[Well, at least the -- man -- let him past. It's still more than close enough for Kratos to feel the strangely weighted sense of shadow and elements (firewindwaterearth) in balance. He'd been right, too. The only movement in that mana is on the surface, like oil with still water underneath.

[Kratos's back itches with that ... man ... behind him, but thankfully that doesn't last, and Kratos turns his head just enough to see his new companion out of the corner of his eye. It's unfortunate that that's necessary, as Kratos would prefer to be able to take in the sights around him; but he'll manage.

[The buildings are much taller than anything in Tethe'alla in the modern era -- even taller than Kratos remembers from the Kharlan War. Anything which had been so high back then had been skyships, ungrounded. It's fairly clear, also, that the streets are delineated between pedestrians and vehicles; Kratos had seen those machines moving at speed through other streets. This one is silent and still.

[And the air is -- awful. Not even magitechnology had done this to the atmosphere; though its effects were, perhaps, far worse.

[The language sounds more familiar the more the man rambles on, in the construction and intonation. Kratos catches the motion the man makes to himself, and it's fairly obvious the intent behind it. Kratos debates for a moment, then concedes. He is here for the experience, after all, and even if he'd rather not have this thing behind him, keeping it friendly is probably a better idea -- for now.]

Kratos Aurion.