New Beginnings (Syndre)

[Nydryn]

Nydryn frowned and thought about what the man had said. It was true… she had helped this criminal escape, and she did not want to be in a sticky situation with the Black Sun. After just arriving in Ravok, the Black Sun certainly would not understand why she did what she did -helping the thief escape. She had concluded that the reason she had helped him was because he looked familiar, and any clue to her past was like buried treasure. She had been looking for so long for clues to her past, and here one was, right in front of her… or at least she thought. The man looked so familiar, and she could almost put a finger on where she had seen him before, but almost being able to isn’t good enough. After Nydryn’s parents had gone, she had learned to trust no one. She always avoided situations that required her to get emotionally attached whatsoever. So far, she had been successful, besides one circumstance. It was four years after her parents left, and she was naïve being only 15. She fell for a dark haired, dark eyed boy and he had stolen all her money and left her stranded on the street. She vowed for that never to happen again. Unfortunately, Nydryn was vaguely attracted to this man, and wondered if that was the reason she had not left yet. She briskly shook her head. She couldn’t ever get attached to a man again. If she did, who knows what she would lose this time. The money, weapons, bare necessities she had with her might be gone if she put down her guard for one second around this stranger. Nydryn’s bright blue eyes shone as she pulled back her hood and ran a hand through her blond hair. What she could see of the man’s face was twisted in pain and she knew a thief like him could deal with it for a few seconds more while she considered helping him or not. And since he was a thief, couldn’t he fix his own pain? Most thieves did not travel together, and surely the man had been hurt before. This made her wonder why he needed her help when he could probably take care of the pain himself. There was no way Nydryn trusted this man, but he truly seemed in pain. Having a soft spot for anyone in pain, she knelt beside the stranger, getting mud on her skirt. Even if the man could take care of himself, it was unlike her not to help a man in need. “First take your mask off,” She muttered her eyes still fiery, “And then tell me what I can do.”

[Syndre]

She had knelt before him and demanded something of

him now. She seemed a little braver than before and
he didn't like that, but she was still playing his
game. She was in close proximity now, this is what
he had planned on. Someone on their feet could prove
to be more dangerous than a person kneeling. Though
taking a knee didn't leave her defenseless, he
strongly believed that he was faster. Arrogance got
him into trouble more often than not, it was one of
his precarious attributes.

His left hand rose slowly upward and smooth fingertips

reached the back of his neck. He lightly tugged the
loose knot that kept his cloth mask secured upon his
face. The slow movement stalled just before the knot
could completely unravel. His piercing gaze was wider
than earlier, almost a cold stare instead of the false
wincing that he had portrayed.

"Are you sure that's what you want?...," his voice

betrayed the lack of serious injury. It was calm as
he spoke, no longer a pitiful whisper.

A mere second slipped by before the menacing rogue

burst into movement. The knot holding the thin mask against his
features came loose and his left arm whipped forward between
their kneeling bodies. The black fabric flashed across her untrusting
expression, sending an ebon ripple over her fierce gaze. The flutter
of darkness was swift and soft against her skin.

The speed his left appendage achieved was

simultaneously matched by his right, which struck
forward with the same velocity. A small trigger had
been silently released and his constricting gauntlet
extracted the length of a sharp stiletto. The sprung
blade slid easily between slightly separated fingers
and the incisive tip touched the hollow dip of her
throat, just above her collar bone.

"Shhhh...," he whispered immediately in that lowering tone,

wanting to reinstate some slight of calm after the chaotic
moment.

The tiny blade remained upon her slender throat as he

positioned himself slowly closer. His pleasing visage
in full view for the first time, just inches from her
own. His left glove had lowered to the side of his
kneeling leg and was now hurriedly tucking his mask
into one of his various pockets. His intense stare
never left it's hold upon her blue eyes, even as
the warmth of her breath came to touch his face.

[Nydryn]

The thief’s lies became clear as the painful element in his voice disappeared. It seemed as though she was frozen as the blade appeared and he held it at her throat. A faint flashback to the only other time she had partly trusted a man, and coincidently, the same thing had happened. She had been so surprised at the stranger’s movements that she hadn’t paused long enough to look at his face. Nydryn realized she shouldn’t have been surprised, having lived on the streets for so long, but she still was. The stranger had seemed different, but now she realized he wasn’t. He was like all other street scum. Her eyes blazed as she thought of how to get away. Remembering the dagger in her boot, she could only hope that his guard would relax long enough for her to grab it. She doubted it, him being a thief, but one had to stay optimistic. Nydryn breath became ragged. “What do you want from me?” her voice came out as a whisper. Could he want her money? Her bag? Or would he want to sell her to the numerous slave traders that occupied Ravok? She thought of life in slavery and her heart dropped, but she kept up the calm façade.

[Syndre]

The blade at her throat was held as practiced, with

the metal butt settled against his gloved palm and
the it's iron length lightly held between two fingers.
The edges were dull so that when the stiletto sprung
forth from a released coil, it wouldn't slice his hand.
He had to be very close to a person to use this little
trick, for the sharpened apex was only used for stabbing.

If he were to force his cupping palm upward in it's

current position, the needle-like tip would easily
slide thru her trachea and penetrate her esophagus. While
this wasn't exactly clean and quiet, it did prevent her
from crying out at the top of her lungs. Blood would
swiftly spill into her throat and mouth, ruining any chance
of screaming. The gurgling sound would be extremely
unpleasant, but it wouldn't alert anyone roaming outside
the dark alley.

After tucking his mask away, his free hand slipped upward

to the side of her head. Smooth leather touched soft skin
as his left thumb hooked underneath the slant of her jaw.
The rest of his fingers splayed out over the right side of
her face, covering the area from her ear to her temple.
This was another form of control aside from the stiletto
resting against her neck.

Pressure was applied by his thumb, pushing against her

jawbone and causing her head to tilt backward. The
uncomfortable guidance brought his azure pools slightly
down away from her fair visage to her now fully extended
throat. His strong stare followed the light hued path
of her neck down to where her skin rose with the protrusion
of her collar bone. A slow breath was taken and his
unmasked countenance moved closer, the faint stubble of
his cheek now felt against her own.

"You owe me your life... Nydryn of Ravok...," his whisper

slithered as if it were a snake, a warm sensation that
traveled from the curve of her cheek to her ear.

A wicked smile spread over his lips in a flash of amusement.

He had finally recognized her the exact moment he had
threatened her with his blade. Everything that had come
afterward was all a part of his selfish game. In truth, he
had been after her processions and Mizas, but now he was just
having a little bit of fun with an old friend. How long had
it been? How many years since he had laid eyes upon her?
Frightening her was definitely a situation that was called for,
or so the trickster thought.

The firm touch of his left hand eased against her features and

the needled tip of his black weapon no longer pressed against
her throat. He stayed close though, and the thin knife remained
between his gloved fingers incase she became violent. He didn't
know how she would react upon realizing that this dreadful
moment was acted out at the rogue's pleasure, and at her expense.
It would be fun having Nydryn back in the city.

[Nydryn]

Nydryn used this to her advantage. She now recognized the man as a childhood friend, Syndre but she would make him pay for the distress he made her go through. “Syndre!” Nydryn smiled broadly, then to Syndre’s surprise, wrapped her slim, pale arms around his neck. She could do so much damage from this position, but now wasn’t the time. She pulled her arms away and took a step back, staring up at his face. She hadn’t seen Syndre since she was 11. The day before her mother left was the last time she saw him. After that, Nydryn had left the city and hadn’t returned until today. She hadn’t talked to any of her friends, Syndre included, about her mother or her father and she was sure they made rumors to suffice for the lack of information. She took in his stunning blue eyes and looked at his build, and realized how much he had grown. He was much taller than her, and even with her new skills, Nydryn had no chance of winning a fight against this experienced thief. A soft breeze trickled through the buildings and moved Nydryn’s pale golden hair in front of her eyes. Suddenly, whipping out a hand so fast that Syndre could hardly see it, Nydryn hit Syndre’s cheek. Glaring at him she snarled, “You were playing with my fear as though it was a toy.” When he didn’t respond right away, she went on. “I have learned much since you saw me last,” She continued, “You wont find me as a little, weak, rich girl anymore.” Her eyes blazed blue fire once again. “You are so selfish” she hissed, her small hands curling into fists. Her dagger was in her hand in an instant, and she gripped the handle so hard her knuckles turned white. She didn’t move for she knew that he still had the bladed glove on his hand, and he would use it if he felt threatened. Smiling venomously, she took a deep breath and put her dagger back in her boot, turning away so her back was to him. She knew how much trouble she could get into by turning her back to an adept thief, but she didn’t care. He couldn’t see her face now, but her arms slightly trembled, revealing her true feelings. She truly had been terrified, but she didn’t want Syndre to know, for he would only tease her. She put her arms around herself and took slow, deliberate steps away from where Syndre was standing.

[Syndre]

A series of soft 'clicks' issued from his teethed gauntlet

as the black stiletto was carefully hidden within it's
spring loaded case. His eyes worked over the back of her
lithe figure and a mild frown crossed over his lips. She
must have really trusted him. Drawing a weapon on someone,
then offering them your back wasn't the wisest thing to do
in this corrupt city. Even though they had known each other
as children, it had been a long time since they had seen
each other. Nydryn was definitely playing with chance.

"You were better at taking jokes when you were younger...,"

his voice was low and his strapped boots brought him closer.
Closing the short distance between them, his observing
gaze moved over the golden strands of her short hair to the
slight tremble of her small shoulders. Her deliberate footfalls
took her toward the entrance of the alley, but his steps were
longer and a little quicker.

He was unapologetic, though one would have to understand how

this young man was brought up to comprehend his views on life.
The smooth slide of dark leather, like the creeping of a snake,
was felt against the curve of her shoulders as his gloved hands
tried to halt her slow steps. The side of his face still stung
from her swift slap he had received, and he had prepared himself
for another display of aggression in response to the touch.

"So... where are we headed?...," he asked as soon as his hands

had graced her form. The tone of his voice slightly changed, as
if what had just transpired had no relevance to the day's next
undertakings. He did not dwell of the past, even it the past was
just minutes ago.

Ever since he was young Syndre didn't have friends, only associates

that he worked with from time to time. Nydryn was perhaps the closest
thing to a friend the thief had experienced, and their friendship had
only been three years strong when they were children. It had been
many years since she had left Ravok, since she had left him, and he
was happy to see her again. He would of course tag along with her
whether she wanted him to or not. His curiosity was a swarm and would
be hard to break until he knew why she returned and what she planned
to do here now that she was back.

A span of seconds slipped by after resting his hands upon her. His

handsome visage had tilted down and to the right so that his ocean
colored eyes could examine any emotion that might be etched upon
her pale features. This was the moment where he was expecting some
type of retaliation to his brazen proximity. He had taken much
punishment from women throughout his days in Ravok, especially from
the ladies that occupied the House of Immortal Pleasures. There had
been a few occasions where he couldn't afford to pay for certain
services.

[Nydryn]

Nydryn heard Syndre’s footsteps behind her, but she paid no attention to them. She had only stopped when he reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder. She didn’t have it in her to respond harshly again, and when he asked where they were going, she frowned. “I am headed outside the city walls for the night,” she clarified, her stunning, determined, blue eyes staring into his, “And you are not.” The city, although beautiful, reminded her of why she loved traveling. Wide open spaces, tree branches above her, and starry skies. She loved nature, and found that amidst all her traveling, she still could not bring herself to sleep well while confined inside a city’s walls. Sleeping outside of Ravok would be a good chance for her to collect herself, and continue on the search for her siblings and parents. After finding out that the people who now lived in her old house knew nothing of her mother, Nydryn was considering traveling to another city. Thinking about it more, however, she decided that it would be best if she stayed for at least a few weeks to try and find out more about the current location of her family. A small voice inside of her told her to abandon the search, and to focus on the present. She knew that the voice was probably right, but she could not give up. She had been traveling to many cities, in search of somewhere she belonged when a letter came to her from her sister. The letter asked if Nydryn had seen their mother. Not replying, Nydryn set out to find her mother, knowing she might be dead, but still wanting to see her face one last time. After speaking to Syndre, Nydryn had continued walking, this time a bit faster, heading toward the entrance of the city. Her lungs breathed in the crisp, cool air as her feet padded steadily toward the entrance. She hoped that for his sake, Syndre hadn’t followed her, for her goals were not concrete at this time. She did want to find her mother, and she doubted Syndre wanted to tag along. She also wasn’t sure about having a thief along on the journey, especially one who seemed very comfortable with lying. Nydryn shifted the bag on her back as she waited for the ferry to take her back out of the city.

[Syndre]

His sleek hands slipped away from her shoulders, but his evil little

smile remained. This was truly a pleasure! Most of his childhood
could be easily hidden in the maze of his mind, but flashes of
memories involving Nydryn flooded his thoughts. The wickedness of his
smile faded into a more pleasant stretch of lips. Though this
encounter may not have been exactly to the woman's liking, she would
search the city for him, if not tomorrow then the next day. Nydryn
couldn't just come back into this city and not be stricken with
curiosity. Too many years had gone by and she would have questions
to ask, so he arrogantly believed.

"Not even the rats sleep outside these walls...," he murmured under

his breath as her petite form rounded the corner and disappeared
from sight.

A firm roll of his slender shoulders was given, shrugging off the

emptiness of the alley. Booted footfalls quietly took the rogue
toward the opposite end of the narrow walls. His black coated
hands rose outward as he walked, his arms stretching wide to
their full extent. His fingertips could almost touch the rough
stone texture of either wall, but he did not want to feel the
buildings beneath his leather. He wanted to feel the darkness that
suffocated the thin path, caress the shadows that swarmed here. If
the thief had any loyalty at all, it was to the Night's Mistress.

[indent]He had faith that his Goddess was always watching him, even more so
than the Ebonstryfe. There was always a spiritual sensation when he
used the shadows of the city to conceal himself. Was that her? Were
the shadows trying to speak to the young thief? It was a language he
had yet to comprehend, but that didn't mean he wasn't listening.
There would be a time when Akajia spoke to him, and he would know
secrets to many things. He was sure of this, for he thought highly
of himself and his faith was strong.

[Seth]

Nydryn: +1 Running XP +1 Stealth XP +1 Intimidation XP +1 Dagger XP Lores: Painful Memories, Remembering a Face, Realizing How Handsome Syn Is, How to Help the Hurt, Falling for Lies, Sticking up for Yourself. The Method behind my Madness : I gave you an XP in Running for running, of course. The point in Stealth was giving for hiding with Syn, as well as concealing your dagger. Intimidation was giving for being so "rawr!", and I gave you an extra point in Dagger because I was impressed at how well you played out keeping the dagger hidden. Syndre: +1 Whip XP +1 Stealth XP +1 Rhetoric XP +2 Dagger XP +1 Climbing XP +2 Acting XP +1 Persuasion XP Lores: Judging Distances, Tricking the Naive, Remembering a Face, Lying through your Teeth, How to put on an Act, How to take Advantage, Realizing how Pretty Nyd Is. The Method behind my Madness : Goodness. I don't know if you make a point to do it, but you always manage to touch just enough on quite a few of your main skills. You got a point in everything I felt you used just enough, which usually entailed a paragraph or so. I gave you an extra point in your Dagger because you described the act of holding her hostage excellently, and an extra point in Acting because you performed your sneaky/tricky acting quite well. I was impressed. You two work great together, and I expect to see more stuff with you guys. I really enjoy reading as your friendship ( ) develops.