Byren did not often find himself in places such as Rhajuvran. The city was much too hot, much too humid, and much too southern for his tastes. When he found himself sent there on business, the first thing he did was head to the bars as soon as possible.

‘The Drowned Snake’ was the name of the establishment. It was a hole-in-the-wall in the northern city- the dirtier, more dangerous corner of Rhajuvran, Byren came to understand. It was far from the hotel Byren was staying at and further from the gleaming financing quarter he would spend most of his trip in, but the remoteness of the locale only made him feel better. The Drowned Snake was a small tavern, with just enough space for Byren to get wasted among a random assortment of Rhajuvran’s destitute and desperate.

As Byren ordered another round for himself and himself only- the barkeep was certainly getting sick of his order and his thick northern accent alike- he scanned the bar for anyone worth talking to. On his right were a couple- romantic or not he couldn’t tell, but they seemed too interested in each other to be of any interest to him. To his left was a cloaked, sullen woman who seemed to be drowning in her alcohol and her sorrows. Byren decided to leave her alone, too. That only left one person left.

On the opposite side of the bar sat a lithe, dark person- their gender not immediately apparent, though Byren figured that might’ve been intended. He had heard stories of the southerners and their beliefs about gender. While his father may have scoffed at the idea of breaking from the roles set by one’s genitals, it never seemed that consequential to Byren. And apparently, it mattered less to this stranger.

They wore a cloak of pale blue, a blue so bright it was close to white, and had shaved part of their head, wearing the rest of their long, dark hair loose. Their eyes had a lightness to them- an inviting mischievousness to them that only made Byren more interested when they met his own. The stranger’s soft lips parted into a smile, and they beckoned him closer with a gesture.

After receiving his drink, Byren relocated to the stranger’s side. He tried to hide the blush forming on his cheeks, but sent them a smile.

“So, you’re not from here, are you?” The stranger said, their voice soft and clear, almost a drawl but not quite. Now that Byren was closer, he could drink in all that was intoxicating about them. Forget the wine in his glass- this stranger was all he needed to relieve his worries!

It took Byren a moment to collect himself. “Oh, uh, yeah. I’m from-”

“Let me guess-” The stranger interrupted, then thought on it for a moment. “Sky Plains. Vednibrire?”

Uh. Yeah.” Byren answered, surprised at the stranger’s accuracy. “How could you tell?”

“I know my way around the plains.” The stranger replied, with a knowing smirk. “And I have my ways. You’ve got that Sky-Plains look about you, and besides, you clearly aren’t Solarian.”

“Hm.” Byren took a sip of his wine. “Fair enough. I’m Byren Caythrenyauro.”

“Sadihak Rouwae.” The stranger replied, and extended their hand for a shake.

Byren accepted the gesture, but couldn’t shake the feeling he had heard the name before. Where had he heard that name before? Before he could figure it out, Sadihak asked him another question. “So, what brings you to our humble city, Byren?”

Byren laughed. Rhajuvran was everything but humble. “I’m here on business.”

“Oh? A businessman?” Sadihak’s eyebrows lifted in interest. “What kind of business?”

“Sales.” Byren said. “What brings you here?”

“My dear, I live here.”

“Why are you here, here?” Byren repeated, and glanced over Sadihak. “You look way too posh to be in a bar this seedy.”

“Me? Posh?” Sadihak said, and put a hand to their chest in feigned shock. They let out a haughty laugh. “Darling, I grew up here.”