It had been a long journey to come to this city.  From his total body reconstruction by magics he couldn't fathom to meeting other adventurers and hearing good news concerning survivors from Dae Luin, Icarus had experienced much in these past two weeks.  By now, he had accumulated enough wealth by picking the corpses of Orcs he slew in the Highlands to purchase a new weapon.

Searching around for a few moments, he was able to find the location of several merchants.  Though he had received a broadsword previously as well as a longsword due to the kindness of the village that had aided him, he required something a bit more organic to his sword style.  Indeed, he had trained to hone a style consisting of a longsword and katana in union.  The katana's use was certainly quick and precise, but it lacked the durability of the longsword.  For that reason, he developed a sword style uniting the two to make use of them equally to attack and defend while remaining a threat on multiple fronts.

After inspecting the merchant's wares, he was able to haggle a price for a fairly well-crafted katana.  It wasn't up to the standard he hoped for, given his experience with his master's blade, but it was serviceable.  In fact, he thought perhaps he set his standard too high because for mundane craftsmanship, it was exemplary.  He was simply used to the superior quality a Dwarven blade crafted from Elven materials could afford.  Sighing as he gave away most of his purse for his prize, Icarus accepted the blade and lifted it, feeling the light weight of the single blade.  It would do for now.

Next on his agenda was seeking information.  He knew very little of this world and the ways of it.  At the very least, he should find out more about several select individuals that may have survived the collapse of the previous realm.  While he was here, he could also seek employment, possibly guard duty if need be.  Icarus didn't particularly like protecting others for money since most of those requiring the protection were corrupt, but so long as they didn't go too far against his personal moral code in his presence, he could put up with it for the time being.  

Now… where to begin, he thought, perplexed by the size and structure of the city.

The arid temperatures were almost the polar opposite of the cool feeling of her cavern home. She could feel the small drips of sweat run against her forehead, but the weather was never enough to stop her. Truthfully, Rhea loved the idea of such places of heat. It was a way to rid herself of the many layers of clothing that mortals chose to wear. The dress that adorned her figure was thin, flowing fabric that softly touched against the ground below. With a few less wraps around her torso, it would have been fairly easy to see all of the fair skin beneath but what was showing was enough to turn the heads of men and women both. A see-through shawl, matching the soft peach color of her dress, was loosely wrap over her head. Her hair was neatly pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head.

There was a smile that stayed happily on her lips and she nodded her head softly to each person who turned to stare. She personally loved the attention. It made her feel alive, but she knew many it was because she came out in public appearing as her natural appearance. People knew well who she was and many feared the very fact. There were many whispers that the creature controlled the hands of love and strength, was not as sweet as she seemed. It was hard to know if it was all truth or lies. 

There was no real reason that she had decided to come to this city in the wasteland, however it would not take her long to find something to do. There was many strange occurrences taking the world by storm. She had heard the whispers of the deity that something was going on and many of them knew a lot more than her about it. She was born in this world and grew strong here. These people that came from a far off dimension was enough to keep her curiosity running wild. The idea of a world so unlike her own made shivers run down her spine. She would never wish to go there herself, for this was her own, but she enjoyed the stories none the less. Some of her own memories had been altered with the strange occurrences.

Hazel eyes danced around the people as she began to sing softly to herself. She loved music and, while some would look upon her strangely, she loved singing in the streets. It did not take long for her eyes to take in the image of a man that stood out against the rest. She could feel the strange aura that drifted from him that reminded her of what she had seen from Angela. Was it one of those people?

Her lips grew in a bigger smile and did what she did best. With quick steps the woman pulled her fans from her side, and began dancing in the middle of the street. Her voice sang out with the soothing lullaby of the siren's charm, though she kept it controlled enough to bring interest to her only. Many of the rich began to hoot and holler at the display. Many knew well that it was the Goddess spreading her words of love for them. There was rumors that her voice was enough to bring strength to their kingdom.

Icarus wandered through the bazaar intending to locate some sort of archive or book repository.  In all fairness, even a local bookshop would do to sate his thirst for knowledge.  His eyes glanced around, taking in the sights he could while attentively paying heed to his fairly light coinpurse.  The katana had bit deeply into his available coin and it would likely need to be replenished in the near future.

It was when he finally came upon it that it seemed all the world had gone silent or that his ears had possibly gone deaf.  Then, almost as though it were the only sound left in all creation, a melodic yearning for attention came to his ears.  It sounded sweet and called to him like a message tied specifically to him that plucked at his very heartstrings.  Icarus turned to face the direction it came from and saw others turning as well, their motions seemingly still as they stood mid-cheer.  

The woman, some distance ahead of him, seemed to be gazing directly through him, peering into his broken and battered soul.  Her song seemed to pierce him so because to him, it pulled forth memories of the wars he had fought, battles he'd lost, and the deaths he had suffered only to be risen again, to survive when others did not.  It was his curse and the very tune she sang seemed to provide joy for others while bringing the curse of his flesh to the forefront of his mind.  A tear welled up in his eye and the simple beauty of the song and her dance moved him against his own will.

Stepping forward, Icarus weaved through the crowd to come closer to her, entranced by her motion and above all, the serenity he felt as he stood alone on the field of battle, made manifest in her song.  His mind traveled to the fields of Attamesh, a memory that seemed to have almost been torn from his mind in the transference to this world.  He stood alone as thousands lay dead around him, even one of the gods having fallen in the battle.

He couldn't understand where these thoughts and memories came from as he had no recollection of many of his past adventures in Dae Luin.  Yet, they seemed so real it was as though he stood amongst them and watched them pass by.  He stood there, simply watching, as everything he had ever known or loved crossed through the threshold of his mind, only to be forgotten once more.  This woman… she could not be human.  That much, he knew, and yet, he did not find himself repulsed as he often did when it came to non-humans.

Turning to the man to his left, he queried him.  "Who is that woman?" he asked, hearing only the word "goddess" over the sound of her song.  With that confirmation, Icarus merely stood as he awaited the end of her song and dance, doing all he could to resist the effects it held within his mind and the pain it was causing to resurface.

The effects of her siren blood string could cause different emotions to the people who heard her music, but she loved music and dance. It was one of the few times that she could feel free in this world. She had not grown up around sirens that followed the same line as their ancestors, so her training as being a siren was rather strange. Her mother had been the might Goddess and the duties had been passed onto her her young daughter, Rhea. She had grown up knowing more about being a God than about being mortal.

With a few more swaying motions, her song reached it's final cords and she rested both feet on the ground once again. There were many cheers that echoed over the area and only then did she take notice to the large crowd that had grown around her. She had not expected to pull so many people with her song, but it was met with varied emotions. There were some that wept, cheered, and a few that stood there silently staring as if they lost all their sense. Then, there was him. The song had started out being for him, but he had been able to fight it for the most part.

Pulling her shawl around her shoulders, a ghostly smile crept on her lips. Who or what was this man? She did not wait for him to approach her because she could feel that he had been waiting. His eyes had never left her since he had taken notice of her. It was intoxicating to the Goddess. "Such a gaze you own, sir. You could melt my little heart." The words purred out in a playful tone, but the strange smile never faltered.

Icarus found himself unable to do much aside from watching and listening as he played through a string of memories from worse times in his life.  The melody just seemed to bring melancholy upon him and as he gazed around, he saw others transfixed by the woman's song and dance.  It seemed many others that also wept seemed to do so out of joy, as though her music tugged the heartstrings within the deepest portions of their souls.

As she finished, it seemed many of those present applauded her immediately, others departing in seemingly greater spirits than when she had begun.  The woman proceeded toward him, his gaze failing to waver or break contact until she had come extraordinarily close to him, to the point he at last realized he was staring and he averted his eyes.  He was being rude and it was certainly poor manners, to say the least.

Her words came to him in a sort of manner that caught him off guard.  He was not expecting one referred to as a goddess by the plebian masses to stroll up and speak to him so casually.  If anything, it would have been more appropriate to see her heralded by an audience of her followers.  For one bearing such power, it seemed… out of place.

"You flatter me.  Was it my gaze that captured you when many others looked upon you at the same time?" he asked, his words courteous and his eyes once more focused on her own.

He had no idea to what end she felt her interaction would serve, but his own interest was now piqued for more reasons than simply her song.  She had a familiarity about her that mezmorized him as his mind scrambled through fractured memories to find everything else about her face that pertained to the when, where, how, and why that surrounded the circumstances.  Icarus knew they had met previously, but he could not fathom anything else, nor her name.  

His response was truly magical. The smile on her lips grew at them and soft blush crept across her cheeks. She just loved when the people would play back. It fueled her desire and made her heart dance with excitement. She could tell in his eyes that he was slowly piecing it all together. She could only imagine that some must have given away who she was. Now he was trying to understand why she was speaking to him and her motives behind it all.

"I can spot the one that deserves my attention out of a crowd. It bares no resembles to one's gaze, however yours did only to help your cause." Her words came out playfully again, however this time they held more unknown information towards the way her abilities worked. There was many things that the deity could feel or see because of their duties to the Voice.

"I could say it was your handsome figure, but that would only stroke the ego of your heart."A soft giggle escaped her lips at her comment and she pulled her shawl closer around her. Hazel eyes slowly drifted around the area to find many people still watching her curiously. She was now beginning to wish she had not caused such a large scene but she could never help herself when the time came.

"You may need to travel with me for today to understand why I came to you. I believe it has far more to do with you than myself. You would not deny a lady your presence would you?" She enjoyed toying with the people that she found interesting, but mostly she got tired of spending so much time alone or with her clergy. They been waiting on her hand and foot since she rose. She liked just being free to enjoy her day out in the world.

Icarus didn't know what to make of her.  She seemed almost flirtatious in her words and demeanor, but he could tell there was indeed something more to it than that.  Her presence seemed to solidify his thoughts that they had met previously.  What other reason could there truly be for their encounter than her recognition of his presence and some past interaction the two had shared.

His stance changed, arms now crossed as she flirted once more.  A smile reached his lips as she giggled.  He knew it wasn't entirely genuine, but her words were being woven to serve her purpose, to whatever end that may be remained to be seen.  The unfortunate part of it all was that their interaction was being appraised by quite a number of people as their eyes remained focused entirely on her.  The casual glance caused Icarus to almost feel the knives being stared into him by some of the other men in the immediate area.  

"Now you should know flattery will get you everywhere although I do feel the eyes of others hinting barbed jealousy on me since I'm graced by such a talented and powerful beauty.  A goddess according to the people, is that correct?" he inquired, surprised even further by the rumor.

Her words made spurred him into accepting her invitation, if for nothing more than the privacy their conversation should have.  Prying eyes and ears were always an annoyance he could do without.  For the most part, he chose to wear his mask for that very reason.  

"It would be poor manners.  I'll accompany you to whichever destination you wish," Icarus declared with a light bow as he held out his arm.  

His words only helped to make her pride grow. The eyes on her were normal and she did not even feel them anymore. In the world she lived in, it was quite normal for people to be staring with their strange gazes. Rhea knew well that they were not all pure but she was never one to deny someone from looking at her. She knew her beauty and did not mind sharing. Some said she was conceit because she spoke of knowing her own beauty but she thought everyone was beautiful. The imperfections of the world made everyone so individual and special. Their beauty brought hope and love to the world around them.

Her head tilted slightly when he spoke on the fact that others were beginning to hold jealousy against him because of her. He seemed to be enjoying the fact that people were jealous of him. Maybe it was her own imaginations, but she could almost feel his determination. She reached out to his extended arm,wrapping her arm against his and her hand to rest softly on his skin. She loved it when they were gentlemen.

"Flattery is what makes this world thrive. I just speak the honest words and let them take me where they will. There will be many jealous of you, dear knight. They have given me away I see." There was another giggle that escaped her lips as she shook her head before continuing to speak. "Yes, you may say that I am a Goddess. I just do what is required of me. I live for my duties whether I would wish to or not. It is a fair blessing to hold such weight on my shoulders."

Her gaze slowly drifted around the area as she tried to pick her next plan of actions, but she had never been very good at thinking ahead. "I ask you to treat me no different than you would any maiden. Maybe I shall tell you more if you wish later." She continued to toy with him as she began to walk letting her fingers tough against his arm directing him where she wished to go with soft presses. She was not about to tell him everything about her right away, where would be the fun in that?

"I have no real destination. It would be too boring if we were to just pick a place. We would not wish to boring right?" Her eyes glanced to him as she spoke but they were quick to flicker back to the road ahead as she walked. She never wanted to be impolite to not look at someone when they were talking to her or her them, but she was not about to make a fool out of herself. "Unless there is a place you wish to see?"

Walking alongside a goddess was not something mere mortals were often permitted, much less performing as their personal escort while they walked amongst mortals.  In his own way, it seemed Icarus was more than mortal although he thought little beyond being a simple man that had been blessed far too often and far too greatly by fate.  Compared to many others, if he could remember half of his adventures from his time in the previous world and his previous body, others would likely gaze upon him in wonder and perhaps even fear.

To that end, it was good those tales were lost to the limitations of his previous mortal coil.  Icarus never desired to be feared.  He wished to live a humble life serving to better the lives of all men through the pursuit of good deeds and protecting them from that which caused the greatest of fears trembling within the mighty hearts of even the most steadfast men.  Such were the dangers faced by the Black Swordsman when he was known as such.  

There was more than one instance when his efforts had saved the souls of all Men upon that world of Dae Luin.  Facing the fallen son of the intermingling of two of the first twelve angels was one such instance.  That creature aligned itself with its father who fell from grace and raped its mother, seeking the summoning of Obelisk the Great Destroyer to end its own existence after all other parallel realities had fallen.  In the end, Icarus defeated it but his second death had come at the hands of Obelisk when it emerged as a weakened avatar from the Void and consumed that world.

He could not recall the event, but his body knew it well.  The trauma of the events that had transpired on that world were only magnified by the memories of the Demon Wars from his own reality that he remembered in vivid detail.  The fields of the dead and the waves of the damned rushing beyond them scarred his mind as cacophonous sounds of horrors beyond imagining plagued his reality when his mind came back to those days.  The bottle and many nights without sleep had persisted in his life since those days.  Thankfully, they were often times now buried deep into the recesses of his mind but the blemishes upon his soul could never be erased.

"As you wish, simply a maiden.  I'll be keen to hear whatever you wish to say, later," he said as they continued.

He didn't quite know what game she was playing at, but the light touches guiding his movement through the streets made it easier to navigate the unfamiliar terrain.  Her words concerning the lack of destination held no negative effect in his mind.  It seemed, perhaps, that simply spending time in the company of another was actually a refreshing change of pace the usually lone individual required for the peace of his psyche.  Then again, perhaps it was just another part of her powers which he had no idea of.  

"No, I have no true destination in mind.  I simply crave more knowledge of this world, its history, how many others survived the death of the previous realm, and whether such a fate is possible here.  I failed when I needed to succeed and all reality of another realm was lost to the darkness forever, millions of souls blinked from being and simply rendered ash before the great death," he explained, hoping that perhaps she knew more on the subject considering he believed fully she was one such survivor.  Given her power, it seemed quite likely she could add to his knowledge base concerning these things.

"No destination is one of the quickest ways to learn much about the world around you. You may be able to find things you never thought you could see." Her words ended there but behind her calm facade, her mind was racing. So, the feeling she had got from him was correct. This man was not completely from this world. He was one of those strange beings that had fallen through the rifts of two worlds. Another that her aunt had told her about. It appeared that it was not only the deity that were being effected the entire world.

Rhea would not comment on the situation just yet but the smile never left her lips. Instead, she pulled him a little closer and continued to lead him through the streets. The streets were bustling with people, which was rather was normal for the city. Mamlak was a rich city full of traders and merchants. It would not take long for the people to begin to ignore the couple making their way through the crowd.

Many spoke of how memorizing the deity were and how easy it was able to tell them from anyone else, but it was rather untrue. Mortals were selfish creatures, not much different from deity, and absorbed in their own life to noticed people around them. She could easily travel through a town with her aura trapped away and many would never know that she was there. There would be a few that may take notice of her from her image in paintings, but many would just think she just had a small resemblance to the Goddess. It was hilarious how easily to was to hide in the open.

Even though the crowd around them had started to forget that they were there, it was still too busy for her taste. She wished to talk to him in more private and as they walked an idea came to mind. She led him towards the outskirts of town where one of many lush gardens laid. There were not many that would spend a lot of time in the gardens outside of a few couples. It would be enough to give them some space from the busy world around them.

"This shall do. Most will just see us no different than the couples that rest together in this area. There is even a man over there training a child to do magic. What a cute scene! Will this work for you, my mysterious companion?" She slowly released her hold on his arm, but her hand rested on his bicep. Her touch always remained gentle and there was a feeling that calm from her that could woo even the strongest hearts if she tried. She kept close to him as she looked up at his face curiously. She knew well that she was probably invading the poor man's bubble but she would wait to see how he reacted. Instead of moving she just questioned curiously, "I would love to learn about this realm you speak of."