Invitations

From behind a nearby corner a rather large Sylvan male hurried towards Ryu and Tayana, a stern look on his face. Upon seeing the sylvan, Tayana relaxed and dropped what she was holding behind her back. Ryu noticed the knife from Dhokas' goon buddy as it clattered upon the floor.
The Sylvan looked at Ryu and then at Tayana and started talking with an hurried look on his face.
"Tayana, what was all that ruckus here, I just saw Kaven's brother and his punk buddies hurrying towards the Mages' guild and..." He fell silent as he looked behind Tanaya's back at the unconscious Dhokas and his goons. "Oh...right, well you handled that nicely. I'd have them punished but they already look pretty roughed up." He nodded and added "To be expected from you."
Tayana nodded back with a smile. "It's not all my work though, this hu'man here took care of one the boys nicely. I only needed to step in when they started playing dirty."
This seemed to surprise the Sylvan and he turned towards Ryu with a respectful smile on his face.
"So you're the human who was found outside. Good job, if it's true what Tanaya said."
Ryu nodded sullenly, rubbing the bump on his head "Yeahwell, thanks I guess. I have a name though, it's Ryu, if you'd be so kind to use it..."
The Sylvan barked a laugh "Hah!! Of course Ryu. I'm Ryven, nice to meet you. I'm the current leader of the Warrior's Guild."
Hearing the word leader, Ryu suddenly felt a bit intimidated in the presence of this Sylvan. That, and his size, they guy was big, and *broad*. He bowed ever so slightly. "Yeah..."
Ryven smirked and turned to Tayana "Moh'r Kahs'den seems to have some congregation again, go and sort things out will ya, I'll take over from you. I also have an errand from the Oracle again, it seems we've solved one problem for Ryu here."
Tanaya nodded quickly "Thanks friend" and nodded at Ryu "Human." before running off.
Ryu sighed heavily and grumbled under his breath. Ryven caught the hint and placed a hand on Ryu's shoulder "Don't mind her, she's just grumpy since she took you back here. Not really sure why, but it'll get better. Girls..."
Ryu let out a chuckle and nodded gravely "Yeah...girls", a small grin appearing on his face, but quickly disappearing again. "So, you said you solved a problem for me?"
Ryven started walking "Yeah, I'll explain later, but walk with me. I'll take you back to the Oracle, she'll explain it to you." Ryven slightly smirked "Heh, two audiences with the Oracle on one day, you sure must be quite important. Some people here don't even get to see her face to face once a year."
Ryu arched an eyebrow , while keeping up with Ryven's quick pace. "I have no idea why though. Most people look at me as if they see a ghost, and if they do seem to believe the sight of me they avoid me like trash."
"You can't blame the people, Ryu. Humans have fought against us in skirmishes close to war for decades. The hate is deep. Even though you seem unlike most humans, no-one will care. Well, almost no-one..." For a moment Ryu thought Ryven's lips quirked in a smile, but he quickly dismissed it.
Ryu sighed heavily and followed Ryven to the doors of the Oracle's audience room. As one of the guards saw Ryu he pushed the door open for him and bashed the shaft of his spear on the floor bellowing Ryu's name without asking for it. Ryu shrugged and Ryven gave Ryu a slight push on his shoulder. "In you go, I'm not coming with you." Ryu looked back at Ryven and sighed. Great, he thought as he stepped uncertainly into the darkness.
As the doors closed behind him the scenery became visible for him, again the single beam of light on the bird, the majestic symbol of these strange proud people, and again Ryu felt tense as he stepped forward.
The kind voice seemed to come from the back. "Still haven't learned to relax? Well I have to admit, this place was built to intimidate. But lets keep this loose and void of ceremony shall we? Come over here."
Ryu hesitantly nodded and walked over the bird symbol towards the back of the room. The room seemed lighter as Ryu moved forward and seemed bright enough at the back of the room. There the Oracle sat in front of a desk with 3 more chairs around it. She motioned to chair closest to her. "Come sit, we have things to discuss." Ryu bowed slightly in a formal show of respect and quietly sat down on the chair next to her. He tried to lean back and relax, but his muscles didn't allow for much leaning as they started to ache. Swallowing once he looked at the Oracle as she smiled and slightly shook her head at Ryu's obvious unease. She opened a drawer in her desk and took out three items, covered in dust and sand, laying them before Ryu on the desk. Ryu recognized them immediately. They were his personal items he had with him the moment that truck crashed on him: his wallet, his MP3-player/recorder and his cellphone. At least, what remained of the last. The Oracle must have watched Ryu's face. She commented dryly "So these do belong to you." Pushing the MP3 and the cellphone bits around a bit she looked up at Ryu. "I hope you could tell me some about these...artifacts. Our best scholars have come up with nothing about these two, but they were able to gather some information about you from the first." She stroked the wallet and proceeded to pick it up and give it to Ryu. Eyeing her sideways, he took the wallet and put it in his side pocket. Poking the broken cellphone he softly shook his head. "This is broken... It's called a cellular telephone, or cellphone for short. It's an...ah... communications device." He studied the two parts and smiled slightly as he recovered the miraculously undamaged battery and Sim card from them, holding them up for the oracle to see. "This is the power unit. Supplies portable electricity for the device to work." At the sound of the word electricity the Oracle slowly waved her hand about the power unit. "I sense...lightning. Lightning in a tiny box?" Ryu nodded slightly before lowering the battery and raising the tiny card in his other hand. "And the other is the memory. Device can't function without it. Keeps numbers, network information, and the works." The Oracle shook her head slightly and pushed Ryu's hands away from her. "For all the knowledge we have..." The items vanished into Ryu's pockets as he shrugged slightly, a noncommital look on his face. As last he scooped up the MP3 player and earphones and turned them over in his hands for examination. The small MP3 player seemed to have nearly no damage aside from scratches and dust on the black plastic, although there seemed to be some sand under the display cover. Shaking it irritably, some grains fell from between the few buttons and the earphone slot. The earphones themselves looked to be in an okay shape, just a few kinks in the cables, and Ryu tried to smoothen those out easy enough. As he plugged the earphones in the black unit and pressed the power button the display lighted up and suprise flashed across the Oracle's face, but she seemed to recompose herself quickly. Ryu raised the earphones to his ears and nodded appreciatively at the music. "A connection to home..." Murmuring softly, he motioned for the Oracle to come closer and pressed the other earphone in her long pointed ears. The suprise stayed on her ageless face this time as Ryu scrolled through his music library for an instrumental melodic song. He explained the brief concept of an MP3 player, demonstrated the recording function with his own voice, and cautioned her that is was nothing dangerous, only sound plucked from the air and converted to electricity, or better, lightning. He almost felt like explaining to a little child. After a few more moments of music Ryu turned the player off, rolled the earphone cables up and grinned with a broad self indulgent self satisfying smile on his face as he thrust the MP3 in his pockets along with the rest.
The look on the Oracle's face changed from surprise to silent commanding disapproval at Ryu's arrogance, and her voice dropped slightly in temperature. "A box that traps music, and a communication's device. Both using lightning? And one smaller than the other. This is dangerous if word should get out. I will allow you to keep them, since they are yours, but it is best not to go bragging about it to everyone. There is enough superstition already without people thinking their voices and sounds can be trapped and reproduced in a tiny box." Ryu felt his enthusiasm short-lived as the previous feelings of uncertainty and nervousness resurfaced. The Oracle seemed to view him in a different light now, like a new kind of animal that is being appraised if it could be tamed or if it was dangerous. Ryu tried not to show his uneasiness as those calculating eyes penetrated into his soul. Foolish thoughts, get over it, Ryu thought. It couldn't be that bad. Ryu gave a start as the Oracle spoke again.
"In any case, that's not all for which I called you here. We have found a family that is willing to take you in." Ryu blinked wildly at the idea of some of these people taking him in. A human, known enemies who shed Sylvan blood in border skirmishes. Or so he has been told. And a *family* is going to take him in? Light, don't let them hate me... He'd sooner take his chances in the forest. Trying not to fidget nervously in his chair he looked up at the Oracle. "Yes, Ryven has been asking around using his influence. He says he found a family where you can live. I've spoken to them and they are very friendly and welcoming. I'm sure they will help you fit in quite decently. Ryven will escort you as you go out." Ryu nodded half-heartedly and started to rise as the Oracle gave him a sheet of yellow paper with some days and times on. Strange names for them. "Before you go, this is a schedule when I'll be expecting you in my classroom 2 doors from here. I'll be teaching you our language and customs, and this way I can also keep my eye on you." She smiled motherly before quickly assuming that calculating calmness again. "Don't be late"
Ryu eyed the paper before folding it and tucking it away and walking to the big door. Thoughts and scenarios played in his mind, of cruel sylvans making his life miserable day by day, of him living in nothing more than a storage room, with barely any daylight and spoiled meals, of sylvans looking down on him every second of his life. Only a quiet sense of fatalism and resignation made him not run for the nearest escape door that moment. Wherever he would find an escape...
As Ryu opened the door, Ryven straightened from the wall and approached him. "So, how did it go?" Ryu felt in his pockets for his items and shrugged slightly. No need to tell him about technology, as the Oracle suggested. "I got my things back. Nothing special, just some personal items. And my wallet. Not that the money or identification papers would be any use here, so... Connections to home." Ryu sighed deeply at the thought of home. The unspoken wish that this is all just a dream, and waking up would return everything to the way it was before. Just a wish of course. But wishful thinking was part of his life it seemed. Ryven nodded slightly before going on. "Anything more perhaps?" Ryu slightly arched an eyebrow. "You are to escort me to my...new family..." Ryven grin couldn't be broader. He seemed to be very proud of himself. He gave Ryu a gentle start towards the Nexus, and Ryu let himself be led, his feet dragging as they stepped on one of the central lift-platforms. It took him several levels lower before Ryven led Ryu around towards the other side of the nexus and in to a wide, more cheerful hallway. Looking around Ryu saw light emitting veins and leaves all over the ceiling and walls in an intricate pattern, lighting the hallway as if it would have been in broad daylight on a sunny spring day. Soon the hallway gave way to an exit and Ryu found himself escorted on big wooden platforms, built between giant trees. Ryu gaped at the sight and even forgot to sulk as the scenery unfolded before him. Giant trees took up the horizon and held wooden houses in their gigantic branches. Platforms ran from each of those houses to a bigger center one that seemed to be built towards every tree and even *around* some of the trees. Ryu imagined him having to run for a couple of minutes to complete a circle around one of them. Looking behind him at the tree that housed the Nexus of Tyrana, he felt like an ant looking up at an old oak tree. The thing was even bigger than the others! The boards that made up the platform were also huge things in itself. The railings on the platforms seemed like they were grown from the boards, and no matter how much he squinted, Ryu could not find a single nail used in the construction. Everything was connected in a natural and esthetically pleasing way, grown rather than attached, bound instead of nailed down, more like glued than latched together. Supressing a sudden wobbly feeling in his knees, Ryu clutched a railing as the immense scale of it all hit home. Now he could understand how Tyrana could hold so many inhabitants. A single tree could give shelter to hundreds, and with skillfully built and planned houses, perhaps even thousands. Smaller platforms turned off the main walkway and even turned into stairs at some point as they ran up to groups of houses on branches, towards hallways in one tree or even down towards other walkways and platform paths. The idea of getting lost here came very easily, and Ryu imagined that finding your way back should be near impossible. Ryven looked back at him with a bemused smile on his face as Ryu straightened himself and kept his gaze strictly forward as he walked over to the sylvan. "Are you okay? You look a bit pale there." Ryu grunted sourly and muttered under his breath before swallowing deeply and nodding. "Lead on..." Ryu thought he heard the sylvan chuckle to himself as he lead him towards one of the trees a bit farther away. "Better get used to it. You'll be seeing this sight a lot more from now on." Ryu grumbled even more under his breath as he followed with careful steps, trying not to let his eyes wander and hoping dearly the man didn't see his feet falter every few steps.