Phi De Phi is a long way away, and using her magic every day tends to drain Edrea greatly. However, she knows she must deliver her message in order to get paid so she can buy supplies. In the meantime, however, she and Cephalus land early each night to forage for edible fruits, vegetables, and animals. Sometimes they find enough, other times they have to use some of Edrea's rations. Either way, they find themselves just barely getting enough to live.
Now, however, Edrea catches sight of a city on the horizon. Smiling, she glances over her shoulder into her pack. "How would you like to meet some new people, Cephalus?" she asks. The little gray-and-green haken bobs his head, and Edrea picks up her pace just a little bit more. The wind is heading the same direction they are, so it allows Edrea to use a little less energy to keep them going at her desired speed. Soon, they are within a reasonable distance to walk.
Landing lightly with a step-hop, Edrea lets Cephalus out of her pack. He slithers onto the ground and rolls a bit before returning to Edrea. "Don't get lost in the grass, okay, Ceph?"
Cephalus nods his head and the two of them begin to walk the last few klicks to the city. Judging by the time it has taken them to get there, the surrounding landmarks, and the size of the city, Edrea believes it to be Indi Olis. The two should, if Edrea's calculations are correct, arrive at the city within the hour.
The city's gates confirm Edrea's suspicions that it is Indi Olis. Merchants and vendors line the way into the city, and Edrea gathers Cephalus back up into her pack. "We don't want you lost, now do we, Ceph?" she asks. Cephalus responds by shaking his head and smiling - or producing a reasonable facsimile thereof.
All around them, merchants are shouting out their wares. Cephalus' head jerks back and forth as each merchant makes his call. Edrea, however, passes them all by. What she needs is in the city, not outside its high and mighty walls.
The streets, by comparison, are empty. Evidently, the merchants are travelling ones from out of town, and they do not stop in Indi Olis often. Edrea makes her way through the mostly empty streets, searching for a certain building. She comes to rest in front of a smallish shoppe with a sign hanging above it depicting a bouquet of wildflowers. She heads in through its door.
"Can I help you, miss?" a woman asks from behind the counter.
Edrea approaches the counter and places a gold piece on the counter. She slides it to the woman. "I need to speak with Gullion," she says.
The woman blinks. "I'm sorry, miss. Gullion's not in at the moment."
Edrea stares at the woman with unwavering brown eyes and snaps another gold piece onto the table. "Where is he?"
"I'm sorry, miss. I don't know."
Edrea is just inches from reaching up and strangling the woman for her lies when the door clatters open. A burly, grizzled man walks in, whistling. Edrea pries her coins up from the countertop and pockets them before turning.
Suddenly, recognition flashes across the man's face. He spreads his arms wide and laughs. "Edrea!" he says, his voice deep. "My little Edrea! Has the message-service finally got you down? Come, give me a hug!"
Edrea shakes her head, smiling, and embraces the much larger man, allowing him to squeeze her and pick her up off the ground. When he puts her down, Cephalus squeeks for air. Edrea smiles and pushes her hair out of her face. "It's good to see you, too, Father. I've missed you."
"Nah. You've not even thought of me. What do you need, though. You know I'm always here for you."
"You know I wouldn't have come here had I not been in some sort of trouble."
"Trouble? Who's the bloke who's been beating up on me little Edrea? I'll bust his te-"
"No, no, Father. It's not like that at all. I'm short on supplies. I got held up in Chi O's mountain passes for a good week or so. I've a message to deliver, but I can't make it to Phi De Phi on such short supplies as I have. You know, as well as anyone else does, that there's nothing out that way. This is the last large town before the Wastes, and I want to make sure that I'm fully prepared. You understand. I'll pay you all I have for my advance money, and I'll be certa-"
"None of that, now! You're my daughter! My stock is your stock, even if it is mostly flowers." Gullion shakes his head. "In any event, why don't you stay the night? The gangs're a bit more rambunctious since the merchants came into town."
Edrea nods. "I think that's a fine idea. Cephalus and I'll stay in my old room."
"Ce - who?"
Suddenly, Cephalus slithers out of an Enzelberr bush and looked up with his bright green eyes at Gullion. If Edrea didn't know better, she would have thought he was going to bite him. Naturally, Ceph doesn't. Instead, he licks Gullion's leg affectionately.
"Weird snake," Gullion remarks.
"Oh, Father!"
The next morning, Edrea rises early. She helps her father pack her supplies into a slightly larger, magically lightened backpack and waits until Cephalus wakes up before saying her good-byes.
As they leave the shoppe, Edrea notes that Cephalus has been awakening earlier and earlier each morning, or has he? Perhaps morning is simply coming later and later. Deciding this is inconsequential, Edrea sets off through the streets of the city towards the southern gate, the one nearest to Phi De Phi.
The day had reached its waxing soon enough, and the gate out of town was just around a few more bends. However, before Edrea and Cephalus could make it around those few more bends, they were ambushed. A group of surly young characters had dropped from rooftops and surrounded them. Some held knives, others chains, and a few were conjuring magic in its rawest forms.
One of the ruffians lumbers forward and leers in their general direction. "Give us your money, wench," he demands, his voice tinged with something that bordered on the thought of invincibility.
Edrea drops back a step. "My bloody shin I will," she snaps.
"You want a bloody shin? We'll give you more'n that! Get 'er!"
Edrea throws up a shield of magic and drops to the ground as magic and knives and chains fly out to her general direction. The sudden burst of an attack dies down, and Edrea manages to lower her shield and take a look around her. Absolutely none of the assailants are scathed or in any way ready to back off. Then, a pure-element burst of wind magic wallops her in the side. She flies to the ground again, this time within striking distance of another assailant.
She had just barely enough time to fling up a momentary barrier against any physical attack before a chain bounced off of it. Rolling lightly as to not squish Cephalus, Edrea returns to the center of the circle. She staggers to her feet, and a spell of thunder comes flying straight at her.
Edrea can only fling up a small shield, and she and Cephalus go flying backwards, over the outter rim of the assailants. She flings her backpack, and Ceph with it, off as she falls before crashlanding into a crate of fresh produce. The gang begins to circle her again, this time shouting and jeering.
Suddenly, a voice demands, "Stop. Leave Edrea alone." It is firm and confident, and a gray flash lands in front of Edrea.
Edrea forces herself to her feet. The mottled creature before her looks back and smiles. "You okay, Edrea?" he asks.
"Cephalus?" she asks, blatantly slow on this point.
The creature, which stands on four sturdy feet, nods before turning back to the gang. "Back off," he commands, his eyes glowing a fierce green, as with the rest of the green spots on his body. "Now."
At first, the gang simply laughs and presses closer. However, as they do so, the green glow seems to cover all of Cephalus' body, and he takes a step forwards.
"I said back off, and I meant it," he growls.
The gang members start to glance at each other uneasilly. Suddenly, one of them breaks rank and flees into the streets, screaming, "MONSTER!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
The punk who had demanded her money suddenly jumps after him. "HEY!" he shouts. "I issue the orders around here!"
The other members of the gang look at him funny.
"And I say, RETREAT!" he declares, running off into the streets again.
Cephalus turns to Edrea and offers her an irresistably adorable grin. "You okay?" he asks, stepping gingerly through the produce and over the broken crates to where his bondmate lay. He nuzzles her cheek before licking it gently.
"I'm fine," Edrea manages, staggering to her feet again. "Just a bit... erm... bewildered. What the blazes happened to you, Ceph?"
"I grew? Aren't you happy?"
"Of course I am, just a bit amazed. I mean, four legs in five minutes? Don't you think that's rushing things?"
Cephalus laughs. "Let's go to Phi De Phi. I really don't want to be here when that gang comes back and realizes I'm not detrimental to their healths."
Edrea nods. She steps out of the ruined crates and onto the clean streets. She picks up her pack and brushes dirt off it and herself. "Can you fly?" she wants to know.
"What? Do I look like a wonder Haken to you?"
Edrea laughs. "No, of course not. Come on. Let's go." That said, they head for the gate. No more adventures lie in store for them in the city, and they exit. Edrea casts a flight spell on both herself and Cephalus, and they begin a long, uneventful journey towards Phi De Phi, the dwelling place of the recipiant of their message.
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