Welcome to Gaia! ::

It had been just over a week since Zeal's encounter with Quela, the seller whom he bought his new gloves from. He still hadn't caught her name, a minor matter that he hoped to change in the future. As far as concern goes however... he was mostly moving on from the exchange of words they had until he came wondering into the city of Lusia. He knew all about Lusia from the old scrolls and documents in his Order's catacombs. People of greatness were born here, or made here. It was the seat of the rulers of this kingdom. He felt... comfortable being in a familiar land - even if he had never stepped foot in it before.

When he first stepped into the city's land, outside of the great walls, he noticed how the land was cultivated for harvest. This kingdom was well known for it's processing of raw food and materials, even Zeal had heard of the Asche Plantation Company that had land here, using vast amounts of mana to grow a myriad of produce. Once he got to the gates, however, he saw the on-going construction work after the Witch Invasion. He stepped through the gates and felt something run down his spine. A chill? Perhaps. He could see that Lusia had recovered well from the attack, demolition was complete a while ago, but he saw the empty spaces that were to be used in the future, he could see sections of the wall that had been repaired. Zeal instinctively looked over his shoulder at his collapsed scythe. It's blade reflected the sunlight back at him. Here he had no need to wrap it up, the people of Lusia, of the old world, were not as shocked by large weapons. The Witch Invasion... If my order was not so secretive, perhaps things would have been different. Zeal thought to himself, images of the moment that he recovered the scythe coming to his mind's eye.

Zeal continued for some time through the city, coming to it's streets which were the polar opposite of his homeland. By now he was thinking over and over. If only we had used the Mage-Knight system... the Catacombs would still be here. But myself? Zeal stopped. By now he had wandered into the wider streets near the centre, where some stalls were set up away from the main square. The streets here were fairly open, so he could see much of the surrounding land and buildings. He suddenly felt fixated on the view he found of the Asche Family Plantation. It wasn't their success that amazed him, but the amount of Knights that were there protecting the land. He could only see small specs of movement from here, like tiny ants. But he knew they were Knights. The Asche Family owned a lot of land, the man in charge owned the company and paired with many knights so that he could protect it all. He was wealthy and organised many events within the city for a good image to use when trading with other kingdoms. his eldest child often dealt with foreign trade herself. A mage can have many knights.... but they can break the bond when they please. What makes them all protect one man? Money? Fear? Respect? Even so, it is a dangerous game to play, their bonds must be weak... Flashes of the seller came to his mind just then, the albino lady that sold him his gloves. He had almost asked the question to her then, even so, she seemed to be less than ready. Or was it him? Zeal knew he could be too forward, or sometimes he wasn't plain enough. He didn't enjoy trying to understand the mix of emotions people go through. But he wondered what might change her mind if they crossed paths again?

((So i've set Zeal up, I thought this would be a nice place to visit! I don't know if Quela wants to be set up with her stall or passing through smile ))

Zeal found himself jerking back to reality when he felt a cold draft come across his cheeks, causing his tendrils of white hair to cover his face. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end, just like how they did as a young boy in the Catacombs. Back then, the darkness might scare him, now he wasn't quite sure what fear felt like. He often saw other people, stricken with emotions, but he had to always pause and think about it to understand. He found more recently that it was a waste of time, and in that moment he could have acted. He turned around, noticing several people walk by. This place was better, he thought, it was the old world, it was less affected than the new world by people like him. Here he could walk around with only a few stares for being albino. It made travel a lot easier. He began to walk down the wide street, noting how the distant hills vanished behind buildings as he saw ahead the towers of the city centre coming into view. It was probably for the best, he thought, as he looked down at his gloves, still like-new. He wondered then, if he could protect a mage? It was a Knight's sworn duty, wasn't it? He nodded to himself, looking ahead again at the many heads bopping up and down with each step they took.


Zeal stopped when he saw something familiar, staring blankly ahead he examined the head of white hair, accompanied by a dark dress. That lady he thought, parting his lips. Zeal took this moment to approach her, closing the gap between them calmly before asking "excuse me" just as he reached her. The moment she turned something felt strange, someone else had got too close to her. In her brief moment of distraction someone pulled on her bag of goods, and if she didn't immediately release it he pulled a second time, much harder in an attempt to break it free. Zeal pushed himself forwards, coming around her to apprehend the thief but as he did the man raised a hand and mana gathered at his fingertips. Zeal's eyes widened, it was one thing to stop a thief, but to have a handful of magic pointed at your face was another issue altogether. Suddenly the mana gathered at his palm and released a burst of energy that felt like a punch in the form of a strong gale to Zeal's gut. He skidded backwards and collided with the wall behind him, feeling his collapsed scythe dig into his shoulder and lower back, winding him slightly as he dropped down to one knee, clenching his teeth together. "Uh!" he let out, taking in a breath as he stood back up, scowling ahead, "why must the living be so tricky..."

((Okay so here it is! actually a little better than my tired post last night so all is well that ends well right? xD i don't know whether we wanna have this guy run off a small distance so we can chase and deal with it in a more secluded area? Or we can keep it here, or any other idea you have! I hope this is an alright set up and excuse to protect her! I thought the thief knowing magic is a good idea))

Without even attempting to chase and apprehend the thief herself, the silk lady immediately spoke out to Zeal in the hopes that he was okay. His scowling gaze turned to settle upon her as her pale complexion and ruby eyes stared back at him. It was like a moment of sudden epiphany. Zeal stretched back one shoulder as his spine began to crack, he let out a gasp, a sigh of relief. "I am... quite alright. Thank you. I shan't be long." He spoke relatively calmly, even though he was just part of daylight robbery. Without another moment wasted, he jumped away from his spot, dashing forwards and joining in on the sprint as to not lose the thief before it was too late! He made care to keep his eyes on him. As the thief ahead barged through a couple, Zeal flew through the gap afterwards, like a flash of ghostly black cloth. When the thief managed to cut him off thanks to some others carrying a heavy load on a large piece of board. Zeal ducked under, his scythe's blade making sparks as it ground on the stone beneath him.

Finally the thief took a turn in his desperate attempt to get away from Zeal. When Zeal finally followed, almost skidding as he did so, he noticed that the alleyway wasn't a typical dead end. The thief looked back over his shoulder, letting out a gasp and then almost a grin as he saw the opening ahead of him. Zeal pushed forwards and muttered the words "spectral speed" under his breath. As he did he felt a cold energy rush from his chest to his limbs, like cold water ran through his veins. Adrenaline overloaded and suddenly there was a blue shimmer over his body as he rushed forwards and whipped out his scythe. The sound of metal extending and a blade being released could be heard just before Zeal miraculously used one hand to arch the scythe over his head and down into the ground. It landed inches from the thief's feet, barely missing. He let out a gasp as he almost tripped, suddenly attempting to pick up the pace but before he could Zeal used the last second of his spectral speed to kick forwards off the floor, holding the handle of his scythe as using it to arch round in a circle and kick the thief in the side, throwing him hard against the alley's wall to the left. He hit the wall with a thud and immediately lost his grip on the lady's bag of goods. Zeal felt warmth come back to his skin, an odd sensation he still felt alien. His skin would almost be clammy to touch after spectral speed - and his breath - hard to catch.

Zeal yanked his scythe free from the ground, making an audible 'shing' sound. the thief groaned, pushing himself up from the floor as Zeal reached down to pick up the bag of what he presumed to be silks. He suddenly wondered if the silk would have survived being thrown across the alley. But that was for later, as he put the base of his scythe on the ground and clutched the top of the bag he noticed the thief again. "I do not think this is the best job for your skill set. Might I also suggest slight of hand classes - for that is not one of your skills." Zeal spoke mostly out of his own thoughts, but before any reply came the thief began to run off, failing his little scheme. "Pity..." Zeal muttered, seeming perplexed for a moment before his eyes widened and he turned around, seeing the lady at the start of the alley.

Zeal made his way over, raising the bag in his hand to give it back to her. "I apologise if these are damaged..." he said, holding his scythe beside him once more, "I have been told I am bad luck. I was planning on dragging that thief to a graveyard, by the way. The face of fear is ever interesting when a skeleton chatters before them. Oh... that's how we used to punish intruders..." Zeal fortunately left out the part where the Order would chain their intruders next to the grave, often making them faint of fear... several times. It was quite successful at keeping people away.

As Quela took the bag Zeal noticed a change in her expressions and body language. She clutched it tight, as if greeting back a child. At least that was how he could compare it. He tilted his head as she spoke again, then suggesting that she had nothing to repay him. His lips parted to interject, but she then asked his clarification on his name, to which he clearly responded, "yes." There was a brief pause as he blankly stared at her, suddenly adding "I do not require any payment, I simply do what I must... Or what I choose I must do. I cannot stand idle when a crime is committed without reason. And you..." Zeal seemed to drift into thought as his eyes stared deeper into hers, "... seem cautious of your immediately surroundings. I could not imagine you reclaiming your belongings."

That last bit probably come out as a double edged blade, he hadn't meant to offend, but it didn't cross his mind in the slightest. He often said what he thought without dissecting it and placing it back together. "May I ask for your name? I find calling you 'silk weaver' somewhat objective"

Quela, he let the name repeat itself in his mind a few times in the hope that it might become a permanent memory. Quela then went on to give a little detail about herself, which meant divulging her mother's name and occupation. "Lith... Izal..." Zeal repeated, as if the words had incurred some kind of memory. His pause for thought afterwards quickly ended, however, and he looked back at Quela once more. "I am glad to make your acquaintance , Quela, daughter of Lith Izal" Zeal said, bowing his head slightly and slowly towards her. "To reiterate, I am Zeal, orphan and albino Dark Elf of the Adrestian Order. Scholar... and Vanguard" Zeal looked up and to his left, his eyes laid upon the blade that curved outwards from the giant raven's head on his weapon. "I feel... strange. Is this friendship?" he asked as if it were a matter of fact.

His eyes perched on Quela as he awaited her response. But as he did he also pondered something else. Lith Izal he thought to himself, over and over. It was a name not familiar to him, but the structure and pronunciation was something he recognised. It was too much of a coincidence, was it not, for Zeal to come into contact more than once with somebody from not just the old world, but from his locale. After her response, Zeal said "I must ask..." and paused. His eyes then drifted down to the glove on his right hand, he stretched and curled his fingers, "... did your mother ever work near the Dead Forest?" He was very precise about his wording, work and near, not within or outside. The Dead Forest was as it sounded, deadly to most, and not many would wander within. Mostly because of the treacherous paths, or lack of, partly because they wouldn't want to stumble across the necromatic cult. The thought still baffled Zeal. They weren't necromancers, necromancers could control the dead. But back to the original process, Zeal remembered that the Order often bought silk from outside the border, not often within it's edge. "I cannot shake this unfathomable thought from my mind. That your skill is almost twinned by that of our old weavers, something that you simply cannot be. You are too human."

At what he had said she turned to take a glance over her shoulder, as if something he had said meant something to her. He could see Quela's ruby eye look near him before she decided to turn fully and reply to him only with a nod at first. Zeal wondered, did that mean she knew what he meant, who he meant. It wouldn't be safe if I appeared to be anything else she said, a sentence that echoed in his mind for a few seconds. She had said it so quietly that he would barely have heard unless he already had sensitive hearing from how dank childhood. Her final affirmation was enough, however, for Zeal to finally understood who she was.

Zeal took in a breath as his lips parted. "Then that is it" Zeal said, for the first time having astonishment in his voice. "An illusion... The possibility never came to my mind. You aren't human after all." Zeal spoke whilst still searching his memory for all the times he had pondered about Quela the last week or so. "But unsafe?" he pondered the thought, staring at her blankly until suddenly he added "for once I understand. I've travelled farther than ever before since The Moment. And never did I know the divide in our old world, even less so the effects we have on the new world we walk today... I do not understand it. Fear, anger, hatred. They are all concepts I've researched, but failed to understand."

Quela's shift in stance and open reply made Zeal tilt his head slightly, as if it would help him to understand. She had a point, one that Zeal once wanted to experience himself most desperately. A few times in the Order there were circumstances where emotions had run amongst the vanguard, causing strife. Only on one occasion during Zeal's lifetime did he experience a group come to find and show the Vanguard brute force. They took the Catacombs by surprise, but the Vanguard of Adrestia were quicker. They were the instigators of change, the witnesses of balance, and excellent fighters. Before Zeal could experience the attack personally, the vanguard had dealt with the situation. It was then that he learned to understand right from wrong, but still he did not quite feel fear.

Zeal took in a breath at he second reply. He couldn't help but curl the fingers of his right hand into a loose fist, as if reminding himself that he looked very much human as he looked down. She was right, even he knew that now. It was why he walked through the streets of towns and cities so easily, he just knew the subtleties that made it a little easier. Like wrapping his scythe in his cape to avoid unwanted attention. "I am accepted... but still avoided. But you are right. Here i can walk amongst the masses and go unnoticed. In the Order i was the polar opposite of everyone else and for that I was left alone. But if there was one thing I was... glad for, if that is the right word, then it was that I was left alone. More often than not relying on others can prove difficult." Zeal paused for thought, as if still reciting what he said through his mind, making sure he didn't say anything wrong.

Zeal switched his scythe into his right hand, then with his left he pushed down the blade. As he pushed up the snath with his right the weapon collapsed, just like before. "Let me take up some of your burden" Zeal said, "I want to mean something in this world. And if it allows me to help just one person and experience an ounce of emotion, then... I think I shall be happy. My order was not just about keeping balance, it was about bringing change. Otherwise... purpose becomes stagnate."