"And, yeah, that's about the gist of it from what I've seen." Nin finishes and I take the last wash of ale down my conveniently parched throat. The flagon comes down and for the moment no one comes to check in on us as the rest of the place calls for attention. Already got us a few curious glances but everyone's keeping their distance for the moment.
At least that's the unspoken social rule here, don't bother someone while they're making the most of what privacy they have...
"Mm, well, that's good to know." I say, playing with my flagon as I eye the business of some lads across the building. Something's got them lighting up a fit of giggles. Nothing too concerning, but the noise has an odd annoyance to it. Someone happens to barge past, the tight fit of the building not helping.
"So, how about Heiya?" Nin asks, his right set of claws bouncing between each hop. One on the table, one in the air. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Idleness, boredom, annoying...
"I will have to speak to her, see how she's feeling. But, good news is still the same, being here seems to be affecting her somehow. Not sure how well it is, but, it's... Well, you know." I explain, finally getting an opportunity to get a fresh drink. Nin digs into his doctor pay and he tips of the buxom waitress who swings right off of him. The fancy doctor façade enough to at least get a few compliments and cheeky kisses.
"People were saying I should make a point of travelling, go somewhere to at least make my services known. Depending on how things are, I might be able to get to this Lady-King and get my magic sorted. Assuming she's the noble's daughter in charge of this place." he suggests, waving his other arm around the establishment. Though, I see the meaning hidden beneath the action.
"Much as I'll be glad to be rid of you, it's a good idea, regardless." I say, sipping my drink with a smirk forming as the froth catches on my stubble and pores.
"Thanks..." Nin goes, rolling his whole head in lieu of just his eyes..
"Oh, pipe it down." I snap right back, putting the drink down with a thud.
"But, yeah, if I get to this Lady-King. I can get us back on track entirely." he says and I nod along, moving to gently cup my drink as the main detail goes through my head. Across my mind with as many barby, foot-dragging remarks as it wants. Don Gamtambo. The bastard who put us all into this mess to begin with. Not the man with the gun, but certainly the one whose fingers have slipped on every coin in the gangster pockets.
"To some extent, I hope you are happy to take your time. I don't know, Ivahstar never got over the death of his family and I've no hopes Heiya will do the same... But, I just want her to keep her mind off of this all." I sigh and Nin nods along.
"Trust me, I know. I know what it's like to be consumed with revenge and all its sinister parts," he tells me, a sigh of his own coming out in its own weird, chitter-messed way.
"I want what's best for her. But I'm not sure if what's best for her is what Ivahstar would've wanted, either." I say, so very confused about this whole ordeal. The flagon comes back to my lips, wetting them again, and I lick them as close to dry as possible. Concerns aside, this is not a bad mix, very unique.
Though I guess that happens when you are stuck in a backwards, borderline insane wonderland like this...
"You keep your eyes on her, make sure she's adapting alright and I'll handle the rest." Nin assures me and I look him in the eye. Lens.
"At least you won't run." I grumble as I leave my drink for the moment so I can take in more of the establishment.
"Where would I even run to? I don't know my way around here and I'm not walking for thousands of miles, not know which way is up. Not when I literally can't go up!" he huffs, throwing his arms up into the air. I snort ever so slightly. His lack of fortune certainly a heart warmer right now.
"Good enough for me. You'll have to make your way to wherever this Lady-King is, though. And I'm of no help to you now. As in the dark as we all literally were back in the tunnels." I tell him and he nods, understanding the details of it all well enough.
"Figured as much, but, big fancy palace on the mini-mountain seems like a good approach." he goes and I nod, taking a sip to that.
"Hopefully, you now being a doctor will do well on that part. Again, no clue at all about this place, so you'll need to be creative." I remind him, and he nods.
"I'm already the strongest person here, it seems!" he goes, shrugging his shoulders as the force creaks on the bench. The reinforced bench at that. He already accidentally broke one and then they slipped some stuffed crates under this one just to stop the other breaking. But, I've a feeling even these are literally feeling the cracks.
"Mm, here's to hoping it's enough." I say, offering my flagon up to the air and he knocks a quick fist onto it. Well, I knock the flagon onto him so he doesn't break it. Even my barely surface touched body is enough to manhandle the things here.
"I'm optimistic, really. No mess of raw magic or that about here," he says, barely catching my interest.
"Hm?" I go.
"Well, I mean, all the other places I've been with no magic. They just go... Boom. Something here is definitely keeping an ambient magic scene going. Even if the people of the land aren't really getting any," he explains and an 'ah' fills out my throat.
"Then, shouldn't they be stronger, anyway?" I ask and he nods.
"That's the point of it, yeah. Yeah. If my magic isn't causing problems, then everyone here should be proper messed up by the lack of it. Food is magic as they say." he says, his words coming along right well with a tray hosting a roasted bird on a bed of greens and other colours. A punchy smell, almost onion-y.
"Mmmm... Would be worth trying to get you something to eat then, no?" I go, taking another sip of my drink to be certain about something. He's certainly right, there's no proper punch to this ale. Not a flavour punch, something you just get used to when you travel a lot. Especially into mountain-states and towards the appropriately named Seven Great Peaks.
The food, air, drinks, people. They all have a strange punch to it that you just can't describe all that well. You know it's magic, plain and simple. Weaklings in one place are strongmen in another and all because of magic density. The famed 'witch holidays' as they're more often known. Trips for the unimpressive to suddenly feel impressive.
Part of why there's such strict bans on travelling into the Hreshnia Lowlands. Redstone Canyon and Theocracy-Union War aside. I've never been, but I know on the northern coastline, there's a protected region. The one thing the Mogolawalic government and the Grand-Kingdom managed to agree on. A random strip of low-to-no magic land. Fully developed and settled by a bunch of countries, too.
I never pay enough attention to the details, but I assume it's the same stuff, regardless. Get more witches in a spot. The more magic there is, the harsher things are for a bit. Settle it down and you get the magic-rich spots across the continent like there are now. If the Emerald Awakening was anything like the whole Sudden Induction Theory suggests, it was a very violent affair for more than just the sudden appearance of witches...
Hopefully, we won't see anything like that, but can't be too careful. It's bad enough the earthquakes cracked open this place. If that somehow hasn't alerted the noble in charge of this place, then I don't know what will. Probably Nin blowing something up.
"Cheer up, Hrurim, no need to be so miserable," the bug tells me and I scoff again.
"Not miserable, just mentally occupied." I go, rolling my eyes as my throat swells with another bounty of ale. A few flavouring bits and bobs coming down with it. Eugh, if only they had sieves here or proper filters. It's like that one town who flavoured their bulderow milk with wood chips. That was proper vile, and, somehow, the splinters in the mix wasn't the worst thing about it!
"Well, you best occupy yourself with something more Heiya-scented. If she loses herself here, it'll be a while or never," he reminds me, voice without anything to cling to for humour.
"Right." I go, simply going through my drink and finishing it up. I get up and so does he and we go on and skitter out of the joint.
"Seven out of ten, curious joint." Nin quips as we come out onto the evening street proper. We look up and over, focusing on this so-called 'Sun' as they put it.
"I'm calling it the Orbital-Halo, don't care." I go, shaking my head at whatever contraption it is emulating the day and night.
"I know exactly what you mean." Nin tacks on, his nod awfully noisy.
"Well, come on then, let's go find Heiya." I tell him, as I'll need his help with this. I gave her clear instructions, but who knows how well she's followed them. Who knows where she even is? I take a peek behind me, just in case, too.
"I think I saw her along the path I was on earlier." Nin goes, his mind drumming about the details.
"Well?" I ask, already impatient after but a few mere seconds of his one-man deliberation.
"That about way," he goes, limply throwing an arm up.
"I'll pop a few bullets in you if you're wrong." I half-joke and warn, minding the streets as all the usual stuff just isn't here. The roads are wide, but they're empty of everything. it's not wide for a reason like cars, vans, lorries and more... It just is wide. Plenty of room for something that perhaps a timeframe away.
"Up along this road." Nin goes, giving more direction to our borderline aimless wandering. My eyes go up and down the buildings, not quite sure what is a house, shed or business. Some have people, others have kelbalids. There's even a population of hwardgon here, too.
"Great, hwardgon other than Heiya..." I groan openly, the search getting slightly worse for the simple fact of what it is. Now I can't just keep an eye out for anyone with spines instead of hair. Now I've got to pay more attention.
Well, at least with all the annoyances building up in me, I'll be able to enjoy the smoking pipes a lot easier. They'll be a fresh experience, depending on how it is. Never been much of a pipe smoker, always preferred cigarettes as is. Small, simple, easy to store. A cigar every once in a while for a potent 'snack,' but pipes are just a different experience.
"Ah, there she is." I go, suddenly reminded of the other things I can look for. Guns.
"Heiya!" Nin calls out, catching her lethargic attention. Pulling her right from whatever it is she's currently up to. We approach the group she's with preparing themselves for a new meeting.
"Merry evening to you fine couple!" one goes and I let it slip right on through one ear and then another.
"Yeah, evening." I go, almost tempted to burn up another cigarette.
"I'm fine. Was just telling these lot what Pops' weapon is." she says, her switch to the local hwardgon tongue baffling the lot of them.
"I'm right in your cart, don't you guys worry." Nin tacks on and I smirk, feeling so special that I am the only one able to speak with Heiya right now. I suppose learning to hear through her accent is hard enough, though. Easier on us, too, we have some privacy for the moment.
"We'll be staying here a bit, if that's what you want, Heiya?" I ask her and she nods, idly looking away. Right towards a specific building, actually.
"Yes, please... I... I found a hunting lodge or something. They said it would be fine if I tag along, so I've something to do." she explains, smiling a little at the idea of her new activity.
"Oo, sounds fun." I say, just glad I'm getting a smile out of her for the moment. I put a hand to her cheek, giving it a quick cup as I let her get back to it. Suppose it's a good thing she can prattle on about a gun to these lot. Mentally taxing in a way to keep her mind occupied.