IC Remnants of the Elements

[Fiestaguy]

"Why do you need all these things?"
"Why are you asking all these questions?"
"I'm just curious."
"I just think you're poking your nose in others' bussiness."
The elder man looked him in the eyes, his eyebrows curling down into an irritated frown. To his surprise, the younger boy could do the exact same.

The natural chaos inside of the inn has calmed down, as several people watched the glaring contest near the counter. The innkeeper wasn't the most pleasant man, but most travellers were left no choice since he was the only one selling decent supplies in the village. "Alright, Two iron knifes," the boy started nodding as the man began reading the list of items his customer requested. The inn fell back into the usual routine of shouting, laughing and the clinking of glasses, with the exception of a young man and an older woman standing in line behind the boy. "three coils of rope, two pieces of flint, some cheap cloth and a cheap sharpening stone, right?" the boy nodded, and laid the money down on the counter.

He took his stuff, put it in his rucksack and headed out of the house.

--[Two Years Earlier]--
He awoke. 'awoke', strange choice of words for someone who just died. All the boy could remember was falling. Endless, endless falling.

And then hitting the ground.

His eyes opened, revealing a yellow, bricked ceiling, covered with cracks and moss. He sat up and looked around. The chamber was big. Torches hung off the wall, illuminating the chamber. His eyes were drawn to the walls, which were filled with drawings that looked almost ancient "The fuck am I?" strangely, the headache had yet to kick in.

He stoop up from the stone platform, and walked towards the drawings to examine them.

They showed all kinds of things, from a bunch of circles in a row, a man fighting a bear, a younger woman holding an orb-like object, people with wings,

"Oh god-damnit." he tried to repress the memories of her. "She said it, it's over. I'm done."

He didn't know what was harder to believe, the fact he 'died' and stood up, or that he was okay with not having 'her' anymore.

He walked to what seemed to be the only exit. It was a giant, gray rock. It seemed weirdly out of place next to the dim yellow interior of the room. His hands explored the surface, as he tried to find hold on the smooth surface, and he pushed the rock away, revealing a room, filled with people.

They were praying.

--[Present Day]--
As he made his way out of the village, he thought back. He made his way through the now-clapping and cheering crowd of bald, robed men and proceeded through to the exit.
"Fucking cultists. Jesus Christ."
He entered the forest.

He wasn't one for fancy clothes, at least, he couldn't afford them. His white sweater had been burnt months ago, leaving him with a cheap, woven tunic, a pair of breeches and a cheap cape that might as well have been a blanket. The sandals - if they could be called that - consisted out of nothing but two scraps of leather hastily bound to his feet with some string. His brown hair - while mostly the same length - showed signs of tears and ripping. His face wasn't as clean either, stubbles covering the majority of his chin with enough dirt and filth to blacken out parts of his face.

He'd been walking for hours now. Ciasta growing closer... sorta. He'd have to make it there in a few days to meet a very special 'person'. A person that'd know what happened after he fell to his doom. Or so they advertised.

He didn't go by his usual name anymore, after a mistake in a small village called Liypen located in the north-east corner of the continent. The first time he walked into the inn and said his name was 'Light'.... Let's just say his feet got very tired very fast.

From then on, he's been known under the fake name of 'Gilliam'. Not his choice, but it worked fine.

Two days later, Ciasta was visible on the horizon.

((And so, it starts once again. Time to not fuck everything up like last time.))

 

[Faliara]

Erien

"Well, there's not much to do on the ship. I could give you some books to read, if that's what you'd like. I have both fiction and non-fiction, so you can pick whatever you'd like. There are some games I could teach you, games that are played often in Arun. Wouldn't hurt you to know these games, I suppose, and they're good for passing time. I could also just teach you about Arun in general, which would probably be useful, since if you don't know some basic stuff, your cover could blow. I don't know, it's up to you."

((Faliara))

((And yes, I think this is a good place for a timeskip.))

She was tempted to go straight for the books- she hasn't read a good story in so long.

She stopped herself.

She was in a new age. She didn't know anything about what's happening, was not there to see how life has evolved, was not there to prove whether their myths were truly right or wrong. Wouldn't she need to learn about that?

Besides, they have a week. She could read the books and learn the games while she's at it.

"I'd like to learn more about Arun, please."

 

[Enderfive]

Erien

The wizard smiled. "Sure, I can teach you what I know about Arun. I'll meet you in the messroom, it's better to conduct lessons there." As Himinn stepped out of the cabin and turned right towards the messroom, Erien started gathering some basic books about Arun, all the while planning out lessons over a week. By the time they would reach Ecremar, Himinn would know enough about Arun.


A week later

Himinn had just finished telling Erien all she knew about Arun's capital and the political system of Arun.

"Yup, that's pretty much it. I think you're ready for whatever gets thrown your way," said Erien. "I'd say that's all for today. You better get ready for landing." As Himinn left to get dressed, Erien ascended to the upper deck to get a glimpse of Destern in the distance, shining in the golden sunrise. From Destern, they could take a passenger carriage to take them to Ciasta by dusk, just in time to find accommodation and take part in the grand finale of the ball that was dominating the city at the moment.

They had breakfast a little later and then they were slowly making their way through Destern Harbour, to the docks that would keep Erien's boat while he wasn't using it.

When they were on land, a round, bearded port official noticed them. "Erien," he boomed, "how nice to see you again! It's been more than a year since I last saw you, old friend." The man's eyes drifted to Himinn. "And you've brought a lady with you, I see."

The wizard couldn't help but grin just a little. "Knock it off, Seane. She's just a friend." Erien decided to switch the topic of the conversation. "I'll leave Lady Sky to your care, until I return. Make sure she stays in one piece and is ready to go whenever I should return." He gave the official a purse of coin.

"Will do, Master Erien. She'll be taken proper care of."

"Until the next time, Seane."

"Aye, I'll see you soon enough, I think," the round man said, grinning and showing off his teeth, more than one of them glimmering gold.

Erien and Himinn walked off, leaving the boat in Seane's hands. "This is about the last moment to come up with a new name. Seane didn't feel curious about you, or if he did, he didn't show it. The next people we meet may not be like that." The wizard paused for a little. "Just make sure you know yourself, so you could answer when the time comes."

((Faliara))

 

[Toiletprincess]

"Yep!"
She'd looked confused at first, but that was only natural. They hadn't seen each other in ages.
"But I'm going by Avis now. A bit more discreet, I think."

"Um- Hi.. Zwn, Alouette? Is that you?" Hopefully they would notice my markings that hadn't left my face, "It's Tora." I said smiling nervously waiting for their reply.

At Alouettes reply, the girl begun to get excited, bouncing gleefully on the balls of her feet. "ALOUE--- AVIS! How long ago did you w-wake up?" she asked, elation creeping it's way into her tone as she beamed at the guardian. Soon, another girl had joined the conversation Zwn turned to look at her, peering closely at the familiar markings on the girl's face. "It's Tora," she said, smiling and waiting for a reply from one of the two other guardians. Zwn paused, hesitant to believe yet another guardian had found her in the past couple of moments but couldn't help the grin that inevitably spread across her face. "TOR--" she stopped herself, looking around and lowing her voice considerably, "Tora!"
((CaffeinatedKitty Mia ))

 

[Fiestaguy]

The walk towards the city of Ciasta turned out longer than he expected. He already
found a paved road, but nonetheless the city was still miles away.

He approached a smaller town named Destern a few hours before mid-day. Gilliam walked off the
path and sat down on a hill overlooking the city. A harbor could be seen far
off in the distance to his right. He pulled out a handfull of berries out of
his bag, and brought them to his mouth as he watched over the large city.

In the hour that he sat there, he saw a lot of people pass. Trade caravans,
wagons, a couple of fancy dressed people, most with one or more bodyguards.
Not much attention was paid to him, apart from the occasional snob calling
him a "filthy beggar" or a variation thereof.

Gilliam grabbed two books from his rucksack and laid them down on the
earth. The first one was a thick book, titled "Myths of the Elements". The
book mostly contained theories and myths of how the world was created, how
the guardians work, and where or who they might be. As expected from
researching such an old topic, the book was off-mark more than a few times.
Though some other parts were true with a terrifying degree of accuracy.

The second book was a bit more light-hearted; it was called "Legends from
the Guardian Times", it tells the story of a robed ancestor practicing
magic, meeting "Friends, allies and enemies on his way to destroy the
Darkness that ruled over the world." This was obviously a less serious book,
as most of it was over-exaggerated, and parts of it plain-out contradicted
"Myths of the Elements". The man was called 'Artur', even though Gilliam
himself knew the man as someone going by the name of 'Endal'. Lots of the
guardians were depicted terribly powerful, some of the fighting scenes
turned ridiculous very fast, as 'Franz', the Water Guardian moved entire
oceans over the planet to get rid of the newly appeared Fire Guardian.
"I don't remember a massive flood when Topaz appeared..." he'd mutter to
himself while reading the book.

Both of these books made him realise something. The first; Myths of the
Elements made him realise (despite the book being miles away from the truth
at times) how good the humans of this world could be at
researching and deducing the ancient times from back then.

The second, "Legends of the Guardian Times" made him realise how much he
knew of the old world himself. The two names, Endal and Topaz that he
could remember very, very well. He knew that the water guardian wasn't
called 'Franz', but something with an 'o' in it somewhere. "Robert it was, I
think. Robert the water guardian.... Probably."

Both of these books were written and published by one man. A man that has
travelled this world for two decades researching the subject. A man that has
achieved riches and fame through these two books. A man that would be at the
ball this very night.

Leonard Fezux.

He didn't know much about the man, only that he was somewhere in his
mid-forties, his hair already fading in colour and his eyes showing an
ever-more-tired look with the day. Definitely someone who had experienced
the high points of his life years ago, and is now laying back and relaxing
for the remainder of his life.

The sun was now right above him, indicating the start of the afternoon.
Gilliam sat against a nearby tree, in a position where he could look over
the road in front of him, and opened the thick, epic, fictional book and started
at page one for the fifth time.

((Enderfive Faliara I have made an opening for you two to walk past me if
you so desire. Please do, I'm lonely.))

 

[Faliara]

A slight twinge of panic crossed Himinn's face as Erien mentioned names. I've been trying for the past week and I still haven't figured one out!

Stomping on her panic to the best of her ability- which wasn't really much, since you could see slight worry on her face- she pasted a smile. "I'm sure I'll figure one out."

"And..." Himinn fixed her gaze to a tree that someone was reading a book under, looking away from Erien. She was sure a slight blush of embarrassment showed on her face. "Lady Sky?"

Hey, that guy under the tree looked kind of familiar...

((Enderfive Fiestaguy))

 

[S_swimmer]

After shoving the last of my clothes into the small bag, I stand there for a while, looking at it. However, my mind wanders elsewhere, skipping along through my memory, taking me to places that seem like a different world after these 8 years. The pain, the torture, the loneliness, the guilt, they all come back to me in waves as I reminisce.

I still have violent dreams of what I remembered on that day. The moment my wings were ripped off, the moment I was cursed. The visions have faded away from me entirely, and I can't recall anything on my own. As painful as they are, I need to have the visions, I need to learn about myself, or else nothing will change. And for that, I need Takot.

Did I really deserve this? I ask myself. All these years of peace and happiness? A question that I ask myself all too often. Which part of my life is a dream, and which one feels real? Sometimes I feel like I'm losing my grip on the rope that ties me to reality. My brain sporadically switches to the past that I knew before now, and it suddenly seems as if the scene I see through my eyes is a film; it feels like I'm not there anymore.

I blink, throwing myself back to this current reality. Throwing the small sack on my back, I push open the door and head outside. I walk along the stony path as blooming flowers and tall grass tickle my feet. Delicious golden light peeks through the trees and us reflected by the white buildings, making them glow. I walk along the glittering river, stopping at the short, curved bridge and walking to the center of it. Resting my head on its wooden railing, looking at the plateaus of land below and the closely-packed buildings and wildlife. Today, I'll be leaving this place for good. It was fun while it lasted.

When I walk down the stairs and stop next to the gate, I turn my head to see Shyael, the person who has taken care of me for all this time, my only handhold on this upward climb, the one person I know is real. She wears a golden crown of light on her head, eclipsing the sun and turning her hair a rich gold. A group of children stand around her, hugging her, crying. Maybe it's my fault. I shake my head. Well, I better leave and meet her at the edge.

I turn around and hit a wall. When I step back, Rhytheal blocks my path and speaks to me, straining his voice to yell. "This is a quiet village, Lyari, but don't you think we'll let you get away leaving just as quietly." His voice grabs the attention of the children, and they break off of Shyael, running towards me. I stand there in shock as they gather around me, weakly grabbing at my legs.

"Be careful out there, Lyari!" "Find who you're looking for!" "Don't you two do anything while you're off on your own!" The villagers call out to us from their windows. A warm feeling slowly drags down my cheek, and I lift my hand to feel tears. I grin widely and bring my hands high above my head, waving goodbye to them.

I pat the heads of the children. "Be good in the future, okay? Goodbye." I turn to leave again, and I don't turn around until I can't see the faintest traces of the village anymore, and wait for Shyael as I cry.

It was a good dream. Time to wake up for real this time.

 

[Enderfive]

Erien

"Yes, I named my boat after you. Although those buggers at the port always say it's a ship and tax me half again what they should." Erien smirked at Himinn. "You should be fairly pleased, though. Ever since I gave the boat that name, she has always got me where I wanted to go, or where I should've gone, at least. I think it's a fairly lucky name for a boat."

Erien was certain he had never seen Himinn blush that much. It was somewhat amusing, and somewhat sweet at the same time.

Himinn was now gazing into the distance. Something appeared to have caught her attention. Erien turned his head in the same way . . . and saw someone he did not expect to meet at all. A familiar face, changed by time a bit, but familiar nonetheless, reading a heavy book under a tree that provided shelter from the warm and bright morning sun. Not that he'd ever need sunglasses, of course. Erien remembered that face very clearly, it was among the last things he'd seen before falling into deep, centuries-long sleep.

"Light," he muttered.

"Stay here, I'll go say hi to our old friend," and see if he's not a crazy psychopath anymore. Endal had cured Light, but he had not seen the actual results, and so Erien had his doubts about the person he was seeing. He walked over to Light.

"Hi," he said with just a hint of caution in his voice. "I'm Erien. Although I think you might remember me by my old name."

((Fiestaguy Faliara))

 

[Fiestaguy]

'The guardian of Magic fell to his knees "Why have you done this do me? My dearest friend has betrayed me twice and left me to rot. And now you, my dearest love. You have betrayed me! Why have you done this, Guardian of the Sk-"' "Hi. I'm Erien. Although I think you might remember me by my old name." Gilliam grumbled and looked up at the stranger. It took a few seconds before he realised who the man was "Hello, 'Erien'. What a... surprise." he put the book down on the ground and stood up. He scratched his chin, looking at the man in detail, properly mapping his appearance into his memory. He was fancily dressed. At least, in comparison to his own clothes. "I know who you are, so you probably know who I am. I've been going by the name of Gilliam nowadays. Nice to... 'meet' you, I guess." his eyes drifted off to the other girl standing a few feet behind the man. She looked familiar, though he couldn't put his finger on it. He looked back at Erien, "Who do you have with you there? And where are you two going, if I may ask?"

((Enderfive Faliara ))

 

[Faliara]

Himinn blinked as the familiar man looked at him, and waved- though he had already turned back to Erien. She resited the urge to pout.

((For a moment, I thought it was a flashback and wondered what's happening [especially with the lover part, wha?...] and then I realized it was the book. ^_^' Enderfive Fiestaguy))

 

[CaffeinatedKitty]

"Tora too?!" Avis whisper-shouts, elated. "I was expecting it to take longer to track everyone down!"
But shaking her head, she makes herself concentrate. "I didn't wake up that long ago- not even a day. A human found me and convinced me to come here. She's really very enthusiastic." She laughs, contemplating Marisa's excitability.
"But more importantly, do either of you know what's making us wake up? I get the feeling that you've both been awake for a lot longer than I have."
Glancing around, she bites her lip. "But wait- before you answer, is there somewhere we can talk in private? I don't want them to overhear."

Looking around for Avis, Marisa scrunches her nose in confusion. 'Where'd she say she was going?'
Such are the problems with crowds.
There she is, talking to-
Oh...
She's friends with the heiress?
Stupefied, Marisa worries her lip. Is it worth going over there? She'd be far to nervous to even say anything, even though she knows for a fact how kind she is. What does one even do in this situation?
~~~
((Toiletprincess Mia))

 

[Toiletprincess]

"Not even a day?" Zwn replied, taken aback, "I woke up.. a long time ago." She frowned, looking down at her hands before realising how long it really had been. "Oh, yes, a place. Come," she grinned, taking both their arms and leading them up the large staircase, "your human friend sounds lovely, Alo-avis." She pauses at a set of big white doors, vines painted onto their surfaces. She pushed them open, leading the two into a fairly large room that looked to be her living quarters. "Okay, we won't be disturbed here. I don't know why we awoke and I've been awake for.. twelve years," she said slowly, a slightly baffled expression on her face. "But hey!" she continued, her face suddenly lighting up, "Maybe others will come if the both of you decided to attend!"

 

[Enderfive]

Erien

"It's Himinn, she hasn't been able to come up with a fake name yet. Look, I'm sorry, but I gotta ask. Did the curing ritual work or are you still . . . psycho?" I mean, not that he'd probably tell me if he was, but still.

((Fiestaguy Faliara))

 

[Fiestaguy]

"....Oh, yeah. I mean, I stabbed tons of people. Blood's all over my fucking clothes. That explains why I've been arrested tons and tons of times over and over again." Gilliam said, his voice bleeding with sarcasm as he stared at the guardian before him. "I'm fine. Haven't stabbed someo-" he corrected himself. "Haven't stabbed an innocent person since I woke up here. That's a win, I guess." he looked at Himmin again, asking both of them: "Are you still going to answer my second question? Where are you two going?"

((Enderfive Faliara ))

 

[Enderfive]

Erien

Well, that's . . . sort of a relief, I guess. "We're going to Ciasta. I think we can find Zwn there, and with the grand ball and everything today, there isn't a much better moment to get to her." Erien paused for a moment, choosing his words. "Actually, I'd appreciate it if you would come with us. The more Guardians we can get in one place, the better."

((Fiestaguy Faliara))

 

[Fiestaguy]

The words "Grand ball" echoed through his mind.

He knew that Leonard Fezux would be in Ciasta. But he didn't know there would be a ball. Now, Gilliam was almost sure that Leonard would be at that ball. And that Gilliam himself had to enter to find him.

"Oh great, a ball? Yeah, um. I think we might have a problem." he stepped backwards a few steps to display his shoddy apparel in all it's... 'glory'. "I don't think I'd be able to go in there without drawing most of the attention to me. So err, I think I'll stay behind once we get there."

((Enderfive Faliara ))

 

[Enderfive]

Erien

It took the wizard a moment to realize what Light- nope, Gilliam- was talking about, but the problem was basically nonexistant once he figured it out. "Oh, you mean the clothes? Not to worry, I have some spare apparel that should fit you just fine," he explained as he waved his hand towards the helping boy he had hired at the docks for a few copper coins to carry his belongings to the carriage that would take them to Ciasta. Destern didn't have a train station yet, as the technology was so new and Erien really hated steam airships, so they would have to ride to Destern in a public carriage. It would take them most of the day, sure, but at least they'd get there safe and sound.

Erien noticed that Himinn was still standing back. "It's okay, Himinn, he's okay. You can come." As soon as he said that, he realized his error. Fortunately there wasn't anyone around that could've heard him call Himinn by her real name. He had to remember not to do it in the future, though.

((Faliara Fiestaguy))

 

[Faliara]

Himinn walked forward, trusting Erien's words. As she approached the two, she realized where she saw the man before.

"Hey... You're Light, right? We didn't really talk much that one time we met, but everyone else told me about you," she said with a smile.

((If my memory serves me correctly, Himinn and Light met approximately one time, and they didn't really talk much then since Himinn just faded into the background. Fiestaguy Enderfive))

 

[Fiestaguy]

"Oh god-damnit. Yeah, go ahead and say my name a couple of times so every passerby notices it." Even though Gilliam was aware of the sarcastic nature of his remark, he glanced back at the road to see if nobody passed by to hear his name. 'And that carrying boy better not go yelling this around.' He looked at the girl again and properly introduced himself. "Name's Gilliam. Call me that from now on, or we're going to have problems with the locals. Not everyone's very excited to see us. At least, not in my experience." Gilliam crouched down near the coffer and opened it. He looked at the clothes, frowning as he pulled out atrocity after atrocity various pieces of clothing, frowning at most of them. "Yeah, um. You have some fancy stuff here, but no way I'm wearing... Eurgh."

After a few minutes of browsing, Gilliam pulled out a pair of blue pants, brown leather shoes, and a thin, black sweater. "This'll do. Doesn't look fancy, but at least I won't look like a homeless person." he said, stuffing the other clothes back into the coffer. Gilliam walked towards the tree "Please, save us both a trauma and stay the hell there while I change."

A few minutes later, he appears from behind the tree. "...This'll have to do. Not too fancy, but it's better than what I had..." Putting his hands in his pockets, he walks to Erien and Himmin "So, what's next?"

((I just blarghed out at this. This is the result of trying to get posts done while working on... a nice little surprise c: Enderfive Faliara ))

 

[CaffeinatedKitty]

"Maybe," Avis agrees, "This does seem to be a rather popular event."
She considers what else Zwn had said. "It's strange how disconnected the times at which we woke up are. I wonder about the others." She gestures as she speaks, restless. "Well, considering that, have you noticed anything strange, or has anything since you woke up changed significantly? Has there been unrest between separate groups? Has someone influential enough to throw their area into turmoil with their death died? Anything along the lines of that, really."
She bites her lip, unsure if she should keep talking. "...oh, and Tora, when did you wake up?"

Marisa fidgets as she watches Avis walk up the stairs. Sure, they don't yet have a particularly close relationship, but...
Ah, well. She'll be fine on her own.
'Should I look for another dance partner?'
She contemplates the idea for a moment before remembering what the guard had said.
"Is it possible you can swipe a piece of food for this guy next to me?"
Nodding to herself, she quietly takes a plate and some food- a pair of bread rolls, some fish, and a bit of rice on either side. Both of them need food, after all, she reasons.
Making her way back to the door, she balances the plate on one hand and slips outside.
"Hi," she whispers,"I got some for both of you."
~~~
((Mia S_swimmer Toiletprincess))

 

[Toiletprincess]

She nods slowly. shrugging and shaking her head as Avis asks if she'd noticed anything strange. "Nothing in particular, maybe it's something thats coming up rather than something that's already happening. I don't know."

~~~

She smiles, gathering the children one by one into her arms as they call blessings onto our departure. However, their attention is snagged by the voice of the elder, Rhythael, who was speaking to Lyari. She sits back on her heels, blinking away the moisture that had gathered in her eyes. She'd never left this village, it was where she grew up. They were her family. Adjusting the strap of her quiver, she stood to follow Lyari as he walked out, offering a last wave to the gathering of children and any of the villagers passing by. With a quick look backwards in the direction of her home, she moves to stand next to Lyari, placing a hand on his arm. "It's okay," she said softly, peering sideways up at him as he cried, "we're not leaving towards our deaths, or anything."

((CaffeinatedKitty Mia S_swimmer))

 

[Catcocomics]

First Night of the Ball (continued)

Kramia
​

Kramia grabbed the oddly shaped glass container that held the amber liquid. Curious, she sniffed at it a bit to get its sent, which was fairly strong and almost made her do a double take, but she somehow felt it wouldn't really harm her. And besides that, she could really do with a good refreshing drink after all that had happened.

This fluid... it's almost repulsively bitter, yet there's a certain sweetness to it and... that burning sensation I feel going down my throat... it... it feels...
why is everything suddenly blurry...?
"wh- whoa, AAH!"

The drink, what ever it was, seemed to be doing something weird to Kramia. She felt suddenly disoriented and crashed into a table, knocking it over. She soon passes out after causing the disturbance, though not because of her drink.

((Toiletprincess CaffeinatedKitty Mia, would your characters at the ball be able to hear the table fall over from where they are?))​

 

[Mia]

"I woke up..." Wait when did I wake up, it must have been years now... "Eight years and I have no idea why. There must be something happening, but I'm yet to find out." I look around the gorgeous room, "You certainly found yourself a nice place to stay, Zwn." I say smiling, amazed at the decor and interior of the castle, "But when I woke up there were people waiting around where I slept. Almost as though they knew I was going to wake up, for whatever reason."

((Toiletprincess CaffeinatedKitty sorry for a short post))

 

[Faliara]

"Sorry," Himinn said sheepishly, blushing a little. She looked towards the carrying boy, who seemed bewildered but too hesitant to say anything. She's a little tempted to strike up conversation; she knows the feeling that boy likely has all too well.

"Alright. Gilliam it is then. And we'll just... Stay over here..." she trailed off awkwardly as Gilliam went to change.

"Er... We just go to Ciasta, right?" she answered when Gilliam asked what they're going to do next.

((Enderfive Fiestaguy I'm kind of tempted to take over the carrying boy just to fix the problem...))

 

[Enderfive]

Erien

"Yeah, as I said, we're going to Ciasta to the ball. Zwn is probably there and I kinda want as many Guardians with me as possible."


Carsen, the helping boy

Seane was talking to some dude and his girlfriend on the docks. Must've been a rich dude, he had his own ship. Oh, wait, fancy clothes, a backpack and loads of chests and bags and other stuff, this looked like an opportunity for a few coins. Better get there before any of the other three helpers could, these guys were like vultures.

Carsen planted himself right there, conveniently on the dude's road. He looked like a hedge wizard. Carsen wrinkled his nose. He wasn't too fond of wizards. They just sat in Sitia all the time, doing nothing but their so called "research" and never once bothered to step outside to help the people. Well, a large part of them, at least. Maybe this dude was different. But then again, he looked rich, so probably not.

The wizard dude came straight towards Carsen, making the boy grin. He was eighteen years old, a bit old to be a helping boy, but he was clever as anyone and the few extra years he had on the other helpers made all the difference when whatever needed doing also needed some strength.

"Here," the wizard said, handing Carsen a silver coin, "take this and take our bags to the carriage stop. Load them on the first carriage to Ciasta you can find. Once the job is done, you'll get another one just like this." The wizard walked off with his girlfriend, talking to her as they went. Then, as if he'd changed his mind, he stopped and came back to Carson. "Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone anything you might hear me or my friend say." He winked and smiled as if that was the coolest thing in Arun and then was on his way again.

For two silver coins, Carsen could shut his mouth about anything. The wizard could kill everyone at the ball and he still wouldn't say anything. Two silver coins. If he bargained well, he could eat for a week for two silver coins. He could buy a dagger for two silver coins. A good dagger, made of real steel, not any of this rip-off that the black traders sold. Carsen didn't feel so negative about wizards after all.

He took the chests and everything and loaded them up on a cart. If there was something that could be said about Carsen carrying luggage, it was speed. He wheeled a cart half as fast as the other guys, and if he wanted to really make the wizard happy about him, he'd want his stuff already at the station when he got there, which meant that Carsen had to really make this one count, for the silver he'd get.

No, but why would he give two silver for such a simple job? The more Carsen thought about it, the more it made no sense. The only logical thing to assume was that the silver was not so much for the job itself, but for the silence the dude wanted. Which also meant that they were talking about something no one could kn-

"Hey, get off, you damn hobo, I'm carrying this stuff here, not letting you steal it!" The man that had rushed the cart looked a bit uncertain, but there was certainly a sneer hidden behind that face, Carsen could feel it. Then he saw the wizard dude.

"It's okay, kid, he's a friend. Let him take what he wants," said Mr. Fancypants. He was friends with a hobo. They were going to Ciasta, tonight, at the final evening of the great ball, when every damn noble from Ecremar and half the ones from elsewhere would be there. He was friends with a hobo. No doubt the ragged man had escaped from a dungeon somewhere. They were going to do something bad, something huge. That was why he was instructed not to talk about anything he might hear. They were discussing their plans to kill or enslave or the Guardians only knew what.

A sudden unease washed over Carsen. He had heard about those kinds of people before. They would play nice and all and when the time to depart came, they'd slit your throat in some dark alley around the corner. A terrified look appeared on Carsen's face. Then the girlfriend looked back at him, smiling apologetically. Yup, she was already apologizing in advance about slitting his throat. Okay, okay, there's still some way to get the silver and get out with your life, Carsen. He would just need to stay in a public place, then they couldn't kill him without making themselves known as murderers. He would just carry the stuff as he was told to and he would get out of there as soon as he got the payment.

((There, is everyone happy about the carrying boy now?))

((Faliara Fiestaguy))