The Traveler (open)

Aether was in the city of Oleas, a city across the mountains and a heavily reliable trading city. Goods often travel through here to get to Edaria and up north to the Sunshield hold. The blond, yellow eyed traveler had eyed the city from afar, but was finally inside, taking in the sights and sounds. It was certainly a busy place, even busier than Edaria. It didn't look like he had anything on him aside from his mostly dark clothing, and his white and gold scarf/cape. Though his attire did leave his midriff open.

He was hungry, and had already checked in at an inn. In a tavern, he had eaten his fill, and was talking to one of the older couples there. They had told him all about the city, its founding, what they did, and their own little adventures. They also recounted how they were afraid that the Asentari would set their sights on them during the Contact War not long before he arrived to the continent. They, like most others, commented on his peculiar accent. To which Aether just waved off. It wasn't long before he got into a drinking match and was earning money through bets.

Six men later, he was still on top. Barely buzzing. The booze was good and unique...he rather enjoyed it, saying as much and tipping the waitress and bartender with some of his earnings after each win, making them smile. But it was starting to get a little boring...

A young heanta stood on the border of the freelands, staring out into the unknown. She had never crossed this point alone, free to go where she wanted, to explore. Inexperience had held her back, and it probably would have been a long time before this day came had she not met a Human Knight. Meeting Rory had inspired her to leave on this Journey, to explore the lands outside her home. She would start by visiting Mondolin, explore its cities, scare the crap out of her new friend. However, Umbra soon found out that she had no idea where she was going.

She traveled normally at first, just another heanta on the road. However the first person she met fled screaming after she tried to say hello. She found a village and tried to go in for some food, but was chased by men with spears. She wondered how Vala managed to get around without people screaming at her. At the next village she watched for a while, examining the people as they went about their day. She then used her powers to copy their coloring, turning her hair red and eyes green. She made her horns disappear and turned her skin a pale white, and rounded off her ears. When she tried to enter the village no one batted an eye at her.

Umbra spent the rest of her Journey to mondolin traveling this way, assuming her new appearance every morning. She met a bunch of nice men who offered to escort her to her destination, and took them up on the offer. However when they tried to tie her up while she was pretending to sleep, she realised they had probably lied about helping her. They soon ran when she summoned a set of razor sharp talons, and ripped off one of their heads.

She travelled on, eventually crossing the mountains into Mondolin. From her vantage point up high, she spotted a city, and headed towards it, entering in her red haired human form. Entering a tavern where the locals were several humans were drinking. A few lay slumped in their seats or and one was being helped up off the floor. Umbra watched the scene with interest as she approached the bar. "Human, what city is this?" She asked the man behind the bar. He gave her a curious look, then answered. "Oleas, Miss. Best trading city in the freelands." He said. Umbra Pouted. "The Freelands? How can I still be in the freelands! Where is Mondolin?" She asked.

"Mondolin's up north. You've a ways to go yet." He said with a chuckle. How in Na'Kora's name did she miss an entire country? She sighed, dropping her head into her arms at the bar to sulk. "Can I get you a drink?" The man asked. "I suppose." She said, her reply muffled. She continued to sulk, sipping on the strange beverage the human gave her.

Aether looked over to see a new person walk in. A beauty of a red headed chick that seemed to have travelled a lot that day. He stopped mid drink and just looked at her. He eventually got to drinking his drink, and managed to tug the bartender before he got to her. "Her drinks are on me if she wants any." The bartender nodded and went over to her.

Getting her a drink, she seemed to be sulking a bit after a brief chat. The yellow eyed, odd clothed man slipped beside her. "Hello there. Are you a magician? Because when I have a look at you, you make everyone else disappear!" He gave her a handsome smile and hoped for the best. He had a tendency to lose braincells when talking to a red head. It was a bad pick-up line. But he had to try...she was very nice looking.

Umbra noticed someone sit down beside her. She looked up at the stranger, green eyes peaking over her arm. He was strangely dressed, with a cloak and bared midriff. Interesting fashion for a man. She noticed the yellow eyes, and thought for a moment he might be an Eldari, but his ears were round like every other humans. He probably wouldn't feel obliged to kill her for being a heanta if he figured it out. He said something about her being a Magician and Umbra looked at him concerned. "I don't know allot about magic. Maybe you need you're experiencing some sort of illusion?" She responded. She sat up, taking a sip of the drink the bartender gave her. She wrinkled her nose at the taste, then had some more.

The human was still sitting there, so she looked at him. She gave him a smile back, because he seemed so happy to see her, like a puppy or something. "Can I help you with something?" She asked, her tone friendly. She looked him up and down again. He looked well traveled. "Don't suppose you've been to Mondolin. Am I really far?" Umbra took her back off her back and dropped it at her feet. "I'm hungry. Who cooks the dinner around here?"

The hit...fell extremely flat. Which kind of shocked him. "Oh, you're defnitely no illusion, beautiful." He half wondered if that got through to her. Although, Aether's brain cells do tend to go on vacation whenever there is a red head involved. The odd lady did ask if she could help him with something. "Oh, you can help me out a lot. There's a bed in my room that needs warming, but I also like company, care to join me?" It was awful, awkward, and not at all sexy. But it was more direct. He was very friendly and as polite as possible.

Although, she also seemed be a traveler. Maybe his own peculiar accent helped? "'Fraid not. Kind of sort of heading in that direction though. Came here from Edaria. What about you, miss?" The bartender handed her a menu and looked at him. "Yes, her meal is also on me if she wants anything." Nodding, the man took her order if she was ready, and went off to the back. Aether looked at the beauty of a woman next to him expectantly.

The man called her beautiful, and she blushed. "You're not to bad on the eyes yourself." She said, perking up a bit at the compliment. Then he seemed to become quite forward, mentioning he had a bed that needed warming and didn't like to do it alone. "Oh you were flirting with me. If you call that flirting." She didn't sleep with slaves, but then again she was supposed to be human so maybe she did? Or was he only a slave in her eyes? Who knew. She smiled mischievously. "Trust me, you don't know what you're proposing." She said, not really agreeing to anything.

He hadn't been to Mondolin but he'd been to Edaria. She wasn't sure where that was. When he asked where she was from she hummed and made something up. She didn't know much about the lands outside Kyrias, but she knew there were villages of humans in Kyrias. They grew crops and kept animals, and for a sizable tribute the heanta protected them and didn't eat them. "I'm from a village in Kyrias." She said. The comment did earn her a look from the bartender, but he said nothing instead asking what she'd like to eat, after the man confirmed that he was buying. She didn't realize she had to pay, so that was just as well. He handed her a menu and she looked at it. What in the name of Na'Kora was a potato?

She handed back the menu. "A plain chicken, please." She said. "A full plain chicken?" The bartender asked, and she nodded. He shrugged and walked off to turn in the order. If the man seemed surprised she would shrug. "I haven't eaten in a while." Umbra realised he was watching her expectantly. "I'm not going to have sex with you for a chicken, so wipe that look off your face. Besides, you haven't introduced yourself. I'm Umbra." She said, holding out a delicate hand with well looked after nails for him to shake. "This stool is very uncomfortable." She said, standing up and looked for a more comfortable place to sit. Spotting a booth, she picked up the strange drink.

"Bring my bag." She said, polite but demanding, before walking off and sitting down. She sighed happily. That was better. She really wasn't made for this travelling business. She sipped at her drink and waited for him to join her, taking off her overcoat to reveal her scarred shoulders with gold set into the skin. She wore a light top of black material, that she had to admit went well with fair skin. But she missed her dresses. Her clothes were finely made, but not to her standards as far as fashion went. "So how long have you been in the city?" She asked.

Whoo! The more direct approach worked! She blushed, and returned the compliment, making him grin like an idiot. Although he was taken slightly off guard at the off hand bash of his flirting skills. "Oh, I don't know about that. I can handle myself quite well." At least, he never had any complaints from his partners. She mentioned that she was from a village in Kyrias. "Oh? Isn't that Heanta Territory?" While he hasn't travelled too much around, he at least had a good sense of the major nations and where things were at.

Still, getting a plain chicken was a little odd. The red head didn't like the stools too much, so wanted to move, ordering him to grab her bag after a small bit of chastising. "Ah, my apologies, my name is Aether." As soon as he said it, he regretted it. One, because it was kind of an unusual name, though on a continent with at least four races on it, it was unlikely it would be so unusual as to be remembered. Two, if someone asked and gave a description of him, combined with his name, they'd know he's at least on the continent.

But...so far, he hasn't had any issues with people from his country following him. And hopefully never will, seeing as he was among the lower end of the royalty totem pole. They probably didn't care anymore.

He grabbed her bag and followed her to a more comfortable booth. Umbra (pretty name for a pretty girl) asked him how long he'd been there. "About five days. I usually try to stay a week in larger cities before moving on. What about you, darlin'? Have a reason to go to Mondolin?" Hopefully not because of a boyfriend.

Thankfully he didn't seem to sure about the territory, so she could probably get away with a few little lies to keep him from figuring her out. She wasn't sure how humans reacted to heanta around here. "It is, but humans live in small villages in the outskirts. We pay in food and livestock, and the heanta leave us alone." She told him. Since he seemed to be a traveller himself, she decided that maybe a warning wouldn't go a miss. "I wouldn't go walking around uninvited, all the same. Especially past the mountains."

Aether was an interesting name, but she didn't think much on it considering her own name. He did as asked, joining her in the booth and answering her question, then asked his own. "I've been here less than an hour. As for mondolin, Well I can't stay home forever. I want to see the cities the humans built, plus I have a friend who lives there." The chicken arrived and she started to eat. "I've never been outside Kyrias alone. Its a new experience. I may have gotten lost though." She continued. the chicken was gone in about ten minutes, but she'd managed to eat it gracefully, not misplacing a single piece or getting any grease on her clothes or face. She wiped her hands off and sipped at her drink some more.

"That was delicious." Umbra said. "What else is there to do in this city? I wouldn't mind checking out a Gallery. After I finish this drink of course."  She added taking another sip. "Why don't you tell me about yourself. Where are you from? I'm not familiar with the cities around here. Have you met an Asentari? How old are you?"

Ah, so they weren't complete monsters. Still, she issued him a strong warning. "Duly noted. Though perhaps you can invite me in some time." Aether gave her a playful wink. Past the mountains must be where the main Heantan cities were. Not likely a place he'd like to go...just like some places on his own continent.

Umbra apparently just got in. And never got left her home until now, and wanted to see the world. He could relate to that a lot. "I can understand that. Never left my home city until war started. Then I couldn't stand what I saw and wasn't allowed to help when I could. So I left. That was about nine years ago, a little less. Never looked back."

He watched her eat peacefully, while nursing his own drinks. The blond did perk up when she asked what else was there to do. "As a matter of fact, there's three of them in the city! Three! The most I've ever seen in a single city. Usually a large city might have two." He talked excitedly. He had done tavern jumping, went to a couple of events, went to the harbor, and several markets. And that was about it, he hadn't hit the galleries or museums yet.

Then came a few other questions. "I'm from a completely different continent. Got ship wrecked here. Well, closer to Edaria. I have met an Asentari. The leader of Edaria herself, Aline Drexara. She's had quite a few great adventures when she was younger, she was fun to listen to. Though not as fun as listening to you. I am thirty-five years old. You have an interest in the arts, any particular kind you like? What other hobbies do you like?" He had a few himself. And the Traveler had also completely missed the non-human cues.

Aether mentioned a war, and Umbra nodded along until he said it was nine years ago. there was no war nine years ago. The first contact war was only a few years back, and the most recent after that before that was the second great war. It was a little strange but she nodded along anyway. He did mention that there was three Galleries and she almost jumped up. "Really? There's barely enough time in the day." She said. Aether went on to explain where he'd come from, and she stared at him as if he were crazy. Sure, explorers had left Ka'lesa, but they never returned and there was no other continents. Not that she knew of. (she can barely find the one she lives on.) There was nothing to the north, or the south, bar impassable land.

Umbra listened to him as he explained that he had met an Asentari. "And what about eldari or heanta?" She added. She was interested in what he said about Aline. "Edaria probably has a nice Gallery..." She said absently. He also said he was thirty five. Was that old for humans? "I'm twenty seven. Only got my. Nevermind." She'd almost blown her cover by mentioning her demon matrix. "Oh I love painting. Its so peaceful. I'm also big into Fashion. I was a bit of a sick child, which is why I haven't travelled much, but we had plenty of nice things come in and I was always able to get pain supplies." She said.

"My brother's big into magic. Never really been my thing, but he did make this." She said, gesturing to the gold on her shoulders. "I designed them of course. he doesn't know what aesthetically pleasing means." She finished her drink and stood up. "I'm going to book a room and change. I'll be right back." She said. She headed for the bar, he legs slightly wobbly. She considered this, and guessed that the drink probably had something to do with it. She organised a room, grabbed her bag and headed upstairs, returning a few minutes later in a low cut black dress and high heels. The dress showed off most of her back, along with the gold and scars that stood out more than the small gem on her forehead. She also wore a silver necklace and several bracelets of varying metals. Looking at Aether, she gestured towards the door. "Shall we?" She asked.

"Never really talked to the Heanta in Eldaria, seemed a little too prickly. Some of the Eldari were nice enough to share tales of their adventures though." He ignored the look. And thought she looked especially cute given her excitement over the galleries. Umbra also seemed interesed in Eldaria. "It does. If you wish to head that way, I don't mind travelling with you." She stated her age, which was only eight years his junior. Not too bad really.

Her hobbies included painting and fashion, and was formerly a sick child, hence why she was so lost and seemed to inexperienced in travelling. Aether nodded along with her. Sick children rarely lived long back in his country, he'd heard. Despite their medicine. Then again, they didn't invest much in healthcare. They were encouraged to produce strong babies, or for same-sex couples, to adopt strong children to raise and guide them properly. Those children with strong magical affinities were often drafted and taken into the Harbinger program at early ages. But that was the extent that he'd heard. He could have become a Junior Harbinger himself at this point...but alas, he didn't want that kind of life.

Her brother had a way with magic, showing him the gold plates on her shoulders. The blond chuckled at her comment and nodded. "I'll be right here." He patiently waited like the good puppy that he was, paying for everything while he waited. When she came back in a low cut black dress and heels that showed off her womanly figure, he was blushing a bit. As was probably most of the room. Though he was sure some the scars made some turn away, there was a story there that he didn't like. But even with that...

He jumped up and went to her side. "Yes ma'am!" He offered his arm. Royal upbringing did have its small perks. The yellow eyed foreigner knew where the closest gallery was and led them right to it. After paying the entrance fee, they started to browse.

"They can be outright mean elsewhere." Umbra said as he mentioned the heanta in Edaria could be prickly. He had met Eldari too, who were more friendly.  "Hmm, I appreciate the offer but I do need to get to mandolin first. Lets worry about that later, and not spoil the day." Umbra said. She wasn't surprised she made him blush when she returned. She knew she looked good. The whole room was watching her, but she paid no attention to anyone but Aether. Taking her arm, Aether led her through the streets to the first gallery. Aether payed without hesitation, though she wasn't sure why one needed to pay to see art. She looked around in awe at the various paintings in magnificent gold laid frames.

She knew the names of many of the painters, from the human Renfriey Vonbroph to the Eldari painter Ilia Cress. "Do you know anything about painting?" She asked Aether as they walked through the Gallery. She stopped to admire a painting of a sunset in the Golden City by Cress. The detail in the lighting blew her away, and she wished she'd brought something to take notes. "Ilia Cress practically paints with light. She's amazing. I have a few of her pieces at home." Umbra said, forgetting that she was supposed to be a relatively poor human.

She was surprised when they passed one of her own paintings. She sold or donated her works, but she hadn't expected to see one here. She quickly hid her surprise, hoping Aether wouldn't read the plaque which read "Umbra Moonfall." If he did notice, and put two and two together he'd probably have questions that she wouldn't like. She kept moving either way.

Well, that was nice to know, to be wary of other Heanta in other places. The redhead apparently had some urgent business in Mondolin, and took a raincheck for the trip.

Aether enjoyed seeing Umbra's expressions of the various paintings. Some, even he felt something from. Umbra asked if he know anything about it. "I don't have much of an artistic bone in my body. That said, I can appreciate good art. I've found many pieces have a story behind them, many known only by the author. Some merely took inspiration from the scene, others wanted to paint a memory or event. Some even wanted to make something that would touch other people's souls and feelings in a specific way." And he was always up for a good story.

Umbra seemed rather taken with a particular piece, even knowing the artist by name, making him giggle a little bit. They continued on to look at other pieces. One seemed to have surprised her, but she quickly hid it. Aether simply shrugged it off. Maybe it was a rare piece? Either way, he didn't much bother with an explanation. They just continued on. It took a long time to get through this one, but there was still two more to go through...

They walked, and Aether answered her question. Umbra listened intently as he talked about how he felt about art. She smiled as he talked about the how the content might mean various things, or be designed to envoke feelings. "Yes. Or they can be used as an outlet to cope with great trauma." Umbra said. "Some of the best pieces are inspired that way." They moved on. It was allot of walking, but Umbra enjoyed every minute of it. When they were done, they moved on to the next gallery, but Umbra had slowed down. She was interested in the art, but she was also interested in Aether.

She looked at him as they stopped infront of a painting of a dreary landscape A single flower grew in the middle of a barren meadow, a ray of light casting through the clouds onto the flower. There was more flowers in the distance in full sunlight. "Loneliness, that's what this painting's about. But there's also a little bit of hope in it, with the light touching the flower. It's a little bit obvious, but sometimes things don't need to be obscure to be good." She said. "I know how the painter felt. Being frail kept me inside away from the outside world. Kyrias is not a safe place for the sick or weak. What about you? You must miss you're family, separated by an ocean from them as you are." She said.

Aether nodded. "That is a matter of opinion." It was the one point of contention, but he was calm and open minded about it. True that art was sometimes used as a coping mechanism. They soon moved on the next. They found themselves in front of a dreary landscape with a single flower growing the middle of a barren meadow, a ray of light showing through the clouds onto it. There was more in the background cast in full sunlight. It didn't have an obscure purpose or meaning behind it.

The blond listened to Umbra comment about the painting, how it represented just a little bit of hope in the face of loneliness. And then went into detail of her own life. How her home wasn't a safe place for the sick or weak. It made his own heart falter. Oh how he had been so blind before. "Because tyranny is such a good place to live in. Where those with high magical aptitude is drafted into the military, made to become weapons of the highest quality, with few exceptions, turned to become Harbingers and Junior Harbingers. Where those who were weak, sick, or frail were actively purged to promote the strong. Even the slaves, though they were treated far better than those on this continent for the most part, were subject to this. I have no regrets leaving. I wasn't close to my few younger siblings, nor my many elder ones, my oldest seemed to even hate me for some reason. When helping those less fortunate was seen with disdain and get chastised for it...I couldn't stand it. I was blind to it for the longest time. And I don't have the power to change it. I'd rather seek out my own way...not like I had much say back home. I do miss one of my mentors though. But he was in good health, a competent officer, and could become a Harbinger if he so desired. But one person is hardly a reason to stay. Especially when everyone around you wanted you punished for leaving the military, legally I might add. I apparently had more pressure on me than I thought, though certainly not in the way I had initially thought. My form of loneliness was different from yours. Perhaps that's why I like the stories of others..."

And hopefully he would be left alone. He couldn't see his family back home spending the time and resources to look for him for long...

Umbra listened to Aether speak about his homeland. "It sound's like Kyrias. Only heanta who are fit and strong survive, and the weak ones die or live as slaves. They fight half the time, spilling blood in the streets like its nothing. Though to heanta, it really isn't. They just heal, unless things go to far. Of course, not all scars heal." Her voice trembled at the last sentence, then she shook it off and continued. "Some in Kyrias treat their slaves well. Karcenak is a different story, but the heanta have little involvement with that city." She let him finish speaking. "Maybe different, but still the same. Thankfully its not so lonely out on the road. There's always interesting people to meet." Umbra said with a smile.

"Come on, that enough sulking. Lets go find a park or something, I'm feeling all cooped up suddenly." She said. She took his arm, leading him out to roam the streets at a slow pace until they found a peaceful place to sit. A peaceful open seating area with rows of well tended flowers that sat off to the side of an open to the air bar serving wines and other drinks. She'd never seen its like before, in Kyrias atleast. Umbra took a seat as she smiled at Aether. A pleasent enough place."[/color] She said. "I have an Idea. Ask me a question, I'll try to answer truthfully. Then I'll ask you one and you do the same."

So, Umbra's own homeland was similar. In a way. "They don't fight constantly. But that could be due to the fact that us humans don't heal as well as a Heanta." Then came the comment about the slaves of Karcenak. Frowning, he looked away. "Property should be treated with decency. Similar to a beloved pet that earns its keep..." It was an unpopular opinion here. But quite a common one on his homeland. Though he smiled and nodded in agreement with her in that there are always interesting people to meet on the road.

He let her lead him out into the streets at a slow pace until they found a peaceful place to sit. Then she came up with a game. One that actually did kind of make him uncomfortable. But like the dumbass that he was when someone with red hair showed up, agreed to it. "Sounds good to me. Why do you wish to go to Mondolin?"

Umbra listened and nodded. "I agree. There's no need to be mean. Its just cruel people doing what they like." She said. Aether agreed to play the game, and started by asking Umbra why she wanted to go to mondolin. "Mmm, that's cheating you've already asked me that." She said. But she hadn't fully answered so she shrugged and smiled. "Fine. I'll tell you. And since you've been so nice to me, I might as well tell you two truths. First, I'm going to mondolin to find a human. We faught, he got captured, we bonded, I totally saved his life helping him escape Kyrias. I just want to make sure he made it home ok, and since he got to see my city, I figured I wouldn't mind seeing his." She said to Aether.

"The second one is, I'm not actually human. I'm a heanta, of the elite caste." She gave him a sheepish grin. "I didn't think it wise to tell you, for the same reason you don't go around telling people you're not from around here. Hopefully you can understand that." She said. Assuming Aether knew about heanta, and didn't immediately attack her over being one, she would give him a minute to process what she said before continuing the game. "Ok, my turn?" She asked. "You still feel like warming my bed for me?" She asked with a cheeky smile.

Aether couldn't help the cheeky grin on his face when Umbra exclaimed that he had already asked her that. Though she was in agreement with his opinion. So that was a small relief. She went on detail why. She was trying to find a human that she had fought and captured, then saved him by helping him escape Kyrias. She wanted to make sure that he got back alright and to see his city since he saw her's.

What caught him by surprise was that she claimed she wasn't human, that this wasn't even what she looked like. Though he did understand why she didn't say it, let alone go around in her real appearance. At least, that was what he was assuming. Aether was about to ask when he clammed up. Now wasn't the time for that. It was a suspicion. And he needed to answer her own question.

He looked at her up and down before deciding on an answer. "Yes. On the condition that you show me what you really look like. If my assumption is right about you being able to change your appearance, at least." He still eyed her and gave her a cheeky smile of his own. He wanted to see what she really looked like. Even if she was ugly as hell, maybe he could still show her a good time, even get her confidence up if she lacked any. Though that was...extremely unlikely.

Umbra raised an eyebrow as Aether requested to see her true form. "Oh? Am I not pleasing to the eye?" She asked with a coy smile. "I don't remember mentioning I had the ability to change my appearance. What gave it away? Its the lack of horns, right?" Or the fair skin and lack of pointed ears. "I don't mind of course. But not here. I don't want to cause a panic." She said. Standing up she took his hand and led him back to the inn. Once they were in the privacy of one of their rooms, Umbra turned to him and released the power the concealed her true form.

Her ears became pointed, her skin turned to a medium grey and an elegant pair of curved horns appeared on her head. The color drained from her hair until it turned white. Her canines became more pronounced, but otherwise her face remained unchanged. She knew by "This is me. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my body, scars and all. Its just easier to talk to someone when they don't assume you intend on eating them. But if this is not you're cup of tea we can leave it here, but you'll be missing out on allot of fun." She said. Then she smiled.

Aether tried to wave off the concerns. "Now now, I didn't say that. Of course, I don't mean right now or anything..." Though he did take her hand and let her lead him to the privacy of their rooms. And it was then she turned to him and revealed her true form as he sat on the bed. He became very mesmerized by the transformation. The horns, far more elegant than he expected, skin tone becoming more gray, hair turning white...

He was beginning to blush. She...was extremely gorgeous. He'd even argue more so than her other form. Umbra proclaimed that she was proud of her body, scars and all, along with it being easier to talk to when others don't assume that she's trying to eat them. "I understand that. If only Heanta didn't have that nasty reputation. But then I'd have to share this view with everyone else." He gave her a nice wink and took off his gloves, tossing them to the chair and table. Then came off the boots, and the top part of his outfit. "Hopefully that's enough hints to show that I don't intend on leaving."

Walking up to her, Aether put his hand on her gray cheek. "So, Umbra, who should make the first move?" He stroked his thumb across her cheek sweetly. In a way, this was more exciting.

Umbra shrugged. "It is what it is. I don't hold it against most of my kind. We're predators, some just see the other races as prey. Not me mind you." Umbra was not like most heanta, but she didn't reject her kind like Vala. He started to undress, which suggested he intended on staying. Obviously. Umbra did know she was gorgeous. She slipped off her dress revealing her slender body. Aether asked her who would make the first move. Umbra put her hand on the back of his neck and kissed him lightly. "I don't like waiting for other poeple to make the first move." She kissed him again.