A Cold Coincidence: Part II (closed)

[SirArtemis]

(Continued from A Cold Coincidence: Part I (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=21081))


Artemis woke just as the first rays of sunlight twinkled through the window of his room in The Bearded Gnome, a tavern situated in the city of Knife's Edge. It was a humble establishment run by, and mostly for, dwarves. It was relieving to get a good night's rest on a comfortable bed and was something he had not experienced in some time.

Sitting up and stretching the stiffness from his limbs, Artemis noticed a tea set on the nightstand by the bed, and recalled requesting it the night before. However, yesterday had been such a full day that sleep had taken over quite quickly, and staying awake long enough for the tea to arrive proved impossible. Thoughts of embarrassment sprouted in his mind, but were quickly dismissed in hopes that an apology to the barkeep, Harki, would be sufficient.

Despite the tea being cold, Artemis decided to pour a cup. Deeply inhaling the pleasant herbal aroma, a smile painted itself across his face. This cup would be a pleasant start to the next few days.

However, sitting there on the bed, watching the light crawl along the walls and floor of the tiny room, he began to reflect on the prior day's events. It seemed like so much had happened in the span of a single day. Holding the tea with his left hand, the right crept to the hilt of his dagger, and his thumb found comfort over the engraving of the word "VIRTUE."

Coming to Knife's Edge for a bit of reprieve did not work out as intended. An unplanned encounter with an orc a few days prior prevented such. The vagabond didn't know whether a single orc a few days south of Knife's Edge was a threat, especially being that it was now dead.

When Artemis had arrived at The Bearded Gnome the day before, the dwarf barkeep introduced him to Rolvo, a member of the town watch and a dwarf. Rolvo had organized a scouting mission for Artemis to lead. In fact, the vagabond would go to rendezvous with the scouting party within the hour.

Finishing the rest of the tea, he brought the tray downstairs and saw Harki behind the bar, as expected. He placed the tea set down on the table.

"I'm sorry about passing out last night," Artemis apologized, "It was rude of me to request tea and not even drink it."
Harki chuckled, "Don't worry about it lad. Ye should probably head to the gates. When ye come back from the mission, I hope ye bring good news with ye. I'll give ye a meal when ye return. Be safe."
"Thanks, Harki," Artemis replied gratefully, "I'll hopefully see you soon. If all goes well, I'll be back within a week."

Harki nodded, and Artemis returned the nod with a smile and nod of his own. The barkeep had been kind, and the vagabond looked forward to getting to know the dwarf more. However, there were other matters to attend. With a turn, he stepped out of the door into the cool morning air and turned to give a final glance at the tavern. Tapping the wooden sign of The Bearded Gnome that hung over the door, and smiling as it swung back and forth, he set off for the gate to the city. He had only entered yesterday, and was already leaving. Seeing the gatekeeper again should prove amusing.

"I hope this orc situation turns out to be nothing," Artemis mumbled.

[SirArtemis]

Artemis wandered through the streets while trying to keep oriented by using St. Denebriel's Cathedral, an incredibly beautiful structure of gray stone and stained glass. The gigantic size and central location helped it serve as a compass for the vagabond, and for good reason. Knife's Edge was an incredibly large city. If that did not make it challenging enough to navigate, each street seemed to stand completely on its own with respect to appearance. There was a good chance that one moment you were in a wealthy district, and suddenly you were in the slums or markets. The Cathedral was the only hope of finding his way.

Soon enough, he found himself approaching the city gates. Seeing them from the other side did not remove the intimidation factor. They were large, heavy, and the very idea of breaking through made Artemis feel as helpless as an infant was.

In front of the gates stood the familiar face of the gatekeeper, flanked by two strangers. They all seemed to be watching him approach.

The gatekeeper was just over six feet in height, with a muscular figure and a goatee of dark blonde hair. He wore the town watch uniform, and a helmet that covered his head so completely that Artemis could not know if the man even had hair beneath it. He seemed average; at least compared to the two individuals flanking him.

To the left of the gatekeeper stood a towering giant of over seven feet in height, with an eccentric pink afro that made him barely less intimidating. The giant stood with arms crossed over his burly chest and showed a slight smirk.

To the right of the gatekeeper stood a dark elf woman, an incredibly beautiful one at that. She was about two inches shorter than Artemis was and had an incredibly toned, yet feminine figure. Slightly wavy Silver-violet hair fell down her back and over her shoulders, as she stood with a hand on her hip, placing the bulk of her weight on one leg.

Artemis wore a neutral expression while approaching the group. While standing only a few feet away from the party, he took a few seconds to make eye contact with each member.

"Well, I suppose introductions are in order," He said matter-of-factly.

[SirArtemis]

"Well, if it isn't 'Artemis of Alerar,'" The gatekeeper said playfully. "It seems I misjudged you. I would have never guessed that you actually came to this city in an attempt to help. I owe you an apology. Of course, I won't give you one until you return from this little mission. Moreover, no, I won't be going with you. I am just the intermediary in all of this. These two," he said while pointing to the two individuals at his sides, "will be your companions on this trip."

With that, both strangers gave an affirming nod to Artemis.

"It seems neither of you are members of the town watch, if I am not mistaken," Artemis prompted.

"That they aren't," replied the gatekeeper. "To my right, we have Jhaelkah," he said while gesturing to the dark elf woman.

"You may call me Jay," the dark elf answered. Her voice was melodious and very pleasant. She extended her delicate hand to Artemis, who took it and shook it firmly, yet gently. Jay smiled, already in the process of analyzing the man simply from his handshake.

"And this here on my left," the gatekeeper continued, now gesturing to the tall man, "is a fellow named Steppenwolf."

"A pleasure," replied the man in a soft, yet deep, voice. He smiled and extended his hand to Artemis as well. The vagabond's handshake was consistent. Again, he shook it firmly, yet gently, despite the incredible disparity between the size of his hand and that of Steppenwolf's.

Artemis took another moment to look them up and down, and nodded. Rolvo's choice for members for this scouting mission intrigued Artemis, yet he had taken a strange liking to dwarves and found that he trusted the judgment of the ones he had met so far. He looked forward to learning about what these two individuals had to offer in a scouting mission, and hoped that they would all return safely within a few days.

"Well," the gatekeeper carried on, "now that introductions are done, so is my job in all of this. I'm going back to the top of my lovely gate, and I'll open it up for the three of you to pass through. Best of luck on your mission, and I look forward to your return. Of course, that's assuming you have good news."

The gatekeeper winked, and then turned to climb the stairs of the wall to return to his post at the gate. The three individuals stared at each other for a moment, and let the silence sit between them.

"Well then," Artemis said, breaking the silence. "Let's get going, shall we? Hope everyone brought what they need."

[SirArtemis]

As the group stepped out of Knife's Edge, the giant gate swung shut behind them. Without even a glance back and Artemis leading, they headed toward the orc's camp.

"Don't die," yelled the gatekeeper.

Artemis grinned, feeling safe knowing no one would see. 'Morbid, but still funny,' he thought to himself. The gatekeeper was a bit amusing, despite his capacity to annoy.

__________________________________________________ ________________________________

The walk itself was rather interesting. Jay and Steppenwolf seemed to be getting along splendidly and were chatting without pause. Artemis, on the other hand, found himself not wanting to contribute much to the conversation. He kept a steady pace, walking toward the area where he had made camp just two nights prior. The conversation buzzing behind him created a steady noise that allowed the vagabond to fall into the corners of his mind.

His father...

Artemis was still trying to forget his past, though clearly it was a difficult task. It was too difficult to accept that his own father was an assassin for hire, a man killing for money. There was pride in smithing, a profession that Artemis had respected his father for, but learning of his true nature was overwhelming. His twenty-third birthday, and he received the worst birthday present he could: the truth about his father.

It wasn't just the father who was an assassin, it was the whole group that his father was a member of. Of course, this included the dark elf mentor of Artemis as well. No matter how much the past bothered the vagabond, he knew that he could not flee while living his current lifestyle. Every fight would be a reminder of the training he had undergone. Every blade that he clashed with, or even held, would remind him of his father's daytime profession. Every question about where he came from, where his family was, or even his smithing would be a reminder.

Artemis would need to find a way to come to terms with his past, he just didn't yet know how.

Meanwhile, of the two who followed Artemis silently along their path, the beautiful dark elf was eyeing the leader with curiosity. Jay seemed to notice something about the vagabond that she was not yet willing to talk about, and her knowing smirk was a testament to that.

[SirArtemis]

Jay was a somewhat young dark elf, with respect to the race itself. Though some are known to live upwards of hundreds of years, she was barely over one hundred, and by human standards, looked no older than a day over thirty. Her body was well refined due to her active lifestyle, and it was common for her to be approached by countless men seeking pleasure. Though none were successful, she still found it amusing how persistent some human men truly were. Though somewhat admirable, it was also somewhat stupid. The dark elf men were a completely different story, and she found them to be ruder than the humans. Many of them felt they had the right to choose their mate, and that the woman had no voice. Needless to say, some of these men lost their lives due to such assumptions. She was not one to be pushed around.

What struck her eye right now was the particular human leading the group. He seemed very sure of himself, yet very unsure of others. She sensed that something must have happened in his past that closed him off to the world, and she was curious to find what it was. It would have been easy to use her beauty as a tool to uncover that fact, but something else caught her eye that made her feel that this man must be one of value. There was a bow strapped to his back, and one that Jay easily recognized. She knew the prior owner of the bow, and she wanted to see just how Artemis had come to possess such a powerful weapon.

She looked to her right, to the enormous man with the pink afro, and offered him a smile. She then quickened her pace so that she could walk beside Artemis and have a brief conversation.

“Artemis, was it?” The dark elf asked, “I noticed you are carrying an incredibly beautiful bow on your back. Might I ask where you came across such an item?”

Confused, Artemis turned to face Jay, noticing her sharp blue eyes staring back at him; eyes that challenged even Artemis’ on their incredible ice-like blue.
“I bought it in Knife’s Edge yesterday,” he replied hesitantly, “I actually have no idea how to even fire a bow. I mean, I have an idea; I just haven’t gotten a chance to try it out. I’m not an archer, by any means.”

Prodding Artemis along, Jay continued with her sweet, yet forward, interrogation, “how much does a bow like that cost?”

“Actually,” Artemis answered, “I managed to snag it for only 75 gold coins and a few promises.” Artemis smiled, “the old bowyer seemed to like me.”

'Seventy five?!' Jay could not imagine how this particular bowyer would sell this particular bow for so little; in fact, she never imagined he would sell it for any price. In the past, she had seen men offer incredible amounts of money only to be turned down. Something was amiss. She knew the man Artemis spoke of, and personally. He was not a very amiable individual, even among his friends. To show this kind of generosity to a complete stranger was completely unheard of. Then, she noticed Artemis’ hand on his dagger. There was clearly no danger in site. Surely he did not consider his group members a threat, so why the precaution?

“Why do you keep your hand on your dagger? Are you afraid of something,” she teased.

Artemis looked down, and realized that he was rubbing his thumb on the word “VIRTUE” of his dagger again, a subconscious habit he had picked up.

“It seems you are a curious individual,” he replied, “To be honest, I don’t even realize when I’m doing it. It has become a strange comfort for me. I had another dagger, but some dwarves broke it. They wanted to prove to me how awful my dagger was, and they managed.”

“That wasn’t very nice,” Jay comforted, “why would they go do something like that?”

“Well,” continued Artemis, “I wanted an apprenticeship. They wanted to see how good my work was, and they thought it was terrible. He offered to prove to me that it was, and I had confidence in my work. That confidence was broken just like the blade was. One strike and his dagger broke mine right in two.”

With that, Artemis took out the dagger he had on loan, and handed it to the dark elf.

Jay smiled politely, and then handled the blade, looking it over. Another bit of shock struck her when she saw the artisan’s signature. The little emblem at the base of the blade was of a dwarf she knew very well; a close friend of hers named Bazzak Norlond. Now, things seemed to be making a bit more sense.

“So, who are these dwarves,” she asked, just for the sake of removing assumptions.

“The Norlond Brothers,” the vagabond answered. “Nalin and Bazzak Norlond. They own a smithy called The Norlond Forge.”

With the names spoken aloud, and with no doubt in her mind who the bow Artemis now wore belonged to previously, she began to understand what it was that she had noticed about this human; It was likely the same thing that the other three friends of hers had noticed. Artemis had a strange aura he gave off, an aura of someone who would make a difference in the world. The old man entrusted him with his bow, and the dwarves promised to teach him their craft. She didn’t doubt that they’d do more than that for the boy, by their standards.

“Well,” she smiled, “I hope these new weapons come in handy. That is, if we do find anything. We’ll talk soon later.” With that, she handed him back the dagger, and fell back beside the massive human. He nodded at her and smiled, and she returned the gesture, before sparking up the conversation where they had left off. This could prove a very interesting trip. She reminded herself to thank Rolvo for it later.

[SirArtemis]

What a strange conversation, Artemis thought. He didn't understand her sudden interest in the bow on his back, though there was no disagreement that it was beautiful. There was also no argument of how beautiful Jay was.

Though the conversation was unexpected, it was definitely pleasant. Being so close to the beautiful dark elf allowed the vagabond to get a good look at her eyes and face. Every little detail about her was a perfect complement to the other. Her warm smile, piercing eyes, smooth skin and so much more; Artemis found he was melting under her gaze. Despite this, he maintained his demeanor and his facade held firm.

It was a strange sensation for the young man. Being so accustomed to hiding his past and bottling things up, there was no reason to let it all out. Yet he found himself wanting to do just that. There was something warm and comforting about the dark elf's demeanor, though Artemis' intuition told him to be wary of her. He had learned to listen to his intuition, but he could not deny how hard it seemed to be for his heart to agree.

Artemis shook his head in denial. Trusting the heart was not an option. In fact, it was the very reason the past was as haunting as it was. The vagabond had learned that letting the heart make decisions usually ended up in feelings of hurt, as if it indulged in self-inflicted punishment.

For now, the decision was to maintain the walls that he had built up around his heart. The ice fortress around his heart that kept him safe was the only line of defense from making emotional mistakes, which were the kind that he could not afford to make, especially when his life was on the line.

He had no idea that this dark elf would become one of the most important people in his life.

[SirArtemis]

The day was ending, and the group had made good time with their brisk pace. The sun had already made its way over the horizon, and the sky had turn into a myriad of soft colors. There were oranges, purples, reds, yellows and blues. All the while, the colors reflected off the soft white powder that covered the ground, making the world seem dreamlike. The land was mostly open and flat with the exception of the mountains off in the distance and the slight hilliness of the terrain.

As they began to settle down, the seven-foot-four man named Steppenwolf set down a cube no larger than Artemis' fist. He stepped back a couple of yards, and pulled another trinket out of his pocket. This was another cube, but was about a fifth of the size of the one that now sat on the ground. He opened it by unfolding it right down the middle, and there were two buttons inside, one red and one black. Pushing the red button, the partner cube that sat on the ground began to unfold in a spiral pattern, dropping off small layers until it created a flat square about twenty inches on each side. Then, without warning, the square erupted in green and blue flames.

Artemis and Jay, both of whom had remained silent during Steppenwolf's little demonstration, stared in awe. They then made eye contact with one another, ensuring that they both had seen the same thing, and simultaneously glanced over at Steppenwolf. As he closed the cube he had held in his hand, he returned the activating cube into his pocket with a satisfied smile. Only then did he realize that both of his party members were gazing at him, as if demanding an explanation.

"I'm an inventor," he said nonchalantly, with a shrug. "I live in Salvar's wild and sometimes I try to find ways to make my life a bit easier. I realized that I generally need a campfire when I travel, so I created this nifty little device. The cube is lined with a flammable material that will burn up to fifty hours before needing to be refilled."

He pulled the little cube out that he had recently pocketed, and continued his explanation. "This cube will cause its larger partner to open and close. When we are done, I'll push this black button, the cube will close up, and the flames will be put out. When I need it again, I'll just activate it again by pushing the red button. I also brought enough for three refills, which should be more than enough to last us for this journey together."

With a satisfied smile, Steppenwolf returned the small cube to his pocket for the second time, and sat by the flame.

"Well then," he looked up at Artemis, "who'll be taking the first watch?"

[SirArtemis]

"I'll do it," Artemis offered, "I'm not really tired yet anyways."

"I'll take the middle of the night," Jay offered, "My eyes will be more effective during the darkest hours than either of yours."

"Well," Steppenwolf smiled, "I suppose that leaves me with the morning shift before we leave. I am glad that we have things settled. Goodnight."

With that, the two began to settle in for bed, still somehow chatting about one thing or another. Artemis could not imagine being able to maintain a conversation for such a long period. What could you possibly talk about for that long?

Not too long after, Artemis could hear the slow breathing of the man with the pink afro. It seemed he had dozed off rather quickly. There wasn't any movement of the dark elf, so it was likely she had fallen asleep as well. His gaze fell to the blue and green flames that sizzled in front of him. He had to admit, it was a neat contraption, and it was not as blinding as a normal fire. It gave an odd hue to the surroundings that made the vagabond feel as if he was in some ritual chamber. It was quiet, and the flames burned steadily.

Artemis took a deep breath of the cold and crisp air, slowly letting it out and watching the misty breath drift away, slipping back into the corners of his mind. His eyes were looking upon the flames and ears were alert to noise, but the mind seemed to have left its vessel. Thumb on dagger, he sat in silence. It wasn't easy for the young man to stop the thoughts of his past from whirling about, but there was something about this fire that was mesmerizing. Mind clear, he found a sense of tranquility that he had never before experienced. It was like a meditative trance.

Suddenly, the world around him began to change spectrum. He was so deep into his trance that he didn't even notice. The flames in front of him changed from green and blue to a dandelion yellow. However, nearly everything else around him maintained a blue hue to it. That is, everything except for the two bodies that lay by the fire, which were also glowing yellow with a bit of red. It was as if they were on fire as well. If Artemis even noticed this shift, he didn't show it. He simply sat there, not moving, staring at the now yellow flames that jumped before his eyes.

"Artemis?" asked Jay. "Are you alright?"

Hearing the dark elf's voice, Artemis fell out of his trance. Only then did he notice that she looked yellow to him, and almost immediately, his vision transitioned back to the normal spectrum.

"Yes, why?" He questioned.

"Well, I turned over to get more comfortable, and I saw that you weren't moving. Then, I noticed your eyes..." Jay said with concern.

"What about them?" Artemis replied, with a confused look on his face.

"Well," continued Jay, though hesitantly, "I couldn't see too clearly, but it looked as if both of your eyes went completely black."

"That's silly," Artemis replied lightheartedly. "How is that even possible? My eyes are blue, you saw that earlier when we spoke, and now too."

__________________________________________________ _____________________________

Jay nodded, though still a bit hesitant. She remembered his eyes earlier that day, and they were indeed a piercing blue, much like her own. However, it was difficult to doubt what her eyes had just seen. The problem was that there was no way of explaining it, and it set her on edge a bit. The dark elf had never heard of a human's eyes going black like that. For now, he seemed back to normal, and she found herself in need of some sleep. Turning over and closing her eyes, she began to drift off; though now, she was sleeping in a much more alert state.

__________________________________________________ _____________________________


Artemis had no idea what the dark elf was talking about. The idea that his eyes went completely black was absurd and unheard of. There was absolutely no explanation for it. However, he still could not shake the brief image he saw just as he came out of his trance: the yellow glowing body that was now the dark elf. What had he seen?

Worrying about it now seemed pointless, but given that he was still on watch with nothing else to do but think, he had no other choice. This would be a long watch.

[SirArtemis]

The next few hours were nothing more than an endless stream of thoughts. Time had blurred together into a blob of disconnected and scattered thoughts. Moments passed so quickly that before Artemis even realized, his shift was nearly done.

He heard some rustling over by the dark elf, and looked away from the green and blue flames over to her. She was facing him, eyes completely open.

"You know," Artemis said, "That is a bit creepy. How long have you been staring at me?"

Jay smiled, "A few minutes. I thought you had frozen over and become a statue."

Artemis smiled before replying, "Nope, still flesh and bone. Alive and everything." Laughing slightly he returned his gaze to the flames and let his smile slowly fall off his face.

"So what were the promises," asked the curious dark elf.

"Promises?" Artemis asked, confused for a moment before realizing what she was referring to. "You're still on about those? They were just a few silly requests by an old man, nothing to be concerned over."

"Does that mean you aren't going to tell me," she teased.

Artemis looked over to her again, this time finding that melting gaze looking over to him, and found he couldn't resist. He was still afraid of what this feeling meant, but he was becoming too tired to be able to analyze it. Instead, he just answered her question.

"Well, if you really want to know, I'll tell you," Artemis began. "The first was to not let anyone touch the bow, ever." He paused, and watched her nod before continuing. "The second was to not commit evil deeds, especially with the bow," again, a pause and nod of recognition. "The third was to come back every once in a while and tell the man of my adventures.” Artemis smiled, “Not a bad deal, if you ask me.”

With a final nod, Jay smiled and said, "You're right, they are silly. Now get some sleep. I kept your spot warm for you, sweetie," the dark elf teased, running her hand across his face.

He did not react, other than to get up and move over to where she slept. Without a word, and showing no sign that what the dark elf had just done affected him, he lay in her spot on his side facing away from her. Listening to the steady breathing of the one called Steppenwolf and feeling the penetrating gaze of Jay on his back, he tried to fall asleep. That would have been an easier task if the smell of lavender that the dark elf had left in this spot wasn't tickling Artemis' nose, reminding him how vulnerable she really made him.

[SirArtemis]

The night passed uneventfully and Artemis managed to get a few hours of sleep. As night turned into day and the sun began to rise over the eastern horizon, the real world began to make its way into the vagabond's consciousness. The dark landscape that was the inside of his eyelids shifted into a drape of gold and blue.

Lifting the heavy eyelids, he noticed that the pair he was traveling with was sitting side by side on a nearby rock, talking quietly to pass the time. They were watching the sunrise together. Artemis sat up and noticed that the area where Steppenwolf's contraption had been was now just a circular area of melted snow. The fluttering breeze carried light flakes of snow across the terrain, quickly covering any evidence of the party's stay.

"Should we get going?" he asked his companions.

They both turned, smiling to see that he was now awake.

"Ah, Artemis," Steppenwolf greeted. "It's nice to see you've woken. We just finished gathering our things in preparation to set off. Seeing as you didn't really bring anything that needed gathering, we decided to let you sleep in a bit while we watched the sunrise. We were about to wake you. Are you ready to head out?"

With a stretch, Artemis nodded and began to stand to his feet. "So is it safe to assume we're all set then?" He asked the others.

"Yup!" Jay responded excitedly. "Good to go, Sir Artemis!" Artemis was not a knight, by any measure; Jay was simply flirtatiously teasing the vulnerable human youth.

"I'm ready when you are," agreed the giant man.

"Well, off we go then. We will have to talk a bit of strategy during our walk, so let's not waste any more time." Artemis concluded his brief instructions with a nod, and with a quick glance around, set off in the direction they needed to go.

[SirArtemis]

"Okay, by the end of the day we should be where I encountered the orc," Artemis stated plainly. "I don't expect anything to be at that camp, but I really wouldn't want to walk right into an ambush. Do either of you have any suggestions?"

The two others looked at each other before Steppenwolf nodded to Jay, allowing her to speak first. "Well it would probably be wise to avoid going all the way to the camp in daylight for obvious reasons." The others nodded in agreement before she continued. "We can leave the last half-hour to the night, and do our scouting then. If we must, I can perform the scouting myself with both of you keeping my rear flank covered. I have light feet and eyes that can see in the dark; not to mention my tracking abilities."

After letting the information sink in, Steppenwolf had his own contributions to make. "I have a fairly good knowledge of the terrain, as well as the habits of orcs. If there is a larger group of them, they are likely to be up in the mountains in a cave. We likely won't fight them in the open." He turned to Jay before continuing, "I'm sure you realize that orcs are also adept at using infra-vision for seeing at night, yes?"

Jay gave a knowing smile and shrugged. "Of course I knew that. I don't expect to find anything though. Even if I did, I'd want to have all of the fun for myself!" She laughed with a wink.

Steppenwolf suddenly took on a slightly more serious tone before saying, "I don't want you doing something stupid and getting hurt. That is the exact reason I offered to join you, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," replied Jay. "But don't you forget that I'm no novice to these lands myself." She grinned at the giant man and continued. "I know my way around these mountains, and I even know which caves they are likely to be in. Tonight I'll do some quick scouting on my own, and I'll be quick about it."

Reluctantly, Steppenwolf agreed. "I have one condition."

"What's that, FATHER," Jay teased playfully.

Steppenwolf reached into his pocket and pulled out an odd-looking cylinder. It was about four inches in length, and about an inch in diameter. The cylinder was pink, with about a half inch of white on the tip. Out of the bottom came a durable black string that was stuck to the side of the cylinder with a bit of wax. Handing it Jay, he began to explain, "If you find yourself in any danger, you aim the white end into the sky and pull on the black string as hard and fast as you can."

Jay looked at the silly contraption, and began giggling. "What's this thing do?"

Steppenwolf crossed his arms over his chest. "That will shoot out a red ball of fire into the sky to alert us of where you are. The ball of fire isn't dangerous, but it will be bright enough to let us know that you need help. Just know that using it will draw attention to you, so make sure you use it if you already have their attention."

Jay tucked the cylinder into her belt and nodded appreciatively at the large man. It seemed his pockets were full of nifty little gadgets.

Artemis' thoughts followed along the same path, curiosity leading the way. 'What else could this man have to offer? This inventor is a genius.'

"Well," Artemis concluded, "that took less time than expected. You two make it very easy to set up a strategy. I'm glad I have you by my side."

Artemis gave both of them an awkward grin. The words had come out somewhat awkward, forced almost. It seemed as if he felt the need to give praise rather than wanting to.

The two companions exchanged a knowing smile, understanding the awkwardness that Artemis must be feeling. He was young, after all, and it seemed he was not the "leader" type, to say the least; at least not yet.

[SirArtemis]

The group continued in the same formation as the day before, Artemis leading while the two others conversed with one another a few steps behind. With the strategy set in place, there was nothing left to do but make it to their destination.

Artemis continued south toward the mountains while tilting his head to the west to watch the sun making its descent. His mind found some clarity in the simple, yet elegant perspective that the powdery snow provided. A look up at the sky showed a crisp blue landscape with a single glowing orb. A look down would show a sparkling white landscape with a shimmering and distorted reflection of the orb. The world seemed to have two versions of the same image, and if one did not know any better, it would be impossible to tell which surface was the reflection, and which was the original.

Artemis stopped walking, still looking off to the side.

"Is something wrong, Artemis?" Steppenwolf questioned.

Artemis did not immediately respond. He turned to face the west and squatted down, continuing to stare for a few moments before speaking.

"Look out to the west. What you see before you is an image that your mind is interpreting. Remove all prior knowledge that may help you interpret what you see. Remove the vessel that you are attached to which lets you interpret that image. View it as a simple painting of something you had never seen in your life. Does it not seem odd that there would honestly be no way of knowing which surface is the one reflected, and which is the original?"

Jay and Steppenwolf exchanged confused glances, slightly perturbed by the strange comment that they had just heard the vagabond make.

"Since when are you the philosophical type?" Jay asked.

Steppenwolf could not help but laugh. "I don't know you very well Artemis, but that does seem odd. Is everything alright?"

Artemis continued to stare off into the distance, and attempted to explain.

"I guess it just seems strange. The three of us can all be looking at the same thing, but it can mean something so different to each of us. Even something as simple as the sun setting and reflecting off the snow, yet you would think that we would all agree that it is just a sunset. I guess it just never really hit me how much perspective plays into these things, though you would think it would be obvious. Would we ever have the same perspective on anything?"

He looked at them both, with a look of plea and sadness in his eyes that seemed to go much deeper than a question about a sunset.

Jay spoke in a comforting tone while placing an arm around the young man gently, "Come now, Artemis. Now is not the time to be thinking of such things. Let us do what we came here to do. When we return to Knife's Edge, I bet Harki can give you all the answers you need about perspective."

They started walking south again, Jay looking back to give Steppenwolf a concerned look. He merely shrugged, unsure of what to do and unsure of where this thought had even come from.

[SirArtemis]

The sun had already finished its descent and only a bit of light remained. It seemed that as the sun had set for the night, so had Artemis' mood. He walked with his head down, staring only a few feet in front of him. It was clear that he was troubled, and the two others flanked Artemis in an attempt to give him support. Neither was sure of what to do or say at a time like this, but they hoped it would not interfere with their mission here. It seemed that Jay going alone to scout did not seem like such a bad idea after all.

Artemis looked a bit into the distance and spotted the camp he had encountered a few days prior. It was almost impossible to notice, but the faint glow of the moon reflecting off the snow gave enough light to determine anomalies. He simply raised his hand to point in the direction, the two others following his gaze to see the camp.

"The mountains seem to be fairly close," Steppenwolf stated. "Artemis and I can wait at that old camp and keep an eye out for your distress signal, if the need arises. We should be able to arrive on scene fairly quickly from this location."

"I agree," Jay responded. "There are three caves nearby that I know of in this area. There are two that are quite close to one another a bit north, and a smaller further south. I do not expect to take long, so if I am gone for more than three hours, come looking for me."

With a wink, Jay sped off ahead of the group, silently fading into the shadows.

"Well Artemis, if there is anything you want to talk about, I am more than willing to listen. However, it seems you would like some space to yourself, so I will patrol the immediate vicinity, and you can feel free to rest up here. Use this, it should keep you warm."

Steppenwolf tossed Artemis a thick and large blanket before walking off to set up a perimeter.

Artemis wrapped himself in the blanket and sat on the ground. If anyone were to sneak up and attack him, there was a good probably that they would have killed him. Distracted, constricted and unable to escape his own thoughts, it seemed the world was closing in around him. The vagabond was falling into his thoughts more frequently than normal, though he was not aware of it.

If Artemis had any affinity to magic, he may have been able to detect the cause of his strange mood and frequent reflective moments. His bow, Judicis, was trying to send its new owner a message. The bow was sentient, but it was not a domineering weapon. The wielder would only come to understand the true power of the bow when they entered a particular state of mind. For starters, Artemis' grudge against his father was holding the bow back from communicating with the young man. The only way Judicis could currently influence the wielder was by nudging the emotions and thoughts into a more desirable direction. Artemis' utter ignorance of what was going on made it far easier for the bow to accomplish its goals, and it seemed like the nudging was working.

Artemis sat, eyes staring at the moon's reflection on the snow. The sight was very similar to the image of the sun he had seen earlier in that day, but darker. The light was softer on the eyes and the chilly air gave a crisp and refreshing feeling to the lungs. Staring off at the reflection, the young man began to enter a meditative trance, similar to the one he had been in the night prior.

Thoughts crossed the vagabond's mind regarding his father; the last image he had seen of the old man was him laying on the ground. For the first time, Artemis actually remembered the expression his father wore. It was a sad and pained expression, and one that Artemis could not shake from his mind. The memory was so sudden, and it just seemed odd that for one reason or another, the way he had remembered it was not the way he saw it now. Why was his father sad? It was his father's fault that all of this happened in the first place, was it not?

Artemis tried to shake off the image and simply focused on the moon's reflection. He felt empty, wanting nothing more than to be left alone, both by the people around him and by his own mind.

The bow knew not to push an individual's mind beyond certain points. Accepting his past would be a process for the young man, and Judicis knew to show patience. With that, the bow released its push toward the past and helped push toward clarity. Artemis felt a mental release take over, and a refreshing emptiness. Staring at the reflection of the moon, with nothing on his mind, his eyes began to shift again. Slowly, the world began to change color. The white light of the moon disappeared as the world turned blue.

His vision shifted, Artemis noticed something odd off in the distance. There were three human-like figures walking in a line, glowing orange and red off in the distance. Given by their size and shape, they looked to be orcs, and they were about a hundred meters out.

The shock of the image took the vagabond out of his meditative stance, and he threw the blanket off his shoulders. Just as he was about to get up, he felt a big hand on his shoulder.

[SirArtemis]

Jay reveled in the crisp, cool air of Salvar. She was not originally from the frigid environment, but found herself in love with it. She moved quickly along the powdery snow, steps light and quick, heading for the northernmost cave. The air rolled down the mountainside and a gentle breeze lifted silver-violet locks of hair into the wind behind her. The freedom such adventure and exploration provided the woman was unparalleled.

As she approached the base of the mountain, she made quick work of the difficult terrain. Hopping from one rock to the next, the dark elf used her infra-vision to distinguish between patches of rock and patches of ice, quickly scaling the base of the mountainside. Less than half an hour passed since she had parted ways with her companions and she was already at the first cave, carefully approaching to see if there was anything to fear.

The snow was untouched around the entrance and nothing seemed out of place. There was a small circular formation of rocks where passers-by might make a small campfire inside the cave, though almost entirely covered with snow. It was clear that this cave was untouched for some time, so Jay made her way to the next one.

__________________________________________________ __________

Jay had encountered a similar scene in the second cave as she had in the first. Another untouched area with no signs of anyone being nearby. Her hopes rose that she would not likely see anything this night, and that Artemis' encounter was not a sign of bigger things.

She was on her way to the third and final cave but stopped mid stride. Her ears picked up a noise, and she pushed up against the wall. Closing her eyes so that she could focus strictly on the noise, she heard slight clanging sounds coming further south of her current position. As she put her ear closer to the stone, it was a bit louder. Confused, she slowly began to creep south, being more careful than earlier.

Creeping along the side of the mountain, she came across a cave that was not supposed to be there. The dark elf had not anticipated this, but it seemed there was a new formation. Knowing that caves do not just form for the sake of forming, she knew someone had to be behind this. Whether it was orcs was a completely different story.

The cave was emitting a bit of light, so she reverted to the normal spectrum. Hearing a bit of guttural voices, she was being extra cautious as she peeked around the corner. She saw less than a dozen orcs swinging away with their pickaxes, chipping away at what looked like a small ore deposit. Near the exit of the cave, she saw a small mining cart a quarter full with a white ore. She had an idea of what this ore was, but she was not sure. She reached in, careful not to be seen, and took a small sample to take back to the dwarves. She knew they would be able to verify the ore in the time it took her to open the palm of her hand.

Tucking the ore into a small pouch on her belt, she doubled back before climbing back down the mountain and heading to the camp where Artemis and Steppenwolf waited. She could not anticipate the scene that awaited her.

[SirArtemis]

Artemis’ heart stopped as he reacted instinctively. He pulled his right dagger out of its sheath using his right hand. Falling to the ground and turning, the vagabond slashed with a reverse grip toward the origin of the hand. As his hand flew through the air, a hand clasped itself around the young man’s wrist, stopping its motion completely.

“Good reflex,” said a deep, yet soft voice. “You realize an orc would never put their hand on your shoulder like that, right? They’d likely just cleave your head off while you aren’t looking.”

Artemis was staring at what looked like a human face, but seemed to be wearing some contraption over his eyes. If it were not for the pink afro, he would not have recognized him as Steppenwolf.

He relaxed his muscles before asking, “What the heck is on your face?”

“Could you at least speak quieter? There are orcs just south of us,” Steppenwolf whispered. “These goggles allow me the same vision that Jay has. I can see differences in temperature the way infra-vision allows. That’s how I noticed them off in the distance. We need to stay low near the snow to avoid them noticing us, though we will have to get lucky for them not to. If they see what I see, we might as well be a campfire to their eyes."

The two men lay on their stomachs, using the blanket as somewhat of a barrier from the freezing cold. From a distance, the eyes of the orcs would see an odd rectangular area of warmth.

As the two men lay there, Artemis found himself wanting to know more about Steppenwolf's goggles. The way he described it seemed very similar to what Artemis had seen while wrapped in the blanket.

"So..." Artemis began, "Would I be able to put those goggles on for a quick second?"

The odd-looking face turned toward Artemis, and smiled. "Sure, but I will need them back," the big man replied.

As Steppenwolf handed Artemis the goggles, the vagabond slipped them on and felt a bit of shock at what he saw. It was an exact replica of what he had seen just minutes ago through his own eyes. Struck with confusion, he looked over to Steppenwolf, and then back to the orcs. He took the goggles off and handed them back to Steppenwolf without a word.

"Well what did you want to see?" Steppenwolf asked.

"Nothing in particular," Artemis lied, "I just wanted to see how far the orcs were."

'What is going on?' Artemis thought, 'How could I see infra-vision without any goggles? I am not an elf or an orc.'

Artemis strained to focus all his attention on the image burned into his mind, hoping somehow to shift his vision back to the infra-vision spectrum, without any knowledge of how to do so. Of course, the young man was not alone in his attempt, and with the sentient bow's aid, he was able to make the transition rather quickly.

As the world went from empty blackness to different shades of blue, the vagabond attempted to maintain focus and sustain his new vision. He could now see the three orcs off in the distance, just as they began to turn to approach the group.

"It seems they've noticed us," Steppenwolf informed Artemis, "Though if we stay completely still, we may be able to get a jump on them from a bit of range."

Artemis nodded, not letting Steppenwolf know that he could see exactly what the big man was seeing. He thought about using his bow, but he had no experience. If he were going to try to fire it at all, it would have to wait until the orcs were close enough. So that's what the two men did; they patiently waited.

[SirArtemis]

Jay was making her way back to the mountainside that she had climbed not long ago, contemplating what the presence of these orcs meant. It was obvious what they were doing, but the question was why?

The thought crossed her mind that this was an independent tribe of orcs simply looking to profit, and if the metal she found was indeed the one she thought, then the orcs could make quite a profit at that. However, it seemed that orcs sharing any profit properly among them was about as likely as Salvar turning into a vacation spot for people seeking a tan.

The real concern was that this group of orcs was only a small portion of a larger threat. The reality that these orcs may be mining ore for building an arsenal was a bit frightening. This would unlikely be a threat to most people of Salvar, especially Knife's Edge. The majority of the orcs were in the northern mountains, held at bay by the countless barbarian tribes who lined the base of the mountains.

Despite the sound reasoning, Jay could not shake the feeling that something was definitely wrong. Organizing orcs was not an easy thing to do. The larger the groups became the more tribes they involved, and the more unrest. The only effective way for orcs to organize was under a single powerful leader. Though this could be an orc, it seemed much more likely to be a non-orc simply because of the lack of intelligence among orcs. By no means were they fools, but they were not known for their tactics, not to mention that they were cowards.

If someone was pulling some strings behind the scenes, this could become a much bigger situation than a single orc. Artemis' strange encounter, connected to the mining orcs or not, may have been quite a lucky find.

Regardless of what the mining orcs were doing, it was not something Jay could know. Time would tell. For now, she had to return to her companions and head back to Knife's edge. They would need to consult Rolvo and see what he thought, as well as some other individuals that the dark elf knew.

As the woman approached the area where she had left her party earlier, she saw five figures off in the distance, glowing orange and red. Two of the figures were laying on their backs, one of which had a figure standing over it. Without a second thought, she pulled out her bow and rushed toward the group.

[SirArtemis]

As Artemis lay on the ground by Steppenwolf, he could see the three orcs approaching, weapons drawn. They were about thirty meters out, and getting within range of Judicis. It was a shame that Artemis had never fired a bow, but he had an idea of how it worked and hoped that things would work out.

Quickly getting to one knee, Artemis pulled out his bow and strung an arrow, his inexperience apparent. By the time he was ready to fire, the orcs had already run ten meters. Artemis let his first arrow fly hoping for the best. The arrow managed to hit an orc in the thigh out of sheer luck. It had not done much damage, and as the orc broke the shaft of the arrow off, tossing it aside, Artemis began to string another arrow.

At this point, Steppenwolf had stood up. His towering seven-foot-four figure slowed the orcs' approach, though only slightly. He took a solid-white metal round shield off his back, the diameter of which was about the length of Artemis' arm. As Steppenwolf took his stance, Artemis finished stringing another arrow. The orcs were no more than ten meters out at this point. The big man threw his shield like a discus at the incoming orcs, and the white disc flew through the air.

The metal shield was cold and the orcs could never anticipate the attack using their infra-vision. The disc slammed the orc on the left in the head, knocking him to the ground and leaving him unconscious.

Artemis' had a bit more luck with his next arrow, though a bit of help from the sentient bow played its part. Artemis felt a tingle in his fingertips just as he let his next arrow fly, sending it piercing through the stomach of the orc he had struck earlier.

With the orcs only a few meters away, the vagabond slung his bow over his back and pulled out his two daggers, taking on a defensive crouch. At the same time, Steppenwolf pulled out a pair of matching tonfas, one solid white and one solid pink. Gripping the weapons and letting the length of the weapon sit parallel with his forearms, the giant man took his stance as well.

The two remaining orcs prepared to charge the pair. The one with the two arrows protruding from his body wielded a large two-handed maul. One of his tusks was broken, and a single large scar marred his muscular physique diagonally across the chest. The other wielded a longsword in one hand, and looked to be a novice of combat. He had no marks to show he had experienced any serious wounds, and he seemed rather young.

As the orcs came close, they roared in rage. The one with the maul lifted the weapon overhead and swung at Artemis. The vagabond sidestepped to the right, letting the weapon crash into the ground. He slashed with his right dagger, leaving a small gash on the left forearm of the orc. The wound barely made the orc flinch. He growled, swinging the maul left off the ground, aiming to take out the man's legs. Barely able to react, he tried to leap over the maul, but it managed to clip him on one foot. Falling forward to the ground, he rolled away, trying to spring up to his feet. However, the orc had moved quickly, slashing from Artemis' right. Without his footing properly set, there was no way to dodge the attack effectively, forcing the man to parry with his right blade. The force of the blow was too much to handle, launching the dagger out of his hand where it landed about five meters away in the snow.

The orc raised the maul above his head again, hoping to crush his enemy in one blow. The vagabond reacted by adopting the same stance the dwarf had used with the very same dagger; he held the blade with both hands above his head and stood bracing for impact, hoping that this would be sufficient to block the attack. As the maul came crashing down, the sturdy metal of Bazzak Norlond's artisanship held steady, and the shaft of the orc's massive weapon bent. However, the force of the attack was too much, and the momentum of the hammerhead slammed into the vagabond's back, knocking the wind out of him. As he fell forward to his knees, the orc kneed the man in his face, sending him sprawled out onto his back. Vision blurred and feeling a bit off balance, Artemis lay on his back, the icy chill of the snow on the back of his head creating immense contrast with the warm blood trickling down his face. Looking up, he could make out the form of the orc with his arms above his head. Expecting the hammer to come crashing down into his chest, he tried to steady himself, but his head kept spinning. A couple seconds passed without anything happening, and as the vagabond's vision cleared, he saw an arrow pierced through the temple of the orc.

Meanwhile, Steppenwolf had his own problems. The man was far more experienced in combat than Artemis, and stood strong against his novice opponent. The orc ran forward, slashing at the giant man. Steppenwolf easily blocked the attack with the left tonfa and swung the right out to crack the orc on the side of the skull. Stumbling back, the orc roared and charged forward with an overhead swing of his sword. Holding the tonfa up in a criss-cross, he stopped the blade before kicking out with his right foot, launching the orc back to the ground. Steppenwolf replaced his tonfa, hoping that he had proven to the orc that he would be no match for the pink-haired man. After all, Steppenwolf was half-orc, and though he rejected that part of his heritage, he still preferred not to harm orcs. The orc lay on his back, looking up at the massive man before him, realizing that he was doomed if he were to stay. Leaving his sword on the ground, he stood up and quickly started to flee, running past the still unconscious orc who had been on the receiving end of Steppenwolf's shield-throw. After making it about twenty meters away, an arrow found its way into the back of his skull, and he fell forward into the snow. Steppenwolf winced at the sight.

The arrow that had found its way into the back of the orc's skull, as well as through the temples of the orc Artemis had been engaged with, belonged to Jay. She had managed to get within range just as Artemis had fallen to the ground after getting the orc's knee to the face, stringing her bow and letting loose an arrow as the hammer rose above the orc's head. After seeing the shot hit its target, she turned to the next orc that was apparently fleeing from the intimidating prowess of Steppenwolf. Her next shot landed perfectly as well, burying itself into the back of the orc's skull. She ran to her companions to check on them.

Artemis watched the orc tumble to the side just as his vision finally recovered, though it had reverted to the normal spectrum as the knee made impact with his face. Unsure of what happened, he looked around and saw Steppenwolf standing and looking off in the distance. Despite following the big man's gaze, Artemis' eyes could no longer see what had happened. He simply heard a grunt as the arrow entered the orc's skull.

Steppenwolf walked over to Artemis, handing him a pink cloth to stem the flow of blood.

"Tilt your head back, it will help the blood stop," Steppenwolf advised.

Artemis obeyed, watching Steppenwolf walk away. 'When did he manage to get his shield?' Thought Artemis, seeing the shield on the man's back, though the orc the shield had hit was still ten meters away. He then saw the dark elf approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"Talk about good timing," Artemis said, holding his nose to stem the blood, making his voice sound odd.

For the first time since Artemis had met the woman, she had a serious look on her face. Suddenly, she heard a shuffle behind her as the unconscious orc stirred, recovering from the shield that he took to the face and getting to his knees. The woman turned quickly, pulling back on her bow, and letting an arrow fly into the orc's throat. The orc grabbed at the new wound, feeling the warm blood trickle over his fingers, realizing that he had woken just long enough to die.

Jay spoke quickly, "We need to hide the bodies. There is a new cave that I was not aware of filled with orcs mining." With that, she removed the bit of ore and tossed it to Artemis, who caught it with one hand. Looking at it, he had no idea of what the metal might be, but tucked the white lump into his pocket. "Show that to your dwarves and find out what metal they have found," she continued. "After we get the bodies out of the way, we need to head out. I'd rather not stick around and fight the lot of them, especially since we don't know how many there are."

Steppenwolf and Jay began to gather the bodies and derive a way to dispose of them effectively. Meanwhile, Artemis lay on his back atop the blanket, holding the now red rag to his nose and waiting for the blood to stop. He had to figure out what was going on with his eyes. Staring at the moon overhead, listening to the rustle of his two companions, Artemis somehow managed to doze off.

[SirArtemis]

Jay woke Artemis as soon as she and Steppenwolf had finished with the bodies. They had decided to bury the bodies in snow to nullify the infra-vision of the orcs. By the time the sun came out, the bodies would be nothing more than lumps in the snow; might as well be rocks.

No more than fifteen minutes had passed since Artemis had dozed off, but it felt like he just woke in the middle of a night's rest. Rising to his feet, he realized the blood from his nose had stopped. The rag he was holding had also gotten quite stiff from the blood it had absorbed beginning to freeze.

"Here, drink this," Jay said, tossing Artemis a small canteen. "It will rehydrate you and warm you a bit as well. A little bit is all you need."

The vagabond took a single swig of the odd liquid and cringed as the bitter liquid burned his throat as he swallowed.

"What the heck is this?" He asked.

"Sometimes it is best not to ask questions," Jay answered with a smile and wink. "Come, let us get going. Time is of the essence. I'm assuming you want this back as well."

After handing Artemis the dagger he had dropped in combat, the group set off at a brisk jog north, hoping to put some distance between them and the orc expedition. If the orcs spotted them, it could prove incredibly problematic, and not just for the small group. The information being passed on to whoever the leader was, if there was a leader, could set in motion a series of events that may doom the group.

[SirArtemis]

The group had put many miles behind them, and as night slowly began to turn into day, they were finally able to slow their pace, knowing that the normal vision of the orcs would not be able to see this far, even if infra-vision could.

Taking their meals quickly, they continued until the night. The return was similar to their initial travels, though now Artemis trailed behind as the two others lead. Steppenwolf and Jay discussed the details of what had transpired, and what the implications might be, coming to various possible conclusions.

After a single night’s rest and another day’s travel, the group could see Knife’s Edge off in the distance.

“Let us rest one more night,” Jay began. “We will arrive at Knife’s Edge by noon tomorrow. Gather your thoughts, get some good sleep, and prepare yourself for what is to come. It is likely that we will be going back to clear out the cave.”

“I will not be joining you,” Steppenwolf interjected. “My purpose was to make sure that you did not do anything stupid as well as to aid you in scouting the situation. I will not help you in slaughtering the orcs.”

“Understood,” Jay replied. “Your assistance has been invaluable, and I thank you for your help. I expect you would like this back.”

Jay removed the pink metal cylinder from her belt and reached out to Steppenwolf who lifted his hand for her to stop in response.

“Keep it,” he said simply. “I can make more quite easily, and it may still serve you well.”

The dark elf tucked the cylinder back into her belt. “Thank you again, Steppenwolf,” she said with a smile.

The group settled in their camp, gathering around Steppenwolf’s campfire of green and blue, to get one more night’s rest together. Jay offered to take the first watch, so the two men prepared for bed.

As Artemis’ hand fell to the engraving on his dagger and he drifted off to sleep, all he could think about was his disappointing performance against the orcs. Years of training and he couldn't fight a single orc in one-on-one combat. Yet that very thought, and the disappointment of letting down Hawk, turned into a pang of guilt and sadness. His father, Hawk, his past, the frown on his fathers face; his past bombarded him yet again. Knowing now wasn't the time for this, the sentient bow intervened yet again, guiding the vagabond's thoughts back toward tranquility so he could rest. Judicis knew that there was a time and place for everything, and this was not it. The seed had been planted, but rushing it to grow wouldn't be ideal.

[SirArtemis]

The night passed quickly and uneventfully, and the group set off early to reach their destination. Within a few hours, they had reached the great door to Knife's Edge. The gatekeeper stood at the top, and one had to wonder if he slept there as well.

"Well then, what news do you bring?" The gatekeeper yelled once he felt they were within range.

No one in the group responded until they were close enough to not need to yell. They were exhausted and did not have any energy to waste. By the time they arrived at the door, the gatekeeper had already made his way down and stood in the open doorway, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Noticing that the three approaching were not smiling or happy, that smirk vanished, realizing that they had not brought good news.

"We found something, though we are not yet sure what to make of it," Jay began. "Artemis and I will go find Rolvo, as well as speak with some other companions. We need to figure out our next step. Steppenwolf has decided to part ways with us at this point, though he has helped tremendously already."

Steppenwolf tipped his head forward in gratitude before speaking, "I wish you the best on your journey. Be safe." With that, he turned to Artemis and tossed him the pair of cubes he used for his campfire, along with a pair of small vials. "I get the feeling you will need that. There should be enough for two weeks there. I attached a little slip to the vials with how to make more refills, but I can't tell you how to make the cube itself." Steppenwolf winked. "That's my secret. I hope to see you both around."

With that, Steppenwolf took his leave, passing the gatekeeper and waving to the group over his shoulder as he disappeared past the giant doors.

"Okay Artemis," Jay began, "I'm going to go find Rolvo. I suggest you go find the Norlonds and find out what the metal is that I gave you. Find me at The Bearded Gnome tonight, and bring the dwarves if you can."

Jay also passed through the gates, leaving Artemis alone standing in front of the gatekeeper.

"Well," the gatekeeper began, "seems like you didn't have much fun."

"I got my ass kicked by an orc, got a bloody nose from a knee to the face, saw some really strange shit, and would have died had Jay not saved me." Artemis said with a bit of frustration mixed with disappointment.

"At least you're alive," the burly man replied, patting Artemis on the shoulder. "Seems like you have some errands to run, so I'll let you go and do that."

With his head down and a frown on his face, Artemis stepped through the gates, heading in the directions of the Norlond Forge. Hopefully seeing the dwarves would cheer the vagabond up.

[SirArtemis]

After meandering through the city for some time, Artemis ended up in the market area where his friend Nalin Norlond had his shop. Upon seeing the young man approach, the dwarf crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.

The dwarf spoke in a warming tone, "Well, if it isn't Artemis. How are ye lad? Ye look pretty down."

"I'll tell you back at the forge," Artemis began. "I'd rather tell the story once."

"Well, I'll pack up and head back early then," replied the dwarf. "It's a slow day anyways."

"Would you mind if I invited the bowyer too?" Artemis asked.

"It's alright with me," laughed the dwarf, "not sure if it's alright with him. Go ask him while I start packing up."

With that, the young man nodded to the dwarf and walked over to the bowyer's stall, seeing him just as he remembered: sitting with arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"Good to see you again," the old man started, "and with the bow. Do you already have a story to tell?"

Artemis scratched the back of his head, pausing before deciding to speak. "Well, sort of... but it's not the most exciting story. If you would like to hear it, it would make things a lot easier if I only had to tell it once. I am about to go to the Norlond Forge with Nalin to meet his brother and tell them both at the same time. If you would be willing, they said you were welcome to join."

The young man finished and took a step back, letting his hands fall to his hips, unsure of how the bowyer would react. He did not move from his spot, and his face did not change. He simply let the moment hang between the two of them for a few seconds before giving a slight nod.

"Alright," the old man agreed, "I will pack up my things and meet you at the forge within the hour."

"Do you know where it is?" Artemis asked in confusion.

"I know where everything is," was the only reply.

Artemis nodded and headed back to the dwarf who had just finished packing his things. He picked up some of the items and looked over to the dwarf. With a grunt and a nod, the dwarf was ready to go, and the two set out for the forge. They had some time to settle in before the old man arrived.

'Wait a second,' Artemis thought to himself, 'I don't even know the old man's name!'

[SirArtemis]

The pair made their way to the forge and upon arrival, Artemis put down the things he was carrying and opened the door. Now that he knew how, it was not such an embarrassing experience. Sliding the door to the left, the dwarf stepped into the shop with the vagabond following behind.

Bazzak was standing by the forge hammering away at what looked to be a double-sided battleaxe. At the counter stood Logan, the angry man that the Norlond's employed due to some debt he owed them.

"Oi, Bazzak!" Nalin yelled, "The boy is back!"

Bazzak looked up from his forge, his mustache covered in black soot and his white smile showing through. "Give me a minute!" he yelled over the roar of the flames, "I am almost finished here!"

Artemis set the things he was carrying along the counter and found himself a seat in the corner of the forge. The warmth was a comfortable environment compared to the cold of the Salvar Region. Despite Knife's Edge being a bit warmer than it was outside the walls of the city, it was still chilly compared to the inside of the shop.

After Nalin put everything away and a few final swings of Bazzak's hammer rang off the walls, the two dwarves cleaned up and settled down in some seats they had along the wall by Artemis.

"Well then," Bazzak said, "Nalin says we are waiting for Axel."

Artemis looked up, "Is that his name?"

Bazzak nodded in reply. "I suppose I'll get us all something to drink while we wait."

Standing up and walking off to the back room, Bazzak disappeared. Logan continued to work behind the counter while Nalin rested his head against the wall with his arms crossed. Artemis just sat in his chair, quietly contemplating the events and what lay before him as the next step. Jay was planning to go and eliminate the orc group she had seen, and wanted Artemis to join, but how could the vagabond help kill orcs when his last encounter almost left him dead in the snow?

He shook the thought from his mind just as the door opened and the old man stepped in. Bazzak had just returned from the back room with a pitcher of water and poured everyone a glass.

"Ello there, Axel," Nalin greeted, "Pull up a seat. It seems the lad has a story to tell."

Reluctantly, and without letting the scowl fall off his face, the old man pulled up a seat by Artemis.

"So what's the story, young man?" The old man asked, turning toward Artemis.

Artemis took a deep breath and began his story, "Well we went to scout the area and a dark elf that joined me by the name of Jay did a bit of scouting of the caves."

At the mention of the name, the two dwarves and the old man all exchanged glances, but Artemis didn't notice since he was looking at the ground while talking, his hand on the engraving of his dagger.

The vagabond continued, "She found a small cave that was recently dug out and there seems to be a small mining expedition going on there. The orcs are mining something, and it is a small group, but there are concerns that there might be a connection to something bigger. Jay plans to go and clear out the mine."

With that, Artemis removed the small lump of ore that Jay had given him, and tossed it to Bazzak. "Jay wanted you to verify what that was, and she said to meet her at The Bearded Gnome tonight. She asked that I bring the two of you as well."

Bazzak held the white lump of metal, and his eyes lit up. "Do you know what this is Artemis?"

Artemis simply shook his head in response.

Bazzak bellowed excitedly, "Looks like we're in for some orc hunting and mining! Pack up Nalin, I want to try out this new axe! Logan, you are coming too! Get what you need to fight! We are in for some fun!"

Axel simply stood up and walked out of the shop, leaving Artemis even more confused.

'What the heck?' Artemis though. 'What the hell is that metal, and what is going on with Axel?'

Artemis simply put his head in his hands, confused as to what was going on. At the very least, he was relieved that he didn't have to finish the rest of the story that involved him getting his ass beat. He could also show them the cube later on when he had a moment to put it to use.

However, one thought couldn't be shaken from the vagabond's thoughts: What had he gotten himself into?

[SirArtemis]

Spoils Request:

Knowledge of the small mythril deposit, where the orcs are currently mining.

Extended duration for the borrowing of the dagger that Bazzak crafted for part 3 of the quest chain.

The pair of cubes that Steppenwolf invented for campfires and knowledge of how to produce more fuel.

Ability to use infra-vision. The use relies on the contribution of the sentient bow, Judicis, aiding in focusing his mind. Also, concentration can be easily broken, sending him back to the normal spectrum.

[Taskmienster]

A Cold Coincidence (Part II) :: As requested, I’ll be giving full commentary with the full rubric. I’ll make notes at the bottom instead of putting them into each category, which makes it easier as I go as well as more organized. Sorry for the wait.



Continuity 5

:: Generally, the continuity was there, and explained the background well enough. But it was bland, to the point, and the narrative behind it could have been more interesting. Perhaps concentrate on working it into the storytelling. I would suggest, the best way to incorporate background and current plot line is to make sure that you have some way to allude to it as you go instead of adding it in and making it show up more like a technical layout of the history.

Setting 4

:: There wasn’t much setting other than the normal “snow and lots of it” that you mentioned at times. Other than that, the rest of the setting was either ignored or forgotten…

Pacing 4

:: The disjointedness of the splits between the two different perspectives creates a bit of a pacing dilemma. It tends to jolt the reader from one character POV to another, and then back again. I’d suggest finding a happy medium, via not focusing so deeply on one character or another to the point where you need to change between the two. That’s easily done through narrative, because from a third person point of view you’re most easily able to convey emotions and thoughts of another character without having to actually step into that characters shoes.

:: Some of the posts were… in all honesty… not entirely necessary. Post 10 for example was filler that could have been skimmed over and nobody would have noticed. Waking up, talking about gathering their things, and leaving is common place stuff that you don’t necessarily have to focus on.

Dialogue 5

:: A lot of the dialogue was rather generic, and outside of a few flirtatious after-commentary following Jay’s dialogue, it all seemed like it could have been only one person. Remember that dialogue has a lot to do with persona, and an expression of persona through how they speak or what they say goes a long way.

Action 5

:: Post 17 was more or less… block text of action. It was a little difficult to follow properly, and even more difficult to really get into. The action was more or less to the point, attack, counter, parry, that sort of thing. Without a real flair in the writing it was like reading the technical manual of a battle. Remember, your narrative isn’t just meant to be there to say what happened, but how it happened and how people felt about it as it went. Also, it was a super long post that went against the general pacing of the thread to that point, and from that point onwards. Try to keep a simple, stable flow for the story without having small posts that are to the point, or have no point, and then a massive post with a whole lot of detailed fighting in it.

Persona 5

:: I understand the focus of your thoughts, but mentioning them and how they made you feel in the same way every time you brought them up, in each post, slowly made it less exciting and intriguing and more monotonous. At times I thought you were trying to use things, such as your waxing philosophical post about perspective, as a means of foreshadowing… but still wondered how it had anything to really do with the rest of the story being told.

Technique 4

:: Advanced technique was all but non-existent. Remember to use it well, so that it can be an interesting addition to the writing in order to draw the attention and will of the reader into the story.

Mechanics 8

Clarity 8

Wild Card 5


Score: 53


Rewards:
675 exp | 0 gold
((Gains knowledge of the mythril deposit; extended duration of the loaned dagger; the two cubes for fire and schematics for more fuel; and infra-vision as specified))


Notes ::



:: "I'm sorry about passing out last night," Artemis apologized, "It was rude of me to request tea and not even drink it."
Harki chuckled, "Don't worry about it lad. Ye should probably head to the gates. When ye come back from the mission, I hope ye bring good news with ye. I'll give ye a meal when ye return. Be safe."
"Thanks, Harki," Artemis replied gratefully, "I'll hopefully see you soon. If all goes well, I'll be back within a week." :: Make sure you put spaces between each new part of dialogue, so that it’s not all clumped together.

[quote=post 3]
:: “She extended her delicate hand to Artemis, who took it and shook it firmly, yet gently.” :: How do you shake a hand firmly and gently?

:: “the gatekeeper continued, now gesturing to the tall man,” :: You should remove “now” because it makes it present tense instead of past tense. You have other points where you dip into present tense by the use of wording, just be careful about that.

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added.

SirArtemis is now level 1!