Exploration.

by **Archailist** on February 26th, 2014, 4:09 pm

2nd of Winter, 513.

When he'd told Vysia about his want to explore, she'd been blunt with him. It was the first time, ever in fact, that he'd shared personal details with the woman. She seemed to have far better things to be occupied with, so perhaps it would have been better to leave her to those things.. whatever they may have been. But she was one of the few people that he was close enough to on a daily basis to provide some kind of conversation.. the other monks, after all, weren't going to be the same.

"Don't go prying where your nose ain't meant to be, lad," she'd told him sternly, "Especially in the East.." He guessed it was because of her relationship with Laat... although, something else could be there too. The thought was spine-tingling and before the woman could say anything else, he was bolting through the front door and out into the city, jumping between the ankles of the passing monks, much to the surprise and occasional annoyance of the subjects. No matter.. it wasn't like he was going to spend very long here, was it, anyway? "And don't get lost!" He wasn't paying attention by that point. He was already out the front door.

Not that he didn't like the place. It was filled with people who could provide him with everything that he could ever need to know.. monks, armed in countless weapons, countless arts that could be all prodded and pressed, learned from and taught.. oh, if only he could learn from all of them. He would be the envy of every knight in the region. But he didn't want to spend any more time than he needed.. and so, he wouldn't. That was it - he'd just spend his time working elsewhere around the city, learning what he could from whomever would offer advice.

Which was why he was so excited. He'd heard from word about that there was a particular place in the outlands that was offering training, at a fee of course, in the arts of combat and other styles. That was where he was going today. To train, to learn what he cold in a few small sessions.. hopefully. He'd learn all that he possibly could in his time.. he'd master all that he wanted.. and then he'd return and become a Knight. That was his aspiration.. his ultimate dream! There was only one problem with this otherwise completely-foolproof plan, and that was that he wasn't completely sure... where the outlands were. Or where he was for that matter. Perhaps he should have gotten a map somewhere.. or asked a monk for directions. Although he couldn't find any specifically. Oh dear.

by **Archailist** on March 2nd, 2014, 7:30 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

"Excuse me, can you--?" The extravagantly-dressed citizen, garbed in strange clothes that stuck out at strange angles from his body and flashed vibrant, clashing reds and blues walked straight by as if the squirrel didn't exist. "Can you help me, I'm lo--" The second citizen, dressed even more awfully, nearly stepped on him in the process. They were walking too fast for him to be able to grab onto their ankles, and although he'd tried repeatedly to catch the attention of at least one of the ridiculously few wandering around the place in the early hours, they didn't seem to hear him, see him, or even recognise that he existed. Perhaps they really couldn't.. after all, when was the last time someone tried to spark up conversation with a squirrel? Probably even less that would really consider it normal for a squirrel to try and spark up a conversation with them. But he was lost, damnit.. and all of the monks knew their way around the place, didn't they? Well, then, why couldn't they at least help a foreigner around on his.. well, not his first day by a long stretch, but certainly his few beginner days around the city.

He'd been wandering around for nearly half a bell, passing red building after red building... he'd come across a few bridges and crossed them, although he wasn't sure what it meant. There was a bridge.. and then he found his way back to another bridge that looked very similar to the first. In fact, it might have been the same bridge. Anyway, he crossed that and then a second bridge, although nobody seemed to have noticed.. except for one monk that shouted a few times for the squirrel to get off his boxes. Oh well.. he still needed a way to find out where he was!

Then, the idea came. Such an idea, so simple, that he nearly slammed his own squirrely head against the nearest wall. Climb the buildings, and get a view from above. It was staring him in the face, literally. Why hadn't he seen it before? So, that was exactly what he did. He searched for a few moments around the small intersection of the streets to find a good house to climb up, until he found a small one with only two floors and an upper floor balcony. A short climb, slightly slippy from the floor to the first-floor window sill and from there up the pane of the window, using the support beams until he could reach the top lip, and from there, up higher and onto that balcony with a precarious little jump and a scramble. It wasn't exactly gracious, not by a long shot.. but it would work enough for now. And once he was on the balcony, he could climb up the bannister and from there grip the lip of the stone roof of the house, and climb onto that.

It wasn't much of a view. All of the houses were pretty squashed together, most of them businesses below because he guessed that a lot of the monks would spend their time in the Headquarters, and the citizens... he didn't have a clue what they wanted. As it turned out, he was in the West Quarter, thankfully. Because the gates were pretty much staring him in the face. So were a few of the monks that were positioned over it, although apparently they didn't notice him.. or passed him off for a regular squirrel. Either one didn't matter, as long as he could get through. But there wasn't much point in just getting down to go there, was there? He could just run across the rooftops.

He couldn't. Apparently, he was pushing his luck. Jumping from one building to the next was harder than it originally looked, and even a running leap could only bring him to the lip of the next roof, and from there he'd have to scramble up and make his way across to the next. By the time he'd done just that, he was exhausted. And by the time he'd done that, he could hear the monks positioned around the entrance laughing amongst themselves and chattering.. something they hadn't been doing earlier. The most concerning thing, though, was that he could hear them talking about something very specific. "Hey, look.. a squirrel. Bet you ten Laats that you can't nail it with those knives."

"Heh, you're one." This was becoming very concerning indeed.. and before the monks had a chance to ready their knives and get a good shot, he immediately ducked down between the two buildings that he'd been about to jump across, and hopped down to the floor with a little grunt. And from there, he scurried as fast as possible between the buildings, not really caring where he went. As long as it was away from blasted monks that thought he was an archery target!

by **Archailist** on March 2nd, 2014, 7:48 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He was lost again. He didn't care, as long as he wasn't being used as a damn target by monks, or as the butt of a simple bet of no less than 10 Laats. He wouldn't go so far as regretting that he came to the place, but he was certainly more enlightened than he had been before in terms of how he'd thought, at the beginning of the journey, that the monks were all going to be kind and caring to people. All he'd gotten was the sour and uncaring opinions that he'd never really expected from anyone in his life before. Wasn't religion supposed to bring people together, make them all happy and smiling? These people weren't.. all of them scowled, none of them were particularly polite, and some of them wanted to kill him. And that was just the citizens, never mind the damn monks. No, he wasn't regretting that he came here.. but he was starting to realize that staying here long was not an option. Not an option in the slightest.

He didn't know where to go next. He hadn't crossed a bridge but he wasn't sure where he was.. he wanted to leave the city, but he wasn't going to be able to do it if the monks could see him. And he'd forgotten how to retrace his steps in his blind panic. Now he needed to find a mode of transportation, a way to conceal himself.. but how? He wouldn't even know where to begin.. and then it hit him. Literally, it hit him. Apparently he hadn't been paying close enough attention to the world around him, especially when sitting in the middle of the street pondering life's meanings and how everyone in Nyka could be so grumpy. Nobody seemed to look down when they were walking. Especially the person that had accidentally - he hoped accidentally - kicked him right in the side and sent him tumbling to the ground. Not that it was a long fall. But at least the citizen that had done it, seemed a bit sorry by the way that he knelt down and stroked his side. He could hear him mumbling overhead.. although he didn't have eyelids to close, he still groaned and tried to rub his side with one paw. Damnit.. that HURT.

"Oh.. oh dear. Oh.. erm. Sorry, little guy." At least the man seemed to feel sorry for what he'd done, gently stroking over his little body. But then, he pulled his hands back. "Wait... it's not real?"

"Hey. 'It' has a name, you know." He was sick and tired of people never really considering Pycons to be real.. they always seemed so surprised, or just ignorant. It shouldn't have been hard to notice.. he was made out of clay, for Syna's sake! As it was, the man seemed to recoil and suddenly stand up again, making a move to stamp on the talking squirrel. Arch had to quickly roll over to the side.. which was quite painful in his very disoriented state.. to avoid being killed in a moment. "Hey, watch it! I'm Archailist, a Pycon!" That stopped him. At least, for a while. The man seemed visibly shaken.. and after that, turned and briskly walked away without another word. The squirrel called after him but the human took special precautions not to hear. Special precautions involved cupping both hands over his ears so that he couldn't hear. Great. There went his chance of getting un-lost.

by **Archailist** on March 2nd, 2014, 8:41 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Now he was left wandering around again. Aching in one side and hobbled slightly by it. At least it seemed as though people were paying attention now, but that no longer mattered either. He just wanted to go home.. it had been enough of an adventure to bother continuing. To even bother trying to escape this city, filled with lunatics and madmen. All of which, wanted to damn kill him and make jokes about it afterwards. He didn't even bother looking up when a shadow was cast... until a pair of hands scooped him up suddenly, uninvited as well. He yelled out very loudly then... and by that time, the few others that were around had disappeared. They must have been in quite a.. well, deserted area of the Quarter. And he was stuck, once again, with someone that was most likely intent on killing him. Or trapping him and holding him hostage as a common animal for entertainment.

"What's this, then?" Well, that was the last thing he expected at that point. Someone else invading his personal space, bent over and everything to try and catch a glimpse.. he didn't feel like being gawked at though by anyone, least of which yet another damn monk - whom, on closer inspection, looked to be quite an elderly man with receding hairlines and wrinkles all over the place, and at least seemed to understand that he was sentient. And actually not feeling all too well. Well, there was a welcome change of pace.

"I'm the Archailist... would you mind helping me back to the Safe Haven Hostel?" Well, this was his only chance, right about.

"Hmph. I'm on my way there, so you're in luck." Well, it wasn't very gracious. But he'd take it if it was all the monk was going to offer, and he'd count himself lucky that he was at least getting some help from at least one monk in this forsaken place. He shouldn't have counted his eggs before they'd hatched. "What's a Pycon such as yourself doing in these parts?" A sudden question.. but one, he supposed, that he'd have to endure. The man was moving anyway - walking towards.. well, somewhere. And with the squirrel carefully balanced on his palm, held up around his side, he wouldn't have to worry about being squished..

"I'm just here to see the sights.. learn, y'know, what I can from the monks here.. not become a monk myself of course. But.. if you don't mind me asking, how do you know that I'm a Pycon?" Perhaps he had a biased judgement. The case was most likely.. which was also likely why at least someone, such as the old man, seemed to take pity on him when all of the others treated him either like a real squirrel, or some hideous creature that could not possibly be real, and so had to be a part of their imagination?

"Been here, been there. 'Nd learn what, how to worship Laat?" Surprisingly, despite the gruff nature of the man that carried him.. the rather crude attempt at conversation that really just ended up making the squirrel more nervous than anything.. the man wasn't being condescending. He was becoming slightly more engaged.. not enough to really feel like he was having an intellectual conversation, but enough to completely ignore the fact that they'd crossed a bridge that he couldn't possibly name. Not the worst thing in the world... not the best either, but not the worst.

"I.. well. I want to learn how to become a Syliran Knight."

by **Archailist** on March 2nd, 2014, 9:01 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

The man seemed confused by it. The squirrel couldn't place a finger exactly on what made him think such a thing, but the way that the mans face contorted just above, the way that his eyebrows raised and one went higher than the other... it seemed to fit the scene. "You nuts?" There wasn't any sugar-coating in the surprise. But at least he was used to that kind-of stuff.. it was the usual reaction that he got whenever he told someone that he wanted to be a knight. A squirrel? they'd yell, A knight? Then they'd laugh. He'd push it all to the back of his head for now though.. it wasn't important. What was, though, was that they were approaching the Hostel. He could see it through the wandering monks that surrounded the streets, going about their usual business.. whatever it was that monks did on a regular basis that wasn't praying or some other nonsense.

"And you think I won't be able to do it?" he asked with a small frown building around the corners of his muzzle, while staring up at the mans face from the palm of his hand. Surely the man wouldn't be one of them.. although something told him that there might be a possibility. Just an inkling. After all, he couldn't have first thoughts about a man that he had barely known for more than five chimes. Just because he picked up the squirrel wouldn't mean that he was the nicest man in the world.. who knew, he might be a serial killer in disguise. Actually, he shouldn't have thought of those things, the man probably was.

"Think about it lad. A squirrel, as a knight?." Called it. Totally called it. "What're you gonna do, when they wanna kick you around, huh? You'll get yourself killed. Your funeral." It seemed that the monk had little sympathy for the inevitable. And little belief - for all his belief in the gods, that a squirrel could manage to become a knight. But that didn't mean that he'd let something like that simply pull all else away from his mind. It didn't mean that he was going to throw away his aspirations, just because he would be at a disadvantage. In fact, it was just more of a reason to keep trying.. to hope, that he would be able to beat the other man and his lofty thoughts of what was right and what was wrong. Oh, he'd prove him.. one day, when the man would need saving in Syliras, or anywhere in the region, he'd ride to his aid.. he'd protect the man from harm, and then after all of it was done, he'd walk up to the man in his shining knights armour, atop his own full-sized horse, and ask him if he still thought a Squirrel wouldn't be able to become a Syliran Squire. Yes, he'd show him.

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way." He really was... he'd hoped that he would have been able to meet at least one person who could be considered kind in this journey of his. One person who didn't want to kill him.. who didn't want to hurt him.. who just wanted to be friends. But there was none. Not even the man that had been kind enough to take him back to the front door of the Hostel. "But I'm going to become a Syliran Knight. Even if it kills me." And without another word, he hopped down from the mans hand and landed on the floor, and stormed through the front door. He would have, if not for the fact that the door was closed and he had absolutely no chance of reaching the handle. He turned back to the monk... and the man was already walking away. A few letters were wedged under the door. Typical.. he really couldn't rely on anyone in this city, even the people who took pity on him.

by **Archailist** on March 3rd, 2014, 8:24 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Of course, that meant that he had to find another way in. He could try going under the door.. but he doubted that it would work. No, he needed an open window.. and the only one around that he could see was on the next floor up. Meaning he was going to have to climb up through it. Fantastic.. as if he hadn't gone through enough that day. But, he resigned himself to it and took off towards the side of the building where he could find a better grip on the stonework. There were grooves there that he could push the claws into.. not that they were very good for it, but he could try anyway, pushing with all of his strength until they molded to the stone. Then, he lifted himself up.. and one paw over another, he started to climb.

One ledge to another, he had to go. Bark was much easier.. but rough stone wasn't exactly the most pliable of all materials to be climbing. He had to make a small jump at one point, to reach the next groove - a small gap between two stones, probably just about thick enough to fit a claw into if he molded it a little. But he missed and fell straight back down, distending slightly... but thankfully, he retained most of his body shape, so he could start again after a while of catching his breath.

Eventually, he made it though. And then, it was just a climb around the edge of the building.. involving a very careful step over a very narrow ledge, around the side and eventually to the window-sill. He had to be especially careful because there was little to grab onto with his hands.. just a small ledge for his feet. His body pressed as close as possible to the wall, so that it distorted slightly.. and then he focused. The fifth appendage, his tail wobbling about behind him, pressed against his upper back and began to fuse in place, very slowly spreading the extra mass. The time that it took.. probably about fifteen chimes, of full concentration and steady breathing. And then, he could continue.. slipping his way carefully along the edge of the wall until he came to the open window, and hopping straight through and down into the main lobby of the Hostel. With Vysia staring straight at him, mildly confused.

"Yes, I got lost. Happy?"