A breeze swept over the listless plains in a gentle fashion, the endless sea of golden wheat easily bending to the will of the wind. The sun was high overhead, casting irregular patterns of sunlight down on the earth as the clouds shifted before it. It was a peaceful day, the sort that had recently been in high-demand with the recent war between Astorea and Falderen. Balmung had decided to stroll out into Pormont to see the sights, but was quickly becoming bored with the unchanging landscape. He hoped he would reach the mountains that he could see in the distance soon, and a hike up and down their slopes would shake his indifference. A little entertainment was the most he seemed to ask in the days after doing his part in the battle, not yet ready to return to his normal pace of adventuring. He was also hoping that the solitude of the mountains would provide him with some reprieve from his uninvited guest. The fellow player had been following him since he left town, rambling on about how he was going to dangerous lands and needed an ally to provide him with protection. Balmung had prayed that keeping silent and not encouraging them would cause them to turn back, but it appeared that they would make no such concession. Balmung had serious doubts that this undersized, bellowing suit of armor would be able to protect anyone. He was certain their tiny legs and robust girth would hamper any hope of them being an effective partner in a fight. He was also absolutely positive that any aggressive monsters or player killers in the area could hear their rotund declarations of protection from miles away. Balmung withheld many sighs as he continued on his way. @Alex Marquardt
Alex had already begun to sweat a little in her armor as her new companion maintained a pace made for those with longer legs, let alone those not wearing an embarrassing excess of armor. Still she did not complain as she marched dutifully behind him. She would rather take the lead as they traipsed through the tail end of the winding fields and approached even more dangerous mountains, but to say her companion was a willing one would be an overstatement. The unidentified human had crossed her path just outside of town as Alex had been seeking out noble duty worthy of her shield. The blessings of providence had swiftly come upon her as she laid eyes on a reckless adventurer that was so bold as to venture into the wide world alone. There had recently been a great battle, and Alex knew that with the aftermath of battles came stragglers, brigands, and eaters of carrion. Danger abounded in such a world and no adventurer should be walking alone! At least not one so fresh faced and idealistic that they did not even carry a shield! How he had expected to survive in the world so grossly undefended she could not comprehend, but it was not her place to judge. It was her place to protect. “Fear not, my stoic companion! For though these fields look the same in all directions, I have had ample experience traversing the treacherous expanse and their deceptive scape can not so easily fool me from my path! Maintain your course and we shall reach the mountains before long! With me at your side no brigand nor beast should dare to cross your path for together we form an united and intimidating front! Why side by side, any foe would flee at the sight of us, and any that did not would shortly wish they had I dare say!” Alex's voice resounded out from within her helmet robbing it of any quality that spoke of gender or age and instead reinforced only the understanding that it came from someone in armor. Alex did not truly expect him to respond, her charge had proven himself so far to be a man of few words. The silent man focused on a mission and able to revel in their camaraderie without words. She inhaled deeply through her nose catching the scent of the country air outside her helmet and let out her breath in a refreshed sigh. Ah yes, today was a good day indeed. Only after that thought had crossed her mind did a slightly more important question follow it. “Say, fellow, where exactly is the destination at the end of our journey?” she raised the question wondering if he would even deign to answer.
He trudged onward, trying to ignore the orchestra of clinks and clanks that came from the armored one with minute movement they made. Every deep rut in the path that caused it to take larger steps to either get over or out of added a crescendo of jangling to the intolerable symphony. Balmung was on the verge of letting loose a shout of frustration when something in the distance piqued his interest. It was small farmhouse built only a small ways off the road, devoid of any luxury. The humble structure was well worn from years of use and weather. It would definitely not have looked out of place in these plains, except it had been the only farm which they'd encountered since they'd put the city well behind them. Something about the remoteness of this farm began to fill Balmung with a sense of curiosity. He could see movement outside of it. From what his eyes could discern, a man in a chair was tediously whittling away at a long, straight branch. Perhaps making a handle to replace one that had broken from use? Balmung asked himself. It was certainly not an uncommon thing to see a farmer do, but something about the way he handle his knife gave Balmung the impression that he knew how to use it in a fashion not required by simple farm work. As Balmung furrowed his brow and began to puzzle on the farm and farmer, he found it hard make much headway with his thoughts and the tinny, ringing voice continued to drone on from within the armor. The voice mixed with the repeated rattling of the armor to create a dreadfully awful cacophony of irritation. His train of thought on the verge of succumbing to his frustration, Balmung uttered a single word aloud in attempt to focus his mind, not realizing that the armored thing had just finished asking a question. Balmung "Farm."
The single word made little sense from Alex's perspective. She had gotten so used to following behind her ward that when he stopped, despite seeing that he had stopped, it took a moment to register in her head that she was going to crash into him if she did not stop as well. For Alex, there was tall grass almost as far as she could see, and no farm in sight. It wasn't until Alex moved past her companion a little and found the height of the vegetation of the overgrown fields was not quite so tall, that she was able to also lay eyes upon the quaint homestead and it's lone visible occupant. “A farm you say?” she questioned in her metallic reverberating tone. “Does this quaint little homestead hold some significance to you?” Despite asking things that sounded like questions Alex did not leave time enough for answers before she continued to speak. “Forgive my presumptuousness but you do not strike me as the sort to have hailed from this farm. Anyone born here would be smart enough to remember their shield!” As if to drive home her point Alex rapped her gauntleted knuckles against the metal rim of her weighty protective aide. “Perhaps then you are aware this farmer is in need of aide? Whatever the situation that brings us here, I will be glad to help you in whatever task has drawn you to such an rustic and remote place!” Alex cast an admiring glance at the surroundings. Certainly it was far from anyone else in a way few places had the bravery to be, but she liked that about it. What was more as best she could tell this land seemed as good as most other places to start a farm. Pushing aside tall grasses, weeds, and other vegetation Alex trundled ahead of her companion directly towards the farmer on the porch who seemed to be passing the time with absent whittling as best she could tell. “Hail, friend farmer! Have no fear I am no brigand, I come protecting this fellow adventurer who seemed to be drawn to your humble abode! Perhaps you are acquainted already?” She gestured one metal clad hand in the direction of the mostly silent man with whom she had traveled thus far.
Farmer "Whos are yous two s'posed to be, eh? I ain'ts ever seen neether one o' ya two 'fore." Balmung wasn't surprised to see his stalker take the initiative of speaking to the Farmer. The wee armored one had been talking to everyone and everything on the way here. It only seemed fitting that it would go and run its mouth the moment that another opportunity to flap its gums arose. Balmung felt he had already suffered enough on the way here, but at least this stop gave pause to the mind numbing rattle of its armor. Balmung took a minute to observe the farm, leaving any notion of conversation up to the farmer and the armored one. It was a quaint little place, free from the burden of living next to scrutinizing neighbors or extortionist authority. Balmung wondered if the freedom provided by the location offered any other privileges for the farmer. He was quick to notice that the man had no children present, not even a wife for that matter, and he didn't seem to possess necessary to use hired labor. The situation was peculiar, to say the least. If anything, the details of the place left Balmung curious to get a glimpse of the inside of the farmers house. Does the farmer really live here? He pondered. Is this just a facade that he uses to cover up his true actions? Certainly, Balmung was quickly becoming filled with a sense of mystery. If he wasn't careful, he might allow his silent accusations to lead him to taking regrettable actions.
So this farmer did not know Alex's compatriot. Curious then that they had come all this way to see them. Perhaps the blonde lad had merely been distracted by the rustic charm of this dwelling? “My apologies, good sir!” Alex replied in her metallic intonations as she advanced upon the man's home drawing near to his porch to speak without shouting quite as much. “We are merely humble travelers whose noble paths happen to be one and the same for a time. I am as unacquainted with my companion as you are as he is not much for words.” Alex went through the effort it took to turn herself completely around in order to look back at her companion. As she did so, since the farmer's house was on land slightly more raised than the area around it she was treated to a view of his lands. The crisp blue sky and wind blowing through the grass created a cheery picture at first glance, but as Alex had a moment to look closer it painted a stranger picture. The fields were overgrown. While the fields were amber with grain, they were intermingled with grass instead of separately divided. Here and there patches of weeds had been allowed to flourish and Alex realized that the path they had taken through the pasture had narrowly avoided some of them. What next came to her attention now that she had allowed her mouth to fall closed for a moment was the strange silence that seemed to hang over the area like an invisible cloud. There was no one bustling about inside the house. No children nearby, no relatives working round back. Just this old man on the porch of his house carving a sturdy looking stick, in the middle of nowhere. It seemed almost out of place. At the very least it threatened to paint a sad picture if investigated further. Still, Alex could not help but ask. “Say friend farmer? Is all well with you?”
The farmer was not so talented at hiding his emotions. In the few moments that they had been in his presence, his face had changed from a placid look of boredom to bearing a noticeable expression of irritation. It appeared that this farmer wasn't the perfect specimen of tolerance. Farmer "Yessum. I ain'ts got much ta be a'worryin' 'bout out here 'n all. Y'all wanna be a'gettin' on with yers bisness?" From his tone, you'd have thought the two visitors were threatening his life. The farmer had set the stick aside as he spoke and changed the grip on his knife to a more defensive one. He kept the sharp instrument between his body and the two. Balmung didn't much care for the way this farmer was acting. He couldn't find anything particularly wrong with that the armored one had said, other than just finding the thing to be overtly bothersome. He looked the farmer up and down, taking note of how his feet were positioned as if he was readying himself to spring forward. Did the farmer mean to attack them if they tarried too long? He wondered silently. It was then that he noticed the mud on the farmer's boots. This immediately struck him as odd, as it had been a particularly dry day, not a single rain cloud in sight over the vast plains. Nor were there any livestock pens around for the farmer to have stepped in any muck. Balmung decided to try and pull some further details from the boots, placing the middle and index fingers of his left hand against his temple. Investigation Mode Activated Balmung's eyes began to glow with a faint yellow hue. A small icon of a magnifying glass appeared in the upper lefthand corner of his view. All around, he began to see the names of objects that he was familiar with hover in the air around them. He quickly focused his vision on the boots, trying to source some information as to the origin of the mud. This mud. It's too dry out to be from around here. Could be... hmm... Oh! The mountains! It's all in the texture and color. I see now. The system quickly assisted Balmung's scrutinization, allowing him to pick up on details his eyes would normally have glanced over. He reminded himself to keep this function handy in the future. No sense wasting time dealing with questioning a hard sale like this farmer when the system could clue you in on information like this. He quickly returned his hand to his side, the light in his eyes fading as he did so. He hoped he was quick enough not to clue the farmer in on what he was trying to do. Would an NPC even know the capabilities of a player? He asked himself. Hopefully, the armored one was able to keep the farmer preoccupied with their incessant blathering.
Alex was a little taken aback by the farmer's short and dismissive turn towards her polite offer of help. The slightly more defensive posture also did not escape her notice. Alex took a few steps back both to create a safer distance as well as hopefully calm down the farmer. He seemed to settle down a little but only slightly, from her minor retreat. There had just been a war between the people of these lands and those some saw as invaders in Astora. Perhaps this man was still on edge from these trying times. Whatever the case it was best not to aggravate him any further after all he seemed to be a mostly harmless old man in the middle of nowhere. “Certianly, friend. We were simply admiring your rustic abode and taking in the sights. If you have no need of our aide then I am certain that we have no need to linger on your land.” Alex stood a little straighter and gave a short wave that almost seemed like an awkward salute. “Be well.” with that farewell she turned towards her fellow traveler once more and trundled her way back towards him. As Alex turned to face the silent man, Ursula thought she noticed the tell tale light of Investigation Mode vanishing from his eyes. Its a little meta-gamey but... he's not giving me much to go on. she thought to herself. Alex closed the distance and in a voice less inclined to carry asked “Is all well, friend? You seem concerned, but perhaps I am misreading your expression.” Alex had to turn her whole body in such a way that she could turn her head in an attempt to casually glance back towards the farmer through the holes in the front of her helmet. Still Alex did her best to make it look natural and saw that he was now standing on the edge of his porch clearly eyeing them with suspicion and equally failing to appear casual and disinterested. “Perhaps we would do well to leave this man to his solitude?”
Balmung threw up a hand in farewell and turned away from the farmer. He began to walk back to the road and then continue in the same direction that he was travelling earlier. He kept his ears piqued, trying to make sure the farmer wasn't stupid enough to attempt to stab him in the back. He kept a hand near his sword's hilt just in case. When he was sure the farmer hadn't followed them, occasionally making glances back towards the farmhouse, he turned to the armored thing that had been accompanying him. This was the first time he'd really taken the opportunity to look them over, mostly choosing to ignore everything about their presence as much as he could. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of their body being entirely covered in armor, so much to the point that one couldn't make out a single detail about them. He supposed it might offer some sort of defensive advantage, and decided to leave it at that. Balmung "Shifty guy. Mud from the mountains. Gonna go check it out... You coming?" Balmung didn't wait for a reply. He assumed that the armored one would continue to follow him, just as it had decided to do this whole time. And while he wasn't exactly thrilled to have company, especially not whatever this thing was, he would concede the fact that having someone tag along did give him some comfort. If only the company didn't come with its own percussion track. He pressed onward, hoping to reach the mountains before it got too late. He was dead set against the idea of traversing any perilous cliffsides in the darkness of the night. He really didn't want to have to risk his life in order to keep this short-legged, heavily armored thing from falling to its doom because it couldn't make an easy jump, or lost its grip while climbing because of its oversized gauntlets. He found himself wondering why he cared anything for Noisebucket, which is what he'd taken to calling this armored abomination in his head. Perhaps the long walk is starting to get to me. He thought. Nevertheless, he couldn't just ignore them if they found themselves in danger. It's not as if I'm that heartless. He assured himself. As they neared the mountains, he decided it best to take a break. He had kept a good pace and made it to the foothills of the peaks with plenty of time left before the onset of dusk. He picked out a decent enough spot under one of the few trees that they had come across. It wasn't too far from the road in case something caused them to need to move in an instant. And it was on a hilltop, giving them a good view of the area in case any aggressive monsters or players were to wander too near. He sat and leaned back against the tree, kicking off his boots and stretching his legs. As his sweat-covered feet met the air, a wonderful cooling sensation swept over them, causing him to sigh with the utmost relief. He lazily closed one eye, keeping the other open to keep a watch on his surroundings.
Alex took her companion's silent turn away from the situation as enough of a response to know to follow along. Once more she set out on her clanking and clattering way. They continued on past the farmhouse and chose instead to leave it at their backs as they ventured towards the foothils of the mountains. More than once Alex caught sight of the blonde and silent man looking her over and even though she knew he could not see her through her armor, her cheeks flushed a little. Something about the way he looked at her made it seem like more intense scrutiny than had been given to her so far. Knowing she was being examined made her embarassed and a little uncomfortable but she decided not to say anything about it just yet. After all, maybe he was simply trying to decide if he could trust a tin can with what he really thought of the situation back there. It had seemed odd and something about that old farmer nagged at the back of Alex's mind like an unfinished puzzle being left in the open with only a few pieces left to be placed. When they had put some distance between themselves and the run down farm, again the white clad white haired man turned and seemed to scrutinize Alex. She was about to say something about it when he opened his mouth and for the first time since he answered her first question back in town, the stoic spoke to her. It took Alex a moment to parse what he had said. It was broken, terse, and cut any possible excess out of the conversation. If she was being honest it was the exact opposite of her own manner of speaking. The question at the end had been the easiest to answer and the only thing he had said that required an immediate response. Out of respect for his stoicism Alex decided just this once to be brief in speech as well. “Of course!” She kept the rest of her monologue about how she had already vowed to see him safely to his destination wherever it carried him to herself. After all he had probably been scolded enough already for not having the sense to bring a shield, the most vital piece of equipment one can carry. Besides rope that is... one can never have enough rope on an adventure. As Alex let herself get lost in thought about the merits of various adventuring supplies, most of which she did not have in her possession, her silent companion was treated to a walk that was unhindered by the burden of her many words. Alex was brought out of those thoughts by the time they made it to the foothills of the mountain as she was instead forced to focus on the growing stitch in her side and controlling her breathing so it did not sound as labored as it should as she struggled her way up the mild incline in her less than practical armor. Internally, Ursula couldn't wait for her character to get to higher levels so that the weight would be less of a burden. At least she hoped that was how it worked. So it was that when the platinum blonde pilgrim paused his progression to park himself in the peaceful shade of a pine, Alex was more than pleased to take a reprieve as well. Clinking and rattling her way around the tree to the other side she paused a moment and listened as she heard him settle himself and then Alex scanned her surroundings. Pressing her index and middle fingers against the side of her helmet a faint pink glow emanated from inside her helmet as she investigated her surroundings as closely as she could to be sure the coast was clear. When she was satisfied, she exited the mode, placed both hands on the sides of her helmet and after a slight twisting, removed it from her head and sighed quietly at the feeling of the cool air on her sweat drenched face. Alex kept the helmet close at hand and produced a skin of water to drink from quickly refilling her thirst meter and enjoying the cool sensation of refreshing water sliding down her dry throat. Equally satisfying was seeing the temperature meter lower itself as the fresh air was able to slip in to her cloistering armor through the open neck and allow the built up body heat to escape. Keeping her ears trained on her surroundings for the slightest sound of movement Alex took the chance to look at the world without the limitations of her helmet and admire the towering mountains above them, and the rolling fields below. From here the distant farm was almost too far away to see and the view of the plains around it was once again an unmarred sight of natural beauty. The slightest rustling of the wind in the grass sent a chill up Alex's spine and she quickly slammed her helmet back on her head and secured it. Investigation mode showed nothing and taking a few steps out did not change that either. It really had been the wind, but still she was a touch uneasy at what could have been a close call. Rounding the tree to the side that her nameless companion occupied, Alex frowned as she saw he appeared to be near-napping at its base. His boots entirely removed, comfortable as it looked, was not a state that spoke of a man intending to travel or investigate. She frowned in her helmet and audibly cleared her throat. “Well, friend, I am glad to see you are regaining your strength from our journey, but I think perhaps you have taken a moment to rest a little too far? Do you not have some place to be? More importantly, do we not have matters to discuss or at least investigate? You spoke of mountain mud on the man's boots, and I agree that he was acting odd. Perhaps we should seek out this mud and find where our grumpy farmer has recently been walking about?” Alex's metallic echoing voice had perhaps been a bit more brisk than she had intended to be. The false alarm she had had a moment before still had her pulse racing enough to add a slight edge to her voice that she was quick to take a moment and remove before speaking again. Alex rested one hand on her hip as she gestured towards the mountain they should be investigating with the other. This time sounding more her usual jovial self she spoke. “Well? Come on then, speak up or stand up! We have only got so much light to search by, unless you neglected to mention that you are some manner of Illumancer.”
Balmung's time of relaxation was interrupted when his line of sight of the fields below was disturbed by the visage of Noisebucket abruptly popping into his view. He opened the one eye a little wider to take in what they could possibly be doing by stepping in front of him and placing their hand on their hip. It only occurred to him now that the armor was really quite nice, despite its disproportionate dimensions making it look a bit goofy. When he heard the tin can soldier tell him to "speak up or stand up", Balmung leisurely returned his feet to the confines of their boots. In an act of defiance, he laid over on his side and began to roll down the hill towards the path, grass tickling the cheeks of his face every other turn as he went. He cracked a wry smile as he reached the bottom, knowing he must have looked preposterous now given how he had been acting thus far. He stood up and knocked the loose grass from his dominantly white clothing, picking a stubborn piece free from his face as well. He was confused as to why Noisebucket seemed to be in a rush as they still had plenty of time. It was only just now reaching the fifteenth hour of the day, it wouldn't turn dark for at least another four to five hours. And the weather was rather generous, clear and sunny, only the occasional cluster of fluffy white clouds to pass by and give a slight pardon from the authority of the sun's rays. He supposed that it was perhaps his choice of location that was prompting them to want to be on the move so quickly. However, Balmung was positive that he had chosen the most advantageous spot for a rest. There was plenty of shade to give their eyes a rest from the sun, and the elevation was an easy enough walk up and offered them all the vantage point that they needed, even while sitting down. He scratched his head, finding himself befuddled by their urgency. Soon enough he gave it up and turned to face the mountain. The armored lilliputian arrived by his side as he was gauging the conditions of the trail that led up to the peaks. Again, something new occurred to Balmung. He realized only now that they had been traveling side by side this whole time without forming a formal party. By gamer standards, it was a pretty obvious slip up that anyone but the most basic of newbies should have avoided. Of course, it was all his fault for not sending Noisebucket a party request. He didn't exactly start out this trek enjoying the company that chose to tag along. He looked to his left palm, the menu of icons appearing before him, translucently hovering over his gloved hand. He tapped a few of the symbols before making a sliding gesture in the direction of his companion, sure that the wee one would now be viewing an invite to his party. It was the least that he could do, knowing that he hadn't exactly been the ideal company that one would've wished to keep. Without waiting for Noisebucket to accept, Balmung began to head towards the mountain. At first, the change in elevation was hardly a problem for him. The stone-laden trail offered enough decent terrain for good traction, and the slope could hardly be called steep. But as he ascended further and further up the path, the situation changed to one of slower steps and heavier breathing. When he realized how labored he was becoming, he thought of how it must be for his traveling partner. It wasn't the first time today that he had found himself thinking of the armored one's position. To allow them to have an easier time, Balmung decided to slow his pace. After all, he knew they still had plenty of time to explore the mountains without having to be pressed for time. It was at the top of one of the many cliffs that Balmung began to see signs of someone else's travels through the area. A footprint was embedded deep into a patch of earth, softened by the water that continually trickled down the rocks above. He thought it a good time to enter investigation mode, and so he touched his fingers to the side of his head, his eyes glowing a faint yellow as they had before. The system quickly reported back to him that the treads of the print matched those of the boots the farmer was wearing. He now had some confirmation that the farmer was here, but now the real mystery began. What could that old man have been doing way up here? He asked himself. How far am I away from being able to crack this case? He made sure to point out the footprint to his companion, giving them a few minutes to give it a look over before he deigned it enough time and began to follow the trail once more. He was sure that if he headed in the direction that the print was facing he'd be able to find something that would bring him closer to figuring out why the farmer had been hiking up in these mountains.
He had tumbled down the hill so unexpectedly and looked so much like a small child enjoying a day of play. It had caught Alex by surprise, and the sight filled her with mirth. She tried to bite her lower lip to keep from bursting out into immediate giggles. This only caused a crass snorting sound to come from her nostrils instead. The sudden grating noise was, in its own way, funnier still. Before she knew it, instead of girlish giggling, Alex was overtaken by raucous laughter. The almost unrecognizable metallic laughter was joined by the soft clattering of her armor, which was shaken by her amusement. Making her own lumbering trek down the hill was a slow process. Alex had to concentrate to keep from making a faster, and less intentional, trip down the hillside. As much fun as it looked to engage in a moment’s frivolity, as her silent companion had, she was sure her armor would turn any attempt at a playful roll into a much more dangerous tumble. When she arrived at the lower trail, Alex heard a faint, but instantly recognizable chime alerting her to matters involving the less natural mechanics of the world. Ursula hesitated to accept the request. She preferred it when she, as Alex, learned the names of other characters in the same ways that one did in the real world. In that same way she liked other people to learn Alex’s identity through natural means rather than through game mechanics. She didn’t like immersion being broken when someone she had never met called her by name after forming a party without being formally introduced. She hadn’t quite decided how she would play off the mechanics in this world. Ursula hadn’t decided if she wanted to explain away the intrusions of game mechanics, or embrace them as facts of this fantasy world. For now, her companion had been mostly silent, so far. She doubted he would break the narrative before she had time to introduce herself as Alex. Yes, she could work with this. Alex made a dismissive wave as if shooing away an unseen fly and through the gesture was able to play off the act of accepting the request as a natural motion. If this ‘Balmung’ noticed or cared, he did not show it, as the fellow had already started up the trail. With a barely restrained sigh of resignation, Alex resigned herself to a lot more of the uphill climbing. She wondered, absently, how long it would take her to save up for, and find an acceptable mount that could help her with exactly this sort of challenge. The climb became steeper, as their ascent of the slope became a more direct one. The path seemed to do its best to guide them along the easiest and most gradual route, but these were comforts that made the journey possible, not easy. Alex was silently grateful when she noticed that Balmung had slowed his pace to make it no extra effort for her to keep up with him. She understood that this was a kind sacrifice on his part, as her short legs and encumbered pace must have made her speed seem akin to a snail’s when compared to what he was used to. When Alex realized her pace threatened to become even slower still, she swallowed her pride and began to brace herself against her shield like one might use a walking stick. This helped her to keep their pace from coming to an actual crawl. In the corner of her vision Alex could see that her energy and thirst were starting to drain as her temperature gauge began to slowly rise once more. She tried to ignore the meters for the time being, to focus on her task at hand. Alex knew if she continued at this rate she would have to speak up and request they stop for another rest on her behalf, and was not fond of that idea at all. When Balmung pointed to the trail of bootprints in the muddy earth, Alex was so focused on her trial against the mountain that she almost didn’t notice. When what she saw registered in her mind, it was Alex’s turn to answer Balmung with a wordless nod. She did not want to expend the energy that speech would take. She also did not stop walking onwards. Instead she altered her course to follow the new trail. Alex was afraid that if she stopped before they got to a place with somewhat level ground, she would not be able to start moving again. With each step, her legs protested the continual strain. Fortunately the trail of footprints did not climb much higher, nor did it dangerously double back onto a downhill slope. Such a direction would have surely sent Alex rolling down the mountainside like some unwieldy boulder. Instead the trail ran along the face, through collections of trees, which Alex could push against to maintain momentum. It meandered around a bend eventually, and Alex stopped only when it came to an end on a level patch of ground, near a tree for her to lean against. The muddy clearing had many footprints showing a coming and going from this place, all by the same pair of feet. A large and gnarled tree grew out of the sloped terrain of the mountain. Its twisting roots were visible beneath it, and they seemed to frame the entrance to a dark cave. The trials of footprints all seemed to focus at that point. The floor of the cave seemed to slope downwards from the opening and it was too dark to see very far inside. The mouth of the cave could almost have been confused for some kind of animal den, and may well have been used as one. However it looked too tall for badgers, and not wide enough for bears. Wolves perhaps? Alex was unsure as she was certainly no expert in either. Alex was leaning heavily against one tree as she caught her breath and gave her body a needed reprieve from the journey to get this far. “It seems...” she paused to take a breath and realized, even with the metallic resonance distorting it, that her voice sounded hoarse. Her mouth was parched, and attempting to wet her lips with a dry tongue gained little, save to give her the taste of her own salty sweat. “It seems if we are to unravel the mystery of the farmer...” She paused again to gulp a dry swallow of air in a vain effort to wet her throat and fill her lungs at the same time. After another panting breath, she continued “We will need to venture within.” A rattling sigh escaped Alex’s lips as she slid her back down against the tree trunk until she was seated on some of its roots. This would only make it more difficult to stand again when the time came; but it couldn’t be helped. She didn’t even have the strength to say something about how it was her turn to delay them with rest. Instead of talking, Alex adjusted her shield attempting to make it look as if she wished to keep it from resting face-down in the mud. In doing so, still attached to her arm as it was, the shield created a privacy screen between herself and the eyes of the world (and more specifically Balmung). With her free hand, she opened her menu and disengaged the visor feature of her helmet. The fresh air hit her sweaty face and felt like a wintry gust when compared to the humid confines of her sturdy helmet. After a few breaths, Alex produced another water skin which she drank greedily from. The hydration went a long way to restoring her vitality and the air on her face continued to cool her as it helped evaporate some of the sweat from her face. Alex fetched a dry rag from her inventory and wiped her face off, to make herself feel fresher and to ensure that no sweat would get in her eyes. Then she sat breathing until her breaths stopped sounding strained. As she rested a few moments longer, enjoying the refreshing sensation of the cool air of the higher elevation against her face, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Alex thought how silly it had been to insist she come with this stranger to aid and protect him only to be bested by the simple act of walking up a hill. She shook her head at her own folly and then replaced her visor. Once more her face was concealed safely within her helmet. Without looking to see where he was, Alex spoke to her ally from behind her shield. “Thank you for allowing me a moment to collect myself. I am nearly ready to proceed. Before we head into what could be true peril, I would know who it is that faces it with me.” Using her shield to help herself to her feet she continued with the introduction “I am Alex Marquardt.” Now upright and on her feet again Alex’s shield no longer blocked her view, as she moved to offer her hand to a partner that she expected to be standing right before her. Instead of a white garbed, platinum blond, young man standing before Alex, there was only open air. She quickly glanced from side to side to see if he was leaning against another tree or if she had been left alone in this clearing.
When the little armored one continued on, following after the trail of footprints that led further up the mountains, Balmung said nothing and quietly followed after. It was a good opportunity for Balmung, as moving at the wee one's pace afforded him the chance to really get a look at his surroundings. From their elevation, the plains down below seemed to go on forever. The golden sea of gently rolling flatlands, crowned by calm, blue sky encrusted with the occasional cloud, was a pleasant and tranquil sight for anyone who would look down on it. For a moment, Balmung thought perhaps he had misjudged the farmer. He thought that it might have been that the farmer climbed the heights of the mountain to see such wondrous views as these. Reason returned to Balmung when his companion and he came to where the footprints had led. A copse of trees hidden high in the mountains were themselves a hiding place for a narrow opening in the cliffside. The entrance to the cave was garnished by the decaying husk of what was once a great tree. It towered over the other trees of the copse, its contorted, twisting branches stretching out wide and meshing among themselves, almost forming a solid canopy of wood. The tough and irregular bark had developed a rather unique pattern of cracks that made it almost appear to be the scales of some great lizard. It must have been a magnificent thing to behold when it was still yet living. When the wee one, whose name had been revealed to be Alex when they accepted the party invite, decided to take a rest against one of the many trees, Balmung decided to look around the copse for more signs of activity. He had hoped to find more clues as to what the purpose of the farmer's frequent visits to this site were. And also wished to delay exploring the cavern, not quite sure what sort of challenges may be awaiting the party once they ventured inside. With the same touch to his temple that he had used before, Balmung activated investigation mode, the familiar yellow light once again radiating softly from the irises of his eyes. The first thing that was brought to his attention by the system was the quite obvious trail of footprints that had wound its way through the copse to the mouth of the cave. Balmung saw little reason to investigate this further, the tracks were easily distinguishable as being left by the same pair of boots. And so he began to wander into the trees, keeping his senses alert for anything that might strike him as odd or stand out from the norm. After a short jaunt further into the woods, Balmung came across a strange series of lines in the soft, damp earth that was commonplace beneath the leafy shade of the copse. The were small and thin, running close together and in a mostly parallel fashion. Occasionally, a broken twig or the odd leaf could be found along the lines. The dirt was on either side of the lines appeared to have been pushed up into miniature piles, as if shoved aside by something that had been dragged through the area. With the aid of the system, Balmung quickly came to realize the origin of this bizarre series of lines. It was apparent that someone had dragged a leaf-covered tree branch over the ground, most likely to erase their tracks from being found. However, the branch must not have been as heavily leaved as the dragger believed it to be, leaving a trail of fine lines as opposed to sweeping away any trace of their presence. Balmung almost questioned whether it was done intentionally or not, but hastily dismissed the idea. If they had wanted me to follow the trail, they wouldn't have bothered erasing their footprints. He reasoned. The trail left by the branch was easy enough to follow. Even without investigation mode, the lines were distinct from the forest floor, allowing anyone with average enough eyesight to trace them back to wherever they might lead. Nonetheless, Balmung kept his hand in position, not wanting to miss out on any additional details that might present themselves as he walked along the path. He was careful not to disturb the lines, trying to keep his presence to a minimum. It was when Balmung came to what awaited him at the end of the trail of lines that he came to regret his decision. Before him was some grand horror to which words could do little to true nature of. A twisted, mangled amalgam of corpses was suspended from the wickedly jagged broken limb of an imposing tree. Scorched and contorted limbs protruded from ball of carcasses at impossible angles, almost giving it the look of having many little tendrils. Clumps of shredded entrails and organs lay below, a pool of dark coagulated blood dampening the earth upon which they rested. Balmung was instantly sickened from the sight. An overwhelming sense of dread crept over his body, causing him to begin to buckle at the knee. He fought with himself to turn away or close his eyes, but the horrifying thing before him had a hold on his mind that was nearly unshakeable. This was only compounded by the fact that investigation mode was still active, flooding his mind with vivid details about the abomination. Mustering all the willpower he could find within himself, Balmung finally tore his eyes away from the thing and lowered the two fingers from his temple. He turned away, putting his back to it, before taking two slow steps forward. It was all he needed to prove to himself that his legs still worked, and he hastily began to hotfoot it back through the copse. The world around him took on a darker, more sinister shade as he ran. The queasy feeling in his gut only grew stronger as he pushed himself to go faster. When he came up behind the tree that Alex was still resting at, he heard their words but his mind was too shaky to comprehend them. He saw the armored one rise to their feet, causing the light that was hitting Balmung's face to shift. It was enough to set off the bomb of nausea in his gut, the contents of his stomach finding their way onto the back of the tree in a hot spew.
Alex looked from one side to the other and saw no sign of her companion. There was no sign of Balmung anywhere and so she began to head towards the cave in the side of the mountain. Alex approached the dark fissure and felt as the ground became softer near the mouth. Her metallic plated footwear sank noticeably into the mud and each step made a faint sucking sound when she lifted her boots. A taller person than Alex might have to stoop to enter the cave but Alex could have walked in comfortably, or as comfortably as one can walk with mud cloying at their boots and when one faces a downward slope into unknown darkness. She was not exactly eager to explore this particular crevice. Squinting against the darkness, trying to see farther in, Alex decided that Balmung could not have entered the cave because it was too dark to see inside. If he had brought a light with him there would have been some sign of it from where she stood, and she had pegged him for someone smart enough to know better than to wander in a dark cave with no source of light. Alex turned away from the cave and hesitated as she did so. For just a moment, she could have sworn she had heard something from within the darkness. She stood still for a while longer, listening and waiting to see what could be lurking inside the cave, but nothing happened. No further sounds caught her ears. Dismissing the sensation for now she headed back towards the tree where she had been resting a moment before to look around. That was when she heard the sound of feet pounding across the forest floor. She saw the young man with wide eyes running her way and then she saw as he turned at the last moment and retched violently against the tree. “Are you alright? What's happened?” she asked, keeping her distance for the moment until she was sure the sickness had passed. Alex offered a water skin to her companion to allow him to wash his mouth out, and perhaps settle himself. At the same time she held her shield at the ready in her other hand and kept a wary eye on their surroundings, expecting that some danger may come running from where he had been fleeing.
He braced himself against the tree, his shaky arm proving barely enough to keep him from falling into the puddle of his own partially digested lunch. He gasped deeply for air, each breath felt like a dagger of icy pain being repeatedly plunged into his chest. The profuse amounts of sweat that streamed down his face was a due to a mixture of both fatigue and fear. It took his cloudy mind a moment to register that Alex has said anything at all, and another moment to realize what the words they had said had been. He knew full well that their defensive stance would do nothing against the mental threat that such a gruesome scene would present, but that was of no concern. He had no plans to tell them what it was that he had scene, afraid he may have to go and see it once more. Or worse, that the armored one might not handle it even half as well as he had. Balmung "Really... It was... nothing. Just a... bird... didn't expect it... Gave me a... fright." The words were hard to force out with his lack of breath, and his voice came out ragged around his attempts to inhale as much air as his lungs would allow. He tried to cover his terror and bad performance at lying with some nonchalant laughter, but was sure that the it came out as fake and awkward. He did his best to avoid any eye contact, not that he could really see much of Alex's eyes, or face for that matter, through the coverage of their helmet. When he finally regained enough of his breath to stand on his own, he grabbed his canteen and took a deep swallow. He noted how his thirst meter rose, indicating that dry feeling at the back of his throat would soon be gone, and also took notice that he would have to find a source of freshwater soon to replenish his supply. He thought over what he should say now, hopefully something more convincing than his last attempt to persuade Alex from walking into the woods. Balmung "The footprints go to the cave. Maybe we should go. Might find something. We need proof of what he's done." He tried to put some assurance behind these words that this was the correct course of actions. He thought he had an easier time with it now that he had garnered a decent amount of control over his breathing. He hoped with all his might that Alex would choose to overlook his frantic reappearance and go along with his suggestion. He needed to do as much as he could to put that terrible sight behind him, to cleanse it from his mind completely. He found himself unsure he would ever be free of it, however.
