"Sanctusaria help me..."

The mid-morning sunlight was bright, stinging Ytemni's eyes as she stepped out from the embassy. One slender hand came up to her brow, a slight deterrent from the brightness of the day to those bright emerald hues, but it was barely enough. She was so used to the jungles of Issardis filtering the light, the patterns it would make among the leaves that canopied the majority of her homeland. Now she was caught in the full glare of it and it hurt, her eyes beginning to water as she continued to stand just outside the embassy, seemingly stunned.

The newly discovered strength of the sun wasn't the only reason Ytemni was standing off to one side, frozen. The sheer number of people moving around her was overwhelming. She'd thought Leeldet and the flightport were huge in comparison to her home village, but the two of them combined couldn't begin to amount to half the people she now saw. The realization of just how big Ceres was had sent a shock through her system and she was suddenly apprehensive as to just how she was going to make a valid attempt to do what Elder Arkona had suggested and find her place in the world.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she resolved to start the first leg of her journey as soon as possible - find somewhere to stay for a while and see if she couldn't find some work in the process. Shouldering her sole meager bag of belongings, she steeled her nerve and began to move down the bustling walkway towards the nearby square. There would likely be a fair amount of inns around the embassy, she figured, given how many people travelled through there on a daily basis. Anyone smart enough to set up shop in the seeming center of Bretzen-Luc was set for life, if the crowds jostling her to and fro were any indication.

It didn't take long for her to end up drifting into the square, moved along by the current of bodies, and she pried herself out of the crowd to see if she could find a quiet place to sit and see what was available to her. The glaring sun was still a hinderance to her vision and she again raised her hand, shielding her eyes as best she could as she looked over the inns around her. All of them seemed to be the same, with no one establishment in particular calling to her. So much for that plan.

Another soft sigh escaped her lips as she adjusted her bag to a more comfortable position and prepared to again delve into the milling crowd around her. However, her entry into the masses was halted when she inadvertently stepped forward and collided with another, unyielding body. Stammering an apology, Ytemni immediately backed away and looked up at the person who she'd so unceremoniously run into. What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

He stood about six feet tall, his ebony hair pulled back into a loose ponytail with jaw-length bangs falling loose to frame an exquisitely handsome face. His body was just as lovely to look at; a medium build, with broad shoulders and back, his muscles toned just enough to be noticeable, but not to excess. He was dressed simply enough in a fitted off-white tunic tucked into a pair of dark caramel suede pants, the laces at his throat loose, exposing the smooth line of his throat and a faint shadow of hair at the center of his chest.

Amber eyes met her own emerald ones, sparkling with good humor as his lips curved into a smirk at her reaction. "Entirely my fault, miss. It's obvious to anyone that looks at you that you're not from around here, and I should have been watching where I was going. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I- I'm fine, thank you." She clutched at her bag tightly, pulling it close to her chest as she looked him over again discreetly and silently cursing herself for being so clumsy. Still, there was a small saving grace to that - if not for her running smack into the man, she wouldn't have had such a treat for the eyes today.

He smiled at her again when she responded, sending a small thrill of pleasure through her as he spoke. "Well, I'm glad you're alright. Bretzen-Luc can be daunting when one first arrives, but you'll be used to the city in no time. I'd offer to show you around, but I'm running behind for a meeting with someone. I wish you well, miss, and good day." Nodding gently at her, he turned and slipped into the masses, all but vanishing among the crowd.

Ytemni blinked at his sudden departure, moreso than she had at the way she'd managed to meet him in the first place. The first tuggings of a rather stupid grin were felt on either side of her face, and she groped behind her for something to sit down on before she fell into a complete swoon. Luckily there was a fountain a few feet off, and she managed to reach it before her knees buckled.

Laying her head on her bag, she grumbled softly to herself. "Stupid, Ytemni, just stupid. You could have said something to him, asked if he could recommend an inn you could stay at, but no, you just stood there and gaped at him like an idiot. Smooth, really smooth."

"Well, at least you didn't do what my mistress would have and tried to jump him. I guess that goes to show you're not quite that stupid."

The young Fush'ari turned painfully fast at the sound of another voice just behind her, letting out a high pitched yip of surprise. Hovering just behind her shoulder was the strangest creature she'd ever seen. It was about three feet long and pitch black, its face shaped in a vaguely feline way, with long pointed ears, each bearing what appeared to be a faintly glowing tuft of pale cornflower blue at the end. Almond-shaped eyes of the same shade blinked at her in a bemused manner, with a bright cerulean teardrop-shaped gem gleaming in the center of the creature's forehead. Its arms ended in what looked to be more like billowing sleeves than hands, and in place of feet, it instead had three tendrils that twined among each other ceaselessly. It flitted around in front of her, giving her a glimpse of a pair of tiny cornflower wings, similar in appearance to a bat's, and gave her a thorough looking-over.

"Not bad. I mean, you're not exactly my type, lady, but I guess I can see why you might appeal to someone. Now, from the way you're looking around like everything's gonna try and bite you as soon as you approach it, you're a Fush'ari fresh from Issardis. Correct?"

Ytemni gaped at the creature. "How did you... ?" she started, taken aback at how easily it had managed to determine where she came from.

The creature chuffed at her, amused. "It was easy. Only the island races look like that when they first arrive here, and you bear typical Fush'ari dancer clothing. It wasn't exactly difficult to place you. However, you're not in a bad mood, so I can only guess that you haven't been shuttled off here to Ceres as a result of exile, so... " It stopped, eyes narrowing as one sleeve-hand came up and tapped against the lower half of its face. "Right then. You're going to need somewhere to stay, and I'm pretty sure the inn my mistress and her party are staying in could use some new entertainment. The minstrels they have right now are horrendous. So, come along, miss Fush'ari. Let's get you settled."

=====

The Stone Dragon was an inn like any other, but Ytemni marvelled at it nonetheless. The inside was well illuminated, torches burning in sconces set at close intervals along the walls. The wood of the bartop was polished to a high shine, and the upholstered booths curving around various tables in the main area looked particularly inviting. Following the creature as it made its way to a large booth near a large stone hearth, she wove deftly among the freestanding tables and chairs that made up the rest of the furnishings before finally coming to stand beside the dark sprite.

Two men and a woman sat around the table, looking up at Ytemni's arrival. The woman grinned immediately at seeing the Fush'ari there, clapping her dainty hands together with a peal of laughter that cut through the general din of conversation around them. "Geveau, you wily sprite. You went and found us a new friend!" Sapphire eyes sparkled as she looked at Ytemni, her silvery-blue skin and curtain of snow-white wavy hair betraying her heritage: a water elemental.

"You'll have to pardon Geveau. He's a bit gruff, but he's got a good heart. That much is apparent, since he went and brought you here. Silly Void, trying to make us think he doesn't have a soft spot in him somewhere." The elemental's musical laughter prompted the now-identified Geveau to grumble something before curling up on the back of the booth near the other woman, tendrils coiling gently as he draped his arms over her shoulder and shook his head, obviously exasperated by her.

"Anyways! Glad to have you here with us. I hope we'll get to know you better, and that you'll stick around and join our little party. I'm Nox Undaria, a cleric of the Sisters of Sanctusaria. The other members of the party are my companion Void here, Geveau, my brother Nox Ignis and wandering adventurer X'ele Nagha. Please, sit with us!" Shrugging and stifling a small laugh at the bubbly nature of her hostess, Ytemni nodded lightly and shuffled into the booth beside Undaria's brother, setting her bag on the floor between her feet.

Ignis was as obviously a fire elemental as his sister was a water one. Dusky golden skin was accentuated by fiery red-orange hair, cut short and apparently left to its own devices by way of style. His eyes were a bright scarlet and glittered with a different kind of fire as he looked her over none-too-subtly. "Good going. You found a cute one, Gev." The Void grumbled something incoherent in response as Ignis slid closer to Ytemni, curving a solidly-muscled arm around her small shoulders and pulling her close. Her face rubbed against the rough weave of his sleeveless tunic, a dark slate color that enhanced his complexion nicely. Raising a flagon of ale with his free hand, he drained the mug of the brew in one go, letting out a loud, rattling belch as he slammed it back down on the table and yelling at the bartender for another round.

"You'll have to excuse Ignis, he's a bit of a brute. Not mean, but he's enough of a lech sober, y'know?" Ytemni could barely keep the shock off her face as she turned to look at the other member of the group sitting around her. Her eyes flicked away as quickly as they'd locked onto his, her body slumping with relief at the fact the torchlight would mask the blush heating her cheeks. "I'm glad to see you again, though. I guess Geveau saw you bump into me in the square and thought it would be good that we be introduced properly." Settling back in his seat, he drummed his fingers on the tabletop, raising a brow at Ignis as the inn's sole waitress was tipped for her table service with a silver coin and a generous swat to the rump. "Y'know, Ignis, I'm sure there are more civilized ways to let a lady know you're interested."

"Right, and I'm sure you're gonna tell me all about 'em, aren't you?" the elemental replied heatedly, tugging Ytemni closer as she shot the departing waitress an apologetic smile. "At least I know my methods get results. Not like the women are falling all over you for being a gentleman."

"That's because I have no interest in pursuing the inn staff for a quick roll in the sheets, like you obviously do. I'm quite content to wait until something more meaningful comes along."

"Enough!" Undaria's bubbly demeanour evaporated quickly in the midst of the budding arguement. "Rather than squabble like children, why don't you try and make our new friend feel more welcome?" She turned her sapphire eyes to Ytemni, her pale blue lips curving into a soft smile. "After all, we don't even know your name or where you came here from. I know I'd like to know those things, and I'm sure these brutes would too, despite any protests they might decide to voice." Her small hand reached out for Ytemni's, fingers curving inward towards her palms. "Come on, share?"

"I... guess?" Clearing her throat, Ytemni wriggled loose of Ignis's hold and scooted back to her original spot at the table, leaning forward and setting her forearms against the smooth circle of mahogany. "My name is Ytemni Khalii of the Fush'ari. My village elder thought it would be a good learning experience for me to come out to the mainland of Ceres and do a bit of adventuring, or at least that it might get me to settle down a bit, so she went and presented her case to my family and the Sa'muth herself. Both agreed to it, and I set out earlier today from the flightport on Issardis. The coach landed about an hour ago, and I've been here with you guys for about half of that. The rest of it was coming through the embassy." She shrugged softly, tucking an auburn lock behind her ear and smiling awkwardly. "Not much to tell other than that, I guess, other than the fact I was mostly sent here because the Elder got tired of me playing pranks on her all the time. She was always upset that I could never focus on the tasks she set for me. Would've helped if she'd made them less boring."

"A Fush'ari! I've never met one before now. I'd heard your people were exotic looking, though. I should've guessed that's what you were." Undaria leaned over the table, swatting Ignis out of the way and scrutinizing Ytemni closely, head canting this way and that as she loomed over the other woman, her brother's grumbles of protest going unheeded. It only took a moment for the cleric to spy Ytemni's gift from the Sa'muth, and her sudden squeal caused all the other members of the party to wince at the shrill noise. "Your pendant is gorgeous!! Where did you get it?! I want one!"

"Mistress, kindly shut up. You're going to make the bartender's ears bleed if you keep that ruckus up."

"Geveau, you can kindly go and bite me. She's got a sparkly pendant!"

"Oh joy and bliss." The Void narrowed his eyes and glided over to Ytemni, who sat statue-esque with an expression of shock on her face. "Don't worry about my mistress. She's got a slight obsession with anything that shines or sparkles, and she seems to have taken a rapt interest in whatever you have in your possession." When he saw it, he chuffed softly. "Family heirloom? It looks in fairly new condition for that, mind, but I sense that it's definately something to do with your pard. May I see it?"

Ytemni nodded, unclasping the chain and sliding the pendant from around her throat. The polished silver was bright enough to reflect back the firelight from nearby, flaring a bright orange-red as the triple crescents rotated gently. As the dangling charm turned more fully towards the flames, the opal set in the center of them flickered as if suddenly imbued with a kind of life, and Ytemni's reaction was something none of the others could have expected. As she moved to hand the pendant to the Void, a small flame burst from the opal, engulfing the charm in its entirety before climbing the chain to her hand, where it vanished, leaving them all speechless.

"What the hell was that?" Ignis leaned close to her again, eyeing her suspiciously. "You don't look like an elemental, and that's elemental magic. How'd you do it, huh?"

"Merely a glamour magic, Ignis. Settle down." Geveau's bass rumble cut through their heads sharply as he hovered around Ytemni a moment longer, declining the pendant when she offered it to him again, instead turning and resuming his previous position on the back of the booth. "Nay, lady, I don't need to hold it. I saw enough from you holding it, thank you. I wonder if you've had any training in magic during your upbringing... I mean, from that display, I would say no, but I could be mistaken. After all, your race are known for being magic adept."
Ytemni nodded. "We are, but the common folk of the Fush'ari don't get training in magic unless they either are lucky enough to join the Royal Guard or they take on the duties of clerics under the pard Elders. It's not seen as something that's necessary knowledge otherwise." She sighed, leaning back in the booth and looking around at her companions. "It's not to say I'm averse to learning though. I mean, I always wanted to. I was just never allowed."

Ignis and Undaria looked at each other then, a sense of something passing between the siblings easily picked up by Ytemni and X'ele. As fast as it had come, the sensation departed, and Undaria turned to Ytemni with a smile. "Well, then... if you're willing to put forth the effort and practice what we teach you, we'd both be happy to do so." Her grin widened a bit more before she spoke again. "The other thing I'd heard about the Fush'ari is that they are particularly wonderful dancers, especially the women. I don't suppose there's any truth to that?" she asked, eyes shimmering with anticipation in the case that she had heard correctly.

Ytemni's answering smile and nod of the head sent the cleric into a fit of cheers and applause and garnered approving smiles from the two men. Well, she mused to herself, I'm glad I wore something comfortable. "If you like, I'd be happy to show you just what a Fush'ari dancer can do... but you'll have to get the musicians over there to play something a bit more upbeat." She grinned sardonically, meeting the Void's eyes and winking. "Geveau was right; they are horrible."