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Neffres didn’t know what to expect when Devon invited him and Nix to join the Banished Shadows, but it definitely wasn’t a welcome worthy of a world-famous theater troupe. Sprinkle, the little red and white dragon girl they had just saved with the help of two other strangers, BB and Reed, was immediately delighted. So it was reassuring to glance beside him and see that Nix appeared just as confused as he was when people started singing and dancing. After it became clear that this was an entirely sincere performance and not some form of hazing, Neffres relaxed a little. And, upon meeting eyes with Sprinkle, he let himself enjoy the moment as much as possible. Which is to say, he gently bobbed his head to the music and smiled as Sprinkle joined the dancers.
He hadn’t been planning on joining any sort of group he came across while searching for Miryn, but this change of plans seemed to be one of the rare ones that Neffres could see himself accepting (at least until he was better acquainted with the kingdom). Yes, he was mostly here because he’d promised Sprinkle’s mother that he would take care of her, but he’d also accepted that having trustworthy allies in Laertesia would be not only beneficial but also life-saving. It hadn’t even been a week since he managed to hop the border and he’d already come closer to death than he ever had in his three years wandering around Ophelidan alone.
His first days in the kingdom were spent laying low and coming to terms with just how different things were from Ophelidan. Growing up, he’d heard about Laertesia, but Neffres had never thought of his neighboring kingdom as a one so dangerous to live in. Now he saw that it was a place built on propaganda against his home and sustained by the struggling of its own people. He couldn’t be sure why this was or how deep the roots of propaganda went. All he knew was that people were suffering and, for one reason or another, they all thought it was Ophelidan’s fault. Thankfully, the only people who knew he was Ophelian were Reed, who disappeared after they got paid, BB, who had their own things to worry about, and Nix, who was already disillusioned with the Laretesian government. Now, being welcomed into a group of other disillusioned Laertesians, he was grateful to have found a safer way to learn about navigating Laertesia.
As the performance wrapped up, Sprinkle ran back over to him and Nix with Devon and someone he hadn’t met following after her. Neffres recognized the blue half-orc woman from the performance. She’d been front and center for much of it and between her unwavering confidence and vibrant wardrobe, Neffres had a hard time taking his eyes off of her.
“Well hi there,” he laughed as Sprinkle hugged onto his legs, “You have fun?”
“Yes!” she beamed up at him.
“We’ve got quite the natural dancer on our hands,” the half-orc complimented, stopping before them with Devon at her side.
Devon nodded, patting Sprinkle’s head proudly before gesturing between the duo and his companion, “Saz, Neffres and Nix. Neffres and Nix, Saz. We co-founded the Shadows together so if you guys need help settling in and I’m busy, Saz is your next best bet.”
“Unless you want to take your chances with any of our other members. It might be funny,” Saz joked.
“I’ll be fine,” Nix said simply.
Neffres laughed awkwardly, “I’ll probably play it safe with y’all if I can help it.”
“Smart,” the half-orc smiled, holding her hand out to Neffres first, “Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand like she was testing his strength. Neffres resigned himself to being embarrassed, but she didn’t say anything. She just let go and shook Nix’s hand, “Thanks for helping Dev bring Sprinkle to us.”
They chatted a little longer before Devon asked if they wanted the tour. Sprinkle said yes and clambered into the black man’s arms before Nix or Neffres could even consider responding. Of course, neither of them protested after that, no matter how tired they were. The building seemed to house between 30 and 40 individuals, but they passed so many that Neffres couldn’t be certain. The bedrooms they saw were small, but they didn’t feel cramped, and the common areas were spacious enough to make the entire place feel more open than it was. Neffres was still surprised at how large the place was, but when Saz explained that they ran off of the revenue they made at their club downstairs it made a little more sense. And when Devon made a carefully-worded joke about making most of their money on “special late nights”, Neffres stopped wondering.
Towards the end of the tour, Devon took Sprinkle to introduce her to some other kids who lived with the Shadows. As they left and Sprinkle waved to Neffres and Nix until she was out of sight, Saz explained, “We don’t have many kids, but a few of ours have kids and we’ve taken in a few who’ve come to us for help. They’re mostly tweens and teens, but everyone’s nice. Sprinkle’ll get along with them easily.” She smiled at Neffres, “In case you were worried.”
“I’m always worried,” he admitted bluntly, earning a laugh from Saz and a faint smile from Nix. He quickly added, “But I know she’ll be okay! I mean, we just met her, but she seems like the kind of kid who can get along with everyone without trying.” She reminded him of Will in that way.
Before he could get lost in the dread of knowing he’d have to tell his family he was in Laertesia, Nix spoke. “Glad she’ll be safe here.”
“Yeah, we’re not gonna let anything happen to her,” Saz agreed, then turned her gaze to Neffres. “Speaking of keeping her safe. I know she’s very attached to you, but there’s no way you can protect her alone if you’re attacked at night so she’s gonna be staying with Devon.”
If he was being honest, Neffres was a little relieved to be told the dragon girl wouldn’t be staying with him. She was sweet and he was more than happy to help take care of her however he could, but he had no fighting experience (and the lack of muscles to show it). Plus he needed a reliable space to be alone in when he needed privacy. Still, he was taken aback by the other’s bluntness. “Uh, yeah- Fair, I guess. As long as she’s okay with it, I’ve got no issue with that.”
“Oh, yeah, the moment Devon told her he had the biggest bed she was all good with it,” she laughed.
That night, after a few more introductions and a full meal, Devon encouraged Neffres and Nix to go get some sleep after their long day of dragon-rescuing. Both were more than happy to comply, making their way to their respective rooms to relax. Neffres immediately set to getting ready for bed. It had been a long time since he’d been both socially drained and physically weary, so the exhaustion hit him harder than usual. He hung his cloak on the bedpost and set his folded clothes on the desk in the room before climbing under the covers and curling up. Despite how tired Neffres was, falling asleep didn’t come easy. It never did.
His mind wandered quickly at night and, though he had plenty of exciting things to think about, he just had to go back to worrying about how his family would react to him sneaking into Laertesia. He’d been putting off telling them for nearly a week now, but he knew that if he didn’t reach out soon they’d start worrying as his letters stopped coming. With the border control as strict as it was, he’d have to rely entirely on the sending spell to communicate with his family from now on. Which was great because it meant he wouldn’t have to wait long for a response but sucked because it meant he wouldn’t have to wait long for a response. He wanted to tell his mom, but he knew she’d immediately freak out and respond by telling him how reckless he was or pleading for him to come back- to come home. And it’d be too much to put on Will or Vic to explain to their parents, so dad it was.
He wished he could keep putting it off, but he knew his anxiety would only get worse if he did. So he sat up and got to drafting messages in his notebook. After a few minutes, he sighed, cast the spell, and spoke, “Hey dad. I’m in Laertesia now. Being safe. I met a rebel group to help me adapt. I love and miss y’all. Tell mom sorry…”
He didn’t even have to wait for a minute before Tybros’ voice echoed in his mind, “You what?! Neffres your mom’s gonna kill me!!” He paused and sighed, “Please stay safe. Wear your cloak. Probably more dangerous than when I left. We love you. Always.”