irrational, so confrontational, [tag: Nesana]

[NAHUEL]

I'm craving this disaster

Nahuel was not a man of prayer. He believed in Tash, of course, but aside from the requisite worship on feast days when no one would dream of ignoring their god, he generally kept away from the temples. It wasn't that he didn't think worshiping Tash was important, but that he thought they were better ways he could show Him his faith, such as bringing death to his enemies and capturing his foes for ritual sacrifice on His altar. He contributed...just not by singing songs and lighting candles. That was what the priests were for, and he had a somewhat different calling. His father, on the other hand, thought it was of the utmost importance to get Tash's blessing in all things. You didn't want to act against the will of the inexorable Tash, he would remind his son. Such it was that he had been commanded by the Tisroc himself to consult the High Priestess on his appointment as a Commander in the army, to make sure that He approved. Nahuel wasn't really crazy about the idea that his position hinged on the word of some woman, but she was supposed to be Tash's chosen, and since he didn't have a choice, he grudgingly found himself riding to the temple. Behind him, a small contingent of his men escorted a line of prisoners, their clothes ragged and torn, enemies of the Tisroc they had captured in battle. They were to be gifts to the temple, either to be given in sacrifice to Tash or to serve as slaves to the Holy people, whatever the priests decided to do with them, or as he supposed they would say, whatever fate Tash willed for them. Nahuel didn't believe in fate, he believed that a man's life was his own, and his decisions would shape the outcome, and if Tash judged him harshly at the end of his life for that, he would pay for it then. In the temple courtyard, he dismounted from his horse, striding forward to meet the priest who came out to greet him. Nahuel nodded respectfully to the holy man, then gestured back to the slaves chained up behind him. "A gift, in the name of Tash." He indicated, before continuing. "I'm here to see the High Priestess. I should be expected." Nahuel got straight to the point, and the Priest nodded, leading him into the temple to see the woman.

[NESANA]

path i'm born to tread

Prayer was a normal part of her routine. Going into the temple every morning, noon, and evening and opening her mind to the power of the great and powerful Tash. Nesana was high priestess for a reason. She had been seeing vision of the present and the future since she was a young child in her home in Tashbaan. Her parents had been nobles and had always known that their daughter was different, that she was special. They did not know how special when they went to the temple when she was five to consult with the then high priest. She had not gone home after that, but stayed to learn the teachings of Tash, the one that granted her the gifts of a priest of the temple. There had never been a priestess before, for women were looked upon as weak and inferior. At least, until her. She was given the gift of sight for a reason, though what the reasons were she had yet to discover. Tash had not chosen to reveal that to her yet. Perhaps he never would. For now she would just be content with doing her duty interpreting the will of the great and powerful Tash.

One of those duties today was meeting with the illegitimate son of the Tisroc, to see if his promotion to Commander in the army had the blessing of Tash. She had yet to see anything involving his appointment as Commander, but that did not mean that it would not receive the blessing of Tash. The visions that she got were intermittent, never consistent in when they would happen or what she would see. Sometimes she would see something important, such as a treaty being signed or the beginnings of a war, but sometimes it would be sometime terribly mundane like a noblemen eating a pastry. But she would discover whether the illegitimate son’s appointment was blessed through prayer. Tash’s will always became clear to her then.

She was lighting incense when a priest of the temple entered with the young Commander behind him. Though he was the same age as herself. She nodded to the priest in thanks as she turned and continued lighting incense. “You may leave us,” she told the priest. She heard him withdraw from the room and close the door behind him. “I have not seen anything from the great Tash concerning you, yet. In that case, we must pray,” she told Nahuel after leaving the room in silence for a few minutes after the priest had left them.

MADE BY MARV @ ATF

[NAHUEL]

I'm craving this disaster

Nahuel strode through the hallowed halls of the temple just behind the bent-back priest, taking in his surroundings as he went. It was a soldier's habit, to know just what you were getting yourself into even as you walked dead into it, taking note of details that might come in handy later. Not that he anticipated a fight in the great temple of Tash, but, well...Nahuel had come to anticipate a fight anywhere. No where was too sacred to shed blood, least of all this place. It seemed as though the very floors ached for blood, violence and warfare. Who was Nahuel to deny them? Finally, they entered the chamber where the Priestess waited. She barely even looked up to acknowledge their presence before she dismissed the elderly priest. Nahuel wasn't usually one to wait around for others to get to the point, but he was on uncertain grounds here. It wasn't just that he lacked the proper manners to know how to behave in the presence of the Priestess, but for some reason, this place had him off balance...or maybe that was just her influence. It was obvious from her actions that she wasn't like other women; even if she hadn't been the high priestess, the way she seemed so comfortable ignoring a man while she went about her business, lighting the incense, was certainly unusual. But there was something else about her, too, that he just couldn't put his finger on. Watching her, a slight smile caught the corner of his lip as he was able to confirm all the rumors he'd heard; the priestess was indeed a creature of beauty, but who would dare to doubt the great Tash's taste? Certainly, if he would choose to speak to a woman, she would have to be a remarkable one. They also said she was very wise, although that would take more than a cursory glance to confirm. Nahuel waited until she spoke, and when she did, he was barely able to contain his disappointment. He had been hoping this would be a simple matter, deliver some slaves, utter some magic words, and back on his way before noon. No such luck, it seemed. But inhaling scented smoke and thinking deeply? How was that going to accomplish anything? "Will this take very long?" It was as close to not expressing his deep and utter sense of dread at the concept of spending the day sequestered in prayer...although looking at her, he supposed it could be worse. At least he'd have something pretty to look at. He briefly wondered if Tash would take offense to lewd thoughts about his chosen one in his house of worship, then dismissed that thought. If the Irresistable One smote every man who thought something dirty about her, Nahuel was confident there'd be a lot fewer men in Calormen.

[NESANA]

path i'm born to tread

The young Commanders reaction to her statement about having to pray was one of distain. Nesana frowned as she continued to work lighting incense and candles throughout the room, not even turning to face him. If any other woman but herself dared to act that way, she would be whipped to within an inch of her life. It just was not the way that things were. Women were not held in very high regard in the eyes of the people of Calormen, and yet Tash had chosen a woman for the high position of honor that Nesana found herself in. There had to be a reason for that, a reason he had chosen a lowly woman to see his will, to have such an influential role in their country. She was the only woman that was able to act as she did, that was able to dismiss a man from a room and to address a son of the Tisroc, even if he was an illegitimate son, without even looking toward him or prostrating at his feet. She was able to rebuke the Tisroc without getting beheaded for it. It all had to mean something, but what the twenty-four year old did not know. Tash had not revealed his purpose for choosing her to be high priestess. Nor had he shown her what the Commander obviously was impatient to know.

She did not turn to face him or speak again for a few minutes, instead waiting until she had finished lighting everything in the room that she needed to. She turned to him as she blew out the flame she had been using to light everything, the room now filled with the smell of the incense, its smoke visible in the air around them, weaving around like snakes. She set down the small bit of wood she had used to light the candles and incense and studied the Commander. A good deal taller than herself, with dark hair and eyes. But his heritage was obvious due to his lighter complexion. It was tanned, but not as dark as the skin of most Calormen. “It will take however long Tash wishes it to take,” she replied before going over to a table in the room and grabbing a shallow wooden bowl filled with herbs that sat upon it, along with the small silver dagger that sat beside it. She then went and knelt before the stone alter of the room, setting the bowl down on the floor before her. She looked back to the Commander. “Kneel before the alter to Tash.”

MADE BY MARV @ ATF

[NAHUEL]

I'm craving this disaster

And again, she kept him waiting. Her silence spoke more about her than words could ever have managed, and he was already getting impatient. If this was what he had to look forward to all day, perhaps it would be best if Tash just smote him now. A grin cracked his face slightly as he watched her, noting how she kept her back towards him in her own little show of defiance, so this was how women acted when you gave them too much license. He wasn't sure whether it irritated him or was just amusing, or some mix of both. Nahuel would decide that once he'd spent more time with the priestess. He gave a sigh at her answer, right now, he was leaning towards irritating. "Of course it will." He murmured, that was the usual holy drivel, wasn't it? Would it really take as long as Tash willed, or just as long as she wished? He blinked against all the smoke swirling about the room, trying to see through bleary eyes...perhaps this was his punishment for staring too intently at the Priestess. He'd just have to test that out, to make sure. When she ordered him to kneel, he cocked an eyebrow, hesitating a moment before he complied. Never before had a woman ordered him to his knees, and he never would have complied if she had tried. But this was not just any woman, he reminded himself, as he took his place before the altar as she indicated. "I don't pray much, priestess, so you'll have to forgive my...ignorance." He didn't sound particularly apologetic, however, and he was fairly certain that she already knew of his lack of piety. He just didn't like it to be so quiet, although that was probably the point. Did people really get revelations just by soaking in this smoke and kneeling? Wouldn't it please Tash more to see them out on the battlefield, spilling more blood in His name? Nahuel thought so, but apparently the priestess disagreed.

[NESANA]

path i'm born to tread

She heard the sigh that young man heaved at her reply of it taking as long as Tash willed it to take. The young priestess rolled her eyes. Many people thought that a good prayer would take them five minutes or less and then they could go on their way. People like the young Commander whose position relied upon what Tash allowed her to see, if he was truly meant for the position in the army or not. It was like they all thought that she could see what they wanted her to see when they wanted her to see it, but it did not work that way. Tash was the one that decided what she saw and when, even if it was as menial as some noblemen or another taking a piss in a pot. But she saw what she saw when he wanted her to, whether coming naturally or through deep prayer.

She was probably the only woman in the history of the country that could get away with telling a man to kneel, let alone actually have him do as instructed and kneel. But she was not just any woman, she was not like the others. She was the chosen one of the great Tash. For some reason, he had chosen a woman to see and interpret his will. But the young man kneeled across from her. She had reached down to grab the dagger when the young Commander spoke again, about how he did not pray much and to forgive his ignorance, though he did not sound apologetic in the least. She looked up at him, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other. “I never would have guessed you do not pray often,” she said dryly before looking back down at the bowl, flexing the fingers of her right hand around the hilt of the dagger.

She poised the blade of the dagger over the flesh of her left palm, where there were scars from the many times she had done this before, holding it just above the bowl of herbs. “Oh great Tash, show me your will,” she muttered as she pressed the blade down against her palm and drops of blood dropped into the bowl below. She removed the blade from her hand and turned it around, offering the hilt to the Commander. “You must do the same, saying ‘Oh great Tash, uncloak my future.’”

MADE BY MARV @ ATF

[NAHUEL]

I'm craving this disaster

At the priestess' raised brow and response, Nahuel cracked a grin, then chuckled quietly, giving his head a slight shake. Were priestesses allowed to be sarcastic? Apparently this one was, because he didn't believe for one second that she thought he was spending much time in prayer at all. She seemed smarter than that. With the dagger in her hand, it seemed obvious that they were about to start, and even Nahuel was not so much a fool as to open his mouth again...so instead, he winked at her to show his amusement. Maybe she wouldn't prove to be so irritating after all. He watched as she raised the dagger, vision still blurred by the smoke, his face impassive as she cut into her flesh, offering a blood sacrifice to the Indomitable Tash. He took the dagger from her with familiar ease, and with somewhat less familiarity, turned the blade on himself. "Oh Great Tash, uncloak my future." He repeated obediently, mechanically, slicing open the palm of his left hand and letting the blood flow into the bowl of herbs, mingling with hers in the gory mixture. It was somewhat against his nature to willfully harm himself; he was more accustomed to giving the blood of others to their great god. But if this was the price demanded...he would pay it. And hopefully it would speed his departure from this place, although somehow, he wasn't clinging to a lot of hope in that regard. He looked towards the priestess again, cocking an eyebrow in unspoken curiosity. What would she --or rather, Tash-- demand of him next?