Solo The Last Drop of Water

[Nayato]

First Day of Fall, 523 A.V.

Time: 3rd Bell

The sun was far from rising as the night skies above were choked by a hazy, coal-black shroud which plumed from what looked to be a massive fire off in the distance. But by the perfect mark of time, Nayato riding atop his horse named Dune crested a hill to the west of Sunberth proper.
Sunberth was as far away from the borders of Eyktol as Nayato had ever been. The Chaktawe’s obsidian eyes looked flecked with stars as he gazed over the distant fire lights of the city. The first thought the man had when looking over a city that he had never seen was that it smelt of rotting corpses. The distant Slag Heap fire illuminated the paths down to the city as if to warn all travelers to stay away.

Nay ran his hand down along the side of his horses neck, gently thanking Dune for bringing him here. The Wildlands of Sylira were a tough challenge, but they were not insurmountable for his own skills along with the aid of the caravan he traveled with.

What kind of people would turn their backs on the oppressive solace of Syliras, only to seek the tattered scraps of food offered in Zeltiva to resupply with, and continue onwards towards a city of anarchy overland? Brave or foolish people. Nayato was a brave idiot or an utter fool for spending nearly the last of his coin to make the trip with such people.

The caravan he traveled with decided to settle down for one last night further back into the wildlands before entering the city in the morning to head towards someplace called the Tent City. The others he traveled with warned him that the city was dangerous at night to newcomers. He took their advice, but Nayato broke away from them only to get a look of the city and have a moment of peace alone with his thoughts.

His eyes shifted east away from the burning slag heap towards what looked to be a massive campsite area dense with tents. Nay noted that as the site of his own possible housing as he thought about what he was going to do to survive with only a silver miza and a few copper to his name.

The heavy panting of a dog interrupted his thoughts which caused him to glance to the right where his Akinva Deerstalker named Osawa craned its neck up at him. “You finally took my advice!” A female voice playfully mocked Nayato to his other side which caused him to glance to his left where a golden dingo stared up at him. The dingo sat on its hindquarters clearly puffing out its chest with pride.

“Ibiski.” He said through their shared mental link with a faint hint of exasperation towards his Chaktawe guardian. The ephemeral dingo stood up to swat a paw at the air. “What have I been telling you since you were a child? Only have faith in yourself! That is all I have ever wanted for you. Not everyone deserves to be saved if they don't drink the water they are led to. You never felt like you belonged with the knights.” The golden dingo flicked its tail behind it.

Nayato shook his head at the words he's heard countless times over the years. "I do have faith in myself how do you think I've lasted this long?" Ibisky just shook her head, “You have confidence in yourself, but you don't use it to help yourself. If there is one piece of advice I can give you now, it is to not overlook the merits of being selfish. You are not a squire. Be arrogant.... for the sake of yourself. Worry about others only when you can survive on your own. You were born to live and fight for the last drop of water." The ephemeral dingo disappeared between the blink of his eyes.

The Chaktawe gritted his teeth as her words about water struck something deep down within his soul. Nayato felt that his water bladder was near empty and needed to be refilled soon.

If he wasn't a squire, then Nayato knew what he was going to do next.

He only told one person that he was going to leave Syliras which was his former patron knight Ser Cagus Brimholt before the Order ended the practice of one on one patrons. Ser Cagus was from Sunberth and the only piece of advice that his ex-patron gave him was that if all else failed if he decided to leave for Sunberth was that the Sun's Birth, despite how they felt about The Order, had people in it who respected Sylir.

The ex-squire pulled at Dune's reigns to signal the steed to turn around to head back to the caravan. As Dune began to turn, the fledgling spiritist felt a coldness in the new autumn air which warned him that the presence of his ghost companion Jaleh was nearby, always watching him. Haunting him.

When Nayato returned to the caravan's campsite only those who were hired to be guards were awake. They all seemed to be nervous being in the dark woods so close to Sunberth, but Nayato left them to do their jobs. He loosely hitched Dune to a wagon with other horses, then found an empty spot to spread out a bedroll to sleep using his backpack as a pillow under the night sky.

Jaleh could no longer maintain Osawa under her possession causing the large dog to cower up against Nayato’s side for safety against the ghost. He left his hand on Osawa's bacl to comfort the dog, but after riding all day with the caravan he was tired, and luckily, he passed out as soon as he closed his eyes to rest.

WC: 965

[Nayato]

7th Bell

Nayato awoke as soon as the first ray of sunlight struck his face. He lifted a hand to block the light out as well as rub the sleep from his eyes. He glanced around as the caravan began to pack up camp, but could tell that there was an odd feeling of anticipation in the air. Nayato took in a deep breath as he forced himself to sit up to start his day.

Osawa was out cold sleeping on his back with all four legs up in the air. Nayato almost did not want to bother the dog but reached aside to gently rub the large dogs belly to wake him up. “Hey boy, time to get up.” He spoke in his native language of tawna. The dog woke up with a sudden roll which triggered him into starting his morning stretching routine. Nayato left the dog to its own devices as he began to roll up his bedroll.

"There's money to be made...."

"If I see him again, i'll gut him on sight...."

Nayato overheard various people talking as he carried his backpack and bedroll in hand over to where Dune was hitched. They all had their own reasons for making the trip, but he was not here to learn why or make friends with them. He stayed to himself for most of the journey unless his life was in danger. Nayato gave a nod of acknowledgement to others that looked his way, but that was the extent of his congeniality. Once he made it to Dune's side he set his backpack on the ground to strap the bedroll into position on the top of a saddlebag before properly arming himself.

The only weapon he had on himself at the moment was the khopesh sheathed on his left hip. He retrieved a sheathed dagger from his backpack which he slid along the outside ankle of his right boot. For added protection he strapped a buckler shield to his left forearm which allowed him to use his shortbow when needed. Nayato then slid his hatchet into his belt to store it on his other hip to be used as a mostly a tool but a tertiary weapon when needed. Once all his other weapons were in order, he adjusted the straps to a quiver to wear it along the back of his waist; on the side of which had a leather pocket slot where he sheathed the shortbow. Under all of it he wore a set of well worn leather armor.

"Osawa." The hunting dog came running over when Nayato called. He gave the dog a loving pat on the head and fished out the last of his rations from the trip. It was a piece of dried salted fish that he took a bite out of before handing the other half to Osawa as a reward for listening. "Good boy."

With Osawa following him Nayato turned his attention to Dune.

He approached the colorsplash from the side to adjust the saddle blanket on his back, doing his best to gently shift the saddle into proper position. He massaged his hand along Dune's neck before crouching down to check on the buckle of the girth under the horse. He needed to loosen a few straps to adjust the fit after seeing that a few were overtightened. "Smile for me Dune." He smirked while talking to the horse in his native language of Tawna, stroking a hand along the horses cheek before holding his palm against the horse's mouth. Dune licked at his palm which Nayato used to shift a finger into his mouth to adjust the bridle between his teeth.

When Nay removed his hand form the horses mouth, Dune shook his head while chomping his teeth together a few times. The rest of the tact was in place from last nights right, but he took the time to make sure the halter was not out of place from where he hitched the lead rope. Nayato started to wind the lead rope up before tying it to the front left side of the saddle. This left only the reins as the main means of controlling the horse.

The Chaktawe gripped the horn of the saddle in one hand while lifting his foot to slide it into the stirrup. His ankle shifted as Dune moved which caused him to lose his balance as he pressed his body upwards causing. He did not fall, but he did find himself standing back on the ground. He did it again and flung his other leg over the back of the horse to successfully plant his rearend down onto the saddle.

With the reins in both hands, he gently squeezed his calves against Dune's sides while shifting the straps to the left to turn the horse. Dune began to turn with heavy hooved beats against the ground. "Good. Good. Slow and steady." He reassured the horse in his native language until it was facing the same direction as the rallying caravan.

The Caravan leader was a portly human man nearing their early sixties holding what looked to be a large hammer. He stood on the back of a wagon speaking to everyone. "We made it, but lets not petch everything up the last step. The Sun's Birth are pressed to the west. If it's not obvious, that's exactly the side of the city we were entering from. I don't feel like being robbed of everything by angry Dragoons. So instead, we'll skirt the edges of the hot springs and park ourselves at the tent city."

Murmurs began to spread through the group but Nayato just canted his head to the side curiously and called out to the man in common. "What do you mean pressed to the west?" He called out to the caravan leader. "I don't know, same shit that always happens. Looks like they aren't in the gated community anymore." Nayato had no context for any of the locations the man spoke about, but he just nodded his head while processing the information of where to find the group he was looking for.

The caravan made its way towards the town as the day approached the eighth bell.

When the caravan started to turn east towards the hot springs, Nayato found himself squaring his body on the saddle while squishing his calves against Dune's body while pulling back gently on the reins to halt his walk. He watched as the caravan slowly left him behind and for a moment, he wanted to follow them. He could always be a guide to people in the wilderness, or a mercenary.

"What are you going to do?"

Nay did not know where Ibiski was but she spoke to him in his head. He simply thought back to her, "They are scared of the gang. I will not live in fear. And besides, I'm thirsty." There was a long pause afterwards and when Ibiski did not respond, Nayato pressed his heels gently together while making a clicking sound by sucking air between his teeth to motivate Dune into a gentle walk into the city. Osawa waged a tail while following and chasing after Nayato.

WC: 1197