The Traveller

The moon had risen high on that warm summer night, as the traveller guided his injured horse uphill, walking before it. The path had become thin and peppered with rocks, somewhat hidden among the tall grass of the western fields of Yubicraft, devouring its edges now that very few transited its length. Sukh treaded carefully, gently pulling from the animal's leads to keep it centered, and moving slowly but surely towards the lone tree up top, where under its care he planned to rest until the next light of dawn.

And yet between the mist, just up ahead and under that inviting tree, a figure seemed to have arrived first. His silhouette against the dark sky denoted a man that appeared to be of the traveller's same height, although far thinner in constitution. He wore a large hat that obscured the stars behind it, and a red scarf surrounded his neck, the ends floating in the light summer breeze. He stood next to the trunk, a hand pressed on the bark to lean his body slightly to the side, his other hand seemed to hold a lantern that swung idly from the hinges. Furthermore, he noticed Sukh, and with nonchalant but fast steps he walked downhill to meet him halfway.
-How's the night, friend?- the stranger asked in a cheerful and inviting tone as his eyes attempted to find the traveller's gaze without success. His dry lips offered a smile that warmed up the surrounding air, as he inspected the horse's wounded ankle.
-Those nasty rocks, always making a number on the man's best friend- He shook his head theatrically like a kid attempting to imitate its parent's manners, extending his hand to Sukh in a friendly gesture which went mostly ignored. The man only side-eyed the stranger, keeping his sight square on the hill.
-Man of few words? That's fine, these are lonely paths on this side of the island, so one gets used to the silence. Not me, you see. I like to talk, so I hope you excuse me if I take this chance to have a discourse with a fellow soul on this paramount of solitude-. The stranger nodded his head, as did Sukh in response. This minimal acknowledgement seemed to have an invigorating result on the man with a lantern, who adjusted his long scarf and with a dim fire in his eyes continued to talk to the silent traveller.

-They say it's because of my oshi, back at home. You know the saying, right? "We all have a piece of our oshi inside of us", that's why we are so alike! Some claim to even wield some of their power... but that's a bit much, don't you think?-. His free hand closed on a fist and pressed on his chest, before addressing the traveller again. -"Who do you worship, friend? I see by your cape that you wear the colours of Reine of the Silver Spoon. Have you prayed for her aid for your beast yet?"-. The smile of the stranger had turn into an intense grin, his teeth shining with the dim light of the stars, seemingly unfazed by the lack of answers from his new acquaintance. After a minute of excruciating silence, the stranger lifted his hand in the air while closing his eyes and looking down.

-No worries, friend, this one's on me-. His fingers snapped, and as if by art of magic, the limping animal stood confidently on his four ankles like nothing had happened. The stranger's grin widened, elated by the scene as Sukh walked around his horse, softly patting his neck in a calming and reassuring fashion. -What do you think? Pretty nifty, eh?-. The stranger tipped his large hat as Sukh walked past him and back ahead of the horse, now walking slightly faster towards the tree at the top of the hill. But as if he were his own shadow, the stranger walked alongside him, often blinding him with the shine of his lantern sparking in the dark. The stranger noticed this before talking again. -Ah, my apologies, friend. Let me take care of this-, and with another snap of his fingers the lantern abandoned his hand, floating in the air like held by an invisible string, moving forwards just a few meters ahead of them lighting the way. Sukh muttered something to himself but continued his steady pace, looking down to avoid the occasional rock as he pulled from the leathery lead, pretending he did not notice how the stranger once more sought his gaze.

-Do you like women, Sukh? I can give you women-. The stranger pulled a pipe and lighted it with a flame that simply appeared on the tip of his finger like a small, fluttering ghost of light. -Or power. You could be a Mayor, a High Councilman! Or is it money you are after, Sukh? I can supply you with all the diamonds of the island, a fortune that would make Nousagis tremble-
The traveller now shrugged, his demeanour not changing with the offers the stranger kept proposing. His breath was almost inaudible despite the steepness of the hill and the walking pace he sustained. The stranger squinted his eyes, taking his hand to his chin, now slightly aggravated by the silence from his partner in the path. -"You don't believe me, do you? Fine! Do you believe me now, Sukh?"-

The snap of his fingers once more broke the quietness of the night, and soon the traveller found himself no longer leading his horse up through the rough terrain, but a polar bear. It's bright, white fur shimmered under the light of the sky, its heavy paws inaudible on the soil that the recent rains had softened. A muffled chuckle escaped the lips of the stranger as he once more fixed the position of his scarf and again uttered words in a confident, yet slightly annoyed manner. -Well? What do you think?-. Sukh simply replied by patting the polar bear in quiet indifference, continuing the walk towards the tree, now only a few dozen meters away from the top of the lonely hill.

A dark shadow of contempt and anger crossed the face of the affable stranger, his hat covering his eyes, and yet still penetratingly gazing towards the traveller. -Don't ignore me, Sukh. I can do much more than this!- he shouted, his fingers once more splitting the silence with a loud snap. It took a second for Sukh to realize his horse turned polar bear had become a massive squid, happily squatting on its side on the path, its tentacles flopping on the ground with loud and wet splashes of ink. The sinister grin returned to the stranger, and with a sarcastic, victorious tone he addressed the traveller once more just as they both reached the top of the hill.
-Ha! What about this Sukh? What do you think of this? Look at it!-
Sukh took a long pause, standing still for a second under the tree, a hand caressing his giant squid which replied with happy gurgling noises. He looked back at the stranger that had ceased its way before the tree, the lantern clearly illuminating his figure and bright, red scarf. Sukh's lips parted, finally directing some words towards him
-That? That's a neat trick-. He then waved the stranger, gave him his back and followed the path past the peak down the other side of the hill, followed by his loyal squid. The stranger observed the man walk away, and after throwing the lantern to the ground and shattering its glass in a million pieces, he screamed.
-Go fuck yourself, Sukh!-

The traveller continued his way, leaving the lonely hill behind, holding his chin with his hand as he scouted the distance, the first rays of dawn beginning to rise over the far horizons of the island.

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Pub: 26 Feb 2023 01:15 UTC
Edit: 26 Feb 2023 14:18 UTC
Views: 224