Side Effects of Torture [Plot/Garret]

Adamus paced back and forth in his room. It had been over a week since the incident with rescuing Ariella and she still had not come to see him. Neither of the other magicians had checked in either, so he had no clue how his daughter was doing. While he was normally fine with letting Ariella have her time and space, he understood she was probably in a fragile state and he wanted to at least know she was okay.

---

Ari sat down in a quiet corner of the tavern, ordering a tea while she observed those around her. In the week since her rescue, she had not been able to sleep, every time she began to drift off, the nightmares bombarded her and she woke up screaming, crying or begging for it to stop. She had started coming to the tavern at night to avoid sleeping alone in her inn room and the innkeeper knew where to find her if a problem arose or anyone came in search of her, so she simply relaxed and kept an eye on those around her. It was not sleep, but it was relaxing and that was the best she could manage for her body at this point.

Garret had reached a dead-end. Without going back to the villa, he would have a tough time researching life spells, and there was only so much he could do with listening to the Rukh. Large amounts of magoi was lost in the inefficient attempts Garret made on reviving small creatures, none of which ended up in a success. There were things he did not understand. Magical formulas he did not grasp, and both words and instructions to convey the exact nature of what he wanted the Rukh to do. One thought came to his mind; Ariella's mother, who was now dead, was said to be a very strong life mage. Garret did not believe it would be easy, gaining access to her research, but he figured he could try. That pointed to the direction of Adamus, the man most likely to know where to find Evelyn's research and most likely to be able to grant access to it.

Yet the entire family had recently gone through a series of tragedies. Simply showing up and asking to see the research would be less than polite of him. He considered this problem as he made his way towards Adamus; what would he say? When would be the best time to drop the question? Ah. Of course. I could ask if he would allow me to research it, and that way I would be able to revive her if we manage to find her body. Garret felt it was a good idea, one worth trying. He opened the door to the Inn and walked towards the door that was listed as the Red Magician's place of residence, from the contact information they had copied down during the last time the two had met. It had been a week since he had seen the man, and just a few days since he had last seen Adamus' daughter. Garret knocked on the door, and announced who he was before waiting for an answer from the other side.

Adamus looked up at the knock to his door, relief apparent in his features as he swung the door open part of him hoping the magician had managed to drag his daughter along with him only to wilt at seeing only the water mage. He waved Iatsu into the room with a small smile and dip of his head.

"Iatsu, how wonderful to see you again. I trust you have been well?"

He would offer the blue mage some tea, moving to warm up the kettle that had went cold in his pacing of the room. He nervously glanced at Iatsu, almost afraid the man was here to deliver bad news.

---

Ari found herself nodding off occasionally but knew it would do no good to return to her room at the inn and so she changed the type of tea she was ordering, asking for one that would jar her awake with strong flavors. She pulled out a notebook to begin doodling variations of different runes, deciding to take advantage of her sleepless nights by thinking up different spells and combinations. At least she could be productive if she could not sleep adequately.

Garret watched as the senior Magician greeted him and waved him into the room. "Thank you, and yes, I've been doing fairly well..." He walked over and sat down at a seat when he was offered tea, profusing that he would, in fact, love to have some tea. Garret couldn't help but note that Adamus seemed nervous. He seemed out of it, as if something had been eating away at him for some time. Not knowing the situation between Ariella and her father, Garret was unsure what was, exactly, eating away at Adamus. "And yourself? How have you been?" He eyed the senior magician curiously, wondering what had him so on edge.

Adamus nodded at Garret's response, still tense as he waited for the water to finish heating up before pouring out some tea for both of them, handing Garret a cup as the leaves steeped.

"I have been... alright, I suppose. I haven't heard from Ella since... that day. I'm getting a bit antsy. I am sure she is fine, but a father worries."

He frowned as he stared into the steeping cup of tea, realizing he was being a bit chattier than normal, but his nerves were on edge. He had lost Evie, had almost killed Ella and now he did not know if she was okay. It did not sit well with him and Adius had sent a letter, asking how everything was going. He did not know what to tell his son, feeling it would be cruel to inform him of his mother's death by letter.

"And you and the Marquis? I trust you two have been well?... I'm sorry, I already asked that, didn't I?"

---

Ari practiced writing out runes associated with her magic types, smiling at the waitress when she brought out a nice strong black tea for her. She took a sip of the brew, grimacing at the initial taste before it leveled out to something more palatable. If nothing else, it should do the job of keeping her awake as she sketched out other spell ideas.

Garret took the tea and looked into it. He swirled the cup around a few times, letting the tea cool down a bit. Adamus spoke, talking about the distance between himself and his daughter. Garret nodded, not engaging in the conversation at that point but visually showing that he was listening. Neither Adamus nor Ariella had been in touch at all since that time, from the warehouse. Garret closed his eyes, briefly, and wondered what the 'normal' time frame was to recover from a fallout with a family member. Or if, perhaps, it were possible for the two to never come to terms with the issues they had. Like he and his uncle. Garret shuddered at the thought, and though he knew that he was much younger then than Ariella was now, he wondered just how close those two situations were with each other. She has not tried to kill him, at the very least.

When Adamus asked, once more, how he was doing Garret took note that the man also asked about Azix. Shortly thereafter, he apologized for asking the question twice, and Garret shook his head. "Ah, no worries. You don't know me very well, so it's difficult to make small talk. I saw Azix and Ariella a few days ago, at a hot springs. They both seem to be doing well... Though perhaps Ariella is forcing herself to seem that way, so as not to cause concern with others..." Garret thought back to that time, when the three of them were all in the hot springs. She smiled, joked, and pulled a prank on both himself and Azix. Was she hiding her feelings from them, at that time? Garret was unsure. He had heard tales, in his time as an operative, of other agents seeming like they were fine after a close partner died, but then later down the line becoming a loose canon. "Does that sound like something she would do?" He looked back to Adamus, now curious. He did the same, truth be told. It was one of the reasons he did not approach Azix for help in reviving Hana Cho.

Adamus seemed to brighten at the mention of someone having at least seen Ariella since the incident, though Garret's words made him grimace.

"Ella is known for... not divulging. Evie and I... we made her feel like a disappointment, each for our own reasons. This led to her never approaching people with issues, if it could be avoided. She sees it as her disappointing someone with what she sees as a weakness. That is my fault... and Evie's..."

Adamus' voice faded as he tried to talk about his wife, still lost in his grief, though he could admit that they were both bad parents. Evelyn had become hostile to Ella as the girl got older and while he understood why, his own reasons were far different. He had only wanted to give her a reason to push off on her own, to become more herself. Maybe if he had tried just telling her that and been supportive, she would not hide so much from others. He sighed and shook his head.

"Ella inherited the ability to put on masks from her mother, I am afraid. In a diplomat's life, it never does to show weakness or true feeling. You keep everything behind a smile, maybe a chuckle. I never had to put on masks, I am a naturally gruff, anti-social man. My position requires interaction, but no one questions when I walk off in the middle of a conversation. Evie was always the one making sure we were... being politically correct. I am surprised Ella has not come to beat down my door yet, honestly. Normally, she will be fine for a bit and then she will explode. Since I am the source of her anger, I fully expected it to be her knocking at my door, wand waving as she cursed at me. She may have gotten her mother's mask, but she got my mouth."

He chuckled sadly, running his fingers around the rim of his tea cup before taking a sip. His grief over Evie and worry over Ariella was making him talk more than usual. He was not an unpleasant man, usually, but he was rarely talkative.

---

Ari propped her feet up on the opposite chair as she scribbled out notes, the waitress refilling her cup of tea with a worried look. Ari knew what it must look like. She had regained her color since the warehouse incident, but the dark circles under eyes were obvious when she made no effort to hide them, which she never did with the late night ventures to the tavern. It was not likely she would run into anyone she knew, so she had no reason to hide that she had been sleepless and terrified since her rescue. She flipped the page, scrawling out runes in relation to the magic types of the dungeon Azix had conquered, fiddling with different ideas for spells related to the plague magic his vessel held.

Garret frowned, looking back at his tea as he sipped it at first, before drinking it more fully while Adamus explained Ariella's habit of not opening up. It slowly began to dawn upon the blue magician that their aversion to discussing their problems and worries could eventually cause issues for Azix. Garret listened further as Adamus explained that he believed it to be both Evelyn's and his own failure as parents that caused the behavior to develop. Garret's face was fairly serious, but nearing the end of of Adamus' conversation a wry grin crossed his face at the picture and description the red magician's words were painting. He shook his head. Originally he wanted to approach the man to speak to him about his late wife's research, but now he was more concerned about Ariella's well-being. It took precedence over his own desire for the knowledge, and the power associated with potentially being able to return the dead back to life.

"So, mind if I go check up on her? Do you happen to know where she's normally at? To be honest, I don't know where she's staying at..." Garret offered to go check up on the woman, see how she was doing. Maybe they would come to learn each other a bit better; it would be good for their teamwork, if both of them were with Azix for the long-haul.

Adamus sighed in relief at Garret's offer, knowing that someone would check on his daughter offering him some peace of mind that she had friends here willing to do such a thing.

"I know she is staying at an Inn a few blocks from here. I would be most thankful if you checked in on her, I just want to know she is okay. I can handle her not talking to me if I know she is okay. I... I may have stopped by there once, to ask the Innkeeper if she was in and the woman said she had been going to a local tavern for the past few days, but I knew if I tried to find her there, property damage was likely to occur. I believe she called it the 'Roasted Pig' or something? Thank you, Iatsu. She is my baby girl, I just want her safe."

---

Ari finished off her third cup of tea, the lines on the page of her journal blurring. It seemed even the tea was not enough to keep her alert. She rested her eyes, assuring herself it would only be for a moment and then she would return to her runes and spells.

Garret nodded to Adamus, leaving the room and waving as he did so. "I'll let you know how she's doing." He left Adamus' Inn and began the trekking towards Ariella's. As he did so, he began to wonder what he had gotten himself into, and how far he was willing to go into the personal family matters of somebody he had only met a handful of times. He snorted, knowing that it was going to be a long partnership in helping Azix out ahead of them; they would eventually get to know each other more and more, as time went on. In for a copper, in for a gold.

When he arrived at the inn, he found that she was not there. As such, he immediately made way towards the tavern after getting directions from the Innkeeper. When he entered, he did so silently, noting that Ariella was sitting at a table. She was nodding off, but it seemed as if she roused herself and went back to researching something. As Garret approached her, he noticed how tired and ragged she seemed. He recalled another person, looking similar to her, a long while back. Seviticus Sextus had spent a week with almost no sleep trying to make a breakthrough on an engineering project he was working on. It wasn't until Garret had asked him a question and noted a minor mistake before the man was able to solve his problem, advance his research, and finally get some rest.

Garret approached the table and made no effort to hide the noise as he pulled a chair out from under the table and spoke. "Is this seat taken, Ariella?" If she looked up, she would see Garret with his eyebrow raised at her questioningly.

Ari's head bobbed up as the chair under her feet was pulled out, her golden hues looking around wildly, though thankfully silently. It was not unusual for her to wake up to the waitress shaking her because of her screams. When she looked at who had pulled the chair out, she let out a soft chuckle and shook her head, waving to the seat.

"Not at all, please, sit... have some tea... or something stronger if you prefer. How are you doing? Recovered from your dunk in the springs?"

She shot him a teasing smile, hoping it would distract from the black smudges under her eyes. She idly ran a hand through her hair, trying to make sure she did not look a complete mess, it was hard to keep up appearances when you looked like you had not seen a mirror in a week. She glanced around, hailing down the waitress for some water, needing to get the taste of stale tea out of her mouth. She did not bother to cover her journal of runes and spells, figuring if the man had insight to other combinations, he was welcome to provide input. Besides, it was really just a way to focus her mind on something to avoid sleep.

Garret was surprised to feel the resistance from the chair as he pulled it out, but made no facial expression to convey that. The woman before him looked almost hollow. There was no chance that she was expecting visitors today. "Hoh. You looked too tired to tease a person. I suppose I was wrong." He glanced towards her book, noting the inscriptions and runes upon them. He wondered, for a moment, if her tiredness was due to researching magic rather than a problem with the events of the past few weeks. No sooner did he think the question than did he ask it. "I see you're researching quite hard on the magic of the vessels... But I don't know if you'll do too well with your research if you spread yourself as thinly as you are. A rested mind is an efficient mind." He looked back up to her eyes, noting the contrast of the golden color from the dark color beneath her lids.

He brought out Kuroi Shimo and pointed it towards the side of her. "This is for your own good. You should see what you're doing to yourself." Garret cast Ice Sculpture, creating a full body mirror. It came complete with three sprites holding the mirror in place; they were dead ringers for the ones that came from his shield. Antha was on the left, holding onto it delicately. Shel was on the right, holding onto it but facing away from the front. Vix was on top, draping herself against it. Azix sat in a chair to the side in front of it. The mirror was life-sized, with incredible detail due to the assistance of the Rukh. Garret supposed he went overboard, adding the sprites and Azix to the sculpture, but he felt that a simple mirror was too boring. Something he probably wouldn't have thought, if it were the him from several months back.

Ari grinned and shrugged until he formed an ice sculpture beside her, complete with a mirror. She grinned at the intricate details he had added, including the sprites and Azix, and she reached out to gently run a finger over the ice before looking at her reflection. What she saw made her cringe, her face scrunching up. Her hair was flat and lacked its usual luster, her eyes lacked their usual shine and the black marks under her eyes were worse than she remembered the last time she had bothered to look in a mirror. She gave a sigh, dropping her head to the table in a soft 'thunk', not wanting to see how horrible she looked. She mumbled into the table something that sounded like a curse before looking back up to Garret.

"Ever tried sleeping after being tortured with illusions of you killing your friends and family? Not as easy as I make it look... or as dare I say as fabulous as I make it look."

She thunked her head onto her arms again, this time turning to look at herself in the mirror again, momentarily pondering how much longer she could go without some form of sleep that did not end in her screaming herself awake.

"Sorry... been a stressful month or so... guess my brain forgot that humans kind of need sleep."

She offered a wry grin, still trying to hide her exhaustion and fear of sleep from the man. While he had rescued her from a rather fiery death, she still was not sure how to converse with him.

Garret grunted at her response, looking away from her and back at the mirror. Once she had apologized, he shook his head. "It's how I suspected, then." Looking back towards her and noting the wry grin, Garret chuckled helplessly. With a command to the Rukh, the Ice Sculpture disappeared completely and Garret now cast Controlled Sound, negating the sound of their conversation once it had passed their bodies.

Garret sighed, wondering where to start. A grimace came to his face as he recalled her description of her experience, and his stomach turned in a mixture of anger and sickening. "You're right. You're handling it fairly well, for somebody who isn't getting any help..." Garret paused, struggling to figure out how he should approach the situation without sounding insincere. His next statement would sound strange, at first, but would begin to make sense as he continued to speak. "You've seen me without my shirt on... Those scars are from two brothers, I can no longer recall their names..." Garret swallowed, the thoughts and memories of his past resurfacing from his first few days he was in the northern prison. A grimace became visible for a moment before the magician fought it down after shuddering. "I don't... remember how long I was there. They slowly cut into me, but not so deeply that I was at risk of dying. They were good at what they did, I'm sure... It was only with the help of an old man and his meditations that I came back from that experience." He looked at Ariella, having shared the experience with somebody for the first time. He hoped she would understand where he was coming from, and that he wanted to help her get through the issue she was facing.

Normally he would not have opened such a personal situation up, however a series of conditions had been met; she was an ally, Azix relied upon her, and he was potentially going to need to rely upon her in a similar fashion later down the line. Not to mention his general distaste for torture in the first place, having gone through it himself; she had obtained his concern for her well-being.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 280/300

Abilities Used:

Ari listened intently to Garret's words, the tale tugging at her heart strings. Before her ordeal, she would have felt bad for the man and had the urge to hug and mother the hurt away. But after having went through what she had with Father and Lilly, she understood just how hard it was to speak about the matter, regardless of it being days, weeks or years. She knew she would carry the mental scars for the rest of her life. She took a deep breath, knowing she needed to say something to someone before the demons in her head ate her alive.

"They... the illusions, they were so real. They showed me killing my own mother. I did not care much for her, but the rage they showed me having... it was terrifying. By the time they showed me killing Azix and the Grumptoes, I... I was so far lost that it felt like I was the one doing it, not just the illusion of me. I could smell the blood, feel it warm and sticky on my hands. And the look of betrayal in Azix' eyes and he tried to save Sophie... I..."

Her voice broke off, that memory in particular sticking with her and having more of an effect than any of the others. The question in Azix' eyes, asking how she could do such a thing, like even he believed she was the monster in the illusions. A tear leaked from her eye, but she wiped it away, continuing to speak in a rough whisper.

"I haven't been able to sleep since the night of my rescue. That night, Azix took me to his house and when I finally slept, I think I was too exhausted to dream. But every night since then, nightmares wake me in a cold sweat and screaming. So, I just don't sleep. When they had me, sleep was my only escape... and now they took that from me."

She gave a snort and shook her head, hating that they had taken so much from her without ever having to lift a blade or strike her, though there were several instances of that as well. Her back, stomach and arms still held small pearly scars that the healing could not rid her of, constant reminders of her ordeals. Her dark skin tone only made the scars stick out more. She looked up to Garret with a warbled smile, giving a dry chuckle.

"We are pretty fucked up, you know that right? But maybe, we need to be, to help Azix... maybe our experiences will help him in some way, by making us stronger or more resilient... something? I don't know. But I have to believe there was some reason for the world to stomp on us so much."

Ari pulled out her wand and touched it to a withered potted plant on the window sill, using Field of Flowers to make several fresh blooms emerge from the dirt, brightening up the area from their serious talk. The soft petals made her give a more genuine smile.

Garret listened intently, knowing that what she was sharing with him was something equally, if not more-so, difficult to discuss as his own experience. He continued to sustain his Controlled Sound as she spoke, ensuring their privacy. Garret began to understand the nightmares she had been having. The mention of Sophie, the child with the Grumptoes that was saved after Azix and he had tracked down that slaver for Serene, reminded Garret of just how invested Azix was in those children. The fact that the image, in those circumstances, was certainly a believable one to see was something that Garret could only imagine added to the weight on Ariella.

When she spoke about her sleep, and how the last time she had a good nights rest was when she was with Azix, Garret nodded slowly. It seemed she continued to struggle with her problems, but Garret did not attempt to push her to continue. He simply waited, lending an ear. Her smile threatened to fail on her as she spoke, explaining how she believed that they were messed up. "Since we are looking for change, I'm sure we'll continue to face challenges... Garret watched as she created a few flowers in a nearby patch of dirt, and her smile solidified. "You know, I can teach you the meditations that I was taught... It might help with your sleeping. But maybe you should also consider moving in with Azix." The last sentence was said as an aside, but Garret believed there was much more to her sleeping peacefully when she was with Azix than simply being exhausted.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 270/300

Abilities Used:

Ari smiled at the suggestion, giving a small shrug.

"I might ask him about it, but it would probably be a good idea to learn some other forms of meditation. My current methods just aren't working. Closing my eyes kinda triggers some nasty images, so maybe I should try something else."

She felt a bit lighter after having talked about it, knowing it wouldn't solve everything, but the hardest part, just getting the story out, was done and over with, at least. She ruffled her hair, blowing a stray strand out of her face.

"I think for right now, though, I need a drink. That was some heavy talk for me to try sober."

She hailed the waitress, ordering a glass of wine, wanting something lighter than ale that wouldn't leave her feeling like she had consumed a meal. She looked to Garret with an arched brow.

"Care to join me in a drink to toast to being the fucked-up friends of the Marquis Niraj, the man that is going to change the world?"

Though the words were joking, she sincerely meant the part about Azix changing the world, the one solid goal she could see right now was supporting him in his venture.

Garret nodded to Ariella's suggestion. He did not want to disagree, fearing that she would lapse back into her worries. Dropping the sound barrier and allowing their words to carry so that they could order their drinks. Garret picked a drink randomly, not being an individual who knew what drink was what, and chose something in the middle-line of strength. This would be the second time he drank this week. He joined her in her toast, nodding to her suggestion. "To the Marquis! And may the future years treat us more kindly." A wry smile crossed his face as he brought his mug up before bringing it to his lips to drink. He used the cup to hide the wrinkling of his nose as the bitter liquid burned down his throat. Waiting a moment before bringing it back down, Garret was able to regain his facial composure.

He recalled what Yua had said, when he drank just a few days ago, that leaving his drink half-full was an insult. Garret brought it back to his lips and forced another drink down, inwardly cringing as the burning sensation flowed from his throat to his stomach. Again, he regained his composure before revealing his face. His cup was now empty, and he looked over to Ariella's.

Ari arched a brow at Garret's choice but made no comment. She had intentionally picked something mild, just to help her relax, but it seemed Garret had other plans as he ordered something quite a bit stronger. She drained her wine with a chuckle before shaking her head.

"I don't know how you can drink that with a straight face, I usually can't stand the taste until I have drank enough not to taste at all. Let's try something a bit more... sippable. I have no desire to repeat the incident at the ball, what with puking on the king and all."

Ari called the waitress over, ordering a sake that she knew had a more delicate flavor of apples. The waitress nodded and returned to the serving carafe and two small cups, the carafe filled with warmed sake in light of the chill outside. Ari poured them both a cup, the small porcelain cups ideal for more reasonable portions. She raised her own cup with a smile.

"To new friendships and the ability to sleep!"

Garret felt a bit strange. Constricted. He loosened up his collar and leaned back in his chair. Ariella began speaking, impressed at his ability to not appear disgusted by the drink. He was not quite in the right state of mind to be confused at her statement, as she had been drinking just moments before as well, and instead just accepted it as it was. He watched when she ordered an imported drink from Kou, and his eyebrows raised. That's... probably expensive. Better drink it... Garret continued to eye it as she set his cup down before him.

The magician's hand reached out to it and slowly brought it up, returning Ariella's toast with one of his own. "New friendships and sleep!" In one move, Garret brought the cup to his lips and braced for the bitter taste. He was instead surprised at the lightness of the drink. It felt smooth as it washed across his mouth, and a cleansing burning sensation, as opposed to the bitter ones from before, reached down to the pit of his stomach before settling. It felt as if the warmth from his stomach slowly spread outward, and he found himself wanting more. He pushed his cup forward, back towards Ariella. "To the children!" Once it was poured and the two had a new cup ready, he would toast again and drink another. Garret's posture began to lose its rigidity.

Ari chuckled after she downed her small cup and Garret pushed the cup towards her for another. She would never have pegged the man for a drinker and when he raised his next toast to the children, she figured she was right, he wasn't a drinker. But that didn't mean she couldn't have fun with it in the mean time. She poured them both another cup and raised it.

"To the children!"

The man seemed to be relaxing, which was almost enough to shock her out of the mild buzz forming in her head. Every other time she had seen him, he has been uptight and rigid. She smiled and hummed as she thought of another toast, pouring them a third cup. She tried not to giggle as she raised the cup again, failing as she proclaimed the next toast. An image of Kitana flashed in her mind, making her snicker through talking.

"To large breasts, the gods' gift to anyone with eyes!"

Garret stared at her, eyes wide. Something clicked in his mind; a combination of not wanting to ruin the festive mood and her comments simply sounding right. Furrowing his brow for just a moment, Garret considered the toast before nodding slowly. "To large breasts!" He lifted his drink up to toast and swallowed that one quickly as well. The further he got into the drink, the more he recalled the last time he had drunk with Captain Harken of the Shark's Fin and his crew.

Restlessness began to surge throughout Garret as the recollections from that time came crawling back. He remembered they sung bawdy tavern songs, recalling one in particular. Garret began to sing it, grabbing his mug and calling for a refill as he slammed it to the table to create a rhythm.

Ari laughed loudly before clapping a hand over her mouth at realizing her volume, a good buzz running through her by this point. When he began singing she dissolved into giggles, pouring them both another cup before frowning, realizing the carafe was empty. She tossed back the last in her cup before looking at Garret while laughing and shaking her head.

"It appears... we.... are out.... and that means, that means we should prol'y leave."

When she realized she was beginning to slur, she knew it was time to go and stood up shakily before waving Garret up, not wanting to break his song. It was too amusing to risk stopping him, so she hummed along as she tried to herd him out of his chair and to the front door since she didn't know the words. Her voice held a much happier note than when their conversation had first began drinking but as Garret began singing louder, she noticed the waitress frowning at them.

"We should... we should go see Azix... Let him know we are friends!"

Garret continued to sing spiritedly, registering somewhere in the back of his mind that they were out of drink. A mild sense of irritation passed through Garret, as the last time he had drunk in a tavern there was no end to the drinks available. They had not only sung, but also drank well into the late hours that night. For the moment he ignored it, as the singing kept his spirits uplifted. From the grumbling of the others in the tavern, it seemed that they were not quite on the same vibe as he was; they weren't exactly a port city and, as such, they were not used to the same type of rowdiness that the sailors caused when they got back from a trip and let themselves loose.

As he continued to sing, he noticed that there were no others that were joining in. He was slowly becoming upset, as the lack of festive mood was beginning to kill his enjoyment. Moments later, however, he noticed that Ariella was humming along with him which instantly uplifted his spirits and he began to sing with renewed vigor as she began herding him out. "Yes... And maybe bring him a drink as well!" It was the only thing that interrupted his singing, having been said in response to her suggestion of greeting Azix. He leaned on her shoulder to keep himself from moving erratically, and continued to sing on the way out as she lead him to Azix's place of living.

After having been chased out of the bar and scooped up into Ayero’s arms, Azix drunkenly gave the Fanalis woman directions to his house. For his first time consuming alcohol, it was lucky he was still coherent enough to point her in the right direction. That wasn’t to say he was timely about providing her directions, sometimes not remembering a turn until they had passed a few streets. Of course, that might have had something to do with Azix zoning out and muttering about pretty princesses as well.



It wouldn’t be long before Azix caught sight of his house in the distance and he pointed it out. Scrambling out of Ayero’s arms, he fell face first in the dirt and groaned. ”Thasa not me mouse!” Standing up, Azix wiped off his face and gestured for the Fanalis woman to follow. After nearly getting assaulted in the bar, Azix felt safer with her nearby, just in case he said something to offend another burly man.



Before he reached the front door, Azix noticed someone else coming down the street.