With a peaceful silence, the wind breezes through the woods in and around the roads to the

west; it threatens to pull off the hood of the lone traveler on the road, but he quickly pulls it back

and adjusts his cloak. Od sighed and repositioned his blade at his side and his bow that was

unstrung and sticking out of his pack, he was thankful he bought the pack, his gear would be

protected from the isles rain, as well as a place to store his string since having a strung bow all

the time is unwise. The road from Tardyde was, as he remembered, long, and boring with

nothing but woods on either side until the western port. It was the shortest, yet longest walk he

had always endured; one he would not wish on any grain horror even. Yet, the walk was only

five hours at most on a walk, two and a half if you were on a cart, and Od didn't have the pince

for a horse let alone for a cart. All of the things he carried were actually all he owned currently, a

bow and some string, a sword, his pack with a few bits of food and some rags as well as some

flint and steel; but, his coin purse was light, only two silver pince to his name. That would not get

him a ferry across to Alaeah, it would get him a room and some food, but that was about all that

he could afford, he would need some way to make some pince.

Feet hurting, clouds that looked gray in the sky, the town of Westport could not be a more

welcome sight for Od, he had met a few people on the road, but they were all farmers selling

their wares, nothing sold already. Od had tried to warn them of the rain, but most had looked as

if they didn’t care, or had a parchment on their wagon; stepping up to the portcullis of the town,

Od spies the old stone that is wall Westport, perpetually wet because of the rain, guards

patrolling the top of it in the hauberk of the Baron of west port isle. On the cobble streets, the

sights and sounds are alive, people speaking Moccish, some wayfarers tongue, it is as Od

remembers it; being the biggest town on the eastern isle, not big in terms of the mainland

though, from the maps that Od has seen, there are even bigger towns to be seen, and even

more people to see. The colors seem more vibrant even though the town is so gray to Od, the

smells far richer; Od shakes off his wanderlust, this is his first step into the world alone, he is

eighteen, and he needs to focus on his task at hand. Walking towards an inn in the central part

of town, Od recalls the name of it, The Gray Duck Inn, the man who owns the inn bought meat

from Od and his father; he will know him and maybe have some work for him. The inn was easy

enough to find, a duck sign with a second story that is attached to the bar, ducks always around

it. Od steps into the inn pushing the door to the side.

Letting the door close behind him, Od takes in the smells of cooking cheese, meat, and baked

bread, the wooden floor coalescing with the smell of the hearth towards the left side of the room

just brings back memories to Od, the many hours he sat around his parents' hearth and heard

stories from his mother’s books. The patrons heed no mind to Od as he steps up through the

tables of patrons, finally arriving at the bar, Od places two half-pince on the table and orders

some sausage, and then asks for some water. The barkeep takes it and walks into the back and

appears a quick beat later with a tankard of water and hands it to Od. Od sips on it for a second

and looks to the keeper; “my name is Od, and my father used to sell meat here to the owner a

lot, Mavarain, is he around?” The barkeep turns from organizing things on the shelf behind him

to face Od, “Ye know ole’ Mav? Yeah, want me to get him for ya?” Od nods his head, “Be right

back lad.” Od sets into his water even more, he had forgotten to buy a waterskin, he didn’t even

have enough to afford one; water is free in most inns and taverns, so he was lucky for the small

blessings from Lithilis. A few minutes later Mavarain appears from behind the bar and once he

spies Od he walks up quickly with a smile on his face. Od gets up and offers a hug to Mavarain

from across the bar, Mavarain almost picks Od up and across the bar, “What are you doing here

Od? Where is your father? I haven’t ordered any meat.” Od hugs his father's friend back and sits

down. “My father… is dead.” Od takes a huge chug of water, “wasting fever” Mavarain almost

recoils as if struck with a blade, “Oh Odev, you went and caught the fever.” Mavarain says under

his breath; Mavarain runs a hand over his white head of hair and looks to Od, “So you aren’t

picking up your father's butchery?” Od shakes his head, “I left it to our neighbors and just took

all I valued. I’m looking for my older sister.” Mavarain laughs and runs a hand through his beard

as he thinks about what Od said, “are you sure you aren’t down with the fever as well Od?

Leaving it to your neighbors, they probably trashed the place. Not many folke want to work with

a butcher's cleaver.” Od shakes his head with resolve, “I owe it to myself and to my sister to find

her and let her know her parents are dead, and-” Od cuts himself off, not sure how to continue.

“You have your momma in you lad. If given a chance, she would have set off as well, I shan’t

judge you.” Od pulls his pack around sets it on the bar and unties the rope keeping the top on, “I

have equipment and a bow and a blade Mavarain,” Od looks at him seriously, his gear was

meager, but it would suffice, “I need some work, do you happen to have any, and a room I could

rent from you?” Mavarain shakes his head after thinking for a second, “Sorry lad, I don’t have

work for you, but I do have a room on the very top floor you can use; free of course as well.” Od

starts to raise a hand but Mavarain grabs it and gives it a gentle squeeze, “No, I will not let my

best friend's son sleep in the stables. I don’t use it anymore either.” Od wants to object once

again, but Mavarain quickly points him to the stairs, “Follow me Od.” Mav steps around the table

pulls some keys from atop a key ring behind the bar, and walks towards the steps.

Heading up the wooden steps, creaking along the way the third floor comes quickly, it’s actually

just two rooms, not including the smaller steps that head into the actual attic room. Mav walks

over to it unlocks it and tosses the key to Od, “Meet yourself at home lad.” Mav places a hand

on Od shoulder as he passes and starts heading down the steps, but stops; “check the markets,

ask around there, someone may have some work there for you. Don’t get yourself killed though.

Stay as long as you like.” Mav then vanishes down the stairs and the sounds of the wooden

steps eventually stop as well. Stepping into the room, Od takes a look around. There is a desk

near the small window, it’s dusty and the inkwell is probably dry on it. Not like Od can write; but

he can read. Next to the side of the desk is a bed, it looks old, rickety, and infested with lice, but

it should work as well. A small dresser adorns the room, a lantern is hung from the ceiling, a

candlestick and holder sit on the desk, and there’s also a small hearth connected to the main

chimney, so he can have a fire that way. He won’t freeze during the cold winters, but he won’t be

here that long anyway. Setting his pack down on the ground he wraps his cloak around him and

steps out of the room and locks it behind him. It was time for food and then to hit the town.

Eating his sausage and finishing another tankard of water, Od leaves the inn after wishing Mav

a good day and thanking him for the room. The town is bustling, it’s late afternoon, and many

merchants are at their stalls trying to coax and prod people to buy their wares, fishers selling the

day catch, as well as general merchants selling tools, and various bits they have picked up over

the years; losing himself in the crowd, Od begins inquiring around for jobs that he maybe could

do, he is willing to do anything or some pince, he needs it to set himself up to leave west port.

Get to the central aisle and then Glendev to get to the mainland. After about an hour of looking

and searching, Od sits down on one of the benches near a wall and watches the ferry in the

port. After sitting for a few minutes, lamenting, a guard approaches him. “I can’ help but see that

you’re asking everywhere for jobs; the barracks and posting board are always needing people to

get rid of horrors, check it out.” The guard then starts to step away, but Od steps up, “Where is

the barracks so I can read this posting board, sir?” The guard stops and turns around and points

towards the keep ward, albeit small, but still a keep; “there lad, the big two-story building with a

huge board on the outside, you couldn miss it.” Od takes a bow, “thank you, sir.” Od sets off at

full speed and eventually makes it to the board, that guard was right, it is impossible to miss.

Walking up to it, Od spies so many shards of paper pinned to the board with nails, many folke

are standing around it, eyeing the postings. So many attacks just on this small island, not as

much as the mainland probably, but enough for this area. He could make his money quickly

here. Looking through them he finds some about grub in the sewers that are spitting fire, crabs

throwing air at people, and even some birds spitting water at people and blasting holes in their

ships and injuring them. He eventually finds one about deer shooting fire and rock at folke in the

woods nearby, it says they had grown in size as well; good thing Od was good at hunting deer

and had a bow. He would have the antlers as proof, and butcher the meat. This posting was for

one emerald pince per antler pair. He would easily get a lot from the meat as well. Taking it

down and rolling it up he memorizes the location listed and quickly makes his way towards the

woods.

Having taken the time to string his bow, he steps towards the treeline a bit of way down the

road; taking a huge breath and calming himself, Od takes a sheaf arrow from his quiver knocks

it loosely, and steps in. The forest is calm, bugs are buzzing, the gentle call of animals is about,

and the waves of the ocean can even be heard very faintly. None are the calls of a deer yet; so,

Od sets out looking for animal trails, this will be the easiest way to track most animals. It takes

some walking, but he finds one, and begins searching it for deer tracks, large deer tracks. The

day will fade sooner rather than later, so, one kill would do him nicely, adding an emerald pince

to his purse. A call, suddenly Od's heart is beating rapidly, a mating call, a male, this would be

the perfect time to grab a solid pair of antlers and make it home with one silver pince on the day.

Head down, Od makes his way towards the call and makes sure to observe the front as well as

behind of his surroundings, making sure to place his feet on the softer spots and away from

twigs and fallen limbs. Eventually, a sight greets him that makes his heart stop cold, his hair to

stand on end, and sweat form on his back, it was like staring into the void of sleep and not being

able to look away, Ods's body almost moved forward on its own, but he manages to catch

himself, almost stepping forward, but in a quick and careless manner, he tries to correct himself;

this had never happened before, he falls backwards; looking over at the horror in front of him,

Od now knows why they are called horrors, his childmind had removed what the horror looked

like that killed his mother, but this was a lot worse. The skin of the deer was inside out, and

blood was dripping on the skin, almost like the deer was creating it, the head was almost

deformed and the skull was showing in places, a charred tongue hung out of its head, and it

looked as if fire roared in its belly. The hooves were akin to human feet in nature, and the sound

they made was far more terrifying than anything Od had ever heard. Trembling, Od stands up

and pulls his bow back, the horror looking at him, the antlers sharp as blades, his aim isn’t true,

so he lessens the pull of the arrow and adjusts his arm quickly, and pulls back with much greater

strength. He was never perfect with a bow, good enough to shoot just regular animals, but this

was different. Letting the arrow loose as he lets his breath go, the arrow just barely hit the side

of this massive creature's leg, it kicks back in pain and begins running deeper into the woods.

Running after it, adrenaline in his veins, Od knocks another sheaf arrow and lets loose while

planting himself quickly, but this arrow vanishes deeper into the forest, missing entirely. After

knocking another arrow and running after it, the sounds of the horror stop; Od looks around

frantically with no success. Then his heart stops, heat, a lot of it, things hotter than he could

imagine, fire is coming at him, but Od still gets hit by it a little bit; diving to the side, Od curses

under his breath, that fire was hot, very hot. His cloak is burning, his bow is on fire; throwing his

bow on the ground with his cloak, he draws his blade. The horror was now poised to strike him

with their sharp antlers; with a huge crack and clang, Od tried to meet the antlers with his blade,

but only more sparks ensued and the amount of force this creature had was far too much for

him to handle, he flies backward and lands rolling around for a second before coming to a stop.

His vision is dark around the outside of his field of view and he cannot get his bearings; but this

horror will not stop, fishing around for his blade Od holds it up in a panic, and another bout of

rolling and twisting greets him. Laying on the ground he quickly tries to gather himself, but this

thing is relentless, it seeks blood, he barely has time to grab his blade but he manages to fall

out of the way; the next attack will kill him.

His mind racing, Od tries to think of everything he can do, then it hits him when he reaches up to

wipe the dirt off his face. Leaning down quickly, staggering, he grabs a handful of dirt and waits.

This creature is stupid, and it still needs eyes to see. He will blind it, damn his sword and bow,

this creature would kill him before he even gets a clumsy strike in at it. This has to work; making

sure it gets as close as it can, Od crouches low and grips the handful of dirt tighter, this will

work. With an overhand throw, Od hucks the fistful of dirt into the eyes of the horror and runs as

fast as his dazed body will carry him towards his bow and cloak. Falling to the ground, his hands

trembling, Od grabs his cloak and bow, both a little burnt but mostly okay; getting up and lifting

his panicking lead-filled feet Od runs even faster than before back towards what he assumes

the direction of west port is.

After running for what seemed like hours, his feet far more tired than they were this morning

when he was just arriving, Od almost collapses when he sees the portcullis of West Port still

open. It will close soon though, so Od drags himself forward. He wished he had brought all of

his gear, but he just left with his weapons, he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. As he

enters through the portcullis, some guards give him looks, of course, people who hunt horrors

return like this all the time, but this is a new thing for Od. He’s dirty beaten down, and his mind is

all over the place; these deer were touted as something that Od could start on. Perhaps he may

have to retry, maybe do another one. His mind is racing as he steps into the Gray Duck Inn, he

can’t give up now; he has to find his sister, he needs to find Valli. She is his only family left.

“Lad, what happened to you?!” Mav looks up from behind the bar, there are a few patrons who

look back at him as well, most of them shush up and stare wide-eyed, and some go back to

their pints of ale. “Faced a horror, need rest, explain more in the morning Mav.” Mav balks at this

at first but laughs not believing him, “Wait you’re serious lad? And you fucking lived, by Lithilis

above.” Mavarain runs a hand through his hair and tugs at his short beard thinking as Od

vanishes up the stairs. Od, fumbling with his key opens his door and closes it behind him, his

room is how he left it; still old, dusty, and still his new home. Stumbling over to his bed, he falls

directly onto his bed as his consciousness fades into the abyss of sleep.

With the morning arriving far too quickly, Od's stiff bones, and sore muscles give him a rude

awakening; with the gentle iridescent rays of the sun bouncing around his room, Od rubs his

eyes as he attempts to move. His body just won’t let him, his cloak is black in some areas, and

his bow is burnt, but not destroyed. He seems to recall last night, just falling onto his bed; Od

was not mortally wounded, a little burnt, and sore, but he would be able to move. Eventually.

Laying down and pondering his choices until now, he does not regret the actions he has taken.

He only wishes to gain the experience he needs to protect himself on the roads leading into the

mainland, as well as be able to take on postings when he can. Finally getting up and settling his

nerves and feet on the wooden floor, his blood seems to exude coldness, the nights before

events come back to his mind. Steeling himself, Od gets up and wraps his burnt cloak around

himself and his charred bow straps his pack onto his back, and heads toward his bedroom door.

Coming into the view of the street, Od feels himself wanting to go back in, but he cannot. He

would shame not only his father but Mav as well, he didn’t even see Mav this morning. He was a

busy man, it’s only normal. Heading towards the portcullis, Od checks over his gear, rope,

sleeping bag, and his string with his butchery supplies. With his bow resting softly on his left

shoulder, his sword snug in its scabbard, he sets off out of the portcullis and onto the eastern

road back to the forests to hunt this deer; after thinking for a while, he knew now that this

creature was easy to kill, he just lacked experience. He had little more, but his fight did give him

a chance to learn and grow. The horror acted without thought, just ramming him; the fire it

sprayed on him was just a lapse of judgment on his end, he had only killed normal deer up to

this point in his life. That wouldn’t happen in the forthcoming battle. Entering the forest, morning

dewdrops fall around him off leaves and branches, the sun dances through the various

branches and bodies to reach the floor where Od is. It is a magnificent morning, too bad it would

be ruined by either his blood or the blood of a horror. Going back to where his panic-ridden fight

was, Od takes a look around and finds the horror tracks, it had attempted to follow him, but it

was blinded, its tracks are easy to track; even a day later, the horror is big, and the steps it took

after it was blinded was lumbering and without caution. Od follows the trail for twenty minutes

until he eventually lays an eye on what he is looking for; near a shallow entrance to a cave, the

horror is drinking in a nearby small pond. Od, feeling the fear pulsing through his veins, his

hands begin shaking, but he still continues to draw his bow from his shoulder, and slip a sheaf

arrow out from his quiver. A cave out here is perplexing to Od, have the local watchmen got

some adventurers to look in this cave yet? What could help Od in there? Shaking the cave from

his thoughts, Od stands up and plants his feet, his hands still shaking, he begins to pull back on

the string, the resistance of the bow giving him a bit of comfort. Pulling back all the way,

straining his draw arm, Od lets loose the arrow. A snap fills the air, his bow shaking more than it

had ever shaken before, the arrow only whistling a little before it finds purchase in the creature's

muscle area near the back side of it. Od curses under his breath, this horror would charge him

and he would end up burnt or impaled, he needed to think quickly; then it dawned on him.

Quickly pulling his rope from his side latch, and tying it around his sword hilt, Od begins

spinning it above his head; if he couldn't attack it straight on with his skill nor hold it off with

amazing feats of strength, he would use unconventional methods. Keeping his distance as well

as making sure he has time to react.

The horror is pissed, fire is swelling in its stomach and it moves like a blur; still shaking Od spins

and spins his blade. Finally, the moment comes, Od swings his blade towards the neck of this

creature and it slams its antlers up against the blade, sparks flying, the blade catches some of

the flesh on the creature near its neck. Purple liquid seeps from it, Od almost cheers, but the

horror still charges. Unleashing a gout of fire, it almost hits Od, but the wound on its neck makes

it recoil for just a half of a second; enough for Od to dive out of the way. Pulling his blade to

himself as quickly as he can muster, his head spinning with joy that this stupid plan worked, yet

his hands shaking relentlessly; blade in his hand, Od has no time to react, something cuts very

shallow into his side. Od, yelping falls to the ground, but sticks his blade out wildly; finding

purchase, he twists it pulls it, and swings again. Eyes closed he keeps swinging, and doesn’t

stop, only after half the pass of a minute does he realize he isn’t dead. Od opens his eyes and

what greets him makes his heart stop beating for a few seconds. The horror is quiet, the blade

gashes in its side, purple liquid pouring from it. Od almost wants to jump in the air and yell, but

his body won’t let him. He barely made it out alive from this, this was dumb luck, and he knows

it; but he had his kill, he had his thoughts to ponder over to better fight these creatures, and a

cut on his left side. It’s bleeding, but not badly, he will live. Dropping to his knees, Od instantly

starts working on taking the antlers off and getting the meat. This is something he has done a

hundred times over; his hand would not shake while doing this. Even though some of the meat

was ruined, this creature was far bigger than a normal deer, he would still get the meat he came

for.

Od's hands are a mixture of his and this creature's purple blood and the crisp wind is more

present under the looming trees; eventually not sweating from fear of death, Od, the meat

portioned out to about fifty-two pounds of meat; finally falls back onto the woodland floor, for but

at least a short rest; the sun's rays above poke through the leaves like glittering needles. This

was his first start as an adventurer, as a traveler, and on his quest to find his older sister. He

would take advantage of this. Packing the meat up into a sack he had in his pack, he hangs the

antlers around his neck by a bit of rope. He would not hunt more today, he had what he needed,

but the posting was for as many as he could find. Staggering over to the pond, Od's legs still

were shaky once he got up from splitting the meat. Looking into the pond, frogs and fish dance

around and dot the bottom of this pond; it was lively and somewhat mesmerizing, and it helped

him relax. Yet, he wasn’t here for the fish and frogs, he wanted to take a look at the cave.

Peering into the cave, the sun's light only reached so deep. Almost taking a step forward, Od

stops himself, he would need light, a lantern, or a torch. Maybe a bear lives in there and him

walking in with meat is a bad idea, he needs to head back and regroup. This meat would sell

well to families who would need it. Stepping back from the darkness of the cave, Od turns and

heads back to the direction of the town. Arriving in town as the sun is dipping lower and lower

onto the western horizon, the red lights illuminate the cobbled streets of West Port, some folk

are still about in their stalls still trying to sell things to the people of the town. The ambient noise

of the market square is melodic, just sitting and watching people pass could suffice as a decent

pastime. Turning to some of the pawn stalls he begins to sell off his meat. He manages to sell it

off at a good price to each of the smaller stalls. Five half-pince a pound, a steal actually. He sells

half of it to the folk in the town, making six silver pince and five halves. The latter twenty-six

would be gifted to Mavarain. Having collected his one emerald pince, from the barracks and a

few looks from curious guards, Od finds himself in the gray duck inn. Mavarain arrived a short

while after Od had sat down to wait on him; Od gave Mavarain a hug, “Please, no need to waste

your worries on me; I am fine now, somewhat.” Mavarain gives a look of worry to Od, as he

looks down to his untreated wound, but shakes it off. “Lad, please don’t tell me you actually

went out for a second time after the state you came in here last night.” Od nods his head and

gestures to the sodden sack on the floor, “This is the meat from a deer horror, it is yours, thank

you for letting me stay here Mav.” Od takes the emerald pince out and flashes it at Mavarain;

once it sets in, Mavarain sits down and looks long at Od. “What you did was very reckless lad,

and I can’t encourage it. But…” Mavarain trails off as he leans down and picks up the sack. “I

won’t say no if this meat keeps appearing sometimes.” Looking through the meat, “hell, if it’s

horror meat, I will buy it off you.” With that, Mav walks around the back of the bar but stops in

front of the door leading into the back. “Get that wound checked out by Callisaree, she’s an

alchemist here in town. Her herbs shop is in the market square. Tell her I sent you, and make

sure to buy some leather to protect you from cuts please lad.”

Mavarain vanishes into the back, Od sits there, he may have a job here as well as from the

barracks. Of course, there won’t be horrors in line waiting for him, but this coinage will help him

in other postings. Getting up slowly, he steps off of the stool and out of the inn. Mav was right

above all else, his cloak and clothes needed to be replaced, he needed a bath, and this wound

treated. Od softly thanks Lithilis in prayer for Mavarain; he would be homeless if not for him, and

his advice, and this new person, Callisaree is another person he can make a connection with.

Build a relationship so he can be better ready for his hardships later.

Walking slowly into the market square, Od looks around and eventually finds the sign that says:

Callis aromatics and balms. Striding over, Od steps into the shop. Entering the shop is a trip for

Od's nose and even more so for his eyes; the shop is full of potions, balms, and aromatics in

fancy oddly shaped bottles with names labeled on the side. All colors accompanied these

shapes and names, it was something Od had never seen before. Walking deeper into the store,

Od takes in the sights and smells, if he helped Callisaree well enough, he would be in here a lot.

If not for the aromatics, but for the potions and balms. Arriving at the front, an older, far older

woman greets Od; Od, being respectful decides to give her a simple bow. She seemed busy

with a tome in her hand, once Od bowed, the woman closed the book and laid it to the side.

“You have manners, you were raised well. That is all too rare these days.” Od smiles, “My

parents were good people Callisaree; Mavarain sent me here, he said you could check my

wound.” Callisaree looks Od up and down for half a second and smiles, “Mav sent you eh?” She

smiles, and a toothy grin makes itself known to Od. “What did that old man set you up to?” Od

shakes his head, “No, not set me up to anything…” Od trails off, “Just that you may have had

work, and that you can treat my wound.” Od gestures to the wound on his left side. Calli looks

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

over at the wound and her eyes seem to be looking for what may or may not be there, some

sort of ill omen, or sickness he may have. “It’s not bad, what were you hunting young one?” Od

almost wants to fall to the ground in relief. “I was hunting a horror in the forests.” Calli smiles

and laughs raspily, and motions for Od to come around the bar she has set things on toward the

back. Entering the back, Od is met with a chair, balms, potions, and cutting and suturing tools

on a table. It makes Od shiver, Calli motions for Od to sit in the chair, “Take off that ruined shirt

before you infect your wound probably more than you already have young one.” Od takes off his

shirt and sits down in the chair; “now, Mav sent me someone interesting; you don’t look like a

warrior, nor an archer,” Calli takes a closer look at him as she sets to looking at his wound,

“you’re a butcher!” Calli rubs a balm right down the wound on Od's side and he almost yells in

pain but grits his teeth through it. “Was it your first time hunting a horror? Were you scared? Not

able to act? You’re different, killed a horror on your first try.” Od almost wants to shake his as

fast as he can, “It was luck, so much luck that I actually almost died-” Od winces from a poke

and pull at his skin, she had closed the wound. “It was my second try, and it was luck.” Calli

laughs from his side, her long limbs allowing her to work on him from a little distance, she looks

to Od; “you still killed it, you have promise, I assume that wicked man sent you here for a job as

well?” Od almost wanted to sink back into his seat, but Mav had not, Od wanted one from her.

“Well, Mavarain didn’t, I want a job from you. I wanted to maybe find some herbs for you out in

the forest while I explore this cave I found.” Calli ponders this a second as she rubs more balms

on the wound and more pain ensues from Od's side. “Hmmm, perhaps, can you read and what

is this mysterious cave you mention young one?” Od smiles, he may have found another source

of work it seems. “I can read, but not the best, and well, I found it while hunting that horror, I was

tempted to explore, but I had meat I needed to take back to the markets.” Od almost wants to

forget the state he was in, “plus I was weak and had no one with me if I were to collapse from

something.” Callisaree leans back to observe her work, as Od looks down to his side. “You do

indeed have promise. You want work? I have a job for you.” Calli gets up from a chair walks to a

shelf in this room and takes a bottle off the wall; “this potion will help speed the process of your

wound closure.” She hands it to Od who looks it over. “This is not your payment, it will be ten

half-pince per excursion.” Calli steps over to her door that leads to the front of the store, “I will

have someone pick you up tomorrow, where are you staying.” Od gets up from his chair and

stretches, “I am staying at the Gay Duck inn, just have them ask for Od.” Od walks out of the

backroom turns around and gives a wave to Callisaree as he makes his way out. “Od hmmm.”

Callisaree says as Od closes the store door.

Stepping into the street and back towards the Gray Duck Inn Od laments the fact that he can’t

afford leathers, he will run the risk, at least until he gets paid, ten half-pince is good for the job.

He will see tomorrow what the job entails and if it actually is worth ten half-pince. Making it to his

room, Od sharpens his blade and changes the string of his bow, and goes to sleep.

Waking in the morning, counting out his pince, Od realizes he needs to stock up on a few more

things before he takes the ferry across to Alaeah. He will need some leather, as well as some

more arrows, a dagger, some better clothes, and some boots. He may also need a book or two

for entertainment; but books, although not as rare, or expensive as they could be, they are not

here on the eastern isle. Hell, it’s not like most people can read anyway. Besides, even if you

happen to find one or two because of the differing rarity, most folke couldn’t read them or you

were just not going to find one. The thought of books makes his head hurt, so, Od sets out to

buy a dagger, some boots, and finally a waterskin. The dagger took his only emerald pince, it

wasn’t bread new, as much as Od wished for it to be, he didn’t have the pince for that. The

boots were brand new, they cost him three silver pince; the waterskin was another silver pince.

He would save the rest of his pince to buy his leather and new clothes all at the same time later,

and for more minor items he may need. Arriving back at the inn right before the afternoon starts,

stepping in he sits at the bar and orders some water, a voice to his right tries to catch his ear.

Soft, and quiet, very sweet like crisi berries, Od turns to his right to see who it is. A woman

enters his eyes, a oddithian from the far north, Od had never seen someone from that far north

before, her skin was a cream color, pale almost, her eyes were the color of the sea on a sunny

day, and her hair was a shade of brown that Od had never seen before. “Are you Od, sir?” Od

stares for a second, but rubs his face, “Ah, yes I am, how can I help you?” The girl shifts to face

him fully and holds out a hand, Od takes it and shakes it; “my name is Faelyn, pleased to meet

you Od.” Od shakes her hand, it’s soft, and it feels like it may break if he were to squeeze hard

enough. “Are you here to tell me what job I have Faelyn?” She smirks and lets out a small

laugh, “I am your job Od, you are to protect me while I look for herbs and reagents for my

teacher.” Od looks her up and down, she does seem like she would need protection, he may not

be the best for the job, but it could be safe. “Okay, when do we leave Faelyn?” She hops off her

stool and begins walking to the Inn door, “now.”

After leaving the Inn out into the warm weather, the sun really makes her age known, as well as

her beauty, she is as young as Od, and she could drop the deer Od fought with just her looks.

“So, what are we looking for Faelyn?” “Do you know anything about alchemy Od?” Od thinks

about this a little bit, “not much, just what a few herbs and flowers are.” Fae gives Od a small

chuckle. “Then you will see today.” Stepping onto the familiar dirt road and off into the forest, Od

follows Fae for a good two hours, the entire time, her picking up herbs, and Od asks questions

about them, their conversation is pleasant. Od tells her of his fight with a deer horror and of

course the cave he encountered and the flowers around there. After another hour, the cave is in

sight, Od and Fae are both behind some shrubs looking at the entrance, “So, want to go for a

dive into a cave?” Od turns to Fae, “Are you sure? I didn’t bring any torches,-” “We will be fine, I

have it covered.” Od, hesitant, relents because of his curiosity; stepping into the cave Od stares

at Fae waiting for her. As soon as she enters, a single word and only a word leaves her mouth

that Od has never heard before, one that somewhat makes his ears ring, fire awakens in her

outstretched hand; flickering and dancing around. Light bounces off the cave walls, and

illuminates the way in front of both of them. Od stares for far too long at the fire and Fae,

“Please, stop staring Od, that makes me quite uncomfortable.” Od looks deeper into the cave

and back to Fae, “What did you just do, fire is in your hand…” Fae almost looks happy but

composes herself, “It’s the grain, it allows me to do these types of things with words and names,

it’s far too complex to explain here in this cave. Just know that it won’t hurt you Od.” Od nods his

head, but his mind is far too confused, Od has only ever heard stories and tales about the grain;

that it was taught in a school on the mainland, many people disliked it and thought it was bad to

use it. That was it, but trusting Fae was what he needed to do if he wished to explore this cave

more. Delving into the cave with the fire in Fae’s hand behind him gives him some comfort after

a short few minutes, the warmth there is great for a cave that is bitter; as well as the fire is very

bright for being so small. Eventually, both Fae and Od hear dripping and water, a heavy sound.

One that only makes itself known if there is a waterfall. They follow the sound, both wondering

what they may see, what they do see surprises both of them, they had been going down and

towards the coast. The waterfall was beautiful, coming from a hole from the top of the cave

making a pond in the center of the room, a bit of sunlight coming in from an opening in the cave

to the side, showing a never-before-seen drop from a cliff into the ocean down below. Od is at a

loss for words. “This is not what I expected to be down here, Od please keep watch while I look

for herbs and flowers around here that may be rare,” Od draws his blade and walks forward with

her, her fire now out since daylight is offering the light they need. After thirty minutes of

searching, Od stands near the pool of water, washing his hands and some of the grime off of his

body from the last few days. His bath will happen tonight. “Hey, uh, Od, come look at this.” Od,

blade in hand steps over to stand beside Fae, “See that cliff over there?” Fae points to the right,

leaning out of the opening and near the cliff of the cave they are in. Od leans out and looks,

there are noticeable vines and flowers growing in secret that are signs of vegetation that could

mean things that could be used by Callisaree as well as Faelyn. “I am going over there.” Od

almost falls out of the cave and into the ocean, “you what? I know fighting that horror was crazy,

but this could be even worse Faelyn!” Fae laughs and begins to step out on the side of the cliff

to shimmy over. Od grabs her arm to stop her, “Okay, okay, I will go with you.” Od takes his rope

from his side latch and ties it around himself and holds it out to Fae. “Tie this around yourself.”

Fae looks at the rope confused for a second. “This will help you stay alive if you were to fall. I

would catch you and plant myself to pull you up.” Fae looks at the rope and down the long way

to the ocean below; “sure, I’ll tie myself up. If I fall, you have to catch me, you understand Od?”

“Why would I drop you?” Fae shakes her head and steps out onto the cliff.

It had been hours since they left the safety of the town of West Port, the sun was still in the sky,

but slowly falling, and gray clouds adorned the sky as if it was trying to encompass all of the

isles. Od was leading this dangerous trek on a cliffside to the secret garden that Fae wanted to

get to so badly. They are going slow, only to make sure they don’t fall, the wind suddenly picks

up, and rain can be seen coming toward them off in the distance. Od begins to hurry, raining

and wind on the side of a cliff like this is a death sentence. As Od just reaches the flat start of

the glade on this cliff a huge pull at his waist is felt, it was windy so he thinks nothing of it; until

he falls backward and starts getting dragged towards the cliff edge. Panic in his veins Od draws

his dagger out of its sheath and slams it into the ground sliding backward until half of his body is

hanging off a cliff. Rain begins pouring down on him as he looks down the cliff, Fae hangs down

below her face red, as well as cuts all over her body leaking small bits of blood but she’s still

awake. Strain in his voice Od yells down to her, “Hey Faelyn, are you okay?!” Faelyn, hanging

down and facing up at him, looks irritated, “What do you think Od? Do I look okay?!” Od

grimices, he could have worded that better, but they are in a life-or-death situation. “Okay, I get

it, I am going to try and pull you up okay?” Fae looks up at him and nods her head, Od then

begins trying to pull himself up on the cliff, but he can’t, his strength cannot lift both his stuff, Od

himself, and Fae up. This is bad. The rain isn’t helping either, his hand is slipping from his

dagger handle. Od looks down to Fae, “Any ideas would be nice Faelyn.” Hanging there she

begins to think a second, “Would you be able to pull me up if you had footing?” Her voice is

barely audible over the roaring wind and rain. “Yes!” With those words leaving Od's mouth, Fae

begins to concentrate and with a single word, and only a single word muttered in that same

language a small foothold forms under Od’s foot. “Sorry, that’s all I can do!” This is enough for

Od, he can use his entire body now; pushing himself up with his lower body and pulling with his

upper he makes it up on the side of the cliff. He doesn’t hesitate to start pulling up Fae, tossing

his gear to the side he pulls her up as fast as he can. Eventually, she is on solid ground once

again, and Od heaves a sigh of relief. “You almost died, I was panicking so much Faelyn. Ugh.”

Od falls to the ground sweating and rain soaking him even more, Faelyn is just sitting on the

ground, seeming to be lost in thought looking around at this trove of flowers this place is.

Standing up Od walks over and offers a hand to Fae to stand up, “Come on, let's look around

and then get back to West Port.” Fae snapping out of her trance takes his hand and gets up, but

she doesn’t let go, she pulls him into a hug, “Thank you for saving me Od.” She lets go and

starts looking around the area for anything her mind seemingly moved on from the event a few

seconds ago. She almost fell off a cliff, how is she so calm? Her curiosity is unmatched it

seems.

With more time having passed, Fae had found more flowers, herbs, and even some rare forms

of flowers that don’t grow in this area. Fae was pleased. Od was under a tree leaning against it

when he heard Fae yell, ropes still tied to each other, he followed it quickly and found her on the

ground. Od rushed over and bent down beside her. “Od, this flower is rare, I have never seen

one before, well, I have in books, but this is the first one in person I have seen.” Od looks at the

flower, it looks red in nature, curved like a cup with seeds growing out of it. “What makes it

special?” Fae reaches out and wraps a tender hand around the flower, “It’s used to make

potions to increase one's strength.” Fae picks the flower gently and stands up storing it in her

pouch. “I am done, let’s leave this dangerous place. We may come back though.” Od looks at

her as if she is crazy, but her face has the seriousness of a king sending someone to be

executed. Od relents, “I will accompany you as much as you need.” Fae turns to Od, “Thank you

Od.” They both trek back to the cliff edge and cross the precarious pathway back; this time

without Fae falling, she had created extra footholds with her grain stuff, whatever that was. Od

didn’t know. Walking through the cave again and back out into the forest, it almost was night, the

sun was sunk so low that some light was there. Finally, back at the portcullis, Od relaxes, and so

does Fae, at least from what Od can tell. Fae turns to Od, “Here, you went above and beyond

today. Don’t even think about rejecting it.” Fae hands Od an emerald pince. “Wait, are you

sure?” Fae nods her head and pats her pouch which makes a squishing sound since it’s still

raining; “you gave me more than enough to work on, sell, and give to Callisaree.” Fea turns

around and begins to enter the town but stops, “I will see you the day after tomorrow. We will be

doing this three times a week. Enjoy the rest Od.” With that, Fae enters West Port and Od

eventually loses sight of her. Wet, cold, and very much sore and tired, Od makes his way back

to the Inn; Filling in Mav on the events of the day and showing him his pince, he promises to buy

new equipment tomorrow and pays one silver pince for his bath.

With the next three weeks passing in a blur, Od accompanies Fae on her expeditions into the

forested area around West Port and all over the road to the east. It was a hectic time, Od had

spent his pince on clothes, a whetstone, some more arrows, a stronger bow, a new cloak, and

even a better tent. Some of these items were marked down, some older, but he had new clothes

and some new equipment. He was finally able to buy some leather to wear. It was leather armor,

it surrounded his body in the important areas and still allowed for flexibility. No dangers were

encountered either, so all Od could do was just practice swinging his sword on trees in the

forest and when Fae stopped enough to rest. His bow skills were used on extra pince for

hunting regular deer during these trips as well. These three weeks were prosperous, with some

climbing gear as well as even a single book for entertainment being bought from Callis's old

storage, but it was finally time for Od to set off. He had but Two emerald, five silver and

Twenty-three halves to his name. This time had gone by fast for him, he had hopped for more

time among the people in West Port once the time to buy the ferry pass to cross came. He

would miss Mav and said once he learned to write he would write to him. Callisaree was still

odd, but he helped her as well, it was unfortunate but he needed to find his sister. Yet the

connections over the short time he made here made his heart wish he could stay longer;

perhaps one day.

The night before his passage to the central aisle, a very small party was thrown for Od. The

night was still young, ribbons hung from the wooden ceiling above, this was some of the best

food Od had ever eaten. The Inn was full of people, the hearth was lit and lanterns were

everywhere illuminating the room with a soft glow, it almost felt like Od's home… The one he left

behind down the eastern road; it feels like forever since he moved here, but only a month has

passed. It is the Twelfth of Malom of the 536th year, at least that is what Fae had told him, he

had arrived on the tenth of Saypor, which was last month. Od, sitting at the bar puts down a

tankard of ale, Mav sitting beside him is beguiling him with stories of his father and mother when

they were younger, it has been going on for a while now. “You wouldn’t believe how your father

fell when I and him were pulling together some sheep when his flock escaped right before you

were born lad!” Mav takes a huge swig from his tankard, “he fell right into sheep shit! He had it

in his hair, his pants, and even in his shoes, a huge pile of it!” Od laughs at some, but Mav has

been going on for quite a long while now, most of the night actually. Fae seems to appear out of

thin air and lays a hand on Mav's shoulder, “Can I borrow Od for a second Mavarain?” Glad for

any excuse to get away from the boring stories from Mav, Od quickly agrees and follows Fae off

to a less crowded corner. “What can I do for you Faelyn?” Faelyn looks nervous, in the month

he has known her, she doesn’t ever appear nervous. Fae takes out a scroll from a pouch on her

side and hands it to Od. Confused, Od begins to unfurl the scroll; “what is this?” On the scroll is

a map of the island and the southern parts of the mainland. Od, wide-eyed looks at Fae, “Where

did you get this?” Fae takes it from Od's hands and rolls it up; “I traded for it using a potion a

merchant thought would make him able to grow hair again.” Od rubs his eyes with his pointing finger and thumb. This girl had shown him a more mischievous side since they had gotten to

know each other better over the month he was here; it bordered thievery, but Od couldn’t stop

her. “Why are you showing me? Is it a gift? Mav bought me a walking stick, a damn good one,

this is honestly probably too much Faelyn.” Fae places a hand on her chest in mock shock, “oh,

this? A gift for you? No!” She smiles at him and holds it out to him. “It is yours Od…” Od reaches

out to grab it, but she doesn’t let go, Od looks up to Fae, “But you have to take me with you to

the central aisle and mainland…” Od’s mind doesn’t quite wrap around what Fae said for a

second, he then looks down at the map and up at Fae who seems serious, her expression may

be full of nervousness, but her posture and body language tell him that she is very serious. “Uh,

Faelyn, I don’t know much about the mainland, I will be walking in the dark basically. We both

could end up in the hands of some bandit or a horror.” Od lets go of the map and leans against

the wall, “Plus, I am just looking for my sister, I have no idea where this may take me.” Fae looks

Od up and down and gives him a smile, she then holds up her hand the way she usually does

when she is about to bring forth that fire for light she can do. “Well, isn’t it good that I can light

the way right?” She puts her hand down, “I want off this island like you, I want to see the world,

learn more words and names, I want to see the university at Moc…” Her face fills with envy, lust,

and amazement at what she has read or heard, Od doesn’t know. Od ponders this for a second,

they are friends, she knows that grain stuff, and having someone to talk to for a little while would

be nice. “So, you are just wanting to head to the University at Moc? For what?” Fae perks up at

this, “I want to learn more about the grain, Callisaree already said I have the ethic to make it big

as a grainur, all I ask is that you let me accompany you to at least Moc. Then this map will be

yours.” Od wants to accept, and he probably will, he just can’t help but be interested in this grain

stuff as well, he shall ask about it another time. Their journey will be long, he shall find out soon

enough hopefully.

“Fine, I will take you with m-” Fae jumps in the air and wraps Od in a hug, “Thank you Od, thank

you!” She lets go and Od adjusts his leathers, “We will have to split some things when it comes

to food, you will also have to buy a tent just in case we don’t make it to an Inn, and help with

chores.” Fae just seems lost in what Od is saying, thinking of hundreds of things, just nodding

her head along. “I have some pince, and I have a tent as well, chores are no problem as well!

You don’t know how long I have wanted to leave this place!” Od can’t help but be happy himself,

he had no idea he would be here this long, but he is finally leaving and now he can finally find

his sister, no matter how long that may take. His journey was just starting, it could take years to

find her, Od only hopes that it doesn’t. “Okay, go gather your things Faelyn, we will be leaving

early in the morning on the first ferry trip across. Rest well, we have the main aisle to get across

to make it to Glendev.” Fae nods her head, hands Od the map, and leaves the party as quickly

as she had arrived. The grand adventure aspect wasn’t lost on Od, the undertaking to find his

sister was something he may never see happen; but, his wanderlust was forever burning like

hot coals in a blacksmith's forge. The world and all the things he could discover were what he

sought. Heading back to the party, Od decided he would drink a little extra tonight, he wouldn’t

see these people on this small island for a long time.

The next morning brought sickness and a hungover he never had experienced before; it was a

somber mix of sadness yet racking pain from the alcohol. While getting everything ready Od

made sure to pack his new book, to take the lantern in the room, cobble together his coin purse,

and to leave the room in a far better state than he had moved into it. It wasn’t perfect, but it

would suffice. Strapping his sword to his side, and making sure his bow fits in on the side of his

pack, he pulls it on, the heavy feeling making him relive the first few hours he arrived in West

Port. This was small compared to what time he will spend on the road in the future, but, it still

was something he would keep forever in his mind. Stepping over to his door, Od pulls it open to

see Fae standing outside his door on the steps. Dressed in a black cloak, a skirt, a blouse with

a long-sleeved tunic under it, some boots, and her hair tied up behind her head. “You are ready

it seems.” Fae smiles and gestures down the steps, “I told you I was ready and looking forward

to it Od. Shall we be off?” Stepping down the stairs, Od has to say goodbye to Mav; as he

reaches the bottom of the Inn, Mav is behind the bar. “Got that stick of yours lad?” Od holds up

the walking stick Mav gave to him as a gift, as he steps closer to the bar. “You need to be

careful out there lad, I may have been drunk off my ass last night, but the world is no joke, a war

just ended, be careful. Don’t get pulled into anything.” Mav walks around the table and pulls Od

into a long hug, “Keep your sword close and make sure to write, or at least get someone to write

for you. You will always have a home here Od.” Od fishes the room key out of his pocket and

hands it to Mav, but Mav pushes it back to Od, “Keep the key lad, you are family to me much

like when your father was alive. Come back when you can.” Od pockets the key, “Thank you

Mav, I will come back when I find Valli. Let's go Faelyn, our ferry is probably ready.” Faelyn nods

her head as Od steps towards the door of the Gray Duck Inn and steps out of it for the final

time.

Walking down the market square, and through the tightly knit buildings, guards are walking

around with lanterns held out, their lights illuminating the stone buildings, the glass windows,

and the stone roofs; it’s truly very early in the morning. The waves are lapping up against the

port docks, the seagulls are squawking this early, and the morning is not being met with dark

skies, but a pink rising of the sun. Walking down the dock to the ferry, Od stops, “you don’t need

to speak with Callisaree? Have you already said your farewells to her?” Fae stops, almost

running into Od, “Yes, she wasn’t pleased with me leaving, but she is old, she understands.” Od

can’t say anything to this, Mav didn’t want him to go either, but they both understand. As Od

steps onto the dock the sight of the town greets him one last time, this town was the biggest one

on the eastern island, the houses were lined near each other almost joined together, a market in

the middle with a road leading through all the houses and the market itself up to the manor of

the baron and all the way to the port. It was a cobbled road in the town, unlike the dirt main

roads that lead from town to town; shops and many merchants are set up in shops, and Od

walked among them so much in the last month, some wooden, others stone, this town was quiet

and small, perfect enough to have a job and live safely, but not enough for Od. The market

square was the main attraction though, aside from the few roads leading from it, the weaker wall

surrounding the town was home to the guardsmen aside from the barracks up in their own area

near the baron's manor. That portcullis and Inn near the entrance of the city is what Od will miss

the most though. Taking in the smell of the town for the last time, Od steps onto the ferry.

As Od and Fae sit, observing the Southand Ocean the sun slowly makes itself known in the

east, the ocean turning more pink, then blue as the hour flies by; both Od and Fae are far too

stunned to talk to each other on the ferry ride, both staring and gawking, the central island was

fast in view and both Od and Fae could not stop pointing things out that were already different.

Eventually, as the ferry drew closer, Od and Fae were the first up to head to the bow to look at

the port of Alaeah, this town was big, bigger than West Port; this town had a castle up above

looking over the port, the town was on the side of a cliff, the buildings on a path leading up to

the castle and around the castle, the port on the only bit of land near the ocean. The town walls

and houses were finely built, the roofs were red, and colors were everywhere. Many silk

merchants, animals, and people were wearing many different colors; even music could be heard

on the street as they drew closer. It was a sight not like either had seen before. Far more people

than either of them had seen, and even a few ratkin as well, something Od had only ever heard

of in stories, humans with rats among them, speaking their language. There is a lot Od hasn’t

seen and now wishes to see more, this view has opened his small world into something far

larger than he can even wrap his head around. As the ship docks, there are many workers

around the port carrying boxes, people walking around enjoying the port shops and even the

taverns on the port side.

Od smiles as he starts walking towards the gangplank and turns to Faelyn, “Are you ready?

When we step off this ferry we will be swept off our feet and we may never know where we may

end up on this island.” Faelyn, staring out into the people and up at the town above near the

castle laughs melodically; “Am I ready? This is my first ever step into a new land, something I

have always wanted. You better race me off of this ferry.” Od and Fae both step onto the stone

port after getting off the dock.