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If fire in the sky wasn't enough to add to the weird events of the winter season Syka, falling snow just adds more questions than answers...

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Aladon on December 23rd, 2017, 9:38 pm

Time stamp: 50th of Winter, 517AV, A bell past Sunrise.
Location: Swing Beach

Walking into the mercantile, Aladon decided to visit Juli. He was curious if there was a safe spot to train without being to much in the public eye. After a couple days of working the forge, he decided to take the day off to just unwind and clear his mind. When he saw his friend, he gave the human woman a smile and said as he leaned on the counter, "How is business today, Juli?"

The human girl was thumbing through pages through one of the novels located in the store and said without looking up from the book, "Shouldn't you be asleep? AlsoI am chapter five of my book, Aladon. What do you think?"

The blacksmith chuckled at her and said, "I am always up early, Juli. Maybe I should come back another time."

"No your here, and I doubt. You aren't going to buy something, so what do you need? I almost to the good part."

"You read it before?"

"By all the gods, what do you want, Aladon?"

Aladon smirked to himself at the human's annoyed tone and said softly, "To see your pretty face, Juli"

The woman smirked quickly and closed the novel, "Do you know your infuriating sometimes Isur?"

"I try."

Juli rolled her eyes and said with a deep sigh, "Alright, I want to get back to reading unless your going to buy something, so what can I help you with, Al?"

"Is there a nice secluded place where I can train?"

Juli just stared at him with no expression on her face and said simply, "Outside. Your in the middle of nowhere Aladon. Just go outside."

Aladon shook his head and continue, "No. Some place that I haven't see. I seen the outside before. It everywhere, but I want to see somewhere different."

Juli just blinked, looked up at the ceiling, and started talking to whoever listening, "I am never going to get to read my book? Am I?" The woman looked at the infuriating Isur and said bluntly, "OK..there is a beach."

"Aren't we on a beach?"


Juli placed her pointer finger on her lips and shushed him, "Aladon. No talking. Just Listen." The human woman continued, "Alright, if you walk down this beach there is a beach with a whole bunch of swings. There might be people there, and you would be far away from me."

Aladon stifled a giggle at Juli. She was clearly getting sick of him, and he was OK with it. The Isur leaned forward, "Why would they put swings on a beach?"

Juli leaned forward, made a face at him, and said with venom in her voice, "Go see for yourself before I whack you with my book."

As Aladon left the Mercantile, the idea of someone spent time installing swings on beach was kind of absurd. The novelty of it all surprised him that someone in Skya had so much time that they would dedicate time to making something as absurd as swing beach, but as he walked out onto the beach and there it was, a beach full of swings. The practical Isur just chuckled to himself thought it was odd way to spend your time, but he started to see the appeal of it as he walked down the sandy shoreline. It was hot and humid today; however, the breeze coming off the ocean was colder than normal, so it was quite comfortable on the beach. He was going to overexert himself with his training today to get a good workout, so he needed to find a secluded spot to train. The modest part of him didn't want anyone to see him since he going to work on his swordsmanship with just wearing a loincloth. He wanted to be seen as a respectable person in the settlement and not just some who wears less to nothing just for the hai of it.

When he got to a secluded spot on the beach, he took off his water skin off his belt,hat off his head, and threw them onto the swing chair. He disrobing till he was just in loin cloth. He tossed his remaining clothes on the swing too. After tying the loin cloth around him tightly, he grabbed his large brimmed hat and placed it on his head to protect his pale face from the sun. Grabbing his Isur retractable shield, he put the odd looking buckler on his right arm, picked up his sword with his left, and walked into the middle of the beach. The Isur turned the release key and watched his shield fan out till it became a large metal shield with the insignia of Sultros on the front of it. When it locked into place, the blacksmith got into his fighting stance. Aladon put his left foot back and kept right foot forward, so he could raise his shield with his right hand, so the large shield protected his abdomen. The Isur raised his sword hand, so it pointed upward in a neutral position. No need to advertise his first strike to his imaginary opponent.

Awkwardly, the blacksmith shuffled forward and did a quick jab with his shield into the face of his opponent. He brought back his shield back in front of him. Suddenly, his imagery opponent swung his long sword with wide over head swing to split his head like a melon, so he raised shield above his head to defect the blow than he wobbly thrust the tip of his own bastard sword forward while his shield was raised over his head. The thrust missed the opponent's sternum since the thrust wasn't the straightist and heading in the direct of his opponent's belly. After the awkward thrust, he brought back his sword back to his side, jumped backwards, and brought his shield down to protect his abdomen. However, he brought it down to far to expose his face to a potential attack from his opponent. His imaginary opponent saw his opening, so he thrust his long sword towards his face. He raised his shield up to protect his face, and he stepped to the left and off to the side of the sword thrust.

This created a opening to strike his opponent from the side, so with all his strength in his right arm, he swung right arm in a arc in front of him to knock away the imaginary longsword away; however, he put to much effort into his shield strike, and because his hand was sweaty from the heat and humidity of the day, he dropped the bastard sword in the sand. The Isur wanted to swear at himself, but it wasn't the way of his people, so he took a deep breath, and said in Isur a prayer to Izurdin, “Mt. King please calm my head and heart to find strength and patience in all things..”
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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Nya Winters on December 30th, 2017, 4:12 pm



Nya jogged up the beach wearing her fur and carrying a large dead shorebird. She periodically gave it a shake and tossed it into the air and pounced on it when it fell. Once she had it again, she’d toss it once more and trot after it, growling fiercely and even rolling over the top of it, pretending to take it down. It was quite a workout, despite the heat, for it had limbered up the Kelvic’s muscles and had awakened her hunting instincts. Though the bird wasn’t holding up well, the Kelvic wasn’t eating it either. The main problem was that Nya was bored. The situation and reality of Syka was that she was often well fed, well rested, and in turn that made her restless. Nya had few people she could call friends, and just a few of the residents let her roam up and hang out doing social things like the Kelvic longed to do. More often she was delegated to jobs of her own making – like snaking in the commons and keeping the settlement free of potential slithering predators. She helped when she could, but there were often things that were just beyond Nya’s attention span or interest. Sitting around talking politics, religion, or philosophy fell firmly into that category, and unfortunately that was a favorite Syka pastime.

Several playful breezes followed her, teasing her hair and whispering into her ear. She ignored them or swatted them away a time or two, not wanting their company. They were not human, nor intelligent in the way humanoids were. They were not what she craved deep down. They were company to keep her from going insane in her isolation, but they were not good companions overall. They were Zulrav’s children and obsessive and basic in their duties and abilities. One never held a good conversation with a breeze, even though one could. No…

The Kelvic gave the bird one more big toss then bunched her muscles up under her and launched herself at where it fell, pouncing for all she was worth and snarling as she tore the thing apart for the last time. There were juicy bits sill edible inside, though much of the flesh had been pounded and gnawed on past recognition. She ate what she could and tossed the rest of it casually over her shoulder and down into the sea where the scaled and clawed things would gladly eat it. Nya turned her head to one side, wiped at a little bit of bloody feathers caught in the corner of her mouth, and then trotted proudly forward hoping someone would be at the beach to visit with.

Someone was. It was the Isur, stripped down, and fighting. Nya licked the last of the blood off her face and sat herself on her haunches, wrapping her tail around her legs, and watched. He had a fine body, one well toned, and his arm stood out. She could see why he didn’t use it for his shield arm but instead favored it as if it too were a weapon. He was so terribly strong, but Nya saw the flaw in his fighting immediately. His movements were awkward, jerky, and not at all smooth. He moved more like a human or a piece of stone than he did with the fluidity of the water.

The Kelvic didn’t mind though. She kept watching him and after a time admired the fact that whatever he was fighting he could imagine so well that it became real to him. That was the sign of a mind sharpened with intelligence and it was something she liked in others. Men and women without the ability to imagine things were blinded, weakened, and often lacked behind in whatever it was that made others so sharp of thought. To the Kelvic, a mind was just as much a weapon as was the bastard sword Aladon was swinging.

Nya suddenly wanted to talk to him. And she was sure he hadn’t noticed her yet because most people reacted badly to a feline the size of a warhorse casually meandering the world. Syka was different though. Slowly the denizens had grown used to her presence in either her fur or her skin. Aladon, however, was new, and probably hadn’t seen her furred form yet. She had stripes and rosettes, but mainly her fur was so dark she looked almost black except in the sun where the brindled browns, greens, and oranges of autumn stood out. Nya yawned then dissolved her fur body in a swirl of brightly colored lights and took up her skin form wherein the only evidence of her kelvic nature was the same brindled brown, green and orange hair. Still sitting on her haunches, only this time wearing nothing but bare skin, Nya called out.

She still didn’t know if he’d seen her or not. Most would have reacted, but he didn’t seem to be bothered so she called out gently, not wanting to startle him if he hadn’t. “You would do better, warrior, if you moved smoother. You jerk your body into one pose or stance after another, but it doesn’t look like anyone has actually shown you how to move.” She said gently, but loud enough for him to hopefully hear her over the surf and breeze.




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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Aladon on January 2nd, 2018, 1:02 pm

Image
Reaching down to pick up his sword, Aladon saw the reflection of bright flashes in the sand when he looked up as he gripped the sword. He first heard the familiar voice of Nya speak to him, so when he looked up, he saw her pretty face looking at him as she kneeling on the beach wearing absolutely no clothing! The Isur reaction was priceless as his eyes got wide for a few ticks. Normally this wouldn't have been weird, but the woman was stark naked from head to toe. The blacksmith seen women in Syka wearing next to nothing before because of the heat and humidity; however, he wasn't expecting to see Nya naked and not this close! The blacksmith had to admit Nya was gorgeous human woman, but he didn't allow his eyes to linger to long, but he didn't want to be slapped or for her to think that he was a pervert. The part of him who was taught to treat women respectful wanted to turn around, but he wasn't in Sultros. He was in Syka. Running around in just your skin might be a past time for the tropical settlement. Besides, he wanted her to respect him, so he just keep his blue eyes focused on her green eyes even if he wanted to drift his gaze lower. Aladon said with a welcoming smile and trying to control the blush creeping into his cheeks, “Nya, what brings you out here?...Also, aren't you worried about getting Syna-burned being...well..naked?” The Isur was the last person to ask someone if they were worried about getting Syna-burned. He was pale as anyone in Syka, but he honestly couldn't think of anything to say to her without sounding like a horny teenager at the moment.

Aladon did hear what she was said about his combat movements. She bluntly stated that he would be a better warrior if he moved smoother. She observed that he jerked his body from combat maneuver to maneuver. When she said that he wasn't shown how to move in combat, he started to remember the days in Sultros when his stepmother taught her sons and him how to fight. Aderi combat style was a style to designed to take advantage of strength and patience. Aderi combat focus was to control the battle field. Where she meet the enemy head on like a boulder rolling down a hill. It was brutal and straight to the point technique, and she used her shield in combat just as much as her sword. As he watched his stepmother, he didn't see any fancy footwork or acrobatics. She moved slow and forcefully down the field of battle. She was the wall of death. She was proud member of the vanguard forces protecting Sultros. She would use her shield to break through the front lines while protecting the support lines behind her.

Aladon wondered if Nya just saw him trying to remember all the moves his stepmother taught him. Even to him they seemed jerky and awkward as he tried to remember the moves in sequence. The Isur smiled at the taller woman and admitted, “I do move like a cow don't I, Nya?” The Isur always seemed to try to lighten the mood with a joke or use it to deflect away from his awkwardness. This moment, it was to deflect his embarrassment and bashfulness. He continued, “I was trying to remember the combat maneuvers my stepmother taught me when I was a boy. It seemed that I spent to much time behind a forge, so I am trying to remember them as I go...”

Aladon was curious what the light footed human woman could teach him. He would be a fool to turn away someone who actually might want to help him get better. The Isur still had his money on her that she was dancer, but if she had combat experience. She might have been a brigade or maybe a pirate. The blacksmith was curious about the her history, but he knew that he didn't know her well enough to learn it yet. Aladon said with smile, “My father told me that only a fool ignores criticism when it is given by a peer, and only complete idiot turns down someone willing to teach him something new or different, so if you like to teach this cow how to dance.” The Isur said simply, “I will gladly listen you if not, I don't mind your company either.” Taking off his large brimmed hat, he offered it to the naked human women and said, “I know this won't protect the rest of you from Syna's rays, but if you want my hat to wear while your here. It will keep the light out of your eyes. Oh! The monkey teeth marks in the hat add character.”
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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Nya Winters on January 3rd, 2018, 1:25 am



Nya watched as the smith turned and recognized her. The Kelvic watched his expression carefully and half grinned at his discomfort. Still new to Syka, the male was typically male, and she decided they needed to have a talk about it. Rising up to walk closer, Nya joined Aladon while he was still stumbling over his first question. She looked him full in the eyes and then scanned down his body, taking her time to look her fill, even though he was far more dressed than she was. She did it so deliberately with her expression curious but neutral before she brought her eyes back up to his.

“I’m not worried about Syna’s light burning my skin so much as it is Semele’s warm sand lighting my bare feet on fire.” It was then that he might notice she was standing deliberately in the shade of a gently swaying palm frond where the sand was indeed cooler than the warmer stuff all around them. “My feet are getting tougher though. Someday I hope the hot sand won’t bother them so much.” She added, shifting and kicking at the hot stand with an indigent toe as she stabbed the hot sand beyond the shade. Then she looked back at him and laughed slightly.

“I wear a lot of fur and when I trade it for skin, I don’t always have clothes to change into. I’m very sorry to make you feel uncomfortable. I know my scars bother some people.” Nya was indeed scarred if he took a moment to study her flesh. She reached up and stroked the spot over her heart. Her left breast was a bit oddly shaped due to the puckered scar tissue over her heart. It looked like she’d been stabbed repeatedly there for the skin twisted in a scar that would make most mercenaries proud to drink a round too. Her other hand skimmed lower to her stomach where another scar twisted across her abdomen. A wicked cut ran all the way up her torso and curved around to her back. She seemed less self-conscious about that one. “I died when someone I cared about stabbed me in the heart. But I’m alright now. I was doing something important when I was gutted, but I survived that too. The Talderian Elk I tried to take down though… that was not a smart nor noble thing.” She said as she traced the big scars bisecting her torso. “I was just young, stupid, and very hungry. When the battle was over, I was still young, still very hungry, in a great deal of pain while my mother stitched me up for hours, and I’d like to think a bit wiser about picking prey.” Nya added, smiling at Aladon.

“The rest of it is just flesh. You can look all you want. I don’t mind. Nothing will come of it. I’m not interested in a bondmate or even just a mate. I’ve had both and don’t need to live like that anymore.” The Kelvic said, stepping back and giving Aladon room to relax. She figured airing things and then moving on was the best way to live life. It was short enough as it was. Her kind already lived shorter lives than humans. And though she didn’t know how long Isur lived, she suspected it was at least as long as humans.

Nya tilted her head and studied him curiously as he made a comment about moving like a cow. “Juli’s milk cow moves awkwardly and moos constantly when her udder is full. You don’t move like that at all. It’s like your mind is disjointed from your body, that is all. I don’t know much about movement. But I do know the smoother you move, the easier it is to slip from one form to another or shift your weight or recenter yourself.” Nya paused, then looked thoughtful. “I used to practice fighting without weapons. I don’t know anything at all about your fancy weapon there… but I do know when you fight without them… your body needs to slide from one form to another without thought. You look like….” She paused, then looked thoughtful like she was trying to explain it.

“You look like you live inside your head… your thoughts a lot.” Nya moved as she spoke, not exactly pacing, but still circling the area, looking at where he was fighting, and where his feet had been…. “I was like that as a kitten. I was so in here…” She said, tapping her head, and then smiled. “I had to learn to not be so awkward by being in my arms too… in my legs… in my fingertips. I don’t know if that makes sense. You should be as aware of your little toe and dwelling in it as you are of say your forehead and the thoughts there. Its hard… or at least it was for me… to push my awareness down into my body and learn to live in it as well. Now its easier… I move better. I think that would help you too… if you can understand what I say.” Nya didn’t think he was stupid. She was just worried she couldn’t communicate how important it was for a warrior to really know his body, to understand all of it, to use it as a weapon and to be as much his fist as his heart or mind.

“My mother was a good woman. She was a powerful mage. She always tried to get me to quiet my mind and do this thing called Meditation. I could not do it so easily. I was fidgety and my mind was busy. I still have a very busy mind. But I think that would help your fighting. And if you can’t quiet your mind, you can always fight me without weapons. I need the practice… or I can be a target for yours… I need to learn to evade just as well. I have no sword nor strength to meet your sword, only a Kukri back at my camp. I wore my fur here so I have no pack. If my leather makes good coin this season, I might start stashing clothing around town. Might be better than making people uncomfortable…” She said thoughtfully, then laughed because truth be told she really didn’t care if people were comfortable. “…then again maybe not.” She said laughing lightly.

When he confessed he was trying to remember maneuvers when he was fighting, it completely made more sense to her. She nodded, agreeing. “I bet that’s what I was seeing. You were so in your head… trying to remember. That makes sense.” The Talderian Forest Cat added.

“I am not a good teacher. I am really not even a good student. I don’t mean to interrupt your time here. I was only…. Bored. My afternoon consisted of playing with a dead bird until it fell apart and I ate its innards. Sometimes there is not enough surviving here. Sometimes life is too easy. I’m afraid I will grow soft and the darkness that infects other places will infect here as well.” She said, turning her back to him and looking out to sea. It was as if she was looking for a ship to come, to rise up over the horizon, and dock filling Syka with all the things she’d fled other lands to avoid.

Her back was covered with old lash marks from whips. They were hard to see through the curtain of hair but many of them extended further south across her buttocks and down the backs of her legs. When the wind picked up and tossed at her brindled hair, he would see an elaborate whirling gnosis mark on her shoulder.

She turned back to him. “Well? What do you think?” Nya asked, clearly this ‘not friend’ was definitely expecting to spend at least part of the day with him whether he wanted her to or not.


When the Isur extended the hat, Nya took it. It wasn't that she needed the hat against the sun. Her skin was already browned dark and acclimatized to the unusual tropical climate. But what she really needed was the extension of something ... another sentient creature ... acknowledging she was here, living here, and mattered. The Kelvic smiled and stuffed the hat on her head, laughing a little at how big it was on her.

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Nya Winters
Let the winds in my heart blow...
 
Posts: 750
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Joined roleplay: June 7th, 2009, 6:53 am
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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Aladon on January 7th, 2018, 11:12 pm

Image
Nya walked uncomfortably close to him and her eyes surveyed his body from his toes to face. The woman's mossy green eyes locked with his blue eyes. She seemed unconcerned about the intense light coming from Syna because she was standing in the shade of tall palm. She was more concerned about the hot sand on her bare feet. Luckily for the Isur, he brought his sandals, but he wasn't wearing them, so the morning light was only starting to heat up the sand. Aladon decided to take Nya's lead and join her under the palm tree to protect his pale skin from the sun and said with a nod, “I think you are much more aware of your environment than I am. I think I am going to join you under the palm.”

When the Aladon joined her in the shade, Nya started to explain her scars, and Isur listened and watched her trace the blemishes on her skin in not a lustful way. This was the first time, the woman started to open up to him, and she seemed to want him to understand her story. The woman immediately started to apologize to him if her scars made him uncomfortable this gesture was unnecessary because he always thought scars built character in a person, and she had enough scars on her body that it actually changed the symmetry of her body. Aladon just shook his head and said quietly, “No, they don't bother me, Nya. Please continue...”

Nya started to explain that she often switched from fur to skin and didn't have clothes to change into, so she again apologized again if it made him uncomfortable. She didn't understand the culture where he came from romantic relationships took time to build a strong enough bond between to people to become physically intimate, so seeing her nude was like jumping to the end of courting ritual in Isur culture. He didn't have any romantic feelings for Nya; even though, he was physically attracted to her. However, even if he wasn't in Sultros, he still had a hard time adjusting to other cultures on the continent. He had this same issue in Riverfall and Wind Reach, and it probably wouldn't be different in Syka. The blacksmith looked at her in the eyes, and he was pretty sure that humans couldn't shape shift. The brown haired women must not be human, and he was just looking at the other side of coin. He was curious what she shape shifted into it. First, she explained the puncture mark above her right breast that it was caused by a someone that she cared for stabbed her in the heart. She explained that she died and was brought back to life. Aladon tilted his head in confusion when she said that she was brought back from the dead. Who had the power to bring someone back from death, and he doubted the goddess of death would let her leave without a cost. However, when she said that she was killed by someone that she cared about. A look of sympathy washed over his face, and he said, “I am sorry.”

The biggest scar on her body was caused by youthful stupidity. He wasn't quite sure what a Talderian Elk was, but by the size of the scar, it must have been a huge animal. By the look of the scar, she must have been mangled by the encounter. He doubted that she tried to hunt it in her human form because it probably would have killed her. However, she called it prey, so her other form must be a predator. She finished her tour of her naked human body by giving him the invitation to look at her at his leisure because she didn't care much about the appearance of her body. She told him that she had no interest in a bond mate or a mate in general because she already had them. Bond mate? It was a term that he was unfamiliar with too. He would have to inquiry about it too. He did understand the term mate, and he wondered if her mate was the person who killed her. He would have to ask when he got to know her better. When she took a step back, she seemed more relaxed that she told him about herself, so Aladon said with a sigh, “You seemed to experience more in your life than I experienced in all my sixty years.” The Isur said with a smile, “Sorry if I seemed like a horny teenager when I first saw you nude. I am still not used to the culture and the environment in Syka Give me a few season here, and I will think nothing of it, Nya.” Running a hand through his sweaty hair, the Isur continued, “I should explain that Isur take a long time to build a romantic relationships with a potential mates. It part of the reason that it difficult for me to get romantically involved with humans because they tend to not have the patients to allow the bond to grow stronger. It difficult to explain to a non Isur, but we value strength and patience in all aspects of our lives that includes romance, so seeing someone naked is skipping steps in the process of courtship.”

Aladon stuck up his hands in defense and added quickly, “I don't see you as a potential romantic partner. I just met you a few weeks ago... I am just explaining my cultural norms towards courtship and my behaviors towards nudity.” Aladon laughed to himself, “Blessed Izurdin, I sound like a text book...”

Aladon was happy when the woman changed the subject away from courtship and stances on public nudity. The blacksmith knew that he would just have to get over himself if he wanted to live in Syka. He kind of smirked to himself when Nya completely missed his joke comparison. He didn't point it out, but the woman was so literal when it came to sarcasm. However, she did make a point that he was to much in his head when it came to combat. She seemed to be tracing the steps and circling him as he talked without even thinking out it. She explained in a round about way that she had to train her body to move without thinking about it. Combat became natural to her like breathing. Nya explained that the brain was a sharper weapon than the steel sword in his head if trained and used correctly. She explained what she observed while watching him practice that he was two much in his head and his thoughts got in the way of his actions. She explained when she was a kitten. Aladon thought to himself, 'Wait kitten? Is her other form a cat! She said that she hunted elk, so she must be a large cat.'

Aladon blue eyes looked into her green eyes and started to realized the subtle clues the woman dropped indicated that her other form was some sort of large feline. When she told him that her mother was a power mage, and she taught her the skill of meditation. For a moment, he felt small because he was just a blacksmith from a poor family in Sultros, and she was the daughter of a powerful mage. He still felt inferior to her, but he wasn't going to tell her. He listened as she explained how meditation helped her quiet her mind. She explained to him when she was younger. She was constantly allowing things in her life to distract her, so her mother taught her meditation to clear her mind. He will have to try it, and Syka was the perfect place to just your mind drift. As she talked about combat and meditation, it came, so natural to her because of her training, She offered to help him with unarmed or armed combat. He honestly didn't feel comfortable swinging a combat ready sword at her with his swordsmanship skills. However, learning unarmed combat would definitely help his armed combat skills. Also, it gave him a outlet to workout physically.

Aladon said with a smile, “Well lets work on unarmed combat than we can learn how to train together before we start using weapons.” The Isur continued, “Unfortunately, I am blacksmith, so I am constantly thinking when I am shaping metal, but it doesn't work very well for combat. Meditation is definitely a skill that I would like bring into my life. It will help me in all aspects of my life.” The Isur continued, “I going to make a guess at what your trying to teach me. Combat should come naturally to me like breathing. You don't think about breathing. You just breath. If I can train my mind to allow combat to just flow like breathing, combat for me will just come naturally and be more effective.”

Aladon watched as she turned her attention to the sea, and she seemed to be looking for or out for something. The Isur's hand clenched when he saw the whip scars all over her body. He finally understood why she didn't trust humans and preferred to keep her distance from them. She was abused, mutilated, and emotional and physically abandoned by the people cared about. She was literally a wounded animal in a sense. He did not blame her that she was hesitant to befriend him. She didn't want to be hurt again. However, the spiral tattoo on her shoulder blade caught his eye. Looking at it closer, it wasn't a tattoo. It was the lone beautiful mark on her back. When she asked him what he thought. He wasn't sure what she met by it. However, he decided to answer her question, “After hearing your story, I think Izurdin would be proud of you. You have a inner strength in you that I have to admire. You were broken physically and emotionally by the world, and I understand now. Why you are hesitant to become friends with me. Honestly, I don't blame you. If I suffered what you suffered. I would have a hard time calling anyone friend.” The Isur looked out over the sea and saw clouds moving in their direction and continue, “I wanted to apologize for a week ago. I was having, so much fun with you and Juli that I should have gotten to know you better before asking you to be my friend. I think that I was just lonely, and being in a new place, I just wanted a connection to anyone. It wasn't fair to you."

When Nya took his lucky hat, he had to admit for a moment. He might of saw the glimmer of the girl before the world consumed her. She seemed innocent in away as she laughed when she put the hat on her head. It looked good on her, and he was happy that it made her smile. The Isur turned to her and said with a laugh, “Well you look much better wearing it than I do...” The Isur looking at the darker clouds on the horizon asked rather bluntly, “Tell me Nya. Since I met you, you have been dropping hints about who and what you are. Are you a shape shifter? Is the other shape you turn into a large cat? I am asking cause you said that you were a kitten and hunted elk when you were younger, so I have been putting two and two together.”
Last edited by Aladon on January 12th, 2018, 7:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Nya Winters on January 12th, 2018, 5:25 am



Nya tilted her head and approved when Aladon joined her in the shade and then when they continued talking. Just… talking with someone was nice. Fighting with him would be even nicer, but this was definitely a close second because it scratched that itch all Kelvics had to be around people and serve them. He thought she’d seen a lot in her life, but Nya felt most of it was due to stupidity and the nature of her being. It would be hard to explain to someone not Kelvic.

Aladon took the time to really explain to her that his people built relationships slowly over time, with what she assumed was great patience in finding mates. She nodded her understanding and offered simply “I will try to bring clothing if I come around you. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable.” It was more than she’d give most people. His thoughts oddly mattered to her, even though he was decidedly not a friend. She just wanted people to be comfortable. That he didn’t see her as a potential romantic partner was a good thing. Nya was against any sort of partnership with anyone at this point in her life. And she was glad the man was so candid with her.

“No you don’t sound like a textbook. You sound intelligent and patient and I understand everything you are saying because you are explaining things so carefully without treating me as an adult would a child. I appreciate that.” Nya said, wondering if he understood most people never took the time to explain racial nuances to her.

The conversation carried on with Aladon deciding they needed to work on Unarmed Combat. He had a good grasp on what she’d been trying to tell him too. “Yes, exactly like breathing. You have a good way with words. But you are wrong about one thing. You cannot train your mind to allow combat to just flow…. you train your body to do so. It’s like you swinging your sword. You do so over and over again until you don’t even think about it. Your arm knows what to do. Claws are the same way. You keep your mind out of it. Make your body be what you dwell in.” Nya said, meeting Aladon’s gaze and basically saying what she’d said before.

Aladon continued on… the conversation ebbing and flowing until praise for her flowed from him. It made her supremely uncomfortable. She didn’t want to hear she was strong. She was a coward. The black shadow of the curse followed her everywhere and was proof of that. Everyone suffered. She simply suffered because she was stupid and made mistakes… mistakes she wouldn’t make again. His candor made her uncomfortable. It would be easier if he was mean, standoffish, or refused to discuss feelings. She was far more comfortable with that sort of behavior than people being open and honest with their feelings.

He also apologized.

Nya wanted to growl and she did slightly, shrugging her shoulders and glancing out to sea. It was chilly suddenly, as if an icy wind swept in. Nya felt bumps rise on her arms and she glanced at Aladon. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad we are clear on things now… about not being friends. About you not finding romantic attraction and being uncomfortable. Its good to have that all on the table. I will remember to wear clothing.” She said, wanting to end this line of thought… this open gushing of emotions and apologies. Had he been drinking? She hoped that was the reason. There was only so much sharing Nya wanted to do. Aladon tended, it seemed, to cross the line.

He offered her his hat and it touched her and she wore it for him. And it became clear then and there he probably saw her as a child. That made a lot more sense to her than everything else he’d been saying and all the feelings he’d been talking about. Guilt? Remorse? Apology? Shyness? Lords… he’d be the death of her with his sensitivity. She almost regretted joining him on the beach. Her dead bird was more comfortable company for all his niceness.

His last group of questions startled her. She thought everyone knew she was a kelvic. The Talderian Forest Cat looked surprised and then slightly sheepish. “I’m a Kelvic. We aren’t like mages that change their shape. We are a designed race, made by human scientists in the Suvan Empire before the Valterrian. My people are the remains of servants and warriors, guides and guards, that smarter people than the people alive today made. I’ll show you.” She added, and dissolved her form in a swirl of colored lights.

The lights expanded outward, larger and larger, swirling around until they reformed into something that was monstrously huge. The transformation was fast, beautiful, but to someone unused to a Kelvic Shift – maybe startling. Where the slender girl with wildly tangled brindled hair stood now stood a Talderian Forest Cat. She was roughly the size of a warhorse with huge paws and a sleek brindled body that would blend perfectly into the jungle’s dense dappled surface. Huge green eyes lined with purple blinked at him and she opened her mouth and roared playfully leaping forward as if to pounce him.


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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Aladon on January 15th, 2018, 2:49 am

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Aladon knew Nya was trying to extend a gesture to him about wearing clothing around him, but she didn't have to change her behaviors to accommodate him. He was just letting her know the reason why nudity made him uncomfortable, but he needed to learn to comfortable in Syka. It was just going to take time. Nya assumed his explanation was him saying that he didn't want to see her nude that was far from the truth because he was still male and even with her many scars all over her body all over her body. He still found her physically attractive. Not to mention, she had a quirky personality that made him want to get to know her better. The Isur signed decided to stay quiet, but he couldn't. He wanted her to be comfortable with him as she would be with herself, “Nya, you don't have to make special accommodations for me if you want to walk around naked. Go for it. You are your own woman, and you are free to make your own choices. Don't change yourself to suit my needs or insecurities...”

Aladon listened Nya Winter talk about how her thoughts on combat. She complimented him with his use of words, but he didn't quite grasp that it wasn't the head that he needed to train. It was the body who needed to keep practicing, so combat came naturally like breathing. The Isur nodded because he realized that she meant constant training will make him a better warrior. It was like everything else in life. He wouldn't have become competent in his skills as blacksmith without the constant practice and doing it. His mother Aleri Blackforge told him the samething when he was sparing with his sisters that he needed to keep training regardless if he was tired. Constant training would make him a bettere warrior. She drilled the children everyday when she wasn't drilling in the army. It was part of his childhood routine was either working out or doing weapon drills. He just been so focus with his apprenticeship as a metalsmith and blacksmith. He kind of neglected his martial training for the past fifteen years.

Aladon was always open with his feeling like his birth mother, but Nya didn't respond to his compliment the way that he expected. He was expecting a thank you. It not like he wanted one from her, but she quickly reaffirmed everything that she told him from there last meeting. He glanced at the woman at her remarks because he was confused with it. She glad everything was on the table that he didn't find her romantically attractive at the moment because they just met. However, he couldn't hide the hurt look on his face when she reaffirmed that they weren't friends, and wondered if he should even try to be her friend since she was so against it. Isur put on a mask of stone to hide his own emotions as he looked out over the sea, and he tried to clear his mind with the simplicity of the waves crashing on the shore. However, he couldn't clear his mind. Was she afraid that he was going her hurt? With the lash marks on her back and the scar in her chest, he afraid say anything else because it might be the case. He was starting to understand why Isur weren't open to outsiders because sometimes you say to much and share to much, and you make things worse.

When Aladon asked the question about her being a wizard who can change her shape, Nya seemed startled at the comment and said answered shyly that she was magically designed race by smarter mages before the Valterrian. She said her people were designed as warriors, servants, guards, and guides for there creators. Once again, he was baffled and intrigued by her answer. He wasn't exposed to the arcane as a child, so magic created races seemed unbelievable. However, Suddenly, she shifted before his eyes in a cloud of lights and smoke, and she changed into a giant large cat the size of warhorse. The initial spray of lights and cloud was took the Isur off his feet not because there was a concussion wave. It was more the Isur tripping over his feet and falling backwards onto his butt. He sat there with his month open in awe at the size of predator in front of him. She opened her giant month, roared at him, and pounce at him. He didn't move because he knew the creature wouldn't hurt him because the large cat was Nya.

Slowly standing up, Aladon knew that he shouldn't touch her in this form because she probably wouldn't like it, but he was to enthralled with her to listen to the voice in the back of his head. He slowly walked forward with his arm and hand out stretch, and he reached up and touched the side of her neck. The fur was soft to the touch and a stupid childish look formed on his face, and he said with awe in his voice, “Sorry I never really was exposed to the arcane when I was younger, so you are truly amazing, Nya... Suddenly, he gathered his wits and saw the hat was still sitting on the top of her head, and he started to laugh out loud at the image of large predator with a adventure hat on it's head. He said with smile, “Yes..the hat really does suit you better.”

Stepping back the from Nya, the Isur walked to the swing hanging from the tree with the rest of his clothes. He took off his sword scabbard and placed his shield on the swing with his things. He walked back over to Nya , cracked his knuckles, and said playfully with smirk, “I doubt that I can beat you in this form, but I am not going to back down if you want to spar in it.” The Isur got into a very unstable fighting stance and said jokingly to Nya, “Alright, Mittens! I am ready! Just, so you are aware. I bruise easily...”
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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Nya Winters on January 21st, 2018, 2:26 am



Nya shivered slightly. The warm morning was steadily turning colder and she didn’t understand it. Wearing her fur she was comfortable, but her nose itched like the weather was going to change and she didn’t like it. She stood looking at Aladon, reassured by his assurance that he would adapt to Syka and that she didn’t have to adapt to him. Tossing her head with his silly battered leather hat on it, the Talderian Forest Cat whipped her tail around and pawed at the sand as the Isur studied her a moment. She waited for the fear, a few steps back, his stammering comments… but none of that came to fruition.

Instead, he stepped forward and touched the side of her neck, digging his fingers into her fur and touching her. When he laughed, the cat was stumped, more surprised than she’d ever been most of her life. People feared her giant form. They didn’t laugh at her, not unless they had giant secrets of their own that were on par. The Kelvic looked on confused as Aladon took off his sword, placed his shield on a swing, and returned. He was doing the equivalent of rolling up his sleeves and the cat knew it. He cracked his knuckles, smirked and suddenly called her Mittens.

Nya was confused for a moment until she remembered a tiny black kitten in Syliras that the Traveler’s Row Owner had. It had white paws and the Konti who cared for it called the tiny thing Mittens. Nya glared at Aladon exactly five seconds before she sprung at him, body and all, slamming into him and trying to take him unaware all with a roar. When she did so, she heaved up with her hind quarters, trying to set her paws on his shoulders and knock him into the sand under her. It was a common way Forest Cats took down prey. She wanted him under her with the wind knocked out of him, staring up at her pointy teeth as she roared washing him with what would probably be very fishy breath.

She wasn’t sure she could take him unaware, but the Kelvic was going to try. If she did manage to take him down, she’d shift immediately…. equaling out the fairness of the battle. There was no fair in war, but in practice there needed to be some sort of balance otherwise no one learned.


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Nya Winters
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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Aladon on January 21st, 2018, 9:14 pm

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The Mittens nickname must not have sat well with the kelvic woman because she in her kelvic form just stared at him for a few seconds, and he started to wonder if she was contemplated eating him. Aladon kept his smirk on his face hoping the woman would catch his joke and not take offense. However, he noticed from his past encounters with Nya that jokes and sarcasm tended to fall flat with her, so she might seriously be thinking that he thought that she was a giant kitten. Whatever, he will deal with later. For the moment, he was standing his ground against a giant cat with no combat experience if she attacked him, it would be quick.

Suddenly, the giant pounced with a roar! The giant cat sprung forward knocking him off his feet. Landing hard in the hot sand, Aladon was thankful that the ground was softer otherwise he might of injured himself further if the ground was harder. Trying to catch his breath, he did his best to catch it, but the large predator sprung quickly to action, pounced again, and pinning him to the ground under the weight of her paws. He knew if she wanted to kill him. He would be helpless under her immense weight. He was truly helpless under her in his cat form. When she roared in his face, he turned his face away from Nya and closed his eyes, so he didn't get sprayed by her spittle.

Aladon was sure that the bite or the disemboweling from her back claws wouldn't come, so he waited for her to make the next move since he couldn't do much of anything under her cat form's weight. All he could do was squirm under her. Suddenly in a swirl of lights, the giant predator turned back into her human form. The Isur could feel the weight of decrease as she held him down. He might have no experience in a fight, but he can still do something try to get out this prone position. His mother would be throwing a fit if he just took a beating without giving a fight. She made a mistake of not holding his arm, so he grabbed right wrist with his red left hand and his put right hand on the side of left side of her shoulder.

Praying to Izurdin for his desperate act to work, he yanked her right hand to the left and at the same time pushed her with all his right hand with all his strength to the right. More than likely, she will just fall on him, but she could always just use her position to overpower his feeble attempt to escape. He had to put up some sort of fight. Otherwise, he doubted Nya would respect him if he sat there being her “prey”.
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Questions in the Snow (Nya)

Postby Nya Winters on January 23rd, 2018, 4:23 am



Little did Aladon know but he’d just found the key to Nya’s happiness. Wrestling, hunting, biting, kicking, fighting…. all a big cat’s play behavior. And deep down, Nya loved to play. She’d do it day and night if someone would give her the time and attention to join her. And Aladon was perfect for it. For one, Nya realized with his arm and his overall body type and blacksmith’s physique he could take a beating and walk away relatively unscathed. She was, without a doubt, at a disadvantage as a human and she realized that as he neatly grabbed her right wrist, pushed against her left shoulder and flipped her so she was off him and to the side. If he followed through with the move, she’d be under him, but if he just flipped her off she’d still be beside. Nya didn’t wait to see where she’d end up.

The cat hissed, reached over to bite into his arm – his red arm – and yowled when her teeth failed to sunk into the hardened flesh of his blessed arm… and bounced off. The cat in human form spit furiously and with her free arm tried to punch him in the jaw without even looking, namely because her jaw was still ringing from trying to bite into the hardened flesh. If he still controlled her shoulder he could control where she threw the punch if he was paying attention.

Despite the obvious pain of trying to bite into the angle iron of his arm, the cat still had a stupidly happy expression on her face and wasn’t about to give up. Her aim was to get him on the defensive and trying to fend her off so much that he couldn’t get a hit in. And while he was wide and solid, she was almost a foot taller than he was and she hoped with arms and legs all moving, he’d have a hard time hanging onto her.

Meanwhile the sky grew to a steel grey color and the weather turned even worse. The wind got a chill to it even as the mysterious lights flickered in the distance over The Maw. A flake of snow softly drifted down, first one, then another, and finally another.... until the air around them was glittering with it.

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