Encountering Mairi

After a night of "rest", if you could call it that, Naya and I decided to explore the town together. It was market day, when vendors line the streets with stalls and peddle their goods to idiotic simpletons. Normally I would've seen no need to attend a common-people's market such as this one, but today, I, too, was one of these simpletons.

"Look at all this stuff! Isn't it interesting to see so many fine goods in one place?" Naya smiled warmly at me, the sun reflecting off her pale Ussuran skin.

"Uh... I guess." I shrugged. I wasn't particularly impressed with anything I saw just yet. Fortunately for me, the previous day's events had allowed me to collect quite a bit of loot to sell off. And I had to admit, I was definitely looking forward to pawning it. It had been quite a while since I'd had fresh money in my hands...

After selling my loot to an antique shop and obtaining a nice stack of cash for my efforts, Naya and I (though mostly Naya) decided to look around before returning to the tavern. There were many stalls lined up along the seaside lane, it was quite a picturesque scene. Very... quaint. Simple, but quaint. I passed a few food stalls that grabbed my interest, licking my lips as I recalled the sweet flavor of the treat I had tried not long before. I had never eaten a funnel cake before that day, but the one I had would never allow me to forget how amazing it felt on my tongue... practically melting in my mouth, pure, berry-tastic sweetness erupting over my tastebuds. My stomach whined for seconds.

"Hey, Flavian, let's go this way," Naya pointed to a booth about thirty feet away, "I want to check out their armor."

I sighed softly, nodding as I followed her somewhat reluctantly. Normally I wouldn't have had a problem breaking off on my own, since it would've also allowed me an opportunity to steal some wares, but there was something about Naya that made me want to stick close to her. I didn't understand it then, but if you asked me now, I would say that my subconscious mind had recognized her as a kindred spirit; a lost soul such as myself.

As we approached the booth, I suddenly felt my heart do an odd little dance in my chest. I raised my hand and clutched my shirt gently, swallowing hard as I tried to regain my composure. Before me stood the most beautiful, exotic woman I had yet seen. She stood tall (a little taller than me at the time), had dark, thick hair, and the most luminously pale skin I had ever laid eyes on. Her features were quite different from what was common in Southern Theah, causing her to stand out like a lily among dandelions.

"... oh, unfortunately I can't afford that." Naya's voice jarred me out of my trance. She had been talking to the woman for some time, though I'd been too enraptured by her beauty to register what they had been saying.

"Aye, a shame, really," the woman replied, her voice laced with a thick, rolling, sing-songy accent that rivaled the melody of crashing waves, "it would look quite nice on you. Do come back when you can afford it, I'll be here on Saturday."

"I'll help pay."

I raised my hand, then quickly lowered it in shock. Had I really just uttered those words?! How stupid was I?! I had never paid for anything as worthless as another person in my life! Why did I think it was a good idea to start now?!

Naya's eyes lit up.

"Really, Flavian? Oh, that's so sweet of you! I only need an extra fifty pieces of gold to purchase this set of armor I've been looking at."

I coughed, attempting to regain my composure as I forced a smile.

"Y-yes, I would love to help." I nearly gagged out the words.

"Aye, very kind of your friend to help you out, indeed," the exotic woman's voice purred like waves licking upon rocks. Almost immediately, my heart began to swim in them. Now it was time to turn on the charm.