Though no signs signified the building as a business establishment from the outside, every Arakmatan knew where Musif’s was. Down a small side street just a few blocks from the main business district stood a Bi level, rectangular block building. The whole of it was made in native architecture, constructed of mud bricks and then smoothed to a flush smooth finish with mortar creating an eggshell color that contrasted to the natural yellow sand of the desert.
The walls were lined with rectangular windows just large enough for an adult human to squeeze through along the top of the first level. However to keep such a thing from happening they were protected with decretive grates designed to look like a popular desert rose accented with scroll work. On the second level, things were slightly more decorative with French style doors made from iron framing opening onto small balconies but what was behind said doors was hidden away by an assortment of colorful curtains. Finally just before ones eyes made it to the roof of the building, imprinted into the mortar, were more of the roses similar to the grates carefully carved into the walls and suggesting a hint of the buildings name to anyone unfamiliar with the location.
Perfectly aligned in the center of the street side face of the building stood a large arched doorway with two heavy iron doors. Moving works of art, they were engraved with a scene of lovely ladies ensnared in a tangle of rose vines and opened to a dark hallway that stretched back to the rear wall of the building. Once inside a massive Nairu male who towered over most who entered and had biceps the size of an average mans legs. Before progressing any further the intimidating fellow inspected anyone not on his list for weapons and made them surrender them or escorted them back out the door.
If allowed to progress, the man walked along with the entrant just behind their right side and escorted them through a second archway halfway down the hall and to the left. This was the furthest most anyone was allowed to explore, and what they found inside satisfied most customers’ desires. So wondering what was upstairs, or through the doors across from the entrance they were escorted to, or even at the end of the hall was completely pointless because if anyone even made an attempt to find out the large Nairu took quick action to escort the occupant out the front.
Finally the would be consumer found themselves standing at the entrance of a large room their nostrils filled with an onslaught of aroma from clouds of billowing smoke rising from the mouths of all sorts. The room was littered with low slung tables surrounded by plush colorful pillows sitting on the floor, many covered with patrons kneeling and smoking from the tall hookah centered on each table and conversing with associates. Between each table belly dancers barely covered in flowing satin robes chimed small finger symbols and moved erotically graceful about the patrons delivering small silver platters of tobacco and smoking coals to the tables, smiling seductively and giving the occasional soft caress before moving on to take their next order.
All one had to do for service was maneuver between the occupants and dancers, carefully pass the snake charmers without startling their cobras. Avoid tripping on the heavy woven rugs covering the floor and find an empty pillow at a table you were welcome at and within minutes a lovely woman would be at their side ready to find out what flavor of tobacco the newcomer desired.
One luxury of having a fairly recent resident of Arakmat as a travelling companion was that you had a certain amount of local knowledge. Sadyr provided this and had spoke of the hookah bar highly as a den of vice and a place for simply a good smile. Vice and smoke were things Dimitri liked in abundance so this was the first place he headed after the gates, leaving one guard to come find them when the Sultan's envoy came calling and sending another to deposit the horses in the reputable stable the remaining party moved into the establishment.
Surrendering their weapons they passed the burly guard and then entered the exotic den. Dimitri had his own water pipe in Vortex, specially imported and cushion and things but he realised now he had got the balance wrong. Of course he had never smoked in location before but he liked the setting immediately, the exotic appealed to him greatly and thus his funny little group picked their was to a few cushions at the back of the room and fell upon them. Adopting his leisurely Bohemian pose Dimitri idly played with a few coins on his knuckles hoping to attract a waitress over to see him and his men. Then two pipes filled with apple and strawberry tobacco would be ordered as well as sweet coffee. Then and only then would Dimitri permit himself to think business and look around for the other clients, assessing people always amused Dimitri, and he had never done it in so exotic a setting.
The desert rose exuded sin and debauchery from the moment the large party walked through the arches that opened up to the tables. The room was quite full and it took a bit of looking before a location befitting them could be spotted but off to one side in a smoke laden and hazed corner a medium sized oval surface large enough for the group finally presented itself. The tables were slung low and the pillows plush enough that the patrons sat more in then on them. Once seated, below the light of the high slung rectangular windows, the true genius of architecture shown brightly through the rising smoke. As said smoke rose the draft of the desert winds caught the heavy substance and diluted it with the breeze and slowly nudged it into the fresh air of the outer world keeping the guest room fresh and free to breath.
Within moments, as Dimitri would have been told by his guide, the famous service of deeply tanned beauties kneeled around he and his cohorts taking orders of preferred services. The young enticing flesh of their servers was visible through the many folds and slits of their satin outfits, designed to be erotic in nature it was as if the outfits were created with a “Just enough” motif in mind. Though the lustful delights of the eyes and the rich aroma of sweet and full tobacco were not the only senses being fulfilled but the ears were caressed as well. In the background the cobra charmers fingers danced across their reed flutes playing melodies just as complex as they were beautiful.
Within a few moments a large silver platter with two piles of tobacco and cherry coals resting between them was set to one side of the leader of the group while the matching hookah were strategically placed within reach of all the patrons. With their transparent blue glass bowls filled with cool clean water and long twisted gold centers and tasseled hose the smoking devices looked more ornate then functional.
As a second waitress poured the men small saucers of coffee and offering a small cube of sugar to go along with it, the girl in charge of their smoking pleasures prepped the pipes. Her bronze flesh was as smooth as silk and her movements seemed just as elegant as she gracefully offered Dimitri the mouthpiece to one pipe. Then taking the set of tongs from the tray picked up one of the hot coals and blew on it softly until it was glowing red before hovering it above the tobacco in the bowl. As the herbs ignited they were rich with flavor not only of the designated fresh fruits but of mellow intrigue as well.
As Dimitri loked around though he would see all sorts, none stood out in any way from the others. However this being the supposed hotbed of activity, it couldn't be much of a suprise that a majority of the occupants made a living at blending in.
He momentarily lost focus on his other patrons for the sheer pleasure of smoking, taking the long tube he wrapped his full lips around the mouthpeice and began to suckle upon it. The flavours filled his mouth and he felt instantly relaxed as he lounged back on his cushion, removing the mouthpeice and passing it to the man next to him he exhaled the smoke above him feeling like some great foundry for a moment, the raw waste of the ideas bubbling around in his overworked mind.
Finding another few coins in his pouch he leaned over to the waitress that was serving them, "smoking while a pleasure is but a past-time, I have greater goals in this place of renown," he offered the coins and smiled, "would the owner speak with me for a moment, if only for a friendly word, or perhaps some other person who might be able to help me get to grips with this city." It was a bold move perhaps, but in his mind preferable to starting a conversation with the no-doubt dangerous or worse uninformed and unimportant people in this place. No Dimitri liked to use money to shine the way, shine the way to danger or enlightenment, that was an entirely different matter.
The girl looked as if she were barely old enough to be working in the bar. Her deeply tanned skin contrasted her dazzling smile brought about by plump red lips that were full and succulent. Her deep brown eyes never left Dimitri’s as her petite hand slid over his to scoop up the crowns. Her touch was as soft as a down feather bed, and rolled over his hands like a bead of water. In a flash and without a word the girl took his money shook her hips seductively back and forth as she slipped away stepping up on tables to cut through the room to the back of the bar, passing through a single door that had what looked like a sleeping bum off to one side.
It didn’t take long for a man adorned in baby blue silks trimmed in silver thread; his skin was dark from the desert sun though pale in comparison to his raven strands cascading over his shoulders and along his strong jaw line. The man stood over six feet and was built like a tank, his firm muscles supporting the folds of light fabric with ease. He carried an air of confidence as he continued through the room greeting some who were obviously more regular customers. The man grew closer and closer to Dimitri’s table until at last he simply took a seat placing one hand on the table and reaching for the hose of the hookah.
After taking a long draw he smiled and slowly puffed smoke rings from his lips, handing on the hose on to the next person as he did so. “So friend, what can I do for you?”
Dimitri greeted the new man with a nod, things were relaxed in the desert, he also appreciated the concept of no introductions. The court Dimitri would be in full force later for the Sultan's benefit, it was nice to be anonymous in the meanwhile. He passed the tube to the man and spoke, slowly and carefully as though picking his words from a list of thousands, "Serale" his accent was thick of Arium grit and determination, yet retained the honey of the negotiation he had learnt in his youth, "I am new in this delightful city, my companions and I like to spend our time profitably, you might call me an aesthete, I seek unusual attractions or pleasures, or matters of intrest to a pure scholar."
Dimitri reached placed a hand on his waist and patted his coin purse gently before resuming, "I was wondering if you as the owner of this delightful establishment might see it fit to making some introductions, or pointing us weary travellers in the right directions."
The man across from Dimitri hesitated at first and then smiled at the jingle of crowns from below the table as he took another long pull from the Hookah. Reveling in the full flavor or fruit filled tobacco he passed on the hose amd held in the substance for a moment before slowly parting his lips letting a lethargic stream of smoke drift from the opening. “It doesn’t take a smart man to see you are not from around her friend, though your personality is something at home in this establishment. I like a man that gets right to business so that he can enjoy the splendors around him without the mind getting involved.” Pausing, his own hand drifted below the table and pulled a small leather pouch from the folds of his silk setting it on the table by the hookah and motioning for one of the voluptuous girls to reload the pipe.
“So which one of you is from my city, my bar may be well known but my business is not.” The mixture of herbs and tobacco placed into the fresh bowl was ignited, and when the delightful server had parted he offered the hose back to Dimitri. The blend still retained a bit of a fruity flavor though mellower and less recognizable beneath the smooth spice of a local blend of tobacco highlighted with something else. It wasn’t bitter but at the same time held a completely different yet complimentary flavor to the rest of the blend in the bowl. The draw seemed heavier and the smoke seemed to settle in the man’s lungs warming his body and providing a bit of release to his mind. It was the same feeling one got during a deep oil massage, relaxing the muscles and helping worries slip away and only allowing for one processed train of thought rather then layers of deceit.
While they smoked a watchful eye would notice a few of the server girls persuaded the occupants around their table into different sections of the establishment, leaving the area free for them to speak without fear of wandering ears. After Dimitri chose, or was perhaps coerced into explaining his companions and himself to the proprietor he gave a nod of seemingly understanding, though what it was he understood was kept to himself. “Tell me then, what I can provide for you friend, as I am sure you know we can obtain most things here.”
Dimitri suckled deeply upon the hose as though from some tete, his face showed the heady glory of relaxation and when he passed it on he spoke with the fumes still slowly twirling from his mouth and nostrils. "Sadyr" he motioned to the obese man beside him, "was formerly a resident of this city and practicioner of the less than moral arts of the arcane, he knew of this place." The man nodded as he himself took a pull on the hookah and passed it along.
Dimitri of course felt himself relax, almost too much but of course being rather innocent in the art of the water pipe he did not notice much. "I find myself in need of cetain things, the desert calls to me ser, I require knowledge more than anything." He paused, "Knowledge of forgotten riches in the sand sea, rememberences of the past, people in this city with unusual skills and of course a small alliance perhaps." Dimitri nodded, "Once I have the ear of the Sultan I am sure my stock with you shall increase, I am to see him after speaking with you, perhaps in return for your words I might mention something to him for you?" He paused, "Ambition is a noble trait and keeps our great machine moving, do you psoess it?"
“These days, since the hurricane, most arcane arts are considered less then moral. Not much in the way of demand for mages these days as people burned by flame to not openly seek fire again soon.” He smiled taking his turn on the pipe, his eyes examining the plump man that sat next to Dimitri as if he were sizing him up and trying to place the face with some long lost folder of memory. After a moment he seemingly shrugged the thought off as he returned his attention to the alpha male of the pack.
With each pull the effects of the tobacco grew, rolling in like a great wave bathing his mind in serenity, and relaxing him further, after a few good smokes it began to invade his thoughts making it harder to concentrate on multiple things at once, narrowing his train of thought until he eventually had to keep focused on what he was saying or risk the possibility of releasing the wrong tidbit of information.
“Ambition, like confidence can also be a fault if one has too much of it. I know of a few people in the city whom one might consider special. A katta that speaks with the dead, a woman who could break every bone in you and your men’s bodies before you even drew your weapons. As for treasure and riches this is the desert, you can find them all over the Bazaar for the right amount of coin and a careful eye, or you can purchase more interesting trinkets from me. Or if you’re feeling braver, there are more tombs then you can shake a horse whip at hidden in the sands. It really depends on what exactly you want.” He let out a soft sigh taking another draw of the smoke, seemingly unaffected by its powers. “So… if you want something in particular I need you to be more specific, if you want general information, I need to know what kind you want there as well, and whatever you want, it comes with a price tag of coarse.”
"Speaking with the dead is a skill my people posess but a talent admittedly." He replied to the initial appraisal, "The woman sounds exciting though." He left that statement in the airs for a time. "I do not like to deal....in gold." He focused his thoughts now and forced his words out with sand through a seive, "I deal in information for information, opportunity for opportunity and the like. Items I always deal in and will see your wares soon."
He paused and nodded, "I need men such as yourself, soon I will change the politics of this place, I will....change things to make your life better. You in return can aid me and my people in this place, and together...perhaps wonders will occur." He paused, "For now tell me of this woman, how could she breaks such bones, magic or skill at combat?" He giggled strangely for a moment, "Or is she the harlot of the gods and breaks bones with two backs."
“Ha!” Musif let out a sharp curt laugh at Dimitri’s jest about his dear friend. “I’d watch your tongue if you happen to meet her. Usually she is lazy as a fat housecat but if you get her worked up she is liable to show you first hand how she breaks bones. Etana is her name; she is the leader of the Sanctum of the open hand, a champion of our local martial art, and a noble of the Arakmatan houses.” He paused looking the man over, watching as his mind clouded and had more and more difficulties thinking in long coherent thoughts. Contrary to their master, Dimitri’s men were being rather quiet but the proprietor of the bar knew that if they were alive the local special blend of smoke was taking its due action on their minds as well.
“Now, while I am a man of business and I enjoy hearing about potential customers, I will not tolerate men of foreign nation coming into my place of business and making assumptions that I will simply bend to their will. This time I will be forgiving and attribute your brash statements to your youth.” His eyes hardened, his gaze focusing on Dimitri’s face. “Now you say you deal in information yet you offer me nothing except your own standards of business. You also claim that you will change our politics, perhaps I like the current state of our city.” Musif’s index finger tapped his own temple lightly and spoke with a sly smile breaking his lips. “You need to think more clearly if you want to do business with me.”
"Fine if I have offended....I can offer but regret." He smiled, "I forget I am no longer in Vortex, control is not a vice that leaves me easily." He paused and tried to untangle his jumbled mind, "Fine you wish for tangible rewards, in addition to my information I can offer you the most rare and delicious things this Empire forces underground, drugs to make your clients relax even further....slaves to perhaps serve as girls in this place." He paused, "Much of what I say depends on circumstance addmitedly, dependant on how well my meeting with the Sultan goes and so forth."
He paused and took no further puffs on the pipe and began to carefully regain himself, though ever so slowly. "Perhaps if you told me what you wish for ser I might be able to help you? If you find me too untrustworthy or even a little brash then perhaps you had best treat me as a wealthy customer and we might talk on the practical issues of this city." He smiled and re-asserted himself, "I mean no offense to a man of such clear standing in this city." He paused "Come, will you welcome me into your trust, we might still do business you and I."
“I do not foresee business working between us. You and I come from too different a cloth. You try to wet my appetite with petty lust and greed. Drugs are of no use to me other then gaining the true feelings of particular customer, much as they have done with you. No man or woman that works in this establishment is bound by chains either, all are free to come and go as they please, such is the way of life in the desert. You have no concept of the honor we all carry, even I who admittedly deals in shadier things still can walk with my head held higher then my own shame.” Musif slowly rose from the table looking down at Dimitri and his entourage. A slight look of disgust and distaste seeping through his strong features slowly played into his words.
“The sultan and I may have different views of how this city should be run, but that is a matter for arakmatan’s to decide. I think you will have little luck twisting his arm to work in your favor. Now I treat you simply as you asked, a wealthy customer, enjoy your smoke and rid yourself of my business.” The flowing blue robes swirled about him as the man turned on the heels of his boots, gliding through the patrons of the bar, pausing only momentarily to speak with one of the waitresses before slipping out the doors wince all patrons entered, and finally out of sight.
The meeting had no been going well Dimitri realised that and as such was not suprised to see the man storming away, honour among theives was a bad trait and one Dimitri disliked intensely.
A man who allowed morality to stand before easy profit was not worth knowing, he was confident in time men of a less honourable bent could be found to replace the fat blowhard he had just met.
Still he did not trust the man and paid a certain respect to his immediate power, his entourage stood and he dropped some coins on the table before them. They carefully left the establishment making sure none would prohibit them as they went.
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