Chapter Text
Enko knew something had gone terribly wrong, he just didn’t know what. Transportation spells weren’t supposed to break your arms in the middle of casting, and he definitely hadn’t ended up on the grassy plains he was aiming for. The densely packed buildings and swarms of humans made that obvious. Thankfully, Enko had managed to end up in a discreet enough sidestreet that he had time to pull his hood over his ears before anyone saw and started panicking.
Enko had never met a human before, but he’d heard stories from some of the halflings and dwarves who traded with them. Roughly elf dimensions, rounded ears and broad features, and as a whole, appallingly ignorant and intolerant. Only a few were willing to trade in North America, and even then Enko overheard a lot of grumbling over their prejudiced suspicions and disdainful attitudes. He’d also overheard the rebukes from older traders who recalled when the humans would slaughter any outsiders without question.
Humans also did not have cities on the Western continents; certainly not cities like this. A quick glance at the sky revealed not the cool dawn Enko had departed from, but a blazing afternoon sun. He was… he was definitely somewhere else. And he had to get back, before any of the humans realised there was an elf among them.
Enko sat down in his little sidestreet, careful not to jostle his shattered arms, and took a few deep breaths. It was okay. He had his hood, long enough to cast shadows over most of his face, and most likely the people here weren’t warriors. Just day-to-day people, engrossed in their own businesses and chores and drama, completely unaware of the idiot mage who accidentally popped into their city. Who had two broken arms that couldn’t cast. Who didn’t know where he was or what language they spoke or where he could find shelter or food or water–
Deep breath. In. Hold. Out. Recite the components for the most complex spell he remembered studying. Deep breaths.
Enko just had to start somewhere. Make himself a list of what to figure out and how to do it. He couldn’t cast any comprehension spells on himself in this state, so the language barrier was probably a lost cause. He also couldn’t do anything to fix his arms, but they were rather… alarmingly bent. With gritted teeth and agonising pushes from his knees, Enko managed to slip his mangled limbs inside his tunic, where they’d hopefully be less obvious and more protected. Honestly, what the fuck kind of transportation spell did that?
Enko needed to either navigate out of this city on foot and find somewhere less hostile to get assistance, or else get some help while disguised as a human. The difficulty of simply getting to his feet proved that any sort of travel on his own was going to be agonising. That left the second option. It couldn’t be too tricky, he figured, when he was already roughly the dimensions of a grown human, and surely there would be someone around with a potion or spell to help him communicate.
Mind made up, Enko steeled himself and stepped out onto the main street.
By the time Enko came across the small tavern, his arms were on fire and his back was soaked in sweat, the sun just beginning to sink. He’d received a few concerned glances for the way his arms were bundled up against his chest, but no one had seemed too alarmed by his presence so far. It was hard, though, to find a healer or an alchemist when the signs were unreadable and the culture so… loud, distracting, fast-paced.
Finally, after abandoning the hot, crowded main streets to search along the more shaded storefronts, Enko spotted something useful. The wooden sign of the tavern was written in that same foreign script, but the edges were decorated in a simple flower design that Enko knew well. The carved asters were rough, understated, unpainted, and none of the passing humans gave them a second glance. They were the most beautiful art to grace Enko’s eyes that day.
Careful to keep a casual demeanour, Enko headed for the tavern and nudged the door open with his shoulder. Inside, it was dimly lit and quiet, a balm to Enko’s building headache. It was still far too early for any patrons, and Enko was relieved to find it empty except for the short woman standing behind the bar. Much too short to be a human or elf, her ears covered by thick, curling brown hair—Enko knew a few halfling families had managed to settle with humans, and the Loraires back home had mentioned something about distant cousins farther east. From the flowers on the sign, Enko was willing to bet this was one of them.
“Can I help you?” she asked, words unintelligible but tone a bit annoyed, not even looking up from whatever she was writing.
Enko carefully cleared his throat. “Do you speak Elvish?”
The woman looked up sharply, and Enko very carefully did not flinch under her scrutinising gaze. After a few moments, she simply reached down under the bar counter and pulled out two small potion bottles. One she set on the counter, and the other she uncorked and downed herself.
Recognizing the colour immediately as a basic comprehension potion, Enko approached and drank the second potion quickly. It tasted exactly as he expected, leaving a pleasant bubbly feeling on his tongue and throat.
“What can I help you with?” the woman asked, and Enko was relieved to understand her perfectly.
“I’m afraid I’m a bit lost. I was supposed to be transporting a short distance, but found myself here instead, and can’t cast myself back. I saw the Loraire asters on the sign and thought perhaps someone here could assist me.”
“From America, then?” the woman asked, her gaze softening greatly.
Enko nodded.
“Elf, I’m guessing?”
Enko nodded again.
“Well, you got lucky. There’s not much I can do for you here, but I know some people who’ll be able to help you get home. Before I send you along, though, let’s at least brace up those arms of yours.”
The woman hopped down from whatever stool she’d been standing on behind the bar (definitely a halfling), and gestured Enko over to a table. He took a seat in one of the chairs while she fumbled around looking for something, keeping up a chatter the whole time.
“Now, I’m no proper healer, but I know enough to get those arms wrapped up. Think I’ll leave the setting to Grizz, so you don’t have to go through it twice.”
“Grizz?” Enko asked, and the woman turned around, arms full of cloth bandages.
“Oh, yes, Gizz and Ava are the ones I mentioned; they run something of a safehouse for folks like you who end up stranded in human cities. Goodness, I haven’t even introduced myself, I’m Florence Loraire.” Florence deposited the material on the table, and gestured for Enko to remove his tunic, before realising that his arms wouldn’t do the job, and bustled forward to do it herself.
“Enko,” Enko offered, tilting his body forward to help.
“Well, a pleasure to meet you. Honestly, Enko, you’ve done very well to get yourself here. You have no idea the number of goblins and gnomes who wander into the cities by accident and immediately have a mob on their tails. Ava and Grizz can usually sort it out, but I appreciate the discretion. The less the humans are panicking about, the more willing they are to give a halfling their patronage.”
Enko inhaled sharply as Florence gently adjusted his left arm and began to wrap it against a splint. “How’s that going?” he managed to ask, and Florence seized the topic instantly.
“Oh, it’s actually not too bad! Of course, the less they see of my ears and tail and feet, the happier they are, but I get by just fine. I grew up a decent way east of here, but I still get time to travel and see everybody back home. Let me tell you, they were not happy when I decided I was going to try to live with humans!” Florence gave a ringing laugh, and switched to Enko’s right arm. “But when that whole spectacle with Rome and the dragons went down, well, I knew where things were happening!”
Enko had no idea what “Rome and the dragons” was, but figured it was probably irrelevant to his current situation.
“I have always liked to be where the action is, Enko, although it does sometimes get me in a bit of trouble. But Ava and Grizz really are wonderful; taught me Latin, made sure I had a place to go if everything went wrong. Oh, Latin’s the language here. And I suppose before I send you along, I should warn you about them.”
Enko raised an eyebrow, even as Florence tugged his right arm firmly against his chest and began to bind it there. “Warn me?”
“It’s nothing too bad, don’t worry! But they are a very strange bunch, and rather frightening when they want to be.”
Enko listened carefully, with increasing interest, as Florence described a vicious human and impatient goblin who spoke with unplaceable accents and adopted all sorts of children. The human, she said, was clever with locks and blades, but awful with words, and had just about every human city too terrified of her to challenge their operation. The goblin was a bit rough around the edges, worshipped a goddess of the hunt whose name no one recognized, but was steadfastly good and just.
“He’ll be able to sort your arms out,” Florence assured Enko as she finished stabilising his broken bones against his chest, and gave him a soft, reassuring smile. After redressing Enko in his tunic and hood, Florence gave him directions to the farmhouse where he could find Grizz and Ava, and instructions to ask for the Harlequins at the door.
“You have my deepest gratitude,” Enko told her as he stood. “If you ever have need for any allies in America, or if the Loraires do–”
“Oh, don’t worry yourself about it,” Florence cut him off quickly. “You can just pass on the message to Ava that she owes me a visit and updates on all they’re getting up to. Never a dull story from that lot, that’s for certain.”
After some more thanks and goodbyes, Enko set off for the Harlequins.
The safehouse was exactly as Florence described it: a sprawling country estate, simply built but large enough to house several families comfortably. It was long past evening when Enko arrived, and the yards were empty, but the windows were lit with flickering lights. He drank the comprehension potion Florence sent him with and knocked on the door.
There was a rush of feet pattering inside, and the door quickly cracked open. A human child peered out at Enko, barely as high as his waist, dark eyes wide with curiosity.
“Is this the Harlequins?” Enko asked, the one sentence Florence had quickly taught him in Latin.
“Who’s askin?” the child replied, somehow both mischievous and cautious. Over their head, Enko spotted two more figures in the hallway behind them. Both were shorter than the one who answered the door, and failing miserably to hide themselves from his view. If he wasn’t mistaken, one had much longer and pointier ears than any humans he’d seen so far, and the other had two small tusks poking out of their mouth.
Not knowing any more Latin, Enko simply tossed his hood back from his head (a challenge without use of his arms) and watched in amusement as the child’s eyes and grin both widened as they caught sight of his ears.
“AVA!” they screeched back into the house, and Enko winced a bit from the volume. “Someone’s here for help!”
A short shuffle later, and the children were being pushed out of the way to reveal the woman Enko presumed to be Ava. From what Florence had told him, he was expecting the nasty scars, lean build, and suspicious glare. He hadn’t been prepared for her to not even come up to his chin, or to see her mostly dark hair just barely going grey at the temples. Still, she managed to send a shiver up Enko’s spine with just a glance, and he wondered for a moment if he’d made some egregious mistake in coming here.
After a few seconds, however, Ava pulled the door fully open and ushered him inside. “Come on, you look like you’ve had a rough go of it. Grizz can sort you out. Oh, and here,” Ava handed Enko another comprehension potion, which he supposed a place like this must have well-stocked. “I took one as soon as I heard someone at the door, so whatever you speak, I should understand it.”
“Thank you. My name is Enko, and I was referred to you by Florence Loraire.”
Ava grinned a bit, and motioned for Enko to follow her down a hallway. “Ava. Flo sent you? Guess she’s still kicking, then.” Ava’s voice was quiet, a bit hushed, but her casual tone made Enko think it was just the way she spoke, rather than an effort to keep quiet.
“She said I was to pass on a message requesting a visit from you and–”
“–gossip. She always says that. And whenever I do pay her a visit, I end up leaving the next morning too hungover to ride back. It has been a while, though. Maybe if I get Grizz to come with me. Then she can get him drunk and I can keep my senses for once.” Ava seemed to be talking mostly to herself, without a care that Enko was listening.
They didn’t so much come to a stop outside a door as Ava seamlessly slipped into the room at the end of the hallway, and for a few seconds Enko stood, confused, outside the door.
Then, suddenly from inside the room: “Grizz, I’ve got an elf for you!”
An undignified yelp echoed from the room, closely followed by Ava’s snickering laughter. Enko found a grin creeping onto his own face, as well. Ava didn’t seem the kind of person who was very loud by nature, and her call from inside was barely over what he would consider a speaking tone, but it was good to know that even the terrifying Ava wasn’t above a simple prank.
The door was opened by a grey goblin, whose appearance took Enko by more surprise than Ava’s had. He stood tall, for a goblin, back straight and outfitted in silver armour, sharp mouth twisted into a gentle sigh of exasperation. But Enko could see clearly from the way his skin wrinkled at the corners of his eyes and mouth, this was an old goblin, probably in his late twenties, if not older.
After a quick once-over, Grizz hustled Enko into the room, which was revealed to be a small healing office. “Alright, have a sit, let’s see what’s wrong. Name’s Grizz, by the way, Paladin of Artemis.”
A bit stunned by the speed at which things were moving, Enko took a seat on the examination table, and introduced himself and his problem. Grizz listened attentively, and Enko watched as he stiffly (but rapidly) collected whatever he needed from around the room. Ava had vanished at some point, although Enko wasn’t sure how or when.
Once Grizz had set aside Enko’s hood and tunic and began undoing Florence’s wrappings, Enko allowed himself to start asking questions. “You said you were a paladin?”
“Yep. Grew up in the Cult of Artemis, goddess of the moon and hunt.”
“I see. I’m afraid I’ve never heard of her.”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t have yet. Give it a few decades.” Grizz smiled widely at this, though Enko wasn’t sure what he meant. Maybe the cult was still developing its evangelism?
“Pardon me for asking, but, as a paladin, do you also use magic?”
Grizz finished freeing Enko’s right arm and began to examine it, a deep furrow between his brows. “Yeah, divine magic, not arcane, but similar.”
“I ask because these injuries to my arms were a result of my failed teleportation spell. I’ve used it a thousand times, and while it will occasionally drift based on the currents of wild magic, never has it caused injury or taken me so far from my destination. Or, for that matter, my original location. I have no idea what went wrong.”
Grizz was silent for a moment, then pulled out a potion and handed it to Enko. “Drink this first. I’m going to set your arms before I heal them, and it won’t be fun without the anaesthetic.”
Enko quickly followed the instructions, and waited a few seconds for a strange numbness to suffuse through his limbs before giving Grizz a nod. He watched with morbid fascination as the goblin rearranged his bones into the correct shape, finally detached from the pain. Then Grizz moved on to unwrap his left arm.
“Magic’s been going a little wonky ever since Rome fell,” he answered suddenly. “You probably don’t know about that–where were you from again?”
“America, far to the west of here,” Enko answered.
“Well, long story short, Rome was a city where humans were controlling dragons as their own personal weapons. They used the dragons to try to build an empire, and paid for it when the dragons finally got loose and razed the entire region. The sudden release of all that magic…”
“It would have wildly oscillating effects on the wild magic of the entire continent,” Enko realised in horror, “And the region itself would be completely unstable for… well, it could be forever.”
Grizz nodded grimly as he straightened out Enko’s left arm. “Yeah, anywhere near Rome is completely uninhabitable. But the areas around here are just far enough away that we just get sort of… clouds of interference. It’s like the weather; some days are clear and magic works normally, and some days are stormy and it's best to not even risk potions. My guess is that a cloud somehow drifted over to your side of the world, or at least a corresponding cloud of wild American magic linked to a cloud of magic from Rome.”
Enko nodded. That would make sense, why his spell was both suddenly dangerous and wildly inaccurate for no discernable reason. At least it hadn’t been his own fault in casting.
“And how do you know? If a day is safe for magic or not?”
Grizz gestured behind him to a table, where a large bowl sat, its contents casting the dappled reflections of water upon the ceiling.
“We’ve got a bunch of permanent minor spells running in the water from that bowl. You can take some with you, even, if you think these clouds are going to be a problem in America. Basically, it glows and runs clear when the spells are working as normal, and when the clouds pass and they start to malfunction, the water starts to go black. The darker the water, the less safe it is to cast.”
“I see!” Enko whispered, staring in wonder at the ingenious detector. “Like a wild magic barometer. I would be honoured to be allowed to take some with me, just in case this becomes a problem elsewhere. I must repay you though, and also for my– Oh!” Enko went to gesture to his arms, only to find them moving easily once again, all signs of damage gone.
Grizz gave him a pat on the shoulder which sent strange tingles through his potion-soaked nerves. “Once the anaesthetic wears off, tell me if there’s still any pain. Can’t be too careful about pinching nerves, especially with how crushed your arms were. Seriously, that might be some kind of record.”
“I insist,” Enko continued, noticing that the goblin hadn’t addressed his statement. “There must be something I can do for you, some spell or task. Anything you ask, I’ll do my best to find a way to give you, if it’s within my power.”
Grizz’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Enko could easily imagine him fierce and fighting. “That’s a very large offer for a small favour, Enko. You should be more careful with your payments.”
“It’s not a small favour by any means!” Enko argued. “For myself, perhaps it was a simple matter of healing, after which I can get myself home, but from what Florence told me, the Harlequins have been offering safety to just about every non-human you can find. I can’t imagine that you’ve received much gratitude or compensation for your work, and I’m sure many cases were far more difficult than mine. What you and Ava are doing here is incredible, and I’d never forgive myself for not properly recognizing your gift to others like me.”
Grizz sighed and crossed his arms. “It’s not like we’re struggling here. There are plenty of extra hands around, and Ava and the kids are more than capable of earning money. I can understand that you want to show your thanks, but there’s nothing we need.”
Enko took a moment to think. What could he offer, not a material boon, but a magical effect of some kind, something that they wouldn’t have access to after he left? What would they need?
Grizz took his speechlessness for defeat and marched out of the room, leaving Enko to follow mutely. He was invited to a brief meal with Ava (who materialised out of the lamplit shadows like a dark spector and nearly scared Enko to death), but spent the whole time trying to come up with a specific offer. Ava also ate in silence, apparently unconcerned by her guest’s rudeness.
By the time the meal was finished and the dishes cleaned up, Enko was no closer to a conclusion than he had been at the start. The numbing potion, however, had completely worn off, and Grizz returned to fetch Enko back to the healing room for a final check.
Enko took another comprehension potion before they started, and Grizz did as well. Fumbling for a fitting offer, or at least time to think of one, Enko started asking questions again. “When I came in, I noticed two children, one with pointed ears and one with tusks. Do they live here, or are they going somewhere else?”
Grizz took hold of Enko’s right arm and started moving it through various articulations. “Tell me if something hurts or tingles or pinches. And it depends on the kid. Stella, the gnomish girl, is heading to a gnome community in the north, but she can’t leave until we’ve received confirmation that our contact has room for her. Tar’we is half-orc, but he’s living here for as long as he wants to.”
Enko made an interested sound as Grizz switched to his left arm.
“His parents were in a secret relationship, and neither thought they could safely raise him. At least that’s what they said. Honestly, it seems more like they just didn’t want the attention on them, but it doesn’t really matter. He’s here until he decides he wants to be somewhere else, and even then, he’s a Harlequin no matter where he goes.”
Enko was stunned for a moment, in awe of the simple acceptance and generosity of this family. That’s what it was, he realised, despite their various heritages and appearances: a family formed by care over blood. “You really are amazing,” he said. “These kids are never going to forget what you gave them.”
However Grizz tried to hide it, Enko saw the way his chest puffed out at the praise, the pride gleaming in his eyes. “They’re going to be great,” Grizz agreed, but… there was a hint of melancholy in his tone. Why? Was it–?
That was it! Enko knew what he could offer them!
“Grizz,” he started gently, trying not to let his excitement get the better of him, “would you like to see it? Or, more of it, at least?”
Grizz’s face creased in suspicion again, and he put down Enko’s arm. “What exactly are you offering?”
“Not– I can’t make you immortal,” Enko quickly explained. “But I’ve been working on a spell recently, one for longevity. It’s limited in that it can’t extend a lifespan for any longer than about a century, but it would be simple to give you at least a few more decades. You could stick around, watch your kids grow up, help more people. It’s more of a re-scaling effect than the addition of years, really, so you’d also have more years in your youth. I think… I think you’d have roughly a human lifespan. If you want it.”
There was a long silence. Enko watched as Grizz’s face ran through a series of emotions too fast to follow, settling on an unreadable consideration.
“…Are you sure?” he quietly asked, and Enko nodded emphatically.
“I can think of no one more deserving. And I know that you’ll use it for the good of many others.”
Finally, finally, Grizz’s face split into a hesitant grin. “You know what, sure! What are we waiting for?”
Sasha didn’t bring it up until Enko had teleported himself away.
“You look… different,” was what she ended up saying, while Grizzop beamed at her like he hadn’t for years.
“Yeah! Yeah, I feel different, too. A lot better, actually.” He stretched his arms over his head, marvelling at the range of motion he’d barely noticed losing.
Sasha watched him carefully. The bounce was back in his steps, and she was willing to bet that his eyesight and hearing were back to their prime function, as well. More than just the physical age, the anxiety that plagued his quiet moments seemed to have lifted, leaving his crimson eyes clear and determined. It was the best gift in the world, all her dread of slowly and inevitably losing him magicked away. It couldn’t be trusted.
“What did it cost?” she asked, turning to look at the night sky, where only a sliver of the waning moon was visible. She couldn’t bear to look at him and hear it, to know what he could have traded away for this illusion of youth.
The tension in her profile was horribly familiar, and Grizzop allowed himself a moment of guilt for being the one to put it back there. He didn’t make her face him, but caught her hand in his and held it tightly.
“Just me healing him up, and a vial of the magic water, which you know there’s nothing dangerous in. Said he thought the work we were doing deserved rewarding, or something, and I know he meant it.”
Sasha flipped a dagger inside her coat pocket, shifting it between hidden pockets. Considering.
Grizzop turned to face the sky, as well, and fought back the whoop of joy that wanted to burst from his chest at the sight of the moon. This would not be the last cycle he saw, nor would the next, nor the next. He had more time.
“...Good.” Sasha squeezed Grizzop’s hand, and he bared his teeth in a smile. “You’re not allowed to leave me in charge of the little ones, remember.”
The grin morphed into a full fledged laugh, the bubbly feeling in Grizzop’s chest finally overflowing. When Sasha looked back at him, her lips were quirked up in a rare show of genuine happiness.
“Oh, you’re better with them than you used to be. But no, I’m not leaving anytime soon.”