Everything hurt.
Marius lowered himself slowly against the tiles, all of his muscles aching in protest. The day had been full of laborious tasks, none that he had imagined would be part of his duty as a Garlean Consulate guard. But Justus seemed to take great pleasure in assigning him tasks that no other guards seemed obligated to perform. It was all under the facade of “educating the new arrival†but Marius knew better. He hoped that it was only temporary, an initiation or a whim perhaps, rather than what would be his daily routine for as long as Justus saw it fit.
His gaze rose to the skies above and the moon that was slowly making its trek to its zenith  The sloped slant of the Hingan rooftops allowed a natural recline, allowing him an easy view of both the starry skies and the landscape beneath. Even after a fortnight, he still found it breathtaking. Since arriving in the port city, he often found himself staring at all the foreign details, from the vibrantly colored banners, to the painted lanterns, the array of colorful umbrellas hanging above a vendor stand, to the paper wall partitions that separated the rooms. And at night, an entirely new vision beguiled his senses, the city’s rich colors emblazoned with strokes of lights and shadows that painted the city anew.
Views like this at the end of a long day eased his thoughts. Whatever pains that plagued his body slowly seeped away as he took comfort in the cool breeze rolling in from the pier. Marius far preferred unwinding on the rooftops rather than retiring to his small windowless room in the Consulate. He even pondered venturing to the Umineko Tea House to try the teas there. He had heard from a passing resident that the establishment was known for their flavorful drinks. Of course, whenever he neared anyone while in uniform in hopes of hearing more details, most often fell to a nervous silence. They all seemed to respect (or more likely fear) his presence, and none offered a friendly smile nor a spontaneous conversation. It was probably for the best, for it would be frowned upon if he were to actually try and socialize with the natives.
Still, his curiosity tugged at him. He was in a foreign city after having travelled across the seas; it was an opportunity for exploration and learning that he could not resist. He imagined he would not gain any guidance from the natives however. Hingans were polite enough, but not social, at least not to him. Fortunately, they weren’t like the citizens in an occupied state; there were no hostilities -- open or repressed. But their unease about him was still discernable. And then there were the other foreigners, whose dislike for his uniform was obvious to anyone paying attention.
He suddenly wished Atticus were here. His friend always knew how to stay just within the rules and yet somehow justify bending them. Atticus was the one that would always convince him that reckless ideas still had merit. Had Marius tried the same on his own, he surely would have met with far worse consequences than being sent to Kugane. Atticus was always more charismatic than he, influential or not. What would his friend say now?
The mumbling of voices and distant laughter drew his attention to a group of people walking through the streets below, and some of them were holding what looked to be colorful round pastries arranged on skewers. They were leisurely chatting with each other as they made their way toward the Inn at the end of the avenue.
Drucilla would probably enjoy those treats, he thought. There were no rules against partaking in the offerings this city had to offer, after all. He just had to be careful not to tarnish the Imperial repute. But if he was out of uniform… none of the natives would recognize him patronizing their stores.
Besides, if he did not explore what the Hingans had to offer here in the city, what would he show his sister when she visits? He owed it to Drucilla to at least do the research. Justus may not approve of it, but Marius was not beholden to his superior officer during his offtime. And if he went about it at night, likely not many would notice him. Besides, Hingans were too cordial  to pry anyway.
A grin split across his lips as he rose. Â
Marius lowered himself slowly against the tiles, all of his muscles aching in protest. The day had been full of laborious tasks, none that he had imagined would be part of his duty as a Garlean Consulate guard. But Justus seemed to take great pleasure in assigning him tasks that no other guards seemed obligated to perform. It was all under the facade of “educating the new arrival†but Marius knew better. He hoped that it was only temporary, an initiation or a whim perhaps, rather than what would be his daily routine for as long as Justus saw it fit.
His gaze rose to the skies above and the moon that was slowly making its trek to its zenith  The sloped slant of the Hingan rooftops allowed a natural recline, allowing him an easy view of both the starry skies and the landscape beneath. Even after a fortnight, he still found it breathtaking. Since arriving in the port city, he often found himself staring at all the foreign details, from the vibrantly colored banners, to the painted lanterns, the array of colorful umbrellas hanging above a vendor stand, to the paper wall partitions that separated the rooms. And at night, an entirely new vision beguiled his senses, the city’s rich colors emblazoned with strokes of lights and shadows that painted the city anew.
Views like this at the end of a long day eased his thoughts. Whatever pains that plagued his body slowly seeped away as he took comfort in the cool breeze rolling in from the pier. Marius far preferred unwinding on the rooftops rather than retiring to his small windowless room in the Consulate. He even pondered venturing to the Umineko Tea House to try the teas there. He had heard from a passing resident that the establishment was known for their flavorful drinks. Of course, whenever he neared anyone while in uniform in hopes of hearing more details, most often fell to a nervous silence. They all seemed to respect (or more likely fear) his presence, and none offered a friendly smile nor a spontaneous conversation. It was probably for the best, for it would be frowned upon if he were to actually try and socialize with the natives.
Still, his curiosity tugged at him. He was in a foreign city after having travelled across the seas; it was an opportunity for exploration and learning that he could not resist. He imagined he would not gain any guidance from the natives however. Hingans were polite enough, but not social, at least not to him. Fortunately, they weren’t like the citizens in an occupied state; there were no hostilities -- open or repressed. But their unease about him was still discernable. And then there were the other foreigners, whose dislike for his uniform was obvious to anyone paying attention.
He suddenly wished Atticus were here. His friend always knew how to stay just within the rules and yet somehow justify bending them. Atticus was the one that would always convince him that reckless ideas still had merit. Had Marius tried the same on his own, he surely would have met with far worse consequences than being sent to Kugane. Atticus was always more charismatic than he, influential or not. What would his friend say now?
The mumbling of voices and distant laughter drew his attention to a group of people walking through the streets below, and some of them were holding what looked to be colorful round pastries arranged on skewers. They were leisurely chatting with each other as they made their way toward the Inn at the end of the avenue.
Drucilla would probably enjoy those treats, he thought. There were no rules against partaking in the offerings this city had to offer, after all. He just had to be careful not to tarnish the Imperial repute. But if he was out of uniform… none of the natives would recognize him patronizing their stores.
Besides, if he did not explore what the Hingans had to offer here in the city, what would he show his sister when she visits? He owed it to Drucilla to at least do the research. Justus may not approve of it, but Marius was not beholden to his superior officer during his offtime. And if he went about it at night, likely not many would notice him. Besides, Hingans were too cordial  to pry anyway.
A grin split across his lips as he rose. Â
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