The Tranquil Prompt 3

Some time had passed since the surface dwelling trio had first encountered the Tranquil clan. Aouli, Aerwyna, and Isa had been living with them and assisting them in their daily caretaking activities. The vayron trio had been surprised to learn that the Tranquil acted as a bit of a main outpost for healers, and healers from other clans often made the pilgrimage to their abode to learn new techniques. It had been incredibly interesting to see how the Tranquil mingled with the various clans and the haedians seemingly endlessly giving nature was truly a sight to behold. All three of the United Mounted Patrol members found it to be a true breath of fresh air compared to the types of creatures they often had to deal with on the surface. Despite how well their interactions were now going, all three of the vayrons still had lingering issues and feelings about how their very first encounter with the female haedian had gone.

A feeling of guilt, shame, and anxiety was slowly boiling away deep beneath the surface but none of them communicated these feelings. Isa and Aerwyna often were able to comfort each other just with their presence together but Aouli, being the third wheel tagging along with these bonded mates, did not have anyone to confide in. Even though Isa and Aerwyna had each other seeing the love and pain the injured female’s mate had expressed, it affected them greatly. Both of them couldn’t help but think about what their reactions would have been if someone had accidentally hurt their mate. In all honesty, both of them couldn’t quite understand how he had been able to be so understanding.

As the days went by, these unresolved lingering emotions and thoughts slowly started to affect their work as they assisted the Tranquil healers in caring for the sick. A few of the healers had noticed and had gently questioned them about it but all three of the vayrons didn’t feel right about expressing their inner thoughts with these strangers. Besides all three of them had not yet quite fully grasped what their actual issue was so how could they tell anyone about it? The tranquil healers understood where they were coming from but at the same time they couldn’t help but worry, after all it was their job to look out for others. The healers allowed the vayrons to continue assisting, mostly because they kept insisting, but they kept a close eye on all three of them. At a certain point the trio started to make mistakes and seemed to become more and more… off from what the Tranquil healers had gotten used to. After discussing it briefly the healers decided it was time to step in.

The next morning the healers approached the three vayrons who were working together to put away a new shipment of herbs that had just been delivered from the Druids. “Hey, could you three come with us? There is someone who wants to meet you.” One of the healers asked. They had decided together not to confront the trio about the issue as that might only make them withdraw further, approaching the issue indirectly while also guiding them to someone who can help was the best conclusion the haedians could come up with. The vayrons readily agreed to this meeting without asking any questions. Since they had arrived in the Tranquil Clans domain they had grown used to all of the haedians wanting to meet the strange surface dwellers. Three of the healer haedians escorted the trio through the main underground hub to a large ornate structure that the trio had often passed as they went on various errands.

The building was magnificently constructed out of intricately carved stone and crystal and looked like a Thedalian noble had decided to build a Vitalus inspired vacation home down here in the dark. The ornate streamers of cloth and hanging lamps lavishly decorated the entrance and inner walls of the compound giving the dull stone a warm feeling. Inside the outer walls of the building a wide courtyard covered in thick moss that simulated grass stretched for about a mile in every direction. On both sides of the main pathway were glowing ponds that had lovely lotus flowers and lily pads floating on its surface. A few weeping willow trees dotted the landscape as well, there wasn’t much of a breeze but the trio could feel a faint pulse of magic that rustled the tree's limbs making the long draping branches sway rhythmically. The general feeling this compound gave off was one of peace and the vayron trio couldn’t help but be thankful for something other than stone under their aching paws. 

The healer haedians led the group into the inner building and even deeper still to the innermost room of said building. In this room stood a gorgeous crystalline tree surrounded by large comfortable beanbags and hanging hammocks. This chamber looked like an ethereal meditation chamber or perhaps the sleeping chamber of a royal. The trio were starting to feel a little nervous when they noticed how nice everything around them was and they began to worry that the one who wanted to meet them might be the clan leader. They silently prayed that it wasn’t the leader as they were both not mentally or physically ready to greet someone of status, they didn’t even have a gift to offer! Just as they were beginning to sweat, the healer haedians called out to the denizen of this magnificent compound, “Pyrri! We brought them!” At this call the group could hear something moving in a different room.

A magnificent haedian entered the room and all three of the vayrons were immediately enamored with her. Her long white fur was silky smooth and the gorgeous hot pink petal-like markings across her gave her an enchanting look. Her smile was soft, warm, and comforting as she thanked the healer haedians, greeted the vayrons and gestured for them to find a comfortable place to sit. Once they had dropped off the vayrons, the healer haedians quickly made their exit leaving the surface dwellers with the clan leader. As the trio watched the healers leave they exchanged nervous glances before tentatively apologizing to the clan leader for not presenting a gift as they were not told who had asked to meet them. To which Pyrri merely chuckled and waved her long veil tail to dismiss their concerns. “Please be at ease, you have nothing to be sorry for. After all, I am the one who called you here on short notice.” The trio tried to relax after her comforting words but they found it hard as they were not used to those in a position of power being so… open. 

“Now then,” Pyrri trilled happily as she also took up a position on one of the many cushions around the room. “I’ve called you all here today to thank you for all your hard work and to give you the opportunity to relax. We haedians of the Tranquil clan find that taking a moment to meditate helps us not only feel better, but also perform better at our duties.” The haedians soft smooth voice eased the nervousness of the three vayrons who were about to politely reject her invitation. Aerwyna and Isa exchanged a glance, the two runners were normally very dedicated to their work and didn’t really see the need to take a break like this. Aouli on the other hand openly welcomed the opportunity to rest for a moment and was already getting comfortable in his bean bag chair. As Isa and Aerwyna quietly discussed with each other whether they should accept the clan leaders' offer, Aouli began to drift off into sleep. 

Pyrri chuckled in amusement as she observed the trio, the blue one was obviously comfortable and at peace but the two females were wired and nervous. There was something obviously bothering those two and the concerning behavior that had been reported about all three of them was probably due to whatever the issue was. Pyrri raised one of her hands and waved it, sending a small wave of calming magic across the two runners. The small argument they were having slowly trailed off as the tension they had been unconsciously holding eased. “Now then, join me as we close our eyes and empty our minds. I want you all to think of nothing for a moment. Just let your body and mind relax…” Pyrri took up a meditation stance on her cushion and the two runners exchanged a glance before deciding to follow along. Together all four of them closed their eyes and let the worries they had been facing fade away. 

The entire time the vayrons had their eyes closed Pyrri had been using her magic to help them relax. Once they had reached a certain point Pyrri shifted her magic and began to project the events that had been plaguing the two runners' hearts. “Ahh… I see. You were involved in an accident and are still troubled by it… You feel… guilty to have hurt someone you didn’t know…” Isa and Aerwyna’s faces twitched as they saw the events transpire again, this time in a third person perspective. It was uncomfortable not only seeing the source of their trauma but seeing it from an outside perspective made it almost worse for them somehow. Pyrri wasn’t displaying the memories to Aouli though because the akhal puller didn’t seem to be bothered by it. Instead she used her magic to ensure the puller had a restful sleep as she focused on helping the two troubled runners.  

Via a combination of magic, wordsmithing, and tried and true therapy techniques Pyrri walked Isa and Aerwyna through the events that have been plaguing them. Slowly but surely she was able to ease the guilt they felt over the incident but all three of them knew that this wouldn't be resolved with just one session. After a while of talking and just general good vibes hanging out with the clan leader Aouli roused from his slumber and sat up wearily. He blinked and yawned tiredly before smiling at his companions, “*yawn* -Already done? How did you guys like the meditation, I for one feel fantastic.” Aerwyna rolled her eyes while Isa chuckled amusedly, “what meditation, you just slept the whole time!” Aerwyna exclaimed in an over the top exasperated tone that was obviously meant as a joke. Aouli got up and stretched before smiling and thanking the clan leader for her help. “That was the best meditation I’ve ever had. We should all come back here again. Maybe after we finish work?” he tried to insinuate to the clan leader and she picked up on his not so subtle hint. 

Pyrri turned to the two runners and spoke warmly, “Of course, you three are welcome to come visit any time. Whether you want to meditate again or just feel like talking to someone, my doors are always open.”