[ WP ] You were born with the ability to hear the sound of the weather changing a day before . You could predict if it was going to rain by hearing the sound of rain falling or when a storm was gathering by the sound of thundering . You thought nothing of it until one day all you could hear was silence .

Jaal ran through the rain with his hands over his head muttering the Prayer of Sadness as he felt God ’ s Tears fall across his hood and robes. He was supposed to be inside during the High Fall, but he had news. Unfortunately, it was news that the High Priests would want to hear. 
 
 As he rushed, he carefully avoided puddles, instead stepping across raised stones that were to be used in the event that the water flow became too heavy to cross. Many common people no longer followed the old superstitions of avoiding the Fallen Tears, but Jaal hoped to one day become a priest, and so he obeyed the more menial traditions. 
 
 As he hopped across to the final stone onto the raised walkway, his foot slipped and splashed into the cold puddle of water at his feet. He immediately jerked his foot up shook it off as quickly as he could. Pausing, he got down on his hands and knees and leaned over the edge of the walkway. Opening his mouth, he allowed a dribble of spittle to slip out of his mouth into the flow below. Muttering a quiet Prayer of Apology he rose and quickly rushed under the shelter of the building. 
 
 Quickly he stripped off his robes and began wringing them out into a small cistern that funneled the water back out into the main road. He had to be careful to bring as little water with him inside during a High Fall, when Hvalok ’ s sadness would nearly overwhelm him, and the sky would stay black for days. 
 
 “ It is good to see the younger priests practicing the old teachings, ” a voice muttered to his left. 
 
 Jaal jerked his head to the left and saw Sunlord Paku ’ un standing in his yellow and blue robes. He immediately bowed deeply in a show of reverence at seeing one of the high priests outside the shelter. 
 
 “ Sunlord, should you not be inside, ” Jaal asked as he dared to look up. “ Hvalok weeps strongly today. ” 
 
 Sunlord Paku ’ un smiled, causing his face to turn into a portrait of wrinkles. “ Perhaps Hvalok weeps strongly today so that he may grace us with a grey sky tomorrow. ” 
 
 Jaal suppressed a frown as he recalled the news he had to bring. “ Sunlord, I have news for the other high priests. ” 
 
 Sunlord Paku ’ un frowned as he looked out across the black sky. “ Can it not wait for tomorrow? We are not supposed to discuss business on a day of great mourning. ” 
 
 Jaal bowed his head and fluttered his hands down in a sign of reverence before looking up again, “ Sunlord, it is news about the Burial Shroud. ” 
 
 The only way that Jaal was able to tell that Paku ’ un was startled was in the way his body stiffened as he heard the news. His face remained passive, the hint of a frown still present on his face. He looked out across the sky again before turning back to Jaal, “ You are sure? ” 
 
 “ The Stormwhisperer says that tonight Hvalok is going to finally bury his son and end the mourning period. ” 
 
 Paku ’ un ’ s frown deepened, “ How does he know this? ” 
 
 Jaal fluttered his hands down again in reverence before he whispered, “ Because tomorrow, he hears no rain. ” 
 
 Sunlord Paku ’ un turned and walked away at that point, leaving Jaal thankful that he would not have to deliver the news to the other high priests himself. 
 
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 The bell began to ring as Paku ’ un moved through the temple towards the Sun Temple. He had told Jaal to go ring the bell for the meeting, and he was sure some of the priests would grumble, and perhaps not even put on their full uniform. He was, therefore, not surprised when he arrived and found only 2 other priests already present and waiting. 
 
 The room itself was surprisingly small, but was extraordinarily tall. It extended roughly thirty meters into the air, and ended in a rounded roof with one large, and dozens of small holes covered in glass. The floor had an intricate carving of a ball with many tendrils spreading out across and up the walls. Along the walls, the color slowly transitioned from light blue to a soft, dark blue. 
 
 “ It is a High Fall today Paku ’ un, ” said Himlar as he sat behind his desk. His beard was greased and shiny, and would maintain its shape through even the heaviest bout of Mourning. His hair was still black in many places, but a hint of grey was beginning to show underneath his skull cap. 
 
 “ And tomorrow it may be too late, ” Paku ’ un said as he moved over to his own chair. “ The Stormwhisperer has spoken again. ” 
 
 “ Again? ” asked Keel as she leaned forward in her chair. “ The child has only spoken 5 times since he became the Stormwhisperer; four times to warn us of a High Fall, and once to tell us of the Day of Planting, when Hvalok does not weep so that we may plant crops. ” 
 
 “ Yes, ” Paku ’ un said as he took his seat. 
 
 “ And now he speaks again, but not to one of us? Who gave you this news? ” 
 
 “ A young priest named Jaal. He follows the teachings strongly. ” He frowned as he steepled his fingers in front of his face, “ He would not lie to me. ” He glanced at the other two, “ But for now, we wait until the other four arrive. ” 
 
 The three sat in silence until Mikla, Nim, Opan, and Quirl all arrived and took their seats. Once they completed the rituals necessary to ask for forgiveness for meeting on a High Fall, Paku ’ un moved forward into the center of the room. He took a deep breath and said, “ The Stormwhisperer has spoken again. ” 
 
 A quick murmur amongst the new arrivals occurred before almost immediately quieting down and allowing Paku ’ un to continue. “ The Day of Burial is tomorrow. ” The murmur erupted into a roar. 
 
 “ Tomorrow!? The High Fall just began yesterday, ” said Quirl as he jumped up from his chair. “ How can we be certain that tomorrow is the day? ” 
 
 “ I agree, ” said Nim as she twirled a strand of golden hair around her fingers. “ However, we have known that Hvalok would one day stop mourning the death of his son. ” 
 
 “ But today he weeps strongly, ” Quirl protested as he glanced in Nim ’ s direction. “ Why would he weep so strongly today, but stop tomorrow? He has wept for over 300 years now. ” 
 
 “ I have known men and women both to weep most strongly before the day they bury a child, ” Paku ’ un said as he tried to calm the crowd. “ Also, who are we to determine when Hvalok returns to his throne and replaces the yellow crown on his head? ” 
 
 “ And the burial shroud? ” Opan asked. 
 
 “ It is written that he will put back on his royal robes and the sky will once again be blue, ” Nim said with a smile. 
 
 “ And Yin, ” asked Mikla as he sat hunched up in his chair. A hush fell over the group as they turned to him, “ What of Yin, the brother of Hvalok? What is going to happen to us when Yin retaliates? ” 
 
 “ What are you implying, Mikla, ” Paku ’ un asked. 
 
 “ Yin has had 300 years to plan his revenge for the attempt on his life. ” Mikla stood and walked towards the center of the room, “ He knows his brother wishes to rule both the day and the night. Plus, Yin has never forgiven Hvalok for secreting away with Gian and marrying her without telling him. ” He frowned, “ Sure, Yin later married Sian, and she bore him thousands of sons, but he had always loved Gian more. ” 
 
 “ The point, Mikla, ” said Opan as he frowned. 
 
 “ Sunlords, I fear that the day Hvalok, our creator, stops weeping, is the day that we should start. ” 
 
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