Both Zarath and Lyra awkwardly walked out of the water of the sacred lake, the cool water dripping from their fur. Neither one of them looked at each other as they dried themselves off.
“Um so when… how long was I out?” Zarath pulled his tunic on keeping his back towards Lyra, his ears flat against his head.
“About two hours, you would have floated deeper into the lake if.” Lyra cleared her throat as she dressed herself. “If I hadn’t gotten in the water with you.”
“Well thank you for keeping me near the shore.” Zarath tail wagged slightly as he pulled his boots onto his wolf-like feet making sure to retract his claws as he did so.
“Wh..what exactly were you doing? I’ve seen plenty of purification rituals but never one like that.” Lyra asked curiously, she had been curious about Zarath since she first saw him other than her aunt Vos, he was the first Grak’Shark she had seen outside of the temple or in Vaerthruin well ever.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Zarath finial turned just as Lyra was putting on her tunic quickly turning back around and trying to act as if he hadn’t seen anything.
“My aunt is the Grak Tharakar of the Vrak’Thura, and if she knows what it is I’m sure I will believe you.” Lyra straightened her tunic and did a quick full body shake to get any of the remaining water out of her fur. The fur on her ears and around her neck fluffed up along with her tail. “You ok over there?”
“Um yeah I’m good… yeah totally fine.” Zarath tried to play off the fact he had caught a slight glimpse of her. “But alright um to answer your question I was speaking with Fenraya.”
“So, you expect me to believe that you were speaking with the wolfkin god of the dead.” Lyra eyed Zarath with a raised eye. “I find that hard to believe.”
“I told you; you wouldn’t believe me.” Zarath followed behind Lyra as she led him back into the temple, they meet up with Tharon and Hura who quickly pounced on her master licking at his face and barking as she bounced around him.
“I was starting to wonder what happened to you me and Hura finished with our purification hours ago, I tell you these temple Tharakar don’t really talk much but they did guide use through the purification.” Tharon rubbed his belly. The fur on his face was still slightly wet from his time in the lake, Hura shook tossing water from her fur as well.
“Hey, are you two ok you guys seem a little strange?” Tharon asked both Zarath and Lyra, point back and forth between the two of them.
“Were fine.” Both Zarath and Lyra responded slightly louder, Lyra clenching her hands both arms stiff and down against her side, while Zarath leaned forward slightly the fur of his tail and around his face standing on end, his ears twitching slightly.
“Ok, ok jeez no need to snap at me like a wild Brakkon.” Tharon put his hands up in defense before rubbing his belly again.
“Well, the Grak Tharakar wanted to see you two anyway me and Hura are going to head back to the Barking Dog and maybe hit the food stalls on the way back, after all that dried meat I want something good to eat.” Tharon continued to rub his belly as he started to walk back down the path that led to the gates of the wall around the temple. Zarath snapped his fingers and pointed to Tharon whistling as he did, Hura quickly barked and then bounced after Tharon quickly closing the distance on her four legs.
“So, I guess we go talk to your aunt, now.” Zarath looked at Lyra who had already started to make her way back to the center of the temple, the cloth walls that made up the interior blowing slightly as a breeze moved through the open frame of the temple.
“Yeah, and we are in agreement not a word about the lake.” Lyra kept a small distance between her and Zarath smiling to herself as she led the way back to her aunt.
“Yeah, we agree about that.” Zarath kept his thoughts to himself as he walked behind her.
After a short walk the two of them were back in the center of the temple, Grak Tharakar Vos was standing by a small alcove in the back of the room. The cloth walls here began to fade as the sunlight couldn’t reach completely to this room. She lit some candles whose wax had melted and dripped along the wooden shelf they sat on. As Vos turned to see her niece Lyra and Zarath standing at the entrance to the room a small smirk played across her face as she noticed both of their fur was still slightly wet. She moved over to her seat and spoke as she sat down.
“I see you two have both spent some time in the Vrak’Thura (lake of sacred waters).” Vos adjusted her gown smoothing out any creases from where she sat down, quickly noting Lyra’s reaction.
“O…of course, I took advantage of the lake auntie Vos I don’t get to visit the temple that often anymore since I started helping mom and dad with the inn.” Lyra couldn’t look her aunt in the eye as she spoke and all Zarath did was pretend he wasn’t listening.
“Oh, relax child I am only teasing.” Vos let out a soft laugh covering her mouth as she did.
“It is a good thing you bathed in the waters anyway, as what I wish to discuss with you two is something related to something you both are seeking.” Vos’s tail came up and laid across her lap as she began to brush the fur of her tail. Both Zarath and Lyra looked at each other and then back to Vos not sure what she was talking about or what she meant.
“Zarath you and your friend Tharon will be traveling south beyond the borders of or lands to the human kingdom of Eldoria to seek the Wardens, the town known as Frontier is your destination correct.” Vos turned her head to Zarath awaiting his response.
“Yes… That is the plan so far it is still a two-week journey south from what my grandfather told me before we left our tribe.” Zarath scratched the back of his head, the ears atop his head twitching slightly as he did.
“And Lyra you have been asking your mother and father for the right of Kur narh thurak.” Vos turned her head to her niece Lyra who ducked her head down, Lyra’s ears flattened, and her tail tucked between her legs. Zarath was shocked and turned to Lyra.
“Why would you ask for self-exile?” Zarath was confused, Lyra’s family owned a very well run and prosperous inn the Barking Dog, and her aunt was the head of the temple of Vrak’Thura, in all the settlement of Vaerthruin, Lyra was basically akin to human royalty amongst the wolfkin people.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds Zarath, I want to travel and see the world like my father Raan’Tor, did before he met my mother and settled down, but since my mother Kaela was once the Grak Krellar (Chief warrior) of the temple and my aunt is the Grak Tharakar, I am next in line to take over after my aunt passes or steps down, so in order to leave the settlement I must request the right to leave or self-exile as you just heard.” Lyra kept her head down the water still dripping from her small muzzle-like nose.
“But wouldn’t that mean you could never return?” Zarath had heard of the right to self-exile but no one in his tribe really knew what it meant as a nomadic tribe they rarely had to seek permission to leave, there where even times people would just wonder off and never come back.
“Oh, no I can return as I please and I would not lose my chance at taking over for my aunt, it’s basically just saying hey I want to leave for a little while and will be back whenever.” Lyra’s ears perked up as she explained it all the nervousness from a second ago seemed to vanish.
“Well, Lyra I am willing to approve your request on one condition.” Vos pointed to Zarath her stare piercing as she did.
“Zarath, I want you to take my niece with you and your friend I am asking you to be her Raxvashk (Paladin.)” Vos lowered her hand as she gauged Zarath’s reaction.
“I am not a member of this temple I can’t be Lyra’s Raxvashk.” Zarath was completely caught off guard by Vos’s request.
“You are a Grak’Shark of the Iron Claw tribe as well as a Krellar, you have also received the right of purification at this temple there is no one or no reason you can not take the oath of a Raxvashk and protect my niece as you travel.” Vos smiled, knowing full well that she just destroyed any argument that Zarath could try to make all at once.
“Alright then, how does one become a Raxvashk?” Zarath clicked his tongue as he responded. Vos slowly stood from her seat and approached both Lyra and Zarath.
“Kneel Zarath son of Kaar and Lura, grandson of Hrol Dhran, you have passed the rite of Jura'Rahl and been named a full Krellar of the Iron Claw tribe, you have also been purified in the sacred waters of this temple and thus I as Grak Tharakar of this temple appoint you the station of Raxvashk now speak the name of the patron god you chose to follow.” Vos placed a hand on each of Zarath’s shoulders as she spoke the candlelight seeming to fade from the room and all sounds said for the breathing and heartbeat of Vos, Zarath and Lyra.
“Fenraya.” The goddess of the dead’s name left his lips without a single thought, he was already bound to her more than any Grak’Shark or Raxvashk sworn to her ever could be as the adopted child of the goddess.
“A fitting chose given your nature and life, as a Raxvashk to the goddess Fenraya you will receive no blessing, and swear and oath that your blade shall never be drawn to harm the innocent and as a Raxvashk of the goddess of death any you slay must receive her rites to pass into the eternal plains even those who are not among our kin, do you swear this oath before the goddess.”
“I swear to this oath.” Zarath again spoke without a word of hesitation, his mind seemed to react as if this was the path he was always destined to take.
“And as a Raxvashk of this temple I appoint you the charge of protecting the next Grak Tharakar of Vrak’Thura.” Vos lifted her hands from Zarath’s shoulders and up towards the sky.
“With my honor and my life no harm shall befall her.” Zarath voice was clear and loud, making the fur on Lyra body stand on end, he had just sworn an oath to the goddess of the dead to protect her.
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