The Artisan District

"That's his problem," Rafeala said of Bennik who was squawking and chirping her way. She didn't like birds. Or pets. Or animals, really.

A quickfire grin lit up her face as Robert asked her about the snow globe. "You still haven't found it yet?" She chuckled and shook her head, patting Robert on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll get there."

She trailed behind Inam, taking in the sights and sounds of Gaiaton, her one hand still clutching the small-ish satchel hanging from her arm. She noticed the blue and decided to ask about it.

"What's the blue paint over the doors mean?" she asked of Inam.

Soon they were at some place, for which Inam only gave the native name. Rafaela walked up the steps and inside and immediately spoke up, "Oh, I could get used to this." She waited for Robert to make the decision on whether it was the bar or a table. Rafaela could get stupid drunk at either place.

Inam looked over her shoulder and at Rafaela as the pale-haired woman asked about the blue paint over the doors.

"That is a business in mourning," she told them in her gentle, accented voice. "Although the people of Gaiaton do not truly believe in the Old Gods any longer, they are still many customs, rituals, and traditions from old religions that have been adopted into the general Gaiaton culture. Once, a long time ago, blue represented the God of the Sky, who was also the God of Passage Into the Heavens. To paint His Colour over the door was to tell the God to uplift the spirit of their dead one into the sky, rather than into Cha'ol, where souls would be chained to the God of Death forever. Now, however, it simply signifies mourning."

They continued into the wine bar. The Fletchers would also note that while it seemed fun inside, none of the patrons within the bar seemed to look a rough or rowdy type. In fact, most people within the wine bar seemed to be if not well dressed, then at least clean.

If they were looking for roughness and rowdiness, they would have a better time of that in the City Commons. This place was clearly upscale.

They moved to the table like Robert suggested, and Inam took a seat. A handsome man, his chest naked but for a wide, cerulean blue collar over his shoulders, decorated in gold and green and red, gold cuffs on either rippling bicep, and loose linen pants that were gathered at toned hips came over. His black hair was shaved on the sides of the head, while the top was clearly long and gathered back in a bun at the crown of his head. This hairstyle seemed prominent among the native men of Gaiaton. A pink scar ran from his hair line to his jaw on one side of the face, jagged, but only seemed to add to his beauty.

Inam greeted him in Gaia, and he greeted back. A touch of sadness was in her tone as she reached out to lay a hand on his arm. He responded in kind, and laid his hand briefly over hers, and then the touch was gone as Inam turned to Robert and Rafaela.

"This is Tuana, son of Epo. Epo was a hunter of the Provider's Guild and he was killed by the beasts recently. Tuana wears blue, to signify his mourning. Tuana, this is Mayor Robert Fletcher of Ozmodias, and Rafaela, his cousin," Inam introduced them.

Tuana smiled at them both, and reached for their hands. In Gaiaton, one did not shake hands, but one laid hands together, the greeter's right palm face up, the being-greeted right palm face down on top of it, then the greeter's left palm face down on top of the being-greeted, and the being-greeted's left palm face down as well, so they were stacked almost sandwich-like, then hold the moment for a beat or two.

"Greetings, and welcome to Gaiaton. Have you come for the Tihoni Wine?" the handsome, exotic man asked both of the Fletchers, his accent deeper than Inam's.

Rafaela looked Tuana over. She could definitely eat a slice of that.

"What?" Asks the treasure hunter. "Oh. Sure. Yes. Tihoni wine."

Whatever that was. She heled her satchel in her lap where she was seated, keeping it close at hand.

"She's a troublemaker. That's what she does."

Robert leans back, glancing over at Tuana as he goes to get the drinks.

"Speaking of which...what have you been up to lately, Rafaela? Are you on the run from the watchmen again?"

Meanwhile, Bennik lays his head on Rafaela's leg, and chirps endearingly. Robert chuckles.

"He wants you to rub his head, Rafaela."

"Yes, they have begun attacking the road nightly," Inam explained, her tone a little wary. Even she sensed something off about the white haired woman, and the pretty guide glanced at Robert to see how he was reacting.

The handsome Tuana returned and set the handleless, tall necked decanter of wine at the center, with stemless and handless cups for all. He also put down a platter of dried fruits, bread, nuts, and honey.

"Enjoy," he said to them with a smile and left them to their conversation.

Inam poured all three glasses, then lifted hers. "Na'hai'in," she said, essentially the Gaiaton custom for a toast. She tapped glasses, then drank down her Tihoni Wine, the burn of alcohol coupled with the tang of citrus and sweetness of cherry, like a shot of liquor and its chaser all in one go.

"Na'hai--ow!"

Bennik was skating on awfully thin ice. Fire breathing bird he may be, but a quick slice to the throat would change that pretty quickly. The Fetcher Fletcher was not amused.

"Watch your bird, Robert," Rafaela said, and she tossed back the Tihoni Wine. She liked it, and set down her glass for more. "How many have died since the beasts started attacking?"

Robert takes the food, chewing delicately.

"Hmm, that'a good."

Noticing Inam's frown, the calls to Bennik.

"Bennik! Be good."

Bennik chirps unhappily at being scolded, but returns to Robert's side of the table and curls up at his feet.

"Sixty men? So many? I'm sorry to hear that."

Inam's pretty brown eyes were on the handsome Robert, who was not like the other foreign men she'd ever met. Most men she met were so overtly masculine. It was refreshing to find a man that was actually beautiful, and not rugged. When he gave his condolences, she reached out and rested her soft palm over his hand, a little smile of understanding on her lips and warming her eyes as she gazed at him.

And then hurking.

"Oh!" she looked over at Rafaela as she began to choke and laugh and stumble through her next question. Inam was not offended. She knew that it was the Tihoni Wine, and she even reached out to stop Rafaela from downing the second drink so fast. Inam and Robert had merely been sipping their alcohol, while Rafaela had basically been chugging it.

"Ah... perhaps you should eat some more bread and fruit," Inam said and pushed the tray closer to the white-haired woman. "And maybe ease yourself on the Tihoni Wine."

Her hands cupped around her Wine cup once more, she explained the situation a little further. "The attacks started about three weeks ago. The roads had just begun to be widened by decree of Neferet. Inana was not happy with that, but the other guilds and the people wanted better roads."

She glares at Robert when he admonishes her, but a smile can't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth. When he begins to ask about the tombs, Rafaela stands up abruptly, making the furniture jar.

"Iiiiiii, uh, have to go," she said, then giggled and hiccuped. She blinked as she looked in the distance, swearing that she could see something glowing, but it was gone.

She shook her head, almost lost her balance, then righted herself. "Thank you for the wine," she lughed at Inam, and still clutching the leather satchel, she stumbled her way out of the wine bar to the amusement of the locals.