Wind was blowing above Astera’s rooftops and a few clouds hung scattered across the night sky. April’s weather was moody in countries like Fiore–chilly after sunset, but bright and warm throughout the day. It was quiet now; the port city had gone to sleep and fog crept through the streets and alleyways, slowly climbing up the walls and once the lanterns turned off, it became hard to see the road ahead of you. From almost any point of Astera, you could hear the sound of the ocean waves crashing up against the pier, but other than that there was barely a sound to be heard.

The birds no longer sung and an eerie silence had swept over the coastal city. In the dark of the night there was one person however, who was still awake, out and about. Nuala Nazari had travelled to Astera with less than pure intentions, but the job could wait for another day.

The Voidling was feeling all sorts of things today; a little sad, a little angry and most certainly also a little drunk. She had grown so very tired of Astera within the past year, so much that she decided to abandon this place for a few months–just to see how it would make her feel. In the end, she returned with more regrets and mixed feelings in her heart than she had left with and needless to say, the woman was tired of all of it. What happened with the Captain was awkward (to say the least!) and she wanted those thoughts and memories out of her head for good, but of course it wasn’t that simple.

Nuala rarely longed for something or someone; rejection, on the other hand, was a feeling she was rather familiar with and to experience that sort of emotion from someone so close to her hurt. It hurt and it made her turn away from him, in spite of their friendship and how close they’d grown over the past year. All of it reminded her of why she had chosen solitude for an entire human lifetime–because she couldn’t afford to be this fragile.

Not in a world this cruel.

And so she let it go. All of it. For months now, Nuala had thrown herself into work, into guild politics, conquests and god knows what else, because it was the only way to get her mind off things. To remind herself who she really was, and what she was made for.

With new weapons added to her kit, Nuala felt confident in taking on hit jobs again, which was precisely the reason as to why she had returned to Astera at all. Assassins were a rare breed and Nuala’s skill set just so happened to be perfect for that line of work–and she wouldn’t let all of that go to waste just to appease some man and his self-righteous sense of justice. And so Nuala was throwing her daggers around while performing all sorts of acrobatics on housetops, jumping from roof to roof to practice her balance and her aim. Every now and then she would even throw dagger at every seagull crossing the sky, to the point where a collection of dead birds with stab wounds could be found within the streets beneath her feet. Perhaps that's why they weren't singing anymore.

Good, she thought to herself. She was improving.

Kazimir was rubbing his forehead in the office of the guildhall. A mountain of paperwork was before him and he still had more than a handful of citizens in Astera to speak to about guild support. he took in a deep breath and looked out at the night sky. The moon was casting brilliant light in the darkness that covered the city. He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and threw it around his shoulders before heading to the window. It creaked upon, letting the breeze of the night air flood the stuffy office.

There was freedom in the wind flowing around him. The guild was as silent as the streets below. People slumbered peacefully in their homes. Only the late-night bar crowd stumbled through the streets. Kaz stepped onto the windowsill and pulled himself through, like a bird perched on a tree branch.

"Time to get some air,"It was a far drop but Kaz leaped from the window. The wind rushed around him as he closed his eyes. It vigorously blew his hair across his face. His body was relaxed and loose, cascading through the air more like a corpse than being alive.

He flipped to face the ground and dashed across the sky. Buildings rushed by him like blurs. The simplicity of a late-night flight was always rejuvenating. The blue robes he word, caught the wind and fluttered against his body. His feet skipped on the tops of roofs, gliding to the next. As he ran across the sky he found himself thinking of a long-ago dark night that he met a stranger that crawled through his window. Nuala and he had left on bad terms, filled with heartache. Even now he still wondered what happened to her. Whether she was even alive or if she received his letter.

The wind mage ran deeper into the city when a flurry of feathers shrouded his face. Something smacked him in the arm sending him spinning to avoid it. He dashed to a building, coughing away the feather caught against his cheek. "What was...?" He started to ask but his eyes narrowed seeing the blood-covered bird plummet to the ground.

Kaz leaped to the top of the building. A woman was dancing on the rooftops, giving a show of acrobatics rarely seen. He couldn't fully make out who it was. And then dagger flung through the air at another bird. Kaz thrust his hand forward, sending a gust of wind that knocked it off course. The bird squawked and flew off to safety.

There was a litter of dead birds in the streets. Feathers peppered the ground and this person was to blame. Kaz jumped to the building and calmly began to approach them, as their back was still turned to him. "Hey, what's..."he began with an authoritative tone that diminished to confusion as he got closer with each step. She began to look familiar. A similar feeling in the air, one he had known in the past. But it couldn't be....could it?

Nuala’s knife throwing practice had gathered someone’s attention at last; the Voidling could hear the gusting winds shortly before the Captain arrived and when he sent a thrust of magic towards her dear dagger, the woman leaped forward and caught it with the tips of her fingers before it could fall and break. She had gone above and beyond to obtain this item, but as per usual her efforts and meant nothing to Kazimir. She flicked the weapon around without acknowledging him, twirling it between her fingers and even considered aiming it at him but decided against it; for just a few more moments, he deserved silence rather than attention.

And when Nuala finally turned around, a natural breeze sent strands of her hair and the tips of her dress flowing towards him; the markings on her body were visible in the moonlight, radiating in the same faint purple glow as always, covering her from her face, across her shoulders and arms down to her legs. And while her expression showed nothing but indifference, she could feel that unwanted ache inside her chest the very moment their eyes crossed for the first time in months.

The former Captain and the thief had grown close throughout the year, so close that she felt as though a part of her had been ripped out the moment she left. That sudden and very strange feeling that Nuala could only describe as emotional dependency had terrified her to the point of which she had thought that perhaps life was easier without him. Months of abstinence had only seemed to make things worse for her and the mere thought of having to live her immortal life without him was unbearable–and Nuala hated that. Many words had been left unspoken between the two of them and even now, as they stared at each other in silence, the way she looked at him said it all. She was hurt and it wasn’t his fault, but there was no one else to blame.

Kazimir raised his voice at her and the authoritative tone would have made her laugh in every situation but this one; she knew it took him a moment to recognize her and even though it made perfect sense in the darkness, while she wore this attire that was so very unlike herself, Nuala couldn’t help but be upset. The indifference on her face faded and something more cold hearted took its place. “You interrupted my practice,” she spoke at last and every word that left her mouth was laced with spite. It was really the only emotion that came to mind in this moment, the only emotion that could help her get rid of all that stupid heartache.

In the year they had spent together, Nuala had lost her sangfroid, her coldblood and her ruthlessness–and after careful consideration, the Voidling had come to the conclusion that the Nephilim was to blame. There was absolutely no way that she would let him take all of that and more from her, only for her to walk home empty handed and alone–and she was going to let him know that.

Disregarding his response, the woman skillfully leaped over the edge of the roof and landed on both her feet – elegantly and with precision, just like a cat. The streets were empty except for the ridiculous amount of dead birds covering the pavement. Nuala hadn’t realized how many of them there had been and the sheer number of successful knife throws drew her lips into a genuine, wicked smile.

And if the Captain continued to bother her, then these birds wouldn't be her only flying targets for the night.

The captain's voice softened to a wistful melody as he came to realize who it was that stood before him. She turned to face him with her hair catching the moonlight. The markings on her skin glowed giving a dim light to the dark night that surrounded them both. He reached out his hand but held it still in the air...

"Nuala," he uttered in confusion, sadness, and excitement. A menagerie of feelings swirled within him from their long-distance. She had grown to know him better than most people and he had confided in her about everything. One of the people he trusted the most but tension pulled them apart.

His heart dropped in his throat with the cold response that she gave him. His hand retreated back to his side. All their traveling together and bounding...had amounted to little more than a cold shoulder. he wanted to be angry with her...for shutting him out, for that cold response and indifference...but he couldn't find it. Not after what had happened in that place.

He could tell she was already different. Dancing in the light of the moon with a dress on that accentuated the already alluring features she had. But without another word, she leaped over the side of the building to escape the awkward rooftop rendezvous. Something that Kaz was not ready to end just yet.

Kaz didn't like to give chase but he was no novice to it. Wanting to catch her as quickly as possible, he dashed forward, riding the wind and breached past the edge of the building. With another quick motion, he shot himself downward to land next to her with a small gust of wind.

"Is that it. Its been months Nuala. I've...missed you," he said, letting his eyes meet with hers and giving a warm smile, much like the one he made the first time they shared their stories and talked through the night. Only this time his eyes betrayed the concern he had for her these past months. Their fate was in her hands. He had worried about her constantly after she disappeared. And missed out on the moments they spent in laughter and traversing the new and perilous dungeons she took him on.

It had been so simple to fall into that rhythm. To be caught up in the thrill of the adventures and ease of speaking with her about anything. He felt foolish for having not seen it. And his own heartache at not being able to return it to someone who deserved to be loved.

They both stood in the field of dead birds, Kaz's only concern was what reaction she would have next. If it would be to run off or attack him.

“Right,” said Nuala. The Voidling’s voice was flat, but no longer hostile. When the Captain landed next to her, she scoffed at his display of sorcery, for she’d always found Kazimir’s magic in particular to be difficult to work around or against–and the mere fact that it granted him flight (a skill he used often) was ridiculous. “When you’re immortal time tends to pass by unnoticed.” Their eyes met and her expression softened visibly. It wasn’t even untrue what she’d said and Nuala was way past the point of acknowledging time the same way mortals did. She always thought Kazimir, who was a little less mortal than humans after all, would understand that. In a year she’d learned just how very aware he was of everything, especially time and his surroundings.

“I hate this city,” she began speaking again, unable to bear the silence. Nuala turned her face away and entered into a cozy stroll, walking away from the little massacre she’d spent so much time and effort on. “These annoying birds, and all that stupid water. Everything’s so crowded and–,” a frustrated sigh made it past her lips before the woman hunched her shoulders and sped up her pace. Nuala had never been in favour of Phoenix Feather being founded and located in Astera and while it was none of her business, she had let him know as often as she possibly could anyways. Born in the desert and raised in the void, it only made sense for Nuala to detest the ocean, perhaps even fear it.

Everything here was different from Dahlia and the woman had grown to love that horrid, run-down and monster-stricken excuse of a city, even when she knew he would most likely never be able to relate or even understand why she felt so at home there. Because there were others like him, but there was no one else like her. Nuala thought about asking Kazimir to visit her, but eventually concluded that she wanted her safe haven to be protected from all the ache and discomfort he now, albeit involuntarily, brought along with himself.

After walking a few steps around the corner of the residential area they were in, Nuala pulled out the smaller dagger of the two–the one she’d used to shoot the birds from the skies–twirled it around and handed it over to the Captain, hilt first. “I found the treasure.” Nuala was referring to their most recent dungeon crawl during which they had separated. The thief had continued on by herself and eventually found what she had been looking for. The weapon was quite large for a dagger, its blade pointy and sharp and the colour a mysterious, deep blue with silver hues. “It’s an excellent weapon, cuts through almost everything–even armour,” the look she gave him would let him know that she had tried it out already, and if Kazimir intended on protesting Nuala would simply take the dagger away from him again.

Nuala led them through the streets and alleys of Astera until they reached a place where she felt safe; no interruptions, no eavesdropping or unwanted visitors – just the two of them. The woman halted and leaned against the nearest wall, using the same dagger to gesture along while she was talking. When she turned her face towards his, eyes looking once more, she flashed him a smile. “I’m actually here for work. Someone, whose name I don’t know anyways, so don’t bother asking, has paid me a million jewels in advance for a hit job and a handful more once the deed is done. If you prove yourself useful, I’m willing to share.” She knew he wouldn’t accept that offer, but she didn’t expect him to anyways. The Voidling’s intention was to provoke, not to convince and knowing her own ability and the effect her wicked words had on him rather well, she wasn’t surprised at what he had to say about that.

Kazimir always had a thing going on about accepting her for who and what she was, but if he could he would make her change. And she’d tried that; for their sake she’d tried to change, only to receive nothing in return. In hindsight her attempts, all the efforts she made, were laughable and she regretted ever going that far for someone who didn’t even want her. But things were different now and Nuala was finally acting like herself again. With or without him.

Kaz relaxed a bit as the harshness faded from Nuala's voice. She was returning if only a little to the woman he thought she was and to the bond they had forged this past year. He had a once sided grin on his face at her comment on immortality. She probably did see time differently and although Kaz had an extended life span too, he had barely lived it. Not like she had."Immortals," he said with a shrug. She downplayed it and a part of him knew why they had such distance between them these last few months. Perhaps it was better to give it some time.

Kaz followed her, happily leaving the gruesome bloody bodies of the birds behind. But she still spat a bit of venom at the place he now called home. He had hoped she could find at least one thing in the city worth coming for. "It's not always crowded. The pier can be spacious and the cliffs free. Not to mention the small islands out at sea," he said and brought his hand to his chin. "But those islands have been pretty dangerous recently."

Nuala was never one to hold her opinion about the location of his guild. But this place held a lot of sentiment for the mage and a big enough place to really get some work done. He always took her critique of it with a smile. One day he may even convince her to travel to one of those islands by boat. He had a feeling she may enjoy a casual suntanning on the deck of a ship if only for a little while.

Compared to Dhalia, Astera was a haven of peace. She dwelled in one of the most dangerous places around. But she never invited the mage. He always assumed it was out of concern. That she was worried his angelic nature would pull him into some endless crusade there. And he couldn't completely say it wouldn't depending on what he stumbled into.

"It is a little less...monster around every corner," he tried at a small joke in regards to Dhalia. Who knows if it would land well. When she quicked her pace, he met it. She led him through the ins and outs of the city.

Suddenly she turned and extended the dagger to him. It was large enough to almost be a short sword. The blade seemed like it could cut through concrete. Kaz grabbed its hilt and felt the weight in his hand. He rotated it to see the lacrima fueled lights from the lamps above them, reflect off the blade. "A fine instrument. I'm glad you were able to track it down."

He held back a sigh at her comment about the armor. It was her line of work to kill. "Well I hope it wasn't anyone that I know," he replied with his head tilting to the side at a small angle, and looking back at her. He flipped the dagger back around and handed it back. Since the beginning, they had known where they stood with one another. She would make a quip, about crime or murder. Kaz would sneak in something about being just, lawful, or careful. But she knew that even with his words he had never tried to stop her save for a few rare instances.

She finally led them to a place she was comfortable with. It was a small alley with few light sources. Kaz looked around the area and took a few steps in. "Still prefer the landscape of dungeons and crypts I see."

The night was silent now and even this place had no birds above to disturb them. Nuala leaned on the wall and finally announced why she was here. Before he could even ask she knew what his question would be and evaded it. he had just parted his lips to speak it and closed it just as fast. His brow raised at the mention of a million dollars. Some would have guessed he was in the wrong profession.

He put one hand on his hip and shook his head, "Make myself useful? You know I won't take part in something like..." he caught himself and just took a breath with a smile, she got him again. All this time and he still walked right into her traps.

"Well...I can't say that I'm thrilled that someone is taking hit jobs on people here. But I've been here long enough that no one reputable or on the straight and narrow has accumulated that high of a bounty," he assumed anyway. Not that Astera didn't have much going on, but the people weren't that high profile. They were much more likely to cause an accident at sea to get rid of them than hire an assassin. "You picked a busy time to show up. Lot's of travelers have just come into town."

He took a small step closer to her, thinking about the hot water she was in when they first met, "But if you are in some sort of danger. Just let me know," despite their recent distance he would be there for her in a heartbeat. "But do I even want to know who it is you're after? and what have you been doing these past months?" he was beginning to speak to her again as if there was no strife between them. A typical calm question from an easy-going wind mage. But he could tell there was something different about her, "And...I've never seen you wear something like that before. You've changed a bit."

“I’ll try,” was all she said in response to Kazimir’s words. In the end, no matter how strange of a place Astera was from the Voidling’s point of view, she would travel here anyways just to see him. His comment on the islands becoming more dangerous let her ears perk up–perhaps those areas were worth a visit after all.   When the Captain commented on Dahlia, the thief’s mouth ran dry and she stared at him with a blank expression. She knew it was a joke, and in any other situation she would have taken it as one, but things had been much different lately and so she merely made a face at him.

“I suppose that's why I fit in so well.”

Once the air was clear, the woman was able to relax a little bit. The stone wall was cold against her back and a chilly breeze got caught in her hair, blowing strands of it into Nuala’s face only for her to hastily sweep them over her shoulder. As their conversation continued, she couldn’t help but recognize some of his more endearing behavior patterns. He was always trying so hard to scold her, but once it came down to it, he could barely get the words out. Perhaps she wasn’t doing him justice after all; in all their time together, Kazimir had been nothing but understanding and kind towards her, free of judgement and negative emotions even in spite of what he was and what it forced him to do. Nuala often wondered what kind of person the Captain would be had he retained his humanity, even though she was glad he didn’t.

“The person I’m looking for is not from Astera, if that makes you feel any better.” Not that she cared. “The guilds have been established and land has been conquered, what better time to travel than now?” It was a fair question. Unlike Phoenix Feather, Daeva Eye had grown to be immensely powerful and quite popular as well.

Nuala had spent a significant amount of time in Dahlia herself; the citizens had some major troubles with everything that crept out of Aldenwald and the city, in spite of being small and seemingly insignificant to the rest of the country, brought a fair share of trouble with it. Werewolves (and god knows what else) kept eating the damn villagers and after months of werewolf hunting, the Voidling had grown tired of it at last and left the damn place to rot by itself.

There was a moment of silence between them before he stepped closer and Nuala finally let go some of the bitterness which had made her so hostile. He didn’t deserve this and she knew it. “I have survived seventy long years without your protection, I think I’ll be fine now.” She appreciated the offer, but by now Kazimir should know that the Voidling was well off on her own. She also wasn’t alone anymore and if she needed help she would find it in her guild and not with him. He was way too busy for that nowadays anyways.

Things were much different in the past when he was still a knight, but Nuala rarely let herself fall back to those memories.

“I’ll tell you more about it when it’s done, but for now I can’t say anything else. Just know that if you don’t hear from me again in a week or so, please check the local ditches for my body.” Her humour was as dry as ever. To tell the truth, Nuala had been rather suspicious of the contract she had received. It was way too much money for an unknown person and an ill feeling had plagued her ever since meeting her fishy client. He’d gone out of his way to visit her in Dahlia, paying her double and extra to make her travel all the way across the country. The Voidling had worked in this line of business long enough to know that there had been easier options and that she had been chosen for a reason still known to her.

But right now there were more important things standing between them.

Kazimir finally acknowledged the dress and Nuala was visibly delighted by his comment.  “Do you like it? It was a gift from one of the girls.” The Voidling pirouetted on the spot to show off the silken garment she was wearing; the soft pink coloured material fit loosely around her hips and ended just above her knees. Nuala’s back was bare and covered only by her long hair, as was the space between her breasts and a silver ring held everything together around her neck. She hoped he’d like it, even if he couldn’t admit to it. “One of the things I have learned at the guild is that if you want something as a woman, sometimes all you have to do is wear the right dress. But clearly it’s not working that well for me, is it?” Nuala lifted her head and allowed for their eyes to meet; once filled with resentment and anger, the woman’s amethyst orbs now reflected nothing but sadness and along with it, the smile on her lips had turned bleak.

With her silence, he could tell something was a little off still, when he spoke about Dhalia. He wasn't sure what all she was going through and looked off down the alleyway, in the silence. It wasn't so much that her response made him uncomfortable, but sometimes when he was around her, he was reminded of his lost humanity. She saw him so very clearly as being apart from humans. Even caught in the way she talked about humans. He didn't think about it much himself, but there every so often there was a faint voice in his mind lingering on what humans may think. If they saw it with fear or support but he had been met with both. Being reminded of it wasn't anything bad, on the contrary it was probably something he should invest more thought in.

He turned his attention back to her. That was something he liked about her. That she could understand what it meant not to be human and liked that about him. Even despite his many attempts to continue living as one.

There was a wrinkle between his brow from the slightest scrunch of his brows at the mention of conquest. " Ever the opportunist...Yeah, all these new guilds...things have been getting interesting," the more things grew the more a part of him missed his simple life as a knight. "It does make me feel a little better. Heck, it could be that you're taking out a potential threat to the innocent people around here." He didn't necessarily believe that the person she was going after was dangerous or 'bad' but he hoped. If it turned out otherwise, they could cross that bridge later. Despite becoming a guild master, Kaz maintained his fairly easy-going and at times informal approach to situations.

Nuala spoke as strong as ever but it put a smile on his face that her expression had softened. He turned and leaned on the cold wall next to her, that same smirk on his face. "Shall I recount the first time we met," he gave a cheeky reply, his voice still slow and calm. He knew she could take care of herself. And after the time they had spent together she knew that wasn't going to stop him from worrying or offering. And it certainly wouldn't stop him from teasing her just a bit.

He gave her a nudge with his shoulder against hers, "Hey, not funny," he then gave a small shrug. "But if that happens I guess I'll just have to revive you. My symbol is a phoenix now." He took a breath and looked up at the stars in the sky. "But that sounds good. I won't ask you any more about it. But I do look forward to hearing about it," he stated not as a law enforcer but from simple curiosity as a friend. Even though she joked about it, with that kind of price her target was likely very dangerous. And he worried that their battle may bleed out into the streets and inadvertently put people in danger.

He opened his mouth to ask her to be careful and keep things as contained as possible but the words never left. He shut his mouth with a smile, asking her that would be an insult to her abilities. She would keep things quiet regardless as that was her line of work and what she was the best at.

The wind mage could almost swear there was another smile on her face with his mention of the dress. She spun around letting the backless dress flow in the breeze. Any man would be a fool to think she wasn't breathtaking. "It looks lovely. Seems you're expanding your wardrobe since being with them," he said it in a good way. It was nice that she finally found a group she could fit in with.

He began nodding along in agreement at what the other girls had said, up until she gazed at him eye to eye and bearing sadness. It shot a knife threw the wind mage's heart. He couldn't bear being the source of someone's pain, and certainly not someone he had grown that close to. "I..uh," he began but never broke eye contact. he pressed his hand against the cold wall and pushed off to stand up next to her.
"Nuala it's not that I don't..." he was about to say something but switched gears midway through, "your charm is enough to enthrall the heart of anyone. I'm just a silly mage with his head in the wind," It wasn't the answer the wanted, or that good of one. But he couldn't bring himself to speak the words that his heart was someone else's. Nor was he going to acknowledge how close they had grown and if circumstances had been different...

But Kaz was not a man adept at concealing his emotions, despite whatever vague responses he gave. For someone that knew him long enough, she'd be able to pick up on a few things.

"But I'd very much like for us to be able to adventure again...and maybe even have some tea?"

He waited for her response to all of that, and would happily go deeper down that topic if she wanted to. If she was done with it or when she was, he would ask, "How is guild life treating you?"

Nuala laughed at the Captain’s words; regardless of the tension between them she couldn’t help herself. The Voidling failed to see whatever ‘charm’ the male was speaking about and if perhaps, in all those decades, everyone else had simply failed to see how beyond alluring and delightful the company of a thieving, non-human assassin was. But perhaps that was precisely why she liked him so much – because he saw something in her that others didn’t.

She noticed how he’d stopped mid sentence, reluctant to continue to say what he had on his mind but Nuala didn’t fault him for it. She knew his circumstances and she would never ask him, or anyone for that matter, to abandon someone else for her own sake. The Voidling had been alone for so very long, she probably couldn’t bear to live with herself, no matter how badly she wanted to. She was used to it and she would continue to exist regardless.

“It’s okay–I understand. Maybe in another lifetime.” Her hand found its way to his cheek and she gently cupped it. He always had uncharacteristically soft skin and his face was cute. The woman’s fingers graced his lips for a moment and she gave him a warm smile. “But you are so much more than just a silly mage to me.” She had to give him credit for never breaking eye contact. The Captain’s resolve had always been outstanding and that was why she had never thought, not even for a moment, that she could make him want anything else other than what his heart desired. And if that wasn’t her, she would live with it.

Or at least, that’s what she told herself. Nuala wanted to be selfless, she wanted to be a good person like that but in the end she wasn’t. The Voidling had lived her entire life according to her own rules for too long to become someone noble with good intentions. And when he looked at her like that, with the obvious lack of rejection in his words, hope festered in the woman's mind. Nothing lasts forever after all.

“Adventure sounds great, but you’re just so busy these days,” she pulled back her hand and placed both arms behind her back. Nuala looked at Kazimir reproachfully and while she knew that he couldn’t miss out on his duty as a guild master, she missed the times during which neither of them had any responsibilities to take care of and run after – she missed being free. “As for Daeva Eye...honestly, I don’t know what to tell you.” She shrugged. The guild was her home and she got along with everyone there, but she couldn’t help but notice that there was, and always would be, a vast difference between herself and the members.

“Their magic and power level is very overwhelming. They are all very ambitious and determined. They know what they want and often it’s impossible to decline them.”

She gave the Captain a knowing look. Nuala was of neutral nature; the Voidling had never been someone to reach for power or wealth – her personality lacked greed and Kazimir knew this about her. Most people at Daeva Eye were different though. In fact, most members of guilds in general were different.

"You have never been to Dahlia before, have you?"

He didn't hide his triumphant smirk as he finally managed to get a laugh out of her. No easy feat this evening. She made light of his comment, but maybe that was because she was being modest or didn't see how wonderful she was.

Her words eased the stress that crept upon his face. It was a conversation he was willing to have but he was glad she understood everything from his silly little sentence. She was right. In another life term perhaps...but then how does an immortal gage what is a lifetime. His lips parted and he took in a faint breath when she cupped his face. Her touch was more gentle than he expected. Her fingers passed by his lips sending an unexpected shiver through the mage. It was a tender touch that caught him off guard.

More and more he began to see different sides of her. Parts of her that were more vulnerable than the tough exterior she projected. He wouldn't have it any other way. It was a sign of the trust they shared with one another and he was glad that it returned. His lips curled into a smile as her fingers left them, "Thank you." Her words and the look in her eye served to reinforce in the wind mage's mind how strongly she felt for him. Her presence not only reminded him about his own non-human existence but his long life span as well. Something that was a point of controversy never addressed in the other aspects of his life.

Their talk changed course, towards adventure. There was a gleam of excitement in the mage's eye. he was due for some misadventures until she commented about how busy he was. He simply gave a smirk and looked back at the city. "I am still a bit work-focused. But Things have actually begun to settle down here some," He turned his attention back to Nuala in her dazzling dress. "And I think I'm a bit overdue for a welcome distraction," he remarked with one hand on his hip. The wind blissfully blew his now shoulder-length hair across his shoulder. He had grown it out over the year they traveled together. The guild life was more restricting than he thought it would be, but some careful delegation of tasks left him with enough time for the occasional bout of whimsy.

He heard they were doing pretty well for themselves. Her answer was hard to read at first and didn't leave much to talk about. But if being there was enough to get her into a dress, he knew they had some importance and impact with her. A hard feat to accomplish.

"Oh," Kaz replied at her very astute description of the people she was surrounded with. "I've heard some vague stories about some of them. An impressive group of people. I've encountered a couple of them before. I still have an unsigned contract with Yumi. I suppose you make a nice balance then, being more laid back than the rest," she could tell it was his roundabout way of asking how she felt being around all those personalities.

"No. I've only passed through. I've never had enough time to spend facing all the monsters that are lurking there. before the Rune Knights broke apart there was a proposal to do a monster clean up a campaign but it never took off."

He shook his head, realizing he was about to talk about very old business, "But, I've thought about visiting you there. But with all that happened and well...you're guild isn't the most open to people with my... disposition," he said with a cocked brow, that nudged the white headband he wore.

The Captain’s smile sent shivers through her spine and she retracted her hand a little quicker than intended. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be so easy, she thought as her own lips began to curve downwards and Nuala took a step backwards. She was appreciative of how responsive Kazimir was when it came to discussing guilds; there were a lot of things on her mind, but she was afraid to admit most of them and the uncertainty that lay between her and the other members of Daeva Eye was something Nuala had to figure out for herself first, before she approached a friend for advice. “Yumi? That’s a surprise,” she admitted and turned her face away from him. She wondered if Kazimir knew that the she-devil was a psychopathic mass-murderer? If he did then his affiliation to her was no longer that questionable.

When the Nephilim commented on Daeva Eye and its explicit rules, the Voidling hid her grin from him by turning her back on the male. ”I can always sneak you through my bedroom window,” she suggested and every word that left her mouth was tinted in mischief. Daeva Eye had a ‘no men’ policy and while the guild strictly enforced those rules, exceptions could be made under special circumstances. Unfortunately for Kazimir, he refused to fall under those and thus she had to let it go. ”Dahlia is not a very happy place, I don’t think you will like it there,” she continued on and even though Nuala was hoping for him to offer visiting, she worried that it would cause him to do things and act on his grace – a tricky situation like that was something she wanted to avoid after all.

Once their conversation came to a halt, the Voidling took another step away from her companion and sucked in a few deep breaths. So many things had been left unsaid between them still and she wondered if bottling it all up only for to break out in the wrong moment again was the way to do it–even though she already knew that it wasn’t. Nuala was reluctant to speak again, because she didn’t think it was fair to address these things knowing the situation Kazimir was in.

“I’m sorry,” she slowly turned around to face him one more time, “I think I need a little bit more time after all.” For now, she’d appreciate a little more distance and time to return to her usual self. Nuala excused herself with a polite nod in his direction before hurrying away, disappearing into the night like she always did. The Voidling thought it best to focus on what lay ahead; her contract needed her to remain focused and alert anyways and once those things were out of the way, she could dare to think about her Captain again.

Her sudden step back let Kaz know that not all was better yet, and there was still a sense of turmoil to be unraveled. Perhaps from yet unspoken feelings. He looked away as she retracted and cleared his throat as if to graze beyond that topic at least for now. It was a small relief when it had shifted again to her guild.

"Yeah, we met at a cafe once. Witch of Carnage she called herself. Before killing a bunch of holy knights. She is one of the last demons alive after the incident. I thought it would be nice not to kill one another. For the fact that there are so few of us left," he spoke about with the ease that he would about any other task as a knight.

Things changed yet again to a remark from her he didn't expect. Nor did he anticipate the sudden alluring twinge that ran through him at the thought. Her back was to him or she would have seen the faint shake of his head to dismiss the thought.

"Yeah, uh.." he stammered a bit, as he moved past her devious joke. "It seems like a dangerous place. I've only passed through, but I wouldn't mind coming to visit," he gave a small smirk with a breathy chuckle from his lips, "As long as you don't mind being seen with a Nephilim in your territory." He knew his grace made things complicated at times. And he was grateful all things considered that she didn't mind and it never stopped them from being around one another or adventuring. Even though he knew it was probably a source of concern for her. On the other hand, it gave her a good way to know how he would react to things.

She took another step away from him and he could feel the dense fog of distance that swelled between them. Her first words hit him with a sunken feeling followed by remorse at what had happened between them and the strain it had put on her. A simple request and one that he, of course, would honor.

"No need to apologize. I understand. Take all the time you need. It's just nice to know you're okay." Once the wind mage finished his sentence she gave a nod and turn to retreat into the night. It was brief but a warming moment nonetheless. At least he felt as though things were mending between the two.

He gave a small smile, looked at the ground and then turned the opposite direction. He brought his gaze up to the sky above. "Things sure are complex these days aren't they," he murmured as he walked down the alley, and back onto the main street.

His eyes peered to the left and the right, "There should be a late-night place for tea," he questioned with a shrug and walked toward the dock. If there was and place to go this late at night it was the pubs by the sea. Fortunately, beyond the drinking, there were some places of quiet with a good bit of seafood, left.

The walk was slow and the wind still played along the ends of his clothes. All the while he thought when he'd encounter her again. or rather when she would pop up unexpectantly in his life.

-Exit_