“Ladies and Gentlemen! My name is Sojourn, and it would be my honour to entertain you tonight. I will be here tonight and tomorrow night to bring your stories and songs to life. So, if you don't get to hear your favourite tonight, ask tomorrow. There is not a story nor song I do not know! And with that, what is first tonight, my friends?"
Sojourn spoke loudly, and clearly, this opening speech always got people excited and made his night easier as he did not have to plan his next song or story. Folks in small towns like this were starved for any kind of entertainment and appreciated hearing their familiar stories professionally told. His eyes swept through the crowd, gauging his audience when they stopped at a familiar figure hunched in the corner. He watched her pull her dark hood further over her head, turning her body, so it faced away from him.
"As if that would stop me from recognizing you," the jongleur thought to himself, happy that luck was on his side. He knew she would be listening.
As Sojourn had swept the crowd, titles of stories and songs filled the room as the villagers shouted out. This was almost his favourite part of the night, and he called out, "I think I heard someone in the back say they wanted to hear the legend of the first Champion? Any objections?"
Waiting only a moment, hearing mumbled "awes" from a few who didn't get their story chosen, Sojourn began the epic.
"This world was borne of the Goddess of Light. Fearing that the darkness of the night sky would soon extinguish her light, she moulded the world of Ocora from her very flesh. She moulded us to give her a chance to survive. However, the forces of the night, of the shadow, still plagued the Goddess. She fought hard to keep them at bay from her creation. Still, bits of shadow and evil slowly crept into Ocora, poisoning the very light the Goddess had created. No matter how hard she struggled against it, the minds of the elves, of man, dwarf, and fairy were corrupted. These minds transformed. Being creations of light, the imploded, unable to control the darkness growing within them. They gave birth to the shadow creatures that plague our world. The Goddess watched this happen, powerless to stop the corruption. Or so she thought. With the little power she had left, almost defeated by heartbreak watching her creations turn against her, she created a champion. Moulding this warrior out of earth, water, fire, and air, she breathed life into the golem, giving it one goal: defeat the darkness. Protect Ocora from the darkness that seeks to extinguish this light.
'But how,' the golem replied?
The Goddess smiled at her last creation. She told it to be strong, to follow its heart, not its mind. She instructed it to give its light protecting the world she created from being snuffed out. Then, she gave the golem a gift. Reaching into the very last pieces of light within herself, she gifted the golem with four weapons: a longsword, golden and glowing, two broadswords to carry the weight of responsibility, and the ability to channel the power of light to obliterate evil. These weapons will give the golem the power to vanquish evil and would protect it from corruption. The Goddess reached out a hand, stroking the golem's chin, then with a sad smile, disappeared."
Finishing the story was Sojourn's favourite part. As much as he enjoyed telling and weaving tales, the hush that followed as people realized the story concluded placed it at the top of his list. Specific stories had more of an effect than others, and this one, in particular, took the villagers a while to stir. Sojourn smiled, looking around the room again. He waited for the small crowd to jostle themselves out of their thoughts and slowly unclasped his lute case. It was crafted from a beautiful old piece of wood. The aged rings stained a pattern into the lute, making it seem like the music was radiating from the center of the instrument.
While he was doing this, he kept an eye on the girl in the corner. She seemed to have become even more sunken into the darkness as though it would make her invisible. In the dark taproom, it almost did. Her one hand pulling the cowl as much over her eyes as she could while still being able to see him. The stance, however, did not completely hide the golden shine that occasionally appeared as the fire hit her eyes right. It seemed to Sojourn that she was more interested in this tale just as he had hoped. He was incredibly curious about the mysterious girl. Not everyone believed in the powers granted to individuals with golden eyes, he did.
He began to play the lute, performing the haunting melody from the previous inn. While he played, he thought. Many of the legends he told were just that, legends. However, many others were true. In the five hundred years that passed between Champions, knowledge was forgotten. By the end of the time, especially the common people of Ocora forgot about the truth behind the legends. For a chunk of his long life, even he had begun to wonder if they were real. Until he saw the girl that is. He had to meet her.
Sojourn performed until late into the night until the last villager had left for home. As this villager left, he noticed the girl was still sitting in the corner. He was about to get up and go to her when he heard the tavern-keepers voice, "thanks for that, Sojourn. The village really needed a night to not think about their troubles."
Sojourn just waved him off, "not a problem. I was stopping by anyway, it was the least I could do."
"Thank you, anyway, things have been rough here. Crops dying, livestock vanishing, and some people have just seemed to vanish." He said, feeling like he owed the jongleur for the lack of hospitality in the way of coin and comforts. "I hope you don't mind performing for less coin then you are used too and will accept a room and what we can give for a meal."
Sojourn waved a hand dismissively, "not at all good sir. It was a great crowd, and that pays plenty. I will, however, take you up on that room and a pint of ale if it is not stretching yourself too thin?" He asked politely. The tavern keep nodded, smiling graciously and left to get the ale. Pleasantries out of the way, Sojourn turned to the corner only to see that the girl had vanished.
He scowled, cursing himself for having lost that chance to talk to her. It seemed he'd have to be more creative to have a conversation.
The barkeep brought Sojourn his ale, patting him on the back and giving him a key, "up the stairs second door on the right. Feel free to bring the mug up with you. I'll fetch it in the morn."
With a wave, Sojourn followed the directions to his room. He was about to unlock his room when he heard muffled voices. Curious, he left his door and followed until an ear pressed against a door, so he could listen to the quiet voices.
"Hush Cetus. I recognized someone I saw in the last town I was in. It's too dangerous for me to stay. Stop chattering and get some sleep. We'll be heading out at first light." How strange, Sojourn thought, there was a girl's voice that came from the room, and she appeared to be talking to someone, but it was only her voice that he heard. "Yes, I am sure. I don't want to get mixed up with him. I am in hiding, and from what I have heard from him, he has enough knowledge to make these last years of hiding obsolete."
Without realizing it, Sojourn has whispered to himself, "I wonder." Suddenly, the quiet chatter from inside the room stopped. Realizing that his voice had carried to the woman, Sojourn stepped quickly and silently to his room. Swiftly he unlocked then eased the door shut, making sure the latch did not make noise. His door closed just as a door down the hall shut, and golden eyes darted back and forth, checking for any kind of movement.
Back against the door, Sojourn released a breath he did not realize he was holding once he heard the girl's shut. "Well, wouldn't you know, I must be fortunate indeed," he chuckled to the empty room. "Guess I will have my story after all." Still snickering to himself, he realized he was holding the ale. His smile grew even larger as somehow he managed not to spill a drop, "lucky indeed," he said and gulped down some ale.
***
Sojourn woke early, too excited to sleep longer. Knowing that the inn's owner would not be up yet, he strode over to his travel pack, grabbed some ink and parchment. Using his battered lute case as a makeshift table, he scratched down melodies and bits of stories that were floating around in his head.
When his stomach complained about its lack of food, Sojourn put down his quill, grabbed his empty tankard, and headed down to the taproom. There were a few bleary-eyed patrons tending to their breakfasts, none of which were the mysterious girl. Her missing presence did not worry him as he walked to the bar with a spring in his step.
"You sure are chipper this morn, Jongleur," stated the keeper as he wiped down a spot on the already clean bar.
"Well, John, I just feel like today will be a great day. The sun is shining, the roads are long and full of adventurous stories, makes it hard not to smile." Sojourn beamed at the fellow. A confused look passed briefly over John's face. Unperturbed, he thought he had misremembered John's name and thought it would be best to just keep going, wouldn't be the first time it had happened. "Only bad thing is, I am positively famished! Is there any more of that wondrous breakfast left in the back?"
Shaking his head at the exuberance of the request, John went to the back. He returned shortly, carrying a portion of a still-steaming meal.
"Wonderful," Sojourn clapped his hands in delight then tossed a copper onto the bar. "Smells fantastic! Thank you, kind sir."
Once again, the barkeep shook his head, collecting the copper and moving on to do other business. As Sojourn tucked into his meal, he thought about which way the girl may have gone. She wouldn't have gone back the way we came. His best guess would be that she would continue east. The next town that direction was more substantial than both this village and the last. That's the first direction he decided to check. He couldn't help but grin as he mopped up the last bits of egg.
"What delicious meal, John! I do have some bad news for you, though. I know I said I'd stay one more day, but I have urgent matters that have come up and must be off." Sojourn stretched a hand to the man behind the bar.
John reached out and shook his hand, "not a problem, Sojourn. I'm just glad to have had you in the tavern these past couple of days. It was nice to see my people smiling again. You have my thanks."
Sojourn smiled, rose from his seat then retired to his room to collect his belongings. As a jongleur, he didn't own much. He put his lute in its case, making sure to check that it was watertight, didn't want his instrument to get waterlogged. Then, slinging his bag filled with rations, medicines, and camping gear, he was packed.
With one last wave to John, he set out to follow the golden-eyed girl. Sojourn stepped out of the lopsided building, right into the pouring rain. "Huh, the sun is shining right; that's why he was confused."
However, even the cold, cloudy sky wasn't enough to crush his spirit. Still grinning from ear to ear, he quickly left the village. Still grinning from ear to ear, and went into the small stable. It was musty and not as clean as Sojourn liked, but it was better for his horse to be out of the elements. "Hey there, Mona, ready for another adventure. We may be on the road longer this time. Got my story; now we just have to find her." He kept us this chatter as he saddled his dapple grey. Mona knickered, tossing her head in response to Sojourn's voice.
It didn't take Sojourn long to find signs of the girl's passing. She was careful, having only left signs that most people wouldn't be able to track. However, it was impossible to erase all signs of travel, and Sojourn's senses didn't miss much. It looked like she had indeed left at first light, as the trail was a couple of hours old.
As he had guessed, she had gone east, following her own path through the woods. Mona trotted quickly through the trees. The winding road went through the dense forest that helped break up some of the rain, which seemed to only get heavier. Despite the brewing storm, the girl had stayed on the path, which was becoming increasingly muddy, allowing Sojourn to make up even more ground. Soon midday came around, and he noticed that the constant tracks he had been following turned suddenly into the thick brush.
Probably making camp, it's getting challenging to travel thought Sojourn as he dismounted. As his feet hit the path, they were immediately coated in thick mud from the previously dirt trail. He pushed his way through the shrubs leading Mona. A little way into the trees, he stopped, hearing a voice from a way ahead. Tethering his horse to a tree, he approached, the rain disguising any noise.
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