Finally, the town of Carta. A small village a few days out from the dwarven city of Purntel. Mira had been traveling for months just to get this far. She had received word that her good friend, Unicus, would be stopping here for a resupply. She hadn't seen Uni in a little over 2 years.

Mira walked through the dusty small town trying to find their tavern. Even though it was only midday, she was almost guaranteed to find her friend looking for food or drink. After passing by a few small hovels, she came across a lovely little one story building with a sign on the door, "The Broomspider". She opened the door to see a mostly deserted tavern, a lone man sitting in the back corner, and the barkeep absentmindedly cleaning the same cup over and over.

She cleared her throat as she stepped up to the bar. The dwarven man blinked and glanced at her. He furrowed his brow as he placed the cup down on the counter.

"Do you need a healer?" He asked and she furrowed her brow, "We don't heal those types of ailments here. That would be the medicinal tent a few doors down the road."

Mira shook her head, "I promise I am not ill." He did not seem convinced. "I do not need a healer. I am just passing through town. I am looking for a friend."

"Oh," his eyes lit briefly with intrigue.

"Have you seen a dragonborn female come through town?" Mira raised her arm slightly to measure out Uni's height. "About this high, white crystal scales with flecks of green? A scar over one eye?"

"And why might you be looking for this dragonborn?" He asked. Mira could tell that the barkeep was bored and in need of a little fun.

"She, she is a dear friend of mine." Mira sighed, "We haven't seen each other in years."

"Was the parting, on bad terms?" He asked as he picked ip the cup yet again.

"Not too terrible of terms, but also not the best..." she frowned. "I was told she may be in town, and I need to make things right."

"Oh! Of course!" The man smiled. "She came into town last night."

"Do you know if she is still in town?" Mira asked.

"She has a room for another night," he stated. "I would assume she would be staying in town then, not much else around these parts."

"Well thank you for the information," she sighed. "Hopefully I will be able to find her in town and be able to make things right." She winked.

Mira found herself back out in the open air. She followed the road down toward the center of town and then wrapped back around toward the farms and larger plots of land. She suddenly hears a very familiar shout from down the lane. Mira followed the sound to find Uni pulling a billygoat by the horns back to his shepherd.

"Sorry about that," the shepherd sighed. "Charlie is a wild one they say." He chuckled as he pulled the goat away from Uni. "Now Charlie what have I said about..." the man's voice trailed off as he walk further and further away.

"Mira?" Uni questioned as she glanced at the younger woman watching the scene unfold. "Just had a little run in with the billygoat..."

Mira nodded, "Charlie, right? I saw..."

Uni nodded and clapped her hand on Mira's shoulder. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise," she stated. "Happy to have someone to travel with at least for a little while."

"Where are you headed?" She asked as they began to make their way back through town toward the tavern.

"To find the prophet..." She sighed.

"What's a prophet?" Uni asked as they approached the tavern.

Mira's eyes widened as Uni went to open the door, "Oh shit..." she muttered pulling Uni's hand back. "I may have convinced the barkeep that we were a thing...and that I came here to find you to fix our broken relationship." She smiled awkwardly. "So be cool, ok?"

Uni rolled her eyes as she opened the tavern door. Sure enough the barkeep's eyes lit up when he saw Uni and Mira entering the room together. He gave Mira a look and then a quick smile.

"Do you need a room for the night, Miss?" He asked.

Mira smiled, "I think I will be sharing a room with my friend if that is alright."

"There is only one bed in the room ma'am, do you need other acoommodations?" He had stopped cleaning the cup and began perusing the list of rooms available.

"The room she has already will be fine, thank you sir." She smiled.

"Well of course, ma'am. And if you need anything just let me know."

Mira stopped as Uni began walking toward the job board at the back of the tavern, "Is food included in our fair?"

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"Why yes it is," he stated. "We have soup, stew, and chili right now. The chili is actually a vegetarian option if needed."

"Is it a beef stew?" A voice caught Mira's attention and she turned to see a small man standing behind her.

He was much shorter than she was, but taller than the dwarven barkeep. He had dark skin with soft freckles across his nose. His dark black hair in dreads pulled out of his face in a top-knot bun with loose dreads going just past his shoulders. He wore a nice coat with clean boots and a pair of khaki pants. His accent was unfamiliar to Mira.

Mira must have missed something that the man had said because he tapped her arm as she stared at him.

"Are you ill?" The man asked. "I believe there is a medicinal tent just up the road."

Mira sighed, "I'm fine." She looked back at the barkeep who was again very intrigued in the situation. "May I have the soup?" She asked politely. "Does it happen to come with a bread bowl?"

...

Mira and Uni sat near the job board as they ate their lunch. The man that had approached Mira with the strange accent was sitting at the table across the room in the opposite corner with an older man that appear to be "sleeping" in the the booth. The man appeared to be human, in his mid 50s. He wore a stetson hat and a bolo tie. His shirt and pants were weathered, but whole. Mira glanced over at just the right moment to see the man sipping from his own flask under the rim of the hat.

As they ate, a young dwarven girl of maybe ten entered the tavern with a sign in hand. She had tears streaming down her cheeks as she posted the sign on the job board. Mira glanced at the sign quickly. "Missing cat, Jennifer. Reward 20 GP." With a lovely hand drawn picture of a calico cat. Mira perked up and pointed the sign out to Uni. She hopped up to get it, but didn't have a chance before the man in the bolo tie grabbed the notice from the board.

Mira frowned as she watched the man walk out of the tavern followed closely by the small man with the funny accent. As the door closed Mira hopped up and followed the men outside. She didn't see them immediately as she called forth her familiar.

"Well good afternoon, Honey." Mira smiled as her familiar appeared in front of her. Uni's brow furrowed and she grimaced slightly as she gazed at the cat standing in front of them.

"She's looking a little mangy.." Uni stated as the cat stared up her, her back arching and what was left of her fur standing on end. "Sorry, Honey...You look...amazing..."

"Ok Honey..." Mira smiled, "we need to find Jennifer the cat. You want to help?" Honey stared up at her and began to groom herself. "Come on..."

"That's my cat!" Mira turned to see the bolo tie man running toward Honey, his arms outstretched.

"I wouldn't..." She tried to warn him but was a little too late.

The man grabbed Honey and she let loose. She hissed and flailed, scratching the man's arm ever so slightly as he released her once more. Honey then climbed up Mira to sit safely on the young woman's shoulder. She purred softly from her perch.

"Nasty thing..." the man muttered causing Honey to hiss. "Alright, alright guess I got to find this cat the old fashion way." He began to walk away toward the center of town, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty..." The man with the funny accent followed bolo tie and they disappeared into town.

Eventually, Honey hopped off Mira's shoulder and started meandering through town. It took a few minutes for Honey to catch a sent and then she began booking it to a barn near the edge of town. Mira watched as the cat ran up to the front of the barn and began scratching at the door.

"I bet Jennifer's in there," she turned to Uni who nodded in agreement. "The barn is locked though, and I doubt the people of this town would appreciate us breaking into the barn to find the cat."

"Looks like they are already doing it..." Uni smirked as she watch the man with the bolo tie climb the back wall to the second floor open window. "I'm going to get the cat first!"

Mira watched as Uni's white crystal wings opened and she leapt into the air. "Be careful!" Mira called after her as she examined the barrels and bins lining the wall.

"I could give you a boost," the man with the funny accent stated hesitantly. "It might be beneficial if we team up to find this cat." Mira glanced at him hesitantly. "I'm Jasper by the way. D'Jasper Probincrux III. It's a feminine junior..."

"Mira," she stated. "Alright, give me a boost."

"Just Mira?" He asked.

She took a deep breath, "Just Mira." Jasper helped hoist Mira onto the tallest stack of bins. She reached down and helped him onto the bins and they repeated the process to get into the barn.

"Mira, are you sure you are feeling alright?" Jasper asked as she pulled him up into the barn. "You look to be quite ill."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm fine. This is just what I look like." She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the barn window. Her gnarled branch-like horns peaking out from her dull blonde hair. Her ashen skin had begun to sink over the last few months, making her appear more and more ill.

*"Nothing is wrong with you..."* She could almost hear Tidbit's voice repeating the phrase over and over. If only she could believe it.

Mira was still crouched near the window when she heard the skittering noise to her left. She glanced over to see beady red eyes staring back at her. No cat in sight.

"Shit..." she stood just as the rats swarmed her legs. She took her staff and swung at the swarm. The rats scattered and she watched as a cute calico cat bolt into the rafters. "Uni! Up there!"

Uni wasn't the only one to see the cat running through the rafters, bolo tie man leapt onto the rafters and made his way quickly down toward Jennifer.

"Master Memo, I think we should all work together here." Jasper called to the man running in the rafters. "We can split the reward." Mira watched as Jasper, the small man, broke the necks of multiple rats with his bare hands.

The rats scattered as Mira swung her staff once more hitting a few rats and sending them flying. Her path was clear and she ran forward toward the other side of the barn where Uni and Master Memo had gone.

"Here girl, here girl..." Master Memo called. "I know that those rats threatened you. I won't let another soul hurt you. Come now. Let's get you home."

Mira could see where the man was heading but she couldn't see the cat.

"Here kitty, kitty..." Mira tried but didn't even seem to get a response.

Finally, the cat rushed forward toward Master Memo. He scooped the cat into his arms and then glanced around looking for a way down. Uni floated up to the man.

"Split the reward with us and I'll get you down from there..." she offered.

The man thought for a moment and then nodded. "This one time..."

Mira tried to make sense of the man's story as they made their way out of the barn, but his story seemed to be going round and round. As they walked toward the address listed on the flyer she watched as Jasper was writing the man's story word for word.

"Well that is a fine story, Master Memo." He stated as the older man finished up his story.

"Do you know what the point of that story was?" Uni whispered to Mira as they stepped up toward the small home.

Mira shook her head, "Not gonna lie...I don't know what he said after 'This one time'."

The door in front of them opened, "Is that Jennifer?"

...