Your Place or Mine? (Thane)

by **Zhol** on September 22nd, 2014, 5:47 pm

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Thane's smile might have been forced, but Zhol's wasn't. It wasn't large, and it may have been relief as much as anything else; but it was there, it had a glimmer of warmth, and it was genuine.

Silently, Zhol sized up his new acquaintance, trying to get a read on him. That he was an Avora was a conclusion he had already drawn, and that everything since had more or less confirmed. His appearance still left something of an enigma though: the Inarta attitude seemed so deeply ingrained in him that he had surely been indoctrinated by it since birth; yet the man's hair was throwing him off. Was this some rare occasional occurrence for an Inarta? Some extremely dark shade of red that Zhol was unfamiliar with? Or, had his father been from outside the city, perhaps? Zhol would have asked; but given that the number of Inarta he'd met who had seemed to know the identity of their father was exactly zero, he doubted the conversation would have progressed very far.

Stranger was his manner, though. There was more going on beneath the surface than Zhol could discern, and thus far his reactions had seemed to differ from what Zhol would have expected; sometimes subtly, sometimes wildly. It was as if the path of Thane's thoughts was taking surprising turns, and kept finding itself at a completely unexpected destination. Slowly, Zhol began to realise that Thane was gradually revealing himself to be Zhol's favourite kind of person: an enigma.

"You are welcome -" Zhol began to reply; a frown creased his brow as he considered Thane's implied assertion that Zhol's advice being helpful was surprising. "- I think."

A simple question formed in Zhol's mind; an oversight on his part that, with the pony's wellbeing seen to at least for the short term, knotted his stomach with guilt. Quietly, he nodded towards the wreckage, and asked: "The Chiet. What was his name?"

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari" | "Symenos"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

by **Thane** on September 24th, 2014, 12:26 pm

uggggghhh

"Yago." Suddenly it slithered from Thane's breath without permission. He had no intentions on revealing the name so soon, then again, it would eventually be spoken out once the conversation progresses. Thane wondered if there were risks on doing so. What if Zhol knew the Chiet? his family? some of the people closest to him? If there was a possibility, it might open up some unwanted conflicts between the two. Still, Thane believed an outsider was just an outsider. Perhaps he was allowing too much estimation to process in his mind. It can't be certain that Zhol knew much about the people though somehow, after seeing what he was capable of, there could be a chance that he might bear devious schemes.

Thane's sights veered over to the Chiet, though now having less problems on taking a glimpse of the dead body's sight. Even if there was guilt inside that refused to take its leave, Thane had overcame it. He found the peace of acceptance to his own actions and thus, deemed ready to batter honest answers to what happened.

"He volunteered himself to help me. I never knew much about this person except that he had a very healthy respect for my mother." Thane paused, adjusting his crouching position. He would've taken a limp if he hadn't noticed how long he was crouching. "Perhaps it's true that good people die young, do you agree?" I wouldn't. He followed an answer of his own in his mind.

Thane didn't believe in that kind of philosophical cycle. To him, what happened was just a coincidental occurrence of that saying. If it was true, his mother would've died before he could even find time to mature.

For the next few seconds, Thane left Zhol in silence. The stillness once again roamed between the two. Almost an hour has passed and still there wasn't any sign of the Chiet's return. Zhol's Dek assistant quietly lurked at the shadowy parts of the mines, doing whatever he could to buy time. Thane wondered, if Zhol ever had a purpose on being in Wind Reach other than atoning to the wrongdoings he committed. He even wondered if what Zhol did was something considered as a wrongdoing. Curiosity seemed to draw Thane's mind for a moment. One thing he rarely placed himself into was minding people's background, but Zhol was actually a rare case and since after the strange practice he displayed, Thane became intrigued of what was behind the man's life.

Clearing his throat to break off the silence, Thane took a half peek at Zhol and afterwards, glancing at the horse which surprisingly remained still. "So..." He started awkwardly, pausing for a while to let the mood cruise along. "What happened to you? What made you flee from home? You did say you made a mistake back then. Do you mind sharing it for awhile?" Thane paused, looking back if the things he asked were in the right momentum.

by **Zhol** on September 24th, 2014, 6:02 pm

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A mistake? his mind interjected. Only one?

Zhol pushed that errant thought away, but couldn't achieve the same with the ones it triggered. Did his mistakes exist in isolation? Were they all smaller fractions of some single larger mistake? Was there one mistake in particular that was the route cause and had precipitated all the others? Being inducted in reimancy? Being born?

"It was the first time I'd used reimancy, more or less," he explained quietly. "I tried to do too much; and when you do that with magic, it gets addictive. You lose control."

It was difficult to know what to say; not because the admission was hard, but because it was so difficult to make someone from outside of Endrykas understand. In Wind Reach or Kenash, or any of the other places Zhol had visited, a home was just a structure, and if anything happened to it, you could move to another. People didn't understand how important pavilions were to the Drykas, not just literally but spiritually as well; it wasn't just a home, it was a symbol of family.

"Whole pavilion caught alight before I even knew what was going on. Burned down our entire home. And when you live in a moving city of tents? It's not like there's a tavern to rent a room, or a new space in the commonrooms you can move into." He frowned. "Happened right after the Djed Storm too, and my Darda - my father, the Ankal of our family - decided I must be cursed by Ivak or something. Told me to leave and never return."

He sighed, staring down at his hands. "I didn't even want it in the first place," he muttered. "Only did it to try and make my father proud; didn't really work out so great." His eyes glanced at the stone walls all around him. "Figured if this place was a good enough prison for Ivak, it'd do a good enough job for me. Can't really do much damage to a mountain of stone that's already on fire."

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari" | "Symenos"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

by **Thane** on September 25th, 2014, 1:44 pm

uggggghhh

Reimancy?

It was clear now, but not to the point where he'd understand Zhol's origins completely. By hearing what had been said gave Thane a vivid glimpse of the many things he read from the books. Not all of them were distinctly comprehended by his mind but there were points he remembered that existed on a particular person. Being addicted to magic was one of them and somehow Thane foresaw a possibility within Zhol which might lead to a greater chaos than the story he shared. True, it can be intervened by any practice of self-control or discipline but Thane didn't knew much about the man and how his behavior revolves.

Thane again recalled the magic demonstration inside his mind. It's as if he was drawn by the practice of it rather than be opposed or petrified. Perhaps he would've considered it to be fascinating. A flashing image of it slowly took a definite shape in his mind as Zhol mended the horse with the flame sparking on his palms. As the images progressed, it suddenly turned into a morbid scene where the creature's wound stuck out a grotesque abrasion while blood streamed in the process. Thane quickly drifted from that unbearable memory before shaking his head vigorously. Afterwards, he felt a strange sensation lingering inside his stomach. It was erratic to describe but it was nearly nauseous while he pictured the animal's blood in his mind. He shook his head again, hopeful to erase the thought completely and then he wondered, where his thoughts had left him.

Thane steered his attention back to Zhol's given answers.

Pavilion. Family..............father

The last word struck him like a bolt of lightning but as quick as it moved towards his thoughts, it swiftly drifted away.

Thane could have tried giving some sympathy towards Zhol but doing so was something he never practiced very often and if he could manage to try, he might possibly sound rather offensive than just being generally concerned. Still, he wanted to do it. Looking thoroughly, Ii was never an easy part of life when thrown out from a group, most especially from one's own family. Thane understood that difficulty very well even though he haven't experienced it. He couldn't imagine how Zhol went through that challenge. Finding somewhere to belong again, constantly looking back to the things he had done and battling the worst possible pains caused by rejection. Of course, Thane didn't want any of it to occur in his life but he also felt that it shouldn't to anyone else regardless of what they chose to be in life.

Bearing the soreness caused by crouching, Thane finally stood up, realizing that he couldn't crouch for too long. His thighs ached a bit and his legs felt slightly numb but a single kick in the air and a few twists of his ankles made the ache drift away. He gathered a large sum of his breath, bringing them up to an inhale then exhaling as he felt a small wisp of air biting against his face.

"That's unfortunate, Zhol.." Thane paused awkwardly, scrutinizing shortly if ever he pronounced his name correctly. He was supposed to show sympathy but failed miserably at the first attempt. Thane sighed inaudibly then quickly gathered himself to come up with something.

"..Alright, I'll admit that I'm terrible at showing sympathy." It seemed to be necessary for Thane to say that since it would help him avoid stammering further on his speech seeing that he was using the common language. "But I understand what you've faced and I believe it's something that you don't truly deserve.. It's just not easy for me to translate deeper thoughts in the common language." He moved an inch away from Zhol, leaning beside a wall near to where he stood.

Thane gazed aimlessly towards the darker segments of the mines, thinking of something he could do or say. "I can only tell you what I've understood about most families and it's that they don't take pride on the most peculiar things. Like for instance, magic." With a turn of his eyes towards the brighter side of the mines, the thought of his mother flashed in his mind. "I may not know about your people and the culture that you bear, but your family might come looking for you and maybe...want to accept you back for what you truly are. Don't you think that might happen someday?"

Suddenly there was an indistinct thud of small rocks heard from a distance. It felt like there were stomps clattering on the ground but the sound of it quickly subsided the moment when Thane took full notice of it. He doubted it was the Chiet.

by **Zhol** on October 5th, 2014, 6:26 am

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Zhol mustered a small smile. The sentiment - that his exile might not last forever - was not unappreciated, but the notion of reconciliation with his family and father was an impossibility that Thane had no way of understanding. Every morning, Zhol awoke and hoped that perhaps today some word from home, some familiar face, some beloved relative would arrive at Wind Reach; but deep down he knew that his family had no idea where he was, and had no interest in knowing. He had considered telling them, considered sending word on his whereabouts, considered being the one to make the first move, the first step; but he couldn't bear it, wouldn't have been able to cope if no reply had arrived.

That was the double-edged conundrum that he faced. The situation was uncertain, and he couldn't help but assume the worst yet hope for the best. Any action, any steps taken to remove that certainty, would prove either the best case or worst case to be true. The uncertainty was painful, yes, but the possibility of his worst fears being proven true was too terrifying; that painful uncertainty became a twisted sort of comfort, an unexpected barrier protecting him against the possible worse.

"Lets just say," he said carefully, trying to compress his thoughts down into as simple a notion as possible, "That my father is too stubborn for his opinion to ever change; and it is a trait that he passed on to all his children." The smallest of shrugs rolled off his shoulders. "Wind Reach is home now, and your culture is different. I have no need of a family here."

He tried to believe those words as he said them, but couldn't quite manage it.

If I don't need a family, then why do I yearn for one so badly?

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari" | "Symenos"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

by **Thane** on October 7th, 2014, 12:36 am

uggggghhh

Slowly, after hearing Zhol's spoken words, there was an emotion staying behind Thane. It was something which he didn't want to feel nor be reminded of to a great extent and much of it gradually shifted his mood into a state of complete denial. From all of the years he had spent on living, there wasn't a single ounce of him desiring to know who his father was. Of course, it was a very common practice in Wind Reach wherein fathers often leave their families in order to prosper their lives or rise into the higher ranks to gain their own pride. But knowing what hardships his mother had faced in the past made him wonder why nobody supported her. His mother didn't have anyone left, not after the Djed storm that ravaged her entire family. And thinking about the man, the man that had gave her a weight to carry and just leave like it was nothing to be taken care of instantly made Thane's blood boil. Luckily, his temper was at his control and knowing that there was still something more important to attend to helped him forget the thought.

Thane tried to look at Zhol, perusing through his expressions which might give him an insight of his background. He wanted to know more about what happened. Perhaps his questions contained mostly of 'what's instead of being direct to the point. But Thane didn't want to ask any further. He knew his limits on interacting with strangers and knowing too much might possibly pave a way for suspicion. "Alright, I guess I should welcome you to your new home then. This is obviously late." Somehow, Thane felt there was an uncomfortable swing to his words. Giving a welcome greeting in the midst of a dark mine which lacked ventilation was greatly not the best place to do so, especially when there was a dead body littering on the ground.

Thane strolled around the mines but not distantly away from Zhol. Still there was no return of the Chiet and Thane might show some hints of impatience if it would pass for another several minutes. His mind fought a vague view of negativity which was deliberately invading his thoughts. There could still be a time to wait but for every time passed, Thane actually grew edgy about it. He started to march anxiously, going to different corners then returning to one point. Afterwards he finally stopped, his sights traveled to Zhol. He then sighed as if he was exhausted from walking repeatedly. "...Well....I think it's not safe to assume that the Chiet knew his way. Probably the worst could have happened and he lost himself, or maybe he didn't knew where the stables were or who's the right person to go after." Thane's voice sounded a bit rushed as he clearly wanted to get all of the mess cleaned up. "Look, we won't be getting out of here anytime soon unless one of us go to the stables."

by **Zhol** on November 18th, 2014, 10:56 pm

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If you asked someone who knew the Zhol of Endrykas to describe him, patience would never have even drifted across their mind, let alone been uttered. He had never been impulsive, but he wasn't the sort to merely sit back and let things happen. If something could be done, if something needed to be done, he did it; and waiting had always made him as uncomfortable and anxious as the pacing Thane appeared to be.

But Zhol of Wind Reach, as Khara had jokingly taken to calling him of late, was a different person entirely. Perhaps it was having suffered so much sadness and yet survived it that had taught him to endure. Perhaps it was spending those countless days traversing Kalea, knowing that impatience would do nothing to bring him closer to his destination. Perhaps it was the constant looks, whispers, and judgements that he knew he could not actively change. Perhaps it was her, and the impulses he couldn't act upon. Whatever it was, they had inspired a strange air of tolerant patience in Zhol that he found utterly foreign and confusing; and yet as Thane fidgeted and paced, Zhol found himself pragmatic and calm.

He sighed, more from resignation than anything else. Following in the Chiet's wake was an exercise in impatience that he was reluctant to indulge; but it was either that or wait and watch Thane's discomfort steadily grow. All things considered, that wasn't something the Inartan seemed to need any more of today.

"Would you feel better if I go and chase things up?" he asked, a gentle note of sarcasm dancing between his words. "Or are you going to end up worrying that the horse mage foreigner is going to abandon you and not come back?"

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari" | "Symenos"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

by **Thane** on November 28th, 2014, 1:41 pm

Thane raised his brow in contempt as he shortly ceased his impulsive patrolling, going over to the words Zhol had said. He carefully contemplated to what seemed to be a suggestion, knowing that whatever he might decide would either give progress to the current situation or not. It could be a guaranteed choice to let Zhol do the horse-fetching instead but the problem appeared to be Thane's trust towards the man. For certain, Thane knew Zhol wasn't one of the hostile ones, proven that his behavior wasn't anywhere near harmful as what he had observed. But it was the first time they've met and sailing through the possibility of being abandoned was something he had grew cautious to once after hearing out the choices Zhol had left. It wasn't easy but Thane knew to himself that something must be done immediately or there wouldn't be any progress at all. He was certain that the Chiet lost his way and going through the fact that the dead body might begin to smell led himself drastic.

Thane sighed as he brushed his hair with his hand, apparently having quite a difficult time deciding. He looked briefly at Zhol, warily studying him. "I am not the type of person who can easily accept a stranger's terms," He said as he remained frozen, standing still while aimlessly setting his eyes at Zhol. "but then again, I don't trust anyone, not even my friends." He then paused, catching his breath shortly. "But I know, or should I say, assume that you will remain true to your words and I'm certain that you won't leave a person who is in need of help." Thane looked away. He knew he was deviating from his line of limited interaction. There was just a pool of words that he couldn't afford voicing out and one of them would certainly be concerning on trust. Thane was scared. Truth to be told, he was expecting to be abandoned, to be left dangling around in the presence of a dead person. That's why he had difficulties on developing trust, because he was afraid of stumbling into the wrong choice and end up being the fool. However, he wanted to try this time and see if he could still find a glimmer of courage to once again trust people.

"I trust you." Thane said. He gave his words a tone of sincerity as he glanced back at Zhol. He tried forming up a smile but ended up looking awkward. "I hope I'm safe after I said that. It feels like I'm going to regret something." He raised up his voice a bit as he spoke those words, knowing that his distance from Zhol might make his statements unclear if he should ever decide on lowering his tone. "But I know that won't happen. Now, pick those horses up." He took a clumsy attempt on demanding as it was riddled with glee. In truth, he was actually clueless if what Zhol have asked proved to be anything serious.

box code made by Amrita
Common | Nari

by **Zhol** on November 29th, 2014, 8:57 pm

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I trust you.

Those weren't words Zhol expected to hear from anyone, but from the other Avora they came as a particular surprise. He wasn't sure what it was that he had earned, exactly: a temporary ally at the very least, he supposed; the right to not have the absolute worst assumed about him. He supposed that trust was a safe risk: returning with the horses was not only of benefit to Thane: if Zhol didn't return, the horse he had come to aid was in jeopardy as well; perhaps Zhol had merely proven that he could be relied upon to do his job. There were worse things people had thought of him.

Zhol offered Thane a curt nod; acceptance of and gratitude for his trust. "I will return as swiftly as I can," he assured, one last glance cast in the direction of the pony. "Talk to her. Keep her calm. Don't let her move, if you can manage it."

He hesitated, plagued by the feeling that he should say more, that he should offer more reassurance, that he should reinforce the fact that Thane's trust was not misplaced; but the hesitation was merely a delay, and that was of benefit to no one. He took a few steps backwards before he turned, pausing only to scoop up his veterinary supplies and sling them over his shoulder before disappearing back in the tunnels to find Kami, the replacement horses, and with any luck the errant Chiet who had been sent to retrieve them.

by **Khara** on January 13th, 2015, 5:24 am

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Zhol :

Thane: Please update your ledger with Fall expenses (taxes in Wind Reach) and shoot me a PM and I'll update this with your grade right away!

Please don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions/comments regarding your grade. I'll be more than happy to take a second look if you think I've missed something!
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Also, please don't forget to edit your post as 'graded' in the request thread.

Closed Your Place or Mine? (Thane)