Closed In the Heart of the Storm

[Imellion]

46th of Fall

Imellion could hear the caravan master's enraged screaming through the knife-edged wind. Worthless wench. Waste of space. Not worth the food you're fed. Other, more crueler taunts. Each one a hot knife lancing through her soul. Tears stung her eyes. Thunder crackled far above, and she jumped, landing badly, and crumpling up against the wall.

It was comforting in its coolness. Steady. Strong. Ancient. Trustworthy. Without even realizing it, Imellion pressed up against, and scooted backwards along it into a small recess. A cave, almost. Somewhere safe. Another burst of thunder rolled across the city, and she seemed to shrink even more, curling up in a ball and closing her eyes. She could wait this storm out here, couldn't she? It had already been going on for two days or so. It had to be almost over then. Just a few hours at most. That was doable.

She pulled her cloak up from where it had balled up, and spread it over her, tucking the edges underneath to form a cocoon almost. Hardly toasty, but it was an improvement. Somewhat. It would work until she could make her way back to the dormitories. Hopefully nobody would be looking for her there. She didn't want to get yelled at again. She'd had a lifetime of that. Hopefully there'd be no more. Not soon anyways. Maybe when she was older it would be more tolerable. Or perhaps not.

Another clap of thunder cracked the sky above, and she almost convulsed in her cave. She started muttering, not entirely sure what she was saying. Or if there were words at all. A prayer, throwing everything she could think of to say towards Priskil. Please let the storm end. Please send some more light. Is there anyone nearby that can help?

[Aventis]

46th of Autumn, 514 AV

Rain, gale, and thunder rocked the earth, variable natural chaos bringing hell to the outdoors, and that is where Aventis finds himself. Sometimes a man must test his personal strength, his vigor. So, idiotically, stupidly, and equipped with a metal rod of all things, Aventis shed his cloak in favor of bare back. He adorned himself with nothing but his rapier, undergarments, pants, and some shoes to go walking around in the recesses of Syliras castle. Solemn faced and tight lipped, Aventis stepped out from the dormitories and into the raging storm. With a slow cadence of step and a wide gait, he began to walk. The storm raged around him, making him feel like the center of his universe. The chaos was all around him and yet did not injure him.

As he walked, the rain stung his skin, flying with such force that it felt like he was being pelted with stones. The strong gales tousled his hair, and plagued his thin body. His arms, all four, were tipped with large hands pulled into defiant fists. He loved every second. As he walked, a slight grin stretched across his moistened face as he walked beneath an arch, taking a repose under cover, but did not stop walking. Lightning struck somewhere off in the distance, lighting the evening sky with maleficent brilliance, giving sharp luminance to even the most desolate things. It was during this flash of unadulterated light that he saw a girl, cowering in a far corner, caught in the heavy storm.

The poor girl had covered herself in a makeshift blanket, shuddering from the cold. Aventis stopped for a moment, a fraction of a moment, assessing the situation. There was a small break earlier today… The girl must have come out then and gotten caught out in the storm when it returned. He didn’t know the girl, and therefore was unfit to make assumptions as to why she was in this mess, but the rain had almost dried on her thin, blonde hair, which vibrated with each of her shuddering breaths. Aventis, at this point, had stopped completely, feeling a distant pity for the girl. The rain poured, thundering against the hard ground, almost melodic in nature. He was nearly unaware of his lack of cover, his second arms revealed as he approached the girl with wary caution, careful of the foggy and uncertain outcome.

The grin faded as the four-armed man contemplated his contrition for the stranger, whether or whether not to continue approaching the girl. His biggest concern, obviously, selfishly, was his bare back. He had no doubt that there would be other people when he set out on his little journey, and had every intent of avoiding them at all costs, but Aventis absently forgot about the possibility of someone stuck in the rain.

It was too late, now, to turn back. He approached the girl, putting on the kindest demeanor he could, kneeling down to her height, held his second pair of arms behind his back, hoping that the dark would shield them from discovery. “Hey,” He said to her, softly, simply. He refrained from touching the girl for fear of it being perceived as rude or with intentions other than assistance. He looked upon her, hoping it was enough. “Hey… Are you… Here… On purpose?” he said, nervous, quiet. He hoped it was enough.

Aventis

[Imellion]

46 Fall
“Hey… Are you… Here… On purpose?”

Imellion barely heard the question over the celestial opera whose chords thundered and clawed at the sky above them, sending its lifeblood of water cascading down. She did hear it though, and enough to react on instinct.

Her hand went to where she stored her eating knife, and wrapped around it, but then stopped. This was not a slave caravan where drunk slavers might offer her unwanted attention, despite the standing order that any to behave that way were to be whipped. This was Syliras. Bastion of civilization, and kept safe by the Syliran Knights. Nobody would dare harass someone within city limits. She was a knight, wasn't she? A squire anyways. It was her duty to make this city safe. A beacon and a refuge.

Thunder crashed against the clouds above, and she shrank back down, ducking her head beneath the cloak for a moment, heat trickling up her face. A knot grew in her throat, and she swallowed, trying to force it away so she could speak. Priskil help me.

She forced herself to a kneeling position, cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and shrugged slowly, almost painfully. Was she here on purpose? She had originally, perhaps, intending to get to the stables and then back to the dormitories during the lull in the storm. That hadn't gone well. Strands of hair slapped against her face, and she pushed them away.

"I am... not intentionally here," She drifted off as the wind picked up again, and raised an arm to protect her face, although she could feel it getting chillier. A shiver ran down her spine, and her teeth wanted to chatter. She clenched them shut. "I... was caught in the storm after the lull." She cleared her throat and looked down at her feet when something finally crossed her mind. He was shirtless. She frowned and looked back up.

"Are...you...here on purpose? I have never known someone to be out in a storm like this with no shirt on before." She tilted her head to one side, considering.

Then froze as the storm picked up again. Her heart raced. Blood pounded in her ears. Other storms flashed through her mind. Other times. Other encounters. She took a deep breath. Push them away and lock them in a box. That's what she had to do. So she tried. It was mostly successful, but a sour taste in her mouth still lingered and her heartbeat matched the thunder above.

"Or was that... not on purpose?"

.

[Aventis]

around the sky like a thick blanket could seem ominous, could seem malignant in the dreariest of senses. The melodic pitter patter of rain could seem tedious, droning on for hours, and in this case, days on end. It could be terrifying. He could empathize with the girl’s pain.

Thunder boomed, rattling bones and shaking castle walls. The girl hid herself farther beneath her blanket, now recognized to be her cloak. But a moment later, she moved from her previous position to a kneeling one, facing the multi-armed man with her cloak still taut around her shoulders. Her thin, stringy hair stuck to her gentle cheeks due to the intense moisture. Aventis waited patiently, his lower right hand ready to draw his rapier if trouble were to erupt and the girl would try to attack.

“I am… Not intentionally here.” She said carefully. She was soft-spoken and gentle, nearly reluctant to form words, as if they would punish her upon leaving her lips. A gale blew through the underpass they found themselves in. Aventis embraced it fully, the wind massaging his cheeks and bringing unintentional tears to his eyes, whereas the girl raised an arm to it in an attempt to shield herself from the gust. She clenched her jaw shut, obviously uncomfortably cold. “I… Was caught in the storm after the lull…” she said, speaking in the same manner as she did before, but with shuttering, gasping breaths.

Aventis nodded, trying to seem as benign as possible in his intentions of helping the girl. She cleared her throat and looked down, her head shooting back up with an unmistakable frown on her face, probably because she caught sight of the man’s midriff. Aventis sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, regretting beyond belief that he had not been so stupid as to step outside in any weather without something to cover his body. His torso, thin enough for his ribs to bulge, was not a source of pride. He ran the risk of making a bad impression and, worse yet, letting someone see his arms, which was the last thing he needed at the moment.



“Are...you...here on purpose?” she asked. “I have never known someone to be out in a storm like this with no shirt on before."

Aventis sighed again. “Yes,” he said, “I am here on purpose. And I have no shirt because the lastRain poured, downpoured, hard. His pale skin dripped with the essence of the sky, of the miracles found so easily on earth, his thin bones rattled slightly with each strike of lightning, but not enough for the squire to notice clearly. It didn’t bother him. What did bother him was the girl. While he did uphold his personal duty to be decent and his squirely duty to help the denizens of Syliras, something didn’t feel right about the situation, and something certainly didn’t feel right about Aventis doing it without something to cover his torso.

The girl’s hand gravitated to a knife, wrapping around its hilt, and it seemingly took her a moment to decide not to draw it, moreso it seemed as if it took a moment for her to see the immediate reality. She seemed… Off. She seemed like she was dreaming with her eyes open, or, more accurately, seeing a nightmare unfold around her. The rain, the thunder, the lightning… It had always been a natural reaction to Aventis to relish any moment he could spend when the sky and the gods cleansed the dirt from the mortal realm. It was beauty to him, serenity, but he could accurately understand why someone would fear the storms. The thunder that sent vibrations throughout the land could seem dangerous, even pugnacious. The lightning that shone light to the dark was loud, ear shattering even, and beyond unexpected. The dark clouds that wrapped thing I expected was company. I just… Was walking. I like the rain. You, on the other hand…” He said, very careful in his selection of words. “Well… Pardon, miss, but… It looks like you need some help. I’m more than happy to lend a hand.” He offered. Lightning crackled, lighting the sky. He took advantage of the moment, shifting his back arms, which were aching from being held in such a position for so long. He hoped to any god he could that the girl did not see.

He stood, grunting quietly as he did, and extended, gently, a hand to pick the girl up.

“I’d be more than happy to oblige. Squire’s duty, after all.” He said, smiling.

Aventis

[Imellion]

She raised an eyebrow at the notion of someone choosing to go out in this storm, especially without a shirt. That was madness, and asking for a miserable night. Yet, it didn't seem to bother him. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it, especially the gale that came clawing and biting its way past them, slicing through her thin layers of clothes and flesh to stab at her insides. Shivers tore through her body, and she bit lightly on her cheek to try and keep them under control. They lessened somewhat.

Could he be trusted? He didn't seem like someone who would hurt her, especially as he was a squire. The tension eased and she crossed her arms in front of her. She didn't want to pull a knife on a fellow squire, especially after the spar with Archailist a few days before. She grimaced at that. Hopefully further repeats of that event could be avoided. She also wished to avoid anything resembling the lecture she received from Ser Iros, so she pushed herself to her feet, revealing her less than impressive height and even bonier frame, but didn't take his hand. That was too much.

Another burst of wind surged by, sending her stumbling a few steps forward before she caught herself on the stonework, digging in with her fingertips. It grounded her mind, and she fully realized where she was, or rather, when. She was a squire of the Syliran Knights in the city of Syliras. Not in some forgotten piece of empty ground chained to a wagon. It was high time she started acted like one.

That was harder than she thought it would be though. It meant stepping out and making her own demands. Her own future. Her own life. That itself was a strange thought though. She squared her shoulders and swallowed nervously.

"While...I... question your sanity to like rain such as this....for it is not..." She paused, and flinched as another bolt of lightning streaked down, "But I...will accept the help... of a fellow squire." She forced a small smile that wasn't really a smile. More of a grimace that wasn't as negative as usual. It was progress at least. Somewhat.



.

[Aventis]

Aventis stood there for but a moment, his arm outstretched to the girl, waiting patiently. She seemed to be having a large amount of difficulty grasping the concept of his very existence, his being there. The girl seemed broken. Battered. She had an air of complete benignity only because she could not bring herself to take up arms. Aventis stood in the storm, silent, watching ever-so carefully. The situation was one Aventis had not found himself in before, and being wary of it was the wisest logical move. So he stood, his arm outstretched to the girl, the center of the universal chaos, the chaos that cracked and thundered and fell upon the earth around him, the beautiful chaos.

The girl stood, slowly, ignoring Aventis’ hand, which retreated back to his side with sullen disappointment. A strong gale could be heard rustling through the tall trees beyond the city, the grass just outside the walls, and, seemingly all at once, ran quickly through the underpass, rapid as a stallion, forceful as a bear. The blow pushed the poor girl against the asperous walls, but the squire did not notice. He closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply, absorbing the sweet scent of the storm. He enjoyed it. When the moment had passed, he opened his eyes to the girl pushing herself off of the rugged walls to stand again. She was small. A mere five and a half feet so Aventis’ six and a half, the girl was every bit as delicate and petite as the tall man had figured. The girl swallowed her fear, her shoulders shuddering.

“While… I… Question your sanity to like rain such as this… for it is not…” She stopped, flinching as another bolt of lightning struck ground somewhere in the distance. “But I… Will accept the help… Of a fellow squire.” She choked out, speaking as if every few words consisted of molasses and stuck to her throat.

“Squire?” He asked, a bit surprised. The girl seemed far too timid to brandish even a sewing needle, nevermind a sword. But Aventis could not judge the girl. It was her decision and she could live by it as she pleases.

Lightning cracked. He could feel his arms giving out on him. He broke into a cold sweat, the beads of pure anguish, pure anxiety, indistinguishable from the drops of rain that stuck eagerly to his skin. Lightning cracked, startling the squire, forcing him to jump back, his eyes widened in startled fear. He backed quickly into the wall, his lower arms scratching roughly against the stone, scraping gentle and delicate skin off. Aventis gritted his teeth, dropping his arms on instinct, and stood, in full.

Panting, scraping every inch of the space around him for breath, Aventis stood, his arms clearly in view of the girl. He curled his hands into fists, shaking now in the way the girl shook when first Aventis happened upon her. His breath shuddered, nearly sounding dry, even in the weather given.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, trying to collect himself. “Don’t…” He said to the girl, barely able to bring himself to say that much. He did his best to remain perfectly, flawlessly still, breathing deeply, his thin chest vibrating violently with each breath. “I… Don’t scream… Please… Stay here…” he said.

Lightning crashed again, purposeless, lifeless. Lighting the world once more.

Giving unneeded light to Aventis’ shame.

Aventis

[Imellion]

"Squire?" He asked, sounding rather surprised, and she nodded, although whether or not it was visible she wasn't sure. The surprise was reasonable. She certainly didn't look a squire, or much to her embarrassment, act like a squire. She was supposed to be bold and fearless, generous and courteous. A paragon for all to admire. She could barely pull herself together to put on a blank face. She flinched again as lightning seared through the sky, momentarily blinding her. She blinked several times to regain her vision.

Then she blinked again. He had doubled the amount of arms. No, it was not an illusion. He actually had four arms. He was shuddering as well, and trying to talk, but seeming shocked and scared. Almost like her. A lot like her, even. The speech pattern was even similar. Something inside her cracked open and she gave a small smile.

"Why... did you have your arms... behind your back?" She tilted her head to one side, and tapped her chin with a finger. "It looks painful." She reached up and unclasped her sodden cloak and held it out to him. "You have more need of this than me."

It was strange how a shift in attention shifted her own perspective. Being the center of attention was being crushed beneath who knew who how many eyes that watched and mocked. Never to her face. But it was there. She was sure of it. The pathetic girl who thinks she can be a knight. She wasn't entirely sure she could, but what other choice did she have? She had no skills capable of supporting herself with. Begging if necessary, although that would be impossible here. She'd end up doing manual labor somewhere. Or perhaps she could attempt to become a healer ot masseuse. She doubted that could succeed. Nobody wanted a flighty young woman who might spook at any moment giving them a massage.

This was different now. It was strange. A feeling only half-formed. A butterfly whose wings had yet to completely unfurl. A little warmth and a little light. Maybe being a knight wasn't right for her. Not yet. Or maybe she was looking at being a knight the entirely wrong way. It was something she would have to consider over the next few seasons.

"It's...soaked already..." She added after a moment, "But it is some protection." Then she noticed his face and body language. It seemed embarrassed? Terrified? Why? It certainly wasn't being shirtless. That hadn't seemed to bother him earlier even though it would have shocked quite a few other young women and mortified the gentlemen. Was it his arms maybe? Why would that bother him? Or make him think she might scream. It made no sense. Did he think he was the first Eypharian she'd met? She wasn't sure if the thought implied he was incredibly arrogant or naive. But then, there weren't too many of them around the city, so perhaps he assumed she was born here. Many squires were after all. He did look terrible though. She bit her lip.

"We...should...probably return."


.

[Aventis]

OOCFor reference, this is when I introduce that Aventis is prone to panic attacks.

His lungs heaved for air, any air, grasping desperately for any sign of comfort or repose in the storm. The world was dark, as it had been for the past day or so, but it seemed pugnacious in intent. It seemed dangerous. And all at once, he saw the world from the girl’s view. He saw the rain falling like daggers, pounding the ground like beats of a war drum. He saw the dark clouds wrap around the sky sullenly, depressingly, obscuring the outside world from the city, draped over it like a cloak. He saw the lightning strike with quick ferocity, striking the ground with deadly agility, gone as soon as it appeared. The thunder echoed in the air, occupying the very space that the man stood in. His eyes widened to the size of bricks, bulging out of his head. His chest thrashed against his ribs, desperate for a single breath, and for just a minute, he was blind. He could not see. He felt himself fall. He felt his bare back drag against the same bricks that his arms had met. He felt his arms - all four of them - fall to the ground, palms open, begging his body not to give out.

The girl said something. The poor girl. Aventis had sympathy, now. This is what she felt. This is what she experienced.


In between darknesses, in between his vision fading to black and returning, he saw the girl hold out her hand.

Hand.

He shivered a bit, his arms, all four of which numb, curled into fists for but a moment as he dragged a slow breath through his tight jaws, over his teeth, and down his dry throat. He shivered again, realizing now how agonizingly cold it was. Slowly, he panned his vision to see the girl, assessing what she offered him.

Her cloak.

It dripped to the ground, moist with rain and perhaps a few tears. He coughed, clearing his throat, paining himself further. He did his best to smile at the girl, although it may have come out more as a crooked grin. He pushed himself up off the ground, stumbling a bit on the brick as he did so. He reached out to the girl, gingerly grasping the offer and swinging it around his shoulders, concealing his arms again.

“I… Sorry, miss… I… Sorry…” He stuttered, shamefully holding his head down, watching his own feet.

“It’s… Soaked already…” The girl added. Aventis nodded.

“Yeah…” He added quietly.

“But it is some protection…” She offered. Aventis nodded, looking at her. It was obvious that she was still fearful and wary, and yet she offered him her only protection.

“Thank you…” he nearly whispered, earnestly grateful for the gift she offered.

“We… Should… Probably return…”

Aventis nodded, his breathing becoming more stable now. “Yes… We… We should.” He swallowed his fear, regaining his demeanor. He stepped to the side in attempt to be chivalrous to the girl. “Quicker we get back, the quicker we forget about all of this…”

Aventis

[Imellion]

The man seemed to force a smile on his face, though it was crooked and not quite there. She returned it, although hers was fainter and a touch more blue around the edges. She really needed to get some warmer clothes soon. Winter was coming, and she wasn't sure what it would be like here.

He took the cloak though, and she felt relief warm her for a few moments. Then the chill sunk in, biting at her flesh and sucking her strength away. She shivered again, teeth chattering, and leaned against the wall for support.

"Thank you..." He said quietly, almost so she couldn't hear it. She gave a minute nod, and whispered back.

"You're welcome." Then he moved to aside, apparently to let her pass. She hesitated, trying to explain. She started several times, but each time the chattering overcame her words. Then she stopped and closed her eyes, focusing. She had been cold before. She had been soaked before. She had dealt with it. She would do it now. Another deep, shuddering breath, then she forced the words out.

"I do not know how to get back." There. The words were out. Not only was she a weak cowardly, but an ignorant one at that. So be it. Surely there were plenty of others who had gotten lost in the city, even among those who had been in the city for a few seasons. Nothing to be ashamed of, right? "It's seaward, but I get so turned around in the streets I can't find my way."

The words spilled out, rather than needing chiselled out, and her face flushed a light red. Hardly noticeable in the chaos though around them though. Her toes began to tingle, and she stamped her feet to get the blood flowing again. Then for good measure, she stuck her hands beneath her arms as well. She didn't expect this to be of any danger. Not yet anyways. Another while and she would start to worry a little. Not much chance of that though. There were enough safe buildings here she could duck into to warm up. That was an odd feeling.

Safety. Warmth. Kindness, and not rough kindness, but genuine kindness. They were around her in this city. Not like when she'd spent winter nights wrapped in rags and curled next to a fire as wind sucked the marrow from her bones and chilled her heart. No, this was better. It was home. She wouldn't freeze to death here. Hopefully not, anyways. Fate was crueler than she thought if that turned out to be true.

"You should lead the way."

.

[Aventis]

”I do not know how to get back.” The girl stuttered, seemingly ashamed of her confession. Thunder crashed against the squire’s ears, followed quickly by lightning. The storm was right over them. “It's seaward, but I get so turned around in the streets I can't find my way.” She continued, a bit more sure of herself now.

Aventis pushed out a crooked breath through his chattering teeth, wrapping the sopping cloak around his thin shoulders. The cloak was cold and did little to warm him, rather to chill him further yet, cool drops of icy rain rolling off of the cloth and down the man’s frozen skin. “It’s okay.” He said to her, his arms hidden again under a cloak, ever thankful for the gift. “It’s… It’s close. You’re not lost.” It was difficult to comfort, he realized. He had never done it before. And it was especially difficult considering his position. He shivered, his bones clattering, his teeth clammering noisily. “We should hurry…”

“You should lead the way.” She responded. Aventis nodded, unable to do much more than consider moving for a moment. Slowly, as if relearning to walk, he placed one foot in front of the other stepping back out into the rain, and the storm immediately lost its malicious disposition and soothed the man once more.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh scent of a new rainfall, letting the raindrops massage his skin. He turned around, making sure the timid girl was behind him, turning back quickly. His breathing started to regulate and a calming wave swept over him as another loud bang could be heard from the sky. After a moment of this beautiful sensation, Aventis worked up the bravery to ask the girl “What brought you out here in the first place?” in an attempt to keep everything casual, ignoring the scepticism that he had harbored for the poor thing earlier, and especially ignoring the strange sequence of darkness and fear that had occurred just a moment before.

The sky had become darker now, making the apparently invisible transition from day to night beyond the clouds clear. Rain hit the ground hard, harder than before, and lightning crackled in quicker succession to the thunder. Aventis his thoughts becoming clearer and clearer, but ignored the concept of thought in preference to a lucid relaxation. The night had taken a turn for the worst despite any kind of positive omen, and any comfort that Aventis had originally felt when leaving the dorms was gone, replaced first by suspicion, and fear, thankfully now replaced by ponderation. He didn’t know what to do, and he hoped to dear Sylir that the squires were resting and he could hide himself from them. One knowing is enough. He had to hide. The panic quietly returned to him. He closed his eyes, sighing deeply.

“Almost there.” He said, half to the girl and half as reassurance to himself.

“Almost there.”

Aventis