(Warning: contains some semblances to foul language.)
The damp, splintered planks creaked beneath the woman's feet. She'd been pacing for a little while now, running slender fingers along her shaved head. The woman paused mid-step (finally!) before turning toward her guest. Her eyes glistened faintly with the potential to break but she seemed to have composure for the moment. "You know I can't do that. I have duties here; they come before anything else."
She was addressing a man- or rather, a boy- who was almost dwarfed by her even though her height wasn't all that impressive. He tensed and straightened, his own eyes narrowing beneath the shadow of his makeshift hood. The lad brought a hand to his chest, sweeping the other about the small room. "Yes you can! They're not gonna check the brothel, they think they know better! I won't even take long! Besides, you owe me!"
"I owe you from those years ago, yes... but I do this for business now. I wasn't in danger, really, nothing that made a difference." She squinted, struggling to maintain control. Nervously her hands lifted to toy with the edges of her cloth mantle. She wasn't dressed for work but she was on her way and if she didn't get a move on soon she'd be late.
"Don't give me none of that, you're protected here, he could have killed you." The boy half-whined. "Please, I helped the girls like you asked all those times, you gotta help me."
The woman frowned, approaching the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder. She started to push and he stepped back without much force. "I'm sorry, you'll have to find somewhere else. The port is big enough that you should be able to find somewhere. You've done so before."
The fellow simply whined wordlessly; she opened the door behind him before he could walk into it, successfully maneuvering him outside. Letting him go and pacing both hands on its edges the girl's frown only deepened. "Please be safe." With that and the slightest tremble in her shoulders the woman closed the door.
The man looked down, stray red bangs falling over shut eyes. Hands coiled into fists and his shoulders quivered as well. Initially he was too sad to be angry but the pity and somberness was quick to pass. "Augh...." He slammed both fists against the door repeatedly, causing a ruckus. "Let me in you sodding tosspot!"
There was no reply from within.
The boy stepped back after a moment, growling wordlessly. Then a hand was placed on his shoulder.
____________________
The streets had exploded into chaos. First one gang had attacked a street rat, then other gangs attacked them. No one group was all that large but combined they caused quite a bit of unrest. Soon the local guardsmen were rounding up those unlucky enough to get caught while others dispersed and fell into hiding. A few sailors had stopped to spectate and by some miracle didn't get attacked during the fight; patting each other on the shoulders once it was over and laughing, heading off to tell their 'mates' about it.
The boy had taken quite the beating but managed to flee before things got too out of hand. Adrenaline had prevented him from realizing just how awful the bruises felt but even after it wore off he refused to acknowledge the dull throbbing pain. He sat quietly in an alley atop a pile of discarded crates, glaring at a nearby cat who yowled up at him.
How it actually happened would probably never be truly answered. But, regardless, the fact of the matter was that, after only a few moments sitting upon those crates, the young man would suddenly find himself rocking back and forth before the whole pile would come tumbling down around him. Chances would be that, in the struggle, he would witness a brilliant flash of light fade out, revealing a beautiful young woman who would slowly stand from within the toppled crates. How she had gotten under there, who knows. But regardless of the reason, she was there, standing right in front of him, amidst the fallen unorganized pile of empty crates as if she had simply been sleeping under them until this point.
She looked to be in a daze, wiping her eyes and moving her silver hair away from her face. She was dirtied, as if she had just been rolling around on the ground (and by all accounts, she apparently had been). Her clothes were simple, and not something a typical thanati citizen would be wearing. In fact, besides her silvery hair which resembled the hair color that was in-style right now with the thanati, she looked nothing like how a typical local would be. She opened her eyes, revealing their color which matched perfectly to her hair. Looking around, she rubbed her head as if in pain, a confused look displayed across her face.
Where in the world was she?
She just now noticed the young man nearby, and glanced at him for the first time. She was rather short, but he was actually shorter than she was! "Ummm... hello there." She said with a sweet but quiet voice. Her mouth formed a half-smile, still showing the obvious confusion about her.
As the crates began to rock about the lad moved to get off of them; to no avail, soon he was tumbling noisily in the collapse. The toppling supplies failed to mask the sound of Tye uttering a string of curses more than unbecoming of his heritage. Once the dust had settled his legs were sticking out of a spot between some of the disturbed items awkwardly. Then the girl started to move and he cut off a pained groan to get up and try looking intimidating. "Oi!"
"What'd'youthinkyou'redoing--" The woman's appearance caught him off guard. There was a difference between looking at someone and then looking at someone. Runty had finally gotten to the second part, it seemed. "...You some sort of crazy trickster foreigner? You look like one, alright. And its scarce that any of those pearl-boasting 'good' folk swagger with their ugly pig faces down here." He kicked away one of the smaller crates (with more difficulty than he'd like to admit) and stepped forward, one hand ducking toward a sash he wore likely hiding a weapon. So far he wasn't making any move to draw it, so the situation wasn't too dire. Just as well he didn't seem to hear her greetings.
"Causing a ruckus like this... you're gonna get us both in trouble. Bet you don't even know what you're dealing with. Blind-poxed tom-tug..." Aaaand he stopped making sense. It was almost as though a living curtain was insulting her.
Her eyes widened and she stared at the boy in disbelief when he started insulting her. Despite his nonsensical words, she seemed to fully understand the intent behind them. She looked down at her feet and frowned in apology, seemingly ashamed of her actions. "I-I apologize, good sir. I didn't mean to disturb you." Her face lifted to look at him once again. "I shall leave at once, I promise." She bowed in a formal manner before turning away, attempting to walk towards the entrance of the alleyway. She had a sort of frantic look about her face, clearly being just as confused as he was about the whole situation.
She had no idea where she was or how she got there. But something was wrong, very wrong. She knew that there should be at least two others with her, but that young man was certainly not one of them. How, then, were they separated, exactly?
Unfortunately, the sight before her eyes as she peered out from the alleyway didn't help much. She was clearly in some sort of port town, but one that she never remembered visiting before. She let out a deep breath, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the whole situation. She stood completely still, as if she were an animal who had been locked in a cage their whole life and finally got a taste at freedom, yet was completely unsure what to do first.
...And to walk out of the alley was to prove that there were many, many things to do. In this particular area the 'streets' were narrow and filthy. The smell of the sea was strong in the air but it was mixed with sewage and other undesirable things. There had been rainfall recently, kicking up some of the filth into puddles all around them. The place was a mess.
While Runty mumbled to himself in exasperation and rubbed a bruise hidden on his arm the yowling cat had lost interest in him. There were too many falling things around the lad for its taste so it padded enthusiastically after the girl. The beast was also very filthy, with what could have been a dark brown or gray coat obscured by collected dirt and missing multiple whiskers. Its tail had missing patches of fur and its tongue hung swollen and exposed to the elements, clearly unusable and perhaps infected.
The beast fixed hazel eyes up at her and yowled again, trying to step about her casually with the intent of brushing against her leg. Flea-ridden and ill or not, it was still a cat.
The dirtied young woman took a moment to consider her next action. Basic survival skills: Food, shelter. Food, shelter. Those two things were important, right? Thus, she should take care of those needs first before anything else. That made sense, at least. But where was she, anyways? Information. Yes, information was important. Food, shelter, information.
She looked down at the feline rubbing up against her leg. Seemingly comforted by its presence, despite appearances, the woman knelt down and attempted to pick up the creature. "Poor thing, you look absolutely famished!" She would exclaim, in attempt to hug the creature upon her breast. If it had no complaints, she would continue to hold the cat in her arms, seemingly not bothered by its uncleanliness. "Umm.." She realized now that the young man was still there. "I'm Nina, by the way." She gave him a warm smile. Hopefully this person could give her some information. "I don't mean to trouble you, but would you be willing to tell me the name of this settlement?"
The cat let an audible 'Mrrrrow...!' as it was lifted but did not protest to being held. Instinctively the creature rubbed the side of its face against her as its tail flicked about calmly. Its breathing was loud and easy to hear for the girl; a side effect of its illness, no doubt.
The boy stiffened, having already assumed that the girl would have just wandered off. "That's a shame, you did a good job of it, I thought you might have done this profhes-- prolfu-- expertly! You're standing in the Port of Jin'ta, Nina. Terrible to meet- I mean nice to meet you, or something. You lost? If you are you're gonna see trouble before you get out of sucktown, here."
He growled something beneath his breath (proof that he's a social butterfly, truly) before continuing. "You turn left and you'll pass through bad territory but make it somehow and turn right at the carpenter's and you'll get to the place where merchants wail about how their wares are better than others. Lots of guards, there. Turn right now, though, and you'll pass the worst brothels in the port and get to the docks. Its a windy place full of sailors. Might be welcome at some of the taverns, maybe... But chances are someone's gonna try and shank you along the way."
Runty pushed the few strands of hair back beneath his hood as he ranted, stretching once finished and fixing an irritable gaze on the cat. Hopefully its enough information to make the happy noise person go away, the fellow pondered. Really, she wasn't very happy looking, but he didn't like bright colors.
According to what this young man was saying, she was currently in a fairly bad part of town. Or maybe the whole town was that bad. How in the world did she manage to get here? She didn't walk, that she could remember. This didn't seem all too surprising to her though, for some reason. It felt that being here randomly somehow made sense. She wasn't sure how, but it did. So, at the very least, something was apparently going right.
Her new acquaintance seemed to show a bit of awkwardness, and she gave an amused smile as he gave her a quick summary of of the port. "Oh my.. it seems rather dangerous here, then." Nina made her way over to him, giving a big smile while still holding the cat in her arms. She turned her head to one side and made a quizzical look. "So then, if someone really could quite possibly.. shank (she said this word as if she didn't know what it meant, although apparently could guess it wasn't good) me, then I guess it wouldn't be good for me to be alone, then. Right?" A smile formed on her lips once again as her eyes gave off a look that could only be interpreted as hint hint.
Apparently, Nina didn't quite take the hint from him that he wanted to be left alone. Or, maybe she had but ignored it. If the kid had known her well at all, he would have been able to guess that it was almost definitely the second option.
Her suggestion caused Tye to sneer and take a step back (mindful of the mess of crates). "Oh no. No way. Firstly you're not alone, if you get in trouble you can just toss that vermin at whoever's trying to get you. Second off, I'm not going back out there! There was a fight not long ago and if the guards catch anyone odd they can say goodbye to having hair or a decent reputation." The rat lifted an eyebrow, the expression hard to catch beneath the cover. "Not that I should be worried or nothing. Its just a matter of crossfire, an-- toads take it, you get it."
The aforementioned beast continued to rub against her arm affectionately, perhaps not as stray as it looks.
Runty paused to consider despite his initial response. Kicking more objects aside he paced (a subtle means of not remaining so close to another sentient being), thinking aloud. "Then again, maybe its not so bad as... or mayhaps if we take that route... No, no no..."
Her face was filled with shock at the suggestion of throwing the cat at someone. "What!? Toss Colt!? I can't do that!" She frowned dramatically and rubbed her head gently against the cat's. Apparently, she had given it a name.
Nina looked somewhat hurt that he refused to help her. "Hey." She started with a soft tone. "It can't be so bad, can it?" She walked over to him, closing any distance he may have made, and stood right in front of him so she could look him in the eyes (as best as possible). "I'm sure we can find our way through. I just don't know my way around, is all. But if you're leading me then I'm sure not to get lost, right? Besides, you look like you could use a meal. How about.. you show me a bit around town, and then I buy you something to eat for your trouble? Think of it as a job, if you want. You're hired, okay?" She give a big smile before placing the cat upon her shoulder, as her arms were getting tired from holding it for so long.
Nina offered this job to him without even checking to see if she had any money. Considering her dirtied clothing, she certainly didn't look like she had any coin on her. At this sudden thought, she reached into one of her pockets and produced a small leather pouch. Opening it so she could peak inside, she confirmed that were was indeed some form of currency inside. She couldn't remember ever seeing it before, nor was she sure of its worth. However, something told her that it was enough. Somehow, once again, she just knew.
As the woman approached the thief went from preparing another awkward retort to freezing as she stepped just slightly too close. Though it might be difficult to tell, especially given that he was quick to hide them behind his back but the lad's hand faintly quivered. "...You're not just planning on tricking me, are you? It won't go well for you if you are...!" His eyes were wild with emotion that was otherwise unclear because of his obscured face. At proximity she could see some scar tissue lingering beneath his left eye and those remaining strands of dark hair he was so persistent to hide.
As she inspected the pouch he attempted to as well but soon after backed up; and promptly tumbled back over one of the many objects scattered about the ground. Cussing loudly and hissing after the fall, Runty was hasty to regain his composure. "--C-colt's a stupid name anyhow. Lets just go, right? Probably made too much noise anyway."
She simply gave him an amused smile when he asked if she was tricking him. "Okay, I promise I am not deceiving you. How's that?" The girl asked as her hand reached up to rub the side of the cat's head. "I think Colt here will join us, too! With the three of us, I'm sure we'll be fine even if a couple of thugs try to take us out!" She clapped suddenly in excitement, which made her new feline companion jump slightly as if startled.
Nina would offer a hand to help him stand after he fell (although, if he ended up refusing it, she wouldn't make any mention of it). "Okay! I'm glad you decided to help me, mister -- Um.." Looking to the side with a slight blush on her face, she realized he hadn't given her his name. "May I ask your name?" She asked, turning to him once again. "I don't think things will work out very well if I don't know your name, right?" She either didn't notice or didn't mind the fact that he called Colt a stupid name. As for the feline himself, he managed to crawl up on Nina's head and perch himself right up there, which seemed to make the girl become slightly unbalanced for a slight moment. Since it was malnourished, it wasn't too heavy. A disease-ridden cat upon her head surely didn't look the most appealing, though.
Perhaps out of awkward desperation to get on his own two feet the street rat decided to take her hand hastily. He was quick to look around, almost as though searching for anything threatening already. "Don't like giving my name. If you're someone that needs a name, though, call me T. Yes, T." Runty shot the cat a mistrustful look before letting go (or trying to let go, anyway) of her hand.
"Where do you want to go again?" While waiting the fellow adjusted his cowl again, likely in the midst of nervous fidgeting.
"Okay then, Mister T! I am in your care!" She said excitedly, allowing him to let go of her hand without incident. Despite how fidgety he was, the girl didn't seem to notice. Colt simply gave a plain mrow in reaction to the young man's look.
"Um.. where to go first?" The young woman made a weird face, as if having trouble making a decision. "Well, where do folks normally go around here when they need food and lodging?" She shrugged. "That's probably the best place to start, right?" Also, her hope was that people who could give her more information would be there. In addition, along the way she intended to get her new found friend - as much as he would surely disagree with being called a friend - to warm up to her more, and maybe he could also be a reliable source of information. As things were now, he obviously didn't trust her enough and she wasn't about to push him too far.
"Yes, Mister T. Your first assignment as my employee is to bring me to an establishment that offers nourishment and lodging." She stood tall and proud for a moment, as if giving him a formal order. Then, after but a moment, she broke down laughing in amusement at her own tone. Clearly, she wasn't one to take such a thing so seriously. "But if there is more than one, I'll leave which one we visit to your own discretion." She winked with a smile on her face. Poor Colt nearly fell off the girl's head when her body shook from the laughter.
While the girl spoke he fixed her an inquisitive stare, a once more raised eyebrow finally evening with its partner once she laughed. Folding his arms he stated simply. "Follow me, then. Just keep in mind, though, if the guard tries to get me you're on your own." With hat the little man maneuvered around her and out of the alley. Glancing both ways he turned right, locked in perpetual alert and tension now that they were in one of the streets.
Despite this, it was clear the streets weren't all that different from the alleys. Hanging objects like clothes or curtains dangled from buildings, disjointing the already somber light while broken things lay collecting at each corner. They passed more alleys and holes in the wall, some occupied with bald men and women who shared the same marks on their faces. So far none of them seemed dangerous though some shot Nina dark looks.
One particular fellow had been lingering above them on a half-ruined patio. Upon seeing them he hefted a worn bucket containing foul bodily fluids and tried to dump it in the streets; perhaps trying to get some on them. It wouldn't be outrageously unlikely, he seemed sullen as a toad. Tye was quick to get out of the way.
"Yes, sir!" With that, she gave a goofy salute - despite the fact that she had just acted as if she was his boss a moment ago - and leisurely followed him out of the alley. As tense and alert as he was, Nina was the exact opposite. She had not a care in the world as she strutted behind him in the streets. Despite the weird looks she received from people, she appeared to either not notice or even glance back at them and wave with a smile. Colt, still on her head, struggled more than once to stay on as the girl moved her head back and forth in admiration of the buildings and people. Despite the port town being nothing particularly amazing, Nina found it just as interesting regardless.
---
On the rooftops above, two figures crept silently.
"That's definitely her. No doubt." The main with the pointed ears said. His companion, obviously a standard human, fidgeted next to his partner in complaint.
"What? No way! That can't be her! Just look at her.. she's so cute. You're telling me such a sweet and innocent little girl is a threat to the Master!? No way!"
"Pipe down. Someone will hear you, idiot." The Elf said as he prepared his crossbow.
"Wait, you aren't going to use that much poison on her, are you!? She'll die!" The human of the duo reached out to pull away the crossbow from his Elf partner, but failed to do so.
"That's the point, idiot. The Master said it won't work without this much. I brought along this vial just for her." The Elf sighed. "Don't tell me you've fallen for her?" He asked after the look his human partner showed upon his face. "She's probably a succubus or something. Look, she even has that kid with her. Probably seduced him, poor boy."
"I'd gladly trade spots with him right now..."
"Just shut up and prepare your magic so we can get out of here quickly. The guards are on high alert still, I don't want another scene."
"Okay.." The human replied in a gloomy voice.
The Elf watched carefully as the young girl and boy made their way through the street. At one point, just before they would have walked from his line of sight, they encountered a man on a patio throwing a bucket of who-knows-what down at their direction. The boy got out of the way easily, as if he was used to it. The girl, however, froze at the sight of it and just barely managed to get out of the way. In this short moment, she paused to look up in astonishment and horror at the man who had thrown what was apparently fecal matter at them. The cat that was, for whatever reason, upon her head scrambled to stay on top, but managed to do so well enough.
At that moment, the Elf took his shot, aiming right for her neck.
He then watched in astonishment as his poisoned crossbow bolt, which would have had a clean, direct hit at the girl's exposed neck, graze barely past her skin and collide with the ground on the other side of her silently. The reason? The cat on top of the girl's head apparently lost its footing again in that exact moment and scratched helplessly at the girl's head trying not to fall. This caused the young girl to cry out in pain and lean over as she grabbed at the cat in at attempt to help his situation and prevent further scratches. It was a rather hilarious sight to behold, in all honesty, but what was not so amusing was that it caused the Elf's bolt - which surely would have hit - to just barely miss. The crossbow bolt likely would have gone unnoticed by anyone of relevance, unless they had rather keen senses.
"Woah! You actually missed! Hah! I've never seen you miss before!" The human laughed, apparently relieved that the beautiful girl was still alive.
"Dammit!" The Elf swore loudly. "Do you have any idea how expensive that poison is!?"
After he yelled, a guard noticed their presence and called up at them. The two partners suddenly looked at each other in aggravation before leaping off the roof in the opposite direction of the guard and running off. This, needless to say, resulted in yet another hectic scene of guards chasing the suspicious duo.
--
Nina positioned Colt so that he was in her arms again instead of on her head. "I think I've had enough scratches on my head today, okay Colt?" She smiled at him while speaking in a playful tone. The cat simply meowed, completely oblivious to the fate it just saved its new-found owner from. Nina noticed a ruckus on the other side of the street, watching in confusion as some sort of chase scene occurred. But, those involved moved down the opposite direction of the street they were on, so the commotion soon faded.
After this incident she suddenly remembered Tye and, not wanting to hold him up any further, would speed up to catch with him if he had been continuing on without her.
The sullen man on the patio grimaced, showing how little teeth he had left. He drew the empty bucket away from the edge, glaring down at the two of them without a word. By that time the street rat was fixing him more than one insulting gesture; biting his thumb while showing off his middle finger at their more apparent assailant. However his eyes were not on whom he was insulting, rather looking down at the ground, inspecting it despite the undesirable filth that accumulated there.
There had been a click right after most of the waste had been dumped. It was as though something had fallen just recently, whether out of the bucket or not. There was potential for it to have been something of use to him and Runty was the last person to pass up an opportunity like that. Due to that possibility the commotion nearby was of no consequence to him. This resulted in searching near the patio; where he was clearly unwanted.
Then the boy noticed a glint in the rough and boldly reached to take it despite the stink or the likelihood of his clothing being soiled (they already were pretty filthy in some places.) "Oi..." Careful to avoid the tip the lad picked the item of interest up, inspecting it with childish curiosity. In an unexpected twist he turned to Nina and held it up with the enthusiasm of a child at show and tell.
"Would you look at this...! What'd you think its for? Looks like some sort of arrow to me. Or maybe... maybe one of those things for those crossbow thingies! Wouldn't know, haven't seen many around here..."
Nina watched with her own curiosity as Tye retrieved some sort of small pointed object from the ground. Despite how filthy the ground beneath them had become, she didn't seem too disgusted like most people probably would have. She was, however, most confused as to what it was he possibly could have found so interesting.
She looked at the item he held up and made a confused face. "Yeah.. that's a crossbow bolt! But what was it doing in that man's stool?" She looked down at the ground where the man had recently dumped his bucket, then looked back up at the patio in an attempt to get the man's attention. "Hey! Mister! You might want to see a doctor! You're excreting pointed objects! It's bad for your health! .... I think." With the last two words she looked at Tye and shrugged.
"What do you plan to do with it, Mister T? I suppose you could reuse it.." She crossed her arms in thought. "It seems to be in decent condition, despite where you found it." The girl nodded. "Such a waste of craftsmanship otherwise!" Yes, what a waste to throw away a crossbow bolt covered in feces!
"Uhm... Could sell it. You know, after cleaning it off. Its dripping." The lad commented casually before recalling what he was doing beforehand. Tye continued walking along, cautious enough to avoid the filth that he evaded before (although in the streets like this such a thing could be considered futile) and shooting sullen man a final rude gesture as they made their way off. The bald man rubbed his chin and disregarded what Nina was saying. I guess it isn't healthy, no... He reflected.
The street soon after split off into multiple narrow passages. It might have been confusing figuring out which way was right if 'T' wasn't there. He chose one and strode briskly, not wanting to waste any time. "We're getting there..."
"What an exhilarating settlement! We've already experienced so much!" She laughed as she walked along side him. "I can't wait for us to get to our destination, Mister T! It's like an adventure waiting to happen!" The young girl twirled around like some sort of ballerina as she spoke, while the cat that she still held in her arms gave a drawn out mrooooooow sound in disapproval.
--
The two men relaxed against the side of a tree just outside the town. They had managed to escape the guards, but they weren't exactly thrilled with the idea of going back to the Master empty handed.
"That damn cat.." The Elf slammed his fist against the tree. "I can't believe I wasted my strongest dose of poison like that. If only the cat could have been hit, at least.." He scowled. Meanwhile, his human friend shied away slightly, somewhat bothered by his Elf partner's attitude.
"And here I thought elves were nature lovers.." He muttered under his breath, but the elf apparently heard him, given the glare.
The elf pondered for a moment, before reaching for a small pouch kept on his belt and examining its contents. "Gallas." He called his partner's name, looking to him. The human, apparently named Gallas, looked up and shrugged.
"Yeah? Got a plan?"
"It's not exactly what I'd prefer, but it'll do..." The elf grinned in a sinister manner.
"...I think I'm going to request a change of partners when we get back. No offense, Soladan."
--
"So Mister T." Nina pondered. "What's the name of the place you're bringing me? Anywhere special?" She asked, placing herself in front of him and facing him so that she was walking backwards. She folded her arms behind her back and smiled as the disease-ridden cat rode atop her head once more. At one point she would nearly trip on a stone laying in the road but managed to find her balance easily enough, though she would wince at the pain as Colt dug his claws into her head to stay on top.
"We're going to the palace, obviously." Mr. T responded sarcastically.
He seemed a little less guarded around her but it wasn't long until he returned to his usual, awkward self. "We're headed to the Bug Eye Tavern. Its one of the few places outsiders are safe, mainly because its close to the docks and its owned by some couple of foreigners who sparked some sort of miracle to get things started here. I dunno if its a really good place but the bartender's not bad. I think." The boy tapped his chin while avoiding a ruined boot lying in the path.
While they walked he inspected the bolt with more than a little interest. Did that man really excrete that? It seemed unlikely. Why was it there? It had fallen pretty harshly.
"Say, where are you from, anyways? You look... weird. Even for an outsider. Unless you're one of those Essra-- Esi-- Tan people from that place I can't remember the name of right now." While he spoke they reached a fork in the road but he hardly even paused. They were walking down a broader path, now, and the ruin of a city's worst was growing less present while the salt smelled stronger and gulls became more common.
"Okay, I trust in your words, Mister T!" She laughed while placing herself next to him once again as they walked. Her cheery demeanor only continued as they moved forward. She noticed that he seemed rather interested in the crossbow bolt he found on the ground. It was possible he really was hoping to sell it, but she couldn't imagine the going price being very high. Then again, she had no idea what the economy was like here. She said nothing else until he began questioning who she was.
Nina frowned but in a manner that showed she was more amused than hurt. "I look weird huh? Well I'm so sorry!" The girl laughed. "But you pose a very good question. See, I don't know where I'm from!" Nina shrugged, then looked at the back of her hand. "If those Essi people are usually tan I don't think I'm one of them." It's true, her skin was more on the pale side. "But I guess I don't look like I'm from here, huh..." Now she really did frown, apparently disturbed at the thought. "I must have some form of amnesia. I don't remember anything from before we met. I'm sorry, Mister T." She gave him an apologetic look, indicating that she legitimately was upset at not being able to answer his question.
"I guess I'm hoping after some time passes I'll be able to remember. Getting some food and a place to sleep first only seemed logical..."
With caution the lad lowered the bolt to his side, almost pausing in order to study her form again. "...Not even a wit?" Once he was done the lad picked up the pace again. "This is gonna be harder, then... Mmmph." They were almost there; the path had started to open up to the docks. The place was springing with life as words were exchanged among the many people and supplies were moved about. There was a string of buildings nearby.
"You're gonna have to move carefully. Bump into the wrong guy and we're in trouble." Ty didn't hesitate to walk out into the swarm of people. "And try to follow me, eh?" It would prove harder than it looked, but not entirely impossible.
Nina seemingly didn't hear him at first, perhaps due to her amazement at the amount of people in this area of the port town. The place certainly was lively. She received a few strange looks - likely from people distrusting the obvious foreigner - but paid them no heed. Either she didn't notice them or didn't care. One dirtied man even gave her quite a perverted look, apparently not caring that she was foreign at all and instead filling his mind with indecent thoughts of her. That, too, she ignored.
She looked at him and nodded when he told her to be careful. Then, following his instructions, the girl followed him. When the crowd became thick, however, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "It will be easier to stay together this way." She smiled. She seemed fairly competent at staying out of everyone's way, at least. For the most part.
--
Soladan the elf moved quickly through the crowd. He kept his hood up so that the majority of his face was shadowed, making it difficult to see. He caught notice of the young silver haired girl - she was hard to miss admittedly - walking behind that same boy. Quickly he made his way towards them, agilely moving around the townsfolk as if it was nothing new to him. He was concerned that the young boy she was traveling with would catch on if he followed too closely, so he was sure to keep his distance as much as possible. He swore quietly at the sight of that stupid cat sitting yet again on the girl's head. Although, he was certainly delighted when he suddenly saw the cat jump off the girl and run off through the crowd of people. Either it was scared of the commotion or it saw something tasty such as a mouse.
--
When Colt jumped off her head, she glanced at him but simply smiled, seemingly unconcerned.
Despite her competence as they began the boy constantly glanced back in order to make sure she wasn't falling behind. After all, with the trouble he was going through the boy wouldn't appreciate losing her in the docks. His calm was briefly shattered once his hand was taken; he nearly spun on her and his eyes grew huge and dangerous. Luckily she spoke before he could turn entirely and, in an attempt to divert back to the task at hand before questions could be asked, the lad tugged on her hand to hasten the trip. "Yeahsurefine."
Luckily for the elf he was too caught up in his tension to have noticed at first but the act left Tye in a period of heightened alert. He picked up the pace and studied his surroundings constantly, shoving a man who was holding a small crate just as he was about to collide with them. The little guy had no time for yelling matches.
As they grew closer to their destination he began speaking. "You'll probably like the patrons. They're less formal than Thanati locals. Its typically better that way, but it'd be best if you walked in alone. You wouldn't care, right? I don't have time for this." There was just the slightest strain in his voice. Had she done something wrong? Not intentionally, at least.
Nina noticed that he seemed to grow somewhat uncomfortable after she had grabbed his hand, but paid no heed to it. "Excuse us, sir!" The girl cried out after Tye bumped into the man holding the crate. "You're going to hurt someone, Mister T." She whined soon after, apparently not thrilled with the fact he had acted so rude to someone.
When Tye spoke, she started to frown. "I thought you wanted me to pay you back with a meal? Now suddenly you have something to do?" Her tone implied more so that she didn't believe him, and not that she was actually hurt by his words. "Are you afraid of going inside, maybe?" She could tell he was uncomfortable, although she wasn't certain why. Maybe he wasn't used to hanging out around girls? That thought hadn't even crossed her mind until now. Nina began to wonder if maybe he was embarrassed due to holding her hand, and suddenly giggled.
The man with the crate turned his head to watch as the two scurried along, calling back, "Watch it!" before reluctantly returning to his own business. When Nina had brought up the subject of fear he turned again, blurting, "ItsnoneofyourbusinesswhyI'mgoin'-- but now that you mention it, might not be a good idea for me to go inside. I-I mean its fine, really, I just think there are some people I should avoid and all you'll understand later I think." She successfully made him resort to babbling without giving context. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) they reached the entrance of the tavern. Not as many people were crowding around it but there was clearly quite a bit of noise coming from inside.
Near the entrance there was a pale-skinned, passed out drunk cradling a mug in his arms like a child. Near him there was a bald woman frowning at them with mistrust and what could be shame. The door to the tavern was ajar, revealing that there was, indeed, quite a few people there.
"Well what do you want to do?" He glanced back from the entrance, studying the crowd simply so that he might look away from her.
When they had finally reached the tavern, Nina finally let go of Tye's hand as she looked around at the various people in the streets. Still, none of them seemed familiar. If she really had been traveling with two others as she had thought, then they apparently weren't anywhere nearby. Logically, they must have been separated at some point prior to her arriving here. Why else would they have wandered off?
A bald woman nearby gave her a strange look, but Nina simply smiled and waved in a friendly manner as per her usual demeanor. To her, it seemed as if those who were bald were so because of some sort of punishment. She wasn't sure what crime caused one to be shaved as punishment, but the girl decided not to look into it much.
"So, who are these people you should avoid? Bullies?" She asked, curiously. "It seems like there might be a lot of meanies here." The girl frowned. "But does that mean you're just going to hide from them? You seem stronger than that, Mister T!" She reached out to grab his hand again, intending to pull him inside along with her if possible. "Come on, let's go inside! We can get something to eat and you can tell me more about the city!"
--
Meanwhile, as the young girl and boy conversed in front of the tavern, Soladan the elf casually made his way into the building. Since the two had never seen him, there was nothing really suspicious about a single elf man with a hood simply walking passed them and into the building. After all, his appearance was fairly typical for the crowd hanging around or in such a place anyways.
Once inside, Soladan glanced around at the crowd before taking a seat at the bar. He glanced at the guy next to him - who was completely distracted by an obviously uninterested woman - before ordering a drink. It wasn't anything complicated, although it turned out to be the exact same thing the patron next to Soladan had ordered.
Upon retrieving the drink, Soladan sipped it until the liquid was about 1/3 of the way gone. Then, in a quick motion when he was sure no one was looking, he removed a handful of something from his coat and dropped it into his beverage. In a single, quick motion, he slid the beverage over to the distracted patron next to him and, in return, took that man's drink instead. He downed the replaced beverage in a single gulp before placing the glass back on the table.
The patron next to Soladan laughed at something the woman he was attempting to woo had said, then took a large gulp of "his" drink. He apparently noticed nothing strange with it.
"Uh, I don't think you understand how this wo--" he trailed off into a surprised noise as she yanked him into the tavern. As they entered the mumbling became the roar of a lively crowd.
A captain and his crew were in one corner of the room, taking up quite a bit of space and playing games while celebrating a successful trip. Near the crew there was a group of men and women in blue masks, studying the two newcomers dangerously. Though most of the rest of the bar held random laborers and locals there were a few interesting people there. A huge man in a suit of armor tucked away in the back of the room, a foreigner with ruddy hair squatting nervously beneath the table of two gamblers and a hooded fellow with a pair of bodyguards seeming to mind their own business.
At the counter there was a bartender with a small mustache and delicate pair of glasses. He was treating one of the half-drunk patrons while shooting a newer one a suspicious look, if briefly. Then a bald, bulky man in a trench coat slapped him on the shoulder and whispered something with a glimmer in his eye.
__________
The bartender waved him away, "Not a chance, Wilder! This place is chaotic as is!"
Wilder, the bald one, simply grinned toothily. "Ahh, c'mon mate. I'll pay ye' back fer it. Y'know I always do." This gained an irked look from the bartender as he walked away to address someone else. The conversation was disjointed already so the fellow wasn't bothered by it, that grin turning into a fond smile as he peeked down at something beneath his seat. Well, he could have just been looking down at nothing, but who knows.
That's about the time he caught a glance of the ruddy haired kid slowly reaching for a bag on someone's hip. The patron didn't seem to notice and the lad was surreptitious enough to take it and quietly get away.
"...D'aww." The noise was almost completely covered by the sounds of others speaking around him.
A look of wonder overcame the girl's face as they walked inside. She stood there for a moment, taking in the entire view of the inside of the establishment. Something about this exact moment gave her a weird feeling, one she couldn't describe. She wasn't even sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Nina wondered if maybe part of her amnesia was trying to clear up, and maybe this feeling stemmed from her remembering something. Whatever the reason, she felt as if coming here was the right thing to do.
"See? It's not so bad in here, is it?" She smiled at Tye, still holding his hand and, in fact, clasping it tighter now as a look of excitement crossed her face. "Ooh, where should we sit? And what would you recommend as a meal choice? Aww, I think anything would be good, ha!" If Tye didn't give her any sort of direction, she would end up pulling him around the tavern lost in her own curiosity and carefree excitement. She seemed not to mind her appearance when others were concerned, and just like earlier would either ignore the strange looks or smile and wave back at them as if she somehow misinterpreted the strange look as a greeting. No matter how low-brow the patrons ended up being, the girl didn't seem to mind at all.
Although, it was admittedly a bit strange when she softly patted a seemingly random patron's shoulder as she was passing by and whispered "don't worry, she'll be okay" in a sympathetic tone barely loud enough for the man to hear. This random, awkward, strange event would be followed by the girl acting in her typical carefree self, as if nothing had happened. The patron looked up in her direction with a confused face, but in a manner which proved that whatever Nina had said to him was somehow relevant, regardless of how little sense it had made that she had said it.
Unless Tye gave her some sort of direction, she would continue in a random manner before she finally picked one of the few small tables that wasn't occupied. And she clearly had no intention of letting go of his hand until they actually sat down.
--
Soladan noted that the two kids made their way into the tavern. His objective completed, he placed an amount of money on the counter before making his way outside without incident.
Once they were seated the boy shot her an angry stare. "You know I don't like how you think you can just go and grab my hand like that." he whined, rubbing his poor, delicate wrist. The silliness of his statement aside, the lad really did seem very uncomfortable with physical contact. She'd have to work harder to become his friend but she still had a chance (because she was offering food.)
In the crew's portion of the room two sailors started arguing loudly. A burly, ruddy haired man shook his fist at a shorter fellow with dark hair and skin. In turn the short one stepped up onto the table, two oddly shaped, bandaged objects that seemed to be a part of his pack bumping into the ceiling. He cussed at the man in a foreign tongue before challenging him to a fight. To which the pale man responded by tackling him.
The rest of the crew cheered and watched while the bartender looked on in a mixture of agitation and horror. Nearby, Wilder withdrew a whistle and started approaching the scene. As he arrived he blew on the whistle; enough to distract most of the patrons. In the sudden silence the man grinned and said, "Now we don't have fighting in the tavern.... but, if you'd prefer, we could all make our way out back and start organizing this fight. Eh?" Then most of the patrons expressed their approval and started making their way out. Some lingered, including the dark man and his bodyguards as well as a single blue-cowled fellow and the guy under the table.
"Come now, come now!I'll be taking your bets today! Just call me Wilder!" And so the betting began.
Tye also wasn't very eager to watch the fight. The bartender actually seemed rather relieved, able to address those who chose to stay at the counter. One of the bar wenches was approaching but was briefly distracted by another patron's request that she clean some things up while the rabble was gone.
Nina giggled as Tye complained about how she held his hand. "You know, you're complaining about it now but I'm sure you're stronger than I am, Mister T. If you really didn't want me to hold your hand, why didn't you just pull away?" She smiled, before noticing the fight going on at the other side of the room. She watched as the man named Wilder took control of the situation and turned the whole thing into what appeared to be a money making scheme. She frowned at the whole thing, not really liking the idea of someone turning a quarrel into entertainment instead of simply breaking them up.
--
Soladan returned to where Gallas had been waiting. From that alleyway, they had a fairly good view of the port, the tavern which the young girl and boy had entered being included in said view.
"All set. Have you prepared the spell?" The Elf said as Gallas adjusted his robes.
"Yeah, I'm good to go. What's this going to do, again?" Gallas asked nervously. Soladan never did tell him, after all. The only thing he knew was that this spell would trigger whatever it was that Soladan had placed into a man's drink. This would apparently help them catch - or maybe kill - that ridiculously cute girl somehow. He still wasn't happy with the idea, but orders were orders. Maybe this hesitance was the reason Soladan didn't give him the details.
"Don't worry, just cast the spell already. Err - oh, wait!" It was nearly too late, Soladan had to smack Gallas upside the head to get him to stop. "Dammit, hold on a second!"
"W-what!? What's wrong!?" The human fidgeted after being smacked, completely confused.
"That man over there! What's he doing outside!?"
"Who?" Gallas looked around, not sure who Soladan meant. A bunch of people had left the tavern though, apparently interested in some sort of fight between two others.
"Gah! He left the tavern! We can't use him now! It won't work!" Soladan slammed his fist on the wall in frustration. He didn't expect that man to leave. After all, he was half-drunk and relentlessly flirting with a woman who clearly wasn't interested. Soladan suspected she was sticking around simply because the man was buying her drinks. But apparently a fight broke out which interested the man more.
What was with this stupid girl!? This was the second time she somehow avoided his schemes.
At the very least, the poison in that man's system would last for twenty four hours... maybe he could still be used somehow...
--
"So, Mister T." She said in her typical carefree tone. "What do you recommend for food here? Anything special?" Not that she was in any way a picky eater.
Tye was more than a little irked by her observation, folding his arms. If he was pouting it was hard to tell but he wasn't so caught up in it as to not answer her question. "Ah... I don't really look at..." hesitating to say it aloud, the boy rubbed the back of his head and whispered, "...You know, menus and stuff. I don't really, uh... pick."
The fight was already going outside and had become quite a sensation.
The dark man lifted a hand and one of the bodyguards shot him a displeased look. They seemed to have a staring contest before the guard sighed in defeat and reached under the table, withdrawing a lute and beginning to tune it reluctantly. Then the dark man gave the other guard a look and he lifted his hands defensively, looking around before tapping the table experimentally. This pleased the dark man, who began to quietly compose something even while the first guard was still tuning his instrument.
The fellow in the blue hood wouldn't stop staring at Nina and Tye. He almost seemed... nervous.
Soon the music began, the strumming of the lute quick and belligerent. The second guard awkwardly drummed the table while the hooded one waited a bit. Then he- she?- started to sing a tale of a king and his men clashing with an ancient demon.
Meanwhile, the kid under the table explored the recently vacated seats the crew once filled, stuffing objects like food into his mouth and pockets. It didn't seem the staff noticed; or cared.