Lets get back to kaelen.
The late afternoon sun stretched over Kaelen’s path, his thoughts drifting back to his recent strange encounters. Prophecies, shadows, and fire-slinging strangers weren’t exactly part of the quiet life he’d had in mind. But just as he lost himself in thought, a cheerful voice pierced through his musings.
“Hey! You with the brooding face! You look like you could use some company!”
Kaelen blinked, looking up to see a girl waving enthusiastically from the side of the road. She had an impossibly wide grin, her hair an unruly mess as she stumbled toward him, tripping over absolutely nothing.
“Uh... I think you’re mistaken,” Kaelen said, sidestepping slightly. “I’m not looking for company. Or... random conversation. Or anything, really.”
“Oh, don’t be silly! Everyone’s looking for company! They just don’t know it yet!” she chirped, catching up with him in two long strides. “So, where are you headed, stranger?”
Kaelen quickened his pace. “Somewhere that isn’t here.”
She sped up too, grinning. “Perfect! Me too!”
Kaelen sighed. “Look, I’m sure you’re… lovely, in an enthusiastic, mildly alarming way. But I’m a bit busy.”
“Busy? Busy doing what? Frowning at clouds?”
Kaelen snorted in spite of himself. “I’ll have you know, those are very mysterious clouds.”
“Perfect! I’m great at cloud-watching. I once saw one that looked like a loaf of bread, then it sort of drifted and turned into... another loaf of bread. Isn’t that amazing?”
Kaelen blinked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth despite his better judgment. “You… do this a lot? Talk to strangers until they start wondering about their life choices?”
“Oh, constantly. It’s my greatest talent!” she said, eyes sparkling. “The name’s Tessa, by the way.”
“I’m… Kaelen,” he replied, realizing too late he probably shouldn’t have given her his name.
“Ooooh, Kaelen. That’s a mysterious-sounding name,” Tessa teased. “You don’t look mysterious, though. Just grumpy.”
“Well, grumpy is my... thing,” he muttered, looking away.
Tessa leaned in, squinting at him. “You know what, I think deep down you’re actually kind of nice.”
Kaelen pulled his hood lower. “Look, I think you’ve got the wrong guy. People call me a lot of things, but ‘nice’ isn’t one of them.”
“Aw, come on! You’re walking down the road, helping the lost, mysterious traveler,” she said, clearly ignoring every attempt he made to shrug her off.
“Helping?” Kaelen spluttered. “This is more like stalking.”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “Tomato, tomahto. I’m just here for the conversation.”
“Then maybe you should find some… uh, other company?” Kaelen offered hopefully, glancing around as if another unfortunate traveler might pop out of the trees to take her off his hands.
But Tessa only grinned wider. “Nope! Already found you. Fate and all that, you know?”
Kaelen groaned internally. “Fantastic. Just what I needed. Fate—again.”
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Kaelen resumed his walk, but Tessa strolled along beside him, humming some out-of-tune melody as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Every few steps, she glanced over, a huge grin plastered on her face.
Kaelen gave her a side-eye. “Are you actually following me?”
“Oh, no, no, no!” Tessa replied cheerfully, then paused. “Okay, well… yes, technically. But not in a creepy way! It’s more like… moral support.”
“Moral support?” he muttered, raising a brow. “For what exactly?”
“For all that serious frowning you’re doing. Must be tiring.”
“Frowning doesn’t require moral support,” Kaelen shot back, but Tessa just nodded as if he’d said something deeply wise.
“Good point! You know, I’m actually here because I’ve been hired by… myself! To make sure you stay at least mildly entertained.”
He stopped in his tracks. “This… entertainment plan of yours. Does it involve… being silent?”
She gasped dramatically. “Silent? How boring! What if you got ambushed? Or ran into some rogue wizard?”
“Then, I’d be quiet enough not to attract them.”
Tessa squinted at him, looking very serious. “You really don’t get it, do you? Silence is boring. Besides, what if I saved your life? You’d owe me forever.”
Kaelen snorted. “I don’t think my life’s in any danger, and if it were, I doubt talking me to death counts as ‘saving.’”
Tessa grinned, undeterred. “You’ll come around. They always do. Especially when they realize I know my way around.”
“Oh, really? You know these lands?” Kaelen challenged, raising an eyebrow.
“Uh…” Tessa hesitated, then coughed. “I meant that, theoretically, I could know them if, say, I’d ever been here before. But I’m incredibly good at… figuring things out as I go!”
“Let me guess,” Kaelen said dryly, “you choose to be lost. For the thrill.”
“Exactly! And what’s life without a little thrill?” She shot him a victorious smile. “See? We’re already becoming a team.”
Kaelen let out a long sigh. “Let’s make something clear. I work alone. Always.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Great! I can also work alone… but I’ll work alone near you,” she chirped, as if she’d solved the world’s greatest puzzle.
He stopped again, looking her squarely in the eyes. “Tessa, if I say ‘no,’ will you—”
“Nope!” she interrupted. “No getting rid of me now, friend. I’ve decided that you, Mr. Brooding-and-Serious, are my perfect travel companion.”
Kaelen shook his head, smiling despite himself. “This isn’t a travel companion situation; it’s more like… a temporary case of extremely persistent nuisance.”
“Oh, call me whatever you want,” she replied cheerfully. “But I’d prefer partner-in-adventure. It has a better ring to it.”
“Partner in—” Kaelen stopped himself with a groan. “You really just… wear people down until they give up, don’t you?”
She laughed, a bright, joyful sound that seemed to chase away any lingering gloom. “Ah, see? You’re getting it! Now let’s go, partner-in-adventure!”
Kaelen just sighed and kept walking, secretly wondering if maybe he’d made a new friend despite his best efforts.
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The two continued along the winding path, the countryside stretching endlessly before them. Despite his best efforts, Kaelen found himself glancing over at Tessa every now and then. She had her nose in the air, eyes wide as she took in the scenery as though it were her first time stepping outside.
“So, where exactly are you heading?” Kaelen asked, trying to sound casual.
“Oh, you know… over there,” she answered with a vague wave in the general direction of everything.
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s… incredibly specific.”
“Isn’t it?” She winked. “Alright, fine, you caught me. I’m heading to the Mistfall region. I have… some business there.”
“Business?” Kaelen repeated skeptically. “What kind of ‘business’?”
“Oh, all kinds of business!” She waggled her fingers mysteriously. “Important things that definitely aren’t your typical errands.”
“Sounds completely believable.” He looked straight ahead, his tone sarcastic. “So I suppose I’m to assume you have mysterious powers or a hidden talent?”
“Well, funny you mention that!” She put her hands on her hips, striking a proud pose. “I happen to have a knack for… improvisation! Survival instincts! And a very sharp mind for riddles.”
“Riddles?”
“Yep! Test me, go on!” She grinned widely, clearly excited at the idea.
Kaelen thought for a moment, then smirked. “Alright, let’s see if you’re as sharp as you say. Here’s one: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?”
She narrowed her eyes, thinking hard. “Hmm…once in a minute… twice… Oh! The letter ‘M’!” she shouted, looking pleased.
Kaelen tried to hide his surprise. “Not bad.”
“See? Told you I’m brilliant,” she replied, crossing her arms with a smug expression.
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Too late,” she said, laughing. “But you have to admit, I’ve got some impressive skills.”
“Right. Like the impressive skill of completely ignoring when someone wants to be left alone?” he teased.
“Hey! That’s an advanced skill, I’ll have you know,” she replied, pretending to look hurt. “Years of practice. I can practically hear people’s thoughts when they want me to leave.”
“Is that so?” Kaelen said dryly. “Then why are you still here?”
She pointed to herself with mock innocence. “Because I know deep down you want company. You’re just too… heroically tragic to admit it.”
“Heroically tragic,” he muttered. “That’s the most dramatic description of ‘annoyed’ I’ve ever heard.”
“Oh, come on! You like me,” she teased, nudging him playfully.
Kaelen rolled his eyes. “Maybe if you didn’t talk for five seconds—”
“Five seconds of silence? Oh, that sounds dreadful. Why don’t you tell me something, Mr. Mystery?” She flashed him an expectant look.
He shrugged, not wanting to divulge much. “Not much to tell.”
“Psh! I bet you have tons of stories! And a nickname, right?” She tilted her head. “Let me guess… Kaelen the Dark Flame? The Lone Wolf?”
“Absolutely not,” he replied, deadpan. “It’s just… Kaelen.”
“Kaelen the Reluctant, then!” she declared triumphantly.
Kaelen chuckled despite himself. “You can call me whatever you want, as long as you keep moving.”
“Deal!” She gave him a mock salute. “Lead on, O Reluctant One!”
Shaking his head, Kaelen found himself smiling again, though he quickly masked it. The last thing he needed was her knowing she was getting under his skin in a good way.
Still, he couldn’t deny it—her energy was… oddly refreshing.
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The dense forest that had shielded them from the midday sun began to thin, opening into a small clearing. Kaelen and Tessa stepped into the open air, where the ground ahead split into two paths.
Kaelen paused, glancing at the fork. “Well, this is it. Looks like we’re at a crossroads.”
Tessa, who had been skipping along beside him, stopped and turned to face him, an innocent smile plastered on her face. “Oooh, a crossroads! Does that mean we get to make a decision? Like...which path is the most fun?” She jumped and twirled, her arms spread wide. “I vote for the fun one!”
Kaelen blinked, staring at her as if she had just sprouted wings and started singing opera. “Uh... they both look the same. And neither seems ‘fun.’ It’s a road. A dirt road.”
“But dirt roads are always more fun! You can throw things, you can run, you can—” She paused, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Wait...you’re not trying to trick me, are you? You are trying to trick me, aren’t you?”
Kaelen rubbed his temple. “No, I’m not tricking you. It’s just... a road.”
“Are you sure you’re not secretly a road enthusiast?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
Kaelen sighed and turned his attention back to the paths. “Look, I don’t know which way to go. You’ve got a destination, right? Shouldn’t you know?”
“Well, of course I know!” Tessa said, tapping her chin thoughtfully, but her eyes shifty like a raccoon caught with its paws in the cookie jar. “It’s just... I didn’t think you'd be so, you know, boring about it. You can’t just make me decide everything, Kaelen. I need backup! This is an epic journey!”
Kaelen stared at her, unimpressed. “You’re the one who started this journey, remember?”
Her face softened for a split second. “Oh... right. But it’s not totally my fault! You were just there. You know, doing your ‘hero’ thing, whatever that is. You can’t just leave me, Kaelen.”
Kaelen looked at her, utterly confused. “What are you talking about? You want me to leave you? Then why—”
“I want us to journey together!” She jumped up and down excitedly, giving him a bright, exaggerated grin. “Don’t you feel it, Kaelen? The adventure! The excitement! The mystery! The chaos! Think of the fun we could have! Imagine—horrible monsters, dangerous traps, even worse sandwiches!” She held up a finger, wagging it dramatically. “We could get lost in swamps, have our heads fall off—okay, maybe not that one, but there are endless possibilities for fun!”
Kaelen stared at her in stunned silence for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “Tessa, that’s a terrible pitch. And my head’s not going to fall off.”
“Oh, don’t be so boring! You don’t even know what’s waiting on the other side of the path! Could be a super-cool dragon... could be a totally lame dragon who’s allergic to strawberries. You just don’t know! That’s why we should stick together, right?”
Kaelen shifted uncomfortably. “I... suppose there is something to be said for, you know... not dying alone in the wilderness?”
Tessa’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Aha! So you do care! I knew it! You’re secretly my bodyguard, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not!” Kaelen snapped, his face turning red. “I’m not anything like a bodyguard. You just... You’re very persistent.”
Tessa winked, spinning around with a flourish. “That’s because I’m a pro! So, where are we going? Let’s go to my super exciting destination, Kaelen! You can protect me from random wild animals while I make us delicious food! Oh, and if we’re near a beach, I call dibs on the hammock.”
Kaelen groaned, but for some reason, a tiny part of him felt a flicker of something—was it amusement? “Fine,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “But if you make us both get eaten by a giant rat again, I’m leaving.”
“Oh please! That was one time and I didn’t even know it could eat us!” Tessa grinned cheekily. “Besides, I’m sure there are much cooler things out there to deal with.”
Kaelen sighed and, despite his better judgment, found himself smiling just a little. “Fine, fine... but no more rat adventures. Got it?”
“Deal!” Tessa hopped ahead, clapping her hands. “Then let’s go, hero! The world’s waiting!”
And so, as the sun dipped below the horizon, they took the road leading eastward—toward a new country, toward unknown dangers, and toward a bizarre journey that neither of them could possibly have predicted.
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