Chapter Three: Aether Fishing With Ol' Dayn
Bright light was all Kiht could see. Slowly, the light became brighter as random shapes began to take form. The shapes became bright white light being dispersed through gray blobs as she gradually began to feel her thoughts forming.
“Where am I?†She thought to herself.
It was then that she realized she was staring up at the sky. There was the sound of a dull, gentle roar that was continuous and relentless. Her mind began to recognize that it was the sound of a river. That was when the body aches kicked in, and it caused her to let out a groan of protest. She slowly began to rise to her feet.
As Kiht came to her senses, the sounds of crackling caught her attention. Slowly, she gazed about her surroundings. A large pack, a leather tarp, a fire and something else; someone else. Sitting upon the tarp was a man in a thick snow coat. The middle-aged Hyur man, with a beard so blonde it was almost white, calmly gazed upon her. He gave her a curt nod.
“Oh, so you're awake now. Fates were with you. Not everyone who dives into a freezing river wakes up afterward.â€
Kiht turned her weary gaze on him. It took her a few seconds to even understand what he said. Her body wobbled as her stance suddenly grew weak. But, she did not fall. She held herself steady.
“Who are you. What happened?†She asked in a groggy tone.
The man used a stick to turn over some of the small logs in the fire. He calmly gazed on Kiht for a few moments; giving her the opportunity to fully awaken her mind.
“You fell on the river, got washed down and managed to crawl yourself up onto the edge. Your body was probably too cold, so you passed out. I found you just lying there. You're right lucky.â€
Kiht took a few steps closer to him. It was clear she had become wary, but if the man had wanted to do anything to her, he would likely have done so before then. Her body was still very weak, so she felt her legs about to give out. Instead, she let herself collapse into kneel near the fire, but she kept her gaze on the man. He calmly regarded her – he was waiting patiently for her to say more.
“I… I remember now. I escaped from an Ixal camp. I had no choice.â€
The man slowly bobbed his head as if to nod an acknowledgment of what she was saying. Once again, he teased the fire with his stick.
“Well, them bird-men are one good reason to jump into an icy river, I suppose. You don't look like an Ishgardian knight. You don't look like one of them Adders. Are you seeking the lady?†He asked curiously.
Kiht furrowed her brows, and inclined her head as she studied the man. “Lady? I am lost… To my shame, I am lost. And I call myself a Scout… 'Tis quite a story. Mayhaps one you would not believe.â€
The man blinked his green eyes then smirked and shook his head. “Girl, you might be surprised what I would believe. You gotta warm your body up before you can eat or drink anything. May as well tell me the story while we wait. Ain't no bird-men 'round here.†He replied in a good-natured tone.
Kiht let out a sigh then squinted as she gazed into the fire. All her gear was left on her. She still had her knives and her pack. She was not the man's prisoner, so she decided to be open.
“I tried using a useless shite map to scout Ixal territory. I got stuck between Ixal and a long fall. That is when the dragons appeared. I had no choice but to try and flee on the airship with the Ixal. You can imagine how that went.†She said in a tone that grew more weary.
The man grew an amused smirk, and nodded his head. “Yeah, no good ways for that to go.â€
Kiht told him more details of her story. There was no use hiding what had happened. However, after she was done, they sat in silence for many minutes.
“Here, you should drink and eat something.†He said in a sincere tone.
He pointed to Kiht's water skin and pack. He had checked. He knew that she brought rations, and this suddenly made her more wary. She stood to her feet then poured her water skin out onto the snow. The man furrowed his brows, but didn't say anything at that moment. Kiht moved to kneel near the river, and filled up her water skin. After it was full, she took a large drink. She secured the cap then pulled the rations from her pack. The dried meats were still sealed in their leather pouches. The tight, awkward knots were just the way Kiht had tied them. It was unlikely that he tampered with her food then managed to tie the pouches back up the exact same way. She untied the pouch then began eating some of the dried meats.
The man smirked and bobbed his head again. “Smart. But I ain't done nothing to your water. It would've been easier to do whatever I'd wanted to do when you were not awake.†He said as his voice betrayed mild amusement.
Kiht calmly glanced to him as she continued eating. “Unless you preferred me to be awake, and more cooperative. Some things are not as fun when a person is asleep...†She said in a suspicious tone.
The man raised a brow, and slowly shook his head. “I ain't got time to get into whatever trouble that would have caused. Aside from that, I already have me a wife and kids.â€
Kiht continued eating; unfazed. “That would not stop any male who wanted to.â€
He shook his head again. “Well, believe whatever you feel comfortable with. I'm on a mission.â€
Kiht finished eating her rations then drank more water. She stayed close to the fire as she collected her thoughts. Eventually, she found her gaze upon him once again.
“You have my gratitude. I did not mean to seem unappreciative. Tell me, what is this mission you speak of?†She asked in a kinder tone.
He smiled at her, and maintained a steady gaze. “I… Well, me and my group are on a sort of pilgrimage. Yeah, you can call it that. A pilgrimage. We seek a wonderful woman with great power. Hells, some of us even claim that she calls to us in our dreams. There are some truths hidden in history. This magnificent lady is one of the few who knows the truths.â€
Kiht inclined her head as she studied the man. He seemed sincere in his words, but she could not help but wonder about his vagueness. Something seemed amiss.
“Does this lady have a name? If she knows such truths why does she not tell everyone? If she has such power, why does she not find you?â€
The man calmly waited a moment; considering Kiht's questions. “She has a name for those who need to know it. I know it, but you shouldn't. She shares her truths freely, but most don't listen. She has great power, but she is not powerful enough to be invulnerable. She can call to us, but she would risk herself if she traveled too much. We need to be strong, we need to prove ourselves strong and find her. Otherwise, it would not be much of a pilgrimage, would it?†He said in a tone of reverence as he spoke about the Lady.
Kiht furrowed her brows as she thought to herself. It was strange that he did not want to tell her. However, there were far more important questions she needed to ask him.
“Very well, can you tell me your name then? Do you know the way out of this canyon?â€
The man nodded. “The name's Dayn. My group and I do know the way out of this canyon, but the bird- men are clever. You see, they built their camps right in the bottleneck passageways that lead to the Central Highlands. Only way out of this canyon without the ability to fly is through the Ixal camps.â€
Kiht let out a loud sigh as her ears lowered. Her entire posture slumped. “How did you and your group get into this canyon? How do you intend to get out? Mayhaps we can work together.†She stated then raised her head, and gazed upon him curiously to await his response.
He slowly shook his head. “Me and my group ain't leaving. Not yet. Part of the pilgrimage means doing a task for the Lady. Them bird-men airships are a problem. We plan to destroy some of them. And before you ask, none of us know how to fly them.†He said as his tone grew more stern.
Kiht seemed a bit upset at first – her expression betrayed disappointment and mild frustration. However, she nodded curtly.
“Point me the right way out of here, and I will help you. The Ixal are no ally of mine either. I would take great pleasure in destroying their contraptions.†She said with a mild growl in her tone.
