Chapter Four: Cotton

Cotton felt the sweat dripping down the back of her neck as she took the final bow and the mage lamp spotlight above her blacked out. And magical darkness enveloped her. She breathed hard and straightened up. The lights in the stands were coming up now and she took one last look at the crowd as she straightened. They applauded at the marvelous disappearance and began to go on their way. There were always a few that were slow to get up and leave. They stayed in their seats staring into the magical darkness that now surrounded her as if they could find her in it. And as if in finding her they could find what they were looking for. The latter part was true anyway. This crowd was no exception. Cotton spotted them. She had told the Horse Thief after all she could find some souls for him. She turned and walked towards the back of the tent. Those that were curious enough would no doubt stick around long enough to find her or for her to find them.

Outside the big tent her circus was busy engaging in the various tasks of putting up and preparing for the next day’s performance. Costumes needed to be stored. Equipment needed to be checked. Animals needed to be tended to. The circus' menagerie was small to be sure and mostly consisted of the Horse Thief’s horses in various of her glamors, but it still required an enormous effort to keep all the animals feed and well. Cotton caught the Horse Thief in the corner of her eye and walked towards him.

"I think I saw a few that might be good for you in the crowd today. It’s not bad for a matinee."

"Oh maybe a few for me how nice." The Horse Thief smiled.

"What are you grinning about?" Cotton asked

"There is already decidedly one for you." He said.

"What do you mean Horse Thief? They will barely be leaving the tent now. And anyone that was intrigued will likely linger there."

"Well clearly this individual was more intrigued by you than by the show."

"Look" she pointed "you can only just see the first people coming out of the tent so what are you on about?"

"They practically ran out of the tent before the lights were even down. Which does mean they missed the final trick, is unfortunate, but so is much of life. Anyway, regardless of what they missed they were quite eager to be able to speak to you." The Horse Thief replied

Cotton sighed "where did you send them?"

"Over to your tent of course." He said.

"So there is an over eager stranger who now knows where I sleep?"

"Well perhaps they will not be strange to you for so long eh? Also you have your wards and large disagreeable undead horse. So what do you need to be scared of someone knowing where is your tent."

A thought occurred to Cotton. Perhaps this stranger was not strange to her at all. A shiver ran down her spine. She was overdue for a visit from her sister.

"What did this stranger look like Horse Thief?" She asked.

"Tall, beautiful, armored." He answered.

"That is a very vague description."

"So go investigate boss. I think you would agree I have my own desperate souls I should go talk to." The Horse Thief sauntered away with two of his horses following after him without any need for him to hold their reins.

Cotton blew out a breath. Tall and beautiful were certainly words that were often used to describe her sister, Satine, but armored less so. The only way to know was to go see. If it was her sister, keeping her waiting would not do any good, and if it wasn't her sister, keeping them waiting was just rude. And desperate souls yielded best when handled with gentleness.

Cotton was relieved when she saw the person waiting outside her tent was indeed not her sister but a tall and beautiful stranger. They were six feet tall at least and their strong posture and the pieces of armor they wore made them look all the larger. Their hair fell in thick healthy waves of brown and was gathered loosely at the base of their neck. They waited with an utter confidence and calm Cotton could practically feel radiating out to her. Cotton could not imagine what someone like this might be desperate for. But it was her intention to find out.

"Hello," Cotton said as she strode forward.

The beautiful stranger looked towards the sound of her voice and they smiled at the sight of her. "Hello" they said. They took just a step forward as Cotton continued to approach.

"Can I help you with something friend?" Cotton asked.

"It would certainly be my preference," the stranger said. "I hope it’s alright by the way, me waiting for you here. I asked your man with the horses where I might find you and he pointed me in this direction."

Cotton didn't know yet quite what to think of it. She had certainly felt a healthy dose of trepidation when the Horse Thief told her there was a stranger waiting for her outside her tent. But there was something about them that had that trepidation evaporating.

"Wherever my Horse Thief pointed you it would be more his fault for telling than your fault for asking. So would you tell me what you think it is you were going to find here?" Cotton spoke slyly and deliberately. She was testing the water.

"I was hoping to find you." The stranger's voice was calm and bold.

"And now you have" Cotton said eyeing them up and down deliberately, "What next?"

The stranger returned her appraising gaze with their own.

"It’s Cotton isn't it? Your name I mean."

The stranger's confidence was easy and practiced. They were beautiful and charming. They were indeed the farthest thing from desperate Cotton could imagine, but they were very eager. She could use this, and she could figure out what it was they wanted.

"Well, now you have me at a disadvantage, I don’t know your name."

"Kestian Cere Thaedra" they said with a smile and an inclining of their head.

"I suppose we are on more even footing now. But I still don't know what it is you want?" Cotton said.

"I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your show and to ask if you might permit me to spend some time with you." Kestian replied

"What kind of time would you like to spend with me Kestian Cere Thaedra?" Cotton asked.

"Would you like to get a drink, or a meal? Or we could just go for a walk perhaps, I imagine this keeps you quite busy." Kestian said.

"You sprinted out of the show in order to get to my tent before me so you could ask me to go for a stroll? That's all?" Cotton asked.

"Oh course there is plenty more I would like but I have found that the finale is made all the more enjoyable by a good prelude."

"Is that a musical pick-up line?"

"You’re a bard aren't you?"

"That I am."

"Can you blame me for trying it then?" They shrugged and smiled.

"It’s not a bad line, Kestian Cere Thaedra.” Cotton said.

"So Cotton," they looked gently down at her "would you like to go for a walk?"

Cotton smiled, not desperate but absolutely eager and all they wanted was her. This could be interesting, fun even.

"Let me get changed," she said "I can't exactly walk out into town like this."

"Of course, may I wait here?" They asked.

"You may." Cotton said and walked into her tent.

Cotton felt a wave of nervous excitement as she entered the relative cool of her tent. The beautiful stranger had a name. That was a good first step. And they were so wonderfully eager. Cotton put away her violin and began to strip off her costume. But they also seemed so utterly confident and happy. What could this beautiful stranger, Kestian Cere Theadra, possibly want. What would they make a bargain for? What would they give up their soul for? It seemed that all they wanted right now was her. That was not an angle Cotton had much of if any experience working. It was in fact an angle she felt deeply uncomfortable working.

But that did not bear thinking about right now. Cotton needed to focus on the task at hand. She was going to go have a walk with the beautiful and eager Kestian Cere Thaedra. She stepped into trousers and pulled on a shirt then fastened a girdle and a belt with pockets around herself. She picked up the tiny piccolo from her shelf of trinkets. She of course preferred her father's violin for any serious casting but this would do for anything she might run into in the course of an afternoon. She tussled her short hair in the mirror. She didn't have to worry about hiding her horns or tail. She had figured that out with magic years ago. She took a deep breath and stepped back outside where Kestian was waiting.

"So," she asked "where are we walking to?"

Kestian looked at her and smiled. " Out of this park and more into the city first, then it depends entirely on how far you are willing to walk. I know of some places further up the city with simply amazing views and also a few great places down by the water. It all just depends what you're up for."

"Well we don't have another show till tomorrow so I'd say I'm up for most things, don't have anything I need to be rushing back for. Although Corsaña is huge so I don't know exactly how far you are planning on us going."

"Don’t worry, I've got to work at six so any medium to large adventures will have to wait."

"Only small adventures then." Cotton said.

"Exactly." Kestian replied.

"Well then, lead on towards a small adventure." Cotton said.

Cotton started the conversation with what little information she knew so far about Kestian, just their name. "Cere, that's elvish isn't it?"

"Sylvan actually" Kestian responded. "But I suppose you're more likely to run into a wood elf than a wood gnome so common enough misconception."

Stolen story; please report.

"But you're not elvish?" Cotton asked.

"No but I've got a brother and sister that are half elves, they're twins actually." Kestian replied.

"They must be your half siblings then?" Cotton could not help her curiosity.

"I mean technically. But they are my brother and sister all the same."

"So why use the Sylvan in your name then?" Cotton asked.

Kestian shrugged. "My family, my religion really, our last names are matronymic. And in common that leaves you with only a few options and I didn't care for how any of them fit. Son of is right out, daughter of didn't quite fit right, and child of just sounds childish. " Kestian said.

"And Cere means what exactly?" Cotton asked

"Born of" Kestian answered. "All the Sylvan names mean that.”

“Learn something new every day.” Cotton said.

“I know I’ve said it but it’s worth saying again I really liked your show, it was amazing.” Kestian said.

“Which act was your favorite?” Cottons asked.

“Yours.” Kestian said.

Cotton scoffed “Mine can hardly be called an act. I just play a little bit between everyone else.”

“Well, they were still my favorite parts.”

Cotton blushed.

“How long have you been playing and doing magic?” Kestian asked.

Cotton trilled a breath past her lips “Always?” she said “Though that’s not quite right I do remember the first time I picked up a violin. Mostly because I was absolutely terrible at it. Some instruments are gentle and forgiving to beginners, bowed strings are not among them.”

“And what instruments are forgiving to beginners?”

Cotton considered a moment “keyboards, drums, some plucked strings. But just because they are forgiving to the player does not mean they are necessarily pleasant to the listener.”

Kestian laughed. “I still find it hard to believe that you were ever terrible.”

“Well, we all have to start somewhere.” Cotton said she put on a sarcastic voice “don’t let the glimmering perfection of the circus fool you. We are all just ordinary people. Except for Claud he can dislocate his hips and honestly, I could stand to see him practice that less.”

Kestian laughed out loud.

“And it’s not just his hips its all of his joints. It’s, unsettling.” Cotton said.

“Which one was he?” Kestian asked.

“The escape act.” Cotton said. “There is a reason he gets locked in a box. The actual process of him getting out is not fun to watch.” Cotton shuddered.

“How did your circus get started?”

“It’s a bit of a long story.” Cotton said “The Immata’s were first. They were the tumblers and the trapeze act, and the hoop. You could even say it all grew from their little family circus. They traveled, they performed. They only had four kids back then. Our paths crossed and we decided it would be to our mutual benefit to combine our enterprises.”

“What was your enterprise at the time?” Kestian asked.

“I travel, I play, I sing. But I had a knack for showmanship. Or so I like to think.” Cotton replied.

“How did you find the other acts?”

“Honestly,” Cotton said “if after a week in town there isn’t anyone who wants to run away with the circus even if just for a little bit, then I have done remarkably poorly at my job.”

“I think your performance was spectacular and I don’t want to run away.” Kestian said.

They didn’t want to run away. Not yet anyway. “Well then perhaps you will have to come to another performance if we have not yet properly enticed you.” Cotton said.

“That’s not the issue.” Kestian said. “You are very enticing.”

“Am I?”

“Exceptionally so, it’s just that I don’t have anything to run away from. I’ve got friends, family, a job I love. Why would I want to leave any of it behind?”

“Sometimes it’s not a matter of running away but running towards. Even if you are content, there is always that insatiable urge, there is always desire, there is always that nagging suspicion that the thing you want, weather you know yet what that is or not, is waiting for you just a little further down the road.” Cotton said.

“You have an adventurous spirit.” Kestian said.

“I think everyone does a little bit.” Cotton said. “or else how do we get up each morning. It’s just a question of nurturing it.”

“How do you nurture yours?” Kestian asked.

“I lead a traveling circus. A new town every few weeks, new people meet along the way. There is always something to explore.”

“How long have you been traveling?” Kestian asked

“On my own since I was sixteen. I could even say fourteen, but I went back home more often than that. I found the Immatas when I was about eighteen. So ten to fourteen years depending on how you want to count.”

“And do you still find adventure everywhere?” Kestian asked

“Like you wouldn’t imagine.” Cotton said.

“I can imagine quite a lot.” Kestian said with a smile.

“Well it’s people mostly.” Cotton said. “There are a lot of towns we travel through but plenty that we end up coming through more than once. Corsaña being a prime example. But no matter how many times you come through a place; you can always find someone new to surprise you.”

“Do you like surprises?” Kestian asked.

Cotton drew out her answer “that depends entirely on the context.” She said. In truth she liked to have a plan in nearly all situations. The new people she found and brokered pacts for in every town were surprising in that she did not know the particulars of their situations ahead of time but she would be prepared for them all the same. The surprises that would leave her unprepared were ones she did not like at all and even stirred fear in her.

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind. I thought we could walk down by the waterfront. The air is lovely and the street vendors are good. If that is agreeable to you.”

“Perfectly agreeable.” Cotton said and continued to walk beside them. “I take it you know the city well?” Cotton asked.

“Parts of it. I stay pretty busy and the city is big enough that you can always be discovering new things.”

“Are you from here?” Cotton asked.

“No, I came here when I was eighteen or so. I was born in Fairgate”

“What made you come here?” Cotton asked.

“It was time for me to leave home and go out on my own adventure. My oldest sister was already here in the city, so I stayed with her for a bit until I found my job.”

“Do you still want to adventure?” Cotton asked. It was the first thing like an opening that she had seen in this perfectly content, perfectly beautiful, perfectly confident person.

“Life is the adventure we make of it I think. There is work to be done everywhere and a life of great deeds can be the sum of many small things.”

“And what is it that you do?” Cotton asked. Maybe this would give her some insight.

“I am employed to provide safety and security at a house in the orange blossom district.” Kestian said.

It took Cotton just a moment to put together the pieces of Kestian’s answer. “You’re a bouncer at a pleasure house?”

“I think my way of saying it sounds better but yes that is the simpler version.” Kestian said.

“How did you come upon that job exactly?” Cotton asked.

“The sacred act of passion is the domain of my goddess. As such my temple here in the city has close ties with the pleasure guild and district. So the long and short of it is I answered an advertisement and worked up from covering off shifts to being the one who’s off shifts get covered.” Kestian said.

“How do you like your job?” Cotton asked.

“It’s the work of my goddess. And I have some truly exceptional coworkers.”

“And who is your goddess?” Cotton asked. There was more than one divinity that claimed sex and pleasure in their domain. Knowing which one might determine just how easy or difficult this challenge was going to be.

“Valaeithera, goddess of love and life. I am sworn to her as oath knight.”

Cotton nearly stopped dead in her tracks. Impossible. This was not difficult this would be impossible. Convincing a worshipper to come join the infernal army was hard enough even when it was something she would do. But this she wouldn’t, she couldn’t. You don’t steal from those that have helped you in the past.

“You said your sister was in the city.” Cotton said abruptly changing the topic.

“Yes, she’s older than me and came to the temple here when I was still young. She’s a priestess actually.” Kestian said.

“Of your same goddess?”

“Of course.” Kestian replied with a little laugh.

“Something of a family business then?”

“Yes you could say that. My mother is a priestess as well, then there’s Bellatine, my oldest sister like I said, and then my brother is an oat knight like me.”

“How many brothers and sisters do you have?” Cotton asked.

“I’m one of nine.” Kestian said with a smile “At least from my mother. Demelo, my brother, he’s technically my only full sibling. But Bellatine is oldest, she’s a priestess, next is Trella she’s married and living in Francisa with a husband and two kids, then there are the half elf twins Dorella, and Kelfine, they live with their dad but they visited a lot growing up, next comes my brother, Demelo, and me, he’s older technically but only by about eight months. Then there’s my younger brother Sabastian, and I have two little sisters Alisea, and Masira.

“That is remarkable” Cotton said.

“My family is a little big but it’s not so uncommon in my religion. The priestesses that feel called to sacred motherhood tend to take their vocation seriously.”

“Are you close with your whole family?” Cotton asked.

“You really want to hear about my siblings?” Kestian asked.

Cotton knew theirs was a soul she could not barter for. She knew she would return home tonight empty handed and yet she wanted to know more. She felt her typical fear of cities and their busy unfamiliar streets melt away. She felt the stiff protective walls she kept up around strangers soften. And all she wanted was to stay with them a little longer, to keep walking, and to listen to them speak. “Yes,” she said. “please.”

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