Closed A Trip Into Town

[Satevis]

54th of Winter, 517 AV

With most of the area's residents living on their chosen acres, Syka often felt more like a loose collection of tents and paths through the jungle than a town, but it did have a central area, the stretch that encompassed the Mercantile and the bathhouse and the Commons, where people tended to gather when they needed to run errands or when they were just looking for company. Satevis found himself walking along that stretch of cobbled pathway, squinting down at the piece of paper in his hand.

Mercantile

• Cloth for bandages
• Ginger

Uta

• Cinchona bark
• Barbasco
• Snakeroot
• Starberry

The list had been handed to him in a hurry by Jansen Alavarth, who had been surprised and a little horrified to find Satevis sitting in the dark where he had left him the night before, in the Panacea's one room lab with a pair of burned out candles around him. He had surrounded himself with several sheets of notes and the books and journals the Akalak had set aside for him to look through. Despite Satevis's insistence that he really didn't need sleep at night and that the notes were quite interesting to him, and that he truly wasn't tired, Jansen had grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled down the shopping list, telling him in no uncertain terms that he was going to go out and get some sunlight and not hurry back. He supposed that was Jansen's manner of dismissing him for the day, but he felt fine, truly. A little tired, perhaps, a little ragged, but the daylight was always more exhausting to Satevis than the night.

He had stopped by his tent on the walk up to change, slipping into clothes that fit his mortal seeming. After the episode of snow a few days ago, the weather in Syka had returned to its usual mildness and warmth, and the snow seemed to have melted away entirely. Satevis wore his usual shirt and trousers, though, still feeling too self-conscious to dress down the way the people of Syka did. He nodded at a group of people walking the other way--they were beginning to recognize him here--and turned his thoughts back to the list.

Although he was sure that that was not the exercise Jansen had intended, he found his mind wandering, trying to imagine what purpose the Akalak could have for the various items on it. Ginger was easy enough to guess. The spice settled stomachs, and after the incident with the red tide, the Panacea's stores had run out. The others were a little more obscure. He thought he remembered something about cinchona, and how an extract created from its bark could help with fevers and other illnesses. Snakeroot could be made into a sedative and relaxant--he remembered reading that last night--but the others...he cast about in his mind and drew a blank. There was so much to learn, and not enough time.

He was so absorbed in looking at the list that he barely noticed anything else, not even the road in front of him. If there was anyone standing in his way, Satevis would be just as inclined to crash into them as anything else, or force them to have to move around him.

[Nya Winters]

Nya was always on the lookout for strangers in Syka. Being bored was starting to be a pastime with her and one she alleviated by stalking newcomers to keep her senses sharp. Their scents stood out in the fringe beach where the jungle spilled out to the ocean. And when she stalked them, she got to know them in a way that others might miss. For example, when a person thought they were alone, often their confusion and uncertainty would show on their face. If they were angry, they forgot to school their faces in a look of pacificity. But Nya saw. She always did. And currently she was trailing someone who smelled like the stars and a bit like the Panacea. He was clutching a list and looking like his mind was a million miles away.

The Kelvic slipped up behind him and began to pace him, wearing a loose dress that seemed to be a length of cloth wrapped artistically around her body. Nya’s feet were bare, and her hair was long and loose. She increased her pace until she was walking beside him.

“Hello. Where are you going? You are going to walk straight into something if you don’t watch where you are going. I’m Nya.” The Kelvic was proud that she remembered to introduce herself. That wasn’t the usual, but this man wasn’t the usual either. He looked focused, and truthfully checked out from the whole of the situation.

The Kelvic reached out and slapped him sharply on the cheek. “You are going to get killed here faster than you know if you don’t live in the now and not in your head. Look around, watch where you walk, keep an eye and nose out for predators. One could be right beside you and you wouldn’t even notice acting like you are.” She said, thoughtfully, looking intently at the newcomer. He was like a child in many ways, and she wasn’t sure why.

“It’s a nice day out. The sun is shining and the winds are warm off the ocean. But that doesn’t mean things couldn’t change fast and the rains couldn’t come quickly. Where are you going that you are so intently focused? What’s on the piece of paper?” She had a million questions, and a million reasons not to be bored anymore. This singular man guaranteed that her day was going to get more interesting.

[Satevis]

Satevis jumped at the sound of the voice, a ripple of tension passing through his body and into his left hand, which was suddenly rigid at his side, fingers splayed as if he were prepared to cast something. Not that it would have helped him much in this case. With his mind as far away as it had been at that moment, someone could have slit his throat long before he could summon up the will to expel Res. The thought made him a little uncomfortable, not as much as it probably should have, but a little uncomfortable nonetheless.

He looked over his shoulder at the girl. She looked young, although it was hard to tell. Slender and graceful. Her eyes were green, her hair...black? It was difficult to tell, something about the way the light caught it...

Before Satevis could get too lost in thought, she reached forward and slapped him sharply, making him blink and jerk his head back. She was speaking so much and so quickly that it was hard for him to process the words, spoken in Common as they were, but he did his best.

"I'm...sorry?" he said. He supposed she was right. He should have been paying more attention, or else his sojourn on this world would be over sooner than he liked. And although Satevis wouldn't mind a return to the celestial realm, he had a feeling that getting killed by a predator because he was walking around absentmindedly would certainly not endear him to his patron.

There was also the matter of his purpose here. Yes, purpose. Tock's carved necklace was warm against his shirt, beneath his skin. He had to hold onto that. That purpose, and that hope.

He realized that he was drifting off again and quickly shifted his attention back to the woman in front of him. Perhaps Jansen was right. Perhaps he should go get some sleep. But there was nowhere to sleep now, so Satevis placed a smile on his face and tucked the list back into his pocket.

"I'm just running an errand for the Panacea," he told her. "I've recently started an apprenticeship there. The paper is a shopping list, of sorts. I don't believe we've met." He offered her a smile, stretching out a hand in greeting. "My name is Satevis. I'm a new resident of Syka. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for your warning. I'll try to be more alert in the future."

Even as he spoke the words, Satevis thought with an inward grimace, they felt like a lie.

[Nya Winters]

The man seemed tense, almost jumpy. That wasn’t the kind of attitude that Nya was used to running across in Syka. People here were relaxed, carefree, and certainly didn’t walk around muttering with their heads down paying no attention whatsoever to what they were doing. She watched the man curiously, noting things about him that others might miss. He seemed young for example. He seemed distracted. He also seemed very undecided and uncertain. None of it made much sense to the Kelvic.

His stammered apology surprised her. She slapped him and he apologized to her? The Kelvic had a completely baffled look on her face as she paced him and listened to what he had to say all while continuing her observations. Even as she joined him on his walk, she could tell his attention was focused inward, not on her and certainly not on where he was going. Didn’t he listen? Nya would have flattened her ears and lashed her tail in her cat form in response to how oddly he was acting.

Then, suddenly, like the sun peeking out from storm clouds, he smiled and focused outward. He looked at her… actually looked, and answered. In that moment, he began to speak and she learned his name, what he was doing, and who he was working for. Then just as quickly he turned inward again. An expression crossed his face she couldn’t read, and he stopped simply trying to make a connection with her.

Nya was used to it. Kelvics were often dismissed, though this man at least thanked her when he gave her his name. She was a bit disappointed he hadn’t scolded her for the slap or even asked her any questions like what SHE was doing. Maybe it was obvious she was simply stalking him? The Kelvic felt annoyed suddenly, a myriad of emotions running across her face. Nya had felt so unstable since Abashai’s departure. He’d been her world, her center of gravity, and alone here in Syka she had only the Founders to lean on. The residents were nice enough and tolerated her, but there were no individuals that drew her with a potential for friendship or even bonding. She was looking for people with a passion for living, for the wilds, and for exploring the vast wilderness that surrounded them. This young man was no exception. He didn’t seem to need anyone, and like Randal had lectured her for bells on end, he was locked into his mind, living in his head and not in his body. She’d often wondered what that had meant, but meeting Satevis, she suddenly understood.

“You shouldn’t live inside your head so much. You probably don’t realize you are doing it. Randal will see it and lecture you about it for long lengths of time until you want to put a fist in his face to shut him up.” She said casually, noting he seemed to be headed towards the Mercantile. She should accompany him, naturally, to make sure he made it there okay. But the problem was she couldn’t trail him every time he left The Panacea so he’d get eaten sooner than later. Best not get attached…. she thought to herself as she noted his pleasant features. It was a pity. A monkey would probably bite off his pretty nose when he was busy working on whatever issue was passing through his head stealing his attention.

She increased her speed. Subtle. Nya made a mental note to urinate along the pathways between the Panacea and almost everywhere to warn big cats away. It was the best she could do for the newcomer and would only work if he stayed on the pathways.

Nya decided not to mention it. In fact, she wasn’t sure mentioning anything to him at this point would be welcoming. So instead, she simply said… “It was nice meeting you. I hope you really like Syka and that you learn a lot from the doctor. I think they are nice men.” She added, not knowing what else to say. So she kept on walking along the same pathway he was, yet speeding up so if the young man didn’t want to talk to her he didn’t have to. In fact, she was certain he wouldn’t notice her moving on down the lane faster.

[Satevis]

The woman seemed to be getting frustrated with him for some reason. Satevis wasn't entirely sure what it was, and he was sure his confusion on the matter showed on his face. He was trying to be polite. Was there something he was missing? It wouldn't surprise him if there was. In his ten years on Mizahar, Satevis had found himself missing a lot of things, particularly when it came to social cues. There were certain things that everyone else understood that just seemed more difficult to him, somehow.

At her words about not living inside his head, his eyes widened. He hadn't particularly thought there was anything wrong with the way he was acting, but she was right. Now that he was thinking about it, his mind had been wandering a lot. No more than usual, but certainly quite a lot. It was to be expected--it was a long walk and with nothing else to do, his mind tended to wander--but it seemed like she was...concerned about him somehow? If he was reading that right.

"Wait!" he said, stepping forward as she turned away from him, noting that he had to lengthen his stride to keep up with her. He turned towards her. "You're right, I'm sorry. I have been letting my mind wander a little too much. I will try to be more...alert. I'm still quite new to Syka, so pardon me if I offended." The way he spoke suggested that he was still a little confused, but it had been a morning of confusing encounters. Something to think about later, when he wasn't currently speaking to someone. He tried another smile. "I'm heading towards the mercantile, actually. Are you heading that way? I'm sorry, I don't know your name yet."

She was certainly an interesting character, but then again, Satevis was realizing that most of the people who chose to settle in Syka were, for one reason or another. Satevis wondered, wryly, if anyone ever thought the same of him.

[Nya Winters]

Nya honestly hadn’t expected him to notice her rapid increase in pace. Nya had long legs and the general fitness of a jungle predator so moving along slowly wasn’t her preferred pace anyhow. So when he exclaimed for her to wait, she did pause slightly. Nya tilted her head to listen to him and then lifted a shoulder as if to shrug off his words. “You didn’t offend me. I was just trying to give you some advice to keep you alive.” The Forest Cat said gently, not sure what he would have done to offend her unless dying was offensive in some cultures. Maybe? She wasn’t sure.

At his words on his direction she nodded. There was generally nothing in the way he was going BUT the Mercantile. She lifted a brow at his next question. Of course, she was heading that way. They were both going the same direction weren’t they? This man was even more confusing than she had first thought. Nya furrowed her brow then and decided maybe it was truly time for offense.

“You don’t know my name because you don’t listen. It was the third or fourth thing I said to you after I said hello and warned you about watching where you were going. People here are nice. They introduce themselves.” She replied quietly, shaking her head. The man was truly hopeless. What was he doing outside of a city anyhow? “What in the world are you doing in Syka if … no don’t tell me. It’s none of my business anyhow.” Nya said, changing her mind. He wasn’t the type to volunteer things easily. Even now he’d just finally told her where he was going when she’d asked him chimes ago.

The Kelvic tossed her brindled mane and wasn’t sure even attempting a conversation with this newcomer was worth it. He was hard to talk to. She’d get more answers from a Zephyr and everyone knew they didn’t have much between their non-existent ears…. only wind. Nya grinned at the thought. Zephyr’s were some of Zulrav’s minions, a type of wind that was sentient, if one was a stormwarden and wanted to talk to them. She didn’t share her joke with Satevis. She’d sensed no mark like her own on him, so he probably wasn’t a follower of the Storm God anyhow. Nya wondered what god he followed and outright asked him.

“So which God do you follow? I like Zulrav and Laviku and sometimes Kihala. Caiyha is a favorite too being out here. I do like music as well. Rhaus can play some amazing songs.” Nya added, trying to jumpstart a new pathway of conversation. She just wasn’t sure of Satevis and his mannerisms. What did he think about so hard in his head? She’d asked him but he seemed almost annoyed that she had joined him… and that bothered her. Maybe he wasn’t the friendly sort. That was okay, but she wished there was some way to spot that trait in people. Maybe it was a scent.

The Talderian Forest Cat inhaled deeply, committing his scent to memory. Perhaps she should start comparing and contrasting the scents of people in Syka with their personalities and see if there were any common traits. It might be an interesting way to waste away an afternoon.

[Satevis]

"The third or fourth..." Satevis repeated, brow furrowing in confusion as he mentally replayed her conversation. There had truly been a lot of things she had said. His eyes widened as the answer came to him. "Nya?" he asked. "Is that your name?" He felt a flush of embarrassment. Really, it wasn't that he hadn't been listening, although he supposed his inattention could have been to blame. It was because she had been speaking so quickly.

"I truly apologize," he said. "Common is...sometimes difficult for me, particularly when a lot of things are said. I will try to pay closer attention." His Common was good enough for him to get by in most conversations, but when complicated ideas were being expressed, or when the conversation moved faster than he could keep up, Satevis found himself floundering. Oddly, it seemed to come and go with the day. There were some days when Common came easily to his mouth and mind and conversations were rapid and fluid. Other days, like today, it was like having to open a door with a rusted hinge; his mind kept trying to revert to Shiber, a language he hadn't spoken in so long but was still the language of this body.

The nagging thought, that he truly was tired, occurred to him again, but he endeavored to ignore it for now. There were still things he needed to do.

He glanced at her as she shifted the conversation towards gods, thinking about those deities that she had mentioned. Zulrav of the storms and Laviku of the seas, and Kihala of life and Caiyha of all the things that were born out of that life. All good choices, particularly out here. Rhaus was not a bad choice either. All living things needed something like music to make the most out of life. He found himself smiling, nodding along with her, but then she turned the conversation back towards him.

"My gods?" he asked. He raised his hand almost absently to his chest again, feeling the outline of the wooden pendant beneath the fabric of his shirt. "I mostly follow Leth. As an Ethaefal..." A pang of sorrow. Satevis pressed his lips tightly together, remembering. Some days, it was easier. Some days, he could talk about this without feeling it hurt. Today didn't seem to be one of those days.

A breath in, a breath out. A reminder that he was here, and alive.

His smile was bitter, edged like a knife. "...Well, that's simply a given, isn't it? But I'm often fascinated by...scholarly pursuits. So, even were that not true, I believe I would still find myself drawn to the god of thought." That may have been the reason why Satevis, as Taras, was drawn to Leth in the first place. Maybe. His fragmented memories were still unclear about that. "Yahal is a patron of my former people...I have great respect for him as well. And Syna, of course, one can hardly have one without the other." He offered a respectful nod in the direction of the sun.

"Given my current choice of profession," Satevis finished. "I've also begun praying a little to Rak'keli." That was, however, enough about him. He realized that he had been monopolizing the conversation.

"Have you been in Syka long?" he asked her.

[Nya Winters]

It wasn’t as if she’d been speaking fast. Nya wasn’t. She was just speaking. The Kelvic thought again to herself that conversations with people were all but useless. The only real interest she’d found was on Mathias’ porch sprawled out in the sun. They didn’t listen and they made excuses for absentmindedness. This Eth was dead if he didn’t pay more care. All she could do was warn him. If he listened or not was up to him.

“I did not know Common wasn’t your first language.” Nya said softly. Her ex-bondmate was Benshira and had taught her Shiber and she’d learned Fratava in childhood from Lormar Tower’s Servants, part of which were disgraced Svefra. “I also speak Shiber and Fratava.” She said quietly, switching between those languages to repeat herself. Nya wasn’t shy but more and more this conversation was dragging on her. It was an effort, and meeting someone new and speaking with them shouldn’t be that way.

New topics like Gods were a good thing, but she wasn’t sure the Eth would speak of such things. They were always so…. Sad. She watched him and saw him touch his chest as if he were holding his heart or something. His face crossed with sorrow. There it was. Nya knew the topic choice in that instant was a bad one. Leth. He worshiped the moon. Nya had no idea what an Ethaefal was, but she’d take his word for it.

His smile turned bitter and Nya tossed her head again, glancing all around, everywhere but at him. She was terrible at this, at meeting new people and making friends. The Kelvic had landed on the absolutely wrong thing to say. She wished suddenly that he’d let her leave. She wanted to leave. There was nothing here for her to talk about, to discuss, to even remotely reach out to this new person and make a connection too. He was hurt, wrapped up in his own pain, and here for Gods knew what reason and truthfully in that moment she decided she didn’t care. And he was absolutely not friendly, not welcoming to conversation or even open to making friends. She didn’t blame him. There was nothing in her actions that would motivate him to want to reach out.

The Kelvic had his scent now and knew she would avoid him. The discomfort was growing in her and she just wanted to be away. His emotions were tangible and he wore them like a cloak about himself that separated him from the rest of the world. She’d spent the better part of the last year shutting down her emotions and was sensitive to them in others. In fact, the sadness in his gaze then the knife-like bitterness in his gaze made her stomach uneasy and the last meal she ate want to come up. She’d come to Syka for low key living, not to meet people that were …. Nya didn’t know how to label it, but Satevis seemed to not be happy, not be healthy of the mind, and who knew what else was simmering below the surface. Bitterness? Anger? She didn’t know. But it was something she’d turned her back on in her own life because she couldn’t live with being so overwhelmed with pain and she had more reason than most to feel that way.

Living in a Blacksun Prison, being a tool of Rhysol’s people, had turned a year of her life into a nightmare. It was nothing she’d reveal to anyone ever but it had left its mark on her body and on her soul and here…. here was a place to forget it.

Satevis obviously didn’t feel the same way about his troubles, and that was his right. But she didn’t want to stare all that she’d gotten past in the face – like she was looking at Satevis and his expressions - and she certainly didn’t want to struggle to make conversation with someone that had no interest in doing so. Nya would lay even odds, besides, that his troubles weren’t nearly as bad as he thought they were. Everyone’s problems seemed huge, but until something truly life changing and beyond your control happened, there was no way to put difficulties into context with true problems. It wasn’t something she’d ever try to explain either.

She was not him and the more she spent time in his company, the more Nya decided she probably didn’t want to know.

His choice of profession? An errand boy? Oh wait, he’d mentioned he was an apprentice there now. Nya had taken some lessons in first aid from Jansen so she suspected she knew what he was learning too. To be a healer? Maybe? Nya didn’t know. She didn’t ask either. Was there any other kind of apprenticeship there? Satevis offered nothing to clarify and the Kelvic had quickly learned he didn’t like questions from his emotional responses. The Kelvic was done asking questions. It was so awkward for her.

Nya almost missed his question. It was actually the first real one he’d asked of her. He hadn’t even truly asked her what her name was, but instead had stated plainly that he didn’t know it even though she’d already introduced herself. Maybe it had been his way of questioning her without questioning her, though she wasn’t sure. The Kelvic was incredibly uncomfortable, and she glanced at him and wondered if she could just eat him and end the misery that was this walk to town. Would Mathias and Randal or even James notice? Would Jansen throw a fuss that his apprentice was missing? He looked young, tasty even, better than the Orphans and street kids the Blacksun had fed her for a year. Human flesh didn’t bother her at all. It was as nutritious as anything else.

Nya shrugged as a response. “I’ve been here a while.” She answered, not really knowing how long she’d been in Syka. She just knew Abashai had escorted her here and then had taken off, boarded a ship and sailed for who knows where. She missed him acutely, but knew he probably wasn’t ever going to really stay. With him gone, she was forced out into the public, to seek out people and make friends. She’d done an abysmal job of it, if this new person was any indication. It would have been one thing if she’d liked anyone she met, but all of them were so riddled with problems and weakness, none showing any real strength. This young man was an example of that. He was so broken and Nya had no idea why. In a way she didn’t want to know. Frankly it pissed her off. He had health. He now lived in paradise. What was his problem? If he had a collar thrown on and had to live in the bowels of a city for a year, he’d understand how well he had it.

But she had to remind herself his life was not her own and she had no right to judge.

Nya kept walking, asking him nothing more and saying nothing more. She didn’t want to see any more of his pain, his bitterness, or his sadness. She didn’t want to ask what put those emotions on his face because she’d already prejudged and decided from his flawless features and his health that it probably wasn’t anything physical. Mental, with humans especially, was hard for her to do.

[Satevis]

It had been a long time since Satevis had heard someone speaking in his own language. Long enough that he worried that Shiber was starting to fade, that his dreams and his thoughts were starting to come to him in Common, most of the time. Hearing Nya speak it brought a smile to his face, a soft smile, tinged with the hint of memory. He wished he could have remembered more of Taras's life. At least enough to know whether he should be nostalgic or not, whether Taras had lived a life of joy, or a life of pain. The few memories he had were not enough. And they were not his life anymore.

But it was nice to hear someone speaking his language, if only for a little bit. "You speak Shiber quite well," he said, the words coming easier from him and more naturally than his Common did. "I haven't had a chance to use it in years. Where did you learn it, if you don't mind my asking?"

Truth be told, he was having a hard time keeping this conversation going. It wasn't that Satevis didn't want to know about her, or that he didn't want to be friends, but he was never very good at this part. This initial introduction to a new person's life. Even in Zeltiva, this part had been exceedingly awkward. If he thought about it, the only people that had become truly close to him--Tock and Yvera--were personalities that went out of their way to reach out to him. Tock had been a force of nature, and Yvera...he couldn't have abandoned Yvera.

The rest of the time...well, the rest of the time was difficult. It felt like everyone around him knew this dance, this game, this way of speaking that allowed one to connect with another person, and that Satevis had been born without that knowledge, that knowing. It was impossible to tell whether that was something that had come out of Taras, something that was just part of his soul, or something that had happened as a consequence of his fall, but his memories of Taras suggested that it might just be a part of him. He remembered few friends in his thoughts of Taras's life. He thought he remembered loneliness.

Had he always been this way? He didn't truly want to be alone.

It would have been easier in the divine realms, certainly. He had vague impressions of fellowship unlike anything he could even imagine now. Surely, then, it had been easier. But that was gone now, leaving him with nothing but the memories. He couldn't allow himself to be lost in them.

He looked back at Nya. "I remember very little about my people, to be honest," he said. "I remember the language, and some of the customs. But those memories are from another time." He was trying to be conversational, but talking about these things was hard. It had always been hard for him; he couldn't quite help the sadness in his tone as he spoke. "I don't know if you know this, but this form isn't truly mine. This body and this language belong to my past life, a Benshira named Taras. I have a few of his memories, and apparently, he never became truly fluent in Common before he died. Thankfully, I know enough to make do."

He had to admit, it was amusing to think of how he would have reacted, had he been forced to live in Zeltiva without any knowledge of Common. Odd, that he would think of that with amusement instead of pain. He supposed it was a good sign.

Template by Sevaan
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Satevis

[Nya Winters]

Nya glanced over at Satevis’ question. A second one in so short of a time? “I learned Shiber from Abashai who was born into the Tents of Eliab of the Sons of Havid.” Nya said, making sure to honor Shai’s family and give him the proper title as Shiber required. She didn’t have a perfect accent nor did she get every word right, but she could speak it well enough.

Nya didn’t elaborate. It was none of Satevis’ business about Abashai or their life together.

Satevis had already taught her he didn’t want to talk and that lengthy answers would probably be ignored. Nya didn’t like him… not after spending a few moments in his presence and wondered what in the world he was doing in Syka being so insanely unhappy and unfriendly. She liked friendly people. She liked Two questions. Huh. After all this time he’d actually asked her two questions. Nya was surprised and frowned, thinking hard.

Maybe he was the type that didn’t like it when non-Benshira spoke Shiber. The Kelvic had met a few in Ravok in her time there. Cultural appropriation? Nya had no idea. She’d met the type before. He hadn’t said he was happy she could speak it nor did he say that he was unhappy that she knew it. In fact, with Satevis no emotions at all seemed to be involved. It was as if he was walking to The Commons in a bubble of his own making insulated from the world and not wishing it to be invaded.

The Kelvic wanted to growl. What was wrong with him? She was sorry she joined him in his walk and wanted to be away from the stiffness he portrayed.

Nya frowned when Satevis started to speak. He didn’t remember his people? Did he have a head wound? From another time? Nya had a whole host of questions by the end of his statement. She didn’t know what he meant or what he was saying. When he said he wasn’t in his true form, she became even more confused.

“I don’t understand what you mean. How can you be borrowing a body? I’ve never heard of this.” Nya said softly, curiously, wondering now if he was mentally stable. She had no experience with Eths and hadn’t ever truly seen one transform. They were rare in the world, and something the Kelvic hadn’t come across knowingly.