Who goes there?

by **Valo** on February 4th, 2013, 6:19 pm

He was about to walk off, disappear into the blackness of the night when her voice awoken him from this cruel daze he found him self in. ”Valo, you get your red headed petching arse back here!”

For he had been acting out of character so profoundly. Forsaking his gentlemanly manner. If he had been of sound mind, or perhaps not under the weak, lingering influence of alcohol that so sluggishly washed over him, dropping the man into soberness, he would have never treated her with such simple rudeness. Never would he simply turn his back on the woman. A fool he was and his eyes were forced open to this fact and he halted almost instantly in horror of his code of conduct.

As more of her words rolled from her tongue. The sweet, hushed sound of them as a direct contrast to her apparent feelings. But Valo had known her long enough to read her like a book, to recognise this juxtaposition of behaviour and intention. But upon that calmer the realisation that it was no longer him she spoke to, but another soul that now joined them in the emptiness of the night, upon the coolness of the winter cobbles. In the perpetuation of an unpleasant moment. A stranger perhaps. And the more protective side of Valo hurled him self from his skin, ripping the man in two and taking complete control of his mind, as the coward who wished so terribly to return to his home and curl up under the blankets, was pushed so brutally out of the way in the battle of his mind. And at once he was by her. A slender arm gripping lightly at her shoulder, letting her know he was by her.No matter what would happen, she would be safe with him.

“My name is Elliha, Elliha Greywind. I just came from the docks and…”
And what? ’I think I saw someone getting killed and thought maybe you can help?" came the voice of the stranger.

Perhaps it was Valo's territorial paranoia - for he had grown such in the past days. It's what witnessing a murder tends to do to a man - that rendered his feature stern and his tongue still in his mouth. Breathing heavily, eyeing the man before him with a predatory glare to the dusty emerald colouring of his eyes. Suffice to say, he did not trust him. not in the least. And even less did he trust him, alone in the street at night with his precious friend by his side. If he had his bow with him, then perhaps Valo would have given the man a chance. But the trusted weapon was not with him and his instinct was to bark like an enraged dog. Though subduing that instinct was not as simple to him in the deeply emotional state that now painted solely in his eyes, the artist remained quiet and completely still. And if one knew not better, than one might have mistaken him for a statue.

A muffled scratching of little claws upon cobble stoned reached his ears. The sound of tiny feet, peter pattering upon cold stone, sniffing and scratching, scurrying from lamp light and weaving though crevices in the pavement. The god forsaken creatures that now plagued the city much alike the pestilence had. Scavengers of death, the rats with the graphite sheen to their fur and their gleaming embers of eyes. The perfect sounds to rill the silence that fallowed the previous thunderous roar at the hands of the fragment thief.

by **Nai'a** on February 4th, 2013, 11:38 pm

Nai’a felt exposed and alone, until she felt the reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. She glanced over and up to see Valo standing beside her. She turned slightly to him and punched him, not softly, on the side of his arm, ”If you ever… EVER do that again. You will not like the outcome, for it will not be your arm but your face that I punch instead.” Nai’a’s words came out in a soft harsh whisper as she looked at the man, a cute scowl on her face. If only he knew what lay inside her womb, something of his making, then maybe he wouldn’t have behaved so. Yet in the back of Nai’a’s emotional mind, she had a feeling that he may have acted slightly worse if he knew.

She brought her attention back to the man that introduced himself as Elliha Greywind. He seemed to be a nice enough person, though one could never be sure, and she was thankful she had Valo’s presence beside her. She could hold her own in a hand-to-hand fight, but the fact still remained that she could never cause damage to another person. Sure she hit Valo, but it was out of love, a love tap some would say, and to make him realize he was being a complete ass.

Nai’a smiled at the man, her voice coming out as it always did to those she met, soft and sweet, calm and confident, ”Nice to meet you Elliha, I am Nai’a, and this rude bloke is Valo. It is a pleasure to meet you, though you have not intruded on nothing except for a man who has forgotten his manners, sorry you had to witness such a display.” Nai’a did not mention the docks or what had transpired, it was best to leave such horrors alone, she did not want to mention the man out of fear that he would show up if she did. Like magically appear to deal her and her company a death blow by voicing what she had seen. No she would keep quiet about it, she would not even discuss such matters, it was best to leave such things alone.

by **Elliha** on February 8th, 2013, 12:20 pm

Elliha pulled his cloak even tighter as the cold winds of the night pierced through his body like the spears of the Icewatch.
The woman introduced herself as Nai'a and the man, who was standing so protectively next to her, as Valo. "The pleasure is all mine." Elliha replied and smiled.
None of them said anything about what just happened. Maybe they did not see it? Or they did not want to mention it? It was probably for the better. Maybe he had chosen the wrong city after all. Zeltiva, the city of knowledge seemed so perfect to find what he wanted and yet, it appeared that odd things where going on, dangerous things.
Elliha glanced at the man named Valo. He remained silent.
Distrust. And perhaps…doubt? He thought. That was obvious, who would be foolish enough to blindly trust some stranger who walked the streets at the middle of the night?

"I assure you that I mean no harm. I have only recently arrived in Zeltiva and I guess I am not used to the…beverages here. Back in Avanthal nobody would give you a beer for telling a good story, they would just try to tell a better one." He said and smiled again, trying to somehow loosen the tension that was in the air. A part of him just wanted to go back to the inn and sleep a few days straight, another part wished he stayed at the bar and yet another part wished he had never walked out of his room today.
On the other hand, it was probably not the worst thing in the world to meet new people in an unknown city. In a big city, knowing people was worth more than gold. At least that was what Elliha hoped.
If they were not as friendly as they seemed there was not much he could do about it. He did not bring his sword, so he was basically defenseless. Not that his old sword would have changed much.
The few things I remember about using that bloody thing would hardly be helpful. He thought. Also, from what Elliha could understand, a smile was definitely more helpful than a blade right now.

by **Valo** on February 9th, 2013, 3:37 pm

”If you ever… EVER do that again. You will not like the outcome, for it will not be your arm but your face that I punch instead.” same the threat along with the punch on his arm. A soft punch which he paid no attention to. In fact he paid no attention to her. Of course he herd her words and felt her touch, his arm still holding her close in a protective manner. Almost territorial before another man. But his eyes remained fixed on the stranger before them. A piercing stare of a man who's very eyes were haunted.

Indeed the artist was very protective over his female friend, but that was perhaps that, the longer they had known each other, the fonder his heart grew and the more feelings he developed towards her. If she was to leave him, he'd be crushed, crumbled and swept away by the winds of eternity. Not too long ago he became aware of these very feeling he harboured for her in secret, when a certain other man spoke of his intentions towards Nai'a and that displeased the artist greatly. For that man wasn't fit for her, he wasn't good enough for her and most importantly, he was not Valo. But Valo rejected her once already and he was not about to make the same mistake thus, biting on his tongue he would hold back the very thoughts and feeling in his chest.

In this case however, Valo simply did not trust the stranger Elliha whom he now faced. Perhaps it was the result of a soul shaken by death, under influence of substance and wishing to just simply get away from there right at this instant. To get away from there and take his beloved with him. It pained him to be referred to as rude,but perhaps that he was. Though who could blame him after the dreadful season of Winter.

It was only at the mention of Avanthal that the Inarta mongrel's eyes parted and he glanced to the dark haired man before him with new sparked interest. Interest of Kalea, his homeland and the city of snow he had the pleasure of visiting and the people, Vantha who inhabited it. A puzzle came to completion in his head. A certain warming feeling, banishing the thought of prerequisite ordeal and focusing with all his might on Elliha.

"Avanthal?" echoed Valo. "So what must mean you're Vantha?" his words simple, void of the usual eloquence with which he carried himself and at that he was solemn for the first impression he was no doubt creating was much unlike that usually given by his person. And apologetic he was for the ill thought of the man at first, but not entirely. Part of him still held back and held in awareness. Difficult this awareness was for a man who's usual sluggishness of senses was perpetuated by previous intake of alcohol.

by **Nai'a** on February 10th, 2013, 10:18 am

Valo did not speak to her; he stayed quiet as he glared at the man standing before him. Nai’a could not help but think it odd at how protective he was being of her. She had thought he did not care about her, that her feelings were one sided, Nai’a dismissed the thought quickly. Of course her feelings were one sided, he made that very clear in his actions, and his words, especially that first night. Still though, this man being protective over her was something she could become accustomed to, something that could be addictive. She did not know he cared of her that much as a friend, and it made her smile.

The man assured them he meant no harm, that he just arrived in Zeltiva, and obviously he was drunk as well. Great! I am now surrounded by drunkards. Petching wonderful Nai’a thought, the smells of their alcohol was really wreaking havoc on her stomach. She had a sensitive nose before she became pregnant, now it seemed to have intensified, and she was not really happy about that. It was so strong she could smell the urine of the rats that plagued the streets, the musty smell of the insects that swarmed the air. She felt like she just needed to walk around with a mask until the pregnancy was over, it was pure torture for her. But she swallowed the bile down, not giving away how sick she was beginning to really feel, hoping she did not vomit in front of these men.

Dismissing her thoughts she was about to talk to this new man, this Elliha, but Valo seemed to have beat her to that, and she stood there listening quietly, swallowing the lump of bile that kept rising in her throat. Finally it became too much to handle and she sighed frustrated slightly, ”Can’t believe that I am surrounded by two drunkards, who reek of alcohol.” Nai’a whispered to the air as she looked at the man that Valo called a Vantha. ”Wait, you are the race that have the changing eye colors or something like that right?” Nai’a asked of this man from Avanthal. She had read somewhere that there was a race, Vantha, that eyes changed colors with moods. Though she really did not know anything much more than that, the eye color changing part really captured her attention, and that was the only thing that really stuck in her mind.

by **Elliha** on February 14th, 2013, 1:07 am

Elliha noticed a change in Valo as soon as he mentioned his home city.
"Avanthal? So what must mean you're Vantha?" he asked.
Valo seemed interested, did he know Avanthal? Did he know the Vantha? Elliha hoped it would be just curiosity for the unknown. He did not want to answer the questions someone too familiar with the Vantha traditions could ask.
However Elliha did not want to lie about who he was. He left behind his old life, his friends, his family, his home and his name, but the blood of the Vantha was still running in his veins. The stories and tales danced in his mind, his skin remembered the cold winds of Avanthal and his heart remembered the happiness of a simple life he once had.

“Yes, I am a Vantha as well as humble storyteller and occasional actor.” He replied bowing his head and with a slight smile he turned to Nai’a. “And yes, sometimes the color of our eyes does change.”
Unfortunately he could not change the color of his eyes at will, it was tied to the mood and emotions meaning that the color could rapidly change in certain situations. He remembered the grey eyes of his mother every time she was angry at him. Although many people envied that Vantha for their various eye colors, Elliha saw it more as a disadvantage. It is always easy to see through a Vantha if one knows about what colors are tied to which moods.
This was irrelevant around new people of course, and luckily nobody in Zeltiva knew about his eyes.

“Have you ever visited Avanthal?” He asked turning his attention back to the red haired man.
Elliha was still trying to present himself as friendly as possible. He had rarely been confronted with strong distrust or dislike and whereas he did not desire the liking and favor of everybody, it was certainly not advisable to start his life in Zeltiva with ill will.

Elliha took a close look at his new acquaintances. He could not conclude too much from their appearances. They were no Vantha that was obvious. The skin was too pale; the hair was missing the usual highlights and was to colorful and bright. No Vantha had pink or red hair like that.

Red hair could mean Inarta-blood… Elliha thought to himself. Or hundred other things.
The young woman, Nai’a, was a lot more noticeable but yet her appearance held no valuable information for him.
She seemed to be kind; at least Elliha could not sense the same form of distrust he saw in Valo.
Some almost forgotten words flashed through his head. Trust your first impression and you might find a sword in your back or a valuable ally walking through the door. His father had told him that once during one of his attempts to teach Elliha how to fight.
Am I becoming paranoid now? Start doubting everyone and you will find yourself alone. Elliha thought and ran his fingers through his hair again. He was indeed careful, maybe to careful. Having lived in the same city and around the same people hiw whole life he felt insecure in this new city.
I can see no swords on them, so I believe I can risk trusting my first impression this time. He thought.

by **Valo** on February 14th, 2013, 6:27 pm

”Can’t believe that I am surrounded by two drunkards, who reek of alcohol.” Nai’a whispered to the air as she looked to the stranger. ”Wait, you are the race that have the changing eye colours or something like that right?”

“Yes, I am a Vantha as well as humble storyteller and occasional actor.” He replied bowing his head and with a slight smile he turned to Nai’a. “And yes, sometimes the colour of our eyes does change.”

If the man had seen what happened at the dock, as he claimed, then how was it that he could smile so frivolously. Valo could not understand. He was shaken by the silent entropy of the situation, that freeze frame in time lingered in his head. The mage with his hand raised to the heavens and the still of the water beneath which two innocent men were lost forever. A needless loss of precious life. In the city where all was death, ravaged by plague, he'd have thought that at least two men could be spared from the hands of cruel fate, spared by the gods. He was wrong.

This time it was different for it seemed that death never hit a man twice in the same way. For he did indeed feel pity for the two Wave Guards that lost their lives and he mourned them to an extent. They were however strangers. Their death would not impact his life, thus pity was the only thing that would linger. The whole ordeal was too grim to be completely registered and soon the memory frayed, tattered, as if that particular moment had been little more than a page in the manuscript of life. A drawing of quill and ink, etched into yellowing paper. It truly did happen, but somehow like it never happened at all. So unlike the death of Wave Guard Kip, it was; for despite never having met the man until the very hour of his death, Valo was tied to him somehow by his friendship to Ricky Maze. Thus perhaps that death impacted him far more. Or perhaps it was the very outwardly and gruesome manner in which Kip was denied his spark of life.

Since then Valo had grown colder, tougher. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger in the face of death. A soft heart, hardened by the tragedy around him for this winter he had witnessed more death than he ever wished to, not only at the hands of Wrenmae but also at the wings of pestilence. This must have been the reason he had managed to keep up his composure to an extent, instead of descending into blackness once more, like he had on the 35th night of winter.

“Have you ever visited Avanthal?” asked Elliha, turning his attention to the artist. his manner overall friendly but distant, just like Valo kept him self at a distance.

Nothing but a quiet murmur escaped Valo's lips. "Yes, a long time ago." before he picked up in tone and proclaimed the words which formed in the more logical part of his persona. The part which chose not to linger in the streets, thus putting himself at risk of the sickness. The man who, despite perhaps not being in the position where he could make the best of decisions, chose to live, succumbing to the liberty of nothing but his own company in the darkness of his cottage, where none would disturb as he slept the day away. "I do wish we could have met at more pleasant a time, for keeping in the streets like this seems just short of suicidal. Take my advice good sir and avoid such frivolity for it may leave you bed ridden, or dead. You too Nai'a. Now if you excuse me, I am not prepared to take my chances with the pestilence, or midnight pick pockets. Seek me out some other day, if you wish for a pleasant conversation, for such is denied to us by fate."

He gave a polite nod to the man before turning to Nai'a, pressing his warm lips against her cheek for a split moment before whisperring softly. "Goodnight my dear." there was a hint of a smile to his feature, a certain warmth with which he regarded her, before his expression settled back into that gently muted one from beforehand and with one final glance to the both of them, he began into the darkness. If any of them chose to stop him, he would perhaps halt for moments longer. But only moments, for the cold was as bitter as the prospects of sickness.

by **Nai'a** on February 16th, 2013, 2:02 am

When the man, Elliha, said he was a story teller she clapped her hands excitedly, somewhat childlike, ”Story teller!? Oh I have heard of story tellers, you must tell me a story very soon!” Nai’a chuckled softly, her voice full of excitement. It had been years since she heard another weave stories. It was always bewitching to her. The man confirmed that their eyes did indeed change color, and Nai’a just nodded her head. She read that the Vantha’s eyes changed color with moods; she just wished she remembered what else the book had said.

It seemed the two drunken men decided to talk amongst one another. Nai’a felt a little nervous at their behaviors. It seemed they were standing there, sizing one another up, and examining each other. It was a very pricky situation that she had found herself in. Of course Nai’a was one of those, all rainbows and sunshine type of people, so when grey clouds started to take her sunshine away she became nervous. Even if one could not have a rainbow without rain first, she always liked to skip the rain and just view the rainbow.

Nai’a just stood there as she watched the short ineraction between the two men, Valo seemed distant, as well as the man. She knew Valo more though, and could tell that his distance and muted features were indeed unusual. She did not like to see her friend in such a way. When they ended their conversation, Valo turned to her and placed a warm kiss on her check, a warm smile on his features. This of course made a blush appear on her cheeks, he always knew how to make her blush, and she returned his smile. ”Good night sweet Valo.” Nai’a whispered back, as the man turned and left.

Valo was indeed right, tonight was not the type of night to be standing out in the darkness. There were too many rats, insects, death, and of course the unknown mage man who in himself was creepy as hell. Nai’a sighed and looked over at the Vantha man. ”It was a great pleasure to meet a story teller. I do hope that one day you will honor me with one of your stories. I hope to see you around again soon, please be careful. Tonight is a night to heed warnings, and to get out of the darkness and into shelter as soon as possible.” Nai’a gave the man a warm smile and nodded her head, then she too turned and left, hoping that the man did indeed seek shelter and protection and did not linger where it was unsafe. She wished in the back of her mind that she left with Valo, that she could possible hold him this night in her arms, feel his warm embrace. But alas, it seemed they were just friends and all they ever would be, with the occasional intimate nights, nights she waited for him to take the lead with. Nai’a sighed as she disappeared into the darkness.

by **Elliha** on February 20th, 2013, 2:00 am

“I am always happy to tell stories to those who appreciate them. Farewell, Nai’a.” Elliha said as the young woman turned and left him alone in the darkness of the night. Valo had already left. He was clearly shaken by something. He feared something, something that was neither plague nor thief.

Alcohol and witnessing a murder might greatly shake a man. Elliha thought.
He was convinced that Valo had seen what he saw. Nai’a did not seem too disturbed or at least she did not show it.
But what about me?
Elliha was not shaken by what he had witnessed. Yes, at the beginning he certainly was. Confused and afraid from what he had seen, even the slight feeling of panic. Those feelings, however, faded quickly. Only a form of fear remained and yet he had no difficulties in hiding those feelings away and burying them deep inside his heart. Deception. It was the task of any actor to hide what he thought and felt, but then was it really that? He knew what the real answer was.
“Killing somebody takes a lot of fear from death…and it takes a part of my humanity.” Elliha mumbled to himself.
Images of swords and blood flashed before his mind’s eye. Anger, a swift strike and a life was gone and his hands would be stained with blood forever. In that moment, on that day it seemed to be the right thing to do.
Fool. He thought.
But that was the past, this day was very different. The hooded figure did not kill out of anger; he killed because someone was in the way. Killing was always such a waste of life, but what invoked the fear inside Elliha was the thought of a man, a powerful man, that would just kill without hesitation.
Even so the person, whoever it was, did not represent a threat to him right now, if he knew that people witnessed what he did, he would have dispatched of them by now.
Or he simply does not care if he is seen or not. He thought.
Something very big was going on in this city, Elliha did not know what it was but he knew that he did not want to be part of it.

He knew that he should return to the World’s End Grotto as quickly as possible for the streets of every city could be dangerous by night, but he didn’t. Elliha stayed and gazed into the darkness of the night for what seemed like an eternity. Before his mind’s eye he saw pictures of a dead body, he saw the blood on his hands, he saw his mother and his father, dead, and he saw…her. His eyes had turned violet some time ago. Elliha closed his eyes for a short moment and banished the thoughts from his mind; he had no time to live in the past, so he turned around and made his way to the inn, while his eyes changed back to green.