Call of Friendship

[Revan Noctis]

<From A Bright Dawn>

The transportation to a new world felt jarring to his senses though they quickly adapted to the strange new feelings and sensations now forced upon him. Celestia stepped ahead of him surveying the sun soaked grass fields and paths that lay around them.
Revan too looked out at the grass, a stark contrast to the dark lands they had just left behind. He had to hope this was what Celestia wanted, if she had wanted the sun she certainly had it, the sun shone rays down upon him heating his near frozen cold body, the feeling of imminent dread at least for now was finally washing away. Perhaps this would end up being the place he would find the answers he so desperately sought.

His mind turned towards what the people were like here, he hoped they were friendly and would have answers, perhaps they could offer help in the Moors. He and Celestia it appeared had made it out of the woods or so it seemed. The grass even looked more green and alive than it had in his own world, perhaps the people here had special means of taking care of it. The road it seemed too was well maintained in these lands.

“It perplexes yet truly amazes me how every single land the gates take us to is entirely different, I would be lying if at first glance this did not seem the most habitable.” Revan wondered for a moment which way to even travel as nature seemed to surround them in every direction, it seemed like the perfect place.

“I suppose we’ll just have to walk awhile until we can get directions.” perhaps a walk in the sun would be just what they needed after their last adventure, especially now nothing was trying to hurt or kill them.

“It is nice to see the sky again, after all we’d been through I was beginning to wonder if we ever would.” The clear blue sky was filled with only a few white puffy clouds, to Revan it seemed this verse had no issues, perhaps it was even a place he could just relax and enjoy for awhile.

He took in a large amount of fresh air, it had seemed like forever since he was truly able to breathe, gone was the wet cold air of the Moors that had the life choked out of it by sinister means. This world seemed most full of natural life, perhaps he could even find something pleasant here. Celestia seemed to be enjoying the sun beams just as much if not more than he was. He did feel a little guilty however, after all she probably only missed home more, to be fair in a way so did he.

He felt a far more warm and calm breeze flow across his black cloak, the sun no longer smothered from the sky lit a blue horizon that seemed pristine and welcoming. The air was clear and easy to breathe, no longer did he feel surrounded by a land that wanted him dead. As Celestia trotted down the road with him he found himself wondering how much better she now felt being in the element she loved the most. For the moment they seemed alone, judging by the roads however he was most sure they would find company soon enough, as they continued at a leisurely pace however he did not fail to notice the rumbling beneath him, he recognised what the feeling meant. Looking to Celestia he wondered if she too noticed, they were about to have company.

[Celestia]

It seemed that each component plane which made up this place had its own distinct character, or 'flavour' if one would, as Celestia was discovering a little more with each part visited.  For example, the Vasty Deep carried a distinct sense of wind and water, arguably its two principle elements.  The Pale Moors, the place they had just come from, was a rank and earthy death and decay.  This new realm 'smelled' of magic.  Not just raw arcane energy, that seemed to be present in some degree or another in every part of the Omniverse, but of more specifically spells cast.  Whatever else could be said of this place, there were spellcasters here.

It reminded Celestia of home a little bit in fact.  The bright sun, verdant landscape and abundance of magic made her think of Equestria more so than any other place she'd been thus far, and likely more than the other places she could visit.  She paused for a moment, her expression showing her mixed feelings of joy at being reminded of something pleasant and the sorrow of knowing she wasn't there and may never be again.

Of course, the Omniverse had a decidedly different bent to its magic.  The mood of the place seemed to be meant more toward fostering conflict, indeed she'd already been pulled into a number of battles and seen a great many fortifications, where her home had a more peaceful nature to it.  And even in Equestria, magic could be a very dangerous thing.  That thought snapped her back to reality and prodded her to continue onward.

Revan had been speaking, although as Celestia was in the midst of her reverie she hadn't picked up on them until now.  “I agree this place has a much more pleasant ambiance than where we came from.  However, we should still take care, I believe this place has a magic all its own.”  She considered for a moment, before adding, “A walk through here would do us both good, I'm sure.”  While the statement was in part agreement with what Revan had said, a part of her was unconcerned either way.  The sun and the flora was pleasant, and she would be glad to spend some time walking through it even if they didn't find the information they needed right away.  The alicorn started to walk forward with a smile on her face.

Celestia didn't get far before she felt the rumbling, looking at Revan and seeing that he'd noticed it too.  “A large group coming?”  Most of the sapient inhabitants of this place were primates, while her previous expertise was in equines, she could still get a sense of when a number were approaching.  Although, she would be relying on her friend for any more detail than that, at least from the noise alone.  She started to look around, hoping to catch sight of this 'greeting party' before it arrived.

[Revan Noctis]

The pair had been walking along a long road for but only a short amount of time when a rumbling sound could be felt fast appraoching them. He got up onto a large boulder nearby to glance in the direction of what was fast approaching. He was surprised by what he saw, but in a place like this it made sense.

“Fear not, it is merely a carriage, still best to remain cautious.” Revan replied hoping it would simply pass by them.

“It’s definitely heading towards us.” Revan hoped it was more likely to just be a traveller like themselves.

The carriage was pulled by a pair of black horses as dust was thrown up in the air, it seemed to be in quite a rush but as it approached closer it appeared to be coming to a steadying halt. Revan covered his mouth and coughed as the dusty black carriage pulled up beside them, atop sat a man in a dusty plain black robe with a hood covering his face much like Revan himself.

The horses seemed to freeze, incredibly obedient they simply stood as their master for a moment also remained silent. The leaned back in the seat after glancing over at the horses.

“Welcome to the land of Camelot.” the figure said staring forward.

“Greetings, we have just arrived from the land known as the Pale Moors, what can you tell us of this Camelot?” Revan guessed he was speaking to a man but couldn’t tell, he did his best to be friendy.

“I can tell you a great many things, but our journey will be shorter if you climb aboard now?” the figure still stared onward as if avoiding their gaze.

“That would be nice of you but my companion and I are fine with walking.” Revan examined the figure, something seemed awfully off and seemed a little too demanding for his personal liking.

“Perhaps you do not trust me, perhaps your perceptions have been tainted by the darker world.” the figure said sounding genuinely saddened as it waited for another reply.

“You wish to take us to the nearest settlement?” asked Revan getting an odd feeling like his body was trying to tell him something.

The figure turned its head looking toward them, there was a hint of what looked like a human face underneath. “Your presence is needed in my village, would you refuse?”

“Perhaps you wish for some sort of payment upfront, I did not expect greed.” the figure glanced downward for but a moment.

“I do not believe we’d have any reason to refuse a plea for help, but we’ve only just arrived.” Revan wondered if refusing to help was a better option but figured Celestia would be hesitant to turn giving help down.

“Do not fret, I have all that you seek, I only ask you help my village.” the figure continued staring at them as if not intending to accept no for an answer, it all was certainly off.

[Celestia]

It turned out that what approached wasn't a group, but was rather a single person driving a horse drawn carriage.  Celestia had been off the mark, which she guessed was due to the size of the vehicle.  And perhaps, the number of different parts touching the ground when it moved.  The revelation was a minor relief.

Or at least it was until they met the carriage's driver.  At a glance, he seemed to be reasonable enough, if a little oddly concealed in his manner of dress.  A glance at Revan, as the conversation began, made it evident that the swordsman was not entirely comfortable with the stranger.  It wasn't blatant, but it was clear in the way he tensed up at points, and the caution he put into his replies.  And in fact, Celestia was a little hesitant herself.  The carriage driver stressed the fact that their home was in danger, yet they didn't reflect any typical signs of concern, and further the driver refused to give any details on what it was that was plaguing the village.

Despite the reasonable concerns though, Celestia couldn't ignore the possibility that there was really a town in danger, even if the source of it was the person in front of them.  And even if their wasn't, it would be much safer to be diplomatic and cautious in refusal, and make it more easy to coax out or pick up information.

“I'm afraid there's not much we could do to help,” Celestia replied.  She suspected that wouldn't be entirely true, she was honest in that expressing their limited capacity to assist.  “We're both new arrivals to this place, in several important senses, and I don't believe there's much we could do to assist.  My magic, for example, has yet to recover to even fraction of what it once was.”  And in addition, without knowing the area or the problem, anything they did was as likely to make the situation worse as it was to improve it.  She paused for a moment, before adding, “although if you could point us toward a garrison or similar, I'm sure we could travel there and bring back capable help.”

Celestia wasn't expecting a straight answer.  In fact, she was assuming the driver would be evasive.  But how he went about that could be very revealing.  Would he accept the proposal, seeing no other option?  Would he argue the authorities shouldn't or couldn't become involved?  Would he offer further explanation, in the hopes of enticing them to follow his initial suggestion?  She listened for his response.

[Revan Noctis]

Revan felt surprised for a moment as it seemed Celestia had picked up on his reluctance and seemed to feel the same way. The figure on the carriage seemed to notice this and seemed to listen intently to the words the Alicorn spoke. The man still sent off a strange feeling and he acted as if he was hiding as much information as possible from them. Revan waited until the man let out another reply to them.

“There is very little reason not to join me, but if not I will have to resort to a different plan of action.” Revan wondered what exactly the other plan of action could be.

“You do not trust me?” the figure said looking directly at Celestia.

“The village will need your help. If you do not go then they will die.” the words came out more malicious than concerned.

“I offer you this last chance to save them.” the figure looked away staring forward once more.

“You don’t sound too concerned.” Revan said deciding to be open about his feelings.

The figure turned back to them and for a moment Revan could have sworn he saw a hint of anger on the mans face. “The authorities won’t believe you, they do not know what I know.” 

“And what do you know?” Revan asked confused at what this man could know that the authorities would not believe.

“I know that there is danger, and I truly do not wish to see them slaughtered with ease, it would be far better if two like yourselves were involved.” why was this man seeking them out?

“The authorities here have grown arrogant and foolish, it isn’t your powers I seek but your minds, I would never lie.” Revan got the sense that the man had told them at least a part of the truth.

“How far is it to your village, it is your village right, your people?” Revan asked wondering if all the people of Camelot were like him.

“Yes, it is my village, the people there are mine.” Revan got another strange feeling then but had to admit going to help would be the right thing to do.

“Have you ever had to fight monsters, this land is full of them, many that go walking away from the safety of their homes go missing on the roads, any human out seeking help is making a great risk.” the man tightened his hands around the reigns.

“I have little more time to waste, though I suppose you two will be safe looking out for only your own interests.” the words surely cut into Revan making him question his feelings.

Moving over to Celestia Revan whispered into her ear. “I know this is isn’t what we came here to do, and this man is really strange but going could help us learn more about this place.” Revan couldn’t help but think going was the right thing to do even if the man seemed to be hiding a lot from them.

[Celestia]

There was plenty of reasons not to join this person in their carriage, Celestia thought to herself.  They had no knowledge of the situation and so couldn't properly assess risks or determine the correct course of action.  The person clearly didn't care about the good of the town, at least what good didn't directly benefit him, yet was urging them to save it, indicating ulterior motives.  The person was clearly dangerous, or at least believed themselves to be, and Celestia had no reason to doubt it.  The person was constantly making threats, even if they weren't directed at the two travellers.

However, there was one thing that made Celestia they should play along, at least for now.  “I don't think we have much choice,” she said in reply to Revan, though loud enough that the figure could hear it.  “One way or another, I am sure the town is in danger if we do not come to its aid.”  Much more quietly, speaking only to Revan she added, “I am not convinced he will not destroy the town itself if we don't act.  He is effectively holding the town hostage.”  She turned back to the figure.  “Very well, I will go with you.  I believe my companion will as well, although I cannot speak for him.”

With grim determination Celestia stepped onto the carriage.  It wouldn't be comfortable, regardless of the quality of the materials, but she could bear it for the sake of the town that caught up in all of this.  The uncertainty she would be less pleased to deal with, but she would just have to find a way to deal with it.  It was perhaps a more readily solvable problem anyhow, she thought.  As the carriage started to move onward, she spoke to the driver.  “I meant what I said earlier though, I am not confident we could save anything without knowing what it is that afflicts it.  What exactly is it that is putting the town in danger?”  She refrained from adding, that she meant aside form himself, of course.  That wouldn't be a productive avenue of conversation.

[Revan Noctis]

Revan agreed with Celestia and completely understood what she was saying and could not deny the dark aura this cloaked figure was giving off but he had not just saved one town to let another fall due to inaction. Like his four legged companion he too climbed aboard cautiously.

“Good, welcome.” the carriage began moving again picking up heavy speed in some unknown direction.

“You know I have been expecting you but I wasn’t entirely sure you would come, I must congratulate you both on your persistence.” the figure seemed to imply he knew who they were but Revan thought that unlikely.

“These lands are filled with many strange creatures, most the local human armies tend to keep in order, but there are some even they avoid out of fear.” the figure kept his eyes on the long road ahead as he continued speaking to them.

“The town you two are going to play a part in saving will be most thankful for your assistance, sadly however they do not see things my way but perhaps you will convince them otherwise.” 

“Who exactly are you, and in what way are you affiliated with this town?” Revan asked hoping the man was more open to giving them answers now.

“You may call me Kurt Wallace, as for my affiliation, all you need to know is I have invested interests in it.

“Why do you insist on it being us that helps?” Revan asked quietly hoping to be cautious with the question.

“Because you are powerful, and quite intelligent too, at least by the standards of many of the humans around these parts.” the man seemed to have little care for people in general.

The ride was fairly bumpy but overall it was a high quality carriage and the road seemed fairly well maintained, certainly better then the ones found back in his former existence. As was to be expected they came across very few other travellers, and only a few trade caravans were crossed paths with as they continued on across the countryside, on the bright side the air seemed cool and it did not get too hot inside the carriage.

It must have been just past midday when the man at the front announced they were almost at their destination. “Here we are the village of Draynore as promised.” 

Sure enough the man had brought them to the town as he said he would however the town was not in ruin and the people here seemed somewhat merry as young children played and adults searched through market stalls.

“Where is the danger?” asked Revan confused.

“You don’t see it in front of you do you?” the carriage came to a halt outside an inn.

“You will find your rooms and meals payed for already, simply say rainstorm and don’t tell them anything, we will see each other again soon.” the man seemed to have a sinister grin at the end and at that point Revan knew it was time to climb out.

Once Celestia had joined him back on the ground they began to receive some stares from the locals, the carriage rode off leaving them seemingly now stranded somewhere unknown. Revan turned to look at the Inn behind him, the dark oak inn as it was named had its doors wide open with a sign that also indicated as such.

“Best to remain wary, I hate traps.” Revan said moving into the Inn.

It seemed as cozy as any other Inn he had been to so far and a bearded bald man probably in his forties stood at the counter eyeing them. Around the room was another clean shaven man probably in his thirties near the fireplace talking to what looked like some locals. Revan looked to Celestia wondering what she thought of the place.

“I suppose we should tell them the pass phrase.” Revan didn’t think anybody here looked that dangerous.

[Celestia]

Celestia had a great many questions she wished to know the answers to.  How did this person, 'Kurt Wallace' if he was even giving them his real name, know of their arrival?  Why was he so interested in she and Revan in particular?  Celestia at least, hadn't been around very long.  Certainly not long enough to have built up a reputation.  Perhaps this was what he said to every traveller with potential which crossed his path, the 'long lost hero' was a well known con back where she came from.  Who was Kurt?Why was he so interested in a town he clearly didn't come from or have enough influence?  Why did it matter whether or not Draynor saw things his way?

Celestia didn't ask any of these questions.  For one thing, there didn't seem to be much choice.  Revan had tried the direct approach, and she herself had been more roundabout, yet neither had many any headway.  It didn't seem like they'd get much out of him, certainly not with their currently limited experience, and that meant the only things asking questions could accomplish was signalling both what they didn't know and what they would be looking for.  Frankly, the alicorn wanted to give their new 'patron' as she could manage.

Having arrived at the tavern, and finally left the carriage, Celestia breathed a small sigh of relief before checking her surroundings.  The town seemed decidedly ordinary, with little amiss or even particularly interesting at a glance.  Still, she knew that there was some danger present, even if that would only be because the one who brought them here had his sights set on the place.

Revan lamented having to walk into a trap as they moved toward the inn.  “It is not ideal, certainly,” Celestia replied quietly, “however this is one trap it may actually be more dangerous not to trigger.”  Not walking into it would show a lack of trust, and a willingness to reject the surface situation.  Doing so would make any present danger show itself immediately, before they had any time to investigate or prepare.  “If we play along and pretend to be fooled, we gain time to investigate.”

“You're welcome to,” Celestia responded when Revan mentioned the pass phrase, “I would like to see what responses I get to a few questions before we move in too far.”  Looking around the interior for a moment, and still finding nothing standing out as strange, she strode up to the bar.  “Hello!” she said to the barkeeper, “pardon my intrusion, but we're new in town and I'm afraid we're at a bit of a loss.  Can you tell us about the town?”

[Revan Noctis]

Revan was only slightly surprised by Celestia’s ability to not let on that anything was wrong or that she was necessarily not from here at all, despite the town seemingly mostly made of humans he could not help but feel that he was more the one that was misplaced. The bald man at the counter wore a red shirt and white pants and upon Celestia’s approach formed a smile that hinted at no sense of danger or threat.

“Greetings, we don’t get too many visitors out this way, most prefer the larger cities.” he looked at Revan who he noticed was a fair bit less willing to step forward.

“My name is Alexander, but you can call me Alex.”

The man pointed to the man in the back. “That’s a friend, his name is Isaac.

“My cousin James and I own this place and since we get so few visitors it’s mostly just the locals that spend time here.”

“Well many would probably say a small town like Draynor would be boring but I can assure you they are missing out” 

“We have the old book store down the road, a small but great food market, the local guards are always nice and we haven’t had any crime since the new guard commander took over.”

Revan couldn’t help but decide that he’d better inquire about some things at least. “Any strange activity around lately?”

“Well here in Camelot there tends to be something crazy going on but here we tend to keep things fairly plain and simple, we have a few characters in town but strange for them is normal.”

“Ever been in the Moors?” Revan asked wondering if the people here knew about it.

“Gosh, of course not, only mad men go there, no offence miss.” the man seemed genuinely terrified of the thought of it.

“There are rumours of evil sneaking its way into Camelot but if you ask me they would only find competition here what with all the monster uprisings that our valiant military has to put down.”

“Monsters?” Revan asked curious what dangers could abound.

“Not from Camelot are you?, well you best be warned not to stray too far from the town alone, there’s a lot of non humans with sharp claws and teeth who don’t take too kindly to having outsiders enter their territory though most have been convinced to be more civilised in recent times.”

“What about the undead?” Revan inquired wanting a heads up if that was a possibility.

“I take it you’ve seen them, probably from the Moors, would explain the black, undead are an extreme rarity around here though every now and again you hear of some young rogue mage attempting to dabble in necromancy then some guards having to clean up the mess.”

If you don’t mind me asking how is your town defended exactly.” Revan asked understanding the question may seem odd.

“The guards defend the towns and the real armies tend to stick to the cities, we are different here as we are more independent, that means our guards basically are our army once duty demands it.”

“What of food and water?” 

“We have some pretty smart hardworking farmers in town, they sell the crops to the rest of us at a fair price and the water we can either get from the river or wells.” Alex had been nothing short of a trove of fascinating knowledge to Revan.

“So how about it, you two going to rent a room for a while?, if you’re worried about our quality let me assure you we’ve never had a single guest complain before.”

[Celestia]

Whatever else was happening, the barkeeper was nice enough at least.  Alexander, as he introduced himself, was welcoming to a pair of travelers wandering in out of the wilderness.  He didn't even seem to mind that Celestia wasn't a usual denizen of these lands, even by prime standards.  It was a pleasant if small surprise.  He seemed eager to talk about the town, proud as he was of it, going on for a time about what local sites there were to see and how they could survive the threats of the wilderness.

Though there was one thing that drew Celestia's attention.  Alex mentioned that there was a new commander at the local guard garrison.  This would at least provide a clue.  If there was anything which might have prompted Mr. Wallace to turn to outside help, it was the most likely cause, and even if not the two things were bound to be connected somehow.  She was also curious about the library that was mentioned, although she doubted that would have any bearing on what they were currently doing.

Finally, Alex asked if they'd like a room, assuring them of the tavern's quality.  “Oh, of that I have no doubt,” Celestia replied.  Indeed, from what she could see the place was very cozy and well kept.  If there was an issue it would lie buried under the surface.  “The only question would be how long we would be staying, and if it were worth troubling you for rooms.  That said, despite the current weather I've been told there's a rainstorm on the way.  So, I believe we will be needing someplace to stay for a few days.”  Working the code word into conversation would make it harder for any external observers to keep track of what they were doing, leaving the main source of danger the one who was supplying them the room.

Alex blinked for a moment, as he processed being told the passphrase, before smiling at the two of them.  “Of course,” he replied, “in fact I think we have just the rooms for you.”  He ventured off for a minute.

Celestia took the opportunity to speak to Revan.  “I suspect the new guard captain is the catalyst for all this, and I think once we've made our arrangements here the local garrison is where we should be headed next.  Unless of course, you'd like to take a break.  I don't believe our concerns are urgent just yet, and there is some value to taking things slowly.”  She paused.  “I'm also curious about the library, though I expect that one is best left for later, given the more pressing, if frustratingly ambiguous matter.”

Only a minute later Alex returned, placing a pair of keys on the table.  “Here you go, the rooms are upstairs, down to the end of the hall.  I think you'll find them quite comfortable.”

Celestia thanked him as she took her key, before turning back to Revan once more.  “So, how would you like to proceed?”

[Revan Noctis]

Celestia had decided to trust the code word given to them by their mysterious acquaintance and it seemed they were in fact getting their rooms free of any kind of charge. Revan had to admit the whole town seemed normal enough and Alex seemed quite cheery.

Gripping a large metal key that would be for his door he made a choice. “It makes sense to find out just how good these rooms are, well go see the guards afterwards.

Moving through the wooden tavern they found a set of stairs that seemed to creak a bit as they climbed up. A number of rooms lay ahead as they looked down the hallway, it wasn’t until they came to the last two doors of the hall they found their rooms.

Revan poked the large brass key into the keyhole as it turned and a moment later a click as the large heavy door creaked open revealing a fairly modest room of browns and blacks. Entering the room carefully he stepped on the Brown rug viewing the black bed and cabinets on his left. A look to the right revealed an oak desk and a door to what must be a bathroom.

The desk had paper on it yet no words were written, Revan wondered if all the rooms looked the same but was distracted by the window with black curtains. Brushing the fabric aside Revan peered out a time the town below. Citizens of Draynor roamed the streets going about their simple daily tasks and even the sight of a guard did catch his eyes.

“Certainly is an up step from the Moors.” Revan said seeing and believing these people were safe and in no real danger at all.

Why had they been brought here if the town was happy and prospering, the guards certainly did not let on any danger was about, perhaps asking Alex the purpose of the code would be an opportunity to seek but the man had not yet made any attempt to talk to them in private. Revan could not deny that Wallace had given off a strange sense of malice, perhaps he’d show up again.

“Where is this threat.” Revan said aloud as he glanced out a moment longer before deciding it was time to leave.

Moving back to the door he exited the room, twisting the key the room was locked again. Revan moved over to Celestia’s door and knocked wondering what she was doing and if she was ready to leave. He found himself curious if most towns were like this in Camelot or if this place was truly something special.

“I think you’re right about where to start.” Revan said through the door awaiting the Alicorn’s reply.

[Celestia]

The room didn't have much to offer Celestia, being built for creatures of a different general shape.  It looked comfortable, and it would certainly be nice to have a nice place to stay when they would inevitably need sleep.  But the amenities wouldn't be of much use.  The small table wouldn't really fit her, and she didn't have much need to do anything which required a private room at the moment.

Celestia took a moment anyways, to mentally run through the events so far, and clarify all the facts currently available to her.  Kurt Wallace, their temporary patron, picked them up shortly after they passed through the Gate.  Presumably, he either had surveillance of the gate entrance or a means of detecting primes.  The latter seemed more likely, although ruling out the former was probably premature.  Either way, Mr. Wallace clearly had a far-reaching vision.

Wallace had his sights set on the town, and whatever he was planning wasn't going to be done out of out of charity.  He claimed the town was in danger, though when they arrived there was no evidence of such.  There could always be something under the surface, causing harm or building itself up in a more subtle way, but it was just as likely that Kurt was only technically correct, and he himself was the one threatening the town.  Whichever it was, it meant someone was concealing their intentions.  Celestia would have to move carefully, to not pre-emptively tip her hoof.

Celestia frowned, and shook her head.  “It's not enough,” she muttered to herself.  Reflecting on the current developments wasn't revealing anything further, she'd need more information before she could draw any worthwhile conclusions.

It was just as well perhaps, there was a knock on Celestia's door moments after she concluded reflection wouldn't get her anywhere just yet.  She cracked the door open, gripping the handle in her magic, peering out carefully before noticing it was Revan and opening the door fully.  “Oh, Revan,” she said, “everything's in order with your room too I take it?”

Revan wanted to tell her he agreed with her earlier assessment.  Perhaps his time spent reflecting went a little better than Celestia's had.  She was glad to hear his agreement, as it meant they'd be on the same page.  “Ahh, you have that feeling too, then?”  She started to head back toward the main floor, slowing a bit to make sure Revan was following along.  “We'll need to be careful with our investigation.  There's no telling what's actually happening in this town, and being too quick or too open to act could cost us in all sorts of ways.”

As the pair made their way downstairs, Celestia looked out the window, noting that it was getting late in the afternoon.  She stopped when she reached the end of the stairs and turned to Revan.  “So, after we get some food, what do you think: would you like to have a look around this evening, or should we leave that for the next day?”

[Revan Noctis]

“I didn’t intend to cause any unwanted attention if at all possible.” Revan moved steadily down the steps with Celestia.

“Of course we should eat.” Revan had in fact forgotten about the fact that they would be needing food.

“Well we are kind of here for a reason, wouldn’t hurt to take a look around as we head towards the guards after a meal.” Revan was unsure what they would have on the menu.

They travelled all the way down the stairs back to the room they had arrived in and now the establishment seemed empty apart from Alex who seemed to be cleaning some cups. Revan was doubtful it was late enough that the others had little choice but to return home though he supposed lots of people lived differently to those in his own world.

“Isaac and the others have gone for some afternoon fishing if you were wondering.” said Alex placing down one of the cups.

“Just seemed a bit quiet in here all of a sudden is all.” Revan replied feeling slightly foolish for making his observations obvious.

“Two of you are probably excited to go see the town, keep in mind some folk are more suspicious of outsiders than others, but you shouldn’t have any problem with the shops.” Revan found Alex’s advice useful yet he couldn’t help but feel uneasy being unsure if the man could truly be trusted.

“If you see my cousin James please tell him of your arrival, he’d be happy to show you around a bit I’m sure, just be warned he can be a tad grumpy some days.” Alex seemed to be offering them a warning or at least that is how Revan took it.

The doors of the Dark Oak Inn opened as Revan stepped back out into the warm sunshine, he was still adjusting slightly being back in warm weather again as he felt the waves of the suns heat. Looking around he continued to see only a small happy village, though he was unsure on what to do when it came to food.

“I fear that our very appearance is going to bring attention, and I am unsure if we would have the currency to buy food from any other location in the village.” Revan hadn’t needed to worry about such things until now as he’d been relying on the simple good will of the people he had helped.

“I suppose you should decide Celestia, perhaps we could create something ourselves but I’m unsure how people will react to it.” Revan didn’t want everyone to know he was a prime since he was still so unsure how the majority of beings reacted to the news.

“Afterwards we’ll ask around for the guard commander, if that fails I’m sure we can ask who runs this village.” Revan could only assume some government control was around hidden plotting behind closed doors.

The market place wasn’t far down the road and from what he had heard was bound to have some variety worth checking out, of course there was also the nearby river that he had heard about, choosing to either walk down the road or exit into the forest clearing towards the water would be there first choice of the remainder of their day spent outside.

“Of course I advise remaining wary until we know who we can trust.” Revan couldn’t entirely decide where would be worth trying first.

“Celestia, It is strange that we have been drawn here, I am also in belief it would be foolish to forsake trying to learn more about why we are here.” Revan hadn’t forgotten the whole reason he was in this world is because of some mysterious being that he’d never heard of before.

[Celestia]

Celestia pondered Revan's words for a moment.  “Drawn here is a peculiar way of putting it.  We were taken here, not entirely against our will but not entirely of it either.  And I am not yet ready to trust anyone here, although that's no reason to be uncivil.  Until we have a sense of  what's actually happening here, we have no basis for telling who to trust.”  She paused for a moment, before adding, “Except for each other, of course.  Regardless of what else is going on, we can still count on each other.”

“Of course, it's hard to get anything done on an empty stomach.”  Fortunately the market had ample choices for food.  Normally, Celestia would have preferred the more self-sufficient approach of preparing her own food, particularly given how easy the task was when one could manipulate Omnilium.  However, no detail about the town was too small to consider, the food included, and so she felt it would be helpful to give it a try.

Celestia wasn't exactly sure what the town used as currency, and would be loathe to fabricate some either way, however on explaining her situation she found a vendor who was willing to make a trade.  The vendor's niece was suffering from an unusual illness, and in exchange for an uncommon herb that could help, was willing to make the two a simple meal.

With hunger dealt with for the foreseeable future, they were finally able to take a look around town.  It wasn't a huge urban centre, the way Costa del Sol had been, or how Celestia assumed the capitols of this realm would be, but it seemed to be doing more than well enough.  For a town so out of the way it seemed surprisingly active, with enough different vendors and of such varieties to have what could be called a shopping district.  It seemed a little unusual, although it was possible that was just because her most recent points of comparison were holdouts in a necromantic hellscape.

Still, there seemed to be a lot of people about for a town of this size.  For that matter, it seemed very casual considering the supposed danger of the area.  There was a wall, but what few guards were actively stationed or on patrol seemed very relaxed about the whole affair.  It could simply be a factor of the town's safety, due to previous vigilance or advantageous location.  Or it could be a sign that the local guard is compromised, either preceding a hostile action, or because it has already happened in secret.

There seemed little point speculating, when the guardhouse was here for them to investigate.  After explaining to Revan what she intended to do, Celestia would try to track down that new guard commander.  If she found him, and after introducing herself, she'd explain.  “We've heard a few troubling rumors of places near here.  My companion and I are fairly capable in combat, is there anything we could do to help?”  Hopefully, this would prompt an explanation.  Or, perhaps, a denial which would provide its own clues.

[Revan Noctis]

Revan had merely replied with a simple nod, the idea that it was unwise to trust those he did not know was of course truthful. Revan however had enjoyed helping an individual with a simple herb and the meal received in return had been satisfying. Celestia seemed to want to use omnillium, the strange power they had seemingly been blessed with to produce food, useful but most concerning was exactly how it worked and if it was safe to consume. Sure enough the shop staff were nice and had much on display, a coin currency seemed to be what was used though simple bartering of goods was also considered common, Revan didn’t ask but he guessed that the coins were part of a larger financial system and probably weren’t crafted in the town itself.

A sunny and calm day it was as Celestia and Revan continued looking around spotting what seemed to be more stores including a library and some houses, they approached a guard who turned to them appearing friendly enough.

“Greetings travellers, I am corporal Erart.” the guard was wearing light armour which Revan suspected meant that danger in the town was not a normal occurrence.

“Greetings corporal, I was hoping to meet the guard commander if possible.” Revan watched to see how this guard reacted.

It seemingly took him a bit by surprise as he took a few moments to answer. “In the guard barracks of course.”

“Where is that?” Revan asked wondering why he had not yet seen it.

“It’s separated from the town, down that road there.” a point towards a dirt road that went off into the forest was not what Revan had been expecting.

Thanking the guard and heading towards the road somewhat out of town was strange yet it was importantly to help this town and find answers. They soon came across a stone building that sure enough had two guards standing at the doorway as if waiting for them.

“Halt, who goes there?” called a guard gripping the hilt of his sword but not drawing it.

“We are travellers staying in the town, we had hoped to see the guard commander.” Revan replied having sent his hand to his own hilt.

“Easy Mark, I think they’re primes.” the other guard said putting his hand on the others shoulder to calm him.

“Why do you say that?” asked Revan curiously.

“Because any citizen carrying a weapon wouldn’t feel the urge to go it.” the guard replied eyeing Revan’s sword.

“I’m guessing you’re not royal servants either, very well I will show you to the captain.” Revan and Celestia were motioned inside.

The interior was also made of stone bricks and had chairs and tables made of wood inside including a few fireplaces that were currently unlit. As the guard ahead opened a wooden door they were met with a younger man than expected, the blonde man sat at the table looking up to see why he had been disturbed.

“These primes have desire to speak with you.” the guard announced.

“Thank you Samuel, I will talk to them myself.” the guard saluted and left the room.

“I was informed of your arrival, you seem friendly enough, Captain Elys Rolf at your service.” the guard captain smiled but only for a moment.

Celestia was first to introduce herself to the captain and Revan followed after being open and honest in hopes of receiving such in return. He looked down at his desk at some papers for a few moments before looking back up again. 

Rumours you say, can’t say I’ve heard anything particular, we’re not really looking for recruits at the moment and we tend to only hire locals.” Rolf sure enough had been honest or so it appeared to Revan.

“Why is that if I may ask?” Revan wondered why Rolf considered the local hire so important.

“The community council is wary of the potential influence of other political interests, our king is quite open to us ruling ourselves, sadly some places aren’t as peaceful as we are here, of course that shouldn’t concern outsiders like yourselves very much.”

“We’re going to be on the look out for trouble captain, I guess if all is fine we will be moving on soon.” Revan said feeling as if there was much they didn’t know.

“Truth is we did have a couple strange disappearances, but that was over a month ago.” this reveal caught Revan by surprise but he refocused his attention quickly.

“One disappeared one day on a walk near the wall, the other vanished near the river, we found no evidence of death in either occurrences.” the captain appeared to be concerned.

“I truly don’t know what rumours you’ve heard but if you can help solve these mysteries for me it would be a massive help.”

[Revan Noctis]

Later after some negotiations on what was to be done between himself and Celestia it was soon agreed that she would remain and watch over the town, she would enjoy the peace that the town brought and would take full advantage of the town’s old library to try to research a means of getting back to her own world. Revan did protest against leaving his new companion behind but Celestia was not the warrior or adventurer that he was turning out to be. 

He was quite sure the threat to the town would reveal itself eventually but for now he needed to know more. With a shake of Celestia’s hoof and something to remember her by Revan once more set out into the strange world known as the Omniverse.

<To A Road Less Walked>