[ The Bronze Woods ] The Scorched Flesh ( Noah )

[Vaticus Cartier]

21st Fall 515 A.V.

Cold, deep breaths were accompanied by beads of sweat as they dripped from the males’ visage. He listened to the pitter-patter of his heels as they struck the ground beneath him. His arms pumped incredibly hard as he improperly ran a rather short distance. Gusts of chilly-wind followed his motions and somewhat slowed the rate of his perspiration. His throat had been dry, and his muscles burned with his exhaustion. His clothing had been soaked with sweat and dirt meshed together to look like a filthy mush. Vaticus knew his limitation and decided he would stop his brief period of exercise; that he was weak and not ready to continue. Therefore he decided to take a moments rest, and practice another art he lacked proficiency in. Dissatisfied was he with his performance with the very simple physical task of a run. Therefore he continued to push himself beyond what he thought was his “limit.”

The vivid stench of the air filled his nostrils as he inhaled, and exhaled deeply. He attempted to calm himself; with a heart that raced rampantly. A swift observation had been made, and he noticed that when he slowed his rate of breath his heart-rate slowed. The very thought that he could do something to regain control of his body pleased him. Vaticus closed his eyes, and decided to take in all of his surroundings. He could hear the sound of birds as they chirped in the distance, and he felt the chill of the wind against his sweaty skin.

Vaticus continued to concentrate on his surroundings; before he began to take a drawn out deep breath. He then shifted his focus toward the center of both his palms. Vaticus brought together his hands as he changed positions. He crossed his right leg over his left leg, and entered what was practically a meditative position. He specifically concentrated on the palms of his hands as he brought them together. Before he proceeded to expel a small amount of glowing blue res from his palms, and he immediately made note of something. The more he concentrated the further he could manipulate this small amount of res. The male focused even further before he proceeded to ignite the bit of res and he felt the heat of the flame as the res lit up within his palms at a distance of nine inches.

He continued to breathe and attempt to maintain control. Vaticus finally opened his eyes to see that a small blue flame had formed within his palms. Before he attempted to take the use of his reimancy a step further; he took yet another series of deep breaths. His shirt clung to his skin which felt absolutely disgusting. Vaticus wondered how much more res it’d take to enlarge the ball of flame and he continued to focus on the center of his palms. He never thought that it’d be terribly difficult to maintain concentration. The moment he realized what truly went on he’d been horrified. He watched as the ball grew far too large to control. Vaticus panicked and threw the ball forth toward the somewhat moist ground below. An intensely hot pain overcame him the moment he threw the ball of flame forth. He watched as it impacted the ground and almost immediately dispersed.

He looked down in shock as he realized that the tips of his fingers had been torched. The pain only grew more intense by the moment, and he sank his teeth into the soft flesh of his lip. To the point of where crimson-fluid exited his lip. Vaticus thought that in order to stop the pain he would need to create pain in another place. Blood struck a leaf directly below where he sat, and he heard the impact. Vaticus did everything in his power in order to suppress the pain, but it hadn’t been working at all. He released a soft grunt; before he stood once more and he slowly walked through the woods.

My Speech | My Thoughts | Other's Speech

[Noah Amuel]

Noah hugged his wool cloak close to his body. It was white in color, contrasting greatly with his brown, green, and orange surroundings. This morning was proving itself to be very cold, very bitter, and very uncomfortable for the young Kelvic man. He wouldn’t be out in the Bronze Woods if his stomach wasn’t aching from the lack of food. It had been a good three days since Noah last ate. Ever since he was injured, he hadn’t been able to feel his bondmate, Caesarion. He feared the worst, but finally came to conclusion that, in fact, Caesarion abandoned him, ending their bond effectively before Noah was able to rejoin him on the road.

It was true, Noah was depressed, terribly so. He hadn’t slept for several days. The Kelvic’s face was gaunt, revealing his high cheekbones and hollow jowls. He knew, though, that he had to get over the rut in his life if he wanted to survive the autumn into the winter. He had to survive, he couldn’t let one failed bond, one misshapen connection, ruin the rest of his life. He couldn’t let it kill him. He was young, only eight years old; he had his entire life ahead of him. Like his mother, he could live to sixty years old -- older than most Kelvics.

If he wanted to make it to his sixtieth birthday, he’d need to shape up. That’s what motivated him to get back into the forest, to get back into hunting. He needed food, he needed to practice, he needed to be with Zulrav in the sky with the god’s wind beneath his wings.

The wind whipped angrily for a brief moment in time, freezing Noah in his stride. The Kelvic tried to hug the cloak tighter to his body but it would go no more. It was as tight as the fabric would allow. He looked up to the sky and only saw clouds. There was no storm coming, but the winds around him were angry. Zulrav was planning something. His mark, placed on his right shoulder blade, sent a tingle down his spine as he tried to sense further. The mark would not allow it, but, with his animal’s intuition, he felt as if a storm was coming. It was far off though.

A doubt slithered into his mind: if it was going to storm at all, why waste the time going hunting? The rain would only dampen things, making it impossible for the avian Kelvic to hunt and his clothes would be sopping wet by the time he returned to the place where he intended to hide them. He peered back behind himself past the thicket to the road from which he came. He could turn back now, he thought, return home. Maybe bother Elann for a meal. He shoved the doubt from his mind. Zulrav was good to him, Noah was a good worshipper. It would be a disrespect to the god if Noah didn’t fly with him. So, Noah trudged on.

The Kelvic walked further and further into the forest until familiar landmarks came into view. There was the downed tree from last year, snapped at the base of its trunk from a passing storm. Then there was the tree struck by lightning during a summer storm. It was dead now, but still black and charred. That was where he’d store his clothes: in the crook of where the tree split, where the lightning hit it square. He was prepared to shrug off his cloak when another whip of wind blew, snapping at the bare branches above him. Zulrav was urging him elsewhere.

“Fine, I’ll go where you want me to go,” Noah spoke in an annoyed tone to the God of Storms.

The Kelvic went in the direction the wind blew towards, taking careful steps over the fallen leaves. He did not try to hide his movements however. If it was Zulrav taking him on this path, then he knew the god would protect him if harm came. The wind kept blowing softly behind Noah, pushing him gently in the direction it intended him to go. As Noah walked, he let his eyes wander from side to side, taking in his surroundings. Fall was hitting this particular patch of the woodwork heavily. The trees were dropping their leaves in droves and they blanketed the forest floor with an array of orange, brown, and yellow.

Noah was no stranger to harsh falls for he knew even harsher winters were to come. If he intended to survive the winter, he’d need to eat enough to put the weight back on his bones. Of course he had the coin to feed himself in Syliras, but why waste coin on human machinations when you had every predatory aspect of nature at your disposal? He’d rather put his coin to his rent than to his pantry.

Suddenly the wind stopped flowing from behind him and rushed from his left. Noah turned his head in the direction the wind blew and set his eyes on a figure, on a human from the looks of it. What’s he doing out here? Noah thought, taking the hood of his cloak down to reveal a curly mop of brown hair, tinted with gray due to the overcast. Noah remained still and apparently Zulrav disagreed because the wind gusted again, insistent and urging. Fine! Noah thought in reply.

He took careful steps towards the man, leaves crunching under his boots. He approached the man from behind before bringing his right hand up to his mouth. He whispered the words ‘who are you’ into his fingertips. Then he reached out, flinging a small breath of his own created wind to pass by the man’s ears. The man would hear Noah’s voice like a whisper on the wind, if he hadn’t felt Noah’s presence by now.

[Vaticus Cartier]

“Petch, I can’t at all understand for the life of me why I somehow burned myself. I suppose that if others aren’t an exception to being burned then I’m not safe either.” Spoke Vaticus as he drew yet another deep breath and attempted to dampen the pain. He continued to pace through the woods rather slowly, and he made yet another attempt to properly use reimancy. He decided to make use of wind rather than flame due to its’ less destructive nature. The male took a different approach to the usage of his res in this case. He evenly distributed it across the tips of his fingers; res in a gaseous state had been released. This time however it had been colorless and transparent and whipped about violently. He focused solely on the concept of attraction.

In order to attract he had to ensure that he produced enough res to “Pull” the wind toward his palms. Despite the fact that he very well knew that he wouldn’t pull much in this case due to his level of proficiency. Despite the fact that he still felt beads of sweat as they exited the pores of his skin he maintained his concentration. He felt the movement of the wind as he witnessed visible motion toward the res within his palms. Despite the fact that it had been minute, the only reason he knew it’d worked; was due to the fact that he observed leaves being uplifted from the ground below.

The power of the winds only continued to grow as he controlled the res within his palms. He felt slightly more fatigued then he’d already been, and he figured this was because of his use of reimancy. His clothes fluttered amidst the wind; the aforementioned beads of sweat began to dissipate. He slowly, but steadily dried his clothing. Yet, he grew too fatigued to continue the process for he knew if he had that he would pass out. Aqua de vitae leaked from the males lip still, and he noticed how long it’d taken to heal.

The cool breeze somewhat soothed the intensely painful sensation which lingered about on his fingertips. His lip had been slightly swollen from the impact of his ivories as they sank into the flesh. The blood dried upon his visage and stopped just below the males chin. He proceeded to wipe the blood from his face with the outside of his right hand. Suddenly he’d heard an incredibly odd sound, a whisper that was loud and clear. Yet, no one had been around him as far as he’d noticed he looked around briefly in order to attempt to see who delivered the message.

“Who are you” spoke the mysterious and yet incredibly calm voice which only further made him feel as if he’d lost his mind. Had he truly heard a voice; and if he did he most certainly didn’t know where it came from. In order to find out he simply delivered a response to the strange voice which he heard travel with the wind.

“My name is Vaticus Cartier. I have no clue as to who you are or where you’ve come from. If you’re nearby; please reveal yourself to me. I mean you no harm at all what so ever if you do not mind then show yourself. “

He concluded his brief speech and turned about in circles; as he attempted to observe his surroundings for any suspicious movement. He felt as if he’d been stranded despite the fact that he was no more than a few miles away from the inner city. Vaticus simply had to know who spoke in that odd tone, and why they were able to do so.

[color=#64095A]My Speech|My Thoughts | Other's Speech

[Noah Amuel]

Noah waited with held breath as the wind of his own creation trickled towards the pacing man. Did it work at all? he wondered, unsure of himself. He had not practiced his god given ability in some time. Perhaps the mark on his back did not activate. That was impossible though, Zulrav was with him. He knew it. The Kelvic was prepared to flee if all went bad, but usually his instincts would tell him much before his own thoughts would suggest it. In this moment though, there were no instincts tugging at his legs, instead it was all in his mind.

Then Noah noticed that the wind had actually died down around him. Zulrav’s whispers could no longer be heard by his ear and the god’s presence could no longer be felt nearby. Instantly Noah was on edge. Had his god forsaken him? Had Zulrav abandoned him? Noah refused to believe it.

He jumped when the man spoke. “I am Vaticus Cartier,” he said. Noah wondered why he did not turn around. Did he not hear Noah’s initial whisperings? Apparently not because the man, Vaticus, continued to talk to the air around him. He stated he did not know who it was, where it came from, and asked it to reveal itself. Noah didn’t know how to follow up with such questions. Should he blow his cover? Reveal himself immediately to Vaticus?

There was no way for Noah to move without causing the man alarm. The air was too still now, the morning was as quiet as death. Like death, Noah did not move, he barely breathed. The only way he knew he was still alive was when his heart surged blood through his veins with each heavy beat. He licked his dry lips only to have the frigid air around him wick the moisture away from them. Again he brought his right hand up to his lips and whispered into his fingertips...

“I mean you no harm,” said the first trickle of words.

“My name is Noah.”

“I am,” said the third trickle, “behind you.”

[Vaticus Cartier]

A small display of teeth crept across the males face, a menacing smile. As he heard the remainder of the winds messages he complied, and turned about the moment he heard them. The voice beckoned him to find “Noah”, and the moment he turned around he saw the man. Vaticus himself appeared a bit “Beaten-up”, and looked as if he’d gotten into a vicious scrap or had been mauled by an animal. The wound on his lip still remained swollen, irritated and stopped bleeding.

Vaticus endured the overwhelming pain and fatigue with a large amount of difficulty. He attempted to fix his posture and stand erect before the man, but he couldn’t. He staggered forth for a mere two steps before he collapsed to the ground.

The man kicked up a bit of dirt as his knee slammed into the somewhat soft ground beneath him. He’d lost his balance, and would need to remain in this position for a little while. He let out a series of heavy exhalations, and stared at the other male for a brief moment. Following the heavy breaths he spoke a simple series of words.

“You scared the shyke out’ta me. Had you been any closer I probably would’ve attacked you. Although I know in my current condition I would’ve wound up falling over before much could’ve been done.” Spoke Vaticus

The male, despite the fact that he still questioned how in the world he had been able to communicate through the wind at a distance. Vaticus thought to question it at first, but he knew that if he did things could become incredibly nasty if he’d done so.

He looked down for a brief moment at his own fingertips, and had been instantaneously horrified. Charred flesh, maimed and darkened with red colorations in various areas of each of his fingertips had been discovered. The look on his face became one of disgust the moment he realized what happened.

Vaticus hadn’t simply slightly scorched his flesh as he originally thought, but he’d done far more damage then he knew of. That offered up a rather nice explanation for why he felt such intense pain from a simple burn. His mouth gaped wide open in the very moment he realized what actually happened, and he let out a blood-curdling scream.

“This is what reimancy is capable of on a small scale.. This is only the beginning and it is absolutely horrifying to imagine what will happen when I become better with using it.” He thought to himself as his heart continued to skip beats before he attempted to calm himself down.

He inhaled slowly, deeply and filled his lungs to capacity before he followed up with an exhalation of the same caliber. He attempted not to panic about the small injury for it could’ve been much worst had he lost all control of the flame he held mere moments ago. His hands trembled and he clenched his fists tightly in order to distract himself from the pain.

[color=#64095A]My Speech | My Thoughts | Other's Speech

[Noah Amuel]

Noah shifted his weight to his backfoot as Vaticus turned around. He was unsure how the man would react. Given the distance between them Noah had plenty of time to run, get a head start on Vaticus if he would attack, but, by Vaticus’ appearance, that would not be the case. If anything it looked like the man needed help. Help that Noah wasn’t particularly qualified to give. Vaticus looked as if he had been in a scuffle, a bout of fisticuffs. It made Noah wonder what the man could have been doing, so early in the morning, which left him seeming as if he needed a trip to the healers and a hot bath.

The Kelvic kept his sharp eyes on Vaticus. They were wide, Noah was very alert,ready to defend himself or run if need be. When the man tried to straighten up, fix his posture, Noah inched backwards. What happened next came as a surprise to Noah: Vaticus took two steps forward them collapsed, his knee burying itself in the soft, cold ground, taking the brunt of his fall.

Noah’s feelings shifted from alert to concern. He realized that Vaticus really didn’t pose any threat to him, especially in such a state where he could not walk more than a meter without falling. Whatever the man was doing before Noah stumbled upon him left him worse for wear. The Kelvic locked his eyes with Vaticus’, mouth parted slightly as shallow breaths came and went between his lips.

“You scared the shyke out’ta me,” Vaticus started. “Had you been closer I probably would’ve attacked you.” Noah thought what he said was ironic, seeing as he just fell not a mere moment earlier. But, what the man said next confirmed Noah’s irony. The eagle shifted his weight again and let his arms hang on either side of his body. What was Noah to do? If Vaticus was seriously hurt, Noah didn’t have the tools nor experience to heal him. He wouldn’t even be able to get the man to a healer if he couldn’t walk on his own. They were only a couple miles away from Syliras, but in Noah’s own weakened state, Vaticus would prove to be too heavy a load to carry.

“Are you hurt?” Noah stumbled to say before being startled half to death by Vaticus’ blood-curdling scream. The Kelvic placed a hand over his chest where his heart would be. He felt it beating fast and hard, sending a rush of adrenaline through his body. The shout had made him want to run but, humanly speaking, he had to stay. What kind of person would he be if he abandoned this obviously injured soul in the forest not far from Syliras? Then again, he wasn’t really a person. Did that exclude him from the social mess that was human morals? He couldn’t decide.

His body decided for him when he took a half-step backwards. Noah couldn’t help Vaticus. Right now, Noah was uselessly weak himself and possessed no knowledge on dealing with injured people. Then he thought on the doctor that healed his wounds, the young auburn headed girl who selflessly stitched him together. Then Elann came to his mind, his neighbor, a Benshira girl whose kindness knew no bounds.

The wind surged from behind him, pushing him towards Vaticus. That was the last bit of encouragement Noah needed; if Zulrav insisted, he would not disobey. He took slow steps towards Vaticus as the downed man let out a deep exhalation of air and clenched his fists. “Where are you hurt?” Noah asked. He had managed to get within an arm’s reach of Vaticus before kneeling himself to eye level with the downed man. “Can I,” he stumbled. “Can I help you?”

[Vaticus Cartier]

The searing hot pain continued to course through the males veins, and as the stranger approached him he let out a sigh of relief. Upon being asked rather or not he was okay he responded with a simple phrase. “Yes, I’m fine lad I will recover in due time. As long as I’m still capable of drawing breath then I can continue to move. “Spoke Vaticus whilst he struggled to stand upon his feet. His legs trembled with pain, and he felt the sting and burn of even the most minute motions. He placed a hand upon the strangers shoulder with a firm grip. He simply made use of the other males’ body as support for him to stand for a brief moment.

Vaticus never once at any point in his life-time felt this physically drained. He’d learned that if res is constantly being exuded; it would drain the Wizards ability to maintain physical stalwartness. A few ticks later and the deep inhalations and exhalations ceased. He felt as if he’d swallowed blades with each and every breath a mere moment ago. Now he simply limped off a few more feet and spoke once more to the man who offered him help. “This is quite the interesting way for us to meet, Noah.” He spoke and scoffed immediately afterward. He couldn’t stand being physically weak to the point of where he required aid from anyone else.

Vaticus was always the stubborn type, and he possessed what seemed like an unearthly amount of determination. He gritted his teeth and somehow managed to smile at Noah with a sense of gratitude for his concern. “Tell ya’ what lad, if you’ll help me get back to the inner city then I’ll repay you in any way that I can possibly do so. Right now as you can see I’m obviously not in the best shape as much as I hate to admit it. You seem like company worth keeping.” He spoke in a deep and soothing voice. His words were short-lived, and he wrapped his right arm around the length of Noah’s shoulder. Without hesitation he nudged the boy and attempted to have Noah aid him with motion.

He absolutely hated each and every perpetual moment of this. Vaticus always knew that he would have to repay anyone who offered him a favor. Especially one of this caliber, a situation where he could hardly move enough to make his way the next few paces. Despite that fact he continued on, and decided that he would accept Noah’s offer of aid.

Vaticus thought about exactly how he’d ever be able to compensate the man for his good deed. However there was no possible way to properly thank Noah, and he knew that in the back of his mind. He would continue to think about any possible solution on the way back to the city, and for now he’d leave it be.

My Speech | My Thoughts | Other's Speech

[Noah Amuel]

As Vaticus bore a smile towards Noah, the Kelvic couldn’t help but admire the downed man’s ability to grin through the pain. Noah did not need Vaticus to tell him how much pain and discomfort he was in, for Noah could see that in the man’s inability to stand on his own, nevermind the dirt on his face. Vaticus appeared as if he had been through a gauntlet, long before Noah arrived on the scene. It was after his smile did Vaticus ask Noah to help him back to the city, something that Noah secretly did not want to do. He hoped that Vaticus wouldn’t have asked, but he did, thus Noah complied. But before Noah could reply, Vaticus had already snaked his arm around Noah, draping his arm over the Kelvic’s shoulders.

What Vaticus didn’t know is that Noah’s own injury still ached. It was an ache light enough for Noah to bear on his own, but with half the weight of another man on his body, he wasn’t sure how his injured leg would hold up. Vaticus nudged Noah to help him up. Noah balanced precariously on his good leg before forcing himself to a stand, towing Vaticus along with him. The once downed man had mentioned repaying Noah for his kindness, yet Noah did not know what he would need or want from such an act. It wasn’t as if he needed coin or food. He doubted he would see Vaticus ever again after he helped him back to the city. After all, Syliras was a decently sized city; half the people he saw or interacted with, he never saw again, let alone remembered.

When Noah was confident in his footing, he glanced to the sky then to the trees around them. He looked for a landmark, something to guide him back to the city. When he found the charred black branches of the lightning struck tree he turned with Vaticus in the direction back to the city. His steps were slow and careful at first, judging not only Vaticus’ mobility, but his own as well. As they walked he increased his speed into a comfortable saunter, walking towards the road from whence he had come. He remained quiet all the while, only breathing heavily, concentrating on maintaining his balance and keeping hold of Vaticus’ waist and arm.

[Vaticus Cartier]

Vaticus continued to smile as he had been supported by the young fellow. Although it wasn’t very hard to tell exactly how fatigued Noah had been as well. Vaticus generally listened closely to the things people said, and paid close attention to their actions. Noah had most definitely been willing to help, but it seemed more-so for the purpose of simply being kind. He’d surely plan to purchase a meal for the young lad when they’d reached the inner city. Syliras was a rather wonderful and gorgeous place; despite the fact that danger lied dormant right outside the gates.

Vaticus knew nothing about how to survive, but in this case he’d been saved by the bell. He thought about the fact that if Noah hadn’t conveniently showed up then he’d most certainly be dead.

He grunted with each and every step that he’d taken, and he continued to endure the pain. Resilience was a trait he carried with pride. He hadn’t ever intended to wind up in a situation like this, but he was glad he’d done so. Vaticus had been glad due to the fact that he never believed in coincidences, and perhaps this was simply destined to occur. He wanted to know more about the mysterious character that practically saved his life. Therefore he decided to ask the boy a question, perhaps to “break the ice”.

Vaticus parted his lips and spoke “Since we do not know each-other why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself? Hobbies, your job.. Anything at all? I would simply like to get more well acquainted with you. I would love to be a friend of yours, if you would permit that then I’d be absolutely grateful.”

He concluded his short lived speech.

Vaticus tilted his head upward and stared off into the beautiful skies. He immediately made note of how It looked like a massive azure dome with splotches of white. The cool breeze caused goose-bumps to emerge from the surface of his skin. He hadn’t worn a jacket or anything that would keep him warm. A very slight shiver shook his frame a bit. He felt the cold of the wind combined with the dirt and moist sweat still upon his shirt. He then lowered his cranial structure and looked back at Noah. He wished he could come up with an immediate conclusion as to what he could do to repay the man.

“By the way.. before we get too deep into the conversation, where do you live my good mate?” He questioned out of curiosity. Hopefully he took things in the right direction with the conversation, and he had no knowledge of the man. He wanted to learn to better trust and interact with people; something he has had trouble with in the past. Ever since the disappearance of his “parents” he’s been incredibly isolated and distant with people.

Vaticus simply wished to make a friend for once in his life-time, and hopefully he’d found the right one. He thought to himself as he could hear the leaves beneath his feet shift about, and crunch. Minor noises were heard off in the distance, leaves rustled and trees swayed to the “rhythm” of the winds as they whipped about.

My Speech | My Thoughts | Other's Speech

[Noah Amuel]

Noah felt his injured leg beginning to throb beneath his trousers. It was bearable for the moment, but he knew it would only get worse. He also knew that he couldn’t push himself to get Vaticus to the city faster. It would only cause the Kelvic more hurt, more discomfort. He had never pushed himself this far actually. It was a stretch to even leave his home on his injured leg – it was already an ordeal to put on underclothes in itself. Elann, his neighbor, friend, and caretaker, would have scolded him harshly if she knew what he was doing. He had hoped to be home before she would come over, but that was turning out to be very unlikely.

The wind around him was calm, blowing gently to and fro. Above, the overcast was breaking up, giving way to blue sky heavily dotted with white clouds. Zulrav’s gaze was elsewhere, the storm the god was brewing could no longer be felt by Noah. Lately, with all that had happened to him, Noah was feeling devout and connected to his patron deity. He felt as if the god was honestly looking out for him, keeping him out of harm’s way and guiding him to fortunes. His thoughts settled on Vaticus then. Zulrav had obviously pointed Noah in the man’s direction, but was it for Noah to find him, to save his life, or was it for Noah to form a new connection, a potential ally in the world?

The throb in his leg detracted from the questions, plus Vaticus was starting to talk again. Vaticus requested more information on Noah, the Kelvic’s interest and occupation, anything really. Even though Noah was perfectly content with staying quiet, he knew it was within most human’s behavior to seek out conversation. For some reason they just couldn’t stand the silence. Vaticus then expressed that he would like to be a friend to Noah; if the eagle allowed it, he would be grateful.

Noah thought on what to say, probably remaining quiet too long for comfort. It was simply because he did not know of hobbies relatable to a human, to a stranger. He could say that he enjoyed hunting, but what would be the follow up question to that? What kind of weapon he used to hunt? His favorite game? The answer to the former would be his talons, the answer to the latter would be hares and squirrels.

“I’m a courier,” he finally said, choosing to answer at least one of Vaticus’ questions. “I don’t do much.” It was much too soon for Noah to reveal that he was a Kelvic. There was no telling how Vaticus would react, if he would be violent, if he would be repulsed, disgusted. Noah would rather walk on eggshells than be potentially pushed into a spike-pit.

He could hear the rumbling of a cart on the road ahead. Traffic was starting to come through. The world was waking up. A breeze swept past, passing over the duo in a full gust. While Noah himself wasn’t particularly cold – he had several layers on – he knew his less dressed acquaintance was. All the more reason to get him back to Syliras, Noah thought.

“I live in Syliras,” Noah replied, answering Vaticus’ second question. “In the Traveler’s Row.” He licked his dry lips. Elann would scold him for his short answers. “What about you?”

The road was drawing nearer.