[Sacred Arch Hotspring] Atop the Bridge [Rayque]

[Vizyous Aconitum]

2nd of Spring, 511 AV, As trusting as Vizyous was of the Syliran Knight's skill in protecting what they could of the Cobalt Mountains, he set out from the city when Syna was high in the sky, lighting his surroundings completely so nothing could hide in darkness. He was headed towards the warm, relaxing waters that pooled beneath the Sacred Arch, a hot spring he'd been to in the far past but hadn't visited since then. Syliras had changed since then, the city anyways, but the Mountains hadn't-- it brought a comforted to his otherwise overwhelmed mind. The hot spring was less than half a bell from the city, an enchanting natural land form that made anyone that saw it stop in admiration.What Vizyous assumed started out as a small leak of water between rocks eventually wore down the stone enough to create a beautiful stream flowing beneath an arch of rock. How the stone making the arching bridge above the stream was held up the Symenestra wasn't sure, but could only assume that it was the will of Semele, the Goddess of the earth and every mineral and rock within it. When he reached the hot spring, it's steaming water was absent of others and the surrounding forest seemed to be quiet, peaceful. Grateful for the privacy, his tattered clothes held together more by wisely placed knots than stitched were dropped to the ground despite it's slightly damp grass. They were already ruined, a little mud wouldn't hurt. The ripped and frayed, red silk wrappings covering his legs and pelvis remained on him as he hopped into the waters, needing to be washed anyways. Vizyous closed his eyes, head tipping towards the sky as his muscles that had been tense since Alvadas being warmed into relaxation. When his delighted amethyst eyes opened, though, he saw that the Sacred Arch was not abandoned. Atop the stones that made the arch itself was someone, but Syna blinded him from seeing too much detail.

[Rayque]

Her form was precariously balanced on the stone bridge. Rayque had decided to journey to the well know spring after hearing about it from some of the locals, as well as wanting to escape the confines of the city for a while. Even though Syliras was beautiful, it was also confining. The city consisted more of hallways rather than roads, and being not too fond of smaller spaces, the kelvic had wandered to the spring. There was a figure below her, at the spring, but she paid no attention to it. Surely it had not noticed her for not many people would unless they looked close enough. Looking down at the gorgeous spring, Rayque was reminded of how she loved nature, in all its forms. The waters of the spring were inviting, but after seeing the figure below her, Ray decided to wait to come down. At the time, Ray was in her human state. The sensation wasn’t as pleasant as being in her leopard form, but she needed to get used to it if she was to stay in Syliras for any extended amount of time. She was in a crouching position, her hands in front of her. This was a very natural position for her, and with her hood off for the first time since entering Syliras, her long dark hair blew behind her with a little assistance from the slight breeze. Falling was not even a possibility due to her good balance. It was probably partly due to the fact that she was a large cat kelvic, and large cats tended to have very good balance. Her skirt was riding up a bit due to her unusual position, and the bag on her back made her balance a little off, but nothing significant. Straining her eyes, she could still see the figure below her near the spring. A small flicker of curiosity ignited in her as it seemed as though the figure noticed her. From afar, the being looked human in shape, but Ray could not tell for sure. Her feline eyes helped her to be able to see in the dark a bit better, but it didn’t do much for her long distance vision.

[Vizyous Aconitum]

From the distance, Vizyous could see the outline of long hair being shifted by the breeze, but couldn't tell if it was truly black in color or if that was a trick of light. The figure seemed to be crouching atop the stones, their balance unwavering despite it being so high up-- but what the Symenestra couldn't understand was how they'd managed to get up there. There were no wings visible against the sun so this wasn't a Zith, and what he could see of skin seemed too pale for a Symenestra.

There was, of course, the possibility that it was just a very nimble human who was enjoying the springs for the same reason he was-- to get away from the city. Vizyous remained silent, contemplating whether he should call out to the figure perching far above him. If he did so, his visit to the Sacred Arch may not be as relaxing as he'd originally intended; at the same time, however, he didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to meet someone interesting considering he was extremely bored after leaving the illusions of Alvadas.

The same breeze that tossed the figures hair messed his own, sending his thick and tangled, gray mane into his face. There was no cut or style to his hair, it simply was grown down his back and never trimmed, parted in the middle atop his pale face. With nothing better to say, Vizyous batted the strands from his eyes and looked up at whoever was above.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" He called out, voice friendly even through the distance it would travel to reach her, "I can't say the same for this wind though, it seems Zulrav wishes to tell us something." At the mention of the God of all winds, another breeze swept through the clearing, making the leaves that were slowly reappearing on trees rustle in amusement at the concept, as if they laughed at such words. Surely, they weren't important enough to garner the attention of Zulrav.

[Rayque]

Rayque’s personal thoughts had been stopped abruptly as soon as the figure below her spoke. She hadn’t been very interested in the form other than wishing it gone so she could come down. But when it spoke, the figure seemed friendly enough. Ray didn’t trust anyone, and generally she wouldn’t even talk to strangers, but she decided to engage the interesting stranger in conversation against her gut feeling. His voice traveled across the expanse between the two, and spoke of the nice day. It truly was, but before he had pointed it out, Ray hadn’t noticed. His next words were of a God, and she assumed that it was one of a natural element. She didn’t pay much attention to religion. It seemed like a waste of time to her, and frankly she didn’t have the concentration to devote her life to worship one or more of the Gods of Mizahar. “Yes, it is,” Ray’s voice sounded soft, but it carried across the distance between them. Her feet were bare, as they were most of the time when it was acceptable to go barefoot. She quickly made up her mind to travel down to the figure that had addressed her in a friendly manner. Her five foot plus form stood up to its full height and confidently walked across the bridge to one side. Her hands tightly gripped the top of the bridge, as she slowly lowered her feet down the side. Her feet and hands found the smallest of crevices in the rock helping her descent down the rock. The whole procedure did not take long, maybe about five minutes in total. When she was about four or five feet from the ground, she gracefully jumped off the rock, landing in a crouch similar to her position on top of the bridge. Her figure was now visible to the stranger, as his was to her. Ray’s cloak was off and in her bag, as well as her boots. She was wearing the simple black dress she had on most of the time, and other then a few dirt spots, it was clean. Her bare feet were dirty, but she didn’t mind. Being dirty didn’t bother her that much, only when the dirt was caked on would she take to initiative to wash it off. Being on the bridge had comforted her. Heights in general comforted the large cat kelvic as did large expanses of trees. Unable to achieve any sort of elevation in Syliras without drawing attention to herself, she had been withering away until she decided to escape the confines of the city, even if it only was for a day or two. Now, being on the ground made her a bit uneasy, but she had many escape options, and like any being would, she was prepared to run at a moments notice.

[Vizyous Aconitum]

When the figure, a woman now that Vizyous could see her clothing and form, began her descent from the arched stone, he instantly understood what she was. He should have guessed earlier, really, that she was a Kelvic-- not that that told him anything, she could have been anything from a bear looking to protect it's territory, to a sloth simply looking for a nice place to sleep.

"I would have come up," The Symenestra said, flexing his curved, naturally black claws. His climbing skills laid within his skin, though, not his claws. His lower half remained in the water that came to his stomach, wrapped in loosened, drenched scraps of silk. At one time, the silk had been a smooth and bright red; now, it was weathered, rough with strands escaping everywhere, it's vibrant shade stained dark with wear and mud.

Aside from that, Vizyous was exposed, his skin pale from lack of exposure during both the Winter and in general. His gray hair that tumbled in loose tangles and curls fell untrimmed, past his shoulder blades, his manes longest locks dipping into water. The Symenestra wasn't smug in his appearance; confident and unashamed came to mind, but Vizyous didn't care much about being nearly nude in front of strangers, so long as they weren't holding a weapon to him.

[Rayque]

Rayque’s eyes scanned the form in front of her. Long, curved black claws came from where a normal human would have fingernails, so obviously not a human, he was another race. Her years had left her with few experiences with races other than Kelvics and humans, so she was unfamiliar with the race of this man. Pure curiosity drove her to approach the man slowly, but she remained a good five feet from him. He was wearing little clothes, but this did not bother Ray much for nakedness was no foreign state for a Kelvic. “What are you?” her voice was curious, and fairly soft for there was no need to talk louder. Her intention was not to be rude, but sometimes bluntness came off as being rude. Her elongated canines came into view, but barely when she spoke. “Not many can climb that…” her voice was more unbelieving rather than curious now. It was not often that Ray came across someone that could do what she did, especially climbing or running. Her bright green eyes glanced at his claws, thinking that they were the reason that he thought he could climb as well as she. Her more vertical pupils were visible from where the man was standing, and Ray was unashamed of what she was… the fact that she was part animal. “What makes you think you can?” she spoke in more of a snide way now, thinking that this man was arrogant to believe that he could do what she just did. Of course, the thought didn’t even cross her mind that it was her arrogance playing out in her disbelief.

[Vizyous Aconitum]

She had the curves of a woman covered by a black dress that matched the shade of her hair. Her irises were a bright green, seeming to shine with their intensity as they looked over Vizyous' form. The Kelvic approached him with cautious curiosity, standing well away from him yet the intrigue written clearly across her face. "What are you?"

Her question was followed up by another, this time sounding more spectacle about his climbing abilities. Vizyous regarded her with a tired shrug, idly skimming his claws along the surface of the water and making small ripples pass throughout the hot spring. His amethyst eyes gazed within the depths of the water, searching beneath the surface rather than bringing his attention to the Kelvic female who still asked more questions regarding his ability to scale surfaces.

Apparently, she'd never met a Symenestra before nor met a Dra, those that were half-Symenestra, or anyone else that knew of them. Her tone was arrogant and ignorant, so Vizyous responded likewise, his eyes not once giving her an ounce more of attention. "Well, what makes me think I can climb it...?" his question was sarcastic, the Symenestra moving lazily throughout the water towards the stone that made up the right side of the Arch.

It was damp with water, yet the sun had dried it more than usual compared to it's slippery state in the Winter. The climb up would be a long one, probably more than Vizyous was up to that day, but he wasn't intending to travel very far from where he stood now-- just enough to prove to the Kelvic that she wasn't the only one capable of reaching high places. "Let's find out."

The eye roll that escaped him couldn't be helped, the thought of him not being able to climb a wall, whether it was made of wood or stone, was absurd. Vizyous shook his hands free of the water dripping from them, pressing his right palm against a more dry spot of the rock. It seemed impossibly old and weathered against his skin, the texture of it not promising for a climb that wouldn't result in scrapes. "Perhaps it's because Symenestra are notorious not only for their venom but for their skin..."

Easy it wasn't, but Vizyous continued anyways, extending his equally lanky left arm above the right and placing his palm against the boulder. Two hands plastered to the Arch, now the Symenestra only had to get a foot on and he was set. With a small hop, his wet, bare foot was brought upwards towards the stone only to slip, leaving a dark skid mark against the gray of the Arch. It nearly splashed into the water before being brought forward once again to rest against the stone, the muscles in Vizyous' arms tensing as they worked to support his weight while his foot wasn't secured to the surface. "...which while extremely pale, is also extremely prone to sticking to seemingly unclimbable surfaces..."

From there on it was a smooth ride up with only a few difficulties; the occasional catching of his claws against the ancient stone, the constant rubbing of his skin making a irritated redness appear on his palms, toes, and even some of his bare chest and stomach. The muscles of Vizyous' arms only began to ache once the Symenestra reached what could have been considered a quarter of a half of the way to the top-- how far up that was, he wasn't sure, but considering that the mountain was the highest of the Cobalt Mountains, Vizyous figured it wasn't that bad for a Symenestra that didn't climb all that often.

While Vizyous descended, he kept his eyes above him, looking up rather than down. No, he didn't take much comfort in being high away from the ground, in fact he didn't like it at all. "... like that! I'll need to eat to tackle the rest of it." He called down to her, not at all ashamed that he didn't travel all the way to the top. He'd be able to, without a doubt, if he was properly rested and fed. However he was tight on Mizas, and food had been sparsely bought.

[Rayque]

The strange man returned her snide tone saying that he was a Symenestra. He went on to explain his races ability to climb walls well and their venomous skin. After watching him struggle a bit, it was obvious that the man was not lying. His skin seemed like the only thing helping him up the wall, and Rayque’s eyes widened as he continued up. He only went part of the way up, and Ray was slightly disappointed. He blamed it on his lack of food, and Ray stopped herself from making a snide remark back to him. It was true for her as well that without food she did not have nearly as much energy. “So you are one of the few that can climb it...” her voice came out not snide, but still not very friendly. Perhaps it was a habit to refrain from being to kind to strangers, but it had kept her safe… most of the time. Noticing that the man was avoiding looking down, Ray let out a snort. “Cant come down?” she asked, “Or is the great climber scared of heights?” an audible laugh was heard as she remained looking up at him. “Besides, even with little food, I could make it further than you.” A thin, pale hand was placed on her hip as she took in his still form. OOCSorry this post is kinda short :/

[Vizyous Aconitum]

"Scared of heights?" Vizyous scoffed, turning to her once he reached the grass that was slowly regrowing, "Scared of falling!" He corrected her, a hand coming to rest on his hip as well. The Kelvic was obviously still doubting his climbing skills, and as tired as Vizyous was, he still felt a bit of pride running through his Symenestran veins, energizing him.

"If you'd like to donate to the cause," One of his pale hands extended in front of him palm up, darkly-clawed fingers idly moving, "I will gladly accept a few miza for food to prove you wrong." A wide smile stretched across his lips, well practiced but obviously insincere. Insolent as it was, Vizyous was honestly hoping the woman would take the bait and hand over a coin or two, however his chances didn't look too good.

Perhaps if she was a less proud, alert animal... yes, if she was a sloth. That would definitely have rendered him a few miza lazily tossed his way as a bribe to keep him quiet.
OOCThat's alright, short posts are okay!

[Rayque]

Donate to the cause? Who did this man think she was? Never would she give out mizas to strangers, no matter what they said they needed it for. Her mizas were hard earned… well not really, but each time she earned mizas, there was a small chance that she would get caught and punished severely. “I have a better idea…” she said, her footsteps taking her closer to his standing form. After creating a circle around him with her path, she whispered, “you admit you aren’t strong enough to climb the wall… admit that a woman is stronger than you.” Her form had then created space between them as she adjusted her bag, leaning her back against the stone wall, farther away from his standing figure. Her face displayed her contempt as a small smile appeared on her face, exposing her obviously elongated teeth. Her body language, from the moment she had met the strange man was prideful mocking of him. Her attitude toward any other beings was generally this way, for it allowed her to put more distance between her and any stranger she crossed. She viewed him, like most other races, inferior to her, especially in his ability to climb. She was almost positive this man had never been through anything similar to what she went through on a daily basis. It was almost constantly that she was climbing to escape the wrath of city officials, for they could not climb half as well as her.