Standing there, his thin briefs wet and suctioning to his thighs and hips, Kaeso realized he had been fooled, tricked. His clothing stolen, boots, cloak, his purse, everything. They must have planned the whole scheme well in advanced. Did someone follow them on the cab ride here? Probably. As soon as he went into the pool they must have snatched up everything and ran off to whom ever waited for them on the road.  

In shock it took some time for the cool night air to effect Kaeso, then he could not stop shivering and shaking. The temperature was not chilly but it was dipping now the sun was gone from the sky. If he attempted to walk he knew he would fall extremely sick, but if he stayed the fate would be the same, unless he went back into the hot water and prayed someone came alone having a similar thought about a late-night soak. Or Emiri came in search of him if he did not return after some hours. But could he remain in the hot pool for that length of time?  

The ride took only about thirty some minutes with the horse at a brisk trot. The Mountain God Inn was located on the outskirts of the town center providing a more quiet relaxed atmosphere for their guests. Squinting through the trees that surrounded the pools, and from their elevated height he could see the lights of the town. Walking all but naked into town would also be humiliating, and once word got out he had been robbed how could he face anyone in Desbryn publicly? The idea was mortifying. Already he imagined the whispers, stares, and pity he would receive. Ah there is that young foolish tourist who met two young men did not know and followed them out of town only to be robbed! What an idiot! 

Suddenly his chest tightened and he began to wheeze and cough. Already his ilness was rearing its’ ugly head. Shaking he headed nearer to the pool, letting the warmth radiating from the water provide some minimal comfort. There was really no great choice, waiting had it’s risks and downfalls, so it walking, but walking would make the ordeal over faster, if he did not collapse and become immobile.  

From the corner of his eye he noticed two reflective eyes staring at him. The creature looked to be a canine of some sort, a fox perhaps.  

Maybe it was the wine, or his desperate mind but Kaeso spoke to the fox, “What to hear something pathetic? I met two men tonight, they invited me to their table, we had drinks and food. Then we decided to come here for an evening soak, but the thing was, they were thieves! Thought I was an easy target, fooled me into thinking we could be friends, we came out here, and they robbed me! I was so completely unaware of their real intentions now I am stuck in, almost naked, no boots, nothing, wet and cold stuck out here all alone! Is that not pathetic?!”  

The fox titled its’ head as if it had been listening before it suddenly slunk back into the bushes. Kaeso felt warm tears trickle down his cheeks. By the Divine Mother he was pathetic. Weak and pathetic. Feeble, and useless. After some deep breaths, Kaeso rose, his knees almost buckled. All his strength was evaporating like the water during into steam.  

Managing to stay upright, Kaeso began to talk towards the path leading to the road when someone from his periphery came into view.  

“I hear you are in need of assistance?” A melodic deep voice asked.  

Kaeso was surprised to see a man in strange garb, similar to monk robes but with more flare and color. It reminded him of the old painting of what the nobles and royalty used to wear, fine garments of multi-layered robes of the finest wool and silk blends with intricate patterns and designs. His hair was the most unusual shade of ashy grey, which lay straight down past his shoulders. In his hand was a wooden cane with featherd fastened to the top in the manner of a magical cane used by priests and priestesses when preforming certain religious rites. He must be some priest, shaman or monk. Likely one who tended this hot pool or a shrine nearby. Maybe he overheard Kaeso speaking to the fox.  

Regardless the Divine Mother heard his pleas.  

“I have been robbed,” Kaeso said as his teeth chattered, his arms wrapped around his thin shivering torso.  

“I can see that,” the stranger who now approached closer and Kaeso could see his features more clearly, the stranger was a beautiful man. His face was smooth, pale, flawless, but his eyes; black and encircled with red paint, then he noticed the other face markings on the smooth ivory skin.  

He recalled similar markings on a large stone carving at the inn of a giant canine creature meant to represent the Mountain God’s spirit form. Wolves of Dunna Ri were considered once his sacred animals, although now rare and overhunted for their fine pelts as the people no longer feared his wrath.  

The man must be a priest of the Mountain God. That made sense.  

The man shrugged off his outer robe, and handed it to Kaeso, “Put this one, while the night is mild now it is still cool for someone like you.”  

“Thank you,” Kaeso quickly wrapped the robe noticing it had a faint smell of cedar or pine, an earthy scent but there was something else too.  

“Come I will lead you back into town.”  

The stranger was rather stoic, his expression never shifting in the slightest. It was very peculiar.  

Kaeso followed as best he could before he felt his energy draining rapidly. His feet grew cold and heavy. His limbs although no longer as exposed also stiffened as he followed the man, and then he noticed the stranger’s own feet. He wore no shoes but...they were not exactly human. Then it dawned on Kaeso. The man was not a human, not a mortal priest or monk. It was a spirit, a demon? Kaeso froze, his body refused to continue, his mind stunned in a state of shock.  

Finally, the stranger noticed he has ceased to follow him, and turned. His expression changed, he looked...bored? Disappointed?  

“If I meant you harm, why would I give you a robe and lead you down the road?”  

“I...I...I have been tricked before!”  

The stranger grinned, and there was something feral about it, “So you have. Lucky for you I have no desire to harm you unlike those men who befriended you under false pretenses.” Slowly the stranger approached Kaeso who still was unable to move so petrified as he was.  

“I sense from you a weak energy, you have been ill all your life, confined indoors, with only your manservant and family as company. No wonder you craved the companionship of those two men. Everyone wants a friend, a lover, family, companionship. Do not feel bad you desire that Kaeso Ahino, you gave those men your trust and in return they stole from you. I may not be as powerful as I once was, but I can grant you a gift.”  

“A--a—a gift?!”  

“In return you must give me back this robe,” the strange was now inches from Kaeso who could feel the heat radiating off the creature before him who now leaned to whisper in his ears. A shiver ran down his spine, but it was not from the cold or fear, but a strange pleasurable sensation. Once he told Kaeso what he needed to know, the strange stepped back, and Kaeso was loathed to feel him move away almost leaning forward in an attempt to close the gap between them.  

“I will.” Kaeso promised.  

“Good,” then something like a bright flash blinded Kaeso for several seconds and the next thing he knew he was standing in the warm confines of his bedchamber at the inn.  

Feeling disorientated, Kaeso stumbled over to the bathing room to the chamber pot to vomit. Hearing someone in the rooms, Emiri emerged from his bedchamber over to the bathing room to find his master vomiting wearing a strange robe. He knew the young man drank too much not use to have more than a single small glass of wine. Who knows how much more they drank once leaving the inn! 

“I will fetch you water sir.” While somewhat disappointed in Kaeso, he could not be overly upset as over-indulgence was common in young men and he had longed for Kaeso to experience the things often denied to him as a young man struck by chronic illness.  

Kaeso was not drunk or hung-over but affected by whatever spell brought him back. After vomiting the wine and food, he crawled into bed after Emiri forced him to drink some water, and fell in a restless sleep. His dreams were distorted, he kept seeing a white wolf, Serlo and Tarik, if that even were their real names laughing at them, then the melodic soothing deep voice, the breath on his ear...then he awoke.  

Often suffering stiff joints first thing in the morning, Kaeso was surprised to feel...fine actually. Expecting a fever, headache, anything to show for his ruinous evening last night, he felt none of those things. He felt good. His stomach rumbled, and Kaeso crawled out of the bed. He could see by the amount of sunlight it was mid-morning. Something in the outer room was moving about and he assumed it was Emiri. Stretching, hearing his joints pop and crack without even a tinge of discomfort, Kaeso was perplexed. Then something snagged on his foot.  

Looking down, Kaeso saw the strange robe he wore last night, was given last night. Then it all came back. It was not just a weird dream. No, it had actually happened. The God of the Mountain found him shivering, in wet bathing garments, robbed and abandoned at one of the hot pools last night, gave him his robe, and told him.... told him where to find his hidden shrine so he could return the robe. Bending down, he slowly picked up the robe and brought it up to his nose to see if it still had that pleasant aroma from the night before. Yes, an earthy warm scent. He breathed it in deeply before noticing Emiri standing at the door looking at him rather oddly.  

After Kaeso had crawled into bed last night, discarding the robe he wore for his bedclothes, a strange but fancy robe, Emiri could not help but wonder if something else had happened, where was his other clothes, cloak, boots and purse he had last night? He got an answer the next morning after he rose earlier than his master he found his items neatly folded on the table near the room’s hearth. It seemed Kaeso some have had some spill and the inn had laundered it? Or somehow how had given him the fancy robe had returned it? It was too odd to ignore and something was not quite adding up, but Emiri as a servant knew when it was his place to speak on such things.  

Finding Kaeso sniffing the robe from the night before made him wonder.... who did that really belong to? He did meet some lady? Divine Mother forbid a prostitute or courtesan but if so...well he was a young man traveling on his own. Emiri could not judge him on such things but he was entrusted with the young man’s safety and venereal diseases were something he knew his master’s father would absolutely be infuriated to learn his sickly son contracted while he was here to be cured or at least rejuvenated. He did not know if Lord Ahino had that talk with his son yet as the poor boy only met girls within his own family.  

“I would like some tea Emiri, um, I can dress myself this morning.” Kaeso said sheepishly.  

Emiri nodded, “Of course sir.”  

Dressing was often tiresome for something plagued with fatigue as easily as Kaeso was, but this morning, he felt abound with energy he never felt before except on some rare occasions like when he was put on new treatment by a new doctor.  

Bending, stretching, and even yanking on his boots did not cause a dizzy or faint spell. No light-headedness either. Curious. After he was dressed and had groomed himself, by combing his hair, wetting it down with some water from the pitcher. He was pleased with himself. Proud even. Finished he folded the robe carefully before entering the outer chamber to find his tea being prepared. A kettle was placed on the rod over the hearth. 

“How are you feeling today sir?”  

“Very well Emiri, actually, extremely well.”  

“Was the hot pool up to your expectations?”  

“Yes...indeed it was. Very pleasant. Perhaps...I dare say it worked?” Now he was lying but how could he explain to Emiri, oh I met the God of the Mountain last night after those two bastards robbed him blind once I was in the hot pool leaving me nothing but the water shorts I wore. The god took pity on me, gave me the robe and snapped me back into my bedchamber. And perhaps he had something to do with me feeling so damn well?! 

It was absurd.  

“The robe?” 

“Oh I found this at the hot pools, I think I will ask around to see if I can find its owner.”  

Emiri was skeptical about what was said but kept his mouth shut, merely nodding. Why did he wear it then? Perhaps he was so drunk he did not remember everything that had occurred after leaving the inn? A possibility.  

Once the tea was ready and served, Kaeso pondered how he could convince Emiri that they should hire a cab or cart, or even horses and ride out to this mysterious shrine nobody likely knew  or heard about. Or he would have to make another convincing lie. 

“Last night I do not recall who exactly told but there is this not so well-known shrine out in the hills a few hours ride from here I was told. It is an old shrine to the Mountain God, he is told to grant...um wishes and perhaps while I am here I may give an offering to the god so he may bless my endeavor in curing my ailments. I would actually like to go today since the weather is looking rather fine.”  

“Are you sure sir you are up to such a journey today? We just arrived, perhaps we can visit the closer sites around Desbryn today?”  

Emiri worried whatever boost of energy he was experiencing that Kaeso would not over-work himself merely because he currently felt fine. Such incidents happened in the past, Kaeso would feel fine now, over-exert himself, then later he would fall very ill for several days.  

“Yes, we can even pack a picnic basket so we can take our time. I have decided it is what I want to do.”  

“Of course, sir.”