A Sorrowful Journey Comes to an End (open)

[Ronin Invictus]

Spring 82nd 514 av

Ronin had been traveling for what seemed like forever. He traveled all the way from the sands of Eyktol, through the harsh desert sands, and into the vast grass plains north of the desert, his original home. He did not stop there however, continuing his slow, meandering journey into the region of Sylira. He was not in a hurry to be anywhere, he did not have anyone to visit, he only wandered, akin to a lost spirit. The only guide he followed was the road that had began in Sylira.

He sought to was run away. Running away from past memories of the desert and those he met there, for he could never see the one he cared about most ever again. The cheetah sought to out run his troubles, and he could not stop, else the pain will catch back up to him. He feared what would happen then, so he continued even as the sun began to set.

Despite all of this the new lands he encountered on his journey were amazing to the Kelvic, he was especially awed by the high mountains as he approached Zeltiva, as well as the trees; the sheer number of them were amazing. And the freshly sprouted leaves and new wildlife that surrounded the him held a beauty unmatched by anything the young Kelvic had ever seen, but these sights only served for a temporary distraction. The hole that once held his bond-mate felt as fresh as the day she killed herself.

The precarious mountain pass he had traversed led to him doubting he would find anything, and it was very hard for him to hunt in the unfamiliar mountainous region as well. He had considered turning back a few after unsuccessful hunts that would lead to hunger for the next day of his trip. As he continued however he found solace in the fact that if he did succumb to hunger at least he would no longer feel the grief from losing his bond-mate anymore. This led to him becoming considerably thinner during his travels.

Today, however he reached the end of the road. The increase in traffic as he grew closer was an indicator that he was getting closer to the city but he was still surprised as he rounded a corner and was suddenly greeted by a mass of lights below among the darkness of the night instead of just another winding pass. As he approached the city he realized that unlike Ahnatep he was not greeted by high city walls instead the road led straight into the city. Ronin figured this was because of the city's remote location which offered it safety. He was able to walk right into the city without a problem. He figured he would at least look around a bit, he had heard many good things about the city of Zeltiva after all. He had enough money to gain passage on a boat if he so wished, but he was not quite fond of water or swimming, so riding across the ocean on a boat was not something he thought he would enjoy. Instead he opted to just roam around the streets, maybe stay somewhere for the night, although he didn't have much money.

As the Kelvic strolled along the streets glancing briefly into the entrance of a tavern as someone entered, it seemed it was well into the night, judging from the people within who were clearly intoxicated. It was not too late though, it seemed the night was still well underway as he could not spot anyone leaving these taverns. Anyone not participating in the lively night life of Zeltiva was most likely asleep by now however, leaving the streets relatively deserted.

Ronin soon felt a breeze start to blow through the city as he entered a new district, this one with with some new interesting architecture he had not seen before in any of the previous villages or cities he had been to before. As he looked around at the interesting buildings the wind began to pick up even more now, he could feel a storm coming. As the rain droplets began to fall eventually turning into a full fledged down pour Ronin had to quickly seek shelter underneath the high arches of an impressive looking building that stood above the rest sitting on the steps leading up to it, he was already soaking wet however by the time he found it. Sighing Ronin laid out his backpack on the steps using it as a pillow as he laid down on the steps dozing off while looking out at the rain as it blanketed the street.

[Black Onyx]

x

Black's back had been pressed to a wall, her brown eyes silently watching the streets for people that were easy pickings, however she would probably have a better chance at hitting one of the taverns rather than standing around the streets all night.

However, as fate would have it, rain began to fall and as much as she loved rain and wanted to frolick around in it, to mis-behave like a young horse, she ducked for cover underneath the high arches of the library. Why there was such librarys, she didn't understand. What was the point of keeping history if humans didn't learn from it.

Not noticing the other person right away for he had dozed off and she was used to odd people sleeping in such odd ways, she pulled back the hood of her black cloak, her long, black, straight hair falling down her back while revealing brown eyes.

Black was thankful to have such plain features to resemble her animal side, for it helped her to blend in with the human crowd and made quick get a aways quite possible. Besides, half the time her features were covered by her cloak just in case there was someone smart enough to spot the fact that she was a kelvic.

As a sigh settled upon her lips, she leaned backwards so then her back could press against the solid wall, lifting her arms to cross over her chest. Finally, it was then that her brown hues flickered over to view the man upon the steps, taking careful note of his features.

The young woman wasn't really one for helping out others, in fact she would rather steal from them if it meant that she could survive, however this man seemed a little different than the rest, almost as if he was a traveller, perhaps that was the difference. He was someone she hadn't seen before and so, he was different.

She took a brief moment to look up at the darkened sky, watching the rain fall steadily down and she then closed her eyes for a chime. Finally after what seemed like a bell, she spoke to the male, her voice soft with each word.

"You shouldn't really linger around here, nor is it wise to sleep on the streets. A thief might take their weight in gold if you should so fall asleep here." She nodded her head as a smirk settled upon her lips. Aye indeed they would, an opportunity like that would be hard to pass up, one that she herself was having a hard time not taking.

[Ronin Invictus]

A few minutes later Ronin had fallen into a light sleep, his long journey leaving his body tired and worn down, because of this he had no problem falling asleep on the hard marble steps.

He was soon awakened though by a soft voice. He yawned then, elongated canines flashing in the dim light for a moment. Unlike most kelvics he was not very concerned with hiding his identity, he did not care for much anymore. Sitting up against a pillar that held up the arches above he eyed the girl for a moment before replying.

"Well, I figured most thieves would take one look at me and decide I wasn't worth stealing anything from." he said smirking back at her. Indeed his clothes were pretty worn and dirty from his travelers, most would mistake him as a homeless person, which he was, but he did have some money on him.

By now however He had a pretty good idea what she was by now, most likely a fellow thief like him. Only a thief would see the situation he was in as only an opportunity to steal, most would either feel bad for someone sleeping on the streets or be disgusted, so why didn't she take the opportunity?

[Black Onyx]

x

Black's brown hues watched the male as he yawned, canines flashing in the dim light which made her question who he really might be. Surely he couldn't be a kelvic... Could he? She question as a frown creased her forehead for the moment.

As her gaze followed his movements, she noted the fact that he did seem like a traveller, just like she had first suspected, her gaze flickering lower to take in the male's form. He was slim with a lean muscular kind of build. His blonde hair seemed, wild, tousled, almost as if he had been sleeping for a long period of time before she had come here, his tired eyes suggested otherwise.

"Most thieves around here, know that appearances can be deceiving." She simply replied as she continued to ponder the male before her. He was odd in a way, perhaps he was a thief himself? Otherwise why would he have said that he figured that they wouldn't have given him a second look?

Angling her head to the right, she continued to speak, "Well, I hope you don't mind me being forward, but I have to ask. You're a little different than most thieves and humans, you're elongated canines suggest as such. So, what exactly are you?"

[Ronin Invictus]

Ronin was surprised that her intuitiveness was sharp as well, like himself. A trained thief's eye could find money in unexpected places, this also confirmed she was a thief. Ronin was a little wary now, but he thought it unlikely she would steal from him at this point. He was wary only of interacting for others simply because it could leads to ties that would be broken if they died, and the kelvic saw death everywhere he looked now, could feel it as a void in his heart. He grew quiet for a moment, staring out into the street as a torrent of water rushed alongside the curb towards a storm drain, it was still raining quite a lot and he could hear distant thunder every so often, the storm would last through the night.

As a slight gust of wind blew through the many pillars which he sat among, sending a howling sound throughout the arches, he drew his knees to his chest hugging his legs, continuing to stare at the street for a second before turning his dark blue-grey eyes to the slick black haired girl again when she spoke.

At the question he would be alarmed previously to be asked of him, because it meant there was already suspicion of him, but instead he replied without hesitation, "Well, you are right in the fact that I am different from humans and most thieves because I am not human." he said in a gloomy tone, which could easily be mistaken for the tiredness that was also present in his voice. He did not tell her exactly that he was a Kelvic but he figured it would be interesting to see what she thought he was.

[Black Onyx]

x

Black had remained silently as her brown hues took note of the male's movements, surprise and wariness seemed to flicker across his features before his attention was directed towards the pouring rain that was still coming down in sheets.

She couldn't help admit that he was cute in appearances, but that was all that she found him. She preferred to keep her feelings buried deep under her dis-trust for those she did not know. This male was no exception to the rule that she followed on a daily basis.

The woman listened to the male's words as her gaze flickered to view the rain, a sense of familiarity washing over her and she visibly relaxed her position against the wall of the building. Rain was something that Black thought that every being should enjoy, but most people feared getting wet. Which was something she didn't understand, why lived next to a large body of water, go swimming in it, but hide from rain? It had its own relaxing melody, should one bother to listen to it.

Black knew that the moment he said he wasn't human, something that she had already guessed, that he was going to be cagey in his responses from now on. So instead of pressing the male further she simply said, "Alright."

[Ronin Invictus]

Ronin was somewhat relieved she did not press him further after his last statement, although somewhat disappointed he could no longer entice her curiosity with his incomplete statements, she seemed too intelligent for that. He tilted his head slightly in a slow cat-like manner now as he looked her over again, somewhat more interested now. Her most striking feature to him was most definitely her long slick black hair, which shined even in the dim light of the rainy night. It was as if it was almost too perfect, and considering her attire she did not look high class enough to care for her hair so well, most people, especially thieves were more worried about how they were getting their next meal. He could also tell her hair was rather thick upon taking a second glance. All the while he came upon these conclusions he outwardly just looked like he was staring.

Ronin stretched his legs back out now, still quite content with sitting against the marble pillar however. Looking out into the street once again, this time his gaze flickering to a cat scurrying along the streets, hugging the buildings as it went along to avoid getting rained on too much he finally spoke to break the awkward silence that had formed between them, "It has been pretty clear to me so far, you must be a thief like myself. Only another thief would pick me out for what I was so easily, so how's 'business' around here?" Ronin's gaze flickered back to her then to see her response. If it turned out there was an ample amount of coin to be made here he would consider staying for a bit longer. He also expected she would lie to him however to make sure she didn't gain any competition, he would test the waters anyway.

Ronin however felt comfortable enough to open up a little bit more now however, "The name's Ronin, by the way." He figured his name would not really mean much to her so there was no harm in telling her.

[Black Onyx]

x

She felt his curious eyes upon her being, however she continued to stare out at the rain for the moment, actually wondering whether she should just go out there and be almost child like, frolicking around while tossing her head. It almost made her wish that she was outside the city in horse form to do all of those actions more easily and much more freely.

It was then that her brown hues flickered back to view the male before her, who, was still openly staring at her and she shifted upon her spot under such inspection. Why he was bothering to stare at her, she had no idea. She appeared as any normal human would, so why did he stare so?

As his gaze returned to the street she listened to his words quietly before she nodded her head. "You have elongated canines, something that you're not too worried about showing off. In my experience, unusual features can get you killed, besides, most of the rejects do not live in a wealthy family. So you were either a thief, a begger or..." Her words dragged off as her gaze flickered over his travel stained attire once more, "A runaway."

Upon hearing his name, she relaxed a little, Ronin huh? What kind of a name was that? She told herself as her gaze flickered over his form, just to be sure he wasn't lying to her. It was an odd name to hear around here, but she guessed that was because he was new and perhaps looking for a place to stay.

Maybe, just maybe she might be able to recruit him, have another extra set of eyes and ears keeping an eye out for information that may be of use to her. Glancing away from him, a slow smile slipped upon her lips.

"Black is my name and I'll tell you about business, only if you're willing to make a deal with me."

[Ronin Invictus]

Ronin watched her curiously now as she now gazed out into the rain, waiting for her response. As he waited expectantly for the next few moments a flash illuminated the night for a few moments, followed by a low rumble that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end slightly. As the rumbling faded and was replaced once again by the rushing storm waters along the streets and blankets of rain she spoke then.

Ronin was surprised she was able to pick him out as a run-away, but he didn't give her any confirmation on this guess, although the surprise that crossed his features for moment was probably enough however. His features were soon replaced with a slight smirk now, she was definitely very observant.

When she offered to tell him about her business only after making a deal, his interest reached his peak, "Okay, what is this deal?"

[Black Onyx]

x

Silence seemed to pass between the two more often than conversation or so it seemed. However, you didn't always know who your enemy truly was, until they gave you reason to believe that they were not the enemy you were trying to avoid.

Her brown hues had been focused back upon the falling rain when he asked about the deal. You just have to love curiousity, she told herself as her smile quickly turned into one of a smirk upon her lips. Now, she just had to phrase her next words properly in order to gain the reaction that she wanted.

"What I want, is simple, as I am a very simple person and do not ask much of anyone, should I ever ask at all. What I want is information for information." Slowly, she shrugged off of the wall she had been leaning against, her arms falling back to her sides.

She crossed the short space between them, stopping a couple of steps away before she crouched down in front of him. Making sure that she had his attention, her brown eyes peered into his own hues. "If you stay here in Zeltiva, I want all the information you can give me. I want to hear everything important that you may see and hear in Zeltiva. I don't mean just one night, I mean I want a steady stream of information coming from you for the duration of your stay here. In return, you keep whatever coin you make and I'll tell you about how business is going."

She paused for a moment to allow him to chew on the terms and conditions of the deal that she had just laid out for him before she continued with, "Deal?"