[Sabrina]

Elysia was pretty. Elysia was scenic. And somehow, underneath her excitement, Sabs knew that Elysia was dangerous for someone at the bottom of the pecking order, like her. She couldn't do much at this point in order of self defense of who knows what out there, and she could easily be beaten up by a drunken punch, but that could not diminish the flame of Sabrina's pizazz and confidence that she would explore Elysia. She hadn't met any new friends yet, but being solitary wasn't a bad thing. You could do whatever you wanted without anyone else getting in your way. And who better to do you a favour than yourself?

Danurai was on the tourism agenda, and thus Sabrina had proceeded to make her way there, hitting the populated village as opposed to the lonely lake. A long but pleasant journey, the lake now glittered exuberantly in front of her, like the sea back home. The Casius family had travelled to many places, but one of Sabs' favourite places to go was France. It was pretty, the people were pleasant and overall, it was the type of place she would choose to live. Sure, it wasn't as close to nature as Nymphs ought to be, but somehow, Sabs could co-exist with the urban world comfortably.

Right now, she was content to set on a wooden pier with her dark black hair gently cascading down her back, legs crossed, back straight, eyes fixed on the lake. It felt natural, it felt good. To be sitting where she felt like she belonged - with Nature. Because wasn't that where she belonged? She was much more acutely aware of it than other species. Nor did she complain. Sabrina loved all things natural; plants, animals, whatever. It was, of course, only natural for her to do so. But she could mould to both urban and rural environments. Which brought her to what she should pick for her element. As she was thinking about this, she didn't long for someone's company. Contentment was subtle.

[Loranth]

OOC: Sorry I wrote a novel D: I couldn't help myself! Won't happen again.

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

She allowed her horse to slow down to a gait as they rounded the western tip of the coastline. Patting her neck for a moment, Lora pointed her in a new direction and took off down the shore around Lake Cora. She wished she had enough money to buy the beautiful bay mare, but today she could only afford to rent her for a day (or two?) trip from the Ao Portal to Danurai. The ride to Lake Cora had been amazing. The land simply seemed to fall away as they make their way North from the Portal and east along the coast - Lora couldn't have picked a better horse to borrow for the day. She hadn't even seemed winded when Lora stopped halfway through the ride to rest, but Lora couldn't afford to push the horse too far when she didn't know how much she could take.

She wondered if the mare had some kind of Arabic blood in her lineage. Lora'd been introduced to Amira rather hastily, but they'd gotten to know each other a little through out the ride, which had lasted about three hours already. The man at the Inn hadn't really wanted to loan her the horse, but after some haggling, Lora was able to talk him into it, projecting reassurance as she offered him more coin than she wanted to spend. She had been a bit desparate in all honesty, but she wouldn't let the man see that in her.

"Amira. That sounds Arabic to me. You've got a pretty pluming to your tail too, don't you lady?" Lora talked to the horse and watched in amusement as Amira's ears had swiveled around at the sound of her name. "You're quite an expensive way to get around, you know. But I suppose you're worth it." Lora hoped this trip would pay off. She decided to write a feature piece on Lake Cora and Danurai for her upcoming deadline. Lora didn't want to think about what would happen if it didn't come out well on paper, but the thoughts came out anyway.

Loranth was struggling to meet her weekly deadlines writing for a small paper in the Elysian Underground. She'd never really struggled at anything before in her life like this. It didn't matter what she wrote, nothing seemed to be good enough to submit for publishing. Again and again, her pieces came back with red slashes through paragraphs and big question marks and other editing corrections that left her paper looking like it got into a bar fight and lost. She knew that if she didn't deliver up something spectacular soon, she could probably kiss her first job in Elysia good-bye.

Not that it paid that much. But it was a start. She often dreamed of running her own publication one day, but if she couldn't even master an entry-level free lance contract, how could she ever think she'd be good enough to actually run her own paper? She let a range of emotions wash over her as she berated herself over and over for having writer's block. She knew that if she didn't let them surface now to be dealt with, they'd end up coming back at an unexpected moment and wreck havoc in some secondary way. For now, she could deal with being miserable and hard on herself. It was the only way she knew that she could make herself resent failure enough to succeed.

She snapped back to the present when Amira snorted loudly, and edged the horse into a canter again. Up ahead she could see the village of Danurai. She had heard of its great trade for hunting trips, and shuddered to think what could be found on the northern shores of the lake. Lora had decided to keep to the trade route on the way, so she avoided any large creatures thankfully.

She slowed Amira down again as they passed the interesting buildings of the town, built on stilts...and then headed for the piers. Lora wanted to see the fish market first hand before anything else, as this is where a large part of the trade originating in Danurai came from. She found stable near the piers and swung her tired legs out of Amira's saddle, waiting for someone to emerge.

A young boy ran out from the interior and asked her if she'd like to leave her horse for a while. She wearily nodded while he took Amira's reigns. Lora rummaged in her saddlebag and came out with her satchel and her shawl. She did a little more rummaging in her satchel and and gave gave the boy his fee, and walked in the direction of the piers she could see jutting out from the land into the lake like the teeth on a wide tooth comb.

Loranth smiled as she took in the beautiful scene that sat before her. The sun glittered on the water, dancing across the waves as a slight breeze tossled Lora's curly hair. Lora could only imagine what her hair looked like after the ride here. She had worn it wrapped in a scarf, but eventually she gave up once they had reached the coast. She blew the frizzy curls out of her face and stepped onto one of the wooden piers, pulling her shawl a bit tighter across her back. She could see this day trip turning into an overnight one quickly as she felt the weariness of the ride taking its toll on her.

The uneven planks of wood under her feet were wobbly in a few spots. She realized this after she almost ended up tripping off of the pier. Luckily a large banister rope adorned each side of the pier, allowing Loranth something to hold onto when she toppled over. She pulled her shawl back into place. It was then she noticed a black-haired girl sitting on the opposite side of the pier. Lora wondered if the girl had seen her near miss of a fall. Probably not, she decided. The girl seemed pretty attuned to whatever lay infront of her.

Lora walked over to the girl's side of the pier and sat down a few metres away. She decided she could use a little while to take in the scene before deciding where to explore first.

[Sabrina]

Serenity took over her body. The gentle lapping of water under her body was mesmerising, splash, splish. The buzz of civilisation was barely heard in her mind, even though it was only at least twenty meters away from where her small form had placed itself on the edge of the pier. She inhaled deeply and the air was fresh but icy, like that brand of chewing gum they used to sell at the Wal-Mart back home. It was revitalising, but somehow a little taste of family vacations six years ago. Vacations to wherever the Casius family fancied. One of Sabs’ favourite destinations had been by the sea, by the sea where the salt stung the insides of your nostrils and the wind teased your hair. There was only one problem.

Sabrina didn’t tan.

Her skin burned. Naturally pale, that was one problem she was faced with when it came to holidaying. In fact, it was so troublesome that Factor 60 sun cream was in order for trips to places with sun that wasn’t even over excessive. Even Spain was a problem for Sabrina. Dark hair was common in the Casius family, as was pale skin, though Stan’s problem hadn’t been as bad as William’s and Sabrina’s, in fact he didn’t have it nearly as bad. Neither did Zach. He managed for his skin to tan to a light brown before he started burning, perhaps a rare gift in their family. But then again, Sabs was also the short one out of her siblings. Yet another thin for Stan to tease her about.

Grimacing at the thought, Sabrina felt the planks underneath her move slightly but paid them no heed: she focused on her own thoughts. What other people cared to do, she left them to their own devices, sometimes preferring to be left alone to whatever crossed her mind, whatever she found to entertain. Uncrossing her feet to let them dangle, she caught a strand of jet black hair blowing gently in the wind and placed it carefully back behind her right ear. Turning her head to see the girl next to her, cocking an eyebrow, she scrutinized the expression of the girl and eyed her up and down.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" After a little mental debate with herself, Sabs had decided to speak up. "Took me ages to get here, too. Good thing it was worth my while." A slight giggle escaped the enchanting girl and she offered a smile to the pretty lady sitting a short distance away from her. and it had been an arduous journey on horseback with a pretty chestnut horse who was tied up somewhere. Problem was, she forgot where. She'd find the stallion. Somehow. "Oh, forgive me. I'm Sabrina. And you are...?" Sabrina could feel her chatty nature rising up, hopefully that wasn't a problem for this girl.

[Loranth]

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

The breeze felt so good on her skin. Lora could see herself living in a place here some day. She was happy she'd dressed lightly because the sun was bearing down on her after her long ride, making her feel slightly sticky in her tank top and skirt. Her light shawl provided some protection against the sun, but Lora welcomed its rays, she hadn't been outside in the open for a long time. Luckily it wasn't that hot of a day, but the sun was nearing its peak in the sky. She'd set out early in the morning, because she knew the ride here would eat up a good chunk of the day.

I should probably get to the market while it's still bustling She thought it'd make a great starting point for the article she was writing. It was a new theme for her, the whole "getaway" idea, but if that's what her editor asked for, that's what she had to deliver. She just wished they'd actually provide some compensation for the transport fees she'd had to pay. Maybe if she got promoted they'd consider it, but not at this point in time. It was make or break time, and she could tell.

She heard a soft voice next to her and then it was louder, "Took me ages to get here, too. Good thing it was worth my while." Turning her head, she looked at the dark haired girl again and was surprised to see the piercing blue eyes the girl had staring back at her. Lora smiled as the girl giggled. She was very slight in build, and very pale. But her eyes led Lora to believe she wasn't as young as she looked.

The girl spoke again, "Oh, forgive me. I'm Sabrina. And you are...?"

"I'm Loranth," Lora replied in turn. "It does take ages to get here if you don't have wings. Luckily I was able to find a smooth ride here though, so I'm not too sore." Lora flashed the girl a friendly grin and stretched, arching her back. "You're right though. The journey is well worth the effort. It's so beautiful here, and such a gorgeous day to bring out the beauty of the water."

She wondered why a person with such pale skin would be outside on a summer day in such an exposed area.

"Pardon me for being nosey, but isn't it a bit sunny for you to be outside today? Aren't you afraid you'll get burned?" She tried not to sound too presumptuous as she asked the question, but she couldn't help asking it. She'd seen what sunburns could do to people with fairer skin, and it wasn't pretty.

[Sabrina]

Sabrina envied the girl’s skin. She was slightly tanned, it looked like, and more or else had the same gentle flush in her cheeks as Sabs did. She was sure that this girl, who answered that she was Loranth, could make herself all the more attractive with a nice even tan. And sure, Sabrina could use fake tan or spray tan, but that seemed to be a bit over-excessive, usually resulting in skin looking like, well… a fruit salad. That’s what Stan had always said; England had been dominantly taken over by a stereotype called ‘chavs’, and he had simply commented one day on how the females seemed to be looking more and more like the segments of orange in his fruit salads with every passing day. He had a point. Stan always had a point.

On top of that, Sabrina was short. Her three brothers were tall, lean Nymphs who had always - maybe not Will - for her height. 5”1, and very slight, Stan had always teased her - “How do you have friends when they can’t even see you?” - and she had nothing to rebound with. No flaw in him, nothing bad that had happened. Apart, of course, from his slightly OCD nature. He had to have his possessions aligned in a way that was exact, he had to have no smudges on his clothes, Tiki’s perch at a precise 120 degree angle so that it faced his bed on a slant. But why make fun of something that was a natural problem? Sabrina could ask Stan the same thing. Why continue a war that you would only lose anyway?

You're right though. The journey is well worth the effort. It's so beautiful here, and such a gorgeous day to bring out the beauty of the water.

Sabs only caught half of Lora’s sentence and unconsciously looked up from staring at the pale blue skirt adorning her frame. Her fingers seemed to find the edge of the black elbow-length top she was wearing fascinating, and with nothing of interest to say, she smiled and nodded. It was beautiful. The journey had been even more hard-pressed for Sabrina - her footwear was very unsuitable for keeping herself upright in a horse; light flip-flops. Well, it was summer, so why not keep as cool as you could? Sabrina had no problem with showing flesh as long as it kept her cool… or maybe just to show flesh for the teasing sake of it. Maybe.

Still, what Lora had said was true. The water was beautiful, and it glittered exuberantly in the rays of sunlight reflecting off its surface. Sabrina wished she could soak up more Vitamin D than her skin could cope with, but that wasn’t happening anytime soon. Pardon me for being nosey, but isn't it a bit sunny for you to be outside today? Aren't you afraid you'll get burned? Sabrina stared at the girl for a moment, looking incredulous, and then broke out in light-hearted, amused laughter. "Ha! Like I haven’t heard that one before," she answered, grinning. "It’ll probably be ten minutes max before I start burning, and then, I’ll have to get out of the sunlight if I don’t want to end up looking like an over-cooked person."

Sabs decided she liked the girl. She had a nice personality, and she seemed happy enough to consider being conversational. "Which reminds me to ask you a question." Smiling and admiring Lora’s curly hair, she cocked an eyebrow and continued. "I’m new to Elysia, and I have no idea what’s what here. I’m bottom of the pecking order. What species are you?"

[Loranth]

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

She was still looking at Sabrina's pale skin as the girl answered Lora's question. She seemed taken aback at first, but then she laughed. Lora raised her eyebrows. What she said wasn't meant to be funny. An awkward smile plastered to her face, she listened to what Sabrina said next, "Ha! Like I haven’t heard that one before. It’ll probably be ten minutes max before I start burning, and then, I’ll have to get out of the sunlight if I don’t want to end up looking like an over-cooked person."

Lora wondered how long she'd already been sitting on the pier. She seemed nice, but Lora wasn't sure how to take her yet. She continued, "I’m new to Elysia, and I have no idea what’s what here. I’m bottom of the pecking order. What species are you?"

Lora thought for sure that Sabrina had seen her eyes when Lora was staring into hers before they'd introduced themselves, but it was possible that the sun had been in Sabrina's eyes. Lora scooted a tad closer to Sabrina on the pier, closing the space between them by a foot or two and leaned towards the black haired girl.

"I'm a dragon. See my eyes? They're not like yours. Yours are really beautiful. I bet you hear that a lot too," Loranth said, sitting straight again, with a smirk on her lips. "I'm also recently new to Elysia. I'm from Paris originally. Now it's my turn to be nosey again - what species are you? You don't have wings like some people I've seen here."

Lora wondered when the girl would want to get out of the sun. Maybe she'd like to join me in some sight-seeing around? It would make the day more adventurous if she wasn't alone gathering research for her piece.

[Sabrina]

Sabrina had never really considered what other people's impression of her was. Lora surely wasn't showing what she thought of Sabs, and the Nymph felt uneasy for that, for once being more acutely aware of the reactions of her companion. She wondered what it'd be like if she were a Blue Dragon or something, and could hear people's thoughts. That would be useful. Your enemy would have to keep a blank mind if you were fighting, and who can keep a blank mind while they're plotting their moves? Strange thoughts, but hey. Sabrina was a girl whose thought patterns were generally out of the ordinary anyway. She felt sorry for people who would have to hear her thoughts anytime soon; some of them were childish and completely irrelevant. As for her idea to be a Blue Dragon... she had no idea about the migraines that generally came with them hearing voices.

When Lora scooted closer, Sabrina had leaned forward, an unconscious action, but intrigued. She'd never noticed the distinguished feature before, but now, she admired the hatchling colour of Lora's eyes and smiled. "My eyes are boring. Blue is common, and besides, just because you have slitted eyes doesn't mean I'll like you any less." She beamed, enthusiastic about making friends with the curly haired dragon. "They make you unique as a Dragon. As for me... there's a reason why people might comment on my features." A giggle escaped her, sounding like when as young girls you play dares and its funny but naughty because Jessica had to kiss Liam on the cheek.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm a Nymph, like my three brothers and my dad, and like my mom was. We're at home with Nature, things like that. I haven't met any others while I've been here." Smile turning into a frown, she looked down at the lake thoughfully. "I haven't met anybody while I've been here, to be perfectly honest with you. I've been left to my own devices, I guess." The smile appeared once more, and she looked at Lora. "But now I've met you. I can feel myself burning, my skin is hot." Pause. Hesitance. "Want to come explore Danurai with me?"

[Loranth]

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

So Sabrina was a Nymph... she was very pretty in a way Lora couldn't exactly put her finger on, but Lora hadn't considered the possibility of her being anything but an attractive young woman. Lora didn't actually know too much about Nymphs, having previously not met any, but it was on her list of things to learn about. A list that was getting rather long, she realized. The idea of researching Elysia's history was becoming more and more important to her as the days went on. There was so much she wanted to know, and she knew it would help her figure out where exactly her life fit into all of it. Her mother had explained her own race's heritage to herr, because obviously she was different from the other children she saw in Paris. Luckily there was a community of other Dragons she could go to school with, and be around, because she found it hard to watch humans age so much more quickly than she did. But Nymphs and Therians and Anyelos...it was all new territory for Loranth to cover. She relished it and feared it at the same time.

The seagulls crying overhead reminded her that although Elysia was a whole new world, there were some parallels to life on Earth. She would just have to make the most of things here until she was settled in.

When Sabrina mentioned her skin was starting to burn, Lora stood up from her seat on the edge of the pier, holding her shawl in place with one hand. Looking back down the pier towards the shore, she motioned in that direction and asked, "Did you want to head that way first? I'm here to write a review on Danurai for my job. The market looks like a good place to start, or if you've a horse like me for today, we can explore the outskirts as well. Up to you," she said warmly to the girl.

She smiled and offered her free hand to help Sabrina up. "C'mon! Let's go."

[Sabrina]

Of course, Sabrina had an adorable smile of euphoria spread across her lips, blue eyes alight with the strange excitement you find in the eyes of a child who has just stepped into a toy store. Fascination and unmistakeable happiness. Sabs was euphoric not because there were shelves upon shelves of toys and other childish delights laid out before her, but because she had a new friend. Elysia was no longer as lonely and desolate as it had been before, sans family, sans friends. Sabrina had never missed or wanted her mother so much as the beginning of her time in Elysia. Naturally, she missed her closest parent and wondered what advice would have been given to her by her mom. That was probably what had gotten her through her first few days in Elysia: trying to put herself into her mom's shoes and thinking of what advice she would give her own child.

Sabrina liked Lora. She had a habit of trying to like people, and it worked the majority of the time. Emphasis on majority. Sabs had always considered herself quick to make friends, but in Elysia, everything was... different. And although she didn't know what she had expected of Elysia, it was hard changing from one lifestyle to a different one so quickly. It was like... transferring schools. Only a much bigger commitment and move; moving dimensions was a little bigger than moving from a public to a private school or moving house. It was like migrating... only a hundred times harder. Everything was different, the land, the people, the races, everything Sabs had been used to, changed.

Smile turning to a grin, the Nymph took the offered hand and pulled herself to her feet, flip-flops making a soft noise as she turned on the spot, face showing confusion. The difference between their heights was tremendous to say in the least, there had to be a good 7 inches from the top of Sabrina's head to the top of Lora's. 5"1 was short, and Lora was pretty tall. Still. The breeze pleasantly found its way through her light and simple clothing, and touched her hair gently. Yet the sun still burned. "Sure! I tied my horse outside of an inn somewhere, but I forgot where," she answered, her words accompanied by a complimentary giggle. "Besides, I want to see Danurai first. It's pretty here." Sabs began the walk down the pier back to the shore at a reasonable pace, the sun attempting to turn her skin from its milky white to tomato red. "Let's go sight-seeing, Lora!"

[Loranth]

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

It seemed Lora had found a sight seeing partner after all! Sabrina took the hand Lora had offered and stood up, turning around. It was then that Lora realized just how slight the Nymph's frame was. It was like helping a child to its feet really, she was so light. And the height difference between them was a good half foot at least. She tried not to smirk as a look of confusion flickered on Sabrina's face.

Sabrina replied to her question with, "Sure! I tied my horse outside of an inn somewhere, but I forgot where," she answered, her words accompanied by a complimentary giggle. "Besides, I want to see Danurai first. It's pretty here." The Nymph started down the pier towards the shore, exlaiming, "Let's go sight-seeing, Lora!"

Lora watched her walk away for a moment or so. She was happy that she'd found a new acquaintance to explore the area with. Sight-seeing alone was always sort of depressing to her. Sabrina might have some insight different to her own for the article as well, which could be a good thing. Adjusting her satchel and shawl, Lora caught up with Sabrina's stride easily, which wasn't surprising when you compared the width of their strides.

"I was going to check out the Fish Market first, because I've heard it's a major part of Danurai's economy. But I guess we can wander a bit if you want? I don't mind, as long as I get to see all the major parts of the area for my article," she suggested to Sabrina.

Shielding her eyes against the sun, she spotted the tents of the Market not too far away. She pointed towards them.

"Look. There are the tents there. We should probably get out of the sun for a while, wouldn't you think?"

[Inimicus]

((OOC Hope you dont mind me hoping in ))

" Yes yes Nacht I'll give you a rest soon...honestly you big baby you've done worse than this before and not gotten tired. How about I just walk with you in a bit, keep your muscles moving you bir brute "

Inimicus rubbed the neck of the large clydesdale he was sitting on as they approached the city on stilts. It had been one heck of a long ride, not one he was unused to on Nacht, but one he was unused to with such little scenery to look at. He had to pass the time singing songs and he had run out of ones to sing, Nacht had become used to Inimicus and tried to hurt him less, but even still it was obvious he did not like the long trip most of which they were galloping. The large clydesdale snorted as Inimicus petted him and continued on his way in a quick trot

"alright alright I'll give you some oats when we get there okay....just get to the pier. I've been wanting to see Lake Cora so much, I am suprised I have not gone to see it before now "

The pair of rider and mount finally made it into the city proper, if you could call it that. Inimicus looked around with a raised eyebrow, he was from Berlin and this city was very....quaint...to him. He pulled up on the reigns slightly showing Nacht he could slow down as they passed the houses on stilts. He turned him to where the merchant from Danurai said the pier was, he had said it was a popular spot. Smiling Inimicus made his way onto the pier.

There he saw many people walking back and forth, talking happilly and enjoying the sun. Inimicus had to admit he loved it too, Xanth made sure he could enjoy the sun which made him incredibaly happy. Looking at him if you didnt see him the fangs no one would guess he was a vampire, his mothers genes...being arabic...combined with his fathers Aryan genes provided an interesting perma-tan look. He looked as a pair of girls, one suprisingly tall with slit eyes so apparently a dragon....though what color he couldnt tell from here, and one a very short girl who he was guessing was a nymph. They had no outside signs but this girl was amazingly beautiful, Inimicus was too used to women to be amazed by someone who didnt have a nymph heritage backing her up...so he was making a good assumption here.

He listned with a smile as they planned to go sight-seeing, that was nice to see such enthusiams. He laughed a little as they worried about the girl burning and moved his horse over to stand beside them. Quickly dismounting and holding Nacht's reigns he smiled at the pair. He would have stopped anyway, if they were going sightseeing he figured he could join them, but this provided a nice entrance for him. He flashed a tooth smile at the pair and spoke, his accent somewhat noticable since he stopped trying to hide it.

" Actually I would not worry about burning, if you could burn trust me I would have an issue as well. I..."burn"....very easily with a much worse and permenant side effect. I am Inimicus Malus, I heard your conversating....would you mind if I joined you while you take a tour around? "

• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[Sabrina]

Lora was tall. Sabrina was so short, and it could have been considered comical when they stood together. Lora was perhaps a little on the short side for a dragon, and Sabs was a lot on the short side for a Nymph. They were not at all ill met then, and maybe quite well suited to be friends. Elysia was not as desolate as a week ago, nor did it seem as foreign as it had a week ago. In fact, Elysia was beginning to seem like a new home and it was beginning to seem friendly. Sabrina didn't do well with strange places that much.

Nor did she cope well with sunburn.

Sunburn on her skin soon turned to blisters, and blisters were one of the most painful things Sabrina had ever experienced. Especially when her skin was red and tender, and as if things couldn't get worse, the whole wound blistered up into a painful injury that she'd wince and cry out in pain at the slightest of touches on it. That had happened several times before, and Sabs was intent on not letting it happen again. She didn't even have any sun cream.

"I was going to check out the Fish Market first, because I've heard it's a major part of Danurai's economy. But I guess we can wander a bit if you want? I don't mind, as long as I get to see all the major parts of the area for my article."

"Your article? What're you writ-" Sabrina had turned around to see if Lora was following, but the dragon had then soon appeared next to the nymph, and then the nymph's slight frame had collided with another humane being as she walked backwards. Lora spoke again, and Sabrina, still a little dazed and confused, nodded. Turning to the person she'd bumped into, she looked up at the male and let her accident sink in. "Oops! I'm sorry, terribly sorry - are you okay?"

"Look. There are the tents there. We should probably get out of the sun for a while, wouldn't you think?" Sabrina found herself in the middle of two people and two conversations, but proceeded to speak to both. It was her fortune that the words from both sides intermingled and mixed. "Yes, Lora, that's a great idea. I could try and help with the article you're writing, too."

"Actually I would not worry about burning, if you could burn trust me I would have an issue as well. I..."burn"....very easily with a much worse and permenant side effect. I am Inimicus Malus, I heard your conversating....would you mind if I joined you while you take a tour around?"

Sabs caught a slight glance of his fangs and curiously drew her intrigued eyes away from the glistening points. She replaced her curious expression with a wide smile and gave him some space. "I'm Sabrina, and this is Lora," the nymph chirped up, excited to obtain another companion; she was quite the social butterfly. "Call me Sabs though, it's much better. And I'm sure you can come, as long as Lora also agrees!" She giggled childishly and clapped her hands together, turning to Lora. "We can go to the market, like you suggested. All go sight-seeing together."


OoC; I'm sorry, guys. This will probably be my last post for two weeks, and you can gmod Sabrina, but please don't gmod her majorly because, although its a real inconvenience, I'd like to try to finish Sabs' threads myself. Thanks.

[Loranth]

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

Walking slightly behind Sabrina, Lora's eyes were drawn to a large clydesdale approaching the point that Lora and Sabrina were heading to. The horse was a beautiful specimen of the breed, and Lora couldn't help but admire the power under the sheen of sweat on the stallion's hide. She did think it was peculiar that someone would be riding one for transport, howerver. She knew they were usually used as work horses in most places where the breed could be found.

The figure riding the massive stallion dismounted behind Sabrina as she turned around and walked backwards, asking Lora, "Your article? What're you writ-" The Nymph accidentally walked backwards into the rider, who was very polite indeed. Sabrina then apologized to the newcomer and agreed to help Lora with her article, but Lora wasn't really paying attention now, as she was more interested in what the rider of the clydesdale would have to say.

He flashed the pair a smile, and Lora realized he wasn't a normal human here in Elysia...if he was, he had very sharp incisors. ;"Actually I would not worry about burning, if you could burn trust me I would have an issue as well. I..."burn"....very easily with a much worse and permenant side effect. I am Inimicus Malus, I heard your conversating....would you mind if I joined you while you take a tour around?" She thought she detected an accent in his pronounciation as he introduced himself. She liked the way it sounded, and decided that she'd like to hear more as she mentally approved of his suggestion. She didn't answer him right away though. Instead, she let Sabrina introduce them both to him.

Lora thought he was very easy on the eyes...but she could find any type of men easy on the eyes..as long as the said type was taller than her. This particular one must've been at least 6'3" in height. Perhaps his height was a good reason for choosing to ride such a large horse, Lora thought. Smiling as Sabrina chattered to Inimicus, Lora studied his face as the Nymph giggled during the conversation, and then Sabrina clapped as she turned towards Lora once more, "We can go to the market, like you suggested. All go sight-seeing together."

Lora found herself feeling a bit ordinary compared to the Nymph in the presence of the new arrival. It always seemed to be the case for her. She definitely wasn't a wallflower, but Lora often felt that she had to work twice as hard to get as much notice or endearment as someone so obviously attractive like Sabrina. She had seen what being what society would call a beauty could do for someone.

There's no place for feeling like this now, Lora. You just met them both! Chill. She told herself to not worry about anything of that sort yet. It could turn out that the Vampire (if he was one) may not be her type anyway. She pushed this feeling aside and reminded her self to be happy to finally have some company in this new world and smiled again, welcoming Inimicus. "Of course you are welcome to join us! We should probably find somewhere for you to stable your beautiful mount first though, unless you don't mind leading him around? I can show you where I left my mare, if you like," she offered.

[Inimicus]

Inimicus smiled kindly as the petite nymph bumped into him and backed away seemingly embarassed. It felt odd to combine the words petite and nymph, the species was never known for its height or weight...Ammanity had been quite small herself and Dora was thin though slightly taller. Still this girl, this Sabrina was something different, petite definatly described it well he realized as he glanced at her.

He smiled as the girl quickly found herself in two discussions, discussions she kept straight remarkably well. Inimicus smiled kindly as the girl finished talking to her companion, introduced herself and her companion to Inimicus and apologized, made a suggestion to her companion and then back to him. That feat of cognition was somewhat amazing and it only made Inimicus smile broader, it was nice to get away from the office...suprisingly the crypt was quite gloomy. He chuckled a little and bowed slightly to both of the women

"It is my great pleasure to meet the both of you, Sabrina, Loranth"

As he spoke each of their names in turn he attempted to place a kiss on their hands. Straightening his back he turned to Sabrina, Nacht was being suprisingly good but then again Inimicus WAS holding him tightly and the horse had by now learned his owner's strength.

"Do not worry, I am perfectly alright. I suppose you will be glad to know you do not have to worry about burning so much here, I overheard you talking. Xanth has filtered out the Ultra-Violet radiation thus preventing 3 things, tanning, burning, and Vampires bursting into flame during daylight....that last part makes me happier and happier each day, as much as I love the night day is so much sweeter."

With that he turned to Loranth as she began to speak. Now this was an interesting woman, something about her was oddly interesting. The way she dressed reminded him of people you no longer saw in Germany after World War II, the Romani. He didnt know why but she reminded him of a gypsy, who were sadly absent from his homeland. Add to that her eyes were a color remarkably similar to his own emerald ones...though with slits instead of pupils. This was the first Green dragon he had met....that he knew was a Viridis, and the first female dragon who had not been a hatchling. He smiled as she spoke and turned his head to look at Nacht. The large clydesdale looked down and met his eyes Inimicus looked up at the horse and talked to it in german

" Oh yes you big brute, you are hoping for that arent you? I tie you up you break free and give me a good old heart attack until deciding to come back. Not gonna happen my friend, you are staying with me and if you give me any trouble I will make sure you never get oats again "

He turned back to Loranth and smiled

" That is very kind of you Ms. Loranth, however believe me when I say you dont want Nacht anywhere near your mare. He can be somewhat of a handful and neeeds a very strong hand to deal with. I would prefer to walk him around if you do not mind too much. However I would love to go anywhere you two are heading "

Inimicus flashed another toothy smile at both the ladies

" How long have the both of you been in Elysia? "

For all he knew they could have been here from birth. However Loranth with her odd dress he guessed was from earth, and Sabrina was very obviously new to Elysia so he was making a polite assumption on their origins. It did occur to him however that he himself had not even been here a year yet.

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[Sabrina]

Being short was not at all easy. You could not gaze around, acting like a periscope, or make yourself known to taller beings to avoid perhaps being hit on the head by carelessly swinging arms or maybe in the middle of a group conversation. Now was a similar situation, although both of the young girl's companions were not chatting incessantly as if her existance had not made itself known to them. While she was not speaking, Sabs stared wide-eyed at the towering horse and took a step toward it. Being a Nymph she could get along harmoniously with animals of all shapes and sizes, breeds and species. The horse, however, intimidated her slightly - she barely topped its great powerful legs.

She'd hate riding the stallion, he was so big, her short legs would never even, in a million years, so much as reach the stirrups. In fact, Sabrina suspected that horse riding altogether, even perhaps a pony, would be an arduous feat for someone like herself. Someone as small and as repelled by all forms of sport as a mosquito by insect repellant. She would never stand a chance with anything that required such amounts of energy and concentration. As a matter of fact, the girl was not at all big on even jogging. There was no need when you could stay thin anyway.

Sabrina had let escape a small giggle which mirrored her clearly not fully matured character when soft lips were pressed to her delicate hand. That was a good word. Delicate, fragile. Both described the Nymph well, she thought. There was blatantly no contradiction; it was not an opinion, it was a fact, a statement. A sentence that dared someone to hastily object and beg to differ, but perhaps that person was hallucinating or blind. That person was not at all well informed.

She was glad to hear that both Lora and Inimicus were happy to oblige and trail along on a sight-seeing trip around Danurai, and even more glad that the goddess had more than enough sense to cater to all the needs and weaknesses of her people. The vampire (or possibly an odd human who is convinced he is a vampire) and the dragon seemed well suited, and more than happy, to be the frivolous, quirky yet peppy Nymph's companions for that day. A day that was glorious and seemed even more so by having no UV rays to crispify her skin.

"How long have the both of you been in Elysia?" Sabrina back-tracked over the course of a week and shrugged unsurely. "I'd say, for me, five days. It's a right change from America," she answered with a good-natured laugh, small frame rocking with amusement. Eyes once again flickering to the menacing horse, she stretched out a hand toward his muzzle, pausing halfway through the action. "Your horse - is he friendly enough to touch? I'm not particularly powerful as a Nymph yet."

[Loranth]

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"It is my great pleasure to meet the both of you, Sabrina, Loranth," she heard him say, and then he took her hand and kissed it. The Vampire certainly had good manners, Lora thought, she looked down as his lips brushed her hand, and tried not to blush. She wondered if he did everything with such a flair and presence as he turned to Sabrina and explained that no one in Elysia could actually be sunburned.

"That's wonderful that Xanth would do such a nice thing for people," she interjected absentmindedly as her brain worked out how this would apply to other aspects of life in Elysia. She thought it would be interesting to explore the subject in the future.

Part of his speech had proven that he was indeed a Vampire. He was the first one she'd met in Elysia. She was sure she must've seen a few on Earth, but only because her mother always accepted many different visitors into their home in Paris. They'd come in the middle of the night sometimes, with messages or packages and then leave as silently as they'd arrived.

Inimicus smiled at her again and then turned to his horse and spoke to him in what Lora thought was German. It sounded like he was giving the horse a stern but loving talking to, and she smiled to see that he cared for his animal. She liked that in a person. He turned back to her and switched to his accented English, politely refusing her offer to show him to the stable,"That is very kind of you Ms. Loranth, however believe me when I say you dont want Nacht anywhere near your mare. He can be somewhat of a handful and needs a very strong hand to deal with. I would prefer to walk him around if you do not mind too much. However I would love to go anywhere you two are heading." He smiled before asking them how long they'd been in Elysia.

She let out a soft laugh at his precautionary decision and smiled, looking at Nacht. He was right to not want his stallion near her mare, but she was sure the stable had plenty of stalls to put between the two. Surely the horse could be contained in one at the other end, and contented with a nice bag of oats to pass the time with while they wandered about Danurai. If he was content to lead the clydesdale around that was his choice, but he certainly wouldn't be entering any buildings or tents with the horse. She asked him once more about the stable and if he said no, she'd let the subject drop.

"Are you sure you're content with leading him around? You may miss out on things if we decide to enter the market or elsewhere. I'm sure the stable has a few empty stalls and can make sure there's a few between your horse and mine, and I've never met a horse that couldn't be distracted with some sweet oats to occupy his time for little while."

Meanwhile, Sabrina answered his inquiry and reached out to pet Nacht's muzzle. Lora would've thought twice about doing that from what because of what Inimicus had said about him, and was relieved when the Nymph paused to ask if it was alright to touch the horse.

She took the opportunity to answer the Vampire's last question, "I've only been here a few weeks myself. Mostly around the EU, I like to stay in well populated areas because I'm used to being in a big city like Paris, where I grew up. My mother lived here for quite sometime before I was born though. I'm really liking it so far, and I haven't found it that hard to adjust to, but perhaps that's because of my mother...what about you? Have you been here long? I wouldn't think someone born here would have the accent you do..."

She readjusted her shawl and waited for his reply, smiling at Sabrina's fascination with the horse. "He truly is a beautiful horse, isn't he?"

[Inimicus]

It was a good day, Inimicus closed his eyes and smiled. Two new friends, a new place, a tour, and no worries...it also didnt hurt that both his new companions were very attractive. Being King was a position he took pride in, but he wasnt going to even pretend that it was easy...there was just so much to do. He had bills to sign for the Crypt, documents to look over, castes to help people into, Shadow Warriors to look over, actions they took to look over, and a campaign to plan. It was nice to just get out and be Inimicus Malus for once.

He smiled at the next few things that happened, the responses from both women and the motion of the nymph. Her motion made him draw in breath in a worried way, but she stopped her hand luckily as Nacht was pulling on his reigns a bit. Smiling he looked at Sabrina and spoke

"He is a strong willed horse, but you can touch him in just a moment"

Inimicus turned to his horse and looked him in the eyes

" be nice Nacht "

Putting his hand into his pocket he pulled out a handful of oats, he always kept lots of them around for Nacht...he did love his oats. He turned to Sabrina and moved to pour the oats into her hands. Smiling as he did so

" just feed him these as you pet him, he wont do anything you have my promise "

He turned to Loranth and smiled at the dragon as she asked if he was sure about leading Nacht around. Pursing his lips he realized she was right, he would just hope Nacht was distracted by his oats too much to play some tricks on Inimicus or the mare of this dragon.

" Hmmm perhaps you are right, the big brute does love his oats, he just loves to get into mischief...i'll just have to hope that he wont on this occasion. I would be loath to have to miss any place I could tour with you lovely ladies "

he smiled as both their answers to his question on how long they had been here sunk in. So the nymph was American that was...interesting. He wasn't going to claim he had ever been particularly fond of America or Americans...all the ones he had ever met were loud, crude, and way too arrogant for their own good. He knew not all Americans were like that just like not all germans were jew-haters...but still he did not like them as much as other people. The girl however was French, he thought he had detected that...he used to vacation in Nice with his family. He smiled as she asked him how long he had been here.

" I have been here approaching eight months, in a few days it will be 8 months actually. As you have likely guessed I am from Germany, Berlin to be specific. So believe me when I say I understand the love of big cities, still I honestly prefer a nice quiet night or a small town once in a while to the throngs of people. Pardon me if this question is rude, but do you perhaps have any Romanii in your heritage? Your clothing style reminds me somewhat of the ones I have seen in other countries around Europe. "

He turned to Sabrina and smiled, he didnt hate americans, just had no extra love for them so there was no reason to be mean.

" America that is...interesting...where in America are you from? New York? Los Angeles? "


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[Sabrina]

Eye contact. Were you supposed to keep it with horses, or did it censored them off? Whichever way was not really of consequence; Sabrina had hastily lowered her gaze to her feet when she realised she had no idea which was the correct idea. With baited breath did her eyes flicker from Loranth to Inimicus, and vice versa, as if watching a particularly good tennis match. And before she knew it, oats were being poured into her small hand, and she nodded to Inimicus’ words. He was the owner, and she had no clue of how to handle a horse nearly twice the size of her, even though all she wanted to do was stroke the blasted creature. She’d be damned if she didn’t even get to run her hand down a horse’s muzzle.

These were the problematic situations of being the lowest of the low. Inimicus looked strong, not to mention foreign and oddly attractive, an intriguing man to say in the least, and exceptionally polite. All in all, Sabrina could say she liked the vampire, as she did Lora. Two new friends in one day. At least the behavioural ways of people in the strange new land of Elysia were the same as the Earthly ones. Only… Elysia’s inhabitants were a lot more varied and interesting than humans. Variety was, of course, the spice in the simmering pot of life.

Or at least, you could say that.

"He truly is a beautiful horse, isn't he?" Sabrina looked up from her thoughts and musings, confusion flickering briefly across her face, her brow creasing, but then realisation took the limelight and she nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes! In my opinion, he's prettier than the horse I rode here on," she answered, paused, and then unsurely continued. "I'm not sure where I tied him up, though... I think it was in an inn. Nevermind though. It was probably my excitement to get around."

Sabrina stepped forward in between the two and extended her hand slowly toward the massive horse, trying to keep her actions confident and free from letting loose any small emotion of perhaps fear. Her other hand, holding the oats soon followed, trembling slightly on the way. Her facade was nearly ruined then, but nervousness dominated her; the great big horse could easily squash her flat between one of those tremendous, rock-solid hooved and the strong wood planking of the pier, perhaps, if it sensed that she wasn't actually as confident as she looked.

The hand that held nothing finally reached Nacht, and in one tentative motion, slowly slid down the horse's muzzle. Sabs gulped and repeated the movement, then stopped mid-way, her hand held out with her offering of oats, as Inimicus spoke to her. "America that is...interesting...where in America are you from? New York? Los Angeles?" She blushed and laughed unsurely, shoulders shrugging. "Actually, I came from somewhere small town. Quaint little town surrounded by all manner of nature, I loved it there. It's called Bangor,and it's in Maine but I doubt you city-folk will have heard of it... we're not really known for anything."


OOC: is this godmodding? If so, may I have permission for it?

[Loranth]

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"Hmmm perhaps you are right, the big brute does love his oats, he just loves to get into mischief...i'll just have to hope that he wont on this occasion. I would be loath to have to miss any place I could tour with you lovely ladies" Lora heard Inimicus say. She was glad he thought her idea was a good one...she wouldn't mind spending the day sightseeing with him. The last bit of that reply had her biting her lip while she tried to figure out which girl the "lovely ladies" was aimed at.

Certainly not her...when compared with Sabrina. She took another look at the smooth, silky black hair on the Nymph and pictured how wild and wind blown her hair must look in comparison. Lora wondered how the girl had managed to have her hair look so radiant after a ride on horseback to Lake Cora. Perhaps she hadn't come as far as Loranth had, or maybe Nymphs just had great hair. She rummaged in her satchel for a scarf to tie it back with as the Nymph fed the oversized horse some oats. Finally she found one that would compliment the colors in her skirt and pulled it out. It was a pattern of rich plums and golds that she'd always loved. She held the scarf in her mouth as she ran her fingers through her hair, willing the tangled ends to separate a bit. She then tied it in a low pony tail at the nape of her neck as her fingers moved nimbly to secure the scarf in place.

She redraped her shawl across her shoulders as Inimicus continued on to say that he'd been in Elysia for a good part of one year. She smiled when he affirmed her guess at a German accent. People who came from Europe were often well travelled, the next country was only usually a short train ride in one or another direction. He'd flashed her a few friendly smiles while he talked as well, and she found herself warming up to the Then it was his turn to ask Lora a question about her heritage. In all honesty, she didn't know much about her father's side of the family. Her Mother's side, however, was mostly French.

"Your guess is as good as mine on Romanii being in my blood, I must admit I don't exactly know my whole family tree. My mother's lineage is mostly French though. And I have what some would consider a peculiar taste in clothes...I will often choose comfort over fashion when I pick my clothing. I never know exactly what I may be doing from one day to the next here it seems! Elysia is full of surprises." She smirked as she remembered the day she met the rodent-like Therian while on the way to the courier with that package for her mother. She still didn't think anything would top the surprise of that meeting.

Then he turned and asked Sabrina where she was from in America. When Sabrina mentioned her hometown, Lora's mind pulled a blank card out of the places in America she knew...the Nymph was right when she said that they'd probably not know of the place. It looked as though the Nymph had triumphed in her quest to stroke Nacht's muzzle, her hand running down the bridge of his nose. From what Inimicus had said, the horse had a headstrong nature. Lora'd been around a few horses like that ... and didn't want to be on the receiving end of a bite.

Lora looked towards the markets again. She didn't want to delay the tour around the village any more than she had to. Meeting Sabrina and Inimicus was a bonus of her trip here, but she still had that article to write.

"So, now that we all know eachother a bit, shall we start that tour around Danurai?" She rocked back and forth from her heels to the balls of her feet and hoped the other two were satisfied with their introductions.

[Inimicus]

((OOC: Yah I think it is a godmod Sabrina, but I give you permission ^^
And yah...creepy Sabrina I live near Bangor, Maine ))

Inimicus smiled as the two women answered him, and he didnt respond...he wanted to take in all they said. He had found too often that answering one person too early would cause you to miss what someone else said. He chuckled a little under his breath as he saw the girl move gingerly towards his horse, at least she wasnt being too overconfident.

Inimicus thought back on when he had first gotten Nacht, the damn horse had been a handful. Now however he was used to Inimicus and was like a friend to him, even if one that you had to keep a firm grip on. The nymph was wise to be a little cautious, Nacht could crush her like a bug and would likely kick her in the very least, had Inimicus not been there. She moved her hand towards the Clydesdale's muzzle. As she did so Nacht put a little pressure on his reigns, trying to jerk his head back. Inimicus turned to the horse and glared into his eyes pulling down on the reign.

The horse glared at him in return by stopped fighting it. Then he saw the oats in Sabrina's hand. He moved forward and started eating the oats from her hand as she petted him on the muzzle. As soon as the oats were gone he left his head in her hands for a moment, Inimicus trained him to do that. However he wasnt going to stay there forever, just a bit to let her pet him.

Inimicus smiled as Sabrina mentioned where she was from. It was indeed a tiny place, nothing important...today. However Inimicus had heard of it, briefly in passing. His parents expected him to know a lot of history, and he remembered reading about that place providing massive amounts of timber for use in warships of earlier times. However that was when it was still part of Massachussetes...he remembered that America had split it from Massachussetes when Missouri had been made a state, to maintain the balance of free and slave states. Today however, it was nothing important, Maine had some important locations...Bath in particular...but Bangor was not one of them.

He turned to her and smirked

" Actually Sabrina...yes I have heard of it from my history studies. Used to be one of the centers of timber used for warships correct? From what I hear now, nice quiet little place, its nice to grow up somewhere like that. "

He then turned to Loranth and smiled even broader. He should have expected, of course, she wouldnt know. Most people didnt really study their family trees...especially not dragons with such long lives...he only did so because it was expected of him to know his family. He could mention all his ancestors and their years of life...but that was extremly odd.

" I do find it somewhat ridiculous to dress for fashion, defeats the purpose of clothing to protect. However I must admit I do prefer to wear more fashionable things for parties and the like...normally however I agree with you. And yes, Elysia certainly is full of surpises "

He continud to smile, he didnt need to mention that not all suprises were good ones.

" yes, let us get on with the tour. This is my day off and I really do need to be back in the underground tommorow, so much to do so little time to do it in"

He thought on it, technically he could have whenever he wanted to off. He was the king and he set his own time, but things needed to be done especially with the upcoming campaign he was planning. He could not, in good conscience, allow himself too terribly much time off when he wasnt doing things on offical business.

" If you would just show me where you stabled your mare Loranth I would love to accompany the both of you "

Inimicus flashed a wide, winning smile at Loranth.


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