Just the Facts

It's another hot day though this one is blessedly overcast so that it's not the sun beatting down, just the thick humidity that makes Razen feel particularly miserable. He's standing at the mouth of an alleyway covered in a thin layer of dirt and picking up his armor which looks like it too spent the night in the alleyway. Every piece he picks up he grumbles under his breath before adding it to the little pile that's growing in his arms. He does not look particularly cheerful this morning, which is odd because usually the half-orc is ready with a grin.

The warehouse district is a great place, and a place that Dax spends a lot of time. Other sailors, people to chat with who 'get it' when it comes to living on a boat. And then just seeing people hard at work while she's drinking. Carrying a mug of something, Dax is drinking some of it down as she walks past Razen. Stopping, she lowers the mug and looks over at the half-orc, "Ya missin' some things?" She questions, looking at the pile of stuff growing, "Or ya us' countin'?"

Razen startles a little bit, glancing upwards from his work and then looking a bit abashed for some reason. He shifts the weight of the armor in his arms and then shakes his head at her questions. "No, nothing missing. Just complaining about the heat and the dirt." Carefully he lifts a piece of the armor and shows how much grime has accumulated on it. There's more dirt on it than there is on him and that's saying something considering the way that dirt and sweat is mixed on his greenish tinged skin. He looks practically like he rolled around in dirt while wearing his armor.

"Ya gotta take yerself ta the river an' dunk." Dax mentions, tipping her mug in the direction of the water itself and then she adds, "Best if yer armor ain't gonna get worse fer havin' ta water on it." She offers with a few more gulps of her mug that she likely just walked out of a pub with. "Ya been spendin' time under ground or wha'? I was covered in ant blood, slime, stuff fer almost a 'ole day not too long ago. Jus' go out in ta river an' wash up. Right as rain."

"That is my plan actually. I am just gathering up all my armor to head out." Razen stops for a moment, clearly contemplating what a quick jump in the river will feel like in this heat before throwing a spiked gauntlet into his little growing pile. "It is good armor. A little water will not hurt it, but it seems like all I do every day is head down to the river for another bath. Sleeping here is sure getting tiresome." Clearly this is part of what has had him grumbling today.

"Oh, jus' do wha' I do. I find me a pub, drink till I'm out, than sleep on ta table or in ta chair." Dax offers her words of wisdom, "And 'ere an' there been sleepin' in a room. But ain't till after wreckin' ta place. Ya ain't got no coin fer a room? City folk tend ta sleep in taverns or hovels. And ta wealthy got their bit of course."

Suddenly the half-oruch looks uncomfortable his eyes darting about to see if there is anyone suspicious, or just really anyone hanging about where they might hear. "I have no money to spare for rooms and such." He speaks very loudly and clearly. "And I do not want any sort of charity you know?" Razen coughs and gives her a broad wink.

"Ah, well ya can always steal or kill fer gold." Dax offers and shrugs a bit, "I ain't gonna judge ya on tha'. If ya ain't got ta coin, then ya best be workin' at gettin' it. Yer a big fella, ya could sell yer esrvices. Sure there be some ladies lookin' fer a ruinin', or needin' someone ta carry there big shoppin' bags an' such." Offers Dax as two present of mind idesa for her as she drinks down the rest of her mug and just tosses it off to the side, and into the water where it can float away. "Ships can always use a strong unloadin' and loadin' fella if ya ain't like ta ladies..."

Razen nods his agreement and seems a bit confused. "I have to say that there /is/ quite a lot of work that you can do. Seems odd that..." He seems to think of something suddenly and stops in the middle of what he's saying with another little cough. "That is... I have been doing some work for the adventuring guild, quite a lot of it in fact, but..." He glances around a little bit and then lowers his voice significantly.

"Yelrona said I should sleep down here for a secret plan of hers." He nods seriously.

Dax squints a little bit at that, and then looks around. "Fer a secret plan? She want ya in ta alley?" Dax questions and humphs a little, walking forward, "'ow long she been havin' ya do this? Fer a while it sound like. She come back wit' any added plannin' at all? Or she jus' makin' fun of ya?" Shaking her head a little, Dax looks around, "Ain't nothing 'ere except sailors and junk."

The half orc nods and keeps his voice real low so that only him and Dax can hear what he's saying. "It has been a pretty good while now, you see I am helping her catch those slavers that have been running about. She said if they saw me sleeping down here all defenseless and stuff that they might try to pick me up and take me off as a slave." He brightens a little as he thinks of the plan. "I said I could leave some trail signs so she could follow me, but she wants to use magic."

Razen's expression shows what he thinks of that, his excitement over the plan fading over the idea of magic being used on him even for a good cause. "From what we can tell the slavers are all over this place. And I do not think that Yelrona would joke about something like this."

"Sounds ta me like yer bein' made ta fool." Offers Dax as she comes a bit closer, and then shakes her head, "'Sides. Ain't nobody gonna try an' grab a big fella like yerself. Ya gotta be someone they wanna sell, an' think they can control. Maybe get yerself some woman tha' don't look like she can take care of 'erself. Get 'er ta stay in ta alley an' they grab 'er, an' try and sell 'er fer a whore slave." Offers Dax as she looks up and down Razen for a moment, "Ya jus' look like when ya wake up yer gonna destroy whatever cage ya get put in."

Her words put the smile right back on his face as he grins brightly. "You think so? Well..." Razen heaves a sigh, still half grinning over the complement. "I /have/ been trying not to get into any fights. Or win too often at the wrestling matches. So I was hoping that they might think me weaker than I am. Just the other day I saw an oruch slave come in on a Charn ship, so they must take some."

"Oh, sure. I'm sure they do. But tha' slave they probably got from battlin' and then chainin'." Dax comments and shakes her had, "Gallegos never took on slaves fer transport, but I seen plenty in my days on The Serenade." The woman looks into the alleyway and then mentions, "Yer more likely ta get yer throat slit than ta be captured 'ere. Ya wanna pick a fight wit' one of 'em and make'em mad. But not mad enough ta try an' kill ya." There's a little shrug, "I'd say I could dress up an' be yer damsel, fer I got ta showin' fer it. But I'd rather find ta fellas an' kill'em. Make an example out of 'em so ta rest stop doin' wha' they do."

Razen blinks and looks Dax over himself as if considering her for a fight. "I do not know. You do not look very weak or frail to me." He flashes her his teeth. "I think you look like someone who would sooner put a dagger in a mans eye than let him take her as a slave."

Still he finds himself nodding in agreement with her. "I would rather kill the lot of them myself, but they hide and make it hard to find them the cowards." Razen's storm-green eyes turn dark slowly. "I would rather challenge each and every one of them to single combat one after the other for the sake of the slaves they have taken. Then I could make an example of them! Wrench their little heads..." He twists his hands in example and lets his words trail off meaningfully.

There's a bit of a shrug from Dax, "There's truth ta yer words. Tho' I ain't got nothin' particular against ta slavers. Ya gonna be enslaved, ya gotta fight, till ya die or else ya weak. Strong or dead, are ta only options fer me." Though the words keep coming and Dax mentions, "Ya ain't gonna see'em, cause they smart. Ya can't be dumb ta be a slaver. Ya gotta break wills, an' chain up giant fellas." There's some thinking for a moment, "They fight someone like ya, or me, they gonna lose. An' they in this ta win. So, it makes sense, ain't being cowards, it's bein' smart. Ya gotta out think'em. That's wha' Yel be tryin' maybe wit' ya, but ya ain't look like ta kind ta be taken easy. We should find us a merchant fella, or lady whore an' put'em in ta alley as we wait. See wha' happen." A few nods to that. "Fer a few coins, I bet they do it too."

"I think you might be right. I will talk to Yelrona about it. I do not mind sleeping down here for it, but if they are never going to pick me then there is no reason to it either." Razen shakes his head and gives her a smile. "I appreciate the advice. Which reminds me actually." He lets himself speak up again, brightening with interest. "Yelrona said you might tell me more about how one gets..." There's a long moment where he's looking for a word and he finally gives up. "A mate around in a city. Here in Alexandria it sure is different than it was back home."

"Tha' Yel." Dax states shaking her head. Taking in a breath and sizing up Razen a bit, she ruffles her own hair that bounces noisily against her armor from the tight braids that exist. "She sendin' ya my way cause she kno' I like big fellas, scarred up tattooed, ugly, tha' sort of thing." She mentions and then quirks her mouth to the side and eyes Razen a bit more, "She likely tryin' ta get ya ta find me an' see if we be matchin'." And then she shrugs a little bit at that, and offers, "I'm willin' ta try ya on, ya look fine by me. Ya ain't one of them pretty fae fellas. They jus' ain't right when ya look at 'em. Ain't look like real men ought." Though she adds, "Ya could use a few more scars, ya jus' young tho'." So is she, however, being only a 19 year old human, she smiles a bit, "Tho' I thinkin' in ta city ya do things like court ladies, an' buy 'em junk they ain't needin', an' dresses an' things. Ain't tha' way at port taverns ya jus' get some drinks, an' pay fer ta night, ya get a man or woman bes' ya like."

Razen flushes, the color showing up on his cheeks in a ruddy color that seems at odds with his naturally green complexion. Dax isn't wrong. He's got a few tattoos, one on his shoulder which is visible now because he's not wearing his armor, and one that cuts through his eyebrow. Yet he doesn't have any big notable scars. A few small ones here and there but for the most part he lacks them. "I am nineteen, that is not so young." He offers somewhat defensively, but still clearly embarrassed though he listens to her words with careful attention. "And... if there is someone that likes you, but you are not... Well you like them but not in that way - what do you do then?"

Dax thinks about that for a moment, "I'd probably beat ta livin' hell outta 'em till they agreed ta leave me alone." Dax comments and then shrugs her shoulders, "Or jus' ignore their advances. When ya a woman an' ya top heavy like I am ya get a lotta offers. An' I jus' tell'em straight they ain't ugly enough fer me. Or they ain't big enough fer me. Tha' kind of thing. Then if they keep comin' I beat ta livin' shit outta 'em till they listen." A statement pretty self-assured as she shrugs some, "An' ya an' I same age, but I been on a boat since I was five. Tho' I ain't got any scars neither, bit different fer women. I do wan' one right 'ere." She says drawing down over her eye and smiling, "I think it be a good look, but I ain't gonna jus' put one on me, gotta earn it. An' I'm hard ta 'it."

The half orc nods a lot, clearly agreeing with her statements. "Beating them up might be a little much if they are a friend, but ignoring them seems like it might not work." He sighs a little bit and seems to consider her statements and then grins. "Yes, if you tell them what you /do/ like and they are not it, a friend would get that!" The words seem to relax the the young man and he seems to relax as she talks about wanting a scar of her own. "You will earn your scars in battle my friend. Besides being hard to hit only means that when you do get your scars, your foe was truly one worthy of defeating!"

With a few nods of her head, Dax mentions, "Friends understand ya beatin' them fer botherin' ya again an' again. I 'ad this sailor, part of ta same ship. He always botherin' me ta come back ta 'is cot. An' I 'ad ta wrap 'im in rope and drag'em in ta water fer a few big waves before dragging 'im back up. Then 'e got it. Ta fellas were like brothers ta me. An' I ain't gonna fuck my brother." She shakes her head, rolling her eyes some, "I paid fer a whore tho' at ta next port fer dragging 'im a bit too long." And then she shrugs a bit, "If ya tell'em wha' ya like an' they go out an' start working on being tha' tho'. Ya may not still like'em an' they not like ya. Tha' why beatin' them be ta best course of action fer me." She looks Razen up and down again, "Ya may not want ta. An' orc fella beatin' a woman of any kind probably not looked too kindly upon."

Razen nods and then nods again. "See this is why I do not understand. Where I come from if you like someone you ask them to a wrestling match. See how strong they are and if you still like them then it there is another. If you are lucky you earn a few scars and then you handfast. Simple. Here you beat people up that you do not like. With monsters and such I get. They need killing and it is not as though you let them live. If I was home I would simply turn down the match and both would understand but... as I say things are strange here." He looks at Dax. "And now you say I should not fight at all? What then should I do but ignore it?"

Dax shakes her head, "You should fight. Jus' you should make sure it not in ta city else ta guard might think ya tryin' ta hurt." Offers Dax before she mentions, "Ahhhhh, tha' why then. I was thinkin' strange when visitin' ports wit' yer people tha' they were sometimes sayin' they wanted ta wrestle match me. I guess I should not of turned down all of 'em then. Was thinkin' they wanted ta fight, ta spar an' test fightin' skills." She chuckles a bit at that and sighs, "Tha' good ta kno'. If ta woman chasin' ya be a fightin' sort, then jus' beat 'er. If she more like an pretty fae sort, ya may jus' wanna talk." There's a little scrucnhing of her face, clearly not liking that idea, "It be a city thing. Ta tell 'em how ya feel, or not, fer tha' matter. Real dumb, but it seem ta work jus' fine." She shivers a little in disgust, "I ain't figure out much of this city life much. So, jus' sayin' wha' I learn so far."

Razen laughs a little and shrugs. "You have learned more than I since coming here. I can not seem to get a handle on how things are supposed to work. Yelrona's humor... mating. All of it is very strange indeed." He rolls his shoulders a little. "Thanks for telling me what you do know though, it might not be stuff I really get the reason of, but at least I know that is how things are done here."

There's a little bit of a shrug, and Dax chuckles, "I don't kno' a thing about how stuff is done 'ere. I kno' how it be done in ports when ya leavin' tomorrow." She offers and shakes her head, "If'n ya lookin' fer a city lesson ya best jus' go out an' sit, watch ta mess. Fer me, I ain't gonna do as they do." She states and then just mentions, "I should get goin' tho' I got ta get myself some drink." She smiles and turns a bit, "Let me kno' if ya learn somethin' about tha' slave thing. I'd be happy ta help an' get some gold."

-End-