Chapter 21 - Gronaan
Looking back on the year I have had so far it hasn't been as quiet as I anticipated it to be. Sheila and I are dating steadily, but trainings after the advance training have kind of kept us a bit more distant. Our combat training that just never happened in the advance scouting course grew a little softer around the edges, and needless to say, I can still hold my own in a fight against most of the advance scouts and advance supports, but a few night trainings with Rowan, and Harpy's Scythe, I found out her name is Rowena Parnith, has shown me how far behind in training I am for the upcoming tournament. Speaking of Rowan, we are getting together with everyone, for a now group date, between us friends, it is something most of us haven't gotten to do since the advance training classes. So, I am off to help Aven try not to make a fool of himself and get him some cloths besides the robes and the magical garb he is always wearing.
Spirits 16
"Aven, it is going to be okay," I look over to monstrous man, his dark skin filling every inch of my vision as he towers over me. "I'm just nervous is all, I hope he feels like I do, and that I don't scare him off.," His reply comes from trembling lips. I punch him on his forearm, I think I would have to jump to hit his shoulder. "It will all work out if it is meant to be and you know that I mean somehow you pulling the all stone from the center of that hole didn't kill you what make you think a simple date will." Aven's mouth turned into a smile the first time today, and it was genuine, nothing forced about it.
"What are we out doing right now," He turns to me and asks curiosity brimming in his eyes. I guess it doesn't take much for him to get over the nerves, "Well so you aren't wearing the same thing you do every day I figured we could find something a bit more you." Aven's face looked at me a little more confused than I expected, followed by his question, "What is wrong with my outfits?"
I felt myself smiling at his question, then thought about what I knew of Aven; he is simple, doesn't really do or need much, and is very relaxed about most things in life. I mean hells, he doesn't as far as I know own anything other than basic essentials. "You didn't grow up with much now did you Aven?" His face screwed up in a kind of disapproving look, but with a sigh he let the words flow from him, "No not really I grew up in a church, just outside of Temple Reach." He grew up in the desert as an orphan, and here I was thinking by the way he held himself most of the time he was born into a wealthier family.
"Just to be clear to you, and so that I understand correctly, you grew up without much, and don't have much desire to spend money on yourself; am I correct in assuming that?" I look up to the tall man, and an approving chirp of air slaps across my ear, Avernous does that sometimes. Aven stops walking suddenly, and it makes me trip over my feet a bit, I have to take two steps for each one of his almost give me a break. "Well sort of, I also don't think I have any money on me, so I don't go out spending most of the time I have spent out with people has been on their pockets because I don't have anything." A chuckle from my core boils forth in an almost explosive force, "Aven you have been getting paid since you arrived, you are a government employee from the moment you step foot on the Transitor. Please tell me you have gone to the holdings and collected your pay at least once."
"Holdings?" His face scrunches up to something almost pained, and then he did something I never thought I would see from someone with his complexion, he blushed. "It is the bank in the tower, you must have a pretty sum of cash sitting there in the tower, don't worry about going back today is on me." I slap the back of his arm and begin walking forward with longer strides making him keep up a little more than my normal walk next to him. "Wait why is it on you if I have money," His voice carrying a confusion through the wind. "Because it's your first date, and I'm your friend you dolt," I reply looking around at the buildings around us.
With all the conversation we almost strolled out of the shopping district around the Council and into one of the residential neighborhoods, lining the major streets. "I don't know what will look good on me though," he says over my shoulder. I stop moving, his turn to trip over himself; with his next step he almost takes me out in a stumbling gallop. "That's why you have a true dwarven noble along with you, I can show you the ins and outs of making yourself all dandy for an occasion," I say throwing a thumbs up his way. Aven looked back at me and smirked, a small trickle of water dripped from nothing, straight down my back, "Alright but if you make me look dumb in front of Lyka, there will be hell to pay."
I did mention Aven is a monstrous man, when he wants to be he is absolutely terrifying. Throwing my hands up in a gesture of surrender, and find the will to reply back, "Alright, but you are the person who is going to pick your own outfit, I'm just here to guide you away from anything to ridiculous." His smile filled even more of his dark face, "That is probably for the best." I found myself laughing alongside him as we approached a moderately large shop, "This is where I do most of my shopping, they have a few people inside that will help you with anything you would like to see and wear." The shop is a simple stone building its walls plastered over and a deep grey not unlike the arena is met by a simple shingled roof of reddish-brown tiles.
That is the only thing normal about Tailored Touches, The windows are filled with incredibly bright and colorful cloths and outfits, the dresses each around a hundred different colors shining in the sun breaking through the window, the men's outfits on mannequins range from extremely formal to something I couldn't imagine where a hot pink blouse and green pants so bright they look like the could be a reflection of a giant snakes scales; the hat on the mannequin is the cherry on top of the ridiculous outfit, a wide brimmed hat that stood about a foot out from the sides of the dolls head and six or seven feathers of varying colors cover the sides the plumage making the statue look like it's head is about ten times larger than it needs to be.
His face filled with uneasiness as he looked up and down the window's, "Will they have things that fit me?" Looking at the giant I could tell every word was serious so I reply in kind, "of course they just put smaller stuff in the window so they can fit more. To grab the eyes, I bought this outfit from here." I wave my arms down at the simple green and gray ensemble I am wearing, a tightly fitted tunic the color of bedrock, a jacket mostly sage green with silver edging around the sleeves and fine patterns around the breast of the jacket on both sides. The pants a greyish brown set, with stings and knots on wither hip to tighten them down. The footwear could use a little work, but hopefully they have the boots I ordered ready when we go in today.
"Shall we," I ask pushing the door open for him. He nods as a cacophony of sounds erupt from the shop. The shop is in its normal throws of chaos, as two small birds, flitter around the shop a piece of ribbon hanging from either of their mouths. One of the shop keeps, his name is Eiloden, a good soul, human to, his deeply tanned skin and silver eyes moving quickly to catch the small birds. "Will you hurry up love, customers," A man's voice though quite feminine to the ears calls out from the back of the shop. Eiloden's eyes dart over to the pair of us, and the two birds flutter out of existence. The ribbon held in their beaks free falling to the ground.
"Must you always tease me at work," Eiloden called back to the back of the shop, he turns his full attention on us, and continues, "Oh, Gronaan my dearest little dwarf how can I help you today? And who might this be with you?" Aven speaks before I could manage a syllable, "How did the elementals just vanish like that, it isn't like anything I have ever seen?" A second man pops out from the back of the shop, He is unmistakably a demon, his eyes three shades of color, red, white, and black, his hair a deep chestnut and a smile that could shatter the darkest mines with light.
He speaks up starring at Aven, "Oh, it isn't elemental magic, I was born with that; I didn't have much of a choice in the matter either." Aven breaks eye contact with the man, looking him up and down, he isn't bad looking for a man, his hair swept back and over his right ear, in the front and the rest in a neat bun in the back of his head. He wears a strange I don't know dress-shirt-robe, I have seen a few at the palace when Fillideshi Councilors and politicians would come bartering new trade with my family.
My word finally came to me, "You were blessed with inherent magic?" He simply looked at me in confusion, and his words followed quickly behind, "Blessed no, in Fillidesh magic is all about Power, and how far down a bloodline you can spread it for power, so I gave up trying that life and came here with my beloved Eiloden." Eiloden looked to him and back to me saying, "Gronaan, this is my husband, Lim; Lim this is Gronaan, the one thing you swore you would never see in your life a fashionable dwarf." A round of chuckles from the two men filled the air, and a small giggle popped into my head along with it, Aven's laugh though filled the room, and I had to take a step back from the moment, I don't think I had seen him laugh like this before.
The shop keepers both look at Aven in approval, and Aven looks to me saying, "It's kind of bad when the dwarf is better with fashion than a human I guess." Another round of laughter erupts from the four of us, and I pat him on his arm, "I'm here to actually help this man out can you two work your magic and get him ready for a date tonight and let me know what the damage is going to be." The two men rush over to Aven and begin prodding at his robes he is wearing, they say pretty much in unison, "Well this won't do at all." Aven gulps and looks at me in a cry of help, I do what I can I shrug my shoulders and walk to a bench at the back of the shop while the two men fit him for probably a million outfits. "Good luck my friend."