Blooming in the Desert

Such is Fate

As the rays of sunlight flows into the small sandstone room, one can see a boy wriggling in his blanket. Little by little, he opens his eyes as the rays begin to shine on his face. Wiping his eyes in an effort to shake off the sleepiness, Ain Salze slowly raises from the rug he takes as a bed last night. Half-awake, and ready to sleep once again after such eventful yesterday, he looks at the door at the right side of corner, which connects to Omiro Jaller's bedroom. It is still, and there's no sound coming from inside. Surely the merchant is still sleeping?

Taking that conclusion, Ain has just started to pull his blanket when suddenly the door slams open, and out comes Jaller, fully dressed and prepared for another day of business. "Morning, Ain!" He says his greetings with such fervor, one can see the merchant is in good spirits. "Got enough sleep in the night?"

Ain, with his eyes half-opened and his hair in a bed head, doesn't answer and just plops back down on the rug. "Oh come on. It's morning already. Yeah I know, sorry for not having any other bedroom in this house, but you still get a full night's sleep!" Jaller tugs the blanket off Ain's body. The boy still curls up on the rug, not wanting to wake up.

Jaller sighs a little. "...yeah, yeah, sorry for letting you sleep on a rug. But seriously. It's your first day as my assistant, and this is how you're going to start it?" Ain still doesn't budge. "...do I have to cut your payment already?" Jaller says nonchalantly.

"Please don't!!" Ain springs up immediately. His face shows great fear and concern at Jaller's comment.

"Kidding. Now get dressed already. We're going to grab some breakfast, and then," Jaller waves the emerald necklaces and bracelets he swipes from the treasure room yesterday before continuing, "We'll make gold from these trinkets."

====

Omiro Jaller's humble abode is located in the outskirts of Nayim's Eastern District, near the slums where the poorest residents of the small town resides. The area is mostly dotted with small, two-room sandstone houses with open-air second floor, and Jaller's house is no exception. While not exactly fancy, the small house is comfy for the young merchant – comfier than any dwellings he ever have back in the slums – but now that the house has two occupants, Jaller may have to relocate to some house with larger rooms if he wants to keep his assistant from having a foul mood every morning.

Buying two pieces of bread with some slices of meat, Jaller brings the food to the waiting young mage, who is still sulking a little bit. "Oh cheer up a bit. We're going to make some money, you know?" Jaller slaps Ain in the back heartily. Ain rightly suspects that his good mood is only because of the 'trinkets' he now conceals in his robe.

"The money will end up only in your pocket, sir." Ain says curtly while biting into the bread he is now holding in his right hand. His left still clutches his curved wooden staff. "No reason to get excited when I'll just end up with measly ten gold khirs." Jaller frowns at his response.

"That's your wage. ...Oh okay, I'll give you a bonus. For getting us back safely to Nayim." Jaller relents. Ain munches on his bread, then answers, "Okay, that's better. But still though..."

He grips the tip of the cheap, rough, dusty hood he is wearing right now before continuing. "Why do you insist me wearing this hood, sir?" Ain asks his employer.

"Ah, I've explained it to you yesterday right? To hide your very noticeable silver locks." Jaller points to Ain's hair, which is fully concealed by the hood, as he take a bite out of the bread in his right hand.

"Is my hair really that rare?" Ain continue asking.

"Certainly," Jaller takes another bite. "I've been all around the desert and I've only seen those silver locks on your head." The merchant munches on his food before continuing. "That silver's kind of a rare color for a hair after the war, you see."