Come what may...

Ryu and Tayana walked back through the hall in utter silence. Ryu was too down to really feel like talking and somehow he didn't think his guide would want to talk anyway. His first impression of her made him think she didn't really want to show him around, and he couldn't shake the thought that she also regretted hauling him from his sandy grave in the desert. Well, what should have been his grave. So he walked, keeping up with the grumpy sylvan female, his eyes still looking around the unnaturally smooth wooden hallway. As he stepped in the waiting "elevator" the sylvan girl - Ryu *thought* it was just a girl, not a fullgrown woman - started talking.
"Well since I bloody well seem to be stuck with you, I'll just show you around and get this kor'vach over with."
Ryu only arched his eyebrow and didn't even mention the exotic, and probably foul, word that was used. She seemed to slightly nod before continuing.
"Maybe you already know this tiny bit much, but the Nexus is the very center of Tyrana. It is sculped in a nearly thousand year old Holy Sey'in Tree and is doing service as the center of the local community. Around it is built our city, a large part of it like you hu'mans on the earth, but another is crafted higher up in the branches that sprout from this tree and the bigger ones next to it. That part is mostly homes and living quarters, but also lookout posts and light workshops. Downstairs is the majority of the productivity: the hospital, the various warrior and mage clans' training grounds, the library, the smithies, the main community hall and bar, the warehouses, the forest hot springs, several heavy workshops and finally the Sa'araath pens. Deeper in the forest is also a small altar and the graveyard. "
By the time she finished explaining about the main walkways inside the nexus (which were ordered according to the 4 cardinal directions) they reached the ground-level and walked towards a set of ornated open doors. "As any child here knows, Tyrana's buildings, not including the Nexus, are divided in 3 groups all situated around the Nexus: Xih, the magical group, on the west, consists of the mage clans' training grounds, the library and the hot springs. Moh'r is the mundane group, located on the east, and it contains the warrior clans' training grounds, the smithies and the workshops. All the rest is located to the north and south, at equal distance from the 2 main groups. North is the main hall and bar, and the warehouses. The pens and the hospital are located to the south."
Suddenly she turned around and pointed towards another set of doors. "In case you didn't notice, you came from there, south." Then she turned on her toes and strode of through the opens doors, leaving Ryu to looks around in astonishment before catching up quickly.
They walked through even more corridors before reaching a serene courtyard with a magically eerie but beautiful fountain in the middle. The area was rife with blue and pruple orchids and large tulip-like flowers, and the style and colour of the surrounding woodwork has changed from a more earthen green and brown to a more mystical deep blue and shining dark purple. It all added to the magical feeling this area breathed. Following a silver-grey stone walkway they soon came upon a large flat building in the distance with walls made of purple wood and green creeper vines. The door seemed to be made almost entirely of darker green vines and odd-shaped leaves. There was even a tiny dust layer on the top of the doorway.
"That's the library, where the mages keep their knowlegde and where Tyrana's history is being kept. It's a nice enough place...if you like the silence and the dust around you." Ryu saw several persons dressed in robes or baggy shirts and pants go in and out the dust-covered building. Some were carrying books, others had their heads down in reading, and one was hurrying his way between them, but still Ryu couldn't seem to shake the feeling of calm and serenity from those people. Shaking his head softly and turning to Tayana he asked "Hmm, can't we go take a look over there? It seems interesting enough really..." As soon as the question left Ryu's mouth, Tayana whirled around furiously to face Ryu with a sneer on her face. "Look here hu'man. I just want to get this bloody over with, so you can just go look by your worthless self after i'm done leading you around like a puppy, y'understand me?" Arching a frowned eyebrow Ryu looked her squarely in the face and barely suppressed the need to raise his voice and his right middle finger at her. Gritting his teeth, he still let fly a snide comment "Oh right, miss bitchy, I'm sure you still have a lot of other toddlers to terrorize for a living after you're done with me." Ryu thought she might pop a vein by the way her face contorted at the pun. Well it wasn't a very succesful, nor powerful taunt - normally - but it surely seemed to have effect this time. If looks could kill he'd been have annihilated into utter destruction a hundred times over now. Instead of the suspected outburst, Tayana furiously turned around again and strode onward, her fists tightly balled and arms crossed, probably for keeping herself from hitting him, Ryu thought. He sighed softly and started follwing her again, careful to leave some space this time, you might never know... After having walked for a while - Ryu suspected in a circle, because some of the bushes started to look familiar - they took a different styled road and came upon what happened to be an enclosure made of green and purplish bamboo. With still a lot of sting in her voice, Tayana continued her explanations.
"These, *human*, are the hot springs. Good place for relaxation and soaking out the stress. I might consider going here later, so don't be there when I am."
Ryu sniggered softly. "What, shared spaces for both sexes? Afraid I might see you naked?". Tanaya's face quickly coloured a bright red, before looking away. "E-exactly, so *don't*". Giving a short shrug, Ryu nonetheless saw a flash of a bathing elf girl in his mind before shaking his head vigorously to get the thought out. "Yeah, lets just...Next!"
They both walked on past the enclosure, following a path lined with the same kind of lamps that he has seen in the Nexus' hallways. He also started noticing an increase in glow in the air, increasing the feel of mystery in the surroundings. Ryu couldn't contain his curiousity and tried to ask some questions, with the hope that his guide wasn't all to angry or agressive anymore.
"Say, this...ehm, glow... What is it actually? It feels almost tingly to the skin. Is this magic or so?" Looking over her shoulder Tanaya nodded curtly. "Well yes, the mages' training and studying grounds emant a lot of energies due to the activities there. If you ask me, it just gives me the creeps..."
"I agree..." Ryu grabbed at the air, trying to see if he could scoop up something, but logically to no avail. Tanaya threw her head back and gave a barking laugh. "That's the first time we agree, human. Lets hope it happens more."
As the path grew broader and darker, Ryu and Tanaya started walking closer beside, uncomfortable with the proximity to eachother, but more so with the surroundings, although both unwilling to admit it. When not talking they avoided looking at eachother, scanning the trees and plants around, and Ryu even started to whistle a silly tune to lighten the mood.
Suddenly Tanaya pointed ahead at what appeared to be a small arena-like building, decorated with lots of symbols and multi-coloured lamps. The doors around the building seemed to be sturdily constructed and were lined with an elegant flowing script. Ryu could here all kinds of noise coming from the inside, from chanting and speach, to dull explosions and even the guttural growl of some probably weird creature. He decided to wisely ignore them and started to inspect some of the script.
"It's sylvan writing, mostly wordings of wards and chants of power, all symbolic in this case really." As Ryu reached out to open the nearest door Tanaya called out to stop him. "That's the entrance to the holding pens, you idiot. Follow me".
"Hey, how was I supposed to know?" Walking around the building they entered a door on the north - Ryu thought is was north - and came upon a large room with tapestries on the walls, showing all kinds of banners and symbols, each one next to a door. "These are the mage clans symbols. They represent one clan each whose main quarters can be reached by going through the doors. Except the center one, the one with the purple and green tree symbol next to it. That's the main hall. But we're going back for now. Your "appointment" with the mages is not for today. The Oracle wouldn't like it, they're famous for studying their subjects, and I guess you are quite the interesting one for them. Humans here are rare."
Ryu felt a knot form in his stomache and tried to supress it by turning away "Right, thanks I guess, lets go then..."