An Unexpected Companion
Chapter 7
Two Types of Campfires
Tiki kept to herself. She figured that would be for the best. She sat at the edge of the company's camp, a good distance from the campfire kindled by the dwarves. A week of travel made it clear that she might not be the most welcome sharing their fire.
She did not miss the suspicious looks shot her way, especially from Dwalin, Gloin, and the older dwarves. The younger dwarves looked at her with great curiosity and interest, but their elders always shot them stern looks, preventing them from interacting with her. Not that Tiki craved small talk with dwarves. She wouldn't even know where to start with them. Besides, she had plenty of idle chit-chat with both Gandalf and Bilbo, whenever they were available for it.
Tonight was not one of those nights. Gandalf was busy speaking with Thorin regarding something about their journey, and Bilbo was busy rummaging through their supplies, muttering about the lack of what the Hobbit considered "essential items". That left her alone, with only the twinkling stars in the clear night sky for company.
Tiki cast her emerald eyes to the sky and briefly tried to pinpoint any familiar constellations. However, all of the constellations she knew always got muddled in her mind. She had lived for so long that the stars changed from the way they were when she was born. Even back home, in Ylisstol, she had difficulty figuring out where the north star actually was anymore. She certainly couldn't pinpoint it in Middle Earth.
She still could admire their beauty though. Middle Earth's stars were just as brilliant and bright as the ones in Archanea. The sky was a black blanket and each star a shimmering gemstone. Each one had their own color, their own vibrancy, they may as well have their own personality. Tiki spotted one particularly bright star high above her, and the warmth it's light brought caused a smile to grace her lips.
While this world may be foreign to her, she could at least take comfort in seeing a beautiful night sky. Those moments grew rarer back in Ylisstol, with Grima's shadow swallowing the lights in the sky and replacing them with darkness.
Her smile wavered as she recalled those desperate times. She wondered how her friends were faring? The Shepherds; were the survivors of the first few years of Grima's terror still alive? Had any perished with her absence? What about the children? Did they live through the carnage?
A forlorn breath passed from her lips. She couldn't even remember most of it. Which was strange to Tiki. Memory problems from a long nap usually only lasted so long before her mind sharpened again. However, her lack of memories regarding her last moments in Ylisse lingered, and it both puzzled and troubled her greatly. She couldn't figure out why they were missing.
And since there are no holy sites, I can't ask mother for any sort of explanation.
Footsteps drew near her, heavy but hesitant. She blinked then looked down from the sky to see Ori timidly approaching her, a bowl of stew in his rough hands. He gave her a sheepish smile, friendly in an awkward way, as he set it down on a rock by the log she sat on.
"Thought you might be hungry, Miss Tiki," he muttered with a small bow of his head.
A small smile formed on her lips. "Thank you, Ori."
It's interesting how the older dwarves sent the youngest one to bring me my food. She glanced past Ori and noticed the suspicious scowls adorning the older dwarves' faces, particularly Thorin and Dwalin. I wonder why that is?
"There's no thanks needed, miss," Ori said, his voice small and anxious. "Just being neighborly, after all. I mean- I figured that might help some things."
Tiki's ears twitched. "Help?"
"Well," Ori scratched the back of his shaggy head and gulped, "what with you being a she-elf and all that comes with that, there's lots of, well, how to put it?"
"Tension?" Tiki asked.
"That'd be right, yes," Ori nodded.
Tiki tilted her head, puzzled. She knew there was some animosity between elves and dwarves just from her first conversation with Thorin in the Prancing Pony. She recalled how he said he would not give an elf a single gold coin from Erebor. At first, she figured that he was being a bit greedy, but he had a right to be. If Thorin Oakenshield was indeed the King of Erebor, then all of that treasure was his by right and he could do what he wished with it. However, now that she noticed the less-than-friendly looks shot her way by the other dwarves, she began to reason something else was afoot.
"Ori," She began, "are you afraid of me?"
"A-afraid?" Ori stammered, his face losing a little of its innocent, rosy color. Out of the corner of her eye, Tiki spotted Gandalf watching her with interest as he smoked his pipe. "N-not at all, milady. I-I- um-"
Tiki gave the young dwarf a gentle smile. "There's no need to be afraid of me." She leaned over and looked directly at Dwalin and the others. "I don't bite, usually."
Gandalf sputtered on some of his smoke while Tiki offered the dwarves a toothy smile. She did not miss the furrow in Dwalin's brow, the slight snarl flicker over Thorin's lips, or the inquisitive glance shot her way by one of the elder dwarves, Balin. In fact, of the older dwarves, Balin had been the least resentful towards her. He simply paid her no mind at all, which she also found quite curious.
Dwarves in general are very curious creatures.
"Well, that is a relief I suppose, miss," Ori said with a nervous nod. He glanced back and forth between his companions and Tiki, hands fidgeting in front of him. Then, with a gasp, he quickly bowed his head to her. "Your beauty is quite remarkable."
Tiki's eyes widened as he scurried back to the camp. While the older dwarves gawked at Ori, the younger ones, mainly Fili and Kili, howled with laughter. Kili, the dark-haired of the two brothers, shook Ori's shoulder as he chuckled, patting it while an intense blush shot over Ori's cheeks. Fili snickered. Meanwhile, Dori and Nori shared some laughter at their brother's expense. The scene did bring a smile to Tiki's lips. It was nice to see something other than worry or animosity directed towards her.
A pained groan sounded to her left. She whipped her gaze that way and spotted Gandalf taking a seat on the log beside her. He puffed on his pipe then glanced at her.
"Thorin and I agreed on our route."
Tiki's mouth fell open. "That's what you two were talking about for the past two hours? Which way to go?"
"Well I insisted upon taking the more northerly road to Rivendell, but Thorin demands we make up for lost time and take a more direct route to the elven realm." Gandalf shook his head. "The stubbornness of dwarves…"
"Is there a problem with a more direct route?" Tiki asked.
Gandalf gave her a weary nod as he removed his pipe from his lips. "Do you recall the first night we met?"
Tiki's mouth opened in understanding. "Those creatures."
"Foul creatures tend to avoid the roads as they are patrolled by the Dunedain and the occasional elvish company. While a more direct route is, in theory, faster, it is also more perilous." Gandalf sighed as he replaced his pipe in the corner of his mouth. "I cannot shake the deep sense of foreboding I have regarding our route."
Tiki shrugged. "Well, thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, a wizard, and me… the elf, should be a difficult target, right?"
Gandalf gave her a sidelong glance. "Did those goblins strike you as intelligent?"
Tiki pursed her lips, then she raised a finger. "They did leave though. I'd say that shows good survival instincts."
That made Gandalf laugh. "Yes well, they at least have that going for them." He exhaled a long stream of smoke then gestured at Tiki's bowl with his pipe. "You should eat before you sleep. Thorin plans on marching right away in the morning, much to Bombur and Bilbo's dismay, I'm sure."
Tiki chuckled. Bilbo would certainly not be happy about that. For all his excitement about joining their company, he had been a miserable mess of complaints since they left the Shire's boundaries. Whether it was about meal times or the number of leagues they traversed in a day, Bilbo appeared exhausted and miserable. Although, after seeing how he lived, Tiki knew it would take some time for the hobbit to grow accustomed to life on the road.
"Bilbo will feel better when we reach Imladris," She reassured.
Gandalf nodded. "That he will. He's always been fascinated by the elves, hence why he is likely fascinated by you."
Tiki nodded at the dwarves around their fire. "And them?"
Gandalf muttered something unintelligible under his breath before glancing at Tiki. "Dwarves and elves have a complicated history."
"Like elves and dragons do?"
"Dragons, my dear, have a terrible history with everyone, which is why you should remain a peculiar elf for now," Gandalf whispered in reply.
Tiki's mouth opened in understanding. No wonder Gandalf was so insistent on referring to her as one of the elves whenever she was introduced.
"What happened for that to be the case?" Tiki asked.
Gandalf gave her a long, hard look. His pipe fell from his lips. She could see the haunted look in his gaze. Something terrible happened because of dragons in this land. She could already feel it.
"It is a long, arduous tale, Tiki. One that we do not have time for this night. But, when we reach Imladris, I assure you, you may ask again. I will be happy to provide more insight then." Gandalf yawned and took his large, pointy hat off. "For now, eat, then sleep. We have another long day of walking tomorrow. I may be gone before dawn. There are some things I need to check up on."
Tiki frowned, but she knew better than to press the old wizard. After all, Gandalf could complain about the stubbornness of dwarves, but she has heard him argue several times already and she knew how headstrong he could be as well. Mages always thought they knew best, and it appeared wizards in Middle-Earth were no exception to that.
So, she shrugged, grabbed her bowl, and ate in silence. Maybe tomorrow something eventful would happen.
Fire. That's what she felt. The searing heat of Dragonfire rushing over her, consuming the air around her. She couldn't breathe. Searing embers threatened to choke her lungs. Only her draconic heritage kept her from falling to her knees and surrendering to death's creeping embrace.
What happened? What had gone wrong? Flames towered into the bleak sky. Black thunderclouds rolled, banging their massive drums to the sound of Risen marching and Grima roaring.
Tiki tried to take another breath, only to cough. Then she paused. The air did not choke her that time. That cough was entirely in her head. She drew in a deep breath, one eyebrow raised as she looked around.
She was floating, observing Ylisstol in its death throes. A specter watching the downfall of all she held dear. The once vibrant market was ablaze. Risen swarmed the scorched streets, slaughtering innocents who failed to make it to the next barricade. Desperate men-at-arms and knights held on with what little strength and hope they had left. Scant few Pegasus knights still roamed the skies. Upon closer inspection, Tiki noticed most had tattered wings and scarred mounts. Risen flyers, all of them. It broke her heart.
Her vision swam. She was in the courtyard of the Exalt's Palace. A small group of young humans, a Taguel, a young Manakete, and her old friend Donnel raced towards the east wall. A blast of magic slammed into the stairs they ran down, shattering the marble. Fighting erupted within the once peaceful place. She could hear Sir Frederick's booming voice as he called for one final stand. Then she heard weeping.
Turning around, her heart stopped in her chest. Exalt Lissa lay on the ground, eyes growing dim, her blood pooling beneath her from a charred wound. Her good friend Duchess Maribelle held her hand as she passed. The sight tore Tiki's heart and caused her to avert her eyes. Tears dripped down her cheeks. She shook.
"Stop," She muttered. A draconic roar erupted over the sky. None of this seemed familiar to her. But it all felt so real. Was this a dream? A memory? Or something different? Whatever it was, she had seen enough. "Enough!"
With one sharp cry, her vision went black. But the sounds did not stop. She heard the screaming, the crackling flames, the weeping, the shrieking Risen, and a mighty roar ripped her mind. Pain flooded her right side. It felt like it had been lit on fire.
Grima roared.
Tiki woke with a sharp gasp, bordering on an alarmed cry. Her heart pounded as fear made it race in her chest. Each breath made her entire body heave up and down. Sweat dripped from her brow as she struggled to calm herself down. Her hands pawed at the ground, fingers yanking on blades of grass. Panic seized her. Where was she?
"Ylisstol…" She breathed. "Lissa!"
Right as she shot to her feet, a hand grasped her shoulder. That was a mistake. With a snarl, she snatched her assailant's wrist and threw them over her shoulder.
Gandalf uttered an alarmed cry, followed by a sharp sound of pain as he landed hard on his back. Tiki's eyes remained wide. Her blood pulsed through her ears, whooshing with adrenaline. She moved to pounce on the old man, only for her senses to return to her.
She wasn't standing in Ylisstol, smelling smoke, hearing screams, and seeing fire. She was in Middle Earth, at the dwarves campsite. The pungent aroma of mossy, wet earth hit her nose. Did it rain, or was that morning dew? The sun was not up yet, but the stars were dim. Perhaps morning was soon?
"Miss Tiki," Gandalf winced beneath her, "may I ask you to please remove your knee from my stomach."
Tiki blinked. The adrenaline in her veins ebbed away. With a shuddering gasp, she rose to her feet, staggered back a step, then bent over and rested her hands on her knees, bowing her head.
"S-Sorry," She whispered.
Gandalf grunted as he rose, using his walking stick as leverage to hoist his aged body. Instead of being angry with her, he gave Tiki a gentle pat on her shoulder.
"There is nothing to apologize for. Nightmares can be quite realistic."
Tiki scoffed and shook her head. "Gandalf," She looked up at him, "are you speaking from experience?"
"Oh?" Gandalf looked pensive for a moment. Then again, unless he was smoking, that was his constant expression. "Well, my memory seems to have failed me on that topic."
Tiki snorted. "Sure it has, but I'll let you keep your secrets. All magicians have them, after all."
"I am a wizard, Miss Tiki, not a magician," Gandalf pointed out with a small gesture of his staff. "My secrets are much more than simple solutions to tricks and nonsense." His hand massaged his staff as he glanced around the campsite. "Speaking of nonsense, I fear our companions may have found some."
Tiki blinked. Then, she looked around. The dwarves were gone, and so was Bilbo. She and Gandalf were alone beside a spent fire, thin tendrils of gray smoke still wafting up into the night sky.
"Huh," Tiki glanced at the edges of the camp. No sign of anyone. "I knew I was a heavy sleeper but I swore those dwarves would be able to wake me up."
Gandalf hummed. "They are a noisy bunch when they want to be, and when they don't want to be. But, every so often, dwarves can be quite sneaky."
Gandalf stamped the butt of his staff against the soft earth, nodded, and marched away from the camp. Tiki tilted her head, puzzled.
"Where are you going?"
Gandalf glanced over his shoulder. "To find our friends."
Now Tiki felt more confused. Still, she followed the wizard. He at least had a sense of direction, unlike her. Then again, that was more due to her unfamiliarity with this land than anything else.
"How do you know they went this way?" She asked, catching up to him and matching his long strides with quick ones of her own.
Gandalf flicked his gaze to her. "For someone who has just awoken from such a distressing nightmare, you ask many questions."
"I've always been a curious person, Gandalf," Tiki shrugged. "Besides, I haven't figured out your magic yet. Maybe this is one aspect of it."
"Ah," They entered a thick stretch of brush and trees. Gandalf stepped over a log. Tiki hopped over it. "You think that I am a dwarf tracker?" Gandalf jested.
"It is indeed a possibility." Tiki sniffed the air. "But I doubt you have my nose."
Gandalf paused a moment and bobbed his head, the tip of his hat wagging. "I suppose dwarves would give off a particular scent."
"Smells like smoke, sweat, and beer," Tiki muttered. She sniffed the air again, glanced ahead, and pursed her lips. "Are you sure you aren't a dwarf tracker on top of being a wizard?"
Gandalf chuckled. A mischievous gleam danced in his eyes, but he said nothing, leaving Tiki with bated breath. When he continued ahead of her, her shoulders sagged and an annoyed puff left her lips.
"You know, I don't do well with people who won't give me answers."
"Oh? I think you need to rephrase that to: 'you do not do well with people who do not give you the answers you seek.'."
"That too," Tiki admitted.
Before she could continue her admittedly fun banter with the old man, she paused. Her brow furrowed. She knew the dwarves' scent at this point. They were easy to pinpoint. As was Bilbo's. He smelled like fresh flowers and honey. A bit mossy too, thanks to tromping around barefoot. She still did not quite understand that aspect of Hobbits.
This new scent she detected was different from all of those. It smelled rotten, like decaying foliage being eaten by mushrooms. Not a very pleasant smell. Rotten eggs mixed with the stench, making her nose wrinkle. Finally, she detected a scent that made her raise an eyebrow in confusion. It almost smelled like damp stone.
"Is something the matter, Tiki?" Gandalf asked.
"I smell something strange," She said, giving Gandalf a worried look. "Do you think everyone wandered off? Or were they forced away?"
A grave expression passed over Gandalf's features. His grip on his gnarled staff tightened. With a silent nod to Tiki, he pressed on with a bit more haste.
The repulsive stench grew stronger the further into the dense tree groves they moved. Tiki grimaced as she stopped smelling the air, confident that they were moving in the right direction, and more than done with smelling whatever horrible thing was emitting such a gross odor. A few minutes after she first detected it, she heard the source.
Her ears twitched as she heard two gruff voices arguing with a squealy one. Amidst those voices, she heard the tell-tale low tones of the dwarves panicking and Bilbo's higher voice stammering among them. Her breath hitched. Something was very wrong, and she was not about to let an ill fate befall her new companions.
She sprinted forward, passing through the trees with light feet and hardly a sound. Gandalf hissed for her to stop, but she did not listen to him. Something had to be done fast.
Unfortunately for Tiki, she was moving so fast that she did not notice the ledge ahead of her. When the ground disappeared beneath her feet, her eyes widened and she uttered a surprised yelp, sliding down a muddy embankment and into a small clearing surrounded by raised earth, boulders, and trees. A massive fire roared in the center of the clearing, with a mighty spit spinning over it. Strapped to the spit, rotating over the flames, and uttering panicked cries were the dwarves and Bilbo.
Tiki and Bilbo locked eyes. The hobbit's fearful gaze grew more terrified.
"Tiki, trolls!"
A squealy voice uttered a sound of disgust and alarm. "It's an elf!"
"An elf?" A deeper voice growled.
"Here!?" A third, gravely tone snarled.
Tiki blinked and looked around. Her breath caught in her throat for a split second as the boulders she saw surrounding the enormous fire moved, towering over her. Black, beady eyes blinked down at her from their heads. Each large boulder had arms and legs thicker than tree trunks, hide cracked like weathered leather, and bulging guts. They wore ragged loincloths and nothing else. Two clenched their fists. One hefted a club.
"Another to add to the meal!" The one with the club declared, swinging it at Tiki.
Instinct took over. Tiki ducked to the side, dodging the club as it slammed into the earth. The ground shuddered, but Tiki moved on her toes, easily keeping her balance as she glided across the ground, around the roaring fire. Her eyes remained focused on the dwarves and hobbit attached to the spit, slowly cooking.
I need to free them.
Tiki skidded to stop, choosing now to size up her adversaries. Bilbo called them trolls. Yet another strange creature Tiki did not realize actually existed. And, as with trolls in the stories she heard back in Archanea, these creatures were hideous and dumb.
It's nice to know some things transcend realms.
"She's a fast elf," The gangliest of the trolls snorted, snot bubbling from his nose which he wiped with a filthy handkerchief.
"All elves are fast, you idiot!" The one with the club snarled.
"That's gotta be the strangest she-elf I've ever seen. Since when is their hair green?"
"Must be one of them wood elves. They like green things." Club-Troll reasoned.
"Oh, that they do."
Out of the corner of her eye, Tiki spotted the third troll rushing her. She was so caught up in hearing the other two troll's comments that she failed to notice it sneaking up on her until now. Thankfully, she had heightened senses and she was swift when she wanted to be. She ducked beneath the troll's outstretched arms, avoiding him, then swung one leg at the back of its knee.
Pain exploded through her shin. It felt like she kicked solid stone. She screamed, hopped back, and fell onto her side, clutching her shin as it throbbed.
The trolls howled with laughter.
"This elf is fast but not smart."
"Not smart indeed."
"She's small. Not much meat there." Tiki's eyes widened as the troll she kicked pinched her foot with two fingers and lifted her into the air. She dangled upside down in front of its repugnant face. "Merely a morsel."
"A small snack is never a bad thing," The gangly troll said.
"That is why you're skinny," The troll with the club grunted. "Are you going to eat her raw, or are you going to let me season her and cook her before the sun comes up?"
Tiki's mind raced. She needed to get out of this somehow. Her mind latched onto the Club-Troll's comment. Why was he worried about the sun coming up? Did these trolls not like bright light?
If that was the case then maybe…
She reached for the pouch on her hip, opened it, then let out an alarmed cry as her dragonstone fell out of it.
"Oh-oh! Something shiny!" The gangly troll cried, pointing at her dragonstone. It rushed for the stone, only for the troll holding Tiki to bash him away with the back of his hand.
"That's my shiny."
"Is not. I saw it first."
"I captured the elf. By the rules, that is my shiny thingy."
"Finders keepers!"
"Oy! Both of you," The Club-Troll, clearly the leader, barked. "Sun's going to be up. The sky is lighting. Time to feast."
Tiki gulped. She didn't have her dragonstone, so blinding the trolls with a transformation wasn't an option. What else could she do? Their hides were too tough for her to bludgeon, a fact that still stunned her. Draconic heritage had its perks, and being able to beat almost anything to a pulp was usually one of them.
Her heart stopped as the troll holding her held her aloft, over his open maw.
"Raw it is!" He declared.
Tiki gasped. There was a third option that completely escaped her mind. Her dragonstone was not the only magic she knew. While she was a bit out of practice, she could do some casting. Although, it was going to be much harder and more exhausting to do without a focusing device like her stone or a tome. Such casting should only be done in the most desperate of circumstances.
Staring into the toothy gullet of a troll qualified as a desperate circumstance.
Tiki hissed, gathered the power she knew she had within her, and focused it into her outstretched hand. A flame burst to life in her palm. With a sharp cry, she jettisoned the flame, shooting a strong fireball right down the troll's throat.
The troll shrieked and dropped her. She fell into a heap on the ground, her leg screaming in pain when she hit the earth. But, Tiki had no time to focus on her pain. The troll she shot was howling, jumping up and down as fire danced on his tongue.
"Hot! HOT!"
"Stand still while I get some water on you!"
"Here you go!" The gangly troll tossed a pot of steaming water at his friend's face. Steam billowed from the troll, and the one Tiki shot screamed more.
"That was boiling water, you idiot!"
"Trolls!"
Tiki's eyes widened. Her gaze whipped to a rocky cleft across the clearing, to the east. Gandalf stood atop it, hat cast aside, staff raised in one hand.
"Servants of Morgoth!" Gandalf's voice thundered. "Your ends have come. From stone you came, to stone you shall return!"
He slammed the end of his staff against the boulders. With an enormous crack, they split in two.
Golden rays of sunlight flooded the clearing from the rising sun. Tiki raised a hand shielding her eyes. The trolls did the same, except they weren't doing so because the sun was brilliant. They were trying to shield their heads. Their skin sizzled and popped. Flakes of leather fell from their bodies, turning to dust as they hit the ground. They tried to flee, turning their backs to the sun.
It was too late, and it only took seconds. When the light finally stopped blinding Tiki, she looked up and gasped.
The trolls were turned to stone.
Tiki's jaw hung open. Her eyes flicked between the trolls, then to Gandalf as he snuffed out the Troll's roaring fire with a wave of his staff. Gasps of relief rushed from the dwarves and Bilbo. In no time, they were cut loose. Once they were free, Gandalf shuffled over to Tiki. He stopped over her as she clutched her leg.
A wry, pained smile cracked her lips.
"So, how about you lead with that next time?"
Gandalf snorted out a laugh. "Those trolls may be right. You share a wood elf's impatience."
Tiki raised a hand. "Rude, but fair." She hissed as she tried to stand. Before she could make another attempt, Bilbo and, to her shock, Dwalin, came over and helped her to her feet. The burly dwarf took most of her weight as he threw one of her arms over her shoulder.
"Never seen an elf use that kind of magic before," he grunted.
"Never seen an elf use magic," Kili gawked as Tiki limped alongside Dwalin.
"Never seen magic at all," Ori swallowed hard.
Thorin said nothing as Dwalin brought Tiki to him and Balin. He eyes Tiki with his usual stern glare. A long breath exhaled from his nose. Resignation, and perhaps a bit of respect?
"Balin, help patch her up while we loot the trolls' cave. There may be something of value in there."
"As you command," Balin said with a bow of his head. Balin gestured to the edge of the clearing. "Dwalin, if you'd be so kind."
Dwalin obliged, hauling Tiki to the side and setting her down on the ground. Once there, Dwalin nodded to her then joined Gandalf, Bilbo, and the others in the nearby Troll cave. She could hear excited voices from within. They must have found some good treasure. A smile cracked her lips.
"Never seen an elf happy for dwarves before," Balin commented as he eyed her leg. It was pulsing, black and blue. "Hopefully you don't have a break." Tiki hissed when he poked it. "That's never a good sign."
Tiki waved his concern off. "I heal fast."
Balin's eyes twinkled as he gave her a smirk. "I've heard the same from the youngsters, and they all whimper to me when they try to move around again." He sighed and shook his head. "Although, I will need Oin's assistance with this, once he is done rummaging with the others. I may know some healing arts, but I am by no means an expert." He huffed as he reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew a tiny bottle filled with a salve. "None of us are really."
"Oh? Well…" Tiki pursed her lips. Of all the schools of magic she learned back home, healing was her least familiar subject. "I suppose we are similar in that regard."
Balin dabbed her injury with the salve, then stepped back. "We're similar in another regard too."
"That being?"
Balin smiled at Tiki. He reached into a pocket and withdrew her dragonstone. With a smirk still on his lips, he tossed the white stone to Tiki, who quickly caught it and pocketed it, relief flooding her face.
"We're reckless when our friends are in danger."
Tiki had to hold back a laugh. Reckless, that was not a word used to describe her in quite some time. A few thousand years in fact. She glanced down at her pulsing shin. It was getting darker.
Perhaps it would be good to be a bit less reckless.
And chapter! Nothing like some good, old fashioned adventure fun to get the creativity flowing again. Having Tiki interact with this world puts a smile on my face, and I hope it does the same for all of you as well. Let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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