As much as Elrah may have enjoyed the beauty and cleanliness of the glamor district, for whatever odd reason she always felt more comfortable in the port slums, where she walked now, cloak tucked under her arm.
The smell of fish and seawater was comparable to that of the sewers, as was the general dampness of the neighborhood. Brown puddles forming in the cracks of the well worn cobblestone, and water constantly dripping from leaking rooftops. Those of the Port were a down trodden lot, old fishermen or those who had fallen hard on their luck, many without the energy to get back up.
The Dragon Festival however was often a reason to celebrate, something rare among the many sallow faces in the slums. As Elrah walked through the damp streets, Myn trailing a few feet behind, she could hear the revelry. Drunken shouting and cheering, the few children, scrawny as they were, running through the streets and yelling amongst each other. It reminded Elrah of herself and Kamira as children. They had first arrived in Greyport not long before the Dragon festival, it helped lessen their grief somewhat, despite all the tears that day.
“It's nice, isn't it.” Myn piped up as she walked, staring up at the sky, mottled grey, dusk only a few hours away.
“Hmm?”
“The celebration.” She smiled, walking a few steps faster to walk side by side with Elrah. “The people here need some joy in their lives.” Myn added, her attention turning to a small group of children as they ran past.
“Yeah, it's nice to see so many folks this happy.” Elrah responded wistfully.
The Dragon Festival, it was a joyous occasion for even the most dour. A celebration for the old protectors, centuries ago when dragons were more than mindless monsters of hate. The stories told of two great beasts, protecting the world from an unknowable evil. At least that was what most of the stories said. Each had their own tale, spun and remade by thousands of bards. Now, The Dragon Festival was primarily used as a symbol of love. Platonic, Familial, Romantic, all that mattered was feelings. Which made it all the more gut wrenching when Elrah was spending the day, not with her sister, but rather working.
“You don't have all that many friends, do you?” Myn asked suddenly, leaning forward to cut into Elrahs field of view. Elrah averted her gaze, guiltily reaching up and holding the back of her neck as though stretching.
“I have a few. I prefer smaller circles.” Elrah lied. It was true, she often lingered around the larger groups when she was in the tavern that made up the thieves den, but she would not call anyone her friend. Simply coworkers, perhaps acquaintances. Elrah never minded though, she had little time to worry about others.
“Pfft. yeah right. I’ve seen you at the tavern.” Myn chuckled, crossing her arms confidently. Elrah gave only a grunt of annoyance in response, continuing to avert her gaze from the brown haired woman. It still confused her as to why Myn was even speaking to her, but the butterflies in her stomach were enough to overlook that.
“Speaking of... “ Elrah muttered as she looked forward, seeing the tall wooden building at last, a small sign just barely in view. Without even looking at it, Elrah knew what it read. ‘THE SPIRITS GRACE’.
The noise was audible from outside as Elrah got closer, hearing the shouts and yelling in the normally quiet tavern. A hearty laugh broke into the air, and Elrah smiled, casting a quick glance towards Myn, before she pushed open the doors into the warm candle lit interior.
The Tavern was a flurry of activity, even in the late afternoon people were drinking. The barmaids weaving to and fro skillfully holding trays stacked high with dented metal mugs. The noise was ever louder, as was the smell of alcohol and folks who clearly hadn't showered in some time. There were faces that Elrah recognized, and a few she didn't, all partaking in the festivities, or the alcohol. Both in some cases.
The joy was infectious as Elrah stepped inside, glancing back towards Myn and gesturing towards a few empty seats at the bar, her voice lost amongst the noise. Myn beamed as she rushed past Elrah, leaving her stunned for a moment. If her smile before was like starlight, now it was like looking towards the full moon on a serene night, head filled with daydreams of romance. Whatever small crush Elrah had before, now felt like cherry wine on a summer day in the countryside, sweet and intoxicating.
Elrah took a moment, reaching up in an attempt to hide her gleeful smile. At last, she inhaled, taking a deep breath to steady her racing nerves. She smiled, quickly following after Myn.
“Two of the classics please Aggy,” Myn was half-shouting to the elven barkeep, an older woman who claimed she was at least four centuries old. Elrah was never sure if she was lying or not, elven aging often being a guessing game after they reached adulthood. Elrah sat down next to Myn, still feeling giddy, but containing her emotions.
“You weren't kidding…” Elrah chuckled, raising her voice over the din of the tavern. Her hand moved to her coin pouch, keenly aware of the kind of people she was surrounded with.
“Pfft… Give it a bit, might even see the boss down here by dusk.” Myn smiled, casting a glance around the room. She turned back towards the table as their drinks arrived, stale beer in a metal cup, worn from years of use and more than a few bar fights. “Cheers,” Myn turned, raising her cup, “to Dragons and Drinks!” Elrah rolled her eyes, tapping the edge of her drink against Myns before she sipped. Just as terrible as always.
Elrah paused as she saw a familiar face staring down from the second floor loft, looking stern and more than a little irritated. Almander had his dark brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail, streaks of grey running through it. Though in his sixties, his brown skin was relatively untouched by age, the few wrinkles giving him a natural grace that few in the slums could pull off. Even fewer could match his elegant outfit, dressed in deep blues as if he had just come from the Glamor district. They locked eyes for just a moment, a few unspoken words shared between them before Almander gave a sharp inhale.
“Ghost.” He called, a commanding voice thick with quiet anger. The tavern came to a hush for a moment, all eyes turning towards either Almander, or towards Elrah. “My office, now.” He grunted, before turning and walking deeper into the second floor without a word. Elrah gave a heavy sigh as the atmosphere of the bar turned quiet, looks of pity finding their way towards Elrah.
“Shit… Good luck.” Myn muttered, giving Elrah a sympathetic look. She shook her head as she stood up, leaving her drink at the bar.
“I’ll be fine” Elrah smiled weakly, before she turned, muttering under her breath. “Probably.”
Almanders office was almost as graceful and put together as his outfit. Located on the second floor, Elrah entered quietly, shutting the door behind her and turning the lock. She turned, facing the sour looking man who was sitting down at his desk, going over paperwork. He didn't look up as Elrah entered.
She stepped forward, finding a seat in the chair opposite his desk. In the moments of quiet, Elrah found her eyes wandering the walls of the room, decorated with expensive looking paintings and art. There was one portrait that always drew Elrahs eye, a large scenery piece of a mountain, a tiny village resting at its base. There was nothing special about it, but whenever Elrah stared at it, she could almost see a beast among the clouds.
“Right.” Almander spoke at last, setting down his quill. For a moment he held a stern look, before he gave a heavy sigh, leaning back in his seat. “Sorry about that dear.” He gave a warm smile, one that no one else besides Elrah and her sister saw.
It made Elrah smile to think about, so many of those in the bar below were terrified of Almander, a crime boss with a ruthless streak. Yet to Elrah, he was a father figure, the man who had taken her and Kamira in when they had nothing. Now, he was simply a tired old man.
“It's fine, I should be thanking you.” Elrah smiled as she reached for the pouch on her hip, tossing it gently onto the desk with a quiet thump. “I just wanna get my gold and get home.” She added with a tired huff, leaning back in the seat.
“Yes, Kamira came by earlier asking for you.” Almander replied quickly, leaning forward and dumping the bag's contents onto his desk. He looked over them for a moment before a smile came over his face, and he quickly scooped all three pieces of jewelry back into their bag, setting them down at the edge of his desk.
“She did?” Elrah gave a guilty sigh, rubbing the back of her neck. Almander gave a pause, meeting Elrahs gaze with a concerned look.
“You know I could have given this job to someone else. You didn't need to work during the festival.” He spoke calmly, but not without a slight edge to his voice. Elrah avoided the gaze for a moment, crossing her arms.
“I know.” She responded sharply. “But the job paid a lot, and there's supposed to be a doctor in Ascot. I heard they’re worth their high fees.” She admitted, before she turned with a warning glare. “Speaking of my pay.”
Almander gave a heavy sigh, shaking his head slightly as he pushed back in his seat. He reached under his desk and tossing up a similar sized pouch to the one Elrah had just given him, only this one landed with more heft, and the sound of metal disks colliding.
“I won't fault you for that.” Almander relented.
“Thank you.” Elrah gave a quick nod, beginning to stand before Almander raised his hand, gesturing for her to sit once more.
“Speaking of…” He hesitated, looking thoughtful. “I found something.”
He caught Elrahs attention immediately, causing her to lean forward in her seat. She knew Almander had eyes and ears everywhere, but even then he had found little that Elrah could use.
“It's…” Almander paused, seemingly considering his words carefully. It only made Elrah that more anxious to hear what he had to say. “One of your mothers old contacts. They have a delivery request. They may have some information if you can get it done.”
Almanders hesitation was suddenly validated. He had been a close friend to Elrahs mother, but rarely spoke about her. The heartbreak he displayed often made Elrah wonder if they had been more than just friends. Then again, remembering her mother, that was unlikely.
“How dangerous does it sound?” Elrah asked keenly, her interests peaked.
The silence she received in response spoke volumes. Elrah paused for only a moment, seeing the caution in Almanders eyes, but they both already knew her answer. There was no other response.
“I’ll take it.”
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