Arc 721, Zi'da 30
The frozen mists of Zi'da spun lazily within the darkness as she walked through the city, making the ends of the streets disappear into nothingness. The season had always been a favorite, but within the arms of Etzos, things around her finally felt right. Despite everything Etzos was and its unique charm, which was a kind way of saying that the city wasn't much, she felt more at home than she had previously in Scalvoris Town, Egilrun, or Almund.
Perfect, she thought. An evening to fit my mood.
Scalvoris Town – the small corner of Idalos where she came from – knew her as the engaging Natalia Gregorios. With wits and ability, inner fire to match, she had grown under the watchful eye of her opportunistic father. However, the man himself had little to do with her education other than barking orders to a wide array of people to see that she was instructed in what he wished.
Natalia had become complex, right about when a young lady started her formal education for future life. Yes, 'complex' was a good word, although 'difficult' was probably an appropriate alternative. Most of her training revolved around people, and within that, she had learned to observe and question – arguably amongst the most important skills one could possess. Those lessons, she had learned well.
What made her difficult back then? Willfulness with a spicy dash of adolescence. Stephan Gregorios spoke of it often. Natalia knew how to manipulate her way around her father, abilities learned from a young age. Not direct tampering, of course. That would have been far too dangerous and foolish. He was not a kind man, and engaging him head-on in any manner wasn't a wise course of action. Having learned more subtle arts, Natalia learned to affect situations and circumstances, carefully cultivating them to her desired outcome through mindful interactions.
Then again, that had been in a somewhat controlled and known environment; the devil you know and all that. One could say much for being in a comfortable situation, but it dulled the senses, making one less sharp and their growth stunted because of it. For all those reasons and many more, staying had not been an option - at all.
A story for another trial.
Suffice to say, when the moment presented itself, she left it all behind to begin a life of her choosing, but those lessons were still with her, constantly nudging and becoming more a part of Natalia than she realized. Fortunately, the instruction served her well, providing understanding and a foundation in a world of ever-changing allegiances and deceptions.
Arriving in Etzos, she had quickly set out, with the encouragement of her cousin, travel companion, and mentor – Grayson – to find her footing in the new city. A city where she could lose herself and be reborn as that which the universe meant her to be. Where once being a Mortalborn seemed like a cruel sentence, she now sought to understand the strange and unique sensations within her and what it truly meant to be the child of an Immortal.
But something surprising had happened. Natalia was still there, all discipline and fire, but a new creature emerged from the shadows. Disciplined, yes, but fueled far more by instinct than the girl that arrived. A peculiar mix of impulse and determination. Etzos allowed her the anonymity to step out of her comfort zone and become something different. Well, perhaps not different, but certainly more evolved. Risky.
Reflecting on her time in the city, Natalia remembered the moment she realized that it would be where she would thrive. Simply existing wouldn't do for her.
It had been a night, similar to the current one, but oh-so-very different as well. There had been thick mists also, lazily dragging across her body as she roamed the city, looking for opportunities to sharpen her skills or even learn something new.
She indeed had found an unexpected and chance opening - a slim one - but it hadn't been without its challenges and risks. Whether aware of her presence or not, Natalia's opponent was very good at what they did. However, she hadn't the foggiest how - slipping through the shadows as if part of them, seemingly commanding the wisping phantoms to do their bidding. The young woman kept up the best she could, but she was certainly no match.
And yet she had kept trying. It always started, and for that matter, ended the same. Every few nights, she pushed herself further and further to chase someone that melded so perfectly into the embrace of darkness, and each time was left behind, unable to catch her prey. Natalia knew of dragons, monsters, and things that went bump in the night, but this was something far different. Having met this particular enigma, it was no beast, but that didn't automatically grant her insight or understanding. She would have to gain those on her own. Somehow.
Tenacity - Natalia had that in spades. She doubted anyone that ever knew her would say different, but there were always exceptions. When she wanted something, she went after it. The question then became what 'it' happened to be. Was there another reason for her relentless interest? Hard to say.
There were missteps in her searches, of course. She had no tremendous physical skill as of yet, and while Natalia could see relatively well, tracking someone, twilight and its shadowy forms only served to confuse her. Noises came from all around her, causing her to twist and turn, hoping for one brief glimpse of who she sought.
Natalia learned, rather quickly, that trying to keep an eye on a moving target offered up some unique challenges. The first lesson was a bit brutal, having crashed into a young man full force when her eyes weren't where they should have been. The youth had scrambled up to his feet, offering stuttering apologies when she didn't immediately confess to being the one to cause the incident and shuffled away into the night. Grayson had gotten a kick out of that story,
Stealth was another skill she sorely needed to work on, but her quarry's speed made that a little tricky. Speed and athletics were what she needed, and she had precious little of either. Natalia was getting stronger every trial, but training took time.
Grayson, ever helpful and annoying, had chuckled when listening to the stories of her frequent chases through Etzos but provided her with a few things she could begin to work on. Watching where one stepped was always an excellent start, not only to avoid obstacles but to ensure proper evading of objects that could give away one's position, not that her nightly activities were really about that. It never hurt to practice when the opportunity arose, though.
Some nights, the game went for breaks, and some were over before she knew it. Then again, Natalia had no idea how the other party viewed things as there was never any conversation, nor did she know if there was any awareness on their part. Perhaps it was a game for one? The shadows had no answers for her on that subject.
However, that night, Natalia wished the game to change. As much as she enjoyed the game of chess with her mysterious opponent, there was something else she needed more – answers. Information was power, and she had none where her mystery friend was concerned. They held all the cards, maddening as the realization was.
Well, that wasn't entirely true, now that she thought about it. She and her opponent shared one crucial trait – curiosity. Regardless of how they had acted upon their first meeting, the brunette was convinced she had made herself enough of a mystery to gain interest. Natalia perhaps held one card. Maybe that would be enough.
This time would be different. She wanted to talk, and as such, moved from tavern to tavern, looking for the one sought, but with little result. Even their mutual acquaintances - who knew her as Sophia Renaldi, as did all of Etzos - seemed unable to pinpoint precisely where the subject of her questions was, although they were eager to entice Natalia to stay and drink with them. Politely refusing, she launched herself back into the night, continuing her quest.
Sighing softly as she reoriented herself, Natalia's feet took her slowly down the alley, eyes lifting skyward as if the answers she sought were there, but nothing appeared. Nothing but the rolling mists, hiding the one she sought.
Where are you? We need to talk...
Her thoughts wouldn't, couldn't stop. It just wasn't who she was, nor had any inclination to be. Everywhere she traveled, people and places changed Natalia. Scalvoris Town. Egilrun. Almund. Etzos. Each brief touch on her life exposed her to truths and deceptions, leaving her to wonder just who she was. Was she Natalia or Sophia? Or was there a chance to learn how to blend the two, emerging from a shadowed cocoon as something new?