Darrius watched passersby enjoying the nightlife Senoho had to offer with a sour scowl. Contrary to his expression, he was giddy with excitement. He needed to feign the former to look much older than his eleven-year-old features could provide. Judging by the looks he received, he was failing miserably.

For a city in the desert, there was very little sand to be found. Tallish buildings clung to one another for support along both sides of the street. Scantily clad adults eagerly waved potential patrons into their shops. Darrius could only sometimes tell what they sold.

There was a reason people would journey through weeks of barren sandscapes atop irritable camels for even a night in Senosolvia’s capital city. There were things here that were very illegal elsewhere.

His people watching was interrupted when a man emerged from one of the larger violet sandstone buildings across the street. The man stood out from the crowd with worn clothes, and even if he had been better dressed, his dark sunbaked complexion would have given him away as a day laborer. Darrius had seen him speaking with someone clearly higher up on the pay-grade in front of the establishment just hours earlier and figured he’d be easy enough to bribe.

Darrius watched the brawny man scan the crowds for him. When their eyes locked and he started toward the young boy, he was thankful he’d made the right choice. Choosing to give the man half in advance had been a good idea after all.

The man shuffled through the thickening crowd, to sidle up next to his benefactor.

“The boss is out,” he said in a clipped tone. He glanced this way and that, making sure they weren’t being listened to. There was no subtlety to his actions. It made Darrius grateful that they were here and not in his home country where such behavior wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

“Then what took you so long?” Darrius didn’t hold back the bite in his voice. He’d sent the man in over an hour ago for something that should’ve taken minutes to accomplish. If the view hadn’t been so interesting, he’d have been more inclined to leave. Upfront payment or not, money was cheap; time was precious.

The man looked momentarily surprised at the shift in attitude but broke into a sleazy grin. “What’d ya think, kid?” When Darrius’ confusion was evident, the man added, “Everyone needs a good drink  every now and then.”

Darrius rolled his eyes and shoved the other half of the payment into the man’s hand. He couldn’t complain, not truly. He was an outsider, a foreigner. Senoho was kind to travelers, but there were just some places you couldn’t get into without the right knowledge or guide.

He waited for the man to leave before thinking about his plan of attack. The building was more than a bar. It was a brothel. He’d heard the proprietor was actually a noble from a different country. The clientele that waited at the door for admittance looked like they were cut from similar cloth as the owner. He would just need to look like he had money in order to get in.

He looked down at his clothes. He wore a thin scratchy red cloak caked in dirt and sand, well-traveled scuffed leather boots that cut off the better portion of his wrinkled slacks. He didn’t want to consider the state of his white button-down shirt considering the hot weather. He fingered his usually silky blonde hair to find it was more akin to hay.

I look like a peasant through and through. No wonder I keep getting dirty looks.

Darrius was in the inner ring of the capital where only the wealthy could afford to play. He would likely be removed by someone if he didn’t do something soon. He ducked into a dark nook away from prying eyes and took slow, deep breathes. He thought back to the women he saw walking by and then called on the Arcana he would need.

Void to shroud, and Aether to make it stick.

He relaxed as his sun kissed skin darkened and his short, blond hair grew long, brown, and silky. He could feel himself growing taller and curvier. His clothes seemed to dissolve into thin air as a cropped blouse and blooming pants took shape. He touched the thin wispy fabric of the green scarf now covering his arms and swooped it over his bare shoulder to trail behind as he made his way for the brothel.

He didn’t give the people he cut in front of a passing glance, but their eyes were on him. He wondered if the gold facial piercings were too much, the royals he’d met from Senosolvia seemed to have them in spades. His moment of worry was dispelled however when the doorman let him pass without a word of protest.