To Better Oneself

by **Taurina** on July 27th, 2017, 8:06 pm

Morning of the 50th of Summer 517

“Oops sorry!” Taurina apologized, her voice trailing behind her, “Sorry! Sorry! Oh… Whoops.. Don’t mind us!”

The Ethaefal was panting, her chest rapidly pulling breaths in and blowing them out. Her legs were pumping beneath her at a uneven pace as she moved through the outskirts of Endrykas. There were so many more people out and about in this area than she had expected, it was amazing that she had not actually run into anyone. Of course, there had been many narrow escapes this morning. Most were not happy, shouting after her as if she could change the past. They got her shouted apologies, but she kept going. There was no stopping for she was on a mission to better herself. Become stronger, learn to use all the muscles she had on this Drykas body of hers.

This was Taurina’s first time out and about doing this. Lately she had been keeping near the Stormblood pavilion or near the outskirts of it when “training”. If it could even be called that. It was more like haphazard exercise that she may or may not have been doing right. Most of it she had just observed others doing and tried to recreate for herself. Sometimes it felt like it was working, other times not so much. Sit ups for example looked easy enough when she saw others do them, but when she tried her neck was always sore afterwards. It had been Lodai who caught her eventually and told her that she was doing them wrong. According to him, if she kept doing them like that than she would seriously injure herself. 'Pull from the stomach muscles, keep the neck and head still,' had been his advice. That had been easier said than done, but once she had gotten the hang of it her neck stopped aching.

This day the idea had been to run the space between the diamond and ruby clans and ride home on Starfire. The strider followed behind his bonded who kept looking over her shoulder and signing for him to follow. Occasionally she called to him to keep his focus on her, but they were more or less in sync. Lately Taurina had been working with him, building her relationship with him. They were learning to trust and rely on each other. For this the Ethaefal had accepted help in the form of Asher. While the older man was not all knowing in the ways of animals, he knew more than the Eth did which made him a great help to her.

Slow, halt Taurina signaled to her stallion before she, herself, dropped down to a lopsided jog and then down to a walk. The Ethaefal sucked in breath after breathing, bending over at the waist as she panted. It was not a surprise that this was hard, but it had gotten hard much faster than she had expected. They had not gotten very far from the pavilion really at all. Starfire’s tossing head and stomping hooves told the Eth he was not done yet and no where near as exhausted as his rider. Taurina let out a breathy chuckle before she stood up straight again and moved over to him.

“I know, I’m out of shape,” she agreed, scratching behind his ear, “farther and farther we’ll get, right? Let’s walk for a bit.”

Starfire just pulled his head up and snorted. Taurina did not know what that meant, but she took it as agreement as she moved to his side where the yvas with a single bag attached was strapped onto the stallion. Taurina pulled the flap of the yvas bag open and fished out her waterskin before she gulped down a big swallow of the water within it. She knew that all of Endrykas had been encouraged to conserve water because of the dwindling supply so she did not drink too much. Just enough to quench her thirst before she secured the waterskin shut again and replaced it in the yvas back.

“Alright zulkina, let’s get moving,” Taurina encouraged before signing for him to once more follow.

The Eth just walked for a bit, breathing hard. Her body felt heavy and her legs like jelly. The heat had helped only in making her sweating worse. The fabric bound across her chest and the worn pants she wore as clothes were drenched and her exposed skin was sticky. Her eyes stung and the taste of salt filled her mouth. Though her hair was all up in various tight braids with her wrap twisted in, she did not feel like keeping it off her neck and back even helped. She had to keep reminding herself how much worse it would have been had she left the long locks down and free of all bindings. Taurina sighed and raised her hands to her head, lacing her fingers behind her skull as she sucked in breath after breath.

It was awhile before Taurina felt back to normal enough to begin running again. She was somewhere in the space between the diamond and ruby clans, nearer the diamond clan. From what Taurina could see, the space before them was clear of people so it seemed like a good place to start running again. Sucking in a breath in preparation, the Eth looked back to her stallion. He was just walking behind her, his head bobbing with every step. Taurina signed that they were going to pick up the pace which caused visible excitement in her stallion. The Eth giggled before she raised her pace up to a jog which was a fast walk for him. Her jogging was not as rough as her running, the pace easier to keep. Her legs protested against her moving them as she was once more, but she kept going. She was determined for once to succeed. She signed to Starfire again to pick up the pace and they both sped up. Taurina to a heavy, messy run, and Starfire to a slow trot.

“Look out!” the Eth exclaimed just before she slammed right into another’s body.

Taurina felt herself falling to the ground and made a desperate grab for something to keep her standing in reaction. She felt the skin of another under her scarred hands, but only ensured that they were dragged down with her. The Eth landed hard on top of the stranger with an audible oomph, shock rippling through her. She scrambled off the stranger quickly, apologizing over and over.

“Sorry! Oh I’m so sorry! Are you alright? I did not see you… I’m so sorry!” her voice was rapid as she panted heavy breathes.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

by **Konrad Venger** on August 14th, 2017, 6:29 pm

He could draw it out easier now. It came with words whispered through his mind, willing energies from his soul into his muscle and then the air. Fire and water, born from green and black mist... but he had found that with the quiet of morning focusing him even more, he could touch upon a different level.

Not just bigger. Not just "more". Control. Agility.

"Subtlety."

He murmured the word with his eyes closed, and smirked. Wasn't that what they always said about mages? And what was he now, if not a mage? Gods, how much a man could change in a few short years.

His head shook and the introspection vanished. That wasn't the point of him being out here, beyond the perimeter of the pavilion, the city as a whole. It was perhaps dangerous, but Konrad knew there were enough trappers, hunters, trackers, garbage-depositors, grazers, and people training countless ways to ensure that even the most desperate of predators would stay away.

Konrad smiled, eyes unseeing and ears... not deaf, but muted. Sedon's cooking, Yacob's fletching, animals being quartered, children squawking, adults grousing and talking... all of it was a distant thing to him. Out there, he could hear every blade of grass moved by the wind. Skittering things in the undergrowth. Distant calls from bird and coyote. A world awakening, all the sounds of Caiyha its first yawn into the light.

Light. Now make your own.

He willed it so, and his will became tendrils of green mist flecked with black, pouring out of his hands. They floated up and inwards, into a ball that collected before his eyes. In his mind, he could see it: he didn't need his eyes. It was his djed, his wyrd, a piece of his soul, pulled out and shaped into the world.

He didn't need eyes. Not to see, and not to change.

Two.

The streams of res stopped from his hands, but they were still his tools for manipulation. He knew that it was a mage's mind that controlled the works of Reimancy, but he was still learning. The gestures, the motions... they all made it seem more real. His hands clenched and pulled apart, as if tearing cloth-

-and the res ball became two. Separating like a cell splitting in half, two perfect, floating orbs, like gassy, watery planets.

Now the mage opened his eyes. His digits came together, and with a double click of his thumb and middle finger-

Burn.

WHOOSH

Green and black became red and yellow and orange, fireballs the size of melons furiously burning in the middle of the air. But no, wait, there... beyond the flames, inside the spitting, hissing crust, was the core of res feeding them. Konrad knew they would burn as long as they had fuel, like a lamp would burn oil. Maybe a chime... maybe more... but time enough to move them.

Up we go.

He raised his hands, and they followed his command. Up they went, and as hid hands crossed in front of each other... the balls exchanged positions! Konrad laughed as twin Synas jumped across each other above his head, burning bright in the dawn's light. Small as apples, and son he knew he'd have to-

“Look out!”

What in the-

Konrad's peripheral caught a flash of movement just a tick too late. He opened his mouth and by the time a word had formed on his tongue-

"Shyke!"

-he went down from the impact, and shyke, was that a sodding Strider he saw as he went down, the world and the grass becoming a smear across his vision?! Panic struck him, his two orbs wobbling, falling, and just before the ground came up to greet him and barked out the word-

"OUT!"

-and they fizzled and farted into smoke and-

THUNK

"Bugger!"

More oaths followed. Grass and dirt grinding against his breeches as some smaller, softer, frantically apologizing body careened into him as he fell. Instantly his street instincts kicked in. That much contact, out of nowhere, so close to violence, overrode all logic he knew should take precedence. Before he'd even completely hit the ground his hand snapped to the kukri at the small of his back, and as the stranger finally got off him-

“Sorry! Oh I’m so sorry! Are you alright? I did not see you… I’m so sorry!”

-the Ethaefal would look down to see the oddly-curved but wickedly-honed blade flash in front of her, held in a reverse grip by a man both enraged and experienced with it. Burning green eyes like the ones he'd just extinguished glared up at her, as if expecting a counterattack from her slight frame.

The voice just topped it off. As ugly and scarred as the face it came from, so angry it didn't even bother with speaking his usual broken Pavi:

"What'n the petch is yer problem, woman?!"

by **Taurina** on August 16th, 2017, 5:39 am

The first thing she heard from him was that string of curses. Then she saw that familiar blade grasped in his raised hand pointed at her. His words struck fear into her soul and the look in his eyes brought a pure terror that pierced her heart. The Ethaefal scrambled back more and stood to her feet, her apologies becoming nothing but a whispered murmur across her lips. Her caramel gaze was wide and frightened as she took in the face of the one she had trampled. His features were marred and his expression ugly. Taurina’s breaths came rapid, making her look a bit like a cornered rabbit, but she continued to stare for several ticks longer.

“I’m sorry.. I… I did not.. did not see you there..” Taurina stammered, her hands raised in surrender.

The Ethaefal was no threat to the man who threatened her with the curved blade of his kukri. She had seen such a blade before, wielded it actually. The previous one had belonged to Turrin and had killed at least one before he had given it to her that day when their misadventure began. Seeing this second one brought a flash of memories from that day and the ones that had followed it. Memories she had spent much time trying to forget and forgive herself for.

Taurina shied away from the blade, making herself look as small and unthreatening as she could. It was never hard to do in this form. Though muscled and a Drykas in appearance, she was rather short and small. Her raised and empty hands showed him that she had no weapons with which to threaten him. Her fists would do nothing against him as untrained as she was. Any fight she might have put up against him would have been with a bow and arrow, but those were not with her. The only weapon she did have was her small dagger and it was in the yvas bag on Starfire. Not a good place for it to be, now that she thought about it, the strider stood farther off and watched with an uneasy gaze. She would not be able to get to him and the dagger before the male in front of her attacked if that was what he was going to do.

“No problem,” Taurina assured in common after noticing that was the language he had used, her voice was shaky, “I was just running. You were..”

The Ethaefal wanted to say that the male had been in the way, but looking into his scarred face with those piercing green eyes told her that was not a good idea. He was not like the others she had known. He threatened her a way no one ever had before. The most trouble she had gotten from the men in Endrykas was one last season who had made unwelcome advances towards her. That alone had brought nightmares to her slumber, but even it was nothing compared to this one who actually held her at the point of a blade. What nightmares would come and visit her after this? Would she live to even experience them?

“I was not looking. I am sorry,” the Ethaefal apologized again, unsure of what else to do.

Very slowly, Taurina lowered her arms so that her hands fell down to her sides. Her panting breaths slowly evened out so that her chest fell up and down at regular intervals. Eyes were still wide and watching, but the Eth was allowing herself to relax at least a little bit. She knew that she needed to if she was going to get ahold of herself and keep her head. That seemed like the appropriate response to the situation even though every instinct told her to run. Run and never look back. It was the thought that that blade would hit her long before she was out of its range that kept her cemented firmly in place.

“Look, I am no threat. You can put down your weapon,” Taurina’s voice was soft, but not weak, just tinged with fear as she did not know how he would respond to such a request.

Instantly, the Ethaefal regretted her words. She wanted something to threaten him into submission with. Something that would protect her and keep her safe. She did not have those things. She was not a fighter, did not have weapons or skills in any sort of unarmed combat. It was her family that she relied on to provide her with protection. Azmere and Lodai in particular. The fighters. The watchmen. Taurina swallowed, feeling suddenly very alone. They were not here now to protect her. If she died now it would be completely her own fault. Her lack of becoming competent in protecting herself was apart of that, but so was just sheer stupidity. She should have looked where she was going. She knew that now, but she wondered if that was a mistake she was going to live long enough to be able to learn from.

Taurina shifted her weight and balanced herself out, her gaze flickering up to where Starfire stood. He was far away from her, but she knew if it came to a fight here it would not end in her favor. Running, reaching her stallion, was her best bet. She just hoped that if it came to that, she would reach him and get out of here before any harm came to either of them. Her gaze shifted back over to the male with the butchered face. Was it going to come to that?

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

by **Konrad Venger** on August 17th, 2017, 12:51 am

It was instincts, most of it. The rest was indignation clothed with anger, the bristly growls of a man unused to physical contact of any kind, save that which occurred only once between people.

But instincts... they took over faster than he'd thought. Long seasons away from brick and cobbles and alleys and swamps and taverns and the tang of blood, willed by evil men as he willed res from his hands. He'd been raised in such a place, where Dira was behind every shadow and smile.

One learned to react quickly, and surely. A year ago... mayhap he wouldn't have spoken. Mayhap his hand would just have moved, with that smooth surety of a man who'd taken more lives than he could remember, and the story would have ended. For both of them.

Instinct. Indignation. Anger. But time... time can wear down everything, and Konrad did not strike.

Green eyes like rotting weeds flicked up and down the woman, finding no weapons... in fact, barely anything, actually. Her story held up, running, exercise, all that sort of insanity. Konrad never much grasped that, aside from those locked up. Gods knew he'd done plenty while a guest of the Daggerhands.

Aye, well, had to pass the time somehow.

"... watch where you..." He swallowed and his next words were in a very different tongue. She'd spoken Common! The relief in being able to speak his own (admittedly hideously-accented language) was almost reason enough to forgive her clumsiness. "Watch where yer goin', girl. How'juh miss a great big sod like me, eh?"

There was a dark, throaty sound that could have been a chuckle. Or his stomach growling. Either way, the scarred man drew his hand behind his back... and when it appeared again, there was no blade to be seen. He sighed and groused low enough for only him to hear, about silly women and stupid exercise and gods where had his-

"Ah!"

He bent down and reclaimed his hat, dusting it off before carefully squaring it on his head. Thick but limp hair hung down across his face, until he parted it and tucked it to the side. The scars that his father had given him when he was barely waist-high were partially hidden, but in a way that said the man didn't give a damn who saw them, anyway.

He was long since caring about stares or mutters or crying children.

"Could've caused a soddin' fire, fer petch's sake," he grumbled, loud enough for her to hear. "Off in yer own bloody little world..."

Don't Make Me Repeat Myself.

by **Taurina** on August 18th, 2017, 6:43 pm

Taurina opened her mouth to answer, but quickly closed it shut as her cheeks became rose tinted. How had she not seen him? It was not like he was small and sitting down would not have changed that. She had just not been looking. So, so very foolish of her to not have been looking. The blush spread, the tips of her ears turning bright red as her eyes were cast down to the ground. She took a shaky breath, her right hand lifting and nervously rubbing at her left bicep. How very foolish she had been and now, so embarrassed because of said foolishness.

The male did not seem to be one to dwell for he moved on despite her lack answering him. The Ethaefal’s gaze drifted back over to him when she heard some strange sound bubble out of him. Had that been a laugh? She was unsure. She was more interested in the fact that his blade had been put away. Relief blossomed across her chest and she felt like she could breath again. It looked as though she might actually live through this encounter now. It would not come to fighting or running. She would be able to go to Starfire and go home with her heart still beating in her chest. That was reason to celebrate. She had had so much doubt within her just moments prior that returning home alive was something she was going to be able to do.

Taurina did not know what she was to do now that the situation had dissolved some. Should she just simply leave? Go to Starfire and ride home earlier than intended? Now that this had happened she was not inclined to finish her run. She wanted to go home, find her family, wrap her arms around at least one of them while telling them how happy she was to have them. Yet, the male before her was moving. He was muttering words she could not hear under his breath and looked as though he was searching for something. Taurina remained still where she was cemented in place while she watched him, unsure if it was safe to move or if he would react poorly to her trying to leave.

A hat was the subject of his short search, it seemed. He seemed most glad to have found it as he dusted it off and plopped it onto his head. Taurina resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow in question at the importance of such a hat. Instead she just crossed her arms over her chest and let him continue whatever he was doing while she remained in place. He seemed to be parting his hair, revealing those brutal scars more in full. The Ethaefal was no stranger to scars, but this man’s were particularly mean looking. How cruel a person did one have to be to bestow those upon another life? Despite being an overly curious soul, Taurina did not know that she wanted to find out.

“I already apologized,” Taurina pointed out somewhat calm when the male began muttering loud enough for her to hear, he was complaining about her again.

Taurina blew out a huff and let her arms drop to her sides. She wanted to leave now. He did not look like he was going to do anything, but criticized her at this point. She was tired of saying she was sorry. She had done it many times by this point. The Eth had no idea what he meant about starting a fire. She did not see any fire or any evidence of fire around. Had he been trying to build one? She did not see a pit or any pieces of flint and steel. Not the makings of any great fire. Oh well, the grasslands did not need more fire anyway. It was already so hot and there had been too many fires gone wild. Taurina sighed, it had been a rough season.

“I do not know what you are talking about starting fires. There is no fire here. Good thing too, we do not need anymore wild fires here,” the Eth said simply, daring to take a step in the direction of her strider.

Her movement caught Starfire’s attention and he lifted his head to look at her. Taurina dared glance over to him as she uncrossed her arms and lifted her hands. She signed for the stallion to come and that it was alright, safe. She did not know if that was true, but that was her hope. She did not like being so far from her strider and wished to get away from this man as soon as possible before he changed his mind about putting away his weapon.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

by **Konrad Venger** on August 20th, 2017, 12:17 am

“I already apologized."

Even muttered and from a distance, Konrad could make out the edge to those words. The almost sullen indignation of a woman who'd erred and tried to make amends, but the damned stupid male in the equation was determined to harp on about the issue. Konrad wasn't so ignorant of others that he'd not learned to recognize the signs.

"Aye, yeh did," he said, massaging his hands, still twitching a little from his djed-wielding so abruptly shut off. "Lessee if yeh can not bugger up next time, eh?"

“I do not know what you are talking about starting fires. There is no fire here. Good thing too, we do not need anymore wild fires here.”

"No fires?"

Konrad's face was not designed for innocent humor, even more so after his father had gifted him with those hideous scars. But brutal as his visage was, it couldn't stop the twinkle that flashed across his green eyes for just a moment. There was an edge there, too. Humor, mirth, but with a meanness to it that could have smacked of petty sadism or smugness both. Taurina may have noticed it, but before she could ask anything-

The man raised up his hand, closed his eyes, breathed in... and then out... and as he did, he opened his hand... and a green mist flecked with sheer blackness oozed upwards like steam escaping from a crack in a glass. It curled and grew and Konrad whispered an order within his mind-

Together, now.

-and the mist became a ball, uneven but spinning, and as the man opened his eyes-

"Y'sure about dat?"

Now.

Fingers clicked and the mist became a fireball, fizzing and flaming and whooshing into orange life in front of her. The man smiled behind it, face hellishly lit by the glare, even if it was a face more amused that intimidating in that moment. He let the woman drink in the sight for a few ticks, then breathed in again... started to close his hand-

Out.

-and with a final, audible clench of his fingers, the ball imploded int a wisp of smoke. It hung there in the Syna-light, as if afraid to move, then a gust caught it and Konrad chuckled, jutting his chin at the girl.

"S'why y'need t'be careful, girl."

Point made, Konrad turned to leave. To find a new spot or some other errand to run... well, he'd decide when he got there.

by **Taurina** on August 22nd, 2017, 5:00 am

Taurina found that it was not within her to like this male. Though she was sorry for running into him, his continued need to point out her mistake had rubbed out all the meaning she had had behind her words when she said them. The Eth was ready to just leave and she would be soon, Starfire was close now. So though her eyes narrowed and her hands became fists at his words, Taurina kept her mouth clamped shut with her back teeth grinding together. With another she might have opened that mouth and let what she really thought pour out, but the Eth was not yet quite that brave and this individual had proven already that he was dangerous. She was not going to press her luck.

The male with such brutal scars was questioning the existence of fire here, but the Eth was not paying attention to him. She was done with being in his company and Starfire had reached her. She brought a hand to his jaw and spoke a quick word of calming before she moved to his side and took hold of the yvas. It was getting easier and easier to mount him each time. It took less and less time for her to find balance once on him and everything else was coming easier as well. Slowly, but surely, she was making progress in her riding skills. She was on the white stallion when the green mist began to rise into the air. The Eth had missed the twinkle that had briefly flashed in the male’s moss colored eyes.

There was something familiar about that mist that made Taurina pause in her departure from the scene. It was the way that it had just appeared in the air colored like those green eyes with something darker twisted within it. Her caramel gaze flickered from the sight of the mist to the one who created it. That look of focus on his face, even with his eyes closed, that was familiar as well. She had worn that face. Not so much recently, but that did not mean she had completely forgotten.

He questioned how sure she was about there being no fire here, but the Eth had already realized her mistake. Reimancy consisted of four elements. She had only ever seen three of them in action, but it was the fourth this man wielded. Fire. He proved it just a tick later by willing that ball of dark colored mist to spark and become flame. Taurina’s gaze widened, but she was not truly surprised. Not even frightened. Not when that male’s face was so smug and dripping with his amusement. Her gaze lowered into a glower, the need to wipe that look off his face settling deep into her bones.

Taurina was not one who put up much of a fight in most any situation. She was much more so one who ran and let others fight for her. Though a million thoughts might run through her mind, her voice rarely spoke up in defense of herself. Fear ran wild through her soul and crippled her into submission in most all things. Things were changing, however. Maybe it was too much time spent with Jasmine, desire to be like the adventurous Rufio, or perhaps a need to truly be the light Azmere once told her she was. Whatever it was, an ember had been placed in her heart and it had begun to burn. She was not going to let this one who thought himself so smart, so strong, so much better than her walk over her like others before him had.

The fire had been put out and the male had turned to leave. The Ethaefal would not let him go yet, however. Before the rage within her calmed and she changed her mind, Taurina took just a moment to focus. She was not prepared for this because it had been much too long since her last attempt, but her adrenaline was pumping. In that moment, she was willing to deal with the consequences.

Opalescent colored res was demanded from the Ethaefal’s being at a pace that was much too slow for her current state of mind. The substance was gel like and moved like molasses as she gathered up roughly a fistful of it into her hand. The stuff floated above the palm of her left hand where it slowly was shaped to be like a ball. Taurina looked at it with determination set in her eyes and nodded, satisfied with what she had created. She ignored the sudden headache roaring in her head and the metallic taste that filled her mouth.

“Hey, you!” Taurina shouted, kicking Starfire into action.

The Ethaefal pressed the stallion to go where the human male was, riding more sloppy than normal because she used the grip of only one hand. She moved the strider so that he was in front of the man, cutting him off. Starfire was not happy having to stop again, but he complied to the legs dug into his sides. Taurina looked at the brutal man, fire sparking in her own gaze. That ball of res still floated in the air just above her palm.

“You should learn not to be so smug,” Taurina said in a voice that carried within it a growl that was uncharacteristic for the Eth.

She wanted to chuck the res ball at him, turn it to water just before so it would splash into him. Her mind still worked, however, and she remembered that blade. If she caused the male to throw it and it landed anywhere near Starfire.. the Eth would never forgive herself. So sanity caused her to only turn her palm over so that the ball hovered below it now. A single command was given to the res and it turned to a blob of water that just fell to the ground.

For another words might have been snapped to accompany the show of magic, but not for Taurina. Now that she had demonstrated her tiny bit of knowledge in Reimancy, the rage diffused. She felt suddenly inadequate and silly. Water was nothing like the fire he had wielded and that was all she had. So, the Ethaefal gave a nod of finality before she took hold of the yvas in her hands and quickly kicked Starfire into movement that was faster than either were used to going together. Taurina did not even give the male a second look as she steered her stallion towards home and allowed how foolish she felt eat away at her soul. Her body was aching from holding on so tightly to the stallion who moved with so much speed and that headache continued to pound against her skull. What a miserable day this one had turned out to be.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

by **Konrad Venger** on August 24th, 2017, 9:57 am

Konrad was aware that the girl had shot one more sassy line his way before she wheeled around her Strider and left him staring at their respective arses. But he was too busy staring at the wet spot on the dirt to formulate some witty reply.

It hadn't been wet a few ticks before. Not until the girl had conjured a ball of res with the same alacrity Konrad had managed, and formed it into a tiny liquid globe in front of him.

Shyke. Didn't even get her name.

But why would that matter, anyway? Endrykas was a city of thousands, but everyone seemed to know each other. Walahks like him were, unsurprisingly, rare creatures: most of the inhabitants lived their whole lives in the Moving City, living and growing and loving and popping out little Drykas kids without ever leaving the place for extended periods of time. That meant everyone knew each other, or of each other.

Won't be too hard to find her.

Konrad frowned, and turned from staring at the receding, mounted woman. Why would he want to, anyway? Because she was a mage? That hardly made her special. The Drykas had scores of them to their numbers, and that wasn't counting the Webbing that every other Horse Lord seemed to know, and no outsider ever would. And yet the thought niggled and scratched at the back of his mind; so much so he itched under his hat until he had to take it off and run a hand through his hair.

"Bloody woman."

He spoke to the Syn and the wind and the dead grass, and shook his head to cap the words. No answer, of course. Empty air was seldom forthcoming. But then he snorted and a smirk alighted his face with the sound. The hat went back on, and his steps resumed, back to his pavilion and the breakfast waiting for him.

Something to do, at least.

OOCOkay, good place to wrap it up, let's bring on part two! ;-)

by **J'Ak** on January 11th, 2018, 4:43 pm

G R A D E

T A U R I N A

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K O N R A D

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If you feel I missed anything shoot me a PM!

Open To Better Oneself