[Elox]

Elox settled back in on the bench of the Cremling's Might after taking a leak off in the shrubbery—he could worry less about the goods inside the wagon. It had a way of protecting itself. When danger turned to deadly, the wagon itself became quite the defense, as well as an offense. 

The old man hummed to himself as he picked up the fabrial reins once again and clicked on the small rubies set into either end. With a snap, the wagon was off once again, rolling at a slow pace down the road. There was no horse to be seen on the front of the Might, nor was there any chull worth enough to pull the treasure. 

Elox sighed and leaned back against the cabin, kicked his feet up onto the safety rail in front of him, and hummed an old Herdaz tune. 

"Who was that?" Another voice, distantly, buzzed. 

"Hmm?" The old driver stopped his tune as he saw the shape rippling across the bench toward him. Like a pattern etched straight into the wood, yet moving across it with a strange liveliness. When it arrived beside him, the intricate lines peeled away from the wood, and formed a three-dimensional shape midair. Like someone had given a child a reed and paper, then let them scribble all over with all their might. "Who?"

The pattern—who he had named Anomaly because of his- strangeness—seemed unhappy with his companion. Without a mouth or face, the creature simply buzzed and clicked words. "That is a good lie. The man from before. He smelled of vile and lies, yet spoke of Truths."

"No idea what you mean." Elox went back to his song.

The spinning creature floated up in front of him, blocking his vision from the road ahead. "Stop! Lies!" 

"Ahh!" Elox lifted his hand to shoo the swirling thing and accidentally pulling the reins in the process. The wagon screeched to the left, pulling slightly off the road, then stopping abruptly on a stone. "H-hey! Anomaly! You know you should stay out of my eyes while I'm driving! What if I hit somebody o-or something!" 

Anomaly; a Cryptic, a liespren, sighed with a buzz and flew out of the way. He sunk back down into the wood of the wagon's bench. Like a spinning spoke tire, he spun in place. "Because you speak lies and say you forget. But you never forget. Lightweavers, you don't forget unless you want to forget."

"And? What makes you think I want to remember?" He complained, hopping down from the front of the wagon to check over the trapped tire. "They're just a sick Surgebinder, like you and me, who wants to make a name for themselves. Some do that through- I don't know. Saving a village, killing the king, or stealing precious artifacts, like myself. Others, they hunt down us Infusers of Stormlight."

"This doesn't sound like lies. Do they really kill for the sake of a name? In the name of this... Justice-thing?" 

"You're a liespren, eh? You've perhaps heard the tales of Nalan, the Herald of Justice?"

Anomaly buzzed, annoyed. "Cryptic. Liespren are of lies alone. Cryptics are of lies and Truths. Both are important. And Nalan? Nale?" 

"Yes, Nalan, Nale, Nal. Lots of names from the same fellow. That Ui guy must have been one of his allies, no other man speaks those Words without sounding totally insane." Elox lifted the wagon up off the stone jut using a strength beyond what his older frame seemed plausible. The power found within Stormlight was not to be taken lightly. "I take it back. They always sound totally insane. Justice this, you've got to repent that, sins all around. Yeah. Insane."

"You speak from experience?" The Cryptic swirled. 

"A little bit, Nalan's been stalking me for a long time. I—" Elox froze for a moment. "I- I only got away those first few times because of the help of another Surgebinder. An Edgedancer, but I never got her name. I hope she's alright..."

"So you do care! The Elox I have not met! Hello, my name is Anomaly!" Although the pattern of lines could not laugh, the buzzing raised and lowered in a series of laughing-like tones. "Either way, lies aside, why leave him behind you?"

"Because I know now that I have no reason to fight, nor to kill. I've had too many deaths throughout my life, and don't need another. As the Ui guy talked about, I've got plenty on my conscience already. Storms, perhaps the Almighty might find some forgiveness for what I've already done."

"You... haven't killed anyone outside of the name of protection? Yes?"

Elox quickly looked up to Anomaly, who was now spinning around on the side of the wagon's cabin. "N-no! I've killed nobody, harmed nobody. My sin is theft, as that man said. A theft grand enough to make being assassinated a possibility."

"Theft of? And you are always cheerful. You do not seem like such a type."

"It was... nothing. And I try to be cheery. It helps... I do not mean to tell lies, nor do I truly mean to use Truths, but I am by no means a thief. Only someone who has stolen." Elox's expression grew grim, his shoulders sinking and eyes growing old. "What I stole, was you."

Anomaly buzzed. Confused. 

"Now! What is this? Some kind of interrogation? We need to get back on the road! Cabbages and carrots to sell!" 

Anomaly quickly added; "And broccoli!"