Jaela

Created by the gods, born into this world for one single purpose, Jaela walked across the world with a single goal in mind- stop its destruction. And she had planned to do so, really, that had been her every intention. She had met up with a group of heroes, traveled to where the world was supposed to end, and mentally and physically prepared herself to die.

Only, things didn’t quite go as planned. Because she didn’t die to save the world, one of her other friends took that sacrifice, because she herself found that there was something more important to her than saving the world.

And that thing was Aludra, her heart and her soul, and how could she leave her after she had just found her?

She couldn’t, couldn’t bring herself to die when she had finally found something more important than the duty given to her by the gods, and so she didn’t. She allowed her friend Thom to save the world in her place, allowed him to sacrifice himself in her stead, and she stayed with Aludra.

Things were tough, after that. The gods turned against her when she refused to return to them, her relationship with Aludra became strained as her exile worn on, and while she loved her, truly loved her, she didn’t even know who she was anymore. Her entire short life, she had been an agent of the gods, sent to fulfill a single duty, and without that identity, what was she? Who was she?

She didn’t know, and so she ran. Ran for five years to figure out who she was, why she existed upon this earth, discovering who and what she was supposed to be. Ran without telling anyone where she was going, when she could come back- she didn’t even tell Aludra goodbye. She left before dawn, left when her love was still deep asleep, because she couldn’t face her awake. Couldn’t let her know how much she was hurting, how deeply her confusion and pain went, and so she just left.

For five years she searched, figured out who she was- a warrior, a lover, a wife if Aludra would have her back. A friend to kings and queens and to the gods themselves, after she faced them in their homes and demanded answers to questions she didn’t even know she had, not until they granted her audiences and spoke. But answers she got, and eventually she returned to peace with herself. A darker peace, one that kept her from being quite as light hearted as she had been in her youth, but a peace nonetheless.

She tried to go home, back to the house she and Aludra had created and known. But when she got there, Aludra was gone. Gone with no sign of her, except that, maybe, she went home.

So Jaela followed her, snuck into the lair, and arrived just in time to interrupt Aludra’s marriage to another. An arranged marriage, one to bring the clan prosperity, but one Aludra did not want. For her heart was still Jaela’s, even after all this time, and so they ran.

Ran and ran until they found a place far from Aludra’s family, far from her home, where they could be happy together. Where they could live and love and go out on adventures when the mood struck them. Where they could be warriors and lovers and nothing more if they didn’t want and everything more if they so desired. They could be anything and everything, and they chose this.

They enrolled at the ludus under Batiatus, first as students and then as teachers and guards, proving themselves fit for the job. They were strong from their adventures, willing to take risks from a lack of fearing death (for the almost end of the world hadn’t killed them, and what else could?) others shied away from; they proved themselves to the clan.

Proved themselves and were happy, for while clan life was a bit more restricting then fending for themselves, they were happy, they were together, and that was what was important.