It was a bright and sunny day in Raiaera. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and the undead were being slightly less of a nuisance than usual. The road to Liderqualme had been cleared of beasts, and a trio of wagons rolled along the road undisturbed. Flanking each wagon was a pair of massive hounds, wolves green as moss, teeth sharp as daggers. Riding at the front of the small convoy was Vincent Cain, his indigo robes billowing softly in the wind, the sun gleaming in his golden hair. A smirk played across his lips, today was going to be a great day.

Behind him piles of iron, copper, and various other metals clinked noisily in each wagon. Normally such a treasure would have cost him an arm and a leg, but he just happened to own a few mines and refineries now. Joseph would chide him on his use of company resources for a Tarot project, and Vince would remind him how they’d made their money in the first place. As the train clinked and clanked along the road, Vince found himself growing more and more giddy.

Finally reaching the outskirts of the forest, Vincent dismounted and turned to greet several men emerging from the treeline. “Careful with the goods gentlemen! Not all of this is going straight to John’s forge, some of it needs to be in decent condition.” He chuckled and playfully punched one of the men in the arm.

“Where do you want us to put it when we get to the House sir?” one of the men asked chuckling.

“Set it in the workshop! You know, where lady Alyssa is always tinkering about?” Vincent stretched a bit. “Or actually…just stick it in the storageroom on the first floor. I’ll have it picked through and sorted later.” With that Vincent was off in a dead sprint, leaving a small breeze behind him.

Upon his first arrival to the Red Forest, several years ago, the scholar had begun to memorize the path from the outskirts to the clearing he called home. At first it had been a necessity, with the forest being filled with the most dangerous sorts of creatures known to the world. Then it had become a competition with himself, to see how much faster he could navigate the path each time. Now, it was just to show off. With his newfound speed and strength, Vincent could travel at blistering speeds. Something about doing so through difficult terrain seemed to be the most cathartic thing imaginable.

His footsteps slowed as he coasted into the verdant clearing he called home, letting out a sigh as he came to a stop. A storm of leaves erupted from the ground and danced around the scholar, before forming into a massive humanoid shape. It towered above the scholar and let out a rumble of rustling leaves before bowing and stepping aside. In front of the scholar, a slab of sheer white granite glowed slightly and began to shift ever so slightly, transforming from a flawless slab into a set of stairs descending into the darkness. The scholar stopped for a moment and took in a deep breath.

He was home.

He descended the steps with practiced familiarity, not fearing where he would set his feet or if he would stumble. Instead he found himself at the bottom, his vision adjusting to the dimly lit orbs above, his nose burning slightly from the slight amounts of dust the seemed to have permanently settled into the air. He did not feel buried as he stood so far beneath the ground.

He felt free.

This was his home; this was the home to his family. And he had someone he needed to see now more than ever, and he got the feeling she needed to see him. He calmly strode down the hallway, ignoring the first junction to turn right or left, and stayed the course until he had almost reached the large oaken double doors at the end. He paused for a moment, gathered his thoughts, and then turned to a door on his right.

Raising a gloved hand, the scholar bit his lip nervously before knocking thrice.

“Hey Ray? It’s Vince! You Free?