An encounter that could be called fate
Aegle gave a good effort. From what must have been early twilight to now she alternated from her side, her belly, and her back with her eyes shut tight hoping to slip back to sleep for just a moment more. But alas just like every morning since she’d begun her lonesome journey, her battle with mind and nature was a futile one and she begrudgingly raised her metaphorical white flag with a peek at her gold foe above. She only got a glimpse of green and blue before a stab of sunlight forced her eyes shut again with a wince.
“Ugh, itchy itchy itchy,” she muttered as she slowly rubbed circles over her eyelids. The shock of light against her dry eyes made them burn with much-appreciated tears to wet some drowsiness away. “Okay! Okay okay okay. Time to get up,” she said with renewed vigor…that quickly evaporated when she took another peek at the annoyingly awake world around her and assessed her current state.
By now the sun had risen to its morning peak, and unseen birds from far and wide were celebrating with song.
As for her, she had set her sleeping bag the night before directly under the night sky to enjoy some stargazing before bed. Foolishly, she failed to consider she’d wake under direct sunlight instead of moonlight and shaded by a mere three leaves at the end of a long tree branch. A mistake she’s repeated more often than not admittedly. But still, one could never get used to waking up already feeling grimy.
Her arms, speckled with beads of sweat, were cooled by a breeze while her torso felt too hot and heavy with how snugly her tunic clung to her. She pursed her lips and found them to be irritably dry, a quick flick of her tongue across her bottom lip offering only a second of relief before the dried skin stung. And to top it off a quiet rumble reminded her of the pit in her belly aching for sustenance. Grimy is an understatement, really. She felt like she was doused in oil and left to dry for some evil thing’s breakfast. A bath as soon as possible is an absolute necessity. With that in mind, she rolled over and placed her right hand flat on the ground to lift herself. She managed to get halfway up before a familiar chill raised the hairs along her arm. She instinctively grits her teeth just before the phantom squeeze of wet, serrated flesh sends her writhing in the dirt. Just like then, first, her flesh seemed to burn from within the gashes the needle-like fibers left as they ground their way in. As she reached for her pack, whimpers slipping past her gnashing teeth from the strain of struggling against a ravenous beast’s innards, the phantom fangs finally gnawed their way down to the bone. The first brush of sharp tip-to-bone sent a flash of liquid fire that seared her nerves and caught in her throat as a muffled scream. In one last desperate move, she shoved her trembling hand to the bottom of her pack and brushed her magic stone.
Immediately, sweet relief caressed her fingertips. She chased the feeling, reaching out and grasping her precious stone, gripping it until the stone seemed to crack under the pressure. She let out several shaky gasps as healing magic soothed the pain away in waves. Through tear filled eyes she caught sight of jagged lines coiling around her arm accentuated by scarlet light that pulsed rapidly in tune with her heartbeat. As her vision cleared with a few blinks so did her skin and eventually, she got herself more or less in the same state she started. Sweaty, hungry, and thirsty, but just a bit more mentally frazzled from a more temperamental hunger rousing from within her arm.
“First the limbs, then the organs…,” she mumbled to herself repeatedly as she slowly flexed her fingers. “Then the mind,” she said with cold finality, a last faint ache in her bones seeming to agree with her. She couldn’t remember any point where these episodes didn’t happen each morning, but she knew there must been a time when they weren’t as frequent. She wouldn’t have been able to hide it from her father for as long as she did if they weren’t.
“I’m…running out of time, aren’t I?”
Birdsong, the wind, the sun, even the distant sound of the river farther down from her camp. All continued unbothered by her quiet words. They’d continue if she were to lay here, rotting, until whatever infection that monster left inside finally corrupted her mind.
“Damn it, stop!”
Aegle smacked her cheeks and sprang up, wobbling for a moment as her legs adjusted to her weight.
“All we need is a bath and a meal and we’ll be good as new! By sundown, we’ll have reached Knothole Glade and hopefully find a nice, soft bed to spend the night! But first, we’ll stop by Hook Coast’s market to sell some lace and buy more snacks. I’ll be okay. At least today…I’ll be okay!”
At some point during her speech, a bird had landed on a nearby tree branch. Its chirp turned Aegle’s attention to its titled, crested head.
“That’s right, bird! I’m gonna make it to Knothole Glade at least. You wanna come with me?”
The bird chirped again, ran its beak through its feathers, and promptly flew off to wherever it was headed before stopping to take a look at her.
“Well…well fine! I didn’t want to bring you along anyway!”
Aegle snatched her pack, stuffed her sleeping bag in it, and stomped her way down to the river with a huff.
“Hah…I hope there are nice people at the market,” Aegle sighed. Talking with animals was only fun when they stuck around after the first sentence. Which is exactly what the birds taking a dip in the river didn’t do as she approached.
“Well, I guess I didn’t want to be seen naked by birds anyway,” she mused, taking out two wooden bowls, two towels, and her poor abused soap bar from her pack.
After filling both with water she took a look around her, listening for any distinct sound of humans nearby. Hearing nothing out of the ordinary she moved back to the treeline. She slipped her tunic over and off her head, undid the loose knot of the thin linen strap holding her shorts on her hips and slid those down to her ankles, casually kicking them to the side. The first few times she bathed out in the open she scrubbed for five seconds intervals to keep constant surveillance of her surroundings. But after a good season at most of bathing in the outdoors she almost didn’t care anymore if she were seen nude by a fellow wanderer. Bathing quickly was more for efficiency than for concern now. She dipped a towel into one bowl, lathered it with soap, and then lathered herself with the foam. Once she had all the important parts thoroughly scrubbed she picked up a bowl and poured the water over her, a soft sigh slipping out from the pleasant feel of cool water. She pats her body dry with her other towel, taking care not to use too much pressure on her right arm. She used the other bowl to wring her towels clean. She laid them flat on a rock under the sun to dry a little as she pulled out her clean shirt, pants, and underthings from her pack to dress.
“Good as new!” Physically and mentally refreshed, she skipped to the river's edge to look at her face. “I hope there’s a proper bathtub too,” she said, frowning at the greasy at the top and dry at the ends mess of black hair atop her head. She hadn’t washed her hair since her stay at Snowspire in a nice, cozy inn that was kind enough to accept help in the kitchen for a room. They’d even packed some bread, cheese, and dried meats for her to snack on the road when she’d left. The cheese was gone within a day and the bread lasted until yesterday. But she hadn’t the heart to refuse the jerky despite knowing it would go uneaten in her pack. She tried, she really did, but as soon as the distinct texture of meat touched her tongue she spit it out and went hungry that night.
After some time she gathered her laundry, wet her face with some water from the clean bowl, and picked up both bowls and began her journey to Hook Coast’s port to board a ship to Witchwood. Some several paces away from the river she dug a hole and poured the water from both bowls in covered in with the removed topsoil. She continued, relaxed enough to enjoy the sun on her skin and birds chirping away for quite a while. So pleasant it was the scent like that monster waking a far more ravenous, far more wicked hunger with a renewed sting in her arm made her almost fall over in shock.
“It can’t be! There’s one of those things out here?” Her voice shuddered as the urge pricked her inner arm in delight, crawling up to the roof of her mouth to spur her grinding teeth and salivating tongue on. She had hoped after a good while going without that monster’s “treats” and just little pests sneaking out of the Void she’d weaned the hunger just slightly. But no, not at all, it was waiting for something to crave to torment her.
She gripped the hilt of her knife hard enough to discolor her knuckles as she pulled it from its hiding spot between her belt and pants. An ineffective blade for the prey she had in mind to the average eye, but she could pick up the faint scarlet hue radiating off it that made it deadly to its fellow creature. The one gift from that monster she might treasure.
She quieted her steps, taking care to avoid branches and other noisy foliage, and followed the alluring scent. Far off the scent was always bitter. But as she got closer the scent became more distinct, more…personal. Something earthy and floral but evoking completely alien pictures. A forest with trees that smelt of ash sprouting poisonous fruits so seductively sweet. Flowers rose more specifically, so shamelessly rose it made her choke. Then there was an odd metallic undertone, something like freshly forged steel. Something regal.
Regal…? The thought made a different sensation coil up her arm. Painful, yes, but not overwhelmingly so. Almost ticklish. But the odd gentleness revealed its true nature as it bit down on her elbow. The urge suddenly manifested in her lower belly, a tight hot knot that sent a pleasant shudder from her neck to her upper thighs.
“Okay…weird.” She’d never felt anything quite like that before.
Once she recovered she resumed her hunt until the scent was thicker, forming a faintly…humanoid? A humanoid figure?
In an instant her body thrust itself into motion, spurred on by an instinct pulsing from her arm to close the distance and sink the blade to the hilt. She could smell that the creature knew it had a pursuer. It drew its scent close to itself, the iron in it becoming sharper, like steel. A bold one, singling itself out like that.
Just before the decisive pounce, she took back control, steeling herself for the killing blow as she leaped for the suddenly horrifyingly sweet smelling creature’s throat.
A flash of a humanoid silhouette illuminated by scarlet light burned her eyes for a moment as she swung her blade at the figure, expecting to hear flesh rip in its wake. She did not hear the telltale sound of victory. When her eyes adjusted to the light she was shocked even more to find not a beast from ten void but…a man?!
“Wha-oof!” Aegle found herself slipping from a badly placed foot and soon came face to face with dirt. A combination of embarrassment and a bit of soreness kept her lying still and face down for a moment.
“Are you alright, miss?”
Damn. So she did actually just try to kill a normal, fully aware man and did not hallucinate that she’d mistaken the scent of the void for a normal, fully aware man. And proceeded to fall flat on her face in front of them.
With her left hand she pushed herself to her knees then used the tip of her toes to push herself to her feet. Just as she hoped the surprisingly athletic display seemed to surprise the man enough for her to take the initiative.
“Hello there!” After skillfully tucking the knife under her belt behind her with her right hand, she offered her widest smile and left hand for the man to shake.
The man’s face was all sharp edges save for their chin and eyes: prominent cheekbones, sharp jawline, and a notable double curve on their upper lip. The big green eyes accentuated with long lashes and auburn curls from the messy mane tied in a ponytail on their head softened their appearance, giving them an overall charming appearance. Their expression was far from charmed though, looking like a mix of mild suspicion and a general sad disposition about them.
“Hello,” he said flatly as he took her hand in his, offering a polite squeeze that wasn’t too firm or loose.
“Well! Nice weather today, isn’t it?”
“Indeed,” he said with a faint smile that was obviously out of politeness too.
“Well! You must be wondering why some random lady popped out of the forest swinging a knife at you, huh?”
“It’s certainly a unique experience. I do hope for a proper explanation.”
There was a near imperceptible shift in the man’s calm manner, a subtle dip in their tone that put her on edge. Now that she thought about it, the scent that was downright nauseating in close range is completely absent, like she truly had imagined it. A stench like the Void’s couldn’t be so easily squandered…unless intentionally. And though partially concealed under long lashes, the man’s eyes were observing what was visible of her right arm since the conversation started. As if he could…
“You realize there’s no point in keeping a blade concealed once you’ve shown the hand you grasp it with, yes?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Your right arm,” the man gestured with a glance to her right arm still kept safe behind her back. “Is that not the hand you intended to gut me with?”
“Oh! No, no, of course not! See, no blade!” Aegle rushed to show both empty palms to the man. She didn’t dare show the knife still tucked in her belt though. “Besides, I didn’t intend to hurt you or anything.”
“Oh? Then am I to understand you meant to greet me with that blade?”
“No, of course not! You see I thought you were an animal.”
A beat passed where only the quiet hum of a gust of wind sounded between them.
“…an animal?” Unexpectedly, the man gave a half smile. A twinkle of amusement brightened the dull look in their eyes. “An animal that walks on two legs in broad daylight?”
“Well…yes! You never know what’s creeping around in Albion these days. You think people expected to see something like the Balvorn back in the day? Why, now we have Balverines lurking around in the East cause we didn’t expect the unexpected!”
After her desperate explanation she found herself laughing involuntarily. Damn her nervous habits. “So, you see, I wasn’t intending to hurt YOU. I was intending to hurt the animal I THOUGHT you were.”
“Hmm.” The man pursed his lips.
“So, uh, you forgive me?” Aegle timidly offered her hand again.
The man gazed at it a moment before locking eyes with her. His stare felt uncomfortable until it suddenly felt alluring. Her instincts willed her to look away as something like tiny spiders seems to dance inside her head, but she physically couldn’t bring herself to look away.
“Why not? You seem sincere enough.”
“Huh?”
Aegle felt a soft pressure grasping her hand. She looked down and realized at some point the man had accepted her hand.
“Oh, I see. Thank you…” she murmured as she pulled her hand away. The skin the man’s fingers grazed tickled faintly.
“But I’m curious. What is a frivolous young woman doing in these untamed parts of Albion?”
Frivolous? Aegle felt unsure if she should feel insulted considering the man’s tone indicated no ill will. “I’m traveling to Knothole Glade.”
“Knothole Glade?” The man raised a brow. “It’s certainly much safer now with more management, but…forgive me for saying so, but you do not seem the sort that would manage in a place like Knothole Glade.”
“I know I might not look the part of an adventurer, but I’ve traveled all this way from an island village northwest of Albion. I’ll be fine! I appreciate the concern though.” Aegle wore a genuine grin. She’d lost all her suspicions of the man simply for that thoughtful comment.
“Still I do worry for your safety. They say this time of year the Balverines are bolder and come closer to the settlement.”
“They do,” she asked a tad too quick for someone who could supposedly take care of themselves she realized.
“I don’t know from personal experience. I’ve just been warned by many on my way here. Do you have a relative there that you’ll stay with?”
“No, but there’s an inn that was recently built there. Last I checked with the owners they had some rooms available so I’m hoping to get one once I get there. If not I’ll just beg someone to let me sleep in their shed at least. I’ll be on the road again tomorrow after lunch at the latest anyway, so I won’t be too much of a bother.”
“Considering you went to the trouble of contacting them, I’m sure the owners will be leaving a room available for you. You seem to be in a hurry to your destination,” the man said with a hint of curiosity.
“I’m heading to Wraithmarsh, then I’m going to make my way to Witchwood. Then I’ll finally go back to Snowspire!”
“Wraithmarsh. The remains of Oakvale are hardly habitable for anything mortal yet. And frankly even Snowspire’s oracle isn’t worth searching for without a proper Heroe’s Guild to give it significance. I’m beginning to think someone sent you on a fruitless journey hoping you’d perish miss…”
“Oh, my names Aegle! Sorry I didn’t introduce myself properly before. And actually…it isn’t a fruitless journey for me. I might not get the answers I’m looking for, but…,” Aegle chewed on her bottom lip for a moment to work out the right words. “I think at least I’ll find some satisfaction at the end,” she finished with a half smile.
The man had a look in his eyes she couldn’t quite figure out. “Are you chasing the old tales of heroes, Aegle?”
“Do you know about heroes?!”
“Enough to know you’re retracing the steps of the Hero of Oakvale, certainly.”
“You got me! Honestly I don’t know much of Heroes myself, but as far as I know right now he’s the greatest Hero since William Black.”
“William Black…” for a moment the man seemed to sneer as he said the name. “Yes, since William Black, no Hero came close to claiming they’d saved the whole of Albion except the Hero of Oakvale.”
“That Jack of Blades must have been a real evil bastard. Good thing his pals the Queen and Knight didn’t come back with him, huh?”
The man laughed. But when Aegle got a good look at his eyes they seemed predatory in a way. “Indeed. It would have brought Albion right back under the Courts rule, and I doubt even the Hero of Oakvale could have rivaled their combined might.”
The man seemed disappointed yet Aegle couldn’t quite tell if was for the Hero of Oakvale’s potential defeat…or the Court’s missed opportunity at victory.
“You seem to really like knowing Albion’s history…”
“You noticed?” It was remarkable how quickly the man’s expression changed. His questionable feelings immediately became unquestionable pleasure at her observation.
“It’s a bit obvious, haha.”
“I like to think of myself as a philosopher. I took to science and linguistics for my education, but my true passion is in the study of knowledge and how it shapes the history of man. And fortunately for me Albion is rich with history and people to recite it’s lessons to.”
“So you travel all over Albion to teach people your philosophy?”
The man smiled. “Well, I speak and whether it lingers or leaves as soon as I close my mouth is debatable. Doing so has led me here and hopefully far beyond still. And now that I think on it…I most likely have to spend the night at Knothole Glade as well.”
“You too?” Aegle looked over the man’s overall unassuming appearance. “To be honest, you don’t look like the type to go toe to toe with Balverines either.”
“Departing from Knothole Glade is the quickest way to get to the mainland by boat. And truth be told once I’m on the mainland I have no clear plan on where to go. Which leads me to my admittedly odd proposal.” The man looked at her with purpose. “As we seem to have similar stops in mind…perhaps we could make the journey together until our paths diverge?”
“You mean traveling…together?”
“I admit I’m not a hero that can take on hordes of Balverines. But if we were to find ourselves against such odds, perhaps together we could think of a way to outsmart the enemy.”
“Well, I…,” certainly Aegle couldn’t deny the immediate relief at the opportunity to not have only herself to talk to for at least a few days. But with company it would be much harder to deal with mornings…
“Truthfully, I’d feel awkward arriving at Knothole Glade acting as complete strangers. And I’d feel worse leaving a young lady to face the horrors of Wraithmarsh by herself.”
Maybe she should have questioned why the man became more insistent. But a mix of wary excitement and worry over what could possibly be waiting for her in what was once Oakvale had her smiling from ear to ear.
“Okay then! I guess if we’re going the same way anyway we might as well,” she said cheerfully. “Let’s be on our way then mister…oh, you haven’t told me your name yet.”
“Ah, I haven’t, have I?”
A gust of wind passed that pushed some thick strands of dark hair into Aegle’s eyes, blinding her to the flash of scarlet in the man’s eyes as he took another long glance at her right arm. When she brushed back her hair the man was smiling at her, any hint of a particular interest in her arm gone.
“My name is Xiro. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aegle.”