The Shape He Came In

Highstis is a forgotten town at the edge of the road and the edge of everything that matters. Its people live by routine and whatever small order they can hold together.

One day a stranger arrives. He's dressed too fine to be honest and too young to be safe. He carried things that make the locals shift uneasily with no recognition. He came despite there being no shape to fit him. Not his words nor his aura.

They take him in anyway, because that's what you do with nobles and with omens: you smile, you make room, you pretend you understand. The Lord watches from behind practiced courtesy, the guards watch from the gate, and the children barely bother to hide their curiosity. In a place where survival depends on reading people correctly, the worst thing a stranger can be is unreadable.