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 Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 12:22 pm
Olokun led the panting xaraan to the pool, covering his own yawn as he took the creature's harness off. "Okay, you get a drink and come right back," he ordered. It wasn't yet noon, but Oly had gotten up before the sun in order to do a little training with his xaraan during the cool morning hours. His butt and legs were sore after the hours spent riding, but it had been worth it. He felt closer to the creature than ever!
Dropping down near the pond, he pulled out a thick sandwich and took a big bite. Maybe he would just skip going home and nap right there after his meal...
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 12:57 pm
Xenia yawned into the palm of her hand as she trudged along. The life of a smuggler meant that schedules were subject to change in an instant so when the crew decided to go to Matori after their small stint in Oba she'd been forced to get used to nights once again. There was something about taking down vessels under the moonlight that gave Indra pleasure, but to Xenia it was all the same. Just more illegal work that brought them closer to being found out each and every time.
Still, it did mean that she got to explore the area in daylight now. Since they had decided to lay low Xenia was able to look around the area and to her, if she had the choice, she would just settle here. Matori truly was a lovely area with some of the nicest weather she'd endured yet! Still, it didn't mean that the summer heat had entirely vanished. So, when Xenia saw the pond, she folded her map and started to slip it back into the journal she always kept in favor of a little relaxation.
Of course she hadn't expected company, but it was an open enough area and she didn't have anything to fear from a child. "Mind if I join you?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 1:21 pm
Having been so contently focused on his food, Oly let out a yelp of surprise when he heard the voice. His red eyes snapped over, blinking quickly to clear his thoughts. "Oh, yeah!" he chirped, waving his hand out to the open land. "It's not mine." He paused and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Pretty sure it's no one's.." He certainly didn't want someone to come out and yell at him for trespassing! After riding the xaraan all over though, he figured they were safe enough. "Whatchya doing out here?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 1:28 pm
Xenia's eyes widened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you would have seen me." She smiled a little in sympathy. Whatever had been on his mind must have been something important if he didn't notice a stranger coming up so close. Or maybe it was just his youth?
The yaeli tucked her dress underneath her and lowered down on top of a flat stone near the pond. Once she was settled she started work on untying her sandals. "I'm passing through the area and a very sweet merchant sold me a map to a hidden grotto yesterday. I thought I might as well see if it was real or not while I had the time." Now that her feet were free Xenia slipped them into the cool water with a sigh.
"What about you? Doing some riding?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 1:49 pm
"Maybe you're sneakier than you think you are," he playfully shot back. Surely it wasn't his fault that he hadn't noticed! "Ooh, I didn't know about anything hidden out here! Is it close? Can I look, too?" He looked over to the xaraan with a grin. "We can both ride him! I've been practicing riding all morning to join the races in Oba, so he might be a little crabby." As though on cue, the xaraan let out a bark of a squawk and shook out its wings. Was that disapproval? What a silly creature!
"You're from Yael!" Oh, he shouldn't assume.. "I mean, are you from Yael?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 2:11 pm
Xenia shrugged her shoulders with a thinly veiled laugh. “Maybe.” Or maybe that sandwich had just been really tasty. Regardless, she was here now and with a little arch of her foot, Xenia wriggled her toes in the water.
“It’s really not safe to go off with strangers.” If he kept offering to go exploring with everyone he met then someone would carry him off one day! If he were a little older Xenia wouldn’t have minded the company but as it was it might garner more unwanted attention than she needed.
“How about this? We can copy the map into my journal and I’ll give you the original so you can go with your family.” That way he could still see something new and she wouldn’t be taken away. And that squawk … “Plus, I think you’re friend wants a break.”
While she was relaxing, Xenia brought the map back out and spread it out on the stone next to her. “I am. I grew up in the wilds next to Pajore. Are you from Matori?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 2:56 pm
His brow rose with interest. Not safe? "Aww, you don't have to worry about me! I won't hurt ya!" he assured confidently. "..But I guess you're right. It's sounds like something papa would say." There was only one way for a stranger to stop being a stranger, but he could clearly hear his parents telling him to not wander off with.. well, anyone really.
"A copy would be great! Thanks!" he pushed himself up with a light groan and carefully walked closer to the strange woman. Maybe it would be better to wait until later for more exploring. His body could use a hot soak... He copied the woman's actions from earlier and slipped off his shoes before dipping his feet into the cool water. "Yep! My name's Oly. I grew up in Matori, but I also live in Oba sometimes. Papa and mama both grew up in Oba. What's Yael like compared to Matori? I heard it's really dark there."
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:36 pm
Oh jeez, kid. She couldn't help smiling a little brighter. Just being around him felt a lot like being home again with her younger siblings, and the thought caused her heart to ache. Were they still this confident in themselves? "Your papa sounds like a smart man." Xenia adjusted her position just enough so that when she brought out the journal she had room to work.
A little bit of Oba too, huh? Well, that would explain his unique look. It hadn't been hard to guess that he was a hybrid when she first saw him, but Xenia was discovering some traits were common across the board. His hair may have come from the leaf tribe, but those eyes...they were very Oban.
"Yael has a lot of forests and the ground has a lot of stone in it with little holes to let water pass through." With a bit of coal, she started sketching out the map into her journal. "There's a lot of underground rivers and caves so there's usually a fog too."
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 5:34 pm
Oly smirked lightly. "Yeah, he can be pretty smart sometimes." He squirmed just a little closer to watch the map being drawn out. Slowly, his eyes began to drift and take in the woman's foreign features. Her hair was soooo purple... "Yael has a lot of its own hidden places then. Did you explore the underground caves? That sounds really cool!"
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:08 pm
Working out the intricacies of a map was much easier now than it had been at his age. Now she could hold a conversation and chart out ridges, rivers, mountain passes and such but then? She had to pour all her concentration into making the lay lines look just right.
“I used to, a long time ago.” Xenia reached up to push her spectacles up on the bridge of her nose. “Some of the caves can be really dangerous because of trapped water but others are full of beautiful crystals. If you light a torch they can even glow.” Not that she’d been encouraged to do that often, what with limited air and all.
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 7:02 pm
Black stones on her skin... So opposite from his mothers golden stones. Oly reached out to touch one of the stones, but managed to halt the movement with a bashful look up to the woman's face. "Sorry." Keeping his hands to himself, he turned his attention back to the map. "It sounds really cool. I wanna go there some day. My oldest brother and sister both did a lot of traveling, but I bet they didn't go in any underwater places! I wanna be able to tell them something they don't know. Is that why you're here?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 7:56 pm
At first she didn’t even notice the movement but when he apologized Xenia looked up to see his face. With a softer look, Xenia held out her left arm and displayed the crystals atop it. “It’s fine, you can look at them if you want.” At the very least he wasn’t prodding without her permission.
Luckily the offered hand wasn’t her dominant one and she could continue. “Umm, no, not exactly.” Xenia’s hand stalled over the map before resuming at a much slower pace. “I..started traveling for work when I was young and ended up in Oba. It’s not nearly as nice there as it is here.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:34 pm
With an appreciative smile, Oly reached back out to gently brush his fingers over the smooth markings. "I'm used to the stones on my family. They're yellow and bright. These are cool though!"
Eyes brightening, he looked up at her in awe. "When you were young? Were you my age?" If she had been young enough, maybe he really could start traveling on his own soon! His big brother hadn't waited that long for his own travels. Of course, he couldn't help a proud giggle. "Yeah, Matori's pretty nice. I like it better than Oba, too. Mama owns her dance studio out there though, so I've been there a lot. Will you be staying in Matori?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:38 am
”A little older.” Not by much, though. She remembered being so impressionable at that age, so full of hope that the word was something to be excited over when all she wanted now was to go home and never leave again. “Do you have a lot of siblings?” He’d mentioned a brother and sister, but for all she knew there could be a hoard coming to the pond.
“Oh, your mama’s a dancer? I bet she’s really pretty.” She’d seen her fair share of dancers at various Oban events and had always been impressed by their skills. Of course it always reminded her of her older sister, too. “We’ll be in Matori for a while but just not here. I’ll probably be gone in a few days.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2021 6:39 pm
Oly smiled excitedly. It really wouldn't be long for him now! He just had to wait a little longer, and he would be able to explore just like his siblings! "Six! Kyril and Koril are the oldest, and they're twins, too. Then it's Cahira, and then Shierra, and then Pynar. My twin brother's Omari; we're the youngest ones. And I'm Oly!" He gave her an apologetic sigh. "They're all either back home or off on adventures though. It woulda been fun if you coulda met them all."
He nodded and shrugged. "Papa's always saying she's the prettiest lady. You've probably seen her if you've been to any festivals in Oba. Dancing is her favorite." He cocked his head. "Do you need to be pretty to be a dancer?"
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