[Torân] The Threads of Fate

The cloaked figure stumbled clumsily down the dark street in the dead of night, the only sounds those of the occassional cricket's chirp, a light tap with each of his own footfalls, the soft scraping noise of his staff dragging on the ground, and the soft swishing of his cloak in the wind. He was clad all in black, with a nondescript tattered brown cloth flapping idly in the night breeze, and held a gloved hand to his head. It still ached from his recent encounter; he had been attacked by someone, some...thing, but all he could remember was black. It had been black, but there was something more... ... ...he tried to think of it, but the memory faded as soon as he tried to focus on it. Where had he been before this? And what had he been doing? And... who was he? He stopped for a moment, shaking his head and clutching his forehead tightly with his right hand as he tried to remember. His head felt as if it was about to explode whenever he tried to remember, yet he persisted. Slayn, came a voice resounding in his head, My name is Slayn. He tried to remember more, but suddenly all faded to black and he collapsed on the stone path, where he lay completely unconscious, drifting into dreamless sleep...

Kypries strolled through the streets, trying to relieve her mind. She had had trouble sleeping ever since her father disappeared. She chose to stride through the streets alone, walking until she was exhausted enough to sleep.
Meandering through the dark alleys, she continued walking. It didn't really matter if she got lost, she'd eventually find her way back. Turning the corner of the street, she tripped over something and fell flat on her face. She began trying to see what she had fallen over....a body?!
She peered at the body in the dim light...It appeared to be a young man, yet he seemed to be older than her...she blinked once or twice, after her eyes adjusted to the dimness. He was breathing, and she didn't see any wounds on him...he was asleep? Dangerous business, being asleep in the middle of the streets.
Glancing around, she saw no one else. Sighing, she managed to shakily stand him upright, supporting his weight by leaning him against her and putting his arm over her shoulders. She managed to find the inn again, and rented another room. She managed to drag him over and lay him on the bed, covering him with a blanket. She leaned his staff against the wall near him, not wanting to intrude on his privacy. Pushing a chair some distance away, she sat down, watching over him; and gradually dozed off.

Slayn tossed restlessly in the bed, writhing as if wrestling with some inner demon. Somewhere in his otherwise dreamless sleep, a nightmare had crept in; or perhaps, not a nightmare, but a troubling vision... He stood in the midst of a small village wreathed in flames, a black shadow looming ominously before him. A feeling of the purest hatred emanated from the shadow, making him tremble slightly. He saw a man, as tall as he was, with long black hair and a flowing silver cloak standing before the shadow, making gestures as if to command the beast. He heard what he thought was a laugh, and suddenly, the dead bodies of the slain villagers rose up and shambled clumsily toward him from all sides. With a shout, the man made a circling gesture with his hand, causing the lifeless minions to fly away from him, leaving a clear path between him and the demon. The man stepped forward, but was blinded by a flash of light, and when he removed his hand from before his eyes, he saw a small girl who looked no older than 14 standing before the man; of the black beast there was now no trace. She wore a prismatic gown and had waist-long hair as silver as his cloak, and her skin was white as snow, and shining. She smiled the most demonic smile Slayn had ever seen, and raised a hand to the mans face. A flash of light lit the area, and the man's soul-wrenching scream filled the air around him. Slayn woke with that same scream, sweat dripping from his brow and chest. He tossed the sheets aside, reaching for his shirt, only to realize there was a girl sleeping in a chair on the other side of the room. He remembered walking down the street, but nothing after, and now, here he was, in a room seeming to be in an Inn. And this girl seemed to have brought him here. Who was she...? He tried to remember, but was certain he had never before seen her face. Walking slowly to the washroom so as not to wake her, Slayn quickly washed the sweat from himself and dressed himself with the clothes he had found in the room. The armor was light and flexible, and the cloak should provide ample protection from the wind. He glanced out the window, realizing that the sun was just coming up. He wasn't sure who this girl was, but he felt obliged to return her kind favor. He opened the door quietly, checking his purse once the door was shut to make sure his cash was all still present. Nodding with satisfaction, he made note of the room number and made his way down to the Inn's Common Room, where he purchased a small selection of bread, cheese, fruits, and wine before heading back up to the room. Again trying to be as quiet as possible, he set the purchased meal on the table and began separating it into two portions. He glanced out the window of the Inn and saw that the sun was ow up above the horizon. Unless she was an unusually late sleeper, he figured she would soon awake so he could thank her for her kindness.

Kypries gradually awoke from her drowsy stupor, yawning as she did so. Glancing around the room, she was somewhat startled to notice that the man she had found on the streets was no longer asleep. Apparently, he had woken up before her, and had obtained breakfast. She shrugged her sleepiness off, after blinking a few times. She had no idea of how to address him, but she tried to be polite. This was going to be awkward...
She remarked quietly, slightly embarrassed.
"Errrr....good morning, sir..."
She continued on, feeling her face grow red. Kyp felt rather idiotic.
She probably sounded as unintelligent as she felt at that moment...
"I found you lying in the middle of the street last night...and took you back here. It's not safe to be lying out there unprotected, sir. Someone could have slit your throat and taken your things while you were lying there...."
She left her explanation at that, too mortified to say much else.

Slayn smiled softly. "There's no need to apologize, miss. I'm afraid I rather lost consciousness of a sudden... and I'm sorry to have troubled you with my humble existence. But after all, I have you to thank for bringing me to a safe place... Ah, do come have some breakfast. It's the least I can do to repay you, miss." He said, bowing slightly from his seated position. "I do hope it's to your liking."

Kypries returned the bow, feeling more idiotic than ever.
"Thank you, sir. It really wasn't that much trouble at all."
She realized that she hadn't introduced herself, and reddened at her rudeness. "Please forgive my rudeness, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kypries, but I go by Kyp as well. It's nice to meet you, despite it being under unusual circumstances..."
She sat down across from him at the table, and waited politely for him to begin eating before she started. After the brief meal, she inquired curiously, "Pardon me if I'm being nosy, but where do you plan to go from here? I mean, are you certain that you're alright? Perhaps you should see a healer or something..."
She inwardly cursed her curiousity, convinced that she would somehow offend him.

Slayn smiled. Her words amused him somehow, though he wasn't sure why. You ARE a healer. A Priest of the Goddess Iridia... A voice said inside his head. That's right... I AM a healer... he thought. ...name is... Slayn... Vandole the voice said as an afterthought. I don't remember... he thought. Just his mind playing tricks on him, or was it his memory returning...? He shook his head before addressing the girl. "I am Slayn Vandole, a prest of the Goddess Iridia, (glory be to her name,) and as such, require no healer. I do thank you for your kindness; the Goddess shows favor to those who show kindness to others, and praise her name." He said with a bow. They finished the rest of the meal in silence, then he spoke again. "Miss Kypr~ Kyp. I have some business to attend to in the Town Square, but if you are not busy, I would certainly not mind the company. There are children and sick who need healing, and I do what I can in Iridia's name, (glory be ever to her name.)" He said with a faint smile, as he rose and walked toward the door. "Oh, and the room has been paid for; when the innkeeper realized that he was housing a passing healer, he agreed not to charge us for the room this time. I doubt we'll be as lucky in the future, but for now at least, it saves us trouble. Well, you'll know where to find me... join me if you can, and if not, then it was a pleasure to meet you..." He said with a last bow before leaving the room.

Kyp found herself sitting there, wondering what she should do. Seeing as how he had seemed to be agreeable company, and that she knew no one else in the town; she decided to follow him to the Town Square. Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, she made her way over to the center of the town. It was quite easy to find, since daylight helped considerably. She browsed through the stalls and kiosks lining the streets of the square, glancing around in wonderment. The sights, smells, and actions of the bustling town were different from anything she had been accustomed to. After exploring the bazaar, she sat down on a bench near the fountain in the dead center of the square.