B2 – Chapter 21: The jewel on the coast

Heading down into the city, Tristan made sure to renew his Disguise Form, and Felicity wriggled her way down his torso and into his armor, peeking her head out – just in case they came across Elf-blooded individuals, which was likely given the size of the vast settlement.

William led the way on Midnight, and Tristan was hit with the bustling sounds of city life that he knew quite well. The main difference was that instead of hearing quite a lot of Demon’s Tongue, he was hearing more Beast Speech. But he was not attracting any attention, and following William they made their way along wending roads filled with people going about their business; primarily into taverns, brothels, and other places of leisure to end the day of work.

Merchants were closing stalls, and businesses began to shutter their windows and doors as the evening pressed on, and the scent of the ocean hit Tristan’s nose, overriding the scents of the city. He could smell, even taste, the salty sea breeze. The crashing of the waves on the jetties in the distance was like a dull lullaby; repetitive and soothing. As they got down to the docks, the smells shifted; he could smell fish. Not a foul, pungent odor like the Buggorf he had killed in the Delve; but a subtle scent.

Throughout their short trek across the city, he saw dozens of different heritages all intermingled. A far cry from the kingdom of Bhant. He was certain that even if he was not under the effect of an illusion spell, he would have only received a handful of glances thanks to his unique bloodline and the accompanying visual elements to his hair, eyes, and ears.

They arrived at a long dock. A huge, rectangle, single-story building was built out to the end of the dock, with some space on either side to walk. A stables was adjacent to the building, and as the two walked their horses in, William flashed his Pathfinder Company emblem. That secured them free accommodations, and the young man glanced back at Tristan, “Let me explain what happened,” he said.

Tristan nodded, “Lead the way.”

William led him out of the stables and over to the longhouse. The Pathfinder Company symbol was hanging from a freshly painted and carved sign; Tristan could smell the wood shavings still. William opened the door, and a wave of sound hit Tristan’s ears – conversation. Vibrant conversation.

Continuing to follow the Pathfinder apprentice, the duo made their way past several people who were bearing the Pathfinder’s emblem; all manner of heritages, armors, and surprisingly no weapons save for belt knives one would use for simple tasks.

“Do we leave our weapons somewhere?” Tristan asked.

“No,” William replied. “Just keep them on you, don’t unsheathe them.”

They went up to the counter at the back, and William flagged down the attention of a short, squat Demihuman – a Pigkin, with beady, black eyes, a wide, broad-chested physique, and rosy-red cheeks.

The man chuckled, “William! You’re back! Where’s Heather, Boris, and Nelly?”

William’s face darkened and he shook his head, “We need to talk, Phil. This person I brought can explain – but in private.”

Phil’s face took on a somber look, he nodded tersely and gestured to a back room. Going deeper into the longhouse, Tristan was led to a small conference room with a table and six chairs. A map of the world was pinned to the wall with dozens of small notes written on paper and extended to various points on the map by string. Phil took a seat and gestured across from him. “Now, William, who is your friend.”

William glanced at Tristan and nodded, “He’s safe,” the young man said.

Tristan let his disguise fade. “I am Tristan Winterbloom. I saved William’s life along with an ally, who is not present at this time. William, want to share your story, and I’ll pick up after your injury?”

William nodded and shared his story, whilst Phil sat in rapt attention. Once William got to the point where his memories were foggy, Tristan took over and filled him in with the occurrences of the Delve, ending with, “…I am sorry for the loss of your members. My sincerest condolences.”

Phil sighed and pulled a bracelet from his wrist, rubbing where the band sat upon his flesh. There was a small brand underneath it, the flesh seared with a black poker carrying an emblazoned symbol of a chain. “We lost good people,” he softly said. “Thank you for saving William. It is…a shame. We will honor their memories.” He looked up to Tristan, “What can we do to repay you for saving William?”

Tristan pulled out his family’s crest, holding it up. “My half-brother, Bertram Anorox, joined the Pathfinder Company a few Seasons ago. I’m trying to track him down.”

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“We can check with our keeper of records to see if he was here recently,” Phil stated. “Speaking of – William, I’ll cover your check in. You do whatever you need to do.”

William stood up and put a hand on Tristan’s shoulder, “Thank you, Tristan, for saving me and sheltering me. I take my leave…I’m going to sit on the edge of the docks and say a few prayers.” The young man left, and Tristan was left alone with Phil, and the still-hidden Felicity.

Tristan cleared his throat, “How long will this check with your keeper take?”

“Not too long. A day, at the most. Would you like to stay here? Normally we do not offer accommodations to outsiders, but you saved one of our own – a free night’s sleep is the least we can do.”

Tristan shook his head, “I will not.” He spun his essence crucible, activated his stored Disguise Form spell, and took on his Human from Bhant appearance. “I do not wish to endanger you and yours. I have enemies and would not bring them upon you.”

“Noble,” Phil said as he stood up and straightened his jacket. “Well, we shall keep your name secret. Just Tristan, no last names. And I’ve got your face committed to memory – both – so I’ll know you by sight. Just come back tomorrow around the evening.”

Trsitan stood up and bowed slightly at his waist, “Thank you.” He turned and left, heading down the hallway, through the revelry, and out into the crisp, ocean-scented night air.