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Nanaki said to himself, bending his frame so that he could stretch his legs. He was inspecting the hunting grounds outside of Cosmo Canyon, his sole companion a playful breeze that ruffled his mane, causing him to throw his head when his hair covered his face. He surveyed the rocky valley around him calmly, his sense of smell telling him that no fiends were near-by. He made it his job as protector of these lands to rid it of those who would wish to destroy it; he had taken it upon himself from a young age that this was his life’s mission. He flicked his tail out of habit, the flame spitting as it lashed sideways. He turned to follow a familiar path that lead homewards, and then broke into a run just for the thrill of it. The soft breeze that had been before was now a humid force of its own, flooding his lungs and caressing his face and sides like the hands of the two-legs. Dust rose from each powerful bound, his flaming tail fanning out behind him. Nanaki followed the valley as it rose and fell steadily, and then sped up as it ascended. He braced himself for a drop ahead and built up momentum, using his hind-legs to spring-board downwards. Landing on all fours, he shook himself off and caught the Canyon in his sight, a smile curving his muzzle as he proceeded to the entrance.
As Nanaki climbed the thick staircase he was assaulted with the unchanging familiarity of his home, and for a moment he paused as an unnamed feeling swept through him. Was he perhaps bored with his surroundings? No, it wasn’t that… it’s just that there must be more I can do around here than entertain tourists and occasionally defeat the odd fiend, he thought. For the past six years these feelings had been whirling in his mind like thick rain clouds, and although he abhorred the thought of leaving the Canyon he had also come to the conclusion that he would never become stronger if he stayed. He frowned as a familiar argument played out; he was torn between staying and leaving, as the latter option was a slim light with much darkness to him. The feline’s concentration was disrupted by the gate keeper’s voice. He was looking at him with concern and asking if everything was alright, to which Nanaki realised he must have kept some patient travellers waiting behind him. He looked over his shoulder and apologised before darting to the inviting circle of the Candle. How embarrassing! He thought as he shook his head and sat down. He settled into silent reflection whilst the sacred fire soothed his tired mind and joints, enjoying the sensation he slowly closed his eyes for just a moment…
It wasn’t long before he stirred, aware that something had brushed against his fur. His ochre eye flicked open as he twisted his neck to see who it was…
"uh i knew i should have got a map" he groane donce again lost. Bay always seemed to get everything wrong treking through snowy canyons was not his thing, he preffered warm deserts "why is it always cold wherever we go!" he groaned to his pal who seemed to be enjoying it alot more then him, Sync loved it because there was so much open sky, sync swooped in loop di loops loving the wind that blew past whie bay was pulling a makeshift blanket around himself, not yet finding a place to get a coat was wearing his desert clothes and freezing!
Sync landed on his shoulder, bay smiled at him and petted his beak, he seemed to like it then threatened to bite him, Bay rolled his eyes "you hungry again? we'll run out of mice at this rate. He said stopping and kneeling to open his bag to get out the mice. But Sync flew off Bay blinked and scooped ihs bag back up "sync get back here!" he shouted clumsily trudging through the snow. Trying to keep up with him, he then froze, synce had landed on some sort of animal thing. His mouth agape he waved his arms trying to make sync fly without waking it, he was doing the sign to 'come here' but sync was being stubborn.
The creature began to move and Bay started to panic "sync come back!" he wasn't sure what it was but he was worried it liked the taste of bird and maybe human! He didn't want to get closer but it wasn't fully awake so maybe he could pick sync up without distrubing it. He slowley trudged forward holding his breath but sync wasn't keeping still he seemed interested in the thing pulling gently at the mane as if trying to wake it! "no stop it sync" he whispered but when he was meters infront of it it moved its head up, Bay fell back in panic, his body was freezing anyway but he couldn't move his limbs. What would it do?!
Nanaki’s vision met that of a crimson-eyed youths’, a look of surprise blended with fear reflected back. The feline remained motionless as he kept the boy’s stare unblinking, before slowly turning to look at the brown hawk that was contently nibbling his unruly mane before turning back to the boy and addressing him, “Well, this is certainly different than the usual tourist reaction,”
He breathed a deep sigh as he rose leisurely onto all fours, he was being careful enough not to disturb his avian passenger as he did so. He glanced around him, the Canyon being mostly quiet with the onset of the cooler evening, and then flicked his tail as he wondered how long he had been asleep. I must have really needed it if I couldn’t have heard or felt the presence of these two, he thought dryly. He let his good eye examine the human’s outfit and appearance, noticing how he had what could be called an eclectic personal style, although the ruby feline estimated that the young man relied on his swiftness as either a thief or assassin due to his wiry frame.
Nanaki flexed a thick shoulder as he tried to release the pressure that had built up from the youngster’s (or so he presumed) hawk’s talons as it remained perched on the large warrior. He fixed his eye on the young man as he introduced himself, a warm smile touching his features all the while. “My name is Nanaki, and I am the protector of this Canyon. May I ask your names please?”
He was sure it was going to eat him then it talked. His mouth agape 'what is that thing?' he thought as he scrambled to his feet unable to abck up or go forward. He didn't seem angry, seemed very docile unbothered by people must be around them alot...'wait did he say... tourist attraction?!" he thought blinking in confusion. Was this a tourist destination or something.His clothes were metn for desert so were short and tight he pulled the makeshift cloak tighter, freezing. "i'm...i'm sorry about sync..." he said trying to smile back he was shaking. But out of being cold more then fear.
He finally breathed again as he seemed relaxed so bay didn't want to give him a reason not to be relaxed. "my name is Bay achidor i've traveled from Figaro continent " he stuttered slightly Sync cawed and flew back to Bays shoulder landing comfortable there again. Bay glared at the bird 'oh ye get me in trouble then get out of it' but the hawk was smarter then it looked. Bay never understood how but the hawk usually new better then him. "where am i please? i'm afraid we got kinda lost we're looking for the next town" he said shivering lightly
Nanaki flicked a tufted ear as a myriad of expressions graced the youth’s face. The ruby feline allowed the man his thoughts, coming to the conclusion that he wanted to know what the strange creature was in front of him. Again, another common reaction down, he thought with amusement. He watched as the traveller scrambled about, neither standing or crawling. The young warrior’s face darkened momentarily as he realised the stranger was shaking badly. Perhaps, I’m a bit much? He pondered before dropping his gaze onto the dusty floor for a few moments. He exhaled a breath deeply and added in a low voice, “Please, I mean you no harm.”
Nanaki tilted his head as he observed how the human clung tighter onto the cloth about his neck. He stepped to the side so that the youth had access to the Candle before offering, “You may warm yourself by the fire if you are cold.”
The feline arched a brow as the boy apologised about ‘Sync’. He looked about him, expecting to see someone or something, although his attention was soon caught when the stranger introduced himself as Bay Achidor, from the unfamiliar continent of Figaro. Figaro Figaro Figaro, he repeated mentally, trying to place the name to any of his studies with Bugenhagen. His mind gave up no answers, as he felt his flaming tail twitching suddenly. Nanaki’s thoughts were interrupted as the hawk, Sync he surmised, returned back to Bay with a shrill sound. He chuckled slightly as he heard the hawk being accosted in a low voice. A look of confusion traced his features as the Figaroan asked him where he was, with a shiver.
Nanaki glanced proudly over his desert homeland before turning to address Bay and Sync replying, “Welcome to the Cetra Continent. You’re in Cosmo Canyon to be exact, and the next town is half a day’s journey across the river. Its called Nibelheim.” He kept his focus evenly on both human and hawk, before he spoke slowly, “I would like to invite you both to stay here tonight if that arrangement does not cause any problems? I would like to speak with you some more, Bay.”
The warrior gracefully lay on to his stomach as he folded a foreleg over the other one, consciously aiming to keep his body language as open and friendly as he could. He smiled at Bay as he patiently awaited his new companion’s reply.
Bay had tried to stop shaking but his body was not listening. He slowley moved down to the fire and sat down "th...thank you" he shivered holding his cloak closer out of more cold then anything starting to calm down. He would never have admitted he was afraid of him never. It felt good to sit down though, he put his bag down next to him and went throug to get a little bag, he openend it revealing dead mice he pulle don out yby its tail and threw it into the air, sync flew from his shoulder and grabbed it in one swoop landing and devouring it by the fire. Bay leaned back leaisurely on his arms watching the beautiful fire dance infront of them.
'hmmm half a days journey across a river huh? Should be able to half that time if we run and maybe swim a little...' he blinked out of his thoughts smiling "thank you for letting us stay... i'm sorry we distrubed you" he said yawning. Taking out his dagger and a cloth from his bag adn began cleaning it stale blood beginning to dissapear. "sync the hawk just seems to like causing trouble." he said and as if on cue sync landed on his shoudler and pulled his hair, bay laughed and put his han dout so sync got on it and put him down.
"what is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked petting syncs head gently. as he stared up at the sky.
Nanaki watched as his companions sat beside the Candle and smiled warmly at Bay’s thanks. The feline allowed a silence to fall upon them as he stared off into the fire, the gnawing sense of hopelessness and loneliness shrinking back as he saw an opportunity to travel with Bay present itself. He knew within himself that he would never become stronger than the native fiends if he stayed, he had to travel. He frowned, however, his heart wrenched at the decision to leave the only place he had ever known. The shadows darkened on his face to match his thoughts for a while, until his dusty-coloured optics settled on Bay.
The young warrior watched curiously as the young Figaroan fed a mouse to the hawk, he kept his gaze on Bay whilst his peripheral vision kept Sync in sight. Being one-eyed had not hampered the youngster, he had developed little tricks to aid what some might have called a ‘disability’. As a result his hearing had become keener, although he still started at sudden movements on his blind side. As if on cue, Nanaki twitched noticeably as Bay stretched out and got comfortable.
The ruby feline moved his head as Bay spoke, his tone became warm when he replied, “Not at all. I like the company, it makes a nice change from hunting and defending in the Canyon alone.” He noticed the young man yawn and then offered, “I could ask the owners of the Shildra Inn to get a room ready for you if you like?” He curled his tail around him in comfort as he caught the glint of a dagger in the firelight, he began to watch Bay clean it with a cloth distractedly before pricking up his ears to listen as the boy spoke about his hawk. Nanaki smiled as Sync played with his master’s hair, watching their interactions in silence before he replied to Bay’s question.
“I would like to come with you to Nibelheim tomorrow,” he began slowly, clearing his throat before continuing, “I want to become strong and although I detest leaving the Canyon, I think that is what I must do to become stronger.” The warrior glanced up at the early evening sky, smiling to himself as he saw a band of glittering stars in the West that had not been obscured by the clouds. A thought came in to his head, as he looked back at Bay’s face before he asked in a calm voice, “Out of curiosity, why did you leave Figaro?”
Bay yawned again and blinkd 'wow could he really but looking up to the west to see clouds missing said it would be a calm and cold night so he shook his head "i'd rather sleep outside" he said taking out his sleeping bag from his bag. Sync sat on it and started to rest laying his head ontop of his wings. Bay smiled and sat putting his dagger in his bag . HE blinked a tthe request and shrugged "you can follow me if you want doesn't bother me in the slightest we'll just be heading there looking for work then we'll probably move on. he said smiling and looking back up to the sky.
He listened politely to the other and nodded in understanding but the next question he laughed. "why did i leave? well i was kinda forced a mage in training you see kinda set fire to the house while practicing" he said laughing "my step father kicked me out and i needed to find work so i left... been travelling ever since only been to one town since then, just me and sync together not that it matters..." he stretched "both ym aprents are dead so no one misses me" he said laying down on his sleeping bag.
