#Lore24 – Entry #248 – Fantasy Month III #5 – The Flight from Caerlon
As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya
“Back for more? Just couldn’t get enough of my charms, hmm? I take it you’ve spoken with my companions then. What now? Going to accuse us of slaughtering innocents or something? Look, I feel bad about what happened, and it wasn’t like I wanted it to happen, but there’s really nothing myself or any of the others can do about it now.
How did we escape? Well, there were a lot more of those two groups than we figured on, and for whatever reason they weren’t killing each other, so we assumed they’d joined forces. We just kept seeing them in the streets, looking for signs of where we’d gone, kinda got the impression that the town guard had been paid off to be extra scarce until they found us, since we didn’t see but a handful of them, and they were purposefully looking the other way. Sometime after the Unicorn caught fire, after we’d met up with Siduri, we ran into Teelsa, who had managed to lead some of them off on a false trail and knew some places we could hide; she and Hatae were friends, so we were thankful that she’d decided to help us out.
What do you want from me?! I’m getting there! For the love of Erisaya, you humans are impatient! Fine…it took us a day or so, but once we confirmed they weren’t looking for either Siduri or Teelsa, it gave us a few more options. Teelsa and the other performers she’d taken up with for the time would be moving on to the next town, and they had a wagon we could make use of for carrying their supplies. Hatae and I would just have to hide out inside those supplies until we were good and clear from Caerlon. Simple enough.
…Siduri said that, did she? I’d rather not say. It’s not important! Look, she’s got her quirks, okay, and I don’t hold that against her. What’s important is that we got out of the city without those crazies knowing about it, at least for a while longer. Are you serious? You need the details for your report…right. Ugh…
I’d won Hatae’s challenge that night, so we weren’t exactly short on funds at the time, but given the situation, we figured we’d better hold on to as much as we could for the road ahead, and Siduri wanted something for the work she’d done so far, a down payment if you like, but agreed to take it in another way. She got this brilliant idea that Hatae and me would have to really play up the ‘hiding as cargo’ angle, and so we’d have to be secured like cargo. I thought it was ludicrous, I mean, what if those cultists stopped the wagon and found us like that? We’d be helpless. But…not only could she be very persuasive in a very bullying kind of way, when I prayed for guidance from Erisaya…I got the impression the idea would work. So, we did it. And it worked. End of story.
No, I’m not giving you the details! Ask Hatae if you really have to know! Unless you’re letting me out of here, I’m done talking right now! Either formally charge us or let us go! Fine, go on, then! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”