Karen rubbed her burning eyes. She was sure they were bloodshot, but she wasn’t sure if that was from the lack of sleep, or from crying. She rubbed her eyes, assuring herself that it was just sleep deprivation. She hadn’t cried that much (Yeah, that’s right). Everything had changed only two days ago. Everything had changed.

She walked her horse into the bustling streets of the city. It usually surprised Karen how many people could live in one place. It always seemed as though the entirety of Riman was in the streets here. And there was never a peaceful moment. But today, that didn’t really seem to matter. She had to get to Hank’s inn.

She quickly made her way through the streets, making her way to the inn before sorely dismounting her horse and handing it over to the stableboy. She took a glance back to make sure Luke was still with her and headed inside. It was the first she had thought of Luke in a while. She was surprised that he came with her, rather than staying at his farm, but she was glad to have the company.

She hardly noticed the looks the young pair got as they entered the inn. Not that the looks were particularly unfriendly or that there were many people in the common room of the small inn to look. But right now, she scanned for her brother. Soon, she found him happily washing glasses at the bar. She rather grumpily, sat down at the bar in front of him. He glanced up, and seeing his sister smiled slightly, “Sorry, miss. But we don’t serve to anyone under ten years old.”

In response, Karen swiftly cuffed him on the ear.

Hank looked up after feigning extreme pain, and really looked at his sister’s face for the first time since she had came into the inn. And immediately read her face and put down the rag he was still holding and leaned over the bar. “Kar. What’s wrong?” Karen shook her head and nodded toward the nearest door she could see. Hank nodded, understanding and said “Follow me” and led the pair up stairs and to an empty room in the inn. He pulled up the lone chair in the room from the small table by the window and plunked it down next to the bed. He then indicated for the pair to sit on the bed. “Alright” he said seriously “What happened?”

Karen looked up at her brother and quickly looked down again. “… I… I…” She then took a deep breath and began.

“Well... I… I was practicing the sword again. I was practicing in the hills outside of town, since I couldn’t practice around town anymore. Mother wouldn’t let me and take away my blade… But I had set up on the hill. I had gotten a bale of hay there which I practiced on, you know… like a training dummy. Well… I was there. And I heard something. It was strange. It wasn’t that loud. It sounded like a… rockslide. Except not it was…” She hesitated remembering solemnly “It doesn’t matter. I… ignored it at first but as I began to practice again I saw dust. A dust cloud higher than I had ever seen, and then, coming out of the dust I saw something shiny. Then more and more. I.. I… It was Aur, Hank. I… I… think they collapsed the mine.” Karen’s eyes watered up at this. Her father… her other brothers… they had all been there. They had been innocent. They were just working day to day. There was nothing special about that day, they just went to work in the mine early in the morning. Nothing strange… but now they were dead… She doubted she’d ever get to even see their bodies again… Not she imagined there would be much left…
She continued keeping her voice level, but noticeably quieter than before. I ran… I ran back home. I… I didn’t know… know what to do. She told me to run. I was faster. Run to the farms, and then go to the capitol. I…” She stopped looking away from the pair. She took a deep breath and stopped. She looked away from the pair and wiped away tears before they could form from her eyes with the palm of her hand. Trying to hide what she was doing the best she could.

But it didn’t really matter. Everybody in the room could tell.

Madiea rode her rented horse (named 'Maurice', bizarrely) down the countryside path with a forest to her right side. After riding Maurice for the better part of half an hour, it was beginning to get a bit tiring. She reminded herself that Alarei wasn't very far away now but it didn't eliminate the fact that she was quite bored. If she took the longer route, it would've taken her a bit less than an hour to get to her destination but at least there was a small town on the way! No, she had to get there quickly. Madiea sighed.

"What a lovely day..." she commented as she looked at the blue sky dotted with small fluffy clouds, one of which concealed the sun. "At the very least, I chose a good time to leave. Heaven forbid I travel in the rain."

After about ten more minutes, Madiea and Maurice made their way to a cliff with a path leading downwards. At the top of the cliff was a magnificent view; the city of Alarei. Guarded by its mighty walls and the cannons that rest above them, the city was truly bustling. A university of great prestige, the Alarei Institute of Knowledge, could clearly be seen amongst the other larger buildings by its bright crimson roof. Smiling, Madiea got Maurice to walk down the cliff path.

Many days had passed in the travels from Umaine to Noapeta and much was seen in the eyes of Thomas "Ignis" Gareshim. His heart was set on seeing the coastal towns of Noapeta; Felber being his main target. Thomas had a plan to invest a great sum of the money he had on him into some sort of business, but his adventures in the Adeverat country ran him dry of coin, a mere fifty coins were all he had left out of the couple hundred.

With his losses a thing of the past, Thomas just kept walking with his black cloak rustling in the fair breeze and with his sword at his side and his bag of supplies on his back. It was a shame even his horse left him during one of the nights he camped out under the stars. As odd as it was, he still managed to smile and admire the great view the sky possessed. After all the time he had spent, Thomas finally made it to Felber, the city was bustling and many shops lined the market district.

He passed by a stable where he saw two people handing over their stead to the stable hand. As impulse, he wanted to show off for the woman, but was interrupted by an orphan. The little kid had his hand dug as far into Thomas' pocket as he could manage. "My money in here," Thomas pointed to the bag on his back and smiled. Despite the rudeness of the child, he still handed him over ten coins. Returning his attention to the stables he noticed the two were gone now.

Thomas kept walking. He had his mind set on roaming the market, but when he looked at the remaining coin the only thing that popped into his head was a bed and something to eat. Ignoring his ambitions, he was more set on an inn and remembered seeing one near the stables from before.

The sound of the flute and the beat of a drum wound their way up through the soles of Juliette’s feet, and she swayed slightly, eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, she took three quick steps forward, bending down and planting her palms firmly on the ground, twisting her body into a handstand that lasted for a brief second before her feet arched towards the ground and her palms left the dirt, landing in a swirl of skirts as the music crested, perfectly timed. The crowd cheered, a few of them tossing copper coins at the feet of the dancer, who smiled and bowed- even if she was in skirts, she would not curtsy. One of the small boys who traveled with the caravan scrambled around, collecting the coins.

Listening to the music again, Juliette began to dance, her bare feet flashing over the ground, her hands raised to the sky. It was a common dance, and a few of the onlookers joined in, to a mix of cheers and mocking calls. Juliette merely grinned and danced faster, the music racing ever faster, and the enthusiastic commoners began to drop out, panting and laughing, shaking their heads in chagrin. Finally, only Juliette and a young man remained, and she winked at him, causing him to stumble slightly. She laughed, throwing her head back, and grasped his hands, spinning him around and around and- “Enough, you win!” He gasped and bowed ever so slightly to her. “Well played, well played.” He tossed a small coin at her feet, and she returned an equally shallow bow, barely out of breath. Stepping back, she watched as another member stepped forwards for his turn.

“Gave you a run for your money, eh, Jules?” She shoved the drummer away with a laugh.

“Leave me alone, Matthias. I could have gone for another hour. And shouldn’t you be playing?” He shrugged.

“Aden’s getting in some practice,” he said, gesturing towards the front. The eleven-year-old sat there with the drum gripped between his knees, brow furrowed in concentration. “Its his first real performance. I didn’t want to run him with you, afraid he’d mess you up.”

“As if any drummer could make me foul up!” She punched him, hard enough to make him wince. “Now leave me alone, you heartless gypsy! I have to get ready for my next act. And if Aden wants to play, he can. I’ve got this down.” Reaching the wagon, she removed the chest that held her knives, opening it up to reveal a row of shining silver daggers. She also drew out the swords she and one of the men used for the sword dances, unsure if they would be preforming together today. Chances were they wouldn’t, since they were in a smaller town, with smaller amounts of money. She’d probably just be juggling today, but best to be prepared anyways. Assured that she was ready for either act, she did a few quick stretches to keep warm.

Luke looked over at Karen and her brother. The friendly banter had been nice to see as Karen had let her spirits go up a little, but now that they were alone, she was back to sobbing. Luke sighed internally. She had been pretty bad on the road. It was pure luck itself that they hadn't run into anyone on the road; had they, the pair of childhood friends probably would have been robbed blind. After all, Luke only knew how to use the bow, and Karen was not in any condition to be fighting. She was too depressed to do anything. As her friend and companion on this trip, he hated to see her like this. Then again, she had been worse when she first came by the farm.

He didn't really want to think about how bad she looked then. She was clearly shell-shocked by... well, at the time, he had no idea, so he asked. He instantly regretted that one. She started to leave, saying that she had to get the the capital, but Luke stopped her and told her in no uncertain terms that if she was going, he was going to go too. His father, thankfully, had approved. Heck, he had even presented Luke with a sword as he left (which Luke had no idea how to use) and told him that he had once been a soldier. And so, Luke and Karen had left to find Hank in the capital and tell him the bad news.

Of course, Karen had also told Luke the real reason that Aur was here. Hunting runebearers. He knew that Karen had a rune of some form (she had never said what it was or what it did), and he knew that there was nothing wrong with her. Sure, he had heard stories of runebearers, but he trusted his eyes more than other's eyes. He knew there was nothing wrong with having a rune. He figured that people just feared what they didn't understand, which was kind par for the course, now that he thought of it. He almost shook his head sadly. Hopefully some people were understanding enough to give Karen a chance.

Speaking of Karen, it was pretty clear that she couldn't continue the story at this point. Luke continued for her. "So she ran to the farms and found me and my father at home. We had just come back in after caring for our horses. Anyway, she was pretty clearly distressed, so I asked her what was wrong..." Luke paused momentarily before saying, "Well, you already know what happened. When Karen went to leave, I told her I was coming with here, and we ended up traveling here together. It only took a few days, and I could catch food with my bow. Father has taught be how to hunt, even if there aren't many reasons to do so back home. I am afraid to say--" he cut himself off before continuing his though. He didn't need to mention that Karen had been this depressed since they had left Riman. He did decide to take the question somewhere else, though.

He resumed slowly, "I'm afraid to say that I don't have a place to stay in the city while I am here. Would you two mind putting me up for awhile, at least until I find a job and a way to pay you back. Also..." he turned to address Hank directly then pointed to his new blade, "I also hate to admit I have no clue how to use this thing. Do you know anywhere in the city I can learn swordsmanship?"

"Wake up before the Youble gets you, sleepy head. He preys on those who sleep in too late in hope they will get out of their chores."

Buzzy cracked open his eyes, he was exhausted from the night before. These people really knew how to party hard, so hard that you feel it the next day.

"I have my Jubble right here," holding up a small clay creature with an ugly face, "a Youble won't come anywhere near me. You need to worry about the Mzzles, they like the taste of anyone who wakes someone up when they're tired."

"Why do you think I carry my dissected Bafter? Did you think that would scare me off?"

Buzzy and Meia stared at each other with stern faces. Simultaneously they started laughing like they were telling a joke that took a second to seep in.

Meia said, "You sure know your creatures, I was sure I would get you this time. I'll have to try harder with you next time. Now hurry on and get out here, we're moving onto our next city. Rai- Ruh- Umm..."

"Riman?" Buzzy said questionably.

"Yes that's the one. Where would I be without you Buzzy?"

"You'd be lost because you don't know what to do with a map nor the names of any big cities." Buzzy got up out of his cot and followed Meia out of their caravan. Meia was Buzzy's caretaker of sorts, she gave him a place to sleep and acted like a mom that doesn't cook. Their love was more like a brother and sister because they were around the same age and they worked together.

Outside there were people of all races, height, weight, and abnormalities. Kingo, the strongest man in the world, was loading up several crates of supplies. Kate, the potion master, was walking around collecting what seemed like normal plants. She said that every thing had a different outcome even if they 'looked' the same. Fretch, the Amazing, seemingly was flying everywhere hooking up whatever needed to be hooked up in high places. He was in fact, doing acrobatics flawlessly which caused the illusion of flying.

Buzzy and Meia gathered all of their possessions and loaded them into their caravan. Every now and then feeding their horse, Caflice. The name was misleading though, he would run at the sight of a leaf falling if he had the chance. That's why he never pulled the caravan, that was Buzzy's job. Caflice was their for Meia to ride, she wasn't made for long distance walking or short distance walking. She, along with Buzzy, provided most of the music for this group of freaks. During their travels she would play soothing music to comfort everyone, or a tune for those who wanted to dance or sing.

Everyone finished their preparations, and before they left they honored those who died in their company during the entirety of the life of this group with a few minutes of silence. Then they headed off with Meia playing a slow song on her tambourine, as to begin the slowest part of the trip, the start. After a few hours she started to play an upbeat song with her flute, the life of this group exploded with life as some danced and some sang. This was by far the best part for everyone, when they were all together and didn't have to worry about their performance.

Xavier paused his work to look at this surroundings. He had been working for this lumber mill for about a few days now, which was situated near the Noapeta border in Aur. He had returned to Aur about 5 months ago, keeping his head down and profile low. He didn't need any Landlords, Knights or Dukes catching wind of his return. Xavier would probably be whisked back off to another training ground to fight endless waves of common soldiers. He hated it, he hated having to continuously fight for no apparent reason. Any normal man would.

Instead, Xavier went to the far regions of the country, and got himself a job at a remote village. He refused to by a house, or even pay rent, instead living in a tent outside the village. He saved ever coin he had in his 'savings' pouch, knowing he would need every dollar later in life. Besides, the country side here was magnificently beautiful, with massively thick trees, sunrises that would paint a thousand pictures and friendly people. The wildlife was simple, but had grace in its simplicity. He liked remote places, and usually sought them out every time he traveled.

Today, he had been lifting the massive tree trunks that most couldn't even push. He had been taking them to the lumber mill before the sun rose that morning. His horse, Mary, had been stationed outside the mill since he arrived, and he wanted nothing more to tend to her hooves and mane, since the wind had started to pick up and was whipping it around. It needed grooming, that he could tell easily.

He - painfully - ignored his companion and grabbed the axe to his left. He had much work to do, and not enough daylight to do it. Even though the day just started, if he didn't hurry he wouldn't finish in time for the sunset.

Ula sat cross-legged with both hands on her knees looking at the sky as the hood of her cloak, or ragged piece of cloth, covered her face, the wind passed slowly as she remembered the last weeks. Originally Ula was supposed to take the main road to Adeverat and reach it´s capital city after 3 days of quick travel, after 4 days Ula had to face the reality. Somehow she made a wrong turn, or something similar, walking several miles in the wrong direction, making another wrong turn, taking a short-cut instead of a “doubtful” road...

The result being her arriving to a small hill where a man was trying to cure an injured horse; alas, carrying more packages than it could, and being informed that she was near Duminica´s border. After some moments of silent cursing Ula offered her help to the man until his horse healed completely... For the next 3 days Ula would walk carrying enough packages to hurt her back while hearing the unfortunate tales of how his grandfather left his father a legacy of loss and how his father suffered with the monsoons and how he had lost ¾ of his crop and how he was “lucky” compared to some neighbors, the tales ended when Ula, being herself, asked, in a loud dead panned voice, that if he and his family knew so much of the seasons and the tragedies why he continued losing the reward of his hard work, after that the pace increased and the small group reached Noapeta´s cpital city: Felber.

Following her word Ula continued helping the man with the next part of the job: getting a good spot at the local market while he obtained the permission to be there, Ula reassurance to the man was somehow... well he did pale at an awesome speed, and then a long and awkward, and in Ula´s opinion unnecessary, conversation ensued; apparently threatening people was not the way to get things. Funny... for a moment Ula wanted to introduce that man to her former companions just to see his reaction of their “pacific” ideas, well after all their work was to convince thieves, sometimes with extreme prejudice, that stealing was bad.

Her next job consisted on sitting at the man´s side as he attracted clients and told them the same stories she heard, this time with her include as the daughter of the friend of a cousin... and unsurprisingly it did not work. At least they got the attention and they were able to sold all the things after one week, a week that also let the horse heal totally and before Ula could say anything the man thanked her, left various coins on her hands, mount and rode the horse in such a way that a knight of the calvary would felt envious.

The brought Ula to her current situation, yes she had money and yes she could probably get a job if she needed to, the problem was deciding if she wanted to stay on Felber or try again to travel Adeverat to find what she was searching for, after a moment Ula yawned feeling bored as she looked down at the street and at the passing people it amused her, and worried a little, how most of the people ignored a girl sitting on the roof of a house. Probably they were used to stranger things?

Whatever was the case Ula just shrugged the situation off and return to her sky gazing as she expected... well something to happen.

"My knights are yours to command, my liege." The arling of Silverwood was rapidly organizing forces, one last feast given before the men are sent away from their families. The arl of Silverwood, lord Baumont, rose to speak. "Let us commend these brave souls, they who protected us in our time of need. May Hredis guide them home when the time has come."

The moon was held high when the knights amassed in the center of the small village, crowds saying their goodbyes as the celebrations died down. Soon silver bodies on horseback moved towards the Capitol, separating in the wind.

The rising sun illuminated the path as a collective of silver-clad knights began their journey south. They were being sent to supply the king's army, meeting with a small regiment close to Noapeta's borders. The escalating tensions of the kingdoms meant that Aur would need every able soldier to combat the growing threat. Hours passed before the knights came upon a small mining town, signs of battle were strewn about as the slaughtered lay in the road. Innocent lives shed with callous disregard. One of the knights dismounted from his stead, looking over the grisly scene in grim silence. The knight removed his helmet, scanning for survivors. "Go find out what happened. I'll tend to the wounded." With that the knights dispersed, leaving the man alone amongst the dead. He began to scour for survivors, wanting to find answers.

Hank stood up after Luke finished his account. "Alright..." he looked over at his sister and shook his head. Then he motioned for Luke to follow him outside the room. After the two left Karen in the room. "Thanks for coming with Kar. She may be a firecracker, but... well... she never really was attatched to our mother as much she was to the three of us and our father. Well, I guess you knew that right? Well. For right now I can let you stay in these two rooms, the one Karen is in and the one next door. I don't really expect we'll have any other customers soon. But first, I gotta ask you Luke, can you bring this to the castle? The king has a policy where he will occasionally hear the pleas of citizins if the cause is serious enough. He should let you in immediately, and you chould be able to get an audience before the day is out. Kar is in no shape to be going anywhere right now, and I really can't send anyone else, and I have to watch the inn. So could you please go for me, Luke?"

Thomas carried his feet, backtracking to the inn he saw. It wasn't really late in the day yet, but he knew if he didn't set himself up with a room and something to eat, he would be left to sleep and eat with the local beggars. He approached the inn leaving the smell of the market behind. Reaching forwards, he swung the door open and walked inside.

"Hello?" Thomas spoke to his curiosity as to where the inn keeper was at. The desk had been left unattended, but voices from up the stairs could be heard just faintly over the low chatter of the inn. He shrugged and climbed the staircase; peeking over the floor as he walked up, he saw two men holding a conversation.

Thomas shoved himself up into view before breaking into their conversation, "Uh, one of you wouldn't happen to be the inn keeper would you? I was wondering if I could reserve a room for tonight..." He felt awkward when he got close to the two, an obvious aura of fear and confusion was tensing up the air.

Luke nodded to Hank. "I would be happy to deliver your message. I just need to wash up a bit first. After all, I doubt royalty would want some dirty peasant in their no matter how dire the circumstances." As he was about to make use of Hank's washroom, a man burst in between them before asking if one of either Luke or Hank was the innkeeper. Keeping to himself how rude he thought it was for some unknown man to burst into a conversation and potentially eavesdrop on private information, he said to the newcomer, "That would be Hank here, you should talk to him." With that, Luke left for the washroom to at least get some of the dirt off.

Luke generally took care of himself. But he had been out on the road for a few days, and he did not look as he did usually. He used some water to get what he could off his cloths and then got to work on his face and hands. After some good scrubbing, he looked as good as new, all evidence of the long trip having been stripped away by the water and his washing. He slipped out quietly in case Hank was talking to the newcomer and then made his way to the castle. It wasn't particularly hard to locate. It was the big stone thing hanging over every other building in the city. When he started to approach, however, a pair of guards stopped him.

"Halt!" One cried out as he approached. Luke stopped and waited for the guards to say something else. One of them sneered at him a little before adding, "And what does a peasant like you think that you're doing here? Surely you don't think we will let you in." Luke held in a sigh. This had been what he had been afraid of, but he really didn't have a choice whether to keep trying or not. He responded by saying, "I have news on an attack on Noapeta by her enemies. Surely you wouldn't bar me from the king then." The sneering guard raised an eyebrow, whether doubting the veracity of the statement or just plain not believing some peasant could speak so well Luke was never sure. But the pair quickly led Luke to the throne room right in front of a man sitting on the high backed chair. Luke fell to one knee, bowed his head, and intoned softly, "Your Majesty."

Maybe the city's King knew better than Ula expected?

After a quick jump from the roof to a pile of hay,almost missing it to land in the ground, the girl walked around trying to make her mind on what to do, her “luck” made her meet an old woman that was rubbing her back in pain as she sat over some boxes.

Several minutes later Ula was walking the main road to the castle carrying “goods that would make the feast of the year”, the girl doubted the woman´s words but remain quiet. Apparently the king ate feasts on a daily basis and apparently his guards gave the woman problems on the same basis despite knowing her and what business she had on the castle.

Surprisingly, to the woman, this time the guards left her alone that being that they were not present, instead other, and more, guards were busy taking not so subtle looks within the castle, it seemed a boy, “a mere peasant” in their own words, entered with a ridiculous excuse and they wanted to know what was the deal.

Ula just ignored them, waved to the woman and left being interested on what kind of business would a boy had that the “king that ate feasts” let him enter the castle.

The silver knives flashed high in the air, spinning and flashing, catching gleams of light, before reaching the crest of their flight, seeming to pause before falling like deadly butterflies, speeding downwards ever faster and being caught easily, gracefully, in Juliette’s nimble fingers. The girl spun them upwards yet again, the five blades entrancing the crowed, who gasped and applauded and laughed as they wished. Glancing towards Aden, she jerked her chin up slightly, and Richard nodded, stepping forward with the other five blades. They had cost the caravan a pretty penny, but they never lacked for money, taking what wasn’t freely given from drunkards and pompous higher-ranking travelers they passed on the road, from stingy merchants, and the innocent traveler who looked as if he could spare a copper, a loaf of bread, a handful of nails, whatever was needed. There were hungry days, too, and months where the group shivered around small campfires in ragged blankets, but Juliette would trade this life for no other.

Standing across from Richard, Juliette threw him the first knife, carefully. He was a wonderful partner, but out of the two, everyone knew she was best at this. But he wasn’t really a juggler, nor a dancer, for all that he did sword dances with her. He was a fire breather, and a magician, and backup for just about anything. She smiled at him, and he threw the dagger back, adding in a second, and the two of them concentrated on the show, ignoring the outside world.

Afterwards, as they packed up, the crowds gone to drink and sleep and spin wool, Juliette carefully polished each blade, setting them carefully in the box and checking the swords. Everything went into the wagon, a box on wheels with a tarp covering, painted brightly, with strings of bright cloth that was beginning to show signs of wear and bells that tingled merrily. The two mismatched horses, beasts that had been cheap because they were sullen until Marne, another caravan member, got her hands on them, were already hooked up, ready to go despite the gathering darkness. Matthias knew of a decently sized tavern less than an hour’s journey from here, where they would be able to earn a few more coppers laying and dancing before leaving and sleeping under the sky, next to a leaping fire. They would travel towards the coast, and from there, it was anyone’s guess where they went. Juliette smiled as they began to move, wagon creaking, Aden perched on it’s side as Marne drove, speaking to the horses in her chirpy little voice. Richard and Matthias walked as well, each carrying a sword I plain view, well-worn weapons carrying none of the glitz that the rest of the caravan wore proudly. The travel was easy and pleasant, as they laughed and talked, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings.

Riku was currently struggling to stay awake at his desk. He had been trying to study this stupid book for much of the night before, and was determined to memorise it before his father and brothers left for Alarei later that day, and Riku was going with them for once. Apparently there was some new invention (the name and purpose escaped Riku at the moment), that his father wanted to investigate. He said it would make things easier for the business. In other words, it was something that Riku wasn't particularly interested in. The real reason he was studying the history and culture of the city was so that he wouldn't be confused by it, or by the way the people thought. That had happened before, when his father had allowed him into meetings with men from foreign lands. Their thoughts were so different...almost alien to him, and he had spent the meeting inside their minds, unwilling to leave, the Rune Mark on his shoulder burning uncomfortably. Not that it didn't normally, he hadn't figured out how to shut the damned thing off yet...He sighed and rested his head on his arms, this was hopeless. He needed sleep, and his father would start to wonder if he fell asleep on his horse. Of course he wouldn't say anything of it, it wasn't his problem, but Riku couldn't let his father suspect anything. It had always been this way, Riku had to hide everything from his father, or anyone that wasn't his mother. If his father or brothers found out about his Mark, it would mean his death...

It took Madiea and Maurice only a few more minutes before they finally got into Alarei (the guards recognised her immediately and let her through, although she had to leave Maurice in the outside stable). She always liked Alarei; it was well-maintained (well, that's par for the course), there were plenty of things to do and there was always the university. Madiea frequented the university because she always loved to read. She wasn't a big fan of those fictional stories of heroes like... ugh, she couldn't even remember their names. Anyway, she loved historical documentations, especially those about the sailors. It was her dream to one day take her family sailing across the great ocean and discover new... discoveries.

It didn't seem that she'd have the time, though; she needed to meet Professor Mailo. She will admit that she was a bit suspicious that someone outside of Velain knew about her rune. Then again, it wasn't much of a secret back in town, so maybe someone who knew told the professor. Regardless, he did ask for her to visit the University to help him study the runes. She walked into the university and gave a "Good afternoon" to everyone she walked past. She then came across a man in a more elaborate professor's uniform who she recognised by his unusually grey beard with a very weird moustache as High Professor Callun. She walked up to him.

"Good afternoon, sir. I'm Madiea Luxnata. A Professor Mailo asked for me. Can you tell me where to find him?"

Callun's eyes widened in recognition. "Why hello, Madiea! It's a pleasure to see you gracing this institute once again. Go into that door over there on the right of the entrace and go down the stairs on your right. I think he's still there; he hasn't left for a long time and he keeps getting his assistant- you know Ignus, that kind boy- to deliver him food. I've respected his privacy so far but I would really like to know what he's up to. He says it's about the runes, which is fair enough, it's what we pay him for, but there's more to it. I just know it."

Madiea bowed. "Thank you, sir. I'll see if I can get him to say anything."

"It's my pleasure, ma'am."

Madiea followed the directions Callun provided. It was kind of dark going down the stairs and made sure to tell Callun that they're in dire need of new lamps lest someone trip over something. Finally, she reached the door of Professor Mailo. She knocked twice.

"Wh-who's there?" asked a nervous voice.

"Hello Professor. It's me; Madiea Luxnata. You-" Quicker than she comprehended, the door opened and she was quickly pulled inside. She was relinquished and the door was shut just as quickly. "... what was that about?" she asked.

"Right, sorry, that was rude of me... I'm sorry, I have to be careful." Professor Mailo was not looking very healthy. She could see bags under his eyes, his short brown hair was all dishevelled, his brown eyes were bloodshot, his posture was very off and his professor uniform- a white robe that was a lot more humble compared to Callun's gold-laced robe- was crumbled and in dire need of a wash. "I know this is all short notice and everything, but believe me when I say that this is very urgent."

"What's going on?" Madiea asked, sensitive to any change in her environment and her fists clenched in preparation for anything.

"I'm not sure myself, but one of my a... a... assis..." Mailo took a moment to take a deep breath. "I'm sorry... one of my... assistants... went missing a while ago."

"... that's unfortunate," said Madiea as she relaxed her guard slightly.

"I know... I just received a letter from him a few days ago... it says that the people that captured him- yes, he was captured, I'm so worried about him- want him to... to... help him 'understand the rune bearers'... I don't know what it means but... he tells me that they want to capture the people with the runes for some reason... I don't know damn it, I don't know!" The professor covered his ears with his hands and was beginning to go hysterical.

"Calm down, Professor!" Madiea placed her hands on Mailo's shoulders and looked at him right in the eyes. "I need you to relax and tell me what you brought me here for. You know I can help you."

Mailo's breathing began to go back to normal. It was clear that Madiea was successful at placating him. "You're right... thank you, Madiea. I don't know what I would do without you..."

"What is it that you need me here for, anyway? You wanted to study my rune, was it?"

"Well, that's the official reason... but I need something else." Mailo took a deep breath. "I need you to go to the other kingdoms and find the other rune bearers and warn them."

Madiea looked quite confused. "Why me? I'm not very outgoing and I don't know how to get around outside the city."

"Madiea, you are a rune bearer. You can connect to the others and help them. If there's one thing that I have learned, rune bearers are..." Mailo ran a hand through his hair. "... cautious when it comes to the world around them- you're an exception, of course- so to communicate with them openly, you need to truly understand them. You are the most diplomatic person I know; they can trust you. They have no idea of the storm that's about to come around, so time is of the essence."

The mother pondered for a moment. "And of your assistant?"

"I'll be honest, I... I..." Mailo took another deep breath. "I have no idea what to do about Paulen. If you could find out anything about where he is... I would be so grateful, you have no idea. Please," he put his hands together in a pleading motion, "you have to help them."

Madiea paced for a bit to think about this. "I have a family to look after, Mailo. I can't just abandon them."

"I know that too well but you're the only one I can trust to do this. Anyone else would probably see them as weapons or monsters but you... you can see them as humans." Mailo paused. "I won't lie; this will be very dangerous. Rune bearers are being hunted and you can bet that any organisation willing to try this is very strong. I won't force you to do anything."

Madiea sighed and paced for a bit more. She sat in a chair in the middle of the room. She thought about Aileen and how she wouldn't be around to see her take her first steps. She thought about Syna and how she would go in school without her mother around to give her motivational support. She thought about Kaethe and how she hadn't said her first words yet and she wouldn't hear her say 'Mama'.

"I'll go," Madiea confirmed, causing Mailo to look at her with shock. "I'll miss Sedar and my children but there are lives that need saving and if you say that I'm their only chance... then I don't have much choice."

Mailo took a few moments to respond. "Oh thank you, Madiea! So many lives are going to be saved because of your efforts!"

"But I can't go on this journey yet. I need to tell my family."

"Oh, don't worry about that, I've already compiled a letter saying-"

"No," Madiea cut him off, much to his confusion. "I need to tell them in person."

Mailo was silent. Then he spoke. "I understand. Do what you must."

"Thank you." Madiea went for the door when Mailo said-

"Wait! I need to give something to you!" Mailo gave her a book of notes in a leather cover. Madiea opened it to see that it contained profiles of some individuals. "I have associates in other institutes. With their help, I've compiled a small book detailing them. I was originally going to contact them to help me study them but I think you'll make more use of it."

"Why thank you." Madiea flicked through the book and found her profile in there. It was the most detailed out of the profiles but it still left out a few key details like place of residency. "Is this all of them?"

"Unfortunately, no. For obvious reasons, most rune bearers keep a low profile. I only have records about those that don't care to keep a low profile or those that my associates stumbled upon by pure luck.

"Thank you, Professor. I'll make good use of this." She opened the door and walked out. "Oh, and make sure you get some sleep and good food. You look like a zombie." She closed the door behind her and ascended the stairs. As she walked out through the lobby, Callun saw her again.

"Hello, Madiea." He walked towards her. "Did you find out what's wrong with Mailo?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "One of his assistants, Paulen, has gone missing."

"Oh, I already knew that. I believed there was something else."

"Oh? Then you were mistaken. Paulen is very important to Mailo. Have a good day, High Professor." And with that, she left the institute to find Maurice and go home.

The tavern was low-slung and reminded Juliette of an old sway-backed horse. The building was clearly old and weathered, but well taken care of. Inside, it was a riot of noise and movement and smells, judging by what the sluggish air carried to her nose. Juliette wrinkled her nose in distaste. Tavern-preforming was not her favorite part of her chosen lifestyle.

Marne had slipped inside to find the tavern-keeper and offer their services for a night- for a price, of course. If the man knew anything about his business, he would accept, because a tavern full of singing and dancing clients, even drunk ones, was better than a room full of men with nothing to do besides drink and get rowdy, and probably break some furniture or faces. Besides, he would get a portion of the tips, and most innkeepers- for there were rooms to rent in the upper portion of the building- were willing to risk a few of their customers waking up less their jewelry and money pouches.

She glanced at the others- Richard was holding the halters of the horses, Aden standing on one foot, brow furrowed as he juggled four apples. Juliette watched him closely for a second, laughing when one fell with a dusty thump.

“You could help the poor lad, ‘stead of laughing at ‘im,” Matthias drawled, leaning against the wagon, his fingers drumming restlessly against the wood.

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it!” Aden protested, shoving the older man as he went to pick up the apples. “Leastways I’m using my time, not standing like a lump, old man. Learnin’ something new, so’s I’m always useful. What you going to do when I take over drumming?”

“Boy, you’ll never replace me!” Matthias scooped up an apple and lobbed it gently at Aden, who mimed being knocked over and fell to the ground with a thump, sprawled ingracefully, apples rolling everywhere. The three of them laughed, trying not to wake the three young children sleeping in the back of the wagon, covered in rough blankets.

“Come, you lazybones. Look, Aden, ye’ve got dirt all over you now. Get your instruments.” Marne walked out of the building, her red hair gleaming even in the dim light. The four complied quickly, Juliette collecting the apples and placing them in the wagon as Aden unwrapped a small lyre and Matthias pulled one of the drums, a small flat one was held in one’s lap. Marne grabbed her lap harp, securely wrapped in worn canvas. Though Marne spoke gruffly, she tousled Aden’s hair fondly and handed Richard her lyre. She swiftly unhooked the horses, tethering them loosely, so they could pull away if they so tried. She always joked that they were better than dogs for watching the wagon.

The group tromped into the tavern, to cheers and catcalls as they took their places at one end of the long dim room. The dirt floor was soft under Juliette’s bare feet. She pulled a small wooden flute from her sash, fingers lining up precisely. Richard also held one, he was the one who had taught her. Matthias sat on the floor, drum in his lap, and Marne found a bench for her and Aden to perch on. Matthias started the song, drumbeats echoing through the space as it quieted slightly. They all joined in, enjoying the give and take of playing together, with Marne’s husky voice weaving through the well-known songs, joined by many of the bystanders. Aden started a drinking song next, and the one after that was an old song with an even older dance, and Juliette and Aden left their instruments to start the dancing, stomping to the beat and circling each other. They didn’t take up their instruments after that, but kept dancing, switching partners occasionally as song after song filled the tavern.

Early in the morning, after many had filtered out or gone to their rooms, and others had passed out slumped on the tables, sprawled along the benches, or lying in heaps on the floor, the group slipped out, the sky still dark, but only just. They wrapped their instruments again, hooked up the horses, and rolled away, not stopping until they were far away from the tavern. Juliette silently handed Marne a small handful of coins she had been given or taken, depending. Aden had a few as well, but not quite so many, and Juliette winked at him, causing him to blush.

They built a small fire, curling up around it in their coarse blankets, using each other as pillows as sources of warmth, sharing a closeness that had nothing to do with physical attraction, merely the comfort of a family. Richard leaned against the wagon, standing guard until he would wake Matthias, who would gently move Juliette’s head from his shoulder, waking her slightly, and causing her to turn closer to Aden, burying her face in his back. On the other side of the fire Marne slept surrounded by three small bodies, who had woken up briefly when they set up camp, stumbled close to her, and snuggled as close as they could, faces smudged but happy. Richard would lie down alone, but by the time Matthias woke Marne, one of the children was sprawled next to him, bare feet on his chest and head cradled in Richard’s arm. When Marne woke everyone up, they were all piled together, each one happy and refreshed, ready to face the day, and they rejoiced to be together.

Riku jolted awake at his brother, Nicolai's, shout. He had been close to falling asleep again...That was the third time that had happened, and it didn't seem like his father had really noticed, which was good. The older man was in front of them, talking to his oldest brother, Tomas, while Nicolai had stayed behind to keep an eye on Riku. The dark haired teen in question had passed off his exhaustion as having a cold, which the other males seemed to believe. Riku often got 'sick'. That was another lie he had told them. His 'illnesses' were simply due to the Rune, and he was often forced to his bed if it got too painful or overwhelming. Which was quite often, as he hadn't figured out how to control his powers all that well. He had broken a vase last week, completly by accident. His mind had wandered and he had somehow pushed it to the floor with his mind. He'd always hated that vase anyway....

He looked up from his hands, which he had been staring at absent-mindadly, to find that they were close to the city. He would have known anyway, even if he hadn't looked up. The city was loud and busy, the thoughts of it's people pouring into his mind, making his head hurt. But he couldn't lose control here, not with his father and brothers in the immediate vicinity. His father would know what was wrong if he showed pain here, and would probably kill Riku the first chance he got. If his father found out about his Mark, then Riku would cease to be his son, only a demon bearing the Misaki name. Something which was unforgivable. The purge wouldn't stop there: His mother would probably be at risk as well, for giving birth to a demon such as Riku...Such was the beliefs of the Misaki family. So it was no surprise that Riku forced the pain to the back of his mind and sat up straight. He was fine, to all intents and purposes, and as long as he continued to look that way, then all would be well. He kept telling himself that as they entered the city, and got the horses stabled. His father and brothers were going to have a look at this new invention or something, which left Riku to wander. Something which he loved doing. He loved this time alone, it was time away from his family, away from the lies he had to tell, the ways he had to hide what he was...

Hank nodded off to Luke as he left and smiled brightly to the newcomer. "Ah, sorry about that. A pair from my hometown came to stop by. Small town, Riman, if ya ever heard of it. So I was just catching up on what the goings-on were. Sorry to not be able to greet you at the common room lad."

Hank led the guest down the stairs again and led him over to the bar where Karen and Luke had first met him.

"So you said you were looking for a room? Well, I just happen to have one left. At a more than reasonable price. It ain't the king's chambers, but it ain't got a draft and it has a warm bed and blankets, and a deadbolted door, which is more than I can say about other inns in this area."

"Drink?" Hank offered after making his pitch.

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King Jacob sat on his throne just like every day. Receiving peasants, just like every day, and letting his mind wander, just like every day. Aur was a serious problem to them. They would not declare war, so military action would be viewed with his kingdom as the aggressor, but there was no other explanation for the rampant bandits on the borders.

However instead of giving him time to consider the appropriate action, his knights heralded a new arrival into the throne room. Immediately, King Jacob shifted his gaze to the... boy? The boy was young, late teens he would say, around the age he had been when he had ascended to the throne. The boy bowed down and simply said " "Your Majesty."

It was interesting, and a welcome for someone like him to have manners. He may not be one for manners outside of formal court, but they existed in formal court for a reason. King Jacob drew himself up in his chair and responded to the boy in a strong voice.

"I am King Jacob of Noapeta, and I grant you audience and grant you to speak your business. I will judge to a even hand and aid you if possible. Speak at your will."

"Don't worry about it, haha, I should apologize for the interruption," spoke Thomas with a bit of uneasiness. It completely slipped his mind that what he did was rude. He followed back down the stairs with the inn keeper and sat at a bar. Thomas was glad to hear a room was open and before even an exact price was set down, he had his leather bag out, digging for his money pouch.

The man offered up a drink to Thomas, "No thanks, I'm good" he replied, "But, stop me if I'm being too nosy, is something wrong going on? You two seemed a bit off up there, almost like a town got burned down or something." It seemed a bit ironic to say, with it being so close to his own misfortunes. "Oh and how much are we talking exactly on this room?" He had a measly 40 coins stuck into his small pouch, nothing compared to what he racked up in the years of entertaining his town, however, repairs were costly after his mistake; his mistake being an almost leveled town and some well-done crops.

Luke stood slowly after the King said that he would listen. He honestly wasn't sure if he should have stayed kneeling, but it was starting to get a little uncomfortable, and Luke had a good bit to say. He took a breath and then began, "Your Majesty, I come from the town of Riman, on the border of Noapeta and Aur. It is a small mining village, usually calm and peaceful. A few days ago, however, as my father and I were working on our farm when a friend of mine came running in. She said that an army had just invaded the town, and that smoke was pouring from the mines. I would have brought her here with me, but I am afraid that she is in a bad state right now. Her father and brothers worked in the mine, and... I'm sorry, I am digressing. I am afraid that I personally did not see the army that was attacking, at least not close up, but this is definitely more than just one of the simple raids. I am afraid that our town has been invaded and occupied, sir." Luke bowed again and waited for the King to respond. Hopefully he was believed.

Kora Vanth patted her horse’s neck and dismounted with the rest of the company. She took the animal’s reigns and drew him away from the rest of the soldiers. Now that they weren’t in formation, the others would take the chance to distance themselves from her, so she saved them the trouble. Today, she didn’t mind; she had gotten plenty of people time before they had left the capital. That was one of the benefits of her rune – it might cause unease in others, but it also gave her the ability to be someone else for a while. For now she was fine with being the proud runebearer and junior knight of Umaine even if some of the others viewed her as a necessary, or at least tame, evil – she was after all the best scout they had and good scouting saved lives.

She tossed her saddle bags over her shoulder then removed her horse’s saddle. The company had been called out with little warning to travel east toward the border. They were all mounted and traveling without foot soldiers with light supplies. They were to travel as fast as possible, but tonight they made camp early.

A quick look at the knight commander confirmed her suspicions; he was sending a few of the others off toward the nearby farms. They would resupply tonight with enough to make it to the border. Of course, that would probably also mean that rations would mostly consist of fruit and vegetables for a while. “At least you’ll be pleased,” she muttered to the horses. The horse turns its head to look at her and she rubbed its forehead before putting the saddle on the ground. “Apples? Carrots? Good horse-food,” she told him as she got out the brush and started brushing him down. “Me…I’d rather we bagged some hare or pheasant. Maybe I’ll get really lucky and one of the farmers will be willing to sell a pig for breakfast.”

The horses were tended first, then the watch chosen and the camp set. Small fires broke out as people settled down to warm food for dinner. Kora wandered around the edge of the camp, observing the others as much as the surrounding land. She wasn’t on watch until morning, but she wasn’t ready to settle down either.

The king frowned inwardly at this boy's testimony. An invasion from Aur? The timing was... strange to say the least, but this was practically an authorization to give a little show of military might to Aur if everything went for the worst, and at best, the division he would send could capture a group of raiders, and possibly loosen their tongues. There was no harm in the situation, at least. He smiled at the boy. "I see. Well, I wish your friend the best in recovery from the event. And rest assured that I will send the army out in force in the direction of Riman to further investigate this. You have shown courage in bringing this to me, both you and your friend. Perhaps there would be a spot in the army for you? We are always looking for knightly lads."

"Ah, but I am sure that you did not want to hear me attempt to recruit you at this time. Go back to your friend now, and rest assured your task is complete."

And with that King Jacob left the boy to leave the room and ushered over his military advisor from his right side. Who promptly scolded the king "Your majesty!" he began with a hushed anger "If I may speak freely...(he continued without regard to the "if I may) sending a division out there is madness. And what is testimony? From a farmboy? He could be paid anything and that close from the border it is not out of the question that he is under the influence of an Aurian spy! This testimony will bear no fruit your majesty and could serve to escalate war with Aur!"

"Handel" King Jacob smiled at his long time friend "You have a better mind for swords than I, but even I could see the implications of sending a division. I will do no such thing. But pesants do not know the difference between a division and a squad when they are heading down the road. All they see is the army. But the word "division" is a much more powerful word than "squad" I will send a
reconnaissance squad out. They will go out and investigate this incident. If there is a spy as you suggest, they will certainly force them to consider their position of safety. And if they happen to run across some of these bandits in the area, they my be able to loosen their tongues. I think this timing of an attack is strange at best as well. While winter is far on the horizon this timing leaves Aur in the clear fault for beginning this war, which in turn favors our position. But there is no reason not to make a show of this, now is there?"

Handel had calmed himself as the king had spoke and then laughed quietly in his ear. "I see then. As I may have a head for swords, you certainly have for politics. I will prepare the reconnaissance squad"

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Hank smiled at the newcomer. "Eh. Beds start at 12 a night but I can hardly ask that of a kid now can I? Why you seem like a nice guy so I will lower it to 9 a night 5 if you want to spend some of your time helping me out around the place. I can always use another spare set of hands, even if it is only for a few days. What do you say?"