[Sacred Arch Hotspring] Three Ravokians and a Drykas...

by **Aoren** on May 13th, 2013, 2:26 am

"Then try not to wander off." He pulled Caesar a little closer once they were past the main gates. Syliras was possibly the largest city in all of Mizahar. For all of its people though it lacked complete grandeur. Such was not the way of the Knighthood that built the massive fortress. The walls were high but most were unadorned with any sort of ornamentation. It was a stale existance they lived. Safe within the walls of Syliras. Safe in the prison that lacked any sort of gilded lining to entice those within it. Aoren did not resent the city or its protectors. They did what they had to do in order to preserve civilization in this chaotic world but when one spent their whole life doing nothing but staring at the walls of a bleak citadel and wishing you were some place else...well...things grew staler than they already were.

"Oh I'm sure there will be a slew of remarks on my sexual performance in the future." Aoren left unsaid whether or not those remarks would be positive or negative. Perhaps that was the joke he implied as he cast Caesar a mischievous smirk. When the Ravokian male confided in him that he did not quite know what he wanted Aoren stopped and turned to face Caesar. He stared down into those olive green eyes searching for something. "Then I shall help you figure out what you want, who you are, and where you're going. Be it with me..." He quirked his head slightly and exhaled tiredly. "...or someone else."

Aoren noticed that Caesarion was most definitely on edge. He was gripping Aoren's hand a bit tighter. He was glancing about at the shadows and looking over their shoulders as if he were waiting for some pressing darkness to wrap around the both of them and drag them to a wicked fate. Aoren released Caesarion's hand and wrapped an arm around the shorter male's shoulder pulling him comfortably close without them tripping over each others feet. "This is not Ravok, Caesar. Though the Knights are swift and rigid in their justice they keep the city very safe and clean of an underworld life. Almost nothing gets past their watch." Almost. He smiled at Caesarion's sarcastic remark but let it go without comment.

"Come. We're nearly there." Before long their trek lead them to a passageway leading deeper into the citadel's bowels. Aoren guided Caesar into the passageway that lead to the underground levels of Syliras. The walk down to Aoren's apartment was not a quiet one. People were still alive and well within the deeper parts of the city. Though much of the surface activity was gone the underground was always alight with life. In some form or another. When finally they reached Aoren's home he removed a cast iron key and placed it into the lock on the door. With a little jiggling and a twist he opened the door into the dark interior.

"Come inside." He gestured for Caesar to enter the interior of his living quarters assigned to him by the Syliras Housing Authority. Once Caesar crossed the threshold Aoren followed and closed the door leaving them in total darkness. Aoren removed his pack and deposited it at his feet. A moment later he brought a hand up and with a little concentration on his part he summoned the energies that burned within him. The spark of Fire that existed within all things and willed it into the palm of his hand. With a flick of his thoughts he ignited it casting the whole of the one-room apartment into an azure blue light. The fireball mere centimeters above the palm of his hand briefly illuminated Aoren's cobalt eyes in an ethereal light before he cast it into the hearth. The dry wood there caught fire almost immediately. The blue of the fire faded until the natural colors of flame illuminated the room. Aoren waited for Caesarion's reaction before sweeping his arms wide.

"Welcome to my home. I know it's not much but this is where I lay my head to rest."

by **Caesarion** on May 13th, 2013, 3:17 am

The Ravokii smiled at his Drykas companion when he was pulled a bit closer, generally following the same line of sight as Aoren, looking around at the very empty-feeling city. It kind of felt like staring at a giant rock. Still, the sky was pretty nice. He was always a fan of the moon, if that wasn't a weird way to put it. But, you could see the sky anywhere. Didn't take being in Syliras. In fact, the walls just obstructed it. In response to his companion's cheeky comment, the Ravokii just laughed. "So you do have a bit of nasty in you." Before now, he had just assumed Aoren was a perfect entity with infallible morals. After a bit of a wait, Caesar rose up to kiss the Drykas on the lips. It wasn't for any big reason, really. He was just trying to say that he enjoyed his company.

He felt reassured that Aoren would try to assist him. More time being helped by him meant more time in his presence. And that was a far better thing than anything else he could think of in this city. He made sure to correct him on one part, though. "Don't be so modest. The reason I had never been with anyone is because I actually have very high standards. You're going to be stuck with me for a long time to come. Alright?" Whether that was a blessing or a curse...

He found it funny, how much of a bloody woman he was being. He had to depend on Aoren's big strong Drykasy...ness to protect him from the terrible terribleness of this place. He pulled Aoren's arm away from his shoulders, and wrapped his arm around the other man's shoulder instead. "I'll stop being a little girl now. I can be brave too." Aoren was right, though. This was not Ravok. The thing that made it scary, to him, was how different it was. He didn't know what to expect from it. Once you were acquainted with a place, you knew where to avoid and who not to speak to. But here... "I'm glad it's not Ravok." That wasn't a lie. "But I'm even more glad that I'll get to leave this place soon." That definitely wasn't a lie. Lheesi and the others could fend for themselves, which he was sure they'd be capable of, if they could get Rokan to do anything but stare at a wall all day.

When Aoren informed him that he was close, he was uplifted a bit. Finally. All of that walking was killing him, since he had eaten little today and endured much. The end of the road was a bit weird, though. He supposed things would be a bit more lively in this... underground cave. This must've been where the crime took place. Fun. "Alright, coming." He had stopped for a bit to stare, but that probably wasn't a good idea, anyway. Once he stepped inside, he was met with some weird fire trick. He had seen magic before, but the way the fire washed over the darkness, and the way it lit up Aoren's face... it was very nice to witness. One thing had struck his mind, though. "I thought reimancy wasn't allowed in Syliras?" Well, well. It looked like Aoren was secretly a rebel to society. The thought made Caesar laugh.

"Your home is very... not crowded. I especially like the lack of sixty year old women." He wasn't sure what to say about it, a house was a house. Neither he nor Aoren were rolling in the dough, so he could only smile as he averted his eyes from one piece of furniture to the next. "I was going to ask if I could sit down, but I'm so tired of being all well and proper." He fell back into a chair, and rolled his head back for a moment of relief. With a silent groan, he made himself comfortable in his randomly designated seat. "If you need any help with cooking, or burning your house down, let me know. Whenever I try to do one, the other seems to always happen." Caesar wasn't exactly a prodigy, and Aoren wasn't going to find any latent talent in him. At least not any time soon. But, he could rest assured knowing that he would always at least try to help if asked. Unlike a certain Rokan.

by **Aoren** on May 13th, 2013, 5:55 pm

"The Knighthood does not particularly like magic that they do not have a direct influence over. So long as my magic brings no harm to the city or its citizens they won't bother me." He went to the fireplace where rested a few cooking utensils such as a cast iron pot that could hang over the fire. He set the pot over the rung situated over the fire then retrieved a bucket filled with unused water. He poured the water into the pot. Aoren rose from the fireplace and went to his pack to retrieve goods he'd bought from the market earlier that day. None were particularly perishable as he had no means to store food that would expire rapidly.

He held in his hands a few dried meats equal to roughly a pound of jerked beef. He pulled apart some of the meat and added it to the water that it could boil properly and add a bit of flavor to it. He then reached up on the mantle where he let his containers of spices sit ready for use. He deposited a little salt, some marjoram, and garlic then reached into his pack retrieving a bundle of carrots he'd bought as well. Aoren reached up onto his mantle to retrieve a small knife useful for little more than a cutting aide. He held one carrot and began slicing it over the pot in silence. Once the carrot was finished he retrieved a few green beans and some onions and did the same.

"You're lucky I went to the market earlier today when my boss released me to put some food in my belly." He chuckled and watched the water begin to bubble under as it was stirred on by the fire. "It is not a fancy meal but I suppose it is better than nothing." He cut up a whole potato and place it into the pot as well then stirred the brewing stew so that the flavors could mix together in the pot. The water would thicken as the starch within the potatoes thinned and mixed with it creating a loose broth.

"The stew should be ready soon. It won't take much longer for it to get to a boil. Again, not fancy but it's better than nothing." He walked over to the foot of his bed and stepped on the heels of his boots then tugged them off. Kneeling down next to his trunk where rested all of his earthly possession he didn't regularly carry with him he retrieved two bowls and two spoons. Aoren set them on the table in the corner.

"I'm a little bit of a loner if you couldn't tell. People typically ignore me and I do my best not to draw their attention if it can be helped." He pulled up a chair next to the fireplace so that he could actively tend to the stew over the fire. Since he was no expert cook it would require a good deal of attention from him so that he didn't let the pot boil over. Before long the smell of the cooking food began to waft through the one room living space. Aoren took a deep breath breathing in the smell. It wasn't very strong as he hadn't mixed many things together but it was just enough to make his stomach growl.

"So what is an average day for you?" Aoren glanced away from the pot to where Caesar sat. The Drykan had to say he liked the image of Caesarion resting leisurely in his apartment. The other man was a little rough around the edges but he was used to such attitudes.

by **Caesarion** on May 13th, 2013, 11:13 pm

He wasn't sure that he really knew what he was in for. He had lived fairly upper class before coming to Syliras, so he hadn't really tried anything like this before. Then again, it would be a welcome break from all of the bread and meat he had been chugging down, thanks to his total incompetence at cooking. Er, maybe. "Hm..." There was a rumble from his stomach, that always came around when he was waiting on his food. He never really realized that he was hungry until the last second, and it always made those long few minutes a real pain. "The magic part is fairly interesting. Perhaps I should learn some reimancy, too. I've always wanted a way to be a bit more special than the common man. That'd be a good way to start." Of course, he knew there were problems with starting out. Newcomers could often hurt themselves or others.

But he wasn't thinking about that, and he probably wouldn't think about it unless it happened. "Perhaps you could teach me some time." He could tell that Aoren probably had a lot of free time, so maybe it'd work out. Still, he didn't want to bother him too much. Sitting around asking for lessons, advice, as well as things that only a partner can give... he was being very greedy, and not considerate enough. He knew. "And if our little caravan ever passes through Ravok, I can teach you how to not die." Maybe not his best offer, but he wasn't sure what else he could bring to the table.

Watching Aoren cook was interesting, but most of it was lost on him. When he went home that day, he'd be no more an expert on making stews than the day before. Although, he was excited to know of the taste. "I'd say we're both lucky. Starving together may be romantic, but I doubt it's a good way to start things off." One thing that he thanked himself for was choosing the profession of a hunter. He couldn't handle having a 'boss', always being ordered around like a slave. "What type of work do you do, Aoren?" He figured it was probably grueling work, and that idea was reinforced by the fact that his companion was such a hulk. People with bodies like him often did the more difficult jobs. That was at least true in Ravok.

The Drykas spoke very modestly of his cooking. His meal wasn't luxurious, or fancy, or special, according to him. But Caesar really did appreciate the effort, and the time he set aside to ensure that he was in good health. "You don't need to justify the quality of the food, Aoren." He looked over at the Drykas, and passed him a very sturdy look, contrary to his usual expression. "You won't find a lack of appreciation from me. I'm very grateful for the meal." Although unfortunately, his stomach was on the verge of bloody war if it couldn't be satiated soon. He was sure it could be forgotten if he just... smiled and laughed. Or something.

After hearing what Aoren had to say about the way he had been living, Caesarion tossed him a very earnest smile. He understood that too well. "It's the same for me. My voice tells them that I'm different, my attitude is too vulgar for them... so they gossip about me, berate me behind my back, and whatnot. But now..." The man stood up and pulled his seat next to where Aoren was situated, locking their fingers together in an attempt to be romantic. "At least there's two of us, right? We can be avoided and ignored together!" He laughed slightly, then got to answering the man's question. What did he do in an average day, again...?

He had a very linear schedule, and it was the same just about every day. "At the beginning of the week until... almost the end, I hunt in the morning and play social games with my three free-loaders. In the evening I unleash the dragon, later in the evening I clean the floor..." Okay, this was probably getting a bit too nasty for his friend over here. "Late at night, I often explore the forest. It's not all that safe, but it makes me feel... alive, or something. That's a lame way to put it, but so it is." He hadn't really explained the end of the week, but it was pretty boring. "At the end of the week, I sell stuff. It takes me the entire day to get rid of all of my animal skins and whatnot, because people don't like me. It's hard when you're disliked to sell stuff. I usually go to the village over to do it." Which was still hard, because everyone really just wondered who the heck he was. Sometimes, he figured that if he wasn't attractive, he'd be living on the streets. Toss someone a bright smile from a pretty face, and whether they know who you are or not, they'll treat you better than most.

"How about you? What do you do, usually?" He had been waiting to ask that since he started. His routine was so boring. It was much more interesting to hear about Aoren's, the man of the day.

by **Aoren** on May 14th, 2013, 5:20 am

Aoren smiled at Caesarion and brought his hand up to his lips to kiss the back of it when he laced theirs together. He tended to the stew for a bit while longer as he thought over the notion of teaching Reimancy to his new found companion. Aoren had never attempted to teach magic to anyone else. He certainly knew enough about his particular brand of magic to impart a few lessons about it. He had simply never explored the option of giving his knowledge to someone else. As he stared into the depths of the stew, stirring it on and off in silence he rubbed the back of Caesarion's hand gently.

"I could teach you if you like? Not tonight. I'm too tired to attempt the initiation tonight but I certainly remember how it is done. It's not something any wizard can truly forget." Aoren remembered his initiation into Reimancy very clearly. He would never forget the experience. When the Res had entered his body it had felt like he was being invaded by some monstrous substance attempting to bore itself into every pore of his body. The pain had been excruciating. He'd writhed in agony and nearly begged the reimancer initiating him to stop. It was horrible. He wasn't entirely certain he wanted to inflict that kind of pain upon Caesarion so he spoke up about it. "There's nothing pleasant about the experience, Caesar. There's seldom anything pleasant about learning magic in general. It always comes with a price." He let that warning linger in the air.

Aoren leaned forward and rest his forehead against Caesar's. "I don't know what it is about you, Master Caesarion but I've opened up to you a lot faster than I normally do with people. I don't know why. It's a little confusing but...I don't think I mind all that much." He tilted his head and brushed his lips against the other man's then leaned back and rose from the chair. He retrieved the bowls and spoons from the table and returned with them. Aoren dipped one bowl into the soup scooping up a fair amount. He took a nearby cloth and wiped up the side of the bowl so that it didn't drip all over the floor then handed it to Caesar. He did the same for himself. He smiled at Caesarion then dipped his spoon into the soup. Blowing on it for a moment he then took the first bite, mulled the soup in his mouth for a moment to get a feel for the flavor then swallowed.

"Not bad. Not the best but not bad either." It was edible and that was what was important. The flavor wasn't entirely very strong but it wasn't nonexistent either. It would fill their stomachs and keep them going but it was certainly no gourmet meal. Aoren took a few more bites before he answered Caesarion's question about what he did for a living.

"I'm an Apothecary. Apprentice Apothecary actually. Though, the majority of my life I spent doing manual labor at the docks and working as a free hand in the Syliran fields for little more than food and enough wages to keep a roof over my head. I've finally reached a point however where I can pursue my real passions though. Knowledge. I like learning and I want to learn a great many things as I said. I can't stay still forever though and I get antsy if I get cooped up for too long. So I do a lot of running, a lot of practicing with my quarterstaff, and a lot of exploring in the caves and regions around Syliras." He took a few more bites of his soup.

"My week consists of working for Mistress Sahfri Blackleaf at Stormhold Salves as her apprentice and storehand. She teaches me the art of being a mixer of potions and I do a great deal of heavy lifting for her and keep the shop orderly. Of course she pays me as well. I usually work six days a week. When I am not working I don't like to spend time inside Syliras. I go outside the gates and I run along the Kabrin Road. I exercise or on the day that I am not working I go a little further into the Bronze Wood to practice my reimancy or meditate. I sometimes go to the training grounds and work with my quarterstaff that I can defend myself without magic. I also spend time exploring, as I said. Somtimes I find interesting areas. Most of the time I do not but it is still nice to get out of the city."

Aoren lived a busy lifestyle. He was most often always doing something to better himself. He spent very little time just sitting around. Maybe that was his heritage channeling itself in his daily life? Maybe Aoren was just naturally an active person. Regardless, Aoren always felt the need to be doing -something- if he wasn't resting. When he'd finished his first bowl he quickly filled up a second and started to work on it.

"That's why I want to go to Zeltiva. They have a university there you see and I am told it is the finest in all of Mizahar. I can learn so many things there it baffles me to think about it sometimes."

by **Caesarion** on May 14th, 2013, 6:10 am

"Not something any wizard can truly forget?" That didn't sound very reassuring. In his head, he was assuming they were visited by a demon who tried to eat their soul or something. Caesar was very imaginative when it came to negative things, and he could think of a lot of negative outcomes if magic was involved. "Do you lose a part of your soul? Have to sacrifice a virgin? Does the fire imminently attempt to blow up in your face?" All of these outcomes kind of sounded cool, actually. Although, if they did have to sacrifice a virgin, he suddenly felt a little less safe. "Er... sorry, I got a little distracted. I'd love to learn. And hey, even if it's really so bad, I'm sure you can make it up to me," he grinned. He knew he was underplaying it, but if he thought too hard about how horrible it could be, he'd never even attempt it. And giving up without even trying was becoming too much of a habit.

The romantic moment that followed the negative line of thinking was enough to wash the thought away, though. He loved how Aoren would always press their foreheads together. It was a very simple, very primal way of showing his affection. They hadn't known each other for very long, but he already felt an immense amount of concern and care coming from the other man. He hoped that he felt that same care in return, because even though he wasn't as good at showing it, Caesar was the happiest man he'd ever been, while in the presence of Aoren Skycrown. "Hehe, you're trying to make me bashful." He didn't know what to say in response. He could've been simple, but... Ugh, whatever. He'd stick with being simple. "I'm going to be cheesy for a moment, okay? I think... tonight's been like a different life. I've never had anyone be so kind to me. I've definitely never had anyone like me in... that way. I don't open up to people, quickly or ever. But you... you're going to know everything about me, whether you want to or not." This new experience was almost overwhelming to him. His emotions were swelling up inside of him, and taking root. He felt an intense flame burning inside of him.

It was a difficult thing to experience. He had been thinking about a day like this for a long time, and now that it was here, there was so much anxiety over whether he was saying the right things or smiling as often as he should, or... "Haha, I suck at this." As soon as he could, he buried his face into his spoon and chugged the stew down. It was kind of hot, but he always had a tolerance for that sort of thing. Just the eating was relieving, regardless of the taste. It wasn't so bad, actually. He liked it! "I can buy you some good ingredients, some time. Maybe we can have a really nice meal together." The idea was something that seemed nice to him, so he wanted to pull it off, some way. Whether Aoren was a good cook or a bad cook, stale or mediocre, he knew that it'd be fun as long as it was with him. "Hehe, I'm done already. I'm such a fatty," he rolled his eyes, and put the bowl away, along with the spoon. It probably wasn't in the right place, but he was sure Aoren could get to that... guests could be assumed to be at least a little dumb, right?

The ensuing answer to his question was very... strange. It wasn't that he found Aoren's hobbies to be weird or anything, they were fairly typical for a man like him. What made it so weird was how diligent he seemed. He was almost obsessed with bettering himself and all of that stuff... "Uh... huh." He ran, he explored, he practiced, he... apothecary was potion making, right? "I'm guessing you never unleash the dragon, then, right?" He stopped for a moment, then laughed awkwardly. Why would he ever ask that?

The continuation of the speech was even more diligent! Sahfri Blackleaf was such a weird name. He kind of pictured her as a black-haired witch or something. He worked six days a week... like Caesar. The seventh day was kind of scary, though. More practicing, more training, more running, more exploring. "Aoren, has anyone told you that you're a bit too perfect?" That might've sounded weird, or maybe it sounded like a terribly over-zealous compliment, but it was kind of what he was thinking. The Drykas was so dedicated to self-improvement. It was very admirable, but it was nothing like what he was accustomed to. Even Rhaenon, the ultimate model of perfection in every sense of the word, spent like three days of the week just slacking. Things were very different here. Or maybe it was exclusively with Aoren. "We'll spend a weekend together sometime, okay? I may be lazy, but I think I'm fit enough to keep up with you. After all, you have to carry all of that muscle while I get it easy." The thought of 'taking it easy' kind of made him realize how much he wanted to do that right now.

No more stress about whether he was being likeable enough, or funny enough... he just wanted to put that away, for the night. "I'm not going home tonight." Aoren already knew that, but he felt like reminding him what that meant. Caesar was actually really excited! He'd get a nice fuzzy little sleepover, and he'd get to cuddle with Aoren, and... "My thought process is so womanly sometimes." He could at least laugh at himself, when he felt like it. "We'll talk about Zeltiva, and reimancy, and learning and all of that in the morning. Er... if we have the time. For now, though, I'm going to sleep. And you're coming with me." He slipped off his sandals that he probably should've discarded earlier. He lifted his brown jacket over his head, and then the shirt underneath. The Ravokii stared at the bed for a second longer, then made his way to meeting it. When he felt comfortable enough, he spoke. Probably not the last thing he'd say for the night, since he was known for being really anxious in these situations. "Come on, sweetiepoohoneybeestrawberrytart," A temporary nickname, surely, "I promise I won't rape you."

by **Aoren** on May 14th, 2013, 6:40 am

"Fatty?" Aoren eyeballed Caesarion's athletic figure. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as he finished up his second bowl of the mediocre soup. Caesar had put the bowl in the wrong place but there would be time to fix that later. For now he set his bowl on the mantle and leaned back in his chair to just listen to what the other man had to say. He liked the sound of Caesarion's voice. It was rushed and a little shaky at times. Aoren knew that meant that the Ravokian man didn't have a lot of confidence in himself but the Drykas male quietly resolved to help him in that regard. Caesarion had no reason to lack self-confidence. At least no reason that Aoren knew of at the present time and while he could easily just focus on the man to learn about who he was and all that he'd experienced up until this point in his life he felt that would somehow be betraying his trust.

"Unleashing the dragon?" Aoren wasn't all too familiar with this term. He furrowed his brow with a puzzled expression as he pondered the implications of it. He thought about Caesar as a person and what it could mean. Then it dawned on him. His eyebrows rose up and his eyes widened. "Oh. You mean..." He blushed and shook his head. "No. I don't do that." He gave a nervous chuckle that soon subsided into genuine laughter once he thought of it. When the bout of joy settled he rest his hands on his stomach and stretched out on the chair crossing his legs. Aoren stared into the fire. There was always something hypnotic about flames. The way they danced and warmed the body attracted attention to them. He quirked his head as Caesar made a comment about his demeanor.

"Too perfect?" He smirked. "No. I can't say that anyone has ever called me perfect before. You'd be the first. I've never really given it much thought. I just don't want my life to go to waste. I want to do more than just scrape out a living without having done something incredible for our world at least once in my lifetime. A child's dream. I know. All children dream of being important. I guess I never stopped dreaming." He turned his gaze away from the flames. There was a slight glaze over his cobalt irises but when he blinked it was gone and he looked a little more sleepy than he had before. "I think I'd very much like to spend more time with you." He smiled and it was a genuine smile of happiness. The kind that made his eyes glisten in the firelight.

"Well I certainly wasn't going to let you walk home so late at night by yourself." He chuckled then rose to his feet as Caesarion did. Aoren reached down and pulled the hem of his shirt up over his head to remove it leaving his torso bare. He accompanied Caesar to the bed before he lay down however he raised a hand summoning a sphere of Res to his palm that would attract the flames within the hearth. Soon the fire that had been dancing within the fireplace was then dancing within Aoren's palm. He watched as the fire turned to a brilliant cerulean illuminating the room in an azure light and highlighting Aoren's cobalt eyes. He flicked his wrist and let the flames dissipate as he allowed the Res to collapse upon itself harmlessly. The room was left in darkness but Aoren didn't mind. He climbed into the bed, being mindful of Caesarion's position and lay behind him against the wall. Without missing a beat he lay beside the smaller male and wrapped an arm around his waist pulling him close.

Aoren nuzzled the nape of Caesar's neck as his fingers lightly ran over the ridges of his taut stomach. He adjusted them both so that they were comfortably situated next to each other with Caesar in Aoren's embrace. With that he lay his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. It had been a long, tiring, soothing, eventful day. Aoren could still feel the white stone in his pocket and it made him smile. A memento to moving on. It would seem when the dawn came it would bring with it a brighter future than Aoren had originally thought possible for him.

"Good night, Caesarion." He nuzzled the Ravokian gently and closed his eyes.

by **Cloud** on June 24th, 2013, 12:46 am

From the sky falls your reward!

Aoren :

Caesarion :

Misc! :

Thank you for your patience.

Question marks to be made? Exclamations to declare? Feel free to send me a pm and we can tend to any concerns you have.

Completed [Sacred Arch Hotspring] Three Ravokians and a Drykas...