[Sacred Arch Hotspring] Atop the Bridge [Rayque]

[Vizyous Aconitum]

When the animal that wore the cloak of a woman offered no mizas, Vizyous withdrew his hand, holding it close by him in defense. She was angered, her voice in a tone that yelled danger to his weaker, Symenestra body. Her circling form was followed closely by his amethyst gaze, arms remaining close by, torso turned ever so slightly to aid him if he needed to climb in retreat. A superior beast she may be at jumping, but she could not hold herself against a flat wall like he could. At least he was semi-unreachable.

"I have nothing against women," Vizyous finally said in response to her mocking words, not letting them settle in his mind. The Isur he'd encountered had so much of a superiority complex that he was almost used to being considered weak and inferior, "and I have no shame in admitting that I am weaker than you. But you are not a woman," His words weren't said in insult, rather in acknowledgement, "you're a creature that can take the form of a woman. Just as I'm a spider," a playful smile rested on his lips, "in the form of a man."

"You climb, I crawl," The words were deceptive flattery, "your pride bounds high, my pride must be suppressed, low. Your lucky to have a form other than your true self," His curved, black claws tapped against his leg, "my image is one of what I am, and the truth scares those that are ignorant."

He raised a brow at her, daring her to challenge that statement. Laced within his voice was the silent push of persuasion, his mind having thought out each word before speaking it. "Only those scared resort to violence, and you are not a creature of fear-- you are not me. So will you ease your anger, or will you damage your pride?"

[Rayque]

The aura about the strange man was not one of confidence. It seemed as though he were admitting that he was weaker than her, and Ray wondered if he was like this around others as well. It certainly would not be for the good of anyone to act submissive all of the time for they could be used by another very easily. He had said that he did not mind admitting that she was stronger than him, and that had caused a small grin upon the kelvic’s face. He continued to speak though, saying the words that she had heard so often. She was not a woman. Why not, for she looked like a woman? But he, like many others had picked up on the kelvic parts of her… her eyes, her teeth, her ability to climb. Ray was not ashamed of being a kelvic, in fact she flaunted it openly. It was only when the man had continued to say that like she was another creature, he was a spider. That is why he seemed strange… of course Rayque had known that the man was another race, but he reminded her of another animal, and now she realized which one. It was uncommon for Ray to feel alike to any other race besides her own, and recognizing that this man was like her in many ways made her hard exterior begin to crack. But he had gone on to say how she was lucky. She could take the form of either the leopard or a woman while this man was unable to do so. He was forced to remain in human form with some characteristics of the spider. He had gone even further to assume that her anger towards him was a result of misdirected fear. He was only partially right, for Rayque didn’t get scared often, but this man was something that she had never seen before and the unknown scared her more than she admitted. “Ease my anger?” her voice was lower and less mocking this time, “I could do that…” a small smile was given to the Symenestra. “Your race intrigues me, for I have never met another like you…” Rayque realized that when he was speaking of her, he used the word creature to describe her. Surely he knew that she was an animal with climbing abilities, but which one was unknown to many. It amused Ray that no one could figure out what animal she was however hard they tried. It was uncanny how she could openly display what she was, yet people were unable to figure out anything other than that she was a kelvic.

[Vizyous Aconitum]

Although it didn't show, Vizyous felt a wave of relief pass through him when her aggressive demeanor lessened as much as it could, her pale green eyes remaining predatory. He hadn't met many Kelvic's even in his merchant days, at least he hadn't gotten to truly talk to them other than to ask what they were looking for, but It seemed that most always had eyes that portrayed their inner animal, whether it be passive or alert.

His slim body slowly turned towards her, arms dropping to his sides in a show of lowering his defenses. Vizyous did not feel like having an angry animal trying to nip at his ankles whilst he dangled from a wall today, so he was very relieved. A smile came to his lips, looking as genuine as it could considering his lack of food, and the Symenestra began to move away from the wall of the mountain, further towards the center of the hotspring.

"Have you been to Kalea? We come from the underground city of Kalinor, surrounded by mountains." Vizyous scooped some of the warm water into his hands, then brought it up and ran his palms through his loose hair. "I come from Alvadas, though." The word came from his tongue naturally, a hint of anxiety tinting it. He truly missed the city of illusion, but perhaps it was better to take a break and get a fresh breath of reality.

[Rayque]

He had visibly relaxed… of course a non Kelvic would not have noticed but her finely tuned senses allowed her to feel his tension as though it was her own. The stressful moment had passed as Ray relaxed, but she never let her guard down completely. It had to do with her race, or so she believed. Ray didn’t find it possible to totally trust anyone especially a seemingly harmless stranger. This meant that she never drew close to anyone for if she didn’t trust anyone to talk to them much, then there was no way that she would be able to get to know them and then trust them further. He had moved back into the spring, making some more space between them. The water swelled around him as he entered the pool. It looked inviting, but Ray knew better than to release her guard and follow him. A cool breeze played around her slim form, blowing her long dark hair to the side. She was finally beginning to feel more relaxed, and she desperately wished she could shapeshift into her leopard form. She was able to defend herself better while in the form of an animal, and it also felt more at home. Ever since entering Syliras, Ray had been unable to be in her true form, and it was bothering her. The man had been asking her of a city, and having only traveled to a few cities, Ray had not been to the city that he mentioned. “No, I haven’t” her reply was soft, her mind still wandering, “but it sounds like a lovely city. I would love to travel there…” Mountains. He said the city had mountains. Ray loved nature in general, especially mountains. Being in high places comforted the Kelvic, and mountains combined nature and high places. It was like paradise for the leopard Kelvic.

[Vizyous Aconitum]

Vizyous relaxed further, managing to ignore the naturally distrusting eyes of the Kelvic. He sunk deeper into the relaxing waters of the hot spring until the surface reached his shoulders, moving more towards the edge. His skill at swimming was horrendous, his attempts looking more like an act of comedy rather than an effort to survive. Seeing the creature closer made her stare all the more intense but a little less harsh, her expression seeming to have brightened up a bit. "Kalinor is a city unlike any other," His arms curled over one another atop the grass that was slowly growing now that the snow had melted and the sun was becoming hotter, "it's entirely underground and within caves. The roads are made of silk, yet most places are inaccessible to those that aren't spiders because of either height or lack of light." Vizyous grinned, "And Alvadas is even more unique, created by Ionu, God of Illusion. The entire city layout and landscape changes daily, sometimes more than that." His smile faded, "It was enchanting, but I'm here in Syliras taking a break from illusion." As if he suddenly remembered that, he sunk even lower, his chin resting against his arms. The Symenestra seldom was able to enjoy hot springs, the convenient distance from the city only making it that much more enjoyable. Vizyous' gaze looked into the woman's own, "Why are you in Syliras? A city enclosed by walls is the last place I would have thought a Kelvic to be..."

[Rayque]

The city the strange man had described sounded wonderful… so interesting. Maybe one day Ray would get to travel there. She certainly hoped so. Rayque had traveled quite a bit in her mere two years, the road was always comforting for her. She was able to protect herself for the most part, and the wide open spaces along with being able to stay in her leopard form made it more fun than being in any city, especially an enclosed one. His question had pushed Ray to think about why she came to the city. Well, it was beautiful or so she had been told, but the main reason Ray had come here was for some time to let her guard down. Of course there were still thieves here, herself included but the Knights seemed to have most of the city under their control. Maybe it was dumb for her to consider Syliras a refuge, but nonetheless, that was why Ray was there. “You are right… Syliras is not a place most Kelvics love, but I had heard of its great beauty and uniqueness. The Syliran Knights also seemed to provide more protection than other cities had, and I was in need of some time to relax a bit.” Her voice remained low, so the man could hardly hear it, “Of course, I never let my guard down completely. For the most part, it was probably curiosity.”

[Vizyous Aconitum]

The low mummer that the Kelvic had made was noticed by Vizyous, but not heard clearly enough for him to decipher it. Her words before it were heard, though, and examined in slight surprise. "Syliras does provide shelter and safety, doesn't it?" Vizyous hadn't considered that the Knights that patrolled the city and the towering walls could provide comfort, to some; to him, it made him all too uncomfortable and anxious. "You must have been through some very harsh times." It was a simple observation, not made to pry nor invoke painful memories. "I hope that Syliras has given you the relaxation you've needed." Most souls born into this world experienced hardship, whether it was the hunter that had to bring food home to his family or the child that had to take on the burden of learning a trade so that they can support their family in the future. After a small break in conversation, Vizyous withdrew from the edge of the spring, backing further into the center of the warm waters. With innocent intentions and a shrug of his relatively broad shoulders, he invited the creature to join him. "If the hot spring would relax you further, you're welcome to join me."

[Rayque]

Had Syliras given her the relaxation she needed? While it was mostly safe, the city was not as Ray had expected, and she sort of missed the crime in other cities. It allowed her to blend in with most normal people… or at least the thieves of the city, whereas this city had no criminals, and it was hard for Ray to get any sort of money. She had gone without food for quite a few days now, but she was used to it. Her low weight allowed her to remain agile as well as alert… at least until she became too hungry. The stomach of any creature was a funny thing. The creature had invited Ray to join him in the inviting spring. Most of the time, Ray would refuse offers like this because the person speaking had inappropriate intentions, but the man seemed honest. His intentions were simply to get her to relax more. But Ray was not going to enter the pool with her clothes on, for they would get wet and it was her only pair of clothes for now. Of course a Kelvic should have no problem with taking his of her clothes off even in the presence of others, but Ray didn’t want to turn the man’s intentions negative. “Id love to, but I don’t wish to get my clothes wet…” Ray said to the man in the spring, “If you really want, I have ways of making this possible…” a sly smile crossed the Kelvic’s face but it was quickly gone, “But you don’t need to. The sunshine provides the warmth I need.” She took soft swift steps toward the rock wall. She found footholds and made her way up the structure. A shaft of sunlight struck her as she finally climbed up on top of the stone bridge. OOCAlright, so Ray will probably leave soon, like make her way off the bridge and go, so if you want to make the last post, go ahead. If you want me to make another post after yours, let me know!

[Vizyous Aconitum]

The woman's sly remark was playful but passed quickly, as quickly as her ascend up the rock wall. "Please yourself, if the sun is what you desire." As for the Symenestra, the warm waters of the Spring were rapidly making him drowsy, and it was likely he would also leave lest he fall into a watery death. When the woman had made it to the top and was looking down at him as if in a farewell, Vizyous nearly kept the amused but reluctant remark to himself... almost. "You are quite the good climber... perhaps even better than myself." His smile was joking yet respectful, a indirect way of telling her that she was correct in her previous argument. After those words left his lips, Vizyous drowned his head in dreamy, slightly troubled thoughts, head resting against the grass and body resting within the water. He was slightly asleep, just slightly, but remained conscious enough to later realize it was time he left the Spring for Syliras lest it become dark. OOCSubmitted for grading

[Templar]

Vizyous Aconitum: Climbing: 2 - Rhetorics: 3 - Observation: 4 Lore: - Rayque: Climbing: 3 - Observation: 2 - Rhetorics: 1 Lore: Symenestra (Basic) - Kalinor - Alvadas Additional notes: None, it was a good thread!