food and light. (open)

[Dor]

Timestamp: 1st of Summer, 511 A.V. The heave and release, swirl and swagger of Lhavit at night was not alien. A high roost had been selected -- Zintia Peak -- and found filled to the brim with the denizens of this ambitious city. With the wealth and whirl of Surya Plaza sprawling beneath, the falcon huddled with black tipped wings drawn close and waited. Claws curved and shuffled along the length of a shop's eave, evidence of either impatience or eagerness. Her thickly feathered frame bobbed with unaware comedy as she followed the glint of a fallen, jade kina as it was kicked along by the tread of passing feet. Food had been occupying her mind rather than her stomach until the shining coin had dropped, stealing nearly all of the bird's attention. Tucked out of sight in the cross hatch of canopy beams was a small, patched satchel. It had been carried over these peaks, higher and higher,until she had at last landed here with the Amaranthine Gate bypassed entirely. Gates were a thing she tended to avoid out of gut instinct and the wind had borne her onward, sweeping a patternless gyre somewhere south of the stars. The last hours had been passed in observation, wary and gone unnoticed in the shadow of an even loftier eave. The people here looked up, she noticed, unlike so many everywhere else; but when they did, they seemed to have eyes only for the heavens. Of course, she could hardly blame them. Broader thoughts fled, however, as the jade kina watched by dark eyes stuttered a final skip to land on the edge of the pedestrian traffic. Shiny. Money. The words intertwined, both being in possession of a positive connotations. They meant light and food, food and light, the greatest goals of the peregrine's life that to some might yet seem simple and base; but wait, she might have told them with proper tongue and lips in place of a beak, just wait until they are nowhere to be found. Then they become everything, an entire life distilled down to two words: food, light. Tonight a lost bit of jade, still gleaming in the electrifying haze of star and mage lights, represented them both. Realizing her chance, she launched herself down with all the intensity of a dive for a plump pigeon, far too accustomed to fighting for every little thing amidst greater, far more feral hordes than these.

[Dhatzu]

Dhatzu heaved a heavy sigh of relief as he stepped out of the Shinyama Pavilion. Taisho Kagaya Ona herself had over seen the training that evening, and the acolyte had striven to impress her. Apparently he did not, for she overlooked him for the most part. Fortunately, Dhaztu also did not earn her ire, as a clumsy student with a spear did when he broke a decorative vase in a corner of the training room. She led him out by the ponytail, his fate yet unknown. Flexing his hands, sore from gripping the haft of his skirmish sword too tightly, Dhatzu headed eastward, towards the glow of Zintia Peak. His sponsor, Aleto, had given him a short respite from lessons, and the young man was eager to reach the Plaza for his favorite treat. The acolyte traversed a well chosen path across the suspended bridges and stairways that linked together the peaks of his city. Narrower, less travelled courses were his favorite, the path illuminated by pools of light rather than broader, dispersed lighting. Dhatzu loved the contrast of light and dark, moving in and out of the shadows as happily as a child would splash in puddles on his way home from schooling. He greeted the shadows along the way, most only giving the Night Walker a cursory greeting, some not acknowledging him at all. At a small waypeak between bridges, a particularly small shadow, whom the acolyte simply called Little One, scooted from beneath a bronze statue of an okama and tagged along behind him, harping at him. "Where are you going, where are you going Night Walker?" "I am going to Surya Plaza," Dhatzu finally replied curtly in Makath. The short tone did not seem to deter the pesky shadow, who danced around him in the dim path the young man had chosen. "Why, why?" Little One inquired anxiously. "To buy a treat. Aleto said I could fetch something before we start Projection lessons." Little One matched Dhatzu's pace, like the shadow of an invisible ball circling the acolyte's own shadow on the planks of the walkways. The two slipped across a high, narrow side bridge into the Plaza. Dhatzu was not fond of crowds or open public spaces, but Surya Plaza was an exception. Lights of all kinds created a canvas of shadows and light, and the glow of the beautiful Koten Temple illuminated the space so that the vast open area mimicked the star-studded expanse of Zintila's sky above them. Little One became distracted by a blue-tinted expanse of lanterns above an apothecary's shop and he skittered away. Dhatzu oriented himself, heading in the direction of the merchants he preferred, edging towards the perimeter of the plaza and skirting most of the throng. He peered down darkened alleyways and spaces between the small buildings. The mark of Akajia gifted him with sight even in the dim shadowy spaces, and the curious young man peered into what was invisible to others in hopes of finding some secret or treasure. Today, only rats and stray rubbish appeared in the obscurity. Turning back towards the open space, Dhatzu heard a clink. He quickly located the source, a small coin kicked by a carver carrying an armload of wooden figurines. The acolyte veered in the coin's direction. It was not that he needed the money, but something would not let him leave it there. It belonged to someone once, had a history, and such things piqued Dhaztu's interest, even if he had no way of learning anything about the stray coin. Nodding respectfully to a passing Shinya, maneuvering around her, Dhatzu edged closer to the treasure. Others, Aisha and Shimobe, made way for him, even as a mere Shinya acolyte. Finally, as the small jade kina lay at the edge of the busy thoroughfare, Dhatzu quickened his pace to retrieve the meager coin. Crouching as he approached, his hand outstretched to retrieve the kina, a streak of blue, black and white zoomed before him. When the thing had passed, the acolyte looked past his outstretched fingers to the empty place where the coin had lain. A snicker drifted from the shadows nearby. Dhatzu's gaze darted skyward, in time to see the falcon lift above the heads of the crowd.

[Dor]

Shinya, Aisha, Shemobe. They were but words to the falcon, communication’s crackling husks that littered man’s society and were devoid of all worth to a creature too alien to know or accept their intended meaning. The man whose prize she had stolen could have been the Anchorite and, had he been swift and aggression proved necessary, he might have found his fingers scraped and broken. Though the falcon had not gone after the coin in a giant’s fell stoop, the sheer speed of her still could have stolen the breath of Tanroa. A ragged and much pecked upon dangle of jesses remained knotted about one foot, bouncing as she swooped back over the heads of pedestrians to land with a thump-skitter-thump rather than a more graceful descent on top of a barrel. The shop whose eaves she was now admiring her prize beneath must have not have been heavily patronized as nobody lingered outside to notice the strange sight. Of course, the falcon did not know she was strange, hunkering down with a fluff of gleaming feathers to inspect the jade kina. Dark eyes flashed through the play of light and shadows at the man she had bested and wings twitched, head going in a toss that could not have been anything else but the avian version of a smirk. Then again, it was molting season. Maybe the too lean bird was just itchy.

[Dhatzu]

The shock of the unexpected pilfering quickly faded as Dhatzu watched the bird float above the lhavitians, all too absorbed in their own comings and goings to pay much attention to the avian. But the acolyte was amused by the clever creature, and a smile crept across his lips as he stood up, eyes still fixed upon the falcon. Finding the bandit more interesting then the coin and his treat, his previous intentions all but forgotten, the young man wove his way among the pedestrians, push carts and decorative ornaments towards the shop whose open windows illuminated the thief as she clung to the barrel. Drawing nearer, Dhatzu's pace slowed, his steps lighter, as if sneaking up on the thing, even as he was in plain view. He paused a safe distance, in his opinion, from the animal. It was not some filching raven, as he had first suspected, for those black pests loved to collect such trinkets. No, this was a noble beast, a falcon, with razor-like talons, dangerous hooked beak and a shimmering blue-black plumage. She was a curious sight for sure. Dhatzu spoke in a soft voice. He used the Common language, as he wished to become more fluent with it. No one could criticize his mistakes if they weren't around to hear it, and surely the bird would not judge his use of the tongue."My, what brings one such as yourself to snatching kina from pavement? Should you not be roosting in the rocky aeries of the Misty Peaks?" The Night Walker, of course, did not expect a response. He was accustomed to speaking with shadows, in all appearances conducting conversations with himself like the old men who failed to keep their minds sharp. He had no concern with others seeing him talk to a bird. The acolyte noted the scrap of leather around her leg. "Aha, I see. Some falconer is now minus one falcon, I figure." Dhatzu had no experience with raptors, and would not think of trying to approach, let alone take hold of, the falcon. No, the creature had found its freedom, and the young man would not take it from her. He laughed lightly. "I suppose you are going to buy dinner with that?" Teasing, Dhatzu crossed his arms grinning at the curious find.

[Dor]

OOCI’m going to assume Dhatzu is speaking Common as Dor does not know Lhatvian. If I’m wrong, just let me know and I’ll edit my response. The falcon failed to notice the man’s approach until he was already coming to a halt, too absorbed by the shine of her prize. A startled, harsh snap of that wicked beak was made as talons scraped backwards grooves in the wood of the barrel top, allotting an apparently precious additional foot of distance between them. The kina jolted and rolled until the falcon dropped a downy breast upon it not unlike brooding an egg. All the while, Dhatzu was delivered a suspicious regard by one eye, head turned to keep him firmly within her sights. There came a silence then that yawned and, within it, the falcon seemed to actually be listening to the man. Maybe she thought him shiny too, or the sound of his voice compelling; but the bird remained still either way. After long deliberation, the bird rose back to a stand with graceful, half arch of powerful wings for balance. A lightning hard peck of her beak wounded an already ragged end of her jesses in what had to be a threatening demonstration. Next the bird froze, the yet bound foot partially extended and hooded eyes hard upon the man in judgment. She wanted the jesses off. Never having wanted them on to begin with, she had been worrying at them for countless days. While she had complete faith that, eventually, she would succeed in their removal and absolutely no trust whatsoever in another’s motivations, she did believe in both opportunity and good bargaining: One jade kina for one removal of jesses.

[Dhatzu]

There was a strange pause when Dhatzu finished speaking. The falcon had not flinched as he spoke, as much to himself, he thought, as he had to the bird. He assumed its interest could have simply been a patient waiting for him to move on, no longer threatening its new treasure. Or perhaps it was waiting for the right moment to launch into the air, freeing herself of the silly human. Maybe she was deciding which eye to pluck out with that hooked beak. Then it rose. The raptor's wings extended, and for a moment the man thought she was going to fly away. But her attention did not turn to the sky, nor to him, or even to the coin. the falcon pecked at the ragged leather thong around her leg. Dhatzu dared to lean closer. The jesse was well worn and and tattered. The acolyte surmised that she had been tearing at the restraint for some time, trying to free herself of it. He could walk away. He didn't care about the coin, really. The bird could have it. But there was...something about the falcon. When she looked at him, it was not the gaze of an animal whose instincts interpreted all it saw as food or threat, bent solely on survival of the moment. If Dhaztu were to admit it, he saw intelligence, the ability to judge him as more than predator or prey. It was enough to capture his curiosity, enough to lure him closer to the barrel. His eyes fixed on the bird's, the acolyte inched closer. He could almost sense the frustration in the repeated stabs at the leather straps. Freedom...she wanted freedom. She was free, in theory, but the jesse was there, ready to be snatched again by a ruling human hand. He spoke again, feeling a bit silly, but secretly harboring a wish that the creature could understand him, Dhatzu spoke softly. "Do...do you want that off? Can I take that off of you?" His hand moved achingly slow, stretching an inch at a time towards the top of the barrel. "I will remove it, if you let me."

[Dor]

The falcon held herself as still as the mountain breeze would allow when it flirted its way through peaks and past the temple heights, dripping beneath the shop’s eave to ruffle the Lhatvian’s glossy dark hair. It whispered against ragged wingtips, partially outstretched in a bid for a balance at least physical. The battle for all encompassing equilibrium was an on going campaign. There was no angry clacking of that dangerous beak, no blood thick croak to warn him away. Instead the falcon stared at him unblinking, her inaction not unlike that of man’s in that it created an assumption of agreement to his proposal. On the other hand, it was distinctly possible the falcon was just waiting for him to get close enough to pluck out his eyeballs. Trust was ever a two way street.

[Dhatzu]

The cacophony of Surya Plaza had seemed to fade a bit as Dhatzu focused his attention upon the curious raptor, his senses tuned solely on the movement and sound of the falcon. There was very little of either. In fact, the creature seemed frozen. Wings that carried it high over the peaks on currents of wind now wavered in even the slight breeze, the feathered limbs the only movement as the bird kept its balance...waiting. Dark eyes of human and avian met. The acolyte again thought he saw a glimpse of depth to the predator's gaze. Of course the animal had not understood the words he had spoken to it, but it seemed to understand the intent. Likewise, Dhatzu believed he understood hers. His hand moved ever so carefully, eyes darting between the tangled ties and the hunter's eyes. The human's fingers gently took hold of the tattered leather. Then his left hand lifted to join the right. Slowly, the lhavitian's fingers worked to loosen the tethers. The had been pulled tight around the falcon's leg, most likely from her attempts to remove them. Dhatzu realized he was holding his breath, and inhaled deeply, eyes shifting to the raptor's gaze to ensure he had not crossed some invisible line and had irritated the bird. At this proximity, he was rather vulnerable, and he was sure he could not move fast enough to avoid the strike of a creature designed to catch quick moving critters. The acolyte continued to tug at the leather, finally getting a hold on a loop around the leg and pulling the slack through it. A few more careful tugs and the straps came loose. With a bit more haste, worrying that the falcon would get impatient and peck at him, the man loosened the tether on the other leg as well. Dhatzu left them laying atop the barrel, and took a step back. "There." He proclaimed with satisfaction.

[Dor]

Surya Plaza was in a state of unacknowledged dissonance for the falcon as well while the star city’s citizen worked her jesses her loose. There was no person or event taking place of greater importance to her than that, excruciating attention paid to even the smallest detail. It was not until the man stepped back, jesses dropped to the barrel, that the arch of her wings relaxed and she shook herself from crook of beak to tip of tail feathers as if in the flinging off of water. Clawed feet clattered back and forth, wobbling and wavering the raptor with both satisfaction and indecision. There was no particular wish to transform to her two-legged self, the restriction from doing so that the jesses had imposed not having been the real source of her frustration. It had been what the jesses symbolized that drove her to endless pecking and this final bargaining. She was not tame. She was not kept. She was not comfortable with the suggestion she might be. However, a well kept bargain needed to be acknowledged. Without acknowledgement, what was to motivate someone to maintain their good relations? To stop them from cheating her next time when her wariness was lowered? This time when blue-black and starlit wings spread it was with a downward pull; and somewhere in the instant between launching and flying the falcon dissolved into a murky conflagration of light. Illuminate spots winked in and out while reshaping, fading at last to leave behind a slight young woman with all the wild pitch in her eyes as had existed in the bird. She reached up a hand to whack her stashed pack from its hiding place in the high beams and dropped from where she stood atop the barrel to sit upon it instead, bright hair the only thing clothing her. Pack caught, clutched to the curve of her chest, she scooped up the jade kina with her free hand and tossed it directly at the Lhatvian whom she had bested for it in the street. “Thanks,” she smirked. It was a great deal more appealing an expression on the pale-skinned girl than it had been on the peregrine falcon, but it was equally – perhaps disturbingly – as fierce.

[Dhatzu]

Full of satisfaction at the good deed he had performed, and rather proud of himself, Dhatzu beamed as the raptor appeared to shake off whatever the jesses had meant to it. Only then did the young man come to realize the uniqueness of the event. He stood at the edge of the center of Lhavit, a magnificent falcon perched before him. Only falconers were privileged enough to draw near such beautiful predators. Yet the acolyte had been close enough to actually touch one. the incident was rather extraordinary, he thought. Little did he know how extraordinary. The bird made as if to launch again into the air, off to some high tower or peak most certainly, where it could resume its lofty surveillance of the world below it. But as it stretched upwards, it was engulfed in a myriad of lights, a swarm of glowing pinpoints as if one had taken all of Zintila's stars and shook them in a bowl. Dhatzu, startled beyond belief, staggered back, wondering if some hidden wizard had cast an enchantment upon the bird, or that it was all some elaborate illusion, the image of the peregrine now dissipating in a cloud of djed. Only a moment passed before the mottled illumination dissipated. What remained gave the acolyte a shudder, leaving his eyes wide and his jaw agape. He stared unceremoniously at the nude girl sitting on the barrel. His mouth moved with words that could not be formed, his voice frozen from shock. Even as she deftly retrieved her pack and clutched it against her breasts, Dhatzu pointed at her, still unable to put a coherent sentence together. She flung the coin at him, and with his trained reflexes, he managed to catch it in spite of his state of disharmony. "Kelvic!" He managed to sputter in a loud, hushed voice. As if a dam had been breached, Dhatzu's mind finally wrapped around what she was, and he found himself. He knew about kelvics, there were supposedly some in Lhavit. But they rarely shifted in public, and he had never seen it occur. The lhavitian's hand dropped to his side, his eyes still staring, drifting from her head to her toe. "You are naked." He stated with matter-of-fact. She was attractive, if not a bit lean. He found himself blushing. Quickly untying his belt, he dropped it and tugged his robes off over his head, tossing it towards the girl. "Here, you can put this on." He offered, standing bare chested in his white pants and leg bindings. he continued to speak in Common, for she had used the same when she spoke. With a rather sheepish grin, he averted his eyes from her nakedness. "So, uh, I assume you are not from around here?"