Shadow at the temple – Chapter 3

The hustle and bustle of the market district hadn’t genuinely been a concern in the preparation for her present visit. To go through it was practically a must in order to reach her proper destination, since there aren’t traditionally any roads that lead away from if you aspire to land on the contrary end of Dezasha. She has had mileage for those streets in the past, when she originally came around here and was sniffing for a commission which could suit her needs, but these days there’s another sector that obliges her with this, and that’s where she’s directing herself and Razz at this point in time. They leave the largest regional market field and head closer to segment where North River’s control is more obvious, as one can spy both added operating guards as well as ones off-duty, not to mention the sky-blue banners being situated on certain walls and roof corners. Although the company owns the fullness of the city, their dominance can both wax and wane, depending on the proximity to their headquarters. The tavern which Eyren’s feet take her to is assuredly one where you’ll clap eyes on their workers and sentries enjoying themselves, being the only one where they might feel restful without trepidation.

Eyren is a pinch torn on how she ought to consider her entry into this quarter of the city, for it’s one she’s both inclined to frequent and circumvent. If she’s dropping into a cosmopolis more or less anywhere on the continent, straying into the field where the rulers command the greatest authority is generally not to her liking, for that could lead to undue problems if you so much as glance at the wrong person. Then again, supposing she’s out to dredge up useful intel or the foremost well-paying gigs in the land, then picking around at the feet of these muckety-mucks and their henchmen is a relatively safe bet. And being that she has already arranged an appointment with someone here today, she doesn’t have to snoop around.

Nearing the tavern in question, she can count a handful of guards patrolling or just strolling about virtually at the very instant she passes the line into the neighborhood. The troops with their weapons hid under sky-blue cloaks and their faces partially obscured by their wide-brimmed black headgear float forth as if the wind carries them, never making a big fuss. It’s amusing to Eyren that she spent some time ducking these forces over in Kambaresa only a smatter of month prior, but right now, she doesn’t have to bother with that. It is valid what she’d relayed to Nivra, though, that the North River guards are not a concretely imposing presence on these avenues in general. Even if you might spy them in a corner or passage here and there, broadly speaking, they favor sticking to the shade of the houses and striking against those deemed enemies of order when they least expect it. This nevertheless has a tendency to keep people on their toes.

When Eyren makes it to the tavern’s outer, she looks around and sees several people sitting by tables situated past the entrance as well, and though they carry civilian gear, Eyren wouldn’t be shocked to uncover that half of these are probably North River wardens to boot, just not on duty. Looking upwards, Eyren notes that another animal is hanging around as well, for a raven is perched at the rim of the roof, spectating the people who walk past. When it surveys Eyren and her own stare in return, it bobs its head at her and flaps its wings, almost tauntingly, making Eyren arch an eyebrow. Those corvids are fairly common anywhere you tread on the continent, but she’s never been a great fan of them. Sneaky little creatures, they are.

Stationing Razz beyond by tying her reins to a post near a corner, something she has to complete according to most civic rules, Eyren then makes her way inside the tavern and takes a look around. It isn’t a huge chore to locate her contact, for she catches this lady seated by one of the tables. Clad in simple and casual white and green robes, what chief hallmarks that Eyren differentiates her by is the bobcut black hair with a pair of shorter antlers poking out from her dome, plus the deerlike ears she keeps. Her skin is pretty light, contrasting with her dark eyes. She’s supposedly having a good time, sitting and drinking with either friends or allies. Being a reasonably blatant outsider, it isn’t hard for Eyren to get her attention by solely padding forward, making a third of the interior glance at her nosily, until she lifts a hand and waves.

Minhai smiles at her and rises, mumbling words to her comrades, ahead of cruising up to the northerner. This guardswoman is more than a head shorter than her, but Eyren is acquainted with that she’s got a sharp mouth and a ferocious temper that can make up for any deficiencies in aura.
“Let’s gab outside”, she suggests in a hushed voice, speaking in Junvishti, the local tongue which Eyren comprehends to a respectable degree.

Getting the guard’s fingers around her wrist and being tugged forward, Eyren breathes from her nose.
“Okay”, she acquiesces.

When they relocate beyond the door, Minhai instantly diverts sideways and sees the creature she had expected, smiling as she advances on the raptor.
“Razz, there you are! How’ve you been, lil’ one?” In response, the raptor coos softly and her head-feathers initially rises in interest, prior to lowering in contentment when Minhai rubs her cheeks and scratches her chin. “You want a snack, maybe? Figured you two’d be hitting the streets today, so I brought some treats for ya”, she says and digs a hand into her robes to present a handful of grilled pieces of poultry, enticing happy noises from the raptor.

Eyren sighs when she gets closer to them, crossing her arms.
“Please do not spoil her, if you can”, Eyren says with her terribly explicit northern accent.

“Tsk, and why not?”, wonders the guard when she grins over her shoulder, rubbing her own chubby nose. “Gotta win her to my side before we begin negotiations, right?”

“…so, you security force types still don’t play fair, huh?”

“Hey, don’t complain, jungei”, she says, using a local slang term for a mercenary. “I’m the one who’s gonna get you a job, alright? Besides, I’ll buy you a bottle of twisingek later.”

“…great. Razz gets choice pieces of meat, and I get cheap beer. Not sure why you hate me so…”

The shorter woman lets out a giggle.
“That’s just cuz she’s cuter! And anyway, when did you start getting picky?”

“Eh, never, I guess. One drink is better than none.”

When Minhai is sated with her cuddling of Razz, she finally redirects to Eyren and leans against the wall, taking precautions to keep her tone low in order for no one else to overhear.
“Thanks for coming on such short notice. Reckon we could use your expertise.”

Eyren shrugs.
“Was not super far off when I received your letter. Not a big deal.”

Minhai snorts.
“Is that your story, huh? Not desperate for gitties, then?”

Grumbling, Eyren shakes her head.
“Balete”, she curses in a northern tongue. “Okay, I…may have needed some, but suggesting I’m ‘desperate’ is sort of an exaggeration.”

“Uh-huh.”

“No matter. Since you invited me, can I assume it’s Herdbrand-related?”

Taking a deep breath, the guard bobs her head and glances down.
“Yeah, that hits fairly home, I’d say.”

“A monster you want gone somewhere?”

“Uhh…to be square with ya, I got mixed feelings on how to best define it. This is certainly pertaining to Herdbrand, but ones inside Dezasha.”

Eyren isn’t altogether thrown by this initial description, but she does tilt her head with bemusement.
“What? Right now?”

“Oh, that’s another hole we haven’t gotten to just yet, but…honestly, we don’t got a clue whether it is current or over or temporary or…if it’s even real. It’s all very mixed-up…”

“Okay, could you…elaborate a bit, so that I’m following?”

“Oh. Yeah, you bet. What it boils down to is that, a couple of weeks ago, we received reports and claims which spawned from several directions, where people insisted that they’d spotted a monster in the streets; a ‘Herdbrand’, as you know them. Was supposedly tough to make out particulars, given that it was in the evening, but every account we’ve listened to does mention it was hopping over the roofs and producing a serious racket. Some people say it dove into the waters by the harbor, but others allege it flew across the walls.”

“But it ran away?”

“So the stories go, yeah. Now, just one night of oddities wouldn’t have alerted us – could’ve been people seeing things, after all – but past that night we’ve heard of two more incidents. A week later, a caravan was attacked and damaged by a creature in the dark, only a handful of hundred meters beyond our gates. And days after that, one person maintained that they saw a shadow run from the warehouse district beside the harbor and into the waters. Since I’d much rather be positive of what we’re dealing with, I sent you that message after the second incident.”

Tapping her fingers over her arms, Eyren peeks edgewise while she runs this delineation through her head. Then again, she’s not simply trying to connect the dots or whatnot, but likewise gaze inwards and detect what her body is relaying to her, even if she ends up with empty results.
“If you ask me, I would say it is improbable there are such creatures nearby.”

“How’d you know?”

“Well, to begin with, except the shape and sound of a Herdbrand that many people are familiar with, they possess a specific smell. I am unclear how to best portray it, but it is intense…and slightly nauseating. Some have stated it is comparable to an alchemist’s workshop.”

“Huh. Hadn’t reflected on that part…”

“Plus, from where I stand as a ‘Fateworn’, it is usually viable for me to sense their presence. At this second, I cannot.”

Minhai hefts a hand to rub her chin.
“Hmm. What’s the range of this ‘sensation’, though?”

“Not extremely long, but normally a number of hundred meters. Admittedly, it will often hinge on the terrain and the Herdbrand’s own quirks.”

“The area that the brunt of people have listed for the first encounter is a spot by the harbor district, revolving around those warehouses. Our security forces previously had warrants to search that neighborhood, but seeing as we didn’t find a damn, our supervisors have sidelined the investigation for the moment.”

“So, you’ve given up?”

“Pff, not a chance! I was hoping you’d be up for another scheme, as a matter of fact, but not in an ‘official’ capacity. There’s one distinctive house down there which has my eye still, and I’d like to take a closer peek at it. Were I to grab a squad of my people to wander around the streets in that quarter of the city, and maybe distract the workers, could you tiptoe in? With your Fate-whatchamacallit, I bet you could evaluate the threat within better than our guys.”

Eyren shrugs coolly.
“Sure, I am willing to give it a try, but in this instance, I would prefer to be compensated in advance.”

Minhai arches a skeptical brow at the northerner.
“…huh? What for?”

“Eh, first things first, you are requesting I engage in something perhaps not squarely illegal, but no doubt extralegal. That is a gamble for me, as an outlander.
Moreover, if we do not locate any traces, I would not enjoy your people merely slipping away with excuses that I gave you no results. Or worse, supposing I do come to blows with a Herdbrand, my efforts would be lost.”

“But what, you don’t take it I’d square up? Gimme a break. We’ve worked alongside each other at least half a dozen times by now. Why would I cheat you today?”

“Not suggesting you personally would, but I have had some recent experiences operating for city authorities, and the rate where you do get your due compensation is typically about 50/50. And you have paid me beforehand at other occasions. I would simply not like to take my chances.”

Minhai waves dismissively.
“Yeah, yeah, you’ll have your pay, jungei.”

And there it is again, an uncomplimentary title aimed at her, even if it is in a friendly bantering capacity. This is more grounds for her to question the sincerity. Eyren breathes out wearily.
“Remember, you are the one who drew this jungei here.”