The Longest Road, Part 6
You start by keeping the conversation focused on light, simple topics, waiting until Khaytala is more at ease talking to you. Then you slowly transition to something that might be a bit more personal. "By the way," you say. "I happened to notice earlier that you were reading a book. Do you mind if I ask what it's about? You seemed quite engrossed in it."
Khaytala looks surprised, but then shrugs and pulls the book out, giving you an up-close view of it. To your surprise, the book is a collection of stories and fables for young children. You wonder why Khaytala was studying such a simple book with such intent focus. Could it be that she's illiterate, trying to teach herself to read?
It's only when you force yourself to look carefully at the text on the cover—rather than just taking in the words instinctively—that you realize the full truth. Your guess was almost exactly right... and yet so very wrong at the same time. Khaytala was indeed struggling with this child's book because she was having trouble reading it. But it wasn't because she was illiterate.
It was because this book is written in elvish.
As a demon, your Gift of Tongues allows you to perfectly speak and understand any language or dialect, allowing you to function no matter which of the countless worlds you are summoned to. You are aware, however, that learning a new language isn't nearly so easy for mortals. Yet it seems Khaytala is putting in the effort to do so.
"It was a present from a friend of mine," she explains, opening the book and flipping through its pages with a nostalgic smile. Then she slides it across the table, allowing you to examine it yourself. "I was always pestering her to teach me a bit of elvish every time we crossed paths... and eventually she said I was ready for this."
In retrospect, it actually makes a fair bit of sense. For someone who travels as widely as Khaytala does, speaking multiple languages would be a definite advantage. In fact, you wonder just how many others she knows. When she talks about her efforts with elvish, at least, she makes learning the language sound more like a pastime she enjoys than an unusual undertaking.
Your primary interest, however, lies in the more personal side of things. "So... of all the stories in the book... which one do you like the best?" you ask, trying to probe a little.
Surprisingly, Khaytala hesitates for a moment. Then she clears her throat. "Oh..." she says, a note of forced casualness in her voice. "Well... that'd have to be 'The Tale of Elion'. It's a story about an elf boy who... goes on a quest for a magical instrument."
Curious at her odd reaction, you flip through the book until you find that story, glancing over it yourself. As you do, it quickly becomes apparent that, while Khaytala's description was technically accurate, it was also more than a bit... selective. While the magic instrument quest is described briefly toward the end, it isn't even close to the focus of the story. Instead, the vast majority of the pages are taken up by a pure, tender little love story between the boy and a mute sea nymph.
What's truly amusing, though, is watching Khaytala's expression out of the corner of your eye as she notices how your eyes are tracking the text. She attempts—with little success—to hide her growing dismay as she realizes that you can read elvish too. Meaning her attempt to dance around the true nature of the story was not just futile... but actually served to highlight the very thing she was trying to sweep under the rug.
You don't know which is more charming. That this big, intimidating half-orc warrioress could be so embarrassed over something so simple... or that she's so fundamentally honest that she couldn't just lie about which story was her favorite. Even the minor misdirection she did attempt was transparent and awkward, making it clear to you that Khaytala is completely inept at anything even resembling deception.
But despite her obvious embarrassment she still forces herself to look straight at you, as though daring you to laugh at her. Instead, you slide the book back across the table. "It's a beautiful story," you say. "It reminds me of a tale from my homeland, actually. Probably most other races have similar ones too. After all... who wouldn't want to experience something like that?"
Well, honestly, you'd probably pass on experiencing it unless it eventually involved a bit more actual fucking between the two lovebirds, rather than the chaste kiss they barely worked themselves up to in the story. But unlike your prey, you have no difficulty whatsoever disguising your feelings about a tale.
Khaytala tugs awkwardly at her rough ponytail, shooting you a grateful look for how you responded. Then she tries to change the subject as quickly as possible. "A-anyway! You mentioned that you were looking for a safe way to get to Nelin," she says. "I can give you some advice, if you're interested. The simplest way is buying passage on one of the trade caravans headed in that direction. I work as a guard on them myself... though I'm between jobs at the moment."
"I see," you muse. "Well, if I do join up with one, I'll put in a good word for you. You've certainly proven to me what an amazing protector you are." Khaytala smiles at your compliment.
So she doesn't have a new contract yet. That gives you room for options. You could take your pick of caravans, and you're pretty sure you could convince whoever you sign on with to seek out Khaytala. The question then becomes, if you follow this path, what sort of caravan should you aim for?
There have to be at least some caravans that are more favorably disposed toward the shunned races like half-orcs or tieflings. Finding one of those would probably make for less friction on your journey, and allow more leeway in influencing their actions. On the other hand, prioritizing a larger caravan might give you a wider selection of prey, since you'll almost certainly need to feed again before you win over Khaytala.
Or, you could sign on with the Rothach caravan, where you know you already have a willing morsel in Greta that you can feed on without any time or risk spent on hunting whatsoever. The only problem there is that you have little confidence in the happy-go-lucky girl's ability to hide her feelings... and she's the child of the caravan master. Even if he doesn't realize you're actually fucking his daughter, as soon as he sees how infatuated she is with a "tiefling", it has the potential to make him the most antagonistic of all toward you.
Meanwhile, Khaytala is still talking. "If speed is important to you, though, then it's faster to move with a smaller group, one that isn't tied down by all those wagons and carts," she says. "You could hire a few personal guards and strike out for Nelin by horse. You'd want at least two guards, though three is preferable. Even the best bodyguard needs to sleep sometime."
"My employer did give me a generous reserve of coin for expenses," you say. "This delivery is very important to him... and he would certainly appreciate its quick completion."
Khaytala shrugs. "It's your call," she says. "Hiring personal guards would be more expensive, no question. And you'd have to decide for yourself just how much protection you're willing to pay for. But if you're interested, I can at least tell you which of us are worth the coin."
She starts to glance around the crowded room, pointing out different people to you as candidates. "That's Sekav," she says, indicating a thin man in a hood sitting in the corner, with a bow strapped across his back. "He's a decent shot, and he can track pretty well too. He's cautious—maybe a little paranoid, honestly—and keeps to himself. Don't expect him to lay down his life for you if the going gets that tough, but in most ordinary situations he's a handy guy to have covering you."
From there, she turns to look at a tall, blonde half-elf woman lounging at a table near the center of the room. She wears a scarlet vest, which is so tight that it would have left little to the imagination about her buxom figure even if it hadn't had such a plunging neckline. Her breeches are similarly tight, showing off her long legs to great effect. She wears a red cloak that matches her vest, and has a rapier at her waist.
You notice Khaytala's lip twist a little in distaste. But she gives the woman her due. "Tisha is one of the better swordfighters among the guards," she says. "And she is a complete professional... so far as the job goes. You pay her to guard you? She'll get you to your destination." Khaytala's voice goes quiet as she speaks, and you suspect that there's some history between the two women.
Shaking herself, she turns away, looking over instead at a large scaled figure sitting at a different table, with a huge two-handed sword strapped across his back. He's ridiculously drunk, swaying back and forth while mumbling out some unintelligible, off-key lyrics to a song only he knows. "We don't see many lizardfolk around these parts," Khaytala says. "But Zzkesh is as reliable as they come, and good in a scrap. Just... don't go looking to him for clever ideas. And you'd need to make sure to keep him away from alcohol; it's his weakness."
Finally, she indicates a taciturn young woman with silver hair and bronze skin. Beneath her voluminous cloak, her clothes are mostly strips of cloth that wind around her slender body in tantalizing patterns, revealing a series of tattoos on her skin that glow with a faint blue light. "Her name is Mered," says Khaytala. "One of the few mages in our line of work. She's new, and I've only worked with her once, so I don't know much about her. But it never hurts to have magic backing you up... and I've seen her throw a mean lightning bolt."
From what you've heard from Iskro about your target, you doubt any of them can even hold a candle to Khaytala in terms of combat. But what she told you before is right; you'd still need at least one more, preferably two, to be truly safe in terms of the sheer logistics of guarding a camp in dangerous territory. If you decide to go with a smaller group, that is.
You consider your options. Money isn't an issue with the backing you have from the Witch Queen, but you have to decide which approach will best suit your purposes. Going with a caravan will make it much easier to feed discreetly while on the road; the sheer number of people making it easier to slip away with someone unnoticed. But you won't have as much control over the situation, and Khaytala's attention will be divided.
On the other hand, with Khaytala as your personal guard, you'd have far more control over the situation, with her having no other conflicting duties. And since you could move faster, you could reach different villages or settlements along the way in better time, allowing you to feed there when necessary. The trickiest part would be making it through the largely-uninhabited Great Forest. One way or another, getting through that stretch would likely require at least one of your traveling companions under your sway by that point.
