[M] The Sword and the Fang [Namingtoohard & Ashen]

[Ashen]

The silence following the book’s reintroduction must have lasted only a few seconds at most, but to Lec, it stretched on long enough for them to worry about what Issa was thinking. Maybe he did think they were weird, or foolish, inappropriate. But then he burst into laughter, and Lec’s brow furrowed. “Hey!” they choked out, but by then they were laughing too. This was ridiculous, but they’d brought the book for him, to create breaks from their travels and to maintain small moments of normalcy in the face of all this stress. They had good intentions, and maybe Issa saw that too.

Though they weren’t as amused as Issa, Lec too laughed harder, spurred by the silliness of the situation, their own wasted anxiety, and Issa’s reaction beside them. When they quieted, they watched him, smiling at his expression, at the sound of his laughter. Joy. In a conversation about everything they were both missing back home, this was a beautiful reminder of what they were fighting for. So distracted by him, it took Lec a few moments to register his answer, and they were surprised at just how much they were looking forward to him agreeing. “Me too,” they said softly as they felt their cheeks warm.

Issa’s jokes reignited their laughter, and Lec waved off his exaggerated thanks. They reminded him of the hat he had stolen for them back on the ship, the one partially crushed in their pack, and pointed out how they weren’t the only one filling their world-saving journey with petty larceny. Their tone too was jovial, and as they filled the evening with their shared laughter, Lec realized just how much they enjoyed Issa’s company. He’d made them laugh like this a few times now since they’d left home, even when it was the last thing they felt like doing. He’d come at a strange time in their life, a miserable time, and as Lec thought about returning to that, their smile faded. At the end of this, they would defeat the dragon, and Lec would return to the inns of Evimaire while Issa went back to his forest. The ability to go back was why they were out here in the first place, but… Why did the thought make them so sad?

They were thankful for Issa’s interruption and the chance to dismiss thoughts of his absence. “It shouldn’t be long now,” they answered, but when their gaze rose to the sky, they faltered. This trip was supposed to take them a couple hours, and they had been keeping time by the movement of the setting sun, but they had lost track of the distance they’d trekked as they had talked and laughed with Issa. Embarrassment poked at their cheeks, and they unrolled their map to check again. There were no landmarks around them, though, and nothing marked on the map between their starting point and destination. “Not long,” they repeated vaguely.

Issa’s suggestion startled them, and Lec looked up from the map with a dismissive chuckle. “Oh, I couldn’t—” they started, but they let themselves consider it. Deflecting was their gut reaction. They still weren’t comfortable around Issa’s other forms, though perhaps less out of fear and more because they didn’t know what to do when he was an animal. Wasn’t it time to take the opportunities to fix that though? Issa had taken on several forms since they’d left Evimaire, and Lec needed to get over themselves. “Are you sure?” they asked, their uncertainty clear in their own voice.

This road was probably a good opportunity: it wasn’t so long that they’d be stuck like this, but it was long enough that they could get a feel for each other and see if this would be an option on longer journeys. Or Lec was rationalizing; they couldn’t tell. They looked at Issa with a new, shy interest. “Okay,” they mumbled. “I don’t know what animal would be most comfortable, but I should warn you that I haven’t ridden a horse in over ten years. Or… any animal, for that matter.” Certainly not an animal who was also a human sometimes. Was this weird, or were they making it weird? “If I do anything wrong, you can just tell me. Or, um, I guess you can’t, so just… bite me?” They were not doing a good job of being normal about this.

Lec turned away, muttering to themselves under their breath, before they turned back to him. “I’m sorry,” they said, “I’ve never ridden someone before. Uh—like this,” they added, their cheeks immediately darkening. “Gods,” they huffed, frustrated at the mess they were making of this conversation. “Yes. Yes, let’s try this. But if it doesn’t feel right, for any reason, we can stop, okay?”

[Namingtoohard]

When Lec asked if he was sure, Issa hesitated. He had certainly thought so. The Lucet never would’ve offered otherwise. But that simple question planted a small seed of doubt in his mind. Made him feel like he needed to reevaluate, just in case. Issa chewed on the inside of his cheek in silence, just for a moment, as he did so. Lec was offering him an easy out, if he wanted it. A few dismissive words, some awkward laughter, and they could both pretend that he’d never suggested it. And yet, when he was done, Issa was surprised to find that his resolve held firm. He met Lec’s eye and confirmed his intentions with a single, stalwart nod.

The human’s tone made it clear that they were struggling with the idea a little, so Issa listened to their concerns in patient silence, whilst considering the best way to soothe their fears. At least, up until the moment Lec suggested he bite them as retribution for any mistakes. Before Issa could stop it, an incredulous chuckle slipped from his lips. “I’m not going to bite you” he assured them. What an absurd thing to have to say. Maybe that was proof as to how strange their circumstances, this whole prophecy and quest, really were.

Before he could interrupt, Lec bumbled onwards, and made things significantly worse. Oblivious as ever, Issa completely missed the innuendo hidden in their words the first time. But when Lec doubled down, an image of what they were implying rose to the front of Issa’s mind, and his cheeks started to burn. He had no choice but to turn his head away, lest he die from embarrassment. He really, really needed to think about something else right now, before his self-control slipped, and he inevitably said something they’d both regret later. When Lec opted to press onwards, pretending nothing had happened, Issa quickly decided to follow their lead. He dragged his attention back to the matter at hand, and the heat filling his face slowly started to dissipate.

“You’re overthinking it” he answered, once he trusted himself to speak again. There was no sense of chastisement to his words – Issa spoke them as a simple statement of fact. “Just because I’m going to look like a horse doesn’t mean I have to behave like one. I can lie down so you can climb on, and again if I need you to get off. You won’t need to worry about me getting spooked and rearing, or drinking contaminated water, or breaking a leg on uneven ground. All you really need to do is hold on…and maybe give me directions if the road splits.”

The thought of Lec burying their hands in his hair quickly threatened to distract Issa again, but he pushed the thought aside before it could take hold. Given the circumstances, he doubted it would be anywhere near as fun as his imagination wanted him to believe. Just like last time, he decided pressing onwards was the best course. “I don’t want to pull anything on our first attempt, so I’ll need to warm up before I can really get moving. Hopefully that’ll give you a chance to find your rhythm. Now, is there anything else you wanted to cover? I won’t be able to answer you once I’m a horse, so if you have any more questions, now’s the time.”

Once Lec was ready, Issa took a moment to glance in both directions. When he was certain that there weren’t any other people around, and that there weren’t any cars coming, he stepped out into the road, where there was a little more space. He took a moment to roll his shoulders and shake out his legs, trying to limber up a little before he took his new shape. Then he turned his attention towards Lec, one last time.

“Just don’t get any funny ideas about our accommodations tonight. If you try and make me sleep outside with the other animals, I really will bite you.” A ghost of a smile flickered over his features, before he finally turned his attention inwards, and began the familiar process of transforming. His form twisted, and a familiar wave of pain washed over him. Then his human body was gone, leaving an inconspicuous black paint horse in its place.

It took Issa a moment to adjust to this new form. He wasn’t used to horses, and the strange way their monocular and binocular vision blended left him feeling particularly disoriented. He blinked rapidly for a few seconds, until his brain adjusted, and his vision settled. Then he tested out his legs and rolled his joints, much like he had in human form. The Lucet even took a moment to crick his neck and swish his new tail. Then, at long last, he was ready. Issa lowered himself down, until his stomach was resting against the pavement. The sensation was incredibly uncomfortable, but he’d deal with it, for Lec’s sake. Then the Lucet turned his head until he could fix a single crimson eye on them, before nickering softly in both invitation and encouragement.

[Ashen]

Something about the directness in Issa’s words rendered Lec silent. They were overthinking, they always were, but they weren’t used to people so openly calling them out on that. They didn’t feel scolded; Issa’s observation was just a simple fact that hung between them. In a way, it was even comforting, as if Issa was trying to tell them they had nothing to worry about. Lec wasn’t sure they could trust him on that—they would always have reason to worry, broken as their brain was—but the assurance did not go unnoticed nor unappreciated.

They didn’t have any questions for him, or couldn’t think of any quickly enough to not make the silence awkward, but they did think it important to establish a kind of signal they could use if they wanted to get off him. Once they’d done that, Lec took a wary step away from Issa and waited for him to do his thing.

It still felt so strange. Lec had watched Issa’s transformations a handful of times now, cringing at the snapping of bones and the stretching of skin. It was a miracle, what Issa could do, and it still hurt to look at. But Lec watched him patiently, wanting to understand. It was a magic not unlike their own, and thus not easily understood by those not raised around it, but that was what made it all the more intriguing. There was beauty in it, and even if Lec had heard stories about these shifts all their life, they were nothing like watching the impossibility of one unfold before their eyes. In just a few moments, Issa was standing there in his new form, ready to get on with their journey.

Lec didn’t know how much control Issa had over his patterns and colors, or if he noticed them at all, but Lec laughed at the fact that he was even a pretty horse. Their smile faded as they started to hesitating, wondering if this really was okay to do. A human riding a Lucet; things like that were unheard of, weren’t they? How weird would it have been to back out now? Very weird, they decided with a shake of their head. They would not sabotage their journey because of their own unresolved issues around Issa and his people’s shifting.

Lec swallowed and approached Issa tentatively, as if he might actually bite them. When he glanced back at them, that dark eye was so much more innerving in the shape of a horse’s, and Lec paused, fear passing over their face. He had assured them that, even in this form, he was still Issa, and Lec trusted Issa, but Lec couldn’t see the man they had gotten to know anymore. They saw instead the creatures in their storybooks, the one that had attacked them all those years ago in a flurry of claws, the blood.

Lec stumbled back, a hand subconsciously flying to their neck, as if they could rip the claws out of them in their memory. They turned away from Issa, embarrassed. He wasn’t like that. He couldn’t be, in this form, and their fears were irrational. But knowing that their emotions were without logic didn’t make them any less sharp, and as Lec approached Issa again, anxiety prickled under their skin, impossible to ignore.

“I’m going to… get on now.” They hated how nervous they sounded, and they hoped horse ears were different, less attuned to the emotions of humans, so they wouldn’t worry Issa too. Lec tried to remember how they had been taught to mount a horse, when they’d been just a child. They settled their hands on the back of Issa’s neck, lifted a leg across his back, and slowly lowered themselves onto him. They immediately felt weird; did Issa really not mind having their weight on him? Having them so close to him like this? If Issa were any other man, Lec would be uncomfortable being in such close proximity. But the thought was moot; Issa wasn’t any other man, and he had assured them already, so Lec tried to swallow their anxiety and get comfortable.

“Okay,” they said, as much to Issa as themselves. When Issa rose, they startled at the sudden motion and clutched to his mane. They quickly apologized, loosened their grip, and took a breath. How was this supposed to go again? They didn’t have reins, didn’t even have a saddle, and they’d certainly never learned to ride bareback. But that was the whole point of this. Issa had called it finding their rhythm. This was an opportunity to understand how they fit together, and they’d never learn anything if Lec kept overthinking it all.

It took a while for the weirdness to go away. Lec found a position that was comfortable, and eventually, the grip on Issa’s mane relaxed, the tension in their shoulders fell, and they could trust Issa to not let them fall. He was a lot quicker to warm up to them than they were, because soon he was darting forward, faster than Lec had expected, and they had to grab him again just to keep on.

It was… fun. Trotting down the empty road, taking in the sights and smells of the forest a little distance away, while the wind blew through their hair; there was an exhilaration that came with traveling this way. Issa was a beautiful creature, his strong legs making the gait smooth and weightless, his mane billowing around him. There were still those eyes, so dark and eerie, but after a while, even the fear of those subsided. Lec wondered why they had never been back to ride a horse, but they then considered that it wasn’t just the ride that they were enjoying now. It was Issa, knowing he trusted them enough to do this. Was it really just the faster travel that had led Issa to the suggestion, or was there something else? Lec stared down at their hands on his neck and wondered how this felt for him.

When a spattering of buildings came into view, Lec was surprised at their own disappointment. They pointed ahead and told Issa where they were headed, and when they were close enough, they hopped off of him when he gave them the opportunity. They were far enough away that no one would see Issa change, but close enough that the rest of the walk wouldn’t be tiring. The ride had saved them a lot of time, judging by the position of the sun, maybe enough time to even explore this new city a little.

Lec took a step, and a dull pain ran up their legs. They were definitely not used to horseback riding, and they cringed. Some rest would do them good. They turned towards Issa. “That went better than I expected,” they admitted. Even if they hadn’t spoken on the ride, and Issa couldn’t have spoken back, they had enjoyed his company. Knowing he was there with them, trapped in this same prophecy with the same grief and fear, made handling Lec’s own emotions a lot more manageable. They couldn’t help but feel that this experience had drawn them closer, but the thought of that left them shaking their head at themselves. They smiled at Issa. “I hope that was okay for you too.”

[Namingtoohard]

There was no missing the way Lec faltered. Not when they stumbled back, away from Issa, like he’d dealt them a physical blow. The Lucet couldn’t help but watch as one of Lec’s hands flew to their neck, seeking out the scars left by one of his kin. Not for the first time, he found himself wondering which of them had wounded this human so badly. Maimed them so severely that the scar tissue marked the lesser half of the damage done, before letting them live. But even if he’d been capable of speaking, Issa wouldn’t have dared ask. It felt wrong, to pry open the wounds left by another of his kind, to violate Lec’s privacy and force them to relive their darkest moments, just to satiate his curiosity.

Instead, Issa considered abandoning this venture. Considered rising from his seat, transforming back into his human form, and apologizing for ever suggesting this course of action. A few awkward moments, and then they could go back to the way things had been earlier and pretend this had never happened. Maybe that would be best. They’d end up travelling slower, but only when they weren’t using human transportation. He wasn’t sure how they’d fight together like this, but they’d cross that bridge when they came to it, right? A problem for another day.

And yet, before Issa could commit to this course of action, Lec spoke. Insisted that they were going to get on now, despite how much they were struggling. Uncertainty gripped Issa, but he did his best to squash it. If Lec thought they could manage, then who was he, to deny them the opportunity to try? And so, he waited patiently as Lec laid a hand on his neck, swung a leg over him, and successfully lowered themselves onto his back.

Issa waited another couple of moments, just to make sure Lec was settled, before he finally rose to his full height. He was surprised to find that their weight was…not insignificant, exactly, but inconsequential. Noticeable, but nothing compared to the strength of his back, and the potential sleeping in these new muscles. Potential that he was excited to explore, now that he had the opportunity. Despite the warning he’d given Lec earlier, Issa found that he wanted to run. To see just how far and fast he could push himself, against his own better judgement. Instead, he forced himself to consider his passenger and set off at a comfortable walk, just as he’d told Lec he would.

Once he was feeling sufficiently warm, and Lec had relaxed their grip on his mane a little, Issa started to pick up the pace. He moved up to a trot, and found himself marveling at how effortless it felt. Even with Lec’s weight on his back, the Lucet was quietly confident that he could keep this sort of pace up all day. Again, he felt the urge to take off. To let loose and see what this body could really do. But again, consideration for Lec won out, and Issa refrained. Instead, he decided to relax, and just enjoy this little jaunt for what it was.

He wasn’t sure how long they’d been travelling when Lec pointed out the building that marked the end of today’s journey. Issa felt a pang of disappointment at the news, before immediately feeling foolish. It wasn’t like they were about to go their separate ways, or that they’d never have this opportunity again. Mentally scolding himself for his own silliness, the Lucet kneeled down, and waited for Lec to climb from his back. Once they were clear, he turned his attention inwards, and began the process of transforming back into a human. One brief flash of pain later, he stood on two human legs and began to stretch, preemptively trying to mitigate some of the soreness that might plague him tomorrow.

When Lec spoke, Issa couldn’t help but match their smile. Another innuendo pushed its way to the front of his mind, mirroring those Lec had made when he’d first suggested this course of action. The answer he voiced aloud, however, was considerably more palatable. “Honestly? Yeah. I knew horses were strong, but even so, I’m kind of stunned by how easy that was. I probably could’ve gotten us here even faster without causing any real issues.” A soft groan slipped from his lips as he rolled one of his shoulders, but he was quick to continue. “I definitely need a bath now, or nobody will want to sit next to me for dinner. But that feels like a small price to pay, right?”

Having said his piece, Issa turned his attention towards the inn they were supposed to be staying at. He started towards it, only to stumble immediately. Like he’d tripped over a root or stone, except there were none to be seen. Thankfully, he managed to catch himself before he hit the ground. The Lucet threw a glance back at Lec them, offering them a sheepish smile. “Sorry. Thought I still had four legs for a second there.” He still remembered the way Lec had reacted, the last time he’d made a mistake like that. But they’d come a long way since then, hadn’t they? Hopefully they’d be able to appreciate the humor of the situation this time, instead of reaching for the scars marking their throat again.

Once they reached the inn, Issa pushed the front door open and stepped over the threshold. He held it for Lec while he cast his gaze about the room, taking in their home for the night. First impressions were…disappointing. The place was cozy enough, with a crackling fireplace sitting in one corner. But it was both smaller and emptier than the inn where Lec had performed for him, back in Evimaire. Then again, considering how that trip had ended, maybe that was a good thing. “What first? We probably need to speak to someone about buying the room, right?” That seemed like a logical conclusion for a new place. “I still want to make time for that lesson, but I wouldn’t object to some food first, either.”

[Ashen]

Lec was relieved to know Issa hadn’t been bothered by their new mode of travel, but his claim that he could move even more efficiently gave Lec pause. Maybe they would be able to make quick work of this country and make it to the dragon faster than they’d thought. And then they could… what? Die to its fiery breath? Its razor-sharp claws or its thick, powerful tail? Before they could get too far into their fears, the sound of Issa’s pain pulled all of their thoughts, and they turned to him sharply. His transformations still didn’t seem worth it to them, but they held their tongue. It was his unique ability that had gotten them here so fast. And it was only through Issa’s other forms that they were able to get so physically close, too. Lec would be lying if they claimed they hadn’t enjoyed that.

The two of them started towards the city, but when Issa stumbled, Lec quickly made to catch him. He was able to right himself with laughter on his tongue. Lec’s gaze flicked to Issa’s legs, frowning. “It seems like it would be disorienting,” they commented. Lec could only compare Issa’s feeling to the experience they got onstage, after dancing with a magic sword, when they sparked their weapon right out of their own hands. That must have been nothing compared to the total body-altering changed Issa went through. They were so quick, easy, making Issa always ready to become something else at a moment’s notice. Lec swallowed, hard. Issa was on their side. They knew he was on their side.

At the inn, Lec took in the quaint decorations in the lobby and the comforting sound of the crackling fireplace. It was an inn like any other, they told themselves, but they couldn’t help but compare it to the much grander Moonlit Dragon back in Evimaire. This place didn’t even have a stage, so they must not have employed live entertainment. Lec frowned at that. They had their savings, of course, though those were dwindling with each new step of this journey. Being a performer meant they could find work anywhere, could dance for the price of a room, but if more inns were like this one, they didn’t know what they would do once their coin purse was empty. Maybe they could convince Issa to spend a few nights outdoors, sleeping together under the stars, huddled close for warmth. It sounded romantic, and Lec’s cheeks colored at the stupid thought.

Issa spoke, and Lec nodded along. They were happy to hear him bring up their reading lesson; they felt less childish about the whole thing knowing he was looking forward to it too. But as much as they were looking forward to that, they had to admit that they were hungry, and they weren’t the one who had carried them both here. “We talk to the innkeeper about the room,” Lec explained. “Usually they’d be in the main room to greet their guests, but…” They were alone. Lec approached the counter in the back and tried to see through the window of the door behind it. When they didn’t see anyone, they flicked the bell on the counter.

A muffled voice answered them from the next room, and after a minute, a woman came through the door, annoyance twisting her expression. When she saw the two of them, her expression fell. “Oh,” she said, as if she’d been expecting someone else. “What can I do for you?”

Once Lec exchanged some coins for a key to their room, they walked with Issa down the hall and located the door their key opened. Their room was tiny, barely big enough to walk around the two beds, but it was clean and warm. Lec sat on the bed further from the hall and was relieved to find the mattress soft and the sheets smelling faintly of lavender. If they let themselves, they could fall asleep now and not rise until the next morning. But there was too much to do, so once they both got a feel for their room and took a minute to rest, they were off in search of some food.

In this new city, Lec found themselves just as overwhelmed as they had been in the last. There was so much to explore, so many options for food and snacks and drinks that they didn’t know where to begin. Money was a factor, and they kept a mental track of all the coins they’d spend so far. Lec didn’t know how long this journey would be, but they needed to better stretch their coins so that they could even reach the bringer of the apocalypse with enough to get home. Though, maybe it was better to ensure they were warm and fed now, money be damned, so that they would be at their best when it came time to fight? Lec didn’t know.

They looked at Issa. He was gazing at the new sights with that same wonder he’d had for all of the places that weren’t his forest. Lec let out a sigh. They wanted to involve him as much as they could, but they didn’t know how the Lucet concepts of money differed from elsewhere, and they didn’t see the point in burdening Issa with their financial burdens.

“Did anywhere look good to you?” Lec cast another look around, and from where they were standing, they could already spot several locations where they could eat. “We saved a lot of time coming here,” they continued, “so we could sit down and eat somewhere. Or, if you prefer, we could get our food to-go and find somewhere else to eat. A sit-down place might be the more fulfilling meal, though, and if I’m honest, I would prefer to stay in one place for a little while.” Their eye caught on a café down the street, and not even they understood the words on the menu out front. “I know as much about this place as you do, so either way, we’ll be explore some new things together.”

[Namingtoohard]

When Lec stepped towards the counter, Issa remained put, perfectly happy to let his human handle these unfamiliar circumstances. At least, up until the moment that Lec dinged the small bell sitting atop the polished wood. The Lucet’s attention had skipped over it earlier, but now his eyes were drawn to the source of the unfamiliar sound. He was gripped by the impulsive urge to ring it himself, just for the experience, despite the fact the innkeeper had already emerged. But the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to his Lucet self, or annoy his travelling companion. Instead, Issa busied himself with the straps of his bag, wrestling with his self-control in silence. Right up until the moment their transaction was complete, and Lec led him up the stairs.

Once they found the right door, Issa was quick to follow Lec inside. It didn’t take him long to appraise their home for the night, given its size. The layout reminded him of their living quarters aboard the ship, actually, and the Lucet found himself wondering if all human bedrooms were deliberately designed as such. When Lec claimed one bed, he was quick to dump his bag by the other, before moving to peer out the window. He spent a few moments admiring the small glimpse of the city visible beyond the glass, until Lec was ready to depart. Then he fell into step behind them once more, his brain buzzing and his stomach rumbling in anticipation.

Now that he’d been relieved of all transport-related duties, Issa was finally able to focus his full attention on the city, and it didn’t take him long to lose himself in their new surroundings. The unfamiliar streets, buildings and people all competed to draw his eye, and his attention flitted between them like a hummingbird darting between flowers. At least, until the moment that Lec managed to draw him back with the promise of food.

“I think I’d prefer to sit and eat” Issa agreed quickly. As excited as he was to explore another human city, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to experience another new facet of their culture. And after his efforts to get them here, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sit and rest for a little while, either. Then, when Lec confessed they were on the same page as him, Issa gave them a small grin. He wasn’t quite convinced that their situations were the same, but the idea of trying something new together charmed him nonetheless. “Really? In that case, let’s see what we can find.”

Given free reign to explore, Issa wandered off again. He let his nose lead him this time, and while it wasn’t as potent as the feline one he’d worn earlier that day, it wasn’t long before he found himself standing outside a restaurant, bathed in the glow of its sign. At first, Issa found his attention drawn to one of their menus, stuck in the window for everyone to see. An attempt at drawing in more people, perhaps? But given his inability to read, Issa quickly passed it over in favor of looking at the people beyond the glass instead.

The table closest to the window was occupied by two women, who were both nursing their own bowl of…was that stew? The thought reminded Issa of home, but he didn’t recognize any of the fillings, aside from the obvious cuts of meat. He briefly considered asking if they could eat here, just so he could experience the humans’ take on a dish he was so familiar with. But after a brief moment, Issa decided against it. He was already homesick enough as is, and they’d already agreed to try and find something new. Something neither of them had tasted before. “Let’s keep looking” he offered to Lec, before wandering away again.

It wasn’t long before Issa placed himself in front of another shop. This one was smaller, but the interior looked more ornate. The chairs were made of red wood, carved into patterns, and the tables were covered with bright cloth, as if the owners weren’t afraid of people spilling things on them. The food, too, was unfamiliar and strange. One person had a dish filled with small white grains, mixed with meat and vegetables. Another had theirs topped with meat, the type made unrecognizable by the incredibly thick sauce. The door swung open when another person exited, and Issa was struck by the smell of unfamiliar spices, heavier and more overpowering than he would’ve expected.

“How about here?” Issa tore his eyes away from the window and threw a glance at Lec, eager to see what they thought. An undeniable hint of interest had crept into his tone, but he told himself that he’d keep an open mind, just in case Lec wasn’t interested. Even if they wanted to go somewhere else, they’d find another type of food that seemed just as alluring. Probably. When they agreed, he was quick to rush for the door.

Once they’d been seated in one of the vacant booths, Issa pointedly ignored the menu, for much the same reasons as before. Instead, he cast his attention towards the other tables again. That seemed like a better course than trying to bother Lec into helping him choose, if they were really just as ignorant about this type of cuisine as he was. “I want…whatever those people are having” he offered, with a vague gesture towards the table that had caught his eye. Hopefully Lec would be able to match his choice to an item on the menu, but if not, he was confident that the restaurant’s staff would be able to help.

After they had both eaten their fill, and Lec had paid for the meal, Issa slipped back out into the street again. He waited until they were definitely out of earshot before he finally turned to his travelling partner. “That was weird” he announced, his voice still a little raspy. The burning sensation that filled his nose and mouth and throat and made his eyes water still lingered, though it was less intense than before. Probably thanks to the copious amounts of water he’d drank. “The food was hot, but not temperature hot. I didn’t know it could do that.” He was pretty sure he’d seen one of the waitresses laughing at him behind her hands, but it was hard to blame her. And despite the consequences, he’d had a hard time regretting his choice. He’d still learned and experienced something new, even if things hadn’t turned out quite as well as he’d been hoping.

[Ashen]

The restaurant Issa chose was surprisingly high-quality despite its affordable price point. The place was clean and the food was fresh, though Lec found it difficult to focus on what they were eating, even hungry as they were. Issa was entertaining as he sat across from them at the table, neglecting the menu and the folded up napkin as he pointed at other patrons and practically wiggled out of his chair. Lec might have been embarrassed by his behavior once, but they found his inexperience in these situations charming. Issa was just ignorant and excited, and though Lec wondered if he would ever go to enough restaurants to understand the unsaid social laws surrounding them, they hoped he’d always hold that childlike wonder and enthusiasm for the mundane.

Issa decided on a spicy mix of meats and vegetables, the name of which sounded like a magic spell in the server’s mouth, and Lec thought to stop him, but they reconsidered. Issa could decide on his own meals, and maybe his choice of something so fiery was intentional. Lec ordered for themselves a decorated salad with so many ingredients they couldn’t even guess at how it would all work together, but it did, beautifully and deliciously and in a way that was so filling they wondered how they would ever move again afterwards. But they managed, and once Issa was done drowning the fire his food had ignited in his stomach, they left the restaurant and wondered where to go next.

Lec laughed heartily at Issa’s comments, delighted to have been audience to the Lucet’s first experience with human spice. “Spiciness is like that,” they said, nodding along. “You don’t have hot peppers in your forest?” Their smile faded, and they regretted their words. Maybe now wasn’t the time to be reminding Issa of the home he’d left behind. Lec straightened and looked out at the sky. They hadn’t spent much time at the restaurant—they had both been too hungry to stall their meals—and that meant they probably some time before they needed to head back to the inn to finally rest. Lec remembered the conversation with Issa before lunch, after he’d shed his horse skin to resume his human form. He had mentioned something about a bath.

Maybe it was a dumb idea. Maybe it was inappropriately forward of them, even, to talk their traveling companion into ditching all his clothes like that. The thought darkened Lec’s cheeks. No, they scolded themselves forcefully, baths were normal, were part of routine hygiene, and they did not have to make everything so weird. This city probably didn’t even have a bathhouse, and they were embarrassing themselves for nothing—

“Hey, do you mind if we stop over there?” Lec pointed out a building with a large sign out front that had words in several languages, most of which Lec couldn’t read. They motioned Issa along, only stopping outside the door for the briefest moment to marvel at the other scripts’ stylization of the words tourist center. Inside, they found a small building filled with shelves and racks of different books, brochures, and guides with colorful illustrations. Lec spotted several flyers advertising an excursion soon of some mountain trail nearby. A group of people in bright hats were standing around talking to each other about an upcoming tour. Lec avoided eye contact with them and made a beeline for a spinning rack with different sized maps. They selected one and unrolled it.

They only needed to search for a moment before finding what they were looking for. This city did have a bathhouse, and the thought of washing all the travel and anxiety off their skin sounded divine. When was the last time they’d had a chance to shampoo their hair? Lec set the map back and turned to Issa, but noticing again all the people standing around and looking at them, Lec awkwardly guided him back outside.

Lec realized they were dragging Issa along again, and they hesitated. They weren’t being fair to him by keeping him in the dark. “This is a tourist center,” they explained, motioning towards the building they’d just come from. “That’s where locals can get together and inform people like us—that is, people visiting this city, either for leisure or for business—of the fun things there are to do around here. I only wanted to borrow a map, because the one we have is too big. It shows the whole continent, which means it can’t show every building in every city. And I wanted to check the map for, um…” Were they rambling? Lec swallowed the anxiety telling them to stop talking. “Have you heard of bathhouses?” they asked. “They’re public places where you can go and relax or socialize and have a bath. The ones in Evimaire make their soaps and shampoos in house, and they always smelled so nice. Some places have aromatherapy too, and that might be a welcome reprieve after everything.”

Lec turned away, their anxiety rumbling in their chest. When was the las time they had asked someone to a bathhouse with them? Probably when they’d been a teenager. They did not need to make this time as awkward as that one had been. “You mentioned smelling like a horse,” they commented, but their eyes widened as they realized how their words might be interpreted. “Not that I think you do, just… I mean, if you wanted to clean yourself, a bathhouse would be a good way to do it. And there’s one just a few streets down that way,” they said, pointing in the opposite direction of their inn. “If you were interested.”