Collector of Oddities - A Stormlight Archive FanFiction

(11) Truth

[Elox]

The Cremling's Might pulled to a stop between two other stalls in the market. Elox always thought that it would help the wagon blend in with the others, though there were not many other carts in the market-district literally decorated with money and gems. And even though the Lightweaver could disguise the Might to look like your average, run-of-the-mill wagon, where was the fun in that?

"Stay here for a bit, Anomaly, and watch the cart for me? Gonna take a quick look around, maybe find some breakfast before it gets to late into the afternoon." Elox said cheerily, leaping over the side of the wagon's bench and landing on the ground, careful not to accidentally hit another cart beside him. "Breakfast food heals a world of pain. Lunch food, too, but not quite as much."

"What sort of lies is that?" The Cryptic pondered, humming with thought.

"Lie? Well... it isn't really a lie, it's the truth! Syrup, pancakes," The old Lightweaver listed off, using his fingers to count off things.

"Oh. Hmm."

The driver ducked away from his treasured cart, slipping his way through the roads quickly following the smells of food and the sound of people. The streets weren't as busy as he normally saw them, which he wrote off as most people were either at some form of job or out tending to the fields. In other words, the line for pancakes was relatively short.

The pancakes in Kholinar were nothing compared to the multi-flavored array of pancakes in Yeddaw, Azir, but they were easily just as good.

"Looking for something in particular? Got all sorts of flavors and toppings!" The baker gestured to the stoves behind him and the array of toppings before him. "Or looking for something more specific?" They leaned in.

Elox grinned, nodding. "Have you seen any Iriali lately, Lotz? That, and any others that have come looking for me?"

Lotz squinted, then looked up to the roof of his little shack. "Iriali? Iriali... There was a golden Iri fellow that came through here yesterday, but he didn't stop to talk to me. Actually—" He stopped, looking at Elox keenly.

Elox chuckled, producing a diamond chip from his pouch and rolling it across the counter. "Actually?"

"Actually, he didn't even come up to me. Stood right out there in the middle of the road and just stared at me." The baker slipped the chip away.

"Did they-" Elox set another chip onto the counter. "-Talk to themselves or anything?"

The baker chuckled, taking up the second sphere, as well. "They were, sounded like they were arguing with someone. But... they were definitely alone. I've heard a few tales about what that could mean. Also heard that there's talk of the Radiants coming back?"

This time it was Elox's turn to stay silent, waiting for Lotz to roll one of the spheres back. "He's most likely a Surgebinder, of sorts. He's been on my tail for some time, just can't get my mind around why."

"Well, that's a question I can't answer for you. Either way, to go back to the start, hasn't been anyone else besides the normal kids talking about your 'glorious exploits and tale' from around Roshar." Lotz grinned, turning back to the burners and pans behind him. "How many? On the house."

-

-

"I'm back!" Elox declared.

"Hmmmmm?" Anomaly's humming stirred to life like that of a restless fly. "Bring some for me, too?"

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? But- can you even eat them?" He asked, climbing up to the front bench of the Might awkwardly while balancing two plates of pancakes on either hand. If they were on the house, may as well get the bang for your buck. "Learn anything new here?"

The Cryptic appeared beside him as his three-dimensional shape, complete with spinning lines and twirling spirals. "Eat? Probably cannot eat. Not here... Learn anything? I gathered a few lies."

"Lies?" Elox took a hearty bite out of two pancakes from either hand, chewing with comical ease.

"Two men came by, looked to own the cart beside yours. They lied, saying something about a Stormwarden being murdered out in Shulin." Anomaly shifted in his geometries as if looking down at the pancakes hungrily.

"Murder of a Stormwarden, of all people? There's a faction that dislikes their alleged Telling of the future, but they've never killed over it. Hmmm..." He took another bite of pancake.

"Sounds like me. A good lie. Hmmmm..." The Cryptic copied, still bobbing in the air beside him.