A Pretty Face (Evera)

by **Savio** on August 19th, 2013, 5:04 pm

79th of Summer, 513AV

The late summer sun was high in the sky and the streets of Nyka was already full of her normal hustle and bustle. Nykans talked and laughed, argued and fought, as was the natural way of things within this rough city. It was hard to get used to for an outsider. Many of the natives frowned upon foreigners, thinking that they were beneath their standards; that they were too soft. Respect was earned from blood, sweat, and hard work.

Savio had been in Nyka for most of the season and he was still trying to earn his place. Slowly, he was starting to fit in. The monks knew him better because of his job, and he was becoming more and more acquainted with the layout of the city. The culture still confused him, though but not nearly as much as the common attire of the typical Nykan. So much color! Savio still stayed true to his proper clothing from Syliras even if that did advertise that he was an outsider. More so in the Western Quarter, surrounded by hard and sweaty laborers.

It was here that the Courier had found himself. Savio handed a package over to his last customer of the day. It was a grumpy old monk of the Tempered Anvil. The man paid the delivery fee and nothing else. Savio sighed as the monk turned away and left the young man standing there. He hated delivering to monks, they never tipped.

As Savio turned to walk away, he saw a rather frightened young woman wondering around and attempting to ask for directions. Judging from her plain colored clothes, she was not Nykan. Savio, being ever curious moved closer to get a better look. She was rather pretty with her fair skin, beautifully thick hair, and shapely body. Savio chewed on his lower lip and was tempted to just walk away. He was horrible with pretty girls; he always made a fool of himself.

He could already hear Matthew’s stern voice in the back of his mind, so Savio steeled himself and walked over to her. He forced a smile on his face and tried to be charming, like Matthew had taught him. “Um… Hello there, madam. Correct me if I am wrong, but you seem a little bit lost. Perhaps I can help you? My name is Savio Cazzola, by the way.” He offered her his hand in greeting. By the Gods, she was even lovelier up close.

by **Evera** on August 19th, 2013, 9:49 pm

Stunned by his boldness, Evera stepped back to take a look at him. He was well-dressed and nicely groomed. His beautiful face struck her as childlike, and she resisted the urge to touch his chiseled, shapely body. She brushed back her hair, smiled shyly, then took his hand and let him shake it. "Uh...h-hi. Where- where is the...the...uh, the Safehaven Hostel?"

by **Savio** on August 20th, 2013, 3:09 pm

Savio felt his face color into a bright shade of red at the soft sound of her voice. It also became quickly apparent to him that she had to be as nervous as he felt. Savio flashed her an abashed smile when she asked for the Safehaven. “How about I take you there myself? I am going by there anyway, so I would be more than happy to escort you.”

Savio could feel his confidence build with every word he spoke. He hoped that she would say yes. He wanted to get to know this beautiful young woman while he took her to the Hostel. Then hopefully she would like to see him again after that. Hopefully, if only she would say yes and if he didn’t make a fool of himself in between here and there.

by **Evera** on August 22nd, 2013, 1:54 am

Could it be this man so bold
Truly has a heart of gold?
Or does he rather seek to catch me,
With his silver woo and snatch me?
Should I flee and hide my voice
And hope I find another choice?
But handsome, gentle, kind is he;
Perhaps I fear too much for me.

She decided to take him up on his offer. "Okay...sure, yeah." She took his arm, and they navigated their way to the Safehaven Hostel together.

But there were so many sights to see on the way there! She spotted a young boy pickpocket a monk as they passed. She saw people dressed in all manner of ridiculous colors, like neon-pink, pitch-black (in summer!), and greenish-yellow. She noticed a young man and woman touching each other and smiling; she never understood why people did that. Must be some kind of magic ritual.

And then her gaze returned to the man walking beside her. He seemed quite serene, and frankly, Evera was pretty envious. She'd never had peace of mind for even a moment in her tumultuous life, yet this man looked as if he'd always been peaceful.

And it was rubbing off on her. She pulled closer to him and looked up into his kindly eyes.

by **Savio** on August 27th, 2013, 9:56 am

Savio smiled brightly as he felt the touch of her arms on his. It was so delicate, and her hands felt soft against his own. He kept his pace slow and steady for her, even though he was used to either jogging or walking rather fast.

The way she looked at the city around her only endeared her to him all the more. She had a childlike wonder in her soft eyes as she looked around Nyka. It had been a long time since he found himself interested in another person. In fact, Raven Nightfoot had been the only person he was interested in. But that was quickly changing. He wanted to get to know this lovely young woman all the more. He hoped desperately that his shyness around women didn’t get in the way.

When she looked up at him, his face reddened once more and fought the urge to look away to his blushing skin. But he met her eyes and smiled again, and felt his heart race when she moved closer to him.

“Um…Erm… W-where are you from?” Savio manage to stammer, his chest felt tight with nervousness.

by **Evera** on August 28th, 2013, 5:46 pm

"I'm from Syliras," she mumbled as she stared at the moving pavement. There was so much she wanted to ask him; what is your name? Why did you ask where I'm from? What are you doing here? Why are you helping me? But she couldn't muster the courage to ask.

She didn't want to volunteer any more information, either. Her past was fraught with turmoil and pain, and stained with her own blood, sweat and tears. Reliving the memories would have been...uncomfortable, to say the least. Syliras was home, and it was the place where she was first kidnapped and sold into slavery. Her first master raped her continuously until he got bored of her. He sold her off to another master who would beat her at the slightest provocation, and sometimes without any provocation at all. She remained rebellious, however, and after she nearly murdered him in his sleep one night, he sold her to a master who, it was claimed, could break any rebellious slave with his advanced torture techniques. While she had long forgotten how exactly he tortured her, she never forgot the torment he inflicted.

She was only released when the Syliran Knights found her master and brought him to justice.

In spite of herself, Evera found herself reliving the memories she tried hard to suppress. Unable to control her raging emotions, she dropped to her knees and buried her head in her hands, her face already moist with bitter tears.

by **Savio** on August 28th, 2013, 7:46 pm

Savio smiled shyly when she answered him. “Syliras? That’s also where I’m from.” Savio said, becoming a little more confident with his words. At least they had something in common, that was a good start… Right? He couldn’t help but wonder why such a pretty young woman would want to come to Nyka? She looked too fragile.

At first, Savio didn’t notice the change of expression on her face. It was when he felt her hand tremble on his arm that he became more attentive. Her skin had gone pale and her once vibrant eyes had become somber.

“Hey, are you alright?” Savio asked as he paused to look at her. There were unshed tears in her eyes. He instantly became concerned, but before he could utter another word she started to fall. Savio cursed quietly under his breath as he quickly caught her before she hit the ground. By Tavasi, she was as light as a feather! When was the last time she ate?

“Shhhh, shhhh… Calm down, no one is going to hurt you. Um…Ah… Petch!” Savio looked around franticly for help, but most of the Nykans either ignored them completely or gave them annoyed glances because they were in the middle of the street and in everyone’s way. He needed to get her to the school so she can eat and be safe.

“Ximal is going to kick my arse for this.” Savio murmured to himself as he picked her up bridal style and started to carry her towards the school, whispering soothing words as he walked. He will have to return to his Boss later and give him the Delivery fees he had collected and explain what had happened. But only when he was sure she was okay.

by **Balderdash** on September 9th, 2013, 2:24 pm

Delicious rewards! Happy days and jubilation!

Savio :

Well, that was fast. Not much else to say, really. Enjoy your loots.

If you have any questions or concerns about this grade, please PM me. A happy you is a happy Balderdash!

Closed A Pretty Face (Evera)