Cold Arrival

[loyalrebel]

WHO: Malik Al-Sayf
WHERE: Fountain Square, Inn, around the village
WHEN: 12/29
OPEN TO: Fountain: Altaïr, Elsewhere: OTA
WARNINGS: mention of past character death, tbd

---

Fountain: Altaïr

As far as rude revivals went, regaining consciousness underwater was pretty high up there. That it was also freezing didn't help anything in the slightest. Malik isn't entirely sure how he makes it to the surface or the edge of the fountain where he clings and tries to catch his breath.

He knows he needs to get out of the water and in to somewhere at least sheltered if not warm. That or dip back under and call his merfolk form around him. There's something off though, besides the seeming lack of other Travelers in the water with him. He tries to reach for his magic, and that's when he figures out what's out of place.

He can't access any of his bag of tricks. No magic, no portals to Liminal, no shapeshifting either.

He swears under his breath, clinging tightly to the edge of the fountain.

“Hello?” He calls out, hoping there's someone within earshot even as he struggles up out of the water as best he can with one arm while shivering.

Inn: OTA

Malik had genuinely forgotten exactly how much the cold bothered him, being able to magically ignore it had spoiled him against the unique aches it brought to his left shoulder. Which, much to his dismay, has reproduced in his knees.

He's managed to settle himself at a table close to the fireplace, which he eyes on occasion like he's contemplating actually pressing himself against the bricks or just crawling inside of. Mostly though, he eats and attempts to eavesdrop on anyone coming in.

There's something he notices though, as he eats and its enough to actually give him pause to stare at the dish before him.

“That is new.” He admits aloud, frowning.

Wildcard

He hasn't been here long, but there are some rather important things that Malik needs to test out before all hell breaks loose as it usually does. So he finds a nostly out of the place to try things out.

While most of it seems to involve standing there looking increasingly annoyed, he does eventually take to throwing stones he dug out of the snow at a cleared bit of ground with remarkable precision while looking murderous.

Comments

Wildcard - You Kill That Ground

[skyward_eyes]

Mostly out of the way places don't exist when you're part of the watch, which Nida was doing his rounds for now. It typically meant looking away from the village, checking the world around them, only occasionally glancing at the village and buildings. Which meant after a while he caught sight of a single person, standing off alone, facing a cleared bit of ground.

Normally he didn't pry but the stone bouncing against the area was enough to get Nida to move toward the man. Doesn't take the staff off his back, though. He doesn't want to seem aggressive.

"So... what exactly did the ground do to upset you?"

Re: Wildcard - You Kill That Ground

[loyalrebel]

Malik shifts his stance a bit when he notices Nida, he may not have the staff in hand but he has a weapon to begin with. It may not be something Malik is personally good with, his distaste for polearms only increased after the loss of his arm, but he eyes the length of it with practiced consideration as he gauges what the man's reach would be.

"The stones are not catching fire." He says simply, "They are supposed to, and it is a safer spell to attempt to use than others I know."

He's been more or less filled in on the fact that most folks aren't native to the area, so there's less reason for him to want to hide that he knows about magic.

[skyward_eyes]

He's expecting the stones to catch fire? Interesting. Nida considers this carefully, head tilted just to the side.

"You're a bit late. Last time I saw anyone using fire magic or whatever you want to call it was about fourteen days ago," he explained. After the fifteenth his own grasp of the magic had faded. Sucked, because for a moment he'd felt more like home. "From my understanding, people don't get to retain what powers they naturally had when they came here."

Still, rocks themselves shouldn't catch fire. Even spell stones back home had to have magic channeled through them to use the power inside, and they cracked through after one use.

[loyalrebel]

"Less natural and more things I picked up between home and here, but I suppose keeping in practice throwing is always a good idea." Malik shrugged, pacing off and throwing the rocks at a tree this time instead. They hit the exact same place each time.

"Do we keep things that changed us physically?"

[skyward_eyes]

Damn, the guy had some seriously impressive skills. Nida would never even be able to reliably hit a tree trunk from the distance Malik was at. So yes, he's watching with that sort of appreciative eye that one warrior might give another at good technique.

"Depends on what you mean by 'changed us' physically. The sorts of enhancements that I experienced back home are gone. I'm not as fast, as strong. Definitely have to up my normal workout routines."

The lack of his junctions was really pissing him off, but he'd make do. Always did.

[loyalrebel]

"I believe it would be considered a genetic change." Malik admits, "Alteration to the blood on a cellular level."

There had only really been one thing he'd actually sought out over the years, and being somewhere without it would make things far more delicate than they had been since gaining the ichor.

"Being stronger is not all that useful anyway. Speed and precision generally win when used correctly."

[skyward_eyes]

"It was more magical enhancement but last time I timed it, it took about ten minutes to explain in a satisfactory manner," Nida shrugged, but he's actually smirking a bit at that comment.

Not that he found Malik completely right about his conclusions.

"Speed I have, precision I'm trained in, but those aren't always enough when you're dealing with a dragon. Thick scales, twenty feet tall, and more than smart enough to keep the fragile bits away from the pointy end of the stick."

Thus the strength was needed to cut through where stabbing didn't work. Even then you had to go for certain areas to take advantage of weaker areas of scales.

[loyalrebel]

"Dragons?" Malik scoffed, "Dragons do not count as a good example for anything, they are an exception not the norm."

Some places didn't even have dragons aggressive or large enough to be an issue if they existed at all.

"I am Malik, by the way."

[skyward_eyes]

“Exception? Might sell that point better to a guy whose training facilities didn’t maintain a small population of bipedal dragons,” Nida shook his head.

Dragons were just a fact of life for him. Even when not dealing with Ruby ones.

[loyalrebel]

"My world did not have them at all." Malik countered, raising an eyebrow and resting his hand on his hip. "Most other worlds I have seen did not have them either. Dragons are an exception."

[skyward_eyes]

Okay, now Nida was a touch annoyed. Really, guy?

“Seeing as that part of the conversation derived from me relating a form of magic specific to my world, and which was vital for handling said ‘exceptions’ that are a norm, and ignoring the argument that ‘strength is stupid’ that you seem to be working from, other worlds and their lack of dragons isn’t an issue here. And from what I’ve read in the journals here, strength will matter too.”

Just saying, mister one armed rock thrower.

[loyalrebel]

I did not say strength was stupid or did not matter. I said that it is not always going to win." Malik replied dryly, "Dragon fighting is generally a specialized field of combat, the average person from the average of the multitude of worlds and realities in existence will usually be more concerned about combating other people instead of dragons."

[skyward_eyes]

"People are easier than dragons," Nida shrugged dismissively. He's killed people. People on his world tend to be less intelligent than dragons. Far less intelligent. And less persistent. "And go down with far less punishment."

Mercenaries could get pretty blase about human life. Sorry Malik. The young man isn't exactly... bothered over considering people.

"And most people here who know how to fight are either people I would have to ambush, or would be really easy to kill."

You know, from a theoretical standpoint. Nida doesn't just inherently consider how to take someone down in a fight. Not at all.

[loyalrebel]

"Some people, yes." Malik agrees, looking more amused than anything at this point. Its been a while since he's actually had someone to debate like that with.

"There are some here who would make either of those difficult methods of attack."

[skyward_eyes]

"Oh, there are," Nida agreed immediately. Bull chief among them. And frankly he doesn't know what he'd do about this guy. He is a bit... attentive.

Still, he moved a bit closer to the guy, just so he can watch the rock throwing.

"I'm guessing you think you're that latter group."

[loyalrebel]

Malik shifts just enough to keep Nida in his range of sight, but otherwise keeps at his throwing. It's practiced and fluid, closer to how someone would throw a knife than a ball.

He lifts his shoulder in a shrug, "What I think does not matter, it is what others believe if me. I have one arm, how much of a physical threat could I be?"

[skyward_eyes]

“With the right training, which I expect you have, a lot.” The way the man held himself, the way he discussed the topics at hand clearly spoke of training. And knowledge.

[loyalrebel]

"I grew up with Altair." Malik answered, watching for the reaction to that. Hopefully it will tell something about both how much the guy knows as well as how much Altair has revealed of things.

"You also have yet to give me your name."

[skyward_eyes]

“You haven’t given me yours,” Nida returns with a smile. But he doesn’t flinch at Altair’s name. No, he knows the man and takes it in stride. Not that he knows just what Altair is.  “Are you also the sort to subtly manipulate people into projects they may be suited for because it is for the ‘greater good’?” If so that is fair. He’ll take all of Malik’s words with a grain of salt. 

[loyalrebel]

"I did, you got distracted by my telling you dragons were an exception. It is Malik." He half laughed, "Only when I have to deal with court politics, and I see no Kings or Sultans who can start a war with my home here. I lack the patience to deal with fragile egos or playing at being friendly with those who refuse to listen to sense otherwise. I find people who are good at things and ask them to assist in what needs doing, if they say no I move on to the next person down the list until I find someone either willing to do it or willing to learn to do it."

[skyward_eyes]

"And now you do sound like Altair," Nida mused with a smirk. "But I don't know that I can respect the way he acts."

His eyes turn back toward the area he should be starting his patrol from. His duty is to be doing that, but the guy is clearly new to town.

"My name is Nida."

[loyalrebel]

"If memory serves he technically learned it from me." Malik admitted, even if he shrugs.

"Altair is a good man, even if he is not always in possession of the best people skills. If he has done something to offend you, it is best to actually tell him so."

[skyward_eyes]

"I found nothing lacking with his people skills," Nida admitted with a shrug. "And if he learned it from you then I should hold it against you, not him."

Interesting man, to see someone so young as the one who had trained Altair. Would that make this man better or worse to deal with?

[loyalrebel]

"I simply handled politics with more patience than him." Malik replied, "What has he done to earn disrespect?"

Admittedly, Malik knows he isn't likely to find fault with anyone taking charge of organizing a group that seems willing to actually listen.

[skyward_eyes]

"I said I found nothing lacking at this time," Nida shrugged. Altair is perfect fine.

Sometimes the way he does things just makes Nida feel... like he's been pushed into things. Which was too much of his life. Too many orders, not enough real options.