The clay man (Zandelia)

by **Callistus** on March 18th, 2013, 3:00 pm

43rd day of Spring, 513 AV

Callistus had been walking around for hours, hoping that something interesting would happen. It had started getting warmer over the past few weeks and nature seemed like it was coming back to life from the harsh winter that had passed. Every little change in his surroundings was the will of Harameus and did not go unnoticed.
I've been walking in circles for hours! Why won't something interesting happen!he exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of all people who were nearby. A small man made of clay was nothing common and it was certainly often that people looked at him full of surprise but they did start getting used to him walking around, at least at the Northern quarter.

He continued walking for a while towards the center of Nyka, following the sight of the Celestial Seat. He bowed lightly as a monk who was no less than 4 times his height and weight passed next to him, before he continued walking again. There was no response from the monk but he was used to it. Most of the monks that he had talked to were illiterate brutes and therefore he was not inclined to start conversations with them after the his first year in Nyka.

He stood and took a minute to look at the beautiful paintings that made every building look so different. If there was one thing he truly loved about Nyka, it was that there was always more to see and discover. And that is expected, of course, since it was built on top of the heart of the world, the aperture. He would get such strange vibes every time that he passed through a bridge and over the aperture, like somebody was starring at him from inside the darkness at the bottom of the aperture. He quickly crossed the bridge that connected the northern quarter to the celestial seat, nodding at the monks that guarded each side.

A lot of people were walking around, both Nykans and foreigners who were looking either for a fight with a monk or for a holy place were they could practice their religion. In all the ruckus it was hard to notice a pycon, less than half a meter tall walking around and it was soon that someone stepped on his right foot, breaking it completely. Hey, watch it you! he said and slowly released some djed out of his mouth unconsciously, which turned into fire, not strong enough to burn anything. Do you have any idea how much that hurt?!

by **Zandelia** on March 20th, 2013, 7:03 pm

“Petch it all Varhes, you slimy piece of shyke!” Zandelia’s palm slapped down upon the wooden counter of his stall with enough force to dislodge a great number of the crudely curved daggers arranged upon it, “don’t treat me like a fool, it is a mistake many do not recover from” she glared at him, icy emerald orb reflecting two dark brown iris’ that searched either side of her for a solution to the predicament he had found himself in.

“Amelias, please. I don’t know wha-“ he began with a little nervousness in his voice that told her what she had heard in the depths of the last Nykan evening was true, or that he at least had something to hide.

“Don’t know what I’m talking about?” she cut him off with hissed words, venomous in their nature, “you forget so easily what I make my business…how I earn my keep in this city! You can play the dumb fool with the Monks all you want but don’t try and cheat me Varhes. I assure you it is impossible. How long?” she asked him, easing her voice now – her intent of making him aware she knew was enough threat for now, she would salvage something from this mess if it killed her – it possibly could.

“Two seasons!”he squeaked at her in fear before, slowly, a semblance of composure returned to his features, “but you have no power here…foreigner. You cannot threaten me like this!” he began to mount his fight back to recapture ground – she gave it willingly.

“Oh can’t I?” she smiled at him then, a terrible smile of self-assured victory, “by Akajia I swear I will sell you out for nothing more than to rid myself of your oafish appearance. But…I came here not to do that, to try and salvage this debacle.

“What do you want?” he liked his lips as he posed the question, the hope of an escape clear now.

“Nothing…yet. Just keep doing your petching job as we agreed. When I have decided what I want you will hear from me. Just you remember Varhes…I could bring you down with one damned letter. Might even get me some acceptance from the Monks. You just remember that” she told him, leaning back from her position of having both hands upon his stall counter.

“Fine. But you betray me and I won’t be the only one hanging from a noose!” he spat at her, quelled and cowed but still aware he had his own cards to play.

She nodded at him and slipped away into the crowded hubbub of the Fourth day Market. All things considered she had managed to turn what could possibly have been a death knell into something more useful to her. He was right, of course, he had his own hand to play – but hers was stronger. His threat was empty, especially if it were Zandelia to sell him out to the authorities. Dealing in illicit items behind the backs of the Alvina themselves – considering the location – was a serious offense. At the very least he would be more cautious, would try and weed out those whom had let his business slip to her ears. In that, at the very least, she had manipulated him to her advantage.

I can’t have the untrustworthy helping my contacts with my business. Rumor spreads too quickly and now…well he will be more careful at the very least. There might even be another body or two in the Aperture over the next few days. That is good she told herself, lost in thought and self-serving machination.

So lost was she that she did not watch where she was going, foolishly treading upon something soft that gave way under her foot like dung. Growling to herself for foolishness – her leather shoes cost money after all – she stepped back and looked down with irritation. What met her gaze, however, was nothing like what she had expected. A small puff of fire spewed past her and she felt the warm ripple of heated air splash her knees. The words that were thrown at her were not entirely registered, more intrigued as she was with the originator.

A little clay…man? With four arms? she observed with stunned thought.

“Oh, I’m sorry my dear, I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you al-“ she began the customary response before seeing he was not alright, he was missing a foot for the most part, “Oh by the Goddess! I’m so sorry! IS there anything I can do? I mean, will the Infirmary help? What does a clay man do when he…” her voice trailed off as she realized, for the first time in a while, she had no idea what something was or how to interact with it.

by **Callistus** on March 23rd, 2013, 10:25 am

''Stupid, this has happened a thousand times and you're still not careful!''
he thought to himself as he stretched his four hands and recollected as many parts of his broken foot as he could. Some of them were already lost as people were passing by and kicking them away. He pulled all of the pieces against his leg and in a few seconds they had entered his body and a new foot had grown back at the place of the broken one. It wasn't as big as the other one but it would be once he had eaten some clay. He looked back up at the woman with a very strict face.Lady, you should look around when you're walking! Now i won't be able to walk properly! I hope you're willing to pay for the amount of clay I'll need for my foot to grow back to full size!some more djed slipped out of his mouth and turned into fire, making it look as if it was just the air that he exhaled.

There were 2 things that he was getting bored of in Nyka. He was really bored of people stepping or falling on him, scattering his parts all around and making him have to search for them. Second, the thing that had drawn to him Nyka to begin with which was the aperture and all the mysteries behind it, was sometimes meddling with his djed flow and causing him to either use some kind of magic without his consent or sometimes even change shapes randomly. But those were things he would have to put up with if he wanted to continue living in this city, and he really did. Still, he was really pissed that people were not careful when they were walking and it had become quite frequent that he feet, and hands would break while he was taking a stroll in the city.

The girl looked stunned from her encounter with Callistus. Well, of course, one wouldn't get the chance to break a small clay man's foot every day. She had obviously never seen a pycon before in her life. So, Callistus thought it would be funny to mess around with her for a while, just the small price she had to pay for breaking his foot.
''Yes...You better pay for it...'' he said as he started stretching his arms and legs. ''Or else you'll carry the curse of the clay man...FOREVER!'' he spread his four arms in a way that as he stretched them they would look at least two times bigger.

After that he started giggling. He had completely cooled off from the event by this time. You really don't have to, but i would appreciate it since i don't have any money with me. he smiled at the woman as he scratched his head with his top left hand.

by **Zandelia** on March 23rd, 2013, 6:44 pm

Zandelia’s face must have looked nonplussed as the small figurine of an entity appeared to become wrathful at her little indiscretion. It was true that she should have looked where she was going, she did for the most part, however she would never have been looking downwards for a creature she had never seen before. He was strange, surreal and amusing all rolled into one tiny parcel of clay. She watched him gather up what pieces of himself could be gathered and he…re-grew his damned foot! Her eye widened at that, she had never seen this kind of magic before – it had to be magic of course. Nothing else could animate clay as far as she knew – though she would be the first to admit her knowledge of the arcane arts was severely limited.

What an intriguing little…creature. He is patently to human and yet he reacts like one at every stage. Interesting to be sure but…what in the name of the Night’s mistress IS he? she considered him as she watched flame after tiny flame jettison from his mouth.

She decided to stay where she was and hope he didn’t accidentally singe her clothing. She would hate to have to pinch his mouth shut. She smiled at that then, wondering if it were even possible to do so. He was an amusing specimen, possessed of a dramatic flair for the ridiculous. Curse of the Clay Man indeed! She chuckled a little then, shoulders shaking with the effort of repression. Squatting down so that she could see into his, for want of a better definition, eyes she smiled and poked at his smaller foot before pulling back her finger.

“You are a fascinating little creature, aren’t you? And if I refuse…would I be cursed then too?” she asked with a little grin and tilt of the head.

Well, we can’t have any debts to our name can we Zandelia? she asked herself.

“Very well, I shall…repair…what I have done. I doubt that you’d make quick and…uninjured…time down there though so…” she trailed off.

Without hesitation she snaked out her hands and grasped the little man by the waist before straightening up and placing him upon her right shoulder. He wasn’t overly heavy, considerably lighter than she had imagined he would be in fact. It was almost like having a child upon her, carrying the one she had lost as in her nightmares. She shuddered at that and pushed the thought away with scorn. It was foolish to dwell upon the unchangeable. She held onto his legs gently so that he could maintain his balance on his perch.

“There, that’s better. I recall that the Western Quarter has much in the way of trade goods. I’m sure we can find some clay there,” she stated simply before taking off towards the bridge that connected the Celestial Square to the West, “what are you by the way? If I might ask? And why do you keep spouting flames like that, is it normal?” she asked quickly, one after the other as her intrigue got the better of her.

She shook her head.

“And where are my manners? You can call me Amelias. And you are…”