Open These Streets Aren't Racetracks!

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

56th of Fall, 514.

The days were getting shorter, just like his time in squire-hood. He and his patron could sense it by now. The squirrel, riding his tiny mount Xarex, hadn't always been as friendly with the hulking Akalak that strode alongside through the narrow corridors. Goodness knew that the squirrel had loathed him to the point that he would have done anything just to get a bit of satisfaction. They'd both ended up regretting that. Maybe it was that final push - the release of emotions, almost like the popping of a rock - that had finally opened them to each-other. He wasn't sure, and he damn well wasn't going to waste his time thinking over such things.

The knight didn't seem to care whether or not the squirrel was actually thinking about anything important; in the near-empty corridor, he all but shouted in yet another light-hearted mockery of the squirrels height compared to the crimson warrior. "You're getting quiet, squire." The man had taken to using the word even more often, considering he wouldn't be doing it for much longer. If anything, soon enough, the man would be taking a damn knee to the very squirrel. "Don't tell me your lips are turning to stone already, not that I'd be damn complaining if such a thing were to happen." It may have been intended humor, but the Akalak had never been particularly good when it came to those things.

The squirrel gave no answer, and the man knew better than to push deeper. The moments of silence were growing more frequent now; times where there was simply nothing left to say, or ask. Everything was moving so quickly, and so slowly at the same time. The Akalak wasn't the one to talk with, about such things. He'd lived for more years than many humans, and he still had many more ahead to wait for. For all the complaints he could make in the world, he still had his health and his life ahead of him. Near enough six years he'd spent running here and there, trying to prepare himself for what he'd eventually face, but now it looked as though he'd not prepared enough. Not even close.

From somewhere at the side, he could hear a soft sigh, but he didn't dwell on it or question the Akalak. A slight pull on the reins drew Xarex closer to the Akalak's destrier as they pulled out into one of the wider streets and made their way down towards the Main Gates, just off to the side of the Windmount Stables. Neither of them had been called for duty, but the Akalak had appeared at the squirrels door and invited him out for an evening of patrol 'n' stroll. He'd accepted with little hesitation - after all, company was company, whether red or not.

[Nivel]

After some brief meditation exercises with Grey, Nivel was left to her own devices but with the patron still overseeing the process. The squire had a few skill sets that the Knight had no expertise with but a watchful eye was always needed when magic was involved. Since Nivel had neglected her practice in flux she decided it was time to make up for lost time. She started moving her arms around in a rhythmic motion to allow the djed in her astral body to flow where she wanted it to. She wanted to add a bit more power behind her punches, but usually had trouble distributing the proper amount of energy that would allow her more strength in her upper body but enough strength in her lower body to remain stable. It was always pretty dangerous to put too much power in one area and if she wanted to keep her body parts intact she would need to be more mindful of how she was doing it. She could feel the flow of Djed bending to her will and intensified her focus so that it stayed at a manageable level. She threw a punch and could feel the new strength behind it. It wasn't enough to shatter bones but it would surely cause some damage. Maintaining her focus she threw another punch the flow wasn't as steady as it once was and the power was a bit more than she would have liked so she took another moment to keep herself on track. After a third punch she was ready to stop before she over exerted herself. “How did I do?” Nivel said as she turned back to her Patron knowing that the Tall Folk was observing her progress with the help of Auristics. "You seemed to have very good control of your djed" Grey replied before adding "..for a novice" Grey made a slight pause before continuing "However, I think you need to work on your multitasking, it was clear that you were focusing far to much on the flow of djed and not the flow of your attacks." "oh..yah..It's just so hard" Nivel responded despairingly. "These things come with practice, the more of it you do, the better you will be at it. Now lets more on to shielding" Nivel nodded her head before concentrating on using her djed to form a shield. She went inside her own nexus and imagined butterflies, buttons and mountains of clay to reach a state of pure calmness. When this was reached she softly blew out of her mouth hole and out came the djed shield. It slowly surrounded her tiny body, encasing her in an invisible barrier. After what seemed like forever, she had crafted a shield of the same quality as when she had first started all the way back at the beginning of fall. Nivel didn't need to see his masked patrons face or read her aura to know she wouldn't like the lack of improvement. "you will need a lot more practice in this area, but at the very least you have made a lot of progress with Auristics." Nivel hung her head in same "sorry.." was all that the tiny mage squire could say in response. "Magic is not something you should be rushing anyway, so no need to fret" Grey replied sympathetically not wanting her pupil to feel they needed to push themselves past their boundaries. "that should be enough practice for today.. You should see what Patcha is up too, maybe the two of you could take a ride around the WindMount Stables..I have a few things I need to take care of" Nivel found her kelvic mount Patcha wandering around the stone halls of Stormhold castle in her dog from and asked her if she wanted to take a stroll. Patcha gave the pycon a quick shake of the head in affirmation and After some struggle mounting the kelvic the two rode of to their destination. After using flux Nivel had a bit of numbness in her arms, she especially felt it as she held onto Patchas saddle straps. Although it was probably better than other side effects magic can have on the body. The two came to a steady trot as they arrived at the stables, and Nivel quickly spotted the red skinned patron of Archailist. When she looked down closer to the ground she could see the squirrel ridding his mount. Nivel made a wave to the two, as she urged Patcha to move towards them with light taps of the feet to the kelvics sides. Since they had last seen each other Nivel had some slight changes to her appearance. Her face had developed feline features, she had two spikes coming from the top of her head and she now had claw like hands and feet. The changes weren't very drastic so she was still unmistakeably Nivel,

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Just as the silence was beginning to grow uncomfortable, the corner of his eye caught a bit of movement and a good nudge to the obedient mount beneath brought him straight for Nivel. Ser Iros carried on completely oblivious, and only ended up turning back when he glanced over to the side and found that his squire had more interests elsewhere. He didn't intrude, but instead took place farther back and out of view for the most part. Even with his and Nivel's friendship well-announced, he had a feeling that their patrons weren't as eager to take up arms alongside one-another. Iros still held tight to his beliefs on the strength of the body and the will of the mind, and it'd be a peaceful day in Sunberth when that changed, that was for certain. He was so hostile, those thoughts had boiled over and ended up drenching Nivel.

"Nivel! Such a pleasant surprise to see you here." He almost ended up grabbing her straight off her mount, but instead settled for a gentle smile as he took up a place at her side; inadvertently placing himself between the female Pycon and the entrance to the Windmount Stables. "How've you been, hmm? Still practicing with Gray?" Just as he mentioned the patron, he began glancing over her shoulder and around the crowded streets. Where was her patron? It was never that hard to find her, given the odd masks and other things that she'd taken to wearing in the few times that the squirrel had seen her at all.

"No matter. It's been an age, I'll tell you that. What've you been up to, hmm?" It looked like she'd been up to plenty. Her body looked different, although that was to be expected. Why she'd changed, well, that'd be something else entirely. She was almost beginning to resemble one of the larger creatures he'd been forced to fight away during his time scouting out around Syliras. Domestic animals.. cats, was it? Like a dog, but more agile. He wished that he could get a saddle on one and try them out, but strangely enough, they never seemed to have one in the Stables, nor anywhere else for that matter. Perhaps they simply weren't best for riding.

It made the squirrel feel old, staring at her, and then looking down at himself. Sure, his body had become leaner and limbs slightly longer, evening out his proportions a little more and making his body a little more streamlined to adjust for minor changes.. apart from that, however, he'd not really changed that much at all. He was still the same squirrel that she'd seen before, by all accounts. He was still young, in terms of their average lifespan - growing up as he had, that was about the only thing he could use to compare it to - but it wasn't as though his parents had stopped their shape-shifting and whatnot.

"Actually, come on, you and I can talk about it on the way." His long clay tail further barricaded the smaller squire into joining him as he pushed Xarex into a gentle trot, guiding Nivel off to the side of the main gates and the stables. He wanted to take a stroll around the Nettle District. If there were any objections from the larger patron knight, he kept them to himself and pursed his lips, taking up step several paces behind to lag behind and simply wait patiently.

[Nivel]

Arch left his Patron and meet Nivel half way, The tall red folk stayed his distance for some reason. Nivel was fairly oblivious but even she had caught on to the uneasiness that was felt between both her and Arch's patrons. She didn't know why they couldn't just get along but the pycon knew enough not to pry in others affairs. "Good to see you too Arch!" She said with a smile in her voice that failed to present it's self on her blank face. Although with the upturned cat mouth she now had it kind of seemed like she was always smiling, which was a very useful feature for a pycon with poor control of her face. "I was just heading to the stables for a good run around the track with Patcha, I need to get the hang of riding this beast" she said with a gentile pat on the head of her kelvic mount. The squirrel was blocking her way to the entrance but it didn't bother her as she genuinely wanted to catch up with her fellow squire. "I just finished a training session with her today, We focused on some flux and shielding magic which I desperately need work on" Nivel hung her head slightly in shame. She didn't normally talk about magic with non magic folk but he already knew she was a Mage so there was no sense in keeping it secret. It didn't occur to her that he would have little to no idea what flux or shielding was "I really haven't done to many exciting things, mostly just training and sparing" She shrugged her tiny shoulders "you know how it is" The squirrel seemed to nudge Patcha farther away from the Stables as he mentioned continuing the conversation on the way. It was clear he was trying to lead her somewhere else but the Mage Squire didn't know what he had planed. "Where are you nudging me?" she asked sounding puzzled. She nonetheless directed Patcha into the direction Arch seemed to be leading her too. She was more than willing to do what ever the squirrel had planned she was more curious than anything. Anything the other pycon had in mind was bound to be more interesting than just running circles around a boring track. She wondered if Arch's patron would be joining but he seemed to be a bit shy at the moment.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He chuckled softly. "Oh, I think I might have annoyed some of the grooms there, that's all..." Annoyed was probably a poor choice of words. A few days ago, in his haste to make his rounds, he'd managed to bowl over one or two of the grooms while they were innocently checking up on the various mounts under their care. Needless to say, he wasn't particularly interested in going back any time soon. At the very least, he made sure to avoid as many of them as possible whenever he went to collect and return Xarex to them. Not that he was really afraid of them, but he knew that he was in the wrong and he could look forward to a good chastising in the near future - the likes of which Ser Iros was no longer able to give. "I'd much.. aha.. prefer it if we talked over here." After a brief walk, he stopped again, just out of view of the Stables. Some people would probably find it strange that such a small squirrel could stand up easily against a huge blood-red Akalak, but would cower when it came to simple stablehands.

"Ohh, Flux and Shielding.." he mumbled thoughtfully, as if he knew what either of those things were. "You know, you can always train with me if you're ever interested in practicing them. I could use some practice of my own." True enough, his extensive training and preparation had ensured that he would no longer be touched by anyone short the Weaponmasters that prowled the Training Grounds, but when compared to his offensive abilities in the various weapons he'd gone out and bought, he was a child.

"After all, I do know how it is, and it's just damn boring. All the humans running around with their big feet.. even the calm and collected ones become a little bit boring, training with them for bells on end. Clay is always more fun." He cracked a quiet smile, his muzzle stretching just a little from the odd facial expression, which only grew as an idea popped into his head. He had to lean closer though, to ensure that his patron wouldn't hear any of this. The Akalak was still keeping his distance, watching quietly, but he was still close enough to be able to eavesdrop on most of their conversation. "Speaking of fun.. I bet that you and I can outrun Ser Iros if we try it. I'm not supposed to be doing patrols or anything, so it'll be fine. What do you say, hmm?" Excitement was so far and few these days.

[Nivel]

Nivel nodded her head in acknowledgement as she guided Patcha to follow Arch out of sight. Once they were a safe distance way Nivel's eyes narrowed mischievously "So...Did you play some kind of prank on them?" Nivel hadn't ever done anything of the sort but the idea still intrigued her. She wondered if she would ever have the courage to do something like that to some one. It wasn't very becoming of a future knight to get into devious or childish things but that usually didn't stop her so it was only a matter of time before she was slipping rotten eggs into an unsuspecting victims socks. "Well you could help me with flux since it's primary use is for combat But my shields only deflect other djed" Nivel paused a moment "Do you know magic Arch?" She was certain he didn't but she didn't think it was polite to make assumptions, The squirrel may very well have some form of magical practice she wasn't aware of. Although she probably would have seen it in his aura if she did. She wasn't at a level where she could truly investigate someones aura but magic use could be seen all over a persons aura in subtle ways. It was hard to describe but the difference was there at least in Nivel's nexus. "Even if you don't know magic a regular spar would be fun" Nivel said happily while making a much better attempt at a smile that usual. The mage was sure she wouldn't stand much of a chance against such a skilled opponent but she liked a challenge anyway. She remembered her spar with Ball, she didn't do so well but it was still a fun experience and she had learned so much from that short spar. She wanted to see how a squirrel could fight, she imagined he would be more focused on speed than Ball was. Nivel had seen squirrels going about their business and was always amazed at how quick and agile they were. If Arch was anything like the creature he resembled Nivel would have a hard time landing any kind of hit. "You're right" She nodded in agreement "Things can get exciting every so often but it isn't enough to satisfy my appetite" Nivel wasn't really a fan of having a routine, she liked spontaneity and all the non stop training and patrols were draining her. "I think a game of run from the giant red Knight would be aaaMazing!" Her ears fluttered happily "what about you patcha are you up or it?" Nivel asked her kelvic mount who gave a faint nod. "okay its settled then...How do we get him to chase us?"

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

The squirrels clay chest puffed up indignantly at even the thought that he could be so childish! "Of course not.. why would I do that?" For some reason, it concerned him a little that she would ask.. and concerned him even more the way she kept looking at him. Would she have played a prank, given the opportunity? Had she already done them before? He wasn't even sure whether it was a common thing among squires, although he'd never really seen any of them trying to trick their patrons, nor did he know why they'd do it. True enough, some squires were still little more than children.. though he'd never before considered that Nivel would fall into the same category. "It's not like any of them do anything to deserve it.. and if they did, I'd do a lot more than just knock them off their feet, I'd tell you that."

At the further questions, his back was arched almost enough that he swore if not for his tail and the tight grip on the reins of his mount, he might have just toppled over backwards. "No, I don't do magic? What kind of a Pycon do you take me for?!" It took a few more moments to remind himself exactly who he was talking to. "No offense, of course, but.. no, I don't take any magic. I don't really think that.. well, that I should. I know you take it and there are plenty of those who would but.. it's just not me." It was a flimsy excuse, but then again, he'd never really been forced to explain why he didn't take magic. He just didn't want to fall victim to all the hazards he'd heard mentioned.

"Just because I don't practice magic, doesn't mean I can't help you learn it though.. we can have a spar some time, sure. It'd be nice fighting someone with a little more... clay in them." The squirrel was glad he wasn't the only one stuck with such situations. Damn humans, always stomping around with no elegance, not that he should really expect any from such creatures. Perhaps he was being a little bit mean on them, but he'd never really met many humans that showed the kind of understanding that he would have liked, and thought that he gave in return. Sure, there were some.. but those were still only some.

He was getting a little over-excited, thinking about the battle. It didn't take long for the mage-squire to bring him back to reality with a question that brought a beaming smile to his little clay lips. "Oh, that's the easy part." He turned around over his shoulder, to Ser Iros who lumbered slowly behind them, a frown set firmly on his face. "Ser Iros!" He glanced up from a moment, the scowl fading to a look of simple curiosity. Amazing how simple he looked with such an expression. "Squire Nivel here was just telling me how her magic can overwhelm your strength, and will make her even a more powerful knight than you are!"

Normally, Ser Iros wouldn't have broken out into rage. Then again, normally he wouldn't have his own squire stolen from him by another Pycon deemed more interesting, and then dragged along down the street by them, utterly ignored and left like a dog chasing its master, and then finally insulted by that same Pycon. It wasn't as though he wasn't already at his wits end - he'd been hoping for a nice, peaceful patrol with his rather accomplished squire, talking about important matters and relaxing in the few moments they had left together as patron and squire. Instead, he got this. Well, this was it. "WHAAAAAAT?!" It really wasn't possible for his face to become any more red than it was naturally, but the squirrel swore he could see literal vents of steam flowing out of his ears as the Pycon snapped at the reins of his mount and broke into a sprint down the length of the Nettle District. He didn't even have time to glance over his shoulder to make sure Nivel was keeping up.

[Nivel]

Nivel felt a little embarrassed after hearing the squirrels reaction to pranks. She didn't want the arch to lose any respect for her as a squire so she kept her mouth hole shut on her interest in pranks. She quietly nodded "Yah,..glad you didn't..cause pranks are bad and not fun at all" she tried to seem innocent but she wasn't fooling anyone. Nivel didn't lie very often and as a result was absolutely terrible at it, even for a pycon with perpetual poker-face. Her unease didn't leave as Arch seemed offended by her question regarding his use of magic. Nivel could tell he didn't have the greatest opinion of magic, although considering his patron it made a bit of sense. Although after a pause the Squirrel back tracked and while it was clear his original opinion hadn't changed he at least showed that he might not have any animosity for Nivel's use of the magical arts. "Magic isn't for everyone but I could always teach you what I know some time so you could better defend yourself against it" Nivel said in response. She could tell that the squirrel probably wouldn't ever try magic but it doesn't hurt to be prepared against the unknown. She knew the squirrel had faced some magic users but they were already suffering from over giving when they encountered them, at full strength they were sure to be far more dangerous. Nivel nodded with new found enthusiasm for the prospect of having a spar with the other Squire. Her ears began twitching as she imagined the fight going down. She was so focused that she was caught off guard when Arch suddenly told his Hulking patron about Nivel's false boasts. "Wait!? I didn't-" She tried to explain herself but the Akalak quickly became an engaged monster that lumbered after them. She urged with rapid taps of her feet to Patcha's side for the kelvic to run after the squirrel who seemed to have already taken off. It wasn't hard to get Patcha moving with all the horrible noises the Akalak was making and before Nivel knew it she was bounding down the street clinging to her mount for dear life. Patcha followed Arch with her tiny little dog legs with the enraged ox of a man following them like an an enraged bear. The Nettle district was more on the posh side of the city than Nivel was used to. The shops were finely decorated and most of the residence were exquisitely dressed. It was a relatively peaceful part of the city were little ever went on. That was until today. Patcha weaved through the crowds of people causing alarm and scorn, as Nivel apologized profusely. Nivel was scared but was also greatly enjoying the ride and excitement. "Wow you're really slow, I thought Knights were supposed to be fast" Nivel yelled back the insult with a mischievous giggle to herself. She was only making the situation worse but she didn't really care, she was having fun. The mage squire was sure Akalak would understand that it was all just a game if he ever did catch her.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He'd never taken Nivel for a mischievous Pycon. Arch wasn't, really - sure, there were some moments where boredom simply got the better of him and he needed to find something, anything, to take his mind away from it. Those times were rare, though; non-existent since his return to the city and forest that he so loved and missed. Ball most definitely wasn't. The angry little lump of clay was just violent. Perhaps he needed to take another look, but then again, one Pycon causing havoc would be enough to have nearly the entire population up in arms over the matter. It didn't really bother him, although it did make him feel old. He'd used to play pranks, after all, on the various squirrels that populated the Bronze Woods and Cobalt Mountains. Back then, he was barely seasons old though.

"That'd be much appreciated." His opinion took an immediate U-turn. Goodness, it seemed he was destined to forever juggle his opinions like so many other aspects of his life. How could a Pycon be childish enough to play pranks and cause mischief, and yet mature enough to be able to look past such obvious blunders in etiquette and remain the more mature of them both? It made him exasperated and shameful at the same time - a combination that he didn't feel like having ever again. Better to look past it, and talk more on the idea later on, when he had a bit more semblance of composure. After all, they had bigger problems to worry about. Nivel needed to focus on escaping the Akalak, and the squirrel needed to focus on keeping Nivel alive.

The massive man and his equally-massive horse could close any gap between his mount and both the squires mount in mere ticks. The stride and the speed of the beast was phenomenal, and there'd be no chance of even keeping a safe distance if they were out in the open. Thank goodness they weren't. The Nettle District, as always, was packed to the brim with people passing by; walking over their path, disappearing into shops and reappearing from them again in the blink of an eye. The two Pycons would have a chance, as long as they could keep themselves in the more crowded areas. This also meant jumping rapidly between the various legs that blocked their path like so many pink tree-trunks. "Nivel, this way!" He wasn't that far ahead, but it was still quite a distance to the nearest side-corridor.

If they were lucky, they'd be able to slip between the outdoor stalls to keep their distance. There'd be no chance of the Akalak fitting his horse between the narrow alleyways made by the wooden stalls and utterly filled with various hunters and other citizens looking for the cheaper prices. "Hope you know how to guide that thing, because it's gonna be a bumpy ride..." They didn't have long either. Even above the hustle and bustle of the crowds pushing for bargains, he could hear the irritated yelling of the Akalak as he tried to guide citizens out of the way of the huge horse beneath him.

[Nivel]

Contrary to Nivel's earlier statement the knight really wasn't slow in the least, especially on that horse of his. One stride of the creatures long legs was larger than ten of Patcha's insignificant ones, Although the one advantage the tiny dogs had over horses was there small size. The crowds were fairly dense and it took people a while to disperse to allow the knights massive horse through. Where as tiny Patcha didn't have nearly as much trouble. However unlike the carefree Nivel, Patcha was in a panic. The kelvic didn't have the natural trust in others that the pycon had. Arch hollered back at Nivel to follow him through the narrow stalls, unfortunately Patcha had other plans. The Kelvic ran right past the turning point, too scared to do anything but run straight as a well shot arrow. "No no!" Nivel cried in alarm "Chase the squirrel like you always do!" but her message fell on deaf ears as she ran through the larger crowd. Nivel really didn't know how to control her mount other than verbal commands and a few other gestures like hand clapping. She desperately tried to turn the creatures head manually but the kelvic shook it off. "This way Patcha! This Way!" Nivel commanded as she waved her tails in front of Patcha in the direction she wanted her to go. The Kelvic finally complied as they turned to see the horse was practically in front of the two. Patcha was startled but still ran the desired course, narrowly evading the stomping hooves of the giant horse as they rushed past him. Ducking threw the stalls and into the alleyway, Nivel breathed a sigh of relief as she could see the Akalak being held back by protesting stall venders. Although she could no longer see arch amongst the people in the street. She assumed he went on ahead and kept riding through the street looking for any sign of him.