losthunter | The Doors of our Heart

She's fishing, and Jim gives her nothing. "Shouldn't you already know why I'm here?" he asks. A quiet challenge, hardly subtle but not too belligerent.

With Hunter, Faris observes what he can from his position on the man's chest. He doesn't understand what strange masquerade this is, but the false oracle's words held no wisdom, no knowledge. And with the presence of the girls nearby, he cannot ask, so he stays still and silent, doing what he does best - listening.

"Not many men would have the chance you do," The fake oracle smiles again. She loosens her robes in a very seductive way. "To ask anything you wish of our Lord Apollo."

Hunter is only standing there for a few minutes, when he observes the youngest girl, the one who had given a much more accurate prediction, stand and head over to a rack of spools that is quite close to where he hides.

"There is no time to waste. You must flee with your friend. The guards have been called. They will place you in the labor camps." She whispers just under her breath, warning Hunter.

"We need to speak to you."

"By the river, where the cat tails flicker at midnight. The sycamore tree will unite us. Go quickly..." She rushes back to her station.

Jim would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the view, but he is far too experienced with the art of seduction to fall for it. He leans back, away from her, and gets to his feet. "My father's been dead for years, and my mother's been out to sea almost as long. But nice try."

"Faris... can you go get Jim and lead him to the alleyway over there?" Hunter can see some movement from inside, and figures that it is the old woman. And doesn't think he can sneak past her again.

"Wait! Don't go..." The girl makes her voice whine just enough, so it might seem to someone that she might be in a difficult situation herself.

Jim hesitates, uncertain if this is part of the ploy, unsure what her endgame here is. But he's always relied on his instincts to guide him, and right now, something is very wrong. "Why?" he asks.

Faris is glad that Hunter's clothing is so loose, giving him plenty of space to leap off the man's skin without damaging it or harming his host, and the K'da's scales are already battle-black as he drops to all four paws, slinking in the direction of the false oracle's back room.

"She will whip me, if I don't do as she asks." The young woman explains.

Something more sinister indeed is being plotted. While the young woman tries to distract Jim, the older woman is arming herself with a large candlestick. Faris can see her move quietly, trying to get into position behind Jim.

Jim's not sure he believes it, but even if it's true, it doesn't seem like she's disobeyed. "And you did. And now I'm leaving."

Faris sees the woman preparing for her strike, and reacts with a warrior's grace and speed. He swiftly pads forth on all four paws, and silently pounces at the old woman's back, aiming to pin her to the ground long enough to make their escape.

The old woman cries out as she is pinned to the ground. The young woman, who had been about to make one last attempt to force Jim to stay... scrambles to the wall when she sees the strange creature pinning her accomplice.

When Jim gets outside, he won't see the youngest girl at the sewing station anymore. Hunter is waiting in an alleyway nearby, trying his best to stay unobserved until Jim and Faris reconnect with him.

"Captain, we must go," Faris says, holding down the old woman.

Jim is startled to see the K'da, having not expected the change in color of his scales, but this is hardly the time to ask. And the fact that Faris is in here without Hunter can't be a good sign, either. The captain gives one last look towards the false oracle before he heads for the exit, and there's an odd momentary weight against his exposed arm as Faris leaps aboard Jim's skin as he passes, concealing the K'da from sight beneath the fabric of his robe.

"What happened?" he asks Hunter, but he doesn't stop moving to hear the answer. If that old lady is coming after them, he doesn't plan to sit around and let her get the jump on them.

As soon as Jim is at his side, and he figures that Faris must be traveling with the captain, Hunter too starts moving so they can get some distance between them and the seamstress hut.

"The little girl told me to run. She said that they had called the guards to come and get us."

Hunter glances back for a moment. "She must have made her escape too. I didn't see her there, when you had left."

Jim frowns deeply. "Why would they do that? We haven't done anything weird, right?"

Faris shifts position slightly, just enough that he can peek out of the back of Jim's collar, keeping a watchful eye on their backs. "The elder human was going to harm the captain," he adds to Hunter, the K'da's voice originating somewhere between Jim's shoulders. "I was unable to avoid being seen, regretfully."

"She said something about sending us to the labor camps." Hunter answers.

There doesn't seem to be anyone chasing after them, right now. There is some commotion that can be heard from the seamstress hut. Likely, the guards have arrived and are being given details of the encounter by the Fake Oracle and the older woman.

"I am glad you prevented that..." Hunter frowns deeply.

"Perhaps we can spread the rumor that you were a sign from Apollo. They were obviously lying about being his Oracle."

"Labor camps?" Jim repeats, concerned and a little puzzled. "For what, I wonder."

Faris is not going to object to Hunter's suggestion. As unfamiliar as he is with human cultures, this one seems somewhat stranger than the twenty-first century Western society he's been most exposed to thus far. "The child spoke truths that the false oracle did not. I had wondered if perhaps the scenario was a test, but it appears it was not."

"The laborer had one of the hardest jobs in these times. The beautiful architecture that people marvel about... it was all built on the blood and sweat of the laborer." Hunter frowns. "And some were worked to exhaustion. Or death."

"I told the child that we wanted to meet with her. She gave me a riddle." Hunter takes a moment to remember her words. "By the river, where the cat tails flicker at midnight. The sycamore tree will unite us."

"What is a cat?" Faris asks.

"It's a small mammal. People keep them as pets," Jim explains. "But cattails are water plants, the kind you find at a river's edge."

"So, my guess is that we have to find the river, and the sycamore tree, and arrive around midnight to see her again."

It is roughly just reaching suppertime right now in the village. They have about six hours before midnight.

"That's our priority, then." Under normal circumstances, Jim might suggest they split up. But in unfamiliar territory, where travelers are apparently prone to being enslaved, he doesn't want to risk it. "I hope you know what sycamore looks like," he adds, glancing over at Hunter. "Because I don't."

"Well it should stand out, since most Sycamores are large, almost Elm-like in their nature. Typically, they were more native to Europe, than Greece. So I am sure that it will be a very unique sight. Especially along the river."

"We should try to find someplace where we can stay out of sight, until midnight."

Jim feels a weird weight on the back of his neck as Faris pokes his snout out into three-dimensional space, tasting the air, and it definitely ranks as the weirdest thing he's felt today. "The river scent is in that direction," the K'da says, a paw also emerging from its position on the captain's shoulder to point.

Jim gives Hunter a look that's halfway between amused and incredulous, as if to say does he do this to you too? How weird is that?

Hunter chuckles slightly at Jim's look. Faris does similar things when he is 'riding' with him, and it is always a weird feeling. He just hopes Jim is enjoying the experience for all it is worth.

"Thank you. Let's head that way. We can make shelter by the river, instead of risking discovery here."

Having an alien literally wrapped around his body is bizarre, especially when Faris is entirely two-dimensional. It doesn't really feel like anything, and he has to resist the urge to look down the front of his robe to verify that the K'da really is hitching a ride. "Maybe we'll get lucky and find a bridge, or an upturned boat or something."

"If our lucks changes, hopefully it is for the better."

Once they leave the town, and walk for a while, the sound of the babbling river can be heard -- letting them know they are moving in the right direction. It is a pretty big river, especially considering the fact they are on a small island.

Mostly, the riverbank in this area is covered by cattails. And a few bushes. The immediate landscape looks to be void of any trees.

There is a large rock nearby, where a young man is playing the flute. His music echoes through the air.

After what happened last time, Jim is a little wary of approaching strangers here. "What do you think?" he asks in a low voice.

"A minstrel would be just passing through, just like us. Chances are he received the same ill treatment. And usually, their songs tell great stories about the community they had visited."

Hunter tilts his head. "But we can still be alert for danger."

"I shall keep watch for approaching hostiles," Faris volunteers. It might be difficult to keep an eye out while still remaining hidden, but a K'da has more senses that just his eyes. He shifts on Jim's skin, repositioning himself to be able to better listen and smell for anyone sneaking up on them.

Jim checks himself to make sure Faris is completely concealed, still a little weirded out by the whole thing, but there'll be time for awkward questions later. "Let's go say hello, then."

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