Private Between Fire and Rain

[Adonis Angelis IV]

Karth's Landing
Spice Market
Noon

Heat shimmered above the blackened stone paths of Karth's Landing, the lingering ash of the dry season still clinging to the city despite the coming rains. It was that part of the year between the yearly dry season and the storm season, fires were still raging across parts of the plains, but the warm rains were dotting the calendar as well. These few weeks were a beautiful part of the culture of Vaal. Bright ribbons decorated stalls, old clan songs crackled from the speakers. Even the city slowed down during the changing of the seasons. Everyone from the tribesmen on the plains to the visa holders living in Karth's Landing, everyone celebrated the seasons changing. This particular celebration also coincided with the spice harvest, and farmers and guildsman alike all came from across the planet to sell their harvested spices.

Voices overlapped beneath hanging cloth canopies while vendors shouted over one another in half a dozen languages. Spice dust clung to the air thick enough to taste, mixing with smoke from roasting meats and the sweetness of fried pastries cooling on metal racks. There were kids chasing each other around with sticky fingers from sugary confections, followed closely behind by their parents carrying bags full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Offworld traders flooded Karth's Landing during the Window Rush, hoping to leave with a cargo hold full of credits.

Among the many purveyors and customers stood Adonis Angelis IV, clad proudly in his beskar'gam standing out among the others. The eight point star of House Angelis blazing in the sunlight, signaling to everyone who was anyone exactly who he was. In the recent years, Adonis had gone from the son of Adonis Angelis III, to powerful Mandalorian warlord, and protector of Vaal. The Mand'alor, himself had asked Adonis to take the mantle of Warden and ensure the safety and protection of his people. It was an honor that Adonis was not going to waste, he was going to show Aether, and the people of Vaal that Mandalorians protected their own.

The other side of it was the pride the warrior felt in himself, for the first time since his father had died, he truly felt like he was honoring his memory. There was a bittersweet feeling to this visit to Vaal, but Adonis wanted to focus on the sweet. Today in the markets was a very special day for the young Mandalorian. He had asked Athena Faar to take him up on his offer to come visit his homeworld and let him fix Miit'alor's armor. He had even informed the Storm Guild that a dragon may be landing in their city. A fact they tried to protest, but Adonis wouldn't listen, insisting they could try to stop Miit'alor if they wanted to, but he wasn't going to stop her from eating them. That shut them up fairly quickly.

The warrior buzzed with a nervous energy that couldn't help but bleed out in the way he carried himself. He had given Athena very specific instructions where to land, securing a private pad with a covering for the lazy dragon so she could nap or fly around while the two went through the market. He made his way toward the meeting place, ready to show her around the markets and the rest of Karth's Landing before they went back to his compound and he cooked them dinner.

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[Athena Faar]

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Tag: Adonis Angelis IV

It had been a long time coming. The growth and prosperity of the clans under the Manda'lor have ensured the warriors of the Empire have remained active and busy. While Adonis Angelis' new role as Warden allowed him to spend more time on his homeworld, Athena's time had been occupied with keeping law and order in the expanse of new systems under the wing of the Mandalorians.

Yet she pried some time away from her assignments for some travel. She could superficially justify the visit to Vaal as necessary to repair Miit'alor's armor, which was comprised of material from that world, not to mention that Adonis himself was its artificer. Delegating to her top Shield Captains, Athena and Miit'alor finally accepted Adonis' invitation. The timing coincided with spice harvest, which according the him, was an excellent time to visit.

From the cockpit of her ship, Athena watched the lanscape below as she entered lower atmosphere. Endless plains of grassland, so different from the mountains and jungle valleys of Haruun Kal or even Rishi. Black smudges dotted the dry terrain where fires had burned, while a few still burned, leaving columns of thick smoke.

Athena opted to land the ship some distance from the city, not far from a dry road tribal merchants seem to be using. She and Miit'alor disembarked and the dragon's harness and tack fixed to her thick muscled body, as well as the beast's armor. Ensuring her own gear was stashed in the harness bags, Athena mounted Miit'alor. She leaned down, the dragon's head instinctively reaching back. "No fire. Adonis would not be happy about you setting this place on fire." She chided. A deep grunt rumbled in the reptilian chest and Miit'alor snorted in reluctant understanding. They then proceeded to take a lengthy flight, allowing the dragon to stretch and excercise after the travel through space.

Eventually, they flew low over the plains toward the walled city Athena knew there were strict protocols regarding entering Karth's Landing, yet she was cleared immediately and directed to an assigned landing pad. The pair made their way to the site, weaving through the myriad of tall spires. The location was isolated, with a convenient shelter where the dragon could lounge out of the sun. Broad, leathery wings stirred up dust and ash as the beast descended to the pad. Athena slid from the harness and began to unfasten it. "Behave." She admonished the great lizard, waggling a finger at the dragon, then caressing her heavy jaw. Miit'alor answered with low gravely hum as she stretched curled up under the covering.

Athena had cleaned up her armor, though the wear of battle could not be removed. And why would she? The Korun warrior donned her helmet and strode into the market, making her way to the location Adonis had sent. The air was thick with spice and cooking food that gave the place both an exoitc feeling, and a stirring to her appetite. The dry air rustled the orange and red stipped pelt that hung from her shoulders.

Finally, she saw her host. He was not hard to miss. The familiar tall stature clad in assault beskargam, the embom of his family gleaming upon it. Athena walked up to Adonis and paused. She removed her helmet and looked up at him with a smirk. "Know a good armorer?" She teased.

 

[Adonis Angelis IV]

A few moments had passed and Adonis caught himself checking the sky again. Like he wouldn't have noticed a dragon dropping in unannounced. He was nervous, though, and he didn't want anything bad to happen. He wanted to be able to show her more than battlefields and the war councils. Adonis wanted her to see the world that raised him before Mandalore, before all of it. It was a big moment for him, and she was the first person he had really opened up to about Vaal and his past. He couldn't help but feel like a little kid again. He had caught himself adjusting his armor for the third time in just as many minutes, tugging on straps and plates knowing nothing needed changing. The warrior knew he needed to sit down before he started pacing.

It wasn't much longer before the kids nearby started yelling and pointing at the sky, dropping their toys to the ground as gasps and questions sounded through the market. Before the first shadow of a wing even teased the buildings below in Karth's Landing, Miit'alor's presence had been known. Shocked murmurs then overtook the adults, pointing and yelling like the children. Adonis couldn't help but smile under his helmet, watching the people guessing what the beast could be. He heard a couple people yell out dragon, but most of them were just confused and scared. Not all fear was bad, and it was better they learned now. The Warden watched Miit'alor and Athena land safely before he turned his attention back to the passing people.

He knew the layout of the city very well from his youth and his time here in the Mandalorian Empire. Adonis hazarded Athena likely stuck to the Spireline paths, which meant she was going to be there soon. Standing back to his full height, Adonis stretched his muscles, he was much looking forward to the little R&R the Empire allowed him. He had been on Vaal a lot more recently, but he rarely slept in his own bed. He was always traveling, brokering trade agreements for the Mandalorians and for himself, so that meant staying in stranger's houses or hotels. He missed the breathability of his Shato silk sheets dearly. Before he could reminisce longer, he noted the confident gate of a woman who knew what it meant to kill. He spotted her and her pelt before she had the chance to see him, and it was all worth it. A warm smile found its way back to his face.

Adonis popped out from where he had been standing, putting himself in a place easier to be seen by the woman. Even among Mandalorians, Athena Faar had a way of standing out among the others, even in the Force she felt different than other Mandalorians. He wondered how it felt for her, if she noted his presence differently than others, or if he was just thinking too much again. The nerves were starting to come back, and he needed to push them down quickly. Adonis had fought things way harder than this before, this should have been easier than it was, but there was still that nervous energy sitting stubbornly in his chest. A deep breath and forcing it down was all the military-and his father before that-had ever taught him about emotional regulation. So that's what he did.

As Athena removed her helmet, Adonis was reminded very quickly why seeing her again had him so damn nervous in the first place. As Adonis removed his own helmet, dark blue-black hair fell messily across his forehead, longer now than the severe military cut Athena had first met him with. Time spent beneath the Vaalic sun had left his skin darker too, bringing faint freckles back across his nose and cheeks. The same smile was still on his face that had been slapped on there since he sat down, his brown eyes looking down at Athena as she ribbed him about the armor.

"You flew across the galaxy for repairs," He raised an eyebrow, "he must be a good armorer. Handsome too I heard." Adonis didn't want to let Athena be the only one giving some grief. "Are you hungry? I haven't eaten yet today. Save room for dinner though, I'm cooking."

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[Athena Faar]

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Tag: Adonis Angelis IV


Standing before Adonis, Athena looked up with a cocky grin. He looked the part, larger than life amid the common folk. She wondered what his people though of him. Athena waited for him to remove his helmet. She thought for a moment that maybe he wouldn't. Maybe being the Warden compelled him to keep a more ominous image behind his armor. Instead, she just imagined his face behind the visor.

But soon he lifted the helm and revealed himself. Ah, well, not exactly how she was picturing him. His hair had grown out, and he boasted a more bronzed color. It seemed Vaal was treating him well. She almost teased him about his longer hair, but then remember hers was different too, shaved on one side. But one thing hadn't changed. Adonis wasn't hard to look at.

At his quip about her handsome armorer, Athena shrugged in feigned nonchalance. "He's decent enough with a hammer, and better to look at than a Dug." She taunted. "And hell yes, you know I'm always hungry. Even if you're cooking." She added clapping him on his pauldron.
A genuine smile then crossed her lips, eyes lifting up to Adonis. "It's good to see you again." She added with sincerity.

 

[Adonis Angelis IV]

The familiar warmth between the two felt closer than the sun beating above. It was nice to have someone like Athena here on Vaal. Adonis still considered the planet his home, especially since he had taken up the office of Warden, but friends could be few and far between for a Mandalorian. He relished any moments like this that brought the galaxy a little closer together for him.

"We're right near the markets, I know the perfect spot." Adonis raised his hand and waved for Athena to follow. He turned around and started walking, looking ahead to see which way would be the fastest to get through the streets. The roar of engines overhead meant it was about time for another rush, so people were moving quickly to prepare for the influx. Soon enough, the skies would be ablaze with the afterburn of cargo ships and transports alike, all full of business and goods.

Anxious fingers traced around the helmet while internally, Adonis was thinking of something to break the silence. War came simple for him, commanding troops, dropping from basilisks and cratering entire blocks, all of that was second nature, but this was like learning a waltz when you'd only ever known walking. He could feel the tips of his cheeks turning pink beneath his tanned skin. Without saying a word, he slipped his helmet back on.

The pair made their way through the crowds of people pushing through the marketplace with relative ease. The people of Vaal weren't very interested in getting in the way of two heavily armored Mandalorians and gave them ample room. Instinctively, Adonis looked behind him to make sure Athena was still near. The stalls that lined their path had very pushy vendors, and it was quite easy to get caught up with a merchant trying to sell you something. You had to be a little cold to get through with your purse intact.

"Don't listen to them, anything out here is likely fake." His voice strong against the crowd of people. Overhead, the window rush had started, blue, yellow, and white fire burst from thrusters as traffic started moving again. The commotion above caused the airflow to whip around the market, drawing the aroma from all the nearby food to melt together into one delicious scent. Adonis could feel his stomach growl. It had been so long since he had eaten greasy market food, he could hardly wait. They weren't quite far enough into the markets for Adonis to trust the food just yet. A lot of the vendors were offworld businesses who set up shop for the busy season.

The further down the spine of the city they traveled, the more Karth's Landing began to look like the Vael'kora that came before it. Modern buildings and businesses with stalls out front eventually led to older stone buildings, cracked but sturdy in the high sun. The history of Karth's Landing, of Vaal itself, was tied to the buildings they were starting to come across. It was subtle enough at first, but eventually, the sheer size of some of the older storm spires would become too much to ignore. "This is the oldest settlement on Vaal." The Mandalorian leaned in toward Athena as they walked. The pace in this part was much more controlled and relaxed than before.

The savory smell of hot grease still greeted the nostrils here, but it was softened by the aroma of the spices just beyond. Adonis and Athena had arrived where the knight had wanted to bring her. In front of them were stalls like before, spaces for vendors to sell food and wares, banners and lights strung eagerly. The only difference was the vendors themselves, where the port was, it was salesmen hocking wares and medicine, here it felt more artisanal, more intentional. Baubles and food from across the galaxy became more focused, things from Vaal, specifically from beyond the walls of Karth's Landing itself.

"Do you trust me?" Adonis asked the warrior with a grin under his helmet. He didn't wait for an answer before he walked out in front of the vendor and greeted him in Vaalic before placing their order. The vendor was a broad-shouldered Vaalan with leathery skin and hair that had been gray longer than Adonis had been alive. Behind him, a towering spit of spice-crusted plainshorn turned slowly over glowing coals. Fat hissed as it dripped into the fire below, sending bursts of fragrant smoke into the air. The outer layers had blackened and crisped beneath the heat while juices glistened under the sun.

"It's not fancy," Adonis admitted, pointing toward the spit. "Just meat, bread, sauce, and whatever vegetables the vendor has today. Best food on the planet." He figured the two had a couple minutes before their food was ready.

"What did you eat when you lived on Haruun Kal?" His voice was inquisitive, he had been eager to share his home, he was curious about Athena Faar 's.

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