Climbing (Closed)

[Damal]

He shook her hand. From what he had read Damal knew shaking hands was a human thing but he didn't mind. It was a little odd. "My name is Damal by the way and honestly I never bothered figuring out my web name." He sat down and leaned up against a rock he closed his eyes and tried to relax. "Need any help unpacking," he asked Nastya.

[Nastya]

"No, but thank you." Nastya replied quietly. She sat on the edge of the cliff, letting her legs dangle. At least she wouldn't freeze when night fell upon them. The rocks had soaked enough heat to keep the whole country-side warm through an ice age.
What would she do when she made her way to Taldera? She would freeze to death and turn some wierd shade of lavender or something. She rubbed the back of her neck, trying not to think about it.
Being pasty-pale and ashy like every other Symenestran, the sun burn she had aquired was very obvious and very painful. It wasnt even a very harmful one, but this being her first it wierded her out.
'Well isn't this great..' She thought lazily to herself. She hadnt been out of Kalinor for a day and she already wanted to go home. If her mother could see her now she would be ashamed. Nastya knew it deep down.
If she kept up this sort of attitude and lazyness karma would eventually catch up to her and push her off the cliff.
"Thats what you get Nastya! You lazy bum!" And then she would fall right to her death. her bones would shatter, her heart would cease to beat, and that would be the end of poor Nastya Crinum. Thats what she got for snatching up those poor girls for her brothers's Harvest. Thats why she was out here, trying to pay back Viratas for spilling, wasting, precious blood.
If they could find a cure for the death-birth's then blood would not have to be spilt and wasted. Imagine, a world full of Symenestra... pure Symenestra. Not some silly half-breeds that just so happen to appear full Symenestran. She didn't care what the doctor's thought. They were not true bloods. They could never be.
Nastya rubbed her temble. Why was she thinking these things? Was the sun finally getting to her? She stood up and moved from the cliff side. Maybe that would be a good decision. Better safe than dead.

[Damal]

Damal stood up for a second to swipe some dirt off his pants. Then he returned to leaning up against a rock. He opened up his backpack and pulled out some of his food. He had a enough for a week and he wanted that week to start now.
He took a sip of his waterskin. "But won't you need some help setting up your tent?" He said. Sadly Damal hadn't bought a tent but he figured the cold mountain air on his skin couldn't be too bad.

Just about another hour and it should be dark and the nighttime air will cool them both off.

[Nastya]

Nastya looked at Damal. "A tent would give away our position to any thieves that may have not found us yet." She stated. "But we are also vulnerable just laying on the ground..." Either way she was going to get cold. Either way she didnt really care as long as she didnt have to fight anyone. Quite frankly she hadnt bought any weapons yet because she didnt feel like she needed them.
It was a stupid mistake that could prove deadly down the mountain. Although it would make things a little more interesting if something happened. And if something did happen, Nastya had already decided to run away.
The sun was setting behind the mountains and the sky was painted pink and orange from the setting sun. It was the first sunset Nastya had seen since she went Harvesting last year, and it was beautiful to her eyes.

[Damal]

"If a thief climbs all the way up these cliffs I think they deserve our money really but anyways I'll protect you if they do show up." He sighed he wasn't much for combat but he knew he could swing his backpack at them if they got too close.
Damal noticed the sun set. He stood up. "Well I'm gonna set your tent up before it gets dark."

[Nastya]

Nastya nodded, standing up to help Damal with her tent. She had actually wanted to travel through the night, but this Damal guy evidentially made the decisions around here. It didn't matter, Nastya was fine with getting more sleep than what she needed.

The extra sleep would prove useful whenever she got to Wind Reach, she had heard that the Inarta thought that every other race were "under" them. The worst that could happen was that she could be killed for not having flaring red hair and pale skin and ride on some flying bird thing.

"I suppose that if a thief is that desperate for miza's he does need some sort of help." She said, defeated. Besides, who would climb all of the way up the mountains in the first place?

Couldn't they just ambush them at the bottom? That would be much easier, especially for Harvesting. She had learned that from her father when he told her most of what she needed to know for Harvesting women for her brothers.

[Damal]

(It's wind reach not fall)

Damal finished setting up Nastya's tent. He had forgot to get himself a tent when planning for this trip. But he settled for just leaning up against the big rock. "Good night Nastya." He slipped his coat off to cover his chest like a blanket. "Tomorrow we will climb some more."

[Nastya]

(Thank you. My bad)

Nastya looked at the tent, then at Damal. "Damal, if you want to share the tent i dont mind."
In reality she did care. She was terrified of this male Symenestra, but he was the only one who came forward when she was searching for a guard. It wasn't just Damal she was scared of, she was scared of any male anything.
Her father had informed her that if she ever fell in love with any man that she would die. Now she was smarter than that, and growing up she wasnt really worried about it.
Until she went harvesting. Then everything became abruptly clear. All of Mizahar shivered when a Symenestra crept out from Kalinor, even when it was just to see a sunset. If Mizahar could trap all of the Symenestra in a bottle and just keep them there Nastya was sure that they would.
Then she had captured the girls, took them back and presented them to her brothers. They were pleased, and the girls were terrified. Then the girls were impregnated, to her family it was the happiest time of the year. Nastya had been there when the children were presented to her brothers and the harvested girls weren't.
The unfortunate truth was obvious. The girls had died, and in every single way it was Nastya's fault. Before the next harvest Nastya had already decided to leave Kalinor, but that wasnt all. Nastya had decided to find some sort of cure, or at least a way for the mother of the child to survive.
Nastya, not having heard a responce yet, ducked into the tent.

[Damal]

"Ok thanks." He stood up and headed into the tent. He felt uncomfortable but being as thieves might really be wandering these mountains he decided it might be best if he was in the tent. But he knew that he shouldn't make Nastya feel uncomfortable so he used his coat to make a little bed in the entrance of the tent so if someone entered they'd have to get past him. "Good night." He stretched his arms and then he closed his eyes to sleep.

[Nastya]

As Damal fell asleep Nastya could not. This man seemed nice enough on the outside, kind and generous, but so did every other Symenestra. 'I do not despise my race,' she thought to herself, 'but i do pity them for what they have become.' Deep down she hoped that Viratas could not hear her thoughts. Nastya did not fear her god, but she was quite aware of the power a blood god could have on her daily life. What if she was cursed by some...some...thing? She would be the laughing stock of Kalinor. Every Symenestra would walk by and snicker at her stupidity. As the night pressed on, Nastya's strength depleated. She had not eaten since the previous day, due to the timeframe that eating took. Nastya was naturally a slow eater, especially for a Symenestra, anyways. Finally Nastya was forced to lower her guard and sleep.