PM to join A first Syliran stroll (Selene, Joanna)

[Selene Livingstone]

6th of Fall

As Selene stepped out of The Rearing Stallion and took the first deep breath of the day she thought the air of Syliras city was not nearly as enjoyable as the humid, fresh and electric atmosphere of Riverfall. To be fairly honest, things were already quite different from what she fantasied weeks ago when her mind finally started to caress the thought of reaching Syliras. Upon arrival the night before she had to immediately reconsider her accommodation's plan. Okay, so definitely she wasn't going to sleep in her tent. At The Rearing Stallion, whose promising name lured Selene in for some breakfast, she had been able to gather some information. She now knew, for example, of something called the Traveler's row. Over there a certain Matilda should be able to help her find a stable, affordable accommodation for the rest of the season. A relief, as with the daily price of a inn Selene wouldn't last more than few months before going ridiculously broke.

She walked few steps away from the entrance of the tavern, her harms behind her back, stretching her rigid muscles. The sun was already high and she could feel the warmth of its power coming from the stones beneath her feet. Few metres ahead, Apogeo was walking around the street, looking on the ground for some spare hay or ripped leaves. He wasn't hungry, but Selene brought him few apples just to be sure. He could get really grumpy and unreasonable. She watched him trotting toward her and struggled to hide her worries. ”What on earth do we do?” she thought to herself, while his tongue tickled her hand wanting more food.

She wasn't used to anything as structured as Syliras. The idea of not being able to camp within the city had never occurred to her – Nonsensical!, that what it would have been in Cyprhus, where cities are made of tents. She comes from a mutating reality, where staticity is a bad sign, it's a sign of senility and can lead to death. These immovable walls surrounding a city set in stones represented a whole new concept of living to her. ”They caged themselves in a world without nature...Weird culture, this is”. But she could get used to it. She was seeking for differences when she started to travel, she wasn't going to let something like this put he off. On contrary, she was going to learn by living in a house that cannot be moved, in a city that cannot change. The problem was Apogeo. She had been sleeping not more than five metres away from him for the past six months. And even before, rare were the times where the horse and Selene weren't warming each other's night. She wasn't used not to be with him, but what the Rearing Stallion clients told her, concealing their laughs, was that “no, she could not keep the horse in her apartment, she was going to have to find a stable”.

Heck. She thought stables were only for rich people. She didn't like the sound of all this the slightest bit. She didn't want to find a place to put her horse when she didn't need him, she wanted to find a place to live with him. Apogeo was more than a brother to her and he was prideful as few others. ”You wait until he hears that he has to go to a stable...” she thought to herself ”and he will be unbearable until we leave the town...”.

”Umphfff” she buffed while exhaling and as she rolled her eyes a figure caught her attention.

It wasn't because the rays of the morning sun were reflected by her armour and scattered around the street. Neither because the woman was distinguishably tall or because her posture and her eyes' depth, despite the young age, made Selene feel in presence of a high ranked authority. No, it was something more subtle, that seemed to run intertwined within the essence of that blonde woman. Something that drawn Selene to her. And, to Selene's surprise, something that seemed to equally effect Apogeo as well. The horse had flicked his ears and was now intensively watching the tall woman.

Before Selene herself was aware of it, she was already speaking to the armoured blonde “Good morning” she said, with a veil of embarrassment for the unexpected acute squeaking sound of her voice. God lord, get a grip, she thought intensively, while trying to patch together her next sentence. Truth was that when Selene posed the question ”Could you help me?...I am trying to understand where horses live in this town” she was interested into understanding why that stranger felt so intriguing as she was in obtaining an informative answer.

[Joanna Familiaris]

It did not take long for Joanna to question why she left her apartment in the first place. Of course she knew why, but even so she questioned whether it was a good idea to go to one of the busiest parts in Syliras to get breakfast. Go where the people are, they said. It'd be fun, they said. They failed to mention how loud it would be, and how much personal spaced she'd be sharing with strangers. Suffice to say, Joanna was not having a swell time. Constantly having people brush by her or bump against her armor made her nervous and skittish. She wanted nothing more than to turn back and head home, but she had committed herself to getting food and would not leave without it.

At least the weather was nice. The sun was just beginning to peek over the city walls, greeting the citizens with its warm rays while the cool autumn breeze ran over the streets. It was invigorating, and while the Kelvic bathed in the golden light she felt her resolve strengthen. She knew she was under her Goddess' eyes, and would not dare to think of disappointing her. Even if her resolve was tested today, she would not let it break.

But just as she was thinking this, she was approached by a woman and her horse, both looking a bit out of touch with their surroundings. At first, she wasn't sure if they were approaching her or her general direction until she was addressed directly. As soon as she had been greeted, Joanna locked eyes with the stranger to give them her full attention, repeating back the same sentiment. "Good morning, Ma'am."

She did not shift her gaze until the stranger was done speaking, a byproduct of her Kelvic nature. Eyes were one of the most telling features of a person, especially with where they were focused. Horses were no different. Her direct gaze was meant more as a gesture of politeness than intimidation, but many people didn't see it this way. And Not many had the courage to tell Joanna this.

While processing the request in her head, Joanna started to scan the woman up and down intensely. With the way the light hit her face, it was possible to see the faded scares and wrinkles that lined her face from countless years in the wilderness. It was only in this bright, golden morning light that one could even see these features, as they looked to fade perfectly into her skin. But here, she looked like a rugged traveler.

Her eyes snapped back to the woman's, staring her down with a piercing gaze. There was a brief pause of silence during which time her line of sight was aimed precisely at the stranger. After a few seconds she took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and began to speak.

"Of course!" The entire tone of the meeting changed as Joanna smiled warmly, a new kindness to her eyes. "Always happy to help a stranger in need," she elaborated, giving a polite bow to both the woman and the horse. She could not find anything malicious in these two, and could only hope for the best intentions. It was for the best, after all. She had no reason to suspect anybody here of being a troublemaker unless proven otherwise.

"You will want to go... U-uhm..." Her mind blanked out as she tried to recall the place. She knew where it was. Right? Yes, it was... right past the shop with the cart outside. Across from the one with that shirt in the window. And then... there was the sign with one of the boards hanging loose...

The gears spun madly in her head as she tried to process her thoughts into coherent words. She still had her finger extended out towards on of the streets, but it constantly wavered back in fort as if trying to find its mark. Unfortunately, it did not. "If you go this way I think... well... it's past the... ahhg..." She felt heat coming to her cheeks as she failed to provide anything worthwhile. "I'll just show you!" She said abruptly, clasping her hands together behind her back. "It'll be easier that way." She said, standing in a militaristic fashion. But she slouched a little as she explained further. "I'm... a fair bit new to this town. I... can't remember any of the street names. Regardless, I'll guide you there myself. Maybe even pick up some feed while I'm there. I hear the oats are prepared quite nicely." She stared off a bit, remembering something fondly before turning back to the street she was motioning towards earlier. Ensuring the two were close behind, Joanna marched onward.

"You don't look like you're from around here" She said bluntly. She wasn't one to mince words "Why are you in Syliras?"

[Selene Livingstone]

It's uncommon to be truly looked at. The thought stroke Selene as the piercing glare of the woman locked onto her eyes. And in that brief exchange of stares a flow of sequential thoughts flooded her. 'God, she is beautiful. A staggering beauty, crowned by the bright sun light. And her skin, so young and yet so scarred. Her stance, this silence. Did she understand me?' Sometimes Selene wondered how good, or bad, her Common was. She suddenly felt awkward, until the woman spoke, exchanging her greetings.

As she smiled, bowed and politely accepted to show her the way the woman staggered onto her own words, breaking that aura of perfection that was slowly building up in Selene's mind. 'There is nothing as interesting as other people' she thought while the woman tried to explain the way, just to give up moments after and offer to accompany Selene herself.

"Why are you in Syliras?" the woman then addressed her.

As she was posed, quite bluntly, such direct question Selene frowned. She didn't like questions that literally make you question yourself. She was always afraid of the answer she might find. 'Why was she in Syliras?' wasn't exactly the right question either. Why wasn't she in Riverfall instead? Why did she leave? She wasn't sure she was ready to find the answer to the question yet. She had a more practical, factual reason ready to be told. The same reason she repeated all over to her family, her friends, her community when she decided to join the umpteenth caravan who passed through Riverfall toward the general direction of Konti.

"I am not. You are right. I am from Cyphrus" she said, wondering if the world was small enough to say 'Riverfall' with the certainty that your interlocutor knows the place. ”I want to learn medicine”.

She paused and glimpsed at the woman suddenly aware, as they started to walk side by side, of how tall she was. That was quite a mysterious character herself. She new Syliras city had an order of knights, but the blonde giant wasn't from here, wasn't she? Why was she wearing an armour. And what was the soothing sensation Selene couldn't help but be cloaked in. Apogeo itself was peacefully strolling behind without further questions. Which was news, given the temperamental attitude of the horse.

”What about you? What do You do?” she asked in a straightforward manner that might have been impolite, if not for the previous directness of the other woman.

[Joanna Familiaris]

Cyphrus, she had said. A place she had passed through on her travels. A pleasant land with pleasant people who were very accommodating to her. It would make sense, after all, given her heritage. She felt oddly drawn towards the Drykas, and her experiences with them were quite memorable. They made her feel... calm. They shared strange, indescribable bond, more so with her Kelvic side than anything. It was probably a horse thing.

Looking down at the woman, Joanna studied her further. There was a sense of familiarity to her, especially with the recent thoughts of the Drykas. Looking at her now, the warrior found comfort in the stranger's face. There was a unique sense of purity to it. Maybe purity wasn't the right word. Not innocence, but... freshness? Beauty? No, that felt a little too dramatic, but she was very beautiful by her standards. She couldn't find the word, but it was nice to look at her. So she kept doing so. "Medicine? I see." Joanna could see this. Just by standing near her she could feel a calming aura of good health. Even her animal companion was in good condition, something not as common as one would expect. It was obvious that she cared for her companion, which was heartwarming to know. Joanna felt a bit jealous.

Shocked by the thought, Joanna quickly leapt at the opportunity to shift her focus. "I'm a traveler, by title." This was true. Most of her time was spent traveling. "And through my travels I help spread the word of my Goddess. The lady of hope and vigilance, Priskil. In other words, I am a traveling preacher." A preacher of justice as well, but that felt a little too cheesy to say out loud. She had made the mistake of overemphasizing her devotion in the past, much to the dismay of those who had to listen to her. She has since learned that brevity is virtue.

They were coming close to the stables, now, with it sitting just past a crowded center that seemed unlikely to pass anytime soon. Joanna was starting to get uncomfortable. Even with all of her vigilance, she still felt uncomfortable around loud noises and crowds. She wouldn't publicly admit it, though. She would hate to admit a weakness as great as that. But the discomfort was more than obvious. Almost instinctively, Joanna walked closer alongside the woman, feeling a bit more shielded from the chaos. The familiar feeling took grip again, but she tried to distract herself by speaking.

"My name is Joanna, by the way. Joanna Familiaris. I hope you don't mind me asking for yours."

[Selene Livingstone]

Priskil, the godness of hope. Her grandmother had told Selene about an order of Knights, the Order of Radiance, set to recover the lover's hearth and vanquish any darkness among their pathways. Unintentionally Selene's eyes shifted to the armour and rapidly back again to reciprocate the woman's glare. How many meanings can the world 'preacher' take according to who speaks it? Selene withheld asking.

As they turned left the small road gave way to one of Syliras arteries: a bigger, animated street that felt nothing like the sleepish corner Selene had spent her first few hours in. The city had woken up and was immersed in its frenetic routines. There, she was struck by the city odour. Which, to be honest, was rather bad compared to the smell of grass, rain and (in the lucky days) mushrooms Selene was used waking up to. But breaking through what she soon started calling 'city stench' acute fragrances captivated her sense. After all, the smell of fresh bread can have impacting effects on a weary traveller. Thus, it took her longer than usual to nothing how the tall woman now seemed so small, her height reduce of few inches by a new found 'curled' posture. In a way that pretty much resembled Apogeo (which Selene would have found hilarious if she didn't consider extremely impolite to laugh in front of a stranger) the woman had almost imperceptibly slowed down her pace, positioning herself that millimetre behind that made of Selene a shielding figure. Protecting from what? The people? Is that how to live in a big city: automatically distrusting everybody until proven wrong? Shouldn't be viceversa?

Witnessing how much she seemed to dislike being out here Selene was now more than before appreciating the gesture of the woman, who had just introduced herself has Joanna, even more.

'I am Selene Livingstone, of the Opal Clan” Selene said excessively out loud. She had struck out her chest and straighten her posture, while stating her name. She had learned that outside Cyphrus her identity was pretty much all she had. And she was keeping it tightly. ”And he...” she started saying while accompanying her voice with a pointing gesture ”is Apogeo”. To Selene's surprise, pointing at the horse had been more difficult that she was expecting: he wasn't exactly strolling behind as she thought he would, but he had moved up and was now browsing around Joanna's hair. She was a little thrown off by the easiness with which the horse was approaching Joanna. Not only because in the months of travelling between Cyphrus and Syliras it had become clear that not all human address horses as Drykas do, which had made Apogeo quite wary of strangers, but also because even before leaving Riverfall Apogeo wasn't that nice of a horse. Hell, to be honest, he was quite an arse.

”He seems to like you” she said to Joanna and couldn't help to feel slightly bitter about it, as a teenager who experiences jealousy for the first time.

[Joanna Familiaris]

Joanna thought hard for a second, processing the information Selene had given her. Horse. Opal Clan. Pale skin. Dark hair. Clarity struck her like a lightning bolt.

"Ahhh, a Drykas. It should have been obvious to me from the start. Hm-hm." She couldn't help but laugh at her own incompetence.

The mention of the Opal Clan made several more memories resurface, but none of them confirmed her interactions with said clan. She remembered learning of the clans, but only ever speaking with... well... just Drykas. No affiliation sprung to mind. Nowhere in her recollection was Selene, either. Not even Apogeo. Try as she might, nothing useful revealed itself to her. A bit disappointed, Joanna closed off her memories and returned to her conversation with her new acquaintance.

"I have a great deal of respect for your people. They helped me in my time of need, and I have yet to repay them for that. Such hospitality was... unmatched." Joanna took a deep breath. She would have spoken highly about the hoof rubs, but that was a bit too personal. And creepy. Still, her revelation put a lot into perspective. For one, it made her understand the strangeness she was feeling towards Selene. It was only natural, given her Kelvic nature. The Drykas almost seemed to have a magical bond with the equine, and she was not an exception to this. She couldn't call it an unpleasant sensation, though. But... hadn't she already thought of this before?

She didn't even realize they had reached the stables and out of the crowd until her thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of intense proximity. Turning her head back, she could see Apogeo investigating her. For him to have gotten this close already made her a bit nervous, but there was no malicious intent from what she could gather. He was an awfully handsome stallion, though. His coat looked like snow; white splotches against a dark coat. It made him distinct.

”He seems to like you” Selene had said. Joanna felt a bit embarrassed, feeling the faint traces of toxin in her words. Moving slowly, Joanna turned to Apogeo and extended her hand out just far enough for him to sniff it. When it seemed he was satisfied, Joanna stepped closer and began rubbing his head and neck.

"He's... quite a thing to behold. He must be very lucky to be in such capable hands." It was impossible to hold back a smile as she continued to pet the horse. Hoping to bring some clarity to the situation, Joanna expressed her thoughts. "As a Kelvic, I suppose there is... something that persists even in my human form. Maybe he still sees me as an equine." It made sense. To some degree.