Anarchic Book 1: City of Rivers

Chapter 5

Rose slowly made her way down the Allhome tree. Her legs were shaking as her feet found solid ground, though whether from the exertion or that hellish roar this fortuitous stranger apparently summoned, she wasn't quite sure.

As the young man approached, he ran his hand through his hair, and his fluffy ears vanished. He was shorter than he had seemed, his features sharp and, for want of a better word, wolfish. But most strikingly to Rose, were his deep, emerald eyes.

"Sorry for the last second intervention, it takes a lot to howl like that." His voice was soft and pleasant to Rose's ear, and once again she found herself wondering just how he produced a sound so terrible. "To be honest, I've never howled quite like that before, I wasn't sure it was even going to work." He offered his hand to shake. "I am Rus."

Rose grasped his hand in a firm shake.

"Rose. Glad to see it did, I can't say I had much of a backup plan. I'm lucky you arrived when you did." Rose said, choosing not to worry about what really would have happened had either event not transpired. It was beyond serendipity though, as rarely were the Primalists of Harth found far from their mountainous homes. Was he here for the games? Primalists were few and far between even among the Irregular forces.

"Not to glance sideways at the Mother's charity, but what brings a Primalist of your apparent skill to my humble grove," she asked with a laugh. "And so far south, are you participating in the war-games?"

"Nothing so grand," Rus chuckled ruefully and pointed towards the Allhome tree. "I'd never smelled something like that before, it's unlike any of the Allhome trees near my village. As for what brought me south, it—" He said, but before he could continue, his head snapped towards the other end of the clearing. Rose turned, but could only see the dense wall of trees and brush.

"What is it?" She asked, her blade already at the ready.

"Something knows we're here. I think it's time we left." He said, slowly backing towards the tree line.

Rose wasn't about to doubt the man who just saved her life, and the two quickly made their way back into the dense woods and towards the safety of the City walls.

Once they were nearly out of the woods, literally and metaphorically, Rose asked. "What was that back there? A Terrorclaw?"

Rus furled his brow in thought before finally shaking his head. "I don't think so. I've never encountered one before, but beasts tend to have the same. . ." He paused, trying to find the right word to describe the preternatural sensation that the Aether of the First Den granted him. "Presence? I guess you'd call it." He said. Rus turned his head back towards the grove for a moment before facing forward again. "No, this was something else. Something I've never felt before."

Silence filled the space between them. Rus cleared his throat before saying. "I'm here for work, thinking about joining one of the Mercenary Guilds here."

Rose looked at him, thrown off by the seeming non-sequitur, before remembering her question from a moment ago. "Really?" She replied.

That piqued her interest. If Primalists in the military were rare, then ones signed to merc companies were almost unheard of. Rose could feel that part of her mind that yearned for answers, for puzzles to untangle and dissect screaming at her to press him. But the young man was being forthcoming enough as is, and decorum won out instead.

"Well, if you haven't decided on a company yet, may I recommend the Adventurer's League?" She asked.

Rus turned to her and cocked his head. "You recommend one of the most prestigious Mercenary Guilds in Seleia?" He said, with just a hint of sarcasm. "I had considered it, but I imagine they're looking for a higher caliber than a pup fresh from the cave" He said, turning his head.