chapter 2 Who Booked Your Travel?
Caleb was lost. He'd parted ways with the old man on the wagon and had spent the morning wandering around the town that the locals called Ecstasy. What they were ecstatic about he was not sure, but the standing stones and plinths scattered around the place were certainly impressive enough. He was pleased to see that the locals were getting in touch with the elements of earth and rock by meditating on top of the stones.
As he wandered around town the thought slowly occurred to him that his friends might be about somewhere. Having spotted a seedy looking tavern he turned on his heels and began walking towards it. The earth genasi was aware of the standing stone circle that he was passing through, but not of the worshippers who'd gathered there for prayer.
A short, slender woman with bluish skin and luxurious hair that looked like molten gold was conducting a ceremony. She wore white robes, trimmed with gold, that accentuated her curvaceous without being too revealing. As the earth genasi stomped through the stone circle she paused in leading the prayers. Caleb stopped to ponder why there was a sudden silence and was surprised to find that there were numerous people inside the stone circle all wearing platinum amulets with the symbol of a dragon. One of the men had feathery wings and wore shining silver armour.
"Do you mind?” The priestess leading the service asked. She did not sound annoyed, but rather intrigued by why the tall stranger had wandered in to their midst. She smiled at him, but some of others did not look pleased by the intrusion.
“SORRY, JUST TAKING A SHORT CUT.” Caleb's train of thought had been 'nice stones, nice stones' and was trying to adjust to being addressed by the priestess and her followers.
“Please, this is a sacred grove." The priestess beckoned him over and Caleb noted that her fingers were webbed. A vague memory of elves that lived under water stirred at the back of the earth genasi's mind, but she did not entirely fit the description. Her golden reptilian eyes reminded him of stories about great wyrms and he shook his head to rid himself of the conflicting and confusing thoughts.
"If you pass through here then you must take part in the ceremony. Take this offering.” She handed him a earthen mug with a clear gold liquid inside.
Before the priestess could instruct him on what to do next the earth genasi lifted the earthen mug to his lips and drank the fluid inside in one gulp. Lady Toujin stared at Caleb in surprise as he swallowed the 'waters of flame' without the proper prayers and was relieved to see that when he belched, smoke drifted out of his nostrils.
“Have you taken part in this kind of ceremony before?” She asked and winked at him.
“UH, NO." Caleb felt the liquid churning in his stomach like molten lava, but his expression remained blank. "NORMALLY WHEN A WOMAN GIVES ME A FOAMING TANKARD I JUST DOWN IT IN ONE.”
“Well. I think that perhaps you have taken part for long enough in the ceremony.” Lady Toujin led him by the arm to the edge of the standing stones. She gave him a dazzling smile and winked again before turning back to complete the prayers to the Platinum Dragon.
Caleb was about to walk further in to town when he saw a diminutive figure block his path. The halfling was small even by the standards of his race and for a brief moment the earth genasi thought that one of his mephits was blocking the way. The halfling who'd been watching the people going by was well dressed and looked like a gentleman about town enjoying a brief trip to the countryside.
“HELLO LITTLE MAN,” Caleb stared down at the small halfling and belched again, smoke drifting up from his nose.
“Hello." The friendly halfling smiled and beckoned Caleb over. "Would you mind if we stepped out of the way of the priests?”
“UH. SORRY. I DID NOT REALISE THAT I WAS IN THE WAY.” The earth genasi followed the halfling to the main road.
“You seemed to manage it quite well.” The halfling commented cheerfully, grateful for the earth genasi's interruption during the ceremony. He'd been waiting for the winged man to come out of the boring ceremony and Caleb's unexpected entrance had certainly livened things up.
“HERE," said Caleb handing the earthen mug that he was still holding to the mineral mephit. "GIVE THIS TO THE NICE LADY.”
“Of course Master. We will look after the mug for you." The mineral mephit rubbed its hands over the earthen mug as if it was a holy relic and snatched it out of the reach of the other mephits. It hugged the vessel close to its small body, coveting the item that its master had entrusted in its care. "It's such a wondrous mug that our great Master has drunk from. None other shall touch it.”
“NOW!” Caleb commanded in a stern voice.
“Yes Master, right away Master.” The mineral mephit flew off with the mug, the earth and ooze mephits following in hot pursuit.
“HELLO MY NAME IS CALEB," the earth genasi held out his hand in greeting. "I'M NEW AROUND HERE."
"Cade Highhdale." The halfling shook the genasi's hand, his small hand only large enough to grasp a few of Caleb's fingers. "You could probably say the same thing about me as I'm a Cage resident myself.” Cade saw that Caleb was confused. “Sigil,” he explained, referring to the Cage.
“OH YES, SIGIL." Caleb had heard Sigilian slang before, but not very bothered about learning it. "ANYWAY, I WONDER IF YOU HAVE SEEN MY FRIENDS AROUND.”
“I don't know.” Cade looked around eagerly hoping to spot any other genasi in the vicinity.
“THERE'S A DWARF AND A WOMAN.” The earth genasi was counting off his friends on his fingers and was trying to remember the names of his friends.
“Right,” said Cade after the earth genasi had been silent for some time. He could not see any dwarves on the road in town and waited patiently for Caleb to continue.
“SOMETIMES THE DWARF IS A WOMAN. A TALL SERENE LOOKING BLOKE AND SOME OTHER MAN THAT I CANNOT REMEMBER RIGHT NOW, QUITE FRANKLY HE'S PRETTY NON-DESCRIPT.” Caleb was pleased with the description of his companions and made a mental note to remember it for next time that his friends went flying off.
“No, I'm sorry but I haven't." Cade shook his head. "I'm actually waiting for Sir Osbourne. One of the big chaps with the wings, shining armour and large sword and things.”
“WAS HE THE ONE THAT I KNOCKED OVER PASSING THROUGH? SORRY.” Caleb vaguely remembered that one of the standing stones had felt 'feathery' when he'd walked in to the circle and that he might have knocked it over.
Cade shook his head, there were a couple of people with wings present during the ceremony but none of them had been knocked over. “He's one of the slightly older ones.”
“ARE THERE ANY PUBS AROUND HERE?” Caleb asked, deciding that he wanted something less volatile to drink.
“Ah, now that I can help you on. Pubs sound good." Cade smiled and began to walk down the road to the tavern. "Let's go to a pub anyway and if he happen to bump in to them then that would be good.” The halfling continued talking but the earth genasi had lost the flow of the conversation after the first sentence.
“WOW, YOU CERTAINLY ARE FRIENDLY.” He commented more to himself than his new companion.
“Oh yes, known for it.” Cade smiled, pleased that the earth genasi had noticed. For a brief moment Caleb had the feeling that the small halfling was going to jump up and tear out his throat with his teeth, but the strange sensation passed quickly and the two continued in to town.