The soft patter of boots coming in contact with the tiled flooring reigned throughout the temple, filling its silence with its presence. There was a reason why he was here and he was going to prove it to the goddess, this is where he belonged and he was going to go to any lengths to prove it. It wasn't often that he found such devotion in things, especially since the 'incident'. Methodically his metallic hues drifted across his surroundings, taking in the dark opaque colored bricks and studying the symbols and emblems that adorned them. Truly this was the right place, he had certainly made no mistake on coming here.

Slowly striding into the main room he fell to a still, allowing his gaze to transfix itself on the arrayment of things that lined the walls of the room. Drawing both of his blades from along his side, he positioned his hands in front of himself, allowing the blades to point off to his flanks. It was the stance he usually had when he waited with uncertainty, unsure if to hold guard or not to, but he was sure to find out soon when the goddess would grace him with her presence.

Veronna groaned as she felt someone come in to her temple. She was laying on her bed, her face in her pillow, and had been sleeping. It seemed that was all she had been trying to do lately, that and eat. She found her appetite had grown recently, knowing it was because of the child she had growing inside her. And though her stomach had not grown a whole lot, she could tell it had grown because her belt was now set a hole larger then before.

With a few more groans she got up from her bed and put her bare feet onto the cold brick floor. She reached over to her left and grabbed her black leather boots. She put her socks on and slipped her boots on and stood, stretching as she did so. She couldn't believe all the people who had been coming around lately, at first it was only someone now and then, but now it seemed someone came everyday, well maybe not that much, but still quite a few people have come around recently during the past month or so. But she realized she didn't mind really, she liked meeting new people, and by sensing this person it was someone she had never met before.

Before she headed down she grabbed her belt and put it around her waist, and then she picked up her scimitars that were laying against her bed. She latched them and and then started down the stairs to the lower level. As she walked she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get the knots out that had formed as she slept. When done with that she pulled out a small piece of leather, gathered her hair and pulled it up in a ponytail.

When she reached where she sensed the person she saw he had his swords out. Not sure if he meant any harm or not she walked up behind him, "Vendui" she said, "How may I help you?" She asked him, her hands resting on the hilts of her scimitars just in case. She wondered what this person wanted, wether it was to spar or talk, or just meet her, she wasn't sure.

((OOC: Hopefully that makes sense to you, because it was hard to describe the action.))

At the sound of her voice, he brought his arms back to his sides, flipping his blades in his hands so they would no longer face behind him but instead in front of him. Taking a step back on his right foot, his right arm bent at the joint and hoisted itself high and in front of his face, allowing the blade to point towards the ground. Without a second of hesistation, his arm brought itself sharply outwards in a downward arc, bringing the blade towards the face of Veronna, but faltering in his action. Halting the blade, it paused mere inches from Veronna's nose, before his arm dropped back to his side. Turning to face the woman, he sheathed both of his blades and dropped to a knee, bowing his head, “My apologies...I didn't expect anyone to be coming up behind me.”

Sighing heavily, he kept his gaze glued to the ground, “I came in hopes of serving under your name if that's even possible now. I will understand if you won't accept me.”

Veronna was impressed by how fast this man responded to her pressence, and even when his blade came only inches from her face she stood her ground. She watched as he went to one of his knees and bowed his head to her. She smiled at him, "Please stand, you do not have to bow to me, I am just another warrior like yourself." She said as she gestured for him to stand; she couldn't stand people always being formal around her, when she just looked at herself as a regular person in a way.

When he asked if he could serve her she let out a small laugh, still smiling, "You are fast to give yourself to me, even though you have never met me before." She knew that this man was worried that she would not accept him because he almost cut her noise off, but she was not angry at all. "Your reflexes are quick, that is good, it seems you have come to the right place. I am Veronna Darkblade Nydalath, Goddess of Blades." She bowed her head at him quickly. "And may I have your name?" she asked looking him up and down and knowing right away that he was a fighter and then looking at his metallic eyes with her red ones.

Her hands were still resting on her scimitars, though she made no movement to draw them even when his sword almost got her. She was still trying to blink away her sleepiness, which didn't seem very goddess like, but she didn't really care. This was her temple and she could be as sleepy as she wanted to be. She yawned lightly and brought her hand up to cover her mouth, also stretching slightly has she rubbed her eyes quickly

((OOC: Sorry, didn't have much to go off and I tried drawing more to the conversation, but I couldn't get anything to work.))

A slight grin crossed his slender lips as he rose to an erect stance, sheathing both of his blades. Studying her for a moment, he offered an explaination, “I have found my home in these lands for quite some time and to say the least I know quite the bit of you, Goddess. Though, most are only rumours and assumptions, but I still know enough to judge whether or not I would wish to serve you. I am no fool and I don't intend to start being one now, I base my choices solely on fact and fact alone. I would say it's one of my better traits, but enough of that.”

He couldn't help but grin as she spoke of his quickness, but he was all too sure it was nothing compared to her. Clearing his throat, he introduced himself, “I am Xavion Darkheart, The Black Shadow. It was a name given to me by a very special man, the very man who taught me well in the art of the blades and for that I thank him, wherever he is.” The thought of him was depressing, but he did his best to subdue the thoughts and keep his main focus upon Veronna. Peeling his gaze from hers, his eyes slid down to her hands, “I notice you weild two blades as well. Most people find it a hard feat, but I found it to come natural to me, perhaps I'm different...”

Veronna listened to him explain himself and she cocked her head slightly, surprised to know that there were rumors going around about her. She did not know that her name was spreading around that much. She nodded in agreement that two weapon fighting was hard for some people. "I learned how to do while I lived in the underdark, and it too seemed quite easy to me, but only some are gifted enough to be able to do it, like yourself."

She drew her blades, "would you like to see how good you really are?" She asked, a slight smile on her face. Even though she liked to talk with someone first, it seemed a lot of people loosened up after a sparring match. She wondered if he would accept or not. So far no one had declained her a fight, but maybe Xavion would. You never know. She tilted her head again and looked at him, "And also, may I ask why you are called the Black Shadow?" She couldn't see why he would be called that, but sometimes people could be decieving.

A spar would also help her wake up and stretch a bit. But if Xavion did not want to spar then she wouldn't have a poblem with it. She felt bad that she had been sleeping so much lately, and she was worried people would stop coming to see her just because she was with child. But soon she would not be able to spar because of that, but she still liked to meet with people even if it didn't mean a sparring match. She then started thinking about Kona quickly and how they hadn't seen eachother for quite awhile.

(I'm sorry it isn't very good...I am in so many RPs right now it is hard to come up with stuff...So I find it best to do a spar first.)

((OOC: Yea, I've noticed. You've become quite popular since you released that prestige class, big surprise, lol. You should have seen it coming. And I'm game for anything you want to do, it'll be nice to fight someone again.))

As she spoke of his nick name, his eyes closed. He had no answers for this woman, nor had he answers for himself. He knew nothing of his past and remembered very little after the only one who cared had left him, left him all alone with those demon men. Slowly shaking his head, he exhaled deeply as he began to gather his response, “I know little of my past....I'm sorry, but I can't tell you why they call me The Black Shadow. All I remember is that was what they referred to me as while I was still within my homelands. It's one of the few things I remember after my childhood, the rest is just...A blur.”

He knew the woman would not take his story, but that was just fine, she could draw her own conclusions just like the rest. He had nothing to hide and he was open as he could be. Though as she spoke of testing his metal, his moved up to meet hers, unsure of whether to accept or not. Fighting a woman went strictly against his code, but perhaps it was time to abolish that. Since that incident at the lake, he was not willing to put women as non-threats and take them lightly. They were just as equal to a man at some points and he could make quick assumptions over which to fight and which to not when that time came.

Sighing heavily, he shrugged his shoulders as his eyes darted about the room, “It's up to you, but do you want to do it here? Or somewhere a bit more fitting?”

Veronna nodded when he told her he was not sure why they called him The Black Shadow, and she was not about to ask any more of his past if he could not remember. She smiled when he excepted her offer for a dual, "Here would not work very good for a spar, no, I have many arenas here and we shall use one of them." Veronna gestured for him to follow her. She began walking down the main hallway until they reached the staircase and she turned to the right and began walking down another hall. When they reached the end of that hall she walked in to the middle of the arena and turned to wait for Xavion. Veronna held her scimitars causully like she always did when not in a battle, hating to waste energy on swinging her blades uselessly, but during a battle she normally had them moving towards her opponent, though she knew when to back off from an attack and when was a good time to strike.

Veronna was quite pleased with how her temple was built, though normally no one went passed the first floor anyone was welcome to the second floor aswell, except it was mostly a training area, with many small and large arenas for practicing and several large armories. But for doing a simple spar she liked using one of the first floor arenas because they were simple, and on nice days she liked to use the out door arena, but the weather was still a little cold for out door fighting. She looked forward to the warmer weather, but she did enjoy winter time, but after a bit she got tired of practicing inside and that was when she wanted summer to come.

(I know, everyone wants the PrC but don't want to be my chosen...Your not just becoming my chosen for that reason are you? ;) (lol) Sorry for the short post...)

((OOC: Well, to be frank, it suits Xavion's character. He's a warrior before a mage and well, what better way to set himself as a true warrior than this? Though, I can't say it's looking promising looking at the role play with Kona I have. XD Man, 5-out-of-5 roleplays I have are fights.))

Indeed there was not much to his past, for when he hit the age of 8 Terren had left him. After that nothing seemed to matter, no one seemed to care and he was locked within the heartless world he feared. It was almost as if his mind shut down during those years, never taking a second to question anything that happened nor to ever take the second to care.

Shrugging off the thoughts, he commenced in following Veronna along the halls. He knew this is where he belonged, he wanted nothing more than to strengthen himself, to be able to set himself in stone as a great warrior instead of going along trying to prove it to anyone who callenged him. He knew doing this would take some time and a lot of work, but he was confident in his already excelled ability and wanted to prove that he needed little work in order to bring honor to Terren's name. However, he knew it would not be that easy, he was going against a woman who vowed life to the blade and who had countless more years over him in experience.

As she came to a halt in the center of the arena, his hands moved to rest upon the hilts of his blades. His metallic hues poised themselves upon hers, as he began to speak, “You wish me to start or would you rather enjoy getting the ball rolling?”