City Meets the Freed Fanalis - Invite only

Killing people, Humayra recently discovered, was disturbingly easy... Dealing with the aftermath of murdering her owners? Not so much it seemed. This was made doubly true by the fact that rough (very rough) drawings of her face were now plastered in popular gathering places around the city. She couldn't be sure if they were missing person posters or wanted posters since she'd never learned to read but the girl was thinking maybe it would have been a better idea to simply escape when she'd made the chance instead of killing Faisal and his parents outright. It'd taken only half a day for the death of Faisal and his family to be discovered...

The young Fanalis girl let out an exasperated sigh, tucking away loose strands of her her hair and tugging the edges of her hood until it hugged her face. People knew what a Fanalis looked like, or at the very least they knew what Humayra looked like. Right now she needed to avoid being recognized and the easiest way to do that would be to hide her hair. Checking herself over one final time to make sure no crimson strands strayed from beneath the hood of her dress, Humayra stepped out from the alleyway and into the busy market street.

The smell of fresh cooked foods wafted across Humayra's nose, sending the pit of her stomach into a rumble. It almost sounded like a beast trying to escape its confinement. How to pay for things once she escaped happened to be one of the few things she hadn't planned for. Actually nothing about what she'd done had really been planned, so much as it'd been improvised. Removing the chains to her shackles meant she didn't have to drag chains around with her anymore, but if anyone happened to take notice then they would still be able to see the fancy fetters. Ones most nobles could get to decorate their slaves with. Though Humayra could only assume that the unique design of her bindings were more likely intended to identify which noble family owned her...

She heard the scuffle of poorly dressed feet but the crowd made it difficult for the Fanalis girl to avoid the child. He bumped into her, disappearing into thicker parts of the crowd. A chunky looking man rushed by but Humayra was ready this time and managed to avoid getting bowled over by him. She couldn't help but look on in irritation. Realization hit her though when she saw the man's dirty apron. A food vendor! Crimson eyes scanned the stalls until they landed on one sitting vacant. Humayra's eyes darted back to the chase but the two had already dipped out of sight. Good.

She reached the stand perhaps a bit too eagerly as she glanced around to make sure no one was paying her any mind. Pulling one arm through the sleeve into her dress, Humayra began passing fruits from her other hand to hold under her clothes. Packing as much as she could feasibly carry before the man came back was her immediate objective. Finding a place to hide away and eat until her stomach was satisfied would come next...

For Belit it was just another day within Heliohapt. Her recent adventure towards the frontier town if Kal-Elna rewarded her with a glimpse of past glories her homeland held. It was exhilarating and a good practice run of sorts for her advanced plans and adventures to come.

The city she stopped at from her travel was a large market hub, ships from lost countries would dock and spend a few days either selling their wares or as a pit stop before they proceeded further. Passing through the stalls she held a bag of coins in her hand, though it wasn't much she sold the camel that she gained from the thieves for a good price. So it was disposable income either way, she thought of buying new clothes or maybe a trinket or two for her fingers.

Leaving a sub alley , she made it in the nick of time to see the brewing trouble that was happening. A young child... maybe twelve or thirteen of age was running and weaving past the crowd as a large and hefty man was running after him. The swaying and slapping of fat was almost comical as the wobbling sound implanted itself in Belit's mind. Chuckling she made her way towards the exit point where the would be thief was running towards. She would deal with one child and then with the hooded hungry one she noticed at the absent stand.

Quickly jumping upwards it was easy for her to locate the escaping child and block it off. To the child's credit it tried to attack her to shake her off, but Belit saw and fought worse, not to mention trained a whole lot daily.

Her palm caught the rolling fist that was approaching her abdomen, to the thieving rascals credit, he knew how to throw a punch.

Letting out a sigh as she stopped the 2nd attack that was a kick towards her face, she pushed the boy backwards and quickly grabbed him by the hem of his shirt. During the brief scuffle, the fat merchant came heaving, almost half dead to them, his face was red like the sun when it sets behind the dunes of Heliohapt. His eyebrows like bushy butterflies that were filled with the morning dew, his stench for one, made his entire ensemble of appearance leave on questioning if he ever took a bath. Taking a deep breath he was ready to start his rant and approached the boy with a raised hand, Belit would have none of that.

"Before you start saying anything or trying to punish the boy, tell me what he stole?"

The man stopped in his track as if he saw a ghost. His fat lips moved as he started to talk in a loud and gruff voice. His hands moving with each word as if he was conducting an orchestra of musicians, though in essence, he was being a very crude and cruel individual.

"This thieving rat had the nerve to come and try to steal from my stall! Me Kospeh Salazar Ralamba. I will have him flailed and his skin made into a rug on which I will wipe my feet each day! While his hands will become a trinket for my necklace..."

Belit raised her eyebrow and turned off the rest, clutching the buy under her arm and against her cleavage, seemed to have either calmed him down, or suffocated him, either was fine with her. Her leg moved up vertically ninety degrees and it came slamming down on the fat merchants head as she hopped up across his body in the ground and dropped a bag of coins.

"You are scum, but dont say that I didn't pay for the childrens outing."

The silent and hushed whispers from the people around her filled the silent void. As the merchant was knocked out for good. The boy underneath her arm was silent then looked at her then at the apple he stole.

"You aren't going to eat me right?"

Belit chuckled and then looked down at him before shaking her head.

"I don't eat people, but I can provide food and shelter for you if you have nowhere to go, do you have siblings or parents?"

The boy shook his head and squeezed her hand.

Belit continued walking to the stall of the merchant before asking another question.

"What about a name? Have one of those, mine is Belit and if you wish you can travel with me, I can't say I have much to provide you as of yet, but in the future if things go as planned I will have a kingdom underneath me."

The boys eyes grew wide at that, then he bit his lip.

"No name, don't remember any name except being called thief and rat..and other names like such."

Belit ruffled his hair before poking around a corner or two, she found a huddled together figure of smaller stature than herself.Maybe taller than the boy at her side.

"Hi there little one, I saw what you did, I am guessing that you are quite hungry,if you wish you can come with me and I will treat you to a proper meal in a tavern."

Having said that she would look at the boy by her side and smile.

The man hadn't returned. Even when Humayra managed to stuff enough fruit under her dress to start looking like she'd gained a few pounds out of nowhere. He'd probably winded himself trying to chase after the boy, which the Fanalis was perfectly fine with. If he couldn't catch the kid, he certainly wouldn't catch her even if he did notice the theft happening behind his back.

It didn't take much effort to find a quiet place where she could settle down and partake of the fruitful spoils. Even with a busy town like this one, unsavory sorts were practically around every corner. It played to Humayra's advantage as she didn't need to worry about looking suspicious while pulling apples out of her clothes like she were playing some sort of magical parlor trick.

She made herself at home on the back steps of a store that was either closed or abandoned, Humayra didn't know which but it didn't really matter to her either way.

Knees bumped up into the arm inside her dress when the girl sat, knocking around the stock of apples she held. One rolled out by Humayra's feet and by elective selection, it became the first one for consumption. Picking up the fruit and rubbing it against her clothes to remove the dust, Humayra brought the untainted morsel up to her mouth. Tart, slightly sweet sensations tickled the girl's senses while her empty stomach gave an unruly growl.

"Hi there little one, I saw what you did, I am guessing that you are quite hungry, if you wish you can come with me and I will treat you to a proper meal in a tavern." Startled, Humayra's apple holding arm shot out through the vacant sleeve of her dress, sending the already precariously horded fruits spilling all around the stairs.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Humayra lied, her guilt at the deed she'd committed being obvious and written all over her face. A face now exposed she realized. Out of the corner of her eyes Humayra noticed the loose strands of crimson hair peeking around the hood on her head. A hand came up to pull the hood back down but this action had the effect of also revealing her bare feet, and the fetters still attached to the girl's ankles.

Humayra debated whether she should make a break and escape before she could be caught but when her eyes darted to the lady she saw the child. Something about him huddling close to the woman reached out and graced the Fanalis with a sense of relief. Hands were mingled, and he wasn't making any attempt to free himself from her. For one who'd also made to steal food, he certainly didn't act as if he'd been caught red handed...

"I don't need your charity. Leave me alone." Without thinking, the Fanalis girl unintentionally tossed the apple she held at the woman. This action didn't sit well with her stomach which gave an angry growl in response. Humayra couldn't deny the fact she was hungry. It darkened her thoughts to think she might even have to admit she had no money with which to purchase food for herself...

Someone else's charity... Even Faisal, her former master, had been raised with enough sense drilled into him by his parents, to not give his Fanalis slave any handouts. A twinge of regret burned briefly within her heart before she snuffed it out. Faisal and his parents, they were bad people. They'd gotten what was coming from them. The only problem to Humayra's self-made solution of killing them happened to be the fact she'd never lived a normal day of her life without someone lording over her in some way...

Humayra stood, the last of the apples falling free from under her plain hooded dress. Taking another look towards the boy who'd partly hidden himself behind the woman when the Fanalis girl stood, she looked to the lady and bowed. "Thank you..." she spoke, reconsidering her original refusal to the offer in light of the scattered apples and her not-happy-to-be-empty stomach.