After meeting the beautiful lady Sarinah, Alia felt she missed the beauty of her home and wanted to spice up her wares as most of her spices were running low and the equivalent here in Anaxas was sorely not up to the task her taste buds put them to.

Also it was almost that time of the month and she knew just how cranky she would be without chocolate and hoped this Mugrobi merchant she had heard about would have some.

Among other things she wished a bit of silk to make a sari for her new friend. A nice deep red one for the dancer to use. She could show her some dances from Mugroba, and how to use veils, she was pretty sure the rosh already had the shimmy down pat.

Alia smiled and made her way to the shop almost smelling her way there the last few feet.She pushed open the door and was assaulted with the smell of her homeland. It was as if she were walking into the essence of Mugroba itself.

Alia held an intense love of her land and its culture and people. She felt that Mugroba was vibrant in its spices, culture, and pleasurable pursuits. She loved the feel of silk on her skin and none could be found equal to the cloth found in Mugroba in her opinion.

She looked around at the woven baskets full of spices and then her eyes fell on the chocolate. They widened and her bottom lip trembled. Her biggest vice was also one she could rarely supply. She loved chocolate. More than love, she adored chocolate. One small piece could send her into a happy place for days. Poe often would spend days and even steal to get her a piece if she were angry at him. She sometimes thought he kept a stash of it for just that reason though she never found it.

Her hand on the cold box she began to wonder if she had missed the shopkeep when she came in. Surely with all these wares he wouldn't be far.

Demkaih heard the door open from the upstairs area. He quickly made his way downstairs to see a woman walking over to the cold box. She placed a hand lightly on it and for a moment, Demkaih watched. Then he walked over slowly. There was something familar about the woman's physique that he picked up immediately.

"May the river bring you riches." He said deeply, inclining his head to the mugrobi woman. He felt his heart rise, in all the horrid things Anaxas had, there was only Fion to make him feel happy. But seeing a fellow Mugrobian was like a breath of fresh air.

"And may Hulali make the rivers of your soul rise and bear you much happiness." Alia said this in her native Mugrobi. Her eyes reluctantly removed from the chocolates and she lowered her head and eyes, showing the shopkeep respect. After a few moments she raised her head looked him in the eyes and smiled at him.

She noticed his shaven head and then she fondly thought of her loves eccentricity of insisting on his being long. Her love found the customs and culture of this land to be amusing and would mimic their customs so as to easily adapt to this society. She however held close to her homeland's customs and often they seemed the odd pair. She loved his eccentricity though.

"I see you have chocolate sir. Might you have an orange chocolate? Those are my favorite and very rare to find. I have a veritable need for chocolate. I have also come for spices to refill my wares, I find the Anaxi spices sorely lacking. Also, if it isn't too much would you mind showing me your silks, I would like to make a dancer friend of mine a sari. I intend to show her some of our dances, to add to her repertoire of dances, I think her body would be sublime doing the "Dance of Two Veils".

She smiled widely looking eagerly back to the chocolate.

Demkaih smiled broadly, his own language and his own greetings. It was like he'd been away for years hearing that. He inclined his head in a return of respect.



The mugrobi man laughed heartily and opened the cold box, speaking in native mugroba tongue.

"I have but a very small handful of orange chocolate, and it is in thin sheets. I did not think anyone in Anaxas would know of it, so admittedly I made it for myself." He pulled out a small stack of chocolate with wax paper between the sheets. Breaking off a small piece of the first sheet, he handed it to her for a taste testing. Nodding, he gestured around the shop.

"I have every spice you need here, the common ones are in the big weaved baskets, and our rarer ones are stored on the shelves. Let me know what you need and I will get it for you." Raising his eyebrows, he grinned.

"She must be a very good dancer already if you are willing to show her the Two Veils." He wondered if Fion would learn the Two Veils, and quickly dispelled the image. It made him think way to much of pie.

"Please, follow me. My family weaves the fabrics I have in store, and I can assure you they are the finest quality. Silks and Fine Mugroba Weave. Our red was a fine seller in Thul Ka markets, Alkrim Ochre it was named. Oh, I am sorry, Demkaih Alkrim." He said with a slow half bow, before standing to walk towards the bolts of cloth.

"Mmmmmm...." Alia popped the piece in her mouth and it practically watered at the taste. The thin piece melted on her tongue in a heavenly fashion and she grinned from ear to ear.

"You my good friend are amazing. Don't doubt my Poe will be in here to buy from you as well. You will always know when he is in trouble. He will hang his head and ask for the orange flavored chocolate." She laughed, and then turned to the spices. "I will need some red pepper, as well as some sage, and thyme. I would love to find some paprika, and cumin."



"Forgive me, I am Alia Illoi, and she is a wonderful dancer. I can tell by the way she moves her body and the way she speaks, there is a certain gracefulness achieved by a dancer that no other can achieve. I personally love to dance, but only to please my husband. I was taught the Two Veils from my mother and it is that dance that made my poor Poe realize I was no longer a girl. Sarinah will do it better justice than I."

She turned to feel the silks, and smiled when the soft texture ran over her fingers. She dropped her veil and placed the fabric next to her skin, turning away from the man as she did so. Replacing the veil she turned back to Demkaih and smiled behind the sheer material over her face. "Thank you, I will let you choose the best and I'll take the traditional nine yards for a sari and a seperate two yards for a face veil and head wrap. These are truly beautiful. Would that I could buy enough for myself a new sari but business has not been good here yet."

Demkaih laughed and then had a thought. He would save some of this for Fion, wondering if she had ever had chocolate before. He'd forgot to even ask!



The spice merchant nodded and began walking around the store as she talked, collecting the first three from the back of the store. The paprika and cumin were in the big weave baskets at the front of the store. He put each collection into a small muslin bag and placed them on the counter.



He laughed, understanding full well what she meant. The dance was something one did not perform lightly. Or around men one did not want to entice with thoughts of pie...



The dark man politely averted his eyes when she dropped her veil, till she turned back. As she spoke, he came over with a pair of scissors and a measuring stick. Making a face as he pulled out and measured the first cut of fabric, he sighed.

"I do understand what you mean. If I can be completly honest with you, between mugrobi, I can't stand this place. If I could, I would close my shop and go home. I thought Anaxas would be a place I could truly enjoy, but so far, the galdor here are so different from the ones back home. They are cruel and have no respect for anyone. The only thing that keeps me here, that makes me give this slum a chance, is the seamstress. She has stolen my heart and I do not want it returned." He smiled warmly, folding the first cut and measuring up for the second.

"I would marry her today and take her away to Mugroba, but she is not ready yet." He mused as he measured and cut, putting it aside and doing the final cut.

"But it does not matter to me. I will wait a lifetime for my beautiful poppy. She is strong and kind, and her heart is pure. I will never love another." Taking the final piece, he gathered the folded fabric and took it back to the counter, putting it inside a muslin bag. He gathered the spices and placed them in a bag aswell. Reaching into the cold box, he took about half of the orange chocolate and wrapped it in wax paper and finally in a muslin cloth that had been placed inside the box itself. Resting his arms on the counter top, he grinned.

"Will that be all?"

"I see. Yes I understand. We came here in search of a new living. A new beginning so to speak. Poe and I wish to start a family and we thought we would find others here willing to join us in creating a new tribe. I so far have seen mostly cruelty on behalf of the galdori and I curse the blood within me that is galdor in creation. I miss my home. But here among the people of Anaxas, I have seen a need. A need for change and the people here need those like us, who will not treat them with disrespect simply because they do not have the mona at their beck and call. Ivan the doctor also has knowledge of Mugroba. You should speak to him. I know personally I hope with my talent as a healer, I can help the people here with my magic and the few tricks I have up my sleeve to better their lives. Speaking with Ivan made me realize that people here are treated far differently than I am used to and they are treated here unjustly. Humans are not treated for their ails here. Don't the galdor understand the implications of not helping their supposed lessers. It will lead to trouble in all manner of things. The mona are a gift, and personally i believe the galdor here abuse them. I am however a outsider in a strange land and while the galdor hold themselves superior in Mugroba as they do here, they at least have some compassion for their lessers in our homeland."

"As for your poppy, perhaps you can give her a bit of your chocolate to sweeten the deal, take it from me love, a woman can't resist a sweet like Mugrobi chocolate. Poe will tell you first hand that's the quickest way for him to get out of the doghouse or get whatever he is desiring from me when I am not amiable to his desires. Chocolate solves everything!"

Alia smiled and remembered her own persistence at getting Poe to see her no longer as his childhood best friend but a lover.

Ahhh the sweet beginnings of love!



"Yes, I shall visit you regularly, my husband is intent on joining the circus, perhaps that will bring us a more steady income. How much would you require to start an account with you? I have three shill on me, would that be enough for this and to start a tab with you?"

Demkaih nodded slowly, listening carefully and agreeing with her thoroughly.

"I will have to meet with this Ivan sometime."



He smiled, already planning on giving Fion some of the chocolate. He just had to find a really good time to do it. Sometime, special.



Demkaih inclined his head with a smile.

"For a fellow mugrobi, of course. Now, if you like, do you want to get the fabric you needed for a second outfit? We can add it to your tab for later payment." He smiled, happy to have someone else he could talk to about the wretchedness of Anaxas and the wonderfulness of Fion. What a wonderful day.

"Wow, thank you sir. you are wonderful and I am sure Poe won't mind me having another outfit for his circus debut. Perhaps you could help me choose fabrics and send me to a good seamstress to make me a more Anaxian outfit. I would love to surprise Poe with a pretty outfit more fit to this area of the world. Thank you ever so much!"

Alia smiled and could see herself in a low cut chemise and a corset with a flowing skirt and watch Poe's eyes widen. Ahhhh such sweetness she would have when this happened.

Demkaih smiled and inclined his head again.

"Not a problem for a fellow mugrobi. I have the perfect seamstress for your work. Just down from here, Fion Smith. She is the best seamstress I have known, and a wonderful person. She is my poppy." He smiled softly.

"Now, let us select your fabrics!"

Alia went back to the fabrics and chose some red soft silk for a chemise and some heavy fabric for a corset and several layers of silken fabric in yellows oranges and reds to complement her ensemble. She smiled at Dem and positively glowed as she prepared the package to go.

"Thank you and I'll be back to see you soon. I am sure your love will be the perfect seamstress for the job! This has uplifted my spirits immensely! May Hulai keep you safe dear until I see you next!"

With that she left the shop and sighed as the sun hit her face once she was outside once more.