Can it get any more awkward? (Ximal)

[Aleksi]

Spring, 54, 513

Aleksi took a deep breath and stretched lightly on her Strider, before gripping onto its mane as a support so she could jump off. It was quite cold, in her opinion during the night so her cloak was still on. Rolling her eyes at the ever so bright sun, she frowned and moved her hands up to her neck, undoing the cloak, pulling it off and tucking it into the bag on her Strider's back. That was a very long and boring trip, she thought to herself before slowly tapping the horse's side and whispering Come kitten to the large feline next to her. It seemed as if this young Drykas was lost in her thoughts once again, probably trying to find some form of a logic patter which the slavers that took her Kelvic friend away would follow. Sadly, the plotting, if one could call it that, was interrupted by a growl in her stomach. She was hungry and tired. She needed to sit put in this place for a bit, maybe even gather some information on who has been passing through and meet someone that could help her out. That idea made her sick, but oh well, it was worth it. Of course, with all of that growling in her stomach and thinking, she had little time to pay attention to the road which she was taking, and was highly likely to bump into anything or anyone in her way...

[Ximal]

A cool wind sparked through the air outside of nyka, failing to be able to train under his own volition within the city walls, Xi had resorted to training outside, the cold air not making much difference after a winter in the spires, with it's horrendous ice storms. Still Xi wasn't going to stop. Hefting a log from the ground thick almost a foot in diameter onto his shoulders Xi levelled it out across both shoulders resting it against the back of his neck. Xi sucked down a deep breath and took a slow jog along the road leading away from nyka. Not leaving but being able to be awake and active during the period where the city was under lock down had become a factor for him, ever since the seventeenth, sleep had not come as easily. He'd left his bow staff and other weapons in his room a long with a few other things. Knowing full well that the only one who could possibly pilfer it wasn't close to it. Alright here we go. Xi pulled down a deep breath and began a brisk jog down the road lifting the long every couple steps and twisting his shoulders with it to increase his sense of balance. Jogging ahead Xi closed his eye's lightly trying to both centre his mind and keep the pattern of his movements however when he felt himself crash into someone. That wasn't good...Crap now i gotta apologize. Xi opened his eye's beneath his dark hood letting the deep black blue eye's sparkle out in the moon light. "Sorry about that..." Xi's tone was low and his eyes dark and hard like cut sapphire.

[Aleksi]

Aleksi's slow walk that morning suddenly turned into her darkest nightmare. Since she was doing what every Drykas knew not to, and that is wander about her mind while she's out in the open, she found herself on the ground, at least a foot away from where she was, with just blackness before her eyes and no air in her lungs. It took her a long two minutes to pull herself together enough to hear Luc growling protectively at something standing above her. It seemed like a tower, really, but when she heard it speak, she just rolled her eyes. It was a human... or something of a sort. Her fingers moved over her body, along her chest to see if she was still in one piece before with a heavy inhale, making her way into a sitting position. By then, she could see enough to notice that it was a male. Or well, she thought it was because of the size and the voice behind it, but she couldn't really see the face. Coughing a few times and panting, she added Luc, down, clearly speaking to the cat. Her first thought was to yell at the thing that knocked her over, but her Drykas moral told her not to. After all, she was not paying attention to her surroundings either, which is why she did not move out of the way. It is fine... sort of... I wasn't paying attention either, she added, hoping that the encounter wouldn't last too long, since she was too tired for the politeness

[Ximal]

Xi looked down at the small woman before him now on the ground. Or at least he assumed it was a woman. The long silence seemed to pass but Xi felt the gaze of a large cat growling at him. Xi simply turned his head lightly and flicked a gaze at the cat a hard look of stony fury glaring down at the beast. Then he heard her voice lightly come out to tell the cat to back down. The combination of her words and the gaze of shooting daggers fired at the cat caused it to do as much. Xi tilted his gaze back to the woman he'd knocked over,. Now fairly certain it was a woman after hearing the voice, Xi let his gaze linger on her catching a small fleck of irritation but it quickly faded as her voice came forth again. commenting on a mutual lack of attention. Xi glanced at her for a few moments before rolling his shoulders to the side and letting the log slide off with a large and loud but very dull thud. Xi then extended his hand towards her in a gesture to try and help her up from the ground. Well now i know that even cats can be tamed, though how i don't know. "Still my bad. And nice pet, seems pretty protective of it's master." Xi tilted his head lightly beneath his hood the two deep black blue eye's glaring out lightly with the reflective shine of moon light. "Are you headed to nyka ? "

[Aleksi]

Aleksi didn't much appreciate the man's glare at Luc, but she did understand it, since it was quite common. Her fingers moved through the cat's fur before whispering in its ear Good kitten and the let her gaze move back to the man. She saw him nearly toss the large piece of wood off his shoulders as if it was nothing and without her noticing, it made her lips curl into an impressed smile. Shaking her head a bit, she grabbed his hand, somewhat unwillingly, since she hated getting help from others, but there was not much she could do with almost no air in her lungs. Clearly, the encounter would last longer than she had hoped it to, as she heard the man ask questions and keep apologizing. Well, at least he was polite and not overly pushy, as of yet. Luc has been with me for 5 years, ever since she was about this big, she gestured about 20 cm with her hands before continuing to speak So he is used to me, but not many other people, so yes, he is very protective she then looked up, trying to see the man's eyes clearly before adding And yes, I am headed there, are you as well?

[Ximal]

Xi glanced at her hand brushing through the cat's fur, and the slight words spoken to calm it down. Though Xi did not fail to notice the small smile at him dropping most of a tree like it was nothing. Though as she accepted his hand he hefted the small woman from the ground. she was much lighter than he had expected and slightly shorter than even his blonde haired friend who now was hospitalized. Xi took a deep breath and hefted the log back onto his shoulders. Well she's made her point she'd been with that cat for five years. And since it was very small. Xi smirked lightly and made sure his face was kept under the darkness of his hood. At least her explanation as to why the creature was so protective of her made sense. As it turned out the woman was headed towards nyka as well. Interesting? Would he see her at the hostel ? "Well since I crashed into you i may as well show you the way there. I'm currently staying in nyka too. Though normally people aren't allowed out after dark." Xi thought he'd better leave the statement there, lest she pry into why he was out. Xi turned to the side lightly and made a gesture for her to walk along side him. Only then when he moved so she was out of his shadow did he notice her frame. She was small but hard, but in a lithe and agile sort of way. Fighters build. Xi rolled that over in his head. angling his head a little so that the lower half of his face could be seen in the moon light Xi cracked a small grin. "I take it your a fighter. Mostly because of the build you have. Are you strong ?"

[Aleksi]

His words about people not being allowed out after dark got her interest. She was not sure why, what happened to make it that way, but she was familiar with the attitude, since Endrykas was like that as well, quite often. She still couldn't help herself but look in amazement as he lifted the log back up on his shoulder. Nodding at the gesture, Aleksi started walking next to the strange man. He seemed a bit too polite for a man his size and his treatment of the law, so she stayed on guard in case he decided to pull off something funny. Her eyes were mostly on the road, but she did notice him glancing at her quite a few times. It made her wander if something strange was on her. Was she dirty? Were her clothes ripped? Was she bleeding? Didn't seem so... Him asking the next question made it all quite clear, but she didn't mind it, unlike usual. Only because the man made a comment about her having a fighter body. She nodded proudly and smiled, adding I am a fighter, yes... a hunter as well, from Endrykas... and as for the strength.. for my size, after a smirk, she continued .. for my size, I think I am, yes

[Ximal]

Was it all that strange to see him lift the log onto hos shoulders ? After all it wasn't too heavy to him at least, still Xi walked with her taking a very easy not of the look of amazement gracing her features. Not entirely sure of what to do at that point Xi Simpy took a deep breath and soldiered on. Occasionally taking the odd strange warm up and limbering step. He was both training and escorting someone. Still it appeared that occasionally er eye's had caught his glances at her trying to decipher her form. But her answer to his question was slightly long winded but direct. So she was a fighter, and a hunter. Endrykas ? Did that make her on of the "drykas" he'd heard about ? Xi smirked quite largely at her last statement about her strength for her size. Xi shifted the log on his shoulders a little. He'd kept both hsi frame hidden as well as his face. He chuckled and spoke quietly. "Well would you care to test that theory ? See if you are strong for your size ? I'm not that skilled but i can hold my own in a challenge." Xi's eye's tilted slightly and the deep black blue met her light green ones. Anda small twinkle lit up sparking the signal of a challenge.

[Aleksi]

She chuckled at the occasional glance from the man, especially when he caught her own on him. There was something strange about this man, something that reminded her of her brothers, of her family. Her feet were moving calmly, followed by the feline that seemed as if he was actually mumbling in a grumpy matter at her relaxed attitude towards the other human. Her strider was a couple of feet in front of them, a bit more at ease than the cat. His words brought even more curiosity within her. What exactly did he have in mind? Could she trust him? Was she really as strong as she thought she was? What if she embarassed herself? Did it even matter? A challenge was a challenge and she would never be able to say no to one. Her eyes literally started sparkling at the thought of a battle of any sort. She grinned and nodded happily, before adding I am always up for a challenge, but I must admit, not even my father was a man your size... and he was the one who trained me.... Just after saying that, she noticed that it might sound a bit... offensive, so she lowered her gaze and mumbled quietly And that was meant as a compliment

[Ximal]

Xi kept walking along side her, awaiting a response from her, his eye's watching both her and ahead switching between the two every so often, the smirk on Xi's face not really fading and the log across his shoulders sitting well. And then he saw it, the acceptance, the glitter of willingness. So she would challenge him. Xi knew she'd say that even before she spoke judging from just her eye's alone. As she spoke though she confirmed his thoughts though she admitted she hadn't seen anyone his size before. Was there any human his size out there ? besides the arrogant fool he'd quashed on the ninth. Though Xi was a little wary, he'd remembered his fight with zand, she was fast for her size but that speed had fallen during the trip to nyka the gap closing and Xi ending up surpassing her. Still he didn't know the extend of this woman next to him and her slight slip of the tongue she'd thought he'd take as an insult, but no he didn't . In fact it was more of a compliment tan anything else. "No insult taken and thanks for the compliment. it is rare to find someone my size...so I wear my height with a little pride. And as for this challenge. it would be a little unfair with this log on my shoulders." Xi smirked and rolled the log off before standing it up and then letting it drop flat. Xi snapped his neck slightly before unlacing the tie of his cloak and sliding it free to reveal his physique beneath. Now his face fully visible in the dull glow of the moon light. A wry smile upon his face. The steel bracers on his forearms and the steel greaves on his legs. He never left without it. Or the two stone's he'd been given but those were fore special occasions. Xi lifted his hands and pushed the hair strands back out of his face before letting his arms fall to his sides.