Some Gratuitous Fantasy Novel Title Here

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The southern grasslands open up ahead, deceptively peaceful and empty. Truth is, this is only the eastern finger; in the wider section to the west, a hapless troll could lose themself as the mountains disappear on both horizons. Especially as the storms roll in over the coastal range and become trapped here, emptying their contents over the perpetual prairie, flooding the river and concealing the stars.

Tavros is an old hand at these grasses. Sweeps enough to be a former life ago, he once drove the crested hoofbeasts across this vast pasture from rainy season to dry. It has been a while since he has traveled these grasses, though.

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Tavros: Furtively check for followers.

Tavros tries, and fails, not to be completely obvious about it. But that’s all right, because the road behind him is completely deserted. Not too many trolls travel the grassland roads when they can take the imperial highway that cuts straight under the mountains. But then again, most trolls aren’t dedicated pacifists. 

Tavros Nitram is something of an inconsistency.

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Meanwhile: a lone traveler crests a grassy hill.

The moon is bright tonight.

This time of the year, on the southern coastal roads, the stars are often obscured by thick rain-bearing clouds. But the fates smiled down on this traveler, giving him a clear night sky and a bright light to see by. His mule will not falter, his path will remain discernible. With luck, he’ll even make it to shelter by dawn.

He has traveled some time now, perhaps longer than he can recall. He carries no weapon and few possessions but the clothes upon his back and in his bags, and the pipe on his back that pays his way when news will not. Lately, though, all it has provided him with has been entertainment. 

» Tavros: Furtively check for followers.

Karkat: Regain use of language and demand to know what’s going on.

WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED, he wants to ask. What comes out is “I can’t tell if he’s breathing, was he with you, was he just stupid enough to help an outlaw and—”

“He’s alive.” 

Now that the action has faded, Karkat gets his first good look at the infamous outlaw known as Aradia Megido. He’s heard of her, sure, seen her face on far more wanted posters than his own, heard stories and songs about her. Most of them are probably hoofbeast defecation, though. If she really had demonic eyes and the power to change shape, she’d probably have used them by now.

Now this deranged idiot currently out cold in front of Karkat, his eyes were pretty fucking demonic.

“We should be safe enough here,” Megido continues. “At least until he wakes up.”

» Meanwhile: a lone wanderer crests a grassy hill. 

a note from the storyteller

just wanted to apologise for the HUGE GAPING HOLE in updates! Life kind of devoured me whole, but i’ve been wanting to get back to it. Anyway this is just to say that updates will commence once again, thanks for being so patient, you are all phenomenal and I appreciate you all.

In fact, the surroundings are suddenly strangely free of the inn and its patrons.

There aren’t many things that can render Karkat Vantas at a loss for words. But this might be one of them. As he stares around at the mid-woods foliage and the dim light of the pale moons, he opens and closes his mouth but can find no suitable expletive or adjective to convey his utter indignant confusion. 

» Karkat: Regain use of language and demand to know what’s going on.

“You might want to stand back.”

“IT’S NOT LIKE I HAVE ANYWHERE TO BACK UP TO YOU KNOW WE’RE KIND OF SURROUNDED.”

She doesn’t reply. Neither does anyone else around.

» In fact, the surroundings are suddenly strangely free of the inn and its patrons.

Aradia: Get your magic on.

It isn’t actually magic, as everyone knows. True magic stems from noble blood, of which rustblooded criminal Aradia Megido has absolutely none. Whatever powers she may possess must amount to nothing more than flash and trickery, sleight of hand. Nothing more.

Though how she managed to fake that magic smoke effect is pretty cool.

» “You might want to stand back.”

Except Aradia, of course.

Aradia Megido has long been resigned to the reality that she will always have to do the things she wants done herself. It was nice of that stranger to help her, though not exactly a surprise, but uncontrolled, untrained light shows like that tend to come to abrupt ends more often than not. He needs to learn focus. The same could be said for the troll who knocked him out. 

That comes later though. First Aradia’s got to get them all out of this inn and away.

» Aradia: Get your magic on.

Necessary collision: ensue.

No one could possibly have seen this one coming.

» Except Aradia of course.