The Princess and the Blade

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi crossed his arms. "I asked what is the fastest. Not what is the most savory."

[Emora Deen]

“You will not want to do what is fastest, Havitharon,” Laurius said. “What will you sell? Your horns? Your hair? Your eye? Your hand? Your blood? Your time? Your sex? Go back to that market and you will find a buyer for any of it, I’m sure. If you go to the labs, perhaps you will make a good test subject? Poisons, new torture devices, spells of all sorts. There are so many ways to make money in this place, and none of them good.”

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi turned on him as if he'd caught him mid-crime. "So then, is that what you intend to offer when you go to meet that professor and negotiate with him?" He loomed over Laurius, into his personal space. "You may have Tenara and her family convinced, but you are not the selfish opportunist you like to paint yourself as. If you were, you would not hate this place so. I know the look of someone planning to solve everything alone."

[Emora Deen]

Laurius almost failed at keeping the hard look in his eyes. Havitharon was almost a foot and a half taller than him, and he was intimidating when in a good mood, much more so now.

“You’re mistaken,” Laurius said. “I am a selfish opportunist…” He almost spoke further—about how his selfish silence had resulted in Tenara and Ren being taken by Arken. But, Havitharon seemed…

“But who are you to talk? You think you’ve bucked your instincts, but here you are, willing to throw yourself into a fire for that little female child.”

Laurius frowned, looking again at the girl. It would all be easier if... But there she was, looking at him with that terrified blue eye. “I so rarely like people, Havitharon. And I like you. I don’t want to see this place destroy you like it almost did me… So, what should we do?”