Because it was magic, they were able to talk to each other despite being far apart. Over four hundred miles separated the two, but to Lady Magnolia and Teriarch, their conversation felt as if they were sitting side by side.<\/p>\n
If he closed his eyes, Teriarch could imagine Magnolia sitting by him. Not the older, distinguished [Lady] of now, but the young girl of then.<\/p>\n
Thirty years? Forty? He lost track sometimes. It seemed like it had all passed in the blink of an eye, a single beat of his heart. But now the girl full of laughter and mischief was gone.<\/p>\n
In her place was a woman no less than the girl she\u2019d replaced. But she was different. Youth and energy had been overtaken by\u2014well, more energy, but of a different kind. Hopes and dreams became ambitions tempered by practicality. Impulse and instinct became wisdom. Recklessness transcended to grace.<\/p>\n
He loved her for it. But she was growing older. That was something neither he nor she could escape. In time, she would die. Not now\u2014not for many years still. Decades, perhaps. But she would die, and he would remain. Unchanging.<\/p>\n
It was his nature, and Teriarch felt it weigh more heavily whenever he found someone like Magnolia. A rare mortal with a spark. It was their nature. They brought light and passion to his life, but like sparks and fireflies, they died all too quickly.<\/p>\n
Because it was magic, they could speak even from this distance. Because it was his<\/em> magic, they could speak without fear of eavesdropping, even from the most powerful mages living on the continent. But it still didn\u2019t mean she could be here, in front of him. Magic could do many things, but it was only a means to an end, not an excuse for miracles.<\/p>\n Teriarch harrumphed<\/em> irritably. But power necessitated safeguards, especially in Reinhart\u2019s case. It would be difficult\u2014even for him\u2014to disable her complex protections and teleport her all the way here. And vice versa. His home was warded with more spells against intrusion than he could remember. No, transport was impossible.<\/p>\n So they talked. Because it was magic, they could hear the emotions in each other\u2019s voice, sense the subtleties of their dialogue. Sometimes, Teriarch wished this were not the case.<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot<\/em> believe you let her find her way into your little cave and let her go without even asking her name!\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch winced and adjusted his spell so Reinhart\u2019s voice was less loud in his ears. He spoke irritably into the air, his left eye twitching.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not take that tone with me, Reinhart. I thought she was just some Courier \u2013 and an inept one at that. I healed her and gave her a mission. How was I<\/em> to know it was the girl? Besides, I did ask her name at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I can see it did you a world of good. Well done.\u201d<\/p>\n Some said Magnolia Reinhart, the deadly flower blooming in the north, was a [Lady] of unflappable grace and cunning. But Teriarch had known Magnolia for a long time, and she was far more direct and cutting with her remarks with him.<\/p>\n \u201cShe survived. I teleported her back to the city. Besides, your<\/em> information didn\u2019t help me locate her. I tried to scry her numerous times before and after I met her, to no avail. This is on your head.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s voice cracked back through the magical spell, making Teriarch wince and wish he could cast a [Silence] spell on her until she calmed down.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you her name, and she told you her name. Ryoka Griffin. If you can\u2019t scry her, it must be your magic that\u2019s at fault. Perhaps she\u2019s warded in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo magic could defeat my spells so utterly. No, there must be some trick to her name.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the only explanation Teriarch could think of. Scrying required the exact name of the person he wished to see, or failing that, a piece of clothing or some part of them. He wished he\u2019d kept some of the blood she\u2019d dripped all over his cave, but of course he\u2019d burned it all away.<\/p>\n \u201cShe must have lied to me, and to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow, pray? She doesn\u2019t have any skills\u2014or levels! She\u2019s a girl without a class<\/em>, Teriarch. Do you know how extraordinary it is that she made it to your cave without any help?\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch growled.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m well aware. And my abode is not a \u2018cave\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour little hovel, then. Your crack in the side of the mountain. Your little pit where you hoard shiny objects and hide from the world. I am telling you, that girl is important!\u201d<\/p>\n Indignant, Teriarch opened his mouth to retort, but Magnolia rolled right over him, as she\u2019d done so many times in the past.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked you to tell me if she did anything unusual. But only now<\/em> do you tell me that she threw off the spell you cast to make her deliver your ridiculous letter to Az\u2019kerash.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not ridiculous at all. It\u2019s an important message.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pointless<\/em>. And a ring? Is it magical, or merely symbolic?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it\u2019s magical.\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch was somewhat miffed. Who would bother with nonmagical rings? He tried to regain control of the conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cMy message is\u2014not as important as why<\/em> Ryoka Griffin was able to break my spell. Are you sure she has no classes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery sure. Which is why <\/em>I asked you to learn more about her.\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch ground his teeth together angrily. But Reinhart had a point. She always had a point. It was just that he disliked how her pointing things out tended to make it seem as if he was incompetent. He opened his mouth to retort and paused. Something was tugging at the edge of his thoughts. He frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on. Something is approaching my cave\u2014I mean, my place of residence.\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch muttered a word, and a picture appeared in his thoughts, depicting the surrounding area of the High Passes. He focused on the image and blinked.<\/p>\n His jaw dropped about three meters.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe it. It\u2019s her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer? Ryoka?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s in the High Passes, heading this way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow am I supposed to know that? Silence, woman. I have to concentrate.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka was running straight through the pass towards his cave. Well, she knew the location, but she wasn\u2019t under attack. Teriarch frowned. Why was that?<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia\u2019s voice shrilled in Teriarch\u2019s mind, making him wince irritably.<\/p>\n \u201cMake sure she gets here alive! You must\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes. But she doesn\u2019t seem to need my assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n There was something to it. Teriarch could see monsters nearby, but they were moving away<\/em> from Ryoka. Why?<\/p>\n Teriarch frowned, drew in a deep breath, and coughed. He felt a terrible stinging pain in his nose and nearly gagged as a faint odor assailed his nostrils. He looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is that smell?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat smell?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Half a day earlier…<\/em><\/p>\n I can\u2019t do this. Dealing with pushy shopkeepers is one thing, but I can\u2019t handle people. I just\u2026never know what to say.<\/p>\n Garia and I took a break from Octavia once I\u2019d pried my potion from her grip. I needed a break, and I also needed to tell her about the Horns of Hammerad.<\/p>\n I\u2019d nearly forgotten she didn\u2019t know. And the worst part was, she started asking me how their journey into the ruins had gone. She was so cheerful, and I wiped the smile right off her face.<\/p>\n I\u2014didn\u2019t know how to say it. I\u2019ve never had to break bad news to anyone. And it was horrible.<\/p>\n She started crying. Garia just sort of folded in on herself and started crying. In the street, I mean. In front of everyone.<\/p>\n What are you supposed to do when someone\u2019s lost someone? What would Erin have done? I just sort of patted Garia on the shoulder and waited for her to stop. But she couldn\u2019t. I stood there, trying to calm her down and\u2014<\/p>\n It took her a long time before she stopped crying. Her face after all that was\u2026not a pretty sight. I gave her a handkerchief\u2014a bandage I kept for injuries, really\u2014and she told me she could find her way back to her inn.<\/p>\n That was it. I watch Garia as she stumbles down the street, eyes red and puffy. Damn it. What was I supposed to do? What was I\u2026<\/p>\n People. It shouldn\u2019t be like this. I shouldn\u2019t have to deal with them. This is what comes of having people who think they know you. If I were alone I wouldn\u2019t have this issue. And the Horns of Hammerad. They\u2014<\/p>\n They shouldn\u2019t have died. Not like that.<\/p>\n Sometimes I just feel so tired. But then I keep going, keep running forwards because that\u2019s all I know how to do. I cling to what I know. Ceria is alive, and I owe it to the others to make sure she\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n Money. Eighty gold pieces. Money for power, security, freedom. I never had to worry about that back home. I wasn\u2019t rich\u2014<\/p>\n Actually, I was. Having a father who counts as a big hitter in both politics and business means that I earned about as much as someone working just above the poverty line as an allowance. And that\u2019s even without counting the things I got as presents.<\/p>\n Not a good thought. But it\u2019s better than thinking of how miserable Garia is right now. Well. At least all of this has one good effect. I\u2019m royally pissed when I walk back into Octavia\u2019s shop, the accurately named Stitchworks.<\/p>\n She brightens up the instant I walk back in. The entire time Garia was upset, I could sense her watching us from the door. I think she was afraid I was going to leave with my potion before she could get another chance to study it.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, good. You\u2019re back. What was that outside? Bad news for Garia? That\u2019s a real shame; you let me know if there\u2019s anything I can do to help, okay? The girl\u2019s a good customer and I have a bit of a soft spot for her to tell you to truth.\u201d<\/p>\n I just glare at her. Octavia doesn\u2019t miss a beat. She\u2019s ushering me inside in an instant, closing the door and locking it behind her. That doesn\u2019t exactly worry me\u2014if she wants secrecy that\u2019s fine. But if she wants to try to rob me, I\u2019m more than happy to introduce her to my shoe*.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Yeah, shoe. I got a new pair and ditched the Gnoll boots I was wearing. They\u2019re still tight, but I healed the blisters and at least these ones fit more or less. Damn snow. I hate<\/em> running in shoes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnyways, I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll feel better after a cry and a bit of a rest. Hot food\u2014a bath\u2014you and I, we\u2019ve still got business to attend to.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia doesn\u2019t quite point at the potion on my belt, but her eyes gleam with avarice. At least she\u2019s honestly greedy. But it still annoys me.<\/p>\n The stitch-girl spreads her hands on her counter and takes a deep breath. Here comes the pitch.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, I know I insulted you earlier with my offer. Well, I\u2019m prepared to offer you quite a deal. Fifty potions, complete as soon as I brew them. I\u2019ll trade that for\u2026half of your potion, and I\u2019ll even throw in\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut. Up.\u201d<\/p>\n Gratifyingly, Octavia does. She blinks at me as I rub at my forehead. I try to get my thoughts straight. Why the hell am I back here? Oh yeah.<\/p>\n I point at Octavia, trying to keep my eyes off the stitches on her shoulders in case that\u2019s rude or something.<\/p>\n \u201cNo offers. No deals. I don\u2019t know how expensive this potion is, but I\u2019m not selling it.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia\u2019s mouth shoots open and I speak louder.<\/p>\n \u201cBut<\/em> I\u2019ll give you some. A sample. If you stop talking and give me what I want.\u201d<\/p>\n I have her attention. And Octavia seems to be smarter than your average\u2026stitch-person, because she doesn\u2019t try to sweeten the deal or talk.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s what I want to know. First\u2014information about alchemy and your kind if none of that\u2019s a deadly secret. Second, I want a consultation on how to get through the High Passes alive.\u201d<\/p>\n For a second Octavia blinks at me, surprised. And then her eyes gleam and she smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I know a good deal for me when I hear it. And you\u2019ll give me part of your potion?\u201d<\/p>\n I hold up one finger.<\/p>\n \u201cOne tablespoon\u2019s worth.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia frowns.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not a lot. For as much information as you want, I should get at least half a cup.\u201d<\/p>\n The potion isn\u2019t that <\/em>big. I glare at her.<\/p>\n \u201cFor what? Talking? I\u2019ll let you have a 1\/64th<\/sup> of a quart. How\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n She hesitates and I can see her working out the numbers in her head.<\/p>\n \u201cHeh. I\u2019d prefer a bit more than that. How about three ounces? That\u2019s quite fair.\u201d<\/p>\n I raise an eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Five teaspoons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSix.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cS\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFive.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take that.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia grins and gives in. She sticks out a hand and I take it. I can\u2019t help but smile a tiny bit as I take her hand. She\u2019s got a strong grip, and when we let go she smiles even wider.<\/p>\n \u201cEven a small bit is worth quite a lot, you know. Far more than a few minutes or even hours of me talking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d guessed as much.\u201d<\/p>\n I probably could have bargained her down to one teaspoon or even a few drops, but that would be too much work. One of the few lessons my dad taught me that I took to heart was always know how much you can get away with in a deal and how far you can push the other side.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you\u2019ve got questions. I\u2019ve got answers.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia steps out from behind her counter and motions to a chair, but I shake my head and lean on the counter. There\u2019s enough paraphernalia and objects around her shop that I\u2019d be more afraid of knocking something dangerous over if I sat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m interested in alchemy and how it works.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd me, let\u2019s not forget that. Is this the first time you\u2019ve ever met one of the String People, Ryoka Griffin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, let\u2019s start with that. I can tell you I\u2019m just like you, more or less. I feel sensations and it\u2019s not like I have any special tricks. I can\u2019t throw my arm at you and strangle you like a Dullahan and I die if someone cuts me apart. Well\u2014I might survive that so long as my head doesn\u2019t get too badly damaged, but I burn easily. Sort of a trade-off, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia speaks easily as she finds a stool and sets it behind the counter so she can sit and talk. She speaks fast and clearly, which is actually something I prefer when I have to converse.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything else? I can change my body, it\u2019s true. But it\u2019s not like I can just turn myself into someone else like that.\u201d<\/p>\n She snaps her fingers for emphasis. I nod, and try to focus. Gather information. Ask the unspoken questions, the good ones.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you can <\/em>change yourself? That fabric that makes up your body\u2014could you change how strong you are, or what you look like?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI could do that. If I wanted to. I told you, I added some muscle for this job, and I guess I could add a bit more. But the fabric doesn\u2019t expand forever, and besides, that messes with my body if I disrupt the balance. It\u2019s all quite complex, you know. Just like alchemy. Which, by the way, isn\u2019t easy to pick up if that\u2019s what you\u2019re asking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t. I wanted to know how it works in theory. And can you change the pigment of your skin and the arm itself? Could you use another arm for instance, or are you limited to your original\u2026fabric?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHah! A scholar, are you? I\u2019ve never met a Runner like that. Only mages are that interested, but they generally know how alchemy works. What we do is take magical effects and imbue them into potions, or other objects mainly. We use reactions\u2014like how flint and steel create sparks\u2014just on a bigger scale to make potions that perform a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia points to her arms. The skin of her bare shoulder looks completely normal, and it\u2019s hard to remember the cotton fabric that had been there before.<\/p>\n \u201cMy arm\u2019s just cloth. It\u2019s not special, although I suppose there\u2019s something here that\u2019s not just stitching and cotton, huh? Back home, people argue about it all the time. Generally, you could say it\u2019s the majority of me that makes Octavia. Take too much of that away and I die, but given time I could completely change out all of my body and still be me.\u201d<\/p>\n She grins.<\/p>\n \u201cIn war, soldiers often switch so many parts that sometimes a guy will come back looking quite attractive! It\u2019s hard for a wife to find out her husband is even better endowed than she is.\u201d<\/p>\n I have to laugh at that. Octavia chuckles too, and keeps going.<\/p>\n \u201cI have dark skin because that\u2019s what the folks around me sewed me with. I guess I could change it, but I don\u2019t mind looking different even if other people do. Why? Does it bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen people with darker skin than yours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n Oops. Crap. Steer the conversation away. I shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter. I\u2019ve been around. But your alchemy\u2014how can you just say it\u2019s a reaction? I\u2019ve seen healing potions work and that\u2019s no mere reaction. There\u2019s magic in the potions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell of course.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia looks nonplussed. I suppose that\u2019s just natural around here.<\/p>\n \u201cBut do you have to be a mage to make a healing potion? How does it work exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m no mage. No, all you need are magical ingredients. You render them down by boiling and mixing and then you combine the right ones and\u2026poof!\u201d<\/p>\n She makes an exaggerated motion and laughs.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s not quite that simple. But you get the idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt still doesn\u2019t make sense. How does magic work like that? It\u2019s not a substance, or anything physical. How can you convert it into liquid form? Or\u2014change the nature of it? Unless there are healing herbs of something you just boil into a liquid.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia laces her fingers together and cracks them.<\/p>\n \u201cWow. You\u2019ve thought about this, haven\u2019t you? Well, to answer your question, it\u2019s about magic in things. Everyone and everything has magic in them. Usually it\u2019s not much\u2014just traces in rocks and grass. But something like a mana stone has quite a lot of magic, and often the magic has qualities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQualities? Like certain effects?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething like that. Nothing too impressive; you can\u2019t start casting fireballs from a flame salamander\u2019s skin, although it will give you a horrible rash and a burn. But it has its own qualities. You can turn it into a salve or cream to resist fire, but if you want to use it any other way you need to change the magic into something else.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia spins away from the counter and makes her way to the large racks of potions. She carefully takes one out of a holster and shows it to me. This bottle is full of a clear, faintly grey liquid.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of the secrets behind alchemy. Magic exists in the object it inhabits, but it can be extracted and contained in things. Like liquid. This is a base liquid\u2014something we can use to store the magic. If I take an ingredient\u2014like the salamander skin and dissolve it in this substance, it can hold the magic and let me add more things to the mixture.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo that\u2019s the secret.\u201d<\/p>\n I gaze at the grey liquid and imagine it. Sort of like chemistry but with a million reactions. Take a base, add ingredients and pray like hell you get it right.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much. Of course, alchemy isn\u2019t as simple as just adding the right things together. Sometimes there\u2019s the order that matters, and stuff like heat and time affect magic as well. You can\u2019t use moon dew in a mixture unless the moon\u2019s actually waxing and it\u2019s night, and Goblin ears need to be boiled while you\u2019re mixing or they congeal.\u201d<\/p>\n Goblin ears? I try to let that one go, but it\u2019s hard. Octavia keeps talking, showing me other potions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unpredictable, and of course, dangerous. But that\u2019s [Alchemy] in a nutshell. It\u2019s not just potions like a lot of people think. Mind you, a lot is<\/em> potions. They\u2019re just the easiest way to mix a lot of ingredients. But I can make a tripvine bag as well, although cramming all the seeds inside before they sprout is a trick in itself. Does that answer your question.\u201d<\/p>\n Mostly.<\/p>\n \u201cMostly, but I\u2019ve got another question about you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead. I don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n I gesture at her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you need all the details or can you just use something that looks like an arm?\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia looks mildly surprised. She flexes her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cYou saw that? Most people get too queasy to tell. Yes, we do need bones and other things. It\u2019s hard to describe to you, since you Humans never really see inside your body, but there are more things than just bone and blood and flesh. Bodies are quite complex, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware. But can you shape your bodies like other creatures?\u201d<\/p>\n For the first time, the stitch-girl looks hesitant.<\/p>\n \u201cIf\u2026we have to. I\u2019ve never seen it myself, but you hear horror stories sometimes. It can go horribly wrong if everything isn\u2019t sewn just right. Heck, if it were easy we\u2019d just stitch armies together and conquer the world, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully not. Last question about you. Does the fabric type matter?\u201d<\/p>\n Another quick smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re fast. Yes, it does. Cotton\u2019s what us normal people use, but I\u2019ve seen some poorer folks use wool or rougher stuff. Quality does make us look\u2026different, and it can make us stronger or quicker depending on the fabric. Canvas makes really heavy, rough people, but they can take quite a beating!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about someone made from silk?\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia\u2019s eyes widen incredulously.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom silk? You mean, their entire body? Dead gods, I don\u2019t think I know anyone rich enough to do that.<\/em> You barely see more than a bolt of silk on some fat lady around here anyways. It might be good, but I have no idea what that would feel like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo problem! Now, is that all?\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia\u2019s eying my potion again. I sigh and cover it with one hand.<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet. I had one more thing I needed help with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes. The High Passes.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia wrinkles her nose and shrugs.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t help. Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, you can\u2019t do anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an [Alchemist], not a miracle-worker. There are countless monsters lurking in there. I don\u2019t have much that\u2019ll stop them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about an invisibility potion? Or your stamina potions? A regeneration potion? Wouldn\u2019t that help?\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia taps the counter with one finger and shakes her head.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst off\u2014if I could brew invisibility potions I wouldn\u2019t be in a small shop like this. And you wouldn\u2019t be able to afford one anyways. And a regeneration potion? Ask me after I\u2019ve gained fifty levels. Stamina potions I can make, and pretty good ones too. But they don\u2019t make you run faster.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGive me the run down on them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStamina potions? Sure. Ready for the sales pitch?\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia turns and puts the base potion on a shelf and pulls the glowing blue potion out again. I have the distinct feeling it should be green, not blue. But then, this world doesn\u2019t have a few decades of video games to standardize color stereotypes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis little gem will restore your energy and give you a kick so you can run further and faster than normal. But that\u2019s only the potion giving you a boost. If you tear a muscle, it\u2019s not going to heal it, and you\u2019ll still be using up energy even with the potion. When it wears off you\u2019re going to crash hard. But if you need to run for three days straight\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She sloshed the potion in the glass bottle. I nod.<\/p>\n \u201cI could use some. But that doesn\u2019t solve my problem with the High Passes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t go is my solution. That place is a deathtrap. Unless\u2014if that\u2019s the place you got the potion from, I say go for it and get me another one.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia shrugs as she uncorks the blue potion. She shoves it under my nose.<\/p>\n \u201cHere. If you\u2019re buying a potion, take a sip and make sure you can down it. I\u2019ve had adventurers complaining they threw up before they could down some of my potions.\u201d<\/p>\n The smell that wafts up from the bottle nearly makes me hurl, and that\u2019s without tasting it. I push the bottle back and cough a few times.<\/p>\n \u201cThat smells awful.<\/em> Can\u2019t you do something about that as well?\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia looks mildly offended. She gestures at the potion.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know how hard it is to add something like a flavor to potions without creating an entirely different effect? I\u2019ve seen adventurers add a bit of lemon juice to their potions to make them taste better and have the entire thing coat them in poisonous foam. Don\u2019t try that, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, that\u2019s a comforting thought. I try not to gag as Octavia sniffs her potion. She clearly doesn\u2019t seem to mind the horrible odor, but then, she probably inhales that stuff all the time.<\/p>\n But for me, it\u2019s making my eyes water. Hell, it\u2019s like being skunked. I\u2019d better ask how thick those potion bottles are. If it breaks in my pack, I\u2019ll either have the street to myself or get kicked out of the city. Not that I wouldn\u2019t mind the privacy\u2014<\/p>\n I blink. Waitaminute.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on, I think I know how you can help me get through the High Passes after all.\u201d<\/p>\n Octavia raises her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it means getting paid more I can brew up anything you want. Within reason, of course. Is there something that you think will help?\u201d<\/p>\n I nod. Am I going to regret this? But it\u2019ll probably work. If not, I\u2019m going to hate myself.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but I\u2019ll need to buy some nose plugs as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNose plugs? Hah! How many do you need?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nearly a day later, I run towards the High Passes. What was it I thought the first time I came this way? Death and glory await? Something stupid like that, I bet.<\/p>\n This time I\u2019m ready.<\/p>\n I run towards the high passes, mountains looming impossibly high in the distance. A range of mountains taller than Mt. Everest breaks only in one small part to let travelers through.<\/p>\n \u2018Small\u2019 in this case meaning a gap that you could march a small army through. It\u2019s all relative.<\/p>\n A tribe of Goblins runs towards me as I move towards the High Passes and snow changes to dirt under my feet. Looks like not even the Frost Faeries have gotten to this place yet.<\/p>\n The lead Goblin whoops and shouts as he runs at me. This tribe converged fast, and I\u2019ve got the sneaking suspicion they might be the same group as last time. Do they just watch the High Passes or are they based in this location?<\/p>\n Well, they might be a problem. Bows and whatnot. But I\u2019ve got faith in my new strategy, so I run on.<\/p>\n The first Goblin runs towards me, and then the wind changes. He takes a few more steps, and then his face suddenly contorts. His eyes bulge, and then he\u2019s running in the other direction. The other Goblins pause for only a second, and then they scream and run.<\/em><\/p>\n Yep. It works.<\/p>\n Run on. Now the High Passes are growing larger, and I hear a howl in the distance. Carn Wolves. The massive rust-red wolves that like the taste of Goblins and Asian girls. Well, I think they\u2019ll be less hungry than usual.<\/p>\n I\u2019m right. The wolves don\u2019t even get near enough to me to see before I hear panicked yelping<\/em> and the wolves beating a fast retreat. I am untouchable. Invincible.<\/p>\n Into the pass now, and running quickly. The magic or rather, aura that surrounds me doesn\u2019t stop working even as the rock walls grow higher around my head.<\/p>\n The evil goats with teeth scream<\/em> and climb away from me. The High Passes empty of life ahead of me as monsters flee from my presence.<\/p>\n Yes, I\u2019m safe. Totally safe, from everything. I run on while the monsters flee.<\/p>\n By the way, this isn\u2019t due to me gaining a skill or class or anything. Octavia\u2019s potion is doing all the work.<\/p>\n Me? I\u2019m just trying not to throw up. I\u2019ve failed three times already, and I think I might be going down for a fourth time. The smell surrounding me is unbearable<\/em>, and that\u2019s coming from a girl who\u2019s been sprayed by a skunk more than once.<\/p>\n Question: what is the most feared animal from our world? I sort of gave it away, but it\u2019s the skunk. Fuck hippos or great white sharks or army ants. Skunks instill a kind of fear in suburban neighborhoods that you just can\u2019t match.<\/p>\n And what makes those little rodents so terrible? One word. Smell.<\/p>\n They stink. And because I had a bright idea, and because Octavia knows how to brew a decent potion, so do I.<\/p>\n Long story? Short story. I asked her to make something that would chase away everything that might hurt me, and she did. I used it on myself, and I regret doing it.<\/p>\n The smell of the potion she made was so strong that it made everyone leave the block when she brewed it. Even sealed in an airtight bottle, I practically got chased out of the city and made great time on the open road.<\/p>\n Applied to the skin? God. I wish<\/em> I were dead.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got nose plugs in, and I keep holding my breath until I\u2019m dizzy. But the smell\u2014<\/p>\n It\u2019s beyond indescribable. I keep hoping my nose will shut down, like it does if you smell something really bad for a long time. But though my eyes are tearing up and my nose is burning, I can still smell it.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll never go away. I\u2019ll be able to walk into a skunk nest and chase them all out.<\/p>\n Above me and to the left, a ridge of innocuous boulders suddenly shifts. I dodge away, but the gargoyles aren\u2019t attacking. They unfurl their massive stone wings and leap away from me, climbing the cliffs.<\/p>\n Huh. Well, it turns out gargoyles do<\/em> have a sense of smell. That, or I stink so bad even things without a nose can sense it.<\/p>\n But I asked for this. I have to keep remembering that. It\u2019s all part of the plan. And I can survive this. And perhaps the silent, noxious run wouldn\u2019t be so bad normally. Yes, if this were the only price to enter the High Passes I might consider it a deal. But there\u2019s one type of creature that doesn\u2019t seem bothered, even by the smell.<\/p>\n High overhead, a small cloud of faeries flies overhead and laugh loudly as the gargoyles finish running for the mountains. One of them swoops down and lands on my head as I run on, laughing and speaking loudly to her friends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSmell her, sisters! She stinks like marsh bubbles and a witch\u2019s brew!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWorse!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHah! Even the stony ones fear her stinkage! What foolishness!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n They flutter around me, and more settle on my head. I grind my teeth. These little demons followed me out of the city, much to my dismay. I thought they\u2019d give up on me with an entire city\u2019s worth of humans to bother, but no*.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Yeah, that\u2019s right. I was trying to pawn them off on other people. So what? If you had to deal with these supernatural freaks for more than five minutes you\u2019d be ready to do the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the faeries laughs and pulls at my hair. I feel some hairs rip free of my scalp and I snap. That\u2019s it. I know it\u2019s a bad idea, but I swat at them and drive them from my head.<\/p>\n \u201cGet lost!\u201d<\/p>\n The faeries take off and my fingertip grazes one and goes numb. They\u2019re too cold to touch, and they\u2019re not afraid. One buzzes next to my face, sticking her tiny tongue out at me as she mocks me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOoh, scary, scary! It bites!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I growl at her, but she only laughs and flips me off. Where the hell did faeries learn that gesture?<\/p>\n \u201cWhy the hell are you following me, anyways? Don\u2019t you have anything better to do?\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie looks offended and tilts her head away. She looks to one of her friends and remarks loudly to the air.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHark, the stinky thing talks!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDisgusting! It should die!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n My foot slips on a patch of the ice and I crash to the ground. Ow!<\/em><\/p>\n I pick myself up and realize a shard of rock is embedded in my hand. I pull it out, and blood wells out of my palm.<\/p>\n Those damn<\/em>\u2014<\/p>\n You know what? I\u2019m just going to keep running. And it\u2019s not\u00a0 because I know I can\u2019t do anything to them.<\/p>\n I get up and run down the long, winding rocky path. At least my shoes protect my feet from the sharp rocks. Now, where was that damn cave? I only barely remember reaching it last time\u2014I was nearly dead as I recall. But I think Teriarch\u2019s place should be just up ahead\u2014<\/p>\n I turn past a cliff wall and suddenly a massive gaping hole taller and wider than the gates of Liscor appears in my view. Well. I\u2019m here.<\/p>\n I hesitate as I stare up at the faded yellow scrap of cloth anchored by a boulder over the cave entrance. Only now do I suddenly remember exactly what Teriarch is. Let\u2019s see. Now that you\u2019re really thinking over your life choices Ryoka, does it make sense to bother a possibly Elven mage of incredible power who gave you a task that you did not<\/em> carry out? Yes? Well then, go right ahead. This has been a message from your brain.<\/p>\n I take a deep breath and instantly regret it. But I\u2019m here, and victory belongs to the bold. Also, bullets in the head belong to the bold, usually instead of victory, but I\u2019ve got to do this.<\/p>\n The Frost Faeries swoop down around my head, oblivious to my trepidation. They laugh as they fly into the cave, chattering still.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOoh, does the human think we\u2019re afraid of caves?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt least she\u2019s not smart enough to use iron. We\u2019d freeze her nose off for that!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShall we drop the ceiling on her? Or maybe\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I hear the booming words as a rumble in my bones before I realize their words. A massive voice booms out of the cave, full of irritation and command.<\/p>\n \u201cPests. Begone!\u201d<\/p>\n The effect of the massive voice is instantaneous. The Frost Faeries react as if struck. They scream and flee in every direction a second before a huge stream of fire<\/em> blasts over my head. I throw myself to the ground as the heat cooks me then dissipates.<\/p>\n For a while all I can do is lie on the ground, shaking a bit. Holy crap. That\u2019s a scary spell. I get up at last, not so much because I want to go in, but rather in case I need to run.<\/p>\n The same voice echoes from within, not quite as loud, but just as huge. It sounds out in tones of disapproval, addressing me.<\/p>\n \u201cEnter, Ryoka Griffin.\u201d<\/p>\n If I were religious\u2026I\u2019m not, so I just hope with all my heart as I enter. I hope I\u2019m not about to die.<\/p>\n The cave is open and vast, not so much a cave in truth as a plane hangar, only a bit bigger than most of the plane hangars I\u2019ve seen. It makes me feel as though I\u2019m in some kind of other world, and huge as the cave is, it\u2019s far from empty.<\/p>\n In no time, the rough ground changes from stone to smooth marble. The rough walls\u2026still remain, but suddenly they\u2019re covered by paintings, weapons hanging on walls.<\/p>\n Pedestals appear, holding magical objects and bookshelves full of old tomes share space next to odd things I can\u2019t even describe. A mirror gilded with gold that doesn\u2019t reflect my shape? A suit of armor made out of stone? A\u2026keyblade?<\/p>\n The wonders around me are unreal, but that fits the sole occupant of the cave. There he stands, in the center. He waits for me, and I feel the change in the air as I draw close.<\/p>\n There he is, the person responsible for at least some of my misery over these last few weeks. A mage. A man? A mystery. A dragon.<\/span><\/p>\n Teriarch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first thing he does is get rid of the terrible stench surrounding me. A click of his fingers, and now not only am I smelling fresh as a daisy, but the potion at my side is in his hands. I should say\u2014in a bubble<\/em> in his hands. It looks almost exactly like a bubble, as the delicate membrane swirls with all the colors of the rainbow in his hands.<\/p>\n He looks much the same as I remember. Which is to say, too perfect. Teriarch stands in front of me, nearly six foot six, an old man dressed in clothing fit for a king.<\/p>\n He\u2019s like an archetype of humanity, a tall, faintly bronze-skinned man with white hair, but the physical presence and body of an Olympian god. He stands in front of me and looks down, his pointed ears and celestial eyes narrowed in disdain.<\/p>\n A massive golden-scaled Dragon stares down at me with annoyance. His massive wings unfurl and beat once, stirring the air\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n A gust of air strikes me in the face and I blink. What was that? A spell? Teriarch looks irritated, and waves his hand. Whatever caused the disturbance in the air stops.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka Griffin.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the magic or just him, but Teriarch\u2019s voice is deep and resonant. He looks at me, and my knees go weak. And not just because he looks like some kind of unattainable vision of male beauty. He\u2019s also scaring the crap out of me, and I can\u2019t tell why. Maybe I just sense how much power he\u2019s got in him.<\/p>\n \u201cTeriarch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a while since I last saw you. And now, you show up just when\u2014and bringing those pests as well. How curious.\u201d<\/p>\n Holy crap, this is hard. My entire plan revolved around me getting here and I didn\u2019t honestly think I\u2019d manage to do this. But I\u2019d completely forgotten how intimidating Teriarch is. Here\u2019s a guy who can teleport me with a few words and shoot fire hot enough to scare Frost Faeries, and I\u2019m about to\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see you too.\u201d<\/p>\n My first and last response to any situation is sarcasm, followed quickly by irony and scorn. Teriarch looks at me as if I\u2019m a bug and shakes his head.<\/p>\n \u201cMm. And so I must ask you why you have returned. The last time I saw you, I gave clear instructions. You were to deliver a ring and a letter to the mage known as Perril Chandler, also known as Az\u2019kerash. You have not done so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I\u2019ve been busy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoing what?\u201d<\/p>\n I gulp. Teriarch\u2019s gaze is nearly impossible for me to meet. I stare just over his shoulder instead.<\/p>\n \u201cNone of your business. But I came back to tell you I won\u2019t deliver your letter and ring to Az\u2019kerash.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not, pray?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou cast a spell on me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n He looks completely disinterested. That\u2019s enough to get me angry. I raise my voice.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I don\u2019t like<\/em> having people tell me to do things against my will. You cast a spell on me against my consent. For that, you can forget having me deliver anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch blinks in surprise, and then his eyes quickly narrow at me. He shakes his head darkly, and I feel the ominous presence around me grow stronger. Fear is eating a hole in my stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cEffrontery. You come here into my home and tell me\u2014but that is your kind, isn\u2019t it? But there is something more to this\u2014this display of insolence, isn\u2019t there?\u201d<\/p>\n He strokes at his beard as he stares hard at me. Teriarch\u2019s eyes narrow.<\/p>\n \u201cYou would not have returned after ridding yourself of my spell just to tell me you refuse to serve me. You want something else. Tell me why you are here.\u201d<\/p>\n He points at me, and I feel like answering him. But I bite my tongue.<\/p>\n \u201cN-no.\u201d<\/p>\n He frowns. His finger glows, and his voice deepens.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n He looks in my eyes and I feel something touching my mind. It\u2019s the same as the first time I met him. I feel an overpowering urge to obey, to spill the beans and let him know everything and anything he wants.<\/p>\n But I fight back. I\u2019ve done it once before. It took everything I had, but this time is easier. I refuse to open my mouth, and the pressure builds and builds before it suddenly stops.<\/em> I shake my head and glare at him.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Stop that.\u201d<\/p>\n For the first time since I\u2019ve met him, Teriarch looks well and truly floored. He stares at his fingers, and then back at me in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2014resisted my spell. How did you do that? You have no class.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s called willpower.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy willpower alone? That should not be\u2014I suppose it might\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He trails off, eyeing me with a bit more interest and possibly respect than before. He spreads his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. What is it you wish to say? Why have you returned without delivering my ring and letter to Az\u2019kerash?\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s still so intimidating, for reasons I can\u2019t even explain. But I hold my ground. I have to answer back. I\u2019m not going to just roll over, am I? Come on Ryoka! Sass this stupid mage! You can do it! You can throw some shade\u2014you\u2019re the shade master! That\u2019s what they called you in school!*<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *No, they didn\u2019t. They called me \u2018bitch\u2019 and other uncreative names.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t find him. I checked the Blood Fields and found nothing. Oh yeah, I also found out I was under a spell and broke that too. Got a problem with that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Whoever Teriarch is, he\u2019s clearly not up with modern retorts. The proper response is \u2018fuck you\u2019 or something to that effect. He glares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThe exact location of Az\u2019kerash is irrelevant. I gave you his general location. It is up to you to find him and deliver the message.\u201d<\/p>\n I glare back. For once, I think I\u2019m being out-glared, but I don\u2019t give in.<\/p>\n \u201cHow am I supposed to do that? I have no idea where he is. And why should I do anything for someone who cast a spell on me to make me do that against my will?\u201d<\/p>\n He shakes his head as if he could care less.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are a Runner. I have made a request. The logic is simple. You will<\/em> complete the delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n I grit my teeth hard enough to hear my jaw creak.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou will.\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head. It takes more effort than I could have imagined.<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n He growls<\/em> at me. Actually growls!<\/p>\n \u201cYou agreed to fulfill my request. You were paid\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo collect your request and the payment. I was going to deliver it to the Runner\u2019s Guild so someone could fulfill it. Possibly me. That\u2019s how an unmarked request works. I didn\u2019t<\/em> agree to do the delivery myself, much less be enchanted and forced to do it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what will you do? Refuse my request? Destroy my delivery? Throw it away?\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch looms over me. Was he so tall before? He looks furious.<\/p>\n \u201cOr did you just come here to complain<\/em>, Ryoka Griffin?\u201d<\/p>\n I stare up at him. Don\u2019t flinch. Drop the bomb.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I came to tell you that you\u2019re being blacklisted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026What?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n My Runner\u2019s pack is on my back. I flip it open and pull something out. The small Runner\u2019s rule book I bought at the Guild. I open it and point to a passage I\u2019ve bookmarked.<\/p>\n \u201cRule 21 of the Runner\u2019s Guild states that \u2018any Runner affected by spell or Skill may refuse to provide services and cancel any request made.\u2019 Also, it says that anyone who attacks, hinders, or otherwise alters a Runner in the course of their duties can be banned from receiving or requesting any future deliveries. You can see it right here.\u201d<\/p>\n I raise the book and throw it at Teriarch. He blinks and only a flick from his fingers stops the small volume from striking his face*. The look of irritation and incredulity on his face is almost worth whatever horrible fate I\u2019m about to endure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Oh yeah. I threw the book at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He opens the book and flips through the pages, his face a portrait of disbelief. He looks up at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2014cannot be serious<\/em>. Do you know who I am?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Why not enlighten me?\u201d<\/p>\n His left eye twitches.<\/p>\n \u201cI am Teriarch, and I do not obey any requests of a mere\u2014I will not<\/em> be censured by you or the Guild of Runners.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine. In that case I won\u2019t complete your delivery. You can have your ring and letter back.\u201d<\/p>\n I open the belt pouch at my side and pull out the folded letter and ring. I thrust it at Teriarch and he blinks in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m keeping the potion, by the way. That\u2019s also in the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot do this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWatch me.\u201d<\/p>\n For a second I think I\u2019ve gone too far and the mage is about to explode. Teriarch\u2019s face goes red, he yanks <\/em>on his beard, and then starts shouting at the air.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I will not\u2014be silent, woman!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m too scared to make a comment about sexism, but Teriarch doesn\u2019t seem like he\u2019s talking to me. He paces back and forth, mutters darkly into the air, and then looks furiously back at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI must have that delivered. And I will have you do it. No\u2014! I insist! It will be so!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not doing it without another deal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen ask! <\/em>What is it you desire, human?\u201d<\/p>\n Okay, keep your cool Ryoka. I gesture with my hand aimlessly at the entrance of the cave.<\/p>\n \u201cI went to the Blood Fields, but didn\u2019t find anything. You said he\u2019d be there or surrounded by the undead, but how can I find them? This continent is big. <\/em>I have no idea where this Az\u2019kerash is. If you want me to do the delivery, you also have to give me some kind of map.\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch stares at me. He takes a breath, releases it, and nods curtly. His hand raises palm up, and he says five curt words that make my ears ring. I can\u2019t even remember what he said, only that when he\u2019s done, he\u2019s holding a\u2026stone?<\/p>\n Yes, a stone. Just\u2026a rock. A smooth one, but not much larger than my palm. It\u2019s completely normal, aside from the glowing arrow of golden light etched in the center, of course. It rotates around and then points southwest fixedly in his palm.<\/p>\n Teriarch tosses it at me and I nearly drop it. It\u2019s warm<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cHere.<\/em> This will point without fail towards his magical signature. Would you like anything else? Or should I give you a flying carpet as well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have one?\u201d<\/p>\n The look Teriarch gives me should fry me in place, but his gaze twitches just a bit to the right side of the room. No frickin\u2019 way. But he recovers and when he points at me this time, the tip of his finger is glowing ominously.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will deliver the ring and letter to Perril Chandler or you will regret it, Ryoka Griffin. That is a promise.\u201d<\/p>\n The sight of that glowing finger scares me more than a zombie trying to eat my throat or Gazi with her sword. I\u2019m terrified out of my wits, but my mouth and body are on autopilot. I hold up a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cNot so fast. Casting a spell on me means you forfeit the payment for the request you made. If you want me to deliver your damn letter and ring, make me a better offer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPay. You.\u201d<\/p>\n A blood vessel throbs on Teriarch\u2019s temple. I gulp.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Pay me. Or else. Asshole.\u201d<\/p>\n I really, really<\/em> should have shut my mouth before I said that last word. I wait for the fireball, but Teriarch just stares at me. I think\u2026he might be too stunned for words.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Teriarch stared slack-jawed at the impudent human in front of him. He had half a mind to simply blast her into little pieces, but it was a very small half. Really, the only thing in his mind besides shock and outrage was a tiny bit of admiration.<\/p>\n Tiny. Miniscule. But he\u2019d never been challenged to his face quite so\u2026so\u2026so originally<\/em> as this. Rules and regulations? As if mere words could restrain him.<\/p>\n But he had to admit, the rules did have a certain hold on him. He was a creature of his word; he might be above the law, but he respected it as a concept. And indeed, perhaps something he should pay heed to. He did little communication by Courier, but if he should indeed be banned\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. I suppose restitution can be made for your\u2026inconvenience.\u201d<\/p>\n The human stared up at him, unblinking. She was so strange.<\/em> Who\u2019d ever heard of someone willing to brave the High Passes not once, but twice? And to complain? About him casting a spell on her? It boggled Teriarch\u2019s mind, but he wasn\u2019t about to show weakness.<\/p>\n He tried to look around surreptitiously while trying to decide what was appropriate as recompense. He spoke offhandedly to Ryoka, trying to appear casual.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose forty gold pieces is not sufficient for such a task?\u201d<\/p>\n The human narrowed her eyes up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the price for getting here and retrieving your request. You gave me a single potion as the price for delivery. That\u2019s not nearly enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course. Blast. Teriarch had forgotten how the request system worked. And even he had to admit, a single Potion of Haste was a paltry reward for even a simple delivery. He was just so used to commanding Couriers that he\u2019d forgotten entirely what was worth giving.<\/p>\n Teriarch cast about, with his magical senses as much as his eyes. What could<\/em> he give her that would placate her anger? He had quite a lot to give, but what was appropriate? A weapon? No, surely Runners wouldn\u2019t use them. Jewels? Gold? Spell books? And how expensive was a delivery, anyways?<\/p>\n \u201cMagnolia. What is the current rate of exchange in your wretched cities?\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch whispered the words, trying not to let the human see his uncertainty. He knew Magnolia was well-versed in the minutiae of human affairs, being one herself, but she was too busy laughing at him to reply.<\/p>\n Scale rot. Without her to help him, Teriarch was forced to bluff. He stroked at the wretched beard humans seemed to love and tried to look stern.<\/p>\n \u201cFor such an easy delivery, especially with the seeking spell, I feel some gold should be sufficient. Say\u2026two hundred gold pieces?\u201d<\/p>\n He had no idea if that was appropriate. The human girl paused, and then shook her head slowly. Tooth decay! She was probably offended.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo\u2026hundred? Of course not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMm. Of course. Four hundred\u2014no, eight hundred<\/em> would be more appropriate, would it not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cP-possibly. Fine. I\u2019ll accept that.\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch narrowed his eyes, but Ryoka had already schooled her expression to neutrality once more. He nodded slowly, still listening to Magnolia howl with laughter in his head.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. It is agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n Below him, Ryoka nodded. She looked towards the entrance to his cave and patted her belt pouch where he could sense the letter and ring he had given her were stored.<\/p>\n \u201cRight then, I\u2019m off. I\u2019ll complete your delivery when I have time. I\u2019m heading towards Liscor in a few days anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch nodded. It was all he could expect. He\u2019d let her go and hope she got there quickly\u2014<\/p>\n He paused.<\/p>\n \u201cWait. What?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Teriarch doesn\u2019t seem to quite get it. I take a step back as I repeat what I\u2019ve just said. My heart is pounding out of my chest.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going. To do your delivery. That\u2019s what you want, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2014no. Human\u2014Ryoka Griffin, I have much to ask of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Two more steps back. Teriarch frowns at me and raises a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot leave just yet. I have questions for you, and you will<\/em> answer them.\u201d<\/p>\n I shrug at him as if I could care less.<\/p>\n \u201cToo bad. I\u2019m A Runner. I deliver your stuff. You don\u2019t get to ask me questions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? No. You will<\/em> stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, I feel the force of his magic trying to slow me, but this time I\u2019m ready for it. I flip him the bird and turn.<\/p>\n \u201cTry that again and I\u2019ll double my fee. You hired a Runner, and that\u2019s what you get. I don\u2019t<\/em> do interviews.\u201d<\/p>\n I begin walking away. It\u2019s terrifying, and I feel his eyes on my back. He raises his voice angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot leave! Stop! I command you!\u201d<\/p>\n I raise one hand in goodbye.<\/p>\n \u201cCome back here!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch\u2019s voice is thunder, but I ignore it. I begin jogging out of the cave, tensed at any second for a fireball to turn me into a flaming pile of flesh.<\/p>\n But nothing happens. Instead, I hear Teriarch choking and spluttering in outrage. I increase my pace, and realize I\u2019m close to the exit. Bright daylight greets me and I run out of the cave and back the way I come.<\/p>\n Behind me, I hear a roar<\/em> of fury that sounds almost\u2026bestial. But I\u2019m too busy running to think about that. I sprint until I\u2019m nearly two miles away from the cave before I feel like I can safely slow down.<\/p>\n My mind is in a whirl, but as I keep running without any consequences, I slowly, slowly relax. And then I realize: I\u2019ve done it. I\u2019ve actually done it!<\/p>\n I run down the High Passes. They\u2019re still empty, and the sky is sunny and clear overhead. Well, even these damn winter days can be quite nice if you have a mage around to scare away the Frost Faeries.<\/p>\n My step is light, and my body is slightly sweaty, but quite bearable to be around. I\u2019ve got a speed potion at my belt, a letter and ring worth eight hundred gold coins in my pouch, and a destination in mind.<\/p>\n And oh yes. I\u2019m grinning.<\/p>\n Definitely grinning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Because it was magic, they were able to talk to each other despite being far apart. Over four hundred miles separated the two, but to Lady Magnolia and Teriarch, their conversation felt as if they were sitting side by side. If he closed his eyes, Teriarch could imagine Magnolia sitting by him. Not the older, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693082,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693131],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-1588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-2","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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