Not Yours, Mine! (Open, Viskyia, AGM Badb please)

[Telavis]

Timestamp: Morning of The Sixth Day of The Second Cycle of The Month of Immanis, in the season of Winter, Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era XV Post Fractum.

The scene could not have been more picturesque. The ground was hard with a light morning frost. The yellow, red and brown leaves still clung desperately to their branches, though enough of their brethren now covered the dusty road. The air was crisp with perhaps a touch more chill than pleasant. The distant clouds seemed to promise further snow, but they were far away yet.

It was not long ago that Telavis had left the city wall of Zinn’Sunn for the first time in his life. He had not anticipated that he would do so again, at least not so soon. However, after being locked up in his house – though room would be a better description, he reflected – it was refreshing change of scenery.

In his house, he had made and remade his plans on how to turn his vision of the bathhouse into a reality. Also, when he was planning the bathhouse, he could avoid thinking about everything else. After a few days, he realized that although the plans were interesting intellectual exercises, he could not proceed without more information on prices for materials and labor.

One of the most important materials for his venture was marble. He would need slabs as well as small pebbles, and both in quantity. It was for this that he now ventured away from the city. Instead of heading east and then north to the monastery, he turned west and started in the direction of the Tortoise District and toward the Cambrian Dalsami Jade Mine. As jade was the main product for the miners, Telavis hoped that he could purchase the marbles cheap. He had hoped that the miners would treat the marble as a simple waste product of the mine, and therefore not care if someone else took interest in them.

As the sky seemed to stretch impossible high above his head, and as the leaves and gravel seemed to crunch pleasantly beneath his boots, Telavis was in good spirits and had high hopes for his venture. And, as long as he could focus on a task, he could avoid thinking about anything else.

OOC: I took some liberties in setting up the scenery. If there is some conflict with the existing descriptions, please PM me and I’ll edit.

[Viskyia Crow]

She'd decided a run was in order. Viskyia liked to keep herself fit, and when the most recent snowstorm had cleared out, the world was left glittering and pristine... just the way a freshly cut and polished diamond looked. Viskyia set out through the fresh winter morning, a set of instructions in her hand written out in Amelia's neat curving writing. A few miles outside of Zinn'Sunn. That seemed perfect. She wasn't going to ride because she wanted to experience the winter herself, and almost anything she ordered she'd want shipped to Demios anyhow. So, she passed down Lotus street, crossed the first main intersection she found, and headed out the Shisa gates and into the Tortoise District towards the Cambrian Dalsami Jade mine. The road was clear of travelers at first, though she did pass loaded wagons coming into the city, and workers heading in to their jobs for the morning. Hardly anyone seemed outbound, though that didn't surprise the half-esh.

She was well-armed and cautious, though life had taught her not to be so much afraid of traveling on her own. If it was necessary, company would provide itself, if not she'd find the mine alone. There was a promise of a good road, relatively safe countryside, an a round trip of about four hours if she took her time talking with the people there.

Passing the crossroads, she took the only road marked to the mine and stretched out her legs. The sky was beautiful, and she felt a lot like she was running within it rather than beneath it. There was something about winter-blue skies that really impressed her. It was then, and only then she realized the road had company on it. So when she caught up to the man walking along at a brisk pace, she paused to catch her breath and smile.

"Hey there.... on your way to the mine?" She asked, slowly down to match his brisk walk. "I've never seen such skies, not even in Demios. Are they quite common?" The jeweler asked, trying to be friendly yet not intrude too much on the man's time if he had someplace to go or people to see and wasn't inclined for company.

[Telavis]

"My good lady," Telavis greeted with a half-bow, and then looked at the sky and around in response to inquiry. His eyes seemed to loose focus briefly as he became absorbed in the beauty of the scene. "Yes. It is quite fascinating. Though, I am Zinn'Sunn-born, I must confess that my sights had been too focused on mundane matters, and had seldom been aimed to our skies. And, it looks very different from the glimpses I caught in the city. Thus, I fear that I am a poor judge."

Telavis studies the female elf before him discreetly as he spoke. He had seen members of races other than his own in the city, but never this close up, and much less had any interaction with them. He could not quite keep a small frown and blush from his face when he noticed that the elfish woman was wearing pants instead of a yukata or kimono. On reflection, he noted fairly that he himself had been too poor to purchase proper traditional wears.

He also could not have failed to notice small bulges indicating hidden weapons. In response, he rested his left hand casually on butt of his own dagger pommel and carelessly pushed the hilt forward. It was a gesture to show that he himself was also armed, and that he desired no conflicts as he offered the hilt rather than the blade. Something in his blood must have come bubbling forth then and made the unfamiliar gesture more graceful than Telavis could have managed normally.

In his head, Telavis cynically noted that whoever first invented the custom also made sure that the weapon was in a perfect place to be drawn in a hurry if necessary. It was not that he had any formal proficiency with the weapon. But, one cannot live in the birth place of zinn'ka without picking up some things by osmosis.

"But, in the future, I shall be sure look up at our fair skies more often," Telavis continued without break. "It is a magnificent sight. I am embarrassed that I had not noticed it before, and it took a foreign friend to point it out to me. As Torek teaches, 'never lose the beginner's mind'. I fear that I had been too lax in my practice. I thank you for giving me the gift of this sight.

"My name is Telavis. I am indeed headed toward the mine. I would be most honored if you would share the road with me, if that is also your direction."

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia had no idea her clothing was inappropriate, though if she had she'd have been slightly embarrassed. Amelia had worn yukata and kimonos' but the girl had always been dressed in frilly dresses in Nexus Prime, so Viskyia had thought nothing about it on her visit. "I'm Viskyia Crow.. and its nice to meet you Telavis." She said, slowing to walk with him. At his gesture of resting his hand on his weapons, she smiled reassuringly. "It's not safe for a woman to go about alone unarmed. No worries though, I am a simple jewelcrafter heading up to the mine to talk Jade with the mine operator. What about you? Just out for a pleasant walk?" She inquired. Again, being foreign, she'd be unaware of the rudeness, though she intended none whatsoever.

While perhaps not the most traditional of company, company on the rode was sometimes still better than no company at all. And she was decidedly foreign, lacking the black Kemite waterfall of hair, and the traditional dark eyes. Viskyia walked along with a pleasant demeanor, friendly, like she had someplace to be, but that someplace was full of anticipation and a sense of adventure for her.

"I know what you mean about the skies. I'm from the Fire Isle of Demios, and I take it for granted that we live in the shadow of the Volcanoes there. People are always astonished, and we wonder why. Its every day that one smokes or shakes or a storm blows in. Myth explains it as Dragons, but I don't think anyone has actually seen one, at least not in its full blown glory." She mused, and smiled. "So, how far is the mine up in to the hills?" She was wondering, she supposed, if she should have brought one of the horses.

[Lyssoryl]

It was Lyssoryl's second day in Zinn'Sunn, and she always made it a point to explore a new place as soon as possible after arriving there. This habit was both to satisfy her rather high level of curiosity, and because she knew that she would feel more at home when things ceased to seem so strange.

She was sitting on a boulder at the side of the road having a light auxillary meal when she saw Viskiya and Telavis coming down the road. Her meal consisted of bread, cheese, and a mysterious variety of dried meat that she had purchased from a vendor who spoke primarily Kemite. She was not entirely sure what animal had donated its life to form his wares. The vendor had indicated that the animal was rather low to the ground but his rendition of its characteristic noise had baffled her.

Lyssoryl leaned forward and peered carefully at the approaching pair. They did not appear at first glance to be bandits. Neither had evil-looking beady eyes, nor did they feature prominant scars or large scary weapons. On the other hand, a clever bandit would disguise his or her true nature with low animal cunning. Lyssoryl calmly wrapped her meal and put it in her pack. She knew that she was difficult to catch in the underbrush, should it come to that.

"Serale!" She called out to them, interested to see their reaction to her before they came to grabbing distance. "It is a beautiful brightening, is it not? Just the sort of thing that a person such as myself, who is much too poor to interest even the most needy of bandits, can enjoy free of charge."

[Telavis]

As Viskiya was so obviously foreign, Telavis felt more natural not expecting her to know the proper customs, and therefore more tolerant. In addition, the two were technically outside the Zinn'Sunn city itself, so certain degree of indulgence must be allowed. He took her at her words that she was simply going to see the jade mine master. He casually relaxed his hand on his dagger, and finally he discretely moved the hand away. But, his eye brows rose when he heard that Viskiya had travelled to Zinn'Sunn all the way from Demios.

"Lady, you have come a very far way then!" Telavis exclaimed in surprise. "I can hardly imagine two points in the Empire that are farther apart than Zinn'Sunn and Demios!"

"The Jade Mine is no far away. Very much insignificant comparing to your journey. It's only passed the Tortoise District, around the bend of the city wall, and then an arrow shot to the northwest. It's very close. I am heading there to see if they had any marble laying about. It's inconsequential." Telavis waved with his hand as if clearing the air of hanging words.

"But, I would be much obliged if you could tell me of your travels across the Empire. The sights you must have seen!" Telavis spoke excitely, and temporarily forgetting about manners and etiquette. But, he was interrupted suddenly as a voice called out from seemingly no where.

"Serale?" Telavis responsed tentatively.

[Lyssoryl]

Lyssoryl was suddenly struck with the realization that she had seen the woman before. She searched her memory, and then it hit her- she had been present at Elmaryia wedding. She relaxed on her boulder; surely these were no bandits. Who would invite bandits to a wedding? They would cut into the cake early and very likely spit in the punch. Slavers were bad enough, but bandits? Never.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said to Telavis, hopping down from her boulder. "Do carry on. I merely meant to say good day in a friendly fashion, and perhaps to observe to the lady that I saw her at Elmaryia and Straylor Leonard's wedding, in case she should feel inclinded to be shocked at the apparent coziness of the empire."

Addressing Viskiya she said "I shall be impressed if you noticed me, I do not sick up far enough in crowds to be visible to any but the most determined Cether watchers, if such people exist."

[Badb]

In the distance coming along the road from the city was a large wooden wagon. It was being pulled by a pair of equally large and powerful-looking Mellan horses. The horses were a rich chestnut in color, though one had a wide blaze on its face, and the other only a star between its eyes. They were guided by what looked like an older Kemite man in a dark cloak.

The back of the flatbed wagon was covered with canvas stretched tight around the edges and securely tied. It gave no indication of what its contents might have been. The driver eyed the trio with mild curiosity as he approached, as if he wasn't entirely certain what they would be doing out here.

"Serale. Where might you lot be headed on such a fine winter's day?" he addressed them as the horses came abreast of those on foot.

[Lyssoryl]

"Serale," Lyssoryl returned with good cheer. "I can only speak for myself as I've just met this pair, but I'm new to the city and was just exploring the area. But now I've eaten my meal and I believe I shall be on my way. Nice meeting you all!"

With that, Lyssoryl shouldered her pack and began to head towards town.

oocBetween my assorted characters I have over 30 grandfathered threads, so I believe a bit of spring cleaning is in order. Have fun you guys!