Open [The Eye of Syna] Walk in the dark

[Corneliun]

8th Winter 512
The Eye of Syna: Evening- Close to the 20th Bell

The air was cold, bitter, the warmth of the day had been replaced by the cool of the night, but it was in the cool of the night that Corneliun preferred. And so the mixed blood walked, but instead of wearing the coat off his shoulders as he usually did he instead wore it correctly, and so protecting him from the chill. He stopped to take in the air, his eyes turning to face the Eye of Syna, a sight that he had grown use to in his years of residing in Ahnatep. He vaguely remembered this being one of the first locations his father took him too, but he was a child at the time, and the memory itself was distant. How many years had it been now? He rubbed his brow with thought, before turning his eye to the Temple. He focused on it, before pulling his attention away. In all his years that he had lived he had yet to set foot beyond those elaborate bronze doors, and he had no intention to break that habit.

He glanced about in the dying light, his eyes adjusting to the gloom before he made himself walk on. Even when armed with a sword and being relatively competent in its use, he still preferred not to use it. Drawing it caused unnecessary attention, something he learned quickly when defending in public. It always paid off to use your fists, sure waving a sword around was good and such, but it got you into a lot more trouble with the Jackals, the racist little shykes. The man rolled his shoulders back, his hand falling to his sword scabbard for reassurance, keeping his eyes keen as he stepped through the darkness, appearing to many as a pale ghost that walked the night time streets. His own private patrol, his form of keeping himself entertained in the colder nights. It was better than heading back to where he was sleeping, in the cramped space with four walls surrounding him, alone with no one else to talk to. It constricted the mind, and stopped the art of communication, something that Corneliun was rather fond of. Speaking helped ease pain, to lift burdens and realise that one did not stand alone in the world. He stopped himself again at the oasis edge, giving him a different angle in which to perceive things, to see the world and question its every move by the very few that moved about in the shadow of the darkness. It was night after all that the shadow of Ahnatep came into play.

[Kaley]

Kaley glided between the marble columns, enjoying the cool of night. She felt it prickle across her skin and chill her through the thin silks. Her gold anklets made a soft twinkling noise and echoed through the halls. Her Gardener was stationed outside the temple awaiting her return. She had pleaded him to let them leave the Courtyard early just so she could have these few moments alone, before her dancing lesson with Avior. Stretching her arms out, she let her silks drift in the night air. To anyone looking she must have been a vision of colored silks with her golden coin chains dancing in the wind. She let her head roll back and she breathed in the delicious air through her silken face veil. Her eyes peered over the veil, covering her nose and lips, adjusting to the darkness. She quickly glance to her left, and then to right. Good. There was no one watching, or so she thought. Quietly, she slipped off her golden sandals and gracefully lifted her silks so that she could walk across the dew covered grass. She stopped just before the pool, bubbling it's precious water. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't resist. She daintily lifted her foot and plunged it into the cool water. Sitting on the edge, she placed the other foot in. It felt so wonderful and refreshing. She knew this was a holy place, not meant for one's feet, but how good it felt over her aching feet. She gave a quick splash with a flick of her ankle. Then another, and another. Suddenly, she was madly kicking away as she used to do as a child. She gave a squee of delight.

[Corneliun]

What was it that Corneliun heard that drew his attention? The cry of delight or the sound of water thrashing? Either way, he could barely hear the sound as he walked on, and so he paused, his ears straining whilst his eyes searched. He made himself walk a while more, a curiosity growing inside him until his eyes drifted to the shadow of the temple columns. It was quick feet that made Corneliun move, and although he did not run, he could not help but increase his pace. The laughter, the joy, it sounded so nice upon his ears, as if it was indeed an angel resting in the water. He had to see who it was.

He slowed his pace when he saw the Gardener in the gloom, standing guard outside the temple door. Corneliun gave a respectable nod, and quickly changed his direction so he avoided the temple door. He could still hear it on the wind, and so he pushed himself on to find it. He skirted the outside, before bringing himself back to the oasis edge, his eyes focusing once more onto the pillars, and beyond that the court yard. His eyes then drifted and he spotted the source. A woman, a collection of silks hanging off her body. As he focused his attention to her and so in turn attempted once more to close the gap between them. But it was this time that Corneliun Frik did not take an original approach.

Quietly he crouched himself down, his feet dabbing at the water's edge, feeling the cool grasp at him. But it did not stop him. Quietly he waded round until he met the side of the temple. Above him stood a small gap, then the pillars and then the courtyard beyond. It would take a jump to allow he to climb up to meet the edge, but he had to see the source. He took in a deep breath, and leapt up, his fingers tightly grasping the stone. Corneliun dared not to make a noise, so he simply drew upon the want to grunt and focused it on pulling himself up. It was a struggle to say the least, at first he was simply left hanging, and then he had to attempt the rest up in his sandals, his feet struggling to take hold. But when he did get to the top, he dipped behind a pillar, out of sight but still peering round to observe.

He remembered the woman well, her moment look of horror when she dropped her parcel. And now she sat at the pool edge, bathing her feet in the holy water, a small laugh escaping her lungs. But Corneliun did not speak, nor did he come forward, he was too content seeing a moment of peace. He just silently observed, taking an awkward lean out so he could receive a clearer view. If their eyes did meet however, he would simply raise a finger to his lips, a small smile on his face matched with a nod.