“Danny Ray, you stop this right now,” begged the young woman, who'd placed herself between the two brawling young men. She pulled the filthy Etzori away.
Llyr sat up, freed from the assault, and he rubbed at his bloodied face. His cheek had already started to swell. He groaned lowly at the pain in his jaw. The biqaj stared upward, eyes of crimson, and looked at the beautiful blonde who'd come to his aid. He momentarily forgot his pain. The sight of her distracted him.
Not for any crass sexual reasoning, but because she looked as if a great artist had painted her into existence. The blond of her long hair was fair, yet had a shimmer of gold like gentle morning sunlight in springtime. The strands looked so soft, he was certain it’d be like petting a cloud to touch them. Her features were youthful, even healthy despite that she was pale enough to look sickly if it weren't for the pink blush centered on her high cheekbones. She didn't belong in this dirty world... and why did she know a scrub like Danny?
The irises of his eyes changed from crimson to violet while he stared at her.
Danny, on the other hand, shoved at her. He growled, “Get out of my fucking way, Lyssa.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn't let you,” she said in a soft voice that felt like a whisper though it could be heard. “Lord Holbret has need of you.”
“Now?! But… fates…” Danny pointed at Llyr with the switchblade. With a sneer wide and showing the blackened spots on his yellowed teeth, he said, “This isn’t over, mortspawn. Next time, I’ll kill yeh.”
“As if you could,” replied Llyr without pause.
Danny stomped toward him. Llyr hurried to his feet to meet the aggression. The violet of his biqaj eyes rushed away in a flood of yellow-orange. The two stared at each other for a good whole bit, but they didn’t return to blows. Instead, Danny closed his switchblade and spat directly on Llyr’s boots. He stalked away in a direction that wasn’t toward the gate but also not away from it, but rather diagonal through an alley.
Llyr looked at the young woman - Lyssa, she’d been called. He offered a smile, though it hurt his injured jaw a great deal.
“Are you okay?” she asked, sincere concern glancing over her beauty. How sweet she sounded, and precious she looked. He wanted to take her home and set her in a comfortable room where she might never be harmed by anyone.
“Ye-yeah,” said Llyr while he ignored the various pains in his body. “I’m great. Uh… y-you work for Lord Holbret?”
“Not exactly. I live on his estate.”
“Oh. Are you… uh…” he hesitated. He grimaced, wanting to ask but also not wanting to ask.
“No, no!” Her voice squeaked in pitch rather than raising in volume. She raised a hand to settle it on her bosom, which Llyr now realized was mostly exposed due to the low lacy collar of her dress. How hadn’t he fully identified that sooner? He stared there, rather than looking at her face, now. The dress she wore pressed her bosom up to look plump and almost as rosy as her cheeks and a heavy pendant of pure sapphire glinted from a golden chain.
“You- uh- I- I’m Llywelyn,” stammered the biqaj. He couldn’t get himself to look away from… the pendant.
“I know who you are,” she said with a sigh that swelled her bosom.
He felt blood rush through him, away from his cut lip and sore jaw. Llyr forced himself, with a shake of his head, to return his gaze to Lyssa’s blue eyes. His words escaped, “Fates, but you are divine. I mean… fuck… That was… I’m sorry.”
Lyssa laughed quietly. It was a wonderful sound, as soft as her hair looked… as her skin seemed… He bet she felt soft everywhere. She lifted the skirt of her dress slightly, then started walking in a direction toward the gates. Llyr followed beside her.
“So, Lyssa, I mean. Did I say thank you yet? Thank you, if not. Not that I needed help, but you probably saved Danny’s skin back there. I was about to… you know… not that I’m a killer or anything like that, but sometimes when I get fired up and all, don’t know my own strength. He shouldn’t pick fights. If I wasn’t so… you know, I could have killed him, if I wanted to. Not that I would.” Llyr rambled at her while they walked.
“You’re bleeding,” she said with a gesture toward her own lip.
Llyr set the back of his wrist against his lower lip to stem the blood flow. “Is nuthin’. Jus’ a scra’sh.”
The blonde looked away. Her gaze drifted upward at the sky where stars had started to dapple the dimly lit blanket of night. She sighed wistfully. They walked in silence for a few bits, while the gates got closer and closer.
Finally, Llyr lowered his wrist and he blurted out, “Did you want to go get a drink?”
Lyssa stopped walking. She stared up at him, with an almost lazy expression like a cat that’d been jostled from a nap. “Shouldn’t you… clean up?”
“No, I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’ll pay. Whatever you want.”
“That’s very kind of you, Llywelyn, but no. I only came out to find Danny Ray and now I need to head home.” A hint of a smile showed in the shadow near her plush bow lips.
Llyr exhaled lowly, and his gaze flickered down at her dress. He said, “I’ll walk you back to the estate, then?”
“Do you think that’s wise?” she asked.
“Huh? Why wou-” he stopped. He looked up at her curious expression as if trying to tell him something by her eyes alone. Llyr realized he shouldn’t come near Holbret’s estate, not with how Danny had talked about those addresses. What if Lord Holbret held the same viewpoint? What if Danny hadn’t been acting out of recklessness but out of some sort of instruction? What if Lyssa was? Llyr shook his head, and regathered his thoughts instead of feeling dazed by the beautiful woman beside him. “Right. You’re right. The inner city is plenty safe. If you don’t think you need me…?”
“I don’t.” She stared at him still.
“Okay, so, I’ll… just… you know, I forgot there’s something I have to do. Over there. Elsewhere. Now.” He gestured absently in a random direction, away from the gates. Llyr nodded and said, “I will fare thee well, then.”
Lyssa quirked an eyebrow. She laughed softly, then said, “If you’d like to still have a drink, though… why don’t we have supper together one of these evenings?”
“Yes.” Llyr paused in an awkward bow, uncertain what he was even doing, but he stared at the blonde human. “Yes, whenever you want.”
“How’s… the night after next?” she offered.
“Yes,” he agreed without a single thought about it. “That’s perfect. Where would you like to meet?”
“Outside Lord Holbret’s estate?”
“I will see you then.” He lifted from the bow and dumbly smiled.
“Soon, then.” Lyssa curtsied, then she smiled and left toward the gates that led back into the inner rings of Etzos.
Llyr remained there, and he waved slightly when she glanced over her shoulder at him. Damn. He knew that trick. In fact, he knew most of the tricks she seemed to be using on him. So, why was he falling for it anyway? He sighed and tried to imagine what she would look like with that dress on the floor. How would her skin feel underneath his hands? How wou- he shook his head and forced himself to turn away.
His ankle had the limp still. He looked around, feeling dazed from the liquor and the fight and then Lyssa, and he tried to figure out where exactly he was going. He had business to attend to, but also… Lyssa had distracted him a great deal. Llyr started in a familiar direction, toward the north-west side of establishments. He could only hope he wouldn’t run into Danny Ray again that night.
In case he did, he left the ring of paradigm in his pocket. His sparks gradually stirred, while his wings wove back into formation. The iridescent light of his halo jittered, not quite stable yet.
After what felt like a long walk, but only due to his limp, he reached the high-story rickety building. The stairs were clean though, which was unusual for most night-time businesses in the outer perimeter. He used the railing to help himself up to the door, then entered what had become one of his favorite places since he’d arrived to Etzos in Ymiden: The Lonely Mark.
Not for any crass sexual reasoning, but because she looked as if a great artist had painted her into existence. The blond of her long hair was fair, yet had a shimmer of gold like gentle morning sunlight in springtime. The strands looked so soft, he was certain it’d be like petting a cloud to touch them. Her features were youthful, even healthy despite that she was pale enough to look sickly if it weren't for the pink blush centered on her high cheekbones. She didn't belong in this dirty world... and why did she know a scrub like Danny?
The irises of his eyes changed from crimson to violet while he stared at her.
Danny, on the other hand, shoved at her. He growled, “Get out of my fucking way, Lyssa.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn't let you,” she said in a soft voice that felt like a whisper though it could be heard. “Lord Holbret has need of you.”
“Now?! But… fates…” Danny pointed at Llyr with the switchblade. With a sneer wide and showing the blackened spots on his yellowed teeth, he said, “This isn’t over, mortspawn. Next time, I’ll kill yeh.”
“As if you could,” replied Llyr without pause.
Danny stomped toward him. Llyr hurried to his feet to meet the aggression. The violet of his biqaj eyes rushed away in a flood of yellow-orange. The two stared at each other for a good whole bit, but they didn’t return to blows. Instead, Danny closed his switchblade and spat directly on Llyr’s boots. He stalked away in a direction that wasn’t toward the gate but also not away from it, but rather diagonal through an alley.
Llyr looked at the young woman - Lyssa, she’d been called. He offered a smile, though it hurt his injured jaw a great deal.
“Are you okay?” she asked, sincere concern glancing over her beauty. How sweet she sounded, and precious she looked. He wanted to take her home and set her in a comfortable room where she might never be harmed by anyone.
“Ye-yeah,” said Llyr while he ignored the various pains in his body. “I’m great. Uh… y-you work for Lord Holbret?”
“Not exactly. I live on his estate.”
“Oh. Are you… uh…” he hesitated. He grimaced, wanting to ask but also not wanting to ask.
“No, no!” Her voice squeaked in pitch rather than raising in volume. She raised a hand to settle it on her bosom, which Llyr now realized was mostly exposed due to the low lacy collar of her dress. How hadn’t he fully identified that sooner? He stared there, rather than looking at her face, now. The dress she wore pressed her bosom up to look plump and almost as rosy as her cheeks and a heavy pendant of pure sapphire glinted from a golden chain.
“You- uh- I- I’m Llywelyn,” stammered the biqaj. He couldn’t get himself to look away from… the pendant.
“I know who you are,” she said with a sigh that swelled her bosom.
He felt blood rush through him, away from his cut lip and sore jaw. Llyr forced himself, with a shake of his head, to return his gaze to Lyssa’s blue eyes. His words escaped, “Fates, but you are divine. I mean… fuck… That was… I’m sorry.”
Lyssa laughed quietly. It was a wonderful sound, as soft as her hair looked… as her skin seemed… He bet she felt soft everywhere. She lifted the skirt of her dress slightly, then started walking in a direction toward the gates. Llyr followed beside her.
“So, Lyssa, I mean. Did I say thank you yet? Thank you, if not. Not that I needed help, but you probably saved Danny’s skin back there. I was about to… you know… not that I’m a killer or anything like that, but sometimes when I get fired up and all, don’t know my own strength. He shouldn’t pick fights. If I wasn’t so… you know, I could have killed him, if I wanted to. Not that I would.” Llyr rambled at her while they walked.
“You’re bleeding,” she said with a gesture toward her own lip.
Llyr set the back of his wrist against his lower lip to stem the blood flow. “Is nuthin’. Jus’ a scra’sh.”
The blonde looked away. Her gaze drifted upward at the sky where stars had started to dapple the dimly lit blanket of night. She sighed wistfully. They walked in silence for a few bits, while the gates got closer and closer.
Finally, Llyr lowered his wrist and he blurted out, “Did you want to go get a drink?”
Lyssa stopped walking. She stared up at him, with an almost lazy expression like a cat that’d been jostled from a nap. “Shouldn’t you… clean up?”
“No, I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’ll pay. Whatever you want.”
“That’s very kind of you, Llywelyn, but no. I only came out to find Danny Ray and now I need to head home.” A hint of a smile showed in the shadow near her plush bow lips.
Llyr exhaled lowly, and his gaze flickered down at her dress. He said, “I’ll walk you back to the estate, then?”
“Do you think that’s wise?” she asked.
“Huh? Why wou-” he stopped. He looked up at her curious expression as if trying to tell him something by her eyes alone. Llyr realized he shouldn’t come near Holbret’s estate, not with how Danny had talked about those addresses. What if Lord Holbret held the same viewpoint? What if Danny hadn’t been acting out of recklessness but out of some sort of instruction? What if Lyssa was? Llyr shook his head, and regathered his thoughts instead of feeling dazed by the beautiful woman beside him. “Right. You’re right. The inner city is plenty safe. If you don’t think you need me…?”
“I don’t.” She stared at him still.
“Okay, so, I’ll… just… you know, I forgot there’s something I have to do. Over there. Elsewhere. Now.” He gestured absently in a random direction, away from the gates. Llyr nodded and said, “I will fare thee well, then.”
Lyssa quirked an eyebrow. She laughed softly, then said, “If you’d like to still have a drink, though… why don’t we have supper together one of these evenings?”
“Yes.” Llyr paused in an awkward bow, uncertain what he was even doing, but he stared at the blonde human. “Yes, whenever you want.”
“How’s… the night after next?” she offered.
“Yes,” he agreed without a single thought about it. “That’s perfect. Where would you like to meet?”
“Outside Lord Holbret’s estate?”
“I will see you then.” He lifted from the bow and dumbly smiled.
“Soon, then.” Lyssa curtsied, then she smiled and left toward the gates that led back into the inner rings of Etzos.
Llyr remained there, and he waved slightly when she glanced over her shoulder at him. Damn. He knew that trick. In fact, he knew most of the tricks she seemed to be using on him. So, why was he falling for it anyway? He sighed and tried to imagine what she would look like with that dress on the floor. How would her skin feel underneath his hands? How wou- he shook his head and forced himself to turn away.
His ankle had the limp still. He looked around, feeling dazed from the liquor and the fight and then Lyssa, and he tried to figure out where exactly he was going. He had business to attend to, but also… Lyssa had distracted him a great deal. Llyr started in a familiar direction, toward the north-west side of establishments. He could only hope he wouldn’t run into Danny Ray again that night.
In case he did, he left the ring of paradigm in his pocket. His sparks gradually stirred, while his wings wove back into formation. The iridescent light of his halo jittered, not quite stable yet.
After what felt like a long walk, but only due to his limp, he reached the high-story rickety building. The stairs were clean though, which was unusual for most night-time businesses in the outer perimeter. He used the railing to help himself up to the door, then entered what had become one of his favorite places since he’d arrived to Etzos in Ymiden: The Lonely Mark.
