Timestamp: 11th Day of Spring, 510 AV
Location: On the road through the Sea of Grass
Time of Day: Sunset
Tag: Kashik
He'd come a long way from home now. It was quiet and he was thoughtful, but he knew to be more cautious. Lions were probably not the worst possible thing he could run into out here. Best to stick to the road, right?
Alkor rubbed his hands together out of habit; he wasn't at all cold and this was nothing like home, though even the concept of home was foreign to him now. He'd left his horse near his campfire, some ways to the north, though he'd gotten so lost he doubted he'd find his way back. Or if he did find his way, he doubted whether the horse would be alive or any of his things would still be there.
No matter, though, he did have that little bit of money on his person and the clothes on his back. His feet were starting to hurt though and he was feeling the lack of sleep wearing away at him. He smelled the grasslands all around him, the strange scents all assaulting his thoughts at once, blurring everything until he didn't seem to notice himself stumbling forward and scraping his knee.
Dang it!
The pain coursed through his body and revitalized him, curing the need for sleep and replacing it with mind numbing pain. His world was fire; Alkor felt only the need to live now, though even that was falling below the desire to eat. The last thing he needed was to become dinner for something else on an empty stomach.
Ugh... where the heck am I? What is this place? Why am I so lost?!
He fell on his rump, closing his eyes and clasping his arms around his knees, rocking back and forth. He never wanted to go home, he never wanted to belong. All Alkor ever wanted was to be free. And even in this self-imposed exile, he was at the mercy of the vast and unknown world.
What would uncle Valkuri do...?
Whenever Alkor found himself in a mess, he always seemed to ask himself what his uncle would do. The man had left him with little wisdom, as he had died when Alkor was very young, but he had heard stories. Stories that Alkor drew his inspiration from. And Alkor was always inspired to live a life of his own. This was Alkor's story, and it wasn't over yet. No matter how close it felt to the epilogue.