"You have got to be kidding me. The Palace?"
He gestured in the general direction of the palace of Essyrn, home of the Shah of Essyrn, in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. Except he was, and that kind of shocked him.
"'Tis true, my friend. A knight from the north, they say, much like yourself, except they're saying it was a woman."
"A lady knight? Interesting... Why?"
"Akbar will tell the tale..."
Welcome to Akbar's Emporium, a little shop just off to the side of the main market place. You've seen it before, you've been here before, and you could swear you've seen the funny little man behind the counter before...but in other countries. This is because...well...he has been in other countries, running a little shop. He walks to and from them like you do from one room to the next.
However, our focus is a bit more on the man talking to him at the moment, the one described by the shopkeeper as a knight. Sano did nothing to dissuade the notion, even though he was not an official knight by any measure. At the moment, he wasn't even in armor because...well...it's hot out here, and unfortunately the young man had the habit of wearing black. So, standing in his normal everyday clothes, his armor and black mantle were off and he was more-or-less cooling off while listening to this strange tale (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=22812.0) from the shopkeeper.
There were no other customers in the shop at the moment and Sano was buying the water he was drinking now, so it was all good. Anyone walking in right now would be hearing about how a traveler from the north with a bigass sword somehow snuck into the palace and freed a woman of incredible power from the dungeon, and then after a knocking out or killing just a few guards...vanished without a trace.
Ally had never really liked Essyrn. It was hot and sandy and arid and people looked at her like she was goods for sale.
Hell. She knew well enough that if she wasn't careful, she might be. Gods knew these people loved a little something "exotic".
If they only knew. She shook her head and kept her eyes downcast as she made her way through the market district, glancing up only to read signs or listen as merchants hawked their wares. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nope, nope, nothing.
"Damnit." She growled and ran a hand through her hair, then forced herself to breathe, releasing the frustration. Gods only knew why, but after that one disastrous attempt at reversing her transformation, she seemed to have keyed into her emotions when changing forms.
Not that she wanted to. She had next to no control over the transformation now, which was almost worse than being stuck as a dragon.
Which was why she was here. She sighed and looked around- and realized she'd gotten herself hopelessly turned around. She ducked into the nearest shop, hoping to ask for directions.
"Ah, hello? Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt..."
The shopkeeper is a man who knows his business, and how to deal with all kinds of customers. You must welcome them with open arms, guide their hand to the purchase, and then send them on their way...with hopefully a number of things in hand, all well-paid for. Akbar turns nobody away, but he handles this business professionally. As soon as he lady walked in, the tone of the man changed from storyteller to-
"Welcome to Akbar's Emporium, shop of all shops! Many are Akbar's wears, not all on display! Come! Tell Akbar your needs and he will see to them as best he can!"
The sudden shift caused the young man on the left of Akbar to flinch in surprise, then smirk with amusement.
"And yes, he actually talks this way."
This shop did, indeed, contain a number of things, seemingly at random but...useful or interesting for the incoming customer. Akbar's inventory got a little strange, though, due to the fact that he produced items...pretty much at random. For the time being, Sano stepped out of the way to allow customer and shopkeeper to converse.
"Oh, well..." Ally rubbed at the back of her neck, the redness in her cheeks now not just from the heat. "I'm...actually looking for some alchemical supplies. I thought I was heading in the right direction, but..."
She shrugged a little helplessly.
"Ah, but nothing, Akbar says! But you are here, and Akbar will assist you."
He seemed quite adamant, but then...he always did, rubbing his hands together, ready to get to work. This was curious, though. He was not expecting to be asked for alchemic items, not when his mana phials were currently in high demand. Nevertheless, he would see what could be done.
"You are needing whatnow? Details, if you please. Akbar has many things."
"And many yarns to tell."
"Akbar is never lying! Story is true!"
Sano kind of figured it was, but it was funny to get that kind of a reaction from the man.
"Um..." Ally glanced back and forth between the two of them, eyes wide, and sort of hunched her shoulders as though trying to disappear in on herself.
"W-well...mandrake root? And some nightshade- ah, belladonna, it might be called here. Silver essence, some blessed flasks- I have a list, give me a moment." She dug into the pouch at her hip, dark hair falling just a bit in front of her face as she did.
Akbar smiled patiently, mentally running down where in the shop(s) he kept the items she had mentioned. Because of his uncanny ability, he had access to all of them at any given time. While he was doing that, Sano took a moment to really look at the woman. First of all, she wasn't Essyrnian. That didn't mean that she was a slave or oppressed, but it seemed less likely when you consider he could have placed her as Serenian or even from Connlaoth if her birth had been different like his own.
But what caught his attention - apart from the fact that she was nice-looking - was this meek and downtrodden look about her, or at least that's how he saw it. Sano knew that from experience. It was the posture of someone trying to look insubstantial, unimportant, and keep out of harm's way...or anyone's way. This woman, he surmised, was having a hard time, and possibly having done so for quite a long time. As he watched her exchange with Akbar, he felt that maybe he should make sure she was alright.
When she received no answer, Ally shuffled her feet and glanced up, then down again quickly, biting her lip. "If, um, if you don't...know where I should be going, I can just leave. I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to bother you..."
She glanced at the other customer and away again quickly. The two mean seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation when she walked in, and she hadn't meant to interrupt.
"Do not mistake Akbar's silence, young lady. That was not the intention, merely awaiting the full list for quick assessment and retrieval, for Akbar has access to those things."
For instance, he already had the Mandrake Root AND its more potent and volitile form - Essense of Mandrake - behind the counter, as well as the Nightshade. He brought both of these up and considered where he'd have to pull the Belladonna from, because the silver essence and the flasks were in Serendipity. Meanwhile, Sano spoke up to ease the girl's insecurities.
"Don't let his eccentric behavior get to you. He wants the sale."
And she badly wanted the items, didn't she? Sano wondered...whatever for?
"Oh, well..." She glanced at her list, then took a few shuffling steps toward the counter. "Um, just a few other things, but some of them are...rather rare. I don't want to make any sort of imposition..."
She cleared her throat, glancing between the two men. "Tears of the Fallen? I know that sounds mad, but it- it really does exist, in diluted forms. It's usually called angeldust. And, um-" She looked at the list again, despite the fact that she had it memorized. "The unbound feather of a phoenix, starmetal, and ah..." She cleared her throat, then lowered her voice a bit. "Actually, never mind. I can get that last bit myself."
Akbar was curious as to the nature of the last item, but he would leave that for later as he went down the list.
"Akbar is definitely having Mandrake and Nightshade, right off."
He pulled up the two containers. Had to keep them out of sight. They could be dangerous, of course.
"Silver Essence, Blessings Flasks, and Belladonna probably in back."
In the back storage of one of his other shops, which he would head off to in just a second.
"Tears of Fallen is tears of fallen angel, maybe? Akbar fairly certain that never happen in his presence. Am not sure about phoenix feather, but star metal. Yes..."
And suddenly, storyteller Akbar was back.
"Deep within the Seraj Isa, found within the Valley of the Scorpions of Glass, Akbar did manage to find a supply of star metal!"
Sano's attention was now on Akbar for a second. Star metal? If he could see it or even just touch it...
"Would you please be so kind as to tell Akbar the ensuing amounts of each item? And you must understand, of course... Others are normal items. Star metal IS rare, and must be charged higher."
"Oh, yes of course, I understand." Ally offered a small smile and nodded. "I only need a few ounces of the starmetal, and a small flask of the silver essence. And honestly I'll take as much mandrake and nightshade as I can carry."
"Very good, very good. And Akbar promises to search in back for other items to be sure."
And with that, Akbar stepped in back and...Sano couldn't hold in his laughter. You see, he'd noticed something while the other two were talking, and he'd only just managed not to laugh it up until now.
"He forgot that Nightshade and Belladonna are the same thing. He'll be tossing the place over for it now."
In reality, he was tossing over a completely different place, but yes, he HAD made that blunder. After recovering from the funny part, though, Sano poured some water into a cup and offered it to the woman.
"Here. You look like you could use it and he's already charging me for it."
"I, um..." Ally stammered a moment, blushing, then giggled. "I- I didn't want to say anything," she admitted, smiling at him slightly.
"Oh, are you sure?" She glanced at the cup, then took it hesitantly. "Thank you."
She hadn't realized how thirsty she was. Parched, actually. Still, she tried to maintain a sense of decorum as she sipped.
It's funny how different backgrounds can lead to the same conclusions. Allaeya wants the items for alchemic purposes. Sano knew about those two in particular because his mentor is an assassin. Allaeya was politely sipping for appearance's sake. Sano knew that sipping was better for thirst than gulping for health reasons. Funny old world, innit?
"I take it you're a mage, then?"
This was a fair guess, since the amount of practices that could possibly involve the use of those things was pretty small. Of course, the question was also designed to address the other thng. If she was a mage, then whatever she was dealing with was related to that. However, if she was picking it all up for aother, then her life situation must be hell.
Allaeya paused, then shook her head. "No, actually. Well, not really. I am an alchemist though." She smiled. "You don't need to be a mage to practice alchemy, though I'm told it helps. I have a...knack, I suppose you might say, but I've never trained in magic."
Alchemist was his second guess, which would've been great if he had a third, but Sano was not exactly a man of the world yet. He hadn't been around all that far, just a few places.
"I wouldn't know. I'm kind of a mage, but I never studied that kind of magic. I'm more of a...sword mage. I work with metal."
To demonstrate, he glanced at the torso armor leaning nearby and began to levitate and rotate it with his mind. Then, he made it contract and reshape into a small coin - a mere copper - then undid the whole thing to return it the way it was before letting it sink to the ground once more.
"Unfortunately, my teacher said that you have to be born with that kind of ability. I couldn't teach anyone that unless they had it within them already."
He shrugged.
"I guess it's also like an alchemy, a very specific area, maybe. I don't know. It's all magic and careful concentration to me."
"Oh." Alleaya watched with interest, then looked back to his face. "My brother has gifts like that, things you can't teach. I was always quite jealous, when we were children."
Of course, she was the better alchemist- or she had been.
She shook her head. "My name is Ally, by the way. Alleaya, actually, but Ally is usually easier."
Yes, talents DO tend to run in families, something that his father could never accept. Sano tried not to look glum at the prospect of thinking that way. He seemed alright by the time Ally introduced herself. It was a nice name, Allaeya. Sano wasn't the sort of person who'd make those sort of over-the-top compliments. He just stuck to being himself, which was hard enough, at times. That irony aside, he offered his hand in greeting.
"Sano. I'm originally from Connlaoth, but don't worry. I hated it there."
So, in case there was any concern that a citizen of Connlaoth would be here to persecute or at least disapprove of something magical, that was simply not the case.
"Ah." She took his hand carefully, almost replying with Most people seem to.
But she held her tongue. "Well. It's a pleasure, Sano."
That comment wouldn't have been unwarranted, and in fact...Sano would have laughed and agreed. Still, there was a sound from the back now, of rummaging and rifling and possibly tripping, followed by Akbar's return with several items.
"Phoenix Feather is not being found, not even within the graces of Akbar's expertise."
Which is to say that his talent for pulling out random items had failed to produce the goods. He put up the Silver Essence and the Blessed Flasks, then clapped his hands together.
"Forgiving Akbar for mishearing about Belladonna. A small error, yes, made up for by this!"
He pulled the small chunk of metal from his pocket and placed it delicately upon the table, between the other items.
"The star metal..."
He then clapped his hands together.
"So! What will you give Akbar for payment today?"
"Oh!" Ally started and whirled to face the counter. "Well, uh, I have some coin-" She fished around in the pouch at her hip again, eventually emerging with a coin purse. "But I also have these."
She removed her hand from the purse, fingers curled toward her palm. She slid a handful of what appeared to be shimmering, convex pieces of a deep purple gemstone, the edges sharp enough to cut but the flat sides smooth as silk to the touch.
Dragon scales were pricey at best. Whole, unblemished, as these were- nearly priceless.
"They're real, but you can test them if you like," she told Akbar. "And I have more, though I believe this should be sufficient."
She wasn't an idiot. She knew the worth of the scales; but it never hurt to get in good with a shopkeeper who could procure rarer goods.
For a moment, both Akbar's and Sano's eyes were on the unexpected item that she had pulled out. Dragon scales... Good ones, too. Sano only managed to take his eyes off of their gleam to get a look at the star metal, the first example of such that he'd ever seen. It was important in his area of magical expertise. Akbar, meanwhile, was delighted.
"Testing is unnecessary. Akbar knows the value of such things. It is his stock-in-trade."
And his special power. He knew them to be genuine, because his senses pricked him so, stating that they were indeed as valuable as stated..
"Akbar is guessing the last item was to be a dragon-related thing, something which you had access to as is. Yes... This is most sufficient to pay with."
He carefully placed the items in question into a sack and would hand it over once the scales were his. At this point, Sano had no trouble believing that Ally was an alchemist, so...whatever troubled her must have been less about the country and its laws and more...personal.
Ally smiled. "Wonderful, thank you." She slid the scales further across the counter. Her cheeks flushed a bit at Akbar's guess as to the last item on her list and she offered a weak sort of chuckle.
Not correct, but there was no need for him to know that. It was hardly anyone's business but her own.
Ah, very good! Akbar accepted the scales with an empathic nod and handed over the goods.
"A fine pleasure to be doing business with you."
Sano was, meanwhile, pulling out a few coins for the water and for a further amount for his own supply. He was, after all, a traveler, of sorts. Travelers need water far more than anything else. The truth was...he wanted to know just what a troubled alchemist was going to make with all those items, though some of the ones on her list were not crossed off.
"I, um..." Ally bit her lip a little sheepishly. "I don't suppose either of you could point me in the direction I might need to go for the other supplies?"
As Akbar was putting away the dragon scales, he heard Ally's question and accidentally thumped his head against the counter from below. He then came back into sight, looking a bit confused.
"But this is Akbar's shop of many things! Having water and food, ropes and bear traps, aromatic perfumes and comfortable hats!"
You may notice that Akbar did not like to give up a sale if it was possible for one to be had. Sano tried to calm him down. This turned out to be a mistake.
"Hey, hold on, Akbar. I know you're a professional, if passionate, shopkeeper...but think of the economy. You have to let people breathe life into other businesses and help it all stand together like one big circle of life thingy."
"Bah! Know-nothing! This is Essyrn, the city where fortunes are made and lost! One cannnot live on bread and circuses alone! First, run a little shop, then talk to Akbar of fair economy!"
Okay...Sano was backing away now, and he was picking up his mantle and putting his armor in his pocket as a small dagger, for safe keeping. He glanced over at Ally, then.
"I'm sorry. I think I pissed him off, a little. I'll help you, if you like."
Ally, wide-eyed, mouthed a quick "Thank you" at Sano.
She nodded to Akbar and offered a smile. "Really, thank you for everything, but I should probably go."
We can't really blame Akbar for wanting to make all the sales. It wasn't about greed, so much as professional pride. He enjoyed his work, and he didn't like to give up good business. So, for the time being, Sano and Allaeya would be bidding a fond farewell to Akbar's Emporium. Once outside, Sano had on his mantle, but his armor remained off and, apparently, contained in his pocket.
"So, what're you looking for, besides all that alchemy material?"
The good news was that he'd been in Essyrn long enough to get a feel for the city, and that his presence could actually help navigate it. The bad news was that he didn't really know anybody, so there was no reputation he could use or anything. He was just 'a visitor from the north'.
"Well...just those, really. And...a place to stay the night," she murmured with a small smile.
"Ah. Well, I don't think Akbar could provide that, anyway. And if he can...I don't think we'd want it."
To this, he added a short laugh. How was it that he could laugh while still trying to gather what might have to be a small army for a battle? Maybe he was just crazy. Well, why not? Akbar's crazy. His own father was crazy. Connlaoth is crazy. He could be onto something here.
"At any rate, I could take you to the inn where I'm staying. It's nothing glamorous and you will have to pay the first night up-front, but you'll get your night's sleep well enough."
"Oh, I really just need a bed, I'm not particular about where it is." She smiled again. "Thank you, that's very kind of you."
"No problem, but uhh..."
He started off, heading in the direction of the inn via the route he remembered. His demeanor had kind of sobered up to something a bit more serious.
"There's some things I want to ask, and maybe you can help me with, since you're an alchemist and...since you looked about as troubled as I was when I was a kid. Is that alright?"
He had some things on his mind apart from her appearing to have problems to deal with.
"If it's not, I still want to ask about some alchemy things. Kind of important."
Ally blinked. "W-Well, um...sure, I suppose. If it's alchemy, I can probably help."
She wasn't quite sure what other questions he might have for her, so she decided not to comment on that.
"Alright, so...it's like this. I never liked home, and I don't give a damn about the country I was born to or even my family, who disowned me, but the last time my teacher was in Connlaoth, she was nearly killed by a vampire."
He let that set in, for all it implicated. A dangerous vampire in 'We hate magic' country was like a tiger prowling in a neighborhood full of people alergic to cats. You just don't see that, in most cases. For it to be possible, that vampire would have to be...
"A strong one, maybe enough to not care about the presence of Mordecai, because he'd beat them to death or something. I don't know. All I know is that I need to kill it, and I'm looking for all that I can to do it with. So, if you know anything - if you have anything - I could use on a vampire, something to blow it's mind, weaken it greatly, make it somehow manageable enough to be destroyed...I'd really appreciate it."
Ally stared at him. Slowly, she shook her head. "Well...to begin with, vampires won't be affected by mordecai. They are creatures of blood- whatever power they have, it isn't magic."
Another head shake. "And to be honest, I don't think I know of anything that could help. I could tell you every natural weakness I know vampires to possess, but I'm afraid I don't have some sort of cure-all potion that would help you."
Now, it was Sano's turn to stare. Not affected? Not even a little? Now, it made so much sense. Dear gods... He was putting a stop to Keefe assassinating people in Connlaoth because they effectively protected him from everybody else. If a Mordecai had been present during her last visit, she would have been completely at his mercy. Sano let out a sigh of exasperation, eyes on the ground for a second.
"This guy is really smart, probably thought of all the ways he could be attacked."
He glanced back at Ally, then.
"I didn't expect a cure-all, more of something that would react poorly to vampires because of how different they are to humans. I've heard of some of the basic weaknesses, but I'm no expert. I was hoping you had something in a book somewhere that could turn his skin to bronze or something like that. I really would appreciate whatever help you can give me, Ally."
She was the expert on these matters, but he was hoping that an alchemist knew alot more than he did and that he could use such skill against the thing as much as power.
"Skin to bronze?" She quirked an eyebrow with a bit of a smile. "I'm flattered you must think I'm so skilled."
Sobering, she added, "I don't know. I might be able to come up with something, but I'd need supplies, research materials..."
"You know alot more than I do, so I was kinda' hoping. At any rate, I shouldn't pressure you over something like this right now, not when you probably have your own problems."
This was where he thought he might try to find out...what it was that made her seem so forlorn and defeated, as a person. They were nearly at the inn by now, so if he was going to learn anything, it may as well be broached sooner than later.
"I don't mind helping, if I can," she assured him with a smile. "It may just take some time... Is there a way I could contact you, while you're staying in Essyrn?"
He met her smile with one of his own, saying...
"As far as I know, the main lines of communication in Essyrn are messenger birds, hired couriers, and street urchins...which is basically kids they give a copper and a message to so they can run it across town, fast as you like."
The place they were heading for was now in view, so whatever it was she figured she might concoct when she got home, it was likely that Sano would be here at the Sati Inn.
So, listen, is there anything I can do for you in return? It wouldn't be right for you to use up your alchemy material for me and get nothing back."
She snorted a bit. "Unless you've got an extensive alchemical library at your disposal, no. I'm really not sure what I could ask of you."
She smiled. "And I really don't mind helping. This is- was- sort of my job."
It looked as though she wasn't going to let slip what it was that seemed to bother her, so it must've been rather personal. Either that, or she was completely serious in that it was literally a complex alchemy problem...which he would be utterly useless in.
"Well, when I go back home, I'll see if there are any practicing alchemists, but I think the answer might be no."
Gesturing to the door, he let her step in first. The Sati Inn was, as he said, nothing special, but it was a reliable place to put your head down at night. It was run by Sati herself, a woman who looked to be responsible for cooking, cleaning, and tending to children...and was highly skilled in all of these. Of course, being Essyrni, she would have many talents. The maths, for one. Made it easier to look after money, run a business. Upon spying her looking over her ledger, Sano spoke up.
"Sati? Customer."
She looked up and then immediately took a curt bow to Allaeya before speaking plain Common, better Common than Akbar did.
"Welcome to the inn. Accommodations are sparse, but comfortable. For your sake, I would suggest not leaving anything valuable in your room unattended, and instead make use of the house safe. Essyrni would not steal, but there are those who still would, and children get up to mischief, of course. You will have to pay for the first night up-front, but additional days will be tallied at the end of your stay. So, will it be for the night or will you be here longer?"
"At least the night, I think," Ally replied in accented, but perfectly serviceable, Essyrni. "How much will that be?" she added with a smile.
If the woman was surprised by Ally's sudden use of the local language, she wasn't showing it. Sano was. He'd no idea she knew that. Naturally, Sano couldn't understand what she said, but Sati did and stated it was a few coppers, which Ally surely had. That was easy.
"I guess you come by Essyrn alot, then?"
Well...it WAS known for its alchemical supplies, actually.
Ally handed over the coins with a small smile. "No, actually," she replied quietly. "This is my first time in the city proper."
The only other alternative was that she had acquaintances who had helped her learn the language...right? Whether that was the answer or the reason was something stranger, it didn't really matter, though.
"I see. Well, if you or anyone you know needs a sword mage person, or you make any progress on the thing we discussed, I'll be in town for a while. I'm here looking for people to help with that, taking odd jobs as they come. The only issue with that is...Essyrnians think destructive magic is basically useless, so I don't think anyone local can even help."
Yeah, it was sort of a thing. They had use for maths and magics to obtain new and important knowledge or fortune, or certainly to heal and mend, but if it involves blasting a fireball at anyone...the response is a decided 'Meh'. Of course, Ally was pretty much golden around here. They thought alchemy was just brilliant, which is why the materials sell so well on the market. You can see why Akbar made such a big to-do about the star metal.
"Of course." She smiled and nodded at him. "Where could I send a message for you?"
"I'll be here, naturally. Probably the best for it, since I'll have to get back, eventually."
Regardless of what he found himself doing, he'd find himself hitting the sack here, at the very least. So, this would be tthe spot to send the messages.
"No, I mean-" She chuckled and raised a hand to cover her mouth. "I meant, where are you staying in the city? The name of the inn, so I know where to send a message?"
At this point, it was Sati's turn to laugh, just a little. The woman had spoken to her in very passable Essyrni, but even though her first tongue was Common, she mistook the young man's meaing when he said 'here'.
"Many apologies, girl. The young man is staying at this inn here. You send it to Sati's Inn. They know the place."
"Yeah, what she said."
"Oh!" Ally blushed scarlet and ducked her head. "S-sorry, I didn't..." She cleared her throat and looked away, shuffling her feet.
Her reaction was... He couldn't help himself. Sano began to chuckle, trying to hold it in witth a hand over his mouth. It sort of became a snicker and and then petered out as he held up a hand in a 'Wait a minute' sort of fashion.
"Please, don't be embarassed. I know your mind's been on other things. It could happen to anybody. I just figured the one I was staying at was easier because I hunted all over town for the right medium between comfortable and affordable, saving you the effort yourself."
"Yes, well..." She cleared her throat, still very red. "That...makes sense. I should go."
She turned on her heel and almost bolted for the door. She could feel the change stirring in her body, sparked by strong emotion- embarrassment, in this case.
Huh... That was odd. Why did she leave like that? Sano wasn't immediately curious, because it was only kind of strange and he wanted to lock up his water rations - which, of course, were valuable in this part of the world - but he felt curious after the fact. So, slightly less burdened, he began to have a look around, fully expecting something to have made Allaeya sick and that she did not want people to see. He had, for the moment, forgot the whole 'looking troubled' thing.
Ally didn't get far. She managed to get herself behind the inn before the change really started pulsing through her body. She dropped her bag and knelt to start fumbling through it.
She grabbed for a small vial of mostly clear liquid with a hint of a blue tint. She popped the cap and downed it quickly, shaking and gasping as fire ran through her veins.
Back alleys were not a nice place to be. In places like these, they're worse than the side alleys - The so-called 'dark alley you wouldn't wanna meet him in' - because this was essentially the 'We don't care' or 'We're not looking' part of the town. Now, for Allaeya's personal medicated needs, that did basically allow her to swallow her concoction unseen...though that's assuming a penniless nobody wasn't around, or there wasn't a grifter, or someone wasn't tossing their garbage and whatnot out a window.
But Ally had managed to deal with the matter unseen. Sano had not quite caught up to her, by then. He was, in fact, only around the corner in the side-alley as he heard her gasp in reaction to whatever she'd swallowed. Having reasoned the only way to get out of sight so quickly was to come back here, he'd followed but been a bit too late to exactly see what was going on. And...perhaps it was for the best. From here, he couldn't decide if she was out of breath from something or had terrible indigestion and had to umm...evacuate something.
The latter was a bit of a private function, though regardless of what the answer was, Ally's behavior was a bit peculiar by Sano's standards. Frankly, he felt reassured by that which was strange to him, because that was the true state of the world, not what the people of his home country wanted. Still, it clicked in his head that this may, in fact, relate to both her expression from before and even her alchemy needs. Sano decided to stay where he was, but chance speaking to her.
"Are you alright? I thought maybe you were sick."
"Gods above!" Ally jumped and whirled to face him, her hand pressed to her chest. The shock nearly undid the work that her makeshift alchemical concoction had done and she took a few shaky breaths as she felt the potion coursing through her veins.
"I didn't see you there," she muttered, trying to force a chuckle. She swallowed. "I'm, uh...it's not an illness...exactly..."
Well, all she really saw was his hand waving from around the corner, checking it was safe before actually coming around. Naturally, the startled reaction told him that this might have been a bad idea. Ah well. In for a copper, in for an ingot, right?
"I'm sorry, really. I was trained to pay alot of attention to details, so I notice things like 'She seems out of sorts'. So, I thought you either ate something that didn't agree with you or traveling made you ill. It happens. I've gotten it."
This was a lie. Not only had he not been sick, but he did not really think she was sick, either. It was just that one of the details he was picking up from her nervous reaction, and from evasiveness prior, was that this was not something she could talk about openly, or did not want to. He wanted to know, and he wanted to help if he could - like Keefe to him in Connlaoth - but if she was unwilling to say, then...what could he do?
"Well, ah..." She cleared her throat. "Thank you. For- your concern. And your help, here. With the inn." Her cheeks were rather red. "Right. Thanks."
Alright, enough of this. Sano had a face on that said 'Who do you think you're kidding?' now.
"Ally, seriously. You look like you're going to burst. What is it that has been frankly all over your face with worry since you walked in that shop?"
And yes, if you have to ask, it was that obvious. Maybe not to the shopkeeper, but definitely to the assassin-trained pseudo-knight. They don't train alchemists in the art of the poker face. Sanno wasn't exactly the best at it either, but he could lie without showing it on his face.
Ally's expression shut down and she took a visible step back. "I really don't see how that's any of your business," she responded quietly. "Excuse me, I think I'm going to go lie down."
She tried to step around him.
He didn't actually impede her path, but he did make sure she heard what he had to say.
"It wasn't anyone's business that I was a half-starved outcast living on the streets, but I still prefer that someone butted in."
He kind of needed it. And while he didn't understand the nature of the problem, the fact of the matter is that it didn't matter to him. He knew the lows. That was bad enough. He turned to face her leaving form.
"I'd rather help than just look on, and don't tell me you don't wish that someone - anyone - could understand."
Because nobody did...until that changed.
Alleaya paused.
"...That's a nice thought. But I'm afraid there really isn't anything you could do to help."
Sano's eyes narrowed as he remembered...she said something like this before.
"The alchemy problem? Just because I don't have the education or the missing items doesn't make me useless. Given time, I can produce more star metal, should it be required, and I'm at least medicinally trained."
That is, he had knowledge of both healing and poisoning agents, the administration and understanding of healing tinctures, and...technically he had experience with not just patching wounds, but operating.
"I know your level of understanding blows me away, Ally, but I'm not useless, so give me a break. I just don't want someone else walking around like there's no hope in the world."
She twisted to look at him, then smiled just slightly.
"You're wrong. I'm here because I have hope." She shook her head. "I don't mean to insult you. I'm saying you can't help because you really can't- I've gotten myself into a bit of a mess, and I have to get myself out of it."
Sano sigh, trying to purge some of the frustration he'd been feeling just then.
"And I don't mean to hound you. A nice girl with the weight of the world seemingly on her shoulders just strikes me a bit close to home is all."
And seeing how he'd nearly lost the woman who took the weight off of him, the likes of which brought him on this quest, he would feel pretty guilty if he turned a blind eye like so many people did him. In a way, that made Sano rather nosey. However, it was for the right reasons, or at least he thought so. Something in his mind - call it an inner Keefe voice - said 'This one is like you', and that's just how he was triggered.
"Don't worry about it." Ally nodded at him, then turned to leave again. "Thank you for all your help. Really. I...do actually think I should go lie down."
Well, that didn't work out. Sano just let her go. When she was out of earshot, he decided to thump his head against the alley wall with a groan.
"Sano, what are you even doing?"
There was a limit to what people considered acceptable, and some part of him did feel that he was crossing a line, acting like that, but he didn't think about it because everything about it screamed trouble. He decided he'd better just turn in, as well, else he'd probably go do something else stupid. Sano couldn't imagine what it was that Allaeya was going through, but somehow he felt it was either terminal or worse. Getting to his room, he removed his mantle, lay down on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling.
"Why do I not want to let this go? I don't even know what's really going on."
Ally made her way back into the inn and back up to her room. She tossed her bag onto the bed and flopped onto the bed beside it, letting out a long sigh that really half a groan.
She was just so tired. Perhaps she'd been a little curt, but she was so, so tired...
Fatigue came easily to people who weren't use to the desert. Hell, the entire city came to a standstill at about noon for religious - and possibly practical - reasons. Still, it was by this virtue that Sano found himself eventually asleep, where he often had dreams that were intense, disturbing, confusing, or all of the above.
We're pretty much going for confusing, this time around.
You see, in his mind, he was recalling his brief walk through the Draconi Forest - where he was soon attacked and literally had to fly out of there - only instead of that half-bird man, there was just something shadowy out there with glowing yellow eyes...and it was pitch dark. And no matter what he said or did, the source of those eyes remained out of sight, just sort of snickering fiendishly at him. Now, since he'd only heard about the thing that assaulted Keefe, he didn't know anything about it, but he did recall her mentioning yellow eyes.
Whether it was real or imagined, Sano definitely felt there was a threat loaming about, after this.
Ally rolled onto her side and continued to doze fitfully, tossing and kicking slightly, tangling herself in sheets and murmuring incoherent nonsense as she dreamed.
Every now and then, there will be a situation where - while sleeping - his powers will go off. Generally, this is why Sano tends to safely store away his things when he goes to sleep. Still, at this time, the metal in the back of his mantle was levitating, and the latch and hinges of his door were rattling, all due to his dreams ramping up to the disturbing. Naturally, this has another effect that happens to some sleepers.
Thump!
"Ow."
When the supposed phantom in your mind goes leaping for your throat, you tend to respond in real life. Sano picked himself now and - failing to have any other ideas and not wanting to go to sleep - decided he should go out and have a drink. The only problem was that he had no idea where to find such a place. He hadn't gotten quite that far yet.
The thump was loud enough to pull Ally from her sleep- unknowingly, it seemed she'd been roomed near Sano.
She wasn't sure what had just happened, but she felt like maybe she should investigate. She moved to the door and poked her head warily out into the hall.
The time: Evening. The goal: Find a tavern. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVEKDfbnlmM) As Allaeya peeked out of her room to discover the source of the possible noise, she would find stepping out of his room, a bit down the hall, putting on that black mantle of his. Before he did, she might've spotted there was some kind of metal plate on the inside of it, where the small of his back would be, once it was on. It looked like a mask, the kind you put over your eyes at paries, maybe, or that of something a bit more lethal...if she had any information on assassins. If she had, then it she may - in turn - know it to be the symbol of the Ebon Knife, a secretive and extremely skilled assassin. Now, Sano was going out for a drink and had not noticed Ally watching...because he was occupied at the moment. What she would make of all this, that much was up to her.
Ally's eyes widened slightly and she ducked quickly back into her room. She leaned back against the door and covered her mouth with her hand, mind racing as she tried to think of something to do.
...should she even do anything?
Well, the laws in Essyrn were pretty strict and very clear on this point: Murder was an instant death sentence. If that symbol was something she recognized, and he was off to kill someone... Oh wait, then it gets better. He mentioned a teacher before... If he wore the mark of a known assassin, then that means he was the protege'... At any rate, only Allaeya could decide what to do with this.
Not sure what else she could do, Ally quickly and quietly gathered her things. Pack over her shoulder, she slipped out into the hallway.
It seemed quite clear she shouldn't stay here any longer.
She quickly got her things, headed down the hall, and...
"Thanks, Sati. I knew I could count on you."
...okay, that was Sano leaving the building now. What'd he want from innkeeper?
Ally kept her head down as she made her way to the back door, just doing her best not to draw attention to herself.
And she wasn't, really. At least, not to the man in black who - having gotten some directions - was finding the Mighty Kaadir Tavern with relative ease. So, while Sano was about to get into one of those 'In the bar, getting drunk' adventurer moments, let's get over to Allaeya for a moment.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It was mentioned earlier that back doors led to back alleys, and that these places were more-or-less the ass-end of Essyrn. Refuse and discards, beggars and boxes, and not much on pleasantness at all. Also, it was only somewhat lit by the ambient light of other streets, with the occasional torch of its own that made it...only kind of decent to see in. What was going through her mind at the moment...that was her business, but there were some other people back there, like the sort who is less a beggar and more of a grifter.
They were mentioned, as well. Take, for instance, a man who was relatively tough in his own right, with one eye covered in an eyepatch. He might say 'You should've seen the other guy' if asked, but no one's asking. Right now, his one good eye was noticing a foreign woman looking very clean and given to have things, things that he did not have and might want. So, with that in mind, after she passed, he followed, and the glower he was giving off through his thick beard was not a pleasant one.
Alleaya paused, then started walking again faster.
Someone was following her.
The man following noted the increase of speed carefully. He'd seen it before. She had felt his presence. There were only two ways to handle this: Match speed to follow so as not to lose her, or do something a bit more direct. He chose the latter. The man did not increase the speed of his walk, not at first. He let her get a little distance, to give her false sense of security. Then, abruptly, he went into a full-on run for her, aiming to close the distance in a hurry. His intention was to grab an arm with one hand, point the knife with the other, and tell her - calmly, but sternly - to leave all of her possessions here.
Ally whirled, her hand flying up, bearing a small blade, though she shook slightly as she did.
"St-stay back!"
A slight change of plans, to avoid a strike but remain threateningly close, close enough that - with his speed - he might strike true before he could wound her, if she was UNskilled enough. He was gauging this, and it seemed like her nervousness gave her away. However, he decided that a verbal statement would settle this matter once and for all.
"Woman, you are not a knife fighter as I am. The worst you could do is give me another scar. You chose poorly to come this way. Give up all your worthy possessions now, or never return to the lighted streets."
In a way, he was giving her a fair chance. However, what he didn't know was - apart from frightening her - he would be depriving her not only of any food, water, and money...but also her medicine and alchemic supplies.
She started to shake. The knife almost vibrated in her hand and she shook her head.
"Get back," she whispered. Then again, louder, "Get back! Gods, you don't know what you're dealing with."
The bearded man had had enough.
"Be silent!"
with that, he quickly arced out with the knife to try and catch her hand with his blade and knock her own weapon right out of her grip. He did not attempt a follow-up, on the grounds that a success would mean his point was across and that a failure would make his follow-up a bit open and vulnerable, which he would not want. He was, however, losing his patience with this woman.
Ally staggered back, more throwing the knife than dropping it as she continued to shake. "Stay back! I don't want to hurt you!"
The bearded man, having been prepared for this, merely hopped aside...and then made a swing of the knife that was only a couple of inches from her eyes, well-controlled and everything. She could actually feel the wind as the blade passed by.
"You will harm nothing. I say to you again, drop everything of value now, or I will no longer save you from my dagger. You will die here and I will get what I want anyway."
Irritation with this woman telling him this and that was making him want to risk the law at this point. He had patience, but this was sorely testing it, to be sure. She couldn't possibly be a threat. Those who are would have shown it by now.
Her heart stopped, then picked up again twice as fast as heat flooded her body. Ally staggered back, crying out as wings burst from her back, her spine lengthened, a tail grew, falling forward into clawed feet.
So, you know that look on people's faces when they go from complete confidence to complete shit in under thirty seconds? There's this gradual transition, you see, from where the face first breaks... It starts with confusion, just a little at first, followed by greater quantities. Then, you breach from there to the first twinges of fear that something may have gone amiss, straight onto what we like to call the WTF Moment as the proverbial shit appears to have hit the fan. And then, as it escalates from there, this analogy switches suddenly to what a certain car enthusiast of the future would coin as 'Quite alot of poo coming out', as full-on proper panic sets in, because the lady is transforming into a dragon!
That was pretty much the state of our knife-wielding bearded maniac. He went from Zero to Shitty in under thirty seconds, crying out in complete and utter shock, not only because he had utterly lost control of the situation in the most complete manner possible...but also due to the fact that it was a dragon, a relative of the Kaadir of Essyrn. Suffice to say, he was evacuating in more ways than one, as Allaeya presumable went from merely 'person transforming into dragon in a back-alley' to 'dragon taking up most of the back-alley's available space'. And what will be the first sounds that might reach, say, a man who was trying to settle his wayward thoughts at a tavern?
Ally was confined, panicked, and very unhappy. Her tail lashed, wings trapped to her sides by the small space, and she gave a cry that was most reminiscent of a large bird of prey in distress.
The cry was loud and vibrant, heard for quite a long stretch as it pierced the night. It was an uncommon sound, even by dragon standards, because dragons were rarely heard to distress. Even so, it would not be simply the man in the black mantle who, spilling his drink, reacted to this noise. The many outlyers who lived here came out and wondered what it was. Those who were closer were less-inclined to step outside, because it sounded big, but they were at least curious. The closest - especially those who were asleep - briefly peeked out of any window or doorway available, and then quickly jumped back in because they saw either the evidence of the dragon or the dragon itself.
Sano heard the distressing call and was pretty sure it came from the direction of the inn.
He was not exactly drunk. He'd merely gone out to improve his mood, laugh with some tavern people at things, and cheat at darts...which nobody caught onto, of course, because being tipsy actually made his mental aim wonky sometimes, and that amused the onlookers. So, he'd finished doing that, picked up his drink, and immediately quaffed it into the gentleman to his right from hearing that sound. Said gentleman was too distracted to even know that his own beard was soaked, so it worked out in the end.
Now, Sano was on the move, and by the time he'd gotten to the area outside of the alley, there were some people gathered who were incredibly wary of the situation. He'd asked them what it was - because although he'd been to Adela and heard dragons before, he'd never heard one like this - and he'd gotten talk of either it being a Kaadir or a dragon, that some madman smelling of shit had come out of he alley like a bat out of hell, and that someone had run for the city guard. Somewhere, in the back of Sao's mind, a question posed itself.
How did a dragon get caught in an alleyway?
Dragons were not clumsy by nature, last he'd checked. He was no expert, but it seemed to him that the dragon that could get into this mess could get out of it as well. Except...this wasn't a normal situation, was it? Why would a dragon be in an alleyway, actually stuck there? There had to be a reason, especially since nobody could figure out where it had come from. The only thing dragonn he'd seen around here, himself were...dragon scales? Sano's eyes slowly opened wide.
This...this isn't good. How could I have been so stupid? The answer was right there!
He moved, heading for the entrance to the back-alley that would take him to the front of the dragon. Sano could hardly believe that he was actually going to approach a terrified dragon, but...if he was really thinking what he thought he was thinking, it was actually a terrified woman in a dragon's body, stuck in a alley in a giant city.
The dragon wailed again, the sound rousing birds in the oasis beyond the walls of the city from their trees. She heaved her shoulders forward and the walls around her creaked, but refused to release he.
She was starting to notice the onlookers now, and her panic notched up a few degrees. Impulsively, she shrank further back into the alley, really only succeeding in getting herself wedged in tighter.
And then, to top it off with a cherry on top, she heard Sano's voice as he stepped ahead of the onlookers she saw. He was moving away from the crowd, further than they dared, and then gesturing for them to go back.
"Alright, everyone just move back and give the dragon some room! This'll go alot smoother if you do, and that includes anybody watching the dragon from behind!"
He called that out in case people at the other end of the alley
"In fact, just everybody get out of the alley before a building falls down, or something!"
Okay, that seemed to get their attention. Between their buildings and the scaley creature, they were betting the stonework and whatnot would break first. Now, Sano approached alone, carefully, and he spoke lower, but enough for Ally to here.
"It's alright. You got yourself wedged in there, but if you just relax yourself a little, you'll be able to ease your way out. Try to move just one leg out. You're all bunched up, but I think if you can just stretch out, you can pull yourself out of it. They won't hurt you. Harming a dragon here is almost like harming a Kaadir. They don't do that."
Ally panted, staring down at him. "Easy for you to say."
Her voice was her own, just a little rougher and almost echoing. She winced and made an effort to lower the volume. "This isn't as fun as it looks," she muttered, lowering her head and trying to slink her body longer, like a lizard flattening itself out on a rock.
Holy...shit. Okay, he did not know she could still talk. This was new on him, as he had yet to ever speak to a dragon. Nevertheless, he moved on to say...
"Honestly, it doesn't look fun at all, right now."
He gave her some room to do as he'd suggested, so that she could somehow elongate and pull herself along, until she could get a bit more room and climb out of this somehow. He seemed to briefly lose his balance, but he recovered well enough, as there had been a convenient wall to hold him up.
"When we get out, you can fly off so you don't have to answer questions. I'll come find you with your things, alright? Nobody will be any bit the wiser."
Well...unless you count the guy that got driven loco...
Ally blinked at him, then sighed and dropped her head lower. "Thank you," she murmured, wide pink eyes looking more like a startled cat than a fierce dragon.
"For now, though, try to be more 'I'm a dragon and you should not mess with me'. It'll make 'em keep their distance...I hope."
Well, he didn't know. In fact, he didn't know that the city guard was pretty much on-location now, trying to get through people to make their way into the alley and deal with this themselves.
She grumbled and tried to slink herself out of the alley, wincing at her scales caught on rough stone and a few were ripped out.
Yeah, the stone was't exactly fairing much better. He could definitely hear crumbling noises where bits of the wall were getting shaved off. Sano was backing away to let her ease into a crawl and...bumped right into some men of the guard rounding the corner.
"Watch where you're going!"
"What? But...I need to watch where I'm coming from."
"He was faced with several men in the uniform of Essyrn's city guard, all of whom were armed and not looking very happy...about anything. Most of them were surprised at the sight of a stuck dragon, of course, while the group leader was simply annoyed with Sano now.
"Maybe you should watch your mouth, foreigner."
"Really, I didn't mean anything. I just...you know...dragon."
The man's temper went from irritated to merely grim.
"Yes...the dragon. I don't know how it got in there, but I've got men going to the rooves to drop down rope. We're going to haul it out until it reaches the open street, provided it behaves."
"What're you going to do after that?"
He rounded on him.
"What business is it of yours?"
"Well, what if it's an Adelan dragons? From the army?"
"Then, it shouldn't be within our city limits! If I find the rider, he's going to the dungeon!"
Good thing there wasn't really a rider, then...
Ally squeaked and shrunk further back into the alley. "You stay away!" she snapped at the guards, voice quivering just a bit.
The guards, naturally, thought that if this was an Adelan dragon, that they were all the same in mental capacity as the Kaadir, a highly-adaptable animal and not a full-on thinker and talker. This was not entirely true of Adela's Dragonrider army, but the fact remains that they were all a little surprised to see a talker down here in Essyrn territory. The group leader was so shocked that he forgot to get mad at Sano for speaking up again.
"Well, now look what you've done! You've got the dragon angry. I was helping it out and you're just ruining it."
"I wasn't aware. When a Kaadir gets stuck in something, we just pull it out. They let it happen."
At this point, there was a call from the other end that went "Sir, we can't tie off the rope! The dragon is too agitated!", which made the large man even more irritable.
"This is a damn nightmare..."
"Listen, if you just let me guide the dragon out, it flies off and everything is fine. If not, it gets stuck there 'till the two buildings crack apart and then it leaves. Now, which do you want?"
Second rounding on the Sano now, but this time which less fervor.
"Stranger, you have alot of nerve, and if this were another time, I'd throw you into the wall. But as it stands, and because you are subject to my authority, I order you to deal with this. And if you fail, I will have you flogged and beaten for testing my patience."
He shouted for the men to withdraw to a safe distance. Once they were alone again, Sano let out a deep sigh, muttering "Like some overbearing guard scares me..." before turning back to Allaeya.
"Sorry about that. I didn't realize the guards were so pushy. ...can you still move?"
"Do you think I can't hear you!?" Alleaya screeched. "I'm a gi- I'm a dragon, not a panicked cow!"
She huffed and stared down at Sano. "I really don't see how I'm getting out without damaging the buildings," she muttered.
You could tell that they weren't use to dealing aith actual dragons that actually talk, so they were getting the hell out of it for now. Sano noted Ally's skepticism with understanding. It was a back-alleyway. It wasn't a true alley like the pathways that led back here, but it was still not meant for an entire dragon. The main streets were a bit away. They could be at this a whi...hey, wait a minute.
"Hold on a second."
He backed up, looking at a spot where the alleys met from other main streets, then looked up.
"Hmmm."
Finally, he looked back at Allaeya.
"If you can make it to this intersection, you'll have room to spread your legs out, maybe your wings if you're careful, and then, you can climb up."
Now, there's a thought. These buildings were only a couple floors, three at the most. At the intersection, she could get her front legs out, climb up, free her back legs, and pull herself the rest of the way out. The building corners would take more weight than any other part, at any rate. This might work.
Fuck me.
Ally groaned and tried to claws her way forward, digging furrows into the street as she winced and wriggled herself forward. Handfuls of scales were torn from her sides, and she gave a sharp cry as the thin membrane of her wing was scoured against the rough stone.
He felt for her predicament. He really did. But...there wasn't anything he could personally do to improve it, other than try to guide her out as he was. His power over metal was useless at this point. Even if he were to fashion a pair of wedges to pull herself by in the hopes that they were somehow smoother, the give of the dry and flaking building walls had more give than his unyielding steel anything. It'd be worse. He had no control over this at all, no ability to personally improve it, at this time, no matter what certain skeptics may say about his power. Sano backed away as Allaeya dragged forwards and...after a bit...she was actually there. She was at the intersection. The umm...rough stone behind her was now quite smoothe, but she had made it.
The dragon gasped, filling her lungs fully for the first time since she'd been stuck, and raised her head to take stock.
She was bleeding, but not heavily. Little cuts and scrapes, divets in her sides where her scales had been torn free. She sighed and looked up, then wriggled forward a bit more.
As Sano had estimated, Ally could more-or-less pull herself into a less-scrunched vertical position, and she'd only somewhat-damage the top corners of the buildings if she climbed out and flew away. From there, he could bring her stuff around wherever he could find her, and the guards would neither try to beat him, nor pull her anywhere. It was all a bit of a mess, but there we are. It was solvable.
Ally looked around, rather at a loss. "I need to get back to the inn," she practically whimpered, pulling her tail in tight around her side.
So, she was upright now, but there was a problem... Ally needed to get back to the inn. Sano wasn't exactly sure why, but he might have a notion. She wasn't exactly going to fit, though, plus it was going to be a bit noticeable if she tried. Sano tried to reason with her on this.
"It's probably not a good idea if you go yourself. I can get anything you need out of there and bring it too you somewhere. What you need right now is all of this attention off of you so we can fix this."
Because...she'd gone to some great lengths to conceal the fact that she ever changed into a dragon. It would probably be spoiled if she started doing things that didn't seem very dragon-like while having the attention of many.
"Fine." She sighed and shook her head. "Can you meet me at the west gate? I need my pack..."
He nodded, even though - from that angle - it may be hard to actually see him.
"I'll be thorough. Is any of your stuff in the street now, or is it all back in the room?"
Hopefully, if there was anything in the street, she didn't stomp it flat by accident...
She shook her head. "Nothing I need. That's all at the inn."
"Alright, see you at the gate, then."
He made his way out of he back-alley at a relatively-swift pace, but naturally the guard from before halted him for a moment and demanded to know what progress he'd made.
"Well, it's not stuck anymore, and the buildings will be fine, I guess. The dragon's gonna get out of the city, take a rest, and then probably just leave. I'd just let it go, if I were you. Definitely not in a good mood."
"Hmph, fine. You can go, I guess, but keep out of other people's business from now on!"
What a grouch! Anyway, with Sano out of there, he would be able to proceed back to the inn and get at Ally's things in her room.
With a relieved sigh, the dragon bunched her hindquarters, then launched herself into the air, flapping fiercely to get altitude before evening out into a steady glide.
With the telltale sign of dragon-winging happening above and behind, Sano double-timed back to the inn now. Given that Sati was kind of use to people having to rush out every now and then, the reason for her charging the first night up-front, she probably wouldn't say anything about he and Ally suddenly disappearing. Sano made his way inside and asked for his things from lock-up. From there, he headed to Ally's room and stepped inside. Sure enough, her bag and things were here. Sano shook his head.
She could've lost this if there was a thief around.
He packed whatever was loose into the bag and picked it up. He turned and-
"Agh!"
Sati was right there. Holy shit, it was like Keefe, all over again! She did not look happy.
"And what are you doing in this room?"
The young man held up his hands defensively.
"Hey, I just needed to bring Allaeya her things. She said she left them here instead of in lock-up and that she needed them. I'm not stealing, and she's paid up for the day."
"That may be so, but you have not paid for the rest of your time!"
Oh shit. She was right. Sano facepalmed and began to dig in his pockets. He produced a loose bit of coin to cover his bill and gave her an extra one, just in case.
"I'm sorry, but I really have to go."
She let him, and he started his way towards the West Gate, now armored and armed, but hopefully not having anything to arm up against.
Alleaya circled the west end of the city once before she came in to land near the gate, scattering a group of urchins who ran babbling in Essyrni as she touched down.
He moved with speed, or at least reasonably-so, trying not to bump into anyone along the way to call attention to himself. It was a bit difficult not to get some looks, of course. He was a foreigner. Sano was just lucky he hadn't done anything to make him seem like he was a flagrantly disobedient troublemaker. What he was...was perhaps a subtle disobedient troublemaker, and he had been raised so. He soon found himself heading towards the West Gate, finding a dragon on the other side of it, outside city limits. They wouldn't have much time. Just because he'd assured that group of guards didn't mean that another bunch of them wouldn't be arround, wondering what the hell this dragon was doing here.
"Alright, I've got it. We probably shouldn't linger long."
Ally sighed, then nodded. "Alright. Climb on," she grumbled, lowering herself slightly and extending a wing in reluctant invitation.
Honestly, he felt a bit awkward about it, himself. He couldn't exactly forget that this wasn't really a dragon, but a woman, and taking a ride seemed...wrong, somehow. Problem is, there wasn't much option. If they had to go far... No, wait. He held up a hand.
"Hold on. You don't have to do that if we're not going far. I can levitate with my armor on."
He could go a fair distance and at speed if he needed to, but it would exhaust his magic ability if it was too far. Somehow, it wasn't fair to make Ally have to fly him herself, not when she was already having a bad night. A twinge of guilt reminded him that it was probably his fault, in part.
The dragoness snorted and rolled her eyes. "Just get on, will you? I'd like to put this city behind me as quickly as possible."
He had never seen anything that large roll its eyes before, immediately putting him on the spot - embarassed - and surprising the hell out of him. Sano sighed at this, cooling himself down.
"Alright, alright. You're the boss."
He did levitate himself on, though, remembering to position himself as he'd seen Dragonriders in Adela do. He had NO experience with this at all, so he didn't wanna screw this up and fall off.
"Watch yourself," Ally warned lightly. "Slipping on those scales would be as quick a way to neuter yourself as any."
It was at this point that Sano remembered that his armor did NOT include a codpiece, and therefore made him quite vulnerable to high-velocity slip-scaling. It was also at this point that he recalled that the Dragonriders of Adela all had saddle harnesses for their dragons. He was doing this bare-back. This produced a most worrying feeling 'downstairs', one that sent the proverbial chill up his spine as his imagination took over.
"...yes, ma'am..."
Well, at least he was mounted in the proper fashion, and he would be clutching tightly now as the woman-turned-dragon took off.
Rather ungracefully, Alleaya launched herself into the air. She wasn't the prettiest flyer at the best of times, and with a rider's added weight she was even more off-kilter.
It was all due to the fact that he was a bit weighty with that armor on, but he felt that - given the circumsances and because he didn't know what the hell would happen next - it seemed a wise precaution. Now, the flight itself wasn't exactly an issue for Sano. He hadn't ridden a dragon before, but as he said...he'd flung himself with his magic before. A most exhilarating experience. In this case, however...he wasn't in control of it, which made him pretty antsy, at the moment. At least they weren't in some dramatic escape, being chased by anything. That would've made it all the worse, and it would've made him remember that half-phoenix man that the Adelan Dragonriders kill off every now and then.
"So...where are we going, exactly?" Alleaya called back over her shoulder. She'd had no set destination in mind.
He was having to mostly concentrate on his grip and stability whilst on her back, but he caught her question.
"Far enough away to do whatever you do to change back will do, but if you have a place of safety nearby, that would be best."
Beyond that, he didn't know. Presumably, the alchemist knew how to handle her condition, for the most part. He expected that SHE had an idea on the next step. He was just preserving her good name as not-a-dragon.
The dragon snorted. "Look, that's a lot more complicated than you make it sound. I hope you have a destination where you'd like to be drop you off, because I don't think you'll want to stick around for all that.
There was silence on Sano's end for a moment, and then he turned serious.
"You know why I'm traveling. I don't have any destination, except for somewhere that I can find someone to help me destroy that vampire. And since the only place in Essyrn is the city of Essyrn, the only destination I have from there is anywhere else."
Yeah, that quest of his, because someone important to him was injured by the nosferatu. Hadn't she been worried about the fact that he had the insignia of an assassin on the inside of his mantle?
Alleaya huffed uncomfortably. "Yes. That's why I'm asking. Look...you seem nice enough, but I'd rather not...get into any trouble, if I can help it."
At this, Sano actually laughed, briefly.
"I'm not trying to enlist you. I'm trying to help you, partly because you're in need and partly because you did say you might be able to create something I can use in the fight."
He knew what he was doing and he understood that people have limits.
Ally just huffed again, keeping silent as she banked left out over the darkening desert.
There's nothing worse than having to ride an irritable dragon. Well, no, scratch that. Riding a dragon who wanted to claw you to pieces was pretty bad, and this wasn't that, but Sano got the distinct impression that he was very badly annoying her now. That did not inspire confidence. He would have to wait this out and see where it led. Hopefully, he didn't drive her to tear him in half or something.
When she thought they'd gotten some distance, Alleaya touched down near the edge of the oasis, running a few paces and shuffling her wings in to her sides.
Edge of the oasis... Here lay the boundary between lush life-giving land fed by the Essyrn's mighty river...and dunes upon dunes of...well...dunes. Magnificant rolling layers of golden sand as far as the eye can see was what greeted them. The curious divide between the two was a beautiful dichotomy that Sano couldn't help that stare at for a moment as it was bathed in moonlight. Right now, he was levitating himself down as he brought out Allaeya's pack of things.
"So, what now?"
"I don't know." She arched her neck. "I think that's up to you."
It didn't seem like there was anything else he could do, at the moment. Or she did not want him to. Setting her pack down, he looked up at her.
"Well, you seem to know what you're doing, so I guess I'll leave you to it."
He turned to face north. Probably time he headed up to Serendipity... However, he spoke once more over his shoulder.
"But if you ever DO need a hand, I'm good for it."
From there, he started walking. Don't worry, the guy said he could handle getting around, so no worries on that front.
"Well, ah...thanks." Ally dipped her head to him, then craned her neck back as she watched him go, completely bemused by the whole situation.
Well, if she found any of this particularly funny, he'd missed it, so it was going to be a bit odd whenever next they meet, to be sure. Soon, Sano was almost too far away to be seen. She was alone.