Iridian Valka's Story

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His lap around the cornfields came to an abrupt stop when he realized the first glimmers of sunlight where peeking out from the horizon, challenging the brilliance of the torchlights scattered around Ley. Iridian's brow furrowed. That wouldn't do. He was running a couple of minutes late. The realization hit him like a nourishing wave. Eyes set hard on the boundary between cornfield and grassland, he resumed his trot with renewed energy.

The idea of being late poked at his mind like a stick against his rear. The cobs that grew beside him, Ley's own corn, held an agreeable sweet flavor he had never tasted before and provided an excellent nutritional kick for his evening shifts if he had some for lunch. The cornfield should rank among the very best of Taakeira. It was no exaggeration to think of it as one of Akhar's treasures. But how was he supposed to defend it if he was late? It wasn't proper soldier attitude. Ley deserved better, the very best. He sped up to greet the last hundred meters of his daily morning lap.

When he was back where he'd begun, Iridian's eyes sought out the sun's position, their pleased glimmer betraying an underlying hope. Oh. Nope. He was definitely late. From where he stood, the sun was already above the baker's window. Those five minutes would affect his patrolling schedule, then carry over to training practice and the rest of his duties up until night patrol. Somewhere, a rooster crowed, simultaneously rubbing salt on his wounded pride.

No matter! Duty was still duty and he would be damned if he'd let such a misstep, big as it was, affect his responsibilities. He would start by taking some seconds off his post-run stretch. He bent down and touched the tips of his fingers to those of his toes. One, two, three. He stretched his calves. One, two, three. He arched backwards. One, two, three. Neck to each side; arm to the side; arm over head; arm behind back. One, two, three.

With a satisfied sigh, Iridian headed to a very small house nearby. It was what he called home now and what the citizens of Ley could barely describe as their barracks. What with Ley being so small, it was the roof of a mere handful of soldiers. Soldiers who were currently sleeping, for the most part, prompting Irid to tiptoe around the bunkbeds. It was easy enough now, he did so on a daily basis. As the only squire, and a transfer at that, it was natural for his workhours to begin earlier than theirs. They were full-fledged soldiers who'd proven themselves whereas he wasn't quite there yet. Almost, but not yet.

Irid stripped out of his morning exercise garments to don the much nobler, and more hygienic, uniform of the armed forces of Akhar. Tiptoeing once more, he made his way to the armory and rescued his lance, scabbard and shield from their nightly reclusion. It was time to start his professional duties!

As Iridian made his way out the barracks and into the village proper he noted what he did every morning. Although he was late Irid was still up and at the ready before most of the villagers were awake. Good. He was one guardian ready to serve every waking hour of the people of Ley. Except it turned out two men had readied themselves before Irid had. Curse his tardiness. He made his way to them.

With every step bringing him closer to the men, he was able to make out the face of one of the Silverwood children, the male. Kai, his name was. Iridian recognized him as one of the few villagers who routinely managed to get up before even him. He greeted him with a curt nod. The second man, however, was still a mystery with no name and a peculiar scar on his cheek. He seemed a little on edge.

Iridian saluted him, "Good morrow, young sir. Pray tell but I don't seem able to recognize you." In a village as small as that, such was an accomplishment... Unless the stranger was a newcomer. "My name is Iridian Valka, guardian of this our village of Ley. Our scouts reported that a merchant of some coin was on his way here, would I be correct in assuming you to be him? Sadly, they reported no name."

Irid had always found it easier to protect those whose names' he knew.

Jacia shot up in her bed in the same manner that a lightning bolt shoots down from the sky. For all she knew, she could have been struck by a lightning bolt, judging by the overwhelming sense of magical energy she felt. It would be illogical however, mostly due to the ceiling of the inn above her, the bottom of the bunk below that, and the fact that Ley, in this season, rarely ever had thunderstorms. As these thoughts skimmed her brain, her body continued to shoot skyward, and like a falling bolt, she eventually connected to ground. In her case, the ground happened to be the bunk above her. She registered the pain in her forehead somewhere between "falling on the ground" and "running into a tree", and then dismissed it. Whatever had caused that immense rush of magic was nearby, and needed to be discovered, poked, prodded, experimented on, and recorded.

"What was that all about?" A groggy voice called from above. Her head-bumping had awoken her bunkmate, a man who had not given his name, but who she had affectionately labeled as Beerbeard. As anyone with eyes may have guessed, it was because he had a very thick beard, and last night he was drinking a great deal of alcohol.

"Sorry!" Jacia shouted, realizing too late that shouting was only to be done after noon, and only when necessary. That rule was the seventh hardest rule for her to follow when she had been staying at the university, so naturally she needed only to remind herself once this morning to not shout unless required. She continued: "I thought I may have been struck by lightning but, realizing how silly that is, especially during this season, I figured it must have been a dream. Or perhaps some alien magic is preparing to tear the world apart, I don't know..."

"Mages..." Beerbeard grumbled, then collapsed back into his straw pillow. Jacia, meanwhile was busy readying herself for the day. That entailed the following, in order as presented: Putting her overcoat on, wriggling to get comfortable, sending a small shock through her clothes to eliminate wrinkles, sending a similar shock through her body to wake her up even more, running magic haphazardly through her hair so as to change "bedhead" into "hair explosion", and finally, pulling her boots onto her feet. Today it took her twelve seconds to get ready, and that was almost a record. She resolved to make eleven seconds the next day.

She left the inn, rummaging through her bag for one of her preserved sweets. After removing a powdered mini-cake and gorging herself with it, she begin flipping through her notebook, looking for a blank page. Finding it, she wrote down exactly what she felt this morning, so she would not forget. She continued to walk down the empty street, muttering a few spells here and there, attempting to ascertain what had caused the surge she had felt. She had almost given up when she saw it. In the middle of a cornfield, clear as day, was a rift, or rather, what was left after one closes. To a layman, it would have appeared as a barely visible shimmer after the rift closed, but to a trained mage it was a cascade of purple, green, orange, and blue. She'd seem rifts before, so she was not too concerned with studying this one, especially since it was closed and fading. What she was concerned about, however, was what came out of it. The last rift she had encountered spewed forth a blob of tentacles with teeth that attempted to latch on to and kill her. She immediately raised her guard, calling to mind a few spells.

Jacia approached the corner of a building, and carefully peered around. No monsters, no hellfire, no readily visible magic. At the end of the road stood three men. Two appeared to be farmers, the third looked like a town guard.

"Perfect!" She grinned. She could report what she learned to the guard, he would wake the others, and they could search out whatever came from the rift and hopefully capture it for study. She couldn't bear the thought of blowing up a possible specimen, even if it did spit acid. She rounded the corner and made her way towards the group. She hurried, but did not rush at them.

"Excuse me, guard!" She exclaimed, trying her hardest to sound cute, serious, and authoritative all at once. When she reached them, she continued, "Jacia Zash," she introduced herself, "I am a mage from the Arcane University, travelling the country to study the rifts that have been popping up lately, and I believe, no, I know that a rift has very recently opened up, just out there." She paused to breath, "Well? What are you waiting for? Go fetch the other guards and hopefully we can catch whatever came of the rift before it kills anyone!"

This certainly was turning out to be a most perplexing event- at the question of his identity, Flynn was at a complete loss for words. Try as he might, he couldn't quell his brow to furrow in complete and utter confusion.

Gathering his bearings,addressed the Guard, who seemed far more approachable at present. "Actually, I was rather hoping that you might be able to provide me with such information." At this point, the hapless amnesiac was simply adding to the already kindled blaze of confusion, but these people seemed to mean him no harm, so he saw no reason to employ deception.

"You see, sir, I awoke in that field over there, with naught but this shield that I may call my own possession. These garments I adorn were situated next to me as well, though I can't fathom that they are mine, as they are rather ill-fitting."

He paused, taking a moment to let the bewilderment sink in not just to his listeners, but also to himself.

"As for whether or not I am this merchant of yours...I simply cannot say. Not because I wish to conceal my identity, but because I am just as ignorant to who I am as you are. I can't seem to recall anything about myself, save for my name and a peculiar honorific.

He straightened up, realizing now that, though utterly dumbfounded, he was among friends, "Flynn Rowe is my name. 'Aegis' bears some significance to my standing, though what it is exactly, I am unsure.

Before he could ascertain the name of the guard and farmer, however, a persnickety young lady approached them, bearing news of some sort of 'rift' harboring potential ill-will towards the village.

"Milady," Flynn began, "I've actually just come from where you've indicated. On my way to this village, I saw nothing matching your description to my own eyes..."

He paused to ponder the situation, trying desperately to put two and two together. Surmising what he think may be the solution, he immediately addressed the girl again, "I don't suppose...do you think that I could be the source of this 'rift' you spoke of? It would certainly explain my predicament."
---



"Names, eh?" Cadbury led out a regal chortle- for he had gone through all of the meticulous planning of routes, finances, and pivotal contacts, yet he forgot the simple act of constructing false identities. Leave it to Lissa to set her senile Guardian straight!

"I suppose that we should figure out who our characters will be prior to introducing ourselves then, now shouldn't we?" He gave the Princess a hearty wink, a certain twinkle emitting from his eye as the sun began to creep over the mountains, "You, my dear, are the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Since we are not traveling very luxuriously, however, it is only safe to assume that I shan't be playing the role of your father. No, instead, we will operate under the ruse that you are under an apprenticeship to began your career in being a merchant. Seeing as the Merchant's Guild frowns upon immediate family acting as the apprentice's master, I will assume the role of a family friend who is seeing to your tutelage."

He began to smile uncontrollably, enjoying the notion of portraying a character far more than he should, "As for our names, they should prim, proper, and hoity-toity-just as the characters we are going to portray! I was thinking something rather grandiose and frivolous for my character, such as 'Ichabod Devonshire III! What about you, milady?"

The village of Ley was slowly but surely coming closer to the wandering Thanians, and the whispers of a confused and harried discussion could begin to be heard.

Kai had no idea how long he'd been pacing about for before his train of thought was interrupted. Suddenly, a voice piped up in his ear.
"Excuse me, but... Can you help me?"
Kai turned around to face the person asking the question, and nearly jumped a foot in the air and out of his skin out of fright; it was the man who had fallen out of a rift into his field mere minutes before. While Kai didn't jump much, a terrified meep escaped his mouth as well as a garbled "Ohgodspleasedon'teatme". Fortunately, the stranger probably didn't understand Kai's initial response due to its poor delivery. Kai was very tempted to jump behind a nearby crate for cover, but he had regained enough of what little sense he had to realise what a poor idea that would be.

Kai was embarrassed enough now it was, and the sudden arrival of one of the town guards made Kai turn as red as a beetroot. How long had he been standing there for? Kai wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying, but he heard him ask if the man who had fallen from a rift was a wealthy merchant. What man of that status would suddenly pop up in a stranger's cornfield with nothing but a shield to cover himself with?

As if things couldn't pressure Kai any more, another voice arose, this time from a young woman hurrying towards the group.
"Jacia Zash. I am a mage from the Arcane University, travelling the country to study the rifts that have been popping up lately, and I believe, no, I know that a rift has very recently opened up, just out there. Well? What are you waiting for? Go fetch the other guards and hopefully we can catch whatever came of the rift before it kills anyone!"
A mage from the Arcane University? Ley certainly was receiving some unexpected visitors. Still, it didn't exactly make Kai feel any more secure; if anything it made him panic more. As much as he wanted to just run off and never see any of these people again, he couldn't have them tearing up his cornfields looking for the product of the rift. After all, he was the only one who knew what had come from it.
"It's him!" Kai pointed at the man who had emerged from the rift. Kai was still garbling, but his speech was now intelligible, "A rift appeared in my family's cornfield, and he fell out of it! He was naked but for his shield, so I left him some clothes. And, and I just left him. I didn't know what to do, it's not every day a naked man falls out of the sky into your cornfield! For all I know he eats people!"
Kai began to realise the stupidity of his words, and so he slumped down, sat on the crate and stared at the ground, wishing it would just swallow him up so he wouldn't have to endure the fool he had made of himself any longer.

Well, well, it seemed as though more people than usual were up at that time of morning. Or perhaps the number of people was normal and his perception just flawed because of his tardiness. Ack. Truly, it appeared the day would prove to be a long one. Although on second thought... getting through it with flying colors was just the kind of challenge he liked. Yes, good. Iridian liked challenges. Indeed, the first few minutes of the start of his shift were already making sure he had his hands full.

First, the unknown man had informed him, with rippling overtones of politeness, that he had absolutely no idea who he was. He looked helplessly lost. Then, a young mage had approached the soldier to inform him that a rift had most definitely opened up in Ley. Iridian's eyes had widened in a mix of bewilderment and excitement, though it was most certainly more troubling news than the last. Finally, the Silverwood farmer had brought both stories together. The man - Flynn Rowe - had fallen out of the rift. Iridian's eyes spoke of confusion.

Fast as a cat threatened with water, he stepped between Rowe and the other two people present, hands on his lance, protective stance adopted.

If there was one thing high command had stressed during the latest years of military training, it was that Rifts were inherently misunderstood and should be treated with the utmost caution. That included assuming everything and anything that came from them to be extremely dangerous. Still, his stare spoke of a man who had acted on protocol over principle. Perhaps it was because he'd never faced a Rift before, let alone a creature that spawned from one, but Rowe didn't seem exactly dangerous.

"Mage... Zash, was it? I-I don't think I've heard of a person falling from a Rift before. How common is this?" His first instinct had been to take the stranger to jail so he could be questioned while the villagers remained safe. However, the sole cell found in the barracks of Ley was small and otherwise already inhabited by old Ronald whose drunken actions two days back at the alehouse had earned him a weeklong pass. In lieu of that, and because Rowe appeared to be more frightened than anything, Iridian thought it better to get his story out then and there with - hopefully - the help of the mage. They'd avoid a bureaucratic labyrinth that was imprisoning a foreigner and be able to act on time if any danger were about to strike Ley. No Akharian would come to harm on his watch.

"Rowe, Silverwood. I need to know. Did anything else come from the Rift?" Albeit he questioned both men, his stare kept a tight grip on Flynn's own. Assume everything and anything that comes from a Rift to be extremely dangerous. He wondered if Jacia would be able to ascertain their claims. Whether or not the men had seen a monster it didn't rule out the possibility that one might've appeared close by. Did beings that come from Rifts possess some sort of magical scent? There was so much he didn't know about Rifts. It threw him off, put him on edge. It added to the higher stress of being late. How was the soldier to protect the villagers if he knew nothing about the immediate threat?

The stare that Flynn gave back mellowed his worry. The man looked as innocent as his words were polite.

"Perhaps we ought to take Sir Rowe down to the Abbey. The clergy might have ways to tend to his...forgetfulness." Not to mention that Iridian could keep a better watch on him there and, were he to be dangerous, he'd be contained in a building. It would be safer for everyone. Plus, he trusted the followers of Sol.

On the road, he saw a cart that he'd failed to notice moments ago. They were in no position to greet more travelers.

Jacia listened to the boy recount his tale, that he had not seen a rift, that he had come through the cornfield towards the village. It was hardly a likely story. Firstly, given the timing of the rift's appearance, there was no way he could have missed it. Even to non-mages, the a rift in full swing was clearly visible. Secondly, who walks through a cornfield to get to the village when there are at least three perfectly acceptable roads leading into said village? Her questions were put to rest when he asked if she thought he was the cause of the rift.

She squeaked when he said it, and almost wanted to berate him for his oblivious conclusion. If he had come from the direction of the rift yet had not seen it, then circumstance indicated he was not the source of the rift, but the product, and if he were the product...

The conversation escalated quickly from there. The farmer pointed at the alleged product of the rift and half-shouted, half-vomited, "It's him! A rift appeared in my family's cornfield, and he fell out of it! He was naked but for his shield, so I left him some clothes. And, and I just left him. I didn't know what to do, it's not every day a naked man falls out of the sky into your cornfield! For all I know he eats people!"

The boy's ability to quickly get to the point rivaled even Jacia's. She was impressed. However, upon realizing that the alleged rift product was now the confirmed rift product, she grew concerned. If it wasn't for the guard stepping between her and the rift product so quickly and so fluidly that Jacia couldn't help but admire him, she would have shocked the product to unconsciousness.

Then the guard addressed her, and she squeaked again at the recognition.

"Mage... Zash, was it? I-I don't think I've heard of a person falling from a Rift before. How common is this?" She responded instantly, as if expecting the question.

"Very uncommon. As of right now, the odds are one out of however many rifts have thus far appeared, which is a lot. Can I ask why you have not yet bound it? The farm boy's concerns about him eating us are also mine. In my experience, most things that come from the rifts eat people." She leaned around the guard to better view the product. It looked harmless, like a normal, young adult human. Then again, the Piofera plant looked exactly like a marionberry plant, but if you so much as brush against it the berries explode in a shower of acid. That was when it struck her: this rift product was a scientific first! It needed a name, a proper name, and she was the discoverer, so naturally she would get to name it.

All manner of names popped into her head: The Zashite, the Zashian, Subject Z, etc. Hell, she might even decide to be generous and give the town some credit. They could call it the Ley-Zash incident, or rather the Zash-Ley incident. That one rolled off the tongue so much better. She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet in excitement.

She popped back into reality, catching the end of the guard's response.

"Yes, let's do that." She interjected before anyone else could respond. "Although I should express my doubts that the clergy could offer any help with his amnesia. They can't even do anything about my forgetfulness, and mine isn't even a magical matter." She started off towards where she remembered the abbey being when she had entered town the previous day, expecting the others to follow, but then stopped, made an about face, and returned to the group. "I'm so sorry!" She pined, almost too close to the guard for any normal person's comfort, "But I forgot to ask you for your names? How rude of me!"

It wasn't long after Kai had sat down that Iridian span around to protect Kai and Jacia from the possible threat that Flynn posed, although the look in the Jacia's eyes made it seem more like Flynn was the one in need of protection. Despite the fact that Kai had considered his comment about Flynn's possible lust for human flesh rather silly after making it, Iridian and Jacia found it much more plausible. Perhaps he just wasn't giving himself enough credit.

Unsurprisingly, Iridian was still firing off questions about Flynn. Kai began to feel rather sorry for the poor man, providing his eating habits weren't questionable. Waking up naked in a cornfield with no memory and then being treated as a threat must have been quite a shock.
"Rowe, Silverwood. I need to know. Did anything else come from the Rift?"
"Nope, just him." Kai replied, "The rift closed up right after he fell out of it." Kai began to muse out loud again, without paying any attention to what was coming out of his mouth, "What if he doesn't eat people, but can summon things that do?"

Iridian quickly suggested taking Flynn to the abbey, a statement which Jacia quickly voiced her support of, but raised doubts over. It was obvious that she didn't know anything about the town's priestess.
"You'd be surprised." Kai stated, "Our town's priestess is capable of working wonders. She's a mage, just like you, only she specialises in healing magic. She can close wounds with her mind! I'm sure if she can do that, she can help with a little memory loss. She's also versed in herbal medicine, which could be of use."

Jacia quickly began to wander off, but turned around and came back once she realised nobody was following her and lingered next to Iridian at distance he probably found uncomfortably close. Perhaps city people had different social norms.
"But I forgot to ask you for your names? How rude of me!"
"Kai." Kai introduced himself as stood up and dusted himself off, "Kai Silverwood."

Flynn's expression turned to fatigue just as rapidly as it had succumbed to confusion. It was bad enough that he didn't know his own identity, but seeing these three complete strangers essentially prescribing it to him was quite taxing. The guardsman posed a question for the amnesiac and his discoverer- the latter of which answered first.

"It's as my discoverer says," Flynn reinforced, just as eager to get to the bottom of this as they were, "Though I know not of what these 'Rifts' are, I awoke only with my shield and my thoughts. I saw nothing between then and now."

Almost as quickly as he had spoken, however, he once again was interjected by his harried discoverer and equally energetic mage of some sort. The exchange continued, moving rapidly from further accusations of Flynn's alleged danger to the notion of moving him into some form of quarantine. He did his best to keep his frustration in check, though by now his face was showing unmistakable signs of weariness, both from the conversation and from the physical ordeal he had been through.

It was when the mage beckoned the guard and the discoverer (whom he now knew as Kai Silverwood,) that he could keep his tongue in check no longer.

"Guardsman," he began, doing his best to diminish any hint of frustration or fatigue, "I assure you that I mean neither the village nor its people any harm. However, given that I can't present any proof to the contrary, I am willing to submit myself to whatever confinement you deem necessary. I am just as eager to discover the nature of myself as you all are...even more, I would wager."

He recalled the mage's insistence upon his restraint. Though he himself felt it unnecessary, he also felt it prudent to adhere to whatever the customs of the people were- offering more cooperation had a higher probability of having more of it offered to him in kind. Subsequently, he dropped to his knees, gently laying his shield to his side and placing his hands behind the back of his head, adopting the least-threatening gesture he possibly could.

"Bind me if you must, Guardsman. I only ask that you let my shield linger by my side. It's...the only thing linking me to wherever I came from."

Assume everything and anything that comes from a Rift to be extremely dangerous.
But a single human had been the sole being to come from the Rift. And the mage had said that Rowe was the first human to come from one, as far as she'd heard. Coupled with the stranger's face and posture of resignation, the situation was actively challenging Iridian's principles. It wasn't an easy thing to do, like eating with one's hands once the use of silverware has been learned. But the villagers could be in danger.

The soldier looked around. A cart had arrived in town. Noises of shuffling, dressing and eating came form the windows of the houses around them. He could spy a handful of farmhands already at work some fields over. Worse still, villagers were already going about their business in the streets of Ley. Worst of all, some were shooting glances in their direction. Yet Iridian saw no other soldiers, save for the entrance to town, the early morning shift was scarcely populated.

He looked at his cuffs, hanging ever so casually from the side of his belt.

"Get up, Sir Rowe," he said, trying to be authoritative despite his furtive glances, some of which were unfortunately returned by the villagers. Irid made for Flynn's arm and helped him back to his feet. He didn't let go, however. "I don't think binding you would be... prudent."

Word spread fast in a town the size of Ley. Had Iridian made use of his handcuffs, what little witnesses there might be would likely make sure the rest of the villagers learned about the arrest. Questions would be asked. The abbey would be flooded with nosy children and old wives. He didn't want to know the kind of whispers that would be muttered once the people of Ley found out Flynn came from a Rift. Perhaps Rowe wasn't really a threat, or not yet, but widespread panic could very well prove to be one. In fact, it seemed the more imminent of the two at this point. Irid had a duty to the villagers.

"Mage Zash, my name is Iridian Valka and I'd be honored were you to accompany Sir Rowe and myself to the abbey." Of course, though he said 'accompany' he truly meant something more along the lines of 'escort' as his tone of voice should've made clear. The soldier didn't want to alarm anyone who might hear his words. "Silverwood, I'm sure the priests and guards would very well like to speak to the only witness to the... incident. Please, come with us as well." He hoped Kai was actually the only one.

It was a short distance to the abbey. Granted, in a village that size, everything was a short distance away, save for the next settlement. As they walked through the streets of Ley, Iridian's muscles were a bundle of tension. His hand still held Flynn's arm in a strong grip, not hurtful, but definitely tight. Their pace was somewhat accelerated as well. The soldier wanted to be out of the public eye as soon as possible.

As soon as their goal was in sight, Iridian eyes turned to tunnel vision, tuning out anyone and anything not directly between them and the building. The abbey was made of light gray stone and stood as one of the bigger edifices in Ley. An old sculpture of Sol crowned the front doors, majestic in its artwork and conservation. The gardens leading up to the abbey were extremely well-kept, with an interesting diversity of plants, most of which Iridian had failed to recognize before. Just as how he now failed to recognize the morning greetings of another soldier, Mr. Cole.

When Irid's boot met the last step leading up the entrance, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. They were at the abbey.

"Get up, Sir Rowe. I don't think binding you would be...prudent."

Flynn smiled as the dutiful guard helped him back onto his feet. He lifted his shield onto his left arm, leaving his right arm for Sir Guardsman to keep ahold of. He kept a firm, yet nonthreatening grip upon it, briskly leading him throughout the village. He did his utmost to avoid the quizzical gazes of the townfolk, though his eyes could not escape that of a choice few.

He grew more and more uneasy by his other two escorts, the mage Jacia and the farmer Kai. Young Silverwood's tongue seemed to move faster than his brain, and Flynn couldn't shake the feeling that this mage had more sinister motives than his.

"For what it's worth, Sir Valka, I am much more at ease in your custody than that of our companions here..." Flynn murmured to the Squire, a hint of joviality in his tone, "The fear for my well-being in either of their hands far outweighs whatever threat you believe I pose."

Flynn was amused- not by his own joke, but by the fact that, despite his ignorance to his identity, he still appeared to have a sense of humour buried in his subconscious. The rest of the walk was uneventful, right up unto the groups first steps upon the abbey stair. Flynn sized up the building, rather surprised at his accommodations.

"I must admit, this is not what I had expected." Flynn mused, "I suppose I should thank you for your accommodations."

He paused for a minute, momentarily stunned at the notion of discovering who he was, "Sir Valka, before we go through with this, what is your plan? If indeed this Priestess is able to recover my memories, and I revert to a potentially more hazardous nature, how do you intend to see to everyone's safety? If I am truly anything at all like these monsters Lady Zash described, a humble building such as this would prove effortless to level..."

"Silverwood, I'm sure the priests and guards would very well like to speak to the only witness to the... incident. Please, come with us as well."
Kai let out a short sigh; he had been hoping to just go home and let the people who had some idea of what they were doing deal with the situation. However, he knew that as the only eyewitness; his presence would prove useful. So, after taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the coming inquisition, Kai plodded along behind Iridian on the way to the abbey.

It wasn't much of a walk to the abbey, but Kai still needed to occupy himself with something on the way there, so he took some time to sum up his new companions. He already sort of knew Iridian. He had turned up some months before in order to finish his training as a soldier, and had a rather different attitude to most of the other squires Kai had seen before. Irid's predecessors had lazed around and done very little, as they were just as aware as the villagers that the worst thing that ever happened in Ley was the occasional misbehaviour from the town drunk, Ronald. Irid on the other hand would wake himself up early in order to patrol the town at dawn and generally overwork himself. Kai didn't quite understand why Irid felt the need to be so dutiful, but Kai was a little jealous of his ability to keep on top of it all.

Next, there was the mage, Jacia. Kai hadn't realised just how tiny she was, since he'd been sat down for some time. She was almost a foot shorter than Kai, and didn't even go up to his shoulders. Another feature he had paid little attention to was her wild, crimson hair which took the appearance of a startled animal, which led Kai to half expect a pair of eyes to open and peer out through her hair at any moment. Her eyes were rather odd as well, they were a vibrant shade of blue with orange specks dashed around her irises, which caused a strange contrast. Apart from their unusual colour, Jacia's eyes also seemed to have an odd glint to them, a glint which Kai was entirely comfortable with. Her whole appearance made Kai question her sanity, and he dearly hoped that she was not a pyromancer.

Finally, there was Flynn. His face seemed fairly normal but for a cross-shaped scar on his cheek. He was wearing the clothes Kai had left him, which appeared slightly too big for him; the sleeves of his shirt almost concealed his thumbs and his boots were rattling around on his feet. The scar, baggy clothes and the shield made for a strange contrast; with any luck they would reach the abbey before any suspicions arose.

Minutes later, the group had arrived at the abbey. Upon passing through the gates, Kai instantly felt safer, but couldn't quite put his finger on why. His eyes scanned over the abbey gardens as he passed through, admiring the strange array of plants kept by the priestess. He recognised very few, but they all blended together to form a picture of beauty in the gardens. Mounted atop the doorway of the abbey was a small marble statue of Sol. As usual, he was portrayed sitting cross-legged with the sun behind his head, an open book in the outstretched palm of his left hand and a scepter clutched in the other. His face was one of a kindly old man, with soft features, long, flowing hair and a short beard. He was dressed in a simple toga and sandals which wrapped their way up to his knees.

Flynn suddenly stopped at the doorway and turned around to speak.
"Sir Valka, before we go through with this, what is your plan? If indeed this Priestess is able to recover my memories, and I revert to a potentially more hazardous nature, how do you intend to see to everyone's safety? If I am truly anything at all like these monsters Lady Zash described, a humble building such as this would prove effortless to level..."
"Good luck with nothing to level it with." Kai grinned as he walked past Flynn and into the abbey. The halls around Kai were empty and silent, so Kai thought it would be easier to call for the priestess instead of looking for her in the abbey. "Miss Moooooooortimeeeeeer!"
As if it wasn't loud enough, Kai's call echoed around the halls of the abbey. Anyone inside would have been deaf not to hear it.

It was all Cadbury could to do keep from shedding a tear at the sheer grace with which the fair Lady Bellhouse spoke with. Though her regal tone probably incurred more than a few suspicions from the gentle Phile, it was a trifling concern when compared to the enormous amount of pride he had for her.

As the two chattered on about their lives, he couldn't help but reminisce about how much the young Princess had grown. Why, it seemed like just yesterday that he was changing young Lissa's soiled diapers. How long had it been since he had patched up a scabbed knee, or comforted her in the wee hours of the morning after a terrible nightmare robbed her of her slumber?

Part of him felt rude for remaining silent after the young Priestess had gone out of her way to remain hospitable to them, but he simply couldn't find it in his heart to deprive Lissa of this opportunity to talk with people outside of the castle walls. This was, after all, the entire purpose behind the campaign. He felt that he would have to address her manner of speaking at some point during their travels- they were fortunate enough to have encountered another fellow silver-tongue, but he feared that her mastery of language might leave the lay-man struggling to understand.

Which was a painful thing to consider, as he spent an insurmountable amount of time teaching Lissa everything he knew about the inner workings of proper speech!

Before he could reminisce any further, however, the three had reached their destination- a rustic and very beautiful abbey, positioned at the heart of the little village. Entering its welcoming doorways enticed both visual and olfactory senses, as the aroma of freshly made breakfast wafted into his nostrils. His stomach gave an antagonistic gurgle, reminding him that it had been an entire day since he had a proper meal. Despite his slim stature, Cadbury had an impressive appetite!

Sadly enough, however, their new acquaintance would be whisked away from their very eyes just as they were about to settle down. She instructed his protege about a local tailor- an endeavor that he was actually quite interested in exploring! His aspirations to meet the tailor, however, were quickly quashed by an abrupt disturbance.

"Miss Moooooooortimeeeeeer!"

The shrill cry rang throughout the halls of the Sanctum of Sol, defiling the otherwise aura of tranquility. He shot Melissa a playful smirk, sensing her own curiosity.

"Well milady, if I know you as well as I lead myself to believe, I would wager that you are far more concerned about whatever Lady Mortimer is being called to attend to? I imagine it probably has something to do with the commotion we observed earlier."

While Cadbury himself would rather not draw undue attention upon themselves, he couldn't still his insatiable longing to figure out just what was going on. For all his bowing and silver-tonguing, Cadbury had a faint streak of mischievous curiosity that none save his wily Lissa could detect. Of course she should be able to- it was undoubtedly her impish nature that rubbed off on the otherwise characteristically 'prim and proper' butler in the first place!

"Unless, of course, you would rather consult the master tailor?" Cadbury joked, "I'm sure you are simply chomping at the bit to have a go at mending my Under Garmaments!"

Most people believe that Cadbury's non-work related joys come from his work with Magicite. They couldn't be farther from the truth, as it was, in fact, moments such as this that gave him insurmountable amounts of excitement- any opportunity to make the Lady Bellhouse either cry from laughter or cringe from embarrassment!

What brief moments they had spent before the soothing presence of the abbey were already acting upon the squire. The tension from the walk to the house of prayer was seeping out of his system with every exhale. It was like even the very air had a different quality around the building, although he had the feeling that if he were so much as to turn around and look at the village the knots of tension would be tied into his back once more.

Flynn must have felt a similar sensation to his for within moments he was thanking him for the 'accomodations' he had provided. Iridian's thoughts were less definitive, "Clearly, Sir Rowe, you pose no immediate threat to us nor have you made any attempt to devour a single villager, the abbey would seem to be the best place to treat your condition. However... whether or not the clergy will decide to receive you after hearing your procedence yet remains to be seen." The soldier said nothing about what would happen to the stranger should he be denied. Truthfully, Iridian wasn't too sure himself. A case like Flynn's had not come up in his training.

The politeness in the stranger's speech could have been easily outcompeted by his tone of pessimism, Iridian found. What he said afterward proved the truth of his observations. "Sir Valka, before we go through with this, what is your plan? If indeed this Priestess is able to recover my memories, and I revert to a potentially more hazardous nature, how do you intend to see to everyone's safety? If I am truly anything at all like these monsters Lady Zash described, a humble building such as this would prove effortless to level..." He was voicing Iridian's fears as well as his own. Perhaps Jacia's too, except the Mage seemed a little... harder to read than most people. For alone knew, fear might work differently with people who could spit fire and shoot lightning bolts.

Assume everything and anything that comes from a Rift to be extremely dangerous.

"Should that be the case, Sir Rowe," he began, looking at the stranger dead in the eye, "Then I hope that, for your sake, no Akharian comes to harm." Iridian tapped the butt of his lance on the ground twice and gave Flynn a smile. Not an unkind smile but a frank one.

Iridian pulled Flynn into the abbey following Kai's cry for the priestess of Sol. Perhaps it would be better for them to wait in the foyer.

At the very least, there was a bench.

"She's a mage, just like you."

"Just like you."

"like you."

The words echoed in Jacia's mind as they were walking to the Abbey. Really? What sort of ass-backwards life would one have to live to be so idiotic!? Jacia hadn't even met the priestess, and she already knew they were nothing alike. Without even going into the differences between healing magic and the superior magic that Jacia wielded, there was just no way they could be even remotely similar. She was, after all, a genius, and she knew from experience that there were no geniuses in the priesthood. Closing wounds with her mind? That was the feat that so astounded the farm boy? Jacia had to remind herself that most of the people out here were not as intelligent as she, but it still vexed her. If only he knew what magic was truly capable of!

Jacia returned to reality, finding herself with guard, who was now labeled Iridian Valka, the farm boy, Kai, and the product of the rift, who, after proving to be impossible to accurately label, was grudgingly accepted as Flynn Rowe by Jacia. These people were not used to the structure imposed by scientific inquiry, so she was left with no choice but to abide by whatever they deemed appropriate. Such a shame, too.

The group was within the first steps of the abbey. Jacia made a mental note to stop spacing off and lose track of her surroundings. Such actions lead to catastrophes. She glanced at Flynn, speaking with Iridian about leveling the abbey. Iridian must be either very trusting, or very dense. Or deaf.

And then Jacia wished she were deaf. Kai, who appeared to possess fewer manners than a cow, decided that the best way to get the attention of the priestess was to shriek as loud as the human voice would allow, mere feet from Jacia's ears. She let out a disapproving "hmph!" and turned back to Iridian. He was being polite to Flynn, but remained stern. Iridian, she observed, had no patience for jokes when his dead countrymen were the punchline. She wondered if she could get the man to laugh at least once today. Laughing was healthy.

Although Jacia deeply wished to be studying Flynn like a child studies ants, she figured it would be better for everyone's nerves if the priestess were to examine him first. The wait, however, was killing her, and her feet were killing her. There was a bench, and Jacia had tried sitting, but could not keep still for longer than fourteen seconds(she counted), and so took to pacing the perimeter of the foyer, running one finger along the wall. Feeling the imperfections and bumps along the wall, she soon figured out the pattern. It was barely there, and most people might have considered it truly random. However, Jacia was not most people, and she was able to memorize the pattern. She removed her journal, using the wall as a surface and wrote the pattern down, drew a flower, and then wrote a short poem about the sun.

As it had now been exactly three minutes and twelve seconds since arriving at the abbey without moving forward, Jacia let out an audible, "UUGHHHHH", bunny hopped twice, then calmly walked over to Iridian and Flynn and spoke, "Iridian, would you believe me if I told you that I have read over one thousand books in my lifetime, that I have sat through lectures on spellweaving that lasted nearly six hours, and yet nothing I have ever done has ever been as boring as this?" She put her index finger on his chest and pushed, but he was too heavy for her to even budge and so instead she pushed herself onto her heels and further, to the point where she began to fall. In an attempt at catching herself, she grabbed desperately for Iridian's arm, but she feared her momentum would topple them both if he grabbed her.

How come genius always came paired with awkward?

Speaking with Sir Valka had yielded lots of information about his character. Though uncertain about his motives, Iridian spoke with respect, always choosing his words carefully, and always referring to him as 'Sir Rowe.' Even when he presented the worst case scenario to the guardsman, he remained civil, calmly reminding him of his loyalties and his duty to contain the threat at whatever cost. It was a noble gesture, if not a little ambitious.

"A commendable answer," Flynn smiled back, "If your skills with a lance match the courage in your eyes, then these people have nothing to worry about."

It was clear that the guard was merely putting up a front, but Flynn could not help but admire the guards demeanor in the face of such a bizarre predicament they had found themselves in. He decided then and there that he liked Sir Valka, and wished nothing but the best for him.

It was the matter of the other two that Flynn was still unsure. Kai seemed to act on impulse, offering a quip to Flynn's very real concern- if indeed these 'Rifts' produced such abominable creatures, then Flynn wouldn't need any conventional object to kill a person, much less level an entire building. His lack of conscientiousness also became readily apparent when he screamed throughout the abbey for the Priestesses presence. It was still early in the morning, and people may still be asleep.

Still, he seemed harmless enough, if not a little impulsive.

Then there was the mage. Miss Zash had been quite removed from the conversation for the entire duration of the stroll, only to become anxious and fidgety as they entered the abbey. He was at first uneasy around her, fearing for what foul intentions lie behind her stares of intrigue. However, after only a few minutes in the abbey, her quirky nature began to manifest itself in the form of the most bizarre of antics.

Flynn smiled- not because he enjoyed the sight of her falling on her backside, but at the fact that, despite all of her gallivanting about science and research, that she appeared to be quite human as well. Though she still put him ill at ease with her gaze that seemed to peer into his soul, he was warming up to Jacia.

It was almost enough to take his mind off of his predicament. The fact that, somewhere deep in his subconscious, he might be a monster after all- his 'condition,' as Sir Valka so aptly put.

"My anxiousness mirrors your own, Miss Zash. he responded as she gathered her bearings, "For both of our sakes, I hope that we see a quick and efficient conclusion to this predicament..."

At the walking pace of a priestess who was enjoying her morning, the time it took to get from from the abbey kitchen to the gateway took approximately five minutes when sunny, six when rainy, and seven when the sky drummed out it's great light shows. Today it took two.

Her strides were light but she wanted no surprise with her coming. "If," Phile announced with a light tone that gave no indication of the whirling clouds of annoyance that brewed underneath her cool exterior, "there is a banshee in need of an exorcism, I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. Mrs Silverwood is the primer expert, having extensive experience dealing with her children."

It was mean, yes Phile knew, but the jab was small in comparison to what she faced later in the afternoon because of Kai's rather boisterous summons; gossiping old hens with their poisonous words, angry monks scolding, "Miss Mortimer, an abbey is no place to court suiters." Oh how her ears already burned with embarrassment.

Then again, everyone would be occupied with the rift.

The subject of rifts was a hard one to shake from ones mind. Even during her conversation with Elisia, the shadow of the rift hung over Phile's mind like a big brother who could take any action he pleased while all she could do was react. Even if there hadn't been a monster this time, Ley could not remain idle. The very fact that one had appeared meant possibilities of dozens more, not all empty as this has been. No, investigations must be conducted, drills implemented, emergency training renewed and retaught just in case. She herself would have to review shielding magic.

Covering the distance between herself and the group of four, Phile studied them closely before speaking. Two of them were unknown to her eyes, the girl with tropical birds for hair lay sprawled in the ground (a story for another time Phile was sure) and a young man seated beside the guard, his clothing ill fit for his demeanor. A mage and a warrior Phile guessed by their guess, and she was rarely wrong.

She gave a brief nod of acknowledgement to Iridian and a pointed raise of the brow to Kai before speaking directly to the two strangers. "Ah, excuse my rudeness, please don't let my previous statement shape your first impression of me. It has been a long morning," a terrible excuse, Phile resisted the urge to wince.

"My name is Phile Mortimer, I am the priestess of Sol in this little town," she introduced herself then offered a hand to the mage on the ground before continuing, "Welcome to Ley, both of you. While it isn't unusual for guests to stop by the abbey I must admit, Mr Valka, your presence is most concerning. Has something happened?"

A part of her felt bad for the deception, omitting the fact that she was well aware of why the group was here. As Mrs Ingram had informed her at dawn a rift had opened over the Silverwood cornfield. Phile could only assume that Iridian was the first to respond, drawing the attention of the two strangers whose own interest in the matter she couldn't guess. Even so, Phile had learned long ago that sometimes staying silent drew more information then questioning itself.

Ater Kai's ear-splitting call there was a short but awkward pause, broken by a huff of disapproval from Jacia. She then proceeded to angrily jump up and down on the spot, making more dissatisfied noises before whinging to Iridian about how bored she was and then using him to push herself over. Kai barely managed to contain a chortle, and certainly failed to stop himself from smirking. For someone who had spent so much time at a prestigious university of magic, she had very little common sense. Not that Kai had a great deal more, but he had more sense than to try to push people much bigger than him over with only his index finger.

Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before Priestess Mortimer appeared. She carried herself perfectly serenely and spoke calmly, but her words suggested that she wasn't quite so at peace as she would have others believe.
"If there is a banshee in need of an exorcism, I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. Mrs Silverwood is the primer expert, having extensive experience dealing with her children."
Kai scowled at the insult but said nothing. No doubt his companions found it most amusing, but Kai found the remark rather unbecoming of someone who was meant to welcome all who came to her door with open arms. However, it wasn't too long before she started to make excuses.
"Ah, excuse my rudeness, please don't let my previous statement shape your first impression of me. It has been a long morning."
A long morning? It was yet to reach seven, she could only have been awake for so long and not had large bags drooping under her eyes.
"Don't worry, I suppose it's only to be expected, considering Mrs Mortimer sold off her little banshee at the first given opportunity." Kai retorted. His voice was not as venomous as it might be, as his reply was simply to let the priestess know that he wouldn't just sit there and take it while she foul-mouthed him and his siblings. She was lucky that the comment had been to Kai; Rhys and Art would have "accidentally" broken things around the abbey and annoyed its inhabitants, and Alice would have shrieked at an ever increasing volume and pitch until Phile sang her praises.

Phile then introduced herself to Jacia and Flynn before asking why the group had come to the abbey. If Kai didn't know better, he would have accused Phile of already knowing why they had come, but why would she ask if she already knew? Since it had been just about that only reason Kai had been brought to the abbey, he felt obliged to answer that question. He drew in a deep breath before setting off on another garble, making various gestures with his hands as he went along:
"This morning I woke up and went outside to find that a rift was opening in my cornfield. Out of it came Flynn, utterly naked but for his shields. I left him some clothes and left him, and then he found me, and then Iridian turned up, and finally Jacia. We talked for a bit about the rift and Flynn, and then decided to come here to see if you could help him. He says he's lost his memory, so we thought you were the best person to come and see.

Ignore this.

---

And cringe she did. The mention of Cadbury's undergarments sent shivers down her spine as she closed her eyes and tried to not think of his unmentionables. Surely, this wasn't meant for polite conversation, and she had hoped it would keep it's geniality. She tried her best to ignore the comment and focus on something else. The echoes of Phile's name resounding through the abbey was that something else. "And... Th-then you know me very well," she said, with only a hiccup to form. Seems like she still hadn't fully got the image of Cadbury's undergarments out of her mind.

"Shall we then?" Lissa said, extending a hand in the direction Phile went and her name had come from. With a wisp of a smile, Lissa spun on her petite feet and headed that was as well, with perhaps a gait becoming less of a teenage girl and more of a Queen-in-waiting. Old habits died hard. She retraced Phile's steps exactly, and before she realized it, she had came upon the culprit that kidnapped her conversational partner. Culprits, rather. Indeed, just as Cadbury suspected it had been the same people who was the center of the commotion when they arrived.

Melissa's eyes scanned the crowd. There was the guard, them two farmers, and a woman. Of course, now suspicious eyes were cast upon the second farmer, while the first was indignant for some reason. The woman, aside from Phile, looked the text-book definition of bored. Lissa tilted her head as she noted that the look did not suit her, nor did falling over because of a failed attempt at pushing the guard. Lissa smiled, certainly they were a lively bunch.

Then the other farmer began to speak (if only just barely. The man was certainly no wordsmith). They must not have noticed the little girl standing back in the hall, yet. Along with his tongue came the names of the group. The farmer was a Silverwood, by Phile's own admission. Iridian, the gaurd-- Jacia, the woman. The oddest one of the bunch was the proclaimed Flynn, the man who seemly fell from the rift by the Silverwood's account. Fantastic-- she had only heard of these rifts in passing, and then only beasts poured from their maws. And yet, here stood a man, and a quite tame one at that.

What little caution she had was thrown to the wind when it was revealed that Flynn had fallen from a rift. She took long strides (while still keeping a ladylike air) and inserted herself into the group proper. "That must have been quite the sight, Mister Silverwood. And quite the story," She added with a warm smile. Childhood imagination designed her so that she fully believed every word of this Silverwood character-- what reason would he have to lie? With what caution she had thrown to the wind moments ago, another foray into scene wasn't too much of a stretch.

She took a step forward and put herself a polite distance away from Flynn-- utterly unafraid of the man. What had she to be afraid of? The man didn't seem dangerous in the slightest. "Is it true Mister Flynn? Do you truly remember nothing?" She asked, head curiously tilted to the side.

To Flynn's pleasure, the priestess who was to examine Flynn appeared to have been reserved and competent- a welcome commodity in this otherwise bizarre situation! Even her quip at Mr. Silverwood seemed to permeate class and the wit usually reserved for the older and wizened.

Before Flynn could utter a word to her request, however, the very same Silverwood interjected in his usual harried tone, explaining the situation as best as he possibly could.

However, as he was about to explain the credibility of Kai's claims, out of the corner came even more new faces- one younger, and one with quite a bit more experience in his eyes. The younger of the two stepped up to the hapless amnesiac, inquiring to the truth of Kai's statements with a demeanor of grace that she was obviously either gifted with or very well coached into.

Gently loosening himself from Iridian's grip, Flynn knelt down to become eye level with his newest acquaintance.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Silverwood speaks truly, Milady." Flynn addressed the incognito Princess, attempting to match her air of politeness, "And that's precisely why I'm here- these nice people tell me that Miss Mortimer will be able to assist me in my predicament!"



Though Cadbury could sense no immediate malice from the young man, his duties as a Guardian superseded any intuition he may have into his character. He knew nothing about this man, save for the fact that he fell from a Rift. Though he had never experienced a Rift firsthand, he had heard enough about the calamities that followed their appearance to know that Flynn had the potential to be quite problematic. Instinctively, he gently grabbed young Miss Bellhouse by her shoulder, placing himself between her and Flynn.

"Am I to assume that you are the young lady's father?" the young man asked Cadbury.

He shook his head, responding, "Not exactly, though I am charged with both the instruction and well-being of my pupil. Ichabod Alabastor, at your service, Sir Riftdweller." He extended a hand to shake with the strangers.

The young man accepted the handshake, adding, "Flynn Rowe, a pleasure. I'm none too sure if my memories are to be restored this day, but in the event that the situation go awry, I would recommend that you and the young lady vacate the premises..."