When everything shifts....[Kiou]

[Nyahna Sasin]

7th of Winter, 511 AV

Ah, what a lovely day. It wasn't too chilly, no one was trying to kill him, and he had had a lovely sleep. If only he wasn't trapped. Sasin scowled at the walls surrounding him. He had just been wandering around, trying to get sense of how the city worked, when he had wandered into a dead end, and turned around to find another wall behind him. So he was now boxed in by walls that sometimes changed when he looked away. He had waited for a few bells before deciding the city wouldn't let him go on it's own.

He laughed a little at that. He was talking like the city had a mind of it's own, which was ridiculous. Wasn't it? He decided not to worry about it until he was free.

The one constant had been the dimensions of this box. Between two opposite walls, he didn't quite have enough space to lie down. Praying desperately that the walls wouldn't suddenly disappear, he leaned back against one, braced one foot against the opposite wall, and pushed himself up off the ground. In this manner, he managed, with agonizing slowness, to scuttle upwards, until he reached the top of the wall, where he met another problem.

He was stuck. Resisting the urge to scream, which most likely would have sent him crashing down, Sasin glanced around. His best bet, he decided, was the wall beside him. This was going to be... awkward.

Thanking every god he could think of but Ionu (He would thank him when he was safe) that the walls were rough brick, good for keeping his footing, he pushed himself harder against the wall, and, carefully, took his hands away. It was almost like he was sitting, except he was in midair, supported only by two walls and nothing.

Grabbing hold of the wall with one hand, Sasin awkwardly shuffled to the side, and shifted his handhold until he was fairly certain he wasn't going to spontaneously fall and die. "Well" He muttered "Here goes nothing."

He somehow managed to twist his entire body around, and got one leg over the wall, grabbing on at the same time. He held on for a second, terrified, before realizing he was stable. Sitting up, he was relieved to see that he was nowhere near as high up as he thought he would be.

Still, it seemed pretty dangerous, and he wasn't sure he could get down without breaking something.

"Petch it all."

[Kiou]

Kiou strolled casually down the street, thoroughly enjoying the weather of this fine day. So far, he hadn't run into any trouble. Which was quite uncommon these days. He glanced about him at the cluttered buildings and dark alleys, and felt a bit out of place. This city was a bit too crowded and cramped for his taste. It did have its perks though. It was definitely the most interesting settlement he had stumbled across as of yet. He took in a deep breath of the cool air, almost tasting the scents that it carried with it. After a few seconds, he let it all out in a deep sigh, closing his eyes briefly in the process. He quickly opened them again though, for fear of running into a wall or some shady character in this ever changing city. It was then that he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, just briefly, in the alley adjacent to him. He stopped and backed up a bit, peering curiously down the alley to his right, not sure if he actually saw something or if he just imagined it. Unsure of whether the light was playing tricks on him, or if it was the city itself, but he thought he could make out a figure perched atop a wall down at the end of the alley. He blinked twice before stepping towards the alley, still confused as to what exactly he was observing. What in the world? he thought incredulously. He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts and walked slowly towards the wall, stopping a couple yards shy. He gazed up at the figure above him, positive that this was no illusion. He briefly wondered why this stranger was perched upon this random wall. Perhaps he was running from something? Then the thought of how he had gotten up there ran through his mind. He pushed the mounting questions aside for the moment. There was plenty of time to wonder later on. He squinted up at the man, tilting his head slightly to the side. "What are you doing? Are you lost?" he asked, just loud enough for the man to hear him. He knew they were dumb questions before he even asked them. The man was obviously stuck. Otherwise, he doubted the man would still be up there. It looked quite uncomfortable up there. But, he asked them nonetheless. Best to get the man's story before he decided to jump to any conclusions. Besides, who knows? Maybe the man enjoys climbing. It wasn't Kiou's job to judge some random stranger. Even though he usually did so anyways.

[Nyahna Sasin]

Glancing around, Sasin realized he was in an alley. A sadly deserted, empty alley, that seemed to connect to an equally deserted street. Not for the first time, he wondered if Ionu had something against snakes, him, or visitors in general.

He wondered if he should risk it, or hope for something to save him, whether it be the city depositing him lower, or a stranger passing by, or something. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. He was still in the same place, with the same (nonexistent) people, and the same chances of a miracle (almost none).

Muttering darkly under his breath, he started shifting on the wall to get into a better position to jump down. He was almost ready when he heard a voice. "What are you doing? Are you lost?" He glanced up (sort of), scowling, at the stranger. A young human, it seemed.

"Oh no." He said dryly. "I'm just sitting here on this wall for fun. You should try it sometimes." He shifted again. "I don't suppose you have a ladder of some sort with you. This city seems determined to make my walks through the city as inconvenient as possible." He sighed, glancing down, and then cursed.

As if to prove him right, the wall was now angled inwards, removing any and all chance of climbing down. "You might want to move out of the way." He told the boy, before awkwardly jumping down.

[Kiou]

Kiou watched, amused, as the stranger shifting awkwardly to jump down from the wall. On cue, he took a step back as the man dropped down to the ground, quite awkwardly in fact. In response to the man's sarcasm, he merely shrugged and offered a slight smile. "Sorry, I just left my last ladder with someone stuck in a well. I do have to agree with you about this damned city, though," he replied smoothly, before reaching up and rubbing his head again, though the throbbing was starting to ebb. "So, I assume you enjoy climbing? You looked like you were having a blast." He studied the man before him curiously. This stranger's scent was somewhat familiar, but at the same time, different. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but it made his skin tingle. Now that he had reached the ground, Kiou realized that the stranger was shorter than he had initially thought. He didn't dwell on it for too long, however. Size could be deceiving. He had learned that many times over. And now, he would not forget it. He stole a quick glance back at the wall, and thought that it looked slightly shorter than when the man had been perched precariously at the top, though it might just have been his imagination. Though, in this city, he couldn't be sure. He returned his gaze back to the man before him. He wasn't exactly sure what race he was. He figured a human, but there was something off about him. Something that seemed vaguely familiar. He pushed the thoughts aside for the time being. He was sure he'd discover his answer before the two parted ways. "So...nice weather we're having today," he stated sarcastically. He had heard several humans use the phrase when they had nothing else to say or when they were nervous. Kiou was neither. He just hated awkward silences. It unnerved him sometimes, though he wasn't sure why.

[Nyahna Sasin]

Oh good. No twisted ankle. He rolled his neck, wincing as it popped. He was going to have a bruise all across his upper back, he just knew it. Sending up a half hearted mental thanks to Ionu that the ground hadn't turned into ice or something (That was something to be thankful for! Gods above.), he turned to look at the boy. Fair hair, green eyes, taller than him (Sikudammit), and, he noted with a grin, rather witty as well. "Left it with someone down a well? I hope, for their sake, you also left someone holding the other end."

He grimaced when the boy suggested that he liked climbing. "I don't exactly make a habit of climbing walls, but on the whole, I'd rather do that than stay cramped between walls." He waved his hand at the wall. "I ended up at a dead end and a wall came up behind me."

He smirked at the boy's comment. "Indeed. Cloudy with a hint of illusions today. But anyways, where are my manners. I'm Sasin."

[Kiou]

Kiou raised an eyebrow as this man, Sasin, as he said he was called, explained how he had became stuck upon the wall. He believed him as well. He had no doubt that the city would try to trap and imprison random travelers, probably for it's own enjoyment. Of course, that would mean that the city had a mind of its own, which sounded pretty legit at this point of time, after seeing all the trouble this city seemed to cause to a wandering person. Kiou knew that it was being manipulated by some god, however, whose name he could not remember. He didn't care too much for these gods, and he didn't know why people did. They were expected to worship some being that they had never even meet, but merely heard stories and tales that were likely so twisted and far from the actual truth that people just started making things up. But, who knows. Perhaps one day, if he ever has the privilege of meeting one of these so called gods, perhaps he might gain somewhat of an interest in them. Until then, however, they were merely stories to him. Kiou flashed a small grin at Sasin's remark about the weather. I can second that, he thought, thinking back to all the times the city had confused and seemingly taunted him, just this very day. As Sasin introduced himself, he gave a friendly nod and held out his hand, as he had seen done numerous times before. He didn't quite get the mechanics of it, or the point really, but he had witnessed strangers and friends alike use it to greet each other in his past travels, and he was unsure if this was part of Sasin's customs or what. He figured he'd go ahead and give it a try though. Worst that could happen was him getting shot down, which he could deal with. "Nice to meet ya, Sasin. The name's Kiou," he replied, flashing another friendly smile.

[Nyahna Sasin]

Nodding, Sasin shook the outstretched hand. He was beginning to warm up to this boy, he decided. In the back of his mind, though, he knew there was something a little off about this Kiou. How he had offered his hand, the way his walk was almost a prowl, and when he smiled, something in him had shivered slightly in unease. This unease whispered softly, and, unconsciously, he frowned slightly. A few years ago, he would have felt that brief instinct, recognized it, and thought about it. Now however, he brushed it way, almost without realizing it.

"I've had enough of the streets for now." He said, turning to walk out the alley. Glancing at Kiou, he jerked his head at the exit. "Want to go get a drink somewhere? I'm curious to know what brought you here to" At this he flourished dramatically "the City of Illusions." He straightened up, and grinned at Kiou. "What do you say? Drinks are on me."

[Kiou]

Kiou smiled at Sasin's dramatic reference to this City of Illusion. When he was offered a drink, he briefly thought of accepting, but then thoughts of his father in his drunken state changed his mind, as it always seemed to have. He had made a vow to himself to abstain from alcohol, and he wasn't about to go back on it now. "Sure, that sounds fine with me, though as for the drinks, I must kindly refuse. I'm not much of a drinker, you see," he explained giving a small shrug. "Long story." He glanced back at Sasin and felt an odd sensation about this man. His features and the way he moved seemed extremely familiar to him, though he couldn't think of the reason why. He knew the sensation was going to bug him until he found the reason for it. He was quite sure he had never met this man before in his life, and he seemed to be quite normal, other than his short stature. Thinking about his height set off another alarm in his head. The longer he gazed at him, the more he realized why he was feeling these sensations. The fact was, Sasin kind of reminded him of the Dhani who had taken him as a slave, over a year ago. He had spent nearly half his life in their servitude, so he pretty much knew what they acted like. Sasin seemed different, however, and Kiou figured he was overreacting to something that he probably just imagined. The thought, however still nagged at his mind as he gave a slight smile, determined to appear calm on the outside still. I was no use jumping to conclusions. He stepped to the side and gestured to the exit of the alley, saying, "Lead the way."

[Nyahna Sasin]

He laughed lightly as the boy gently turned down his offer of alcohol. "Smart idea. You'll live longer." At least he wouldn't have a drunken companion this time. He had no desire to repeat the incident with the tiger kelvic, the chicken and that oddly spiky fruit. That had been awful.

He grinned at Kiou, and began walking over to the exit of the alleyway. He could already see the entrance to the alleyway lead out into what appeared to be the inside of someone's house. The man within simply looked at them, and sighed, before opening his front door. Sasin nodded in thanks, and lead Kiou out into the middle of a busy street. Down the road, the temple of Ionu winked into existence.

"I really have to wonder how it all happens." He muttered. "Some of the smaller illusions, I can understand, but this.." He waved his hands around them. "This constant relocation of people and buildings, how does it work? It looks and feels and smells real, but how much of it really is an illusion?"

[Kiou]

Kiou returned the mans grin and followed him down the alley. Ahead of them, he noticed what appeared to be the innards of some poor saps house, and luckily, the man seemed used to this kind of thing, simply opening his front door to let them out onto a busy street, occupied by many milling citizens and travelers. Looking towards both ends of the street, and at the end of one way, he caught sight of some sort of large stone building jutting out of the land. He briefly wondered about it, but figured he could perhaps explore it another day. That is, if he didn't get lost or wind up on a wall. When he heard Sasin muttering to himself, Kiou glanced away from the stone structure, instead looking at the short man, listening as he mumbled to himself about the strangeness of this city and it's always moving structures. When Sasin waved his hands, gesturing to what seemed to be everything around them, Kiou gave a slight shrug. "The workings of some god, I assume. I don't know much about these gods, but I get the feeling that they like to mess with us. Or whoever it is that is the deity of this city. Ionu, if I remember correctly. Don't know much of anything about him, but I'm not sure I like all this magic business.," he stated, glancing about them once more. Never having much to do with any sort of magic, this place seemed almost alien to him.