Day 1, Early Afternoon, Caravan of Entertainment (Desert) - Hot Stuff

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Oh the poor thing! Do not worry for trivialities like coin; You may save yours for your mother."

...if it was going to be seen through, it apparently would not be by the young woman who sat down daintily. She took out a folding fan and fanned herself as she got comfortable, looking at the old man, "Some cooling and refreshing please; Cucumber water or ambrosia or such."

[Jewel]

The old Ra'shari raises an eyebrow at hearing coin is a triviality but looks scornfully at Nasim.

"Bah, fear not for his mother. He has had more mothers than I have hair on my head." Despite his age, and its white state, that was still a considerable amount. "Last time Nasim, the snake, could not pay it was because he had spent the coin on his dear mother's funeral... or so he said."

He lets the scorn fade as he turns back to Soraya, the smile swiftly beaming again, "Ah, yes, truly a woman of discerning tastes. For you I have a rarity indeed!"

He bustles to the back of the tent, shuffling thing aside, and eventually returning. In one hand he bears a strange brown oblong shape covered in what seems almost like fur or hair but thick and strange in texture. In the other he bears a small but heavy-headed axe or hatchet.

"From the lands of Ivory this is. Very rare. It cannot grow in the sands but sometimes can survive the travel."

He looks at it for a moment before handing it to Soraya, "Hold this, I forgot the board."

The fruit? Rock? Seed? Is firm and hard and its 'fur' has a straw-like texture.

Stefan returns quickly with a wooden board that he places on the floor of the tent before reclaiming the fruit. Holding it carefully in place upon the board he swings the small axe with surprising strength and speed as it cracks deep into the orb. He just as swiftly lets the hatchet drop as he scoops up the halves of the object before much of the liquid it apparently contained can drain away.

The inside of the halves is curved like a shallow bowl and a brilliant white. Within there is a small amount of liquid, perhaps a cup between the two of them, that looks somewhat like water but clouded with white.

[Rufus Belgica]

"Curious." Rufus watched as the nut/fruit thing is cut open to reveal a liquid interior. "It's a camel fruit, holding water inside until needed."

He's been smiling at the repartee between Hasim and the proprietor. It reminded him of the squabbling of men in the barracks, where even old gripes turned into running jokes after continued time together.

[Nasim ibn Jalil]

Nasim didn't even look ashamed at Stefan's claim and merely laughed it off. "And I see your hearing is just fine now old man, you were having trouble the last time I was asking for my winnings."

At the strange object Stefan pulled out Nasim seemed slightly confused, he'd never seen it before, though he usually didn't pay for the good stuff.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Ah!"

Soraya immediately cried out and pointed to the fruit once it was split open, "It is one of those hairy nut fruits! I remember seeing an illustration of one in a story about a man who got shipwrecked on an island. I do not remember if the story called it anything, but it illustration was most large and hairy, and the worn pages gave it a slightly wrinkly..."

She trailed off thoughtfully before realizing she was rambling, looking at the Yodotai, "I do not think it is called a camel fruit, though it would have been a good name, if you had been in charge of naming it."

[Rufus Belgica]

"Well, I will happily keep at making amusing names for you then mildly. May I?" Rufus gestures at the food. "So, who wants to go first?"

[Nasim ibn Jalil]

"Coca Nut, I think they're called?" Nasim ventured. "Though Camel Fruit is a good name for it, I agree."

As Soraya was the one paying, and the most excited by the show put on, Nasim waved to her. "You first, sayyeda. It seems only fair."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

The princess nodded and looked up at the old man who had split the thing open, "Do you just drink it as is then? Or must you do something special with it first?"

[Jewel]

"Though there are preparations that can be made from it it can also be consumed as it is. The white flesh, after the liquid is consumed, is also edible."

[Rufus Belgica]

"Well, if we are to swap tales, then I suppose that if we are to talk about a special fruit, I have a tale to tell." Rufus clears his throat and begin to rummage through his sack.

"When I was a student, I was at a city known as Justai. It's patron is the goddess Justice, who they say won it with a gift. The legends say that she was in a contest with her sister, the Mighty and Merciless Sea, who wanted to claim the city as their own. In the end, rather than coming to blows, they entered a contest to see who could provide the best gift to the city.

The Mighty and Merciless Sea went first, striking the ground, and causing a river to well up. The people were overjoyed, but soon realized that the water was salty to the taste, not fit for drinking.

Next, Justice planted a seed into the ground, and from it a shoot grew, growing into a tree. The branches spread and leafed, with a small round fruit budding from it. These fruits, when pressed, gave off an oil, though they were hard to eat. In one motion, Justice had brought wood, oil and wood to the people of the city. The people proclaimed Justice the winner, but the Mighty and Merciless Sea was furious at being rejected, and threatened to raze the city out of spite. However, Justice had forseen this, and took a jar of the salty water from the Sea's gift. The fruits cured, softening and becoming delicious. Justice explained that the Sea's gift had only made hers better and that her sister should be proud.

The Sea was still unhappy, but agreed to leave the city alone, so long as its people did not tread upon her."

Rufus pulls a jar from his pack and pries it open, revealing olives within.