Closed Tell Me More [Markus]

[Nira'lia]

44th Winter 512
By The Silver Lake

“Oh, thank you.”

Nira’lia was handed back her waterskin, now full. The people at the daily market, the Bountiful Sea, were very accommodating. Aside from the drinking water, she also now carried a handful of apples. The prices were reasonable and she couldn’t help but purchase as much as she could carry, which were four pieces cradled in her arms. Smiling widely to herself, she started to walk back to the inn, where she could put the fruits aside. It was good that the inn was not too far away.

As she walked, she mused on what she could spend time on. The day was still young and there were many sights yet to be seen. She passed several Konti as she walked, smiling to anyone who made eye contact with her.

It was refreshing to be on the isle. The pale-haired women were her sisters, and she liked that thought.

After a while, the Konti realized she was walking towards the Silver Lake. She had known that the daily market was close to the lake, and the lake was a pleasant greeting—it was a vision of grace and beauty. The water shimmered in the sunlight and it beckoned to her. A part of her wanted to jump in, but she thought it would be silly to leave her belongings on the side of the road.

She spent a few minutes in front of the lake, simply staring at it. When she was done, she started to walk towards the inn again. However, she did not quickly take her eyes off the water and did not realize that there was a passerby close to where she was standing.

“Oof!”

Suddenly, her face came flat with someone else. She dropped the fruits almost instantly, the apples rolling across the street. One of the apples even rolled all the way to the water, and it was now floating on top of it. Nira’lia rubbed her nose and felt her cheeks flare up in embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry!” she said quickly, checking to see if the person was alright. She was surprised to see a familiar face. “Ah… it’s you! Hi!”

[Markus Andres]

Markus head turned to follow a Konti lady who walked by the inn. She was beautiful and Markus could easily look past her obvious racial traits and appreciate her gentler features. He had been on the island for four days and he was still amazed by the inherent beauty he found everywhere. Even if he was getting sick of the smell of fish. With the woman passed, Markus moved to actually leave the inn their group was staying at. Nira had already left and Ball... Markus had absolutely no idea what Ball was doing half the time. Walking the streets of Mura was just as awe inspiring as it had been the first day. Markus could not fathom that such a slice of peaceful haven could exist in a world as brutal as Mizahar. Markus enjoyed the peace. It was a nice contrast to the war he had partaken. A war that still lingered in his mind. It was the reason for the Bastard was still hanging on the left of his hip. He did not for one second believe he would ever need to use the sword on Mura. But still. He felt naked when he wasn't carrying it around with him. He turned his face to observe another Konti who was passing him by. He gave her a wide smile, but she appeared to be ignoring him. A shame. 'Oof' Markus heard the sound as he walked into someone. It sounded feminine and Markus quickly stepped back and away from the poor Konti, he assumed, he had walked into. He felt like a clumsy oaf trapped in a world much more delicate than he. Apples rolled everywhere and he was too bewildered to even say anything. That was when he recognized the woman in question and a smile returned to his lips. "Nonsense" He responded to her apology. "My fault entirely. I should be more careful where I walk. Are you okay?" He asked as he put a hand on her shoulder. But then he caught the movement of an apple out the corner of his eyes. "Hey, get back here!" He yelled and set off after the apple that was rolling away from him. But Markus, due to years of intense physical training, could outrun a rolling apple. He picked up three apples and turned to Nira'lia again. "Here you go, think this was all of them." Markus said handing over the apples to Nira'lia.

[Nira'lia]

“Well, no, I wasn’t really paying attention either…” she replied. When he reached forward to put a hand on her shoulder, she visibly flinched away. The idea of contact with anyone always made her uncomfortable. Fortunately, cloth stayed as a barrier to keep her gift from reacting. She nodded with a smile to answer his question. “I’m okay, don’t worry about it.”

The Konti stood and watched as he ran around picking up the fruits. It was amusing, especially seeing him yell after the apples. All her willpower went to not laughing. When he came back, she grinned as she took them from him, and she was very careful not to let their fingers touch.

“Thank you,” she said. Her eyes scanned over them and she counted three. Briefly, Nira’lia turned her head and glanced at the lone apple floating atop the silver lake. It was a distance away now and would require wading through the shallower waters. Nira’lia turned back to him. “Yes, that’s all of them,” she lied.

She stared at him for a while, puzzled. Was he sightseeing? Looking at women, perhaps? After all, she had seen him do it a few times now. After a while, she noticed the bastard sword hanging on his hip. Why was he carrying such a thing around Mura, of all places?

“Where are you headed?” she inquired, slightly worried.

[Markus Andres]

Markus smiled and nodded graciously when she thanked him. But when she looked aside and he could see her eyes linger just a little too long on something out in the lake. He turned his head to try and see what she had been looking at. Just in time to hear her lie as he spotted the reason he knew it was a lie. For a single lonely apple had been doomed to float alone in the lake. Markus looked to Nira'lia again with a raised eyebrow. He didn't look very pleased by her obvious lie. Tyveth may not be the god in the knight's pantheon that he had spent the most time praying to, but he still believed in truth. He rubbed his mouth and felt the stubbles around his mouth. Although not very visible, for they were blond as his hair. Still, it scratched against his palms. He did not like that. Neither did he like that Nira'lia had felt compelled to lie about something as insignificant as an apple. Made him want to play a little with her. But first, she had inquired as to where he was heading. Markus looked to his bastard sword and gave her a natural smile in return for her worries. "No cause for alarm, Nira'lia. I am just out for a walk, hoping I might find a good spot to get a little training done. Heard you ladies even had a pavilion of sorts for that kind of training. With a little luck I might be able to find that." Markus said finishing with a smile and almost as an after thought he added. "Would you like to join me?" He turned fully towards the lake where he could see the apple float helplessly in the water. Probably just end up as food for fish in the lake. "What about that apple, not one of yours I take? Would be a waste to just let it float away though." He scratched his stubbles with his off hand. "Might still be able to get it, I'll lend you my sword if you want to try and fish it out?" Markus graciously offered the Konti lady. Letting his left hand rest on the hilt of the sword as a mischievous grin crossed his lips.

[Nira'lia]

Nira’lia saw the displeased look he gave her. In response, she said nothing. She was hoping he wouldn’t bring up the apple, and was disappointed when he did after a while.

“I don’t need to fish it out… besides, I can’t reach that, I’d probably just fall in,” she responded in a mutter. She didn’t mind entering the water to fetch it, but she somehow felt like she was being poked fun at. To her, the idea of trying to get a floating apple back with a sword was ridiculous and difficult. She doubted she’d even be able to reach it with the blade at this point.

With a frown, she stood there for a while. She watched as the apple slowly floated even further away. That’s when an idea popped into her head.

“But you’re right; it would certainly be a waste!” she said suddenly with a laugh. “I bet if Eridanus were here… you know Eridanus, yes? If he were here, he could easily just stab it with the end of his sword and take it back. But that would require really good precision and the right angle and force, wouldn’t it? And he’s one of the best swordsmen out there, not much with the same skill as he. I mean, I have not even met a Knight nearly as skilled as he.”

After the last sentence, she looked back at Markus. Nira’lia wasn’t one of those who liked the Knights very much—not currently, anyway. Just saying those few words already made her feel better. Now it was time to take it back.

“Ah, sorry!” added Nira’lia quickly, as if she had just realized what she had said. “I apologize; I didn’t mean to insult the Knights… the words just spilled out. You are all very skillful.”

The Konti smiled at him and turned around. She now faced towards the direction of where the outskirts of the town were.

“The pavilion’s over there, I’ll take you there,” she said. “Never mind the apple.”

[Markus Andres]

The mischievous grin waned when she did not bite. Understandably, as it was only an apple. But he tried to disguise his disappointment with a shrug of his massive shoulders. As if it didn't really matter. He was about to move to get away from there when she spoke again. This time. Markus stopped dead in his tracks. Markus knew full well who Eridanus was and he didn't like the creature. There were several reasons for that, but one of the reasons was his unnatural ability to wield the sword. He had to become better than that creature. So being compared to him like that. Not even compared, dismissed like that. It made his pride scream our in anger and Markus' smile got strained as he tried not to let her see how deep she struck. He would not let that creature best him without a fight. "No no, I will retrieve it." Markus turned away from the woman and drew his sword in a single fluid motion and approached the Silverlake. Stood at the edge of the water and determined the distance to the apple. It was almost out of reach. He had to react quickly or he'd have to wade out into the lake. He took a deep breath and with a quick thrust of the sword he actually managed to hit the apple. Pierce it as well. But unfortunately, cleave it in two as he lifted the blade, the bottom half of the apple stayed in the water bobbing up and down. At first he looked dismayed at the lower half of the apple. Then a smile crossed his lips and he chuckled at the pathetic result of his attempt to live up to that creature. He flipped the bastard up and the top half of the apple flew into the air. Gracefully flying through the air until it was intercepted by Markus' hand. He turned to look at the Konti lady. "I got half of it, at least." He laughed a little and showed her the half. "Lead the way, miss." He said as he threw the half of the apple to the Konti lady. He slid his hand up the sword. Wiping off the water and apple juice before he sheathed the blade. "So, have you missed this place?" Markus asked looking at the unique architecture of the place. The openness of the buildings. So unlike Syliras.

[Nira'lia]

She stood in place and watched in interest as he attempted to retrieve the fruit. Nira’lia was, of course, impressed. That was a feat she wouldn’t be able to succeed in any way. She was also slightly disappointed—a small part of her had been hoping that he embarrass himself. The Konti caught the half piece of apple, almost dropping all the others in the process. Laughing, she recomposed herself, cradling the fruits in her arms and holding the one sliced piece in her hand.

“Thank you!” she said. As if she couldn’t help it, she added, “I suppose half an apple is better than nothing.”

A thought in the back of her head told her to taunt him further. In the end, she decided against it. For half a fruit, it was not worth it. The passive aggressiveness was unnecessary.

“To the pavilion, then?”

She led the way towards the establishment, knowing that it was located somewhere amidst the lake. From where they were standing, she could vaguely see its outline. The walk was not too far and a balk led up to the establishment which rested in the middle of the water. Nira’lia walked around the lake, expecting he would follow.

“I was not born here, this is my first time here,” she answered cautiously as they made their way towards the pavilion. The Konti bit into the half apple—after all, it was already sliced. After she answered his question, she realized that they didn’t really know much about each other. “I grew up in Zeltiva, though I have always wanted to move here. I suppose that will not be pushing through due to some… incidents.”

The Konti knew full well that he was aware of what she was talking about. That was the reason he was here, and she believed that there was no need to expound on the topic.

“Have you been here before? Speaking of which, are you not needed elsewhere by the Knights? Not that I ever know what you Knights are up to.” she asked curiously. They were getting closer to the pavilion. By this point, she was a quarter through the slice of fruit she was holding. Smiling, she looked down at the rest of the fruits that she held. “Do you want an apple?”

[Markus Andres]

Markus looked to Nira with a simple honest smile when he saw her laugh. It was good to see her laugh and cheerful. He fell in line next to her and together they started on the path towards the pavilion. The Pavilion. The same place Blythe had managed to improve so tremendously in a single year. He couldn't wait to see the trainers they had at the place. But he held his pace in tact with the lady. He looked at her with surprise. Even more surprised when said she grew up in Zeltiva. The two had more in common than Markus had thought. Much more in common. "Sure, thank you. He gracefully grabbed an apple from arms. "Out making the world a safer place. Nira'lia. That is what we're doing. Or trying to do, at least." He proudly responded to her question, probably borne out of frustration with her fate with the knights. A frustration he could understand, for he had once felt it himself, but ultimately a frustration he felt was childish and unfruitful. "But no, this is my first time here as well. Had I come here before I became a knight..." Markus paused and chuckled, he let the sentence hang in the air unfinished. It was an improper thing to say. He disguised his unwillingness to finish the sentence with a bite into the apple. It's sweet juicy taste reminded him of fall in Syliras, when every dish served by the kitchen contained an abundance of apples. "I am actually also from Zeltiva, born and raised there, prior to being sent to Syliras by an asshole of a father." His hostility towards his father was strong in his voice and it made him clench his teeth. Time to change the subject. To anything but Zeltiva. Everything about that city angered him. "If you weren't born here, did you ever get marked by your goddess? Avalis, I mean. Does she leave the island to find her lost children and mark them?" Markus asked, his natural curiosity chasing away his anger.

[Nira'lia]

Nira’lia almost made a discontented noise when he said that the Knights aimed to make the world a safer place. Not that she disagreed—she simply didn’t agree with their means. Instead of making a rude comment, she gave her apple another bite.

“Sylir is the God of Peace, isn’t he? I suppose that makes sense,” she said, nodding.

She was quite surprised when she heard that he came from Zeltiva. The Konti had lived there for more than a decade, and she wondered if they had ever passed paths before. They could have passed each other on the street, each of them being another faceless person in the crowd. It was a curious thought. However, Zeltiva was quite a populated town, so she dismissed the thought easily.

“Yes, I have Mother Avalis’s mark,” responded Nira’lia. Lifting her right hand towards him, she showed him the pale and iridescent mark in the shape of the seer’s lily. It resembled a light tattoo that could without difficulty be missed as it blended with her pale skin and scales. “I guess she does mark her children no matter where they are. Most of us are born with her or Rak’keli’s mark, regardless of where we are born.”

Why was he even asking? She pondered about it for a while before glancing at him to throw out her own line of questions.

“Are you marked by a God?” the Konti asked blatantly. “Does Sylir mark his Knights? Oh… can a tree even mark people? As you can see, I do not know much about the Knights. Perhaps you could enlighten me.”

[Markus Andres]

"And civilization." He added with a small nod before taking another bite out of the juicy fruit. He wasn't surprised he didn't remember ever seeing Nira, he had done much to try and forget his life prior to Syliras. Nothing but bad memories he'd rather leave alone. Besides, Konti are a dime and a dozen in Zeltiva. He listened to Nira'lia interested in what she had to say. It was heart warming to hear that their goddess, their mother, found her children and marked them. It made his smile warm. He looked at the backside of her hand, where a pale lilly, one he had never noticed before, almost blended with the paleness of her skin. "Beautiful." He remarked. The Konti were a lucky race, with such a beautiful and peaceful island. Protected from the horrors of the mainland. Marked by a goddess, in some cases, several. Markus knew Nira'lia from the campaign in Sahova, he had seen her try and heal people on the boat ride there. She was probably also marked by Rak'keli. "Must be good to know you always have your gods watching over you." Markus said with a smile, before it turned rigid. He stepped in close to the Konti. His massive frame overshadowing her lithe frame. He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, unbeknownst to him right on the mark of a different goddess. His eyes glared at her hard. "Quiet!" He said sternly. Voice a little more than a fierce whisper. "Do not speak of that so lightly. Do not even speak of the Windoak. Understood?" He sent out a guarded gaze to the surroundings. Making sure no women had been close enough to hear Nira'lia's words. He let go of her shoulder and cleared his throat. Trying to return to normal, as if nothing had happened. "I am sorry, we guard the secret closely for a reason... But yes, I have been marked. I carry the mark of Sylir, the reborn godST note, the mark doesn't appear in my CS. Markus is a knight and thus marked like the others, but since my knighting quest is yet incomplete I have not added it as it is not official. all fully-pledged knights carries his mark." He knew how the Konti felt having a goddess looking over them. For the knights had Sylir, now. A truer god could not be found. "I can answer any questions. Stick around as I practise. My master, the knight who trained me, actually used to do that as I trained as a squire. Would be fun to try that again. Is that the pavilion?" He said nodding in the direction of the pavilion before them. Much larger than he had thought needed for such a peaceful island.