Sacred City

She spent quite some time, studying the beast while he took a few steps back in search more purer air. L'atil and T'ereni were each posted on either side of the stable watching, subtly grimacing at the foul smell that inevitably wafted to their noses. L'atil did endeavour to step away from the stable at one point, but T'ereni barked something in orin at him, and he returned to his post. There were no distinguishing elements on their attires to indicate which one was the higher-ranking guard.

Fed up with the smell and waiting, Corvin took a deep breath and closed the distance between him and Iris.

" We should have some food. I'm hungry," He almost whined, at the sound of his grumbling stomach. It was almost midday and he'd already skipped several meals on their way to Oros. Food was abundant and surprisingly good for something that had been cooked on the dusty streets of Caral.

Iris nodded, after a few moments, and said her farewell to the beast, reluctantly. He glanced over his shoulder one last time, trying to ascertain for one last time that they were indeed the nightmarish creatures he thought they were and turned his attention ahead as they made headway to the nearest food stand.

A different selection of foods and nectar-glazed bucte pastries. The vendor, an old wrinkly man, far past the prime of his age, smiled and nodded as he pointed and named each of the food in the native tongue.

Lashen rolls, which they had the day before; Ghiri Kaori, a sort of meat cooked in the sticky brownish goo; jolom, a mix of different root vegetables, grilled and spiced with cumin and preshy. Then the sweet pastries, brightly coloured wibbly wobbly cakes dripping with juices. He looked at the vendor nothing short of impressed. Age does have its benefits, he realized as he dove elbow-deep in jolom. Absolutely delicious.

Iris chose Ghiri Kaori, since he decided against meat, more so now than ever since he'd spent most of the morning looking at drosses. The thought that they could be swimming in the brownish goo made his stomach turn. They ate in silence, mostly because they were more preoccupied with wolfing down the considerable-sized portion the old man offered them. Both hummed and nodded while they sat across from the cart they bought it from.

" This is far better than I expected," Iris hummed licking her sticky fingers, overly zealous.

" The older the crow the better the soup is," Corvin quipped, making Iris look at him," Not per se," He added shoving the last bit of his cake in his mouth.

" He is older, therefor, far more skilled than the others. Some things can only be learnt from doing. Some things that cannot simply be taught. Mistakes serve a purpose," He added and took a large swig of water.

Wiping the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand he turned his attention back to the vendor, who spoke to his customers smiling and nodding.

" I have a feeling that," Iris took a deep breath, " We are not speaking of cooking anymore," She narrowed her eyes at the vendor.

" Well, we are and we aren't," He paused and leaned back against the wall," Mistakes, can be made in every possible way. It is not specific to a certain matter." He was sure that she already knew that, and the point he'd just made, in itself was pointless.

" I know," She giggled, a little mockingly, " I'm not stupid. Just, prissy," He chuckled at her retort.

" And a little petty, I've just come to realize," He amusedly replied, while she shrugged, and popped the last bit of cake in her mouth, smiling.

" I don't mind," She amusedly said, propping her chin on her shoulder, smirking at him.

" I don't mind either," He stifled a chuckle, " It's interesting, that is all," He hummed and nodded to himself.

" Interesting how?" She pried further, and for some reason, dread crept up on him, at the thought of having to answer that question.

He shrugged, " Interesting, that is all," He cooly replied, " You're not like any other que-," He cut himself off when he remembered that they were in the guard's earshot," You are not like any of the other ladies I've met," A sigh and then a few moments of silence.

" I've made plenty of mistakes," She licked her lips, interlacing her fingers in her lap, " Far too many...I've been going over the events in my head over and over, trying to find what, and where...I was selfish, too selfish. I allowed Azra to take my place, I chose to believe my father when I barely knew him. I have sacrificed my son for selfish reasons to pursue something that had already been lost, irretrievable. And the more I think about it the more it makes less sense. When Ian and I.." There was a long pause. Whenever he came into the conversation she stopped herself from speaking and often went silent for the longest stretches of time. A lost love.

" When he and I met....the way it occurred, Seth's presence, and his involvement in my escape from the Hollow," She took a deep breath," I'm starting to think that I've been swindled. Only to bring Azra to this world so he can fulfil whatever plan Seth had set in motion before he offered himself to the Hollow," She had his full attention. She had told the story between sobs, sorrow sorrow-filled words, but never put forward her thoughts on the matter.

" Then, I'm starting to believe that Ian and I were nothing but pawns in a game that has already ended. And what we had, it was never real. We never stood a chance. I never stood a chance. In the grand scheme of things, we were nothing more than moving parts, disposable ones." A good theory. Hard to prove, unless you find the culprit, and shake him down hard enough to make him spill the truth. After all, Azra had been fathered by Ian and Seth at the same time. They shared a connection that was beyond the physical realm. One was already a scheming bastard and the other already carried the seed inside him. All and all, good news for him.