Closed Welcome to your new home! (Poison)

[Feyla]

Winter 1st, AV 513

"This is it! We have arrived, Fey!" said Volore, pointing to Kalinor's entrance. The akvatari's was gazing up there. Finally they have arrived, it was quite a journey for them, but finally she can see where did he come from. It was the first day of winter. The trees were "naked", the nature prepared to go to sleep. The sun was going down, they were lucky that they arrived before night. The air was becoming colder and colder and the akvatari was rubbing her arms. "I'm glad, I'm glad but can we go hurry? Please!" She said 'please' in the symenos, which made Volore smile a bit.

"You are not bad at it now, are you?" He answered. Feyla was smiling back, even though it wasn't bright and that honest. She was cold, she didn't like it, but she did her best she didn't smile often. "How can I be bad at it? Your language is charming, just like your name." She flied to him and hugged him. She could stay like that forever, it was cold, but hugging was so warm. Volore hold her tight but not for long, he let her go quickly. His look turned impatient and worried.

"Look, I will go in first you wait here. You will be save, I just need to find someone before you can come. " And before Feyla could say anything, he ran in leaving her alone with the guards only. She was still flying, rather than sitting down. The ground was cold and unpleasent. She felt alone again, she was cold. She rubbed her arms again. Cold, alone and she didn't know where she is, only knowing that the place name is Kalinor. Thoughts that he would left him alone there came suddenly, which even made her feel more desperate. But it's not true was it? She didn't know, she started to think too much again...

[Poison]

Alanys and Demyan, the two Ochya that were working at the Woven Gate, had not expected a harvester to return at the beginning of winter. Winter was when the harvesters usually left for the surface. Harvesters that were unable to complete the harvest within a year for some reason usually waited until spring, until the snow had melted and it was a little easier to cross the mountains that covered much of Kalea.

And thus they stared at Volore as he appeared in front of the gate. As they saw just what kind of surrogate he had brought home, their eyes looked as if they were ready to drop out of their sockets. Demyan just stared at Feyla open mouthed while Alanys turned around to see where Volore was going. She didn’t appreciate it at all that he was leaving them alone with this … creature while he was doing whatever it was that he did, getting shackles for his surrogate or informing his family of his return.

„What do you think this is?“ she asked her male colleague. Neither Symenestra had ever seen an Akvatari before. „I don’t know“, he whispered back. „It looks like somebody threw a human, a fly and some kind of worm into the djed storm last year, and they kind of merged. Do you think it can even have children with a Symenestra?“

„I don’t know“, Alanys murmurred before she finally stepped forward to great the Akvatari. „Welcome to Kalinor, stranger!“ she spoke – in Common as she didn’t expect her to speak Symenos. „I’m sure that Volore will be back within a few chimes. Would you mind telling us just what you are in the meantime?“ Both Symenestra looked at her expectantly.

If Feyla looked past them for a moment, she would get her first glimpse of Kalinor. The city of the Symenestra was amazing, with houses that were shaped like tear drops and hung from the ceiling, with streets that were nothing more than silken ropes. It was nearly dark, with only a light here and there, but that didn’t take away from the beauty of the city. If anything, it made it look mysterious.

[Feyla]

She wished she could be inside by now. She was trying to check what's inside. The tears, the beautiful silken ropes, it was wonderful. The city's look 'hypnotized' her. She was staring at it while she was trying to go in futher and futher, when she relaized the two guards were still there watching her and Volore said to stay there until he comes back. She was impatient, she wanted to check it inside, since there were not much light.

She was listening to the guards. She understood Symenos if not perfectly. And it was weird, what is a 'djed storm'? And what is 'merged'? She didn't know these words. And bearing a child? So many questions and she got scared suddenly. Then she tried to calm down, that maybe she was imagining things. She was paranoid again, she had to trust in Volore hadn't she? But then she looked at the guards who were asking them.

She wasn't sure if she should tell them that she can understand symenos. But then why not? She thought it would be a good point, maybe they would like her for it. "Hello!" She started it in symenos. "I am Feyla, an AKVATARI, not a worm, but I got used to calling me.. erm disgusting creatures...haha" She forced herself to laugh like it was a joke but after the 'haha' she stopped. Also her symenos was still weird and made mistakes so changed to common, it was easier to speak that way. "And my race can interbreed actually, so maybe we can bear your children... but can I ask why is it so important?"

[Poison]

As Feyla adressed them in Symenos, Alanys stared at her incredulously. It seemed as if Symenestra were only capable of that when confronted with somebody as exotic as an Akvatari. „The fly-worm-thing speaks!“ she whispered to Demyan. „It speaks our language. I think Volore taught it!“

„Be quiet, Alanys!“ Demyan whispered back. „And don’t call her ‚fly-worm-thing‘ and ‚it‘! If she can speak Symenos, she can also understand us. She’s a woman and an Akvatari. I think we should be a little more polite, considering that she might be our … guest for a while.“ There was only the shortest of pauses before he said the word ‚guest‘.

„You were the one who first compared her to a worm!“ Alanys reminded him. „I wasn’t saying anything!“ She glared at her colleague, but fortunately didn’t say anything else. As Feyla asked why bearing children was so important, the two Symenestra exchanged a look. Since Alanys was pouting a little, Demyan decided to answer.

„We had the impression that Volore was very much in love with you. In fact it wouldn’t surprise us at all if he asked you to marry him and start a family with him. He’s decided to take you all the way to our remote city. If that isn’t a sign of love, then I don’t know.“

Alanys stopped pouting and smiled as she heard this. She’d always thought Demyan was a little soft, but he was getting really good at lying to surrogates!

„But ah … here he comes!“ Indeed, Volore was already done with whatever he had had to do. As he saw Feyla, he smiled at her. „Feyla! I hope these two didn’t bother you. Nobody knew that we were coming, so I needed to make sure that there was a place where you could sleep and tell my parents!“

„Everybody is excited to meet you!“

[Feyla]

Feyla was looking at them and was trying to listen what they were listening. But then she relaized it would be rude and she didn't care anyway. She had the idea what they were talking about, so she just rolled her eyes. She just wanted to go in as soon as possible. Not only because she could finally see the city, but it's cold outside. She was also thinking if she could find water somewhere inside. She wanted swim or just at least put her tails into water for a little bit.

And finally after done whispering the male symenestra finally answered to her. 'Volore was very much in love with you...' Hearing only that sentence made her shy and uneasy. Her face was suddenly warm and turned red. She took her hand to her chest, because she felt that her heart didn't really beat right. She had never thought about it. She had never dared to think about it. She was an Akvatari, while Volore was always an elegant symenestra man for her, who can speak the most charming language she had ever heard.

She couldn't help but started to smile. "Do... you really think so? Could he love such a creature like me?" She asked unsure and quietly. And as the guard continued to deceive her, She felt lucky and happy. His reasoning made sense. Why would he bring her to there, why would he insist her to come here if not because he loved her. "You're right!" She said and she was living in her imagination and let her feelings to fool her.

When Volore arrived she tried to calm down and followed him, she also grabbed his arms. "No they didn't." Volore gave a confused smile and lead Feyla in. Feyla forgot about how she wanted to see the city. She was inside, but she was still thinking about the marriage and her relationship with Volore. And he noticed it. "My dear akvatari, are you daydreaming? Because you were telling me how badly you want to see this city..." Feyla just noticed how tightly she was holding his arm. "...Sorry!" But she didn't let him go, she felt safer to hold him. This city was nothing compared to the city she have seen. The houses, the streets, the lights. She has finally came back to the real world and could see the beauty.

[Poison]

„Come with me“, Volore said to her and gently took her hand to reassure her, to make her feel a little better in a city that did without a doubt seem strange to her. „I’ll take you to my parent’s house now. I also have a sister. She should be about your own age. You will like her.“ In truth Volore wasn’t so sure. To his knowledge there had never been an Akvatari surrogate. He would probably receive a lot of criticism for bringing such a strange woman to Kalinor. But something about Feyla had managed to capture his heart. Besides, he wasn’t sure if he had been physically capable of carrying a clumsy, wingless human through the city. A surrogate that could fly was much less problematic.

At first, before he had gotten to know her, Volore had considered simply dropping Feyla into the Nest. But the Nest was so unpersonal. Besides, she’d be stuck with aggressive and insane women that just couldn’t accept their fate. It might rub off on her and their future child. No, he wanted her to have a pleasant life, one where she was surrounded by family.

„We don’t live far from the Orchard Market“, he told her. „Maybe we can go there sometimes and buy something for you. Would you like that, my dear Akvatari?“ He smiled at her and finally let go of her hand so that she could fly through Kalinor next to him.

Everywhere where people that looked like Volore, tall, pale and graceful. They all stared at her. Some wondered whether she was magical, others called her a demon and a monster. Some found her beautiful, and one, an old woman, laughed and correctly identified her as an Akvatari, a creature that was no stranger than a Symenestra. Finally they reached Volore’s home. The Symenestra took a deep breath and looked at Feyla before he walked up to the door that was located in the roof of the tear shaped, windowless building.

„Are you ready?“ he asked her before he knocked, once, twice, three times.