Closed Business Deals.

[Medhozic]

42nd Day of Winter, 513AV. Kalvin opened his mouth for the third time since the Ethaefal had walked in, and promptly closed it with a withering look from Medhozic. He never often came into the shop - there were too many distractions, trinkets and things of fancy to choose from that even when he had the coin; there was little that he could decide on needing, rather than simply wanting. And oh, was there a lot that he wanted. It was like being at the weapon smith's all over again. Quivers, and arrows. Bows, long and short, even composite with their edges folded back for more power. Crossbows as well - stuff that he could only dream of using. Then again, there would be nothing in the end that he would prefer over a simple bow. They were easy to work with, after all - none of this mechanical nonsense, with all the gears and pulleys.. it was just a recipe for danger. It was why, at the best, magic was useful in social situations. Battle-stuff though, that was just stupid. He hesitantly reached out, and pulled his hand back before his fingertips could graze the smooth leather of the archers greaves. Kalvin opened his mouth, and managed to get two words out. More than he had in the last few days that he'd ventured inside. It was slightly annoying when he did it - apparently the owner simply couldn't take the hint of the fact that he wasn't really interested in buying any of it. Well, he was, but he didn't want to end up wasting valuable money that could be used to bribe people so that they wouldn't kill him. Or so that they could give information on how to not get himself killed. Either way was good. "Those are--" "I know how much they are. They are the same as they were the last time that I came in here." He looked away, finally, from the stands around the cozy stop with another glare on the human. He wasn't going to back down, though - apparently he thought he could ease an Ethaefal into a sale as if he did not have awareness of his own opinions. "They're the best in--" "I don't care." "But--" "I really don't." His head tilted forwards just a few inches, so that those horns were lowered and the tips flashed just near the back in the morning sun passing through the windows. The shopkeeper took the hint - mainly, don't try to mess with the bull when it's got horns - and turned elsewhere, absently tidying his workstations and checking on the birds outside. And the Ethaefal returned to looking over the wares that were for sale, like a crow that couldn't pick out its preference in a pile of silver Miza's. He could just steal them - but he would never stoop so low. After all, there were standards, morals and social etiquette to be preserved. And if they were all thrown out of the window, everyone would just end up killing everyone else over the first crumb of food left in the street.

[Halona]

Halona Mabel Common | Canine | Thoughts A blonde haired girl entered the store with a grimance on her face. Why must a city with so many useful things reek? Halona wondered, ignoring the sharp exchange of words between another customer and the store keeper, Halona made a beeline to the arrows. Pondering which arrows were better barbed or regular, the Kelvic's amber eyes absently flicked over at the other customer before returning to the display of arrows. Horns... The thought entered her mind and exited without really registering the information. "Wait...horns?" She mumbled to herself puzzled. Looking up at the other person once more left her speechless. The beautiful man or creature before her was definitely not human, Halona wasn't even sure he was of this world. His appearance was odd, flawless skin, green horns, it was almost like the gods themselves had created him, whatever he was. He obviously did not belong, yet the clothing he wore was simple and of this land. Realizing she had been staring, mouth agape, she willed her mouth to form words. "Wha-what the heck are you?" She stammered. Rude or not, Halona didn't care the only thing on her mind was whether or not the being before her was real, it would be disappointing if it was just her imagination.

[Medhozic]

So absorbed was he, in his little game of window-shopping and imagining all the possibilities of the many different pieces of equipment available that he barely noticed the little girl stumbling inside and only taking in a few of the sights before focusing entirely on him. He could imagine the things possible.. how he could run through the forest canopy as if the branches were nothing more than stepping stones, and hit a deer through its eye from hundreds of metres away without a need for worry.. and how there would be nothing able to catch the fleetest, most dangerous Ethaefal in all of Syliras. And then the girl had to break apart all of his fantasies with her damn ignorance. It was discomforting to feel her eyes burying themselves into the back of his head and soon, even after trying to ignore her and unfortunately failing, the question that she gave was given a crisp and concise answer befitting for someone her obvious intellect. "I could ask you the same thing." He had absolutely no clue why, but he had a strange feeling about the girl. Regardless of the well-known hatred of the cities by the Kelvic folk, it seemed that one could not swing a cat in the city without finding a few of them, and most likely the cat would be a Kelvic too. Uncanny, also, was it in how each of them had a different way of moving and talking and generally trying to be the humans when compared to humans themselves. If this thing was in fact a Kelvic, it wasn't a feline by any stretch of the imagination - it had too little grace in its walk. Yes, it hadn't taken him long to figure out this far, but it did mean turning around and staring at her for several long, rather awkward moments with his piercing eyes. He drunk in everything that he could about her, in case he would need to identify her later, too - comparatively around the same height as him, and thin too. Almost unnatural amber eyes, a distinguishing feature. To someone with a preference she would have been somewhat of a catch, although one would most likely have to put up with more than their fair share by the chime of understanding that they'd met. Soon enough he turned back again, causing the curtain of hair that was held up by those horns to fall back and expose them a little more - especially around those sharpened tips. "Do you need anything from me or are you going to stand there and gawk."

[Halona]

Halona Mabel Common | Canine | Thoughts "Ask the same thing about me?" Halona repeated thoughtfully. "That's not much of an answer." The man's piercing stare was unnerving, and making her feel extremely uncomfortable but instinct kicked in. Interpreting his stare as some sort of challenge, the Kelvic stared back. Perceiving him turning away as a signal of his submission, Halona relaxed. She snorted, when he spoke again and crossed her arms, straightening her back in an attempt to look more assertive in her self-declared alpha role, "You submitted now answer my question. Who and what are you?"

[Medhozic]

He didn't bother turning back to her. His attention had switched to elsewhere - the displays, to be precise. Why did everyone have to try and challenge him for something.. or just push their luck as if it would get them anywhere other than into an early grave. "It wasn't supposed to be much of an answer." The less she knew about him, the better. And the more he knew about her, the higher chance he'd have of getting rid of her if she tried to get in his way. She probably would. The shopkeeper, unfortunately, seemed to try and invade on their privacy for the sake of courtesy. "Hello there, miss. Welcome to th--" "Can you not see that we are talking." He turned to Kalvin, and the man blinked several times in confusion. But apparently he got the message because he turned back to begin fletching the arrow he'd been working on when the Ethaefal had first walked in. "Alright, I'll leave you to it.." Now that concentration could return to the girl fully, he turned back again and stared, long and hard, at her attempts at asserting herself in the conversation with half-lidded eyes of mild displeasure amidst a blank, marble face. "Submitted. Do you think I would submit to one such as you.. and do you think I would do it without a fight." It was a serious question, a challenge of his own, that he made while slowly turning his upper body and taking a step closer to the girl, letting her take in the full features of his body - lithe, somewhat skinny but not malnourished. His shirt betrayed a hint of muscle tone beneath its thin surface. Of course, if only she knew.. "Do you think I would submit to a mere animal in human skin." He'd never disliked Kelvic before.. but that didn't mean he couldn't use the jab here to dishearten her and possibly insult. He wanted to get a reaction. Kalvin looked stressed over his shoulder, but once again, he'd been forgotten. "No. Because what I am is none of your business. Who I am, is none of your business. Do I make myself clear." Threateningly, his horns gleaned, even though they were curled backwards and were no use as real weapons. He had a kopis in his belt that was, though. And a shortbow looped over his back.

[Halona]

Halona Mabel Common | Canine | Thoughts "Not much of an answer?" She spat, "What's your deal? Why are you avoiding the question?" Was he hiding something? Running from someone? Was that why he refused to give out the most basic of info about himself? She wondered. She was jostled out of her thoughts when the storekeeper approached, barely getting out a word before "Tight-lips" a nickname she had made up to refer to secretive acquaintance, cut the poor man off and quickly sent him on his way. Maybe I should take to calling him Mr. Rude. She thought, giving "Tight-lip's" a sour look. "What you do that for Tigh- er...what's your name again? He turned his gaze upon her and Halona froze, like a thief caught red-handed. He was very intimidating...so much so it was almost scary. Averting her gaze she muttered "Ah...I only mean-" Breaking off as he rambled on about what she had said earlier. Halona mentally kicked herself and returned his stare unflinching. A fight he wanted? Well it was a fight he'd get. She could hear the seriousness in his tone, while she was not one to back down easily, she for one remembered where they where. A weapon's shop, she would not have the advantage. His step closer triggered a river of panicing thoughts flood her head. I'm a hunter, a Kelvic, I've never really been in a fight. Not with a real person anyway, not to mention I don't know anything about "Tight-lips". Most people don't make threats without being able to back them up. It could be a bluff...but still. She thought assessing her options. The insult and threat behind his final words not to mention his once fascinating, now very pointy green horns made her come to a quick decision. Back down. Though her eyes never left him and she attempted to hide the fact that he had shaken her, leaving her body with a uncontrollable tremble; she slowly broke her gaze, focusing her attention on the collection of arrows once more. "Whatever Tight-lips." She sneered over her shoulder. "Petching prick." She muttered under her breath, a little afraid he might actually hear. There was no way she was going to charge those horns again.

[Medhozic]

He shouldn't have been angry. He'd never been angry. Anger, pain, arrogance, they were all emotions that would weaken the mind in a time of need, cloud judgement and lead to mistakes. And mistakes were what got you killed. Mentally he cursed himself over and over again with foul names as he glared down at the girl that had ruined all of his self-imposed meditation with such prudish ignorance, and found his right hand twitching just above the handle of the short, curved blade hung from the side of his belt. It wasn't enough that she broke the eye-contact - he wasn't an animal like her. There was no reliance on 'dominance'. There was only the threat; the arrogance, the jealousy, the hatred that led to the eventual stand-off. He had no interest in being the one left to explain to the guards on suspicion of murder and trialed for it. And he had even less interest in being the said body that would be the focus of another's trial. Sometimes, it all just made him remember of the heavens. Where everything was so much simpler - at least there, you didn't have to worry about mortality. There were no sleepless nights, dagger in hand, waiting for the invisible assassins to arrive. No life-or-death situations, to kill or be killed. There was just the floating, watching.. the blissful ignorance. But he had to remember where he was, and who he was. Because here, all those things meant absolutely nothing. Memories of a dream. And now, the nightmare. All of his strength poured into his next words. "I don't have time for this." He didn't - there was no time to argue with people who continuously, constantly tried to undermine his abilities. Or those that would push and push at his mental barriers to stimulate response. He should have been above all of that. He should have been emotionless, blank, completely unresponsive and impregnable to their taunts and their boasts. So, he would be. Without another word, he turned and left the store in calm, but rapid steps; his arm nearly brushed the girls, but he turned to avoid it at the last second, only leaving a quick gust of air as his cloak struggled to catch up with the rest of his body. He wouldn't turn back, he wouldn't be seen as the idiot. Not when she had tipped the balance so far. Kalvin looked on with an inaudible sigh of relief before turning over to Halona expectantly. At least the tension had been.. somewhat relieved with his absence.

[Halona]

Halona Mabel Common | Canine | Thoughts The Kelvic blinked with surprise. He didn't have time for this? Then what did he have time for exactly? She wondered, baffled. Not daring to ask, she silently watched as the man left the store. Once he had gone, she let out a breath she hadn't been aware she had been holding. "Don't let the door hit in the arse on the way out." She scoffed. How dare he talk down to me? The nerve of some people I swear... Must be something in the air that's sprouting all these rude Sylirans. She thought fuming, hands clenching and un-clenching by her sides. If I ever see him again I'll give him a real piece of my mind. Then we'll see who gets the last word. Through her anger the fact remained that she hoped she never met that person ever again or any people like him. Being in his presence made her feel weak, and inferior. Halona wasn't the only one relieved at "Tight-lips" exit, someone else's sigh caught her attention and she turned. It was the storekeeper. "Glad that piece of work left? So am I." Finding nothing else relatively interesting, she left the store five chimes later.

[Medhozic]

Thankfully, he didn't hear her last remarks. But he was still clenching his fists all the way up to the gates, where he could finally escape into the forests and relieve some of his tension on small woodland animals. *** Bells passed. He didn't mind - hunting made the chimes and the bells fade together, under the gentle rays of Syna that managed to breach the canopy of ferns and underbrushes. That was the only thing that showed the passing of time, after a while - the slanting of the shadows cast over the wet ground beneath his feet, as he silently passed with the bow drawn and an arrow pulled back along the drawstring. He could tell that he was close - the tracking was becoming more and more natural. Smaller signs opened up more knowledge, although there was still plenty more he could learn. From the signs that he'd seen along the way - small droppings, even a footprint here or there held in by the small smattering of rain - he should have been following something along the lines of a small deer. He couldn't be sure, the prints were wide and somewhat deep, meaning he could be sure that it would be something bigger than a squirrel or a rabbit. At the same time.. well, one could never be so sure out in the Bronze Woods. He'd come across small game on his way, but nothing particularly large, and nothing that he could catch. Rabbits and other small game could hide away surprisingly effectively under small bushes and other hiding spots - you'd barely notice that they were even there until you practically stepped on one and left it to run away like a speeding arrow. And once they took off, you'd never catch it down. The secret - he knew - was to catch it from high above and shoot them down when they made themselves known. And to do that, one would either have to be incredibly skilled or incredibly talented - or just a helping of both. Eventually, he found it. He'd been right, for once. A doe stood not too far off, nibbling away at some small vegitation that had miraculously survived the dropping temperatures. It's head was bowed, and all concentration focused down on the small morsel - it barely budged as he carefully creeped up, bow lifted and arrow tightened into a slight overdraw, to compensate for the distance between them. Until he stepped a little too far, and the wet ground squelched with a distinctive little snap as fallen branches just beneath its surface snapped. The arrow launched, but the doe had turned tail and rushed off before the thing even hit the bark - another was thrown after it, but likewise missed. And so, cursing, he was forced to trudge over the small bushes and collect the two arrows from their wooden holsters. Petch. If only...

[Halona]

Halona Mabel Common | Canine | Thoughts The forest was her home, her sanctuary, a wild expanse of wilderness separating her from the suffocating reek of Syliras. Steadily maneuvering her way through the snowy woods in nothing more than fur having ditched her clothing, bow and quiver a few paces behind at the base of a pine tree, she absently followed one of her hunting trails. She breathed deeply relishing in the beauty of her forest, letting herself fall into its distinct musical rhythm of the shrill chirps and calls of the few stubborn songbirds that refused to migrate in the winter, listened to the trees gentle swaying of their branches and the rustling ferns of the underbrush as small animals fled the premises upon her approach. "The beauty of winter." She said in awe. "Who knew something so cold could be so beautiful." A gentle frosty downwind breeze ruffled her fur carrying the strong scent of deer put her nature walk on hold. "Prey..." She remarked licking her lips in anticipation. Before she could take another step her intended meal charged past her. Leaving Halona to wonder just what had spooked it. But not one to let a golden opportunity slip out of her jaws when it presented itself, she gave chase. No where near as fast as her quarry, the wolf instead relied on her endurance. The harsh winter had been hard on animals such as deer and it showed, as the animal was emaciated and didn't have the energy for the chase. It hadn't been five chimes into the hunt before the hoofed mammal made a mistake, miscalculating the timing on its jump clear a fallen tree its right back leg failed to make it over. It went down, falling awkwardly head first into the snow drift ahead. Seizing her chance, Halona leaped easily over the obstacle before darting forward and clamping strong jaws around its right ankle. Screaming the doe struggled to her hoofs and started forward desperately, dragging the wolf along. Biting down hard the Kelvic began to viciously shake the doe's limb to a fro resulting in the sickening crack of bone breaking, following another agonized shriek emitting from the now crippled doe. Thrown off by a kick the wolf flew backwards slamming head first into the log she had cleared not moments before. Crumpling to the frozen ground, the wolf dazed blinked once before her vision that had gone fuzzy at the edges descended into darkness. oocSorry I was taking so long to post. I'll try to post more regularly.