Jun was starting to be a little bored of the same view of tall houses and the occasional lively venue.
It seemed like the night lasted forever over here in the West as he looked up. The sky still looked to be midnight as the stars were still as bright as ever. They seemed to watch Jun continue his business venture turned adventure.
He had been forced to follow Arkshan to some inn where he wanted to check in at for a brief stay. Jun had tried to ask him why he just wanted to check in at the inn for only a brief while.
But he got no answer. Trying to just make small talk also fell flat with this aloof half dragon. As Arkshan soon told him to just shut up.
His body ached and was utterly exhausted from pushing to stay awake and continuing down the seemingly never ending streets of monotony.
They eventually reached another stone bridge, but it looked different from all the other bridges they had crossed. It seemed to look more weathered and had green moss growing on it. The crowds of people thinned out to the point where the streets were practically empty.
Jun felt a little more awake as he took in the new change in scenery that he had been hoping for. Even if the change wasn't that major. Jun guessed that they had entered the older part of the city as the huge castle of Perenykisk was able to be seen a little better in the distance.
The tall buildings also seemed to be older as they looked more robust and rustic, but still had the same style as the newer buildings. Wooden boards in the higher stories looked weathered with some of their white paint peeling off with various empty spots. Moss grew in the cracks of the worn and torn stone streets.
Jun had to admit that this part of the city did feel strangely homey and familiar. Maybe it was because it felt more lived in.
All of a sudden a few brown feathered chickens ran across the street in front of the two of them. Jun looked to try and see where the birds came from and saw an open door with light pouring our from it. He saw a sign that read "The Coup Inn" that hung near the open door.
Fitting, Jun thought as he entered the inn behind Arkshan.
The inn was a little smaller than Jun expected, along with being a little less chaotic as well. A small stone fireplace sat at the back of the inn's main floor while a large staircase went up to the higher floors.
Jun saw a few men having pleasant conversation as they drunk hot beverages. Their long beards bobbed as they did hearty laughter. Him and Arkshan both walked up to the counter where there was a woman tending to it.
"Oh Arkshan! You're here," the woman said pleasantly with a smile as she looked up at him. But Jun noticed her trembling slightly under Arkshan's gaze.
He guessed that he has been here before.
"One room." Arkshan put a hand in his pocket as he took out a few mismatched coins.
Before the woman took the coins she noticed Jun standing far behind Arkshan. She took the coins and gestured for Jun to come up to the counter.
Jun walked up to the counter nervously. He heard flirtatious laughter of woman at the other side of the inn. A silence feel between the two of them while Arkshan could be heard walking towards the stairs already.
"Um...mam. Are you here to rest for night?" the woman asked Jun awkwardly. Jun scratched the back of his head as he squinted at her.
"Actually I—"
"—He's with me," Arkshan stated abruptly as he cut off Jun. The woman looked between the two of them a few times before she gave them both an awkward smile.
"Oh my apologies. I didn't think you would be traveling with someone. Please forgive me." She waved her hand shakily.
Jun thought the woman was going to pass out right there and then from how shaky her voice was.
"This doesn't concern you," Arkshan warned dismissively, Jun felt as his tail pushed him backwards.
Another bout of flirtatious laughter could be heard. Jun looked in its direction as he followed the half dragon. He looked over to see a man sitting in the corner as a few women surrounded him laughing.
The man had slicked back, dark brown hair and stumble for a beard. He had olive colored skin as his broad shoulders rested on the back of the wooden chair. A thick fur coat draped over his armored shoulders while he smoked a cigar.
His bright sapphire eyes soon noticed and locked onto Jun's. Jun immediately looked back to the front of himself as he went up the stairs. Though he had to admit that that man was one of the best looking Westerners he had seen thus far in this city.
Jun expected Arkshan to choose an unoccupied room on the second floor, but they went up to the third floor instead. Along with choosing the room farthest from the stairs.
Of course he could choose the most laborious route. Jun groaned internally, dragging his feet towards the dreaded room. Arkshan opened the door and flipped a paper door hanger around that now read "OCCUPIED" in bold letters in Common.
Jun was about to walk into the room right behind the half-dragon, but the door was slammed right in his face from Arkshan's tail closing it.
He stopped, took a deep breath, and entered the room as he tried his best not to swing the door open.
"You could've just left the door open," Jun said matter of factly as he closed the door behind him lightly. All he got for an answer was silence and a half dragon fixing his hair in a nearby mirror.
The room was actually a little bigger than he was expecting. There was a small table and two chairs in the corner near the door. A small wooden dresser on the right wall with a mirror hanging over it. And then just two small wooden nightstands on either side of a lone bed.
Jun had to suppress a laugh as he noticed that Arkshan had to stoop over a little so that he could look in the mirror and be vain about his dirty blonde hair.
As Jun went to put his small bag and bow down on the bed he heard Arkshan walk to the door.
"Don't leave anything." Was all he said as he opened the door to leave. Jun stopped what he was doing and turned around to see Arkshan standing in the hallway. Glaring at him.
"Isn't that what a room is for?!" Jun was confused as he crossed his arms. He heard the tall man sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose.
"If you want your things stolen."
"My things can't be stolen if the door is simply locked!" Jun retorted, pointing at Arkshan's pockets in his pants.
"Do I look like a locksmith?" Arkshan replied tartly as he showed empty palms, a cold sting to his voice. "Come on human."
Jun clicked his tongue in annoyance while he made his way out of the room. As much as he wanted to give Arkshan another remark, he didn't want to set off this already short-tempered man.
They made their way down the stairs once again and out the front door of the inn. Jun looked behind himself before he walked through the door and saw the striking man, along with his women, looking at him.
He flinched as he felt a hand turn his head to face back forward authoritatively.
Along with a low hiss.
"You're not allowed to service others while you're serving me, pretty boy," Arkshan snarled in a low voice as they walked out to the street.
————
Jun followed Arkshan further into the older part of the city and eventually in front of a decrepit looking alley.
The alley had many different plants growing all along the walls of the buildings. The flora made it look more like a small forest than a part of a city. Even though
Jun knew that Arkshan could handle himself, as from his memories of the tavern, he still couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the place.
"Why do you want us to get mugged?" Jun inquired tiredly as they walked through the vines at the entrance of the alley.
"Buying oil and things." Was Arkshan's curt reply while he shielded his hair with his hand from the thorny vines above.
Jun didn't really have to worry about getting hit by anything from above because of his height. Which was a relief as the leaves and various mosses were enough down below on the ground and walls.
"You shedding?" Jun teased offhandedly while he avoided a cobweb.
He soon did a small yelp as he felt something hit the back of his head.
"Don't push it," Arkshan warned. Jun huffed as he followed him around the corner and into another alleyway, but this one was surprisingly a little wider and had less vegetation.
He noticed a worn wooden sign hanging above on a rusted iron rod. It had fancy writing in faded, black and gold letters, but it was in a language Jun didn't know. Jun noticed that there were lanterns hung next to doors that led into stores that illuminated the alleyway to a degree.
Jun soon realized that this wasn't an ordinary alleyway that contained shops that sold things normal people would use.
There was a large shop window to Jun's right that was softly lit up by warm light. Inside he saw various weird and strange fruits through the window. A plethora of other herbs and stuff were hanging from the ceiling.
A small little creature, that looked like a cross between a dragon and a lizard, crawled into the fruits that were on display. Jun flinched in surprise as he jumped back and bumped into Arkshan's side.
He then felt as Arkshan's large hand pushed him away and into the shop's stone wall. Jun managed to catch himself with his hands and brush off the dirt, before catching back up with Arkshan.
Discourteous prick.
He looked into a bizarre shop's window.
Jun was confused and intrigued at the same time by this place. There were shops that sold different types of weapons from silver to steel that apparently had different uses depending on what they were made out of.
Most foods and herbs were actually used as ingredients in alchemy, medicine, or other miscellaneous things that had to do with whatever sorcery people here in the West did. He even walked past a shop that sold exotic, and apparently, magical creatures that were used as pets.
The alleyway made Jun uncomfortable for some reason that he couldn't put his finger on, but it wasn't like he was planning to come back to this place any time soon.
They continued walking for a little while longer. The further they went down the alley it seemed that there were more people as well. Jun felt unsettled on how many of the passersby wore hoods or cloaks to hide their faces and identities.
It made it seem like being here was an underground or illegal thing to be doing. And it also didn't help on what the various shops sold either.
Suddenly Arkshan stopped near a shop where it seemed to be where the bulk of the people were at. People went in and out of the shop holding small paper bags and glass vials of foreign liquids. The front of the shop was strange as it was mostly glass with fancy iron muntins that curled and created flowers.
Jun peered through the glass to see it filled to the brim with various exotic plants and flowers that seemed to engulf most of the interior. People moved about inside talking to a figure at the counter. Various lanterns hanging from the ceiling lit up the inside of the huge shop pretty well.
"What in the heavens is this?" Jun asked in a low voice as he continued to peer into the strange greenhouse-like shop.
The people walking past them made him on edge as he thought that they were trying to eavesdrop on them or something.
"Apothecary." Arkshan answered with arms crossed, not bothering to lower his voice like Jun. "Wait out here."
"Excuse me no," Jun breathed hastily as he looked up at Arkshan. The last thing he wanted to be was left alone in this shady alley. Even if Arkshan wasn't the best person for conversation.
Or person in general.
"Excuse me no," Arkshan quickly retorted in a cloying voice.
"Why can't I go in?!" Jun questioned exasperatedly as he put his hands on his hips, eyeing Arkshan. "I've followed you thus far."
"Because." Arkshan gestured to what Jun was wearing. Jun put his hand over his heart in an overdramatized fashion.
"Me?! Overbearing?!" Jun's respect for Arkshan was dwindling because of his immense amount of arrogance that he was starting to lose his composure.
He usually suppressed his sass so he could be respectful to people. Also to not anger or start a fight with them either. But clients that pushed it or disrespectful people were an exception to a degree.
And Arkshan was both of those.
Jun heard Arkshan growl while he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No. A tart," he hurled back sharply, narrowing his eyes at the makeup Jun wore.
He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes at Arkshan's reasoning.
"I think your abs are tempting me to say the same," Jun countered matter of factly, gesturing at Arkshan's exposed abs.
He watched as Arkshan opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it and clenched his jaw. Soon steam began to come out of his nose while he gave a menacing stare down at Jun, his tail swaying side to side dangerously quick.
Jun did a nervous laugh as he leaned against the stone wall of the apothecary's store front. Arkshan snorted in contempt as he whipped around and went into the store. His tail hitting Jun in the face as he turned around.
He rubbed the place where Arkshan's tail hit him as he leaned on the stone.
It seems he has so much pride he can't admit when he's wrong.
A small, amused smile came to Jun at his observation. He decided to swim in his thoughts while he waited for Arkshan to get the things he wanted for whatever they were supposed to be for.
Jun soon remembered that the reason for him being stuck with this harbinger was because Arkhan wanted to use him for his own benefit.
That was being the bait to lure the zodiz out.
He then also remembered that there was a very generous reward for the creature and that Arkshan wanted the money from the bounty.
He's just going through all of this hassle just for some money...just like a dragon.
More amusement came over Jun as a small chuckle escaped him.
Even though Arkshan was a half-dragon, he acted just like one of the pure-blooded ones. At least according to the legends about dragons.
Jun has never talked to a dragon long enough to understand what goes on up in there.
His thoughts and trying to make sense of the situation at hand was about to make Jun doze off. So he decided that doing some mediating as he waited for Arkshan to procure whatever weeds he wanted.
He assumed that he was going to take his own sweet time in there getting it anyways.
Jun didn't necessarily mediate to make the time pass by faster, but more so because he wanted to be prepared for his encounter with the zodiz. He didn't expect Arkshan to protect him after he has lured the zodiz.
Or protect him from anything in general for that matter.