Camps on the outskirts

[Tulias]

The weather outside was clear and only a slight breeze, the sun shone high and brightly in the sky, but it was cold. It was always cold here, it seemed. Tulias had wished he could just wrap his thick cloak around himself to at least block the wind, but that would involve dropping his new friend whom was having difficulty moving around on their own due to a leg injury. At least the two pints of alcohol he ingested earlier seemed to be helping stave off the cold. He was still curious of what had happened to his friend, but last he asked, he was essentially told to mind his own business, so he wasn't about to press the issue again. Instead, he merely strode forth with determination and his eyes on the path ahead. He made some minor adjustments, gently shifting Sybil a little and made that his sword was not jabbing his friend. He did his best to ensure their comfort, considering the circumstances. sure hisWith a slight grin he commented, "So, we have discussed myself in great detail, but I do not recall learning very much of you. Are you from this city originally? What is your profession? We still have a short way to go still." The city was quiet at the moment. Most people, it seemed were busy. An odd pair they must seem, Tulias mused to himself. Not that very many people would take notice at the moment. So long as people didn't confuse this scene with a kidnapping, or worse, a murder, Tulias would be fine with anything else.

[Sybil Malach]

There's one thing that could be said about Viden's architecture that's positive. From the towering spires that were the Prisms, and the grand feats of engineering, the Citadel of Viden itself was something to behold when it came to the sheer efficiency of how it housed its members. On the negative side? It was entirely brutalist in its design philosophy. There was almost entirely a lack of culture to how the buildings themselves were erected within the Citadel itself, lacking any semblance of ingenuity when it came to the arts. This was a place that valued the essentials. Tailors were highly skilled, but were more famed for their ability to sew an immense amount of pockets within as little space as possible, and to make sturdy, lasting materials and stitchwork, rather than something genuinely beautiful. The men and women that Tulias passed, seemed to wear a mixture of furs and leather, with only the more wealthy seeming to wear the likes of flax, and even rarer, silks and velvets. The oppressive atmosphere of utilitarianism was likely a departure from most of the places the Ithecal has visited. But there was an underlying beauty to it all. Something that was more akin to a blank canvas. As though it could be painted in such a way that there could be something made of it, rather than coming with everything already filled.

The two indeed get glances of confusion from the populace. The bustle of the Videnese streets were more concerned with getting where one needed to go, however, and less so in the gossip mill. The only ones that could be seen actually stopping, and pointing the two out, would be what would obviously stand out as foreigners. The people with bright colors upon their clothing, with clothing that was more at home with places not suited for the Videnese temperature. It was strange, seeing how even colors seemed to force a person to stand out in a place like this, where an almost oppressive, muted color scheme seemed to reign. As the two neared the gate, peddlers of goods harass the Ithecal, proffering forth fruits of colorful varieties, but painfully expensive. The men and women here seemed to be obsessed with foreign cuisine, with the different fruits and imported meats that were being offered to him, as though he had money. It seems that foreigners typically buy these things just as needily as the inhabitants of Viden itself.

Perking up a bit, as the Ithecal speaks up, Sybil simply glances up at the man, "Mm? I'm a student at the Academy." Comes the admission, with a light chuckle. A shrug of the shoulders, is given, regardless, as the two approach the open gate far down the street, "Born and raised here. You can tell by how pale I am. Daylight can become a rarity in Viden, every now and then." Sybil's tone is soft, seemingly relaxed. The student doesn't weigh all that much either, truth be told.

[Tulias]

Tulias grinned as he listened to the smaller human that he carried. Though he found the crowd of merchants at the gate stifling even was forced to nudge a few out of the way that were just a little too intent on block his path, begging him to buy their goods. Life here, it seemed to the Ithical, was certainly a harsh life. As they managed past the choke point, Tulias looked to his right, just off the main road and spotted the camping grounds where his temporary home was. Tulias spoke up, an almost playful tone in his voice, "I do not wish to pry but, certainly there is more to you then that. Or maybe... he paused for a moment, tilting his head slightly before continuing with a slightly more serious tone, "Then again, maybe you are just trying to figure yourself out and your place in the world, like myself." The camping grounds were quiet, almost empty at this time of day. There was a large pond situated nearby to provide fresh water and when it wasn't froze over, made for decent fishing. The local fish, were surprisingly tasty. Tulias made one into a meal several times now.
Entering the camp, Tulias turned slightly to the right, his tent, closer to the city walls. It wasn't much, but it was home. Stopping just short of his plain looking canvas tent, Tulias spoke up again, "Well, here we are. My home." as he kneeled down and gently set the human on their feet. This sort of living was not an unfamiliar one to Tulias, though once he had left his tribe, he quickly learned that while he was away, he needed to keep his possessions locked away for even a simple blanket could be stolen when he wasn't around.

[Sybil Malach]

The very outskirts of the Citadel were tame, when it came to the standards of living. The Tundra was harsh, especially when it came to this sort of season. Beautiful, but at the same time terrifying, stretches of pure white death stretched out in all directions. Leaving the city meant that the temperature would drop to hazardous levels, as the two made their way to Tulias's tent. Perhaps one of the benefits from the Ithecal's exertion was that it brought him a bit more warmth, as well as the small being in his arms. It would seem that humans were an excellent source of heat, since keeping Sybil this close simply feels like there's a distant campfire pressed up against his torso, "... It's a bad habit to assume that everyone knows what they're doing, you know." Sybil says, with a light chuckle against the man. The whipping of the icy winds cutting through the two's clothing was almost debilitating. Shuddering, Sybil simply takes a deep breath, "I should've spent more on the cane... This iron's really bad with the cold." A weak laugh escapes the student's lips. An attempt at humor that seemingly was to break the silence more than anything.

And now the two stood, before Tulias' residence. Well, not quite a residence. A tent was a dangerous, temporary thing to live in, this season. But giving a short glance over to Tulias, it was clear that he was still alive, so it must be a fairly well insulated tent. A slow nod is given, before letting out a soft breath, "Would you mind if we stepped in?" Sybil asks, easily enough, eyes glancing over to the entrance flaps of the tent itself, "Not like I have a reason to steal from you, or anything. Living in the city's a bit more... Stable, than out here." The student sympathizes, with a bit of a grimace, seemingly... Very much understanding, of just how bad things often got just outside of the city. Sinking the cane into the snow, the crunch of the student's boots simply ensured stability.

[Tulias]

As Tulias approached the entrance to his drab tent, he turned to his smaller companion. A mischievous toothy grin on his face, "Now, I made no assumptions on you knowing what you were doing. I merely you were similar to myself in that you are trying to find yourself and you place in the world. I certainly do not know what I am doing. Why, I am even bringing a total stranger I met just today into my home. Never-mind my personal safety, what would any potential onlookers think?" Tulias gives a hearty chuckle as he turns back to his tent and opens his tent up and looks back at his new friend with a smile and begins gesturing into his smile. "And it is ok. I am not concerned of you stealing. I have little of value anyway. My armor, shield, and sword maybe, but they are suited for an Ithecal like myself and from what I gather from you, my kind is rare here."

Tulias follows Sybil into his tent, the interior was rather drab and for the most part, colorless, with only browns, greys, blacks, and whites. In fact, the only thing that had color in Tulias's possession was the blue streak like marks scattered about the scales of his own body. This wasn't by specific choice however, Tulias needed functional survival gear first, luxury items second, and currently he only had money for one. Tulias approached one of the two chests he kept in his tent while reaching into his pocket. He produced a key ring and grabbed one of the keys and unlocked the chest. He opened the wooden chest and produced two thick blankets and laid them out on the ground. He sat down on one before reaching down into the chest again, producing more blankets. He held them out to Sybil, "I have plenty of blankets, if you need some." He then set them aside. His focus returned to Sybil, with a friendly smile, "So, shall we continue our conversation?"

[Sybil Malach]

As Sybil is handed some blankets, a slow roll of the shoulders is given. The student would be the last one to turn down any sort of extra warmth, no matter the origin, or time knowing the person. Warmth in Viden was hard to come by, outside of the ways. So, accepting the blankets, and wrapping within them, Sybil simply gets comfortable against the ground, idly warming, as the student offers, "Thank you. Been hard keeping warm this Cylus. My status with the bank of Viden has been... Somewhat strapped. ... If I was more martial in nature, I would take up the Rangers in their bounty for Mer heads." A light chuckle escapes Sybil's lips, as well as a slow shake of the head. The student seems to be relaxing quite well, leaning to the side, just a bit, steel green eyes resting upon the man, "Mm? Yes, I don't think there are much of your species here, for whatever reason. But then again, I know not what climes your kind prefers. Or even what an Ithecal worships, in all honesty. The best I've seen has been from an anatomy book." A shrug of the shoulders is offered, idly, to that. Simply stating the fact of the matter, and admitting ignorance.

"What would you like to know?" Sybil asks of the Ithecal, with a slow tilt of the head. Giving him a curious look, as the student simply allows the cane to rest against the floor. And soon following, Sybil's body rests on its side on the floor, wrapped up in his blankets, as though the student were sleeping in a bedroll, "There's plenty of things to talk about. But I guess the more important part is the kinds of questions you'd ask, honestly. ... Knowing what to ask someone is pretty important. Otherwise you just end up talking in circles, or not knowing what to do with a conversation. ... Or you can drive someone irate." Sybil explains, letting out a soft chuckle, a comforted expression crossing the student's face, as the warmth begins to seep in through the blanket, "Like in the bar. If you asked the bartender what was in those drinks, or if they were watered down, it'd be far less good on you, compared to asking him about goings on, or what he was interested in. ... People have different things that set them off." A shrug leaves the student's shoulders, at that, "So... Fire away. Plenty of questions. Plenty room for trying."

[Tulias]

Tulias considered the students words, "A bounty on Mer heads? I may need to look into this." Tulias got up while he continued to listen to Sybil and unbuckled the leather belts that held hook system for the shield at his back and his sword and neatly placed the items at the corner of the tent, finishing with a gentle pat on his shield, a pat filled with pleasant memories and a hint of homesickness. He then returned to his guest and sat down next to them, crossing his legs and then grabbing a blanket to drape over his shoulders. Being a bit thicker of body, Tulias found that he wasn't as heavily affected by the weather as smaller thinner beings. He had more 'insulation' he heard it called. But a nice blanket was not only a nice comfort physically, but also mentally.

Tulias grabbed his chin in thought, tilts his head to the side, "Hm. I have many thoughts. Questions. Maybe start with the academy. What sort of things can you learn there? What do you study? How could someone enroll?" He then observed the tiny human wrap themselves up in one of his blankets. It reminded him of one of the bread rolls he had from a previous city he had visited, nice and buttery and slightly salty. Very tasty, but this human wrapped in blankets probably wasn't nearly as so. Tulias chuckled, both at his own idle thoughts and at the human's odd behavior. Tulias unraveled his tail from his side and used it to playfully yet gently, rock the human roll before him.

[Sybil Malach]

Slowly nodding, Sybil simply affirms that he had heard it correctly, "Yes, the Mer. Very nasty sort. We have an entire division of our military to deal with them. They conduct raids on coastal settlements rather commonly." A slow shrug of the shoulders is given to that, still keeping within the bed roll. It was comforting, at least. Sybil's eyes could rest, but the conversation would continue. It was like curling up on a couch with a friend. Only, this was a naiive student, speaking to a lizard man nearly twice Sybil's size, who had an affinity for shields and weapons. If this were any other person, this may have been a cautionary tale about trusting strange foreign men, and going into their homes without anyone else knowing of it, "But our numbers are quite small, as you've likely realized. Viden only looks large, because unlike other places, we don't spread out much. All of our people are very concentrated within the walls themselves. The Mariners can't really handle their numbers as well as a more martial nation could. So, in order to entice foreigners, they're paying around fifty gold nell per head." Sybil says this calmly, eyes fluttering open, glancing up at the Ithecal, curiously, "Would caution against doing that, unless you're comfortable with polearms, and you've got a few men with you. ... The Mer tend to be a nasty kind of folk, this far north."

Sybil can't help but stretch, once the human roll is slowly rocked back and forth. A soft yawn escaping the student's lips. Back, and forth... Back, and forth... The human roll is just kept on a repeating loop of a comfy gesture. The movement very obviously comforting, to the strange, very trusting human. If the Ithecal were any other person, it would be remarkably easy to simply snap the thing's neck and be done with it. But, amicable conversation continues on, gently, and with a good hint of calmness to it, "Mm... Right now, I'm just studying the anatomies of Idalos. Nothing innately surgical yet. But I don't really know what I plan on making my official Letter on." A shrug is given, to that, before tiredly glancing up to the massive Ithecal, "Well... You walk in, and talk to a receptionist. You'll have to pay to receive education, though, and it's highly likely that you'll, as well, need around a season of study." A blink is given to that, with a slow quirk of the head, "Well... If you can think of it, it's there. Magic, if you even trust such a thing, politics, medicine, linguistics, truly, it's a matter of what doesn't it teach, in that regard." Sybil lets out a light chuckle, at that.

[Tulias]

Tulias leaned back in thought, still idly rocking his companion. He began to speak out his thoughts, more so to himself than his friend, "I will need to find work and get a permanent residence before I invest in education. I already have some capability at hunting and fighting, so maybe I should look into joining the rangers for a time. Once I get settled in, I can start looking into education. This mer bounty sounds like a good place to start. I don't have much experience with a polearm, but I have my bow, that may be useful. If not, I'm sure I can find work elsewhere. Perhaps as a guard of some sort or a hunter."

He sat in thought, anyone could have seen that the gears in his mind were turning. Minutes later, he realized he was still rocking his friend. He stopped and kneeled forward, over them, to get a clear view of their face and in truth, peered directly into their jade eyes. Tulias wore a serious and thoughtful look on his face and spoke in a heartfelt tone, "Hey. I'm not sure why you have been helping me, but thank you. I greatly appreciate it and...that's not something I say lightly." He then sat back down on his thick planket that he had been using as a seat and with a more light hearted tone, "When I get a real home, and not just a tent, I will have to invite you over for a house warming party. Hopefully by then I will have more uh...comfort items." He lets out a playful chuckle.

[Sybil Malach]

"An education might help you, but it's also important to really consider what it is that you're hoping to get from it." Sybil blinks, for a bit, hearing the man's aspirations. A roll of the shoulders is given, freeing one of the student's arms, "An expert hunter might not really need a degree, I don't think. It'd make you look good for many things, don't get me wrong, especially in a place like this, where social worth is put upon how much you have to offer the society, but..." Sybil knits lips to the side, as the Ithecal stops rocking the student with his tail. A light grimace crossed the student's face as it did, but nothing was outright said, "But these will take you seasons upon seasons to properly get. Time that you could be better off bettering your body for the jobs you have assured, ahead. ... The Academy is very demanding. It will drain you quite heavily, in both finances, and time, if you choose to dedicate to it. ... You'll need more prowess with books, reading into whatever topic you choose academically, rather than practically. It can prove to be... A very challenging approach. But perhaps your idea is best. The Rangers offer training, and the best kind of 'education' you can get, with combat in the area..." Sybil trails off, as the man lowers himself, to meet eye to eye with the human burrito. A glance to the side is given, from Sybil, visibly made uncomfortable with the eye contact.

Blinking rapidly, the student's eyes fluttered as he got close. Sybil's features were soft. Not quite angular, nor pudgy. It was a matter of bone structure when it came to the face itself, lending to it a look that was more at home with more delicate, feminine sorts of faces. The pale, sheet white skin easily turned a bright shade of pink when flustered, as was now. The eyes appeared to be a cold color of green, like some sort of mixture between jade and a more common slate color, "Oh, uh... Thanks. That'd be nice. You can stop over by my dorm, if you'd like." Comes the offer. It's clear that the student was more offering it out of a nervous reaction to the man, tripping over the words with a clumsy manner, "And, ah... Don't mention it. It helps to have someone there for you. You seemed like a nice person, so I just kinda... Thought that you'd need someone to help you out. You seemed like, uh... What was it... Fish out of water?" A clumsy smile is shot in the Ithecal's direction.