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[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow 9th Day of Fall 514 AV W ithin the small confines of the canvas tent, small whimpers of distress could be heard by those with sensitive hearing. The dark sorrel Bloodbane tethered near the camp turned his ears towards the sound, snorting softly before lowering his head back towards the greenery at his feet. The early morning light would have been a wonderful sight to have seen...had the occupant of the one person tent been awake to enjoy it and not suffocating in her own subconscious mind. The damp, wet, moldy smell permeated from everywhere. Nausea had long since become a constant companion to her. She couldn’t remember when she’d been able to hold down a meal, or when the last time she’d eaten. The freezing metal collar around her neck felt like a hangman’s noose, ever slowly tightening till her last wheezing breath escaped her lungs. The ship rocked upward suddenly and Saraphina was thrown against the nearby wall. Pain radiated up her spine and through her ribs, blinding her and sucking the wind from her chest. The Kelvic curled into a helpless ball and trembled, sucking in great gulping breaths to try and keep from vomiting all over herself again. A creak and click from the door above her made her heart stutter in her chest and Saraphina weakly lifted her eyes. Thick soled, heavy leather boots descended the stairs as a dark haired man with a long jagged scar across his left cheek stepped onto the prisons floor. A thick oak walking stick was held by the marred man and a cruel smirk twisted the demonic features even more, “Ready to try again Love?” She pushed herself to her knees and looked to Nicholi’s face. The pirates skin suddenly started to melt like hot wax, his eyes glowed like two burning pieces of coal till nothing remain but a bleached human skull, grinning wickedly with fire spewing from the hinged jaw…… S creaming at the top of her lungs and blindly thrashing about, Saraphina Skyglow violently woke up. The bedroll had tangled around her arms and legs during her rest and in her panicked state, it was almost choking her. Kicking, rolling and fighting ferociously, Saraphina battled her way out of the entrapping sleeping bag and scrambled to the furthers corner of her tent she could find. Trembling so hard her teeth clacked together, the ginger pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, rocking back a forth while mindlessly muttering over and over, “Just a dream….it’s just a dream…..” It had felt SO real though, so vivid and lifelike. Saraphina had sworn that she felt exactly like she’d been back in that stinking hold when she’d woken up. Breathing deeply and trying desperately to calm her racing heart and shaking muscles, the Kelvic buried her face in her legs. After about half a bell of soft reassurances to herself and listening to the woodland sounds around her, Saraphina uncurled herself from her fetal position ball. Her legs where cramped and her mouth was dry, but she’d managed to avoid bursting into hot tears during her temporary dream induced meltdown. Though her hands still shook a bit, she managed to rearrange her bedroll so it didn’t look like a wild badger had snuck in it and gotten trapped. Looking over the item, Saraphina was glad she hadn’t torn any of the seams, it would have been annoying to replace. F inally feeling calmer, Saraphina untied the straps holding the flap of her tent closed and stepped out into the early morning. Abaccus turned his long face towards her as she exited, nicking softly at her. She managed a smile towards the dark sorrel horse and stretched her arms above her head. Glancing towards Enthere’s camp, she was surprised to find her friend missing. The Cougar Kelvic must have left very earlier this day for Saraphina not to have heard…..either that or her deep, nightmare induced sleep had made her oblivious to activities outside her own mind. She noticed the brown horse of Enthere’s was also gone, the two of them must have gone into town or taken a walk into the forest. It was of no concern of hers, truthfully she was somewhat glad Enthere hadn’t been around to hear her screams. It would have been awkward and far too personal to try and explain the reasons behind her horrific dreams. S araphina was completely nude as she moved about her small campsite. As both Enthere and she were Kelvic, neither felt any shame at wander around without clothes on. Besides that, after her nightmare Saraphina was coated in a sheen of sweat and the smell of terror. Not something she was happy about. Gathering up her comb, brush, razor and bar of soap, she stuck them all in her backpack. Walking back to her mount, she untied Abaccus and led him down to the small stream that flowed near the Kelvics campsite. The trickling sound of crystal water helped to further calm Saraphina’s jumping nerves, the fresh air filled her lungs as she inhaled deeply. The air around Zeltiva had cooled with the shifting season, something she was most grateful for. The heat of the city was so trying sometimes. Securing Abaccus to a small sapling so he could drink from the brook as she bathed, Saraphina stepped into the shallow and chilly water. She emerged from the stream after washing off all traces of her fearful state from her body. Now rather cold and trembling for a completely different reason, Saraphina darted back to her tent to gather her clothing. T he dash dried most of the water from her skin and after dressing, she felt a great deal better. Wander back to the stream to collect her items and her horse, she spent a few minutes combing her hair before turning to Abaccus, “Well…we have work to do Abaccus. While this has been a lovely rest, I still need to find some ways to get Mizas. Otherwise we’re both going to have issues come winter. Let’s head to the city and see what’s around, shall we.” Saddling Abaccus was trickier than she thought. The Bloodbane kept moving away whenever she tried to hosit the saddle onto his back and the blanket would shift every time he danced away. Dropping the saddle and grabbing the brindle firmly, she tied Abaccus to a tree on a short lead to keep him still. Managing to place the saddle and tighten the girth, she wrapped the reins around the horse thick neck and put a foot in one of the stirrups. The stallion started walking swiftly as Saraphina tried to step up and sling her leg across his back, but she managed to mount her horse without falling to the ground. T he ride into the city was uneventful. Abaccus seemed to have had his fun with her earlier and offered no further trouble to the inexperienced rider. Perhaps the Bloodbane instinctively sensed that Saraphina was still shaken from her dream and decided to go easy on the Tiger Kelvic. Either way, Saraphina made it to Zeltiva without incidents. The tall horse made her view of the streets much more impressive. She heard a few conversation that held excitement for a coming event, something called the Fall Festival? Saraphina tilted her head in interest and made a note to get some more information on that. But for now, she was looking for some work. As she guided Abaccus through the streets, a middle aged man and a somewhat younger looking girl caught her attention. They appeared to be having an argument with each other. Pulling Abaccus off to the side, she dismounted and moved herself and her horse closer to hear the conversation. "She was taken Baltog, I can feel it in my bones! It was that horrible Jeramiah, the one that’s been hanging about and looking at her with wicked thoughts in his head! We have to get her back! No matter the cost!” The elder man Saraphina figured was Baltog scowled darkly at the distraught women and the tiger Kelvic frowned. There was something off with how he acted, something she couldn’t quite figure out. Decided to intervene, she spoke up, ”Forgive me, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. I am acting as a hired hand and I would be willing to help you with your trouble if you want, provided that you are still willing to pay for it. My name is Saraphina....might I ask what has happened? Who was taken and why?” This certainly looked like it could turn into a paying job for her. Hopefully it wouldn't involve too much risk, though with the way she'd woken up, Saraphina was getting the impression that the day just wasn't going to go her way.

[Dulute Jadesmith]

Land. So much land. It went on for miles, encompassing every field of Duluute's vision. There wasn’t a drop of water to be seen, let alone a fish to gorge upon. All he could do was wander and hope he stumbled upon something…anything…as long as it had water. The best he could come up with after several time passages was a miniscule puddle barely big deep enough to cover his fingertip. Without warning - even from himself - Duluute leaped at the puddle. There had to be more underneath. Perhaps an underwater storage of ground water he just had to dig up.

Digging and digging and flinging up dirt, he only found himself staring at more land. Even worse, the more he dug, the more the puddle sunk into the hole. With one last push Duluute thrust his arm forward only to wake up pointing at the ceiling. Bringing his hand down, he clutched his face for a moment to be sure he wasn’t still dreaming. Too many a time had he awoken to find himself the subject of multi layered dreams. His stomach told him he was indeed awake today.

He didn’t bother attempting to decipher the dream. Duluute had long since realized rationalizing his imagination was an entirely futile effort. Instead he focused his attention on picking up something for his breakfast. As he didn’t care to walk all the way to the fish market for food, he decided to simply eat the inn’s breakfast for once. After he had his fill of scrambled eggs and biscuits, Duluute finally left to start the day.

By now the land dream had long since been forgotten, with the only retrievable image being digging into the hole. He couldn’t help but wonder why he could never recall his dreams shortly after waking up. However, his attention would draw away from his own thoughts when he found himself standing before an unusual four-legged creature. It looked familiar and Duluute was sure he should have known what it was, but his mind couldn’t place the word for it. After spending so much time around fish and the ocean, he’d completely forgotten about his fellow land mammals – including the ones who were a common sight in the city.

”What it is isn’t important. More importantly, what is it doing around here?”

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow S araphina’s interruption of the arguing couple made them both turn towards her. She stood her ground and boldly met their eyes, unflinching at the slight curl that Baltog’s lip took as he realized she wasn’t human. The red haired ignored the distasteful body language the male displayed and turned her attention to the women instead. The elder lady was wringing her fingers together and biting her lip in hesitation, as though she wasn’t sure if she should speak to the Kelvic. Saraphina felt Abaccus shift impatiently behind her, something that she mentally reflected and arched an eyebrow at the couple. Baltog cleared his throat and finally spoke in a gruff voice heavy with dislike, “My wife Bethany is overreacting, I’m sure it’s nothing that we can’t take care of on our own.” Saraphina frowned. The shrieking conversation hadn’t given her that indication. Was this man simply unwilling to employ a women or was it the fact that she was a Kelvic that changed his mind? Her thoughts were cut short as the greying haired Bethany butted into the conversation with a shilly, annoyingly high pitched voice that made Saraphina’s ears hurt.”Baltog!! Stop it at once. We need to find Liliandra!! Honestly….your opinions about others are going to get you killed one of these days.” B ethany flinched a bit as her husband turned a cold glare onto her but kept speaking regardless, “We will gladly take up your offer of help, young lady. I am Bethany Pelton and this is my husband Baltog Pelton. We were speaking about our daughter Liliandra Pelton. Our child is a beautiful, dark haired young women. She is very spirited and passionate, she’s our whole world. But there is a man that’s been sniffing around our innocent daughter, Jeramiah. And I just know in my heart that he’s kidnapped our precious Liliandra and taken her to some dark place to do...do horrible things to her. Please Miss Saraphina…..please say you’ll help us find our Liliandra and bring her back home! I’ll pay you coin from my own pocket if that’s what you want!” The Kelvic perked up a bit at the offer of money. She wasn’t a greedy person, simple tastes and desires formed her life. But she still needed to live, essentials needed to be purchased and now she had a mount to care for. Money was needed which meant, despite the fact that Baltog was clearly a racist bastard, Saraphina could ill afford to turn down the job. A fter a few moments, she nodded and Bethany almost looked like she would collapse to the ground in a puddle out of relief. Baltog was silent and not so subtly glaring at Saraphina. The ginger ignored the elder man, she had no use for closed minded people.”I’ll search for your daughter and try to bring her back. Be warned though, if this Jeramiah is a dark a person as you say, your daughter’s life may already have been ended. Regardless, I will do everything I can. I need some more information from you before I can begin. Can you tell me more about this man you think took her? Where does he live? How did he come to meet you daughter? And do you have any idea where he might have taken her?” Bethany chewed her lip in thought and looked confused, like the idea of knowing more about the situation never occurred to her. Baltog choose that moment to break his soundlessly and spoke in a snide voice, “Jeramiah is a hunter as far as I know. He’s skilled enough at tracking and a good shot with a bow….or so he claimed boldly whenever he was around Liliandra. His home is down by the docks, a rundown shack with an old red door. His Father lives with him, don’t ask his name I don’t know it. I don’t know how the two met, but Jeramiah began to call on my daughter after the Summer Festival. I assume that is where they crossed paths for the first time. As to where they might be now…..isn’t that what my wife is paying you to find out?” B altog looked at Saraphina with unbridled disgust and the Kelvic briefly wondered how much trouble she’d get into if she beat the man to a bloody pulp. Shaking the thought away, she turned back to Bethany. If she had to deal with her husband anymore, she might just abandoned the job altogether, “I’ll begin by looking at Jeramiah’s home. There may be some clues in there as to where he may have taken your daughter. Is there something Liliandra would have on her that she wouldn’t take off, something I can bring back to you….if the worst should have happened?” Bethany looked green and sickly in the face at the prospect that her daughter might be dead and Saraphina felt a bit more sympathy for the couple, even if Baltog was an insufferable ass. The elder women wrung her hands together in distress and her eyes darted about before she spoke in a quiet voice, “Liliandra has a pearl brooch that she wears all the time. It was my Mothers and I passed it onto her when she came of age. Please!! Please bring my daughter back to me!!” Saraphina glanced between the two and nodded before walked away. Abaccus followed behind her, snorting softly and she thought about the job she’d just accepted. There was something off about the couple, something she couldn’t quite figure out. Maybe her investigation into their daughter’s disappearance would shed some light on the situation. For now, Saraphina’s destination was the dock district. S he started to head down to the area when a young man caught her attention. It was his hair that really caught her eye, a woolly, curly mass that sort of looked like the fur of a sheep. He was staring at her…..no wait…..he wasn’t staring at her, he was looking at Abaccus with rapt fascination. Finding his interest rather amusing, Saraphina chirped out in a cheerful and sarcastically friendly voice, “If you keep looking at my horse like that, he might sprout wings and fly away. Or he might get offended and trample you. Haven’t you ever seen a horse before?” She grinned after speaking, showing off her pointed canine teeth, before extending out her hand towards Duluute and jerking her head back over her shoulder towards the stallion behind her, “I’m Saraphina, this is Abaccus. I’m heading down to the docks. If you want, you can sit on Abaccus, he shouldn’t fuss too much if I’m leading him.” Offering to take the young man for a ride might have been a bit bold, but the Kelvic hadn’t met anyone new in a while and having someone knew ride her mount might help to tame Bloodbane a bit.

[Dulute Jadesmith]

"It doesn't appear to have the fins for swimming," Duluute continued to ponder. "Then again, neither do I and I swim fine. Still, I doubt it would take the trouble to paddle all the way here from some unknown destination." Shrugging it off, Duluute decided he was simply thinking to much. If he wanted to know so badly he could have just asked himself. From the looks of it, the horse already had an owner.

It was a fair skinned woman, roughly as tall as he was - which was saying something - with long orange locks and a surprisingly muscular physique. She looked like she could wrestle him to the ground if given the chance. Duluute assumed she was a hunter. Perhaps the strange four legged creature was her hunting partner or even a souvenir from one of her travels.

This thought only piqued Duluute's interest even more, and he was about to go and address the woman when he noticed she was already speaking to two others. It looked like a personal conversation. Duluute didn't want to interrupt so he thought it best to take his leave. As he passed by, however, he overheard a bit of what they were saying, although couldn't understand half of it. All he really comprehended was the name...Liliandra.

"Isn't that the girl Jeramiah was always with?" he wondered. He remembered both Jeramiah and Lilandra from his days working with his father back at the docks. He would often see them while he and his father were departing for their day-to-day hauls. Though he didn't know them personally, a friend of his had once told him it was better to avoid their company. Specifically that of Jeramiah, though he had no idea why. They lived in the same district afterall so it was nearly impossible to ignore his presence.

Looking back out of curiosity, Duluute's attention drew from Lilandra when he abruptly found the name of the land creature flying into his brain. "It's a horse," he said as he snapped his fingers in sudden remembrance. The happiness he felt for this was soon replaced by surprise when he realized how simple a name horse was to remember. How had he managed to forget such a rudimentary term after his mother had spent so much time drilling it into his head?

His thoughts dissipated when he realized the horse's owner had her eyes directed towards him. Addressing him in a strange slurry voice that didn't seem to match her appearance - Duluute assumed she must have been from some foreign city- the woman playfully taunted Duluute's fascination with a common horse. Duluute wasn't afraid to admit his lack of experience with land creatures. "Actually, I haven't seen a horse before. At least not for many seasons. The only creatures I ever see either breathe water or are avid swimmers."

By now he had walked up to stand directly before the woman. That's when he noticed her other unusual features. As she smiled at him, he noticed she was sporting severely overly developed canines. He also noticed that her eyes seemed to reflect some unusual quality he couldn't quite place. However, he did know that they complemented the teeth perfectly to give her the appearance of a vicious beast. He tried not to dwell on this too much, though he couldn't help glancing at the canines.

The woman introduced herself as Saraphrina and was even gracious enough to give the horse's name. In fact, she was in such a good mood that she offered Duluute a ride on her horse. "I appreciate the offer, but I would rather walk on my own legs than be carried like a small child. Not to offend Abaccus, but I don't quite trust that he wouldn't drop me as soon as I got on."

As he said this he came around and reached out a gentle hand to touch the horse's side. It was the first time in years he had touched fur that wasn't sown into a coat. "I still haven't told you my name have I?" Turning back to Saraphina, he held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Duluute, native born son of Zeltiva. I don't quite remember seeing you around the city before. Are you a new visitor?"

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow S araphina took Dulute’s hand in a firm shake, smiling in a friendly manner even as the olive skinned man’s scent changed a bit to a more cautious air. That was understandable, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of her slightly predatory appearance or the fact that he freely admitted he’d never seen a horse before. She’d be wary too if she was approaching an animal she was unfamiliar with. Still, Dulute was bold enough to give Abaccus a pat on the neck and the Bloodbane turned his head toward the Zeltivan, large nostrils sniffing curiously at the young male. Saraphina chuckled quietly to herself and responded lightly, “That’s understandable, Abaccus has tossed me around more than a few times. I’m…relatively new to the city. I arrived last season, but I stay in a campsite in the Mirthal Pass. I usually only come into the city on business or for work. Speaking of which, I’ve been asked to find a young girl named Liliandra. Her parents seem to think that she’s gone missing with a man named Jeramiah. If you’re a resident of Zeltiva you might have heard of them before. I was going to head down to the docks and take a look at Jeramiah’s resident, would you care to join me. The company would be appreciated if nothing else.” The docks weren’t far away, so walking would be fine. She loosed the saddle girth on Abaccus so he’d be more comfortable, if she wasn’t riding him, the horse might as well be happy. B eginning to lead her horse towards the lower part of the city and assuming that Dulute choose to follow along, Saraphina glanced at him and took a better look at her new companion. He was tall, almost as tall as her and had a well-toned body, though he didn’t carry himself in the manner of a fighter. There was a surprising grace to the way Dulute walked, one that was similar to her own. But of course, no human could quite match the natural fluid movement she portrayed. He worn simple clothes, which gave no hint as to his status or postion in the city. Sometimes she could tell the wealthy and working class apart, but not always. That was the trouble with judging based on outwards appearing, things were not always what they first appeared to be. That was why she tried very hard to have an open mind about the world and the people in it. Thus far it hadn’t bit her too badly….the incident with Nicholi being the exception. Though that was a poor example as she’d never welcomed the pirates attentions or presence in her life. T he docks were a messy, ramshackle conglomeration of empty warehouses, tattered tents and sagging buildings. It was not a place she would have wanted to live, but she knew there were many who didn’t have a choice. The crowds were thinner here and the presences of her horse made anyone walking towards her swerve to the side. That suited the Kelvic just fine as she was focused on trying to find the supposed house with the red door that belonged to Jeramiah and his Father. The housing area of the docks all looked similar to her. Worn, dirty brown wooden houses with roofs that sagged inward and a deposit of crates, nets and barrels scattered in front of them. Some had small fishing boats that were turned upside down. Glancing at them as she passed by, she saw several with holes in them and one that a small boy poked his head out of. Sighing softly and turning to Dulute, assuming that the young man had followed the mercenary Kelvic, she asked him bluntly, “I’m looking for a house with a red door in this area. Any clue as to where it might be?”

[Dulute Jadesmith]

Duluute expected to feel curved fingers when he shook Saraphina's hand. Instead she gave him a hand that felt like it could have been from any of his fisherman friends. Her skin still held the feminine charm, but the power drew immediate surprise. Even more so was the fact that she had nails long and sharpened like claws. She was looking less and less human to him by the moment.

As it turned out, Saraphina was a visitor, but she wasn't exactly living in the city. Apparently she had a house outside the city walls, only coming into the city for business reasons. In fact, she was on business as she spoke to him. She told him that Liliandra had gone missing with Jeramiah, and she had been sent to find them.

"So that's what they were talking about before?" Duluute thought for a moment. He wasn't particularly close to either of them, but he was always open to help people he thought were in need. If that meant finding some lost residents than he'd do what he could. So he agreed when Saraphina offered him to join her on a trip to Jeramiah's house. "Certainly. It seems only fair that I help out a neighbor in need."

Although he said this, he wouldn't admit the real reason for his accompaniment was to gauge for himself who Jeramiah really was. He had been steering away from him for years because of groundless rumors, so he wanted to meet him face to face to make his own conclusions. He also wanted to know why Liliandra was never seen in as low a light as Jeramiah was.

"Lead the way Saraphina," he said with a grand sweep of his hand. As the docks were a bit far off, it gave Duluute plenty of time to ask the questions that had been burning in his mind when he first saw Saraphina and Abacuss. "You said you lived in Mirahil Pass," he began. "If I'm correct that area is only a trail meant for land travelers. I doubt there would be much of anything up there for living."

Considering he had only ever been to the pass as a child, there was much doubt in Duluute mind that a hunter of any caliber could survive up there. The noise of bustling visitors would scare all the prey away and there couldn't be much plant life to gorge upon. Yet somehow both her and her horse were standing before him looking even healthier than he was. A bit like savages, but healthy nonetheless.

"That reminds me. I'm curious to know what land you hail from. Not to offend you but, you seem more...wild than most." By the time he had asked this they'd already arrived at the docks, or at least the more poverty stricken part of the docks. Until recently, Duluute had called this area his home. "It's hard to believe I've only been away a few days. It feels like I've been gone for half a season."

Moving through the crowd, Duluute greeted a few of his old neighbors as he passed. It was too early for the fishermen to be back yet so Duluute only saw old men and women for the most part, but he was glad he wouldn't have to see his father so soon after his sudden departure. Turning his attention back to the task at hand, Duluute noticed that they were starting to walk around in circles. In fact, Saraphina even told him herself she needed help finding Jeremiah's red dorred house.

"You should have told me you didn't know where he lived. I was simply following you this entire time. The house you seek is right this way." Taking the lead, Duluute took them on an entirely different path, heading towards the more populous area that led to Mathew's Bay. He stopped when he came to stand beside a broken down sailboat overlooking Zeltiva's ships.

"And there it is," he said with his finger pointed ahead.

[Flaren Ferno]

It appears to be a lady with a horse and a dark skinned companion. Flaren tapped his quarterstaff on the ground and studied the group as they approached their red door. A red door... what brings these few to a red door? At a time like this? And a door of such color as ostentatious as the goddes laviku but surely not as vibrant. He rubbed his hairless chin.

Red doors, while not too abstruse were still worth pondering. Perhaps it was the giant horse owned by the kelvic woman, or the simpleton who led her to this door that caught his curiosity. This passageway, now with two people standing at the entrance accompanied by (given the situation the most abstruse element) a bloodbane horse.

When Flaren lived in syliras he aided many adventurers and flirted with many beautiful women, in fact at a very young age he damn near lost his life to some soulless harpie who had the ability to change her human form with that of an elephant or rather (out of respect for kelvics everywhere) replace her elephant shape with that of a human, therefore he was able to deduce that the woman was an adventurer herself. the situation demanded his intervention given the curse of boredom that plagued his evening, so he stepped confidently towards the woman, and began his old trouble bringing habit of attempting to seduce every beautiful lady he sees.

"salutations adventurers, may i aid you in your quest? i understand you be seeking council with the one called Jeremiah." Flaren had asked a local who's house this was before his intervention. "I happen to be an old friend of his, would you mind if i joined you in company of his home, or is this more of a private affair, and if so do forgive me" paying very close attention to Saraphina and batting a single eye to give a subtle wink "i do believe a more enjoyable time could be had if i were to buy us all drinks"

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow D ulute did indeed follow Saraphina, something she was glad for. The company was more than welcome and as the dark haired human seemed knowledgeable of the two people she was looking for, he could prove to be invaluable. She smiled at him and slowed her pace so Dulute won’t have trouble keeping up. Abaccus seemed to find the sea breeze atmosphere of Zeltiva calming and followed along quietly. The air was filled with pleasant conversation as the two headed towards the docks. Saraphina noticed that Dulute spoke with a slight accent she'd come to associate with the native born humans of Zeltiva. She smiled brightly as she thought of her campsite with Enthere, her face lighting up beautifully in the early morning light, “Actually, there is a lot of things up in the pass. The forest is teeming with life and plenty of prey. But it’s dangerous for anyone who’s not a hunter or adapt at surviving in the wilds certainly. I camp in the pass with a friend of mine. With two predators in the same area, we rarely have trouble wander into our territory.” Saraphina found the mountain pass to be comforting and beautiful, but Dulute definitely had the scent and manners of a city dweller. She doubted he’d last long on his own if he wandered into the forests alone. A s the two walked through the dock area, she kept her senses focused around her as well as on her current companion. The area they were traveling through was starting to look all the same, she was sure they had pasted by that half sunk dock before. Her eyebrow twitched a bit in frustration, but she maintained her focus. There was no point in getting riled up yet, they'd just started to search. A lot of ground still needed to be covered. When Dulute asked about her personally, mentioning her wildness, the ginger chuckled mildly and grinned at him, “I am from Avanthal, born in Skyglow Hold. My Mother is Vantha and I took the last name of the Hold as is the tradition among our people. I….I left a while ago and came to Zeltiva. So far, I’ve found the city to be statisfing. But I am Kelvic, that’s where I get these from,” Saraphina used the nail of her first finger to flick at one of her elongated canine teeth, “I have two forms, a human and an animal form. My animal form is reflected more when I’m human, most Kelvics are. So the wildness you’re sensing….its just…..well it’s just me.” Saraphina shrugged after she finished, not caring how Dulute would view her now that he knew she wasn’t human. Baltog had certainly had an opinion, she wondered briefly how the olive skinned boy would react. S araphina was quite glad when Dulute mentioned that he knew where Jeramiah’s house was. She was getting a bit tired of walking aimlessly. As the two companions stood outside the supposed house of her target, Saraphina’s acute hearing picked up on the sounds of footsteps approaching. Turning her head, she saw a tall, trim human man with striking blue eyes heading towards them. He carry a long stick which Saraphina though might be used to help him walk, but might also be a weapon. She was put slightly on guard by that, shifting her stance to balance her weight a bit better, but as he came closer, the chocolate haired man mentioned that he knew Jeramiah. Saraphina tilted her head in curiousity, looking very feline-like with the movement. The newcomer had a different scent to him than Dulute. One that was earthier, more pronounced and there was a subtle smell of...something else she could quite identify....attraction? Lust perhaps? She wasn't entirely sure. Perking up at the news, Saraphina answered back, “Yes, we are looking for Jeramiah. I understand this is his house, we were hoping to find some idea of where he might have wandered off to. If you know him, you’re welcome to aid us, more help is always better. I’m Saraphina Skyglow….and you would be…..” As a young lived Kelvic and having next to no experience with men or any forms of flirtation or seduction, Saraphina’s knowledge of social conduct between the opposite sexes was nil. Flaren’s attempts to woe the red head fell on naïve and blind eyes as she saw only someone trying to help her quest, not a potential lover…..not yet anyway.

[Dulute Jadesmith]

"So I was correct," Duluute thought when Saraphina mentioned only hunters living in the Mirahil Pass. While they had been walking, Saraphina had told Duluute that not only was their a forest in the Pass, but she was camping out there with another person. "With two predators in the same area, we rarely have trouble wander into our territory," she had said. Duluute didn't really think about this statement until he had gotten to the docks.

"Two predators?" he thought curiously. Was she implying she and her friend were that much of a threat to the forest? Duluute ended up asking her this, though he did it in an indirect manner, trying to decipher clues from a question of her background. She wasn't afriad to tell him she came from Avanthal. Duluute vaguely remembering reading of it in one of his mother's books, but couldn't recall even the slightest detail.

Saraphina also informed him of her birthplace of Skyglow Hold and of her Vantha lineage, both facts of which held little significance in Duluute's eyes. The only race he knew of where human and animal, and of those animals he specialized in were fish and other aquatic life forms. Everything else, including the inhabitants of other cities, he had either forgotten over the years or didn't ever bother learning in the first place. Sure he was always open to learning about them, but never really had a reason for doing so.

He still listened to her story though out of interest. He was especially interested in her explanation for her "wild" features. Aside from being Vantha, she was also a Kelvic, which she fortunately explained to him. Duluute's mouth fell open at the thought of a human that could turn into an animal. "Are you serious? That's impossible. Animals can't walk up right like people and people can't simply turn into animals. If that were true Abacuss here would have probably done so long ago."

Then again, it was hard to deny that fact looking at Saraphina as she was. Looking at her now, he finally saw the resemblance. Those weren't simply teeth she smiled with. They were fangs. Her nails weren't simply untrimmed. They were meant to be claws. Even her eyes reflected the spirit of some unknown animal.

"Alright...so what if you were this so called Kelvic. I don't see why you would choose to be a human like us-" He cut off when he remembered what Saraphina had said about only coming to the city on business. Did she mean she sold what she caught as an animal to the people of the city? As much as Duluute wanted to delve even deeper into what this Kelvic really was, he remembered that they were still on a mission.

"Perhaps those are questions best saved for another time. I had forgotten we were still looking for someone." Letting the conversation drop there, their journey eventually led - with Duluute's assistance - to Jeremiah's house, where they ran into an unplanned obstacle. It was a tall giant of a man, towering over the both of them despite his relatively small physique. Compared to Saraphina he looked like a twig, but he carried himself like a man among men.

It wasn't Jeremiah though, or anyone Duluute recognized at all. However, he did tell them that he was an old friend of Jeremiah...before he suddenly came over and started flirting with Saraphina. The man even had the nerve to offer to distract them with drinks. His sophisticated air didn't sit well with Duluute, who had grown up in the poverty that surrounded them. What was he even doing in a place like this in the first place?

Fortunately, Saraphina took the lead with him as she explained their goal of finding Jerimiah. "And Liliandra," he added in his mind but didn't bother repeating aloud.

[Flaren Ferno]

Somehow Flaren knew he'd be high tailing it by the end of the night. The woman's beautiful physique distracted him from realizing how dangerous of a situation this was. Her kelvic posture was easy to read due to her lack of formalities, however her friend was the one who he noticed had an apparent lacking of interest in him at all. This told him that their mids were preoccupied with some other affair.

'Maybe it was the drinks that set them off'

No, that line always worked on women back home. It was clear to Flaren now that these two have seen their fair share of hardships; hardships Flaren couldnt fathom. It would take some time but he was sure he'd gain their trust.
Most often than not, women flock to Flaren like bees to a beehive, but this one was different. she was mature, poised, and didnt even bat an eye at the offer of free drinks. How cold she be so distant? or maybe it was He who was the distant one. he never did fully understand females, he just knew girls liked pretty things and he happened to be a pretty thing, but one thing was for sure. he overstepped his boundary.

"i guess its time to knock..."

He brought his fist to the door twice, and for a brief moment he remembered his goddess,

'i wonder if the gods would ever lie'