===== Side Story 1 =====
“What do you mean you lost him!?” Merrygold screamed up at the five ‘Tower’ Sisters of the Broken Hearth.
Merrygold, her entire two foot nine inch gold gnome self, radiated a level of fury that completely overshadowed Greyward’s seven foot one inch orc frame, Patricia's seven foot even orc countenance, Nia’s six foot one inch dark elven visage, Elode’s six foot two inches of high elven panicked form, and Ingrid’s six foot two inch slab of frozen northern human heritage.
The picture of a tiny gnome screaming at five women over twice her size would’ve been comical, if everyone hadn’t been in a near panic. The five tallest of the Sisters had thought it would be fun to take Ratel on a tour of the weapon and armor shops around the fortress city of Bastion.
At no point had they expected him to just disappear.
“How does that even happen? Did you set him down and walk away?” Violet, the two foot eleven inch florenite - with black skin and bright purple hair - accused with a finger only a mother could point - staring straight up at the equivalent giants - finger jabbing the air hard enough for the five towers to flinch backwards.
Patricia held up a backpack with holes in it and untied straps. “Of course not! We had him strapped in on my back. As you can see the straps aren’t cut or damaged. We can’t imagine how he got out, and had there been any malicious intent we would’ve noticed it immediately.”
In her defense, all thirty of the Sisters of the Broken Hearth practiced a special, forbidden, cultivation technique, “Lover’s Embrace.” This technique grants long lifespans, removes all visible imperfections, lets one nurse a child on command… and steals away the ability to both have a child of one's own, or grow any stronger than one was on the day they dared this technique.
In exchange for becoming a perfect lover, the practitioner of this technique forever sacrificed their own future.
Unfortunately for the Sisters, this often led to them drawing far too much unwanted attention, forcing them to become quite skilled at noticing when eyes were upon them.
Merrygold leveled her stare and asked with a tone that could freeze a burning fire, “So you're telling me that a 9 month old child undid his own straps, climbed three times his own height down your back, and disappeared without anyone noticing?”
Nia cut in defensively, glaring between Merrygold and Violet, “He’s our child too. You think we just abandoned him? We looked everywhere for him. He wasn’t near any of the shops, the streets, and none of the places we visited, nor had anyone nearby seen him. We already put out the alert and asked people to keep an eye on him before coming back here.”
The ‘towers’ all looked at each other then stood up straight - or as straight as one can stand while looking down at something half their size - as Greyward replied, “That or foul magic was used. We looked for him but couldn't find any trace. He disappeared, so we rushed back to get everyone to help.”
The Sisters all paused, realizing they were wasting time blaming each other instead of looking for Ratel.
“Fine, but we're not done with this conversation! Show us where he last was and we will all split up and check the various districts from there. We’ll meet back up every three hours in case he's found.” Violet glowered as the rest of the Sisters quickly got their veils and shoes on to split up and search for the missing baby.
– – –
Plenty of people recognized the name of the child given how popular the concert in the park had been just last season. Yet no one had seen or heard sight of a baby matching Ratel.
Strawberry was having a horrible time. While being a bit mischievous herself, she was genuinely far too innocent and compassionate of a person. This whole ordeal just kept bringing back up the memories of when she lost her own child and husband to an act of violence on behalf of a gang that wanted to use them to force her into being their plaything. Ratel was the first person to make her old wounds finally start to close, but this panic and worry was ripping them open anew.
The child was a wonder, but his lack of fear and impossible curiosity may be too much. Either that or… no, the thought was too awful to think.
The world was starting to spin, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hear the words of other people, and was doing all she could to not just scream herself hoarse madly dashing around. This isn’t just about her anymore. It’s not just her and Ratel. All the Sisters are counting on her to stay calm and find their child.
Overcome with fear and despair, Strawberry moved to a bench to sit under a tree and recompose herself.
As she was sitting and trying to think where to search next, a large shadow loomed over her, blocking the early summer sun.
Startled, the half-dryad looked up, and through the tears in her eyes, recognized Bark, the treant healer that helped save Ratel’s life on the day he was named.
“I'm sorry Bark, but I'm not well composed right now. We've lost Ratel somehow and I have no idea where to look.” She sobbed, the hope in her eyes flickering desperately. The look she gave him was heartbreaking enough to move any man to drop everything to help.
Bark's deep slow voice replied as he scratched his chin. “Ahhh. I thought that may be the situation. I'm that case, I may be of some help.”
He knelt down and bowed his head. There, standing amongst his massive antlers was Ratel with not a care in the world - a smile of triumph… and a small cluster of red scratches across his face.
“Wam kwiiin oo ba fowwwess!” He cried out. She broke down crying in relief and carried him back to the others.
===
Today was so much fun. I figured out how the straps work on the nap sack. I got to climb up a rack of weapons, out a window, and onto a roof. That was hard but worth it!
The nap on the roof in the sun was so nice - until that kitty swatted me on the face, hissing at me for being on its roof. But I grabbed it and pet it until it rumbled nicely - so I think me and black kitty are friends now.
But the best part was when Tree guy walked by. I saw my chance and I took it. It was scary when I was falling at those big spiky hand bones on his head, but I knew I could do it!
Riding around on them for a while was so much fun. He would swing me around a bit. I knew he knew I was there and was just pretending he didn’t notice me. But then he took me to Struuwb and I got to tell her of my mighty victory, my amazing day, and that that was how I became the King of the Forest!
Good day. What am I gonna do tomorrow?
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
I drift to sleep with a stupid grin that won’t leave my face.
===== Side Story 2 =====
“Did ya hear that?” John, one of the town guards, said to his partner. They were on their nightly patrol around the outside of The Fist’s temple that presided over this district of the city.
“‘Ear wha?” His companion asked. Earl seemed to be lost in thought, probably of the new bar wench that just started working at his favorite pub… Or, looking at the way he was eyeing one of the towers, possibly hoping to catch a glimpse of the fairies that are rumored to live there.
Pausing, John listens closer but hears nothing.
“Dunno, must be my imagination.” He said as they continued on their patrol, all but certain of the creepy childish laughter haunting the nearby alleyways.
– – –
Everyone knows that there are beautiful ladies here that often hand out free food. However, the gangs of bigger and meaner kids guard the place during the day.
A trio of alley kids thought to try their luck this overly warm late summer night.
They slunk along the Temple walls with hope that they might be able to acquire some food from the staff, or in the trash - for they had no hope that the food box put outside after every meal would still have anything left inside.
*Clack*
“What was that?” Janice spooked to her friends.
The trio froze, ready to bolt in different directions. They knew that as long as one of them could get away the other two wouldn’t be hurt too badly by the bigger kids. The guards that patrolled around this Temple didn’t take kindly to child abuse.
The sounds of creepy childlike laughter floated down on them from all around, echoing off the walls and cobblestones of the alley around them.
Woosh ~~~ Shatter. A flower pot landed right in the middle of the group, narrowly missing all of them.
“Ghosts!” The trio screamed in unison and ran off.
– – –
There have always been stories about how the ghosts of the children that had been lost to the Sisters of the Hearth come back throughout the year to take away disobedient children. Folk tales and stories meant to entertain during long boring winter nights - or to scare children into being more obedient.
“I tell ya mister, I heard it here just last night. There’s definitely a ghost child.”
Janice had tried coming back multiple times during the night alone, for her two friends were too scared to come anywhere near the Temple for the last week! Each night she had heard the sounds, the childlike laughter. Some nights accompanied by the screech and flutter of bats, the yowling and hissing of cats, the squeaking of rats… but last night the laughter sounded like it came along with the unmistakable sound of hinges being pried open.
That was when she decided to go to the guards around the temple and convince them there must be a specter haunting the area. At first she was laughed at and dismissed, but then she found a younger guardsman named John that took her seriously and offered to help.
What she wasn’t expecting was for him to somehow enlist the help of a Paladin.
Lady Wisemore was an incredibly imposing figure. Elegant, powerful, regal. Dressed in gleaming plate armor, her eyes had pierced straight through Janice, laying her soul bare and measuring her words. The Lady must have liked what she saw because the domineering aura changed from stripping Janice to the bone, to wrapping protectively around her, lending its strength.
They found themselves sitting in an alley that John had described as the place that gave him the ‘heebie-jeebies’ on his patrol.
The first few hours of the night passed uneventfully. For the guard and Lady that is. For Janice it was an amazing night. Her stomach had grumbled as the sun was going down and the Lady, in her breathtaking beauty and might, bestowed a meal upon Janice the likes of which she had never imagined. Fresh cut meats, cheeses, breads that melted in her mouth. Fruit that was ripe and juicy - not the rotting cutouts that are typically discarded. But best of all was the glass bottle of pure, clean water that the Lady had pulled out of her magical satchel.
Janice had never seen a magic item, but she had heard of them. But a bag that could just hold anything like this? Janice didn’t know what she would do for such a treasure. She did know that if she had one it wouldn’t be for very long before she was knifed for it.
As the moon began to rise and the last of the people in the area bedded down for the night, they heard it. The sounds of a baby’s laughter, echoing off the walls and stones, drifted eerily down to them. But it wasn’t alone. There was the loud screeching sound of hinges accompanying it. The cadence was off, like someone was playing with them.
John and Janice both looked at each other in fear, but Lady Wisemore looked more confused than anything. She cocked her head to the side and started looking around the alley, at the walls, and at the roof line.
After a moment her face fell, slamming into her gauntleted palm. She shook her head from side to side before she burst out laughing. “You two stay here. I’ll be right back.”
With that she burst off the ground and, in a small glow of light from her feet, leapt three stories up onto the temple wall. She took a few steps and quickly disappeared out of sight.
John and Janice glanced at each other before John just waved his hand at the location the Paladin was just in. “Yeap. That there is exactly why I joined the guard. There’s always a chance I can do that one day.”
Janice just nodded lamely, thinking of how much better her life would be - nay, the lives of everyone in these alleys - if she had that kind of strength.
It wasn’t long before a horrifying shadow materialized on the temple wall. A massive figure with a solid frame, arms, and wings spread out from its shoulders. There was no head, but it was holding something under its arm - the source of the eerie laughter.
The figure dropped off the wall right in front of them, shrouded in moonlight. If the sheer terror and incomprehensibility hadn’t rooted John and Janice in place they may have bolted right then and there.
As the figure came closer, she became illuminated by a nearby street lamp. Lady Wisemore, an almost apologetic and bewildered look on her face, was holding a cooing and laughing infant in her arms that was reaching up at a massive eagle that was perched on the Paladin’s shoulders. The eagle was larger than Janice, almost as large as Lady Wisemore herself - probably larger if it spread its wings fully - and had its head bent all the way over her shoulder as the baby was playing with its head feathers.
Slack-jawed, they both just stared until Lady Wisemore broke the silence. “I have no idea how little Ratel here managed to get up on the wall. I’m even more confused as to why this giant eaglet seems to have taken a liking to him instead of just eating him. I’ll take him back now and explain to his mothers just what he’s been up to.”
Before the Paladin had a chance to fully turn around or dismiss them, Janet, afraid to miss her chance, blurted out, “Please teach me to be strong like you so I can eat well and protect my friends.”
Turning back, the Lady paused and really looked the street urchin up and down. “You wish to become a Paladin of the Fist? To take an oath of protection and live to enact his will, most likely dying in the defense of others?”
“Yes!” Both Janice and John yelled at the same time.
Wisemore turned to John and arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow.
John gathered his courage and stood tall and proud. “I joined the guard in hopes of catching the eye of one such as yourself. I wish to be more than just a guard. I wish to gain the strength to range beyond these walls and cull the monsters who surge against our city. To find a way to help reclaim the wild that once was part of our kingdom.”
Lady Wisemore’s countenance softened as her eyes grew sharp. “Then I shall see you both at the East Temple training grounds when dawn breaks. Eat lightly before then.”
She turned around, giant eaglet spanning her shoulders, and walked away.
John and Janice just sat there stunned looking at each other. One, a 17 year old guard desperate for adventure. The other an eight year old alley rat. Smiles split their faces as they both leapt for joy and danced in place - age gap and decorum forgotten.
Losing time as they kept high fiving and pinching each other and talking about their dreams they were suddenly brought back by muffled screams and the sounds of combat.
Looking over at the Sister’s tower, lights now on, they agreed it might be for the best to skedaddle. John offered her a cot in the barracks to nap on. Afterall, tomorrow they become pages to a Paladin.
===
A couple weeks ago I figured out that I can climb up the curtains hanging next to the windows and onto the roof. It’s been a great time and I’ve made lots of friends.
First I met the black kitty I befriended before up there. We would crawl around and chase each other and play, then lay there and pet and lick each other.
But the kitty doesn’t come every night. So I looked for new friends. There were big black softies that would flit around and laugh in a really high voice that echoed everywhere. It took some coaxing but I found they like fruit and nuts - I always bring snackies on my adventures… why, all I needed to do was climb up and find where Maddy hid her little pouch that always has treats and sweets in it. The pouch is endless! Whatever snack, sweet, or treat you want is just there when you put your hand in. I can’t eat any of them yet, but man are they great for making new friends…
Where was I? Oh yeah! The bats. They’re so cute and fun and I love their echoing laughs. So I offered them snackies and made friends with the bats. That was fun.
Then there was the big birdy. It tried to eat the bats, so I threw a rock at it. It didn’t like that, but stopped trying to eat my friends. It still looked hungry as it swooped at me, so I pulled a snackie I thought it might like out of the bag - rabbit meat. It always smells so good when the pretties cook it.
The birdie landed next to me and took the meat instead of eating me. Which is good. I am not food.
After that it started coming each night. Kitty friend didn’t like the bird at first, but now they get along. Same with bat friends.
And now Lady Wisemore came to play! Isn’t that fun! She’s talking with the pretties about how much fun it is to play with my new friends at night. The pretties must agree because they’ve turned on all the lights. They’re playing right now - throwing pillows, and mattresses, and each other, all around the room, while shouting at each other.
This is fun but I’m getting sleepy. I pull out some more jerky for birdy… birdy needs a name… I know, Wooshy! Because of the sound she makes when she flies. Wooshy flaps around the room, gracefully dodging the pretties, and lands on the edge of my nap box - taking the jerky from me before climbing in and nuzzling me as I fall asleep.
“What in the actual fuck is going on?” Ruth cries from having been woken by the commotion.
The last thing I hear before I fall asleep is Maeve screaming. “Did that little shit pinch my snack bag?”