We found precious few people alive. The deceased dozen we could dig out of the rubble were buried just outside of town. Six survivors were all that was left of Karthos Bend. The only one I recognized was Tevta; the others were a factory worker, three farmers, and the chef at the inn. They all piled into a wagon they were able to salvage from one of the nearby farms and rode South to spread word of what happened. It was the only thing one could do in this situation. There was no longer water in the town, the stores of food were ruined, and no one could trust the ground to remain stable. Sekvi lost their library, their Spell Tome, everything. The spells that they had prepared for the day would be irretrievable for them once cast. Sending spells were fired off in rapid succession to the capital, to other towns in the valley, and finally to Keff. Nereved's mayor promised to contact nearby towns to organize rescue efforts. The town of Letvel responded to the spell as well, and reported that the destruction was minor. Keff and Betiara were safe along the road West of town. They would be here soon. Sekvi, Lilika, Rags and I sat just outside of the ruined town to wait for their arrival.
A campfire flickered before us, fueled and protected by salvaged wood we had used to create a wind brake. I sat huddled closely with Sekvi, Lilika and Rags. Ash-streaked tears ran down our faces. It was strange; I hadn't stopped crying, but I couldn't sob anymore. There was no physical or emotional need to cry within me regardless of my tear ducts' ideas. An all-encompassing loss felt like it was tapering toward anger, only to run into a wall of numbness. I told myself that I had lost far less than the others in a myopic attempt to prioritize their pain rather than my own. Each of us would occasionally look to another and open their mouths to speak only silence. There was no need to say anything; we all knew what the other was feeling. The silver lining was that while we had lost nearly everything else, we didn't lose this commonality in understanding. I wanted to laugh at how futile it all felt. I'd tricked myself into believing that I could be safe and have a future, that this world and the experience it offered could be good for me. It had been true for a little while, but now I could only hang my head low in the shadowed ghost of acceptance.
Reuniting with Keff and Betiara was bittersweet. Only the latter could will herself to talk, immediately asking whether we had found survivors. I held six fingers up. All of the color drained from Betiara's face. "Who?!" I was grateful that Sekvi fielded the question for me.
"Gesso, three farmers, a smeltworker, and the inn's chef. My parents were not... among them." Their voice was absent of its usual zest. The hollow left behind almost troubled me more than anything else. I had offered to embrace them once they heard the news, but they refused. They were still in a state of shock. "They rode South to spread word. I communicated the situation to Letvel and Nereved. Aid will come."
"The whole town... thousands of people. They're all gone, and I wasn't here." I felt the same way that Betiara did, from the little I could feel at all.
"Good. You're too important," Keff grumbled, having buried his enormous warhammer in the ground only minutes ago.
"They weren't important?!"
"I didn't say that."
"We've all lost something tonight," Lilika asserted in her soft tone, equally as hollow as Sekvi's, "but we have each other. Our needs are food, water, shelter, rest, and emotional support; one of those is seen to."
"The food's fucked," I lamented. My head refused to rise from between my knees.
"The wells have also been compromised. Perhaps the farmsteads...?"
"I'll dump the iron in town in case someone needs it. Beats moping around." Keff departed from the group to do just that. Silence fell over the group once again. The former captain of the guard sat next to me and placed a hand on my upper back. I couldn't bear to refuse this offer during a time like this.
"Where do we go," I asked. I couldn't imagine anyone rebuilding in the area after what had just happened. Thousands dead... that legacy would stain the Karthos Valley forever. "Nobody's going to live here in these... splinters."
"How's the damage in Letvel?"
"Minor, as it was reported to me."
"Then we go there," Betiara asserted. "Or we head in that direction and form a plan in the first functional town along the way." She looked to the South and grumbled something under her breath upon seeing the forest fire raging in that direction.
"The forest route is obviously off-limits." Sekvi had seen it, too. "But if the entirety of the valley is split in this manner, there are no other ways through unless we're willing to walk."
"Food and water for six people... I would rather spare the horse, but until we can get set back up, the cart's the best option," Lilika mused aloud. She rubbed her hands together while she thought. "I can take care of water if we find a barrel at the farmstead, and I can take care of food if we can scavenge some torberries."
"Who are you?" Her usual reservations forgotten, Betiara could come off as terribly blunt. I personally found it refreshing, almost humorous, considering the circumstances.
"I'm Lilika. Since Madison trusts you all, I can tell you I'm a Primal caster of the wilds. Food and water are easy."
"Betiara. Thank you. I... guess we're traveling together, then?"
"I believe the phrase, 'safety in numbers' very much applies here," Sekvi noted quietly. "It's a miracle we're here together. Why waste it?"
"Well said, sweetie. You're right, we'll get through this and soon it'll all be another change in a long line of them." I appreciated Lilika's efforts at keeping us on track, but I felt as if this was all too soon. Why had this happened?
"Is this my fault?"
"What?!"
"Sweetie, no, how could it be?" I wasn't sure if I should answer Lilika's very reasonable question or not.
"I sincerely doubt that could ever be the case, Madison."
"Should I tell her?" I asked, lifting my head and wiping my eyes. All it accomplished was smearing soot over my cheeks. My hands were coated in cuts from the wood, every moment inspiring a wince of pain. Lilika took my hands and began to rub herbs over them. It helped. "Thank you."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It won't change what I think." I believed her. My head fell like a weight onto her shoulder as I stared into the fire. I tried to speak, but it was so difficult. It didn't want to come out of me in spite of the efforts I made. Could I phrase it in another way to circumvent that limitation?
"I'm, an anomaly." That was the best I felt I could do at first, but I kept pushing. I trusted Lilika. "I'm from another place. Not from this plane, maybe not even from this universe." I heard only silence as everyone waited to hear the druid's response.
"So?" All the tension in the air shattered like glass.
"It's monumentous," Sekvi sputtered. "Something that occurs once in many lifetimes, if all accounts are to be believed! Madison has endured an event that many of us could never dream of, the sheer scope of the implications could change our understanding of magic as we know it!" Betiara merely blinked at all these assertions and furrowed her brow.
"No matter where she's from, no matter what she's experienced, Madison is here now, and Madison is Madison. Sure, this all informs her, but it isn’t what’s most important at the end of the day, is it?” Lilika looked down at me with an expectant smile.
“It’s what I do with it.”
“That’s right.”
“Well, yes, of course, but you must understand the gravity her arrival carries.”
“I don’t want to be important,” I said quietly. “I just want to live, and I don’t know if I can still do that.”
“Two things can be true at the same time. Still... let’s look forward together.” Lilika breathed a sigh and looked to the shadow of the eastern mountains. “I don’t know what I want or where I’ll go. The hills have been my only home. With my husband dead... I suppose I’ll have to trust nature to provide for me as it always has. What about you all?”
“I don’t know,” Betiara answered. “I can’t think that far ahead right now. Plans are a luxury and I’ll make them when my stomach stops growling.”
“I suppose I could reconstitute my spell tome,” Sekvi began, as if piecing the thought together as they were speaking. “But I recall my conversation with Madison. Change. Sure, my diplomacy could continue, but I feel inspired to embrace change as she has.” I looked over to Sekvi with worry on my face.
“You’re giving up magic?”
“Aha, absolutely not. Never. I may merely observe it from a different angle.” My former teacher sighed and laced their fingers together, twiddling their thumbs as they tested the veracity of their idea. “I will know that angle when it presents itself to me...” I couldn’t fathom what they were thinking, but I had felt inspiration before. It was different for everyone, and Sekvi struck me as having an artistic nature. They would figure something out.
“That’s all very fair. Oh, there’s Keff. Keep those herbs, the oils will keep infection out. For anyone that can see in the dark, keep an eye out for bushels of wild berries, will you? That’s our eating tonight.” An affirmative came from Betiara, Sekvi and I. We all piled into the wagon and made a leisurely pace Southward. The terrible split in the valley was likely to have left the road intact enough to travel, I was assured, though we stayed to the right side and kept our senses out for weak ground. Betiara drove while Keff watched for shadows crossing the blazing glow ahead of us. The wind was fierce out in the plains, but the most hardy of the group could handle it well. I was the only one that needed tending in that regard. Rags saw to that by resting curling up around me and using my cloak as a blanket. Sekvi sat at the back of the wagon to keep a lookout for berries or stragglers, and Lilika continued to tend to my hands. It was so cold. We were all dreadfully tired, but we managed to find an intact, lidded barrel in the ruins of Sekvi’s parents’ home. Their uncharacteristic silence as we buried them on the grounds was haunting; I could tell that they needed to process this on their own, so I didn’t try to interfere again. We found some of the aforementioned torberries along the roadside further from town. A couple of quick spells from our druid friend gave us an ample supply of water and magically filling food that would keep us going for the near future. Our plan was to get closer to the southern forest while either waiting for itself to burn away from the road, or for rain to come first. The rain beat us to the forest, but that solution presented new problems.
Frigid, wet cold was one of them. Only Lilika, Rags and I had adequate protection from rain, but it had a chilling effect on the air as well. The next problem was mud, which could mire the Wagon fairly easily. The third issue was all of the steam that flowed over the road as the forest fire was extinguished. It had spread frighteningly quickly for such a wet area. I supposed that if the Pacific Northwest could have trouble with wildfires, the Karthos Valley could, too. The diligent driving and point provided by the group miraculously saw us through the forest road without getting stuck a single time. We reached the village of Deltai just after the sun peaked over the mountains. Everything we had seen in Karthos Bend, including the scorched ruins of buildings, bodies, and empty streets was now illuminated in fledgling daylight. I preferred my memories, with the shadows and the smoke that hid much of the carnage from ready sight unless one was looking for it. My body tensed and began to shake anew as we rode past desolate, empty roads. A painted sign was nailed to a post and placed just off the road; it read, ‘22 survivors headed South,’ according to Sekvi.
“Are you okay, Lilika?” I couldn’t part with the memories of what I saw last night. To have to put your own husband out of his misery... the pain of empathy was still very much with me. I doubted it would ever leave after it reached my very soul. She held my hands in hers and stared at them while she formulated a response. My question felt utterly ridiculous; of course she wasn’t okay.
“I knew that chapter of my life would end one day. He could have died somewhere I couldn’t find him. I could have died first, or I might not have ever known what happened to him, but I have certainty now. As much as he was suffering... I was happy that I could help him one last time.” A genuine, peaceful smile came over her as she closed her eyes. “And he lived as fully as he could until the end. There are no regrets between us. I’ll be just fine.” The staggering depths of Lilika’s emotional fortitude were something I couldn’t comprehend. She was an inspiration. I heard Sekvi loose a near-silent sigh as they leaned over the side of the wagon.
“You’re an amazing person, Lilika.”
“Oh, I’ve had a lot of time to work myself out. So,” she began, standing up in the stationary wagon while the others got a look around. “Who’s ready for a nap?” We all murmured responses with varying levels of enthusiasm. Reservations were raised about taking or building shelter in this place; nothing here would be structurally sound enough to sleep under safely. I chose not to voice the fact that I would have difficulty sleeping with all the sounds of birds around me. We decided to explore the village to see if we could find a structure stable enough to sleep under until the only one we found contained two dead people. The decision was then made to sleep in shifts while the wagon was driven onward. I felt this would be a long, torturous road South, full of death and destruction and constant reminders of the horrors we had all seen. The worst part was that there was so little to be done for them. If we stopped to bury everyone we found in these villages, we would never find safety. Lilika tried to ease our consciences with the virtues of letting nature take its course when it needs to, but I found little comfort in that. There was nothing more I could do than trust her judgment of the situation.
I was young and had gotten a few hours of sleep last night, so I volunteered to drive first. Driving a horse-drawn wagon for the first time was daunting enough without the mud presenting an obstacle. The rain had slowed, though, and the cover of the forest kept most of it off of me while the others huddled around Rags for warmth in the bed of the wagon. What’s more is that I had to keep my eyes out for danger. I had no idea what kind of vicious, hungry creatures had been displaced by the earthquake and the fires, but I hoped that predators were too distracted by carrion to take notice of us. The wagon nearly got stuck on a rock, but the effort of the attached horse freed us. I apologized to the others for the shuddering of the vehicle as it crested the obstacle, and they went back to sleep. This minor failure felt much heavier to me amid the circumstances. It didn’t help that I felt like I would never be able to sleep again, despite being so weary that I relied on the jostling of the wagon to keep me alert. Driving a car in this state would have been out of the question; I justified this with lower speeds and no traffic. Once I had reached my limit a few uneventful hours later, I woke Lilika and gave her my cloak to wear while I cuddled up with Rags.
Rest was hard to come by. The wagon made noise, and so did the wildlife of the forest. Rain dropped upon my face while the road jostled me back and forth. I felt a little more inclined to rest in seeing that this area of the road hadn’t been scarred by the fires. It was a small comfort in the face of desperately needing sleep but being unable to find it. I wanted to shout in frustration, but that would wake all of the people that needed sleep as much as I did, or more. Resigned to my defeat, I pet over Rags in hopes of finding solace in his puffy, braided fur. That was the last thing I remembered until I was in a field, all alone save for my equipment. I was human again. I shook my head to feel my hard-earned long hair brush against the sides of my neck. It was such a nice feeling of victory. Long hair was an invitation of hatred throughout my life, but I had earned it. It was mine. I wore it proudly. The urge to do something I had never done overtook me as I began to dance. The meadow grasses of an empty Karthos Valley were the only witnesses to me, and in that, I felt secure. Music joined in as I moved freely in the wilderness. It sounded vaguely... Celtic? It was lively and easy, and it flourished along with me.
All was not well in my frolic. The sky slowly grew darker, and my ribs began to hurt from all my dancing. It hurt more and more. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end; someone was watching me now. Lightning struck the meadow around me as the birds fled. Grass rippled around me from the emergence of a great, bearded face rose from below. The face looked familiar, so horribly familiar in the seconds I had to behold it. Its mouth opened, and I fell screaming into a darkened void. I screamed and desperately trying to climb out of the hole I had fallen into, miraculously finding a foothold. “Madison,” I heard several voices shouting, and suddenly I was falling again. A tepid squelch of mud clearly opened my eyes. There was a narrow sky above me, rimmed on two sides by trees and darkened by the sunset.
“What’s, huh? What the fuck,” I gasped as I sat up. My ribs felt bruised by the motion. The others were awake. Betiara held still reins with Lilika providing point next to her. Sekvi, Keff and Rags had hopped out of the cart and were helping me to my feet. I struggled to get my head on straight, let alone my legs.
“Hey. It’s alright,” Keff insisted while holding my hand with is and repeatedly slapping it with the other. “It’s alright. Wake up.”
“Please excuse our friend, she had quite a night; I’m sure you understand.”
“I do, I do,” assured an unfamiliar voice from the other side of the wagon. My friends helped me back into the wagon, and I began using Prestidigitation to clean myself up after nearly tripping over some discarded pieces of Betiara's armor. I found that my robe had been put back on me in my sleep. Lilika was a kind soul. The stranger, once I had freshened myself, was a half-orc man that carried a complex musical instrument over one shoulder and a survivalist pack over the other. The instrument looked like a bloated violin with a handle on one end and slab of wood on the other. Its slab featured several tabs poking out of it in two staggered rows. It was strung with myriad gleaming metal strings that matched well-kept tusks. I wondered if I had been hearing this man’s music before I woke up.
“Sorry,” I said quietly, following Sekvi’s lead. I glanced at them and noticed them clearly oogling the instrument the man was carrying. Was this evident of the sign they were looking for, or a lasting distraction from their loss? I hoped it could be both.
“Think nothing of it. As I was saying, Deltai came to ruin in the quake, and with news of how large the disaster was in scale, my prospects lay southward once again. Where do you all hail from?” A simultaneous chorus of answers came in response. “So, mostly Karthos Bend. Is it in a similar... state?”
“Six survivors,” Keff sighed.
“Six...?! You poor people. Stars above... I, I, a performance, for free, to lift your spirits! What say you?” We all murmured an affirmative, though I noticed Betiara and Keff’s eyes scanning the tree line. The musician took his instrument in hand and began to play. It rang with a slightly harsh sound that grew milder as I acclimated to it. As the man played different notes, the instrument still retained a droning base tone, and smaller strings quietly reverberated a chorded harmony. At times, the man would change the direction of the way he cranked the handle, which would cause a short buzzing sound to give the song a sense of rhythm. It was an enrapturing experience on its own, and Sekvi seemed to be utterly captivated. I recalled the media through which Arcane magic could be cast, which included musical instrumentation. This was the sign they were looking for. A practiced voice proceeded to sing the tale of the rugged lands of the tundra North. An oral legend that was inherited through the ages told of a struggle against a mighty foe. The battle, more like a protracted war, had continued for years until the people had won. It all carried a very strong message that history was written by the victors, and that all ancient things carried mysteries that we could never know while being so far removed. I thought of the horrible wars that had been fought on Earth; there were myriad lessons I'd gleaned that were contrary to the locally professed version of events. This was why I had always leaned toward a more pacifistic approach to hypothetical matters of conflict.
Applause erupted from the wagon. Rags barked his enthusiasm in lieu of using hands he didn't have. "Aha, thank you, thank you very much. I only dust that one off for special occasions. It's my sole hope that its messages could increase your scale of perception in this time of pain."
"Where did you procure such an instrument? What do you call it?" Sekvi's focus, often prone to scattering, was singular in this moment.
"This is a symphonia! It was purchased in Nereved by the luthier Sysiphon. All in the craft know their name."
"I'll purchase it from you, right now, for 60 gold pieces." This offer stunned us, but it stunned the musician most of all. He scoffed, caught off guard.
"My good, mage, this beautiful machine is not for sale, it is how I make my living! Besides, that is the very price that I paid for its privilege."
"70. Have you ever cast magic through your instrument?"
"We're the last ones out; there's no one left to play for." The musician appeared to be startled by this fact. He quickly gathered himself and decided to weigh his potential fortune.
"75." Sekvi was already counting the coins. The deal was made, and they were the new owner of a rather fine symphonia. The musician, meanwhile, would be free of having to work for some time while still being able to purchase another instrument. He declined two offers of a ride to Deltai, insisting that he was an experienced traveler and wished to live all of his experiences on his own terms... even this one. We were assured that we would see him again in all of his mustachioed glory. He stayed by the roadside as we departed, and Lilika gave me another Goodberry she had prepared while I was asleep. I accepted without a second thought. My offer to clean everyone's clothing in return was accepted in kind; we were all weary enough of the road, but we still had some ways to travel. Betiara and I drove silently onward while Keff and Lilika spoke of youthful stories of Karthos Valley. Sekvi, meanwhile, was diligently practicing with their new instrument, and quietly told us that their mother had been quite the symphonia player. They simply had to have the instrument when they saw it; we offered no judgment of the decision.
I wanted to engage with Betiara while the others tended to their respective methods of coping. "What do you think we'll find in Letvel?" Open-ended questions had their merits, but I felt that I had asked the wrong one.
"Some damage. Refugees." She sighed; I saw weariness and worry in her eyes as she continued to stare forward. "It feels like... it's over. No one in their right mind would rebuild in the valley. Whole towns, memories, families, gone. What happens now?"
"Maybe that's something we can find there. Some way to..." Words failed me. Moving on was something none of us were ready for, aside from perhaps Lilika. We weren't ready to find something new. I had to accept the fact that life had no care whether we were ready for change or not; I was living proof of that fact.
"You don't have to make me feel better."
"But, I'd, like to, if I can." Betiara's lupine eyes met mine with a piercing quality that hadn't yet been leveled at me. I suddenly felt like I was applying for a job I needed, but didn't want.
"This happened to all of us, Madison." I knew what she was getting at; these people could read me like a book.
"If I think about it, I'll sink and I'll never breathe again. Focusing on others just... I need to have say in this. It hurts less." I could tell Betiara knew exactly what I was talking about. Her eyes fell and drifted back to the road ahead. "I hear you, and, thank you. It's in stages, I guess."
"Yeah. I didn't hurt you again, did I?"
"No, no. And, you know, what happened before is over now. I know you care."
"Okay." Betiara was interesting to me. She was so principled, and principles often came from difficult experiences. They inspired empathy that couldn't be matched by someone merely explaining a circumstance. "I'm glad you survived." I felt a particular gentleness in her statement.
"I'm glad you did too. I almost didn't. I broke a rib, the cabin fell, then caught on fire, and falling rocks crushed everything." I only realized I was talking about it when I had to search my memories to recount the experience. That couldn't happen. I felt my body grow cold again. "Sorry. I shouldn't talk about it."
"It's alright." Our moment of subtle connection was only just beginning to settle into us when Lilika stepped up behind us and told us in an urgent whisper that we had company. I took my staff into my hand and looked into the woods. A dark shape was immediately visible: a large animal of some kind. We were being stalked. Betiara's hand drifted toward her midsection, where a sheathed set of daggers lay in wait. I heard Sekvi stop playing their symphonia, and finally, Keff stood with his warhammer resting upon his shoulder.
"It's a volg," Lilika continued. "All on their own. They might be desperate. Hungry."
"Ah, good, I've dealt with them before." The way Sekvi's voice shook out of character told me that they were nervous about such combat with their new instrument.
"Let it come," Keff said without any worry in his voice whatsoever. "I'll make short work of it."
"Only if we're attacked first. Madison, have you ever fought before?" I appreciated Lilika's diligence in asking, but I hated the question. Something that large could eat me in a second.
"Just with fists, at school. I've never fought a wild animal." Without time to further plan our course of dealing with the creature, it made a beeline toward us! "Fuck, fuck, fuck," I swore with urgency as I cast Mage Armor on myself, kicking myself for not doing so earlier. The monstrous animal snarled and collided with the hurried wagon; the horse was spooked. We almost tumbled out of the wagon but we managed to stay safely within... for now. Keff, true to his word, was the first to act. His mighty hammer came down with a crushing force matched only by the shout he loosed alongside the swing. The creature was clearly worse for wear afterward, stumbling, dazed, with a tremendous wound on one side of their face. I felt terrible about the situation until I saw a swipe of their paw narrowly miss Sekvi. This was life or death. Sekvi had nearly been killed by one of these creatures before, and as unfortunate as it was that the volg may have to die when it was likely starved and isolated after the earthquake... I popped up from cover just enough to aim a Fire Bolt. I missed. "Shitting fucking ass," I swore as I ducked back down. Lilika had the same idea, but her gout of fire struck truer than mine.
The burn had snapped the creature out of their daze. My hopes were dashed when seeing that the attacks continued, and this time, they were aimed at me. I felt a single moment of cold fear pulse through me as an overhead paw missed my face by inches. I screamed. This prompted Rags to act, and the impeccably good boy reared up and bellowed an echoing bark. Far from the gentle giant I had seen until now, he appeared as a force as he loomed over the rest of the group. This show was enough to convince the volg that we weren't worth the trouble. Their dark shadow fled into the woods. Battle was over now. I braced my legs against the side of the wagon while Betiara diligently asserted calm over the terrified horse. Keff settled into point and used a rag to wipe the blood from his hammer with a satisfied smile on his face. Lilika helped me sit up, reassuring me that it was okay. Sekvi, however, was grinning from ear to ear. "Oho! What a show! Quick responses from everyone, I'm impressed. Aha." Their eyes fell to me, and they calmed their jubilations. "You did fine, Madison. It was your first time using magic under pressure, and you did so with aplomb. Are you alright?" I could hear my heart beating in my ears. It felt like this kind of stress could kill me.
"Chest hurts," I replied, attempting to re-establish my bearings. No one had been wounded, and the volg hadn't been brought to death for simply being a volg. The outcome was, all things considered, as close to ideal as they could have been. My torrential adrenaline slowly wore off. I felt comforted by the intact presence of all of my friends nearby. Even Rags, who lay beside me, provided security. This was a good thing. We were all in this together. The infinite, dizzying questions that had plagued me since I arrived in the Cradle were taking a back seat to the events of the day. Having something else to focus on suited me. Grounding would allow me to emotionally recover and focus on my friends' concerns, which were much more important to me. I breathed in this moment. "I'm alright. I'm good." A heaved sigh of relief escaped me as I sat myself up and spoke no more of myself. Lilika and Sekvi appeared to be concerned, but Betiara and Keff decided to leave the matter as it was for the time being. The wagon rocked onward as we continued our trek to Letvel.
A stop was made to forage for a stock of berries. For some reason, Lilika's spell only worked on those specific fruits. I wasn't willing to vocalize this question out of gratitude for a full stomach. Keff and I sat in the wagon together while the others searched the adjacent tree lines for food. My Spell Tome was open in my lap for the sake of review; I was gaining more ideas for spells, but I would need to formulate them on my own. Sekvi could likely help me if I got stuck; it was a good distraction for me either way. Magic Missile was a reliable offensive spell, and I had some defensive spells that would keep me alive, as well. Comprehend Languages apprehended my current focus. Utility spells would give me a nice way to round out my repertoire. I found it hard to refuse the idea of adding useful Rituals to my growing list of options; they didn't tire me out nearly as much. The wagon was moving again by the time I started assessing how much enchanted ink I had left, which appeared to be enough for two more spells.
"We've enough berries to secure us for tonight and the day following," Sekvi announced to the group. They wasted no time resuming their symphonia practice. A keen ear and quick hands kept their tuning stable as they played. I was impressed by how quickly they were able to transcribe melodies into a cast of Prestidigitation. It felt awful to watch them pretend to be so joyful when they were clearly wearing masks. A feeling of rot grew from my uncertainty of how to help them as they'd helped me. I opened my mouth to broach the subject to them quietly, but I felt a hand close over mine. Lilika closed her eyes and shook her head. Now was not the time. Sekvi had put up a fence, and I had to trust that they had done so for good reason. I deflated. A different approach was necessary; it was about Sekvi's feelings, not mine.
"Thank you all for getting those for us. I, um... I could use your help." Lilika's smile, only just visible as she returned her attention to Rags, helped me feel more confident in this decision.
"Oh? Are we having ideas?"
"We are having ideas. I um, I'm looking at my spells and I feel like we could benefit from some more Ritual spells. Ones that could provide some group utility when things aren't hectic, you know?"
"Ahh." The wizard, now of a different specialty than before, shot me a knowing grin. "You're on the right track." That was all the advice they had for me. I got the message. They were right.
"That helps, thank you. Uhh, so I'm thinking if I had a way to pinpoint and identify magical effects in the environment, I could gain more insight into the way magic can be applied in a practical sense, right? That can give me more ideas," I explained, feeling very exposed as I floundered my way through the unknowns of magical practice. Sekvi and Lilika exchanged satisfied smiles with each other.
"She's a natural," Lilika said quietly.
"That she is. I'm sure you understand my continued interest in her magical development."
"I do. Curiosity keeps you young!"
"You know I'm right here," I laughed.
"Where else would you be?" Sekvi's quip made me feel more at ease. I felt that although I'd lost the first makings of a future for myself, any and all sense of stability, I had found a different way forward. This path felt more closely connected, more concrete in a counter-intuitive way. It was nice to know that my instincts were leading me in the right direction; external reassurance was something I very much needed in order to feel confident in any venture. The wagon's pitching over the road made it impossible to write out any new spells, so I did my best to memorize my ideas so that I could transcribe them later. I wondered what Letvel would be like as I gazed into the dense forest to the left of the wagon. The damage there had been minimal. What constituted minimal in this case? A few fallen buildings? Did they still have access to water without the Karthos River? Welcome could very well be a strained concept to the people of the town. The mountains to the East weren't as tall as they were in the northern end of the valley, but the West side of the valley behind me was getting a little taller. I imagined that topographical change would introduce a slightly warmer, drier climate, since humid air wouldn't be blowing in as plentifully as it had in Karthos Bend. It sounded like a better environment for my scales.
"What do we do once we get to Letvel?" My question was met with an uncertain silence as I slowly closed my Spell Tome. I felt as if I'd said the wrong thing, and was beginning to panic by the time Sekvi broke the silence.
"I suppose we... make the town's leadership aware of the situation, if they aren't already abreast. Gather information, look for familiar faces. After that, there's little more to do than decide what to do next." It was the fairest answer to my question that I could imagine.
"We get food," Betiara answered. “Shelter comes first, I guess, and water."
"We'll need work," added Keff. "You'll need your study supplies, and I don't like sitting idle." They wanted to help me stay moving forward. No one had ever offered to do something like that for me, especially with the cost involved. Not, at least, until I arrived here and met Sekvi. I saw them across from me, sitting next to Lilika as the shadow cast by the sun setting behind us eclipsed their faces. Night was falling quickly; we would need to break into driving shifts soon.
"I'd like to get the lay of the land. Actually..." Lilika hoisted herself to her feet and scanned the immediate area. "After that volg, I think I'll go ahead and get a look around. I won't be gone long." Betiara was beginning to slow the wagon to let Lilika out, but the druid had other ideas. Her form swiftly twisted into that of an airborne owl that gave a hoot before fluttering into the darkening sky. I couldn't help but watch her with a sense of unexplainable awe. Something deep within myself stirred at the sight.
"You know, when we were talking the other night, Sekvi? There was a factor we forgot to examine."
"Oh, what was that factor that you remember forgetting?" I appreciated their turn of phrase. A hand gesturing down over myself was the best way I could think to answer their question. "Ahhh, we did indeed." They began to play their symphonia as quietly as such an instrument could be played. It was hard to remember what we said during the conversation in question ever since... I couldn't think about that now. My fists balled up on their own accord, the points of my claws keeping me grounded in the moment.
"I mean this is... nice." It was more than nice, but I didn't want to feel like I was embellishing the sentiment. Being vain was a great way to get a big head. That was a trap I wanted to avoid. "Like, at least I'm not a squirrel. But it isn't something I've ever imagined for myself, you know?" I saw Betiara's head turn out of the corner of my eye. Keff elbowed her with a smirk.
"Why indeed? I saw you staring at Lilika before. I wonder if you've ever-"
"Oh, shit."
"Oh?"
"Dragonborn. Dragon. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to, um..." I felt so silly. Confessing this would likely make me sound just as silly. Given that dragons had to exist in this world for there to be dragonborn, I started to worry that it could even make me sound power-hungry. "I imagined myself as a dragon that could just fly away from all my problems and be at peace in the clouds. I don't have wings, but this is something closer to that. Do you think that could be part of this?" Sekvi crossed their outstretched legs and fiddled a melody through their instrument while they thought. Keeping their hands busy seemed to help them; their fidgeting motions had been far less focused before the arrival of their symphonia.
"In all honesty, Madison, the scope of such things is beyond any informed speculation I could make. Your question is pertinent, of course." Their yellow eyes matched mine with a look of defeat. "Theories aside, I can say with certainty that your arrival here was magically anomalous in nature. That's all I can currently say for sure."
"I understand. I appreciate it... I'm starting to wonder if it even matters. I'm here, now, with you all. Maybe it's time to ask different questions and just move on."
"Just for now, maybe," Betiara chimed in. "You can always come back to it. I'd want answers, too." A look of genuine concern was lingering over her shoulder.
"Feels like anyone could relate. To being able to fly, I mean." Keff had a point; there were many songs about that exact wish back on Earth. I wondered if there were similar songs here.
"Are we staying together after we get to Letvel?"
"Until or unless we are determined to be otherwise, I see no better course of action."
"Probably, yeah."
"We'll assess the situation when we get there. You won't be left alone." I imagined Lilika would have a similar answer. Betiara's answer was particularly comforting. I was nowhere near ready to venture into this world on my own without knowing any of the languages or any of the dangers. There was no telling what kind of experiences could befall me for better or for worse. Apprehension sat within me as the air grew colder. It was getting dark again. Part of me expected fires to erupt all around me. The others were getting antsy, as well, and the group engaged in idle conversation to keep things calm. Lilika landed in the cart some time later, reporting that most of the wildlife she saw in the area were small herbivores. No bipeds were ahead of us, but she saw cart tracks left behind by what we assumed to be the first wagon out of town. Letvel was on the horizon; we would reach it by tomorrow night if all went well. The cold drained me even through my cloak, but Rags' warmth was enough for my legs. Keff took over driving the cart while the rest of us tried to get some rest. I was told my shift would be last tonight.
It was difficult to sleep with a mind full of questions. The noisy tossing of the cart didn't help, either. I felt vulnerable and exposed around these people. My trust had been returned in greater measure thus far, which made me feel as if I wasn't contributing enough. What could I do to help them now, beyond refusing to disrupt Sekvi's self-contained healing process? Perhaps considering what they'd lost could inform me of what they needed. Keff had lost his trade and his own self-made way it afforded. Betiara had lost the fruits of revolutionary labor along with everyone that had seen benefit from it. Lilika had lost her sanctuary both physical and emotional, and Sekvi... Sekvi had lost everything but their position and ability as a diplomat. Keff would need help recapturing his economical agency, or with picking a new method of finding it. Betiara would need people to hear her message on the importance of conducting an ethical society. Lilika needed a new sanctuary and the guarantee that she wouldn't be left alone, either. Sekvi seemed to be building themself a new direction of their own, almost picking up where they left off in a fashion. I knew that they had felt so proud to have me as their student, which was something I didn't mind obliging by asking for their thoughts of matters in which I couldn't easily inform myself. I was in the middle of formulating ways to give the others what I thought they needed when I fell asleep against Betiara's shoulder.