The cries of seagulls reverberate through the skies, the birds as white as the clouds themselves, flying past the hull of the ship. One of them dives into the sea of clouds and snatches up a white fish, flying back high above, as sunlight falls upon the deck.
The deck was barren, scratched, and a bit dusty, with a few crates placed haphazardly about, tied with old ropes, some stacked atop another. At the back, a steering wheel, unmanned, beside the wheel, a few levers. To the front, there lies a hatch to the cabins below.
The ship glides through the clouds as its turbines spin, catching the winds, whirring as the ship sails. Wood creaks from the hatch as Locht climbs up, yawning, cane in hand, he slowly climbs up to the deck and stands up, looking around.
There was a vast sea of clouds as far as the eye could see, birds flying high above. Large islands floating even higher, along with winged beasts, their figures but shadows in the high sky.
Locht reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little compass, made of iron, plain in design. He looks at the sun, shielding his eyes with his cane, and then at the compass, pointing roughly 66° East Northeast.
He goes to the steering wheel, slowly turning it, thinking to himself, I haven't seen any new landmasses near this altitude... I wonder how this ship goes up... At the turning of the wheel, the sail itself turns, causing the ship to slowly change direction. Putting away his hat on the ground, Locht's hand slowly reaches out to one of the three wooden levers by the side, as he pulls the middle one down.
A loud creaking noise ensues from both sides of the ship, as Locht jolts up, looking to his side, and sees the turbines slowly tilt upward, the ship rising and gaining altitude.
Locht immediately puts the lever back into position and reverts the wheel to its original direction, straight. Picking up his hat, he runs to the side and looks down, seeing that the ship is now slightly elevated above the sea of clouds. Looking at it for a moment, he holds his hat as a gust of wind blows from up ahead, diverting his attention to the side, where he sees that the turbines have reverted to facing straight.
Locht straightens back up and faces the wind, shielding his eyes from the dust. Yet, something catches his eye in the distance...land. His eyes widen, and without catching his breath, he immediately sprints to the front of the deck to see it up close.
Eyes wide, his lips curve into a faint smile as he gazes upon the landmass, a mountainous island with greenery populating the sides of the mountain, as well as what seem to be buildings, of red and grey, still but a blur from here. Yet he can see grey paths, trailing on the mountainside. He traces his finger across them, trying to figure out how civilisation was built on a mountain as the ship draws nearer and nearer to the island.
The winds blow, sending clouds of mist spiralling up from the sea's surface. Locht takes off his hat as he runs to the front, seeing the stone shores approaching...filled with many, many little pebbles and rocks of all colours and sizes, some glinting in the sunlight as clouds crash against the shores, Locht's eyes looking around the entire shore, a glint in his own eyes, seeing it draw nearer, he remembers he has to stop the ship, causing him to jolt up and run back.
Locht hurries, running to the side of the ship, to furl the sails once more. The ropes he shot fluttering in the wind as he grabs the rope used to tie up crates and ties it together with the cut rope, seeing the ship draw nearer and nearer to the shore, he begins to pull at the rope as hard as he can, slowly furling one side of the sails, and hooking the rope under the side into a small crevice to secure it.
He runs over, doing the same on the other side, fully furling the ship's sail. He looks over to the side frantically, seeing the wind turbines still spinning. He runs over to the wheel, then tries to use one of the levers, but stops, reminiscing, The turbines didn't need me to use these levers to get moving....the anchor!
He immediately bolts over to the anchor placed on the ground and musters all his strength to drop it down into the sea of clouds below. Immediately, he hears the sounds of strings being tightened and reverberate to a halt, with a jittering click. He sees the turbines come to a halt, the ship coming to a stop, brushing against the rocky shores. Only then does he breathe a sigh of relief.
Locht steps ashore, his footsteps echoing upon the rocks. A gust of wind blows from behind, as mist and clouds are blown into the wind. Locht holds onto his hat, his cloak fluttering, then looks behind at the caravel one last time before stepping forward, toward the mountain.
He gazes upon the landscape ahead, the place after the rocky shores filled with foliage, dead grass and other low-growing plants and bushes at the summit of the mountain, some still covered in morning dew.
He looks up, his eyes widening as he sees the entire mountainside from here covered in a thick, dark spruce forest. The forest cascades up, its spruce trees standing tall, darkening, barely letting sunlight through its canopy. He gazes at the forest, spreading far and wide up the mountain, unable to see anything beyond the dark forest, especially not the buildings he saw from that distance.
Then, he spots something in the midst of the forest. Stone stairs covered in moss and spruce leaves. He approaches the cracked and old stone stairs and looks up, cane in hand, a narrow set of stone stairs, cascading down from the peak of the mountain, curving around through the dark spruce forest, on its sides, stone lantern posts, unlit, unkept. Arches over the stairs as they go up, some broken, some wrapped in vines and moss.
He sees mist cover the upper parts of the mountains as he looks up the stairs; the forest, though less dark in its vicinity, still maintains its gloominess. His eyes scrutinise the arches, a style not akin to what he has seen before, sharp angles, with strange symbols, symbols with straight lines and curves carved onto them...
In his years of study, he recalls something, the style of the symbols flashing into his mind, he ponders, This architecture...and text...is from the Xiangyang region...? He looks around, a bit frantic, then looks back, and realises something, Xiangyang is a continent... Am I out of the Rosen Kingdom's reach, or the reach of the Staldian continent...? He places a finger on his chin, deep in thought. Three days of travel on the sea cannot be enough time to travel between continental regions...from what I know...
He grips his cane and begins going up the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the quietude of the forest, the forest darker still. Reaching a stone lantern post, he lowers himself down, looking around it, four holes on each of its sides and a cuboid lantern in the middle, unlit, somewhat cracked and dusty.
He inspects the structure, as he wipes some dust off it, to find a few more symbols, yet, at closer inspection, he sees that they are a bit different from standard Xiangyang symbols, less 'cluttered', more wavy and a bit spaced... he thinks to himself Is this a dialect of sorts...? His fingers brushing across the symbols... suddenly, he hears slow, heavy footsteps coming down the stairs, making him jolt back up, gripping his cane.
An elderly man looks at him, a simple wooden cane in his hand, his hair grey, curly and short, the wrinkles and shaved grey beard on his face showing signs of his age, his arms as thin as a twig, black, cloudy eyes, he dons a black jinbei, grey meshes on each of the sides of his half-sleeves. He coughs softly, his voice low and gentle, looking at Locht, he asks, "What brings you here, young lad?"
That clothing.... Locht thinks for a moment before standing up straight, as he takes a bow, taking off his hat, and looking slightly puzzled. He clears his throat, replying to the old man, "Hello, good sir...you know the common tongue...?"
The old man chuckles a bit, holding his lower lip with his left index finger. Then saying, "Yes, of course. Why? Were you headed to Xiangyang, young lad?"
Locht slowly nods, saying, "...Y-yes....", trying to keep a straight face amidst his lie. He clears his throat, saying, "I-I'm an adventurer"
The old man walks down, leaning on his cane, stopping in front of Locht, saying, "Ah, an adventurer! Must be good to be young...sorry, young lad, this isn't Xiangyang..." He looks ahead of him, to the sea, Locht too looking over as he does, he continues, "The village up here is old, though we're one of the islands that the Rosen kingdom oversees." He looks a bit around at the arches and the old and decayed lantern posts, "Though we do come from Xiangyang, young lad", he finishes, placing a hand on Locht's shoulder.
The wind flows through from the sea, making Locht hold up his arm to shield his eyes from dust, as he looks over at the old man, asking, "So...there's a village up the mountain...How did you end up here? The Xiangyang continent must be so far from here. It's to the east of Staldia, that's...What I know"
The old man smiles, looking over, "Aren't you a smart young lad?", looking back at the sea, as the sun shines on it, coating the sea in a hue of gold, he continues, "Ever heard of the pirate invasion of Staldia?"
Locht thinks for a bit, trying to recall whatever he knows, before replying, "Not...entirely, it was when pirates from Xiangyang set west and discovered Staldia, right?"
The old man nods, saying, "Yes, they plundered the shores of Staldia and its kingdoms, made a fortune..."
Locht looks down, looking to a bit to the side, saying in a low voice, "But they were all decimated by the Great Admiral Alyn Smith..."
The old man chuckles again, his voice a bit hoarse, saying, "Yes, one of the seven mighty admirals of the seas. Legends! Each one of them. Our ancestors were among the few pirates to help the admiral's fleet...as a reward", he spreads his arms, exclaiming, "This! This little island we can call home", as the waves of mist and clouds wash over the shores.
Locht takes a look at the lamp posts and the archways, looking over to the old man, saying gently, "Xiangyang must be a very beautiful place..."
The old man's eyes widen as he looks at Locht, startling him a bit, and then he smiles, his lips curved into the clearest of smiles, saying, "Yes, it is, young lad...yes, it is" The old man shakes his head, gripping his cane, then goes up the stairs, Locht looking at him as he goes, he takes only a few steps before looking back at Locht, saying, "Come along, young lad, I'll lead you to the village, whats your name?"
At the question, Locht sinks into deep thought, for a few seconds, My name...I can't use my real one; the Rosen kingdom must still be hunting me. I read that adventurers often use monickers...so. He straightens up, clearing his throat, as his lips faintly curve, saying, "I go by the name of...Sunseeker"
The old man nods, replying, "Sunseeker, huh...that's a nice name, kids call me Grandpa Ren. Thank you for listening to this old man's ravings" With a smile, he continues up the stairs, slowly. Locht nods and follows him.
...
Sunlight gleams in from large arched windows, through its red and gold glass, as it shines into an ornate room with marble pillars on each corner, carved with flowery patterns. White marble tiles, so pristine that one can see their reflection, the room echoing with the sound of parchment brushing and writing.
Shelves filled with books and drawers line the north of the room, two large doors to the south decorated with a wreath, and a few large, velvet-coloured sofas surround a round table. Light shining in on them from the two doors to the balcony, spaced a distance from each other, as ornate red curtains drift in the wind.
In the middle of them, a large mahogany desk, on it stacks of paper and books, with scarlet hair sprawled across it. With a pen, two pale hands moved swiftly across the parchment, a book haphazardly opened next to them.
Tracing them, they belonged to a young lady with a shapely face, long scarlet hair flowing down her back. Her amber eyes coldly scrutinised the book's contents as she wrote upon the parchment. A golden rose adorned her hair; she wore a delicate white dress with silver linings, a dark blue duster hanging from the back of the chair she sat on, as sunlight scarcely fell on her from the ajar balcony doors. Even in the muted afternoon light, her beauty was unmistakable.
Suddenly, a few knocks came from the door, causing her to momentarily stop writing and divert her gaze, as she spoke in a cold voice, "Who is it?"
From the other side, a female voice replied, "It's me, your highness, Erina" The scarlet-haired lady deliberated for a few moments before saying in a more gentle tone, "Come in"
The door slowly opened as a lady robed in white walked in, tall in stature. She took off her hood, her long, golden blonde hair falling out, her pointed ears shrouded in her hair. She bows, saying softly, "Your highness...a fugitive has escaped", a grim look on her face as she utters the words.
The lady tilts her head, tapping the desk, saying, "Were they someone pardoned? Nonetheless, they somehow got past the Raven sent to kill them?" The blonde-haired lady nods her head slightly, slowly saying, "Not only that. He...killed the Raven"
The scarlet-haired lady's eyes widen for a split second as she puts away her pen, questioning in a more demanding manner, "How? Members of the Ravenguard are skilled assassins. A mere fugitive cannot kill one"
The blonde-haired lady takes a deep breath as she reaches into her cloak and pulls out a few papers, while saying, "He could use magic, your highness", as she hands the papers over to her.
The scarlet-haired lady reads the papers, shuffling them in her hands, murmuring the name of the fugitive, "Locht Solitas...", then looking over to the blonde, saying in a firmer voice, "Isn't this the same person who deciphered the Korsian Serenades?"
The blonde firmly nods as the scarlet-haired lady gestures for her to sit on the sofa. She sits down, her hands on her lap, and continues speaking, "Yes, your highness. Unbeknownst to anyone, he somehow learnt magic, perhaps from his studies in the fortress's library."
The scarlet-haired lady lets out a sigh, her voice growing softer, saying, "So he not only was able to learn the ancient tongue as a Sarlian in that dingy old place but also learn magic...?" The blonde replies with a nod as she places a hand on her chin, thinking for a few seconds.
After seemingly collecting her thoughts, she checks the papers once more, "Remove any book that might have been used to learn magic from that library. If their knowledge is needed for the Sarlians to awaken their trait to comprehend the ancient tongue, only let those who have passed a screening access those books, so that they can be monitored."
The blonde nods, saying, "What about Locht Solitas, your highness?"
The scarlet-haired lady deliberates for a bit before standing up, pushing the chair back as she says in a commanding tone, "Mobilise the Ravenguard, and bring him to me, alive. If he is that impressive, I have a few uses for him. And, make sure he doesn't spread anything he knows. Handle this case before my brothers catch wind of it." As she finishes, she turns around, adjusting her hair behind her back and walking to the balcony.
With those words, the blonde stands up as she takes another bow, "As you command. Your Highness, Princess Victoria"
...
Footsteps echo upon old cracked stone stairs, all the steps different in size, covered in moss, some with wooden splinters and dust upon them, the lantern-posts here more well kept, devoid of the dust and dilapidation of the ones below. They lead to a large, serene clearing up high.
Locht and the old man reach the top of the stairs. stepping forward, as Locht's eyes widen. In front of him, a small village lies, cradled by the mountain peak; the village cascades down, wrapping around the top of the mountain. Its buildings are reminiscent of Xiangyang architecture, wooden houses, big and small, slightly elevated off the ground, their roofs thatched with straw and hay, somewhat tilted as sunlight falls upon them.
A staircase travels up the village, through its different levels on the mountains, with similar buildings populating the area, many of which have containers or other miscellaneous items outside on their side. His eyes travel up the staircase to the top of the village, upon which he sees a large tower-like building, colored red with large square tiled roofs spanning upwards.
To his immediate vicinity, he sees a large building with many stacks of hay around it to the right, a stump of wood with an axe buried into it in front of the building. Next to it, a large tree, its pink leaves drifting in the air. The tree stands tall, and under it are stacks of wood neatly tied with ropes. Beyond it is a Well, and a few more buildings around it. He can see a few children gathered around the well, playing in circles
A few people come and go, glancing at Locht as they do. Locht looks to his right, sighting a stone-paved path going in that direction, which curves according to the mountain. Around the path are different stalls, all made in a similar architecture. Some are still closed, while others sell fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other items to the nearby villagers. Yet, a taller building, a bit ahead, stands out more than the rest.
Locht breaks out of his observation as Ren tugs at his cloak, giving him a light smile, saying, "Welcome to our village, I hope you'll have a good stay here, young lad" Locht smiles back, replying, "I hope so t-" as he is cut off by a few children running up to Ren yelling, "Grandpaaa!" startling Locht in the process
Ren lowers himself and holds the hands of the children with a smile as they circle him, one little boy pointing to Locht, asking, "Who is this, grandpa?", diverting the attention of all other children to him as well, as they all ask a similar question.
Ren laughs, patting the boy's head, answering in a gentle voice, "Ah, this big brother here is an adventurer, Kai. I'm sure he'll be able to tell you many stories!" he finishes with a chuckle.
In front of him, Locht witnessed a scene, something he had seldom seen, or never seen at all before. The children's eyes filled with glee as they looked at him expectantly. Feeling an invisible pressure, Locht felt sweat beading on his temple as he took a step back, holding his cane.
One of the children walked up to him with a gentle smile, then he tugged at his cloak, asking him, "Big brother, big brother! Can you tell us one of your stories?" Faced with such a request, he first looked at Ren with a troubled expression and then at the child, replying, "Uh....I'm sorry I haven't been an adventurer for very lo-" Before he could finish the sentence, he was cut off by Ren, who let out a light chortle, saying, "Sorry, young lad, these little ones don't get to venture out of the village very often. Could you keep them company?"
Unable to deny the requests and faced with the pressure of the children's expectant stares, he gulped and looked down at the child tugging at his cloak, saying slowly, "Al-alright..." With that, the children let out a gleeful cheer as the child tugging at his coat offered him his hand, pointing to somewhere farther in the village, past the well.
Locht let out a sigh and took the child's hand and asked him, "What's your name?" The boy simply replied, "Kyoshi!" before running, holding his hand to the place he had pointed to before, causing Locht to almost trip on his foot as the other children followed.
The children led him to a stone bench, scratches and cracks on it showing its age. It stood against a small hut next to one of the inclines of the village.
Locht sat down, looking around nervously, with 7 or 8 children surrounding him; some sat next to him, some stood around, leaning against the hut. He looks up, seeing the village's tranquillity, the quaint little houses, the trees sprouting here and there, leaves drifting from them, and a few villagers come and go.
Locht looks at the children's expectant looks, one of them speaking out, "Hey! Big brother, what story will you tell us?"
Faced with an unfamiliar situation, Locht could only look up at the beautiful skies high above and let out a sigh, gazing at the clouds as they covered the majesty of the sun high above. He certainly hadn't been a socialite in his nearly twenty years of life.
Looking at the sky, he begins reminiscing about most of his years, remembering himself to always be in that dingy old library in the fortress, its withered old dark wood shelves and ancient smell, otherwise he'd be in his room, also surrounded by books.
After his parents died, none of the other fugitives would even dare to talk to him, calling him 'The child of the Blasphemers', as for him, he never needed anything more than his books. Eventually, he learnt magic by reading various books, including one that had been stowed away in the very back of a library shelf, a dusty and yellowish grey book titled "Ideas On Arcana" by Professor Edward Eliad.
As he felt his mind wander off to his memories about the book, about its quite archaic way of using magic, via circles instead of regular incantations that wizards use, a method that the book described to be old and experimental. He felt a tug on his sleeves as a child looked at him with great anticipation.
He shook his head, looking at the children and calmed himself, thinking of what story to tell them, looking at the children. He cleared his throat, recalling a story he had read, and on his face, a calm expression.
Then, he began, "Once upon a time, there existed a great, beautiful dragon" His eyes darted to the children, seeing the focused expression on their faces, he continued, "She had beautiful silver scales and wings that spanned the great clouds when unfurled. It is said her flight would bring fierce thunder booming, with lightning soon following suit in her wake, bringing great storms and winds. Her silver scales were like mirrors, as they reflected the light of the skies in the most brilliant pale hue, and when she flew, it was like a star flying through the sky, and thus she was named 'The Star of Storms'. For she brought both storms and the brilliant dazzling of stars."
As he was about to continue, one of the children spoke up, asking enthusiastically, "Oh! Did you see the dragon flying like a star, big brother?", with the other children also wanting to know, urging him to answer.
Locht chuckled a bit, saying, "No, not yet, sorry. I haven't seen her flight in person yet", followed by a disheartened "Aww!" from the children, then they said, "Go on then, big brother!"
Locht cleared his throat once more, continuing, "She was both beautiful and ancient, yet she brought the calamity of storms, and for that, the humans often hated and cursed her. Yet she wasn't a bad dragon; perhaps she couldn't control her nature, but to spare the humans the storms brought about by her...She flew, as far as the eye could see, as far as the sea would stretch, to find herself a solitary abode. After flying for a long, long time through the skies, she found a great land, covered with mountains, mountains so high up, that they pierced the skies, and she made her home there, flying with all her brilliance above the high mountains"
At that notion, a girl tugged at his wrist, asking with gleeful curiosity, "Do the mountains exist?" Locht looked at her and gently patted her on the head, saying with a nod, "I believe they do" With that, the girl's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "I want to see them one day!", followed by a few other children yelling, "Me too!"
Locht gestured at the children to calm down, with a gentle smile on his face. He continued when the children regained their focused expression, "The mountains soon became wreathed in storms, yet with those storms fell not water, but gentle, white snow, just like her scales, and it was the first thing she found, oh so beautiful. Awestruck by the snow, she rested upon a pile of it, closing her eyes as the gentle snow fell upon her, and due to the cold, she fell into a deep, deep slumber."
"When she awoke, she found herself buried in snow and cold, without even knowing how much time had passed. She shook herself from the snow and looked up, finding the snow to still be falling, gently, and as pure white as ever. She looked ahead, finding the area to be different, much different from when she had gone to sleep, as she saw a man, kneeling over in front of her; compared to her, he was oh so small...He was frozen and barely breathing. Seeing his dire state, she wrapped him in her wings, letting him thaw, shielding him from the cold. The man regained his bearings and looked up at her, and for once, she saw a human look at her not with fear but with gratitude as he took a bow and sincerely thanked her."
"The man would lead her to a village, deep in the mountains, to show his gratitude. At the sight of the great dragon, the people were first terrified, yet the man seemed to bring them to an understanding, saying that she had saved him, making the villagers warm up to the great dragon and accept her as their protector."
One of the children exclaimed at that prospect, throwing his hands up, "They finally saw that she was such a kind dragon!" The girl from earlier agreed with him, adding, "The other people must've been dumb to not see that"
Locht chortled a bit at the prospect, saying, "Dragons are scary, you know", the girl replying almost immediately with an insisting tone, "But she doesn't seem like a scary dragon!" causing Locht to laugh a bit before continuing,
"It was the first time she had felt such warmth, the warmth of other beings, and so, she decided to protect the little humans from monsters and other things that lurked in the mountains, and little by little, they revered and loved her even more, opening up to her. Eventually, she learnt that they were greatly troubled by the constant snowfall and the cold, and that's when it dawned on her...that she was the cause of this. She felt immensely guilty, harming humans once more due to her powers, and yet she could confide in no one with her guilt, for if the villagers knew, they would surely hate her."
"Burdened by guilt, she decided to do something right, to make amends for her past sins. She soared high above in the midst of the night, and spun in the cloudy skies with her wings coating it, with all the power she had, she caused an immense vortex to be unleashed upon the skies, a vortex that tore her wings apart, and when the sky was cleared from the beautiful snowfall, she had lost her wings to the winds, and fell from the sky, into the mountains, into the snow."
The children looked on with a solemn expression, some worried as one of them tugged at his wrist to continue...and so he did, saying,
"Her silver wings spread into the skies, so pure and so beautiful that it caused the sky to be covered in stars, which were the remnants of her wings, during both the night and day, while she lay upon the snow, no longer able to fly, exhausted and dying. And then, she once again saw the man she had saved all those years ago; this time, he had found her, covered by snow, slowly freezing. Without a question in his heart, he sprinted forth and called forth a great spell, erupting flames from his hands, warming her up as he did everything he could to save her, to nurse her back to health. She wished that he would just leave her to die, yet seeing someone do everything they can to save her, for once in her life, she found true joy."
"Seeing that the man was having trouble heating up and healing the large body of hers, she used the last of her magic to shrink herself down, down and down, to something more human. He looked upon her form, a beautiful girl with long silver hair, scales upon her body, but he did not hesitate to pick her up and bring her back to the village to nurse her back to health."
"The villagers would soon crown her their saviour, yet having lost her wings, she felt that it was unjust for her to have such a title, especially now that she felt so small in human form, yet the man that had saved her gave her courage and hope, perhaps it was love that she was yearning for."
A few young girls immediately sprang forth at that, looking at Locht with excitement, asking, "Did she marry him?", all in tandem. Locht smiled, saying, "Yes, she did, and so she was, the Great Ancient Dragon Sekhmet, and her offspring soon created the Great Ancient Kingdom of Sarlia, a kingdom that was said to exist under the stars..."
Locht smiled bitterly, ending the story as the children looked at him with both excitement and awe, thrilled by the story, one of the boys saying, "What happened to the kingdom?"
Locht closed his eyes, smiling and saying with a low, somewhat suppressed tone, "It's long gone now, but perhaps, its people still exist" He finished, opening his eyes and patting some of the children, then suddenly he heard applause behind the hut, causing both him and the children to look over.
With slow steps, Ren walked out from behind, still applauding as he said, with a gentle smile, "That's a beautiful story, young lad", then looking at the children and applauding faster, saying, "Come on, kids! Clap your hands, you all liked the story too", Some children rushed over to Ren yelling grandpa and the others began applauding with a gleeful smile at Locht, all of them yelling in unison, "Thank you big brother!"
Ren looked on with a smile, ruffling some of the children's hair gently as he looked at Locht, who had lowered his hat, trying to hide his embarrassment. Ren laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder, saying, "You're a good lad, thank you, for keeping these children such great company" He patted his shoulder.
Sensing Locht's embarrassment, he looked over to the children and gestured them to run off, saying, "Now now, kids! Get going, I'm going to talk to your big brother for a bit, alright?" As he pulled out a few copper coins from his pockets, he handed them to the children while saying, "Get yourself some snacks"
The children took the money, some hopping up and down with joy as they exclaimed, "Thank you, Grandpa! See you later!" Two of the children quickly went up to Locht and gave him two flowers, a white and red flower, placing them on his lap; they soon ran off with the other children.
Locht pulled up his hat, looking at the flowers. Not used to receiving gifts, he examined them for a bit, with a strange feeling... before quickly turning over to Ren, still a bit flustered, saying, "Uh...What did you want to talk to me about?"
Ren laughed gently, looking at Locht's expression, saying, "Don't worry about it! I'm afraid I'll be asking too much from you" As he turned to face the scenery of the village.
Locht tilted his head, puzzled. He looked at Ren's face while he looked at the village, and he felt as if he was worried about something. He could see the weariness in his eyes as he said in a more serious tone, "What is it, Grandpa Ren?"
Ren's eyes widened as he turned to Locht, clearly looking a bit surprised, he scratched the back of his head, saying in a low scratchy voice, "Well...The village doesn't get protection from the kingdom's forces, you see...There have been sightings of a troublesome thing in some cave down the mountain, I-I wanted you to deal with it if you could, young lad, as that's what most adventurers usually do...But, I don't have much to pay to entrust this quest, and I can't take advantage of you, young lad"
Locht leans back and thinks for a bit, gripping his cane, before saying with a gentle tone, "A quest, huh..." he looked down, pondering for a bit, before saying gently, "If the village needs aid, I'll do it. All I'll ask for is that you give me the information, and for a reward..."
Ren looked at him in shock, almost puzzled, and before he could say anything, Locht smiled, saying, "I'll take whatever reward you had planned for me, but I also want some resources from the village. Is that fair for you?"
Ren let out a deep sigh, breaking eye contact with Locht, looking at the ground as he put his hands on his thighs, saying in a low voice, "Thank you...young lad", his expression unseen.