Brightash Village

Striding through the trenches of the village, a tall figure shook the ash from their clothes for the fourth time that hour. Hood over its head and sword strapped to its back, the average man paid it no mind. Strange people who wished to hide their identity were common these days and asking questions usually meant you wouldn't be asking anymore. The figure stalked from window to window in the market, purchasing goods and generally prepping for a long journey. With a final heft of their sack, the stranger left. Just another of many who would die out in the wilderness.

Aradnia watched this all from within the window of a small cafe. The windows were mainly for light for there was not much to see other then the wall of the opposite side of the trench, but Aradnia requested that seat anyway every time she came here. People-watching was a hobby of hers. About a half-hour after the figure left, she stood up, paid for her meal, and walked out the front door. Finding the stairway out of the plaza, she quickly set off in the same direction the figure had gone.

She found his corpse by tripping on it. She dragged the body out of the ash and made a quick job of searching it for any and all goods it had. Some gold and rations for the journey. Perfect. After double-checking nothing was left on the corpse, she made her way south towards Serasim, avoiding the quickash plains that the man from before had met his fate in.

It was hard to sleep. With the wounds in his chest the pain often kept him from succumbing to drowsiness. Even still as days and nights dragged on he would inevitably let exhaustion take him. Long were the first few years of adjusting to having bugs crawling on him as well as in him. At least they were amiable enough to settle down when he wanted to rest.

Up on a hill he laid at the base of a tall tree. Were he to make a guess he'd say this tree was likely almost as old as he was. His subjects watched from the branches high above him. They weren't just in that tree either. There were many distributed throughout the plains. Flies, mosquitoes, moths, butterflies, all sorts of airborne followers kept watch for danger.


Little could be done about the rising sun though. Through gloomy skies it's pale shade lit the land making further rest fruitless at the moment. Rufus lifted himself up from between the roots where he had slept. He didn't have much in the way of covers or other supplies for comfortable travel. He was quite used to the pains not only from his chest but in his joints and muscles from nights poorly spent. Stretching his arms out he yawned deeply before setting one foot in front of the next. He had little in the way of routine to perform before setting out in the morning.

His destination for now was Serasim. It had been a while since he passed by there. He didn't like returning to places he had been before but it had been so long since he was last there he could hardly remember the place. A voice picked up in his mind, The Director had some news for him.


"Rufus, word in is that the ants in the local region are ready to serve if needed. Having finally laid waste to their unenlightened opposing colony with their newfound strength they should have the region secure within the month."

He nodded in response to The Director's report. Any other news Director? He wondered, knowing the weird earwig could hear his thoughts given just how evolved it had become since it lived right next to his brain.

"The cricket legion is asking if they might take temporary leave to feed their ranks on the remaining farms back at the town."

Tell them half may go. The other half will just have to make do until we get to the next city.

"Understood"

The Director didn't always agree with Rufus's methods but he knew better than to disobey. He didn't quite understand Rufus's care for other humans. The man didn't belong to any of their colonies yet he would tolerate and even show other humans kindness, something insects were much less familiar with.

For Rufus he had to explain to his subjects that his purpose was to make peace with the local populations so they wouldn't attack them. Since people cared so little for bugs and the insects cared little for humans as well keeping the peace between their kingdoms was an uphill battle. As it was he was seen as a walking plague, a bringer of famine and disease. If he let the insects reign freely as they pleased they would devastate the cities he passed by. People would hunt him like some sort of monster. Well, more so than they already do.


"Yourr Highnesss! Yourr Highnesss! A sstrange hoomin hass been sspotted apprroaching along the rroad!"

A buzzing fly had come up and warned him with great urgency in her voice. Rufus simply cocked an eyebrow. "A strange human?"

"Yess, sshe donss darrk colorrss and posssesssess a blade most larrge."

He simply shrugged and continued on down to the road to Serasim like he originally planned. The Director felt some concern regarding the fly's alert however.

"Should we be concerned about this stranger the fly spoke of?" He voiced what he felt was a legitimate concern.

Of course not. If we hid for every passing stranger we'd never make it to town. How would we address more of my kingdom's concerns if we couldn't even walk near some stranger on the road? If the woman wants trouble I got my trusty sword Rusty here. I may not be no Saltune bruiser but I'm not bad in a scrap and I can always retreat to the forest and call on the ants for help right?

"Yes, of course."


The Director often cursed Rufus's lax sense of security. Rufus wasn't necessarily being completely honest with The Director however. He was concerned about the woman but he figured if she wanted to kill him it was probably best that he kept his eye on her. The meeting was going to be somewhat tense but it wasn't as if it was his first time dealing with some sword brandishing killer. Even is she pulled her weapon on him he was confident enough in his own abilities.

With that thought in mind he stepped down onto the road not far ahead of the woman. She was a strange sort that much was definite but nothing too intimidating as of yet. He continued along the road paying little heed to his pace. He figured regardless of whether or not he kept his distance if she had the intent of killing him it wouldn't matter how close he was.

A light breeze toyed with the tip of Aradnia's hood, playfully trying to tug it off, but the air was cold and she had no desire to lose her ears. Her strides were long but relaxed, eating away miles easily. She peered up into the piercing sun, gauging it to be around noon. Good, if she kept this pace up through the night with only a 4 hour rest, she would make it to Harosa by morning. From there it was only two days journey to the Crystal forest, where hopefully she would encounter the one she was searching for.

Not too far away from her a figure stepped out into the road. She swore under her breath, a delay, this problem wasn't going to just go away was it? She ceased walking about 50 yards away and gave a brisk wave to the figure on the road ahead. "Hail there stranger. What is it that you want?"

There was some relief when the woman hailed him. It was a step in the right direction for how he wanted this encounter to go.

"Hail."

He returned the hail back to her. Around him the air was rather animated with the local land's winged insects. Flies that fed on the bodies frequently found in the harsh desolate land were in surplus around him. A large number of these flies were double their normal size with triple the wingspan. From having fed off Rufus's blood these flies were stronger, able to travel farther and were able to have a far larger quantity of eggs which hatched flies just like them.

In truth only a small fraction of his typical entourage could accompany him through this rough land. The land only really became more hospitable to life halfway along to his destination. Even in the ashen plains however insects thrived. There was scarcely a place some form of insect couldn't call home.


"I want only to travel this here road for a ways. If you'd want I could offer company, at least 'till our paths diverge. I can assure I'll be of little nuisance. If you'd rather not then, well, I can keep my distance for the ways should you prefer."

He had a strange air about him. Not just the buzzing of winged flies, blood drinking mosquitoes and sturdy cockroaches either. He was hunched slightly forward due to his ever lingering injuries and he walked with an eccentric gait, habits picked up from his state of general isolation. The part of his face that wasn't overshadowed by his hat was sorely in need of grooming. All in all his image spoke of a drifter with his fair share of quirks.

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Aradnia cocked her head slightly, trying to figure out what was different about the man. The air seemed to shimmer around him, but from this distance she couldn't tell why. She came about 10 yards closer before it struck her. The air around him was teaming with insects, and not your normal everyday insects. These were huge insects that she had never seen before. She smiled slightly under her hood. This man was extreme. She didn't know what is philosophy or if he had one. However this was a man of extremes. This was someone she could work with. She drew nearer until she was on the edge of the swarm. "Sir, a traveling companion would be welcome on this lonely road. Where do you travel and what are you called?"

This man could be used, a tool against a god who desired balance. She could keep a balance. She would find balance between the extremes of those she found.

As the woman approached he had his hands in his coat, leaning back on his heels a bit. While all appearances would seem that he was cool with it all he was giving her a good look over with a particular eye to her weapon. Given it's complex design and the fact that it rattled as she walked he deduced that it must have multiple loose fitting parts which indicated the nature of it's function.

Her walk was martial and her gear didn't exactly hide her status as a combatant. His best guess was that she was some stray knight. It was something to keep in mind as he heard her response. A surprisingly positive answer, quite unexpected really. He couldn't help but cock an eyebrow up though his look of confidence hardly wavered.

"My name is Rufus. I travel to Serasim at the moment though I have no real arrangements there to speak of. Some might say I'm a drifter, no real destination to speak of."

He gestured to the well armed woman to follow as he continued to walk on his way.

"Come, lets not let good daylight go to waste. Don't mind the buzzers, they won't bug you. At least not on purpose."

Shortly after talking from over his shoulder to her he looked forward and addressed his followers.

"Isn't that right?"


The flies all proclaimed their agreement though to anyone who didn't speak insect there wouldn't be any audible difference to note. Rufus could only really understand them thanks to the magic within his veins. There were few bugs who were changed enough to the point where communication was possible. One such bug was The Director.

"Might I ask your name as well? I won't pry into your business if that's what you'd prefer."

Rufus once again addressed the unusual traveler, this time with a question of his own.

Curiouser and curiouser. The line sprang unbidden to her mind as the man seemed to speak with the swarm around him. So he not only communicated with them but commanded them. That could be useful. Though she didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. She had learned long ago not to judge others based on how strange they may act. Those who were truly crazy didn't survive. Anyone who seemed crazy likely had a very good reason. for it.

"My name is Aradnia, I travel to Harosa City, though my ultimate destination is the crystal forest. Both are in Serasim. You are welcome to travel with me for as long as you wish. Perhaps our paths will converge for longer than is expected."

Readjusting her pack and her weapons, she picked up her pace until she was even with Rufus and then matched his pace.

"A pleasure to meet you Ariadna. I find that notion a sound one."

He tipped his hat to her before looking ahead as they were now walking side by side. The ash gently crunched underfoot as the wind swept across the long plains, interrupted only shortly by the rising hills. After some time along the road he paused.

If memory serves this was the spot we could cut through right? He asked The Director in thought.

"Correct. This is the where the shortcut lays.


He turned to Ariadna after walking a couple steps up the side of the hill. "I know a shortcut through these parts across the hill range. As we're heading for Harosa I reckon it should shave four hours off the travel time. We should be there by nightfall that way."

He gestured to the hill with an arm outstretched. "What say you? Care to try it?"

Though he only just recently met her he could only wonder just how much she actually trusted him. As he awaited her answer a grey moth had settled on the very tip of his hat, resting it's wings a moment.

Aradnia rolled her shoulders, confident in her ability to fight off anything that came her way. This could be a trap, she didn't know, but the surrounding landscape had several escape routes and this one man shouldn't pose too much of a threat if he chose to attack her. Besides, she had been reading him and he didn't seem like the type to want a confrontation. "Sure" she said, "Lead the way. The less travel time the better."