[Open by Request]
Maybe it was a foolish decision that would cost him sooner rather than later. But for a moment of respite, he would take that risk. Coming into Essyrn wasn't as difficult as one might expect. He was a hunted man certainly, however, he was quite capable of getting into places where he wasn't wanted. Still, he kept the lip of his hooded poncho over his head and his face down as he entered into the tavern closest to him.
Atalier Talshar was no stranger to the evening life in this oasis city, nestled deep in the scent of jasmine and fresh water. Sand crunched beneath his shoes. They were soft soles that relented easily beneath the weight of him. He tried to focus on the sound instead of the glances of passersby. They did not know him nor he them, but he could never know exactly just when or where someone might be looking for him. But then again maybe he was just being overly paranoid.
He was a traveler like anything coming into a place where foreign traffic was rather high even on a slow day. People came and went from all over, what difference did it make if he was among them? He was just another face in a crowd.
He stopped before a dimly lit building. The red light dangling from it told him what it was. It was alluring to be sure, and only then did Atalier feel the exhaustion settling into his bones. It was better than staying and sleeping in the streets. Vagrancy wasn't high on his list of aspirations. Feelingly, he pulled out what coins jangled in the purse beneath his poncho. He bounced the weight of a few coins and put them back. He could afford a drink and maybe a store room bedroll, but probably not company for the night. That sounded just fine for now.
Inside was the pungent fragrance of incense and perfume and it filled his nostrils, the sound of laughter and singing filled his ears. Atalier was greeted by a young girl, one that casually took his arm and stroked his hand. She smiled shyly at him, but Atalier politely waved her away. She complied with some disappointment but little protest.
"If you're not here to pay and play, you've walked into the wrong place, my friend," a woman beside him said casually, puffing on a hookah pipe and affording him a sidelong glance. She surveyed Atalier, grinning in appreciation and extending her hand. "Saffir."
He looked her over, taking and kissing the back of the offered hand. "Tal," he replied. "I have money, but I just need a place to stay for the night. Taverns are too...crowded."
"Unfortunately, the only rooms for let, darling, are already occupied." She chuckled, letting her hand graze his on its way back to the hookah pipe. She puffed on it, nodding to the man tending the bar. "Give him one on the house."
Atalier smiled a moment before stopping himself. "Nothing's free. What's the price?"
Saffir laughed again. "You're smarter than at first glance. I like that. Come to my room later tonight and we'll talk business, yes? Top floor. You'll know it when you see it." She gave his hand another squeeze before departing the bar.
A sinking feeling entered Atalier's gut. As intriguing as it was, he wasn't sure he was going to like whatever it was she had to say. He sniffed his drink. Rakshi...a crisp sharp burning of a whiskey distilled from wild rice in the Kishan Jungle. A free rakshi drink didn't lend much to idea that the favor was going to be anything small.
Another sip soothed his nerves for the moment. He could always just enjoy the drink and walk out. He tipped the man behind the counter a coin just for good measure. Eyes flicked around to view behind him, surveying the crowd that came into this place. A lot of these folk didn't look nearly as disheveled as he did. They wore pristine clean robes, jewels adorning their hands, and it was plain to see this was a rather well-to do crowd. One in fact locked eyes on him for a moment.
Atalier cursed and turned back to his drink. He knew he should have kept moving. Downing the rakshi, Atalier casually slid from the chair and thanked the server, moving slowly through the building out toward the back. From the corner of his eye he saw the man stand, excusing himself until he followed after him.
Atalier kept walking, stride now brisk as he found the rear exit. He pushed passed a slave, passing through into the alleyway.
"Hey! You! Stop," the man called behind him. "Atalier!"
His hackles rose, adrenaline rushing. Atalier turned back, sliding into the dip in an alleyway and heard the footsteps approaching. They were homing in quick. In a grunt of aggravation, Atalier rushed his pursuer, pressing him hard against the wall behind him and holding him firmly there. "Why are you following me!?"
He stared back, stunned at the look in Atalier's eyes. "Atalier, I thought you were dead... "
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I am Farahd Sha-ishra. I'm not surprised you don't remember me... I was a friend of your mother's. I am sorry to hear what happened to your family. I recognized you only after you looked back at me, I apologize if I startled you. Please, calm down."
"You knew my mother?" He relaxed, letting him go.
"Yes. I saw her not long ago, somewhere in the market. But I did not have a chance to speak with her, she quickly rushed away." Farahd frowned, Atalier relaxing his hands enough to pull away. But the look at the younger man's face was as if he'd seen a ghost.
"You...you saw my mother? She's alive?" There were more questions rushing through his mind that Atalier could not speak them out loud. His heart hammered against his ribs in a desperate rhythm. "Where did you see her? When!?"
"In the market, not but five days ago. But I told you I didn't get –"
"It's all right, Farahd. It's enough to know she's alive. Thank you." Atalier nodded to the man before running off down the alley and moving away from the brothel. The market wasn't far from where he was, but at this time of night, it would likely be closed. There would be guards and others roaming about.
Atalier drew his hood on, keeping it low enough but still visible enough for him to see. He prowled the streets casually, trying his damnedest to keep his heart beat in check, nerve keeping his gaze averted to the ground. He didn't see the body that collided into him, just that he heard the other stumble backwards and objects fall to the ground. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, reaching down to pick up the items. "I didn't see you there."
