Tale Three, Tressa

"Cheers to kicking some baddy butt!" Tressa exclaimed, raising her glass to meet her new traveling companions' own. "Without you guys, I don't think the plan would have worked, but it went perfectly! Nick and Nack were none the wiser."

The three adventurers drank. Ophilia was surprised when all she tasted was juice.

"A pleasant change from what we usually drink at taverns, Tressa," the cleric commented happily, enjoying the sweet taste of the fruity nectar. "Rarely do we have anything such as fruit in Flamesgrace, might I ask what this is?"

"Oh, it's plum nectar mixed with grape juice. Makes for an energizing drink. I always have one after a hard day of sales!"

"I have done my research on this drink. It is quite the delicacy around these parts," Cyrus commented before taking a sip. He smiled, "Unsurprisingly, it lives up to its reputation."

"Glad you like it," Tressa beamed. "So, what brings you guys all the way out here to the Coastlands? Seems like a wayward place for travelers to venture to by foot, most people just wander in here on the tide."

"Well, much like you, we each have our own ventures," Cyrus supplied, brushing a strand of his dark hair behind his ear. "Ophilia here is on a pilgrimage from Flamesgrace, while I am doing some field research on missing tomes from Atlasdam."

"Whoa, then you lot have come a long way. You're sure its okay if I come along with you on such important journeys?" the young merchant questioned cautiously.

"Why, of course! We need all the aid we can get," the scholar assured.

Ophilia nodded her head in turn before saying, "Besides, it would seem fate has put our journeys on the same path. While we all have our own ordeals ahead of us, I believe that the Gods knew we would each need help in different ways."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Ophilia," Cyrus complimented. "A beauty in both speech and appearance, truly a majestic woman you are."

Ophilia and Tressa laughed uneasily at the scholar's words. The younger woman whispered behind her hand, "Is he always flirting like this?"

The cleric thought on what the merchant had said for a moment. "Professor Albright does not always understand what he says to others, men and women. Some of the men we met on our way here were stunned by his flowery speech."

Unable to hold back her laughter, Tressa almost fell out of her chair. Instead, she was able to catch herself, her head bobbing and – amusedly noticed by Ophilia – the feather in Tressa's cap following her movements.

"What I would pay to see the looks on their faces. Could make a pretty leaf off of that shock value," the merchant commented once she regained control of herself. "There's an idea! Think Cyrus would go along with it?"

Ophilia sighed worriedly. "I'm not sure that would be…"

"Hey, Professor! Would you be interested in helping me make a few leaves at our next stop?"

Unsure where the merchant was heading with this line of thinking, Cyrus confusedly rejoined the conversation between his two female companions. "Might I ask what this venture would entail, Tressa?"

"Oh, you'll have to wait and see," she replied cryptically. The conniving glint in her eye wasn't missed by her fellows. Within their first day of meeting the merchant, they already knew she would be a tricky one, albeit useful when it came to finding deals on supplies or fighting those who would stand in their way.

"It would seem we truly have found the third member of our group, Ophilia," the professor commented as he drank from his cup.

"What d'ya mean by that, Professor?"

"Well, Tressa, we actually knew we would find another companion to join us in the Coastlands," Ophilia answered. "A bard we both met in our own cities informed me that I would find seven other companions that would aid me on my pilgrimage and I would aid in turn."

"Oh, sounds like a seer or something. I heard about them from one of the sailors in port. They can apparently see into the future. Sounds a bit too fishy to me, but I haven't seen much of the world, so who can say if there isn't someone like that out there?" The young woman smiled from ear-to-ear. "That's what this adventure is for: to see the world!"

The professor chuckled, impressed by Tressa's abundance of curiosity. Maybe, on this venture, he would find a new student to take under his wing. Yet, something else stuck in Cyrus' mind.

"While that is a grand ambition, Tressa, you said you only heard about seers from another sailor? Did you ever meet the man?" the scholar questioned quickly.

"Well, I don't know, Professor. Can't say I met a man like that, what's his name?" Tressa replied truthfully.

"Teller."

"Then, no. Never met someone named that, or a bard wandering around these parts for that matter. Why?"

"Hm… that puts a hole in my working theory, then," Cyrus muttered disappointedly. He took a drink of his juice to refocus his mind. "Teller hasn't met all those we are to meet then, Ophilia."

Making a sound of agreement, the cleric added, "That's what I was wondering, too. It seems he has only met us two so far."

"Then, factoring in how he at least had knowledge of our journeys, it is safe to assume he can see into the future."

"So, he is a seer!? I wanna meet him!" excitedly exclaimed Tressa, much to the amusement of her companions.

"I am sure you will, Tressa. He appears in our travels from time to time, in one way or another," Cyrus reassured. "But, I believe this is a subject for another day. For now, we should welcome our new companion, share in the revelry and victory."

Ophilia giggled. "I agree wholeheartedly, Professor. To Tressa: the future greatest merchant of the Coastlands!"

The trio once again raised their glasses and cheered, happy to be on their journey. None of them knew where their travels would take them, but in moments like these, those who venture into the unknown rarely care. As was the motto of the Coastlands, they would follow the wind and wherever it would take them. For the time being, before returning to the roaring tempest that was journeying throughout Orsterra, they would celebrate the small accomplishments they had made this day. Ordering another round of the tropical beverage they had just finished, the group regaled each other with tales of their past, learning about one another.

First was Ophilia, planning to speak of her time at Flamesgrace quickly, as to make way for what she believed to be more exciting tales of the others' pasts. Her story shortly covered a time when her and her sister, Lianna, had met an alchemist in town, much older than they were at the time. With red cheeks, she relayed how her younger sister had made fun of her for having a small crush on the healer.

Tressa laughed at the cleric's story. "Ah, a case of young love at first sight. Never had a crush myself, did he have a lot of money?"

"No, that wasn't it," Ophilia replied, cheeks deepening in color, but lips tugged in a meek smile at the fond memory. "He helped people for little to nothing, healing their wounds, curing their ills, it was a sight to behold."

"Ah, so you like the nice guys. Never met one here, someone always has a business angle attached to them."

"I… guess that's it. But, whether that's true or not, it was a puppy crush, nothing like love at first sight."

"You speak true, Ophilia, but perhaps, someday, if such a man were to enter your life again, you would feel that way," Cyrus commented. While meaning to speak plain, the words came off as coy, causing the cleric to turn into a stuttering mess.

"That's… I-I mean, it's not like… Oh…"

Giggling, Tressa decided to take pity on the poor woman. "Ah, come on, Professor, I think that's enough joking with Ophilia."

"Who was joking?" he intoned seriously.

Unused to Cyrus's ways of speaking, the merchant simply glossed over it and continued. "Right… well, maybe we should move on to the next person. Which is me!"

Tressa immediately jumped into her story, telling her tale excitedly, not missing any emotion. While the tale itself was not terribly interesting – it was of a deal she made while perusing the marketplace in Rippletide – her energized attitude kept Cyrus and Ophilia intrigued in the marketing adventure.

"And in the end, I saved at least one hundred leaves!" Tressa chuckled. "Poor guy didn't know what hit him."

In boast, the merchant took a swig of her drink, trying to act the tough part she had seen many times portrayed by the sailors looking for a pint at the end of a rough day at sea. While that façade of her character wasn't fooling her companions, they did enjoy the tale.

"Well-spoken, my dear!" Cyrus congratulated. "You have a knack for storytelling. The way you add your energy while weaving together your words spoke of your skills as a bard. Perhaps you should begin compiling a list of tales yourself along our journey."

"That is what I wanna do, Professor. After all, this journal," the merchant produced the leather-bound book from her pack "will be filled with my own adventures soon enough, plus the treasure that we'll find along the way."

"Then it is good practice. I eagerly await the day I can add Tressa's Tales: A Merchant's Ventures through Orsterra to my bookshelf."

"Yeah, yeah! That's good, mind if I buy that idea off of you, Professor?"

"It is yours to take. I only ask that the second copy of your manifest become mine. The first is yours, after all."

"When I have the journal, who needs the original copy? That would be better in your hands."

"We have a deal, then," Cyrus concluded, extending his hand.

The merchant shook it eagerly. "That we do, good sir. A pleasure doing business with you!"

To mark their first deal as traveling companions they took lasting swigs of their drinks, reaching the bottom of their cups. Satisfied, Tressa let out a small burp, muttering, "Excuse me" before returning her attention to the scholar.

"Now it's your turn, Professor. You have to have a story or two from teaching in Atlasdam."

"If you count teaching the academics of tomorrow as a story, then I have many to share, Tressa," Cyrus beamed. "Why, I had this student a year ago who was a studier of ancient civilizations, archaeology and the like. From his latest correspondence with me, he seems to be plunging into a tomb of an ancient civilization far in the depths of the Woodlands. I warned him of the indigenous tribes and snakes around that region, but I doubt he heeded my advice. He always hated those slithering reptiles."

"Um, Professor…?" Tressa tried to stop the scholar before he continued. Even though she tried to put a word in, Cyrus was already rambling. The merchant said to Ophilia, "He really likes his speeches, huh?"

"I haven't traveled with Professor Albright long, but, from what I can tell, it would seem so," the cleric sighed good-naturedly.

"Then we might be here awhile…"

As the two women exchanged defeated words, the professor continued on about his prized prodigy over his short tenure. His students ranged from a young man interested in zoology, particularly magical creatures, to a woman who practiced magic, wishing to start her own school to pass down the arcane arts. It seemed Cyrus taught every subject to everyone who wished to learn. If he didn't know a particular study, then he would read up on it until he was a veritable expert on the topic. While the stories themselves were needlessly elongated, the professor's traveling companions still found themselves interested in the lecture.

"…and there was this one student, I cannot quite remember his name, but he sang as he worked. Something about being 'the very model of a scientist Orsterran.' Poor lad passed away though trying to help an infertile tribe far to the west reproduce once more." Cyrus shook his head solemnly, before brightening and returning to his tale. "Sent me a letter once though, spoke of a shepherd he was following. An odd one he was, but far surpassed even my brilliance. Then there was…"

Tressa raised her hand, hoping to catch the scholar before he spoke anymore about his students. "Um, Professor?"

Noticing the merchant, and out of habit, Cyrus handed the floor to her. "Yes, Tressa?"

"While we like your stories about your pupils, wouldn't it be a good idea to save them for another time? After all, we may need an inspiring story further down the line."

Smiling, the professor pointed at the young woman. "An excellent point. I believe we should reconvene at a later date, then. I have numerous stories about my teachings at Atlasdam, ones that would be better to share with more people."

"Exactly!" Tressa grinned, happy that the scholar agreed. "I think its best we turn in for the night. We have a long day of traveling to the Highlands tomorrow."

"The Highlands?" Ophilia asked.

"Yeah! That's the first place I wanna see. I've only ever seen sand and ocean, but mountains? They're just shadows in the distance."

Tressa stood from her seat, followed by her companions. "The treasures that await us there… oh, I can't wait! It has to be our first stop, it just has to!"

For a moment, the cleric thought on the idea before nodding her head. "You know, that sounds like a good idea. We may find another of our fellow travelers that way, as well. What do you think, Professor?"

"I believe the Highlands would be a brilliant place for our adventures to continue," Cyrus agreed happily. "Then let us rent rooms at the inn to rest up. Tomorrow, we depart towards the mountainous Highlands!"

Tressa cheered excitedly, while Ophilia giggled. The trio walked through the doorway of the tavern, inspired and ready to travel forth into the unknown.

From the long beaches of the Coastland, these adventurers continued their travels.

Once again, coming to Rippletide, Ophilia had come across a venturous soul, wishing to go on her own journey across Orsterra.

Teller's predictions seemed to be coming true, the cleric surmised, so who would they next encounter?

Only time would tell as the mountains of the Highlands beckoned their heed, wishing to serve as a place of adventures and treasure…