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 Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:50 pm
 Tamim and Aakil plodded onwards.
The desert was flat and featureless in this region. It was hard to guess why -- the Jauhar border wasn’t too far off, and if you squinted hard enough you might be able to pick out a line of blue-green on the horizon. Perhaps the distant jungle shielded these parts from the winds what otherwise sculpted the desert? That didn’t explain the relative lack of foliage, though. A day’s drive would bring him to the borderlands, where trees began to spring out of the sand. Here there was nothing but lonely cactus.
In any case, it wasn’t much of a concern for a well-prepared wagon like his. He remembered making the reverse of this journey a few years ago, trudging through the sand with a parched throat and no idea where he was headed.
Now he had a destination, a shady canopy over his head, a set of four good wheels and barrels of water. Not forgetting, of course, the two burly beasts that did all the hard work around here (although of course Tamim had been by his side even on that previously miserable trek).
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:53 pm
 Vodyanoi wasn’t stupid -- the troupe had been travelling in the desert, and he had a good idea of what one needed to survive out there. Nevertheless, it was difficult going. He’d been hoping to hitch a ride with some trader headed out of Belpol, but he found many of them to be startlingly inhospitable. Three of them had left for the border while he was in town, and none of them agreed to letting him come aboard.
They sniffed down their noses at him, fixed up their rich and proper robes, and rode off. He had no money to offer them, and apparently his company wasn’t worth the water.
So, despite the dangers, he set out on foot. It wasn’t supposed to be too long a trek. He had a big waterskin that he carried himself, and he had convinced Delis to carry a smaller backup supply. Dez didn’t drink much, being an Oban critter, and Ika only needed a few drops to keep her happy. He’d been optimistic, but… things weren’t looking great, admittedly. They were still a day from the border and they had only the small water-jug strapped to Delis’ back, with Vodyanoi’s skin already hanging empty by his side.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:54 pm
He spotted the figure from a long way off -- with this much open ground, you could see for miles. It wasn’t too odd to see a traveller on foot (not everyone could afford a ride, after all, and he himself had done plenty of walking in these parts). What did strike him as… well, interesting was the fact that whoever this was, they were very… well, shiny. Ever so often the sun would catch upon something on the wanderer’s wardrobe, and he’d sparkle like a drop of water.
Hm. Water. The closer he got, the more sure he was that this fellow was from Matori. He had the blue skin and glossy blue-green hair of the water earthlings. He seemed to be accompanied by another (also blue) critter… possibly also from Matori, for it was not one that Juno could immediately identify as something out of Oba (or Sauti, for that matter). Curious (and maybe a bit concerned for the traveller’s well-being), he spurred the two quhars on into a faster walk.
“Hey, stranger!” He called out when he was within earshot, not wanting to startle the fellow (who hadn’t looked back in his direction yet). “Need a ride?”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:58 pm
Vodyanoi heard the cart-wheels eventually -- the only other sound, after all, were his footsteps and the usual cacophony of jingles and jangles that followed him around. But after the unpleasant brush-offs he had gotten from the last three traders, he didn’t even bother looking up. He was a bit uncomfortable, maybe, but he wasn’t desperate. He didn’t need to beg another snobby Oban. Hmph!
A few minutes later, the cart was close enough for him to hear the snuffling of whatever beasts were pulling it -- quhars, most likely, although once in a while you saw an angry-looking janarim burdened with the task. He started to veer off to the side of the trail (incase it was an angry janarim) when he heard the trader’s call. Given that there was little doubt about whom he was addressing (there was no one else out on the road), Vodyanoi looked up, surprised.
The cart, now stopped right beside him, was decidedly Oban. The driver? Decidedly not. A hybrid of some sort, Vodyanoi gathered after the initial shock. Blue-gray skin like a shifter, but sporting long, wavy hair that matched the colour of the surrounding desert. There were no janarim, just two big quhars with those patient, long-suffering faces characteristic of the beasts.
“Well, I… sure I do. You offering?”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:00 pm
“Well, sure, mister.”
Yup, definitely Matori. And just about the flashiest looking water earthling he’d ever seen, at that! He wore bracelets and necklaces all over, had strings and feathers in his hair, and was dressed in clothes better suited for some sort of fancy performance than desert-travel. In fact, judging by the drum he was carrying, he was a performer. Curiously, a purple-blue perzi was curled up on the skin of the drum.
Aakil looked over from under her yoke and sniffed at the furry blue critter walking along with him.
“It’s a hard stretch out here, and you look like you’ve done enough walking. Hop on, take a load off. We’ll make it to the borderlands by nightfall, if we don’t stand here and discuss it.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:02 pm
“Well, sure, Mister.” The stranger said, like it was the most self-evident thing in the world. Whoever he was, he clearly wasn’t cut from the same cloth as the high-and-mighty Obans. His wagon, on closer inspection, looked to be fairly old and well-used, although the man himself looked younger than Vodyanoi -- muscled and broad-shouldered, but with a sharp glimmer to his eyes.
“No discussing needed.” Vodyanoi waved his hand, bracelets sparkling. “Up, Delis!”
He pointed at the step beside the driver’s bench, and the zanteer hopped on with little hesitation -- quickly taking shelter in the shadow underneath the canopy. Then he passed his drum (and Dez) up to the hybrid, who set them both under the canopy as well. Lastly, he swung up onto the bench, stretching his shoulders as the burden was lifted. PErhaps he’d underestimated how awkward a load the barrel-drum was. It wasn’t heavy, but it sure did bang awkwardly against his side!
“Drive on, then! To the borderlands, my charitable chariot!”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:05 pm
He helped the water earthling with his drum and his perzi, making sure all the critters were settled in before picking up the reins. The stranger didn’t seem to have much else in the way of baggage -- just the drum, his animals and a water skin. It was sort of admirable, but maybe a hint of his inexperience as a traveller. Juno’s family were nomads, after all, but they were always well-stocked with equipment and supplies.
“Charitable chariot?” Juno snorted. “Well, I’ll take it. Tamim, Aakil! Heads up!”
He twitched the reins and the quhars moved on with low bellows.
“I’m Juno. I’m headed over to Tale -- delivering beer for the Red Sun brewery, outta Sulburi. You…. look a little familiar, come to think of it. Have you been over that way? I haven’t been to Matori, not yet at least, so I couldn’t have seen you there.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:07 pm
Vodyanoi breathed a sigh of relief when the wagon started moving. It was nice to make some progress without having to walk! The troupe had always traveled with caravans similar to these (albeit in the Matori style), and the gentle lurch of the wheels over packed sand was quite familiar to him.
“Well, thanks for the ride, Juno. This is what I had meant to do all along, but the other traders in Belpol weren’t quite as charitable as you. I tried every trick in the book, short of magically procuring money to pay my passage -- I don’t have this skill, you see -- and none of them were the slightest bit interested in having my dirty feet bespoil their magnificent carriages! Hmph. Well, if you ask me, your wagon is the best-looking of the lot. I might even put together a piece of music about it.”
It wasn’t even a stretch -- there was a lulling sort of rhythm to a moving wagons that he rather liked.
“My name’s Vodyanoi. I’m a drummer, if you haven’t figured it out. My troupe performed lots in Sulburi, you might’ve seen me there.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:08 pm
“Oh, nevermind them.” Juno waved his hand on the subject of the other traders. “Some are like that. It’s no bother for me -- I get paid for my deliveries just the same no matter how many passengers I take on. And don’t worry about magic money tricks, you can pay for your passage in conversation.”
He tried to think back to performanced he had seen in Sulburi, to see if he had indeed come across Vodyanoi’s troupe. There were always performers of various sorts in the marketplaces. Had he heard some drumming?
“Wait, yes, yes! I think I remember. A fairly big troupe, all Matori, mostly drummers but with some dancers? Yeah, I think that must’ve been it. They wore costumes similar to yours, I think. I’m afraid I don’t remember hearing you play specifically, but… well, I was new-ish to Oba back then, and I’m afraid to admit it but all Matorians looked sort of the same to me. I don’t mean any offense by it. I remember it was quite a show, a big crowd and everything. So how come you’re on your own now?”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:12 pm
“That’s us!” Vodyanoi beamed, clapping his hands when Juno recalled one of the troupe’s performances in Sulburi. Then, when the hybrid went on to explain why he hadn’t been able to recognize him specifically. “And what do you mean we all look the same?! I work hard to stand out!”
He gestured at his elaborate costume, but mostly in jest. His ornaments had been a little more toned-down a few years back, when they were over in Sulburi. Anyhow, standing out amongst random people in an Oban marketplace was one thing. Standing out in a troupe of other dressed-up, dancing, drumming and whirling performers was a whole other matter. More likely than not, he would be a lot easier to remember the further he travelled out of Matori, where he might even possibly be the only Water Earthling around.
Surely there weren’t too many of them out in Zena, were there?
“I’m on a… research mission, I guess. My troupe’s a little…. conservative, and I’m trying to convince them that there’s more to the world than just Matori and Oba. The plan is, after I see the world… they’ll be willing to follow my lead.”
He pursed his lips, as if he wasn’t quite sure about this.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:14 pm
“And you’re doing a good job of it!” Juno winced. “It’s just hard for a Sauti boy to process everything at once, you know. I was still getting used to the sheer size of the place!”
He still remembered those days -- getting lost on the way home almost every day (partially because he was always tempted to explore some new corner of town), seeing just about every species in Tendaji (eathling, alk and beast) crammed into every street and alley. Things like exotic performances from Matori had been a blue-green blur of colour and sound. These days, he was feeling a little more metropolitan, that was for sure.
“You don’t sound certain.” He remarked as Vodyanoi laid out his plan for exploring Tendaji. “You think they won’t trust you?”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:16 pm
“Well… yeah.” The drummer rubbed his fingers together. “It’s… a little more complicated than that.”
He waited to see if Juno would ask some other question to change the topic (not everybody wanted to hear stories about complications), but the man seemed to be listening. Vodyanoi took a deep breath.
“I joined the troupe as a kid, just so I’d have… someplace to belong, I guess. And I loved the music, of course. There’s just something magical about drumming. And I learned a lot over the last few years, but I’m not the most experienced member of the troupe, you know? And not the most skilled, either, although I try my best. But the leaders of my troupe, Yuna and Oriole… they say that when I get back, I should lead the troupe. I don’t think they’ve told the others. I don’t know if they’ll want to follow me! I’m just some… once-slave from Oba. Yuna and Oriole say I’ve got the vision for it, but I don’t know if I’ve got the skills.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:28 pm
“Hmm.” Juno nodded, listening to the explanation. He supposed he sort of understood. He was ambitious, and wanted to be his own boss as soon as he could manage it -- this delivery job, this was just a rung in the ladder. But at the same time, he was sort of happy to plod along on his road, taking up new opportunities only when he was ready for them. He’d keep delivering beer until he felt sure enough to start his own brewery, plain and easy.
But Vodyanoi was getting opportunity shoved right in his arms… and it didn’t sound like he felt ready for it.
“Well, you’ve got time now, don’t you? You’ve just set out on your trip around Tendaji. You’ll learn a thing or two before you’re through… about music, and then some. Take it from me! My family is all nomads. And travelling like that, well, it takes practice. You might mess up a few times. Well, you already did, walking through the desert like this. But you’ll learn from those mistakes, and you’ll have a kind of… I dunno, a confidence that others won’t have. Leadership and drumming are different skills, anyway.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:35 pm
He hadn’t really brought this up to seek reassurance (Juno was a carter, after all, and what was he supposed to know about leading a musicians’ troupe)... but he found the hybrid’s words strangely comforting.
“I guess you’re right.” He mused. “I keep feeling like they’d view me as an outsider, but… to be honest, maybe there’s nothing to that. I’ve been with them for years. I guess it’s just me who feels different. Lots of the rest of them, they hadn’t even been to Oba. That made them lucky, of course, but it meant they hadn’t done much travelling. I was already on my own as a prentice, trekking into Matori… it seems only natural for me to want to go further now, but they’re afraid of the rest of the world. And that’s fine, except… wouldn’t it be wonderful, to travel to other places and perform, have people see what the music of Matori is like?”
He sat up a little, smiling.
“Jeez, we could even hop on one of those flying ships! Have you heard about them?”
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:44 pm
“Heard about them? I’ve seen them!” Juno grinned at the mention of flying ships.
“That would sure be something, going all the way over to those new lands… and it’s gotta be done! Music’s important, I understand that. It’s one of the good things in life… like food, and drink. It’s the easiest way to reach out to other cultures. Anybody can enjoy music, even if not what they’re used to. Just to… listen to something different, it’s interesting. And half the time, it ends up being not all that different anyway, and it brings people together. I think you could convince your folks of that.”
He nodded to himself, then perked up with a thought.
“Performers perform for money, don’t they? If you came back to your troupe with piles of riches, you’d convince them for sure. You can make money performing yourself, or maybe even teaching others, can’t you?”
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