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Description
     The Traveler broke to the surface and took to the air, turning north. The sky to the east was now a healthy yellow tinged with orange.
     The creature's jeweled eyeballs jangled in the Traveler's pouch heavily, a reminder of the battle that took place over them. The landscape under him was bleak and barren, nothing but rocks, dust, and mud. He flew over a herd of tetradons, they were migrating north in search of more plentiful feeding grounds.
     Underneath his wrappings, the Traveler smiled. At least the planet was recovering from the cataclysm. Life, it seems, is indestructible.
     The horizon was mostly flat, with a small range of mountains to the east and a few specks to the north, the Traveler's direction.
     As he flew, the specks were brought into focus. They were scattered liberally across the land ahead, too large to be rocks, too small to be mountains. He approached them rapidly, and soon enough their identity was clear.
     They were buildings.
     A settlement camp was all that was here a few decades ago, a town had risen in its place. It was infrequent and scarce, but occasionally towns do spring up. In the current global condition, towns could not be created without the help of a river or some other body of water. People had not yet recovered the ability to transport water over vast distances.
     Every town had a wall built around it, at least thirty feet tall, and about three feet thick. People were unsure about the stability of the planet. The ecology and geography were altered heavily since the Destruction, and new threats were constantly presenting themselves.
     These walls were convenient for the Traveler; he could land outside them without arousing suspicion of the public. He didn't want to attract attention to himself. His method of transport was very... unusual. People would surely clamor to purchase his boots from him, or just attempt to steal them.
     He descended to low flying altitude, about ten feet above the ground, then touched down a short distance from the wall. He walked around to the south gate and lifted his hand to knock on the cold paneled steel.
     One panel slid open with a clack about three feet to his right. A pair of eyes looked out of it at him. A shrill voice demanded, "Who goes there?"
     The Traveler walked over and looked at the gatekeeper through the panel. He said calmly, "A Traveler." His voice had a deep, dusty tone to it, as if he hadn't used it in a while.
     The gatekeeper squinted his eyes in suspicion. "A Traveler, eh? Brought anything good into town?"
     The Traveler responded dryly, "A few things."
     "Well, alright then. Lemme get the gate for ya. Y' never know who's ready t' just spring in and rob th' place, huh?"
     "Right."
     The panel snapped shut, and there was a windy silence. A deep clank from a distant mechanism was heard, followed by the ratcheting of a chain.
     The heavy iron doors started to swing inward, then stopped after a few feet, leaving a five-foot wide gap for him to walk through. He stepped through it into the town's border, and the gate slammed shut behind him. The gatekeeper called to him, "Have a nice day, now!"
     The Traveler replied, "Same to you," and began his trek down Main Street.
     This town was larger than most, and wasn't organized very well. There was a Main Street that ran from the north gate to the south gate, but side streets just skewed off of it at random intervals with no real attention to design. There were odd signs with multiple arrows pointing in all directions showing where to go to find places of interest and necessity.
     The Traveler was looking for a specific merchant, the only one in the town that wouldn't buy the jewels in his pocket because they were pretty.
     He broke off Main onto Collander, which touched the edge of the town's wall at its end. It wasn't a particularly well kept street, buildings hung in disrepair and gutters were clogged with rubbish. Most houses were boarded up and vacant. At the very end of the street, with its right wall touching the town's, was the shop he was looking for. It looked like all the other houses on Collander Street, except for the sign above the door. It said in chipped painted lettering, "Tallus's Oddment Emporium". It was evident at first glance that the sign was once an attractive one, but it appeared that the lack of good business had upset it and caused its wood to warp and its letters to fade. In the broken shop windows, all sorts of strange and sometimes completely useless objects sat and gathered dust. They ranged from musical instruments to eating utensils to creaky furniture. There were even a few Greenboards, which were a rarity for any shop.
     The Traveler ascended the threshold and opened the door. It creaked violently.
     A voice blustered from the depths of the building, "We're closed! Go away!"
     The Traveler smirked. He pulled a strip of cloth at the back of his head and the mouth wrap fell around his neck, revealing a  strong, thin jaw and a striking, lengthy orange goatee on the chin.
     He yelled, "Tallus! I've got something for you!"
     Tallus poked his head around a plaster and paint corner to peer at the Traveler.
     Tallus was a bit of a surprise for people who hear him before they see him. Or the other way around, in some cases. He has a very deep, stentorian voice, but it completely belies his stature. He was a very tiny old man, around four and a half feet tall, with a shocking mane of electric grey hair that never wanted to lie flat. He had an impressive mustache and beard to match, and glasses so think they could be mistaken for drinking glasses at a distance.
     "You've got something for me, eh? Well, don't just stand there grinning like a fool, show me!"
     The Traveler walked inside and shut the door behind himself. He stood in the middle of the entry room and pulled out the jewels from his pouch. They sparkled quietly in his hand.
     Tallus's eyes widened. "Oho!" He picked one up reverently, his hand dipped momentarily. "It's quite heavy!" He lifted it up and down, testing its weight. He took a monocle out of his pocket and plugged it in his right eye, scrutinizing the jewel's authenticity. "These scoring patterns... Do you know what this is, Traveler?"
     The Traveler rolled his eyes under his goggles. "I have no idea, Tallus. Educate me."
     Tallus smiled, anticipating a good lecture. " These, my friend, are the eyes of a Scortith. Scortiths were created by the Destruction, they evolved from scorpions. They're immense creatures, over 60 feet in length. Their force is legendary, able to crush almost anything in their massive claws. Luckily, they only live in deep caves, out of reach of humanity. It is common knowledge that if you collect the eyeballs of a Scortith -freshly killed- and set them aflame, beautiful black jewels are somehow formed. These are incredibly valuable, they're so rare! My friend, you must tell me, how did you come across these?"
     "In a cave."
     "Which cave? Be specific, damn you."
     "Nearest one to the South. I actually got them from a Scortith."
     "There was one already dead? What luck! It must have died just before you happened across it!"
     "It wasn't dead when I found it."
     Tallus looked at the Traveler sternly. "What are you trying to say, Traveler?"
     "Exactly what I mean. It wasn't dead when I found it."
     "You killed a Scortith."
     "Yes."
     "You killed a Scortith."
     "Yes."
     "Traveler, maybe you don't fully comprehend the absurdity of what you're saying. The armor of a Scortith repels the best weaponry. The only way to acquire these jewels is to stalk an old one and wait until it dies, then burning the body."
     "No one told me that. I guess I took the hard way out."
     "You still insist on this insanity? It makes no sense!"
     "Well, I do have my ways of doing things. Take me at my word or simply don't believe me, it's all the same to me either way. The jewels are in your hands. Make sure they don't go to waste."
     Tallus sighed and walked over to a ragged old couch and sat down. He looked up at the Traveler and said, "Traveler, I have known you for well over a decade. Yet I feel as if I will never really know you."
     "Hm. I keep to myself." He smiled.
     Tallus scowled, then said, "No matter. The Scortith eyes are here, and that's all that's important. I'll put them in the cellar, wait a moment." He stood up slowly, showing his great age, and shambled out of the room, crystals in tow.
     Tallus was really the only friend the Traveler had. His lifestyle prevented interaction with people, that's how the Traveler liked it. He always brought a large portion of any treasure he found to Talus, and Tallus always took it. The Traveler never asked for anything in return, other than hospitality and an occasional place to sleep.
     The Traveler sat on a sofa. Tallus wasn't necessarily known for his neatness, so the custom was you always looked beofre you sat, to prevent accidentally killing important things.Tallus yelled from the back, "Are you hungry at all? I've got cheese, some nice sweetbread, bacon, some lettuce, oh! A leftover blueberry pie, I'll have some of that. Anything sound appetizing?"
     The Traveler grinned. "I'll have some sweetbread and cheese."
     "Sliced?"
     "Please."
     "I'll put on some tea, too."
     He returned to the sitting room with a tarnished silver tray laden with food. "Here's your sweetbread," he said and handed him a plate. It had slices of cheese, bacon, and lettuce sandwiched betwwen the slices of bread.
     "I didn't order everything on the menu, Talus." He laughed.
     Tallus barked, "You need some meat on your bones. Seems like a strong wind would just knock you right over."
     "Sometimes they do," joked the Traveler.
     For a while they just sat in silence, enjoying the early morning. The sunlight crept through the window. It illuminated all the minute details of the room; Tallus's wrinkles, the intricate weave of the sofa, the little gaps and bubbles in the bread of the Traveler's sandwich.The air was cool and musty.
     There was a clink of a fork on a plate, and Tallus asked, "So, Traveler. Where are you off to now?"
     The Traveler brushed his hands of the remnants of his sandwich and replied, "I don't really know. I never do. I'll just go where the wind takes me."
     "Well. Before you go letting the wind blow you places, I've got a little surprise for you. Hold still one moment, I'll get it." He walked out of the room.
     The Traveler wondered what it was this time. Tallus normally gave him something or other when he departed, a knick-knack or trinket from his collection.
     The Traveler had actually amassed many things in his wanderings, much more than he could ever carry. He didn't like the thought of being tied down to personal belongings, therefore he tried to own as little as possible. What he did own were largely bits and pieces from Tallus's collection. The Traveler had various caches of baubles and oddments, as well as essential equipment and food, scattered across the vast Alt'dora Badlands, normally hidden in caves that were inaccessible for humans with conventional means of travel.
     "Here it is, I think you'll rather like this one. Consider yourself priveleged, this item has puzzled me for years, and it's giving me such a headache trying to figure it out. Maybe you'll have more luck than I will."
     He stepped around the corner and sat down next to his guest. He pressed something into the Traveler's hands.
     It appeared to be a tiny cage, made from strips of wood, and with a base, roof, and hinges made of wire and metal. However, it wasn't the cage that surprised the Traveler. The thing inside was baffling him.
     It was a tiny bug. It looked similar to a cricket, but with longer legs and very obvious claws and mandibles. It was mich smaller than a cricket, however, no bigger than the last joint on Tallus's little finger. Although the Traveler had never seen this sort of insect before, he was not completely astonished by the shape of the animal, it was its color.
     The small insect was glowing. Vibrantly. At first it was glowing a gentle turquoise, the color of a calm ocean, then it gradually switched hues to a vivid scarlet. Then phosphorescent yellow.
     He also noticed that it had symbols engraved in its shell. Nothing he could discern clearly, but it appeared that someone had etched designs into the carapace of the tiny creature somehow.
     "Tallus. What is this?"
     "My friend, I haven't the slightest clue. I have had many strange occurences with that little beastie."
     "Like what?"
     "Well. I assure you, this little thing has been in my possession for some time now. I estimate around twenty years, but my memory isn't what it used to be. I recieved it from an old man up in the mountains. He was one of the eccentrics, you know, the ones that choose to live in seclusion rather than in civilization. This hermit in particular was very odd. I met him while I was doing a bit of exploring, just probing the caves for anything interesting to add to my fledgling collection. I entered a chamber off of the entrance of this cave and saw that someone was living in it. There was a bedroll and a few supply boxes and such. A gnarled old man stepped from behind a spikestone, I could tell instantly that he was very old. His beard was white-grey, and reached down to his waist. He was speaking, but incoherently.
     "He was talking ot people, it seemed. People that weren't there. His manner of speech changed frequently, he appeared to have small flashes of sanity between the ravings. In one such spell, he noticed me. " Tallus looked at the caged insect. "He pulled from his robes that very item you hold now. He said, I remember it clear as day, 'Take this, boy. Take this and cherish it. It is the last. The last of them all. I have not seen another in decades. It has great power, but I know not how to release it. Take it. Take it and cherish it.' As soon as he breathed the ;ast syllable, he collapsed. I tried to help him up, but to no avail. He was dead."
     The Traveler's eyes widened under the goggles.
     "So naturally, I accepted the thing. I have had it for quite a long time. But there are certain things that simply do not make sense concerning that creature.
     "The first thing that I noticed was that it never eats. I tried to give it everything I could think of, but it simply ignored all offers. Yet it has remained alive for twenty years without a single bite.
     "Another interesting aspect is that it seems to have no concept of freedom, or that it is aware that it is imprisoned. I once removed it from its cage, and it did not even attempt to fly away. It simply rested on my finger.
     "The third and final strange thing is that it seems to both understand human language and make actions based on what it hears. It has an obedient nature. I conducted an experiment. I removed it from its cage, and rested it on my finger. I told it to fly to the adjacent wall. It unfolded its wings and flew to the wall and stuck there, perfectly still. I then told it to fly back to my finger, and it obliged without incident.
     "I believe that there is something very special about that little bug. I do not know what it is, and I do not think I am supposed to know. But I am passing it on to you.  As you can see, I am not long for this world. My aging is not slowing down. So I entrust you with this amazing little thing. And I want you to do exactly what that man said in his last words. Cherish it. I do not know why, but I just have a feeling that that man knew far more than he had time to tell, and that he was far more rational when he said that than I will ever be."
     The Traveler was silent for a moment. He then said, "I don't know what to say, Tallus. I want to say thank you, but I don't think that's sufficient. You honor me by giving me this."
     "Nonsense, boy. You deserve it. You have seen fit to give a grizzled old man some company over the years. You lead an unusual, and no doubt taxing, life, yet you still drop in to see me once in a while. That is a gift that I will never be able to repay in full.
     "Now. I can see that leaving look in your eyes. You have places to be. So I won't keep you up any longer with my torturous old man talk. Go, and have a wonderful time with your wanderings. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for some day."
     The Traveler stood. He pulled a short length of cord from a pouch and used it to tie the small cage to a spare loop on his belt. "Thanks, Tallus. I'll be back in a few moons."
     "I know. I'll look forward to it." He smiled.
     The Traveler started to make his way out the door, but stopped. He turned around.
     "Tallus. I realized, I have known you for more than a decade, and you don't even know my name."
     Tallus didn't say anything, just looked vaguely surprised, and a bit expectant.
     The Traveler took a deep breath. He released it, and said, "My name is Valdo. Valdo Morenicus."
     Tallus smiled warmly. "Well. Nice to meet you, Valdo."
     Valdo, known to the entire world minus one person as The Traveler, exited the building. There was nothing else to be said.

Description
     The Traveler broke to the surface and took to the air, turning north. The sky to the east was now a healthy yellow tinged with orange.
     The creature's jeweled eyeballs jangled in the Traveler's pouch heavily, a reminder of the battle that took place over them. The landscape under him was bleak and barren, nothing but rocks, dust, and mud. He flew over a herd of tetradons, they were migrating north in search of more plentiful feeding grounds.
     Underneath his wrappings, the Traveler smiled. At least the planet was recovering from the cataclysm. Life, it seems, is indestructible.
     The horizon was mostly flat, with a small range of mountains to the east and a few specks to the north, the Traveler's direction.
     As he flew, the specks were brought into focus. They were scattered liberally across the land ahead, too large to be rocks, too small to be mountains. He approached them rapidly, and soon enough their identity was clear.
     They were buildings.
     A settlement camp was all that was here a few decades ago, a town had risen in its place. It was infrequent and scarce, but occasionally towns do spring up. In the current global condition, towns could not be created without the help of a river or some other body of water. People had not yet recovered the ability to transport water over vast distances.
     Every town had a wall built around it, at least thirty feet tall, and about three feet thick. People were unsure about the stability of the planet. The ecology and geography were altered heavily since the Destruction, and new threats were constantly presenting themselves.
     These walls were convenient for the Traveler; he could land outside them without arousing suspicion of the public. He didn't want to attract attention to himself. His method of transport was very... unusual. People would surely clamor to purchase his boots from him, or just attempt to steal them.
     He descended to low flying altitude, about ten feet above the ground, then touched down a short distance from the wall. He walked around to the south gate and lifted his hand to knock on the cold paneled steel.
     One panel slid open with a clack about three feet to his right. A pair of eyes looked out of it at him. A shrill voice demanded, "Who goes there?"
     The Traveler walked over and looked at the gatekeeper through the panel. He said calmly, "A Traveler." His voice had a deep, dusty tone to it, as if he hadn't used it in a while.
     The gatekeeper squinted his eyes in suspicion. "A Traveler, eh? Brought anything good into town?"
     The Traveler responded dryly, "A few things."
     "Well, alright then. Lemme get the gate for ya. Y' never know who's ready t' just spring in and rob th' place, huh?"
     "Right."
     The panel snapped shut, and there was a windy silence. A deep clank from a distant mechanism was heard, followed by the ratcheting of a chain.
     The heavy iron doors started to swing inward, then stopped after a few feet, leaving a five-foot wide gap for him to walk through. He stepped through it into the town's border, and the gate slammed shut behind him. The gatekeeper called to him, "Have a nice day, now!"
     The Traveler replied, "Same to you," and began his trek down Main Street.
     This town was larger than most, and wasn't organized very well. There was a Main Street that ran from the north gate to the south gate, but side streets just skewed off of it at random intervals with no real attention to design. There were odd signs with multiple arrows pointing in all directions showing where to go to find places of interest and necessity.
     The Traveler was looking for a specific merchant, the only one in the town that wouldn't buy the jewels in his pocket because they were pretty.
     He broke off Main onto Collander, which touched the edge of the town's wall at its end. It wasn't a particularly well kept street, buildings hung in disrepair and gutters were clogged with rubbish. Most houses were boarded up and vacant. At the very end of the street, with its right wall touching the town's, was the shop he was looking for. It looked like all the other houses on Collander Street, except for the sign above the door. It said in chipped painted lettering, "Tallus's Oddment Emporium". It was evident at first glance that the sign was once an attractive one, but it appeared that the lack of good business had upset it and caused its wood to warp and its letters to fade. In the broken shop windows, all sorts of strange and sometimes completely useless objects sat and gathered dust. They ranged from musical instruments to eating utensils to creaky furniture. There were even a few Greenboards, which were a rarity for any shop.
     The Traveler ascended the threshold and opened the door. It creaked violently.
     A voice blustered from the depths of the building, "We're closed! Go away!"
     The Traveler smirked. He pulled a strip of cloth at the back of his head and the mouth wrap fell around his neck, revealing a  strong, thin jaw and a striking, lengthy orange goatee on the chin.
     He yelled, "Tallus! I've got something for you!"
     Tallus poked his head around a plaster and paint corner to peer at the Traveler.
     Tallus was a bit of a surprise for people who hear him before they see him. Or the other way around, in some cases. He has a very deep, stentorian voice, but it completely belies his stature. He was a very tiny old man, around four and a half feet tall, with a shocking mane of electric grey hair that never wanted to lie flat. He had an impressive mustache and beard to match, and glasses so think they could be mistaken for drinking glasses at a distance.
     "You've got something for me, eh? Well, don't just stand there grinning like a fool, show me!"
     The Traveler walked inside and shut the door behind himself. He stood in the middle of the entry room and pulled out the jewels from his pouch. They sparkled quietly in his hand.
     Tallus's eyes widened. "Oho!" He picked one up reverently, his hand dipped momentarily. "It's quite heavy!" He lifted it up and down, testing its weight. He took a monocle out of his pocket and plugged it in his right eye, scrutinizing the jewel's authenticity. "These scoring patterns... Do you know what this is, Traveler?"
     The Traveler rolled his eyes under his goggles. "I have no idea, Tallus. Educate me."
     Tallus smiled, anticipating a good lecture. " These, my friend, are the eyes of a Scortith. Scortiths were created by the Destruction, they evolved from scorpions. They're immense creatures, over 60 feet in length. Their force is legendary, able to crush almost anything in their massive claws. Luckily, they only live in deep caves, out of reach of humanity. It is common knowledge that if you collect the eyeballs of a Scortith -freshly killed- and set them aflame, beautiful black jewels are somehow formed. These are incredibly valuable, they're so rare! My friend, you must tell me, how did you come across these?"
     "In a cave."
     "Which cave? Be specific, damn you."
     "Nearest one to the South. I actually got them from a Scortith."
     "There was one already dead? What luck! It must have died just before you happened across it!"
     "It wasn't dead when I found it."
     Tallus looked at the Traveler sternly. "What are you trying to say, Traveler?"
     "Exactly what I mean. It wasn't dead when I found it."
     "You killed a Scortith."
     "Yes."
     "You killed a Scortith."
     "Yes."
     "Traveler, maybe you don't fully comprehend the absurdity of what you're saying. The armor of a Scortith repels the best weaponry. The only way to acquire these jewels is to stalk an old one and wait until it dies, then burning the body."
     "No one told me that. I guess I took the hard way out."
     "You still insist on this insanity? It makes no sense!"
     "Well, I do have my ways of doing things. Take me at my word or simply don't believe me, it's all the same to me either way. The jewels are in your hands. Make sure they don't go to waste."
     Tallus sighed and walked over to a ragged old couch and sat down. He looked up at the Traveler and said, "Traveler, I have known you for well over a decade. Yet I feel as if I will never really know you."
     "Hm. I keep to myself." He smiled.
     Tallus scowled, then said, "No matter. The Scortith eyes are here, and that's all that's important. I'll put them in the cellar, wait a moment." He stood up slowly, showing his great age, and shambled out of the room, crystals in tow.
     Tallus was really the only friend the Traveler had. His lifestyle prevented interaction with people, that's how the Traveler liked it. He always brought a large portion of any treasure he found to Talus, and Tallus always took it. The Traveler never asked for anything in return, other than hospitality and an occasional place to sleep.
     The Traveler sat on a sofa. Tallus wasn't necessarily known for his neatness, so the custom was you always looked beofre you sat, to prevent accidentally killing important things.Tallus yelled from the back, "Are you hungry at all? I've got cheese, some nice sweetbread, bacon, some lettuce, oh! A leftover blueberry pie, I'll have some of that. Anything sound appetizing?"
     The Traveler grinned. "I'll have some sweetbread and cheese."
     "Sliced?"
     "Please."
     "I'll put on some tea, too."
     He returned to the sitting room with a tarnished silver tray laden with food. "Here's your sweetbread," he said and handed him a plate. It had slices of cheese, bacon, and lettuce sandwiched betwwen the slices of bread.
     "I didn't order everything on the menu, Talus." He laughed.
     Tallus barked, "You need some meat on your bones. Seems like a strong wind would just knock you right over."
     "Sometimes they do," joked the Traveler.
     For a while they just sat in silence, enjoying the early morning. The sunlight crept through the window. It illuminated all the minute details of the room; Tallus's wrinkles, the intricate weave of the sofa, the little gaps and bubbles in the bread of the Traveler's sandwich.The air was cool and musty.
     There was a clink of a fork on a plate, and Tallus asked, "So, Traveler. Where are you off to now?"
     The Traveler brushed his hands of the remnants of his sandwich and replied, "I don't really know. I never do. I'll just go where the wind takes me."
     "Well. Before you go letting the wind blow you places, I've got a little surprise for you. Hold still one moment, I'll get it." He walked out of the room.
     The Traveler wondered what it was this time. Tallus normally gave him something or other when he departed, a knick-knack or trinket from his collection.
     The Traveler had actually amassed many things in his wanderings, much more than he could ever carry. He didn't like the thought of being tied down to personal belongings, therefore he tried to own as little as possible. What he did own were largely bits and pieces from Tallus's collection. The Traveler had various caches of baubles and oddments, as well as essential equipment and food, scattered across the vast Alt'dora Badlands, normally hidden in caves that were inaccessible for humans with conventional means of travel.
     "Here it is, I think you'll rather like this one. Consider yourself priveleged, this item has puzzled me for years, and it's giving me such a headache trying to figure it out. Maybe you'll have more luck than I will."
     He stepped around the corner and sat down next to his guest. He pressed something into the Traveler's hands.
     It appeared to be a tiny cage, made from strips of wood, and with a base, roof, and hinges made of wire and metal. However, it wasn't the cage that surprised the Traveler. The thing inside was baffling him.
     It was a tiny bug. It looked similar to a cricket, but with longer legs and very obvious claws and mandibles. It was mich smaller than a cricket, however, no bigger than the last joint on Tallus's little finger. Although the Traveler had never seen this sort of insect before, he was not completely astonished by the shape of the animal, it was its color.
     The small insect was glowing. Vibrantly. At first it was glowing a gentle turquoise, the color of a calm ocean, then it gradually switched hues to a vivid scarlet. Then phosphorescent yellow.
     He also noticed that it had symbols engraved in its shell. Nothing he could discern clearly, but it appeared that someone had etched designs into the carapace of the tiny creature somehow.
     "Tallus. What is this?"
     "My friend, I haven't the slightest clue. I have had many strange occurences with that little beastie."
     "Like what?"
     "Well. I assure you, this little thing has been in my possession for some time now. I estimate around twenty years, but my memory isn't what it used to be. I recieved it from an old man up in the mountains. He was one of the eccentrics, you know, the ones that choose to live in seclusion rather than in civilization. This hermit in particular was very odd. I met him while I was doing a bit of exploring, just probing the caves for anything interesting to add to my fledgling collection. I entered a chamber off of the entrance of this cave and saw that someone was living in it. There was a bedroll and a few supply boxes and such. A gnarled old man stepped from behind a spikestone, I could tell instantly that he was very old. His beard was white-grey, and reached down to his waist. He was speaking, but incoherently.
     "He was talking ot people, it seemed. People that weren't there. His manner of speech changed frequently, he appeared to have small flashes of sanity between the ravings. In one such spell, he noticed me. " Tallus looked at the caged insect. "He pulled from his robes that very item you hold now. He said, I remember it clear as day, 'Take this, boy. Take this and cherish it. It is the last. The last of them all. I have not seen another in decades. It has great power, but I know not how to release it. Take it. Take it and cherish it.' As soon as he breathed the ;ast syllable, he collapsed. I tried to help him up, but to no avail. He was dead."
     The Traveler's eyes widened under the goggles.
     "So naturally, I accepted the thing. I have had it for quite a long time. But there are certain things that simply do not make sense concerning that creature.
     "The first thing that I noticed was that it never eats. I tried to give it everything I could think of, but it simply ignored all offers. Yet it has remained alive for twenty years without a single bite.
     "Another interesting aspect is that it seems to have no concept of freedom, or that it is aware that it is imprisoned. I once removed it from its cage, and it did not even attempt to fly away. It simply rested on my finger.
     "The third and final strange thing is that it seems to both understand human language and make actions based on what it hears. It has an obedient nature. I conducted an experiment. I removed it from its cage, and rested it on my finger. I told it to fly to the adjacent wall. It unfolded its wings and flew to the wall and stuck there, perfectly still. I then told it to fly back to my finger, and it obliged without incident.
     "I believe that there is something very special about that little bug. I do not know what it is, and I do not think I am supposed to know. But I am passing it on to you.  As you can see, I am not long for this world. My aging is not slowing down. So I entrust you with this amazing little thing. And I want you to do exactly what that man said in his last words. Cherish it. I do not know why, but I just have a feeling that that man knew far more than he had time to tell, and that he was far more rational when he said that than I will ever be."
     The Traveler was silent for a moment. He then said, "I don't know what to say, Tallus. I want to say thank you, but I don't think that's sufficient. You honor me by giving me this."
     "Nonsense, boy. You deserve it. You have seen fit to give a grizzled old man some company over the years. You lead an unusual, and no doubt taxing, life, yet you still drop in to see me once in a while. That is a gift that I will never be able to repay in full.
     "Now. I can see that leaving look in your eyes. You have places to be. So I won't keep you up any longer with my torturous old man talk. Go, and have a wonderful time with your wanderings. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for some day."
     The Traveler stood. He pulled a short length of cord from a pouch and used it to tie the small cage to a spare loop on his belt. "Thanks, Tallus. I'll be back in a few moons."
     "I know. I'll look forward to it." He smiled.
     The Traveler started to make his way out the door, but stopped. He turned around.
     "Tallus. I realized, I have known you for more than a decade, and you don't even know my name."
     Tallus didn't say anything, just looked vaguely surprised, and a bit expectant.
     The Traveler took a deep breath. He released it, and said, "My name is Valdo. Valdo Morenicus."
     Tallus smiled warmly. "Well. Nice to meet you, Valdo."
     Valdo, known to the entire world minus one person as The Traveler, exited the building. There was nothing else to be said.