To Academia

At the foot of a colossal mountain, there is a small beat down shack where two men are storing goods. They unload grains, water and felts among other trinkets, stopping once they hear someone approaching. From a distance, two camels can be seen pulling a small carriage and getting closer. The two completely cloaked figures that rode the camels dismount and quietly approached the two men.

“???: Took ye’ long enough!” Said the bearded man waiting by the shack.

“???: Randel, my friend! The sun’s merely started to go down, were you getting worried now?” Replies one of the cloaked figures.

The two men embrace in a strong, friendly hug, patting each other strongly on the back. Randel’s partner starts to load goods into the carriage from inside the shack.

“Randel: So, where’s this special merchandise you need to be delivered to the Academy?”

As Randel speaks, a young woman is seen getting out from inside the carriage. She’s sweaty and has her black hair up in a bun. She stretches and loudly complains…

“???: BLASTED BE BAHAMUT! That felt like ages!” She wiped the sweat from her forehead and neck with a cloth while still mumbling complaints.

Randel laughs when he sees the girl and points at her from a distance.

“Randel: Ye’ mean to say this is your special merchandise, Lu?”

Lu uncovers his face, revealing his undeniable Tabaxi features.

“Lu: I know it’s not the usual, but you’re delivering to the Academy anyway, aren’t you?”

“Randel: Yeh, I’m a merchant, we deliver non-living things, it’s not human trafficking.” He says while turning back to close the shack.

“Lu: No, no, no, you got it all wrong, it’s nothing like that. See, her father is a... provider for us, he made us an offer we couldn’t refuse… A-and he threw in a few silver pieces in there too.”

Randel stares at Lu with a serious face.

“Randel: …”

“Lu: …”

“Randel: Someone baited ye’ with a fish again didn’t they.”

Lu’s ears go down as he replies with a guilty tone.

“Lu: S-several of them… In fact…”

“Randel: …”

“Lu: …”

“Randel: Seven rations.”

“Lu: Six…”

“Randel: Alright.”

The young woman lets her hair loose, revealing that her raven black hair reaches down below her knees. She takes off her backpack and looks around. Randel and Lu are loading in big chunks of fish into a wagon while the other two men feed the horses and camels. It’s getting noticeably darker, and the two friends bid farewell to each other. Randel’s partner lights a torch and fixes it to a holding place in the wagon, preparing for departure.

“???: Ssssooooo… Can I expect the other carriage to arrive soon?”

“Randel: Haha! Yer’ a funny one ain’t ya?” He says while slapping the back of the wagon.

“Randel: Move along now, get on.”

“???: You have to be kidding, right? This reeks of goat piss!”

“Randel: Well ye’ better get used to it little miss, or you could walk ye’ self, should only take ye’ about two weeks if ye’ survive.” Randel and his partner mount the horses, showing that they’re not waiting around for her to decide.

“???: Unbelievable! If I would have known about this befo-” The wagon starts to slowly drive away. A howl can be heard in the distance.

“???: W-wait!” The young woman runs and catches up to the wagon, struggles to jump on it while in motion, but manages to finally get on.

As they travel into the night, the young woman struggles to find a comfortable position to sleep in. While drifting asleep, the young woman thinks to herself.

“???: What was I thinking? Leaving that boring fishing town has been no better than staying… Did I do the right thing? Who am I trying to fool… Nowhere’s better without you. I… Thought seeing you that night would make me better… But I’ve yet to see you since. This all just opened the wound as if it were fresh… I miss you… And the reality of things is that no matter where I go, I’ll never find you… And… Now I’m stuck with this lowly merchant and his… Slave, on my way to fulfill someone else’s dream… Will this life forever feel so… Empty? Alora… Did you ever feel like this?”

Her internal monologue ceased to the tremble and sound of falling boulders. She quickly gets up and looks at the men guiding the wagon. They are both holding bottles, drinking and laughing.

“Randel: Cheers! Haha, did that wake you? Missis goat.”

“???: What on Torel was that!?”

“Randel: Just your average Mt. Golmag, Missis goat.” He replies between chuckles

“Randel: Safest way to travel ye’ see… safest against thieves, poachers, and scoundrels. They ain't brave enough to take a little chance.” The men continue drinking and going about as if nothing happened.

The woman takes a look back down the road where a massive boulder was split in two from the fall, several smaller rocks keep sliding down the mountain.

“???: A LITTLE chance…?” She replies sarcastically and concerned.

“???: And the name’s Vahl’a!” She yells at the men who ignore her.

“Vahl’a: ...Vahl’a Heiling…”