Vong turns to Rakatha and I, shrugging his massive pack onto his shoulders. What else could he possibly have to say, and why is he always smiling?
“Hey, dinner is on me. I know a place,” his face scrunches into a mischievous grin that, with his black top-knot, makes him appear a little like a squash. He turns to step into place beside Rakatha.
Do I accept his offer of hospitality? While it saves my coin and will likely get me much nicer fare than I would otherwise get for myself, it also gives more legitimacy to his leadership and antics. On the other hand, if I will be working with him for another week then knowing more about him could reveal methods to control him better—I can’t deny that I underperformed on my plans to manipulate him. Hmm.
A reconnaissance mission it is then.
I follow Vong through winding streets and back alleys in a path so convoluted that it reveals all manner of details about the inner workings of the boy’s mind. We head to the noble’s district, of course. I recall that was where he’d run off toward before. Stepping through a small courtyard and up a secluded stairwell, the three of us arrive at the edge of a kempt and well-lit street on the lower east side of the Rose District.
Lovely name. Matches Vong’s outlook on life. No doubt they are related. The Rose District is not the upper-crust, where notable lineage is required, but a wealthy class of citizens who have earned their place through hard work, dumb luck, or careful associations. Many of the Guild Masters are from the Rose District so there is a lot of respect for the place and, as such, a lot of coin passes through its shops every day.
I’d considered working myself into a neat boutique in this district a few years back. Less crime, less filth, and more money. Then I remembered that a fair half of my success was due to my reputation as “that foreign freak in the apothecary shop” and it would become less of a novelty, more of a deterrent, in a nice place like this. So I’d put it from me. I’d patronized this district myself to get equipment for my trade. I wasn’t about to spend good coin on fenced goods that could bring the watch to my door or waste it on cheap knock-offs that break after one use. Apothecary demands exacting measurements, which means accurate scales, tempered glass containers, real rubber, and quality linens.
We walk a short way more and Vong pauses dramatically in front of a large, inn-sized building complex. It has stables, a paddock, and a two-story main house that appears, through the wide front windows, to have a generous dining area and curving bartop. The name of the place is Yo’crounda Nirvana and the scents rolling out into the street are heavenly.
“This is my family’s restaurant!” Vong is nodding to himself with self-satisfaction. Though, if my guess is correct, he has little to do with the success of this establishment.
Rakatha grins and claps Vong on the shoulder, “So this is the place. I’ve been dreaming about trying your famous chicken since you first told me about it.”
I’ve never heard of this place. I can’t say how famous it is, but there is lively chatter rolling off the building like a warm hearth which certainly makes it seem welcoming. For most people, that is. A place like this is not where I would choose to spend my coin. In a place like this, your waiter will want to engage in friendly conversation. In a place like this, the barkeep never forgets a face or a drink. In a place like this, you are a friend to all.
I do not need to be anyone’s friend. The fewer details people know about me, the better.
The Wordbearer Chronicles is a dark fantasy web series with new passages on Tuesdays.
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