Bounty turned the corner after giving the stableboy a handful of coppers and silvers. He adjusted his rifle sling over his shoulder as he took in the familiar smells of civilization, giving him a sense of ease.
"Alright we got 24 hours before I have to pay that guy aga -- OH SON OF A BITCH." He stood alone in the middle of the paved dirt street throwing a small tantrum. "Ahhh! How the hells it possible that neither of them can listen to such a simple order?"
"Are you looking for someone, mister?" Bounty felt a tug in his duster as the small girlish voice spoke. Bounty turned to see a little girl. Short black disheveled hair. Her cloths dirty and ragged. She couldn't have been more the seven years old by Bounty's estimate. The words 'alley cat' sprang to mind.
"Uh, yeah. A hunchback white lizard and a big dog looking lady. You wouldn't have happened to see where they went, right?" The girl got a wide toothless smile on her face puffing up her cheeks.
"My name's Lily. What's yours?"
"Listen, Shiela. Did you see them or not?"
"I like your coat. Can I wear it?" The girl giggled.
"Oh my gods child; I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS! Did you see them or not? It's a simple yes or no!" The girl seemed unfazed and unimpressed with his shouting. She dropped her smile and let go of his duster.
"The lizard went that way and the dog lady went that way." She pointed in two opposite directions with a bored expression. Bounty had a momentary moral dilemma before running off in Yoona's direction.
"Thanks for the help, alley cat!" He said turning into an alleyway.
"No, thank you..." The little girl replied smiling big and toothy; flashing overlapping rows of serrated teeth like a shark's maw. "...mister." She giggled.
XXXXX
Ave stood in the alleyway in-between two three story brick houses. He bent down to a wall before drawing a green rune beneath his feet. "Give rise to the earth, and you will rise with it." He muddled as the dirt underneath him began rising as a pillar giving him access to the flat brick roof.
He stood at the edge of the roof looking out across the sizable town. A mix of old medieval and early victorian architecture striped across the landscape. The hustle and bustle of town life was triggering his tinnitus. Ave closed his eyes and focused on the cool wind, the distant chirping of birds, and the fluctuations of the flow of mana around him. If but for a moment; it was tranquil.
He sat in a cross-legged position. His ribs scraping and shifting as he leaned down on to his rear. He grabbed at a pouch from the tribal satchel bag he wore; pouring it's contents on the flat roof. Just a bunch of small animal bones and flashy river rocks. His eyes closed through the whole process. He begin chanting a quiet shamanistic verse.
Underneath the pile a blue rune began to form. It would begin to glow, pulse, and fade several times over a minute of the chant. The rune began to expand underneath. It's symbol looked like a jagged branching river that formed out into several distributaries. At each end a small tendril of water began forming, rising like dew covered grass. Each tendril begin whipping around moving the bones and rocks. Some splashing them side to side, others picking them up and putting them back down gently.
Once they were done the tendrils began forming into a ball of water above the pile then dropping with a splash. Ave's eyes opened knowing the ritual was complete. The bones and rocks were arranged in the pattern that only he could read. Something that only he could understand.
[A place where every man, woman, and child revel in bloodshed. Life and death choreographed like a frolicking court jester. The bells on his head and heels jingling with the sounds of clashing steel. Two souls raised with hatred and forged by collective parricide. They will dance for the jester's amusement.]
Though the bones spoke no words, Ave heard them clearly. He looked out across Bena'da to a distant circular marble building. His eyes squinted and focused. "There." He said quietly. He stood with a slight groan. His body always has a dull pain when he does just about anything, but he felt a sharp pain combined with a sharp cracking noise this time.
He stepped back onto the dirt pillar that began descending back to it's natural state. Ave stepped out of the alley moving with purpose. The ringing in his ears was quiet but still present.
XXXXX
"...DO NOT wander off."
Yoona had barely heard him as a new smell distracted her. This is the very first time she was ever been in a city. Everything pulled at her nose enticing her. Then one pulled harder than Yoona could resist. Her mouth watering like a leaking sink. Thick saliva dripping from her jowls. She needed to follow.
At a distant glace Yoona looked like a lost stray dog. About a block away one could notice she may just be an abnormally large dog wearing what looks like a faded blue cape. But once she was close, one could easily see her for what she was; a savage gnoll dressed in old tribal garb prowling the streets on all fours. Dried blood was still present on her snout from last night's dinner. Though she was allowed in the city like all beastfolk, gnolls, no matter the timeline, were consider brutal savages as they are one of few races that still feast on humanoid flesh.
People would gasp or scream as Yoona pranced past barely noticing. Others would cross the street if they noticed her quick enough, or even get ready to draw their weapons if they thought she would try anything. Just about anyone would be upset at such prejudice, but not Yoona. She was too focused on the smell.
She tracked it for what felt like hours but in reality was only a few minutes as she happened to meander into a busy market. A clear path formed infront of her as if the gods themselves parted the crowd for her. In reality; no one dared stand in her way.
There it was in all it's glory. A butcher's food cart! She moved quickly startling the blood-covered apron adorned human woman. She let out a startled scream as she backed into her cart.
"Can Yoona have some of that?" She pointed to a chunk of fresh sirloin.
"Please don't hurt me!"
"Yoona doesn't want to hurt you silly! Yoona wants to exchange currency for goods and services like master said!" She pulled a few coppers and silvers from her pocket handing it in the direction of the woman. "Is this a sufficient amount?"
The woman only let out a frightened gulp as she shakily held out her hand to receive payment.
"Yoona will take silence as yes." She dropped the coins in the butcher's hand and took her raw chunk of meat. She turned only to then realize the market was dead silent. The hustle and bustle was at a complete stand still as a massive circle of terrified onlookers formed around the butcher's cart. All eyes were on her.
She was suddenly the one who was truly terrified.