Okay, here the second part. Three and four coming soon. As always, mirrored by my Deviant account...
At the market
The front square was crowded as usual, even though it was lunch time. Dagran and his two companions had to struggle a lot to get them through the crowd without a hitch. Once they escaped that chaos, they headed to the Tavern in the center of Lazulis, when Ariela stopped abruptly.
«Wait, before we come back, I have to go to the market. I promised to Mina to go and see her, and then I also have to redo food storage: today Mirania ate almost everything we had.»
«I know the story…» Dagran said, thinking about his wallet, almost empty because of the huge "snacks" that he had offered to his mercenary friend.
«If you want to go right back to the Tavern go ahead, I don't want to oblige to come.»
«And leave you alone to carry all that weight? Out of question! What kind of Knight in training would I be?»
«Okay then,» said Ariela with a laugh. They took one of the side streets and departed in the maze of narrow streets of Lazulis, towards their destination. The houses, huddled together, leaved little room to move, forcing them even to proceed in line at some points. Their footsteps echoed solitary for the cobblestone streets. Through the narrow streets, they crossed few others, well covered in an attempt to not breathe the damn "dust" that hovered everywhere. By dint of making continuous turns, Dagran had nearly lost all sense of direction, when they finally arrived at the wide street that held the main market.
Both sides of the street were occupied in full by stalls and tents and from every direction were the calls of merchants who praised the quality of their goods. Ariela moved away in search of her friend, while Dagran and Jenna looked around.
«I wonder how much these people pay to put here their stalls... maybe I could come along to sell my weapons, sometimes. The Tavern is convenient, no doubt on it, but here in the open there are more potential costumers » said the woman.
«If you get along with someone, you can share a space in exchange for a small percentage.»
«You look well informed. Did you came here to sell something?»
«Not me, but Zael. When we arrived he did a favor to one of the merchants there and that guy allowed him to use part of his space.»
Jenna whistled impressed.
«You have been busy right away! Did your friend made good earnings?»
«Yeah. We had a bit of useless stuff aside and we got rid of it earning something. In fact we still have, if you're interested...»
«Of course I am!» she replied «One of these days you and your friends come at my place and we'll see what we can do.»
«Then we have a deal...»
A scream followed by a thud did turn the two.
Next to a grocery store, a blonde girl was sitting on the ground. With one hand she massaged her back while the other hand held in her lap an empty wooden bowl. Scattered around many oranges rolled down to the pavement. Judging by the simple dress and the apron, she was the one to take care of the store.
«Mina!» Ariela was back from them and had recognized the girl. «Are you hurt?»
«Ouch… no big deal. Someone shed again the marbles near the counter» she answered unhappy. At that point Dagran came up and held an hand to the girl.
«Wait, I'll help...»
«Dagran, look out!" Jenna warned him, but it was too late.
The merchant was just in time to finish the sentence that Dagran was already face down not far from Mina.
Most of the passers-by he was too busy in the shop to pay attention to the scene, but he was sure to have heard at least a few snickering behind his back.
«It seems that the marbles this time did two victims instead of one. Are you all right?» asked Jenna stooping over him while Ariela collected those evil toys.
He grunted an affirmative but unconvinced answer as he put on his knees. He had fallen on some oranges and in addition to the pangs for the fall, he now had the chain mail dirty of pieces of fruit and the skin moist of sticky juice.
«I'm sorry!» Mina said, who in the meantime had gone back on her feet and tried to reach him.
Unfortunately, some fugitive marbles weakened again her steps and flailing her arms in an effort to maintain balance, the girl struck him strongly to the face with the bowl that she was still holding. For a few seconds Dagran saw nothing but sparks. Mina was increasingly agitated and kept apologizing.
«Don't worry» he tried to reassure her, rubbing his own forehead «If a hit like this was enough to send me down, I wouldn't last a day as a mercenary.»
«I'm mortified. I wish I could do something to fix it...»
«A cloth to dry out will be fine.»
Dagran was back on his feet and had started to take off the pieces of orange. At least the leather trousers and the cape had saved.
«Oh, the mail will be all gooey feeling! Look, I can give you a spare: my house is right other there» Mina said indicating the lane behind him.
«Come on, you don't need to. This was fouled with far worse stuff...»
«But now you work for the Count» Ariela commented «Going around dirty with food is not suitable for a similar commitment.»
«Not to mention that he already has too many animals at its dependencies...» Jenna whispered launching a dirty look to a couple of guards with long white jackets on the other side of the street.
Following the woman's gaze, Dagran noted that the two were bothering a baker. After an exchange of jokes anything but friendly, the guards had snatched from the hands of the baker a basket full of bread and pastries and then they went away laughing and without paying.
He pursed his lips in an hard expression.
Avenge his family was just the beginning. He had come there looking for enough power to ensure that no one else had to suffer what he had passed, and without even doing it on purpose Zael awakened that power buried on the island: the Outsider. It was exactly what he was looking for, however the strength evoked by the stars was broken in half: to complete his plans, he had to get the missing part...
As he followed the two guards with his gaze, he felt someone pull his arms.
«Come on» Ariela and Jenna were dragging him towards the door of Mina's house.
«All right...» he saw that he had no choice.
The room where they led him was simple: just a dining table with four chairs and a chest of drawers. Straight in front of him, a curtain separated the kitchen from the rest of the room, while the right side was occupied almost entirely by stairs leading to the upper floor.
«Here.»
Mina was coming down the stairs and called Dagran to reach her behind the kitchen curtain. There she handed him a towel, a duffel bag and a big cream-colored sweater.
«It belongs to my brother; I don't think he would mind if I borrow it to you, though I reckon it's a bit big. When you don't need it any more, you can come back to visit me or give it to Ariela.»
«Thanks.»
The girl gave him a shy smile and then returned by the others, pulling the curtain to give him some privacy. While he untied the laces along the flanks of the mail, he thought that he hardly ever received similar concerns. After removing the mail he folded it and put in the bag – he would calmly clean it at the Tavern – and took water from the sink to rinse off from his skin the juice poured between the rings. On the other side of the curtain he could hear the girls talk to each other, but he didn't care about it.
«Nice tattoo.»
With he corner of his eye, he saw Jenna behind him. She brushed aside the curtain just enough to allow her to slip into the kitchen and she was now leaning against the wall, playing with one of her short brown locks.
«Does it have a meaning?» she asked continuing to look at the tattoo at the base of his neck.
«I don't know» he replied as he wiped himself «I was eleven when I've done it: I chose it because I liked the shape of the wings.»
«Maybe it has to do with the desire for freedom...»
«It can be, but I think at the time I just wanted to prove that I was a tough guy.»
«Without a doubt. Basically, the kids who can count only on themselves to live, are forced to grow faster than the others.»
Dagran looked at her for a moment. Was it so easy to her to understand part of his history?
«I know something about myself» she continued with a sigh « and I also have a tattoo similar to yours, but further down. Maybe one day we can share some anecdotes about our scars...»
As she spoke, she had approached more and more, considering his back with the same attention that he had looked into Lowell's eyes when his companion passed near a beautiful woman.
«...Although from what I see, it seems that you haven't, at least behind.»
«Me and Zael were always watching back at each other: apparently he did a good job with me.»
«You talk about him so often,» she noted with a smile «You're pretty close, huh?»
«It's normal, we grew up together: in practice we are brothers» the words came out with a shade more sad than he wanted.
Jenna was right about their relationship. But since Zael had known Calista, things had changed. The love at first sight between him and the nephew of count Arganan over time had boosted Dagran plans, making his friend more inclined to obey the Lord of Lazulis, but now the whole thing was starting to get complicated. Calista tried in every way to break free from the control of her uncle and this distracted Zael from his goal. Actually Dagran shared their ideas of freedom, but blend in with them could destroy everything for which he had worked. Not to mention that their being close ever deeper was starting to annoy him, making it almost jealous.
She's taking him away from me...
«Did I say something wrong?»
«Hmm?» Dagran realized that Jenna stared at him worried.
«You suddenly darkened...»
«No, it's just that I was reminded of something stupid. Nothing to worry about» the reassured.
She had to say something, but Ariela called her and shortly after the girl, followed by Mina, joined them.
«Have you finished?» she said drawing aside the curtain «Jenna, what are you doing there?»
«We were just doing a chat,» Dagran replied for Jenna as he put on the sweater and allowing the two girl to come in the kitchen. In fact Mina was right about its size: even though he was very tall, the sweater still reached mid thigh and was so wide that although he had broad shoulders, they almost came out of the collar. Her brother was supposed to be a giant! Looking how the sweater hung down on him, Dagran couldn't help but wonder how it was possible that someone continues to make jokes at Mina with a brother like that around. He took off his cape and tied tighter around the waist to mask the wrong size garment.
«I think it can go. Thanks again, Mina.»
He took the bag with dirty mail and after having secured it to his belt, he turned to Ariela.
«Now, didn't we have the supplies to be taken? Your father will be cooking up the furniture to feed the customers right now.»
The girl looked at him confused, but then she reminded the other reason that brought her there. Accompanied by Mina, the three left the girl's house and made fast the round of the market stands, making arrangements for deliveries with sellers and taking what they could get at the time. Dagran insisted to carry alone almost all the cargo; something of which he regretted soon. With a basket big almost as him and full of meat on his back, a couple of small barrels of beer and two huge bags of vegetables in his arms, he trudged with difficulty down the road, nearly without seeing where he was going. When they came in sight of the river that cut in half the city, Ariela and Jenna joined him worried.
«Are you sure you don't want to leave us at least the bags? Our baskets are almost empty...»
«Don't worry, I can make it» he said stubbornly with little breath left. The two though observed his face purple for the effort and sweat dripped from his forehead and then they decided to join and support him as they could along the way.
After a short break, the three continued along the street. Within ten minutes they reached the large central square of the city and after a nod of greeting to the fortune teller still sitting at her Banquet, they went into the Tavern.
The ambiance was cozy and the seats at the tables were all occupied, including the mezzanine giving access to the guest rooms, from what Dagran could see. At the bar on the right of the room, the tapster Kentis was serving what looked like the last remaining pieces of a roast when he saw them go past the door. At the sight of that meat Dagran remembered his hunger and he thanked that the room was so full and noisy: the roars coming from his stomach could almost compete with those of Mirania, and that was saying something! Kentis stepped out from behind the counter making his way between the present with its enormous size, and when he joined Dagran and the others, he looked gruff at the daughter.
«Where the hell have you been? Did you see what time it is? I had to bend over backwards to serve customers!»
«Sorry dad.»
Kentis snorted and scratched his blond beard.
«At least I see that you went to the market. Now go in the kitchen: there are customers that are still waiting.»
After Ariela left with Jenna, Kentis turned his attention to Dagran.
«Thank you for helping my daughter, Master Dagran.»
«That was nothing,» he said while the tapster freed him from the encumbrance of his luggage «basically your stock – please, don't worry, I can still keep it – wouldn't be so empty if it weren't for my group.»
«Well, it's nice to have clients who appreciate good food.»
Kentis smiled under his mustache and led Dagran on the back of the room. Once they put down the supplies, the big man began to split them and brought some in the kitchen.
«Ah, Master Zael came here today» he started, «He was looking for you and your comrades for a request he received at the castle.»
«Did he said what it was about?»
«Only that a soldier had spoken of a cave. The others though were all left at the Arena and haven't returned yet. Now if you'll excuse me, I better prepare other stuff to eat. Do you need something right away?»
«No, I think I'll wait for the return of the others.»
«Then when you'll come back you will find generous portions, so your friend Mirania will be satisfied» added the tapster with a laugh.
Dagran nodded and thanked Kentis for the information and then he walked towards the entrance. There, Jenna was waiting for him.
«It seems that today you don't want to stay still! Oh well, just remember to make me a visit: you intrigued me, with the thing of the market. And then I should have hidden somewhere a reinforced vest that by eye should be of your size, if you're interested.»
«I will come for sure.»
«One last thing...»
The woman approached him and after having passed an arm around his neck, she whispered in his ear «Next time you go for a stroll on the island, carry something to eat: it was quite clear that you were hungry!» and with her free hand she gave him a weak punch in the stomach to emphasize her words.
«I hoped it would be unnoticed...» he chuckled rubbing.
How many times he and others had teased Mirania for that same reason!
«That's why Ariela spoke so loudly so!»
«In part, yes... but luckily you were with two well-bred young ladies and we pointed this out. However for when you come back, you will find my own special blend to clean your mail. Take care.»
Jenna gave him a couple of pats on the back and walked away towards the room where Kentis left her to sell her weapons. Definitely an interesting woman.
With that last thought in his head, Dagran opened the door and left the local to reach his comrades.
