Yoreiq at last [Zozee9]

[Zane]

It had been a long two months at sea. Thankfully they had only encountered one storm, but that was one strong storm. Uriel had been helping out however he could, working with the rigging, acting as a lookout, even helped with crew moral with short flights around the vessel.

Yoreiq finally loomed in the horizon and the entire crew cheered, even Uriel cheered. The captain pulled Uriel aside, "you've worked hard on this ship, I'll be giving you your money back when we get to the dock." Which he did. A few moments after they docked, Uriel had his money back and he and Kayala were off the ship.

[zozee9]

Home sweet home, thought Kayala. Just left it a few months ago, and now I'm back. Great.

That being said (or thought?), Kayala was happy to be back on ground she knew. Even though it wasn't her home island, the traditions and people would be similar enough. And she could finally go hunting again... in a real forest... not a mountainous range.

Now that they were in Yoreiq, Kayala wondered whether or not she should take off her shirt. She had finally gotten used to it, so it would seem odd to her if she didn't wear it. Although that oddness wouldn't last long as she hadn't worn a shirt in all of her life before she left Yoreiq. Then again, Kayala got the feeling that her going around shirtless would make Uriel uncomfortable. Though everyone else in Yoreiq would be shirtless. Kayla decided to keep her shirt on... at least until they reached a village.

After saying bye to the captain and crew, Kayala turned towards Uriel and asked, "Well? What now? We're in Yoreiq."

[Zane]

"Well" Started Uriel, "I've never been here before, maybe you could show me around." It seemed like a logical ideal to him, maybe she would too. Uriel was bracing himself for culture shock, and was quite glad that Kayala didn't take off her shirt.

[zozee9]

Staring off into the woods, Kayala replied, "I'm just as lost as you are. Wait... Actually, we should probably be fine if we just head into the woods. It's about hunting time and any Yoreiqi will be happy to find strangers. If we walk loudly someone will find us. Ah, but make sure you don't get shot." Kayala had almost shot someone herself once. She heard some noises and assumed it was an animal and, well, they were lucky she had just started hunting.

Walking towards the woods, Kayala tied her hair up and took out her new bow. "Ready? We might as well hunt while we travel."

[Zane]

"Aright" Uriel walked into the forest following Kayala. "How does it feel to be back home." Uriel wished he could say he felt like that somewhere but he never stayed in one place long enough to call it home, nor did he know his original home. I'll find it someday.

[zozee9]

"It feels kind of nice to be back in Yoreiq, though I'm not truly home unless I go to my village. But being here defeats the purpose of me leaving in the first place..." Kayala's thoughts wandering off, she continued walking through the rough forest terrain. Used to hunting and staying quiet, she had to think about stepping on twigs and breaking branches.

Then, suddenly, Kayala stopped walking. Putting her bow around her shoulder in the way it was supposed to be held, Kayala put her hands together and moved them towards her mouth. Blowing into the gap between her hands, Kayala produced a loud series of noises.

[Zane]

"Hm? Hand whistle? I've never been able to do it. Maybe you could teach me sometime." he stopped talking when someone else came into his line of sight Uriel's hand went to his rapier naturally, When he realized he was now gripping it's handle, he let it go and his hand fell to his side.

[zozee9]

Seeing a person coming towards them, Kayala knew her call worked. Even though the calls were different for different villages, it was used to help hunters keep in touch with each other.

Kayala could tell right away that the stranger was Yoreiqi. Although he didn't have wings, he was tan and had dark brown hair as well as dark brown eyes. And he had tattoos. That also helped. Running up to the Yoreiqi man and motioning for Uriel to follow her, Kayala started talking to him in Yoreiqi.

Turning towards Uriel, Kayala explained, "His name is Latak. His village is nearby... he said he would take us. He doesn't speak trader's tongue but some people in his village do."

[Zane]

Kayala ran right up to the man and started speaking in the native tongue. It was interesting watching her communicate with him. When she told him the man's name, he was about to introduce himself when she said he doesn't know the common tongue. "Alright" Uriel said following Kayala, "sounds like a plan."

[zozee9]

The walk to Latak's village was silent. Because Uriel didn't speak Yoreiqi, Kayala didn't feel that comfortable talking. They'd talk once they met someone who understood both languages.

As the trees started to part, Kayala looked at a village that resembled her own. There were huts everywhere and people were mingling. Since most men were hunting, the village currently consisted of mainly women. All of darker skin, they actually looked Yoreiqi... unlike Kayala. And about a good half of them had wings.

Watching their heads all turn to face them, Kayala smiled. She remembered when she used to be so excited to see travelers. She could see the curiosity in their faces—why did the strangers look Yoreiqi and not Yoreiqi at the same time?—but didn't mind. She was used to such things.

[Zane]

Uriel was surprised that the village was mainly women, and that the majority of them were topless. Kayala's warning had done nothing to prepare him. But that couldn't be helped. The other thing that he noticed was the vastly curious faces. Which Uriel could understand, one of the strangers was white but had the familiar tattoos, the other was also white but had wings. Uriel wondered what would happen next.

[zozee9]

Turning towards Latak, Kayala asked him to lead them to someone who spoke common tongue. Since their village was so close to the ocean, Kayala would guess that most villagers spoke at least a little of the common tongue. That was the case in her village. Latak started walking so she followed.

Kayala smiled at all of the Yoreiqi following them with their eyes. She had no doubt that they wanted to rush towards them and bomboard them with questions, but were withholding themselves. They were most likely trying to be polite and not scare her and Uriel away.

[Zane]

As Uriel followed Latak and Kayala, he felt the villager's eyes following him. He had never been conscious about his wings before, but he had never had an entire village staring at his wings. That was a first. He was getting a bit uncomfortable.

Uriel half-extended his wings to relieve tension in his wings and somewhere behind him someone gasped.

[zozee9]

Glaring at Uriel, Kayala scolded, "You showing off? These villagers are going to be curious enough without you doing that." Well, they'd have figured it out soon enough, anyway. Not like he really hid his wings.

As Latak stopped, Kayala looked up and saw a woman. She looked like she was in her thirties, and was covered with gorgeous blue tattoos and had a pretty pair of black wings. Smiling, Kayala greeted, "My name is Kayala. My friend beside me, Uriel, doesn't speak Yoreiqi. I take it you speak commoner's tongue?" If she didn't, she would have absolutely no idea what Kayala just said.

[Zane]

"I wasn't showing off, I was relieving tension. Wing cramps are painful in case you didn't know." Uriel walked the rest of the way in silence. When they came upon the woman, Uriel nodded when his name was mentioned other then that he was silent.

[zozee9]

After the woman confirmed she spoke commoner's tongue, Kayala decided that it was a good time to explain... well, her and Uriel. Just about everybody was eavesdropping anyway, and some of them were bound to know commoner's tongue. And those people would definitely translate the story for everyone else.

"I'm Yoreiqi," started Kayala. "I was born and grew up a few islands away. When I was born, I was barely alive. I wouldn't have even lasted an hour if my village didn't cure me with a cursed plant. You may know of it—it is called many things, but it is recognized by the fact it's white... stem and all."

In Yoreiqi, it was a plant of legend. Everyone knew of it. Out of Yoreiqi, Kayala had found out that most people had never heard of it. But Kayala figured these Yoreiqi people should know of it, therefore didn't explain the other side of the flower.

Deciding to wrap up her story, Kayala finished, "The flower saved my life. It's also the reason that I'm white. My blood is actually white, too. And if anybody in your village is in the need of healing, my blood magic is amplified due to the flower running through my blood. I'd be happy to help injuries in exchange for my friend and I being able to stay here." Then, realizing that she hadn't really explained Uriel's wing situation (and she didn't really know it), Kayala turned towards him with a pleasant smile and said, "Would you like to explain to them why you have wings?"

[Zane]

"I uh, don't know how I got my wings, I've had them for as long as I can remember and up until recently I thought I was the only one with wings." Uriel purposely left out the part about the crucifix. He had no Ideal how they would react to it. "My past is a mystery to me."

[zozee9]

Sighing, Kayala turned at translated what Uriel said for the woman. Then, looking back at him, Kayala replied, "Your past is stranger than mine. And that's saying something. Now come on, they're going to find us a place to stay."

Turning back towards the woman, Kayala followed her without even glancing back again to see if Uriel was following, too. She did, however, see all the onlookers spreading the story. Kayala had guessed correctly—some of them did know commoner's tongue.

[Zane]

(Did you mean Kayala?)

"That's always a nice sentiment to know" Uriel grumbled, he didn't have much of a past, at all, a very short two years. No that was not a lot looking back, and he hadn't done much at all in those two years. "Lead the way" he mumbled, following after her.

[zozee9]

(Yeah... Thx!)

After arriving at the hut, Kayala thanked their guide. She was about to enter the hut when the woman said something. Turning around, Kayala asked, "What?" The woman repeated herself and Kayala translated it for Uriel.

"She says that dinner will be ready in about an hour. And, until then, to stay in here. She still needs to talk to the village elders about us. But I wouldn't worry about it too much—almost all strangers are welcome here." With that, Kayala finally entered the hut.