Open Chronicles On The Edges of Empire

[Edric]

The Horseman - Najrala

Two weeks. Two bloody, hot, fucking exhausting weeks of crossing the Desert of Amol-Kalit.

It wasn't the first time Edric had traipsed across the great dunes, but it was the first time he'd done it by choice. Not that it had been an easy one to make. Chasmine had suggested using the Portal Stones, but ultimately after his...encounter in Tyr the risk had seemed too great. Wanted Poster had floated all over the world, and more than a few Bounty Hunters had already come calling for his head.

So the choice had been made easy, in a way, and thus Edric had decided to cross the desert. Maui had given him a map, and after packing some provisions he'd set out. The journey had been...difficult, but it had not taken long for him to figure out how to use his magics to find the Oasis' which spotted Amol-Kalit. Those sparks of light in the barren wasteland offering him a bright path through the desert sands.

Not that it made handling the sun any easier, nor the half a dozen desert tribes he'd encountered.

Luckily, the latter had been more inclined to talking than fighting, something Edric was getting better at, and so he'd finally made it safely to Najrala.

He stood, alone, on the tallest dune near the city. His gaze flowing over the towering walls thick as three men laying down, the expanse of the ocean laying just beyond a city teeming with life. Farms, fed by an ancient aquifer, flowed out from beyond the city, and among them scrabbled roads and barns carved from the soft stone of the desert.

For a moment, Edric simply stood, letting out a long sigh of relief as he let his eyes flow down the dunes and towards the road below. A steady stream of camels and traders slowly walking along. "Easy enough."

The Rogue Dreadlord commented more to himself than the only source of cold he'd felt in weeks.

"Let's hope he's still alive." Edric mused as he went to join the throng of people.

 

[Chasmine]

The two weeks had been easy enough for Chasmine - for she was already dead and comfortably ensconced as a spirit within a book inside Edric's travel bag. The desert had it's own challenges for her, however, as not only was it quite bereft of life itself but also of Leylines and their energies. He'd crossed one or two along the way, enabling Chas to take a more active role in keeping him company during those short days, but for the most part she remained occupying the pages of the book.

She'd at one point brought up the discussion, yet again, of his travels and he'd told her of a time before when he'd been sent to the dune sea on a mission with Kristen. While he'd not given her all the gory details, it sounded as if it had been quite the adventure between them indeed.

By the time Ed reached The Horseman she was feeling the flow of Ley energies once more. What a pleasant boon for her.

"Is there any reason to believe he is not?" the spirit asked him and his words.

 

[Edric]

"Well." Edric began as he stalked down the side of the dune. "If my luck holds, he probably will be."

Every single time he had ventured out from the Steppe there had been some sort of disaster. No matter if it was Deliv, Tyr, or wherever else there always seemed to be some hiccup that he had to deal with. If the scholar was still alive and helped without incident?

Well, that would be a turn of fortune. "Hopefully he's fine."

And no Imperial Fingers or whatever they were called tried to kill him. Not that it would be much of an issue.

Rolling his shoulders, Edric joined the flowing crowd of traders and merchants. No one batted an eye at him, his visage no more concerning than any one of the dozen foreigners already within the throng of people. "We'll need to distract the Guards."

He mused to himself as they neared the gate, mostly because he'd rather spare the coin it would take to bribe them.

 

[Chasmine]

There was no denying that bad luck did seem to hound Edric's steps. Were she alive, she might've offered a shrugging nod of a consented point. Alas.

Hopefully, indeed.

She did not linger on the thought for long as whenever given a chance to be useful with the ability to do so, Chasmine was quick to fulfill a need.

"Pull your shawl over your face like the other travelers," she told him, "we do not know if it posters these cities as well." Edric would feel the telltale sensation of roving cold leave his side as his spirit companion moved from her book and through the crowds around him unseen, but felt like a fleeting curiosity.

She drifted across the wider expanse of the thoroughfare and took up residence in an older woman traveling with her family caravan. Blinking away dark browns for paler hues, the woman paused as their wagons moved forward, and looked about for some young buck to harass. With a purposeful stagger, woman toppled into a man who fell forward into a crowd of others, causing a domino effect of dropped goods, spooked beasts of burden, and a general kerfuffle of shouting and chaos.

"THIEF!" shouted the woman as she flailed about on the ground, "SCOUNDREL! HELP ME!"

 

[Edric]

Edric did as Chasmine suggested, gently taking the edge of his shawl and pulling it over his face. A shiver running up his spine as she floated away.

It did not take him long to figure out what she was doing. By now the months they had spent together and that odd connection between the two of them allowed him some insight into her intent. After a few seconds of simply continuing along with the crowd, chaos broke out.

Almost as soon as the 'woman' began to scream, the guards rushed away from the entrance of the gate and ran towards the scene.

Dozens of eyes flickered over towards the commotion, and within the span of a second Edric rushed forward.

Magic suffused his muscles, and he darted like a blur through the crowd and the open gateway. Slipping into the city of Najrala without bribe or documents. His steps slowing almost the instant he reached beyond the guard, joining the throng of a crowd in the open marketplace. "Don't know what I'd do without you."

Edric said with a grin, eyes flickering over shop signs as he began the search for Khonsu's store.

 

[Chasmine]

"I imagine you would punch more people..." Chasmine's reply chimed back at him as she returned to her book in his bag. The moment the guards had arrived upon the scene of chaos the spirit had fled it's host, leaving the elder woman feeling disoriented and confused. There were likely several people that would be spending the evening in a cell for no good reason other than to grant Edric easy passage into the city.

"Though I do wish I could be of more help." Residing in a book was about as fun as residing in a soulgem - it wasn't particularly exciting or useful.