Tag: FOWC

The stars aligned. Or it was all a bunch of coincidences rolled into one. Miranda jumped up at the sight of three men walking in. The bright blue-eyed man sighed heavily as she approached, but he offered her a bag and more instruments and Miranda clapped her hands. 

But it was the boy he had his arm around that caught her attention the most. A half elf by the looks of his genetics, a half sibling to the man behind him, and with a boggle on his shoulder. A fucking boggle — this had to be him!

Rosana joined the trio, and Miranda as she glanced through her bags. 

“Care to introduce me, Miranda?” When the other woman looked at Rosana, she winked with a node. 

Miranda’s eyes went wide and she smile. “I can only do so much. This is my love, al’Zand.”

The blue-eyed man groaned. “Miranda… we have viewers…” 

Miranda put her finger to his lips and shushed him. “Who are your friends?”

al’Zand shook his head and pushed past the others. “This is ae’Nyx, and he needs a heart meal. Not this gruel shit — something to put meat on his bones.”

The man behind them chuckled. “My name is Alushtas. We are all famished. Shall we all sit down and dine?”

The boggle spoke with the boy fluent in Sylvan. Their conversation was interesting. Why would the boy need boggle oil? And oddly enough, he looked like his father, the same shape of eyes, the pallor of his skin. It had been a while since Alushtas had seen Riva, but there was no mistaking his father’s makeup. Would it be this simple to find his half brother?

And to succor favor with the queen? 

There was time left in the night to find those answers, and following the bard Zand to warmth and food was the perfect place to get them. 

The Sacred Horses Inn was only a few blocks away. Zand seemed engrossed in the boy, fretting about the chill of his skin. The boggle turned and glared at Alushtas, and he just smirked and spoke in Sylvan. “Never knew a boggle to help a man.”

The boggle stuck his tongue out at Alushtas and there was a passive game of who could make the funniest face before they pushed open the doors to the inn, and the entire room turned to look at the newcomers.

Fate had a way of bringing people together. I recognized the pack carried by the man at the end of the alley. He dropped our things as he picked up the gross-looking creature, but it was the way the beautiful boy pleaded with me and the other man’s voice pervading my thoughts. Here he was hurt, and begging and looking out for a vile creature.

But it was the strange language that came from his mouth that brought my attention to his lips. I didn’t understand a word he said, but the variable cadence of his words said he spoke the strange language often — almost too often. And when he answered my question with a strange plea of help from the creation, I was silent. What could he need the help of this thing for?

The exchange was quick. And I stared at the boy, at ae’Nyx. A name to go with those eyes and the lush lips that pouted ever so slightly. He was…

He offered his hand in introduction, and I took it in my own. He was still cold to the touch. I reached into the pile of my things and grabbed a blanket, and wrapped it around his shoulders. He smiled at me.

“Thank you. But I’m not that cold.”

I interrupted him. “You’re freezing. Come on, let’s get you something hot to eat.” I looked over at the other man and then at the smirk on his lips. “Those are mine and my companion’s things. The thief you took them from was running away while I chased him. I crashed into ae’Nyx…” 

My words then brought me back to the boy I’d been staring at and I blushed at my lack of introduction. “You can call me Zand. Come, let’s get you warm.”

I looked at him with pleading eyes. I could feel my lip quivering. The man with the blue eyes stared back at me. “Please, don’t let him kill the boggle.”

The man at the end of the alley dropped a handful of gear he was hauling and snatched the small creature from the floor and held him up. “What good is this thing for? It doesn’t even make any sounds in Common.”

The blue-eyed man offered me a hand. “Are you alright?”

I took the hand and smiled. “Probably a few bruises.” I turned my attention to the boggle and spoke in its tongue as I reached for it. “I’m sorry for this treatment. I only wish to speak and hire you. I don’t know this city at all, and I need your oil.”

The creature’s feet touched the ground when I took it from his handler. The boggle glared up at the man and then turned his attention to me. “You hire?”

“Yes.” I replied in its language. “I don’t have much, but food, water, and protection, if you will provide me with sticky oil when I need it.”

“You protect?”

I nodded. “As best I can.”

“What are you saying to it?” the blue-eyed man asked.

“I’m asking for its help.”

The boggle glared at the man who had helped me in a roundabout sorta way, but it looked at me and nodded. “No peasant and provide morsel and will agree to sticky oil. Oog.”

“Hi, Oog. I’m ae’Nyx.” I offered Oog my hand and he took it, swinging up my arm and sat on my shoulder. “We leave now.”

I smiled. “We have other friends to meet.” I spoke in Sylvan and then turned to the blue-eyed man. “We have reached an accord. Thank you. I’m ae’Nyx.” I offered him my hand.

Rosana nodded. “I’m looking for a boy about sixteen. Half elf who creates a very special elixir that apparently he brews from Boggle oil. You wouldn’t know where any boggles are?”

Miranda shook her head. “What’s a boggle?”

Rosana giggled, and Miranda placed her hand on top of hers. The slim fingers of the other woman’s hands embraced hers. Her thumb caressed the top of her hand. Warmth blossomed in Rosana’s body. “A boggle is a magical creature that likes to make mischief around areas that are full of despair and melancholy. They would thrive this close to the Leech and the Shadowfell.”

Miranda gave a slight nod. “What else do you know of them?”

“Not much.” Rosana said. “I have friends who might know. A bit of a retailer of information if you’d like.”

Miranda nodded. “Perhaps we should skip out the back here, look for my husband as he ran off after a thief that way and then we can go ask.”

“Your husband?”

Miranda patted Rosana’s hand. “Oh yes, but don’t let our union alarm you. He completely understands.”

Rosana’s eyes were wide, there had been flirting and now consequences of marriage. Confusion swept over her. But the dire need to seek the boy was too great, and Miranda seemed like a good resource. Even if she was a bit of a… there was no good word for what she thought of a woman who used her wiles to get her way.