The Gamble of a Djinni

[Summerchika]

Due to a bet with his malicious sister, Nin, Raj found himself sulking in a human-infested village.

Come now, Raj dearest, his twin whispered in his mind. Stop pouting and go mingle. Unless you think I should win our little bet?

With a low growl, Raj pushed off from the wall he had been leaning against--stooped in shadow as it was--and decidedly ignored Nin. He felt her amusement as she faded from his mind to leave him alone with his murderous thoughts. With a grace that defined the Djinni, Raj stalked a few steps through the town before stopping, realizing this would accomplish nothing angry.

Taking a deep breath, Raj forced himself to calm. A dirt-smeared child ran past him, knocking into him as he looked at his friends behind him. With a peal of laughter, more children chased the little boy down the street trailing a cloud of odor as they went. The odor chilled his blood, making him remember another time, not too long ago, when he and his sister had been at a human’s mercy. Rage made him taste blood at the memory of what that human had done to Nin. Raj felt the wind pick up around him before he realized what he was doing.

Raj! Stop! Nin yelled at his mind. Even from their Djinni home far into the desert, Nin had picked up on Raj’s emotions; they were always connected mentally. Raj still did not quite understand what she meant even as he already began to shift his form into that of a midnight panther to chase the little brats.

Oh, he realized belatedly, dropping the magic almost as quickly as he taken it up. Hopefully no one around him noticed a slight hum of energy that had momentarily vibrated the immediate air around him. He hadn’t been a panther, but he may have momentarily glowed. Well, even if someone did notice, he wouldn’t care. Nin may, though.

Idiot. Nin muttered in annoyance. Raj shrugged, unaffected by how closely those kids had been to his becoming his meal. Just pretend that the humans are . . . not human. Be yourself.

You don’t want that twin, he told her, a malevolent smile turning his lips.

Oh, you know what I meant. You are perfectly personable around the Djinn. More, actually. Just be that person here.

Easier said than done. These people were, well, not people to Raj. But he had made the stupid bet, and he’d win it. Realizing that he did not actually know how humans acted on a day-to-day basis, he contented himself with actually observing for a while longer. Then he’d see about being ‘himself.’

[Avalon Silvasti]

Alyria walked briskly through the town as if she was lost deeply in her own thoughts. Her boots made hardly no sound as she turned the corner onto one of the side streets. She reached into her pocket and pulled a piece of paper out, unfolding it she swore softly. She looked around at the houses that were around her then back down to the paper as she continued to walk. Not paying a bit of attention to where she was walking a few small human children ran past her. Thinking quickly she turned to them.

"Oi you there." She pointed to the elder of the kids as she walked up to them. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can get a drink in this town would you?" She asked watching the kid point down the street. She smiled at the innocence of the children as she bent down to ask one more question knowing that very innocence may lead her to what she really sought. She turned the paper to the child as she spoke, "You wouldn't happen to see anyone with this marking on them, like an amulet, a tattoo or a branding?" The child shook his mud smeared head as his eyes averted quickly. Reaching up to ruffle his hair, she smiled and handed him a few coins. "Go have some fun wee ones." She said as she stood.

Letting out a heavy breath she turned to where the children said she could get a drink. She adjusted her hat so that her elven ears were hidden and strode towards the end of the block. She looked back down to her paper as she walked, once again not paying attention to what was in her path. She took a few more steps and wound up bumping shoulders with a man. She scrunched up her face as she tore her eyes from the paper and turned quickly towards the man. She was face to face with a man whom had long white colored hair and had stunningly chiseled features. Before her mind could register this about the man her silver tongue had took over.

"Watch where yer going mister!" She spat out quickly as her blue eyes locked with his golden eyes. "Not watching where yer going can hurt someone." She said as she folded the paper quickly and pocketed it before he could get a look at it.

[Summerchika]

No sooner had Raj calmed himself when he was bumped yet again. Don’t these humans have eyes?! he fumed, turning to face whomever had bumped into him. He honestly had expected them to keep walking, so when that person hadn’t, Raj was momentarily taken aback.

Well, now . . . he thought to himself, taking in the woman’s appearance slowly. His eyes found hers, and the blueness of her eyes reminded him briefly of Nin’s, though hers were a more inhuman color than most.

At the woman’s accented words, Rajat felt a twinge of annoyance, but also amusement. He let a smile claim his countenance as he replied, “Yes, I suppose it could hurt someone,” he replied, thinking again on how close those kids had come to getting hurt. “But in this case,” he continued, “I think it has served me well.”

’At a boy, Raj . . . Nin’s voice floated in his mind with a soft chuckle.

“Were you headed somewhere in particular?” he asked the woman, with one eyebrow raised. He tilted his head as he scanned the street briefly. It seems he had got lucky in this town. There were no other humans around that even minimally piked his interest. His eyes returned to the woman’s as he awaited her answer.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Alyria averted her eyes from his golden hues as her hand came up to absentmindedly to adjust her long blackish brown curls to ensure that her elven ears remained hidden. She realized how rude she had just came off as and nodded her head as she apologized to the man.

"I do apologize for being rude. I should have been watching where I was going. I was too busy trying to find some where to catch a drink." Her voice held a slight accent as she spoke. She looked around then back to the man. "A group of children said the local tavern was this way and after what I have been through a drink would do my soul good." She laughed a bit as she looked the man up and down for a brief moment then back to his eyes as if she was studying him. "If you'll excuse me, I must be going Sir. Good day to ye." She bowed a bit to him making a little of her hair fall forward exposing part of her ear which he would easily tell was longer than most and the tip was neatly tucked into her hat. She stood from the bow and started to walk past him towards the area the children said the local tavern was.

[Summerchika]

When the woman mentioned a tavern, Rajat couldn’t help but chuckle. He could really use a drink now, too, being steeped in humans as he was. However he doubted the humans made what he drank. Would their drinks even work on him? He could certainly pretend to drink with the woman, except it seemed she did not want to stick around him.

The sudden shift in the woman’s attitude amused Rajat; she was one minute loud-mouthed and rude, the next meek and apologetic. She reminded him a bit of Nazanin. Just a bit.

Watch what you say about me brother, Nazanin said snidely.

Do you not have any other place to be, Nin? Like, perhaps, in your own mind? he demanded rather haughtily.

Of course I do, Raj; this is just much more interesting.

Quite busy in his own mind, Raj almost missed a glimpse of the woman’s ears. Though hidden amongst beautiful brown curls and her exotic--at least to Rajat--hat, her bow had allowed more of a glimpse that he was lucky not to miss. She wasn’t human. He didn’t know what she was, plenty of races he knew had elongated ears, but that didn’t matter to him.

If he followed her now, he probably would not win his bet with Nin. Then again, that possibility might make Nin bother someone else for a change (a thought that Nin found amusing). Besides, what chance would there be of finding a human he was actually intrigued by?

Coming to a decision, and steadfastly ignoring Nin’s laughter, Raj took a quick couple steps after the woman. When he reached her, he turned to walk backwards, allowing a good look at her face to see her reaction to his next words.

“Pardon, but please do tell me, what would someone who was, say, not human find to drink in a tavern in a human village?? Do their drinks even work?” He asked partly to see if she would say anything about being inhuman, and partly because he really could use a strong drink.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Upon hearing the man ask about drinks that would effect the non human type her brows furrowed together and a quizzical look came upon her face but only for a fleeting moment. She calmed her face quickly and smiled to him.

"By the way the name's Alyria. I noticed I lost my manners in introductions. As for the drinks for the non human type. Odd I have never been asked that before. I would think the tavern may have some, but I wouldn't know seeing how this is my first time in this town. I've heard that human made drinks if drank in an excessive amount can affect different races but alas that is just a rumor that I have heard." She looked at him wondering if he had seen her ears. "You seem like good company to me so I don't have any fears asking this. Would you care to join me in finding a drink?" She smiled kindly at him. "Also you have raised my curiosity to a staggering level with your question. Should I be worried that you have a hidden agenda that could lead me to my death." She laughed heartily at the comment and put her hand on his shoulder as she walked by, "You only live once and you'd be amazed at what lurks out there in the dark." She smirked and left that comment sit with him as she started to walk one again towards where the children said the tavern was.

[Omio]

Now that the woman had mentioned it, she was right about at least one thing; one never knew what was in the dark. For Buren, he was in the dark about the words just uttered, as he poured over his tome to review his notes. He often remained out of sight because of how strange he often looked, and the purple robes concealed him well during the nights; times when he needed to sleep (often in the wilds). The alley that he happened to be in - a somewhat narrow one - proved good to keep him out of sight, but a searching eye would find him no problem. ...Well, no problem for the one searching, but perhaps a problem for poor Buren.

[Summerchika]

A knowing and mischievous smile made its way to Raj’s face at Alyria’s words. That’s how you’ll play it, huh? he mused to himself. His shoulders lifted in a minute shrug, then he turned himself around to walk beside her in what he assumed was the direction to the tavern.

“Ah, names are overrated, but then again I am not human,” he wondered bemusedly how many times he could get away with saying that until she would say something about it herself. “Nice to meet you Alyria. Call me Rajat.”

It is amazing how gregarious you can be when you aren’t dealing with humans, Nin mumbled wryly. So boring . . .

At Alyria’s last words Raj nodded with a winning grin on his face. He had gotten rid of Nin. For now, at least. “Oh, Alyria, I am what lurks out there in the dark.” His grin turned at his words. He was only partly joking. “But I certainly wouldn’t lead you to your death. A human perhaps, but not you.”

But she was right. One never knew what dangers did hide in the dark, apart from Raj, of course. And since he was in a human village, one could never be too careful. He and Nin had learned that the hard way. So Raj casually searched the alleyways around them for something unusual.

A purple robe stood out to Raj in a narrow alley not too far from them. The figure was completely unawares of the people just outside his hiding place which made Raj think he was not really hiding. But his purple robe made Raj’s blood turn cold. The last human he and Nin had seen in a robe much too similar to that one . . . The memory wiped all the humor from his face.

He knew he was being childish, even as he flicked a finger in the man’s direction. The wind answered his call, not for flight as Raj usually demanded, but for a bit of petty Djinni fun. The wind circled around the figure, pulling at his robe and at his tome, making the pages flip this way and that. Raj didn’t know if the figure would even notice, but either way, Raj didn’t particularly care.

[Omio]

The tome fluttered a little, and Buren immediately recognized it as irregular; alleys never gusted, except on a soon-to-be-stormy day, and since so many people milled about, it was far from stormy. He shut the tome, and guessed that the origin of the gust was where his attention should go. As such, he looked over to an elf, and another humanoid. Seeing the stern look on Rajat's face, he stepped back, looking moderately intimidated. So clearly, he noticed and didn't say anything. However, it was what he did next that was curious. There was soon a grey line drawn between them with a swift wave of his hand, and a bucket that bad previously held a broom on it suddenly tumbled down forcibly, toward Buren. So the person was a spellcaster to some degree, but what precisely he did was hard to tell. There was an invisible force, sure, but aside from the now-inert broom and bucket, nothing really told of what happened.

(( Anyone here sensitive to the earth itself [not plants]? ))

[Avalon Silvasti]

Alyria arched an eyebrow at Rajat's comment about not being human. She looked him up and down quickly assessing him one last time before taking a deep breath and spoke, "Your what lurks in the dark." She laughed lightly and continued, "I have seen a lot and you don't seem that dangerous."

She looked around and and thought they were alone, she had not picked up on the other yet. She smiled widely and raised her hand to her hat. "I take it you have already figured out I am not human either then with you remarks." She lifted the hat and lightly shoot her long dark curls. "I'm an elf, one in hiding for my own reasons." She looked away and placed the hat back on her head and tucked her ears back in.

"As for an earlier conversation about the drinks. I personally find that fire ale gets my kind drunk quicker." She stopped speaking as she noticed that Rajat got a serious look upon his face.

"Are you alright friend?" She asked as she stopped dead in her tracks.

[Summerchika]

Raj’s eyes narrowed minutely after witnessing the odd show with the broom and bucket. A mage of some sort. What was the grey line? What exactly had happened? Raj tasted something sour as he tried to name the power at use. He hated mages. Nin was oddly silent on the matter. She liked humans, but the recent run-in with mages may have tempered that feeling, assuming the mage was human at all. Or perhaps she was simply still bored.

He was so intent on the mage that he almost didn’t hear Alyria’s question. “Hm? Oh.” He made himself smile, since he really did like Alyria and her company so far. He turned back to her, making sure to keep the mage in his sights still.

“Ah, an elf. Well Alyria the elf," he said quietly so others would not hear, "your secret is safe with me. Forgive me, I am a bit distracted. Though I really am what lurks in the dark, I am not that person tonight,” he said, looking pointedly back at the mage. Raj thought about ignoring the mage for the night, but he knew if he was to enjoy his time with Alyria in the human town, he would need to take care of the mage. His expression darkened as he turned back toward the mage completely.

Making his first menacing steps toward the mage, the hum of his magic already in the air, Nin was suddenly very present in his mind. Raj, don’t. He hasn’t attacked you; he isn’t a menace.

Yet, Raj replied stiffly, but the force of Nin’s words stopped him in his tracks anyway. He’s a mage, he added defensively, but Nin didn’t have to say anything. He knew what she would say anyway, and she would win the argument.

But now Raj found himself awkwardly between the mage and Alyria, unsure of what to do with himself. Clearing his throat, still feeling quite awkward and angry, Raj opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Just what would he say to a mage? A mage Raj had almost attacked?

Feeling flustered for what was probably the first time in his life, he barked out, "You. What--" he stumbled on his words then continued, "what was that? Just now?" He swore to himself in his head. I should've just attacked him.

[Omio]

Buren stepped back, once more. Then the line's spell came clear as a flying bird suddenly dipped to hit Buren square on his chest. It was clearly a gravity-affecting spell, and it would have proven a good defense. He managed a few words out. "I wish no ill! While human, I have just as many reasons to hide... ...if not more..." He showed the cover of his tome, and one would feel a sense of dread and disturbance. It was semi-clear that he was a necromancer, and judging by his actions, he was far from evil. The look of panic on his face, however, made it clear that even though he defended himself passively, he was still expecting to be attacked. Was Buren always so timid?

Then it was curiosity he was treated with. Rajat wondered what spell Buren had used, and he answered truthfully, though his tone was meek, and worried. "It's... ...it's a gravity amplification spell. Don't step too close, or you'll be caught in it too, sir... ...I wish no harm to either you or Alyria, Rajat..." Despite the fact the two outside the hallway weren't human, and he heard the fact (in one case, he SAW the fact), he didn't treat them any differently. Perhaps there was hope for Buren, as he hadn't outright fled yet. On the flip-side, perhaps Buren's lack of fleeing would prove to be his undoing.

Either way, only Rajat would be the judge.

(( Depending on the attack used, it'd either be useless or counter-productive, and Buren would flee after that, so... ...yeah. ))

[Summerchika]

Buren’s response to Raj’s attacks caused both of his eyebrows to raise.

Oh my, he is just adorable, Nin gushed.

Nin, get a hold of yourself, Raj muttered in annoyance. Apparently her good-will toward humans remained untempered.

But don’t you see Raj? He isn’t-- But her words cut off as Raj caught sight of the tome the mage was holding. Is that . . . necromancy? Nin wondered, slightly disturbed but more interested. It wasn’t the first time the twins had come across necromancy before, and their Ifriti relatives often dabbled in it themselves. But they had thought that humans looked down upon it. What was this timid mage doing with necromancy?

“Necromancy and gravity, hm?” Raj mused aloud once the mage had given an explanation. His shoulders, which he hadn’t realized were tense, softened when his curiosity piked. His anger did not dissipate, and he probably still looked scary, but his intrigue took priority.

Then Rajat stepped too close just because he could. Immediately, Raj found his limbs too heavy to move. He also found that he couldn’t keep himself upright as he slammed into the earth below him.

Ow. I wonder what would happen if I did this, he mumbled in annoyance to Nin as his form twisted in on itself to become a wispy cloud of smoke. He found himself drawn in more toward the mage, his own gravity suddenly having become less of a pull.

Duh, Raj . . . Nin said inanely, though Raj could feel her intrigue pike at the outcome as well.

Could I smother him like this? he wondered. But he had made a decision. He slowly returned to his heavy humanoid form and looked down at the mage with cold eyes, managing to stay upright this time.

“I still hate mages,” he informed the mage, but he didn’t attack. He honestly didn’t think he could very well, anyway. He could barely keep his balance as it was.

"Why necromancy?" Raj had to ask, at the urging of Nin.

((ooc: How about we try to ignore Ayrie for now, not saying she left or that she is just standing there, just in case Avalon wants to jump back in?))

[Omio]

Buren stepped back a few more times, dispelling the line that Rajat happened to be standing on, but also drawing a wider zone, clearly visible, and stronger than the last one; clearly expressing hatred for the mage was a poor choice to make at this point.
After the distance had increased again, Buren spoke once more. "Shh! I'd rather not have people come after me!" Clearly, by his reaction, that was why he had to hide so much. If the ruckus continued much further, fleeing would have to be his course of action. But, he was dodging Rajat's question nonetheless; it wasn't something he trusted Rajat with - not yet, anyways.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon watched the events transpire from a near by roof top. Her ice blue eyes watched from under her hood as the dark haired elf wandered off in another direction. "Pirates, ha too wrapped up in their own agenda to care about others." She thought to herself as she edged closer to the end of the roof for a better look at what was going on. As she watched from her perch she thought about a few odd happening that had transpired in the last week or so around the area. "What can it hurt that I get involved? On one hand it could get me killed, on the other I might be able to score some gold." She smirked at the thought of the gold causing her to lose a touch of concentration, her footing slipped only a little causing a rock to skitter down the roof. Knowing that her cover was blown she vaulted down from the roof and landed in front of Rajat facing him with her hood still drawn up. The hood was deep enough that he could not make out her face at all. She turned on her heel and faced the mage. Her eyes moving quickly she assessed the situation as her hands found the hilts of her twin swords. She stood there silently staring down the mage trying to figure of if he is friend or foe.