Shael eyed the cigar in her hand, squeezing the shaft gently. It was solid and even throughout, much to the Xaela’s credit. For a woman who had never made one before, this unexpected offering had no unusual lumps or discoloration. Shael brought it to her nose and took a long whiff, taking in the mixture of rich aromas bound within.
“Perhaps she was hoping it might lighten your mood while you recover, since you seem to enjoy the cigarettes,†Tserende had replied when Shael asked him exactly why Nabi would gift her such a thing.
“What is with those two,†Shael muttered, looking out to the view of Kugane in front of her. She had found a perch on the rooftops near the Bokairo Inn, and after the earlier jaunt into Doma to scavenge for any mementos of worth, she didn’t feel like going back to her room. Thankfully the wretched rain finally ceased as the night fell, and the stars began to emerge one by one in the dark sky.
The chill of the night air and the light sea breeze rolling in from the ocean were just what she needed to calm the energy that was left over from the trip. Even if it was with her non-dominant hand, handling her gun, managing the turret, and even lighting a few things on fire... that felt good. She and Tserende made a decent team, obliterating the metal guards and those creepy face things as they moved from one building to the other, looting whatever she could find... it almost felt like the old days. She had forgotten how exhilarating it could be, finding hidden rooms, treasures long forgotten, and blowing holes in things every once in awhile.
She had to admit it was mostly Tserende who was doing all the killing and the cleaving while she poked around abandoned homes; he was handy to have around. She never did get a straight answer from him regarding whatever that red energy was that seemed to bleed around his silhouette as he fought. But whatever it was, it made him swing his gigantic sword as if it was half its weight, and cleave through metal and monstrosities with ease.
Shael had not wanted to ask him at all to come with, at first. But with her main hand still out of commission, she wasn’t going to take stupid chances in going into an unfriendly area to scavenge. And to her surprise, he agreed to come. She might have guilted him into it, complaining that if it wasn’t for her lame arm, she would be doing it by herself. She also might have complained about the slave wage he pays her, despite the fact that she had been able to pay for her room and board since she had been accompanying him on his cartography trips.
And Nabi hadn’t asked for any payment either for her care. Nor for the medicines that Shael stole or destroyed when she vandalized her stall.
After this trip, their debts were square. Shael hated owing people; any debt gnawed at the back of her mind like an itch she couldn’t quite reach. So when out of the blue Nabi wondered if Shael could get her a garlean weapon, to study what kind of injuries it inflicts of all things, Shael decided to oblige. But in reaching out to her previous contact here in Kugane, Shael discovered to her dismay that he was no longer in the land of the living.
Instead, an old acquaintance from her days in the Ala Mhigan Resistance had taken his place. Since when did Elam work for the Cove? Shael frowned. His face brought back all of the woes from Gyr Abania she was desperate to leave behind. But he was her only way of getting hold of a garlean weapon, so she bit the bullet and made a deal with him. He wanted anything Doman that he could use to increase his contact base in the Hingashi port, and offered her one of the more advanced guns he had obtained in his latest illegal smuggling deal.
It was a one time thing. I don’t ever have to talk to him again. Shael gave the gun to Tserende to give to Nabi and that was that. She wasn’t sure if she detested the thought of working with Elam again because of his involvement in the last Resistance fiasco, or because he was now in the thick of the smuggling business when she willingly walked away from it. I’m not jealous, Shael told herself. He can rot in hells with all his guns.
Shael shook her head and reached into her side pocket, retrieving a single bladed cutter made for cigars. She snipped the end of it then pulled out a firestriker. As she puffed a few times to light the end of the cigar, she could see from the corner of her eye the ghost of a familiar Roegadyn sitting next to her, with a glowing cigar in his mouth. He grinned happily at her.
Cigars were his favorite things.
Shael said nothing as she drew in the smoke of the cigar, letting it roll around over the tongue as she savored the taste. She exhaled the stream of pale smoke toward the twinkling stars above and watched it disappear into the night.
Â
Eventually, the ghost that sat next to her was gone too.
“Perhaps she was hoping it might lighten your mood while you recover, since you seem to enjoy the cigarettes,†Tserende had replied when Shael asked him exactly why Nabi would gift her such a thing.
“What is with those two,†Shael muttered, looking out to the view of Kugane in front of her. She had found a perch on the rooftops near the Bokairo Inn, and after the earlier jaunt into Doma to scavenge for any mementos of worth, she didn’t feel like going back to her room. Thankfully the wretched rain finally ceased as the night fell, and the stars began to emerge one by one in the dark sky.
The chill of the night air and the light sea breeze rolling in from the ocean were just what she needed to calm the energy that was left over from the trip. Even if it was with her non-dominant hand, handling her gun, managing the turret, and even lighting a few things on fire... that felt good. She and Tserende made a decent team, obliterating the metal guards and those creepy face things as they moved from one building to the other, looting whatever she could find... it almost felt like the old days. She had forgotten how exhilarating it could be, finding hidden rooms, treasures long forgotten, and blowing holes in things every once in awhile.
She had to admit it was mostly Tserende who was doing all the killing and the cleaving while she poked around abandoned homes; he was handy to have around. She never did get a straight answer from him regarding whatever that red energy was that seemed to bleed around his silhouette as he fought. But whatever it was, it made him swing his gigantic sword as if it was half its weight, and cleave through metal and monstrosities with ease.
Shael had not wanted to ask him at all to come with, at first. But with her main hand still out of commission, she wasn’t going to take stupid chances in going into an unfriendly area to scavenge. And to her surprise, he agreed to come. She might have guilted him into it, complaining that if it wasn’t for her lame arm, she would be doing it by herself. She also might have complained about the slave wage he pays her, despite the fact that she had been able to pay for her room and board since she had been accompanying him on his cartography trips.
And Nabi hadn’t asked for any payment either for her care. Nor for the medicines that Shael stole or destroyed when she vandalized her stall.
After this trip, their debts were square. Shael hated owing people; any debt gnawed at the back of her mind like an itch she couldn’t quite reach. So when out of the blue Nabi wondered if Shael could get her a garlean weapon, to study what kind of injuries it inflicts of all things, Shael decided to oblige. But in reaching out to her previous contact here in Kugane, Shael discovered to her dismay that he was no longer in the land of the living.
Instead, an old acquaintance from her days in the Ala Mhigan Resistance had taken his place. Since when did Elam work for the Cove? Shael frowned. His face brought back all of the woes from Gyr Abania she was desperate to leave behind. But he was her only way of getting hold of a garlean weapon, so she bit the bullet and made a deal with him. He wanted anything Doman that he could use to increase his contact base in the Hingashi port, and offered her one of the more advanced guns he had obtained in his latest illegal smuggling deal.
It was a one time thing. I don’t ever have to talk to him again. Shael gave the gun to Tserende to give to Nabi and that was that. She wasn’t sure if she detested the thought of working with Elam again because of his involvement in the last Resistance fiasco, or because he was now in the thick of the smuggling business when she willingly walked away from it. I’m not jealous, Shael told herself. He can rot in hells with all his guns.
Shael shook her head and reached into her side pocket, retrieving a single bladed cutter made for cigars. She snipped the end of it then pulled out a firestriker. As she puffed a few times to light the end of the cigar, she could see from the corner of her eye the ghost of a familiar Roegadyn sitting next to her, with a glowing cigar in his mouth. He grinned happily at her.
Cigars were his favorite things.
Shael said nothing as she drew in the smoke of the cigar, letting it roll around over the tongue as she savored the taste. She exhaled the stream of pale smoke toward the twinkling stars above and watched it disappear into the night.
Â
Eventually, the ghost that sat next to her was gone too.
