"Is it even possible for someone to be this beautiful?" Rhetta muttered to herself.
"He's so pretty!" Florian blurts out, really admiring his features.
Even Rhetta who had never paid attention to the appearance of others could not deny that she was astounded by his beauty.
"Wait...I think this might just be Kramoris." Florian looks at Rhetta with a serious look in her eyes.
"Kramoris? The one who we had to find? There was no picture or description of his appearance, so this could be a complete stranger."
"If I had a face this pretty, everyone would remember me don't you think?"
"So you suspect that because he is hiding his face and no one talks about his appearance, it makes you think this exceptionally charming stranger could be him?" Rhetta shakes her head, unable to see how the dots are connecting in Florian's mind. As her hunch is very well built on the smallest similarity of both figures hiding their appearances. "That's a really far stretch Florian."
"I don't think we have anything to lose, besides, we can't leave him sleeping in the middle of a forest riddled with who knows what."
Rhetta feels the onset of a headache arising, "If by some miracle, it happens to be him...You must have some astronomical amounts of luck. If it's not him then we just helped a stranger and can count that as the good deed of the day."
"Pass me the sticks, you'll carry him back Florian."
Florian does as instructed and passes her bundle off to Rhetta, she kneels by the sleeping man and carefully places one arm under his knees, and her other arm along his shoulders. Florian lifts him delicately like one would preciously carry a princess. Rhetta notices above the spot where the figure slept is the scarring left by her sword. Luck seems to play a drastic part in their journey, by sheer chance, they stumbled back onto the path they had strayed from.
Rhetta scouts ahead, checking the trees and other surroundings with the limited light. Florian follows taking extra care to watch her feet and stepping with precision to avoid falling or dropping the sleeping man. Within the hour they arrive back at their small clearing. The stress and exhaustion that came with the endeavour was more than either wanted to experience.
Khio already started a small fire, illuminating the small surrounding area with a warm glow. Hammy and Khio play their game of tug of war without noticing their tired friends looking worse for wear.
Khio hears the crunching of forest debris underfoot, her eyes dart to the origin of the sound. Rhetta's face is shadowed by the dark forest, stepping closer her features are brightened by the light of the fire, enough to recognise her. "Oh! You guys are finally back! You'll never believe how much fish we caught." Khio boasts, grabbing the bunch to show it off. "Hammy was great, he-" Khio's word are cut short at the sight of the sleeping man in Florian's arms. The cold moonlight sharply contending against the fire on which would be the light to gently envelope and highlight his face made him appear a living work of art, picturesque and inhuman. He should have been likened to one of the beautiful and ethereal mythical races, the fae or even the elven folk.
"Florian, did you kidnap that person?" She snaps out of her trance to pay attention to the situation at hand and arrives at a very abstruse conclusion.
"Who do you think I am!?" Florian barked in response, unable to fathom how Khio misunderstood the situation so terribly.
"We found him sleeping in the forest, Florian thinks it could be someone we are looking for." Rhetta explains the situation, hoping to catch Khio up to speed, whilst subtly hinting for a second opinion on Florian's suspicion.
"I see...Well seeing that you found him in the forest, could be an elf? Maybe even a fairy? How else would you explain that appearance!?"
Florian sets him down gently, propping him against the tree so he can rest comfortably.
Khio comically clears her throat, "As I was saying earlier, look at all the fish we got!" She holds up the line with several fish hanging from it, the smug expression on her face told the tale of their fishing adventures. She pulls one from the line and tosses it to Hammy as a reward.
"Hammy is really amazing at catching fish! I was so surprised."
Rhetta looks at the mediocre construction of the pitiful fire that already begins to dwindle from the lack of care. Rhetta sets aside the wood, opting to gather a few rocks to build around the fire and secure it more than it had been. Florian watches on, taking a deep breath and enjoying the tranquil air of the forest. Rhetta strategically builds the sticks in a triangular shape, while fanning to try and incite larger flames.
Khio lets out a few disgruntled murmurs over what shortcomings her fire had, she already knew that Rhetta's fire was better, but hated to admit it. She sharpened the sticks with aggressive vigour and abruptly skewered the fish. Everyone attends to their own set of chores, or something to keep themselves busy. Florian pulls the herbs she plucked earlier, carefully choosing two rocks to use as a make-do pestle and mortar. She takes the flatter rock of the two, placing it on the ground and stepping on it to make sure it's not going to move.
She crushes the herbs with the other rock in hand, grinding it with little effort into a paste-like consistency. She tries to lure Hammy over, calling him and clicking her tongue how she did when calling cats. Hammy turns his eyes towards Florian, pitying the futile attempts. He snorts and ignores her.
Khio watches this strained and awkward interaction with Florian trying to call him over and appearing too fearful to approach him instead. "Hammy, be good and go over, alright?" Khio gently instructs, Hammy's head perks with excitement at the sound of his name and quickly droops with the following instructions.
The soft, mothering tones in which Khio spoke to animals was a stark contrast to her usual brash manner of speaking. Hammy tears himself away from the pile of fish he sneakily had been eyeing, and slogs to Florian before plopping into her lap.
Using the paste from the ground up herbs, Florian cautiously applies it to the earlier wound on his tail. If one could call it a tail, would it be called an arm because there is a hand attached to the end of it? Should it simply be called a limb? How does one define it?
The very instant the wound is touched, Hammy hisses and bares his fangs at Florian, the spines on the beast's back raise threateningly. Florian looks nervous, but confident enough to subdue him should it come to that. It felt cruel to forcefully hold him down, especially when he was just protecting himself. Khio lets out a sharp click of her tongue, Hammy perks up at the sound. He settles, letting out unhappy whines and whimpers throughout the entire process.
The skewered fish are placed around the fire, Hammy curls up near Khio and Rhetta along with Florian who all sit staring into the fire. There is silence surrounding them, mostly accompanied by the sounds of their stomachs growling and awaiting the fish to cook.
The second the fish was done the group were eating it with fervour. Finally, with full bellies, a pleasant fire and the first ounce of rest since the entire misadventure started, the group made friendly idle chatter.
The sleeping figure wakes up to the sounds of chattering and laughing. His vision is blurred and groggily he can only mutter "Where am I?" He looks around, sussing out the situation he finds himself in. He spots the fire, the same fire which highlights Khio's manic expression as she tears into the remaining fish. Rhetta and Florian look horrified, but amused at Khio's eating habits, and finally he makes out a peculiar creature lurking around the group. He would have warned them, called for them to watch out if the creature didn't resemble a puppy desperate for attention.
He grows apprehensive, he recalls his tiredness catching up with him. He nestled on a soft patch of dirt, cushioned by moss with a perfectly good tree to support him! He doesn't recall seeing a body of water anywhere near him when he fell asleep. Surely, positively he would have definitely recalled if he fell asleep near these random people. His hand habitually reaches up to touch his hood, only then he realizes it hadn't been on. He wondered why his vision was so unimpaired, though he chalked it up to his recent diet that included plenty of carrots. The only reasonable conclusion he can bring himself to; he was kidnapped and currently a hostage. 'Clearly there is no other explanation. They must have seen my face and known its value immediately.' He slumps with the depressive thought and thankfully the panic had not set in yet. 'Give it five more minutes.' He hummed, knowing that when he was finally fully awake then his anxiety would catch up.
The panic sets in, he flails frantically about looking for his cloak. Only after his weird bout of contorting and fighting against the non-existent ropes does he make his third big discovery, there were no ropes. He was not tied, confined nor cuffed. His cloak was neatly folded and placed behind him to act as a pillow.
The obvious, erratic and somewhat humorous movements alerted everyone to the supposed sleeping man. They silently watched him flailing hither and thither. Anyone surely would have looked silly but he still maintained a dignified and elegant appearance even amidst the alien movements.
Fourth discovery; all eyes, literally, were on him. Speaking of eyes, his began to water and well with tears in response to his four very distressing discoveries. The anxiety was out in full force, ravaging the timorous man.
He likened himself to a baby deer that strayed from its mother and into the dangerous depths of a wolf's den, his mental imagery only furthered his colourful imagination. 'When in doubt, run!' He mentally cried to himself, seeking to scamper away. The baby deer sought freedom from being the wolves' next meal. The man readied, steadied and went for broke in his attempt- only to be unceremoniously stopped by a foot. One that Khio bluntly stomped into the tree behind him, consequently trapping him and cutting off his only planned escape route.
He looks up at Khio, a fearful expression and those never ending tears that stream down his face. The light finally gave the three a good view of his face. Although they had seen it while he was sleeping, it truly was different now that he stared at them directly. Lustrous black hair with a faint blue hue which tinged it. His fair fell perfectly and framed his delicate features, his skin seemed to glow, flawless and without a blemish in sight. He has a youthful, innocent face with rich brown eyes that reflected earthen and gold tones against the fire. The three were taken aback by the beauty and even the metaphorical, perhaps literal shine that surrounded and engulfed him. With his cloak removed they made out his slim and muscular physique.
Khio snaps back to reality feeling odd that she got so distracted by his face, a thing all three could attest to, none of them could say they've been so drastically distracted by someone's face. She hears the softest sniffle, Khio frets thinking that perhaps her actions were perceived far more aggressively than they were intended.
"A-Are you going to try and sell me too?" The man stammered with a melodic voice.
"Wha--?" Khio was utterly confused; she couldn't even muster out a full word.
Rhetta snickers, attempting to conceal her laugh. Florian looks dumbfounded at seeing Khio so flustered.
"Why would I sell you!?" Her loud voice only gave away how utterly embarrassed and flustered she was at the accusation.
"Isn't that what barbarians do?" He had insinuated the worst with such an innocent question, his eyes filled with visible worry.
"I'm not going to sell you for goodness sake!" Khio yelled
"I see...So you're planning on keeping me for yourself then."
Rhetta cannot conceal her laughter anymore and laughs at the spiralling misunderstanding, Khio sighs and ruffles her hair. She steps back and away from the tree as if to show she means no harm.
"Uh, sir? We really aren't going to sell you." Florian reassured.
Rhetta notices the interaction between the two and how he seemed to relax a bit with the sight of Florian. 'When catching a small animal, I suppose it's best to send in another small animal.' Rhetta ponders.
"We have something we would like to ask you?" Florian puts forward the question, to ask yet another question. He tenses and recoils at the statement, his eyes seem to sharpen.
"Are you perhaps Kramoris Drewitt?"
He flinches at the sound of his name, his complacency is at its end, he scrambles to put his cloak back on. It seemed a pointless endeavour since his reaction confirmed the answer but it could be considered a comforting action.
He covers his face with the hood of the cloak. In an instant the air around him changes almost as drastically as his demeanour. Kramoris no longer trembles, he doesn't cower or show any sign of discomfort. He sits confidently in a manner easily misinterpreted as arrogant. The group are startled by the shift in his personality, even Hammy who held no interest towards the man was now on guard against Kramoris.
"Who's asking?" He speaks with a strong and cold voice. This persona seemed more fitting to being one of the top merchants of the empire. Florian hesitates to speak, feeling daunted by his presence.
"I was sent to find you." Florian replies, she watches him carefully to try to make something out of his body language.
"To find me? Who sent you!?" His voice is levelled, not a single decibel higher or lower but the fury is evident. The purpose disturbed him greatly, Kramoris could only think of a handful of people who wanted to find him and not for his merchant status.
"Basil the great Sage." Rhetta replies nonchalantly, Kramoris cackles in response. The person who had tasked someone to find him, the very idea was absolutely absurd. He wanted to shrug, laugh it off and be on his way but the nagging inside his mind kept him seated. Absurdity is a well known trait of the Sage after all.
He lifts his hand, gesturing his fingers in a way anyone could universally identify as the sign for money. "You should know my time means money." Cutting directly to the point and asking for money from a destitute group was his way of saying 'I'm not interested.' However, in another context, he would be willing to make an exchange for something valuable that was not necessarily money.
Khio is annoyed at his rude attitude, and she kicks the tree behind him. With the hopes of actually startling him this time. Kramoris scoffs at the petty action, he tuts as one would towards a petulant child.
"How vulgar, this is why I thought you were a barbarian. One who simply resorts to force and violence at the first glance of things not going your way." Kramoris remarked. "Honestly, are you that incapable of holding a conversation?"
Something sharp presses on the underside of Khio's thigh.
"It's only fair that I respond with the same treatment." Kramoris warns pressing the blade further against the flesh but not enough to break the skin. Khio glances down, unable to fully see what exactly Kramoris was holding but the pointed edge made her believe it was a blade of sorts.
"If I press any further and it cuts you, the poison will leave you paralysed for days. If I really wanted to be cruel I could drive the blade in further and sever a tendon."
Khio surrenders in this war of nerves. She can feel the full sense of threat from him, Hammy growls menacingly. Khio tears herself away from the tree and sits back in her seat by the fire. Kramoris slips the small blade back into his sleeve and regains his composure.
"Now that the matter is settled, shall we negotiate?"
Rhetta sits in front of Kramoris, "Alright then. We shall negotiate."