Aub ran his hand across 'Mal, who was still perched on his torso. He didnt seem to mind her though, his gaze on Vhar and Kit. As the light grew stronger from the rising sun, his brilliant red eyes faded to clear green, flecked throughout with a light gold. Oddly, the sun itself he didnt seem to mind at all. "Well, now, she usually stays with the Icari flock." He glanced at Kit, and grinned again as he caught sight of her face. Keeper irritated Kit more than most, and Aub knew it.

"And they stay in the mountains to the south of here." Kali finished, her eyes boring holes in Aub's face. "Dont you know anyone who could tell you?" she added to Vhar, "Keeper is... hardly what Id call helpful."

"Well.." Vharrus trailed off for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "There is one person I know who might be able to help." He briefly examined Kali's face. "I'm no more fond of her than you are of this Keeper, though." Vharrus turned his attention back to the pendant, maintaining his composure as he weighed his options. "Either way, I'll be going south a ways. There's a town not far north of the mountains, east of there is Liyar's den." Vharrus released his grip on the pendant for a moment, allowing his hand to fall flat and with a moments concentration created a metal chain affixed to it. He slipped the chain over his head, sliding the pendant under his collar, and ran his finger over the exposed chain which promptly disappeared from sight. As much as he wished for a more potent form of magic, a simple illusion would have to suffice for now.

Yul'Mah and Yul'Dur moved silently to Vharrus's sides, as if following an unspoken command. Though they were clearly upset they seemed to comprehend the situation well. They were never allowed outside, after all, and for good reason. Vharrus placed his hands upon their backs and their forms slowly broke down; their bones reduced to off-white threads and retreated into Vharrus's hands, faintly visible beneath his skin as they burrowed their way between the muscles in his arms.

"I'm going to head south." Vharrus looked toward town, though he was still partially blinded by the sun. He didn't wait for a response from the others before departing for the inn to gather his few measly possessions for the trip ahead.

Sub looked disappointed that his new friend had gone away, alet hough he bounded to his feet happily none the less. He frowned slightly as Vhar spoke, a curious expression crossing his face. He strode along after Vhar, one hand tugging kit along after him.

Kit looked disgruntled at being pulled, yanking her wrist away from him. "Feel like company for a while on your trip?" She said lightly, catching up to Vhar. She ignored auburn, who was busy charming the skirt off of a milkmaid along the way.

Vharrus half-smiled beneath his hood careful to keep it hidden from Kali's sight; though he was rarely fond of company he never chose to show it when he was. "You're free to tag along, if that's your wish." He carefully hid the mild excitement in his voice. He was glad to have the chance to learn more about her. "Although your companions antics may draw some undesirable attention." He turned his head as if to look at Aub, though his hood blocked his sight he could feel Aub's presence lingering like a plague. His face now half-exposed to Kali he turned his attention to the guard a little ways down the street who had stopped mid stride and was now eyeing Aub with more than mild suspicion. "Is it his nature that makes him suspicious to the humans or is it just the way he acts?" Though phrased as a question his words were obviously a jab at Aub's less than adult behavior.

Kali snorted, half laughing as she followed his eyes to the gaurd and Aub. "He doesn't care much about going unnoticed. " she commented in reply, voice mildly amused.

It was only a heartbeat later that Aub strode up to the pair of them, whistling. He had a daisy from the maid tucked behind one ear, a jaunty grin on his face. "Oh, stop your whining, you two. Without me you'd be the suspicious ones." He gave a pointed look at Vhar's hood.

"People in this city think I have a disfigurement." Vharrus tipped his head to the guard, who did the same in response, an obvious understanding between the two. Vharrus turned the corner and looked up at the familiar sign above the door. "I'll only be a moment." He entered the inn and strode up to the desk, talking so quietly to the innkeeper that even she had a hard time hearing in. A moment later she handed him a brown leather bag and he left for the cellar. A mere thirty seconds later he returned to the two, though with nothing in hand, and looked south. "If you're ready, we should depart."

Aub took the opportunity to lean up against the wall of the inn, closing his eyes. He peeked through one eye at Kit, who was looking impatient and ready to be gone. "You know, some of us still sleep around here." He told her in a voice that pretended indignance

"Well you didn't have to follow me again.. Im allowed some free time, after all." She responded matter-of-factly. Having not left anything in her room in the first place, she waited with Aub, no need to go in. When Vhar reappeared, she fell into step easily beside him.

Vharrus triple-checked that he had everything as the three headed south out of town. He felt a strange air about his two temporary companions, one that confused his senses, but decided it best not to pry. Instead he pulled out an ancient book, which was slowly becoming his journal, from his robes as he walked and flipped through blank pages until he landed on the one he was looking for. With a gentle touch he traced his fingertip over empty space in delicate patterns, the page glowing the faintest red as he temporarily unlocked the many seals he had placed thousands of years ago.

Aub dragged himself after his two companions, a disgruntled look on his face. The sun still gave him a headache, old as he was, and he didnt approve of walking around in it when he could be sleeping. "Whats the point of leaving right away." he muttered to himself, lagging behind the others, his feet kicking pebbles as he went. "Whos in a hurry anyways." he continued his half hearted grumblings under his breath, knowing that Kit at least could hear him.

Kit was more interested in the book Vhar was holding, watching him out of the corners of her eyes as he flipped it open. Clearly heavily guarded and therefore important, she resisted the temptation to sidle over and read behind him - sure that he might take offense. Still, the curious one couldnt stop herself from trying to catch a word or two.

Vharrus was too concentrated on his book to notice Aub's mumbling. He removed his hand from the page as words materialized, turning his attention halfway down the page. The last time Vharrus visited Liyar she was awfully knowledgeable about him, which made him more curious than worried. His eyes skipped around the page, skimming what little information he had on her. It took a couple moments before he felt Kit's eyes. He snapped the book shut and slid it under his cloak, pondering the fact that he could open the book so easily with these two in company. Kali, it seemed, he could trust; to an extent at the least. However, that little voice in his head told him to be wary of Aub.

For the first time Vharrus began to feel uncomfortable in the silence, but he couldn't find the words to fill it with. He had many questions, but he wasn't sure what he should or shouldn't ask. For the first time he cursed his social ineptitude.

"So who is Liyar?" Kit asked casually, knowing she'd been caught snooping and deliberately not apologizing. She was absently curlin a lock of hair around one finger as she walked, not realizing that the strands of hair were subtly shifting colors as she did so.

"An old acquaintance." Vharrus replied instinctively, not really knowing what else to say about her. "She's a very.." Vharrus noticed Kali's hair before he found the word he was looking for. "That's an interesting trick." He noted plainly, caught up with trying to determine if the woman was capable of manipulating other parts of her body. For the first time he considered that what he saw of her may not be her real form, if she had one. "That skill would be quite useful to me." Vharrus grinned, considering all of the possibilities.

"Oh don't encourage her..." came a plaintive complaint from Aubrey behind them.

Kit grinned however, having made the mistake she may as well enjoy it. She danced a few steps ahead and spun to face Vhar and Aub. As she turned she tugged at her image in her mind. Coppery hair turned a tawny brown, thick and curled, falling down across her shoulders and back, out of the city's fashionable up-do into a wilder mess. Her skin darkened to a light tan, no longer the pale skin of a pampered noble. Her lips quirked into a crooked grin as she looked at Vhar. The violet eyes had stayed the same, twinkling in mischief. "It comes in quite handy."

Vharrus laughed, still not used to the action. "As I would think. Liyar is going to love you." He tried not to think about that woman too much, but got quite an inner laugh from the thought of her reactions to his current company. "Last time I asked her for help she made me return the favor. Be glad that I'm the one asking this time too, there's no guessing what she may ask you for." Vharrus found himself in quite the good mood as the groupie pressed on. "Oh, and a bit of warning before we arrive, she's very chatty." Vharrus turned to Aub, deciding finally to acknowledge his presence. "If it bothers you, I'll give her all the encouragement she needs, and more." Though spoken as a childish joke there was a hint of malice in his voice, as if a threat.

"Well on your head be it." Aub remarked lazily, looking at Vhar with a slanted gaze. Perhaps it was Vhar's uncomfortable air around Aub, but the man found himself irritated in return at the other. Then again, Aub wasn't used to being disliked either.

Kali laughed in return, tossining her hair back. In another moment she'd shed her shoes and skirts for bare feet and flowing pants. "As long as doesn't speak in rhyme. .." she added wryly, making a face.

Vharrus could barely stifle the laugh, in that moment he decided not to mention that fact to her. Her reaction to it, he thought, would be far more valuable. "I've found only amusement and amazement so far, Aubrey." He spat the man's name it like poison, doing his best to cover it but with no results. "She's been quite entertaining." Vharrus wasn't sure of their relationship, but he spoke as if to hide a perverse nature, pausing momentarily before and emphasizing the last word, on the off chance it might upset Aub.

Aub suddenly grinned at Vhar, the carefree look nonetheless revealing pointed teeth. "Quite right, she is all those things." Aub remarked easily, his perpetually tousled hair lending a certain edge to his comment. Aub had relized that he could have fun in another way now that the dragons had gone.. and Vhar was playing along so nicely. "Bit dangerous for you, though." He gave a quick smile and sauntered after kit, hands tucked casually into pockets. "Hey- when's lunch? I'm starving." He added with his back to Vhar, head tilted a bit curiously.

Vharrus found Aub's response a bit disturbing, though he couldn't quite place why. Mostly, however, it simply angered him. He found himself questioning things he shouldn't be questioning, and his emotional responses to thoughts didn't add up. Unable to retort, he drifted a bit to the right and picked up the pace until he found himself walking next to Kali. He looked at Aub with mixed feelings from curiosity to seething hatred, both wary and rearing to fight, but he managed barely to keep his head on straight and hold back. As he calmed himself he tried to speak to Kali, but he realized that he hadn't even considered her reaction to his comment. He would wait until she reacted again to open his mouth, partially in fear of having upset her.

When Vhar finally caught up, kali was stifling laughter with the back of one hand, her eyes flashing in amusement. "Don't mind him.. he's gone a bit dodgy in his old age." Kali was walking oddly again, her gait changing into a toe-heel beat. She spun about so she was facing Aubrey, walking backwards. "And don't whine.. besides, aren't there lots of chipmunks in the woods for a snack?" She smiled brightly at Aub, who merely uttered a long-suffering sigh.

Vharrus shot Kali an angry look, though his anger wasn't necessarily directed at her. He quickly covered his emotions again, turning to look ahead and sliding his hood so that it shielded him from the others gazes. He took a brief moment to compose himself, meanwhile listening in on the two.

Kali raised an eyebrow at Vhar as he withdrew into himself. She looked at Aub, who had a wicked smile on his face. She frowned at him, knowing that he had deliberately been baiting her new companion with his words. She skipped ahead a few paces then turned around again, facing Vhar and Aub as she strolled backwards, bare feet dancing over the gravel path without a second thought. "So Vhar. How'd you come to end up here in this city?" She grinned and heldeliberately up a finger. "We've got a long walk so stories are just fine." She smiled playfully at him, waiting.

Vharrus snorted, knowing full well the story was not an interesting one, but he knew the best option was to give the story as it was. "A royal a few towns West had a grudge against a merchant here, who had swindled him as he passed through the city a few months back. I was hired to locate the merchant, retrieve the false prince's money, eliminate the merchant and return his gold." It was clear by his voice that he was not fond of his role in that, and moments after he spoke he realized that the others might catch on to his attempt to hide the subtle details. "I wonder why you would come all this way for a book." It was more of a statement than a question, but he expected an answer nonetheless. He maneuvered his hood so that he could look Kali in the eye while still hiding Aub from sight.

Aub opened his mouth, but subsided when kali shot him a dangerous look. She tilted her head to one side, watching Vhar. Kali grinned at his question briefly, then lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Nothing else to do." She said, earning herself a disbelieving snort from Aub.

If it hadn't been for Aub's reaction after Kali spoke Vharrus may have believed her. It seemed they all had something to hide, though that may have simply been a bout of paranoia taking hold. He looked up toward the sun, his eyes narrow against the light, and then dropped his gaze to the forest below. "It'll be faster to move through the trees." He noted, half to himself. "Though the harpies claimed this land, I doubt they would object." He turned back to Kali. "So long as they have no issue with the two of you that is." His head tilted slightly to the side to indicate his reference to Aub in particular.

Aub looked inocently at Vhar, then back to Kit with a mock expression of injured pride. "Why does he assume I'm the problem?" He asked her in a stage whisper.

Kali eyed Aub with an exasperated smile, turning away to answer Vhar. "They wouldn't know me regardless." Unspoken, was the added 'in this body'.