Open Something New

[Gaius Sivet]

Day 58 Fall 512 AV

There was an autumnal chill in the air, and the sun hung high in the sky, casting down it's watery fall light. Despite these things, Gaius was remarkably pleased. Things had been going well since he had arrived in Syliras, he had made several friends, found a job that suited him like a glove suits a nobleman, and even now the weather was good, clear and warmer than he had expected for this time of year. But, despite all that, Gaius couldn't help but feel that he was missing something, and he knew just what it was.

His entire purpose in coming here was too learn, to experience the things he never could in Wind Reach and so far, all he had experienced was that forest animals seem to hate him. That's not quite fair, some inner voice said, you've met your friends, Mordechai, and you met Evora. And you know you would never have approached her if the two of you had been in Wind Reach.

Gaius had to admit that that was true. His friends were wonderful, and he especially enjoyed Evora's company, but that was all beside the point. The fact of the matter was that he still had no idea what was truly missing from his life or what he should be learning in Syliras. So, that was today's mission, to wander the streets in hopes of finding something new and fascinating or, barring that, someone.

Gaius had made his way through a few taverns, loitering in hopes of seeing something new, but when nothing turned up, he had taken to the streets and now he found himself idly wandering through the hordes of people, hoping beyond all reason that something or someone that could teach him something new would be out here.

[Sina Vestia]

Today had been a pretty uneventful day for Sina. He was in town picking up supplies for his venture into the wilderness next week and had been doing odd jobs around town to earn some extra gold. He thought the locals were an alright bunch, the guards could be a bit condescending though, but he was used to it.

It was getting to be around noon when he decided that he wanted to take a break from the work and supply gathering to have a little fun. He wasn't sure what he would do yet, maybe hang out in a local tavern and meet some people. Having connections was always a good thing, even for a loner like Sina.

He pushed his way through the crowds of people going about their daily activities in hopes of getting out of this chaos, he didn't exactly enjoy crowds and he was getting a bit antsy from it. He wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly, just something to keep him entertained for a bit before going back to his work.

[Gaius Sivet]

As Gaius wandered through the town, something caught his eye, though he couldn't say what. Looking about he saw a tall, muscular man moving purposefully through the crowd. He wore a cloak but Gaius could see his pale complexion and a shock of his red hair had fallen out of the hood.

Gaius understood now, the red hair, the paleness, it had all caught his eye as Inartan marks, though when he looked at the man more closely, he could tell he was no Inartan. Still, he was obviously an interesting person, he walked with a purpose, weaving through the crowds like he were a fish in water. Gaius liked that. He hated it when people dawdled about like nobility on a holiday. He reflected for a moment how those same people tended to encapsulate all his least favorite qualities: morality, or the mask of it, a slow wit and poor vocabulary to match, and, more often than not, a sense of being better than people.

Gaius pushed the thoughts aside and decided to approach the man. He thought it all through as he began walking towards him: he would fall in step with the man and they would simply walk in silence for a few moments. Then, Gaius would greet the stranger and, with any luck, he would meet someone new and interesting, just like that.

With his plan in mind, Gaius picked up his pace, walking with a purpose as well, moving as fluidly as he could through the crowd in the hopes of catching the man and falling in step with him. Gaius smiled for a moment at his plan. It was more than a little clever and quickly thought of. With any luck, he might even have something truly witty to say when he spoke to the man.

[Sina Vestia]

Sina wasn't one for close interaction with people, too much of a risk of safety, in the midst of all the chaos one could easily pick someone's pocket and they would never be the wiser. He preferred to be up in a high place watching as the people went by instead of being caught in the tide.

As he pushed and shouldered his way through the throngs of people he noticed something out of the ordinary. A flash of red out of the corner of his eye, he turned to see a man shoving his way towards him at a brisk pace. Sina pondered on how to react, he could either keep on moving and act like he didn't notice or slow down and interact.

He decided it might be more productive and entertaining to interact with the man. Sina slowed down to a brisk walk to allow the red haired man to catch up.

[Gaius Sivet]

Gaius noticed that the man slowed down as he approached. He thought this odd for a moment, but brushed the thought aside as a coincidence. Within a few minutes he had fallen in step with the man. He was slightly taller than Gaius himself and he seemed even more reserved. There was something about him that told Gaius he was not the most personable man, but that just made Gaius want to know more. He seemed like Gaius' kind of person.

Gaius thought for a few minutes, trying to come up with an interesting and witty way to introduce himself, some way to make his entrance without appearing over eager or like a fool. This was obviously not the sort of person Gaius would get more than one chance to make an impression with and he would hate to have all this effort and time wasted, though if he were being honest, he hadn't invested much time as of yet.

After several minutes of contemplation, Gaius realized that there was no witty remark he could really make without first knowing the man and talking to him. That was the problem with wit, it's near impossible to use in a first time meeting without coming off as crass or stupid. Finally, Gaius settled on simply introducing himself and hoping for the best. If nothing else, he might learn something.

"I'm Gaius," he said conversationally, without looking at the man next to him. "And you are?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound like a complete fool. Gaius was just now becoming aware that there really is no good way to introduce yourself to someone as you were just walking down the street. In fact, Gaius realized that there was really no way to introduce yourself to someone walking down the street.

[Sina Vestia]

As Sina walked he glanced at the stranger who was now walking at his side. He saw that the man was only a bit shorter than he was but seemed to be about the same age as him. Sina could tell the man was of Inarta descent and was fit and moderately well built, most likely from years of crafting of some sort.

While Sina was pondering the man and his intentions, The stranger says rather awkwardly "I'm Gaius. And you are?". Sina ponders the question for a moment, as if he wasn't sure how to respond. "Gaius, eh? I am called Sina." He wasn't sure whether he should have given his real name or not but in the end the security risk wasn't major, the man didn't seem to be dangerous, though the sword at his waist was slightly menacing. "Is there something I can do for you, Gaius?". He asks, still deciding whether or not this was a good idea.

[Gaius Sivet]

"Is there something I can do for you, Gaius?" Sina asked. Gaius thought about that for a long moment. That little question held a lot of weight and meaning. After a moment, Gaius shrugged.

"I'm looking for something. Don't ask me what, I have no idea. I thought that, perhaps, I might find it by wandering the city, or, failing that, I might find someone interesting. You seem to fit that category, you look very much like and Inartan, but you aren't. I found that interesting," Gaius said with another shrug. He had settled on being blunt and straightforward, not caring how strange he sounded at this point.

"And when I find something interesting, I am wont to investigate. So, what can you do for me? Well, there's a lot to that question. So very many things I'm sure you could do, and much I could do for you, I'm sure. But, for now, let's settle on this. What you can do for me? Talk. Tell me about yourself, and I'll tell you about me. We can have a drink, or a bit to eat if you prefer while we talk. Or we can simply walk, or sit, somewhere. It doesn't much matter to me. But yes, for now, that is what you can do for me. Talk so that I might listen."

Gaius smiled inwardly, but kept a straight face. It was a terribly clever way to phrase things and Gaius couldn't help but feel more than a little pleased at it.

[Sina Vestia]

"I'm looking for something. Don't ask me what, I have no idea. I thought that, perhaps, I might find it by wandering the city, or, failing that, I might find someone interesting. You seem to fit that category, you look very much like and Inartan, but you aren't. I found that interesting," "And when I find something interesting, I am wont to investigate. So, what can you do for me? Well, there's a lot to that question. So very many things I'm sure you could do, and much I could do for you, I'm sure. But, for now, let's settle on this. What you can do for me? Talk. Tell me about yourself, and I'll tell you about me. We can have a drink, or a bit to eat if you prefer while we talk. Or we can simply walk, or sit, somewhere. It doesn't much matter to me. But yes, for now, that is what you can do for me. Talk so that I might listen." Gaius says with a few shrugs now and again.

Sina thought that he was trying to be witty by using more words than necessary to convey his thoughts, almost nervously. It is odd that this man, Gaius, If that was even his name, wanted to know so much about him. Sina wasn't that accustomed to being asked about so personally without the person having some hidden agenda or a knife ready to stab him in the back.

Sina decided he might as well be honest with him, Though ready to move if things turn awry. The man looked decent enough and it was always nice to have someone on your side, Sina could use more allies.

Looking at Gaius suspiciously " Well, I travel in the wilderness. I only really come into towns to trade for supplies. I set up camp then I hunt in the area and bring my kills back for trade. It's not the most social life, Which is fine by me but I get by." Cocking his head to one side he asks " And what about you?"

[Mordechai Zoltar]

Mordechai had decided to venture into town for the day as the old rotting bear carcass was a less than hospitable friend at his campsite. I really should have gotten rid of that thing, he thought to himself.

The city was bustling today and the crowds thick. Mordechai found himself being pushed to and fro by passerby's. He made sure while this happened to keep a tight grip on his bag, even going as far as to pull it in front of himself and tuck it under the sleeve of his robes.

After a few minutes of wandering, something caught Mordechai's eye. A man on a chair outside of some building with a stack of books on the table in front of him. He decided to approached the man and ask about his books, as they were old and cracked and very interesting.

"Excuse me sir, but I couldn't help but notice your small collection of literature. Please, may I take a look at some of them? As I'm sure you know books are hard to come by and I'd love very much to just skim through a few of them with you." Mordechai asked as sincerely as he could. He pulled down his hood and smiled at the gruff, balding, white haired man who, while dressed better than a mere farmer, was obviously no noble man, which just added to the mystery of his acquisition of so many books.

With a grunt the man motioned to the seat across from him as he continued reading the book in front of him.

"Thank you sir." said Mordechai as he took a seat and began to look through the books. He found a very old, purple book entitled 'The Summoners Tomb'. Mordechai quickly realized it was an instructional book on summoning and became quite interested. He began to thumb through it, noting the required circles and rituals for particularly simple creatures. He glanced up occasionally to look into the crowd.

This went on for about an hour or two when, glancing up, Mordechai saw a familiar face walking towards where he was. It was the Inartian, Gaius. A smile split open and he grinned, bearing his teeth slightly. But there was another man there. He looked as if he had been laying bricks his whole life. He was a sturdy, thick necked man with red hair and a faint marking near his eye. From this distance Mordechai could not tell what it was, but guessed it was a birth mark or a scar of some kind. Either way it did not matter as the two were headed towards him now.

Mordechai quietly thanked the man for letting him read a little of his book and placed it back on top of the pile. He then got out of his chair and stood facing the two with a smile, running one hand through his hair, guiding it away from his eyes.

[Gaius Sivet]

Gaius perked up at that. Sinas traveled the wilderness, he was, for lack of a better word, a forester. Gaius had heard of such people, those that seemed imbued with a supernatural skill for noticing things around them and moving silently and unseen through the tress. It sounded almost like something out of a children's fairy tale, but now, perhaps Gaius would find out the full truth. This was turning out to be a better idea than he had hoped.

"And what about you?" Sinas asked. Gaius opened his mouth to respond and then quickly closed it, thinking. What could he say in response to that? True, he had a job over at the glass blower's and he had done a few odd things already, but what could hold up to Sina's being a forester? That was far more interesting than anything Gaius had done, except maybe for when Evora, Mordechai and he had killed that bear. Though that was more luck than skill on anyone's part.

"What about me? There's a lot about me, isn't there? Though, in relation to what I do, I work over at Inner Fire Glass Works, for the most part. I spend time with a few friends in the woods when I'm not in the city. Dangerous place those woods, wouldn't you say?" Gaius asked subtly. It was a lovely way of sneaking in a mention of the forest and fishing for more information from Sinas without revealing too much about himself or his friends.

As Gaius thought about his friends, he noticed Mordechai, talking to a man at a table strewn with old, cracked books. He seemed to be thanking the man, then he stood up, facing directly towards Gaius and Sinas and he ran a hand through his hair, as he always seemed to be doing. Gaius was shocked for a moment, but he covered it as best he could and simply kept on. There was no hope in avoiding Mordechai if suddenly Sinas turned out to be a terrible person. All Gaius could do now was hope for the best and let the wind take hold.