Chương 1334: [1249] - Y06.149 - Bullying II

"If only this was nightval," Dunes said, the pair sitting upon the chairs, the thin blanket confirming over the leather beneath, allowing them to lean back in peace, the noonval heat doing little to salt their morning.

"I don't know," Adam said, turning his head, noting how close to the skin the barbers had managed to cut his hair, and how gently the fade tapered towards his crown, his hair now barely longer than half a pinky at the top.

"It's been a while since I had such a professional haircut."

"It is the first time you have had such a professional haircut," Dunes corrected, for this was surely Adam's first hair cut from an Aswadian barber. Once the barbers were done, a pair of workers escorted them through the complex, towards the the underground area, where the basins awaited them, the steam rising to welcome them. The workers quickly left the pair of Priests be, allowing them to undress and bathe, and considering the two were a fae and a Priest, left them to their fun.

Adam shuddered as the heat filled him, the rising steam coaxing him deeper within, easing his sore muscles from the rough tumbling with the half naked inasir from the day before, which ached him so deeply. He dabbed his fingers along the soaps, one by one, feeling how they gave into his fingers, and so easily bubbled all across his skin, each almost melting from the warmth of his body.

He realised why they were different colours, the myriad of colours melting together as all the floral scents floated up towards his nostrils.

"Man, you guys have such nice soap!"

"Soap, though they say the far eastern lands had invented such, it was we, of Aswadasad, that perfected it," Dunes said, flashing a wide smile, also dabbing the soap along his skin, the soap instantly giving into his touch and rubbing all along his body.

"You guys are all about smelling good, huh?" Adam said.

"I guess I never realised this, but I've never thought an Aswadian smelled bad?" Dunes shrugged his shoulders, allowing the half elf to enjoy himself within the tub, all the while he washed his face and hair, making sure whatever small strands the barber hadn't already rinsed off were caught by the bath.

"If it was nightval, they could have cut your beard," the Aswadian Priest said, leaning his head back to show how they had even lined his throat so cleanly, for of course it was, for it was done by the hands of an Aswadian barber.

"Unlike Aldish barbers, our Aswadian barbers are trained for years, and once they gain the certification, they are then allowed to open their own practise. As you can see, it is more than just for cutting hair and beards."

"Yeah, I noticed, but damn, your beard does look good," Adam admitted, for Dunes' beard was lined so perfectly, even better than by Dunes' own deft hand, and the sides were trimmed so perfectly, that the sides were as wide as his jaw, the rest of his beard cut to form a triangle, the tip of which was rounded to break up the neat lines.

"I mean, damn, you can really grow a beard, huh?"

"The Aldish are jealous of our beards, it is why they banned beards in the military," Dunes said, though a bout of laughter assaulted him, the Aswadian slapping the side of the tub from his great joke.

"I'm assuming that wasn't the reason?" Adam chuckled, seeing the Aswadian reach up to hide his eyes, for he was almost tearing up from the laughter.

"No, no," Dunes admitted, letting out a small cough to clear his throat, rinsing his face, running his hands through his fresh beard.

"This was many years ago, hundreds. The Aldish banned beards within the military, for at the time, we hated one another, truly. No Aswadian could walk upon their soil without the fear of death, and no Aldish could walk upon our soil without the fear of death. Quick, and painless? It could not be guaranteed."

"It's a good thing that's changed, then," Adam said, surprised to hear of such a history between them.

'I thought it was bad recently.' Dunes spun his hand lightly in the air, shrugging his shoulders.

"I am glad, and though many think it is bad now, it is not as bad as it once was. With King Merryweather, shukhur." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"What does shukhur mean, by the way? It sounds like gratitude, but something it feels… more?"

"That is right. It is gratitude, and sometimes it feels more, but…" Dunes shrugged his shoulders.

"It is the feeling the word invoked which is true to its meaning, not the word."

"Ah," Adam replied, fairly certain he understood.

"It's the vibe?"

"It is the vibe," Dunes confirmed, and as they finished their baths, they dried off, with the Priest not taking a peek at the half elf, certain he was more prudish in this way than even himself.

'I don't think I need to know if that's true in this world,' Adam thought, drying himself off, before slipping on the underwear.

"Oh, this underwear feels nice!"

"Once we are in the capital, I will show you around properly, for though Arisa has all I wish to reveal to you, I do not know of Arisa as well as I know of the capital."

"By the way, what is the capital of Aswadasad?" Adam asked, realising he had only heard to it referred to as the capital.

"Jabal Adh Dahab, though we call it Jabalhab for short."

"Your capital is really called the Mountain of Gold?" Adam asked, raising his brow.

"I thought it would be Jabal Adh Aswad?"

"You think because you know Aswadic now that you are funny?" Dunes asked, oiling his beard while half naked.

"No, I think I'm funny because I'm Adam bin Laying the Smackdown on Aldishmen," Adam replied, causing Dunes to slap his shoulder, the Aswadian snickering.

"That," Dunes said, raising a finger towards the half elf, "was funny."

"Sometimes, Dunes, sometimes," Adam replied, half elbowing the Aswadian, before taking a peek at his muscular body, two or three months from making even Adam envious, though as the half elf glanced down at his own body, which was about a month away from revealing a far greater outline across his muscles.

"Whoa! Damn, I keep forgetting I'm in a power fantasy." Dunes eyed up the half elf as he flexed his body, doing so in a manner which emphasised most of his physique, the Aswadian raising his brows in shock, for the half elf was able to reveal muscles upon muscles so easily.

"How did you do that?"

"Oh, this?" Adam asked, half rolling his shoulders back, making it appear as though his back was almost twice as wide as it was.

"You bring your shoulders in, then up and around, it might hurt a little, and then you push our your chest and force your shoulders back and bam! Apparently there's a thing you can do with your thumbs, sometimes like pulling on the skin, but I'm not sure." Dunes followed Adam's directions, his chest and back popping slightly, but he looked so much more powerful than he really was, the Aswadian flashing a wide smile.

"Perhaps I should adventure with you to gain more strength…"

"I'll protect you so no one kills you once you get Tenth Gate spells," Adam assured. Dunes instantly frowned.

"Never mind."

"What? I'm serious!"

"I know!" Once the pair were done with their bromantic affair, changing into their spare clothing, they made their way towards the end of the complex, within the section of tents, where a worker readied to finish their barber experience.

"Mo," the young man called, bowing to Dunes, before noting Adam wore an obsidian amulet too.

"Baratha."

"Good afternoon," Adam replied in Aswadic.

"Shukhur," the young man said, half embarrassed, though his charming smile deflected it away so expertly. After a moment of checking upon their details, making sure not even a single hair was out of place, he began to massage the oils into their hair and beard, though Dunes' beard had already been lightly oiled. The young man's fingers working better than any comb as he made sure to style them appropriately, his keen eyes focused on finding any stray hair he may have missed.

He eyed the pair up, realising it was probably a bad idea to offer them a hat, so he moved on to plucking vials out of his wooden box, which Jurot and Laygak would have admired. He sniffed the vials, trying to find the right scents, placing one to the side, turning his head to judge the half elf for a long moment, before returning back to his box to sniff another few, picking another vial.

"Wrist," Dunes said, revealing his own to the young man, who dabbed the Mo's wrist with the tiny piece of wood which blocked the liquid within, though he screwed the topper upon it, to make sure it did not spill or dry out, and he did the same to Adam, who copied Dunes behind him, rubbing his wrists together, and then rubbed his neck.

"Arya bless you," Dunes said, slipping the young man a silver, and finally, Adam was able to understand the culture, the half elf slipping the young man another silver as the pair stepped out, fresh as daises.

"That was nice," Adam admitted.

"An hour or two all by yourself, getting your hair cut, bathing, getting some, what was it?"

"Uthur."

"Yeah, yeah," Adam said, adorned in his thick Aldish clothing.

"Once we are in the capital, I will make sure you are dressed… local."

"Yeah, but if I look like a tourist, I get to spend more money."

"Are you allergic to gold?"

"Hachoo," Adam joked, causing Dunes to burst out in laughter again.

"Come on, let's get out of here before someone mugs us for looking too good."

"We are not in the right district for that," Dunes said, though his eyes darted around, and suddenly he was less confident.