Closed A Glimpse Below

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

It wasn't often that Kamilla wandered beyond the Syka Commons after dark, especially after the experiences she'd had with the deathly Falyndar jungle surrounding them, but that did not mean it was taboo in her books. She'd been restless and decided to go check on her mountain, maybe come up with a few new ideas for her new home. She'd only been at it a few days, but had managed to carve out alot more than she'd expected each day, it seemed her reimancy was far better than even she'd thought.

Currently, she was making her way south, along the Cobbled Pathway towards her claim, after lighting the glass orb she'd found the season before. The orb in question was covered in stained glass details that resembled a hide of colorful feather-like pattern. Once lit, the glass orb, which was actually a lantern, would begin to hover a foot above her head, following her around until it was extinguished. It made her location easy enough to track in the more subtle light of the stars and moon above.

While the walk wasn't exactly a journey, it was a bit longer than a quick stroll and Kamilla had quickly grown bored, producing a small ball of glistening lavender res with ease and willing it to follow along. Since arriving in Syka, and even during the week long sailing trip it took to get there, she'd used her reimancy more times than her entire stay in Riverfall and it was becoming clear that she'd reached a whole new level of skill. Producing and commanding her res had almost become second nature to her, there was no forcing it to obey her, no bending it to her will as if it was a foreign object. It was a part of her, the energy contained within her actual soul and it responded to her desires just as easily as her own body would.

Coding her eyes for a moment, Kamilla pictured a bird in her mind's eye and when she opened her physical one's, the ball of res had taken the rough basic shape of a bird, flapping it's glistening lavender wings as it floated around her. This continued for the remainder of her walk towards her cave, the res taking on two more basic forms before she'd finally arrived, a tiny fish and then snake to be exact.

Only about halfway to her cave, Kamilla allowed the last of the produced res to dissipate, the mage now pondering on the gaping stone hole that was the entrance to what would soon be her home. She wondered if adding a door wouldn't be a better decision, though the actual plateau she'd be living on was still several feet above the ground entrance, so she decided against it.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh ocean air, Kamilla turned around to admire the view, stopping mid turn to do a double take.

Apparently, she'd been so absorbed in reshaping her res that she'd completely failed to notice what appeared to be several dilapidated structures residing in the nearby sands where the sea should have been. It seemed that the tide had pulled the ocean so far back that these ruins were now revealed, ruins Kamilla had never seen before.

With the mysterious appearance of the ruins, Kamilla's former plans were completely discarded in favor of exploring this new discovery. She made her way down towards the beach and along the sands in the direction of the curious dilapidated structure. How long had they been there? Who had built them? When had they been built? Why had they been claimed by the ocean? That and several more questions filled the mage's mind as she made her way through the sand. Her new magical black thigh high boots leaving no trace of her passage as she moved, though the hovering lantern made her easy enough to follow. The rest of her attire was nothing new, a black scarf wrapped around her bust and a dark purple skirt with a lace tail dancing behind it.

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[Jehu]

Jehu

He had cleaned up the pan, pot, plate and utensils from his dinner in a bucket of water, setting them to dry at the edge of the blanket spread out on the floor of his tent. The front walls, facing the sea, were rolled up, allowing the cool ocean breeze to move within the tent. The tide was out, further than usual, drawing less attention from the Chaktawe than when the sound of the crashing waves were closer. A fire still burned low in the sand outside of the tent, within a circle of stones he had gathered. A lantern glowed inside, set on a small stand made out of a chunk of trunk hewn from a young palm.

Having settled in for the evening, Jehu wore nothing but a loincloth and the necklace his mother had made. A clay cup of warm tea was clutched in one hand. The irritation at the back of his throat had grown worse in the past few days, and he hoped the tea would ease the nagging need he had to clear his throat. He suspected some tropical ailment was plaguing him, and he considered going to the Panacea soon to look into it.

But the persistent itch in his throat was not the most curious thing that had manifested recently. For all his attempts to distract himself, one thing continued to pop into his head, slip into his thoughts and wake him at night. Kamilla. Since they had worked together cleaning up after the storm, thoughts of her seemed to erupt continuously.

Now, he certainly had been in interested in women before. Kamilla was beautiful and mysterious, so it was not unusual for him to be intrigued by her. She even looked a bit like a woman of his people, except for the whites of her eyes. But it really wasn't like a boyish infatuation. Well, yes, he was attracted to her. But his interest in her had become like a Benshiran shepherd's goad, prodding him with memories and curiosities about the woman who always wore high boots. And the very details of her person were remembered distinctly, her words fixed in his mind, even her smell. And they wouldn't stop.

Though his fascination with Kamilla was profound, he was not the stalking type, or a skirt chaser. Jehu didn't follow her around surreptitiously, like a stalking cat, or leave a crate of papayas by her door like a love-sick paramour. Not that the urge wasn't there. And even with his curiosity about her home, he did not venture to see it...yet.

Jehu had managed to distract himself from Kamilla thoughts by mentally reciting traditional tribal tales, at least those that were not sacred. Only the Abayla may speak those tales. Picking up his heavier spear and a whetstone, Jehu stepped out to the fire ring, settled into the sand and began to methodically rub the stone over one edge of the cold iron spearhead. In small circular motions, against the angled head, he began to hone the weapon. He wondered if Kamilla had a weapon, like a spear or knife, he wondered if she would let him sharpen it for her. A small smile graced his lips as he imagined a leather-sheathed dagger bouncing off of the curve of her hip.He blinked hard, then focused on his weapon.

Then a flicker of light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A small glowing orb hovered over someone who was some distance away down the beach. They didn't hold the light, as if it were a lantern or torch, it simply hung there over them. Other things fluttered around her, too small to identify in the low light. Jehu's eyes narrowed, watching the strange sight. The objects moving around the person disappeared and they began walking again. He knew the gait of the woman, the sway of the hips, because he had found himself staring at it often. It was Kamilla. She was walking towards the sea. What was she doing? What was the weird light? His throat itched and he cleared it. The sight was strange, with the glowing sphere and darting lavender...things. Was he seeing things? Why would Kamilla be out walking alone at night, and what was the light that followed her?

He looked back at his tent, as if to question the nature of the tea that still sat in a cup on an low table. What was in that tea? Or was it his mind, the obsession for Kamilla growing to a point where his mind was playing tricks? He had to get closer. Setting the stone and spear down, he jogged across the darken sand a ways, until he drew closer to the apparition. It looked for all the world like the dark-haired seamstress. And she was walking down the beach exposed by the extremely low tide. Jehu could see shapes rising from the uncovered seabed, large an ominous shapes. And Kamilla was heading towards them.

Jehu marveled. What was she doing? Was it safe? She was alone and heading into the unknown. Danger lurked everywhere around Syka. He ran back to his tent, shoved his kopis into the belt of his loin cloth, grabbed his lantern and his pack, then snagged up his spear before running back down the beach. He stopped when he reached the place he had first seen her, thinking he could follow her boot prints in the sand. But there were none. A quick search found no footprints at all. But he knew he had seen her...right?

The hairs on the back of his neck raised as a unnatural sensation crept along his skin. His steps headed down in the direction he had seen Kamilla tread, towards the open seabed and the huge shadowy shapes. As the Chaktawe drew near, he discovered what he thought might be a huge rock or coral field were structures. Coral clung to the stoney buildings, but their symmentrical shape and window and door-like openings looked for all the world like the Riverfall.

They spread out until they disappeared in the darkened waters of the sea. Jehu stood., amazed at the sight, wondering how a city could end up underwater. Then the prodding returned. The desert man paused, taking a deep breath. It all seemed so unreal. The ghost-like Kamilla, the mysterious ruins, all under the eerie starlight.

There, the ball of light between the buildings ahead. Jehu picked his way down into the ruins, watching his step as he tried not to lose the woman in the labyrinth of uncovered streets.

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Edited: 7/22

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

Illuminated by the moon and stars above as well as the hovering Explorer's globe, Kamilla drew nearer to the ruins which felt vaguely familiar in their architecture. While the majority of what was visible, which seemed to be only the outskirts of a much larger expanse of ruins, was covered in seaweed from being submerged for what must have been at least a century, the party's that were visible contained a lot of smooth stone, curved arches and the remains of what seemed to be domed rooftops. It might have taken her a bit longer than it should have, but the ruins vaguely resembled some of Riverfall's architecture. She wondered how old the city of the akalaks actually was and whether all ancient cities used similar architecture. She was deeply intrigued by this discovery.

Finally arriving at the foot of the nearest building, or remains of, Kamilla carefully stepped onto the seaweed riddled front stop and through the tall archway. Upon entering, it was immediately apparent that A LOT of detailed work had gone into the building, it's interior filled with intricate patterning which had been carved into the stone of the inner arches. The details seemed as if they'd continued onto the high ceilings, but there was none to speak of, instead the seaweed and coral rubble of what was once the roof, created a pile on the floor.

There were other details within room as well, but they had long since degraded beyond recognition. Kamilla saw a silhouette against one of the walls that resembled a table, only distinguishable from the rest of the grimy wall in that it was slightly lighter. "What on Mizahar could cause an entire city to sink beneath the sea?" Of course, there was always the possibility that the city was built beneath the sea to begin with, but that seemed unlikely in that most of the furniture had seemingly rotted away to nothing. She had heard rumours of sea dwelling people, people that, unlike the svefra, lived beneath the waves, but she doubted such people would have conventional homes. Things like the dilapidated staircase in the corner of the room seemed pointless for people that could simply swim upwards, but then she was no expert on aquatic living.

Having run out of things to observe in the large first room, Kamilla made her way deeper into the remains of the ancient building, through a smaller arched doorway than the first, though it was still far too high to pose a problem to someone of her height. Unfortunately, the next few rooms were very similar to the first in both architecture and a lack of points of interests, and so, Kamilla made her way out of the first of the buildings and into a second, this one a lot closer to the sea, the tips of the tide barely managing to reach around the structures edges.

Upon entering, Kamilla noted the ankle high waters that covered the floor of the second building, but it was far from enough to deter the curious mage as she took a few steps. She'd been expecting to feel the cold of the water on her feet but it seemed her new boots were waterproof too. How convenient. It did look to her as if the tide was beginning to rise again, she wondered how much time would be left before the ocean claimed the ruins once more.

Delving deeper into this second house, Kamilla found a second room with its dome shaped roof still mostly intact, which would have left the room in complete darkness were it not for the lantern that followed her around, but even it's light wasn't enough to fully illuminate the room from where she stood in the doorway. A quick scan of the room revealed nothing of interest except something that resembled a wooden crate in the far corner of the room. While such a discovery normally wouldn't earn a second thought from the mage, it was the condition of the mysterious crate that had her intrigued. From what she could see it looked as if it was brand new, something that could have been possible.

It took Kamilla only a second to be overwhelmed by her curiosity as she took a hastened step into the dark room and towards the crate, a loud gasp of shock instantly escaping her lips as the floor she'd expected to meet with was revealed to be missing in action, her heart practically seizing in her chest as she was enveloped by the cool waters.

She couldn't swim. She was thrashing in panic and terror, eyes wide open as she tried to scream but heard the muffled sounds of her voice as bubbles rushed from her mouth. Kicking and clawing desperately as she began to involuntarily swallow the salty water, causing her throat to burn, though her eyes were first to that party, she could see the bright light or her lantern hovering over the surface of the water, just out of arm's reach.

That was up. She needed air and that was the way to go. Immediately her already panicked kicking and clawing continued, but this time with a goal and direction in mind. It felt as if it were working and although she seemed to be making some progress, it was very evident that for every foot she managed to claw herself upwards, she would sink another two down. Already her lungs burned and stung at the same time, begging for air. Was she going to drown here? No one would find her here, nor her body once the tide returned. She'd be food for the fish. The thoughts filled her struggling heart with terror as she used her last hints of energy to claw even more intensely, her hand hitting something solid nearby. It hurt, a lot, but it was something slippery enough to grip on, another was felt beneath her foot and with the combined support of both, Kamilla put all her remaining strength into forcing herself upwards in hopes of breaking the surface and gasping for air, but only her desperately reaching hand managed to break the surface as her energy ran dry and she began to sink once more, her arm slowly disappearing beneath the surface inch by inch while the mage could do nothing but watch.

All her power and she'd been bested by a room filled with water. The magnificent Kamilla Circe Gordon. Darkness, not from her surroundings but from her own mind began to seep into her vision as her body convulsed for air. Was this really it?

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[Jehu]

Jehu

The ruins were exactly that. The structures were in various states of collapse, while coral crusted many of the stony hulks, sea plants that had nestled in a myriad of cracks and crevices lay limp and glistening as they hang exposed to the surface. Jehu could not fathom the age of the place, but the eerie skeleton of some long lost civilization seemed a fitting scene for the surreal appearance of the mysterious Kamilla.

Jehu lowered his own lantern so that it did not blind him to the glow of the floating light that had accompanied the woman. His bared feet found the occasional flagstone that lifted from the exposed sea bed, ancient walkways scattered with the broken shells that litter the ocean floor. Still no boot prints marked the sand, while his own feet left distinct impressions. His spear prodded at loose stone blocks and curious objects that were no longer identifiable. The place truly was a skeleton, with little proof of any inhabitants. Treasure Point was named for the occasional artifact that washed upon its shores. Jehu pondered whether the tiny glimpse of the lost city was the source of that treasure, having most of its left-behinds washed away or disintegrated long ago.

Rounding the corner of a building, the corner being all the still stood of it, Jehu caught the glimpse of light within the arched opening of a roofless structure. He made his way towards it. His spear lowered before him defensively. Not that he feared Kamilla in any way, far from it. But if it was indeed some spirit or apparition that had taken the form of the woman, it could be dangerous. Then again, what good is a spear against a spirit?

Creeping into the first chamber, there was again no evidence of recent visitors. Out of that one and into the next he went, following the string of chambers. Nothing, though he knew he saw the light globe enter. The last room opened up to an exit. Another gaping dark exit opened to a building, and his exploration continued within. He as losing heart, wondering if he had lost Kamilla, when the distnat sound of a gasp and splashing reached his hears. There was a faint glow coming from a doorway to an adjacent room. The sound of splashing water, quickly drew the Chaktawe's attention and prickled his skin. Into the next chamber he slipped, spear jutting ahead and lantern held up.

The glowing sphere hovered beneath a domed roof. Below it a hole in the flooring, dark water rippling where the floor had decayed. Then, a hand broke the surface of the water. A woman's hand, before it sunk into the water. "No!" Jehu reacted in desperation. The spear was flung aside, the lantern dropped to the water, the oil spilling out to create a momentary blue flamed slick before extinguishing. The Chaktawe leaped, diving across the sandy floor and plunging his hand into the dark water, feeling for the woman. Nothing. He slid further over the edge, until he was at risk of slipping into the water himself.

There. Cold, soft, still, the hand. He grabbed her wrist.

Jehu heaved on it, scrambling to pull himself back, dragging the body up until he could get his other arm under her. Kamilla was lifted out of the water. With his hands under her arms, Jehu pulled Kamilla out of the hole and laid her on her side, hoping she could expel the water that had surely entered her lungs. He watched to see if her chest rose and fell with breath, and pressed a finger to the slender column of her neck to feel for the thrum of a pulse.

"No, no, no...come on Kam." He pleaded in a hoarse whisper, feeling a subtle throb from her artery, but he saw no sign of breathing. Then Jehu remembered. He had seen a child almost drown at the port in Riverfall. His father had breathed into the child's mouth, as if to breathe his own breath into the boy. Nearly panicked, Jehu laid Kamilla again on her back and gently lowered her jaw with his hand to open her mouth. Then he leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers, sealing his lips over the woman's. Then he breathed into her mouth. He saw her chest rise and fall, but it did not repeat on its own. He tried again and again, begging in his mind to Dira not to take Kamilla that night.

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[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

As the darkness filled the last bits of her vision, the tiny glow of the Explorer's Globe lingering as the final speck of light in her mind before finally vanishing as well, Kamilla began to give in to the numbness creeping around her. The inevitable. Just as things went blank and everything vanished she felt, something, she had no idea what it was other than the opposite of nothing .

Suddenly, the comforting cool grip of the water was replaced by a far more stinging cold, not that she could see the cause, nothing but darkness remained but somewhere in the distance she could hear a nagging voice. The voice was vaguely familiar, though it sounded too far away for her to properly decipher. Was it saying her name? The familiar ring of her own name, something she could recognise without even hearing the consonants involve. Someone was calling her name.

Seated in the centre of the darkness Kamilla pondered the likelihood that the voice wasn't her imagination. She'd made her way into ruins in the dark of night, without letting anyone know, the tide was already rising to reclaim the ruins as it's own. It was highly unlikely that anyone would find her here. What was worse, would anyone even ask after her when she was gone? Finn perhaps, maybe Sophia. There was Jehu too, she supposed, though she doubted any of them would mount a search for her. To Syka she was just a missing seamstress, nothing to fuss about.

Despite her insistence on being lost to the world and it's inhabitants, Kamilla could feel something just beyond the darkness, something that sounded closer this time. She pressed against the darkness curiously, finding it to be a lot smaller than it seemed and then with another spark of will, the darkness shattered with a loud gasp and the Explorer's Globe and it's light came back into view.

Forcing herself up into a seated position, Kamilla coughed and gasped for air, trying to breath in and expel the remaining water from her lungs simultaneously. It was so cold and her lungs and throat felt raw from the combination of saltwater and cold air. She almost regretted waking up, but she had and she could feel spots of warmth on her skin, realising it was someone else. The person who'd been calling her name?

Still coughing and gasping for knife like breaths of air, Kamilla did her best to try and discern who it was that had saved her, though her vision was blurry at best, seeing only a large silhouette of what could only be a man, his features hidden in shadow as the Explorer's Globe hovered above. Finn, perhsps? A few more ticks and several forceful blinks and everything began to grow clearer. It was…

"Jehu?"

The weak and horse sound of her own voice surprised her, but not nearly as much as the form of the large Chaktawe, his inky black eyes peering down at her with a look of concern, or at least she assumed they were looking at her. "How did you…" she began, trying to push herself further upward into a seated position and noticing soft splashes, remembering the floor was covered in ankle high waters as and shiver ran down her spine.

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[Jehu]

Jehu

The event leading up to that moment had seemed surreal. The ghostly appearance of Kamilla walking into the sea with her mystic light, the hulking shards of a lost city revealed under the moonlight. Jehu had more than once during his pursuit of the woman through the dead ruins wondered if he were dreaming. If some spirit knew his fascination with the seamstress and lured him to his death.

But reality had slammed into him when he saw the hand sink below the water. A very real person in very real danger. He acted without thinking, reaching desperately for that hand. knowing only life and death hung over that unseen hole like an vulture.

But pulling the body from the hole was not enough. it needed life. Kamilla lay across his lap, the Chaktawe trying vainly to rid her lungs of water while putting breath into them. Jehu thought he had witnessed his greatest fear steal a life out from under him. For a man of the desert, to die by drowning was almost unfathomable. Until recently, Jehu had not seen any amount of water large enough to envelope a person and smother them. The idea of being surrounded by water and having it fill your mouth and nose horrified him. Not knowing how to swim made it even worse. to think of it happening to Kamilla wrecked him.

She seemed perfect, even as she lay there soaked to her bones, her clothing drenched, her long dark hair stuck to her face. In the dim glow of her light, Kamilla was as pale as death, yet as beautiful as a porcelain doll. A profound sorrow seized Jehu, as if someone had taken a sacred story of his tribe and laced it with profanity and lies. Something amazing and beautiful was slipping from the world, and he tried desperately to keep a grasp on it. But he didn't know how, other than to breath into her. The persistent tickle, the one that always came when he thought of Kamilla, scraped at his throat, causing him to cough harshly.

Then the woman exploded into life. He leaned back as Kamilla sat up, splashing up the water they sat in as she sputtered and coughed, spewing water. Had some god touched her? Or let her go? The woman looked around in shock, the surprise and confusion. But the sound of his name on her lips was a welcomed as a morning bird's call.

"Shh... get your breath." Jehu encouraged Kamilla, shifting so that she could sit and pull herself together. He leaned forward to look at her, as if he could tell if she was alright or not. She didn't seem harmed, and it appeared as if color returned to her lips and flesh.

"I saw you walking down the beach, towards the sea. I was worried, so I came after you." His black gaze fixed on the dark eyes of the woman, finding the life returning to them. His gaze lifted to the half-toppled room around them. "Walking around in ruins by yourself is dangerous." He stated, only realizing after speaking how obvious his words were. "Are you alright?" Jehu asked, reaching to peel away the strands of thick, wet hair that clung to her cheeks.

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[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

"Shh… get your breath."

Sound advice from the handsome Chaktawe, considering she'd just almost died from lack thereof. She nodded, weak but noticeable, now focusing on calming her breathing as she looked up at her savior with large brown eyes, the fear of death continuing to linger in het heart and remind her that the situation had been very real? She was uncertain as to whether she should be thanking Dira for sparing her, or thanking Jehu for saving her. Considering he was currently right beside her, the latter seemed more appropriate.

"Normally I'd say that I can handle myself and to worry about yourself instead, though I wouldn't be here to say it if you hadn't been so… worrisome. Thank you, Jehu."

It grated her inside to have to thank another person for saving her. Since her arrival in Syka, her life has been endangered no less than four times, including the drowning, and all four of those times she had only survived thanks to the partial or total assistance from others. Roulette, Quzon, Ken and now Jehu. She was beginning to feel weak, weaker than she'd ever believed herself to be.

Returning to the present to find that while she'd drifted off into her thoughts, her eyes had been gazing into the inky black pools of her Chaktawe savior, Kamilla offered the man a weak smile, her breathing having finally calmed to a reasonable degree. She ran a still trembling hand over her face, clearing it of the wayward strands of dark hair that clung to her skin and pulling them backwards and out of the way. "I was trying to get that crate over there…" She began, pointing in the direction of the darker room, "But the uniform water level in this building fooled me into thinking that room was safe to enter. Stupid mistake."

With that Kamilla looked up to find her Explorer's Globe still hovering above them, placing a hand on the ground and attempting to push herself onto her feet, though it seemed as if all the thrashing about in the water had sapped most of her strength, making the usually simple task a bit more of a hassle. Eventually she did make it back onto her feet, with a little help, and was slowly making her way back towards the doorway of the room that had nearly claimed her life.l, the hovering lantern following from above.

"How long do you think before the tide reclaims this place?" She tried her best to fix her posture, as well as the tone of her voice, to weak to fully accomplish either.

Gripping the doorway firmly with one of her hands, Kamilla lifted her free hand, palm upwards and focused on her inner energy, her djed, guiding it towards her hand where it would begin to seep through her skin, floating upward to gather into a small ball. The process was noticeably slower than usual, to her at least, but it still took no longer than half a chime before a large glistening ball of lavender res had gathered.

Not bothering to gauge Jehu's reaction to the situation, not even considering it, Kamilla's free hand flipped over to point in the direction of the crate, the ball of res shooting forward, elongating as it slithered around the length of the crate before solidifying into stone on the inside while the outer layer remind lavender res. From there she willed her res to attract the stone, slowly dragging the crate across the room with surprising ease. It seemed to be floating, skirting across the water.

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[Jehu]

Jehu

Jehu gave Kamilla a moment to recover as she coughed up the last bit of seawater. He was breathing easier as well, now that Kam was conscious and alert. Jehu realized he had saved her, yet he felt no bravado in the deed, just a profound relief that she was safe. Still, the thought that magnificent woman was moments from death, from being gone forever, left a haunting twist in his stomach.

As his gaze lingered over Kam, Jehu could still feel her cold mouth against his lips. There had been nothing romantic about it, the Chaktawe had been trying to force air in her lungs, desperate to save Kam in anyway he could. But watching her lips part as she inhaled deeply, Jehu couldn't help but wonder again what they might feel like... He blinked to sweep away the image, ashamed. It was not a fitting thought when Kam had nearly drowned just a few chimes earlier.

Then the soaked woman's gaze turned to him, and the dark pools of her eyes captured his. While is own pulse was slowing after the excitement, it thudded a little harder under Kamilla's limpid glance. The scratch in his throat erupted again suddenly, forcing him to cough. When she was finally able to speak, Jehu clung to every word, eager to tax his grasp of Common. Not only to comprehend their meaning, but what they revealed about the woman.

Kamilla came across as the independent type, and her behavior reflected as much. Jehu had never seen her ask for help. And anyone who would venture alone through the night to explore such a mysterious location like the ruins was not lacking in confidence. Was that what he found so fascinating about her? Jehu never could pinpoint what drove his fixation with the dark-haired seamstress, it was like everything about her was intoxicating. The man swallowed and the scratching persisted, compelling him to clear his throat. A Chaktawe with a full water organ never suffered the ill-effects of dehydration, so why did his throat feel so parched? Jehu was somewhat naive, but not unintelligent, he had eventually realized the irritating phenomenon seemed to manifest when Kamilla was on his mind, or in his presence. He just didn't know why.

Kam rent the captivating gaze to peer at the far end of the room, where the unreachable crate sat in the shadows. The container did beg inspection, offering the temptation of secrets within. Jehu didn't comment on Kam's self-derision for he would have likely fallen into the same hole. Jehu grew up in the desert having never walked through water. He would not have imagined the low water would hide such a dangerous pit.

Rising to his feet, Jehu wrapped his hand around Kamilla's arm to help her stand as well. Then he fished through the water to find his spear. Lifting the lantern from the water, he found the wick wet and the oil emptied out. It would be of no use to him in further exploration, so he tied it to the pack he had hastily grabbed.

"Several bells, I would say. It was still going out when we came down here." Jehu replied to the question of the tide, glancing around the room. When his gaze swung back to Kamilla, she was leaning against the doorway, her hand extended out in a very curious manner. Jehu opened his mouth, only an incoherent syllable escaping before his tongue stilled. She was staring intently at her hand, and he wondered if she had injured it, and only now noticed it. But her face was not twisted in pain, it was stony with concentration.

The hovering globe offered enough light to witness the sight. Jehu watched, his jaw never quite shutting, as a substance was exuded from Kamilla's skin to hover over her palm. It took on a gleaming, pleasing color. There was no mistaking it, Kamilla was employing some form of magic. When her hand flipped and the strange sphere of material streaked towards the crated, Jehu's wide, black eyes darted with it. Then, to the Chaktawe's stark amazement, the box began to slide towards them, tugged by the mystical lavender creation.

Jehu gasped, realizing he had been holding his breath. His eyes returned to Kam, watching as she focused on her task. Magic. She knew magic. Jehu knew little about it. It was rare in his tribe, and those who practiced its arts kept its secrets to themselves. He remembered the scars on her hands, the ones that looked like the magic man in Anhatep.

Water splashed as Jehu took a step back, staring at Kamilla as if he didn't know her. It seemed he really didn't. He found the magical revelation both frightening and fascinating. What was the woman not capable of? Besides not falling in a hole, of course. Turning again to the chest, he watched it come within reach. But Jehu didn't make a move towards it, not with the strange substance embracing it.

"You..." Are amazing! "...are not just a seamstress, are you?" Jehu asked, his eyes still alight with amazement, a small smile touching the corner of his mouth.

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[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

Eager to investigate the pristine crate it's contents, Kamilla had forgotten that the pair of eyes belonging to the man who'd saved her only chimes ago were probably watching. She was too frazzled after her near death experiences to concentrate on hiding her magic as well. The crate came to a halt at her feet and the lavender res encircled the stone ring surrounding the crate before seeping into it and then transmuting the stone to air. Before she could kneel down to inspect her newest acquisition, Jehu's voice reached her ears, causing the mage to stiffen somewhat at having outed herself, but shrugging a moment later, the yowlwing was completely out of the bag now.

"No, I'm a terrible swimmer as well, csnt you tell?" She said while glancing over her exposed shoulder to look at him before turning to face him fully. It occurred to her how odd it was for her to make a joke, probably Roo's foolish personality rubbing off on her, but additionally, it occurred to her how odd it was to joke about a life threatening incident that had only just happened. A sigh. "You're right… I know a bit of reimancy." She waved her words off with a free hand, hoping that by under-selling her knowledge he wouldn't have too much of a reaction. The sudden feeling of vulnerability, that appeared as she awaited his reaction, made her uncomfortable, arms crossing over her chest defensively.

Honestly, she didn't know why she still worried about people discovering her identity as a mage. Of course she knew why she had the instinct, she'd grown up I'm Sunberth afterall, a city known for its hate of magic users, but she knew Syka to be a place accepting of magic. Perhaps it was just an old habit she couldn't kick, Sahova had taught her that secrecy is often necessary. It was certainly better to be known as the harmless seamstress than as a potential magic threat, which was how people tended to see her power.

Jehu, she hoped, would be more accepting and understanding, though only time would tell.

They were having a stand off now, at least in her mind. Jehu trying to come to a conclusion on how he felt about this newest discovery, she assumed, and Kamilla waiting to see whether his reaction would be negative, positive or just violent. She eyed the spear in his hand for the briefest of moments before her deep brown eyes found his inky black ones once more. Even in the moment if distress, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. She certainly hoped he didn't take it badly, she was growing fond of his company, moreso now that he had literally saved her life.

She was also just very curious about his race, culture and life's story. The itch in her throat reminded her that she still didn't know enough about the handsome Chaktawe.

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[Jehu]

Jehu

The display of supernatural power by the beautiful woman seemed even more mystical in the strange surroundings of the ancient ruins rising around them, lit by the single enchanted orb overhead. It caused the hair on jehu's neck to raise. Magic was not taboo among the tribes, Though their practice was very rare. Their history proved that it was not the magic that was judged, but the soul of those who wielded it. Malevolence was met with swift action, good-hearted use was met with reverence. Jehu's gaze darted to look Kam over. The woman, so pretty, shapely and possessive of such power, still dripping with water...she resembled the stories of the goddess Makutsi, the Rainbringer.

He wasn't afraid, not of Kamilla. She didn't suddenly begin to sparkle or shoot lightning from her fingers. She still looked like the drenched woman he had pulled from the water, her thin, sparse garments clinging to her lithe figure, her dark mane hanging in damp strands around her porcelain face. Her demeanor was no different than when they had worked together on the beach after the storm. She acted like the Kam he knew, even though she had nearly just died and employed curious arts in front of him. She in fact waved it off.

His companion called her magic reimancy. She could have called it kajagoogoo and Jehu wouldn't have know any different what it was. All he knew was that it was magic. He tried to reconcile the hidden power with the woman he thought he knew. Maybe that was it, maybe it was the magic that drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

But Kam didn't proceed to open the chest yet, though she had been through so much to obtain it. Her ensnaring dark gaze remained fixed on Jehu, an anticipating set to her feminine features. Though it seemed longer, only a breath passed between them. that tightness in his stomach grew stronger. It wasn't from fear, or uneasiness. But it was definitely because of Kam. The scratch in the throat persisted, but was ignored. Jehu heard that some feared people like her. Some cities killed people like her outright. Jehu banished the thought. Jehu only felt that visceral draw to her more fiercely. He stepped closer, lowering to his knees in the water next to her, yet never breaking the gaze.

"That was incredible, Kam. I would like to see more of that, sometime." Jehu finally spoke. His black orbs held her eyes a moment longer, then looked down to her hand. Slowly, gently, Jehu reached to take her wrist, coaxing her to turn her hand upward. The scar he thought he saw was prominent on Kam's palm. It looked exactly like the sand-shaper from Ahnatep. As if realizing what he had done. Jehu quickly released his hold on her and turned his attention to the crate, clearing his throat in a vain attempt to quell the scratching.

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