Stop...Theif? (Draas)

[Silisea Nerine]

19th of April, 517 A.V. Silisea was done walking. Half the time, she didn't even know where she was at. She had thought that she would have been fine just taking a detour of the city by herself, but, all she had done was lose herself in the city's allusions. What she should have done was visited the sanity center first, yet, this Symenestra had to go and explore on her own first. It was a decision she had regretted, but all she could do was go with the flow. The streets of the city moved and changed constantly along with the buildings. Silisea was never in one place, since, this city was always changing. Hours of exploring drained at least half her energy and she needed a little rest. Despite losing her self in the confusing city of allusions, she ended up in the middle of the Bizzare of Alvadas. It wasn't bad at all though, it seemed like a really fun place, it truly did. She stood in the middle of busy shops and trades as she looked well at her surroundings. Everywhere she looked were traders with different supplies and absurd objects that they had for all to see. She was wearing her black cloak with the hood over her head shadowing the top half of her face making her eyes hidden. Busy chatter of bargains and arguments seemed to flow along with the wind filling her ears. Silisea's horse, Sei Sei, seemed to look around as well standing by her master's side. Seeing something shine not too far away from their position, Sei Sei instantly headed toward the direction obviously intrigued by the flicker of light. Silisea continued to observe the shops twirling around in excitement. Little did she know that her horse was about to make a daring snatch. "Look at all these shops Sei Sei! They have everything! We should go look at some of them, maybe we can find you a magical rope that keeps you tied to a tree at all times." She said half jokingly and half truthfully. It was no joke that this horse was a curse. All the horse did was useless things and almost never wants you to ride her. Silisea was even doubting that that animal was a horse now. I mean, what kind of horse follows you around with out getting the slightest effect of boredom. Sei Sei the horse did. What kind of horse would bring you useless junk for you to keep? Sei Sei the horse did. What animal could ever somehow escape being tied to a tree while being locked up in a cage? Sei Sei the freakin horse did. 'What a useless horse I have.' Silisea thought as she was walking to a store that had caught her eye. As she was looking around, she noticed that Sei Sei didn't respond. The horse usually does when she says something about her. Especially something negative. Silisea furrowed her eyebrows looking back for the horse. "Great. She's gone again." -- A weird brown horse was wandering the bizzare looking for the specific object that had caught her eye and she had found it. Sei Sei trottled toward a bag that had been set down by a man who seemed busy either talking with a merchant or just browsing around. It all really didn't matter to Sei Sei the wandering horse, what did matter, though, was the fact that he left his bag at his side open and ready for scavenging. Click, Clack--Click, clack rang the hooves of the sly horse. Sei Sei came to a halt once she was at a fairly close but not too close distance. She whipped her tail left and right waiting for the man to look away with no comer vision so that the horse can look into his bag. It was only seconds until the man finally looked away and the horse trottled forward diving into his bag getting the object the horse had wanted. Her tail whipped again left and right brushing the man's leg, the horse then galloped at full speed heading toward her master again before the man could catch the mischievous horse. -- Mean while, Silisea was browsing the selections of things half looking for a magical rope and half planning to set up a booth to trade the horse away. The breeze of the warm spring air gently passed her leaving some of the cool lingering wind to counteract the warmth of the weather. The left side of her hood pressed gently against he cheek as the breeze blew. Silisea closed her eyes breathing in deeply putting her in a calm state. 'I wonder how home is doing?' she thought drowning out the noise of the bizzare. Memories of her dark home filled her thoughts along with her mom. Her lips opened forming a big smile letting her fangs and teeth show. She felt a soft nudge to her shoulder and groaned. "But mom...I don't want to go..." Silisea said caught up in her day dream. She felt another but harder nudge this time. Silisea opened her eyes finally and then turned to her right. "I swear nudge me one more time mom-" A bit surprised and embarrassed, she looked at Sei Sei in her brown animal eyes and nodded. The horse seemed to have something in her mouth. "Oh mom, how did you know it was my birthday!" She shouted sarcastically. A few people glanced to look at her thinking she was crazy but kept on with their daily shopping. Silisea took the object out of Sei Sei's mouth and used the bottom edge of her cloak to wipe the saliva off. It was a vile containing liquid that seemed to familiar. Curious, she opened the vile carefully smelling it. It had a familiar death like smell that reminded her of what Kalinor Symenestras would have. One word. "Venom."

[Draas]

19th of Spring, 517AV

Of all of the values espoused in the Viratassa, "patience" had always been the hardest for Draas to follow. His constant, single-minded determination did not leave a lot of room for waiting around or not doing things. His mother had always chastised him for it, and were she with him now, she would probably have given him a mouthful.

Because Draas had taken to the city the same way he takes on every problem--headlong and mostly blind, hoping he would eventually strong-arm his way into success. Alvadas had no such notion, and led him around in very long, very confusing circles for the better part of a day. As he finally came to rest in the middle of a bazaar--or the Bizarre, as they called it--he was so fed up with the winding streets that he would sooner punch something than continue down another dream-road going nowhere.

This was the frustration that made him drop his things gracelessly onto the ground next to him, sitting down with a huff. He crossed his arms, he stewed for a while, he half-watched people flicker by in the crowd as they did... whatever it was that people did, here. Eventually, his mind started chewing on the various sights and sounds of the booths around him, which was at least more productive than sitting and pouting. When he stood up to go look closer at the contents of a nearby stall, he had no idea that his bag had fallen open in his childish fit.

Soon after, someone's horse brushed past him. He turned out of instinct, wondering if he should move... but it was just someone's animal, wandering around without their owner. Strange, but hardly any stranger than that time he turned a corner and found a street submerged in two feet of water.

So he went back to looking, and then he went back to where he'd left his things.
As he picked up his knapsack, it felt wrong. It was wide open. The contents didn't clink together like he was used to. It hardly took a glance for him to realize that his vial was gone.

No, no, no... His thoughts were wiped away by a sudden terror. He dug around in his bag, glanced for where it may have fallen, but found nothing. No, no, this couldn't be, he can't lose it, not before he'd even--

He scanned the crowd in a panic, looking for anything that could have taken it. He needed someone to chase, someone must have... Before he could even come up with a complete thought, he saw that horse again, on the other side of the crowd of people, interacting with someone in a dark cloak. He dropped his things to hurry after them, forgetting his human manners in favor of scuttling through the crowd and climbing quickly over a wall of crates that were in his way.

He dropped to the other side as if it had been a straight run. Seeing the vial in their hand, he closed the distance from behind, reached out, and yanked back on their shoulder, meaning to turn them around. He growled in an awful voice, low and harsh.

"Give it back--"

But he froze, very suddenly, almost in the middle of his last word--because the vial was open, and the person he'd just turned around was very recognizably Symenestra. He stood there, startled, halted in his rage by the realization he might have just made a terrible mistake.

[Silisea Nerine]

Symenestra venom. The one of the only natural defense mechanism they have as a species. It is also the one poison that made the harvest and gleanings possible since so many mothers die from natural birth because of it. Yet, can kind of be related to blood. It's precious. Silisea's eyes looked at the vile with an intense glare as if it would tell her where it had came from. 'Could this have come from a "widow killer"?' She thought questioning it and becoming a bit wary. 'No...maybe a symenestra wanted to sell this poison...or...is this some kind of trick?' Her mind pictured a tall gigantic monster like man with sharp teeth and a snarling enraged monstrous face tearing apart one of her helpless Symenestra brotherens. The horse nudged her hands as if to snap her out of her day dream. She sighed looked at the horse nodding slowly. "It better be a trick." she muttered under breath. Just then, without warning. She felt a firm grip on her shoulder that forced her to turn around. "Give it back-" The low menacing voice of the man's broke off into a sound of silence as he stared at her back; the right corner of her lip raised in annoyance showing her fang slightly becoming a bit longer. She was pretty on edge now, especially since she was guessing the owner was a killer. Silisea moved the small cork of the veil from her left to right hand inbetween her ring and pinky finger while still holding the vile with her other three fingers making an uncomfortable position but something that she could care less about as long as she could hold it. She lowered her hood slowly as it landed gracefully on the back of her shiny med length black hair. The sunlight touched the deathly pale skin of her face revealing her expression of complete utter seriousness. Her purple eyes shown fire that were sure to burn if you got too close... And him?... 'Way too close' If there was one thing she truely knew about herself, it was that she wasn't the slightest bit clumsy. She smoothly capped the vile and grabbed his hand from her shoulder before he could move it away on his own and pulled him closer to her giving her other hand the vile and placed her hand nails first on his neck pinching it. Silisea made sure not to pierce through his skin, but, made sure that he could feel it. Even though she was three inches shorter then this guy, she managed to make her moves look swift and well made. Her eyes scanned his face taking note of the unknown, but, slightly familiar face paint. As she looked down, she noticed the silken clothes and sandels he was wearing were like hers. They were from home. Kalinor. "Theif." She simply stated baring her fangs, vexed at the strange looking guy. The horse neighed in agreement kicking the ground with her front hoove seeming to be excusing herself from accusation. There was one thing that bugged Silisea about this man. There was something about this guy who seemed very familiar. He reminded her of a rumor that she had heard in Kalinor about a boy who was big and strong, but, looked nothing like them and wore paint on his face. Some called him Dra behind his back, since, the nickname was only used for kids and half bloods in more of a mean sense. Her eyes stared into his. 'Just who are you?'

[Draas]

Draas was not allowed to hurt the Symenestra. They had no tolerance for violence between their own kind, let alone some outsider--so it had been drilled into him very early to submit in the face of conflict, rather than risk the community thinking of him as a danger to their fragile lives.

So, at first, he was very easy to pull around. He was dragged in close with almost no resistance, stuck under the accusing gaze of familiar, amethyst-colored eyes. The nails against his neck were not very surprising, but got the point across that he was about to be in very, very big trouble. Maybe he would have even started apologizing... if she hadn't called him a thief.

She could watch it flash across his face very clearly: his fear became tinged with confusion, until he suddenly realized what he was being accused of. Then, his face contorted with anger--he had no fangs, no venom, but he still bared his teeth and hissed at her as if he did.

He barely moved from where she still held him under her claws, but he was tense, as if ready for a fight. He didn't seem to care, now, that she could potentially puncture his neck. He wasn't allowed to hurt Symenestra, but he could sure threaten them.

"I am not a theif," he seethed, in very clear Symenos. It was hard to tell what was wrong with his voice, but the Widows' delicate language did little to soften it, "Give it back."

How dare she accuse him of stealing--when he had worked so hard, for so long, to feel he had any right to wear these clothes and carry this burden in the first place. It wasn't her fault, and she couldn't have known, but Draas was not exactly thinking in rational, level-headed terms.

[Silisea Nerine]

This guy really was adorable, and the hiss? Priceless! But...strangely too similar to a man she once had met.The symenestra hissed at him back just because of pure instincts and the fact that he was really starting to get on her nerves. Silisea's fangs slowly start to grow out more but were not at their full entire length yet. Sei Sei watched the two stare each other down and took a step back feeling the threatening auras that they were giving off to each other. Silisea stared down his intense dark eyes about ready to tear his neck apart but she lived by a rule. 'Nothing is without reason as is nothing is without truth. Find the reason and you will find the truth in action.' Before she should have accused this man, she should have questioned him. Even though it was a minor mishap, she assumed she should just question him now that he was in her clutches. She took note of his language skills in Symenos, which was off the charts fluent for a human, but, any one could speak like that with years of practice and a great teacher so it only lessened her suspicions slightly. First things first though, it could be possible that this guy is a Dra. A mixture of their own kinds blood with another's. Her eyes blinked twice in a slight realization and her lips closed slightly still showing her fangs. She kept her stare on him while her the expression started to become less intense. "Are you..." Her words were soft as she spoke lowering her hand that was at his throat. Few people watched as they walked along, some had even stopped to see what was to become of this misunderstanding. A breeze blew again, this time carrying a few leaves that seemed to twirl around them and leave. The sun was like a spotlight and they were the entertainment. The bizzare was their stage. 'Are you Draas?' she finished in her head. It clicked. At least, only the name did. The face of the boy she remembered was blurry in her memory but everything he did fitted the description. His stance that mimicked Symenestra, his Symenestra like hiss, his naitive tounge and clothes were all hints. She remembered her father telling her about the boy and her mother as well. They both had different views. Her father had said that he was a disgrace to their kind and that his Symenestra caretaker should have never kept the boy, but instead, bury him alongside his kin. Her mother on the other had commended the boy and the mother. However, Silisea thought of the boy as a mystery. Silisea was fascinated with how the boy had looked and didn't care if he caught her watching.She would usually watch the boy from a far back then and even one time spoke with him. Silisea doesn't remember their conversation or even how the boy had looked back then, but, she does remember what she had asked him. "Who are you. Dra?"

[Draas]

To be fair, the people back home never thought he was very threatening either. Any Symenestra with an ounce of confidence found his mimicry laughable--but it's not as though he knew any other way.

He was still frustrated as the stranger began winding down. When he felt her claws leave the skin of his neck, he took a step back, shoulders hunched and head bowed. He peered at her through his bangs with a predatory stare, only breaking his gaze to glance quickly at the vial in her hand.

She still had a grip on his arm. He wanted her to let go, but she was starting to ask about who he was. Draas' face barely changed at her guessing "Dra", but he seemed to shrink a little, posture defensive, as if he was expecting to be physically hurt.

It took him a moment to find the right words, looking between her pale face and that vial, his lips barely moving as he thought of and lost his answer. He rarely had to explain himself before now; his mother always did that for him.

"Draas," he replies, drawing out the belittling title into his name. "Ward of Silvea".

"Ward" was too kind a thing to call himself. Not many other people ever shared in his terminology, preferring "pet" or "toy". He finally showed a little humility again as his wits caught up with the rest of him. He hadn't thought to really look at her before now, but maybe this girl had heard of him before. And if she hadn't...

As he remembered how odd he looked, a misfit acting as though he was someone like her, he finally looked away. He glanced at the stones by his feet, hiding his eyes.

"Not Dra."

But not of the blood, clearly. Just a human playing pretend.

[Silisea Nerine]

The grip she had on the man was firm. Even her fangs started to dispense venom. [i]Drip, drip. As she was waiting for a reply, she saw his stance change. It was a very minor change but she was very cautious; watching everything he did as to avoid any mistakes if he was a thief. A murderer. "Draas...Ward of Silvea." Her grip was still firm when he said those words. It was him, Draas of Silvea! 'Ward?' She remembered her mother once scolded her from using the word. No one deserves to be treated less than what they deserve. That's what her mother told her and she had listened, scared of what was to happen if she didn't. "Not Dra..." Silisea nodded slowly understanding. He was a pure human. Not a have blood or a Symenestra at all. Yet, he was raised by one; a widow that must have been named Silvea. She broke her eye contact with him and looked to the vile of poison. 'It must have been his mother's...' she thought looking back up to him. She instantly dropped his hand looking down from him to lessen herself. "My name is Silisea Nerine, daughter of Narissa Nerine and Drann Nerine." Her voice was clear as she spoke raising the poison up to him. "This must be your mother's I assume...please forgive me..." She looked back up to him slowly, seeking atonement from him. "Draas." Silisea made sure to say his name clear and confident. She lifted up his head by his chin with her index finger's long nail softly. "Do not cower just for the sake of your blood. Because by nature, by love, by creed, by the will of gods the chains of blood are made." She quoted from the Viratassa with every word memorized from her childhood, even though, it was sort of amusing how she never wanted to learn it. --- Meanwhile --- Sei Sei the wandering horse had become bored of this tiresome melodrama this had turned out to be. So, while her master and Draas weren't paying attention, the horse decided to go for an adventure out on the streets of Alvadas. The horse wandered from street to street, store to store, seeking a thrill to quench its thirst of risk taking. The horse finally found an object to give to her master in front of a vendor. The horse walked to it but, just as the horse was about to steal it, a man out of nowhere placed a noose over the horse's neck. It was a man that looked about in his late 50s that had captured the horse. "It's alright horsey, I'm sure your master is searching for you, why don't you wait here while I-" just as the man was about to tie the other end to a street light, the horse instantly booked it, galloping down the street. Sei Sei neighed while shacking her head left and right to remove the noose, but instead, she had brought along a very frightened old man. He screamed still holding onto the rope for dear life. "HELP!"

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[Draas]

Draas finally eased a little as he was released, and at the sound of a familiar name. "Nerine" did not mean much more to him than any other family in Kalinor, but he could recall their name being used in reference to the Esterians, for better or for worse. He did not know much about the conflict, as he could not afford to--but his mother had never seemed to like them much.

With that being all he knew, it was then surprising to him that she immediately apologized. He worried, for a moment, that it might be a trap... but when he reached out to take his vial back, he got nothing but a gentle touch under his chin. His stance became somewhat more human as he clutched his vial to his chest, only half-aware of his own possessiveness. He suddenly had a lot to think about.

He knew the rest of the passage like the back of his hand--but it didn't matter, what mattered is that she was deigning to use it to describe him, someone who did not belong to the very people who worshiped it. It may not have been much to a normal Symenestra, but to him, it was almost unfathomably kind.

And with that apology, he had no more reason to be angry, really... And as his anger subsided, he was finally able to look at the girl for the first time, take in her features, her hair, her clothes, wonder how old she was, where she'd lived, how long she had been here...

And one more, much more important question. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he looked down at the vial clutched close in his hand, gesturing outward with it a little as he raised his face to ask.

"Why... did you have this...?"

Wasn't... she the thief, technically?

Though there was no time for an answer--suddenly, a commotion came trotting towards them. Draas saw that horse again, pulling some poor soul along behind it, and his eyebrows only furrowed further as he stood and watched the chaos unfold.

"...What?"

Horses were still confusing to Draas. Was this normal? It did not seem like this should be normal.

[Silisea Nerine]

'It was the horse...but please take my horse, please take my horse, please take my horse' Silisea thought repeating the words over and over again in repetition. It was a horse that was more than she could handle and giving it up would be a blessing from the gods. As she opened her mouth about ready to give the horse away in return for his forgiveness, she heard a loud scream along with hooves. She turned her head quickly toward the sound along with more than fifty people including Draas; her eyes widened in shock. "SEI SEI...STOP RIGHT THERE!" Silisea raised her hand out in front of Sei Sei with her palm facing towards the horse in a 'stop right there' sort of motion. What she didn't know, was that the horse was going crazy because of the rope around its neck, so, the horse kept charging right after Draas and Silisea. A lot more than fifty people watched as Sei Sei dragged the yelling old man towards the two young ones. Silisea looked at Draas and nudged him saying "Jump." She leaped to the right diving just before Sei Sei had bursted into them and rolled gracefully to the ground using her right hand to swing her legs in back of herself to face the horse's direction. Silisea was on all fours ready for anything that was going to come her way. The horse suddenly stopped in front of a vendor and the old man let go of the rope shaking in fear. Sei Sei neighed panicked standing on her hind legs. Silisea breathed hard looking to the horse then to the old man. She looked back to the horse again seeing the rope around it's neck. The rope. It was weird. The rope should have not triggered the horse to act like this. The horse had let her tie it to a tree once, but, never turned like this. She tapped her index finger on the ground in thought. First, the horse had stole this man's vile, then, it dragged an old man. Just what was that horse doing? Perhaps it was the old man that had made the horse act this way. Yet, this horse wouldn't hurt a fly...well maybe. She didn't know the horse very well enough to say such things about it, everyday with Sei Sei was an adventure...gone wrong. To bad this day had to be one of those bad adventures.

[Draas]

Even before Silisea told him to jump, Draas was bracing for action as the large, now panicking creature came charging in their direction. He lept out of the way just as she did, tumbling safely into a crouch as the horse tore past them, dragging the screaming man behind him.

The crowd around them swarmed in a mass confusion--some people were shouting and trying to get out of the way of this runaway animal, while others were pushing in to try and get a better look at whatever drama was unfolding in the marketplace. Draas didn't know Sei Sei personally, but he watched with that same, hunkering, predatory calculation as the old man finally let go, and the creature reared up on its hind legs.

He didn't know much about horses, and he didn't know that this behavior was odd for Sei Sei, but he did know two things: if someone didn't calm it down, the panicking animal could potentially crush anyone who fell underfoot... and if he was in the horse's place, he wouldn't particularly appreciate having a noose around his neck either.

He moved suddenly and quickly, tucking the vial into his shirt and pulling his hunting knife out of a fold in his silk belt. Before anyone really had time to notice his drawn weapon, he held the blade between his teeth, darted forward, and scrambled up the side of a merchant stall to start jumping from booth to booth until he was almost directly over the dangerous animal.

This was probably a terrible idea... but Draas had never been one to think his plans through very far. He hopped off the slanted awning onto the back of the horse and clung on so as not to be thrown off--and while it was not a graceful or particularly dignified landing, it gave him time to slip his knife under the rope and cut it away from Sei Sei entirely.