Steph's Fiction

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This next part of Kakari's story takes place much later than the previous entries of chapters #9 and #10. That is, Chapter 10 ends during Kakari's Eighth season, but now in Chapter 11 she is at the beginning of her Twentieth. Apologies again, I no longer have record those parts of her life, but I do have a couple screenshots. :-)

We pick up here in Chapter 11 after Kakari has been introduced mother. Kakari grew up as an orphan in the underground rogue society of Shar Vahl. In the game EverQuest, a character is allowed to take a surname at level 20; this is Kakari's story of her surname. We enter when Kakari is questioning her mother, Shasaeba, about her father, Rubais.

This was written at the end of January, 2004.

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"The last time I saw your father was during his trial," Shasaeba began. She took a small sip from her steaming tea.

Kakari's tea sat untouched on the floor in front of her. She shifted her position on the floor pillow. "His trial?"

Shasaeba inclined her head affirmatively. "For the murder of one of Shar Vahl's finer scouts."

Kakari said nothing. Her knives glimmered in the candlelight.

Shasaeba continued, "Rubais was a mid-level Taruun officer stationed near the grimling forest. As one of the Taruun, Kakari, you should know about the distributed network over which information and supplies travel from all over Luclin to Shar Vahl."

Kakari nodded.

Shasaeba continued, "Your father's outpost was one of the more dangerous ones. His cunning and slyness kept him alive for longer than his predecessors in that area. However, in Rubais' later days of service, the scouts sent to pass information and supplies through his contact point would have trouble fining Rubais. At first, the Taruun believed it was a mere miscommunication. So, your father was brought into Shar Vahl to review the protocols. He understood them well enough, so they sent him back into the field. You were very young during all of this, Kakari."

Shasaeba shook her head sadly. "Not long afterward, one of Shar Vahl's scouts was killed. Ambushed by grimlings. It's believed that he would have survived if only Rubais had been there, as agreed, at their rendezvous point. But alas, he was nowhere to be found. It was concluded that since Rubais was not directly responsible for the scout's death, he would merely be banished, not executed. No one has ever offically even given him the news of his sentence; as he hasn't been back to Shar Vahl since, but it's just as well."

Kakari frowned. "Don't you miss him?"

Shasaeba's eyes were foggy and distant. She slowly closed her eyes. "A little. But I know he's okay. That's all that matters."

My mother is a space-case, Kakari thought. "What could have possibly kept my father from his duties to the Taruun?" she asked.

A long pause. "Nobody knows. And no one has ever seen him to be able to ask him."

Kakari sat in silence, absorbing the story. Her father had abandoned the Taruun and his family. Something had kept her father from his duties. Something strong. Kakari bristled. "Did you abandon me because my father abandoned you?"

Shasaeba stared out the window into the starry sky, breathing slowly and deeply, almost as if telling the story had exhausted her. "Time is a fleeting thing. I never abandoned you, Kakari. I've always been here."

A bitter laugh escaped from Kakari's throat. "How in hell was I supposed to know that? Even if you didn't care to pull me out of the streets, Master Taruun Rakutah knew you were my mother. Why didn't he do anything?"

"I asked him not to," Shasaeba said simply.

"You what?" Kakari exploded.

"It is who you are, dear. You lived the life of a rogue. I would not have taken that away from you."

Shasaeba's quiet stare caught Kakari in a gentle, but firm trap. "My daughter," she said strongly. "Take your family name. Bring honour through your services to the Taruun, Kakari Jahladar, and become a stronger person than your father was."

Anger, confusion, hope and purpose entwined Kakari's heart all at once. I will become stronger, indeed. But my father isn't the weakling. You, mother, are a futile wisp of nothing.

Kakari decided that it was time to forget Shasaeba and move on with her life. One day, Kakari would find out what had pulled her father away from his family. But above all, she would devote her life to the Taruun and its ultimate purpose to keep the Vah Shir people alive with hope, bringing stories of courage and bringing food for strength.

Kakari Jahladar stood and bowed before her mother. "Thank you, Shasaeba," she said cooly. She still couldn't bring herself to refer to the woman as 'Mother'. There was so much she still needed to discover. Her parents. The Taruun. Herself. The mysteries behind all of these, she would disover in time.

And such is the story of Kakari Jahladar. Join her and her friends in the storytelling and the adventuresof the Companions of Norrath.