#earthrunes

"And I was nae 'shrunk', I am.... incognito."

"Aye, a spying sphinx most stealthy.."

"Well, at that size, anyone would fit in a cognito"

A whisk of his tail. "I can get abuse anywhere. Though, oft I have to pay extra. Tell thy tales, Tale-teller.. I feel a growth upon me and needs must have privacy." And he sashays off.

"I have got to find out the details behind that.. or i could just make a story up. I actually feel inspired to wing it" the Eshu admits

"But ah, well, where to start on that story I promised you, Zara? Shall we begin with a man born on the road but with farmer blood? Told a way to travel and transport, and carry more than stories to make his daily bread? The city of a thousand mother's tears at the great gates of plenty, and yet a city with color and dreams? Shall I begin there?"

"Did you have any news from your....." August calls after, then sighs.

"So - Tijuana.:

"Tijuana, the very city I speak of, where I acted as a transporter under the business of Knight's Heart Rides... a suggestion made by a DeBuke cousin of mine who started a young kinian man on that path. It is ironic that I met that very man, with a young satyress lady named Piper, and thus we begin the tale... for it seemed a trip to the beach ended up being anything but relaxing"

"May I take tea, Zara?" August asks quietly, not wanting to interrupt.

Zara nods, and pours.

August seats himself to listen.

"Thank you." a whisper as he accepts the cup.

And so Caspain spins a story, and this is entertaining, but it may vex a slaugh, for while Sluagh want facts, and the truth, Eshu love a good tale. So Piper's beauty might be amplified, Adam might have a scar he doesn't have in the more boring real world version... the bottle surging as if guided by a will not its own into Piper's hand.... the note... but to be fair he does use the words ON the note.

"Piper was shaken, thinking perhaps there was a threat on someone's life! But it was to be sure, and ..." he explains the girl's distress, and the note takes on an almost ominous angle or perhaps,. not ominous, inevitable?

"You volunteered to watch and see who picked up the note, didn't you?"

"I volunteered to stay and see who picked up the note" The Eshu says "I mean, who wouldn't want to? Piper wanted to.. but well, frankly she was not in a good head space. All the more reason for me to volunteer so she could try out for the troubadour contest. Gee I hope she did well"

"Aye - so?"

"LIke a shadow, I waited... and out staggered a young woman... confused, weak... her fae mein nearly overcome with banality.. she was this close to blinking out...a grey miasma was over her like a wet hood."

"And she.. I don't know how to say it, chanced upon the note.. was stunned, startled that ith ad glamour.." She took it, and drank it I heard her something like "Thank god, I could not live with meself... "

A smile. "And thus, Piper saved one she loved, though she knew it not."

"This smacks of that Beaumayn."

"That... who.... who was the young woman?"

"One she loved? You know who the snake pooka was? For she transformed again"

"She is no longer wearing the snake?"

"What face now?"

"Sorry sorry I mean.. she changed from a near mortal to her fae mein.. and that was.. wait, she has more than one fae mein?"

"I should have said 're-enchanted' again.. but she wears more than one face? Zara, who is this main character in the story?"

"Mm."

"A friend."

"AH HA.. Clem ..wait, can't be clem.. I mean, it coudl be but it didn't sound like her"

"It is not Clementine, no."

"She is our ally on the inside."

"And it sounds like in turn for you saving her, she saved you?"

"She certainly wrote that abominable note..."

"Actually, she killed me.." He says

"You seem much improved, then."

"Fortunately it didn't stick."

August is thinking hard. "Oh.... you mean.....?"

"Aye?"

"Ah, the, ah, ally on the inside.....?"

"I should resume, but I'd be more motivated to continue the tale if I could give a name to this woman" Hint hint hope?

"Well, since you are obviously coming with us..."

"Obviously" He says

"She is of Rivervale, as is the satyr who rescued her."

"Well, that does narrow it down some," He says "You're worse than Sphinx Vince when it comes to hugging your riddles though"

August smiles; he may have figured out the answer to his implied question. Or at least, thinks he has.

"...Sluagh."

"That's when the mortal caught me. I was so caught up at the interactions of glamour vs banality I didn't even notice him..."

"And that one is damn near Autumn..."