the Force being notable. There was something inside there. Something watching. Potentially judging. Something that would be able to look straight through Reina, no matter how much she'd try to hide from it. But she wasn't afraid. Not overtly. She had nothing to be afraid of. Plenty to be potentially angry over. But...there wasn't much in her eyes that she could be judged for that she'd be scared over.

"...I've never had an issue with holding back before. In a fight at least...Though I doubt this is going to be a fight. At least not a fair fight..."

She tried not to wince at the touch on her shoulder. Reina trusted Issar. He wasn't a stranger to her...yet more and more scars from Serina remained. The dread at being touched by people was something that still weighed heavily for her, but she tried to put it to the back of her mind as she stared at the entrance. Waiting as if she was looking for a sign before she gave a short nod.

"...I am ready."

And with that, Reina began to walk towards the entrance way, ready to head straight on in.
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The moment Reina stepped beyond the stone threshold, the world behind her felt as if it vanished.

Not violently. Not suddenly. But with the same quiet finality as a ship leaving shore.

There was no change in light — no drop-off into complete darkness — but the atmosphere shifted. The sound of her own footsteps became louder, more immediate. Each breath echoed a little longer. And most noticeably, the wind was gone.

Completely.

Even the faintest air movement had died. No breeze reached this place. The only sensation left was the subtle pull of cold — not freezing, but persistent, as if the walls themselves had long forgotten the sun.

The path narrowed for a while, forcing her to lower her head slightly and pass through slick, smooth stone. There were streaks of mineral along the sides, thin veins of shimmering quartz and mica that caught what little light her presence seemed to stir — bioluminescent moss, maybe, or something less explainable. It flickered faintly behind her, as if the cave only lit the path already taken.

The ground sloped downward.

And then, without ceremony, the passage widened.

A shallow cavern opened before her. The ceiling here was high, uneven, glistening with condensation. Stalactites hung like the teeth of some enormous, sleeping beast. Pools of still water reflected her faint outline, warped and stretched, like oil on canvas.

It was eerily silent.

Even her footsteps on the stone seemed dampened now, as though sound had weight here — and too much would disturb something waiting, listening.

Then—

A sound.

Small. Faint. Fragile.

A whimper.

Not constant. Not rhythmic. But unmistakable.

A baby.

Far off, through one of the winding cracks in the far wall. One moment it was there — sharp, pitiful. The next, gone again. As if it had only barely existed.

The kind of sound that did not demand, but implored.

And the cave was silent once more.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

She was already on the move through the path, ducking her head down to keep herself low. Of course, her head was thick enough that she could probably bash her head against the rocky ceiling and be fine. Maybe she'd get a mark or two...but she shook her head. She was letting herself get distracted by her own thoughts. Reina just had to keep moving through the tunnel, even with the light forming behind her. Why couldn't the light be in front of her? It would make this so much easier as she stumbled her way through, finally spotting the cavern as she made her way through and stretched her arms. It was...nice not to be hunched over anymore.

Though she felt like something was watching her. Staring at her from the walls. It wasn't as if she could see it, but she could feel it. Something around her. What was she meant to do? It wasn't as if she'd be able to fight some kind of creature. She had wanted to put her weapons down, even for a little while. She had wanted to...

Her thoughts stopped at the sound of what sounded like a baby. Reina knew it was more than likely a trick. Some kind of illusion of this place...but the sound screamed at her. It insisted she moved. The main reason she had truly joined the Jedi was to better the future for the children of today...It's what Yvaine had made Reina realise. So before Reina even knew what she was doing, she was rushing off towards the sound. Reina couldn't remember the last time she ran like this, the whirring of her prosthesis echoing through as she made her way towards the winding crack, preparing to head down in that direction. It might have been a trick. It might not be real. But...the sound of a child crying spoke to Reina. It spoke to her heart.
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The cry came again. Thin. Fragile. Raw. It
came clearly from a narrow break in the stone up ahead — a path that dipped down and curled into deeper shadow. There was no doubt in the direction. The sound was constant now, soft but distinct. Crying. Always just around the bend.

And then—
from another direction — a sharp cry split the silence.

"Reina!"

A human voice, straining. Desperate. Drenched in pain and horror.

"Reina—help me!"

It came from a smaller passage tucked just behind her and to the right — one that curved steeply upward into darkness. The voice echoed once, then faded. But its tone lingered, as if etched into the stone itself.

It was Eve.

Not an echo. Not a trick of pitch.

Her voice, unmistakable in its pain and urgency. And very real.

Now the cave had stilled again, but the tension remained, like a taut rope drawn between two distant shores. The only movement was the subtle pulse of the Force in the air — a hush, a waiting.

Two voices.
Two directions.

No more echoes.

Just a choice.
And silence.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

Huffing and puffing, Reina kept running. Following the source of the crying as fast as she could, even as her lungs were screaming at her to stop. There was something strange about this cave. It felt harder for her to breath. As if the harder she pushed herself, the more she was exhausting herself...but that's when she heard her. Eve. Screaming for help and Reina skidded to a stop as her eyes went wide, the colour draining from her face.

Almost straight away, Reina changed direction, preparing to head off after Eve. It was like there was no hesitation, but before her next step hit the ground, she stopped once more. Her fists clenched as she tried to go over this in her head. Reina wanted to save Everest. No. It was more than that. Reina wanted Everest. Not to be a saviour, not as a friend. She did love Everest. With her entire heart. It's why this choice was next to impossible for her. She had to make a choice. She couldn't stay here.

What to do? What to do? Who needed her more? The baby's sobs echoing in Reina's mind, whilst the fear and pain in Everest's voice throbbed in Reina's chest. Who did she go for?! Who needed her...Who couldn't survive without her?

...That was how she made her choice. Turning on the heel of her foot to rush off after the sound of the baby crying. Tears were already starting to fall down Reina's cheeks as she moved. This felt like...a betrayal in her eyes. But...she justified it by believing that Everest didn't need Reina. Not truly. Everest had Azurine. Had Tigris. Had Valery. They might not be here...but she had them. Whereas this baby that needed help...Who knows who was there for it? And if no-one was going to be there for it...Reina would be there at least.

I'm sorry. I'm...so...so...sorry.

Tears streamed down her face, falling down to the ground as Reina gasped for air. Pushed herself harder and harder. She had made her choice. She'd have to live with it whether she liked it or not...Her entire life couldn't revolve around Everest...Not anymore. Her best friend's life was dedicated to someone else...and so Reina couldn't follow Everest around like some kind of lovesick puppy...
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The sound of the baby’s crying swelled, and the stone beneath Reina’s feet seemed to melt away. Not crumble — melt, like wax before a flame.

The cold grew sharper.

Then the ground tilted — violently. The air filled with salt and mist and the deafening crash of waves against hull.

Darkness shifted to moonlit rain, sharp and cold on her skin.

She was no longer in a cave.

She was on a ship, mid-storm.

The deck beneath her feet was slick, pitching hard with every massive roll of the ocean. Wind howled through the rigging. Lightning split the sky somewhere behind the mast, illuminating the figures ahead in flickers of ghostly white.

The crew clustered near the port side, leaning over the rail. Shouting. Faces twisted with urgency.

They were familiar — but not as she last remembered them. They were younger. Some just boys. Others still green in the way they carried themselves. All of them blurred by time.

The storm drowned out most sound, but as she stepped closer, one turned — a man she found strangely familiar, face full of fear and awe — and locked eyes with her.

He pointed into the sea.

"Captain! Look!"

And there — just beyond the ship — something floated in the black water.

A baby.

Small, wrapped in soaked cloth within a small cot that rocked violently on the waves.

It screamed.

Not in the helpless way infants often do — but like something being torn apart. The sound carried above the thunder. Desperate. Animal. Ancient.

The ocean tossed the child like driftwood. Each wave threatened to drag it under for good.

The crew did not move.

None of them reached for it. They only watched. Waiting.

"Captain?" came another voice to her side.

As lightning cracked again, the surface of the water glimmered — and beneath it, for just a second, something vast and formless moved. A presence. As though the ocean itself was alive — and watching too.

And the baby screamed again.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

Wait. She was on the ship? Reina blinked to herself for a moment, feeling the rock of the boat back and forth. Yet she also blinked for a moment, looking down at her clothes as they had seemed to change as well. It...reminded her of the Skipper. But she knew that wasn't possible. She never had any clothes like that. She barely even wore her typical fishing garb anymore. So to suddenly be in this outfit that was a surprise to be sure...but it was even more of a surprise when she saw one of the crew look at her and call her Captain. Wait...That wasn't Hacksaw was it?

And then they pointed off into the ocean, where Reina could see the child. She knew what was going on. This was meant to be her. How she was found. Just floating in the ocean, with the crew trying to get her out of the water. They had to get her with a net from what she was told. She had been the catch of the day. But these waves weren't like what she was told about...and whilst teh crew stood and watched, Reina was already tying rope around her waist all of a sudden, before chucking one end of the rope towards Hacksaw.

"Let go and I'll haunt your every moment."

And with that, she threw herself down into the ocean. Whatever was watching could watch. Reina wasn't going to leave the baby in the ocean. It might not even be her. She had figured out by this point...This wasn't real. Not truly. She wasn't saved by herself. She wasn't a Nautolan. No. She didn't even know what she was. Human? Echani? Did she have Ersanyr blood in her veins? None of that mattered as she swam for the baby, grabbing the cot before tugging on the rope to tell the crew to start pulling.
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