12th Winter 515
Nephti trailed across open street, copper miza in her hand. She tossed it into the air, watching it gleam in the sunlight as it toppled back to the ground. Someone had dropped it, left among the dirt for the Eypharian to find. She pulled it through her fingers, just taking in the surroundings.
A boy smiled at her, pushing his hands in his pockets. She smiled back, waving with a pair of upper hands. Slowly, he made his way towards her, coy grin on his face. The girl tilted her head with an amused expression, pocketing the coin in the smae place where she kept the tarot cards.
He said something in a foreign tongue, deep guttural noises that came from Shiber. But he didn't look Benshira, otherwise Nephti wouldn't have been so welcoming. Prejudice still ran deep, distrust towards the desert nomads. This boy had dark eyes, almost black, but with hair white as the moon. He wasn't Benshira, just as much as she wouldn't.
Then he spoke in common, "Is that not the language of your people?" He gestured towards her many arms, hoping to appear cultured and knowledgeable. All it made her do was wriggle in disgust. For the mighty Eypharians and the simple Benshirans to be confused, it was almost a sin. She tried to hold this back, but the boy clearly saw her expression.
He frowned, before bringing his right hand round from behind his back. Clutched in his fingers was the pack Sayana had gifted to her, she could tell by the image on the back. His face was twisted into an apologetic smile as her hand darted forward, ready to take it back. He caught her at the wrist, eyes telling her that she should have been more patient. Nephti rolled her eyes, extending another set of hands and grabbing both his wrists.
Stuck in the tangle of arms, she took her cards back, still holding him tight. He grinned once she finally let him go, but the girl stared at him with displeasure. "Thief! Leave! First insult, then steal! Thief!"
He put his hands up innocently, keeping an eye on her multitude. "The words were only a misdirection. My attempt at mimicked the desert people - I'm certain they made no sense. But surely a girl with cards knows of the principle of distraction." With her puzzled expression, he elaborated, hands moving as he spoke. "Misdirection, perhaps you know it by a different name. You get the audience to focus on one thing," he brought attention to his left hand, spinning a coin in it, "Then you work with another hand."
His other hand moved across the coin, taking it with an enclosed fist. But when he opened his fist, it was gone. Nephti frowned, tracing across his body to the other hand, which had first held the coin. He quickly pulled it into his side, but she noticed the lingering stare on her pocket. "Only returning what was once yours," he smiled with a bow.
Nephti trailed across open street, copper miza in her hand. She tossed it into the air, watching it gleam in the sunlight as it toppled back to the ground. Someone had dropped it, left among the dirt for the Eypharian to find. She pulled it through her fingers, just taking in the surroundings.
A boy smiled at her, pushing his hands in his pockets. She smiled back, waving with a pair of upper hands. Slowly, he made his way towards her, coy grin on his face. The girl tilted her head with an amused expression, pocketing the coin in the smae place where she kept the tarot cards.
He said something in a foreign tongue, deep guttural noises that came from Shiber. But he didn't look Benshira, otherwise Nephti wouldn't have been so welcoming. Prejudice still ran deep, distrust towards the desert nomads. This boy had dark eyes, almost black, but with hair white as the moon. He wasn't Benshira, just as much as she wouldn't.
Then he spoke in common, "Is that not the language of your people?" He gestured towards her many arms, hoping to appear cultured and knowledgeable. All it made her do was wriggle in disgust. For the mighty Eypharians and the simple Benshirans to be confused, it was almost a sin. She tried to hold this back, but the boy clearly saw her expression.
He frowned, before bringing his right hand round from behind his back. Clutched in his fingers was the pack Sayana had gifted to her, she could tell by the image on the back. His face was twisted into an apologetic smile as her hand darted forward, ready to take it back. He caught her at the wrist, eyes telling her that she should have been more patient. Nephti rolled her eyes, extending another set of hands and grabbing both his wrists.
Stuck in the tangle of arms, she took her cards back, still holding him tight. He grinned once she finally let him go, but the girl stared at him with displeasure. "Thief! Leave! First insult, then steal! Thief!"
He put his hands up innocently, keeping an eye on her multitude. "The words were only a misdirection. My attempt at mimicked the desert people - I'm certain they made no sense. But surely a girl with cards knows of the principle of distraction." With her puzzled expression, he elaborated, hands moving as he spoke. "Misdirection, perhaps you know it by a different name. You get the audience to focus on one thing," he brought attention to his left hand, spinning a coin in it, "Then you work with another hand."
His other hand moved across the coin, taking it with an enclosed fist. But when he opened his fist, it was gone. Nephti frowned, tracing across his body to the other hand, which had first held the coin. He quickly pulled it into his side, but she noticed the lingering stare on her pocket. "Only returning what was once yours," he smiled with a bow.
