Al'Mian Oasis (Open)

[Tabrett]

The heat was almost smothering here in the desert. At least, she thought as she moved over the shifting sand at an even pace, it wasn't humid enough to curl her hair. Within moments of leaving the shelter of the tavern, she could feel her clothing begin to stick close to her skin and her hairline felt damp. Wiping a bare forearm across her forehead, she let out a softly complaining sigh as she went to join the Hyur and the large Roegadyn that had settled beneath the tree by the oasis' edge.

 

The sand under her boots announced her before her voice, considering the two men seated there with her gaze as she came to stand near them. Her hip naturally angled to one side, the length of her tail curling briefly around the opposite knee before returning behind her. Her voice was soft and a little sweet, almost lilting with the gentle tones she spoke in when she asked: "Are you badly injured, sir Roegadyn? Have you been tended?"

[Bear]

The Hyur stranger responded with an accent Bear did not recognize.

 

"The name is Gavriel Venitiago. I'm a hired sword here. You've managed to find your way to Al'Mian. From the looks of you, it's a good thing you showed up when you did."

 

Bear sat for a moment and spoke softly, "If I had to spend another day without water, I'm not sure if I would have made it." He turned his attention to his arm, he picked the plate mail up and took apart the leather latch holding the chainmail together beneath the plate.

 

"What is your name? Do you often wander the desert alone?"

 

"My name is Bear, or that's what I've been called for as long as I can remember. I wasn't alone, I was with a band of merchants, they asked me if I would accompany them to a small mining site outside of Ul'dah, they offered a few gil, I obliged. When we arrived just outside the mine things didn't seem right, there was an unmistakable unease in the air, the kind that makes your hair stand on end. Over the last dune we saw it, an Ogre, it had killed most men in the camp, one of the merchants cried out in pain, he must have known the men, I'm not sure, but when he screamed the Ogre came after us. All I remember is grabbing my axe turning to face the beast, he took a swing at me, knocked me down, and after that it was black. When I came to, my companions were gone, and so was the Ogre, why it left me I will never know, I walked for days... and found myself here."

 

Just then a young Miqo'te with brown hair in a ponytail, lightly tanned skin, and brilliant blue eyes, approached Gavriel and Bear.

 

"Are you badly injured, sir Roegadyn? Have you been tended?"

 

Bear looked up at the Miqo'te and stared into her blue eyes, something resonated with him, and just before she was about to repeat herself, Bear spoke, "Oh this? It hurts, but I'll live, I've been in worse shape before... All I need is a bandage and some ale and I'll be good as new!" He must have been still delirious, it was bad, he removed the strap holding the plate on his arm, and removed the entire plate. The chainmail fell over itself and exposed the wound, it was a gaping hole, blood was mixed with sand, portions had dried and others were still spewing blood. Bear put his fingers to the wound and clenched his teeth in pain, "Argh... it's worse than I thought... I'm going to need a lot of ale... Where's the nearest tavern?"

 

((I'm soooo sorry for the late reply, I was super busy last night! but don't fret, I'd never abandon a thread >.<, sorry again!))

[Gavriel]

As Bear told his story, Gavriel noticed the Miqo'te walking towards them from the tavern. He had seen her around the camp before and knew she was a sell-sword. Most of the mercenaries at Al'Mian kept to themselves, and she was no different.

 

"Are you badly injured, sir Roegadyn? Have you been tended?"

 

Her voice was sweet.

 

Bear put his fingers to the wound and clenched his teeth in pain, "Argh... it's worse than I thought... I'm going to need a lot of ale... Where's the nearest tavern?"

 

Gavriel smiled, "You're going to need something a little stronger than ale, my friend."

"Tabrett is it? If you would, head back to the tavern and tell the fat old man to put two fifths of rum on my tab. I I would guess my new friend here can hold his liquor."

 

"Now Bear, lie back. You'll be fine." Gavriel used his thumb and index finger to peel back the Roegadyn's eyelids. His pupils were two different sizes. He probably had a concussion.

 

"We'll fix you a few drinks and get you settled. This wound won't heal itself."

[Tadir]

Tadir wandered a bit closer, his pen working furiously as Bear spoke.

 

"Well, I may not be able to do much for your wounds, but I'd gladly buy you a few drinks if you'd be willing to sit down and tell me the rest of that fascinating tale in detail?"

 

He marveled at the wonder of the tale. "You really survived a fight with an ogre. Amazing." He tucked his pen behind his ear and looked at the other two, giving a slight smile. "That wasn't an exclusive offer, by the way. I'll buy a drink for any of you that can give me a good tale, since the Dunesfolk I've been looking for haven't shown up."

[Shamadconde]

Blue Eye and Red Eye dug into their meat pies. They were delicious and disappeared with disturbing speed. After the two finished their meal, they both got up and left the tavern. They were seen walking out of town, heading southeast. They didn't see the Hyur woman follow them. An explosion was heard in that direction later.

 

 

I will be back when the thread acknowledges the explosion.

 

[Gavriel]

(Shamad, your explosion is noted)

 

Meanwhile, Faythiel had gone looking for the bartender. He was upstairs in his private quarters, snoring away. There was an ancient bottle of some awful-looking stuff tucked under his arm.

[BelovedHatred]

Faythiel frowned at the sight of the man, and with a shake of her head and a sigh she scrounged up a blanket to toss over him, moving the bottle of drink away from him.

She turned out his lights on the way back into the tavern area so that he would not sleep restlessly.

 

Faythiel emerged back in the tavern through his doorway, looking to Aveline.

 

"He's fine. Passed out drunk.."She smiled, leaning on the bar once more. "I'll bring in some water and bread later for him...one can only imagine he's not going to feel well after drinking like that, ne?"

 

She then moved to go from table to table, bowing politely to each customer as she asked rather or not they needed food or a refill on their drinks.

[Bear]

Gavriel smiled, "You're going to need something a little stronger than ale, my friend."

"Tabrett is it? If you would, head back to the tavern and tell the fat old man to put two fifths of rum on my tab. I I would guess my new friend here can hold his liquor."

 

Bear's eyebrow perked up, "Rum?!? I like where this is headed" He gave a happy smile. Gavriel told him to lie back and relax, so he did, and flinched when the Hyur put his fingers near his eye.

 

"We'll fix you a few drinks and get you settled. This wound won't heal itself."

 

Bear lied there for a while, soaking in everything that had happened. He had seen some awful things during his lifetime, and each time he witnessed new tragedy, his heart became even more heavy then the previous. He was hardened by battle, anyone could tell that, but what wasn't obvious is the pain he carried with him. His thoughts wandered for a while, and then he turned to Gavriel and for a while he was at peace with himself. He was glad to have met Gavriel. His silent thoughts were broken by an unfamiliar voice.

 

"Well, I may not be able to do much for your wounds, but I'd gladly buy you a few drinks if you'd be willing to sit down and tell me the rest of that fascinating tale in detail?"

 

Bear stayed lying on his back, tilted his head and responded, "Huh? Oh, sure... Unfortunately I can only tell you how it began, I'm not sure quite how it ended. But I'm not going to argue about free drinks!"

 

"You really survived a fight with an ogre. Amazing."

 

"It wasn't much a fight, but I can tell you, an Ogre is a demon you never want to cross paths with, I guess he must of thought I was dead or something, I'm not quite sure how I'm alive..." Bear went on describing little details to Tadir and then stopped suddenly and said, "Friend, I've been so caught up in my story I've forgotten my manners, might I ask your name?"

[Dreamer]

Dreamer panted as he hiked along under the shining sun that bore down on him. Not even quite midday yet, and his shirt was already damp with sweat. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a map and examined it, looking around side-to-side. Nothing but the sand that seemed to reach out for eternity, surrounded him. The scorching desert must have been getting to him, because he had begun talking to himself. "Well let's see...Oh well this good, shows here I am now no longer lost.." He said casually, then suddenly crumpled the map in his hand. "I am now completely lost!" Gritting his teeth, he shoved the now wrinkled map back down into his pocket. That bleeding map was the cause of all this really, without it he never would have been out here; part of him even wish he had never acquired it. It was supposed to have lead him to an old man's hidden stash somewhere out in the wasteland, but instead it had so far only showed him nothing but bad luck and misery. Dreamer almost suspected karma.

 

"The guy was dead and it's not like I'm the one who killed him! The dead don't have claim to maps. Finders keepers; livers, deaders," He assured himself, lifting up his cantene to his mouth only to be reminded that it had become empty a good ways back. He took off the wide-brimmed hat he was wearing, and fanned himself looking for some kind of relief from the stale air. The bandage covering his right eye, was itching profusely in the dry heat and he scratched irritably at its sides. He didn't dare take it off though; oh no. Showing his long time companion, Remedy, this current situation would be worse than humiliating. She had warned him before all this, of how bad an idea it was for him to go out into the desert alone, with the tell-tale signs of sandstorms brewing on the wind. He had assured her though that he would be perfectly fine, and a little bit dust wasn't enough to stop him! Only it hadn't turned out to be a little dust, it turned out to be a lot of dust. Letting her know he was lost, would be like admitting defeat. That was something he just would not do.

 

"Not that she would be able to help me anyway," He muttered. "She's back in Ul'Dah, and I don't know where in the blazes I am." He put his hat back on, sighing and started tredging up a steep incline in the sand in front of him. He figured he might as well keep going straight for now and cover as much distance as he could before finally dying of dehydration.

 

He bit his cheek immedietly at the thought, growing angry with himself. So what if she was right about there being a bleeding sandstorm that night causing him to lose his bearings? Who cared if the chocobo he had brought with him had ran off in the night, carrying with it most of his supplies including the water? He certainly didn't. He was Dreamer Milcham, the greatest treasure hunter to ever grace the world! If the world didn't quite want to admit that yet, then he'd just have to keep fighting it until it did.

 

"Cursed chocobo probably would have stayed if I had reminded it that too, I bet. It's getting where a person can't even trust birds!" He growled to himself. As if in response, he heard a cawing sound going on over head. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he looked up and saw a pack of carrion birds circling him in the sky. He bent down grabbing the nearest stone, and threw it up at them. "I'm not dead yet, so I'll ask you all kindly to keep it down until I am!" He put his hat back on, and went back to marching through the sand, determination in his eyes.

 

He carried on like that for what seemed like forever; his head facing down trying to hide from the sun, his shoulders drooping more and more as time went on. Suddenly, his head smacked directly into something. Hard. Grasping the top of his head in pain, he looked up and found that he was staring face-to-face with a shotty looking, mud-brick wall. Dazed, he turned his head left and right, and saw that his endless graveyard of sand, had been replaced by a small oasis town with people lazing about. Still not trusting his instincts and thinking this might be a mirage, he slowly, carefully put his finger on the wall, seeing if he could really touch it. Feeling it solid, he let the rest of his hand follow until his entire palm was resting on it. Dreamer grinned and chuckled giddily to himself as he followed the wall, leaning against it for support and turned a corner to the front of the building. Seeing that it was a tavern, he limped up to the door, slamming it open and dragged himself up to the bar. Assuming that the Miqo'te behind the bar was, in fact the bartender, he pointed a desperate finger in her direction. His clothes and hair drenched with sweat, he stood there gasping at her, "You...You, bring me wi....I need wi...." His throat was so dry he was having trouble getting the words out to convey his message...

[Tabrett]

"The man needs more water, and food, not spirits," Tabrett said with a shake of her head. The tilt of her full mouth spoke of her amusement. With the hand that wasn't still holding the mug of her own ale, she fished with slender fingers in one of the pouches at her waist. From it, she withdrew a small potion vial, breaking the wax seal with the nail of her thumb and upending its tasteless contents into her mug. "Give him this, for the bleeding. I'll see about that rum and something to fill his stomach. You'll be right as rain in no time, stranger."

 

Bending at waist, she passed the pint along to Gavriel and straightened to glance at Tadir. Turning, she thumped the back of her hand lightly against the journalist's stomach as she passed him on her way back to the tavern. "You're buying," the Miqo'te informed him with a charming smile and twitch of her tail.

[Tadir]

Tadir swept his hat from his head with a slight bow and said, "Tadir West, at your..." and was brought up short by the wall of heat and sunlight that slammed headlong into his face. With a gasp and a sputter, he slammed the hat back on his head, retreating from the direct line of the oppressive sunlight. "Uh...Tadir West...You'd be..." he glanced at his notepad, "Bear, correct? And the truth is, even if you can't tell me how it ended, a first hand account of an encounter with an ogre...my editor would be thrilled!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

 

He smiled at the small gathering. "Shall we?" Tadir gestured toward the inn entrance. "While it may not be cool inside, at least it's out of the sun."

[BelovedHatred]

Meanwhile inside, Faythiel had rushed behind the bar to aquire a drink for the newcomer.

She poured a shot of whiskey and a glass of ice water and bustled over to Dreamer's table.

 

"Do not talk, ne?Just drink." she said, offering a smile. "Talk to us when your voice catches up with you...tis clearly still in the desert." She mused, then looked over to Aveline who was busily cooking up a few things after the Lalafel had already ordered food, probably a good plan, more would be getting hungry at this hour.

 

Faythiel bowed politely to the man, the bells of her earrings and belt jingling as she stood and bustled off to help Aveline.

 

"I'll do drinks Blue, you're probably a better cook then I would be." she said with a laugh, beginning to clean glasses until someone else ordered

[Axl]

Axl drunkenly walked out of the tavern and out into the desert.

 

(gonna take a break from this RP for a little while, so I don't feel obligated to post)

[Dreamer]

"Talk to us when your voice catches up with you...tis clearly still in the desert."

 

Dreamer wasted no time snatching up both glasses. He stared blankly at both of them for a second, and in the next, dumped the water over his head and gulped down the whiskey. He let the alcohol rest in his mouth for a bit, before swallowing and letting out a relieved sigh. "Well it's not wine, but I'll take it." He was grinning widely now and whistled towards the direction of the exotic looking elf girl, raising his now empty glass.

 

"Oi, I'm going to need more of these. Preferably with wine this time," he said loudly, vitality beginning to pour back into his body. "Have to celebrate, y'know. I just defeated the desert after-all!"

[BelovedHatred]

Faythiel laughed, pouring a glass of sweet smelling wine for the man, carefully bringing it over to him, sitting it on his table with a wink.

 

"No one defeats the Lady of the Sands, ne?She just let you live...but...celebration is in order for that too I suspect."

 

She paused a moment to observe him, clearly waiting to see if the wine she chose was to his liking.

 

"Will you be needing anything else, friend?" she offered politely, glancing over to Aveline.

 

"Blue is cooking up some dinner over there if you feel hungry.." she said,gesturing lightly to Aveline with her hand.

[Tabrett]

Returning to the tavern was a relief even after only a few short minutes spent in the sun. If the other two outside ever managed to get the Roegadyn up from the sand, there would be things he needed. Such as a sturdy chair, a stiff drink, and food. A man wandering the desert probably needed a good meal and Tabrett was of a mind to see he got more water as well.

 

Picking her way through the tables, she came to lean against the bar, taking in who had departed and who was newly arrived as she waited for an ear from the two women that were now tending the bar in absence of the original barkeep. When there seemed to be a small break in the Elezen's conversation, she gently interjected. "Pardon me, but might I have two fifths of rum, please? And some water?"

 

Turning slightly to catch Aveline's ear as well, Tabrett added, "And something hearty to eat for that wandering Roegadyn. On the journalist's tab."

[Aveline]

Aveline nodded to Fayth. "Thanks for getting my back! These steaks aren't going to grill themselves, haha.." The Miqo'te turned her attention to the kitchen. "Now if I actually worked here... where would I put the spices?"

 

 

i'm going to be in class most of the day so consider Aveline to be busy cooking I guess. ^^;

 

[Bear]

"I can stand the heat, it's the damn sand that gets to me, it's everywhere, in my boots, my eyes, my mouth.." Bear spat on the ground, "I'm ready to get out of it." He stood up and staggered a bit before walking with Tadir, "Hopefully we can catch up with that Miqo'te" They trudged over to the tavern, where a man stumbled out and began wandering into the desert. Bear looked at Tadir and shrugged.

 

They stepped into the tavern, it was noticeably cooler inside, and the smell of food made it even more inviting. They found an empty table, pulled up some chairs, and relaxed. Bear took of one boot at a time and held them upside down, sand covered the floor, and he wiped it away with his bare feet ((I originally wrote BEAR feet hahaha)) to make it look like he hadn't made a mess of the floor. He put his boots back on and began wiping the dried blood off his arm from around the wound. He tilted his head up and looked at Tadir, "Why exactly are you looking for stories in this place? It doesn't seem too exciting..."

[Tadir]

A bit affronted at being slapped in the stomach, Tadir nodded. "As long as you have a small story for me, absolutely." He grinned and followed Bear and the Miqo'te into the Inn.

 

Tadir smiled and looked away from the sand being spread over the floor, pretending not to notice. When Bear was situated, Tadir turned to gesture to the bartender, who was unaccountably absent. In his place was an Elezen woman prancing behind the bar. "Where did..." Tadir shrugged and waved for the new bartender to come over.

 

Bear looked up at Tadir.

"Why exactly are you looking for stories in this place? It doesn't seem too exciting..."

 

"Trust me, not the place I would choose to be. My editor wanted a piece on the nomad tribes of Dunesfolk. I've been here for close to a week now and I haven't seen so much as a Dunesfolk headwrap. I figure if I can get a few interesting tales from the dessert my editor won't mind so much that I don't have the story he wanted." Tadir grinned hopefully at Bear.

[BelovedHatred]

Faythiel nodded to Tab, turning to fix a plate of food, about to hand it over for the Roegadyn, she paused as he and another new face stepped inside, she eyed his injury, but said nothing, she instead winked to Tab and bustled over to the table her friends had seated themself, sitting the plate of food in front of the injured man.

"I'll be back with the drinks your friend ordered for you." she said to Bear with a smile, then looked to Tadir.

 

"I assume you are the gentleman the young lady at the bar is claiming will pay the tab, ne?" she asked looking to Tadir, her smile fading a little as she noticed the sand in the floor, but she said nothing.

 

"I'll let the trio of you work all that out, I'm sure she'll come sit with you both..." she said with a nod, then moved over to notice where the small bits of sand lead...to a bigger mess of sand near the door.

 

With a sigh, Faythiel brough over their drinks the Miqo'te had ordered then got a broom and began to sweep the mess out the door. She didn't complain or offer any unpleasant looks as she worked, she simply stayed quietly to the chores.

 

After a moment of sweeping, she went behind the bar to remove her bangle bracelets and rings to leave them near Blue so she could keep an eye on them, then rolled up the pant legs to her sparkling dance costume and moved over to begins scrubbing at the floor with a sponge and a pail of water...once sand got left in this sort of place you'd never get it out unless you caught it early.

 

She quietly hummed a song to herself as she worked.

[Gavriel]

Bear was able to stand, much to Gavriel's surprise. A wound that serious would have brought a lesser man to his knees within a matter of hours. Few men could survive long in the desert without water. Even fewer could survive without blood. This man had survived without either. He liked this tough Roegadyn.

 

Gavriel followed Bear and Tadir into the Tavern. He sat across from Bear at the table.

 

His order of rum and water was brought over by an Elezen woman dressed in a spectacular fashion. Gavriel then noticed that a Miqo'te was working in the kitchen and the elderly bartender was nowhere in sight. He raised his voice and shouted into the kitchen with a mocking tone, "It's about time someone killed that old man and stole his business. Things are much more interesting now."

 

After a while of chatting and drinking, Gavriel rolled up his sleeves and put his elbows on the table emphatically, "As soon as you've finished that rum, Bear, I'll sew you up."

 

He beckoned to the Elezen woman who was now cleaning sand from the floor, "If you would, grab me a pale of water, some towels, and the medical kit from behind the bar.... Oh, and two shots of the strongest stuff you can find."

[BelovedHatred]

Faythiel paused, looking up to Gavriel.

 

"Yes...one moment..." She simply said as she continued to scrub "I'll have out the pail once I've finished..."

 

She sighed, strands of her hair falling into her face as she cleaned...somehow she'd gone from being helpful to working for free..

 

She stood once all the sand was cleaned and lifted the pale, making her way to the sink behind the bar to empty it into the basin, she then began to clean out the pail with hot water, taking care to get out all the sand so none would make way back into Bear's wounds.

She then turned and dug around under the counter to find some clean towels and the medical kit.

 

She filled the pale with warm water and brought over the towels and kit sitting the pail on the floor near Gavriel, and the towels she left on the table.

 

She bowed politely to the group, then bustled away to sit at the bar by herself, where she took a shot glass and bottle of whiskey, filling the tiny glass.

 

With a sigh she slammed back the drink, brought over 2 shots to Gavriel, then went back to the counter scooting the little glass away,to go back to her water.

[Tadir]

Tadir, beer in hand, sat at the corner between the two men, making note of the interaction between the two. He smiled at Bear.

 

"So tell me, how did you come to be in the dessert being attacked by an ogre. The desserts aren't generally travelled lightly, yet you seem to have managed to get out, not only of the dessert, but of trouble with that ogre as well."

 

Tadir put on an academic, narrative tone of voice.

 

"What wonderful and mighty deeds did you perpetrate along your path to the ogre?" He winked at the Roegadyn and readied his pen.

 

Tadir turned his head with a jerk to look at the Hyur.

 

"I'm sorry. I've been neglecting you. I missed your name outside."

[Bear]

"Trust me, not the place I would choose to be. My editor wanted a piece on the nomad tribes of Dunesfolk. I've been here for close to a week now and I haven't seen so much as a Dunesfolk headwrap. I figure if I can get a few interesting tales from the dessert my editor won't mind so much that I don't have the story he wanted." Tadir grinned hopefully at Bear.

 

"Well I'll tell you everything I can, hopefully it'll be of some use to you... " Bear was interrupted as a stunning elezen woman set down a plate of food infront of him. Bear looked at it, raised one eyebrown and said, "For me? I've never been so happy to see food!" He began to stuff his face, and stopped only when the woman came back with the rum Gavriel had requested. "ffthafnk ffyofu" He said with his mouth stuffed with food. At that moment he recognized the elezen, she was in the crowd earlier, but didn't stay long. He watched her sweep up the sand he had tracked in, he felt bad and embarressed, but didn't say anything.

 

"As soon as you've finished that rum, Bear, I'll sew you up."

 

"Deal." Bear finished his meal, and sipped at the rum, clenched his teeth and shook his head a little, "blech!" he thought, but didn't verbalize. Sip after sip it was the same thought, the last quarter he just slammed back and thought, "well glad that's over..." right as the elezen woman brought over 2 shot glasses full of, what was most likely, the foulest drink in the entire tavern.

 

"So tell me, how did you come to be in the dessert being attacked by an ogre. The desserts aren't generally travelled lightly, yet you seem to have managed to get out, not only of the dessert, but of trouble with that ogre as well... What wonderful and mighty deeds did you perpetrate along your path to the ogre?"

 

"I had been spending some time in Ul'dah with a legendary weaponsmith, he promised me he could make me an axe that would dull at a greatly decreased rate, it was a strong composite material of some sort that he invented, I don't quite remember what he called it. After half a week he finished it, and I set out looking for mercenary work, I got an odd job watching deliveries outside a jeweler's shop, the work didn't last long. I kept searching and found a group of merchants who wanted to try their hand at mining, but didn't know anything about protecting themselves so I was hired. A strange Hyur tipped us off about a large new mining project to the east, so we set out. We had a couple bandit run-in's, nothing I couldn't handle, hell, I never even got to swing my new axe. Eventually we made it to the mining site, although the only motion we witnessed was that of an Ogre. It must have been the height of 4... no 5 roedagyn's, what it was doing there I have no idea, perhaps it was chased there, maybe it got hungry, but when one of my companions saw what it had done to the mining camp he shrieked and the beast came running at us. I grabbed my axe and with both hands lifted it above my head, I came swinging down, but I was too slow, it swung at me and knocked me back, after that the rest is black. I awoke, my axe was gone, my gil was gone, as well as my water pouch, and my companions, I'm not sure what became of them... They may still be out there, hopefully the were able to run... but that beast was fast... I'm sure as hell not going back there, not without reinforcements."

 

 

Sorry for the long ass post, I'm actually trying to cut the size down to make them more readable !!!

 

[Tabrett]

Tabrett kept her position at the bar for a time, watching the men and their business at the table, ears flicking with idle interest. When Gavriel asked for the supplies to tend the wounded, she at last pushed away from where she leaned to join them. She spared the graceful Elezen woman a small smile of thanks for her dutiful attention. There weren't many that would have taken well to minding the orders of others. She thought Faythiel showed great patience.

 

Her hand lighted briefly on Bear's shoulder, meeting each pair of eyes in greeting before she turned her attention to the other hired blade among them. "Would you like me to assist? My stomach does not turn easily," Tabrett told Gavriel.