28th of Ash, 120
The darkness that filled his vision bled and burned away as the waking world returned to him. His breathing was quick, ragged, and it strained his achy lungs as he steadied himself. He didn't immediately recognize the lavish room around him, but he soon recalled that he'd elected to stay at an Inn with Asmodei during their search for Cojack. They had separate rooms, even though Arkash had firmly stated that he did not want to sleep in the room he laid in.
With a shiver and a grunt, Arkash sat up, then drew a deep breath as he stretched. Bright morning light shined through the glass pane that made the window of his room and cast its rays across the floor. Despite his reservations, he had to hand it to the keeper; his night there was probably the best sleep of his entire life. The bedding was exceptionally comfortable, but then, Arkash had slept on the floor like a dog for the far majority of his life. His back felt amazing, and a series of clicks and pops ran through his spine as he reached into the air to stretch. Even better, his body had fully rested after the exhaustion of the time he spent walking the day prior.
More positivity set in as Arkash considered the agenda for the day; they were going to keep walking around Outer Nivenhain in an effort to find Cojack. And though Arkash couldn't know for sure, he felt close to him, closer than he had in two months. It had been so long since they were separated, he couldn't wait to find the old horse again. So, he lifted the covers from his body and turned to get out of the bed, which was when a familiar scent filled his nose.
All the events of the night came flooding back, the unspeakable terror he'd felt when he was locked in there alone, the feeling of being watched, the way he'd choked himself to sleep... was that real? Did he really choke? It felt so vivid. That scent, the smell of rotting meat, of something dead. It put him on edge, and it wasn't as though he hadn't smelled dead things before, so it didn't make any reasonable sense as to why it affected him so badly. In moments, Arkash was reduced to trembling once more, and his serrated teeth clattered while he sat there. He had to get out of there.
So, he steeled his nerves, then made a dash across the room to collect the clothes Asmodei had afforded him. He dressed at light speed and pulled the massive hood down from his head as he checked his belt, only to find that his knife was missing. A glance at his pillow with his one working eye was all it took to jog his memory. A short dash across the room saw him reach beneath and take the dagger gently by the blade before he tucked it into his belt. The next move his hand made was a swipe of the key that rested on the nightstand, which he fumbled with and pressed to his body as he walked quickly to the door, pushed the key into the hole, and fumbled with the mechanism for a moment before it clicked.
As soon as the door was unlocked, Arkash pushed his way into the hall and shut the door behind him. Almost immediately, he could breathe better. His instincts no longer ran rampant through his psyche, and he didn't feel the need to run and hide. Arkash drew a deep breath while he stayed there, then looked down the hall to his left as he exhaled. It was a long hall with three doors on either side, and Arkash believed them all to be rooms that various patrons stayed in. At any moment, they could walk out and see him. So, with his one working eye, Arkash looked over his attire to make sure none of his scales were showing, then he pulled his hood up and withdrew his claws into his sleeves.
He was unable to see but a few feet of the ground ahead of him, but no one would recognize him. He hadn't made any plans to meet Asmodei in the morning, as the Avialae had been unreasonably quick to abandon him. So, Arkash turned to the right and began to descend a flight of stairs that lead to the main lobby of the Inn. He fought his budding anxiety and agitation as he moved.
Asmodei wasn't there, but the Innkeeper was present in the empty room. Arkash caught a glimpse of him from the darkness of his heavy hood and saw the young human at work. He was maybe in his late twenties? Older than arkash, but younger than most innkeepers he'd seen. Granted, he hadn't seen many, but that didn't change that he appeared young. "Morning," spoke the human to the cloaked figure that was Arkash.
The cloaked figure remained quiet for a moment while Arkash considered. He hadn't really spoke to anyone that wasn't Asmodei or Fayeth since he woke up, and his nerves were always frayed when he was without them. Did he really want to speak to the human? If they discovered he was nameless, the nearest Chevalier would be called to escort him back, then his identity would be revealed. That was if the human before him didn't immediately recognize him as a person wanted for murder.
"Morning," he mirrored the dialect, but in a lower, more rugged voice. There was a sort of growl to his tone, nigh-threatening, even.
"Yeesh," returned the human. "You might wanna lay off the tobacco, I heard it'll kill your voice."
It was hard not to laugh at that, but at least his voice was believable? He just had to work out the rest of the dialect. "I'm.. deathly ill. I's not catching, don' worry." Arkash bared his teeth in a cringe. He'd dropped too many T's through that sentence, though he'd tried hard not to drop the 'NG' in 'catching'.
The human tilted his head. "You've got an accent..." Arkash cringed. "From the south side?" That was where the wall was being built. Yes, the savant there likely had accents, like Barry.
"Yeah, can' sleep with all tha' drilling..." he clarified. "Yer beds are nice, aye," suddenly, he was trying to take on the stocky human's accent. It helped that he remembered it well, and it wasn't too different from his own dialect.
The human simply smiled and returned to his task of wiping down the tables. Arkash lifted his head a little to get a look at him, then proceeded to the bar to take a seat. He'd done really well to pretend, and it seemed that the human was none the wiser on who he truly was. Asmodei would surely be impressed with him whenever he woke.
While he sat, he began to plan for where they would check that day, which was when he remembered. He'd asked Asmodei if he'd checked with the keeper of the Inn if he'd seen Cojack, but his stalwart protector said he'd do it in the morning, as he was tired. Well, there was Arkash, alone in the room with their next target of inquiry. What better time to put his acting to the test?
It wasn't intentional, but he seemed to build up the expectation that he would find Cojack that day. Perhaps he'd even stayed at the inn they were at? The beds were certainly big enough. Soon enough the Innkeeper came around with his washcloth and began to wipe down the polished wooden serving bar. He flashed Arkash a smile, though Arkash couldn't see it. "Can I ask you's something?"
"Need a drink?" Offered the keeper. Arkash shook his head.
"Me an' my pal, th' argent, we're lookin' for someone." He couldn't let too much of his accent slip, or it would be obvious he came from Lower Nivenhain. "A rathari, tall fella, sick-lookin'."
"Never heard of a rathari," returned the Innkeeper with a shrug. The young rath sighed.
"A man tha' looks like a horse," he clarified. The innkeeper went quiet. Arkash tilted his head. "You seen 'im? 'es in no trouble."
"Who told you about that? Was it Hans?" Arkash's heart began to pick up in pace. The Innkeeper actually knew where he was?
"Doesn' matta', where is 'e now?"
"How should I know? It's not like they bury nameless."
"...What?" Bury? What did he mean? No. No no no no.
"You don't know the full story? I can compensate you."
"I jus' need t' know," he returned. Though he tried to suppress the quake in his voice, it clearly showed. The human gave him a strange look and a long silence followed before he cleared his throat.
"Well... A tall fella came in, figured he was an elf or something, couldn't see his face, and he bought a room for a week, paid upfront too. And over his stay, I didn't see him coming or going. FIgured he was just in an' out when my back was turned."
"What happened?" Arkash demanded.
Another pause came, and the human picked up a glass and began to polish it with his washcloth. "Well, the guests started to complain about a stink." Arkash trembled. His venom was running plentifully in his maw and he wanted to cry. "So, I use the master key to get in, and I find this big horse-man rotting in the bed. The sound of the flies buzzing and the stink was... kinda scarring, to be honest. Ha."
Arkash lifted his veiled claw to his eye to dry his tears while he sniffled, then slurped hard to prevent his venom from spilling. It wasn't cojack, it couldn't be. "How'd he die?"
The human watched him cautiously, but nodded before he replied. "Overdose, the argent said. He'd seen a few of 'em. I can refund you for the room, it's no bother. I know the smell's still there."
Arkash paused in his quiet sobbing and rubbed his eye again. What did he mean? "...Was he in my room?"
"...You didn't know? Shit, man. I'm trying to replace the bedding but it's expensive, you know?"
Arkash cried openly, he pressed his face into the bar and covered his head with his one arm. "What was his name...?" he squeaked through his ragged breaths. There was a chance it wasn't his father, it could have been another horse rathari, maybe?
"Uhh, one moment..." Spoke the human as he ducked beneath the counter to draw his ledger. Arkash sniffled and slurped as he lifted his head to look, and he saw the man's hand turn back a fair few pages before his finger ran across the page. "Says here his name's Cojack." That was the final nail in the coffin. He was really gone, and he was certain of it too. The scent in the room that triggered Arkash's instincts was the smell of his father's rotting corpse, which lingered on. A fat pouch of coins hit the bar beside him. "A bit more than a night's rent here. I'm really sorry for the trouble..."
Arkash pushed away from the bar and waddled to the front door, where he broke into the busy streets. He fell into a pile against the Inn's front wall and began to sob and cry into his knees. It was over, there was nothing left in the world for him. While he bawled, the busy lives of the rien people continued around him, he was barely acknowledged, left to marinate in his despair.
The darkness that filled his vision bled and burned away as the waking world returned to him. His breathing was quick, ragged, and it strained his achy lungs as he steadied himself. He didn't immediately recognize the lavish room around him, but he soon recalled that he'd elected to stay at an Inn with Asmodei during their search for Cojack. They had separate rooms, even though Arkash had firmly stated that he did not want to sleep in the room he laid in.
With a shiver and a grunt, Arkash sat up, then drew a deep breath as he stretched. Bright morning light shined through the glass pane that made the window of his room and cast its rays across the floor. Despite his reservations, he had to hand it to the keeper; his night there was probably the best sleep of his entire life. The bedding was exceptionally comfortable, but then, Arkash had slept on the floor like a dog for the far majority of his life. His back felt amazing, and a series of clicks and pops ran through his spine as he reached into the air to stretch. Even better, his body had fully rested after the exhaustion of the time he spent walking the day prior.
More positivity set in as Arkash considered the agenda for the day; they were going to keep walking around Outer Nivenhain in an effort to find Cojack. And though Arkash couldn't know for sure, he felt close to him, closer than he had in two months. It had been so long since they were separated, he couldn't wait to find the old horse again. So, he lifted the covers from his body and turned to get out of the bed, which was when a familiar scent filled his nose.
All the events of the night came flooding back, the unspeakable terror he'd felt when he was locked in there alone, the feeling of being watched, the way he'd choked himself to sleep... was that real? Did he really choke? It felt so vivid. That scent, the smell of rotting meat, of something dead. It put him on edge, and it wasn't as though he hadn't smelled dead things before, so it didn't make any reasonable sense as to why it affected him so badly. In moments, Arkash was reduced to trembling once more, and his serrated teeth clattered while he sat there. He had to get out of there.
So, he steeled his nerves, then made a dash across the room to collect the clothes Asmodei had afforded him. He dressed at light speed and pulled the massive hood down from his head as he checked his belt, only to find that his knife was missing. A glance at his pillow with his one working eye was all it took to jog his memory. A short dash across the room saw him reach beneath and take the dagger gently by the blade before he tucked it into his belt. The next move his hand made was a swipe of the key that rested on the nightstand, which he fumbled with and pressed to his body as he walked quickly to the door, pushed the key into the hole, and fumbled with the mechanism for a moment before it clicked.
As soon as the door was unlocked, Arkash pushed his way into the hall and shut the door behind him. Almost immediately, he could breathe better. His instincts no longer ran rampant through his psyche, and he didn't feel the need to run and hide. Arkash drew a deep breath while he stayed there, then looked down the hall to his left as he exhaled. It was a long hall with three doors on either side, and Arkash believed them all to be rooms that various patrons stayed in. At any moment, they could walk out and see him. So, with his one working eye, Arkash looked over his attire to make sure none of his scales were showing, then he pulled his hood up and withdrew his claws into his sleeves.
He was unable to see but a few feet of the ground ahead of him, but no one would recognize him. He hadn't made any plans to meet Asmodei in the morning, as the Avialae had been unreasonably quick to abandon him. So, Arkash turned to the right and began to descend a flight of stairs that lead to the main lobby of the Inn. He fought his budding anxiety and agitation as he moved.
Asmodei wasn't there, but the Innkeeper was present in the empty room. Arkash caught a glimpse of him from the darkness of his heavy hood and saw the young human at work. He was maybe in his late twenties? Older than arkash, but younger than most innkeepers he'd seen. Granted, he hadn't seen many, but that didn't change that he appeared young. "Morning," spoke the human to the cloaked figure that was Arkash.
The cloaked figure remained quiet for a moment while Arkash considered. He hadn't really spoke to anyone that wasn't Asmodei or Fayeth since he woke up, and his nerves were always frayed when he was without them. Did he really want to speak to the human? If they discovered he was nameless, the nearest Chevalier would be called to escort him back, then his identity would be revealed. That was if the human before him didn't immediately recognize him as a person wanted for murder.
"Morning," he mirrored the dialect, but in a lower, more rugged voice. There was a sort of growl to his tone, nigh-threatening, even.
"Yeesh," returned the human. "You might wanna lay off the tobacco, I heard it'll kill your voice."
It was hard not to laugh at that, but at least his voice was believable? He just had to work out the rest of the dialect. "I'm.. deathly ill. I's not catching, don' worry." Arkash bared his teeth in a cringe. He'd dropped too many T's through that sentence, though he'd tried hard not to drop the 'NG' in 'catching'.
The human tilted his head. "You've got an accent..." Arkash cringed. "From the south side?" That was where the wall was being built. Yes, the savant there likely had accents, like Barry.
"Yeah, can' sleep with all tha' drilling..." he clarified. "Yer beds are nice, aye," suddenly, he was trying to take on the stocky human's accent. It helped that he remembered it well, and it wasn't too different from his own dialect.
The human simply smiled and returned to his task of wiping down the tables. Arkash lifted his head a little to get a look at him, then proceeded to the bar to take a seat. He'd done really well to pretend, and it seemed that the human was none the wiser on who he truly was. Asmodei would surely be impressed with him whenever he woke.
While he sat, he began to plan for where they would check that day, which was when he remembered. He'd asked Asmodei if he'd checked with the keeper of the Inn if he'd seen Cojack, but his stalwart protector said he'd do it in the morning, as he was tired. Well, there was Arkash, alone in the room with their next target of inquiry. What better time to put his acting to the test?
It wasn't intentional, but he seemed to build up the expectation that he would find Cojack that day. Perhaps he'd even stayed at the inn they were at? The beds were certainly big enough. Soon enough the Innkeeper came around with his washcloth and began to wipe down the polished wooden serving bar. He flashed Arkash a smile, though Arkash couldn't see it. "Can I ask you's something?"
"Need a drink?" Offered the keeper. Arkash shook his head.
"Me an' my pal, th' argent, we're lookin' for someone." He couldn't let too much of his accent slip, or it would be obvious he came from Lower Nivenhain. "A rathari, tall fella, sick-lookin'."
"Never heard of a rathari," returned the Innkeeper with a shrug. The young rath sighed.
"A man tha' looks like a horse," he clarified. The innkeeper went quiet. Arkash tilted his head. "You seen 'im? 'es in no trouble."
"Who told you about that? Was it Hans?" Arkash's heart began to pick up in pace. The Innkeeper actually knew where he was?
"Doesn' matta', where is 'e now?"
"How should I know? It's not like they bury nameless."
"...What?" Bury? What did he mean? No. No no no no.
"You don't know the full story? I can compensate you."
"I jus' need t' know," he returned. Though he tried to suppress the quake in his voice, it clearly showed. The human gave him a strange look and a long silence followed before he cleared his throat.
"Well... A tall fella came in, figured he was an elf or something, couldn't see his face, and he bought a room for a week, paid upfront too. And over his stay, I didn't see him coming or going. FIgured he was just in an' out when my back was turned."
"What happened?" Arkash demanded.
Another pause came, and the human picked up a glass and began to polish it with his washcloth. "Well, the guests started to complain about a stink." Arkash trembled. His venom was running plentifully in his maw and he wanted to cry. "So, I use the master key to get in, and I find this big horse-man rotting in the bed. The sound of the flies buzzing and the stink was... kinda scarring, to be honest. Ha."
Arkash lifted his veiled claw to his eye to dry his tears while he sniffled, then slurped hard to prevent his venom from spilling. It wasn't cojack, it couldn't be. "How'd he die?"
The human watched him cautiously, but nodded before he replied. "Overdose, the argent said. He'd seen a few of 'em. I can refund you for the room, it's no bother. I know the smell's still there."
Arkash paused in his quiet sobbing and rubbed his eye again. What did he mean? "...Was he in my room?"
"...You didn't know? Shit, man. I'm trying to replace the bedding but it's expensive, you know?"
Arkash cried openly, he pressed his face into the bar and covered his head with his one arm. "What was his name...?" he squeaked through his ragged breaths. There was a chance it wasn't his father, it could have been another horse rathari, maybe?
"Uhh, one moment..." Spoke the human as he ducked beneath the counter to draw his ledger. Arkash sniffled and slurped as he lifted his head to look, and he saw the man's hand turn back a fair few pages before his finger ran across the page. "Says here his name's Cojack." That was the final nail in the coffin. He was really gone, and he was certain of it too. The scent in the room that triggered Arkash's instincts was the smell of his father's rotting corpse, which lingered on. A fat pouch of coins hit the bar beside him. "A bit more than a night's rent here. I'm really sorry for the trouble..."
Arkash pushed away from the bar and waddled to the front door, where he broke into the busy streets. He fell into a pile against the Inn's front wall and began to sob and cry into his knees. It was over, there was nothing left in the world for him. While he bawled, the busy lives of the rien people continued around him, he was barely acknowledged, left to marinate in his despair.
