Flashback Encountering Kin (Crypt)

[Kyarni]

Spring 1, 512 Leaving the island was always a hard thing to do. It wasn't that the girl didn't want to go, but instead, it was her mother who wished she would stay. Ever since she'd granted her daughter the right to fulfill her feeling of wanderlust, she saw less and less of her. She feared each season that her daughter wouldn't return. But Kyarni always came back. She felt it was her duty to come home, to spend time among her family and enjoy the peace in Mura. She'd spent the Winter at home, celebrating the festivals of the season and sharing stories of her past travels with her younger kin. Winter was one of her favored seasons, but she mostly spent it home around the island. But then Spring came, and with it, lots of rain. Kyarni preferred Summer, when she could spent her days travelling in the warm sunshine or swimming in the ocean. But Spring was nice too. It pleased her to see the beginnings of life again after the frost. Soon she was on the road again, found herself a ride on a trade boat to the mainland with her horse, Loras. He was a trusty thing, old Loras. Quite high-strung, but a good steed. They'd been to many places together. She considered the horse like family. Kyarni traveled for days and nights, found herself among the rolling hills of Syrilan territory. She'd been here before, been to their grand city as well. It was a beautiful place. She somtimes brought back little souvenirs from her travels, which her mother would proudly display around her home. There was the familiar sound of hooves before she made out the dark shape among the trees ahead. At first she'd assumed a traveler was coming her way, and tensed. Travelling wasn't the safest these days. You never know who you may encounter in the middle of nowhere. One could easily meet their death. She kicked her stallion into a faster gait, curious. This horse had no rider. As she approached, she gained the creature's interest, and it began to walk toward her. She pulled up on Loras' reins, brought him to a halt, giving them an extra tug when he decided to get rowdy. Stallions. Always territorial. Pushing herself up and out of the saddle, she slowly walked towards the horse, cautious. Animals were an unpredictable species, always to be respected and given their space.

[Crypt]

OOC NoteChanging the timestamp to 92 Winter 511 to avoid clashing with the Djed Storms. 92 Winter 511 “Damnit Maras... All I wanted to do is to give you a bath. You're filthy, for goodness' sake! You haven't been clean in weeks, and now you run away? Afraid of a little water?” Crypt narrowed his eyes, looking through the eyeholes of his mask at Maras in the far distance. He appeared to be a black spot on the horizon. And then another large spot joined him. Crypt closed his eyes. “The things I have to do...” He reached for the Djed within him, feeling it shift and fluctuate inside. And he slowly manipulated it and made it move to his legs, feeling the muscles of his legs vibrate in response to the increased flow of Djed. He opened his eyes. “I am the Soul of the Masked.” He broke into a sprint, muttering as he moved swiftly towards his stallion. “If you get into trouble, Maras, I swear, I will give you a bath everyday.” ***** Maras dug in his heels, stopping in front of the strangers. He trotted up cautiously to the stranger's steed, sniffing at him. And then he looked at Kyarni. Suddenly, he moved to Kyarni's side in an almost imperceptible movement, and then started to lick her face enthusiastically.

[Kyarni]

Loras was always high-spirited. He was a gift, she was told from her father, but she didn't believe it. Her mother often told her things about him, but she always assumed them to be lies. She'd heard from other women around the city stories about her mother's love life. A man came to the isle once, a trader. He was fascinated by the pale beauty of the locals and the whimsical, magical atmosphere of the place. It's said that he happened upon a beautiful girl at the edge of a lake once, and they fell in love. But he wasn't able to stay, for he had work that needed to be done, and he disappeared, leaving not a trace other than his baby in her stomach. Kyarni's mother only kept one thing from her; her father's name. It was the most vital information, but for reasons that Kyarni didn't understand, the woman refused to tell her, leading to frustration and discouragement. The stallion approached Loras, muzzle extended to sniff him. Loras was a very territorial horse, and not the calmest. Keeping him sated around a mare was near impossible unless spoken to with harsh Kontinese, or candies. Oh, how he loved his candies. He was a spoiled brat, of that she was sure. The horse reared up, letting out a high sound of displeasure that was abruptly cut off when Kyarni yanked on the reins and brought his forelegs back to the ground. Holding tightly onto the reins, she stood completely still as the mysterious horse moved forward and... began to lick her face. Kyarni blinked in surprise, stuttered out a few words of protest in her native tongue, reaching out and pushing gently at the stallion's velvety nose.

[Crypt]

Maras ignored the Konti and her horse, secure in his knowledge of his superior strength and... overwhelming attractiveness, continuing to lick her. And then the Masked traveller appeared. Crypt took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, allowing the Djed to flow back to its usual place. He was short of breath, his legs felt like jelly, his knees hurt like hell, but he managed to master himself and present to the Konti and her steed a... presentable appearance. “My... My apologies, lass. Maras, come here this instant!” he commanded the stallion, who ignored him and continued licking Kyarni's face. Damnit Maras! Crypt walked over to Maras and grasped the Yvas on his back firmly with both hands. He started to drag away Maras from the bemused Konti. After a few minutes, Maras decided to give in to Crypt's incessant and increasingly loud and childish shouting. Crypt stumbled back as Maras moved away from Kyarni. Regaining his composure, Crypt turned to the Konti. “Sorry again. My name's Crypt, this here fool of a Strider is Maras and who are you?”

[Kyarni]

This mysterious horse really was gorgeous. She hadn't seen a pure black horse in quite a while. Most travelled on paints or bays. Loras was of no special colouring. A simple red bay with four white socks and a white star hidden beneath curly, unruly forelock. But she didn't appreciate being licked by anything. Loras didn't seem too pleased either, one large hoof scraping and tearing at the grass, his nostrils flaring. If it weren't for the firm grip and the pull of his bit, he would have chased this horse away from his precious girl long ago. Kyarni was distracted, her vision blocked by the large horse, and did not see the man right away. But she heard him, and stiffened, trying to push away the incessant horse to no avail. She most likely tasted like a salt lick to him anyway. Eyes wide, the pale girl watched as this man tried his best to pull his horse away from her, slightly amused. When the steed finally gave in and stepped away, she released the reins of her horse, who amazingly stayed still, other than lowering his head to graze at the grass around them. Kyarni narrowed her eyes, tilted her head and took in the appearance of this man. She was aware that they were in Syliran territory, but she didn't believe he was from here. His mask though, was truly interesting. She'd never seen one before, actually, and her curiosity was so overwhelming that she had to clench her fists to avoid reaching out and touching it. She pursed her lips, unsure whether or not to address this stranger. Loras leaned on her a bit, threatening to knock her off-balance, but she was not to seem weak around a stranger. "Kyarni," she said, her tongue rolling over the name easily. Although Common wasn't her native language, she knew it well enough to understand it. When she spoke, it was a little broken, which was why she never said much. She set a hand on the withers of her stallion, who chuffed pleasantly around a mouthful of grass, "Loras."

[Crypt]

“Kyarni? Nice to meet you. Same to you, Loras.” Crypt made a short bow, then straightened up, muttering to himself as he did so. “Kyarni... Kyarni... Where have I heard that name before... Why, you're uncle Escarvon's long-lost child! He used to tell tales about a beautiful Konti girl that was his only love! Wait 'til I tell him that! Come here and give your cousin Crypt a hug!” Crypt stretched his arms wide, inadvertedly hitting Maras on the noggin. The steed promptly swatted him with his tail.

[Kyarni]

Kyarni had been taught to at least be polite. She knew her manners, even if she came across as a little barbaric among her people. Climbing trees, rebelling, wasn't the Konti way. She wasn't sure she wanted to be Konti in the first place. But she gave a little nod of her chin of respect for this man. Loras moved forward, his weight knocking into her and pushing her over a little. She hissed a curse at him in Kontinese, gave his flank a playful shove that earned her nothing more than a snort of amusement from the stallion. She listened, confused, as the man seemed to recognize her from somewhere. Maybe she'd encountered him on her travels before. She wasn't one to remember faces well. Her eyes grew wide with shock, her jaw going slack. He knew her father? Well that was just wonderful. Kyarni made no move toward him though. For all she knew, Crypt could be lying. She saw no gain in it for him if he lied to her about such a thing, but men worked in mysterious ways. And where would he get that information? Eyes narrowed, Kyarni crossed her arms, still skeptical. "Escarvon? He is human, then?" she asked slowly, unsure. The notion excited her, but she knew better than to believe strangers without hard-core proof.

[Crypt]

“Of course, Kyarni. What do you think he was, a Vantha? And still alive at the ripe old age of 55. He is, or rather, was a trader of sorts, and he always told us every winter that he met his love by a lake. He had to leave her, though she was pregnant, after spending a season on the Konti Isle due to business obligations. Try as he may, he could never find his way back. He joined my father - his brother - in Endrykas after suffering a serious illness that rendered him unable to travel long distances. He's staying now at my pavilion, entertaining all the children at Endrykas with his stories.” Crypt smiled at Kyarni, displaying no falsehood. Good. She's cautious. Truly one of my blood. If not, then a clever girl. “Is that enough proof? Or do you want me to transport him here in an instant?”

[Kyarni]

Kyarni listened closely, relaxing just a bit. Yes, his information closely matched the stories she'd been told by her family. This brought her some ease, but the anxiousness, the excitement in her stomach in the form of fluttering butterflies would not cease. She gave a brief shake of her head, grabbed the reins and lead her horse behind her as she came a little closer to him. It was more of dragging, seeing as the stallion was rather preoccupied with a patch of clover, and not too keen on Maras. "We are cousins." she said, as if the information was still confusing to her. It wasn't, she was just amazed that she had found her human family. And while travelling, none the less. Oh, this would be wonderful news to tell her mother when she returned to Mura. But on second thought, she wasn't sure if she should tell the woman. Her mother hadn't liked talking about her past lover very much, and if she knew that her daughter had found him, she might bar her from seeing him in some way or another. She sighed, walked up to the black horse and scratched at the center of his forehead, reaching up and untangling his forelock. She turned to Crypt, the sublest hint of a smile on her lips. Even the Konti would say she was most at home around a horse. "Can I ride him?" she asked hopefully, casting a glance behind her at her own horse, who didn't recognize the words spoken in Common, but seemed to realize what was happening, and wasn't pleased about it at all.

[Crypt]

Crypt's grin widened. It appeared that little Kyarni had finally accepted that she was his cousin. “I must say, this day appears to be quite a day indeed. I find a long-lost cousin. 'Tis a day for celebration, and what better to celebrate with than a full wineskin of ale? I'd offer you some, but I'd rather not corrupt you in your youth.” Crypt took a long swig of the cold ale; it was still morning, and the night had cooled it to a comfortable temperature. He finished half of it before placing it back into his backpack. “How can I deny my little cousin anything?” he shrugged, “Maras seems to like you anyway. Go on, have a go.” The noble steed moved towards Kyarni.