War of Djinn and Men Part 1.

Timous let me know it will be weeks before she is in good shape, good enough to leave on her own at least. A few days later, we learn her story as she lays in bed. Jessica was 16 when she got mauled by a bear in the woods as she was going to do laundry in the river. She blacked out a few times and woke up in the bear's cave. And that was what she remembered there, but she woke up in a bed with a short man smoking a pipe. She was still sick but her wounds had essentially scared over, and had already started to look pretty bad. To this day she still has obvious scaring in her skin, of all types. Normatropic, keloid and atrophic scarring from face to legs. She described the fever and infection as being making her “ Too weak, and too dizzy to move.” We all agree this could be an infection from the wounds, but the “Short man" made everyone suspicious that too many leprechauns had been outcasts and attacked by humans just for existing. So those who couldn't marry like Timous and Aoife, tended to be nefarious by nature.

Jessica's story continues, as she gets better in her room the man does indeed tell her he is a leprechaun who “Couldn't let her die.” Since she was sick and had no education outside being a stable maiden, the man read books to her constantly and even fed her. Her savior named Malach, constantly was at her call for whatever she asked for or needed. The only time he left the room was for her privacy and to get her food. As she was getting better, he even started teaching her to read on her own. She described him as patient, polite, sweet tobacco smelling and charming. She was actually so impressed with him she would return to him when her family and neighbors called her a witch for her looks and disappearing for months with no trace. They stayed together for months all the while growing closer and closer. Until obviously they started falling in love and looking to make a family.

Unable to marry with friends or family blessings, they went right into the relationship and she never thought twice. For a few more months they had an amazing life. His magic leprechaun home was much more different than Timous’. He had 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, his main room was a massive garden filled with fruits, nuts and vegetables. To the back of the main room was a good size pond with fish, he’d gather food from.His library however was filled with books and collectable materials in its own separate room. She goes on to say how she was asked to leave that room alone, but when she was allowed in she was shown different suits of armor, Lycanthrope skins, mermaid tails and other things that made her feel uneasy. Things like human arms, heads, baby bodies. All in some kind of separate display, and being preserved for his “sciences” according to her. She never got to the bottom of what that science was and just wanted to forget that room all together. So they did, They ate from the garden daily. He taught her very basic things,like fire building, animal butchery and gardening.

After almost a year of being outcast by humans and living in his home, and barely leaving his home. Things started changing, She said he was getting snappy at her and less attentive and began to smell foul. He would spend most of his days in his library alone. Until a man came to join them, but mostly stayed with Malach in the library. She described him as very cold, dark, horrific stenches trailed him and he was almost emotionless.

Yet when he laughed, it terrified her and made Malach laugh as a response. Making her terrified beyond all recognition. The whole attitude of the house went dark as soon as the man showed up according to her. She says he was medium height, pale with no hair or telling features.He only wore a brown wool cloak and didn't seem to bother with feet coverings at all. She told us how his face always seemed to make shadows over his eyes concealing what he was looking at.

And she always felt watched even when she was alone. Within a day or two of his arrival, Malach became more “aggressive” In “all ways” she tried telling us cryptically. She also started waking up with hand prints on her legs, arms, back butt and breasts. With these odd hand prints, she would feel like she was sick all over when one showed up every couple of days. And Malach still kept coming to their bed aggressively, forcing her to have sex often, and as she says “painfully”.

Days later she ran off, hoping to be rid of them both. Only to find herself pregnant 4 months later, and not allowed in any city once messengers found her home city and found out of the accusations. She found her way to the area she was at and tried hard to make it a campsite, but just couldn't make it work.

She went back to where Malach used to be, but he never showed up. She figured he left and that she had nowhere to go and no one to help. So when the boy was born after an 18 month pregnancy, she did it alone. Which we were told is very normal for Leprechaun pregnancies. And with no father to traditionally name the boy, and rejected from her surname. She just called him Sonny and worked odd jobs for very little to get books, meat and cloth for them to wear.

It seemed like a cold existence for 5 years alone. Sonny is rather small in human terms, barely 3 feet tall. Extremely small, reads very well and talks slowly. Timous says “Most of the Fairy creatures start growing slow, and then plateau for hundreds of years. He is Leprechaun for sure, being drawn to information the way he is. That's a natural obsession of our kind. You remember, don't you?” “ I nod to him, “I'm reminded every day with how smart you guys are…” I say smiling and sarcastically reply. “He's in good hands with you and Aiofe then. At least you two can keep him on a better path than his father…”

Jessica looked at us and stared daggers for the conversation. Even though we explained ourselves, she only trusted us so much. So we continue to let her recover and Mom and Dad get some time teaching Angela and Sonny plenty of things. I spend my days walking to the river, channeling KI and using it. Practicing all I can, by trying to remember what it was the cartoons back home did.

I'd use my Ki to pick up, balance and gravitate rocks midair. I move the rocks around, above my hand or just in front of me as I get better at making it happen. As that got easier, I moved running water in the small river. Trying my hardest to throw it, shape it, channel it, freeze and boil it with only Ki. Each task takes days to start getting good at it. I even find I can flash boil it to steam, creating a dense fog that I can use to track whatever is living and in my fog. These things stun everyone as none of them have heard of it, Timous tries to document all of this and keep up with my progress, as well as the lycans. But I can only explain so much.

Angela’s Ki work is coming along well. She's been able to make a light at her fingertips like I did and I do to help her focus. Sometimes just reminding her what she’s doing, or adding my Ki to hers. Supercharging her Ki is just me charging my Ki to my hand. Placing it in her back and transferring small amounts to her.It's really impressive to see her grow, especially the way we found her…

Now Sonny is very quiet but loves reading. Timous and Aoife give him a medium sized book every other day if not every third day. The only thing that slows him down are some words. If he needs help, he just stares at us until we help. But now that we know what’s going on we can approach him and look at the word he is stuck on. He’s not mean, or rude. The poor kid is shy and awkward, all he has had was his mother who could barely read herself. The mother by the way has gotten much more polite and less guarded with all of us. She is also getting much better and can even get out of bed without hacking up her lungs.

But with all this still going on, we make good on our promise to visit Douglas’ farm to get several new cloaks. To help keep everyone warm or hidden if they come to a city. Timous chose to stay behind, Angeal, Aoife, Conri, Sassaba and 4 of the wolves came along for the trip. We left early in the morning and got there before noon with no issues. And Douglas seems genuinely ecstatic to us. He is barely shocked by Sassaba and Conri, even when Sassaba rests her head on his lap. “Is it respectful to pet you dear?” He asked her. We brought him almost 8 pounds of meat and bought several sheets of wool, and several cloaks for everyone else. The overall price for the wool was 30 gold. We left him 100, 40 in his hand and 60 on his pillow in his little shack. We know he needs it, and we’re doing extremely well since we don’t need to buy all of our food.

We reloaded our hand cart, Aoife and Angela get into it and we start to head back home. All the wolves and Lycans walk with me. “Hey mom. With the lycans, wolves, Sonny and his mom living with us. Do you think we should try to find more land for ourselves in case we need to spread out?” I ask her while pulling the cart.

She speaks up from in the cart, “ Well, we can reshape that home however works. But the one downside is there is only one way in and out. That itself could be a hassle. And we can only make so many keys before someone can find us… maybe honey. It’s not the worst idea.”

“But most of the good land is probably taken by the kings, where does that leave us to go?” Angela adds onto the conversation. The thought has crossed my mind that no matter where we go, we might not be welcome. Conri walking next to me adds. “This land is better. Past mountains. Less grass. Fewer tree’s. This land better.” Well that settles that, the other side of the mountains sucks. With no warning Conri turns a complete 180 and looks like he’s on guard. “Horses. Moving fast.” He says to get my attention. “Let me pull this cart over and we’ll see who's coming.” We get the cart off into the grass, and wait to see who could be coming.

Riders with white flags and flutes, they look like they are from Tyer, but I don’t know if they want us or something else. 6 horse riders approach and come to a stop by us. It's some of the guards from when we found our lycans… “Mark is it?” The man who was the leader asks. “Yes, what’s wrong?” “ The farmer had said you left recently, so we rode hard to catch up with you. Our sister city captured 2 leprechauns,claiming to be looking to buy supplies for their camp. After interrogation we believe they have dozens of halflings in a camp too close to Petra. The halflings are too dangerous to be left there. Because of this the city of Petra has paid slavers to raid the area we suspect a halfling horde to be using as a camp ground… the governor's request for you to assist, since you asked for the lycans and any witches. Capture those you can or want and rid the land of them.” I look over at the cart, the Lycans are on all 4s and the girls are looking over the back of the cart. It’s only been 8 months or so since we found Angela, so I want to see if she’s scared of any of these men. But she looks more curious, which leads me to think these men did nothing to her. But his tone in speaking of the halflings, the “interrogation” they did on the leprechauns… I don't like this, to me it sounds like Indians being relocated. This isn't good.

“I’ll get our supplies back to camp. Then we will head out in the morning at the latest. We will have to cut through your city to get to theirs. I’m pretty sure the lycans will be coming with. So please ride ahead to Tyer and Petra let the governor's guards know.” I speak to him politely so if we keep working together we might get a warning if we are double crossed. He nods, “I let them all know as soon as we arrive and head to Petra overnight. Many thanks sir, we’ll see you and your party tomorrow. Thank you!” They turned and rode back even harder.

We make a faster rush for home. Aoife pipes up when they leave and we get moving ourselves. “The humans won’t be polite to the leprechauns no matter what.” The rest of the trip is quiet, other than Angela being worried and not wanting us to go. The hour and a half walk is sped up to just 30 minutes, and unloading the wool takes nothing as well. Timous is happy to see us, until he hears about the leprechauns being captured. At this point he looks a bit worried, mad and even frantic. Conri and Sassaba walk over to Louve, who is nursing pups. A few of them have their eyes open now, and get excited by Sassaba and Conri’s scents.

We explain ourselves to Jessica and Sonny. Who we’ve given a room of their own, Sassaba walks in on all fours. Turns out, hind leg walking is for fighting or other things that require them to get off their front feet. Conri however will intermittently walk on his hinds, I think to display he's an alpha. “Mark. Conri and I. We come with.” She says to me, as I’m getting ready to say goodbye to Jessica and her boy. “ That’s good, let’s ask Timous if we can pack more meat for you two… just so you don’t have to try wasting energy on hunting.”

With goodbyes said to them now. I got to watch Timous make a basket of beef tenderloins, then try to make it magic so it replenishes itself after a few minutes. He places the tenderloins in a wicker basket, closes it and puts both hands on it. The kitchen goes from quiet to definingly loud. As the noise grows and Timous focuses, I add Ki to my eyes to see what all he is doing. His mana is flowing out of his hands and brushing the meat while being absorbed in the basket.

Soon after I see the little stones used to hold the basket together absorbing his mana. I look at Timous and see his mana in his stomach depleted to almost ¼ full. He stops, “That should do it! Some meat for the lycans.” He says with a smile while breathing hard with some sweat on his forehead.

We finish packing up, Timous gives Angela and Aoife some goodbyes. I go to Louve and let her know the pack will be back soon, I even get to give some of the pups some love. When I decide I've given enough time to them I give Angela and Aoife a hug, I notice Aoife crying against Timous’ shoulder, she’s getting scared he’s gonna get hurt. Angela sees me and hurries over, I pick her up and give her a good hug. “It’s ok honey, we’ll be back in a day or two.”

Timous is able to separate from Aoife, she retreats to her room instantly. “We better get going old man, we need to know who those leprechauns are before the humans start laying hands on them…” I say setting Angela down. He’s a little flustered, maybe bashful. “That’s the plan my boy, Angela dear. You keep being good for mom and help with the pups. I love you little lady.” He says answering me, while walking to Angela for a goodbye hug.

I get my pack on, and Timous, Sassaba and 3 of 6 wolves get in the cart. Conri walks with me as we move as fast as I can down the road at dusk. Timous preps Sassaba to stay close to us, either him or me. Don’t separate among humans, it’s just too dangerous. She agrees, and Conri makes eye contact with me just after almost as if to say he agrees. I feel like he’s trying to look like an alpha, but still wants our help. I instantly know to not treat him like a wolf or dog, he’s an alpha and deserves to be treated as such.

We pass Douglas’ farm before midnight, I look down to Conri. “We’re making good time aren’t we boss?” He pushes up and walks on his hinds, looks back at the cart then asks me “ What is boss?” I mentally shake my head that the term didn’t work like I planned. “Oh,well. That’s someone in charge of others or projects. But I tend to just call others boss for amusement I guess.” He continues keeping pace with me “Lycans. Speak less.” I laugh and we continue on until we hit the border of Tyer around 3 AM. The guards are definitely aware we were coming the seem more on alert and active than Tyer’s guards when they had ghouls. They most definitely keep space from the cart and still keep their eyes its occupants being the wolves,lycans and a single leprechaun.

“We've been asked to tell you to proceed to our sister city Petra as soon as you can. The leprechauns have been in pillory since this morning.” Timous signs from the cart, “Ugh…” The guards look a bit embarrassed, but continue. “There was no word on the slavers yet or the halfling camp. But people have been complaining of missing goods.”

“We need to get moving, which way?” I say to him, He points in the direction of the farmer who lost a bull. “I’ll bring you through town sir, Please follow me.” We start moving as fast as we can. He keeps trying tolook back at the cart while we walk. In about 15 minutes we make our way to a road, seeing very few towns folk. He stops and points down the road, “This road, half a day's ride, signs will lead you north to Petra before night if you don't stop.” I nod and say thanks, well be back in a day or two. We continue moving past him, Conris’ voice comes from the cart and says out loud “Arrive before midday.” Startling the guard, Timous tosses him some coin. It hits his armor and then hits the ground. We continue on picking up the pace even more. With these guards on such high alert, we don't want to risk Petras’ guard force over reacting more than it may have.