The heat of the desert could slowly burn a mind to the brink of insanity. With each heavy step, with the sting of the sand hitting them from all sides, and with the endless dry hills, it chips away at a person's strength, leaving them exhausted. Annuakat wasn't any different. The city was renowned for its abundance of food and plentiful water but its people were exhausted. The Empire's takeover, the Drakormir incident, Gerra's absence, and the ever changing political tides of the empire made a shriveled-up paranoid populace out of a once proud city. Every day they waited for some other bad news. Some other disaster. Some other reason to go back into hiding.
Every desert needed an oasis. When The Sapphire Oasis opened up, news of the spectacular building spread through Annuakat like wildfire. An old noble's home that had been abandoned after the nobleman was killed in the siege of Annuakat. The building had been passed from person to person until a newcomer purchased the property. Over time the building turned from a decrepit family home into a work of art. The outside walls had simplistic murals of desert mariposa and desert sage. There was even a pretty set of windchimes to welcome visitors with its chimes.
The arches were a mixture of Annuakat and Ragash designs but the pillars looked as though they were expertly carved from stone. The first floor was a mixture of tiles and stone while a few of the walls held small mosaic flower designs in the connecting corners of the walls. Plants were placed tactfully while blue pillows for sitting were set up for customers. The mixture of blue and greens created the illusion of an internal oasis.
The second floor was where the wealthier customers could pay a small extra fee to spend their time. There was a patio and a gorgeous water fountain with a pool circling it. The water fountain had been enchanted to allow recycling of the water without fear of it drying up or getting it dirty. Even if a hundred people stuck their dirty feet into the pool, it would remain as crystal clear as the day it had been made. Cushions for sitting were made of a soft cyan silk and guests were served with blue and green glass plates instead of the sturdy stoneware plates used downstairs. The Hookah's provided for guests wouldn't create any smell or too much smoke, for their more sensitive guests, but was still provided.
The Sapphire Oasis was a place to wine, dine, and relax. Despite the obvious elitism of the second floor, the downstairs floor was relatively cheap for its food. A regular person could afford a meal with a spot of coffee if they were feeling ambitious. The location of the Sapphire Oasis had been carefully considered, as they were close to busy markets and was settled right next to an inn. Both tourists and local shoppers would be drawn in by the delicious smells flowing from the restaurant.
Whether it was the clever advertisement or desperation of the populace for something not involving death and despair, The Sapphire Oasis were endlessly busy for the first few weeks it had opened. Nobility and commoners alike came in for the rumors but stayed for the food. The fastest way to the people's coin was through their stomachs.
Then one night the entire restaurant was strictly reserved by it's patron, Vasilios Jaziri. People began to talk about what this patron of the arts had in store and began excitedly chatting over what the noble would be up to.
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The patron of the Oasis busily checked over every aspect of the restaurant, looking for any small flaw that could become a problem. Both floors were spotless and his selection of servers were known for being tight-lipped, even if someone attempted to bribe or threaten. The music played in the distance was gentle but pleasant, never too loud or disrupting to conversations. And as always, the food and drinks were excellent. Even he had chosen to wear an elegant dark blue robe with some golden earrings to present himself suitably.
All of this effort so that a group of nobles and representatives of an Abtati tribe could converse in a comfortable location. Vasilios had earned some trust of a few Abtati through assisting and learning from Abtati merchants. The windchimes on the entrance of The Sapphire Oasis were a design choice inspired by tales of how Abtati children were lulled to sleep by its sounds and would make them out of reeds as gifts for the family. The pillars made of stone were sculpted by a visiting Abtati and even the food were made from recipes that some of the tribes graciously shared.
These additions that were small to humans were a sign of welcome for the Abtati. Vasilios had done his research and intended to create a space where the two cultures could merge instead of clashing. What he didn't expect was to be chosen as a host for a group of nobles and Abtati to discuss improving relations. Despite the empowerment of the Abtati in the city, they still clashed with the nobles. The nomadic ways of Abtati made it difficult to connect with Annuakat locals and the nobles still remembered their fellow Marya's deaths.
But some were tired of the constant internal fighting. Others saw opportunity in new connections. And some were afraid of a continued clash between the nobility while Gerra was still absent. The clever ones knew this infighting would serve as opportunity for outside forces to create weakness within the noble class. Either way, the desire for communication was enough to ask Vasilios to host a meeting for both parties.
Vasilios was a noble but a minor one. He held a reputation of focusing more on the arts and finer things in life than in politics. If it had been a higher up noble or someone else, both sides would have been weary of such a meeting. If they had chosen a noble's home or created a large celebration or important meeting, the tensions would escalate. Instead they chose a subtler, casual place for the meeting with a host who had little to gain from the situation. The location was also a place where the Abtati felt more comfortable with its designs and food, as it had come directly from their tribes.
Security was another issue Vasilios had thought about. He had already gone through the trouble of investigating every single staff member and ensuring that only the guest who had been invited by both sides would be allowed to enter. The guest would still bring their own form of security and Vasilios had been careful to remind both sides that The Blue Oasis was a restaurant and NOT a palace. Security would be present but not perfect and he was not responsible for any troubles that occurred during the meeting.
Guests began to arrive and Vasilios went down to greet them and show them to their seats on the upper floor. The seats chosen were near enough to the water fountain for guests to enjoy the crystal blue waters but far enough to allow them to speak clearly. As both Marya nobles and Abtati nobles arrived, tensions were already high despite this being a casual meeting. Vasilios was a fairly charming man and began telling them stories about his time in the desert, effectively distracting both parties from their worrying minds.
He ended one of his tales with a lamentation over children being reckless. That got some of the parents to sympathize and tell stories of their own about their children. The ones without kids began discussing over what happened when they were kids and how their parents reacted. Children were easier to discuss, as some moments were universal. The first moment a child learned to crawl and all the endless dumbass decisions they tend to make. Tensions began to lift as they began serving delicious wine and telling stories. After assessing the situation to be calmer, Vasilios went downstairs to prepare for more guests.
On the outside he was calm and held his charming smile but on the inside he was a bit nervous. There were still more guests to arrive and the night had only just begun.
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