Friendship Knows No Age

[Oliver]

Part 1, Tara Kiret

"I'm sorry to inform you Ms. Kiret, but I have no information for you about your father."

The words stung like a stepped on bee; shocking and somewhat painful.

""That makes no sense though, he promised he would meet me here, he must have at least passed through!"

The voice came from a woman, or a girl rather. It was hard to tell what stage in life she was in, for her appearance was that of an older woman, yet her attitude was that of a teenager. Her name was Tara Kiret. In this particular moment she was being very difficult with the facts, stubborn like a donkey is. Yet, at the same time her words reflected deeper emotions within her. Emotions such as sorrow and shock, with just a hint of anger.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance, but you have to understand where I'm coming from considering the chaotics are at an all time high in violence..."

The man Ms. Kiret happened to be talking to, was none other then the King of Dainan himself. The king had an odd disposition about himself, sometimes being as cold as the Hassite environment, and at others bellowing and cheerful. For the most part, he kept a stern face and acted very serious as all kings should.

"I don't want to seem rude your majesty, but you have to understand where I'm coming from. It wasn't exactly easy making it here alive. Did you know I was assaulted by some sort of troll on my way here?! He called himself-" she was interrupted abruptly by the king, who had raised his hand firmly to silence her.

"Yes, I'm aware of this troll you speak of. We've had our own mishaps with the fiend. However, Death Mountain is of little matter at the moment. The focus needs to be here in Kreland. Now, I know for a fact your father never came to see me nor for that matter anyone in Dainan. However we've been getting increased reports of activity coming from the Cathedral in Souther Kreland. Your father, if anywhere would probably have skipped coming here and headed straight for the Cathedral, if he was indeed investigating the Hunting Grounds like you say." the king stated Cooley, rubbing his chin anticipating a response. Tara, of course, would have to think it over. That is, continuing on into the Hunting Grounds. Kreland wasn't exactly as hard to traverse as Lirea for some reason, however she felt at the same time that it would still be difficult for her to fight. Considering her journey to Dainan itself contained of nothing much more then running and stealth, she seemed abit intimidated by the thought of fighting.

"I guess," she paused, breathing as deep as she could to let out an obviously faked sigh, "I guess I have a cathedral to find."

"Ah splendid!" the king jolted with enthusiasm, wiping his stone cold expression and face clean, and instead replacing it with his more jovial personality. It was obvious the king only favored those who supported helping Dainan, but then again it wasn't exactly something Tara wasn't expecting. Now. The Cathedral of Southern Kreland is a somewhat magical place. I'm afraid you won't be granted access unless you obtain the mark of Dainan. Unfortunately, it's not easy to get to. Search for it in the Ruins of Dainaria in Southern Kreland. It's not too hard find considering it's in the midst of many tributaries we possess. Be sure to find someone to go with you in Town, it would be a dreadful waste of time if you got killed..."

With that said, Tara was excused swiftly out of the room, the guards jumping at her like mother bears defending there cub. Not wanting any trouble, she slipped through the audience chamber doors, not uttering another word.

* * *

It had been several hours. Tara was covered in a film of dirt and grudge and seemed to be suffering from exhaustion and annoyance. She was walking around the Town of Dainan, asking anyone she could for help in her quest. However, unlucky was she in this attempt, for almost everyone she saw was a local farmer or townsman, and possessed little to no fighting skills at all to begin with. The tan bricked buildings seem to go on for quite some time, and Tara wondered how Dainan could be so big compared to Lirea. Then again Lirea wasn't exactly a place full of riches. As a matter of fact, many of Lirea's buildings were so worn down from age, that it was commonplace to see cracks and holes in their walls.

The cobblestone pathways that composed the streets of Dainan didn't exactly help either, as Tara had been walking since she left Lirea, and only had only stopped once after escaping the troll. Feeling nothing else could be done, she stopped by a bench, conveniently located in front of a stretch of buildings. On the left, a big sign plastered with two swords crossing each other hung over a doorway into what couldn't be mistaken for the town's weaponry, and on the right a sign plastered with a rather sturdy looking shield, denoting the armory.

As she gazed at the two places alive with business and folly, she rubbed her feet with intense vigor, trying her best to sooth the blisters that had popped up. It hadn't even crossed her mind to heal them, and with the stress she was under, it probably would remain in the back of her mind for a long while. Adventurers of all sorts came in and out of the shops, flashing there newly smithed swords, or showing off pretty tiaras made of bronze and silver. Tara felt amazed at what some of the adventurers could afford, and she looked jealously into her own money pouch, only to be disappointed by the few coins clustered in the bottom. She deducted she might be able to at least buy a new robe with them, so when she felt recovered and rested slightly she wobbled off the bench and walked toward the Armory.

The air was just slightly cooler in the building, and very well decorated with models of robes and plate armor on display. Tara walked casually as she could, despite her obvious Lirean looks, toward the man in charge at the front. He eyed her suspiciously, since all people know of Lirean love for thievery. However, it was quite obvious she wasn't here to steal anything, and the owner grinned, revealing his rather yellowed but small teeth.

"What can I Fetch ye' today Ms.?" he asked her politely, still grinning like he was drunk or something.

Well...I'm not sure how much your wares cost, but I'm in need of a new robe..." she almost cooed, possibly trying to swoon him into a better deal. It wasn't clear if he fell for it or not, for he simply grabbed her money pouch and retreated to a back room. Sounds of bumping and moving were quite obvious, and the owner came back with an actually quite elegant looking piece of blue fabric almost identical to her own. They resembled almost perfectly the ones she could by in Lirea, except these were new, obviously made in Dainan for those Lireans that could possibly afford it. ((Although it's saddening to say there isn't that many anymore)) " I-It's beautiful..." was the only thing she could mutter, awe struck from the glorious garb she had purchased.

"Will that be all then?" the owner asked, as he handed her the robes. She nodded, and he then waved her away while he returned to polishing a blue shield. She hurried to run outside of town and find a private place to put them on. She found a forest eventually, and set up her tent on the shaded ground, alive with grass and other such earthy elements.

She quickly changed, and merely deposited her old clothes under a bush. Dressed fresh and comfortable, she was in a short period of glory. It soon faded, after remembering her task to go to the Ruins. Armed with nothing more then her White Magic and a small club, she headed into the distance toward the bridge that connected Northern and Southern Kreland.

* * *

One step away from the bridge showed the true colors of the Hunting Grounds. Instantly a wave of heat from the desert in the distance hit her, as the sounds of other nasty things moaned a hungry howl.

She began to head south. After about twenty minutes of traveling, a split in the road revealed a passage into the desert, or, if she turned she would head off into a forest. She chose to go into the forest for the reasoning that the Kreland tributaries weren't likely to be located in the desert. ((Although water sources can indeed be in deserts. Anara is an example.)) Her thinking wasn't exactly flawed, but it became obvious that her destination wasn't among the tree's, as there tall branches loomed over her, almost teasing her it seemed. The darkness the forest held was intimidating enough. Sounds of prey being snatched left and right, and once even a scream that sounded human.

And then, among the fear building up inside her, it happened. It was a simple Imp, brown and nasty, with hooks for weapons, and a brown leather cap covering it's grime covered head. It's pointed ears we're pierced in many places, and overall it looked like a grotesque human. It jumped out from the darkness, as Tara had feared, and smirked. She was glad it hadn't shown it's teeth, for everyone knew that imps possessed the nastiest mouth of most chaotics. Filled with askew pieces of jagged and rotted flesh, they were by far the most unclean.

Still, this imp had it in for poor Ms. Kiret, and drew a single hook from many sheathed at it's side. It then charged at her, as most beasts do nowadays. Although scared, Tara had been know to be overtaken by a blood lust for chaotics on occasion, mercilessly beating them beyond recognition, even if they were long gone from being alive. She pulled her club from it's strap, also at her side and prepared.

Once the imp had gotten close enough it swiped at her stomach in a horizontal pattern. The dagger whistled as it's rust cut through the air. Tara wasn't exactly bright when it came to battle tactics, and although had managed to maneuver herself away from the blow, her body tipped at a diagonal angle as she shifted her weight onto her right leg, the blade still met with her side. It ripped through the brand new robes, leaving a gash that soon began to stain.

Tara cried at the agonizing pain as the blood poured. She wasn't done-for yet though, for a cry of a couple words and a flash of green light healed the wound in a sparkle of emerald green. She could sew the garment later. Then, the passion for killing set in as she gripped the club. The imp was smiling now, pleased with itself for injuring it's prey. With a swing, the smile was knocked off, as the club connected with the Imp's face. Dazed was the only word that could describe it's surprise, although bloody would have sufficed as well. Either way, Tara finished the imp with another incantation, as a bright light seared the imp's flesh, like third degree burns but in a holy fashion only those in the presence of a white mage could describe.

Laying dead on the ground, Tara wiped her hands together and took the small pouch of gold the imp had left behind. Chaotics loved to devour or store there prey's money for some reason. She then continued walking through the forest toward Dainaria.

[Oliver]

Part 2, Zether Bentlay

Among the young and bold that travel the marvel that is Darlow, one might think to themselves 'where are all the elderly?'. Well, let's just say most people over the age of fifty, are not fit for travel in Darlow, and for that matter fit to show themselves in their own respective towns. They choose to stay locked away in their houses, awaiting a golden age of some sort, free of chaotic threat. However, anyone who's well versed in Darlow History, would know that the Order of Nexus, is full of these elderly men, each one dedicated to solving the mysteries of the Hunting Grounds. These men, unlike others, are well trained in magical arts and such, and usually aren't concerned with physical prowess.

As such, there are a select few other then Nexus who choose to travel Darlow's wonders in there late years. They too, are usually full of magical capabilities.

* * *

Zether pushed his glasses up as he viewed his surroundings. The magical barrier had responded to the mark upon his right hand, and had allowed him access into the Cathedral. Rows of what appeared to be church pews lined the tower's ground floor, with an odd arrangement of red carpeting.

"So this is Vallatio's Cathedral, eh?" he thought to himself, noting how an eerie chill filled the place. There was nothing of interest about the room to him, except the hallway to the left that branched into another corridor.

This corridor was awkward, in that it held rows of bookcases, all complete with tomes and literature against the far side of the wall. There was also a staircase that spiraled upward to the next floor. He took a step forward. An unnatural creek in the floor told him something was wrong.

"Stone doesn't make a sound..." he thought to himself again, and grinned a white flash as he readied himself. If the intelligence of the creatures here was this lacking, surely he would have no trouble accomplishing his goal.

Sure enough, among the bookcases, two creepers stood watching the old man, stalking him from there spots. One had made the creaking sound to scare him, but quickly regretted it as it witnessed his obvious awareness of what was going on. With there cover blown, they had no choice but to face him.

Zether himself was shocked there was two, but their pink bodies made him chuckle slightly as well as there whiskers. Creepers, and any species of there kind, were quite calm and peaceful beasts in reality, despite the corruption that had entered them as of late. They all had two long whiskers, protruding from the mouth that was there head. Gaping black holes, with small pointed teeth lining the rim. There bodies were always speckled of a different shade of there main color and in this this particular case it meant a dark, seemingly black shade of red.

The creepers growled at him nervously, while at the same time trying to come off as intimidating. Zether was not intimidated, nor scared of these beasts. His time in the hunting grounds surpassed many he had known, and it was no secret to anyone that knew him that smaller beasts like these, were of no threat to Zether's repertoire of magical ability, and even larger beasts were easy to fell on occasion.

One of them made the first move, reaching out with it's long whiskers, to sting Zether. It was also common knowledge that Creepers used their whiskers as stingers to paralyze there prey, something many adventurers had succumbed to. However, the sting was null against Zether's tough yellow robes, frayed from fighting yet at the same time shining with Anaran wealth. The sting hurt though, no doubt of that, it was secretion that was stopped.

Zether's turn consisted of a short mumble of words, and a flash of blue light. A pool of green poison formed underneath the Creeper that attacked him, it bubbling slightly. Each delicate bubble flew up swiftly and popped upon contact, burning the Creeper's flesh as well as embedding a strong poison. When the spell was over, Zether looked at the damage he had caused, having closed his eyes during casting. It was an odd habit he had, although usually he would open after casting.

The Creeper teetered in place for a moment, before falling over. It had clearly died from the after-effects of poison. The other Creeper seemed intimidated by Zether, but as Zether approached it to make a finishing blow, the Creeper lunged at him with a blind rage, determined to take him out no matter the cause. The attack was so shocking, Zether had no time to react. He winced waiting for the blow. However...the blow never came.

Instead, when he opened his eyes, the Creepers dead corpse was being further mangled in the jaws of a wolf. The creature threw the Creeper like a rag doll against the wall, and approached Zether. He was about to attack the wolf, but then notice the friendly shine that sparkled within him. Of all things to happen he didn't expect what happened next. The wolf slowly stood up. However, as awkward as this was, the wolf began to change. He...it was a man now obviously, grew a mop of wild green hair, and a tunic of lime green shade as well. He became just slightly shorter, but barely noticeable to be commented on.

Zether stood there bewildered. It wasn't an amazed awe, simply a quizzical look of wondering what had just happened. Once fully transformed, the Man looked at Zether's puzzled face. In a second, the mans mouth twisted into a grin, trying to contain laughter. Then at once he exploded in an uproar of childish glee. It wasn't maniacal or anything, but more like when a child is tickled at a young age and can't contain the joy of the attention it's receiving. After a good five minutes the man hushed and continued looking at Zether, who stood there shaking his head low in disbelief.

Zether understood what was going on now. The man was a ranger, and as rangers go, they have the ability to "call" on the form of other animals, among minor magical capabilities.

"Why hello there old man!" the ranger spoke, in a voice that sounded as if he was in middle of puberty, being quite youthful still, while still retaining a hint of deepness a grown adult would usually have.

"Hello, Sir Ranger." Zether replied, wondering if he would catch the flare of sarcasm thrown in.

"Call me Yogi. Ranger is such a...weird name."

"Alright then, Yogi. What brings you to a place such as this?"

"I could ask you the same thing old man...but if you got to know, I'm here investigating Vallatio for the King."

"You can call me Zether. And, I too am here to investigate Vallatio...however I must say it's on different pretenses then for the king of Dainan..." It was unclear really if the statement was indicating a dislike for Dainan or it's king, but it was clear that they were both here for a similar goal.

"Well then...Zether", Yogi emphasized, showing more of a sarcastic burst then Zether had, which showed that Yogi caught the hint earlier. "How about you and me climb this thing together then? I think you could use some help."

Yogi laughed again; a milder sort this time. It was obvious this was like a game to the young ranger. It sort of amused Zether while at the same time lighting a fuse he wished would stay put out.

"I think it is you that needs help, little ranger. I agree we should work together though, so let's get going if your serious about this."

With that, he proceeded without Yogi up the staircase, and disappeared into the next room. Yogi scowled for a moment at Zether's sarcasm. He was happy he found someone who had a sense of humor like him, but at the same time, he was old, and it was just somewhat...awkward to him. Nonetheless he too climbed the staircase, and they began there adventure through Vallatio's Cathedral.

[Oliver]

Chapter 3, Dainaria

And so it came to pass that Tara made her way through the crumbling walls of Dainaria into the main town, that was well, not in the best condition. Like Dainan, a cobblestone path could be seen winding through the once proud standing buildings. However, unlike Dainan, this path had been worn and destroyed beyond recognition, so it was actually false to say it could be seen very well. Those who studied Dainan history, would know that the gray buildings, that now lay in piles of ruin, had once been vibrant and rich with brown brick, brand new among Dainan. But, when The Hunting Grounds first came into existence the chaotics took great pleasure in sacking the Dainan's homestead, turning Dainaria into a pile of bricks and ruin within days. Many, many years later, the bricks lay faded to a light gray, devoid of color like the death the area had collected.

She walked along the worn path, staring down at the grass, which also had an odd lifeless tint of gray to it, like a coat of ash from a burnt out fire. She had made it about three feet from the wall that separated the inside from out, when she was met face first with the end of a spear, the blade still freshly stuck into the ground. It must have been thrown just seconds before she walked into it, because it hadn't been there before, and she seemed to walk into it's impact, as if the spear was thrown as a blockade.

But, as odd as this was, nothing could have prepared her for the strange sight next. Out of the blue, and the term blue in this case is quite literal, a man dressed in what appeared to be the grabs of a dragon swooped downward from above her, and grabbed the spear as he flipped, still in mid-air, so that he landed feet first onto the ground, his back turned to her, and the spear head facing downward in a single hand.

She gasped for a moment, and somewhat instinctively placed her right hand over her mouth. The man then turned around, his face almost completely veiled by his blue, dragon horned helmet. His mouth was still visible, and he flashed a toothy grin her way as he placed the spear into his other hand and approached her.

"Howdy miss." he said, an attempt at swooning evident in his voice as he held out his now free hand in her direction. She politely took it, but scowled on the inside at his flirting.

"Hello..." she said, rather bluntly, making her voice seem somewhat monotonous, which of course was not like her. She didn't particularly care though, after all it wasn't like his first impression was much better.

"So, what might you be doing around these parts little lady?" his voice changed, representing more of a gentleman now, and a somewhat odd southern draw accompanying it.

Tara frowned and pointed at him in a 'as a matter of fact' kind of way. "I could ask you the same thing honestly, but I'm here for the Mark of Dainan."

He grinned, once again flashing his teeth, that were eye blindingly white for some reason, a quite annoying distraction that made him seem even more of a Casanova to her. "I see. Well it just so happens that I'm here for the same reason." he spoke through the grin. "Perhaps we should team up then? I could use a pretty lady like you by my side"

Tara looked away as she flushed red. She was on the verge of becoming enraged, yet at the same time he had a charming quality that kept her from backslapping him and shouting 'Perv!' at the top of her voice. She pouted and crossed her arms in a disapproving fashion, to show him she didn't appreciate his flirtations. He seemed to understand, but continued to talk.

"The names Neb by the way. I think we should get going now." ;apparently he was under the impression she had agreed. He turned around and began to walk off, before turning back around a few steps ahead and beckoning her to follow with his hand. She followed reluctantly, mostly due to the fact that she was sure the ruins had chaotics roaming among them as well as the fact the Neb seemed to know where he was going. For the most part he did, and they ended up in an underground chamber of sorts. It was disgusting to look at, with the piles of bones littering the floors, among other things that ranged from smashed pottery to only half decayed corpses, covered with flies and...other such organisms. Surprisingly however the chamber lacked any sort of smell of decay, but rather smelled of something else; a neutral smell that enticed the senses and drew those who encountered it closer.

"W-what a wonderful smell..." she muttered sheepishly, kind of weirded out by the nature of the smell and it's odd enchanting capabilities. They continued to explore the strange underground room that seemed to connect with a whole network others, creating some sort of decrepit maze. Eventually after wandering around for awhile, the two came two a clock, situated on the wall. It seemed to be working, yet at the same time an odd green glow emanated from the box with the pendulum. "Is that..." Tara whispered, loud enough for Neb to hear.

"I believe it is...the Mark of Dainan." he slowly stretched out, approaching the luminous clock with hidden yet wide eyes. He reached out and touched the clock with his hand. The green light flowed from the clock, through the glass pane that separated them, and enveloped his hand. He watched in amazement as the light spun and twirled around it, until eventually it dissipated, leaving a glowing mark upon the back of his hand. He grinned and turned around, showing Tara his new Tattoo.

"Like it?" he kept his grin up as he spoke. "It's your turn now."

She timidly approached the clock, and held her right hand toward the clock. She turned away with her eyes shut as she felt the light do it's work. She was scared to death to watch it after witnessing Neb's. After it was finished, a blue light exploded next to them, becoming a swirling vortex of dark blue. Neb laughed and ran through it, disappearing into the light. Tara shrieked, but followed behind with blind trust. She ended up next to Neb, just outside a ruined house.

"Well that was fun wasn't it Miss?!" Neb enthusiastically yelled at her, almost in her face.

"I suppose...it was interesting." she replied, before frowning and adding in, "And call me Tara."

They walked alongside the cobblestone path one last time, as they made their way to the exit, with the mark. It was odd though, because not once had they encountered any chaotics. She tried to ponder about this as they left, only to be met with an answer at the ruined wall that separated in from out. Two skeletons stood guarding their exit, each holding what appeared to be a scimitar fashioned out of bone. Tara withdrew her club, as Neb prepared his spear. After all she had been through, she hoped that these two undead creatures wouldn't succeed in stopping them.