Chương 26: Interlude 2: A Chance Meeting on The Road

Sonak sat in a big, bustling bar, sipping a delightful fermented fruit juice. This was his favorite place so far in this world. The kaleidoscopic images on the walls, which shifted and glowed with the slow pulse of mana crystals, painted the space in fragments of moving color. The band at the far end played with a sound unlike anything he had heard before, a mix of drummers pounding deep rhythms and flutes carrying sharp, winding notes.

He might have called it tribal, but he had visited a few tribes in the past, and their music sounded entirely different. Still, something about this melody stirred that same sense, as if it carried an echo of something primal and unrefined. The various perfumes in the air fought for dominance, rich scents of spice, fruit, flowers, and musk weaving together in a dizzying contest, while laughter rolled across the tables in waves.

He leaned close to charm a local lady, her eyes bright and curious, her tail swaying slowly behind her chair in time with the music. He had never entertained a lady with a tail before, and the thought alone filled him with a reckless adventurousness. Then, without warning, a ripple coursed through him. A presence brushed against the edge of his awareness—another Traveler. Run? Stay? He listened to his Perception, but it was quiet, offering no warning signs, so he stayed. The Traveler entered the bar.

He had azure-blue skin, long blond hair, and oversized black eyes with barely any sclera, glowing like all Travelers. Like Sonak, he was glamoured, but Travelers could always see through each other's disguises. The Traveler paused in the doorway, looking at him with hesitation. Sonak smiled and waved to invite him over. The lady at his table noticed she had lost his attention, flicked her tail with mild irritation, and slipped away into the crowd.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As the Traveler approached, Sonak cast a Silence Bubble, a common practice among Travelers — a courtesy to ensure privacy in public spaces. They exchanged introductions, offering names and Classes. The Traveler was called Guar Shum and said he hailed from Tulidar. They sat together, drinking and talking, comparing their travels, Gate locations, and destinations.

Guar spoke of Shimoor with boredom, dismissing it as uninteresting. Sonak disagreed at once. He, too, had come to this world from Shimoor and thought its endless wilderness, untouched and beautiful, was the perfect vacation spot after the hectic world he crossed over from. Guar then recounted a horror story about a place called Dirt, his voice dripping with such disgust that Sonak decided on the spot never to set foot there.

In turn, he shared his own stories, both good and bad, drawn from the countless worlds he had visited. He had far more of them, for he was a seasoned Traveler. The hours slipped by unnoticed. When the night wound down and the servers started wiping down tables and stacking chairs to prepare for closing, they moved to a quieter setting. At an inn, they took a room and swapped various items from their Storage, laying out things they no longer needed but thought the other might find useful or interesting.

By morning, their business was finished, and they shared a firm handshake before parting ways. Guar left for his next world, and Sonak prepared to continue along his own road. It was a pleasant chance meeting on the road.