PM to join [Message Square] Messages for the Missing (Kavala)

[Wikus]

54th – Winter – 515 AV
Message Square
12th Bell

Discussions and protests came from a small group that surrounded a single female, her face trying to offer some calm to each of the demanding members. Unable to wait their turns, their demands mingled and their words became incomprehensible. The female Kelvic limited herself to nodding once in a while as she patiently waited for the crowd to let her speak. “I assure you,” she began, “…that whoever is behind this will be found. Meanwhile, you may post your messages free of charge under the unusual circumstances.” The crowd wasn’t as satisfied as the female was expecting, thought Wikus as he watched from a distance. Away from the troubles that the small crowd was experiencing, he was there by mere coincidence. The Message Square was a location that despite being somewhere he often found himself, he felt no use of as he was illiterate. Plus, leaving messages for whoever wanted to read them was absurd – messages were meant for only one person, in his opinion.

A mild curiosity brought him forward to the tiny square in which all this trouble had started. Where the congested layer of flyers laid now only remained one, the wall feeling naked and exposed now that all the words and messages shared were gone. The one remaining was a simple piece of parchment in which oversized and clearly visible symbols were drawn. Wikus, conscious of the possible distraction of the female that was apparently in charge of the square, took action. Raising his clothed arm was still annoying, as the hot layers of fabric were still bizarre for his motions, but nevertheless he managed to move past the discomfort and lay a finger on one of the symbols. Expecting the wave of pain, he slowly opened his pores up to the ink, which immediately brought the intense irking on his flesh as the ink slowly moved from the parchment to his flesh. In a matter of ticks, the only parchment remaining in the square was blank. “Do not touch the message!” called out a male from the small crowd, which were thankfully unable to spot the now empty parchment.

Lightly out of breath, Wikus tilt his head back as the culprit hand came forward to fondle his beard, eyes closed as he pronounced the sudden words added to his vocabulary. “Did you get my message?” He’d whisper, again and again as his mind worked on making sense of the meaning. The message was finally deciphered, yet it’s context still being unknown. It was clear that whoever had written it intentionally removed any other messages in order to add effect to the vague words written on the parchment itself. That way, anyone that walked past the square would be forced to read the letters, and whoever the message was directed to would easily catch the meaning. It was a good method, thought Wikus, as he would have possibly done the same. After repeating the words to himself enough times to memorize them, he’d extend the palm of his hand and swipe them across the blank parchment to return the ink in its place. The print was an identical clone to the original, a perfect copy that brought a small scoff to him. The sudden ability had been a nightmare some fortnights ago, yet now that he had begun exploring its horizons the advantages outweighed by far its disadvantages.

Before anyone had realized it, he had stolen the message and memorized it to only return it afterwards. Said subterfuge was really something he was proud of, perhaps being useful in the future. Nevertheless, now that he knew what the problem of the crowd was, he simply stepped back and simply admired the tiny square and the single message that waited on it for its receiver. Rolling his shoulders, his pondering was interrupted by the heat waves produced under his clothes. The black coat and scarf surely offered some pleasant heat, no longer feeling as his bones shattered with every cold gust of wind. The boots he wore didn’t quite allow him to feel the touch of the stone below, yet he felt thankful of the warmth they provide. The pants didn’t let the breeze filter inside, but the warmth of his limbs made him feel more agile and less stiff under the cold. Despite being forever healthy, the cold could still freeze him to death. Plus, now he found himself fitting into the city far better.

Staring back at the message, he’d pull out a golden apple from his coat’s pocket and give it a big bite. Another advantage of clothes was pockets, primitive but highly appreciated. The taste of the apple was however tainted with something different, something liquid and bitter. Grunting and shaking his head, he’d finally spit out the apple bite down on the ground. Expecting a simple piece of apple, instead he witnessed how he had just spat a black piece of apple with way too much ink coating it. It was very disgusting for those who saw said motion, yet Wikus didn’t quite seem to give it much thought. Public decency was not something he was worried about, so instead he simply raised his brow and as he stared into the mysterious message he calmly ate his apple.

Word CountCount: 878/50000

[Kavala]

Kavala had just been passing through. She had business to attend to in town, talks on an acquisition she was working on and a meeting with a designer who would be more than willing to work with her on some interior décor. The Konti had wanted to go all local but throw in a flare of the exotic nature of the southern portion of the world. Riverfall had its own strong sense of style with its lofty domes and repeated patterns in inner courtyard greenspaces. Kavala didn’t want to be less than true to that nature. But she did want to women to step into the new location and feel like they were stepping into a whole new world. Sight. Smell. Sense of touch. Even sense of taste would be accounted for if Kavala could help it. She was designing the place for empowerment, both her own and for others. She would make it special. She just needed to find a manager who could run it the way it needed to be ran.

The Konti hoped Eosi would work out and agree to her terms. But if there was any question about it, others could be found. The plans weighed heavily on her mind as she crossed the Message Square, so heavily in fact that she barely recognized the crowd and stopped long enough to get a feel for what’s going on.

The message board was empty save for one lone note. Kavala was too far away to recognize what it said. She did however recognize the stooping posture of the bearded man who was making his way through the thin crowd and up to the board. Pale blue eyes narrowed as she watched, edging her way more thoroughly into the crowd to keep an eye on him. Kavala didn’t trust the man and didn’t particularly like him. He’d acted crazy when he’d brought in his donkey a while ago, before the season change and had boarded it at The Sanctuary. She’d never had an interaction as bad, save perhaps with the bard who’d ended up in a pool of blood in her arena after begging riding lessons from her and then groping her breasts.

Wikus hadn’t been that kind of rude. He’d been off though, decidedly off, as if he had damage to his cranium and been socially neglected in his childhood. She’d seen children raised as dogs behave better. And it was for this reason she crept closer, keeping an eye on him, and saw what she saw. He touched the paper and the ink vanished, seemingly migrating to his fingers and vanishing up his sleeve. She saw nothing else but his concentration as she watched, her figure shrouded in a pale cloak that made her look like just another Konti woman in the crowd.

A few steps closer and a man elbowed her accidently. She winced, ducked around him and put her eyes back on the suspicious outsider just as the writing seemed to flow back on the paper and reform into words. She still couldn’t see what they said. Others were whispering. The Konti couldn’t’ tell what they were whispering about because she was too busy trying to stay unharmed in a crowd of Akalak who dwarfed her by the most part.

She stepped sideways, silently shadowing the way Wikus moved, flanking him with a sea of men still between them. Kavala still didn’t know what the note said. She moved closer, but because of her position, she couldn’t see it hanging on the wall any longer. The situation was curious and made even more curious by the Kelvic at the front of the crowd shouting orders to everyone. Disperse? Yes.. that was it. They were telling the crowd to disperse.

The Konti grew even more curious. “What did it say? The Note?” She asked an Akalak standing beside her. She tried to squint and look through the crowd even as the Kelvic tried to get them to break up. Wikus had vanished momentarily, but that hadn’t bothered Kavala. Her greater need was to know what the note said. Someone behind her answered. She didn’t see quite who.

“It says ‘Did you get my message?’” The Konti frowned and turned to thank the man but he was gone. The crowd was thining now, but not so thin that she could easily approach Wikus. Another voice shouted from the crowd, seemingly at Wikus, to not touch the message. Kavala was in firm agreement with that sentiment. Whatever was going on was peculiar and now she wanted to know as well.

Using her slight body and the obvious fact she was Konti to manipulate her way through the crowd, Kavala was more able to move closer to the front now that the Kelvic was actively shouting to get the crowd to break up. Kavala slipped closer, trying to both see the note and see what Wikus was up too. Soon, several stomped on toes later and a few dozen less people in the square, she was by his side.

“I saw what you did.” She said firmly, nodding her chin towards the note and then glancing pointedly at his hand. “You touched it. Why touch it? Why did the words vanish and reappear?” She asked, curious and yet wondering if she should even be here standing by him and asking for answers. Everyone had just one anyhow… one question and the need to know its answer. So she vocalized what she was feeling for everyone. Maybe he had the answer.

“What happened here, Wikus?” She said, locking gazes briefly with the bearded crazy man. Beneath her cloak, pale webbed fingers curled around a set of Tamo daggers. She felt better armed. She hadn’t brought her double-bladed longsword. It truthfully wasn’t a good weapon to use in the city, but she felt naked without it. White leathers and a white weapons belt concealed under a traveling cloak the color of white did a whole lot to reassure her that she’d be fine and that she’d be safe armed thusly.

Whether Wikus answered or not, another voice called out clearly. “Bearded one not here when man took notes. Left note. No one here but us. Still dark with Syna sleeping. We saw. We saw despite the dark.” Kavala glanced up and noted the birds – crows by the looks of them – perched in a row on a cord that stretched from one building to another on the edge of the square. It looked like the kind you’d stretch between buildings to dry laundry out with.

She glanced around, hoping no one else heard the birds. She didn’t want her power revealed to the whole of the crowd. Word was already out about enough crazy powers that were manifesting throughout the city. She wondered, momentarily, if the powers were related to the note.

Turning, she met Wikus’ gaze again and raised an eyebrow curiously. Would he answer?

1156/16688

[Wikus]

Wikus may not have been the most socially fit individual in his pavilion, yet said trait was rare in the bizarre and elitist family he was grown into. The fact that he was alive to this day when most of those born inside said family died before their 20th winter was proof that he, of all others, was a perfect specimen of a Diamond Clan member. Words and smiles breed only lies, but what one accomplishes with his own hands lasts forever. Perhaps his own mindset was a bit too harsh on the world, yet that is the way he had been instructed throughout his life, imbued in his mind through painful beatings. For this reason, Wikus cared not to show a false smile on his lips, false manners or even false words to please someone. Blunt and direct, no matter how harsh, that was the only way he could feel pure and truthful to the title of ‘man’ he wore on his back.

It was somewhat sad to recall his first days in this city and the fear he showed towards rejection. His bad experiences in Syliras had been a huge blow to his own self-esteem and his nature. But here nobody chased him out nor mistreated him. Nobody waved a torch on his face to drive him out nor came late into the night to bang on his door. The Blue men were not welcoming, certainly, but their abuse could be easily ignored or mistaken for that of any proper man. Now that he had spent some time between the walls and experienced the peace of living more or less blending in, he was soon hooked to the same mannerisms he displayed in his past. His confidence had grown, but not nearing the prime of his youth. Now that he had time to meditate on this as he chewed on his apple, he realized on the mistakes made the past season. Staring into the note as if his eyes were captured by it, only the sudden appearance of a frame beside him managed to bring him out of his daydreaming.

Kavala, the woman in charge of his donkey, was the one standing next to him and speaking to him. Facing her wasn’t easy, as seen in his somewhat dubious glance towards her. Her presence was a direct reminder of his greatest fears in the past season, which inevitably transported him back into them. At first he only limited himself to watching her, his words not coming out for a couple of ticks in which his mindset battled between past and present. “You saw nothing, don’t lie. I touched it and that is all.” He said, voice somewhat dubious at first but firm and clear by the end of the sentence. Why did he lie? The mere thought of speaking a lie was repulsive, even if he had absolutely no reason to be insincere regarding his newfound ability. He could only attribute that to the memory of her imposing eyes staring right through him the previous season, something that made him feel weak and that now his mind recalled and feared would come again. “Uhh…”

He wanted to say something, anything really, in hopes of ever redeeming himself with the female. It wasn’t as much to form a relationship of any sort, but to instead move past his fears and keep growing his confidence as he needed. Yet whenever his eyes met hers, those fears overwhelmed his mind and immediately forced him to look away and halt his attempts of resistance. Staring ahead and taking another bite of the apple, he’d speak without facing her. “The Blues are angry because their messages are gone. The one that… uh… planted that note over there must have removed the rest.” Long pause, in which he’d sigh over his forgotten vocabulary despite speaking his native tongue. “White looks good on you.” He couldn’t help but scoff at his last remark, which despite being somewhat cocky, he couldn’t match with a glance towards her. He slowly felt how his mouth began filling with ink, something he had instructed himself to do in order to not stain his clothes, and he felt no other way of disposing it than to simply swallow it.

Despite his firm stance but relaxed attitude, his whole attention was focused on the female. Her presence was a needle on his flesh, something he couldn’t ignore nor allow to simply be without feeling an irk in his mind. Once the unknown voice spoke, however, he was forced to turn and face whoever had spoken. Finding nobody but the short female, he followed her gaze upwards to find only birds. Frowning, he’d return his gaze down at the woman and finally meet her eyes for once. “Wha--- What?” Unsure as to what to believe, as the voice wasn’t the females’, he stared back as confused as he oftenly was. A few ticks afterwards, he’d add some more questions to the mix. “What man? What did you see, woman?”

He was clearly speaking to the female, as he clearly assumed it was her voice the one that spoke. His ignorance was bliss sometimes, but most times it was a curse.

868 / 50000

[Kavala]

As Wikus swallowed the ink, the taste of power washed around inside his mouth. It was a sweet savory taste that was filled with a curious mixture of mirth and mischief. It wasn’t like any magic he may have ran across in his life. Instead it was tinged with the divine and gave him a strong flash of the man’s face who left the note. It was the man from the Winter Blaze, its host Straif Davin. Only, his name wasn’t Davin. His name was Kesser and it leaked off the ink with a truth that Wikus couldn’t deny. And with it came the strongest urge to tease someone, to mess with their minds, to make mischief. Kesser’s whole name was flavored with it and Wikus knew it with a certainty as the ink burned its way to his belly and those same urges settled there.

Kavala stood oblivious. She was still trying to decide how to handle Wikus’ obvious deception. The Healer didn’t know what she’d expected. Wikus wasn’t normal and that was the truth of it. When he spoke, his harsh words seemed to ricochet through her skull, like a dart flung to somehow infect her own sanity with his particular brand of instability. Lie? She knew what she saw and yet she understood Wikus’ words could make someone more insecure doubt what they saw. The Konti clenched her teeth causing her gills to flare slightly for a moment before she settled her pale blue gaze upon him, meeting his own eyes.

Disappointment flickered through her gaze, sharp and unexpected. Wikus disappointed her? Kavala gave her head a slight shake knowing the truth of it was she should have expected no less from him. His pavi was sharp and the sentences came longer and more complex than she was used too from him. He held an apple in his hand and he seemed to attack it with his teeth, deliberately defacing the beautiful fruit, as if making a statement that he could do the same to her. Kavala wanted to take a step back. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the perceived hostility or because Wikus was somewhat just down right revolting at times.

His information followed by a compliment startled her. Kavala hadn’t known he could form a coherent string of words, let alone a statement that delivered such information so acutely.

Then the compliment. She was thrown off by that one and just simply nodded at both. “Thank you.” She said, more for the synapsis of what was going on than his compliment on her attire. Kavala rarely dressed for anyone but herself. Her eyes focused on his lips as he spoke and she saw the tint of darkness on his teeth and tongue. A stain? It was there and then gone for a moment, like a man with a mouth full of red wine that then swallowed it down. Wikus, as always, was an odd one. He was an enigma and though he came across awkward, Kavala always had a suspicion that his eyes saw more than he let on. His body was fit too, as if he’d seen a lot of years of struggle.

In a way, his countenance didn’t match his physic. It was like he was lying to the world and either smarter than he let on or his strength was a lie as well. She doubted his body lied. He carried himself too well. It was just his thoughts that seemed to get in his own way, as if they were somehow damaged or two steps behind his form. It was a pity he was Drykas… or so she assumed. His language gave him away and she wondered, not for the first time, if he’d been solidly kicked in the head by a horse growing up.

It would explain so much.

She snapped her gaze off his form and back to his face when he glanced up at the birds and back to her. Kavala frowned as he stuttered again. Did he really mistake what the birds said for what she said? The Konti healer glanced up again and raised an eyebrow, her expression smoothing out. “I didn’t say anything. They did.” She said, not glancing at him, but instead keeping her eyes on the birds. “You heard him…. Do you remember what man? Can you tell us again what you saw?” The birds seemed to glance at each other then she addressed them again. They chattered amongst themselves, a garbling of words that roughly translated to pavi, and then one seemed to decide to speak for the rest.

“Feed us he did not. He came. He waved his hands. The notes were there then gone.” The crow seemed to gesture with its wings and the rest took up the gesture as well, all of them seemingly nodding in agreement. “He tricks people. Not birds. What was his message?” The birds asked. Kavala glanced at Wikus and called up to them with the answer.

“Did you get my message?” She said, raising her voice to be heard over the crowd. People were starting to stare now. The birds seemed to consult with one another and then the spokesman bird responded. “What message?”

“We don’t know.” Kavala said, glancing at Wikus one more time. “Or do we?” She said, unsure of anything regarding him. The Healer knew she saw what she saw, but she wasn’t sure why he was denying it.

The crowd pressed closer and someone threw a rock at the birds. Kavala hissed in displeasure and the birds scattered, obviously done with the people and done with their rudeness. Someone jostled her and others moved closer. Her eyes came up and scanned the crowd. She recognized a few people from shops or jobs in the city, but nothing stood out to her. The Konti wondered again what the message was they were supposed to be receiving.

Then she had a thought.

“Maybe it wasn’t a message meant for us? Maybe it was meant for someone else?” She said, half to herself and half to Wikus. Her eyebrows furrowed and she turned a half circle again, looking closer. There was nothing… no signs, no portents, nothing she could assign the uneasiness too.

Word count: 1043/20217

[Wikus]

As expected from such a strong effect, Wikus was instantly shocked by the revelation. It wasn’t the hidden identity of the Winter Blaze’s host, nor was the rather obvious magic that had just acted upon him. Never before he had felt anything similar, indeed, his experience with magic having been limited to seeing the clumsy work of a healer up in Syliras. Webbing, although something known to him, wasn’t categorized in that section as if felt more of an ability than a magic. Ignorant about magic in general, for the first time he felt it. He wasn’t mad, he wasn’t resentful nor he was scared – he was simply addicted. His eyes widened as he gazed up at the skies, inhaling deeply as he slowly relished over the new found pleasure. The revelation came with a secret, with a secondary effect that brought a smile to his face – for the first time in his life, he wanted to lie. Lies were the world’s most powerful weapon, for they could be said whenever a word escaped the lips. They could change people into monsters, much like he was changed, and they could bring that monster to its knees. Lying was salvation for everyone, and now he was allowed to do it.

A moan escaped him as he exhaled, returning his gaze upon Kavala – this time, they were firm and confident, no longer doubting and instead feeling the refuge lies could grant him. Any excuse, any background and any future was possible for the liar, for he could forge worlds with mere words. How could he feel fear when he could craft confidence? Kavala was a woman, and women were weak. They both had something in their eyes whenever their gazes locked, yet the sentiment was hidden for Wikus as his knowledge about such was very limited. After a small ponder in which his eyes limited themselves to stare at her, he finally identified the sentiment behind his own globes: he wanted her. It wasn’t attraction, despite her hips being more than fit to spawn children. It wasn’t lust, despite how much he craved her exotic flesh. It was a mere desire of proving he was superior, and that he could dominate her without ever laying a hand on her. Merely for sport, Kavala was the one he wanted to challenge, and the one he wanted to win.

Nevertheless, he tried to hold back his thirst for the female. The revelation of his both of his new craves was accompanied by the revelation of Kesser. Why would a man hide his identity, if he was innocent? Even so, what was he guilty of? Wikus changed names whenever he entered a city, salve on this very occasion as he quite forgot about it at the Gates. In his case, however, no name was issued to him the day of his birth. He didn’t hide, and often adopted a name or word he heard around as a new name. Kesser, however, had built a mansion and was a liar. Wikus’ thoughts were interrupted by a frown, gazing up at the talking… birds? It was Kavala the one talking to them, something that didn’t quite surprise him – after the initial shock, of course. It had to be her. Everyone within the city had gained strange traits and qualities, just the past moon having witnessed a woman breaking a boulder just by pressing her bare breasts against it. Kavala seemed to be able to talk with birds. Juggling both powers and their benefits, it was clear that Kavala got the worst deal.

He listened, no longer impressed at the talking birds. Yes, it was bizarre to actually hear an answer, unlike Drykas and their useless horse whispering. At least these birds weren’t deaf or mute. The more they revealed, the clearer it was to him that they were talking about Kesser. It seemed that everything pointed towards him, and the mystery was so intriguing he felt the need to reach the bottom of it. He wanted to understand what that man was, and how was capable of removing papers with a wave of its hand. What sort of magic existed in this unknown world? Once again his ignorance shined brightly, yet only for him to know. For now, it seemed that Kavala knew less than he did, something that reassured him of his superiority. Kavala, the woman whom made him cower in fear the previous season just with her gaze and her gentle words, the woman whom now hid under a cloak had to be brought to justice. She, with her chaste skin and the exotic scales, with her full lips and piercing eyes, had to pay.

Wikus wasn’t sure on whose side he stood, other than his own. Being able to trick a whole city with a fake name was impressive, especially in this stuck-up city full of laziness and comfort. Gossips were power here, he believed, thus making Kesser’s accomplishment even bigger. The rocks began flowing towards the birds, something he didn’t mind but his female victim did. She was capable of holding her own against an unintentional shove he thought, yet Wikus was also capable of making her seem impotent in this situation. Stepping forward, he’d yell a quick warning: “Oi!” Although his donkey was often the one to receive such name, these blue boars were far lesser than the useful donkey. Pressing himself against Kavala, he’d raise his head in superiority and glance around with coldness towards the crowd – clearly claiming her under his defense, even if she needed none. His arm would raise to deliver a push to one of the nearest Blues, whom was shoved back hard against the crowd that stood behind.

They got this message, and quickly left some space for the duo. Kavala, the so capable and so secure was now under his protection, and thus directly below him. His expression hadn’t changed a bare minimum, still displaying a slight pout as he usually did. By far, the most notable change was the security in his eyes, the typical blue hued eyes for Drykas being still and apathetic, as cold as their color. Staring down at the female from his height, he’d slowly lean in forward towards her ear, hoping she didn’t panic as he whispered: “I know who did it.” Not pulling back, he’d instead remain in place and use the distance as his ally – he knew that women often struggled to restrain themselves in his presence, and while he had no intent of claiming the female as his, he did want to cause uneasiness in her similarly to the way she caused it in him the previous fall. Wikus usually didn’t hold grudges for such encounters, yet his whimsical nature would confuse itself for it most times.

Pulling back up, the proximity to the female still felt like his ally. Raising an open hand towards her, he’d shamelessly try to meet her gaze and lock eyes as he awaited her hand to reach his. He wouldn’t move nor talk until his whimsical desire was satisfied. Raising the apple with his other hand, he’d give it a small bite, chewing it slowly to denote his infinite patience. He knew who was behind this, and he had all the time in the world to go to him. Kavala, however, seemed to be unbeknownst of his knowledge, which immediately meant she would either quit and leave her curiosity unsatisfied or she’d have to once again prove that she needed him.

This once, the proximity didn’t reveal any reek from him. In fact, he smelled pleasantly like watermelons. Obviously, he had a thing with them.

1275 / 50000

[Kavala]

Kavala witnessed the change in Wikus’ eyes and wondered at it. There was something new in them, something almost newly discovered and he practically bristled with confidence suddenly. She met his gaze and his gaze turned harder in a way that made her skin crawl a bit. She could have handled it if there was a flicker of admiration or lust within his gaze, but he looked at her in a way that she hadn’t seen in a man’s eyes since that time so long ago.

Memory flashed back in her mind and she superimposed Wikus’ face – in her mind – over the face of an attacker. She’d been in her late teens and on the way home from Mura where she’d taken her medical training. Her horse had taken a well worn path down a rise and there’d been a trip wire that had almost snapped Windsongs foreleg and taken her down at a full gallop. Kavala had thought she hadn’t survived the fall, but unfortunately she had.

She’d woken, later, heavily bruised and stretched out on the ground pinned there by a human. She’d had no clothing on and the pounding in her head had told her immediately she was suffering from a head wound caused by a blow. Flat on her back, it had taken her a breath or two to fight past the pain and confusion to understand what was happening. The male was holding her down, forcing himself in long dry thrusts inside her with his rigid flesh. Her head had been tilted back and he’d been staring her in the eyes as she awoke with a gaze just like Wikus wore. Power. Control. Dominance. He’d spilled his seed in and upon her in the days that had followed over and over again because he could. And it wasn’t because he desired her, not really, but it was because he desired to own her and for that short amount of time he had.

In that instant she had no doubt Wikus was capable of the same and more than willing.

The Konti shuddered and felt djed rise in her, res filling her mouth until she couldn’t speak. She hated herself for the reaction, for the fear, and took an involuntary step back not sure if she was going to vomit or spin on her heels and leave. Mentally she told herself it was fine. She was strong. There were weapons all over her that were useful in any number of ways to change Wikus’ attitude. But it wasn’t the fact he looked like that, not really, that had her so spooked. It was the fact she reacted how she did. Kavala wasn’t all lightness and sunshine. She had plenty of darkness in her as well. But she hated the old fear, the terror that she wouldn’t be in control forever. So she swallowed the res and took a deep breath and refocused on the plaza.

She kept a close eye on Wikus, but also on the birds and the crowd. Crows were notoriously unreliable witnesses, thinking more of their stomachs and less of the overarching meaning of an event. Dogs and cats were far smarter. The Konti almost silently cursed under her breath. Glancing around she looked for someone more reliable, more intelligent, to perhaps give her insight the birds would not. They’d revealed all they knew… a man had come into the plaza, removed the notes with a sweep of his hand, and left another message… a lone message. What in the world did it mean?

It was when her attention was diverted that Wikus shoved her, herded her, and crowded her like one of her dominant horses would do to control her movements. He was a big man standing so close and she froze for a moment as he leaned forward, his warm breath on her neck and tracing the scaled patterns around her ear. She heard him and it prevented her flight, freezing her even more in place as her pale blue eyes widened. Kavala had no doubts he’d hurt her in a heartbeat if it served him to do so. Last season, had they met, she would have indeed taken him to bed and got it out of his system because the whole atmosphere of the city had tainted its citizens with a sort of reverse of who they inherently were. Then, she might have found his dominance attractive… no she definitely would have. Now though, now she had enough common sense back to be afraid.

Her right hand reached up, parted the white cloak, and revealed the brace of throwing daggers across her chest. One hand confidently wrapped around the hilt of the nearest perfectly balanced blade. She didn’t even glance down as she did so, knowing the Tamo’s were close at hand as well. Eyes scanning the crowd, she took Wikus’ hand when he gave her room to do so and watched his teeth bite into the apple knowing they could just as easily bite into white scaled flesh.

The crowd seemed to have lost interest with the fleeing of the crows. For that Kavala was relieved. It gave her and Wikus a chance to talk without the people milling about overly bothered by them.

“Tell me who.” She said suddenly, a tug on his hand bringing him closer so they were crowding each other’s space again. She was armed with more than an apple. And his chest and vulnerable visceral cavity was staring her in the face. Her eyes kept locked on him as she quietly asked the question. They could have been dancing, standing so close as they were, and in a way they were. The man was clean, big, and it was a pity what she’d seen in his eyes. Eyes revealed soul often enough for Kavala not to doubt them. Wikus would never be that man thrusting over her, dominating her, owning her soul for that moment. Not if she could help it. But here, standing side by side, her daggers were her equalizers and so too was the res still on her tongue.

1017/24696

[Wikus]

In a dramatic exaggeration, Wikus’ heart broke at the female’s harsh reply on his daring approach towards her. Unbeknown on her past as she was of his, it was hard to understand as to why she cowered before him and relied to weapons to intimidate him. Be it his body language, his reserved nature or something that he couldn’t quite understand about his presence, he was often met with violence from pretty much anyone he met. Kavala had no reason to react this way, even if he had tossed a flower at her face the past season. His brow arched as his head rose slightly, his expression changing from his strange enthusiasm to a light mixture between disgust and disappointment. He often thought of himself like a mirror, always reflecting the worst of people’s lives and bringing it to life for a reason he couldn’t quite understand. It had happened in his youth, in his days of nearly achieved glory, in his days after his exile… It was truly a disgusting feeling to be treated in a certain way just because.

His confidence was partially gone, especially after the brusque reaction of his possible victim, yet still he held his ground even if he felt those two eyes of her piercing through his hollow being. He didn’t say a thing at first, focused on watching back and trying to find whatever obscure meaning his mind could craft to explain Kavala’s reaction. “Irk me.” He said plainly, be it out of a lack of planning by his hollow head or some strange of masochist vibe he hid within, yet he felt confident that those are the words he was looking for. In a way, he knew that stabbing a man in the middle of the street was something not very welcomed in the few places he has been, yet he also suspected Kavala was more than capable of doing that and much worse. It was a strange sensation to be near her, perhaps not by her height or her gender, but because of something that hid within her and suggested a man to cower and bow down before her. “I know you want to.”

Be it teasing or not, he didn’t quite knew. He was often more afraid of a conversation than he was in the face of death, as a conversation was by far more dangerous. Death would always arrive, sooner or later, and he had escaped that reign several times perhaps by either skill, perseverance or pure luck. Words, however, could bring a man down to his knees and break his mind. Wikus wasn’t as idiotic as most believed, and knew that remaining silent and ignoring what others had to say was the way to go. Nobody should have access to his thoughts, to his personality, mainly because he was always right and nobody would ever prove him otherwise. “I don’t know what you want from me, woman. I don’t know if you want me to mount you, if you want me to irk you or if you want me to speak to you. I don’t know what you think I am or what I will be. I know you have been looking at me with eyes I don’t want to see. You want to irk me, I don’t know why.” He was speaking the truth again, while also aware that his part of the tale was left untold. He too wanted to hurt her, but not mentioning it made him the victim. His voice was soft but certain, if not a bit accusing.

“I will not tell you. I know who did it, but I will not tell. Irk me if you want…” He stepped forward, pressing himself against her as much as possible without taking a hold on her and pressing her back against him. His head tilted to the side, eyes widening as he stared down at her with a strange intensity that was almost begging for it. “Nobody will see. Irk me and walk away, let me die here alone. Is that enough for you?” Despite his teasing, he was pretty terrified. He knew he wanted to play her, to enjoy her suffering and suffocate under his hidden glory, but he was truly scared of this woman. She had so much without doing anything at all, and that was something he both dreaded and admired at the same time. If only he had such a quality, such an admirable trait, he wouldn’t waste it by spending the day surrounded by useless animals. That kind of trait would bow down the world if used right. His breathing was affected by those doubts of his reckless and thoughtless actions, some agitation present as he seriously prepared his core to receive a stab from one of the female’s daggers. For a moment, he wondered what would hurt him more: her dagger or her cold eyes.

“I asked sorry past season, even if it was not enough. You can ask sorry now, even if won’t be enough. You can fake it, and come with me, and walk with me to the one that did this. You can get an answer, or you can stay here and irk me as much as you like to get a new question: Do I speak truth or do I speak lie?” Wikus’ philosophical being once again came afloat, as it was inevitable as that is the way his mind occupied itself in the long and plain days. The proximity between them partially awakened his primal instincts, and he had to hold back the urge of taking her, of holding her and making her his as such was the way he often found a distraction to steer him away from the pressures of fear and cowardice. Sex was not something he enjoyed, nor was females in general, yet a man is nothing without his instincts. He had to hold himself back, despite the female making him so frustrated that it was hard to bear the craving of her chaste flesh.

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[Kavala]

Kavala simply didn’t understand him. This had been her problem the season before when they’d first met over his donkey. He used phrases, terms, even body language that was somewhat foreign to her and almost inhuman. And he was doing it again. Irk him? What in all the worlds did that mean? He knew she wanted too? Kavala tilted her head back, staring up at him, and didn’t understand.

More words flowed through him and then he crowded her space deliberately. His whole body slammed gently up against her and she felt every inch of his hard length while blinking in surprise. He didn’t release her hand, which was strange, and he didn’t release her gaze which was even more startling. He filled the void between them with words, more words than she ever remembered him speaking. Irk him? Did he mean hurt? His personal scent surrounded her and Kavala smelled watermelons instead of the stank of unwashed male she had expected. Even his breath, so close, smelled of the fresh apple he’d been biting moments ago. She looked away, having too, because his soul was in his eyes and worse, his heart was in his words. Her eyes dropped down to his lips and then to his beard. She could feel his heartbeat pressed up against her own and it was thundering. He was aroused and for a moment Kavala let herself feel small and somewhat protected by the human and his presence because in that moment there was nothing threatening about him. It was something else… almost an appeal.

She released his hand then, sliding one arm around his waist and holding him to her in a motion that even surprised the Konti. Then she reached up and tangled her fingers in his beard and yanked his head down, holding his chin tight for a moment as her hand fisted the hair. She didn’t care it was intimate and that she was holding him too her. She didn’t even care that his body prevented her from accessing all the weapons, even the ones she’d casually threatened him with moments ago. She held him tightly forcing him to look down, to really look at her, even though his eyes had never left her gaze.

“Irk you? Wikus, I don’t want to hurt you or anyone else. I just don’t want to be hurt. You make a great deal of threats, whether you realize it or not by how you look at me and how you move.” Kavala said, letting off a string of curse words an Akalak would have been proud of. “I want to be your friend. Just that… why is that so hard for you to understand?” She said, gripping his beard even tighter. A warmth infused him from where she touched, burning from her hand holding his hips against hers and moving up his back. The same warmth came from where his chin was clenched against her fist, held hostage by his beard. It traveled upwards, straight and true and filled his mouth. The aches in his gums and teeth from chewing the tough-skinned fruit seemed to ease and then vanish all together. His broken teeth, the ones that never seemed to stop hurting, reformed whole in his mouth.

“I’m the sorry one. I just want to be your friend.” She whispered suddenly, meaning it, knowing in some way he was damaged. She could help a broken body, but minds were another thing altogether. Her hand slowly released him where it held the small of his back, trailing down over his ass before she broken contact altogether. Then her fingers loosened themselves from his beard and she stepped back. The hand that had momentarily been on him reached up and rubbed the back of her own neck, as if it pained her somehow. She didn’t break her gaze with him, only the touch, and she opened her mouth to speak.

“I will go with you. I think you are telling the truth. Knowledge is power and you are clinging to yours thoroughly. There was no need, but I understand it.” Her hand released her neck and she drew both hands across her torso rubbing her opposite arms. It was almost a self-comforting gesture.

“Lead on.” She said, wondering if he was still going to take her somewhere new, someplace where she could learn answers. Her gaze never left his, not during the speech no her movements.

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[Wikus]

XX-XXXX-XXX

Wikus could only gape at her as she tugged on his beard, only capable of listening instead of trying to muff her voice with his own. He was a skeptical man in many ways, and even some of her words were not believed by him as that was his nature. Nonetheless, the moment he felt an anomaly in his mouth is what hit him hardest of all – his teeth, broken and battered by countless beatings and many abuses, were suddenly there. Their aching halted, yet this one he knew it wouldn’t return later on when he was distracted. Their structure was regained, yet not because they were threatening to fall out of the gums that struggled to hold them. His teeth were there, and they felt as real as they were. A strange kind of terror manifested in his eyes as his eyes were basically forced to lock at hers, not because of her actions but because of the profound fear he felt no matter how placid the gift was. What kind of being could return his teeth just by touching him? A monster. A monster with golden hairs and scales on its face, a monster that disguised itself as a woman and hid its claws behind two daggers that were merely there to distract him of her true nature. Now he knew what she was, and his suspiciousness the previous season was not simply social awkwardness, but a revelation his mind had gifted him.

Just as easy as she had returned his teeth she could remove them. Offering nothing more than a nod as he was quite scared of this thought, he’d quickly spin on his heels and begin walking. His strides were fast and long, proper of his height, which perhaps may be a problem for Kavala yet that was the least he could do to make her uncomfortable. Biting the air several times and moving his jaw side to side in attempts of getting used to his new mouth, the loud sound of his teeth clacking suggested that his bite was perhaps what killed the teeth in the first place. Mute at first, with time he began glancing back at her and slowing down his rhythm as they walked the frozen and snowy streets of the city. ‘I just want to be your friend’ she had said, a sentence that would have annoyed him instead of… bringing him so much pleasure as it did right now. If he was that kind of man, he would laugh at that statement and mock her, yet his mockery was internal and never really came to shine in his mouth despite having the teeth for it. He saw a chance in that statement, and it began to turn into evidence against his superstitions against her. Having forgotten about the apple, with new teeth easily finished it with two gigantic bites and loud chewing, tossing inside his mouth the remains and only spitting out the stem once its turn came.

“Woman, why you speak with birds?” He spoke out at last, slowly lurking over her as every time he was more considerate with her walking, eventually hovering beside her and even subtly moving closer and closer to her. This was the fruit of his pondering, eventually having realized that her friendship meant nothing to him and that her apology only served to incite him to indeed mess with her even further. Wikus wasn’t a deceiving man, and usually he was very straight-forward whenever he wasn’t locked in his own bubble. Kavala, however, was simply amusing to mess with. The distance between them had only brought out her thoughts about him, which was a disadvantage for her and an obvious advantage for him. His blue eyes often stared at her even if he tried to hide it by keeping his head as straight as possible, imagining all the ways he could guide her into regretting having said that. Once again, distance was his ally as he was the one able to gaze down at her from the height of his metaphorical throne. Overall, the short encounter he’s had with her had boosted his confidence way too much, and now he felt the arrogance flowing through his veins like disease floats in a rotting body. After a held back snicker, he bumped her with his elbow. “Why do you want to be my friend?”

Wikus could barely hold back the laughter, looking in the opposite direction as he held his breath to suffocate any signs of amusement. Whimsical as he was, he would love to hear her explanation on the matter just so that his ego could keep growing, and his amusement kept reproducing. Reaching into his coat’s pocket, he’d extract two more apples, these way smaller than their predecessor. Handing the smallest one to her, he’d finish his with a single bite that congested his mouth as there was barely enough space to fit it. Chewing had never been so easy, and it was truly a blessing. He was thankful, certainly, yet he was also somewhat bitter that she had done something for him without him asking. Such acts made him feel in debt to her, which is exactly the reason that got her into this mess in the first place. He had to get even with her. Some of the ink had filtered through his gums, once again spoiling the taste and leaving him with that bitter taste in his mouth that really managed to spoil his mood no matter how insignificant it was. He held back the desire of spitting into the white snow – he was arrogant, not disgusting.

On the distance of the wide street they were following, he saw something very unusual. One of those colorful men, yet this one cursed with an intense green glow in his flesh that made him stand out immediately in the rather crowded street. His bald head was wobbling and rocking, which Wikus believed to be a sign of him running. Akalaks were always training, after all. Nevertheless, he saw a chance. After clearing his throat, he began a small speech in his usual low and uninterested tone. “Woman, I be sorry if I feared you before. I enjoy you… and I----“ Just as planned, he halted both his tongue and his feet, eyes going wide as a finger came forth to point in the distance. His eyes couldn’t hold back from looking down at her, hoping to witness her reaction first hand and already attempting not to burst into laughter if he did. “There! Kesser!” Without any delay, Wikus broke eye contact and began running forward through the snow, pushing his way through the people in attempts of catching the rare-colored Akalak he hoped was fast enough to escape them both. While he disliked running, and even more with these annoying clothes on, witnessing Kavala chase after something that isn’t there was worth a lot more.

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[Kavala]

Kavala tightened down on her emotions. They did no good in this situation. At least now that she had infused him with healing, Rak’keli’s compulsion to heal the aches and pains were gone. He would have no more, at least not until he got into another fight and perhaps got more teeth broken or knocked out. Had she heard his thoughts – how he thought her a monster – maybe she would have been crushed and turned away from him. Maybe she would have agreed with him. It didn’t matter, not really, because he meant nothing to her. His actions reinforced that even after she’d all but offered friendship, throwing it at his feet. And the way he looked at her, with only his condescending nod, made something rise in her that wasn’t pleasant. She stomped it down with a ruthlessness of a warrior used to not letting anything rule them but logic. What was the next move?

Her thoughts were cut off as he moved, spinning on his heel and striding away. She stood frozen there for a moment, her emotions tightly reined in so she wouldn’t be angry that he assumed she’d follow him docilely like a dog on a leash. Instead she watched him move away, blue eyes glittering like ice with no emotion in them at all. There were two paths open that seemed clear choices in her mind. The first involved a path that lead her away from him which to her seemed the smartest. He gave back nothing in their interactions ever. Instead, he was a taker, a user, someone who seemed a bit mean in his simplicity. The other pathway lead her after him and perhaps some answers to questions she had about what she’d seen him do and what truth there might be behind his words.

Kavala’s mind whirled quickly, making the decision to discover, and she set off after him at a light jog. Once she caught up to him, her stride was more of a trot than a walk to keep up with his long legs. His lack of courtesy didn’t surprise her. Playing the leashed dog at least passed the afternoon, giving her a break from the work that was let for her at home that she’d come to the city to take a break from.

He seemed to slow and crowd her, which only served to clue her in that he was up to something. She honestly wanted to turn to him and snap at him to not hurt himself thinking too hard, but she wouldn’t waste the breath. To his first question, she simply shrugged. It wasn’t enough of a question for her to bother with. It was like his demands about what she wanted from him where he included something as vapid as … the Konti couldn’t even finish the thought. And she suspected he was filling the silence between them with a question just to halt the silence between them, not because he actually cared. His words and actions contradicted themselves continuously so Kavala had to pick which cues she followed. And she’d long decided his words didn’t mean anything because he’d proven that with his actions. Kavala would bet good coin that Wikus wouldn’t remember her answer because he didn’t care enough too. It was like her name. He couldn’t seem to remember it or care to use it either. The shrug just served to indicate, in her mind, her choice of indifference. If he didn’t care there was no reason for her to care either. She even decided she didn’t care if he caught the gesture or not.

Another question rolled off his lips after he bumped her with his elbow. “I don’t. I changed my mind. Humans are the same no matter what form they take.” She continued the sentence in the silence of her mind. Greedy. Needy. Takers. She’d never met a human, especially a man, whom she’d not been related too and yet made friends with. They all wanted something from her, and nothing so innocent as friendship or companionship. She answered truthfully, meaning what she said. She even thought in that moment about Ronan. In her mind she compared Wikus to Ronan and found them both lacking. She could remember very clearly Ronan’s lip curling up as he told her that she was not human enough to ever love. Drykas. It was always a tear across her soul. Being Konti born away from the Oceans upon the Sea of Grass. Wikus was just like them. Proud. Entitled. She could almost feel the mockery of her rolling off him.

And in that moment she slowed even more, wondering what in the world she was doing following him. It was the wrong decision completely. This would lead to nothing more than additional opportunities for Wikus to look down his nose at her from his lofty height. More emotions rose and she stuffed them back down, dismissing them and rejecting that part of herself that felt anything at all. Rationality was far easier to deal with than what was trying to surface.

Wikus interrupted her thoughts with his offer of an apple. She watched him eat one of the two in one bite and handed the one he’d offered her back. “No thank you. I’ve already eaten.” Kavala said politely, not taking the fruit. ”It’s probably poison….” she thought to herself with a narrowing of her eyes. Something, naturally, that non-humans were too inferior to survive. More feeling rose and this time she ruthlessly stomped them out before they could even form. No. Just no. This man wasn’t going to get anything from her but polite indifference.

Where were they going anyhow? The Konti glanced around, taking active note of her surroundings and noticed that they’d left the Square and had continued down the street elsewhere. She took a moment to get her bearings. She was trying to decide where Wikus was going and which of the winding Riverfall streets he was leading her down. There were people around and she carefully began to read the signs on businesses and the cross street. She was so much distracted that she didn’t halt when Wikus did and certainly didn’t catch his words as she hustled by him, missing the eye contact as well. She halted, spun, and noted his finger pointing at someone in the distance. She caught his gaze just in time for him to break off and stare at the Akalak he seemed to point out. Kavala had no idea who Kesser was and watched Wikus jog off in pursuit. He plowed through people like a farmer first tilling winter hard soil which caused the Konti to just shake her head.

Kesser? Where had she heard that name before? The Konti searched her memory as Wikus vanished into the crowd. She pulled her ermine cloak closer and sighed as if trying to decide whether to go after the man chasing another or not. The Konti hadn’t gotten a close look at who Wikus was chasing after either.

A voice stopped her from chasing the human, robbing her of the decision to do so before she could make it. “Someone called?” A tall man said, standing a few feet away from where the pair had been before Wikus started his flight. Kavala met the man’s eyes and smiled. “You’re Kesser? Wikus said he was looking for you but I don’t know why.” Kavala said, lifting an arm to gesture to the tall human that was sprinting away lightly through the crowd. “We’ve just come from the message square. Someone took all the messages away this morning and left just one. Wikus said he knew who did it.” Kavala said thoughtfully, studying the human male intently. She nodded towards the tall man weaving through the crowd as she said his name. The crows from earlier, the ones that had complained about Kesser, settled on a nearby roofline and began chanting Wikus’ name quietly. One seemed to point at him with a wingtip off in the crowd. “Wikus. Wikus. Wikus.” Kavala refrained from rolling her eyes. Kesser glanced at the birds, then at Kavala, and offered a slightly knowing smile.

The newcomer seemed to study the Konti just as curiously and then laughed out loud. “Did he now? Did he reveal who this culprit was or was he just leading a young lady on a wild goose chase?” The man asked, seemingly leveling his sharp gaze on the bearded man in the distance.

Kavala gave another shrug. “You will have to ask him yourself.” She answered, then extended her hand. “I’m Kavala Denusk. I take it you are Kesser?” She exchanged introductions while she waited for Wikus to come to his senses and return if he was going too.

The Konti thought it curious that Kesser seemingly answered Wikus out of the blue. She hadn’t noticed the Human being there at all. It was as if one moment he wasn’t and then he simply … was. The man shook her hand and nodded an affirmation. “Oh yes indeed. I’m Kesser. I didn’t see you at The Winter Blaze. I hosted it earlier this year.” He added. Kavala nodded.

“No, I missed it. I run a healing clinic for animals and there was an emergency.” She said, looking thoughtful and glancing around to see if Wikus was going to return. “Look, the man who asked for you… the one that was running through the crowd? I don’t think he’s exactly … stable.” She said thoughtfully. “Its almost as if something is wrong with him.” She added. Then she swore Kesser looked momentarily pleased before his face assumed a mask of concern.

“Oh? Tell me more.” He added, curious now as to why the Konti would say that.

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