The Stone Egg

"We need to see our contact, Li. We're out of our depth here. We can come back later." Aliara nodded. "I don't like this, Tey. This atmosphere... you can feel it, can't you? People are on edge."

"You're right. All the more reason not to ask incautious questions until we know what's going on."

They set off into the main body of the city. The streets were cobbled in some places, bare dirt in others. The buildings were squat, low things of dressed stone-- some kind of black basalt, by the look of it, though some had additions of stucco or more exotic parts. There wasn't a wooden construction as far as the eye could see. Even the street-vendors' stalls were colorful canvas stretched over metal poles. As the women passed, the vendors tried to entice them with all manner of strange wares.

"Amulets! Protective amulets, blessed by the Arch-priestess herself!"

"Cloth! Dye straight from Underhill, the finest you'll ever feel!"

"Rat! Fresh rat, onna stick! All flavors!"

The pushiest tried to get in their way. A grubby dwarf trotted out to meet them, holding up a tray. His eyes were barely visible between eyebrows like caterpillars and a beard that probably hadn't seen a wash since the city was built. "Ladies! Fine ladies! I beg you, let me entice you with perfumes of the finest jasmine! Lilac! Honey!" The dingy glass bottles on his tray looked highly suspect, and the combined odor wafting off them stung Teysa's eyes. "I don't-"

"Out of the way, short stuff," Aliara spat. Her eyes flashed angrily. "Go on, get." He bowed sullenly and retreated.

"Tey, you can't give these guys an inch. He just wanted to get close enough to pick your pocket."

Teysa snorted. "Good luck to him, then." She rapped a fist against her left tasset. "Not like I have anything worth stealing, anyways."

They followed the narrow, winding roads for a short time. Periodically Aliara would pause, then direct them down some side alley. They didn't seem to be making much progress-- the only landmark, the distant cathedral, barely seemed to move. Just as Teysa was about to say something, though, they stepped out of the mouth of the alley into a wide-open plaza. The cobblestones here were clean and neatly fitted, the buildings well-scrubbed and respectable looking. On the other side of the plaza was an impressive three-story structure with smoke curling out of its chimneys. Hanging from a sign over the door was a massive oval of granite, etched with the words THE STONE EGG.

"We're here! Come on, let's see what we can find."