Quale

Asphodel Foundation member (Messenger) Undead (Vampire) Distant relative of an Apokalypsis member Featured plant: Papaveroideae (poppy)

Quale used to be a common delivery dragon who worked under the three Couriers, loading sorted packages on the wagon every morning, sending them around her small designated area, and return to the post office before dusk.

Even when a vampire bandit jumped out of the woods and bit her in the neck didn’t shake the status quo much, since it was always dark in Wispwillow Grove. All it changed was the content of her lunchbox.

One day, when Quale was loading her wagon as usual, she noticed a letter to Mrs. Murkfellow, from old man Oryn. Quale delivered many letters between the two pen pals, but she remembered the last mail she sent to Murkfellow was Oryn’s obituary.

Not just that, it was mailed to a non-existent address before reaching here. She thought it was actually from Oryn’s clanmate, or some impersonator. However, sticking to her vow as a messenger, she delivered it without looking inside. When Murkfellow read the content, she hugged Quale tight and thanked her. Quale patted her back without saying anything.

Since then, Quale was tasked with more of such kind of mails, all though the same middleman. She treated them the same as she did to others. The receiver’s reactions ranged from happy to sorrow, to a complex mix that Quale had no word for.

A particularly angry recipient shouted that Quale was at fault of upsetting him with the message of a villain. He threw her a piece of scribbled paper and told her to shove it in the original sender’s grave. It did not follow the standard procedure and Quale could freely ignore that. She put the scrap in her pocket and left.

The rustling noise of her horses stepping on grass turned into solid clops on hardwood floor. Quale found her wagon inside a giant library. A Fae in a blue shroud came to her on a tea trolley.

“Ah died this time?” Quale asked, and took the cup of tea offered by the Fae. It was barley.

“Same as last time, not yet.” The Fae stood on the handle of the trolley to be on the height of Quale’s sight, under their arm was an envelope scaled to her size. “I’m here to offer you a new job opportunity, since you have been delivering those letters from the dead well.”

“They’re though you?”

“Parting words from the visitors. Only spiritual mediums can deliver them, and they usually not the traveling type.”

A silver emblem of an asphodel flower and two pairs of insectoid wings adorned the envelope. It was from a place called Asphodel Foundation, somewhere in Worldedge Wetland.

“You will be delivering messages between the line of life and dead more. While you technically will work for me, you will stay with an old friend of mine.” The Fae gestured at the cardboard box filled with letters from all across Sornieth and winked with their crests.

“Do Ah hav’ any say?” Quale put the empty tea cup back, but kept the invitation.

“You can decide with that piece of scrap in your pocket.”

The library shimmered out of existence like a mirage. Quale looked at the thin roof of her wagon. Asphodel Foundation better gave her a sunproof one if they wanted her to work with them.

Art

by BrassicaOracle (me)