Completed Escaping the Past

[Daishira]

22nd Winter 512AV, 1800

The faint clip clop of hooves rhythmically sounded out, echoing throughout the unfamiliar streets. If you were not near the source, the beat would be drowned out by the sea of conversation, stemming from everywhere around him. Holly, the sungold horse, walked slowly, dragging her tail along the dirty and somewhat icy street. The darkness that came with Winter shrouded her beautiful, radiant colour; a mix between cream and gold. This complimented the rider's own skin almost perfectly; Daishira was a little darker in tan, but still fairly light. The two dragged on through the street and the smell of burnt fish penetrated the common atmospheric smell of fresh air. Oh, wow... Right in the appetite...

Daishira remembered the delightful aroma of Kai and her family, especially their food... their irresistable food. There was something about it that Daishira longed. He would have to go without. Despite only staying in Endrykas for one season, he felt attracted to Kai, even more so because of his Kelvic nature and Kai would've been a great mistress. Thoughts of her and the vast sea of grass flooded his mind. It struck him how much he would miss her... Sensing his troubled mood, Holly brayed. The sharp sound snapped Daishira out of his memories, the good ones at least, and he ruffled the coarse mane.

"You need a wash, Holly," Daishira muttered to her, even though she can't understand him.

Carrying on at the steady pace, Holly tilted her head upwards slightly in recognition of her rider's touch. Daishira then observed the city once again and made a mental note to himself to find somewhere to stay. Somewhere invisible. Somewhere where anyone can stay with no questions asked. He didn't need those bandits again, crows circling their prey. How do you escape such creatures? For crows, find a place with a rooftop, but for the bandits, it would be a little trickier. Last time, in Endrykas, he was sure he lost them. He was extra cautious in his method, meticulous even, yet still they found him... and endangered Kai... Anger ignited and slowly built up within Daishira. He could not stand for anything bad to happen to her. This was why he decided to leave. Why Zeltiva? No reason, other than it was a large city where you could get lost.

With second nature telling Daishira to check his equipment, he glanced at his legs, then the saddle, then the large bag full of possessions, including an angle knife, a tent and its required bits and bobs, some money, everything down a comb he hardly used. Everything was accounted for. As always. Flicking his long, dark hair out of his eyes, Daishira looked up once more. The surrounding buildings looked exactly like the ones half an hour ago, Daishira noted, it would be easy to lose assailants in a chase. It is always good practise to imagine what could happen at any given time. Potential scenarios are good for training the mind and thinking ahead, just incase he had to run away. He wasn't turning paranoid... Yet...

After a long ride zigzagging through the city, Daishira finally halted Holly and took a moment to lean against the wall, leg at right angle to steady himself and relax. Something he hadn't done properly in days. It was a feeling like a rusty spring only just realising it could stretch itself. Soon, he decided, I will find somewhere to squat. Sleep. It's dark after all.

[Valo]

Valo made it his business to check up on Ricky every so often. The drinking habits of the sailor truly worried him, for he was a man with compassion and empathy at the very core of his being. He wished no ill upon the bear of a man. In fact he wished no illness upon anyone. But indeed he made it his business to ensure Ricky's well being. 'Treat people like you wish to be treated son.' The words of his mother echoed in his mind as if he had only heard them yesterday.

The Grotto was the place to find Ricky most of the time, for that was where he resided after all. But a great man like him proved to be utmost elusive, to say the least. Upon finding that yet again the familiar small room was void of any sign of his comrade, apart from perhaps a few mugs of kelp beer, Valo turned on his heel and left. He had no other business in the Grotto apart from that.

It was a cold afternoon and the sun already hung low in the sky. Everything around him had taken on that orange afternoon hue; but instead of a warm vibrant orange of summer afternoons, this was a grey tinted orange. Perhaps not an orange at all for the sunshine diffused though thin blankets of clouds with which it shared the sky. Truly miserable was the weather of Zeltiva. And as Valo proceeded up hill, there the streets became nothing more than narrow alleys, they filled with slush and dirt beneath his feet. Truly he wished for snow to fall, to cover all this ugliness.

At this time of day, people seemed to fill every street of Zeltiva. Whether they were on their way back from work, or to the Kelp Bar to drink their troubles away. Clusters and groups loitered on the door steps of houses, chatter everywhere. At least the city was alive.

Valo pushed though the crowds with a million "Pardon me sir" and "Excuse me." phrases upon his lips. He weaved his way past men and women alike, keeping his attention on his boots to prevent him self from tripping over the grey cobbles. His mind in another place completely. No wonder he did not notice as a man on a horse appeared before him as if out of nowhere. The horse reared somewhat and Valo had to take several steps back, bumping into someone as a consequence, for otherwise the horse would have killed him.

"My apologies sir." he cried, gasping with something resembling fright on his face. He grabbed the reins at the muzzle of the best and stroked it's nostrils to calm it down. "My fault entirely. I should look better where I'm going." he flashed the stranger a friendly smile, hoping that an apology may be enough.

[Daishira]

Daishira temporarily lost himself in his own dreamworld but was cruelly ripped from through the delicate seams of his own imagination by his horse neighing rather loudly. His eyes darted open and saw a human, it looked like, with bold red hair like flames flickering from his hair once he stepped back, a pale colour skin contrasting with the hair. Holly instinctively reared and threw out random hooves to the stranger who bumped into her. Once the man attempted to grab her reins, more specifically her bridle, this only angered the 12ft animal further. She was about to literally crush the stranger by running at him full speed - she did not like anyone else touching her beside Daishira.

"HOLLY!" Daishira screamed, freezing the great beast in its current stance. One could admire the pose as it was majestic indeed. The horse on its two rear hooves with the front ones angled in the air and her dark round eyes looked like they could pierce the stranger with just its glance. Obeying her master's voice, she slowly reclined and placed all four on the slushy ground again, making small, soft sounds. "Here, girl, everything's alright." Daishira hastened to pat her neck and stroke it calmly. Holly vented her extra energy through brays and stomping the ground before finally settling.

A small crowd had gathered following the disturbance and suddenly, there was a circle of people around them, staring. The still air made Holly nervous. It was only a matter of time before she would gallop through some poor spectator in an attempt to escape. The glare of onlookers would build up in her and eventually, set her off.

Stroking Holly subconsciously, Daishira addressed the red-haired stranger in fancy clothes (in his opinion). "You should. You almost hurt yourself. But I forgive you, easy mistake to make in the crowd. Where are you off to in such a hurry that you should bump into my horse?"

[Valo]

Seeing the creature in fits of anger, Valo swiftly ducked out of the way. For a slender being, he was fast indeed and within seconds he was out of range of this demon horse. Something about this ordeal made his mind set on one ideology. And that ideology was simple, he preferred birds to horses. Learning falconry in his childhood led him to flawlessly understand the peculiarities of bird behaviour but horses were quite a new mystery. And with that thought his eyes failed to focus on the anatomy of the horse as it stood on it's hind legs, something which the little crowd around them seemed to admire. Then again, being an artist he rarely admired the obvious beauty in the world. The not-so-obvious beauty interested him so much more.

The rider addressed him with with the lack of accented politeness, which Valo was so used to. And perhaps this manner with which he spoke caused the red haired Inarta to completely miss his question and simply reply. "Wont happen again sir."

Well it could have been the manner of the stranger, or perhaps the gathering crowd around them that caused Valo to gather him self up and stride past everyone, once again heading the the direction away from the docs. He had no intention to make a spectacle of him self. he wasn't a shy individual, far from it, but his business was his business and he would not be forced to share it with a group of onlookers, who made it a personal habit to stick their nose in someone else's doing. As the street branched off several metres away, he took the alley to the right and disappeared around the corner of the architecture. His face now blushed with something which he could only describe as embarrassment.

[Daishira]

"Won't happen again, sir," and with that, the guy ran off through the crowd, splitting it like a sword through paper. Daishira lost his focus on Holly momentarily as his eyes followed the man. This was a dire mistake. With one swift motion, Holly span around looking for an opening in the crowd. Indeed, the only one there was the one the stranger had crafted, so she took that and bolted through it before Daishira could stop her. Out of the three, Daishira seemed the only one unphased by the crowd of onlookers. Cursing to himself under his breath, Daishira followed. A few gasps from the circle ensued and some rumoured that they were enemies, that a chase was going to happen. Daishira heard all these and didn't bother telling the crowd otherwise, his only concern right now was to catch his horse. Past experience told him though that he wasn't going to catch Holly until she had stopped in her own will... unless he turned wolf. No, already enough attention has been brought. And with that, he continued running, following the silhouette of his precious horse.

Holly galloped past everyone and showed little concern for anyone in her way. Daishira followed moments later, briefly apologising to anyone knocked over or distressed by a demonic horse almost running them down. A range of responses followed, from shouts of complaints to understanding nods. Goddamnit, Holly. I swear you're not getting fed tonight...

They soon chased each other past multiple alleyways, swerving into criss-crossing streets and soon, Holly reached the sea, and there was nowhere left for them to go. Daishira finally grabbed Holly's bridle, telling her off in the process. Braying in saddening responses every now and then, Holly remained still, restrained under her rider's grip. Well, isn't this just the perfect start? Daishira reflected, looking back and the stream of mini-chaos. A few broken pots here, a knocked over stand of fruit there and a lot of pissed off faces trailed all the way leading up to him. With a look of embarrassment, Daishira led Holly quickly away from the scene and stumbled across a stable shortly after.