Jax plodded along, his eyelids drooping every so often as he would sigh deeply. She couldn't say how many miles they had gone thus far, only that he was tired and so was she. Her partner was faring no better, every so often she could hear the distant meager crowing of a bird, though its weariness was palpable. No danger had set upon them yet, though they were still a long way from home.
The night was fading into day as the rays of the sun peered over the mountains. Talia shaded her eyes as the overly bright light began to leech into the forest through the branches of the pines. She wasn't a fan of morning, though she didn't hate it. The warmth of the sun was pleasant, and the scent of the forest in daylight was blissful. The effect overall was calming, though she was too tired to truly enjoy the feeling of it.
The dingy road she had found was an ancient one, likely used when trade was much more prevalent in the area. The only tracks that marked it were Jax's and they lead up and now back down to the distant town of Kvark. That place had once been a hub for trade, serving as the center of the large mining operations taking place in the gentle mountains. There were no dwarves, she had heard that the humans were the ones that had pulled a large sum of silver and gold from the creeks and hollows.
After dawn had set in she rode for several more hours following the myriad of old roads that cut across the mountainsides and valleys. She wound her way up and down each road slowly until she dropped into the main valley where Kvark lay. There a main road connected and lead down, only a few more miles until she would reach her destination. Above she heard the sharp crow of her partner, looking up she spotted the obsidian wings and small lithe body. He was watching carefully, crowing at her every so often whenever he'd find something worth talking about.
Now that she was in the bottom of the main valley the trees had fallen away leaving mostly open terrain. She could hear the sounds of bumbling carts, human voices, and even axes striking distant trees. The change in energy was unmistakable, everyone was waking up and starting their days with the vim and vigor she had come to associate with humans. She frowned as she came upon her first passerby, a bent over man riding a sorry-looking nag of a horse. He said nothing, only wheezed as he passed. He was the first and he would not be the last.
She pulled Jax to a stop, jumping off to grab out her travelers clothes. Her shirt was a grayish-white button down that was a bit too big for her, it made her seem smaller than she really was and a bit less intimidating to anyone who happened to notice her. Her pants were a typical brown leather tailored to her and perfectly suited to long rides and hikes. Her black leather boots worked just fine for every-day travel, no one would associate it with her true job or identity. She also stowed away the mask in a saddle bag, it would certainly bring about panic if she wore it openly.
Once changed she mounted Jax once more to continue into the town. The bird above crowed twice before circling higher and leaving her to go to his hide out. She didn't mind it much, it was an assurance that he saw nothing of worry. Although he tended to dismiss the locals when all she could see in them was their potential threat, humans didn't generally take kindly to her. Nico looked human when he wasn't a bird and she didn't. She pulled her crimson hair forward to cover her knife-like ears. Most people compared her ears to that of an elf, and they wouldn't be far off. As a half-elf and a half-giant she could blame her ears on her elvish heritage.
Talia was what most people would refer to as a monster, and not because of her affiliation with the goddess Hephatus. Humans didn't like it when peoples such as giants and elves mated sinfully. Of course they weren't just off-put by giants and elves, every other non-human people were on the list of 'sinful' when it came to cross-mating. She didn't understand how such a thing had occurred, or how often, only that she was the result of it.
Standing normally she was nearly seven feet tall, if not a bit more. Her crimson hair stuck out sorely too, especially among the blonds, browns, and blacks of common humans. She also sported bright green eyes which were uncommon in humans which normally had brown or blue eyes. Put it all together and it was easy to see she was not like the others. Even Nico sported a very human like appearance despite his dark ugly nature.
Talia continued to ride towards the town where traffic began to get heavier. She garnered plenty of distrustful looks and sneers the closer she got to the town limits. Most of the people were miners or farmers just trying to make their way to wherever they were most needed. Carts were pulled by their meager horses, most of which were in terrible condition with mangy pelts and skeletal frames. Kvark was a dying town, one that Talia was certain would soon disappear.
The town itself was relatively small, the majority of the buildings lining the singular road that carved its way through the bottom of the valley. The houses lie at the southern end of Kvark and the northern end held the businesses and a small dingy healing ward. Although Talia wasn't certain it could even constitute the term 'healing-ward'; it was more of an abandoned house with some strange old herbalist that had made it his.
It was next to the twisted old herbalist's home that Nico's hideaway was located. From the outside it looked like nothing more than a decrepit old home, the roof collapsed in and the door broken in half. It was there that Talia pulled Jax to a halt, patting his shoulder gently. He was definitely weary, and so was she, but she had to check in before making her way to the Inn and stables.
She jumped off, grabbing his reins and looping them over a still semi-standing hitching post. From there she pushed her way into the wretched building, but as she slid through the door magic warped the image and spit her out into the true reality. Inside the building was actually built of stone, the walls covered in a mossy grime that was neither dry nor moist but something in-between. There was no more room than one would have imagined, but the ceiling was intact, and the wooden floor was dry and only marginally dusty.
"No, no, just barge your way in." Nico called, his voice echoing. Talia watched a pile of old books move as he straightened up, a few ancient texts wrapped in his arms. He had particularly pale skin, almost translucent to Talia's eyes. He had thin almost severe-looking lips and a straight and strong nose which overall made him seem more bookish and older than he truly was. His face was angular and sculpted but not in an overly attractive way; he still had a lot of boyishness clinging to him. He was young, after all, no more than nineteen.
Nico had dark blue eyes that shone gently in the darkness. They were more square than normal a normal humans rounded almond shape and his were usually framed by rectangular copper glasses. The last defining feature that stood out was his stark obsidian hair that shone like the feathers of a raven; though that was quite fitting considering his second form.
"The magic door doesn't show up till after I push through so there's little I can do until I'm already in here." She shrugged with a yawn. It wasn't the best excuse but he'd have to accept it.
"Never mind... Anyway, I should congratulate you on another successful mission. Masterfully done as always." He set the books down on the small table that lie in the center of the room. It was dusty and cluttered with papers, though most of them had his scrawls all over them. Pushing his glasses back up his nose he watched her as she moved behind the table to look for a comfortable place to make herself at home.
"Congratulations are hardly in order... At this point it is normal. Perhaps when I do something extraordinary..." She sighed, searching for his bed. Usually he had it set in a corner, though it was most likely buried as well.
"Getting home without trouble should be extraordinary at this point. There's some weird movement happening." He shuffled some papers on his table, pulling out a few with some underlined words and sketches. Talia noted maps in some of his notes, though the most interesting things were the drawings.
"Huh?" She looked for the bed again, already too tired to deal with his nonsense. He was usually the paranoid sort, if anything followed her for more than a mile he took careful note and marked it down in his travel journals. He had several entries with a conclusion of 'bear' at the end.
"Last night while you were riding there were creatures following you. Distantly mind you, but still... They never left the shadows. I circled a few miles ahead too, and it's similar. There's a lot of movement but the creatures aren't leaving the shadows. They never came close to the town..." He shuffled papers and opened one of the books. Talia noted a sketch of a dark creature with glowing eyes, though it wasn't any creature she'd ever seen before.
"Could you see what they were?" She asked, eyeing his notes with growing curiosity. While she was perfectly capable of reading his handwriting as always was less than legible. It looked like he hadn't taken a minute of sleep since he had arrived... Perhaps he really was worried. The more she paid attention the more she realized how rattled he looked.
"No. I can't understand why either, even when I skirted the tree tops... We need to be careful. I've sent a letter to Nazir, I think we should spend a few days here while I assess the threat." Talia hmphed, but said nothing in return to his idea. She wouldn't turn her nose up at a few days of rest, certainly Jax wouldn't either. If it helped assuage his fears she would relent.
"I'll send out eyes at dusk to monitor where these creatures come from and how they move at night. I don't want to have to move during the day, I'd have to ride with you..."
"Nico you're starting to ramble." Talia warned gently. She hated the daylight just as much as he did but if there were strange things moving during the night their trip could become more difficult and she was already worn out from their travels and constant jobs.
"Right, right.... I haven't slept in... How long has it been now? Three days? Four?" He looked to her, she noted the dark bags under his eyes with a slight twinge of worry. She held up her hand counting the days in her head, had she slept any while he was awake? To her count it had been at least five days since she had gotten a good rest, so he was likely in the same boat there. It wasn't unusual for them but it was wearing for sure, she could feel her mind growing fuzzy with over-taxation.
"Going on... Five now. When have you eaten last?" He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face vigorously as he contemplated the answer,
"I can't even remember. Watching your back takes all my concentration." He smiled slightly as he said it as he turned back to his notes and books. Talia rolled her eyes before setting off from the wall and making her way back towards the door.
"Come get some food with me then if it's so tedious to have my back. I'll get you some of that nice ale too. After all this you and I could both cut loose a little." She motioned towards the road just outside his door. Her stomach was empty, painfully so, and she knew that she could not catch any sleep unless she saw to that first.
"I... Suppose it wouldn't hurt. We have all day after all. I'll bring my notes." He grabbed the important ones and stuffed them into a leather backed book before following her outside. She grabbed Jax's reins and lead the way towards the inn. It was the only establishment in town that served food, or at least the only one that served edible food. The innkeeper also tended to have a passable ale or mead on tap as well. Whether or not he created it was questionable, but Talia didn't mind as long as it took the edge off and helped her to sleep.
"I wonder if he's got any pork today..." Nico muttered to himself as he followed her. Talia could practically hear him salivating at the thought.
"Depends on if the trade wagons came through or not. I hear this place is dying down pretty badly as of late. Trade doesn't come more than maybe six times a year. Gold is all dried up; there's no money in the travel anymore." She lead Jax to the stable outside the inn; it was a tiny place but they always kept a stall for her. After that she returned to lead the way into the inn, a small establishment called Drunswallow Tavern & Inn.
"Unless you're killing someone." Nico retorted with a grim smile. Talia smiled a little too, he wasn't wrong. The real money was in murder, that never dried up.
Inside the inn was as grungy and dirty as usual, the wooden floors had maintained their almost rotted out stature. The bar was just a large slab of ancient wood situated on top of a few stumps to hold it up and a few meager chairs for patrons to sit at. Talia did note however that the usual line up of alcohol that the innkeeper would display was gone. There was nothing behind the bar table anymore besides wood and dust.
"Astor?" She called out. The place was empty, though that wasn't always unusual for early day. She looked around, wondering if he had suddenly died. There was some bustle outside, it wasn't as if the town was completely dead yet so it didn't make sense for the inn to have suffered.
"A moment." Came a distant voice, weak but steady. She recognized it as Astor's, though he sounded off. Nico shrugged before taking a seat at the bar-top and waiting. Talia followed suit, though reluctantly. The inn was in a bit more of a decrepit state than she recalled, she didn't want to sleep on a bed infested with roaches or bugs. She noted the distinct lack of servers, his entire staff was gone. She wondered if they had died or if they had simply left.
Before too much longer Astor limped out from behind the corner, most likely coming from the kitchen or the storage area of his establishment. He was skinny, his face gaunt and his dark brown eyes weary. He had pale skin too although his was likely a result from a combination of disease and lack of outside visiting. He had dirty blond hair that looked more brown in the dim light of his poorly lit bar.
"Ahh, my best customers. What can I get for you?" He croaked as he made it up to the bar-top. He waited for a reply with a cheeky smile while grabbing a few candles and lighting them bringing a much more friendly ambiance to the place. Talia blinked her eyes slowly, wondering what the poor man even had left. It would seem that death was not far off for Kvark.
"You look unwell, is something wrong?" Nico prompted. Nico had never been particularly friendly with anyone in his life but they knew Astor well enough to remember him. They would both know if he were gone.
"The town... The trade... All of it. Some time ago I ate something, thought it was a bit off ya know? Ever since I ain't managed to keep down much food or liquids. Poison perhaps, or maybe it's just this place. I ain't stickin around much longer, I'll be takin the next wagons out o' this hell hole." He shrugged, laying down some of the candles and leaning over the bar top. He did look more gaunt than normal, his eyes a little dull and his grip a bit softer. Talia couldn't say for sure if it was poison but she knew it was killing him slowly.
"What do you have left in the way of food then?" Talia asked, turning her attention away from him. Astor sighed, his eyes growing a little dimmer as he replied,
"The crops ave been failing as of late. No grains, no fruits, no vegetables. Hard to tell this time of year I know, but the trees is startin to die. You been around as long as me and you can feel that sort of thing. Just a cursed place. I can get you some gruel, I know it ain't satisfying for you types but... I don't got meat, and nothing else appetizing." Both Talia and Nico let out a soft sigh of disappointment. She had really been hoping for a nice hot bun or a slab of meat. It didn't even have to be all that fresh, she had a good stomach. Nico scowled, turning his attention back to his papers with a resigned huff.
"I'm hungry... Gruel it is." She almost groaned just saying it. Mashed up wheat wasn't exactly the most nutritious thing to eat but it was something. After several days of hunting and killing she was ravenous; she would probably eat anything he could put in front of her.
"Ale?" Nico waved a hand animatedly, already working to spread out his notes and study whatever it is he was so interested in at the moment.
"Aye, I got a bit left in the back in case someone with some gold in their pockets happened by." Astor turned with a wink, shuffling stiffly towards his storage area.
"This town is worse off than I had imagined." Talia turned to Nico, wondering if he had any idea on what may be going on. He sighed, running a hand through is greasy hair. He glanced at her before answering,
"You're not wrong. Even when we came through the first time I never saw anything wrong. I wonder what's happened. Could this have come about in a few days or is this something that's been happening? We're at the very outskirts of the Kingdom. Do you think war could be brewing?" Talia pondered his query, was war possible? It was always possible she supposed, but if that were the case enemy troops would have been showing up and that sort of thing caused rumors aplenty. War didn't come silently and she hadn't heard any whispers on the wind.
"I don't think a rival kingdom is causing this. This town was already on its way out, you and I both know that. Maybe the mines poisoned the water? I've seen it happen." Nico nodded absentmindedly, if anyone understood it would be him. He was the one who explained to her how mines could poison the surrounding land after all.
"The water's blue, the grass grows along the river... If it were poison I'm sure it'd be far less subtle. If it were natural, that is." She nodded along, not really sure what sort of point he was trying to make. So if not poison or war then what? She didn't much care to find out. Her forte was killing and that was about it, she didn't know how to fix the woes the people were suffering from. And even if she did she would probably refuse anyway, they had nothing kind for her unless she had shiny clunky gold in her hand.
"Only a few more minutes guys!" Astor called. Talia leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands and readying her stomach for the hell it was about to endure. It was better than bugs, but she would almost prefer the flavor of bugs.
"After this, go to bed. I'll rouse you at dusk and let you know what my plan is. Are you going to do anything tonight?" At this point Nico was just making conversation. She closed her eyes, wondering if she would use the time for sleep or other nefarious activities.
"Perhaps pray to the goddess, see if there's any work nearby. I hate idle hands, especially my own. At home it's one thing, I can always find something to fill my time there. But once I catch up on sleep there's nothing here for me to work on. Besides, my presence holds a certain level of notoriety. If we stay too long those that are left here may start grabbing up torches and pitchforks." Her last remark caused a bark of laughter from Nico,
"They wouldn't cross Hephatus out here. That would be suicide." She let his retort fall into an easy silence. There was no real need to reply, especially as Astor came out with two steaming bowls of what could only be described as slop. Pigs would give it a wide berth she was certain, the gelatinous whiteish-yellow mud sitting in the wooden bowls was nowhere near the most appetizing thing she had ever laid eyes on. Was it even food?
"I do ope my ale can help wash this sad pig shit down. Sorry I don't ave more to offer ya." He set a bowl down in front of them both then handed them spoons and moved back to grab their mugs of drink.
"It's understandable." Talia grabbed a gold coin from her pouch and set it down for him. He eagerly snatched it away and tucked it into his own coin pouch. Nico also slid him a gold piece before setting into his food ravenously. Talia dug in just after Nico, ignoring the flavorless gruel and simply focusing on stopping the terrible ache in her belly. Once the bowl was finished, which only took a few mere moments, she drained her mug of ale and slid it forward for a refill.
"As long as you can get me drunk enough to sleep this food won't put too big a frown on my face." Astor grinned at her remark, eagerly taking her mug to refill it.
"A difficult task my Lady, but I will gladly try to please you." She raised a brow, wondering if he were making a joke at her taste or at her heritage. Giants were notorious for their high tolerance after all, much like dwarves drunkenness was difficult to attain for them.
"Don't get too tossed." Nico warned, sipping at his mug rather than draining it. Talia rolled her eyes, where was the fun in that?