The man looks at you imploringly. "Release me and I shall tell you."
You loosen your grip on the man but still hold the knife level with his throat. "Tell me," you command.
The man shakily holds out his hand to you. You wonder what he is doing. His fingers brush against yours. Hesitantly you take his hand (still holding the knife at his throat with the other).
The man's name is Solstice. His age is unmeasurable. He is a Velari, a race believed to exist only in legends. They do not die, but niether do they live. They rather view lif through one being or another--ever changing--ever trying to find stability. This man has been in his current form for about a hundred years. He has been serving the Shal'Kari, an evil master who manipulates him for his powers. Solstice had nearly forgotten who he was unti he saw you--felt you. For as soon as he stepped into your presence he knew what you yourself do not know. You are also Velari. That was the void. the true existance of the Velari. Alone in conscioussness.You let the knife clatter to the ground and withdraw your hand. This is too much! Your black cat rubs his soft fur between your bare legs beneath your dress, twining his soft body around you and purring.
The cat is Velari too.The three of you have a special bond. As Solstice said earlier, all the Velari are one. You pick the cat up and he crawls onto your shoulder. Solstice retrieves his knife and slips into his belt, then offers you his hand again.