Kelski knew she’d made a mistake as his gentle strokes on her back ceased at her question. There were so many lines in the sand in relationships with humans and she never knew what was too much, too soon, or something that should never be crossed, unearthed, or asked about. She felt him tense and take a half step back, distancing himself from her. She read in his hazel gaze how much he didn’t want to tell her this and how there were some secrets he’d like to keep close always.
What surprised her is how he said it wasn’t completely unrelated. What? The Kelvic furrowed her brow, trying to guess at what he was going to say even as he pulled her with him into the bedroom and showed her something.
Kelski wasn’t the type to go through his things. If Kynier left something opened or books stacked together, she’d never read what the pages said, or even glance at the spines of the books. They were his things and that was that. She didn’t have an overly nosey personality except when it came to things that made him upset in his sleep. She thought the question would be welcomed and some teaching explanation would happen, wherein he’d push the evils of magic and its corruptible nature more than usual. This, however, was a whole different gemstone than she expected and the Kelvic listened intently.
He began to recite a story and Kelski settled on the edge of the bed to listen. She wasn’t sure what he was going to tell her, but it wasn’t the picture he eventually painted for her. The Sea Eagle had no idea what a lynching mob was, but it didn’t sound good. She knew Sunberth hated mages. The burning festival was one of those key examples and there were countless other examples as well. Even the market had stalls that sold cheap tin jewelry shouted to ‘ward off evil mage eyes’ and the like. But she’d never seen a ‘mob’ hunting a mage. Lynching… there was that word again. Kelski tilted her head, listening intently, sure an explanation would be forthcoming.
The scene Kynier painted for her unfolded before her eyes and it drove home the fact of how human Kynier was. Humans did violence first and thought of solutions later. Kelski would have hidden the mage in the shadows, would have redirected or caused a diversion, or would have even defended the mage and scared the crowd if there were time or opportunity. Maybe there was no time for any of that and he’d done the best he could do. But murdering like that? It was so very human. They killed not to eat and not for survival or territory, but for the most astonishing things like fear of the unknown.
She watched him grow more and more upset, collapsing even in sobs that seemed somehow out of place on the mage’s usually stoic face. Kynier buried his hands in his face as Kelski tried to understand something. Her eyes shifted from Kynier’s distraught features to the book on the desk and then back to Kynier. She quietly waited out the storm of emotion, uncertain how to deal with it. Should she comfort him? He was fairly busy blaming himself for Murder, and yet Kelski couldn’t see how it was any different than any of the other times Kynier had killed. He didn’t reveal the contents of the book – something Kelski assumed was probably deemed by Kynier unsafe for her to know – nor did he explain how he knew what he knew about the stranger whose name he knew.
She had never heard of hypnotism, lynch mobs, or anything else he was talking about, but it all felt a little like he’d gotten himself into something he didn’t know how to get out of and was overwrought by guilt. Kelski wasn’t sure how to react. It sounded like his own human nature and curiosity had gotten him in trouble and now he regretted his actions passionately. She should comfort him, kneel down and hold him, but an anger was growing in her again… one The Gem was having a hard time soothing.
“It sounds like a fine mess. I’m sorry it’s keeping you up at night, Kynier. But I don’t know how this man… this Aidren… is any different than anyone else you’ve cut the throat of in this city. I know there’s been a lot of blood on your hands. They all weren’t guilty, even the ones trying to cut your throat before you cut theirs. I don’t think you can blame a hungry creature for hunting those weaker than itself and trying to take what belongs to the weaker in order to survive… be it flesh, coin, or even the shoes on one’s feet. Your people consider mine animals, but we have always thought of you as incredibly violent and dangerous. How is this any different? Why is this man any better than the others? Is it just because you know his name? Have his book? Maybe you could have done something different…. maybe saved him… maybe not. Maybe he would have treated you better if the situation was reversed, but it was not. It is because of actions like this that Sunberth will never change, never grow…”
Kelski said softly, shaking her head from her perch on the side of the bed where she watched him but didn’t offer him comfort. She didn’t have comfort for him after his words. It wouldn’t help anyhow. The only thing that could comfort him was a dead man evidently forgiving him. Was he right? She often thought of humans as monsters. Akajia knew she related better to the shadows and other Kelvics than Kynier’s race. But Kynier wasn’t the same as his race, not on a whole, just in parts, and those parts didn’t have to be as they were.
The Kelvic didn’t correct him though. She didn’t deny that he was a monster or say what he said wasn’t true. She had no idea of the truth of his words, only that he believed them and that was enough to lend them credibility with her.
She tried to figure out why he cried. Did his tears actually serve a purpose? They seemed more a release of tension and pent up sorrow than anything else. Kelski rarely cried and when she did it was more than likely because a toe-nail had just come unseated from the bed it grew on due to being jammed under a door or something equally frustrating and painful like a hand accidentally in the forge. Events rarely made her cry. Even Darvin hadn’t. Darvin had made her feel empty. Why wasn’t Kynier empty? She strained to understand, using all of her observation and logic to try and see what he was going through. But there was still a gap there, a huge disconnect…. one Kelski struggled to understand.
She had to say something more… something to comfort him. “I’m sure you did the best you could have done, Kynier. It sounds… aweful and monstrous… but I wasn’t there. I can’t judge by just your words because you were just viewing things from your eyes. I don’t know what other factors existed or what other options were open to you. I do know it sounds like you need to make peace with this.” She said softly, thoughtfully, wondering how long ago this was. It wasn’t recent was it? She asked very little about Kynier’s work though she knew he worked or was a puppet for powerful people willingly. She always trusted him to do the right thing and not endanger any of them through his actions.
Maybe she was a fool for being like that. Maybe her love for Kynier blinded her. But she trusted him and that in the end was what she said.
“I trust you Kynier. I think you did the best you could do in the circumstances you found yourself in. You are smart and driven, and if you found no other option then there most likely wasn’t one. All you can do is be better from now on, learn from that man’s death, and make sure it isn’t repeated if you can help it.” Kelski said, thoughtful and alert to his needs, but not sure if he wanted comfort not now.
“It’s a lot like I was speaking of earlier. This city won’t change if we all keep doing things the way everyone has always done them…. violence, murder, revenge. If we want it to be better, we need to do things a better way… myself included.” Kelski said softly, watching him with her silver eyes gone dark and thoughtful.
Though it was so tempting to go even against her own words and start killing the Sun’s Birth. Kelski walked a thin line always, throwing herself into her new business to avoid doing what she actually wanted to do … that is… wander the streets and hunt her enemies. Sunbirth had affected her in negative ways…. very negative ways. And in some ways was still affecting her. Kynier looked like he wasn’t immune either.
What surprised her is how he said it wasn’t completely unrelated. What? The Kelvic furrowed her brow, trying to guess at what he was going to say even as he pulled her with him into the bedroom and showed her something.
Kelski wasn’t the type to go through his things. If Kynier left something opened or books stacked together, she’d never read what the pages said, or even glance at the spines of the books. They were his things and that was that. She didn’t have an overly nosey personality except when it came to things that made him upset in his sleep. She thought the question would be welcomed and some teaching explanation would happen, wherein he’d push the evils of magic and its corruptible nature more than usual. This, however, was a whole different gemstone than she expected and the Kelvic listened intently.
He began to recite a story and Kelski settled on the edge of the bed to listen. She wasn’t sure what he was going to tell her, but it wasn’t the picture he eventually painted for her. The Sea Eagle had no idea what a lynching mob was, but it didn’t sound good. She knew Sunberth hated mages. The burning festival was one of those key examples and there were countless other examples as well. Even the market had stalls that sold cheap tin jewelry shouted to ‘ward off evil mage eyes’ and the like. But she’d never seen a ‘mob’ hunting a mage. Lynching… there was that word again. Kelski tilted her head, listening intently, sure an explanation would be forthcoming.
The scene Kynier painted for her unfolded before her eyes and it drove home the fact of how human Kynier was. Humans did violence first and thought of solutions later. Kelski would have hidden the mage in the shadows, would have redirected or caused a diversion, or would have even defended the mage and scared the crowd if there were time or opportunity. Maybe there was no time for any of that and he’d done the best he could do. But murdering like that? It was so very human. They killed not to eat and not for survival or territory, but for the most astonishing things like fear of the unknown.
She watched him grow more and more upset, collapsing even in sobs that seemed somehow out of place on the mage’s usually stoic face. Kynier buried his hands in his face as Kelski tried to understand something. Her eyes shifted from Kynier’s distraught features to the book on the desk and then back to Kynier. She quietly waited out the storm of emotion, uncertain how to deal with it. Should she comfort him? He was fairly busy blaming himself for Murder, and yet Kelski couldn’t see how it was any different than any of the other times Kynier had killed. He didn’t reveal the contents of the book – something Kelski assumed was probably deemed by Kynier unsafe for her to know – nor did he explain how he knew what he knew about the stranger whose name he knew.
She had never heard of hypnotism, lynch mobs, or anything else he was talking about, but it all felt a little like he’d gotten himself into something he didn’t know how to get out of and was overwrought by guilt. Kelski wasn’t sure how to react. It sounded like his own human nature and curiosity had gotten him in trouble and now he regretted his actions passionately. She should comfort him, kneel down and hold him, but an anger was growing in her again… one The Gem was having a hard time soothing.
“It sounds like a fine mess. I’m sorry it’s keeping you up at night, Kynier. But I don’t know how this man… this Aidren… is any different than anyone else you’ve cut the throat of in this city. I know there’s been a lot of blood on your hands. They all weren’t guilty, even the ones trying to cut your throat before you cut theirs. I don’t think you can blame a hungry creature for hunting those weaker than itself and trying to take what belongs to the weaker in order to survive… be it flesh, coin, or even the shoes on one’s feet. Your people consider mine animals, but we have always thought of you as incredibly violent and dangerous. How is this any different? Why is this man any better than the others? Is it just because you know his name? Have his book? Maybe you could have done something different…. maybe saved him… maybe not. Maybe he would have treated you better if the situation was reversed, but it was not. It is because of actions like this that Sunberth will never change, never grow…”
Kelski said softly, shaking her head from her perch on the side of the bed where she watched him but didn’t offer him comfort. She didn’t have comfort for him after his words. It wouldn’t help anyhow. The only thing that could comfort him was a dead man evidently forgiving him. Was he right? She often thought of humans as monsters. Akajia knew she related better to the shadows and other Kelvics than Kynier’s race. But Kynier wasn’t the same as his race, not on a whole, just in parts, and those parts didn’t have to be as they were.
The Kelvic didn’t correct him though. She didn’t deny that he was a monster or say what he said wasn’t true. She had no idea of the truth of his words, only that he believed them and that was enough to lend them credibility with her.
She tried to figure out why he cried. Did his tears actually serve a purpose? They seemed more a release of tension and pent up sorrow than anything else. Kelski rarely cried and when she did it was more than likely because a toe-nail had just come unseated from the bed it grew on due to being jammed under a door or something equally frustrating and painful like a hand accidentally in the forge. Events rarely made her cry. Even Darvin hadn’t. Darvin had made her feel empty. Why wasn’t Kynier empty? She strained to understand, using all of her observation and logic to try and see what he was going through. But there was still a gap there, a huge disconnect…. one Kelski struggled to understand.
She had to say something more… something to comfort him. “I’m sure you did the best you could have done, Kynier. It sounds… aweful and monstrous… but I wasn’t there. I can’t judge by just your words because you were just viewing things from your eyes. I don’t know what other factors existed or what other options were open to you. I do know it sounds like you need to make peace with this.” She said softly, thoughtfully, wondering how long ago this was. It wasn’t recent was it? She asked very little about Kynier’s work though she knew he worked or was a puppet for powerful people willingly. She always trusted him to do the right thing and not endanger any of them through his actions.
Maybe she was a fool for being like that. Maybe her love for Kynier blinded her. But she trusted him and that in the end was what she said.
“I trust you Kynier. I think you did the best you could do in the circumstances you found yourself in. You are smart and driven, and if you found no other option then there most likely wasn’t one. All you can do is be better from now on, learn from that man’s death, and make sure it isn’t repeated if you can help it.” Kelski said, thoughtful and alert to his needs, but not sure if he wanted comfort not now.
“It’s a lot like I was speaking of earlier. This city won’t change if we all keep doing things the way everyone has always done them…. violence, murder, revenge. If we want it to be better, we need to do things a better way… myself included.” Kelski said softly, watching him with her silver eyes gone dark and thoughtful.
Though it was so tempting to go even against her own words and start killing the Sun’s Birth. Kelski walked a thin line always, throwing herself into her new business to avoid doing what she actually wanted to do … that is… wander the streets and hunt her enemies. Sunbirth had affected her in negative ways…. very negative ways. And in some ways was still affecting her. Kynier looked like he wasn’t immune either.