[SE] Supposed Tourism

Bask in the Light of the Stars

The first section of Torchline proper that Zen had come across was the port. Even at night, the place was crowded with merchants and potential buyers. From what he had seen from his time in the stars, many of the deals happening now were frowned upon by some. Leaning against the railing in a more secluded corner, the Demi-god watched the ongoings with an inquisitive eye.

Even if he'd technically seen it before, up close the noise and colors were far more vivid. The emotions across the faces of individuals were easier to decipher. The merchant selling supposed spices was nervous as his potential customer inspected the vials. The lady admiring jewels was laughing over exaggeratedly while her partner slipped a loose gem into her pocket. Zenith wasn't sure if he liked the whole affair. It was entertaining but mildly irritating.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

Noe

Kaiholo Port at night was a sight to behold, and Noe had always loved it.

She wandered through merchant stalls, largely unnoticed by the crowd. She kept one hand on her purse, lest some thief try to relieve her of her coin, and it seemed to work; the cutpurses that frequented the night market left her alone. She lingered over a baker's wares, finding a meat pie that seemed appealing and bargaining for it until both she and the baker were satisfied. Then she meandered on.

There was a clothier with bolts of cloth laid out, though Noe knew better than to try to purchase fabric that she'd only seen under torchlight. And there was a jeweler with fine cuts of rubies and sapphires that flickered with the flames all around. Down the way, a tavern with its doors wide open allowed music to spill into the night air; a bit further along there was a brothel, though Noe had always questioned the type of clientele that this particular establishment welcomed.

The young woman walked through it all, seemingly unbothered by the seedy underbelly of Torchline.

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen's eyes shifted to further down the street as a commotion seemed to have been kicked up. There was a scream, and his eyes landed on a cart as it barreled own the street. Trailing behind it was a rope where it had likely been tied to a building to prevent it from rolling away.

People began to duck into allies to avoid the incoming transport. One woman however seemed to have not noticed it yet. Eyes widening as the cart drew too close for comfort, Zenith swiftly walked over. He firmly grabbed one of her arms and pulled her back just as the cart all but flew by. A group of merchants ran after the wayward cart, trying to stop it from causing further damage.

When the close was clear, Zen released the woman and took a few steps back.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

Noe

A sudden hand on Noe's arm was all the warning she got before she was yanked out of the way of a runaway cart, and her heart jumped into her throat as it missed her by mere inches. "Gods!" she gasped, a hand flying to her chest as though to calm her racing pulse, and as she slowly calmed from nearly being flattened, she turned to inspect her savior.

He was a young man about her age with striking, silver eyes that appeared molten. His dark hair was tousled by a passing breeze, and he was so tall that she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze, even with him a few steps away. "Hey, thanks," she said with a nervous laugh. "That was a close one!"

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen scanned the woman as he nodded at her thanks. She seemed unharmed apart from being understandably startled. He blinked, eyes going to the street as a loud crash was heard in the distance. It sounded like the cart ran into something; it's moment of chaos over. Torchline was certainly an entertaining place.

Refocusing on the woman, Zen gave her one last glance. The Demi-god wasn't in the mood to speak, needing a break from the consistent use of his magic today. It was irritating but he knew that it would become easier as he grew in power. He knew he could physically speak, but the mere idea had him suppressing a scowl.

As such, there was no reason to linger now that the woman was safe. With a final nod, Zen turned on his heel and blended back into the crowd.

-[FIN]

Or be burned by their light

Zen