Rounding one final bend in the path she'd been walking for days now, Viviana Adessi gave a heavy sigh of relief when she finally saw the border checkpoint up ahead, the rather impressive stone wall cutting a clean line through the forest which used to connect the countries of Patet and Flavus. It had been constructed back in a time of tensions between the two neighboring nations, which had long since ceased, though this physical testament of those times remained. And quite a convenience this turned out to be, as the wall was now serving as a way to keep the plague from spreading beyond the borders of Patet.

It was still quite unclear where this plague had found its start, but it was here, and everyone in Patet could now easily recognize the symptoms. Itchy, reddened eyes, red rashes, and hunched forms with hands clasping at the full-body soreness that it caused. And ultimately, bodies collapsed in the street, blood trickling from their mouths after the violent coughing fit that always claimed them, corpses waiting to be whisked away by the cart-full, in some of the more heavily affected areas. Appropriately, the Red Plague was the name the people had given it. And now their relatively friendly neighbor of Flavus had taken it upon themselves to quarantine the from the rest of the land, outfitting every border checkpoint with a skilled mage who would check every passerby for the plague before allowing them through. They were hard times, no doubt, but many of those essentially trapped in Patet could understand why it was being done. The rest of the land was already facing its own problems, and adding a plague on top of that would certainly not help matters.

And now, it was because of this horrific plague that Viviana was leaving the country where she had lived all her life. The greatest healers in Patet had all already given their all, but to no avail. Healing magic could do nothing for the victims of the plague, and so she had decided to take matters into her own hands, and travel out to seek the greatest healer in all of Primalux: Selima, in the far-off land of Virens. If anyone could possibly know what must be done to save her home, it would have to be her. And now that she had finally reached the border, she could feel tears stinging at the corners of her eyes as she remembered her tearful goodbyes to her parents. She walked the rest of the way up to the wall, where she could see a few soldiers waiting around at their posts, as well as an old bearded man sitting up against the wall next to a pack seemingly bulging with its overabundance of contents, with a wide-brimmed hat covering his face, as he appeared to be sleeping.

Viviana was wearing a lighter version of the usual robes worn by a mage-in-training, given to her by her master when she'd told him she would be traveling, along with a few of his personal magical effects, including his very own staff, which she was currently using as more of a walking stick. Her moderately long blonde hair was done up in a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes as she traveled, and the pack she was carrying held all of the belongings she had brought with her on her journey. Curiously, almost every finger on both of her hands were bandaged up with white cloth.

Finally, after a minute or so of walking, she reached the checkpoint, where a soldier had already spotted her and was waiting for her arrival. As she drew up, he held up the hand not currently holding a spear to signal for her to stop, letting it drop back down to his side when she did. "My apologies, milady, but you're going to have to wait here for a bit if you wish to pass into Flavus. Our man in charge of checking for the plague is away momentarily." He informed her.

"O-oh, um... very well, I'll just... wait here, then." She said, not having been expecting this sort of delay.

"He shouldn't be too terribly long in returning. Our apologies for the inconvenience." The man said with practiced cordiality, as Viviana nodded and hesitated for a moment before stepping over to stand by the side of the path and wait, in front of the old sleeping man. Or at least, the old man who she'd though was sleeping, as he suddenly looked up to reveal wide open eyes and a toothy grin.

"Hah! A might bit more than an inconvenience I'd say, with this plague running amok, wouldn't you say?" He suddenly addressed her, causing Viviana to look at him in surprise for a moment before turning to glance at the guards, who seemed unperturbed. "Ah, but I'm sure I don't have to be the one to tell you that, if you're coming from this side of the wall." He continued, standing up with a slight hunch as he tilted his head at her. "Hmm... but you seem rather ill-equipped for it, don't you? What if someone were to come along with the plague, and you caught your death right here, so close to being free of that worry?" He said rather ominously, as Viviana continued to stare at him uncertainly. After a moment's pause, he cackled and turned to rummage around in his dangerously overfilled pack for a moment. "Ah, that simply wouldn't do, would it? Better to simply nip that problem in the bud, eh? So here, free of charge!" He said, as he turned around and held out a strange pile of cloth to her, which turned out to be several white masks of surprisingly good make, seemingly made to loop around the ears and cover one's mouth.

"Oh... I... er... thank you?" Viviana said, reaching out to take the offered masks with a curious expression. Free of charge? Was he some sort of merchant? "But, um..." She looked down in her hands and counted out the masks that he'd given her. "Why would I need..." She began to ask, before looking back up and finding that the man was no longer there. "Six...?" She completed her sentence a bit late, looking to and fro but finding no trace of the old man or his oversized pack. Furrowing her brow in confusion, she shook her head a bit and looked about for a few more moments, before letting out a small sigh and realizing he had vanished. Figuring she may as well settle down while she waited, she set her own pack down where his had been, and sat down, dropping five of the masks in her lap and pulling the last on herself. Might as well, seeing as he'd been right in saying it would be a good precaution to take, in case anyone else came along. Still... what an odd start to her journey...

"Boy! That's the last I'll hear of it! You are to guard the caravan, I am your father, and you WILL listen to me do you understand?!" There went Caelyn's dad on another power trip. He always had to feel like he was in control. It was his smug arrogance that made Caelyn detest the man so much in the first place. He knew it was his own flesh and blood, but the man hid behind Caelyn's abilities since he was 16. He would get into an argument with customers and make Caelyn do the "enforcing". Caelyn respected his father because he knew he owed everything to him. But now that he had gotten older and smarter, he saw just how brash and overbearing.
"Caelyn, are you listening to me?! Where do you go?'' "Uh, yes father sorry." "Damn right you are sorry. Wished your brother would have lived so I could at least have ONE competent son." Caelyn felt himself getting choked up. His father knew that the subject of his older brother was a very dear subject to Caelyn and just used it as another tool to keep him broken down.
Their caravan had recently arrived in Patet when Caelyn's father heard about a great shortage on supplies due to the Red Plague. His father saw an opportunity and tried to cease it. What his father did not forsee is the quarantine that went along with the disease. Upon trying to leave the border, they were informed that a mage would screen for the disease. An idea popped into Caelyn's head. In the dark of night when the guards all slept, Caelyn slipped into the mages tent. "I am sorry to disturb you at so late an hour, but I have a proposition for you. I am being held captive by a man against my will who is using the alias of being my father. I am in dire need of getting away from him." "What does this have to do with me?" the mage asked. "Simple, I have 25 gold coins I will pay you if you lie and say the man is inflicted with the disease. You also will inform him that with the quarantine goes no contact from the uninfected. That will give me my out away from him. Do you accept?" Caelyn proposed. The mage stroked his chin seriously contemplating the offer. "Make it 35g and you have a deal." After a quick scan of Caelyn, he nodded. "It appears you do not have the disease so the plan is good to go."
The next day, Caelyn's dad was scurried off by the guards back to the church to go along with the other quarantined people. Caelyn was making for the checkpoint that had a large rock wall. A few guards stood in wait for travelers. "I am here to go to Flavus. My family is all infected and my dear father wants me to flee this cursed place, so that I may bring him back a cure." Caelyn said. "That's fine and all my lord, but the mage is away for a short while." the guard replied. "He has already scanned me and said I was cleared I assure you of this!" "I'm very sorry sir, but until we have his actual word we can not let you pass." "Bloody hell!" Caelyn kicked the dirt and slung a rock which came very close to hitting a young woman.
"Terribly sorry," he said bowing low in a sincere apology. "I don't normally act like this I am just on a schedule." Just as he finished his sentence a familiar cry let out and Seabhac landed on Caelyn's shoulder. "Ah where are my manners, my name is Caelyn and this is Seabhac (Shah-wack)." Seabhac's head jolted around to take in all the scenery. Caelyn lifter her hand and kissed it softly. "Are you awaiting the mage as well?"

Having only just sat down and slipped on her strange mask, Viviana looked up as she heard the approach of another traveler from down the path, seeing a man that looked to be somewhere around her age. As he reached the checkpoint, she overheard him being informed of the same delay which she was currently waiting on, though he reacted a bit more angrily than she had, kicking the dirt then throwing a stone which cracked against the stone of the wall behind her, causing her to cry out and flinch in surprise. Almost immediately, she heard him apologize, and looked back up to see him bowing down low, explaining that he was simply pressed for time. Blushing a bit after her embarrassing reaction, she glanced up curiously as she heard a bird's cry, and was surprised again when the bird actually alighted on the man's shoulder, just moments before he introduced the both of them. He had his own bird? How curious!

Her blush growing a smidgen brighter as he pulled her hand up to kiss it, she adjusted her mask slightly as he asked if she was waiting for the mage's return as well. "Oh, yes... it's terribly inconvenient, but it's good that they're strict about keeping the plague from spreading." She said, gently withdrawing her hand as she glanced back over at the guards standing by the gateway, before looking back up at the man, Caelyn, again. "My name is Viviana. I'm traveling to Virens in search of a cure for the plague." She said, a small smile hidden behind the mask she was wearing, before she seemed to remember something. "Ah, speaking of which..." She said, looking down at her lap as she picked up one more of the masks, holding it up for him to take. "Here. The man I got this mask from gave me a lot of spares, for some reason. I have no need of the other five, so you may as well have one."

"Dust, dirt, and death is all this land has to offer." Marorin grumbled as he trod up a path leading to a wall sizable enough to leave an army waiting for new orders. He recalled his teachings of the old wars that took place this far north from old men back in his home. Back in the abundance of nobility. Back where he wished to be. His father's will had brought him all the way to Patet in caravan and carriage. Now it was time for him to travel west by foot.

He was a man with a slow, comfortable pace though he had no pack to carry. A man was he with a proudly upright walk and stoic face, showing no concern that he was the only one so foreign in the lot of whom he was approaching or that the land behind him was sick and dying. His face was tan and his hair twice as dark, yet his eyes were an almost-too-pale blue. They were like sunlight reflecting off small waves of fresh lake water and they were set on two others awaiting travel. The travelers seemed more prepared for the red plague than himself. He spoke before them politely with introduction before inquisition.

"Good day to you both, I am Marorin of the Wilfire clan of Virens." He took a small bow to see the seated women eye to eye, then gave the same courtesy to the man at his flank, "Has there been any word on passage, or how soon it may be?" It was an effort to keep his face softened and hide his impatience, but it was important for him to be another country over by now. His eyes flashed between the mans avian accompaniment and the woman's staff and he felt like he wasn't the only one who may stand out.

Just as Caelyn was handed some kind of white mask, a man approached claiming to be Marorin. He seemed courtly enough, offering a bow to both Caelyn and Viviana. "Ah, good day to you as well kind sir." He noticed the man eyeing his bird. "My name is Caelyn, and this, Caelyn pointed the his avian friend, is my dear friend Seabhac."
Caelyn noticed the man had a darker skin color than most people around this area. With his family always travelling it wasn't a strange site for him to behold. Just seemed kind of out of place in this town. "Ah I am afraid that the mage is currently not here, but the guards assured us that he should return promptly. That is all we know at the current time."

No sooner had Caelyn reached out and accepted the offered mask than Viviana looked up as yet another traveler arrived at the checkpoint,immediately walking up to them and introducing himself Marorin, saying that he was from Virens. Her eyes lit up as he mentioned the country which was her destination, and she pushed herself up from her sitting position, reflexively picking her staff back up from its position leaning against the wall and holding it idly at her side as she stood.

"Ah, you're from Virens?" She confirmed after Caelyn had explained the status of the checkpoint to him. "I'm Viviana, I'm actually traveling there now in search of a cure for the plague." She explained, before holding out the remaining four masks in her more heavily bandaged hand to him. "Speaking of, I have a bunch of spare masks, so you should take one!" She offered, starting to wonder at how fortuitous it was that she had been given spares, considering the newcomers that were suddenly arriving.

Kirvo Nadav studied his map as he walked down the road towards the checkpoint out of Patet, he really couldn't be choosing a worse time to leave, but it might make re-entering Rutilus easier. Then again they were at war with Virens, he had no opinion on the war he wasn't proud of one particular area of land they was deemed his home, he just happened to grow up in the Rutilus portion of the Ponte desert. as he continued down the path he noticed several people crowded around the checkpoint, either a lot of people were eager to leave or something was wrong,upon closer inspection he noticed everyone was waiting, and the guards at the barrier were just there to keep the crowds calm, which meant the wizard wasn't there, which in turn meant this would take longer than he had hoped. He began to wonder if this was even worth the trouble, but that insatiable wanderlust he once had was gone, he just wanted to go home now, despite home probably not being the same as when he left, but he would have a fortune to sit upon once he returned.

As Kirvo walked closer to the border he noticed a group of people who stood out to him, he saw plenty of explorers and adventures a long the way but these people were different they didn't seem to know eachother, all the other groups looked like they knew one another and were preparing for some great journey. These three however hung around one another by convenience, they were probably all going alone at some point but ended up here. This gave Kirvo an idea, he'd have much less trouble getting to Rutilus with a group, he much preferred to be alone, but no one would question him with three other people around, he'd be just another adventurer to the passerby. The only problem was is that they were probably not headed to Rutilus, however if they were going into Virens he could go as far west as possible once he got there and head home. It wasn't his best plan but it gave him a better chance to not be recognized and increased his survival. After little deliberation Kirvo headed towards the group.

"Pardon me, I couldn't help but notice that you three were waiting here, does anyone know where the mage is?" Kirvo said motion towards the checkpoint. "And forgive my intrusion, I am Kirvo Nadav." He said whilst extending his hand to the men, and shaking their hands shortly, then bowing slightly at the young mage. "Also... If it isn't too much to ask I don't suppose this group is headed towards Virens? everyone seems to be going north with this plague business."

"The mage is out on an errand I am afraid." Caelyn nodded. "No intrusion at all Kirvo, we have all just met actually. My name is Caelyn and I am sure the rest of the group will be more than willing to assist you in any questions you may have. We are all waiting on him to get back so that we may all take our leave." Caelyn was beginning to get a bit hurried with the delay of the mage. "I hope the money I paid him was enough to buy his silence, likely my father is making a counteroffer at this very moment to convince him he ISN'T sick." Caelyn worried to himself. Not meaning to he arched his brow in concern and quickly shook his head to return to the conversation. "Anyways this is my best friend Seabhac." He offered with a low bow.