Closed I Shadow Dog Dare You! (Yousef)

[Nikomas]

The Eighteenth Day of the Spring Season, Five Hundred and Thirteen Years After the Valterrian

[Nikomas]

"...and then I heard them say something about an ice cave. No lie!" Nikomas informed his best friend, Varik, as they stood in line at the Luminary Commons, waiting to place an order for their evening meal. "Don't you give me that look! I wouldn't make something like this up," he rambled on as they moved closer to the front counter where a single server was calling out orders to the kitchen beyond. "Who knows what could be inside? Maybe it's an old abandoned mine or, better yet, a secret hideaway where a pack of filthy rich traders keep their priceless, one-of-a-kind wares!" "Do you even listen to the words that come out of that mouth of yours?" Varik questioned. "I swear, there are times I...I just want to..." "What?" Nikomas questioned as he now made a move to block his buddy from going any further. "Maybe it's just a stupid cave, Niko. Nothing more. Did you consider that?" "Yeah. Sure. I guess...I guess it could be." "Aww, come on man, don't look so glum," Varik insisted, expressing a sudden change of heart, as he pushed his friend forward, nearly colliding with the people in line before them. "You could be right...I guess." The young Vantha grew silent now as he shuffled along. He wasn't even sure he wanted anything to eat at this point. His appetite seemed to evaporate right along with his hopes and dreams of fame and glory. Why is Varik being such a downer about this? Nikomas wondered as he waited for the individual in question to tell the server that he wanted the belabash stew with a side order of glo'ka. He's always game for things like this. Always. Something has to be wrong or... "Var? You're just messing with me, right? You wanna know about this cool cave, just as much as I do. Come on. Admit it," he pushed, ignoring the server who was ready to take his order. "I'll do no such thing," Varik replied as those in line behind Nikomas started to mutter about having to wait.

[Yousef]

Tonight the snow in Avanthal was heavier and the winds blew stronger, an outsider would have difficulty making his way through the city. In fact, one had difficulty right now. A heavily dressed figure plowed through the snow, he had his shoulder hunched up against the wind as he walked towards the Luminary Commons for supper. “Vile weather with its vile snow…” he murmured as he approached the mess hall’s doors, brushing his cloak as made his way inside. The Commons was as busy as always, people bantered and severs bustled. He wrestled through the evening’s crowd and made his way to the line, taking a tray as he did. As he walked through, he noticed a few men huddled together, whispering in small groups and shooting each other conniving glances. Yousef looked around and more than one group of men were together, doing the same thing, he raised an intrigued eyebrow. Odd, what could they be whispering about? The Benshira felt left out, there was nobody he knew around to tip him on what’s going on. So he just hoped to catch a bit of the conversation, maybe sit along side one of those groups of men. A male voice murmured from behind him, he sounded excited about something. Yousef, who knew very little Vani, could only make out a few words he was saying. Something something about… ice…grain? No that doesn’t sound right. Maybe, ice grave? No, ridiculous, they had a cemetery. The whole damn place is filled with ice graves—probably, whatever that isn’t my main concern right now. Then maybe… ice cave? Yousef held his breath. An ice cave? What would be in an ice cave? Polar bears? No that’s nothing new, but why would they be excited about it… unless—unless they found something in it. His skin prickled but not from the cold, it was from excitement. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop but he was curious now. He could make up bits of the discussion behind him, too bad everything was in Vani. The Vanthas behind him seemed to be arguing now, he felt a little guilty for eavesdropping even if, admittedly, he didn’t understand much of what they were saying. As the line progressed, he was now hyper aware of the fact that he was probably the only person who didn’t know about the darn cave. After getting his supper, he decided to trail behind the two Vanthas who were behind him. Hoping to get a bit more information. He let them pass him by as he idled beside the utensils. Then he followed them through the crowd—silently hoping he didn’t make himself too obvious—and casually took the vacant seat near their table. He eagerly awaited the next bit of conversation he could understand.

[Nikomas]

Taking their trays filled with bowls of steaming stew and plates of crisply toasted fat, Nikomas and Varik were quick to find a table toward the back of the room, near a bank of frost-filled windows. The place was buzzing with excitement...it, it just was...and the younger of the two Vanthas could feel himself getting swept up in it. "Var, why are you so down on this cave thing?" Nikomas asked as he took a seat and eagerly began to swish his stew around with his spoon so that it cooled enough for him to dig in. "Everyone's talking about. Everyone. Even Old Man Hamnis is excited," he noted with a nod of his toward a withered elder who had most likely experienced more than a few adventures in his very long lifetime. "That's why, Niko, everyone's talking about. It's...it's already lost its charm, its air of mystery...of danger. By morning, half of our Hold will probably be out there snooping around where they don't belong. Then someone will get hurt and the whole thing will be shut down. It's a waste of time and energy as far as I'm concerned." "Oh. I see. So...you...uh, don't like the competition?" Nikomas beamed as he poked at his thickly-sliced slab of fat that was just as hot, if not hotter than the stew. "That doesn't make any sense." "Sure it does. You don't like it that everyone is interested, because you're interested. So you're gonna pretend you don't care, when you actually really do," Nikomas continued to egg his friend on as he picked at his molten meal. "Wha...what did they cook this in? A lava flow? Anyway, it makes perfect sense." "Actually, you know what does makes sense?" "Wha'?" Nikomas replied right after he made his first feeble attempt to eat his stew and only succeeded at burning both his lips and tongue. "I think you're showing too much interest because deep down inside you're afraid to even set foot near the place...that is, if it even exists. We still don't have a sliver of proof that it does. "Okay. Now who's the one not making any sense?" "It's true. We both know, when someone talks a good talk, they usually can't walk the walk. Right? Come on. You know I'm right." Silence. "See. I'm right," Varik mocked. "Your silence says it all. Nikomas Frostfawn is spooked by some cave that may or may not actually exist! Poor little Niko is already shaking in his boots."

[Yousef]

Yousef stabbed his dinner impatiently and sighed. As the conversation between the two man went on, it became more and more apparent to the Benshira that he’d understand nothing unless he’d ask one of them. The word ‘cave’ drifted on and off of their conversation, as well as from the table next to them and the table after that—the whole Commons buzzed with the word. The foreigner rubbed his nape in frustration. “… Nikomas Frostfawn … cave …” chided one of the men beside him, he could barely make sense of their exchange. A Frostfawn, they’re Frostfawn? He angled his head curiously at the Vantha beside him, one of the grooms maybe? If one of the men were grooms he’d be less reluctant to approach them, a familiar face is much easier to approach than that of a stranger after all. He risked a quick glance to scan their faces. Tsk, I don’t recognize them, they aren’t one of the grooms. Yousef exhaled heavily in defeat. A foreigner approaching two virtual strangers and asking them for directions is one thing, but inquiring about an ice cave they’ve been heatedly talking about is another thing entirely. I can’t just walk up to them and say “Excuse me sirs but I was listening to your conversation about an ice cave and, if you don’t mind, would you so kindly explain to me in detail what all the commotion is about. In Common, if you please.” Ridiculous. He spun his fork around as his gaze fell back to his forgotten dinner. Might as well wait till I get back to the arvintha. The Benshira resigned himself to quietly finishing his meal and leaving the Commons before everybody else but as expected, he couldn’t help listening to the wild exchanges of men all around him. The table in front of him was having a rather lively conversation, one of the men had his fork in the air, declaring something in Vani, a larger man beside him scoffed and poked him in the ribs causing the other to release his fork. This earned them a loud round of laughter from their group. Yousef indulged himself in their little show and did not realize he stirred his soup too violently. Hot stew splashed his hands, making him let go of his spoon due to the shock. The utensil flew out if his grasp and landed with a clang to the table beside him. It was the table of the two men he’d sat next to. Hik.

[Nikomas]

First, Nikomas was being mocked by someone he considered to be his best friend in the entire realm, and then the next thing he knew a spoon was being thrown at him by a perfect stranger. Nikomas was not happy. Not happy at all. "Hey!" he shouted as he jumped up from his chair, grabbing the spoon as he stood. "That wasn't very nice!" he continued to shout at the young man at the next table as he waved the implement at him. From the look on the guy's face, it appeared that he not only didn't understand a word the Vantha was shouting, but he also hadn't meant to toss his utensil. The splash of stew all over his hand was enough of an indicator. "Oh...uh...here," Nikomas stammered as he changed from his native tongue to the common one upon handing the spoon back. "I didn't mean to shout at you. Are you okay?" he inquired as he pointed to his hand. "For some reason, the food around here is particularly hot." "I'm sure he's fine, Niko. Leave him alone," Varik insisted in his native tongue, not feeling the least bit inclined to switch for the sake of some stranger. "Unless you want to kiss his hand to make it all better?" "Shut up," Nikomas snapped back in common, before switching back to his native tongue. "Or, better yet, why don't you kiss my arse and make that all better?" "You wish!" Varik joked. "Maybe I do." "Okay, man, you just went too far." "Yeah, I guess I probably did," Nikomas admitted as he returned to his seat. "So, back to this cave..." "Oh, come on, Niko, not the cave again! Please. Just drop it. It's not like you're ever going to go see it anyway. You won't. I know you won't. The only way you would is if Falda asked you to...and I don't think she'll be doing that anytime soon. She's smarter than that." "Well, tough guy, why don't you go check it out for the both of us then? Huh? Or are you scared, too?" "Am I scared, too? Does that mean you're admitting that you are indeed scared? The 'too' sort of gave ya away," Varik mocked as he made his first attempt at eating his food. "I dare you!" Nikomas snapped back. "Oh, you don't want to go there with me," Varik snapped back. "Do you believe this guy?" he added in common, while he jokingly spoke with the spoon tosser at the next table, as he pointed at Nikomas. "He dares me. Ha! He dares me!" "I double dare you!" Nikomas continued in common. "You can't do that!" Varik retorted as he once again turned to the guy at the next table. "He doesn't even know how to play the game. Can you believe that?" "I know how to play." "If you knew how to play, you wouldn't have just double dared me. You have to wait for me to dare you back, then you can double dare me."