[temple of all gods] challenge. (jaelyn)

[Caelum]

"A god's tree?" It caught his curiosity, emptying the intensity of his regard to rest in full upon the lovely young woman with whom he walked these streets. It had otherwise been scattered, divided up between the sights and memorization of the passages through the walled city as well as the constant infiltration of memory fragments ever intruding upon his consciousness of lives long ago lived and longer ago lost. "Is that what they say, in the legends? Or is there an actual tree upon which they rest their stories?" He wanted to know. God's blood, well, it struck like a gong upon the chopped syllables of heaven's tongue migrating through his mind. Her question drew a chuckle out of him, a breath of a sound that nonetheless altered the landscape of his face, making it less terrible, pouring in a sense of welcome. "Yes and no," he genuinely attempted to explain. "Last I walked this world it was prior to the Valterrian. At it's apex, in fact, or so I've been led to conclude. You're," he hesitated, "Not familiar with ethaefals? Was that," oh, revelation pricked like the first gasps of day. "You've not seen someone like men, that is, by my appearance, before?" Appearance, he said, and with an amusing tilt of his head that could only be indicative of the horns that curled so exotically from his temples.

[Jaelyn Baroth]

"That is what the legends say, but I do not know how true they are. I have never seen the Windoak beyond the symbols used by the Knighthood, and I do not know where such a tree could even be," it was the truth as far as she knew, but she had a feeling that somewhere in Syliras at least a part of the Windoak existed. It just wouldn't make much sense for the Dyres brothers to completely destroy the tree that was left by the blood of Sylir.

"No, I have seen one other like you," Jaelyn answered Caelum's question with a soft smile, "Sera Aquila Brock," there was a heavy inflection of almost reverent respect in Jaelyn's voice as she spoke the name, "is similar to you in appearance, but her previous life was after the Valterrian. I know little of Ethaefals, like that you change forms with Syna's rise and fall each day, but not much beyond that. Most of my time and effort is spent studying and working on becoming a Knight," she hesitated a moment, but figured Caelum would not mind another question, "So you count your age from the last life you had, before you... fell?" her voice trailed off at the end, hoping to not touch a sensitive subject for Caelum.

[Caelum]

"Then if such a tree does exist, be the stories of it truth or not, the knights would know," he half questioned, half wondered. It rolled out in his mind like roots, knotted and bumping up like knees through the earth. There was but one goddess who had dared grace him with Her divine presence since his tumble from the skies, but all others, including his traitorous beloved, had hid themselves from him even within the cathedral yawn of temple walls. "I.." He caught himself back in the fabric of the present, his steps having continued to match Jaelyn's automatically. "It isn't standard, or I don't think it is. Only I know no other way to claim an age for myself. To say I am only as old as the hours I've spent on this earth since my fall is wrong both philosophically and in actuality. Yet if I were to do anyway, then I'm, eh," a wry smile, "Nine."

[Jaelyn Baroth]

"That would make sense," Jaelyn admitted softly in response to Caelum's musing, and she fell silent for a time with her own musings.

If the Windoak was an actual object, and not just something of legend, Jaelyn hoped that she would be able to see it some day. Perhaps after she had completed her Knightly Quest. To see the last remnants of the tree brought to life by Sylir's own blood would be such an honor. Only meeting Tyveth himself would be a greater honor, but Jaelyn doubted she would ever be worthy of meeting the Lord of Honor.

"Well," Jaelyn gave a soft, amused smile in response to Caelum's explanation, "I guess I can see why you would go with your earlier statement. It is certainly more believable than being only nine years of age."

Having at this point reached the western edges of the Maiden and Jordon districts Jaelyn pointed out Bittern district, along with a the most straightforward passageway to take to get to Winthrop Alley and the few prominent shops located there.

"The second tier of Bittern district houses the Squire dormitories," Jaelyn explained with a soft smile as she lead the way along the southward turn of the thoroughfare, "So this is the area most familiar to me. Not that there is terribly much of interest here, mostly just simple apartments."

[Caelum]

Caelum attempted to picture himself child-sized and, in this process, found himself studying Jaelyn again as she continued to tour him so graciously through the walled city. He could not, he found, picture himself even at her age though he had of course had to have been a child as many times as lives he had lived. Perhaps, he amused himself in thinking, he was not unlike those god touched resurrectionists in that southern city. "You don't live with your family?" Her indication of the squire dorms drew him again from his inner mind, eyebrows rising ever so slightly as he took in the sway of the streets. Families had a habit of fascinating him, but that was because his own was so abnormal and fractured as to count as family maybe as much as the years since his fall counted as his age.

[Jaelyn Baroth]

Jaelyn gave a small nod of her head and a faint smile at Caelum's question, "No, all Squires stay in the dorms. I do go visit them on special occasions though," she briefly considered asking about Caelum's family, but quickly realized that it would not be a good idea, "There are times when my fellow Squires feel much like a family as well."

Leading the way south along the thoroughfare Jaelyn pointed out the westward path towards the docks, and then Dyres district, "The largest district in Syliras, and center of the Syliran Knights," there was just a touch of pride in her voice as she spoke of the Knighthood, "It is also where many of the Knights live, and where the training rooms are located. If you want some practice with a weapon or style of fighting you can go there to train with Squires and Knights."

Continuing down the thoroughfare Jaelyn was silent for a time, and then asked to her walking companion, "Do you have a weapon you are practiced with, Caelum, or do you prefer not to as a healer?"

[Caelum]

"They'll let you train with them? For free?" It surprised him, plainly, and very possibly impressed him if one went by the expression on his face. Honestly, he had thought the knights of Syliras would consider themselves as having better things to do than put up with the undoubtedly awkward interruptions of guest pupils in their daily training sessions. "Eh," he squinted an eye, the immortal hue a rival for the striking sunlight. "I can manage to hold a dagger without slicing open my own hand half the time, but that's about it. A," he considered. His hands rose in an unconsciously eloquent gesture, something in their motion and maybe merely in what they were attempting to convey with it poignantly noble despite the tatter and wear of his gloves. "A healer does not like to use his hands for damage. Healing itself soaks into the skin over time, down to the bone until it is a part of you, as integral as, say," he cast her a smile, "The comfort a sword's safeguard for others may be to a squire of Syliras. "The end result is that I'm disgustingly bad with weaponry, but self defense is a necessity no matter who you are, or where you go. When you use your hands to try to fix a body so much, it curdles the stomach to think of using them to harm." He made a face, wondering how weird his words sounded as they spilled out of his mouth. "Sounds pretentious, eh? Saying something like that to a soon-to-be knight. But battles are fought on different fields, aren't they?"

[Jaelyn Baroth]

"Well, it does benefit both sides," Jaelyn replied to Caelum's shocked question with a soft smile, "Sparring too much with the same people leads to comfort and familiarity with them, and a Knight is unlikely to have such a chance in their duty. So it is good practice to train with a variety of people."

Quietly Jaelyn listened to Caelum's explanation of his feelings, nodding as she did, and continued to lead the way south along the thoroughfare. She couldn't understand it all perfectly, not being a healer herself, but she thought she could make sense of it. His comment relating it to a sword for a Squire drew out a warm smile from her, though there was a hint of embarrassment to it.

"No, I think it makes sense," she replied with a small shake of her head to Caelum's question, "Even as a Squire, and eventually as a Knight, I have no great desire to cause harm to others. I know it must be done at times to protect or defend others, but I take no joy from the thought. I can only imagine what it would be like for someone whose focus was on helping others by healing," her smile returned as she added, "Each person has their own place and way they can serve to help others. Especially in Syliras, not all need be called to fight."

Finally their footsteps carried them to where the sky and walls opened up, to the Main Gate area of Syliras. Gesturing to the walls of Stormhold citadel a little ways to their east Jaelyn offered, "And there is Nettle District, in which is the Soothing Waters, along with many other business locations."

[Caelum]

“And for that I’m certain all citizens are grateful,” Caelum concluded. There was not even a hint of mockery in his words. Whatever ill dim he might have held aspects of the Syliran knights’ character in dared not trespass upon this topic, not to mention how incredibly inconsiderate it would have been to his young guide. There was a time when antipathy and bitters would not have hesitated to strew his speech, but so much of that had passed into the weary labor of the last year. He did not yet know if his fatigue was closer likened to that of a fever recovery or a threat of it spiking. Honestly, he hated to think on it overlong. There were already too many tribulations to twist and toss him where they would. The Nettles Distract was regarded for a long moment, steps slowing and hands burying themselves into the pockets of his jacket. “You’ve been kind, Squire Jaelyn,” he said after a minute. “Thank you.” Ever remarkable, was kindness.

[Jaelyn Baroth]

"It was the least I could do," Jaelyn responded with a soft smile and warm voice to Caelum's gratitude, "and I was happy to help. Is there anything else you'd like help with, anywhere else you'd like to know where it is?"

As Caelum had stopped walking Jaelyn stopped as well next to him, and took the time to take a closer look at his features. She hadn't realized before just how handsome he was despite his inhuman features like his horns. Not as handsome as Seven or Kendall in Jaelyn's opinion, but she could definitely see how he would be considered attractive.

Pushing those thoughts aside she smiled and offered a hand to Caelum for a farewell shake, "If not, then I should probably return to my training. If you would like my help later though you could probably find me at Dyres District, in the training grounds, or back in the Squire Dorms in the evenings. I hope you have good luck in looking for your friends Caelum."