One Small Step (Open)

[Sebastion]

21st of Fall 512 A.V. "In the name of Harameus, isn't it SPLENDID, Snowflake? The Sled dog gave a non committal grunt beneath the Pycon's legs as they made their way into the famed city of Ahnatep. It was like finding a hidden gem within the sand. The Pycon's head slowly rotated on a clockwise circuit as he led his mount into depths of the throngs, weaving between people too busy to notice the small clay figure atop the jet black dog. After a time he settled his head in a more socially acceptable manner. He felt like a fledgling ball of clay all over again. He had thought Mura was great, but this city held an all together different beauty, gilded and marvelous. The poor shuffled behind the wealthy, gems and gold glinted like fallen stars in the hot sun, and the smells! The strong tang of alcohol, incense and herbs Shim couldn't name wafted around his senses. Shady individuals lurked in alleys, haughty eyes deigned to look at him for only the brief amount of time their attention could allow. And the language they spoke: Soft and elegant, just as there arms and clothing were. Shim longed to learn everything he could about this place as fast as possible, but he urged himself to keep a greater calm. He had time after all, there was no reason to rush when he had only just arrived. For a time he wove in and out of the stalls of wares. Food, jewelry, clothing. He stayed as long as he could at any booth that caught his eye, just long enough for a vendor to realize he wasn't going to buy anything before shooing him away. After a time he did buy a pouch of water and a hunk of fish and stopped by a small pavilion with benches and a thin roof of hung clothing to feed and water the dog. He would need to find clay eventually, but there was time enough for that as well. *- 2 SM subtracted for cost of food and water It was there that Shim sat observing the graceful patterns of the Eypharians for a spell. There was something in the way that they walked, as if they knew they were a higher race, and the Pycon certainly couldn't argue that fact. They were streamline beautiful people. The thought occurred to him that not 100 percent of the children of the race could be born this way, but he could see no evidence to the contrary. After about a bell of his crowd watching, the Pycon decided to do what he always did when encountering new forms: To try it out for himself. A couple children had come to gawk at the small clay man feeding his large dog, and now they hooted in delighted as the Pycon focused all his energy into changing. He normally had four appendages, so making more took some extra concentration. It was easier for him to think in steps so first his form was a naked female, then a naked four armed female, causing more laughter and joviality from the amassing youths. Then there was the hair done up, but not to excess, a hairnet keeping it free from the eyes, as if he would have had to worry about that anyway. Earrings studded tiny ears, and a shift with a deep neckline seemed to emerge like water from his skin, simple, but elegant sandals pooling from his feet. He wiggled his two new arms, vowing to try for six at a later date, and slowly stood up on the bench, attempting to feel as if he too was some regal people born from sunlight and sand. He bowed graciously to the children. A couple let out hesitant claps, but most just continued laughing, then scurried away like a flock of startled sparrows. The Pycon shrugged and sat back on his bench. He could watch for a while more. This extra arm thing...why hadn't he thought of it before?