Quiet Conversations

[Lyall Gaius]

Spring 48, 513

The Moon Temple shone softly in the night, iridescent shades of deep blue and silvery black fluctuating across its walls. The reflective pool of water centered in the temple was undisturbed and calm, bringing Lyall the peace of mind that had escaped him for so long. Soft beams of moonlight shined down into the water, lighting it up and refracting around the room, bathing everything in its silver glow.

Lyall could imagine with ease how easy it would be to lose himself in this serene place. Any pain or regret he had been holding onto seemed to flee to the corners of his mind the moment he entered. It was as if Leth himself held them at bay, with nothing but his firm, unwavering light. The Kelvic seemed to glide across the floor as he made his way to the center of the room. He walked with his neck craned upwards and bright eyes searching for Leth in what could be seen of the sky, though he only managed to catch a glimpse of the luminescent god peeking through oculus.

Truth be told, Lyall didn't know what had brought him to this place. Perhaps some would call it a religious awakening, but it wasn't anything so profound; curiosity was a more accurate description. Coming to a halt just before the pool, he allowed his shoulders rise and fall in a long sigh, his head falling forwards slightly, sending matted locks of raven hair tumbling into his eyes.

He was no craftsman of words, or a logic wielding scholar. Truth be told, he was beginning to feel the only thing he could do well was fight, whether for survival or entertainment, it was the only thing he walked away from the winner of... Most of the time anyways. This had never bothered him before, but recently something about this bleak future depressed him.

It was that very same depression that had caused him to stare up at the sky one night, and his gaze landed on the moon, seeming to settle there. He reveled in the feeling it gave him; it was as though the loneliness that had weighed him down was lessened by the gods magnificent presence. Ever since that night he had found his eyes frequently traversing the night sky.

[Cedrick]

What wolf would know religion? What man would know a wolf. Alas in the city again, for Cedrick burned to continue this humanoid adventure of his. The discovery of this perplexing world to which he was alien beyond fathoming of simple mortals. Had he really understood what mystique it was that brought him to this Elysium of skyglass? Or was it simple curiosity. A childish dream which he once dreamt; to know, to experience. Was it instinct or was it thought? Was there any distinction between the two? What man would know a wolf? Only that which shrouded such a wolf in his prosthetic skin, for even if humanity was part of him, it was never as natural as that white fun he held so dear. Those red eyes which sought light in the shadows. Those talons which kept him alive and the fangs. If he was a wolf and a man at once, than was he twice what he was?

And what wolf would know a good indeed? For Cedrick was never inclined to worship. His parentage having bean that of beastly nature, never had he been introduced to religious ideology until his paws, that now looked like feet with nails and toes in makeshift shoes, stepped into the temple of the moon itself. Steps that he muffled in all the stealth he could bare. A caution in the fluidity of his movement, a quietness, near silence but only near for proficiency he often lacked, about him. Had he not been this curious than he would not be this cautious, but curiosity seemed embedded to deep in his borderline taciturn personality. A quality both a blessing and an easy downfall.

To see is to experience and a wolf does not experience the world purely though sight, even if the sight is exceptional. For even if wide eyes he observed every feature to it's most minute detail, the other senses too would experience those details in such distinct ways, short of pressing his tongue against the walls to taste the material. Having taken a moment to observe the construction in it's entirety at the first step however, intrigued as to it's glow thus for none other building had such an ethereal quality to it - or at least none that he had ever seen - the Kelvic wasted little time to press against the first pillar and run his hands along it, caressing the smooth surface, looking about himself in a manner that to any potential bystander might be that of confusion or perhaps delirium. To him however it was simple curiosity. If human ears would move, his would rotate all around their axis. Such was not granted to him and though substantially impaired hearing of a human he would grow aware of the sound of the temple. The blissful sound of silence beneath the iconography if the lunar deity.

Now it wasn't in Cedrick's nature to talk, for his preferred method of communication was kinetic rather than verbal. But a precise internal narrator rattled on as his hand pressed against another pillar as he studied the structure with all of his senses. 'Smooth, vertical. It's like a tree but not a tree.' Again looking about himself, finally he proceeded to the main part of the temple only to be surprised by a presence that already beat him to it. A man who looked as perplexed by it all as he was. Ah what a ponderment. Why would a human be as peculiar as a wolf? And thought the luminary majesty of the interior temple, Ricky found himself more intrigued by the individual than the shimmering water or the midnight sky or the architecture. Grounded he stood, motionless, simply staring at the other who may or may not have been aware of the Kelvic's presence.

[Lyall Gaius]

The calming silence of the building was disturbed only by the faintest sound of muffled footsteps. Lyall had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't pick up on the noise until it was directly behind him, tentative and quiet. The Kelvic could admit that his thoughts had been elsewhere, but it wasn't common for a human, clumsy and loud, to sneak up on him. Then again, perhaps it wasn't a human. There were many other races, more dangerous ones.

Somewhat chilled by that prospect, Lyall tensed, turning to face whatever other presence shared Leth's temple with him. He was surprised to find himself staring into a pair of shockingly crimson eyes. The face that accompanied them was expressive, with curiosity plainly written across it. Lyall's eyebrows drew together as he studied the newcomer silently, from his lean, wolfish build, to his impossibly pale skin. This stranger was anything but human, in fact, Lyall didn't know what he was. Still, not looking to make new enemies, he pulled the corners of his lips up in the beginning of an awkward smile. Hopefully the message of peace would get across.

"Hello." He spoke haltingly in the common tongue, his green eyes burning with curiosity. Could this stranger with his bright red eyes perhaps be a Symenstra? He had thought Lhavatians very rarely allowed them into their cities, but it would certainly solve this mystery. It was no longer the fear of an attack that drove him to discover the motives of the stranger, but an unrelenting feline curiosity.

"I didn't hear you... That is-" He pursed his lips in frustration, what was the word again? "Impressive." He grinned for a moment, pleased. Perhaps this journey to civilization was doing him some good. The language was returning to him with more ease than he'd anticipated, though he still found himself accompanying his words with elaborate hand gestures. He wondered if it was obvious to the other man that he was a Kelvic.