Near the middle of the forest, Arnath found the lake he had seen. Night was approaching now. A young woman stopped at the side of the lake, watching across and looked around. Seeing no one of interest she closed her eyes and rested against the tree.
Arnath walked quietly over to the tree where the lady rested, silently jumping atop the tree branch above her. He fell backward, hanging onto the branch by his legs, hovering upside-down in front of her.
Her eyes immediately opened and fear washed over her face seeing someone upside down in front of her. Arnath blinked. "Hello!"
"Uh, ummHi. Who are you?" She tried to smile.
"My name's Arnath Delgata." He allowed his legs to let go and turned his body upright to land safely on the ground.
She stood. "I am Lady Rose Dray. Many call me Lady Rose or Rose. Either one is fine with me." She watched Arnath and smiled.
"Pleasure to meet you," Arnath said.
"LikewiseSo why did you decide to drop in on me?" She laughed a little.
He shrugged a bit. "Why not? You seem like a nice person. I just felt like becoming aquainted."
Smiling, he turned toward the direction of the city, Remus. "Though I really must depart for now."
"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you Arnath." She curtsied.
Arnath adjusted his scabbards position and bowed, retaining his balance.
She watched him. "You have great balance, I wish I did." She laughed at herself at the times she had fallen.
"Thank you," Arnath replied. "Farewell." Arnath suddonly stopped, suddonly asking himself the question. "Lady Rose, without meaning to be rude, what are you doing out here?"
"Oh," she said. "I was just escaping my troubles from Doomspire."
"Doomspire?"
"Yes, the Castle Doomspire." Her ironically rose colored hair fell across her face, as she quickly brushed it aside her small elvish ear. "If you would like, you are welcome to the castle. It lies in the East Kingdom."
"Thank you," Arnath said. Once again, he departed towards the city of Remus. It was necesary for him to make haste, for tomorrow he would have to meet back at the airship.
When dawn had arrived, Arnath stood outside the walls of Remus. "The Vanguard is almost ready," one of the men said. "But it should take another hour or so."
Sephfireka put his hand on Arnath's shoulder. "He said it'll take another hour or so."
With a decent amount of vitality, Arnath ran back into the city. The newly risen sun was warm, especially warming the city since the sun reflected on the water. Individual beams peered through the trees within the streets. One allowed itself to fall upon Arnaths skin, a warm feeling which gave him a hope for today. He stretched his arms out behind him, before walking down the road.
Suddonly a man approached him and spoke. "Greetings, my friend" he said as he bowed and smiled. "My name is Algias du Lom."
"Greetings as well, good sir," Arnath replied, respectfully returning the same courtesy. "My name is Arnath Delgata, of Yuriko."
Algias, still smiling, seemed happy to see someone of the same civility. "And how are you?" he asked.
"I am well. And yourself?" Arnath responded.
"Well indeed myself. May I offer you an ale at the nearest tavern?"
Arnath smiled at the offer. "Certainly. That would be a wonderful gesture."
Algias bowed and waved his arm in the direction of "The Salty Goblin." Arnath followed him towards the direction in which he had been waved. They both entered upon arrival a few minutes later, Algias behind Arnath. Algias scanned his surroundings and noted to himself that there were already many other patrons seated at this early hour. Speaking to a taverness, he ordered two ales and seated himself at a table. After mentally noting his environment, Arnath swiftly joined his companion at seat.
"So how is life going for you, Sir?" Algias asked once he was settled.
"Life has been prosperous." Prosperous was a kinder word of boring to Arnath. "I've been travelling to find a place of belonging for myself."
"Have you found it?" Algias asked curiously.
"Maybe. There are, in fact, a few places I must visit, to determine if I would stay."
"I see...any of these places I would know of?" Algias said as he looked up at the serving girl who placed two ales on the table. He paid her 5 gold pieces and picked up his tankard.
Arnath stares thoughtless at the ale for a moment, before realizing his short mental absence. He began to speak again, about the places he wished to visit. "The East Kingdom seems interesting, though I am beginning to appreciate Remus."
"Oh, the East Kingdom?" Algias asked. Arnath nodded, acknowledging him. "That is where the castle Doomspire lies is it not?"
Arnath sipped his drink, "Indeed, I was told about it by lady Rose, a woman I had just met recently."
"Maybe we could travel there together," Algias suggested.
Arnath nodded. "Maybe."
Algias shifted the weight of his sword and smiled slightly. "So you like it here in Remus?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, very much so...it's a very peaceful city."
"That it is," Algias stated. "Remus has not had any negative encounters for quite some time."
Slightly changing the subject, Arnath asked, "And where do you plan your travels to take you?"
"Well if I can find an idyllic pasture with a friendly country village nearby where the ordinary people sell their wares at markets everyday in the glorious sunshine, I would be a very happy man." He grinned and sipped his drink.
Arnath with certainty said, "I'm certain that the place you seek does exist. I believe you and I both wish to find it."
Algias smiled at his friend. "I do indeed hope so." He finished his ale.
A few moments passed and Arnath remembered something. "Oh, I found an interesting charter on a guild. The East Kingdom Brewers, dedicated to the art of alcoholic drinkables."
Algias laughed and smiled. "Trust you to find that, my friend." Arnath laughed as well. "I fear I must be leaving very soon..." He placed his tankard down on the table.
"Well then, I bid thee a hasteful farewell. I'll stay at the tavern a bit longer, to dwell in my thoughts."
"Aye, I bid thou a hasteful farewell also," Algias said as he stood up and bowed. "Farewell until we next meet my friend." He fetched his travel cloak he had left at the entrance and put it on.
Arnath respectfully then jokingingly said, "Aye. May the Goddess protect you. Now take your leave, before you draw the Daist creatures to the tavern," laughing a bit.
"As she will you," Algias replied as he smiled slightly before exiting the tavern. Outside he jumped onto his horse and rode off into the city, waving goodbye as he went. Arnath sat still in his thoughts, only to order another ale a minute later. Drinking was becoming a habit for him.
"'Ello," a familiar voice suddonly called out.
"Sir Sifl?" Arnath asked, turning to face the man. It was indeed Sifl, who stood grinning, twirling a dagger between the fingers of his left hand. "It is you! Sit down!"
Sifl only stood, still twirling the dagger. "I shall when I feel the need to."
"How did you get here?" Arnath asked.
Sifl laughed to himself. "I'll get to that. Let me tell you of the last we saw eachother. That night at the Flaming Dragon Inn, when I went out to see what had that girl in such a frantic hysteria, I came across some creature. I could not make out what it was, but it struck me down. I grabbed at my blade which had fallen loose of my grip, but to no avail. The creature kicked me aside, and a great pain surged through me. It was as if my mind were being scratched at. With all my will, I tackled the creature and grasped again my sword, thrusting into the creature. It ran off and that's all I could make of it. When I went back to find you, you were gone so I traveled to town and found out where you were going."
"Oh, I see," Arnath said.
"And once I'd arrived," Sifl continued, "It wasn't difficult to sneak aboard that interesting little ship."
"I would hardly call it little," Arnath stated. Sifl grunted as he finally decided to sit down. "So, would you care to change the conversation to a lighter note?" Sifl showed no response. "Alright, well I've some questions for you. I've only been thinking about where you went and where you came from when the name Sifl has been spoken."
"You really are bothersome," Sifl said. "You are nosey and rude." After a moment he began, "I was delivered in the middle of a small open area of a forest, in the early warmth of a spring morning, only to be abandoned minutes later," he explained.
Arnath payed close attention now. Sifl had been left to raise himself as he was forced to wander aimlessly throughout the woods, gathering food and protecting his own life.
"At a young age I built my own home," he said. The inside of a large tree had been crafted to a spiral staircase leading down into a dug out clearing in which he had built underground rooms.
"The forest was always my home." Yet his growing curiosity of the outside world led him to explore up to each edge of his forest. He must have spent years training in dagger and assassin arts, escaping from his hatred of the world.
"I began traveling to the area of Rhy'Din," which, without him knowing, he had lived on the outskirts of his whole life.
"There I ended up in a mass spar arena and immediately joined in on the event." In the mass spar Sifl met Oryn, a vampire of many years whom he teamed up with secretly to end up in the final 4 of the spar. A girl who had been hitting on Sifl knocked the man out though, leaving Sifl, the girl, and some elder man to the upcoming battles. Sifl knocked out the elder but then was knocked out by the girl, losing the event.
"It didnt matter though," Sifl said. Great potential was found in him and soon he joined a dark guild where he became a great assassin of 100's of deaths and a valuable addition to the guild. The guild eventually fell apart and Sifl ended up in the area of AlIsetana dMesa, where he met members of Dragons Of Earth.
"So thats how you arrived here." Arnath said. "Seems like youve been through a lot."
"Indeed," Sifl said.
A few silent moments passed before Arnath spoke. "So, you are skillful on forest terrain?"
"I am best in a forest for it is where I grew, if you were listening."
"Care to have a race within the forest outside of town?"
A man sitting at the table on the far side of room lifted his head. "The Untouchable Forest is best not to be ventured into," he said. A single flower sat within a glass upon the table, beautiful even in its solitude.
"Sure," Sifl said, grinning. "Let's go."
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