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Meeting Spirits and Shadows

Started by Mitsu, September 30, 2014, 02:03:58 PM

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Mitsu

The building was huge. Giant. Towering. As the two souls stood before its door looking up at the rising spires, vines, and bulwarks that made the beautiful haven, people chirped and bounced about around them. Apparently travelers gawking in the middle of the square before the building were common enough that any passersby would simple walk around them. There were no shouts to get out the way or grumbles under their breath. It was understandable as the lush detail in the stonework and foliage would catch anyone's eyes while wrapped in the glow of the morning light. Each face was unique and wore an expression too real for a sedentary object. 

Two sets of brilliant azure eyes poured over the figures seemingly reaching from the stone to touch the rays of the sun. The humanoid of the pair ran a hand through her raven hair while craning her neck higher to see the flags that topped the establishment. "Do you think they'll let you in?" inquired the young looking woman to the large onyx creature next to her.

The cat like beast shook itself out and the bristles that stuck out on his shoulders and spine clicked with the movement. Raising his eyes to look where she was, he growled and spoke to her in the language of beasts, "Of course. As long as I don't cause a commotion I believe they'll let me be. After all, I am not the only strange thing walking around here."

Iris met his laughing eyes with a withering look. The mirth did not leave his face when she huffed and started to walk towards the doors. He followed after her billowing cloak with a chuckle under his breath and claws clicking on the stone.

The distance between the doors was not that long, but it took forever to get there. Standing in the middle of crowd and moving through one were two different things. People went in every which direction and the small woman had a hard time pushing through the different streams of people. At one point she was stuck at a standstill when she was caught between three different currents. Every moment people rushed past her, Iris found it harder to breathe. The heat and stench choked her and constricted her chest with panic. She felt like she was drowning in a river . . . a vast smelly river. It took Shaka pushing her through with his bulk to break the flow; his pointed bristles probably helped.

Once out of the flood of bustling beings Iris bent over and heaved deep breaths of clean air. That was the worst part of cities, the crowds and the lack of bathing amongst them. It wasn't like she didn't stink, but there were just so many people who reeked confined in such a small space. The concentrate was deadly as far as Iris was concerned.

Once the world stopped rocking and her head spinning Iris pushed herself up off her knees and faced the door. The heavy wood was smooth in places where hands had often touched and the gold inlays shone with love and care. Wiping her brow of sweat, the woman pushed all her weight into the door and managed to move it without much difficulty.

Inside were broken columns that littered the floor and walls like stardust across the sky. Intertwined within them were vines that had powered through the stone and into the sky. Shrubs dotting the area and their sweet smell were just what Iris needed as she inhaled deeply. Ah, sanctuary. With human and nature colliding within the building, Iris for the first time in a long time felt at home. There was enough of each that gave a feeling of familiarity, but not too much to alienate her.

But what caught her attention more were the remains on which the building was man. It wasn't every day that she was able to traverse the ancient skeleton of a dragon. Every once in a while she would peek the bones and at one point saw the wing that created a canopy of leaves. The farther she traveled, the newer things seemed until she started reaching the inner most corridors. At this section of the sanctuary, there was no one around. No footsteps echoed off the stones or voices ricochet between hallways. Silence was all that filled the gaps between their conversations. It was nice to feel at peace in a quiet place. Often, when it was quiet Iris worried the most.

Eventually they made their way over to a grown-over gazebo that had sunlight poking through the ruptured roof. Grass poked up between cracks in the floor and a bird perched on a vine that spanned the length of the room. Shaka almost growled and gave chase, but remembered where he was and instead followed Iris to the seats held within.

This place, in her mind, reflected her soul. Wild roots slithering amongst the structures of man becoming a single entity. While not pristine in quality, it was beautiful in its own way. Time had grown this art piece like she hoped time had grown her soul. But as she sat down, only briefly standing back up to brush off the pebbles on the bench, Iris wondered otherwise. Had time fractured her like the ceiling or grown an abundance of life inside her?

Iris turned to Shaka who sat upon the ground with a regal look about him. He was watching the bird still and didn't notice her eyes running across his rigid figure. She was about to say something when the clicking of tiny rocks falling to the ground caught her attention. Who would be here? Had someone followed them? Were they here to harm them? They couldn't, this was a sanctuary! Ah, but when did that ever stop anyone?

Shaka heard the noise too. Muscles tensed, the two sets of blue eyes searched the area before them while their senses stretched the space outside.

dustcat

Kyna's arm felt much better now that a healer had attended to it but she was loathe to head back into the confusing mass of people that was the city. The songs and stories that Pol had taught her had never mentioned people smelling of sweat or turds from animals that you stepped in. (She had washed her shoe in a horse trench and then got chased away by one of the workers.) Even Fion was cowed.

So Kyna wandered. She noted the carvings and the gazebos of teachers and students. When she passed a pond she dumped her head in and got water on Fion, who squealed in outrage. Kyna had laughed at her dragon, feeling the disgruntlement in the back of her mind but pushing the feeling aside. There was so much that could be bothering her.

Soon, she came to the shrine and gaped first at the skeletal remains of the dragon. It was big. Like the one that had attacked her village. The reminder made her stomach clench and her palms sweat. Fion was quiet, staring at the skull as if she somehow knew what it had once been. Kyna tore her eyes away from the bones and spotted a still stranger sight.

A panther? Well, Kyna had never seen a panther with those spines before. Curiosity washed away caution and Kyna approached the creature's companion - who was also odd and not quite right.

"By the stars! What manner of beastie is that? It's glorious!" Kyna grinned and Fion growled, low in her throat. "Hush Fion. No need for jealousy."

Mitsu

((Sorry, would have replied soon, but I had a crazy weekend!))

What came around the corner was not what they were expecting. A human, even shorter than she, came into sight with a giant grin on her face and a equally giant bat on her shoulder. Iris, upon seeing the open curiosity, relaxed. Upon seeing the bat –however- she tensed a bit. What the heck was a giant bat doing on her shoulder!? Didn't those things sleep during the day? And why was it perched so obediently?

When she asked what Shaka was, Iris was jolted for a moment away from her thoughts. She looked to Shaka with a bit of confusion at first before she realized something. She had forgotten that not many people saw a jungle cat wandering the streets of modern cities. His wide paws with hawkish talons were made for treading mountains and not cobblestone, after all. To not come off as startled, Iris forced a smile at first until it felt natural.

As the shock wore off, Iris replied with a bit of laughter, "He comes from the islands of Yoreiq; it's a breed that has almost been killed into extinction. Someone had brought him over as a trophy before the numbers almost were all gone."

She really doubted that this girl was a distraction while mercenaries descended from above. If she couldn't trust this to be a friendly person, then she would have to lose faith in everyone around her. To believe otherwise at this moment would mean to give up on everything. After all, she looked candid enough with emerald green eyes dazzling with wonder in the few rays of light.

Shaka shook his head and growled deep in his chest. Iris shot him a glance as if trying to discern what he said before she added, "Oh, that was before Shaka took his head as a trophy."

She shrugged nonchalantly and rose for her newcomer. After brushing herself off, she walked the small distance between them and put out her hand to shake. She knew that humans did that kind of thing to say hi. It had been a while since she had been in a huge city, but she had remembered at least that much. And, as always, something she hadn't expected happened when she did come into town. This time, however, was pleasantly different.

"But my name would be Iris. I'm just a traveling bard performing in town this next three weeks," genially said Iris, "And this is my partner in crime: Shaka."

Iris turned her attention to the small creature that had growled at them earlier. It was a dragon! Not a giant bat after all . . . It had been a bit disconcerting seeing a girl with a giant bat popping in. For some reason, seeing a dragon instead made a lot more sense. It was actually cute up close, but had a wicked intelligence behind its eyes. Dragons were not pets, but regal creatures. Sure, this one is small now. But when it got big it would get bad. In the meantime, it was interesting to see such a small one cling so tightly to a human girl.

"And who do I owe the pleasure of this meeting to?" inquired Iris lightly as she tried not to her own curiosity get the better of her.

dustcat

Yoreiq! She had heard of Yorieq. Well, Pol had taught her about the Winged Hunter from Yoreiq. Kyna chuckled when the stranger responded to Shaka's growl. It reminded her of herself and Fion.

"A mighty beast like this is no trophy." Kyna responded and wondered if perhaps Shaka's story could be made into a child's story back home. The children needed to be taught that beasts belonged to themselves and that they were only to be hunted if you needed their hide or meat.

Instead of shaking the stranger's hand, Kyna clasped her forearm, her fingers near the stranger's elbow out of respect for one who befriended a predator.

A bard! Kyna let go and reached automatically for the lute she no longer had. Instead, her fingers brushed the cold iron of a weapon she didn't like. It was a harsh reminder of things she didn't want to brood over in this moment.

"I guess you owe the pleasure of this meeting to fate or chance," Kyna's eyes twinkled as she deliberately misunderstood Iris' question. "For I'm a bard also, though it's been moons since I've sung for more than just Fion here. I am Kyna from a village of no name, though I call it Home. Can we sit? I'd love to hear and share stories." Kyna gestured to where Iris had been sitting.

Mitsu

There had almost been a fight. If she hadn't waited the precious moment to see the girl renew her smile, Iris would have attacked. After they shook forearms?, Iris saw her reach for a weapon when she mentioned she was a bard. For a spilt second, the newcomer's hand flashed backward as Iris feared the Wide Brimmed Hat Man had sent her. Luckily, that smile graced her ebony face when she didn't grab it and revealed bright teeth below instead.

Good! She didn't want to fight. Sickness and weariness had taken her over and she didn't have the energy for battle. Iris was even more pleased when she heard that the girl was a bard herself. Upon hearing that, the shape shifter figured that the human had reached for an instrument that was no longer there. That made a lot more sense than reaching for a weapon during that moment.

Nodding her head enthusiastically, Iris replied, "That would be wonderful. Shaka has been the only one to hear my songs for a long time, too."

Iris made her way back to the gazebo where Shaka still sat with a straight back and watching eyes. He was not as quick to trust as she was. She figured her companion had lived longer and had mistrust ground deeper into his soul. Shaka's bristles barely jittered as the girl and the dragon entered the covered seats.

But he wasn't above pleasantries right now. He bowed his head respectfully as they sat and directed a friendly hello to the dragon in the tongue of beasts.

"So you're a bard!" stated Iris as she crossed her leg expectantly, "Do you by chance know the Chant of The Lonely Winds? The duet was always my favorite, but I haven't been with someone to take the higher part for a long time."

((I don't actually know if there is such a song so make up words if you want our characters to sing together. Or you don't have too, just didn't want you too feel like there was some preset song I had in mind ^^))

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