[IC] When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

[Merule]

Without anything to do, Autharyx just waits patiently for Viltez to finish deciding. He feels... just a little nervous, though he can't really grap why. It wasn't like he's trying to win Viltez' favour, as humans had often tried to do with him. No, this was just an offer of convenience. They both needed to eat, didn't they?

A small smile spreads over his face when Viltez accepts the food, growing even wider when he expresses a desire to hunt together. He was eager to see more of the forest, and'practice with his tail' could only mean he would get to satisfy his curiosity some more. It still left the issue of how he was going to spend his day, but discovering the town some more would do.

"I think hunting together sounds like a great plan. The woods are different from my lake, but theft seem interesting enough in their own way. I'll go get my fruit. Do you eat it raw or do you want to do stuff with it again? " He asks over his shoulder as he heads of towards where he'd left his bag in the bedroom earlier.

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez's head snaps around with a wide smile when Aryx agrees to take him hunting. He resists the urge to bounce up and down like a puppy waiting for it's mater to throw a stick. 'I'm both excited and nervous. Hunters go in daily, but I think if we go deep enough we should be okay, and no one will be around to see my tail, I just hope I don't get in the way. I wonder what he hunts with, I don't think there are many weapons that would fit into that satchel of his. . .' “Raw is good. I've got a lot to do today and the sooner I get to it, the sooner I'll get done.” he says with a smile as Aryx moves off to where he left his bag.

Taking the opportunity to change he's just making sure his tail is wrapped when his guest comes back. He smiles lightly, doing his best to not blush as he holds up his shirt chest high to make sure it doesn't get in the way, and so that he can see the appendage properly. Once it's in place he hooks his tail in and drops his shirt down. After making sure it's in place he gratefully accepts the fruit offered him with a smile and begins eating.

His tongue darts out to lick his fingers, trying not to make too much of a mess as he eats the sticky mass. “I don't know if you have anything planned today, but if not you are more than welcome to follow me in my chores.” He shakes his head slightly. “Or if that's too boring, the town has a couple shops with stuff like the things you keep in you hair that you may like. The town is kinda small, and there's not much to do, but . . .” He doesn't really know what else to say about it. The town is small, there isn't much to do in it, but if he likes drinking at least he'd have something to do. The tavern has games and company, but for some reason Viltez doesn't see his guest as a tavern goer.

[Merule]

Autharyx isn't sure if he's supposed to watch as his host wraps his tail around his waist, but he can't really bring himself to deny his own curiosity. The sinuous movement of the appendage bring the night before to his mind when it had wrapped around his wrist and arm in a similar manner. Was the drag of soft fur as distracting to Viltez as it was to him, or was he used to it, as he was slowly getting used to his clothes still?

As breakfast starts, Autharyx finds that sharing boss food comes easier to him than expected. He even kind of likes seeing Viltez enjoying the offer, rather than feeling resentful for having to give something of his up. It's... novel in a not entirely unpleasant way and he keeps a thoughtful silence as he carefully eats the sticky fruit.

"I haven't seen all of the wastes yet, so I was thinking of going to the market stalls again, " he says after licking the last of the sticky juice from his fingers. "I wouldn't want to impose on your work time," he continues carefully, trying really hard not to convey that watching someone do work was only slightly lower on his list off things not to do than actually doing work himself.

"Perhaps we could set a time and place to meet again? "

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez thinks carefully as he eats. 'I'm glad he has something to amuse himself. I just hope he does not tire of this small town too quickly. What time do I think I will be done for the day. . .I don't have over much to do, but all of it will require the sun to be if not high, at least close to it. . .' His head tilts back and forth as he thinks, murmuring, “I hope you find something to your liking in our humble shops.” He smiles, honest in his convictions. When at last he munches down the last bite he picks the most likely time to be done in a safe margin of error. 'Even if it doesn't take me quite that long, at lease Aryx will not have to wait'

Sitting up he continues trying to clean his fingers for a while before shrugging and deciding to just rinse them off in the wash water when he dumps it in a few minutes. “I should be done no later than four hours after mid day, a lot of my work falling during the pre to mid day hours.” He smiles softly. “I kind of try and fill my days with stuff to do so I can keep busy and have some extra cash for when I don't have as much work.” 'Not to mention my secret little stash for a possible trip one day. I've never really made any specific plans, but it never hurts to be prepared' With a little nod he stands. “I should get going now, please close the door behind you when you go. We can meet here because it's on the way to the forest from town after all.”

With a little wave he heads outside, wandering over to the wash basin and after rinsing his fingers he dumps it out in the grass several yards from his home. Setting it near the pump he rinses off his hands and rubs down his face to get the last bits of stickiness off it. Looking to the town, the morning is in full swing now, and after a quick check to make sure everything is still in place, he marches off at a brusk pace towards the hustle and bustle.

The hours pass relatively quickly as first he runs some errands for Old Mr. Jukerman, the large bags of feed for his chickens too much for his aged frame. After that he gets rather filthy changing out a wagon wheel for a trader passing through town who didn't want to pay full price for the work. An hour before mid day Viltez makes his way over to the house of a young woman who has more than once offered to become more acquainted with the half beast man, and indeed many of the times she hires him it is for work that would either be more suited for someone more skilled, or for something she obviously messed up herself and just wanted an excuse to get Viltez to come over.

This is the case as once again the fence to her small animal pens appear damaged inexplicably, the breaks looking suspiciously like they were made by an ax. Viltez however does not judge her actions and instead, after running to town for supplies, returns and begins work immediately. After about an hour she comes out with refreshments, He accepts a cup of cool liquid but is careful to shift away from her to keep her hands off of him, all the while making it look nothing like he's trying to avoid her. “Thank you Miss. Ellen. Very refreshing.” He says with one of his award winning smiles. But just as she's about to move in close once more he hands her back her cup and drops down back to his work. She walks off with a sigh and once she is out of ear shot, he too lets out a long sigh. 'Gotta watch out for her. If anyone's gonna find out about my tail in this town, she is, with those hands of hers. . . .'

[Merule]

Since he has very little to call his own, it doesn't take Autharyx long to get his stuff together so he can head out. He makes sure the room is tidy before going out of the front door and closing it, per Viltez' request. The sky is clear as he heads for the town, and he makes sure to enjoy the sun on his skin as he walks. This day should be a bit more interesting than a long hike through the forest, even though he has small expectations of what the town will have to offer. After all, he would get to go hunting with Viltez!

As he walks he muses on how that will go. Humans seem so. .. frail, and even though Viltez at least has his tail, he'd said that he never really made use of it. How sad it must be to be fully human, with their blunt teeth and no claws to speak of. Of course they have their instruments, making them more successful that many a real predator, but it's kind of like cheating if you cant catch anything on your own merit. No, much better to be a majestic dragon, swift and-

Autharyx suddenly freezes, standing dumbly in the middle of the road. He is going to hunt. With Viltez. When he'd offered to catch some meat, he'd planned to impress the other, but he hadn't spent a thought as to exactly how he was going to manage to catch anything with his stubby fingers, fangless mouth and flightless body. He couldn't well back out now, at least not without losing face. He just had to think of something.

A thoughtful frown comes over his face as he starts walking again. He is at least somewhat familiar with the weapons humans use, like the bow and arrow. He'd never paid too much attention to the specifics, but if humans can use them, how hard can it really be? You just... point the little stick at the prey and let go off the rope. He has the entire morning to practice, if he can buy one in the town. Yes, if even human younglings can do it, of course a dragon like himself will be able to figure it out. Mind made up, he walks in with a spring in his step. He has an entire afternoon with Viltez to look forward to, and he wasn't going to be brought low just because humans are such pitiful hunters.

At the markets he makes sure to keep a lower profile than he had yesterday, though he can still feel several pairs of eyes on his back as he goes about his business. He even manages to ignore the peddlers offering various shiny trinkets as he looks for a bow. What he eventually finds isn't quite up to his standards, but the bow a travelling merchant is willing to trade for a handful of pearls seems serviceable enough, if not terribly beautiful. He casts a last eye on some jewellery laid out on a stall, before finally tearing himself away to make his way back to Viltez' house.

The whole endeavour took a couple of hours, which should give him at least several more to practice before Viltez will be returning as well. He sets a small stump up as a target some distance from the house, before stringing the bow as the merchant had shown him. The human had looked incredulous at his purchase, but Autharyx had decided not to bother taking offence. He knows what his capabilities are, and that's good enough for him. wroth a little smirk he knocks the arrow on his second try, before pointing it at his target and letting it fly.

Archery, he had to admit after two hours of non-stop practice, is not quite as easy as it looks. No matter how well he points the arrow, whether it actually hits still seems more up to chance than anything else. After a couple of misses he found that he had to focus on keeping the winds around him flare up in irritation, as he had already lost an arrow when a sudden gust of wind had thrown it on the roof. His temper was steadily declining as time went on, but even then he was making slow, but noticeable progress. Perhaps if they encountered a exceptionally lazy deer?

Another arrow burrows itself into the grass and Autharyx heaves a sigh before trotting over to pick up what he had shot away. Perhaps he should have gone with Viltez after all, as any job he could do had to be better than this. ..

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez manages to once more finish a job for the lovely woman without her laying hands on him, and bowing low after receiving his payment the young half breed walks swiftly away as if he has something he needs to do. This is not entirely inaccurate, he does still have one thing left to do before heading home, but he does feel a little bad about practically running away from the lady. After all, her advances are flattering, however Viltez is simply too cowardly to try and get too close to anyone. Well, anyone who lives in town at least. Aryx will be leaving town, and he seems trustworthy. The fascination and near admiration the male has for his fifth appendage makes the young man sure that Aryx would never do anything to put him in danger.

However, that little part of his mind, the one that always worries, begins poking at Viltez's fear, prodding him into thinking more and more about what would happen if anybody found out about him. 'Mister Aryx is alone in town. If he should slip up. . . But, no he wouldn't. He's smarter than that. But really, what do I know about him? Why do I trust him so much. Why am I willing to. . .But what could I even do? I'm not the kind of person to threaten over something like this, and ancients know I could never harm him. . . .' A small whimper in the back of his throat draws the attention of a few woman standing outside a shop and Viltez jumps, his paranoia flashing through his mind the possibility that they know about him.

After a few minutes he makes his way to the parts store and pick up the thing he needs to deliver, the last job of his day, and has it paid towards the credit of the one he's to deliver it to. He manages to hide his panic as he makes the delivery on his way home, the lack of people staring or pointing at him relaxing him ever so slightly, and by the time he house comes into view he manages to begin breathing normally. His brows to furrow however when he feels several changes in breeze and he pauses to looking around. 'That's odd. I wonder what's up with the weather. I hope it's not a sign of one of those spiraling winds I've heard about from travelers. We've never had them here, but I don't suppose that means it's impossible for them to strike here'

With a shrug he makes his way closer to his house until he catches movement some distance away. Sliding up to his shack he peeks around the corner, something making him want to check out the situation before butting in. He smiles a little as he realizes that his guest is practicing with a bow. 'Wow, that's a hard weapon to wield according to the men in town. I know a lot of hunters use them, but I've always admired that skill. . .' As he watches he notices that Aryx isn't as good as a lot of hunters he's seen before, but the fact that he's hitting the target, and old stump, at all is enough to have him in awe.

After several minutes of just watching Viltez's faith is renewed and he once again completely believes in the man before him. He also starts to feel a little bad about watching him without announcing himself. Stepping out with a light cough he waves in greeting, a shy look on his face. “Sorry, I've been watching you. I think it's amazing that you can use that thing. I've never had a talent for it, and I'm sure all the arrows would go wide on me, heh.” Rubbing the back of his neck he looks away, still a bit ashamed of watching him without permission. His brows furrow a bit as he spots an arrow on the roof, but he shrugs it off and looks back to his guest. “Would you like. . . .to head out now?” He smiles warmly and gestures towards the woods.

[Merule]

By the time the afternoon comes around, he at least manages to hit the stump more often than he misses it. Still, it will not be nearly enough to hit anything that was actively trying to get away from him. With this setback he has to have an exceptional stroke of luck or he's simply going to embarrass himself in front of his host. The thought of doing so is more... troubling than he might have imagined. After all, what does it matter how good he is with the bow and arrow when he knows he can alter the course of the wind at a whim or strike the greatest of beasts down with tooth and claw? The opinion of one mortal shouldn't matter. It is illogical of him to want to impress Viltez, especially since this form of his is inferior in every aspect to his true form.

'He might be an interesting mortal, but a mortal nonetheless,' he thinks to himself as he cocks another arrow. 'I owe him some small amount of respect since he is my host, but I needn't care what he thinks of anything except for the tribute I offer in return.' He smiles in satisfaction when the arrow strikes true and reaches for another one. 'And any opinion he might have about me is flawed in the first place. If he knew what I truly was like, he would have no choice but to be impressed.' It's not that hard to imagine what Viltez might look like should he ever see his true form. A mix of respect and just the right amount of fear as he reveals himself- perhaps in his cave surrounded by his treasures. The expression of joy that would surely follow once he got a chance to show off his flying tricks, the questions he would-

Someone suddenly coughs and Autharyx lets out a completely undignified yelp as the arrow he was aiming flies wide of his target. He turns around with a jerk, ckeeks burning slightly with what he refuses to acknowledge as shame.

"Ah, Viltez," he says calmly, brushing a non-existent spot of dust of his sleeve with the air of a startled cat pretending he was calm all along. "I was just, er, practising. Brushing up, really." He doesn't miss the glance to the arrow stuck on the roof, and he has to mentally clamp down on the blood vessels in his face to keep a blush from spreading. At least Viltez had complemented his shooting, but that is a meagre consolation when faced with the truth.

"Heading out sounds good," he says quickly, before scurrying away to pick up the arrows he'd shot away. It doesn't take long and he gestures for Viltez to lead the way.

"Was your day agreeable thus far?"

[PopeAlessandros]

Suppressing a chuckle at the obviously very undignified sound made by the male only moments ago, Viltez chastises himself once more for watching him like that. 'If I had called from afar, I would not have startled him so, and he would not have shot so far off the mark. I have heard many a hunter curse at losing their arrows, and. . .Maybe he will not want me to come with now. Now that I've already disturbed a shot. That really was very rude of me. . .I hope he doesn't want me to stay home after that, I really did not meant to startle him. . . .'

His fretting continues even as his guest greets him, stating the obvious while brushing off his near immaculate clothing. He chews his lip, not being able to meet his eyes for several seconds, until at last Aryx makes a statement obviously inviting Viltez to sill accompany him on his hunt. A rush of relief cascades through him and he offers a wide smile, his eyes barely noticing the flush on the man's cheeks and he merrily moves forwards towards the wood. His eyes do however follow him when he runs off and retrieves his arrow.

'I am glad he was able to find it so quickly and easily. I was afraid it may have been lost, then I would owe him a new one, no matter what he would have to say about it' As they slowly approach the forest, the sun still high, but definitely pass the high point, the beast man tilts his head to the side, thinking of how to answer the man's question. 'Well, it was not a bad day, however neither was it by any measure better than any other. It was a day, like so many others, passed in a mix of trepidation and contentment, light up points when I completed a task, and relative low points when I was left to think to myself for too long. . .'

Deciding that his life holds no real interest in it, at least not something that may intrigue his guest from another land, he decides on a simple narrative. “Nothing too disagreeable happened, though it was by far not the most agreeable day I've ever had. It was an average in my life, a morning of hard labor, a mid day of errands and odd jobs. I suppose one could call a lack of incident agreeable, though I am not sure how you would judge near misses.” His mind falls back to the lady, and then to his later fears and pondering, falling silent as he thinks. They enter the wood moments later, the sun being almost instantly blocked out by the very thick foliage high above. There are many smaller trees, and on some of the giant trees there are branches leading all the way to the top, but for the most part the trees surrounding the path only have branches high above the heads of any traveler seeking to pass beneath their boughs.

[Merule]

It does Autharys well to see that Viltez thinks carefully before answering. So many humans seem to live in a rushed manner, throwing words around with nary a thought. It makes sense, of course, seeing how brief their lives are, but it seems some mortals at least thinks things through. He's a little curious about the 'near misses', but since Viltez doesn't seem to want to talk about it, he doesn't ask. He had more pressing matters to consider anyway...

Like how he was going to get out of hunting. Sure, he liked the idea at first, but it's not going to be any fun if he isn't actually good at it. Not only will he have to hit something with his stupid bow, he'll also need to find something to shoot and somehow keep it from noticing him long enough to actually shoot at it. No, much better to waste enough time 'by accident' that they need to head back to the village empty-handed. It can't be that hard to drag out the practicing of the tail, can it? He won't have to pretend to be interested, at least, and there must be a plethora of ways one could test and practice the amount of control Viltez had over the appendage. If that wasn't enough he would just have to get his host talking, and the afternoon would be over in no time!

With that choice made, Autharyx was free to enjoy the forest with a spring in his step. The pattern of dappled sunlight lends a certain dream-like quality to the forest around them, casting strange and beautiful shadows over the scattered undergrowth. The most defining feature, of course, are the trees- thick straight trunks towering high above them in all directions. It had given him a sense of being trapped the first time he'd entered a forest, but he had soon dismissed it as a silly notion. He spent a large portion of his time in a cave, after all. No, what the forests are, is different. Different from his lake, different from his rivers and especially different from the sky he frequents. Different is not bad though, in fact the whole idea of this mortal venture of his is to experience something different for a change.

The two of them walk side by side for a while, each engrossed in their own thoughts. When they can't see the edge of the forest any more, Autharyx turns to Viltez with a smile.

"We must be reasonably out of anyone's way by now, no? What do you say you let out your tail for a bit? See what kinds of tricks you can manage? Besides, one shouldn't stay restrained all the time if it isn't necessary."

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez watches the small internal exchange of the other. 'I wonder if he realizes how obvious he is about somethings. At first he looked concerned, then like he had a sudden idea, and now he looks positively giddy!' He chuckles softly at the sight of his guest practically skipping along the shaded path. As they pass further and further into the forest, the sunlight has less and less chance to peek through the leaves growing thickly overhead. The sun above is bright enough the set the canopy alight with green light, however at only two hundred yards in only in vary distant patches here an there does the sun actually manage to kiss the forest floor.

Each patch of light lands upon the only wildflowers growing in the forest save for the ones that grow on trees, bushes, and tree bark, the flowers growing thick in patches of grass. A few times Viltez has come to the forest, seeking out these patches for the rare flowers growing in them. The man running the apothecary in town is no longer as young and as fit as he use to be, and he tired of sending his daughter who would take hours upon hours even if he said he needed them quickly. As such, the young beast man has become familiar with what these flowers do, his curious nature leading him to ask about them with each job he takes for the old man.

As his eyes seek out one of these patches, wondering if Aryx would be curious to learn about the rare flowers, his attention is drawn back to his guest and he can feel his heart skipping a beat. He manages to offer a wary smile of his own, his head swiveling around to look behind, then off into the woods. He chews his lip, worry evident on his face, however after a few calming breaths he feels his tail relaxing. He coughs out a light laugh. “I'm not sure about tricks, but I can at least let it out to play. . .I'm sure it will be delighted.”

As it slides slowly from around his waist Viltez realizes that the way he thinks about a part of his body must sound rather odd, seeing as people tend to have complete control over their bodies for the most part. 'I mean, I don't think about blinking or breathing, but I do it, and when something approaches my face, I flinch. That's almost the same as my tail isn't it? I don't think about it, so it just acts naturally. . . .' He lets out a long sigh, wondering what he should try doing with it. It curves up, the blade swaying back and forth, like a bird looking around, before seeming to slither through the air towards Aryx. He tries to stop it but it does not listen, coiling around the man's arm once more. He lets out a sigh. “Sorry. . . But see what I mean? How can I do tricks with t when I can't even keep it from wandering off like this. . . .” He lets out a defeated sigh. Normally Viltez has more confidence, but as the subject is the control of his tail, he's easily disappointed in himself.

[Merule]

Autharyx watches the play of emotions on his host's face, happy to see that he seems to feel secure enough to 'let it out to play'. It is still rather strange to hear him speak about the appendage as if it has a mind of its own, but he doesn't say anything about it. He's pretty sure Viltez indulges him where he does not know human customs well enough, so the last thing he can do is let the half-breed act however he please in regards to his own body.

Though when the tail slipped around his arms once more, the stricken expression on Viltez' face made him wonder if it didn't have a mind of its own after all. His host obviously did not like what it was doing, so it must act on some other impulse altogether.

"You do not wish to touch me then- or rather, for it to touch me?" Autharyx inquired quiriously. He debated taking the opportunity to run his fingers through the soft fur again, but based on that had gone the last time he tried, he decided against it.

"Perhaps it is some sort of instinct?" he ventured, though he couldn't for the life of him think of what purpose this behaviour could serve. "Perhaps it sees me as a... threat or something and in this way the blade is close enough to do some damage?" It didn't feel like a threat, but what else could it be?

"Maybe if I..." rather than welcoming the touch as he had done before, this time he carefully tried to pull his arm away, just to see what would happen.

[PopeAlessandros]

“It's not that I'm against it touching you, if you don't mind it, however it's the fact that I wasn't thinking anything like that and it just went and did it. . .” Viltez mumbles dejectedly as he watches it coil happily around his guest's arm. He huffs lightly, unsure of what to do. Then Aryx tries to move away and his tail responds oddly. Is eyes go wide as the red furry appendage instantly uncoils, only to dart forward and wrap around behind the taller man, pulling him closer.

'Oh, my, I didn't expect anything like this, is he mad? I mean, I can't' He ducks his head and almost violently forces his wayward tail to snap away from the man, taking several steps backwards to take him out of range. His head remains down, his arms clasped tightly over his middle. “I am so sorry, I don't, I couldn't. . .I didn't mean for it to do that. I would never. . .I don't know how to say this without sounding insulting, but I would never try to take such liberties. . .” When his tail had pulled the other male in there had been barely an inch between them, the distance making the usually distant man very uncomfortable despite the lack of anything actually happening.

“I'm not use to having anyone that close, and it, shocked me a bit. Forgive me. . .” He glares down at his tail, watching it thrash some nearby ferns, slicing through the tick stems with each snap. “I think. . . I think it may be doing it because. . . I've never had anyone around like you, and it's feeding off how lonely that little part of me is. . .” He tilts his head up, smiling weakly. “I'm happy, living around the people I grew up with, helping my fellow towns people, making them smile. . .” His head falls again. “But as you have said yourself, one shouldn't be restrained all the time. . .I think, it's just being selfish. . .” He swallows hard, praying for something to happen to defuse the tension even as his tail falls still, laying limp against the ground.

[Merule]

When the tail suddenly snaps around him to pull him close, Autharyxs can only freeze. Had he been in his proper body, such an act would have been... ill-advised no matter how fond he might have been of the other, but in this frail human body he simply hasn't developed the appropriate reflexes yet. Before he can even think to react, Viltez flinches and retreats as if the proximity burned him. Autharyx might not approve of the contact, but the violent way in which VIltez flinches away is slightly insulting. If he had hackles, they would be up in indignation. In his human form, however, he just raises his chin ever-so-slightly as he tries to regain the balance in their interaction.

"Good to know you at least try not to sound insulting I guess," he mutters. It's not that he even wants to touch the other man or anything, but couldn't he at least pretend the very idea of it wasn't completely distasteful. He doesn't quite get the meaning of 'liberties' in this context, but 'insulting' tells him pretty much all he needs to know. Do humans enjoy insulting people in general, or was it just once-formidable dragons they enjoy insulting?

"Well, I'm sorry your tail is so lonely it forced you to telerate my proximity, but rest assured that I won't just up and leave. I enjoy your company, and as long as your permit me, I enjoy your hospitality as well. You don't have to fear that I won't be able to properly repay you, either." Autharyx realises he sounds kind of petulant, so he figures it is a good time to change the subject.

"But anyway, we wanted to test your reflexes, right? I could throw pinecones and we can see how many you can hit?"

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez flinches back away from Aryx as he spits out his first response. He does not even hear anything after that, his pent up panic and life long near obsession with keeping people happy slams into his mind, deafening him to all else but the rush of blood in his head. 'I knew it, I was being foolish, I should never had brought it out, I should have known better, all it does is bring me trouble. . .I hate being me! He can feel his innards crushing around the pain, the unknown, indescribable feeling of having done something so stupid, and willingly at that, all forcing him to curl in around himself.

As he curls his tail comes around to mimic the action, but as soon as he feels the brush of the fur on his arms his eyes snap open and he snarls. This noise, the bestial sound, is not something he has ever heard before, however he ignores it as his hand snaps out to knock the appendage away. Somewhere, deep inside, he knows he's overreacting, however he has not survived this long by ignoring his instincts to hide, these instincts that are currently tearing him apart inside.

The tail falls limp and like a shot he races off into the forest. He does not go far, his good hosting instincts keeping him from laving his guest completely alone in an unknown place, however he does go just out of sight before collapsing against a tree. He crouches down, hugging his knees, watching his tail twitch limply like a scared dog unsure whether or not it wants to comfort it's master, or it if would do better staying away. 'I am so stupid! Even with all the skills I pretend to have around the villagers, all this peace I've enjoyed over the years, I break my one cardinal rule, twice, just twice! And both times, it ruins everything. . .'

He can not understand why he is acting like this. Normally he is more collected, calmer, more able to deal with such things. He can not see the invisible threads of magic normally around him, those little tiny bits that still connect him to nature. He can not see the change they have made around the stranger, how the immense connective magic around the dragon turned human has thrown his waning connection all out of sorts. He can not know these thing, so he does not even think to blame Aryx for the changes in his emotions, in his ability to control himself. As his head falls to his knees, hiding his face from the world, he feels he can only blame himself for all the troubles he's feeling.

[Merule]

Autharyx falters when a stricken expression appears on VIltez' face.

"Er," he says, earlier annoyance draining away, "unless you don't-"

Before he can bring out another word, the half-breed snarls viciously before darting off into the forest. Autharyx surprises himself by don't feeling aggravated by the potential challenge, but rather... guilty? His host might have snarled, but nothing about him actually radiated challenge or even aggression. If anything, he seemed... frightened? Now normally Autharyx could deal with frightened, but this time he hadn't actually done anything to evoke that response. Not that he usually had to try very hard to instill fear in mortals, but this time he'd... He'd actually tried to make the other like him instead.

''tried and failed,' he reminds himself helpfully. Without thinking he is already following the trail Viltez had left as he trampled through the forest. Autharyx is no tracker, but this is hard to miss. And even if it hadn't been, he can still feel it in the air. He hadn't noticed it earlier in the city. but this place had been... neglected for a long time. Or if not neglected, at least left behind. There is power in the forest, in the air and everywhere around him. Only it isn't like the power that had infused his own territory, power that had bound him to the place so seamlessly that sometimes it was hard to sense where his territory ended and he began. The power here is.. disconnected. It isn't tied to the world as tightly as it would have been with a guardian to anchor it, but instead it had settled on the world almost like a thick layer of dust. Humans and animals were not nearly enough to stir it up, but as his own power reached out to sense the world around him, he could feel it surge and rise in response. The magic that had laid dormant in the woods was waking up, and to Autharyx it felt like a metaphorical face full of dust.

But he has no time for that now. He pushes the tingling at the edge of his senses to the back of his mind and sets off to find Viltez. He's feeling... something. There is some anger there, but it seemi to be run through with worry. Even though he knows he had no fault in this whatsoever, he can't get the look on Viltez' face when Autharyx had snapped at him out of his mind. What right does the mortal have making him feel... things about a perfectly reasonable response? It was his fault anyway, for... for... not wanting to touch him? Why does that bother him in the first place? He certainly never wanted to touch silly mortal humans before. Or ever. It's not about touching anyway. It's about respect. Surely Autharyx is owed some respect?

He frowns at his train of thought, and deliberately cuts it off. It doesn't matter anyway. He just needs to find Viltez and things will turn out alright.

"Viltez?" he says out loud when the trail seems to come to an end. "Are you there? I... I apologise if I caused you distress," he eventually brings out, with only a hint of reluctance. Logically he shouldn't give a second thought to how a mortal might feel, but he still feels affected. It's probably the magic in the air setting him off-balance. Yes, that must be it.

[PopeAlessandros]

The halfbreed's head remains bowed even as he stiffens, the sound of someone approaching putting him even more on edge than before. 'I can't, I can't face him now. Please, please, just let me sit for a while, let me think. I need to. . . I need some time to fix this. This torrent inside, I don't understand it, and I don't know how to explain it. Oh, please, just let me be. I am not someone you want to be around. Find someone better, find someone more worth your time. . .Someone whose body does not betray him at every turn. . .' A part of Viltez knows better. The man, while seemingly ignorant about many things, seems more than willing to go out of his way to break through his confusion to learn the answers he seeks, and if he is following Viltez, the question is obvious.

When the footfalls stop, the sound of the stranger's voice calling out to him, Viltez lets out a long sigh. The feelings around him, tickling his skin, pressing against him, force him to respond, his tense body suddenly falling slack. “I am here, mister Aryx. . .” He remains curled however his face tucked away in his knees, his tail coming to settle in a half circle around his feet. He speaks just loud enough to be heard, putting no real thought behind his words, instead speaking naturally, from a place he does not recognize.

“I really did not mean to insult you, and I am not upset at you, but at my tail. I do not know your customs, but I will tell you now that the kind of affection my tail was showing you, the feelings behind it I could sense, touching you like that without asking is inappropriate. I recognize it's action, like those of the woman in town who wish to take to my bed, and despite what my tail thinks of how I feel, I would never. . .” His head spirals with the folly of his words, however he quickly presses on. “I do not know what I am saying any more other than, if a woman were to touch me that way, it would be considered highly inappropriate and taking liberties with my personal space that would upset me greatly. . .”

He at last manages to draw his head up, but only enough to look in the dragon turned human's general direction. “It is not that I was insulted by it touching you, it was my fear that I insulted you. My tail fully intended to draw you full against me if that's what it took to keep you from moving away, and that is beyond impolite. It is my shame that I could not even control it's idle whims that angered me so mister Aryx, nothing you did. . .” As he falls silent he head drops once more to his knees, his tail trying once more to wrap in close. This time Viltez accepts the comfort of the touch and just squeezes his eyes tightly closed, trying to block out all the world around him. The energy in the air still plays cruelly with his body, however he still can not understand the new odd sensations.

[Merule]

A weight he didn't quite acknowledge falls off his shoulders the moment Viltez answers. He still doesn't sound completely fine though, so Autharyx walk towards the source of the voice with caution, not willing to startle his host again. When he walks around a tree, he spots the dejected pile of limbs that is Viltez, tail lying limp on the forest floor. It is disheartening to see the man like that, and even more so to imagine that it is his own actions that put him in that state.

He shuffles his weight from foot to foot as the half-breed speaks, trying to make sense of what he is saying. He's talking about his tail like it has a mind of his own again, and it wants to... mate with him? He's not sure what's prompted it to think of him as a female, but at least it did not seem to be something he had done, so that was... good, he supposed? Honestly he wasn't sure what to think any more, as he could think of a lot worse things Viltez could have done that touch him with his tail. At least he hadn't accused him of being a thief, like the stall-human had, and neither had he shown him any discourtesy when Autharyx was unfamiliar with the human customs.

As his host kept talking, Autharyx found himself distracted by the hum of power in the air. The magic that was reacting to him, also seemed to be attracted to Viltez, dancing and buzzing around the half-breed in a way that would drive the dragon mad, had he been in his place. At least he'd used to letting energy ground itself to forge a connection with the surroundings. Viltez, on the other hand, seems consciously unaware of what is happening around him, causing the magic to surge in a chaotic manner. Well, that simply won't do, Autharyx decided as Viltez curls in on himself even further. He slowly steps closer to his host, squatting down once he reaches him.

"Thank you for explaining this to me," he said, feeling how the magic surged up slightly in response to his proximity. "I feared it was something I did. Rest assured that I do not take offence, though I would appreciate if you'd give a warning next time." He's not paying too much attention to what he's saying, but rather on bringing his hand up to Viltez' slumped form. He can feel the power at his fingertips- Viltez seemed to exert quite an influence- but he could not anchor it without touching the other man. Given what had happened when Viltez had touched him, Autharyx highly doubted that any touch would be welcomed at the moment, but neither did he wish for the other to suffer any more. Faced with a choice between attempting to explain, or fix things and hope for the best, Autharyx went for the one that did not have to involve a discussion about how a mere mortal could have any knowledge of or influence over the powers that made up the world.

"Besides, controlling these 'idle whims' as you call them is the very reason we are here in the first place, so if you would excuse me..." He brings his hand to rest on the side of Viltez' neck, thumb in the hollow behind his ear as his fingers curl around the back. The touch finally provides a conduit for the energies swirling around Viltez to ground themselves, and Autharyx sucks in a small breath as the magic uses him to establish a stable connection between the half-breed and the forest around them. For a moment there is a brilliant spark of connection between them, but then Autharyx pulls his hand away and the air is still again. From what he can tell, the buzzing should have stopped, but he still cautiously looks over at Viltez as he takes a reluctant step back out of his space.

"How are you feeling?"

[PopeAlessandros]

His body tenses. 'He's coming closer. Why is he coming closer. Why. . . .Why is it making my body light up like this? It's like a bunch of ants crawling across my flesh, scraping and nipping. It doesn't hurt, just. . .He should go, I was rude, why does he stay? I am a bad host, he can find his way out. . .Perhaps I should just lead him out, take him to the inn. There he would not have to worry ab-' His thoughts are cut short as he feels the man stop beside him, the sound of his body shifting indicating he has come even closer, perhaps even come down to his level by the sound of breathing so close beside him. His flesh jumps slightly as Aryx begins talking, his head tilting ever so slightly to listen better. Even as his skin crawls, he can not deny the man the courtesy of paying attention when he speaks.

'He has been so tolerant of me, I can at least show him the respect all humans deserve. . .' Even as it seems he has been forgiven, the stranger ask for warning, warning against these things, these responses, Viltez can neither control nor explain. His tongue is like molten steel in his mouth, sliding this way and that but unwilling to form around words. 'What's wrong with me. . . .' He suppresses a whine, not wanting to interrupt his guest. After bringing up a very good point, one the halfbreed can not appreciate in his current state, the man asks to be excused, and on impule Viltez prepares to look up, to ask what he is to be excusing, however an instant later he feels fingers on his nect and a sharp shock runs through his system.

A harsh gasp takes the place of words, spilling from the man's lips at the sudden feeling racing through his body. After a moment his head snaps back, a green light sparking in his eyes, though he does not notice it, and all at once, he feels much more himself. 'What did? How? I suddenly don't. . .It's like. . .What?' His head slowly turns, his eyes finding his guest. His expression is unreadable beyond curiosity, however with his mind back in place, Viltez feels no urge to question what just happened. 'Whatever just happened, I feel better, and if he wants to talk about it, he will, and if not. . .All I can do is be grateful' His tail twitches, catching the halfbreed's attention, then almost like it really is a dog the young man pats it softly near the tip and just like that, it's back to it's normal wriggling self.

Climbing carefully to his feet Viltez brushes himself off and casts a smile at Aryx. “Thank you.” He says simply before pointing back the way they came. “Perhaps we should get back on the trail before we forget which way it is, or get carried off by forest spirits or something like that.” He chuckles softly at the idea of forest spirits, a creation of bedtime stories and nothing else as far as he knows, and with a new spring in his step he leads the way back to the path. 'Whatever he did, I feel much better. Perhaps it was something like those medicine men I have heard of, healing people through touching particular place on their bodies, releasing energy or whatever. However, I heard they use needles mostly. . .Perhaps some do not require them. . .Ah well, nothing for it now, I should just enjoy the lack of nerves' He smiles warmly at the thought and does just that.

[Merule]

Autharyx' eyes remain glued to Viltez as he slowly stands up and brushes himself off. As far as he can see, what he did seemed to have worked. Gone is the nervous jittery Viltez, and back is smiley, confident Viltez. Autharys approved of the transition. Did this mean the energy is grounded properly again? Is it gone or is it now flowing into the beast-man as it should, strengthening him and providing him with a more intimate connection to what Autharyx had come to think of as his territory? Maybehe should just-

Autharyx catches himself with a start before he can reach out to touch his host again. Where had that come from? He didn't actually need to touch him again, it was obvious he was much better. Hell, he's still debating whether he should have touched him without explanation to begin with. There is no logical reason for him to want to lay his hand on Viltez again. So he doesn't want to. Obviously.

He quickly puts the matter out of his mind in time to return the smile Viltez aims at him. See, everything as it should be, he assures himself, just in time to be caught of guard by a fierce surge of possesive jealousy when Viltez jokingly mentions being carried away by spirits. Luckily his host seems to have turned away just in time to miss the scowl drifting over Autharyx' face, followed by an expression of slightly baffled embarrassment. Viktez is his host, he doesn't even live in his territory. He doesn't have any kind of claim on him, and neither does he want one, he assures himself.

It probably has somehing to do with that brief moment of connection he'd accidentally forged, Autharyx muses as he follows the beast-man. Yes, that would make sense. Besides, he doesn't even believe in spirits from the sound of it, and it doesn't feel like there are any in this place. And if there were, none would try to take something away from a dragon as impressive as he is. Not that Viltez is his, but, you know, in a general sense of taking some random thing away from him.

"Back to the trail it is,"he says in order to distract himself from his thoughts. "The offer of pinecone-throwing still stands, if you want to train? I can stand out of reachif you think it will help?"

[PopeAlessandros]

The halfbreed smiles softly, feeling calm and relaxed now, somehow more at peace than usual. They come to a little bit of a thick patch of bushes as he hears Aryx ask a question and he is forced to slow, bringing his tail within range of the taller male. He can not help flushing slightly as it goes back to it's old antics of touching Aryx, however he does not feel frightened any more by the actions. As it settles on to the man's shoulder gently he says with a smile. “Well, if you don't mind it, then it's up to you where you stand.” Getting through the bushes Viltez smiles over his shoulder. “And maybe stationary targets for now. Maybe, lining pine cones on a log, and then later if it looks like I'm getting better we can. . .”

His voice trails off as a sudden thought overtakes him. Stepping out on to the path he turns, his tail sliding down to poke at the ground as his head tilts to the side. “Actually, if we want to have any success hunting, shouldn't we start on that? I can practice with my tail any time, maybe even on the way home, but we want good light for hunting, no?” He shuffles his feet, looking between Aryx and the ground in case he takes offense to being told common sense about hunting. “I mean, I wasted so much time with that fit, we could always wait on me. . .” He gives the man a lopsided smile and waits for a reply. He knows he acting a little different that usual, however he can not help the slightly giddy feeling that causes him to act a bit younger than his actual age. 'I like this feeling. Maybe he could teach me whatever he did and if I get stressed in the future I can fix it myself. .. That is, if he wants to. . .If he even wants to talk about it. . .' He exhales softly, head tilting to the other side as he waits.