(Closed to Fenn) Lorenor: The Story You Knew. (Chapter 3)

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor sat in deep meditation.

Nearby were the ruins of the old Ixian Knights...their castle and former base of operations.

In ages past, they were one a guild of great renown capable of reforming even the darkest of hearts...those like Lorenor.

Once he was a follower of the fallen Thayne; N'Jal. As one of her followers, Lorenor had acquired for himself a great amount of influence and personal power. But that Lorenor was gone, buried beneath in the shadowy recesses of his soul. For even light bore shadows. And that's what Lorenor had become. An Undead, once a member of the race called Forsaken. But Undead none the less.

It was that very same power that paid a terrible price on Lorenor.

His followers once loyal and absolute betrayed him.

They banished the dark priest from the order and attempted to reclaim the Necronomicon-a fell book-from Lorenor's would be cold and dead hands.

That was when Sei Orlouge intervened.

Sei saved the dark priest and offered a chance at true freedom. A chance to join the Ixian Knights as a member of their fold. But there was a price that had to be paid. The price? Lorenor gave five years of life in The Reformation Period of the Ixian Knights. But once his time had come, he emerged from the darkness a cleansed Undead. He was one of the few Undead that broke free from N'Jal's iron grip. He'd regained his free will in the process.

Lorenor oft thought back to those events.

He knew he was alone in the world, scarred from the events that had nearly left him for dead in Salvar. Lorenor thought of those events as well, his trip there, what he had uncovered about his hidden past. It seems I have lived many lives...and will live many lives still...even now... Lorenor had found out from an Abbot named Hugo that he'd been to Salvar before. One of his past lives had established a secret order within Salvar that passed down secrets from generation to generation. The secret truth of the man named Lorenor.

Somehow, he defied death's reach.

Not fit even for final judgment, the abomination would walk the rest of Althanas's history to the end of her days.

But he was that and more...

From time to time he came across several versions of men who carried his identity. These men explained to him that they were he from alternate time lines of Althanas. The very existence of those men that wore Lorenor's identity proved to Lorenor that he was meant to be something far more...he had a greater purpose.

As he sat in his small encampment, in deep meditation, many thoughts passed through his troubled mind.

One final series of memories were always that of Sei Orlouge.

He oft thought of his friend and savior...he wondered where the man was those days? Where has my mentor gone? He found himself thinking. His troubled mind carefully considering the possibility of attempting to chase the man's shadow to where ever he might have ended up.

Sei has not been seen in the realms for a long time... That was only one face of the truth. Lorenor thought to himself. It is clear to me that he simply does not wish to be found. All I want is to fight alongside my friend one more time. And thank him for all he has given me.

A chance at life.

That was perhaps the most precious gift of all.

Lorenor sat in a lotus position, his body glowing with a gentle and warm light.

The Holy Light's secrets were passed down by the followers of a certain Guild, a certain Thayne.

That Thayne, was of the lesser pantheon and was called Cool.

A Thayne of many mysteries.

Lorenor wondered why he had the gifts he possessed. He wanted to change the world...but that would come later. For now, there was the matter of finding peace in his heart. As he sat in meditation a gentle wind came in from the East. It was calming, but not nearly what he needed...though it did help. As he sat there, he thought many thoughts, and pondered many lives. Some were he, others were he and not he. It was hard to cope with such a fractured memory. The memories of many past lives upon past lives had a weight. And then, Lorenor opened his eyes...

It was night...

[FennWenn]

Concordia Forest. Twigs and dead leaves crunched under tiny footsteps tentatively padding through the starlit undergrowth. Fenn took a deep breath of the earthy scents that clung to the woods, a faraway look in his eyes. It had been quite a while since he had last been here. A few years, at the least - he hadn’t kept track.

His direwolf buddy had taken their trek through the lush woods as an opportunity to hunt on her own for a bit. There was plenty of prey for her to pursue, and it wasn't as if Fenn could afford to feed her himself. Though he was vulnerable without her by his side, he trusted that she would remain in whistle length, which helped him to relax and enjoy his stroll without too much worry. As he wandered through the darkened trees, a certain nostalgia took hold of him. He still had faint memories of his time as a youngling here. No family that he could remember, no relatives or pets or guardians or parents to take care of him. Just him and the trees, foraging like a wild animal. A smile tugged at his lips. Once, he had also had a friend who shared her name with this place. He wondered what happened to her after they parted.

Ahh, so many memories. It was good to take some time to remember his past, lest he forget more than he already had. Sometimes, he was afraid that his Fae nature would eventually lead him to forget everything he had ever loved at the beginning of his life, just by living long enough to stop remembering.

To his surprise, the trees thinned out up ahead. Fenn halted and stared through them curiously, brought out of his reminiscence. What was that in the distance? He cocked his head to the side and squinted at it, intrigued. It seemed to be a regal castle towering over the treetops. Even as far away as he was, Fenn could tell it was in a state of deep disrepair. The plants around it grew untamed and uncultivated, vines trickling brazenly over crumbling walls like strewn bones. Utterly forsaken, it was.

The whole thing had an air of mystery around it. There was nothing Fenn liked more than sticking his nose into a mystery.

Aw yeah. He pumped his fist into the air, excited for a little adventure. Fenn gleefully - and rather loudly - tore his way through the forest and toward the castle, leaving patches of frosted earth in his wake. The castle was downhill from where he stood, and soon he found that his overeager feet couldn’t keep up with his momentum; they snared on a loose tree root. Fenn's eyes widened in as he fell head-over-heels down the hill, tumbling through the bushes and crashing into trees on the way down, his arms flailing and scrabbling fruitlessly for some purchase to stop his sudden descent.

Eventually, Fenn was at the bottom of the hill. His rolling, tumbling journey stopped when he had crashed straight into- wait, was that a person? It seemed that he had smacked headlong into the back of some bald man in priest-y looking robes who was sitting with his legs crossed together in a funny semblance of spirituality. He'd seen that sort of pose before. Meditation?

Fenn sat there in stark surprise, staring up at the man with his big green eyes gleaming in the muted sunlight. The little Fae must have been quite a sight; twigs and leaves stuck in his hair, dirt all over him, bruises dotting his frail form.

Whenever the man might turn around to look at him, Fenn would flush in embarrassment and give the him a sheepish grin that practically begged for forgiveness.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor opened his eyes just as he felt an impact against his back.

For a moment, he panicked and thought it was a hefty attack from this or that enemy. His eyes widened every so briefly. The strike against him was not very heavy, but felt almost like a bullet or projectile. Lorenor was pushed forward due to the forward momentum that the fae boy had developed in his tumble. Lorenor groaned briefly and stood up after that. A slight welt developed where the fae boy had struck him with full body and momentum of force working with him.

Lorenor checked himself to be certain he was not bleeding anywhere, and that a bullet or arrow had not struck him.

He turned around quickly to find, much to his surprise, that a very short humanoid stood there behind him.

The kid had a lot of dirt and looked absolutely in shambles. Had he fallen down the hill...? Lorenor immediately thought to himself. He looked behind the fae boy and saw that there was a messed up, beaten trail behind him. With debris, leaves, and surprised animals staring behind the lad. Lorenor shook his head. "Hey kid, did you fall the whole way down?!" Lorenor had to know. It wasn't often that one met something like a Gnome or a Hobbit. He assumed, by the glow in the boy's eyes...he was neither.

Lorenor himself was built like a short tank...he was also short. Standing at a mere five heads. As he looked at the boy, he rubbed his shoulder where the boy's body had struck him. It hurt, which surprised the Paladin a great deal. What do those little guys eat...? Lorenor thought to himself as he was so suddenly pulled out of deep meditation. He shook his head and recalled his manners.

"Kid, are you all right?" He didn't even seem terribly angry at the interruption, that is, Lorenor didn't. But rather, his glowing eyes held an unusually kind aspect in them. The Paladin observed the boy for a long moment and stretched as he stood there. He needed to get the painful feeling in his shoulder feeling more or less stable. He needed strong shoulders to swing his hefty paladin's sword. The Paladin waited for the lad to speak. "Are you lost or something?" Lorenor was dying to know that kid's story that day.

Little did he know...fate was already moving at their meeting.

[FennWenn]

As soon as Fenn had realized what - more of a who - that he had hit, the monk had hastily stood up in pained surprise. His moonlit figure loomed over the tiny Fae, who was still sitting dumbstruck in the grass himself. Fenn couldn’t blame the other guy for the look of utter surprise on his face. It wasn’t every day that someone bumped into him in such a manner, Fenn figured.

Now that the man was standing and facing him, Fenn could see some things about him that he had missed before. One was was, simply, how short the man was. As the kid got to his feet and brushed some of the dirt off of his clothes, he realized that the guy was maybe a foot taller at the most. If you were anywhere near Fenn's height, you were automatically considered “real damn short”. But even more striking were the man’s eyes; they were but black holes with pinpricks of blue at the center. It was rare that Fenn met someone with eyes as unusual as that of his own; this monk was by no means human.

“Hey kid, did you fall the whole way down?!" the monk said, his voice surprisingly loud to the Fae’s tapered ears. They flicked back and pressed flat to his skull, recoiling from the sudden sound. Hesitant, Fenn nodded, glancing back at the trampled vegetation and frightened animals left in his fall.

Fenn waited in sheepish quiet as the monk stopped, drifting off into thought. thought to himself as he was so suddenly pulled out of deep meditation. He shook his head and recalled his manners.

"Kid, are you alright?" Normally, Fenn expected a heated hostility from anyone he happened to hurt. Even now, he had been standing with his weight centered on his toes, prepared to run off if needed; that was how it had to be in order to keep himself alive in this hostile world. But the man before Fenn held only gentle kindness in his strange eyes. He stretched and awaited Fenn's answer with a refreshing sort of concern. "Are you lost or something?" the man asked, filling the silence for a few seconds.

Alright? Fenn relaxed and fingered the bruises and black-oozing cuts scattered across his form, shrugging apathetically. He’d survived far worse. Lost? As soon as that question fell from the monk’s lips, the boy flashed him a sly smile and snorted skeptically. Never.

The silence stretched on for an odd moment or two. Awkwardly, the boy began picking bits of now-frosted leaves and twigs out of his hair. As usually happened when meeting strangers, it seemed that the man was waiting for Fenn to give a worded reply to his inquiries. Not gonna happen. Fenn sighed and gestured limply to his throat, shaking his head ever-so-slightly. He seemed a little apologetic about his silence and the inconvenience that hung with it. There seemed to be no suitable nearby surfaces to scrawl a message on, which Fenn regretted. A greyish flush tinged his cheeks, one of muted embarrassment and frustration.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor looked at the boy.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the air, but The Paladin was patient. He nodded when the boy gestured to his throat. He might be mute or something like that...or maybe just doesn't like to speak. Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. At that point an idea came to him. He always kept basic supplies in his travel packs, for moments like those, and walked over towards his pack. "I'm getting something that might help." Lorenor said casually and reached for a small journal, it had blank parchment, an ink bottle and fountain pen. "Perhaps this will be of assistance." Lorenor walked over towards the boy with the items in his hand.

"Here." The Paladin said calmly. "I can buy more later, take this for now so you can scribe out your thoughts. Should make it easier for us to communicate." Lorenor found himself liking the boy. He wasn't sure what it was about him...perhaps the nature of their meeting...but the lad was quite agreeable. Lorenor sat down in front of the boy at that moment, thinking about what to say next. "Okay, kid. My name's Lorenor. I'm one of those Paladin folks." Lorenor was trying to just make small talk. He looked over towards the castle remains that were located within a journey's distance. Sitting there silently with it's hidden secrets and treasures. A ghost of the past. "That old place. Former castle of The Ixian Knights. Not sure if you knew about them. But they were a guild from long ago." Lorenor omitted the part that he was a member of that guild, but if the kid knew historical symbols, he would recognize the Ixian Knights symbols on his clothing...

[FennWenn]

It was sweet relief when the monk broke the silence, seeming to understand Fenn's plight. "I'm getting something that might help,” Lorenor said, nonchalantly presenting Fenn little journal, complete with an ink bottle and fountain pen. "Perhaps this will be of assistance." Still grey with flustered blushing, Fenn nodded and allowed the man to hand them to him. Normally, he didn't bother with using these sorts of items to communicate when frost would do, but… this was convenient.
And oddly kind. An insistent urge welled up in the tiny Fae, the urge to be useful in turn.

"Here," the man said to him, a blissful calm around him. "I can buy more later, take this for now so you can scribe out your thoughts. Should make it easier for us to communicate." As Lorenor sat down in the grass, Fenn mirrored him and did likewise. "Okay, kid. My name's Lorenor. I'm one of those Paladin folks," the man said chattily. Fenn’s ears picked up and flicked attentively in his direction. People let slip all sorts of things when they were being so casual and free with their words. Lorenor gestured over at the castle. "That old place. Former castle of The Ixian Knights. Not sure if you knew about them. But they were a guild from long ago."

Fenn was well-traveled, but he hadn’t heard very much about the Ixian Knights. Still, even if he didn't quite recognize the symbols on Lorenor’s robes or the guild they belonged to, he was sharp. Something slightly sly slid into his smile. He could put two and two together; “Paladin” nonhuman plus lots of knowledge about the place he's hanging out around equals...

Flipping open the journal to the first blank page, Fenn picked up the pen with care and gave an apprehensive glance at the frost he left on it. It wouldn't do to freeze this new gift solid. He cautiously took the lid off of the ink bottle and dipped the pen in. Sometime, he needed to snitch some charcoal pencils or something.

WHY ARE YOU HERE YOURSELF? I WAS CURIOUS, BUT YOU SEEM TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE CASTLE. YOU A KNIGHT? YOU CALLED YOURSELF A PALADIN. IXIAN? WHAT DID THEY DO? WHY GONE?

He paused a moment, thinking hard before he continued in his loud, loopy scrawl.

AM FENNIK. AM AN EXPLORER AND, Fenn hesitated on the last part, COLLECTOR OF INTERESTING THINGS.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Curiously enough, Lorenor paid attention to what the boy before him did.

It was an interesting matter to him, the letters and writing that the boy used were unfamiliar to him. He writes in the common-tongue but he has a very curious writing style. Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully and let the questions that Fenn wrote down linger. About five minutes later, after it all sunk in, the Paladin had a proper answer for the boy.

"I'm merely a Squire Paladin." Lorenor did have to correct Fenn on that one point. He probably isn't from around these parts. Lorenor was looking at the boy very intently. "I pretty much used to live here when that castle was not a ruin. When our leader vanished, the castle and the place around it fell in great disrepair. Quite saddening if you ask me." Lorenor nodded once more. "Being an explorer is good. But just be careful where you end up here in Concordia." Lorenor continued to talk. "There are really bad places you don't want to go." Lorenor considered what else he should tell Fenn. "I'm out here just thinking, trying to get my head together and figure out what I want to do next. Also...I'm recovering from an injury." Lorenor added, he didn't want to talk about his Salvar adventure unless he absolutely had to.

He continued to rub his chin carefully.

His glowing eyes locked on Fenn. Lorenor looked up towards the remains of the Ixian Castle. He pointed up towards it. "Lots of hidden secrets there." Lorenor paused for a moment. "I been trying to recover some of them."

[FennWenn]

The boy listened to Lorenor with a rapt attention that belied his young appearance.
It was quite a bit at once for Fenn to take in. Paladin, Squire Paladin, it all seemed the same to him. One more grand title than he'd ever have, that was for sure! And he didn't have to be told twice that Concordia had its dangers. He'd seen them firsthand once or twice. The comment about the injury left the Fae with a curious look on his face. There was no sign of visible injury on the bright-eyed paladin, but some wounds didn't leave scars. He thought it might be best not to comment on it. At least, not unless it because relevant.

Upon mention of “hidden secrets”, however, Fenn's ears flicked upwards in interest, and his expression brightened. He leaned in the direction of the castle as Lorenor pointed to it and scribbled down a few more words to show the Paladin;

WHAT KIND OF SECRETS?
SECRETS LIKE TREASURE? SHINY THINGS ARE NICE.
OR, SECRETS LIKE KNOWLEDGE-THINGS? USEFUL BITS OF BOOKISH STUFF?

After handing the journal to Lore momentarily, allowing him to read the childish scrawl, Fenn bounced back to his feet and scooted in the direction of the castle. His hands clasped together in an odd sort of plead, seeming to ask the Paladin to explore the premises with him. Or, to show him around as it may be.

If there were interesting things to see, Fenn wanted to see them.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor never recalled much of is childhood and thus, had forgotten what it was to be as a child.

As the boy ran off, Lorenor paused for a moment and decided to keep the journal on hand. He kept his camp intact and gathered his weaponry, and gear and followed Fenn. Lorenor was once a very fast individual...bu those days were gone. Gone, along with his eternal servitude to N'Jal. It was difficult to keep up with the sprinting child, but the Paladin made it a point to keep the boy in his sight at all time. I can't allow something to harm him as well. Not with all the shit that happened in Salvar... Lorenor thought to himself.

After a few moments, they were upon the remains of the castle.

Once...long ago...there had been the Ixian Knights lead by legandary Sei Orlouge. Lorenor narrowed his eyes as he entered the hallowed grounds. He was never used to the fact that Sei had caused him to become cleansed from N'Jal's corruption. Some parts of his scarred brain still half-expected the hallowed grounds and all wards to keep him at bay. Lorenor continued forward and paused for a moment. "Finally caught up with you. Don't speed off again like that." Lorenor said calmly, he was trying to speak to the child-like entity as an equal, not as someone lesser or a rival. Lorenor knew adults often had a tough time really listening to what children were saying. "It's dangerous in there, don't speed off like that again it will make it harder for me to protect you." Lorenor said sincerely.

He was not trying to reprimand the child, he was being honest...

Many ghosts and other aether entities still wandered the hallowed grounds of the old Ixian Knights.

Lorenor decided then would be a good time to explain that to the boy. "We can journey into the castle but not very far. Not until you're a lot stronger. Someday, when you're ready I will show you where you and I can train against ghosts and apparitions." Lorenor was trying to explain things as they came to him. "For now, you are my charge. And it is my duty to protect you." Lorenor said calmly. He sincerely didn't want any harm or danger to befall the bright eyed boy.

"When we go in, there is a place I want to show you. It's not terribly far in." Lorenor looked carefully about, at that point his expression had become serious. "The old places...they are often haunted and carry negative energies. We should be as cautious as possible."

But for Lorenor, every time that he entered the hallowed grounds...he only thought of the old Ixian Knights and his friend...

[FennWenn]

Fenn's feet skimmed lightly across the earth as he scampered his way over toward the ruins. He leap over scattered bricks and dashed through blue patches of softly glowing flowers. Frost dappled everything he touched, his magic stirred by his bubbling excitement.

The boy stopped right at the threshold of the real ruins, admiring the broken architecture long enough to allow Lorenor to catch up. He new friend seemed rather slow, or at least, slower than he.

"Finally caught up with you. Don't speed off again like that,” the Paladin said evenly, apparently not out-of-breath even after chasing the nimble Fae. "It's dangerous in there, don't speed off like that again it will make it harder for me to protect you."

Protect? Fenn’s kneejerk reaction to this was to blink in surprise, his smile souring. A half of him protested needing “protection”, while the other half conceded on the point of his general helplessness. Fenn bit his lip and stared into the deep corners of the ruins, where even the brightest moonbeams couldn't penetrate. It seemed a little more ominous now that it had explicitly been called “dangerous”. What kind of dangers did it hold? His gaze flicked back to Lorenor for answers.

The squat paladin was happy to oblige. "We can journey into the castle but not very far. Not until you're a lot stronger. Someday, when you're ready I will show you where you and I can train against ghosts and apparitions," Lorenor said, revealing the exact nature of the ruin’s peril. The idea of facing off against spirits alternately sent shivers up Fenn's spine and caused him to clasp his hands together in gleeful anticipation. No-one had offered to train him to fight stuff before. How did one go about hitting spirit-beings though?

"For now, you are my charge. And it is my duty to protect you."

There it was. “Protect” again.

Fenn took a deep breath and shrugged agreeably, ignoring the displeased frost that was spiking up on his clothes and the grass underfoot. Luckily, the seemed Paladin either to not notice or not understand.

A seriousness crept into Lorenor’s countenance, one that prompted Fenn to stand more at attention, his annoyance forgotten for renewed curiousity. "When we go in, there is a place I want to show you. It's not terribly far in. The old places… they are often haunted and carry negative energies. We should be as cautious as possible."

Agreed, Fenn seemed to say as he nodded and bounced over a step behind the paladin. His hands swept in the direction of the ruins, quietly asking him to lead the way.

Adventure ho!

[Mutant_Lorenor]

The stone walls were ancient, and built from a different era of Althanas's history.

When the Ixians were around, the castle was a lively place and was full of promise and hope. Now...it was just another old ruin. A forgotten remain of the past. Lorenor placed his hand against the stone wall for a long moment, contemplating his next move. The boy seemed excited, and would likely make a good student. Lorenor looked at the small lad for a moment, excitement in the boy's eyes. He has unusual eyes...things have happened so quickly that I did not notice them until now. Lorenor removed his hand from the stone wall and considered the next move. They were outside on the castle ground, the ancient wards placed by Sei Orlouge himself had long since broken. Lorenor looked ahead towards the gates of the castle, they had also failed long since prior.

The old places, the old ruins, oft held secrets.

Lorenor nodded towards the boy once more and gestured for him to follow. The Paladin assumed the boy wanted to see...and that's the main thing that counted. Lorenor drew his mighty sword, and held it with two hands. He gripped the weapon tightly and held it forward in a noticeable angle. His eyes narrowed calmly and he took a deep breath. Lorenor did not want to admit to himself that he was nervous. He moved forward, walking at a careful pace towards the castle's main entrance. As he moved forward memories from his past haunted him and his eyes grew distant. As he stood there the memories came back, and the ghosts of the past reminded him of who he was back then. It oft was needed to reflect on the older times of history and think of old Heroes...old friends long gone. Then, the fleeting memories passed and Lorenor saw the boy before him. Got to focus on new allies and new friends now.

Lorenor walked forward and it was right then that something happened.

He noticed it out the corner of his eyes..and then it manifested all at once. One of the specters locked within the Ixian's hallowed grounds appeared. The specter had a semi-see through body of some sort composed of this or that energy type. Immediately, Lorenor felt an anger and rage swirling off of the poltergeist. It seemed to have reacted towards the Paladin and his new charge. Lorenor immediately began to glow, but right then...the poltergeist spoke.

"...Ixian..." Came the echo from beyond.

Lorenor felt a chill go up his spine. It recognizes the marks on my gear...

"...Ixian..." It said again. And hovered a few inches off the ground as it looked at Lorenor and his companion. The glowing red eyes stared at Lorenor with a confused hatred. The poltergeist wore robes, and his face was masculine...partially visible from the hood it wore.

Lorenor looked at his companion, Fenn. A part of him wanted to call out to the boy, the other part did not want to reveal the boy's name in front of the poltergeist. "Stand your ground." Lorenor suddenly said to Fenn without revealing the boy's name out loud. Lorenor summoned the Holy Light and his muscular body began to glow with tremendous energy. But despite his initial impulse, the Paladin did not strike right away. Something was making him hesitate.

The poltergeist spoke again. "...Ixian...memory...pain..." The poltergeist suddenly attacked.

[FennWenn]

Most people would be apprehensive of diving into the ominous bones of the castle with naught more than a mysterious stranger for a guide. Not so much Fenn. He bounced along after Lorenor with barely-contained excitement, peering into every crack they passed and practically skipping in circles around Lorenor as they ventured in. For a while the only sounds were that of their muffled footfalls and the faint jangle of Fenn's bag and locket. His twitchy hands plucked one of the luminescent blue flowers they passed and he tucked it into his hair.

Treading on forbidden or abandoned ground like this, trespassing so brazenly, sparked a bit of glee in the rascally Fae. It was a similar feeling to the one he got when he had successfully snatched a wallet or some other goodie off from an unaware passerby. The feeling was that of getting away with something he wasn't supposed to; a familiar, guilty pleasure. On the other hand, Lorenor walked through almost as if he was in a trance, lost in a swirl of memories as he gripped his blade and led the way. Every so often, Fenn would bounce up to his side and make a crazy face just to see if he could get a reaction out of the Paladin. Lorenor didn't seem to even notice.

A creepy feeling suddenly crawled up the Fae’s spine and his unconcerned skipping drew to a grinding halt. There was a loose magic in the air, which he leaned away from as he felt it in a hot lick against his skin, like the breath of some foul beast. Something unearthly was here with them. That certainly spoils the mood, he thought to himself, sidling closer to the Paladin.

In but a moment, his feeling proved to be right on the mark.

Fenn jolted as a wispy specter swirled into existence not but a few yards away. His first reaction was to duck behind the paladin, his magic sparking to life with a fluttering snowfall around him. Likewise, a light began to shimmer around Lorenor. The poltergeist that faced them took the form of a softly glowing man shrouded by thick robes. Red eyes glowed out of the shadows of his cowl, bright with hatred.

"...Ixian…” it spoke in an unearthly voice as dry as dust, seeming to recognize something about Lorenor. The thing drifted closer. "...Ixian..."

"Stand your ground,” Lorenor said down to Fenn, sharing a look with him. A bright energy began to glow from within the Paladin, and Fenn had to back away and shield his gaze a bit, worried that if he touched Lorenor his sense for magic would be overwhelmed. Though he looked ready for battle, the hefty man was hesitant. He remained frozen unnervingly in place as the specter crept forward. Something about the being held him spellbound, though Fenn could not tell if it was from a shock of memories or an actual spell.

Great, Fenn thought. His cherub face contorted into an unnatural snarl as the little Fae faced the Specter. Frost spread out from his curling toes in gritty patches.

"...Ixian...memory...pain..." The poltergeist hissed. Without any further warning, it lunged forward, arms outstretched as if to claw at them. Fenn ducked away from the attack, and it easily passed by him, as the strike was aimed at Lorenor instead. As soon as it’s hands made contact with the aura of light that wreathed him, it drew back with the most hideous of shrieks, as if it had been burned. Yet, it reared back towards him again, the air around it seething with indecipherable whispers. It wasn’t finished with the Paladin.

Fenn wasn’t to be left out of this action! The specter had overlooked him, but not for long - the boy didn't take well to being ignored, even as it kept him out of harm's way. This was an opportunity for a sneak attack. He dashed over to the other side of the room and around the specter. A glistening, softly-glowing chunk of ice formed between his pressed palms as he clasped his hands together. The sharp faucets dug into his skin. Here goes nothing, he thought with bated breath, pulling his arm back for the throw. No force was spared as he hurled it toward the spirit with what mite bit of might he had in him.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor kept a calm expression on his face.

His aura flared up and it had the expected effect on his opponent. Though the poltergeist was a legitimate enemy, Lorenor hesitated. He knew he'd placed the boy, Fenn, in danger. I have to be careful...I intend to protect him with everything I have. The Paladin's aura did have the effect of burning the poltergeist. The entity hesitated before approaching the old Paladin once more, but then at that point...all hell broke loose. Lorenor felt a sudden surge of power from his young charge...or seemingly young charge... and that lead to some release of stored power. The air immediately nearby grew considerably colder at the discharge of magics that the boy commanded. A projectile of ice energy was launched from the boy and flew towards the poltergeist. Lorenor saw Fenn out of the corner of his eyes and was at the same time impressed, and deeply troubled.

He has power...he's one of those spell caster types. Immediately, the projectile traveled through the air and cracked as sharp ice against the poltergeist. The entity immediately turned it's attention away from the old Paladin and stared at Fenn. Fenn had become the next target! The poltergeist began to move quickly in Fenn's general direction...though hurt...it was still a threat. Lorenor observed how the poltergeist moved and saw his window to attack. He's going for the boy...here is my chance... At that point, when the poltergeist exposed it's back towards Lorenor...the old Paladin struck. He summoned forth vast holy energy in the form of his glowing smite spell. His sword glowed brightly with power, and Lorenor laucnhed his own spell from the length of his blade.

The energy-mass cascaded through the air and collided with the back of the poltergeist. There was an impressive burst of energy and Lorenor began to prepare another smite spell. As long as the Paladin could focus his energy, he was able to use his smite spell. Lorenor concentrated on casting his ability with his sword pointed right at the exposed back of the poltergeist. Lorenor was prepared to release another smite spell but there was a different event that occurred. Lorenor was surprised by what happened next. The poltergeist began to glow with tremendous energy, as a result of the near-lethal damage of the smite spell, and Fenn's attack...Lorenor saw that the entity began to ripple with tremendous energy.

It's ghostly form writhed and twisted in place as the holy light tore it apart. Energy cascaded around the swirling body of the creature, and it suddenly exploded. Did it self-destruct? No...the light tore it apart... Lorenor had not been certain how evil and dark the poltergeist actually was. It exploded with a burst of darkness and light, flashing arcane residue rippled through the air. Lorenor covered his face for a moment in an attempt to shield his eyes from the mish-mash of energy. It cascaded everywhere sending burning energy across the chamber they were in. The walls were scorched with energy a was the floor and ceiling. Lorenor felt grim at what had just occurred, but then...he spotted something through the glowing energy.

A small crystal...began to float towards Fenn's position.

Lorenor pondered if the crystal would be an attack...but it didn't. The Paladin steadied himself as the energy finally vanished in the room, he lowered his defenses for a few moment and walked towards the boy. His eyes held a serious expression on his face...but the rest of his face was calm. "You are packing tremendous power, little one." Lorenor said carefully. The cold chill still remained in the air as a direct result of Fenn's power. Then, the old Paladin smiled. "I'll be certain to ask you to help me when the time comes." Lorenor looked around to be certain that there were no more poltergeists...at least not in that part of the castle they were in. "I think that the crystal is for you lad." Lorenor said carefully. "Seems to radiate some sort of energy." Lorenor relaxed at that point and waited for Fenn to obtain the crystal that waited in front of him, hovering a foot or two off the ground...

Waiting with secrets for the magey type.

[FennWenn]

Shitshitshit!

Fenn had, perhaps a bit stupidly, not considered that his chunk of ice would catch the specter’s attention as it had. He had further injured it but he had not taken it down. After the collision, the poltergeist had turned away from Lorenor to catch Fenn in its petrifying red glare. Fenn's ears flicked up and his eyes widened in fear. An unearthly screech ripped out of the specter, and it began barreling straight for him. Its movements were choppy, as if it was injured, but that didn’t make its approach any less terrifying for the meek Fae. NOPE. Fenn fled from it, running in the opposite direction of the angry specter.

His bravery lasted only so long as he wasn’t the direct target of attack. Durability, Fenn knew, was not one of his strengths.

Cobwebs tickled at the young Fae’s nose and dusted his hair as he ducked into a darkened corridor and flattened himself against a wall. His heartbeat thumped rapidly in his ears as he listened to to the brief battle between Lorenor and the poltergeist ensue. It seemed that the Paladin had finally stirred from his strange stupor, and was now fighting back against the angry spirit.

An explosion of light and horrible shrieking came from the main hall, signaling the death of the poltergeist. As it died, a wave of magical energies blasted through the area, leaving Fenn feeling curiously and unpleasantly warm. Once the calamity was over, Fenn let out his held breath. Casually, he wiped the cobwebs off of him and strolled back around the corner. His somewhat blank expression seemed intended to give the impression that he had neither been shaken by the encounter, nor had dashed off in the first place. The slightly jelly-kneed way he walked belied this lie of unflappability.

Where the specter had been but a moment before was now an odd crystal. Fenn blinked curiously at it, watching as it drifted closer… to him of all people.

It hovered at about waist-height to the diminutive Fae, pulsing with a pale blue-and-white speckled glow. He kneeled to look a bit more closely at it; it looked a little like the ice shards he made, only it was very small and very bright. The Far scratched his chin, perplexed. Had his little chunk of ice interacted with the specter and formed this weird crystal-thing?

"You are packing tremendous power, little one,” Lorenor said to him with a smile, his voice surprisingly calm even after that fight. "I'll be certain to ask you to help me when the time comes. I think that the crystal is for you lad. Seems to radiate some sort of energy."

Tremendous power? The boy bit his lip and placed a hand behind his neck, his feet pointed inward. He did not feel powerful. Much of the time, he felt about as small as he looked. That was why he so often found himself running whenever he inevitably got himself into trouble, rather than fighting back. Still, he thought with a greedy glint of a sideways glance at the crystal, if no-one else is going to claim a shiny thing, who am I to turn it down? His hand lifted to grab the gem out of the air.

It was cold to the touch, much like Fenn himself. As soon as it brushed across his fingers, it shone brightly enough to temporarily blind anyone who stared directly at it.

The light that flickered and danced in it had turned green, and a thin layer of ice now coated the crystal. Squinting under it’s sudden radiance, Fenn hastily grabbed the white gold locket around his neck and flipped it open at the clasp. He dropped the small inside and shut it. The brightness faded quite a bit as soon as it left his hands, but a sliver of light could still be seen through the crack of the locket’s opening. Fenn sighed in relief. While the ordeal with the specter and the crystal hadn’t harmed him, he was quite a bit shaken. Figuring out what the gem actually did would have to wait for another day.

Fenn took a deep breath and turned back to Lorenor with a muted smile. He gestured at the path ahead, looking curious. Now, where were you taking me? He hoped they wouldn't encounter anything else that scary along the way.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Once he was satisfied that nothing else was going attack...Lorenor sheathed his weapon.

He did not power down, however.

He kept the glowing light about his person so they would better illuminate the dark hallways of the castle. Lorenor looked at Fenn and motioned for the boy to follow him. "Keep close by." Lorenor said calmly, there was no malice in his voice, and he was sincerely concerned for Fenn's safety and well being. His glowing eyes narrowed and he found the exact chamber he was looking for...an old library style room. Of course, there were no books present on the bookshelves...or so Lorenor believed. But that wasn't what Lorenor wanted to show Fenn. What was present in the chamber was a series of old tapestries show casing the adventures of the Ixian Knights both modern and ancient. In one of the tapestries...

"Look Fenn, this is what I wanted to show you." He wasn't sure how much the boy knew about history and about his growing power. Lorenor carefully considered the situationed at hand. His glowing body served to illuminate the room very well. Lorenor narrowed his eyes and found the exact tapestry he was looking for. There was a tapestry that showed Sei Orlouge, the blind telepath, and an image of what appeared to be Lorenor himself nearby to Sei. Lorenor pointed his glowing hands towards the tapestry. It was large and worn, but the images were exquisite and withstood the tests of time and bandits. Lorenor looked at Fenn.

"That man, was Sei Orlouge. My friend." Lorenor explained. "He gave me something I lacked for a long time...purpose." Lorenor looked at the various images of the tapestry. The chamber had several such tapestries which showed the history of the old Ixian Knights. "Once this place was a lively castle-town. Lots of Heroes back then." Lorenor explained. He looked at Fenn. "Sei taught me something back then...even someone like me can be saved." Lorenor felt a certain sense of pride talking about Sei. "I consider him a Hero, like in the old stories. More importantly he was my friend." Lorenor explained. His body continued to glow. "This room was a history room of sorts. Myself, and the old Ixians would come here to study and follow. And learn the mysteries of the Ixian's teachings." He felt a certain sense of pride as he looked around the old room. "So Fenn, I have to wonder. Is there some place within the castle grounds that you want to see?" Lorenor asked. He wanted to give the little one his time to shine.

[FennWenn]

How curious, Fenn thought, sticking his hands into the empty cavities of the shelves, running his fingertips fearlessly through the dust and cobwebs. A library without books. Delight lit up his face. Check that off on his mental list of witnessed oddities. That, along with ghosts, slavers, eldritch beasts, pitiful puppers… what hadn't Fenn seen?

The light that Lorenor shed softly lit the room as they strode past creaky bookshelves and rotting furniture. Musty smells caused the boy to wrinkle his nose, covering up the rare squeaky sneeze with the sleeve of his cloak.

“Look Fenn,” the paladin said, coming to a stop at the end of the great room. “This is what I wanted to show you."

Colorful tapestries lined the wall, filled with historical figures, heroes, and beasts. Though weathered and faded, they were mostly intact. The Paladin pointed out one weaving in particular. There were two men featured on it; Lorenor, and a blind man who seemed rather serene.

"That man, was Sei Orlouge. My friend..." Lorenor said to Fenn. There was pride evident in his warm voice and his roving eyes as he explained a little about Sei and the past of the Ixian castle. The Fae closed his eyes as he listened. Stories were a lot like shiny baubles, Fenn figured. They were too interesting for him to not collect.

"...This room was a history room of sorts. Myself, and the old Ixians would come here to study and follow. And learn the mysteries of the Ixian's teachings."

Oh, Fenn thought, his eyes cracking back open. How does it feel for him to be old enough that his cherished memories are now history and dust? How will I feel when I reach that age? A flash of sadness flickered over his frost-flecked features. It lasted only a second.

"So Fenn, I have to wonder. Is there some place within the castle grounds that you want to see?" Lorenor inquired with a gentle look down at the boy.

He tapped his chin in mock-thoughtfulness and quickly nodded back. The answer to that question had leapt easily to Fenn's mind; any treasure rooms or sites of scholarly interest were likely either to have been looted or haunted by now. With those out of the equation, that left the boy one particular curiosity he wanted to check out. He slid over to a nearby table and tapped the mossy planks, creating a patch of frost to write in.

TOWERS, Fenn scribbled hazily. WOULD LIKE TO CLIMB ONE. IT WILL MAKE US TALL, VIEW THE RUINS FROM ABOVE.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor saw the texture of the journal that Fenn wrote on.

He was curious about the way that Fenn wrote, his particular writing style reminded him of something else he had seen a long time ago. The empty book shelves, some of them toppled or broken, served as a reminder of all that the Ixian Knights had lost. Lorenor carefully considered the situation at hand. A tower huh...I think I can accommodate him on this trip. Lorenor rubbed his well structured chin for a long moment as he thought about a possible place to take Fenn. The castle was still teaming with dangers and he would have to be careful where ever he took them. Once he considered the tower that they would climb, relatively in a nearby position, Lorenor nodded. He looked at Fenn for a long moment. Then he considered the history room that they were in. It had long since been sacked by looters and hooligans. The Paladin thought about where they could go and came up with an adequate response.

"One of the towers rests nearby. We could go over that way and explore it's structure. Much of the castle remains intact and withstood the test of time." Lorenor looked far away for a moment as he thought about the past, his past, and considered all the Ixian Knights meant to him. Lorenor looked around the history room for a long moment and nodded to himself. They could return later, and he would teach Fenn all he knew about history, the Ixian Knights, and other matters still. Lorenor considered where he was going to take Fenn. The mid-afternoon sunlight still shone through in sun shafts through out the dimly lit castle. Lorenor kept his body glowing to provide light for himself and Fenn. It was more of a comfort against the encroaching darkness anyway. Lorenor looked at Fenn. "We should head over to the tower now while the sun is still on our side." Lorenor was ever conscious of the time of day...beings of darkness oft waited for the night time hours to prey on the living. As Lorenor gathered himself, his cloak moved with a slight swish as he turned to face the doorway that they'd come through.

He looked at Fenn.

"Come on, my friend let's go to the tower. Should be a decent walk all the way up there to the top level." Lorenor explained as he started to walk, and assumed that Fenn would follow.

[FennWenn]

(Did a pinch of bunnying; lemme know if it needs to be changed!)

Fenn was always a cheerful step behind Lorenor as they trod through the dusty castle corridors and rooms, toying with the little blue flower that was still entwined in his hair. Dust motes drifted through the bare patches of sunlight. He trusted that Lorenor knew where they were going, and that they wouldn’t run into another specter. Hopefully. The way forward was a bit longer than the way back, and the sound of crickets started to permeate the air. Night wasn’t upon them yet but it was definitely on it’s way.

Wuff.

A quiet noise echoed down the corridor, followed by the soft rain of padded footsteps on stone and bare ground.

Pointed ears swiveling towards the disturbance, Fenn straightened to attention. That sound was very familiar to him. Lorenor stopped as well, the blue glow in his eyesockets narrowed and uncertain. “Brace yourself,” he said seriously to the boy. “We may have another fight on our hands.”

In reply, Fenn shook his head and held a hand up to the Paladin, a plea for him to keep his sword (metaphorically) sheathed.

Suddenly, a black-furred wolf bounded into the chamber they were passing through, kicking up dirt and stones as she tore her way towards the two. Fenn pricked up as he recognized the beast, clapping his hands together in delight. Daugi! Her muzzle was encrusted with dried blood from her hunt, and her tail flicked to and fro in annoyance. It seemed that she had spent quite a while tracking down her tiny friend to; he hadn’t been in the forest where she had expected him to be. An irked growl burst from behind her snaggled teeth as he bounced forward to greet her, reprimanding her little buddy for his rudeness in wandering so far from her protection. Sorry!

The boy buried his face in her fur and hugged her tightly. She snuffled his face and licked his cheek, accepting his apology. A part of him wished she had been there to defend him during the fight against the specter, but the more practical side of him knew she couldn’t do jack squat against a ghost anyway. Still, having her around made him more relaxed.

Before he knew it, the dumb dog had wiggled her way out of his hug to consider Lorenor with a deep crimson stare. She took a deep whiff of the air in his direction and sneezed, not seeming to like how he smelled; perhaps, Fenn thought, it was due to the environment they were in. It was only around monsters or undead beings that she got this tense, after all. The direwolf considered the being before her with a bony snarl that positively dripped with ill intention. A pat on the from Fenn was enough to prevent her from trying to engage the Paladin in combat. It wasn’t enough to make her stop twitching her nose in suspicion, however.

A sheepish grin was on Fenn’s face as he looked back to his new friend. Lorenor, meet Daugi. Daugi, meet Lorenor.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

He wasn't alone...good thing I decided to wait this out. Those sorts of wolves are not native to these parts anyway...

Lorenor decided to hesitate when the wolf arrived. He saw the friendly mannerisms that Fenn shared with the wolf. He is more skilled than he lets in on. I'll have to remember that as we get to know one another. He is not weak. Lorenor nodded towards Fenn as the boy handed him the notes. He was glad at this point that he'd given Fenn the small gift of paper and writing utensils. It makes this easier. Lorenor saw that the wolf kept eyeing him, the Paladin wasn't sure why. However, he would not let that stop the current journey. Once his two companions had settled down, the Paladin looked at Fenn. He pointed towards a corner of the structure in the castle that they were in. He pointed so that Fenn could see what he was pointing at. There was an old entryway with what looked to be a stairwell that lead up.

"We're heading there, that is the tower." Lorenor said casually.

Lorenor gathered his thoughts for a moment and started walking again knowing that Fenn would follow. He did not stare at the wolf too often, he did not want to provoke the boy's guardian. As he walked he studied the stone walls, it saddened him see the Ixian castle in such a state of disrepair. There were still secrets in the old castle, and the place still had a purpose to fulfill. The thing was Lorenor did not quite know what that purpose was. As he walked towards the tower, he considered the situation at hand. There were many secrets within the old castle, and the Paladin knew that Fenn had discovered one of them. The gem was one such secret, and there would be more to find and discover.

The temperature within the castle was slightly humid and clingy. Probably a by product of the energies that still clung to that place. Lorenor looked around the corner to ensure that nothing was present that could take him and his friend by surprise. So far, the hallways were clear and there was only a certain sense of sadness and despair that clung to the air, causing a vibration in it. As he considered that, he began walking up the stone steps, they were old and quite damaged from the effects of time. He looked at Fenn before he began to climb up the tower. "Walk carefully, Fenn. I don't want to see you fall and get hurt." Lorenor said sincerely, he didn't want to place his friend in anymore danger than was necessary. Lorenor nodded more to reassure himself more than anything else. It felt strange for him to be back on the hallowed grounds that had once been home.

I gave Sei five years of my life. Such a debt can't ever be repaid. Lorenor thought as he ascended the towers.

There were some cobwebs that hanged carelessly from the walls and stone. Lorenor swiped at the cobwebs making sure they would not block the journey forward. After about twenty minutes, he made his way to the top portion of the tower. The tower itself was dimly lit, heavy shadows everywhere. Lorenor's glowing body illuminated the dark stairwell with the effect of a torch. There was a door at the top section of the tower that was broken open long since prior by thieves. The Paladin pointed towards the doorway and moved forward...

Once he stepped on the roof of the tower, he was greeted with a gentle breeze. The sky still marked the afternoon time of day, but it was slowly growing dark. Lorenor waited for Fenn to get on to the roof with him. It was an awe-inspiring view of Corone herself.

"The land is in pain." Lorenor suddenly said sadly as he looked in the direction of the mountains that loomed on the horizon. He pointed towards the direction of his camp. "You can see my camp from up here." Lorenor said quietly.

[FennWenn]

Led by the Paladin’s warm glow, the boy hopped his way cautiously up the stairs, cheerfully brushing aside what few cobwebs clung to the walls after Lorenor had been through. He was barely being as careful as Lorenor had asked of him. The dampness of the air around them generated sprinkles of accidental snowflakes around the frosty Fae. Meanwhile, Daugi slunk up the stairs in a much more reserved manner. What hostility towards the paladin remained in her was easily tempered by her newfound trepidation; the crumbling stone steps, which felt a little unstable even under Fenn’s negligible weight. Padded paws tentatively poked at each foothold before actually ascending. Some of them made strained groans as her hefty weight shifted onto them.

Daugi took a moment to steady herself once at the top, her jowls curled into a grumpy expression and she glanced back at the stairs, not happy at the thought of s return trip.

Her tiny friend was already leaning over the side of the tower, peering over the aged parapets, his eyes eagerly roving over the landscape below. Daugi yelped and tugged Fenn a little away from the edge by the hood of his cloak, making certain that his precarious position didn't lead to a fall.

The boy barely minded her fussing. His breath was taken away by the sights to see and the shock of fresh, dust-devoid air.

It was quite a view. From this high up, far above the tops of the trees, Fenn could see much of Corone. If he squinted, he could make out the cluster of buildings and tangling streets that was Radasanth. The ramparts of the Citadel stuck out of the clutter like a sore thumb. Fog-shrouded mountains could be seen off in the distance as well. He hadn't seen the world from such an aerial viewpoint before. As he stared, Fenn made a few corrections to his internal map and added a few new landmarks as well. There was a lake besides the castle, for instance, which the boy hadn't known about until now. It's darker depths seemed rather inviting.

"The land is in pain."

Fenn’s geographical musings were abruptly broken by Lorenor, whose voice came across as a bit pained himself to the Fae. Not physically hurt, but… internally aching. Something those words made Fenn uneasy, and he shivered. The hefty Paladin pointed down into the forest. "You can see my camp from up here."

A brief glance down at the camp was enough to allow Fenn to note it down on his mental map. Noted. It was a nice campsite. The boy rarely bothered setting any up when he traveled - it was better to be fully mobile at all times, in case he stuck his fingers in the wrong pocket and get into trouble. There was no home for one who lived on the road.

But now he had a question. Fenn placed his palms over the top of the stone wall and began dragging his fingers through the dust-speckled frost that appeared on it, writing quick words.

WHAT HURTS IT. THE LAND. WHY.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor looked at the quickly scribed words.

It was a difficult thing to explain but he would try to, of course, for the sake of his new friend. Lorenor considered his reply very intently and thought about what would be a suitable answer. "Around the world, there are many dangerous people, dangerous places. Places that have become negative with a blight." Lorenor thought about Raiaera at that moment and her plight. He also thought about other Nations going through their own problems. In many ways, Althanas was a strong planet, but it was also getting weaker and possibly dying. There were forces in the dark scheming to destroy everything Lorenor held to heart, and believed was extremely important to him. As he considered his answer, he looked at Fenn.

"I have a strong connection to this." Lorenor touched the stone of the tower that they were both standing on. He was trying to explain the depth and mystery of the Holy Light. It oft worked in it's own way. "Maybe it's part of my training, maybe it's a gift from the Light. I do not know." Lorenor said. He continued to explain to Fenn what he thought was important. "Paladins are sworn a sacred oath to help those in need. To be servants of the people and fight against the encroaching Darkness." Though for Lorenor, the oath was a simple promise between himself and his friend, Sei. He'd given his life to Sei in exchange for his freedom from N'Jal's grasp. Lorenor thought carefully about what needed to be said. "We Paladins swear Oaths in our training to stop the Darkness. It is a heavy burden and one that we carry out throughout our entire lives." Lorenor said calmly.

As he stood there he felt a comforting breeze coming in from the East. Lorenor was bald, his hair had been lost long since prior. Considering where to go next, he looked at Fenn for a moment and spoke again. "When you're ready to continue we can head back to camp and hopefully there are no more surprises on the way back waiting for us." Lorenor said casually, thinking of the ghost that they'd fought earlier.

[FennWenn]

Fenn surveyed the world below with new eyes. Not the technical, mapping gaze from before, but a more somber look. As much as he had traveled around, swept away like a leaf in the wind, he still didn't know as much as he wanted to. He wasn't a Paladin with light-ness-sense-y powers. The boy quietly stepped away from the edge of the tower, his stray hand petting Daugi's flyaway fur back into place, more to comfort himself than her. Frustration kindled in his chest whenever he was faced with that which was beyond his scope of knowing.

The shiny gem in his locket felt oddly heavy.

Fenn shook off the flare of negativity and smiled up at the Paladin. He gestured back at the stairs and nodded, ready to descend. They had best be leaving before any more spooky things showed up - or before the boy fell asleep. He leaned tiredly against his wolf friend, who glanced uncertainly into Lorenor’s glowing gaze. Fenn was just about all explored-out for the day.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Sometime later...

They were back at the camp.

Lorenor looked at Fenn and considered a matter that he'd not considered before. Lorenor stretched for a moment as they arrived and he looked at his supplies Thanks to the campfire he'd set up for himself the camp was relatively warm. There were small stones and such around the fire pit. Lorenor respected Nature a great deal. As he walked with Fenn, they spoke about all matter of things. And at that point Lorenor looked at Fenn for a long moment. Then he asked a question.

"Are you hungry?" Lorenor asked. He didn't know what Fenn's people liked to eat...but Lorenor kept a stable supply of food at his camp. Further, there was a recently killed boar at his campfire getting slow roasted cooked. Lorenor sat down at the bed roll. He crossed his legs and sat in the same lotus position he was in when Fenn first met him. Lorenor gathered some eating utensils, and began to prepare Fenn a decent meal for them to eat. Lorenor was a survivor at heart and he'd picked up rudimentary skills along the way. As he prepared the meal for Fenn he smiled it at a thought.

It's nice to have a friend. Lorenor considered that quite carefully he had not had a friend like that since Sei himself...

He wondered if their friendship would be the stuff of legends.

The End.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

FennWenn receives 1050 EXP, 35 GP and the below spoil:


A mysteriously glowing green gem shaped like a shard of ice. This magical anomaly formed after a poltergeist came in contact with the young Frost Fae’s magic. It can be used as a focus for Fenn's magic power, allowing him to begin to learn new ways to wield his magic, both Glamour and Ice Attunement.

(tl;dr, it’s a fluff item to potentially be used in future magic-training threads, and might be upgraded at a later date.)

Please note: the spoil I am granting you is ONLY the crystal itself; any associated abilities will have to be approved via a mid-level update in Realm of Greeting before they are associated with it in any way.

Mutant Lorenor receives 1060 EXP and 135 GP!

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

All rewards added!