《Start a Fire》


 A Chance Meeting

    The road was crowded today, especially along the intersection into Drace. The town was somewhat small, but exploding rapidly due to it¡¯s place along the king¡¯s road, and the rich forest not far from the road there. The king ¡¯s road was paved in large slate like cobblestones, worn smooth over the last hundred years by wagon wheels. The road was nearly 400 years old, and a testament to the kingdom¡¯s wealth, or rather, it¡¯s wealth 400 years ago. The nation of Elista was somewhat less prosperous now. The kingdom had run strong for over 500 years, wealthy enough to fund several roads, each spanning over a hundred miles. But when the king died over 40 years ago, leaving 3 kids who tore the kingdom into 3 pieces.


    Looking out at a window from the upper floor of the laughing moon inn, a person could see a couple wagons along the king¡¯s road, and nearly 3 dozen people. Most turned off the king¡¯s road. It was illegal to build along the king''s road. New towns had to branch off, as using the king¡¯s road as a ¡°main street¡± congested the road with town¡¯s folk. As such, with only 2 building spots directly adjacent to the king''s road, the laughing moon was on a particularly valuable plot of land. It and a major travel supply store were the first things a person traveling down the king''s road would see as they came to the town of Drace.


    A man leaning partially out his room¡¯s window in the inn looked down as he idly watched the road out of boredom. He did a slight double take as he saw a woman walking alone down the road. All others, save a telvani, were human. Except this woman, who¡¯s feline ears gave her away as a kaetsu. She wore a camisole and some traveling pants, somewhat form fitting, the pants were black and her shirt blue, and a black cloak with blue accents and patterns covered her back, with it¡¯s hood down. It was interesting to see a kaetsu here, as Elista was a human dominated kingdom. 90% of the kingdom populace were human, and most of the rest were telvani, with some kiava or drakis people thrown in. You saw the odd kaetsu or quitsun, but they were rare. They tended to prefer avoiding the politics around Elista and it¡¯s sister nations. Some people tended to call Elista ¡°New Elista¡± because it was nothing like the expansive empire it had been before the split.


    The man coughed, suppressing a laugh. People always thought of Elista, old Elista, the real one, as a peaceful, prosperous nation. All it¡¯s citizens lived away from war, and famine. But where did Elista expand to? Other nations. Elista was always at war. But it¡¯s people never thought of it that way. It¡¯s people longed for the good old days, before the split, refusing to acknowledge all the wars it¡¯s prosper and expansion meant to other nations.


    The man shook his head to clear it, and took another glimpse of the kaetsu walking the road. For the first time he noticed something else, a tortoiseshell cat walking behind her. His eyes were sharper than any human''s, true, but it had probably been at a bad angle before. As he watched the cat jumped into the woman''s shoulders, without provocation or sign. Not many took pets on the road. He shook his head as if to clear it and left his room at the inn.


    Rayne stroked her cat affectionately as it rose atop her shoulders. It was always doing that, jumping on her at odd times, purposefully trying to startle her sometimes. It was smarter than most cats, but that wasn¡¯t particularly surprising given it was her familiar. Having excess mana in the body tended to make animals smarter, stronger, and generally superior to others.


    Her feet were sore, and she looked longingly at the inn as she passed it, but her purse was painfully light at the moment. Tonight would require a choice. Did she want to be hungry and sleeping indoors, (possibly out of the rain) or fed but possibly sleeping in the rain? Sadly she would have to choose between the two if she couldn¡¯t find work. She hadn¡¯t been able to find work in the last town. It has been still smaller than Drace, and notably less prosperous. Farming towns rarely held much in the way of opportunities for her. Rarely were there pesky spirits or ghosts needing felt with, or people who could afford to have anything enchanted, and those were her skills. Not many could use magic, but she could, and while she was mildly skilled in alchemy and restoration, necromancy and artificing were her main talents, particularly the latter. However, as she disliked settling down in a big city, she was always on the road looking for her next job opportunity.


    Still, after multiple hours on the road, with no food so far today, she would have to eat soon if she wanted the energy required to hunt for job opportunities. So, with a weary sigh, she went in search of food. Due to it¡¯s position along the king''s road, which was so heavily traveled, Drace had more restaurants than a town it¡¯s size should be able to support everyone who traveled a road for long enough craved a warm meal though, so this wasn¡¯t terribly surprising. And with the abundant game in the forest, meat and fur trade was common, further fueling this. So it wasn¡¯t long before she spotted a group of small places, and the smell of cooking deer meat, mingled with some herbs and spices, and chicken, potatoes, and more overwhelmed her.


    Rayne sighed briefly to herself and removed her cat from her shoulder and shook the road dust from her cloak, trying not to think about the fact that given the road, it was probably mostly dried, pulverized horse shit. She grabbed her canteen from her belt and washed her hands as best she could, and cleaned her face. Thankfully it hadn¡¯t rained in the last day or two, or she would have been dirty, not merely dusty. She muttered an inaudible sentence, and the dust seemed to slide off her like water from a slick surface. Magic had it¡¯s convenient little spells. Even doing that though she had been careful to avoid drawing attention.


    With that done, she opened a door into a small place. It was little more than a bar of sorts, and a couple small tables, with an equally small kitchen she could barely see through an archway. She approached the counter and sat on a stool, and after a moment, someone came to ask what she wanted. The menu wasn¡¯t big. Not much to choose from, though with a farming town not too far uproad, they were supplied with some basic veggies and a few meats from the forest. ¡°Venison please, just a simple deer steak¡­ And a baked potato please. And a glass of water.


    As the cook went about preparing her order, she watched, salivating slightly at the smell. It was a shame humans couldn¡¯t smell like she could. Kaetsu had far keener noses. Not quite as good as a canines, or a quitsun¡¯s but not too far behind. With a small sigh she turned her mind towards other matters, thinking absentmindedly. She could probably make some money with her artificing, but she¡¯d need a pair of horses or donkeys and wagon in order to do that. She had things she could make that would definitely interest the cook. She could use artificing to create a barrel or crate that stayed constantly cold on the inside to preserve meat and veggies. That would sell well. But she couldn¡¯t carry around those until she found a buyer. She had a pack full of supplies for the road, yes, and a basic engraving and artificing kit¡­ she could make such things¡­ but how to go about it? If People knew she was a magic user¡­ things could go poorly for her. Common folk were a suspicious and and superstitious lot. Sensationalized (and ridiculous) stories about evil wizards and witches were common entertainment, and because they had no clue what magic even was they were prone to greatly distrust any magic users¡­


    So¡­ how could she market her skills best? It was the constant struggle for traveling mages like her. How could she ensure they took her seriously enough to be interested in her services, without them taking her too seriously and trying to throw her out of town based on superstition?


    While her mind was occupied her. Her cat snuck into the place, lurking around the walls and sneaking under the bar until she was hidden under Rayne¡¯s stool. Rayne suppressed a giggle. Her cat had done as she had expected. She¡¯d sneak her cat bites of deer meat as she ate. Her cat had to eat too.


    Just then, with a clatter of silverware on clay dishes, the cook began serving her food. At the same time the man who had seen her from his room in the laughing moon inn entered. He approached and sat next to her just as they sat her plate down in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll get it¡± he said to the cook, glancing at the menu and her plate nonchalantly. Rayne blushed red, unused to being flirted with, and while he wasn¡¯t being overt, how else was she to take someone she had never met just paying for her food? ¡°H...hey¡­ you don¡¯t¡­¡± Rayne started as the man handed over a small silver coin. ¡°I¡¯ll have the same, keep the change¡± he said. That was somewhat generous, as a silver coin, small though it was, would have bought a third meal and a drink.


    Rayne smiles slightly as she looks at her plate, mostly as an excuse to not look at the man. To delay the moment when it would be awkward to keep avoiding his gaze, she gave a slight sniff, feigning interest in the foods scent. It was then that she recognized something, and her eyebrows raised for a moment. He was a quitsun! She wouldn¡¯t guess it to look at him, but she could tell by his scent. Every race has different scents when it came to how they smelled. ¡°It smells so good.¡± She said, looking at the cook appreciatively. Finally, still blushing, she turned to the man. ¡°Uh¡­. Thank you¡­. I¡¯m Rayne¡­. You?¡±


    She said, not quite looking at him straight on, still visibly blushing. Rayne wished she could do what he could. Kaetsu were shapeshifters too, sure. She could look human¡­ But only ever mostly. But quitsun could totally take human form, while kaetsu always had one or two feline traits they couldn¡¯t suppress. Currently her ears gave away her race, and her eyes. Though she supposed she could more easily have hidden a tail. ¡°Daku¡± The disguised quitsun said, giving his name. Rayne nodded and gave him a genuine look, not avoiding his gaze quite so much, before the cook chimed in, dropping the mood a little in the process. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Drace is on the king¡¯s road eh? Sadly most towns aren¡¯t quite so open to your kind.. Or any other kind really¡­¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Rayne sighed, feeling kind of let down and irritated. Way to kill the mood¡­. She thought to herself. Was the cook not approving of what he viewed as interracial flirting? Or was he just oblivious to the romantic tension? Rayne shot a glance at Dali from the corner of her eye, and saw that he wasn¡¯t thrilled by that interruption either. ¡°Yeah... That''s¡­ Kinda why I¡¯m not in my typical form...¡± She said, not looking at the cook.


    But he plowed on, seeming indeed oblivious to the fact that he had killed the mood and they weren¡¯t thrilled to go from flirting to talking about that of all things. ¡°That''s probably wise¡­ Though it¡¯s not exactly working well¡­ but I guess that''s not your fault¡­ I¡¯d love even the minor shape changing abilities kaetsu have though¡­ sadly we¡¯re a bit lacking in the special abilities side of things huh?¡± The cook said as he gave Daku a look that implied a sort of nudge. When it seemed clear the cook truly was oblivious, he relented.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but¡­ Every race has it¡¯s problems¡­¡± Daku said, irritatedly giving up his flirting, for now at least. ¡°Yeah I guess that is true. I wouldn¡¯t fancy being a kaetsu, quitsun, or anything else really¡­ Not in these times. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this place is on such a well travelled road that sees a little more kaetsu than most¡­ Otherwise you¡¯d be receiving a lot more stares and a less¡­ hospitable welcome, especially in Elista.¡±


    Well now there were stares. And a few of them hard stares. An elderly couple looked alarmed at seeing a kaetsu being hit on by a human. However more were giving sympathetic looks, partially because they too could see the cook, while perhaps well meaning, was a bit dense, and oblivious to how uncomfortable this topic was. The cook seemed to be missing that as world wise as he tried to sound he was coming off as more a well meaning simpleton than anything else.


    Rayne, who had been feeling good, if shy due to the flirting, was now feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She was looking at Dali and her food most, trying to avoid the cooks eye a little. She had taken to eating mostly as an excuse not to be talking, visibly (to those with half a wit) torn between eating slower to prolong the excuse and eating faster to be able to leave politely. She was also sneaking small bits of potato and venison to her cat, hiding between her stool and the counter.


    ¡°Yeah¡­. With Anduin the Red on the throne of New Elista¡­ things aren¡¯t so good.¡± A nearby patron had joined the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve no clue what the king''s got against your kind but he¡¯s obviously mad about something¡­¡± The man said thoughtfully, chewing slowly as he spoke.


    And now all of the admittedly small restaurant was listening. It only worked out at around a dozen people, but still¡­ this conversation wasn¡¯t going away anytime soon. Rayne tried to avoid making eye contact with people, a few of which were looking at her ears as if they had said something offensive about their mother.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s probably over that hunting fiasco. The one with the kaetsu ambassador. Anyone else remember that?¡± Why was Daku now furthering this conversation? What was he up to? Rayne wasn¡¯t sure she knew what he was talking about¡­ to distract herself, she snuck her cat another bit of venison from her plate.


    ¡°Huh? Oh that!¡± The cook said, letting out a hearty chuckle. A few people looked around confusedly before the other patron chimed in again. ¡°Ohhhh, that''s an old story, not far from 20 years ago right? I¡¯m surprised you remember that, as young as you are.¡± The man said, chuckling at Daku, who looked to be in his low 20s. Not that that would matter, as quitsun could live practically forever unless someone or something killed them. But, they didn¡¯t know what he was. ¡°My family had just moved away from the capital back then, and so when my father heard the news from an old friend he wasted no time in telling us the story. It was his favorite story, still is.¡± Rayne pondered over this. Was this true? Possibly not, but they¡¯d believe it once they heard the story she¡¯d guess. How old was Daku? Then again, Rayne could be over 400 for all he knew. Age didn¡¯t matter to kaetsu or quitsun.


    ¡°Yeah about 2 decades ago, give or take, when Anduin was roughly 20, give or take a couple, he had a mighty high opinion of himself as a hunter. The young prince was always staging extravagant hunting events with his friends.¡± A few of the older patrons nodded their heads as if this sounded familiar.


    ¡°Big events, he¡¯d donate the meat to some charity, pompous affairs. Him and his friends get their fancy purebred horses and hunting dogs, blow their trumpets, you know how gaudy noble kids can be¡­¡±


    And from there came silence from the rest of the people. The older patron launched into the story, and Rayne gave Daku a thank you. The manager of the eatery came out a bit, smiling. All tavern/bar/inn owners knew a good story meant good business. This might just be a small restaurant, but with a good story to laugh along to with food and drink, the manager knew what to do. Whenever the old guy¡¯s throat seemed parched he¡¯d give the guy a drink on the house. Being just a restaurant and not a bar they had nothing stronger than beer, but after a few glasses the guys cheeks were getting slightly red, and the story had gotten a tad more extravagant. But, stories being a major part of a person''s entertainment, no one left till it was over, which meant they did steady business.


    So, being a young, arrogant prince, he makes a big deal of how great a hunter he is. His quarters in the palace were supposedly full of his trophies. Along the lines he develops a dislike of one of the ambassadors from another kingdom, who just so happens to be a kaetsu. Now, knowing nothing of kaetsu or their culture, save what any half wit knows, he goes on a campaign to embarrass and humiliate the ambassador. Challenges him constantly to hunting contests, to which the man always refuses. But the prince, arrogant and sure he¡¯d win, won¡¯t let up, and so he keeps upping the stakes, calling him out for cowardice and slandering him for refusing the contests. So eventually, when it was more embarrassing and troublesome to refuse than it would be to just get it over with, the kaetsu accepts the prince''s challenge. The man took a long drink, no doubt building up tension and eagerness. After a half minute of drinking his beer, he continued with renewed vigor.


    So the prince arranged another extravagant hunt. He came with a few of his hunting dogs trained by him, and his hunting horses, with his big bow, fancy arrows, and the rest of it. So The prince sets the terms and the king, giving in to his son¡¯s demands, hosts the event and picks a few judges.


    So the terms are, whoever comes back with the most meat and pelts, with 1 rabbit, 1 fox, and 1 deer being required, wins, providing the judges judge the meat to be in good condition, etc. The match would end at dusk.


    The prince mocks and insults the ambassador, who brought 2 donkeys, a durable and sturdy cart, a bow with a quiver of arrows, and a knife. Compared to the prince''s equipment the ambassador¡¯s is crude and humble, and prince Anduin mocks him and continues to insult him for how ridiculous a comparison it is. Finally, the trumpets are blown and the prince charges into the woods with his horses and dogs, and the ambassador strolls in with his donkeys and cart.


    So dusk comes, the sun''s setting over a mountain they used as a marker. And the prince strolls out on his horse, cart loaded with foxes, squirrels, rabbits, and a deer. He struts around as the judges examine his kills.


    Not 10 minutes later the kaetsian ambassador comes out, walking with his donkeys. His cart has 2 deer, 2 foxes, 2 rabbits, and a beaver. Not loaded down so much as the prince''s. So Anduin laughs and makes merry, until the judges announce the winner. While the prince had killed far more numbers wise, the pelts were bloody and torn, and the meat was compromised a bit. Meanwhile the ambassador¡¯s pelts were.cleanly cut and laid out, no damage, the meat intact. So the judges, feeling the pressure I¡¯m sure, were in a bind. If thethey declare the prince winner to please him and possibly the king, everyone with common sense will protest, and if they call it as it was, the prince will be furious. Finally, they call the victor to be the ambassadors. Supposedly the prince, humiliated, has held the grudge ever sense."


    Rayne had only been partially listening. Kaetsu and quitsun having keener ears than most, they¡¯d been having a whispered conversation between the two of them. She told him about her, and vice versa. It turns out that he was as young as he looked, only 21, and Rayne divulged her age, 24. Both were young for a race that matured slower. They talked about where they came from and what they did for a living. Daku flirted a bit more.


    ¡°Yeah nobles are always like that. Too much pride, too few wits.¡± The cook said, which was amusing given how this whole thing had started. ¡°Kaetsu and quitsun culture value hunting highly. It¡¯s a right of passage. You¡¯re not considered an adult if you can¡¯t hunt. You¡¯d think the prince would have been educated by the best. Every kaetsu, and especially quitsun can hunt.¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you learn that?¡± The cook asked, curious. ¡°I¡¯ve made my way around occasionally as a caravan guard. Once or twice the caravan stopped at kaetsian settlements.¡± Another lie, but again, plausible. He looked like a young human, clearly fit, and troupes as well as caravans would pay for guards in more bandit-ridden areas.


    ¡°Well¡­ Admittedly it doesn¡¯t help that my kind tend to be very confused my monarchies and empires. Our culture is very much about small government by elected officials¡­ So it tends to confuse us why anyone would submit to a government they have no say in¡­ and because we don¡¯t believe in any one man''s ¡°divine right¡± to rule over others¡­. It¡¯s not surprising royalty tends to hate us.¡± Rayne says, looking somewhat away. I still don¡¯t get why everyone doesn¡¯t just revolt¡­ That''s one thing I may never understand. She thinks to herself.

 A Dire Threat

    However, just as the conversation starts to pick back up, and people finish absorbing that tid bit, someone comes running in, throwing the door open. The man stands in the doorway, panting, before yelling ¡°BEAR¡± loudly and taking off again. ¡°What was that about? Bears are dangerous sure, but why make such a fuss? Even if he was being chased, a simple bear would be no trouble for the town itself.¡± Rayne whispers to Daku, sounding confused. Why the fus? Of they were alone in the woods this would be a concern sure, but¡­ Before Rayne can even finish that thought, a colossal roar echoes from the edge of town. ¡°That is no bear¡­¡± Daku says to himself, before grabbing up his thing and running outside.


    Rayne springs out the door, her cat hot on her heels. The sounds of screams draws her to the scene, Daku, being faster than her, slowly fades away. The sound seems to be moving away from her, and as she reaches the spot a strange sight meets her eyes. Claw marks in wooden doors nearly an inch deep, tracks too big to be a bear. Daku has stopped momentarily as well, and Rayne catches up. ¡°Oh¡­ dire bear¡­ why didn¡¯t¡­¡± Rayne says, emphasizing the second word. Daku is off again and Rayne runs as well, not necessarily following, simply going in the same direction.


    Not much further on, a chilling sight meets their eyes. While on all 4 legs, the bear¡¯s shoulders look roughly 18-20 feet off the ground. Now that¡­ Is something to panic about. Rayne thinks to herself, have in shock. A door stands ripped nearly in half, bisected multiple times by claw marks, all the way through the wood. It¡¯s ripped off its hinges and lying against a wall. Blood is splattered on said door and wall, and a small, bloody, and fleshy chunk of something Rayne doesn¡¯t feel up to concentrating on enough to be sure what it is


    The dire bear let out another earsplitting roar, and stands, before grabbing onto a roof and ripping it off, crushing it to bits in the process and sending large wooden shrapnel flying in all directions, injuring itself somewhat, but ignoring it, making Rayne wonder just how thick it¡¯s skin is, if that¡¯s inconsequential to it.


    Daku was muttering something under his breath, so quietly Rayne couldn¡¯t make it out. Something about a bow she thought. Perhaps he had left it somewhere? Regardless he clearly wasn¡¯t unarmed, for he pulled a concealed knife from his clothing. This was no pocket knife, it was clearly sharp, the blade 6-7 inches long and with a deer horn handle. A valuable knife, clearly the kind a hunter would use for dressing his prey in the field, or for general purpose uses. With an annoyed sigh, he jumped and grab the ledge of a roof, and pulled himself up.


    The clay shingles were more dangerous than many roofing materials. If he broke a clay shingle it could form a sharp edge, people had died from falling from building with such roofing. Not to mention the smooth clay was more slippery. Despite this he ran relatively smoothly, wreathing his hunting knife in blue spirit flames as he ran.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He jumped into the air, further than a normal man probably could, but not suspiciously so, and managed to throw one leg over one of the bear¡¯s protruding shoulders, and sink his flaming knife into it¡¯s hide. With a grunt he grabbed it and pulled himself up, dragging the knife down with his weight, slicing deeply into its hide as the knife slid slowly through the hide.


    Meanwhile, Rayne, unarmed at the moment, sprints while looking around, and ducks into a hunting supply store, and emerges with a hunting spear, yelling ¡°I¡¯ll return it in a minute¡± as she runs, wreathing the spear head in spirit flames as well.


    The bear roars as Daku¡¯s flaming knife stabs into it, and swats back and forth with one paw, breaking the roof Daku had jumped from. It roared and swatted again, before raising up onto its hind legs. Daku, struggling to hold on to both his knife and the bear, grabs deep into it¡¯s matted fur and stabs into the bear again.


    Rayne, terrified for Daku, stabs the spearhead deep into one of the bear''s upper hind legs. A hunter, perhaps wanting some glory or to help, races forward and shoots at it¡¯s face. This proves to be a bad move, as it rolls back into all fours, slashing with 1 claw as it does, turning the hunter¡¯s head, shoulders, and neck into a bloody stump, sending shards of skull flying and making a horrifying mess.


    The great bear flails and roars, and crushes a stall, sending furs flying all around, and leaving deep gouge marks in a nearby building. Daku pants wearily, and takes the opportunity to climb further up the bear, before stabbing deep into the back of the neck with his flaming hunting knife. Another earsplitting roar is let loose as it again tries to shake him off, moving sharply side to side, forcing Daku to once again grab a fist full of matted fur, and try to hold on. Rayne pulls back, looking at the kicking legs and backing off quickly, just in time as it¡¯s read paw kicks backwards.


    Wounded and tiring, the bear tries to dislodge Daku by rolling over, attempting to crush him with its sheer size and weight in the process. But Daku manages to pull his knife out and jump at nearly the last second, rolling away as he lands. Another hunter shoots, and with perhaps the most terrifying sound Rayne will ever hear, blinds its eyes. The bear seems to scream and roar at once, flailing around, rolling and crushing stalls and buildings. The loss of its sight seemed to have done little to actually harm it, but succeeded in driving it into a blind rage unlike perhaps anything any of the townspeople had ever seen.


    Daku, now further away, looks pissed. Had the bear been calmer her could have slit its neck, but now, as it rages and rolls, slashing and crushing, it¡¯d be foolish to try. He makes an attempt, manages to climb onto its upper leg, and has to jump just after stabbing it, as it tries to blindly roll onto him. Rayne stabs with her borrowed spear, leaving a deep gouge in it¡¯s backside, but accomplishes little else. Meanwhile the destruction mounts. Rayne climbs onto a building and jabs at it¡¯s neck and face, before nearly falling from the roof as it retaliates.


    Daku slips up under it¡¯s swipe, and drags his knife over it¡¯s leg and into it¡¯s neck, and twists as he rips it out. But he can¡¯t stay, he barely managed to jump and roll over it¡¯s paw as it snaps at him blindly. Rayne once again tries to stab upward at it, and slices I it¡¯s nose open. ¡°Just give me that¡± Daku says slightly harshly and urgently as the bear nearly knocks her through a window. He grabs the spear, and throws it, full force, into the side of the bear¡¯s neck. A howl is let loose and the bear slashes, breaking off the shaft but driving the spearhead in deeper.


    Rayne, Daku, and the town finally retreat, hoping that, with 2 wounds in it¡¯s neck, it will bleed out. It only takes a few minutes before, enraged as it is, blood loss and exhaustion slow it, and Daku gets in far enough to slit its neck cleanly, and drive his hunting knife between 2 vertebrae in it¡¯s neck, killing it.

 A Town in Ruins

    The bear had finally died, but what remained was a neighborhood in ruins. Many homes had been destroyed, and businesses along with them. And a nagging question hung over the town. Why? What were the chances of a dire bear attacking? Men dug in silence, the graveyard would be busy for the next week or two, as over 2 dozen people had been outright killed. Drace had no healer, not in the terms of someone who could use magic to heal, but an aging lady some referred to simply as ¡°granny¡± had enough herb lore and medical know-how that she was up to the task.


    But her apothecary was overflowing with people. Men, women, and even a child or two lay or sat in corners, being tended to by novices as the lady tried to cope with the sheer number of injured people. Anyone with steady hands was being press ganged into service, cleaning wounds and trying to stop bleeding while ¡°granny¡± tended to the worst cases herself with a couple more skilled people.


    Around the body many people were gathered, staring in awe, before one man pulled out a knife and started climbing. Others started, looked around, then pulled out knives too. ¡°No, you''re not carving that thing up for souvenirs.¡± Daku says somewhat forcefully as he steps forward and pulls one person off the dire bear.


    At that moment another person steps forward, eyes the situation, and sighs. He gathers himself up, and pulls a cudgel up from a strap on his belt. It''s made of polished redwood with 2 silver reinforcing bands. ¡°Everyone stay off the bear. As the constable of Drace, any harm done to the body is considered illegal until we figure out what to do.¡± He motions for 2 deputies who pull people off the bear, their cudgels lack the silver bands of his, instead they have 2 iron bands.


    ¡°You two, the kaetsu and... you.¡± The constable says, pointing at Daku. ¡°Witnesses say you two killed it, so come with me. The mayor, myself, and a few others need to talk to both of you.¡± He turned towards the deputies, who were moving people to a distance. ¡°Deputies, keep the bear intact, we may have other issues. I¡¯ve been instructed to make sure the body is intact and unharmed. Your jobs may be on the line, so take this seriously.¡± Rayne looks at it, concerned, before quietly saying ¡°That¡­ Would probably be wise¡­¡± The constable looks at her, nods slowly, and walks off, motioning to them.


    Soon the three of them are walking down the road, which is empty, everyone gossiping and eyeing the bear. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ve gotten reports that you stole that spear.¡± The constable eyes Rayne and an uncomfortable silence lasts for a half minute, which seemed 10 times longer to Rayne. Daku looks wearily at him, them back at Rayne who is walking beside him, both slightly behind the constable. ¡°Yeah¡­ please¡­ see that it gets returned to him. I didn¡¯t have a weapon on me¡­ And I felt it would be wrong not to help.¡± The constable turns and gives her a stern look, then relaxes. ¡°It''ll be returned. Considering you helped kill it¡­. You aren¡¯t in too much trouble over it. The shaft was broken by the bear, but¡­ the head of the spear is intact, and with some sharpening should be fine. So overall the most valuable part is fine. When did you learn to use a spear?¡±


    Rayne pauses, anxious, then sighs. ¡°I¡¯ve only used one once before, when learning how to hunt.¡± Rayne stops, looking around. Her ears then swivel, catching something unpleasant. ¡°Stay away, they¡¯re magic users, they killed it with demon fire.¡± A woman says, holding her child As if it was in danger, shooting fearful glances, and walking briskly away from them,passing them going the opposite way. Daku grits his teeth. ¡°It was fox fire idiot¡­ not magic¡­ Any kaetsu or quitsun can do that¡­¡± He says under his breath. ¡°Don¡¯t let it worry you, she¡¯s a paranoid ol gal, believes everything she hears about magic. Speaking of, i¡¯m assuming you are the latter? I don¡¯t see a sign on you¡­ I¡¯ve only ever met a few of your kind in my life.¡± The constable eyes Daka, who neglected to respond.


    After another dozen minutes of walking, they got to the city council building. It was large, for the size of the town, and made of stone bricks. They waited in the front room for a minute before a large pair of doors were opened and the constable escorted Rayne and Daku in. People were sitting in a semicircle, about 5 men and 3 women. ¡°Ahh, now that you''re here, let¡¯s get started. Constable Tanner, if you would draw up some chairs in front and take your seat, and we¡¯ll get started.¡± A large person, roughly 6 feet and slightly overweight, wearing a formal suite says, gesturing towards them. Rayne and Daku sat down, looking expectantly. The apothecary lady, ¡°granny¡±, was there, sitting on the far left end, opposite the crescent from the constable, who was far right. Rayne guessed the more flashy middle seat belonged to the mayor.


    ¡°You two have been invited to this council meeting because of your actions earlier. We¡¯ve been informed that you are a quitsun, mostly because you don¡¯t have any signs, like her.¡± The mayor points idly towards Rayne. ¡°Councilman Jennings has some experience in these matters. Your kind don¡¯t age like us, so given that you two killed it, we figured you might have some experience with these matters. So we are taking your input into consideration in these matters. Anyway, let us begin.¡± The mayor said anxiously.


    ¡°Where did the bear come from? Do we have any reports?¡± One man, 2 seats away from the mayor asked nervously. ¡°People are saying it followed a hunter.¡± Another man said, looking at the first with ancient clearly on his face. The topic of ¡®''how¡¯ seemed to be a sticking point, and conversation lingered there, before finally the elderly apothecary owner, and physician spoke up. ¡°It was a bear, finding the town would be easy for it, few animals can claim a keener sense of smell than a bear. And we have hunters and poachers, no doubt, heading into the woods from town. Following a hunting trail back would be easy for it. Let¡¯s not waste time on ¡®how¡¯ and get to the ¡®why¡¯.¡± Daku and Rayne both nod in agreement. Aside from her common sense, that we''re getting nowhere debating pointless how''s when the answer was somewhat obvious. ¡°Granny¡± seemed to be this ¡°councilman Jennings¡±, which was something that helped Rayne keep track of all this. Too many people, too many names. ¡°It¡¯s a bear, a DIRE bear at that. There is no why. They are dangerous wild animals, massacring people is in it¡¯s nature.¡± Another man said, dismissing the idea that there could be a reason. He seemed to be about 45 to 55, and his gray hair as parted severely. He was somewhat thin, but had the authoritative air of someone used to being obeyed.


    ¡°Sir, do you have any experience with animals? Have you ever hunted? It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Mrs Jennings said, clearly vexed at being dismissed by some pompous councilman. She shot Daku and Rayne a frustrated look, asking for help with her eyes. ¡°It DOES matter. Think about it. Walk down the street and pay attention. How many furs do you see? How many animals are killed daily? Weekly? Now ask yourself how much food a bear that size would need to survive. Do you guys even have hunting laws and regulations?¡± Daku said, somewhat loudly, and looking at the man and woman one at a time, as if wondering how they could miss the obvious. ¡°Exactly my point! Is this a freak occurrence? We just got unlucky? Or are there other factors?¡± The lady had hardly finished her sentence before being cut across. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. These woods are huge, teeming with life. There is no need for any change. We could hunt those woods like this for a thousand years without them being emptied.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in denial. Stop thinking about your purse. How much does the fur trade line your pocket? You can¡¯t hunt like that without regulations. I¡¯ve been in that forest, and ¡°teeming with life¡± isn¡¯t how I would describe it. Hunting trails are ranging further and further out, walking in the area around the town I didn¡¯t see so much as a single deer or fox.¡± Daku said, cutting across the man.


    Rayne looks around anxiously, not sure how to approach the other possibility. Just as she starts getting more anxious, worried about how people will feel about what she must bring up, something scratches on the door and meows anxiously. ¡°What the hell is that? Someone go kick that damned cat out of the building.¡± At this, Rayne shoots him a look of Loathing, and goes to open the door. ¡°That cat is mine, she just got worried and tracked me down, no reason to get all upset. Anyway¡­.¡± Rayne said as she returned to her seat, where her cat jumped onto her shoulders playfully and began pawing Rayne¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯m not the confrontational type, but there is another possibility here. I see 3 ways this happened. One, a coincidence, which is least likely. Two, as Daku and a couple others suspect. And three, the spirits of the forest are royally pissed off.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet woman, I see no reason this wasn¡¯t just a coincidence. This is an accident, nothing more. We should up security perhaps but nothing needs to change.¡± The aging councilman said, angrily cutting across her. Daku stood up quickly, seeming entirely incapable of just sitting there and listening to the wealthy man make excuses. ¡°Firstly, stop being an ass, secondly, are you that big of a moron? That bear was clearly pissed about something. Even when it was wounded it didn¡¯t flee, that''s not normal animal behavior. It went after buildings, not just people, and killed and destroyed as much as it could, even when it was dying. Animals don¡¯t do that. Stop treating a dire bear like a mindless animal.¡± Daku sat down slowly, still glaring at the man. He seemed completely unable to restrain himself around such people. With an angry look he raised his voice and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s just a big bear, it doesn¡¯t have feelings. Dire animals rampage, that''s all this was. I see no evidence otherwise.¡± He shot Daku a look of pure loathing, and turned to the mayor. ¡°Mayor, we should have the constable escort the mutt and the stray cat out. There is no reason to have them here.¡±


    Several things happened all at once. Daku leapt to his feet, his mouth open, Rayne''s cat hissed, and the elderly woman stood, and spoke in a soft voice that nevertheless was heard by all. ¡°Enough. Be quiet you whelp. You¡¯ve had your say, and, I might add, if their views have no evidence, yours most certainly doesnct either. Be quiet or go throw your tantrum outside. Everybody, sit.¡± Despite her voice not being loud, it was easily heard through the raised voices. It carried an undeniable ring of authority. Despite her relatively small stature and aged appearance, she almost shone with authority and power. One might think she towered over everyone else in the room.


    Compared to the old lady, even the tall, somewhat overweight, and balding mayor seemed like a child. Daku sat, but maintained his look of absolute loathing, and refused to take his eyes off the thin old man. It didn¡¯t help that calling him a mutt was, off course, very offensive. He probably also wanted to come off as chivalrous in front of Rayne, but his anger botched it if so. The councilman, throwing the woman a look of mingled fear and loathing, sat as well. The woman turned and looked at Rayne steadily. ¡°What makes you suspect spirits are involved?¡± She said softly, ignoring the scoffing noise from the councilman. Rayne sighed softly and self consciously, and pulled her cat into her lap, holding it for support. ¡°It makes sense to me¡­ If I was a woodland spirit I would be incredibly angry right now. Parts of the forest were heavily logged, over hunting is thinning out the wildlife, and an area without much humans in the past has suddenly undergone a lot of changes. The ecosystem has been thrown off track. And that attack¡­ it was so angry. It wanted to destroy the town even at the cost of it¡¯s life. It didn¡¯t flee no matter how injured. Dire animals have far more mana in their bodies than normal, that''s why they get so big¡­ but it also makes them smarter. It could have killed many more with hit and run tactics¡­ But stayed until it died¡­ That doesn''t seem normal to me. Rayne looked down somewhat, disliking speaking openly in front of people, especially politicians. ¡°Granny¡± as they called Mrs Jennings, also intimidated her.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°And how did It come about anyway? Dire animals usually come about in the wild from places that are overflowing with magic. This forest is old, and large, yes¡­ but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s on a ley line, if I have my geography correct. I haven¡¯t heard of many particularly magical areas in the forest either¡­ But we know angry spirits can have major effects, and they have been known to purposefully create dire animals before when angry.¡± Rayne finishes, and looks down slightly, before using her cat as an excuse not to look around at everyone. She places It upside down on her lap and scratches it¡¯s belly, making it purr loudly. ¡°Are you a magic user?¡± The mayor asks, looking at her fixedly, while the other council members stare at her. ¡°Or do you just study magic?¡± The elderly woman asks more gently. ¡°Y...yeah¡­ I can use magic¡­ Are you?¡± Rayne asks, looking at the woman. There is moment of silence, before the councilman from before stands up and speaks again. ¡°Here, see! We cannot trust a witch, give her to the jail. I bet a couple nights in there and some interrogation, and we¡¯d find out she¡¯s probably wanted in other towns.¡± The elder lady, councilman Jennings, stands and shoots him an irritated look, before addressing the mayor. ¡°Can something be done about him? He¡¯s said nothing remotely helpful or productive thus far. And I might remind you all, these two killed the bear, and don¡¯t deserve to be treated like criminals.¡± The mayor sighs, looking very much like he¡¯d rather not get involved. ¡°Mr. Lincolin, that is enough. Sit down.¡± The mayor says, eyeing the man irritatedly. Rayne blinked. She had expected a more¡­ villainous or¡­ something name. Lincolin?


    The lady turns back towards Rayne and Daku. ¡°No, if I was, a lot of wounded people would already be back on their feet by now. But I have studied it most of my life. I know more herb lore than most human magic users could hope to. Even without the ability to access or use magic, I can use alchemy to some degree, even if limited, and know enough to perform a great amount of basic rituals and such. As such, while I am not able to use magic myself, I function as this town¡¯s advisor on matters relating to magic, as well as performing what services I am capable of, like cleansing the graveyard, and other matters.¡±


    Rayne looked at her, surprised, and offered a genuine smile. How old is she? Rayne thought to herself. She looked to be in her sixties to early seventies, but if she was truly that experienced in magical matters, she probably knew enough to be able to prolong her life. Some basic alchemy not requiring using mana herself, and if she knew the right herbs and handled them correctly, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to imagine she could be nearly 100. ¡°Are you experienced with matters relating to spirits?¡± The lady asked,still looking at Rayne.


    ¡°I¡­ I make my living as a traveling exorcist of sorts. I¡¯m only 24 so I can¡¯t claim to be the most experienced person around¡­ But I¡¯ve dealt with such matters before. Things like angry ghosts, basic zombies, curses, I make a living dealing with those things¡­¡± Rayne avoids the word ¡®necromancy¡¯ at all costs, and the lady gives a knowing nod. Necromancy isn¡¯t evil, and technically she could be called a necromancer. All matters relating to the dead and spirits fall under the school of necromancy.


    ¡°I¡¯m experienced with restoration as well¡­ but not with healing wounds magically sadly. I¡¯m more experienced with using it to cleanse curses and such. But I do know a fair bit of herb lore, not as much as you probably, and some alchemy. I could help make some potions and ointments to give to the injured. Every traveler, I would hope, has had the brains to learn first aid, even if only the basics¡­ so when we get done here I could help with the wounded if you wish.¡± Daku and the mayor watch her thoughtfully, and Rayne resumes rubbing her cat¡¯s belly.


    ¡°I would appreciate that, But I don¡¯t use or approve any potions or the like that I don¡¯t make myself or watch being made. At any rate, what is your suggestion regarding the bear?¡± Rayne nods, basic mistakes can kill people. How many people died each year due to drinking a poorly made potion? Too many. ¡°My suggestion is generally the same as Daku¡¯s. Perform some simple rites to cleanse the bear. From there, take a fair portion of the meat, preferably the most valuable parts, and make an offering of it in the woods. If this is a matter of angry forest spirits and elements, that should temporarily appease them. But to permanently resolve the situation, do as Daku suggests, and put legal restrictions on hunting. Logging as well. Make a requirement that at least 1 new tree is planted for each one cut, and restrict how much timber can be harvested.¡± Rayne looks upwards as she speaks, trying to impress upon them the seriousness with which she suggests this.


    ¡°Most of our economy comes from the fur trade and lumber. That¡¯s ridiculous. It would cripple our town''s economy. Leave these issues to people who know what they are doing.¡± Mr. Lincolin stood and spoke once more, glaring at both Rayne and Daku. ¡°So limiting hunting and logging would do more harm to the town than dire bear attacks? It doesn¡¯t sound like you know what you are doing, so take your own advice. Hunt at this rate and the woods will become empty, and then you will take a bigger hit than simply restricting hunting.¡±


    Mr. Lincolin glared at Daku and started a retort, before being cut across by the mayor, and settled on grinding his teeth and shooting looks of deepest loathing at Daku. ¡°And how would you suggest we go about that? People would just hunt just as much and take the dire elsewhere to sell.¡± Daku sighed before speaking. ¡°I doubt it. This is the only town bordering the woods. The nearest other town is days away, and Drace sits on the kingdom¡¯s biggest road. I''d make it illegal to hunt in spring and early summer, or at least illegal to kill females and young animals, especially in those seasons. Each year have the animal populations evaluated and issue a number of tags. Sell these tags to hunters. Each will have a unique number for verification. Any dead animal or fur brought into town to be sold without a tag fixed to the body will be considered illegally poached, and the hunter will be fined an amount equal or more than the value of the hide and meat. Keep a logbook containing the numbers on each tag and who bought them in the constable¡¯s office, the jail, etc. It¡¯s not that complicated¡­¡± Daku spoke in a somewhat exasperated tone, as if this was somewhat obvious. Which, Rayne supposed, it was.


    The meeting continued for what seemed like hours. People on the council arguing with each other, and nothing productive seeming to happen. It seemed like a line had been drawn in the sand, with her and Daku on one side,, with a few council members with them, and several others on the opposite site. Rayne kept her head down and used her cat as an excuse not to watch the arguments. Daku participated more vehemently in the argument. Unfortunately, while they had been brought in to give advice and input, It was clear they had no actual say in what happened. A few council members were only too happy to point this out to them, multiple times.


    Finally the Mayor stood up and spoke. ¡°We will finish this discussion at tomorrow''s meeting. At any rate, let¡¯s move on to what must be dealt with immediately. The bear¡­ We can¡¯t keep protecting it¡¯s body. What do we do with it?¡± For the first time in what felt like hours, Rayne spoke up, still stroking her cat. ¡°I can perform a cleansing on it. It was clearly enraged, we don¡¯t want that negative energy hanging around. After the appropriate rituals have been completed, it should be safe to dispose of it. As for the body¡­ we make an offering. After that¡­ save most of the meat for the families of those that died. It should feed people for days, more if preserved properly. Hide, claws, etc. Can be sold, The money should be divided up among the families of those that died.¡± Daku nodded along, not offering much input. Kaetsu and quitsun shared similar beliefs regarding nature, spirits, and the like. It was the common practice for them to make such offerings to nature.


    ¡°What about you two? You killed the bear¡­ many more would have died without you¡­ it feels wrong not to offer a reward.¡± Daku rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and Rayne shifted uncomfortably, before gulping slightly and sighing. ¡°Uh¡­. I would love some of it¡¯s hide¡­ a few square yards, maybe a half dozen claws, and¡­ Or¡­ some bones, perhaps a rib or two, or a some other bone. It¡¯s not to sell¡­¡± Rayne said¡­. Feeling awkward and stroking her cat as an excuse not to look at them. ¡°Why do you want such things then¡­ If you aren¡¯t going to sell them, why ask for them?¡± The mayor, and several other members of the council, as well as the constable were looking at her intently, and confusedly. ¡°Uh¡­ Well¡­. I wasn¡¯t lying about making a living as a sort of traveling exorcist, but¡­ well¡­ While I am skilled in such magic, and to a slightly lesser degree potion making, my real passion is in enchantment, specifically artificing. You know, enchanting things. With some of it¡¯s hide, fur intact,I could make a very protective coat, or remove the fur and make especially strong leather armor. Powered dire claws are useful in potions, and I could fashion a great weapon from the bones¡­ ribs would make great base material for sickles or a scythe, or a kukri. Dire animals are due to an animal having great excesses of mana. It makes their hides tougher, their bones denser, etc. Combining that with some artificing and I could craft something amazing.¡± The mayor looked Rayne over curiously. ¡°I guess that¡¯s well and good enough¡­ I can see why, given the dire bear attack, a person might take a good look at their equipment and decide they Should equip themselves better in the future. Mrs. Jennings, would it be appropriate, possible, or even advisable to grant this request? The mayor asked, looking at Rayne thoughtfully, before turning to address the apothecary owner. ¡°Hmm¡­ based on the size of the bear, We could spare a fair few square yards of hide without detracting much from the value, properly done. And we¡¯d have to divide the hide up a bit anyway unless you were hoping to sell it as a whole, which would be too expensive for anyone but royalty to afford. She is right, mages and scholars will pay a great deal for such things, armor and weaponsmiths as well. I myself will buy remaining claws and contribute the value to the fund we discussed. Dire claw is a valuable potion making supply. Overall, I see no harm in granting this request.¡± The elderly lady spoke slowly and thoughtfully, but seemed okay with the idea. Daku meanwhile seemed off in his own world before he finally looked toward Rayne and spoke. ¡°So¡­ if I had a few ribs¡­ I could commission you to make a pair of sickles? Or a scythe?¡± Daku asked, looking at her. ¡°Yeah¡­ I couldn¡¯t do it particularly fast, and we¡¯d need to wait until we got to a town or city with a bigger blacksmith, but I could do it. Though my skill lies more in enchanting than weaponsmithing. But, it could be done.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±

 Departure

    The council meeting ended not long after, much to Rayne¡¯s satisfaction. Sitting in a room full of pompous council members was never fun. Unfortunately she had work to do after the meeting, it wouls take hours to fully cleanse the body, prepare the offering, and take it into the woods. By the time that exhausting work was done the sun had set, leaving Rayne to figure out where she was going to sleep for the night. ¡°Sleep with me in my room, I¡¯ll sleep on the floor.¡± Daku said when she voices this concern, mostly to herself out of exacerbation. ¡°I¡­ we just met today¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be awkward sleeping in your room?¡± Rayne said, looking away to hide a mild blush and stroking the cat laying on her shoulders as they walked. ¡°So¡­ you would rather sleep outside in the street? Possibly in the rain?¡± He said teasingly, smiling, while looking upward at the overcast sky.


    ¡°Hey it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t do that the last few days walking here. That said, it wasn¡¯t raining then.¡± Rayne said evasively, avoiding answering the offer. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you couldn¡¯t¡­ but if you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Rayne sighed, thinking. She looks over and, as the turn to the next street, sees the bear, or what is left of it. People would be harvesting from it well into the night. The mayor had set multiple people the job of cutting, cleaning, and harvesting the meat. The sight wasn¡¯t pretty. The bear was too heavy to move, so in the middle of a ruined street a skinned bear with major muscles missing and ample puddles of blood. It was perhaps the single most overt and conspicuous thing she had ever seen.


    In the end she did decide to accept his offer, and after a quick meal, she hesitantly followed him to his room in the in, making sure her cat had done it¡¯s business outside first. ¡°I¡¯ll make a pallete on the ground, you can take the bed.¡± Daku said as he shut the door. With a thoughtful expression he looked at her for a moment, and a slightly pained expression came over him. He seemed to grow slightly taller, and red fur sprouted from his body. His ears moved to the top of his head, and he gained a tail. ¡°I hate disguising myself as a human. I much prefer to be like this, or even as a full fox. Being all furless and having those weird misshapen ears sucks. Anyway, give me a second and I¡¯ll change into more comfortable clothes.¡± With that, he walked over to a dresser,pulled out something, and changed behind a privacy screen. ¡°Uh¡­ you don¡¯t need to do that, I¡¯ll just shapeshift and sleep in cat form. Sleeping on the floor isn¡¯t in issue, in that form especially, but if I could borrow your second pillow, and set it on the floor, that¡¯d make a fine bed.¡± Rayne sighed slightly to herself, before gained a look of great concentration, and seemed to begin to shrink, after several seconds, she seemed to have dissolved,leaving a pile of clothing lying on the floor. After a few moments, a somewhat large cat managed to escape the clothing, giving the pile a frustrated look, and jump onto the bed.


    The cat was large, but not bulky, with long legs and a sizable tail. It¡¯s fur was a golden orange with black markings. ¡°Mrr¨°?w? ?oo?w. (Okay, I¡¯m done.)¡± Rayne, having shapeshifted, to assume cat form fully, gave a strange meowing sound, speaking in felis, the kaetsian language. Rayne tilted her head slightly, and flicked her ears, before changing languages. She had a much harder time speaking common in this tongue, but she could speak felis and caniven just as well as ever. She had been raised in a mixed settlement of quitsun and kaetsu, and, as was common for kaetsu and quitsun who were raised thusly, could speak the quitsunian language. ¡°?r¨®oth. Grr¨®wh. (Is this better?)¡± A sigh came from behind the screen, and Daku spoke. ¡°Okay, and yes I can speak felis¡­ Please don¡¯t speak caniven though, your accent is just bad either you learned from a hillbilly or you are just really rusty, but don¡¯t butcher my language please.¡¯ Though the comment was somewhat insulting, there was a teasing, amused tone to his voice that contradicted and undercut the harshness.


    The next day things moved on somewhat. Rayne and Daku spent the day helping finish dealing With the bear carcass. About noon a caravan of sorts pulled off the king¡¯s road and into Drace. Soon it was revealed that they were a traveling troupe. The Mayor checked their writ of patronage, permission to travel and perform in these lands. He seemed to pale somewhat, color draining slightly from his face. ¡°We¡¯re Duke Valenwine¡¯s troupe. Might put him in a bit of an awkward situation, but we¡¯ve got permission from a local noble as well. Valenwine being a duke in Raithal.¡± A boy who looked to be about 15 said softly to Rayne, who was clearly curious looking.


    Rayne and Daku, having openly used spirit fire the previous day, weren¡¯t bothering to conceal their species anyway, and were both in their natural forms. Given she was blatantly a kaetsu, she was slightly surprised to be so openly talked to, given Elista had a racist reputation. But what he had said explained it. Raithal had a very different attitude. King Edward ¡°the Dark¡± had a very different attitude towards other races than his siblings, the rulers of Elista and Antura.


    In the end the troupe didn¡¯t perform, given the state of the town. A man who looked to be in his 30s approached his son, Rayne, and Daku. ¡°Making friends? Do you two live here or are you just passing through?¡± Daku and Rayne looked at one another for a moment. ¡°Just passing through, on my way to Raithal for a bit, not sure whereabouts. I don¡¯t like staying in one place too long, especially not here.¡± Daku didn¡¯t specify where ¡®here¡¯ was, but everyone got the gist. ¡°The same. I make a living as a traveling exorcist of sorts, and artificer where possible. That said the first mostly because it plays to my skills, not so much personal enjoyment. Hopefully I¡¯ll find more¡­ satisfying? work.¡± She didn¡¯t hate dealing with necromantic matters, but it wasn¡¯t something she was able to find steady work on.


    The man looked Rayne over interested for a moment, not confused or startled. Clearly he had some worldly knowledge, at least enough to not be superstitious about magic. He turned to Daku, and spoke. ¡°So, what do you do?¡± ¡°I hunt, get work as a caravan guard sometimes, etc.¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m not really surprised.¡± The man gave a world weary sigh. ¡°It seems like not too far from half of Raithal is made up of more varied people than ever. But I can¡¯t say I blame them, considering half of my extended family here aren¡¯t strictly human. I¡¯d flee Elista and Antura too.¡± The man said, eyeing over the caravan as people got out of wagons. ¡°Well I¡¯m not fleeing so much as¡­¡± But he was gently cut off. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say or imply as much. Lord knows you couldn¡¯t get me to settle down in one place. So why are you hitting the road then?¡± He said, looking both of the over curiously, before returning to gaze at the troupe. Daku shrugged seemingly to himself before speaking. ¡°I just felt like it mostly. What¡¯s the fun spending your whole life living in some town or city, always wondering what the ocean looked like, but never seeing it?¡± ¡°And you?¡± Rayne took a moment before speaking, clearing her head. ¡°I had too much curiosity, in part, but my teacher said I was getting to the point where I needed some real world experience, or my learning would slow. She said a person doesn¡¯t know themselves if they¡¯ve never walked a long stretch of road, preferably at least 100 miles. She also said a person doesn¡¯t grow well without any edges, places where you can look off and see the danger. She said such edges, or cliffs if you prefer, were too hard to find without traveling. Her advice seemed good enough, so after some preparing, I hit the road. It wasn¡¯t hard to convince me, as I said, I¡¯m a curious person.¡± The man gave a loud chuckle, apparently impressed with those pearls of wisdom.


    ¡°Hey dad, there¡¯s a dead dire bear over there! Well¡­ part of one¡­¡± The man sighed slightly, and threw an arm around his son¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Sure is, and the mayor said these two killed it.¡± Rayne blushed slightly and looked away, and Daku looked slightly irritated. ¡°Wow¡­ cool! How¡¯d you¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯d have found out sooner or later, it¡¯s amazing what kids can worm out of people.¡± Daku sighed and nodded. ¡°The name¡¯s Terin by the way. We¡¯ll head out and do our stuff. Even if we aren¡¯t going to perform here, we have a tinker with goods to sell, and we could stand to stock up on some things. But I must say I do want to talk to you two again later, this evening.¡±


    The troupe seemed to slowly filter into the town as they went about their business. A peddler went about selling and buying things, and troupe members could be seen going about town. Rayne and Daku went about their business as well. Rayne being somewhat absent minded, thinking. As the afternoon wore on, she enjoyed an almost-date of sorts with Daku, before both headed to the apothecary, to see how things were progressing. ¡°Ahh, I thought I¡¯d see you two. People too riled up? I suppose they can¡¯t be blamed, but this whole thing had done nothing but make them more superstitious. I¡¯ve seen all the stares and half hidden looks you two are getting, and got the feeling you might be counting the days till things were ready.¡± The old woman said playfully, shifting bottles of who knows what, and dried herbs around. ¡°So¡­ I took the liberty of speeding things up. You burn the right wood and herbs, and take care, and you can get the tanning and curing process going much faster than normal. Your things will be ready by tomorrow.¡± Rayne pales slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to, I didn''t intend to bug you, I. We. Neither of us were expecting¡­¡± Rayne said, stammering slightly as she spoke urgently, worried she felt rushed.


    ¡°Relax, relax, it was my choice. I asked myself ¡®would I want to stick around here a week or two while things set and tanned and such?¡¯ And came up with¡­ No¡­ Not with all that attention. I¡¯ve seen you two trying to go about your business, and all the extra attention isn¡¯t helping. So I put a rush order on your stuff. Though I can¡¯t take all the credit.¡± She said, half grudgingly. ¡°That guy from the troupe heard about it and helped out a bit.¡± As if on cue, Terin walked in, wearing the same burgundy red and grey-green outfit he had been earlier. ¡°Speak of the devil huh! Actors intuition.¡± Terin said playfully, entering the apothecary with a spring in his step.


    Daku looked at him, half curiously and half warily. ¡°Why were you involved? I mean, what is your motivation for helping get that done?¡± Rayne sighed, thinking that wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve taken a bit of a liking to the two of you¡­ And I thought I¡¯d propose something. But, when I found out about your order, I knew if it wasn¡¯t done, I¡¯d be out of luck.¡± Daku raised his eyebrows slightly and looked him over. ¡°And what would that be?¡± Daku asked, getting straight to the point, despite his curiosity. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with us? I figure we could take this on a test drive of sorts. Come with us to our next destination, a town not too far, in Raithal. I think you two would make great members of the extended family. I can¡¯t say entirely why, gut feeling. It¡¯s not like you couldn¡¯t contribute. If one or both of you aren¡¯t feeling it when we get there, we go our separate ways. Your both headed into Raithal anyway, right? You¡¯ve nothing to lose¡­¡± Daku looked at him, a mix of curiosity, some minor confusion, and something else playing on his face. ¡°Just take some time and consider it. We¡¯ll be leaving around noonish tomorrow, so you have until then I suppose.¡± Terin said, looking at the both of them not unkindly. ¡°Anyway I have to go finish up other things, see you then, it, if I don¡¯t, I suppose that''s an answer in an of itself.¡± Daku and Rayne stood briefly, absorbing that information. ¡°Anyway, drop by tomorrow morning and everything will be ready.¡± The last said, interrupting slightly.


    Terin left with a merry wave, off to do his thing, leaving Rayne and Daku wondering what exactly they should do. The sun was starting to set and Daku proposed they meet up back where he was staying later, and that he had some business to attend to. That said, Rayne had the impression he might just want some alone time to think. Rayne agreed, and Daku left to do whatever it was he wanted to do, leaving Rayne alone standing in the apothecary. ¡®''Well, I guess I may as well get some supplies¡­ Not like there is much to do anyway.¡¯ she thought to herself before approaching the counter.


    Bottles of various sizes sat in shelf after shelf. And the odd smell of dozens of dried herbs was all the more present without the talking to distract her. ¡°Um¡­ do you have Laurial salt?¡± The woman eyed her curiously, before. to with various bottles, and asking ¡°How much do you need?¡± Rayne considered thoughtfully. ¡°Enough for a couple quarts of water I suppose. I¡¯m low on funds at the moment.¡± Rayne said as she pulled her purse up and looked around inside it¡¯s mostly empty depths. ¡°You could have asked for such at the meeting you know, some money. Daku took some, after some talking. He went more balanced than you, he took a few bones, etc. But mostly wanted something to travel on.¡± Rayne sighed to herself. It kinda was her fault. ¡°Yeah¡­ But¡­ as I said, I may make a living largely dealing with spirits, undead, etc. But artificing is more my passion. I saw the chance i would never normally have. I can¡¯t afford to work with dire animal materials¡­ I saw the bear and thought to myself ¡®imagine what I could make with that!¡¯¡± Rayne said, sighing slightly, her ears flicking back anxiously. ¡°And you regret that?¡± The woman asked, eying Rayne curiously, almost sternly. ¡°No...not really. I¡¯d rather have what I asked for than money. But my lack of the later does complicate things.¡± ¡°Whatever you make will sell well, as you know, so your money issues shouldn¡¯t last.¡± The lady said, as soon as Rayne stopped speaking. Rayne sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ really¡­ Plan to sell them.¡± Rayne said softly, almost to herself. ¡°That¡¯s actually nice to hear. Hmm¡­ let¡¯s see though¡­ the value of a dire bear claw, intact, is roughly 5 gold pennies right? Given it¡¯s great rarity, and severe danger in obtaining. So.. Typical hunting rules give you and Daku mixed credit for the kill, and normally mixed claim over the body. Most was given away, by far the most. I¡¯ll get enough from selling parts to merchants to rebuild many homes and shops. Truthfully you both could have demanded far more than you asked for, without being considered rude. So let¡¯s say one of these claws I have here is bought from you. So let¡¯s say you now have 5 gold pennies in store credit, within reason¡­ Laurial salt is about a silver penny per 2 grams. You want enough to purify 2 quarts of water. You could do¡­ about 2 cups per gram, so that''s 4 silver pennies.¡± She didn¡¯t stop to offer Rayne any input in what she was saying, and seemed to speak without providing any stop long enough to politely speak without interrupting her. Rayne suspected She did this on purpose because her feelings on this ¡°bargain¡± were quite mixed. The lady seemed to be purposefully refusing to give her the chance to decline.


    After another minute, Rayne sighed and gave in reluctantly. She was very good at purposefully avoiding allowing her to raise any objection. ¡°You know, most people would happily pounce on this.¡± The woman said, mostly to herself, with a quick and sly grin at Rayne, which was gone in a split second.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°What else do you need then?¡± Mrs Jennings asked, looking Rayne over. Rayne didn''t say anything for a while, before once again, the old woman won the battle of wills. It was more awkward to refuse than to go along, so with a small sigh, Rayne answered her. ¡°A couple sage smudge sticks, I¡¯m down to one left, and given my work¡­. A mortar and Pestle, my last one broke¡­¡± Before she finished, sage was already stacked next to the lauriel salt. ¡°We have many types. What material are you looking for?¡± Rayne thought to herself on what would work best.


    As evening wears on, Rayne meets up with Daku and the two have a long, and after a long talk, considering it hadn¡¯t even been said that they had been planning to travel together, having only met less than half a week ago. Rayne stayed over again, if slightly awkwardly.


    The next morning, not long after sunrise despite Their late night, they got together with Terin for another talk. He did seem pleased for the most part. ¡°Well, to tell you the truth, I suspected of I convinced just one of you, both of you would decide to come. You don¡¯t seem to have known one another for long, but my gut says if one of you were to come, the other would find an excuse to as well.¡± Rayne wasn¡¯t sure about that, but mostly on Daku¡¯s part. There was something that rang true about what he said, even if she wasn¡¯t aware of it.


    ¡°How do you expect this to work out? That''s two more people, Their things, granted that wouldn¡¯t have been much, before the last few days.¡± Daku said, bringing up the obvious question. ¡°We have 14 family members, not counting you two, as you have yet to decide. Shani, Trevor, and Serry sleep in one of the 6 wagons.¡± Terin said, motioning to a couple and what appeared to be their 7-8 year old daughter. ¡°Deern and Markus are a couple, so they are together. In the end, everyone shares. You two would have a wagon to store your things in. And both of you are shape shifters, so sleeping space isn¡¯t really an issue.¡± As he spoke,Terin pointed to what seemed to be a gay couple packing things into one of the wagons. ¡°Yeah but, what do you get out of this, I still don¡¯t understand that.¡± Daku asked suspiciously, his eyes scanning the wagons.


    Terin sighed slightly, and squared his shoulders. ¡°Simple, I guess. Your a solid hunter, as said by others, your actions, and yourself. Bandits would be less a threat, and that''s more meat on the table. Rayne is an Artificer right? Among other things. She could make things like poison free cosmetics. It¡¯s hard to live a long life when putting on plays means makeup full of poison. And before asking this isn¡¯t something I am doing without input. We¡¯ve talked it over, you¡¯ve met them all, even if briefly.¡± Rayne had¡­ she even liked most of them, and none she especially disliked. She¡¯d ran into a couple here and there, seemingly by coincidence. It¡¯s a small town, after all, especially with a large chunk of it out of commission.


    In the end they did agree, Daku more reluctantly. It took the remaining  hours to get ready. Firstly to pick up everything from the apothecary, which had been ready, and the things she had ¡°bought¡± that the lady had prepared overnight. She swapped out the mortar and pestle she had been about to get for a better model, now that she wasn¡¯t going to have to carry it, it wouldn¡¯t need to be super light.


    In early afternoon they were off, Rayne and Daku sitting next to a woman who simply called herself Shade. She said her birth name sucked, and she figured she had more right to name herself than anyone else did, which seemed understandable. It was very awkward for Rayne, given that she barely knew these people. She has traveled as such before, hitching a ride from some caravan in exchange for money or some service, but this felt different. Rayne looked up, as someone in the wagon ahead started strumming a lute, and began singing with a voice that some women would fawn over. It was a slow tune, perfect for travel, but somehow nostalgic despite the fact that she¡¯d never heard it. The song made one think of fun, mellow time with friends, a long stretch of road, and memories.


    She was brought out of these thoughts by Shade. ¡°What is a ¡®''Mark of Guild¡±? No¡­. That''s not it¡­ Terin said he asked to see yours and you showed him one. What is it?¡± Rayne took a moment, shaking her head to clear it. ¡°Every magic user, witch, mage, whatever you prefer to call us, has to have one before selling our skills. It provides information about us, and shows that we have went through the official channels.¡± Rayne said, pulling out a necklace from under her shirt. On the chain was metal, engraved with writing one had to look closer at, and handed it to her. But why? If I could use magic the last thing I would want to do is deal with that crap.¡± She said as she reached out to take it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not that simple¡­ any clever person can fool another into thinking they can use magic. Fakes are a huge problem. But still worse are those who can use magic, and misrepresent themselves. You know, the beginner who think¡¯s she¡¯s a big shot and sells herself as an expert whatever, let''s say, potioneer, and ends up poisoning people. People die every year from deals like that. So a council of mages decided to create some system to help prevent that. The first place I went when my teacher had me start traveling was to get these.¡± Shade looked at them, and began to shiver slightly. ¡°What¡¯s ¡®class¡¯ mean? And why is it so cold? They are heavier than they look too.¡± Rayne smiled before responding. ¡°yeah, they seem to grow heavier when anyone but me wears or touches them, and begin leaching your body heat. It helps prove Their authenticity.¡± Rayne said, reaching out as if to take then. When Shade handed them over she slid them over her neck and back under her shirt. ¡°Class refers to my level of skill. I¡¯m in class A-J. It¡¯s simple enough. The lowest class is N, which stands for ¡®novice¡¯, after that is A for ¡®apprentice¡¯, then J for ¡®journeyman¡¯, E for ¡®expert¡¯, and M for ¡®master¡¯. In other words, I¡¯ve had professional training. After a degree of training, the magic user is usually sent out into the world for more hands on experience. After a year or three, or 10, however long it takes, they are promoted to Class J. So A-J means I am an apprentice who has moved on to gain some real world experience. That¡¯s on there so I can¡¯t misrepresent myself to other people. Well¡­ To people who know enough to ask to see these. Many People are so superstitious they never actually bother to learn about magic, and don¡¯t know they have such a system to take advantage of. Terin asking to see these means he¡¯s got enough experience to know what he¡¯s doing.¡± Rayne said, speaking slightly slowly. Shade kept her eyes mostly ahead of her, but nodded along. Daku seemed interested as well. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t known either, if so that wouldn¡¯t be his fault. Or just as likely he¡¯s never heard someone actually explain it. ¡°What were the markings on the back?¡± Shade asked, turning to look at her. ¡°When you register as a magic user you take many tests, to verify your skills, and determine your abilities. Those tell you how I tested regarding the schools of magic.¡± Rayne took them out and held them close so she could examine. ¡°This shows that I¡¯m most experienced in necromancy, enchantment, and mildly skilled in a few other things, such as potion making, warding, restoration, and alchemy. Again, this is so I can¡¯t sell myself as someone far better than I am. As I previously earned money dealing with spirits, ghosts, undead, etc. Necromancy is a given. It also shows that I¡¯m not the kind of person who could throw fireballs or something. Destruction just isn¡¯t among my talents¡­ I¡¯m quite bad at it actually¡­ I¡¯d rather not be known as the mage who tried to throw a fireball and set themselves on fire instead.¡± Rayne said, blushing slightly and turning a bit away. Daku had turned away slightly, watching the road and landscape go by as the horses pulled them along. ¡°You¡¯d want to call me for that.¡± Daku said nonchalantly, sounding almost bored. His right hand gave off small sparks, jumping from finger to finger, then forming a small sphere. Whether he had intended that or not, the mix of casual, almost bored voice mixed with the display. ¡°Wait.. You too? Why didn¡¯t you say you could use magic?¡± Daku brought his hand towards his face quietly. ¡°Rayne was explaining stuff, I didn¡¯t feel like I had much to add. Besides I¡¯m really not interested in going around making an ass of myself by shooting things with fire and wind and who knows what else.¡± Daku didn¡¯t say this harshly, despite what the words might imply, if anything his tone was thoughtful. ¡°Yeah¡­ Wow half forgot you could use magic.¡± Rayne admitted reluctantly. That fact had been overshadowed after the bear fight. It had been mentioned during their quiet conversation when they first met.


    The conversation lulled for a bit, before Shade finally asked what she¡¯d probably been thinking for a while. ¡°Can everyone learn to use magic?¡± Rayne shot Daku a look, sighed softly, and took a minute before replying. ¡°Yes¡­ and No¡­ everyone has magical energy, mana in them¡­ but the vast majority never find the ability to control it. We call it the awakening, mostly because words can¡¯t quite describe it. A sort of ¡°click¡± happens in your head, and suddenly you can physically feel the magical energy. Once you can feel it, sense it, you can learn to control it. The problem is¡­ as I said, the vast majority of people never awaken that ability. Only a couple out of every hundred, at most. Excepting Telvani. It¡¯s not quite as rare among our kinds. But when you live for potentially hundreds of years, that''s more time where it could happen. And it happens more in Telvani than any other race proportionately.¡± Shade looked slightly disappointed, but not entirely surprised. ¡°There isn¡¯t a way to¡­¡± She said, before the comment seeming to just wither away before completion. ¡°No¡­ not normally.¡± Rayne looked at him, but Rayne didn''t contradict him. He had a valid reason for the lie. Most ways to forcibly awaken someone ended very badly. People had died trying it. The other alternatives were¡­ More dangerous. Too dangerous for the most part. Shade however, didn¡¯t seem to be taking it that well. The conversation stalled shortly thereafter. It was a blow, she was sure. But better take the bandage off now.


    Little more than an hour later, they found a clearing in the woods off the the side of the road, and figured they might not get lucky enough to find another in the hour left before they usually called it a day. Rayne copied one of the troopers, and helped get the horses fed and brushed, admittedly without being asked to. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that? And how¡¯s you know to do it that way?¡± Terin asked, walking over to her. Rayne looked away slightly. ¡°It needed done right? I just copied Deern¡­¡± Terin took a moment to think. ¡°Yeah, but you weren¡¯t asked to.¡± He said, with a slight grin. ¡°I could do it¡­ it needed done right? So¡­ Did you expect me to not help?¡± Rayne asked confusedly. ¡°Not as such¡­ I guess I¡¯m just used to people who come along being dead weight. You have to hold their hand just to get them to clean up after themselves.¡± Terin walked away not long after, seeming contented. Daku emerged from the woods with 3 skinned rabbits, and a pouch full of wild herbs. Based on the sounds, she guessed he¡¯d left a portion as thanks in the woods. She could hear dogs of some kind tearing into it.


    The whole troupe sat together for a while, entertaining itself with song, dance and stories. Terry, Shank, and Serry, their young daughter headed for ¡°their¡± wagon, to eat along in relatively more privacy, soon a cook fire could be seen behind said wagon. Shade, always curious, asked ¡°so I notice the rabbits were incomplete, I noticed when they took their portion away that the rabbits were missing forelegs. Why?¡± Before Daku could answer, Terin answered instead. ¡°It¡¯s just their way, a portion of the meat is left behind as a thanks of sort, to nature itself.¡± Terin said idly, and begin cooking a rabbit leg for himself. Someone added potatoes to a pot as Shade spoke again. ¡°Isn¡¯t that wasteful though? How does wasting meat show respect to nature? That seems contradictory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wasted. Nothing is ever wasted in nature, the offering I made was eaten by some canines of some kind, probably foxes or coyotes. Later, if not already eaten, some other animal will break the bones and eat the marrow. Everything gets used up somehow.¡± Daku said, shooting a slightly mischievous look at Terin as he answered before Terin could.


    As the evening wore on more and more people retired to what privacy they could get. Serry, the young girl could be seen seemingly hunting for firewood or wild herbs alone. Before Rayne could get half a sentence out, Shade answered her mostly unspoken question. ¡°Privacy is hard to get living in a troupe. It¡¯s almost a custom. In the afternoon when we stop, kids are sent to gather firewood, or something else. It gives the kid, and the parents privacy. So if Serry comes back an hour later with only a single armload of sticks, no one complains, and if her parents haven¡¯t yet started dinner, well, that''s fair too right?¡± Rayne pauses, then started to speak. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    Shade interrupted her before she could finish. ¡°Dangerous? Village people often coddle their kids. We find kids do better with some privacy. Being alone teaches them valuable survival skills, situational awareness, etc. They don¡¯t go far, never further than yelling distance from the camp.¡± Rayne was nodding along after the first word. This wasn¡¯t far from how she was raised. She had awakened when she fell from a giant red ash tree. She should have died, but when her falling body went into crisis mode, she supposed she ended up tapping subconsciously into her mana. She had landed with no major injuries, apparently her magic had created a powerful updraft to slow her before she hit the ground. But she had slept for days afterward.


    After another hour only Shade was left sitting with her and Daku. ¡°Well I guess we should work out sleeping arrangements. I usually sleep in this wagon. I have a bed of sorts in there. But I can sleep under the wagon or something if you guys would prefer.¡± She said awkwardly. Daku was thinking. Rayne shook her head, indicating that that wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°I¡¯ll probably just shapeshift and sleep as a cat. It¡¯s what I typically do when traveling alone anyway. If you¡¯d prefer I could probably find a relatively protected tree branch and sleep up there with no problem.¡± It did however look more cloudy than she''d prefer. But she¡¯s slept in the rain before she supposed.


    ¡°On an unrelated question. Who owns these anyway?¡± Daku asked, apparently out of sheer curiosity. ¡°Other than that one, which Markus technically owns, being less a performer and more a tinker and peddler than ended up permanently joining our family here, the troupe as a whole does. The one I sleep in is a sort of rent-to-own thing, bought by Duke Valenwine, our patron. It¡¯ll be fully ours in another half year.¡± Daku looked down, eating the last scraps of food on his plate, then asked the obvious question. ¡°So why did Markus get one? Just a storage need?¡±


    Shade looked at him, then back toward the wagon before responding. ¡°pretty much yeah. He has a blade sharpener, personal items, and all his merchandise. He finally got to the point he found it worth buying his own. He and his boyfriend sleep together in there.¡± Shade then turned to look at Rayne ¡°Oh¡­ And you don¡¯t need to do that Rayne¡­ space isn¡¯t an issue. It¡¯s more an¡­ awkwardness thing. I know Kaetsu and Quitsun don¡¯t have a so big a nudity taboo, or not the same as we do. I figure your fur covers you enough, I¡¯m just not used to it. Hence why I wanted to work out what we plan to do. Also, where will your cat sleep?¡±


    Rayne pondered that briefly. Her cat had been skulking around, investigating the wagons and such all day, and as a result she hadn¡¯t seen her much. Being Rayne¡¯s familiar though, she knew where her cat was. ¡°Also¡­ Umm¡­ are you too a couple?¡± Shade asked, immediately derailing Rayne¡¯s thoughts. Daku took a moment, then simple replied. ¡°...Yes¡­¡± Rayne blushed wildly and looked away, not sure how to respond. They¡¯d only met a couple days ago! But¡­ it¡¯s not like she hadn¡¯t thought about¡­ Shade burst into giggles. ¡°I guess she didn''t know.¡± Shade said, still giggling, causing Rayne to blush even further.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll just sleep on my big roll of bear hide. It¡¯ll be soft enough...kinda¡± Rayne said, evading that topic. Though perhaps her lack of contradiction was itself a statement.


    Not long thereafter they headed to the wagon. Rayne and Daku each with a mouth full of clothing. They could change shape, their clothing, not necessarily so. Shade¡¯s bed turned out to be a bedroll, though it looked like a good one indeed. ¡°This wagon is designed to convert into a stage for when we need to put on a play on the green. Hence the.¡± Her sentence petered out as she seemed to struggle with a word on the top of her tongue. But she was pointing to some device along the side of the wagon. Seemingly a henge or something to open it up. Looking around, Rayne could see some play backdrops, some rattling tin, and various other acting related things.


    Rayne slept on her dire bear pelt, which was rolled up and placed next to Shade¡¯s bedroll. This hadn¡¯t been intentional perhaps, but there was only so much space. Fortunately her bedroll was portioned so that she slept with her head toward the exit, so Rayne and her cat were nearer her feet than anything else, which made it less awkward. Daku lay on top of a crate with a pillow on it. He looked as if he was trying to decide the appropriate distance to sleep next to his new girlfriend without being presumptuous. It seemed an awkward issue. He was close, but not intimately so. Rayne finally managed to fall asleep, her cat cuddled up against her on one side.

 Border Crossing

    Rayne gradually woke as the sun¡¯s rays pierced the back of the wagon and slowly worked Their way towards her. Half asleep still, she was purring, enjoying a nice sensation she wasn¡¯t awake enough to fully register. Suddenly Shade moved and spoke in a slightly high pitched voice. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­¡± It was only then that Rayne woke more fully up. Apparently Shade was a toss and turn type person, because she had mostly reversed herself in her bedroll, her blanket tangled in her feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ Sorry¡­¡± She finished somewhat lamely. Apparently much more awkward than was necessarily merited. In her tossing and turning Apparently her hand had found Rayne''s fur and she¡¯s started petting her while mostly asleep. Rayne wasn''t perturbed in the least, though Shade¡¯s awkwardness made her more awkward. She gave tired meow and shook her head to clear it.


    After about 30 minutes she was fully awake. She¡¯d decided not to worry quite so much and resume her normal (when humanoid form). She wore a medium length skirt and a loose blouse. She could hear Shade talking to Terin not far away. Their slightly hushed partly from distant voices confirmed her suspicion. ¡°Relax Shade, relax. I highly doubt she¡¯s mad or upset in any way.¡± ¡°But i¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine I assure you. You¡¯ve only been with us for a half year, while we¡¯ve ranged somewhat into Antura and Elista, so it¡¯s no surprise you''re worried, but relax. I may have been borne on the road, but we spend most of our time in Raithal, which has far more kaetsu proportionately, and we pass through their settlements a few times a year¡± ¡°Yeah but, she¡¯s not just a cat and, she¡¯s probably very upset and..¡± Terin sighed. ¡°Calm yourself Shade. You don¡¯t know kaetsian culture. You¡¯ve probably not offended her, though you''re probably making her awkward by being so awkward¡­. Look¡­ kaetsu and, to a notably lesser degree, quitsun, don¡¯t treat touch the same way we do. You haven¡¯t seen it because kaetsian and, to a lesser degree quitsunian, culture doesn¡¯t get received well with most people. Touch is more important in their culture. It¡¯s in part a bonding thing¡­ I guess I¡¯d better explain before we get to the next town, as it¡¯s an much more mixed race town¡­¡± Rayne did not envy him this. Rayne was awkward, but mostly because shade was. It was hard not to let anxiety get to her.


    ¡°Touch is.. More important in their culture. It¡¯s generally not presumptuous. For example a very friendly greeting in Kaetsian culture may involve patting someone''s head or back. Touch indicates a degree of friendship or desire to be friends or get along well. Lack of touch is itself significant. For example if a kaetsu were to pat you gently I the back of something, lack of touch in return implies distance, possibly coldness.¡± ¡°But¡­ her tail was up and her ears were up and alert and¡­¡± Terin sighed softly. ¡°Kaetsian body language is different too, more feline even. Watch her cat. An upraised tail on a cat is a sign of greeting. If she has been angry or annoyed, her ears would have been bent back, almost flat against her head. I know it¡¯s confusing, that''s probably why you don¡¯t know these things. Kaetsu who are familiar with typical human body language, taboos, and the like tend to adapt to our customs more than us to theirs.¡±


    Rayne moved further away, and went to help get the horses ready and hitched to the wagons, partially just to avoid hearing the rest of the conversation. As she fiddled with the horses, somewhat distracted, she heard a sound behind her. Daku had jumped out of a tree and landed just behind her. Rayne jerked back, startled, and Daku grabbed her around the neck and hugged her playfully. Rayne blushed, and leaned into the hug, and smiled contentedly.


    Rayne and Daku left Shade alone for a bit, to calm down if nothing else, and started the day riding with Terin and his wife instead of riding with shade. The day started in relative silence. His wife was  sick, so it was just the three of them up front. They went on in a relatively companionable silence for a while. ¡°Shade tells me, among other things, that she saw you shapeshift yesterday. She said it looked quite.. painfull.¡± Terin said not bringing up the other conversation. After a moment Rayne gave an awkward laugh. ¡°It is, or well¡­ was. I¡¯ve gotten used to that now, but the first shift for our kinds can be as painful as it looks. If you listen closely you can even hear bones moving and such as it happens. I was terrified when it happened to me the first time, when I was 6 years old. My parents had to sit beside me and comfort me, it took longer the first time. But it gets faster and less painful the more you do it and the the older you get, well, until you get to your mid twenties. I highly value my ability to change my shape though, I love being in all my forms. So once I started to learn gotten how to force it, I began doing doing it quite frequently. By 8 I was rather stoic about it, despite the pain. But I¡¯m¡­ weird.¡± There was a silence a both Terin and Daku looked at herb for entirely separate reasons she guessed. ¡°Wait¡­ It actually hurts? I figured it was like magic, you probably didn''t feel anything. Why keep doing it if it¡¯s painful?¡± Terin looked both mildly shocked, and curious at the same time, assuming there had to be a reason. ¡°I like it¡­ or well¡­ I recognize all my forms. This one. My feline form, and even, to a slightly less degree, my more human looking form, as me. So¡­ for some, including me, it¡¯s a self expression thing. I personally wouldn¡¯t want to live entirely one way. So, even as a kid. I wasn¡¯t terribly deterred away from doing it once I worked out how. My parents mentioned it gets less painful the more practice you have so¡­ I kinda figured I''d just get the practice sooner¡­ I don¡¯t think my parents were thrilled.¡± Rayne gave a contented laugh.


    Time passed at a decent pace, at one point Terin moved to take care of his bride, and someone else directed his wagon. People brought out instruments and started playing. Daku generally came along with Rayne wherever she went, with some exceptions. Sometimes Daku would just decide he wanted to privacy or alone time, and would head off to do his own thing. Rayne started learning to play the flute during one of these times, and she half imagined half the troupe never wanted her near an instrument again. This turned out to the the opposite of true despite how bad she thought she sounded. If anything more people wanted her to play. Rayne supposed playing instruments was so ingrained in the troupe life that they weren¡¯t bothered by new players anymore.


    Come evening they settled down, Daku emerged with an entire deer, minus the organs and half a leg. Before the group split off into smaller groups to sleep for the night, they enjoyed meat, and one of them took the rest to start drying, where possible. Before the group split though, they all sat and stories were told. A few just myths about one of the current favorite heros. It was a somewhat dark tale, and Rayne didn¡¯t believe most of it. But after that, a type of hush happened. Markus started telling an older story, Rayne got the feeling it was something outright ancient. Some of her own people''s oldest stories seemed to dance though it, connected through thin lines of evidence. The story talked of war and battle, but more than that, a battle the likes of which was inconceivable. Men tore each other apart with magics never seen since. They damaged the world itself with their might. Rayne had never heard it in quite so much detail, but it bore many strands linking it to an old legend the oldest member of her village had once told. An event called ¡°The Ending Wars¡±, a story few knew, and no one knew the origin of, or if it could possibly be true. Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°This might be the second time in my entire life that I¡¯ve heard that one. Though it¡¯s different from how I heard it, but there are so many strands. That seem like they fit with the story I heard. Where did you hear that?¡± Rayne asked markus curiously. Markus took a minute to answer. ¡°I¡¯ve heard tiny fragments of it, But the biggest came but a few days ago. I¡¯ve been working on a song based on old legends, and I asked her if she knew anything about them. I got the biggest piece yet from her, that old apothecary woman.¡± Rayne took a momentous igest what he had said. ¡°I think the mayor intruded her as councilman Jennings, but if I¡¯ve heard her first name, I¡¯ve forgotten it.¡± Daku said, seemingly to himself.


    The troupe split up and went to do their nightly things. She saw The young girl running around playing, creating a pile of sticks in the process. In the end, adhering putting it off all day, Rayne had a talk with Shade. The next day progressed similarly. It was a rather pleasant trip so far. ¡°Hey Rayne, Markus needs you. He¡¯s in the wagon behind you, he said he''d be busy till around this time hence why I didn¡¯t tell you earlier. Terin half-yelled from the wagon ahead of them. Slightly reluctantly, Rayne stepped hopped off the wagon and was being passed by quickly, and managed to grab and hoist herself up into the seat of the wagon as it went. Panting slightly, Rayne spoke. ¡°Yeah Markus?  What can I do for you?¡± Rayne said, settling into the seat next to him, on the other side was his boyfriend/fiance, Deern. ¡°I was talking to Terin and he mentioned that you knew some artificing. In had an idea and I wanted to see if it was possible¡­¡± Rayne began looking more curious, and gently prodded him. ¡°Yes..?¡± Rayne was quite curious now. She could use a project. ¡°Would it be possible to take a barrel, and using magic, make the inside cold? Like, permanently.¡± He spoke thoughfully, examining some of the the contents of his wagon. ¡°Yeah I can do that. But make sure it¡¯s a good sturdy barrel that¡¯ll survive a while. No point doing it to a barrel with rusted bands and such.¡± Rayne shrugged nonchalantly, glad to actually do something productive. ¡°Wait, You can?¡± Rayne giggled for a split second before stopping. ¡°I¡¯ve done that before. My grandmother wanted to turn a chest into something similar. We called it the ice box, because it froze anything you put in it for more than an hour or so, depending. I had to go back and make the surfaces non stick to avoid meat freezing to the chest itself. It¡¯s not a complicated thing to do.¡± Rayne said, shrugging. ¡°Then why have I never seen one? I mean, if it can be made why doesn¡¯t everyone have one?¡± Deern interrupted then with a laugh, nudging Markus affectionately. ¡°You are the merchant. How much do you think you could get for something like that?¡± Markus lapsed into silent thinking. ¡°So¡­ Then¡­ do you have the things you need? And how cold do you want it? I had to go back and fix my grandmother''s, she''s asked for something too cold, and most of said meat got frostburn. If you do have whatever you wanted me to turn into this currently, I could probably have it done in¡­ 2 days? No¡­ One and a half? For something the size and shape of a barrel that¡¯d probably be enough.¡± Markus looked at her curiously. ¡°And, the cost?¡± He said, half dreading it, half curious. ¡°No cost¡­ but, you know, if my chisel gets dull maybe you can sharpen it. This is part of why Terin wanted me here right? It¡¯s not like you guys are charging me for transport. I mean, all I¡¯d ask is basics, maybe if my tools get dull you can sharpen them, etc. Besides, I¡¯m glad to have a chance to do something.. Productive.¡± In the end they agreed on a price, of sorts. It wasn''t exactly a lot, but Markus didn''t feel comfortable with it otherwise. ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in Chide the day after tomorrow, but relatively early. If it could be ready by then¡­ I could stock up on some more perishable things.¡±


    Unfortunately that meant the next day and a half was less entertaining for Daku, as most of Their time together was spent while Rayne tinkered and piddled around with a large barrel. It wasn''t necessarily easy work. A bad rune could do any number of unpleasant things. Daku in turn decided he¡¯d use the time in his own ways, and he could be seen, at every break from the road, sharpening his knife, target shooting with his bow, and the like. The first half a day for Rayne was spent removing the metal rings from said barrel. ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± Markus finally a asked once the rings were removed. Rayne, panting, replied: ¡°engraving wood isn¡¯t a great idea. What if something you put in there damages the runes. The best work around, is to remove them, put such things on the inside of the ring, then have them replaced. This way the work is much less prone to accidental damage. I don¡¯t want my name out there represented as a shoddy artificer.¡± ¡°Wait.. Your name? So artificer¡¯s sign their work or something?¡± Rayne took a moment, stood, and stretched her legs. Engraving the inside of the rings was not easy. On the up side, it was clearly a quality barrel. ¡°Yeah¡­ artificing is perhaps one of the most ¡®creative¡¯ types of magic. By adding your name to work you¡¯ve done others who are in the know and looking for a good artificer can recognize something by it¡¯s creator. It helps someone judge whether it¡¯s quality work or not¡­ But to be honest, it¡¯s often superfluous. Many people don¡¯t recognize such a signature as a signature. In the end it ends up only being scholars and mages who know enough to look. But an experienced merchant who knows to look can find it helpful. If you¡¯ve seen shoddy work done and then when trying to have something made, you know ¡®maybe I don¡¯t want to commission this person.¡¯¡± Rayne said, before continuing. The next day things went more steadily. As they got ready for the night a few guys reattached the rings, which proved to be gruff, physical work. Rayne¡¯s signature, in Qualat, was visible on the top and bottom rings. ¡°Wait¡­ That''s it? I¡¯ve seen your name written, that looks¡­¡± Rayne laughed mildly. ¡°It¡¯s written in Qualat, it¡¯s a long dead language, and it¡¯s horrifying tricky to learn. If I hadn''t spent so much time learning it, I''d probably be further along as a mage, witch, whatever you want to call me. But it''s pretty much only mages and scholars who know it, so it works very well for us, like a hidden language.¡± But things dropped there, as half the troupe got distracted by the antics of Daku and Terin, the latter suggesting Daku should put on a trick archery show, and Daku was having none of it.


    As things finally settled down, they say together and Terin spoke. ¡°Okay, so we¡¯ll be arriving reasonably early, well before noon. I¡¯m being told supplies will be needed, so we might as well figure out what''s going on. Markus says he needs some minor blacksmithing work done, so Markus¡¯ll head there¡­ I¡¯d prefer someone go with him, Rayne, Daku? Besides, Rayne might have need of something as well if she damaged any tools. The spare wagon wheel we keep under our wagon needs fixing, so we¡¯d appreciate it if Deern would come with me and my wife to get that seen to. In general if you go anywhere, take someone else. We all know how suspicious townsfolk can get of people they see as ¡®other¡¯. I suppose it doesn¡¯t help that Chide is a border town.. I¡¯m not expecting any issues, we¡¯ve been here before, but¡­ I figured we''d clarify how we go about that for Rayne and Daku.¡± Rayne nodded and yawned slightly when he finished, not so much out of disrespect as tiredness.

 Trouble in Chide

    The rest of the night went on as normal. Rayne spent the night curled up in her feline form with Daku, her cat occupying the highest space in the wagon, like a queen surveying her kingdom. The morning came and Rayne, cuddled into Daku¡¯s fox fur and purring, was woken by a knock on the wagon and Markus''s voice. ¡°Morning, sorry, but we¡¯ll need to be back to prepare so, we¡¯ve got to head out relatively early.¡± Rayne mewed irritatedly into Daku, before reluctantly getting up.


    The three of them headed out, taking Markus¡¯s wagon should he need heavier supplies. They were in the process of getting off the wagon when the blacksmith''s door opens and a Telvan walks out and around, spitting a stream of words Rayne can''t recognize, with a few elistan swear words mixed in. But his tone was amused, Leaving Rayne, Daku, and Markus looking at each other somewhat confused. The blacksmith, as it turned out, was a fairly large place for the town¡¯s size. The forge was no small town forge either. She imagined it could get hot enough to smelt much better. But, given it¡¯s status as a border town, perhaps this made sense. ¡°I¡¯m glad to finally be back out of New Elista.¡± Rayne sighed as she came in. Markus went around and started talking to the blacksmith, leaving little for Rayne and Daku to do but idly peruse the store, wondering what was going on with the Telvan she had seen. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a few minutes before the very same man entered the blacksmith.


    ¡°Ahh, Y?¨°wa¨¨n, thanks.¡± The blacksmith said as the Telvan entered. Supposedly he was the blacksmiths employee? Rayne was confused by the name. She may have seen and met Telvani people, but she¡¯s never learned the language, so the sounds were unfamiliar to her. She was paying less and less attention to the store, trying to figure out the name. Finally she decided to simply introduce herself, and who knows, if he did work here maybe she¡¯d end up finding something she needed. ¡°Uh¡­ hi, I think he said your name was Y??wa¨¨n? Do you work¡­¡± Rayne had intended to ask him if he worked here, and perhaps see if he could help her find some better artificing tools, but sadly that isn''t what happened. He puffed up slightly as if mad. ¡°HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT! I¡¯VE HALF A MIND TO TAKE YOU OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW. HOW DID YOU GET SUCH A FILTHY MOUTH? I WILL NOT¡­¡± Rayne flushed perhaps the deepest red she had had in years, looking away and falling silent. Meanwhile, halfway across the room, the blacksmith did perhaps the biggest Face Palm anyone had ever seen. But it got worse. ¡°I WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO MY MOTHER, SHE WAS PRACTICALLY A SAINT, HOW DARE YOU DEFILE BOTH OUR NAMES LIKE THAT!¡± Rayne, now flushed red and feeling perhaps more guilty than she ever had in her life, bolted out of the shop and sat in the back of Markus¡¯s wagon.


    ¡°Goddamn it Y?¨°wa¨¨n, go talk to her. I won¡¯t have your fun scaring off my customers.¡± The owner yelled, but Y?¨°wa¨¨n was already heading out The door, looking slightly stricken. Daku was turning somewhat red himself, already angered perhaps past his breaking point. He stormed out after him, leaving a stricken Markus in with the blacksmith.


    Rayne sat curled up in the back of Markus¡¯s wagon, tears running down her face. She heard footsteps, too light to be anyone else''s, it''s not likely Daku¡¯s sneaking off. ¡°I...I¡¯m Sorry¡­ I¡­ I didn''t¡­¡±  Rayne stammers. ¡°Wait¡­ Why are you apologising¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to insult you¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Sound of muffled, concealed crying can be heard from inside of the wagon.  ¡°Relax, no one¡¯s insulted, my name pronounced wrong is a rather nasty word¡­ I was I¡­¡±


    Daku shut the door perhaps more forcefully than he had intended, not that he had intended to slam it at all, and stormed out. It didn''t take him more than a second or two to find Y?¨°wa¨¨n standing a bit apart from the wagon. He approached standing fully erect, and considering his high, he towered still more over the Telvan. It didn''t take long for the silence to break, and Rayne spent a fair few minutes, not feeling so bad, but preferring to stay out of it.


    Though eventually Y?¨°wa¨¨n managed to calm Daku to his some degree, he was still irritated and somewhat distant as they rode with Markus back to the camp. ¡°You should learn to defend yourself. Physically¡­  Y?¨°wa¨¨n maybe have been somewhat of a dick there, but it did highlight an issue. You can¡¯t just run from fights. It makes you seem all the easier a target.¡± Rayne looked down at her feet, which swayed in the air, hanging off the back of Markus¡¯s wagon. ¡°Yeah¡­ but¡­¡± Daku stopped for a moment, before continuing. ¡°I know you can use magic, but we both know offensive magic isn¡¯t your forte either, and I won¡¯t have you get hurt because you can''t handle yourself. While they put on their plays and such, I will be training you. Sorry, no getting out of this until i¡¯m satisfied you are at least competent in martial combat.¡± Rayne blushed and looked up, somewhat startled. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯d end up slicing my own foot off¡­¡± Rayne said, voicing only one of her concerns, not mentioning the other. This would mean a lot of time with Daku, probably alone with him, getting worked up and sweaty. ¡°No buts. Y?¨°wa¨¨n gave me 2 wooden training weapons after our¡­ Confrontation¡­ so, you won¡¯t cut your foot off. Or do you just not like me and don¡¯t want to spend time with me?¡± Daku¡¯s voice was joking, but something deep inside it spoke of fear. She wondered his if this was just intuition or if that note was really in his voice. ¡°N...no i l¡­ It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Daku¡¯s voice kit up slightly. ¡°Oh¡­ You don''t want to get all lightly clothed and sweaty in front of someone you like?¡± Daku''s voice did seem somewhat eased, but tentative. ¡°N..no! It¡¯s not like¡­ I¡­¡± But a furious blush ran exactly contrary to her words and tone, and while she turned away to hide it, she didn¡¯t manage it Apparently because she could swear there was a satisfied, smug tone. ¡°Uh-huh, sure¡­ Anyway¡­ later today, mandatory.¡± He chuckled for a moment before playfully sliding off the wagon, and pulling her off with him with a mischievous smile, and she nearly stumbled.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    It was only after another hour that the troupe got themselves ready, and moved into town as whole. The group seemed to be scattering. Terin went off, probably to find whoever ran the city and organize the events. Shani and her young daughter were already putting on an entirely impromptu puppet show with a series of well made marionettes. Shani¡¯s husband moved back and forth, puting on a series of acrobatic tricks and juggling. It didn''t take long for a horse of children and parents to gather around the troupe.


    Shade¡¯s wagon stood slightly apart, it¡¯s stage equipment ready to be employed. After a bit, Terin walked out of the mayor''s office and started talking. Apparently, this was their Patron, Duke Valenwine¡¯s land, so they were well known and easily received. He moved over shortly to talk to Rayne and Daku. ¡°We will be here today and tomorrow, then move on the next day. I¡¯ve also received a message from the duke, which may concern you. He¡¯s Apparently searching for¡­ someone with some experience in curses and necromancy. He knew we''d pass though so he gave the letter to the mayor, if you are wondering.  So, we have to head that way anyway, but this could be a good opportunity for both of you. You couldn''t hope to have a better source of employment. Anyway, we¡¯ll be putting on a few plays, only one tonight though. Why don''t you come watch? It¡¯ll be in several hours though. People have to prepare.¡±


    Only a half hour after that, Daku practically dragged her out to the edge of town. Two wooden swords crossing his back as they went, there could be no doubt this was the mandatory training session. He pulled one over his shoulder and down. ¡°These are made of a pretty light, springy wood, so there should be no issues. Even so, we don¡¯t want to come back covered in big bruises, so go easy on it okay? Besides I don''t expect you to be even slightly competent for at least a week. For now, posture, how to handle a weapon, and footwork. I won''t have you tripping over your own feet if it comes to a fight.¡±


    It was not easy work, Daku was constantly correcting every other step, pushing on her back. She could swear he swung that thing specifically to mess with her footwork, while he was trying to teach her that. He never actually struck her with it, but it was nearly impossible to keep on her feet as he drove her back again and again, faster than she could actually move backwards. They took a break, Daku intended to watch the play, possibly because they were hitching a ride with them and for what they had done he felt obligated to ensure nothing happened.


    Rayne watched as well, somewhat in awe. She could swear the troupes had practically memorized all the lines. They hadn''t had more than a few hours to plan and start the play, without knowing beforehand which it they would do. But then again, as she recalled, the majority of the troupes books contained plays. They probably learned to read and write from scripts. It seemed in spite, of perhaps because of the constant moving, the children more more educated than any simple townsperson was. Even the two children, one no older than 8, probably 7, pulled off their roles nearly perfectly. Fortunately nothing happened, other than a few drunk men being escorted out before they had a chance to start anything serious. At the first sign of a fight or trouble they were escorted out.


    It went well, though the amount of people and the noise of laughing during the comedic bits were somewhat irritating to Rayne. But after a few hours it was over. The group got to gutting the stage, taking down everything and storing it.  Terin spoke to the mayor and got things lined up for the next day. As they headed out, Rayne heard Terin joking ask: ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to do a trick archery show? Good audience for it.¡± Daku still was not having it though.


    However the day''s drama (literally and figuratively) was not quite over. Rayne and Daku were walking to the wagons, now once more parked Way out towards the edge of the main town, were moved to a sudden stop, Daku throwing his arms out to stop Rayne as well if need be. Not far off the road, glinting eyes in the dusk could be seen, shining like cat¡¯s eyes in a beam of light.


    Rayne and Daku both took a moment. The eyes were too high up to be a simple wild or domestic cats. As the sunset finally drifted below a nearby hill, they could discern the shapes of men, roughly. Kaetsu, possibly quitsun, it was hard to tell at this distance. With a sigh, they both resumed walking. They had little choice if they wanted to get back to camp. The figures didn''t move, not much at any rate. Finally as they neared camp, they could get a good look at them. Both kaetsu, one in light armor of some sort. ¡°Hey¡­ sorry to bug you but we need to talk. It¡¯s important, and not for the ears of everyone.¡± Daku drew himself to a stop. If nothing else this explained why they had waited for them here. It wasn''t terribly far from their camp. In fact it was probably light from a nearby fire shining in their eyes. But far enough that cautious tongues wouldn''t alert anyone, and not too far as to be suspicious. Daku maintained his silence for a moment, before speaking. ¡°Who would you be then? And what do you need?¡± He asked in a low voice, barely more than a whisper, if any more.


    ¡°We¡¯re scouts, of a sort¡­ that''s the gist off it. We ran across you a little while back, the day before yesterday, and when we came across you again, We decided to talk. Now, to the point. Our diplomat in Elista has gone missing, and the king has elected not to take any more diplomats or ambassadors from kaetsian and quitsunian settlements. I¡¯m not going to waste your time explaining why this is bad, but, we need to get back up there and keep an eye on things. All we are asking you to do, is keep an eye out, and report this to the settlement not far from here.¡± Daku sighed to himself, and Rayne found herself getting nervous. That wasn''t good. Given kaetsian attitudes toward monarchies, it wouldn''t be a stretch to imagine the kind of Elista becoming more aggressive towards them. Perhaps more importantly, to both races. They did tend to prefer to live in similar places after all. Refusing to accept ambassadors implied something was coming indeed. ¡°Then why send ambassadors and such to a place already prone to hostilities. Why risk it knowing they could end up dead in the first place?¡± Again, Daku went right for the point. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Not our call, but i see your point. My guess, to try to keep things settled, perhaps woo the king a bit as it were. At least try to establish some peace. Probably futile, as you pointed out, but that¡¯s probably why. No one wants war in this¡­ political climate.¡± Most of Their population has moved into Raithal. This wasn''t a good sign for them either. Sure Raithal had allies, but Elista''s king and the empress of Antura both had issues with kaetsu and quitsun. Sure they hated each other, but perhaps they could put away that for now and join together for war against their third sibling? ¡°That¡¯s¡­ A fair point¡­ and a bit worrying.¡± Rayne said, half to herself.  ¡°Hence what we want you to do, which is keeping an eye out. Given your traveling companions, you are ideally placed to catch rumors and such. Not while that isn''t a great information source¡­ it can be good to know. If say, the cold war between Elista and Antura has been dying down, less border skirmishes, that could be worth noting now..¡± They didn¡¯t stay for long after that, they nodded to one another, and split up. One seemingly going towards Elista, the other, Antura. Though she hoped they were not going far. Perhaps they just had people to talk to before moving on.