Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tenma sat quite still, His left hand resting on the table, wrapped slightly around a mug of dark ale, probably not the best drink in a desert. His left hand was in his lap, his sleeve pulled down to hide something, to anyone around they might see the light glint of metal but it was doubtful.

His sword was propped next to him, the new blade still intruiged him, the light etchings of bamboo branches around the hilt were extrordinary and he hungered for the knowledge of how such detail was accompolished. He liked the blade though.

He looked as he always had, White long sleeved shirt with the chest partially open revealing most of his torso. A pair of baggy white pants and and freshly carved and cured wooden sandels. His sash tied relatively tightly about his waist the tail end hanging down to brush lightly against the chair leg. His mask was pushed up, his hair hanging down but held back by his mask.

The only difference was 2 very obvious leather straps crossing his chest, one diagonally from his shoulder to waist and one horizontal from armpit to armpit. The heat smoothed flesh around the straps is what kept drawing the attention of people around him, the burns looking fresh seemed to emenate from the leather straps which were embedded in his flesh by the burns.

And because of this marring of the only visible skin he really had other than his face peoples kept seeming to come back to scrutinizing him. Annoying, and if he had the will he'd do something about it, but for now he really didn't care all to much, he was tired and the burns still hurt.

So with a deep sight he stood with the creak of the wooden chairs legs on the floor grabbed his sword, and walked up the small staircase in the back to the room he had bought for now. Where he would toss his mask on the table beside the bed and his sword propped next to his bed as well he lay down hard with a large sigh on the bed and pulled the blanket up over him closing his eyes and trying to force himself to sleep with the pain of the burns keeping his mind alert.

Xiu wandered along the merchant stalls with his new gauntlets strapped to his arms. They could not be seen though because of his white jacket. It was more like a poncho than a jacket though. The collar rose up from the middle of the shoulder covering half of the foriegners face. It was still obvious he did not belong due to his silver hair though. In fact even in his homeland his silver hair was unique. He bore a headband with metal plating that bore a cross with four equal arms. It was the symbol of his homeland's army, but Long Xiu's had a deep gash through the center that streaked across the plating. He was shamed now, forbidden to return to his homeland. His home now was the road, the closest things to friends were the people he fought and killed as he tried to discover his potential. Needless to say Xiu never had any long relationships anymore.

He wasn't looking for anything in particular, and was actally quite bored with himself. The power he had felt in the city had long since left meaning he had no real interest in the city anymore. It had left it's impression though, and that is what called to his soul. There were still formidable foes here though, but the main prey Xiu so yearned for had departed. He had no transportation to go to a new location though, so for now, Strata was were he was going to stay. He noticed a girl with a fox tail and his interest was peaked slightly.

He was in front of her by about 40 yards, and there was about thirty people in between his person and her vulpine body. He faded to the right between two of the stalls which caused a toothless old lady in the one to his left to offer him an oriental style fan for about ten of their currency. Xiu nodded his head and blended into his sorroundings as he was so well trained to do. He became a piece of the scenery, this meant that as soon as someone glanced at him, they forgot him. It was a mental state that caused this presence, and this is how he would wait for the girl and then shadow her because he was bored.

Xiu watched her as she passed the stall he was next to. He knew she hadn't registered him as a person because her eyes had ppassed right over him and it appeared she was looking past him. He smiled knowing that he could now successfully shadow her with ease.

He moved out from between the merchants and began weaving between the crowd as they took little or no notic of him. He kept about twenty feet between them at all times and made sure that she never looked back in his direction. In a large crowd it is harder to disguise one's prescence, but he had about two hundred years of experience. He passed through the crowd seamlessly and trailed the fox like girl.

Long Xiu then saw her destination as she turned into the shop. It was some sort of metal working place, and Long Xiu needed twin short blades. ANything from here wouldn't do though, he needed something that is conductive to his spirit energy. So Xiu highly doubted that this location would carry any metal like that.

The foriegner stayed just outside the doorway and listened to the conversation. There were three people in the shop, an old man, his target, and someone young and clumsy. He was standing by the side of the door waiting for something to peak his interest, and then he might reveal himself.

Xiu was now interested, a new alloy and a swordswoman. He let his mind fall from the peaceful status and moved right in front of the exit of the tent. His silver hair shined in the sun as he gazed at the drwing laid out on the table. His mouth was still hidden, so they wouldn't be able to tell he was smiling lightly. The sun was at his back so the only detail that could be seen was his hair, and for now that is how he liked it.

He reached out and made a motion for the map, he didn't need to talk because he knew that they would instantly recognize what they wanted. He wasn't going to steal the map he just wanted to look at it, and in case they thought otherwise his middle finger of his right hand was on the ring that trigred the mechanism in his gauntlets.

Jdging that she was a pudao user, she wouldn't have enough time to pull it out and let alone create a defensive stance. It was a spear like weapon with a heavy blade on the end, and his gauntlet was a quick and penetrating weapon used for clos combat. the sybol on his shirt was the same one on his headband, the cross.

He moved his right foot back slighty as well so he could lunge if need be. Xiu was a warrior, but he didn't want to fight her. So he guessed he should speak considering it was now necessary.

May I see the map?

Adrienne had thought they would never be free of the desert and she was relieved as she followed Jin into the heart of Strata. The decorative silver chains she still hadn't gotten around to having removed, clinked as she walked along. Her gaze seemed to rest squarely on Jin's back, though it might not appear she's looking at him to other, considering she's wearing a blindfold. "Where are we going?"

Adrienne, as the string was tugged, moved to catch up with the man. "My chains?" She chuckled softly. "They don't bother me, you know." She walked along even with him, perferring not to be tugged around by the string.

Adrienne shook her head. "Slavery was not a life a chose to be born into, but it is a life I choose not to leave." She would glance over at her travelling partner, looking at him and yet not looking at him. All she could see of him was a blob of color, swirls of orange and red. "I seek a new master now and see no reason to remove the chains."

She turned her gaze back to the street in front of her as she responded. "The shackles aren't that big and loose enough that they can be moved for such things. They will not be removed unless my new master, whomever that may be, wishes it to be so."