Solo Goodbye Syliras.

[Medhozic]

91st of Winter, 513AV. He'd had enough, unfortunately. Yes, unfortunately - he would not deny that in some ways he enjoyed his time in Syliras. The knights may not have shown much empathy, the squires may have been cocky and unruly, the people may have been suspicious and the entire city may have been rather unpleasant to look at, with all of the damnable stone. But, there were the Bronze Woods that had been ever-so-beautiful for two of the final days of Fall. And there was a level of safety around the city that he found at least somewhat comforting - after all, it wasn't like people were being stabbed openly on the streets as he once remembered the world. Still, there was room for improvement. And he would not stay with such unruly humans that spent their entire lives just trying to prove that they were better than all of the other humans. There was a whole world to explore, and if everything went according to plan, he would have the rest of eternity to look at it. As far as he knew - and had been told - there was never a case of an Ethaefal dying due to old age. Or really aging at all, physically. On the bright side, more time to find Syna once more. On the dark side, it meant the only way to escape this cursed existence was the same way as before - a dagger in the back. Or in the front. His departure wasn't a careful, planned-out procedure either. Far from it, actually. He knew that he wanted to leave, and he would choose out all of the things that he would need. He would check with the different vendors, and make sure that they told him the truth so that he wouldn't end up spending any useless money on them. He would find someone to travel with, whether or not he had to actually drag them along or whether he could simply join them. He wasn't stupid enough to just leave the city by himself - he could hunt and he could protect himself, but that didn't exclude him from the all-too-real dangers that lay just beyond the walls. And then, after that, he would leave Syliras and head off towards.. well, whatever direction the others were going. Hopefully somewhere better than Syliras. If not, he would move again, and again, until he found what he needed. He'd done it so far, and it'd worked out.. mostly alright. Ravok wasn't really that great. Syliras had proven the same. But he could go wherever he wanted... the world was his to own. And change. His plan didn't sound that bad. But he'd probably end up forking out a lot of Miza's on the way, he told himself silently. At least he knew that with the winter soon lifting, and the blankets of heavy snow clearing, he'd be able to hunt again for survival, which might ease up on the otherwise-annoying costs of taking all of the pre-packed rations with him, and carrying them as well. In fact, he may be able to buy some new things to help with his hunting. And that's probably what led him to his first shop - The Feathered Shaft. Quite a familiar place, if he remembered correctly - and a good place to find some decent hunting equipment. He'd need it, if he was going to find decent meals onK the way. Or even half-decent meals. At least the door opened when he pushed on it. Immediately, Kalvin was up behind the counter, smiling. Not that he needed to - this wasn't the first time the Ethaefal had visited, but it was the first time that he'd come into the shop with any intention of buying anything. The shop owner seemed to recognize his face, and almost frowned with disappointment until he spoke up. "Four arrows. Standard. Glove and Bracer. I'll take them all." That got him interested, at least. It wasn't much, but it was something, at last. "Coming right up!" A bit of fumbling and the small heaps of leather - along with exactly four arrows - were set out on the counter. He knew how much they cost, after all the time spent wandering the frames, staring at them.. and 7 Miza's were sent jangling over the counter before he picked up his new belongings and promptly pushed them into the leather quiver over his shoulder. It got an odd look from Kalvin, but the Ethaefal wasn't looking at him any more. This was only the tip of the iceberg. "Do you sell a compass." He couldn't see any around, but how was he ever going to read any maps if he didn't have a compass to know which direction he was even facing? "Nah, sorry. Erm, I think they'll get some in the Bazaar, though." That was all he needed to know. It was a shame, though. He'd miss the shop. He'd spent countless days roaming around its small floor, looking at all the bows, all the arrows.. imagining what he could do with all of them. And now, he was forced to abandon the place. Well, he wasn't being forced, but if he stayed any longer, he might just kill himself.

[Medhozic]

A quick thank-you and he was out the door. The Great Bazaar. He needed a compass from there, and whatever else he could think of that he might need and probably wouldn't be able to find anywhere else in this city. Though with all the knights roaming about, he doubted that would be a problem. Knights needed food, they needed things for traveling too. Surely there'd be some odd merchant around this city that would provide such things. Most likely extravagant prices but he was sure that he could push a little. If only a little. It wasn't like he was strapped for cash any more. Knights needed to eat, and he was a hunter. And wherever he went as well, there'd be mouths to feed. Meat and food were the two constants in a world of greed and extravagance. It was a miracle that some people actually forgot such things. But those who did were always too busy stuffing their faces - perhaps if they understood what it was to be hungry, they would sing a different tune, take a closer interest in the world around them. Unfortunately, he couldn't find this Bazaar. Searching around most of the other shops proved fruitless, as did around the other areas of Syliras - the Stone Garden, the Theater.. nothing would provide any answers. Until, most annoyingly, he asked a knight for directions. At least this one seemed a little - if only just a little - more cheerful than the many others that he'd found around the city on previous tours. Perhaps they hadn't seen the horns. "The Great Bazaar? Ah, you're lookin' the wrong way. It's under the Castle. Fourth floor." Fantastic. They'd gone and shoved an entire bazaar underground, as if it would make it easier for people to see. Just how backwards was this city, exactly? Wait. Maybe it was better not to ask that question. Coming even close to the Stormhold Castle soon proved that the knight had been right. There were stalls in the streets - desks and tables filled with odd things, held by strange people. Even a fellow Ethaefal, that he profusely avoided. It was saddening, more so than usual, to see a child of a God reduced to this. Selling their wares, odds and ends, on useless little wooden tables for ends meet. Sometimes, he wished he could kill those responsible. It made his blood boil. But thankfully, before the red mist descended, he found what he was looking for. And it wasn't even very far from the front entrance to the Bazaar. A table barely filled with anything, but a few functioning pieces. One of them was a compass - worn but sturdy, definitely not some mere ornament. And a few other intricate designs. He picked it up, twisted it a little to make sure that it worked, and the arrow kept pointing in the same direction. Well, it was a functioning compass. Ha. "How much." What a surprise, the stall owner was a worn Myrian, decorated in scarce few furs from wolves and a few other animals that he didn't realize - looking like they'd been sewn together by his own hand. "210." It seemed pretty damn extortionate, but it was a working compass. He'd need it if he was going to get anywhere in the world. The only reason he'd made it to Syliras alone from Ravok, was because of his extraordinary guide. And even he had struggled to make it in a considerable amount of time. He had none to waste, least of all trying to haggle down a fair price to take it for. "200 and I'll take it." The old Myrian nodded sagely, pushed it over, and pointed down to an outstretched, calloused and wrinkled hand. A few handful of coins later and the man was satisfied. Now he just needed to find the other equipment. Heck, he needed something that he could put all of this stuff into. Which sorted out where he'd be going next. He needed a horse, and a few saddle-bags to fill.