Snippet #1786148

Wundsten found Jiender to be much more lively then he had anticipated, passing by many stalls, caravan wagons, and crowds of all sorts of faery folk. The music of the festival grew stronger with every step he took towards the village center. He could feel the glances and stares from the other people as he expected, but they soon returned their attentions to the current activities. Carelessly, he watched all the happenings around him, almost tripping over something before stopping himself.

Sensing something before his feet, he looked down to find a little brass-plated chest reflecting a perfect image of his face. It was so very peculiar that an object such as that could stand out like a sore thumb, and yet, no one has even touched it. He instinctively picked up the chest, holding it with his fingers since it was almost as small as a Hyma's hand. The chest was very plain; it was plated all around with brass and a tiny leather strap kept it closed. Out of curiosity, he removed the strap.

As the Ferner was opening it, he paused and realized that this must be one of the doings of his friend, a Cyclops woman named Otruco Estrualia. In Wundsten's earlier years of adventure, his path crossed with her's on one dark night in Ametty. Both of them, along with a few others, were being held captive by a band of outlaws. Most of the captives were Cyclopes traveling to Enche Lanche, and Otruco was their leader, whom lost her eyesight to the outlaws whilst trying to defend her followers. They managed to escape when the outlaws' camp was ambushed by Nixae. But as they made their escape, Wundsten was reluctant to follow because the outlaws took his chieftain's gift, which was an azure crystal pendant. The blind Cyclops urged him to follow her or else he would get himself killed. So, he left the pendant behind, hoping one day that he could once again recover it. In the morning after, he helped Otruco with her wounds and led her party to the city of Amet. During that journey, he learned that her party was traveling to Haubenor to deliver the Cyclopic knowledge of magic in exchange for teachings in other forms of magic, with which they would bring back home. Then, after accompanying the Cyclopes in their mission, Otruco promised that she would repay him should they meet again.

It's too bad that the Chieftan passed before I could even find it, thinking back to the time he left the pendant behind. He felt guilty again for losing it, even though he was forgiven years ago. His thoughts returned to Otruco, wondering what sort of magic trick does the little brass box hold. He flipped open the lid and his eyes grew twice their size as he could not have believed what treasure did the chest hold. It was the cheiftan's pendant, the very same one that he left behind that one night. It was such an ironic coincidence that the great grey man let out a rumbling cry of laughter. The chain was missing but the pendant was still in one piece, and it also looked brand new. He held it with his thumb and pointer finger and lifted up to the sun, recognizing the glittering patterns that appeared whenever he held it up to light, long ago.

"I knew you'd be surprised," said a familiar voice from behind. Wundsten turned and looked below him to find Otruco in traditional Inish clothing, her arms behind her back. Her black hair was cut to neck length and her eye was wrapped over with a bandana that had an eye symbol sewn on. The blind Cyclops wasn't directly facing him, but he knew that smile she had on her face was for him.

"Otruco, you found it! I can't believe how could you even think of ever finding it! This... this is... Oh ho ho, this is some trick, isn't it," doubted the Ferner, whom was trying to be rational.

"Heh," the lady chuckled, "you think that it would be impossible for me on the count of being blind. But how could you doubt me when you're holding your precious pendant in your own hand, the same one that you lost."

Jokingly, he continued to doubt her, "Preposterous! How could a blind person find anything that is lost without any clues?"

"Actually, I can see much better now than I've ever had when I still had my eye. You see, during my time at Haubenor, I learned much about Kyden energy, and it did not take me much trouble to learn how to see how the currents of Kyden flow through the air, water, and ground and around people and things. Using that, I just decided to drop by where we first met to pick up something."

Looking back at the pendant and back at her, Wundsten laughed out loud once more, "Ha! Incredible is what you are, not blind at all!" He placed it back in the chest and sealed it with the strap. "Your magic just saved me a lot of work and saved me from my own guilt, haha!"

"By the way," she said in a more annoyed tone, putting a finger on her chin, "why were you taking so long to get here? I sent you a message two months in advance."

Wundsten knew she would ask that question, and fortunately he had already thought of an excuse. "Oh, well as I was on my journey to Jiender, I came across a rabbit hole of some kind, only it was the size of a bear. Knowing someone like me, I-"

"I expected you would take a carriage to Jiender."

"Hmph, those that take carriages are missing out. Anyway, I had a feeling in my gut that urged me to jump in. So, I went in and..." Believing that the great grey storyteller would go on and on with this fabricated tale, Otruco decided to make herself comfortable and took a seat on a nearby bench.