Xarst Reborn: recdu
On a cool morning in Moonglow, the sun was fighting to gain distance with the horizon. Tendrils of light raced forward with blazing ferocity, blinding anyone who wished to move eastward. Xarst kept flailing his head from side to side, trying to gain shelter from the sun. The horse wasn�t cooperating; keeping its head low to the ground as it strode forward. Xarst still tried to duck his head lower, looking for shade. It was futile, as the sun beat down on him relentlessly. Behind him, his captor, Dasynda, was having much better luck. Her head pushed into his back. Xarst imagined that she was even managing to catch a few more minutes of sleep as the horse slowly forged forward. Each time it seemed that Dasynda was quiet or still for a minute or two, her hands would move slightly, reminding Xarst who was in control. Her hands rested conveniently or inconveniently across his thighs while holding tight grips on the horse�s reigns, making the ride that much more uncomfortable.
Ahead of them, silhouettes of men and women forged into view. As if to quell any thought of escape, Dasynda swept her cloak to one side producing a dagger in her hand. The point found a soft spot in Xarst�s side. "If you have any thoughts of escape, I urge you to keep your mouth shut and play nice," Dasynda said with a smirk, "If an arrow should find my back, I will die with my blade in your ribs. That I assure you of!" Just as quickly as that, her blade was resting again, in its scabbard. Her hands again were on his thighs, for no other reason than to annoy him. Minutes later, a shop sprung into view. All around were men and women, each too busy to notice anything strange about the couple on the horse. The horse stepped towards the entrance of the shop. Dasynda hesitated, then guided the mare into what looked like a magic shop. Herbs, spellbooks, and potions littered the shop, as vendors dealt out goods and services endlessly.
Xarst laughed uncontrollably. Dasynda instinctively shifted her cloak, most likely grabbing that dagger again. "Don�t worry your pretty little head," Xarst managed sarcastically. "We are as much alone here as we were an hour ago. Look at them!" Xarst motioned at them, nodding his head to the side. "They are obsessed," he laughed again.
Looking up from him, Dasynda noticed clients pushing forward ahead of one another trying to gain better access to the merchant�s goods. Dasynda smiled, "And they will notice my dagger in your ribs even less than a cry for help. Just remember that." Dasynda found a merchant alone near the back of the shop. "Hail vendor, what wares do you have for me to buy?" Proudly gesturing towards some supplies, the merchant invited Dasynda to have a look for herself. Pointing towards a glass bottle, "I would like to purchase that potion!" Dasynda tossed 18 gold coins to the vendor as she drank the yellow liquid down. All the pain from the encounter the morning before had subsided.
Xarst muttered, "What are they doing over there?"
Following his eyes, Dasynda noticed a bunch of people yelling some sort of incantation. Some would disappear. Others would curse what seemed to be dissatisfaction. But just about everyone was yelling "recdu." Dasynda moved the horse deliberately towards the others. Curiously, she asked the closest one to her, "What is this �recdu�?" Xarst felt a strange feeling come over him. The same feeling he had while stepping through one of those blue moongates as Dasynda called them. A moment later, they were in another shop. Xarst peered back to see that Dasynda was indeed still with him. "Who told you to speak?" Dasynda muttered half-annoyed. Dasynda breathed deeply and spoke, "recdu." Looking about, she repeated herself, growing angry. Again and again, she muttered the word "recdu." Nothing happened. "Next time, keep your mouth shut," she yelled at Xarst, blaming him for their whereabouts.
Xarst and Katrina on their ship the evening of his return from captivity by the evil Dasynda
