With nothing else to do, Jiehong napped. He woke during the evening hours. Zan remained asleep. With himself fully recovered from the few drinks he had the previous night, Jiehong wanted to get an early start on the evening's investigatory work. He wanted to explore more and ask people if a large group had come through town over the past day.

Coming up upon a group of people in front of a building, Jiehong gave them a greeting and engaged them in simple conversation. He and they talked for a few minutes covering the basics. "Speaking of which," Jiehong said, transitioning from a conversational thread about travel, "have you seen a large group come through town recently?"

Saying they hadn't seen anyone, Jiehong thanked them for their time and moved ahead to the next cluster of building dwellers.

Though he had many thought-provoking conversations with people, none of the conversations hinted at the presence of a group of travelers nearby. No one hear anything and Jiehong's spirits were lessened. Where are they? Jiehong asked himself.

As with far too many things in life, Jiehong did not have an answer. He could only sigh and move on.

"There is no reason to be dispirited," Jiehong heard a voice say.

Turning to the voice, Jiehong saw the same youth from the previous night. Still cloaked in shadow and therefore difficult to parse details about them, Jiehong took a few steps closer.

"Greetings. We talked yesterday evening, didn't we?" Jiehong replied.

"Yes, we did. How have you been?" the youth asked.

"I have been fine. Yourself?"

"Fine. As I said, don't lose hope. Yours will be coming soon," the youth said, cryptically.

"I hope so. Who are you? I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name is Jiehong. And you?"

"I have many names. Many identities. This identity, however, you may call Meow."

A moment of inaction passed. "Meow?" Jiehong thought he heard incorrectly.

"Correct. Meow," the young man said, stepping forth.

Leaving the shadows, the youthful figure came slightly into the light, away from his building. Jiehong saw a gangly lad. Taller than Zan but with less distinction to his skin. It was unusual to see, Jiehong thought. He couldn't tell right away what about the guy it was. Something, though, threw him for a loop. Less hair on the skin? Smooth? By the time the youth transformed from human to cat, Jiehong knew something was amiss.

Startled, Jiehong removed himself a few paces from the boy. "Who are you? What are you?!"

Before him now was what appeared to be an ordinary house cat. Jiehong knew better, of course, having witnessed its transformation.

The cat spoke to him, but it was not through a moving of its mouth and lips. It kept its mouth open and from it came its voice. How Jiehong understood the sound he did not know. Yet it came from the creature all the same. A glinting light sparkled around its fur as it talked.

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"My name is Meow. I am a traverser of the unseen. I have taken an interest in you; for you have moved unseen yourself, haven't you? I watched as you cut a remarkable path through the phantasm fantastique. You know what I mean?" Meow said, his mouth wide open as he talked.

Did he know what Meow meant? Only one thing came to mind. The journey through the countryside as he lugged Zan on his exo-suit. On the outskirts of the city he encountered... something.

"I think I know what you're talking about. I know not what it is or what it is called, however. It was why I arrived so soon in the city, wasn't it?" Jiehong asked.

"Observent of you. And yes, it is the reason why you made great time. The entity you encountered is called an eldritch being. They are the primeval gods of this realm. You have heard of them, I trust? Even if only as the primal spirits, the off shoots of the Divines. Yes?"

Jiehong had heard of eldritch beings, of course. He needed to in order to know what to generally avoid as far as spiritual practice went. Which was also why he was so reluctant to endorse any opinion of the Ranger-Knights and their technology as being rooted in eldritch influence. With eldritch influence came trouble. Emotional. Psychological. Trouble all the same. Eldritch beings were a different breed from gods. If one wasn't careful, it was too easy to lose yourself and your beliefs while attempting to understand the illogical. And yet... Jiehong did not think what he had gone through had been an eldritch deity. He knew of eldritch beings conceptually but had never heard someone describe what they were like. Encountering one in the wild had been unbelievable.

"I can tell from your face you understand. The idea bewilders you, doesn't it? If you would like to learn more, that can be arranged," Meow said.

"Oh. Sorry. I have beliefs against associating with eldritch entities. Though my encounter was 'bewildering,' yes, I can't change my worldview at the drop of a hat. I have obligations, besides. We may talk but that is all for now," Jiehong explained.

"Talking is fine. Shall we talk about these obligations of yours? Or maybe these beliefs? I am curious because you wear eldritch technology, yet you speak against it. I am confused," Meow asked.

He 'wore' eldritch technology. "What did he mean? My headset?" Jiehong asked.

"If that is what you call it, yes. I can sense traces of eldritch design on it. It is a lackluster influence, though. Hardly any influence, truthfully speaking. Even so, a mortal engineer taking inspiration from the eldritch is not something you see often."

Again, with the 'headset is eldritch' stuff. What was this all about? Jiehong wanted to know. "Why the interest in my headset? Do you know the Wardens, by any chance?"

"Wardens? I don't know who they are. It's hard for me not to take an interest in your equipment. It is leagues more advanced than anything in the area. You must be associated with a Martial Order. Are these Wardens the Grandmasters of the Order?"

Jiehong explained to Meow who the Wardens were and what the Order of Shiv was about. Meow appeared extremely satisfied with the answer. His tone was happy and Jiehong, using his extroverted social graces, did not sense anything malevolent to him. He seemed only curious as to the nature of Jiehong and his purpose in the world.

"What about you? A shapeshifter? I have never seen one such as yourself. Are you common?" Jiehong asked point-blank.

"Am I common?" Meow asked before breaking into a laugh. "Not in this part of Creation, no. Other parts? You can't throw a stone without hitting one of us -- which we often do endure, unfortunately."

Jiehong and Meow chit-chatted. Their conversation's frayed ends splintered but eventually reformed.

"People throw stones at you here? I'm sorry. I do have to ask, though, why you're here if it is so bad for you," Jiehong said.

Meow, however, did not want to continue the conversation. "The short answer is I wander. The longer answer can wait for another time. Speaking of which, tick-tock, I must be going. As do you, considering the time..."

Suddenly becoming aware of the passing hours, Jiehong saw daylight pierce the night sky.

Turning back to Meow, Meow had vanished.