Portal

Kyle stared down into the yellowish liquid that foamed inside the wooden mug. The bubbles crackled and popped, only to reform again. To him, the foam was normal, and as such his mind wasn't focused on it but rather the conflicts that constantly brewed inside his mind. Being a tracker of decent ability and a skilled hunter, he was not one that would easily go without work. In fact, many places recommended him to customers when they knew he was in the area. The only downside was that Kyle was picky about who he worked for.

He hated dealing with the rich that only wanted him to assist in their games of the sport when hunting. Or those that only sought him to track down 'slaves' that had escaped. In truth, slavery wasn't illegal but it was something that many folks looked down on, Kyle amongst them. Yet with his reputation, it didn't detour any from attempting. There was a number that even tried to fool him into doing so with words like 'missing friend' or 'cousin runaway'.

With these dilemmas, he was plagued with decisions at every place he came to. He preferred being alone without needing to be extra vigilant of the wicked ways of humanity. The woods and wilds were dangerous enough without needing to worry about others' hides or plots. Yet trying to keep the balance of nature was not something that paid well.

Sure he could go and live in the wilderness, only interacting with people on rare occasions. He knew of a few others that did so, but Kyle was terrible at crafting. Worse at alchemy and in honesty, too well informed about what happened to those that did need proper help and had no one to provide it. He couldn't live with a guilty conscience that told him there were people out there that needed his help and he had been too selfish.

With those thoughts in mind, he came back around once more to the few offers that had been presented upon him coming to this small roadside town. The town itself wasn't really a town, more like a wayside station. It had started with an inn and bar to offer travelers a break from the dirt roads, but over time a few houses were built nearby and a blacksmith settled down to offer repairs. So small town was what it had grown to. He wasn't sure if they had come up with a name for it yet. But this was where he had ended one job and would need to either pick up another or make his way to a bigger place to start the process over.

Sighing, he could only take another swig of the ale. Before he could focus on the options, though the air suddenly became thick with pressure. A throbbing reaching through the room. A few of the other patrons felt the change and glanced around, but Kyle had felt this kind of thing before. A keen insight allowed him to feel the slight pull in energy. His eyes opened wide as he turned to look. One of the outer walls next to the door twisted and swirled as the lines of the grain turned into something similar to mud.

Anger welled inside of him as he took notice of this. Inwardly he cursed at whoever was the cause. Quickly he stood up, his feet instantly aiming for the door. Some moron had created a portal on the wall of a public building. Any mage or person, in general, knew not to do such a thing. As portals were something to required a decent amount of mana, it was also dangerous as anyone could travel through it. Whether it be the front of the portal or the back. Someone falling through never knew what situation they would find themselves in. So it was common courtesy to avoid public spaces unless predetermined and proper procedures were done.

Stepping out of the inn, the rage Kyle felt instantly began to spill forth as he turned to look at the newcomer, "Are you a special kind of idiot?! Do you not-" Although the words rushed out in the heat of the moment. He ended up choking the rest of his tirade back as he got a clear look at what was in front of the closed portal.

Laying on the front porch of the inn was a small body. A mess of pale curls and what looked to be a robe or dress. Taking a closer look, he took notice of the fresh cuts along the bottom of the person's feet. The scent of fresh blood was in the air.

Besides seeing that their feet was of small stature, it still grated on Kyle's nerves at the thought of someone using a public place to escape danger. There was too many things that could have gone wrong, and possibly innocent lives at risk as well.

Caustiously, he moved towards the body. Staying on edge kept him from letting his rage go rampant. Even if this thing was escaping it didnt mean it wasn't the real danger. "Get up!" His words were gruff as he tried to get a response. Whether it was relieving or not, there was nothing. No movement, no sound, just him on guard with some of the locals showing worried faces.

As he got closer, he noticed the slight rise and fall of the body, indicating it still breathed. Using his boot, he pushed the body to try and get a better picture of who he was dealing with.

The little push was enough to roll the body to face upward. It's pale gold locks were stained with blood.

Their face was pale and covered with cuts. In truth the person almost resembled one of the fey. Finding them unconscious, Kyle knelt down to further examine them. Inspecting their ears, he determined them to be human. It meant it was most likely a child. Cuts covered their face, arms, and legs.

Sighing Kyle picked the body up and took them inside.