Silent Entrance

[zipcat]

*zip listened as Rajst answered her question. She didn’t know that vampires could snap if they had a strong poor emotion. Maybe if Rajst was with people more, he could be happy with his friends instead of getting depressed. Not everyone would make him smile of course, but friends always made her happy. She hoped she could be a good enough friend someday to him that he’d be happy to see her, too.*

*When Rajst said he could jump on top of one of the buildings, she looked up to see how high they were. She was really good at running quickly in the forest, even up in the trees from branch to branch, but she couldn’t jump that high at all. Her eyes were wide when she turned to him.*

“They’re very tall, I don’t know. Lets find out!”

*Her smile was as big as her eyes were before, she wondered what it would be like to race someone who may be able to jump so very high.*

[Rajst Kalizkhanavar]

*Rajst chuckled and went to one side of the street directly across from a third-story building, bracing his back and legs up against the wall. He tensed up his leg muscles and pushed off with all of his might. The vampyre shot like lightning across the street and, with supernatural ease, jumped and rocketed upwards. He overshot the top of the third story building by thirty feet, but he braced himself for landing on the roof. He kept his legs slightly spread and his knees slightly bent for a perfect landing. Silently, without so much as a sound betraying Rajst's arrival, the vampyre landed on the building's gravel covered roof. He grinned and looked down at zip*

"Want to try?"

[zipcat]

*zip watched in amazement as Rajst jumped, she never thought of using the building’s side. How often he practiced, she didn’t know, but it must have been a whole lot to jump that high. She paid close attention to his every move.*

“Sure! I’d love to.”

*She tried to do as he did on the building, aiming for a two story rather than one of the big ones. She could never jump that high, at least not yet. All of her thought went to how she would do it, if she could make it, and how she would land. She didn’t want to back out of something that looked like a lot of fun just because she was afraid she would become a pancake on the building. She didn’t breathe when she pushed off with every bit of strength her legs had.*

*While in the air, she noticed that she would have cleared the third story building, but not by much. As soon as her bare feet touched the roof of the building she was on, she was off of it and in the air. Speed was always her best thing when it came to jumping, and so she had just gone quickly. Now, she knew she could go farther with each jump, too. She landed beside Rajst with a big smile.*

[Rajst Kalizkhanavar]

*Rajst watched as zip made her way onto the roof where he was. He smiled softly to himself and walked to the edge of the roof overlooking the street. Then, he began walking along its edge, half of each foot on the roof and the other half off. He motioned for her to follow, and he jumped onto a four-story building in front of him. On its roof was a bedroll, several packs, a backpack, and other various equipment. He walked over to his make-shift camp and sat down, staring off into the cloudless night, glaring at the stars and the magnificent full moon. His voice was distant and soft when he finally spoke*

"Its been a while since I last felt...happy...like that. I've alway felt gloom and depression. Its good to feel something different. Thank you, Amentan, for your friendship."

[zipcat]

*She followed her friend easily along the building, balance having always been one of the things she was best at. She wondered why someone would sleep on top of a roof, and more so why a vampire would sleep somewhere exposed to the sun. She assumed that he wouldn't sleep here, and that the camp may have other uses... but she trusted Rajst, mostly. She never did trust anyone completely, and even if she refused it she knew it.*

*zip smiled when her friend said he was happy, she always wanted people to be happy. She had never been depressed, never felt alone. She knew well why though, and thought that explanation would be a good discussion. Because of his age, she knew he must be wise as well, and knew that he could grasp things other may not. Picking up a twig on the ground, she spun it between her fingers.*

"I've never felt depressed or alone, though I have felt sad or missed people." She began, letting him know where she was coming from. "No matter how much I wish my friends to be happy, and how good of one I may be, I don't think I have ever truly been one."

*She looked up then, her voice with the tone of both confession and thought. This was something she had come to understand only on her last time out. No matter how much she valued her friends and thought of herself as one, she never completely accepted the company, even if she didn't intend it, and even if she made the best of every bit of it. At least, she thought she did. Her attention was back on the stick.*

"If one was given water every day, and only enough to live on, then that person would always expect the same without emotion. Then, if the person is given more, there are several things that could happen. Mainly, their expectance could change, and they would demand more, or they would realize how little they had before. If instead, the water given was less, the person would probably miss having more as they learn of what they had, or act out of being upset."

*zip was surprising herself at how much she was sharing. Though she would always speak up, she never really shared her thoughts. She hoped her attempt to do so wouldn't leave her friend thinking poorly of her, and that she would learn something from sharing this.*

" When you get more, if you do value it, like everything else you will only value it because you know what it could be without it. Just as the person now knows how thirsty he was before, he knows less would be worse. Just by having more, without having any, he knows what none would feel like; even if the idea is assumed."

*She looked up, then, letting the stick slip back to the ground. Rajst had shared so much with her, so she knew she could return the favor. Mostly, she wanted to know what he would say, or if he could explain the thing that always caught her curiosity when she was out, past these lands.*

"I don't know loneliness not because I have never felt it, but because I don't truly appreciate company, only the joy of making others happy."

[Rajst Kalizkhanavar]

*Rajst listened politely as zipcat spoke, trying to understand the metaphors that she used. They were interesting, and they did make sense. Either that or he was going insane. Regardless, he listened and tried his best to understand. After she finished, the assassin tried to come up with a way to respond, but, finding none, remained silent. There was silence for a minute or two, then something...different...occured. Rajst stood up suddenly, searching frantically, nearly paranoid about the change. A figure stalked from the darkness that was once behind the two, and, within a moment, he moved to where Rajst could see his face. It was another Assamite assassin, Ro'khi. Though Rajst travelled alone, all Assamites were aware of the names and faces of the others*

"Rafiq (Comrade) Rajst, do not be surprised at my presence. The Du'ats (leaders) have ordered that I follow you. Or have you forgotten the Khabar (tradition) of our people from travelling too long?"

"Rafiq Ro'khi, I remember the Khabar. But it has been some time since I have been in the Assamite Ummas (communities). How do things fare with the Assamites?"

"Poor. The Ikhwan (sense of brotherhood), Muruwa (Assamite code of honor), and Mumin (sense of faith) have been broken by some members as of late. They have become Kafir (infidels) to our people, and the Du'ats have declared Blood War with them."

"This is ill news indeed. The last thing our people need is another civil war. Have the Camarillas learned of this?"

"As far as I know, no, they haven't. The heretics are being hunted down and destroyed as we speak."

"What exactly did they do, might I ask Rafiq Ro'khi?"

"They betrayed our secrets to the Camarillas for many, many years. That would explain why our war with them hasn't fared well at all. And recently, there have been Assamites that have attempted assassinations against the Du'ats themselves."

"I leave for several millenia, and look at what happens. I take it that the Du'ats wanted you to follow me to see where my allegiances lie?"

"That is true, Rafiq Rajst."

"And?"

"You are true to the Assamites. Your Khabar is commendable, Rafiq. I have a number of...contracts...if you are willing."

"Not at the moment, Rafiq Ro'khi. I'm...making a new friend..."

"I can tell. Does she want to become one of the Embraced?"

*Ro'khi's last sentence was spoken in Kindred to prevent zipcat from understanding what he was talking about. Rajst's wrinkled his face in thought before replying in common tongue*

"Doubt it. Bring me the contracts tomorrow night. I'll be sleeping in the rafters of the Golden Griffin."

"Of course, Rafiq Rajst."

*Ro'khi bowed to Rajst as he spoke the last sentence and smiled at zipcat before disappearing from sight. It was the gift of the Assamites to disappear at will, and because of this gift, they were the best assassins to ever walk the face of any realm. Rajst turned and faced zipcat, sighing heavily from exhaustion. The sun would be rising soon, and Rajst wanted to rest*

"I suppose I will see you some other time, no?"

[zipcat]

*zip watched her newest friend as she wondered what he might say. He was much older than her, so she assumed that he was wiser. Still, it looked as if he was following her thoughts without having ever had ones like them come to mind. While the few minutes went by, she looked back to the stick and twiddled with it to give him time to think.*

*When Rajst stood and looked around, zip quickly darted to her feet, ready to run if need be for whatever reason her friend was startled if it turned out to be bad. When the person who had surprised them stepped into sight, and addressed zip's friend by name, zip stepped back just a bit to be out of the way. She wasn't all sure what the new man was saying, but she followed as well as she could.*

*She wasn't sure what a Blood War was, and didn't want to assume anything because she knew even the smallest thoughts that would come with any type of war. Still as they went on zip learned of some troubles her friend must be going through, his vampiric family having to fight and having trouble in that due to betrayal.*

*zip had seen the effects of a great war, and never did she wish to have to see them again. That Rajst must have seen many too let her understand how he must feel at times, even if it wasn't completely the same.*

*As Rajst said that he was making a new friend, zip smiled through all of it. She always loved to make new friends, and to be considered one by others. Then Rajst's friend left, zip having returned his polite smile right before he did. She could see that Rajst was tired, she would have wished him a well rest, but that just didn't seam right.*

"I'd love to see you again, Rajst, I had so much fun. If you ever spot me before I do you, be sure to say hello."