"Stables, an inn, a hot meal," Shira'stasa repeats. "It's been some time since I lived here, but I visit my mother occasionally. I know of a few places."
The woman bites her lip, staring out at the throngs of people still around the roads. My mother... I will need to search for her again now that I have some time. It is unlike her to be so elusive.
Amir perks up at the mention of resting for the night, excited beyond belief for a real bed. "A warm bed in an inn? I won't pass that up!" the dune raider says gleefully. "You wouldn't believe how uncomfortable cages are to sleep in, but I wouldn't recommend trying it for yourself." My back is about as stiff as a board. Gods I need this.
"The Topaz Sword," Shira'stasa says suddenly, remembering the establishment. "I've stayed there before when visiting from Qedra. It isn't cheap, but it is worth the price you pay."
"Are the beds as soft as the ones at the Library?" Cleo asks, perking up a bit at the promise of a nice place to stay. I never even got to sleep in my chambers at the Temple of Sek-bas, I can only hope this is just as good.
Shira'stasa frowns in thought. "I can't recall," the Tenant admits. "Though I do know that the meals served are very well-made." She begins walking toward where she remembers the Topaz Sword being.
Amir beams as the elder tenant mentions a nearby inn, ecstatic at the prospect of a good night's sleep for once. "It sounds perfect. I think we all need a good rest in a quality inn after today," the dune-raider says, daydreaming of lavish pillows and a plush bed. "And it's been too long since I've had a decent meal!" he remarks, his mouth practically watering. I need a break of camp cooking at this point.
"I agree," Cleo says, eager to sleep in any bed over the sandy ground they'd been in the past few days. Even if it is not as good as the Library, it can't be worse than the desert.
You make your way through the city, with Shira'stasa leading the way. After a few minutes walking through the now busy streets, you reach the Topaz Sword, a large building with three floors with adjoining stables. An Elven stable hand is busy tending to the horses while what another well dressed man stands by the main entrance to the inn, greeting any new comers.
"Welcome to The Topaz Sword," the man by the door says as you draw near. "Ewyn, will tend to your horses," he says signalling to the Elf. "And we will have your things brought to your rooms. Assuming-"
A group of three men, dressed in the regalia of officers, stumble out of the doors to the inn, cutting through your conversation laughing and joking.
"Assuming you're staying the night. You do look like the you've been on the road some time," the man continues once the interruption has passed.
"Your stableman may handle our horses, but we will bring our own things in," Shira'stasa says. I've had enough getting robbed or ambushed for a lifetime.
"And we have," the Tenant responds to his words. "Long journey, and a it isn't done. Can your people draw a bath for myself?"
"Too long," Cleo adds on to Shira'stasa's introduction, handing her pack to whatever servant is ready to take it, not as concerned about her items being stolen as her friend is. "I'll take a bath, too, please," she adds with a grin, the thought of the warm water making her giddy. I do hope they have enough for two. If not, then Shira'stasa better be ready to share.
"I assume you provide a meal?" the young Tenant asks, her excitement giving way to her practiced formality, which she'd had little reason to use of late. "What do you serve? And when can we expect it?" I'm sooo hungry, I could probably eat anything.
"So long that the road has felt like a cage trapping us," Amir remarks with a muted snicker, eyeing Ghaliya to see if she's smiled. "But I digress, room and board for the night would be a godsend, especially at an establishment as nice as this," he adds with a grin, eager to bury his face into a soft bed.
Ghaliya rolls her eyes at Amir, but flashes a small smile in the man's direction at the same time.
"Excellent," the man says as it appears the group has decided to stay. "Yes meal's are included, we offer a wide variety of only the best Serran Cuisine. I can have baths drawn for you all and some food brought to your rooms as soon as you're settled in. Everything comes at what I'm sure you'll agree is a very reasonable price of ten gold a night."
Right, we have to pay. So still not as good as the Library or a temple, but I guess it's worth it. Cleo fishes through her coinpurse and procures the ten gold pieces. She passes them off to the man with a polite, if forced, smile and turns to look between him and his servants. "So which way to my room? I'd looove to get into the bath and relax for a bit."
Amir smirks as he catches his companion's reaction, glad the road hasn't worn all humor out of her. As the man lists the amenities, the dune-raider's grin widens, eager to enjoy the fine inn. "Ten gold is more than reasonable," he replies, digging ten gold pieces from his bag. "I'm looking forward to my stay already," the road-worn man beams.
Around where I remembered the price, Shira'stasa considers. Turning to her allies, "I suppose this is good night, then?"
One of the Blades grumbles a bit but pays up as does the rest of the group. Before parting ways with Shira'stasa and heading into the Inn.
The next morning you awake to the sound of the city coming alive with the city's markets opening for the morning and the streets filled with the sounds of people making the most of the cooler morning temperatures.
Cleo quickly makes her way towards wherever the food can be found and enjoys a nice, home-cooked meal for the first time in days with great joy. This is quickly followed by a trip to the bath, where she stays for long enough the become pruney, conversing with whoever else is around should it be a communal bath, otherwise relaxing in silence.
After the bath the young Tenant retires to her room to sleep, but is kept up by the the talking coming through the thin walls. She is initially annoyed at the noise, debating whether to go say something or stay put. However, as she notices the words and their subject matter, she becomes curious and tries to listen in.
Regardless of her success the night prior, the girl awakens very groggily, having stayed up much later than intended and not getting nearly enough sleep. As the sun shines through her window she pulls a pillow over her head and attempts to return to her slumber, not wanting to get up to face the day.
On the hunt for her mother, Shira'stasa waits for nightfall at her childhood home. This isn't like her. She grows anxious at the thoughts of what might have happened to her. She is too old and ill to travel, the Tenant considered, striking that from her list.
Eventually, sleep finds the woman and she wakes in the morning to an empty home. I have to search for her today.
Amir's eyes light up as he enters his bedroom, leaping onto the bed head-first and burying his face into the pillows. Oh, bed, it's been far too long. He sighs a relaxed breath, content with staying in this bed for the rest of his living days. This changes, however, as he catches a whiff of freshly-prepared cuisine comes his way. I don't think I've smelled such good food since being in Crescent Bluff.
As the food arrives in his room, he promptly scarfs it down, having grown weary of trail rations. Shortly after, he falls into a food-induced nap, awoken only by the boisterous sounds of the army men. Can't a man get some sleep? Rolling his eyes, he briefly tries to listen in through the walls. However, the weight of his eyelids proves too much and he rolls over back to sleep.
Going out onto the street once more, Shira'stasa searches for a nearby guard barracks that might have information on her mother. At the very least, I will be able to give them a report that she is missing. This is very strange of her.
After some time of unsuccessfully trying to fall back asleep, Cleo eventually gives into the day and drags herself out of bed. She slowly dresses and makes her way downstairs, still groggy and not ready to face the day. The sight and smell of the freshly-made breakfast causes her to perk up, however, and once it hits her she quickly makes her way to sit near Khaled and the newcomer.
After placing her order for food, Cleo listens in on the ongoing conversation, half-paying attention to the tales of mercenary work. When there is a lull she turns to Ghaliya and asks, "so how did you and that other guy end up getting locked up, anyway?" Being locked in a cage must have sucked.
"I...What?" Shira'stasa stammers, her wide eyes taking in the scene before her. That's the Unbalik symbol. Was this the Rakhul's men? The Tenant turns to the two men guarding her path. "Did this just happen?"
Amir listens with intent through the walls, overhearing the soldiers talking of men still loyal to the Rakhul in the city. I guess not everyone here is keen on treason. Who'd have thought? He listens for a few more minutes before falling back asleep.
Come morning, the treasure hunter awakens to the smell of breakfast, a hungry grin quickly shrouding his face. I wonder what kind of food they serve here. Must be good for the prices they charge. He makes his way downstairs, overhearing the small tenant's conversation with his companion. "That other guy's got a name, you know," he interjects with a smirk. "Anyways, we were kidnapped while out looking for treasure. Those bandits thought we knew about an artifact that grants eternal life or something. I don't really know for sure since I wasn't listening to them."
"Sorry, I'm bad at names," Cleo says, as Amir joins the conversation. "What would make them think something like that? And is it true? That sounds fascinating!" And valuable! If that really existed I'm sure everyone would want to try. She perks up a bit as she impatiently awaits a response.
"Well hopefully by the time we part ways, you'll know the name of Amir, treasure hunter extraordinaire," Amir replies to the girl, flashing a cocky smile. At Cleo's question, Amir shrugs, remarking, "I don't really know. Like I said, I wasn't really listening. Maybe Ghaliya heard more."
After a moment's thought, he adds, "Or maybe my reputation proceeds me, and they heard about our hunt for those swords. But I haven't read anything about them granting eternal life."
"I didn't pay much attention to it either I'm afraid," Ghaliya says in reply to Amir. "I was a bit preoccupied making sure non of them got up the confidence to try laying their hands on me," she adds before taking a bite of her food.
"Maybe they thought we were someone else. There's a lot of hidden ruins out in the desert ripe for plundering. We're not the only people to make a living out of it."
"And many of them are Tenants," Cleo adds, thinking back to her many colleagues that are little more than glorified treasure hunters. I'm sure it's incredibly lucrative, though not sure how much they actually care about the history.
"I can't say I've ever really dabbled in it until recently, but it sounds like an exciting line of work. And just think of all the lost history you can find in such ruins. Do you come across a lot of old texts!?" the girl asks excitedly, thinking back to their previous ruins excursion and the mostly uninteresting scrolls.
"That's... That's terrible." The Tenant looks past the guard blocking her way, her sad eyes locked on the slain men lying against the wall. Though this is only a fraction of what this warring with cost.
"Are you from this district? My mother has been missing from her home for a week. Maybe more. I was on my way here to meet with the guards about it," Shira'stasa admits, her eyes going between the man's and the corpses. "Can you help me? She is old. And sick. And if there are murderers afoot here in Azkahir, then I think I have much to worry about."
"It's definitely exciting, but also pretty dangerous sometimes," Amir says, as if to show off that he's braved deadly ruins. "Traps, scarabs, crumbling stone. And who knows what other evils could lie within?" The ancients just couldn't make it easy, could they?
At Cleo's comment about lost texts, Amir thinks for a moment before replying, "Well, I've seen some ruined and faded scrolls. Time under the sand isn't always kind to, well, anything." Hoping not to crush the girl's excitement, he adds, "But maybe I've missed intact ones. I've always preferred the artifacts anyways. And there are plenty of those!"
Sounds like everything we encountered in that ruin, Cleo thinks to herself, remembering their prior venture into the unknown. While somewhat scary, she did find the activity exciting and exhilarating. I could get used to exploring, though I could use without the statues coming to life again.
"Artifacts are fun, but I really love the ancient texts the most. It is fascinating the stuff you can learn, things long forgotten. Imagine rediscovering some old technology, or ancient magic, that no one knows about!" the girl says, more imagining how it could be than thinking back to actual experiences. Such a discovery would really make it easy to move up in the Library.
"How valuable is this old technology or ancient magic?" Ghaliya asks Cleo with a smile. "The artefacts are where the money is. Few people will pay for some old scraps of parchment, but there's plenty of people in Crescent Bluff with too much money who want to hang something on their wall to impress the guests at their next party."
Shira'stasa's eyes light up at the guard's suggestion, then quickly dim. That must be where she is! But that must mean that she has fallen into worse conditions...
"Thank you," the Tenant offers. "Which way is the hospital?" she asks, hoping to get there before her allies notice her departure.
"Who knows?" Cleo responds to the woman. "But if no one wants to buy it, that's just more for me. The wealthy are fools to ignore such things in favor of baubles and trinkets. A gilded dagger is far less impressive than a tome of powerful rituals, or a long lost manuscript, if you ask me." Besides, I can also ask dad for more money if I need it.
"The wealthy just want pretty ornaments to impress their friends," Amir replies to the text-obsessed girl. "But their need to prove their wealth keeps my coin purse full, so that's fine by me." He pats his bag of coins, jingling them briefly to emphasize his point. "And besides, they're willing to pay way more than tenants are, from my experience."
"Maybe we should go into crime," Ghaliya jokes. "Those horses in the stables are loaded up with more coin than I've ever earned through being a hired sword."
Cleo shrugs at the comment by the newcomer and looks around for the food, anxious to get her fill for the morning. "A bit odd that Shira'stasa is not up yet. Do you know what room she was staying in? I should go wake her up." Weird she is still out. Normally she is the one waking me up.
Shira'stasa takes a deep breath and enters the hospital, wondering what state her mother is in. I wonder if the Rakh's agents have been in contact with her. Surely they wouldn't recruit her once again? A woman of her age and poor health.
Eyes bright and wide, she takes in her surroundings.
Amir shrugs at the young tenant's question, saying, "I have no idea. Maybe she's taking the chance to sleep in. Gods know we needed it." With his stomach growling, the treasure-hunter joins in looking for the inn's servants, who he expected to bring food shortly. "Would it be rude to not wait for her before eating?" Amir asks his companions, hoping for a "no" answer.
Sleeping in, eh? Well let's see how you like being woken up, Cleo thinks, smirking to herself at thought of ruining the sleep of her friend who so often is in the reverse position. "I doubt she'd mind, really," the young tenant replies. "And even so, I'd rather her be a bit annoyed than eat a cold breakfast. I'll go wake her up after we've finished eating if she hasn't come down already." She looks up towards the front of the house, anxiously awaiting the arrival of her own food as the others continue to eat.
