Douglas
The night was early and Masino had arrived at Miller Dale roughly an hour before the sun had set, he had dropped off the cart he had been pull at the local blacksmith, hopefully that ore from the mountains would go into make tools or something more useful then weapons as per the norm it seemed. For now Masino had retired to the local tavern, luckily for him the tavern had a stables attached to it. One benefit of being the odd creature combination that he was, meant he never had to rent a room. Just a bay in a stable was good enough for him most nights. Masino entered the tavern that was clearly made for a normal sized person, he bowed his torso and tucked his head back as he entered, making sure not to clip his horns on the top of the door. Once on the other side he went back to his full height, he got a few stares and a couple of people began to whisper but that never bothered Masino. He made his way over to the edge of the bar, trying to stay clear of the other patrons.
"Normally animals have to wait outside mister? But ah? You're not really an animal are you?"
The barkeep said looking up to the much larger man, Masino gave a slight laugh as he sat with all four of his legs on the ground, this made him slightly shorter then the normal human.
"Do animals carry coin? Two rum and a stable for board"
Masino said to the barkeep, who quickly made off to pour Masino's drink of choice.
Susan
Acantha, already seated in the tavern, stared in awe as the half minotaur, half centaur man entered the building. Truly, a being like him would like garner many a stare wherever he went. After a brief moment of shock, her mother's voice rang in her head, reminding her of her manners.

*'Acantha, it's rude to stare!'*

Indeed it was. The young witch shook away the nagging voice and thoughts and instead returned to eating the dinner she had bought. Every few minutes her eyes would glance at the man, curious about him. Curse her curiousness. It wasn't until she had finished and approached the bar to return her used plate (though she didn't have to, she always wanted to create a little less work for them) that she felt something off about the man. Something strangely magical that tugged at her senses and pulled her eyes back towards him. There, she caught a glimpse of the pendant pierced into his chest. 

"Ah?"

She looked back up towards his face now. She was a youthful woman with sage green and wavy hair that draped around her until it reached her lower back. Emerald green eyes sparkled with curiosity and interest in the man, but her posture and expression gave away that she was nervous to ask about the pendant. 

"E-Excuse me, your.. Pendant?"
Douglas
Masino had noticed the young human girl looking to him every few moments, and he hadn't thought heads or tails about it. Instead continued to drink his rum, one pint after another. That was until he notice the girl who had beening eyeing him, bring her plate up to the counter. Something was different about this young human compared to the rest of the crowd. Which had began to thin with the evening getting along.

"My pendant?"

Masino question back at the girl, he was caught alittle off guard and awkwardly moved his leg so that he was back up on all fours, one of his horns almost clipped one of the lights that was hanging from a rafter.

"Who are you and why do you care for this?"

Masino said with a rough grunt to his voice, his voice came off deep and sounded like he had been smoking a pipe all his life, to punctuate he was do speaking he gave a snort, and his hand had moved to cover the pendant.
Susan
The smaller girl flinched, growing a bit more nervous. Even so, she didn't run away from the situation no matter how intimidated she felt by Masino's size and demeanor. She was, truthfully, a bit ashamed she didn't introduce herself before asking about the pendant. 

"A-ah, I'm Acantha. I'm a traveling w-witch, and I felt something magical about your pendant. I was curious about it, is all.. I meant no offense, I promise."

She put her hands in front of her chest, waving them nervously as a gesture that she meant no ill will towards him. Surely, a small woman like herself would barely pose any threat to Masino, whether she had magic or not, she thought. 

"O-of course, you're under no obligation to tell me! I'm just curious!"
Andy
Masino let out a rush of air from his nose, and shook his he from side to side, the horn this time did clip the hanging light, causing light embers to sprinkle from the disturbed flame.

"And I am Masino"

Masino said, his hand moved away from the pendant and both hands landed roughly on his human waist, it was the exact point where the last bit of flesh met with the fur of his horse body. The pendant on his chest seemed to shimmer as if reflecting light, but the reflection didn't match the light within the tavern.

"I've had then pendant for almost twenty years, it's not magic at all. I don't do magic, and couldn't even if I wanted to"

Masion said, a frown seemed to for on his face as he finished speaking and fell into at distant memory, but only for a moment his face quickly went back the normal and sat his hind legs back on the ground with a bit of effort.
Susan
Her shoulders relaxed and the worried expression that had painted her face was now replaced with one of relief. For now, she had diffused what she assumed was a situation that could've gone south. As he got comfortable once more, so did she as she slid into a seat at the bar and turned it around to face him. This way, she was at least slightly taller. Finally, she smiled rather gently at Masino.

"It's good to meet you, Masino."

She glanced once more at the pendant as he explained, then leaned back with a finger on her chin as she tried to think.

"Well, I'm not vastly experienced like the teachers at the college, but I have learned quite a bit in my travels. And I can tell you for certain that I am sensing *Something* From the pendant. But I can't quite nail down what it is. Oh, but I don't sense anything malevolent from it! Perhaps... Perhaps it has never been activated, before?"
Andy
Masino watched as Achantha relaxed as his horse body sat on the ground he was only now about four foot tall, he reached up to the bar and took a long swig, as he listened to the pretty girl speak. But her words began not to make as much sense, when she began to talk of teachers and college he was simply lost.

"Let's go back a step? So you're a pretty little human Witch, training at a college? How does someone like you end up here?"

Masino said without entirely thinking over what he had said and was asking, by this stage of the night he had, had enough drink to drown an horse, and unlucky for him he was only half a horse. He had began to ramble with his words, bearly remembering to breath.

"And to top it off yee think my pedant that my human sister gave me, is something magical?"

Again he gave a huff and a snort before continuing with a saddened tone, his face turned to hers and thier eyes met.

"Ain't nothing about me magic, I can't read it and I can't use it. No one in my blood has ever been able to"
Susan
Dealing with drunken people was a routine part of her travels and the experience of staying at an inn, so she hoped that as his demeanor began to shift towards one influenced by the alcohol, he would remember their conversations. If he left in the morning with no recollection of their talk, it would be saddening yet not unexpected. Even so, she hoped for the chance to investigate the pendant. 

"Ah, not quite! I haven't enrolled at the college yet. But when I get there, I'm going to learn so much more. Everything I know now is from my own studies."

She noted his sad tone, which pummeled the senses inside of her and urged forth a desire to console him. 

"Maybe.. Maybe you just haven't been trying the right way. If you don't know what it does, then how could you know how to use it?"

With a surge of determination and a complete 180 from the shy and nervous woman earlier, she stretched her arm out for a handshake. 

"What if we tried to figure it out again - together?"
Andy
Masino couldn't help but truly study the girl for the first time since they had met, he took in the details of her hair and face, before her clothes and body. She really was small even for a human, but she was of a healthy size. He was impressed as alot of mages and witches he met were either old and ugly, or skin and bone. He raised an eye when she spoke of her knowledge though, so confident yet without any real training. Being self taught in anything was amazing but most standards.

"Look I've got a three day ride coming up tomorrow, there is a lumber yard deep in the forest that supports a nearby mine, they require more food and tools, I'm taking them out." 

By this time Masino had finished his drink and had seemed to sober slightly, even more so and he put the pint back on the bar and didn't ask for another drink, his sad expression had turned to one of curiosity. He took the hand and pulled the small girl from her chair and into a hug, before putting her back on her chair.

"If you really think something is up, and you've got the spare time, you can come with me tomorrow. Have you ever ridden a horse bareback? I refuse to wear a saddle."

Masino said with a slight laugh, most Centaur would never let someone ride them, and Minotaurs weren't even a friendly race most the time, so he couldn't ask about either of those.
Susan
Acantha stumbled forth from the chair, but managed to get her footing as he hugged her. It was certainly an unexpected surprise, but a welcome one. If she had to be perfectly honest, it had been too long since she had a hug. She returned the hug, a warm feeling of happiness enveloping her. 

Though, that happiness was accompanied by some minor shock as he placed her right back into the seat she was in. She knew he was probably strong, but being able to effortlessly lift her up and put her down was truly a testament to some of his strength, even if she was rather light. She fumbled over her words for a second as she processed what had just happened.

"I- um. Hm...

I've ridden bareback a few times. But it's nothing I can't handle now. I don't blame you for not wanting to wear a saddle. It seems... Degrading?" She laughed nervously. 

"But I can accompany you, definitely."
Douglas
Masino gave a slight laugh and a toothy grin, his legs moved again and pushed him up from his sitting position, it was an awkward effort to move a round indoors most the time, but Masino was use to it after all these years.

"I've worn a saddle once in all my years, and you're correct it is very degrading but it is also extremely uncomfortable."

Masino said, his legs had steadied and he was standing right beside Acantha, his left hand moved to rest on her shoulder and his right hand moved to his pendant.

"I've not had company in years, so I'll gladly have you for my next delivery, and if you think there is magic involved, then win win?"

Masino's voice had a slight chipper tone to it, he was slightly happy to have some company for his next trip, and maybe he could even learn alittle more about his pendant in the process.
Susan
She was dwarfed next to Masino at his full height, nearly a full three foot difference between them. If anything would make her feel as small as she really was, it would be him. Even so, she smiled up at him.

"Yes! A win win for both of us. We should get a good night's rest, then, if we're going to leave tomorrow. Should I meet you outside tomorrow morning at dawn, then?"
Andy
Masino tilted his head down to face Acantha, and bowed slightly so that he wasn't at his full height. He hated making others feel small but he didn't have much of a choice.

"I'll be sleeping in the stables which are just outside the building and to the left, I'll meet you out there as soon as the sun breaks the sky?"

Masino said as he began to make a move, he let out a heavy grunt and his tail swayed as he began to head for the doors, as he reached down to open the door, he turned to face Acantha one last time for the night. Luckily the the tavern was mostly empty by this time, most people had already retired for the night.

"Sleep well Acantha, we've a long road ahead of us tomorrow"

And with those last words, Masino was done for the night, making his way outside and to the stables for the night, where he would sleep standing among the other horses.
Susan
Acantha assured him that they would meet in the morning and wished him a good night, waving as he exited the tavern. When he had cleared the doorway, she turned away and headed to her own room. She had a routine to follow before bed that included bathing and gently brushing out her hair. When she had completed that, she flopped onto the bed, exhausted from her already long day, and stared at the ceiling.

Even though she had some magical knowledge and confidence in herself, there was still a part of her that held some doubt. Would she truly be able to help solve the mystery of Masino's pendant? As the thoughts of unease plagued her mind, she slowly began to drift off to sleep. 

She naturally awoke while it was still dark out. It was strange, but this night she had no dreams to recall. Brushing it off as nothing, she gathered her things, got dressed for the day, brushed her hair out once more, and grabbed some early breakfast from the tavern side. It was merely a muffin and an apple, but it was enough to satisfy her and keep her going for the morning. She ate them rather quickly, leaving a nice tip for the keep, and headed out to wait for Masino outside.
Andy
Masino slept only a couple of hours that night, due to his half horse part we was able to easily gain energy by standing still and resting, however his minotaur side did need a small amount of sleep to keep going, it was an odd balancing act but he had managed to find the perfect balance between needing rest and needing sleep.

The sun hadn't even broken the sky and Masino was getting ready to leave, he had collected his empty cart from the smith and had returned to the tavern, eating as a centaur was an odd things as well, he could eat anything a human could eat but he could almost eat what a horse could eat. On this day he choice the horse food, as he unhitched his cart he left it at the side of the tarven and moved back to the stables to eat from thr trough, hay and molasses didn't taste as bad as people think.

Once he had eaten he noticed the days begin to break, this made him make a move, cleaning his face with his hand and wiping the small amount of molasses against his fur. Once he made his way to the front he noticed the green haired girl, though she was small she stood out clearly.

"Ah! Good morning Acantha, did you sleep well?"
 
Masino said, as he moved over towards Acantha and his cart, which was only a few feet away.
Susan
At the sound of Masino's voice, the young witch brightened up and quickly turned to the source of the voice. 

"Good morning! I slept well, how about you?"

She didn't show any indication of the realization, but it finally hit her that she would not only need to get on top of him, but also ride on his back. It would've been fine if he was just a horse, but he would be consciously aware of her sitting on too of him. Something about it felt strange, but she chalked it up to overthinking the situation. 

"You must have gotten up even earlier than I did if you're all ready to go. In that case, I'm ready too."
Andy
Masino continued to walk towards Acantha with a slight laugh as he walked, he looked the small human up and down and could sense that she was nervous about something, animal instincts were good for that kind of thing but he wasn't sure what it was.

"Only got a couple of hours sleep, but that's all I really need. Do you need anything else before we leave town?"

Once Masino had finished asking he moved over to the cart, the cart itself had four wooden wheels and was packed full of supplies, normally a cart of this size would need atleast two horses to pull, Masino moved between the two bits of wood that stuck out from the cart, once between the two parts he awkward attached a leather strap that went over his back and under his stomach, he pulled the strap tight. Once done he moved over to Acantha and knelt his front leg slightly and bowed his torso.

"Feel free to climb straight on, I'd rather you ride on me instead of the cart as things my get rough and I don't have anything to keep passengers safe."

Masino said with slight strain to his voice as he bent and knelt for her, as it took alot of concentrated effort.
Susan
Acantha hesitated at first when he knelt down, but after hearing his strained voice she hurried to try to hop on top of him. It took a couple of attempts to hoist herself up, never quite able to fully throw her leg over. With a huff she took a few steps back and gave herself a short running start before successfully managing to settle onto his back. It was a bit odd at first. It felt like being on a horse, of course, but his torso was right in front of her. 

"Um, where do I hold on? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
Andy
Masino gave a slight laugh and looked to the side, one of his deep brown eyes able to meet Acantha.
"I would suggest holding onto my mane if we are at a trot, if we get into a bother or you feel safer don't be afraid to wrap your arms around me, until youre more comfortable"

Masino said turning his head back the other way, and shaking his whole body slight, at the base of his neck was a mane of hair that was almost long enough to reach the middle of his back. 

"Are you ready?"

Masino asked, but instead of waiting for a reply he began to trot at an even pace, giving a slight grunt as the cart began to pull behind him.
Susan
She could hardly reply before he started off in a trot already, leaving her to desperately grab onto his mane. It tugged a little initially as she gained her bearings, but lightened up as she got used to it. Of course, she couldn't see in front of her, but she watched to the sides and behind as they carried along. His torso blocked most of the wind that would blow through her hair, but the sides waved about behind her gently, making her tuck the tufts behind her ear so that they wouldn't get in her way as much.

As she got used to riding atop him and the town faded into the distance behind them, Acantha inhaled the fresh morning air. This was more of her element, certainly, and she smiled much more brightly than before. 

"I think this is one experience I will surely tell my family of one day! Not everybody gets to journey with a minotaur-centaur to solve the mystery of his magical pendant! And I've been on plenty a journey already with a tabaxi, a wolfkin, a cursed man, and many more."
Andy
The pair had left for thier journey as the sun was cresting the say, due to Masino's centaur body he was able to make great time, even pulling the heavy cart and a passenger. He normally couldn't handle having a person on his back, and truthful this was only the fifth person to ride him. The road on which the pair travelled was unusually quiet compared to normal but it was quite cold out, Masino figured that most travellers were waiting for the warmth of the day. Masino's thing was cut short as Acantha had began to speak, he was certain the young female was scared on his back, as the force she held on by was enough to almost make him wince.

"As far as I'm aware I'm the only of my kind, honestly I'm not even sure what my race would even be called if there were more of me?"

Masino said with a slight laugh, he had turned his head to the side of one eye was on Acantha and his other on the road, he didn't make a single step out of place, keeping a troting pace.

"Sounds like you've had alot of interesting journeys, my young friend. I'm afraid this might be quite boring for you compared to those."
Susan
Her grip had definitely loosened up by now as she got used to riding on his back. If things got a little uneasy or bumpy, she would grip a little harder, but not enough to hurt him. Even so, she was having fun. 

"Boring? I will disagree. It's already proven to be quite the opposite! And if you are the first, doesn't that mean you get to decide what you are called? You could choose anything and people will just have to accept it. I think you have that sort of power."
Andy
"Well if that's what you think, I'm glad one of us thinks I'm not boring"

Masino said with a slightly snorted laugh, his face turned back to the road and watched as a carriage was comming over the small hil in front of the pair, Masino moved slightly over to the side so one side of the cart was off road.

"You know I've never thought of myself as my own species, I'm more of a mix bred then anything else."

Masino said, he had stopped and waited for the carriage to pass by in the narrow road his head was lowered slightly compared to normal. Once he began moving again he stayed silent for a short while, as the pair continued thier journey towards the forest.
Susan
Acantha returned with her own soft giggle. Despite his appearance, Masino seemed to be a rather positive and enjoyable kind of person. He wanted to laugh with others, she surmised, but perhaps he found it difficult to. She hoped that she was brightening his spirits by accompanying him. Though, from the sound of his laughter during their conversations, that appeared to be the case.

She pondered for a moment, thinking of a response.

"Even mixed breeds get their own name, though.His Ligers, from lions and tigers. Don't you think you deserve one, even if there's one or very few of you? You're in a position where you can carve out an identity for not just yourself but future minotaur and centaur mixes as well. If it's happened once, then it might happen again. Plus, what if one day you find love and start a family? If your child one day asks "What am I?" You could confidently respond. I hope that made sense."
Andy
He had returned back to the centre of the road, the day was moving quickly and Masino need a fee moments to thing after hearing Acantha's words. She was right for the most part but in the same to him the future was so uncertain.

"You may be right about the whole my race having a name, the only thing I could think of is. Hotaur? Sounds odd to me, maybe a problem for another day"

Masino said rasing his head slightly, so much raced through his mind at that moment, the future was something Masino didn't think about, especially when it came to finding that so called special someone.

"Ah you see I also will never have the problem of explaining that to my children, I don't plan on having any or finding someone. I work too much for that, and not to mention how would some like me even find someone compatible?"

Masino said with a slight laugh to himself, he had began to slow down slightly from a trot as the day grew long, his legs and back slowly beginning to tired from the heavy cart load behind him.
Susan
"Of course! It's not something you can decide on right away. Give it some time and thought."

She was somewhat embarrassed that she had made the assumption he would want a family. It would make sense that he would be hesitant or downtrodden about such a thing. How would it even work? She shook away the impure and irrelevant thoughts from her head, grateful he would not be able to see how red she had gotten from her thinking.

"I-I apologize, I didn't mean to assume you *Would* Settle down. Living a life for yourself can be just as rewarding as any other."

As the day drew on, she had noticed he was slowing down. Was her weight making it harder for him? Now worried, she placed her hand on his left shoulder blade.

"Masino, do you need to rest for a bit? I can hop off and walk. I promise my legs are strong, haha."
Andy
Masino once again moved his head to the side so he could see Acantha, and he gave a short snorted laugh. His eye clearly observing the girl on his back. He was surprised at her offer but he truly wasn't worried about her weight, there was well over a ton on the back of this cart, which is why Masino was contracted.

"Honestly my friend you are the lightest thing out of every we are transporting, and we've only an hour of full light left to travel."

He said continuing for that said hour, once the sun had finally began to set he pulled the pair and thier cargo off the road and passed a small tree line, where they could set up camp away from the eyes of the road.

"You've done alot of travelling right? For magic and stuff? Mind helping me set up camp, unhitching myself from this cart takes longer them hooking up, it's alittle awkward to be honest" 

Masino said scratching the top of his head, with a nervous chuckle.
Susan
She slid off of his back when they came to a stop, landing a bit roughly but overall okay. She jokingly stood straight and saluted him, then broke down into a more relaxed chuckle. 

"Aye aye, sir." 

As he began the process of unhitching himself, she began to unpack the things needed for camp. A small tent and bedroom for herself, a pit for a small fire, and finally searching for dried sticks to use. She went back and forth between the camp and the brushes, bringing back suitable wood for the fire. She then began to arrange the wood with a keen eye, making sure it wasn't just a jumbled bunch of sticks. The whole time, she was humming and singing to herself, clearly in quite the chipper mood.
Douglas
Masino gave a slight laugh as Acantha gave him a salute, shaking his head he twisted his body to an odd angle as he reached backward, to unhitch the leather and chains that held the cart around him. Once free from the restraints he trotted around in a circle and stretched his hands into the air.

"Ugh it's so good to be free"

Masino said as he finished stretching and began to check the load and the cart itself, making sure there was no damage and to make sure nothing was lost in transit. Once he was done he had his way over to Acantha was making the whole mood quite happy and she was achieving just that. He moved up behind her and gently put his hand over her shoulder lightly.

"You're an odd one Acantha, it's quite refreshing to see indeed. I do hope that you never forget to be happy"
Susan
After successfully lighting the fire, she stood up and put her hands on her hips in pride. Sure, she'd done it plenty of times by now, but she always felt a little bit of pride when she did. Kaz's teachings along their journey some time ago were never forgotten. They helped her every day she was out in the wild and she would be eternally grateful. Briefly, she wondered where the tabaxi was and how he has doing. 

When Masino placed a hand on her shoulder, she looked up at him with a big smile.

"I've always been quite upbeat. There's too much to life to not enjoy, after all. If I get caught up in misery, then I'll miss all the opportunities I could've had if I simply had a better outlook."

Though, she had never quite been called *Odd* Before. Perhaps she was a little odd. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Meanwhile, she felt the beginnings of silent rumblings within her stomach, which interrupted her thoughts. 

"Ah, right. We'll need something to eat for the night. I think it's safe to assume you might eat a lot? Especially since you carried that heavy cart so far today."
Andy
Masino watched as the fire lit up, for a moment he was lost in thought within those flames, memories if thousands of nights spent under the stars and gave a slight sigh, the only thing that broke his thoughts was the mention of food, cause with that single mention on queue his stomach growing deep, it had been a while since he had eaten and, he would usually eat all day. Not wanting to seem rude with his new companion, he hadn't grazed of food throughout the trip so far.

"Food sounds like a great idea about now, give me a moment"

Masino said before moving over to the front end of the cart, he spent a moment moving crates around before grabbing one in specific out, the crate was heavy enough to make Masino grunt slightly as he lifted the crate of the edge of the cart and carried it back over towards the fire, placing it on the ground with a thud. The crate itself was about a meter long, half a meter wide and half a meter tall. He busted open the crate to show a a random range of fruits and dried meat, he moved the fruit around to reveal a sack, that was stained red and pink from its original brown colour.

"I'm not sure what you eat, but I've a variety food here to feast on"

Masino too the sack and unwrapped the sack, showing within the sack was a hunk of meat, red meat that almost looked like beef and from the smell it was beef. Masino knew that sounded like canablism technically, but he enjoyed the taste, which he did.
Susan
She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Certainly, it was nowhere near close to the size of the crate, full of food, that Masino brought from cart. Considering his size, though, should she *Really* Be surprised. As she looked at the assortment she could choose from, she tapped her chin in thought.

"Hmm. I can probably do something with a good amount of this. How much would you usually eat? I'm not sure if my pot or pan could handle it... Perhaps roasting the meat over the fire with a side of a vegetable stew? That sounds rather good." 

She did have some vegetables and spices in her own pack. Combined, they could probably make something good. Though she wasn't sure if Masino had any cooking skills. He seemed the type to just eat a roasted or dried meat and some fruit or vegetables, no other cooking required.
Andy
Masino chuckled nervous and began to scratch the top of his head, just where his horn poked out from his head. Masino never really did much cooking as such, besides sticking chunks of meat onto the end of a stick and putting over the fire, or wrapping meat up in cloth and putting the meat under the fire. After thinking for a moment Masino took an apple from thr crate and took a large bite, giving himself a couple more seconds to think, would his new ally think less of him for his lack of ability to cook food properly.

"If I'm being completely honest with you, my ability to cook is that of putting meat over a flame and turning it until it's brown"

Masino admitted with a sigh, he felt slightly defeated by his own words, taking two more bites of the apple and it was completely gone. He had eaten it core and all.

"I eat alot as well, the Minotaur in my I swear has an endless need for food and the centaur in me just wants to graze all day, it's an interesting balance. This create is two days worth of food"

Masino said kicking the crate lightly with one of his hooves before finally looking Acantha in the eyes, he was slightly worried what she would think of his flaws that he had just spoked of to her.
Susan
She merely smiled at him, not judging him at all for an inability to cook. After all, as long as he was happy with how he usually ate, it was no business of hers if he could cook a more complex meal or not. 

"Perfect! You're in charge of roasting the meat, then. You'd probably do a much better job than I can. I don't eat too much meat, honestly. I'll work on the vegetable stew. How's that sound?"

If he found it agreeable, she would rummage through her bag for some spare vegetables. There were two carrots and an onion. Certainly not enough for an entire stew. She switched and looked through another area of the bag, this time meticulously organized and full of various small, labeled satchels. She picked out a handful of them, sighing.

"Wasn't expecting to do this today. Want to see a little magic?"

"Oh, it's no problem! I can make some vegetables. And I'm self taught until I get to the college."

It was possibly a strange thing to hear, but it was rather true. She found a suitable patch of soil, kneeled down, and dug some spaced out holes big enough for the seeds, then plucked a couple of each seed from the satchels she had selected into the holes and covered them up. She set the satchels to the side, as she planned to harvest some more of the seeds to replace some of the ones she was using. She shuffled back, still on her knees, and raised both arms in front of her, palms facing the small piles of soil. 

"Here we go."

Acantha closed her eyes and focused. Soft, yellow-green light began to glow around her hands and release small sparkles of light onto the piles. She could manage about two of the plants at a time. Within a minute, sprouts began to peek up from the soil and unravel their true leaves. She focused a little harder, furrowing her brow, and the growth of the plants vegan to increase, growing ever larger. Their leaves sprouted forth from the stems and one specific plant began to bloom yellow flowers. From those yellow flowers a green vegetable began to appear, growing ever larger and longer until it was clearly a zucchini. When she was satisfied with the zucchini, she focused her efforts more on the other plant. It didn't appear as if anything was happening above, however, but after a couple of minutes she seemed satisfied. 

The witch wiped some sweat from her forehead, took a deep sigh, and did the same thing to the other two piles. One of them sprouted multiple times, but seemed to only be a bunch of leaves. The other, however, grew taller and taller until it finally fell over from its own weight. Even so, she continued to grow it until a handful of long pods began to dangle from the stems. 

When she felt she had enough, she sighed in relief and put her arms down. It was clear it took quite a bit of effort from her, but instead of looking exh

Austed, she was rather proud and pleased. 

"Zucchini, potato, spinach, and beans. What do you think, Masino?"
Andy
Masino watched as the girl dug a couple of holes in yhr ground and admitted he was very confused at her actions, but he stayed quite for a few moments, he watched the girl knee ans exert alot of strength, nothing seemed to happen at first and he went to move forward and ask her what she was doing, before the sparkles began to fall over the seeds.

"What in the seven hells"

Masion said stumbling back slightly as he watched the magic flow from her hands, he had seen magic before but only in combat or used for minor things like lighting torches. But this was a whole level above anything that he had ever seen.

"You're unbelievable!"

Masino continued to watch until she was finished, he could see behind her pleased smile she had used alot of energy, and Masino had gotten alittle excited and moved over to Acantha, he effortlessly picked her up by her shoulders and gave her a hug, he released her gently with a slight nervous laugh.

"Ah! My apologies, but what you've doing is? Well? Unbelievable! I wouldn't have believed it unless I seen it with my own eyes!"
Susan
She yelped at first when Masino suddenly picked her up to hug her, seemingly very effortlessly. She hugged him back a little awkwardly until he put her down. It wasn't that she *Didn't* Like hugs, just that it was a surprise. 

She smiled sheepishly in response, cheeks turning red from embarassment, and looked back at the plants she had grown. A random small garden in a clearing. If she left it, perhaps other travelers could use the vegetables. 

"A-Ah, this isn't much, I think... It's pretty much all I can do so far. But I'll be able to do lots more in the future. I'm glad you think it's impressive, though."

She returned to her bag and took out a small pair of shears perfect for harvesting. She kneeled back in front of the plants and began to carefully harvest the leaves and vegetables, humming softly to herself. She suddenly had a thought, though, and turned her head back to Masino.

"Ah, do we have any water to wash these? And then some to use for the soup itself?"
Andy
Masino shook his head with a slight laugh as he looked down to the rosey cheeked Acantha, this was amusing to him the way she looked with bright red cheeks.

"Ah don't be so modest, it would have taken three months for they plants to grow, you've done it in mere moments!"

Masino said as he stopped his laughter and moved back over towards the cart, stopping by the fire for a moment and slightly rotating the stick to turn the meat. Once done he continued to the cart, grabbing a barrel, a large flask and two mugs, the flask and two mugs balances on the medium sized barrel. The barrel had water in it, and it dipped slightly from the seal. The barrel had clearly been used for years, the flask and mugs were placed on the ground beside the crate of food.

 "We've three barrel of water and two water skins somewhere, do you want a drink?"

Masino said pointing to the flask and the mugs, the flask was most definitely filled with alcohol, the flash was large enough to hold two mugs worth of the drink in question.
Susan
"No, but thank you. I don't tend to drink alcohol too often. I'll be good with just some water, really. Perhaps even some tea later. Hmm."

She shook her head and returned to harvesting. When she had as much as she wanted, she bundled them up and placed them on her lap, using her skirt as a makeshift basket for the assortment and carefully standing up so she did not throw the vegetables everywhere. She brought them over next to her bag and kneeled again, gently placing them down. Attached to her bag was a decently sized pot, one she had grown accustomed to carrying around for some time. While it had initially been easier to put it on her horse, she made sure to get in some extra strength training by carrying it around (plus, it gave her horse a little break!) Her hands swiftly unbuckled and untied the well secured pot and brought it over to the barrel of water. 

She filled it up about three quarters of the way full and returned to the spot next to her bag, where she then spread out a blanket for herself. She grabbed the vegetables and set them beside her. With the pot of water in front of her and vegetables by her side, she started to carefully wash away any dirt on the food.

"I kind of like this sort of prep work. I think it's rather calming, really."
Andy
Masino shrugged at her lack of wanting alcohol, he picked up the mugs and threw them back into the cart from where he was standing, he then took the flask and took a big swig from it, he visibly relaxed as he drunk. As if each muscle in his body untended as the drink flowed through his body.

"I can understand that, I'm more of a fishing or watching the fire kind guy, the flames are so useful yet so dangerous"

Masino said as he once again turned the meat ever so slightly, he was hoping to get a nice even cook all the way through the chunk of meat.

"So why did you want to learn magic? What drives you to learn the arcane arts"

Masino asked, not looking to Acantha as she worked, but instead staring deep into the fire, as if it could answer all his questions.
Susan
Her attention was focused on washing the vegetables. The unwashed ones lay to her right while the washed ones began to pile up on her left. Most of them took only a few seconds to wash away what little dirt they had on them. When she got to the potatoes, which she saved for last, she made sure to wash them *Extra* Thoroughly. As she scrubber their skins, she began to tell him of the origins of her magic.

"I used to live on a farm with my parents in Bridian. I'd help out whenever I was allowed to on the farm. Usually typing bundles of wheat together, sowing the seeds, checking irrigation, those sorts of things. I'd always had some sort of calling to nature, though. A connection in my soul that I couldn't quite explain, no matter how hard I try. Then, one day when I was 16 I got this *Feeling* When I looked at a dying flower. 'Focus on it. Breathe life into it.' Like a voice whispered into my head and heart. So I tried, and tried, and tried until I got that same glow from moments ago. It brought new life into the flower for but a few minutes, but it was enough to instill in me both an amazement and shock. With my parent's blessing, I continued to practice until I was able to help the farm's crops out. I could make them slightly more resistant to the wind, a little bit bigger, help the struggling ones to grow just enough to stay alive and make it to harvest."

She sighed, fondly remembering the simpler days of life on the farm in Bridian. It felt as if it was so long ago now. 

"Years passed and I grew tired of being limited to what I could do. I wanted to learn more, do more, and see more. So I set off for a journey to the college. Sure, I could take a portal or a boat, but I want to see the world. And in doing so, I've learned so much more about other people and myself."
Andy
Masino watched Acantha and gave her a slight smile as she spoke, the girl was clearly proud of herself and she definitely should be. For such a young age her achievements are so high. Once she had finished speaking, Masino gave a slight sigh as he kept the chunk of meat from burning, once a raw side faced down he turned back to Acantha.

"You remind me of my younger sister, she was a gifted mage who could heal any wound"

He said a clear sadness covered not only his face but his entire body, even for his pure size he seemed to weaken as he spoke.

"When we were kids, I remember a day where her and I were down at a small creek. We use to love to go fishing together, but one day I slipped in the mud of the bank, and broke a leg."

He raised his right leg slightly and stabbed it at the ground, showing how strong the leg was.

"It was the day her powers started, with a single touch she knitted my leg back together in seconds, she truly was incredible."

Masino said with a slight tear forming in his eye, he turned away from Acantha and focused on cooking the meat though.
Susan
She wasn't fool enough to miss the clear signs in his language and expression that hinted something had happened to his sister. She thought on it for a few moments as she finished up washing the potatoes, setting them aside with the rest of the vegetables and pushing herself off the ground. She picked up the pot and took a few steps to toss the water to the side and wipe the inside with a clean cloth. Then, she returned to the water barrel to fill it up about halfway. As she did, she tried to tread the topic carefully.

"It sounds as if you cared for your sister quite a bit. If you're alright to, would you like to tell me what she was like?"

She gave him the gentlest of smiles as she passed by him with the pot of water, returning to her spot with the vegetables. She set it beside where she would be sitting and dug out a small wooden board and knife from her bag. She inspected the sharpness of the knife, determined it was just sharp enough, and began to chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces. With each one she finished, the pieces would be gently tossed into the water.
Andy
Masino sighed and reached down to the crate that still had dried meat a fruit in it, taking out another apple and taking a large bite.

"She was great, one of those innocent and harmless souls that wouldn't hurt a fly. She was younger then I and strangely enough she was a full human."

This time Masino did not hold the tear back, it fell from his face and was followed by many more. He raised his hand and cleared the tears from his face.

"She was the pride of the family, a human magic user. My family could all use magic except myself, but she was on a whole different level. She was meant to go to some magic school in the south, unfortunately our parents died while we were young, together her and I survived for quote a few years. She never did get to go to that fancy school"

Masino's words shifted from sadness to poison as he spoke, without much effort Masino crushed the apple that was in his hand, and then shook off the accidentally paste he had created.

"Ah! My apologies, I'm sure you don't want to know the history of a fool"

Masino, finished cleaning his hand on the fur below his stomach, and them reached for a fresh apple, all anger and sadness had quickly faded away with a practiced easy.
Susan
As soon as she saw his tears, she dropped what she was doing and hurried over to him. Seeing others cry always had the tendency to break her heart a little and she wanted to ease their pain, even if only for a little bit. She offered to wipe away some of his tears with a cloth, but he had wiped them away himself. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth, yet her eyes held nothing but an expression of pure sympathy for him. 

"It sounds as if she were a wonderful person. I'm sure she would be proud of the person you have become."

She offered him a hug, opening her arms wide. 

"Perhaps others may not want to hear it, but I am not them. I've listened to countless histories of the people I've met along my journey. Each one is just as important as the last. Including yours. Even if your history is full of suffering, I will listen and hope to be a bright spot in it, even if it is only for a short while."
Andy
The massive man accepted the hug from the smaller girl, this time he didn't quickly put her down like the last time, he didn't even pick her off thr ground this time, simply pulled her in and held her against his side for almost a full moment.

"When everyone is dead history is all you have left my friend, pain and suffering are just lessons to carry with life"

Masino broke the hug but left one of his large hands resting on Acantha's shoulder, he had returned fully to his normal self now and took his hand from her, moving back over to the crate and munching on an apple, not crushing this one to paste.

"You've the same Aura as her, both young and strong females, with strong magic within. I may have no magic and never will, but I can see clearly you'll go far"

Masino said moving one hand to rest on the green gem crested into his chest, it gave a slight glow for just longer then a second, Masino didn't notice the glow as his eyes were closed in thought, when he opened them the glow was gone.
Susan
She noticed the slight glow from the gem on his chest, making a mental note that it indeed may have something more to it than what was on the surface. And if his sister had anything to do with it, and she was a mage as well, it would just lend credence to her suspicions. She wouldn't mention it to him, but rather keep it in mind for later. Instead, she gave him her trademark gentle smile. 

"Thank you. I'm sure I will go far as well. But no matter how far I go, I will not forget you or your story. For now, though, we're focused on finding out the truth about this," She pointed to the gem, hesitating to touch it. She moved the hand that was pointing at the gem to his shoulder.
Andy
Masino gave a hearty laugh as she pointed to the crested gem that was attached to his chest, he had wore this gem for as long as he could remember.

"It's just a silly trinket that my sister gave to me when our parents died, it was one of those I'll always be with you exchanges, little did I know it would be the only thing left of her a few years later."

Masino had stopped checking the years a long time ago, and wasn't even sure how long it had been or how old he actually was at this very moment, he was the kind who would live the days as they come.

"Come my friend, let us drop this topic for the night? Let us finish making our dinner"

Masino's hand took Acantha's hand within his own, he held onto it slightly longer then he meant too, after a short time he left he go and continued to tend the meat, darkness had full settled around thier camp, and the moon was high in the sky casting shadows at odd angles with the fire.
Susan
She nodded, letting him hold her hand until he let go. 

"Absolutely, I fear I will starve if we don't get it going soon," She joked. 

She returned to adding the vegetables to the pot of water. Once they were all in, she searched around their camp for some larger wet branches. After a few minutes, she returned triumphantly with an armful of them and started carefully setting them up over the fire to create a stable platform for the pot. She needed to make sure there was enough space for the fire to keep getting adequate amounts of air, yet close enough together that she didn't have to worry about the pot falling through and tipping over. After a few minutes of adjusting, she thought she found the right spots. Acantha grabbed the pot and brought it to the campfire, resting it on top of the branches in a spot where it would get quite a bit of heat. 

She returned once more to her bag, picking put a handful of spices she wanted to use. She emptied some of their contents into a small, clean cloth that she could take over and dump into the pot. She mumbled to herself as she did so.

"Rosemary... Basil... Oregano... A little thyme... Ohh, perhaps a little coriander."

When she'd finished choosing the spices, she did indeed dump them into the pot. 

"There! Now we just need to wait for it to cook. Hopefully it shouldn't be too long, but those potatoes will take the longest."
Andy
As if on que as soon as Acantha mentioned starving both od Masino's stomachs began to growl and he have another laugh, this time it was genuine as if nothing of sadness or anger had passed. Now that the meat had a nice seer around the outside of it Masino took it from thr fire to allow Acantha's pot, he then wrapped the meat in a fresh cloth and then dug a hole beside the fire, placing the cloth covered meat inside the hole and then covering it with embers that had built up from the burning wood.

"You seem to really enjoy cooking? Is it one of your passions"

Masino said over his shoulder as he continued to work with the embers spreading them over the thick cloth, a slight layer of dirt separating the two. The warmth of thr fire and the embers, would slowly cook the meat through. 

"Don't be afraid to have some of thr fruit if you want? Or even the dried meat to get you though till the main"

Masino didn't want his new friend to starve, but he also wasn't sure what her eating habits were like, Masino species were supposed grazed for most the day, he knew many humans would eat in many different styles.
Susan
Acantha returned to the spot she was sitting at and started to clean up. She wiped the blade clean and set aside all of the vegetable scraps, then wiped down the cutting board and let it dry nearby. 

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily a passion of mine. I know enough to make some good meals. Baking, though? That's a passion of mine."


She spread her arms wide to gesture to the environment around them.

"It's a little hard to bake out here, though. Not the things I like to bake, at least. What about you? Any hobbies or passions?"
Andy
"It's good to have a passion and maybe one day I'll be about to enjoy your baking"

Masino said with a slight smile as he stomped around in a circle on the spot, before folding his legs and sitting on the ground. His height was now slightly shorter the Acantha. He had to look up slightly to met her eyes.

"Honestly I adore fishing, it's been years since I've had time to fish, I've just been working for pretty much the last ten years without much time to myself. Maybe travelling as well? But that's more work for me then a hobby"

Masino scratched underneath his chin in thought, as he did one of his ears began to react and he clearly enjoyed it.

"We've about a day and a half left in our journey and the trip back will be quicker, how long will it take for you to get to collage after we part ways?"
Susan
"One day, yes! I'd love for you to try! If our paths cross once more, I would be delighted."

She pulled a wooden spoon from her bag and stirred the soup. Not quite ready yet. She tapped away any excess soup from the spoon and set it aside on a cloth. 

"Fishing, huh? I've only done it a few times, honestly. I was mostly too grossed out by worms to really give it a shot when I was a child!" 

She sat down beside him, cross legged and swaying side to side, humming to herself whenever she wasn't speaking. She was in a particularly joyful mood. After all, how could she not be happy when she was in such pleasant company?

"Hmm. I've never had a set date for when I need to be at the college. I still have to go through the Lilac Forest and further south along the coast until I can take a boat to Sihirisium. Weeks? Months? Who knows what - or who - I will encounter along the way."
Andy
Masino was doubt full the pair would met up again, but if they every did we would definitely try to get her to bake something.

"Honestly I've never used worms for bait, I tend to use small bits of meat, or other fish seem to work well too"

Masino said laying his hand on the hot embers, once he had felt the embers cool slightly. He used a small stick to flick fresh burning embers over his buried meat chunk. Once down Masino watched Acantha for a moment or two was she swayed and hummed, this girl was a complete mystery to him, so happy and so delightful to be around. This was the first time Masino had felt slightly happy in years, he shook his head to shake the feeling, he couldn't be a attached to another fragile human.

"Thats a long way to travel, you're quite well versed in the world for someone so young, I hope you stay safe on your travels"

Masino said, faking a smile before letting out a yawn and stretching his arms out with, he even made a slight mooing sound followed by a grunt.
Susan
Acantha stirred the pot of boiling soup again, this time letting a piece of potato cool in the spoon. Once it was she popped it in her mouth to test if it was done. Sure enough, they were done. Which meant everything else would be done as well! She grabbed two bowls and spoons from her bag and ladeled some of the soup in each one.

"It's hot! Also, have as much as you'd like. I'll probably just eat a single bowl."

She offered the bowl to Masino, if he was interested in it.
Andy
Masino took the bowl and gave it a long sniff, the scent of all the vegetables and spices tickled at his nose.

"As long as you don't mind?"

Masino said rasing the bowl in the air and then instead of eating from it he began to drink from the bowl, a few seconds later and the bowl was placed in the ground, completely empty of the soup. Once placed Masino moved to the buried meat, uncovering the the cloth bag from the embers and dirt, as he unwrapped the meat, the outer well cooked flesh became visible. Masino took a knife and cut a well cooked piece, tasting it first before cutting another piece off and offering it to Acantha.

"The edges are cooked well, and through, as you get towards the centre it will be rare, my favourite."

Masino said with a slight laugh, the knife and piece of meat held out in front of him.
Susan
"Of course not! This will be plenty for me and I've made quite a bit of soup."

Acantha took her own spoon into the soup and blew on its contents, trying to cool it down some before taking a bite. It was still a bit hot, but manageable. She seemed to relax quite a bit as she enjoyed the flavor of the vegetables, starting to hum once more. When Masino offered the meat she gladly grabbed the piece and immediately a took a bite. She savored it for a moment, then smiled. 

"It's great! I'm definitely more of well cooked person, so you can definitely have the rare bits."

Curious, she dipped a little bit of the meat in the soup to test it out. Not bad.
Andy
Masino continued to carve to meat for a few moment, he had taken square wooden plate from his crate of food, and began to place the well done pieces of meat on one side and the rare pieces of meat on the side closest to him. The pair fell into a blissful silence as they ate the soup and the strips of meat, Masino ended up eating three bowls of the soup and atleast half of the rare chunks.

"These woods aren't terribly safe at night I will admit, I would suggest you get some sleep."

Masino said shifting slightly on the ground and placing a hand gently onto Acantha's shoulder. He let that hand rest for a moment before letting out a gentle sigh which was followed by a yawn which he shook his head from afterwards.

"I'll be awake for a few more hours, place I don't really even need sleep that much to be honest"

Masino said with a slight a slight laugh as he again shifted his legs but this time he stood to his full height, he began to pack up anything non essential to the camp, so the pair didn't have to work about anything going walk about in the night, wether by the wind or sticky hands.
Susan
In the time it took Masino to finish two bowls, Acantha finished her single one and about a third of the meat he'd carved for her. She stretched her arms out on opposite sides and turned her back each way, then yawned. 

"Oh, it's good that it's safe! I'll clean up from the prep work, then hit the hay- er, sorry. Head to bed?"

She chuckled awkwardly and hoped that her wording wouldn't be taken the wrong way. She pushed herself up from the ground and back towards her small tent she had set up earlier. She dug out two thick cloths from her bag and used them to remove the empty pot from the campfire so it could cool down. Then, she cleaned up any remaining scraps of vegetables, wiped her knife clean, and put away the spices and cutting board. She checked the pot to see if it had cooled, but it needed a bit longer. In the meantime, she readied the area in her small tent to be comfortable for the night. Once more she checked the pot and determined it to be cool enough to handle. She filled it with a touch of water, then scrubbed away at it with a small square piece of what looked like chainmail. Once she was satisfied with its cleanliness, Acantha dried it off and attached it to her bag once more. Before she slipped away into her tent, she stopped for a moment with a smile.

"Good night, Masino. Sleep well!" 

With that, she settled into her bedroll.
Andy
"Good night my friend"

Masino said and gave a slight wave to Acantha, he had finished tiding up to camp and the only thing left unpacked was the fire that had lowered down to a small flame with mostly embers providing heat and a small bit of light. Masino waited and watched over the came having a few minutes kip every hour, with enough to keep his mind clear and allow his body to heal from the days work. Staying alert and keeping watch was something he was extremely good at, his eyes were similar to that of a cow, he had a decent amount of vision at night and a wide field of view. 

The night was late and uneventful, the sun had barely began to kiss the horizon when Masino began to get ready for the day ahead. The fire had gone out over the night and he covered the embers with dirt before moving over to the cart and checking everything that was secure and the load was accounted for. With a long sigh of relief he had completed his work, and began to watch the sun gently crest into the sky, while he waited on his new companion.
Susan
Acantha was well into the habit of waking up just as the sun would peek over the horizon, it's light giving the sky a pale and pastel mixture of yellows and oranges. With a big stretch while laying down and an audible yawn, Acantha sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking around at the environment surrounding her as if trying to remember where she was. When her mind cleared from the foggy effects of awakening, she blinked twice and looked around for Masino. Once she caught sight of him, she called out to let him know she was awake.

"Good morning, Masino!"

It was at this point she realized that he was already packed up and ready to leave again. Adrenaline coursed through her as she panicked, stumbling to get up to her feet and start packing her own things up. 

"A-Ah, just a minute! I'll pack up real quick!"

She hastily rolled her bedroll up and buckled it to her backpack. Blankets were folded up and the pit from the previous night was securely attached to the bag as well, adding a hefty amount of weight to it that she had grown accustomed to handling. She fished out a well used hairbrush from her bag, rushed through brushing her hair out, then double checked she had everything before fastening everything in place. She swung the bag over her shoulders with a grunt and hurried over to Masino, slightly out of breath.

"S-sorry! I'm ready to go now!"
Andy
Masino laughed as his young female companion began to move in a flustered blur, as she rushed to catch up and get ready. The warmth and the light of the sun filled him with a moment of peace as he turned away from watching Acantha as not to seem for her to rush.

"Stay calm my friend, I'm an early riser. Centaurs can get rest by just standing still and Minotaurs don't really need much sleep at all, trade off is I need to eat so much just to stay active"

Masino said out loud but not facing Acantha, after a few minutes Masino sighed and moved back over to the cart carrying all of thier items and equipment, he reached over the edge and grabbed a small sack, which he then tied onto the side of the cart, where he could reach it while pulling, he then moved to position himself to hook up the cart for yet another long day on the road. 

"We should be at the lumber mill early tomorrow morning, before the sun reaches its peak in the sky, the trip back to town should only take a day."

Masino said as he finished hooking himself up to his cart, and watched as Acantha was also now ready for the days journey in front of the pair.
Susan
"I see. Well, let's make some good progress today!"

Acantha set her bag in the cart, making sure it was rather secure, then waited to see if Masino would allow her to ride on his back again. If not, she was perfectly content with walking alongside him, especially if it meant they could travel a touch faster. She was in no hurry, of course, but she worried about Masino getting tired, even if he was used to doing this work all the time.

If he did let her up, she would hesitate again for a brief moment before swinging a leg over to straddle his back and return to how she was sitting the day prior.