He stood there as the people slowly and uneasily went back to what they had been doing. It was painful to see how hard they were working at ignoring him. He came in, not as if he owned the place, but as casual as you can get. Ignoring the people who hastened to get out of his way, he walked straight across the fairly crowded floor, without looking around mind you, and without invitation sat down in the very chair Belvani had recently vacated. We looked at each other. I saw a fairly respectable looking gent. He was dressed well in what passes for high fashion here in Pavis, i.e. something that probably wouldn't have looked out of place in the Empire of Wyrm's Friends but was hopelessly fuddy-duddy and bizarre by Imperial standards. His hair was shoulder length and brown, fairly well groomed though there was a leaf stuck in his hair. His hands were clean and his nails were manicured. No dirt and no calluses. He wore enough gold that he wouldn't have lasted ten seconds in Badside. He had a short beard and moustache, not like an Orlanthi barbarian but more like a Dara Happan nobleman would wear. And then I forgot all about the rest because I looked at his eyes.
I nearly lost my wine. His eyes were green. No, not green like yours or mine would be. Completely green, no iris, no pupil-just green. A deep, rich emerald green. And then I noticed that the leaf in his hair was moving in the wind. Of course there wasn't any wind indoors, no blowhard Orlanthi to cause any tonight. When I looked closer I could see the vine the leaf was attached to growing out of his head. Obviously no ordinary nutter this one. I waited for him to make the first move. Can't say that I enjoyed the thought of those eyes being on me at all. I surreptitiously glanced around and noticed that the tables next to ours were suddenly empty and everyone's attention was painfully and obviously turned elsewhere.
His expression was placid. What he saw when he looked at me I do not think I care to ever know. He broke the silence first addressing me unexpectedly in flawless New Pelorian, "I greet you Placidus Treibonus." I grimaced and replied, "You have the best of me, sir." He looked thoughtful for a bit and then said, "My name is Crotus..." he paused and a slight smile came over his face, "..the Green I suspect will do." I nodded greeting to him and offered him the last bit of wine in my bottle. He accepted and I waved a server over to get another glass. A very nervous lass, who I have seen serve Zorak Zoran berserks without flinching in the past, brought us one, poured quickly and shakily, then jumped in the air and almost screamed when Crotus smiled at her before literally running away.
I rose both eyebrows and asked, "And what is it that you do for a living, Crotus?" He continued smiling but sounded profoundly sad when he replied, "I am one the gods have decided to destroy by first driving mad, to wit a prophet."
To be continued.
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