On Step Closer [open]

[Emory Ruin]

“Fresh bread!.....Delicately woven shawls!.....Herbs for sale!” Every shout was a cry for mercy in Emory’s foreign ears. She had never traveled to a large city before, and if it weren’t for her desire to become a better sorceress, she wouldn’t be in one now. Teachers were scarce among the Inarta where she’d originally journeyed from, or at least in her particular region. A great need for herbs, new books and perhaps even a mage craft who could build her the amulet she sought for, drove Emory from the familiar mountains of Skyinarta. A sense of unease for her alienist behavior and appearance made each step through the cobblestone streets of Slyliras, unbearable. Coming from a homogeneous family, Emory was somewhat shaken after being submerged into a society where aliens could cohort together creating a functioning community that actually depended on the differing needs of the various races. Although her ruby red strands of hair seemed to read “pick pocket target” Emory kept the black hood of her cloak down. The horrors of city-life were indefinitely a made-up mind game created to successfully torment one’s mind. Unfortunately, Emory was feeling the full effect of the matter. Her lungs were not used to the kicked up dust scattered along the ground, her nose was not at all gracious to the pungent smell of sweat, spices and butcher’s blood in the air. All-in-all, from the time Emory stepped foot into the city gates of Slyliras miseries banked her heart to the point of exhaustion. Emory had been wondering for hours without direction or motivation. In a sense she had been exploring. Her backpack held the last of her supplies, but because she had been escorted to the city by some traveling merchants who had passed through her homeland, Emory could not set up camp. She’d only brought with her, money, toiletries and a small glass orb. In order to find a suitable inn and perhaps begin to inquire of a mage craft, Emory would have to place her nitpicking about the city on hold. Now dusk was upon her and without warning, Emory found herself on a less than vacant street. For someone who had begun to hate the hundreds of bustling bodies about her, silence would generally be thought of as a place of serenity, correct? Wrong. Without the melodic voices of birds and nature to fill the atmosphere, silence in reality was a scary thing to behold. Instead of merchant booths, miscellaneous stands and hunger-robbed slaves, the buildings along this street were quiet and still. Emory though them to be people’s houses or private occupations like a blacksmith’s or spinners, either way, the sun was going down and she had no place to go. Unsure of whether or not it was the way of these people to go about knocking on doors for directions, Emory continued walking foreword, eventually the streets would have to dump her out into the open where Inns were lit up and taverns sprung alive. Hopefully.[/center]

[Longfellow]

"Well, damn it."

Longfellow wasn't having the best of days. Almost six months after ariving to Syliras for a chance for a new beginning, or as he puts it, for immortality, he is yet to find a suitable home or job befiting a man of his intelligence and great musical talent. The knowledge of his dead father was not enough. He wanted to reach for the stars and create something that was never heard before in musical history. A sort of thing that could transcend the boundaries of this continent and unite people in an act of supreme artistic expression.

"Haha, still thinking about that, eh?" He, unfortunately, found that such a thing was hard to achieve in a city where people barely had enough time to stop for three seconds and observe their surroundings. The childlike and naive wish he bares was slowly and surely being drowned by the sights of diffucult lives of others and the unfair "almost there" treatment life has given him at this young age. With only half decent sword techniques, and less than decent money supplies, he is bound to this metropolis. Now, with a home lost due debt, any chance of perhaps taking a shot at finding a master akalak composer in the neighbouring Cyphrus was also slowly dissapearing. In this hopeless, apathic and almost careless state, he sat by the wall of his, now former, home and witnessed as his pure wishes were slowly drifting away as the Sun went out of sight. There was no sound, or if there was, his mind was too numb to hear it.

Eventually, something did turn his attention. Steps of what appears to be a stranger girl. The sight of her watching every step, looking at every corner and, most likely, mad from being exhausted from searching a thing to search reminded him of himself six months before. She tried to knock at the door of a neighbour house, but there was no response. By the look of her, she was ready to burst any moment. The girl suddenly noticed him and seemed surprised to see someone here. She then gave him a strange look.

"Yeah," he thought "a guy in a dirty outfit on the verge of crying in an almost empty street... Who wouldn't be surprised? I think she will just continue on. I know I wouldn't approach me."

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

Kamrynn stretched his shoulders as he walked down the quickly dimming streets of the city, glad to be done with his shift on guard duty and eager to be free of his armor.

There was a mix up in the ledgers, and somehow he had wound up serving a double shift before another knight came to relieve him. He let out a sigh, it didn't matter now, he'd completed his 5 day rotation, and now had 5 days off to spend as he pleased.

All the knight wanted to do now was get some good food and drink at the tavern on the opposite side of town. He even selected a path through one of the seedier parts of town to hasten his journey.

He turned a corner, humming to himself and making a note of how dark all the windows in this district were when he caught sight of two people in the street. Both were visibly distressed and seemed extremely out of place, and though Kamrynn was no longer on duty, he still felt the compulsion to "get to the bottom of this."

He gave them a once over as he approached; the woman had startling red hair, cream colored skin and was certainly beautiful. She held herself with an air of dignity, even though the expression on her face was one of weariness and confusion.

(OOC: LongFellow, you don't have a character sheet so I did my best, you should make one up so I know what your character is like.)

The man, on the other hand, seemed more at home in Syliras. He was dirty and down trodden, though, down on his luck perhaps. The two spotted each other before they spotted him, and while the woman seemed surprised to see the dirtied man, she didn't seem afraid -why would she be, he seemed harmless enough.

Kamrynn shrugged, who knew what their business was, it certainly wasn't any of his, or was it? He was still in his armor and uniform. His dinner would have to wait, this was more interesting.

"Good evening, miss!" He called out, entering the intersection. "Pardon me if I'm wrong, but you seem lost."

[Emory Ruin]

Emory had not gotten far with her wanderings before spotting a young man with anguish painted across his demeanor. She paused, “perhaps he can help me” she thought to herself, “or I him”.

He sat on the steps as if he were waiting for a reply, though he had not offered a word. A few steps in the opposite direction of her original destination couldn’t harm anyone right? Besides, he probably knows the city.
Emory was unsure of how to approach him, so she smiled in greeting. Because he did not return the gesture, the cheerful sensation retreated from her face. “Was it an improper way to greet a man?” She pondered.

Just as she was about was opening her strawberry pink lips to speak, another voice caught her off guard. It was a salutation to be sure, but Emory had be so preoccupied within her own mind she actually yelped as she turned to face her new acquaintance.

“Oh, I’m sorry…I, yes, actually I am. I'm very lost.” she managed to sputter in a less-than-formal arrangement. Figuring it may be her only chance to receive directions; Emory swept a strand of her windblown hair behind one ear and cleared her throat.

After gaining control of her wavering voice, Emory stated simply and honestly, “I’m pretty new here. I’ve been traveling for weeks and roaming the streets of Slyliras for hours without direction. I need a place to stay and I’m curious if you might point me in the proper direction.

Emory now looked from one man to the other, waiting for a response of some kind. Thinking it might help the situation, she finally offered her name to them both.

[Longfellow]

"Hello there, Emory."

Longfellow picked up his bag and stood up. He looked at her curiously. "Pretty," he thought to himself.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, the Golden Dragon is just down the street. Since the knight just came from that direction, perhaps he can take you there? It's much better to have someone stronger by your side. If you, by any chance, get to like this damned city, the house behind me has just lost a resident."

The girl seemed to show simpathy through her look. Longfellow was a bit taken by her and knew he had to pull himself together. The soldier on the other hand let out a bit of sigh. "Oooh, he must be off duty," he thought. " He seems polite enough to not refuse, but I sure feel bad about it now. Still, my reason is sound."
He then started to walk in the direction the girl came from.

"Well," he told them, "I have to go now. I need to find a new place to stay. Stay safe, Emory. And sir Knight, I apologise if it is a problem."

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

“…I’m very lost.” Emory finished, and Kamrynn nodded knowingly with a smile. The streets of Syliras were especially confusing to outsiders. Once you became accustomed to its twists and turns and its naming system for streets it got easier, but visitors always seemed to get lost.

Emory swept the hair away from her face and Kamrynn was suddenly dumb struck; his voice caught in his throat. “I… see...” Was all he was able to manage.

She told him she was looking for a place to stay for the night and though he wanted to offer advice, for the life of him, he couldn’t think of a place that offered lodging –despite the fact that only a minute earlier he was heading to just such a place.

Luckily Longfellow was there to answer her question; he mentioned the Golden Dragon and suggested that Kamrynn escort her. The thought brought the knight back to reality in a flash.

“Of course! The Golden Dragon is as fine a place as any to stay, I’d be happy to accompany you. I’m Knight Kamrynn Sleighty of the Syliran guard, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Emory. I was actually on my way to the Inn myself.” He lied, well not exactly. He was on his way to another Inn, but the Golden Dragon had better food anyway, even if it cost a little more.

Longfellow turned to leave and Kamrynn bid him farewell. No one noticed the shadows that moved to bar the homeless man’s path just around the corner.

[Emory Ruin]

Emory’s emerald eyes lit up at the name of the Inn. The golden dragon she mused inside her disorganized thoughts, that’s a pleasant-sounding place.

Another smile crossed her lips as she addressed Sir Longfellow (all young men were Sirs by custom and politeness where she came from). “Thank you very much for your help and may the stars watch over you on your way back home.” She waved to him as he left before turning her attention to the young knight.

She surveyed his countenance, a moment of hesitation and stress darted across his big brown eyes. Obviously he had heard the conversation between both she and Longfellow, but the way he furrowed his eyebrows caused her to doubt he understood what she needed from him.

When at last he spoke his voice came out pressured yet calm. He clarified to her that he too was headed in the same direction, towards the Golden Dragon Inn. Emory stood fixated with relief and momentarily overjoyed. Now she would not have to go through the embarrassing process of asking him to guide/(protect) her if she were to go by herself.

It wasn’t that Emory couldn’t handle something as simple as mere directions, more a matter of not forgetting the exact details. This was a common occurrence for her, especially when it came to spells. Unfortunately with spells, if you’re not exact, it could result in you losing your very life. So it was actually better that she had some practice at it anyway, just not here or now…at night.

“That’s brilliant, thank you so much, I was afraid I was going to have to navigate through these streets in the dark.” Not wishing to use the word alone or wanting to sound incompetent she added, “The magnitude of your city is so much greater than my hometown.”

Kamrynn, as he called himself, freely led the way. She decided she liked him for all her girlish reasoning. It was her childish nature taking over at that moment, the aptitude to trust a complete stranger and experience no fear. A prudent young woman would have been chary, but she deemed this young knight innocent until proven guilty of the unnecessary stereotyping often associated with men.

The thought hadn’t yet crossed Emory’s mind as to where the disparaging fellow they had just recently met, had gone. He claimed to be going home, though a tickling emotion in the back of Emory’s head told her he had sugarcoated his story.

Pushing the fatuous thoughts from her mind, Emory instead watched the cobblestone path in front of her. Each stone seemed to be tinted a different shade of grayish brown. It was marvelous how the moon sent little rays of light to sway beneath her feat and race across the upcoming street as if it were a game.

They had walked perhaps three or four minutes without speaking before Emory grew wearisome of the silence. Not that she and the knight had anything in common with each other, or that she was at all social (for Emory was not), but her day had been strenuous and she longed for peaceful conversation.

“Why did you decide to be a knight?” she asked abruptly. The question may have sounded rather blunt, but in truth, Emory couldn’t fathom why anyone would desire to fight (if that was in fact what all knights did) or what would prevail them to risk their lives. Was is the adrenaline rush? Pride? Honor? Heroism? Boyish integrity? Such dreams as these did not rationalize with Emory’s star chasing character. Thus, she was curious.

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

They walked wordlessly through the streets, the town around them was as silent as a tomb. So much time had passed without words that the stillness and quiet seemed to have taken on a life of its own, the knight was almost frightened to break it. Instead, he stole sideways glances from the corner of his eyes at the woman he was guiding, wondering what brought her here, and what her story was.

"Why did you decide to be a knight?" She finally said, and he breathed a sigh of relief. As if her words had broken some sort of spell, he was finally able to relax, the silence had lost all of its strength.

"I guess," He said quietly. "I never really thought about it." He regretted saying that, that made him sound simple. "Er, not that I never thought about it, its more that I never thought of being anything else."

He ran a hand through his hair and continued. "There's a lot of evil people in the world, and sadly, very few people willing to do anything about it." His voice was quiet, subdued as though the concepts he spoke of weighed heavily on his mind.

"It doesn't matter how righteous or noble someone's heart is if they just sit idly by while others tear the world apart." He clutched his fist in the air in front of him. "I joined the Knights for the strength to protect the world and the people around me."

A sudden wind blew down the street, cold and quiet, sending Emory's crimson hair fluttering about her face. The last rays of sun had long since disappeared behind the horizon and the road was dark save for the shallow light of the moon.

"Maybe I was wrong though." The knight continued, suddenly crestfallen. "Since I've joined the order, all I seem to do is stand around town: settling petty squabbles, breaking up bar fights and dragging drunks to jail for the night." He laughed a bit, and turned to look at Emory. He was smiling now, his melancholy vanishing into the ether, and he finished jokingly. "It isn't quite as glorious as I expected."

Looking at Emory now, he felt he had drawn out his own story over long. "Pardon my rambling, what about yourself? What brings you to the big city, and what do you do for a living?"

[Emory Ruin]

As Kamrynn talked, Emory Listened.

It was really as simple as that. At least he’s not a self-absorbed idiot, she thought as he continued to speak. Under the cover of darkness that continued to creep up on them like a fox on a hare, Emory began to single out things about his character.

Kamrynn’s explanation was laid out efficiently and when he finished, her curiosity was temporarily subdued. His answer was actually kind of sweet. A wind rustled her hair but she did not move to wipe the strands out of her eyes. They created a make-shift veil from which she could watch their monstrous shadows lurch out in front of them.

As suddenly as she had drifted out, Emory was reeled back into reality as a question emerged from her companion. She mulled it over in her head several times before giving an response. Hmm, how to answer that?” Emory shrugged off the funny thought and replied “Well, I suppose you know my name is Emory,” he seemed to nod to himself and so she went on. “ My native people are the Inarta and I’ve traveled from my homeland to here in search of a magecraft and some supplies.”

She wondered if telling him she was a practicing sorceress was a wise thing to do… “I’m going to the University of Magic, the Wizard University,” she stated. “I need a magecraft to fabricate a special amulet for me. It’s to help with my training.” Emory no longer suppressed her euphoria for what she was and just continued chatting about various aspects of the art.

“Magic is very difficult to control and I often wake up realizing that a spell was too great for me to control and I’d passed out. You lose a part of your strength when you use magic,” she said quietly. Running her left hand delicately over her chest, Emory cupped three fingers at the base of her throat. After approximately three seconds later, Emory resituated her backpack into a more comfortable position on her back.

She sighed before continuing, “but you get your strength back after resting for a bit and eating a hearty meal. It just takes some practice censored with a little concentration”. Far to the right of them, Emory heard flap of wings. The familiar sound sprinkled joy into the surrounding air.

The pounding of hooves and wild calls of a drunken man told her that they were quite near a more inhabited area. A tavern must lay around the corner she thought, and with luck, the Inn as well. Walking was good exercise, but the reflection of a soft bed and a hot bowl of soup brought optimistic sparks into Emory’s voice.

“ Are we close?” she asked Kamrynn.

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

Kamrynn was impressed. A sorceress! He’d never met anyone with knowledge of the arcane. He wondered silently why she'd accepted his offer of help, according to the stories he had heard in the city, those who dabbled in magic commanded terrifying powers. A closer examination of the woman, though, made Kamrynn doubt the rumors.

The Inartan was delicate, and her expression was one of innocence and honesty; it was impossible to imagine her conjuring a tempest or summoning flames from the heavens… Although, closer examination of her eyes gave another impression -there seemed to be an endless depth to those two emerald pools, anything could be hiding beneath their mirrored surface.

Having always thought magic came from some infinite source that was free to command, it shocked him to hear that the opposite was true -and it horrified him to imagine that she routinely over exerted herself to collapse. Now as Emory held a hand to her throat (perhaps longing for the amulet she sought) he was painfully ashamed that he hadn’t offered to carry her bag. So much for Chivalry.

The sounds of the commercial district brought him from his thoughts. “Are we close?” Emory asked.

“Yeah, it’s this next right.” He gestured vaguely. The walk had been a lot shorter than he expected.  They turned the corner and indeed, the Golden Dragon was laid out right in front of them.

A short set of steps lead to an open deck area where, weather permitting, patrons could lounge under the sun or the moon while enjoying their meals. The deck and building were built from dark redwood, purposely treated to give it a distinguished look of age and permanence. Fastened to the wood here and there were gold accents and fixtures that were only obviously bronze upon close inspection. Two of these fixtures were man-sized dragon statuettes standing guard at the top of the stairs.

Kamrynn lead the way up the steps and to the front door, the night being what it was, the entirety of the patrons were inside. The smells of freshly cooked meals and savory herbs wafted through the air, setting both their mouths to watering. Through the windows they could see the place was busy, but not quite crowded; most of the tables were filled with patrons, chatting and drinking. It was a well controlled chaos, the higher prices of the Golden Dragon kept most of the riff raff and rowdier patrons out.

Kamrynn paused at the door, wondering what she would say if he invited her to eat with him. “Here we are!” He said, holding the door open for her.

Emory turned to regard him with those green eyes of hers and he decided to add, “Would you mind terribly having some company for dinner?”