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<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nChapter Two<\/strong><\/p>\n The next morning, after mustering up enough will to go through his routine, he took the chamberpot to the sewer opening and emptied it. \u201cThanks for filling it, fellas,\u201d he grumped to himself, \u201cAt least none of you missed this time.\u201d<\/p>\n With midday upon it, the shantytown was busy and full of activity. Children played in the narrow alleys, women did their laundry at the wash fountains, and dogs wandered about. After retrieving his water pitcher from his home, Azarola made his way to the well to fill it. Once he returned to his apartment, he quietly washed before picking up his guitar and leaving his sleeping roommates behind again.<\/p>\n His usual morning route included a stop in a narrow alley packed full of tiny eateries. He found an open stool at one of his preferred stalls and ignored that it wobbled when he sat on it. The owner quickly served up his order of two boiled eggs, butter on toast, and black coffee. During the day, the alley was a good place to get a cheap meal, but he avoided visiting it at night. Cleaning puke off his boots once was enough for him.<\/p>\n Sated, Azarola returned to his post in the plaza to play his guitar and wait for the evening. The weather was fair and the breeze refreshing, making the wearisome day enjoyable. The shadow of an airship clipped the plaza and he looked to the sky to watch it placidly float high above the city, never pausing in his song. As the sun dipped below the skyline, the girl with the bobbed red hair paused to listen. Azarola smiled at her and kept playing. Swallowing against his anxiety failed to alleviate the tension in his throat. \u201cHi,\u201d he finally managed to greet without stopping his fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cHello,\u201d the girl replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI-I see you a lot around here.\u201d<\/p>\n A grin plucked at the corners of her painted lips. \u201cI would imagine so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Azarola,\u201d he blurted, \u201cWhat\u2019s yours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRohita.\u201d Her eyes glinted as they took stock of him. \u201cYou\u2019re real Senviran, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Switching his language from Inexan to Senviran, he answered in a paraphrase of an old ballad, \u201cI can be as Senviran as the beautiful girl wants me to be. My heart yearns to please her.\u201d<\/p>\n She giggled and waved her hand in a fanning gesture. \u201cOh, you! Do you say that to all the girls that pass by?\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking in Inexan again, Azarola shook his head, \u201cNo. Just you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope you don\u2019t say that to all the girls that ask!\u201d Rohita remarked with a lilting laugh. \u201cBut you\u2019ll have to wait to please me until another day, sunshine. I have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola stuttered for moment, \u201cW-Wait, you could understand me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurprised?\u201d She planted a hand on her hip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. \u201cWell, I only know a little. I\u2019m still learning.\u201d With fluid grace, she pivoted to walk away.<\/p>\n Azarola called out after her. \u201cYou\u2019ll be coming by this way later, right?\u201d<\/p>\n The click of her heels against the stone pavers paused. \u201cYes, but it\u2019ll be very late, because I work at a nightclub.\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola beamed, having the counter to her unspoken challenge. \u201cReally? Same here! Which one?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Silver Moon,\u201d she answered proudly.<\/p>\n His brow raised the brim of his hat at that. The Silver Moon was a well-known and very popular place in the nightlife scene. He had tried several times to land a gig there, but the owners would not have him. \u201cWhat would a nice girl like you be doing in a place like that?\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled slyly and half-lidded her violet eyes. \u201cWell, I dance with the unfortunate men who don\u2019t have partners. That\u2019s what I do. Where do you work?\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola was almost ashamed to admit where, now that he heard of her prestigious position. \u201cEmerald Paradise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard of that,\u201d Rohita remarked, \u201cA gambling hall, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s some dancing there, too. I play in the band.\u201d He glanced at the station\u2019s clock tower. \u201cWhen do you leave work?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery, very late,\u201d she answered, \u201cAnd I\u2019ll be late if I stay to chat for much longer. Nice to meet you, Azarola.\u201d She hurried out of the plaza, leaving the busker to his work.<\/p>\n He struggled to keep any sort of focus on the foot traffic and possible patrons passing by. Instead, he thought about how he could see Rohita again, preferably for a longer time. He worked over his ideas all through the night as he played his guitar at Rijan\u2019s. Did she leave work before or after he did? Surely she had to catch one of the late night or early morning trains that passed through the plaza station. Loitering in the plaza at such an odd hour was bound to give him trouble, either by the police or by robbers. He was armed, he reminded himself, but that did little to help against the risk of the local authorities chasing him away.<\/p>\n Even so, after his shift at Rijan\u2019s, he went to the plaza where he normally played. Despite the biting chill of the night air, he waited in the shadows, keeping his ears sharp for any sound of trouble all the while. Just when he thought that he had missed Rohita, he spotted her figure briskly walking under the lamplight toward the station. She clutched her long coat closed about her short dress as she hurried along.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night,\u201d Azarola quipped as he approached her.<\/p>\n Rohita\u2019s stance shifted to wary readiness. \u201cIs that so?\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola lifted his hands in a gesture of peace. She looked like she was about to draw a weapon on him. \u201cCan I walk you home? Treat you to breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n She lifted her chin and planted a hand on her hip. \u201cSure, you can treat me to breakfast, but you can\u2019t walk me home.\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola cheerily bobbed his head. \u201cWell, it\u2019s a start.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKnow of any good places on this end of town?\u201d she asked as she led the way out of the plaza.<\/p>\n Azarola was caught off guard by the flirty sway of her hips and he verbally staggered and stumbled on his answer. Blinking and wrestling his attention back to the question at hand, he replied, \u201cUh, yeah. Yeah, I know a place that\u2019s open at this hour.\u201d<\/p>\n He escorted her to Barne\u2019s Cafe and they took seats at the counter. \u201cHer name\u2019s Rohita,\u201d he announced to the proprietor.<\/p>\n \u201cWell! Not every day I see a face that pretty come in here,\u201d the old man greeted with every sparkle of charm he could summon. \u201cSo, what can I get the fine young lady?\u201d<\/p>\n Rohita scanned over the menu scrawled on the blackboard. \u201cThe savory crepe, if you please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI most certainly do!\u201d Barne turned to Azarola, \u201cWhat about you? Another egg salad sandwich to go with your buttermilk?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cScrambled eggs and sausage, this time. Buttermilk, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Soon, Faerd came in and complained to Barne about work over an order of fried ham and eggs. Azarola didn\u2019t listen to the conversation. Rohita\u2019s thoughtful stare owned his attention. \u201cUm, is there something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo! Not at all,\u201d she assured him. \u201cIt\u2019s your hair I was looking at.\u201d She pointed to the nearly waist-length mane that he wore tied at the nape, \u201cThe men who just dress up like Senvira for acts don\u2019t grow it out. Not like that. You\u2019re genuine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA long haired boy and a short haired girl,\u201d he reflected, \u201cThe world really is turned on its head.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust the way I like it,\u201d Rohita quipped with a playful tilt of her head. Her expression settled to one more neutral. \u201cWhat was your name again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAzarola. My friends call me Az.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAzarola. That\u2019s an interesting name,\u201d Rohita remarked, \u201cI haven\u2019t heard it before. Does your name mean anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. Does it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNames have power and they say a lot about those who bear them,\u201d she told him, \u201cI was just trying to find out who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n He chortled under his breath. \u201cYou almost sound like those mystics in the front of Senviran District.\u201d<\/p>\n Rohita flashed her pearly teeth at that, flattered and proud. \u201cDo you want to know what my name means?\u201d<\/p>\n Shaking his head, he answered, \u201cI don\u2019t need to know. You\u2019re still you, no matter what name you have.\u201d<\/p>\n She propped her chin up with her pale hand. \u201cWhat if I had no name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat wouldn\u2019t change anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you certain?\u201d Rohita leaned closer and Azarola caught the rose and jasmine notes of her perfume. \u201cI\u2019ve seen people give themselves all sorts of names for all sorts of reasons. I met one guy who changed his name throughout the day and changed his character along with it.\u201d She leaned back in her chair, making it creak. \u201cSee, if you wanted to go to the factories, you could just cut your hair, put some coveralls on, and call yourself Az. You would be just another workaday man. However, if you cut your hair another way, put on a suit, and introduced yourself with an Inexan name, you could walk into the office. If you change your name, you can change your life.\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola shook his head in disagreement. \u201cWho I am doesn\u2019t change. It\u2019s just the way everyone else sees me. As it is, I grow my hair out, dress like a postcard Senvira, and call myself Azarola, people believe in my music more. It becomes more exotic and exciting and people are more willing to pay for that. What\u2019s underneath the name and costume stays the same. It\u2019s all a performance.\u201d<\/p>\n Barne soon served up their breakfasts. Rohita\u2019s fork hovered over her plate. \u201cSo, you\u2019re not Senviran?\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola chuckled around a mouthful of eggs. \u201cIf I wasn\u2019t, I wouldn\u2019t be doing this. Not this way.\u201d He swallowed his bite and admitted with a shrug, \u201cI\u2019m a mongrel. Hope that doesn\u2019t disappoint you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, not at all,\u201d Rohita answered, \u201cSo, you were raised by the Senviran half of your family?\u201d<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, Azarola poked at a sausage with his fork. \u201cNot exactly.\u201d Spearing the meat, he popped a bite into his mouth. \u201cWhat about you? You have an Ixpolian name, but you look like you\u2019re from the Esena province. Why\u2019s a nice girl like you working late nights in a town like this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m taking care of myself,\u201d she curtly answered. Rohita\u2019s red lips pulled into a frown and she stabbed her fork into her crepe.<\/p>\n Azarola raised an eyebrow at the angry display, wondering if he touched a nerve. \u201cNothing wrong with that. You\u2019ll be the stronger for it, right?\u201d<\/p>\n At that, Rohita smiled. \u201cRight. Even the fortunetellers at Senviran Street have told me that. Oh! Do you know a Madame Zuri?\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola shook his head. \u201cNo. Never heard of her.\u201d He cut into his sausage. \u201cBut I don\u2019t spend much time in Senviran Street. I\u2019m only here in Ixpoli during the winter months. In a couple of months, I\u2019m leaving town until the autumn festivals are done.\u201d<\/p>\n Rohita paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. \u201cWhat? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI travel the countryside, going from festival to festival,\u201d Azarola answered, \u201cI play my guitar during the events and make some money as I go. Sometimes I join up with other performers and sometimes I\u2019m solo. It all depends on if we\u2019re trying to get into the same place and they\u2019re being nice to me. Now and then, I have to cut and run or end up getting in a fight. That\u2019s usually a troupe, though. The whole many versus one thing puts some strange thoughts into people\u2019s heads.\u201d<\/p>\n Rohita leaned towards him, forgetting her plate. \u201cSo, you just wander the countryside all summer? That must be exciting! How long have you been doing that?\u201d<\/p>\n He thought it over for a moment, taking a mental tally. \u201cWell, this summer will be my fourth as a performer, but I started traveling well before that.\u201d He reached over and patted he guitar leaning against the wall. \u201cI was eleven when I learned how to play this. There was this group of players, Senviran players, that I met on the road out of Ixpoli that took me in. They got caught up in some bad business and they all went to jail some months later. I got away and came back here, so I could find some food and shelter for the winter. When the weather got warm enough, I decided to try my luck again and went south. Music may not be a big paycheck, but it beats the factories.\u201d He waggled the fingers of his free hand in the air. \u201cI\u2019m less likely to lose these.\u201d After a quiet moment of dining, he asked his companion, \u201cI\u2019m guessing that you\u2019ve spent time outside of Ixpoli?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy family has a cottage retreat in the mountains that we visit during the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola\u2019s eyebrows rose and his jaw dropped. \u201cYour family has more than one house and you\u2019re a taxi dancer in a nightclub?\u201d<\/p>\n Rohita shrugged with closed eyes. \u201cI live my own life, now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd your family approves?\u201d<\/p>\n She snorted and leaned back in her chair. \u201cOf course not! I don\u2019t need their approval!\u201d<\/p>\n Azarola chewed his bite of sausage thoughtfully, not sure how to safely reply to that. It didn\u2019t seem right that a girl from a family of any wealth would be on her own. There had to be more to the story, but he decided that he wasn\u2019t going to be that nosy. \u201cWell, as long as you\u2019re not going hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n Sitting tall, she lifted her chin and pursed her lips. \u201cI can take care of myself.\u201d She finished her crepe and pushed her plate away. \u201cWell, it was a lovely meal, Az, but I have to go home. Take care.\u201d She picked up her suitcase and left the cafe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n