<i>Velicia... </i>Rhaya rolled the name over in her head a few times. It was certainly more of an exotic name than she was used to hearing. She didn't know where this woman was from, but it didn't sound like anything Rhaya had ever heard. It was a pretty name though, just as she had suspected. More surprising however was Velicia's occupation. An exorcist meant that there was the presence of demons among the people. Rhaya had never seen a demon, but she had read about them. Soulithya had banished them from the world with her light, for they were nothing but dark, horrible beings bent on killing humans and overtaking the land with their blights. They had terrorized everything in their path, and only the Priestesses and Soulithya herself had been able to combat them. Still, it had been a bloody battle for humanity, ending only when Soulithya expended everything she had to push them down.<br/><br/>If they were in Asetalos now, it meant that faith in Soulithya and her power truly was waning. Rhaya frowned at the thought, only distracted by Velicia's lilting voice and her description of her goddess. Faena had been just as strong as Soulithya, according to the stories, but beyond that, Rhaya didn't know much about the goddess of the water. The Priestesses only preached Soulithya's words; though the two religions were closely related and their followers close, they didn't interact very much. If a city was following Faenan teachings, then the Soulithyan Priestesses would bless other places.<br/><br/>Still, Rhaya wanted to know more about Faena and her followers. Mazia would understand if Rhaya took this opportunity to learn and understand more about the world. Besides, it would still coincide with her goals of helping the people and letting them experience Soulithya's light. She didn't want to step on the toes of any of Faena's followers, but Velicia was welcoming her with open arms.<br/><br/>The woman was describing places as they passed by, and Rhaya found it relaxing to be near her. Rhaya would remember and recall the buildings later, but it was nice to bask in the sound of Velicia's voice. Her feet fell into the same gait as Velicia, though she had to stretch her legs due to her shorter stature. The ground beneath them turned from hard stone to softer dirt in less than a second, and Rhaya looked all around to see that the area had opened up into a spacious yard full of grass and trees. A river flowed through the area, separating the green with streaks of shining, blue water. Flowers graced the grass blades near them, shades of pink and red punctuating various parts of the area. She was amazed that something like this actually existed inside Asetalos's walls, considering how grimy her first experience had been. They had to be inside the middle wall, close to the wealthy area, for it seemed impossible that anything like this would be allowed to exist in the poor district.<br/><br/>Rhaya became distracted as Velicia's cool hand wrapped around her wrist, and her voice floated into the air between them, a relaxing, gentle tone to her words. "I'm glad you feel better now," she said, but she didn't get out much more than that as Velicia pulled them both to the ground. A warm blush crossed her face as Velicia's head found her shoulder and stayed there. Rhaya felt her muscles try to tense up, unused to such forward physical contact, but Velicia didn't do anything more than rest her head. Their bodies were brushing on the side, but it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. The fragrant smell from before clung around Velicia, and Rhaya assumed it was some fancy perfume that the noblewomen of Asetalos were wearing.<br/><br/>"O-oh, um... Well, I suppose I should have gone straight to the church, like the High Counselor wanted me to, but I got lost, and then I, um, ran into you." A sheepish tone entered her voice, and she lowered her head slightly. She had pulled her hood from her head during their walk, and now, her reddish-brown hair wavered around her round cheeks in the light breeze sweeping through the park. "I'm afraid I let you do all the talking on the way here." She didn't say it was because she liked the sound of her voice, but the urge to admit that to Velicia was there.<br/><br/>"I do have a lot of questions," Rhaya found herself glancing down at Velicia's face and form, her gaze lingering perhaps a second too long, "and I think if I had more time, I'd love to know more about you... a-and your lady Faena, of-of course." Rhaya had never had a stutter in her voice, but there was something about Velicia that loosened her tongue. Perhaps it was the woman's friendliness and the contact they were sharing as they sat under the tree. She had already proven to be trustworthy and kind, and she was a new person to talk to. Rhaya was normally a bit shy around new people, but Velicia was different somehow, but Rhaya didn't feel as though that was a bad thing.<br/><br/>"I should really think about finding the church soon though. I'm supposed to send word that I arrived, so the other Priestesses don't worry about me. This is my first mission as Priestess, and I wouldn't want to let anyone down...."