70th Day of Summer, 510 AV.
After an arduous two month 'stroll' through the plains of Cyphrus and the grand desert of Eyktol, the travelling duo had finally arrived at the exotic city of Ahnatep. Exotic was a word that fit oh too well for this locale. The multi-armed Eypharians were a sight to behold, or fear. The caravan had consisted of a couple of Eypharians, and Nero had observed the extra arms with intrigue. However, during the trip he was more annoyed by the leagues upon leagues of sand. Him and sand did not mix well together, as showed through the trip there, but even that concern paled in comparison to the majesty of this royal city.
As they entered through the city gates, the stone glowing white in the bright sunlight, Nero kept his arm tightly around Naomi's waist, his pack slung over his shoulder. His eyes darted around passively, taking in his surroundings and preparing for the worst. He didn't know much about this place, let alone the culture, but he did hear that this was definitely not the safest city around, and that slavery was a legal business. Those two rumors kept him on edge as he strolled in through the city, his face maintaining a facade of glee and excitement, albeit only half a mask. "Taa-dah. I told you we'd make it." He gave her a peck on the lips as they walked, the city bustling in the mid-day sun. God is it hot... The desert heat added to his already building frustration over the sand. Albeit he did enjoy it, it made walking a bit of a tricky skill. Hoping that the city was miraculously cooler, he had strolled in wearing his usual attire. That plan didn't work out, (Who would've guessed), and within a few minutes of their walking, Nero strolled under a shop awning to throw his shirt into the pack. He flashed his smirk at Naomi as he casually brushed some sweat off his brow. "You want to do the same? We can always see how long it takes for slavers to come." He chuckled, his words half serious.
As they continued walking, they began to relax a bit more. There were a few things to take care of first however. Shelter mostly. They found their way to the nearest bar/inn, (Which was pretty elegant as far as pubs go), and walked in, the cool tavern air bringing a slight smile of relief across Nero's face. Another wave of relief came as they found the innkeeper spoke relatively decent Common, which made things easier on everyone involved. Nero arranged for a room to be reserved, slipping him a dozen or so silvers to keep him at his word. No matter where you went or who you talked to, Money was a universal language. He managed to get his waterskin filled up as well, which was worth a pretty miza itself here. As he turned to face Naomi, his lips wet with the miraculous base of life, his face dropped all signs of good-cheer and glee. He cautiously, as if denying to himself what he suspected, started towards the door, slowly calling her name. "Alright, you've had your fun.. Where'd you run off to now..?" He looked back at the proprietor and was filled with resent as he realized that his nonchalance was not derived from ignorance of the situation, but from an assumed-abundance. There wasn't the slightest hint of concern at the sight, which in all fairness, may had eluded him as well. Even Nero himself had missed it, after exclusively keeping an eye out for this exact scenario. And he was even SURE yet. His mind a disaster, his body set out on it's own as the battle of his emotions raged on. The Gods themselves would shiver at the power of his mental conflicts, or perhaps just be annoyed, as Nero often is.
Imagine two of the most stubborn men in the world, deciding who drinks the last pint, and you have a fair image of the situation. |
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by Nero Czan on June 6th, 2010, 7:45 pm 
