Closed Of Stone and Djed[Sayana]

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde listened to Sayana's words, letting her talk. Letting her speak her mind. Letting her run on with things. It was clear if nothing else she was a bit embittered if not annoyed at things, which was an easy flame to feed.

Within her aura Clyde could feel the strength of the pulse of her emotions, could feel their growing as she spoke. He could only assume from their conversation that those emotions were excitement, though if nothing else he could tell she felt strongly.

When she asked about gathering wood and stones for the fire, Clyde smiled, standing up to face her.

He ordered Rye to stay, before responding to her question. “I'll help find the wood to burn. But don't worry about the stone to make the fire put, I've got that handled.”

With a gesture of his hand he pointed at his tent, in particular the tent posts holding it down. If she hadn't noticed it before, perhaps now she'd notice that each of his posts were fitted into a perfectly arranged hole, and not just set up at random or in small pocks in the hard stone as Sayana's was. Something that Sayana surely would have noticed before when they were first setting up their tents, and so clearly hadn't been there when they'd began to make camp.

A fire pit being hollowed out was well within his abilities.

As they began walking Clyde continued speaking, answering Sayana's questions about Rhysol.

“One serves Rhysol by expanding his domain, by committing acts and spreading those things within his purview. Lies, betrayal, and chaos. Committing acts of each. Spreading it to other people, helping them find it within themselves, as I am doing now with you. That is what pleases him.”

“He respects strength and sacrifice for him, loyalty to him and his ideals. And of course bringing others to see his domain, bringing others within the fold. He appreciates inventiveness, subtlety, and creativity.”

As the two of them walked, Clyde picked up various bits of wood and sticks. If he hadn't been carrying Cha he might have been a bit more effective, but as it was he still did his best to pick up various bits of wood about the mountainside, what little there was.

He was skilled in starting fires, though less so in the mundane way. Still, he was decent with that also, and knew how to use some flint and steel to get fire going with the correct ingredients.

He'd not before used Reimancy before to enhance his survival skills, though as he reflected on such things it was a obvious connection.

Wilderness survival was about surviving and thriving within the elements. Reimancy was about control those same elements for the most part, and bending them to ones will and use.

[Sayana]

When Clyde gestured to his tent, Sayana looked over curiously. It took her a tick to spot the difference between her tent and his, but when she did a silent “oh” formed upon her lips. It was subtle, but somehow he had managed to find perfectly evenly spaced holes for the tent pegs. She did a second glance at the mage, wondering how his tent had come to look so pristine, but then simply nodded and took his word that he could handle the rocks for the fire pit.

The Eypharian was glad that he agreed to join her. She found herself both listening intently to his words of Rhysol and lost in thought as to what the god of chaos meant to her and whether her past actions might appease him. Or how future actions might appease him. The beautiful and most rewarding aspect of it was that she was already serving the dark god in her own small ways, and that the god of chaos would have no desire to change her mentality. If anything, he would want to intensify it.

She caught sight of a particularly thorny bush in the shade of a large rocky embankment. As she approached it she donned her leather gloves and gripped it near the base while she swung the axe against the tough roots. When at last it came free, she was tempted to break it up into smaller pieces, but figured it would be easier to carry if it was whole. Her other hands were laden with sticks of varying sizes and she used a free high to continue gathering grasses, occasionally utilizing a dagger to cut them cleanly from the ground.

“Inventiveness, subtlety and creativity…” Sayana mused. A sparkle suddenly shone in her eyes when she spoke next. “Would the Lord of Chaos like a squire who has been convinced to spy on the Order? I have my doubts as to the quality of the spying, but if quality is needed, I have a friend in Alvadas who is good at that.” She left the question open, as it was somewhat rhetorical, but was certainly willing to listen if it sparked the mage’s curiosity.

By the time they had gathered what she thought was enough wood for a small fire, Sayana led the way back to the camp. She placed her pile of sticks and branches off to the side, then sat down with her bag of grasses and other vegetation. She took off her robe to drape it down upon the floor of her tent, then started taking handfuls of grass to fill it with the natural stuffing. Soon she would find that it was rather flat and meager, but it was something.

However, even as she worked the majority of her attention was on Clyde. He had said he would take care of the fire pit and she certainly didn’t want to miss out on what he planned to do. She suddenly recalled the magical flame that Aren had managed to summon. Maybe Clyde could do something similar? Or control the fire with his sheer will alone?

“You said you’d do the fire?” The Eypharian prompted curiously, although not entirely sure if Clyde intended to use magic. “Tell me if you’d like help with the kindling.” She had started campfires before and would surely help. But if the mage had something else on his mind, she wasn’t about to interrupt.

Credit: Shimoje

[Clyde Sullins]

As they walked along gathering wood and things, Clyde continued collecting bits of sticks and branches. He was quick to notice that it was a much trickier affair than in the woods of Syliras, purely from the rarity of trees in the mountainous region.

He had a decent armload, but didn't have much hope of finding much more, let alone any bigger fallen pieces.

When Sayana asked her next question, Clyde visibly smiled at her, shaking his head after as if what she'd said was silly. However silly in that she'd thought she needed to ask even though it was so obvious, not because it was wrong.

“What exactly do you think I'm doing in Syliras Sayana? Squires are the bottom of the order, the fresh faces. I've spent time with quite a few myself, attempting to make them question things. Helping to break their enamored view of the knighthood, and see the truth behind its lies. Practicing magic, and showing them some of what those outside the order can show and teach. Though I've kept many of my magics secret. A few of the squires I've even been somewhat successful in, made them question certain things of the order.”

“He'd probably prefer a knight, but I don't think he'd spit at a squire.”

“In my experience, corruption is stronger when the person you start with thinks themselves and acts pious and incorruptible. It is a greater achievement to bring them within Rhysol's fold, when they begin opposed to him. While corrupting and bringing anyone to the truth of Rhysol is good, it is a greater achievement to bring a squire to him, than say a thief and cutthroat in Sunberth. Why do you think I went to Syliras, a place so openly opposed to Rhysol, instead of an easier to move place?”

“At the same time I am also gaining the trust of the knights. For you can't betray someone who doesn't trust you. The longer that trust has held, the deeper the trust, the greater and more unseen the eventual betrayal is. The greatest of betrayals comes from those who seemed most on your side, most devoted, and most trusted.”

“Moving someone to Rhysol's side isn't a sudden thing, isn't done in one motion. It is a thing of degrees, I believe. You find the seed of Chaos and darkness within the person, feed it, tend it, help it to grow and flourish, and in time it will bud. One thing leads to the next. Helping a squire to see the path, to do things perhaps not against the order but not for them, may of course lead to more steps, deeper along the path. Until eventually they are so far on the path they can't see where they started.”

Clyde spoke as they walked, growing silent as the made it back to camp.

He placed his wood with Sayana's, carefully extracting Cha, and watching her work for a moment as she made her odd grassy robe arrangement.

It was soon clear that Sayana however was watching him, not wanting to miss whatever he did. He clearly had her interested, and wanting to see what he could do.

When she finally broke down and questioned him about the fire, he smiled once more and shook his head.

“Did I? If I remember correctly, I said I would help with the fire pit, not the fire. I said we didn't need to gather stones, not that I'd start a fire. ”

Letting out a sigh, Clyde walked over to a nice clear spot, one that would make a good place for a fire pit.

Holding Cha against the ground, he willed his res to manifest, to extrude from his body or in this case Cha's flesh. Willing the djed to move, he flowed it down his arms and into the wood of Cha, and down to the spot she touched the ground. After a moment a slow trickle and then a pour of liquid res began to bead on the surface of Cha. It was as a bright silver colored cloud made liquid, and poured out. Looking through it one could still see the ground and stone below and through, as it didn't block vision, but was still visibly there.

As the slow drizzle of silver beads increased to a slow stream, they fell and soaked into the stone below. Clyde focused them downward, willing them to descend, he soaked it downward and deeper into the mountain until it reached about a foot down.

The simplest method would be transmutation, turning the stone into air or something, and hollowing out the pit that way. However the least djed intensive method was attraction. In this case he didn't think pure attraction would work, but perhaps a mix of the two would still be less djed intensive than pure transmutation.

Puzzling out the shape and method of his work, he spent a good quarter of a chime just thinking, while slowly rearranging the shape of the res within the ground.

Once he was ready he acted at once, spurring several unique variations and changes within the djed all at once instead of one constant action.

Picturing the bowl of the firepit within his mind, about a foot deep at its deepest, and gently sloping upward to level out until reaching the rim of the bowl... It was a foot deep, and perhaps three feet in diameter. After picturing the shape in his mind, he reversed it, focusing on the outline, only the edges. With a willing of his power he transmuted these spots, this outline, turning it from stone to air with a burst of power.

Visibly little happened, except the stone in the res soaked spot seemed to shudder, and then sank a fraction of an inch down due to the small gap he'd added between each surface, with a small waft of air forced outward and upward along the lines of the bowl from the new emptiness.

Now he was left with a hollowed out bowl, with a non-connected piece of stone almost exactly fitted within minus the fraction of an inch thick outline he'd transmuted.

Once it settled Clyde focused on attraction, having the res moved upward and pull upward, taking the stone center with it. Raising it directly upward out of the whole along the thin margin of not having it collide with the new bowl walls, he floated it up out of the hole and about hip level.

With a shifting of the attraction he pulled it to the side, and then sent it flying, leaving the res behind as the stone whipped about and was pushed and landed near the edge of the camp with a small thud of stone on stone as it hit the ground. A single crack fissured up the stone piece he'd pulled from the ground, but didn't shatter or break in half. It was solid enough stone that it stood up to the small bit of punishment.

Looking down at the new firepit Clyde frowned. It wasn't quite as even as he would have liked, not as neat or uniform. No that he could see the completed hole he could see the small variations, the rippling of the stone, the waves, and uneveness. It wasn't a perfectly shaped bowl in one go. If he wanted that he'd need to take more time than a few moments, and likely erode down the shape by bits until it was as he wanted.

Still though, he'd used the existing environment and manipulated it into one better for them. A below ground firepit's flames was much less visible than an aboveground one, or one with just stones laid around a flat spot.

“Fire pit, not fire, Sayana. You really need to listen to wordings, you tend to make many assumptions from misheard words. That's problematic. Listen to what people say, not what you assume they mean.”

Talking casually as he walked over to the wood pile, Clyde began to gather bits of sticks and wood, planning to bring them back to the firepit to set up a fire. He'd do that next.

[Sayana]

Sayana’s gaze periodically focused on the mage as he discussed the dark god. She was more attentive even than when he had taught her the basics of auristics. Also, much more prone to listening rather than trying to interrupt. Under Rhysol, she could more fully be herself. Take what she could, corrupt and manipulate as she pleased… Of course, there were the more worldly consequences she had to be mindful of, but it seemed to open a thousand doors and more importantly fuse them together into a purpose.

However, one thing she noted was that there was a certain patience and subtlety to Clyde’s mechanisms. Corruption was a seed he planted and nurtured, with his goal to crack the toughest of seeds. She wondered if he was disappointed in her own enthusiasm, but then, enthusiasm had its own benefits.

When they returned to the campsite, the mage was very pointed about the distinction between the fire pit and the fire. Regardless, she was curious for what he had in mind. Obviously not just assembling some stones in a ring.

Sayana watched as he moved to a clear space and seemed to focus on his blue staff. A breath caught on her lips as she noticed the silvery liquid forming near the bottom of the piece of wood. Then more and more of the liquid poured out coating the rocky ground. She was tempted to ask what it was he was doing, when suddenly there was a soft thud as the rock shifted. She wasn’t exactly sure what had happened, but when the silvery fluid began to lift up, taking the hunk of rock with it, her eyes widened considerably. She didn’t move from where she sat at the entrance to her tent, but she also couldn’t tear her gaze away as the rock lifted up with ease and then was seemingly tossed to the side.

She quickly glanced at the mage, wondering if such a display of magic would have any potential for sweet whispers or overgiving, but there didn’t seem to be anything particularly amiss with his expression and composure. In fact, he seemed to be studying the hole rather critically before going over to the sticks they had gathered.

“Here I thought you were going to use reimancy to create a flame on the tip of your finger. What was that? Was it one magic or two? You managed to sever the rock and also levitate it.” Despite having been exposed to reimancy, she was not very well-versed in it, especially how it applied to other elements. Nevertheless, her interest was apparent. The Eypharian got up from her seat by the tent to examine his work. It was smooth, or almost smooth, and seemingly perfectly formed.

Then she went over to check out the rock. There was a crack in it, but when she attempted to lift or move it, all she could do was roll it over or push it along the ground. And here the mage had lifted it through magic alone. When she saw him starting to arrange the sticks, she went back to grab a handful of dried grass she had set aside. “Don’t forget some tinder. It really helps the spark catch. Then, if you place it near the middle with your small twigs next to the tinder, then they will catch fire next. Fires like to grow upwards and outwards, so keep that in mind too.”

She paused in her explanation, suddenly unsure if he needed it. “Unless, of course, you plan to do the fire with magic too. But you said you were just going to do the fire pit.” She gave a playful smirk to the mage and held out the tinder should he choose to use it while preparing the sticks.

Credit: Shimoje

[Clyde Sullins]

When Sayana called the magic by its proper name, he knew she'd encountered it before. From her slew of questions though it was clear her understanding was not deep, and that she didn't understand the magic well.

“If all you want is to learn about Reimancy, just read the book I wrote on it. Of course since I have all of the copies, you'd need to convince me to give you one.”

“But no, that was just one magic. But we aren't here to talk about Reimancy, are we? It'd take days to do that properly, and we'd not get anything else done.”

Clyde gave the hypnotist a few moments to examine his work, the hole that was now devoid of stone, before continuing on.

In the meantime he continued his work on building the fire, arranging the sticks in a small teepee with room for air to flow in and out. He'd long since learned that an important part of a fire was air, that it needed to breath, and that giving it room to do so was important.

He took the offered bits of grass, shoving it under the tented sticks, and adding a fewer small twigs to it. Now that he inspected his work, another added bonus came to him. As it was below ground level it had less of chance of the wind blowing it out.

It also occurred to him that perhaps he should have added some kind of drainage or something, since it if rained the bowl would fill with water, killing the fire in the process. Not perhaps a perfect design then...

He didn't ignore her words, taking it in as perhaps she did know some things he didn't about the wilds, though he thought if nothing else his understanding of fire was beyond most common woodsmen. He'd been fire a few times, or so he vaguely recalled, and felt a somewhat fond connection to his first element.

“Like I said, I planned to make the fire pit. I never said if I did or didn't know how to make fire. Besides, I try not to waste djed on unneeded spells. Thats the route to overgiving in the end, casting spells you don't need. If you can do it the mundane way, why not?”

Taking out the flint and steel, Clyde struck the two together at an angle, causing sparks to fly down into the bowl. The first set missed the grass, and so he had to angle the flint anew and strike once more. The next set caught, bits of the grass slowly smoking, and so he came in low, blowing air lightly onto it, giving it his breath as life.

After a few more moments a visible flame sprouted, and began to spread across the tinder. A few more moments and the bits of small flame were licking at the twigs he'd dropped into the tinder.

Sitting back up, he watched the flames, checking on them. If the bigger sticks caught it'd be a good steady flame, but for now it was still weak and needed an occasional bit of guidance and tinder added to feed it and help it grow hotter and stronger, things he happily added with care.

“One thing about being a mage, leave others guessing. Particularly non-mages. If you don't know exactly what I can do, exactly my limits, I'm that much better off, that much safer, and that much less at risk of having someone use my limits against me.”

[Sayana]

The mage seemed to suggest that it was all one magic, and all reimancy, even though he didn’t specifically state the latter. Instead of clarifying, he had the nerve to make reference to some book on reimancy. The Eypharian decided to hold her tongue. The longer she stayed with him, the more opportunity she would have to subtly ask questions and weed out information. Or cave and try to persuade him to lend out this book.

She couldn’t help but smile a little at his hypocritical words. He had gone ahead and carved out stone with magic when he could have simply found a few rocks to form a circle, and now he was saying that it was poor form to waste magic on things that could be accomplished in the ‘mundane’ way? It was either some very round-about form of Chaon logic or he had specifically wanted her to see his earlier use of reimancy. Maybe to show off, or to keep her guessing. Still, the tender little fire crackled delightfully and it was nice to have gotten it going before the sun set.

Sayana moved to sit a little closer to the fire but didn’t interfere with Clyde’s work. With her head in her hand, she glanced at him. His blue eyes were focused on the task at hand and even at times like this he seemed to have an exceedingly large amount of patience. Of course, at other times he was insufferable and hard to squeeze out a drop of information but he had been surprisingly free with his discussion of his god.

“Clyde, how many people know of your reimancy and your affiliation to Rhysol?” Sayana asked curiously after a couple chimes of silence. “Does Terag know?” It was only when she mentioned the Isur’s name did she recall a certain fact about the smith. “You know, Terag can do reimancy too. I’m not sure how good he is, but he did it for me once.”

“Is it ever lonely having so many secrets? Or is it just all the more empowering?” She could see both sides of the miza, each depending on his personality and neither exclusive of the other. There were also more worldly pleasures he seemed to lack, and after so much talk about corruption… well it was enticing to say the least. Still, she remembered that frigid kiss and idly wondered if he would be permanently diminished in any way should she corrupt him. But no, Rhysol was not the god of purity, he was the god of corruption, lies and chaos.

Credit: Shimoje

[Clyde Sullins]

Occasionally Clyde would bend down and blow a bit on the fire, spurting it up, giving it a bit more life and power, until eventually the blow of air was unneeded.

Working on building and designing a fire pit was a simple first application, but in theory a complex bit of engineering and design.

He'd already seen several considerations for future projects, and several issues in the work he had done. Thinking it through, a fire pit, simple as it was perhaps, had many needs. Its low position allowed it to escape the wind, but it also made it vulnerable to filling with rain.

It also perhaps made it a bit harder to get air in, since it had to be pulled down, and so perhaps some form of air let could be designed to let in the air but keep out the water.

Perhaps even shielding could be used, though he knew he wasn't good enough with the magic to try a permanent one.

As he pondered the ways he could improve the design of his small work, he listened to Sayana'a words.

After a chime or two the twigs were burning merrily, and the larger sticks had caught to a degree and started burning. Soon he might add some more twigs and larger bits of wood. Though not too much, he reminded himself, as he didn't want to burn through all their precious small supply of fuel too quickly.

“Outside of Ravok? Not many. I don't use my Reimancy often, as I doubt the knights would approve of me knowing combat magic. Or perhaps they wouldn't care. But even if they didn't care, it'd be one more thing they knew about me, and I'd prefer it to be secret in case I need it so I can have it in backup as surprise. And if they learned of my affiliation to Rhysol, they'd hunt me down, or try to.”

“You however are oathed, and must keep my secrets, so there is no danger in telling you.”

His gaze growing a bit distant, Clyde smiled to himself, as he spoke in a distracted manner.

“Plus... well, there are certain connections I'd rather avoid being made. The last thing I need is someone in Syliras connecting the fact that I'm a powerful Reimancer and Glypher considering... Well considering one of my creations was released a few years back right at the front gates of the city. I wasn't there of course, I was in Sahova at the time, and was in Ravok by the time I'd heard it had gone off. But still, the less people knowing I'm a Reimancer, the less there are to make such a connection. I think my time in Syliras would be quite short if that connection was ever made between certain peoples or parties.”

“As for Terag, no. He knows of the magics that the knighthood knows of. Auristics, Glyphing, and Magecrafting. He's my student in the last. I've given him lessons in exchange for him crafting some items for me. But he doesn't know of my other ones.”

Clyde left it vague how many others there were, or what other magics he knew of or could do. As a mage he'd long since learned to keep such things secret, as people knowing all you could do only tended to draw attention and trouble. Or both.

“I'm aware he can do Reimancy. He told me when he became my student. He's not very good at it though, still but a lowly initiate to its powers.”

At her last question Clyde smiled, shaking his head.

“I am always alone. Perhaps a bit less now, but still alone. Not fully trusting. Secrets however have kept me alive this long. Have kept me from being the victim. Have kept my head attached to my body. I don't plan to throw aside my secrets anytime soon.”

“The only time I can recall not feeling alone was in Ravok... And even then, there were a few who tried to cause trouble, to ruin things. I am cursed perhaps to live an interesting life, to be carried along by events. It makes for a good chance to learn, to grow, but it is never calm, never laid back, never complacent. I've been betrayed, and done the betraying. Neither makes for trust. Each makes you understand the other better. To be betrayed teaches you to betray better, to betray others teaches you others will try to betray you.”

“Perhaps though if I could oath more like I've done you, I could have more to trust, and be a bit less alone.”

[Sayana]

Sayana nodded briefly at his reminder that she was oathed. She was well aware of the fact and she was actually reconfirming what he considered a secret and what he did not. She didn’t have any particular reason to share such things, but she felt compelled to ask for the clarification.

She tried to think back to a year ago, two years ago…? She had only just arrived in Syliras two years ago. Precisely that, in fact. It was mid-summer when she had arrived. In comparison, she had been a wreck. Scared of the slightest of things, afraid to go outside the city walls, nearly broke… Maybe she hadn’t even been in the city at the time of Clyde’s ‘creations’. Except maybe she was.

Vaguely she recalled several chaotic happenings not too long after she had arrived. There was a sudden fire at one of the taverns she had considered working at. Not to mention, substantial wreckage at the main gates, blocking many merchants from going in and out of the city. She had still been getting accustomed to the new city and how different it was from Ahnatep, but now that she thought back, nothing of similar magnitude had occurred since. She gave a frown in acknowledgement, then listened to the rest of his story about life in Ravok.

“Some people can live alone for days, seasons, years… while others cannot. I need people to thrive and while I can sustain myself for periods of time alone, it is not my preference. People are so varied and you can charm them, manipulate them, bring them together, tear them apart… And to be alone without any sort of interaction or involvement…”

Sayana let the sentence hang for a few moments. She wasn’t sure how much Clyde appreciated the company of others, or whether he was more comfortable being alone. But she thought she had caught a sense of wistfulness to his words. She watched the small fire for a couple ticks then looked at the mage beside her and met his gaze.

“Do you trust me Clyde? Trust me not to harm you, diminish you, or let either befall you?” She quoted terminology from the oath. It might have sounded redundant, but it was moreso a reminder of what she was bound to rather than truly asking him whether he thought the oath was thorough in protecting him from such.

“Wouldn’t you like someone who you could confide in, tell of your victories, and plan future ones to come? You say this big dog has no bark, but I could see the glimmer in your eyes when you spoke of your triumphs. You’re proud, and if nothing else it excites you to see the fruits of your efforts to Rhysol.”

“Rhysol, god of corruption and lies and chaos.” She sat up straighter and folded her legs underneath her. “And yet, when I look at you there’s something almost innocent about you. Unless, of course, you hide it well with a mask.” She ran her fingers delicately down his arm then leaned in close to speak softly in his ear. “Let me show you some corruption. Lies, truth… it’s all chaos in the end.”

“One kiss. Nothing more. Just a taste.” She whispered sweetly. It was not a demand this time. Not even a request. But rather a question as to whether or not he wanted to lift his mask of resolve to darker desires.

Credit: Shimoje

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde listened as Sayana spoke, tossing an occasional bit of wood scrap onto the fire to feed it.

It was clear from her words that she was an extrovert, that she needed that interaction and experience to thrive.

Clyde on the other hand more so tolerated interaction. He tended to need people for things, interacted when he had to, and the rest of the time he spent shut up alone in his lab or lost in thought.

It was perhaps, he thought to himself, one of the reasons he'd not been too unhappy on Sahova. Minus the lack of proper food. But beside that, living below ground, working at magic and things day after day with hardly any interaction had been his daily life.

“I need people for things, but I suppose I more need mental stimulation in whatever form it takes more so than human interaction. Its perhaps one of the reasons I'm so good at my more craft type magics, as those often require days of focus on one task or concept.”

At her next question Clyde stared at the hypnotist, wondering what she was getting at. Of course he trusted her not to do those things, since she wasn't capable of them thanks to the oath. If it weren't for that... He didn't need to think long to know that he'd not likely trust her without it.

“Whats that saying about pride before a fall? I don't mind planning, nor having someone to discuss things with. Though I find I tend to plan more than do, and I'm better at the planning than going through all the minutia of enacting. Plus while its nice to think and plan, in my experience few end up being suitable for use.”

“I am proud of what I know, and do enjoy teaching others. As for confiding... I suppose habit over a long period of time has made that hard. Ingrained survival instincts are hard to cast aside.”

At her comment of his innocence, Clyde simply looked at her, pondering her words. He wasn't in truth completely sure what she meant, what aspect of him she found innocent. He'd done things that would send men running in fear. Had survived where lesser men had been disemboweled. At the same time he didn't let that weigh him down, or at least tried not to. Tried not to take himself or things too seriously. Perhaps that was what she meant?

Or perhaps his lack of trust and faith in others had a deeper reasoning from other events besides attempted assassinations and distrust of mages pointed at him.

He glanced down as he felt the tips of her finger ghosting across his flesh with a gentle caress, and as she whispered in his ear. He could feel his face and his flesh heating in response to the contact.

Gently taking the hand that she'd stroked down his flesh, Clyde lifted it up to meet his lips, depositing a kiss upon the back of it.

As his lips parted with her hand he lifted up his head to meet her eyes, examining her.

“Aren't there rules about mixing business with pleasure, or business with personal things?”

As he looked at Sayana, his mind fell back in time. Time, to the last time he'd been with a woman. It had been... A long time. He'd been busy. Magic, travel, fighting, he'd done much in the meantime to keep himself occupied. It had perhaps been years since he'd last thought of such things, let alone been with anyone...

And the last few times he had, it had ended poorly. In truth trust wasn't easy, and woman and his past times with them had intensified his distrust and lack of faith in others.

[Sayana]

“Perhaps so, but perhaps not.” Sayana answered still feeling the residual caress of his lips. She squeezed his hand tenderly for but a moment, then let her hand fall to the ground. The sun was low on the horizon, almost fully hidden behind the mountain peaks. The fire burn low as well, with only their few scraps of wood to fuel it.

“It’s getting dark. We should get a good night’s sleep.” Sayana stated as she slowly got to her feet. The mountains were beautiful, yet she knew they could be wild and dangerous even if they hadn’t come across those dangers thus far.

The Eypharian settled into her tent with only one last glance at the mage, and arranged her make-shift bedding. It was not the most comfortable and she wondered if she was going to be stiff in the morning, but there was something sweeter that made her smile. She had planted a seed. All she had to do now was nourish it, tend to it, and watch it blossom and grow.

Credit: Shimoje