Nothing seemed promising at first during his search in the town’s various establishments. Inns, bars, the docks, or even the bustling market with the various gossip floating in the air… all of the usual venues seemed to turn up dry. Gavvar thought that he was going to have to go to another town, which might mean he had to put up with menial work in order to fund his trip. For a capable warrior like himself, it was hardly the best use of his time or skills!
Almost as if his prayers had been answered, the Bangaa managed to bump into a stranger while he was passing through the streets, the dark skinned hume effortlessly bouncing off his dragoon armor. Normally it might have been the start of a riot, but the other man seemed transfixed at Gavvar for what seemed like an uncomfortable long time.
“Er… is there something the matter? Didn’t mean to hit ya hard like that.” The Dragoon was the first to speak, before the young man cleared his throat to respond quickly.
“Oh no! No, not at all. I never seen anyone wear armor that resembles a dragon.” A quick furtive glance at the muzzle end, the lad in dreadlocks realized the warrior wasn’t human to begin with. “Whoa! You’re some kind of big liz--”
There was a glare shot at the man before he could finish that sentence, which made the stranger quickly shut up before he continue that sentence. “Yes. I get that often.” Removing his helmet so his face could be seen clearer, Gavvar proceeded to explain “I’m a Bangaa. I can see this town doesn’t exactly see many of them.”
“No. Not at all.” It was strange, but the hume did seem to take a fascination with the warrior than to stare in contempt, taking his time to marvel at the warrior a bit. “Heavens, you’re made of stone being able to walk around quickly in that suit of armor. Gotta weigh a ton!”
The Dragoon raised an eyebrow from the flattery, but he didn’t seem the harm in continuing the conversation. “Well, I am a dragon knight of sorts, you can say. I come here looking to find work suitable for my talents. But I have had a bit of a dry spell and haven’t had much luck so far.”
“Well you don’t need to look no further! My boss will definitely want to see you about helping out with our squadron!” Before the Bangaa had much chance to protest, the hume gestured with his arm arching in a hurried fashion, beckoning the warrior to follow his lead.
“This better be damn worth my time…” The man uttered under his breath, before he decided to give it a shot and see where this lead to.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surprisingly enough it seemed that the strange hume he came across was in fact part of a gang of other fighters. It seemed the big Orc Katu, along with his fellow compatriots, were a recognized crowd among these parts. Gavvar quickly warmed up to the lot as Spinel (the hume he had followed before) seemed to tell his boss about the Bangaa’s situation. Katu seemed to have no qualms about the recommendation, stating that the warrior was free to help out with the guild whenever there was a quest to fulfill.
“Actually, there is an assignment that we were about to leave off to starting tomorrow. You came in at a good time, though now we will probably need to get more supplies.” The Orc turned his head toward Spinel as he said to the human “Ey! Why don’t you help Gavvar around the market? We’ll need to stock up on the usual supplies.”
“Right!” Spinel seemed eager to please and quick on his feet, leading the warrior once more towards the bustle and hustle of the town’s market place. Gavvar found himself relaxing as he had time to focus on the mission ahead, keeping in mind not to spend too much of the allotted allowance.
“Spinel… er. It’s kind of hard for me to say this. But… thank you. I might not have found a guild that would be so quick to hire me on the spot had you not put in a good word like that.” Even if the warrior seemed practiced enough in his field, not all the humes he meet say Gavvar in a positive light.
“Oh all that? Forget about it!” The man grabbed an able from the stand as he tossed a coin to the vendor as payment, taking a bite out of it and slowly chewing on the fruit before he continued on his thought. “You seem capable as anyone I know in the guild, and that’s saying something seeing those trouble makers wreck havoc on the battlefield.”
“Not everyone has such an open minded viewpoint, but then again not all the humes I have meet have been welcoming like you have.” Perhaps a slight smile on his face, he was kind of curious about the other stranger, asking him “So what’s your role in the group? You don’t seem like a sword fighter… you don’t carry a weapon as far as I can see.”
Perhaps it was the first time that the Bangaa noticed hesitation from the stranger, but Spinel was careful to recover from the sudden pause in his steps. “Oh. That? Well, it’s something you have to see for yourself really. Kind of hard to explain, but Katu has me as backup… in case something goes awry.”
Gavvar was curious about the deflection in that statement, but looking at Spinel told the Dragoon he wasn’t going to answer any further questions about it. “We’ll see about it. Katu doesn’t seem the type to be foolish about his selection of guild members.” The Bangaa wondered if this was a red flag that just popped up in their conversation, but it might not be something that the hume wanted to talk about in a public venue.
“You don’t need to worry about it!” Spinel seemed to smile as he turned the tone of the conversation around, assuring the warrior “Like I said… I’m back up if it’s needed.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It had been around two hours past noon since Gavvar had accompanied Spinel in some market bargaining to get the supplies they needed. They decided to take a break in a nearby alley way to get some shade from the sun, even prompting the warrior to remove his helmet to cool down. Spinel got another chance to see the warrior’s face once more, though Gavvar couldn’t simply ignore the curious fascination.
“Never seen a Bangaa before today?”
The question startled Spinel, though the hume had blinked a few times out of his gaze. “Not really! I mean… it’s different, but in a good way. To be honest, it’s easy for me to get along with the others since… well they’re also different. At least different than other humans.”
Gavvar smirked as the hume seemed to sputter like a sycophant, but it was hard to pin an opinion on the hume given their limited interaction. The stranger did seem genuinely interested to know more, prompting the reptilian man to satisfy the curiosity.
“You’re strange to say that. But then again, not all humes I run into have been arrogant bastards. It’s refreshing, in a good way.” A smirk soon became a softer smile, as he seemed to find Spinel a bit more tolerable than earlier before. In a way the trip had been a way for the two of them to get to know each other, however brief.
“I wouldn’t lie about you Gavvar. You look strong, dependable… and someone I would want fighting with me. Definitely not against me.” Spinel crossed over from where he was sitting so he was next to the warrior, looking up to the armored Bangaa before he found it difficult to speak the next words. “Actually… it’s kind of embarrassing to say this. But I actually do like other folks that aren’t so human like. The scales that cover your face are remarkable.”
Spinel’s eyes seemed to connect with the Dragoon’s green pupils as they sat in the alley way, the human perhaps the more daring of the two when he stood on his knees to press closer towards the other warrior. “Whoa —” Gavvar didn’t know what to say at first, but perhaps there was something more to the hume than he gave credit for.
“I … hope you’re not offended. I just —” The hume didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as he felt the Dragoon’s palm cup his cheek. A gentle touch seemed uncharacteristic of the warrior, but Gavvar wasn’t going to chastise Spinel for his actions.
“You know, it’s a bit secluded around this alley way. I think I wouldn’t mind getting out of my gear and relax a bit.” Reaching for his armor to unfasten the binds, Spinel’s eyes seemed transfixed on his body as he watched the Bangaa began to shed his gear, piece by piece.
“It’s been a long journey coming here you know. I wouldn’t mind the company of an eager hume who wanted to help relieve a bit of stress… what do you say to that?”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This commission, illustrated by the talented Kupo Klein, was won through an on stream raffle! Gavvar was the lucky warrior to pair up with Kupo's summoner character Spinel, and I have to say he did a great job with the piece! I don't think my words alone can do justice to describe the way the Bangaa looks at his partner like he does.
Thank you again Kupo for such a wonderful piece!
Gavvar Faas ©
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
| \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t | \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWindTide\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t | \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Art and Spinel ©
\n\t\t\t\t\tkupoklein----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find Kupo Klein's other works in these following websites!