Prynne's wrists and ankles jingled lightly, her bare feet silent as she followed the servant to her husband's quarters. Keeping her head bowed, Prynne cleared her mind of her previous activities so that she might give her husband her full attention. They walked past beautiful columns, gardens, pools, and fountains, past the slaves,servants, and wives of the Merchant Prince Fahim Asgarri on their way to his rooms. Above them shone the bright stars of the sky, and the moon in her beauty, glittering down upon the still waters of the inner courtyards.
Folding her hands before her, Prynne waited respectfully as the servant entered her husband's quarters to announce her arrival. Quietly she entered, pleased that her husband's eyes still raked over her naked form as it had two years past when she had married him at the tender age of 15. She could still remember how frightened she had been of the marriage bed, but her husband was fair and gentle with her. Perhaps it was because he was an old man, no longer capable of the brutality of the bedchamber.
Kneeling before him, Prynne bowed her head and pressed her lips against the back of his hand. "Dear husband, I am honored you have sought my presence." Without speaking, Prynne obediently took the wet washcloth from the basin beside her to begin washing his feet before laying herself out in the bed for him. Her womanly obligation was very short, her husband unable to maintain himself for more than a mere minute or two before collapsing upon her, panting raggedly.
After several minutes of allowing herself to be held in her husband's arms, Prynne obediently took another wet washcloth to clean him, rising to leave him as she always did. The old man reached out, taking her wrist. He was not a strong, but he did not need be for her to obey. His voice was dry and strained, "Stay, lie with me beneath the stars tonight, dear one. It is not a night to share alone."
Confused, Prynne acquiesced, bringing a ladle full of water to his lips for him to drink before sliding back beneath the silk sheets at his side. This was the first time her husband had ever requested she sleep beside him, her heart hammering in her chest. Even though she had produced no children for him, Fahim had been a fair husband and had treated her with great favor, often to the envy of her other six sister wives. The only other wife who had been granted the honor of sharing his sleep was his first wife, a woman of his own age.
Prynne lay in the bed beside him in silence, her back towards him as she felt the rise and fall of his bare chest against her back. She closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.
The sound of the songbirds reached her ears, waking her to the chill of the dawn. She moved to slide herself quietly from beneath her husband's arm, thinking to silently leave his chambers so that she might begin the day's chores. Yet, his arm was heavier than she remembered as it dropped onto the bed behind her. Turning, she took a closer look at her husband in the dim light of early morning. Fahim looked deep in sleep, yet there was a stillness to him that uneased her. His dark skin had a pallor to it she was certain had not been there the night prior.
Crawling back onto the bed beside her husband, she stared hard at his chest. It did not rise and fall, but remained absent of movement. Kneeling beside her husband, she reached out to touch his cheek gently with her fingertips. "Husband..." Her voice was quiet, hesitant. "Husband." She repeated again, louder this time. "Fahim." Again, he did not move. She cupped his shoulders in her hands and turned him onto his back, shaking him as tears welled in her eyes. "Oh, husband! Fahim." When still he did not move, she began backing away on her hands and knees, falling to the floor beside the bed onto her butt. Her shaking hands came up to cover her mouth as she choked back a sob. Fahim was dead!
Scrambling onto her feet, Prynne ran from the room calling out for his first wife whose rooms were closest to his. "First Sister, Nabila! First Wife!" She dropped the honorific as the woman came rushing from her room, long gray hair hanging loose and mussed from sleep. Grabbing the woman's hands, Prynne fell to her knees in front of the woman. "Oh Nabila! He has gone! Our husband as left us in the night!"
Nabila pulled her hands from Prynne's and headed directly for their husband's chambers, Prynne close on her feet. When they entered the room Nabila gave out an anguished wail, she, too, falling to her knees as she released keeling cries into the early morning air. Prynne stood silently, her own tears dried as she gazed in disbelief at the scene unfolding. Soon all of Fahim Asgarri's wives, servants, and slaves had gathered to the room where his body lay cooling.
~*~*~
The next week passed with the entire household in silence, all wearing black in respect of their departed husband. Although they were not allowed to speak, Prynne could tell that some of the wives were avoiding her. She could see the blame in their eyes.
They awaited the new moon for the ritual, something that Prynne was fighting not to feel conflicted about. Her husband was from a Mothraki desert tribe, devotees of one of the minor gods, a minor god with a funeral ritual Prynne was terrified of. For two years the wives had spoken of it first in hushed manner, and then with the fierceness of blind loyalty. It was said that when a great husband died, that his wives should join him swiftly in the afterlife. They were meant to do so by joining him in their own funeral pyres, to burn alive. Those women who could endure the pain of the fire with bravery and without fear were said to be honored greatly in the afterlife and would be reborn with the stars favor.
Each woman bragged about how their love for their husband was greatest, and how their pyre would burn brightest of them all to prove their loyalty to him. Prynne had never found it easy to speak of this, and was afraid that she would not be able to endure it without fear because she had been terrified of the day for the two years since she had married her husband... She had thought she would at least have more time before her husband's passing, though her dreams had told her differently now that she was looking back on them.
Of all the wives, Prynne was the youngest by nearly twenty years, and this she attributed to her reluctance and fear. She did not have the wisdom of age like her sister wives, though she yearned to be as loyal as they.
The day of their husband's passed, the wives chattering happily as they prepared to present themselves to their husband one last time. Prynne alone was somber as she oiled and braided her long black hair, several braids woven together with purple and gold trinkets. Adorned in all of her jangling jewelry and her best purple and gold wrap, Prynne joined the other women in a line. Her sister wive's children walked before them in a procession through the city streets, spreading flower petals before their jangling feet until they were outside the city walls and exposed to the cold clear night. Each woman approached their husband's funeral pyre, stopping to kiss him before going to their own pyres to be tied.
As always, Prynne did as she was expected, just as she had done her entire life... Her short seventeen years. Tears stung her eyes as she bent to press her lips against the coldness of her husband's lips one last time, one dropping down upon his cheek as she spoke quietly to him. "Why must I die to please you, husband?"
The hand's of a serving girl not much younger than Prynne led her to her own pyre on the very end. Prynne looked down on the girl who would light the fire that would consumer her flesh. The other wives had children to light their own... She choked back a sob. She had not even been blessed with a child, yet she was expected to die! There was still so much left of the world that she wished to see, and in the depths of her heart she yearned for the true love she had read of in her books. The household wise woman stepped forward, scolding her. "You displease Hakeshma and bring shame to your husband weeping so, Seventh Wife."
Prynne swallowed back her tears, her heart feeling like a cavern of despair as she stepped upon the stage of her own pyre and allowed the serving girl to tie her to the pillar of wood. The wise woman began her eulogy to the late Fahim Asgarri, first setting light to his pyre. All eyes watched as the flames began to consume his body before the next fire was lit, the fire for the first wife Nabila.
At first when the flames began licking at Nabila's feet she stayed silent, steadfast and brave. But as the fire spread up her oiled body, she began an inhuman scream. When the fire finally licked the end of her well-oiled hair, the fire spread so rapidly that Nabila's screams quickly died out. Prynne, eyes wet and wide with horror, watched as her sister wive's children lit one pyre after another.
Prynne cried out when her own fire was lit, the heat of the flames licking at her feet and up her calves. No one turned to watch the lighting of the seventh wife's fire, nor did they notice at first when the pyre began to flicker out. As Prynne's eyes began to roll back into her head from the pain, her own voice hoarse from screaming, something deeply primal within her fought back. She felt coolness at her burnt feet and ankles, the relief from the flames grabbing her attention as she looked down in horror and amazement. She was conjuring water! Thank the stars! She immediately regretted her praise to Hakshema- what she was doing was blasphemous. But oh! How good did the water feel against her burnt skin!
The flames had broken the ties at her feet and weakened the ones behind her back enough for her to free herself, jerking free of the remaining rope. As she did this, the serving girl seemed to gather her wits enough to cry out for the rest of their household. Prynne's feet moved without prompting, landing atop the charred wood of her pyre as she ran, the wood hissing from the water. Prynne ran with great strides away, the agonized screams of her sister wives fading while the enraged yells of her house's guards trailed behind her.
They were catching on her, but something deep within her spurred her forward, her bare feet slapping the ground. She stumbled as the terrain softened to untrampled sand, but still she ran, her long black hair streaming behind her. Something within her bubbled up as she yipped aloud with glee, tasting freedom for the first time, even though her life was still in danger.
When they reached the black muddy waters of the Niafi river she did not pause, did not have time to feel fear of the dangers of crocodiles and hippos. The current swept her up, strong but steady as she fought her way to the opposing shore. With the gods' blessing, Prynne made it to the other side of the river, clawing her way up through the mud of the banks. Scrambling to her knees, Prynne turned around to see if any of her pursuers had followed suit, only to see the flickering lights of torches from across the wide expanse of the river.
Panting, Prynne took off into the night, running until she began to feel her burnt legs and feet. Limping, Prynne found her way to a small cave, crawling inside. Too exhausted to care about the beasts in the night or the terrible thing she had done by escaping, Prynne took one last look at the distant flickering lights coming from the top of the wall of Essyrn before falling into a fitful sleep.
Light slowly appeared from deep within this cave. This happened so soon, it was as if invited by the woman's arrival. The mystery light shone very dimly at first, with no visible source to be seen. Even with this limited glow, the cold sandstone walls grew slightly warmer. Over the course of time, this light grew in intensity. Brighter and brighter it grew, ever so gently.
It was a mystery as to where it came from. There was no one to be seen. Not a single sound was made or could be heard. Even so, there was a feeling like someone was there, a presence watching from farther within. The air itself was now warmed by the light, and held an aura of pleasantness.
The more it illuminated the inside of the cavern, the more life this mysterious light appeared to possess. It almost seemed... sentient. It invited the woman to stray deeper inside, gently trying to coax her with the promise of warmth and happiness. Either wonder or despair awaited her inside the depths of the cave.
Prynne woke, strangely warm despite the freezing temperatures of the surrounding desert. Her burnt legs screamed in pain, and she could fully feel every cut and bruise she had gained in her escape. Prynne had experienced little pain in her life, as protected and cherished as she had been as a wealthy daughter and then wife of a prince merchant. Tears stung her eyes, hands shaking as she pushed herself up to look in amazement and fear at the light enveloping the cave. Was it this light that was warming the cave?
All of the folk tales she had read told her that following such lights would surely lead her to trouble. Djinns, gods, and mythical beasts all came to mind, but Prynne did not feel frightened in the least. She had just survived something so traumatic, and she felt for once entirely free. Free of fear or obligation. At first she attempted to stand, but she fell forward on her hands and knees with a yell. Her feet were badly blistered and burnt, the wounds full of the sands she had traversed across on her escape. Even her shins were burnt, and the skin touching the sandstone of the cave greatly pained her.
Balancing as well as she might on her unburnt knees and scraped hands, Prynne crawled deeper into the cave as the light brightened and the warmth increased. Dark hair fell over her shoulders, her beautiful face smudged with the ashes from her funeral pyre. The jingling of her jewelry and her labored breathing were all that could be heard as she made her way into the depths of the cave.
Ruvyk had been walking all day long, under the hot and arid sun. The desert was no place to be happily running around, not only was it way too hot, but it was also unpleasant to the eye as the light was so bright it was hard to keep one eyes clearly open. But such problems weren't something he really cared about, since he was himself a god of the desert, such trivial matters were only for the commoners.
Carrying his lot of merchandise at his belt, in what seems to be a simple bag, he was walking, heading straight for the next town. The clear blue sky wasn't giving any sign of a sandstorm, wich would have slowed him down a bit. His mid long purple hair falling over his face, his scarf around his head to keep himself from getting any stroke was untidy, the wind was hard and screamed at his face.
He could swear sometimes he heard the other gods laugh at him from up there and he would give them an angry look while swearing under his breath. This life wasn't meant for him, he should be up there and watch mortal walk around and get into troubles, but no, they toughts he needed a lesson and he was always so annoyed by them that when he was alone, he would curse them out loud. Swearing revenge on those idiots.
The day kept on going, he saw a few animals, but no one until day fall and night came to take it's place, the stars showing up one by one in the lovely dark sky. The moon, bright and yellow as she shone on all the desert, the hotness of the sand, turning to cold. His naked feet could tell the difference but he was used to walk like this, one could not tell by looking at him and his pale skin.
He took a long sip from his bottle of water, it felt refreshing as he let the rest of it fall over his body and kept walking. One would call it waste, but to him, this was just a small shower as he could make as much water as he wanted, after all, he was a water god.
Reaching forward, the town was still very far, but as he got closer, he saw a light from a cave, not very far from where he was. Was someone out in the desert? At this time and hour? He wondered as he walked closer, out of curiosity, what troubles awaited him, he had no idea. Walking slowly toward the entrance as he looked inside, he could make out the line of a young woman, trying to move toward the deep of the cave, on her knees.
-Well...I don't think you'll get much farther like this...-
He said, an amused smile on his face while leaning on the wall of the cave. He had spoken loud enough for the woman to hear him.
Gasping, Prynne flipped around and tried to scramble to her feet. She hissed from the pain, eyes tearing up as she backed herself against the wall of the cave and looked at the man. It was a man... She clutched at her clothing and pressed herself further against the cave, willing it to swallow her up. This was the first time she had ever been alone with a man unrelated to herself, adding further fuel to her already fearful flight of fancy. Men who were not a woman's husband, father, brothers, or cousins were not to be trusted. Especially not attractive looking men like this one, likely to be from another realm.
She pulled the golden ornamental dagger from its hilt at her hips, gems sparkling along its blade and hilt. With both hands on the hilt, she held it straight out from herself at him, hands unsteady. "Djinn or Demon, begone! I will have none of your trickery!" Her voice quaked, and it was hard to sound convincing when she could not quite bring herself to look him in the eyes. She comforted herself by recalling the tales in which folk lost their vision or were turned to stone for looking in the eyes of some creatures.
He looked at her, unsurprised by her actions. She probably didn't expect anyone to be here in the middle of the night, but this was a cave and any bandit could be occupying it after all. Lucky, he wasn't one. As she lashed out her blade toward him, shaking, he yawn a bit but frowned when she called him a djinn, even more, a demon.
-Oye...please don't compare me with such pesky beings...they are an annoying bunch alright...-
He said. After a little more observation, he could easily tell that the girl had been trough quite a lot, a fire perhaps, noticing the burnt legs and the ashes remaining over her figure. She was quite beautiful alright, but quite roughed up as well. He let himself fall against the wall and sat on the ground, oppose to the girl, with still a smile on his face.
-But really...if you intend to kill me, shouldn't you at least look at me? Also, what happened to you? Your a real mess and seen that dagger of yours...either you stole it...or your a runaway...-
He said. He was curious, his questions weren't out of care but just pure curiosity. The wind outside was picking up and quickly, violent winds and sand were hitting the place, a sandstorm. He was a bit surprised as there had been no sign of one earlier. This was probably a trick from his peers. He mumble something, looking a bit annoyed.
-Ehh...looks like your stuck with my company for now...-
He said, leaning back against the wall of the cave.
"Oh... This Is... Interesting." a voice rang out with an ominous chuckle.
This voice had no visible owner, but was definitely that of a young male. Emanating from deep within the cave, its playful yet sinister tone reverberated off the sandstone walls.
"Not many can easily find and enter my domain. There is something... interesting... about this one."
As the voice continued, it seemed to no longer bounce off the boundaries of the cave, but rather to emanate from them. The light in the depth retreated some, and another grew strongly in the cavern's entryway. The outside world was no longer visible past the new blinding light. Only more chuckling could be heard from the walls.
Prynne's burnt feet protested against the weight and movement as she edged to the mouth of the cave to look outside as well. Even though it was much too dark for her to make out much, it was just light out enough for her to realize how futile it would be to try and escape. She was quick and nimble on her feet, but the adrenaline of her escape was no longer pulsing through her veins to propel her across the desert in her current shape.
Her footsteps produced waves of jingling from the copious amounts of jewelry she wore- from her bangled ankles and wrists, to the coins sewn into her sari, the earrings and necklaces, and the comb in her hair. If she had been a thief, she would be a rather foolish one for wearing all of her acquisitions. She remained close to the mouth of the cave- braving a sandstorm was preferable to being ravaged or eaten by this strange man.
"I am no thief." By omission she admitted she was indeed a runaway, a concept still fresh and intimidating to her. She had not thought past her escape, but was certain that her husband's household would search for her. She had been Fahim's favorite wife, and that she refused to complete her duty to him by joining him in the afterlife would be considered the greatest offense- to her husband and the gods.
The sound of the voice shook her to her core, and she stood with her back to the outside while trying to locate the location of the voice. Her graceful movements were inhibited by the pain of her burns, but still she managed to hold onto the dagger. She began to pray aloud to Hakshema and then to the minor god of her husband's tribe she had devoted herself to since he had requested her hand in marriage at the age of seven. She quickly stopped herself, something that felt like resentment bubbling up in her for once in her life. There were no gods, and if there were, they were no gods of hers. They had asked her to give her life in such a painful manner, they had judged her blasphemous for being born with the gift of water magic.
She immediately regretted her doubts of Hakshema, but she could not bring herself to begin the prayer again. It was she that was the villain. She had committed the vilest of sins against her beloved husband and the gods. Who was she to judge their decisions? She should return to Essyrn to face her shame and pain with bravery. Perhaps it might give her a chance at redemption. That was, if she survived this strange and magical ordeal.
Prynne looked at the man for answers, her heart beating loudly in her ears. "If you are no djinn or demon, then is this presence not?" The chuckling of the voice seemed to sink to her very bones, the power like nothing she had experienced before. Perhaps this was her punishment? Perhaps the gods had already discovered her and were here to punish her for her betrayal.
Ruvyk chuckles a bit as the girl denied been a thief, so obviously, she was a runaway, but in any case, he didn't care much.
-I don't really care what you are nor do I intend to harm you in any way...-
He said. He didn't seemed like he was lying either. He took the bottle at his waist and drank a few sip. He slender figure and look were quite attractive indeed. Many jewels also covered the young man thin fingers, a few rings of gold pierced his ears, if it weren't from his hair and complexion, he could have look like the son of a rich merchant. His clothes were colorful as well.
At first, he didn't look like he had any weapon on him. As the strange phenomenon happened, Ruvyk looked around, not exactly surprised but more intrigued. He turned his red eyes toward the young woman and gave a soft and amused smile.
-This is certainly not ordinary...-
He said. He didn't look effraid, this was certainly the power of a minor god...or perhaps a djiin or a demon? Whoever it was, would eventually reveal itself.
-Well, I believe none of us knew this was your domain...if the host of this place could so kindly introduce himself, that would be much appreciated...I feel it not very interesting to talk to walls! Or is it that you have no other appearance?-
The young man said, getting back up, attaching the bottle back at his belt. Showing his shark like smile.
-My name is Ruvyk Rha...an humble merchant of the desert!-
He introduced himself with a strong stance and charming manners, without revealing any of his true identity, as it wasn't necessary even tough he would have love to show off, this wasn't the time and at any rate, his title as a God had been more or less taken, wich didn't mean he wasn't one. He was still one...only, things were complicated.
He turned his gaze toward the young woman, motioning for her to introduce herself. If it was to talk about entity, why not just try to talk it out.
The mortal had the expected response, panic and prayers to her gods. The other one however...
Perhaps such calm was expected from a being such as himself.
"Perhaps I already have..." he said again, still with the same playful tone.
"When you ask me to introduce myself, do you expect a man to appear? Have you not opened your mind up to any other possibilities? How vast is your imagination I wonder..."
Each sentence seemed to come from a different and random direction. The voice sounded farther away than the stone walls would allow someone to even stand. Yet, it could be heard perfectly by both occupants of the cave, without echo or obstruction.
"I could be anything here, as far as you know. The stones on the floor, the gas that lingers in the air... I could even be the walls themselves!"
In the moment that neither of the two were paying attention to the walls of the cave, they had changed. Now they were softer than before, the cold stone feeling replaced with that of a rough leather. Deeper into the cave, an incorporeal silhouette appeared against the light.
"A humble merchant..." it began sarcastically.
"What is the point of a false introduction? I know what you truly are... I have seen it. This is my domain, after all, and there is nothing you can hide from me here. Remember this, prince of the desert..."
With that, the eclipsing figure dissipated into the light. Only light chuckling could be heard as it did so.
Ruvyk were clutching slightly at the rings on his fingers. He kept a cool and calm expression non the less, as the other presence was apparently trying to make fun of them or simply playing around? It was hard not to be on guard when you couldn't see who you were facing nor would he be able to sleep in this place either.
-Ohh...you don't have to worry about my imagination, I've got plenty of it..-
He said slowly. As what he said was revealed as a lie, he greet his teeth a little, turning his expression into a annoyed one. He frowned but slowly shook his head.
-Perhaps not as humble...but I am still a merchant...-
He answered back. He was thinking, if this entity was so omniscient in it's domain, he was wondering what plans he had for them. What was his gig, what did he wanted. Of course they intruded but there was no harm done was there?
As the light and walls changed some more, he was not as much impressed as the first time, illusions, he could do and this was nothing as impressive anymore.
-Then friend, if you'd allow me this question, are you willing to let us go? As mentioned before...Neither of us knew this was your domain...-
If he tried hard enough, breaking the sceal of this domain out to the real world would be possible, but that'd mean he'd have to use a lot of his strenght to do so, depending on how powerful this place was. He didn't knew as the being had not reveal it's form yet, if it had, or perhaps this place was it's true form. Either way, he would rather talk this out then use full force power.
Turning toward the young woman.
-You should really treat your feet...before they get infected...-
He said to her. If she was hurt, and if in the need of escape she would call him for help, it would only slow him down. Taking out of his pouch, a small bottle filled with a clear crystal like liquid, he handed it over to her.
-It won't heal everything, but at least the pain will be lessen and the wounds cleanse...-
He had close in to her but slowly, she was still holding the dagger.
"Indeed..."
This word blew from the depths of the cave like a breeze. The man did not lie, he was indeed a merchant. It was just the fact that a god would take up such a mundane mortal profession. That was the strange part.
The silhouette appeared again in the opposite light, where the cave had opened. Still as formless as it was before, it grew with every syllable spoken by the man. At full size (the average height of a human), it put its feet down on the wooden floor. Another quick and unnoticable change, the floor had turned from soft sand to hard wood. However, it was not made up of boards, like one would find on the deck of a ship. Rather, it was one solid, smooth, and flat piece of wood.
"I am aware. None know my domain, even when they stand in its midst. However, only one is intruding..."
The eclipsing shadow once again faded from sight, as if it were a whisp of smoke in the breeze. It's voice, however, remained.
"It matters not... Two are here now, stranded in a realm not their own."
The last sentence grew quieter with each word. The voice had now vanished as well, leaving the two with only each other.
Prynne listened as the man and the voice spoke to one another, though there was obviously more to be revealed about both that neither cared to reveal. The voice seemed to know everything about the man in her company, and it made her nervous that she did not also know about his nature. Well, it did not worry her so much as the bodyless voice and the changing floors and walls of the cave. The leather wall in particular had her skin crawling.
When the man offered her the vial, she looked at it a moment considering on whether she should take it or not when the voice returned again. Who was intruding? Was it her? She spoke up, her voice shaking but certain, "I was only seeking shelter... I did not mean to intrude!" But it didn't seem to matter to the voice, for it was now receding as it spoke of their fate. She took a step towards the direction she had last seen the shadow, but the presence of the man Ruvyk stopped her forward movement. She didn't want to go near him as of yet.
Desperate, she spoke out of place, calling after the voice, "Please, you cannot trap me here!" Tears welled in her eyes as she contained her fear of Ruvyk and walked further towards where the shadow had last been seen. She swallowed heavily. "B-but... I've only just gotten my freedom."
She had all but forgotten about Ruvyk's offer of the cleansing liquid, though she badly needed it. He was right- the burns on her feet and legs badly needed tending, and to have relief from the pain would be wonderful.
Ruvyk sighed a bit. That's why mortal were always so hard to deal with. Fragile little creatures. Apparently, the girl had no idea what was going on, neither did he, but at the very least, he had two ways of getting out of here.
-There is no point in trying to ask him...-
He said, still holding the vial in view.
-It's not like he really care anyway...-
He put the vial down for the girl to get it if she wanted, along with some bandages and looked around for a moment. The cave had apparently returned to ''normal'' but they were clearly still in that being domain. Despite the voice been gone, he knew far too well that he was still there, watching there move.
-Well, you can cry all you want, I don't intend to stay here and praying ain't gonna help you...so if you want to get out of here, hurry up and help those feet of yours..I ain't carrying you on my back!-
He said. His voice was a bit harsh but also confident. As he finally made a few steps toward the exit. The one that existed before. Concentrating his mind on his surroundings, he started to feel the energy of the domain, this was obviously another plane or small dimension that was connected here, and he had a certain item he could use to open a door back to the real world.
His hands felt the wall for a moment, until he finally found it, the weakest point in this small reality fiber. This could work. As a merchant and a traveler, he had come across many various items, magic ones, normal ones, he liked to collect them and since he could so easily carry them around, this was no problem for him. Taking a sharp pink diamond attached to a necklace from the pouch at his side, he let it hang from his hand, the small chains swirled around his fingers as the diamond started to shine slightly.
That would require much of his power, he greet his teeth, these kind of situations, he could have just blow this place up if he still had all of his powers. Sadly, that wasn't the case. The diamond started to float forward as he pushed his powers trough the diamond tip, wind could be felt from the tip of the diamond as it was now spinning very fast into the air, as if trying to pierce the air itself. Ruvyk's expression was that of heavy concentration, small pearl of sweat could be seen along his face as the diamond kept spinning and the air seemed to be overflowing with powerful energy.
The portal he was making wouldn't be holding very long but would be enough to be able to cross onto the other side, back to the real world and out of this being's grasp. That would leave just enough time for Prynne to heal herself a little, well enough for her to cleanse her feet and walk outside if she wished to follow him.
After a good 30 seconds that seems to last for an hour, the air itself seemed to cover itself in cracks and the outside world was in view, with the sun rising up in the sky, even tough it was night before, time never run the same from a world to the other. The cracks grew larger and larger until they scattered and whats seems like a broken glass led them outside.
-Hurry up! It's not gonna hold on for long!-
Ruvyk called out to the girl, offering his hand for her to hold on to. Half his body already outside the portal, back in the real world.
Prynne did as she was bid, comfortably falling into obedience as she had always done. But this was different- she also knew she was in need of looking after herself. The notion of taking care of her own needs and of not being protected was terrifying. Never in her life had she been in any situation even close to as dangerous as this, nor had she ever needed to look after her own well-being. Prynne had been raised to be something of a trophy wife, to be fawned over and tended to like a prized and favorite beast. Her ineptitude did not mean that she was weak or helpless, but rather that she was trained well. She was trained to be agreeable, to take care that no harm came to her body or beauty because they were not her own. They were her father's and then they were her husband's... And now they were her own.
Swallowing heavily, she reached forward and took the vial and bandages with shaking fingers. Blinking away the tears, she sniffled a bit to clear the snot from her nostril. "S-sorry..." She did not know the title to call him, so she did not use his name. She did not have time... She spread the contents of the vial across her feet and onto the burns of her calves, a gasp of surprise coming from her throat as she watched her wounds become clean and some of the pain abate. Whatever magical potion was in the vial did not seem to heal the wounds much, and so she clumsily applied the bandages, wrapping them around her bare feet and up her calves.
Prynne watched in amazement as Ruvyk opened up the portal, taking his hand with her own soft, delicate one as he pulled her through. They emerged in the same cave, though they were not emerging so much as waking up. It was almost as if their souls were returning to their bodies as they were released from the dream realm.
Prynne slowly pushed herself up to sit, surprised that the bandages were still in place. She turned her head to look at Ruvyk, eyes wide as she processed exactly what he had done. "You... You are not a merchant, just as that being said." Her green eyes opened even wider, thick lashes brushing her cheeks as she quickly closed them and bent forward on the floor of the cave, placing her forehead on the backs of her hands as they pressed into the floor. Bowing before him, she spoke to the ground. "Oh great one, thank you for your aid... This mortal is forever grateful, I am undeserving."
As they finally emerge on the other side, Ruvyk was laying on the ground, panting a bit, while eventually getting back up, sitting on the ground, a hand on his forehead as he saw the girl kneeling before him. He was too tired to really understand what was going on, this little trick had taken him a lot of energy and all he wanted to do now was to get a good rest and some food...perhaps a bath?
A bath would definitively be welcome. The diamond had shattered completely in his hand, leaving it bloodied. He looked at his own blood, surprised.
This was a first for him, never before had he been wounded and so surprise could be seen upon his face. But he was quickly distracted by the girl's words. He raised an eyebrow, finally understanding what was going on. It had been a very long time since one had bow to him like to a god. Somehow he felt a brim of joy inside and smirk a little. But clearly, this girl wouldn't never believe he was a merchant anymore, even tough he wasn't lying.
-Right...but really...I am a merchant...not a regular one...but still a merchant...you know...I didn't lie..-
He said, looking at his hand once more. With his other hand, he called forth some healing water and wrapped it around his hand, the water quickly healed his wounds, unlike the one in the vial. once his hand refresh, she took notice that the girl hadn't moved.
-You know...err...even tough I'm please to see you bow to me...you can get up now...-
He said. Sometimes he didn't understand how mortal were thinking. He let out a sigh as he lean against the wall of the cave.
-So...what is your name? Where did you came from?-
He asked. He didn't care much but that was better then keeping quiet until he felt better. He needed some energy back before walking back to the city.
She glanced up at him nervously from her prone position, her eyes alight in wonder as he used water to heal himself. Her own wounds panged sharply to remind her that she, too, still needed to tend further to her wounds, but she could not bring herself to ask him for further aid yet. She straightened herself up so she was sitting, her hands neatly folded in her lap as she addressed him respectfully. He was a god, after all. He would know if she lied, would he not? She closed her eyes for a moment to prepare herself for her confession.
"I am Prynne Asgarri, the seventh wife," she paused and corrected herself, "the seventh widow of the merchant prince, Fahim Asgarri, of Essyrn and the desert tribe Nur." Prynne tucked a tendril of hair back behind her ear as she spoke, politely refraining from making eye contact as she stared wistfully off into the night outside of the cave. "I have betrayed the gods by not obeying the law of my husband's god, Azar of their desert tribe. I have brought shame upon my family and upon my husband, may Hakeshna see him through safely in the afterlife." She touched her palm to her chest then to her lips and forehead before extending it skyward in respect to the gods and her husband.
If she was to be punished by the gods, then she would tell her story as she experienced it. "My husband left this life, and it was my duty as his wife to join him. My sister wives, they were brave and were able to honor our husband..." Prynne swallowed as tears began to flow again down her cheeks, "But I could not. I was not brave or loyal enough. I extinguished the flames of my pyre with my wicked water magic, and I fled the righteous wrath of my family." She looked up to him finally, her eyes bright with tears, "I know it is not my right to question the gods, but I could not obey my husband in the most important of all tasks! I only wish to live my life... I am yet so young, and I have yet to bear any children of my own to honor Hakeshna! But my barrenness is surely my own fault, for the gods must have foreseen my betrayal."
Prynne bowed down again, pressing her forehead against the backs of her palms as she begged brazenly. "I am undeserving and blasphemous, but please, Great God Ruvyk, please have mercy on this foolish girl. Please do not let me die so young!"
Laid back against the wall of the cave, his hand now healed laid on his tight as he sighed. She started talking and his red bright eyes locked back on her once more. Well, he was the one who asked so he listened to her story, perhaps he would gain some answers as to what happened to her. And so he did. Raising an eyebrow as she kept speaking, talking about her betrayal, how she could not let herself burn as a sacrifice to the god of her husband tribe. Not even her own.
The more he heard, the more he tought this was all but foolishness. To think that one would sacrifice his own life for honor, it was stupid. He couldn't really blame her for wanted to save her own life. She was young, and beautiful, she had a lifetime ahead of her. Hearing about the water magic part raised his interest, even tough she had called it wicked. And then it came, the teary eyes, he knew what was coming.
The urge to help, he couldn't resist it as she made her demand. He knew that feeling way too well and once again, he found himself frowning and grumbling as it came. He sighed eventually, resigning himself to the curse as he lean forward toward the girl, tilting his head on the side. To not let her die so young could mean a lot of thing. Her request wasn't exactly clear, what was it that she feared could take her life away.
The Gods wouldn't certainly not run after one mere mortal, she knew that. But her family would probably not see it with the same eye.
-So...you seek my protection...and you seek to bear children...-
He said slowly. He lean back against the wall, as if thinking. He would help her, there was no denying it, but it didn't mean he couldn't take his time.
-Honestly, I can't blame you for wanting to save your life...only a fool would sacrifice his own for nothing...Gods have their ways, we are all different and we don't all think alike...-
He said more softly.
-Gods can live forever...but humans...there life are short...you said you could use water magic...don't call it wicked...it is a gift, you should bear it with pride...-
He paused for a moment.
-Fine...I will help you, you will be under my protection but you must stay with me, otherwise, I won't be able to do anything, you must understand that I also have my own agenda...-
He waited to see her response.
Prynne swallowed back her tears as he spoke, scooping herself off the floor to sit and listen properly, nodding her head eagerly as he spoke. She was learning so much, and speaking to an actual god! For years she had trained to serve the gods before she had been given to her husband, and now she was actually in the presence of a god who was promising to aid her. Relief washed over her features as she bowed forward again and kissed his feet, enthusiastic in her gratitude. "Oh course, Lord Ruvyk! I shall do all that is in my power to serve you and be of use as long as I should be by your side."
She sat back up again, her eyes attentive and sharp, though she dropped them to the floor again out of propriety. "About... About my water my magic," her voice was soft and melodic, "we are taught that water magic is taboo for humans like myself to use. That Hakeshna disproves. Just as I was taught that the only way to honor the gods was to bear my husband children..." She chewed on her lip, questions eating up at her.
She felt a surge of courage jolt through her as she spoke out of turn again, "What are you the god of, my lord Ruvyk? And how may I best repay you for your protection? I am told my entertainment skills are notable, and I am a very quick learner..."
She chewed on her lower lip nervously, knowing what her husband's response would have been. "Though I know intelligence is not desirable in a wife. I," she stammered, a furious blush rising to her features as she ducked her head down, "I have... I have also been told I am quite pleasing as a bedmate."
Prynne felt humiliated by the prospect, but she was now coming to realize that she had no idea how to survive outside of the protection of her father or her husband's households. All of her life Prynne had been raised to serve the needs of men, to please them, to be a good a dutiful wife. Now that she had betrayed her husband, she had no purpose any longer. No husband to serve or family to please. And she couldn't expect to ever marry again, not with her reputation and with the loss of her maidenhood to her husband. She had never even heard of a wife who had gone on after the death of her husband! Was she to be doomed to exile now? What was she meant to do, now that there was nobody to tell her? Of course Prynne had idly dreamed about being free to make her own decisions, but that was before it had become a reality. And the reality of the matter was much more frightening and daunting than she had expected. She had nothing but her beauty and her jewels to her advantage.
Ruvyk's eyes lay on the woman's face and expression. He could feel she was gifted in many ways, but it was currently wasted. He was merely helping her out of that curse of his, but it didn't means there would be no repercussion. Lately, his actions had probably influence much more people life then ever before. He was slowly realizing how much of a difference he could make in someone else's life. As she kissed his feet, he shook his head. There was no need to go that far, how could someone just humiliate itself like this?
He wanted to get that girl's head back up and not crawling on the ground. Tough he felt amused by that, he didn't think it was needed. Ruvyk didn't had much followers because most people wouldn't even know he existed. He wasn't one of those popular Gods that would just ask for sacrifice and all.
-You should know that water is the source of Life...without it, you can't survive, plants won't grow from the soil, and humans will just dry away...honoring the gods comes in many ways...and it depends on the God you actually want to honor...-
He said, looking at her. And then, there it was, that question, what god of was he? His expression darkened barely for a split second before he answered calmly.
-I am Ruvyk Rha, God of water, deity of the Great Desert and protector of the Oasis...I watch over the traveler and make sure they find safety and rest while traveling the desert...-
That was his job alright, not that he had ever really done it properly, and even less now that he was stuck here. As a way to repay him, there was none, as he couldn't ask for anything in return. That made him cringe a bit. He let her spoke, then simply shook his head, then his hand reach for the young woman's face, lifting it up toward his between his thumb and major.
-I wouldn't decline all of those delicaties...but I shall not request any from you...you wished to be free, then stop thinking that you should be pleasing man at every corner...and only do so if you want it...-
Their faces were pretty close, his red ruby like eyes were locked onto Prynne's but Ruvyk didn't do anything more then speak frankly to her. He let go of her face and sat back, then looked outside. Then turning his head toward Prynne, he said.
-We'll be heading back to town...I know your family is probably after you...As I've said so before, I'm also a merchant, while were in town, pretend to be my wife, I'll cast an illusion over you so you won't be find out...I wanted to leave the town soon so you are welcome to travel with me until you can find safety...-
Then looked back at the girl's feet.
-But first...we should really treat those burns of yours...-
"Though I have not heard of you, I am honored to be in your presence. You... I never expected to meet a god, nor did I expect such kindness from one." She stared down into her lap. "I have always had respect and fear for the gods of my family and my husband."
Prynne swallowed and exhaled softly as his fingers cupped her chin, her olive eyes looking into his ruby ones in awe at his benevolence. "I..." She stumbled over her words, eyes glancing over his face before she averted them once more, "I have only ever been raised to serve the needs of my husband. I was chosen as a young girl, and I have known nothing more."
But she had dreamed quite a bit more, as immersed as she had been in her stories, animals, and books when nobody was watching. Though it felt prideful to think it, Prynne felt as if she was living her own adventure now. She had summoned the courage and will to escape and to save herself. She was speaking to a god, had encountered another powerful entity and survived. Though her trained modesty would not allow her to fully embrace those emotions, deep down she felt empowered. She felt strong and brave, and worthy of life. But years of suppressing those types of emotions made her ashamed of them. Prynne felt painfully conflicted on the matter.
When he explained his plan, she bowed her head. "I will defer to your judgment, then. I would like to travel by your side for the time... At least until I can survive on my own." He did not own her, she was not his. Prynne could not quite wrap her mind around the concept of her freedom, of not being beholden to anybody. She was just now testing the waters of her freedom. She knew she was fortunate to have met Ruvyk. Other men would have taken her offer and soon made her their own. But now she had the safety of his companionship to begin testing the limits of her freedom.
Prynne untucked her legs from beneath herself to stretch them out before him, cringing as the burnt skin stretched taut. She looked down at the damaged skin of her feet and calves, marring her otherwise flawless skin. Even if she had been still a virgin, no husband would want such a damaged wife. She obediently waited for him to tend to her wounds as he saw fit, just as she had done with her husband's healers for every small scratch and bruise and illness. He had often punished her for damaging herself, for marring her beauty that he felt he owned. She wondered how his reaction would have been to her burns...
This was close to been a slave as far as Ruvyk thought. Raised to be a beautiful ornament, a singing bird in a golden cage wit her wings cut off. But she had been bold enough to escape her fate and somewhat, it made him smile.
As she unfold her legs, he closed the gap between them and lean over her burnt feet. Despite been the rude person he was, his hands delicately held one of the young woman's foot in his hand and cover the rest with the other, soon, a soothing sensation came over her foot as water poured out of Ruvyk's hand, but not splashing or falling on the ground. It was revolving around her skin, caressing it with healing powers. The water started to glow slightly with a green light as the wounds were closing themselves, leaving place to a refreshing and rosy skin. Leaving no traces of the previous wounds.
He then proceeded to do the same with her other feet, he looked calm as his hands were healing her with such ease and softness. Ruvyk had not always been dejected by others or been bad, but sometimes, things don't always go the way we want. He had experienced that first hand. Memories came flying back at him but he ignored them.
Once he was done, he lift his gaze upon her and got back up, offering his hand to help her up.
-Do you think you can walk to the town with barefoot?-
He asked. He, himself, was barefoot, but it didn't matter to him, the harshness of the sands didn't affect him, but it might be different for the girl.
Prynne watched in wide-eyed amazement at the power of his healing waters, entranced by the gentle and easy way in which the severe burns on her feet and legs disappeared to leave fresh, unmarred skin. Skin that was almost softer than it had been before. Tentatively she reached out her long fingers to run along the skin of her calves and feet, still in disbelief that any entity could so fully heal such damage.
When he was fully done and offering her his hand, Prynne daintily placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her up. As she stood, she tested her legs... The pain was completely gone as well. In the moment, she forgot herself and smiled brightly at him, "You are truly amazing, Lord Ruvyk!"
Prynne twirled on her feet, a giggle bubbling from her throat. "I could run to town barefoot!" A blush spread across her features as she took control over herself again, covering her smile with her hands.
But it was true- she had certainly run barefoot across the desert to reach this cave the night before. Though her feet were soft and would likely blister and bruise on their journey, she found she did not mind the thought of it at all. Even if he didn't heal her afterwards she would not regret her decision... Because it was her body now! She could scar it, do with it as she wished!
Again she felt a rush of exhilarating fear thrum up through her chest at the prospect of such freedom. In her eager happiness, she took hold of Ruvyk's hands, bowing over them and pressing her lips against the back of one, smiling up at him. "My Lord Ruvyk, I have been blessed to have met you."
Ruvyk wasn't use to been thanked so much, it felt strange but somewhat refreshing. As he looked at her face filled with excitement and so much awe, he couldn't help but grin a bit. He crossed his arms on his chest. This was the least he could do, and it wasn't much. He had been blessed in the healing, as he had mention, it was the source of life and his magic was that powerful.
-It was...nothing really...-
He said. Such a thing would be expected from a God after all right? He watched as she was jumping and twirling around, apparently lost in that momentum of freedom she was now facing. The god stayed patiently where he was, waiting for her to finish.
-Well...I don't think there is any need to run...-
He said, before he could finish his sentence, she had grabbed hold of his hands, kissing them. He couldn't help but feel somewhat proud and amused at the same time.
-Now now...if you are so full of energy, let us be on our way...I'll cast that illusion on you so they won't recognize you...-
He said. As he did so, he snapped his fingers and sparkles surrounded Prynne for a moment, changing her appearance. Tough it wasn't as if all her features had completely change, more like, the color of her hair and eyes changed, her skin tone was a bit paler and the clothes she was wearing also changed color.
-This should do...Now remember, you just need to pretend to be my wife when were in town, when we'll leave, that's up to you...-
He walk to the cave entrance and offered her his arm so they could go.
Prynne looked down at her now paler arms and at her hair, which was brown instead of black. She found it a bit disconcerting, but was impressed none the less. She wondered if her face or her eyes looked different, something she couldn't know unless she found a mirror or a pool of water to look into.
Reeling herself back under obedient control, Prynne stepped forward and took his arm as they stepped out of the cave and into the desert. The chill of the night air caused goosebumps to raise along her arms, and she tried to suppress a shiver as they took off across the sands. At first the cool grains of sand felt good between her toes and across the bottoms of her feet, but the farther they went the rawer her feet became.
Still, she did not complain, following beside him as best she could- though she began to slow the more her feet hurt. To distract herself, Prynne took in the surroundings of the desert. The vast expanse of sand and sky, the stars and the moon glimmering above like a thousand jewels. In the distance, the lights of the city twinkled, but Prynne did not feel compelled to return. She felt nervous and worried about entering the city again so soon after her escape.
As they approached the gates, she noticed two of her husband's guards posted close to the city guards. And scrolls with a likeness of her posted on the wall, requesting her return with a promise of a reward. Even though she knew Ruvyk had disguised her appearance, Prynne could not help but feel that somebody would recognize her. Pulling the thin, gauzy material of her ceremonial shawl- now a dark green instead of purple- up over her head, she pressed herself closer to Ruvyk and averted her eyes. "Play the part of the wife, Prynne. These men cannot recognize you... You know how to be a dutiful wife..." She chided herself, suddenly aware of all of the jewelry still adorning her.
Would they think it suspicious that she was wearing so much fine jewelry? Although Ruvyk had said he was a merchant, she was unsure how prominent of a merchant he was. Would her jewelry make her look as if she was significantly above his status? He was also wearing quite a good deal of jewelry, but it still made her anxious and paranoid. Reminding herself to play the part of his wife, she consciously forced herself to separate herself from him enough so she was no longer clinging to him. Training her eyes on the ground in wifely modesty and obedience, Prynne kept her arm loosely draped around his, fingers splayed prettily across his forearm. The only other thing she could do was to keep one foot going in front of the other.
[removed]
Ruvyk had a quick walk, he didn't mind the harshness of the sand of how hot it was. He was used to it and it didn't really affected him anyway. So there he was, walking the desert with this lovely companion. They made their way to the main gates of the city. Huge but also small in the immensity of this ocean of sands. The sun had turn quite harsh but not enough to stop them.
He quickly noticed the posters of Prynne on the walls, they more or less looked like her, but of course, it wasn't always easy to portrait someone who was gone. These had probably been made with some descriptions and all. As they were about to past the gates, the two guards approach them, stopping them from their course.
Ruvyk tilt his head in their general direction, while taking on a dignified air.
-Excuse me sir...we are looking for a young woman, she went into the desert...you wouldn't happen to have seen her, she looks like this...-
He pointed the portait on the poster. Ruvyk shook his head.
-I'm effraid I haven't seen anyone on our way here...-
He said. The guards look at their feet, they were both barefoot. Ruvyk raised an eyebrow.
-Why are you barefoot?-
The guard asked.
-How is that any of your concerns?-
Ruvyk answered dryly. He glared at the guards, looking a bit annoyed, he knew that Prynne was probably doing her best to keep herself from shaking or running away.
-If you'll excuse us...we had a long journey and we'd very much like to return home...-
He push the guard off and made his way into the city, where they could finally breath a bit. From there, he quickly made his way around town with Prynne, heading for his house as they entered a few backstreets until they reach the place. It was further away from the main streets so it was calm but not too much as to attract bandits or thugs. From outside, the house didn't look like much and seemed very simple, but when they entered, it was a whole different world. He led her in, then close the door behind him and sighed.
-Welcome to my house...and yours for now...-
He said, stretching a bit. Inside, she could see an unbelievable number of items of all kind and origins, everywhere, on counter, behind glass, on the walls, jewelry, weapons, cup, hat, clothes, name it. It looked like the cave of wonders. The house was made of two floors. A small staircase leaded to the second one.
Prynne about died when the guards began to question them, doing all in her power not to give away any indication that she was nervous. For years she had trained herself to swallow her emotions, to act the perfect, obedient wife no matter what the situation was. Be it the bedroom, with her sister wives, or among guests, Prynne had swallowed any emotion and only ever shown patience, grace, obedience, kindness, and contentment.
She could recall her first lesson in masking her emotions as a child, when she had been unhappy with a playmate taking her toy from her. Her playmate happened to be the song of a very prominent merchant, and she recalled her nursemaid pulling her aside, telling her that she must defer to those of higher status than she. Telling her that good girls were obedient and pliable, and that good girls became good wives or good priestesses, which were her only two options in life. At first she had been willful and resented this advice, but eventually she came to accept her role in life and in society because she wished only to make her family proud.
The only emotion she could not deny fully was her inherent curiosity, but she had learned to hide it from others by stashing books and objects in places others would not look. Her stolen moments of discovery occurred through the pages of books behind the high walls of first her father's household, and then her husband's. It had been the only way she had survived.
And so it was easier for her to hide her fear from the guard, keeping her eyes trained to the ground in a show of modesty as he questioned Ruvyk. She did not speak or reply to the guards' inquiry, nor was it expected of her. If they were to believe Ruvyk her husband, then she should defer all matters to him unless directly addressed. "Do not speak unless spoken to." She mentally chimed the rule to herself, though she wished she could say something more to make the guards suspend their suspicions. Listening to Ruvyk's confidence calmed her fears, and the way he easily handled the situation made her feel once again that she had been very fortunate to have met him.
As he led her through the city, Prynne did her best to take in as much of it as she could without seeming suspiciously interested. Posters were hung up all over the city demanding her capture, but her curiosity was more about seeing the city for the first time in her life. All her life she had lived here, yet she had never been allowed to wander its streets. As a child she had been sheltered in her father's compound, and as a young woman she had been confined to her husband's. Even her delivery from her father's household to her husband's had not allowed her the opportunity to see the streets, for she had been carried on a heavily curtained litter through the city to protect her modesty.
Up until this point, the most she had seen of the city had been what little she could see from the trees in their courtyards. Even then, it was very rare that she could find times when those gardens were empty of people, and of course she could not be seen climbing trees! So now, she looked around in awe at the city, relying on Ruvyk's arm to guide her while she was distracted.
Prynne felt disappointed as he finally led her inside his home, wanting to explore more of the city. Her disappointment was short lived as she looked around his house in awe at the various objects, forgetting how raw her feet felt or how sore her legs were from their journey. It was like a dragon's hoard from the old tales! Her fingers itched to pick up and examine the various objects, though she kept her hands clasped in front of her in self-restraint.
She wondered what his business was here in the city, and why a god would become a merchant... Questions burned inside of her, about him, about his home, about the various object around them. Questions she did not dare to ask. Still, it did not keep her from looking at things.
Now safely hidden by the walls of the house, Ruvyk let out a sigh and ended the illusion cast on Prynne, with a simply snap of his fingers. Her natural color returned to her.
-There...you won't need an illusion inside the house...but if you feel like going out...tell me, I'll cast it back..-
He said. The house was filled with wonders and magic, items from all around the world and of unknown origins could be seen in every corners. It was both impressive and somewhat disturbing. Looking around for a moment, the god eventually turned back toward the young woman.
-Now then...there is one rule you have to follow while in this house...do NOT touch the merchandise, all these items and object you see around are eventually gonna be up for sale, so I'd rather not have them broken...mind you...-
He said, tilting his head on the side slightly while looking at her. He put his hands on his hips, looking over to one of the door, then upstairs.
-The kitchen is there...behind that door to the right...if you feel hungry, you can ask the servant, she'll make you something...you can use one of the room upstairs...I'll show you to it...-
He added as he started walking toward another corridor. Motioning for her to follow. They passed a few closed door and eventually reached the end of the corridor.
-If you feel like taking a bath or something...this is the bath room...-
He opened the door and show the inside to her. There stood a what look more like a pool then a bath, it was very large. The bath was already filled and many different bottle lay on the edge, with towels and other necessities.
-Well...the water is always hot so you can go whenever you want...-
He closed the door and motion for her to follow again as they went upstair this time. Still, there was more objects to be seen and they passed in front of two small room filled to the brim with books, then toward another room.
-This is my room...if you need something...and this...-
He closed the door of a room, insert a key in and turned it twice, before opening the door again. It led to a very nice looking bedroom, with larges windows opening toward a large garden. All the necessities were there for her to be happy. And the bed seemed to be able to hold more then 6 persons in it.
-This is yours...-
He said, letting her in to have a look.
Good thing she had already been well-versed in restraining herself... The entire tour was interspersed with glimpses of tempting treasures, all of which she was dying to know more about. She could have sworn she saw the very same goblet of lore tipped over on top of a bookshelf! But her host continued on with the tour, giving her explanations of how the house operated and what was expected of her.
Although she was accustomed to being told what was considered acceptable behavior from her, she was not accustomed to being told she also had freedom to choose. Freedom to eat when she felt hungry, not when she was allowed or told. Freedom to take a bath in seclusion, without sister-wives, slaves, servants, or husband present. And most importantly, the freedom to potentially wander the city.
Prynne tried to keep herself from blurting out her excitement about the potential trip into the city, sucking on her bottom lip and leaving the question to sit for a few moments so it did not seem like she was too eager. She even held herself back until he brought her to the room and though it was nice and grand, perhaps nicer than her husband's quarters, it held no interest to her.
Clasping her hands obediently behind her back and lowering her gaze to the floor, Prynne allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "You are far too kind, Great One. This all is so magnificent, I am very blessed to even set eyes upon it all... Though I should like to learn more about your treasures, I am..." She worried at her lower lip with her teeth, fingers clenching more tightly together as she fought out the words. "I am very much interested in seeing the city beyond your fine home." She glanced up at him to make sure he was not angry with her. "It's just... I have never spent time outside the confines of my father or my husband's households."
Ruvyk looked at her for a moment, as she spoke. Of course, she would be confine in her past. To him, the city was simply buzzling with many things, thugs, people and other common things, unless you knew where to go.
-The city uh...well, I suppose there is not much point staying locked up in here anyway by such fine weather...-
He said, scratching the back of his head. Looking down at her feet, then thinking.
-Well, as much as you are excited to go...let's find you some shoes first...then eat...I don't know for you, but I am hungry...-
He said. With that, he started walking away, then stopped in front of a door and opened it, then closed it quickly with somewhat of a sweat drop on the side of his head.
-Wrong door...-
He said. He picked a key from his pocket and made it turn 3 times in the lock before opening it again. He nodded.
-There it is...-
He turned toward Prynne, motioning for her to come in as he stepped inside the room. It was filled from top to bottom with clothes, cloak, dress, shoes, hat, jewelry and trinkets of all kind and all color. There was even some clothes from foreign countries.
-Why don't you find yourself some new clothes as well, at least while we are in town...chose whatever you want...-
He said.
-Once that is done and we ate, we can go out in the city and you can wander all you want...-
He added as he left her in the room.
Prynne stepped into the room hesitantly, certain that it had been a different room just moments before he had turned the key in it. But she did as she was instructed, entering the room to look for new clothes. She knew her own were ragged from her escape, and had been lucky when Ruvyk had disguised her as they made their way through town.
Though she yearned to wear her favorite color purple, she did not want to wear anything that might remind others of her. Even disguised as she would be, she didn't want to risk any extra attention for wearing her favorite color. Running her fingers along the fine cloth, she finally settled on a dark blue wrap skirt and a matching dark blue top with silver embroidered stars. She chose plain leather wrap sandals. Taking a small satchel she found, she placed the clothing inside along with a cloak in anticipation of colder evenings and a head scarf.
Leaving the room, she could hear somebody moving about in the kitchen preparing food. Slipping quietly down the hall, she found the bath... She could not put on fresh clothes when she was still covered in the dirt.
Gingerly she took off the ceremonial clothing from the funeral rights, before taking off her many pieces of jewelry. Quickly she slipped into the bath, exhaling at how good it felt against her skin. So much water! She had never before been allowed to submerge her body in so much water because of the lack of it in the desert. While she had washed herself, she rarely was given the luxury of even a small bath. The size of this one was incredible! Looking around as if expecting to be scolded for dirtying precious water, Prynne quickly unbraided her hair, her fingers tangling and catching on the knots it held from her wild run. Sucking in a breath of air, she ducked beneath the water and remained there for as long as she could hold her breath. She knew she was taking longer than was polite, but it felt so amazing!
After some time Prynne began to thoroughly wash the sand and dirt from her hair and body, using a floral scented oil to run through her hair to untangle it. When she had finally cleaned herself properly, Prynne emerged from the bath and toweled herself off. The top she had chosen exposed her soft, trim stomach and exposed her shoulders. She wrapped the skirt and tied the sandals before choosing a sparse few pieces of her own jewelry. She did not need to adorn herself in as much jewelry as before, and she didn't think it appropriate to take more than the clothes from Ruvyk.
She placed her old clothes and the rest of her jewelry in the satchel before making her way towards the kitchen, letting her long black hair hang loose as it dried. She felt guilty for spending so much time... Would he be angry with her? "Great One? Where have you gone? I apologize for taking so much time..."
As Prynne was enjoying her bath, Ruvyk had gone back to his room, he wanted to leave eventually, but of course, he had to make sure everything was in check, he couldn't just leave without putting things in order, and order wasn't something that seemed to be very present in this house with the so many treasures, items and others things laying around the place.
He walked trough the house after ordering his servant to make feast for the both of them, and started selecting items, which he put in the satchel at his belt, they disapeared in it even tough they clearly did not fit the pouch size. As if they were swallowed into it. Vials, lamps, clothes, tissues, carpets, various items, books and many others found themselves taken from their shelves and put into the pouch.
This little bag of holding was the reason Ruvyk could so easily travel around and sell his wares without ever having to carry things in a carriage or have to buy or rent horses to pull it. After making it's way around and finally settled down, he went back to his room and let himself fall in the pile of cushions he usually used as a bed and closed his eyes. This day had been quite something, not a total loss, but not exactly the winning strike he had hoped for, at any right, he wonder how the travel with the young women would go. He had no doubt her exotic beauty would attract some troubles, but it didn't matter, after all, she had the protection of a God.
When Prynne got out, looking for Ruvyk, she found the servant in the kitchen, making delicious food, a smell of roasted meat and vegetables soup filled the air as the old lady turned toward her.
-If you are looking for the master, he is in his room, the third room of the second floor, the dinner will be ready soon...-
She spoke softly, as if whispering but her voice could be heard clearly.
Prynne looked around at all the beautiful food that was being prepared, and for the first time since her escape, she found herself feeling rather hungry. She bowed her head in thanks to the woman before heading in the direction she had been told, moving through the hallway and past all of the treasures while taking care not to disturb anything.
Making her way up the stairs and to the room, she softly knocked and called out softly. "Great One? I am sorry to have made you wait, and to disturb you now..." She didn't have much else to add. She still felt the weight of the debt she owed to him, but felt excited by the prospect of adventure and freedom being in his company promised her.