[Solo] An Adventurer's Life...

[Vaeron]

Life was but life. Feelings were but feelings. Love ... well, Vaeron had questions over the validity of even the world, just had once his great ally, general and close friend Philomel van der Aart, Matriarch of the feminist guild, the Gilded Lily.

Of course, she had doubted it many years ago, back when she was just a simple prostitute like any other. Caught between the clutches of anger and man, her need for money and her pimp. It took her to learn the ways of the sword and strike out with it to free herself first, then her mother, and then the rest of Radasanth itself. Now almost every brothel in Radasanth had some form of connection to her, whether it was through actual membership to the Gilded Lily, or a mere friendship. In any case, the whores of Radasanth, and of Corone, and now of the steadily growing world, were much better off thanks to that one particular faun.

And Vaeron had been with her for near on every step of the way. Watching her attitude change as she fell in love, first over a woman and and then over a man, finally admitting to herself that love could be a possibility for anyone. Including her, the whore of whores.

But he - he was not so sure. Despite even having a daughter with the said faun, Vaeron's attitude had not altered. Still, he had not found the man for him, and he doubted that the homophobic world he lived in would ever allow for that. Thus it was that he took to roaming the great forests of Corone by himself at night, calm and collected with only his mighty steed Megladon for company. No women were around him in those times, no whores and no besotted princes begging for a single night. There was no talk of romance, no rumour of marriage, simply him and his horse riding.

Snap.

The sound made him jump. Eyes suddenly opening wide Vaeron looked down to see that one of his black stallion's huge hooves had snapped a thick branch in two. For an ordinary humanoid it would usually be a twig, but for the shire horse ... well. It might as well be.

Megladon tossed his head and snorted with distaste with the noise, but kept on going at the same steady pace. Fierce and proud he was the ultimate mount for battle, who had not let Vaeron down once. Clearly it was he who had caused the sound, but Vaeron still felt on edge as the horse settled down back into silence. All the thoughts that had been running through his head about life and feelings and love vanished, as he considered what else could be out here in the dead of dark, under an illumination of stars and bright, full moon.

Crrrrkkkk ...

A soft breeze began to pick up and waft through the higher leaves. Somewhere, close, an owl hooted and took off to find food. The relative peace of the night went on, yet things remained unsaid, and eventually uncertainty came to reign.

Vaeron drew his dagger, Kraken, letting the indigo blade bare into the night and sighed.

"That is enough," he murmured to Megladon. "Let's head back."

And he lightly tugged on the reigns to turn the horse around. As he did his eyes scanned the trees, just making sure there truly was no one there. The wind picked up, and a flurry of bats zoomed overhead, their multiple wings snapping like leather bonds. Gently Megladon obeyed his master, letting his head follow his body, and -

Vaeron froze. As did the horse. For right in front of them, where nothing had been before was now a series of elves. Armed. And not looking happy.