[Polaris]

Zen was sweating lightly, packed like those salty fish the merchants sold at the market in-between all of the people flooding in through the main gates of the city. Uncomfortable, he kept one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other on the strap of his pack. I just need to lie low for a little while... he thought, shielding his eyes from the hot noon-day sun. Make 'em think they got me. Finally pushing through to the main square, he shivered, his sweat turning cold. The tall sandstone walls were meant to protect from invaders, but they just made him nervous.

[1: Note- Yes. For now, since this is in human form, Zen appears to be male. Also, Ika is played by a friend of mine who is unable to access the fourms. His pet form is currently in limbo, but he will have one eventually]

[Polaris]

[pet form undecided]

Pshhhhhhtttttttt......... Shhhhhhhhh..........
The sizzling fire crackled, and almost seemed to whisper to the young boy as he plunged a clamp holding an intricately designed sword into its depths. His white hair seemed to be red as the fire cast its glow upon his perfect face. Fifteen and known as the Smith. His gift did not require the burning coals or wonderful flames any longer, but on occasion, when he wasn't in a rush, he would return to the old fashioned way of his craft. After merely seconds the boy pulled it back out of the flames, the metal had turned a bright red color itself. Ping! Ping! Ping! His hammer slammed down on the tip, lengthening the weapon slightly, and causing the end to become sharper and more deadly. He then took hold of it again with the clamps and buried into a large bucket of water. Shhhhhhhhhhzzzzzzzz.... It sizzled as went from extremely hot to cold. He heard the metal whispering in its own language...

[1]

[Polaris]

Although a slight tremor could be seen in his hand movements, he strode into the central market place with his head held high, stretched up as tall as his 5' 11" could make him. His much-worn desert cloak had no place in the humid and dusty streets of the city, but he was still reluctant to change out of it. Making for the shade of a cluster of tents, he slipped inside one, brushing the fabric door open without even bothering to read the sign outside. An iron maker’s studio? Zen smiled smugly to himself and unconsciously patted his sword again. Coaxcoach did need a new hone put on her. Spotting a boy near the anvil, he walked over, "Could you clean and hone my sword for me? Fast too. Under thirty ticks if possible."

[2]

[Polaris]

The white haired boy looked at the sword, his eyes widened as if he were presented some richly treasure. He looked up at the man who held it to him as if silently asking for permission. Carefully, he took it from the other man's hold, handling it as if it were made of glass. His pale hands stroked the edge of it, and his brow furrowed. "Certainly sir... There are a few rough spots here too..." he scrutinized the piece of metal before him.  Then he set it down on the slab of wood that acted as a table. He took two paces back from where the sword sat. His blue eyes closed and his hands raised. The sword raised into the air with his hands, and then as his hands moved, the metal shifted in the ways it told him to. The boy's ear listened as the metal told it what to do, what was wrong. Then, with one final flick of a finger, the metal expelled all waste from itself, like a dog shaking off water. It took perhaps five minutes for this entire process to occur.
The boy passed the sword back to the man. "Good as new sir..." he mumbled, sounding as if he was still in some sort of trance, "Two coins please?"

[2]

[Polaris]

Slightly annoyed, Zen spoke in a monotone, at a deliberate pace. "I did not. Ask for you to work magic. On my sword. I asked for a honing. And a cleaning," rubbing his temples, he reflected upon how annoying people were. "If you so much as... Do you know how long it took to.. to... Ugh!" He snatched his sword back, "Now how am I supposed to be able to tell if it still works right! It's not like I can go back to my father and... Fix it! Undo whatever you did!" Running his hands over the serpents that twined up the hilt, one gold with amethyst stone bat wings, the other copper with jade dove wings, he murmured to himself, glancing back at the boy. "You had better fix it up right," Zen growled, gently and reluctantly placing Coaxcoach back on the table. 'I'm not paying you till you do."

[3]

[Polaris]

"Sir..." the boy muttered, a slight blush crossing his pale cheeks, but it was hidden by the glowing embers of the fire in the tent, "I cleaned it, and fixed a rough spot that would make it ineffective as a stabbing weapon, that is all. My magic is to deal with metals, that is all. I don't even posses a polish for metal any longer." His pale hands wrapped around the sword and handed it back to the man.

[3]

[Polaris]

"That is all, that is all," Zen mimicked, "You mages are all the same." Running a critical eye along the edge of the blade and the tongue, he sobered. She did look better, and sharper too. He'd have to pay for another mage, a trusted mage, to look at her though. Make sure there wasn't any funny business going on in her blade. Grumbling, he dug a hand into the folds of his cloak, reaching into a hidden pocket. Pulling out two coins, Zen slapped them on the table. "Where's your master boy?"

[4]

[Polaris]

"I don't have one sir. I am the only Smith of the village," he muttered quietly, shrivling up under the stare of the older man. His hand quickly snatched the coins from the man, but unlike most merchants he didn't bite them to check if they were fake. His ears listened instead, and sure enough they were greeted with the light happy tinging of coins. He pocketed them in a black pocket that was covered with thin metal chains over his waist. He went back over to the fire and pulled small scraps of metal from under the table. He closed his eyes again, and his hands closed around the scraps. Seconds later he removed them, revealing as small, perfect square with a latch. He opened it to reveal the hollow inside. Now... how did it want to be decorated? He listened to the metal as it started describing it to him...

[4]

[Polaris]

Zen felt a pang of pity for the boy and was slightly appalled by his own behavior, but then stuffed it down that black hole where so many other things had gone. He was sure the kid was lying, why would a twerp like him have his own shop and out perform any metal workers coming into the city, even with his bit of magic? Paused in thought, he turned to leave when he heard the delicate popping noise of metal bending into place. Worried that the kid was going to nail him in the back of his head, Zen spun around and  tried leaving backwards, but then his back would face the crowd when he exited.... Wait. What was he doing? A latch? Oh. Zen registered the fact that no, he was not in mortal danger. Content he would live for another five seconds, he paused to watch what the kid was doing.

[5]

[Polaris]

He nodded once the metal stopped speaking, then closed his eyes again. His finger traced over the surface of the metal and left an indented mark in its path. More and more of these lines were added, the metal wasn't even softened in the heat before hand. After two minutes the whole top of the box was carved. "Like that?" he whispered to the metal. A clear ding rang throughout the tent, not for only his ears, but only he understood the joyous Exactly! He smiled at the box and stroked the top softly as if it were a cat.
[5]

[Polaris]

What a weirdo, Zen thought. At least I don't talk to my sword. Stepping back out into the sunshine, Zen's figure stooped a little bit, loosing his commanding charm. Plopping down on a bench with its back against a wall, he sat with his knees apart and head resting on hand, whose elbow in turn rested on his knee. Turning Coaxcoach in the sun, he took in the fine work the boy had done. The serpent's eyes sparkled with renewed vigor, like a snake that has just shed its skin. Hmm. He'd have to get board and  food for the night, he noticed belatedly, rubbing his grumbling stomach. His backpack was almost out of supplies.

[6]

[Polaris]

The boy set the box under the table and walked to the door of his tent. "Remember what I told you to do if someone tries to take you..." he whispered to his beloved metal. A soft ringing answered him. The boy pushed open the black flap and exited. He had to squint in order to see in the daylight. After spending half the day in the darkness, only the soft glow of a raging fire for light, the sun was brutal. He stood still until his eyes adjusted to the light, then he turned and put a sign up on the flap of the tent. It read Closed in red letters, with a red X next to the words for those who couldn't read. He must go and talk to some of the merchants. Supplies were needed and food would be good too. But really, what could a Smith do without supplies?

He walked a bit forward, many greeting reaching his ears. "Good afternoon Smith!" some male merchants greeted him happily, in their low booming voices. A group of young girls, around his age all said, "Good afternoon Ika," simultaneously and started giggling as they continued on their way to some jeweler. He nodded kindly at most people, gave some small shy smiles of acknowledgment, but walked on. Where was the antique seller? He moved his shop too much...
[6]

[Polaris]

Running a hand through his sandy blond hair, Zen made himself get up and get going. He refused to sleep in the streets. Shuddering at the prospect, he skittered towards the edges of the crowd, taking care not to touch or bump anyone as he passed. Wrinkling his nose as he passed a hole-in-the-wall tavern, Zen walked on towards a stout looking little general store.  Soon after entering he pushed open the simply carved door to leave, smiling as the bells tied to the door handle chimed. Pack full of provisions, he made his way to the town spigot to refill his canteens.  

[7]

[Polaris]

It was times like this when the young smith hated being so young. He was only 5'7, much shorter than most of the strong full grown men that were traveling, or working in the marketplace. He stood on his tiptoes and managed to catch a glimpse of the old street side shop before some large man passed in front of him. He squirmed his way through the crown until he reached the little shop. The man standing behind the table was almost as old as his products. He smiled, age lines appearing about his mouth, "Hello Ika! What do I owe you the pleasure?" Ika grinned slightly, "What do you think?" "Ah yes, I've found some things from you! Here you go. Do these work?" he said, pushing old metal objects that couldn't even been told what they were. "Perfect. How much for them?" "Today, they are a treat! I've been getting pretty good business today, so I'll spread on the wealth!" Ika smiled at him, "Thank you!"
[7]

[Polaris]

Rather at a loss of what to do now, for he had nothing to do other than to wait out the authorities, Zen contemplated finding a room and holing himself up until tomorrow morning. As he was doing this he walked past a flyer board, and a familiar face caught his eye. A smallish poster, though freshly plastered, read, "Zinaria Yoshken, first adopted daughter of Gernalvi and Esmead Yoshkin, last seen in Firvord's garden. Generous reward for the return of said child." Shock painted his face in first white, then red as Zen stared at the ad with a finely drawn picture on it. Tearing the paper off and crumpling it in a ball, he pulled up his hood and shoved his hands into the folds of his cloak. Great. This was just great. Yet another grain of sand in his clothes to itch him. Chucking the paper over the heads of the crowd where he hoped it would be trampled under foot, Zen marched off, keeping his head down. The last thing he needed was for people to mistake him for someone else.

He really should find somewhere to sleep for the night. But where to look? Who should he ask? Zen stood to the side of the crowds, silently floundering. It had been so long since he'd last entered a place like this, and he'd forgotten the subconscious ways of dealing with people. Heck, the last time he'd actually talked to a human other than today... was right before he'd left. Left that place.
[8]