@blaccbeans Kai had never been so glad to see Gawain's Fork. It was a cute little village nestled between two hills. It had a tavern and miles of wheat and barley. Really it was just a collection of tiny delapidated cottages, but the road was a lonely place, and Kai never had to travel alone before. Not that the young knight had much choice, of course, no one from home could know about the tail.
The boy sauntered lazily down the dirt road, stopping to return a shy smile with a peasant girl he thought was staring. Hopefully at his pretty face and lithe form, which his embroidered blue duster fit so well. He did love to preen. Soon enough the tavern came into view. "The Plowman's Paddock" - it summed up the town alright. Kai nudged the door open and approached the weatherbeaten barman. "Hi there!" he gave a cheery smile and climbed atop a stool. "I suppose I'll have..."
Well there was mead. One sort. It wasn't bad so Kai dropped a few golden coins on the counter, not really paying attention. Gods the stupid tail was itching now. "Hm. Don't suppose you've got an apothecary or hedge with or anything out here? Feeling a bit off.
"Not that its your mead anything! Just been walking a while in the sun is all."
"You sure sound off," said the barman under his breath and behind squinted eyes. He lugged up a wooden jar of brown liquid and set it down strongly onto the oak counter with a loud thud. "This ought to settle your sorrows. It's mullberry. We's got mullberry and regalur, if you prefer yourself a farmer's beverage." He scratched his head and then wiped his hand off on a tattered brown apron.
"As for witches and themfolk, we's got one of those too. An 'orkle' or what's it be. He's an old fellow up near Togart's hill I think, in a wooden house. 'Mr. Ocks'—can't miss him."
---
Cord bounced in his wagon as it rolled down the hill, trundling along his dirt path towards town square. The hard wood underneath him struck his underside every time the wagon hit one of the multitudes of stones under its wheels but the thrill of rolling down the hill—the brisk wind fluttering at his face and whistling past his ears—left him grinning widely. As he neared the scumble of cottages he quickly gripped onto the wooden break rod and pulled sharply. The wagon came to a messy halt.
"Hey orkle boy," called an old woman—Rumhild Alder—from behind her cottage. She was tilling in the garden, hair covered in a cotton bonnet and hunched over with a hoe.in her hands. "Has you got any word on my herbs yet? They all finished?"
"I don't believe so," Cord called back as he climbed out of the wagon. His bare feet planted into the packed earth.
He rounded to the front if the cart and grabbed hold of the rope lead.
"Uhh," she began with a croaky frog voice, "You wouldn't have any finished herbs like mine in that there cart, would ya boy?" A bony finger pointed at his cart from inside a faded green dress.
"No miss," Cord replied. "These're just some sleeping potions for the Paddock. They placed an order for a refill a while back so—" he paused, "—they were priority. Rumhild opened her mouth as if she were about to crow some more, so he quickly added, "But I'll make sure he finishes yours first when I get back." The old woman smiled toothily and went back to work.
Cord shook his head and continued his trip to the tavern. The heavy wagon followed his pull reluctantly.
"What do you mean off?" Kai twisted to look beneath the bar stool. No way the man would've noticed anything wrong, right? It was hidden nicely beneath his cloak of course. The boy took a swig of the 'mullberry' without thinking. It burned on the way down. He sputtered and gave the barman a rueful look "And What's an orkle?"
The barman chortled. "Easy lad. And a witch, yeah?"
"You mean... sort of an orc-witch?"
"Or-ick-ull!"
Kai hid a smirk, "Oh... oh. Well thanks. Guess I'll go see Mister Ocks then!" No cures worked so far. There was a certain witch-hazel tincture that could clear up transformations though. The youth slid from his bar-stool and made for the door.
***
Kai stepped out into the street as a thickly muscled youth pulled a cart up to the inn. God's that looked like an annoying job.
As the youth approached a gaggle of children paused to watch the farmboy, full of whispers and giggles. "Put another chicken in an egg again!" a ginger boy called out. "Yeah!" came more cheers and laughter.
Kai cracked a smile in passing. "All that talent and still stuck doing chores, huh?"
Cord's face flushed beet red and he looked down. His head shrunk into his shoulders, drawing away from the small crowd, and he quickly slipped into the shop's large solid wood door. The burlap sack of potions rested in his cradled arms, and he barely saw in the corner of his eyes a short man in strange clothes.
"Here's your order, mister," he called to the barman as the door creaked close behind him. The warm sun outside that had been beating down on his shoulders hid behind drawn wooden shudders, and the delightful smell of dust on sunlight floorboards helped to lessen the redness of his face. The bulky man behind the counter clapped his hands together once and boomed heartily. "Terrific, absolutely terrific," he roared. His fat cheeks were rosy red. "Why don't you come round back here and place that there sack on this here cupboard, woul' ya."
Cord nodded and walked up to the front desk, carefully setting the sack on to its polished face.
The man stared blankly at the bag for a moment, eyes unfocused.
"Oh," he snapped as he perked back into alertness. "I've got some gold for ya, right one sec..." he wandered off into a room behind the desk. The delicate 'dinks' of thin coins falling onto wood decorated the semi-empty tavern, which was only filled with two old souls sitting off in the corner.
The barman waddled back into the main room with a handful of copper.
"Here ya go, son." He said as he placed it into Cord's outstretched fingers. His large meaty hands were calloused and dry. "Now, could I interest ya in some mulberry, boy? I's got a half a bottle here for just a couple o' those coins right back."
Cord stifled a shy smile and shook his head, muttering "No, thank you." He turned towards the door.
"Hey, uh,... orkle boy," the barman called. Cord turned around.
"There's a fresh prim foreignman out front whose is looking for some witch's fixings. I sent him off over to your orkleman. Since you're here, ya wouldn't mind takin him up withya, would ya son?"
Cord shook his head and smiled behind a nibbled lip. "No, yeah, I can. Is he the one out front?"
The barman nodded deeply, a full arc of the head.
"Alright, yeah, I can. I'll go do that."
He nodded a few times before turning and exiting the front door with a hesitant push.
Kai didn't press he issue after the poor guy blushed. Rough going getting jeered by packs of muddy children. The young man took his time traveling the dirt road. Togart's Hill? Where was that? They didn't exactly have streets signs here. He turned around, to go and get proper directions, when he nearly walked head first into the farm-boy from before.
"Whoa!" he yelped in surprise, turning faintly red "Uh. Sorry. Didn't see you there! I don't suppose you know where Toggart's hill is?"
He averted his eyes. "And sorry about before. Hadn't meant anything by it."
"What?" Cord asked. His eyebrows were screwed. He let go of the rope lead in his hand.
"I-It's all fine," he said, hoping it amassed to cover whatever the man was apologizing for. "You're the one looking for Togart's Hill?"
The expression in the man's face almost made Cord slap himself. "Well of course, you just said so. Sorry, I—" he paused.
"Yeah, follow me right this way."
He grabbed hold of the cart and began down the packed earth road.
"Where are you from?"
"Long day, huh?" Kai cracked a smile at Cord's rather redundant question. "And no I'm not. My family's estate is in Mistlevale. That's up north in Darken Vei. And I'm Kai by the way. Kai Wilding." The older boy extended a hand. He bore a few scratches from swordplay. Quite soft comparison to Cord's calloused grip.
Their path took them out of the village proper and into rolling hills and fields. It smelled like cows. Lots of cows.
Cord pulled his hand away from the shake with a timid smile. He grasped onto the rope lead with both.
"Darken Vei," he said. "That's, uh,..." he droned off. "Far away," he chirped with mustered finality.
He looked off at the fields around them, and the rippling thickets of grass scattered throughout, and took a deep breath. The gravel crunched under their feet.
"What're you here for?—I mean, what brings you here. Are you just passing through?"
((Had a little free time at lunch!))
Just a little far..." Kai replied. He didn't think it was far at all. Just a bit north really. But for a farmhand it surely was! "And yup. I'm want to go to Arca. I'm trying to find a proper wizard to help me figure something out..." the boy blushed, trailing off with embarrassment. Stupid tail was itchy too!
"You lived here all your life?" he nodded to the jangling bottles in the back of the cart. "Dairy, huh?"
"Nah," Cord said. "Well yeah, and uh, no. Yeah, I've lived here my whole life and no, I work for the Oracle. He's up on the hill over there." He pointed up a shallow ridge overlooking a few fields, at a wooden and clay house. Loose cobblestone from it's foundation dotted the surrounding grass. "We—well, he—does mostly just herb mixing and potions I guess. To sell around town and to people whenever they pass through like you."
His mouth cracked open to continue, but the words stopped before the could even come out. Biting his lip he asked, "wWhat are you looking for?"
"Uh! Well-I'm-going-to-Arca-to-get-a-family-curse-cured! And uh, thought the witch here might have something for it..." Kai blurted out, looking like a child made to swallow some awful vegetable. The youth ran a hand through his bird's nest of hair, and cleared his throat after a pregnant pause, "So that's why they called you oracle-boy? Are you learning from him?" His traveling companion was rather striking for an ordinary farmhand.
The footpath up to the cottage was gnarled and jagged with old stones and severed tree-roots. Flowery symbols were painted on some of the retaining walls in faded blue paint. Kai suddenly felt a whinge of guilt. "I didn't take you out of your way did I? You want me to take your cart for a bit?" He didn't want to be the sort to strut around in a fancy coat while Cord did all the work.
"Oh no, you don't have to; you'll ruin your coat," Cord said dismissively. "And well, this is what I'm paid to do, anyway." He looked away to the crumbling walls of the handful of cottages lining the path, sparing a passing glance at his last week with Allen fading away on their white faces. After a few moments of silence, the only sound being the trundling of the wooden wagon and the crunching of the gravel underfoot, they passed the dissipating memories on the walls and were approaching brisk reality atop the gentle hill.
With a final tug on his wagon, the two boys crested the last wooden step, reaching—with a surpressed pant—the measly front door to the Oracle's shack.
It was a larger cottage, made of white clay, toothy oak planks, and mottled cobble at the base. Cord could see the window to his room widely opened in the second floor.
"You can head on inside," he said as he exhaled against his wagon. "I'm going to bring this out behind back."
He leaned forward and outstretched his hand, gesturing into the building. "The sitting room is right at the entrance—well, right to the left—so you can wait there. I, will be in in a second."
(OOC: during your next turn please don't introduce Mr. Ocks into the story; I have kinda a storyline thing in mind, so i have a certain way I wanna introduce them. But other than that Kai can do whatever; go inside, follow cord, jump down the hill because he's been filled with the holy ghost hallelujah, etc. And once you get a feel for Mr. Ocks then you can control them too if you'd like.
Also, apologies for the weird grammar in Cord's dialogue. I don't read much honestly, so I don't really know how to replicate different speech pattern into written words. It's all just me reaching out blindly hoping I get it right. I hope you can understand it! Every time I reread it it makes no sense jfkdkdmf. Also sorry if this post sounded pretty bland and/or low quality. I'm really tiresd rn haha.
Oh also cord forgot to reply to Kai's question about if he works for the Oracle so maybe Kai can ask him again if he's curious about it.)
"Well if you don't need the help..." Kai called after Cord. The farmboy seemed lost in thought, so he didn't push the issue. Three knocks and he entered. "Hello?" Someone was definitely home. The cottage was filled with cooking smells, but it was hard to see much of anything. Bushels of dried herbs hung from the ceiling, and untidy bookshelves lined the hallways. Kai nearly bumped his head on a trio of enormous, violet onions, and had to leap over a bookstack. Was the sitting room to the left or the right again?
Kai made a right. This was not a sitting room. Or if it was it wasn't very welcoming. It looked like a small, cramped library with an old mirror at the very center. The boy lingered in the doorway, pausing to straighten his hair.
***
It perhaps took Cord a bit of time to navigate the yard. A patch of giant pumpkins left it very difficult to tidy. The boy had just dropped off the wagon when he felt... a freezing sensation atop his scalp? A quick glance in a nearby water trough would reveal his black curls had turned... white. White and rimed with frost!
(OOC: Sure thing. I hope my embellishments on the cottage are in line.)
Cord's eyes widened like owls as he began to hyperventilate. His rapid breaths wheezed in and out of his clenched teeth and he scrambled to put his hands in the water. Quickly, while spitting an infantile assortment to curses, he ran his wet hands through his frostbit hair. It poked at him and was stiff like spines, the curls snapping in half when he pushed at them. The lukewarm water stung at his scalp as it turned freezing cold upon contact. But despite all this, when he checked back into the trough, his hair was still a frozen as before.
He'd been gone for a while already, having left the abandoned visitor probably lost in the confusing maze of messy corridors inside.
He wiped his frosted hands off on the back of his britches and spotted his farming hat hanging on the wall. He reached out and snatched it off it's wooden rack, and he fit it over his silverstreaked curls hastily. They were stiff against his head.
Taking a deep breath, he paced into the house through the back door. As he veneered towards Othneilia's room, however, he slammed directly into the taut back of the visitor with full force. A yelp escaped his lips, and he stood dumbfounded at the scene he had drawn himself into.
In front of the mirror stood a frowning boy. Behind it was the image of a mule in a coat... it's face vaguely reminiscent of Kai's. That wasn't good!
"Gah!" Kai yelped in surprise as something slammed into him. The youth pitched forward and spun around. It was Cord. Kai's gaze lingered on the boy as there was something unusual about him. He was wearing a hat indoors for one. And the hat seemed to not so much cover his hair, his silver hair, but sit atop it.
"Oh hey! And sorry I got... turned around. Nice mirror you've got." he cracked a nervous smile. "So you just throw that hat in and call yourself the wise oracle?"
Cord stared at him.
"What?" He asked. He paused a moment, thick eyebrows skewed, before a shallow grin spread across his face.
"Oh," he said as he looked down at Kane's chest with a florid smile. "Nah, it's just my gardening hat. I left it outdoors so I was taking it in. I, uh,..." he craned his neck to look down the narrow hall, at the wooden steps at the end, "will go get Mr. Ocks for you."
He started off down the hall before stopping midstep and slowly turning around. "Actually, let me show you the waiting room first," he said with a waning laugh. He walked down the hall past Kane, reaching his hand out and gesturing to follow.
"Right here," he said once he reached the end of the hall. To the left was a small room of wooden benches and an empty fireplace.
"I'll be right back."
He spun down the hall and vanished up the staircase with heavy thumps on the old stairs.
He reappeared in the hallway a few minutes later, preceding a cloaked figure in faded brown robes. The Oracle, Mr. Ocks, stood three inches taller than the boy beside, covered from head to toe in plain garments and face hidden behind a foreign, ominous mask. Cord himself still felt as if it were the face of an ancient dread god, staring him down from the evil, ravenous depths of the earth underground.
It's hollow black eyes stared emptily ahead at the visitor before them.
"Hello," said a worn voice from behind the mask, sinking down into the stomachs of both Cord and Kane and deeply rooting itself in their cores. "Tell me,...." it croaked, "what brings you here?"
(OOC: BTW, me calling him "Kane" is on purpose)
Kai trotted after Cord... giving his frosted hair another strange look but keeping quiet. Oh. It was just to the left. The parlour itself sported a bench and pair of rocking chairs by the hearth. Ordinary Serenian woodwork. But the rug was Essrynni, there was a cactus in a pot carved from dragonbone, and an assortment of Yoreiqi masks hung on the wall. Mr. Ocks was not some farmer who mixed potions.
Kai stood up with the farmboy returned with the masked figure. "Hullo Mister Ocks. I'm Kai wilding, of Mistlevale." He looked between the pair. Ordinarily he might've been more at ease if Cord had left the room. Last thing he wanted was a boy his own age snickering over the hex. Mr. Ocks' rasping whisper and otherworldly mask made him think twice.
"Um, well... I'm trying to get a curse broken. It was cast by some... local god you see. All for an accident. My family's wizard couldn't manage so I'm on my way to Arca to find another. Thought you might be able to help. Or, uh, witch hazel also keeps it at Bay..." he rambled, speaking in vagaries. Of course any proper wizard knew there wasn't some singular charm that could break any and all curses. They were awfully specific.
(OOC: Hah. Sure. Cord not paying attention or is something else afoot?)
The Oracle approached the young man standing before him, waving a hand behind his back at Cord.
"Leave us," he said. The black haired boy nodded and, after lingering a moment, left the room.
The Oracle walked forward slowly, his stare unwavering.
"What, exactly, was this curse," he asked, a dry, sandy hiss escaping from his lips as he uttered the final syllable.
"Of what nature was the god , you say, who placed...it"
(OOC: just Cord being dafty haha)
Kai gulped, trying to look the oracle in the eye as he spoke. The masks vacant, painted gaze was not reassuring. With a sigh the boy took off his jacket. Beneath he wore a silken tunic tucked into dyed linen britches. He was the picture of a pretty young hero but for one detail. A ropey donkey's tail poked through a hole in his pants.
"When I got made a mage-squire they asked me to help clear evil spirits from an old Barrow. Wanted to put fields by it..." he explained his journey through the barrow. The walking dead inside. How an old man came to court three times begging the old tombs be left be. Of course who would remember the dead if everyone starved?
"Do on the third day he showed himself to be a faun. Thornycrown. He gave me a whole lecture on how I'd be of more help if I worked the land like a mule..." Kai gave a heavy sigh, more of a childish pout really. "And that was that. I did what I could to make amends. Court wizard tried to break the hex but it just grew back at dawn. Even tried to call him back and apologize.
"We think we was some old god of harvests. Or justice. Or maybe orchards?" the youth gave a shrug... watching the mask for any he might be helpful.
As Kai was a rather loud talker, if a certain farmboy was feeling curious, he could surely eavesdrop...
"Thorncrown," the Oracle murmured. He rounded the young man to stand behind him.
The donkey tail hung right out in the open.
"I must say," the Oracle said as he bent over to closely observe the foreign body party, "this is rather strange. Have you noticed any signs of the growthage...spreading?"
---
Cord had scampered up the staircase to the attic, ready to turn a few drying pieces of leatherroot and roll some hazelweed into thin, birch tissue. At the top of the stairs stood the wooden ladder leading up to the storage and drying chambers.
He took a worn rung in his hands, feeling the polished surfaces where he often gripped.
He pictured the boy alone with Othnielia, probably uneased in the greatest. A blip of sympathy rose in his heart.
Cord stuck a hand under his hat idly, massaging his thawing scalp, and stared off at a cloud of dust trapped in a sunbeam, swirling and dancing so slightly it probably never would have been noticed. It was a tiny hint of beauty so oddly endearing once beheld that he found himself staring into it inexplicably.
It was so mundane, yet so charming. He couldnt understand why.
He let go of the ladder and walked back down the stairs to the mirror in the wall, which hung just outside the closed doors to the sitting room. He found his face sitting in the glass, staring back at him with his deep brown eyes, water droplets hanging over his thick eyebrows, his black curls damp and shiny.
"...old god of hard vests,..." the visitor's voice said from behind the doors. Cord leaned back and hung by the door.
"...Torn clown, I must stay,..." Othnielia croaked through the wall.
"...signs of the growthage spreading?"
Cord drew his brows, his ears perking to the muffled words. He scooted closer to the door.
(OOC: what if, perhaps, Cord's magic flares again? I would write it up but my phone is at 3% and the charger won't work so I'll post it unfinished for convenience sake. You can just add that in at your own desire)
"You ever heard of Thornycrown? I know faeries don't always give their real name. Gives you power over them right?"
"And I... I don't know if it spread. I guess I never really wanted to look too closely." Kai flushed, slapping his forehead. He'd sort of pretended this whole thing wasn't happening. The youth lifted his shirt and twisted around. Sure enough it wasn't just a tail jutting from his spine. Now the auburn fur had sprouted from his lower back. "Oh! Oh no... it has spread!"
He let the shirt drop. "D-do you suppose there's anything to be done? I've got gold!"
***
"hatspread!"
"...anything to be done?"
Unwelcome as the frost might have been, Cord's damp hair did provide some needed relief. Hauling a potion cart was hot and sweaty work. As the farm-boy stood in the dim corridor, straightening his curls, he caught glimpse of a soft light on the very edge of his perception. At a glance it seemed a trio of fireflies were dancing around him.
But on closer inspection they were not fireflies. They were the sunspots from the attic, which somehow followed him downstairs. Their soft white glow, which seemed to originate from nowhere, passed over a ratty old tapestry depicting a king with horns, illuminated a travelogue of the Kishahni jungles, and briefly danced across the damp boy's skin to warm. It was almost as though a gentle lightning storm had filled the hallway.
***
"I think... um..." Kai trailed off, pointing toward the hallway. Whatever was happening he couldn't put into words.
((No rush. And if you need clarification on my PM feel free to ask. Kai's and Thornycrown's stories are pretty up in the air so I'd be happy to shape it into something we can weave with Cord's.))
The lights flickering around Cord's head began to dance, swirling around his head in a whirlwind of flashing gold. As they accelerated harmonic notes began to scrape from the air, piercing his ears. He gasped and reached out to hold onto the wall in the disorienting storm sparking around him.
The lights began to blend into single blinding lines across his vision. Cord looked wildly about but the light in the room grew overwhelming and stung at his eyes.
"Oth—" he gasped as he felt around for the door blindly,
"—Othnielia!"
The Oracle followed the young man's finger to the closed door. Pulsing light poured out from the cracks between the doorframe.
"Othnielia!" cried Cord's voice frantically from the other side. The boy slammed at the door and jolted the wooden frame.
The Oracle swiftly paced to the door. With a singular jerk, he tore the door open. Cord collapsed inside and into the Oracle's grasp.
As soon as they touched the light exploded; it filled every nook and cranny with a white flare, and echoed the pure noise of shimmering glass.
The Oracle turned towards the youth standing in the room.
"Pardon us," he said with a wavering voice.
Kai winced at the blinding flash, eyes squinting open. It was gone now. Cord, looking suddenly very delicate, was clutched in the arms of Mr. Orks? Orkneillia? It didn't really matter. The mage-squire knit his brow, edging toward the pair. "Is Cord alright? What just happened?
The boy's mouth widened into an O as it dawned on him. "Oh. You're both mages?"
Cord stared wide eyed at the boy.
"I—" he began, but the Oracle held his hand out in front of his mouth, and turned towards Kai.
"I believe your curse may carry some,... residual energies," he said. He lifted Cord weakly, struggling under his brown and tattered robes. The boy dazed at the floor, his brown eyes unfocused.
"The magicks inside you may perhaps... be associating with the artifacts in this,.. building. We must exit the house and continue our appointment outside. Cord—" the Oracle placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. The boy turned his head toward him, looking into the dark empty, eyes of the mask. "—you go upstairs."
(OOC: tag! You're it! Now Kai and the Oracle will go outside and talk about the nature of the curse. Since you know the most about the curse right now, you can be the Oracle in all his knowledgeable ways. A note: the Oracle doesn't use any magic right now)
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause any damage..." Kai blushed and turned to hide his tail. "Awfully sorry Cord. I really had no idea."
Cord's heavy footfalls sounded up the steps as Kai and Mr. Orks made their way to the garden. As they passed a bookshelf a slender hand reached out to pluck one of the volumes. Soon enough the pair were standing and the back garden near Cord's cart.
"You know what I mean by residual energies boy? I'd wager you are the mage here if anything."
Kai nodded. "I was trained a mage knight, I know more about combat that magical theory and-"
"Yes, yes." Mr. Orks nodded, holding up a hand for silence. "I've read of these symptoms. Bodily transformation. Residiual magic energy. It is not so much a curse as an infection of the soul. Your very essence, the bits which give you inspiration and imagination and magic, is fleeing your body. Siphoned away bit by bit. You would be dying now if it was not for a donkey's soul filling the gaps."
The boy stared in shock. None of that sounded good. He fumbled it over in his head. Would that mean he'd lose his magic? And why was he changing? "Well... okay. Okay that explains some of it. So I need to get my soul back from Thornycrown? Doesn't explain why I'm changing."
The oracle rasped. He did not sound optimistic. "Perhaps you might. Perhaps. But I think there is also a second curse at play. You say no matter the cure you away at dawn with fur and tail intact? Taking souls is risky business. Allow a man to die and it all goes into the ether," Mr. Orks paged through the grimoire. "I think... second spell is keeping you alive. Restores your true self at Dawn."
"So... I can't be killed but I'm going to turn into a jackass," Kai gave the oracle a cockeyed look, voice small and fearful, "Can you do anything about it? At least keep me human?"
"It is true I know some tinctures to keep a curse at bay. But so long as you leak these residual energies I worry there might be messy business." The Oracle clucked his tongue. "I'd recommend you let it run its course..."
"But what if you c-can't?!" Of course Mr. Orks knew far more about what was going on than any other mystic or hedge wizard he'd been to.
(OOC: Hope that's alright! I figure he might be exaggerating the magnitude of his herbal tinctures here to keep Kai around)
Cord sat on his bed, back against the wall, staring at his feet. At how the tendons rose and fell when he moved his toes, at the shadows cast by his anklebone.
A tendril of breeze fluttered through his open window and he looked outside. The soft smell of flowers lifted a weak smile over his mouth.
A clay-colored cloth hung on his window sill, the one Allen had given him. He stared at it's folds.
"C-can I have that?"
"Have what?"
"The cloth."
"This one?"
"Yeah, that one."
"Why?" Cord stood and walked to his window. He leaned on one hand over the sill and, running the soft fabric through his fingers, lifted the cloth up to his face. He closed his eyes and filled his lungs with it's fading scent.
"I dunno, t-...to remember you with."Allen's sandy laughter echoed in his ears. He could see the wrinkles at the ends of his smiling eyes.
"A cloth? Sunny, I already gave you my lute."Cord looked down at the village below, and blushed, just like he had then.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, but,... this is the same color as your hair." Allen laughed again. In the clouds Cord saw him rub the cloth over his auburn curls.
"There y'go buddy. My hair."Cord placed the kerchief onto the sill and took a deep breath. Very faintly he could hear Othneilia and Kane—well, the traveller—talking out back. He looked back down at his kerchief before turning to head out the door.
---
"Be tranquil, be tranquil," the Oracle said as he held out his hands.
"Perhaps letting it run its course shall be a last resort? I recommend this: take my tincture. It should lessen the effects of the curse every morning, mayhaps preventing the fur, or lessening the length of the,.... growth. Return to me tomorrow and I shall have it set for you. You say you are on your way to Arca?"
The boy nodded.
"Good, good. They shall know most of any what to do with your curse. Now," the Oracle stepped closer to Kai.
"Where do you say you come from? What Barrow did you attempt to enter? There are,.... localized differences between magicks."
The Oracle placed a gloved hand under his masked chin.
"Perhaps I know of the magicks of your home."
(OOC: sorry for having Kai nod! I can't remember your position on godmoding, but I didn't so make it seem less like the oracle was monologueing. Also if you're ready, I think this next scene should tie up the end of the visit between Kai and the Oracle)
"I come from Mistlevale. Its in western Darken Vei..." Kai trailed off. Well, Mr. Orks probably wasn't as ignorant of geography as the average local. The youth reached into his sachel and produced a folded piece of paper. It depicted a crudely drawn ouroboros, alchemical symbol for eternal, entwined about a circle of thorns. "Found a crown like this at the very bottom near an altar. That's why we thought he was an old god."
The oracle studied it, making a quick scribble in the margins of the grimmoire.
"Well, thank you!" Kai tucked the embarassing tail away. "Do you suppose its safe to stay at the inn? And what do I owe you?"
(OOC: I was going to wrap up the scene. Though i wasn't sure what the oracle would recommend or seek in terms of payment. No worries about the nod or monologue)
"Oh, you may pay once I give you your herbs. Let us settle for tomorrow at two o'clock in the afternoon." The Oracle bowed and held the door open for the young man, walking in after him.
"I've never met the innkeeper, but Cord informs me that he is a very earnest man, and I assure you there are no things to worry about in his inn. We are much smaller than Mistlevale, as I'm sure you have noticed."
---
Cord hung by the stairs, listening to the waning conversation as the appointment came to an end. As soon as he heard the front door close he ran down the stairs and to the waiting room. He peered out the window at Othneilia, clad in burly brown robes, bidding goodbye to the visitor from Darken Vei.
He eyed his long hair and how the sun flare off of it luminously, illuminating half of his tan face and casting a long shadow over the other. It was approaching evening and the sun was at its hottest, but soon the cool of night would hold Gawaine's in it's hand.
Othneilia and the visitor said a few final words, and then Othneilia creaked open the front door. The young man traipsed down the road back to town.
"So," Cord said. Othneilia sighed a deep breath and gently lowered onto a cushioned wooden bench.
"Are we going to have supper?"
Kai took a deep breath. His mind was swimming. It wasn't progress but it was something new. Soon enough the boy was trudging down the footpath and back toward The Plowman's Paddock.
By the time Kai reached the inn he wished it wasn't only eight-o-clock. He could see smoke rising from the chimney against the orange haze of the sunset. It was a cute town, for a collection of shacks in the middle of nowhere. No way he'd be able to think or sleep or concentrate. Not with the itching and the prospects tomorrow would bring. The Plowman's Paddock was now filled with burly farmhands, gossiping wives, and gaggles of children running underfoot. The squire settled for a meal of bread and cheese with an apple. The thought of eating ham turned his stomach, even though he could have easily afforded the smoked haunch. He did not order mulberry this time.
The boy caught site of some younger men playing cards by the hearth. He sauntered up to them with a smile, trying to draw on the wit and bravado he usually had. "Don't suppose you could use a forth?"
They played and drank into the night. Kai rose at dawn, eight hours early.
***
Othneillia's seemed distracted with Kai's departure. It took some nagging to snap the oracle back to reality. "Yes. We will have dinner. Would you like to make the soup?" Despite her culinary prowess she was rather insistent at teaching Cord to cook and be civilized.
"And Cord... are you alright? I noticed the lights, but your hair was also soaked." Now this captured her interest. She pressed the young man for details, stopping only to correct his chopping or add a bit more pepper, a bit less mushroom, and the tomato wasn't to be boiled but diced and served fresh...
Cord handled a small tomato between his fingers and an iron knife in his other hand. "I don't know," he said. "I was outback hitching up the wagon when my hair just... froze. It was covered in frost and even though I tried to melt it it wouldn't melt." He shrugged and sliced the tomato.
"I'll write it down when we're done," Othneilia said. She pushed the wooden mask down the counter and pulled a wooden bowl from a hanging rack, and then ran her hands over her robes.
"Interesting fellow," she crowed in her rough, grimy voice. "He was from Darken Vei—c-careful with the knife, boy. You
slice, not chop—now where was I... oh, and from Mistlevale even. I been through there a few times. It's a fair country. Fair young man, too, I'd say."
Cord nodded idly.
"Should we have potatos in the soup?" he asked, looking up at her.
"Hit me!" Kai let out a sharp, angry sigh at the twenty two. He gave Sam the Stableboy a look of annoyance and slid a silver across the table.
***
"If you do not mind peeling them..." she waved toward the pantry, where a large basin of potatoes sat. Then suddenly sprang up herself and grabbed a knife, getting to it. "I suppose it has been a long day. You could do with a meal.
"Now that is something. It froze after you spent all day hauling potions, yes? Convenient. Tell me about when the lights started dancing..." Her peelings were near-perfect, hands practiced from flaying, chopping, and dicing plants of all sorts.
"I was just standing upstairs. Looking at the dust. It's odd; two occurances in a day. Usually it's one a week."
Othneilia nodded, and silently peeled the potato. Thoughts slowly puzzled behind her dark, beady eyes.
"I'm going to lock the door," Cord announced. "I don't think you did, did you?"
The old woman shook her head very slightly. Cord nodded and wiped his hands off on his pants, sliding out the door and through the hallway.
When he reached the waiting room he noticed an extra throw on the bench.
"Othneilia," he called out, picking up the article—a very fine coat. "I think the man left his coat here."
"Oh," Othneilia sighed from the kitchen. She 'tsked' her tongue and leaned into the hallway.
"Would you take it down to him at the inn? We don't want him getting cold in the evening."
Cord opened his mouth to object but the woman interrupted.
"I will finish the stew. It shall be done when you return."
Cord pursed his lips and sighed. Taking the expensive fabric in his hand, throwing it over his arm, he exited the house into a wall of mugginess and dimming light.
It was a good night for a barefoot stroll down the road. A cool breeze had begun to dispel the lingering humidty, and fireflies were emerging from grazing land. A few other tavern-goers exchanged pleasantries with Cord. No one noticed him enter the Plowman. The tavern was in its usual high spirits. Rufus was slid drinks across the bar, townsfolk gossiped, and Lily Weston sang the same three songs. A certain someone and his lute were conspicuously absent...
Cord would have caught sight of Kai playing with Sam the Stable-boy, a gawky creature who worked at the plowman, and two of his friends. The trio was not well-mannered as Cord. Brawling and cow-tipping was their game. "Hey orkle-boy!" Sam jeered.
***
Kai's half-turned toward the door. It was Cord again. Oh hells he'd forgotten his coat! He waved the farmboy down, pausing to scowl at Sam. "Oh, hullo there. Cord, right? Didn't have to bring that you know. I'll be coming by tomorrow." He briefly worried for that Cord might go telling tales of his curse and, uh, tail. Then again, Cord seemed more naive and gentle, and less a local hellraiser.
"Do you want to join us?" he didn't wait to ask permission. He was rich and a squire. That counted for something.
(OOC: Hope I didn't move things too fast if you wanted something to happen during Cord's journey)
"Uh," Cord gaped. His mouth hung on the cusp of a scrambled sentence, much to the grins of the surrounding boys. "I really just came for the coat. I don't want to intrude."
Cord had meandered around a few tables through the humdrum crowd at the Paddock when he'd first entered. His bare, dirty feet felt rough against the polished floorboards, and the voices of the inn had and still drummed on, interrupted by the occasional roar of laughter or debate.
He'd heard someone call out his name and looked over to spot Sam sitting at a round table at the edge of the room. Cord looked away and bit his lip, hesitating his step for just a moment before having continued his trip.
It was the familiar glow of orange hair that caught his attention behind the bulky body of the fat stableboy.
He shifted his weight on to his right leg and held the fine coat in his outstretched hand, eyes shifting uncomfortably at the grinning faces around him. He looked down at the base of the traveler's torso.
(OOC: I'm so sorry for the wait! We got caught up in a huge lightning storm that literally shook the house with blasts of wind, and then when it settled we watched Rogue One. I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much.
On a side note—and I absolutely mean this in no mal feelings or disgruntlement—but do you think you could leave Cord to my entire control? I don't want to sound pushy or anything at all, as I've come across some RPers in the vast sea of the internet who've been rather repugnant about this. But I do want to be in control of what he in particular does and feels, etc. However you're more than welcome to control Othnielia or any other added NPCs that we come across! Its just Cord I kinda want to be in charge of)
"All the way down here?" Kai cracked a smile and took the folded coat. "Well I appreciate it. I don't suppose I could buy you a drink at least?" The squire looked from Cord to the card-players. Tension between them for sure. But then he followed Cord's gaze and made the connection. If he didn't have his coat then then...
Sure enough a donkey's tail poked from a hole in his britches. The boy's eyes widened as he looked first to Cord, then around the room. Had anyone else noticed?
(OOC: Oh I"m so sorry! I hadn't meant to step on your toes and I'll be more mindful in the future. My intention was mostly to do set dressing for the village than take control of Cord's emotional state or actions. Figured you were foreshadowing something at the tavern so I just sped us through the journey. If you'd like to take things a step back so you can have Cord see or do things along the road that's absolutely fine.)
Cord gawked at the fuzzy stub protruding awkwardly from the man's britches. Why would anyone wear a donkey's tail on them? A raccoon's tail Cord had seen before. A fox's tail on the shoulder, raccoon's tail on the waist. They were pretty and sported a successful kill. But a donkey's tail? This traveller from "Darken Vei" surely came from an odd place.
"Well, I do—" Cord hesitated. "Alright, yeah, we can have a drink if you want." He stepped back, providing room for the traveller.
(OOC: it's no problem! And nah, everything's good. I would like to take this next scene pretty slowly though, just to give them time to talk and stuff)
One. Two. Three. And in what was meant to be a singular, graceful motion Kai stood up and struggled into his coat. Hopefully no one else saw anything. "Sorry. We'll play later." He gave the trio a shrug, leaving his stake behind. Very careless with money.
"...so long as its not mulberry, whatever that is. I had some and it was awful." Kai motioned Cord toward the bar.
(OOC: Sounds good. Also Darken Vei is just another province in the Wester Highlands. Although in a place like Gawain's Fork I guess its conceivable people don't know their geography too well!)
When they arrived at the bar, a familiar long oak plank of wood sanded and worn from wear, Cord sat gingerly on a still and scooted it up toward the ledge.
He hunched over in his chair, arms folded across his stomach, and looked up at the boy sitting down next to him.
"What can I get you boys," asked the innkeeper (whose name slipped Cord's memory).
"I'll have uh,... mullberry please," Cord said.
"And you?" the barman nodded toward the traveller. He ordered the only other option on the board.
Cord cleared his throat and turned in his chair to face Kane.
He looked at him timidly, eyes fluttering back and forth from the other's.
Kai flushed. Hoping he hadn't insulted the boy's favorite drink. "Too strong for me I guess. Probably on account of not being a giant," he flashed a smile, trying to break the ice just a little.
Rufus returned with the two drinks and Kai slid some silver across the bar. "So what's the story with those three charming fellows?" Kai half-turned toward the roustabouts. He got the sense there was some kind of history between them and the shy oracle's boy.
"Oh," Cord groaned. He looked over at the troublesome group of boneheads and then back at the boy sitting next to him.
"There's really nothing much to tell, I guess; just different people. Loud people." He trailed off.
He bartender arrived with two wooden mugs of brown liquid—Cord's tinted maroon.
He stared down the mead. He'd really needed to get back home, but the mulberry.... the subtle hue of deep, deep flavor spreading over his taste buds and washing the back of his mouth, sleeping into the hidden depths of his taste and sending flowers blooming all over his tongue. And then the strong kick of the aftertaste burning like a tarty handful of ripe mulberries; it was too tempting.
He reached out and, flinching, took a tentative sip.
"Mmm," he moaned under the weight of the mead as it flushed into his mouth. He set the drink down and took a deep breath.
The candlelight's almost could've burst into flames.
"So," he mustered. "I think I've sort of forgotten your name—unless it's Kane, right? Kane of Darken Vei?"
"Kai. But close enough." Gods. He wasn't forgettable was he? That would be awful. The youth took a sip of his mead. It was sweet for sure. The sugar and spice masked the alcohol but he felt his lips numb.
"From Mistlevale specifically. Its a little estate all the western edge of the province. My older brother will inherit of course. So... I need to earn my keep." He patted the smallsword hanging from his belt, looking maybe a little too impressed with himself. The tipsy squire looked suddenly apologetic as it occurred to him he oughtn't be bragging to a boy without shoes.
"So you're from here, right? Learning herbs from your..." Father? Grandfather? Mysterious guardian? Cord Orks was a really unfortunate name if so.
"uh," Cord said. He tried to come up with a word, but couldn't think of one. What exactly was Othneilia?
"My master I think," he said. "Mr. Ocks's been my guardian since I was young...-er, at least. I live with him now."
He took a sip of mead.
"I bet you hadn't seen a mask like that before," he grinned sheepishly.
"No. I don't think I've seen much of anything like Mister Ocks before." Kai flashed a grin. "What does the mask mean?
"And what about you?" the youth leaned back and stretched as they finished their drinks, although seconds were on the way. "Going to take over for him? Marry a girl or something? It's quiet around here if you like that kinda thing."
(Edited from a transcript of a discord chat.)
Cord shrugged. "I'm pretty sure it's Adelan. Somewhere south, at least. Mr. Ocks said it's from some people who live on the 'plains'. I don't know much other than that, honestly"
He took a sip of mead and flattened his hand onto the wooden surface, his eyes dancing from Kai's hair to his nose to his lips to his ears. He didn't look like the townspeople. He looked like Allen, who was from the south. That was neat, Cord though. "Are you from the south? Or your family or anyone?"
"Oh the duj... dujari?" Kai squinted, trying to remember the name of the plainsfolk in Adela. "And I've probably got some Adelan in me. My father's side is from over the mountains up north, but came to rule over the shepherd's and meadowfolk around our hold. Mixed blood I suppose..." Kai sounded very haughty as he rattled off his family history. He was probably boring the boy. "Have you travelled much with Mister Ocks'?" he cocked his head to the side.
Cord shook his head. He scooted forward toward the bar and sat up a little. "No, not really," he said. "I don't leave here much. Mr. Ocks used to travel, but now he stays in Gawaine's Fork - well, we do. He likes it here. He's from Arca, but he's always said that this his favorite place he's ever been." A smile cracked across his mouth, and he grinned. "How're you liking it here? Different from Mistlevale?"
"It's... uh..." Kai have a coy little smile. It was grass and wheat and goats! "quaint. Pretty fields. We had some libraries and scholars in Mistlevale though. Lots of old faerie rings about. Got to wonder what fellows our age do for fun round here?" he cast a glance from Cord to the fat stableboy. "Company doesn't look awfully stimulating. And what about you? You looking to travel? Collect weird masks?"
Cord looked over at Sam and suppressed a smile. Quickly he looked down at the floor, blushing. "I'm, uh, not sure about them," he said. "Probably drinking and playing with the goats." He looked into Kai's eyes with a faint, winking grin.
"I asked about you!" Kai smirked and nudged the farmboy's arm. "What are you hiding? Turn into a wolf under the full moon?"
Cord flinched for a heartbeat and looked down, hiding a flustered smile. "Well, I d-on't know... mostly just work for Mr. Ocks really," he continued. He bit his lip, pausing on a breath. "There isn't much downtime really." Cord another drink, shoulders hunched. "I mean sometimes I go walk around the fields, or climb some trees. Nothing big. Nothing interesting."
"Haven't been allowed tree climbing in years..." Kai looked suddenly guilty for making the poor boy stammer. He supposed country folk here just didn't lead interesting lives. "Sure looks like you work hard. I've, um, got some books I brought for my trip. Some are pretty good. Do you read?" Did he know how? Always putting his foot in his mouth...
Cord laughed quietly and looked down at his chair between his thighs. The wooden stool creaked as he is scooted backwards in it. When the traveler, his new acquaintance, mentioned books he perked up. His eyebrows lifted and his eyes lit. "Yes!" He said enthusiastically. He sunk at the fervor of and stammered. "I-I mean yeah, I do. Not many around here know how to but I do, I think."
"I guess all that potion hauling paid off! I've got a few if you wanna borrow one." Kai flashed a smirk and reached into his open pack. "I think this bestiary is the most interesting. Really swell sketches too! And it goes on about their language and ecology and stuff. This one is just on how to fight with magic. And this one..." he blushed furiously trying to shuffle it off. A children's pirate story featuring a snarly hookhanded man embossed on the cover.
"Hey!" Cord said, reaching out and laughing. He jerked his hand back into his inner circle of space but continued grinning, if not slightly fumbled. "What was that?" He asked.
"Just... for fun..." Kai cleared his throat, trying to shuffle the more sophisticated books to the top. "...w-what?"
Cord stifled a smile as he marveled at the traveler's florid cheeks and pursed lips. "We-well, what about the others, then," he said. "The beast one?"
"Huh? Oh! To borrow... right!" he pale hand, with only a single healing cut across the back of its palm, slid the tome across the bar. "Can't imagine the magic book is of much interest. Okay. The other one is about pirates. Two boys get kidnapped and made to work on a ship. Find buried treasure. Uh, you know..." he mumbled, squirming s little. "It's not bad if want it."
"I dunno," Cord said. He eyed the binding, the pages under thick covers. The sandy sound of his acquaintance's hands sliding across the cover. He shook his head. "Well, I dunno. You're leaving soon anyway, I'm sure. Off to Arca, on your adventure."
"Sort of an adventure at least. I suppose I'll be back this way some time. No harm in keeping it. Sounds like you could use the company out here." Kai paused in thought, "You ever think of striking out yourself? Though I'd suppose someone needs to look after Mister Ocks, huh?"
"I-uh," Cord stopped. "W- I don't know," he said. He bit his lip. "I couldn't, really. It's dangerous and, well, I need to keep up with Mr. Ocks I guess. He's getting old and... yeah." He looked off toward the fireplace dancing in the cobblestone chimney at the far end of the room. The innkeeper wandered over and from the corner of his eye Cord could see him glancing at the two boys.
Kai opened his mouth to say something when Cord abruptly interrupted him. "What's it like outside of here?" He asked. His brown eyes poured into the man sitting next to him.
"Like... you mean the whole world besides the village?" the young man looked puzzled, searching for something profound to say. "Well most bits of Serendipity have more mages. My House Wizard would draw things with fire in the sky in the summer. Heard of another town carved into a giant tree and um... its... big... each village is... uh..." he looked very flustered. He ought to know these things. He could swing a sword and had proper blood in him. Though traveling by himself was lonely and a lot of the vagabonds he met might have robbed him if he wasn't careful. He was sure of that. "I... I just left home really...." he said in a small voice, looking sheepish.
"Oh," Cord said. He clearly could see the stretch in the traveler's face, the tone in his voice, the tint in his eyes. "I see," he mumbled. "Well, when you c-" he paused. "c-can think of anything cool maybe you can tell me about them?"
Kai crossed his arms, leaning back on the barstool deep in thought. "Whelp. There is this old tree in Mistlevale all black and dead. Has an arrow in it no one can seem to pull out or move. Grown man can balance on it without breaking it. It belonged to a woodsman called Eirian from back when Serendipity was young. Faeries and mages used to go round barking orders to the common-folk and whatnot back then. And um-" telling stories was hard.
"So there was sorceress called Maid of Thorns. Pretty lady. Could charm any man with her gaze. And when they uh..." he he gave a snort as if that explained everything. "...the men would wake up all weak and soft. Sickly. Slow-witted. Lovestruck? Whatever that means. So there started to be a shortage of young men because of this witch-daemon stealing souls. People looked all over for the witch but they never could pin her down. Soon enough, word of her reached a dragonhunter called Eirian who'd gotten bored with killing dragons...
As Kai went on it became apparent how late it was. It was dark outside now. And the women and family's were beginning to filter from the bar.
"Ey, boys," interrupted the bartender from behind Cord. He turned around to address him.
"I, er, don't mean to fumble youse but we's gotta close up a little early tonight."
"Oh," Cord said, glancing at his acquaintance sitting opposite. "I'm sorry. Yeah we'll get going."
"I mean no inconvenience, I hope youse know. It's the wife, and you know how she's sick and all. Actually, now that you're here, you wouldn't mind asking your orkleman up there to make me up a refill of them healing herbs?"
"Yeah, of course," Cord said. He stood up from the stool and nodded at the bartender, who responded politely in muffled flusterment as he moved on to approach the rest of the patrons, and the boy looked at Kai.
"Sorry it had to cut short," he said. "I, uh, will see you tomorrow? When you come pick up your order of....you know, what you got."
"I'll see you again tomorrow! And don't forget the book." Kai clapped the shy farmboy on the arm, hand lingering a few moments as he lost himself in thought. He realized he sort of envied Cord. No odd curses or spells to worry about. No burden to make something of himself. All the time in the world to enjoy his youth in a sleep town.
The squire slid several coins across the bar to pay for the drinks and room. "Lovely meeting you, Cord. And thanks for the coat." He flashed a timid smile and turned toward the stairs, still tipsy from the local moonshine. The best the inn offered was a private room with a fur bedding and a mirror. He wished it didn't have one. The boy stripped for bed and spent the rest of the night staring. He was still handsome wasn't he? Turn a little to the left and you couldn't see any of the fur at all...
It was past midnight when he drifted off...