Shooting Stars

Travel was peaceful for a time. Among the caravan members was Jabez, Tuuli, Seela, Reijo, Braun, Demetra, Sullivan, Iris, the Bone Splitter Clan, and thirty other Hidden Grove warriors - each of which was competent with blades, spears, and bows. Reijo and the rest of the Hidden Grove had no trouble playing humans due to experience. Even Demetra, who stuck out like a sore thumb, managed to play an excellent burly Eastern Ramthian mercenary by... Not saying much at all. Almost everyone was disguised as a mercenary, whereas Kela and the goblins, as well as Iris, played the part of young squires, helpers, and serfs. Reijo took on the role of the mercenary band’s leader, and Jabez fell in line, playing along with whatever the old elf did.

“Dragon’s Breath you say?” the merchant raised an eyebrow. “Not often folk ask for that by name...”

“My men love to celebrate every little thing, so only the strongest brew works for them anymore,” said Reijo.

“What’s Dragon’s Breath?” Jabez whispered to the others. “Is it a type of potion?”

“It’s booze, silly,” Seela snickered. “Really strong stuff. Great way to knock you on your ass.”

Strong alcohol, huh? I see your game, Reijo...

“Hmmm, I might be able to cut you a deal,” continued the merchant. “I noticed a lot of nobles were making their way to the capital, so I thought a big celebration was coming underway. Only problem is I ordered too much alcohol and have stock collecting dust. I’d say... One gold for a keg.”

“One gold you say? But the common price is seven silver,” said Reijo. “I thought you wanted to move stock?”

“Aye, but I need to make a profit too.”

Jabez was still getting used to the idea of haggling. If you tried to haggle on Earth (at least where he was from), you’d just get looked at funny, or at worst, told to leave the store. But if you didn’t haggle in the Kingdom of Ramtha, you were either a fool worth taking advantage of or someone very suspicious. He watched Reijo go back and forth with the merchant for a time, eventually getting the man to buckle down to six silver a keg.

“All right, fine!” the merchant put his hands up. “You’ve made your damn point.”

Reijo chuckled. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

With an exchange of coin, the deal was made, and kegs were loaded one by one into the covered wagons. When a great deal of distance was put between the village and the caravan, Jabez walked up to Reijo.

“That was impressive stuff,” said Jabez.

“I’ve had a good deal of time to learn,” Reijo smiled. In his disguised form, he still looked like an older man, but his hair was black with streaks of grey, he had a mustache alongside his beard, and his plate armor was accented by a red cloak. Beneath the disguise, Reijo was wearing a steel cuirass to help make the sounds more authentic. After stroking his beard, Reijo said, “Are you not versed in the ways of haggling? Perhaps if we have time, I can teach you.”

“It would be pretty helpful,” Jabez nodded. “I always bought things for the first price I was given back in Felstat.”

“You don’t say... I imagine life must have been very difficult for you.”

“It wasn’t too bad. I was so busy doing jobs for my old free company and eating simple trail rations out in the field I hardly had time to spend my coin. Almost everything went to potions, scrolls, and refining my equipment anyway.”

“Man, I would have made a killing with you if I were in business,” Braun chuckled.

“Speaking of that free company,” Tuuli walked closer, “will they be a problem?”

“Most likely, yes,” said Jabez. He explained what he knew about their numbers, as well as their military history. “Bowen has a sharp mind, so I figured he’d see through my charade quicker than the others. If he leads a hunting party against me, we’ll need to be extra careful.”

“I hope you’re worth the risk,” said Samu, another Hidden Grove elf.

“Fret not,” said Reijo. “Though he has brought extra attention upon himself, it’s not as if we’d be spared their wrath.”

“But sir,” continued Samu, “you saw those wanted posters... If people learn where Jabez has gone, bounty hunters will come in droves.”

“A risk I’m willing to take,” said Reijo. “Troublesome though our new friend has been, it speaks to how willing he is to swim against the tide. Need I remind you that he was the one who helped us see fault in our plans?”

“Y-yes, but...”

“I know I came with a lot of extra baggage,” said Jabez, “but I’m going to do everything I can to make up for it. Besides, I have a plan to deal with the Company of the Spade if it comes to it.”

Samu eventually relented, falling back in line with the others. Even as Jabez said that, he was troubled. His presence, alongside his companions, did bring great risk to the Hidden Grove as a whole. The fact they had otherwise accepted him so readily only made Jabez want to work harder to earn that trust.

At the end of the first day of travel during sundown, the caravan found a good spot away from the roads to make camp. The wagons were set to circle around the campgrounds as cover, and there were plenty of people who kept watch for wild beasts or unwanted attention. While the others set up camp, Jabez approached Demetra.

“Um... Excuse me. Could we talk in private?”

“Oh ho! Mighty bold of you, little man, but I’m curious.”

“Hold on now,” Jabez shook his head. “I didn’t mean like that.”

“Is that so? Well I’ll play along for now. Lead the way.”

Jabez eventually found a nice, secluded spot in the nearby forest. After he stopped, he drew his sword, turning to face Demetra.

“Come at me,” said Jabez.

“Is that what this is about? Then I accept!”

Demetra drew her trident out from beneath her disguise and spun it about, adopting a one-handed fighting stance before charging. As the pair exchanged blows, Jabez couldn’t help but notice the sparkling blue trail the trident left behind as it was swung and jabbed at him. It reminded him of crashing waves at a beach – as did the force of the blows. Each time he blocked and parried Demetra’s strikes, a resounding force went through his whole body. It took all of his effort just to keep from being disarmed.

After a few minutes of sparring, Demetra kneed Jabez in the gut, knocking him against a tree. She then closed the distance, stabbing her trident into the tree and pinning Jabez’s neck between one of the weapon’s gaps. The man was left sweating and panting, barely able to keep up with the Ajinian.

“You’re... Really... Strong...” Jabez tried catching his breath.

“Yes I am. I understand you’re a clever warrior, though your fundamentals are still lacking. But...” Demetra pulled her trident away. “I can help with that.”

“Thank you,” Jabez nodded, grasping at his throat for a moment before readying himself for another round. “Let’s go.”

Demetra grinned, diving right back into things without saying a word. After an hour of intense sparring, Jabez fell onto his back. Even Demetra, despite her ability, had broken a sweat and sat down with her back against a tree. She deactivated her disguise, removing her circlet and wiping her brow.

“I can barely move...” said Jabez between panting breathes. “Are all Ajinians this strong?”

At this, Demetra frowned. “Not all. One could say that I’m... Uniquely gifted.”

Jabez finally sat up, taking off his circlet and looking at the giantess. Though her expression was calm, a look in her eyes betrayed a deep pain. He then remembered the exchange Demetra had with Kela and Gatu.

“Oh... I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Demetra chuckled. “We all have our woes. You needn’t worry over little things like talk around me.”

“Even so...” Jabez eventually scooted closer to Demetra, taking a sip from his waterskin before offering it to the Ajinian.

“Much thanks,” Demetra smiled.

“Of course. You’ve already done me a great kindness, so it’s only fair.”

“Hmm... You know for a man who doesn’t know how to haggle, you sure think about fair exchanges a lot.”

Jabez sighed. “It’s a hard habit to kick. The day I learned how much the world revolves around money was the day I learned nothing in life is free. Of course... I like to help when I can.”

“But you don’t want to owe anything to others, right?”

“It’s not that exactly. I just don’t want to ignore another’s kindness.”

“But is it wrong to simply give and expect nothing in return? As soon as I realized you wanted to train with me, I never thought of what I could coerce out of you when we were done. I certainly could, but why should I? Improving your strength will only stand to benefit us later, anyway.”

“True,” Jabez nodded. When his waterskin was returned, he looked at it for a moment, considering just what it meant to give from the heart. “Demetra... What happened to you?”

“Finally decided to ask?”

“I can’t help it. I’ve never met an Ajinian before, and when I saw your scars, I couldn’t help but... Worry.”

“Well, if you must know, it is not a cheery tale. Years ago when Ramtha was still expanding, soldiers brazenly walked into my people’s village without warning, so naturally we drove them out. Later we sat down with a royal diplomat and demanded answers for the Ramthians’ transgression. In the past, we hunted beasts to make their lands safer, helped them draw borders so they didn’t encroach upon our land. We had no reason to be enemies... Yet. Of course, the diplomat said it was a simple mistake, and it wouldn’t happen again. But as all dealings with Ramtha go, their word meant nothing. They returned in the night with a full-fledged army, filling the skies with flaming arrows. We fought them valiantly, but their numbers were too great. Those who could not be captured were killed, and the survivors were taken to one of their arenas as an attraction to fill more seats. My sisters and I did battle with gladiators and captured monsters both, but as the years went by, our numbers dwindled, then one day... I was the only one left.”

“No... You mean?”

“There are other Ajinians out there, but I have not met another in years. It was the Hidden Grove who helped me escape with my head on my shoulders, and I’ve been aiding their cause ever since. It calmed the fires in my heart to fight for something honorable again. Our people are one with the waves, and for a time, we could always tell where the closest shore was by listening to the winds. But my time in the arena dulled my senses, and I couldn’t hear the ocean. But the waves have returned to me, little by little. One day I will sail the waters and seek out another tribe. But for now, I fight for the freedom of all.”

“Demetra...” Jabez looked back at his waterskin, thinking about his life up until now. He had known hardship, but it had been paradise compared to what Demetra went through. And yet... Was that the right way of thinking about things? Comparing sorrows like it was a contest was almost automatic, and yet it felt entirely backwards. He thought about his own family. He thought about that damn epidemic, and everything it took from him. His mother, his father, and all the rest of his family... “We’re not so different,” Jabez finally muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“Long ago, disease had spread through... My land. My people didn’t take it seriously enough, and in time, we started to disappear one by one. Healers were able to save me and many others, but the toll the disease took on us was too great. Of my family, only I survived, and I’ve been alone ever since.”

Demetra sighed, looking up at the darkening night. Up above, the dusky colors of orange and yellow fell to the curtain of black and blue, and even though the sun had not yet faded, an ocean of stars could be seen. Jabez, too, looked up at that starry curtain, and in a flash of light, a shooting star crossed the sky.

“Ah... Good fortune be upon us,” said Demetra. “In my tribe, a shooting star is seen as a sign that a mighty warrior has entered the Heavens, locking themselves in combat with great beasts from the beyond. It is a sign that, even in our most trying times, we must keep fighting. Our ancestors are always watching us, so if they are fighting up above, so too must we never give up down here.” Demetra then set her hand on Jabez’s head, rustling his hair. “So think not of the past, little man. We have so much future left to see. For their sake, and our own.”

In that moment, Jabez’s heart swelled. Still tired from training, he gave into temptation and leaned his body against Demetra’s.

“Thank you...” said Jabez.

“It’s all right,” smiled Demetra. “You are quite the needy boy, though. I can see why Kela watches over you so closely. But... I don’t mind being relied on.” After a minute of pleasant, peaceful silence, Demetra finally spoke up. “Going to watch us all night, elf?”

“You saw me?!” Tuuli stood up from the bushes.

“Tuuli!” Jabez turned towards the elf. “What are you doing?”

“I...” Tuuli avoided eye contact. “You were both gone so long, I was worried something had befallen you.”

“Is that so?” grinned Demetra. “I’ll play along then.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Tuuli turned her nose up at the Ajinian. Jabez looked between the two, feeling so embarrassed he wanted to hide his face in his hands. But somehow, he ended up laughing instead. Eventually Tuuli said, “What’s so damn funny?!”

Jabez wiped a tear from his eye and said, “I’m not sure.” At this, Demetra joined in the laughter. When she was done, she stood up.

“All right, we’ve been gone for long enough. Let’s make sure the others are doing okay.”

“Good idea,” Jabez stood up as well, and together, the three returned to camp. Everyone sat in circles around a campfire, exchanging food, drink, and stories. Jabez greeted the others as he returned, and as he watched the embers rise up from the fire, they all disappeared into the starry sky.

I wonder... Even in a place like this, are you all still watching me?