{Riveside Isle Park} In Which Two Kindred Souls Meet {Cham}

[Sahashkalila]

Timestamp 24th Spring 512AV, Morning

Kalila sat on one of the many stone benches that frequented the park, enjoying the soft breeze and the warmth of the morning sun. After overhearing that there was a park in this grisly city one night while in the tavern, she had decided to set out and see if she could find it for herself. She got lost several times, but after awhile a young sailor took pity on her after seeing her pass the docks several times and pointed her into the right direction. After he demanded a kiss from her. She promptly told him to stick his nose elsewhere and then shoved him into the water, laughing as she walked away and her him splutter. She shook her head at the memory, surprising herself by what she had done, but it had amused her at the time and still did when she looked back on it.

She had brought her journal with her today, full of all of her notes about what she had learned in Eyktol and other things that she had gathered through her travels, and was flipping through it looking at all of her notes....until something caught her attention. It was a crude picture on a faded piece of paper.....something that had been given to her a few days ago by Easton, the boy whose sister she had treated. The little girl was feeling much better and apparently had drawn her a picture....a picture of her and Kalila holding hands. It was crude, and Kalila wasn't sure where they had gotten the paper or the ink to actually draw it....but it was something that she had treasured and had stowed away in her journal for safekeeping. And as she sat there, the breeze ruffling her robes and the sun warm on her skin, her mind became lost in thought about the two children, holding the paper tightly in her hands.

[Chamaeleon]

"Who made that?" Chamaeleon spoke from somewhat behind and to the left of the veiled woman, her blue eyes on the crudely drawn picture that charmed her as she saw it while passing by in search of her harp. Her blonde hair waved in the breeze and her skin shimmered subtly as though Syna herself had seen fit to descend from her place in the sky and nestle within Chamaeleon's body. "I think it is a lovely picture, something to truly value in this world."

She circled to stand in front of the woman and smiled, bowing slightly. She didn't know why she bowed, but the urge had come upon her anyway. "I am Chamaeleon, daughter of Syna and Leth."

It was also the first time the Ethaefal had introduced herself in that way. Before, it had been with a 'No Name' tacked on to her actual name, a habit she had picked up after meeting many people that did have a last name in order to make up for her own lack.

"It's not often people come here to sit and stare at pictures. Most Sunberthians choose to participate in much more illicit activities, even in broad daylight. What makes you different?"

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila was startled out of her thoughts by one of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, the horns atop the woman's golden head obviously marking her as an Ethaefal. Kalila had never seen one of them before, and the beauty of the woman rendered her speechless for a few moments. She grew even more surprised when the woman bowed to her as she introduced herself. Kalila was not worthy to be bowed to by this creature and she fiddled with the paper that this Chamaeleon had noticed her holding, looking down at it in her lap.

"It iss a pleassure to meet you Chamaeleon of Sssyna and Leth,"she said softly, looking back up at her and inclining her head. Kalila did not care much for the gods, but she wasn't going to offend this lovely creature by saying that. "I am Kalila......and I came here to ssee if there wass sssomething that wass truly beautiful in thiss dissmal city, but it sseemss that even though it iss beautiful itss sstill tainted." She looked back down at the picture she held in her hands, a soft smile appearing on her face. "People do illicit bussinesss wherever they can find a place to do it, but at leasst I chosse to usse thiss park like it wass meant to be ussed. A place of peace and enjoyment."

[Chamaeleon]

"Peace and enjoyment?" Chamaeleon smiled at the poor, speech impaired foreigner. Blue eyes glittered with secret happiness as she still gazed at the fiddled with paper. "I come here for the same. In fact, last time I was here I forgot my harp. I'm looking for it now and hoping to the gods and stars that no one stole it."

As she spoke, she lifted her head, as though saying it reminded her of her current project. No sculptured wood greeted her searching eyes, and her attention quickly returned to the anomaly before her. She had many questions, her body anticipated asking them.

In a way, Chamaeleon lived a horribly sheltered and contained life. This woman was different. This Kalila screamed of difference. What Chamaeleon knew was the hungry grasp of stingy fingers reaching from an alley, or the angry shouts of the righteous and enraged as they hunted those they perceived had wronged them. How unusual it was to have met finally someone that was different.

"Where are you from?" She asked after a few helpless moments.

[Sahashkalila]

"Isss that not what a park iss meant for? I do not get many timess that are filled with peace in thiss ssort of city,"she said softly, her golden eyes studying the woman in front of her intently. From what Kalila knew of Ethaefal, they were not full of malice, and were "the fallen". Separated from their gods. She did not personally think that a life such as theirs was very fulfilling, because what kind of god or goddess throws away their own children? But she was not going to say that to this creature less she offend her.

"You play the harp? I have a fondnessss for the harp, but I cannot ssay that I have sseen one ass I passsed through. I hope no one hass taken it ass well.....but then again thisss iss Ssunberth,"she said with a shrug of her shoulders, shifting in her seat on the bench as she looked at the woman in front of her. "I am from Ahnatep, to ansswer your quesstion. A long wayss away from here." She tilted her head to the side, her eyes crinkling from a smile behind her veil, and she gestured to the seat beside her, inviting the woman to stay for a bit.

"You do not sseem the type to find Ssunberth appealing," she said quizzically, still holding the drawing in her hand. She couldn't imagine what an Ethaefal would want to find in a city such as this since they were such a pure race, which was more than she could say about anyone here in Sunberth.

[Chamaeleon]

"I get more opportunities for peace than I perhaps should, but perhaps that is because I allow myself to feel peaceful even when someone is bleeding all over me." She smiled again. She took Kalila's invitation and sat next to her, sitting there beside the smaller woman, her skin luminescent and her long hair billowing slightly.

"I love the harp. I managed to meet someone who played it like a master while I lived elsewhere and fell for the sound. It reminds me of home." She said this last part with a tone of wistfulness. Her voice returned to normal as she continued on. "What is Ahnetep like?"

"Sunberth isn't always the best, or the safest, out of where I've lived. In all honesty, the only place I can think of as completely appealing is my true home, which is further away and yet closer than any home of any other person. I came to Sunberth to explore this world, and I am not disappointed by how different it is from Syliras." Her blue eyes wide, she looked at Kalila, straight into the other's molten gold eyes. "Why are you in Sunberth?"

[Sahashkalila]

Peace almost seemed like a foreign concept to Kalila, for she didn't think she had ever felt true peace, something Chamaeleon seemed to embody. Kalila continued to search for it though, not knowing what exactly she was looking for, but perhaps that it would come in time.

She shifted a bit in her seat next to the lovely woman, her eyes staring off into the distance as she thought about Ahnatep, her home in the desert sand. "Ahnatep, iss like nothing you have ever sseen before,"she began, a slight smile on her face as she remembered all the sights and sounds that the city had offered her. It wasn't her true home, for Kalila was born in the sandy tunnels of the viper nest close to the city, but Kalila visited the city often enough for it to feel like her home. "It iss the jewel of the desssert, the ssightss and ssoundss very different from Ssunberth. Everyone wearss bright colorss and mussic can be heard on every sstreet, ass if the citizenss are consstantly having a party. But the citizenss are the most exotic with their many armss,"she said with a chuckle, turning to look back at her companion. "I misss the desssert ssun and ssand. There iss nothing more beautiful than a desssert ssunsset."

Kalila could not help but hear the wistful tone in the woman's voice about her true home, and she was sure she sounded the same about Ahnatep. But she couldn't help but wonder why she wanted to go back to that place when the gods had cast them out. She did not voice her personal feelings on the matter, not wanting to offend the woman next to her. "Perhapss you will get to go back to that home one day,"she said softly, trying to keep her biased opinion of the gods from reflecting in her tone. "Ass for me....I traveled for awhile, wanting to ssee what the world had to offer. Sso I joined a trade caravan, who turned out to be jusst ass dubiouss ass their goodss, and they dumped me in Ssunberth. I jusst decided to plant my feet here for now, sseeing ass I do not have anywhere elsse to go. Thiss city troubless me though, there iss sso much violence in peopless' heartss and it iss hard to comprehend."

[Chamaeleon]

Chamaeleon smiled broadly and settled down into the bench, crossing her slender arms against an invading chill. Her eye was caught by a reflection off the surface of her elegant horns. She listened close to the woman at her side, despite the appearance of distraction. She could feel a kindred spirit embodied in Kalila and her wistful tone of voice. Her smile warmed. Ahnatep sounded beautiful. Chamaeleon hoped she could go there and enjoy herself in a city of music and beauty without worrying about being slit like a purse.

"I hope you can make it home yourself." Impishly, the Ethaefal smiled. "It sounds like a beautiful place where you come from, and I hope I can see it one day." There was always hope she could go home as well, but she didn't know quite how to go about it. Going to Ahnatep might be easier than going home, as it were.

"I think Syliras would be better for such a kind hearted individual like you. There is no crime there, and people there are... kinder." More open minded could have been a better word, but while Chamaeleon lived in Syliras, she had never been at the receiving end of blatant racism. She never knew if the Knights were watching her during night, though.

"It is hard to comprehend this place. Everything here is different, from the world to the people." Chamaeleon's wistful tone returned. She wasn't human, not even close, and didn't originate from Mizahar itself. This whole world confounded her. The variety of the place was something she didn't understand. Dark skin, light skin, yellow hair, red hair? There wasn't anything like this in her true home.

"Well, you must be doing something right if you haven't been killed yet." She looked again at Kalila with a big smile.