[The Stone Garden] A Small Request (Nero, Ora)

[Ora Sa'vina]

50th of Summer, 510AV

Ora awoke early, like she usually did, rising with the sun. The young woman went about her morning habits like it was any other day, but her plans for the day were slightly different from the usually. After her average breakfast of dried apples and bread, and her average washing up, the young Konti took her burlap back and began to look through it, searching. It did not take the woman long to find what she wanted, and with ease she lifted a small, painted, wooden figurine of a horse from her bag.

Ora had bought the figurine ten days prior with a dear friend in mind at the time. Her small pale fingers lightly rolled over the horses painted brown coat and black mane. The figure was the size of both of Ora's fists next to each other and carved to near perfection. Violet eyes traced over the statue, a soft smile resting on her lips. In a smooth movement the woman stood, taking a small piece of paper she scribbled a note.

Nero, it has been a while since we last talked, I have found myself missing your company. If you receive this in time, please meet me at noon in the Stone Garden on the 50th, I wish to speak with you.
-Ora

The penmanship was not eloquent or extravagant, it was simple writing for a simple note, though, next to the woman's name was drawn a small Lily, much like the Gnosis mark hidden under her clothes. Once the note was finished, Ora folded it into fourths, writing "Nero" on the top of the paper.

It did not take long for the young woman to arrive at the Rearing Stallion, the place where Nero was able to have mail delivered, it was also a place where he was frequently. Ora approached the bar, horse and note in hand, her eyes were locked on the bartender, the man seemed to always be there. "Hello, if it is not too much trouble, could you give this to Nero Czan next time to see him?" Ora smiled and bowed slightly to the man as he took the note and figurine. After her thanks, she left the Tavern and made her way up to the Stone Garden.

[Nero Czan]

Nero had strolled into the 'Stallion expecting his usual rounds. The drinks, the revelry, the occasional fight-insistent drunk. The Usual. Last night had dragged on longer than he had wished, and his mind was still a bit sleepy. However, when he approached the bar-top and was answered with a wooden horse instead of a wooden mug... He figured today would be an interesting day. His 'prophecy' was confirmed, and his mind cleared, once he had glanced over the note, a smile forming over reading Ora's name. A fun day indeed. He looked over the horse with more attention this time around, and was slightly amazed at the craftsmanship. The Drykas people idolized their steeds, and seeing carved mementos and statues was a common thing. It was like a little piece of Home, if it could be called that. But he smirked even more when he thought over the reason behind the gift. As far as he knew, there was no celebration today, (Although he wasn't too good at that stuff anyways), and although she was overly-polite at times, he found the gift a very sweet gesture. That left two options: She's finally gotten her emotions settled and organized, or; She has a favor she wants to ask. Going off of prior experience, he was leaning towards the latter. But he did not disregard the former option, and actually considered it. It had after all been quite a while since he had last seen her. Nevertheless, after he had casually asked the familiar bartender what time it was, all other concerns were out of his mind. He was supposed to be there in 5 minutes. Muttering a curse under his breath, and waving his thanks to Kevith, he ran out of the tavern with his gift under one arm. His other one was free, so that he could push people out of his way as he stormed through the city. Nero thought ahead... Sometimes. It had taken him a good 15 minutes, after pulling out all the tricks, and as he arrived, he was panting slightly, his skin yet to break into sweat. He calmed his heartbeat down for a moment, before strolling across the garden, his eyes surveying the scene for the petite woman whom he so enjoyed being with, for somewhat obvious reasons. Her eyes were the most vibrant shade of violet that he had ever seen, and beyond them, was reflected in turn the most beautiful and innocent personality, and a bravery unlike his-own. All these meshed together to create a giant force, from which Nero found himself constantly being pulled into. Nero didn't exactly know what he'd say to her, but he'd find the words. He always did. Once he had sighted her, he smiled and waved, his stride gracefully carrying him over the uniquely formed path, a giant memorial to the passed and honorably deceased. It had an eerie quality the first time he had seen it, but never since. To the unconcerned, it was merely a park, where one could expect peace and relaxation. "Hello again Ora." He got within arm's distance of his companion before taking her hand and gently kissing it, an almost patronizing gesture, amplified by his playful smirk. When his head rose, he held out the figure and smiled earnestly at her. "Thanks for the gift, It really brings back fond memories. I love it." He chuckled as he continued, his eyes locking with hers. "It sure has been a while... Your eyes are still as lovely as ever... Your lips.." He shook off his phase, his emotions once again bypassing his mind and going straight to his mouth. He chuckled again, one arm scratching behind his head, the sign of a man slightly regretting his actions. "Anyways... How have you been lately? Did you miss me that much?" He had to fight the strong temptation to stick his tongue out at her, but it was defeated. The smirk would do just fine.

[Ora Sa'vina]

The young Konti arrived at the Stone Garden in the early morning; it was empty, which wasn’t unusual, especially for the hour. Ora found herself moving slowly and gracefully, practicing small parts of dances from the Isle. She did have several hours before Nero would show up, if he did. Her mind wandered to think over the last time she had seen the man, her cheeks reddened at the thought. Such an odd sensation, embarrassment out of memory, not unheard of to Ora, but the embarrassment was not because she had made a fool of herself, but because of the odd attention and devotion the man seemed to give her.
The hours passed slowly as Ora allowed her arms and legs to slowly twists and twirl, occasionally she would stop and frown at herself for making a mistake, but her frown was soon replaced once she began to move fluidly again. The woman found herself nervous as her feet grazed the stones beneath her, What if Nero did not show up? Her eyes opened to watch her own movements, her ears listening for movement on the stairs that led to the garden.
Whenever the crunch of pebbles on stone was heard, Ora would stop her movements and look over at the entrance, hopeful. A few people walked through the garden, only in passing and while they were present, Ora found herself sitting on a small, Stone bench, her mind wandering. What will you say to him? The young woman still hadn’t sorted through her emotions let alone thoughts, she wasn’t sure what she would say to her friend, but she hoped it would suit her and please him.
Ora’s violet eyes moved to the gates of the Garden when she heard noon ring through Sylira, her heart skipped a beat, she was nervous, excited, worried. What if he says no? Her hands twisted each other as she worried silently to herself. Ora stood, watching the stairway for sometime before frowning, her eyes moving to the ground, a sigh left her lips as she turned to sit down on the cool stone bench. Maybe he didn’t get the note.
Ora watched her own feet as they swung back and forth on the bench, waiting. Her attention moved suddenly when she heard the crunch she had been waiting for. Her violet eyes remained on the gate, awaiting someone to walk through the pillars. It took a moment, but the familiar brown hair and charactistic smirk of Nero emerge. The Konti smiled in return and stood up from the bench, her eyes remained on him, once he noticed her, he smiled and waved, Ora smiled and bowed slightly like she usually did in return. The woman watched him walk along the path towards her, her eyes noticed the statue, at least he still had it.
“Hello, Nero.” Ora smiled, but her smile was wiped away as her cheeks blushed, a common occurrence around Nero, her expression seemed taken by surprise as he kissed the back of her hand. Ora stood for a moment, staring at her hand as if it wasn’t her own before moving it to be held by the other. “Oh, yes, you are welcome. I saw it a few days ago, it made me think of you, I thought it was fitting.” Ora’s smile returned as she looked at the figurine. “I think that if you were to be a horse, you would look like this one,” She paused a short moment, looking up at him. “But larger, of course.”
Ora found herself looking at the stones under her feet rather suddenly, her cheeks burning. He always says the oddest things… What do my lips have to do with anything? Ora cleared her throat, her eyes moving back to Nero’s face. “You always seem to know exactly what to say when you want to make me blush.” Ora laughed quietly, gesturing to the bench she had just been sitting on.
“I am well, it has been an interesting time here, and I have found myself learning a great deal. How have you been, Nero?” Ora smiled down at her hands as she sat on the bench. The second part of his question required Ora to think for a moment. “Do I need to miss you to see you? Would it not be best to see you frequently enough for me not to miss your company?” Ora smiled over at Nero as she spoke. “I will admit, I did find myself missing your company.” Ora frowned slightly. “I find myself alone up here frequently as of late. ” Her attention moved back to her companion, her face shown with delight. “It is lovely to see you, but I do have something to ask of you,” Ora reached out and touched his hand, squeezing it lightly. “I am leaving for Riverfall soon, as you know. It will be a long trip, one I do not wish to take alone…” Ora trailed off, her face blushing, even the young woman was unsure of why she showed this form of embarrassment. “It would be a great honor if you would think about accompanying me.” Ora found herself speaking rather suddenly. “You do not need to make a decision now, of course, you can wait and think it over.” Ora’s eyes moved back to her lap, the hand that had squeezed his left his grasp and returned to her own. Oh, you sound like a fool!

[Nero Czan]

Nero chuckled with a relaxed smile as Ora's eyes gazed at her feet, reluctant to show him her beautiful face, tinged a cute shade of pink. He took his hand and gently lifted her head up by the chin, her eyes matching his as she spoke. "I only speak the truth, Ora." He kept his laugh under control, his mind finding his next words for him as his emotions ran wild. "Although, I do think you look lovely when you blush; No need to hide it." He smiled as he withdrew his hand, his words and gestures most likely only aggravating the problem. Nevertheless, he was glad to see her again. It had indeed been a long while, and since their last encounter, he did not have the "luck," nor time, to seek her out. He let that point in the past lay, and returned to the present, to enjoy the moment at hand. Nero gratefully accepted her motion with a polite smile, and sat down next to her. He chuckled, her words making perfect sense, Logically. However, Ora seemed to have a hard time understanding some of the emotional definitions of some of his phrases and sayings. It wasn't a bother really, just another source of entertainment for him. He laughed for a moment as she smiled at him, his cheery tone overlapping into his voice. "You have a very good point. I guess we'll just have to spend more time with each-other, to prevent such a thing from happening." He smirked as she continued, glad to hear her admit to the fact, and a slight chuckle coming from her frown. "I doubt such a fine woman as yourself would ever find herself without friends. It's just a matter of reaching out." He smiled, in response to her own, suddenly, glowing expression, and felt at ease once more. The slightly misty feeling that accompanied his unique case of Insanity would retreat whenever he was with Ora, and he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, as one might put it. Ora's next move was not expected, in any regards. He hadn't quite done anything yet either, so her grabbing of his hand was not something he could've seen coming. His playful smirk ran across as she spoke, sensing something important in her request. Even if she was about to ask him, Nero was filled with anticipation. He imagined a variety of scenarios, in a matter of moments, ranging from an evil arch-rival coming to Syrilas, to running away with her to some forsaken land to escape a cartel she had run into. None were plausible, but they were always a fun diversion for his mind. And then he heard her request. That would've suited his implausible scenarios. Nero had to restrain himself from laughing at the internal-irony of the situation, and only smirked, a slightly surprised look, which he could not for the life of himself conceal, shadowing his expression. "Well. I did Not see that coming." He chuckled, his laughter pure and sweet, a nectar brewed from joyous circumstances. The delicious glaze over it all was Ora's pauses, exemplified by her rosy cheeks and dodgy glances, topped off with a rushed clause at the end. Nero saw it for what it was, and knew, that piece by piece, the shell with which she was naturally born with, was cracking. Whether or not that was a good thing, he could not say, but he would see it through, and be there to comfort her, regardless of the ending. Or at least... That's how the story would go if it were a novel. Nero had had issues with that sort of thinking before, and learned quite quickly that the unexpected is to be expected. He could deal with all that later, the last thing he needed was to make this shy, and now obviously nervous, woman wait any longer. He leaned in towards her, his voice a soft and sensuous whisper in her ear. "Consider it thought over... And consider This, my answer." It was as if Nero's sensible and polite mind had been Overrun, Beaten, Tied-up, and then Beaten again. His emotions (Still himself, just not the smooth and sharp-tongued kind.), committed his body to it faster than either person could realize, and, it ended before Nero could even fathom it all. His emotions fell back in a satiated haze, his mind frantically putting the pieces of the puzzle together, as he looked towards Ora. Who was very close. Very, Very close. His eyes made out the vibrant rings of color in her own, as he slowly withdrew, the scene becoming apparent as he withdrew, and his mind becoming even more frantic. The puzzle was complete, the picture clear. If there was any appropriate time, it was then, as he mentally slapped the palm of his hand against his face. He had gone and kissed the shyest woman he had ever met, right on her innocent lips. "Well... That would be a Yes..."

[Ora Sa'vina]

Ora's eyes met Nero's as he lifted her blushing face. A small smile crossed her face, she knew when he spoke the truth and when he lied, Avalis had given her that. "I know, Nero, you have yet to lie to me, I have no reason to doubt you." Her blush deepened slightly, moving to the tips of her ears, all the better for him to enjoy and for Ora to attempt to hide. As his hand moved from her chin, Ora returned her eyes to the ground, it was a habit, and habits are, if anything, hard to break.

The young woman was glad Nero agreed with her. Maybe she understood things better than she originally thought? Or maybe he was making fun of her, either way, she was pleased for the time being. "I think you, of all people, would know how wonderful I am at reaching out." Ora joked with a small sigh, it took some work on her end as well as his (And some alcohol, but that was rather forgotten then remembered.) for her to reach out.

A frown crossed Ora's face as she looked away from Nero. "I am sorry, I thought it was best to ask before I lost the nerve to do so." Her eyes moved back to Nero as he chuckled, she didn't understand why he was laughing, did she say something funny? Did she have something in her hair? Ora thought about what she said, she didn't see anything funny in that.

Ora felt herself move backwards as Nero leaned in closer, even with her moving back slightly, he was still very close to her, Ora could feel his breath on her face. What happened after the brown-haired man spoke was something she was not expecting. Ora froze, her eyes open, confused and a little terrified.

"What is kissing like, Mother?" Ora had asked this to her mother once, to which her mother smiled and replied. "Well, it depends, there are many different kisses." Was the answer Ora received. With a frown the young Konti asked her mother again. "What are the different kisses?" "Well, there are kisses from lovers, from family, from friends..." Ora listened intently to her mother, trying to understand. "You know how you feel when I kiss you? That is a family kiss, a friendly kiss is the kind the Priestess gave you after you recovered from that illness." The older woman smiled down at her daughter. "A kiss of love is entirely different from those two, you will know when you have one like that, young one." The child was silent for awhile, mulling over her mother's words. "Do you have kisses like that with Father?" San smiled a sad smile down at her daughter. "Yes,"

Ora's breath felt caught in her throat, maybe this was what drowning felt like? Ora didn't know, but she knew it was uncomfortable. The young woman stood up rather suddenly, her hands covering her own mouth. She felt invaded, hurt even. Her eyes turned to Nero, wide, confused eyes looked at him, her hands still covering her mouth, trying to process what just happened. A part of her felt like yelling, a very small part; but once she opened her mouth, the voice was just a whisper. "I do not think that is an appropriate way to say 'Yes' to something." Her voice was caught up in knots.

She turned away from him, her mind whirling as she tried to think over the feelings coursing through her. "Why did you do that?" She asked, her eyes looking over the stones on the far wall. Her heart was still pounding, she had never kissed a man before, did this count? She didn't ask him to, she didn't even kiss back as far as she knew. Ora's fingers moved to touch her lips, her mind was full of so much, but at the same time it was entirely blank, she couldn't think with the white noise intruding her brain.

Ora knew one thing, though, that was definitely not what a family kiss or friend kiss felt like, which left one option. This is not what I was expecting.

[Nero Czan]

Nero laid back, his head tilted back as far as the bench, and his spine, would allow, as he glared up towards the blue-tinted sky. His mind was a white slate. A plane of nothingness. He couldn't completely grasp his reasoning, nor even the simple fact of what had occurred. After a few moments of what amounted to restarting his mind, he spoke up, his voice lacking the same playful tone it usually contained, and instead carried a hollow, almost somber feeling as it rang through the air. "Your guess is as good as mine..." His hands closed in on his face as he let out another sigh. "Boy. I sure know how to make things complicated." He stood, his expression clouded with doubt and perplexity. It was something he had rarely found himself undergoing, and something he strove to avoid, wholeheartedly. He turned his attention on the situation at hand, or at least tried to. His mind would not allow such a logical choice at the moment. He found himself taking slow, long strides across the waves of stones at his feet. He systematically paced himself, one minute turning into two, turning into five. It was at the ten minute mark that he had regained control of himself. This was announced, quite aptly, by a very, very, noticeable sign. The explosion of pebbles. Nero had slammed his heel into a patch of a pebbles outlining the memorial path and it's garden, with a powerful axe-kick, a finishing move to a battle raging within himself. His face was visibly strained, his breath had became quick and shallow, and his eyes contained a hint of devilish animosity. He was the epitome of a warrior at that moment. And, as quickly as it had arrived, his mind turned into a peaceful meadow, his thoughts once again concise and together. His mind once again his, away from the furtive control of his sometimes over-zealous emotions. He collapsed to a knee, taking his heart-rate under control, with subtle concentration. He struck the ground once more, his expression silent, and pulled his fist back with a bruised fist, the pebbles flying at him like shrapnel. He stood with his usual grace, his hand nonchalantly brushing a cluster of tears as his vision focused. He walked over, reluctantly at first, and took a knee once he was a couple feet from Ora. His head was bowed, and he carried the aura of one in the presence of Royalty. It went beyond that however. It was one of deep Regret, Respect, and, perhaps, even Understanding. Nero's shell had begun to crack, and he smirked to himself as he knelt there, baring his most humble side to her. "Please... Forgive Me. There's no one to blame.. but myself..." The last sentence was one mostly meant for himself, but one that ring true, for multiple situations.

[Ora Sa'vina]

Ora's eyes followed Nero as he moved away from the bench, his long slow strides were enough to tell Ora he was thinking, or at least trying to. The Konti took next to the bench, her hands at her sides as she watched him, her breath had slowed and her heart had settled, at least temporarily.

Her calm demeanor was soon broken by the splash of pebbles flying into the air. The young woman jumped back, tripping over the bench behind her. The solid ground was not the most comfortable thing to fall on, but the young girls heart had begun to pound again, as she moved away from the angered man. What have I done? This was a side of Nero Ora had never seen, it was also a side of him that terrified her.

Violet eyes watched him as she bumped into the ivy covered wall that surrounded the garden. The woman quickly stood up, leaning against the wall, her eyes watching him closely, her legs ready to run if his rage were to turn. Another jump popped out of the woman as his fist met the pebbles, her eyes watched his hand come back, a few small cuts formed on his knuckles, and the starts of bruises were evident.

Was he crying? Ora asked herself, watching him wipe his face with his bruising fist. Ora watched him approach her, slowly, she was fearful for a moment, but found herself relaxing, her mind grabbing a memory stored away. "I get 'harmed' on a regular basis, it's my pleasure to actually have it mean something for once." If he would go in the way of harm to save her, why would he cause harm to her? Her mind felt dizzy, too much had happened in what she had hoped would have been a nice, relaxing afternoon with a dear friend.

The man before her moved to the ground, going down on one knee he bowed his head to her and spoke his voice was not the normal one that accompanied his classic smirk. His words seemed odd to her, she understood why he said them, but she felt there was no need for him to say them, his actions proved his disappointment in himself.

The woman didn't speak, but quickly moved next to him, kneeling down in front of him. This time it was her hand that lifted his chin up, her eyes locking with his for a moment before she loved to his hand, which she took lightly in both of hers. Quickly, she evaluated the damage he had done to it, some cuts and bruising, it would swell up but there should be no lasting damage was the final prognosis she could come up with. "I forgave you the moment after you did it, Nero," Her eyes were still on his hand, as her fingers carefully dusted off some dirt and small rocks. "I only want to know why you did it," Her eyes moved back up to his, holding his eyes with hers. "You said, that morning," She didn't feel the need to say what morning it was, the morning after she was drunk for the first time and he had to care for her. "Did you mean what you had said? When you said how you felt?" That was the only explanation to his actions, at least to Ora, why else would he have done that?

A small sigh exited the young woman. "Please, let me fix your hand." Her eyes seemed to sharpen, her voice took a serious, almost demanding tone. "Never hurt yourself again, please, it hurts me too."

[Nero Czan]

Nero felt an unspoken burden lifted, but the slight haze remained. His expression was lightening, returning inch by inch to his usual self. It was an interesting feeling, his pseudo-catharsis, and one he cared not to repeat. His hand would be alright; he had gotten worse cuts simply from wielding his gauntlets. His voice carried a hint of his playful nature, but was still soft and almost weary. "Perhaps I did mean it. I tend to have a track-record for Honesty, or rather, I try to. Somethings are never simply defined into words... Especially emotions such as Love." He found himself constantly struggling to define his emotions towards Ora, specifically. What was she to him? That was a question he had pondered over for the past week or two, and one whose answer had eluded him each and every time. Yet, here, his wounded hand in her care, he had found it, in the clear sight of his mind's vision. She was his charge. If there was anything Nero could thrust beyond the reach of his emotions, was his sense of duty, and with that, was his promise to protect Ora from any possible harm. He would be her Knight, and everything else could follow. He smirked towards her, his other hand laying atop of hers, "I Love you... Ora. But the gods help me if I try and describe it... It's still a bit hazy. But until that day when these blasted feelings clear up and show themselves, think of me as your Knight. I'll give my whole effort to preventing a single scratch from appearing on your beautiful skin. You can count on it." He patted her hands as he pulled his own back, his head bowing deeper in respect, before his grip gently lifted her with him as he stood. "Oh, and I'll try and be more careful with myself next time.. M'am. It's good to know you care so much." He smirked, a clear sign of his playful nature, along with the jokes it entailed. Just like that, the "incident" was over with. Insanity was something everyone seemed eager to overlook, but it had done it's purpose, and things were clearer because of it. Nero could only strive to overcome it on it's next rise, and to be strong enough to fight past the emotional constraints that were continuously baring down on him. He sat himself down, coaxing his companion with him. He cleared his throat, in a sort of mocking way. "Anyways, Where Was I... Ah Yes. As I was saying, I'd love to accompany you on your trip Ora. Just say the word and I shall be there." He chuckled, his smile beaming across as he gazed into her eyes, the elegant violet shimmering as always. He looked closer, and thought he may have saw a bit of red scattered around her eyes, but disregarded it. After all, If she had been crying, it probably would've been of fear...

[Ora Sa'vina]

Her hands gently cupped his injured one, tending to it delicately as he spoke. While she listened her heart seemed to gain a mind of its own, pounding harder as her began to explain himself. While he did have explaining to do, she was concerned. Who was that? The man she saw, the one who seemed so full of anguish. Her eyes watched his face as he spoke, it seemed that something had occurred to him, as if he had finally realized something he had been searching for.

The young woman felt her cheeks flush as he confessed, devoting himself to protecting her from harm. Ora smiled at the man before her, a small sadness reached her as he pulled his hand from her, if he was going to come to harm because of her, the least she could was help heal it, not matter how small of insignificant. The Konti stood with him, her eyes remaining on his face while he continued to talk. A soft hand reached out and touched the side of Nero's face, a small sigh left her as her eyes and hand moved away from him.

Ora sat down next to her companion, her eyes watching his bruised hand as it seemed to already grow in size. Her eyes moved up to his face and with a smile, she bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Nero, it will be... Interesting at least." The young woman paused for a moment to think, then let out a laugh. "You know, it seems impossible to be around you and not have something interesting happen." Ora smiled happily at the man next to her.

It took only a moment for her smile to be gone and her attention to return to his hand. Her eyes shifted upward for a moment to meet his before she began to speak. "I plan on leaving near season change, around the 80th I think will be suitable." She paused a moment, taking his injured hand again to hold like a wounded bird, her eyes watching it while she spoke. "I am not sure how long it will take for us to reach Riverfall, but I imagine it will take quite some time." Her fingers lightly went over the bumps and cuts on his hand, her pale white skin staining red.

"I do not wish to see you hurt, Nero." She said quietly, a frown placing itself over her face. Maybe traveling with him would be a bad idea, if he were to be hurt and Ora were unable to do anything? The young woman imagined that as a pain worse than death, being helpless to assist someone she cared so deeply for. Her eyes slowly moved to look at Nero for a moment, trying to read his face, she didn't look for very long before resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes returning to his hand.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, her eyes remaining on his puffy fist.

[Nero Czan]

Nero put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, most of his reluctance at contact having been temporarily stripped. He spoke with a gentle and caring voice, a tinge of his playful nature working inevitably into his tone. "Yeah, I tend to make things interesting... It's because of that, that harm is almost inevitable. Granted, I'm not an easy person to take down." He smirked, his face showing a bit of his masculine bravado for a moment. "But Please. Cheer up. The last thing I'll do is go off and get myself wounded, just to leave you alone. I have enough wit to protect two people at once, So rest easy, Ora. You're safe with me." He smiled towards her, his casually sincere smile riding across his face. He imagined the journey to Riverfall, a place familiar to him only by name and legend. Usually there isn't too much trouble along the main roads, and Nero could easily take down any of the loosely organized highwaymen they might come across. Unless the Gods decided to grace him with a nice treat, as they had in Endrykas, the trip should prove no issue. It was the destination that intrigued him. He would have to gather some information before he left, lest he leave unprepared. A gentle feeling took his focus off of his planning, as he glanced over to his shoulder with a smile. Everything happens for a reason, and perhaps this entire incident was just a means to clear up a tangled web of emotion, and a couple years of pent up Insanity. He shrugged, chuckling as her head bobbed with him, and thought of an easier way to explain his actions. "Well... I guess you could say that I sometimes have to resort to fighting for relieving heavy stress. It's a sort of mentality that can breed out of being an Artist of sorts." He let out a slight sigh as he rethought his next words, which sounded just plain weird. Then again, this Was weird. "Sometimes I do things without thinking them through, and the quickest way to get out of that 'trance,' has been some kind of sharp feeling, in this case, pain." He chuckled as he flexed his fingers, the pain had dulled by this point, but the swelling prevented him from making a tight fist, his knuckles soft and slightly bulging. "I guess it was a bit of stress-relief as well. Martial Arts is almost the core of my life, and I usually like to use it whenever my mind get's cluttered with non-sense." He sighed as he wrapped it up, his voice retaining it's cheery and playful tone. "But, like I said, I'll worry about the gritty details when it comes to combat. You just relax." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his other hand laid carefully across his lap. He laid his head back as he closed his eyes for a moment. Just... Relax...