People flowed through the streets like restless waves. Food stalls exhaled warm aromas, laughter rose in broken bursts, and horses' hooves struck the stones with a steady rhythm.
Amidst this crowd... walked Irkalos.
He didn't seem part of the scene, despite his desperate attempts. His steps were measured, cold, lacking the spontaneous rush of humans.
His eyes swept over faces methodically, but inside, he was measuring everything: the slant of shoulders, the tension in fingers, the shift in a laugh's rhythm, the choking of a word behind a smile.
Why is that man smiling while looking at the other that way?
The thought crossed his mind, heavy and sharp like a small stone beneath his skin.
He slowed his walk, observing a scene: two men exchanging words, one laughing with an open mouth... while his body was tense like a drawn bowstring.
Fear? No... perhaps flattery.
He stared longer, trying to dissect the scene... and suddenly stopped.
"Hey, get out of the way!"
