Not What It Seems

Vudu and I spent the night in Arkmaster with Lady Zaria as our host. The next morning, we bid her goodbye and made our way out of the village. Though it had only been a short time since I was blinded, I began to rely on my other senses better. My hearing and touch had, and would continue to, become stronger and more sensitive for me. I was adapting.

“Where is the place that is furthest from Romos?” I asked as Vudu’s hand guided me to the edge of town.

“Do you remember learning about a Warlock that tried to play god?” He asked.

I nodded.

“He worked out of a small hut in the middle of the Southern Enchanted Forest. But dug deep below the hut is a system of caves that lead to Diab. That’s how he got his power. Xegon gave it to him through those caves.” Vudu explained. “It will take us a few days to just travel to the forest. And depending on what happens, it could take us a few more days to get to the hut.”

“Long travel huh?” I stated. “I guess I should send a letter to Elaine and her family explaining why it will be longer.”

“I already took care of that.” Vudu replied.

“You did?” I pulled him to a stop.

He paused. “After you went to bed, I asked Lady Zaria to send a message the same way your Master did and to inform him and your friends. She took care of it.”

A smile came to my lips. “Thank you, Vudu.”

“We better keep moving.” He said. “We want to get to the next town before nightfall.”

I nodded once more, and we began walking again. Through the rest of the day, we went at a decent walking pace. Vudu continued to guide me while I used my staff to feel around and make sure that I was stepping in safe areas. I could tell the night was coming as the warmth of the sun moved and the temperature fell. I also felt a magical ripple come from Vudu as he hid his demonic form from people as we drew closer to the town.

I heard the town as we neared, and the voices of a crowd filled the area. Weaving our way through the population, Vudu got us to an inn and asked for a room. Once we were cleared, he guided me up to the room and closed the door behind us. Quiet fell over us, and I was able to relax again.

“How are you feeling?” He asked me.

I turned to the direction of his voice. “I’m fine. Just tired. I’m not use to that much walking in a day.”

He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to be sure we got here before night.”

“I know.” I said as I felt for the bed. Once I found it, I sat down and set my staff to the side.

The bed shifted under Vudu’s weight as he sat next to me. “I’ll go grab you some food. Is there anything specific you want?”

I shook my head. “I’ll take whatever looks good.”

He was silent for a bit.

“Don’t blame me for being used to phrasing that uses sight.” I crossed my arms.

He let out a laugh. He liked to tease me a lot, and sometimes it was annoying, but I had learned to laugh along with it. I too chuckled at the foible. I reached over and touched his arm. Making my way up, I felt past his cloak and made it to his neck. I had remember reading somewhere how touch for blind people became a second form of sight. And I wanted to try it myself.

He was still, waiting for me to act. I paused, not certain how he would react to my touch. Not too long ago, he didn’t like touch that would be deemed affectionate. But now, he didn’t seem to react to it. His arm shifted, and his hand reached for mine. His fingers curled around my hand as he guided it up to his cheek.

A new image came to my mind as I felt every pore, every hair, every detail of his face. My fingers lightly danced over his features as I memorized his face in a way that I had never experienced before. Due to my blindness, I paid more attention to the things I felt. And I had never seen Vudu like this. I felt another ripple of Magic as his disguise fell, and there was a physical difference in the feel around him. The Magic that caused the black smoke and skull look pattern on his face caused the air around him to feel colder and different than most humans. It was hard to describe the difference.

“Zeriah.” He whispered.

I bit my lip. “I’ve never expected this.”

He reached up and stopped my hand, His grip was tight. “What’s wrong?”

My other hand went to his cheek. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong. It’s just amazing how I can see you perfectly in my mind. I never realized how a simple touch could paint a picture.”

There was silence for a bit while we sat. Suddenly, Vudu stood up and walked towards the door. I was stunned at the sudden action and didn’t know what to think. I turned my head in the direction of his footsteps.

“I’ll be back with your food.” He said. “Just give me a few minutes.”

“Okay.” I said weakly while trying to keep a happy tone.

With that, he opened the door and left. I was alone in a quiet room with nothing but myself and questions as to why Vudu acted that way.