A Curious Proposition
5th of Frost, 120 AoS
The sun had long since set, but the hustle and bustle of the streets still reflected that of midday. It was a buzz of life, like a constant hum coming from all directions. Sumerki had been to quite a few cities, but definitely none with quite such layered personality. Each conversation and every passerby varied from one to the next. It was all overwhelming and charming at the same time. Both of those fought for dominance. How long had he been aimlessly wandering? Time had completely slipped his mind; almost ceased to exist.
He forced himself to slow down, to take a deep breath and soak it all in. There would be plenty of time for sightseeing and temptations. As it stood, he was merely passing through, or at least that’s what it appeared. He couldn’t very well roan the streets for his entire stay here. At least not if he wished to retain even a shred of his dignity. Though, to be fair, he wasn’t even sure how much of that he even had left.
Sumerki stroked at his goatee with pursed lips as he pondered. He picked his slow walk back up as he thought.
‘I need to start thinking these things through more,’ he mumbled to himself, turning a corner off to his left. The commotion died down by another tick with every step. The goings on of the streets quieted and softened until they were nothing more than a murmur in the background. So much of a gradual decline, Sumerki hardly paid the change much, if any, mind. Like a frog in boiling water. The light had dimmed enough to finally draw his attention.
The Siltori blinked out of his reverie and scanned his new surroundings. His gaze narrowed and he side stepped out of the way of a rather agitated looking young man. Definitely a stark difference from the individuals he was watching just a few minutes prior. This place really was quite fascinating, he had to admit.
He took a step back and instantly, his foot was soaked with a quiet splash. Following the puddles, he came to realize a good bit of the edges of the streets were lined with rivulets and mini streams due to the uneven laying of the paths. Clearly these parts saw little in the way of upkeep. Even through his shoes, he could feel the fractures in the pavement. The buildings bordering weren’t failing a whole lot better. And once again, Sumerki was tempted by a curious tickle in his chest.
He offered a quick glance behind him, where he could still make out the minor chatterings of crowds. He turned his attention back away from the lively glow of lanterns and back towards the dank dampness. Yes, this was far more intriguing.
This was more familiar to him. More familiar than traversing through barely explored territory, that was. At least he kind of knew what to expect. Or an idea, anyway. He sauntered down the street as the last of the main streets’ clamor died down. Conversation had been replaced with dripping water and the creaks and moans of structures a little worse for wear.
He stepped with care, leading with the toe of his feet. He may have had a little more confidence in back alleys and sodden streets, but that didn’t mean he was bold enough to stroll through mindlessly. In fact, he naturally drifted closer to the cover of stone and wooden walls, using them to provide some sort of security against the unknown.
Right side firmly pressed against the surface, Sumerki peered around the next turn. This street had a few people, and unlike him, they were walking with ease. That was the key, he couldn’t stick out too much, and glancing around sporadically like he had been was a dead giveaway that he wasn’t accustomed to the area. Stretching his back, Sumerki rounded the corner and pulled his hands from his pockets to let them swing naturally at his sides.
He strolled past, barely allowing his eyes to glance in others’ directions. He doubted any of these people had any particularly unfavorable intents, but those weren’t risks he was too fond of taking. The Siltori passed them by and they didn’t so much as acknowledge him as he brushed by. Then again, a quick glance at them showed they barely seemed to even know where they were anyway.
This realization allowed him to relax a little more instead of feigning his air of comfort. He walked with much less stiffness in his step. Eyes still cut to those behind him, he rounded another turn. Sumerki pulled his attention back forward a moment too late as he was forced to a full stop.
His breath caught in his chest as a hand pressed against the wall to keep himself from stumbling back. He scratched at his hairline - a nervous habit - and lifted his eyes without raising his head to the man standing before him. He was a little taller, but not by a whole lot; he was clearly quite a deal sturdier, though. The shorter man took a tentative step back, but refrained from showing too much uncertainty.
“Apologies,” Sumerki muttered under his breath as he folded his arms. He tried to come off as nonchalant, but he had a feeling the action came across as a little rigid.
The man grunted without a word and practically shoved Sumerki out of his way as he carried one. Brushing the fresh wrinkles from his clothing, the Siltori became more attentive of his surroundings. To the degree of which he noticed just how worn some of the structures really were. And that just made him focus more on the folk that dwelled in the area. Downtrodden and more than a little down on their luck, the folk around there were beginning to watch him with wary eyes. Looking from the way they were dressed as opposed to himself, it was easy to discern the reason for their apprehension.
He couldn’t help but keep a close eye on them as well.
Especially one - a shrouded fellow - who kept his head bowed and turned away from the street. The way he intentionally avoided looking at anyone in particular is what initially drew Sumerki’s attention to him. He was headed in the man’s direction, albeit, on completely opposite sides of the street. Regardless, he kept his focus trained on the individual.
Sumerki kept his head straight and shoulders pushed back. But his gaze would frequently glance over The man had moved, but by no more than a foot or two. He was headed in the same direction. And still, he never looked the Siltori's way. The man was walking slow, slow enough that their distance began to shrink.
It was obvious what he was trying to do by the time Sumerki caught up. As close as he was, he could tell the slight height difference, this man being at least a couple inches shorter. That and the lumpy appearance of his back under his cloak. Every step and the lumps shifted quite fluidly.
The Siltori continued his pace until he was barely ahead and cut his back. He couldn't make out much aside from the man's gold eyelids, and under those a set of nearly silver grey eyes. They stared right back.
Sumerki flinched away from the hardened glare.
"Oh," he sucked in a breath and took an extra step to the side. "Didn't mean to stare, uh, sir. I have a question, though, if it's not too much of a bother." He leaned forward slightly in order to look the man in the face as they walked. The corners of his mouth were curved the smallest amount. “But could you point me to an Inn.”
The man paused for a breath, closed his eyes and faced forward.
“Not from around here, yeah?”
The Elf stopped for a single skip of a heart and picked his pace right back up. “If I were, I doubt I’d be asking strangers for directions.” He pressed his lips as he thought for a moment longer. “Actually, if I were, pretty sure I wouldn’t be asking about accommodations at all.”
Without stopping, the man looked up at Sumerki, and his mouth seemed to barely move under his scraggly mustache. “Piss off.” He tugged his cloak tighter and made a sharp turn around the next corner., edges of the material flared with the movement, and black feathers peaked from underneath.
“Well, you see, that would put me in quite the predicament.”
“Not my problem.”
Sumerki stumbled a bit in his haste to regain the lead on the man. He just as quickly retracted his advancement, though, as a shine of light had him reeling back. He swallowed - hard, eyes downcast at the tip of a blade less than an inch from his throat. Both hands were raised, palms outward. The quick motion on the man’s part shifted his cloak enough to show one full wing, black and ruffled.
“Whoa, whoa now, there’s no need for such … reaction.” He was sure to choose his words carefully. “It was a simple question.”
The knife didn’t draw back; it only turned enough for light to glint off its edge. Point held steady, the man leaned closer, having to push himself up a bit on the balls of his feet to make proper eye contact. It would have been rather amusing if not for the unadulterated malice in his eyes. Still, Sumerki dared not move.
“Then why don’t you go ask someone else?” The man narrowed his eyes and flicked the blade away, easily tucking it away back at his side. His cloak fell back into place, hiding most of his body. “I have better things to do.”
Sumerki took a deep breath as soon as his neck was relieved of the threat. The point never made contact, but he felt the urge to stroke his throat nonetheless. Still stuck to the spot, his attention followed the man for a few more feet. He didn’t know what it was that compelled him to do so - likely morbid curiosity - but he called back out to the man. This time, he made no attempt to follow after. To his surprise, the man actually took pause and his shoulders heaved with an agitated sigh.
For a second, neither spoke, but it became clear to the man that he wasn't going to be left alone just like that.
The man’s gaze searched the Siltori up and down before settling back on his eyes. “How long ya plan on stayin’ around here?”
Sumerki shrugged one shoulder and raised his eyes towards the sky. “Hmmm, haven’t really thought about it. Few weeks, years, who knows.” He took that moment to take just two steps closer, seeing as the guy seemed willing to actually converse. Sumerki clasped his hands behind his back and took another half step forward, wary of the man’s posture.
“Then you’ll need somewhere a little more permanent than an Inn.” His cloak fluttered as he placed his fists on his hips and turned his upper body. He cocked his head with a low hum. “Come along, I may have a proposition for you.”
