The Believer

Chapter Three: Casey and Thea

"Chagnow? Zilschort! Deiz nesk linnarl..."

*Hello? Wake up! Is she alive...

The harsh Kownian words were spoken almost directly in Wilky's ear. Her eyes shot open, and she found the face of an adorably confused young man awkwardly close to her own.

Wilky propped herself up, and the young man moved back.

"Chagnow! Cky dorgh sielcheey...?"

*Hello! By what name do you go?

The young man chattered brightly. His longish light brown hair flopped comically in his face, and his clothes were a tasteful shade of pale blue and navy, adorned with silver around the collar and sleeves. A dark blue cape swirled behind him as he moved. His appearance was that of someone who knew how fashion worked, but was trying too hard to look like a king with a budget too low to fit the ambition.

Wilky liked him immediately.

The young man must have realized that his words had no effect on Wilky, because he quickly changed languages.

"Ikari tuin Orian?" he tried instead.

*You speak Orian?

"Ual, haro re grellyo firen vek crin Tawnin," Wilky replied cheerfully.

*Yes, but my first language is of Tawnin,

"Ah, a native Tawnian, like me!" The young man cried enthusiastically, clapping his hands together. "Goody! This makes things easy! The name is Casey. Casey Caster!" he extended a hand to Wilky, and helped her to her feet. Wilky was painfully aware of the fact that she wore only a filthy nightgown.

"My name is Wilkynn Geodonna," Wilky told him, amused by his enthusiasm. "But you can call me Wilky."

"Wonderful, Wilky! Pleasure to meet you." Casey looked over his shoulder. "Thea, Einnoschirae! Glexicoh ilke fuscha!"

*Thea, come here! I found a friend!

"Is someone else with you?" Wilky asked him, a bit worried by his use of Kownian. As of last night, anyone who spoke the language was her enemy.

"I do! Her name is Thea, real nice, when she's not annoyed at me. Which is all the time." Casey glanced back at the bushes behind him, which were rustling with movement and crackling with incoherent Kownian speech- though it sounded like the person was cursing. "So, Wilkynn Geodonna, where do you hail from?"

"Whinia, Tawnin originally," she replied. "But last night, slavers raided our house, and took my entire family to sell into slavery. My sister and fiancee helped me escape, but they... didn't make it." she twisted the ring on her finger. Casey's eyes widened.

"That's horrible!"

Wilky nodded. "He said he'd find another way to escape and meet me in Lorea." she suddenly grinned. "You wouldn't happen to be able to guide me there, would you?"

At that moment, Casey's companion, Thea, burst from the bushes. She had straight, shoulder length ice blonde hair, and skin as pale as snow. She wore a red dress smudged with dirt, and over it, a forest green cloak that was a bit too big for her. Despite the fact that she was scowling and looked like she'd been rolling in the mud, Wilky decided she liked Thea as well. Thea looked up, their eyes meeting, and Wilky realized that her eyes were gold. Not brown, but actual gold, like the metal itself had been melted down and dripped into her eyes. There was no other possible way her eyes could be that precise and perfect color.

Thea said something to Casey, who seemed more concerned with a silver pendant tied to a piece of twine he had just taken from one of the various pockets that seemed to be scattered around his outfit. He was pointing a slightly splintered stick at the pendant, and muttered something under his breath that Wilky couldn't understand.