[Zhongjie Warren] Here's a Cat, There's a Bird

by **Lian Windrunner** on February 2nd, 2016, 7:39 pm

15th Day of Winter, 515 AV

As Lian walked along the road towards the city, he thought about his reasons for wanting to make the trip. The animals at the Sanctuary seemed to like him because of his new power. Especially horses. They loved to spend time with him, loved it when he paid attention to him, and simply seemed to enjoy being in his company. They worked well for him when he used them for the riding lessons he gave.

Lian truly enjoyed his new relationship with the horses that he loved. Especially Talise. Being able to actually talk to her...really talk to her was surely a gift from the gods. He couldn't even begin to imagine anything he would enjoy more. Talise had always been one of his best friends. But now, their relationship was better than it had ever been before.

But his gift didn't work only with horses. The puppy he had found a couple of days ago seemed to trust him far more quickly than he would have thought it would. Perhaps it was because he had helped to save her from the kids who were hurting her. Perhaps it was his newfound gift. And perhaps it was a bit of both. Whatever the reason, the puppy was quickly coming to love him dearly. Even with her injured leg, she wanted to follow him wherever he went. Lian looked forward to the time when she was fully healed. He wanted to try training her, using some of the things he had read about in the book he had found at the Valkalah library.

Lian wanted to know if his ability would work on all animals. He knew that it worked on animals he didn't know well. After all, it worked with every horse in the Sanctuary, whether he had worked with them in the past, or not. And it had worked with the puppy. He had sensed her pain. But would it work on cats? Birds? What about deer? Or fish? Dangerous predators, like glass beaks? Lian didn't see them all that often when he was out hunting, since he used the Web to warn him of the approach of predators. But if it did work on all animals, his newfound ability could prove very useful in a pinch if he ever got too caught up in the hunt to miss the warning signs of approaching danger. If he could somehow convince a glass beak that it liked him, then he would have a better chance of surviving an encounter with a pack of them.

It was for this reason that Lian made his way into the city. He had gone to Zhongjie Warren with Kavala and Kiva when they were getting their costumes for the Winter Blaze festival earlier in the season. If he was going to find animals for sale somewhere in the city, it stood to reason that he'd find them in the sprawling marketplace that was Zhongjie Warren. Even if he was wrong, and there weren't any animals for sale in Zhongjie Warren, there was a good chance that he would come across a stray animal of some kind. Or even a bird flying about its business. Something he could test his new power on.

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by **Lian Windrunner** on February 3rd, 2016, 7:13 pm

As Lian slowly made his way through the crowds in what he hoped was the direction he needed to take to reach Zhongjie Warren, he couldn't help but overhear bits and pieces of the conversations going on all around him. Everyone seemed to be talking about a festival that was supposed to happen today. From one conversation, he heard that it was called the fesitval of hope. From another, he learned that it was a festival that celebrated children. Both new children born that year, and the lives of children born in the years before.

Lian liked the idea of a festival for and about children. Children were important to any people. And as such, they were something to treasure. He hoped to be able to see the festival while he was in the city. It would make his trip that much more enjoyable.

When Lian entered Zhongjie Warren, he felt...at home. The brightly colored tents soothed something deep within him. They were familiar. Comforting. And far less of an intimidating sight than the stone buildings that made up so much of the city. He was slowly becoming accustomed to them, but the tents of the marketplace were a very welcome sight, all the same.

Sapphire, and Ruby. he mused absently, as he looked at all of the brightly colored tents.

Lian paused, trying to focus on the stray thought. As he did, a memory slowly returned. Sapphire and Ruby were two of the names for the Drykas Clans. Opal, Emerald, Amethyst, Diamond, and Topaz were the names of the other Clans. And he himself was a part of the Sapphire Clan. The Clan known for their skills with magic. Specifically Reimancy, and the Webbing that he had recently rediscovered his passion for.

Regaining another piece of his past felt wonderful. It made him feel more...complete. Whole. But it was not what he had come to Zhongjie Warren for. So Lian began walking among the tents, weaving in and out of the crowd as he searched for animals to test his new found power on.

As he searched, an angry hissing sound caught his attention. He found the source in time to see a stray cat take a swipe at the leg of an Akalak whose foot was perilously close to her tail. Her tail. Without even getting close enough to check, he knew that the stray was a female. She wasn't in pain, so he realized that the man must not have actually stepped on her tail. But she was angry, and frightened. She was hungry, too.

The man kicked at the stray cat, who leaped back, arching her back. She hissed even louder. The Akalak stormed off, quickly vanishing into the crowd. Lian waited until he was gone, before approaching towards the frightened stray cat slowly. When he got within several feet of her, she hissed. But the sound was less intense than it was mere ticks before. Lian stopped where he was, and squatted down. Then he extended his arm, and stretched his hand out flat with the palm up. It worked as a way of introducing himself to a strange horse. Perhaps it would work with the cat, as well.

At first, nothing happened. The cat stared at him from what she judged to be a safe distance. But Lian was patient. After a quarter of a bell or so, the cat began to slowly, and gradually edge towards him.

Lian watched the cat move. To him, it seemed as though she was pretending to be causal. She was just moving in his direction by chance. But when she drew closer, she sniffed his out stretched hand cautiously.

The cat didn't trust him. Lian sensed that much with his new ability. But even without it, the cat's actions spoke volumes. She was cautious, wary. She held herself tense, and ready to flee at a tick's notice. Lian knew that if he tried to pick her up, she would fight back with tooth and claw to remain free. But when Lian held perfectly still, not making any move that might be seen as threatening, she began to relax a little. Lian felt this, and smiled.

The stray cat allowed him to pet her for a few chimes. Then she raced off. Lian watched her go until she was out of sight. Only then did he stand, and continue on his way. He was proud of himself as he walked through the crowd. His success with the stray told him that it worked with cats as well as dogs, and horses. From that, Lian guessed that it might work on all kinds of cats. He had also learned that his ability would work on animals he had never even seen before. Well, it was more of a confirmation than a new discovery since his ability had worked with the puppy he had rescued a couple of days before.

Then again, those circumstances had been different. The puppy had been injured. It was possible that the injury made a difference. If the puppy had thought he would help with its injury because of his ability, it might have accepted him for that reason instead of any attempt on his part to use his gift. If that were true, the puppy would have been more disposed to want to trust him. And therefore, it wasn't the same situation as his success with the stray cat just now. For that reason, Lian wanted to find another animal and try again.

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by **Lian Windrunner** on February 5th, 2016, 3:29 am

Crowds of children surrounded several of the tents where people had animals that performed tricks, painted the faces of the eager children, or put on shows for them. Other tents had games, or treats for the children. Parents followed their children at a distance, allowing them to run about and have fun. Each of the children that Lian saw wore leaf covered branches around their heads. Lian guessed that it was part of the festival.

"Lukar! Lukar, wait up!"

Lian froze at the sound of that name. Memories assailed him. An older brother who loved to hunt, and thrived on the lessons their father had to teach. A protective older brother who would do anything for his family. Especially his younger brother, and sister. Three children grieving over the loss of their parents. Clinging to each other when they were all that they had left. A young man, and girl ravaged by illness. Fighting to survive the illness that claimed so many lives in the heat of summer. Pain wracked, and frail, losing the battle by inches as they struggled against the inevitable. Cold, and still, their weary souls fled back into the Web.

A young boy raced past Lian, shrieking with joy, and excitement. Like the other children, he wore leaf covered branches woven into a wreath around his head. A few ticks later, a woman rushed by Lian, clearly chasing after the boy. She didn't seem to notice him as she ran past, but the tiny dog in her arms did. It stared at him until both were out of sight. Lian got a brief sense that it wanted to be running free. Then it was gone.

Lian barely had time to process the feeling before more memories overwhelmed him. A baby boy in his arms. The tiny weight of his body, warm, and real. A son. An heir. The promise of a future for his pavilion. And the boy had a sister. Lira. Twins born on a captive who had no choice in the matter.

Lukar was both his past, and his future. Brother, and son. He was a father. And he needed to know if his children were still alive. For that, he needed to return to Endrykas. But that would have to wait until spring when the tent city was closer to Riverfall. And planning a trip to Endrykas would take a lot of work. If he started planning the trip soon, he would be ready to go by spring.

For now, though, there was little he could do today. So Lian turned his attention back to his surroundings. When he did, he saw one of the children he'd met the other day when he rescued his new puppy. She was wearing a wreath made out of branches like the other children he'd seen were. But there was a furtive look about her. It looked to him as though she was trying to fit in with the crowd, without quite managing to do so.

Lian watched her as she wove her way through the crowd. She moved with a purpose that most children didn't have. He still felt bothered by the way she and the other children he'd met bolted when he asked about where they lived. It made him think that they were in trouble somehow. And if that were true, then he wanted to help them if he could. So he decided to try and follow the girl.

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by **Lian Windrunner** on February 5th, 2016, 6:14 pm

Following the girl through the crowded streets was very difficult. Lian kept losing sight of her as she dodged around someone. And there were no signs that he recognized that would tell him where she had gone. But each time he lost sight of her, he would catch a glimpse of her a little further away. That aided his efforts. So did the fact that unlike the wide open Sea of Grass, a person's movements were constrained here.

For those reasons, and the fact that she didn't seem to realize that she was being followed, an impossible task was made barely possible. Unfortunately, Lian was completely lost by the time the girl he was following came to stop in an alley. Three other children joined her, two of which Lian had met before. When the children met up with each other, they headed out the far end of the alley, and into the city proper once more.

Once again, Lian had great difficulty trying to follow the children as they moved through the crowds. There were no foot prints for him to follow if he lost track of them. Any foot prints they might have made were lost in the myriad of prints made by others. But as before, they didn't seem to be aware that he was following them. As a result, they took no efforts to conceal their movements beyond trying to blend in with the other children running around. Had they been trying to hide their movements, Lian held no illusions about his ability to follow them.

The kids clearly knew where they were going. Which was a good thing, since Lian did not. Before long, Lian found himself in a park. Strange stone figures stood everywhere he looked. Some were of people that Lian didn't recognize. Others were of animals. They looked like figurines that a carver would make, only much bigger. Most of them were even life sized! And the details in each were incredible. Lian swore that he could almost see them breathing.

"Are you sure you don't want to participate in the scavenger hunt, Meiris?" one of the boys asked plaintively.

"I really wanted to win the bear totem this year."

The girl named Meiris scowled at him.

"I'm sure. What would you do with it if you did win, anyway? You can't eat it. And if you tried to sell it, there'd be trouble. All it's good for is asking one of the older kids to come take it from you."

"I guess so..."

"Besides, everyone's distracted by the festival now. If we're careful, and lucky, maybe we can steal enough mizas to last us for a while. We might even manage to get a gold miza if we're really lucky."

That thought seemed to cheer the other children up. They grinned, and started telling each other what they would buy if they ever managed to get a gold miza.

"Yeah...I guess you're right." the boy said after a few chimes.

"But can we light our lanterns, at least? I know it's early, but whose gonna notice? I kind of like the idea of being the first person to light my lantern. And besides...when everyone else does come out to light theirs, they'll just think that someone else was faster than them."

Lian watched Meiris as she seemed to give the boy's question some thought. From what he had seen, she was the leader of their group of friends.

"I guess that'd be okay. But...do any of you guys have any flint? Cause I don't..."

The boy who had asked about lighting his lantern looked very disappointed as he shook his head. The other kids shook their heads as well.

"Maybe we can get some flint when we're looking for mizas?" the boy asked hopefully.

"We can try, at least." Meiris responded.

"I don't know if we'll find any or not, but it's worth a try."

Lian felt the pouch he carried his flint in instinctively. Even before he had remembered anything about his past, he had felt more comfortable...even safer when he carried it with him at all times. You never knew when you'd need a piece of flint, after all. And it was better to have it and not need it than to need it, and not have it handy. Now that he had remembered some things, he was even more determined to keep flint with him wherever he went. It was unlikely that his life would ever depend on his ability to make a fire here in Riverfall, but a lifetime of beliefs was a hard thing to overcome.

The question wasn't whether Lian was willing to help or not. He had the feeling that these children were in trouble of some kind. If that were true, it didn't matter if he knew them or not. Children were to be cherished. If they were in trouble, and there was something Lian could do to help them, then he would. It was that simple. The real question was whether the children would accept his help. Lian wasn't certain whether it was him in particular that the children didn't trust, or whether it was adults in general. Either way, he had to try.

"I have some flint." Lian said as he approached the group of children slowly.

"If you'd like, I can light these lanterns of yours." he offered.

The children froze at the sound of his voice. They stared at him with wide, wary eyes as he approached them. Lian thought they might bolt at first. But they stood their ground.

"You...you're that guy who saved the puppy! Is it okay?"

Lian studied the boy who hadn't spoken before now. His clothes were tattered, but they had a familiar look to them. A Drykas look. Two of the other children were wearing similar clothes. Were they Drykas, then? If so, how had they gotten here? Why were they still here while Endrykas was so far away? And where were their parents?

"She has a broken leg, but she'll be okay. She just needs plenty of rest, and someone to take care of her."

"Does that mean that you're gonna take care of her?" the boy questioned.

Lian nodded.

"It does."

The boy grinned. Then he turned to Meiris.

"I think we can trust him. Enough to let him help us with the lanterns, at least. Anyone who is willing to help a stray puppy like that can't be all bad."

Meiris stared at him, her eyes narrowed warily as she studied him. After a while, she nodded.

"I guess so..." she said doubtfully.

Then she turned to face Lian.

"Thanks for helping the puppy, by the way. You didn't have to do that."

"It was the right thing to do." Lian said simply.

Meiris stared at him again, clearly startled by his answer. Then she nodded.

"Thanks anyway. Our lanterns are over here."

Meiris turned, and ran off to the right, not looking back to see if Lian would follow or not. He did. It didn't take long for the kids to lead him to a large bush. Four lanterns hung from its branches, one facing each of the primary directions; north, south, east, and west. Lian reached into his pouch, and pulled out his flint and steel.

"Do you want me to light them for you, or do you want to do it yourselves?" he asked.

The kids looked startled. It was obvious that they hadn't expected him to give them that choice.

"You'd really trust us enough with your flint to let us do it ourselves?" Meiris demanded skeptically.

Lian nodded. The young girl didn't seem to know what to think about his answer.

"Well...you can do it, I guess. It would be almost like...never mind."

When it became clear that the young girl wasn't going to finish what she'd started to say, Lian moved to the first of the four lanterns. He struck his flint against the steel several times before the sparks lit the wreath lantern. One by one, he lit each of the four lanterns as the children watched him with unreadable expressions. They watched the lanterns in silence for several chimes. Then they thanked him before bolting.

"Wait!"

Meiris paused, turning to stare at him warily.

"How do I get out of the city from here?" he asked.

Meiris stared at him for a long moment. Then she shook her head, and grinned. It was obvious that she was amused by the fact that he was lost.

"This is Semele Park. To get to the main gate, you've got to follow the road across the bridge over the Bluevein river, and keep going until you reach Gideon's Arena. Just past that, there's an intersection. Turn right, and that'll get you to the main gates. You got all that?"

Lian went over the directions carefully in his head. When he was certain he had them memorized, he nodded.

"Thanks."

Meiris grinned. Then she, too, was gone. Lian wondered again about what kind of parents would allow their kids to run around a place like this on their own. Then he chuckled. Had this been Endrykas, he wouldn't have batted an eye over seeing children run around freely. The people who lived here likely thought the same way. With that thought in mind, Lian left the park, and began making his way back to the Sanctuary.

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Solo [Zhongjie Warren] Here's a Cat, There's a Bird