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Post by Silver on Aug 29, 2012 2:58:13 GMT -5
Shayla knew that Min were often gifted with the ability to speak the tongue of the humanoid races, but she was still a bit surprised to hear the feline speak. She had been so used to having to hide Halcy’s speech that it was strange that this girl could allow her cat to speak openly as he pleased. To be honest, she was a bit jealous. It was rather unfortunate that she had to keep Halcy a secret. The problem with Halcy was that he just wasn’t a Min, and animals speaking without being connected with Dryads was unheard of. In these tumultuous times, it was unwise to draw unneeded attention.
“They must have been interesting.” She remarked, trying to think back on what the trains had looked like over ten years ago. It was hard to remember, but they were much less streamlined, and made out of wood instead of steel. “So this isn’t your first time in Mithras, either. It sure has changed in the last several years, especially with the new tensions with the Dragons. To be honest, I’m somewhat worried about it. They have already issued travel warnings for people passing through that area.”
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Post by Kitten King on Aug 29, 2012 3:26:53 GMT -5
She could barely remember being in Mithras way back when - she knew it was big and giant and loud and overwhelming. It was still big and giant and loud, really. To her, it didn’t seem like it changed that much at all. At least she could handle the noise and deal with all the strangers much better than she used to. Had she cried back then? It was all a little hazy.
“Oh, the Dragons aren’t so bad,” she replied. “They’re just protective and territorial.” She was a little worried they’d fight over this particular topic, but it was one she wasn’t going to move on. Sure, it started with them just digging around at the base. Then they were just digging around at the middle. The sides. The peak. There was a reason, peaceful as they were, the Dryads liked their isolation. No one dared try to brave the desert to cut down a few trees or hunt a few deer. Their home got left well alone.
“I’d be irate if people were attempting to dig around in my home too,” Xan replied, less afraid to speak his mind than Mika was. Normally she liked that about him, but right now she was just hoping it didn’t get her head bitten off.
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Post by Silver on Aug 29, 2012 13:51:55 GMT -5
Shayla put her hands up in reassurance as Xan spoke, quickly backtracking. “Oh, I wasn’t trying to condemn them.” She responded nervously, hoping she hadn’t somehow tread on a nerve. “I agree with you, Mithras shouldn’t be anywhere near those mountains. They have been the domain of the Dragons for thousands of years, long before humans even settled in these areas.”
Halcy rolled his eyes and settled in a heap on top of Shayla’s bag. He wished that he was allowed to speak, because he had a lot to say on the subject. Besides, he didn’t like the cocky tone of that Min. Oh well, better to just ignore it... for now.
“So!” She said brightly, trying to steer away from the subject that was obviously going to become a point of contention if followed. She wondered briefly why a Dryad would care about the affairs of Dragons, but then again Dryads were known as peacekeepers. It made sense if she looked at it in that light. “What brings you all the way to Mithras? This is a long way from the deserts of Dagurreo.” Hopefully this would be a bit safer of a topic.
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Post by Kitten King on Aug 29, 2012 14:23:28 GMT -5
...huh. This one wasn't proving so bad. She'd thought most humans agreed that Mithras was doing the right thing. Well, maybe she was still right. Shayla just wasn't 'most humans'. She certainly seemed different from others Mika had met.
Shayla’s new question posed a bit of a problem. There was the truth - which Mika wasn’t going to tell, because that was none of her business - and there was the ‘other’ truth, which basically included telling only part of the story. She could also lie outright, but then things would just get wrapped up and complicated and gah. Yeah. Not an option on a trip this potentially long.
“...I’m looking for someone,” she said, and busied herself playing with Xan’s paw. He played back, though he stared at her with that look of his. At least he understood. “Someone I haven’t seen in a long time.”
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Post by Silver on Aug 29, 2012 14:54:54 GMT -5
She was looking for someone? Shayla was about to ask who, but on seeing the expression on the girls face decided against it. Besides, it wasn’t like it was any of her business. She didn’t want to alienate her guide before they even got started.
Halcy stared at Xan, watching as the girl played with his paws. How pathetic... It was too sentimental for his tastes. Instead, he shifted his eyes to gaze out the window as the streets of Mithras flew by, and the concrete structures began to give way to views of vast fields full of food crops. The train would take them only a bit further, and they would have to walk the rest of the way to the mountains.
“So...” Shayla tried once more, desperately searching for a conversation that wouldn’t lead to another awkward silence. “Uh. Hm... Have you been to any cool places on your travels? Have you met anyone interesting?”
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Post by Kitten King on Aug 29, 2012 15:21:59 GMT -5
Mika had to think about that one, too. Honestly to her, the most interesting place she’d been was Mithras. It was so different from home, so full of metal and hard stone buildings... she never said it was a good kind of interesting.
“There’s been a lot of places, really. Mithras was the most different from home, to be honest.” She scratched Xan between the ears as the cat flipped over to lay on his belly, purring gently. “As for people... well. There’s been good and bad.” One in particular was one she was hoping they did not run into up in the mountains. Big fat pain, he was, with the most abrasive personality. Yeah, she was definitely hoping to avoid that this time.
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Post by Silver on Aug 29, 2012 20:35:38 GMT -5
Shayla sighed and leaned back in her seat, gazing up at the flickering scenery with a kind of idle wonder. “I hope that I meet a lot of interesting people. I mean, I know Mithras is considered to be the most diverse city on Theracia, but it still feels so ‘human’. Does that make sense?” She hoped she wasn’t being offensive. It wasn’t that the Human feel was a good thing. Quite the opposite, actually. She wanted to actually see how the other races lived their lives, not just when they were visiting a predominantly Human city. She wasn’t so naive as to think that it would be the same.
Halcy watched the adversary flip onto his back and let that girl rub his midsection. How disgraceful! He would never even consider doing something so undignified.
“So, is there anything I should know about Dragons, culturally speaking? Considering the area we are going to be going through, we probably won’t be able to get around meeting at least one.”
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Post by Kitten King on Aug 29, 2012 22:01:20 GMT -5
Mika nodded, understanding perfectly. She’d met Dragons before coming to the Eastern Mountains, and she’d read plenty about them, but it was very different to really get dropped into the culture. Same with humans, really. There was a lot more to them than she’d thought.
“Wwwwell,” she said, hesitating a bit. “A big thing with them is to be respectful. They might not be any better than you, but more likely than not they’re going to think they are.” That was her experience. It might not always be true, but to be honest, it would be a pleasant surprise if it wasn’t. “Also, do not take anything shiny out in front of them unless you want it to be theirs, because one way or another, it will be.” She herself had quite the hoard of shiny little items in her bag - and she’d gotten in a lot of trouble as a kid for unknowing thievery as well. It was just instinct, she couldn’t help it! ...well. Some of the things she had now she probably could have helped, eheh...
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Post by Silver on Aug 29, 2012 23:03:56 GMT -5
Shayla nodded as she stared at Mika, a look of fierce concentration on her face. She wanted to make sure she didn’t forget any of this. She felt bad about it, but she almost hoped they didn’t meet any dragons... It sounded like they might be a bit hard to deal with, and she was afraid of accidentally saying or doing something wrong.
Just as Mika finished speaking, the train began to slow and a high pitched whistle of steam could be heard outside. “Wow, that didn’t take long at all!” Shayla cried, jumping up as the train finally came to a halt. “Unfortunately, we probably won’t be getting any more easy transportation.”
Halcy yawned and arched his back, jumping down and stretching his legs as he followed Shayla out of the train. He was going to have to get her to carry him soon, he didn’t feel like walking.
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Post by Kitten King on Aug 30, 2012 0:12:13 GMT -5
Sure enough, the train ride was over before she could blink. Ugh, that was hardly worth the money... but she supposed it was an ‘experience’. Xan leapt from her lap, flapping his wings and fluttering there. He swooped easily over Halcy and out of the train, Mika following along behind.
“Yeah, it certainly would be quicker,” Mika agreed, though she really didn’t mind walking. Just about anything was better than those contraptions, really - though nothing could be worse than the boat ride over here. Ugh. Of all the moments she did not wanna relive, that was number one. Worst of all? She would have to, to get back home. Ugh! “We can manage though.” She hiked her bag a little higher on her back, ready to start the hard part when Shayla was.
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Post by Silver on Aug 30, 2012 22:16:36 GMT -5
The land surrounding the end of the train line was low and flat, with several quaint little farms scattered along. There was a cobblestone road that wound through the countryside for what seemed like several miles, and high jagged peaks could be seen in the distance in the same direction. Well, the fact that there was a road heading east would make things a bit easier.
“Do you know the best way to go to the mountains?” Shayla asked, adjusting her pack to try and keep it from slipping off her shoulders. “The path seems the most straightforward, but then again that doesn’t always mean it is the most wise, does it?”
Halcy sat on his haunches at Shayla’s feet and stared at the mountains in the distance, a familiar prickling sensation on the back of his neck. Why was he getting such a bad feeling about this? It must have been that annoying black cat, cramping his style. Yes, that had to be it.
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Post by Kitten King on Aug 31, 2012 1:27:38 GMT -5
“True,” Mika said, nodding in agreement. “In this case, though, we’re in luck. The path will do just fine for now.” Towards the end of it, they’d probably want to break off - she wouldn’t be surprised if there was someone guarding the mountain path now, to keep the ‘pesky humans’ at bay. There’d been talk of it as she’d left. “Just keep an eye on the sky, and if you see anything, don’t point at it. They’ve got vision better than sand hawks and it draws their attention. We don’t want their attention.” Even this far away was nothing on the wings of a dragon. It was probably someone’s hunting grounds, and a little chasing and tormenting wasn’t beyond some Dragons.
“I know there’s a lot to remember and take in,” she admitted as they started on their way. “But I swear it’s important if we want to get through this with as little trouble as possible. I’m not saying breaking any of this advice is going to put us in some mortal peril-” Most likely, she added silently to herself. “But every little argument or showdown avoided saves us time and hassle. Once we get in there, finding certain supplies on foot is going to be difficult. Time shouldn’t be wasted.” The mountains were steep, jagged, and treacherous. You had to scrounge for food and to find water was even harder. How anyone survived there was a mystery to outsiders... but Mika understood. She'd seen it.
Life can thrive in the most fragile of places.
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Post by Silver on Aug 31, 2012 12:51:18 GMT -5
Shayla listened intently to Mika’s words, wanting to make sure that she didn’t miss anything of crucial importance. The more she heard about the Dragons, the more nervous she became. She knew that it was wrong to make assumptions, but something told her that meeting a Dragon head-on would not be in their best interest. Mika soon confirmed this with her words of wisdom.
“It sounds like we would do best to avoid them then.” Shayla nodded, once again hiking up her backpack. She hated being so short, nothing ever fit right. Halcy followed them as they made their way down the path, still not quite happy about the whole arrangement. He was counting on a guide, not a guide with unwanted baggage. He made sure to stare pointedly at Xan as the thoughts flowed through his mind.
As the sun rose higher into the sky, the clear land around them began to give way a spattering of trees. They saw less and less people on the road now, and the ones they did see gave them curious looks, a few outspoken ones even telling them that they better turn back if they valued their lives.
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Post by Kitten King on Aug 31, 2012 16:01:40 GMT -5
There wasn’t much to speak of when it came to that first day’s journey. They were both pretty quiet, ignoring the looks and warnings of the paltry others they saw on the way. Mika had to admit, she was fairly impressed by how Shayla managed to keep pace. She was still going a little slower than she could go on her own, but not by a whole lot. The more she spent time with this girl, the more she liked her... it was still early, of course, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t form an opinion. She just wasn’t sure how long it would last.
They stopped for a quick lunch break when the sun was at its highest, finding shade beneath some lone trees. Shayla asked a question or two, and Mika answered, but for the most part there was a certain silence that had fallen between them. She suspected that Shayla was wondering when she would start asking questions. She had to admit, yes, she was a little curious about certain aspects of the other girl’s life, but for now they had to focus on keeping moving. She kept fairly quiet for the rest of the day, until the mountains were looming in front of them, and the sun was beginning to set behind them.
“We should stop for the night,” Mika said, glancing at Shayla. They’d already begun to slow, clearly exhausted from the day. Xan had stopped flying an hour ago, resting on her shoulder with his eyes half closed. “Tomorrow will be the hard part. We could use the rest.” There were still a few trees here and there, a little ways off from the road that was worn and cracked and mostly dirt beneath them. That would be the best place to set up - they wouldn’t find much better the closer they got to the mountains.
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Post by Silver on Aug 31, 2012 20:17:06 GMT -5
Although she tried her best to hide it, Shayla was having quite a hard time trying to mask her fatigue as the day wore on. The nice, cobblestone road had given way to a rough dirt one, and even now that was beginning to fade back into the earth. The road was beginning to set up a steep incline, and she knew that Mika was right about stopping.
Halcy followed behind, not quite as fatigued as Shayla but still weary of walking. He couldn’t help but feel a bit smug when he saw that the black cat had finally stopped flying to rest on his master’s shoulders. No one would catch him relying on Shayla for anything! Well, to be honest, if that Xan hadn’t been there he probably would have had her carry him the entire way.
“Alright.” Shayla yawned, sitting down on an old log and slipping her pack off her back. She had packed light, but she was still exhausted from the exertion. “So this is a good place to set up camp?” She brought a small hiking tent with her, but she was wondering if it would be better to just sleep under a tree or something. It might attract a little bit less attention.
“Are you hungry?” She asked Mika, pulling out a small container filled with a frightening looking gruel. “I made it myself! Come on Halcy, time for dinner!”
Halcy visibly blanched and instead bounded into the forest. He would find something for himself rather than eat THAT.
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