Open Veil of Oblivion

[Alvaros]

11th of Winter, 517

The evening sunlight spilled over Alvaros's face as he emerged from the Gaping Maw, forcing him to squint. He found himself staring down a cobblestone road, lined with snow-coated buildings. He blinked, tugging on the reins of his horse in order to stop her just past the gate. "Huh." He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. Something more... insane? It was the city of illusions, after all. He supposed he'd just have to wait.

The Isur swung his right leg over Fiellos's side and dropped to the ground with a 'thud,' right hand still gripping her reins. He set his jaw; the cold was starting to seep into his bones. He needed to find someplace to hole up for the night, and someplace to tie up Fiellos. With a clear goal now in mind, Alv continued down the street, whistling to himself.

Luckily for him, it seemed that the Unstable Stables had spawned not far from the entrance of the city. He'd heard stories of the buildings in Alvadas shuffling on the occasion, which made him uneasy (he didn't want to lose track of Fiellos), but he opted to board his steed up despite everything.

Alone now, Alvaros continued on by foot, his pack slung over one shoulder. He glanced up at each shop sign as he passed, eager for someplace to rest and replenish. With a yelp, he stumbled forward, the street beneath his boots suddenly much softer than it had been before. He looked down, and his eyes bugged - a small section of the ground he stood upon had, for whatever reason, turned into snakes. A writhing pile of them, hissing and lashing about.

Alvaros bit back a scream. There were few things in this world he hated more than snakes. He did not hesitate to lunge from where he stood, dash across the street, and practically throw himself through the closest door.

Panting, the young traveler pinched the bridge of his nose, heart rattling in his chest. He lifted his chin to see that he'd wound up in some sort of tavern, and many of its patrons were staring at him in bewilderment. "The street! Didn't you all see it? It turned into snakes!" The words poured out of his mouth in the Isurian tongue before he caught himself. Switching back to the common language, he managed to stutter out, "I... the... the snakes!"

So much for a good first impression.

[Dovey]

Winter 517 AV
"Speech"
"Others"

Dovey tipped her chair absentmindedly back and forth, cupping a mug of lager in both hands. She was savoring the beer; once it was gone she would have no excuse for remaining in the tavern, and she really did not want to venture back out into the cold, fingers and toes growing steadily more numb as she searched the shifting streets for the shelter of the Cubacious Inn.

It had already been a long day, with more than enough scuffing through the packed snow to last her the entire week. Alvadas had decided to play with her this morning, keeping her from the Unstable Stables for well-nigh on an hour, so that she arrived at work far later than she'd wished and trembling with cold. Of course no one had scolded her for tardiness - it was pointless in Alvadas to think in terms of 'late' or 'on time' - but still, it frustrated Dovey to have her time eaten by the city's caprice.

At least the Stallion's Rear had been waiting for her when she left the stables, as though Ionu knew she needed a drink. Maybe he did, though she couldn't imagine why he would care - but if she tried to guess at the god's motivations she'd go madder than Alvadas had likely sent her already. Better just to enjoy the beer and not question things.

She was in the middle of a long, slow sip of lager when the door burst open and a lad about her age nearly flung himself inside. He looked positively panicked, and Dovey lowered her mug to watch him curiously. Did he need help? Was there a fight outside, perhaps? She missed watching Kenash's street brawls. He was even shorter than her, she realized with some surprise - and there was something funny about his appearance. She didn't think he was human, unless he'd been disguised by one of Alvadas's illusions.

He was looking up now, gaze flicking across the patrons whose attention had been caught by his dramatic entrance. Dovey averted her eyes in some embarrassment, knowing it wasn't polite to gawk, but when he began speaking in some sharp-edged language she'd never heard before, she couldn't resist glancing up again. He was very muscular, she noted, for someone of such small stature. Perhaps he wrestled.

Apparently realizing no one else spoke the language he'd been using, the lad switched into Common. "I...the...the snakes!" he said shakily, and Dovey's expression turned sympathetic. Of course. He was a newcomer. She vividly remembered her first weeks in the city, how spooked she had been by the surreality of it all. Petch, she still wasn't altogether used to it here. Native Alvads weren't much help either; some were empathetic, but many seemed to find it funny watching the foreigner bumble through their city, leaping in fear at perfectly ordinary illusions.

Rising, Dovey picked up her mug and made her way over to the young man. "Hallo," she said with an easy smile. "Are there snakes outside, then? Just stay in here for a bit, they should vanish soon enough." Now that she stood beside him she could see his face much better. His eyes were pretty, a nice muddy green. And his veins were silver - odd, but in an interesting way. "Let me buy you something to drink. It'll calm your nerves," she said on impulse. "Lager?" She lifted her own mug. "It's good."

[ledger: 1 sm for lager.]

Boxcode credit: Karin Ironyach

[Alvaros]

Though activity had dwindled the moment that Alvaros had burst through the door, it soon picked up once more when everyone realized that it was only some greenhorn who'd yet to figure out how to differentiate between illusions and real life. A few of them snickered or pointed in his direction; the rest looked away in slight annoyance and returned to whatever they had been doing before the disturbance. Alv felt heat rise to his cheeks; it didn't take long for him to realize that the snakes hadn't been real, only figments of his imagination, summoned to the forefronts of his mind by a seemingly mischievous god.

He observed the rest of the tavern, then; at the very least, it didn't seem a horrible place to be. There were many chairs and tables, positioned around a roaring hearth. A bar took up much of the space by one of the walls, and the shelves behind it were stocked with various drinks. Just the thought of a good drink helped calm his mind.

So absorbed in his own humiliation, Alvaros did not seem to notice Dovey's approach until the greeting left her lips. He blinked, tipping his head back slightly to meet her eyes. She was a human, a relatively young one, not much larger than himself. She mentioned something about the snakes, and how they would vanish soon enough. Of course they will. Because they aren't real. Shame burned in his throat; had they been anything but snakes, he would've been able to act rationally and come to the conclusion that he was being tricked without panicking. Of course, this was just his luck.

His fear of snakes had been planted in his mind during adolescence, as they were fairly common in the mountains. He remembered, quite clearly, a particular afternoon when he'd been out exploring the trails with friends. One poorly placed step later, and there had been a pair of fangs sunken into his leg. He was sick for weeks; it was the most pain he'd ever experienced. He could still picture the exact moment that he looked down and caught sight of the reptile attached to him at his ankle. It sent shivers down his spine.

"Well, that's one thing to be glad about, I suppose," he muttered in response, straightening himself out. His gaze shifted about Dovey's face, basked in a golden glow from the fire. She was rather pretty. She offered to buy him a drink, and he quirked a brow. Some warm lager did sound like just the thing to hit the spot... "That'd be much appreciated. Thank you." He cleared his throat, stepping away from the door, when realization struck him. "I'm Alvaros, by the way. I'm new around here, though you probably figured that out." He gave a sheepish chuckle.

[Dovey]

Winter 517 AV
"Speech"
"Others"

The lad straightened out his sturdy frame, muttering a perturbed response to her reassurance. She didn't think he was annoyed at her, though; on the contrary, his eyes were pleasantly appraising as they traversed her face. Dovey's smile widened. Maybe there was still time for today to turn out well.

He accepted graciously when she offered him a drink, then seemed to realize they hadn't been properly introduced. "I'm Alvaros, by the way," he said. "I'm new around here, though you probably figured that out." And he chuckled, a pleasant but self-conscious sound. His dramatic entrance was still embarrassing him, Dovey guessed immediately. It wasn't hard to figure out; she had felt the same many a time during her first days in Alvadas, every time she'd fled an illusion while everyone else ignored it, or said something which seemed self-evident to her but which betrayed her naivete when it came to life in this topsy-turvy city. She vividly remembered the time she'd told a coworker that horses couldn't possibly fly...

But this was no moment to be ruminating. "I'm no born Alvad myself," she told her new acquaintance, her tone warm and reassuring. "Only been here since summer, so I well remember how strange it all seems at first. Don't worry, you'll grow used to it." She hoped that last statement was true, for Alvaros and for herself as well. But she had stopped running from snakes in the street, at any rate, and perhaps that was all he needed. "My name's Dovey," she went on. "Good to meet you, Alvaros." She reached out with one small hand, touching him lightly on the shoulder. The fabric of his shirt was rough beneath her fingers. "It's a pleasure to welcome you to Alvadas."

She held his eyes for a moment before turning, beginning to pick her way between drinkers in the direction of the polished bar. "Let me get you that drink."

Behind the bar stood the proprietor, Cade, arranging bottles on the counter with quick, industrious movements. Dovey caught his eye, and he turned toward her with an affable grin. "What'll it be?"

"Pint of lager for my friend, please," she replied, and with a businesslike nod he retrieved a mug and set to pouring. Dovey fished in her pocket for a silver miza, retrieving the correct coin at last and setting it down onto the counter. She took the newly filled mug in one hand and her own, nearly depleted, in the other. Then, with a murmur of thanks to the barman, she turned round again to find Alvaros and hand him his drink. "Would you like to find a seat with me?" she said brightly, once he had it. "You can tell me all about your travels. You must have come a long way."

[ledger: 1 sm for lager again.]

Boxcode credit: Karin Ironyach

[Alvaros]

Alvaros drew in a breath, recollecting himself enough to lift his head completely and observe the other Alvads - or travellers, in some cases, he supposed - that happened to occupy the tavern that night. It wasn't overwhelmingly busy; he wondered if the poor weather kept people away. That, or it was too well-hidden for anyone to find. Despite not being a native - or knowing much about the city at all, for that matter - he was aware of the fact that the buildings tended to shift spots. How anyone traversed the town on a regular basis without getting horribly lost, he wasn't sure.

Dovey's assurances that eventually he would grow familiar with Alvadas' tricks helped to calm his nerves. He was glad to know that the first person he'd had a genuine conversation with was a foreigner as well - someone who understood what he was going through. "Well, in that case, I'm glad I'm not alone." He flashed her a close-lipped smile, eyelids fluttering upon her touch to the shoulder. "It's a pleasure to welcome you to Alvadas." "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Dovey."

As she made her way towards the bar, Alv trailed behind her, continuing to admire the building and the warm atmosphere it gave off. By the time he found himself at Dovey's side, she was passing him a mug, filled to the brim with Lager. He took a swig, the drink soothing on his dry throat. "Ah.. thank you again."

"Would you like to find a seat with me?" He grinned. "Of course. And I guess I have; most of my travels up until this point have been through the mountains. To be honest, I've never been anywhere like Alvadas before."

He hadn't exactly been travelling with any particular destination in mind - he'd only wanted to see the world, experience new things. Maybe the city of Alvadas itself had picked up on his lack of direction and drawn him to it. After all, it seemed to be a place of wanderers. That was a ridiculous thought, but an intriguing one nonetheless. His time in Alvadas, though brief, had proven stressful thus far. He hoped that his evening would prove better - and, considering he was sitting down to have a chat with a lovely lady, it did seem things were looking up.

[Dovey]

Winter 517 AV
"Speech"
"Others"

Dovey's grin echoed Alvaros's own as he accepted her invitation. "And I guess I have," he continued. "Most of my travels up until this point have been through the mountains. To be honest, I've never been anywhere like Alvadas before."

She chuckled softly at that, turning to lead her newfound companion towards the table at which she'd been sitting. "I dunno if there is anywhere else like Alvadas," she said, a touch of doleful humor edging her voice. "Keeps you on your toes, this city. Here we are." They had reached her table, not quite at the edge of the room but still a little out of the way, so that perhaps their conversation would be less disturbed by the activity of the tavern.

Though - Dovey observed - there was blessed little activity tonight, for the Rear. Maybe it was the snow keeping people away; the Twisted-Streeters had cleared the streets enough to make them passable, but it was still a chore to trudge through the drifts piled up by the biting wind. She supposed she was grateful for the winter, after all the troubles brought on by Morwen's truancy last year, but the Kenashian doubted she'd ever grow used to this climate.

But what did that matter just now? She was cozy in a well-heated tavern, and entertaining a fellow who had her slightly charmed. Had it been cold enough outside to freeze the blood in her veins, still she'd have everything she needed to enjoy herself right here, and no need to pay mind to the weather. Returning her attention to the lad who sat beside her, she smiled to cover her momentary lapse into silence.

"You said you've been up in the mountains," she prompted him. "Tell me what it was like, won't you? I haven't traveled so much, and it's either been at sea or on the Kabrin Road - I've never seen real wilderness." She supposed she had traveled more than the ordinary person, but it had been migration, not adventure - there had been no perilous exploration, nor any threats which hadn't been handled by sailors or caravan guards rather than by Dovey herself. And although she wasn't eager to put herself in inordinate danger, that didn't mean she was immune to the allure of the wandering life. She leaned forward a little as she awaited Alvaros's reply.

Boxcode credit: Karin Ironyach

[Alvaros]

"I dunno if there is anywhere else like Alvadas,"

Alvaros transferred his mug to his left hand, pulling back the chair directly across the table from Dovey and lowering himself down to sit. A breathy laugh, short and brisk, passed his lips. "That's true. This place is definitely... unique. I just haven't figured out whether that's a blessing or a curse yet," he offered in response, a twinge of sarcasm hinted at in his voice.

The chair was surprisingly comfortable, though it squeaked under his weight, and the table felt homey and familiar. He took another brief swig of his lager, eyelids fluttering. Come to think of it, the last time he'd truly sat down for a proper drink was long before he'd started his travels. It was in Sultros, surrounded by a handful of his closest friends growing up. He felt a twinge of remorse in his chest - oh, how things had changed since then.

Dovey's questions drew the Isur from his memories, and he blinked, setting down his cup. He allowed a few ticks to pass before answering; he needed to mull over the question, first. How was he supposed to describe the mountains to an outsider?

"It really depends on what part of the mountains you find yourself in," he offered, "My homeland - Sultros - is, undeniably, beautiful. It was a wonderful place to grow up. Of course, leaving Sultros and making my way down the mountains right at the advance of winter was... difficult, to say the least. The untamed parts of the Kitrean Mountains are harsh and deadly, especially during the cold season."

His trek down the mountains had been far from enjoyable and, though he wouldn't admit it, he was incredibly lucky to have made it out of there alive. He looked to Dovey, eager for her reaction.

[Dovey]

Winter 517 AV
"Speech"
"Others"

Alvaros was silent for a few moments after Dovey asked her question. He had set down his drink and seemed to be pondering his reply. Dovey watched him over the rim of her mug, wondering what he was thinking. The hand now wrapped around his mug was a different color than his right, she noticed. Not an altogether natural color, either.

But Alvaros was answering her question now, and she got her nose out of her nearly-drained beer and paid attention.

"It really depends on what part of the mountains you find yourself in," he said. "My homeland - Sultros - is, undeniably, beautiful."

Sultros! Of course - he was an Isur! She really ought to have recognized him as one before now; it wasn't as though he was the first she'd ever met. But she couldn't see much of his arm beneath his winter sleeve, and Isur were unusual in Kenash, not the sort an ordinary girl would see often enough to learn their traits by heart. Realizing she had stopped paying attention to Alvaros's words, she quickly returned her focus to him.

"...grow up," he was saying. "Of course, leaving Sultros and making my way down the mountains right at the advance of winter was... difficult, to say the least. The untamed parts of the Kitrean Mountains are harsh and deadly, especially during the cold season."

Dovey nodded at once, face suffused with sympathy. Winter travel even on the Kabrin Road had been punishing; she thought it might have been the cold that had weakened her mother so, when she was ill. And that had been with a whole caravan! It must have been ten times as difficult for Alvaros to make his own path through the frigid mountains. "But if Sultros is so beautiful," she asked, a thought striking her, "and the journey was so hard, then why did you leave? Don't answer if that's too personal," she added hastily. Still, she was quite curious; she would never have left Kenash had her mother not made her, or at least she would have waited many more years to do so. And it seemed that Alvaros loved his home city just as she loved hers.

Listening to his answer, she drank the last of her lager in a couple of sips.

Boxcode credit: Karin Ironyach

[Alvaros]

ALVAROS SOLTROS
WINTER, 517 AV
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"Common" | 'Thoughts' | "Isurian"

Alvaros could see a light go off in Dovey's eyes as he continued to speak, and briefly he wondered what had crossed her mind. The thought was nearly enough to cause him to stumble over his own words, but he managed to get through his little explanation without fault. Once he was finished, he took a sip of his own drink, noting the expression of solicitude that Dovey seemed to take on. A shiver ran down his spine; the journey down the mountains had been taxing at best,
and horrendously life-threatening at worst. It was one that he was glad to leave behind him. It would have been beyond impossible if he'd been forced to travel on foot, and for that reason, he would always be eternally grateful for his equine companion, Fiellos.

"But if Sultros is so beautiful, and the journey was so hard, then why did you leave? Don't answer if that's too personal."

That was a question that Alv had been asked dozens of times, most commonly by friends and family. 'This is your homeland! Why would you leave?' or, 'Sultros has everything an Isur could need. What could be tempting you to go beyond the mountains?' These questions often escaped the mouths of other Isur when he'd explained to them that he planned on traveling. He couldn't fathom why very few others had a genuine understanding of his desire to roam. Perhaps Dovey would. He drew in a slow breath. "I... I suppose it was the repetition, for the most part. I got bored of my life. I hated knowing that there was so much more out there that I hadn't experienced, and would never get to experience if I stayed rooted in place. I know that's not generally an attitude that most Isur have, but... well, I really couldn't take it much longer." He set down his mug, eyebrows quirking slightly. "You, ah, mentioned that you were new here yourself. Where are you from? If you don't mind me asking."

[Dovey]

Winter 517 AV
"Speech"
"Others"

"Oh!"

The word escaped Dovey's lips in a soft, startled breath. Alvaros had hardly begun the third sentence of his explanation, and already his story was hitting close to home. Or - not close to home, exactly. She listened, leaning forward slightly without noticing it, her blue eyes caught on his hazel.

"I hated knowing that there was so much more out there that I hadn't experienced, and would never get to experience if I stayed rooted in place. I know that's not generally an attitude that most Isur have, but... well, I really couldn't take it much longer."

Dovey nodded solemnly. "I dunno about 'most Isur', but I can't bear being stifled." She was reminded of her experience living in Syliras. The stone city-castle had been safe and prosperous, with plenty of work available and housing for all comers - perhaps the best place on the continent to build a good plain life for oneself. Yet she had left, ostensibly because of the food shortages, but perhaps that had been more of an excuse than she thought. And for all Alvadas's infuriating tricks and time-wasters, she liked this city better than the other.

The realizations - for she hadn't considered herself in quite this light before - came in a rush of eager thought, which juddered to a halt at Alvaros's question. "Um - " She was distracted, thinking of Syliras and not of her native home; but the query meshed so neatly with the spirit of her reflections that she soon straightened herself out and spoke with ardor. "Well, me, I'm from Kenash, and believe me when I say, you could spend your whole life in that city and never run out of new things to try." She smacked her lips, thinking of the food - oh! for just a slice of that peach pie from Cecily's Pantry, that she had spent all her pocket money on several birthdays ago.

"There's always some new festival being planned, or a dish invented that no one's ever made before," she continued. "Or a wine. Or a drug - " she laughed - "which my mother would never let me try, and I wasn't brave enough to go behind her back, not with that. But I mean, there's always something! Gossip, intrigue, dessert..." She was smiling, without affectation, caught up in pleasant memories. "You have to learn your way around, but once you know the dance - well, you dance! Not like here. If there's any way to learn Alvadas then I've missed it."

Boxcode credit: Karin Ironyach