[i]	[color=f7976a]What a town! What a boat! What nice people![/color][/i]

	Dannisus was aglow with joyous tones as he marched through Nadska without a care in the world. It was the first time in months that he'd been able to walk into a town without getting stopped at the gate for a solid 20 minutes. Some humans had such silly questions for him! They always asked about his weapons, his intentions, where he came from, how he lost his ear, and a bunch of other stuff, while they let their kin walk in and out of town without a second thought. Myti might have been an uncommon sight outside the borders of Sylsashia, but to treat them with so much caution was simply unwarranted. 

	[i][color=f7976a]We're such a peaceful race![/color][/i]

	They really were, too. Never had Myti tribes participated in the bloody wars of the humes. They would fight over such stupid things. Dannisus still didn't understand it much- The worldwide obsession with shiny minerals that is. Myti had no need for gold, or sapphires, or rubies, [i]or any other precious gem[/i]. Everything they ever needed came from the forest, and with her help, in tandem with their superior magic, survival was never an issue. Even outside the forest borders, Dannisus saw little value in human currency. Occasionally he'd indulge in prepared food, or a soft bed, but there was little a tavern could offer that the wilds could not.

	[i]'Mama! Look at the kitty!'[/i]

	A little girl tugged at her mother's skirt near the center of the plaza, reaching out at Dannisus like he was something to be caught. He didn't mind it. Children were often fascinated by his cat-like features. He'd learned of domesticated felines not long after leaving Sylsashia. Their tongue was rough, and hard to understand, unlike their larger cousins, but they seemed happy, and dearly loved by the humans that housed them. It was no wonder that he garnered such lovely attention. Dannisus turned to the little girl and smiled without a second thought, only to be met with the girl's mother, [i]swatting[/i] at the little girl's hand. She glared at him, but the little girl giggled, waving goodbye. Dannisus frowned for a moment, but quickly shrugged it off and made his way out of the market, blissfully unawares of the townsfolk staring at him in partial unison.

	[i][color=f7976a]What nice people![/color][/i]

	He'd long forgotten about the stigma that followed him around. The guards at the gate, the protective mothers, and the sheer bravado of unruly ruffians that saw his kin as [i]less than human[/i]. Dannisus was used to it by now. All of the prejudice he dealt with was still [i]worlds[/i] better than being condemned to a treetop with menial chores with minimal time allowed on the forest floor. What kind of life was that? He'd learned to hunt just like his sisters! He knew all about the forest! If there was one thing that Dannisus loved about humans, it was the freedom that their people promoted- When they weren't trying to steal from him, kill him, or put him in a cage, anyways. The elders weren't lying when they said that humans could be a [i]crueler[/i] than a Lorelei Gnasher. Sometimes they scared him [i]even more[/i] than his sister could ever hope to. He turned his head, looked up at the clouds happily and closed his eyes. With a gentle shake of his ears, Dannisus felt fully refreshed in the middle of the bustling little town.

	[i][color=f7976a]Oof![/color][/i]

	A woman crashed into him abruptly, forcing him to stumble backwards while she stood her ground with no issue at all. He'd put his bad ear forward again, like an idiot! The smell of human [i]sweat[/i] made it pretty hard to feel his way through the crowd like he usually would. Before he could even apologize, the woman swatted her hand at the air above him and started cursing up a storm. He flinched backwards, nodded quietly, and tiptoed around her, spinning away at the last moment. He could steal hear her spouting profanities as he marched off.

	[i][color=f7976a]What a [b]mean[/b] lady![/color][/i]

	She was kind of a bitch.

	The taverns he'd passed by looked pretty similar, not only to each other, but to other human establishments. They weren't very creative with their architecture! Something about it made his hair stand on end. Being inside those cramped little rooms was worse than sitting up in a treetop den. [i]Chairs[/i] hurt his tail, the drinks tasted foul, and the beds?.. Well, the beds were the only good part! Sleeping in a bed reminded him of the mossy patches he'd nap in back home. It wasn't [i]quite[/i] as comfortable, but it certainly smelled nicer.

	[color=f7976a][i]I could do with a nap![/i][/color]

	Twenty minutes later, after he'd reserved a room and sampled the [i]scrumptious[/i] food they'd had to offer, Dannisus was sifting through his personal notebook, reviewing the notes about his most recent venture. It was written in Myti Script, similar to the human alphabet, but much smaller, and less varied. Words were longer, and sounded out with audible chatter that most would recognize as [i]mewls.[/i] His book's most recent entry was almost barren, though. Nothing of importance to note, aside from the arcane conduits he'd found. They were good for making more mana spheres, but not much else. His ears lowered flat against his head and he scowled. What a bust!

	[color=f7976a][i]Myea?[/i][/color]

	Dannisus was taken aback as he smelled a familiar scent. He couldn't put his nose on it at all, but he knew it from somewhere. Not long after, somebody new made her way across the room, and towards the bar without a second thought. Cloaked people were always so weird. It wasn't that hot, and it wasn't raining! Why did they need to hide their faces?

	[color=f7976a][i]They always have something to hide![/i][/color]

	People who hid things were suspicious, and usually, [i]not very nice.[/i] The ones with hoods, especially. Most of them tried to take his stuff without asking, and a few were mean enough to scar his body! He stared at her without thinking, and placed his book flat on the table in front of him. The smell was stronger now she was inside, it had to be her! But what the heck was that smell? It became very apparent when her fingers emitted the [i]tiniest[/i] bit of light. He remembered it in an instant, and his mind went blank. It was the smell of his sister's mana.

	When she looked at him, Dannisus froze. It wasn't a Myti, after all. The relief was quickly pushed aside by a pang of fear as she shot him a [i]menacing[/i] look. He pushed himself back into his chair, rubbing the base of his tail against the wood. He jerked his tail sideways in pain, and looked away from the girl hurriedly, diverting his attention towards the entrance. [i]Electric mana[/i], just like Lani had. The smell was too vivid to mistake. She used to tease him with it [i]all the time,[/i] shocking his tail at random. Dannisus pulled his chair forwards and clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them carefully while still staring at the door. Being reminded of his elder sister wasn't all too comforting. He jerked his tail further to the left, lifting it so that it rested on the opposite side of his chair. He glanced back at the girl as she took her leave, and then lowered his eyelids. His ears flicked downwards and he let out a lonely sigh.

	[color=f7976a][i]She looks even meaner than Lani...[/i][/color]

	Somebody sat down next to him without a word. Dannisus' ears perked up and his eyes sprung open. "Hello," Dannisus said quietly, staring at the elf curiously. It wasn't often that anyone would willingly sit near him, even when he was being [i]extra[/i] kind. Perhaps it was because they were an elf? Regardless, he looked at Aelih with a blank expression, still on guard after his earlier scare.