Fateful Fallings (Jynx)
Jynx (whom I lovingly call my darling idiot) is a tiefling warlock with a penchant for pushing buttons. He is loud and ostentatious. And yet, despite his boisterous personality, he has become Shaana’s most trusted companion. Check out his point of view of their meeting:
I started on a ship heading southeast into the Straits of Shargon. My goal was to get to the Lhazaar Principalities by way of sea, checking out the port cities on the way. I ended up hitching rides on many ships and making friends with many a crew. I was lucky so many accepted me on their vessels. Lhazaar was supposed to be a place of great trade, and more importantly, accepting of all races. Filled with folks that wouldn’t look at me as some evil entity despite every friendly gesture I make. The whole trip should have only taken a month, but I spent a lot of time on shore, learning the lay of the lands and the diverse cultures. I finally boarded a new ship in Torlaac Bay, grabbing a seat on deck that allowed me to see all others boarding. I watched many come aboard, most the typical commoners hitching a ride. And then this half-orc chick walked on.
There was something different about her. Something that separated her from the rest of the commoners. She didn’t talk much and had a major “fuck off” vibe emanating off her in waves, yet the crew took to her immediately. She knew her way around a ship and gambled with them all in both cards and dice. I joined in often to help pass the time. I noticed she cheated. A lot. But so did I. We only exchanged a handful of words; she intimidated me to be quite honest, and I was also sure she just hated me. I admittedly am loud and overly friendly. She ignored me and I recognized the same reaction I received from most back in my homeland, though she tried to hide it. What I didn’t know is that she’d actually been watching and listening to everything.
We sailed along through the day. Most of us milled about the deck; some played games, others just chatted. I sat on the rail looking out across the waters, enjoying the scenery. The coast could be seen off in the distance to the north. All seemed calm until the ship suddenly lurched. I remember being rocked and scrabbling to grab onto something. But the rail slipped from my grasp and down I went. I let out a yell as the water rushed towards me. I tried to keep my head above the surface to no avail. I felt the saltwater close over my horns as I reached my hand up in a last effort to do…well, anything.
Next thing I knew, I was spitting up water on the deck. Once it was all out, I looked up and saw the chick, hands on her knees, breathing heavily, and completely drenched. She walked away as soon as our eyes met. When I was finally able to comprehend anything, I asked the others what happened. Apparently, she saw me slip off the side and immediately grabbed a line to jump in after me. I got myself cleaned up, put on dry clothes, then made my way to her cabin.
I barely heard the soft “come in” when I knocked on the door. She was sitting on the edge of her bed cleaning her boots; her clothes were fresh and dry, but her stark white hair was half pulled back, still dripping. When she looked up from her boots, the cocked eyebrow was the only hint of curiosity in her otherwise disinterested face.
Taking one step in, I said, “hey, uh, thank you. For, well, saving my life.”
She went back to caring for her boots. “Don’t worry about it.”
I lingered for a second, causing her to look back up at me expectantly. “Why did you do it?” I blurted out.
At that, she sighed, put her boots down, leaned her elbows on her knees, and said, “you don’t know how to swim. I couldn’t just let you drown.”
I stammered uncharacteristically, “wait…how-when..”
“I hear a lot more than you think. Especially when you talk. I find you…intriguing. Much to my own displeasure.”
Sometimes…often, expressions creep out before I can stop them. I just KNOW a look crossed my face unintentionally then and she could definitely tell what I was thinking because she chuckled before saying, “NOT in that way; my heart is already taken.”
“Ah, well, what’s the lucky guy’s name?”
“HER name is Brandy.”
At this point, I had come the rest of the way into her room and made myself more comfortable as we continued to chat. We sat for hours; she was easy to talk with, easier than I expected. She told me all about her lady and her life up until then. She also mentioned knowing that I cheat during the games but laughed when I told her I knew she did too. I don’t know what it was. Once we started really talking, something just clicked between us. We became fast friends. Shaana was supposed to be going straight to Qbarra to see Brandy but decided to show me the rest of the port towns along the way. We’ve been traveling together ever since that day. She’s helped me appreciate what life has to offer and realize that most of the world isn’t as bad as the home I fled.
