The small map was drawn a little haphazardly, and had more notes than actual details of the geography upon it.
Running my finger along the crossed out name of the location of Ruvindale, I felt horrible.
I could just barely read the Sleepy Artist beneath the scribbles. I couldn't make out the number next to the name thanks to the scrawl, but I knew better than to ask why it had been notched out like so.
"Do your best to remember, Renn," Vim said again.
I nodded. I knew. I knew…
Taking a deep breath I glanced around at the map again. Although small, about the size of a normal book… it was heavily detailed in information if not artistic representation.
The center of the map was here, Telmik. It had the name, and the number nine next to it. But that was it. None of them had the names of the individuals who lived there, or any description of the Societies purpose. Based off the map there was no visible difference between any of the locations.
For instance Telmik, although a giant capital… was the same little dot in size as Kaley's little inlet village near the coast. What was odd was it had a two next to that inlet, and not a one. I had thought Vim had said she was alone there?
The north of the map was surprisingly not exactly what I had already known. Rapti's location in Nevi, the Owl's Nest and Twin Hills were near each other. To the north of them were several more spots... And about half of them were scratched out.
Almost a dozen locations were north of Ruvindale. A shock, to be honest… and especially so since most of them had double digit members at their locations.
"Where was Lomi's village?" I asked. There were several scratched out locations near Ruvindale.
"Here," Vim pointed at a spot near another. A place with five people. The scratched out spot that had been Lomi's village still had a readable number.
The number next to the scratches made me sick.
Looking away from it, I tried to count the scratched out locations first.
It was a daunting number… and my stomach got even more twisted as I also added up the numbers that were legible near the crossed out locations.
"How old is this map?" I asked softly.
"We draw a new one every ten years," the chronicler said.
Ten years…?
"Do… do we erase the ones we lost when we do?" I asked as tears slid down my face.
"Yes," Vim said.
Closing my eyes, I heaved as I realized how bad it actually was.
And here I had been so happy. I had been enjoying myself, beyond measure.
How dare I.
After a few moments I opened my eyes. I expected to see Vim glaring at me, but he wasn't. He seemed calm, and understanding.
Somehow that made me want to cry harder… but I kept it in as I took a deep breath and went back to the map.
I started to count the locations left. The ones not crossed out. The ones not lost to us in the last ten years.
Although many, and although some had far more members than I had thought was possible… the number was shockingly low.
"I count six hundred and fifty two," I said.
"Least she can do math," Vim said.
"That map is only those who are willing to let their locations and numbers be known Renn. We have twice that throughout the lands," the chronicler said gently.
"Oh?" I looked away from the map and to the chronicler. She nodded with a soft smile.
"Remember I mentioned many of our members don't… really wish to participate in the Society. They're a part of it, yet not," Vim said.
"I see," I said. I couldn't… really understand it, but I did. There were probably many of us who hated each other just as much as they hated the humans.
"If anything ever happened and we got separated Renn, make your way back here. Or go here," Vim pointed out another location. One to the northeast. A location called the Keep. It had only three people there.
"Is it a city?" I asked.
"No. It's like the Owl's Nest, where Lilly is. It's safe," Vim said.
"The Keep? Hm…" the chronicler realized what Vim was talking about, and didn't seem to agree.
"You don't agree?" I asked her. Not that I doubted Vim, but I'd like to know why she had a face that looked troubled.
"It is safe. But…" she tilted her head, as if to look at Vim.
"She doesn't like who is there. Don't mind her. You can find it by traveling along a large river that runs this way," Vim showcased the river's direction for me, since it wasn't really detailed on the map.
"Best way to get there is to head for the lake of springs. It's a collection of springs that form a massive lake," the chronicler explained.
"I see," I said. I knew that if the time ever came I needed to follow their instructions it'd probably prove difficult, but it was probably all they could give me. I knew from their perspectives markers and guide points faded over time. Only the major landmarks, like mountains and lakes seemed constant.
"If you're elsewhere just head to the nearest location. The main goal is to get back here of course," Vim said.
"Of course."
"If you're somewhere and need help but for some reason can't leave just send a letter. Later I'll show you the code-words we use," Vim said.
"They're not cheap. Which is why…" the chronicler then stood from her seat. I felt almost obligated to get up with her, but stayed seated.
She was old but not human. I shouldn't look at her like I did the elderly of the humans. She was far from feeble.
Vim also ignored her, and kept his eyes on the map. He stood next to my chair, and was a little close… If I tried using the chair's left armrest, I'd be touching him.
"Who left the dye house?" Vim asked.
Dye house? I quickly looked around the map for what he was speaking of.
"A son died not too long ago," the chronicler said as she grabbed something off a nearby desk. The moment she did I perked up at the sound of metal clinking.
Coins.
"She recognizes that sound," Vim noticed.
"I did…" I sighed, how embarrassing.
The chronicler chuckled as I returned to searching for the location Vim had spoken of.
"How'd the son die?" Vim asked as the chronicler walked back over to our table.
"It was the infirm one. The one who couldn't walk," the chronicler said, as if that was explanation enough.
"I see…" Vim sighed.
I couldn't find the place they were talking about. Maybe it wasn't called the dye house at all…
"Here," Vim pointed at a spot to our south, almost at the edge of the map.
Oh. It was called Secca.
"And here," the chronicler put the small pouch onto the table… and also a small tablet.
"Sign it with a mark you will always remember. I'll put it in the records so that you can withdraw from our banks," the chronicler said with a point to the tablet.
Vim reached out to grab the tablet for me, since she had put it a little too far away for me. He moved the map aside and put the tablet in front of me.
It wasn't of paper, but something hard. Clay maybe…
Vim held out a metal pencil. I took it and noticed it was pointed at the end.
I see. I was supposed to scrape it into the tablet.
"Can I just use my name?" I asked.
"No. Use a word, and make it something that can't be connected to you or the Society," Vim said.
"What do you use?" I asked. What was I suppose to use?
"I'm not telling you," he said with a smile.
Oh. Right. This was supposed to be something secret…
"Then don't look," I said to him as I leaned forward to write on the tablet.
He frowned but obliged. He looked away to the chronicler. "See that?" he told her.
"You're lucky she doesn't rip your heart apart, she has the tone to do so," the chronicler said.
I smirked as I wrote a single word onto the tablet. It wasn't as difficult as I had thought it was going to be. The strange clay it was made of was soft and easily pushed into.
Putting the metal pencil down, I stood and reached the tablet over the table to the chronicler.
The blind woman took it from me, and then studied the word.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Someone who was important to me," I said. Did I pick a bad word?
"I see. That'll do," she nodded and took the tablet back over to the desk.
"There are three banks, and several merchant unions that you can get money from. I'll point them out to you as we travel," Vim said.
I nodded, excited. Reaching out for the pouch, I hefted it and realized it was very heavy and very full. Peeking into it, I found hundreds of coins of various colors and designs. Some I recognized, some I didn't.
There was a fortune in there.
"So… who makes the money?" I asked.
"There are several sources of money. Over the years Vim has set up most of them," the chronicler said.
I noted she didn't really specify in her answer. Maybe she didn't trust me with that information yet.
"I'll introduce you to the bookkeeper some day," Vim said.
"Bookkeeper?" I asked.
"The one who manages the Society's finances. She's actually headed to Lumen, and will be there for a year or so," the chronicler told Vim.
"Then we shall meet her there," Vim said.
Looking to the map, I quickly found the place they spoke of. It was a small dot near the right edge of the map, in the center. It had the number thirteen next to it.
Vim stepped away from the table as I pulled the map closer. I traced the path from Lumen to here and found there were several possible paths. There were nine different possible locations between Telmik and Lumen.
Yet oddly none of the spots near Telmik had a single member, and none were called ponds either…
I could have sworn Vim said our next destination was a pond or lake, and that only a single individual lived there…
Maybe they were one of the members that didn't want their locations known.
"Here. Read this tonight instead of that stupid book," Vim dropped a small white book onto the table next to me.
Frowning at him, I glanced at the chronicler as I reached for the small white book. She didn't show any sign of caring about what he had said. Surely she knew what he meant by stupid? Maybe she was used to his aversion to religion.
"What's this?" I asked as I glanced at the small book. There were no words sewn or etched onto the cover or spine.
"A brief history of our Society. It includes an old rule-book as well, though we don't necessarily follow it anymore," the chronicler said.
"Oh?" I grew excited, and was about to open it as to start reading it but Vim tapped the desk with a heavy finger.
"Read it later," he said.
"Oh…" I wanted to argue, but could tell he meant it. Maybe there was a reason for it.
"There's a lot more you must learn and see, but time will fix that. For now, welcome Renn. I look forward to writing of your exploits," the chronicler then said.
She stood up straighter and nodded, and I suddenly realized why Vim hadn't wanted me to start reading just yet. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to let me, but simply because it was time for us to go.
"I… I look forward to it as well. Thank you chronicler," I said as I slowly stood from my seat.
"We will leave first thing in the morning," Vim said.
"Always coming and going. But that is your fate," the old woman said with a smile.
Vim tapped me lightly on the arm and gesture for me to follow him out the room.
"Goodbye," I told her.
"May the gods bless you on your journey Renn. Since he won't accept their blessing, maybe with you next to him we can finally start to do so," the chronicler said as I stepped away.
Pausing for a moment as Vim opened the door and headed outside, I hesitated. I wanted to talk to her more, especially now.
The chronicler must have realized my hesitation for she smiled at me and nodded. "We'll meet again, Renn. Go on. Enjoy your new purpose," she said gently.
I nodded gently and stepped away. Holding the little white book close, I spared one last glance to the map on the table and did my best to memorize it again. It wasn't too difficult, thanks to its simplicity.
Stepping out of the room, Vim closed the door behind me and sighed. "Don't get emotional," he warned.
"How could I not?" I asked.
"Easily?" he asked back.
"For you maybe. How many times have you said goodbye to her and returned again? This is the first time I've ever said goodbye," I said.
"I don't remember saying goodbye," Vim said with a frown.
Thinking about it, I realized he hadn't. "Well, you are a little rude sometimes," I said.
"Sometimes," he nodded.
While Vim led me away from the chronicler's office, I studied the little white book in my hands. The leather that made up its binding was… oddly soft.
"How old is this book?" I asked him.
"Older than you," he said.
Precious. Yet…
"I'm getting used to your method of lying," I said.
"I hadn't lied," Vim said sternly.
"You didn't, but you didn't want to tell me the truth so you told me that. Rather than a lie… I guess I should say I'm growing used to how you hide the truth," I said as I thought about it.
"That book is four hundred and odd years old. The woman who wrote it is dead, I killed her," Vim then said.
The world shivered as I stopped walking. I blinked and wasn't too surprised to see the blurry eyes as I looked at the man who had walked a few steps away from me before stopping.
He didn't turn to look at me, but he did shift a little… seemingly bothered.
I gulped and wondered if he had said such a thing to make a point. Maybe it was his way of telling me that when he hid a truth, or subverted a conversation…. It was because he simply didn't want to speak of the truth, not because he didn't wish me to know.
"When I'm done with it are you going to take it back to her?" I asked, choosing to not actually make him angry by pursuing that conversation.
"No. I'll leave it in the mansio," he said, and finally turned to look at me.
"Is that safe?" I asked.
"Within an hour of us leaving Jelti will come to clean and prepare it for the next guest. That's one of her jobs," Vim said.
I stepped forward and returned to walking, Vim joined me.
"Oh? Really?" I asked. What an interesting job.
"She's also responsible for most of the caretaking in the Cathedral. She runs that department here. Gives orders to the maids, workers and stuff," Vim said.
That was a little surprising. Although Jelti was… an interesting person, I had not expected her to have such responsibilities.
But…
"What are Link's?" I asked.
"Information. Particularly the political kind," Vim said.
"Hands's?"
"Hands is a tinkerer. He spends most his time messing with clocks, but he has many duties. The Society uses him to build stuff, occasionally. Beneath the Cathedral are aqueducts, which he hid an escape route for the chronicler and the rest in. He's actually pretty handy," Vim said.
"Is that why we call him that?" I asked.
"No, it's because he's always clapping or fidgeting with his hands," Vim said.
Ah, that was true.
"The few members who chose to not introduce themselves to you have duties as well. If you had stayed here you would have been given one eventually, if you hadn't simply taken up the mantle yourself," Vim said.
"Hm…"
"The map had said nine… Does that include you?" I asked as we rounded a corner.
"No. I'm not included in any census," he said.
Was it because he didn't stay anywhere, or because he didn't want to be?
Still…
That meant there were five others here who had chosen to not meet me. And if I had understood Vim and Jelti's conversation the other day, the only reason Jelti had met me was because Vim had asked her to help choose a present.
She had met me not because she had wanted to, but because she had found it interesting that Vim was requesting her aid for such a thing.
"Did they choose not to meet me because I'm a predator?" I asked. Jelti, although not a predator, hadn't seemed too bothered by me. We had spent several hours in conversation and not once had she startled or acted oddly around me… other than her odd personality, at least.
"That's most of it. The rest is simple fear. Many of our members don't take risks, Renn. Not even to meet a fellow of their own kind. Even if you had been something less… dangerous, several would have still avoided you. Most of them even avoid each other, even though they've known one another for hundreds of years. Link hasn't seen Hands in nearly ten years he said," Vim said.
I… really didn't like that. After all the whole point of me joining the Society, at least originally, was to make friends. To find family. If they all avoided me and we only saw one another a few times a decade…
Reaching the hallway that led to the house Vim and I were staying at; I noticed that the gate was open. Vim had closed it when we left. He always did.
Vim paused before the gate and stared through it. I peered around him to see what he was glaring at.
"Speak of the devil," Vim said as we both saw a lone figure sitting on the porch.
Vim opened the gate, and I realized he meant she was one of us… and that she was most likely one of the ones who had previously chosen to not meet me.
Stepping into the garden behind Vim, I grew excited as I realized my assumption was correct. I couldn't see anything… too strange about her, but somehow I knew. Maybe it was the structure of her body, or bones, but it was obvious she wasn't human. At least to my eyes.
Vim shut the gate behind me, and I waited for him to walk ahead first. I wanted to hurry and meet her, of course, but I didn't want to scare her away by rushing towards her. After all, she might be more like Link than Jelti. Someone who would run away if I acted too rashly.
"Mommy! They're here!" I went still as someone jumped out from behind a nearby tree. A young child laughed as she ran up to us.
Staying still I focused on the young girl as she skidded to a stop right before Vim and I. "Long time no see!" the girl saluted Vim.
"About five hours, I think. Such a long time," Vim said as he kept walking forward. He patted the girl on the head as he passed her.
She giggled, and then turned to face me. "Greetings!" she saluted me too.
"Greetings," I repeated her greeting, since it was so odd… but I didn't salute her back. Instead I held out my hand.
The girl happily took my hand, shaking it wildly. "My name's Renn," I introduced myself.
"I know! I heard about you! The silly cat who thinks she can protect us!" the girl said with a laugh.
My stomach knotted as I dryly smiled. "Yep. That's me," I said.
"My name's Fizz! What's that?" she unhooked her hand and pointed to the little white book I carried.
"Something precious," I said and glanced past her, and saw Vim and this girl's mother talking on the porch. She was still sitting though, which made her look small compared to Vim.
"Come meet mommy!" Fizz grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the two.
My dry smile became a warm one as I forgave the girl for her comment. She had probably just repeated what her mother, or maybe even Vim himself, had said.
After all it was true. I was just a fool… and I knew there was a chance I'd fail at it, but that was the entire point. To see if I could.
Being tugged along by the young girl, I noticed that her dress was a little tight around her stomach. Yet she wasn't fat at all… in fact she was rather skinny.
Odds were it was something related to her non-human side. But what would be at the stomach?
"You said you were going to test her Fizz, that didn't look very much like a test to me," her mother said as we approached.
Fizz went still, her fingers squeezing my hand a little tighter. It didn't hurt, but it did tell me she had either forgotten it entirely or…
The young girl glanced at me, and then gave me a sad little smile. "Um… haha," she giggled and then released my hand, and then hurried to the steps of the porch. She ran up the steps, and then skidded around to stand next to her mother in-between her and Vim. She took a deep breath and then pointed at me.
"You pass!" she shouted.
"I didn't do anything," I said back.
The girl hesitated, and she made a weird noise as she looked up at Vim.
"What? Don't look at me," Vim said to her.
"He's no examiner, he's the executioner dear," her mother giggled as she waved her hand at her.
"Mom…!" Fizz complained, and I wondered what she had been planning to do originally. Attack me maybe? She had been hiding behind the tree earlier…
Vim reached out and grabbed the girl by the head. She squirmed, but he didn't let her go. Her hair flew and tangled as she tried to get herself free.
Although the action would have probably hurt or disturbed a human child, it only made the young girl smile and laugh as she continued trying to free herself.
"It's nice to meet you Renn. I'm her mother, Henrietta," Henrietta said as she finally stood from the steps.
Once she did, I hesitated.
She was tiny. Much smaller than myself even excluding my ears.
"It's a pleasure Henrietta," I greeted her, but noticed she didn't hold her hand out. At least she didn't salute me oddly as her daughter had done.
"I've prepared a meal, are you hungry Vim?" Henrietta asked as she turned to look at him.
The way she did so made me wonder if the daughter's antics were because of her. Did she just dismiss me?
"I suppose I got enough room for a whole child… especially such a tiny one," Vim teased the girl whose head he was squeezing. She made a small yelp, and then she was lifted up off the ground.
Watching Vim lift her by her head, I hoped she wasn't in pain as she started to panic. "Mom?" Fizz sounded worried as Vim turned and headed inside.
Henrietta giggled and then turned back to me. "Come, I've made pastries," she invited me.
"Sure…" I nodded quickly, doing my best to hide my relief. So she hadn't dismissed me.
Following her into the house, I immediately smelled the scent of something baked. Something warm and fresh. Apples of some kind?
On the table was a small spread of food. Half a dozen plates of breads and desserts, some were even steaming. Had she made them here? The kitchen was out of sight, but I couldn't smell the remnants of cooking. Maybe they lived nearby.
It felt odd being able to see over Henrietta's head as I examined the table. She was right in front of me, yet was too short to block my sight.
I wasn't that tall, at all, but usually the only people who were shorter were children themselves. For her to not only be shorter, but that much shorter…
Maybe it had something to do with what they were.
Vim pulled back a chair, and dropped the young girl onto it. She huffed as she sat down and quickly went to fixing her hair. "So rude! Mom, I think we should file a complaint!"
"One for each dent, I'm sure," Vim teased the girl as he went to sit next to her.
Fizz stuck her tongue out at him as her mother headed past them and into the hallway, most likely to the kitchen. Maybe she had made some here.
Closing the front door, I slowly entered and wondered where I should sit. The table had four chairs, but only two on each side. Why had Vim sat there?
I chose to sit across from Vim, closest to the fireplace. So that the girl could sit across from her mother.
"I hear you have ears!" Fizz said as I sat down. She giggled at herself after a moment, as if realizing what she had just said.
Reaching up I took off my hat to show her. Lomi had been interested in my ears too.
"Oh…!" Fizz went wide-eyed as she stared at them. Suddenly it seemed she was more interested in me.
The girl squirmed and glanced to Vim, and then behind him to the hallway where her mother had gone. She obviously wanted to say something, but…
"Want to touch them?" I asked her, knowing full well what that look was.
"I do!" She instantly jumped off the chair and ran around the table.
Lowering my head so she could touch them, I took a small breath and prepared for the uncanny itching and pain that usually followed.
"Be gentle with them, they're not yours," Vim warned the girl right before she touched them.
Fizz hesitated, but I smiled at her and she nodded. "They're big… Can you hear bugs talking?" Fizz asked.
Talking…? Did she mean their noises? "I can hear better than most, yes," I said.
The young girl was gentle. She only touched with a few fingers, and very kindly.
"What the…"
Fizz flinched as we both looked to the hallway and found her mother glaring at us. She had a large plate with several cups upon it. "She has ears mommy!" Fizz said happily.
"And why are you touching them? Leave her be," Henrietta chastised her daughter as she sighed and put the plate of drinks down onto the table.
"Aww…" Fizz immediately stopped and then hurried back to the chair… but instead of going to the one next to Vim, she sat next to me.
She climbed up onto the chair, and then gave me a smile.
Giving her a smile back, I realized I had just made a friend. My ears were now itching like mad, but that was a small price to pay.
"What do I get to eat?" Vim asked as he reached for one of the cups.
"The snacks of course!" Fizz said with a gesture to the array of different foods before him.
"Oh? Where's your share then?" Vim asked as he took a drink of whatever Henrietta had made.
It smelled kind of like tea, but it looked a little…
Reaching out for my own cup as she went to take a seat, I hesitated a moment as I smelled milk inside the cup along tea. Milk and tea? I didn't think I'd had such a thing before.
Handing a cup to Fizz, she thanked me and reached out for one of the smaller pastries. It had a red coating of some kind of fruit on it. "That joke doesn't work from you Vim, you don't ever eat anything," Fizz said right before stuffing her mouth.
Glancing at Vim as he shrugged, I wondered what she meant. I had seen Vim eat often… sometimes even more than me, which was saying something. I usually ate more than anyone else.
In fact right now, a few plates away… looked something utterly delicious looking.
"Still, touching her ears… that's rude Fizz," Henrietta said with a huff as she sat down.
Once she did, I had to keep my smile from growing too large as I studied her. She looked nearly as much a child as her daughter did when sitting next to Vim.
"She said it was okay!" Fizz defended herself with a mouthful.
"It's not okay to talk with your mouth full!" her mother didn't care as she chastised her some more.
She might not look old enough to be her mother, but she definitely was one all the same.
Vim grabbed one of the larger pastries, and as he did I reached over to grab the one I had been eyeballing. It was a little heavier than I had thought it'd be.
"Oh my, look at you. Actually eating my cooking, if my husband knew he'd be jealous," Henrietta said with a smirk as she glanced at Vim.
Vim ignored her completely as he took a bite.
Fizz stared at the two with wide-eyes, and I wondered if maybe there was something deeper to her joke. She was looking at him rather deeply…
Taking a bite for myself, I couldn't help but forget all about the people in front of me for a moment. The thing was delicious.
"I made that one," Fizz whispered to me.
"Here try this one," Henrietta pushed a plate towards Vim, seemingly also having forgotten other people were at the table too.
"It's great. Are you a chef?" I asked the girl.
"My daddy is," Fizz said with a proud smile.
"Oh…?" I wondered if he was human or not.
"This one. Here," Henrietta tapped the plate she had pushed towards Vim, but Vim ignored her. He kept his eyes on me… which made me feel a little strange. It was obvious he was just trying to ignore her, but was he really doing so as a joke?
Fizz sighed as she reached for another pastry.
While her mother pestered Vim, and he ignored her, I smiled and realized how I could probably solidify the young girl's friendship.
With a few quick adjustments, I pulled out my tail.
Fizz went wide-eyed, and actually dropped her pastry onto the table as she stared at it.
Showing her my tail, I laid it on her lap to let her touch it too. She tried to hide her excited smile, but it was obvious what was happening. She was snorting as she tried to hide her giggles.
"Just one bite Vim, here," Henrietta ignored her daughter and me, which I found rather amusing.
Especially Vim's face as he took a drink and sighed.
Vim looked uncomfortable.
The young girl was giggling away as she messed with my tail.
I was stuffing my face with the remainder of the pastry, and…
Henrietta was smiling stiffly as she tried to get Vim's attention.
"This is so strange," I said with a laugh.
"It is!" Fizz agreed.
Vim closed his eyes, but said nothing.