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[Jade Laken]

33rd of Winter 517 A.V.

Jade sat down on the couch in her bungalow getting her some things packed. She was going to meet an old friend and go look at the scorched trees. The girl had been the sister to the young blonde's boyfriend back home. Though her fellow Drykas was not exactly excited to see her there. Taking a deep breath, she finished and got Dina ready to head go to the merchant's daughter again. The young woman seemed to have taken a shine to the young child.

Nya’s words rang out in her head to give the little one to someone who could take care of her better. Looking up at the child, a part of her screamed to do what the blond said and give her a chance to survive this land. The drykas knew nothing of the jungle and the dangers it held. How was she to ever fend not only for herself, but for her daughter as well. Sighing, the blond strapped on her kukri, daggers, and rapier pushing the problem away for the moment.

“Come on, Dina. We don’t want to be late,” Jade called and helped the little one put on her head band with a smile.

The blond needed to spend the day practicing with her weapons. She did not want to get rusty in case something happened. The settlement had no real way to defend itself. There was no guards, knights, or watchmen to help protect the people. So it stood to reason that the citizens had to become proficient in some kind of weapon, large or small. The strange thing was no one hardly carried such items. After dropping the little one off, the blond headed towards the commons/beach area figuring most everyone would be out for the day.

"It is early enough that most people should not be moving just yet I would think,"
Jade said to herself while walking.

The girl waved to the few business owners that were headed in to work with a smile. She was not one to be rude no matter how her people were often portrayed. The elders within the Drykas were very nervous around outsiders and often watched them with a close eye. Only certain families seemed to have a problem with others which included fellow drykas. Shaking her head the blonde pushed the thought from her mind. She would have to work on focusing more instead of just letting her mind wander.

“Focus,” Jade whispered narrowing her eyes some.

Once she made it to the commons, the girl took out her rapier first. Taking a deep breath the girl slid back into the stance her patron had taught her. Feet shoulder width apart, one hand securely holding the hilt with her arm bent at the elbow. Normally the blond would have a shield attached to the opposite arm raised in front of her face. She would look over the top at her opponent watching his movements. Releasing the deep breath, the girl took a swing allowing her body to move through the step. Shifting she thrust her left shoulder and curled arm forward as if to knock her opponent off balance.

[Aladon]

Staring out at over the ocean, Aladon watched as the seagulls danced in the breeze. The Isur enjoyed spending morning in the commons. Less people to distract him from his thoughts. Syka was a small settlement, but the blacksmith barely knew anyone. He just recognized a handful of faces, and he knew even less by name. It will change in time, but at moment, it was just him and his thoughts. Mostly about nails and the lack of time that he had to spend on his parcel. The Isur had been in the settlement for about thirty-three days, and he never really been outside the settlement. If he did, he would probably get eaten, poised, and die, or any of the combinations of the three. It wasn't a pleasant thought for him, but he knew that he couldn't hide in his forge forever. Luckily, today, he brought his bastard, his shield, and his kukri, so maybe before heading back to the forge. He would go over some of the combat drills his father's wife taught him. He really needed to make it a priority to learn how to defend himself, his new lively hood, and learn how to survive on his own in this harsh environment. Aladon was here in the Commons since dawn. He wasn't slacking from his job. No he was taking a break from the heat of the forge and the humidity because of the hot environment of Falyndar. He started his work day at three bells before dawn and ended the shift at noon. However, he had been working longer hours because Syka needed nails, so he lengthened his day past noon. Often ended it soaking in the community pool to cool off. He always made sure every before he went to bed to make sure the blast furnace had plenty of wood before going to bed. It was his duty as a metal smith to maintain the blast furnace otherwise it takes forever to heat back up to melt metal. Looking back at the ocean, he saw the seagulls have a landed on the beach and started to feast on something washed up from the high tide. Life here in Syka was different than in Riverfall or Sultros. Aladon was starting to learn that you needed to live off the land provided because they hardly had any agriculture, so food is whatever a person was able to forage, fish, or hunt. There was no market. Food spoiled in a day, so you could never really horde food or have a root cellar. Water was plentiful, but you had to remember to boil it otherwise you would get sick. The recruiter who advertised Syka to him told him that it was a paradise filled with adventure. He wasn't kidding, so far, it was a real awakening for the city dweller. Taking out his water, the blacksmith took a drink of water when he heard the sound of someone walking up the wood stairs. It was a young blond human woman. Aladon was on the far side of commons, so she probably wouldn't see him past the large branches of the tree holding up the structure. Isur watched as she pulled out a thin bladed sword and started to attack the air with it. It was less attacking and more of a series of learned moves in sequence. The Isur wasn't quite sure where the women learned swordsmanship, but he didn't want to disturb her while she was focusing. Deciding to introduce himself, the blacksmith got out of his seat, walked over to one of the branches of the tree, and leaned up against it. When she was done with her drill, the Isur raised his left hand and said with a smile, “Good Morning. I don't think we met before. My name is Aladon Blackforge Sultros. I am the blacksmith in town. I wanted to introduce myself to you since we haven't met before.” He nodded to her sword, “You have a fine blade. Where did you learn swordsmanship?”

[Jade Laken]

The blond went through five reps of the movement before changing to the next part. The girl had been light on her feet since she was a child learning how to dance from her mother. Her family worked hard and celebrated just as hard in the evenings when everyone had come in for the night. The sea of grass would swallow anyone alive with no regard to race or gender. Syliras was rough, but the knights protected people as much as they could. Apart of her had been very nervous about being within the walls of the city. It did not take long to become used to the security found inside of the fortress.

A voice caused her to stop and look over. The blond looked at the man as he leaned against the tree while watching her. Her first instinct was to become defensive after starting to train with Ball. Her patron had been hard and relentless, but she understood that a mission or battle is never predictable. Popping her neck, blond took time looking the young man over. He was around average height, well built for a man, but there were two major things that stood out to her. Aladon had a funny looking arm and what looked like silver running through his veins.

“Hello to you as well. My name is Jade Laken from Endrykas,” Jade stated and turned to face him head on, “it is good to see a blacksmith here is Syka. I learned a few things from the knights of Syliras.”

Lowering the weapon, the girl decided to sheath it for the time being. The man before her did not appear to know much about weapons. There had been rumors of a race that was nothing but skilled craftsman and the women were just as skilled. She wondered if he was from that same place. Walking over, the sheath danced back and forth at her side.

“Where do you hail from? I've never seen someone with such an interesting arm,” Jade asked.

Her eyes cut to his arm once again to get a better look at it. The skin seemed to be tougher than the rest that was over his body. She was sure the man would be uncomfortable with the way the blond decided to examine him, but it did not bother her one bit. Her windmarks were clear to see on the back of her left hand.

[Aladon]

The blond human woman introduced herself as Jade Lakan from Endrykas. Aladon couldn't place the city name of Endrykas, but he knew that he heard the name before in Riverfall. When she said that she learned a few blacksmith things from the Knight of Syliras. The Isur eyes perked up in interest. He enjoyed talking to other blacksmiths and tradesmen. Mostly cause each person has their own different perspective towards the art. The Isur was just leaning on the tree branch as she sheathed her daggers. Leaning on the tree branch, the blacksmith relaxed when she sheathed her weapons. When the young human woman asked where he hailed from, the Isur said proudly, “I was born in the great Kingdom of Sultros under the mountain of Mt. Izurith. However, I haven't seen my homeland in over twenty years, so most recently, I would say that I was from Riverfall. I lived their for fifteen years as a blacksmith, metalsmith apprentice, and paid my bills with mining job. It wasn't as glamorous as living in the same city as the Knight of Syliras, but it was home for a short part of my life.” Aladon wished that he more exciting things to share about his life since she lived in Syliras with the knights! He wondered with her fighting techniques if she was training to become a knight. He learned swordsmanship from his mother who was a soldier in the king's army. She was a gifted swords woman unlike his father who took after his Terras clan mother. When he was Riverfall, he worked as a apprentice, and he had a part time job in the mines to make money to live there. He did noticed the human did take a interest in his red left arm. It was a common thing for people outside his race asked about since it was abnormal for a human to possess a arm like his own. The Isur could see her eyes on it, and she mentioned his arm, so he unrolled his sleeve and lifted it for her to get a better look and said with a nod, “This arm is gifted to all Isur by the god, Izurdin. I can do quite a few remarkable things with it, and I am quite satisfied by it color.” Aladon looked at the remarkable tattoo on her hand, and he said with a smile, “Your tattoo on your hand is quite exquisite. You must of paid a fortune to find a artist with that much skill." The Isur decided to ask, “What brought you to Syka? I only been here for thirty days or so. I don't want to pry into your business, so don't feel obligated to tell me. I am just curious about my new neighbors.” Aladon had to admit that he was curious about the human women. Earlier, she had mentioned that she was from Endrykas, but he couldn't quite figure out name of the people who live in the city. Also, she seemed quite skilled with her daggers as she trained with them. If he got to know him, maybe she would be willing to show him a few moves with her daggers. He really needed to learn how to defend himself especially if he wanted to live such a dangerous place like Syka.

[Jade Laken]

The blond focused on the man's face when he began to speak. She wanted to know more about the strange outsider. The man called himself Aladon from Sultros. The wheels in her head began to turn as she tried to remember where that area was. Knights had gushed like little girls when talking about the work of the Isur people. Was this man a part of that world? There was only one way to find out.

“Izurith? I have heard a lot about the work of the Isurian people. According to tales they are the best craftsmen in the world. Many Syliran knights tried to stock up on any wares that came in from Sultros,” Jade explained.

Nodding the girl motioned for him to sit deciding to get out of the sun while they spoke. She figured it would not hurt know who the man was. He seemed nice on the surface, but so had many others the blond had met. Nya had been kind enough to take her into the jungle, Ashka had been kind enough to show her how to fish; the girl wanted to return the favor and keep the string of teaching going, but she was not sure what she could offer the man.

“I have been to Riverfall several times while I was still at home. My people are very friendly to the Akalak people. In return should we ever need them, the blue men seem glad to come help,” Jade explained and sat down crossing on leg over the other.

The man seemed proud of his dark red arm, a part of her wondered why just the one arm and not both. It was then that the male confirmed her theory, he was indeed an Isur by birth. Shock graced her face for a moment before looking down at her hand. She had not thought about what her windmark would look to outsiders. The girl took that as the time to explain her own situation in return for him sharing the same information.

“Actually it was free of charge. I spoke early of my home town called Endrykas. My people are called Drykas, we roam all over Cyphrus never settling in just one place. Our herds are far too great, they would deplete Semele's resources too quickly. When a young drykas bonds to a strider, they are granted their windmarks,” Jade stated and held her hand out to where he could clearly see the marks, “The Lilacwinds are the best tattoo artists in the city. As a rite of passage one does not pay for windmarks. Any other ink work would be paid for of course, but these marks are sacred to our people.”

The blond pulled her hand back, but left it on her knee where he could see it and ask any questions. A softness came to her face when the man asked why the woman had come to Syka. Syliras and Ferrin were still very painful subjects for her, but there was no getting around it. Forcing her voice to stay strong the girl looked back at the man before proceeding with her explanation.

“That is a rather long story, but to save some time and keep you from losing interest. I will shorten it some. You see I left Endrykas in the middle of the night after hearing my mother and father argue about me. I didn't want to be a burden on them any longer, so I made the long trek to Syliras. While there I actually worked at the stables tending to horses, after about a season I met a young man.

After becoming good friends we moved in together and split the rent. He was a squire for the knights of Syliras. We soon began dating then adopted our daughter, who is here in Syka with me now. After about a season of having our little one I actually joined the knights as well. I do not know if you have heard, but Syliras closed its gates and sent many of its squires and knights out into the world,” Jade took a moment to breathe before continuing,

“My patron, Dina (my daughter), and I went to Riverfall at first. But something felt wrong so I begged him to leave the city with us. He refused so I took my child and we boarded The Veronica. After landing here I began working as a potter but plan to continue working on my fighting skills. Sorry I suppose that wasn't very short either was it?”

[Aladon]

Aladon smiled proudly when she mentioned how the Syliras Knights gushed about Isurian goods. He did noticed in the outside world if a Isur craftsman came to a city. They tended to immediately get the respect from the other races of Mizahar. Jade told him that she had been to Riverfall many times when she was younger. Her people traded with them. She told him that her home town was Endrykas and her people were called Drykas. Immediately, Aladon remembered that he met another Drykas woman named Merevaika in Syka. Jade seemed much more sociable than the other Drykas woman. Aladon smiled at the woman warmly and listened to her story. She explained that her people were nomadic and migrated themselves and their vast herds through the Sea of Grass. She explained if they kept the herds in one spot it would deplete the land for nutrients and grass. She mention Semele, and he asked, “I heard the name of the goddess. Isn't she the goddess of the earth?”

Jade continued to explain that her people bond with a horse called a strider. He was curious if they were a gift from Semele or a different god because the bond sounded more divine than arcane. She explained when they bond with a strider. They are given their windmarks by Lilacwinds, they were the best tattoo artists in Endrykas. These windmarks were sacred among her people and the ink wasn't paid for because it was more religious in nature. Aladon nodded and asked, “Your windmarks are quite beautiful, Jade. Are striders gifted to your people by Semele?” The blacksmith was curious about her people, so he asked another question immediately after the first one, “Also is your strider here in Syka right now?”

Jade continued telling her story this next part story was mostly about how she came to Syka. The human started to admitted that she left Endrykas because her parents were arguing about her being a burden to the family. The Isur's eyes softened with sympathy because he could relate to her story because he was a Child of Passion between his father and another woman who wasn't his wife. In Isur society, it was unheard of to be unfaithful to your spouse, but Aladon's birth mother was extremely beautiful even for a Isur, and she had a infectious personality that drew his father to her. His father's wife loved his father with all her heart, but she was angry with her husband and grew cold to his bastard son. She resented that another woman gave birth to her beloved husband's son that she couldn't give him. Before, he left for Wind Reach .Aderi Blackforge admitted that she loved him, but her pride and anger towards his fathers actions blinded her from her true feelings for Aladon. The Isur said with sad look on his face, “I can relate to your story with your parents because I am a child of infidelity between my father and another women who wasn't my father's wife. This act is unheard of in our culture because the bond made between two lovers is strong during courtship in our culture. However, my birth mother was extremely beautiful even for Isur, and she had a infectious personality that everyone loved. I was the result of their lust. It caused static between my father and his wife, and I was the target of my mother's anger.”

Jade mentioned when she got to Syliras. She met a young man while attending to horses at the stable. They were friends at first, but they started to date and fell in love. They started to live together. She told him that he was a squire of the Knights of Syliras. It sounded like they were about to get married because they adopted a daughter who was brought to Syka. She admitted that she was also a squire of the Knights. Aladon smiled to himself because if she was squire of the noble knights. She must be a woman a simple blacksmith like him could trust. Suddenly, she told him that Syliras the largest city on the continent closed it's gates and sent there knights and squire out into the world. It was a disturbing fact that the largest center of civilization would turn there backs on the everyone. She traveled to Riverfall with her patron, but the city seemed wrong to her, so she came to Syka. To Aladon, she sounded like she was abandon by everything that she knew, so she trying to start her life over in Syka, but she still trying to hold onto her past. When she was finished, Aladon decided to extend a gesture to the woman. He offered with smile, “I know that we just met, but we are part of a small community in a hostile land. I will try keep a eye out for you daughter to make sure, so she doesn't get into to much trouble. Kid are kids, and we both know how idle hands can get us into trouble especially on the edge of the Maw.”

Aladon wanted to train because he wanted to be able to defend his new home against the potential dangers facing it. With the weird lights and noises, the other strange happenings in the city. He couldn't stay blissfully ignorant of the dangers facing him on the edge of the jungle. The blacksmith said with nod, “Even if Syliras closed their gates if you still want to continue your training as a knight. It means you still have heart and soul of one, Jade Lakan.” The blacksmith chuckled to himself, “It refreshing to know we have a trained soldier in the settlement, but I know how to swing a sword, but I am no soldier.” The Isur said proudly, “My mother and father's wife is a soldier in the King's army, and she made sure to teach my older sister and me how to defend ourselves. Maybe we could train together and sharpen our skills.” Looking at the kukri on her waist, he joked with a crooked grin, “We could always have a knife fight on the beach, Jade?”