Edge of Endarys

Accepting the Quest

"Cricket!"

I heard a voice calling to me.

"Who's there? Where are you?"

I looked for the sound but there was nothing around me, just darkness. Only my own body was visible to me.

"Cricket!"

I walked in the darkness toward the sound of the voice, but my legs didn't seem to be taking me anywhere.

"Beware, Cricket. Beware!"

"What? Are you trying to warn me?"

As I strained to see through the dark, I heard the sound of an animal growling loudly next to my ear.

A gentle knock at the door startled me from my sleep. The dream started similar to the others, with the flash of blue light, but had nothing to do with the people whose faces I never remembered when I woke up. I opened my eyes and saw the whole room filled with morning light. I still felt sleepy and my heart felt a little heavy. I really didn't understand either feeling. Why was I so tired? Why did I feel so heartbroken?

I looked around and saw Lorne standing by my bed. Seeing him next to me sent a strange calm through my body. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh right! I have to give the command." I called out, "you may enter."

Essan peeked inside the door. "Lady Priestess?"

"Please, come in, uh...Mister Tyrnon." I wasn't sure if they used Mister and Miss here but I took the gamble anyway. "Thank you so much for your hospitality."

He knelt down and bowed, head to the ground again and arms sprawled out on the floor. "I apologize for not being of more assistance to you last night, Lady Priestess." It was hard to understand him with his face buried in the floor.

"What else could you have done? You're not a jor. It's okay. You did your best."

Essan stood with his head still bowed and motioned behind him. "May my wife enter?"

I nodded. "Yes, of course."

A cute, curvy little lady with curly brown hair opened the door wider so she and the tray she was carrying would fit. I imagine back home they would call her fat and she would stress about losing weight. I thought she was beautiful. I was actually jealous of all her curves, especially her full breasts. I hugged my arms around myself wishing my own were bigger.

"I brought you breakfast, Lady Priestess," she said. She had a cute little babydoll-sounding voice.

"Thanks," I replied.

She placed the tray in Lorne's outreached arms.

"Hey!" I protested. My stomach had started to growl when the smell of whatever it was she cooked hit my nose.

"Procedures, Lady Priestess," he said.

He carefully inspected everything on the tray before handing it over to me.

"My name is Ilyana Tyrnon, Lady Priestess." She knelt and placed her head on the ground. It was the same bow as Essan. I guessed they were peasant bows which would match up in a world of stations.

"Please rise," I insisted, trying to sound proper.

Lorne leaned down to me and whispered. "It is improper for them to be upright in your presence, Lady Priestess."

"Oh," I said. I took a huge bite of food. "Seriously, you two need to get up off that floor. This is a direct order from your priestess." Speaking with your mouth full is considered rude no matter what world you live in, but I sure as hell didn't care. I was starving.