Shooting Stars and Package Deliveries

[Duncan Rightstone]

15th Day of Fall, 518 AV (Late Evening/Early Morning)

It was late in the evening or was it early in the morning? Duncan wasn't immediately sure as his eyes, heavy-lidded from what was a deep sleep, slowly opened. With a groan, he rolled over and tried to go back to sleep only to find that his mind was already too far awake. Staring up at the ceiling, he muttered to himself before sitting up. He moved to sit on the side of the bed, his legs over the edge as he rubbed his fingers through his hair. After sitting for a few moments, hoping that he may yet still be able to go back to sleep, he gave up and stood. Perhaps a bit of fresh air maybe? He thought to himself as he opened the door to his room and walked out into the great room and to the door leading onto the balcony. From the looks and sounds of things, the others in The Gem were either asleep or elsewhere. Still, he quietly walked to the balcony. Outside, the cool, wet air licked at his nudity as he took a deep breath and walked to and placed his hands on the balcony. There was a light drizzle in the air and water pooled in places around his feet; signs that it had recently rained rather heavily. As his eyes took in the darkness, made thicker by the heavy clouds, he wondered how long it would be until yet another heavy wind and rain storm. For the time being however, he allowed himself to enjoy the wet yet comparatively quiet calm before the next storm.

As he looked out into the darkness and down to the beach something in the sky caught his eye. Looking up he saw something that caused his eyes to open wide. Burning its way through the clouds was a thrilling display of lights shooting through the sky; appearing as small balls of fire that left crackling trails of light as they flew through the air at remarkable speeds. “By Izurdin…” Duncan whispered as he watched the light show.

Then, without warning, one of the balls of fire looked as though it had fallen to the ground down by the beach. There was a noticeable yet muffled boom as it hit. Although his eyes saw much in the darkness, whatever had fallen was still too far away for him to make much out after its impact. Still, it was relatively close and Duncan felt the urge to investigate. Whatever it was, it may be dangerous and not something to be left alone seeing as it was still quite close to The Gem.

Quickly yet quietly, he returned to his room, put on his warskirt and boots, strapped on his gauntlet and returned to the balcony; quickly heading down the stairs and toward the beach. As was his luck, the drizzle in the air had intensified a bit into a steady yet still light rain with the wind beginning to pick up. It was a relatively short distance to the beach and despite the darkness, he made it there rather quickly. The shooting lights in the sky continued although there were far fewer. He avoided any form of light as to avoid any unwanted attention; nighttime in Sunberth not exactly being the best time to draw attention to oneself.

[Duncan Rightstone]

Once he was at the beach, he first looked around to see if there was anyone else about, maybe someone who had witnessed the same thing he had. His eyes careful focused into the darkness around him yet he could see no signs of unwanted movement. It then dawned on him that if there was anyone around, they would likely be using a torch or lantern to move about. He was still adjusting to the fact that being able to see in total darkness was not a common trait among the residents of Sunberth.

Satisfied that he was truly alone, Duncan began looking around for where, whatever it was that had fallen, landed. He knew it was somewhere near even if he didn’t know exactly where. Slowly he walked around the general area; his heavy weight causing his feet to sink a bit into the wet sand. It was cold and the wind and rain didn’t help as Duncan quietly cursed to himself for forgetting his cloak. As he walked around the beach, his eyes looking around in hopes of finding some sign of the object, he wondered briefly if he’d really saw what he thought he saw.

As he was about ready to give up and turn back toward The Gem, he caught a glimmer in the water nearby. It was ever so slight but enough to draw his attention. Walking toward it, he noticed that it was further from the beach, out into the water a few yards away. "Of course it would be, why wouldn’t it?" He muttered as he entered the water. Gritting his teeth against the cold water, he pushed forward as it came up to his knees and then his waist before he found the object of his search. He peered down into the water and noticed a small crater in the sand and rock where the object had struck. In the center of the crater there was a strange rock; glimmering with a silvery light. Taking a few more careful steps into the crater, the water came up over his head. Just before it did, Duncan took a deep breath and knelt down to get a better look at the rock.

It was about as large as a good-sized coconut and rough like a piece of unworked stone. He didn’t feel any heat in the water around it; something he thought strange considering how fiery it looked in the sky. Cautiously, he reached out with his metallic hand and lightly touched it. The rock was not hot and there seemed to be no reaction to his touch. The need for air creeping its way into his mind, Duncan reached with both hands and picked up the rock; there was little weight to it yet it continued to dimly glimmer with that strange silver light. Tucking the rock securely against his side with his sapphire arm, Duncan turned and walked back to the beach and to shallower water. As he stepped back onto the sand, he felt the wind pick up even more as the rain came down harder. With his gauntleted hand, he tried to shield his eyes from the weather as he walked back to The Gem; returning to his room to dry off and get a better look at strange silvery rock.

[Duncan Rightstone]

Setting the stone on the stand next to his bed, Duncan undressed and dried himself off. He then took a seat on the bed and took hold of the rock in both hands. With his sapphire hand, he tried to sink his fingers into the stone; to manipulate the rock. With a raised eyebrow, he was surprised to find that the rock did not move at his touch. While this wasn’t especially troublesome; some materials were only malleable to those with greater favor from Izurdin, it was disappointing.

He turned the rock around in his hands and marveled at the silvery glow that emanated from its surface. It was noticeably cool to the touch yet he couldn’t really see a reason for either the glow or the coolness. Setting the rock back on the nightstand, he realized that he was finally to the point where he may be able to go back to sleep. A new day of work wasn’t far away as Duncan realized it had been almost a full bell since he woke up. With a heavy sigh, he laid back down and closed his eyes; welcoming the sleep that came shortly after.

When Syna’s rays licked at the horizon and Leth retired for the day, Duncan woke up once more. Having lived beneath the mountains for a good portion of his life, he’d developed an internal sense of time. It wasn’t as precise as say the Watchtowers or the great bells that hung throughout the cities of Sultros that symbolized the passing of time but it was those same bells that helped him as well as the rest of his people track time underground.

Feeling the fact that his sleep had been broken by the strange event, Duncan groaned lightly as he prepared himself for the day. His boots were still wet although his warskirt was a bit dryer. He could feel his mood starting off sour as he pulled dressed and pulled his wet boots on. “I need to get an extra pair for this sort of thing…”[b][/b] He said to himself as he stood up, the wetness surrounding his feet. Strapping on his gauntlet, he then pulled his cloak over his shoulders and grabbed his pack and made his way out of the room and downstairs. There, he met Ebon and after an exchange of morning greetings, handed Duncan his first delivery for the day. Taking the leather-wrapped bundle, Duncan put it in his pack. Normally he would taken a bit of time to get something to eat but he was tired and just wanted to get the day started. Ebon gave Duncan the details needed for the delivery; where and who, before Duncan took his leave and exited The Gem.

Duncan didn’t know how many deliveries there would be for the day but a part of him hoped for few. While he never complained and even welcomed his duties at The Gem, this was a day that hadn’t started off well and was one he really preferred to end quickly.

[Duncan Rightstone]

As he left The Gem, he quickly realized his day wasn’t going to get much better. The winds were blowing hard and although the rain wasn’t as heavy, the wind was more than enough to make for a pretty difficult time. Despite the challenge and his mood, Duncan pushed forward and got to work. Per Ebon’s instructions, the package needed to be delivered to a small storage building in The Commons to a someone named, Eura. The building was supposedly close to The Pig’s Foot Tavern and would be recognizable by a small red circle painted on the door.

As Duncan held his cloak close and pushed against the wind, he was thankful at least that the weather was keeping most people indoors; he wasn’t especially in the mood for dealing much with Sunberth’s variety of denizens. His mood was slightly helped by the fact that The Commons wasn’t all that far from The Gem, at least compared to some of other places he’d had to deliver recently.

Entering the area of The Commons, Duncan felt the wind picking up even more. Some of the less secure, lighter pieces of the surrounding buildings were beginning to be pulled free by the winds and sent flying through the air. Duncan had to duck to avoid a wooden shutter that had been ripped away from a nearby wall. Just as he was able to avoid that, a piece of a roof detached from another building and flew straight at him. Lifting his sapphire arm, he shielded his face from the debris as it shattered against his arm.

Ducking into an alley, Duncan found a small bit of relief from the growing winds. He took a moment to get his bearings but realized quickly that, amidst the windstorm, he had lost track of exactly where he was. Peering out of the alley onto the main road, Duncan breathed a sigh of relief as he saw a sign on a nearby building. While it was being blown about rather heavily, he made out the words, Pig’s Foot. “At least I’m in the right area." He said to himself.

Turning around to look into the small alley, he saw a door on the other end. Taking a few steps toward it, he saw a red circle painted roughly on the door. “Maybe this day won’t be so bad afterall.” He muttered as he walked up to the door. It was made of what looked to be heavy wood with a metal slot in the center; the type that could be opened and closed from the other side simply by sliding a small metal plate. The rest of the building, from the outside, didn’t look like much; at least not from the side he was on. It was slightly more durable looking that so many other buildings in the city but not by much.

[Duncan Rightstone]

Eager to complete the delivery and get back to The Gem, Duncan raised his sapphire fist and knocked it against the door a few times. A moment passed before the slot in the door slid open and a barely seen face peered out.

Duncan spoke rather loudly to be heard over the winds, “I have a delivery from The Midnight Gem for Eura.”

Through the slot, Duncan could see the eyes of the person on the other side narrow slightly and then suddenly widen. He heard the sounds of chains and latches being undone before the door opened. A feminine hand reached out and took his metallic one, tugging him inside. As it did, there was a female voice that said, “Yes, do come in. I’ve been looking forward to this delivery.”

There was something in the tone of the voice that caused Duncan to feel a bit uneasy but he couldn’t put a finger on exactly what it was that bothered him.
He resisted a bit being pulled into the building but had a job to do so carefully stepped inside as the door was shut behind him. The person pulling on his arm was a woman with short brown hair dressed in somewhat finer clothing than the average person in Sunberth; it was the type of clothing worn by a merchant. She looked to be in her 30’s although Duncan wasn’t all that proficient at judging the age of humans. She was just a little taller than he was and slight in build. One of the first things that drew his attention was that she had a shortsword sheathed at her side.

The inside of the building looked much like any other standard storage building owned by a merchant. It wasn’t especially large; the walls lined with stacked crates and barrels and a few sets of shelves holding pottery of various shapes and sizes. There were a couple lanterns hanging about that provided a bit of light. A small desk sat near the shelves with what, looked to Duncan from a brief glance, like it could be a ledger. There were a few short stacks of papers and a quill and ink bottle as well. While he was still feeling uneasy, the fact that it appeared as though the building was simply a potter’s storage.

Looking back to the woman, Duncan noted she still hadn’t let go of his arm. She smiled and said, “I’m Eura.” Whatever it was that made Duncan feel so uneasy didn’t fade in the slightest as he noticed the intense look on Eura’s face. It wasn’t a look he would expect from a person happy to receive something she’d purchased from a business. There was something more to it but he still couldn’t place it.

“Um, yes, well, Milady, as I said, I have a package for you from The Midnight Gem.” Duncan respectfully pulled his arm free from Eura’s grasp and retrieved the package from his pack before offering it to her.

Eura took the package but her gaze never left Duncan. With her eyes still on him, she reached behind her and sat the package on the desk.

Duncan cleared his throat and said, “Well, I…I hope you are happy with your purchase, Milady. I will take my leave of you now.”

[Duncan Rightstone]

Eura’s face twisted in a look of horror. “No! I mean, the weather is terrible out there. Listen to the wind. We’ll be lucky if it doesn’t blow the roof off of this place. Please sit down. You are soaked and it’s not as if the weather’s going to get any better. Do sit, please. I’ll see if I have a towel somewhere for around here for you to dry off with. If not, I’ll send my assistant back out to find one once he returns. With the weather as it is though, that could be awhile.” There was a strange glimmer in the woman’s eyes as she spoke.

Duncan was about to politely refuse Eura’s offer when she gently yet firmly pushed him over to a bench on the wall next to the door. Surprised, he wasn’t sure what to do as the back of his legs met the bench, forcing him to sit down. Duncan’s growing concern was mixed with his not wanting to anger one of Kelski’s customers.

“Now you wait right there, I’ll see if I can find a towel.” Eura said as she hurried over to a pile of crates, disappearing behind them. Duncan could hear her rummaging around. Nervously, he looked around; confusion and concern prominently on his mind.

Soon after, Eura came out from behind the crates holding a towel outstretched in front of her, only her face from her eyes up and her hands where she held the towel being visible. “I knew I had one around here somewhere.” She said as she slowly walked back over to him. Her voice, it was softer, almost coy sounding.

Duncan cleared his throat again and said, “Really, Milady Eura, I am quite alright, I should really be going.”

Eura stopped but a few steps away from Duncan. “Are you sure?” She said with a bit of seductiveness in her voice as she dropped the towel.

Duncan coughed as he saw that Eura was completely nude; her slim body decorated in spots with tattoos. Before he could react further, Eura moved quickly to sit in his lap, her legs on either side of his, her hands coming to rest around the back of his neck. She leaned her face close to his and whispered in his ear, “When I first saw you through the door, I knew we had a connection. I don’t even know your name but I can’t help myself, I love you!” Eura emphasized her words with a grinding rotation of her hips on Duncan’s lap.

Momentarily paralyzed with the complete absurdity of what was happening, Duncan reached with both arms to grasp Eura on either side of her waist. Taking this as encouragement, Eura let go of his neck with one of her hands and reached down to the leg slit in Duncan’s warskirt. As her fingers made contact with him he quickly and as gently as his frantic mind would allow, he lifted Eura off of him while at the same time standing. He sat her on her feet and backed away to the door.

“I…my apologies…Milady, I have other duties that are…quite pressing. I…thank you for your hospitality but I really must be going.” He quickly opened the door, stepped outside and pulled it close before running as fast as he could out of the alley, against the wind and flying debris. His mind still racing, Duncan ran straight for the Pig’s Foot. Escape and a stiff drink, yes, that’s what he needed right that moment.