69 Ashan, 718 ‣ Nashaki
Saza wiped the back of his bony hand across his forehead. Slick with a light coating of sweat, his hair had begun to stick to his face, and frizzed beyond control everywhere else. He’d unbuttoned the rest of his shirt so the dark fabric hung loose over his shoulders, but there wasn’t much else he could do, to save himself from the heat.
Not when it wasn’t just the heat itself that exhausted his already-tired body. It would’ve been cruel to leave Hyde out there in the middle of the street… and though the little shop he’d pulled him into wasn’t that much of an improvement, it was at least a little cooler inside. Saza would’ve taken him to another inn if he could’ve, and he even would’ve paid for his room just to get him out of the street and into someplace safer, but it’d been hard enough for the lanky youth just to get him into the nearby shop. He definitely couldn’t pick him up and carry him to some inn.
He’d left the unconscious man near the door, propped with his back against the cool stone wall. Saza didn’t figure it was the most comfortable spot to sleep in, but what were his other options? He wasn’t about to set him on the front counter, or ask the store owner to let him rest in the back room. He’d already been kind enough to let him bring Hyde inside, when Saza knew that a passed-out drunk on the floor wasn’t what most customers were really looking for.
The rucksack was left at Hyde’s side, and he’d even set the older man’s arm over it, just in case any wandering customers saw it and decided it was an easy target.
Saza pulled a few coins from the depths of his pockets. With only the slightest of frowns (as he was trying not to look quite as displeased as he felt), he handed the nel across the counter and dropped it into the shopkeep’s hand. It was the same guy he’d seen in the tavern a few nights before, and as he’d expected, he seemed the kind sort.
“Thanks,” said the man, and he pushed the little roll of bandages across the surface towards Saza. The biqaj breathed out a silent sigh and took them.
“Yep,” he glanced back towards the door, and though there were several tall, wooden aisles between them, his scarlet gaze landed on Hyde. He looked alright enough… all things considered. Saza turned back to the shopkeep and said, “I’ll try to clear out of here soon. Thanks, Mister…?”
The shopkeep pocketed the coins and then held out his hand.
“Kouri,” he offered, “but just call me Leo.”
Saza shook his hand and nodded, “Leo. Got it. Thanks, Leo.”
A small smile, and then the frizzy-haired biqaj was walking away from the counter, bandages in hand. He passed the only other customer in the shop – an older woman with a rather severe face – and found his way back to Hyde. Once he’d made it back to him, Saza knelt down beside him and reached for his injured hand.
There were still just a few little glass fragments stuck into it. He scrunched his nose in disapproval of the sight. It wouldn’t do any good to bandage it up while they were still in there, though… Saza wiped a hand across his forehead again, and this time, a faint red mark was left behind, as a bit of Hyde’s drying blood had stained his fingers.
“Damn it,” grumbled the youth, and he sat down properly in some attempt to get more comfortable beside the human, still inspecting his injured hand.
Not when it wasn’t just the heat itself that exhausted his already-tired body. It would’ve been cruel to leave Hyde out there in the middle of the street… and though the little shop he’d pulled him into wasn’t that much of an improvement, it was at least a little cooler inside. Saza would’ve taken him to another inn if he could’ve, and he even would’ve paid for his room just to get him out of the street and into someplace safer, but it’d been hard enough for the lanky youth just to get him into the nearby shop. He definitely couldn’t pick him up and carry him to some inn.
He’d left the unconscious man near the door, propped with his back against the cool stone wall. Saza didn’t figure it was the most comfortable spot to sleep in, but what were his other options? He wasn’t about to set him on the front counter, or ask the store owner to let him rest in the back room. He’d already been kind enough to let him bring Hyde inside, when Saza knew that a passed-out drunk on the floor wasn’t what most customers were really looking for.
The rucksack was left at Hyde’s side, and he’d even set the older man’s arm over it, just in case any wandering customers saw it and decided it was an easy target.
Saza pulled a few coins from the depths of his pockets. With only the slightest of frowns (as he was trying not to look quite as displeased as he felt), he handed the nel across the counter and dropped it into the shopkeep’s hand. It was the same guy he’d seen in the tavern a few nights before, and as he’d expected, he seemed the kind sort.
“Thanks,” said the man, and he pushed the little roll of bandages across the surface towards Saza. The biqaj breathed out a silent sigh and took them.
“Yep,” he glanced back towards the door, and though there were several tall, wooden aisles between them, his scarlet gaze landed on Hyde. He looked alright enough… all things considered. Saza turned back to the shopkeep and said, “I’ll try to clear out of here soon. Thanks, Mister…?”
The shopkeep pocketed the coins and then held out his hand.
“Kouri,” he offered, “but just call me Leo.”
Saza shook his hand and nodded, “Leo. Got it. Thanks, Leo.”
A small smile, and then the frizzy-haired biqaj was walking away from the counter, bandages in hand. He passed the only other customer in the shop – an older woman with a rather severe face – and found his way back to Hyde. Once he’d made it back to him, Saza knelt down beside him and reached for his injured hand.
There were still just a few little glass fragments stuck into it. He scrunched his nose in disapproval of the sight. It wouldn’t do any good to bandage it up while they were still in there, though… Saza wiped a hand across his forehead again, and this time, a faint red mark was left behind, as a bit of Hyde’s drying blood had stained his fingers.
“Damn it,” grumbled the youth, and he sat down properly in some attempt to get more comfortable beside the human, still inspecting his injured hand.
