Rebel of the Process

sparkle and shine, like the inside

—

"It usually happens like that, when you need something, it’s no longer available." At the mention of a party of four, Sho figured that Anders must have included the orange cat-thing, in the group. Seemed a simple enough task, just to collect some plants, and between him and Red, he figured it’d be safe enough. And Gnar - at least, Sho hoped that’s what it’s name was - introduced the other two, before looking at him quizzically. 

He felt oddly out of place, what with everyone seeming to know one another already but if Gnar could vouch for the woman (Red, her name seemed to be) and she in turn could vouch for the boy (Sho?) then he supposed they had a trustworthy group of people. 

"He’s a little on the short side," Anders said with a small chuckle. "But I don’t think he would tote a club of that size around and not be able to use it…besides, I think between the three of us, we should have this well in hand."

"But, to business I suppose," Anders said, reaching into his pack to pull out a map of the region. "The Healer’s Guild is running low on supplies due to a rash of sickness sweeping the countryside. We’ve been stretched to the breaking point and if we’re to keep our apothecaries stocked, we’re going to need some basic reagents; bloodroot and silverleaf."

"I’ll call them out if I see them but we’re going to travel between two locations," Anders said, unfolding his map and tapping a grove of trees near an open plain. "This grove of old growth should have enough decaying plant life to feed bloodroot and these plains are an ideal location to find Silverleaf."

He bounced on his toes for a second, dragging his cub towards Sho, before he gave a very tiny kick to the man’s boot with his paw. “Shuu anno reishu rega. Gnar maga.” He puffed up before once more tromping back to the center of the group. 

Once Anders pulled out his map, Red stood and walked to peer onto it, arms cross and foot rubbing the back of her bare leg. When it was question time, she looked to the man with curious azures, "I'm not familiar with the appearance of Silverleaf. I can tell my coals from my irons and my ore from my veins but herbs-" A short sing-song laugh. "- I'm not so versed."

He slowly approached Red and the orange cat-like animal, as he didn’t want to startle either of them. “Never thought in a million digits I’d see you here Red.” he chuckled, noticing that the cat thing had tusks and was most certainly not a cat, “Are you here to assist the healers?” 

Anders barely had time to reach out to the little pufball before he had shot past him like a furry orange rocket, out the door with that ridiculously large club cutting a path through the crowd and out the door where he started jabbering excitedly to the woman and the strange man who approached the pair of them. 

Adjusting his coat, Anders followed Gnar’s lead out into the sunlight, leaning on the haft of his staff as he surveyed the pair curiously. 

"It seems we have a mutual friend," Anders said to the woman while shooting a nod at the man. "You wouldn’t happen to be here about the healing herbs, would you?"

Then his Human approached and the yordle was practically vibrating on red’s lap. People where here. He wasn’t alone. 

Gnar cast a quick glance up to Red, before hopping off her lap and scrambled up Ander’s coat, settling once more on the healer’s shoulders. He chittered happily for a moment before he took it upon himself to introduce his humans.

Gnar scrambled off her lap, pressing an uncomfortable paw in her thigh. Another traveller had arrived. Red got to her feet and brushed herself down, giving a welcoming expression to Anders. "Indeed," she hummed at the cat who'd taken his place on the man's shoulders, "And I am. I hope I can be of reasonable assistance to your quest. All I ask is that I'm able to take some of the herbs home with me in payment."

Sandbox()

Finally finished! I’m pretty proud of this one. Love the game and the art really inspired me. Now excuse me while I drown in the emotions that the game and the OST gave me.

He passed a board on his way back to his room from the outskirts of Eori, and a notice for help caught his eye. It seemed a group of healers needed help gathering materials, and Sho instantly thought of Red. He had promised her to keep looking for rare materials, and this appeared to be the best opportunity. 

"Even if I don’t find anything for her, at least I can say I’ve been looking." He muttered to himself, not really caring what the people passing by thought. 

- - -

Then again, Rifters weren’t the hardest people to spot. Just look for the oddest people in the room and odds were that they were the resident fish out of water. Three likely candidates existed; a redhead perched on the fence outside, a strange looking boy tromping down the steps as though he had just woken up and-

"Oomph!"

"Mi scusi."

A very rude, hooded figure who bumped into Anders, spoke some inane gibberish, and disappeared out the back door before he could ask if he had been there about the flyer. 

Which narrowed it down considerably. 

Speaking of his human. 

The little yordle scrambled to his feet, ears twitching as he scanned the room. He wasn’t anywhere in sight. Gnar made a small noise of concern, ears drooping before he scrambled back up a beam and to his nest. His club was quickly procured, along with the sling and pouch he stuffed into his little furry little loincloth. 

It didn’t take him very long to waddle downstairs, dragging his club along with him like a second tail. The other humans in the hallway seemed to give the foot and a half tall yordle a wide berth. Perhaps it was the tusks. 

"Ndar! Gnar shushu haaa~" Gnar toddled towards his human, leaning up on his toes to rub his head into the healer’s hand with a happy gurgle from the orange yordle. He continued that for a second, one little paw fisted in his human’s coat, before he blinked curious as to why he was down here as opposed to up in the room. 

The light off of a very familiar shock of red hair caught his attention and his club hit the floor with a little thunk. Gnar practically raced from the inn on all fours, scrabbling out the door, his chittering nearly incomprehensible. “Demaglia! Demaglia!” He climbed the fence in a few hops and nearly tackled the woman perched on the edge. He chittered excitedly at her, clinging to her clothes as his long tail waggled. 

Heads up! Oops, was I too late? Sorry, I'm half asleep.

It took her a sleepy moment to recognise the orange and purple gurgling animal latched on to her armour. Ignoring the small pain in her back, she let out a melodic laugh. "Gnar!!" she cheered, wrapping her arms around her favourite kitten, "Did you get back to Estaria all by yourself, you clever little thing!" With her free hand she scratched lovingly all over Gnar's body. There was nothing she could have appreciated more than someone being so excited to be in her presence.

Anders peered into the dusty jars of bloodroot in the hospital’s basement, rattling it around as the last dark red bundles of root tumbled out onto the table. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and began mincing the alchemy reagent with a stewing sense of unease. The rash of sweating sickness that had torn through the countryside all but wiped out their reserves of basic healing potion ingredients and pushed nearly every doctor and healing mage to their limits trying to keep up. They were low enough on manpower and time and even if they weren’t, these ingredients weren’t exactly things one found on a general store shelf. Most of the other healers were poor combatants and had very little experience out in the wild.

Including me, Anders thought with a bitter grimace. Lacking much of his old potency, there was no way he could manage gathering these ingredients on his own…

Like it or not…he was going to need help. 

Attention! All Adventurers, Bodyguards, And General Combatants!

Due to a recent outbreak of sweating sickness, Hospitals and clinics sponsored by the Healer’s Guild are low on essential supplies. A fine reward is offered for adventurers willing to escort doctors and alchemists on material gathering expeditions! Minimal danger is expected but our healers are not combatants and require a degree of protection. 

Those interested, meet Anders at the the Siali Inn before sunrise three days from now. Healing supplies will be provided but please provide your own equipment for a short journey into the wilds outside Siali. 

They could pay you in medicine.

It was a good idea. Red pulled one of the papers off the rusty tack and took it to her room to read it over properly. There were materials in Estaria they needed for the blacksmith as Asrin didn't receive the most ideal variety of retail. "Alright," the warrior murmured to herself as she rubbed her greatsword down with a cloth, "I'll do it."

~~~

The soft earth of the soil catered to her flats; there was almost no sound as she cut through the growing wheat with an easy, leisurely stride. Red was- had been- an intensely private person, her file had said. Perhaps- just maybe- if she were able to approach quietly enough, slowly enough, she wouldn’t shy away. 

Just like how she’d built her intricate web of connections; how she’d been able to persuade others to love her. She appealed to what they knew best, and they responded in kind. 

Never with Red.

Sibyl stopped a good distance away, gauzy hair swept back behind her wide-brimmed hat.

"I’m not here for catharsis. It’s too late for that." She couldn’t quite bring herself to meet Red’s eyes; was it out of fear? She would have dismissed the notion as ridiculous; plowed on with a winning smile. 

But not here; not with her.

"I was," Red mused, combing her fingers through the curled locks of her crimson hair, "But I don't have the energy to be angry anymore. Maybe he does." The woman tilted her neck to look up to the endless blue above them, fluffy clouds tumbling slowly across the giant panel. She wondered if The Country could be altered like her home of Cloudbank could. She was no longer able to see the programming behind the environmental graphics. Or, perhaps, this place did not function in such ways.