A friend in need

by **Alexis Aryeh** on June 21st, 2018, 1:29 am

[Date to be added, Summer 518 AV]

Alexis found himself in the Kinell Hotsprings once again. Growing up in Lhavit he found this place always relaxing and today was no different to him as he sat near the water with his legs folded under him and his hands in his lap. His sword to the side for it never did leave him even if he should not have needed it near the city but one could never be too careful in the world.

His pale green eyes looking about the spring as he just took in the sights and sounds. It was peaceful in a sense with the birds making such a unique sound but why was he here today he thought to himself.

Maybe it was just a break in the end. He did find himself here often enough not to think he was running away or anything. A break would be good he thought as he closed his eyes and just let the sounds cling to him like a blanket.

He slowly just relaxed as he felt the stress in his muscles fade away as he took in the fresh air and found himself not worrying about his day to day maintenance. Peace. Something that seemed so hard to find at last seemed like it was within reach to him as he just let his mind wander lost in thought.

Why did he worry so much about things?

That question has come up before it felt like but he never addressed it fully. Always brushing it off and not really understanding the motives behind it. Yet why was that he had to ask himself as he thought back over the years. It felt like he never really took a break and always trying to improve himself but maybe it was because he was trying to prove something else and not really improve himself for the sake of it.

He just had to shake his head as he opened his eyes once more and just sighed heavily at the thoughts. Peace would not last it would seem but maybe it would come again later.

His eyes glanced at his sword. A falchion which he got when he was just a kid as he did his best to fit in with the city after his parents had passed away. A weapon that needed more use in his eyes but maybe it was a good thing he did not have to use it much. Alexis was a fighter and was not afraid to stand to keep anyone safe from harm or break up fights but he was never one to really create them. He enjoyed Lhavit and what it offered and wanted everyone to enjoy that same feeling in the end.

Alexis knew what he could use and that was a friend. Yet his list of friends really did not go that long in his head but that is what he got for not being more outgoing like others. Maybe he would go back to the city and wander around. Yet for now, he just stayed at the ground debating his next actions listening to the sounds of nature.

by **Raeyn** on June 21st, 2018, 6:04 pm

Over the last five days, rumours of Zith attacks spread though the Skyglass city like a wave. The citizens were fear stricken, desperate for some answers as to why the monsters began feeling so bold as to cross the walls. As of yet no answers came. Raeyn too had no longer felt safe enough to venture beyond city limits to hunt and the coin he made earlier in the season had to last him until the Shinya once again brought safety back to Lhavit.

He had a completely different kettle of worries on his mind however. One far more pressing and far more troubling than even the Zith presence. The voices in his head had begun tormenting him, whispering horrific things in his sleep and waking him in before sunrise in a cold sweat. He'd been so very scared to tell his sister any of it for she was their main target. Whatever awful spell had hexed the Inarta was now trying to take away one of the only people he truly, selflessly cared about.

With the bow in one hand and the odd, magic muffin tin in his pocket, the Inarta made his way for the Kinell Hotsprings. Memories of playing hide and seek on the muddy banks and chasing lizards as a child, flooded back to his mind as he wished so dearly he'd se him there. Alexis. In youth the two were inseparable and even though adulthood had forced them in separate directions, right about now Raeyn would appreciate his wisdom more than ever. He was quickly running out places where he could hide from his own mind. Perhaps sharing his sorrows with another could lessen the load from his over encumbered heart. Well that certainly wasn't the case for this perpetual loner that was Raeyn. But he couldn't think of a better excuse just to see him and needing company wasn't something he was about to admit freely.

As the hotsprings, the natural wonder of the misty peaks came into view, the res haired Inarta emerged from between the curling fog. Clothed finely and tidily as usual, with the familiar fur lined cape draped around his shoulders from beneath which red and navy robed peeked, he stood at the bank's edge, scanning the scenery for signs of anyone. Raeyn was dignified in every sense of the word. His posture was as straight as a board and he held his head high bearing almost a dominance in his manner. His red hair was tied up in a high ponytail with braids at either side. A white streak contrasted against the red. Beneath his eye a white crescent of skin glimmered in the refracted light that peeked though the fog.

It didn't take him long to notice the familiar figure sitting crosslegged atop a flat rock with his eyes closed. The Inarta breathed a sigh of relief as he approached carefully, speaking first to make his presence known. The last thing he wished to do was startle a meditating man armed to his teeth and more than able to run him though with a blade. "Fancy seeing you here. Aren't you a little to old to be chasing after lizards?"

He didn't intend the comment to be hurtful but there was something awkward in seeing an old friend after such a long time. A lump in his throat that blocked even the tiniest seeds of affection.

Raeyn made his way to the rock and found himself standing directly in front of the acolyte. His hands rummaged the depth of his pockets, feeling the grounding cool smoothness of the muffin tin as he did so. His eyes flickered between Alexis and the floor repeatedly. Whether he was embarrassed or fearful of rejection, he wasn't sure. Truthfully, Raeyn evaded social situations like the plague for this very reason. He relinquished care and tenderness for fear of caring too tenderly for the wrong person. He was never any good at hellos. This was no exception. His ego stuck in his side like the thorn that it was.

"I sincerely hope you remember who I am after all this time. Perhaps a visit once in a while would be in order, wouldn't you think since you clearly don't seem to have anything better to do." before he even realised his words turned to anger which was the last thing he meant to do. Why was he acting so on edge? His entire way there Raeyn had not heard a single disembodied whisper so that could not have been his scape goat. But he had no right to be angry with Alexis. Not by the standard of any logic.

Soon enough he bit his tongue and started again, trying his best to calm his tone. "Regardless, it's good to see you I suppose. You look good..."

Once again Raeyn bit his tongue. A faint line of blush from embarrassment appeared in his cheeks. Out of all the stupid things he could have said why was that the one? Suddenly the Inarta found himself wishing he had never gotten out of bed that morning. To omit this awkward exchange he would have happily gone without seeing Alexis one more year.

by **Alexis Aryeh** on June 22nd, 2018, 1:22 am

Alexis would know that voice from anywhere. A wave of memories came to him like a surge of the waves of a ocean drowning him in the past. Alexis recalled a time where he spent the day reading with him but he did not want to hold the book so he had used his magic to hold it and flip the pages. Yet the problem was he could not hold it for long so he never did finish reading it as Raeyn just made fun of him for that day for several days after that but Alexis paid it no mind and went with the punches.

Alexis opened his eyes and saw the young man sit in front of him. His tone of words at first relaxed before becoming upset and more anger filled with each sentence but Alexis just smiled at him and let him vent in his own way. Raeyn was not wrong as it had been a few seasons since they last saw each other but Alexis was known for losing track of time when he got to do a task. Almost forgot to eat and drink a lot of times which created more issues down the road for him.

While his friend vented Alexis kept his eyes upon him. His green eyes looking at the details of him. Raeyn and him were very different in terms of looks and how they kept themselves. Yet that just were how they were. Alexis was taller by a few inches in hight and when standing next to him he also seemed to be more muscular compared to Raeyn's thin frame and nature. His clean cut face and locks of long red hair always were tightly braided and out of the way compared to Alexis black hair that sometimes was in a braid but most of the time just in a ponytail. Alexis face was rarely clean shave as he just kept his facial hair as a close shave but still showing the black hair along his chin and cheeks.

Also Raeyns appearance was and has always been very tidy. Alexis not so much as right now his outfit was not of the robes he would wear for combat or on duty but just a simple tunic and pants that looked out of place. Alexis took more of a humble appearance compared to his friend.

While he took in his appearance he also was pulling and focusing upon the djed within his body. Djed was his power and fuel for his magic but what Alexis knew was not the flashy magic that created fireballs or the power to increase one's physical powers but his was more of a subtle power called Projection. The power to remove his astral body from his physical and could interact with the world.

He pulled and focused it upon his left hand. Projection could be done in two ways. The wrong way which was faster but more risk or the right way and slowly which did not have as many risks. The wrong way is the way you would do if you did not have the time in a fight or if something else created an issue with timing. The right way in Alexis mind was slowly and should always be done unless life or death said otherwise.

The body was made up of joints and the astral body mirrored that. His djed pooled into his hand from the core of his body but at least that was always the visual he had in his mind when he thought of it and focused on it. The hand coming from the fingers and to the joints in the fingers were being pushed up and out of his hand like breaking out of the surface of a still lake in his mind.

Once the joints of each finger pushed out of that starting from his thumb, going to his index, middle, ring and his pinky before moving up from his wrist. While he had focused on that he saw that his friend had stopped venting and just kept looking at him and towards the ground with his hands in his pockets. Raeyn was never good with social encounters unlike his sister but Alexis would never hold that towards him.

“Hello old friend. I’ve missed you as well.”

Alexis said as he kept his smile on his face. It was not forced or even one to hide any emotions as his face just was brighter when he saw his friend. It seemed and felt like they both needed company and it would seem fate would make that happen today. Yet he would thank Syna for them meeting in the day.

“I am sorry that I lost track of time once more. My tasks have kept me busy sadly but really I am happy to see you. It would seem we are in good timing even if the city is filled with rumours of the Zith I have the day free for now. Unless we are attacked that is but for now I can enjoy the day with you if you are free.”

As Alexis finished the words his left hand broke free from his shell of a body as his hand went limp in his hand and his astral body free. He focused his power and moved his left hand, invisible to everyone but he just placed his astral hand on top of Reayns left shoulder and gave a small grip. One that he would do with his real hand if he was closer but this way he was doing his best to help relax. Even if it dealt with a magic he could not see but Alexis felt safe using it for this.

“It’s okay. Really it is okay.”

by **Raeyn** on June 25th, 2018, 8:02 pm

As usual, at least in his mind, Alexis wasn't listening to him which to Raeyn it was the same as a slap in the face. His ego was far too big to be disrespected in such an insignificantly small way. Thus, perhaps, in may ways Raeyn would prefer to be slapped for perhaps if a slap was in order at least it meant that Alexis, for once, was paying petching attention!

Whatever words were spoken, when they came from Raeyn's lips, they bore the most significance for he seldom said insignificant things. At least that way the Inarta's impression of himself. No wonder he had such few friends. Few would he be able to forgive such a disrespect.

Whilst ALexis smiled in greeting, Raeyn's own expression quickly turned to that of a disgruntled sourpuss. A child who'se toy was just taken away as he crossed his arms at his chest and lowered his chin, staring at his friend from beneath his brow with his foot tapping. The red head had a habit of going from zero to a hundred in moments should the situation demand it, which is often did. And once he was wound up it was so very hard for his to stop.

"You are tempting fate with those words. Don't dream of Zith attacks. You know as well as I do that between us we wouldn't stand a chance against a child monster, never mind a full fledge one. Prey for their quick departure... or slaughter, and may they leave us the petch alone." he grumbled, tossing his gaze aside and leaving it wherever it fell, be it the unnaturally green bushes or steams which arose from the lakes.

The Grip on his shoulder startled him momentarily before his mind made sense of it all. Alexis' use of projection was no mystery to Raeyn. They both had spent many hours in the library studying their respective magical art forms side by side in their youth. Those were the days he longed for. And even when their magical paths split as far as they could, one man delving head first into personal magic whilst the other embraced all that was world magic, their mutual interest in djed was an easy vehicle for the strongest of friendships.

"I've been thinking... you know." he mused, still grumpy but at least the aggression in his voice calmed a little. "There must be some kind of Shinya effort to take those wretches out. Surelly they cannot be allowed to frighten our people for much longer. If given the chance, I'll offer my skills. I'm a hunter for heaven's sake! My day job it literally consists of hunting beasts... albeit usually slightly smaller ones."

Anyone who knew Raeyn well would know he didn't jump to such decisions lightly. Ever the pessimist, he took no risks if the rewards didn't seriously outweigh the drawbacks and usually such risks were exclusively of the magical nature. This meant one of two things. The Inarta was either becoming far more and more certain of his own strength and vigilance or the city really did mean so much to him that he would risk his own life to protect it.