Completed [Bronze Woods] Adventure to the sunset falls

[Xiulachu Falliron]

Xiulachu Falliron 47th of Spring 513 On the many journeys that Xiulachu had always loved embarking on Xiulachu loved exploring new spots in the region known as Syliras and though he found himself using all his time just trying to survive in the wilds of the Bronze forest he still found the time to build up enough survival supplies in order to go on such an exploration mission as he found himself going on now. Though he doesn't plan on bring any sort of company he still realized that there were many adventurers like himself that he may be able to locate on his way to a certain set of mountains that he’s only heard described as ‘beautiful’. Though Sunset Falls seemed to be many days walk through a thick forest he’s grown up in his entire life he still felt it necessary to explore his domain in every way possible, even if it means he has to risk confronting a monster that he’s always seemed to avoid. The city of Syliras has always been one of the smelliest of places that Xiulachu has ever had the displeasure of visiting, though he’s never really been to any sort of human settlement of the like to Syliras so he could never really be sure that all humans were as dirty as the humans seemed to be in Syliras. In times where he needed to refill his pack with extra supplies and maybe get a few replacements for his newest of weapons, a crossbow that was created to fit on a bracer that had a special handle that allowed Xiulachu to fire it using only his left hand, which was where the bracer was placed on. On the side of his pack in a small compartment that was easy for Xiulachu to open and pull a bolt out, lay his bolts that numbered in one hundred due to his recent purchase of them and him not having lost the bolts in any training that he had done immediately after buying his crossbow and helping a certain red haired women buy a bow of her own. Though he had only just exited out of Syliras, Xiulachu seemed to be making a good heading on reaching his destination by already passing the first obstacle in his path, the North Kabrin Road. While he was passing the road he noticed that quite a few humans, that could only be merchants and travelers, were filtering in from the north with many riding horses and some even driving their own cart that seemed to be stuffed full of items ranging from what smelled like perfume to a long bow that seemed to be sticking half way out of the cart. Xiulachu never did bother to interact with humans due to their seemingly unending amount of pride that was always shone by the many worthless trinkets that they always seemed to be carrying around with them though he always did find the ones with the armor to be the most peculiar. The armor that seemed to gleam with even a hint of light from a torch that was nearby was always a sight to see when the sun seemed to shine which reflected off the knights armor in many different places and gave the obviously proud knight a divine look that could only be surpassed by and actual ‘god’ coming down from the heavens; though Xiulachu had no use for such ‘gods’.

[Aoren]

Aoren walked quietly along the North Kabrin Road. He carried little, perhaps enough supplies to last him two days in all outside of the city. He didn't intend to stay gone very long. He just needed to get away from Syliras. On his back he carried his pack. In his right hand he held his quarterstaff to aide in his walking. He was dressed in his somewhat more robust outfit of a linen shirt under a leather vest accompanied by leather pants tucked into knee high boots. As he walked he kept most to himself. He was careful not to bump into any of the traders, knights or travelers who walked the road but for the most part he was pondering the events of the past few seasons. He was beginning to hone his craft both mundane and in the higher mysteries but there was something lacking. As time passed he was beginning to find Syliras a tad bit more stifling than usual. Each day was filled with more tests of his patience and overall tolerance for life inside a glorified dung heap.

After nearly twenty-four years of living in the city he was starting to feel an itch in his legs. A desire to get out and see the world. Wanderlust. That was what some people called it. Aoren just referred to it as a need for a change of scenery. Those plans would have to wait however, for the Drykan man didn't quite feel ready to brave the dangers of what lay far beyond the walls of Syliras City. One day though, one day he would leave this place behind and see what else was out there.

Aoren glanced at the occasional passerby and offered them a slight nod of his head or a cordial smile. As he passed a group of patrolling knights however he noticed a man staring quite blatantly at the armor clad men. Having grown up with the Knight's of Peace his entire life, Aoren knew it was never a good idea to stare at the men and women at arms for very long. One might get the impression that the observer was planning something. Especially along the road. He took the opportunity to prevent what might just be casual observation from turning into a needless inquisition. The man he was observing had dark brown hair, probably came up to about Aoren's shoulder, and grey eyes. As he neared him he spoke in a friendly manner.

"I wouldn't stare for too long, friend. These are somewhat troubled times, a little more than is usual in the world. The Knights might get the impression that you're planning an ambush." Aoren came to a stop just a foot or so away from the man. He observed his attire. The man was obviously traveling somewhere. The pack he carried and the fact that he was facing away from the main gates of the city said that much.

[Xiulachu Falliron]

Xiulachu Falliron Such a beautiful sight it is to observe the knights of Syliras in their entire splendor with their polished armor shining in the bright days light. Though he knew that knights were not as noble as they seemed to be in such shiny polished armor and his obvious leer would most likely end up in him having to run into the woods with the knights chasing him thinking he was trying to do something that would cause them harm due to his stares. He knew a traveler when he saw one and the dirty traveling clothes, the worn shoes, the pack that seemed to be quite similar to his own, it all betrayed the man who stood much taller than Xiulachu did; and he was coming towards Xiulachu as well! "I wouldn't stare for too long, friend. These are somewhat troubled times, a little more than is usual in the world. The Knights might get the impression that you're planning an ambush." Though he hardly understood how the last couple of days he was able to meet such unique people such as the Red Haired woman known as Azcadelia. I doubt they would want anything to do with me, I know I don’t have anything planed and even if I did I wouldn’t be so obvious in my scouting Xiulachu mentioned with as little emotion as he could in an attempt at sounding serious yet deadly at the same time. Though he had broken off his gaze upon the knights that were obviously patrolling the road he still thought of them and as always, wondered how they survived being in a full suite of armor as such a sunny day. Would they cook in their own armor if they stood out in the sun too long? Xiulachu wondered when the knights finally passed by on their way to the city that stood just a few hours walk in the opposite direction he intended to go. OOCSorry for the poor post, I'll try to be a bit better in the future

[Aoren]

Aoren quirked his head to the side slightly as he regarded the other traveler. Given his somewhat stoic demeanor it wasn't hard to tell that he was distrustful of strangers. That was not an unwise policy in modern day Mizahar but it also made for a rather lonely outlook on life. Aoren himself wasn't the most sociable of people but he did occasionally feel the need to socialize. Why not now? Out on the open road. Despite the not so warm response Aoren shrugged his shoulders and turned slightly to go about his merry way.

"So where are you headed? If you don't mind my asking that is?" Aoren adjusted his grip on his staff and proceeded to walk along the road as a casual pace. He glanced over his shoulder to see if the brown haired man was following or if he decided to let the conversation drop and be on his way.

Aoren carried himself with all the grace and confidence of an acrobat. There was a slight bounce to his step as he tended to walk on the balls of his feet. It appeared as if he could break out into a dead spring at any second but was restrained only by the gear he had slung over his shoulder. There was a friendly glint to his ocean blue eyes and a sheen to his chestnut brown hair. Overall, he was a very neat and clean individual. Clean shaven, freshly washed and his clothes weren't altogether that dirty. They were just worn from years of wear and tear.

Aoren took in a deep breath as he admired the sky above them. It was a beautiful day. It was one of the reasons he'd chosen today to travel. While he wasn't much of a wilderness survivalist Aoren knew enough to get by for a few days at a time by himself. Not much, but enough to get away from the city from time to time though he never ventured so far away that he couldn't get back in a reasonable amount of time.

[Xiulachu Falliron]

Xiulachu Falliron Though he could appear hard with little to no emotion towards those he knew nothing about he couldn't help but feel a hint of friendliness radiating off of the man who he still had not received his name from and realized that he himself had not given the man his name either. Before Xiulachu could greet the man who had most likely saved himself from a fight with a knight who thought too much of himself he was already moving down the road and was even talking to Xiulachu as if he expected Xiulachu to follow him. Some times Xiulachu hated not having either the courage or will to actually strike up a conversation he found himself in a very difficult spot; Turn back to keep on the journey he was heading out from the city of Syliras on or maybe persuade this man who looked even more of a traveler than Xiulachu himself. So where are you headed? If you don't mind my asking that is? Xiulachu saw that the man actually looked over his shoulder to see if Xiulachu was keeping up with him and to Xiulachus surprise he couldn't even imagine spending the rest of his life alone which only increased his will to walk with this strange man. ”I'm currently on my way to a waterfall called sunset falls. I've actually been journeying around Syliras in the hopes of mapping out the entire region.” Xiulachu mentioned as he kept up his pace with that of the mans. Though suddenly he added ”My name is Xiulachu Falliron, I'm sorry for not introducing myself when we first talked.” Xiulachu felt as though he had crossed a barrier in his quest to defeat his anti-socialism. The road began to veer to the left towards a place that Xiulachu had no will to enter anytime soon and with that thought in his head about Syliras he stopped moving and made sure that the other man knew he was stopping so that he could talk to the man a bit longer. He was so conflicted at that point that his face showed to all who would look a certain pain that dug deeper every second he realized that he had no intention of going out to the sunset falls alone. He desperately needed a friend that he could talk to yet he still knew nothing about the person who was obviously interested in Xiulachu enough to stop what he was doing and actually talk to him in a way that a distant friend would do to one they had not seen in many days.

[Aoren]

As he heard the hurried footsteps behind him, Aoren slowed his pace so that the brown haired man could easily keep up. He adjusted his grip on his staff and with a flare of skill twirled it then let one end rest on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly to glance at the man with a half-smirk.

"Really? That is quite the goal you have there. I've been in Syliras City proper my entire life. I can't say I know the region like the back of my hand but I know it enough to get around. I'm sure you'll make some cartographers very happy if you successfully map out everything. Gods know they could probably use an updated map of the area." Aoren inclined his head formally as the man gave his name.

"Xiulachu? That's a very interesting name." He came to a stop and turned to face the man fully. He studied Xiulachu for a moment. His ocean blue eyes took in the man's frame, his face, his posture and his step.

"You can call me Aoren, if you like." With that he continued forward. "As for not introducing yourself, well, I can't really hold that against you now can I?" He scratched his chin thoughtfully and considered Xiulachu's words.

"Sunset Falls? I don't think I've ever been there myself. It sounds like a nice place though. Any particular reason for wanting to go there?"

As they walked further along the road Aoren noticed that Xiulachu had fallen behind slightly. He halted and turned. Upon seeing the look of distress on the shorter man's face he assumed a puzzled expression.

"Is something wrong?"

[Xiulachu Falliron]

Xiulachu Falliron Though the display of skill with the mans staff had actually amazed him to a point that he could not hold back his look of incredulity but quickly hid his emotions just as quickly as he had showed them. "Really? That is quite the goal you have there. I've been in Syliras City proper my entire life. I can't say I know the region like the back of my hand but I know it enough to get around. I'm sure you'll make some cartographers very happy if you successfully map out everything. Gods know they could probably use an updated map of the area." I only prefer to map the land for personal use unless I’m getting paid to map the wild bronze woods. Xiulachu told Aoren in the least hostile way possible, though he believed the way he said it couldn't be said any subtle. Though the man known as Aoren thought of Xiulachus name as interesting, so to did Xiulachu think of Aorens name the same way, though he didn't voice his interest in Aorens name as Aoren had in Xiulachus name. With Aorens mention of Sunset Falls and his interest in why Xiulachu had chosen that exact location for his next journey, Xiulachu couldn't recall why he had chosen that place other than that he had never seen such a place and was very interested in it when he had heard about it whilst he was in Syliras. I've never seen the falls and have heard about them in my recent travel inside the city. Xiulachu said while staring and nodding his head slightly in the direction of Syliras. When Xiulachu stopped moving with Aoren and stood still whilst waiting for Aoren to spot that he had stopped, Xiulachu turned slightly back towards where he was told the Sunset Falls were located. "Is something wrong?" The one question that Xiulachu had trouble answering since after the day that took his parents from him and stranded him outside in the elements to forage and hunt for his own survival. I have no need to keep following you in this direction, Syliras is that way and my journey there has ended, for now. Xiulachu said as he kept looking back towards the general area where the Sunset Falls was known to exist at.

[Aoren]

"The roads we walk lead us only to the places we aren't expecting to go." He gave Xiulachu a half-smile then walked up next to him. Aoren took a look around the road. He saw many things. He saw the dirt on the ground. He saw the faces of men and a few women traversing that dirt. They were going about their business as if they were the only people in the whole world that mattered.

Aoren took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He listened to the world around him. He heard the clop of horses on the road. He heard the murmur of people talking of places they'd seen, things that they had done. He could hear the songs of the wildlife in the distance. The singing of the birds. The rustle of the leaves in the trees in the forest. Then he felt the winds. The winds that guided him ever onward. He opened his eyes and followed the direction they were blowing. When he saw that he gave a light laugh and shook his head.

"You know, I should think my cramped stone compartment in the basement of a massive castle should get along fine without me for a while longer. I've been meaning to get out and do a little exploring." He tilted his head back. The Drykan man looked up into the sky as if he were searching for something. There was a shine in his eyes for a moment before he dropped his gaze back to Xiulachu.

"If you don't mind the company that is?"

[Xiulachu Falliron]

Xiulachu Falliron Such wise words have never been spoken as wisely as Aoren spoke them and with each word that came out of his mouth Xiulachu felt as though he done right, that he had completed something and had the feeling of absolute joy. Xiulachu had indeed walked many roads and more than once had come to a place he had no wish to be at, such as the spot his parents had been murdered at or the lake that had salt in it that Xiulachu later fond out to be the Pavi Lake. Just then Xiulachu noticed that Aoren was observing the area around where they were talking with as much scrutiny as Xiulachu would give in his true form whilst hunting mice. Though when Aoren closed his eyes after studying the surrounding area made Xiulachu feel confused, he still held on to the belief that this man would help him on Xiulachus journey to the Falls. The confusion Xiulachu felt was intensified when Aoren laughed, though it was a happy laugh and not a laugh that would be expected from a nefarious person Xiulachu still had doubts. Doubts that were destroyed when Aoren said he would journey with Xiulachu to the falls. I would love to have you join me, we can start out now or later. Xiulachu mentioned while looking out towards where they would soon be walking.

[Aoren]

"It's settled then. Off we go to the Sunset Falls. Lead the way Xiulachu." Aoren made a cordial gesture bowing slightly at the waist as he swept an arm across his waist pointing in the direction Xiulachu was facing. After a moment he straightened and gave the shorter man a small smile.

When they were comfortably on their way toward the direction of the Sunset Falls, Aoren kept a sharp eye on the road both ahead of them and around them. He wasn't one who enjoyed having danger sneak up on him. Then again, there were not many living individuals who were partial to danger themselves. Unless of course those people were thrill seekers. Aoren did not consider himself someone who got drunk off adrenaline. He typically tended to avoid unnecessary danger that was not to say he didn't enjoy an adventure himself. He was just more cautious about it. After a good period of silence Aoren turned his azure gaze toward Xiulachu.

"Are you from the Fortress City?" It was a simple enough question. Whether he answered truthfully or not did not matter to Aoren. If he so chose, the Drykas man could discern the truth from anyone given enough time and concentration. For now though, two strangers walking along the road toward a new destination, what more could they ask of each other than surface knowledge?

To Aoren, Xiulachu seemed incredibly guarded. There was a wild sense about him. It was as if he were as much a part of the forest as the forest was a part of him. Aoren couldn't put his finger on it but there was definitely something interesting about Xiulachu. Though there was something interesting about the majority of people if you took the time to know them.