Completed Soft crumbling of charcoal

[Valo]

16th of Fall, 512 A.V.
By the Eastern Docks
Late afternoon



It was a lazy afternoon indeed. The catch was poor, as small boats returned into the docks. Down in the fish market the business was slower than usual. Perhaps this atmosphere, or the lessening stench of fish, had pulled this man out of his dwelling and down into the streets of Zeltiva. With a sketch book tucked under his arm and a bag full an assortment of art materials, he strided gracefully down the alleyways and finally into the eastern docks. And upon situating him self in a shaded corner, where he would bother no one, he began creating - what he called - art.

A clean, elegantly dressed man, sticks out like a sore thumb in a crowd of dirty fishermen. Hair as red as fire, and lips pressed together in such a manner that they created a thin line, as the focused on his work.

Valo had decided to become an artist earlier on in the year. A profession which now seemed more difficult than he initially thought. Then again, talent cannot be taught. A soft crack on charcoal; and with a sigh of frustration he shut his sketch book. "Useless." he whispered to him self with anger. " You're useless!" Leaning back, he looked around for a brief moment. Looks like he'd been at it for longer that he realised...

[Kiya]

Kiya wandered down the street, examining every building she passed. She looked completely out of place amongst the fishers of Zeltiva; a young girl wearing nothing but a light dress with no shoes, her long brown hair was messy and unkempt and her eyes were a shade of blue that would be considered unnatural.
The kelvic smiled at everyone she passed, though none smiled back. She sniffed the air, but all she could smell was salt, fish and human. It was getting late, perhaps it was time she found a quiet alley to sleep in?

She skipped down to the docks, watching the fisherman haul in their catch. The fish flopping about in the nets. Then she spotted something, at first she thought it was flames but on a closer inspection realised it was hair. A young man was sitting by the docks, a book in his lap. He was finely dressed and had a serious expression on his face, clearly concentrating on something of great importance.

The girl wondered what an upper class man was doing in a dirty area such as the docks. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she walked over to him and asked rather impolitely, “What are you doing?” Formality was not something the kelvic valued.

[Valo]

“What are you doing?” asked a voice, brutally ripping Valo out of his trance like concentration. Forgetting his sketchbook completely he looked up, only to find a young girl with messy brown hair, staring at him with curiosity in her exquisitely blue eyes. For a brief moment he wished her eyes were gemstones, for he would have fashioned precious jewellery out of them.

Valo's eyebrows drew together, forming lines in his face which matured him greatly. Should he have had glasses, he would push them up on the bridge of his nose, pretending he had more wit than in reality. Of course nature cursed him with impeccable eye sight, so his fingers touched his eye brow. It was apparent he was collecting his scattered thoughts.

"Drawing" he replied finally. His voice, not harsh but strong.

Suddenly he realised this girl was not human. Perhaps it was her eyes, or maybe the queer way in which she moved… the way she stared at him... He had seen this behaviour once before, in a Kelvic he had once met upon his journey to Zeltiva. A journey all the way from Wind Reach. Was she Kelvic too? He wanted to ask so desperately, but manners obstructed such a rash question. For a man who rarely breathed fresh air -however fresh the air of the docs could be considered - he didn't want to scare her away. In fact he yearned for a good conversation.

"I know it's not much." he continued in a softer tone, closing his sketch book, shying away the work which did not please him. "What's your name?"

[Kiya]

Kiya had never seen someone draw, she barely knew what it was. The company she had kept had been made up of more physical types rather than intellectual types. From what she could gather, drawing was like writing but with pictures instead of words, she hadn't tried either herself having never had the need to write, read or draw. She knelt down next to the man and answered, “My name's Kiya”

The girl glanced at his closed sketch book, “What were you drawing?” she scanned her surroundings and said, “There's not much to draw here, only fish. I find fish quite boring...”

[Valo]

Valo smiled and holding out his hand he replied. "Lovely to meet you Kiya. My name is Valo." A smile on a face such as his was a rare sight. Like a rainbow after months of stormy weather. But once it happened, it seemed to light up his handsome features.

“What were you drawing?” she asked, “There's not much to draw here, only fish. I find fish quite boring...”

He was by far amused with the girl's curiosity. "I do agree with you; fish are boring." he replied. "But it's not just fish here, my dear.You see there are people and ships; and ships create beautiful architecture. All the criss crossing of the lines, the curved silhouettes of men working upon them. So much movement. The work of an artist is to capture beauty, but it's so easy to do so when the subject them self is beautiful. Creating beauty in a place such as this is a challenge worth accepting." he trailed off, but realising this he quickly stopped him self. For some reason every time he talked about art, he explained much more than was needed. "Of course there's nothing wrong with drawing something beautiful to begin with." he smiled. " I don't suppose you would like me to draw your portrait"

[Kiya]

It was clear from the way Valo spoke that this art was very important to him; a smile lit up his face making him look rather handsome, his hair appeared brighter and the lines that Kiya had thought were from age seemed to have disappeared.
After shaking his hand, the young girl looked around at the docks trying to see it the way he did. And although the kelvic was able to see the magic in the way the ships moved, the way the ropes crossed, the sea birds that were perched on every almost available surface, the sun as it glinted off the water, the stench of fish and human stole the away the scenes beauty.

“Of course there's nothing wrong with drawing something beautiful to begin with” Valo said, “I don't suppose you would like me to draw your portrait”

Kiya couldn't help but laugh, she shook her head, “No thank you, but I would like to see some of your drawings, if you don't mind?”

[Valo]

Disappointed at her decline and surprised by the request, Valo was suddenly overcome by a wave of shyness. It wasn't often that people asked to see his work. And he did not advertise nor exhibit it, for he never thought much of it. He had an undying love for art, not his own art, but art as a whole. For a moment he studied her expression and with a sight and a muffled "All right then." he opened his sketch book.

And as bad luck would have it, for he was plagued by it often, several of his drawings burst forth in a feeble attempt for freedom. The first was a woman. Long flowing hair of charcoal, soft features... but perhaps it was his use of shading which made her look so soft. The portrait ended very abruptly at the base of the neck. There was a story behind this, a story which Valo never wished to share. The next few were children of all ages. Several boys with mischievous grins on their faces, round cheek bones and poor clothing. But it was only the very last drawing that Valo could say he was proud of. He worked at it tirelessly for weeks, perfecting every single detail. A portrait of a new born baby asleep, looking like a little doll wrapped in rags, light gently hitting the soft lines of her lips and nose and eyelids. The heavy use of chiaroscuro suggested that the scene was drawn by candle light.

Bending down at once he gathered up his work and al but the portrait of the baby returned into his sketch book. The other he held in his hand for a moment, before placing it back in his bag. Then he held out his sketch book to Kiya saying "It's not very good, but here you go, have a look."

[Kiya]

She watch as Valo quickly gathered up the pictures that had escaped from his book; each one was so finely detailed and drawn with such emotion that Kiya half expected them to leap from the page, but of course this didn't happen. She saw him pause a moment, the sketch of a baby in his hand, without saying a word he put the drawing back in his bag. The kelvic guessed that the people in the pictures were very special to Valo, or had been very special.

He handed her his sketch book and added, “It's not very good, but here you go, have a look”

Kiya smiled, “Thank you”

Very carefully, the girl opened the cover and examined the drawings inside. Her eyes widened as she turned the pages, the artworks inside were just as detailed and finely drawn as the ones from earlier. And although the images varied from unfinished to complete, rushed to ones that must have taken days to do they all seemed to have captured their subjects life, the very essence that made them human or not human depending on the drawing. It amazed Kiya that a piece of paper, a stick of charcoal and a mind that saw the world in a strange way could create something so beautiful; to be able to take what you see and turn it into art while still keeping the subjects flaws, strengths and essence of life was a wonderful skill to have. It was a gift really.

She looked back at Valo and said, “These are amazing”

[Valo]

“Your flattery is most welcome.” he smiled with embarrassment. It wasn’t often that Valo blushed like this, for he was usually a bold and charismatic individual. But this multidimensional personality made him who he was, Valo. And his art seemed to him like a good reason to blush. After a moment of silence, he composed himself and asked “Are you Kelvic?”

[Kiya]

Valo's cheeks flushed at her comment, the girl smiled and turned her attention back to the artworks looking through the remainder of the drawings. The two sat in silence for a few moments before the man asked, “Are you kelvic?”

Kiya nodded, she glanced up him, “Sure am. And if you're wondering what I am doing in a town such as this, I was bored” Why she was there and what she was doing were always the questions asked after someone found out her race, so she found it easier to answer them beforehand. She folded up the book and held it out to Valo, “What about you? Are you all human?”