Genre: Fantasy, Multiverse, Fluff with some angst

Summary: The river travelled the great plains looking for the rain.

Word Count: 4105

Hashtag: #IntoTheKangBiVerse_RiverAndRain

River and Rain

by kaichimoo

There was once a traveler who traveled across kingdoms, searching and searching and searching. 

For what? 

No one really knows. 

The traveler won’t speak about it,  not a single word has been spilled and  no soul alive has learned of what it is. It was a secret kept to the deepest depth of her heart. 

The traveler is alone in her journey. From time to time she would find a soul that accompanied her for short stints, but as she put it - in her words - “Goodbyes are inevitable.” 

It was from these people that her legend grew. 

For the traveller herself, she is a beauty, they say. In a way truly captivating. Somewhat an outcast to the outside that has become her domain. It was, afterall uncommon for a woman to be out travelling on their own to seemingly nowhere in the great plains.  

Her expression on the other hand doesn’t let you in, in her thoughts. She is not letting a single drop of worry show in her face. Her eyes though speak of different words. In those brown pools, you’ll see how deeply passionate yet full of longing she is.  

She is a magus of great strength and ability. A fearsome monster to some and yet to others she’s a healer, a medic of sorts - providing help to those in need that she happens to stumble on her way. Despite this capacity to perform great feats of magic, she has learned the art of knives.  

She’s clouded in mystery much like the cloak that adorn her body. Though cold, she may appear, those who touch hands with her would vouch for how warm the traveler is. 

They’ll vouch how her presence is full kindness and warmth.  

The traveler is not privy to the details of the places she walks and the battles she has lost and won. In fact, given the right feast and traveler would tell, in great details, the places and people that have left a mark on her. 

Yet ask her about where she is going and she would simply say, “to where my life is.”  

Life. my life. 

Mayhaps the destination of her journey is a secret that she can never tell. Others have speculated that perhaps on the simplest term - the traveler just loves travelling. That there is no reason other than the sole love of exploration. That for all this time, the outside, the great plains has become her home. To which the traveler once replied, “Outside is not my home, my home is not here. I’m looking for it - looking for home, but home is not a place I can define nor something I can locate on a map.” 

The traveler doesn’t stay long in one place, she bids them goodbye, quite like the gentle wind trying to find a place to rest. 

“My home is calling me.”  She says and she would disappear again. For every new place her foot set, her legend continued to grow. 

To this day,  the traveler is still looking, trying to find the place she calls home, a home that can’t be defined by a marker on a map. Everything turns to hum as she travels the lands to her destination.

~~~

Everyone stood in awe at the bard's voice and the way he stitched his words. 

The inn starts buzzing loud again as the patrons talk once more about their stories, the bard starts strumming and hums the song of the people.  

The barkeep poured mead for the patron quietly sitting on the stool beside her, “The traveler is truly enigmatic, isn’t she? Here’s your drink, Miss.” 

The patron, clad in deep red cloak, smiled. “Yes, I guess, I can’t really judge - but you do have a talented bard in your inn, that’s for sure.” 

“Thank you,” The barkeep nodded. “Are you going to stay the night here?” 

“Yes, if a room is available for someone weary like me.” 

“Consider yourself lucky we still have a room available for 2 silver. Add 2 more and you’ll get breakfast and lunch included.” The barkeep fetches the key and opens up his book.  “It is such an unusual sight.” 

“What’s unusual?” 

“A woman traveling alone, like you. Just like in the story.”

“Could it be the story has inspired women like me to travel.” The patron smiled, entertaining the amusement of the barkeep who is also the innkeeper. 

“Perhaps.” the innkeeper started writing. “What should I call you?” He slid down the paper for the patron to sign. 

“They call me River - It was because I was from a riverside town, it’s not really my name but i prefer to go by that now. You don’t mind right? ” 

Though the patron is gentle, she does have a threatening aura around her. The innkeeper did not delve much about her name, it was not uncommon for travellers to conceal their identity. The patron, though an unusual sight, is just one of  the many. 

River, as she wants to be called - pulled out her purse out of the pocket of her cloak, “If I add 2 silver more I get to have as much food as I want for breakfast?” 

“Yes, as much as you want. All the bread, mead and meat you can eat.” The innkeeper confirmed, deducing that the woman is not capable of eating large quantities of food. 

River signed her receipt and stamped it with the symbol of her guild. It stirred up the innkeeper's attention, it is at this point he noticed that the pattern of the cloak also belonged to that guild. 

“You’re a Magus?” 

“No. I just fancy magic. I’m more of an amateur potioneer than I am a magus.” 

She gave a dry smile of acknowledgement, wanting to drop the conversation for another time. The innkeeper on the other hand is curious, way too curious for River’s taste. 

“So where does a potioneer like you are going? Looking for something perhaps?” 

“I’m looking for Rain?”

“Rain? Is this a person? A lover?” 

The woman chuckled, she was not really in the mood to tell stories but the playful inquisition of the innkeeper is  welcoming her to start. 

“Hmmm. It’s more of a. How should I put it, I really want to see the falls up the mountain here. They say that if you see it while it’s raining that you’ll witness a miracle. As potioneer I'm more interested in the water.” 

It’s a bit of a lie because Rain is not the literal rain. Rain is something else.  

“Did your guild send you on this journey? isn't it reckless of them to send you alone?” 

“No. No. I’m like the river , I go where my heart tells me. I’m just waiting for my rain.” The woman chuckled. “Now can I get my key? I would love to take an early rest.” 

The innkeeper reluctantly let go of the key and reminded the guest of things she needed to remember on her stay.

The guest heads out to her room. Unpacking her things and preparing her clothes before heading out to the bathhouse. 

She secured the ones she valued the most, a locket, her dagger, and her staff and laid them  on her bed. She chuckled to herself, listening to - in her opinion a largely embellished story. 

Yes she’s a magus but she doesn’t consider herself all that great. 

If I’m really the great magus of the story then I should’ve found Rain right now but i haven’t. 

She dip her foot slowly into the steaming water, testing it before fully submerging her body. She washes away the dirt on her skin and traced the scars of her journey.

Come here. 

She heard the voice. Say what you will, say it out loud, say that she’s crazy but it was that voice that kept her moving. It has been calling her for a while now and the sound of it is getting louder and louder, nearer and nearer. 

She let herself drift off to sleep - her body and scars ache as they remind her of their story. Nothing hurts more tough than her heart that is longing. 

She dreams once again of that dream. Of the hand that tried to reach her, of the voice that called her name. 

It was a day of heavy rain when black hooded priests came to visit their village. A sacrifice was chosen that day, and much to her heartbreak, it was Rain. The rain , not the rain that falls down from the sky but her rain, her one and only rain. The rain that makes the river calm, the one that makes music alongside her. 

She did what she could do, blew up things with her raw understanding of magic. She wanted to save her and destruction is what she caused. Yet it was not enough, it was far too late and they took her Rain away from her. 

She remembers the hand that tried to reach her, the sound of crying and wailing. 

It started her journey.

She knows in her heart the person she cried the name under the pouring rain, is still out there somewhere. If not in this world maybe somewhere else.  

It was always the same dream. 

The morning sun was barely up in the sky when she woke up from the noise made by the patrons of the inn. She stretched up her limbs and started packing her things. It’s another day, a new journey.

Covering her body with her deep red cloak, she heads down the diner. She took as much as she could on her plate to the amazement of those around. She needs energy, the following trek will be one of her hardest. She gobbled up the food in front of her and ordered extra. 

At the end of it, she finished food way beyond what the innkeeper expected. She took the two silver worth for what it is, she’s not going to stay for lunch at all so might as well eat those portions right now. 

She walks the market and purchases loaves of bread, herbs, chee