Tilila could tell by the way everybody else walked off, it was going to be relatively silent if somebody did not make the effort to socialize. I'll introduce myself, I suppose she thought as she walked through the hall and stood in front of her door. She didn't open it. She definitely was not used to this type of luxury, and being there didn't exactly make her all that comfortable, so she decided to wait til the last moment. She turned and saw that not only were a few of the others not in their rooms yet, but the Pharaoh's sister also seemed to be bunking in the hall with them. Odd she wondered, but decided not to think over it to hard. She eventually approached the diplomat prince, at least, she assumed he was a prince, seeing as how he was among the most well dressed of them, and he wore a wreath on his head, which definitely gave it away. She bowed, bending her torso as well as her head "I believe you are the diplomat that we are to embark with" she began, in Egyptian, though she had a bit of a thick accent "It is a pleasure, I am Tilila, the warrior"
Normally Emirhan would be one for stirring up conversation. In fact, socializing and maintaining connections is all that he does back at home too. A team with people from different lands, how wonderful! But his excitement has led him to grow tired. He slowed slowed down his walking pace to admire the surroundings.
Emirhan stopped. His robes swoosh as he turned to face who he assumed to be the warrior. Contradictory to his teachings, he slightly bowed his head in respect. The warrior's accent made him a tad bit confused, yet he knew that his would be the same. As long as everyone can understand each other that is all that matters.
"The pleasure is all mine, Tilila." He rested his hand over the left side of his chest. "I am Prince Emirhan of Lydia. I look forward to working together on this expedition."
"As do I, Prince Emirhan. So, you are from Lydia? I have heard a few stories of your empire, though I admit, I am very unacquainted with the far off place" she said, laughing slightly, placing a hand behind her neck " I am from Libya. Sais-" she said, gesturing all around them "Is actually the farthest I've ever been from home. This kind of luxury is something I will never be accustomed to." She joked and glanced a bit at his royal getup "Though I'm sure you're quite accustomed to it" She smiled.
Princess Neni slowly opened her door as the others did whatever they were doing, she didn't care much, and noted the room before her. It was much smaller than her end of the palace, and not quite as luxurious. The walls were adorned with golden patterns of wheat fields and deep blue skies filled with ibises and storks. The fields of paradise. Some corners depicted Neith, the goddess of water and patroness of Sais, and the opposite walls depicted fields of reeds over the river Nile, with the golden sun shining above them. She rolled her eyes and changed her focus. The roof was decorated with depictions of Nut, the sky goddess, draped in her starry skin and encircled by the path of the Sun. On the other end of the room was a fluffed bed of feathers and linen, again decorated with more elaborate patterns, under a window draped with cotton curtains overlooking the city, glowing in the last glint of the sun, as the stars began to appear. At least the view was new. She stifled a smile. The one upside of this trip was she wasn't being treated like a princess. She sighed and threw herself on her bed, turning in for the night.
Upon arrival in his room, Adonias nodded as the guards left him. He turned his eyes to study the room he would be resting in for the night - to say he hadn’t stayed in a place that could be considered ‘rich’ was a lie, as he had. But this was different. It was not under a different name or identity, nor appearance this time - but the real him. Adonias.
He strode in further, gazing at the design of the room. Of course he’d observed the outside of the palace as well, the surrounding area— Adonias was constantly watching, a trait those closer to him had noticed.
Carefully taking the tie from his hair, Adonias set it down as he removed his cloak. He turned to the window, looking out, feeling the coolness of the air. It wasn’t unpleasant. More of a welcome feeling, something to see him off to rest. He held his focus on the stars for a couple more moments, then turned away, choosing to rest for the night.
As a light sleeper, it was likely that Adonias would answer if someone came knocking.
A light smile swept across his face. Lydia. He neve had thought of how far he is from the beloved empire he calls home. Well, until now at the least. Emirhan laughed lightly in return. He has only heard so much about Libya; it is a privilege to meet someone from there.
Lowering his chin, he briefly gazed down at his robes. Emirhan laughed. "We all are accustomed to different kinds of luxury, Tilila." He motioned to his clothes and their surroundings then looked back at her. "And now we will be accustomed to working together with others from far places. Lovely, isn't it?"
"Yes, quite lovely" she stifled a yawn, and went on "The trip here was a long one on it's own, I can't imagine the one we'll be taking" she said, hoping she hadn't tripped over any words. " Well, I guess that's why we're going to bed this early. I'm sure they want us well rested. I might be too excited to sleep though" she laughed again. Then she sighed. She said it herself, she they should head to bed. "Alright then, have a nice night Prince Emirhan" she said, before heading off to her designated room. She looked around at the luxury of it, but tried to pay it no mind. This is just one night, she assured herself. Then she made a quick prayer to the gods and her ancestors. "Give me strength, give me courage and give me wisdom" she whispered and, resigned, layed down in her cushiony bed. It'd be hard to sleep tonight.
Emirhand agreed with Tilila for he cannot imagine the trip they will be taking. All that he knows is that it is one of great importance. Laughing along with her, he nodded. "I too feel quite the same. All of this is exciting, surely will make falling asleep quite a task." Still smiling, he gave the warrior a slight head bow. As she walked off, he responded, "And you as well, Tilila. Good night."
He stayed in the halls just for a bit more to admire the walls. Still energy coursed through his veins. By the time he had entered his assigned room, he felt wide awake. Emirhan could not shake the feeling off. After laying his little crown down, he rested his head against the bed while trying to dream of what will come of tomorrow.
(Time Skip, Thank you for introducing your characters)
Tilila awoke early in the morning, before dawn, and she looked out the window at the dark orange horizon. Looking at the city from up in the palace made everything seem so small, and yet, the wonder had not shrunken. She stared at the tops of the golden buildings, dusted by the orange light of the rising sun. At this sight, she made a small prayer to the gods and to her family. A prayer for protection, and for her to be blessed with their skill. She was a weaver by choice, but her family was known for their military professions. As was she. She changed from her sleeping robes into her normal outfit: a sunset orange tunic with a long beige sirwal, along with brown slipper shoes and a leather belt. This morning, she braided dried lavender into her hair, to increase her calm and her awareness. As she left her room, she began walking across the hall, making her way to the throne room again. Hopefully, there, she would receive further instructions on the expedition. At the end of the rooming hall stood four guards parallel to each other, blocking the way into the throne room. As she walked up to them, they said "Breakfast begins soon. When the others wake." She sighed, but nodded in understanding, then she leaned back on a far wall to wait for the others.
Ash was naturally an early riser but the unfamiliarity of the room, despite its luxury and comfort, didn't make it easy to fall asleep and consequently made it harder for her to wake up as usual. Finally managing to reach some half-awake state, she forced herself to get up and at least presentable before leaving the guest room. Her formerly tight and neat braids had loosened slightly overnight but not so much that she would need to redo them and her plain tan skirt and tunic were more appropriate for the upcoming journey than the formal dress she wore yesterday. Though she, reluctantly, had her hair net in her hand as she walked into the hall just in case the Prince planned to see the company off.
“Good morning.” she greeted in Egyptian when she saw she was not the first awake, though she still sounded a little tired.
"Good morning to you as well!" Tilila answered, getting back up from her leaning position "I am Tilila, the warrior of this expedition. I'm from Libya." she spouted the same thing she had said to Emirhan. She had practiced it for a while. "You are..?" She asked. Though she was clearly from somewhere north of Greece, Tilila wasn't familiar with those places, so she wouldn't know.
“I am Ashera, the healer. But please call me Ash. And I'm from the northern Gaulish region of the Celtic lands.” she answered with a soft polite smile, hoping her accent wasn't too strong. “Is this your first visit to Egypt?” she asked simply to keep a pleasant conversation going.
Ehlaea woke just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. She got up, dressed, and meditated in the rays of light shining through the window.
Afterward, she thanked the spirits, then went to refresh the markings on her face. She had done it so many times before that she didn’t even need a reflection to see what she was doing.
When she was done, she packed up all of her things, which she could easily carry on her, and exited the room without a glance back. The luxury of the room, though she appreciated it, was too grand for her. Why did she need such luxuries when she had everything she had ever needed on her?
Ehlaea followed the halls back to the throne room where she encountered two others already waiting. The warrior and the healer if she remembered the Pharaoh’s words right. She nodded in greeting, then quietly waited.
Adonias usually woke up quite early, but often preferred to lie down for a while longer. Today, he decided, he would remove that part from his routine.
Admittedly, it was a bit of an odd feeling waking up in a room of luxury. Specifically one he’d journeyed quite far to come to, and to be offered this place of stay for the night. He inhaled and exhaled, sitting up, doing some stretches before anything else.
The rays of the sun were a nice feeling. Adonias ran his hands through his hair before taking his hair tie and putting it in. He wrapped his short cloak around himself, looking once more outside.
He closed his eyes, giving a brief, silent prayer. He turned back again, making sure he wasn’t leaving any of his things behind with him - spotting his satchel, he quickly put it on, tucking it under his cloak.
Finally, Adonias left the room, looking back at it momentarily, then continuing on his way.
He had entered the room where there were three others, two of which already were engaged in conversation. Adonias gave a general, polite nod as a way of greeting. While he’d slept fairly well, the excitement in him made it hard to fall asleep to begin with. He supposed he was lucky no one needed him throughout the night - he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to fall back asleep then.
“Good morning,” he greeted.
Efraim only woke when the sun was slightly above the horizon. Upon seeing it shine on them from the window, they worried they had slept in too late. They quickly dressed and said a quick prayer for safety and swiftness, and gratitude for the opportunity to go on this mission, and then left their room. As they went, they grabbed a small satchel filled with extra art and painting supplies, just in case, as well as a scroll and stylus for communication.
It didn’t happen all the time, but it always did seem to happen at the worst of times. Efraim couldn’t help it, as a deep sleeper only roused by bright light. They sighed and shook their head as they walked. At first, making their way was a little disorienting. They don't normally sleep here, and now they had to find their way to the throne room. Soon, however, they caught the sounds of chatter and followed it. The sound lead them to the end of the hall, where a few of the others were waiting. Feeling a little reserved and shy, they just quietly stood over near the sorceress, if Efraim's memory served them correctly.
At home it is normal for Emirhan to sleep till the sun is practically high up in the sky. Other times, he would be awake just as it approaches the horizon. His excitement for the journey has led him to be awake for quite some time. It did not matter when he woke up, although he admits that he is rather sleepy.
Emirhan dressed himself in lavender robes then fixed his hair so that his crown would fit snuggly. Once dressed, he knelt down at the bedside to say a few words to the gods asking to keep everyone safe on the journey and to look after his family. It was more than a few words, but he likes to believe that the gods heard every single one.
He wasn't sure where to go when he stepped outside of his designated room. Standing out in the hall, he waited in silence. Eventually he was able to faintly hear voices, including Tilila's.
In due time, he made his way into the room. The only person he could put a name to a face to is Tilila. Everyone else, he only knows by their role. Like the spy.
"Good morning, friend," He greeted while walking over to the spy. "I am Prince Emirhan from Lydia. Your cloak looks lovely."
Adonias continued to observe for some time, being perfectly content to wait in silence for the time being. He still needed to shake off some of that morning fuzziness after all.
Of course, Adonias wouldn’t be bothered if he was approached. He hardly knew anything about his companions aside from their roles. It would be a good goal to put forwards - Learn more about my companions on the journey, he decided.
So, he wasn’t surprised when he was approached. Adonias turned his head, looking up to meet the brown eyes of the prince.
“Thank you,” Adonias replied, smiling softly. “It’s done me well over the years.”
He turned to face Emirhan, dipping his head slightly in a bow. “My name is Adonias. Did you sleep well?”
@FanfictionFanatic
"No, I've been to Egypt a few times before, just never… to the royal palace…" she nervously chuckled and put a hand behind her neck, looking away a second "My tribe often travels for commerce, and I with them, as a sort of bodyguard, since I come from a long line of warriors, I am often called to do such things" she looked at Ashera again and caught some movement from the corner of her eyes, she looked and saw all the rest of the crew standing there. The sorceress, the artist, the spy and Emirhan, the prince she had met last night. When did she miss their arrival? She slapped herself internally for not paying attention, but gestured for Ash to follow her "Let's meet the others!" She smiled as she headed towards the prince, who was engaging in conversation with the spy.
(SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG, JOB + HURRICANE PREP)
(It's all good. Glad you're ok!)
“Neither have I. I've seen it a couple of times from a distance but… I’m no one important to be invited often.” Ash admitted. “My people are not very nomadic but I enjoy traveling and learning different healing processes. And I must say, I am glad that our company includes a warrior of such experience.” she smiled before following Tilila to join the rest of their soon-to-be companions. “Oh, yes.”
"Hello again Emirhan, and hello to you," she said looking at the person next to the Lydian prince. "I am Tilila, the warrior of the expedition, and this" she gestured to Ash "Is Ashera, she's our healer!"
Taking a brief glimpse at the cloak, he gave Adonias a smile. "I am sure it will do you well throughout the journey. And Adonias…what a wonderful name," Emirhan beamed. "Oh…" His lips thinned before returning to a faint grin. "I slept as well as anyone excited could be. I hope you slept well, Adonias. Did you?"
Looking over his shoulder, he noticed Tilila and the lady next to her. He gave the two of them a small head bow. "Good morning, Tilila. And good morning, Ashera. A pleasure to see you both," He beamed then glanced back, "I forgot to say that it is a pleasure to see you, Adonias. My sincere apologies."
“A pleasure to meet both of you as well. But please, you may call me Ash.” Ash smiled back, making a mental note of their names. “If we are going to be traveling together, I see no reason to be so formal with each other.” she told them. “Unless you are more comfortable that way.” she quickly amended. “Are you excited for our journey to begin? I have to admit this is a big moment for me.”
( @Serpentess, wanna do smth with Efraim and Ehlaea?)
(Sure. I’m just kind of stuck on what to do, lol, since Ehlaea isn’t used to socializing)
(Lol that’s okay, I can try and have Efraim initiate smth ^^)
Though still a little apprehensive, seeing everyone talking and introducing themselves made Efraim want to participate. Besides, better learn people’s names now and not have to suffer through an awkward moment later.
They reached into their bag and brought out a blank scroll and a length of charcoal. After writing a message in Egyptian, they tapped the sorceress’s shoulder and displayed the scroll for her.
Hello, it read. My name is Efraim. I’m the artist. You are the sorceress, correct? What is your name?
Ehlaea watched everyone silently, grateful that she was, for the moment, being left out. She had been isolated for a long time, and was used to that, so she wasn’t sure what to say if someone decided to speak to her. And, thankfully, the individual who stopped next to her seemed in a similar situation.
Though, her moment of peace vanished quicker than she thought when that same individual pulled out a scroll and started writing a message. The tap on the shoulder was unnecessary, as Ehlaea had already been aware of their intentions to talk. She read the message, hesitating a moment.
“I am. My name is Ehlaea,”she said softly, shyly.
Adonias nodded. “I did. The most trouble I had was falling asleep to begin with, though once I was down, I was good.” Which was true. Going to sleep? Hard. Staying asleep? Easy. He looked to the others, fiddling with his hands briefly. He looked at his other companions. “Greetings,” he said to them. “I’m Adonias.”
He looked back at Emirhan. “No need to apologize. It is early morning, after all. We forget to do some things sometimes.” Even then, he wouldn’t find it necessary, although he appreciated the statement.
“I may not show it, but yes, I am quite excited for this expedition. I’ve travelled before, but never this far..and not to a land such as that. It will be a first for me.” He explained.
"Greeting to you as well, Adonias" Tilila bowed "It is great to get to know all of you. You are, after all, the best in your craft, as I am in mine" she looked up with a close eyed smile.
"Well, I'm going to introduce myself to the others" she added. As she walked towards the artist, perhaps the person who interested her the most, who she saw, was introducing themself to the sorceress, one of the guards slammed his spear to the floor to get their attention. "You will now be escorted to the Dining Hall." And with that, they turned and began walking out of the room, two of them holding the doors open as the other two marched through. Tilila had reached the artist by that point "Oh… well I guess introductions should wait until we're there" she chuckled softly, as she began to walk to the dining hall.
