{"id":51,"date":"2017-07-20T01:15:27","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T01:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/?p=51"},"modified":"2017-07-20T01:15:27","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T01:15:27","slug":"eight-a-kiss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/20\/eight-a-kiss\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight: A Kiss"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raizel took breakfast in the inn\u2019s bar the next morning, feeling well-rested, content, and ready to face the rest of her journey. \u00a0Perhaps she\u2019d even hire a coach. <\/span><\/p>\n

The barmaid leaned over the table while she was refilling Raizel\u2019s mug. \u00a0\u201cThere are opportunities around here, you know, for someone as clever as Esterzon Gorenz says you might be. \u00a0And if you really destroyed that Black Missive he\u2019s been going on about for years-\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Something about the barmaid, or maybe something about the pixie dust still brushed across Raizel\u2019s eyelashes, was a little strange. \u00a0She looked closer – closer at the clever decolletage, that looked lower-cut and more dangerous than it was – and realized she could see a spark of divinity hiding in the woman\u2019s chest. <\/span><\/p>\n

Until then, she hadn\u2019t know she could see such things. \u00a0Perhaps it was just the dust.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI destroyed the Missive and the, ah, the multi-hued falcon, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, not ma\u2019am, just <\/span>Genya. \u00a0So you did, mmm? \u00a0Well then. \u00a0I think there is something you can do while you are travelling. \u00a0There is the one, the twilight god. \u00a0L<\/span>ady Huleran, she was one of the god\u2019s arms-and-legs, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel had heard stories of the sort, at the very least. \u00a0\u201cShe seemed like not a very nice person,\u201d she offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, she was the opposite of nice and the opposite of person, but that is a story for another day. \u00a0When you come back, stop here. \u00a0<\/span>Esterzon Gorenz will give you the room for free again, and I will tell you many stories. \u00a0And, perhaps,\u201d her eyes twinkled, \u201csomething else. \u00a0But for now – for now is the Twilight God. \u00a0That one has gotten too big for britches. \u00a0And if you can find the fourth falcon-\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, there\u2019s more?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are five, or were, but the fifth is beyond mortal and god alike and you have destroyed the third. \u00a0Find the fourth falcon and take it to a place of blessing. \u00a0You know those?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know those,\u201d she allowed. \u00a0They were not quite temples and not quite shrines. \u00a0Maybe the cave with the pixies had been one, once a long time ago. \u201cWhere do I find the fourth falcon?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it wouldn\u2019t be a proper quest if I told you. \u00a0But I tell you this, at least. \u00a0You will find it on your route, although your route will take you longer than hoped and shorter than it might have, otherwise. \u00a0And once you find it, you will know it.\u201d \u00a0The barmaid leaned over and kissed Raizel on the forehead. \u00a0\u201cDo this or do not, I do not lay on you any bidding of mind<\/span>. \u00a0But shall you do it, I imagine that there will be more than a free night in an inn for you<\/span>. \u00a0\u00a0I hope to see you again, \u00a0Falcon-Killer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

An <\/span>imagine<\/span><\/i> was even less of a surety than a lie of fifty sed, Raizel considered, but it was an <\/span>imagine<\/span><\/i> from someone kissed with divinity. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll look for the fourth falcon,\u201d she agreed. \u00a0\u201cBut I really ought to get going. \u00a0It\u2019s still a long way to the train station.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEsterzon Gorenz has the carriage waiting for you. \u00a0He is grateful, it seems, and then some. \u00a0I would get going before his squeeze-sed nature gets the best of his gratitude.\u201d \u00a0The barmaid made a shooing gesture. \u00a0\u201cTravel well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStars guide you and evil avoid you.\u201d \u00a0She thought <\/span>Gods watch your steps<\/span><\/i> might be the wrong sort of thing to say to this one, and the smirk she got in response suggested she was right. <\/span><\/p>\n

The carriage made Raizel feel as if her travelling clothes and sturdy bag were far out-classed. \u00a0She sat in a corner and hoped she was not getting the upholstery dirty. <\/span><\/p>\n

The woman and young man sitting across from her seemed to feel the same. \u00a0They were discussing something between themselves in low whispers, but Raizel caught a glance her way from time to time. <\/span><\/p>\n

She ignored them and studied the carvings on the sides of the carriage and the rolling scenery instead. \u00a0She had never been this far from her home-town, and she was still only beginning her trip. <\/span><\/p>\n

An hour into the trip \u2014 it would have taken her twice that to walk, even with the jolting, rolling, bouncing travel \u2014 they stopped and picked up another person, a fretful woman who sat next to Raizel and continued to look into a small book she carried. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Raizel finally brought herself to ask. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u2026 oh, it\u2019s nothing. \u00a0Well, I suppose it\u2019s not nothing, but it\u2019s nothing you could help with.\u201d \u00a0The woman looked back at her book. \u00a0\u201cThat man\u2026!\u201d \u00a0She shook her head. <\/span><\/p>\n

When Raizel didn\u2019t seem to take the hint, the woman sighed. \u00a0\u201cI am designing a new building for the Esteronzerain Town Hall \u00a0That\u2019s what I do, create new buildings. \u00a0The problem is, there\u2019s this wizard. \u00a0Well, a would-be wizard, I suppose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Esteronzerai was on her way to the train station. \u00a0Raizel suppressed a sigh. \u00a0She should have gone with the impression that she couldn\u2019t help. \u00a0She probably <\/span>couldn\u2019t<\/span><\/i>, truth be told.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the wizard?\u201d she asked anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I need him off the site. \u00a0Problem is, he\u2019s one of the Yederya school of magic. \u00a0You\u2019ve heard of them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they were a myth,\u201d Raizel admitted. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost people did. \u00a0Well, they cannot be moved unless they\u2019re bound. \u00a0And I\u2019m very good at building things, but not so much at tying up wizards.<\/span><\/p>\n

This time, Raizel <\/span>did<\/span><\/i> sigh. \u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s his name?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raizel took breakfast in the inn\u2019s bar the next morning, feeling well-rested, content, and ready to face the rest of her journey. \u00a0Perhaps she\u2019d even hire a coach. The barmaid leaned over the table while she was refilling Raizel\u2019s mug. \u00a0\u201cThere are opportunities around here, you know, for someone as clever as Esterzon Gorenz says… Continue reading Eight: A Kiss<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Side Quest Chapter Eight: A Kiss - well THAT is a kiss that might have some interesting side effects...","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quest"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Tn4Q-P","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":30,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/08\/three-the-black-missive\/","url_meta":{"origin":51,"position":0},"title":"Three: The Black Missive","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The walk to the strange man\u2019s cave was only an hour because of the rolling limp that affected his walk, and, it seemed, his speech patterns. \u00a0He would go up and down, up and down with his tales as they walked, telling Raizel all about the Empire\u2019s plans to read\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/11\/four-the-narrow-cave\/","url_meta":{"origin":51,"position":1},"title":"Four: The Narrow Cave","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The cave was, indeed, very tight, and if Raizel had been any better fed, she would not have fit. \u00a0Trinner Traln and the round man shouted at her and each other as ehs slipped through the opening, moving more like a snake than even like crawling. \u201cHow did you even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":87,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/09\/22\/nineteen-evil-and-escape\/","url_meta":{"origin":51,"position":2},"title":"Nineteen: Evil and Escape","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"September 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cFor people who know about this thing\u2014\u201d the Diamond Raven warned. \u201cFor people to know about it is truth! \u00a0Is all of us who rotted for the Tzar laid to rest! \u00a0Is everything that went wrong put better!\u201d \u00a0The deserter was foaming at the mouth. \u00a0Raizel took a step back.\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 4 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 4 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/09\/22\/nineteen-evil-and-escape\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/03\/day-one-chapter-one-the-quest\/","url_meta":{"origin":51,"position":3},"title":"Day One, Chapter One: The Quest","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"New Story with a short timeline! \u00a0This is Side Quest, a story for Camp NanoWrimo July 2017. \u00a0 And so it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Tzar Vimyxa that representatives of all the families of the nation should come to Buscontra, in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/23\/ten-the-perils-of-ones-past\/","url_meta":{"origin":51,"position":4},"title":"Ten: The Perils of One\u2019s Past","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"She should have thought of it before she agreed, she supposed. \u00a0She might be stepping into some long-held family feud \u2014 their mountain had several of those \u2014 or maybe into the sort of thing where the city wanted to move someone whose home had stood in the same place\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/21\/nine-yederya-wizard\/","url_meta":{"origin":51,"position":5},"title":"Nine: Yederya Wizard","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The woman studied Raizel. \u201cYou have skills I don\u2019t?\u201d \u201cWell, I can\u2019t design a building,\u201d Raizel admitted, \u201cor build one. \u00a0But in the last two days I\u2019ve been dusted by a pixie, blessed by a spectre, and kissed by what might have been a goddess.\u201d \u00a0Also by two whores, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions\/52"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}