RFC-Mini Arc: The Temple-Part 05 (Patreon)

Next Restday, I’m back at the Sanctuary. The same two are standing at the gate, watching me curiously. “Morning,” I call out cheerfully.

“It was Tome, right?” Endo says.

“Yup.” It’s a little refreshing having the etiquette thrown out. “Endo, I remember it. And your friend.”

The second doorman straightens up. “Saul.”

“Ah. Good to meet you. Don’t mind me asking, what are the two of you doing out here?”

“Not much choice,” Endo says. “We’re just tenders. We get all the crap jobs. Grunts, you know? Suppose it’s fair since everyone, even the grand tamer, starts from the bottom. But it still sucks.”

“I’ve only got a year left,” Saul says. “Then I get to apply to be an assistant trainer.”

“I’m stuck being everyone’s errand boy for two more years. But you don’t need to hear us whine.” He sighs. “I can take you back today.”

“No need.” I clap him on the shoulder before moving past. There really are no markings to show the smaller door but it swings open when I press where Endo did before. I give them a brief wave before the door closes. Without any witnesses, there’s no need to hold back. I sprint down the road, eating up the distance, Bell’s tail wrapping tighter to hold on as I power forward. Without holding back, I reach the gate dividing the Yellow Step from the Green Step in under twenty minutes.

I stop in by the road station from before. A different white shirt is behind the counter today. “Hey, there. I’m looking for Eric?” He told me to find him again but never gave me a location.

“Barns,” the man replies in a disinterested tone.

“Helpful,” I chuckle, turning away. I find Eric in the third barn I check. This is one holding cows instead of bulls, a fact thrown in my face as Eric is currently seated on a stool miking one of the animals.

He looks up as I enter. “Ah, Lou. Good to see you.”

“I bet you say that to every extra pair of hands,” I say, looking over his shoulder to watch him work. It is both weird and interesting, watching him squeeze and massage the udders, rapidly filling up a bucket. I kind of want to try.

“Yeah, but I especially mean it with you. We get ‘volunteers’ all the time, but they rarely put in the work. I’d be happy to recommend you for a full-time position.”

I hold back a cringe. “I’m going to have to refuse.”

Eric chuckled. “Most do. Anyway, let’s get you to work. The Temple has a session happening today and they can always use someone on hand to clean up the mess. Take the main road to the next road station and they’ll point you on the way. I’ve already given them your name.”

“Ah, got it. See you then.”

The Temple, huh. Can I call myself lucky? I promise to keep an ear out for any more details about what I saw before and get a lead first thing. Ah, well. I am interested in them from the little Kierra was able to tell me.

The next road station is takes ten minutes to reach. I could have made it much sooner but the road is occupied. From tenders jogging past, the tools in creating a tune as they clamored together, to ranch hands like Eric, usually guiding animals or short wagons. I also see a few riding horses.

I reach the road station and a white shirt directs me off-road, gesturing to a hill in the distance, along with a warning to watch my back. Apparently, the entire Sanctuary is one big reservation. Creatures considered “tame” are left to wander freely. And while they generally ignore people, they are still manabeasts.

I waste no time, quickly sprinting to my next destination. Cresting the hill, I see what has to be where I’m headed. Next to a gently babbling creek is a camp. Close to a dozen large tents surrounding a fenced in circle of grass.

I slow down as I move down the hill, noticing several people by the creek. Women with…baskets of laundry. Yeah, I can see the washboards beside them. Huh. Been awhile since I’ve seen someone going about the mundanities of life. One of the few aspects of common life I never envied growing up.

“Morning,” I call. The women look up. I notice all of them have the same black rings tattooed over their wrists and around their necks.

“Well met.” One of them sets her washing aside and stands, watching me curiously. Taking a brief running start, I leap over the creek. That gets me a raised brow. Stop it, that’s not impressive. “A tender? I don’t recognize you.”

“Ah, no. Just a volunteer.” I jostle the tool belt around my waist. “I was told there were fences around here that needed mending?” I look in the direction of the circle.

“Yes. Cloud will be entering the Ring today. Your services will be well-used.” The woman smiles at me as the other women chuckle. It’s the type of smile that says she knows something I don’t. “Hang around the Ring for a bit, they’ll be starting soon. You may stop by one of the fires if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks…” I don’t like her stare. Geneva taught me that the eyes have power. You can learn to control every twitch of your muscles, turn your face into blank stone, but you can’t do anything about the eyes. For someone who knows what they’re looking for, the eyes give away every thought, even for someone without the mental affinity.

Because of that, people have instinctively learned to duck their heads, to look askance. To give the appearance of looking at someone but actually lock their gazes on foreheads or chins.

This woman doesn’t do that. She stares directly into my eyes, unflinchingly. Doesn’t even glance at Bell who is on my shoulders as most people do. She gives me an unfettered look at her.

What I see is…unnerving.

I walk away hastily, throwing glances over my shoulder. The nervous fluttering in my stomach worsens as every time I find her watching me, her eyes never straying. I’m not sure if she blinks. Creepy.

“Coo!” [Interesting. These people…what an interesting community.]

What does that mean? Huh? Why are you going quiet on me?

[It would be more fun for you to see for yourself.]

You…

I swallow my complaints as I’m already in the camp. There is a swarm of activity. I see several cooking fires being tended by older women, a few others hovering nearby with anxious feet. I see someone else seated outside a tent braiding rope, while another is…brushing the feathers of a chicken?

Or at least something that looks like a chicken. I have my doubts because they’re gathering the feathers. Right next to that tent, a man is fussing over three horses. This is the first time I’ve seen horses standing around without being tied to a post, lazily flicking their tails as they absently chew on the surrounding grass.

I’m a little surprised to see a scene like this in the middle of civilization. Who chooses to live in tents? But that’s not the most surprising thing about this camp.

That would be how quiet it is.