Open [Baroque Bay Beach] Light A Fire And Watch It Burn

[Kelski]

78th of Summer, 518 A.V.

She'd gathered wood up and down the beach. The work was good for the kelvic, causing her to balance the ungainly loads of flotsam and driftwood on her shoulders and in her arms in trip after trip. She got an enormous pile of it and when she felt she had enough for most of the night, Kelski sat down and began to light it. First she harvested big piles of the dried sawgrass above the tide line. Then she took one of her more worn daggers and began to shred some of the more dried and rotted wood into thin dried parts of wood. Piling this up, Kelski took out her flint and steel.

She repeatedly struck the flint to steel creating sparks that landed in the wads of grass. Picking up the wads of grass, Kelski gently blew on it, causing it to smoke and eventually flame up. Then she added the wad of grass to a small pile of tinder and when that caught, she piled up some thin dried wood into a tee pee over the tinder that was burning well, and let that preheat and catch fire.

Soon enough the bonfire was burning. Kelski had caught salmon earlier which she'd cleaned and sliced into fillets. The long fillets she then skewered and perched around the fire to cook. There was plenty of food for certain. Kelski also included a couple of wineskins which she left on a log she'd dragged up next to the fire. There were enough places for several people to gather around the fire.

Though not lonely, Kelski very much wanted to just be out under the slowly deepening sky and watch the stars for a while. She could have done it on the safety of her deck, but a bonfire on the beach sounded far better. The Sea Eagle carefully fed the fire and then relaxed. The flames lulled her into a sense of security as the shadows grew longer around her. They whispered to the Nightstalker, sharing stories and wanting attention. She gave as much as she could, reacting to their stories and thanking them for the company.

Because they were there, Kelski was able to stare into the flames, watch the heat dancing, and finally... finally relax. She felt the tension drain out of her. The salt air soothed her. And she found her mind drifting, opening its awareness, feeling somehow responsible for all the tension even as it drained from her body. Kelski took a deep breath, inhaled the wildness around her, and settled again, relaxing deeper.

The food would be ready soon and then she'd feast. It wafted the odor of grilled salmon up and down the beach driven by the warm flickering flames that gently licked up the wood Kelski kept feeding to it.

[Farris]

The time to leave the Gem was nigh, the Reimancer quite satisfied with his practice. Djed followed his will and flowed through from the frame of his spine throughout his body. Pleasure set upon his senses as a globe of Res approximately the size of his fist cast back and forth in accordance with his will. The Res ignited with his will, the uppermost layer of it fueling the flames as he allowed himself to manipulate the Res that floated within. He willed the flame through the air, expanding the globe of Res within. The flames died out before flickering back to life, igniting a second layer of the gaseous energy beneath.

Fire? Isn't that a little bit basic for you, Farris? the Familiar goaded. Clearly, it was unaware of the nuances of Reimancy and couldn't tell what his intentions were. The Res within was what he truly cared for. He sought to manipulate it with precision rather than fling his spells into the air with no given direction or purpose. The use of fire merely increased the risk of the notion. To manipulate the Res within without having the flames touch on the Midnight Gem itself was a task worthy of his efforts. He felt the surge of pleasure cast upon his senses as he held the spell, maneuvering the ball of flame before, at last, allowing it to dissipate in its entirety. What was left of his Res, a tiny globe within the core of his efforts, dissipated with his command.

Farris rose from his seated position and found pleasure overwhelming his senses. The desire to captivate knowledge was strong within him, but there was a fervent need that scratched at his senses. A need to temper his advancement with rest and recovery, negative space to the foreground of his arcane understanding. The Reimancer scaled the steps leading into the store proper. He promptly exited the place and found, looming over the building the visage of smoke dancing into the sky. Curious about the source, Farris walked past the Midnight Gem and through Baroque Bay until he saw at the beach a figure feeding the flames while... cooking? He couldn't get a good look at who it was, but the shadows he saw on the ground were unnatural in shape, gathering towards the figure as if they were lovers on the beach.

Kelski? he thought to himself. The Nightstalker revealed her nature to him days ago within the depths of the Temple of the Unknown. Since then he hadn't talked to her, and much happened in the short passage of time between their past conversations.

Farris waded through the sands of the beach with some difficulty, the strain of his practice catching up to him. He collapsed onto the sand several meters away from the woman. He didn't announce himself immediately but, rather, settled down in earnest. Beside the Reimancer the Kirt followed in his natural form. It looked at the Kelvic, but his reptilian countenance did little to offer insights to the thoughts within. Farris, however, was very much aware of what the Familiar thought, for it spewed its opinions like sewage flowing through a pipeline.

Is this the Kelski you've mentioned? She seems unremarkable, the Kirt whispered into their shared mind.

Look down, you fool. The shadows cling to her. She's blessed by Akajia and has proven to be an astute, generous individual.

Oh? Astute? How so? it asked, but the Reimancer didn't acknowledge the question. Instead, he looked to Kelski, curious to see how the Kelvic fared since their last conversation.

"Hey, Kelski?" he called out, at last revealing to her, if she hadn't already ascertained it for herself, that he was in her presence.

WC: 620

[Anja Nightwatcher]

Anja was restless. The sensation was finding the Drykas more and more frequently as time marched on. He had felt it often behind the stifling castle walls of Syliras and from time to time in Zeltivia as he watched the ocean waves crash against the beach. But Sunberth seemed to compound the feeling, making Anja’s feet itch. Perhaps it was the stifling close quarters of the city, or the scent of decay that seemed to permeate the city. The city stagnated. Endrykas had been far from perfect, but with the constant busiwork and frequent travel from place to place, nothing ever sat for long enough to rot.

Anja had spent some time among the Dust Bed, wandering from grave to grave and peering at the worn inscriptions until Syna’s light had grown too faint to allow them to be read. Maisa had accompanied him, picking at the stray shrubs and sparce patchworks of grass to satisfy her own boredom. Anja had considered exploring the Dust Bed Ridge, but with the rapidly disappearing light the man wasn't entirely sure that he trusted his feet on the cliff’s edge. He almost found himself heading in that direction anyways, but Maisa’s teeth against his sleeve settled the matter instantly. If Maisa didn’t want him wandering the ridge in the twilight, then it would remain unwandered.

“Perhaps you have an idea on where you’d like to go?” Anja asked his strider with a hint of weariness. Maisa pushed her nose up against Anja's chest and nickered softly. Then she turned slightly to the left, revealing her back to him, and nickered again. With a soft smile, Anja seized his companion’s yvas and threw his leg up and over her back. The man had no more than a tick to get himself settled before his impatient companion had started off into a trot, weaving through the weathered gravestones, out of the Dust Bed and towards the city.

By the time they found themselves in the city proper, the light was all but gone from the sky. Maisa didn't seem to mind the night much. Anja made no effort to guide her and let her pick her own way through the streets. Leth was bright in the sky, and lanterns and torches cast dim orange light from the occasional doorway. Anja heard a small commotion from somewhere down the street, and nudged Maisa gently with his right knee. Needing no further encouragement, the strider followed her companion’s suggestion and walked the pair of them away from the distant noise and towards the river that fed into the bleak bay.

From here, Maisa took the lead once more. The strider followed the river at a steady trot, and when the river opened up to the Bay and the rocky ground underfoot eased into a soft sand, Anja felt the muscles underneath his legs surge and watched as Maisa threw her legs forward and started into an easy, relaxing canter. Anja fists clung to the yvas as the sea wind tousled his dark hair. His heartbeat matched the thud of hooves against sand and the waves against the shore, and for the first time in a long while, Anja felt his mind blissfully blank. Leth's pale blue glow reflected against the roiling waves and cast dancing shadows against the ground. Anja closed his eyes and drifted, both here and also somewhere else very far away.

Whatever reverie Anja felt himself in gently dissipated as Maisa’s long, steady strides grew closer together until she was once more trotting. The Drykas opened his eyes and found his eyes meeting a flickering orange light further down the shore. Maisa slowed further to a walk, her hooves thudding gently against the sand. Maisa was cautious on the best of days, and more often than not the strider would choose not to engage. But in spite of his companion’s hesitation, Anja found himself a touch intrigued. The scent of burning wood and clean black smoke intermingled with that of roasted fish. It gave the Drykas a sharp pang of nostalgia. For just a moment Anja remembered a cluster of those dearest to him squatted around a blazing bonfire, passing around char blackened meat on earthenware plates, heaped with wild herbs and spices, as conversation spilled from and around them, babbling like a stream. It felt like home, and the taste was bitter. But it was also far too appealing for Anja to ignore.

Anja nudged Maisa forward, and felt her muscles seize up in protest as she stubbornly ground to a halt. The Drykas whispered a few reassuring words to his friend in Pavi and stroked her neck. Maisa flicked her ears at him, a sure sign of mild protest, but she gradually eased herself back into a trot towards the blazing bonfire, hitching her step slightly as she walked to show Anja she still didn't completely approve.

The blazing fire light parted the darkness like a shroud, drowning away Leth’s gentle glow with blazing fury. Long shadows stretched out from the light of the fire in a frenzied dance. The bonfire let out a loud pop as something very dry within the blaze combusted from the heat, and Maisa let out a sharp whinny of surprise and ground to a stubborn halt. Knowing better than to push his friend any further than he already had, Anja swung off Maisa’s back and whispered a quick word of thanks, then continued forward on foot. The man heard the reluctant sound of hoofbeats following behind him, though still keeping a wary distance.

The crackle of fire turned to a roar as he drew close, and Anja could feel the heat of the flames warming his cheeks. The scent of fish and smoke overwhelmed his senses and threatened to push him back into his memories once more. The man’s eyes fell on a solitary figure, surrounded by dancing shadows and tossing the occasional piece of driftwood into the blaze. Though he couldn't quite pin why, this woman reminded him of the shadows surrounding her. Perhaps it was that she seemed a touch intangible, like if she approached the light too quickly that it would swallow her. It was more than her dark hair and vivid eyes.

“Good evening,” Anja called out before he had approached too close, his voice thick with his Pavi accent. Without thought, Anja made the Pavi sign for greeting. He hadn't exactly been silent in his approach on horseback, but the woman seemed half lost in her reverie and he hadn't wanted to startle her.

“Care for company?” he asked. The woman had all right to refuse him. This was Sunberth after all, and strangers tended to be inherently distrusted. If she asked him to leave then he would. But something about this night made him think she wouldn't send him away. It felt a little like that time between wakefulness and a dream, where the unthinkable might find itself suddenly alive and real.

“Hey, Kelski?” called a voice from the darkness.

Anja hadn't realized that there had been another presence among them, and he turned towards the voice. A man lay collapsed in the sand nearby. The man’s coarse black hair and beard didn't strike any notes for Anja in particular, and in the dim light the strange lizard creature beside him escaped Anja’s notice. However, behind him Anja heard a sharp whinny of surprise, and a quick glance over his shoulder revealed Maisa backing up a few steps and tossing her head. The striders watchful eyes, or perhaps her keen nose picking up an alien scent, had revealed what Anja had missed. Anja cast his strider a searching look, but Maisa tossed her head and seemed unwilling to reveal what she had spotted. As close as the pair were, words were one thing that Maisa lacked and she could not tell him what had troubled her.

(Words 1316)

[Kelski]

The meditation of the flames had caused her mind to empty out. Random thoughts streaked through her awareness occasionally, but they grew less and less the more she relaxed. Soon her mind was blank and she felt an overwhelming sense of peace on the beach. Kelski had been getting the impression that mental fortitude was important in magic and she’d been overloaded lately with the need for patience as the building The Gem was in slowly awoke. She’d once bemoaned the fact that she was forever lonely, but now the Kelvic Sea Eagle had an entire alien sentience in her mind that rarely cared for her privacy as it slowly awoke and became self aware. It had no one but Kelski to ask things of, so it followed her with its awareness everywhere and learned from her likes and dislikes. It often started turning down the lamps when the Kelvic entered a room because she preferred the light dimmer. It lit random lights various places as well, moving lamps and keeping candles burning long after they should go out. Kelski appreciated why. The building absolutely loved the shadows that flooded the whole of the structure due to the presence of the two Nightstalkers, and it played with them as children played with classmates or neighbors, each day learning a new game or a new piece of knowledge from them.

Kelski was only learning to communicate with it through emotions. The Sea Eagle thought it was ridiculous that she had to so concise with her emotions because so many times before she’d had to house them behind walls or them out completely. It was as if The Gem’s awakening was awakening something in her that had shut down after Darvin had kidnapped her and tried to force her to bond with him. She’d felt nothing when she killed him. And she’d felt nothing during her captivity. And even though there had been an explosion of gratitude and the seeking of shelter in Kynier’s arms after she’d returned that day, she’d been closed off ever since.

But the structure hadn’t understood being closed off. It needed love, affection, even humor in its life. It had cranky tantrums just like a small child, and often had Kelski clambering around day and night doing for it to keep its mind happy. It had even forbid fires for a time in its chimney, interested in the sparrows that had built nests and were raising babies within its tall stack. They were all cooking on firepits outside or down on the forge when things got rough. So she’d had to comfort it, try to understand it, and certainly humor its moods. And it was slow going, as the building pulled emotions out of her until she was more awake too, more alive and engaged. And it was only then that she realized she’d been going through the motions, not really living but simply getting buy.

All this passed through her mind and she was made aware of by the time the stranger dealing with what looked like an unruly horse approached. Kelski rose to her feet quietly, shaking off the meditation and ran a hand across her daggers, glad they were around. Then she smiled at the newcomer with his strange accent and carefully asked. “Thank you. Good evening to you too. Is your horse aright, sir?” She didn’t like the big skittish animals but understood the human’s needs to make them carry them everywhere.

“I would love some company…” Kelski started to explain when Farris’ voice cut her off. She looked around and spotted the sprawled figure not far away and glanced back at the stranger. “Excuse me…. have a seat, make yourself comfortable… I’ll have fish ready in a few chimes…” she said, neatly leaping the driftwood log she was sitting on and heading Farris’ way. “Farris? That you?” Kelski called, padding lightfooted across the sand to where the mage was sprawled. She gave the Kirt a wide birth, but knelt down beside Farris and looked concerned. “You’ve been doing it again haven’t you? And too much too soon?” She asked, keeping her voice pitched low because of the stranger at her fire. Kelski had no desire to point out Farris was a mage in front of everyone who was on the beach or might happen by. But she wasn’t about to not say something as he looked like he hadn’t picked that location of rest by choice. “You look exhausted.” She chastised then offered him a hand. If he’d help her, she could tuck under his shoulder and get him over to the log to sit down then have some salmon with her and the stranger.

Hoisting him up with a great deal of his help, Kelski managed to get the Mage on his feet and walking back towards the fire. She deposited him in a comfortable spot, ignoring his strange lizard like thing, and handed him a wineskin. She offered a smile to the newcomer, the stranger with the horse, and then introduced herself.

“I’m Kelski… just a local jeweler that likes fishing and sometimes having a quiet fire on the beach. How are you doing today? This guy is Farris… he drinks a lot sometimes, so you have to forgive his appearance. He’s been meaning to cut back.” She chastised lightly, giving him a light kick when she thought the Drykas stranger wasn’t looking. “Hows your horse doing? Has he settled down yet?” Kelski asked, roaming around the fire and checking the fish. She turned several of the skewered fillets, testing them and knowing the salmon would be done momentarily.

Returning to her pack, she pulled out a small crock of spices – just mixed salt and pepper and – and gently made one more round to sprinkle the fish with seasoning. Kelski wished she would have thought to bring butter for the fish, which always made anything cooked taste better. “Are you from Sunberth? Most people don’t have horses, so I wondered… it’s a beautiful animal.” She said, studying the horse from where she was.

Then, finally, she began pulling the skewered fillets from the margin of the fire. She hande two to each of the men and kept two for herself before she settled back down on the log where she’d been perched meditating, and quietly began to eat.

Count: 1061

[Farris]

Farris accepted the assistance readily when Kelski offered it to him. He took her hand and gripped it soundly as legs sought to catch to the suface of shifting sands beneath them. When he rose, she tucked beneath the wizard's shoulder and he walked with her to the flames of the fire. In the relative cool of the seaside evening, the flames tickled at his senses and a measure of relief set upon his expression. When they approached the log, the Reimancer released Kelski's hand and slid from her shoulder. Two steps taken had him in the seat provided, and he seemed incredibly relieved for it as a breath pulled into his lungs. The newcomer, in the midst of it all, escaped Farris' notice and when Kelski began to converse with the unknown presence, Farris turned his head to meet the visage of Anja and the horse that lingered behind him. The young man held a somewhat intense disposition about him, and was clearly in far better condition than Farris. When Kelski referred to him as a drunk, scoff-infused laughter escaped his lips. He shrugged his shoulders, fully prepared to join Kelski's narrative of his condition when he answered, "What can I say? The creature ain't no easy beast to slay. Finds its way into my wallet, finds its way down my gullet," he answered cooly, his gray gaze hovering between Kelski and the flames that danced before the three of them.

Kelski took to the horse quite well, but Farris shared no such fascination. He'd experienced enough of the foul beasts in his travel across Sylira, from Ravok to Sunberth and was glad for their absence from the city as a whole. Xypher, on the other hand, experienced little of Farris' fatigue and approached the animal readily. It looked disturbed by the Familiar's presence. As if to avoid the gazes of the other humans, Xypher's skin melded to the tone of the sands. It shifted beneath the surface and traversed through it as a trail that sank into the earth. When Xypher resurfaced, it was making circles around the hooves of the horse before it shrank to avoid potential lashing out by the creature. Slowly, the Familiar closed its limbs around the horse's leg, content to irritate it to its hearts content, spilling laughter into the mage's thoughts.

What is THIS? Did Allastor take inspiration for his shape from this sort of creature? it asked, an avid curiosity infused with its compulsion for disruption. Farris felt a sigh bubble in his throat as he turned his head to watch Kelski instead. She was busy preparing the salmon for the three of them and the mage was glad to take his share. He held both skewers in his dominate hand as he considered both the Night stalker and the stranger once again. Fatigue was evident upon Farris' expression, but to closer inspection it was clear that it was not intoxication that affected him. The Void mage was alert, but sluggish, his body drained from his repeated indulgence into the disciplines of magic. It was, to him, an effort well worth the investment.

It's a fucking horse, Xypher. Must you insist on ruining everything? he asked. In the time it took Kelski to serve the pair, the Familiar scurried away from the beast and sat down between Farris' legs. It resumed its sleek, black shape, revealed fully in its natural form as it, like Farris, considered the flames with some regard of respect. Farris ate without a word, mentally beseeching the Familiar to simply stay calm and do nothing. A request, of course, that was met with utter disdain and disobedience. Instead, the Familiar climbed up the log and stood on its hindlegs. Xypher beat on his serpentine chest with small stone hands before sitting on all fours. Laughter spilled into the wizard's mind as Farris groaned with displeasure. He decided it was best to simply ignore Xypher, thinking that providing him with similar treatment that Kelski did might steer it towards silence.

Farris was content to remain a listener, allowing the stranger to, if he chose, tell his tale. In the service of that intention, Farris reached towards Xypher with both hands and clutched the Familiar around the middle as it continued theatrics and sought to be noticed.

What? This creature is meant to be your friend? Aren't you supposed to introduce your friends to me, huh? Maybe I'll just do it myself, it threatened as it struggled in Farris' grasp. Of course, the much larger mage, even weakened, was more than a match for Xypher's struggles and instead the Familiar focused its efforts on freedom, beating on the Reimancer's wrists in an attempt to escape his clutches.

WC: 791

[Anja Nightwatcher]

Anja did not miss the woman’s fingers flicking to the weapon at her waist, and he gave her a gentle smile in a way that he hoped would be disarming and set her slightly at ease. The woman’s comment made him turn to look at Maisa. She was unsettled, certainly, even if the man couldn't quite place why. “You don’t have to linger here if you don’t want to,” Anja told the horse with a small frown. He made the pavi sign for 'depart’, but Maisa remained stubbornly in place. Anja sighed and looked back to the dark haired woman. “She can leave if she likes. For now she chooses to stay.”

When the woman iterated that she would enjoy company, Anja smiled and sat next to her on the log, though not so close as to cause any discomfort. A moment later however, she had greeted the other man at the fire, named Farris, and helped him into a more comfortable position. The woman also introduced herself. A jeweler, Kelski.

“And here I thought every man and woman in Sunberth had a disreputable profession,” Anja said wryly. “My name is Anja. I am a new arrival to this city only just this season and am employed to hunt ghosts at the behest of Jeb in the Dust Bed. I hail from from the horse clans of the moving city of Endrykas. We prize jewelers greatly there. It is a noble profession.”

Anja simply offered a mild and non judgemental look at the man called Farris and mention of his drinking. There were certainly worse vices to indulge in, particularly in this city. At a glance the man didn't seem inebriated, simply...exhausted. And when he laughed and replied to the woman’s statement he seemed lucid enough. But Anja had no reason to push the matter. “Perhaps you should rehydrate yourself. Kelski, is there any fresh water available nearby?” Anja deferred to the woman automatically. She certainly must know her way around here if she chose to start a bonfire on the beach.

Anja accepted the food that Kelski offered with an unrestrained smile that was unusual for the normally stoic Drykas man. He closed his eyes as he bit into the fish and felt a wave of pleasure wash over him at the flavor. Anja had not eaten well in his time in Sunberth, only occasionally visiting taverns for a hearty meal when he feared he was lacking nutrition. “This is very good,” Anja complimented. Perhaps it was also that the meal was being cooked over a fire that had Anja nostalgic for his old home.

Meanwhile, to Anja’s ignorance, Xypher proceeded to harass Maisa. Had the familiar sought to torment a typical horse, than the mare might have been driven into a frenzy and fled or panicked. But Maisa was not a typical horse. She was a strider. The mare stood as still as a statue as the familiar approached, her watchful eyes having no trouble keeping track of his form even as he changed texture to look like the sand. She ignored the creature as it circled around her hooves. When it touched her she pinned her ears, and did not move. It wasn't until the creature had returned to his companion’s lap that she made a move. She trotted nimbly over to Farris’ lap, seized the lizard with her teeth, then tossed it down the beach. She returned back to Anja’s side a moment later, considerably more relaxed.

Anja glanced at both Farris and Kelski, bewildered. The man had seen Maisa seize something from the man named Farris and toss it away, but he had no idea what it was. He assumed it to be some sort of an object. “Maisa, what are you doing?” The Drykas asked his companion. He trusted her judgement but her action was...odd. Maisa simply blew at Anja. The Drykas sighed and looked at Kelski and Farris, raising his voice in explanation. “Maisa is a strider,” he explained. “They are very intelligent, and often willful.” Anja shot his companion another piercing look, but she offered no explanation. “I can go retrieve it for you,” Anja said, standing uncertainty. “I don't believe I saw what she tossed.”

[Kelski]

Farris said very little so Kelski left him lay where he was. The mage was more and more acting crazy and she liked to ignore him if she could. He always seemed to be looking inside, as if he were having an inner dialog with himself rather than actually connecting with the people around him. The little creature with him was disturbing, but Kelski was determined to leave it alone until she could ask Kynier about it. Mages could be dangerous and Kelski was not certain that wasn’t the case with Farris.

Kelski liked that the stranger… Anja… treated his animal like it was another person. It showed a lot of his character just in the small gesture. His horse roamed free, unlike others who held their animals bound tightly with iron in their mouth or ropes around their heads. That he also complimented her profession went a long way with Kelski. Most people thought jewelers strung beads, but she did so much more work than that. If Anja’s people respected jewelers, she wondered who indeed his people were. He gave her that answer without a hint of a question from her, which was a nice change from having to grill people on who they were or where they were from.

“Ghosts? They are real?” Kelski asked, a little surprised. She’d never seen a ghost in her life. Nor had she heard of anyone working with them as a profession. “Hunt them? Do you eat them then? Or is it some other sort of hunting?” She asked simply, a little confused by the situation of Anja being a hunter of things that were just stories or rumors.

At Anja’s question, Kelski nodded, rose and fetched a flask for Farris. She set it by him without comment and returned to her seat. It was all the fresh water she had, but she didn’t mind sharing it with the mage if he needed it. Kelski, who’s sharp eyes missed nothing, noted the lizard and the horse interacting. Well, perhaps it was more fair to say the horse evicted the lizard from the group soundly, and returned proudly… which caused Kelski to smile.

“Seems like a wise horse. Farris hasn’t been himself since that creature started hanging around. I have no idea what it is, either.” Kelski said softly, glancing at the direction the horse had tossed it. She half hoped the horse would eat it or something, though it didn’t seem to be made of something edible to an animal. “It’s some sort of…. Stone lizard?” Kelski said, shrugging and glancing at Farris. She wasn’t sure the mage would be forthcoming about it anyhow, even though Anja had been directly asking him.

“I own The Midnight Gem. It’s that big shop up there.” Kelski pointed, gesturing towards the fenced acre above them on the bluff. There was a small trail leading up the coast towards the building. Out of sight was a gate. “I have a favor to ask if your horse was willing. We have a whole acre of thick grass around the place. It’s fenced. Do you think your horse might mind spending some time there? The grass gets tall and it could use some eating down if she’s hungry. I’d thought to get a goat or a small pony, but if your horse could use the feed, it would be good. I worry about fire when it gets so tall.” Kelski added, wondering if Maisa would be willing to help them out and help control the grass that grew so willingly around the place.

“I’m a Sea Eagle so I hunted all of this….” Kelski said, gesturing to the fish as she selected a skewer and changed the subject. “Do you like salmon? I think its delicious… one of my favorite foods. And best of all its free for the taking, especially when they get lazy and bask up by the surface. I live with several other Kelvics, mostly cats, that don’t mind the fish at all. They seem to like it. But I think Kynier and Aer’wyn get tired of it so often. Do you have a favorite food?” Kelski asked, studying the newcomer and wondering if he had any ideas on how a kelvic should vary the diet of humans. She’d already asked Kynier and Aer’wyn what they liked eating, but the big Akalak had just professed a willingness to eat anything, and Kynier wouldn’t trouble Kelski with specific food requests.

[Anja Nightwatcher]

Anja was both surprised and warmed as Kelski seemed to relax in his presence. He didn't take that relaxation as a lack of guard of course. He was still practically a stranger after all. An exchange of names was hardly enough to warrant trust, after all. But when Anja considered the other men and women he had met in Sunberth, there was a distinct lack of a wall between himself and her. His lips flicked into a smile as he thought of Kynier, a man so guarded he might as well be as impenetrable as Syliras. Anja wasn't sure if it was himself or the woman who caused this ease between them, but either way he liked it.

Kelski’s question about ghosts surprised a laugh out of Anja. “They are indeed real,” Anja told her with a smile. “There are a great many more in Sunberth than any other place I’ve seen. When people die with regrets, sometimes they refuse to pass on. There are lots of people who have died with regrets here. I am glad you haven't had the misfortune to meet any. Some ghosts are simply making their way in the world the same as any other, but they are also sometimes hateful and violent, especially here in Sunberth. They can be difficult to deal with if you are not a trained spiritist.”

His smile widened slightly. “And no, I do not eat them. I suppose the hunting is meant more as a 'finding’. I talk to them if I can. Try to convince them to move on. Sometimes I take action to ease their regrets or settle grudges. If I am unable to help them, then I bring them back to the Dust Bed where they can live their unlife and not cause trouble to others.”

Anja glanced to Farris as Kelski professed to not liking the… stone lizard creature? Anja had no idea what it was, but the cook seemed approving that Maisa had gotten rid of the creature, at any rate. Farris, meanwhile, seemed to have passed into unconsciousness. Perhaps the wine he’d been drinking had finally hit him? Either way, Kelski seemed unconcerned with the situation, and Anja decided to follow her lead. He settled himself back onto the log and took another slow bite of the fish, savoring it. Maisa, now considerably more relaxed, snuffled at the fish over Anja’s shoulder, and looked towards Kelski with both curiosity and a slight hint of a guard. She whickered a quiet greeting at the woman, but seemed reluctant to approach.

“Maisa says hello,” Anja told the woman. He then turned to Maisa. “She is Kelski,” Anja told the horse in Pavi. Maisa snorted an acknowledgement. The strider would remember Kelski now, even if he was not around. Anja thought about making the sign for friend, but then decided against it. Maisa would just reject it anyways. They hardly knew her, after all.

When Kelski professed to owning a shop called The Midnight Gem, Anja turned from his place beside the fire to look at the bluff behind them. He could see the trail leading up the cliff. At Kelski’s mention of grass, Anja raised both eyebrows in surprise. “I think that would be very much appreciated,” Anja told Kelski. “Maisa hasn’t had fresh grass in some time.”

Anja turned back to Maisa. “Hungry?” he asked in Pavi. He watched Maisa’s ears prick forward. “Grass,” he told her. “Up trail, past fence.” He accompanied his words with a gesture towards the gate in question. “Kelski’s gift,” he added. Maisa needed no further encouragement. The strider trotted away from the pair and up the trail towards the professed food source.

“She seems willing,” Anja chuckled. “If they gate is latched she will unlatch it. If it’s locked I suspect she will find a way to jump inside. You might also expect to see her there some days without me. I suspect your days of trouble with long grass are at an end.”

When Kelski mentioned being a sea eagle, Anja’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I’m not sure I understand,” he said hesitantly. “What do you mean by being a sea eagle?” Anja’s first impression was that it was some sort of title, perhaps one given to extraordinary fisherman or something. His confusion extended further as the woman claimed to living with cats. The answer seemed to be contained somewhere in that unfamiliar word she spoke. “What is a kelvic?” Anja asked.

One of the names mentioned was unfamiliar to him, but the second brought a raised eyebrow. “You know Kynier? We are...acquaintances I suppose. He assisted me on one of my jobs.” Anja was hesitant to mention the deal he had made with Kynier in regards to them teaching each other magic. Kelski might not know he was a mage, and Anja wouldn't be the person to break the news.

Regardless it was only polite to answer her question. “I enjoy fish,” he told her. “On the plains we would often cook like this. A large bonfire, with whatever had been hunted for the day. Mostly meat, flavored with spices or herbs that had been gathered. Foraged fruits, berries or roots, and milk, cheese and butter from our zebri. They are a bit like the cattle you find outside the sea of grass. Always very hearty meals. We needed a lot of energy in Endykas. I do not mind the breads and eggs that cities offer, but meals such as this are my favorite. They are simple perhaps, but it is nostalgic to me. My wife used to serve me slices of the day’s hunt that had been roasted with butter and spices. I suppose that is my favorite.” The corners of Anja’s eyes softened at the memory.

[Kelski]

Kelski was surprised that ghosts were real. She’d truthfully never seen one and had certainly never given much thought to what happened to people once they died. They died… and most people buried corpses under the ground where the meat rotted over time. It was all slightly morbid and gross to the Kelvic who thought meat should be used, eaten, put back into the cycle of life as energy. That dead thing fed that living thing, and around and around until the living thing died and fed another living thing. Plants were even in the cycle, feeding things that she ate, dying so the living could live. The whole ghost thing was beyond her.

But what Anja told her made sense, about the misery of Sunberth causing more ghosts. She knew a lot of people died here. That much was true, and she’d been to the Dust Beds which were creepy all on their own – but mostly due to the wolves and crazy mages roaming them looking for their dead wives. It was all a lot to take in, thinking about ghosts, and even in the Dust Beds she hadn’t seen any.

“People are hateful and violent. I respect they could be as awful in death as they were in life.” Kelski said softly. Suddenly she hoped Darvin wasn’t a ghost, someone unable to move on due to the way he died. Strangled to death raping a drugged Kelvic… would that be enough to hold him here? Kelski hoped not. She hoped that fateful day was the last she’d ever seen of him.

Kelski had to say she was a bit disappointed that Anja didn’t eat ghosts. Things didn’t ‘come back’ that were eaten. But she understood why he was using the words he was because in a way he was hunting them. She didn’t imagine a lot of them could be reasoned with though. “I’m not certain a lot of them could be reasoned with though. I can think of two people I’ve killed that might be ghosts now, and I can’t imagine either of them being very reasonable. They weren’t in life. The woman was drugged heavily, violent, and dragged me into a cage match in Tall Johnny’s I did not want to fight. I killed her because she said her problems were my fault and I’d never met her ever before that moment. The other was a man who was physically abusing me. I strangled him as he did so and he died with a slashed throat because the garotte was sharp and cut him down to the spine opening his wind pipe right up and severing the arteries at his throat. He would be an awful ghost as well.” Kelski said worriedly, now wondering if either lived on past their actual lives.

Kelski followed Anja’s gaze to the collapsed mage and shrugged. “No, hes not really drunk. He’s just a mage that abuses his power too often and is half crazy. If he falls asleep he will sleep a long time I imagine.” The Kelvic admitted, shrugging as if it were no big deal or insane thing to be here in Sunberth. There were all kinds here, all races, and most of them had crazy ideas.

“It’s nice to meet you, Maisa.” Kelski said politely. So… horses are intelligent? It didn’t surprise the Kelvic. To her all animals were intelligent. She laughed a little at the delight the horse had in accepting the offer of the grass. And as she trotted away Kelski called after her… “The gate is a simple latch. Close it behind you! Or you can bounce over the fence… its not a tall one.” She said, turning to Anja and smiling at her. “I appreciate that. Its been hot this summer and I worry about such tall grass around the building. She is welcome any time. I’ll leave treats for her on the back deck overlooking the sea if you tell me what she likes. I know nothing about horses.” Kelski said, looking thoughtful. “Though I had considered getting a pony and a cart to drive to town because we often buy many things at the market, mostly produce and groceries and having a cart and a pony would save us from hiring a wagon to bring things home. If you know about horses, maybe in the fall if you are around, you can help me select one? I honestly wouldn’t know how to choose one… and if I can keep one or if I need to keep two… that sort of thing.” Kelski said, looking a little confused and knowing there was a high likelihood of a swindler being involved when it came to someone selling her a cart and pony. But such things could be very useful if she were careful and had the land to keep one on.

The conversation turned and Kelski looked at Anja oddly. “I’m not human. I’m Kelvic. We’re a… race like the humans. We look human but we are not. Each of us is also an animal. My animal is a Sea Eagle. If I take off my clothing, I can become one and eagles are very good at fishing.” She said, gesturing at the salmon. “This was all from one fat fish. I’m glad someone came along to share it with me.” She added, smiling. “Its hard to believe, but there are a lot of Kelvics. We were originally created, not by the Gods, but by people to serve them. We have grown, I think, past servants though. Some can take the form of a horse and act as really good mounts for those they bond with. Some are small, like mice, and can act as good spies. I’m not sure why anyone made eagles into Kelvics, but I’m glad they did. We make terrible everythings, I think, when it comes t having a bondmate. A bondmate is sort of someone we look to as a friend and have special ties too. We can share emotions and feelings with a special human. I’ve never had one so I’m not sure what it is all about, but its what we are supposed to want to do.” She offered, with a shrug and then nodded to his next question.

“Yes, I know Kynier. He lives with me and others up at The Midnight Gem. He is my mate.” Kelski explained, hoping Anja would not ask her for details. She had none. Kynier and Kelski’s relationship was complicated. She loved him deeply, tried to take care of him, and was fiercely protective. But they were not bondmates. It was a sad thing to her, a contentious issue… and she was hoping it didn’t come up.

Anja started talking about his people and his life on the plains and Kelski was grateful for that. Kelski smiled at Anja’s memories. “It sounds like a good life. Can you tell me more about the plains? What were they called and how did you live there? I haven’t been anywhere but Alvadas, Lhavit, and here. Here I like least of all in terms of being a place, but the people are great… some of them… most of them.” Kelski said softly, picking up another skewer of fish and nibbling on it.

“What is a wife?” Kelski asked, curious. It sounded like a term for a family member, but she wasn’t certain of it. Anja perhaps had a different language than she did, and sometimes when that happened words crossed over that weren’t found in the other language. Since starting her shop, Kelski had been a bit more interested in other languages. All she spoke was common and a smattering of a couple others, nothing she was confident in. She was stronger in Svefra than anything else because she’d spent a lot of time around them…. enslaved to them. But she hadn’t really wanted to speak their language at that point. Most Svefra spoke common anyhow.

[Anja Nightwatcher]

“Just as there are there ghosts who are hateful and violent, so too are their are ghosts who have died from the violence of those who are hateful,” Anja told Kelski. “Ghosts can be terrible yes, but they are all to be pitied. They live terrible, miserable existences. Filled with sorrows and regrets, bound to pitiful forms where they can't even properly interact with the world. It is my duty to move them on from that existence, regardless of personal circumstance.”

Anja listened intently as Kelski spoke of the two people she had killed. The man did not bear grudges towards those who caused death in general, regardless of source or reason. Murder, even, did not draw disgust or disapproval from him the way it did from people of similar sets of morals. Anja disliked pain, cruelty, or torture. But a simple, quick death born of necessity had all the impact of the flap of a butterfly for him. Anja felt no resentment for the woman, especially as she stated their deaths as self defense.

Anja knew well the first person Kelski spoke of. So Kelski had been the one to kill Meriann, it seemed. Anja wondered for a moment what to tell her about the situation with Meriann, and finally decided on what he thought was the kindest approach.

“I met the ghost of the woman whom you killed at Tall Johnny’s. I spoke with her, and she has since passed on, so she will not trouble you.”

Anja thought carefully before replying about the second person. “Many people choose not to linger as ghosts,” Anja told her. “Even if they have regrets. It is simply too exhausting to stay in this world. But should he return as a ghost and trouble you, you need only to find me. I will take care of him for you. There are also methods of protection from ghosts that you can use if you need it, set around your house perhaps. I would be happy to help you set such a thing up.”

Anja smiled at Kelski’s obvious delight at Maisa’s acceptance of her gift. He was pleased at the woman’s offer of leaving treats for Maisa. “You will win her friendship quickly that way,” Anja told her. “Food is often a quick way to a horse’s heart.”

When Kelski spoke of buying a horse and cart, Anja nodded to her. “I am not sure how much use I would be,” Anja told her. “I never learned driving. I am exclusively a rider. You might be better off finding another teacher for that in particular. But I would be happy to help you select a horse or pony. I never did much buying or selling, but I should be able to help you find one that is not injured or sick and will be able to do the work you require of it. And I can teach you how to give it basic care. What to feed it, how to tend to it. There are a couple of stables in town who may be able to help you as well.”

Anja was mystified as Kelski spoke of kelvics and their ability to transform into animals. Now that he thought about it, he had heard of men who could turn into horses from time to time in Endrykas. They were valued greatly by their Pavilions and were worth a lot if given to a Pavilion for marriage purposes. His Pavilion had never had enough to offer to trade for one, and he had never met one directly. A kelvic...that was what such people were called. He soaked in the information the woman offered.

“I had heard of men turning to animals before, but I had never met one such as you until now. Thank you for explaining,” Anja told her.

When she spoke of Kynier being her mate, Anja raised an intrigued eyebrow. They were lovers? He had never heard the term ‘mate’ used between people, he supposed for one that was part animal such as her it was an understandable turn of phrase.

When Kelski asked about his old home, Anja closed his eyes to immerse himself in the memories. “You are a sea eagle, so you know the ocean no doubt. Imagine the ocean as you know it, but instead of water the ocean is made of grasses, and fields, and plains. You could stand in the middle of it and all around you as far as the eye can see there is nothing but grass and sky in every direction. That is the Sea of Grass where the drykas live. Our city is called Endrykas. It moves from season to season, and every building can be taken apart and moved. We usually don't stay in any one place for more than a few days at a time. Our families are made up of what are called pavilions, and each is run by a man who rules it, the Ankal. He, and his wives and his children and their wives and they people who live with them are what makes a pavilion.”

Anja chuckled as Kelski asked what a wife was. “Wives are lovers, but we are bound to each other more strongly than lovers are. It is a bit like mates for you, perhaps. Men live with their wives as their husband. They have children together. Ideally, they have stronger bonds than that of lovers.” Anja touched his chest above his heart and smiled sadly. A mark lay there underneath his clothes, the shadowy remains of Cheva’s mark and reminder that his loved one was gone. “Men in Endykas often have more than one wife, because life there is hard for men and many die. They have more wives so they can have more children. I only had Syla though. She has since left this world.”