Closed Impulse

Shijara & Xira meet.

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

Impulse

Postby Shijara on March 3rd, 2014, 2:39 am

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      9th of Spring, 514 A.V.
      Location: Valkalah's Tears, Riverfall

      One... Two... One...

      Tiny footprints were scattered across the sand as Shijara moved, dancing. Sonnet, her guardian sat by the waters edge, bringing music with her as usual. The cougar watched, eyeing her closely before Shijara heard her voice.

      Your steps are sloppy. Shijara made a face at the animal no one else could see, but the Chaktawe straightened herself, attempting to make her movements more fluid.

      "Better?"

      There was a moment of silence where the animal just followed the girl spin and flow among the sand. Shijara was convinced she was improving, but she then heard the amused voice filled her head again, You are a like a snake given legs. Shijara huffed, slowing to a stop. Her guardian looked down the beach and stood. The Chaktawe knew she would be leaving soon. Shijara looked out among the sea and when she looked back, her guardian had vanished.

      She turned her attention back towards the water, seeing her pack propped up against a rock not far away. Her sketchbook laid open upon the dry sand, and she thought about resting. Shijara was feeling out of breath and a little weak, not having felt too good since the day before. Rumor had it that a stomach bug was being passed around and it would be the first time she had been sick in ages. She took a deep breath and plopped down on the sand. At least this part was familiar, even if the sea was as mysterious as ever. Being in Riverfall a little over a week had shown Shijara just how diverse the world could be and she had only seen a glimpse. Honestly, she had no idea there could be so much water in once place. She couldn't wait for the day she returned home and told her uncle. He would have loved it here.

      Shijara did, with this place being one of her favorites. Valkalah's Tears. She was surprised by how peaceful it was, even if the water was loud. In fact, the whole city was buzzing with activity constantly. Her fingers had not stopped humming since she reached the gates and had long since gone numb.

      Shijara flexed her toes, her bare feet beginning to feel icy. The air was warmer and the snow had melted, but there was still a nip. This place was beautiful, cold and wet as it might be. Finally she walked over to her sketchbook and idly flipped through its pages. Strands of dark hair that were not pulled back into a pony tail fell forward, and the feathers in her locks dangled.

      She had to urge to run to into the water.
Last edited by Shijara on March 5th, 2014, 2:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Xira Hezmek on March 3rd, 2014, 5:22 am

There were many sights to be seen in the grand city of Riverfall. All of it was exotic and none of it was familiar. Except the Suvan. The vast water before him was not the Suvan though. It was just the widening of the blue vein. Or so a sailor had told him. All the same it had the vastness that made him think of his home. Xira sighed a bit as he walked along the beach. Only a day in a new place and he was already starting to feel homesick. Perhaps it was the waiting.

Life in this city was not the same as Syliras. For one, It was dominated by the blue phantoms, the akalak. These men were an intriguing sort. Powerful and the most skilled in the world, or so they cliamed and Xira was inclined to believe them. They walked like cats, graceful and predatory, ready to spring at any moment. Another the entire city was devoted to water. Riverfall, he almost laughed at the thought, that was a clue. If Riverfall was devoted to water, did that mean that syliras was devoted to stone or humanity?

In any case it didn't matter. He was here on business and fully expected to be done by this point. Sure the young man was treated well by those at the Sanctuary, but he was anxious to meet with his client. This konti he was to deliver his most unusual package was apparently a very wealthy horse breeder and animal healer. Such a person here in the land of the Akalak had a story.

His thoughts were interrupted by the scenery. Up ahead was another waterfall. Icy cool with melted snow water it ran down from a decidedly black rock formation. Sand Further on the was a young woman dancing in the sand. No one was around but he still heard the sound of her voice. With a frown he continued walking up to the woman. Slow, loud and obvious he made his approach as to not scare her.

"Hello there!" He called out to her as he closed the distance between them, his boots now wet from the waterfall.


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Impulse

Postby Shijara on March 3rd, 2014, 3:05 pm

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      Shijara did not know how to swim. Why she had the urge to race into the icy depths had no real reasoning. There was just a yearning. An impulse. As she contemplated the idea, a man called out, grabbing her attention. She turned, her black eyes landing on him. He was not Akalak, which surprised her. It shouldn't have, but she was becoming so accustomed to the blue warriors that seeing those who had less distracting skin tones reminded of all the things she was learning. She smiled warmly in greeting.

      "Hello," Shijara said, waving as the man approached. She noticed his height. Taller than her. Most were, of course. And then his dark hair and attire. It occurred to her to wonder what he noticed about her. Many saw her eyes first, and even more were unsettled when they did. She hoped he was familiar with the Chaktawe. Of course, maybe he saw her fitted leggings, or the webbing on her bare feet. Who knew?

      She took a few steps forward until they were at an appropriate distance, enough for a conversations. Shijara looked down, pointing to the man's wet shoes, "Did you come to dance? Or have you gotten cold feet?" She grinned at her joke, placing one hand on her hip and extending the other, "I'm Shijara."

      She was proud to say that her words came out smooth, as her common was improving. She hadn't really used Tawna since leaving her tribe, having barely seen any of her own kind around. This had been great practice, but sometimes before bed, Shijara whispered her native tongue, afraid she would forget it before her journey was over. It was amazing all the people she was meeting, and to think about all she would. It made her proud. It excited her.

      As she looked up at the man, she knew. It was going to be a good day.
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Postby Xira Hezmek on March 5th, 2014, 10:52 pm

The woman before him was as exotic to him as he was exotic to riverfall. Perhaps it the cut of the clothing or the way she held herself, even at her leisure, that seemed to ooze culture not seen around these parts. But what did he know, he had just arrived in riverfall and was still in culture shock. The people here behaved so differently than those from home.

As she turned to him he smiled, though the smile faltered a moment before returning even larger. Those eyes. They had no color in them at all. If she did not blink and there was no reflection off the surface he would have guessed her to not own any eyes at all. So she certainly was not from around here, probably not even human. His interest was piqued and he wanted to learn more now. His eyes traveled to her hair, trinkets, feathers and small objects were tied in it and as she moved they made a soft chiming sound. Interestingly her feet were webbed, such webbing reminded him of the Konti race. Was she a aquatic faring race? He made a note to ask what manner of creature she was.

It was her words that made him look down. "Cold feet" she said, the play on words not lost on him made Xira laugh. "Trust me M'lady, I have no skill in the art of dance and certainly could not match yours. It is a pleasure Shijara, my name is Xira Hezmek." He bowed low to his new acquaintance. "I hope I have not disturbed your solitude." Her words naturally had an accent, but it was very faint and it made him think of his friend, Oriah. It evoked sensations of sand and sun and Syna's love.

As he straightened up he pulled off his glove and clasped her hand. She was charming, and only had said a handful of words. "Are you from Riverfall?" He asked politely.


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Postby Shijara on March 6th, 2014, 2:49 am

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      His complimented pleased her, but she shook her head, "Oh, no. You flatter me too much." She chuckled, trying to imagine the stranger dancing. It was an amusing thought, if it was truly as bad as he stated. She was nothing special. She danced for herself, her guardian, and her gods. To her it was something to enjoy, a past time to allow a person to move and feel without judgment. It was a release. She was just a beginning, a person who danced more for the pure act than to impress. That would come later, with practice and hard work. When she felt completed, others would truly notice.

      Shijara instantly started shaking her head when he mentioned her solitude, "No, I enjoy company. Much more than being alone. I am happy to meet you." Suddenly, her fatigue caught up with her from her possible sickness, and she sat down to hide her exhaustion. She felt weak still, and now that she was standing still. She just needed to rest for a moment. She leaned back, looking up at Xira, and contemplated how to answer his question.

      "I come from Eyktol. I arrived in Riverfall when the colors changed. I haven't been here long. Just... overwhelmed... by all of it. And you?" Shijara was learning that not just the Akalak were full residents or kuvan like she had originally thought. She wouldn't have doubted it if he was from the city. Most residents here had been very welcoming and polite to her, the only male to be remotely rude had been a traveler who she expected would soon leave.

      She motioned for him to join her, patting the ground happily. "Do not be shy. I like friends. Unless, you were meeting someone else."
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Postby Xira Hezmek on March 7th, 2014, 9:46 pm

He nodded graciously to the woman who was not human. Xira also enjoyed company over being alone and gladly would keep in her company. Perhaps it was realizing that even out here, in this secluded area, he really desired company and not a voluntary isolation. He came to think but found a welcome distraction from his homesickness. However when she sat, the young courier watched her with concern. It was not that he could divine the reason for her sitting, he instead assumed that he may have offended her in some way. The courier shook off the insecurity mentally, and took a seat next to her as she detailed her where she was from.

"Eyktol. I have a friend from home that lived in Eyktol." His smile morphed into a grin, "She was a Benshira. Have you heard of the Benshira?" The young courier was subtly trying to get the woman to tell him her race. He did not wish to seem so rude to go 'What are you?'. He then continued, " I come from the fortress city of Syliras. If this is overwhelming to you, then I imagine that my home would be far worse." He smiled kindly to this Shijara.

"My client is due back to arrive tomorrow or the day after so I have all the time in the world to make new friends." Xira settled next to his new acquaintance, enjoying the welcoming demeanor of such a pretty woman. "I understand being overwhelmed, but do you like this city so far?"


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Postby Shijara on March 9th, 2014, 9:17 pm

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      The moment the Benshira got brought up, Shijara's ears perked and she seemed to sit a bit straighter. A broad smile spread across her lips and she nodded. "Yes, I have!" She tried to wonder if he had every been to Eyktol, or ask him what he thought, but instead settled for, "One of the tribes of the Chaktawe people do business with them. It's was not common for my tribe, but I have met a few with my uncle in the sands."

      She kept grinning, "I don't know many people who know those from the desert. Everyone I meet gives me funny looks." Lifting up a hand to point to her eyes, Shijara shrugged good-naturedly, "I look different. I didn't know there were so much diversity in the world. The strangest thing I ever saw before travelling was..." She trailed off, trying to recall many oddities in her home lands, but could only think of one, "The Ephyrians. And even they are not so different."

      She took note of his own home and smiled. An even bigger culture shock? How would that be possible? "Sy...Syliras?" Shijara had never really heard of the city, and tried imagining it. She wanted to ask what a fortress was (she didn't grasp the concept in common), but decided to answer his question first

      Do I like Riverfall?

      She pretended to think about it, but she knew the answer, "Yes. I do. So much water. I had never seen the sea before, or the giant men! The Akalak." she smirked, "It's been interesting. I've met some people, but I will not always stay. I have to keep moving. I am not sure when I leave... But soon."

      "Hmm, do you think I add to Riverfall's strangeness, Xira?"
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Postby Xira Hezmek on March 13th, 2014, 11:29 pm

Shijara's smile was infectious, and so was her enthusiasm. Xira felt his own lips curling up into a grin and some sort of latent energy seeped into his bones. It was as if her excitement was his and that by mentioning the race of his friend Oriah had spurred along the conversation. "So that makes you a Chaktawe?" He mouthed the unfamiliar words, the hard CH and the K making his common somewhat awkward.

He had never seen nor heard of a Chaktawe. From what he guessed from his encounter with Shijara, they simply did not like large cities. But he agreed with her, nodding as he did so, she was different. But different was not a bad thing. "We have all sorts in Syliras. People from all over Mizahar that come to the city for safety and trade. We probably even have Chaktawe people there but I never got a chance to meet any of your kind. Is it only the eyes that are different?" He asked, perhaps a bit naively.

As she spoke he looked out across the water lapping against the shore. Rhythmically the waves crashed against the sand sending water reaching for them only to be drawn back to the sea. He could not help but wonder if people were like that. Would this pretty woman before him be drawn back to the desert some day? She said she had to keep moving. Xira himself felt as if he would be drawn back to Syliras one day. It was his home after all.

"You? Add to the strangeness of Riverfall? Perish the thought. If anything you add to the exotic feel of the place" His expression was contemplative as he attempted to put words to his thoughts. "Riverfall is so.. Beautiful. When I arrived here I could only stand and stare." He paused, his thoughts not quite connecting end to end. "You may not be from here but that doesn't mean that you make this city any stranger." Perhaps it was where he was born that affected this view. Where he lived it was not uncommon to see two very different races work, drink and even fall in love with each other.

Xira turned his attention back to her, "Would you tell me about your home? The desert? I have never been and only hear of it from stories."


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Postby Shijara on March 19th, 2014, 4:52 am

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      "Ah, I'm often convinced that I stand out a little too much," Shijara was smiling, "But that can be a good thing. And bad." She shrugged, and then leaned back at his comment of the desert.

      A wistful look made her grin fade for only a second -- homesickness -- before it returned. "Are you comfortable? Because I could talk for hours." She laid out on her side, propping herself up with an arm and looked over at Xira. "Remember, you asked for this."

      Like many proper stories, they needed a good beginning. Shijara was no storyteller. She was only telling him what she knew. What she had seen and experienced growing up. She could do this.

      "'What makes a desert beautiful... is that somewhere it hides a well.' I heard that somewhere once. Maybe my uncle told me..." Shi shook her head, focusing back on where she began, "The desert is home. The days begin cool, and then warm as the sun peaks over the waves... There are waves, hills of sand that form and shape themselves into whatever they wish. The air is hot and sculpts them." Shi was moving her fingers as she talked now, images of an invisible figure crafting the sand dunes by hand. "As the sun grows higher, the days grow hotter. The air shimmers, and you see your heart's desire."

      Mirages. She did not know what the word was, but she didn't miss a beat, "As beautiful as it is, it can also be dangerous. The sand will burn like hot fire and you ache for water. My people hold this ache so strong, we can feel it here," She held out her hand. The black dots were hard to see, nearly invisible on her fingertips, but they were there. They were part of what made her Chaktawe. Perhaps Xira would be interested.

      "The nights are also cold and dry. You feel it in your bones if you are not ready. In Eyktol, the Chaktawe wander. We have three tribes and paint bands of color on our face. Then you have the Benshira, as you know. Eyes to ease your thirst. And then..." Shijara's voice faded slightly, remembering the many armed race. "The Ephyrians. They have many arms. Four or six. They can be vain."

      Shi shrugged, and waved dismissively in the air. She was more indifferent than anything towards the race, but her brief few days in Ahnatep had been less than desirable. "My tribe is Tatsuwaat," she cleared her throat, it having been awhile since she spoke the word, and only imagined what it sounded to ears not used to Tawna, "paint red bands over our eyes. For the red crow. Eywaat would wish it."

      Was she talking too much? She paused, wanting to make sure she could answer any question or hear comments he may have. "Do you know these things?"
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Postby Xira Hezmek on March 25th, 2014, 4:06 am

Xira settled in and got comfortable, drawing his knees up and settling his head on top of it facing towards his storyteller. His blue eyes blinking slowly as she spoke. He let the sound of her voice wash over him, not like water but like a breeze bringing the scents, sounds and sights to his mind. Before this he knew only that the Benshira lived in tents and were nomads and that Syna loved the desert so much that her burning gaze sets fire to the sand.

Through her words, though not from a gifted storyteller, he felt he could see through her eyes. Those obsidian orbs. He felt he could almost feel what she felt. He closed his eyes briefly and imagined the waves and dunes of sand, the air rippling with heat and shifting the landscape. When he opened his eyes next he watched her hands miming the action of sculpting.

She offered her hand to him. It took him a moment, but as his eyes focused in he could see very small dots, terribly difficult to make out that he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Something to ask about after the story. He wasn't sure what to make of it, Shijara could easily be romanticizing her story. However she was not human and could not be held to human standards. Many races could do things or had things that humans lacked.

The turned to Akajia's doman, the night. Strange that the desert was such a place of extremes. Hot with Syna's loving gaze and cold, so cold bereft of it. The races of Eyktol he had now all met, Oriah the Benshira who he had only breifly interacted with, then there was an Ephyrian herbalist who helped him when his mother was sick. Now this charming Chaktawe. The desert people were so.. exotic and charming, he could not help but like them.

Xira lifted his head and smiled at his host storyteller when she spoke of her tribe. He tried to say the word himself but mangled it, saying something closer to "Tutsahvat". He laughed at his own inexperience with the foriegn word, "Forgive me, it is a beautiful name even if I can't pronounce it. Ah, who or what is Eywaat?" He asked curiously.

"I only knew of the Benshira, like I said, I had a friend who lived among their tents. She grew tired of the life so set out to see the world. I also knew an Ephyrian but she never told me where she came from and I thought it would be rude to ask." He looked a bit sheepish at that, since he more or less asked Shijara the same thing. Talk about hypocritical.

He cleared his throat as well, "You ache for water with your hands? Do you drink with your hands then?" Xira asked with naive eagerness.


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Xira Hezmek
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