Chapter One - Intersecting Paths & Extending Goals

- - -

Summer was close to ending across the land of Hullen.

In the capital, Aria, rays of sunlight cast a shadow on half of the majestic city. The largest and longest mountain range in Hullen, Shadow's Peak, lay in the background while a vast oceanfront lay beyond the cliffs surrounding Aria. It was a bustling city where many sought guidance from King and Queen of the land. Traders set up shop near the port and framers often commuted by horse or wagon to do business in Aria. It was a large place where something was always going on. Someone always had some story to share and the sun and clouds often frolicked with one another in the sky above. Hullen was known for its weather of wind and rain but also sunlight and clouds. It was a country where the weather ruled over the people just as much as the King and Queen did. And the gem that lay in the grand castle, matching the alluring gray tones of the city that, protected it.

While Jak Willows or as he was more formally known as, Sir Jak of the Willows, could call Aria his home, he knew very little of the real world outside the steep walls of the tall city around him. His family was tied very close to the King and Queen by very distant but still valued blood relations. Jak was an only child and since birth, his mother and father raised him and taught him themselves. Perhaps it would have been more beneficial for him to go out into the public eye and associate with others his age, because he couldn't grasp concepts very well. Maybe it was the constant stress. He wasn't mentally slow or dimwitted but his memory often failed him when it came to taking tests about the astrology or history of the world. Whenever Jak would get angry at himself, he would turn to magic for guidance. If he couldn't remember the lore of the world or how to deal with the bitter mistress known as mathematics, he was determined to least become skilled at magic and hopefully no one would notice his appalling education.

For several years Jak taught himself how to harness magic and when he turned eighteen, his parents bestowed upon him a spell book which had been in their family for generations. Jak was happy to finally get real guidance. He poured over the book containing family spells while his parents taught them the flair that was associated with the name and crest: Willows. His parents were well known for conjuring breathtaking spells which were made famous across the land. While many of the Willows' spells were more aesthetically pleasing than useful, Jak wanted to take them to the next level. He saw no reason why a spell couldn't be beautiful and still hold purpose. At the age of twenty-one, he began to sneak out of the manor and head down to the beach to help fend off those from Syrro and Lella who threatened their fishermen. Enemies from the other two countries rarely made it to their shores thanks to the wild waves but if Jak ever heard about trouble, he was quick to run to the aid of someone in peril.

Leaning backwards on a ship, Jak now a decade past his young bright eyed self, the blue haired male couldn't help but feel a bundle of anxiety well up inside his chest. He had just gotten out of a meeting with the King of Hullen. In attendance was another by the name of Oliver R. Jewelson who Jak already knew from just making idle chit chat around the shopping district. The man's hair was almost as striking as his own after all. Sir Jak of the Willows wasn't too sure what to make of his new companion. The other was a female with striking red hair, Noelle Celair. The King and Queen of Hullen had spoken to the three of them, saying they were to go to Lella and began to search for the gem that had been broken. While fragments remained in the castle, there were surely more around the world itself. Jak, Oliver and Noelle were given a ship and a hefty amount of gold to begin their quest. They were informed that other small groups would be formed and jettisoned into the unknown but that three of them must work together and send word if any shards should be found. The task given to them was immense and Jak was excited to get moving.

The ocean proved to be on their side, though that came as no surprise to the crew amongst them. A week passed as the ship started to sail towards the country known as Lella. Jak recalled the books he used to struggle reading, Lella was a bountiful place like Hullen but Lella was depicted as a very sophisticated place where people danced and wasted time with books and thought they were far superior than those of Hullen or Syrro. It made Jak a bit physically ill to have to go to Lella or even Syrro. The people of Hullen knew they were the best, were leaded by the best and were fostered and protected by the best God. As the ship pulled up to the beach, Jack couldn't help but look to Oliver. "I guess this is the beginning." He put on a smile and jumped off the ship, his feet sinking into the soft sand. "Let's stay close for now." He advise them. In front of them was a lush green forest. At the King and Queen's instruction, Jak, Noelle, and Oliver were to make the journey alone so they parted from the ship and set off into the forest with whatever they could carry, wits and all.

- - -

"This is no longer Plazza." Querene muttered to herself as she gazed up at Syrro's meeting hall in the capital, Ty Brix.

She had gotten a letter while vague, had summoned her to the large stone walled city. While Querene was an avid traveler ever since leaving her home in Plazza, she hadn't spent much time in Ty Brix. Ty Brix was where the Queen and King resided. It was perched on a large mountain which had a series of desserts beneath it. Ty Brix was hard to access and proved a good niche for the rulers over the rough country of Syrro. Those in Ty Brix made their living by making weapons and stone. It was common knowledge, at least to those of Syrro, that they could craft beautiful structures. That they didn't just throw rocks at one another. Syrro may be harsh to live in but it was by no means uninhabitable and those blessed to live in Syrro knew the value of hard work and self tutelage. Querene was no exception to that. She grew up in a small village in the mountains on the other side of Syrro. Her community was close knit but the men were too rash and often banged themselves up.

It was at a young age that the pink haired girl thought that her purpose could be and should be, fixing people. Many fixed tools but in Syrro people were just as much fighters as the knives they wielded, and Querene wanted to ensure the health of her people. So she did her best to teach herself magic that would be of use in the world. And in order to do so, she left her home at age sixteen and roamed the wilderness, learning wherever she could. Since she came from such a small home, she was using to sharing and acting with her heart more so than her head. This lesson was learned when she realized that she had given up all of her food to those she had met on the road. And she had been left with nothing. She was seventeen at the time and soon discovered that while she could help others, she needed to keep herself in good health and protection as well. So she got better at foraging for food, even if it meant dealing with the bugs of the forest. Querene was determined to keep going until she knew as much as her brain could handle.

When she was twenty-two, she settled down in a large city called Astra. Astra was her home for three years. It was there that she met a wonderful healer by the name of Angie. Angie taught Querene how to heal burns and how harness lightning. Her only spell she had practiced thus far as shooting rocks out of her mouth. After three years in Astra, Querene moved on and continued to travel, helping those who sought her skills. While she only had three mediocre spells, it was common for people to spend years perfecting one spell before moving on so she didn't feel too troubled. She could defend herself as well as fix herself whenever needed. And she had first aid skills beyond those relying on magic. Overall, the woman was happy with who she was becoming. But when word of the gem in Ty Brix being shattered got out, Querene was quick to raise her hand and declare her loyalty to Syrro, saying that she would do anything to return her home to its proper glory. After seeing so much hunger and violence breaking out, she knew it was only a matter of time before Lella and Hullen attacked.

It seemed her insistence on helping reached Ty Brix because her letter had now brought her face to face with the King and Queen of Syrro. The meeting was brief and Querene was introduced to someone older by the name of Rilvaugh Fanalid. The two were then instructed to venture to Lella first and find their gems and bring them back to Syrro. Querene was so thrilled to be aiding Syrro. She would do her best to bring back peace to it. After being lent a ship and given some coin for their quest, the duo headed off to sail towards their enemy, Lella. The time spent on water was a bit unpleasant for Querene but a week later, they finally docked on land, or in their case, sand. Querene got off the ship and waited for Rilvaugh to join her. She looked up and down the coastline, spotting a ship in the distance leaving. A knot of uneasiness welled up inside of her and she began to fidget, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Alright let's do this! If I were a shard, lost in a scary country where would I be?" She began to ponder.

There was a forest in front of them and part of her hoped they'd have luck there, since there didn't seem much else they could do. She wasn't much of a leader, she enjoyed following as long as everyone got along. She was hoping Rilvaugh Fanalid would take the lead. He seemed to agree that the forest was the way to go. "I wonder if there is anyone living there..." She muttered thoughtfully. While they were sort of invading Lella, Querene was sure the pushover natives would be okay. But at the same time, part of her felt weird about just waltzing into the unknown. This wasn't her home and she didn't feel safe and the cracks were beginning to show already. That was too soon. Much too soon. The pink haired woman swallowed and followed the long haired man through the trees. Her eyes swept around, keeping her guard up, as well as an eye out for anything that shined or glinted.

- - -

Heartstone was beautiful as it was vast, the center of Lella.

Heartstone was often basked in colorful sunrises and sunsets. It was peaceful while at the same time, lively. Music filled the streets, along with scents of fresh herbs and stews. Lella was full of energy and individualism. It had farms and valleys and meadows and rivers. Agriculture was a main staple of one's livelihood. Alongside that, cows, chickens, pigs, deer, bears, fish and rabbits are a main source of protein. Lella is proud of its emphasis on free spirit and education. Many of those in Lella are well read and generous. The King and Queen take turns going around, ensuring everyone is happy and working hard. Urkwia was surely one of the happy citizens who was very happy with her life. Urkwia was from Heartstone and often enjoyed taking walks around the massive city in the heart of Lella. Urkwia would often roam into the woods around the city and practice her archery.

To her, it was more of an art than a skill of aggression. She wasn't too creative like those around her and that often ate at her. She knew she could be free and easy going but it was hard at times. She was raised by her parents but the rules of her childhood were hardly enforced. Even so, Urkwia learned how to do most things on her own. The few friends that she did make, were often more thrilled by the idea of dancing and singing, rather than going to the countless libraries in Heartstone. But still, there were those who she could connect with and she found them in books. Thanks to the plentiful books all around her, Urkwia never felt lonely. She loved ready and loved the songs that would pour into the library through the windows at dusk. She loved the healthy food and positive outlook people had but she still felt something was amiss.

When she turned nineteen, she began to look into spells and enchantments. The white haired girl wondered if there was a way to feel more free through the use of magic. Many people used it in jest, unlike those in Syrro who surely bullied everyone around them, rather than for attacking or killing anyone. Urkwia was determined to keep to nature though. It was beautiful and therefore shouldn't be harmed. As she taught herself, she began to lose friends around her. Even so, that didn't stop Urkwia's progress from moving forward. By the age of twenty-nine, she was able to use all four spells with fairly good confidence. But it was then that horrible news spread through the city and soon the country, their lovely gem had been broken and now it was likely that Lella would collapse if things weren't restored. Animals were getting sick and dying and people are beginning to lose to will to put on plays and look on the bright side of things.

So the King and Queen decided to act quickly. They sent out summons for anyone willing to fight for their country. Urkwia was unsure if she should volunteer. She was sure others would be better skilled than herself but as the people muttered in dismay, she figured it may be an adventure without having turn the pages of a book. So she raised her hand and soon a trio was gathered in the court of Heartstone. She, Alive and Sir Rofield Crowfis Townspoke the 3rd were told to spread out, together, and comb Lella for any gems. The idea was that the gems could be best located first and foremost in their own country. And once they had more luck on their side, they could try to tackle Hullen and Syrro. After the ceremony had concluded, it was decided they would go west and check out some of the beaches there. Urkwia was keen to get to know her new companions. She already knew of Sir Rofield, somewhat, but not of Alice. So Urkwia hoped to get to know the girl who also shared her hair color, which wasn't uncommon in such a warm country.

"Your village is nearby isn't it?" Urkwia spoke up as they began to move through the woods. "We must visit it and assure your people that you're doing quite a service in the name of Lella's happiness." Urkwia noted. The journey took several hours. They had to cross several rivers and make their way through towns. Along the way, people did their best to show support. As they stopped, the sun was beginning to sink into the trees. "How about we make camp for the night and spend the time getting to know one another?" Urkwia suggested. She wanted to make Alice feel included since Urkwia and Rofield were both natives of the capital. In the woods, a fire was made and a strew was being prepared. They had water, herbs and some vegetables some locals from a town had given them. It would simmer over the fire and in the meantime, they could talk and take stock of who had what to offer on their long quest together. As the sun started to fall, a bit of rustling was heard. Urkwia cautiously grabbed her weapon and soon two people emerged from the brush.

"Hello. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! We just smelled something good and we've been walking for hours..." Querene raised her hands and looked to her companion. "We're not enemies." She said, unsure if it was wise to outright proclaim they were from Syrro. Of course if she was asked directly, she would have to tell the truth, lying wasn't something she did often, or well for that matter. Then more rustling followed and eyes turned to see three more had wandered into the makeshift camp.

"Hi there. We heard uh noises and had to check it out. My name is Jak." The blue haired man flashed them a smile and a wave. "I hope we're not intruding." He said cheerfully. "If I could strike up an offer, how about we contribute to your dinner and protection tonight and in turn, get to stay?" He offered, wanting to get right to the point. So far, Lella was just a bunch of green to Sir Jak and he knew they had to rest up soon. Urkwia looked at the five new people and then back at Alice and Rofield. She really wasn't sure if they could be trusted. But she also wasn't one to be cruel. She looked at the five strangers carefully, unsure if they were from around the area.

"My name is Urkwia." She bowed her head. "You may all stay for the night." She said carefully and backed up to sit back down on the log. A small bluejay flew overhead and Jak bowed his head to her in graciousness and looked to Noelle and then back towards his other mate, Oliver. Small talk was bound to commence.

((my primary purpose in writing this was to allow others to get a feel for how I'll be writing Rofield. Not much here, but I tried to make it interesting to read, at least. Also, goal in this RP is to keep my posts under 6 paragraphs, as advertised in the OP. Which I've done here. So far, so good! Thanks for reading!))

Sir Rofield's Story, Post 1: The Encampment

The fire flickered a bright orange over the encampment of eight, making angels and demons out of the shadows, twisting and shaping them, forcing them to love and hate, to fight and embrace, before the patterns disappeared from the world forever. A light breeze rustled the tops of the trees and the loose threads of the party, and high above, the stars and moon, newly risen in the evening, glittered at amusement and sorrow as the mortal world scurried about underneath them.

Of course, Sir Rofield noticed none of this. He was distracted from the laughing cosmos and dancing flames by a set of much more earthly desires. For he had found himself, inexplicably, in the center of a camp of beautiful young women. There were, of course, others – with himself being the fourth male in a group of eight, the ladies weren't even a majority. Still, such opportunities were too great to pass up. I shall make it my mission, he decided, looking out at the group from behind a blank expression, to gain the favor of these young women before the morning comes.

With this in mind, at last he stood up, the only one in the group to have done so at that moment, and commanded unwarranted attention as he gracefully removed and set aside his heavy leather armor. Beneath his chest plate and leggings, a powder-blue cotton shirt and matching drawstring pants billowed out, and he felt refreshed as he set the armaments aside. To carry such a weight for more than a few hours, though he was well used to it by now, was as though he were holding the sky on his shoulders, and to have the weight relieved was to be free of a burden that the body began seeing as a commonality.

He stretched, comically, reaching for the tops of the trees and hearing his joints crack and pop as they adjusted to that lack of weight. He closed his eyes briefly and hummed, enjoying the sensation like a pampered cat. Cracking one eyelid, he briefly froze as he realized that everyone in the camp was staring at him. The idle chatter that had appeared over the last few minutes had faded as they all stared at him. He stared back for a moment, then pointed to the fire, where the stew had nearly finished cooking. “Dinner, anyone?” He asked, and fetched a pair of bowls from his bag, near the edge of the clearing.

Returning to the camp, he saw that activity had resumed, the participants each finding something to eat with and taking a share of the food. He looked at two of the other men distastefully – one with long, silver hair, the other with a coloration quite electric-blue. There was some aura about them that made him feel as though he shouldn't keep his back turned for too long. An attitude of some sort, perhaps in the way that they carried themselves, that was entirely un-Lellan.

He stepped in front of the man with blue hair and knelt to fill his bowls, ignoring an irritated huff of breath from the fellow. Don't act so irritated about it, Sir Rofield thought to himself. It's just soup. It's not even yours, it's ours. Gathering up both bowls, he sat himself down next to the younger girl he'd been traveling with from the capitol, who he'd yet to make acquaintance with. “You look famished.” He lied, setting one of the bowls down next to her. “Eat up! You said your name was Alice, right?” He smiled kindly at her.

((Sorry if it's a bit long-winded. I may have gone a bit crazy in the writing of it. ^^ It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, LONG time since I have RPed like this.))

It was a warm day when Alice set foot in Heartstone for the first time in her life. It had been a long walk from Julep to the big city but she was more than pleased at her choice. It was not as busy as she had hoped but she knew it was rather early. The sun had barely risen an hour or two ago, unusually early for Alice to be out and about considering she had been walking for twice as long as that. But she had promised herself she would forget having left so early from her aunts house and why it had been necessary. As she walked, she caught a flash of light out of the corner of her eye and stopped dead in her tracks, turning to find a reflection of herself in a store mirror.

Moving closer to it, knowing she must look a mess, her amber eyes scrutinized the image from head to toe. Long white hair, pulled away from her face to be fastened in a simple twist by a leather barrett with star-shaped brands that left her curls spilling out dramatically over her neck and shoulders. A hairstyle clearly chosen with haste and therefore executed quite poorly, many loose strands left hanging messily around her pixie-like features. Her torso was decorated by a sorry excuse of a sleeveless jacket, covering less than any vest worth the name, that was held together by a poorly abused belted buckle above cleavage that no doubt owed many thanks to the corset top, made of matching deep brown and gold material to the jacket. Attached to the jacket, hung a plain black cape. The outfit was completed by a black belt, complete with three fist-sized pouches, and a long brown cloth skirt, bustled on one side in the front with a belt, giving it added mobility and a fetching view of thigh as well as her plain black leather boots

Her stomach growled, pulling her attention from the image and onto the carts. She knew she had candy in the pouches on her belt but real food was in order. After taking count of her pathetic few coins, Alice grudgingly came to terms with her lack of choices. She was just taking a big bite of her first official meal in Heartstone, not that a single apple constituted as a meal, when it happened. Her first real excited crowd experience in a big town. She was so excited that she forgot all about the food in her mouth and stared, mouth agape. It seemed like there was a messenger of some sort in the middle of the hubbub, slowly making his way through the sudden sea of people surrounding his horse in the middle of the busy market.

Not one to miss out on a good excited crowd, Alice pushed herself off of the table she had been sitting on, hopping onto the ground with an unnecessary flourish, her long black cape billowing behind her with the slight jump in a way that pleased her. She all but bounced her way over to the crowd, confused only for a moment when her mostly empty stomach growled with the movement. Suddenly remembering the apple again, she chowed down as she walked.

When she finally pushed through the crowd, which took quite a bit of time and effort -- and a quick duck into the crowd as she accidentally bumped her apple hand into the face of a stranger, she stood face to face with a bulletin board. She blinked at it for a moment, confused, until the word Summons caught her eye. Adventure. Probably a fair bit of cash, too. She eyed the apple core in her hands, putting two and two together. As she made her way back out of the crowd, Alice had her mind made up.

It wasn’t much later that Alice found herself walking with two strangers, heading out in search of gems. The only thought passing through their head as she walked was thanks to the powers that be that she was not the only female. Even as she thought it, the other woman spoke to her of her village. Alice beamed at Urkwia, more than happy to have someone to talk to.

“It’s pretty close but I don’t think a visit is a good idea. I’m not quite ready to head back to--” She quickly cut herself off and changed the subject, “didn’t I catch that you live in Heartstone? Today was my very first day here. Got lucky coming in the same day as the summons, I guess. I am almost sorry I didn’t get to spend more time in the city…” She kept on as she walked, absently reaching into one of the pouches on her belt ,coming out with a candy just to quickly pop it in her mouth and continue talking.

By the time they made it to camp, Alice’s stomach it rolling with hunger. The candy had fantastic flavor but it did little to fill her stomach. She was more than happy to detach her cape and spread it down on the ground while someone else took care of dinner for the evening, even if there suddenly were more people to share food with. It didn't bother her any if more people wanted to join their little group. She liked people. Her happiness with the situation doubled when Sir Rofield came over with a bowl of soup for her and settled himself beside her. Food she didn't have to move for and company!

A friendly smile curved her lips as she picked up the bowl he had brought for her. “Ah. My hero!” She cradled the bowl in her hands a moment before setting it down in her lap, making a small nest around it before looking back at him, “Alice it is, Sir…” She trailed off, thinking for a moment, “oh, bugger. I am horrible with names. So sorry. But, wait, don’t tell me…” She paused, taking the time as an opportunity to spoon up some soup, blow to cool it, and eat it. “I want to say… Marshall? No. That can’t be right.” She narrows her eyes at his face, “I feel like I should know this.” She let out a huff of breath, temporarily annoyed, quickly shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t… I guess I don’t know.” She chuckled and took a quick bite of her soup, scalding her tongue. “Oh, fer the love of-”

Without further ado, she set the soup aside to cool, choosing to leave the rest of her taste buds living over filling her empty stomach immediately. “So do you go on little… adventures like this very often? It’s my first time.” She stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles, and leaned back, very careful not to spill her soup. “Not much of a call for hero’s in Julep.” As she talked, she scanned her eyes through the others in the group, for the first time actually giving herself time to wonder about them. “You know, it’s kind of odd, all of us being in the same spot of woods at the same time,” Alice muttered, thinking out loud.

Whenever she closed her eyes, all Noelle could see was Henneth Lagor. The large yet cozy village was situated in a spacious lush meadow whose sides eventually rose to create a deep valley that went mostly unnoticed by the residents due to its sheer size. In the middle snaked one of the largest rivers in all of Hullen, Leithia, that sustained the population of around a thousand both literally economy. Not even the wonders of this new land of Lella was enough to make the feeling of homesickness entirely disappear. Nevertheless, it never dimmed her cheerful disposition, nor her curiosity towards the secrets that this new land carried.

As she had boarded the ship docked a little way off Hullen’s coast with her two new companions, Noelle found herself sitting on the edge of the ship, her legs dangling off the edge as she bid her homeland goodbye for an indefinite amount of time. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too long, she mused to herself as she nearly slid off the edge and into the water as the ship jerked, setting sail away from Hullen. With a final wave to the massive island-like landmass, Noelle swung round and set her feet back onto the ship, heading off towards her companions.

Accompanying her on their epic quest for Hullen’s gem were Sir Jak and Oliver. Both men Noelle were strangers to Noelle, strangers she quickly started chatting up for the sake of conversation. Talking wasn’t as tiring as finding something to amuse herself with, considering her occasionally short attention span. If Sir Jak and Oliver weren’t game for her chatty company, Noelle often wandered about the ship and spoke to the sailors and the crew, entertaining herself by keeping up a stream of rapid words and watching them attempt to keep up. It was an effortless way to keep her amused until they docked at Lella. And they did dock several days later and as Noelle stepped onto the soft sand of Lella’s coastline, slightly unsteady from the ship’s constant rocking, she took in the foreign country’s warm climate and lush forests, drinking it all in. The nature somewhat reminded her of Henneth Lagor, bringing a radiant smile upon her face that could rarely be brought on by anything else. Her heart already ached for the family she’d left behind, even though she’d sworn she wouldn’t return until she got tired of traipsing across the world. And it certainly wasn’t happening anytime soon. Her father’s absence had instilled a sense of independence within her, a silent form of defiance towards the man that had torn apart her childhood and her mother’s sanity.

Heartstone was beautiful. Of course, to Noelle, nothing could compare to Henneth Lagor and Aria but Hearthstone came a close second, the city’s astounding array of colors only serving to increase her wonder. Almost giddy with excitement, Noelle took in as much as she could, finding it impossible to take her eyes off the distinctive array of colors that spanned across Heartstone’s cloud formations. However, they weren’t to remain there for long as Noelle, Sir Jak and Oliver were routed towards a forest instead, in search of shelther. Noelle still had little to no idea to what this quest would entail and what it would bring them. Danger, perhaps, but Noelle wasn’t much too apprehensive at the thought of combating a rogue sorcerer or two – it was only the notion of getting up and doing work that put her off. Noelle couldn’t be bothered with using her spells unless really necessary. As they were taught to her by her mother while she was still sane and a prodigy at magic, Noelle grasped the basics of mist-based spells and expanded over the years. Her six years of traveling around Hullen brought her more knowledge, seeing as she couldn’t be bothered with doing something else other than learning magic. Learning magic required a considerably less amount of effort than doing something else like tailoring or blacksmithing to sustain herself, and surely it beat the prospect of doing nothing, which could be just as bad as doing too much. At least when people asked her what she did for a living, she could reply with, “Magic,” rather than, “Nothing,” which truthfully applied quite a bit more in her case.

Venturing into the depths of an unknown forest wasn’t as bad as Noelle had initially predicted it would be; they’d found company! A girl seemingly around her age, a man with a striking mustache, a girl with pink hair and another with white, and at last, a man a bit older than her sporting a light shade of hair. They’d seemingly come from different continents as well, Noelle learned as she took a seat on a log and offered her new companions a radiant smile. It was always nice to meet other travelers; there were more to share the workload, meaning Noelle didn’t have to do quite as much. Nevertheless, she contributed as much as she could in return for a place to spend the rest of the night. Despite her excitement, Noelle still found the place alien and rather impossible to navigate around. Lella was all green and forest and towering trees with vibrant green canopies, something that made her head spin with the attack of green on her eyes.

The girl-with-amber-eyes' statement didn't go unnoticed. Giving the young woman a bright smile, Noelle replied half to herself; "It certainly does seem so. You think it could be fate?" A light laugh accompanied that bizarre statement, denoting that it was a bit of a joke.

“So where do you all come from? Obviously some of you are from Lella but what about the rest of you? I’m Noelle, by the way, nice to meet you all. And thank you for the soup.” Noelle spoke up after the other white-haired, amber-eyed girl, not bothering with revealing her last name. A bowl of steaming soup rested in her lap as Noelle flapped her hand over it in an attempt to cool it down. Eventually it did and she sipped it slowly, feeling the warmth spread through her.

Ty’Brix…

The capital of Syrro, the massive city of stone. Never had Rilvaugh imagined the day the rulers of this nation would ever ask for his aid. It struck him odd that out of all the people of this nation, he had been asked to aid in the gathering of the shards. The Gems had broken and scattered all over the continent. It was quite a same really, as it had brought good fortune to even the nations around. It was a wonder on how it actually happened and there was no answers given about the subject. It left the Noble warrior to wonder about the whole ordeal… Yet, he would never refuse an opportunity to help his nation become strong and mighty as it was his goal. He had trained years in the art of spiritual and vital energy magic, along with a strict weapons training, to raise arms against Syrro’s enemies. Now was the time to make this training worth its time and effort.

Having never visited the capital in his life, it was an impressive sight to see, one he would never forget. The city folk, as he had imagined, are all hard and dedicated workers. It was an outstanding view though, compared to the smaller city in which the Fanalid family reigned. So much more people to handle, so much more structures around… It was simply incredible. Yet, there was also the sight of rough times, ever since the Gems shattered. The struggle wasn’t as bad as people thought, but still significant. Rilvaugh would dedicate his time and energy to aiding this nation to get back on its feet.

His meeting, as he thought, wasn’t that long with the King and the Queen, wanting him and a younger pink haired lady named Querene. Why send someone as young as herself for a very important task… And why only them two? Rilvaugh has been renowned for his brutal and effective combat abilities and his spiritual magic. It wasn’t something typical but that was known for its multiple purposes and great versatility. Maybe this lady had more to offer that meets the eyes? He would see… All he knew was the see seemed to be excited to help this nation, a quality he admired greatly. Rilvaugh was pretty sure he would get along with the young women quite well. He did not question any of the tasks demanded by him and accepted with resolve. They would be on their way to Lella to search. Again, he did not question why that place first, but was curious why they were not looking in their own lands first. So many questions unanswered…

They had to take a ship to Lella, something he had never done before. He didn’t know what to expect from the ride to the place, but wasn’t bothered too much by it. He felt a sly uncomfortable during the voyage there, but all in all, tolerable. When they had docked, it was a certain relief for both him and his comrade. Land was so much more stable and calm. He had joined Querene on the shores and was surprised to hear her words. She seemed simple-minded really, maybe more childish and simple. He regarded her oddly but then simply confirmed that the forests would be a good start.

It was fairly obvious she did not want to take the lead… Rilvaugh simply sighed and walked forward, signaling her to follow up behind him. He had brought along light armor, some good thick black leather with a sword on his belt, a crossbow at hand and a three section staff. Odd choice of a weapon but quite destructive in the hands of someone who can use it. And so their search had begun…

Querene was the first to notice the smell of food in the area. It smelled cooked too. It was off-setting for the environment and Rilvaugh took notice too. He had secretly summoned two of his sprits to help him with the long walks and to be attentive with the things happening around them. Querene seemed to have started wondering off to the smell… Not a smart move but Rilvaugh thought he could simply follow and see what happens. Fortunately, it only brought them to a small group of two, a relief. A man and a young girl. Odd how this was but kept to himself and lowered his weapon. Three others had just showered up also… Coïcindence? Probably.

This quickly escalated into a meet-up for food. Rilvaugh had undone his laces for his sword scabbard and his quiver of bolts. He rested it against a tree and sat down, dropping the crossbow and the staff not too far from him. He too had brought his own cutlery for travels and served himself a warm bowl of soup. It was a much appreciated thing, yet as others, waited for it to cool down a little. The white haired man listened to the others around, making sure to remember the names as he could. He had not completely analyzed everyone around as they seemed harmless. Looking around at the people, he would answer the questions put forth and would present himself too.

“I am Rilvaugh Fanalid. I come from Syrro with Querene here. I do have to say it is quite a coincidence to have everyone here at the same time. Fate would have nothing to do with this… To say I never thought I would leave my nation in a context other than war. It seems my prowess’s would be bettere served doing something else than fighting.”