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[Phobius]

"I've heard of a place where you can put your blade to the test. I think it's called, The Underground..."

At the words, Phobius' demeanor changed almost immediately. His entire body went rigid, and he could feel a chill settle into his veins, as though the air around them had lost its warmth and become incredibly cold. Amber eyes widening, the Inartan boy stared at Darkalin as though the man's head had suddenly split in two, the unmistakable look of horror on his face.

The Underground...that dark, scary place that was crawling with thieves and sneaks and all sorts of general unfriendly people. That same place that he'd visited a near-season ago with Mister Ekans and Miss Rana, even though he wasn't supposed to have gone. But he'd been curious, so curious that it'd almost been painful to watch them leave without him, so he'd snuck along and had kept himself hidden well until they'd reached their destination. It hadn't taken long for Phobius to regret that decision, but at the moment it had seemed like a good idea. All he had really wanted to do was help, if he could. That, and the fact that he'd be lying if he'd said that being intentionally left out of things hadn't hurt his feelings, a little.

Because it had.

A good amount of time had passed since then, but Phobius could still clearly remember the events of that day, as well as the ones that followed on their journey back to Kuvarakh's shop. And all of his efforts toward forgetting the whole thing were beginning to wither away, now, as the uncomfortable memories returned and his emotions from before resurfaced bit by bit. No, no, no...why the Underground? Why would Darkalin talk about such a bad place...!? Phobius mused, one hand jamming itself in a pocket of his katinu while the other went for the scarf, grabbing at a fistful of the dyed wool. Has he gone there, before? On his own? Then he'd know how bad it is, wouldn't he...?

It only made sense. Then again, it sort of sounded like the Symenstra had never actually been to the place, himself...he'd said that he'd heard about it from somewhere. If that were true, then the boy supposed that he wouldn't know about the dangers that lurked around inside of it, unless the person he'd heard it from had warned him about those, already. Or maybe they hadn't.

Whatever the case, it was an all-around bad idea. Phobius was eager to tell them so, and tried to find the words that he could use, but he'd barely thought of a sentence when Krovard was suddenly calling for another familiar face who was, apparently, nearby.

The boy's heart skipped a beat.

Mister Ekans...?!

Why here, why now? Why couldn't the man have shown up when they'd been talking about something, anything else? It was nothing more than weird timing that was bringing the Dhani about, now, and as much as Phobius had been trying to hide his growing terror, it only seemed to spike with the man's presence. Then Krovard and Darkalin were headed over to him. Hesitant, the boy took a few steps after the men before stopping and staring down at his feet.

Things didn't have to be this awkward. He vehemently wished that he could get a hold of himself, that he could calm down, lift his head, and say "hello" to yet another person he still considered to be his friend, but...but the Underground and...and the body and...

Keeping his attention on his feet, Phobius followed the Symenstras and halted at Krovard's side. The name "Pryzavard" managed to catch his attention, if only for a moment, and he began to look up in question. It sounded as though Rey was talking to the man next to him, but he'd used the wrong name. His name was Krovard, wasn't it? He'd said so, himself. Unless, maybe the man had two names that he liked to use...? Could...could people do that?

Tempted as he was to ask, the situation at hand weighed back down on Phobius, the weight only worsening when the Dhani had turned his gaze his way. "H-hi, Mister Ekans..." the boy replied, an ever-so-slight tremor in his voice as he did so. He'd kept his eyes on the tips of his boots as he'd spoken, but an accumulating feeling of shame began to get the best of him, so he lifted his gaze back up and forced himself to meet the man's eyes. "How've you been doing...?"

The terror and anxiety in the boy's eyes hadn't gone away, but for a tick or two there was a curious gleam within them. Looking as though he'd just remembered something important, he blinked at Rey and asked "And who's 'Pryzavard'?"


"This is speech in Nari."

This is thought.

[Darkalin Pinewood]

Dark found himself still a bit distrustful of this group that had gathered. Even as he headed for the newcomer, he decided to stop at one of the nearby stalls. He wasn't actually going to look at the wares, but he decided to make it seem like he wasn't aware of the newcomer, so he could catch him by surprise. The stall he stopped at coincidentally was selling dark cloaks and some sort of odd contraption that allowed someone to see a goodly distance away from them as if they were on a balcony close by. He listened as Krovard mentioned something about the cold being bad for the newcomer, and filed that away for later. Now, one would wonder how so young a Sym could cared about such things, but seeing as he had been thinking that those around him might bear malice towards him had changed him ever so slightly. He made a slight movement when the newcomer called Krovard, Pryzavard. He filed that away too......

[Vard Briar]

Vard cocked his head slightly, as he watched Reysin smooth his hair across his face. He couldn't discern why because of the angle but he decided that he would ignore the action for the time being. He smiled and shrugged at the Dhani's comment about the climate. Truth be told, he had begun to acclimate to the hot summer days just as the season was ending. Of course, remembering to bring some water along after that fateful day had helped as well. Reysin wasted no time in turning to see whom Vard would have expected to be a new face, but judging by the Dhani's expression they had met before. Vard didn't think twice about this, as Alvadas rarely left anybody a stranger for long. Instead, he was more fascinated by Phobius's reaction. His timid greeting made it clear to Vard that perhaps his young companion had borne witness to the...violent appetites of Reysin and Vard frowned at something. Ekans... By Ionu, his alias is snake spelled backwards! Delighted at having discovered a play on words, Vard began to laugh aloud probably startling passersby. However, the Symenestra was too wrapped up in his merriment to notice. It was only when Phobius exclaimed, "And who's Pryzavard?" that Vard regained his composure. He often forgot that not everyone in Alvadas was aware of how Symenestra named themselves. He hadn't yet decided whether it was a pain or a joy to educate others about his kin. Regardless, he had better not let Phobius confuse himself too much. "Versdabius, it is rather quite simple my friend. Do you consider me a friend?" He looked to Reysin and grinned knowingly, "Mr. Snake over here, considers me his friend and so he calls me Pryzavard. Pryza, literally means gift. Kro in Krovard simply means that I am a Symenestra. Now that I think about it, I rather think I shall call you Pryzabius. You may call me what you wish." Vard widened his gaze and realized one of their number had vanished. A quick glance back revealed Darkalin had not engaged with Reysin, deciding to pore over some wares. It was becoming rapidly evident to the Symenestra that these people weren't terribly trustful of each other. Vard reflected on that, realizing that there was certainly more than one variety of loneliness. However, he set that aside for a journal entry at a later time. He recalled how only chimes before his fellow Symenestra had mentioned the Underground and now that he had time to ponder the idea, he was surprised to find himself eager. He unsheathed his rapier in order to show his companions new and old how fine of make it truly was. "As you may have already guessed Yisanareysin, I am far better prepared than I was when we first met. Actually, a more proper word would be equipped. You see, I am still but a novice in the way of battle and a person I know suggested the Underground. What do you think of that idea? Would you care to join me? In fact, I've made up my mind. Right this very chime, I'm going to find a way into the Underground. Follow if you'd like!" Vard exclaimed before dashing off down the street, sagely sheathing his rapier before he accidentally maimed any of them. Class can be taking the initiative to lead the charge, as long as one is aware of whom they lead. OOC: : Self-Imposed Post Order(PM if you agree or not): Vard, Phobius, Darkalin, Reysin

[Phobius]

The sound of Krovard laughing was loud and sudden enough to make Phobius jump, a little. There wasn't anything funny going on...and if there was, the Inartan boy had either missed it by now or...just didn't get it. So what was the man laughing at?

Should he even ask?

The answer to that unspoken question seemed to be an immediate no, in his mind, despite how curious he was. The Symenstra began to speak a few ticks later, anyway, starting to explain the naming mix-up.

"Do you consider me a friend?"

"Of course I do!" Phobius replied, his eyes widening in an onset of worry. Really, he was shocked that the man would even feel the need to ask such a question. There was no doubt in the boy's mind that they were friends; was Krovard maybe asking because he'd started to doubt it, himself? Had he done something to make him think that way...?

Luckily, the man kept going with his explanation before Phobius' mind could sink any further into insecurities and anxiety. And the whole thing was confusing, but it was sounding as though Krovard —Pryzavard?—let different people call him different things, because the different things had different meanings, like how he'd been told that "versda" meant "friend." But...wasn't it easier to stick with one name instead of making a bunch of them? It was interesting, and yet Phobius couldn't see himself as being able to keep track of them all, if he were to be in his friend's shoes. Krovard probably had a really good memory.

Huh...Krovard, Pryzavard...he was apparently allowed to call the man whatever he wanted, now. This was by no means a sort of life-altering decision, but Phobius took it seriously, falling silent as he tried to settle the matter in his head. On one hand, "Krovard" was the title that the Symenstra had used when they first met, and the boy had become used to feel of the word on his tongue. On the other hand, Mister Ekans called him "Pryzavard," and that was a name used for friends.

Which name was the better name?

Phobius took all of three ticks to decide; "Pryza" was obviously the best choice in that it meant more and sounded a lot nicer. Even now, just being told that he'd be called "Pryzabius" from now on made the boy light up. It made his name sound more...more special.

A short moment later, the Symenstra yanked out his shiny new sword, again. Phobius, having long-since convinced himself after the first time that the man wasn't going to attack anyone, merely smiled at it. The afternoon sun glinted off of the metal of the skinny blade, almost making it look as though it was glowing. Krovard—no, Pryzavard—had started to chat with Mister Ekans in the meantime, and the Inartan boy let himself zone out a little.

At least until he caught the word "underground."

Startled, Phobius straightened up and turned his head, but no sooner had he reacted to it was the sword-wielding man suddenly running down the street.

The Underground...? Was...was that where he was going...?!

The realization took a few ticks to hit the boy, but when it did, he felt a familiar chill return to his veins, making his blood run cold. The Underground was a bad place, a dark, sneaky, dangerous place...none of them needed to go there!

"W-wait! Pryzavard, wait!!" Phobius cried as he went sprinting after the man, temporarily forgetting about the other two who'd been with them in favor of trying to catch up to his friend. He'd have to convince him that it was a bad idea, and if the man didn't believe him or didn't want to listen...well, the boy wasn't above begging. "Come back! We can't go there! It's a bad place...!"

[645]


"This is speech in Nari."

This is thought.

[Darkalin Pinewood]

Darkalin tucked many things away for later in the few chimes he stood, pretending to look at the contraption. "What do you call this..... thing, good sir? He asked, struggling to find a word in common that fit. He stared at it, but tried to focus on the conversation that seemed to be happening. Krovard was explaining Pryza to Phobius.... Interesting. If this is the case..... Then I can only guess his real name. He thought with a sigh. "Oh yes, this piece! This is what is called a Spyglass. Sailors use this to see distant land and enemy ships. Its worth quite a bit, don't ya know." The man behind the booth said. Suddenly, Krovard began running down the street. Darkalin swore, as he hadn't before. Father always said that Honor is helping others without thought of your own safety. He thought, and instantly started running after Krovard. He remembered the stories of the underground. Filled with thugs and thieves..... This wasn't a place you just charge into. But he would. For honors sake.

[Yisanareysin]

The boy really was terrified of him. Heh. It was impressive that he'd even mustered up the energy to look Rey in the eye. But... if he wasn't reading the boy wrong, though who really knew how human body language worked, Phobius didn't hate him. It seemed like Kuvarakh's hypnosis had worked and kept. Although he supposed it could just be that Phobius was the forgiving sort. Ignoring Vard's sudden laughter (was it the name? It was the name, wasn't it. Gods, he really needed to find a better alias ), he smiled at Phobius. "It's good to see you too." He stifled a snicker when the boy asked who "Pryzavard" was. Before he could think up a suitably smug yet not too mean answer, Vard managed to stop laughing long enough to answer the question. Ignoring their heartfelt reaffirmation of their friendship, Rey frowned as a though occurred to him. There had been a third man, the other symenestra. But he wasn't here. What had he looked like? Pale and slender, with a greatsword that looked heavy enough to topple him. Not here, not there, where was.. ah. There, with a looking glass in his hand. Odd, that he'd stop to do some shopping when both of his companions were coming over to talk. Suspicious, even. So, it seemed like two would be playing this game. Only time would tell if this one would prove to be a worthy opponent, or just another bumbling amateur. Of course, Rey had also been seen... No that didn't count. None of them yet realized that he had been eavesdropping. He turned back to Vard, in time to see the spider pull out a rapier. He blinked, in genuine surprise this time. So, Vard had a sword. But did he know how to use it? Or more importantly, did he have the heart to use it? When Vard brought up the underground, Rey looked over at Phobius, who seemed about to object. Before either of them could speak up though, the spider was off like a bolt, apparently wiling to just run around the streets until he found a way into the underground. Phobius followed him almost immediately, yelling about the underground being "a bad place". Well, Rey thought darkly, he wasn't wrong. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other Symenestra begin to move too. So, he had been paying attention. Well, he supposed that meant it was time to play his part too. He chased after the spider, careful to keep his speed at about half of what he knew he could do if he really pushed himself, trying to emulate a regular human speed. When he saw he was falling behind a little, he put on a burst of speed, catching up with Phobius, then overtaking him slightly. "Vard, don't bother." He called out. "You'll never find it by yourself."

[Vard Briar]

Vard grinned broadly, hearing the footsteps behind him indicating that the others had chosen to follow. He also heard bits and pieces of their speech but ran on. "-Wait-Come-It's-Place!" That was Phobius, and the Symenestra hoped he could keep up. "Vard-bother, never find-yourself." That was Reysin, his voice far clearer and closer to him than Phobius. His broken speech made enough sense for Vard to understand that the Underground wouldn't simply present itself to him. He put on a last burst of speed before skidding to a stop at a corner, nearly bumping into some passing women. Vard was quick to bow low, "My apologies dear ladies, my haste has begotten my manners." When there was no response, he flicked his gaze upward and caught the quickly disappearing forms of the women fleeing down the street. He huffed gently, drew himself up and placed a hand on his rapier's hilt while he waited for his companions. He felt strangely secure, and the grip of the sword in his hand gave him such a sense of rightness, it was as though he'd owned the thing his whole life. Several different strangers walked past, and Vard observed each one furtively, but attentively. They all seemed to be in a rush to get to a destination, that fact perhaps intensified by the chaotic nature of the streets they walked. Still, Vard found himself wondering about why they hurried. The city itself had a way of ushering you wherever you needed to be, or at least wherever Alvadas- and by proxy, Ionu -thought you needed to be. Thus, the speed of travel seemed to be less meaningful to Vard, and he began to notice everyone's lack of manners. Most passersby occasionally shoved or nudged their way through the crowd and a few even argued at each other for causing delays. And at least those few acknowledged their fellows, for most of the passersby did not even engage in conversation with each other. For the first time since Vard had left home, he yearned for its tight-woven sense of community. Then, he remembered, and quickly suppressed the memories good and bad. He shook himself, and absentmindedly drew and sheathed his rapier. Class, Vard surmised, was giving others recognition even when they themselves did not know that they deserved it.

[Phobius]

Gee...Pryzavard's a fast runner, Phobius mused as he sprinted after the fleeing Symenstra. How am I gonna ever catch up with him if he doesn't slow down...?

As if to answer that silent question, Mister Ekans came flying passed him, all of a sudden, leaving the boy in wide-eyed shock. Now he had two people to keep up with and, depending on where the sword-wielding man was heading, if he even knew where he was supposed to go, this whole chase could take a while. Phobius felt that he could handle running for another chime, but after that point his legs would probably start to hurt, and he'd need to stop. But from the sound of things, Mister Ekans didn't really want the man trying to find the Underground, either. And he was much faster; maybe he could speed up some more and cut Pryzavard off?

Wondering where Darkalin had gone to, Phobius spared a quick glance over his shoulder and was surprised to see the other Symenstra trailing after them. Did he think that going to the Underground was a bad idea, too? Maybe he'd gone there, before, and was planning on telling Pryzavard how dangerous it was...or maybe he hadn't, and was curious about what it was like. Either way, Phobius was quietly hoping that the man would help him convince his friend against the idea.

A moment later, it seemed as though Pryzavard had finally heard their calls; he brought himself to a near-tumbling halt at a street corner, and almost crashed into some ladies in the process. Phobius didn't slow himself down until he'd gotten within a few feet of the man, and swerved around Mister Ekans, who'd stopped before he did. Taking a moment to catch his breath, the boy put his hands on his knees and seemed to squat down, a little. Then he straightened himself back up and looked over at his friend. "You can't...you can't go to the Underground," Phobius stressed, his voice practically dripping with unbridled fear and worry. "There's a lot of bad people and...and you could get hurt, and it's really, really dangerous."

Gah, what else could he say to get the man not to want to go, anymore? All Phobius had in his favor was the basic truth, but if Pryzavard really wanted to go, he might not care. And then what?

Out of ideas, the boy decided to start offering some other options. "All you wanna do is train with your sword, right? You could probably go somewhere else, then, like...like in the forest outside the city! There's plenty of trees...you could make wood dummies. Or...or..."

...well, it was the only other option he could come up with. Phobius fell into an anxious silence, then, clearly trying hard to think of some more.

[473]


"This is speech in Nari."

This is thought.

[Darkalin Pinewood]

Darkalin had rushed towards Krovard....... Then suddenly stopped to think. Krovard.....Pryzavard..... By Ionu's beard! I think I must have cracked the case! He mused. Though, to speculate is one thing, and to know is yet another. He slowly began to walk towards the group who had gathered a bit farther down, and wondered if this "Underground", was really as bad as Phobius had said. True, there could be criminals, but if there were, going down and fighting them would only be honorable, and certainly not foolhardy. He continued until he was within talking distance, and then decided to open his curiosity a bit. The young Symenestra looked towards his fellow Krova, and asked a question which had haunted his existence since his real fathers death. "Krovard, what was it like back home? Back in Kalinor?" He questioned, his stare oddly sad. For the first time in a while, no smile decorated his face. "I have only heard stories. Is it really thousands of feet in the air, and all as soft as silk?" He continued to ask in his strange melancholy. "Do I have the honor to know?" He whispered.

[Yisanareysin]

The more time he spent with Vard, Rey thought as he came to a stop just behind the spider, the more he was convinced that this one was an Eypharian at heart. The women Vard bowed to scurried off, and Rey hid a grin at the spider's grumpy huff. But less trusting. And not as big on killing and slavery. Alright so it was really just the formality that was similar. Before he could say anything about the underground, Phobius scrambled up to them, seeming a little out of breath. The other spider was conspicuously absent. A quick glance behind showed that he was a distance away, strolling towards them. Odd, but it didn't much matter, he decided as he turned his focus back to the two before him. Phobius was trying to dissuade Vard from going, his distress visible. A little unnecessarily, Rey thought petulantly. Phobius wasn't the one who had been fighting down there, and he certainly wasn't the one who had paid for it when Vann and his goons had showed up. Still, the boy had the right idea. The last thing he needed was to fight more knife and crossbow wielding maniacs. "Phobius is right." He said quietly. Carefully, he tucked the hair covering the right side of his face behind his ear, displaying his scar. The line of white, puckered tissue curved from just under his cheekbone to the outer corner of his eye. A little souvenir from a little illusionist, and a permanent reminder of why those from the underground were not to be trifled with. "The underground is full of vengeful men, with sharp knives and the desire to use them. And I'm afraid I haven't really endeared myself to certain.... persons who live down there. If you thought the brute we met was threatening... as Phobius said, it would be best if we stayed away." There was also the Womiyu to consider, but Vard hardly needed to know about that.