"Anyway, Tori was impressed with you," Telo said, hands clasped behind his head as he walked. "Heard her say you might've been able to kill the Tatzelwurm alone."
Dem snorted. "If I ever see one of those by myself, the only thing I'm doing is running. Fast."
Ai nodded firmly. "Not worth the risk, dasai."
"In truth, it was Huntmaster Dern who landed the killing strike," Dem added. "I was just a distraction."
Telo raised a brow. "You mean like bait?"
"Yep. Exactly like bait."
Tam nudged Ai and pointed ahead. Reyka and Shiara from Frostridge were strolling slowly, obviously waiting for something—or someone. "Getting your fortune told, Telo?"
"Of course!" Telo puffed up. "I want to know so I can prepare for my rise to power."
Dem shook his head, amused. "They give vague fortunes. Stuff like—you're about to meet a mysterious person who will change your life."
"That's pretty good," Ai said brightly. "Maybe you have the gift too."
Telo scoffed dramatically. "Are you saying they're not reliable?"
"Right—they aren't reliable," Dem laughed. "I could tell you six things about your future, and three would probably happen eventually. You'd remember those and think I'm mystical, but forget all the parts I got wrong."
Tam clapped her hands excitedly. "Now I'm even more curious! How can I tell if it's fake?"
"They'll ask your name," Dem replied. "They study us and listen to gossip. They'll know you won the archery competition, and they'll know Telo just returned from Massat. So their fortunes will start with things like—I sense you've returned from a great adventure… or your aura shines with confidence from a recent victory…"
Ai exchanged a look with Tam. "We should switch names. I'll be you."
Tam nodded immediately. "Done. Those Travelers are too forward anyway."
"Dem!" A heavily accented voice called out loudly enough to draw several nearby glances.
Elspeth glided toward them, pleated skirt fluttering around her dark legs. Her curls bounced around her shoulders as she moved with effortless dancer's grace.
Dem nodded. He was the only one who didn't meet her arrival with a scowl. "Last day here. Looking forward to the next town?"
Elsie shook her head. "Leaving is always sad. The stories and lessons I gather in each place tie them to me."
Ai snorted. "What a load of shit."
Tam bit her lip to hide a laugh. Telo did not bother — he chuckled openly.
Elspeth ignored the others entirely and slipped her fingers around Dem's hand.
"I've prepared a special reading for you," she said softly. "Please come."
"Sure," Dem replied casually, waving to the others. "I'll find you later."
She led him to a set of wooden steps at one of the Travelers' covered wagons.
"Follow me."
Dem shook his head in amusement and climbed the steps, pretty certain the extra sway in her hips was for his benefit. He ducked through a heavy dark curtain — the temperature inside dropped several degrees, and warm gold candlelight flickered across the walls as though the wagon breathed.
A small round table sat in the center with two chairs. In front of the far seat lay a thick black deck of cards.
Elsie gestured gracefully to the near chair. "Please sit, Dem."
A sweet, fragrant scent lingered in the air. Her dark eyes gleamed with mystery as she took the deck and shuffled it with practiced precision, fingers gliding over the cards. Then she dealt six face-down in a crescent and pushed the remainder aside.
She held his gaze for a long moment.
"What is your full name, Dem?"
"Demetri Swiftwind."
A faint ripple of air swept through the wagon as her fingers hovered over the cards, tracing symbols — archaic, unfamiliar, perhaps just for show. Dem couldn't tell.
"The first card is always destiny," she said, selecting one of the six at random and flipping it over.
Dem kept a serious expression. She was better than most he'd seen. Sharper. Smoother.
But her reaction was not a performance.
"Wh—" Elsie stared at the card. Color drained from her face. "It's the King's card. Every deck has one, but Travelers remove it whenever it appears. We do not involve ourselves with the affairs of kings."
"Of course," Dem said mildly as she pushed the card aside.
"Only three cards are needed for clarity," Elsie continued, voice carefully even. "The rest will still speak."
She flipped the next.
Silence crushed the space between them as another King stared up from the table.
"That's two," Dem said, expression unreadable.
Elspeth tore the card cleanly in half and muttered something in a tongue he didn't understand.
"You alright?" Dem asked.
"Yes… this is simply a reflection of my own inner thoughts, not your fate."
She reached for another card, flipping it as she spoke.
"With the rest, we'll unravel the myst—"
Her words died.
A third King.
"Seems odd," Dem murmured.
Elsie's breathing hitched. She flipped the remaining three cards with trembling fingers.
All Kings.
"These decks only have one King?" Dem asked lightly.
Elsie nodded — then grabbed the partial deck she'd set aside and fanned it across the table, face-up.
Every single card was a King.
"Dem… did you do this?" she whispered.
"When would I have done that?" Dem asked, genuinely puzzled as she swept the cards up with shaky hands and rang a small brass bell.
Mamar slipped through the curtain, not disturbing a single fold.
"Good day, Dem." Her dark eyes flicked toward her daughter. "What's wrong?"
"Someone tampered with my deck," Elsie said breathlessly. "They were all King cards—every one."
Mamar took the deck, fanning them out casually.
"What are you talking about?"
Elsie stared.
The deck was normal.
No Kings in sight.
"B-but… they were all Kings a moment ago." Her voice wavered.
Dem chuckled, shaking his head as he rose.
"No Kings now. Good trick."
Elsie shook her head violently. "No. I didn't do anything."
Dem paused at the curtain, still baffled. "Thanks."
When he left, Elspeth grabbed the deck again, flipping through each card front and back. Mamar didn't say a word.
"On my blood, Mamar," Elsie whispered. "I did nothing to this deck."
Mamar waited until Dem had fully left, then traced a sign in the air to ward off dark omens.
"Burn the deck. And never speak of this again."
Elsie swallowed and gathered the cards. "What does it mean, Mamar?"
"Unknown," Mamar murmured. "But if he were a few years older, I'd give you to him."
Elsie froze. There wasn't a hint of humor on her mother's face.
"Don't make jokes with a straight face."
"I never do, dear. Now—burn those cards."
Dem stepped out through the curtain and nearly collided with Reyka Frostridge.
Reyka looked radiant with triumph, her pale features glowing.
"I just had my fortune read. These Travelers are amazing."
"Good news?" Dem asked.
Reyka nodded, eyes shining. "I've lost to Tam in the archery contest for the last time."
"Well, congratulations," Dem said, trying not to smile.
"She saw it all," Reyka continued. "After years of defeat, I will finally win."
"Nothing else?" Dem asked lightly. "No piles of gold? Handsome suitors?"
Reyka leaned in, eyes dancing. "I have too many of those already."
"That's a shame," Dem said with exaggerated regret. "Those kinds of fortunes are the best."
She arched a brow. "Did they tell you something like that?"
Dem nodded solemnly. "Yes. They said I would meet the one. She'd have hair like spun gold… and be a peerless archer."
Reyka's eyes went wide, a blush spreading across her cheeks—
—then realization hit, and she groaned.
"You're playing me, Dem!"
"Yeah," Dem laughed. "Can't blame me. You can't make some of this stuff up."
"What do you want, Frostridge?" Ai's voice snapped as she materialized at Dem's side, Tam's arm looped with hers.
Reyka shrugged, a sly smile on her lips. "Apparently, the fortune tellers say your dasai and I are destined."
"Never going to happen," Ai said instantly.
"Never," Tam echoed.
Reyka offered Dem one last teasing smile, flicked her hair, and walked off, leaving only a faint trail of jasmine and two very unimpressed Swiftwind women in her wake.
Dem found a quiet table and set the Tatzelwurm egg in front of him. All morning, it had vibrated on and off, reacting to motion, voices, and even footsteps.
"Hey, little cat," he murmured, lifting it to his cheek. The soft purring made him grin.
"Time for a drink?"
He pulled the black bottle from his storage ring and tapped a few drops onto his fingertips, rubbing the egg gently.
"You trying to get that thing drunk?" Telo appeared, Yena trailing behind him.
"Hey," Yena said, offering a cautious smile — unsure how to act around him.
A few days ago, she'd kissed him right after nearly dying. Since then, they hadn't seen each other, and she'd forced herself to come today before the silence stretched too long and turned awkward.
"Yena," Dem said warmly, threading his fingers through hers. "Been a few days."
Her smile brightened immediately. "Yeah. I had a headache for a bit, but I'm fine now. Is that the egg?"
Dem held it up proudly like a trophy. "The Tatzelwurm egg. Can you hear it purring?"
"'Cause it's drunk," Telo accused.
Yena laughed and pressed the egg to her ear. "How do you even get an egg drunk?"
"Soak it in brandy," Telo answered.
"Hey, I wasn't soaking it," Dem protested. "Just a few drops three times a day."
He suddenly turned east. "Rider coming." He released Yena's hand. "Let's go."
"Wait up!" Telo grabbed his spear and sprinted after him, with Ai, Tam, and Yena close behind.
Dem reached the main entrance just as the rider dismounted. Two Bluewater guards nodded respectfully — they knew him by reputation, the bright star of the Gathering.
The rider stepped around her horse. Brown leather armor, light brown hair braided down her back, eyes somewhere between blue and green — bright, honest eyes.
"Dem! Do you remember me?"
He nodded. "Yeah. The healer from Captain Rubai's group."
"Ciara," she corrected gently. "You look less fierce now."
"I suppose so. What do you want?"
"Straight to it, huh?" Ciara exhaled. "I wanted to thank you. I was sure the Tatzelwurm was going to kill us."
"No need," Dem said. "I wasn't there to help your group. Just to flush the beast out."
"You threw a rock toward the far end of the cavern during the scouting," Ciara said quietly. "To distract it from us."
"Sure," Dem shrugged. "I was worried I'd slip on your blood if it ate you."
Ciara shook her head. "I don't believe that."
"What kind of barrier were you using?" Dem asked. "You were completely masked for a while."
"Most of my magic is healing," she replied. "But I can shape shields that bend or warp light. Makes it look like empty space."
"That must come in handy."
"More than I'd like," Ciara admitted, smiling faintly. "Anyway… thank you, Dem. If you ever need a healer, I'm at the Academy in Thaigmaal."
"A teacher?" he guessed.
"What—?" She blushed. "Do I look that old?"
Dem laughed. "No."
Ciara handed him a leather-wrapped parcel, swung onto her horse, and nodded.
"Safe travels, Dem!"
"Safe travels," he echoed, watching her ride into the bright day.