



by Heath Hudson

Tabs Zolina held a bundle of small sticks tight against her breast as she stalked carefully through the underbrush, downcast eyes scanning for more fuel for the evening fire. The sun was slowly sinking toward the edge of the SkyShard mountains, which would cover them in shadow while it was still early afternoon. Tabs was no stranger to the early darkness, it was one reason that MeGosh had a thriving night life, however out here away from the town there were no lamps, candle clusters, pitch fires or mood tents.

This was the 3rd night she had spent away from MeGosh, traveling with her strange companion, the unknown creature simply called Cyrix. Tabs had known that Cyrix was strange by her standards, and those of her people even before the journey began. In fact it was no small part of what drew her to join him on this journey. However, she had been unprepared for just how vast the gulf between them was until she was fully alone with him for long stretches of time.

She had worried, early on, that she was slowing him down, as he never seemed to grow tired, never called a stop, never changed his pace, except to match his with hers. However, he also never complained when she inevitably had to concede to her own limitations, much to her own shame. If she asked, he would help with the fire, with the cooking and gathering water, but no matter what she offered, he never partook of anything. Near as she could tell, Cyrix had not eaten or drank anything since they had left MeGosh.

Nearly two days had passed before Tabs had broken down and asked Cyrix if he would carry one of the satchels she had packed and brought with them. Cyrix had effortlessly took up of her packs, his pace unchanged by the additional burden. She had expected, between the two of them, to need a lot more supplies than they were currently using, and many of the things she had brought by habit had turned out to be nothing more than extra weight to carry. She was already working on a list of things to sell when they finally reached Hammond the day after tomorrow.

Tabs stumbled back into camp and tossed her arm load of sticks down next to the fire pit that Cyrix was preparing, just as she had instructed him on the first night of their travels. As Cyrix’s strangeness became more pronounced, Tabs spent more time questioning the choice she had made when following him on this quest. He didn’t eat or drink, or as far as she could tell, relieve himself or have any other bodily functions. Twice now she had awoke from a slumber to find him standing at the edge of their encampment, still as a statue. She watched him for almost an hour each time and found that he literally didn’t move an inch. She was becoming increasingly sure that he did not sleep either.

As his oddities piled up, it was almost enough to make her fear him, and multiple times she considered returning to MeGosh or ending the journey at Hammond. Then some small aspect of their journey would require her to teach him some simple thing that anyone from MeGosh, or any other human civilization should already know, like building a fire, searching for fresh water, or navigating by the stars. He was completely unaware of which insects and plants were poisonous and which were benign, how to read a trail or identify the footprints of local wildlife. Each time she made him aware of such things, he would listen intently, and ask questions until he could utilize each thing she taught him, just as well as she could.

Tabs fingered the artifact object which hung from her necklace through her shirt as she watched him digging the fire pit and lining it with stones he had selected earlier, exactly as she had shown him. Whatever he was losing in time by traveling with her, he was gaining in the knowledge of human lore, which he seemed to value greatly. He was as much a mystery to solve for her now as the object beneath her fingers, one she could simply not stop trying to solve, no matter how strange their travels became.

“There is a wagon approaching.” Cyrix said without looking up from his task. Tabs started, startled by the interruption of her thoughts and suddenly realizing just how long she had been silently introspective about her travels. “It is still a few minutes over that hill.”

Tabs turned in the direction he indicated and stood silent and still, but could hear nothing. She squinted and shielded her eyes from the failing sun, even though it was behind them, but could see nothing. Still, she had no doubt of the accuracy of his perception. He had proven multiple times to be able to somehow know about distant objects and animals, even if he did not know what they were.

“The merchants wagon should not be due back from Hammond for another week.” Tabs replied, still trying to catch a glimpse of the wagon before the ever lengthening shadows of the SkyShards covered them completely. Despite being 3 days Sal, the looming giants seemed not to have reduced much in size. Had she not known otherwise, Tabs would not have been surprised to discover that MeGosh was on the other side of the hill behind them. It was easy to think they were still well within the Teron Valley, when in fact they passed through it’s mouth and out into the world, far beyond which she had ever traveled, slightly after noon on the first day.

Tabs had taught snippets of geography to her students, though it was deemed an unimportant subject by the MeGosh. She was well aware of the distances between MeGosh and other places, and in a few instances, the distances between those places. She had some ideas on the size of all of Ro even, though after measuring such a tiny sliver of it with her own feet, she now realized that she had no real concept of the vastness of the world.

The fire was crackling, perfectly constructed according to her lessons just as the shadow of the SkyShards settled over them, and only a few moments later a single wagon covered in an off-white canvas stretched tight over bent iron ribs, rolled up to their encampment, pulled slowly by a single long-haired yorn.

* * *

Myrrah slowed the wagon as she approached the impromptu camp site, stealing her nerves and keeping one hand casually resting on the hilt of dagger under her traveling cloak where it could not be seen. Once she had crested the hill not far back, she had spotted the camp, and knew there was no easy way to avoid it, and if they were keeping watch, she had probably already been spotted. Dousing the lanterns, she had ordered Netta to take Drias into the back and to keep quiet until she passed. She knew a stop was inevitable, as all travelers stopped to exchange information, and often trade when traveling. To refuse to do so was an open insult and would prove far more suspicious than anything else she could do.

Myrrah had not expected to run across anyone on the road to MeGosh. The merchants wagon was practically the only reason the road even existed at all, and it had been in Hammond already when she departed. She knew that Eretasi would have agents out in force, but had no reason to suspect they would be ranging so far to the tol of Hammond. Perhaps, she realized, fighting the urge to grip the hilt of her knife tightly, she had underestimated them. She only hoped as she pulled up, that they would not connect her to the trouble Sev had brought to her family’s door.

“Hi! I’m Tabs.” A young woman with her bright teal hair pulled back in tight, short, twin pony tails, spoke up, with no trace of guile or caution in her voice or mannerisms. She was obviously meant to appear as MeGosh, and played her part well, though Myrrah knew, as would most anyone else, that the MeGosh never traveled beyond the Teron Valley. It was a thoughtful disguise for the area, but the girl had not done her homework if she expected her appearance not to raise any questions.

Myrrah had been certain heading in this direction would prove safe, and that Eretasi would never search in such remote corners, but now her whole strategy was in question. Even if she bluffed her way passed them, if they were searching so far tol, she might be found later, perhaps even among the MeGosh themselves.

“Hello” Myrrah said cautiously as the wagon rocked to a stop, and the yorn sighed, contented to be at rest. Only then did she notice the figure who stood motionless next to a large tree much closer to the camp fire itself. Her breath caught in her throat as she surveyed him. Unlike the woman, he made no effort what so ever to appear MeGosh. His body was covered from head to toe in linen wraps and ragged robes, a hood covering his head, burying his face in shadow. There was only the slightest breeze as the day surrendered to the cool of the shadow of the ever present SkyShards, and the movement of his cloaks in that breeze was the only thing animate about him. He had projected no aura that she could detect, hostile or otherwise, and the longer she watched the more the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. He simply did not move, not even the most subtle signs of life or breath. He might have been old clothing wrapped around a man shaped stump, save for fact that she could somehow tell, he was watching her. On nothing more than instinct, she instantly knew he was dangerous.

* * *

Cyrix watched the wagon trundle to a stop, and the brief conversation between the driver and Tabs. A woman with long dark hair, and a well trained body sat the front bench of the wagon, her body tense, one hand out of site, almost certainly on the handle of a weapon. In the back of the wagon, Cyrix knew there were two others, probably children, who were even now pretending to be asleep. The young woman made eye contact with him, and he saw the wave of caution and fear pass through her. Yet he also saw her master that fear, suppress it and prevent it from controlling her actions, or even betraying it to any save the most observant, like him. She stared at him a long moment before turning her attention back to Tabs.

Cyrix considered interjecting himself into the conversation, and greeting the newcomer along with Tabs, however her caution sparked his own. She was clearly afraid, and just as clearly had something to hide. The road to MeGosh is not a place one expected to run into the cautious. Cyrix realized even as he thought it, that if she were an experienced traveler, she would be just as off put by his appearance, as he was by hers. After another moment of observation, Cyrix decided that the threat she posed to him was controllable, and gave into his desire to interact with the two of them.

All at once, Cyrix detached himself from the side of the tree,and leaving his twisted metal staff leaning against it, began to walk toward them. He noted the subtle shift of posture of the wagon driver to keep a throwing arm at easy angle toward him, yet in no other way did she betray her preparation to fight. Cyrix judged that so long as they did not trigger violence themselves, that she would not start it either.

“We come from MeGosh!” Tabs was explaining with a bright smile. “We are on a quest to find out about the world. We are headed to Hammond to do some trading and seek out more information about the places beyond.”

“That’s… unusual, for MeGosh, is it not?” the wagon driver asked.

“It is.” Tabs smiled sheepishly, her cheeks coloring visibly even in the flickering fire light. “I guess I’ve always been a little different.”

“My name is Ella,” the driver stated, and Cyrix could tell from the way she said it that it was not her real name. “I’m taking some surplus supplies from an unusually bountiful harvest to MeGosh to see if we can sell them before they go bad.” Ella also smiled, but the facial expression didn’t quite seem to reach her eyes.

“I am Cyrix”, he introduced himself as he reached them, giving a small nod to his head as he had seen others do in MeGosh when introducing themselves to him. “I am merely a traveler, a seeker of knowledge, currently in the company of Miss Tabs Zolina here. You are welcome to our fire.”

“Thank you,” Ella replied. “I intend to drive through the night, but I would not turn down drink and trade.”

“Oh wonderful!” Tabs said almost giddy with excitement and rushed back to camp to prepare a the pile of items that were on her mental list of items to purge from her bags. Cyrix followed Tabs back to camp, Ella following behind him, keeping a comfortable distance without trying to seem unfriendly.

Tabs poured Ella a cup of fuma, which had been brewing in a special pot that Tabs had produced from her travel pack earlier, then set the pot back on the edge of a folding metal grate which itself had been set over the fire. She then gestured at the pile of items which she proudly displayed laying on a colorful cloth near to the fire.

Cyrix noticed Ella took a long, slow sniff of the warm fumes emanating from the hot drink, her eyes closed in concentration, then she took the smallest cautious sip. She smiled carefully again and nodded in thanks, and after a moment took another larger sip. Then she carefully bent over and studied the items that Tabs presented to her.

“Are those hair dye packets?” Ella asked pointing.

“Yes!” Tabs said cheerfully with a little bit of surprise. “Only my personal selection, but I have several hues of green and blue and a few singles of yellow and red.”

“You’re willing to part with them?” Ella asked arching an eyebrow.

“I may have been overzealous in packing for this adventure.” Tabs admitted sheepishly. “These are extras.”

“Very well.” Ella said, bending down further she selected three packets, a couple hues of green and a bright red. “What would you like for these?”

“Those cost me 5wt, each at the market.” Tabs said happily. “That’s 15wt together.”

“That’s… what you want for them?” Ella asked with an arched eyebrow.

“It’s the fair price.” Tabs replied, confusion in her voice.

“That it is.” Ella said with a smile of her own as she produced 3 wooden 5wt coins from the satchel at her belt. “I’m pretty well provisioned beyond that. I don’t expect I’ll need anything more.”

“Oh,” Tabs said with a tiny bit of disappointment. She had clearly hoped her first travelers trade would be more interesting. She covered her disappointment quickly with a friendly smiled. “Thank you very much.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have much myself except a load of fuma beans, which you seem well provisioned with already.” Ella replied. “Unless you want a fresh sack, I think I’ll be on my way, with your thanks.”

Tabs nodded, and Cyrix mirrored the gesture. The two of them watched in silence as Ella returned to her wagon, gently flicking the reigns to motivate the yorn, then slowly continued on her way.

“That was amazing!” Tabs said once the wagon was out of ear shot. “Real travelers meeting in the night, exchanging stories and supplies.

“The first of many,” Cyrix stated, still watching the wagon vanish into the distant night. “I’m certain of that.”

* * *

For almost an hour, Myrrah replayed the events over and over in her head. Netta and Drias had long since fallen asleep for real after pretending for so long. The bright moonlight bathed the wagon’s path before her such that every bump and dip was clearly visible to her. At last, she decided that Tabs, really had been from MeGosh, and almost certainly not traveling in the company of an agent of Eretasi. Cyrix, however, chilled her to the bone. Whatever he was, she hoped never to meet his like again.



