Open Chronicles Scavenger

[Kade Anvar]

"There you are."

Kade Anvar had been traveling north of Ragash. He walked along the Baal-Asha's green edge looking for a specific plant: an Asha Razor. Master Jalil needed a few leaves of such, and that provided for Kade a task, something to do to earn some coin. Aisha, Kade's little sister, had a birthday coming up, and he wanted to get her something. He'd bought a new pair of sandals for his baby brother Tahir a few months ago on his birthday (a pair of sandals that actually fit him comfortably) and he didn't want to let Aisha down. He wasn't...well, Kade wasn't quite sure what he would get her. He had some ideas--alright, plenty of ideas, truth be told--but the coin in his pocket didn't match up well with most of them. Ah well. Everybody had to eat, right? Not a lot of leftover coin after that.

Kade knelt down by the Asha Razor growing close to the River's bank. The sound of the flowing water was constant--relaxing, really. Serene. Went with the bushes and long grass and palm trees and all the rest of the vegetation that grew along the mighty rivers of Amol-Kalit. These thin blue and green lines running down from the Seret Mountains and to the Gulf of Annuak or Cortosi Coast were havens in the desert. And, as it so happened, where Kade did the vast majority of his work. Not only were they beautiful, these oases, but they provided for him and thus for his siblings too.

It was late in the afternoon, with the day's light on the wane, and there was something else. Something that didn't happen so often. Rain. Not yet, but Kade could smell it on the air, carried by the wind. It had been overcast all day--another rarity around Ragash--and it looked like this would be one of the few days out of the year when rain fell. Not just a little, by the dark gray look of those clouds and the steady blowing of the wind--a lot, once it finally came.

Heh. It would just be today, when Kade was out relatively far from Ragash (might not even make it back tonight) because he had a hell of a time trying to find the elusive Asha Razor.

Well, found one now at least.

Kade reached back and lifted the tail end of his tunic and touched the thick leather gloves he had tucked between his belt and his pants. Just touched them. Didn't take them out.

He eyed the Asha Razor. Whoever named it wasn't kidding around. The big leaves of the plant were all barbed, the edges of them lined with what looked like an arsenal of bee stingers. The flat tops and bottoms of the leaves were okay, but the leaves overlapped one another to a great extent.

"You know," Kade said, voicing this thoughts out loud. "You gave me all this trouble, I'm probably gonna get rained on, but what if..." He raised his hands and grinned and made two little waves with his fingers, "...I show you who's boss?"

He pulled out his utility knife. Held it in his right hand. Carefully leaned toward the Asha Razor. Touched the first leaf and held it steady and got the knife into position.

"I got this. Easy. Call me a soldier of the Red Sands if I don't."

Careful. Careful. Sawing away at the stem of the leaf by the Razor's base. Easy. Hah...ah...got it! First one done and done. Into the satchel it goes. Next up, come on down to the Grand Bazaar, don't got all day now do we? Easy...easy...little movements with the knife...don't rock the boat, as they say...but honestly who'd be on a boat to begin with? There. Second leaf down. One more ought to do it. If only Master Jalil could see...got the greenest thumb in Ragash, try and tell me I don't. Maybe I could sell those gloves and get something even nicer for--

"Ah!"

The last leaf Kade was holding jostled when it had come loose from the plant, and one of the sharp barbs of another leaf pricked the pointer finger of Kade's left hand. He put the last leaf into his shoulder satchel and turned his hand upward to look at his finger.

Blood. Not a lot, but enough to turn that last segment of his index finger red. The barb of the Razor had plunged effortlessly deep into his finger, and it stung. Hot sands, did it sting!

And right...then the first few drops of rain began to fall.

Kade stood. Didn't bother to patch up his finger yet. He wanted to get out of the rain first before it really started to come down. And, figuring this might happen, he had kept a mental note of places he could go for shelter until the rains passed.

Kade sprinted. Sprinted through the long grasses and up a slight hill somewhat removed from the bank of the river. He saw a place ("place" was a generous word for it, he reckoned) and it was only good long sprint--a few minutes' worth or so--from where he eventually found an Asha Razor.

There. An old wagon by an old path, both which had clearly fallen out of use. The wagon had all four of its wheels scavenged; only the wooden wagon bed, set flat on the hardpacked sand, and the torn canvas top remained. The whole canvas top wasn't torn, or else it'd be an awful shelter. For now, it'd do.

AHH! The rain was COLD! How could it be so cold when the day was so warm by comparison?

Fortunately, Kade hopped into the destitute wagon before the rain started coming down in sheets outside. The tear in the canvas was toward the front, so it was perfectly fine to hunker down and stay dry in the fully in the back. Kade sat down, watched the rain pick up in intensity outside as he caught his breath.

And he let out an exhilarated laugh inside the old wagon.

* * * * *​

Unbeknownst to Kade, two forces were converging on his refuge.

A hostile clan of Ngonya Beastmen, and the company of mercenaries hired by the Emir of Ragash to intercept them.

Though both were unseen and unheard now by distance, that gap was closing.

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

Out of the heavy downpour heavy footfalls made their way towards the aged wagon, and out of the growing gloom a tall humanoid shape loomed forward, obviously also targeting the wagon for shelter. The rain had begun to drench the robes and hood of the figure and bounced off the bronze armor pieces.

But as the tall figure drew nearer he seemed to get taller... And taller... Till when he arrived he was substantially over seven or eight feet tall.
A large bronze Kopesh was sheathed at his side and his face was actually a painted mask also made of bronze.

____________________________________​

Rain... Kalia had seen much of it in his travels and it never ceased to awe him, being born and raised in the Kalitian desert he only knew of its sparse existence, but it frequently visited the other countries and he got to see more rain than he'd ever seen when he was alive.
He was traveling alone along the lush riverside, he currently has no pressing goals and decided to take his time enjoying the serenity of the scene.

The first raindrops struck his mask which drew the painted eyes of the immobile bronze face upwards to examine the dark clouds overhead. He loved the rain but it often diluted the herbs and incense he used in his wrappings to mask the smell of death from his bare bones. Shelter was required for convenience.
The abandoned wagon (that was no longer abandoned) was spotted and Kalia made his way towards it as the rain began dumping on him.

He approached the wagon and ducked to get under what remained of the tarp where he finally noticed the young man.
"Oh, apologies I didn't know this was already claimed. Might I share this shelter with you, young man? I won't be a bother I promise."
He spoke with a confident and almost corney accent like the voice of a story teller acting out the hero of an old tale for children.
He remained with his masked face just inside the shelter, but didn't fully enter until invited.

 

[Kade Anvar]

Kade took his satchel off from his shoulder and set it down beside him. Probably was going to be a while in here. Sometimes these rains rolled in and lasted all of about a half an hour and then the sun would come back out and within another half an hour it looked like it had never rained at all. This didn't seem like one of those times. This was one of those big rainstorms. The ones that lasted a while and the rain came down in curtains. Would've actually been nice if he wasn't stuck so far outside of the city and had a lot of walking ahead of him.

Heh, Tahir and Aisha had snuck out of the house last time one of these rainstorms had come through, played in the rain so much that Tahir came down with a cold that scared the hell out of Mom. It really wasn't all that serious. But Kade was trying to avoid coming back to the city with one if he could help it. Red, drippy nose, sneezing, nah, rather not deal with that.

But he still had his finger. The one pricked by the Asha Razor. Ah, he'd almost had it! Almost got all three leaves without using his gathering gloves and without being pricked. He was doing better than before. Better than when he made a horse's ass out of himself by trying to swing on one of the vines Master Jalil had sent him to collect and spilling out into a pool of mud. Most gathering jobs were simple, but he was getting the hang of the ones that weren't.

Kade didn't want to get blood on any of his clothes (nor did he want to tear up his scarf even more). Maybe he could tear up a strip of canvas from the wagontop. Wasn't like it was going to hurt the wagon any more than it was already hurt. But canvas, well, heh heh, didn't exactly make for the best impromptu bandages, huh? Thick and rough. There was that old saying about beggars and choosers, though, and Kade didn't have a variety of clothes and fabrics before him, now did he?

Then Kade heard a voice.

He looked, a flash of surprise in his eyes at the sight of the unexpected guest. Listened. What kind of accent was that? Sounded exaggerated as hell. This man a minstrel or play-actor or something? And hot sands, was he tall.

"You never missed a meal, huh? Think you can fit in here?" Kade said, unable to hide a mirthful smirk. He waved him in. "Ah, I'm sure you can make do. Welcome to the Anvar Inn, ha ha! Isn't much, but make yourself at home."

And, a moment later, Kade just had to ask: "What's with the mask, stranger?"

* * * * *​

The march of the Ngonya Beastmen and the Company continued, regardless of the rain.

Kalia Oro Khastan

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

"You never missed a meal, huh? Think you can fit in here?" Kade said, unable to hide a mirthful smirk. He waved him in. "Ah, I'm sure you can make do. Welcome to the Anvar Inn, ha ha! Isn't much, but make yourself at home."

Behind the reposing expression of the burial mask his exaggerated voice sounded just as mirthful and smiling as the young man and he laughed deep and boisterously.
"Ha ha ha! Well, young master, so long as you don't charge an arm and a leg I'll take you up on your offer!"
He bent a little lower under the tarp and found room to sit cross-legged beside the youth.

"What's with the mask, stranger?"

It didn't take long at all for the inquisitive young man to cut straight to the chase.
The unique thing about the mask he wore was that the eyes were painted without any visible hole to see through, but he seemed to be able to see just fine.
He chuckled at the question, even so it was a question he heard often and had an answer prepared.
"I'm an Adventurer, Kalia Khastan. I found this mask, armor and weapons in the tomb of an ancient Kalitian king!"
All of which was true, except that it was his own tomb he looted and the mask was a bronze replica of his face and the appearance he had when he was alive.

He drew his Kopesh and a cleaning cloth and laid it across his knees to proceed wiping away the water to prevent rust. He would need to wipe down the rest of his equipment but it could wait.

As he worked the young man may notice between the armor and robes that his body was tightly wrapped in white linen bandages.
"Do you live around here, young man? Or are you a traveler as well?"

Kalia's senses were sharp, but even he couldn't detect the approaching danger that would catch them in the crossfire.

 

[Kade Anvar]

Young master? Never been called that before. Bit of a flattering ring to it, even if Kade really wasn't a master of anything. Something to work toward maybe, especially if he stayed apprenticed to Master Jalil.

Kalia Khastan was the giant's name (the man was close enough to one, didn't hurt to give him the honorary title, eh?). An adventurer. Now how in the world did adventurers make money? Kade always wondered that. He knew about them, sure: wandering people from all over traveling the world and doing things. Getting into trouble. Now that sounded fun. But what did they do exactly? They had to eat and sleep somewhere, and that cost coin. Kade could scarcely imagine the stacks of coin needed to sleep at an inn every night for days and weeks and months.

Maybe this was part of it? Delving into old ruins, treasure hunting, that sort of thing. Heh, maybe that's what it was to be an adventurer: doing a little bit of everything. Part plunderer, part mercenary, part traveler, part merchant, all of it.

Part scavenger too, yeah.

"You just found that stuff? Well hey, nice find. What are the chances, huh? You explore an old tomb and you find armor that fits a man as big as you. That ancient Kalitian king must've been a big guy too."

Honestly, Kade didn't even know if Kalia was human. An orc, maybe, they got to be really tall like that. Way more common for them than for humans. Kade himself might be lucky to get another inch or two under his belt, but he wasn't counting on it.

A tremor of nervousness passed over Kade when Kalia drew his Kopesh, but it quickly passed.

Kade thought about asking Kalia if he ever tried to get that gear appraised. Had to be worth a lot--good way to get those stacks of coin for all the nights at an inn. Maybe he didn't want to sell it. It looked like good gear to Kade. High quality stuff. Why not keep it and use it to earn coin in other ways? Times got tight he could always sell it if he really needed to.

A question from Kalia.

"I do live around here. In Ragash, not too far to the south. I'm Kade Anvar, by the way." He grinned. "Not an adventurer, and I've certainly never delved into any tombs. Just a weed-picker for an old alchemist, an errand boy for folks around Ragash, and a decent runner--only ever fallen flat on my face once."

He conveniently left out the reason why he became so proficient at "running."

Kade continued, casual and genial in tone, "I don't know how you do it, Kalia. Adventuring. Making a living off of it. It's crazy. A good kind of crazy. But crazy."

* * * * *​

Closer.

Kalia Oro Khastan

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

"You just found that stuff? Well hey, nice find. What are the chances, huh? You explore an old tomb and you find armor that fits a man as big as you. That ancient Kalitian king must've been a big guy too."

He nodded laughing as he cleaned his Kopesh, "Bigger, he had more meat on his bones than me it seems. I've had to refit the pieces a little. There's lots of fame and fortune found in old tombs, but not without danger and death. Those old tombs are filled to the brim with traps and monsters and it takes a lot of research and knowledge to get in and out in one piece."
He tapped the side of his head through his hood, if he had a real face he would be smiling, "It also helps if you can read and write ancient Kalitian. Scholars on the old tongue are few and far between, but it helps immensely when you can read the warnings and instructions left behind by the old tomb makers."

A tremor of nervousness passed over Kade when Kalia drew his Kopesh, but it quickly passed.

He detected his momentary disease at his drawing of his weapon, he paused in cleaning it and flipped the large weapon in his hand, offering him the hilt.
"See if you can heft that, this is the enchanted blade of the same king who's armor I'm wearing. One cut can turn you from a child to an old man and then to dust in mere moments!"

"I do live around here. In Ragash, not too far to the south. I'm Kade Anvar, by the way." He grinned. "Not an adventurer, and I've certainly never delved into any tombs. Just a weed-picker for an old alchemist, an errand boy for folks around Ragash, and a decent runner--only ever fallen flat on my face once."

He nodded as his listened, "Well met, Master Anvar. Alchemy is a fine profession, I applaud you for pursuing such a prestigious art! You may be surprised to learn that young men like you are few and far between in other parts of the world. Men who simply make themselves available for whatever work or service is required of them. It builds a reputation among your community and people will think highly of you because of your willingness to work."
He never had the chance to be anything like this Kade Anvar when he was his age. From the day he was born he was property of the kingdom, a slave warrior in the royal army of Djedi Akhmis. Kalia never had the chance to be normal even had he been born a normal man. And even after he escaped the life of a slave he was thrust into the life of a king.

"I don't know how you do it, Kalia. Adventuring. Making a living off of it. It's crazy. A good kind of crazy. But crazy."

He shrugged, "Well, working freelance isn't as rewarding as working with a guild, moneywise at least. But I don't require much to get by. Basically I'm a private contractor, I take the odd jobs that others are too afraid to do, which often comes down to monster hunting. And I do it for monetary reward, yes, but also for the chance to explore and see the world!"
The painted eyes gazed out into the driving rain.

Kalia doesn't truly have eyes, per say... Beneath his mask his entire face is completely covered and wrapped in burial wrappings and beneath that is his skeleton that was stripped of any preserved flesh in a sand storm. But in spite of lacking any and all organs his animating force provides him with the senses he needs and more.
Thus, even without true eyes he could see dark shapes approaching, many of them, rank and file, human sized.
Being a skeleton he couldn't tense up in readiness, but his voice did carry the same message, "There isn't an army looking for you is there?"

 

[Kade Anvar]

Part scholar too, adventurers. Add that to it. Because, wow, that was a lot to take in. You really had to know your stuff if you wanted to do something like that. Heh, where would you even begin? Kade had a hard enough time just trying to live a normal life in Ragash. How the hell did people just put down a life like Kade's and pick up a life like Kalia's? Obviously there was a way, but for the life of him Kade just couldn't see it.

After elaborating on the tomb, Kalia offered the hilt of his (whoa, that is a big--) sword to Kade. Though a bit unsure--he'd never hefted anything larger than his utility knife--Kade reached over with his uninjured left hand and took the blade after a slight one-sided smile. And he was keenly aware of how Kalia had described it. Enchanted, turns people to dust. If he cut himself with this in the same whoops-I-messed-up manner as he had with the Asha Razor, that...wouldn't be good.

Kade held the sword one way. Then flipped it around carefully and held it the other. Admiring it. He missed some of what Kalia had said next. Just the Master Anvar part.

...Men who simply make themselves available for whatever work or service is required of them.

"I do what I can," Kade said in a nonchalant way. He also did what he must. He was the eldest son in the Anvar family, and when Mom had a streak of bad days at the market or Dad couldn't get much work as a stonemason, Kade took it upon himself to make sure Tahir and Aisha had something to eat every night. Neither his mother nor his father questioned where Kade would get those bits of extra coin in so timely a manner--maybe they just preferred to think he'd gotten it from his work for Master Jalil, and left it at that.

Kalia made it sound easy. Working freelance, working with a guild, being an adventurer in general. Even that bit about monster hunting. Like it was no big deal. The only monsters Kade had slain were the big camel spiders that scared Aisha half to death whenever she saw one. Not actual monsters, those, heh. Though Kade would sure take a contact to go step on a bunch if somebody wanted to pay him to do it.

Kade was still turning Kalia's kopesh this way and that when...Kalia asked him an odd question.

"What? An army? Haha, no. Even the Red Sands wouldn't have wasted their time on someone like me. What would they even get from me?" He nudged the satchel set beside him. "A few spikey leaves? Nah, no one ought to be looking for me. I'm not that much of a troublemaker."

Then it occurred to him after his jovial response, and his voice dipped down into apprehensiveness.

"...Why do you ask?"

* * * * *​

Figures, approaching from the north and from the south, through the sheets of falling rain.

Kalia Oro Khastan

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

"I do what I can,"

"Well I envy you still. I know what it's like to have very little, I was a slave when I was around your age, but unlike you I never made the most of my situation until I was much older."
He nudged him good naturedly.
"Take courage now, Master Anvar. You have your whole life ahead of you and the whole world at your feet. Be wise as a serpent but gentle as a dove. But if you wait for a sign from the gods or the inspiration to come upon you, your time to fulfill your dreams will pass before you know it."

"What? An army? Haha, no. Even the Red Sands wouldn't have wasted their time on someone like me. What would they even get from me?" He nudged the satchel set beside him. "A few spikey leaves? Nah, no one ought to be looking for me. I'm not that much of a troublemaker."

Then it occurred to him after his jovial response, and his voice dipped down into apprehensiveness.

"...Why do you ask?"

He held out his hand for his sword.
"Could be a coincidence... But a large group of soldiers are coming this way. It's hard to make out from the rain but I count a small raiding force."
He couldn't see behind the wagon, so the enemies approaching from that direction went unnoticed.
"Stay low, Master Anvar. I, Kalia Khastan, will protect you if it comes down to a fight."
He drew the double bladed scepter from its back sheath and slowly rose to a crouching position to peer out of the shelter at the approaching force.

 

[Kade Anvar]

Kade handed the kopesh back to Kalia without asking any further questions. Better off in his hands than in Kade's. He did say army, right? He had said army. What the hell was an army doing out this way? Was it from Ragash or somewhere else in the Empire? Kade hoped so. Maybe it wouldn't amount to much; the army might well just pass them on by, maybe knowing and not caring that they were here or not knowing at all.

"Stay low," Kade said. "Don't have to tell me twice."

Kade stayed seated in the back of the wagon, the enclosed quarters of the pillaged wagon fostering the false impression that it was somehow sequestered away from the happenings of the outside world. Wouldn't that be nice--a sanctuary against misfortune. But soon Kade could start to hear the approaching march of not one, but two separate forces out in the rain, the slogging, pounding, sloshing footsteps (and hoofsteps) of them all.

For all the negligible value of it, Kade held his breath for a stretch of time.

* * * * *​

The clan of Ngonya Beastmen saw the company of mercenaries. And they did not know why the company was here. They did not know that this was the plan: that they had been flushed south by the Ragashan military, only to be intercepted by men they did not expect to be hostile.

The two forces halted at some distance from one another. The closest beastman and the closest mercenary on either side about thirty to forty feet removed from the diminished wagon that Kade and Kalia sheltered inside of.

The mercenary captain called out an ostensibly friendly greeting to the Beastmen. Agitated hesitation among the clan. Then one among the Beastmen's number called back, speaking in their native tongue. Without missing a beat, the captain called back to the Beastmen who had spoke, switching from Common to the Beastman's own tongue. A plea from the Beastmen, followed by what sounded like a curt explanation. The speaking Beastman, perhaps their leader given his age, had stepped out from the ranks.

And that is when the mercenary captain shot him dead with his crossbow.

The mercenaries charged, all letting out a battlecry. Not to be outdone, the Beastmen drew their own weapons if they had them and counter-charged and gave fierce, bestial battlecries of their own.

The battle was joined in the falling rain.

* * * * *​

Kade heard the shouts of battle. The clashes of it.

Surprise first marked his expression.

Then a sly grin came across it.

Kalia Oro Khastan