"How long until I find out what it is?"
"Not too long." Sheba's voice was almost like a song as she broke into a grin. "So I can then?"
"... Fine." I just groaned, leaning back. I couldn't win against Sheba. She was always going to win this argument, wasn't she?
"You know it, Felix." Her voice was very soft as she crawled to my side, shuffling in against my side. "See, wasn't that hard, now, was it?"
"Whatever." I just sniffed, looking away. Sheba gave a huff in return, leaning up closer and closer to my cheek. "Just make sure that Saturos doesn't notice the coin missing."
"He won't. He barely understands what the different denominations are." She stayed by my cheek for a moment more before pulling back. I was almost disappointed. I thought she was going to- "Not tonight, buster."
Still, her resting against my side was nice.
We should go flying again soon.
I could agree with that.
Sleep came easily. My dreams were ruled by the short blond who slept beside me. We were finally awoken in perhaps the most unceremonious and cold way, my gaze settling on Alex accusingly.
"You little shite. I will rip a splinter through your ears." Sheba swore, shivering at the sudden cold that came with being covered in water. My own skin barely noticed the cold. It was just another reminder that the things mortals enjoyed were slipping out of my grasp.
Alex raised his hands placatingly, fear crossing his face.
"In my defence, your sister told me to." Alex spoke up. I threw a glare over Jenna's way. She was doubled over in laughter.
"Tch. Then I should ruin her next night with Isaac." Sheba grumbled. I shook my head, drawing my arm around her. "Oi, it's not that cold."
"It's not cold at all." I muttered. Sheba's eyes softened at that. I could almost feel her wheedling in between sections of my mind. Suddenly the world was definitely a lot colder.
"It is." She declared, and so it was. I knew in my heart that it was just Sheba's feelings projected on top of my own, but even so, it made me feel better. I glanced about the camp, my eyes settling on a certain laughing Kirin.
"You can stop laughing too."
"Verily, we shall." Won-Qu declared. "We do recall, however, that thy countenance was rendered 'soaked' more then once in the past."
"Won-Qu, don't bother trying to make more sense. Just shut up." In many ways, Sheba resembled a drowned desert rat.
Not a word, Felix.
I could certainly think them, though.
Don't be a smartass.
My head.
Be a better host.
I just chuckled at that. Sheba took a deep breath, blowing directly up and pushing a blond bang out of her hair.
"Can't win with any of you bastards."
"Aren't you meant to be the polite one?"
"Trust me, Babi taught me plenty of swear words. Most of them are in languages I can't even speak." Sheba noted dryly. "Ershin, when's breakfast!?"
"Ershin will have the porridge ready in a few minutes." Sheba's face fell.
"Porridge again. I can't wait to get somewhere with a real meal. When was the last time we didn't have trail rations?"
"Doesn't Lama Temple count?"
"You got to eat like a king. I got rice and some fish I don't even know or care about."
"It was sardines." Ivan noted. Sheba just stuck her tongue at him.
"I don't care. Sardines taste like salt. I eat enough of that as it is." She retorted.
"You do?" I raised an eyebrow at that. Sheba nodded.
"I come from a desert, Felix. Being able to eat salt is kinda needed. Especially without vomiting from excess." She muttered. "Otherwise you kinda die. Well, I suppose you wouldn't. That'll take some getting used to."
I didn't respond to that. I wasn't sure I wanted to. It felt like it'd mean acknowledging that my humanity was fading away.
After we'd eaten porridge with great complaints and struck camp, it was back to the road. The walk was not particularly long, though. I could see in the distance the great checkpoint known as Kolima. Really, Kolima was actually two places. The Checkpoint was not the actual town, but rather a sort of gate along the path to the town's south. Further north, by a great forest, was the actual town. I could see the smokestack from here. Something was burning.
"You can relax." Isaac noted. "Kolima is a major lumber hub. Charcoal, lumber, treated woods, all of it comes from here. The Kolima lumber is considered the best."
"Babi commissions it exclusively for his ships." Sheba spoke up. "Or at least he did. I suppose with his little war…"
"That will be interesting, to say the least." Alex hummed. "The checkpoint is busy. Perhaps too busy. We might not be getting far today."
"So long as we make it to Kolima proper." Saturos grumbled. "That will be enough."
"You are upset?"
"Worried." Saturos corrected, giving Alex a glare. "Menardi isn't here."
"How do you know?"
"She isn't responding to my pulses." Saturos answered. "Which means they didn't get this far."
"Or they went further." Jenna noted. "Need a range boost?"
"It'd be nice, but I don't think it'll help." Saturos admitted. "We will just have to assume that they didn't make it this far. If they went further, then we likely won't meet up with them until we are on the way back to Tolbi."
"..." Sheba just let out a long breath. "You could have just asked, you know?"
"Even you can't read this many minds."
"Saturos, Agatio looks like a small maelstrom to me. I don't have to read a hundred minds in detail. I just need to look for the useless bastard who I can't read." Sheba retorted, rolling her eyes. "I'll have a look."
"... Appreciated." Saturos muttered. "Why is it so packed?"
"Merchant changeover." Ivan answered. "A lot of merchants will swap goods and money in order to go back and get a new load. Often they are part of the same organisation. We do it all the time with perishable goods. Its better for negotiations to be conducted by the same person, since you build contacts." He paused for a long moment. "Kolima's villagers are probably here as a sort of market. They have huge amounts of coin and nothing otherwise to spend it on."
"Wait, does that mean we can get bacon!?" Sheba's eyes lit up. Ivan just groaned.
"Yes, we can probably get bacon." He answered. Sheba just grinned.
"Come on, merchant boy!"
"What-"
"Nup! Make yourself useful! I'm sick of eating bland stuff!" Sheba declared. "Saturos, stick by Felix! I let you know if I find anything." With that, she was gone. I just groaned. I was clearly playing the messenger on this one.
"... Has it occurred to your fiance that none of us know how to get through the checkpoint? Or that Ivan has the money we're using to get through it?" Saturos asked. Alex just chuckled.
"I will sort that out." He declared. "They will ask for us all to gather together when we pass through, though. Hopefully the boys name expedites the process." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Still…"
"It's too populated." Isaac muttered. "Even if it was a market. It's packed."
"Find out why." Saturos muttered. Jenna and Isaac both nodded. "Ershin, stick with Alex just in case. Won-Qu-"
"We shalt remain out of sight. We understand." Won-Qu nodded. I bit my lip.
"Sorry."
"Ye shouldst not be." He answered. "Though we suspect your fiances choice of companion was deliberate."
I didn't need him to point that out. Sheba couldn't stand being alone with Ivan. Which means he had knowledge she needed. What the hell was she trying to buy?
For me to know, dragon boy.
Right. She could be a little insufferable sometimes.
You don't mean that.
Sassy was perhaps the better word.
"I'm never going to get used to that." Saturos muttered.
"We that obvious?"
"She isn't. She can hold a conversation while she does it. You on the other hand." I just rolled my eyes. Saturos' grin was getting infectious. "I hope Karst isn't too upset."
"Why does everyone assume we were a thing?"
"You weren't?"
"I'm not her mystery boyfriend, Saturos. I'm the diversion."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Use your head. Menardi won't murder me on the spot if I turned out to be Karst's boyfriend."
"... Right. It's someone Menardi won't approve of. Which means he's probably from the western flats." Saturos noted. "It's not Kleine, is it?"
"No? Have they even met?"
"I'm out of ideas then." Saturos clearly didn't care that much though, for he'd already dropped the subject as we walked into the checkpoint. "Those smell nice. No wonder your fiance immediately went to the idea of food."
"... Does, doesn't it." I hoped Saturos didn't catch onto my lie. The smells, I could tell they were aromatic, and probably designed to whet the appetite, but my stomach didn't even rumble, let alone my mouth water at the thought of eating.
Maybe coming here was a mistake.
"... You trying to kill joy, or is there something I should know?" Saturos asked. I glanced at him for a long moment, before shaking my head.
"I don't actually need to eat." A passerby might just assume I'm full. Hopefully Saturos would understand what I actually meant. After a long moment, his face fell.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"That wasn't you just… hunting more often?"
"However much you think I hunt with Sheba, I promise I don't hunt that much." What, did he think we just skipped out on our watch. A moment passed, and Saturos nodded.
"We will be talking later. You need to fill up less." He muttered. "Anyway. I suppose we can leave Ivan to get food. We have another job."
"More important then finding Menardi?"
"Significantly more." Saturos muttered. "Look over yonder. By the gate."
My gaze followed Saturos'. I resisted the urge to dash forward and tear open a throat.
"The avian is…"
"The Xian we saw at the Vale, yes." He muttered. "They've travelled far in a very short amount of time. If he's here, then the grassrunners probably is too."
"Did they get a good look at you?"
"Last time? No." Saturos muttered. "But that doesn't mean much. The avian saw us arrive and didn't seem to recognise us."
"You want to know what they are doing."
"While that'd be useful, no." Saturos admitted. "No. Honestly, I want to slit the bastard."
"Get in line."
"But I'd rather know how they got this far so fast." Saturos continued. "Which means good old fashioned detective work."
"You're just going to ask the vendors how often they are here."
"Eeeeexactly." Saturos grinned. "And you, my good friend, need an apple. Speaking of, excuse me. One apple, please." I rolled my eyes as Saturos slipped up to a stall. I considered for a moment asking about the Xian, but then a better idea occurred to me. After all, we were taking risks for no real reason.
You called? I'm a little busy.
There's a Xian, an avian, by the gate. Can you see him?
Not from where I am. What do you need ripped out of his head?
How exactly he got from the Vale to here before us would be great. Even with the rest, he was going entirely the wrong way last we saw him.
Give me a bit.
"Yeah, I'll never get used to that." I blinked at Saturos shoved an apple in my hands. "Eat. At least pretend your hungry. What did they say?"
"They'll look into it. You?"
"Most curious thing. Apparently they come every four days like clockwork." Saturos answered. "Very curious."
"Can't be. That grassrunner is really tall. There's no way you'd mistake him in a crowd." I muttered. Saturos shook his head.
"The jeweler over there agreed." He muttered. "Which means-"
Felix, we've got two problems.
Whatever else he was saying was drowned out in my head. I raised an hand.
They know what you look like. I've got no idea how. Ivan's coming your way. Those three weren't at the Vale.
Wait, there were three?
There's two grassrunners in the crowd looking for you right now.
I bit my lip. My hand found the hilt of my dao.
"We have problems."
"Of what kind."
"They know me." Saturos got the hint immediately.
"Well. F-" Whatever he was about to say was drowned out as Ivan slipped out of the crowd, latching onto my arm like a crazed brat.
"Big bro! This way, this way! I found some toffee!" And like that, I was pulled by the arm by Ivan into what felt like an outhouse. His face melted from jubilant enthusiasm to exasperation almost immediately. "Gods above Felix, how do you keep up with her?"
"Sheba? In what way?"
"I just watched her rip into seven different minds at the same time. She lives in your head. How do… never mind that." He shook his head, glancing out the door. "We have a big problem."
"Sheba already told me."
"That the grassrunner pair is trying to assassinate you?"
"I figured as much. Should I fly around?"
"Are you kidding? If you transform they'll know!" Ivan's voice sounded almost shocked. "That's the whole point. They're trying to flush you out. If they make it super inconvenient and you transform, they'll know where you are!"
"They sound confident." I grinned, baring my fangs. Ivan rolled his eyes, batting me on the forehead.
"Sheba made it clear that if I don't deliver you to the other side of that checkpoint in one piece, she'd find inventive ways of feeding me my own limbs." He retorted. "You have her worried."
"I'm guessing it's just Felix they are after?" Saturos noted. Ivan nodded.
"The rest of us aren't even on their radar, beyond a general 'might be travelling with a band of oddly coloured people'. Which is odd, because the description is so outdated." Ivan answered. "I'm guessing the rest of your original party was oddly coloured? It doesn't even mention Sheba. I thought she'd been traveling with you since-"
"Tolbi."
"Tolbi." Saturos and I spoke as one. "Babi that rat." Saturos said the words like a curse, spitting to the side. "I guess he really liked those waters, huh?"
"To be fair, he did leave them in a cave." I pointed out. Saturos just snorted.
"They weren't even guarded properly. You don't trust the wildlife to guard treasure." He retorted. "Any ideas?"
"Besides the fact we shoulda picked a better hiding spot?" Ivan asked, holding his nose. I narrowed my eyes.
"Well…"
[ ] Some quick dye and a few scars could throw them off.
[ ] The best option would be to hurry through the checkpoint.
[ ] You knew of the trap. Trigger it.
[ ] The door clicked, and the wind whistled.
Note: And with this, we are caught up. Voting is now open. The Character Sheet will be up as soon as I've edited it.
