Open [The rearing stallion] Hot weather sickness

[Crona Aguire]

Day 1, Of Summer 513 The sun shown bright in the sky overhead as Crona made her way through the sweating crowd of the city streets. She remembered the Summers of Syliras from back when she was young, but couldn't bring herself to think the heat was as bad back then. She was sweating profusely and her clothes kept sticking to her frame and she could only think of one place she could go to get out of the retched heat. Large strides brought her into the Stallion tavern. Though it was only a few degrees cooler there it felt like heaven. Her feet automatically brought her to the bar stools that lined the counter and she sat, taking a good look at the collection of ale and beer. She normally would have gone for a plate to eat around that time, but Crona knew her stomach wouldn't be able to pallet something warm in that kind of hot weather. She waved her hand at the woman behind the bar as her mind quickly decided on what it wanted. "I'll take a mug of Ale please, I swear the heat is trying to turn me into a raisin." The woman chuckled before heading off in the direction to get her order. Crona laid her forehead on the cool wood of the bar, dreading each second as it got warmer from her body heat. By the four or fifth time she had moved it to a cooler spot her mug was set in front of her. The blond reached inside of her front pocket for the silver miza she had stored there that morning and handed it to the bartenders outstretched hand. After she paid she reached out her hands and wrapped them around both sides of the mug, letting them cool down on the condensation around the glass. When the water warmed to a room temperature she picked it up and took a swig, trying her best not to down the cool liquid all at once. She set down the mug after the first few sips, so she wouldn't be tempted to drink anymore, when the sound of the stool next to her scraped the ground as it was being pulled out by another customer. She sincerely hoped the stranger wouldn't be one of those silent types that lurked around and kept to themselves. Not that she minded them, they just made her uncomfortable when they sat next to her. A yawn ripped from her throat and she stretched, the heat of the day making her drowsy. "Man am I tired."

[Lyrri Snowsong]

You would think that after an entire season in this city, the girl would at least have the faintest idea where she was.

Lyrri walked down yet another bustling street, the people, homes, and shops as common and uniform as the last. She wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced up at the cloudless sky; I've never been a fan of dreary days, but this is taking it too far! Sighing, she glanced around in yet another attempt to recognize her surroundings; she found herself standing in front of the Rearing Stallion.

The self-proclaimed entertainer smiled gratefully upon entering the slightly cooler area. A bar sat not far away, and with a flash of yellow-green in her Vantha eyes, Lyrri took up a stool and pulled out a small handful of coins. "A mug of ale, please!"

Glancing to her right, she fixed on her fellow patron a friendly grin. "Hello there!"

[Crona Aguire]

She took another sip from her ale just as the stranger, who she had found out was a girl by their voice, turned to her "Hello there!" Crona turned her hazel eyes onto a small girl with deep black hair with streaks of orange in certain areas, and a friendly smile spread across her face. Although her features were quite exotic to Crona, what really caught her was the girls yellow eyes, that seemed to shimmer with other colors. Crona smiled as much as she could in return with the heat burning her skin red even without direct contact.She never was one to love the sun, the Winter being her favorite time of year. "Hello to you too, quite cheerful for a day like this aren't you?" She straightened her back, so she towered over the girl by almost five inches and held a hand out to her. "The names Crona, the girl that is slowly turning into a dried grape from the heat, and you are?"

[Lyrri Snowsong]

"Hello to you too, quite cheerful for a day like this aren't you?"

The girl was tall, much taller than her. Lyrri's eyes momentarily flashed with a surprised blue before she retained her friendly composure and shook the extended hand. Now that she had gotten a good look at this young lady, she noticed that she had an interesting appearance to her as well. Her blonde hair was cut like a boy's; dark eyebrows stood out from under her bangs, their distinct difference making them bold and highlighting her nearly as dark eyes. The bard could have mistaken her for a boy, had she not heard her voice! That wouldn't be starting off on good terms, would it?

"The names Crona, the girl that is slowly turning into a dried grape from the heat, and you are?"

Lyrri let out a loud laugh. This girl is rather interesting! "Lyrri Snowsong," she said, her laughs fading into a jovial chuckle. "The girl that never seems to find the same place twice! Even if the sun's a bit overzealous today, there's no reason not to be cheerful!" A mug was set in front of the Vantha, filled to the brim; eagerly she took a sip and sighed as the cool liquid eased the humid heat of the tavern.

"And why are you up and about on such a hot day?"

[Crona Aguire]

Crona was a bit shocked to see the smaller girls eyes change to a light turquoise color before reverting back to their original shade. The girl shook her hand as her eyes roamed over Crona's lean, yet built body. She knew what the girl must be thinking, that her appearance was a bit... odd, for that of a young lady such as herself. She didn't take offense to it though, taking it as a subtle complement that she could have been mistaken for a boy, just as her father would have wanted. The girl giggled after her introduction and she couldn't help but smile at Lyrri's contagious laughter. She wondered if the girl knew her bright personality rubbed off onto other people, or maybe she was the only one who wasn't immune. "And why are you up and about on such a hot day?" the girl asked cheerfully. She smiled and cracked her neck on one side before answering."It's nice to meet you Lyrri, and well, to answer your question, I am up and about partly because my room was much hotter than outside, and partly that I had to train as I do everyday." she leaned her elbow onto the bar and her chin in her hand "And what about you? Are you here for a particular reason or did you get lost and stumble on in?"

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Lyrri saw the girl start at the sight of her ever-changing eyes. She glanced up curiously; everyone's eyes were like this in Avanthal. Was it really so uncommon here?

She matched Crona's smile as she took another swig of ale. Train? Ah, maybe that was the reason for her boyish looks! Lyrri briefly wondered what one might do in daily training sessions. And wouldn't it get boring?

Well, you don't have much tolerance for disinteresting things to begin with, do you, Lyrri?

"And what about you? Are you here for a particular reason or did you get lost and stumble on in?"

She chuckled again at this question, her smile widening at the reminder of her own folly. "Ah, you know my weakness! Yes, I have a hopeless sense of direction, it seems," she replied with a shake of the head. "Though I'm sure I'll get the hang of things eventually!"

"So, what do you train with? Are you a Syliran knight? And out of curiosity, have you ever been to Taldera?" This girl was rather intriguing; the questions began to stumble out of Lyrri as she looked up at her companion with curious blue-green eyes, now the color of the Suvan Sea.

[Crona Aguire]

Crona, for the life of her, couldn't come up with a logical reason as to why the girl beside her, Lyrri, was so intriguing. She roamed her eyes over the girl repeatedly as nonchalant as she could to try and figure it out, but came up with nothing. She mentally shook her head, dismissing the search. The girls eyes turned blue once again as she began shooting questions at Crona, though she could tell she didn't mean to and was just curious. The blond didn't mind however as long as she had someone to talk to. She decided to answer each question accordingly as to which stumbled out of the girls mouth first. "I train by myself in my room or a small clearing in the forest, I use a set of Tamo daggers, duel wielding..." She smiled at the next question and shook her head. "No, I'm not a knight, and I don't think I'll be signing up anytime soon either." She listened to the next question as the girl continued and she again shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I have not. Is it nice?" She didn't know where Taldera was or what it was like, so she may as well find out from the girl she supposed had been there before.

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Lyrri remained oblivious to the girl's roaming eyes, more intrigued by far by her response. "With two daggers? That sounds pretty fun, come to think of it!" She saw why training might be interesting now- even if it might bore her to do the same thing every day. She had never seen anyone fight like that; it must be fun to learn!

"Yes, it's very beautiful," Lyrri exclaimed, straightening up with the thought of her home. "I'm honestly not too surprised; you looked a bit thrown by my eyes. Every Vantha's eyes change- they say it's because we came from the stars!" The performer held herself back from launching into a long explanation of the folklore from her homeland; still, a fiery violet flared in her eyes. She loved a good story!

"I, myself, come from Avanthal. It's always winter there, really a sight to behold. It's probably why I'm so mindful of the heat!" Another swig of ale accompanied her joyful, meandering conversation; it was growing a bit warmer now, but still served to cool her burning head.

[Crona Aguire]

Crona listened quietly as Lyrri talked about her homeland. She figured it must be beautiful if the girl could sound so entranced and enthusiastic just by explaining what it looked like. The blond drank the last of her ale as she wondered whether she would ever see the land Lyrri was talking so happily about. She had never thought about traveling out of her home land, where she knew the roads and buildings like the back of her hand. She absently looked at the back of her hand then, noticing for the first time she really didn't look at it at all. She had to hold back a giggle at her own irony before fixing her posture so she was sitting straight up, she hated how she slouched without realizing it. Crona smiled at the girl once again "I grew up here, you think I would have been used to the heat, but I still feel as if I would melt every time Summer knocks at my door."

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Lyrri watched the girl curiously as she giggled to herself, and matched her lighthearted cheer without thinking, a small chuckle accompanying her. She's one of few friendly faces in this place.

"I grew up here, you think I would have been used to the heat, but I still feel as if I would melt every time Summer knocks at my door."

"Oh? You grew up here?" The Vantha's curiosity was again renewed. She had lived in Avanthal all her life, but couldn't imagine staying in the same place now that she was old enough. Could there ever be enough adventure in a single place to capture Lyrri's attention for so long? And you've never left the region?

"I don't know how anyone can stand the summers here! It's just dreadful!"