Closed By Leth's Light (Adi)

[Thrall]

47th of Summer, 514 AV Location: Not far from the Kenash City Gates Time: Not long after sunset Thrall rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around the new city he might call home. As seen in the moonlight it was... different. The buildings were larger and more numerous than in the places he had been. There was a river that divided the city into sections, islands? It was all a new experience, and for the moment Thrall was not sure where to go from here. "Perhaps... I should find an inn?" The Ethaefal shrugged. He was wearing his simple travelers clothes, little more than rags in a grayish color that seemed out of place on his shimmering skin. His long hair fell free past his shoulders, white as freshly fallen snow, and from his temples sprouted what might be described as horns, though how they twisted around his head to the back made them look more like a crown, a crown as black as the night sky itself. Eyes a deep silver in color looked around at the streets that were quickly clearing of people as they finished off their day and hurried to bed. From time to time he would get a look from passers by, a gaping mouth here, an excited whisper there. Perhaps these people had never seen any of his fallen brother's and sisters? Or maybe they simply were not used to men who stood over seven feet tall? It was something worth pondering over. Thrall turned toward the river. Perhaps the quiet and steady flow of the stream would bring clarity to his mind and he could decide what he should do. Once on the beach he would set his bag down, sitting as well cross legged near the water's edge, though not quite so close that he might fall in. Folding his hands in his lap Thrall would take in a deep breath and close his eyes, releasing the breath then slowly as he began to clear his mind. He let the world around him fall away, become simply background noise that could be ignored while he pondered his next course of action. Why was he here? What was his purpose in the city of Kenash? All of this he would need to figure out, and the meditative state which Thrall now fell into would aid him in his journey.

[Adi Skyglow]

Adi had developed a habit of walking around Kenash every evening. Mosquitoes were a pain, especially in the swampy marsh that surrounded the city, but Kenash was beautiful around sunset when light filtered between the leaves. She'd left the Travelers' Inn with a spring in her step, happy to get out in the evening breeze. Her eyes, ruby pink in color, looked around the city as she walked, taking in the layout of Kenash. She was on the east bank of the city, the side which catered mainly to visitors and newcomers to Kenash. Tonight she'd walk around the whole of the east bank before returning to the inn-maybe tomorrow night she'd go to the west bank and back.

While walking, she spotted something she hadn't seen since her wrist was still broken-a tall, elegant man who looked a hell of a lot like Caelum, the gold-touched man who ran Alements. This man was drastically different, though-his horns were black, his hair silver and much longer than Caelum's was. She guessed that if Caelum had been the sun, this man was the moon. Intrigued, she continued walking towards him, looking up at him now and then.

When he turned towards the river flowing next to the east bank, Adi stopped still. Should she socialize today, or continue with her business?

Her choice was made easily.

She turned to follow him, staying several feet back, though she made no effort to silence her steps so she didn't surprise him. He sat near the edge of the water, and Adi stood a few feet to his left.

"Uh, excuse me?" Adi said gently, clearing her throat. If he looked up, she'd smile and ask if she could sit down. If he made no response, then Adi would sit anyway and take some time to enjoy the cool night.

[Thrall]

The sound of someone clearing their throat so close to him surprised Thrall. He had not even noticed her approach, but then again he was trying to ignore the world around him. Opening his eyes he turned to find a girl with long black hair. She was beautiful, and quite young, though Thrall was not quite so certain of this. He knew that people could appear to be one way and then be completely different. Perhaps she was even older than he was? The thought of this conundrum made him smile and laugh, "Good evening Miss. Please, feel free to join me." He waved a hand to indicate a spot on the grass beside him. It was then that Thrall's silver eyes caught sight of the girl's bright pink ones, and as he watched they almost shimmered. His own eyes widened a moment for he had not seen eyes such as these before, and they were a wonder to him. Vantha were new to Thrall, even from the time he spent in the North in the Spires he had never ventured to the icy city of Avanthal to meet these wondrous people known for their art and music. His smile broadened somewhat as he shifted so that he was angled toward the woman, setting his hands on his knees and leaning close to inspect her more closely. "You have beautiful eyes." His voice was deep and low, carrying from within his chest a brassy content, "I could watch them all night long if I were allowed to. It is truly a pleasure." Sitting up slightly straighter Thrall brushed a hand through his hair, fingers pressing gently along his horns while his eyes never left the woman, "My name is Thrall. Can I have the pleasure of knowing your name as well?"

[Adi Skyglow]

When the man gave his assent for her to sit, she did, crossing her legs underneath her and running a hand through her black hair, shaking it out at the ends. She looked towards the man and met his eyes, intensely silver, with her own bright pink eyes and a grin.

"Thanks for letting me join you-I couldn't help but notice that you look a lot like someone I met once, though he was practically a walking gold statue when Syna ruled the sky. Are you faithful to Leth?" she queried, curious to learn more about this exotic man. The name of his race eluded her at the moment-she wasn't entirely sure she'd ever known it, but she didn't want to ask.

On hearing his compliment, Adi's cheeks flushed pink to match her eyes. It had been a while since she'd been called beautiful by anyone with good intentions, though-she became slightly wary of the tall stranger, but reminded herself that not all men were Drasna Iceglaze. The thought of her past brought a hint of blue to her eyes. She blinked once, hard, to return her thoughts to the present and grinned broadly at Thrall when he introduced himself.

"My name is Adi Skyglow, and the pleasure's mine, Thrall." The young woman introduced herself, eyes returning to their former pink color as she spoke. She was flattered by his compliment, though privately she felt his eyes were more interesting. It wasn't every day she saw someone with silver eyes, after all. She supposed that her own, which changed color to match her moods, must have been as rare for Thrall to see as silver eyes were for Adi to see.

[Thrall]

Thrall's eyes widened, "They changed?" He would lean in closer still, raising a hand to cup the woman's cheek if he was allowed. If he was then he would gently run his thumb under her left eye as he gazed intently at her irises, as if he were hoping they would change once more. If not then he would simply gaze at her eyes in anticipation. He wouldn't reply to the question for several ticks, and by his demeanor perhaps he had not heard it at all, so intent was his gaze on this new wonder. At length, however, he would answer slowly, his tone casual, "I am one of Leth's fallen, but I hold no faith for that God any longer." He said, never breaking eye contact. Thrall was fascinated by this woman. Something so new and beautiful was rare for the Ethaefal to meet, but then in the lands he had inhabited beauty and wonder were often trampled and torn to shreds because what made them beautiful also made them easy to spot, and easy to prey upon. But this only added to the wonder of what he beheld, for here in the middle of Mizahar, a land plagued by blood and ravaged by pain, there could still blossom something that wasn't rugged and beaten and worn. To Thrall, Adi Skyglow was like a flower in the desert. Precious, rare and miraculous. Finally after a time, perhaps a few moments longer than most mortals would have taken, Thrall realized that, perhaps, his actions might be a bit too forthcoming. Blinking and shaking his head Thrall laughed and leaned back to give the girl some space, "Forgive me Adi Skyglow, I forget myself sometimes when I find something i have never seen before. A girl whose eyes change colors like the skys in the north. What a wonder of this world you are." He smiled and folded his hands in his lap, looking up at the sky, but not at the moon, "But you said you met another of my kind? One of Syna's children? I have met very few of my brother's or sisters since my fall. Tell me, how was he?" There was a deep meaning to what he asked. He said it as a casual question, but in his heart Thrall wanted to know. Was this Fallen like him? Did he lose his faith? Was he torn and distraught, caught up in grief as he once was? If, then perhaps Thrall's journey here was just to find word of someone who needed him more.

[Adi Skyglow]

"Yeah, my eyes change color with my mood. All Vanthan eyes do that," replied Adi with a chuckle. Upon seeing how enthralled-hah!-this strange man was by her eyes, Adi hesitantly let him cup her face in his hands. She was nervous about the physical contact-understandably so, for the reason she'd ran from Avanthal was to get away from the man who she was to marry. Drasna had two faces: the kind, funny, and likable stonecutter, which was the face he always assumed in public; and the angry, selfish man who had believed he was entitled to Adi, that she was his property. The Adi who Drasna knew had been timid and afraid of conflict, always certain that if she sought help he would find a way to hurt her. She'd changed since she'd crossed the Talderan border, becoming much tougher and losing most of the patience she once possessed. Blue seeped back into her eyes, speaking of sadness for the woman she once was. The influx of blue turned her eyes from pink to violet, though they retained streaks of both colors. There was one more addition of color to her irises-silver ringed its way around her pupils like two circular worms.

Any funny business and I'm jamming his head, crown and all, straight up his rear. He seems like he's just curious, but you can never know for sure until it's too late.

The pair maintained eye contact for several ticks before Thrall began to speak, his tone level but measured as if he was annoyed about something. Adi suspected she'd hit on a touchy topic, and made a note not to mention Leth again in front of this silver man. Though the Skyglow woman held her tongue, she wondered if this was why his horns were black unlike Caelum's had been. She sympathized with Thrall, though-they had both lost faith in their respective deities, though she knew not what he had been through.

"I'm no rarity, and I'm definitely nothing special where I come from. I am a Vantha, a child of the aurora, and if you believe the tales a daughter of Morwen. She walks among us, apparently, protecting and guiding us all. Hah! Morwen has forsaken me. I'm fairly sure she realized I was a lost cause and decided to spend her time and energy on another, slightly less hopeless Vantha. I am surprised, though, that she didn't take her mark from me." As she spoke the last sentence, the young woman reached her right hand behind her neck and pulled the black locks back, revealing the snowflake mark that seemed to shimmer on the back of her neck while turning her head so Thrall could see the mark that lay there.

When he was done looking, Adi would shake her head, returning her hair to its usual position. In Avanthal, she would have braided it usually, though as she settled into Cyphrus she found herself wearing it down increasingly often. Another sign I've changed, thought Adi.

"Caelum is his name. He lives and works in Riverfall, and he owns a tavern called Alements that is quite possibly my favorite lace in the city. He seems good, and he's a good man, though unfortunately I don't know too much about him." She told Thrall all that she knew of Caelum and, when she finished talking, ran both hands through her hair. "I actually miss Riverfall a great deal. It's been home since I left Avanthal and it's very odd not being there anymore, even though I want to go back at the end of summer."

[Thrall]

Thrall leaned closer to look at the mark as it was shown to him, and if he were allowed he would gently brush two fingers over it. A gnosis mark, a sign of one's connection with their God, or Goddess. It was an intimate thing between God and follower, or so Thrall thought. It was a connection that would never be broken, not so long as the God still held love and favor for you. Pulling his hand back once more as Adi returned her hair to its proper place Thrall would smile and scratch at a spot behind his ear, "Caelum... I have never heard of him, but perhaps one day I shall visit with him in Riverfall. If he is like many of my brothers he will like to keep to himself, and his own thoughts. Sometimes it is easy for us to become lost in pondering of times and lives long past." Looking to Adi's eyes once more Thrall could not help but become enraptured by their shifting colors once more. No matter how often he looked they still brought a sense of wonder to him. "Vantha... People of the norther slopes where the white snow falls every day, where the ice Goddess Morwen calls home and where she foster's her children, giving them eyes that reflect the northern sky." The Ethaefal chuckled and closed his eyes, leaning his head back, "Perhaps your people are not rare, but whether there are many of your kind or there is but one, the value of your life shall never decrease because it is precious, and it is beautiful." He paused for a moment and opened his eyes to gaze thoughtfully up at the blinking stars, "I believe that Morwen feels this way as well, but so would any Mother feel such for their children be they her's by birth or by culture. I believe that Morwen does still watch over you Adi Skyglow, for as her child you carry her eyes and the mark that she has given you to remind you of her love." Thrall then looked to Adi's eyes and smiled, "I do not believe you are a hopeless Vantha, and neither does she. It is strange to think, but our Gods might still watch over us even though we claim they have forsaken us." He would hold her gaze for a tick or two longer before sighing and laying back on the grass, closing his eyes as he folded his hands behind his head, "Maybe it was never they that forsake us, but we who forsake them. If that is the case, then if you still hold her mark them perhaps she is simply waiting for you to return, as any mother might. As any father might."

[Adi Skyglow]

Thrall's fingers touching her gnosis mark were cold to her skin, sending a shiver down Adi's spine. She wasn't sure if the shiver was due to his fingers actually being cold or if it was an effect of the mark. Either way, goosebumps formed on her arms because of the cool touch.

The Skyglow woman was touched in a different way by the weight of Thrall's words-it had been a very long time since she'd ever truly considered her own life precious, feeling that she had always been out of place. Words that Adi's mother had once offered her around her tenth winter came to her mind at that moment.

"If you haven't found your place in this world, then that means your fate lies elsewhere."

Now, years after those words had first been uttered in an attempt to give Adi some comfort as a child, they comforted her. Reminded her that even if she hadn't quite found her niche yet, she would eventually, and it would be the most wonderful thing in the world to finally fit in. She felt a pang of guilt at her earlier outspoken burst against Morwen, though she said nothing of it to Thrall.

He's right, honestly. I...never asked her for help, I never prayed to her for guidance. I think it's time I start re-evaluating my faith in her, as well as my faith in the other gods and goddesses. Morwen hasn't abandoned me. I was the one who abandoned her.

"...I'm sorry, I just realized I started confessing my secrets to a stranger. You probably came out here to be alone." Adi apologized, flushing. She hadn't meant to unload on Thrall like that, but the thoughts had been in her head for a long while and demanded out. Looking out across the water, Adi rested her chin in the palm of her hands and hummed quietly to herself, a wordless melody that had been stuck in her head for a time. She would give Thrall some silence, since she felt guilty about interrupting him.

[Thrall]

Thrall opened his eyes and laughed with another smile at Adi, "Do people come outside to be alone where you are from? I always believed that outside the doors of the home one was even more surrounded than when they were within the circle of their friends and family." He lifted his head and pointed upward, "Do you not see them all? The stars, all blinking down at us now, watching over us. Do you not feel the light of Syna in the day as she guides your steps? What of Caiyah who fills this world with nature? And the people," he leaned his head back and closed his eyes again, breathing in deeply, "The people that you meet when outside of your home or comfort. So many that may come and speak with you and share with you a part of your journey." Reaching up once more Thrall spread his fingers as he looked between them up at the stars, "No, when I am outside I do not come to be alone. I come to see and to meet and to speak with those who I might cross paths with." He turned his hand so that his palm was facing him, and he gazed at the black scythe that was tattooed there. His eyes grew thoughtful as he spoke softly, "But then... we are never truly alone are we?" The Ethaefal slowly curled his fingers one by one until he held a a clenched fist in front of his eyes, and then he relaxed his hand and lowered it to rest on his chest as he looked sideways at Adi, "But the reason I am here is because I have only just arrived, and I have no where to go as of yet. For that reason I am thankful for your company, but if you wish to return to your home to rest then I would understand. The hour grows late and I am sure you need rest after the days trials."

[Adi Skyglow]

OOCSorry about the delay!

Thrall's questions had Adi thinking for a chime. Back in Avanthal, she'd spent most of her free time in her own company. There hadn't been much to do outside unless you were interested in playing with snow, and while that was fun, it got boring fast after long periods of time. In addition, she'd spent almost no time thinking about the gods and goddesses whose domains surrounded her every day. Though the young Vantha wasn't aware of every single deity or divine being, she knew there had to be many of them out there if their presence constantly surrounded her along with all the other sentient beings of the world.

Where Thrall pointed, she looked, following his fingers to the sky and noticing the stars which twinkled among the darkening air. Is there such a thing as a god of the stars, I wonder? Her thoughts remained her own until he was done speaking-Adi didn't want to interrupt Thrall. She looked over at him after a few ticks of directing her gaze upwards, and noticed he was staring at his hand. There was something dark on his palm, though Adi could not see what it was he looked at. "What is that?" asked the Vantha, her eyes trained on Thrall's hands. It was most likely just a tattoo-perhaps he'd lost someone dear to him and gotten a tattoo to remind himself of that person.

Then, suddenly, as if Morwen had heard her silvery companion's words, she felt the need to scratch the back of her neck where the goddess of winter's snowflake had marked her. A small smile crept onto Adi's face.

"I came out here to walk, to see what was going on at night in Kenash. I suppose that I didn't come out to be alone, either, if you don't mind my company. You've said some things that I truly needed to hear tonight, and for that, you have my gratitude."