Mas Bagus

Into the Land of Twilight

The door was locked, but when Roxas pushed it a bit to fiddle with its lock, the door budged just a tiny bit. The lock was still holding the door shut, but it was apparent that either the bolt had become loose by age, or the strike plates on the frame had had all the woods around it rotted away.

Like with the chest lock, it was entirely possible to just force open the thing.

@Visyn

Into the Land of Twilight

After some forceful twisting, the padlock gave in. Despite being worn out by time, the chrome-plated shackle on it was still unbendable the dagger would suffer some blunt on its edge for the effort.

Inside the chest was a white book that seemed to be heavier than any other books on the shelf. It was a journal secured with a magnetic clasp that could actually be opened with small effort. Under it was a photo of two people, the first person in that photo was a young, energetic brown-haired elven man posing with two fingers making a V sign. Beside him was a fair-haired elven woman, standing with a deadpanned expression.

The other item inside the chest was a dagger, a jade bracelet with no ornaments whatsoever, and a punctured, bloodstained leather quiver that at some point seemed to have a spear being run through it. There was also a mithril hairpin with jasmine ornaments on it, secured inside a transparent box.

@Visyn

Into the Land of Twilight

The books were all still in pristine condition. Like the flyer, they were printed 30 years ago. Some of them are titled "Bones for Beginners, Guide to Emergency Triage, The Discoveries of Bacteria, Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, Magical Codes 101, and How to Diagnose and Self-Sorrect Misaligned Mana Flow.

When Roxas tapped her blade against the container's wooden exterior, all she could hear was a small thud as normal. There was nothing unusual about the chest. Just a wooden one decorated with rather lavish trimmings

@Visyn

***

As the scrying spell seeped through, a surge of information rushed out from it in response. The stains were from the blood of an elven man, approximately 28-31 years old when the blood was spilled. The sword was exquisitely made and blessed with strengthening enchantment, and that explained its pristine and sharp condition.

@Izurich

Into the Land of Twilight

@Visyn

Apparently, nobody was hiding upstairs. It was devoid of any trace of living being.

The second floor consisted of a large room that seemed to be an office or some sort of it. On the west side of the room, there was a large desk with a wooden chair that seemed still sturdy. On top of the desk, there was a crystal lamp, a flyer that reads "Introducing: Varenheim's newest commuter service' dated 30 years ago, and a gold brooch fitted with an emerald gem.

Not far from the desk, leaning against the wall by the north side of the room was a bookshelf filled with an assortment of medical books and tomes for the novice magic caster.

Next to it was a large decorated wooden chest, locked with a combination padlock that didn't seem too sturdy.

At the south of the room. There was a door leading to another room. Both the chest and the door seemed to be the only things in this room that had locks on them.

Into the Land of Twilight

Though breaking the camp was done hastily, Vesemir's caravan rolled forth without delay or difficulties. For now, the journey took them straight to the east, following the road parallel to one of Silmetirta's swift branches. To their left was a river and to their right were meadows and farmlands, marked by houses and barns that already sprung to live with activities. The journey continued on, and before the idyllic scenery could bore them, it all soon would be replaced by wooded grounds, and at last, Alkautsar's grand silhouette finally disappeared behind them.

The Gray Flame had guided them confidently among the many crossing paths. Vesemir was sitting next to him and seemed all too eager to pilot the leading wagon. Most of the companions and the archeologist's henchmen were in the first and the second wagons. Two of their transports had their canvas roof removed and transferred to the third and the fourth wagons for extra covering on their consumable supplies. Forbann and Engelbert occasionally disembark to walk alongside the convoy, either to enjoy the scenery on their own paces or just to lighten the horses' workload.

Meanwhile the only person with a horse, Carnatia was tasked by the Gray Flame to be their outrider.

"Carnatia, dear girl, may we trouble you for this part of the journey to check on our rear wagon every once in a while?" He had said.

It had been two hours since they left Alkautsar. The roads were well-paved, wide, and smooth, but the convoy had no reason to be hasty under this wonderful weather. It was a pleasant day worth enjoying; the sunshine was clear but not too hot. The sparse woodland around them was still leafy and full of color and seemed peaceful and wholesome.

---

But nature was always unpredictable, even in the land where its inhabitants were deemed more attuned to it. The sky that was clear thirty minutes ago had turned gray. The wind was picking up, bringing in a cold and moist breeze. A sound of thunder sounded distant, but the warning was fair.

It was pouring already. Reluctantly, but still resolute to the heart, the convoy trudged forth. They still hadn't escaped from the woodland route, and according to the Gray Flame, the nearest village was some 10 kilometers away from their position.

From there the situation was not improving. Like an ill omen, the rain fell hard, thunder and lightning cracked on the pale sky above them, and the wind whistled eerily, swaying the tall trees like a dozen hands ready to swat those who were brave enough to push through. The thunderous boom from the sky made the horses frantic, and as they kept neighing and prancing at every crack of thunder, the choice was obvious.

"We are not getting anywhere in this storm," exclaimed the masked elf, trying to speak clearly amids the rain and raging winds. Vesemir nodded, not after giving it a deep thought.

"I know, but to where?"

Both elves seemed to think about the very same thing. But Vesemir was the first to spell it out.

"We have to go back. That house near the river."

That house in in question was hard to miss indeed. The party strode past it some fifteen minutes ago before the storm picked up. Wordlessly the Gray Flame nodded as the middle-aged elf steered their wagon to backtrack their trail.

The effort to get back there was equally laborious, but now at least there was some semblance of hope to shelter themselves from this infernal downpour.

Surrounded by rotting red brick walls no taller than an average man's waist, it was a house with a clear sign of neglect. Located near the Silmetirta, the most distinguished feature of that building beside the giant saman tree that grew next to it, was a seemingly working water wheel built at the end of an intact wooden pier.

As the group rode closer, turned out the house had a proper stable behind it, connected with the house's extended roof. Though it seemed to have seen a better day and quite small, at least there would be a place for their horses to keep themselves.

Stepping on its wide roofed terrace, The Gray Glame was the first to approach the house, with Vesemir following behind him. Up close, it was a two-story traditional-style house with unremarkable architectural uniqueness. Yet typical to an elven building, was built with durable materials and quite large, as though to express that it once belonged to a profitable person.

Vesemir repeatedly knocked on the door, called out, and peaked through its blurry windows, but no soul seemed to dwell in that neglected building. The hard rain was still pouring, and the air started to get colder. Nodding to get an assurance that the house was indeed abandoned, the middle-aged elf finally reached for its knob and opened the door, which was unlocked, apparently.

The living room was spacious but sad, gloomy and arid. There was a fireplace at the end of the room, flanked by the stairs that lead to the second floor and a door that leads to an unknown corridor. Inside the living room was an assortment of common furniture; tables and cabinets on the corners, a large porcelain vase on a wooden base, and a couch, made of polished wood with paddings seemingly intact. Above the fireplace was an elven sword displayed on a plaque. It seemed to be one of a pair, but the other sword was found lying on top of a table in front of the couch. The sword, identical to that displayed on a plaque had a flawless blade, but its handle was stained with dried blood.

It didn't take long for Vesemir to get comfy. Nobody knows how long the house has been abandoned, but its ember-colored tiled floor was not as dusty as everyone thought it was, and the middle-aged elf quickly removed his muddy shoes and threw them outside like they were nothing.

"Stepen, get the lanterns," he said, stepping aside to let the others get in. After letting his clothes be drained as much as he could, Vesemir entered and immediately regarded Gray Flame, who since their arrival in this house had never uttered a single word.

"Well, this is a pretty nice house. A shame it was abandoned. Well, since we are here and the rain doesn't seem to be abating any time soon, we are going to spend a night here."

Pausing, Vesemir glanced at the room's high, washed-out ceiling before continuing. "I hope whoever owned this house wouldn't mind us intruding."

Into the Land of Twilight

@Randomness

Cyptid Hunter

Name: Fia Blackfire
Species: Human
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Appearance:
A proud standing, voluptuous woman. She stands at 5’10”. She has fair skin and dark brown hair. Her hair is wavy and reaches her mid back in length. She keeps her hair out of her face with a hair clip, but otherwise lets it flow freely behind her. Her eyes are a dark deep red color with a black circle around her pupils. She doesn’t have any tattoos. She has several scars across her arms and along her back but her clothing makes them impossible to see. When exposed, her scars are noticeable, but have long since become as smooth as the rest of her skin.

She wears a low cut dress that drapes down mid calf. The sleeves of the dress cover her shoulders and end at her wrists. She has thin gloves, leather boots with a heel, leggings, corset, and a hair clip made out of an exotic looking flower. The dress is crimson red in color and made of a silky material with some velvet. Her boots, leggings, gloves, corset, and hair clip are black. The flower of the hair clip starts dark blue in the center, gradients into red, and then into white at the tips of the sharp and wavy looking petals. She has a thin gold chain with a pearl pendant, black choker, a gold ring and a sapphire ring on either hand.

Bio:
In many ways, Fia is a collector. In other ways, she is a hunter. Regardless of how one might view her, Fia has a passion for the unknown. Specifically, she seeks the knowledge and power of those creatures rarely seen. Rumored to predate humanity, mystical entities able to harness the power of the world effortlessly. What she seeks is yokai, genies, dragons, djinn, whatever name they decide to go by. She isn’t afraid to do what it takes to get as close to them as possible.

In this pursuit of specific power, Fia spent a significant amount of time on the road. Though she stays in town for weeks or months at a time, Fia never truly settles down. Her usual methods involve charming others to let her stay. She is usually gone before the other is able to truly advance things. After all, she only stayed for convenience. She would rather spend her time investigating the tall tales or rumors of the unknown that surrounded that particular town.

Expeditions always caught Fia’s attention. To go somewhere not yet discovered or fully explored meant there was increased likelihood to discovering just as unknown fauna. The land of twilight was especially enticing. For one, it was in Varenheim a country with its own history surrounding power and age that surpassed average human capability. And then there was the land of twilight itself. Not explored in over a millennia, who knows what sort of myths or legends hid away in the forgotten forests.

Passives:
Constitution of the Forsaken Divine – Resistance to magical abilities and effects from all sources. She is not immune to magical damage or effects. However, any damage she would take or any negative effects she would endure are dampened. Likewise, any beneficial effects or magical healing she would receive would also be dampened.

Voice of the Wilds– Fia is able to selectively listen and speak with most living animals of the natural world including invertebrates and fish.

Spells:
Witch Crafted Thread Armor – Mystical aura that acts as a full set of armor. It traces the caster in a translucent purple outline. The armor offers protection as well as physical armor against physical attacks and further magic resistance. Normally, the spell completely negates true and force damage. Unfortunately, Fia’s own magic resistance means the armor is unable to fully negate true or force damage.

Yokai Semblance of Transformation – Fia is able to transform herself into the shape of any animal no larger than herself. While transformed, she inherits any special properties the chosen animal may have such as but not excluded to speed, dexterity, strength, production, and locomotion. Because of her resistance to magic, she cannot maintain these forms for long, being forced to revert in about 10 minutes.

Chromatic Elementa of the Djinn – Fia is able to conjure and shape arcane elements into a controlled form. Her range of elements is extensive from natural elements such as fire and wind to more aberrant elements including darkness and force. Her power increases if Fia has access to an external source of the element. She can shape the magic to fit a variety of forms and distances. Some of these include single point explosions, fast moving projectiles, and lingering mist.

Jester’s Conniving Face – Fia is able to place floating eye, ear, or mouth anywhere she can see. Through these Fia is able to see, hear, and speak to the area in which the apparatus was placed. The placement of the apparatus is fixed and cannot be moved without being dispelled. Likewise, the apparatus is permanent until dispelled. The apparatus is visible, but cannot be interacted with physically. She can only conjure one at a time. The previous apparatus dispels should she cast another.

Mundane Skills:
Fencing Adept – Skilled at fencing and footwork. Capable of dancing around in swordplay.

Survivalist – Knows general survival techniques when out in the wilderness such as camp building, fire making, foraging, producing water, and general protections. She is also very good at cooking

Unorthodox Alchemy – She can craft consumables with the help of or from the bodies of djinn and djinn-like creatures. She has recipes, but she is also prone to making new concoctions.

Djinn Familiarity – Fia has spent a significant amount of time studying the djinn. She has special insight and awareness on any evidence of the djinn including their presence or manipulation. She can locate traces and track them.

Equipment:
Chromatic Heart – A transparent crystal ball a little larger than a softball. The sphere is smooth to the touch and entirely transparent. The sphere is practically indestructible against normal damage or wear. Inside the sphere is a starburst of all colors swirling and blending together. When the chromatic heart is in use, the starburst will change its color to one that best represents the element being channeled. The sphere acts as a catalyst easing the energy required to shape arcane magic into spells. The sphere also amplifies elemental magic as though the sphere itself was a source.

Arianacus – Silvered thin bladed rapier. The hand guard of the rapier is made of several thin curves that surround the base of the blade protecting the hand. One of those curves loops down over the handle ending at the pummel. The handle of the sword is red in color. The silvered blade is capable of striking incorporeal entities.

Over the shoulder canvas bag – containing survival tools, first aid, grooming kit, and potions kit.

Potion – Grease, lingered fire, healing, and Boom gust

Hunting Knife – double edged blade 10 inches long. One side is straight edge, the other is serrated. Cross guard, leather handle.

Other:

@Randomness

Approved. You may move her into character tab, if possible with the small changes we agreed upon.

Into the Land of Twilight

The Gray Flame

---

"Ah glad to hear that..."

Inevitably, the Gray Flame's somewhat casual response drowned in the sheer eagerness to prove oneself. Sword, thin and swift was drawn, stance guarded. While The Gray flame stood there unmoving. Listening, judging, and assessing. How long was the last time he met her? Ah, 3 years ago that felt like just yesterday. A bratty child she was with a lot of things to say and show off, with a father that ceaselessly fed that ambition of hers.

So he let her do her things. Swings here, and swish there, twirl one and pirouettes two, and all wrapped up nicely with a somewhat brazen sword-pointing against his neck.

Then it was over. She smiled, smugly proclaiming that this was but a small sample of what she could do. Of course, he didn't dispute that.

"Good job," he said that instead, adding a small amount of enthusiasm into his voice to let the girl savor her undisputed triumphant moment. Her big and round purplish eyes glanced at him and felt like angling for 'buts' and 'however' commentary. Sadly the Gray Flame has none.

But he will remember this. Like any other important things that might be useful for later.

Into the Land of Twilight

The Gray Flame

---

True to his words, suddenly there were already several people made their way to their humble playground. And after warmly welcoming the elven lady into the fold (and getting a rather cold response in return), Veseimr had already in the middle of accepting another attaché. This time a strange-looking human male wearing a broken goblin mask.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I take it you would be Vesemir,"

'In the flesh! The one and only!" said the aged elf while the man greeted him and bowed.

"Name's Rezello. I'm here for the journey to Nuria."

The archeologist opened his mouth in an unmistakable amazement. "Oh ho-ho. Now that's the spirit! I like a young man with a clear goal such as you. Let me introduce you to our Navigator, and fellow ruin enthusiast. This is Mr Gray Flame, and this one is Mr Engelbert"

Beaming as he guided Rozello toward the masked duo, The Gray Flame already felt that this journey would be amusing.

"Wassup!" he regarded the masked human and tapped his white mask, indicating their distinguishable characteristic. "Welcome to the club."

Because of the sudden influx of people signing up for the journey, Vesimir had left the trio to do his welcoming meet and greet. Next was a seemingly worn-out foreigner, who immediately explained to Vesemir that he was on a personal quest and would like to tag along. Another one came, riding a horse. A young lady with a certain degree of aristocratic air about her. Unsurprisingly, both she and Vesemir acted like they had known each other for quite a while.

Or maybe it was just the eccentric elf's usual antics? Who knows...

There were already some trivial conversations started between the trio until The Gray Flame's watchful eyes caught a glimpse of another redhead, and Vesemir himself doing a bow too deep for an elven standard. Their conversation could be faintly heard

"It is a great honor to have with us. Young Lady Evelyn. I hope both of us can benefit greatly from this journey to enlightenment."

Not sure how many moments passed after that. The petite young lady was already in front of him now after just a few blinks

"To think I almost missed you amongst this eccentric party we find ourselves in, Sir Gray Flame," "It's an honor, and considering we'll be relying on each other for the journey ahead, pleasure both."

The masked elf was left agape. So dumbfounded he couldn't form any sentence to respond. She? Here? And to *there*? Of all places?

"What the hell that fool Konstantin was thinking about? I thought he was sending one of his Aides! I swear those nobles, elves or humans are equally reckless!

Stuck between trying to force out a few harsh words that thankfully didn't manage to sound past his throat, and a strong feeling to add Konstantin after Adnan to his personal curse-list. The white mask managed to regard the young lady appropriately by saying:

"It is... err honor too. I will be in your care now."

That was the best he could muster. Hell, he might add a smile if he could show it. A teenager like her didn't know any better, it was us, the adults who should have practiced a wiser way of thinking.

"And the same sentiment goes to all of you as well, fellow adventurers."

Said Evelyn, but the Gray Flame had moved toward his boss. Whispering what sounded like a suppressed admonishment.

"Sir Barandir, are we really going to allow her into the group? Obviously there is a mistake or trickery at play here."

Glancing one second at the 12-year-old. The Gray Flame didn't rule out the possibility that this unfortunate and confusing situation was the result of 'her' own doing. Oh yes, he knows what she was capable of, and at some point was impressed by it.

"I must admit I was surprised myself. But what's the problem? It was commendable that a lady of such a young age is interested in this dream project of mine. Such enthusiasm is rare, Mr Gray Flame! Who are we thinking we deserve to snuff out such a noble passion?"

"But the journey is dangerous."

Politely excusing himself from the person he was currently talking to, the aged elf squared his shoulders to face Gray Flame. There were angry glints in his eyes as he spoke.

"I've been to many voyages I believe no less dangerous than this. Mr Gray, and this miscommunication will not be corrected. Because there is nothing to be corrected. She will go with us, and that's final."

Biting his lips-under-the-mask, The Gray flame nodded and retreated, one rule in this line of business was to not debate your client.
Besides, he had done his share to appear rather convincing.

Returning to Evelyn, the masked elven man sighed before initiating a casual conversation. "How was your dad?"

Into the Land of Twilight

Vesemir Barandir

---

The aged elf leaned forth, holding his cane behind his back, and enthusiastically offered a handshake. "Well meet my Dear Roxas! I am Vesemir Barandir. An archeologist, historian, and like you, an adventurer."

He twirled and beckoned to the entire encampment with his gloved palm. There were some chairs and a table under a young elm tree east side of the encampment. Next to it was a horseless carriage with a pair of passenger benches fitted on both sides facing each other, and something or someone seemed to be sitting against that tree; an orcish male desperately trying to continue his nap by shielding himself against the inevitable sunrise.

"Please make yourself comfortable!" Said the elven man again, now indicating at the boiling kettle on the small campfire in front of the seats. "Would you like a tea? Coffee perhaps? Don't mind Young Tillius over there, he is catching up on some sleep."

Into the Land of Twilight

Prologue

---

Even this early in the morning, the place is already crowded.

The Gray Flame, at an assured pace, walked in. His blue eyes, peeking from the two slits on his white mask immediately affixed on one of the tables where a woman sat; a beautiful blue-haired elven woman with similarly blue emerald eyes that looked too stands out to be part of Cloudsong assets.

"Ah there you are, I've been waiting for you..." she regarded them.

"You look stunning, Miss Carina, as always,” The masked man said with uncanny smoothness, but the blue-haired beauty didn't look very amused.

"And you, Mr. Gray Flame, never change." said the woman politely, as if letting the words be interpreted as a compliment they definitely were not. "Please sit down."

"There is no need. We won't stay long." Between answering and letting himself be at ease, the masked man tilted his head to glance toward his armor-clad companion briefly.

"That's unfortunate. Their selections are to die for." the woman said, in a more relaxed tone. Her next words kinda explained why she looked slightly grumpy. "Look at the lines. They said it would be one hour until my pancake was ready. It's on me by the way if you changed your mind."

"No, we are good."

"Very well." The blue-haired lady sighed and handed him a brown envelope from her bag. "Your eyes only."

Though nobody could guess the content, it was a brief read. The Gray Flame nodded as he tucked the opened letter into his vest pocket.

"There is one thing," she said. "The intervention from the Council is inevitable on this one. They will send an emissary to aid you."

"The council? That council? It seems information distributes crazily fast these days. Is this one of those last-minute decisions as well?"

"Yes, fortunately after some lobbying, the emissary was hand-picked by Lord Adnan himself."

Behind that white mask of his, it was hard to discern his expression, but his posture clearly showed his perplexity. Clearly, what the woman called fortunate was not at all good news for him.

"Adnan, that sneaky civet. What the hell is he planning this time..." he murmured.

The elven woman merely shook her head, as if the gibe fazed her no more. "Is there a complaint or anything that I can relay? Who knows, this Chivet of ours is known to be a good listener."

"No... just let him do his work in peace --maybe there is some silver lining in this... I guess. Just send my regards to your boss. He still owes me that one and he did this to repay me... gee!"

"I will tell him that."

The very mask he wore looked as if it would show a grimacing expression. "Please don't. I want to keep my salary and paid leave intact..."

The blue-haired woman, despite her nonchalant expression, sounded like she was suppressing a triumphant giggle. "Hmm. You know, this establishment also has quite a colorful dinner menu. And since you declined my offer, I was hoping that you could make it up to me."

Looking at the restaurant, The Gray Flame couldn't help but be impressed as well. Though the food was the main reason why people lined up to spend their money here, the interior quality was also top-notch; it was well-designed with South Coast's warm decorative styling that felt fresh and novel, and at the evening, they also had an ensemble playing a snazzy classical piece.

The fare wouldn't be cheap for sure, but at least Adnan wouldn't be taking his bonus. Besides, he and Carina had been friends for a long time and they didn't meet each other every week.

"It seems I can't say no this time. Fine, since you have decided on the venue, I will decide on the menu."

"No deal, Mr Gray Flame." the woman finally smirked. "It is supposed to be a make-up occasion, and you don't have any say in that!"

"Fine... fine... ink me the date after I returned from this assignment."

"Then I wish you a safe journey, Mr Gray."

"And you, a good day, Miss Carina."

****

The knight-errant remained largely unmoving through the exchange, only the muted groan of well-oiled steel marking the slight turn of his helmet as his gaze fell upon the morning patrons of the eatery. His entire presence wasn't subtle and he never tried to pretend otherwise, making it a strange choice for this old acquaintance of his to specifically ask for his presence, but he refrained from questioning... at least until they were out of earshot.

"I believe she had defeated you quite soundly in that exchange, Ser Gray." The echoing baritone rumbled with amusement, barely muffled by the unreasonably thick full-face helmet. The masked elven man did little to hide his displeasure.

"Heh-- This is the third time she ransomed my pay, and likely won't be the last..."

The duo made their way through the city, that had been in its full swing even this early in the morning. As the Gray Flame's attempt to not appear standing out was foiled by Engelbert's full-armor display, he decided to not bother and lowered his hood, letting his long gray hair free. It was starting to feel sweltering on his nape anyway.

It was early summer, which meant the idyllic, lazy air that had been the trademark of the city had been transitioned into a more energetic tone.
Despite already having Silmetirta Waterfalls (which was the largest in the continent) and Runna village as the tourist hotspots, Alkautsar opens its door to those who still seek a livelier experience a bustling city can offer; for the entire summer, the capital city roads and plaza would be more enlivened by night markets and smaller festive. Every venue and corner would be adorned by lamps of all colors, with pleasant music playing in the background.

"So, pray tell. What is it that the council wants this time?" said the Knight-Errant finally as they took turns toward the main road.

"Well, my friend. It was indeed surprising that the Council was involved itself this quickly..." The masked elf paused to peak at the swift stream below. At daytime, the ever-clear and ever-flowing canals that run beside every main road in the city would serve as the temperature controller that kept even the scorching sun during the peak of the summer at bay. The white trees that adorn the sidewalks would be replaced every few decades, but the waterways had always been there since the first foundation of this city was built.

"And What do they want? Hard to say. But they always have this obsession with the status quo, keeping things balanced. That sort of thing. It is hard to say who is ahead of who is now in the race of information-gathering between them and Varenheim.

The armored titan shrugged, crossing his arms before the right rose to tap his helmet where his chin would normally be. "I believed they didn't have any concrete lead, else we wouldn't even be here in the first place. Or at least I wouldn't. You, my friend, will undoubtedly be entangled regardless."

"Oh well. In that regard then I think The Cloudsong is already one step ahead. Go ahead and read it yourself."

Upon receiving the letter, Big Engelbert scanned it for a few seconds. It was short and concise, quite to the point. "What a timing, eh? I suppose we shall see what the near future holds." He passed it back to the elf with a mighty shrug, no hint of worry in his voice. "We'll be fine, my friend. We have faced worse before, did we not? Now, let us return to our employer. About time we depart."

****

Unlike most major cities in the continent, and despite the generic icon used in the map to indicate a capital city. Alkautsar wasn't a walled city, it was more like an urban sprawl with its spatial layout carefully planned. Ensuring that the city could sustain its own growth over centuries. The result was the newly built houses would be where the city limit was drawn. Having no wall, also allowed the city to have no shortage of open green space. Though there was a concern that the unwalled suburban could result in a poorly arranged layout, the elves seemed to possess a collective understanding of how to be orderly without needing a written law to dictate them.

Out of the proper city limit, and away from any bricked building, there was an encampment located in a semi-open field. The master of that encampment was an eccentric-looking elven man who completely rejected the idea of settling inside the city. When asked why, his answer was as follows:

"Why not? I have been to many places. Buildings and fancy masonry are not where my heart finds its peace. But here outside. It is such a waste of moments to return to my homeland but not immerse myself in its pristine meadows and feel nature's embrace up close."

Sighing as if to prepare himself for more zany exchanges, the masked Gray Flame greeted the aged elven, who currently sat next to a small elm tree, sipping tea and reading the book he himself had written decades prior.

"Morning! Morning! Finished your little stroll I assume?!" The man jumped up from his seat and beckoned the two to follow. Vesemir Barandir looked like your everyday uncle with an unassuming appearance. White-haired and blue-eyed, his lanky features hid a sheer energy that even juvenile elf couldn't rival. Always jovial and enthusiastic, the aged elf pursued knowledge like a rabid hound that camouflaged itself with an approachable if not silly casing; like, what kind of scholar wears a silky suit, monocle, and a top hat?!

"While you were out... or in there, I have asked Stepen to procure me three carriages for our small little trip. One carriage full of provisions we need from the start until we are back. What do you think? I am thinking about getting the second. Clever plan uh?"

The Gray Flame was ready to just shrug it off and let the man do whatever he wanted with his coins, but since he was asking for his opinion...

"I don't think we need that much. The land of Twilight is not a barren wasteland with no game animal to hunt. I am afraid adding extra burden may slow us down."

The aged elf adjusted his monocle before raising his index finger, as well as his husky voice, but just only slightly.

"A-a-a! Better to be excessive with your preparation! That's what I learned during our trip to exploration to Nubia. We lost five good men in that desert... what a shame. Anyway, that's an important part of the plan. Don't you agree Mr Engelbert?"

"Very much so, Ser Vesemir! As they used to say in the army, 'proper preparation prevents poor performance'. It is better to overdo it a little than come up short, is it not?"

The aged elf turned at the Gray Flame smugly.

"See! Now that's what I call smart! Besides, we will have more people on this journey than we planned earlier!"

"So the pamphlet did the trick huh." The masked elf glanced at Engelbert. Like him, he also had no idea what to expect from Vesemir's newly recruited lackeys-- ahem, travel companions. Able-bodied people, trustworthy and fair... back then the sheer naivety was both laughable and pity-inducing the masked elf couldn't decide how he should express himself.

"So where are they," he said, trying to entertain his boss with a slightly forced enthusiasm.

The boss, Vesemir Barandir just stood straight, head facing the road in front of them with both hands resting on his cane.

"They will be here soon. You'll see."