~Chapter 28~
The flight to Cahldin went as expected and after a quick transfer to a fresh carriage and Caridon, Mae was once again airborne and headed for Vaughn.
Located in the country of Bontara, Vaughn was the largest neutral city on the continent of Gotisham. Controlling the major trade routes between the north and south, Vaughn was situated on the eastern side of the country, where Bontara bordered the Darton Territories to the northeast, and Falishad to the southeast where Ix was the capital. This made Vaughn the ideal stop for Mae to get used to the unfamiliar ways of Boem'thol's people, while gathering as much information as she could. She also hoped that she could touch base with Ven's friend, and pick up a few minor jobs at the Admark before heading to Ix.
The suns had just set when she arrived in Vaughn, but from what she had seen the city reminded her of a classical period castle town, centered around the flight tower. Strategically tucked between the Turash mountains to the north and the cliffs of Neferion Bay to the south, stone walls marked the boundaries of the city with enormous gates in all of the relevant directions; the natural barriers making it impossible to skirt the city.
When she reached the bottom of the tower, she heard another Caridon coming in and watched as it landed above. It was an incredible experience to fly in such a way and she found it equally fascinating to watch the take-offs and landings from the ground.
Following Ven's instructions she headed south to the Tears of Mandikot Inn. Similar to the Taflen, it had a pub on the ground floor and offered a discount on the room, but that was it. The rooms were a bit larger, in better shape, and had mattresses that were three times as thick. The building, was also better lit and was the only Inn in Vaughn that during the winter seasons could enclose their hot springs, which seemed a major selling feature in those colder months.
Making her way inside the inn, the pub was full and loud and gave her the first opportunity to see how those of the city lived. As a neutral town Vaugh was supposed to be opened to all species, except the Ji'vie, but same was true of Sap'letor and it was rare to see anyone of Boem'thol's people there. In fact, she had never seen a Draynar or a Dal'erna before that moment, and the descriptions she had been given did them little justice.
The Dal'erna were a stout humanoid species with broad features and physical structure, and while considered a short species, they still averaged five or so feet tall, the women noticeably shorter at around four. A wash of rainbow colors highlighted the bears, braids, and boisterous attitudes distinguishing them from the leaner, and weaker Ech'latean or the lithe, shimmering dreams that were the Evleshian.
The Draynar though, were something unmistakable. While they were identical in form to the Thay, their colorings couldn't have been more opposite. Glistening snow-white feathers. Eyes in reds, ambers, and orange. Skin from navy to light pastel blues. Hair in a spectrum of silvers, greys and whites. They were beautiful and looked far more approachable and friendly, lacking the signature scowl of their black and red counterparts.
The innkeeper was an elegant older Draynarian woman, who greeted Mae with what politeness she could muster, and after having gone up to her room to check out the accommodations and clean up, Mae made her way back down to the desk.
"Is your room acceptable?" the innkeeper asked as Mae approached.
"Yes; quite lovely," she replied with a smile. "I was actually hoping you could point me in the direction of someone by the name of Baasdefen Ins'threg."
"How do you know that name?" the innkeeper questioned with an abruptness.
"My brother gave it to me."
"I see," the innkeeper replied with a heavy sigh. "You can find him in the pub. Just look for the drunk Thay."
"Drunk Thay?" Mae asked with a dissatisfied expression and a slight bob of her head. "Not going to narrow that down a bit more for me?"
"He's the only Thay in the place. He's the only one dumb enough in the city to come in here. If you want more a description, he's the one missing his wings."
"I appreciate your help," Mae remarked as she turned to go into the pub.
"Just a word of caution. Don't get involved with him. He has a knack for destroying the people around him. Why do you think he's drinking where he isn't wanted?"
Mae tipped her hat to the innkeeper and headed into the pub. It seemed to have only grown rowdier since she'd checked in, so she moved quickly around the outside of the room until she spotted the lone Thay at the end of the last table, a safe distance from the rest of the patrons, a flagon in hand.
He didn't look much older than Ven, but that wasn't a great indicator of his age given the average five-hundred-year lifespan of his species. He was a large man with strong broad shoulders, and was attractive in his own way. Wide jaw, large nose, and small, tired eyes that had clearly seen too much. There wasn't a visible surface of his dark red skin that didn't have a scar, and his hair, even tied back as it was, looked disheveled and unkept. The leather armor he wore had seen better days, and she suspected the oversized claymore on his back hadn't been polished or sharped in a dogs age.
Mae had never been the type of person to just walk up to someone and say 'Hello', the very idea making her stomach twist into knots. She had always relied on Jack to be the one to get the conversation started, and even after almost three years on Sah'korhune, she still thought of him during moments like this, wishing that he was there at her side.
Turning back to the bar, Mae decided to take a lesson from Fon and purchased two mugs of their Thursot, Sah'Korhune's version of a pale ale, before making her way over to the lone Thay in the corner of the room.
Setting a mug before Baasdefen, she swallowed as he looked up at her.
"This just bought you your life, kid. Now beat it. You're too young."
"Baasdefen Ins'threg?"
"You deaf kid? I said get lost."
Mae sighed and sat down. This wasn't going as she'd hoped, but she had to start somewhere and this was, depressingly, her best lead, so, she continued.
"Venificus Foedari. My brother. He told me to come find you. So, I'll forgive you the insults since you're drunk."
"Ficus?" Baasdefen faintly smiled and grabbed the mug she bought for him. "I haven't seen him in years. How's he doing?"
"He's well. Really well, actually."
"That's good. That's good," Baasdefen muttered before taking a drink. "How'd a Gren end up as Ficus' sister?"
"He took me in after an accident. Karanosi made me family. But I'm not a Gren. Karanosi gifted me the hat," she explained as she untied the bow, unwrapped the scarf and removed her hat.
"Ech'latean. Didn't see that coming. Pull your hood up, before you draw too much attention to yourself. It's better if people think you're Gren around here. They're less likely to try and take advantage," he said as she pulled up her hood at his suggestion. "Why'd you come to Vaughn? Didn't Ficus warn you about this place?"
"I'm certain he did, but this is where my path has brought me. I've no choice but to follow it."
"Tough break for you kid. This city's a piece of work, these days. Bandits, thieves, and slavers run the entire east side, Boem'thol's rabble take up the south, and in the north, you'll find the slum of Sotar'ra. Not a great place to visit, even worse to stay in."
"Is that why you're drinking here?"
He huffed. "I come here because the rabble know to leave me alone."
"Why stay in the city?"
"Plenty of work and decent pay, even for a Thay like me. I suppose Ficus wants to call in the favor I owe him and let you work with me," he remarked with a snicker. "He better not hold me responsible when you get yourself killed."
"Actually, I'm an Adventurer," she replied, flashing her badge at him. "I know where to go to get work I can handle. What I don't know is where to get information or who to trust."
Baasdefen nodded over his drink. "For Ficus, I'll take care of you, but it's going to have to wait until morning."
Baasdefen didn't seem interested in speaking anymore, and Mae was more than fine with that. So, they sat in silence as she sipped at her own drink and he chugged back his, double tapping the mug onto the table top once he was finished.
"What are you still doing here?" he questioned as if he had thought she had left at some point.
"The same thing as you. Enjoying the space, the quiet, the drink. I usually prefer to drink with friends, but for you I've made an exception. You called him Ficus, that means at some point you were family too."
"Huh, suppose so, but that was a long time ago," he replied as a pub maid came around and refilled his flagon when he handed her a coin.
He was as gruff as his voice was raspy, an old fighter who was content to drown his life away, and it smelled like he hadn't bathed in a week, although it was hard to say over the stench of the pub as a whole.
"What's your name kid?"
"Mae."
"Mae, you can call me Baas."
"It's nice to meet you."
"Sure it is. Meet me outside the Admark tomorrow morning. We'll talk then," he remarked as he stared down into the mug.
"By tomorrow morning, should I presume you mean more like noon?"
"Mae?"
She heard the sound of her name from behind, in a voice she had hoped she wouldn't have heard again.
"Hello Fon," she replied as she turned around.
It wasn't that she disliked Fon, but there was something about her that just didn't sit right with Mae, and had left her to hope that the two had seen each other for the last time when they parted ways in Sap'letor early that morning.
"Ha! I knew it was you! What are the chances? Never thought you'd be heading here."
"Same," Mae said as she turned back to Baas. "Enjoy your drink. I appreciated the company."
Standing up she took Fon by the arm and walked her towards the exit of the pub.
"You really attract some weird ones," Fon commented as she looked back at Baas with a snicker, like she had any right to talk.
"I was the one who sat with him, if you must know."
"Why would you do that?"
"He's the only Thay in this place and in case you didn't notice, everyone else is keeping their distance from him. If people think I'm friends with him, they're more apt to leave me alone too. He's also not the type to put up with chatter and small talk, so he was perfect company. I suggest you stay away from him."
"Ah, and here I was thinking he was just my type," she replied with smirk. "Anyways, let's grab a table and have a drink. I know the food here isn't free, but it's edible."
"Hard pass, between the noise and the smell, I've no intention of eating here. I was going to head up the street to grab dinner. I saw a nice-looking restaurant with an Admark approved sign in the window; hoping they give discounts."
"They do, and the foods really good."
"You know the place?"
"The one with the green canopy, right?"
"That would be the place."
"One of my favorite spots in the city."
"Then why don't you join me," Mae said as she put her hat back on.
"Sure! And after, we can come back and soak in the hot spring! You're going to love it, Mae."
Arm in arm, Fon and Mae left the inn and headed up the street to the lovely restaurant with the green canopy and reserved atmosphere to get their dinner, away from everything she disliked about the pub at the inn.
Fon was as enthusiastic as ever, and Mae was beginning to wonder if maybe this really wasn't just her personality, over what felt more like an act. But, being overly cautious, she couldn't put aside her suspicious quite so easily. It seemed strange to Mae, how Fon had ended up coming to the same city, but even less coincidental for them to end up at the same Inn, especially since Tears of Mandikot was the farthest Inn from the tower and offered the fewest Admark perks. If it hadn't been for Ven's recommendation she wouldn't have been staying there herself, and that made Fon's appearance seem even more suspicious. But since it seemed she couldn't evade the bubbly Fon, she decided to embrace her as a friend; keep your enemies closer and all that.