Side Story 2: A Chance Meeting on The Road (Patreon)

Sonak was sitting in a big, bustling bar, sipping on a delightful fermented fruit juice and charming a local lady; he had never entertained a lady with a tail and was feeling very adventurous. Suddenly, he felt a presence, another Traveler.

Run? Stay?

He listened to his Perception, but it was quiet, with no warning signs, so he stayed.

The Traveler entered the bar. Although he was human, his azure blue skin, long blond hair, and extra-large black eyes with almost no sclera set him apart. Like him, he was likely glamoured, but Travelers can always see through each other's disguises. The Traveler looked at him hesitantly, and Sonak smiled and waved him over. The lady noticed she had lost his attention and left.

As the Traveler approached, Sonak cast a Silence Bubble, a common practice among Travelers to ensure privacy in public spaces. They introduced themselves, stating their names and worlds of origin. The Traveler was called Guar Shum and hailed from Tamya.

They sat there, talked about their travels, and compared portal locations and destinations. Guar told him about Shimoor and how boring it was, but Sonak disagreed; he had been to Shimoor and thought the endless, beautiful wilderness was the perfect vacation spot after a hectic world. In addition, he recounted a horror story to him about a world called Dirt, causing Sonak to decide never to visit. He told Guar his own stories, good or bad, from some worlds—he had many more of them; he was a seasoned traveler.

After a few hours of sharing stories and experiences, they continued their conversation in a more private setting. They left for an inn, took a room, and swapped various things from their Storage. These were items they didn't need but thought the other might find useful or interesting. In the morning, they bid each other farewell and continued on their respective journeys.

It was a nice chance meeting on the road.