Far From Home
A short story about a naive traveler exploring a new world after leaving their own behind...
After a few days journey out in the Cobalt Sea, a ship returns to its port in the city of Felwinter. Exhausted, the crew and passengers step out onto the docks of Felwinter. They all head out to meet their spouses or to a tavern to drink after a long trip. All except for one passenger...
This passenger wasn’t part of the crew. Not one of its original passengers either. Somewhere on the return trip, the ship was boarded by what many of the passengers thought was some kind of sea monster. The monster persuaded everyone it was friendly and that it had a name: Aslyn.
Aslyn had never been to a surface city before. She stood in a stunned silence starring at the chaotic and bustling docks while disembarking the ship. There were people everywhere. Deckhands running to and from ship, merchants loading and unloading ships and carrying carts of goods to be exported, children running around and being chased by angry dock workers. The sounds of people shouting, seagulls, and the scent of the Cobalt River fill the air.
“Ahem. Excuse me, you’re blocking the way,” said an impatient passenger who was rather determined to get off the ship.
Coming out of her trance, Aslyn replies, “Oh sorry!”
Aslyn stepped out of the way to let the other passengers disembark. The humans not only have some impressive architecture, but they also have some strange social customs. Excited and inspired, Aslyn frantically pulled out her journal and began doodling what she saw. This marks the first of many such doodles during her time on the surface.
Tritons are quite rare in the Empire and many don’t quite know what to expect of them. The few that have made an appearance seemed somewhat arrogant about their underwater societies and traditions and were appalled by the surface dwellers’ ignorance about their home. Aslyn, however, cared not about this, and soon after she stepped off of the boat, she was running through the streets of Felwinter, journal in hand, doodling anything interesting she found from buildings to people, and her jaw hanging wide open from awe the whole time.
So many things to see, Aslyn thought. It would probably help to have a guide. At that moment, Aslyn remembered why she had come here in the first place. It was also then, when she realized she was lost. Her awestruck smile turned to a panicked frown. She stood in the center of a massive town, people walking every which way, kids running and shouting, animals barking, laborers shoving past.
“Excuse me miss, are you alright?”
Aslyn looked to the source of the deep voice that seemed to have pierced its way through the commotion. Before her stood a large, ugly, green man, at least a foot taller than her, two large underbite fangs, and slick black hair pulled into a ponytail. He wore a full suit of platemail armor, a helmet hanging by his side, and on his back a massive halberd polearm. Despite his appearance, the man appeared quite concerned and genuine in his query.
“...no,” was all Aslyn managed to squeak out after 5 full seconds of standing frozen in fear and anxiety.
“You look lost. Allow me to help show you around,” replied the half-orc, “name’s Teddy, Paladin of Helm. You can trust me.”
“M... mine’s Aslyn. So... will you be my tour guide?”
It didn't take long for Aslyn to open up to her new tour guide. Within a few minutes, she had already showed the half-orc the entirety of her sketchbook containing the ship she arrived on and the interesting things she found. "Can I put you in my sketchbook? Please?" "Sure, why not." With a few quick strokes of her pen, a fairly accurate doodle of Teddy finds its place in Aslyn's sketchbook, alongside all the other things she's discovered. "I've heard of your people before but never met one in person. What brings you to the city?" asked Teddy. Aslyn, who was having a good time for the brief moment since her last panic attack, suddenly remembered once again why she left her home under the sea. "...My home was taken over by a monster." "Oh. I'm very sorry to hear that. Is your family safe?" "I think so, but... this all happened because of my brother...," explained Aslyn. "We were all fighting this monster, but for some reason, my brother turned on everyone. He helped the monster kill many of my people and allowed it to take over... Why would he do such a thing?" "Well, at least you are safe here," responded Teddy. "Come on, how about you let me show you around." And the mood was once again lifted as Teddy began to explain the parts of the city. Aslyn's attention was easily moved and soon she once again had her pen in hand and doodled and wrote detailed notes on the various parts of the city Teddy told her about. "Oh! Oh! What's that building?" asked Aslyn. "That's a bookstore. Perhaps you might find something-" "Oh! What about that?" asked Aslyn, ignoring her guide's additional comments. "That's just some fancy residence." "What about that place? Looks like a lot of people are going in there!" "What, that place? Oh, uh... you don't want to go in there, trust me." "Why not?" "It's a, uh... a brothel." "What's a brothel?" "It's a degenerate place where people spend money for... companionship." "Companionship? Like friends!?" Aslyn exclaimed excitedly and naively. "Well, kind of, but only for the night and not that kind of friendship. We shouldn't bother, after all my religion forbids me to-" But Aslyn had already walked inside the brothel. To the mostly innocent eyes of Aslyn, the interior of this establishment was packed with all sorts of beautiful people wearing strange clothes. The surface world just keeps getting weirder! She rushed up to the counter where there stood a rather worn looking woman smoking a pipe. "One friend please!" said Aslyn, pulling out all the money she gathered before fleeing her home and placing it on the counter: two silver pieces. The woman glared judgmentally at the strange, smiling, and patiently waiting fish-like humanoid girl who just walked into her establishment and placed two coins on her table. "That ain't enough honey. However..." The woman stared Aslyn up and down, inspecting her, "if you're looking for work, I'm sure we could arrange something, dear." "Sorry, she's not interested." The armored gauntlet of Teddy slamed down on the two silver pieces as he pushed them back towards Aslyn. "Come on, Aslyn, lets get out of here." Before Aslyn had a chance to react, she let herself to be dragged by Teddy out of the establishment and back onto the streets of Felwinter.
Some more time passed by, with Teddy narrating much of the journey. Aslyn's journal is now much more than halfway full, and she just started putting stuff in it yesterday! "Is your necklace broken?" asked Aslyn, noticing the symbol of a right hand gauntlet with an eye in the center dangling from Teddy's neck. It has a noticeable crack through the eye in the center. "Unfortunately, yes. It's been that way for many years now," replied Teddy. "Can't you get a new one?" asked Aslyn naively. "That's not how it works," explained Teddy, "See, this is a symbol of my god Helm, it is a sign of my status as a Paladin. A long time ago, I took an oath to protect and help people. Sometime ago, however, I broke that oath and fell out of favor of my god. Ever since I have been working to get back in his good graces by helping people in need." "Like me!" Aslyn interjected. "Yes. Like you," said Teddy. "Now come, let's find you a place to stay. It's getting late." The duo continued to travel through the city, trying to find a decent enough tavern where the Triton girl can be safe. The sun has just begun to set and the sky is in the middle of that beautiful transition from day to night. The evening in Felwinter is just as busy as daytime Felwinter, only this time, people are enjoying themselves after a long day of work. People walk in the streets with their friends, yelling and laughing as they enter various pubs and restaurants. The streets are illuminated by magical lamp posts which line the main streets and paint the buildings in a warm yellowish glow, supplementing the slowly waning light from the sun, which is now being hidden by many of the buildings when seen from the streets. Eventually, the two have made their way to the Temple District of the city. There is a large plaza where some of the many religious temples are located. Within the center of this decorated stone plaza, there exists a singular large tree, originally placed as a decorative element and to symbolize the city as being the center of religious freedom in the world. Unfortunately, due to the passing of time and poor care taking, the tree is almost barren and dry. "That tree looks sad," Aslyn pointed out. Teddy replied, "Ah, yes. It's been like that for some time now. A shame, honestly. Anyways, my deity's temple is just up ahead. I'll make sure you are taken care of just fine in there. Aslyn?" Teddy looked behind him and found Aslyn kneeling down next to the tree with a saddened look on her face. Aslyn closed her eyes and put a hand on the tree. She sat completely still and focused on the tree. On the ground beneath it. On the various elements of nature within the city and beyond. The tree was crying for help, and Aslyn was the one to answer. She focused harder on the tree and the nature around it. She focused on the primal elements that make up the world: earth, water, air, fire... okay maybe fire wouldn't be a good idea here, she thought. Using the magic that her aunt taught her, the same primal magic that her mother used, Aslyn called upon the elements and poured life into the dying tree. The feat of magic had gathered a crowd. A strange blue fish-person sitting next to a dead tree and seemingly talking to it when it suddenly begins to glow with energy makes quite the show for people who are searching for post-work entertainment. Teddy watched the feat of magic unfold among the crowd, as they watched the Triton girl poured energy into the tree, which, within seconds, began to bear lush green leaves as it became alive once more. A moment of silence passed as Aslyn came out of her trance, no longer glowing. She turned to Teddy and says, "There. The tree's happy now." A round of applause and cheers came from the crowd as the symbolic tree was brought back to life. "How did you...," Teddy asked confusingly, but then he thought for a moment, recalling on his own adventures where he encountered other exceptional people who had control over nature in a similar way, and then answered his own question. "My aunt taught me how to use the magic of nature," Aslyn responded, "Just like my mother does. I hope I find her some day." Teddy took Aslyn by the hand and led her to the Temple of Helm. "Welcome back, Paladin Teddy," said a middle-aged cleric inside the temple. "And greetings to the young lady who brought back life to the center tree. How can we help you two?" Aslyn smiled, "So you saw that too? Wow. I didn't realize how important what I did was. I just wanted the tree to be happy." "Well, we all are very grateful," replied the cleric. Teddy stepped up and said, "Aslyn here is new to the city. I want to make sure she has a place to stay for now. I request we make room for her here." "Of course!" replied the cleric. "We would be happy to help here here, especially after showing how compassionate she is." Aslyn bloomed with glee and smiled her open mouth smile. "Wow! Thank you so much! I've never slept in a temple before! Well, actually I have but not a temple like this! This is amazing!" Teddy bowed respectfully towards Aslyn. "Well, I'm glad we found you a place to stay and that you are enjoying your time in the city so far, but I must go." "You're not staying?" "No. My situation requires that I stay on the move on the lookout for people in need. I don't know where Helm will take me but I trust in his judgement as I always have." "Aww. Well, I had a really good time today! Thank you so much for showing me around, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't showed up. Oh! Take these!" Aslyn offered the two silver coins she had almost spent on an escort. "No need. Your safety is payment enough." "Well, how about this? I want you to have it!" Aslyn teared out a page in her sketchbook and handed it to Teddy. It's the drawing of him. "Thank you, Aslyn. Perhaps I will see you again." "I hope we do! Thank you again for being my tour guide!" "And thank you for showing me innocence again."
It didn't take long for Aslyn to open up to her new tour guide. Within a few minutes, she had already showed the half-orc the entirety of her sketchbook containing the ship she arrived on and the interesting things she found. "Can I put you in my sketchbook? Please?" "Sure, why not." With a few quick strokes of her pen, a fairly accurate doodle of Teddy finds its place in Aslyn's sketchbook, alongside all the other things she's discovered. "I've heard of your people before but never met one in person. What brings you to the city?" asked Teddy. Aslyn, who was having a good time for the brief moment since her last panic attack, suddenly remembered once again why she left her home under the sea. "...My home was taken over by a monster." "Oh. I'm very sorry to hear that. Is your family safe?" "I think so, but... this all happened because of my brother...," explained Aslyn. "We were all fighting this monster, but for some reason, my brother turned on everyone. He helped the monster kill many of my people and allowed it to take over... Why would he do such a thing?" "Well, at least you are safe here," responded Teddy. "Come on, how about you let me show you around." And the mood was once again lifted as Teddy began to explain the parts of the city. Aslyn's attention was easily moved and soon she once again had her pen in hand and doodled and wrote detailed notes on the various parts of the city Teddy told her about. "Oh! Oh! What's that building?" asked Aslyn. "That's a bookstore. Perhaps you might find something-" "Oh! What about that?" asked Aslyn, ignoring her guide's additional comments. "That's just some fancy residence." "What about that place? Looks like a lot of people are going in there!" "What, that place? Oh, uh... you don't want to go in there, trust me." "Why not?" "It's a, uh... a brothel." "What's a brothel?" "It's a degenerate place where people spend money for... companionship." "Companionship? Like friends!?" Aslyn exclaimed excitedly and naively. "Well, kind of, but only for the night and not that kind of friendship. We shouldn't bother, after all my religion forbids me to-" But Aslyn had already walked inside the brothel. To the mostly innocent eyes of Aslyn, the interior of this establishment was packed with all sorts of beautiful people wearing strange clothes. The surface world just keeps getting weirder! She rushed up to the counter where there stood a rather worn looking woman smoking a pipe. "One friend please!" said Aslyn, pulling out all the money she gathered before fleeing her home and placing it on the counter: two silver pieces. The woman glared judgmentally at the strange, smiling, and patiently waiting fish-like humanoid girl who just walked into her establishment and placed two coins on her table. "That ain't enough honey. However..." The woman stared Aslyn up and down, inspecting her, "if you're looking for work, I'm sure we could arrange something, dear." "Sorry, she's not interested." The armored gauntlet of Teddy slamed down on the two silver pieces as he pushed them back towards Aslyn. "Come on, Aslyn, lets get out of here." Before Aslyn had a chance to react, she let herself to be dragged by Teddy out of the establishment and back onto the streets of Felwinter.
Some more time passed by, with Teddy narrating much of the journey. Aslyn's journal is now much more than halfway full, and she just started putting stuff in it yesterday! "Is your necklace broken?" asked Aslyn, noticing the symbol of a right hand gauntlet with an eye in the center dangling from Teddy's neck. It has a noticeable crack through the eye in the center. "Unfortunately, yes. It's been that way for many years now," replied Teddy. "Can't you get a new one?" asked Aslyn naively. "That's not how it works," explained Teddy, "See, this is a symbol of my god Helm, it is a sign of my status as a Paladin. A long time ago, I took an oath to protect and help people. Sometime ago, however, I broke that oath and fell out of favor of my god. Ever since I have been working to get back in his good graces by helping people in need." "Like me!" Aslyn interjected. "Yes. Like you," said Teddy. "Now come, let's find you a place to stay. It's getting late." The duo continued to travel through the city, trying to find a decent enough tavern where the Triton girl can be safe. The sun has just begun to set and the sky is in the middle of that beautiful transition from day to night. The evening in Felwinter is just as busy as daytime Felwinter, only this time, people are enjoying themselves after a long day of work. People walk in the streets with their friends, yelling and laughing as they enter various pubs and restaurants. The streets are illuminated by magical lamp posts which line the main streets and paint the buildings in a warm yellowish glow, supplementing the slowly waning light from the sun, which is now being hidden by many of the buildings when seen from the streets. Eventually, the two have made their way to the Temple District of the city. There is a large plaza where some of the many religious temples are located. Within the center of this decorated stone plaza, there exists a singular large tree, originally placed as a decorative element and to symbolize the city as being the center of religious freedom in the world. Unfortunately, due to the passing of time and poor care taking, the tree is almost barren and dry. "That tree looks sad," Aslyn pointed out. Teddy replied, "Ah, yes. It's been like that for some time now. A shame, honestly. Anyways, my deity's temple is just up ahead. I'll make sure you are taken care of just fine in there. Aslyn?" Teddy looked behind him and found Aslyn kneeling down next to the tree with a saddened look on her face. Aslyn closed her eyes and put a hand on the tree. She sat completely still and focused on the tree. On the ground beneath it. On the various elements of nature within the city and beyond. The tree was crying for help, and Aslyn was the one to answer. She focused harder on the tree and the nature around it. She focused on the primal elements that make up the world: earth, water, air, fire... okay maybe fire wouldn't be a good idea here, she thought. Using the magic that her aunt taught her, the same primal magic that her mother used, Aslyn called upon the elements and poured life into the dying tree. The feat of magic had gathered a crowd. A strange blue fish-person sitting next to a dead tree and seemingly talking to it when it suddenly begins to glow with energy makes quite the show for people who are searching for post-work entertainment. Teddy watched the feat of magic unfold among the crowd, as they watched the Triton girl poured energy into the tree, which, within seconds, began to bear lush green leaves as it became alive once more. A moment of silence passed as Aslyn came out of her trance, no longer glowing. She turned to Teddy and says, "There. The tree's happy now." A round of applause and cheers came from the crowd as the symbolic tree was brought back to life. "How did you...," Teddy asked confusingly, but then he thought for a moment, recalling on his own adventures where he encountered other exceptional people who had control over nature in a similar way, and then answered his own question. "My aunt taught me how to use the magic of nature," Aslyn responded, "Just like my mother does. I hope I find her some day." Teddy took Aslyn by the hand and led her to the Temple of Helm. "Welcome back, Paladin Teddy," said a middle-aged cleric inside the temple. "And greetings to the young lady who brought back life to the center tree. How can we help you two?" Aslyn smiled, "So you saw that too? Wow. I didn't realize how important what I did was. I just wanted the tree to be happy." "Well, we all are very grateful," replied the cleric. Teddy stepped up and said, "Aslyn here is new to the city. I want to make sure she has a place to stay for now. I request we make room for her here." "Of course!" replied the cleric. "We would be happy to help here here, especially after showing how compassionate she is." Aslyn bloomed with glee and smiled her open mouth smile. "Wow! Thank you so much! I've never slept in a temple before! Well, actually I have but not a temple like this! This is amazing!" Teddy bowed respectfully towards Aslyn. "Well, I'm glad we found you a place to stay and that you are enjoying your time in the city so far, but I must go." "You're not staying?" "No. My situation requires that I stay on the move on the lookout for people in need. I don't know where Helm will take me but I trust in his judgement as I always have." "Aww. Well, I had a really good time today! Thank you so much for showing me around, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't showed up. Oh! Take these!" Aslyn offered the two silver coins she had almost spent on an escort. "No need. Your safety is payment enough." "Well, how about this? I want you to have it!" Aslyn teared out a page in her sketchbook and handed it to Teddy. It's the drawing of him. "Thank you, Aslyn. Perhaps I will see you again." "I hope we do! Thank you again for being my tour guide!" "And thank you for showing me innocence again."
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