16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

B y the time I pick up enough wood, Corvu and Gecko have made their way to me. I'm accustomed to selecting good vantage points for campsites and preparing fireplaces. If there's ever an opportunity, maybe I'll actually go on camping trips when I return home. Gecko decides to sit against a tree trunk, trying to stay out of the way. I can tell he's in a lot of pain; at the very least, his arm looks broken, but the deep gash on his forehead and shoulder really need tending to.

"Hey Corvu," I speak up, ", how far is the next village from where we are?"

He thinks for a moment before answering, "If we leave at first light, we can probably make it before dusk." That was a long ride for a child with a broken arm. Corvu looks at Gecko, noticing exactly why I asked. "I'll be back shortly, try and keep his mind off it. "

"Okay." I respond. It's apparent to me that I've become very reliant on Corvu's instructions and expertise. I mean, he kind of just killed a giant , he rescued me from bandits, more than once. It was hard to believe he was doing all this just to be kind. He could have died. Doing my best to start the fire I decide the best way to distract Gecko would be to talk to him, "So Gecko, we had quite an adventure today." He chuckles at me, but otherwise doesn't say anything. "Have I ever told you the story about a princess and a frog?" He furrows his brow but otherwise shakes his head. "Well then," I say, proud that a fire sparks, fanning it I continue, ", have I got a great story for you."

The sun has well and truly settled. I'd managed to do the best I could cleaning Gecko's wounds with cloth and water, the fire is really burning well and I'm doing my best to entertain Gecko, but Corvu still hasn't come back.

"Maybe we should go look for him?" Gecko suggests,

"Gecko," I mock a surprised tone, ", do you miss him? Is that why you're so grumpy?"

"No!" He pouts, but I can't help but laugh. "Aren't you worried about him?"

"Of course, but he traveled a few days on his own to catch up with us in the beginning, I'm sure he's alright." Honestly I couldn't tell if I was trying to convince Gecko or myself.

"But he wasn't injured then. He is now." My face scrunches up as I think about it. What if he lost his balance and fell off a nearby cliff? Banged his head and fell into a river and drowned? Attacked by a group of bandits?

"It's Corvu. He's okay. He'll be back."

"What if we were just too much trouble and he just left us?" The thought had occurred to me that he was doing an awful lot for someone who wasn't going to get much in return, maybe he decided we weren't worth the trouble.

"You doubt me that much, kid?" Both our heads whip around to the right where Corvu appears from the dark shadows of the forest. "Should I just turn back and leave?"

"We were worried!" I exclaim as he approaches, slinging off and placing his satchel on the ground in front of us. Aside from the state his clothes were in, you'd never know he was in such a bad state. In fact, he wasn't bruised or bleeding anywhere. Did he heal that quickly? I recall him saying Tricksters were a bit different, but this was phenomenal.

"I found a few things. First off, here, hold this." Out of his satchel, he pulls out a wrapped-up cloth, and inside it, he shows us some leaves. Handing me the two sets of leaves, he then retrieves another cloth containing different strands of leaves, which look more like thin lettuce leaves and are oozing. Corvu gets back up to go to the horses while Gecko and I exchange a look. He seems relaxed, nowhere near as confused as I am.

Corvu returns with one of the bowls we had been using for food and a mortar and pestle, or rather a spoon. He places the first set of leaves into the food bowl and then squeezes out the milky substance onto the lettuce-like leaves with small purple dots. Afterward, he hands it to Gecko. Placing it on his lap, Gecko uses his one free hand to start eating the leaves.

Kind of gross. They're not even washed. After that, he pulls out a jar from inside his satchel—it looks like honey. Pouring it into the mortar, he then squeezes more of the lettuce plant into the bowl with it and mixes it together. He hands the bowl to me. "I'm not eating that," I state clearly. Corvu just chuckles and shakes his head, understanding my reluctance .

Picking up some nearby blankets, he arranges them next to Gecko, who hands me back the food bowl and lies down flat, clearly exhausted. Corvu takes the mortar from me and uses his hands to scoop up some of the honey, applying it directly to the wound on Gecko's forehead. Despite my initial skepticism about honey in wound care, I realize it might have medicinal benefits.

Gecko seems to be growing sleepy as Corvu removes the makeshift sling and extracts two sticks from his satchel along with bandages. It makes me wonder if he had these supplies prepared all along, hidden among the other items in his bag.

"Here, I need you to hold these in place while I secure his arm." Doing as I was instructed, Corvu begins to tightly wrap Gecko's arm with the bandages. I wonder how often these bandages had been used. They weren't white like the ones I usually see in hospitals and chemists. After a few minutes, we're done, and Gecko is fast asleep.Where did he go to get these supplies?

"What did you give him?" I question. He looks at me a little puzzled.

"Just myrtle and lettuce." Ah, so it was lettuce.

"What did that do, exactly?"

"It was mostly just to help with the pain and any growing infections. The honey we will get rid of in the morning but that will help with swelling and healing it." I'm really impressed.

"The things you can find in the forest."

"Oh about that, sorry I took so long. I didn't imagine it would be so hard to find honey." I smile. It's kind of him to still be thinking about us at a time like this.

"I'm sure Gecko really appreciates you doing this for him. And for slaying the giant before it ate him." Corvu sits down on the other side of me.

"Yeah, don't tell anyone I slayed a giant."

"Why?"

"It's bad luck to kill a giant."

"Is it good luck to be eaten by one?" After a moment of silence we both start laughing. I didn't know there was such a thing as superstitions around here, and the simple fact they did fascinates me. "What other myths or superstitions are there?"

"There's a few funny ones for kids. Don't kill giants or you'll have bad luck is one of them, another was to never pull a cat's tail." They have cat's here? I wonder if they're regular cats.

"Why not?"

"If you pull a cat's tail you're destined to be beheaded."

"Oh. That's violent. Ours aren't really like that."

"What's one of yours?"

"That's its bad luck to cross the path of a black cat."

He snickers and adds, "You'll like this one, if you pull on a Tricksters ears, they will grant you a wish." I didn't just laugh at that one, I practically cackled like a witch.

"I can just imagine people coming up to you wanting to pull on your ears. That's hilarious. Can I give it a try? Cause I wish for us to be magically teleported to the end of this road trip. I'm exhausted." I laugh. Corvu smiles, but he doesn't join me in my laughter. What was up with him?

"A lot of people used to pinch my ears actually, just playfully though. It's obviously not a true superstition."

"In my world it's a genie that grants wishes." He doesn't say much else at that point. "Corvu," I ask, ", why did that guy tell you not to kill me? That sounded really strange." He swallows as he looks away. Clearly this is an uncomfortable conversation for him. Maybe I should have left it alone.

Sighing, he leans back on his palms and faces me. "You already know that no one likes Tricksters for the reasons I told you. I didn't exactly tell you everything." That sounded really bad, and I felt instant regret for asking. "Everyone likes to make Tricksters hate them, because the myth is that misfortune falls upon everyone the Trickster cares for." That didn't sound as bad as I was expecting.

"So, he thought because you care about me that you'd end up killing me through this made up curse?"

"You think it's made up?" I'm almost stunned by his query.

"I know some myths are born from truth, but in general they're a bunch of baloney. It's obvious you care about Gecko and I, we're your friends, why wouldn't you? And we're absolutely fine." Corvu raises an eyebrow and smirks. It clicked. Technically, Gecko was in a pretty bad way at the moment. "That was my fault. I shouldn't have stopped for berries." I state.

"Actually, if you hadn't stopped for the berries we might have been spotted on the main path and eaten almost immediately."

"See, clearly you're not cursed or I wouldn't have spotted those berries then." He finally lets out a laugh.

"So, what's baloney?"

Snacking on a few of the rations that we had, Corvu and I spent most of the night awake and talking. It's not that we weren't tired, we absolutely were, but talking to each other was just how we made ourselves feel better. I knew that Talon fellow disturbed Corvu with his words, so I was glad that we cleared it up.

Day Eighteen

The next morning, Corvu and I clean up Gecko and get him up on his horse to head to the next village. Despite the pain he is in, Gecko insists we ride quickly and get there before the sun sets. With only two very short stops, mostly for bathroom reasons, we end up at the next village with more time than expected to spare.

Xynaar happens to be a lovely little village. The doctor who sees Gecko is apparently a Barmar, another type of goat Daemonaria with horns and hair all over their bodies, six fingers, and a hunch, which apparently they all have. I try not to stare as he helps us out, and to my surprise, it costs nothing to see the doctor .

Given that we are told to ensure Gecko has a good night's rest, we stay at another Inn, only this time there are so many rooms that we are separated. I haven't slept on my own since I came to this strange yet beautiful world. It gives me time to think, time to realize how long it really has been since I slept in my own bed, on a proper mattress and not on planks, cots, or dirt. I actually miss the convenience store and the people I would hang out with at college. I worked hard to get myself into school, even if working hard just meant pulling cheap magic tricks in the middle of Central Park when school kids went on field trips and business folks finished their long days at work. I wonder if any of my friends have tried looking for me since I've been here. My rent was due yesterday, and my landlord would surely have noticed I wasn't around. Presumably, I'll have to make up some kind of story as to what happened to me. After all, who would believe I was teleported to a different realm full of Daemonaria through the power of a magical amulet?

Corvu comes knocking soon after and invites me down to have some dinner. Gecko has apparently fallen dead asleep, probably an effect from the odd medication he was given. We head down to the tavern inn, a bustling place with a warm, inviting atmosphere. The inn is a large, rustic building made of dark wood and stone, with a thatched roof and a sign hanging outside depicting a tankard of ale. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of roasting meat, freshly baked bread, and the tang of spilled ale.

The interior is dimly lit by lanterns hanging from wooden beams, casting flickering shadows across the room. Long, sturdy tables fill the main area, surrounded by benches where travelers and locals alike sit, eating, drinking, and sharing stories. The bar itself is made of polished oak, running along one side of the room with a dozen or so stools lined up in front of it. Behind the bar, a variety of bottles and casks are neatly arranged, and a large, burly Snout's serves drinks with practiced ease. The patrons of the tavern are a diverse mix. There are humans, elves, and dwarves, mingling with more exotic creatures like the Chilka and a couple of Merrows, who are aquatic beings with scales and webbed fingers, sitting near a large tank of water that they occasionally dip into to keep their skin moist. A pair of Gnomish traders are in a corner, animatedly discussing their latest wares, while a group of Drakonians—tall, dragon-like humanoids—sit near the fireplace, their scales glinting in the firelight .

We find seats at the bar, the stools creaking slightly under our weight. As we sit down, I notice the Chilka, a flying Daemonaria Corvu once mentioned during riding, at the other end of the bar. Chilkas have wings shaped like those of bats, but with dark feathers that match their bird-like eyes, which are set quite far apart. The Chilka is deep in conversation with a dwarf, and even from a distance, I catch snippets of their discussion about Orcs and impending danger. Corvu orders drinks for us—a spiced wine for him and a light ale for me. As the Snout's bartender pours our drinks, I can't help but feel a bit nervous. Corvu's presence is always enigmatic, and I never quite know what to expect from him.

"Thank you for coming down," Corvu says, his voice smooth and low, almost drowned out by the tavern's noise.

"Of course. I needed a break, and some company." I reply, taking a sip of my ale. It's surprisingly good, with a hint of honey and herbs.

We sit in silence for a moment, listening to the various conversations around us. The Chilka's tale catches my attention as he tells patrons around him that he flew over an army of Orcs, all headed for Wanbourne, and probably less than two days behind us. Even though no one specifically asks about it, he also mentions that the leader of the Orcs, Cutlass, is out for blood since a section of his army was subdued by the King's ward and his troops.

"That sounds... ominous," I comment, trying not to sound too worried.

"It does," Corvu agrees, his gaze steady on me. "But we have time. Enough to enjoy tonight, at least."

I nod, trying to focus on the present. "So, do you come here often?" He won't get the reference, but I don't know what else to say.

He chuckles softly. "Not as often as I'd like. The life of a Trickster keeps me moving."

"I suppose it would," I say, smiling. "It's hard to pin you down."

"Is that a challenge?" He asks, his tone playful but with an edge of seriousness.

"Maybe," I reply, feeling a bit bolder with the ale warming me. "You're hard to read, Corvu. One moment you're distant, the next..."

"The next what?" He prompts, leaning a bit closer.

"The next, you're right here, like this." I gesture between us.

He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Tia, I... I find myself drawn to you, more than I've been to anyone in a long time. It's confusing, even for me."

I blink, surprised by his admission. "I thought I was completely misunderstanding you," I admit, feeling a bit foolish.

"You understand more than you think," he says softly. "Maybe better than I understand myself." His words hang in the air between us, heavy with unspoken possibilities. I don't know what to say, so I take another sip of my ale, letting the warmth spread through me.

"Well," I finally manage, ", here's to not running away from confusion."

He smiles, lifting his glass. As our glasses clink, I can't help but feel that this moment, in this tavern filled with creatures and stories, is the start of something new and unexpected.

Day Nineteen

The next morning, the boys and I take off quickly. We don't have the luxury of time on our side with the Orcs so close behind us. The only stop we make is to eat, and for Corvu to teach me a few more basics of swordplay.

I think he's worried about me. Although I'm getting better, my footwork is not the greatest and I'm still a bit clumsy with a sword. It does mean that I still have a long way to go and I shouldn't be looking to get into a fight any time soon. However, I don't think a choice is a luxury I'll have with the Orcs so close behind. That's when Corvu tells me that we will be riding through the night to make it to the Capital, Wanbourne, if we hope to reach the King before Cutlass and his army. The words ring through my ears, we've traveled faster than expected, and we're nearly there.

If there are gods in this world, I hope they're on our side.