-

There are only three mysteries in this Realm still left unidentified to the erudite scholar.

The depths of the sea and its creatures, Gods true colors and what’s beyond Mistland's foggy shores.

-

Kallister

-The Traveler’s Papers-

Sometime before the First Era

right click to open the image fully

Whisper ‘Pretty Nose’ Jinx

Realm’s Mysteries

Boo.

Small bundle of soft, milk smelling, awesomeness.

Criminally cute.

The baby girl chuckled, tiny fingers tickling her nostrils, large eyes a mirror Jinx could see herself in. Dammit, I look so darn hot, just wow! Those are some pretty eyes also tiny droolin’ lass. A medley of colors in them, based on silver, Glen’s amber and the pink of Jinx’s head. Another opal, just like yer mother, the Gish thought touching the baby girl’s ear.

Earning another chuckle.

“What’s the word for gem in Imperial?” she asked Sen-Iv that was watching them play laying leisurely at the other side of the large coach.

“Same as precious, or jewel,” Sen replied pushing a lock of black hair behind a bejeweled ear, the diamonds sparkling in the light coming from the open windows. “If it’s a person. Inis-Mir.”

Her flawless accent even sexier than Maeriel’s Imperial.

“Say that again,” Jinx blurted mesmerized and Sen-Iv laughed at her expression, then used an equally richly adorned foot to push the much smaller Jinx towards the edge of the divan.

The litheness of the woman uncanny.

“I’ll drop her,” The Gish warned the baby’s luscious mother and Sev-Iv’s equally exotic eyes stayed on her for a contemplating moment.

“You love her too much for that Jinx. I believe you’ll rather perish than allow any harm to come to her,” the Cofol woman finally stated in her all-knowing manner and her daughter used a finger to dig into Jinx’s left nostril ruining the moment.

“Hey you,” Jinx grinned and lifted the baby higher. “That’s a big nose on that small face,” she teased and touched her tiny nose. “That’s a Gish nose,” Jinx touched hers, grimacing to avoid a sneeze. “That’s a Gish ear.”

The baby chuckled and pulled at her earlobe hard. It was almost a yank. “Eh, haha… alright there lass, enough pullin’ an’ twisting,” Jinx warned trying to dislodge her ear from the baby’s grip. “Inis-Mir, here… that’s a chin. The neck underneath it.”

Jinx laid back on the divan and allowed the baby to rest on her bosom. She glanced at Sen-Iv and the relaxing woman raised a perfectly trimmed brow.

“It’s a bold choice for a name,” Sen-Iv commented evenly.

“I feel it though,” Jinx admitted. “It sounds right. Hmm?” She asked the cooing baby.

“Boo,” Inis-Mir declared finding the target.

“She’s precious no?” Jinx asked and loosened her shirt.

Sen smiled at her shenanigans, before nodding once.

“She is.”

“What?” Jinx asked the searching baby. “This isn’t your mum’s tit Inis-Mir,” she teased the adventurous tiny creature. “Oii, don’t do that,” she warned her just as a wild-haired Glen burst inside the bedroom breathing heavy, one leg of his pants covered in mud.

“WHAT IN THE SLOVENLY FUCK!” Glen barked stopping dead in his tracks, as if he’d just witnessed a murder. “What are ye doing?”

The baby froze scared.

“Nothing!” Jinx protested caught unawares at his hostility. “Why are ye yelling!”

“Let go of her right now!” Glen barked twice as loud and rushed to the couch livid.

He’s gone mad, Jinx realized. It was always going to end this way.

“Why?”

“Are you serious? YOUR TITS ARE SPILLING OUT!” Glen admonished her for some reason and grabbed his daughter away. “What is this shite?”

What?

The Gish looked at him shocked.

“What’s wrong wit them?” Jinx argued jumping up, pausing to cover everything again. “You could’ve looked away,” she added with a glare. “But ye didn’t hmm?”

Glen blinked and then cleared his throat. “Don’t give me that hummin’ Whisper. I mean it, I want none of that.”

“Of what? Yer a fuckin’ idiot!” Jinx snapped and Sen got up from the coach with a sigh. She came to a stop between them, then reached to take the baby away from Glen.

“Let me handle this,” Glen told her still angry, but Sen gave him a kiss and he calmed down.

“I prefer you didn’t,” she told him simply.

Hah, Jinx thought. That’ll fire him up again girl!

“Fine,” Glen yielded instead much to her surprise. It was more a surrender. What a fuckin’ cunt, Jinx thought. Glen sighed and added. “Just keep the…”

“Boo,” his daughter said, cutting him off afore he could finish.

Glen narrowed his eyes.

“Did she just say boob?” he grunted.

“She’s a baby Glen,” Jinx told him. “Stop being so god darn lusty in yer thinkin’!”

“How am I…? Ah, you make no sense Whisper,” Glen argued shaking his head.

“My rogue is lustful?” Sen-Iv purred like a feline in heat and Jinx rolled her eyes seeing Glen raising a teasing brow in response.

But this was also her friend’s hint for Jinx to leave them alone and she did.

Metu, thinning hair oiled and freshly trimmed neatly around his nape and ringed ears, glanced at her strolling down the stairs, an armful of scrolls in his arms. Jinx seeing Fikumin was also watching her descent made a quick running step and sort of jumped to clear the final part of the staircase, incorporating a complete cartwheel as a finish.

Nigh dangerous.

Jinx landed on her feet almost turning an ankle, a lock of pink hair dancing between her eyes and grinned at her horrified audience.

“Gods good gravy,” Metu commented, very impressed. “Are you quite well Lady Jinx?”

“Never better,” Jinx replied quickly standing up with that smile -turned to a grimace of pain- still on her mouth.

“Gish are the most attention seeking creatures,” Fikumin commented sourly. “Ever trying to compensate for what’s lacking. In this case intelligence.”

“Don’t have to compensate for height at least,” Jinx retorted and approached the part of the open hall that was Fikumin’s office, Glen’s throne-chair and sort of meeting place all in one place, inside the large villa. “Right?”

Fikumin jumped from the chair he was standing on, the thud when he landed shaking the floor. Jinx had a head on him and she wasn’t intimidated at all, so she stuck her chest in his face and the dwarf backed off with a grimace of despair.

“Give her the message,” he ordered Metu exasperated and the former slave offered a very small rolled up scroll to Jinx.

“What’s this?” Jinx asked suspiciously.

“A missive from Eikenport,” Metu droned patiently.

“How do ye know? Hmm?”

“I read it. It’s my job,” the Cofol replied.

“Aha!” Jinx said and looked at both their blank faces knowingly. Given that she had nothing more to add, Jinx took the scroll from him. Unfurled it under the two males’ scrutiny, scratched between her nostrils once and read from it for a moment.

Tried to at least.

“Ah, I can’t read dis,” she declared and returned it to an expecting Metu.

“It’s in military shorthand,” Metu explained assuming a haughty expression. Jinx poked him in the belly once and the Castellan as he’d started calling himself, almost doubled over spilling all his scrolls down.

Fikumin grunted and moved to help him stand upright.

“Continue,” he urged the flushed and thoroughly shook Cofol.

Metu cleared his throat. “As I said, Ottis wanted to ensure we get the gist of what he was saying, without allowing ‘third parties’ in on the details. The Gallant Dogs are currently in a dispute with that other mercenary unit.”

“About Glen?” Jinx asked, turning serious.

“About a woman called Anne Burton. Ottis fears it might turn ugly. These are two weeks old news Lady Jinx.”

Jinx stared at Fikumin. “What does Lon say?”

“He made no mention of this in his last report,” the dwarf replied.

“The woman is the Princess of Kaltha,” Metu elucidated. “Apparently mister Stiles decided to offer her sanctum.”

What?

“Is he serious?” Jinx hissed irate. “Why get involved wit all their crap?”

“What is she doing in Eikenport?” Fikumin asked and glared at Jinx for not keeping her voice down.

“What was that?” Glen asked from the top of the stairs, naked as the day he was born. “You can speak whilst staring at me cock Whisper!” he barked.

“Well?” Glen asked wearing a towel around his private parts. “I heard yer bickering about something in Eikenport. What is it?”

“Yer angry because you stopped mid—” Jinx tried to say, but Glen snapped her way with a furious glare.

“Enough wit your bullshit Whisper!” He growled, then stepped back to avoid a kick in the jewels she threw at him.

Slippery motherfucker!

“Stiles offered sanctuary to the Princess of Kaltha,” Metu explained. “Apparently she’s been wanted by the ‘Three Hundred’ as well. It might come down to an armed confrontation.”

Glen breathed deeply, puffed his cheeks out ballooning his face alike a fish, which was sidesplittingly funny, then blew it all out raucously. He then walked to the table, found Fikumin’s carafe of wine and poured himself a goblet spilling some in the process. He glugged it all down and then smacked the goblet on the table with a burp.

“There’s an angle we don’t see,” he said sounding strangled, some of the wine going down the wrong pipe. “What does Lon say?”

“He doesn’t know about it,” Fikumin replied.

“The girl was ‘married’ to a Prince,” Glen explained, making air quotes at the word. “I don’t believe she’s there legally,” he glanced up the stairs, saw Sen-Iv watching their conversation in silence, dressed in a scandalously short red silk robe that left her oiled legs and part of her hips uncovered and asked tiredly. “What do you think Sen?”

“She couldn’t be, not without the Prince,” his wife replied serenely. “She should have been with him at all times, or confined at his home in Dia like all Cofol wives.”

“Where’s the darn prince?” Glen asked Fikumin with a grimace of annoyance, spotting the dwarf’s judgmental stare.

“He left months ago, Lon had written to me about it,” the dwarf explained.

“There you go,” Glen replied, adding while making another use of air quotes. “That’s a legitimate case of a pirate pretending to be a ‘gentleman’ from the stories, or Stiles is trying to make a coin.”

“I should go there immediately,” Jinx decided not convinced. “The Dogs might still find themselves in trouble.”

Glen rubbed his nose, then his face with a hand, before turning to stare at her for a tense moment.

“No,” he finally said.

What?

“Ye can’t order me around!” Jinx hissed and moved on him. Glen sidestepped and put a hand out blocking her.

“Stiles will have everything under control Whisper,” he explained playing it cool, as his hand was squeezing her breast above the shirt. Sen-Iv chuckled from the top of the stairs finding it funny. “This was a mistake,” Glen added, removing his hand a little flushed in the face.

“What if he doesn’t?” Jinx argued and put both hands at her waist. She hated this taller version of Glen, despite his much improved physical condition.

“Stiles is a professional crook,” Glen assured her using no quotes this time. “The moment the going gets rough, he’ll sell her out,” he whipped his head around and glared at Fikumin who was just about ready to intervene, afore continuing. “Ottis is just being overly cautious here.”

“Still I should be there,” Jinx insisted. “I’ll take Soren wit—”

“No,” Glen cut her off again sternly. “You can’t travel wit a boat remember? Yer words.”

Jinx sighed and stared at her small boots.

“I could make it, I’m willing to take the risk Glen,” she finally blurted out.

“I’m not,” Glen replied matter-of-factly. “Even if you tried to make it anyway, this is three-four weeks journey Whisper. By then, all this will be over.”

“I have a bad feeling,” Jinx murmured and she could feel it in her heart.

“You always do,” Glen said tensely. “Don’t worry about them, they’ll be alright. What you should do is talk wit Maeriel about a mission I’ve given her.”

Huh? Did that sneaky fool just dodged and changed the subject?

“What mission?” Jinx asked him suspiciously.

“We still haven’t found what happened to those twelve people that disappeared Whisper,” Glen explained. “Now I’m busy looking over Voron’s shoulder, the baby, solving the city’s problems,” Fikumin started coughing stunned at his hubris and pile of lies, but Glen continued undaunted. Never was a more shameless scoundrel given a position of such power that Jinx knew. “I have barely enough time to eat once per day, sleep, exercise a bit and fuck… sorry dear,” he apologized to his smiling wife.

“I attest to the latter,” Sen-Iv told them calmly and turning around walked seductively back into her bedroom.

Whoa sister.

“Right,” Glen said breaking the spell and snapping everyone back to the present. “As I said, Sam Mathews talked wit some adventurers about his findings and I agreed to let him use Maeriel for the mission.”

“Wait… what findings?” Jinx asked.

“Talk to him about it,” Glen replied readily.

“Wasn’t Anfalon on this?”

“I want Anfalon to train his pupils,” Glen argued. “I’ve been helping him and it ain’t easy getting thrown around in the mud with those brutes every day. We need those men Whisper, Lord Rothomir might pay us a visit on the morrow and catches us wit our pants down.”

Jinx stared at the towel he had around his chiseled waist and then nodded, the relief on Glen’s handsome face so blatant that she was sure he’d lied to her aplenty to stop her from making the journey.

Jinx jumped over Cat chasing Bobelo around, the monkey climbing on her, using her long ponytail to swing above the snarling cub and slap it once across the snout. She found Phina anxiously waiting with a stack of drawings in her arms outside the entrance and greeted the fair Zilan with a grin.

“What you have there girl?”

“Some ideas for the castle and other stuff,” Phina replied mysteriously, the cub clasping at her ankle whining. “Is Arguen Garth available?”

“I told her he isn’t twice already,” Alan Kirk explained, standing relaxed in the shaded part of the entrance. The fighter was working full time for Glen since they had left Eikenport, along with his friend Bing. “But I don’t mind her company.”

“Phina you could talk to Fikumin,” Jinx told her and the young Zilan blushed furiously.

“I was going to ask for him next,” she reasoned unconvincingly.

“You do that,” Jinx advised her. “Leave Glen out of it, spare yerself the heartache.”

Phina blinked embarrassed. “I wasn’t… I’m not intimate with Arguen Garth like you are Lady Jinx,” she blurted.

“Trust me,” Jinx said stooping near her rosy face, Alan chuckling uncontrollably behind her. “Tis better this way.”

Soren was standing outside her house across the street blocking the entrance, his head well over the decorated marble header. Elaniel seemed small next to him and she was two heads taller than Jinx at least.

“Hey Pretty,” Soren crackled in his booming voice, long red beard finally back to its former glory and reaching below his chest. “Do you think I should trim me beard?”

“Was just about to comment on its potency,” Jinx replied and gave Elaniel’s fit rump a good smack. The Zilan yelped not expecting it. “Yep, yer reflexes aren’t there yet Ela,” Jinx told her.

“No animal will slap my buttocks Jinx!” Elaniel hissed, rubbing the sore spot. “That’s ridiculous.”

Jinx eyed her knowingly, afore turning to a confused Soren. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” the giant replied with a shrug. “Don’t want to get involved.”

“I meant why trim the beard?” Jinx elucidated, grimacing when Bobelo pulled at her hair hard.

“Soletha suggested it,” Soren replied. “For health reasons. She’s very knowledgeable on the functions of the body.”

“I’m sure she is,” Jinx replied. “How old is she?”

Soren frowned. “Now that was mean Pretty. She lost a daughter and don’t deserve this,” he admonished her.

“She also ate a person’s heart right out of the box,” Jinx reminded him. “So excuse me if I’m being a bit skeptical about yer relationship.”

“She’s lonely,” Soren replied. “Hasn’t had anything but seeds since then and is busy healing people.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“I don’t judge small folk habits and can be forgiving,” Soren said. “You had plenty of questionable friends, but we all kept our mouths shut.”

“Not everyone and I haven’t fucked a cannibal,” Jinx retorted and glared at the guffawing Elaniel warningly.

“How do you know?” The young apprentice ranger asked her still chuckling.

“Where’s yer teacher, barely mediocre pupil of her?” Jinx snapped not liking her innuendos.

“With Sam Mathews,” Elaniel replied sobering up, just as a tired Sam appeared at the entrance. The adventurer was dressed in his tight-fit leather armor, a ringmail vest over it, secured with a double harness.

“The man himself,” Jinx teased him and he paused to greet her.

“Jinx, I was just talking with Maeriel,” Sam said.

“What about?”

“Remember those tracks leading into the Yew Forest?”

“Uhm,” Jinx nodded. “Leaving Taras Lake and the festival grounds.”

“Ayup. Well, I followed them deep in the forest, through the ruins of the north walls, all the way to the big lake near the Avenue of Legends and Garth’s Garden of Statues.”

“They stopped there?”

“No, they didn’t,” Sam replied and scrunched his jaw. “There were two pairs of footprints initially, but they multiplied in an opening, followed the paths deep in the ancient forests next, just behind Nesande’s Temple. The rains washed them away by the time I got there.”

“Human… were those footprints of the missing?”

“Aye. Mostly Zilan was my meaning.”

“Found anyone else missing?” Jinx asked thoughtfully.

“Just the twelve.”

“They didn’t decide to go on a long trek after getting drunk,” Jinx murmured stating the obvious and Sam nodded agreeing. It was very strange. “What direction?”

“According to the map painted on your wall,” Sam replied. “Either south up the slopes, or towards the Talons following the old imperial roads whatever is left of them.”

“Is there anything that way?” Jinx asked with a frown. Lower Talon, the southernmost edge of the strangely shaped peninsula, faced east towards the Sinking Isles. A breath away from the reefs and the old sea route and exit between the mini –now mostly sunken- ancient continent of Cydonia Cazan and Goras. The two isles Ilithar and Lyari still marking the physical entrance through their straits into what was left centuries later, the unnavigable Reefs.

“Gish Lament, near the Lower Talon,” Maeriel said standing in the shade at the entrance.

Ah.

“And the Sentinel’s Tower, near the Upper Talon,” the ranger added looking at her. “Both long abandoned.”

“Anything standing?” Jinx asked tensely, the name of the Imperial Slave Camp and port village rattling her.

“The jungle claimed the land, cleansed the ruins,” Maeriel replied.

“Well anyway, if we want to figure out what happened, we either go towards the Talons, or directly south towards the slopes to reach the edge and the Reefs. A journey and a half,” Sam repeated scratching the back of his head.

“We go to Oyster Anchorage,” Maeriel said, her face hidden. “It’s a straight line between the Talons and the slopes. Goras old third port across Cydonia. Much closer.”

“How do you know they went that way?” Sam asked her curious.

“My huntress instinct,” Maeriel replied and turned around to walk back into their place.

“Aha, well then,” Sam murmured. “I have a couple of guys set on giving it a try, so I’ll have to leave you my friends. Soren, Ela, Lady Jinx,” Sam said politely.

“Why don’t I get a lady?” Elaniel protested and then approached the frowning adventurer with a predator’s toothy smile. “I’m fervent to earn your recognition master Sam Mathews.”

There were a lot of pointy teeth there, the Gish thought. All the Zilan coming with two sets of fangs.

“Eh, Sam will suffice,” the adventurer replied, a little self-consciously.

“Some,” Elaniel purred playing with the words, her eyes glowing. “But not all?”

The Zilan knew how to flirt, Jinx had to give them that.

If ye didn’t scare easily.

“Ye better get to yer friends,” Jinx advised the tongue-tied Mathews. “Whilst ye still can.”

The Gish stepped into the large house they had bought from Metu, but Maeriel wasn’t there. She paused at the large expansive hall and stared at the floor to ceiling map decorating it. The Zilan painted everything with life scenes, architectural plans, recipes and plain drawings of objects, jewelry, even weapons.

Every surface served a purpose.

Jinx sighed and walked to the weapon stand to take her bow and quiver. She paused sensing Maeriel near her and the ranger’s lips touched her neck.

“How?” Maeriel whispered, her tongue teasing the sensitive skin there.

“I know yer smell,” Jinx replied, enjoying her lover’s ministrations, even when Maeriel’s sharp teeth touched her skin.

“My Drool, is a skilled Gish,” Maeriel purred, Jinx’s skin tingling. “Tastes of milk and baby, so very tempting.”

“I’m coming with you,” Jinx murmured and turned around to face her. Maeriel pouted unable to hide her disappointment. Once you learned their gimmicks, Jinx thought watching her thinking about it, it’s easy to read them.

Not as easy as humans.

“Glen told you,” Maeriel finally said standing back. Jinx had never used Glen’s new name in front of her, or anyone else. “Why?”

“He doesn’t’ want me in Eikenport,” Jinx replied.

“This might not be an easy mission,” Maeriel told her. Glen sucked at planning, so Jinx wasn’t surprised to hear it. “Sam wants to find those people,” the Zilan added.

Aha, there’s a nugget of mystery.

“You don’t?” Jinx asked her, although she now knew what had happened.

Glen you’re such an idiot sometimes.

But you were meaning well I suppose.

“There’s nothing left to find love,” Maeriel said and glanced at the map. “There are three mysteries in this Realm left unidentified. The depths of the sea and its creatures, Gods true colors and what’s beyond Mistland. Zilan always believed it's best to avoid all three.”

Yeah, the Gish thought the same.

“Who said that?” Jinx asked her curious, as Maeriel was usually tight-lipped on these matters.

“The man who made this map. All old maps,” Maeriel replied and touched Jinx’s face with her long fingers lovingly. “You’re so special.”

Jinx was special to her and the perceptive Gish knew that, but Maeriel had let more slip out than she wanted and was trying to backtrack fast.

And the Gish knew that too.

“No secrets between soul partners right?” Jinx called out her dodge.

“No secrets,” she admitted with a pout.

“What was his name?”

“Kallistel,” Maeriel replied with a sigh and pointed at the map, showing the Realms. The continents of Jelin and Eplas, the still standing Cydonia Cazan, frozen Yalca, the fabled Split Isles and down in the far south the mysterious Mistland. “He painted the places he’d visited afore reaching Wetull’s shores. People called him Raza Sapthan, the traveling wizard.”

“What happened to this traveler?” Jinx asked kissing the inside of her wrist, when Maeriel’s hand returned to caress her cheek.

“He went back to look for world’s edge as he called it,” the Zilan ranger replied shivering and let out a soft moan. “Disappeared in the fog haunting the ancestral lands of the Aken. Most believe he’s long dead. This happened at the start of the First Era.”

“We aren’t looking for Gods, or the shores of Mistland,” Jinx told her and loosened the buttons on her shirt casually. “Hmm?”

“No we don’t and it will be auspicious to just drop the matter,” Maeriel agreed, ravenously watching the alluring Gish discarding one article of clothing after the other between them. “But Sam doesn’t know that. ”

Nor does Glen it seems, Jinx thought.

It also appeared Abrakas mischievous creatures had paid them a visit.

read it at Royalroad : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/46739/touch-o-luck-the-old-realms

& https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47919/lure-o-war-the-old-realms

Scribblehub https://www.scribblehub.com/series/542002/touch-o-luck-the-old-realms/

& https://www.scribblehub.com/series/547709/the-old-realms/