Carantathraiel

Wanderers

"He didn't get that when he was involved the first time. I think being allowed the freedom of choice here will do more good. And It might be good for him to see first hand the horrors that war and blood magic can do. We put him in front of those exploding dolls, he may never touch the topic again."
Ruli wondered if this was really appropriate dinner talk as he bit into a mollusk.

As Kire asked about him, he looked up again, taking a drink as he thought it over. "Oddly enough, if this was something Risa was dragging us into, I'd be digging my heels in. But I don't mind. Not that I had much of a choice, literally being portal-dropped into the middle of a Gemini battlefield, mind you." Ruli smirked back at her. "Then Elva was beside herself over Ed and you weren't in any condition to be helpful, so again, no choice but to go back. Really, I think my hands are tied, at this point."

Wanderers

Ruli, too, wondered what the coincidence of the visions she had meant. That she knew things, like that he could bake, and knew the house, even without knowing its significance. A side effect of some power she had? He wasn't sure. Though he had heard of people having a sort or fortune telling gifts.

"These were a big reason Ysaryn voted for this place, but when we later found Úvano, she decided it was good enough. Though she hasn't found any in equivalent size." Ruli shrugged, digging into his own, popping a shrimp in his mouth as well. "Do you know that Envy's allowed it?" Ruli asked. "Not sure if it was mentioned to you. There are conditions, one of which is taken care of already. But Envy's given his okay." Ruli's eyes wandered over Kire and her expression. "Its still Gavin's choice." He offered, same as he told Envy.

Wanderers

He lowered his drink, raising his eyebrow again. "So." He began, thinking. "The cake thing, in your strange visions. That probably works out well for you, if you've got a sweet tooth." He spun his glass on the table, feeling the low vibrations on the worn wood. "The place with the blue door I've mentioned before. It was where I lived in Ziad. You wandered past it when you were exploring." He'd meant to ask Envy his thoughts on these visions, but since Kire admitted Envy had spoken to her, he'd been cautious about mentioning anything strictly related to Kire.

"When you, oh." Ruli leaned back suddenly as the woman returned with their dinner. It was a set of four fried mollusks, each the size of their palm, and nestled in a bed of rice, fried vegetables, and small shrimp. With another thanks, Ruli leaned over his to cut into one of the mollusks. "When you get your throne back, what next?" Ruli asked. "Would you still have reasons to visit us?"

Wanderers

Easing back in his chair, his back still tender, Ruli rest one arm on the table, the other on his lap. "I don't know what it is, but I've eaten here a few times, and I've never been disappointed." He explained, his eyes wandering the tavern. It was unkempt, the tables worn and one or two repaired from breaks. Ruli guessed brawls were behind it. Despite the current patrons being nothing more than tired looking fisherman or drunks, he was sure this place saw its fair share of bloody fighting. The walls were covered in worn wooden planks that could have easily been torn off an old boat, sparsely decorated now with old ship wheels, old paintings, and fishing netes.
The people here had sun-darkened skin and thick black hair, their eyes almond shaped and almost always brown. It made Ruli feel oddly at home, considering most of Ziad's people bore much the same colouring, though the constant traffic through the town had given them a bit of diversity.

"I figured as much." Ruli admitted when she said no ones ever asked her to dinner before. Then he realized how that sounded. "I mean ... you know what I mean. That y-you're busy and this isn't ... with court...." He cut himself off and rubbed his face, leaning on the table. "I'm not good at this." He admitted, peering at her through his fingers before the woman returned. Ruli retreated off the table as she sat their drinks down; two thick round glass cups with an amber liquid inside. Ruli thanked her and lifted his to drink. It was thicker than most drinks, the flavour of coconut, milk, and a very sweet liquor coating his tongue.

Wanderers

With a shrug, he accepted her answer, admittedly having no meal planned if he cooked here. And hiding such a task from Envy wouldn't be easy. Someone would notice their absence, and come looking, and while he wasn't sure they exactly had anything to hide, blatantly ignoring the Kartaian in his own home seemed cruel.
Privacy seemed both a bit much and exactly what they needed.

He extended his hand, offering it for her to take, and when she'd had a good hold, he took a step down the stairs-
-onto white sand.

The humidity swarmed around them, the bright white palm trees that reached high over head provided a shade that did little to quell the heat. Stretched out before them was a long, lazily curving beach covered in the same soft white sand, small shells, and brilliant green seaweed. Along the edge of the beach, where it met the bright green and lush jungle, and then, immediately, roughly made buildings of an assortment of materials found nearby.
He grinned. "Pokos." Releasing Kire's hand, Ruli tilted his head to invite her toward the town, moving through the brush to follow the side of a plaster building painted a dark shade of red. "This was one of the places we considered, but we were worried about exposure. Envy, I mean." He said, gesturing to the street they came across. The sky above it was criss crossed in clotheslines displaying drying laundry of all shapes and sizes, muted patterns a patterns Envy would proudly wear. Across from them was a building, also of plaster, but painted a deep green, with windows made out of the bottoms of glass bottles arranged in several small diamond shapes. Ruli directed her to this one, opening the door.

Inside was crowded with tables and chairs, a few patrons sitting randomly throughout, all quiet and minding their own meals. The majority of the noise came from the kitchen, where a large man with no shirt shouted and hollered, presumably over plates and ingredients. "Pokos." Ruli repeated, before guiding her to a table. The air smelled of strong spices, fish, and coconut, the steam and smoke from the kitchens dancing over head, turning the ceiling a thick grey colour.
A thin woman surfed through the tables gracefully, eyeing them both curiously. She was small, appearing no older than Gavin, but her eyes made her look much older. As did the machete strapped to her hip. "What you want?"
"Two specials, two coconut teas." Ruli ordered, and the woman simply turned and strolled away again. "I'm pretty sure this is where pirates hang out." Ruli whispered to Kire.

Wanderers

Ysaryn chuckled deeply. "I still prefer to swear in mine, as well." She admitted. "Much easier. Too much thinking in different language, I just want to swear." She shrugged, listening as Kire tried to explain what was happening between her and Ruli. "Ah." She raised her shoulders. "I tried. With Rulitus, you know. Good warrior, good magic, but I do not want a warrior I have to convince. If he is figuring out with you, then he tries, yes? Is not luck. Is , uh. The word? Allure?" She asked, switching the language.

She bet and scooped up a piece of shell, turning it in her fingers to see the sun shine on its iridescent face. "Ask." Ysaryn suggested. "It makes him uncomfortable, but sometimes he answers." She laughed. "Well, mostly. Sometimes he just looks afraid. Either way, good."

~

The day moved on far too fast. Before he knew it, lunch had passed, and he handed Gavin the charm to show as proof, confirming that he really didn't mind keeping an eye on Gavin. His company was pleasant enough, and Ruli knew Envy would be worried. He went joined the others in the elven side for the mess hall, wanting to avoid any of his usual patrons demanding meals if they caught him in his usual haunt. He chatted with Envy, repeating his promise to keep an eye on Gavin, and discussin quietly the gist of the plan to request any advice or input.

When the sun began to set on the one side of the cliffs, Ruli wandered out to hunt Kire down, locating her easy enough. The elves always kept an eye on any none-elves in their side of the city, though no longer with hostility. They admitted they'd seen her wander through briefly, before she'd ducked through to the other side. There, she was giving herself a tour of the city, Ruli trotting down the steps in her direction.
"Am I interrupting?" He asked pointlessly, his sudden appearance startling a chicken, which squawked loudly before it fluttered across a flower bed. "Getting late. Any chance you're hungry?" Ruli came to the step on which she stood, looking her over. He'd changed out of the thicker clothing he'd borrowed from Elva's home, and was back in his lighter linen, his feet once again bare. "Did you decide on Pokos or a homecooked meal?"

Wanderers

"Its open." Ruli called, before turning to spot not Kire, but Gavin. "Is that right?" Ruli asked, assuming at once Envy had given Gavin his blessing to join them. "What sort? Ah, yeah, that'll be easy enough. Go find me a stone. No bigger than a coin." He instructed, turning to dig into another little drawer.
When Gavin returned, Ruli extended his hand for the stone, inspecting it. "Want to help?" He wondered, looking Gavin over. "Let's see what you've learned. Grab the engraving kit there." Ruli invited before sitting at his little table.

~

"I have the fortune to still look up to my Father, and am not yet chieftess." Ysaryn shrugged, shuffling her foot in the sand.
"Talk is fine. May be harder to follow if they decide to speak on natural tongue." She gasped suddenly and turned to grin at Kire. "So! You learn elvish, yes? Mmm, yes, is a nice language. Like honey wine on the tongue." With a smirk, she nudged Kire's healthy arm with her elbow. "So you to whisper sugar things to Rulitus?" Ysaryn teased.

Wanderers

Envy sighed again, shaking his head. "Vengeance is often the guiding hand behind war when it shouldn't be." He turned his hand over to grasp Gavin's smaller one, placing his other hand over both. "I want you to keep an eye open. This is a good learning experience for you. I know you have seen it before, in being enslaved by him, but being in the middle of a war is a different perspective. I-"
Another sigh, and Envy silenced himself. "I'm worried. That's all. I'm rambling." He patted Gavin's hand gently. "I suppose I can pardon you from your lessons while you're gone." With a rub of his hand over his face, he gestured north. "Go inform Ruli. He'll have to make your charm before you go."

~

"Along time ago," Ysaryn said, leading Kire down another set of stairs, down toward the beach. "one of our chief drive our people to fight against men. He had an idea to win, and it cost many lives, but more of Cordon. The slums, not always so failing." Ysaryn turned to glance as Kire as their feet hit the sand. "War so quickly falls from 'what will you do' to 'what have you done'. It is not know enough before it is too late."

The lazy moving water crawled toward them, hissed, and retreated, as if it, too, knew of the violence that would rain on them soon. Ysaryn studied the water, then the clouds that were nothing more than a smudge on the horizon. "This council. We are to be allowed?" She wondered, turning to Kire again.

Wanderers

Tomorrow. And dinner, tonight. Ruli grinned at her, then turn and strolled out of the caves, muttering a "Nope." behind him as Kire asked if he required help. Ysaryn linked her arm with Kire's left one and walked with her, tugging her away from Gavin and Envy. "Play nice." She warned to Gavin before leading Kire out into the morning sunlight.

Behind them, Envy tilted his head, listening to Gavin as spoke. His lips pressed thin, and he drummed his fingers on his knee in thought. "You are correct." Envy said. "You are valuable, Gavin. But not because of your bloodline. Just because you breathe. Because your heart beats. I do not want anyone drawing your hand in a fight that is not yours."
He inhaled, calming. "However, nor will I hold you back, as Ruli is correct. This is your choice." Envy's tone announced his displeasure at the fact. Were Gavin a few years younger, not a legal adult, by either world's standards, he could keep him safe.

"Crossing into Amria to join Kire and her allies will not be easy. You are Gemini. How Narda reacted to you will be repeated tenfold, and in a few cases, with less mercy, I fear. Even if her allies realize the value of you, so to, will her enemies. Your head will have a bounty on it." Envy's large hands clenched and unclenched anxiously. "Ruli will make you a charm to hide you, and you will remain close to him at all times. Those are my terms if you insist on joining her in her war. If anything or anyone should move against you, he must be near enough to protect you." He hissed softly. "But I will repeat, I don't like the idea, and if anyone bullies you or pressures you into anything, they will face my wrath. I don't care who they are."

Outside, Ysaryn was pointing out all the changes that had taken over the city; the growing plants, the livestock, the fisheries, the repairs. "And you are to say 'well done, yes. Name is quite nice. Informationin-, er. Informative." She smirked. "How many Gem-en-i are in your fight? Is it hard to catch another and drain him? Or does Rulitus suggest simply asking Gavin in Amria?" Ysaryn reached out to tug on a large frond, watching as it waved once she released it.

Wanderers

Upon Kire's answer, Ysaryn grinned wider, winking at the woman before she looked back to Envy, paying attention to the larger elf berate the blond. Her eyes roamed Kire's burn, and as the Empress explained how she'd gotten it, Ysaryn hissed through her teeth. She recalled the headache she'd gotten when misusing her own transportation magic, and decided a burn was a decent punishment, considering the many alternatives.
"Ed is just as sly as you are, I think." Ysaryn said teasingly, circling Kire and meeting her gaze mischievously.

Envy, at the endo of it all, still looked cross, and knew just as well as Kire did that Gavin was sorting it out. He was no fool, the young man. "Gavin." Envy. "I am not one to forbid you. But I think it is wrong that it would be asked." He turned his face toward Kire, as if to repeat this to her without words. "Find another source."

"Envy," Ruli said cautiously. "Its really not your choice, its Gavin's."
"He is under my care." Envy snapped, and Ruli shrank again. "I will not have that sort of magic in my city."
Ruli turned to Kire again. In his city. His eyes fell on Ysaryn and the robe she wore. "We return tomorrow?" He asked Kire. "Gives you time to prepare, and enough time, perhaps, for us to find an alternate solution."