She watched in equal mixture of fascination and worry as Miro dipped his hand into the canal. The Ravosalaman was so close now. Though the vagrant knew in the most logical and practical sense that a Stryfe would not likely harm a citizen without reason, some deep, instinctive voice was telling her there was danger in this magic. Whether it was an issue of "could be" or "would be" remained impossible to know, but it still left her feeling a little uneasy. Oh Morwen, here it comes! Ari held her breath as the Ravosala drew near, its tip mere inches from the block of ice. Crack! She held back a gasp, shoulders rising just a fraction. The impact sent the Ravosalaman stumbling forward and he glared up at the Stryfe in peevish surprise. For one, harrowing moment Vanari feared he could pitch over into the icy water, but to her overwhelming relief the man caught his balance at the last tick. "What in Rhysol's name is this?" he demanded. Miro chuckled in amusement. In mirth. As if there was nothing at all concerning about toying with this unwitting victim. And, though up until then she harbored a mostly fuzzy, vague-ish sense of trust and camaraderie for this mysterious masked kin, cold shivers of muted alarm now prickled up along the girl's spine. Unable to interject, any more than she could run or find similar joy in this act of thinly veiled extortion, Vanari wrung her hands worriedly behind her cloak. She watched as the Ravosalaman become thwarted over and over again. It was something truly to behold, the way Miro turned water to ice as effortlessly as others breathed or blinked. Incredible, and dangerous. Not to mention that tone of voice; it had become significantly more threatening. Why hadn't she realized this before? Just do it you dolt, the Vantha found herself hissing at the stubborn boatman inside her own head. Do it before you get hurt! Fortunately, the man ended up forking over his five, precious gold mizas and Miro happily let him go. The ice melted back into its watery origins, but the Ravosalaman did not seem keen on leaving just yet. Ari eyed him with nothing short of utter exasperation. He'd better not be stupid enough to try anything; five gold was a small price to pay for one's life, however unfair it seemed in the moment. She was unable to exert more urgent mind threats at the man, though, as Miro had now returned his attentions upon his new companion. Ari's eyes went wide as the Stryfe handed her the money. She hadn't been expecting to be the recipient of the rewards of this little stunt and was half afraid the Ravosalaman would be angrier than before. The girl accepted the money and cast a wary glance toward the canal. But when she looked, it was clear the man had gone. Good. At least that was done and over with. "T-Thank you," Ari stammered, unsure of what else to say. She was spared the effort of struggling though as Miro spoke again. This time, he offered even more lavish compliments on her eyes, the trademark of her--of their people. And then he suggested something truly frightening. Vanari found her senses growing...clearer. Which was strange, because she was no drinker or addict or someone with poor living habits whatsoever. It was no where near time to feel sleepy or drowsy either. But curious wonderings aside, the vagrant was sound of mind enough to know one thing: Rhysol scared the living shyke out of her. To her immense relief, Miro seemed too focused elsewhere--again--to notice her reaction. Ari fought to calm herself; it was a harmless thing to say. Everyone within Ravok would speak those same words, whether or not they meant them. It was always safer to err on the side of Rhysol than that of another god's in these parts. One never knew who would be listening, and if the right ears heard words of dissension...she gulped, remembering that night she and Ria had witnessed the massacre. The girl almost jumped out of her skin when Miro spoke again, but his words caught her interest once more. A creature from another world? Unable to resist, Ari listened on, and gasped in surprise as a silver orb of ice formed right beside the masked Stryfe. At Miro's introduction, the Vantha's eyebrows rose. "Well then, hello Ender!" she beamed, eyes shifting gold one moment, then orange the next, before settling into more greenish hues. A mischievous grin replaced her smile of wonderment. "So, what are your thoughts about your partner here?" |