Wandering Souls

Felian, Female: Sorcerer/Shaman/Materai; Kala En'Sola{Magic Touched}

Gnome(Fey-Blooded), Male: Exorcist/Mercenary/Ronin; Usagi, The Wandering Monk{Divine Servant}

A small man in a dark cloak stood before the group of five Desert Elves. They were slavers.

“You really think you can win, huh?” One of them spoke with a heavy accent.

“How many souls haunt your steps?” The Gnome asked calmly. As the wind picked up around all of them, his eyes opened to reveal a cold, blue glow. “Let's find out, eh?”

Kala woke to the rocking sensation of a wagon and the clicking of many somethings gently colliding in its rhythm. She didn’t know where she was, but she was aware that it wasn’t the cage she had been thrown into before being force-fed some drugged wine to keep her compliant. Fear was locked out by the lingering grogginess of said drugs; the coming nausea was only hinted at. She knew it was going to be awful. Her mind tried to question things, but frustratingly, she couldn’t hold onto any thought long enough to follow it.

The gentle sway to and fro of the wagon blurred her mind. Eventually, it stopped, and the churning in her gut ceased to be counteracted. Rolling onto her side, she vomited and blacked out.

The next sound her mind registered was the crackling of a fire somewhere nearby, along with someone humming a sad song to themselves. She didn’t recognize the song, but she knew the feeling somewhere deep down, somehow.

“How are you feeling?” The owner of the voice asked quietly. She only groaned in response. “Sounds about right. They made their slave drug purposely hard to get out of your system. It’s even resistant to magic attempts to get rid of it.” He explained. She coughed as her body struggled against the invasive chemicals.
“How… long?” She barely managed.
“I don’t know, it’s different for everyone. All I can do is ensure you’re comfortable and hydrated until the effects wear off completely. Until that point, you’ll feel like you do right now. I’m sorry there isn’t more I can do.” He explained her situation calmly.
“Who?” Kala’s mouth was dry, and her throat ached.
“I’m just Usagi. Water?” He asked. Her thirst was evident in her voice, apparently.

“Ple…ase.” She was thankful he was attentive, but she was still afraid that she’d taste that rancid wine again. Thankfully, as he crouched beside her and slowly gave her a drink from a waterskin, it was just that- only water.

“I’ll be nearby if you need anything. For now, rest if you can and try to ride this out.” He was keeping his voice quiet and calm, which was very comforting. She managed to open her eyes and saw a blurry, Gnomish man with eyes so vividly green that she could see them despite being almost blind.

“How?” She asked, speaking was easier now that she’d had some water.

“They’re dead and you are free.” He answered simply, with a coldness to his voice that surprised her. He stood up slowly and went back to the fire, tending it silently. As the night continued onward, she drifted in and out of awareness. He did as he said he would and made sure she was never thirsty. During one of her periods of unconsciousness, he moved her back into his wagon onto a sleeping pad that gave her some comfort.

He checked on her while he loaded his camp back into its secure storage around her.

“Where are you taking me?” She asked, watching him tuck a leather tarp away.

“Away from the desert, toward the Guild Town Woods.” He said, stretching and sighing.

“Good.” That made her feel safer.

“Rest.” He closed the double doors on the back of the wagon before heading up front to get it moving. The gentle rocking lulled her to sleep.

When she woke up, she could smell the inside of the wagon: herbs, spices, incense. She hadn’t realized that the drugs impaired her sense of smell until now. The air coming from the front smelled wet and was cold to her. She could hear light rain tapping on the top of the wagon. Kala wasn’t accustomed to rain because she was from the plains area south of the Elven Suu-En Desert. The Elves who had been banished there thought of themselves as ‘Living Gods’ and took whatever they wanted. This included people- her people, the cat like Felians. The rest of the people of the continent of Luaithre fought against this. The Free Peoples, formerly the Kingdom of Kilnor, patrolled the plains and fought with the Slavers on a regular basis, but they still got through.

Usagi’s statement about where they were headed told her that they were far from her home. Hopefully, she could send a letter to her family to let them know she had been saved.

The rain became a storm, and Usagi closed the hatch at the front of his wagon to keep it out. He told her he was heading more directly for the woods to get them some cover. After a long while, the wagon came to a stop, the trees keeping the worst of the wind and rain at bay.

“We will hunker down here for now,” Usagi said as he closed the front hatch. He was soaked through but didn’t seem to mind.”I’m going to change into some dry clothes.” He said, pulling a thin curtain across the front of the wagon. She heard his wet clothes hit the floor and drawers open and close. Soon, the curtain was pulled aside, and he was wearing a very comfy-looking set of aqua blue robes.
“So, you’re a monk?” she asked, sitting up a little on one elbow.
“Something like that.” He chuckled as he set a small pot with a spout onto a heating stone; it glowed as its magics kicked on.

“I know nothing about you.” She pointed out.

“Sorry about that, I’ve never been good at talking about myself.” He sighed. “Ask away.” He invited her curiosity.

“What kind of Monk are you?” She asked him; she’d met several, and the different sects had very different ideologies.

“Originally, I was a Healer, but I studied in several shrines. Learned a lot.”
“You’re tall for a Gnome?” She’d notice that the wagon was built for some more Elven in size, and he didn’t look particularly small in it.

“My grandmother or my great-grandmother got tupped by a Fey. The family never wants to talk about it.” He shrugged.

“What kind of Fey?” She was a little worried now.

“No idea, like I said, they don’t talk about it. Gives me an affinity for life essence, I can feel a person's pulse and the chemicals in their bloodstream.” He explained. “I can taste poisons on people.”

“Chemicals?” She wasn’t familiar with this term.

“In general, it has a broad meaning. But in this instance, I’m referring to things like adrenaline.” He explained, putting some loose tea into a metal ball with a mesh over the holes.

“I see, so you joined The Healer.” It seemed a natural trajectory.

“Not until after I died, they approached me while I was recovering after hearing rumors about what happened, their curiosity only fed into my own.” He gave further explanation.

“Died…. you said those Desert Elves who took me were dead. What kind of healing monk knows how to do that?” She asked.
“Understanding how things break is an important step in knowing how to put them back together.” He pointed out, “and I spent some time with both The Dead and The Warrior sects in my studies.” He added. There were four sects of monks who followed the ‘Children’ of the entity known as The Calm One: The Healer, The Dead, The Wanderer, and The Warrior. Kala really didn't know much about them but that seemed like an odd combination.

“What led you to them?” She asked.

“The trauma of dying and knowing that I couldn’t defend myself or those I care about. I’ve learned to work with my fears, not against them.” He spoke calmly, pouring the hot water into his cup with the tea ball. She tried to study him but his loose robes obscured his form.

“Sounds great.” Her own fears were slowly closing in on her as the drugs were slowly purged from her system. As he opened his mouth to speak there were three distinct knocks on the side of the wagon. He held a finger up to his mouth to signal for silence while he watched the wall across from him. Time felt spread out as they waited, staring at the wall.

“We should be safe now.” He finally broke the silence.
“What was that about?” She asked him.
“A type of Fey wanders the storms, it's best to just ignore them.” He shrugged, he sipped his tea before setting it aside to hand her the waterskin.

“Thank you.” She accepted it and took small drinks. “What does it want?” She wasn't from an area with active Fey on this side of the Veil.

“Your face, both metaphorically and literally. Depends on their mood.” They can't knock on doors so that is a big advantage- unless you're roughing it.” He answered her question. “I suggest we bed down for the night, the heating stone will keep us warm. I can heat up some broth for you if you want, something for your stomach.

“That would be very nice, please and thank you.” She still couldn't really feel most of her body but hunger wasn't waiting for her to catch up. He nodded and pulled open a drawer that looked to be carved from a solid piece of stone, cold drifted out of it. Kala could feel the magic inside of the container.

Usagi pulled out a long, beige ice cube and placed it into pot before setting it onto the heating stone.

“On it's way.” He pulled a mug out of his small cabinet. “I should have some clothing for you, robes should fit for now.” He said casually, it was at this point that she realized that she was naked underneath the light blanket he had wrapped around her.

“That would be greatly appreciated. I'm going to assume they're the ones who stripped me?” she felt uneasy.

“Indeed, I wrapped you in a blanket to get you onto the wagon, at that point I knew what they had dosed you with so I knew it'd be a while before you woke up. Figured it would be best to get as much distance as possible in that time.” He explained his thought process.

“That does make sense.” She understood his reasoning. “I'm feeling a little bit better but everything is still fuzzy.”

“I think you vomited out a lot of the wine they forced on you so you have a relatively low dose and you were asleep for three days.” He pointed out.

“Three days?” She was in shock but that did make sense, the Guild Town woods were far to the north of the western exit of the Suu-En Desert. And, the drugs were intense enough that the passage of time went unobserved. He stirred the broth in the pot, it had melted quickly and he'd added more water to it. Condensed broth ice was fairly common as it could be easily kept cool in a small enchanted container and was a high nutrition drink.

“Here you are.” He poured it into the mug and topped it off with cold water so it wasn't too hot to drink. She struggled a little to sit up before accepting the cup from him. She could smell it which was an improvement from before.

“Thanks.” she sipped slowly, not wanting to upset her stomach again. He pulled out a spare sleeping pad and rolled it out on the floor at the front of the wagon. He made a gesture with his hand to dim the rune lighting inside. “What about your horse?” The rain was still coming down heavy and she felt bad for the poor thing getting stuck out in it.

“I summon a steed.” He held up a fancy ring he kept on his plain necklace. “A reward of sorts for putting an end to a dangerous wizard.”

“That's handy, wish I had that before.” She had been outpaced by the Desert Elves because they had mounts.

“I can imagine. You're safe now, get some rest when you're done with the broth.” He laid down and wiggled to get comfortable. It was difficult to see him in the dim light now, especially with how still he was now. Hopefully she'd get a better look at him with clearer eyes tomorrow.

The next morning he gave her a robe to wear before helping her out of the wagon so she could relieve herself before they headed out, he was surprisingly strong for his size. This time she sat just inside of the front entrance so they could chat while she sipped more broth. Usagi told her they were heading to Guild Town and that they could get her licensed as some form of mercenary so she could work with him and earn a living while they took a longer route back to her home, a message would be sent to let her family know she was safe now too.

“Not sure what kind of merc I could be, I have a little magic but nothing impressive.” She admitted.

“I'm sure they'll help you figure out where your magic sits and teach you a few things.” He said, his eyes never stopped moving as he watched for hazards.

“That sounds great, I've always wondered about that.” She'd taught herself to make gusts of wind to mess with her brother but that was the extent of her abilities.

“They like helping people learn about their magics, teaches them a lot of their own.” He said. “Everything is a lesson.” He yawned. They sat in silence for a while, she pushed against the wall with her legs to try and get more feeling back into them. She had a long road of recovery ahead of her.

“I don't know if I've thanked you properly for saving me.” She realized out loud. “Thank you.”

“You're very welcome.” He flashed her a smile over his shoulder. He had short, black hair and the typical round facial structure of Gnomes but there were signs of sharpness from his Fey heritage that were obvious if you were looking for them. Usagi was quite attractive which wasn't surprising, the Fey were renowned for their beauty.

“How long until we get to Guild Town?” She wasn't in a hurry but she was excited for many reasons.

“Few days, gives us to time to get that drug out of your system. I've got some exercises I think would help you get back onto your feet too.” He said, obviously he'd given this some thought. Then again, he had started his training with the Healer monks.

“That would be great, I feel so sluggish. It's gross.” She huffed.

“Be forewarned- You will be sore and exhausted.” He teased her.

“I'm already sore and exhausted, bring it on.” She couldn't help but smile.

“As you wish.” He smirked. She set her empty cup aside and relaxed her legs. They felt like limp noodles and she hated it. Idle chat filled most of the day as they made their way along the wood line to the road leading up to Guild Town. When they stopped for the night the sun was drifting below the western mountains, Usagi released the steed and its glistening particle dispersed in gentle breeze.

“I'm going to cook something light, probably some noodles in broth if you'd like some.” He offered.

“That sounds really good, I think my stomach needs something solid.” She was sitting with her back against one of the wagon wheels on a folded, wool blanket. She wished she could help more but understood why she couldn't.

“That's what I figured. I'll get that started soon.” He was setting up a small fire pit and she thought about how he moved and held himself. He was fast, quiet, and accurate with everything he did.

“What is your preferred form of martial arts? Some monks traveled through my home town and they gave us an exhibition. They were from the The Dead I think, I was really young. They had a patience and flow to their style, I remember thinking it was like full contact dancing,” she giggled.

“It's based on redirecting and re-purposing kinetic energy. It's a great workout with a good partner.” He said casually. “Personally I like to mix and match to counter my opponents strength. I can do acrobatics but two points of contact with the ground is best.”

“Is that what you're going to teach me? A little bit of everything?” She asked, weirdly exhilarated by the idea.

“First we learn the exercises and stretches, then we spar and see where your strengths are so we can build from there.” He explained.

“Oh, it's gonna be a while before I'm up for sparring.” She chuckled.

“And then you'll be busy in Guild Town. I do hope you don't forget about me.” He chuckled with her.

“I owe you a life debt, we Felian don't forget such things.” Kala pointed out, besides that he was her only friend here.

“I see, I wasn't aware of that part of your culture.” He said, as he added a couple broth cubes to a pan set directly on a bed of hot coals to melt them with some water to dilute it.

“We don't tend to leave our villages much, too busy protecting ourselves from the Desert Dwellers.” She explained.

“Thankfully you have the Free Peoples and the Throne Guard on your side now.” He said.

“With their help we've pushed the Desert Elves back, but I don't think they'll ever change.” She sighed.

“Doesn't seem likely.” He shrugged, adding some wide noodles to the broth as it had gotta up to a low boil. “Do you know how to use chopsticks?” He asked.

“Not well enough to say yes.” She shifted so she could hold a bowl of hot liquid safer in preparation.

“I have a spork so that is okay, I like chopsticks because they keep my hands dexterous.” He admitted with a smile. They ate dinner and relaxed until the the sun was fully down at which point they cleaned up the dishes and put out the fire before loading back into the wagon for the night.

“Hopefully I'm up for more tomorrow. I am feeling stronger.” She was hopeful.

“That's good, we'll still take it slow and focus more on stretching and lite workouts.” He said as he rolled out his sleeping pad, again he placed himself at the front entrance of the wagon.
“I appreciate that.” Kala pulled her blanket close around her, it was going to be a while before she acclimated to this colder temperature.

By the time they arrived in Guild Town she could walk on her own and he had establish both a morning routine and an even routine for her to work on. Usagi paid for a stall to store his wagon before taking her into the Guild Works part of the city to meet with a few of his contacts. The first person was a Rodiana with small horns named Taro the Teeth. She was only wearing gray, loose pants and a brassiere, her fur was a brownish maroon color.

“How fairs the traveler?” She asked in a husky voice, “and, who is your friend?” She studied Kala with piercing eyes. The inside of The House of Fangs, a group of monster slayers, was dimly lit with bones and furs used for most of the furnishings.

“The traveler fairs well, this Kala. Some slavers grabbed her and I intervened.” He answered both of Taro's questions.

“I could smell the remnants of their wine on her, I assume they are dead?” Taro's eyes fixated on Usagi. He nodded his head, dropping his bag off of one shoulder so he could pull out the thin chain that held the gilded masks of the Desert Elf slaves, it was passed their the right eye hole of each one.

“My proof.” He said.

“Five masks, a thousand gold each. Well done.” Taro announced loudly with a smirk.

“I'll split the reward with Kala.” He stated his terms. They'd spoken about this the day before, she needed to buy herself some clothes and necessities.

“Kind of you.” Taro gave Kala another once over. “What's your plan for her?”

“She has magical talent so I'll be taking her to the mages for an assessment and then we'll figure it out from there.” Usagi wasn't going to leave her to fend for herself far from home. That would just be rude.

“Where do your talents lay?” Taro asked her directly, which made her jump a little.

“I never had any training but I can create gusts of wind.” Kala answered her, there was something primal and commanding about the Rodiana.

“I'm sure something can be done with that. Don't push yourself too hard with the wine still in you, it's designed to carve you out and leave you empty. The more you resist the worse it's effects.” Taro counseled her. That explained why her mostly sleeping through the drugs helped her recover oddly fast.

“That explains a lot of things.” Kala felt a little nauseated at that description. A Blue Elf that was far bulkier than any Kala had seen before walked up and handed Taro a thick piece of paper that she read before handing it to Usagi. “What is that?”

“A receipt.” Taro said as she accepted the chain of masks from Usagi.
“We take it to the Guilds accountants to get our pay for the bounties.” Usagi further explained. “The Fangs have an open bounty for all slavers, many of the Houses members make their living hunting them.”

“Oh, thank you for helping my people.” Kala bowed her head to House Leader.

“Slavery is an abomination and therefore so are those who practice it.” Taro bowed her head back in respect.

“We are in agreement. We have a lot on the docket today so we do need to head out.” Usagi said.

“Of course, I hope you have a speedy recovery, Kala. I would like an update from a local on the situation at the border if you have time later.” Taro said.

“I would be honored.” Kala bowed her head again before following Usagi outside and to a large building with a lot of guards around it, the Gnome showed them the receipt and they let him in. The Halfling at the counter accepted it, recorded their information and paid them out two thousand and five hundred golds worth of currency separately as it was stated on the receipt. This took the form of twenty five large gold plates that weighed a lot, thankfully Usagi has his bag to tuck them into.

“Let's get you some clothes, and anything else you need, before talking with the mages.” He said, leading her to the Market District.