[The Great Bazaar] It's Bad For Me [Gabrielle]

[Sutekh]

55 Fall, 511AV

The Bazaar was one place that Sutekh did not enjoy travelling through; there were merchants that were trying to catch the eye of any weak mind that they could coerce into buying their wears. Their manipulation, their preaching and their lies reminded Sutekh too much of the lies of the false gods and the priests that acted out in their favour. He wanted nothing more than to throw their tables of horrible wares and lies into their face, but he knew how to behave in public; Sutekh knew the place of a Priest in a well established city. A well established city with a strong and diligent presence of law and justice that a Priest simply couldn't upset, even one sent by Yahal himself. There was only a certain amount of power that Sutekh could manipulate and expend before his body would fail him.

One of the Knights that had visited Sutekh in the Temple had told him of the wonders of this one merchant, this one cook that made amazing stew. He wasn't sure exactly what it consisted of, but the Knight sounded more like a salesman that belonged in the Bazaar than wearing armour. Sutekh favoured him, however, as he dedicated his entire life to the pursuit of Yahal and thus Sutekh enjoyed his stories and tolerated his presence. The Knight was also very receptive to Sutekh's own stories, listening with a fevered hunger that Sutekh was more than happy to fill.

The clothes that Sutekh wore in the Bazaar were the same clothes that he wore everyday; his dark robes, his simple shoes and simple under garments that hid under the folds of the great robe. He enjoyed that he didn't blend into the crowd but stood out, in a good way. The correct amount of attention was paid to him as he was out and he was acknowledged by those he personally knew and those he had only seen in passing - those souls were damn, of course, as they had fully bitten the poisonous apple of the false gods and have forever been condemned to damnation.

Sutekh wasn't sure what he was witnessing when he was close to the stall of the cook that he was to purchase a simple beef stew, as there was something that caught his eye in an alley close by to the Bazaar. There was a young woman there and a man that seemed to be very aggressive to the woman. Had she stolen something? From what little he could tell of the woman she was one of the thieves of the sea and thus had probably "claimed" something that was so obviously not her own, but the sea thieves were a tricky bunch. Thankfully for Sutekh, they were just as weak and vulnerable as any other human on Mizahar.

He stepped out of his way from his destination into the alley where the man and the young woman both looked to Sutekh as he smiled over to them softly, the creases on his face denoting a genuine smile.

"My my, what is this disagreement that I have stumbled upon? It was my belief that Sylrias was free of any and all thievery and crime, and here I witness a thief from the Suvan Sea and some man that has so obviously been fleeced," Sutekh said softly, in a very careful tone and diction as if everything he said he had said many times before.

"She stole my cookbook! It was on my counter and she swiped it and thought it was her's and didn't question it! Petching Svefra - no notions of ownership." The man growled out to the woman, her arms still protective around the book. Sutekh held his left hand out towards the man, his palm facing the man as the two letters in his palm denoted the Gnosis of Yahal, though if the man knew of the power that Sutekh truly possessed was another matter completely.

"My son, you must forgive the Svefra as they are not of the land and are not knowing of the ways of the world apart from that of their waters and their pods." Sutekh held out his hand, simply, to the woman as if he was expecting her to hand him the book as he kept his gaze on the man's eyes.

"She will return what was taken without question, because the woman knows that there are consequences to these sorts of actions in Sylrias," He turned his gaze to her as his smile vanished from his face. "There is nothing to be gained by calling for a Nal'lyeo, as that sort of action would not be tolerated in this city, nor would it benefit you stealing from someone."

The man was far less patient than Sutekh and angrily reached out for the book in the woman's hands. With a blur of motion that seemed almost inhuman, Sutekh took the man's hand by the wrist and his neck with the other hand and had the man pinned against the wall a foot off the alley floor. His fingers were gripping that neck tight, his hand around the man's wrist close to snapping the delicate tendons under the flesh.

"Patience, my son. The Svefra will return your book, but not on your terms." Sutekh smiled, not looking at all expended by the motion as he looked to the book then back up to her.

"Please place the book on the ground."

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Once again, Gabrielle was back at the great bazaar. The last time she was here, things had not turned out very well. She had hesitated to be back, but now that she had coins to spare, she very much wanted to purchase some books that she could read on lazy days out in the sea. As she was strolling through the bazaar, a delicious scent met her. She felt her stomach rumble, and she realized she hadn't eaten for the day yet. She had approached the stall and called out, but the cook was nowhere to be seen. That was when she saw it: a cookbook, thick and worn-out, simply resting on the counter. Since nobody was around, Gabrielle simply decided that it had been left behind and that nobody owned it. Shrugging, she picked it up in her arms and mused about what kinds of dishes she could learn from it. However, an accusing yell brought her out of her reverie. On the alley right next to the stall was a man, and he was pointing directly at her and calling her a thief. She hadn't noticed the alley or the man before he had called her attention. Gabrielle scrunched her nose and snapped at him, "I stole nothing." This comment caused him to become even more agitated. He continued to curse at her and demand that she give him the book. At around this time, a robed man came to the scene. Gabrielle had to grit her teeth while the cook insulted her race. It's not as if she hadn't heard them all before, but up until now she could not understand why people would not protect what was theirs if they owned it. One thing that Gabrielle never really grasped was the fact that among those who were not a Svefra, an unattended object did not particularly mean nobody owned it. Like any other Svefra, she had this philosophy: things that are owned are held by the owners. If you leave it around up for grabs, then what's to prove that it's yours? She listened intently as the man in the robes spoke with the cook. He addressed her here and there, speaking to her with knowledge that made it apparent that he knew about the Svefra customs. The only words that really clutched to her were that he believed she had stolen the book as well. When the cook made a move to grab her, she was ready to retaliate when the robed man took matters in his own hands instead. Her eyes widened slightly as he watched him act with much strength and agility. She felt amazed at his prowess; however, at the end of it, he had asked her to "return" the book. Gabrielle was well aware that other races had different customs. Looking at the book in her arms, she could see that it was just ink on dust on paper -- practically worth nothing. However, she did not like being insulted and being labelled as a thief. Why should the Svefra acknowledge the customs of other races, if they could not do the same for the Svefra? She clutched the book tighter in her arms and stepped away. She snarled at the robed man and said, "I said it to him, I will say it to you... I stole nothing. There is no need to ask the Lia for Nal'lyeo, however, I seem annoyed at this man's notions that I and the others of my race are lowlifes." The cook looked pathetic in the robed man's grip, but he still proceeded to yell obscenities at her direction. Gabrielle looked at the cook furiously. She said to the robed man, "Thank you for your seemingly patient disposure, however, I can't help but notice this is none of your business. Why should I return--" she spat at the word "--something which is my own? If this imbecile wishes to fight for what I own, then he is welcome to try and take it. Let him try, but I can assure both of you he will be sorry.”

[Sutekh]

 
Sutekh had a feeling in his gut that the Svefra would be difficult to deal with. They belonged to a god of the ocean, of the water, and were thus just as difficult to grasp and comprehend. Laviku was far from being the pure and just got as Yahal was to the Benshira and to Sutekh. The cook could still very well take on the Svefra but Sutekh knew that that wouldn't solve anything. He lowered the man's body but still restrained him against the wall to prevent him from moving an inch away from Sutekh's grip. With his head twisted to look over his shoulder at the svelte young woman, Sutekh kept his composure as he addressed her calmly.

"Do you know The Tank is, my dear?" Sutekh asked as the man in his hands almost went limp at the mention of that place. At least one of the other people in this alley knew the implications of what that place was. "It is a place in which criminals are held, for a very long time, before they are placed before the Council of the Three for judgment. Do you think that a little child of Laviku would survive for long in a cell, surrounded by other criminals?"

His expression hardened for a moment as he looked at the hands and arms around the book that refused to loosen their grip from around it. Sutekh wasn't sure how else he could try and convince the Svefra other than fearmongering and hoping that she would respond to it. The cook wasn't the only one losing out on this situation, if Sutekh was going to get that stew he was going to need to make sure the cook had his recipe. But the Svefra didn't need to know that.

"I do understand the customs of your people, but you must adapt to the customs of Sylrias. You came here to this place, to these people, and must respect their rules. You must not break the rules that are in place, the rules that are strictly enforced by the Knights who will not tolerate any crime in their city. Thus I will leave this decision to you; keep the book that you acquired from the cook's stall, or return it and forgo any retaliatory action by the cook, and myself, that may result in your incarceration in The Tank."

Now that the cook realized that Sutekh was on his side, he brushed away Sutekh's hands and he complied but the priest was ready to restrain him once more if he took on an aggressive stance once more.

"Therefore I ask you again. Please return the book to the man, and this will all end peacefully."
 
 

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Gabrielle made a frown. She knew about the Tank and the difference in cultures, and this man spoke like she was oblivious to the world. However, the way he spoke gave light to new realizations -- thoughts that a typical Svefra, who lives in the moment, would not think off. She could see the uneasiness in the cook's face, and wondered if it meant he had given up and would rather just leave them be then and there. On the other hand, this robed man did not seem to want to allow a fight to ensue or let her walk away with the book. The girl looked the robed priest up and down. He was obviously not a Knight, and she knew only Knights held the peace in the city. She was once told that the Knights were not keen on people who did their job for them, and she wondered why this person was too eager to step into business that was not his. "I do understand the customs of Syliras. If this man had just come up to me and asked for it back, without insulting my people, then this book would already be in his hands!" said Gabrielle stubbornly as she pointed a finger at the thick book. She did know that the customs of others were different from hers, but at often times she only needed to be reminded as such for her to show what others called respect. Her stern belief was she did not to be called names in the process. Her face was annoyed, but she was slowly calming down by the minute. While she was a proud Svefra and did not like being offended, she had understood his words, and knew that this book wasn't worth the Tank or even a Nal'lyeo. "You can have this useless thing back, it is not worth all this trouble," said Gabrielle. She threw down the book on the dirty road. The cook leaned down to take it, his face still angry but also uneasy. Crossing her arms defiantly, she started to walk away. She walked past the cook, then the priest, and was on her way out the alley when she heard something. "...stupid Svefra..." muttered the cook as a last say. The moment the words entered her ears, she spun around quickly, annoyance in her eyes. She was ready to tackle him, but the first person she saw was the priest who was between them. The cook saw her reaction and quickly stood up in panic, and proceeded to fall on his bottom. Gabrielle found it hilarious, her anger quickly disappearing. With a smirk, she said, "You landsmen all lack wits." Whether she meant it for the robed man as well, she did not say. She turned around again. Slightly disappointed that she had lost a book, she chose to forget it quickly. If her pod members ever caught the story that she had lost a worthless book to a simple cook, she would never hear the end of it. As she walked away, she gave a glance to the priest, wondering who he really was. A part of her wanted to speak to him and find out, but she did not know how to go about the task.

[Sutekh]

 
The cook got his book back and the Svefra woman was unharmed, all in all it was a good day for Sutekh - Yahal would be pleased. He smiled as he saw the cook reclaim his book and said nothing of the remark that was directed to the woman; if he wanted to shout things at her, fine, he'd let him do that - but he woudln't tolerate any form of physical aggression towards her. When he looked back to the Svefra he noticed that she was starting to walk away back down to the alley, looking as sullen as a pup that lost its toy.

"My child, why do you leave? There must have been a purpose in you trying to claim that book for your own," Sutekh realized the mistake in his sentence and smiled as he corrected himself, "In you taking what was yours, but there are better ways to get a meal in Sylrias than a cookbook. Do you even have the supplies to do such a thing yourself? I do not think I have seen any Svefra in port which makes me beg the question, where is your pod?"

Sutekh adopted a straightened posture as he looked down to the alley to the woman, hoping that his voice was loud enough to carry to her as he stood there with his hands within the folds of his robe. He kept an easy smile on his face as he awaited her reply, and hopefully she as completely young and rash as Sutekh had thought; the last thing he needed on his hands was a spitfire that didn't know how to control themselves and conduct themselves properly within society.

While she may be Svefra and a child of Lakivu, there was hope that the young woman may be impressionable upon a real god that could do her real good and not just keep her safe on water. A classic example of the lack of goodness of the false gods was that he wouldn't be able to do a lick of good for a Svefra on land.

"What do you say, Svefra? Do you wish to continue to stalk the alleys alone?"
 

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Again, Gabrielle realized that this robed man did not fully understand her culture either, but at least he attempted to, and that was enough for her. She continued her stride down the alley but kept her ears listening to his words, though she wasn't sure if she would deem him a reply. She blinked to herself and stopped in her tracks -- Why's he asking why I would want that book; furthermore, why's he asking where my pod is? The young Svefra turned around, her lips curved into a slight frown. She looked the man up and down, and got a good look at him. He was much taller than she was, and had strong features, and carried himself as such. His outfit suggested that he was from a religious order, but Gabrielle didn't have enough knowledge about that to make a fair judgement. In return, while she was being appraised, she couldn't do the same for him. "When I left the port, my pod was there," she replied, though that had been days ago. It wouldn't be unusual for her family to go sail off, even if just along the coastline. Aside from the Svefra being more comfortable in the sea, some city people disliked them docking in the port for long amounts of time (they had been docked there for almost half a season now), and her family might have given in (if even for a day). "It doesn't matter to me. It's not as if they left me... but what is it to you? Are you looking for an escort across the seas?" She spoke to him in a loud enough voice to get her message across the alley, just as he had. Instead of just walking near him to speak to him, she decided it would be much easier to stay where she was. Her anger had vanished completely. "And what is it to you if I wanted a cookbook? Who are you, anyway?" she asked, her eyes flashing him up and down again. She wanted to ask, Who is your God? Is it because of him you needed to step in?, instead she asked, "What, did you want me to cook you a meal? Just purchase one from that imbeci--" she stopped herself and thought better of herself and tried again, "...just purchase one from that cook."

[Sutekh]

 
A voyage across the sea, what would Sutekh gain from such a venture? It wasn't like there was anything out there that he would want; if he wanted to traverse the world, he would take a much firmer way around than going on a boat full of the children of Laviku. Knowing their little games, Sutekh would end up with less than what he started out with his trip, unless they managed to throw him off the side of the boat. Swimming was something that Sutekh never bothered to learn, there wasn't much need for swim lessons in the desert.

"An escort across the sea would not be needed at this time, but thank you for the offer. I have no desire to leave the port of Sylrias to visit your pod or any other pod at this moment. Perhaps your pod would prefer to stay on land, though I am not sure that this city would be the best place for your people.

"I am Sutekh, a priest at the Temple of All Gods. Who are you?" He didn't return the curious gaze that the girl gave him. Sutekh didn't have anything on him that made him appear out of the ordinary, from his simple haircut to the robes that hung off his body he looked like just any other priest in the world.

"Perhaps instead of cooking there is something else that you could do for me. Would you be able to escort me back to the cook and we will have a meal there? The reason for my protection of that cook's life is, as you will see, for a a very good reason. One I hope to share with you. That is, if the two of you can keep your tongues in check."

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Truth be told, Syliras was one of the more welcoming cities. It was probably because it was a busy city that was familiar to many kinds of foreigners, and it was also a port city. Hence, the Svefra were not too strange when seen there. However, even if it was a city they frequented in, Gabrielle had still yet to see a Svefra who would choose to permanently reside there. 'I was right. He's a priest.' At that moment, she felt stupid. What was the Temple of All Gods? She knew it was a temple in Syliras but what did it mean to be a priest there? Did it mean he served all the Gods? She was sure she had probably heard the answers before, but she probably didn't give it enough notice. The Svefra were religious, but each pod had their own sets of beliefs, which was not similar to the landsmen who usually dedicated their lives to an order of their choosing. "My name's Gabrielle, from the Seawind pod... and just to clarify, no land city will ever be the best place for the Svefra," she replied carefully, still not taking her cautious eyes off of him. She chose not to say more, and was not sure what to make of his question, which he had simply returned after her own inquiry. She gave a shrug and said, "A good reason for protecting him, huh? I guess there's no harm in seeing your reason, whatever it is. Don't worry, I promise not to cause trouble. Let's go, then." The Svefra walked towards the cook's stall, and as she came closer, the scent of his stew became stronger, and she felt her stomach rumble. She observed that the book was not where she had found it earlier, but now placed next to a cauldron, far from her reach. She smirked at the thought that she had caused the cook to become more careful of strangers like her. If anything, she had done him a favor and taught him to see the value of protecting what was his. As she approached, the cook saw her and grunted, as if ready to lunge at his book and protect it. Gabrielle forced herself to give the cook a wry smile as she pointed a thumb behind her, at Sutekh. "The priest made me come back, wants me to see for myself why he helped you," she explained, even though she didn't know the reason for explaining herself. She saw the cook's shoulders relax as he gave her a nod, and Gabrielle wondered if the man was relieved that the priest was still around to protect him if things went bad again. However, Gabrielle had no intention of stirring up trouble a second time.

[Sutekh]

 
"Indeed, Svefra belong out on the sea and not in the city. I have not seen that many Svefra out in the world and those that I have seen have not been alone, so your presence here strikes me as curious. But I will leave it well enough alone with the hopes that your pod is, indeed, close by for you to access. A Svefra along with their pod is a Svefra that is far closer mortal dangers than they realize." He smiled down to Gabrielle politely as he looked over his shoulder to the marketplace that was just a few feet away from them. The hustle and bustle of the market, the white noise of constant chatter and movement, was soothing to Sutekh only for the reason wherein it created a perfect distraction. Though this Svefra was far from being in his crosshairs at the moment.

"I protect those that require it. If I had not stepped in to protect you, while you may have been able to take on the chef yourself, it would have drawn the attention of those behind and those that would summon guards. As slippery as a Svefra is - according to reputation - they would not so easily escape from the iron grip of the guard."

Sutekh nodded his head as he let the woman lead them out from the alley and back into the marketplace. He, too, noticed the placement of the book and also the movement of some of the other belongings of the cook that would make it difficult for anyone to simply swipe them with a quick hand. Sutekh sat himself beside Gabrielle, careful not to accidentally brush his elbow against her or let any piece of his robe touch her as he looked over to the cook as she spoke. He would have applauded the man's restraint but had a feeling that that might elicit a certain response from the Svefra that he was trying to hold back. As her gaze seemed to be going off into the distance, Sutekh ordered two of the dishes that he had heard so much about and the cook went about their preparation in front of them. Sutekh's arm leaned against the bar in front of them as he tried to see just exactly what the Svefra was looking at, if anything.

"My poor memory seems to have been shaken recently and I have the hardest time remembering the simplest details. Do tell me again why Sylrias finds itself with your company? If there is something I could help you with in this city, I would be more than welcome to assist you where I can, but my influence is not very strong. If anything, I would be able to point you in a direction and bless with Yahal's praise."

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Gabrielle stifled a chuckle as she said simply, "You may think I'm alone, but you'd be surprised as to how wrong you are. Don't worry about it, I'm far from danger," she nodded at the priest and this time gave him a soft smile. "Honestly, I have no idea where you're really coming from, but I thank you for stepping in. Such a brawl would not have led anywhere, and you are right... there is no way I can go against the guards." She wondered why Sutekh had asked her to come along to seemingly taste the chef's cooking. It was such a trivial act, and she wondered suspiciously if there was more to it. However, the aroma of the food did a lot to ease her tension, and she looked forward to tasting it. The Svefra shifted her attention to the cook before them. She watched carefully as he went about and prepared the two dishes, and she could see the intense concentration in his eyes and the swift and knowledgeable moves of his hands. A tiny pang of guilt hit her, and she realized that cooking was his life and passion, and the cookbook must have meant much more to him than she realized. 'Still, if it meant so much to him, he should really take better care in looking after it.' "My home lies in the Suvan Sea, and Syliras is a city resting on its coastlines. It is not strange for my family to visit coast city a few times per season. If you need a more convincing reason, though I do not know why, they like to barter for items that cannot be found in the sea... for example, you may not find roast pig in the middle of the Suvan sea, don't you agree?" she gave him another smile. "Thank you for your eagerness to help, but I can't think of anything to ask for. Laviku guides our journeys, and while I am aware of Yahal's presence, he is not one I usually pray to.” The cook approached them and grunted and placed two orders of stew and spoons before them before moving off to his business once again. It was a simple dish with chunks of beef, potatoes, and various other ingredients. The broth looked thick and flavorful, just like Gabrielle wanted it to be. She picked up a spoon and took much notice of the powerful and delicious smell, but before digging in, she cocked her head at Sutekh. "Tell me, sir Sutekh. What prompted you to become a server of religion and why are you in Syliras? Correct me if I am wrong, but you do not have the features of someone who is born here, nor does your name suggest you were born here.”