Despite the complaining tarks trudging behind him, Millikan kept his composure as their journey through the golden desert was nearing a close. The sun was already setting behind the mountains and the small village by the river that separated the desert from the forbidden forest on the other side. The torches of the village was like a beacon for travelers to find their way to through.
"Should we stay at the village overnight?" Millikan looked in Rain direction. "Knowing how much you hate the cold I don't want you to freeze to death."
"You have a sense of humor don't you." Rain glared at Millikan in return. Holding onto the reign of the donkey walking behind him. It was going to be night very soon and rain didn't like travelling the ferry at night for obvious reasons. "I think its best if we stay at the inn, eat and rest up. And then we take the ferry at dawn."
"Good, because I'm starving." Millikan looks back at the other tarks who seemed to be walking slower. "We're almost there besides the walk was a good exercise." He looked forward once more to see they were getting near the village gate. The gate itself was made of wood, not really efficient but it did keep those pesky desert animals away. Millikan spots a man standing near the gate smoking what looked like wooden pipe. He was leaning against the wall by the gate as if waiting for someone to show up.
"Tarkatan with half of hair on his head, I thought Kevah was joking." the man stood up straight and took a puff from his pipe, blowing smoke from his nose. He looks at around, eyes widened. "They're supposed to be four donkeys and a caravan, what happened? He looks at Millikan then at Rain, waiting for an answer.
Millikan looks over at Rain who looks back with a nod. "We ran into a bit of trouble along the way, a pack of hyenas got to one of the donkeys. We couldn't save him in time." Rain said with a straight face. The man just stared at him for a few seconds before shrugging and turning to the gate to pull it open. Millikan and Rain exchanged looks, thankful that the man accepted it.
"Just take the donkeys over to the stable. Seeing as one of them didn't make it I can only give you two horses." The man points over to a small stone house with a wide open fenced backyard and barn. Several horses were trotting around while the rest stayed in the barn to sleep. They took the donkeys over to the fence gate where the man took the reins of each donkey. "How soon are you all leaving?"
"At dawn, know where the closest Inn is located?" Millikan asked then realizes Rain would probably know where one is since he was the seasoned traveler. The man points to the east part of the village.
"Got to warn you though. A group of thugs arrived to the village earlier. They were carrying these large chest and seemed very finicky about it. Their leader asked me about the inn so they probably be in there." The man explained.
"Not our problem." Rain snickered as he heads toward the direction of the inn. Millikan walked along side Rain, motioning for the others tarks to stay close. As long as they steered clear of these thugs, the night should by fine. The last thing Millikan wanted was his tarks to run into these thugs and start a fight because they were cranky and hungry. They reached the inn in a manner of minutes, it was a large wooden building with four floors. A bit on the rough side but it will do.
"Will wait out here." Millikan tells Rain who nods and enters the Inn.
"I smell…cannabis." Jabari says aloud, sniffling and rubbing his nose. "It's coming from the inn." He points.
"Yeah, I smell it too." Millikan looks at the inn entrance, seeing rain come out a few minutes later holding two keys and handing Millikan one of them. "Two rooms."
"Yes, the rooms themselves are fairly small and I doubt we can all fit in one room." Rain puts the key in his pocket. "I saw one of the thugs in the lobby, a black dragon."
"Black dragon…didn't one of them use to work for Shao?" Millikan hands the key to Chuma.
"Yes, I believe his name was Kano. Dirty little grunt if you ask me." Rain scoffed as he walked back into the inn. Millikan and the others followed suit. Thankfully there rooms were on the bottom floor and right next to each other. Rain specifically requested two adjoining rooms so Millikan didn't have to run back in forth through the hall at night.
"So I think we should go and get some food." Millikan stated as they got settled in their room. Each room had two full sized beds and sofa so there was room for everyone to sleep comfortably. Though there was only one bathroom that connected the rooms. At least there was a water pump and large basin for them to use to bathe with. "As always Chuma is in charge, and no leaving the room for anything."
Millikan and Rain left the end and headed to the small marketplace located in the middle of the village. Luckily most of the shops stayed open overnight for tourists passing through. "How much koin do we have?" Millikan asked rain as they passed by a pub. He could clearly hear the loud drunk patrons inside, talking about large beasts with four eyes. It could be true but then again they were inside a pub getting drunk off their asses.
Rain stops walking and pulls out his koin pouch, juggling it in his right hand. "Not enough, but don't worry I know how to get more." He motions towards the pub. Millikan raised his brow in confusion, he didn't understand it. Rain patted his arm and walks towards the pub entrance, pushing the revolving wooden door open. Millikan was right behind him as they entered the pub. It was loud with chatter and singing, and the smell of alcohol was really strong in the air. "Wait here." Rain looks around the pub before making his way over to one of the gambling tables.
Millikan watched as Rain idly chatted with the patrons at the table who seemed to enjoy the unexpected guest. He squints as he saw Rain lean into the patron to whisper something in his ear then stands up and winks before walking. Millikan was about to say something as Rain grabs his elbow and takes him out of the pub.
"What was that?" Millikan points at the pub. "Did you just?"
"Pickpocket a noble, Yes." Rain holds up a large pouch full of koins, almost the size of his palm.
"Oh…for a second I thought you." Millikan trailed off as rain gave him an offended look.
"I never." Rain hands Millikan the pouch. "You keep it, people are less likely to approach you about missing koins." He smirked behind his mask as Millikan frowns at him. "There is a butcher shop nearby, I'm sure you can get enough for you and your men to eat. And let's be quick, it's starting to get chilly out here."
"I can hold you again if you want." Millikan teased. Rain glares at Millikan, thankful that he had on his mask.
After buying several pieces of raw meat from the butcher shop, along with loaves of bread. And making a quick stop by the grocer so Rain can get something to eat for himself. They got back to the inn before it got really cold out. As soon as Millikan entered the room, the tarks crowded him like a pack of dogs waiting for food.
"Ngoja." Millikan motioned for everyone to back up as he walks over to sets the large bag of meats down. He gave each tarkatan a wrapped up large slab of meat along with a loaf of bread, though some of them tried to refuse it the bread. Millikan insisted they eat it anyway. Rain sat on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed with what looked like a ration package placed on his lap. He unwraps it to reveal four pieces of baked chicken with seasonings. A small biscuit right beside it.
After passing out the food to the tarks, Millikan the last slab and bread loaf for himself. Walking pass the eating tarks to go sit on the side of the bed next to Rain. He looks over Rain shoulder to see what he was eating out of curiosity.
"Parthian chicken." Rain had a feeling that Millikan was going to ask him and decides to tell him before he could get a word out.
"It looks spicy." Millikan unwrapped his food and took a bite of the meat, tearing it easily with his sharp teeth. Rain picks up one of the legs and offers it to Millikan. "Mmm." Millikan turned his head away to swallow the piece of meat he had in his mouth before turning to Rain. "You sure?"
"I have more than enough to fill me. Go on." Rain holds the leg towards Millikan mouth. Millikan sniffed it before taking a bite from the side. He rolled the small piece on his tongue, tasting it before swallowing it. "Is it spicy?"
"A little bit but its tastes good." Millikan looks at the leg and bites down on half of it, taking it from Rain hand.
"You're welcome." Rain looks back at his food in his lap and removes his mask so he could eat. Everyone ate in comfortable silence, an occasional grumble here and there from the tarks but nothing more. Once everyone finished their meals, Millikan ordered them to wash up in the bathroom. Tarkatans always use to sharing everything, bathing went by fast as they went in two at a time.
"You want to go in first?" Millikan asked as the last two tarkatans left the bathroom.
"You can go first, I can wait." Rain waved him off. Millikan shrugged and goes into the bathroom to wash up. Rain sat on the bed sorting through his satchel, pouring the contents out on the middle of the bed. A variety of jewelry and other valuables splayed out on the bed. Among them was small dagger with a gold grip and a grey sheath. He picks it up and pulls the dagger out of the sheath, the blade was actually a modified dragon tooth. He sits down on the side of the bed and holds the dagger up, turning it this way and that. After a few minutes of analyzing the dagger, he puts it back in the sheath and places the items back in his satchel.
Millikan comes out of the bathroom, holding his shirt in his right hand. Rain puts the satchel on the floor by his feet and stands up to go to the bathroom and wash up, because he knows he needed it. Millikan sits in the same spot rain was in previously and folds his shirt on his lap. He places the folded on the nightstand and notices Rain satchel on the floor. The flap was still open and he caught of glimpse of something shiny inside. He looks at the bathroom door then down at the satchel, picking it up and placing it on his lap. He looks inside the satchel filled with valuables, and right at the bottom was the dagger.
He reaches in and takes out the dagger, setting the satchel to the side. He ran his finger over the gold grip before removing the sheath. Brows raised as he noticed the bone blade, wondering why rain would be carrying such a primitive dagger. Then again it could just be a valuable piece with a history behind it.
Rain comes out of the bathroom, running a hand through his wet hair. Absorbing the water from his hair, drying it instantly. His tunic was hanging from the side of his waist. He looks at Millikan and noticed he was holding the dagger. "MILL!" Rain rushed over and snatched the dagger out of his hand, shoving him back on the bed with one hand and pinning him there as he held the dagger away from him.
"Whoa." Millikan stared up at Rain, raising his hands in defense. "Is that a family heirloom or something, I was very careful with it."
"This." Rain twirls the dagger in his hand. "You don't touch this, ever again. Fahamu?"
"Sikitika." Millikan apologized. Rain removed his hand off his chest and snatched up his satchel and sheath. "Why do you have all that stuff?" he sat up watching Rain place the dagger back in the satchel and walk over to the other side of the bed.
"It's none of your concern." Rain sets the satchel on the nightstand and pulls his tunic off his waist, placing it over the satchel. "I'm starting to like you Mill. Don't go ruining it." He lays down on the bed with his back facing Millikan.
Millikan stared at rain for a moment before getting up to blow out the candles that lit the room. He walks back over to the bed and lays down, face up. "Are you not making enough koin or is it like some…itchy fingers thing?" he turns his head towards Rain who lets out a long aggravated sigh.
"For a tarkatan, you ask a lot of questions." Rain rolled over so he was facing Millikan though he couldn't see him in the dark. "When you travel as much as I do for a long time, you have to do everything to survive. I don't always have koins so I need a backup. I only take what most people wouldn't even notice is missing til it's too late. When I can't sneak koin I just sell things to a merchant. We all can't survive on wild animals."
"So I assume you traveled to other realms?" Millikan rolled to his side to face Rain. "You are looking at my chest just so you know." He chuckled as Rain placed his hand over his face.
"Yes, I have traveled to other realms. Earth, order, chaos, nether and dream." Rain tapped the tip of his finger to his chin in thought.
"You been to dream realm. Don't people usually come back…not the same?"
"That all depends on the person I guess. I mean I been there several times and I haven't been affected by it at all. The people that accompany me on the other hand…not so much." Rain covered his mouth as he let out a yawn. "It's believed that only gods and half god can go through the realm without being affected by it."
"So you are a god then?"
"If I was I wouldn't be doing all this travelling." Rain snickered, closing his eyes. "Edenians are descendants of god so that might be it."
"Have you ever met one that travelled to that realm?"
"No I have not."
"What's chaos realm like?"
"True to its name, it is chaotic around every corner. The people there speak in esrever. Not to mention the women get turned on by being hit on, literally."
"You must have hit one to find that out." Millikan laughed as Rain snorted in disgust. "And order realm, do they all dress like beetles?"
"No, if you are referring to the armor that the guards wear then yes."
"Oh ok." Millikan went silent for a moment as he tried to think of another question. "So what mmmf." He was silence by Rain placing his hand over his maw. He was tired from walking all day and he just wanted to sleep.
"Usiku Millikan." Rain slides his hand down Millikan jaw and chest, patting it before rolling over to his side once more. Millikan licked his teeth and rolls onto his back, staring up at the ceiling in thought.