Jed's "Little Hobbies": The Damaged

Finally, Novitas manages to corner Jethro at the Nidus and ask the question she's been dying to ask: "Jed, where do you keep picking these creatures up, anyway?"

"I don't really pick them up," Jed says with his habitual slow smile. "Not most of them, anyway. They get left here for me, mostly, ever since I first adopted Crest."

"By whom?" Novitas asks curiously.

Seemingly not minding dispelling the secrecy, Jed opens his mouth to reply, but before a word comes out, there's a shiver of unfamiliar magic-- but also somehow familiar, in a way she can't put a claw on-- and Novitas jumps, turning in surprise. There, stepping out of nothing, out of a shadow, stands another of the tiny horse-like creatures Jed has been collecting, the objects of Novitas's intense curiosity. This is a new one, black and silver and purple, with long tassels hanging down from his ears, a red horn sprouting from his forehead, and a silvered leather harness.

"Hello, Jethyro," the little samanayr says, and gives Novitas a simple nod.

"Hello, Shadow," Jed answers. "Any trouble?"

"No, no tyrouble," the samanayr bobs his head slowly. "But I am to tell you to yrelay a few messages, if you do not mind."

"Tell away."

To Novitas's wary surprise, the samanayr's shadow is moving, independent of its caster, prancing in pace like a restless horse, twitching a shadow-tail and tossing a shadow-horn. Her ears twitch curiously when the voice that comes from his mouth does not sound-- quite-- the same as the voice she'd heard before. Experience with the creatures lets her understand despite his thick accent: "Fiyrst, tell yRequiyro, youyr bond, that the idea he has been enteyrtaining will not come to fyruition the way he wishes. He would be wise to tyry a diffeyrent appyroach."

Jed nods, taking both the moving shadow and the odd voice in stride. "Anything else?"

"Theyre is a dyragon named Yadtime who will be yreceiving some news soon. He should mayrk it, for it will be impoyrtant." The samanayr sighs, shakes himself, and speaks again, this time in the voice he had used before delivering his "messages". "That is all. Thank you, Jethyro."

Before Jed can do more than nod and smile in answer, the little samanayr turns and paces sedately back the way he came. Novitas blinks at the scent and sense of more of that odd magic, and when she blinks again, he is gone.

"Who was that?" she demands incredulously.

"Mystic of the Fragmented Shadow," Jed sighs. "He's... a little odd. He calls himself 'Damaged', whatever that means. I'm not entirely sure how he showed up, but one day, he was just... here. He lives at the very top of the nearest mountain, in a cave there."

"A little odd is an understatement!" Novitas comments, eyes narrowed on where she last saw the little samanayr. "Think he'd mind if I visited?"

"I don't think so, but be careful if you do. There are a pair of mares, both of them just plain vicious, in the area."

"I'm a mage, Jed," Novitas says with amusement. "I'll be fine."

Song of the Rainbow Hotsprings: Samanayr Home

City of Shar

Name	Description	Personality	Species and Family
Mystic of the Fragmented Shadow Stallion, 13" tall	A tall samanayr, but slender, Mystic-- who goes by Shadow, more often than not-- has a black body with red hip stripes, hooves, and horn, with a blue-violet underside and face. His mane, tail, and tufts are long and silky, colored gray fading to violet. He wears a silver leather, studded harness, reminders of his days in captivity.	All of Shadow's Damaged nature is psychological: the abuses meted out on him caused his mind to break into multiple personalities, voices in his head which can, at times, "come out" to speak or act. He, himself, is a quiet creature, generally solemn and pessimistic, but often he acts otherwise, as one of those voices in his head comes out to play. He takes his duties as a Mystic seriously, and is often seen wandering from Song to Song, dispensing advice from his visions.	Damaged Mystic, Shadow element (Earth plus Fire); Wild pedigree Notes, magic: As a Mystic, Shadow is clairvoyant. His elemental magic is of darkness and shadow. He can see in the dark, shadow-walk and -meld, and can manipulate his own shadow: enlarge it, move it, etc. With enough practice it could become a separate entity.

Finding Mystic of the Fragmented Shadow's cave is a task in and of itself, especially since she is doing it invisibly, which tends to warp her vision, and even more so because it is well above the snow line. Still, Novitas finally ducks inside, flickering visible again. "Hello?" she calls into the dim cave, then calls up a small, green light, illuminating the narrow recess. "Anyone here?"

There is no answer, but as she eases herself further in-- the cave is not very big, and even human-formed, Novitas is larger than any samanayr-- the soft click of cloven hooves follows her in. "I know you're there, I can hear you."

"I am heyre," Shadow's voice echoes in. "Keep going in; it will widen." He's right, and after a moment, the tight space expands into a slightly more comfortable cave: the walls no longer constrict her breathing, but she still can't stand up fully. There isn't light, other than the one Novitas created, but the air is both damp and warm, and the light, growing to illuminate the whole room, shows a bubbling hot spring against the back wall, lined along its stone banks with thick moss and leaves, the latter obviously brought in from the outside.

"Nice little place, you have here," she comments, crouching down to avoid bumping the ceiling.

"I like it," Shadow answers vaguely, stepping past her to put his muzzle to the spring. In the strange light, his shadow dances and changes shape under his feet.

"How long have you lived up here?"

"Not long. Eveyr since we escaped."

"Escaped?"

The previously-gentle samanayr tosses his head warningly and growls, "I do not wish to speak of it!"

"Hey, relax, it's okay," Novitas says quickly, holding up her hands peaceably, "you don't have to."

The glare fades into what Novitas thinks is chagrin, though the equine face is hard to read, and Shadow slumps down into his "bed" of moss and leaves. "I am soyrry if I am yrude. I am, sometimes, you know. Though I do not mean to be."

Frowning thoughtfully, Novitas watched him in the pale glow of her mage-light. "It's all right. It could be worse: you could have attacked me. A little lamanayr down the mountain a ways has done that-- twice!" The humorous statement doesn't bring the desired smile, but merely a sorrowful sort of look. Novitas coughs lightly. "So you live up here alone?"

"Not... exactly."

"What does that mean, 'not exactly'?"

Shadow pauses, staring at her with another unreadable expression, then stands again. "I can show you. It is easieyr than tyrying to tell you."

Curious, Novitas stands-- curses as she hits her head and hunches again-- then says, "Lead on, little guy."