Location [Wind Reach] The Sanikas Gates

[Teros Staff Vizerian]

(5th of Summer, 511 AV)

He had been walking for days with the caravan, and early the previous day he had decided to make his way up to city by himself, not much liking the company of the merchants anyway. It had been a costly travel, 80 something gold mizas, but it could have been a lot more, and would have had he not done a little work for them every now and again, using his meager blacksmithing skills, and his slight prowess with reimancy. Still, despite his depleted funds, he was thankful to Izurden that it wasn't much more, and that he was actually able to make this trip he had been so set on making. If half of the stories about what the people here where capable of creating where true, then it would be a trip that was worth the money he had invested and hopefully he would be able to leave brimming with knowledge gained. Even besides the knowledge he wanted to gain here, he also had hopes of finding work here, or risk starving, but had no knowledge of how the city worked or what his prospects of getting something in the way of a job.

Stuffing his hand into his pocket he found them remarkably devoid of coin and made a note to remember that when deciding in the future of what kind of work he wished to do, and knew he couldn't be too picky. It would be quite the adjustment already for him to be in the city, and so far away from his fellow Isur, and his xenophobia wouldn't help things in that regard. If the front gates where any sign of what might lay inside, simple but serving a purpose, then he might begrudgingly appreciate the tenant's that dwelled within, for at least they had the most basic sense around them. Though even as he got to level with the chain that possessed an ornate glass handle on it, he still saw no sign of a guard or any way that would serve as a entrance to the city that was supposedly nearby. Perhaps the guards are hidden and waiting to strike me down if I pull that bell he mused as he studied it, and lifted it up into his palm, and ran his fingers along its smooth surface. It truly was a fantastic piece of craftsmanship, and privately, even from himself he congratulated the maker of the handle, and wondered if he might learn the art of glassblowing from the wizened people of the city.

Seeing no better alternative than pulling on the chain and at last deciding pulling it wasn't going to kill him, he wrapped his fingers around the delicate looking glass, and pulled causing a ring of many bells in its wake, and he stepped backwards scratching his ear with his forefinger, finding the close proximity to the loud noise quite annoying, but quickly shook himself of such negative feelings. He was on their turf right now, and it wouldn't do to already become irate and make enemies in a city he had only just gotten to. Even as he scratched his hear, he looked over his shoulder and motioned for his pony to come to where he stood before looking back in front of him, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for something, anything to occur.

[Risa Moontide]

(2nd of Summer, 511 AV)

Risa looked far below at the mountainous path from Thunder Bay. The route had been long, she wasn't used to walking this much. Fala rested on her shoulder, preening his feathers. It was still somewhat warm up here, but it still surprised her to see the small patches of snow nestled in valleys on the way up.

Her legs ached more than she thought they would, and she regretted her choice to wear such a long skirt as it swayed uncomfortable with each step. Her hands were also adorned with several rings, which did little to help her ever time she had fallen.

Risa looked back as she arrived at the gates. The stone structure was... interesting... but she immediately noticed the colorful bauble at the end of the chain. She approached the dark entrance and looked at the chain for a bit, tapping it so it would swing back and forth in the daylight. The glass fragmented the light into a sparkled stream down the hall.

Risa smiled to herself and stated to walk into the city. Fala flew off her shoulder now and grabbed the handle, flapping down until it rang out. Risa stopped and smiled at the sudden music. "This place is great!" she said aloud, her voice echoing behind her.

[Rista]

44th of Summer, 511 AV

The sun was setting. At this altitude the wind felt cool even during the hottest of the summer days, and when the warming rays of the sun disappeared it quickly changed from pleasantly mild to chilly. Rista suppressed a small shudder and wrapped her arms around the bare waist, more to keep her hands from shaking than to stay warm. She was used to the cold, she had lived in Wind Reach all her life and the weather right now was nice and warm compared to the harsh winters. The rock beneath her feet still gave off a faint warmth as she walked, after enduring the relentless sunshine for the entire day. No, it wasn't the weather that made her limbs weak, but rather tiredness. Like all the other Yasi she had spent all of the afternoon working, this time in the stables outside the Gate. It was hard and tiring work, but she enjoyed it, probably more than some of the other children her age. While others liked weaving or making pottery, Rista took every chance she could get to be near animals of any kind. She preferred birds of course, from mischievous magpies to the fierce hawks and the oh so magnificent Wind Eagles, but she liked horses too. And dogs, frogs, all manners of insects... Everything that moved, more or less. They were cute and charming, and unlike the humans around her they didn't demand impossible things from her. Horses never asked about her unusually dark skin, and a sheep would never think that completely black eyes were creepy or unusual. At least her hair was somewhat normal, dark with red streaks that clearly stated that she actually belonged in the city.

As the shadows grew longer the young girl picked up her pace on the way to the Gate. The sound of footfalls was faint, only the wind and her own breath could be heard as she stepped out onto the road just ahead of the giant doorway. The short girl pulled a red- and black braid away from her face and grimaced faintly as a smell of horse and manure reached her nose. She needed a bath. Her clothes and hair reeked of stable and she suspected that she smelled of sweat too. The idea of sinking herself into a hot bath to soak and rest her aching limbs was wonderful, and she didn't hesitate to scurry up the steps to the large hallway. She had to push herself slightly up on her toes to reach the chain that would draw the attention of the gatekeeper; she did it without thinking. She had walked back and forth between the stables and the Warrens since she was old enough to be of any use. It still annoyed her that she wasn't taller, but right now she had other things on her mind. When the sound of chiming bells began to spread, Rista allowed herself to sink back onto the heels of her flat leather sandals and shifted her weight impatiently from one leg to the other. Hopefully the old man would hurry up. She was hungry too, and it was almost time to eat...

[Flicker]

Risa— “Indeed it is, little seafarer, more than you know,” a voice quieted in long-learned patience rolled from the shadows of the gate in fluent Fravala upon the resting of the harmonious bells. An elderly man, blue eyes swelling with the depths of the ocean, peeked from his alcove before stepping out. “You haven’t got any trade goods,” he continued in Common, taking a sip of from a steaming cup and sizing the girl up as accurately as if he’d used a plum line. “So you’d best be heading up to the Valintar to see about your caste so you can discover the rest of the wonders.” The Svefra weren’t terribly common, most stayed at the water in Thunder Bay, but they were welcome in the city for their habitually abbreviated stays. Most Inarta found the seafarers an inexhaustible source of fascinating stories; a distinct difference in how they treated and viewed their land-bound visitors. Val turned toward an amplification device in the wall and gave a yell. With one last inviting smile, the gatekeeper motioned the girl on through the slowly opening gates and returned to his tea pot. Rista— Immune to the jittering of young Inarta, Val slowly emerged from his warm alcove and eyed the stinky girl. She stood out in the sea of hard-worked red-maned youth scurrying underfoot, and the elder took a long chime-consuming look at the girl. “When are you going to come visit me for lessons in your native tongue, Hidden-Eye?” he asked in Tawna and made no move to have the gates opened. As he waited for an answer, prepared to do so all night long, he let the fruity scent of his rejuvenating tea tickle his taste buds and tease his olfactory sense. Mn, he had dinner being delivered as they spoke. And a nice warm fire waiting just inside his alcove. Someone here was ill prepared for this discussion. Maybe the girl should have taken the hint all those times he’d told her to stop by for lessons.

[Rista]

It was about time. Rista gave the old man a smile and took a couple of hopeful steps closer, but quickly slowed down and stopped as he showed no signs of wanting to let her through. She blinked as he addressed her in a foreign tongue, but didn't look surprised. Rather, the way she pulled her shoulders up and avoided to look at the man hinted that she was familiar with both the question and the scrutinizing stare. The girl pressed her lips together and got a stubborn look on her face. While she had no idea what he had said more exactly, she knew what he wanted more than well, but she wasn't very keen on giving in to it; so far she had managed to slip away from the lessons. It didn't look like it would be possible this time. She sighed and tried to guess what he had said; it was formed as a question, so it wasn't all that hard.

"I don't see why I have to know any language other than Common and my own" she replied in Nari and finally looked at Val, reluctantly and decidedly grumpy. She never liked the reminder that she had a heritage other than the Inartan one, and she had no intentions on embracing it; everything she wanted was right here, just on the other side of those doors. Including supper. "Wind Eagles speek Nari, Inarta speek Nari. I love the Eagles. I am Inarta. What else could I possibly need?" It wasn't really meant as a question, but the girl had a feeling that she just might get an answer to it anyway. She bit back a sigh and made an attempt to hide how impatient she was feeling, but failed quite remarkably.

[Flicker]

He obligingly answered the question in Common and with a satisfied smirk on his aged face.

“To know your own tongue, Hidden-Eye.”

Val eyed the sun in the sky, knowing exactly why the kid wanted to get inside. Meal times were strict for Inarta her age and if she missed it she didn’t get dinner. Ah. A new tactic occurred to the experienced man.

“What are they feeding you these days?” He already knew but waited for her answer anyway. The Yasi got what amounted to scraps from the Endal and Avora tables. “Have you ever seen the meals they feed Endals? Yes? Well, have you ever seen the meals they feed exalted retired Endals? No? Of course not. There’s usually enough to feed myself plus three.”

He allowed that to sink in, the fresh, warm rolls, the desert pastries, the cuts of steaming, juicy meat, the plethora of vegetables.

“If you show up for lessons I’ll not only share my dinner with you but allow you into the city whenever you need. If you don’t show up…” Val let the threat trail off with a significant look at the quickly setting sun.

[Rista]

The grimace was disgusted and a bit annoyed. Had he not been listening? Nari was her own tongue, and she knew Common well enough; this time she understood what he was saying perfectly well. The girl opened her mouth to object, but was interrupted and blinked at the sudden change of subject. Rista closed her mouth again and nodded suspiciously at the first question, then shook her head at the second and pinned the old mans face as he grew silent again. Her imagination began to work overtime, she could well enough picture the things he so skillfully teased her with. Rista felt her mouth began to water and swallowed hard, then flinched as her stomach gave off a faint rumbling sound. Blackmail. This was pure blackmailing, and she was sorely tempted to...

"No!" She interrupted her own trail of thought and folded the arms tightly over the chest. Stubborn as a mule, hard-headed and.. "You're trying to bribe me" she accused and stared at the man with a frown, displeased with her own weakness. As if a promise of food could make her give in! She was Inarta, she wanted to be Inarta. Even if she really did need to learn Tawna she didn't want to. It felt like she would betray herself and all her efforts in becoming a true part of this people if she admitted that she was a half. It was something she had fought so long for people to forget, even though they just had to look at her to see that it wasn't true. And now this old man wanted to destroy that; it was how she felt. The girl lifted her chin in a decidedly stubborn way and took a demonstrative step back; he would have to order her to come if he wanted her to learn, and even then she wouldn't do it willingly. Unwilling students didn't learn well...

"I have gone without a meal before" she said in Nari and placed her feet in a comfortable way, preparing herself to wait as long as it was necessary. "I think I can manage another night on an empty stomach. Unless you're going to throw me out of Wind Reach for not learning a language I don't need?" A single thin eyebrow was raised as she looked at him, a hint that she thought he was unfair and silly and would deal with it in the same way. It was slowly getting colder, but the young girl ignored the chill and focused her attention on Val; it was a battle of wills and she was at a disadvantage, what with her youth, tired state and hunger. She wasn't about to give in anytime soon though; Rista bit back a longing sigh as the though of dinner passed through her mind. Mushrooms and warm bread...

[Alstroemeria]

32nd Day of Summer Alstroemeria made her way to gates, she saw the guards. She gave them a simple smile and wave as she made her way past the gates. "Good Evening to you all." She looked back to make sure they weren't trying to stop her for anything. She looked down, returning her gaze back to the front of her. She began to walk towards her cottage, it was a long way ahead but she was willing to do it. She missed home, family, everything! But honestly, she had her own problems to deal with... As flustered as she was, she needed to get herself together before she actually lost her mind. Making friends was another thing she had to do, but that was the last thing on her list. The first thing though was getting a job, which she did. Apparently she is going to be working in The Enclave. This pleased her foster family a lot and herself so she couldn't wait. She had to pull her wait like any other person in this city, although she wished that she wasn't brought up as a free-will type of person. Her parents tried to give her the most normal life she possibly could have had. Only, the thing was when she lived life it was somewhat like living a fake life. Nothing was actually hers, in terms of family. She wished she new her real family, but it'd probably take a few months or a year to figure out mysteries such as this one. Suddenly one girl bumped into her, she wore a black cloak, her face completley covered. Alstroemeria fell straight to the floor, following through into one of her flashbacks. It was as if she were a dog on the virge of death because her right hand was twitching as her left hand tapped against the concrete. Her pupils were no longer visible, they must have turned to the inside of her head, or something. The woman realized she wasn't even breathing, but her heartbeat raced like a rabbit's. In Alstroemeria's mind she saw the man in the black cloak in her room again, he kept himself in a dark corner just staring at her. He brought himself closer to her, falling onto her bed giving her a passionate kiss. What she couldn't believe though is that she was kissing him back with pleasure. What was she doing? This couldn't possibly be real, did the man really watch her in her sleep. Before he leaves he kisses her, and does she enjoy it? There were so many questions, but she had enough to deal with for one night. She had a long travel ahead of her, by now her pupils were back to normal. She had drawn a crowd, but like any other person in her position. She had to just get up and walk away, she was completely fine... Therefore she just had to show she was okay, there was nothing to worry about. On another note make sure no one followed her back home.

[Davlamin]

33nd Day of Summer

The sound of the hoofs of a handsome black horse got the attention of a few poeple as the guards noticed the presence of a Nightwalker.The rare horse was always like some kind of attraction for those who love animals.But the beautiful creature didn't take the look of all poeple who was passing by.Someone was leading him, more like a friend then a master.The man was looking very strange and mysterious with his clothes and specially his beard.Wearing nothing but a long orange sheet to cover the half of his chest, he was looking more like some kind poor man.Judging by the two red tatto dots on his forhead as one larger than the other, he was a cleary a Shinya monk.One with pretty well respected rank according to those who knew the rakning system of Shinya.

Just the way he was walking, the sparks in his eyes and his strong body was warning every body that this was a man that you don't want to come for you from the other side of the street.Many pepople was steping back to make him enough space to walk wihtout pimping into someone.It's like they all knew that he was someone who earned his right to walk as free man among them.However he was totally use to it and now he wa sjust walking as he was leading his horse to the gate.

The guards swalloed hard as they saw him.He looked them right in the eyes as the nodded and chills ran down they necks. "Good day noble guards of Wind Reach!" when they heard his vocie they both greeted him and nodded smiling wide at him as it was awkward for them to speak with him.Maybe because many stories about the fighting skils of Shinya.Or maybe because he was a very magnificent man.Either way they both wanted to stay a few steps away from him.

While he was entering inside the gate he was awlays let go front of the others.Soon he went on the other side as the sun still was high in the sky.The other two guards inside the actual city reacted almost the same way as their work mates.All staying way from him and his horse.But he walked closer to them.One of them however almsot chocked when he approached them. "Shit!He is coming!Act normal!" The \n he nodded and barely smiled at him.

"Hello protectors of Wind Reach!" He looked each one of them in the eyes sepered. "Which one of you may point me to where I can find the Gatekeeper?"

[Flicker]

Rista That smirk, the one that hinted at his greater knowledge, grew as she accused him of bribing. Ah, the young. The young and the dumb. Rista could be the poster child for both. Not her fault though, the Inarta on a whole were rather short sighted. “Lass.” Oh yeah, that was patronizing. “You really should decide whether you want to be dumb as a box of rocks or worthy of being called Inarta.” That was stretching it, but he only winced on the inside. She was doing very well at being a head-in-the-sand Inarta at the moment. “Good catch on the bribery, very honorable of you to deflect it, but you’re willing to go hungry, perform poorly tomorrow due to hunger and lack of sleep, and draw the ire of an Elder of Skyinarta all to remain ignorant of your own race?” Val drew tall, all the authority, dignity, and ferocity he commanded as a young Eagle Rider returning but tempered with the patience of education and age. “Inarta take their gifts and make the most of them. We scramble to eek every advantage out of our resources to survive. You turn your back on what you’ve been offered, as one who is talented with the glass or one who can speak with any Eagle were to do if they chose another profession. Is that what you will do? I’ve heard you’re good outdoors, at hunting, are you going to let us starve when I tell you the Chaktawe are exceptional in the wilderness? Just because you have some notion that to do any less would make you different?” Val’s blue eyes sparked, a hint of fire returned to his white washed locks and an Eagle cried overhead. “You offer us an advantage in bartering with the Chaktawe and turn your back on it. If that’s the kind of thing you think is useless, there’s no place for you in our city.” No, that our did not include Rista. "However, if you have even an inkling of inclination to help your people with any and all gifts you possess, I can help you accomplish that." Davlamin No one waltzed through the Sanikas Gates with any such thing as automatic respect from the native redheads. The way this visitor walked, the swagger, the way he imaged that the Inartans shivered under his gaze made Val, the watchful gatekeeper, chortle and sip from his tea. He remained silent in his nook, tired old feet propped up on the table that supported a saucer. No guards saw this pompous display, and none heard his gusty calls for assistance. And certainly not a one would feel any hint of trepidation at being in his presence. For there simply were no guards for the man to address. Lucky for the visitor. But he did still have to interact with an Elder of the Inarta people to gain entrance into the city. One who was vastly unimpressed and more than a litte inclined to leave this sorry excuse for a dandy outside. Perhaps he should step back and take a second to look at the gates themselves.