Completed One for the Road (Part 3)

[Izuyanai]

20th~45th of Summer, 516AV Izuyanai retied her sash with a short huff of a sigh. There were certainly many people coming and going, though only a few paid any attention to her. Now that she was properly clothed, the city seemed completely oblivious to her arrival. The first thing she needed to look for was the docks or any other water based exit from Alvadas. Once there, she could inquire about any ships headed toward Syka. The plan was all very well, but now Izuyanai needed to actually get to her destination. From what she had read about Alvadas, that was often the most grievous part for visitors. Grabbing her pack and slinging it over her shoulders, Izuyanai started down what looked to be a main road. The street was well kept and there were a good number of people going about their business. The raven’s thinking was that since Alvadas was a renowned trade city, the port would be an integral part of the city structure. If that was anything to go on, she was sure she would run across the right place soon enough. Of course this would amount to nothing if the City of Illusions decided to fully live up to its reputation. Izuyanai walked past oddly lined buildings and stands, all the while taking in the new city, head swinging from side to side. It was strange to have so much ground stretching out around her when all her life she had lived high among the peaks. The low position made her feel blind to her surroundings and the buildings caged all around her. This feeling was perhaps heightened due to the fact that the Kelvic had no idea which direction she was going. Eventually, her wanderings placed her in front of a dark granite statue. There were very little people in the vicinity compared to the busy streets, and the square almost felt empty and abandoned. Curious, Izuyanai blinked up at stone man, kneeling dutifully on his pedestal with a serene expression on his face. There was something wrong about all this, but Izuyanai stepped closer, trying to see if there were any engravings on the creation. A short investigation revealed that someone had engraved, no scribbled a name that read “Towers Idol Slanderer”. Questioning the part about “Slanderer” Izuyanai mused to herself for a while, standing still in front of the statue. Suddenly a voice rang out, “You aren’t as half as smart as you think you are. However, take heart in that you have already committed one of your greatest failures.” Izuyanai leapt back in surprise and would have fluttered to safety if she hadn’t been on two human legs. As it was, she raised her brows at the alarming statue who seemed to have spoken to her. Insulted her, more accurately. Recovering from nearly tripping over herself, Izuyanai crossed her arms, fixing the statue with a heavy stare. However, it seemed as though the statue had nothing more to say to her and had resumed its stony silence. Chuckling to herself, in disbelief and indignation, Izuyanai took one last look at the blood red eyes of the offender and hurried away to what she hoped was the direction of the docks. It was disconcerting that the insult had seemed oddly personalised, and Izuyanai tried to shake the feeling that something had peered into her life. Her secrets were her own and a mediocre carving of a statue had no say in the matter. In fact, it probably lacked the brains to even understand what it had just said. Praying that her cousins would give the rude creation a lovely coating of droppings, Izuyanai continued on her way.

[Izuyanai]

She was nearing the edge of the city if the walls were anything concrete to judge by. The distinct scent of salt water was an encouraging factor that suggested the sea as well. Finally, Izuyanai stepped out from the city proper and into what the entryway called the Patchwork Port. The sea breeze whipped the raven’s hair about as she looked out onto the absolute mess of buildings and haphazard docks. If a ship was departing, it would no doubt be from here. However, Izuyanai once again had no idea where to go and who to ask. Talking to the sailor’s one at a time would be inefficient and tedious. Was there not someone who knew the goings on of this port? Hesitantly walking along the port, Izuyanai kept her eye out for anyone who seemed to be knowledgable in trade matters. If there was anyone who directed the others, there was a good chance they were a leader of some sort, and would have access to the information she needed. Indeed, after a short stroll along one of the larger docks, Izuyanai spotted someone who seemed to be supervising the preparation of a ship. Clearing her throat, Izuyanai stepped up to the weathered looking sailor. “You wouldn’t happen to know a ship headed toward Syka, would you?” The old man narrowed his eyes at her, looking her up and down before shaking his head. “Heard o’ the place, but not much trade goin’ down that way.” “There must something,” Izuyanai pressed. “Are there ships sailing to Riverfall? It’s in the way, so I might be able to change ships there.” The man thought for a moment, looking back out at the sea before nodding and turning back to the Kelvic. “Riverfall. There are some traders lookin’ to set out tomorrow, in fact. I’ll get you a place if you have the coin. It’s last minute. Might not be able to guarantee a cabin.” “Oh, that’s fine,” Izuyanai chirped. With all the traveling she had been doing lately, the raven could easily settle down for the night along one of the railings. Rooms and luxury weren’t the problem. If she and her cargo got where they needed to, Izuyanai didn’t mind what conditions her rooming was. As it was, she hesitated slightly before she dug into her pouch to retrieve the payment. Izuyanai had gotten rather good at reading people, and there was nothing worrying in the old sailor’s eyes. Even so, it was stupidity to trust everyone so blindly. “Name’s Wharf, by the way. Tell ‘em I’m the one that booked you when you get on board. Shouldn’t have any trouble. Be by this dock ‘round sunrise. The ship’s name should be The Dextrous. Pursing her lip in amusement at the man’s name, Izuyanai handed over the coin, nodding in appreciation. “Sunrise? Understood.” “Got a place to stay?” The sailor asked gruffly. “No? But I was planning on one of the inns.” The man shook his head again. “Won’t be able to. Everywhere’s full. There’s been a rush of migrants lately. Think you can work something out? I hear Ionu’s Temple’s taking in the stragglers.” Giving a faint smile, Izuyanai responded, “I’ll be alright. It’s just one night.” The raven gave a quick parting wave before leaving Wharf to his work in readying the ship. She would do just fine without a roof over her head, but the same couldn’t be said for the traders who had accompanied her to Alvadas. They were probably very disappointed that they would have nowhere secure to rest for the night. On the other hand, Izuyanai supposed she could camp by the sea after she had completed preparing for the next leg of her journey.

[Izuyanai]

Roaming up and down the streets of Alvadas proved to be very enjoyable. There were countless new sight sights to see, and all the shining items for sale in the various stalls were very attractive. Izuyanai came across a particularly large building that seemed to house a constant traffic of people and goods. From what she saw, this place resembled the Azure market place in Lhavit. People called out, hawking their wares, while others shouted, “Welcome to The Bizarre!” Izuyanai paused at the corner of a stall and took out her journal, writing in a list of what she needed to buy for her journey. As she tore a page out of the journal and looked up, Izuyanai was met with a mass confusion of color and people jostling about. It would be either be a daunting task to find everything she needed, or extremely easy, since the stalls seemed to contain everything she could ever desire to buy. Surprisingly, no matter how far the raven moved away from the entrance, it was always in sight. Perhaps this was another one of Alvadas’ famous illusions. Haggling the prices down always depended on the person running the stall. While some were eager to part with their wares and pushed them onto her, chattering out discounts, others had to be battled down with wit in order to receive even the slightest cut. In the end, Izuyanai staggered out of the market place with all her new materials, head swimming with numbers and confusion. She walked back to what she thought was the port, as the sun was beginning to set. However, the raven ended up by an impressive stone building. It was strange, as she thought she had retraced her steps exactly. The raven was rather good at remembering routes once travelled, after all. However, she had expected Alvadas to remain still for too long. Pausing at the entryway, Izuyanai peered inside the spacious interior. Wooden benches were arranged carefully in the otherwise quite cluttered building. This seemed to be where Wharf was talking about. The temple of Ionu. Migrants from all across the region had camped in the building, taking refuge by placing bedrolls by the stone walls and spreading possessions as a mark of territory. Perhaps the city had guided her here, knowing that she would need some place to rest. Squeezing between a small family and a frail looking old man, the raven settled down for the night anticipating the dawn tomorrow.

[Izuyanai]

Izuyanai peered down at the water roiling below her with some suspicion. She had been on the ship for a good while but still had not gotten completely used to the fact that they were suspended above so much water. In the past she had of course waded into rivers and pools, but nothing like the vast sea that spread out in every direction. The raven had only ever witnessed the sea glittering in the distance. Now, with it very real and up close, the Kelvic was reminded that she did’t know how to swim. She could fly, but not forever. She could’t tell for how long the water lasted as the crew had been sailing for so long. Some of Izuyanai's fellow passengers were not faring as well as she was. For the better part of a week, many of them looked terribly ill and could not keep down their meals. She had asked the crew members what this illness was, worried that it might be contagious. However, they merely laughed and gave her a hearty slap on the shoulder, saying that this was seasickness. Something folk of the land got when they weren't used to the pitching and swaying of the ship. To Izuyanai, the sea air made it extremely difficult to feel anything less than lively. Though she was cautious of the water, the sensation of being on a ship was not so different from perching on a branch tossed about by a breeze. It felt similar and was by no means less stable than flying, so the raven enjoyed a pleasant trip while others suffered nausea and a lovely view of their stomach's contents. After the brief exchange in Riverfall, the man at the map informed her that they were only a few days from Syka. Her stop. Soon she would be left on an unpopulated beach to fend for herself. It was certainly a different environment from before and Izuyanai could not wait to explore the secrets the land had to offer. With any luck, her search would turn out fruitful. If not, well, she could always move on. However, with the settlement calling in all kinds of people, Izuyanai expected to encounter a wide variety of contacts. A call went up from one of the men, and Izuyanai turned to the captain who had made his appearance on deck. He was a burly man, with hardened but honest eyes. Izuyanai could tell that his men respected him and she inclined her head when he turned to meet her gaze. “Your stop, right?” “Yes. Syka, I believe. Will your ship be staying long?” “No, just have some business. Might be shipping materials back to Riverfall and Alvadas.” Izuyanai nodded thoughtfully and looked out at the shoreline growing closer and closer. Soon enough, the ship docked at a nondescript port and she clambered off, feet unsteady as the movement of the waves disappeared from beneath them. Cooking Kit -10GM Recipe Book -5GM Chickens/Cooking Tools -1GM

[Kaleidoscope]

 

Izuyanai

Skills

• Observation: +4
• Negotiation: +2
• Socialisation: +1
• Writing: +1

Lores

• Alvadas location: Tower’s Idol Slanderer
• Izuyanai: Feels cadged in low places
• Observation: Spotting leaders
• Alvadas location: The Patchwork Port
• Wharf: Important figure at the Patchwork Port
• The Dextrous: Boat travelling to Riverfall
• Alvadas location: The Bizarre Bazaar
• The Bizarre: Always able to see the entrance
• Alvadas location: The Temple of Ionu
• Summer 516: Alvadas busy with migrants
• The Suvan Sea: A vast body of water
• Medicine: The effects of sea sickness

Comments: Hi there! I really enjoyed this little thread, especially Izuyanai's delight at all the sights. However, please could you attach the ledger for this thread to your last post, or somehow give an indication of which supplies you bought in this thread? I got a little confused by your ledger. Thank you!

Enjoy your grade, and please don't forget to delete/edit out your grade request. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me a PM.