Saaral breathed the sea air deeply as he crossed the threshold into the port town of Orlot. A Lucani's nose was very keen, and picked up many scents that humans and other races couldn't, but the ocean's decaying fish smell overpowered many of the subtler odors he would have been picking up. Frankly, he didn't enjoy the smell much; it reminded Saaral of seafood, the salty flavor of which he found stifling. Even so, he cherished what time he got to spend near the ocean. Even if he didn't like the smell, the fish, the warm weather, or even swimming, looking out over the vast blue ocean brought him a sense of calm. It reminded him of winters in his homeland as a cub, when the snows and ice would blanket the flat tundra in white for as far as the eye could see. It gave him a sense of freedom and boundless possibilities, a feeling that he found he missed more often than not for the last few years.
His sense of calm was quickly shattered by the inane chattering of his "traveling companion," a haughty human that seemed unable to live without the sound of her own voice. They had run into each other by sheer chance a few weeks before at a crossroads leading to Orlot, and once she had sussed out that they had the same destination, she had decided for the both of them that they would be traveling together until they reached the port. Saaral had tolerated this purely because he had decided that she was harmless, and there was the remote possibility that he would feel guilty if he happened upon her mangled corpse on the road if they had separated. As the journey wore on though, he was willing to take those odds. She simply never shut up, constantly chattering about some pointless thing or another, oftentimes clearly trying to provoke some kind of reaction from Saaral for her own amusement. She may have made him into her bodyguard against his will, but he wouldn't be her fool, and so Saaral obstinately refused to play along. He was used to traveling alone with his own thoughts for company regardless, so keeping quiet was hardly a burden for him.
As the human girl departed with a few last remarks, Saaral sighed, his ears flattening against his skull with his mental fatigue. She didn't really contribute anything throughout their brief, shared journey. She didn't know how to hunt, or how to make camp without attracting attention, and she seemed to vanish whenever the threat of bandits or wild beasts became apparent. Even so, she cleaned up after herself and didn't slow him down in any appreciable way, so he figured a nuisance was more benign than a hindrance. Though just thinking about her shrill voice and piercing laugh made his tail twitch in irritation, and so he was glad to see the back of her.
Saaral hefted his weapon, a sturdy, practical, if somewhat dulled and rusted two-handed axe, up over his shoulder and strode into town. He was looking for work, first and foremost, and had a general idea of where to find it. A noticeboard, town crier, or constabulary would be the readiest place to find news of bounties or other work for a man of his skills. As he made his way further into the town, the press of bodies became more abundant, and they took notice of Saaral. Lucani were hardly common this far south, and he attracted attention from most people he passed by. Sailors, privateers, fellow mercenaries, and other salty personages all glowered at him, but he returned their unwelcoming countenances with his own steely gaze. He had been a warrior for a long time, and he knew very well how to deal with these types. Everything about him projected strength and experience; from the scars on his body, to the well-used axe over his shoulder, and only a fool would choose to trifle with him.
Ariamis,
Lemons,
Izurich,
TrippyNightmare,
Mixtape Ghost N,
Sep,
Expendable,
PerfectThought,
Randomness,
Rothurage