A late lunch [Clyde]

[Maeva]

65th day of Fall, 512 The evening was still; it was one of those evening that young women call 'perfect' as they sigh dreamily and recall the time spent with their young loves when they themselvesa re old and grey. There was a faint wind, a golden sun, and the salty spray of the waves in the air. More importantly, it was the ideal time for Maeva to hunt. The tiny bat seemed nothing more than a large insect - albeit a strange looking one - to someone who would merely notice it. If you were to pay more attention, however you may be rewarded by the surprising agility of the small animal as it beat those small wings - wings you could almost see through, if the angle was right. Then of course, you might wonder why a noctural animal would be out so early, even if the sun was so low in the sky. The reason was one that Maeva had leanrnt quite recently; the nights were damn cold, the food supply shorter, and the whole ordeal just not worth it. And so she had decided to be a circadian bat. Plus, it was still early enough for travellers to pause before entering the city, enjoy the fresh air and pretty surroundings. Their resting mounts provided the perfect snack for Maeva, who would be craving the warm animal blood. A quick swoop, a bite and suck of blood, and she'd be back up in the air before the horse or rider would even be aware. It had been a few chimes - about twenty or so - since Maeva had transfomed into her bat form. She had cleverly placed a few items of basic clothing in a hollowed out tree outside of Syliras, so if for any reason she was required to become her human self again, she could do so with dignity. Although there are more reasons to not get dressed, she had mused as she hid her secret stash of cotton and leather. So far, her hunt had been a little futile. There were a couple of men having a deep discussion to the left of the Syliras entrance, but their horses were old and dehydrated; their blood thick and bitter. Hey, she had standards.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde headed out of Syliras, finally done with the thrice petched city, which he so hated... At least for the day... Tomorrow, he would likely have to return, to the place of his youth, which he still hated to this day. Honestly, he had not expected to have to go back, at least unless he was a part of a conquering army, or some plot that would wipe the place off the map... But Ravok and Rhysol had required it of him, and so he had... A bit grudgingly, at first, but then he had been looking forward to it, having a chance to strike back... Which admittedly had not lived up to his expectations. The castle still seemed more or less intact, and unafected. He could only hope that somewahere inward, an effect was taking place, even if slowly. That some element was slowly wilting away and being corrupted... And would one day make the final blow, and the entire place in its entirety would fall apart into chaos from its accursed enforced rules, structure, and organized order. As he left, he likely looked like a easy target. Someone to take advantage of, and go after, to prey on. He likely looked like prey, to many a prying eye. Of course, his simple wooden staff, lack off all weapons, and no companions besides his dog, made him appear so. Of course, they could not see what was on the inside. A swirling tempest of raw elemental fury and destruction. He could level buildings with a gesture, fell stout warriors with a shout... The power he held would make any mundane being or bandit cower if they could see it... He simply laughed to himself as he thought of how people underestimated him, going after him, only to soon seeing the error of there ways... And only on occasion living to regret it. He instead focused on his deep breathing, and meditation exercise, picturing the image of a single flame in darkness in his mind, clearing his thoughts of all else... Ignoring everything else... Letting it calm him... Center him... Something he did more often than not to help with his magic, but it was also useful here. He pictured the small flame as it moved and flickered, licking at some invisible shape in the black darkness... Its flame not cutting into the black at all, simply existing as it was, alone and in isolation. Besides, if he was in danger, his guard dog would alert him. He was a good dog to have, very useful and loyal. And especially good in the dark, where many other dogs would fail.

[Maeva]

The slow trickle of people coming and leaving the city had slowed ever more, much to Maeva’s annoyance. She spotted a young man leave with a dog, shortly followed by a young couple on a horse each. She noticed the young couple quickly abandon their mounts, drop their clothes and lie with each other, somewhat feverishly, in the grass. I’ve never been a peeping Tom, was her first thought, but their horses look promising. It was incredibly rare for Maeva to even consider feeding off human blood; but desperate times called for desperate measures. The morning had woken Maeva in a cold sweat; she was craving blood like a drug addict craves their high. The vampire bat inside needed blood, and it was her human form that seemed to suffer the effects of her having gone cold turkey in the past few days. Earlier that day, whilst out and about, she had been approached by one or two of her most regular bedroom partners, most concerned by her clammy complexion and wide eyes. She had simply smiled politely and told them that the family nearby her were all suffering from a similar illness to herself. Whilst the young couple grunted and groaned with each other in a patchy of long grasses, Maeva had her fill of the young woman’s dapple grey. The horse nickered and swung its tail sideways, trying to knock off the parasite that attached itself to its rump. It didn’t take long for Maeva to have her fill; the horse was young and well cared for, so the blood was rich and sweet. After seven or so chimes, she was satiated. Funnily enough, the young man also was finished, much to the disappointment of his partner. Maeva flitted off as the two humans dressed in an awkward silence. She decided to transform into her human form outside the city, instead of flying back to her home, transforming there, and heading to the tavern or inn for her evening. It made no sense; both establishments were closer to the entrance than her tiny apartment, and Maeva had her secret stash of clothes stored in that hollowed out old tree. So why not? After landing behind that exact tree, she transformed back to her human self in a glowering of pale lights. She paused, completely naked, as she fumbled through the few items of clothing she had cleverly concealed. Horror of horrors – some of her clothes were missing. Her shoes and cotton top were both missing, leaving only her skirt and cloak. I’ve been seen in much less – so it wasn’t a huge issue for Maeva to pull on her skirt and simply tie her cloak around herself to cover her breasts and most of her modesty. Still, the knights might not appreciate it hugely... She looked down at herself; her stomach was on show from the bottom of her ribcage to the top of her hips, where her skirt started. No, this just won’t do. She folded her arms grumpily, pouting a little as she considered her options. She turned sharply when she heard footsteps – two lots, it seemed, but not two humans. She recognised the young man and dog she had spotted earlier, and peeped out from behind her tree. ”Excuse me,” she called out, cupping her hands to her lips so her voice was amplified, ”Do you mind... Could you come over here, for a moment?” She signalled a hand towards her, and hoped that this young man wouldn’t get the wrong idea from the half-naked woman. He should be so luckily she thought, smirking.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde had been minding his own business, walking along, heading were he had to go. Really, he had been more focused internally, trying to clear out his mind, than on the woods around him... Which admittedly was not the wisest thing to do. He was a bit startled at hearing a voice all of a sudden, and as he did Rye turned and barked at the direction of the voice, and then let off a low growl... Which was a bit odd, he did not often growl at humans. Maybe he sensed something nearby, an animal or something, which was a threat? It was hard to say. He certainly could not know for sure. He did not speak dog. He looked over at the woman who was calling to him, and looked around warily... As he brought his eyes back to the woman, he did notice something... She did not seem to be fully dressed, and bits of flesh were exposed or showing... Which in and of itself was odd... The first thing that came to mind was some kind of a trap... He certainly did not get any UN-forward ideas. Why would he, he already had someone for that, Kyra. He really had no need for another. So no dirt ideas or thought came to mind upon seeing her. What he was thinking though was of someone trying to take advantage of him, to rob or kill him. It was a rather overused ploy... Have a half dressed woman in need of help alone. Then when you got to step closer, you get clubbed in the back of the head, and wake up with all your stuff taken. Or did not wake up at all, depending on how determined they were to not be caught. Although that would mean more work for them, hiding the body and such, this close to the castle, so most thieves would be to lazy to kill him. Probably would just try to sneak up on him and knock him out. Or maybe when he walked over a bunch of guys would come out, surrounding him. Honestly, he doubted he would be in any danger regardless, he could take care of himself. But even he was not omniscient. He took a few steps closer, while keeping a decent distance between them. Not going all the way to her, as that would be were they would set up a trap, to pull him in. No, he would keep back a bit, were he knew there was no one lying in wait. "Can I help you? What exactly is the problem?" He said, while keeping wary, in case of some trick or deception.

[Maeva]

Maeva gave an exasperated sigh. What does he think is my problem? She figured that it was fairly clear she was not fully clothed, even though she was hiding being her holly tree. He seemed to hover, taking a few steps forwards and then stopping again. Does he think I’m going to attack him? for a brief second, her mind was overwhelmed with concern that young men would start to look worried when she undressed, instead of overwhelming lustful. ”I seem to have forgotten some clothes.” She called out eventually, not quite sure how to explain her given scenario. She hoped that her apparent knight in shining armour wouldn’t ask. If he did, she would think of some clever lie -- right? She stepped out from behind the tree, the cloak still wrapped around her breasts protectively. ”Do you have… a spare top or… something I can borrow?” Her hand waved down her own body, signalling from her bare stomach to her naked feet. ”I can deal with the lack of shoes, but these,” she pointed towards her breasts, which were nearly breaking free from their concealment, ”need more covering.” She took a few steps towards the stranger, hopefully proving she was no threat, or that no bandits were using her for bait to snare their prey. In fact, she realised suddenly as she made her way towards man and hound, this unknown man was much more of a threat to her. With his dog, and the fact she was as undressed as she was, meant that he could easily take advantage or hurt her. I have no possessions on me, Maeva thought, so it would be pointless trying to rob me… She slowly came to a halt, suddenly quite aware how helpless she was.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde did his best to not look nervous, but clearly the entire situation seemed a bit played out, or planned. A half naked girl saying she had lost her clothes, just wanting him to come over and help... Yeah, that did not happen in real life. At least not under normal circumstances. Of course, considering who he was, a mage, how often were the stuff that occurred around him normal? He could do magic, he could bend the earth itself, using djed in amazing ways. But a woman who needed his help genuinely, and was asking for it, seemed odd and foreign? Maybe he had been spending a bit to much time doing magic... Or maybe he was really getting paranoid... Then again, when time and time again your paranoia turns out to be true, was it still paranoia? Regardless, he would have to do something, if he did not want to come off as some jerk, in the case that she genuinely needed help. He was not going to leave her out here to her own devices, to be taken advantage of or something worse, by some other person. He let out a sigh, as she took a few steps closer... Well, at least she was not staying in the one spot, which would have helped to confirm his thought of an ambush... "You forgot... Clothes? Right..." He did not even bother asking. Already quite a few options were coming to mind. She had been having a liaison with some lover, and in the fracas had misplaced her clothes... And he had just left her, or perhaps left before her and she only realized after he left... Or maybe she had been bathing at the nearby springs, nude, and someone had thought it great fun to abscond with some of her clothes... That one seemed a bit less likely, as they would more likely take all of her clothes, not just a few pieces... Come to think of it, if that was the thing that had happened, it was more likely some animal or beast grabbed the clothes and tore off with them. Since really a person would have taken them all... He could see if any of those were true, why she was embarrassed about it. Clyde unintentionally looked when she pointed and remarked on "these", to which he hurriedly averted his eyes and brought them back to her face. Clyde thought about what he had on him... He did not generally carry around a bunch of random extra clothes. Who did? Though he usually kept his gear with him in his pack, which was all he needed to set up camp... And along with his bedroll, and tent, he also had a thick winter blanket, which would wrap around her nicely, covering everything up. Since it was sized for him, it would do much better at covering things than her cloak, which was not meant for such a use. He looked her in the eyes, his face not full of lust or greed or some such thing as most men would probably had upon looking upon her exposed flesh. He had seen plenty of that in Ravok, and especially from being around Kyra who disliked clothes and had no sense of decency when being nude... A kelvic thing apparently... "I do not have any extra clothes, but I guess you can borrow my winter blanket. It is pretty big, so should more than cover up someone your size. You can wrap it around a few times." Clyde went into his pack, and took it out, showing her how big it was. It had to be, since it had to cover him up longways, and he was over 6 foot tall. Turned on its side, it should work quite nicely to cover her top half. "Though do you have something else to wear inside the castle?"

[Maeva]

She gave a sigh of relief when the stranger suggested using a blanket of his. But he still seemed dubiously wary of Maeva - something that was continually irking her the longer she stood half-dressed. ”That would be perfect, thank you.” Maeva did, however, appreciate it when there were no follow-up questions regarding how she had apparently left the castle without the right amount of clothing. Although it was not so much a bad thing to be Kelvic, he may have more questions - why had she been in her animal form and then deciding to change back? And to simply answer ‘because I’m slightly parasitic’ might ruin her chances of clothing. Oddly, he wasn’t looking at her quite the same way most men did; it was as if he was trying to work her out. At least normally I’m having fun when I’m in this state. Although, this was somewhat unsettling to Maeva, who more familiar with men grabbing at her, or whispering their secret fantasies in her ear. ”I live in the castle. I can go back inside, get dressed, and then you can have your blanket back.” It was bad enough that he was still acting as if she had set up an elaborate trick or trap to lure him into -- she was beginning to get cold now the sun was dipping even further behind the horizon. She gave a quiet exasperated noise, and walked right up to him, taking him blanket and giving him a small smile, ”Thank you,” she repeated, covering herself with the blanket long-ways. She wrapped the cover around herself twice, and tucked the loose end upwards so it would stay put without her having to hold onto it. ”I’m Maeva, by the way.” She held out a cautious hand, testing that the cover would not fall if she moved her arms forward. He’s taller than I thought, she noticed, praying that he was not a crazed - albeit helpful - serial killer. He seemed kindly enough in the face - and his dog wasn't savaging her, so perhaps there was some hope that he was her genuine hero. Still, Maeva had learnt many times that she needed to be truly aware of those around her, even if they had spare blankets to hide her dignity. She didn't want to be outside of the city with this stranger for too long, and neither did she particularly want to meet him later to specifically give him the blanket back - in case he planned to attack her later... So she nodded towards the castle and eventually said, "Do you... want to come with me to get your blanket back once I've dressed?"

[Clyde Sullins]

She seemed genuinely grateful that he had something for her to wear. After all, what would be said if she were to try and come into the castle Syliras half clothed? Those prudish knights would be quite upset. Might not even let her in, if they thought her to be some sort of scandalous woman. It was something they had been known to do on occasion. But honestly, Clyde could not tell if she was really happy about it, or if it was all just an act... It was hard to tell, even in the best of times... He would eventually have to ask for an explanation, for why she was half dressed, and what had really happened. Even if she lied, well often a lie said as much about the person as if they told the truth. The why of the lie, was just as important. It could tell you what they wanted to hide... What someones weak spots were... And were they were the most vulnerable... Much more than any physical vulnerability. Her plan seemed simple enough. Go inside, get dressed, and give him back his blanket... But as he thought on it, a unescorted woman half dressed, might draw more attention than if he accompanied her. It was probably better for everyone involved if he went along. At least her offer to bring him inside lessened the chance of some trap... Of course, it could also be some form of entraptment or some such thing from the knights... Had he been found out? Really, they needed little excuse to toss him from the castle and ban him from coming back... But, perhaps they wanted to up and off him, and needed at least a reasonable excuse to do so? Perhaps if he had tried to abscond with the woman, or take advantage of her, as many men would, he would have been taken down by a bunch of knights coming to her rescue... Which made him even more paranoid, as his brain thought of further ideas... Perhaps this really was some deep trap for him from the knights, which had been planned out with perfect timing and precision... Maybe even taking the woman's clothes, to get her to need help, setting him up for trouble or something? She might not even know she was being used by the knights... Of course as he thought on that, it was a bit complex... Perhaps he was just being overly paranoid and suspicious... Clyde took her hand in his, and nodded, hearing her name, Maeva... "Clyde. Clyde Sullins." As she asked her next question, he just nodded. It did after all make the most sense, to get things out of the way, and for her to not be seen going alone. "Probably better that way. You can go change, and then I can get it back after. Besides, who knows what the knights would think if you came in alone dressed even as such. Probably better if I come along. Lead the way." He said, waving his arm in the general direction of the castle and its entrance.

[Maeva]

Is he drunk? Maeva’ apparent hero came across as a little… paranoid? Was that the word? She watched him carefully as she spoke, and even more so when he spoke himself. Although she had a talent for reading what men wanted, Maeva didn’t usually care for that they were thinking. But this guy… His nervousness made her a little awkward; a feeling she rarely felt. She considered asking him for more than his name; whether he lived in the city, or what he did for his life’s work. But Maeva herself disliked such questions, and although she would normally ask someone else regardless, the fact Clyde seemed so suspicious lead her to believe that he wouldn’t appreciate her questions either. But at the same time… she never let herself in a situation without knowing at least the majority of the people around her. As a secret control-freak, she longed to be the leading part in most scenarios. But -- and she looked down her blanket-wrapped body just to convince herself -- right now, she was definitely not in control. If I ask too many questions, he might grab his blanket off me and leave me in the same position as before she held onto the blanket around her as she considered her options, but if I don’t ask him, I’ll be walking into a situation half-dressed and half-aware. His hand taking hers surprised Maeva - she had been that lost in her thoughts. For a brief second, she panicked, until she realised he was only accepting her handshake. After, she smiled slightly and nodded when he’d finished speaking. She was keen to get inside the city; at least then, she’d be in a bit more control. She took a few steps towards the city, and finally decided that a few general questions can’t hurt. ”So, Clyde… Do you live in Syliras? I haven’t seen you around before.” A small smile pulled at her ruby lips, trying to make him feel a little more comfortable in her presence.

[Clyde Sullins]

Perhaps Clyde did come across as nervous. He would have preferred cautious. But after all he had been through in his life... Betrayed... Attacked... Mistreated... Attacked a few more dozen time by random things or groups specifically coming at him, he had grown a healthy dose of skepticism, and did at times ere on the side of paranoid, if it kept him alive. Better alive and considered skeptical a hundred times, than only considered skeptical ninety nine times, and dead. So he would keep on being cautious. he was trying to go over things, and decide on what to do next, as she asked her next question. He simply glanced over at her, and let out a sigh... Of course she could not leave well enough alone, and had to question him. Had to try and find out more... But at times, it really got to him, everyone wanting to dig into his past and secrets... His past was what led him here... His past was what had made him who he was... His past was what had ended up with him scarred as he now was, with burns scarring his face for near a decade, since he was little... And all of those things, some bad and some good, came back to here, in Syliras... Mostly the bad ones... Even the burns permanently marring his face had been gained here, along with losing so much else, only for him to finally get it back as he found his way to Ravok... He just looked back as she put on a smile, trying to ease Clyde... Which Clyde had seen in so many woman before, trying to wheedle information out of him... He let out another sigh, and finally responded after his pause. "I am currently in Syliras, but no I do not call this place my home. Though I did grow up here not to long ago. But I have moved on, and call a new place my home. It is a place I feel much more comfortable in, and which I found a place... And not to mention, a place that is a bit looser. No offense to you, if you like Syliras and all, but they are a bit strict here, and don't let you do much of anything... They are very inhibited and rule bound here... I have been to other places, which are not like that... And when I found a place I truly loved being in, and was proud to be considered a citizen, and to work with the people who led the city, I called that my home. That is were I will be going back." Clyde let out a sigh, as he thought back to Ravok... Though he had not mentioned the name of it... But he could not help speaking to the woman, and seeding a few doubts in her of this Syliras he so hated... This overly crowded city full of worker ants toiling away for the good of the Syliran knights, instead of themselves... Drudging on day by day... Less free than most of the slaves of Ravok. Looking over at the woman, he gave her a short look in the eyes, and then turned back to face the way he was walking, a short smile flickering over his lips. Without looking at her, he asked her a question in response. "But know I have answered your question, with more detail than you even asked for. Perhaps now you would like to explain to me what happened, and how you came to end up as you did? I am sure it would be an interesting story. I doubt you could say anything that would startle me or make me judge you. As I said, I am a bit freer of thought than the locals. So try me."