Look to the Past

[Rylius]

Solo! Mostly for myself to expand on my character's history.

Rylius sat in his home, in the quiet mountain village of Tel'Han, thinking. The Charms tournament was the next day, and he wasn't prepared in the least. There was something unsettling about the whole thing, something disturbing him. He didn't know what, but it was something. And the closer the tournament got, the more nervous Rylius got. He had no idea what he was getting into. He hadn't been in anything close to a real combat situation before...

No, no, you're lying to yourself. There was that time you never want to remember.

That's where it was. He had, once, ventured beyond the village. He just tried to forget it whenever he could. He was naive back then, but he was still brave. Perhaps to the point of stupidity, but he was still brave. Four years ago...

-----------------------------------------

"RYLIUS!" Someone screamed into the house. Heh, she found it all right.

It was such a classic trick. Rylius was so very proud of it. It was elegant in its simplicity, and hard to detect for the magicians of Tel'Han. It used no magic whatsoever, it was simply mechanical. A bucket, filled with snow, attached to a rope which was attached to the far side of a hinged door. Open it, and the rope retracts, letting the bucket loose. The powdered snow falls all over the victim.

Judging by the scream, his sister just ran right into it. So he should probably not be here right now. The human bolted out of the house and into the midday sun, ducking behind a nearby snowdrift to prevent himself from being seen. He snickered as he heard his sister slam on his bedroom door.

Ah, another winter day. Rylius was thankful he had put on his heavy tunic as well as his warm boots and gloves. He might be out for a while after that... But it was worth it! He got up and walked over to the 'center' of the village, which was really more of a place that was nearby a bunch of halls. He looked up at the Charms hall and grimaced. He still didn't like the thought of people killing each other in fake worlds, but it certainly was a way to get more powerful. Living life for just that purpose, though, didn't appeal to Rylius. He wanted to just see what the world is more than be able to smack down anything that got in his way, ultimately. But for now, pelting people with snow was more than good enough for amusement.

Even that got old quickly, and besides, most of the mages were too busy throwing spells at each other to bother with snow. It's like a village that forgot how to be a kid. The young teenager found that hard to believe, but if anyone was proof, Atzar was. He focused on his studies day in and day out, to the point of exhaustion. He and Rylius were polar opposites, and Rylius didn't see teaming up with the bookworm in his future at all.

The trickster spotted his next prey, but stopped when he saw what his prey was doing. Is that a... He saw a covered wagon, pulled by what looked to be an ox. It was the one of the few traders that Tel'Han ever saw, but its goods were highly coveted, as the tiny mountain village still needed food, spices, salt, and the like from lands afar. Rylius often wondered where the elders got the money to pay for that, but it wasn't really his place to question it, since he did enjoy spiced meat far better than if it was just plain roasted.

In this, though, he saw the biggest opportunity in his life. He could easily slip into the wagon and stow away on it. It'd be a rough ride, he was sure, but it would be far more fun than watching mages strike three-inch versions of themselves down over and over.

No, stop, think it through. The merchant would unload and rest at the rarely used guest hall tonight. Tomorrow, he would leave at first dawn, providing there wasn't a storm. Then, he would go to the nearest town. Rylius could walk back up the wagon trail, camping along the way, after he looked around the town. Then he'd know the road from the Comb Mountains down. It was perfect! He would tell his parents he was going camping in a cave on the outskirts of the village, then vanish for a couple of days. Everything would work out and he would get free of his wanderlust.

If everything worked out...

[Rylius]

Rylius walked around the village as the sun set low in the sky. He was seemingly upbeat, and was walking in the open, which normally would cause several people to seek revenge on him for his tricks. But he didn't care today. Maybe he was blind to the dangers, but danger was exactly what he wanted. The life in Tel'Han was far too sheltered anyways.

BAM. Rylius blinked as a snowball collided directly with his face. From the top of a drift stood his sister, Ellisa, victorious in her ambush as she threw two more snowballs at her brother, missing both times. Rylius was grinning now, as he balled the snow up in his hand and threw it back at his sister. He missed, but with a slight flick of his wrist, the ball arced back and hit her in the back. He grinned widely, but in his moment of triumph, he missed the fact that his sister deflected it effortlessly. She had always been adept at shielding spells, and as Rylius was clobbered with several well-aimed snowballs, he slowly remembered that. Still, he was having fun, and he could tell she was too.

This is what you're leaving behind.

Suddenly, he stopped. "Hey, Elli. Can I ask you something?" He ducked as she threw another snowball at him. "Come on! Seriously now, no tricks." He put up his hands and stood up slowly, watching her carefully.

She watched him carefully as he stood up, with a snowball in her right hand, behind her back. Strangely, though, he seemed sincere. "Okay, li'l bro. What is it?" She kept her hand on that snowball, though, just in case, as her brother walked towards her.

Rylius walked all the way up to her without incident, which was probably unprecedented for someone like him. "You know that merchant caravan that comes into town? I wanna sneak off on it." He grinned, in a brave-yet-stupid sort of way. "You can keep a secret, right?"

Ellisa dropped the snowball in her hand. Her thoughts turned to her little brother's life, his trickster nature, but still his overall dependability in a crisis. Who could she turn to now, though? Elara might convince him otherwise, but should she betray the trust of her younger sibling by telling anyone else? "Wh..why? What's wrong with Tel'Han, Ry?" She seemed genuinely sincere too, which always was a rare occasion between the two siblings.

Rylius shrugged. "It's boring here. I mean, our little spar here was fun, but I don't just want to play games my whole life, you know? I wanna see what's out beyond the mountains. Besides, most of the people here don't like me. You understand, right?" He stared at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

Ellisa was panicking, but she tried her hardest not to show it. This wasn't something she was used to. "Are you nuts? You could get yourself killed out there! You don't know how bad it is!"

"Neither do you!" Rylius blurted out. "What's the problem with everyone here? Is life here so grand? Really? Why can't I just go on this one trip?"

Ellisa shook her head. "I understand how you feel, Ry, but this isn't the way to do it. Please." She wasn't sure if her brother would listen to her or not. Actually, she was pretty sure he wouldn't, but she had to try.

Dammit. Now she'll tell everyone. "Please, Elli. You know how much I don't belong here. Everyone else, they don't know how to be like kids. They're just interested in studying, learning new magic, getting stronger, and doing all that magic stuff that I could care less about. I mean, sure, it's fun, but when everyone around you can do something all the more special than you, it gets boring, fast." He stopped to think about what he was saying, then continued. "All I want to do is explore where the wagon goes. It has to stop at a town somewhere. I'll find my way back to the village after that, it's all I want to do."

Ellisa stood in the snow, a little shocked. She didn't know what to say. But she knew she couldn't stop her brother. He talked about far off worlds every time he could, about how much he would love to see him. But their parents always told him to keep his mind on the village, that he wouldn't see any other places until he was ready. So she couldn't tell them. It was a horrible place for her to be in, but she wasn't sure what else she could do.

"Rylius. I won't stop you, but I will say this: please, please don't do it. You don't have any idea what the outside world is like. I know I don't either, and that's why I'm scared of it. You should be too. You could die out there!" She looked sternly at her brother. "If you get into trouble, get out as fast as possible and get right back here, okay?" Ellisa wasn't too sure what she was doing. If her parents caught wind that she knew about this, she'd be in trouble too. On the other hand, her brother wouldn't shut up about leaving the village lately. Besides, she could shadow him.

Rylius stood silently for a tense moment as the last sliver of the sun set over the Comb mountains. The enormity of everything was hitting him. Is this really something I can do? No, if I go, I have to be totally committed. "I promise I'll be very careful. Thank you, Ellisa. Really, thanks-"

"Shut up. If you're not back by sunrise two days after tomorrow, I'll go out and drag you back." She grinned at him. "I'll tell Mom and Dad you went camping for a couple of days. Try not to get into too much trouble. I mean it." She stared at him and pinched his cheek. "My little baby brother is growing up!" She laughed as she walked away, leaving deep tracks in the snow.

This is what you're giving up.

Rylius walked towards his house as the light faded into a long winter's night.

[Rylius]

It was early morning when Rylius woke up. He had gone to bed early the night before so he wouldn't oversleep. Still, there was a very faint light reflecting off the snow around the village. Dammit, later than I wanted. He gathered his heavy tunic, gloves and boots and put them on. Slinging his leather sack around his shoulder, he pulled his hood over his head and tiptoed quietly out of his room. He tried his best not to creak the stairs as he walked down, but it wasn't easy. So he wasn't surprised when he saw Ellisa at the top of the stairs, watching him leave. There was a tense moment as their eyes met. She didn't look happy, but Rylius's mind was made up. He darted out of the house before she could stop him.

Everything will work. I'll hop on as it's leaving from the road that winds down out of town. It'll work. Stop shaking. It'll work! He kept telling himself everything would be fine, but he wasn't sure he believed it. He prepared as well as he knew, of course. And he had been camping in some of the mountains around Tel'Han, so it couldn't be much worse than that. In his mind, everything was accounted for, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong.

The sun peeked over the the mountains. All was still except for an aging man, clad in clothing meant to withstand a frozen hell, slowly trudging through the snow. Behind him walked his ox, with him leading with the reins. He led the animal to his empty carriage, then tied it to the bars on the front of the wagon. It seemed he hadn't gotten anything from the village in return for his goods, though that wasn't particularly out of the ordinary. The merchant climbed up on the front of the wagon, exposed to the outside air rather than staying inside the coverings over the wagon. He raised his hands and whipped the reins down, yelling "Ha!" as he did.

Rylius saw his opportunity as the wagon turned to pass by his hiding place. It'd require perfect timing, but he was confident. He stood, poised to leap at the right second. If there was any doubt in his head before the wagon started moving, they were quelled at this moment. All that mattered to him was getting into the wagon.

It rolled on by at a leisurely pace. Rylius leaped, aiming to catch the raised tail. There was a brief moment in the air when for the young human, time stood still. He was forced to see his slight error, gazing on it for an eternity before he crashed into the snow, behind the wagon. The merchant didn't even seem to notice Rylius as he scrambled up and hid in the snow.

That went well.

There was still another option if he hurried. The wagon was still moving slowly, and it would take the main pass out of the village. That path wound around the mountain, and Rylius knew a much quicker way to get where it would eventually go. So he raced down the snow-covered rocks, slipping a couple of times in his haste. As a child, he would run to the old mountain pass as a hiding place, since most villagers didn't leave the village ever, and most travelers didn't even know of Tel'Han.

He waited for what seemed like another eternity, his first mistake replaying over and over in his head. He had leapt far too late and at an awkward angle. It would take two leaps, the first to get right behind the wagon and the second to scramble into it. He wouldn't mess up this time. Assuming he was going to get another chance.

What's taking so long? Foolishly, Rylius darted out of his hiding place to see the merchant turn right around the corner as he slowly descended the mountain path. He quickly hid again, but he wasn't sure if the man saw him or not. Still, he was determined.

The wagon rolled by him. He executed his plan flawlessly, leaping behind the wagon then up over the tail board and into the covering. Lucky for him, the wagon hit a rocky spot right as he made it in. The merchant didn't even look behind him. Rylius was a little bruised, but was successfully stowing away in a wagon. He had to cling to the tail board to stop from rolling down the wagon, but all in all, he was proud of himself.

[Rylius]

The wagon slowly rolled down the path, with Rylius getting a little antsy in the back. He peeked out as quietly as he could. Snow still covered the path, but he thought he saw more vegetation than normal. The sky, however, had grown considerably darker. This was a little worrisome, but Rylius thought nothing of it. Snowstorms, though not uncommon around Tel'Han, were rarely full fledged blizzards. So if there was a light flurry, he wasn't too worried.

He closed the covering and laid back in the back of the wagon. The slope was far gentler now, so he didn't have to hold on as much, which was helpful. His thoughts wandered as the monotonous journey continued.

For all the excitement I thought I was getting into, this is kinda boring. I wonder how Elli's doing. I hope she didn't tell Mom or Dad. But then they'd have already whisked me back home if that was the case. Rylius slid up against the tail wall of the wagon. Come to think of it, the elders probably would've noticed my little escape. They... they probably didn't care. I'm just a bother to them anyways. But Elli looked seriously hurt. I'm sorry, sis, really.

The wagon hit another rocky spot and the bump pushed Rylius against the tail wall hard. Fortunately, he had been holding on so he wasn't thrown from the wagon, but it was a bit more of a shock than he thought he would get on the gentle path. He thought he heard the merchant curse, but the words sounded foreign to him. It wasn't common, or tradespeak as his teachers had called it. Weird.. but then I guess I don't really know where this guy is from anyways. I wonder where he's going. I hope it's to a town. Come to think of it, I didn't check to make sure first. Oh well.

As time passed and the wagon pressed on down the mountains, the wind certainly started to pick up. Now Rylius was beginning to worry a little. The wagon was shaking as it rolled down the mountain, from both the strong gusts and the rocky path. Curiosity took over and he peeked out the covering. He was met with a puff of snowflakes blowing in his face. It was pretty bad out there, and the wind certainly wasn't helping. Rylius started to wonder why the merchant hadn't stopped and sought shelter yet.

All of a sudden, something felt wrong. Then it started. Rylius wasn't too sure what exactly happened, but there was a large bump and the wagon fell over on its side. Fear gripped the young human and he held on for dear life as he heard the distinct sound of rope snapping followed by wood cracking. The wagon started to slide down the slope. He had to get out of there, and fast, but he was scared.

A scared child, hiding in a corner, hm? Okay. Breathe in, out. Good. Now go.

Rylius kicked the covering away from the rear as the wagon picked up speed. As soon as he could, he jumped from the back and rolled along the rocky snow until he could stop himself. He watched in horror as the wagon careened out of control down a nearby ridge.

A scared child, frozen in a snowy wasteland. Is that you?

Rylius cursed his thoughts. The snow was already building on his tunic. He didn't have time to think about what just happened. He needed shelter, and fast. Climbing to his feet, he was thankful he didn't break anything. Grabbing his sack and putting his arm in front of his face, he pressed throw the blizzard, trying to find anything. A cave, or even just a cliff face would help.

It was hard to tell what he saw in front of him with all the snow, but it looked like a person, clad in black. Just before he fell over, he thought he saw the face of the merchant, but he could've been mistaken. It didn't matter, though, because the figure hit him over the head and all went black anyways.

[Rylius]

I can't see anything...

Open your eyes, then.

Aren't they open? Am I even awake?

Kinda.

Who are you?

The bastard hit you. You've got a nasty bump on your head. Probably best not to move right now. Can you hear anything?

I can hear you.

I mean with your ears.

What?

Nevermind. Don't screw up with this guy. He might hit you again.

Rylius listened intently. He could hear what sounded like a distant wind... also, some crackling, like a fire. But also... footsteps, getting closer to him. He tried to move, but couldn't. After struggling with what seemed like rope bindings for a moment, he lay still.

"G'mornin, kid. Sorry about the hood. And the bind spell. But I have to know first. Who the hell are you?" Rylius had never heard this voice before. It sounded scratchy, yet forceful, and just from hearing it, he got scared. It was different from the other voice in his head, too, and by the small echo and lack of wind, he figured he was in a cave.

"M-my name is... m-my.. n-name.." Pull yourself together, boy. "Rylius Ammae, of the village of Tel'Han." Who are you already? Your voice is different than this guy's. "You're not reading my thoughts, are you?"

"What? No." His voice sounded sincerely surprised. "Wouldn't have to ask your name if I could do that. Now, Rylius. Why were you in my wagon?"

"I'm... sorry, mister..." Now he was sure it was the merchant. "Pl-please. I just wanted to get out of that village." He was trying to sound as pleading as possible, but it came out as more of a whine.

The merchant let out a guffaw. "Is that it, boy? You weren't sent by your elders?" He walked up to Rylius and pulled the hood off the young boy's head. He squinted in the sudden light, seemingly from a campfire. "I didn't think they'd send a whelp like you. Psh, that means they didn't send anyone." The merchant seemed to be in thought for a moment.

"Erm, sir? Can you unbind me, then?" Rylius looked up at the merchant, still squinting as his eyes got used to the light. He didn't seem much different, except for the addition of a sinister-looking dagger sheathed and hung on a rope around his waist. He still looked old, but Rylius wasn't sure if he was an illusionist or not.

The merchant looked down at Rylius and waved his hands along the human's bound hands and feet. There was a distinct cracking sound as the invisible bindings broke. "Don't you go running off on me, now. Still quite a storm out there." He sat down on the opposite side of the small cavern, across from the campfire in the center and next to the only obvious exit. "Alright, Rylius Ammae, why'd you hitch a ride in my wagon?" He looked over Rylius carefully, making sure one hand was firmly on his dagger.

Rylius sat up, brushing some snow off his tunic. It was cold in the cavern, and the small fire wasn't helping much. "I dunno. I just got bored. The elders only let you leave if they want you to leave. I wanted to be free again, I guess." Rylius chuckled, but he couldn't mask the obvious fear in his voice. "Wh-what about you, Merchant? Is your ox okay? Your wagon?"

"Pah, the ox is fine. The wagon's probably not. Also, don't call me 'Merchant.' I'm Obadai. And don't you forget it." Obadai seemed to smile a little. "And what made you think you could hitch a ride with me without asking anyways? I woulda let you come along. Although maybe I'd think you'd be a Tel'Han spy. Ha, like those stuck-up bastards would even care about a little merchant." He was definitely smiling now.

Rylius held his head. If only I knew a little healing magic, I could make this dull throb go away... "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking straight, I guess. I'm not thinking straight now either.. you have anything for my head?"

"Tough it up, boy. You'll be fine. Sorry fer whackin' you like that. I had no idea if you were a spy or not." His grin was almost sinister, but somehow Rylius felt a little less apprehensive when he wasn't angry. "Anyways, we're stuck here until the storm blows over. Think about what you're going to do then." Obadai closed his eyes and seemed to fall into a light sleep very quickly.

"Heh.. heh.." Rylius was trying not to laugh. I don't even know what's so funny, dammit. Dammit. "DAMMIT!" He slammed his fist down on the cave floor, which took his mind off the pain in his head by moving it to his hand. "OW!" OW. ow. And for the first time in ages, he felt his eyes water up. No no no no no... Rylius took a deep breath, then curled up as best he could, trying to sleep on the cold rock.

[Rylius]

When Rylius woke up, Obadai was gone. The only light in the cave was the faint glow from the coals in the fire. He stood up and stretched. It was cold, but after years of living in the cold, snowy mountains, he was used to it. He looked around the cave, but it was far too dark in the cave. The human focused intently on the glove in his hand. Soon, it started glowing a bright blue, illuminating the room enough to get around.

The cave seemed carved from the rock by unnatural means. There was only the one exit. Rylius peeked out of it. It was a long corridor, twisting through the rock straight from the exit. Holding his hand up as a light, he scanned the rest of the room. The merchant had left nothing except for Rylius's leather sack, which he picked up and opened. Everything he put in there was still there.

Rylius sat down with a piece of hard bread he had packed. It was tasteless, but it was still something.


You still in my head?

Don't go getting rid of me yet, now.

So I'm going insane, right?

Sure. Why not.

Oh, good. So I'm going to try to get out of here, then. Is that okay with you?

Oh yes, please do.

Glad we agree! So, what's your name?

Silence.


Rylius swallowed the last bit of bread and stood up. He was in an unknown cave system, he had no idea how to get home, and on top of it all, he was making imaginary friends. Though that was probably progress over having no friends at all.

He broke down, slid with his back to the wall, and started laughing with his head in his hands. "What the hell am I doing?!" His voice echoed across the cavern walls for a while, and he chuckled at that for a while. "Well if I can talk with you in my head, I can talk with you out loud!"

You done yet?

"Yeah, just about. Let me bash my head against the wall for a while. Then I can wander around outside until I freeze to death. Heh.." He broke out laughing again, but caught his breath quickly. "Alright, I'm okay."

He stood up and marched out of the cave and into something that looked like a tunnel. Marching along at a brisk pace, he started humming something that sounded almost like a lullaby. Suddenly, he felt a draft along his back. Swinging around, he saw another passage to his right. Putting his hand behind his back, he squinted, looking towards the end. It was faint, but there was light.

He started skipping down the tunnel, stumbling a few times as he went.

[Rylius]

The storm had passed, but there still were no tracks leading into or out of the cave opening. Rylius tapped his hands together, and they stopped glowing. The light was bright, reflected from a cloudless sky off the snow to make the mountains shimmer. It was too bright for Rylius's low-light adjusted eyes, and he blinked for a few seconds, shielding his eyes. After a few moments, he could bear to look out over where he was.

He saw nothing even remotely familiar. A chuckled escaped his lips, followed by full-out laughter. Is this how I'm gonna die? Freezing in some random mountain? He shook his head and looked even closer at the snow. There was a very slight depression... perhaps a trail from when he was dragged in here? Or maybe it was just the wind drifting the snow across. He picked up a bit of the snow with his hands. Powdery. The wind would've taken it anywhere.

He glanced at another peak far off in the distance, then gasped out loud. It had the right shape to be the village of Tel'Han, but all the way in the distance? No way...

Rylius started trudging away from the cave in the fluffy snow, wondering how he was going to get home on only miniscule rations.

---

Ellisa looked at the rising sun. Rylius hadn't come back today, and his parents had assumed it was his adventrous spirit while camping with a pack of friends closeby. They didn't even seem slightly worried, so Ellisa wondered if her parents knew the same person she did.

She sighed. Her younger brother was reckless, foolhardy, a bad prankster, and magically weak in almost every way, but he had the courage to see to his goals, no matter what the cost. And as much as Ellisa wanted to be a powerful mage one day, she couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the world was like. A sheltered life could only be interesting for so long... she wondered how the older mages did it. Sure, the classes were informative and sometimes interesting, but Conjuration 101 was far from being taught mastery of magic. It was something she believed only experience and lots of practice could teach.

So maybe her brother was right. And that's why she packed her bag full of her own provisions. "Mom, Dad! I'm off to go find that weasel I call 'brother'! Be back before sundown." She waited for a reply.

"Alright, dear. Tell him that we expect him home by tomorrow by the latest!" Her mother shouted back from the door, then closed it. Ellisa shook her head and chuckled as she set off down the winding mountain path, stepping through the freshly fallen snow.