Just smile and be happy.
The confident hand gesture and smile eases some of Zavien's anxiety, but only distance would prove their veracity. Taking another step, they leave the dark alleyway behind them in order to enter the hazy lights of the street. No other unsavory people appear to be prowling the streets. No other people appear at all. With the early morning hour, only those of desperate needs or ulterior motives found themselves alone on the empty walkways. It seems that this morning is like all the others in most senses but one. He isn't alone. It makes him wonder even more about how a mute young man came to be wandering in the underbelly of Stormbreak. A mental note is made to investigate further at a later time.
For now, Zavien gestures his head to the left and starts to guide the men. Although his grip on the injured person is tight, he attempts to make it more of a friendly and reassuring hold, using his palm on the man's torso to continue rubbing and stimulating him. "Stay with me. We'll keep you upright. You just focus on keeping your eyes open and placing one foot in front of the other." About a block ahead of them is a rundown building huddled between two large taverns. The lights in the taverns have dimmed and the music no longer filters out, but they still shine brighter than the small structure between them. Most would overlook the dusty windowsill and the "door" consisting of half the original wood planks. Vacancy is obvious despite the heavy physical embodiment of emptiness.
Zavien points his finger towards the crumbling place while he keeps their forward momentum. "Years ago, that was a jewelry shop. Unlike smart owners, the old man had chosen to bring his beautiful creations to the Silk Houses. He always said, 'Those who are in the darkest of places just need something more garish to reflect the light within.'" A laugh accompanies his words when he continues talking. "I don't know about anything so philosophical, but my mom always thought his creations were pretty. It helped that Virgil sat outside his door. He gave the wettest kisses and never stopped smiling." He pauses intentionally. "His floppy ears and tail were my favorite part though." Zavien looks at the two men, smiling at his own joke.
By this point, the building was fading behind them. Only a block and a half left. "Sadly, the kind owner eventually discovered why so few jewelers set up shops out here. Neither him nor Virgil made it out." He recalled how the neighbors couldn't have cared less. They didn't even know the man's name. My mom tried to protect me like she always did, smiling through the sorrow, but I could tell that she took it hard. A long sigh escapes but he smiles and looks back at the injured man. His little strength is visibly fading and he is beginning to faulter. "Keep your head high. Look at the path ahead. It's much brighter than behind us."
Sure enough, the sun is rising slowly in the distance. He wouldn't consider it a sunrise quite yet, but the sky is shifting to a lighter shade, orange tinging it. It's just bright enough to give a glow to the hanging pots of the healer's hut ahead.
For now, Zavien gestures his head to the left and starts to guide the men. Although his grip on the injured person is tight, he attempts to make it more of a friendly and reassuring hold, using his palm on the man's torso to continue rubbing and stimulating him. "Stay with me. We'll keep you upright. You just focus on keeping your eyes open and placing one foot in front of the other." About a block ahead of them is a rundown building huddled between two large taverns. The lights in the taverns have dimmed and the music no longer filters out, but they still shine brighter than the small structure between them. Most would overlook the dusty windowsill and the "door" consisting of half the original wood planks. Vacancy is obvious despite the heavy physical embodiment of emptiness.
Zavien points his finger towards the crumbling place while he keeps their forward momentum. "Years ago, that was a jewelry shop. Unlike smart owners, the old man had chosen to bring his beautiful creations to the Silk Houses. He always said, 'Those who are in the darkest of places just need something more garish to reflect the light within.'" A laugh accompanies his words when he continues talking. "I don't know about anything so philosophical, but my mom always thought his creations were pretty. It helped that Virgil sat outside his door. He gave the wettest kisses and never stopped smiling." He pauses intentionally. "His floppy ears and tail were my favorite part though." Zavien looks at the two men, smiling at his own joke.
By this point, the building was fading behind them. Only a block and a half left. "Sadly, the kind owner eventually discovered why so few jewelers set up shops out here. Neither him nor Virgil made it out." He recalled how the neighbors couldn't have cared less. They didn't even know the man's name. My mom tried to protect me like she always did, smiling through the sorrow, but I could tell that she took it hard. A long sigh escapes but he smiles and looks back at the injured man. His little strength is visibly fading and he is beginning to faulter. "Keep your head high. Look at the path ahead. It's much brighter than behind us."
Sure enough, the sun is rising slowly in the distance. He wouldn't consider it a sunrise quite yet, but the sky is shifting to a lighter shade, orange tinging it. It's just bright enough to give a glow to the hanging pots of the healer's hut ahead.
Zavien
