Spirits of the Earth

It could be said that there was never a time where he wasn't busy, at least not in the normal sense.  His duty extended little beyond standing in front of the doorway of the chamber to the Haremites, for his purpose, from birth, was indeed to stand there as a guard.  In fact, he was lead guard and not by mistake.  In the house of Kushumoro, one's rank increased based on how much the master valued that person as an asset; when they were no longer an asset, he did away with them as he did with his other servants.  And though the master lived like a king, complete with his own desert sanctuary, and a number of wives to call upon, he was anything but a king.  Kushumoro was the King of the Desert, or so he so claimed, and the whole of his wives were considered his greatest treasure, whom he protected to the best of his ability.  And the latter basically meant, finding men loyal and intelligent enough to defend his women without defiling them.  And that's where the eunuchs came in.

True, the master hated men with a vengeance, and was a womanizer at heart.  Even the stupidest of the eunuch knew this.  However, even with his status as head eunuch, the one that was there to keep everyone else in line and responsible for everything, Euzec couldn't shake the fact that Kushumoro certainly liked him the least of all his guards.  And that was for one reason alone: the fact that he was an incubus.  Sure, he couldn't have helped what he was born as, or his parents' decision to send him here.  He wasn't even sure if he had parents! But what he wasn't sure of, above all things, was that he had a job to do and even if he was only partially trusted.

But today was different.  There was no angry glare, or the threat of being groped or fawned over by the Haremites.  Instead, today, Kushomoro decided that it was best to send Euzec on an errand to one of the tribes of the desert while he spend the day with them alone.

"What about someone else?  Should another go with me?  Perhaps one of your wives would like to go outside the palace?" Euzec asked innocently, garbed in his idiosyncratic white robes and staff, which was in its retracted form.

Kushumoro, in his own desert regalia of velvety purple, gold, and layers of other clothes, couldn't help but glare at his best eunuch.  "You'd like that wouldn't you.  No, you should be quite capable of doing this alone.  You're the best man I have, so you're the only one needed.  I request only that you do not be late this time!  Of all your imperfections, I despise your tardiness most of all."  Of course, he said this all out of envy as the entirety of his wives behind him all blew kisses and waves to Euzec as he departed from the immaculate palace's main hall.

Outside of the palace, the dusty wind of the Moraki desert swept against his slightly swarthy skin, which was a result of years in the desert, and sand blew in his dark blue hair, which set against the gold of his eyes surrounded by a ring tinge of pink.  Such an odd yet inexplicably beautiful man to set out on this journey of retrieval; and what it was he was to retrieve from a neighboring settlement back to Kushumoro's palace was, of all things, a lone necklace of sapphire.  However, as he walked north into the desert, going in several miles toward the town of J'hek, he could shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong with this request.  Kushumoro never asked another to retrieve jewelry for him.  So what was it that he really wanted?  Well, in the miles that passed him, only J'hek would have the answer.

"Sigh." She stopped to look at the continuous range of desert. Three weeks she had been traveling, looking for anything that resembled civilization. So far, nothing; a few lizards here and there, snakes of all shapes, sizes and colors, even a few exotic plants. But she hadn't spoken to a person which, especially for Cosette, drove her crazy. "Why am I doing this again?" She shook her head and continued forward.

After a few hours, the sun began to set. Cosette looked up at the sky and figured she had gone far enough today and decided to set up camp. Having done this too many times to count as a little girl, Setting a tent and starting a fire came naturally to her. She pulled the hair tie off her wrist and put her hair up in a tight bun so it would be out of her way as she worked quickly to beat the desert cool. She slipped her backpack off her shoulders and knelt down to grab what she needed. She untied her tent from the top and then grabbed all the flint and sticks she would need to start her fire.

As she finished tying her tent to the ground and starting up her fire, she heard a faint noise from the distance. A loud bang, like concrete on concrete. Automatically her mind thought of what it could have come from. She came up with two explanations. It was either a nearby village, maybe a few miles in the distance, or she was being hunted. Her heart began to race as she considered the second option more then the first. She looked around the area she could see before preparing to run. If it was something after her putting out the flame wouldn't help much. Whatever it was, if there even was anything, was going to be nocturnal.

Cosette breathed as she tried to relax herself. She had only been hunted one other time and, well to put it softly, that was the last time she had seen her father. All she remembered was what her father told her: " Don't bother with the things! Just look for an in ground cave or a steep hill to hide on." His words didn't make much sense to her, but she followed them anyways. She grabbed a stick and lit it on fire as she got to her feet and jogged in the direction she had been going not an hour before. And she thought today was going to be boring.

She jogged for a couple minutes before slipping into a hole in the ground. BINGO! She dropped to her knees and hovered the flame over the crevice. It was barely big enough for her to fit through but a lot was at stake right now, you know, her life. so she sat at the edge and dangled her feet in and began lowering herself to the ground. When ground didn't come right away she panicked. How far would it go down? Cosette heard growling nearing her area. She decided to let go and trust fate. So she let her hands relax and she hit the ground a millisecond later then she thought she would. "Great! Now how am I going to get out of here?!"

She sat down on the cave floor and decided to wait until morning to think of a plan. She was exhausted from hiking all day and she needed to regain energy if she wanted to survive out here. So she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

By morning, should she truly wait that long, the cave would eventually grow so hot as the sun would pass over it, that the very risk to burn to death was likely.  Well, that was the exaggerated norm around here.  In the desert, the bottom line was that everything was not and there was a bit of shade, chances were that it was occupied by some type of monster that too wanted to escape the heat.  Of any and all places to reside and bide one's time, the desert was truly it.  Like the tundra, the terrain was nigh unlivable; 'hotter than hell' as many who were not indigenous to the area would say.  If the monsters lurking around every corner, bush, crevice, and cave, be it a giant sandworm or dusk tiger, the sun definitely would if you were stupid enough.

Euzec kept walking, his calabash filled with water beside him, his legs taking him miles and miles into the desert.  Kushumoro's palace was so far from town for all sensible and legitimate reasons.  Though it was a good possibility that the master had ordered him into the desert to wander get lost, eaten or die from dehydration, such a concept was beyond him.  It wasn't like him to think negatively.  He knew that he had to travel to successfully do what he was told to do, as the length of the journey was merely because Kushumoro didn't exactly appreciate unwanted travelers coming to his palace.

But along the journey, though an hour or so passed by without much incident, Euzec started to see the sun falling down on the horizon, an indicator that the dusk tigers would be prowling out soon.  Along to the left of him, there stretched the expanse of the desert, and to the right there rose a rocky cliff side.  And just when he thought the coast was clear it seemed the sun was falling faster than he'd initially imagined.  Suddenly out of nowhere, he heard the sudden roar of a nearby creature.  "Oh no!" he muttered as he abruptly paused and looked to the left of him.  In the desert, seeing nothing, he turned to the right and upon the horizon of the fading sun, he saw the form of one of the largest dusk tiger he'd ever had the misfortune to encounter.

A giant cat, the dusk tiger was a feared creature in Moraki.  The animal was a large striped cat, about ten feet in length, and with large bone spikes protruding from its back.  Two horns also came out from the top of its head that served as a method of intimidation toward it's prey.  As this particular tiger stood atop the cliff, it stared down at Euzec, roared and then made a leap for him.

The move was so swift that he barely had time to move our of the way as the cat came down at him with a crash, shaking making the earth quake with the ferocity of its landing.  Euzec rolled out of the way and then readied the staff in his hand, prepared to strike the cat down if it came to turns where only one of them would make it out alive.  The tiger let a rumble roll out of its throat as he circled Euzec.  Suddenly, it made another lunge for him and as he shifted out of the way, he suddenly thought that it was better to attempt to calm the tiger than it was to fight, and possibly kill, the poor creature.  "Don't try to get the better of me," he tried to soothe, wrestling the large cat into submission.  It took a true beast master to soothe the wild beast, and though his affinity with animals was next to nil, the fact remained that he had a great respect for them, as much as they were intent on killing him for survival.

Finally, with a great whump! on the tiger's head he knocked the creature to the ground.  The tiger, falling, looked up at him dizzily, unsure of what just happened.  And slowly but surely, it climbed to his paws and looked up at Euzec, seeming to know that he'd been bested once and for all.  And, without reserve, it approached him and rubbed up against him, purring as a sign of his submission.  Euzec stared at him bewildered but certainly pleased that he didn't have to shed unnecessary blood.  Smiling, he pet the tiger and turned to walk on.  But just as he walked no more than fifteen feet did he hear paws hurrying after him.  What the! Turning, he witnessed the tiger quickly following.  "Oh," he smiled. "So you want to com to J'hek too?  Well, we'll see how it goes.  Come along."

Even with a dusk tiger following him, Euzec was sure he wouldn't be too safe.  It was best to hide out for now lest he risk more beasts to come to him.  So, wandering further, he saw a slight along side the cliff and stalked toward it, his staff now retracted.  Once close, he got a better look at it and saw that it seemed safe enough.  The tiger sniffed it once and licked his chops, peering curiously up at Euzec.  "What? Is there someone in there?"

Considering the thought himself, he leaned into the darkness and called out that very thing.  "Hello?"

It was warm. Everywhere she turned there was heat. Heat and sand. But somehow it was dark and wet. Cosette would try to escape it, but it was a never ending trail of torture. She turned to the right and came face to face with a beast she had never seen in her life. Huge, about twice her height and five times her width, was a tunnel, or so it looked. The only problem with this tunnel was it breathed, it had a putrid smell, and it had fangs, about four rows of them. Cosette caught her breath and stared in horror as the beast slithered towards her. She tried to run but her legs were failing her. she tried to scream but nothing came. She could only watch as the thing came towards her, salivating, ready to rip her apart, piece by piece.

She shut her eyes and waited for life to be over when she heard a voice. She listened harder and heard it again. The voice must have been speaking to her, who else would it be speaking to? She tried to respond but still couldn't find her voice. The voice called out to her again. Try as she might, no response would come. The monster came nearer. As it did the voice called louder and clearer. The monster was letting out growls. Loud, ear shattering. Cosette shut her eyes tighter, hoping that would decrease the pain about to come. She heard the creature, nearly on top of her, breathing. Right as she expected it to finish her off the voice shouted to her.

Cosette's eyes flew open. She was covered in a cold sweat. A dream, only a dream. She tried to calm her breathing, which was rapid fire at the moment. With little luck on that, she sat up and closed her eyes. What a strange happening. Nothing like that had ever happened before. Could it mean something?

She looked at her surroundings. Oh yea, the in-ground cave. She sighed. With her breathing and everything as close to under control as it would be, she figured she may as well try to stand and look for a way out. She heaved herself off the ground and teetered a little bit but then steadied herself. She found her feet and took a few steps forward. She would survive. She wandered around the small area in search for anything that would allow her to leave and continue on with her journey. As she searched she found the stick that had been on fire a few hours ago. She picked it up and looked for anything to start a fire. Nothing, go figure. She threw the stick to the ground and leaned against the cave wall to think of a plan.

She thought for a few minutes before she heard something from up above. For the first time she looked up and realized how far down she had gone. The was not way she was getting out of here by herself. She looked up at the entrance where she came from and saw nothing. No one. She moved off the wall and stood underneath the entrance to get a better look. It was then that she realized she was not alone in the desert tonight. She froze and waited for something to happen.

"Hello?" called a voice from up above. She smiled. Maybe there was hope of getting out of this cave after all. She would risk her chances of being rescued by a criminal just to get out this cave. She cupped her hands around her mouth. "hello? I'm stuck! Can you help me?"

Euzec was the farthest thing from a criminal that he knew of it.  There were plenty of bandits to go around in the desert, most of the knowing they were rather safe from local authorities with the expanse of nothingness to surround them.  Sometimes it was better than a mountain hideout or even Zantaric.  The desert had a spell of its own, warding off those who were incapable of surviving and swallowing those whole who were determined to do so but simply couldn't.  Euzec was nothing like that; he just worked for a criminal.  That didn't mean he was one.  Or at least he was sure that he wasn't.

When he heard a response come from below inside the cave, he grew momentarily excited and peered further into the darkness in an attempt to see something.  "I think I can.  How far down are you?  Maybe I can reach you.  I have a staff with me, try to reach up and grab it.  I'll pull you up.  And if that doesn't work I'll come down and get you.  How did you get in there?"

The hole was slightly diagonal and as slanted as it was inside, it led down to a straight drop.  Euzec wasn't sure how a person of his size, though he was rather slim, would be able to fit inside without slipping in himself.  The cold nights of the desert were rather icy and layers of dew would form on rocky surfaces and the nearby foliage.  Already, since the light had fallen, it seemed that night was determined to make an early rise and drop some light rain in the desert, a rarity if there ever was one.  If that was the case, and from the looks of it as he peered up the sky it was, then he'd have no choice but to get this girl out of here as quickly as possible.

Euzec fell to his knees and then his belly, working himself partway into the hole until he was angled just right.  It didn't seem very big, but surely the cave when for miles in any direction that he could tell.  It was just wide enough for a woman to squeeze into, though he couldn't quite imagine why anyone would want to.  Shelter in the nearby town wasn't too far away and he was sure that now there was a dusk tiger in his presence, getting there in time and with safety was actually quite possible.  But still he reached in, staff now extended and holding the far end of it with a firm grip.  "There!  Can you see it?  Can you reach for it?  If not, I'll slide in a little further."

Cosette looked around for something, anything to make it easier for the man to be able to see her. She stumbled across some rocks and the stick she had from earlier, but making a fire with these supplies could take longer then she had down there. She also had her magic, but with the little skill and little time she had to experiment, that too would take longer then she had. So she just looked up to see about how far down she was. She didn't remember falling too far, but gravity worked fast and could have made it seem shorter then it was. When she looked up, all she could see was the dark mass leaning into the hole. This gave no measurment what-so-ever.

"No need to know how i got down here. How am i going to get out if i can't see the staff?" She sighed. She racked her brain for any ideas. She thought off all the spells she knew. " Do you know any spells? You know, to start a flame or something?"

Cosette's eyes darted from the ground, to the stick to the dark mass above her, constantly thinking of everything she knew about caves, which was little to nothing. Real smart Cosette. You got yourself stuck. She grumbled to herself. She looked up again and started whimpering a little bit. Maybe she could reach it by jumping. She jumped straight up from where she was, and grabbed nothing but air. She tried to jump and little higher and touched the end of the staff with her fingertips. She grew excited and hopeful for the first time since going into the cave. She decided to try once more before moving onto a new plan. Backing a few steps to allow for a running start, Cosette readied herself. She looked two short steps and leaped into the air, grabbing the end of the staff as gently as she could so she wouldn't knock the man into the hole along with her.

When she had a good hold of the staff, she let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she had a chance of escaping with her life. She just prayed the man was strong enough to lift her out.

"I got it, though you probably already know that." She blushed a little. "you ok? can you lift me out?"

Didn't need to know?  Now why was that?  Was it some sort of secret, or was she just ashamed?  Euzec wasn't much for secrets but he was curious enough to inquire about it when he had the chance.  Why wouldn't anyone want to talk about why they were in a hole?  Maybe it was just him and he was just too serious for his own good, suddenly sticking his nose in business where it didn't belong, but sometimes, his curiosity got the better of him and he just couldn't help it.  What he wanted to know, he often investigated until he knew everything there was to know about that subject until he knew everything or lost interest.

"Uh...no, I don't know any spells right now....  Um, none that would help in this kind of situation I mean.  I mean, it's not everyday that I find a girl stuck inside a hole.  I just wanted to know....  But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."  He tried to comfort her with his words, thinking that she may well be under a great deal of stress.  He didn't know about her, but he sure would be if he was stuck inside a dark cave at the risk of being eaten by anything crawling inside gnawing at his sanity.  He'd rather just fight the dusk tiger all over again.

The giant kitty by his side simply lied down as he watched the man slide a little further into the whole.  He didn't have much of a purpose other than to recover from the pounding headache that rod gave him when it went across his head.  But he knew better than to attack a being that was superior to him.  He would make this man his master for how, have a person to follow, protect even if he had too, until he wasn't superior anymore.  Then maybe he would attack him...unless he didn't have a reason too.  He was a dusk tiger, a beast of the desert wilds; he was sure no attachment could come between them.  They were two creatures destined to kill each other if nothing else could be developed.  But why the man hadn't killed him, he just didn't know.

Euzec nearly felt his staff slip from his hands just as he felt her grasp on to the other end.  Just then, the stick became taut and he knew that he could lift her from there.  At her question, he answered, "Yes! Just fine.  I'll have you out of there in no time." And he wasn't kidding.  Though his own clothes were getting dirty by the sand, he didn't care so long as he could take the time to help another in need.  He was benevolent in that sort of way, he knew kindness went a long way more than anger did.  And besides, he didn't have much to be angry about aside from those few times of the month....

Scooting himself back, he worked his way out of the cave all the while keeping a firm grip on his end of the extended staff.  He was built in his own right as Kushumoro wanted to make sure all of his guards were physically fit for their job, he couldn't have sloppy guards after all.  Euzec carefully lifted her from the whole, using all the toned muscles of his body, or most of them, until he saw her head reach the entrance.  "Almost there, keep holding on!"

Secrets were not normally Cosette's thing, but for some reason this detail either didn't seem important or seemed like it would just be good to keep to herself. She couldn't explain why but she chose not to say anything about it. And unless he really pushed her to say something, it would stay secret the way it was.

She heard his response and sighed in relief that he managed to hold on when she jumped up. Cosette felt as she began to be pulled out of her doom. She rejoiced silently to herself as much as she could without altering her hold on the staff. Maybe there was hope for her to survive to next morning. She looked up and was nearing the entrance from which she came a few hours ago. Her heart rate increased and a smile grew on her face. She told herself she couldn't grow too excited until she was out of the hole and back on the ground above the surface. If she grew too excited and ended up not making it out of there, all hope would be shattered and she would have not have strength to try again. So she took a deep breath and waited as the man pulled her out slowly.
But as she waited, her hands started to sweat. She struggled to hold on. Not only that but she was tired and had forgotten to eat dinner, always a bad way to hope to survive in the desert. Also, the longer she held on, the moister her hands became. She readjusted her grip and started slipping more. She closed her eyes and prayed she could hold on just moments longer. His words helped a little. She held on not only for her life, but also to meet the man who risked his life in the desert to save her. "I'm trying!" She clentched her teeth and held on for dear life. She felt as stones and rubble began brushing against her side. The wall threatened to loosen her hold. Cosette didn't know how much longer she could hold on

She looked up and saw the edge of the hole. If she were to try to reach out and grab for it, she risked falling back into the cave, but if she didn't, the cave wall threathened to knock her back in anyway. She closed her eyes tight, hoping it would make the time pass sooner if she couldn't see how far down she was from getting out of there. As she held on, her hands began sliding, little by little. She panicked and decided weighing her options with the edge. She let go with one hand and reached up for the ledge. Her fingertips reached above the edge and latched on to solid ground. "I've got to let go now." As she said that, she let go with her other hand and swung it next to the first one on the edge. She swung her legs back and braced them against the other wall, pushing herself up and out of the hole with her legs alone. She got about halfway out before she could no longer touch the wall with her legs, so she proceeded lifting herself out with her arms. But the sand provided little to hold on to so she couldn't get herself much further. She began to slide back down. Perfect.

The dusk tiger sat and stretched on the quickly cooled sand, as there was nothing else for him to do at the moment.  He could leave, but he would be lonely and he didn't want to risk invading another tiger's territory.  It was safe here for the moment, though there was nothing to eat, he had a feeling the man would provide food in the next few moments.  He wondered what he was doing squirming down the hole in the middle of the desert.  What could be so interesting down there?  Maybe he was hunting for food for him.  At the very consideration of this, the tiger ran his long tongue along his lips.

Euzec was confident now that all would be well...that was until she suddenly let go.  He felt the staff becoming instantly lighter and he pulled it back as he considered that she would climb up then on her own.  And that was just what she did, swinging her leg up and grasping desperately at the sand around him.  At first he was sure she would be fine and so he simply sat back and watched her efforts.  But the moment she began to slip back he realized that she would not and abruptly he lunged forward, landing on his belly, and grappling for her leg, the closest appendage still hanging out of the hole.

Focusing his strength, he pulled back with everything he had, hoping that this was enough to yank her out.  It was all in one fell swoop and if this didn't get her out then nothing would.  He was willing to take that risk to help her, he wasn't so heartless as to let her just fall back in.  When he felt something pass through the hole, he fell back onto his haunches, staring at her wide-eyed.  "Are you okay?"

[So short, so sorry.]

A lifetime passed by as she felt herself slipping and falling back into the hole. She scrambled for anything to grab onto but found no luck. Her hands slipped past the wall of stone followed by her head. She was sure she was going to fall back to where she came from when she was immediately stopped by something wrapped around her leg. She was surprised at first but then that feeling was taken over by pain, starting in her back and neck then shooting to her leg. She let out a yelp as she was pulled sharply out of the hole. She landed with a Thud! in the sand. When she realized she was on solid ground she grew excited.

"You did it!" She then remembered her leg and doubled over in pain, holding her leg tightly and tearing up in pain. She had broken bones before, to many times to count. She never was a safe child. Cosette was the type of girl who one would see jumping out of trees or climbing in wells. She was a frequent patient to the local hospital and, as a child, was rarely out of a cast or without stitches. She had many injuries and should be used to pain by now, but she wasn't. She was a total wuss when it came to anything being bumped or bruised. So this reaction could only be expected from her.

She barely comprehended his words through her pain but she managed to sort out what he had said. "M-my leg! I think it's br-broken!" She winced and let out a squeal as the pain returned and faded like an annoying fly buzzing in your ear. She clenched her teeth and blinked the tears from her eyes and looked around for anything to stop the pain. She had a first aid kit in her back pack, but she left that back at the camp she fled from a few hours ago. She only wished the pain would go away.

As she was looking around, her eyes fell upon the dusk tiger. She didn't take note of it at first, but when the image sunk in, she screamed. "Behind you!" she pointed and screamed, forgetting her leg for the time being. She began to stand up before being painfully reminded of the injury to her leg. She fell down and stared in horror as the beast began to rise and walk towards her, licking its lips.

OOC~ that is quite alright ^^

The tiger immediately climbed to his paws, which each spread finely on the ground,  as another humanoid creature was pulled out of the hole.  Yanked out was more like it; he'd never seen a humanoid be taken out so swiftly before.  And, if he could laugh, he probably would.  But he was Beast, and beasts thought little beyond kill or be killed, survival of the fittest.  She looked like a meal.  But he wasn't sure yet.  If the man was intent on eating her first, he would have to wait his turn.  But then suddenly she screamed and startled the large cat.  Out of instinct, it roared fiercely and made it's stalking way toward her, intent on tearing her throat open.

But Euzec put a hand up just in time and grabbed the large cat by the neck just inches from her.  After studying the natural local animals of the desert for years, he knew just how to keep the tiger from pouncing on her.  He didn't need to clout the animal on the head once more at the risk of being bitten.  Instead, he found it was quite enough to hold the beast by the fur and then start petting it.  Sooner than he'd imagined, the giant kitty started to purr and lean into the caresses. At this Euzec couldn't help but laugh and patted the cat a few times.  "So cute," he murmured, smiling.

"He's not going to hurt you I don't think," he said, looking at her now and then glancing back at the cat every now and again.  "Not as long as I'm around.  Here, let me take a look at your leg." He examined it carefully, sure that he did not grab her that hard.  There was some bruising around the area, at least where he had grabbed and it was then that began to poke it tenderly.  "Hm....  Doesn't seem too broken.  Looks like there might be some bruising on it later, but nothing deathly serious.  We should get to town as quickly as possible.  Can you stand?"

Euzec then climbed to his feet and reached a hand out to her.  It was best, to him at least, to at least try to get her to stand.  If she couldn't, he would be forced to carry her.  "Uh...sorry for yanking you out like that," he remembered to apologize at the last minute, scrunching his face innocently.

Her eyes darted back and forth, from the hungry looking beast to the man who was crazy enough to approach it. 'Cute' was not quite the word she would use for the giant cat. She stared intently at the duo as they interacted, first the man stroking it's pelt, then the cat replying in loud purrs. Cosette grew curious. "Is that your pet?!" Her breathing quickened at the thought of this. She did, though, relax when the beast stopped it's approach towards her. She tried to gain control again of her breathing and forget about the throbbing pain in her leg. No such luck.  

She had never once in her life heard of a tame or civil dusk tiger. She had also never seen one. All she remembered were the stories of friends who's relatives had been torn piece by piece by ferocious monsters of the desert. She knew no specifics of what played a role in these stories but she didn't really want to take chances. She eyed the dusk tiger who was perfectly content with being stroked by this man. She then looked up at the man who was glancing back and forth between the dusk tiger and herself. The desert night made it hard to see anything of detail, especially since they were so far away.

As he neared, more things became evident. He was tall. Very tall, at least from where she was at this very moment. She also noticed his hair was dark, though the color it was she could not be certain of. As he crouched down to examine her leg more details became clear. He looked young, but looks (as Cosette had learned in the past) could be deceiving. He had lean muscles, not like those of body builders or high contact sports players, but those that keep a man looking slender and agile. But the one thing that caught her most off guard, that she could now see at this level of closeness, were his eyes.

Her breath stuck. She stared in pure astonishment, and try as she might, she could not look away. They were so unique, to the extent that Cosette began to grow jealous of them. The gold stood out like diamonds in the sunlight against charcoal. They glistened, even with the limited light of the desert dawn. But the part that hypnotized her the most was not that. It was the ring of pink around the edges. So sharp, so vibrant. Feminine but strong in a way that could attract any woman. She blinked and looked away before opening her eyes again.

She had forgotten his question. Racking her brain for a quick moment and seeing his outstretched hand, she thought of the only question he could have asked. "I can try." She grabbed his hand and, with his help, heaved herself off the ground and stood, off-balance, on her one good leg. She used him to help steady herself before daring to look once again at him. She took a shaky breath.

"If you don't mind, may i please know your name?"

It seemed forever that she took before she made any effort to answer his questions.  She looked at him oddly, if in a somewhat fascinated way.  All he could ask himself and still maintain his thoughts without losing track of the task at hand was to wonder, What the hell was this girl on!?  He didn't think there were very many drugs in the desert, since most of the plants were more water based than hallucinogens.  He wasn't a botanist or had any expertise in herbology, but he had been on several desert treks where he was forced to eat some of the local flora to make it out alive.  It was just then that he remembered he had his water container with him.  Maybe she was hallucinating because she was thirsty!  Yeah, that had to be it!  What else could explain it?

But then she asked his name.  Oh well, he couldn't deny her that simple bit of explanation.  And as he thought about it, he nearly smacked himself in the face at the thought that he hadn't introduced himself sooner.  Or had even bothered to ask her name, himself.  "Oh, uh. I'm Euzec," he said with a trying smile.  The night was getting colder already, a great relief to the blazing heat of the day, but there was still plenty of time to get to a town.  "Euzec Drajiin is uh...my full name.  What's yours?"

Pulling her up was rather easy as she was lighter than he thought.  But that didn't stop him from wincing as he glanced at the state of her leg.  "I'm still sorry about that, by the way.  Here let me help you."  He wasn't perturbed by the fact that she was a very pretty girl.  In fact, to most men she would be the dusk tiger's roar (the cat just glared at her), but to him, she appeared rather ordinary.  He was surrounded by pretty women day in and day out; Kushumoro wanted only the best in his life and his women had to be the most beautiful the desert could offer.  Hm, maybe Kushumoro would like to meet her...  Well, that was a consideration for another time.

Though he was approximately five inches or so taller than her, Euzec made the effort to help her start walking.  It appeared that her leg would be useless for a time.  Though he wanted to help her, he wasn't sure how to go about it.  "Um," he said, looking down at the state of her leg.  "Should I carry you, or just help you walk?"

She listened to each word. His voice was probably just as beautiful as he was. It was a bit strange, her feeling this way towards any guy. Normally she took in any guy who was willing to fight for her, not the other way around. This was a whole knew experience for her. She shook her head slightly. She needed to concentrate on answering him back so she wouldn't look more stupid then she already felt. "Euzec. That's an interesting name." She smiled to herself and blushed slightly when she saw him smiling back. She cleared her throat before continuing. "It's Cosette. Cosette Anastasie." She said, shivering slightly. The temperature had dropped significantly since the last time she had been on the surface. Plus she could feel the tiger's eyes staring at her which made her feel a bit uneasy.

Euzec stared at her in a way no other man ever had. He stared at her not like a piece of meat, not like a prize to be won, but more as a regular person who needed help. Cosette couldn't explain it, but her stomach turned slightly with a feeling she didn't quite recognize. He had friendly eyes, not lustful eyes. But they then wandered away, as if he had thought of something else. He helped her up and his face crinkled slightly as he stared at her leg. She had almost forgotten it was injured, until she tried standing on it normally and nearly collapsed. "It's uh...it's no big deal. Like you said, I don't think it's broken, just badly bruised. Besides, I never properly thanked you for saving my life." She did her best to curtsy, but ended up just bowing slightly instead. He would get the message.

It was quite difficult, keeping up with Euzec. He was a good five or six inches taller then she and had a quicker, longer stride at the moment. Though he tried to help her, they wouldn't make much progress before the sun came up. Also she hadn't slept in a good 17 hours and still hadn't eaten dinner. She didn't know about him but she was exhausted. He offered to carry her but she felt that would be too much to ask. "I can try walking, but do you think we could eat something first?" She clasped one hand around her stomach, indicating her hunger. Her curiosity about this man grew. What was he doing out here? Why had he risked his life to save her? Where was he from? So many questions and time could be coming to an end for her adventure with him. She couldn't help but asking questions, finding out anything she could.

"Can i ask you, why did you stop to save me?"

When the dusk tiger saw that they were all getting a move on, he too followed, determined not to leave the side of his superior until the moment was right.  Instantly, though it couldn't tell why, did not place any sort of trust inside this female that was smaller than the man.  Obviously, she was inferior too him, in the tiger's eyes, as she had gotten a wound inflicted by him and didn't even work to fight back.  He didn't think he'd ever understand these two-legged beasts that attempted to claim superiority over him that he knew; it was better to bide his time before showing them what real power was like.  The dusk tiger hung to the man's left in an effort to distance himself from the female that smelled of weakness...or maybe that was just sweat.  Either way the cat obviously didn't like it.  It slinked along, paws spreading wide along the sand and distributing it's weight evenly.  And the marrow spikes along it's back waving back and forth like a slithering snake along its gait.

Meanwhile, Euzec worked to help her along.  "Cosette is a very nice name!  Are you from one of the cities up north?  I haven't been much out of the desert in my lifetime.  So naturally, I'd assume that that's a city name.  It surely does sound like one," he said, trying to make small talk.  He laughed in the process, knowing the distance between them and the small desert settlement of J'hek was closing in rather swiftly.  In the town, they would find an inn, a small one, some small-time restaurants, clothing stores, and various other emporiums to be found there.  In addition to the water.  And it was just then that he remembered.  "Goodness, I forgot to tell you.  Would you like some water?  I have some in a flask here."  With that he took some time to pause and pulled the rope from around him and offered the round container to her.  "Yeah, when we get to town, we can eat something.  I don't have rations on me.  They tend to attract things like dusk tigers."  And he pointed to the large cat at his side.

"Uh, well, there's really no need to thank me.  I wasn't actively look for anyone to save.  I mean...I just happened to be in the area and the cat sniffed out something in there and so I just gave it a shot.  I like helping people when I can.  I feel it's better to be kind rather than let people suffer.  I know what that's like, to suffer I mean. Not fun. Oh but look at me, I'm going on and on.  Sorry, you should tell me how you ended up in that hole in the first place."

Cosette never relaxed with the cat right there. In fact, as time went on, she grew more and more tense, as if waiting for it to turn on both of them. Now would have been the perfect time to attack, too, since Euzec had his hands full helping her to hobble along. If it decided to attack, they would get picked off easily and painfully. She shivered at the thought. She didn't want to die after what had just gone on. She survived her escape from whatever was chasing her before and was rescued from the hole that would have surely brought death come sunrise. I guess that was just the perks of traveling in the desert. Death around every turn.

She shook her head of those thoughts. Nothing had happened. She was safe for the moment. She was just grateful to be alive. She looked straight ahead while answering, concentrating on not stumbling. "Well originally, i am from Serendipity...err a small corner of Atlas Verde. I lived near the mountains and i loved it there." A small smile appeared as she recalled the memories of her childhood oh so many years ago. But that was dangerous territory for her mind to wander to, so she snapped back to the present and continued before Euzec noticed she paused. "Then when I was about 13 i think, my mom and my dad separated. I went with my dad and we traveled south looking for our perfect life." She choked slightly on her words and took a deep breath so tears wouldn't escape her eyes. She hoped he wouldn't notice.

Her stomach tightened at the sight of water. She nodded slightly and took the flask from his hands, drinking an amount big enough to allow her to continue but small enough as to not finish off the remaining water. While gulping the mouthful down, she realized she had no idea where they were going. "This town you speak of, what's it called?"

She bit her lip slightly. She knew little of what it was like to suffer, aside from the minor injuries she got as a kid. Looking at her foot, she thought of his words. She barely noticed when he stopped talking. She cleared her throat and thought of a way to explain in a way that wouldn't sound idiotic. "It's just...i heard a noise, got scared and ran into the nearest shelter i could find. I am not all too familiar with this area of the desert. It's a little further south then i have ever been so i didn't know there was a town so close, otherwise i wouldn't have...jumped" She broke off and blushed. Wow. She really was and idiot. What was she thinking? It was like she had forgotten everything she had learned as a small girl. She never had major problems on her trips through the desert in the past. Why had she chosen now to forget everything. "And you know, if  it weren't for you I'd be dead. So you definitely deserve a thank you."

They continued on when a thought came to Cosette. "I'm sorry for being so nosy, but what brings you out in the open desert?"

He took back the water and placed it only the loops of his belt, securing it before moving on.  He was a little surprised when she asked the name of the town, but then it became readily apparent that she wasn't from here.  Especially as he remembered her story.  That she was originally from Serendipity.  Oh, a far off land.  Perhaps she'd have some interesting stories to tell him if she ever found the time and the interest to elaborate more on her life away from the desert.  Nothing exciting ever happened here, at least, nothing worth noting.  Not even the frequent deaths that happened when people fell into sudden sand pits or were killed by wildlife.  But that was the was the daily news.

"Oh the town," he began, remembering himself.  "It's called J'hek.  It's nothing but a small town, hardly on the map and barely anything to do over there.  I was born in the desert, been here pretty much all my life and though I don't know who my parents are, I know that this is where I belong.  Even though it's really hot...as people would say."  Euzec didn't mind the questioning and even encouraged it.  It really passed the idle time quite effectively.

"We're almost there.  I just need to buy a few things: Rations, water, a necklace, the usual.  Would you like me to leave you there?"

She nodded and listened, growing tired and weary. Her head drooped a little and she struggled to keep her eyes open and continue hopping forward. But her attention was there. Right now, she only wished to sleep. She could eat in the morning but sleep was creeping steadily on her with each step. Even as he talked to her, his voice became more and more distant. She shook her head to keep herself awake. She cursed under her breath. She agreed with her earlier statement about herself. She was the stupidest person in the desert.

J'hek. That name sounded familiar. Then again, all the names of the desert kind of meshed together after a certain point. She nodded again and took note of the town so she knew the general area of where it was. As for his story, she couldn't believe he had been born here, not to mention left here. Desert life wasn't easy. The climate grows very little and allows for little to no agriculture, there is few living things to eat, aside from lizards, snakes or something that could eat you, and the closest towns are hours or days away in any direction. She eyed him. He looked like he could handle it. She could only marvel at the boy he had to have been when he was a child. "So wait, did your parents leave you here? In the open desert?" She didn't know how an infant would learn to survive in such harsh terrain.

She woke up a little as he mentioned that they were close. "Um, i hadn't much thought about that." She didn't want to be a burden to him, but she didn't want him to leave either. She racked her brain for any excuse to make him stay, with little luck. "If you have other affairs to attend to, I won't hold you here. But I have no money and nowhere to go from here." She figured that would work. He didn't seem like the type to leave a pretty girl alone in the wide open desert. She manipulated her body a bit to look helpless and weak. Along with being tired, it should do the trick to make him stay.

He considered himself rather immune to manipulation, at least of the physical variety.  He was used to most women making themselves bare to him, feeling that his essence alone was enough to drive them to distraction or escalate to the combustible heights of ecstasy...before he even got in the room!  All because of the burden of his blood!  Oh, by the gods, that was why he never told anyone, especially strange females, that he was an Incubus for fear that he would never be free of them.  And so it was with the Haremites.  Though the name itself would never be thought of as a kind one to outsiders, to the actually wives of Kushumoro themelves, it was considered a compliment.  It was better than being called a lone man's whore to people that didn't understand.  And to be honest, the term was there long before Euzec ever became apart of the pack.

The bottom-line remained that he was positively their favorite eunuch to be around.  And the reason to that one was obvious.  But it also remained in stone that, despite Euzec's kindnesses, he always looked for ways to get away from their attention.  That was...groping him and petting him and other notions toward him that would be enough cause for Kushumoro to go wild with rage and mutilated his body!  He liked his body to stay as whole as possible.  And that very idea was only one motivator why he stayed away from the Haremites.

But this woman seemed slightly more sane and he was quite thankful that she kept her hands to herself for the remainder of the walk.  He wasn't too sure about leaving her at the town alone, but if she was strong enough to survive that fall in the chasm, then she should fare well enough alone.  That was if she was willing to be alone.  Most women these days wanted to be independent and, as long as they left him alone, Euzec was all for that.

"No!  Of course not!" He laughed and readjusted his hold on her, dragging her with a few more steps into the small town which was already awakening in the early hours of morning.  Normally, the walk wasn't that long, but as he helped her hobble along, they were dragged down to taking a few hours more.  At least here he would have a chance to refill his supplies, get some rest and be on his way back toward Kushumoro's palace.  "I was taken in, in fact.  Raised by a bandit king and now I work for him.  Do you know a man by the name of Kushumoro?  That's him."

Euzec glanced at her now and only now noticed the helplessness in her face.  Oh, no!  Could he not leave her now?  She didn't seem all that unconfident back by the cave hole.  Would she not survive here in town?  Hm...  For a time he considered a thought....  "Uh, I'm going to be staying in town for just the day or so, resting.  Then, on the morrow, I'm headed back to where I came from.  Would you like to come along with me?  I mean if you have nowhere else to do."  Please don't cry, please don't cry!

She smiled randomly. Apparently as they had been making their way towards J'hek her brain had been reviewing the past couple hours. Being stalked by an animal of some sort, which she now realized was probably the dusk tiger Euzec had controlled, falling into a hole, bruising her leg, and not sleeping for about 18 hours now. It was all quite confusing as to why it all happened today but she was somehow glad it did. If it hadn't, she would have never met Euzec who she would really like to keep with her for as long as possible. She had met several men in her line of work. Even men more attractive then he, but none would have ever stopped to help her like he did. She would be forever thankful and would never forget him, as long as she lived.

It wasn't until he readjusted her that she realized she had nearly fallen asleep. Her eyes opened slightly to see that they were at the town he had been talking about. She had seen many desert towns on past journeys, but none as small and quaint as this one. She awoke a little more as she glanced around at the town. She felt like a little kid in a candy store, gazing at the jewelry and clothing surrounding her on both sides. They all looked so exotic, nothing she had ever seen or thought could possibly exist. She then breathed in the aroma of food of which she was all to familiar with. She wrapped her arm around her stomach once more as it let out a angry rumble of hunger. She felt no sleepiness anymore. She was amazed that a village this small could appear as beautiful as it did to her. Or maybe it was the lack of sleep playing tricks on her. Either way, she couldn't wait for a descent meal and a good night (er day) sleep.  

"Kushmoro...I've never heard that name before." She looked at Euzec, then went back to gazing at the town. "Is he a nice man?" She figured his answer would be no. Kind kings were hard to find and rarely would put young men like him to work. But she figured she would ask it anyway on the off chance that he was. She wanted to know as much about Euzec as she could. He was fascinating to her, a rare gem among the pile of rocks she's come in contact with. She was afraid to lose him even though she had only met him a few hours ago.

She glanced at him and saw him looking at her. Trying to keep up the helpless façade would be hard if he caught her blushing, so she looked sleepily at her feet. She didn't know why she was blushing so much today. She rarely gained color over anything, especially men. She needed to know what it was about this man that made her feel this way, the extra spark he had that no other man had had. When he mentioned the option of going with him, Cosette grew excited, trying hard not to show it. She paused a few seconds. "I don't want to be a burden, but I would love to join you." She smiled and hoped that wouldn't make her sound desperate to stay with him, even though she was.

Euzec, as always, had a tendency to take everything far more serious than was absolutely necessary.  Jokes were often lost on him, which made him evermore the butt of jokes.  But because humor often went over his head, it was just because of that that he couldn't be hurt by that which he didn't understand.  He was a serious, but kind fellow, who knew that his heart was generally in the right place.  He had nothing against anyone and no one had anything against him, except for Kushumoro himself of course, and that was just plain, petty jealousy.  Euzec laughed though, at the fact that she uttered the term burden.  Taking her seriously, he assumed that she meant the literal form of burden.  "Oh of course not!  You're very light, I could carry like nothing!"  Thinking that he understood perfectly, he merely smiled.

"You would be very welcome.  Kushumoro is a nice person when he wants to be.  He likes to think himself as a kind desert king and he lives in a palace not too far away.  I think he'd like to meet someone like you, yes, I think he would indeed.  Would you like to meet him?"  Euzec wasn't lying when he said that Kushumoro would like to meet her.  He was a man magnanimous of spirit to outsiders who came into his palace; that was, if those outsiders weren't there to steal his fortune, his women, or were men at all.  He was a king, and he would protect all in his 'kingdom.'

Euzec dragged them into the nearest tavern and paid for a room, but just as he was going upstairs, he was questioned by the innskeeper, a man who was mouse-faced and looked at Cosette with drool by the corner of his mouth.  "You uh...gonna share a room with 'er?"

"Um...I think so," Euzec replied innocently, having no idea what the innkeeper was trying to imply.  "I don't have enough for two rooms."

"Oh, right!"  Though he looked extraordinarily uncertain, the innkeeper considered what he wanted more: A quickie with the attractive woman on Euzec's arm or losing business by offering a free room.  The money, fortunately, weighed more and he scrunched his face, discouraged, and headed down the stairs toward their room.

He followed behind him, smiling, thinking all would be well.  It was until he looked at Cosette and asked, "Oh, I'm sorry.  Did you want a separate room?"

She blinked at his response to that. Ok not quite the answer she expected but she blushed at the flattery. And when she saw him smiling, she blushed even darker. Damn blood. Why does it have to show up now?

She listened as he described the king. She was somewhat shocked at his words. He didn't seem like any royalty she had ever met. She had met with princes and scribes and high mages before, all for only one thing. She figured if they all were like that, this king must be no different. But as the description continued, he seemed more and more human. All except the phrase Euzec used: 'when he feels like it'. She sighed. It was the same with all royalty. And when Euzec said that the king would like to meet her, she only suspected the worst. No guy has ever wanted to meet her just for a chat. And Cosette wasn't stupid, she knew what he wanted. But in fear that saying no would make Euzec want to leave without her, she agreed to meet him. "He seems like a kind man. Of course i would!"

Cosette hopped along side Euzec into a tavern. It was nice, one of the nicest taverns she had seen out in the desert. She noticed a few people staring at the two of them. They whispered things she couldn't hear and probably wouldn't want to hear. She averted her attention to a group of men staring at her and making obscene faces. She shivered and held on tighter to Euzec. It wasn't until the man behind the counter started talking tat she even realized he was there. She looked at him and shut her eyes almost immediately. He was short, round and dirty looking. His clothes were battered, probably from living in the desert all his life. She smiled at her when she looked his way, showing his yellow teeth and dark purple gums. She winced at the sound of his voice, raspy, old, worn out. She just wanted to find a room to stay the night.

She then noticed what the two were talking about. Sharing a room? Where she was from, this could only lead to one thing. But maybe he wasn't like that based on the way he treated her , even though she hoped in her heart he was. She looked at him and thought of an answer. Her heart said to stay with him, and being the woman that she was, following her heart was usually the best choice. "I'll be fine. I don't mind sharing a room" and a bed, though she didn't want to say it. "Besides, staying alone gives that man opportunities he shouldn't have" she whispered. They ventured over to a door, down a flight of stairs (which took them a few tries to get the hang of walking down) and about halfway down a long hallway. The man stopped and waited for them to catch up, for they were a few feet behind. When they caught up, the man opened the door.

They walked into the room and flipped on the lights. A small room with only one bed welcomed them. There was a couch covered in  dust and cob webs was against one wall and a bed with a rickety old nightstand against another. There was a small bathroom with a shower that Cosette was not planning on using at all during her short stay. Cosette looked around and smiled. She would welcome any shelter that wasn't a tent. She and Euzec hobbled over to the bed. He helped her to the edge of it and then  was let go. Without him there, holding her she felt, in a way, naked. She bent over her leg, pulled her pant leg up to her knee and was for the first time being able to see the damages. Major bruising and swelling but no irreparable injuries. She yawned and wondered what would happen next. "Er...you don't mind it i..uh...get ready for bed do you?"

Dusk tigers were not allowed in the building, or in the town.  But seeing as he had wandered with the man and the woman for so long, he was not going to turn back now.  It was a beast of the wild and was not keen to obey the laws of humanoids.  It knew only the laws of Nature and what that mother decreed was sovereign over all other laws.  So the dusk tiger indeed had wandered with them into town, determined and haughty with every step, ignoring the fearsome glances of people barely peeking out their windows.  He did not enter the building with them but instead stayed and lingered outside the inn, sitting by the door and decided it best to away their return.

Euzec was completely fine with being alone with her, or with any woman in fact, so long as they kept their hands to themselves.  He couldn't help it though, he always seemed to attract the strangest and most awkward people toward him.  It was his bloody curse, almost literally, and caused him no end of trouble!  As an Incubus, he had a field of energy about him that seemed to draw humanoid members of the opposite sex and there was never a moment where he was able to keep to himself.  But it didn't seem that way so far with Cosette, and this was rather unexpected.  Maybe she was a nice girl, someone who knew how to keep their distance and the value of personal space.  He hoped she was, he'd have to have to slug her one if she was intent on something else.  But the latter thought was currently nonexistent in his mind.  He had only thoughts on getting some rest, going shopping, and then going home.

But she then said something that caught his attention.  "Opportunities?  For what?" he uttered to himself while walking.  It was a question that would remain unanswered for a time.

He grinned to the short bald, innkeeper who looked over Cosette with voraciously lascivious eyes and though Euzec did not notice his glance, he suddenly felt her grip on his clothing tighten, as if in desperation for something.  Well, whatever that was about, he was sure it would pass.  And as soon as they entered into their well-worn room, it did.  Or so it seemed to him.  She seemed less tense somehow and while he helped her sit on the bed, she seemed content when he went back to lock the door.

While she made herself comfortable, Euzec occupied himself with dusting off the cough and placing his staff, now retracted, off to the side.  The place wasn't so bad for a quaint little town, a hamlet in the middle of nowhere, but it definitely wasn't a prestigious hotel. Oh well, it would have to do for now.  He could sleep on the couch, he wouldn't mind.  She said something and he looked up at her just in time, "For bed?  No, of course not!  By all means, do if you're tired.  I'm going to wipe some sand off of me in the wash room and then I'll get some sleep too."  He nodded to her with a congenial grin and took off his upper robe before stepping into the bathroom.  He would take a while to get washed up as he wanted to make sure every crevice was reached before he would have to travel once more.  And who knows what she would be doing in that amount of time....

She grinned at him after checking her leg, now a dull throb that only bothered her if she touched it or tried to put weight on it. She sighed. Hopefully by tomorrow it wouldn't be as bad and she would be able to walk on her own. Her eyes followed Euzec as he locked the door and put his staff to the side. How could she be so lucky as to meet a man like this? She knew little about him but feared the future where he would most likely leave, dividing paths with her and never seeing her again. This thought made her sad, and she looked down at her feet trying to change her thoughts to something happier.

Euzec disappeared into the washroom, snapping Cosette from her train of thought. She didn't know how much time she would have before he came back, so she proceeded getting ready. It had been a while since she had slept in shelter other then a tent, so she was going to take full advantage of it. Back at her home town in Altas Verde, she nearly always slept Au Natural. But she figured she would spare him; he seemed kind and innocent in a way and didn't need to disgust him in any way. Instead she decided she would just sleep in the long shirt she had on underneath the long robe. That should be good enough for her and shouldn't disgust or weird Euzec out in any way.

So she stood on her good foot, taking a few seconds to find her balance. She stripped down to her T-shirt, which took a decent amount of time and coordination to do, especially getting her pants around her leg without hurting it too bad. When she was dressed for bed and all her clothes folded up in a corner that was out of the way, she looked down and saw she was standing in a pile of sand. Euzec had the right idea, cleaning off in the bathroom before changing for bed. She looked around quickly for anything to clean it up with little luck. Cosette wanted to clean up the mess before Euzec came out of the bathroom but she had no way of doing so. She thought for a minute before thinking that the guy at the front desk may have something to help her clean up. She feared the looks she would get from him but figured it wouldn't matter because he couldn't do anything in the open room of the tavern.

So she picked up her robe and threw it on, wrapping it around her waist before deciding if it was really a good idea. She knew she wasn't going to be down long, so she went. "Euzec! I'll be right back" she shouted through the door the the washroom. She opened the door to the hallway and waltzed on down to the main lobby.

The incubus worked calmly yet swiftly in the removal of all his attire.  Layer after layer of robes came off, each piece having its fair share of sand in its crevices and the finely powered rock dust falling to the floor in small puffs and clouds.  He coughed a few times because of the falling sand but it was no matter as, gradually, he found himself becoming lighter because of it.  It was amazing just how much sand could get inside clothing just from the flow of the atmosphere.  Because air was everywhere, he readily assumed that by morning, the sand would have flown through the windows and back into his clothes.  Hoped it wouldn't but there was no telling.  Nature did some tricky things.

The overcoat was easy enough and, after shaking it out substantially, he folded it neatly, then the undercoat, which was slightly lighter and too folded that one.  After the essentials were removed he went on to his pants, slipping those off with ease and then the ties of his sandals wrapping around his feet.  Boots weren't always good in travelling in the desert.  Even though sand sometimes got in between the area of the foot and the other side of the sole, he was used to those more than the heaviness brought about by boots, they made him trudge along, when he preferred to travel light.

Euzec stepped into the area where the water would drain out.  He suspected that it led around toward the outside via a pipe, but really all he wanted to do was get clean.  If he remembered, he might ask the innkeeper about it.  Right now, he reached for the readied water that was there and began to steadily wipe his body clean.  Surprisingly, it was quite warm for water, as it must have been on some kind of enchanted burner or something.  Well, whatever it was, it was working and he was quite warm because of it.  Gradually the dust was lifted from his body and onto the washcloth provided and what was left beneath it was the immaculate state of his lightly tanned flesh.

However, that was only half the job, there still remained the dusty hidden on his legs.  Frowning, he hoped Cosette wouldn't reproach him for taking so long in the bathroom.  But then he heard her leave, saying that she would be right back.  "Okay!" he responded, happy that that would buy him some time to get the job done.

She looked around wearily, avoiding longing stares from lonely men. She accidentally locked eyes with one man who was practically drooling over her. She readjusted her robe, making sure nothing was showing before approaching the counter. She looked around for the short man she had seen earlier, craning her neck to see around the corner and inside a door. He was sitting on a chair with his feet propped up on a table reading some sort of magazine. She shook her head, not wanting to look anymore.

She coughed, hoping to catch his attention. He looked up and, upon noticing her, nearly fell out of his chair to get over and assist her. hmm...she must be back for a little one on one time the inn keeper smiled a perverted little smile before looking at her again. " 'ow may I 'elp you, miss?" he grinned at her. Cosette swallowed. "Umm. Do you have anything to clean up a mess with? Like a broom or something?" She fiddled with the edges of her robe, watching as the inn keeper stared intently at an area that the robe could possibly slip from her hands, revealing more then Cosette ever wanted to show him. When nothing happened, he looked back up at her and nodded, somewhat disappointed. "I'll be right back, miss" he said before disappearing into the back room. Cosette waited patiently, once again adjusting her robe.

The man reappeared, no broom or cleaning device in hand. He had a twisted little smile on his face and motioned for Cosette to follow him. She hesitated. "Come on 'ere miss. I won' bite" His smile widened. Cosette's stomach twisted and she looked uneasily around at the people in the tavern. They were all intent on what they were doing. The inn keeper began to become impatient. "Do you wan' the broom o' what?" Of course she did. That was the whole point of coming out here. But she couldn't help feeling something would go horribly wrong if she decided to follow him. He held out his hand, and Cosette followed anyway.

He lead her down a long hallway. She grew more and more unsure of her decision with each step, wanting very much to turn back. But she felt that if anything started going wrong, she could always turn back and head to the room. The inn keeper walk to the end of the hallway and stopped at a door labeled 'supply closet'. Cosette let out a small sigh of relief. The man opened the door and showed Cosette the way in. Her eyes widened. "Why don't you go in first sir." Her stomach tied in knots. The man grabbed her wrist, completely out of no where and pulled her into the supply closet,  shutting the door behind them. (fade to a while later)

There was some racket coming from the closet, as if some rats were having an intense quarrel in there, or that they couldn't wait to get back to their burrow.  If the latter was the case then those must have been some pretty big rats.  From the sound of it, it was a bit of a struggle, one of which lasted for a few minutes (maybe ten) before a heavy groan resounded from the inside and the small man emerged, red in the face, and holding his groin, walking out as if he'd been struck there repeatedly.  He waddled out like a dog that had just been castrated, holding his nug-nugs as if they were the most precious jewels in the world.....

"Uh, yeah....Glad I could help ye," he muttered before shuffling back toward the main counter.  "And don' worry about givin' it back.  Ye can jus' leave it in the room.  I'll be gettin' it later."  And just as he kept shuffling, he groaned heavily and muttered quite audibly, "Gods! My balls! Grr!"

Meanwhile, unaware of the ruckus that occurred outside in the hallway, Euzec finally emerged from the washroom in a blanket of steam that burst out as if it were a hot spring.  And it may as well have been for all the moisture that little room retained.  But he was happy that he was clean and, with a towel wrapped around his wais, he came out with his folded clothes over his arm, not noticing if Cosette had gotten back or not with whatever it was that she had gone to get.

Cosette, breathing hard, stood up shakily. Her fists were clenched as she watched after the waddling man. How dare he even look at her that way. Her heart beat ferociously in her chest while she wrapped her robe back around her. She grabbed the broom and stormed out of the supply closet, struggling to find her feet as she headed back to her room.

After he had pulled her into the closet, he did what most men did. He ripped open her robe and pushed her to the floor. Reacting quickly, she shoved him off of her, forcing him back against the door. He had a shocked look on his face and tried going at her again. She jerked her leg up, kicking him first in the jaw, then in the stomach. He doubled over and she got to her feet to run back to the room. But before she even got to the door he grabbed her again and threw her to the floor. She hit her head hard on something (perhaps a broom or a supply cart) which throbbed. She blinked away the tears and the blackness that threatened to overtake her before seeing the man coming at her yet again. She kicked up and nailed him right in the groin. He let out a groan and doubled over, holding himself and whimpering. He stared at her for a second and turned to open the door "Uh, yeah....Glad I could help ye," He waddled a few steps. "And don' worry about givin' it back. Ye can jus' leave it in the room. I'll be gettin' it later. God! My balls!" He waddled off.

Cosette reached the door and opened it, seeing Euzec in only a towel. She dropped the broom and stared in pleased shock. "er...sorry. Should i leave you alone for a bit?"

Walking over to the couch, Euzec gently placed his clothing down in the places that he'd swiftly dusted off.  The place was too shabby than what he was used too, and, if he owned it, he certainly would have had it cleaner than its current state.  He was used to an orderly abode, even if the abode was only temporary.  Though he was going to stay for the night and leave as soon as he could, that didn't mean that he wanted to sleep in filth.  So he did the only logical thing he could think of and dusted off the couch as best he could before he heard the door opening.  The film came off in layers sufficient enough to be flattened and turned into a gray rag.   Just when he'd gotten it clean enough, he heard the door open and the voice of Cosette greet him.

Euzec, after he finished laying out his folded clothing along the armrest, creating a fine white pile, turned around to her and smiled congenially.  As if being half-naked, which of course was only possible with the inclusion of the towel being wrapped around his waist, was a normal everyday thing, which was a possible reality in Kushumoro's palace for the Haremites, he waved and said innocently, "Oh, hello Cosette.  I didn't hear you coming.  But welcome back."  He didn't quite notice how she was staring at him, and thus wasn't perturbed like he normally would have been in any other situation.

He acted completely as if this was how everything always was.  Euzec was accustomed to women gawking at him all the time, though that wasn't to say that he liked it.  In fact, quite the contrary.  He liked his personal space as much as anyone and sometimes eyes were just the invaders that had to be thwarted.  However, he didn't notice her gaze now and looked like a fool, screwing up his face in curiosity.  "Leave me alone?  Why would you do that?  No, by all means, come in, make yourself comfortable.  And...what's that broom for?"

Her eyes widened at the sight of the towel. So she thought this man was attractive in normal circumstances, but now it was almost painful to hold herself back. She couldn't break her gaze. She breathed in shakily and just stood there, staring.

After what seemed like only a few seconds (but was probably more like a minute or two) she blinked, tearing her eyes from what she had been staring at just moments before. She shook her head and looked down at the broom which she hadn't even realized she dropped, then back up at Euzec, trying not to get stuck staring again. "Sorry, I just thought maybe...I just...uhh" She looked down and blushed. "It's just...I thought maybe you would want some privacy to change." She leaned down to grab the broom, making sure to keep the robe tight around her. "oh and this? I figured this place could do with some cleaning up. This is the best they had." She stood up and looked around for something to clean up so she didn't look like a complete idiot.

Cosette couldn't for the life of her figure out why this man made her feel like this. Normally she could control her emotions, even hide them. But he had some sort of magnet that pulled them all out of her. She wondered if all women were like this around him. A weaker woman would tremble at the sight of him. But Cosette was determined not to be like those women. She was determined to change from the way she normally was around men. And she was determined to not get her heart broken by a temporary room mate. She cleared her throat. "How was your shower?"

Yes it seemed about two whole minutes that she had remained staring at him though, a time that had gone unnoticed overall.  Euzec wasn't one to dawdle on the uninteresting, but luckily enough for her, he found most things interesting and while the dusk tiger slumbered outside, he hoped that he too might catch some Z's before the rising of the dawn.  He didn't even think to consider that Cosette might have any designs on him whatsoever.  In fact, he considered her to be one of the few women that didn't seem to want to jump his bones.

Of course, this was only due to the fact that he hadn't yet noticed the desire burning within her.  If she was determined not to be like other women, she was doing a damn good job of it.  Or perhaps she could just hide it better than others.  But Euzec wasn't a psychic or an empathic, so whatever it was that she was feeling was going to stay hidden unless she acted upon it.  Which may very well be soon enough.

Seeing that she was preoccupied now with sweeping, Euzec smiled quite innocently and resumed his task at the couch.  "Oh it was wonderful.  You should try it!  It was hot and comfortable and now I'm refreshed and ready for anything.  You wanna take one or do you just want to lay down?"

She bit her lip. Oh how she wished she could've just tackled him right then and there. She didn't know if he would let her seeing as he was much stronger then her and several inches taller. But the temptation was eating at her. And if he didn't put some clothes on, he was in serious trouble. She focused on her sweeping , glancing up every now and then to see if he was somehow part of her imagination and had vanished. When she declared he was still there, she would look back down. She let out a shaky breath, a little louder then she had intended.

She looked up once more when he asked her. "umm...I think i will shower." who knows when I would shower next. She then remembered her throbbing ankle that no longer seemed to bother her. She tested it slightly by putting most of her weight on it. Nothing. She smiled. At least tomorrow wouldn't be as embarrassing as today's journey. Or so she hoped.

She smiled at him, simply taken aback by his beauty. Every time she looked at his perfect features and thought about how he treated her, it just took her breath away. Even though she didn't want to leave the room, she figured she should probably shower. Her mind had some plans for later tonight and she didn't want the desert smell to ruin them all. She set the broom aside and removed her robe, folding it up and placing it by the rest of her stuff. She glance back at him before heading off to the bathroom to wash up.

So far everything was alright.  The large cat was resting peacefully outside the inn with a large purring sound emerging from him.  For a dusk tiger's business was doing what instinct bestowed him, what the wilds of nature instilled in him, and how he was to survive with what he had.  No, he didn't like having to wait for the man to finish up his business inside the building, nor did he care for the presence of the female.  If his superior being wasn't so inclined to bring her along then he would have surely made a meal of her.  Perhaps....perhaps if he played his paws right, there was still a chance for that.

Euzec, with in the building, was idly minding his business, this time however  he was feeling faint tingling sensations on the back of him...as if someone was staring at him.  It was the first time in the evening that he finally was made aware of her gaze.  And when he felt it, his face screwed into a visage of sheer confusion and he carefully turned around to find her idly sweeping.  Hm, maybe this was just his imagination.

She soon assented to the shower and he nodded in agreement.  "Okay.  I'll finish up here, and then when you get out, I'll take a look at your leg again if you want.  Don't be long, I can't wait forever."  Euzec then smiled and began finishing up her task of sweeping up the sand.

Again, a shaky breath came from her. She needed to relax. Maybe the shower would help. She looked at the floor and turned on the water. She stripped down, realizing that even after she had dusted off, there was still a large amount of dirt on her body and clothing. A shower really was necessary. She waited for the water to heat up, the whole time thinking about what could happen tonight. She felt the water and decided it was good enough for her and stepped in.

She watched as the dirt ran down her skin, turning it from a dusty brown color to her fair skinned self. It almost shocked her. She always wondered how she could last in the desert without getting severely burnt or harmed. It baffled her but she needn't get too worried about it. She only needed to make her pilgrimage. Though she questioned that too. Why make a pilgrimage? She wasn't male. She wasn't as religious as most women in her town. She shook her head. Maybe a reason would come at some point. Either way she just had to focus on the future. She was with a man she just met, traveling to a place she had never heard of with people living there she knew nothing about. A lot could go wrong. She would just have to play her cards right and stay out of the way of danger. She sighed and hoped for the best.

The water warmed her skin. She smiled as it soothed her leg, which was now a dark blue mound formed around her lower calf that spread to just below her knee. It only bothered her when she thought about it, and since her mind was out of things to preoccupy itself with, it shot pains through her entire leg and up her back. She groaned and pulled her weight off it. She braced herself against the wall to keep herself up and continued rinsing off, letting the heat of the water relax her muscles.

Not since he was a kid had he ever did back breaking work in his life.  Though he was but a lowly guard, Euzec lived a life of something akin to luxury.  Well, he had a room and a bed and clean clothes and food and water and everything he needed to survive for a time...if that could be considered luxury.  His own fortunes did not in any way resemble those of the lord of the palace, Kushumoro, himself.  Instead, the bandit king lavished himself in gold and silver and the finest robes fit for any king, and paid all his guards well, which was presented mostly in the form of a comfortable life and very little gold.

Euzec took what was given to him for there was no other life that he knew.  So what that he looked like traveling monk, with his white, immaculate robes, or the fact that he traveled with the idealized staff.  Of course, anyone who knew Euzec could tell that he could not be a monk, though his lifestyle was very close to one.  He'd never been the religious type given the type of job he had, but nor would he ever think otherwise.  Such things were currently beyond him.  All he was concerned with now was to be a short-term maid and clean up this sandy mess they had made.

Within a matter of minutes, the mess was taken care of, the pile made into a small ball and picked up and dumped into a the waste basket in the corner.  Satisfied, he placed the broom in a corner and was ready to help Cosette as soon as she came out.  He walked over to the door and knocked on it.  "Cosette, are you finished?  I think I can help your leg now!"

Cosette was rinsing sand, grim and dirt from her arms and legs, just finishing up, when she heard knocking on the door. It scared her a little bit and she jumped, landing hard on her bad leg. She winced and nearly collapsed to the floor. She looked at the door and turned off the water, wiping off the last remaining bits of sand from herself and ringing out her hair. "Hold on a second! I'll be right out." She grabbed a towel and attempted to dry her hair a little bit before wrapping the towel around herself.

She opened the door and let out all the steam. She shivered a little as she went from the warm wash room into the cooler main room. As her body temperature readjusted, she looked at Euzec and smiled. She resisted the urge to drop the towel and run at him with great difficulty. It got harder and harder as time passed. Her leg pained her but managed to hobble over to the bed before her leg gave out from underneath her. She winced again and leaned down to hold her leg. She hoped it would be better by tomorrow.

She looked up at Euzec. She tried standing up to get dressed but couldn't. Her leg wouldn't support her. It seemed to have gotten worse. She sighed and glanced down at it. It looked worse then it had a few minutes before. It had now spread up past her knee and swelled to the size of a baseball. It looked and felt as if someone took a jackhammer to it and she cringed at the thought of traveling on it tomorrow. "I...I can't move. Sorry." She gave a sheepish smile and looked at the floor, still sitting in only a towel.

Euzec indeed did jump at the opening of the door, taken aback by the sudden movement of it and grinning like a surprised child when she appeared from the thickness of the mist.  "Oh hello!" he said, maintaining his congenial visage. Most people would never smile so much, but he was in a good mood and eager to help his new acquaintance in addition to getting some sleep.  As much as the dust of sleep hung heavily on his eyelids, he would resist it until the moment he could be sure that his new companion was well and ready to get a good night sleep too.  He didn't know what he would do if she persisted to have issues through out the night.

As she sat down on the bed, he knelt beside her looking to get a better chance to examine it now that there was some good light surrounding them.  But then she suddenly tried to stand and abruptly fell down again.  "Oh no!  Don't do that!  You'll make it worse.  Geez, it's pretty bad already, but then again you probably already know that."  Euzec peered up at her and softened his features, thinking a smile might make the moment all too much for her to handle.

Euzec now grabbed her leg gently and sucked in breath sharply through his teeth.  "Good sand gods, that's nasty.  Hm, I think I might be able to make this better.  It won't heal it completely but a good massage will certainly ease your pain for the night.  But by morning I don't think you'll be ready for travel.  If you still want to go with me I'll have no choice but to carry you.  I mean if that's alright.  I'm not trying to be overtly forward or anything."  He stretched another cautious grin at her and gently began to rub her leg in the place where it wasn't so badly bruised.  He hoped he wouldn't hurt her.  The last time he hurt a woman, it was one of the Haremites and, though Euzec didn't mean to do it,  Kushumoro beat him and didn't let him eat for at least a month.  Good thing Cosette wasn't one of the Haremites.

The throbbing grew. It was painful to thinking about the journey tomorrow, though the thought of traveling with Euzec sent her heart fluttering. If she didn't do something soon, she would never find the control to fall asleep, let alone travel tomorrow. She had two options that came to mind: a) make her move on him and call it a night or b) leave and find her own way back home. Both had their benefits but both had a greater deal of consequences. She took a deep breath and tried to relax a bit and clear her thoughts. For now she had to focus on her leg and how she would heal before she could make any other decisions. She glanced down at it again and groaned.

She winced slightly at his touch. It was warm and gentle, but slightly unexpected. It sent her heart fluttering once again. He took another deep breath and closed her eyes, making her mind drift elsewhere. It went to the man at the front desk, the tiger waiting somewhere outside, the hole she had been in several hours before, back home where she came from. She made her mind stop there. She snapped back to the present and glanced at Euzec and bit her lip. Her heart took off when he began to rub her leg and she made fists around the fabric on the bed as if to hold herself there.

Needless to say, the massage was hard to bear. Not because it hurt, not because she didn't enjoy it, but because she had the hardest time controlling her body against the urges that passed through her. It took most of her strength the keep back. She pulled her leg away when she couldn't take it anymore. She glanced into his eyes, longing for whatever was there. She leaned in closer, and closer. They were inches from each other when she pulled away. "I am going to go change. I'll be right back." She tried once again to stand on her one leg, taking a few seconds to regain her balance before hobbling off to the bathroom.

Her heart was pounding through her chest when she closed the door behind her. She took several deep breaths and leaned against the door. She closed her eyes to think. There was no way she could go back out there without losing all control. She had never gone this long with a man like that without it going anywhere she had wanted it to go. This was different and it pained her to hold back like she had been. She didn't know where to go from here

Euzec could understand her pain.  "You know, I've broken my own legs lots of times when I was younger.  I remember I must have been about fifteen when it happened the first time.  I was running an obstacle course to remain physically fit for my job.  You see, I was just being inducted on that day, and that when my real training was to begin.  Oh!  I'm sorry; I didn't tell you what I did for a living.  Well, you see, I'm a guard for a palace down in the desert.

"Well, anyway on this day, I remember that I was running really hard and I could feel all the muscles in my body working like never before.  I felt so confident, so sure of myself that I would run the course faster than everybody else that I didn't see the pitfall ahead of me.  So I fell down, taking a misstep and shattering my entire left shin.  It was one of the most horrible wounds I have ever suffered...  But that's not so bad, the worse part of it, really is that I broke the same leg several times afterwards....in the same hole.  Now normally I'd be ashamed to tell a story like this.  Nobody wants to make themselves out to be a fool, but I think its okay in a situation like this.  Don't you think?"  Euzec was far too preoccupied with her leg to notice that she was glancing at him and then...slowly...closing the distance.  It was only when he thought it was about time that she answer did he look up and notice how close she was.  He gulped in his harshly dry throat. "Um, Cosette?"

But just then she excused herself and hurried off to the bathroom... Er, or about as hurried as person with an injured leg could scurry across the floor.  And suddenly Euzec, in all his modest wonderment, was curious as to just what had caused her to run off.  Sure, she had said that she wanted to change her clothes but that only caused him to wonder as to what exactly was wrong with the clothes she currently had on.  Oh well, he would never understand the females of any race or species.  They were odd creatures.  But nonetheless, that didn't stop him from getting up and coming over to the washroom door and knocking on it with intense curiosity burning up inside of him.  "Um, Cosette, are you okay in there?  Do you need me to help you with something?"

[XD He's just asking for it, I can tell.]

Her heart rate raced, eyes darting from the ceiling to the floor, looking for any way out of the room. She swallowed, trying to clear her head. She needed to relax and this was not the way to do it. The urges raced through her body making her mind cluttered. She shut her eyes tightly and sorted through her thoughts. She felt completely schizophrenic. One voice was telling her to get out; to run and not look back. Another was telling her to stay where she was; to avoid this man until morning where they would be able to go their separate ways. And yet another told her to clamp onto him and not let him go. She groaned. She heard knocking on the door.

Her eyes shot open and with them her heart raced to a million miles an hour. Her breathing shook as she tried to find her voice to answer. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat to answer. "I-I'll be right out." Her eyes once again darted for anything. They fell onto her robe which was balled up and thrown to one corner. She dropped the towel and reached for her robe and wrapped herself in it. She wasn't quite sure how this would help but at least it would look like she was doing something while he waited.

She tied the straps in a loose knot behind her back and took a deep breath. She stepped away from the wall and turned towards the door. Her hand shook as she turned the handle and opened it, staring into the face of Euzec.

He could not even begin to imagine the capacity of her trepidation had he even the faintest idea.  He wasn't dim, just...humorless to a capacity that he didn't understand everything that came his way.  There wasn't a portion about him that ignorant to the emotions that ran rampant through her, but not because he too had ever experienced them but, in fact, because the Haremites rarely gave him a moment to himself.  Euzec was hopelessly naïve to whatever plagued Cosette, who by now, he considered a short-term friend for the time being.  But, whatever it was, he hoped that she wouldn't be too long and that it wasn't so severe.

Euzec jumped in slight surprise when she opened it.  He stared at her face to face, hoping his presence might calm her even in the slightest bit.  "Um...Cosette.  You're alright, right?  You sure there isn't anything I could do for you?"

She just stared at him, her eyes filled with the lust that coursed through her. She gripped the frame of the door, nearly shaking as she strained against herself. Her breathing was shaky and her heart beat raced. Her eyes darted, moving from his hair to his skin to his eyes and finally landing on his lips. Her lips parted slightly in response and she blinked, finally hearing his words.

"There is one thing you could do for me." She stepped closer, completely ignoring the shooting pain in her leg. She got up close to him so that they were nearly touching. She felt his body heat radiating onto her. She leaned into his ear and whispered "kiss me" and stepped back to stare into his eyes.

The dusk tiger was tired of waiting.  Even as he was attempting to sleep, resting his large head on his paws several times and purring his way into surrendering slumber.  But alas, he was not moved by his notions.  Something was amiss here.  This was just a quiet settlement, one that he had not seen nor cared to see in his years of wandering alone.  Dusk tigers roamed sands at night and slept in caves to keep cool during the day.  To sleep now would be a crime against his nature.  No, he'd have to stay awake and keep watch.  He would have to watch out for that woman, he did not trust her.
~~~

Euzec stood calmly, breathing as if in a silent meditation.  And while he wasn't, he found this moment to be particularly soothing.  He was usually like this even within such close proximity of a lustful woman.  Had he walked another path in life, he might have been thrice more lustful than she and surely would have made moves to conquer her minutes before this moment.  But Euzec stood here as if this was just another normal, everyday moment for him, and not as if he was facing his nature.  The aura that swept off of him without his knowledge however, called to her yearning.

He waited patiently while she considered herself and he merely smiled when she confirmed that, indeed, there was something that he could do for her.  She seemed distraught somehow, though he couldn't tell from what. She then leaned forward and whispered her request into his ear.  "Oh a kiss," he said calmly, smiling fully and prepared to satisfy her appeal.  "I can do that!"  He, of course, was unaware of the true nature of her desire, and so would assuage it to the best of his knowledge.  Euzec leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers softly in a friendly kiss.  "Like that?" he asked, raising his brows.

She closed her eyes and sighed. But it ended quickly. She opened her eyes, slightly taken aback. This kiss was not like anything she had ever done. It did not spell lust or love to her. Something more like friendship. But that's not quite what she was looking for. She smiled and glanced at her feet, giggling quietly to herself. "That was nice. But I was thinking something more like this." She cautiously grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards her, pressing her lips to his. It was gentle at first but grew more intense as her body longed for more. Her breathing increased and she removed her hands from his collar, entwining her fingers into his hair. But there was something wrong. Something different and unknown to her.

This was not a kiss full of lust. She was almost shocked to feel pure passion replace all the other emotions she was used to feeling in these kinds of situations. This was definitely not something she was used to in the least. The surprise caused her to pull back and stare at Euzec. The kiss had lasted less then a minute. She blinked, breathing hard. "I'm s-sorry. I don't know what came over me." She gave a light chuckle and hobbled over to the bed. The lump in her throat reappeared and, try as she might, she could not clear it. She sat on the edge of the bed, sitting on top of her hands and staring at the ground. She bit her lip before looking back at Euzec, apologizing to him silently with her eyes,unable to speak anymore.

Her mind raced. Thousands of different thoughts flooded her mind. What had just happened? What caused her to react like that? Why was he different? She had no answers for any of these questions and she didn't know how to phrase them so she didn't sound like a complete idiot. So instead she just stared at the ground, concentrating on the pattern of the floor.

He wasn't much of kisser and...to an extent, he wasn't even sure he knew how to kiss.  He hoped that she would be satisfied with that small peck that he rewarded her.  For one, it seemed like it suited the moment.  Though he had few acquaintances outside Kushumoro's palace (and for good reason), he knew that kissing was something that friends did sometimes in comfortable settings.  And while the room was far from that state, he figured he might as well show her an act of kindness now.

But it seemed she was more than willing to express the same towards him!  His eyes shot wide as she kissed him with such enthusiasm.  Not sure how to react, he stood stock still and let her mouth work on his.  Yet it seemed instinct was determined to take over for a second's flash!  He found he was kissing her back and that very idea left him in both a state of statue-like confusion, wonderment, and horror all at the same time.  What the hell was that for!?  Friends didn't kiss like that!  And furthermore, his body never reacted like that!  Surely there was reason behind Kushumoro's law of him having to stay away from the Haremites during certain times of the year, but there was no explanation that Euzec could convey or understand.

But he liked it, it was different.  One of the Haremites showed him how to kiss like that once.  He wasn't sure then what he was sure of now.  Maybe that was how good friends really kissed.  But he saw her seem disappointed and she apologized.  Euzec, lacking the understanding of the moment, watched her as she hobble over to the bed like an awkward cripple.  But instead of being angry, he merely grinned widely as if amused and stalked over to her, kneeling down he cupped her cheek and said, "That was interesting way to kiss.  Here, lemme try!"  And with that he kissed her softly again and put more pressure into it than before.  This friendship kissing thing was more confusing than he'd thought.

She saw him smiling and was instantly confused. He didn't seem like the kind of person that would like someone losing control like that. But his smile sent her heart into a fluttering beat and as he neared her, cupping his hand around her cheek, her breath caught in her throat. She had been around the block more then a few times, done several different things with several different people. She thought she had tried everything. But he kissed her in a way she had never experienced before. He showed sincerity, kindness, friendship. She fed on it, allowing her lips to move with his. They seemed to be working in tandem. She closed her eyes gently and instead of letting her instincts spread like wild fire across her body as they normally would have, she held herself together, determined not to let it go any further then that unless they both desired it to.

She touched his face with one hand while the other rested on his shoulder. She was slightly worried that she was enjoying this more then he was but it didn't bother her too much. She parted her lips and pulled away slowly, staring into his eyes before letting out a small nervous giggle. She looked at the ground, surprised by her own reaction. She felt like a teenage girl experiencing her first kiss, wanting it to last forever. But she didn't want to test the waters too much so she just sat there, looking into his beautiful golden eyes. She smiled, whispered "Thanks" and bit lightly onto her lower lip. Her heart began to slow and her breathing was collected, but she couldn't look away from him. Her body ached to continue with the normal routine but she fought against it, not wanting to ruin whatever could be between the two of them.

It was a relatively easy move and Euzec was quite satisfied that it had all gone out so well.  What an interesting method that got such interesting reactions from her.  He didn't expect his lips to be so hot afterward nor his face to feel so abruptly and sternly flushed, but it was there and he'd just have to deal with it.  "Um," he began slowly, feeling the warmth of his cheek and then measuring it against hers.  "Oh you're very welcome.  I've never kissed like that before.  It was nice!  Anytime, okay.  Just ask!  Though I do have a question, if you think you might be able to answer it.  I'd like to know why we're both very warm.  I don't recall ever feeling like that before."

Euzec nodded and took his place by the couch.  "Well, good night then, Cosette. See you in the morning.  If you still wanna travel with me to where I came from, you're more than welcome to come along.  I'm sure Kushumoro would love to meet you."  With that he put out the light and prepared for sleep.  He'd want to leave as soon as he could tomorrow to buy the necklace than head back.  It would be a long walk and chances were he'd fall asleep for the rest of the day afterward.

She kind of sat there, slightly dumbfounded. Never kissed like that before? With the way he looked he must have women all over him. She looked at him curiously. He felt her face. An odd gesture but kind of expected. She smiled at him. "Um i don't know. I guess if you are really into the moment, your heart increased, sending large amounts of blood rushing through your body. Kind of like when you exercise." She paused, smiling bigger after she said that. Maybe he had felt the same way. Maybe he was enjoying himself. Just maybe.

She glanced at him as he walked over to the couch. She felt kind of bad, taking the bed from him. She pursed her lips figuring whether she should offer they share a bed. But then she realized enough had happened tonight. She had gotten one of her wishes this evening fulfilled. If she tried for another it might backfire, leaving her alone in the village with no money for supplies to even get her back home. So she pulled the blankets up over her shoulder, rested her head on the pillow and quietly drifted off to sleep.

The same dream she had had in the cave returned to her, only this time Euzec stood off behind the monster. The monster slithered towards her, showing it's teeth. She tried to scream but could only whisper. She whispered Euzec's name, trying to get his attention. But he was too busy with something she couldn't see. She glanced from him to the monster. Thinking her life was about to end, she closed her eyes tight. Out of nowhere she heard a roar. A dusk tiger leaped at the monster, knocking it over. The tiger dug his teeth deeply into it. The monster let out a terrible noise which could only be described as nails on chalkboard times one thousand. She gritted her teeth together. After a few seconds, the sound ended, leaving hallow silence. She watched as the dusk tiger walked over to Euzec, lightly brushing up against him. It then turned and looked at her, bearing it's teeth. It growled and stalked towards her. Her eyes grew wide and she shielded her face with her arms as the tiger leaped at her.

Euzec didn't dream much, never had the thought to and when he did it was usually something painfully suggestive.  When he slept, it was more like a void, a rest zone where no thoughts entered, no sounds; nothing but the sound of his breathing and the rhythm of movement of his chest as he did so.  He was a rather quiet sleeper, never uttering a snore or a groan or heavy breathing.  Even so, when he slept, he was always at that halfway point between awake and true sleep, a place where he could linger for hours and still wake up fully rested.  In this place of slumber, he was still in his own world while simultaneously being aware of the rest of the world around him.  The slightest disturbance could make him spring up in surprise, often with his staff in hand.

In this case, his sleep went over quite well, no disturbances thus far.  Euzec shifted uncomfortably on the spring-loaded sofa that left his feet hanging out on the opposite end on the armrest.  He hoped that there weren't tiny things crawling inside it...and now that that thought entered his brain, he suddenly rubbed his arms fervently as if something was crawling all over him.  "EH!" he said in a whisper before his eyelids thrust open and he leapt off the couch.

"Goodness," he whispered again, sitting up and wiping off his forehead.  It was only then that he heard whimpering in the corner.  Looking about the dark room, noticed it was coming from Cosette's corner.  Was she having a bad dream?  He heard noises come from her as if something was making itself quite vivid to her.  "Cosette?  Cosette," he repeated in the darkness, striding awkwardly over to her and nudging her shoulder.  A little more force might be necessary.  "Cosette!" he yelled as she shook her shoulders.  "Wake up!"

"Euzec!" Her eyes shot open. She looked around in a worried frenzy, trying hard to remember where she was. The smell of must and grime reminded her. Her nose crinkled slightly. She felt around to find the edge of her bed when her hand brushed over something warm and alive. She pulled it back, holding a squeal in. Her mind was not quite out of it's sleep mode. She put her hand back down, trying to find whatever she had touched before. She found it and picked it up, realizing after a few seconds it was a hand. "Euzec?" She looked around, focusing her eyes in the dark. She blinked a few times and could see the outline of a man.

"Oh Euzec." She wrapped her arms around his stomach in some sort of embrace. She shut her eyes tight, trying to forget her nightmare. Tears streamed down her face and she wrapped her arms tighter. "It was terrible. Just awful." She shook her head and gripped his shirt in her fists. So vivid, so horrifying. She trembled slightly.

Her mind drifted to the tiger. What had happened to it? Had it gone back to the desert? Was it somewhere in the city? Had it been killed by a scared villager? Where ever it was, she hoped it came no where near her or Euzec. And if it did, she would do whatever she could to keep it from harming either one of them.

The action surprised him and he nearly cried out a significant yelp of his own as she graced his hand with her hand.  It surprised him and he nearly flinched in response.  Instead she reached for it quite gently before lunging at him and clutching him desperately in a hug.  Whoa!  What the hell had gotten into her!?  Euzec was just as surprised and such wasn't quite as pleasant as it might have been.  Nobody ever hugged him like that, like they were afraid for him or if something bad was about to occur.  However, she did and he certainly couldn't have felt more awkward in the moment.

He might have uttered her name and questioned her about it until she said something caught his attention.  "Terrible?  What was so terrible?  This room?  Oh I know, no matter how I thought I could get it cleaned up, it still feels like a dumping zone for junk.  Goodness, I'll have to do something about that in the morning.  I'll make sure— "

Euzec paused for a grand moment suddenly when he felt her slight trembling.... Wide-eyed, he stared into the darkness of the wall beside the bed.  What was wrong with her?  Maybe it wasn't what it thought it was after all.  "Wait.  Cosette, tell me what's wrong."  He frowned harshly.  "You're shaking.  Tell me what happened."

Even after she thought it was over, even after she had woken up, the dream kept adding to itself.

The tiger leapt at her, and right when she thought it was going to take her down, she heard a shout come from above her. She opened her eyes and saw Euzec jumping at the tiger, hitting it full force. He took down the tiger, landing on it and pinning it to the ground. He looked over at her and yelled at her to run. The tiger struggled beneath him and he shouted louder at her to run away. Her legs were frozen to where she stood. She stared at the struggle between the two in front of her. The tiger growled and flipped himself over so it's massive paws were underneath it. It hoisted itself up, lifting Euzec up along with it. The tiger looked over it's shoulder and saw him. It grabbed onto his shirt and ripped him off it's back. She closed her eyes, only hearing growls before snapping back to the real world. She could only hope the dream ended better then her mind was imagining it had.

Her hands trembled and tears streamed down her face. She clenched her teeth together tightly. Cosette sat there for a minute or two, trying to gather herself up before daring to open her eyes. She felt like a small child, fearing her life based on a nightmare. But she had never had a dream like that before. It was so vivid, and try as she might she couldn't shake the image of the tiger coming at her from her head.

When she felt she had controlled herself enough to speak, she looked up at the shadowy figure and explained to him her dream, leaving out the newly added part to her dream. She didn't care if he thought she was crazy, she just needed to tell someone. When she was done explaining the trembling began again, shaking her entire body. She looked down and bit her lip. "S-sorry I woke you." Tears continued to fall down her cheek and onto the bed. Her mind kept flashing back to the dream, replaying it over and over.

A sob burst through her throat, once again shaking her frame. She covered her mouth with her hands and continually shook, using her other hand to hold onto Euzec tightly.

Euzec had no idea what she was talking about.  If he'd known the nature of dreams, dreams that were a lot less sweaty and loud, he might have been able to see the harm in thinking such horrible things as getting shredded to pieces by a dusk tiger.  Most people would consider such dreams to mean that perhaps the dreamer themselves were losing their sanity; but Euzec did not consider such a thing.  He thought only that perhaps the fear of the tiger had gotten to her earlier and that she needed comforting.  That was something simple enough that even someone like him could provide.

Euzec worked her grip loose and moved down to her level, kneeling beside her before wrapping her in his embrace.  A hug was always a kind gesture and if she needed a shoulder to cry one, he had two of them she could choose from.  He found her tears to be very unnerving, especially in the fact that he wasn't accustomed to women crying around him.  Euzec couldn't stand when a woman cried; it broke his heart to the point where he would do almost anything for them to alleviate their tears.  He knew that this was a weakness, a soft spot in him, and surely one he would never tell to anyone.  But it was an easy one to figure out.

Euzec hugged her still, though awkwardly and he blinked confusedly.  "Oh...um, don't worry about that.  I couldn't sleep anyway.  That couch is really lumpy.  You didn't wake me at all.  Just please stop crying.  Look here, take my shirt, dry your tears."

The tears streamed down her face and onto his shirt. She felt him try and loosen her grip on him which made her try harder to hold onto him. But in time he won, removing her hands from his waist. She whimpered slightly but gave in, relaxing her arms against him. But then he hugged her. She felt relieved to have him so close again and she tried to calm her breathing with little luck. She buried her face in his chest, shutting her eyes tight.

She trembled and looked up at him, barely able to see the pained look on his face. Her eyes widened in confusion. "Euzec, you ok?" She sat up, letting go of him completely. He offered her his shirt which she declined politely. "I think I'll b-be ok." Her breathing was still harsh and the tears still fell down her cheeks, but seeing Euzec looking so uncomfortable made her feel uneasy. She looked down and sighed.

"Sorry I, you know" she paused, blushing. "freaked out so much. It's just, I haven't had a dream like that since.." She choked slightly on her words as a few more tears fell down her cheeks. "Since my father died." A quiet sob broke through her chest, shaking her entire frame again. She bit her lip and buried her face again, holding in whatever tears were trying to escape.

Euzec had never cried a day in his life, nor had he ever held a heavy hand over someone's head.  He could not recall at just what point in his existence that he discovered that, over all, despite the occasional beatings and constant, even annoying, attention from the Haremites, his life was all-around all right.  There were few things to actually be sad for and therefore hardly a tear graced his eyes.  He knew tears to be caused generally by heartbreaking things.  Perhaps this dream penetrated as deeply as such things, though he couldn't possibly tell why a dusk tiger would make her cry.

"I'm....I'm fine," Euzec patted her head carefully let her go when she let go.  He was somewhat relieved when the tears slowed...but seemed to still burn her eyes.  They flowed again for a time when she suddenly spoke of her father a memory that caused her to bury her face again.

Awkwardly, Euzec softened his features into something more sympathetic and smiled gently.  "Your father?  Who was he?  What happened to him?  Was he beautiful like you?"

The tears stopped flowing. Cosette thought it was because they had run out. But it didn't stop the sobs from threatening to explode from her chest. She bit her lip at what Euzec said. Thousands of memories of her dad flooded her mind. Some grand, some happy, most sad. She sat silently for a minutes, gathering all her memories and picking out the ones that would answer his questions. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Well he was my father, obviously. Mr. Rudolph J Anastasie. He was a wanderer, traveling the desert, usually with me right at his side." She smiled slightly, now only having the post cry hiccups. She took another deep breath. "He was an amazing man, and I am not just being biased. Ask anyone around Atlas Verde. They'll agree with me. He was not a quiet man, always out making friends with people from all over Serendipity." She felt herself getting off track, losing herself in her memories. "Anyway, one of the men he met one day was also a traveler, exploring way down south, going to places i had never heard of. This grabbed my dad's attention and he found himself preparing for the longest journey of his life, and the last." Her voice broke on the last word as she choked down tears. She cleared her throat and looked up at him, judging his expression on the information. She readjusted herself and moved on with the story.

" He didn't want to leave me alone with a nanny for 7 months so he decided to take me along with him...such a stupid decision. I couldn't have been more then 12 at the time. Anyway, we had been traveling for 2 months, all was going well. We had stopped at 4 different little towns, purchasing necklaces and scarves from here, paintings and instruments from there. I was like a little kid in a candy shop." She sighed, smiling. "One day, after sleeping the night in a quiet little town, we were traveling. We made it through half the day when my dad fell quite sick. We had to stop early setting up a sturdy camp up next to a cliff-like area." She closed her eyes, drawing details from the past she had been trying to forget. "The sun began to set a few hours later. I was sitting by the campfire, looking at the presents from the last town. But somewhere off in the distance, there was a loud roar. Louder then the one i heard yesterday. It was far enough in the distance that my dad didn't worry about it too much. But a few minutes later we heard the noise again, from much much closer, maybe a mile off. My dad still didn't want to worry too much about it, figuring that if we run we will only attract attention to ourselves. But i grew more worried about my dad...worried he wouldn't be able to run if we were attacked. I begged him to let us pack up and leave. Finally he agreed and we started collecting everything into the bag and moving to a different location. We got maybe thirty meters before the tiger struck out at my dad'..." A sob escaped her throat, cutting off her story.

That was as far as she could go, unless he would want her to begin her fit of sobs again. She didn't like crying but hiding her emotions would not be possible with Euzec around. He drew them out of her, allowing her to feel both comfortable and vulnerable at the same time. I guess it was something she would just have to get used to.

If he'd known her better on a more personal level than perhaps he might have been able to express to her some kind of coinciding emotion.  But thus far the only emotion that presented itself was a small ounce of pity and sympathy.  There were few others that made way through him, but there was little that held onto his compassion right now other than the former two.  Essentially, he could not relate to her.  "I...I'm sorry," he said softly, dissolving any discontent from his features.  He resorted to placidity and let his eyes do all the talking for him.  "I can't say that I know how you feel about losing your father.  But I do know that this desert can be a dangerous place; I know from experience.  Even though I've lived here all my life, even I haven't found a way to survive yet.  I know only how to defend myself against my enemies

"I've lived a hard life.  But I don't imagine I could lose anything as hard as you losing your father.  I'm sure you loved him dearly.  I...I never knew my parents, so in that you're lucky.  But to know loss, I can't say that you are.  I can't miss something I never knew.  I know only that I am of cursed blood."  Euzec became solemn now and resorted to sitting back on his haunches.  There was little to tell on that latter part and he wasn't sure he wanted to relinquish his own secrets to her.  He kept them safely locked away in the chamber of his soul, secrets that would make his life a living hell, almost literally when the thought was considered, if they were let out.

He just looked at Cosette with soft eyes and then kept them glued to the ground.  He attempted to remain hopeful of the situation.  But then things suddenly started to get very solemn.  Perhaps it was to be the theme of the evening.  Still, however, he attempted to put on a kind smile and looked at her with gleaming eyes.  "I think you were right to love your father.  And think you're very brave to venture into the desert again.  Let alone slink along with a dusk tiger and I.  He seems quite tame for the time."

She looked up at him, letting her eyes focus on his face. Features appeared, though the dark made them hard to figure out. She tilted her head as she listened to him talk. Cursed? what could he be talking about? He was perfect. Incredible. Amazing. She paused her thought there.

Maybe that was the curse. Maybe it was the fact that he appeared so beautiful to the naked eye. Maybe it was the fact that people rarely looked past the exterior to figure out the person on the inside. She was suddenly frustrated with herself. She had messed up. She had been just like everyone else, falling for the trap of beauty. She exhaled sharply which ceased all tears flowing from her eyes. How could she be like them? How could she be so weak?

She pulled away from him, moving a foot or two away from him, staring at the ground angrily. She looked back up at him "I'm so sorry." She shut her eyes tight, fighting the anger down so she could hold a normal conversation with him without the fear of exploding. Taking a few breaths, she looked back up at him with significantly gentler eyes, thanking the fact that the lights had been off this entire time. She listened to the rest of what he had to say. She nearly burst out laughing at the word brave. She shook her head. "You're the brave one. I am the silly little girl who thought she could do something she was never meant to do. You've survived here your whole life. I can barely live out here for one day without falling into a hole or getting attacked by something." She giggled a little at the last words. They were all true, and she knew it.

The matters of what he called a 'curse' went deeper than what could be seen on his person.  His physical features: Face, hair, eyes, clothes, body, appendages—everything!—were only one layer of this part of him that he direly referred to as a 'curse.'  He simply had no other way to describe it.  Exactly what do you call the consistency that were his erotic dreams or instincts that drove him mad at certain times of the night when the moon was at it's fullest or how sometimes being around the Haremites was a little more than he could handle.  It was the curse of his blood, of his soul, of his heritage and the hate it brought him from his Master.  Though Kushumoro hated men, he hated Incubi above all, constantly paranoid that they would take his women away from him.

To be sure, Euzec was agonized by this curse of being what he was.  Even if he was a eunuch, that didn't change the fact that he was also an Incubus.  He was lucky to be alive, and as far as the Master of the Palace was concerned, lucky to be in Kushumoro's service.

Euzec changed his sentiments now and smiled brightly to her, putting on a façade so that hopefully she would calm too and look at him again.  Euzec laughed too.  He'd never been called brave before.  "That's new for me!  But honestly, I'm not.  I just do it because if I don't I'll get beat and that's never fun.  I'd rather hold off the punishments and do as I'm told.  You might want to put it that way.  But think of it this way, if you didn't fall in that hole, you and I, we never would have met!"

The tears were basically gone now. But it didn't stop the sadness or anger flowing through her. She tried hiding it, doing a pretty good job. She wished she could understand his words. But she didn't know what he meant by punished. She had never truly been punished, at least not by anyone on earth. She had never been hit, grounded, or scolded by anyone for anything, mainly because she rarely did anything wrong. Or a better statement would be she never caught.

But even though no physical punishments came her way, she felt her sins were evened out by the events in her life. Her parents splitting, her father dieing, her becoming the type of person she was. She blamed it on Karma, even though she didn't truly believe Karma ruled a persons life. But the events in her life, she had no other way to explain them. So Karma was the best she could come up with.

She shook her head, trying to figure out what he meant by 'not brave'. But she wasn't going to contradict him. She just giggled. "If you say so. And i guess you are right. As much trouble as the falling was to both of us, i am glad it happened." She grinned before yawning openly. It was then that she realized she didn't know what time it was or how long she had been asleep. "What's the hour? Do you know?" She stood up, moving towards the window in an unsteady fashion. She reached the sill, feeling around for the end of the curtains. Finding them, she separated them slightly as to not let too much light into the room.

That was it!  He couldn't take it anymore.  The dawn was coming, the tiger could feel it, and the man and the woman had not yet appeared out of the building yet.  The dusk tiger chuffed impatiently, mulling over this before growing wearing and climbing to his paws.   The spikes along his back danced in his swagger as he decided to around the building to find them.  Though he was not an excellent smeller like a wolf or another dog-like creature, his nose was sufficient in tracking the familiar scent of the man that had bested him.  The dusk tiger wandered along the building's perimeter before coming in a window where the scent was the strongest.  He could smell the woman in there too.

Standing on his hind legs, he placed his paws along the sides of the window, peering in through the curtained window.  Emitting a low purr, the dusk tiger tried to call out the man, hoping that he would hear him.  With luck, he would leave the woman behind.  But, in contrary to the creature's hopes, he was surprised to witness the curtains suddenly part and the woman peeking outside.  The humongous cat cocked his head backwards and chuffed again, displeased.

Meanwhile, within, Euzec returned himself to the couch, sitting instead of laying down and said calmly, "Possibly five, maybe five thirty.  Either way, I think it's time to get up now.  There is still much to be done today.  I'd like to get a head start."

Even though it was only the early morning, the light outside still blinded her slightly. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision before closing the curtains again. As she let them slide through her hands, she could have sworn she saw the tiger growling at her. She shuddered and stepped quickly away from the window.

She hobbled over to the wall to find the lights. She touched the wall and let her hands lead her to where she needed to go. She found a switch and let the entire room light up. She blinked while her eyes adjusted and apologized to Euzec for possibly blinding him too. When she could once again see the room, she looked over at Euzec. She smiled before heading over to where her clothes were folded from earlier. She picked them up and carried them to the bathroom. "I'll just be a moment," and with that she disappeared around the corner.

Her mind was pretty cluttered with all of yesterday's events. But she no longer wanted to worry about them. She wanted to get going, to travel with Euzec to his home, to see his world and hopefully be part of it for as long as she could. She met him a little over 24 hours ago and already couldn't imagine life without him. The thought pained her too much to think about so she went back to concentrating on getting ready. She would make sure she stayed with him. She wouldn't let him go anywhere without her.

He wished everyday could be like this.  It was too bad that being a Harem Guard under Kushumoro was more of a chore than it was a pleasure.  Days that were peaceful were often as equally boring.  And moments that were chaotic never allowed him any time for himself.  The other guards were an outright obstacle, in the way of better days when Euzec wanted to be alone or run training session.  As much as Euzec liked being with others, there were certain lines to be drawn between himself and any personal relationships he might have.  But truth be told, Euzec was a very lonely soul; there were few friends that came and even fewer that stayed.  He watched as some of the guards were executed for their impudence or how some Haremites were beheaded for displeasing Kushumoro, generally ones that he smiled at once or twice in the past.  But the past was just that, the past.

Euzec, now with the rising of the dawn, was prepared to seize the day.  He laughed only when he saw the tiger outside of the window, amused.  "Aww!  He must have woken up early!  And it seems he missed us.  Poor kitty," he laughed, standing up and tapping on the window, waving politely at the dusk tiger.  He saw it lick the glass, rub his head and fur against it before purring loudly.  He could have sworn he nearly saw the dusk tiger smile back at him.

He nodded toward Cosette before she entered into the washroom to change.  While she was doing so, he busied himself with dressing himself back into the extra layers of his immaculately white robes.  As each layer went on, he took great care in folding each piece over the other before wrapping his sash around his waist and placing his overcoat on.  He was lucky that each article of his garb was constructed of such light material or else he would probably have passed out during his desert treks.

When he was ready, he grabbed his retracted staff and then knocked on the door to the washroom.  "Are you ready to go, Cosette?  I want to leave as soon as we can!"

She pulled over each layer, finally wrapping herself in her robe. It laid perfectly over her body, folding to each curve her body made. She tied it in place, brushing the robe with her hands, smoothing it into place. When she started her journey it was white, and now it resembled the color of the dunes the desert presented. She giggled, remembering the day her father had given it to her. He had been so proud of her when she accepted it, accepting the life of traveling they would have from then on. Such memories didn't bring sadness, but joy and a will to continue forward. She smiled, glancing down at the robe.

A knocking came at the door and Euzec called in. "Yea I am ready!" she called, twirling towards the door. She opened it and was greeted by Euzec who was all ready to go. She moved out of the washroom and towards the door of the room itself. She hesitated slightly before opening it. A thought flashed through her head, to quick for her to understand. She shrugged it off and opened the door, smiling back at him. "You ready?"

"Of course!  I am ready!  I'm VERY ready!" Euzec caught himself before he found himself gawking at her  he looked over her for a second before remembering himself.  He collected his wits about him and headed for the door.  Opening it, he allowed her to go first before closing the door carefully behind him and then walked down the hall.  Perhaps the dusk tiger was waiting for them outside, of which he'd be happy to see the giant kitty again.

He saw the clerk and hailed him, smiling and waving.  "We're all done for the night.  Thank you for the room.  Just so you know, it is cleaner than we found it."

The clerk, the same tiny morose man who had tried something with Cosette looked at them both and his face suddenly turned white.  "Uh...yeah... yeah.  Ye are very welcome.  Er....come back any time."  And he resumed back to what he was doing, crossing his legs uncomfortably.

Euzec glanced at him awkwardly.  Furrowing his brows he leaned in close and asked, "Are you alright sir?  You're voice sounds really high pitched."

"Err....Nothing!  I'm fine!  Have yerselves a nice day!"

Euzec, not wanting to push the matter further, sighed and nodded.  As he headed out the door, he glanced at Cosette and said, "You talked to the man earlier last night, do you know why he's all high pitched?"

She walked out the door, pausing and letting him catch up beside her. He seemed a little different then yesterday. She took a quick note of it but shrugged it off before letting it bother her too much. If it was important or was to concern her, it would reappear and make itself known to her.

They walked away from the room, letting the door close quietly behind them. Cosette was pretty relieved to be out of there. She was excited for what today could hold later on. She'd travel through the desert with him. She'd see his world, the one he had known his whole life. She would meet the people he had know. Just the thought of it made her smile. Maybe she'd be part of it. Just maybe...

Euzec waved at the clerk, the despicable little man from yesterday. She almost hissed at the sight of him. But he seemed to have learned his lesson. He crossed his legs, speaking at a higher note then yesterday. Cosette held back the laugh that almost burst through. She smiled a toothy grin at the man. At least he could be taught. Some men could never learn their lesson.

They walked out the door into the desert air when Euzec spoke to her. His question made her giggle. "It's just, that man learned a lesson from me he shan't soon forget." She didn't quite want to tell Euzec details, so he was going to have to deal with that. "So what's on the agenda for today?" She smiled up at him, ready to follow him where ever he was planning on going. She was not about to be left behind after what he did for her. She owed him still, for everything and he would not rid himself of her until she paid him back.

Euzec was satisfied with this and had no interest to push any further.  Some things were best left unsaid and learning just how it happened was probably something he didn't want to hear.  There were two reasons for this, one, consisting of a near-intimate moment he shared with her last night, and two, he just couldn't imagine the clerk getting any sort of action at all.  There was no offense in this thought considering that he didn't know what happened and was rather innocent-minded when it came thinking about attraction.  He was a free-mind and would not be chained by the ideals of ordinary thought.  What came to be from his own mental passages were only on inexperienced opinion.

"I see,"  And he walked out into the early morning, the desert sands crushing beneath his sandaled feet.  He put his staff away inside his sash and tucking it away underneath his robe.  He didn't need it now.  Seeing ahead of him, he spotted the store he was looking for.  It was a small alcove between two hut-like buildings that were designed to keep out the heat of the desert and led down into a spacious cavern belowground where it was much cooler.  He entered into the shop entitled Jobe's Wares, Pawned Items at Your Desire.

Euzec didn't think much of the name.  The town the J'hek  was a small one and it's customers were few and rare.  The name was probably just a personal preference of the owner.  It certainly did little to attract customers.

He walked in and eyed the small woman behind the clerk's counter.  She busied herself with glancing at the few pieces of jewelry that lurked beneath the glass casing and didn't notice that anyone had walked into her store.  She seemed pretty young for a woman who'd probably lived in the desert all her life.  Even more so than Euzec himself, considering he was more than forty in his years.  She seemed about forty as well, but her human nature hid it rather well.

He neared her and cleared his throat.  "Um, yes.  You're Jobe, right?"

She looked up at him and let her jaw drop....

She followed him closely. The sand felt odd compared to the solid ground of the Inn, but it only took a few seconds to get used to it. She looked around, weary of the large cat that could be anywhere by now. She wouldn't feel safe again until they were under the shelter of a building, any building. She quickened her pace, walking as close to Euzec as possible without touching him. Her eyes darted at each sound, just anticipating the claws of the tiger to hit her over the head. She shuddered slightly but relaxed when she saw the oncoming shop. Almost there.

They reached the door and Cosette felt the weight of fear vanish from her. She wouldn't have to worry about the tiger in the building. It was after this realization that she took note of the shop. Jewelry was under the glass, other valuable looking items were covering the shelves. She caught sight of a beautiful looking necklace, a delicate crystal surrounded in what looked to be gold. She examined it from behind the glass while Euzec tried getting the attention of the tiny woman on the other side of the counter.

She was young-looking but Cosette guessed that she was a bit older then she appeared. She wasn't what one would call unattractive, but she wasn't gorgeous either. Her petite figure was full of curves, and she took care of herself. She must have been a pretty little thing when she was younger. Cosette took little more note then that. She was drawn back to the jewelry.

Euzec began speaking again and Cosette glanced at the two of them. She watched as the woman looked up and watched as her jaw dropped. For a reason she couldn't explain, Cosette was furious. The way the woman looked at him, the way she swooned at his every word, it drove her crazy. She clenched her hands into fists and looked back at the jewelry, trying to find control of herself. She didn't dare look back for fear that she would lose it. So she walked to the other side of the shop, back to the two of them, pretending to look at something that resembled cuff links of some sort. She gritted her teeth together, trying to keep quiet until he finished his business with the woman. She just reminded herself that that was the only reason he was here. He wasn't interested in the woman.

But she wanted him, and that drove Cosette insane.

The woman eyed him as if he was a hunk of meat dangling in the face of a poor, starved person who was chained to a wall but was so close that they could almost taste it.  And he could feel her eyes peeling at him little by little.  And suddenly it was as if he was struck by a heatwave.  Euzec felt small beads of sweat strike his forehead and he smiled nervously at her, showing a fine row of pearly whites.  "Um...yes, are you Jobe?" he repeated, hoping to get this over with so he could go back to the Bandit King's palace and away from this situation were it could end badly either way.

Euzec tapped on the glass idly, not noticing Cosette's sudden rage or her clenched fist.  Though he did feel her wander near, her presence wasn't enough to break the grip of nervousness his stomach had him in.

"Why yes," the woman murmured sultrily. "I am Jobe.  What can I do you for?"  She smiled a semi-nice smile and batted her tattered eyelashes.  As she leaned on the counter, she pressed her breasts together to accentuate what ample cleavage she had.  She propped her head up by her hands and gazed up at him as if he was the most beautiful thing in this room.

Euzec found his eyes wandering lower and he was shocked by her actions toward him.  What the hell was her problem?  Furrowing his brows, he looked back at her and gulped.  "Um...yes...  I'm looking for a necklace, a nice one with a blue stone.  I was told this was the place to go for one.  Do you have one?"

Jobe grinned sinisterly now and resumed her former posture.  "Of course, dahlin'.  I've got everything you need."  She stalked back and forth along the counter, peering into the jewels that resided into the glass and shook her head.  "Wait a minute, sorry, dear.  But I don't have one of these out on display but....you know...  I might have one in the back.  If you would just be willing to take a look, it will only take about five...mmm, make that ten minutes."

Euzec, thinking nothing of this, smiled and nodded.  "Oh really?  Well, sure if it will only be a bit.  Would you mind if I took a look by myself first?  I'm sure it won't be that hard to find."

"Oh go ahead, my dear.  Help yourself!  If you need help, I'll come back there to give you a hand."  Jobe winked at him and let him through the door behind the counter.  It was only then that she finally took notice of Cosette that was at his side.  "Hm," she muttered.  "Nice looking brother you have there.  And what do you call yourself?"

She hissed silently under her breath. While she could no longer feel the intense longing for Euzec like this woman had, she felt like she needed to protect him from her. The woman's actions around him disgusted Cosette. She clenched her teeth together, staring at Jobe with animalistic eyes. It took all her strength to hold herself back. It took all her strength not to say anything. She gave quick glances to Euzec, seeing the nervousness in his stance, his face, his words and his actions. She wanted to get him out of there, to protect him from this...this vile woman. A look of disgust and rage appeared on her face and she did little to hide it.

She glared at the woman, her hands still clenched in fists. She had many words she wanted to say to her, only a few even close to decent enough to say out loud. She could barely make out the words the woman was saying. She didn't want to hear her. She didn't want to see her. She didn't want to be near her. But she definitely didn't want Euzec alone with her. That was the only thing keeping her around. She didn't know what was keeping her from saying anything, from yelling at the woman to keep her eyes to herself and keep her mind out of the gutter. Her body wanted to, but something in the back of her mind told her she shouldn't. So she stayed put, resorting solely to actions that would harm no one.

She continued to glance at Euzec regularly, checking and judging his reactions. It changed little. The woman was trying her best at showing off her body, an attempt that made Cosette want to laugh. Better women then you have tried, hun. She smirked at the woman when Euzec ignored, even was disturbed by, her attempts. But the smile vanished when the woman offered to bring him into the back room with her. Cosette's eyes widened. A flashback from the Inn was brought back, the image of the small man appeared in her head. Her breath shook slightly. She didn't want Euzec to get hurt and this woman saw him solely for his looks. Cosette brought herself closer to him. But he asked and received permission to look by himself. She relaxed a little, still glaring at the woman with fire in her eyes.

The woman spoke, each word she spit out only driving Cosette's rage further. But she forced a smile onto her face when Jobe turned to look at her. Cosette wouldn't let her get away with her words. But she was going to act the part of a quiet woman. She inhaled sharply through her teeth when the woman said brother. "I am Cosette." She nodded. She wouldn't let this woman have another thought about him that way. So she did the only thing she could think of to prevent it. "And he's not my brother. He's my fiancé." She grinned at Jobe, almost laughing at the look on her face. That should do it.

Euzec was not quite aware of the turmoil and negative energy that was broiling in the other room.  The back room was what had him quite preoccupied for the moment and he was far too busy thinking and looking for the necklace that Kushumoro had sent him for so long ago.  That was a problem more pressing than the thought of getting assaulted by the older woman running the main counter in front of the shop.  He was sure for the moment that all would be well and that he would be able to find what he was looking for and get out of there as fast as he possibly could.  There was nothing he hated more than waiting and, believe it or not, he hated making other people wait.

As he observed the small shelves that leaned against the walls and the various items on them, Euzec was becoming increasingly disheartened. At this rate he was never going to find that damn necklace.  To his left were three bins with junk in them and it was a wonder that the shopkeeper herself was able to find anything in this junkheap.  Time was of the essence and it was better that he start now rather than later.  There was the threat of both Kushumoro and the sun, and he wasn't sure which one he loathed more.

Immediately he set to work and began his rummaging through the containers, tossing aside junk that didn't seem at all of any use to anyone.  He soon came to a section where there was nothing more than jewelry and suddenly his hopes heightened again.

Meanwhile, Jobe couldn't help but grin at Cosette.  It was obvious that this woman was jealous and was doing her best to deter Jobe's efforts in getting Euzec alone with the woman.  But what she heard next indeed shocked her.  "Well, well, your fiancé, huh?  You've known him long?  What's his name anyhow, Miss...Cosette was it?  You're one lucky gal..."  Jobe tried her best to maintain her visage of confidence and would let this woman take such a good-looking guy that was lingering in her grasp.  "Oh...well, you know, he seems to be taking a while.  I'll go help him back there.  See if he can find what he's looking for."

"I am sure he can handle himself." She said right away, still maintaining the nice girl act as best she could. A bit of harshness escaped with her words, she just hoped the woman couldn't hear it. Cosette didn't like a single thing about this woman. She carried herself with confidence, almost arrogance. Cosette had fought for guys before. It's what generally happened in a bar when an attractive guy had been overly flirtatious. Cosette knew how to hold her own, and she would do whatever it took to keep this woman away from him, even if it meant violence. She would not let her touch him or be alone with him. And if the woman slipped past her grip, Cosette would make her pay.

Before she lost her temper too much, she responded to the rest of what the woman had said. "We haven't known each other too long. But our time together has been, interesting..." She wasn't lying. Lies made for bad situations, situations that could be very difficult to get out of. Instead, she was just simply not telling the truth. Cosette didn't like lying, but sometimes, lies were necessary to keep harm from coming to a person. She would just have to make sure Euzec was willing to go along with her little lie.

She swallowed before continuing her conversation with the woman. "I am lucky. Very lucky indeed." She smiled. She was lucky she had met him. She was lucky he came along and saved her from the harsh desert. She was lucky he had been there to stop the tiger from killing them both. She was lucky he had allowed her to spend the night with him. She was very lucky indeed. And she wasn't about to share her luck with this disgraceful woman. "I can go help him. I know what he's looking for." Though it was a lie, she would much rather be back there with him then allowing her to go. "If you could just...allow me through?" She began to grow slightly testy, fearing her temper would not allow her to stand there and do nothing anymore. If this woman was smart, she would listen to Cosette.

"Oh, by the gods, damn!" Euzec muttered to himself, clearly frustrated.  So far he had killed about maybe five minutes and had searched through half the items here and still not a single necklace with a goddamn blue stone!  What was wrong with this woman, did she not have a something at least similar on hand?  Such was obvious and Euzec had a feeling that he was going to be here all day unless he had some kind of help or was directed to the item he sought.  He was racing against the dawn and Kushumoro's temper.  Damn Jobe and her disorganized merchandise.

Meanwhile, without, Jobe glared coldly at this woman that was trying to keep her way from her target.  How dare she!?  Who did this woman think she was?  Just because this man was her fiancé didn't in any way mean, she couldn't get a little side action.  Besides, how was Cosette to know?  Jobe barely reached the door when she paused.  She turned and gave her hard eyes.  "I'm sorry.  Nobody but customers are allowed behind the counter.  And only at the proprietor's request.  I'll be able to help him.  Just have a look around, dearie.  I'm sure you'll find something you like."  With that she smiled and turned to go through the door herself.

She hated this woman. She had just met her and already wanted her dead. How dare she pull a move on him! Had Cosette not just said he was her fiancé? Did this woman have no brains or morals?! Had Cosette not just made it VERY obvious she didn't want the woman to touch him, talk to him or be anywhere near him? Either this woman was extremely stupid or she just didn't care. Cosette would make her care. She would make the woman think before even THINKING to do anything with him. She would teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget anytime soon.

Cosette clenched her fists and glared at the woman. Many ideas came to mind: demanding to go past her, screaming, tearing her hair out. They would all do the trick but She needed to stop the woman right away, to be completely halted so she wouldn't be able to walk through the doors to him. Her body moved quicker than her mind. She ran towards the woman and jumped on her shoulders. She grabbed her hair and pulled, yanking her away from the door. "Don't Go Near Him!!" she screamed through clenched teeth. "Don't Touch Him! Don't Even Think About Him!!" She pulled harder. She was willing to do anything to keep her from him, even if it meant making a fool out of herself. It was worth it if she could keep her from Euzec.

Jobe was as shocked as anyone.  "What the hell is wrong with you!?" she yelled as she suddenly felt a massive weight knock her down.  Then her hair was suddenly yanked back and she shrieked a fatal scream that would have shook the very heavens from their mantle.  It was so loud it made even Euzec, who was still lurking in the back, jump up.  Jobe rolled over and tried to crush Cosette on the floor.  "Hell no!' she screamed.  "He's mine!  I saw him first!"  She tried to grab at Cosette, instead slugging at her face. "GAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Euzec, grabbing the first fine necklace he saw and stuffing it away in his robe, opened the door and was horrified at the ruckus.  Gasping, he was taken aback and hugged the wall.  "What is going on here?  Cosette!  Jobe!".... he was horrified yet at the same time, he found the action somewhat erotic.  The incubus instinct lurking in his blood surged through his veins.  But Euzec did his best to resist any urges he might have and instead lunged for Cosette, trying to drag her off the shopkeeper.  "Let's go Cosette!  We have to leave..."  And he looked down.  "Now!"

She wasn't exactly sure what had gotten into her. She just felt so much animosity towards this woman. She lost control of all her instincts, relying solely on the pure anger that coursed through her. The woman was very..err...fit for her age. She handled herself well, but she would be no match for Cosette. She was winning, clearly dominating. But then the woman flipped her over, something that shocked Cosette. "He will never be yours you old hag!" She clawed at the woman's face and arms while trying to protect herself from her. The woman pressed down on her, pushing her hard on the ground, knocking the air out of her. "Gettoff me! GETTOFF!" She shoved the woman, nearly breathless by now. Why couldn't this woman just get the point? It was obvious she wouldn't win. Cosette grabbed her hair, finally tearing her off. She continued to claw at the woman.

But then she felt herself being pulled away. "Let go of me! I wasn't done yet!" She fought against the hand holding her back, rage still flowing through her. She struggled before finally looking at who was holding her back. She looked back, stopping all struggle very abruptly. She stared into the face of a horrified and angry Euzec. It terrified her to see him like this, so she listened to him without another word. She didn't even dare a look back at the woman sprawled on the floor behind the counter of the shop. She just followed Euzec, staring at the ground as she did so. She was still breathing hard, but she didn't care about that. She just hoped he wasn't...too upset.

She continued to look at the ground as they walked away from the shop. She followed him, staying a decent distance away from him, fearing what he would do with his anger. She stayed silent for a while, staring at her feet as she walked, trying to think of anything to say to him. She could only think of one thing. "Euzec, I am so sorry." A hint of tearing up ran with her words. She was truly upset that he had to see that and she only wished she could explain to him the motives of the woman before he assumed anything. But it was too late. He had seen Cosette at her worst, her ugliest. His brain had to have already come up with explanations or reasons for her actions. It was too late.

Euzec did not think on the "what might have happened" or the "what if" that consumed the moment.  Such things mattered little right now.  He knew that if he didn't get out of there soon, something worse could have happened that would cause even Kushumoro to want to take his life.  If he knew...gods,....if he knew...  No!  He wouldn't think on it.  If he did, he would force himself into a panic attack and that was the last thing he needed right now.  He needed to get as far away from this town as possible for fear that the news of this would spread around and he would be followed into the desert.

In a way he was upset.  But certainly not at Cosette.  Though he didn't understand the reasons of her actions, he was sure there was some sort of sanity behind them.  For the short time that he'd come to know her, he did not think her to be some kind of horrible deviant that needed to be taught a lesson.  No, he was rather innocent in his ways and wasn't going to start something that he couldn't finish.  His inquiries could be charged and released at a later time.  He just hoped the passion suddenly stirred in his blood had subsided a little by now as he made his way toward the edge of town.  He felt the dusk tiger quickly run by his side and make note of his presence.  The big cat's steps were almost as rushed as his.

He faintly heard Cosette beside him opposite the tiger and turned back slightly.  "Oh don't worry about.  We can talk about it later.  Please keep up.  Stay at my side."

She felt a heavy weight on her shoulders. She had made a mistake, done something wrong, and had upset Euzec. She wished she could see what he was thinking. She wished she could find any hint that he would forgive her. If he was mad at her, upset permanently by her mistake, she didn't even want to think about that. She didn't like the thought of someone like him, someone so beautiful, so good of heart, being mad at her. She didn't think she'd be able to handle the separation if that was what needed to be done. But if it was the only thing that would work, she would find a way to deal.

She wasn't sure what exactly had gotten into her, even now after the 'argument' was over. And even if she did understand, she would in no way be willing to tell Euzec. It would only further add to her attraction...er obsession towards him. It was silly really, fighting with a woman over a man. It was something you saw in poorly written romance novels. And yet, she had been part of one, and she had won, so to speak, but she still wouldn't be able to get the man. That increased to the invisible weight.

But it wasn't to get him. It was to protect him. She was keeping him out of the clutches of the woman. That maniacal woman who was planning on doing things Cosette didn't even want to think about. Cosette was protecting him by tackling Jobe and she wouldn't let go of that fact no matter what. If she let go, she was no better than Jobe, and that would crush her to think about. So she held onto that fact while obeying Euzec's commands to stick close. She picked up the pace, following as closely behind him as she had before the ordeal. Her arm was touching his.

She then noticed the tiger on the other side of Euzec. She tensed up quite a bit but said nothing to alarm him. She continued to walk. "Euzec, where are we going?" She began to question the pace at which he was moving, question the urgency of the situation. She didn't like it exactly but she didn't want to upset him further by not listening. So she marched obediently at his side.

Euzec, gradually was letting his passion come to a simmer and just as gradually, his steps became mellower and mellower, though the early morning was now long past and the desert sun would soon beat down on them as if they were slaves who had disobeyed an extremely cruel master.  As opposed to before, the sun was now the least of his worries.  Time and his environment would be as they were and there was no changing them.  And he didn't want to change them.  He only wanted to get home.

"Home, Cosette.  I'm going home.  Don't you want to come with me?  I thought you said you would follow me.  Well, the moment's passed.  I wouldn't worry about it anymore."  And with that he reached for her hand at his side, too preoccupied with thought about how he would get home and not be beat.

She could only imagine what was going on in his head. She hoped he wasn't still mad. She was worried he was. She was worried about him abandoning her. She was worried about the dusk tiger following closely on the other side. She didn't like worrying so much, but everything was so strange. She didn't know quite what was going on, only that she needed to stick with Euzec no matter what, and she would do that.

But his words relaxed her greatly. Home. She hadn't heard that word in a long time. It sounded comforting almost. But she knew the home he meant was one greatly unfamiliar to her. He lived in a palace, lived with a king and many females. That thought angered her. She didn't know if the women have the same intentions Jobe did, but she couldn't assume they were all innocent, especially when a man like Euzec was involved. She didn't want them to touch him, but it was his home, not hers. She wouldn't be able to stop them like she had with Jobe.

"Of course I want to join you." She smiled. He hadn't rejected her. He wanted her to follow and he didn't seem mad. She relaxed a great deal more, still slightly tense when she reminded herself that the tiger was still there. It was then that she felt his hand grab hers. Her heart fluttered quickly in her chest, making the smile spread a little further. She continued to walk quickly at his side, wishing the moment would last.

But she didn't like how tense he seemed. His mind was so preoccupied and each word he said seemed strained or rushed. It made her nervous, thinking there was some reason for this unknown to her. Before she could stop herself she said what was on her mind. "Euzec, what's wrong? You seem upset about something." She looked at him, worry in her eyes. She hoped it was something she could help with, but the horrible feeling in her stomach told her it was something very much out of her hands.

There was a very big problem that Euzec had failed to consider.  Though he was oblivious to the fact that Cosette was now going very soft on him, suddenly becoming all the more obsessed the more she spent time with him, he did not even though about who the Haremites would react once they had met Cosette, well if they meet her.  He wasn't quite sure, but he had a feeling Kushumoro would want to meet her, to shake her hand, to have her sit in his lap, to....well, lots of things that Euzec didn't really feel like thinking about right at this moment.

He was so preoccupied in thought that he didn't even notice how excited she was when he had grabbed her hand.  It was a gesture done out of the turbulence of the moment.  He wanted to calm her and he wanted something to support himself with.  "Oh, me?  No, I'm perfectly fine.  I'm just thinking of what I'm going to do when I get home, that's all."

To be honest, she was doing just as he was. She was thinking of what was going to happen once they got to his home. She knew nothing of his world other then the few details he had told her. She knew about the self proclaimed King, about the Haremites, but knew very little more than that. She didn't even know why Euzec had come all this way out here. It almost surprised her how little she knew and how quickly she had agreed to go with him. For all she knew, his people were uncivilized monsters, although she figured if they were, Euzec would be to. She pushed all bad thoughts from her head, imagining a palace full of people like him, smiling and feeling much better about her choice to follow him.

They continued to walk in silence, Cosette thinking the whole time about what life would be like once they got there. She remembered hearing Euzec say that the king would be interested in meeting her. She wasn't stupid, she knew what he had meant by that. She would just have to make sure she gave a good first impression, fearing rejection and expulsion from the palace if she upset him. But that was something to worry about at a later date. For now she had to focus on surviving the trek through the desert with Euzec and the Dusk Tiger. She frowned, remembering that it was still there, lurking on the opposite side of Euzec.

Minutes turned to hours and hours seemed like days to Euzec, so long did his sandaled feet drag themselves along the sand and crackling rock of the desert floor.  Dunes corned almost every side and the three figures emerged as mirages in the oncoming distance.  Euzec felt sweat dribble down his brow, but he wiped it not with the hand that clutched the woman's at his side.  Instead he let it cool him when a faint breeze struck him.  And how few faint breezes there were.  It was a shame that life in the deserts were so sporadic and far apart.  He knew that few things could survive here or even know where to go.  The desert had a fine way of picking off those unworthy of survival.

The dusk tiger had little trouble keeping up with Euzec but he was having trouble fighting his instincts to find shade and sleep away the day.  They didn't call his kind dusk tigers for a reason.  They were nocturnal cats and designed to stalk the night like true predators.  Hunting was often easier in the night than it was during the day.  Too many creatures liked hiding in the sand during the scorching flames of the morning and afternoon.  So the tiger lurked in the shadows his companions cast, even going as far as purring against the leg of the woman that connected herself to the man.   Wherever the sunlight would shift, he too would shift to avoid it.

Euzec, reaching the end of a particularly long dune, let go of Cosette's hand and used it to shade his eyes as he peered of into the distance.  Just as he suspected.  The silhouette of Kushumoro's palace was abruptly visible as a shimmering mirage in the far distance just past a few more dunes.  "We're here, we're home!"  Euzec didn't know if he had enough energy to run the distance.  He didn't want to leave Cosette behind, and he wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep up.  "This is the master's palace.  We're almost there,  just a few more dunes and we'll be there.  Are you ready to meet Kushumoro, Cosette?"

The sunlight beat down on the three of them, making it particularly hard to stay awake. The exhaustion from the journey and the heat put together made it particularly hard to stay awake. But she continued on, staying at Euzec's side, not willing to let go anytime soon. They trudged along, shifting position ever so slightly so they were headed in the right direction. Cosette didn't even notice when the dusk tiger came up next to her. She didn't care really.

They had made it to the top of a rather large dune when Euzec let go of her hand. It felt rather odd when it was gone, but she questioned it not. She just glanced off in the distance to where he was looking. She saw a small mirage of a building off in the distance. Her heart pounded a bit. This was it. She was truly almost there. It felt like ages ago since she had first met him, having no intentions of going anywhere with him. And now here she was, standing with him, staring at his home. Their home she hoped, but she wasn't going to get her hopes up. She smiled slightly, feeling rather nervous about this whole thing. Her stomach twisted slightly, making her feel a bit off balance. But she stood there, staring at the palace. "I hope so." Her mind raced, wondering what the man would be like. "Is it wrong to say I am nervous?" She felt silly as soon as she said it. What reason did she have to be nervous?

They walked on, the tiger switching sides often. Cosette stayed at Euzec's side, her mind trying to figure out what would be correct to say when meeting Kushumoro. She crossed off several introductions, fearing they would get either herself or Euzec in trouble. She then just came to the conclusion she would have to wait and see what this man was like when they got there. No sense worrying about it until it happened. And so, with her hand in Euzec's, they walked forward.

Euzec couldn't help but smile as he grasped her hand tightly, with the pressure of affection, lifting it to his chest and patting it with the greatest of pleasure and amusement.  He laughed lightly, showing all his teeth and nodded in agreement.  "I understand what you mean.  But you don't have to be Cosette.  You're a very beautiful and bright young woman.  You walk with the confidence of our dusk tiger friend over here."  He pointed to the giant cat that sat down for a short moment and looked at the both of them as if saying: "What!?"

"I think you will make Kushumoro very happy.  You will be treated as a grand guest, I will see to that.  Just remember to smile and be very polite. Just use common sense and you'll be fine.  Kushumoro isn't very particular about people, he just demands a lot of due respect.  I'm sure you'll have a great time here."  Euzec squeezed her hand again before bounding off in the direction of the palace.  It was only a matter of moments before they were up and over the last of the dunes and he jogged (or at least speedwalked) at a pace that hastened the time of their arrival.
 
Pretty soon they reached the outer limits of the palace walls, white as they were to reflect the force of the sun bearing down on them all, and the guards at the gate halted them for a moment.  When they saw that it was Euzec, they rolled their eyes and let him through, disregarding the giant cat that swayed behind them and knew immediately why Cosette was there.

"We are here," Euzec declared.  "Welcome to Kushumoro's palace."

Smile and Polite. She reminded herself to do that with each step that she took. She inhaled deeply to calm herself, but found it increasingly difficult to exhale. She was so nervous. So very nervous. And the problem was she knew exactly why. She didn't like knowing something and not being able to do anything about it. It's not like it was her choice if the king decided to allow her into his kingdom. It wasn't her choice if he would let her see Euzec ever again. What if she messed up and was forced to travel back to where she came from, or worse. What if Euzec was punished for her mistakes? Her hand tightened as she tensed at that thought. She inhaled again. Smile and Polite. Smile and Polite.

Euzec sped up, forcing Cosette into a slow jog to keep up. She felt her heartbeat increase, which she assumed was from the slowly nearing palace considering the fact that she was in fairly good shape. The cat caught up easily with the two of them, staying at Euzec's side and out of the sun. Would it even be allowed in the palace? She hoped not. It still made her quite nervous. But when Euzec slowed back to a walk, Cosette straightened her posture and tried to portray the confidence that had escaped her. She felt a bit more relaxed as the guards let them all through. The refreshing coolness of the palace calmed her nerves quite a bit. She started looking around, opening her mouth in awe just the tiniest bit,

"It's beautiful!" She looked around at everyone, everything. She wasn't sure exactly what to make of it, not sure how to respond other than that. So instead of saying anything more, she let her eyes wander across everything, taking it all in incase she weren't accepted into this world. If that were so, at least she could replay it forever in her memories.

(OOC: I didn't know how you would want the palace to look so this is the best I can do XD)

Indeed it was beautiful.  Perhaps one of the most glorious places to ever be built in the center of the desert.  It was an oasis in the middle of one of the hottest places on the planet and although it was not meant to be so conspicuous, it did have its fair share of fine scenery.  The brick and sheen of the outside walls where of the pearliest white that it was hard to believe that such a thing existed.  There were four minaret-like towers surrounding a low domed center that resided over a square base.  There were several other protrusions around the fortress indicating extra rooms and even had an amazing amount of space for a courtyard to the rear of the main building.  And that was just the outside.

Euzec was incredibly jovial and knew that this moment would hopefully reap some kind of niceties on his end.  He didn't think of taking along the dusk tiger or Cosette as gifts to Kushumoro, but he knew that the king of the palace would certainly think of these two as such.  And that made him frown for a moment.  He didn't want his two knew friends to be sold off like cattle...  He didn't know exactly what the Bandit King would do with them, but he could only hope against hope that he wouldn't lose contact with them.  For Cosette, well, Kushumoro had an appreciation for beautiful young women and as for the cat...whom still had no name, perhaps he would make a fine rug or....  Euzec didn't even want to finish that thought.

Instead, he pushed away all negativity and met the guards outside the palace doors.  "Hello, Servo!  I've returned with the necklace Kushumoro asked me to bring him.  And some friends he'd like to meet too!"  Euzec laughed and smiled at them waiting to be let in.

But Servo, another Eunuch with sandy blonde hair and a face that had been in the sun for far too long, looked at the trio, particularly at the dusk tiger, before saying, "Where'd ye get the cat?"

"He followed me."

Servo looked at the both of them dumbfounded and then back at the cat.  The dusk tiger apparently didn't like the glances and flashed his teeth in a sadistic sort of grin.  And one the certainly sent a shiver of fear quaking down the other Eunuch's spine.  He jumped a little and nodded to the other guard to open the gates.  "Yeah, go on through...."  And he shut his eyes hoping that the whole thing was a quick, abrupt nightmare.

Euzec smiled happily and squeezed Cosette's hand as he marched on through, the dusk tiger tagging right alongside him.  When they were in the main hallway, he looked at her and said, "He's got a spine weaker than a worm.  Sees something scary and he just falls right to the ground.  I don't know why Kushumoro has him in front of the palace.  But well, we'll meet the master soon enough and then I'll introduce you to everyone.  Come, he's just down this hall."

She couldn't help but wonder what Euzec was thinking as they neared the other guard. He had grown rather silent at her side, and she could have sworn she saw a frown for only a moment. But she didn't want to upset him (or herself) by asking what was wrong, so she just smiled as they neared the guard he called Servo. She waited as they conversed, trying her hardest not to pay too much attention to their conversation. It was by no means private, but she felt...odd listening to them talk. She had to try extra hard to keep the smile real and plastered to her face.

It all became much easier when the tiger frightened the poor, young guard. Cosette then had to try to stifle her laughs. The whole thing was just, ironic, in a way, a guard frightened by the tiger the way he was. And Euzec's pointing that out made her almost laugh out loud. But her voice was lost somewhere in the nerves, so she could only smile at him. She didn't like being so nervous. She liked being the confident lady he had said she was.

She relaxed a bit more when they were inside the palace. She was here, the whole reason she was traveling with him had finally shown itself. She squeezed Euzec's hand back, as if saying she was ready. She was afraid to speak, worried her voice would shake and give away how truly nervous she was. But honestly, she had never been in a situation like this, where her fate depended on how someone viewed her. She had never really been good at impressing more than just horny dogs at a bar. Her stomach turned as they neared the hall he talked about. Chills ran through her arms. She looked at Euzec for support, squeezing his hand a bit tighter. But she kept smiling as they entered the room that Kushumoro was in. It was now or never.

Soon they were in front of the massive doors that lead into the Chamber of Kushumoro, the so-called "throne" room of the Bandit King.  The main hallway was a rather long one so the matter of getting there, took several minutes and already, Euzec's sand-covered feet were hurting from the rocks in his sandals and from movement.  But they progressed nonetheless and soon they were before the gold and pearl trimmed blockade.

Like most of the fortress, there were elaborate carvings and decorations on the doors alone, but soon, Euzec pushed through them with ease and entered into the main chambers of Kushumoro.  He saw the bandit king there sitting amongst his great chair at the end of the chamber, which was another long hallway with many torches alit along the corrugated walls.  The ceiling was unlike the rest of the palace in that it opened up to a large massive, three-pronged skylight that was made of colored glass, casting down beautiful shades as sunlight poured in from above.  Euzec was amazed every time he entered the chamber of the master and kept his typical smile about him as he approached him slowly.  He looked at Cosette reassuringly and the cat swayed at their side negligently, as if the matter was completely normal to him.

A man seated in the chair at the end of the hallway preoccupied himself with eating fruits and berries from a plate on the side of him and sipping wine from a goblet at his opposite side.  He was brown from the sun and leanly built beneath his layered robes, robes that resembled Euzec's.  His black hair gleamed in the sunlight that dropped from the skylight and it was apparent that this man was not quite a man, but an elf, and one born and bred in the desert.  There was a white scar that lingered along his chin, through his finely trimmed goatee and mustache and when he noticed the people approaching him, he grinned smugly and leaned back in his chair.  His long ears stuck out from the sides of his head, which moved as he smiled.  Though he was a man of almost sixty-some years, he did not look it.

"Ahh," he said as he saw them, glaring at Euzec, who did not notice, and was pleasantly surprised to see both the cat and the woman beside him.  "So you've finally returned, Euzec.  I would have feared that you would have gotten lost....in the desert.  I am glad you have made it back.  But I see you brought back more than what I asked; no wonder you took so long.  Tell me, who are these you have brought me."

Euzec, who did not notice the king's grim greeting and regard to him, let go of Cosette's hand and patted her shoulder.  "I did what you asked me, don't worry.  But I'd like you to meet my friend Cosette.  Cosette say hello."

Cosette felt herself grow very nervous at the sight of the king. He was more attractive than she imagined, mainly because when she thought king, she thought old and grey. But this man was young, and fresh, with dark hair. She couldn't help but stare at him. He wasn't nearly as stunning as Euzec, but he had something about him that Cosette liked. Or maybe she just had a thing for royalty. Either way, she couldn't help but keep her eyes glued to the man on the throne.

Then she felt Euzec's hand leave hers. Her heart raced at the sudden aloneness that ran through her. She felt as if he was no longer at her side, that he had abandoned her to face the king by herself. She swallowed and bit her lip. Her eyes looked over the king once more, fixing on his face, or more the scar on his chin. She wondered idly how he had gotten it, figuring she would find out eventually, unless of course, she were not accepted by the king. Her stomach flipped at the thought of it, of her having to travel back to her homeland by herself. She didn't like that thought at all.  

Then there was silence. She didn't know how long she had been staring, but no one was talking anymore. Her face flushed pink and she broke the stare. She then realized she had been holding her breath. She inhaled sharply before looking back up at him. "H-hello, your majesty." She added a slight curtsy to that as well, hoping he would forgive her for staying quiet for so long. She looked at Euzec in the corner of her eye, trying to see if he could calm her nerves. And, upon looking at him, she felt her nerves disappear. She smiled, staring back at the king. Smile and Polite she reminded herself.

She could handle this, so long as Euzec stayed by her side.

Kushumoro was good-looking and he knew it.  There was nothing quite like a man who was so sure of himself that he was border-line pompous.  In fact, though he was jealous of the looks that Euzec had gotten, his own servant, he knew that as long as Euzec stayed well away from his wives during those "times of the month" when his blood raged, he knew that all would be well.  He was ignorant however, of the unwanted attention the Haremites gave to the head eunuch.

He saw how the lady was looking at him, and he couldn't help but grin in return.  She wasn't the least of women he'd seen recently and immediately she was already more beautiful than many of his own wives.  Sure, he loved each one individually and for their own respective traits, but he never married an ugly woman.  Such would be beneath him; he was already infamous for his treks across the desert and how he was one of the fiercest bandits to have ever lived, what more could being fastidious do to his reputation?  Of his, he was concerned in the least and grinned at the woman, well pleased.  "Oh, welcome to my palace, Cosette.  As I'm sure Euzec had introduced me to you before you entered my chambers, I am Kushumoro.  Welcome to Abheth."  He smiled a full grin of pearly whites and stood from his chair, stepping down to the chamber floor.  Then he eyed the cat.

Euzec, who was as tall as the king, nodded to Cosette, and kept his hand on her shoulder even as he answered: "This is a dusk tiger."

"I know what it is."

Euzec was stung a bit and looked down for a second, unsure.  "Um, he attacked me in the desert as I was headed to town to look for your necklace.  But I bested him in combat and he's been following me ever since, though I don't know why.  Perhaps you have some use of him, Lord."

Kushumoro grinned and rubbed his bearded chin methodically.  "Hm...well, I could use a nice throw rug and his pelt seems well made....And perhaps a necklace from his back-spikes..."

But the dusk tiger flashed his teeth at the king and growled fiercely, immediately leaping to his paws.  Apparently, he wasn't at all pleased at hearing what they intended to do with them.  He rubbed against Euzec now and still kept his eye on the king, extremely wary of the man.  If given half the chance, he'd prove himself to the man at his side, which he would follow until the end of his days.

Kushumoro made a face distastefully and snarled slightly at the cat.  "Well then, if the tiger is to stay, and not be made meat.  He must have a name.  Decide on one before dinnertime if you wish to keep him.  And show the lady around the palace.  And then show her to the guest quarters."  His attention came back to her and he smiled charmingly again.  "Good lady, please make yourself at home here.  It was truly a pleasure to have met you."  And he approached her and lifted her hand to his lips, and just before he kissed them, he looked at her dead in the eyes and said, "Truly...a pleasure."  Then sent them on their way.

She smiled at him, sighing in relief that he wasn't angry about her stares. In fact, he seemed to almost enjoy the absent-minded stares she sent his way. Probably flattering coming from someone who looked like her. He began to speak to her, and her nerves were washed away at the sound of his voice. He definitely wasn't offended by her. "Euzec has told me all about you." She grinned wider, keeping her voice as calm as possible. It took a great deal of effort to keep herself from looking over at Euzec while she spoke to him. But then the attention was directed to the cat, and Cosette turned her head to look at him.

She didn't like how the kings talking made him react. The king spit words at him, and poor Euzec seemed stung by them. She tightened her jaw, trying to keep a smile on her lips as the two men talked. She just hoped the conversation would end soon so she wouldn't be faced with the chance of snapping at the king. Talk about a bad first impression. She listened to what they were saying only partially. They were talking about what to do with the cat. The king said something about a rug or a necklace when the tiger lunged at the king. She gasped slightly, her heart skipping a beat. But the king just sort of shook it off, a look of disgust on his face. I guess that's something you learn to just deal with when living out in the desert all your life.

The king walked over and kissed her hand, all bad thoughts about him were soon forgotten. She could get used to this 'getting treated like royalty' thing. She thanked him, curtsying slightly, before walking off with Euzec. All seemed to go well; he seemed to like her, or at the very least not offended by her. That's really all that mattered to her. It meant she wouldn't have to leave the palace just yet. She glanced at Euzec when they were out of the king's sight. It also meant she'd be able to spend more time with him, though getting 'close' would be difficult. She would just have to be sneaky.

She smiled slyly.

When they were out of hearing range from the king, she looked back at Euzec. The king was something to look at, but he was nothing compared to Euzec. She almost felt bad for the king. Euzec must attract so much unwanted attention. It must make it hard to keep him around. But Kushmoro seemed to want to keep him around, so it must not be that bad. Her smile changed to something gentler. "He seems nice," she said warmly. They had been walking in silence for a little bit now, and if there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was silence. That and losing, but she had won in almost all situations she had been faced with since meeting him. "So what do you think you are going to name the tiger?" She glanced at it nervously, tensing up slightly. She still didn't like the big cat, but it had made Kushmoro stop talking so harshly to Euzec, so she was happy for the moment that it was there. But she didn't so much like the fact that it would be staying at the palace with her. Oh well. Euzec was there, so there would be no worries.

Euzec wiggled uncomfortably in his robes and retracted the ends of his staff into the handles before placing it back into the sash around his waist.  He frowned a small while as they left, trying to reflect back on the bandit king and wondering why he had shown him such sneering resentment.  He knew that Kushumoro didn't like him very much, and yet merely tolerated him because he was good at what he was trained to do, guard the Haremites, in addition to performing various tasks to the surrounding villages.  Perhaps it had something to do with the request his parents had given to Kushumoro when he was younger, to take the child in and raise him to live a life better than what he was bred to do...  Though most of these details were unbeknownst to Euzec himself since he'd never met or knew his own givers of life.  But even with his ignorance, he was content.  He would have no choice but to take the brunt end of Kushumoro's temper.

He was lost deeply in thought when Cosette addressed him and he nearly jerked up upon returning to attention.  "Um....well, I dunno.  Do you have anything in mind?  Hm...I think .....I think I'll call him, Radamalf...that's Rudolph in one of the many desert languages."  He smiled.  "Wasn't Rudolph your father's name?"  Euzec thought now on what she told him about her father and what happened to him in the desert.  Perhaps, he could redeem the cat in her eyes, and maybe she wouldn't have nightmares about them anymore.

She walked with him, matching her pace to his. She grabbed his hand, mainly for comfort. She felt almost nervous walking through the palace. She didn't understand it, but even after the warm welcome from Kushmoro and the support from Euzec, she still felt like an intruder. She felt like she didn't belong in this world, and she felt like no matter how hard she tried, no matter how long she stayed there, she would always be an outsider. She didn't like that feeling. She wanted to belong, to feel like part of this palace. But that would take a greater deal of social skills than she had. She didn't like admitting it, but she was almost scared.

She realized she was drifting off in her thoughts when Euzec spoke again. She glanced at him. "You...remembered." She smiled. She had mentioned her father's name once. She was shocked. Her eyes lit up. "Radamalf is a great name." She squeezed his hand, the smile still bright on her face. Her mind was filled with several thoughts, all contradicting each other. She didn't know whether to feel afraid anymore or relieved that Euzec would always be there. She went with relieved. It was a better feeling anyways.

She inhaled deeply, glancing back at him. "So where to first, Mr. tour guide?"

The moment was turning into a quiet one and it was this silence that Euzec tried to keep at bay.  Sometimes things went unsaid between people, things that were better off said.  Sometimes the feelings of loneliness were greater when there was peace present and other times the feelings of anxiety and intrusion were all the more greater as well.  Euzec wanted nothing more than to make her feel welcome here in his home (or was it a prison), for what was his would be hers.

He smiled comfortingly at her, hoping her spirits would be raised.  "Yes, I remembered.  How could I forget?" he laughed, squeezing her hand congenially.  "First!  First, I think I will take you to the dinner hall!  Yes, that'll be a great place to start, then I can show you the courtyard, and the training track, then the armory, and maybe the treasury, but I don't think Kushumoro will appreciate me going in there.  But there's so much to see and so much time to see it!  Come on, Radamalf, you're invited too."

The dusk tiger purred and rubbed against Cosette's leg.  Apparently, he was ready to go wherever they went.  Maybe he could get used to this female after all.

Her hand reached down subconsciously to pet the tiger while she listened to Euzec talk. If she could have it her way, every moment would be filled with words, even if it meant filling it with pointless conversation. The silence...she just found it disturbing. She couldn't quite figure out why, but there was just something about it that made her feel tense. Perhaps it was the fact that she grew up in a loud environment; people always moving, talking, and walking throughout the city. There was always noise to keep her ears busy as she went about her day. But here in the palace, everything seemed peaceful and serene. It drove her mad, so anytime Euzec spoke, she calmed immensely, able to concentrate better and keep herself from screaming out loud.

Though she still found herself distracted by Euzec. If she didn't consciously keep her mind on what he was showing her, she found her eyes drifting back to him. Focus, Cosette. Focus. She couldn't help but grin at his excitement to show her around. She followed him, keeping mental notes of where things were so she wouldn't have to constantly ask directions to the wash room or the kitchen. That could get embarrassing. It would be easier to pay attention now.

As they walked through the palace to get to the first room he wanted to show her, she couldn't help but feel hungry. When had she eaten last? It had to have been before she fell into the hole. Her stomach grumbled quietly as they walked on. "Uhh Euzec, would you mind if we had a bite to eat in the dinner hall?" It was a silly question, but she had to ask it.

He didn't quite realize he was heading in the wrong direction, toward the courtyards and the training track which was the opposite way from the dinner hall, but her words caught his attention soon enough.   Euzec blinked at her like an idiot for several seconds then felt his own stomach growl at him angrily, shaking his guts with incredible fury.  It was so hard to live in the desert with a meager diet such as his; he actually couldn't remember the last time he ate.  "Um, sure!"  He tried to be optimistic and realized then what direction he actually was in.

"Oh, oh!  It's this way!  Yes! Hehe, I was going the wrong way the whole time.  I'm sorry, I'm a bad tour guide."  Euzec felt himself blush even as he turned on his heel and changed direction.  The tiger at their heels, roamed eagerly behind them to whatever they were going to do.  He seemed intent on staying with them and he had heard a familiar word used by wanderers in the desert: 'eat.'  He didn't know exactly what they were saying, but he knew eat when he heard it.

Euzec led the to the dining hall, a hall nearly as vast as the "throne room."  Just as could be expected there was a great table in the center of it with three doors to the rear that, when opened, released the smell of food.  Because they had entered in the afternoon, Euzec turned to her to say, "They must be preparing supper.  Let's go talk to the head chef."

Her eyes wandered back to Euzec as they walked. How could someone so perfect be so close and yet...seem off limits to her? She hated it. She hated not being able to have what she wanted, but she figured any sort of relationship with Euzec would upset King Kushumoro. No need to do that. Besides, sneaking around behind the curtains could always be fun, that is, if Euzec was up for it. He didn't exactly seem like the...type of person Cosette was.

A shame really.

She grinned when he blushed and turned on his heel, walking off in the opposite direction. Maybe he was distracted too. She could only hope she had the same affect on him as he did on her. She turned also, the tiger falling right in behind her. "You are a fine tour guide. Without you, I would be lost somewhere in the middle of the palace." She let out a small giggle, forcing her eyes to look straight ahead. She followed him through the doors into a large room filled with the aroma of food. Her stomach grumbled, and she placed her hand over it, hoping to stifle the sound. She followed him happily to the kitchen, the smell of food getting stronger. As they walked, she looked at him and said, "Will they mind us going back here?" She didn't exactly want to start off on the wrong foot with anyone.

He just had to remember: he was the boss, the boss.  For now.  When the king was away, he didn't have anyone else to answer to and, in that time, his fate was in his own hands.  This was a reassuring thought.  After all, Cosette was the one following him around and in need of direction.  If he let his worries get the better of him, he'd just fidget more and all the while there would be nothing left of him but the ashes of embarrassment.  The dusk tiger and this woman looked to him for some kind of leadership.  Dammit!  This was just a tour!  There shouldn't have to be any kind of coordinating or thinking involved.

Euzec sighed again and found himself blushing again though this time he successfully hid his face by glancing away from her, at something else.  Goodness, he just wanted to fall down and die right here.  But his own hunger reminded him that he was still very much alive.  Where were they going again?  The head chef, yes, they were going to get some food.

"Normally, they would, seeing as they're getting ready to prepare supper.  But the chef listens to me when Kushumoro is not present.  If direct orders are not given, then he looks to me for instruction.  We can get a snack if he's not already finished with the meal.  And from the smell of it, he's barely starting."  Euzec went on through and found the kitchens to be only slightly hotter than the sea of sand surrounding the palace.  Just like the throne room, everything was immaculate, and there were posts supporting the high ceiling.  The rounded windows were open to let out the smoke and steam that were rising from the fires that raged below massive pots about as tall as Euzec was.  The smell of freshly killed cattle was heavy in the air and the dusky tiger licked his licks, starting to stalk back and forth anxiously behind them.

The head chef was an extremely short man and his face was pinched and red, looking as if he was the one being steamed.  He wore a rag on his head, his silvery curls were sticking out on either end of it and he directed the lesser cooks and servants here and there.  "The King wants his beef stew done right!  Don't give me that lip there, missy! Or out in the desert you go!  You little bitch!"  He grabbed a loaf of bread and was just about to chuck it at her.

"Geram," Euzec said, his blush now gone.  "I thought Kushumoro wanted the lamb?"

Geram stared up at the eunuch and his red face grew even darker.  "DAMMIT!  THE LAMB!  Always the lamb!"  And launched the piece of bread at the girl he'd originally aimed for anyway.  "Then what the hell shall we do with the beef stew!?"

"You could give it to me and my friends here.  We're very hungry."

"You were across the desert weren't you?"  Geram looked them over and looked disdainfully at Cosette then even more so at Radamalf, who flashed his large teeth at him.  He frowned and set his fat hands on his round hips.

"How did you know?"

"'Cos, you look like shit!  Now what is this about the food?  I'm very busy and I don't have time to be giving out scraps to the poor."

"Well, you're certainly not going to waste it, Geram."  Euzec gave him a stern look, something he never did.  "You'll give it to me and my friends here.  This is Cosette.  And that cat, well, he followed us in here.  You'll feed him too."

"Like hell I will!"

"It's hell you'll get, if you don't.  Or I'll tell the King you wasted a perfectly good piece of bread on a slave girl."

Geram looked at them all again and smiled now, as if satisfied that he'd been stood up to.  "Ah, I like that spirit.  Good ol' desert courage.  Even if ye are an idiot sometimes.  I'll have it right up.  Nice to meet you all.  Sorry for being such a pain, but I wish Kushumoro could get me a better staff.  These slaves don't know a radish from a rash, which scares me sometimes.  Excuse me."  He nodded and disappeared before returning with two steaming bowls of the stew.  "Here, go eat in that corner over there.  I'll get something raw for the cat."

Euzec took the bowls and headed toward the small table in the back of the kitchens, away from the steam and smoke.  Radamalf slunk in curiously behind them, still licking his lips.  They were hot and he set them down with a clank.  "Sorry, you had to meet him," Euzec apologized, rubbing his head as if stressed.  "Usually he's much nicer."

(sorry about the wait D=)

Her stomach was yelling at her, as if she could help thefact that she hadn't been able to eat. And the smell of food was not helping her cause. She looked around at all the people hustling to get dinner ready. Normally she wouldn't have cared if she were being a burden to these kinds of people, but she was new here, so making a good impression was pretty important. Besides, she could wait a few more minutes while Euzec tried to get them something to eat.

They walked only a short way into the kitchen before meeting a short, round little man. Cosette eyed him nervously. Clearly, he was the head chef, at least that's what she figured by the way he was ordering people around. She almost felt bad for the other cooks; this man seemed to have a temper on him. She watched as he picked up some bread, ready to chuck it at one of the female cooks, only to be stopped by Euzec's voice. Geram seemed to pause for only a moment before throwing it at her anyway. Cosette stepped back so she was standing behind Euzec while the two men spoke. If he was planning on throwing more objects, she didn't really want to be a target.

It wasn't long before the chef settled down quite a bit. Cosette relaxed, stepping forward once again. The chef disappeared and she looked up at Euzec. He truly knew how to handle himself. He had so much authority and power over the people in this palace. It...surprised her quite a bit. She smiled, only breifly, before recollecting herself. A moment later the chef came back with soup for them to eat, reminding Cosette of how famished she was.

She followed Euzec to the back of the kitchen, sitting down at the small table. She was relieved to be out of the steam and have food in front of her. When Euzec spoke, she looked up at him, forgetting the food for a moment. "Don't worry about it. I am sure he's a sweet guy once you get to know him," she said nervously, hoping she was at least a little right about that. The smell from the soup made her stomach growl angrily. She ate it, happy to once again have food in her stomach. She finished about half the bowl before realizing the rest of the world around her was still there. She looked back at Euzec, noticing for the first time that he looked...almost upset about something. She frowned. "Euzec, are you ok?"

Euzec was far too accustomed to desert heat, as far as anyone else was concerned.  It was almost as if the man clearly didn't sweat enough as most other people did.  Maybe he was used to it, or maybe he was just born that way, to be able to take the heat of things.  But nonetheless, Geram didn't look too happy about it while he eyed the lead eunuch and Cosette and their large cat.  Here he was slaving away over hot pots and stupid servants that didn't know one end of a carrot from a pickled potato.  Sweat was nearly dripping from his brow...  Even so, he was proud of his position.  He'd served Kushumoro for years and was the best at what he did.  Even if Euzec got to spend his days with beautiful women...

Geram grumbled to himself as he looked for a piece of steak from the stores room.  When he found one, a fine slab with a hint of blood on it, he carried it out on a meat hook and waddled back to where his 'guests' were sitting.  "Here ya go, one bloody steak.  And Euzec, tell the king the lamb will take a little longer!  Great heavens, what's with that man and his crazy tastes.  Ah well," Geram said solemnly then tossed the slap of meat toward the cat.  Radamalf flashed his teeth at the man that gave him the meat, a sort of creepy cat smile, then started to inspect it with his nose and tongue.

"Er...thank you," Euzec said tentatively, as if he was walking on glass.  "I'll be sure to, Geram."  He nodded and waved the head cook away before starting on his soup.  It tasted wonderful, just as everything he made ever did.  Geram was the best cook Kushumoro ever had, after that last one lost his head...literally, and he made sure that he kept his head whenever he had the chance.  Which was why Euzec felt a little disgruntled to have to deliver the news of the delay in his food; he would again take the brunt of the king's temper.  Kushumoro didn't like bad news no matter the gravity of it.

Euzec was deep in thought, eating quietly until she caught his attention again.  "I...um."  He didn't know exactly what to tell her.  "I was just...thinking.  You know, we just barely met yesterday but already I feel I can trust you."  He smiled genuinely at her and touched her hand.  "I was just thinking how a real beautiful woman like you would have wanted to stay in the desert, even with someone like me.  I'm just a plain old guard anyway."  It wasn't exactly a lie, but it certainly was not what he was thinking about at the time.