:Dancer in the Dark:

[r y n t h a e]

Emerald eyes scrutinized the contents of each of the vendor's stalls carefully. Ahkra walked through the marketplace as if he were royalty, and indeed, the way that people treated him only emphasized this appearance. He certainly looked the part, dressed in fitted darkwash jeans, brown leather riding boots, a black tank top and an expensive-looking grey jacket. Dark red hair framed his attractive face, which was currently kept at a neutral expression as he considered each item displayed.

Finally, he stopped before a food vendor's stall. This one seemed of better quality and freshness than many of the others, who carried wrinkling fruit and stale-looking meat. A leather messenger bag was slung loosely over one of Ahkra's shoulders, leaning against his slender frame as he leaned closer to the young man tending the booth. With a charming smile, he pulled a small bottle out of his pack, holding it up for the vendor to see. Translucent, pale blue liquid was contained within it. Giving Ahkra a puzzled, if still somewhat reverent look, the vendor shrugged.

Taking this as his cue, Ahkra said simply: "crude penicillin. Home grown; a base-level antibiotic. Those three-week long diseases that kill people... coughs and fevers. a small mouthful of this once a day for a week will cure them. Just as a disclaimer, this will not cure any viral disease, though, unfortunately. Not the Disease, not therianthropy, whatever. Even so, this is still a life-saver."

Ahkra watched, with some satisfaction, as the young man's eyes widened in appreciation of the treasure that Ahkra was offering. "I think... ten apples, five large fish, three loaves of bread, two bunches of carrots, a bottle of strawberry wine, and some artichoke. Oh, and a bag of peaches, please."

Nodding wordlessly, the young man opened to arms, motioning for Ahkra to help himself. With a small grin, Ahkra handed the pleasantly-surprised vendor the bottle of antibiotic, and loaded up his messenger bag.

[w h i s p y r]

Arc had a feeling that his significant other was in the market, and he was looking everywhere he could as he slowly walked through the small amount of people. His eyes the color of the sky almost, at least before the whole war ruined the original shades in the once beautiful sky, were shifting back and forth slowly in hopes to catch sight of him. Taking a deep breath, and fumbling his thin fingers outside the back pockets of his raggedy pants, before hooking his thumbs on the back pockets absentmindedly. He shuddered a bit, pretty much regretting the fact he hadn't brought his jacket with him to follow after Ahkra but he was doing his best to put up with it.

He paused by a group of people who were talking to one particular vendor that was notorious for selling weapons of some kind, and he frowned faintly. Keeping his attention elsewhere, though over-hearing the conversation at the vendors, he shifted uneasily. They kept talking about going out to the place strays were, and what weapons to use to kill them off because they wanted to get rid of the certain disease that scared everyone. He briefly glanced over his shoulder, and through pursed lips he mumbled to himself that it wasn't a safe idea.

His hopes of going unheard didn't go well, either, and as he started to walk towards Ahkra after spotting him he was suddenly yelled at from behind. But instead of turning around he simply glanced behind him giving a small reply, "I'm sorry I have to go." He told them, and even with their disgruntled behavior they let him go when he smiled genuinely at them before hurrying off towards Ahkra and the vendor he was at. Swallowing hard he cast one last glance behind him, luckily none of them were following for any reason, and he sighed in relief before stopping beside the taller avian.

"What were you able to get?" Arc asked softly, shifting a little on his feet, and glancing up at the dark red-head blinking cutely; unintentionally.

[r y n t h a e]

Content with his purchase, Ahkra was about to head off and peruse the rest of the marketplace when he heard a commotion behind him. It wasn't just people arguing over prices, either. It sounded like someone was trying to start a fight. Turning around, Ahkra was surprised to come face-to-face with his beloved, Arc. The younger avian spoke a few peaceful words to an irritated looking group of people, but given the young man's sweet and sincere attitude, they called off their fight and left to look elsewhere.

Frowning faintly, Ahkra pulled Arc close, a bit protectively, hugging him. "Be careful, Arc. I don't want you to get hurt...." Lightly stroking the younger avian's hair, he kissed his forehead, and then gave a small, wry smile. "Take a look," he said, opening up his pack, the groceries and wine in plain sight. "Oh, and there was one more thing...." he reached a hand into his pack, feeling for one of the smaller pockets, and after a moment pulled out a small package.

Voice gentle, the red-head told him, "it's for you." It was hard to tell, from the plain packaging, but inside was a necklace that Ahkra had found at the abandoned mall just a while back. The silver chain was untarnished, and a round black opal caught the light dazzlingly, hanging from the chain as a round pendant.

[w h i s p y r]

Arc blinked in surprise at being pulled close, faintly blushing at the contact, and looked up at him a bit through the hold. He didn't get into trouble, but he understood what the other avian meant, and nodded lightly. "Don't worry, I'll be careful." He responded softly, and gave a small smile in response. Though he blushed when he received the kiss on his forehead, but it made his smile grow a bit more than it already was.

When he was told to go and take a look he glanced inside the pack Ahkra was carrying, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, that's a lot of food! I think we'll be set for a while with that!" He exclaimed, but not too loud. Arc was happy that they'd be able to have enough food to last them a while, even if it might not be too long but it all looked fresh and well taken care of.

However, when he pulled something else out and told the boy it was for him he blushed again, blinking wondering what it was. He was gentle with the package, opening it up and when he came across the necklace he glanced at Ahkra then back to it. Pulling it out as the pendant glistened in the daylight, his blue eyes lit up with awe at its beauty. His smile was nervous, but happy, all the same. Clutching the necklace gently he leaned up to steal a kiss from the red-head, blushing and smiling brightly. "Thank you, it's... it's so beautiful."

The boy fumbled with the chain a little to open the clasp, but once he had it he put it around his neck without a second to spare. And looked down at the pendant, dazzled by the opal, he was happy to have something that was so beautiful. If he had actually paid for it Arc would have probably put up a little fuss because it was probably expensive, but he didn't since most of the old stores weren't running any longer.

[r y n t h a e]

"So are you," Ahkra said softly, gently running his fingers through the brunette's hair. The pendant hung at Arc's throat, catching the light in a way that, in Ahkra's opinion, could not rival the way sunlight hit Arc's strikingly blue eyes.

Reaching down, he closed the flap to his pack, also fairly happy with what he'd been able to get at the marketplace. "The knowledge of medicine is being lost. Too many people have died, and technology has broken down far too fast. It's too true, what people say... knowledge is power. All of this, just for a little bread mold. Even so, I know that crude antibiotic will save someone's life." A small smile tugged at his lips -- it was a true win-win situation. He was able to easily sustain his flock just by growing penicillium mold and transforming it with only basic equipment into the life-saving potion. Not only that, but most people had a very high opinion of himself and the rest of his flock, because of it. "All thanks to you, love. The things that you find written at the library... they truly are amazing."

He stole a sweet kiss from Arc, one arm going around the boy's waist, uncaring whether someone may have seen or not. Whispering softly in Arc's ear, he told him, "I love you. I always will."

[w h i s p y r]

Having such a small smile on his face was sweet enough for his youthful features, shifting a little on his feet and lightly leaning his head into Ahkra's hand. He took a light breath, a deep one but hardly noticeable, his eyes closed momentarily before reopening when the other avian spoke. Looking up at him in response, and nodding lightly, "Yeah... hopefully it will prove helpful." Arc said with a hopeful, if not moderately concerned, tone of voice.

He was always concerned about people other than himself, and it might have proved to be a bit unorthodox to some people but it was how the young boy was. "I just try to do my best," he smiled lightly. "It's not easy to scour through all those books... not all of them are in perfect condition. Some tend to fall apart," Arc frowned a bit, remembering those few times the books just fell apart in his fingers and others were close to that situation.

Lost in thought at the moment he made a small noise in surprise when he felt the red-heads arm wrap around his waist, and he blushed again. Especially from hearing the words whispered into his sensitive ears. "I.. I love you, too." Arc replied softly, smiling lightly, and keeping close, thought thought self-conscious of all the eyes that were around them.

[r y n t h a e]

Ahkra nuzzled into the boy's throat lightly, pressing a few kisses there, a smile tugging at his lips. "I know it's not easy, love. All the same... thank you." Lightly ruffling the boy's hair, he glanced over curiously. "Is there anything else we need to pick up, or any other errands that need to be done?" He looked out across the marketplace, as if hoping to be visually reminded of something that he may have potentially forgotten. Nothing came to mind, currently, but then... Arc was always better at keeping track of what needed to be done.

"If not, I suppose we could always scour the mall, or somewhere else," he mused thoughtfully. The danger of those abandoned places never really seemed to sink in, for Ahkra. He simply didn't care. And anyway, he often found things that had been missed -- small treasures worth finding.

Also, having just left the cathedral to get groceries and run errands, Ahkra didn't feel like returning quite yet. There were still adventures left to be had.....

[w h i s p y r]

Arc had to take a minute or so to really think about anything that they needed, lifting his left arm and placing his hand on the back of his neck in the process. "Um, I don't recall anything else... the food was the primary thing that we had on the list." He responded, glancing through the crowds again and briefly watching the group of men that he had previously nearly got in trouble with. The boy was worried about them, but he knew there was no way he could stop them on their adventures to kill things, some humans were always the same.

Taking a deep breath, and glancing up at Ahkra at the last thing he mentioned, a slight nervous look on the corner of his lips. "Well," he started. "If you really want to go, but we have to be careful, remember?" Arc wasn't too adamant about going to places that used to have a lot of people, but the library was the only exception that he would go to on his own. That was, in itself, his own adventures.

[r y n t h a e]

Ahkra gave a small, reassuring smile, holding Arc close. "Don't worry -- I will protect you. Besides.... if we run across danger, there are always these to guide us back to safety." His wings stretched out impressively from his back, black with a splash of color like an oilspill. The large raven's wings moved slightly to partially wrap around Arc either protectively or possesively. The redhead nuzzled close to Arc faintly, though, a small purr escaping him. Being near Arc, and making him happy meant more than adventure, though. "We can head home, though, if you'd like. As long as you're with me, I'm happy."

Ruffling Arc's light brown hair, Ahkra gave a wry grin. "It's your call." He kept an eye out, even while holding Arc close, at the marketplace. Despite his seeming indifference to his surroundings, Ahkra couldn't help but carry suspicion of other people, and the poorly buried terror that he might run into his brother again.

[w h i s p y r]

The boy shuddered lightly, the feeling of his wings around him were like a thin blanket of comfort and his eyes closed briefly. Sighing faintly, and taking a deep breath, he was relaxed and comfortable there in his arms and partially hidden by those wings. It was an odd sensation, probably for some, but for him it was so relaxing and it made him feel wanted if not protected for sure. "If you want to go, it's alright, and I'll go with you."

Even if he wasn't so adamant about going he didn't want to find out that the older avian went out on his own to that place, it would just bother him to no end. He only agreed because it was something the man wanted to do, and he wanted to make Ahkra have some sort of fun because surely staying inside the cathedral wasn't that enjoyable. At least, as it was for him. Because the cathedral was his sanctuary, and it might have been a bit empty but it was very welcoming and calming for the boy.

"Just be careful about carrying all that food around, okay? It could end up attracting things," he told Ahkra. The young avian knew that the red-head could take care of himself, but at the same time he took into consideration that the food would attract something if not a lot of things later. "We could take it back home first, so it doesn't spoil either..." Arc told him, glancing briefly to him, and making a light tug on the mans pack.

[r y n t h a e]

Ahkra nodded thoughtfully, glancing down at his pack. "That's probably the best idea," he agreed. "The fish, if nothing else, might spoil if it isn't put away soon." Winking at the younger brunette, he added: "besides, I may need the space in my pack, depending on what we might find."

Although Ahkra truly loved his home in the cathedral, especially sharing it with Arc, it was common for him to get a bit antsy and want to explore elsewhere, or step out for a bit. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy it at the cathedral -- he did. Rather, he felt confined, staying in one spot for too long. It probably had something to do with his past, although if it did, he couldn't say what it was.

Not only that; Arc didn't always know, but sometimes he would fly near the cathedral, and then outward in searching circles, to make sure that his brother hadn't discovered their home. Always, his terror that his brother might return haunted him, and he couldn't help his paranoia because of it.

Shaking off such dark thoughts, Ahkra offered Arc and affectionate smile, and stole a deep kiss before stretching his dark wings out to their full, impressive span, to show that he was ready when Arc was. Unlike some, Ahkra was comfortable with the changes that separated him from humans. He loved being Avian; nothing could beat the freedom and sensation of flight, even in this wreckage of a world. "Ready?" he asked Arc.

[w h i s p y r]

"Well, it is a mall, I'm sure there are several valuable things left behind." He replied, thinking a bit about how it might have been and if he actually went there. Some of his memories were really hard to recall, but others weren't so hard. It just bugged him a little bit. But he learned to cope, and accept the inevitable when his mind decided not to remember everything from his past.

The boy nodded lightly in response when he was asked if he was ready, glancing at Ahkra's wings that were large and reflected the light a bit. He smiled softly, and brought his own wings out a bit, only to keep them folded as not to knock anything over at any of the stands. His wings may have been a bit smaller, but they were about the same beautiful sheen of black with an oil-spilled radiance in them. And instead of taking off right there he turned, and walked out of the path of people, and glance back at Ahkra before jumping and his wings immediately taking to the air with some effort.

[r y n t h a e]

Smiling at the sight of Arc taking off, those beautiful wings catching the air and dominating gravity, Ahkra followed suit. With a jump, his vast wings came down in a powerful stroke, lifting him further into the air; a few more strokes and he had risen higher, flying easily beside Arc. Leading the way, he turned towards where the mall was at, and rose higher into the air, catching a warm breeze that filled his wings and let him soar easily. He closed his eyes momentarily, savoring the feeling of the wind rushing past him, and thought to himself that if he could have had a choice as to what race he was, he would still choose to be an Avian every single time.

Opening one eye, he gave Arc a playful grin and rose higher up above the boy before tucking his wings in close to his sides, and plummeting at an alarming speed towards the ground, just passing Arc. Still well above the ground, though, his wings snapped out, stopping his fall as he rose back up to Arc's height, feathers turned to catch the wind. There truly was nothing better than flying....

After a short while of flying and a few more stunts and spins, the mall was visible in the distance. "There it is," Ahkra called over to Arc, reaching over to catch the other Avian's hand in his affectionately.