The Crystal Nexus [Started | Accepting(1) via PM]

[Enrise]

Although not the actual barkeeper himself, he decided to take action. "Well, if you really want to know the drinks we serve here-" Walking towards the counter, and grabbing something from the other side, was a menu of some sort. "-we've got a menu right here."

Walking over to the man whom he just met, he gave the menu straightforward and grabbed a nearby chair, and sat in it, awaiting a response from the man.

"So, you don't look like a regular villager. You searching for something?" Xeonil asked, wondering the purpose of this man and his followers.

[Hotaru987]

Rain walked into the town square; eye’s wide in awe at the variety of fruits, vegetables, and spices. Some were colorful, other’s dull, but everything together created a sweet, delicate balance of exotic and familiar aromas. She took a deep breathe, holding it for a few seconds allowing herself to get the full smell. From all around her venders shouted out attempting to entice people to buy their produce. For the first time, Rain decided to stay longer and take time to look at more of the venders. Who know, she thought, I may find something I like.

 

Rain walked further into the market, choosing to get the Inn’s supplies before she left. There were venders selling jewelry, clothing from abroad, and weird looking metal things. This side was completely new to her, and seeing at how crowded the already crowded street became, she understood why.

[Naimo]

Rose was just as startled as the passerbys; she wordlessly took the object, yet her eyes never left the man's ghostly, pallid face, or the unsightly blotched blood stains. Her hand just clapsed around the object, holding onto it tightly, yet she never looked down at it. As she watched the man collapse, she stayed so still she could have become a living statue; what was she to do? She wanted to fulfil his words as fast as possible, but at the same time she wanted to help him ... how did he know her name? She was certain she had never served him before...

 

Rose became aware of the crowd diverting their attention between him and her. Whilst a few people ran to fetch the priest, Rose's mind was still blank. Then, with a heavy urge, she finally moved, and easily parted through the still-staring crowd. The mental image of the blacksmith's place came into the forefront of her mind, and she slowly yet steadily walked there, her mind absent, not following the actions of her body.

 

She soon arrived, completeing a walk that felt like it had lasted for years and years. Before she entered, she hesitated slightly; she still found the whole thing very odd. With a sigh, she attempted to find some courage (which she did), and entered the blacksmith's place.

[Umbra]

Jenna shook her head. "Not exactly, blacksmith. You see, I'm travelling with my father. When my grandmother died, he inherited a large chest from her. The problem is, she didn't give us the key." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her ears. "Father wasn't on the best terms with his mother, as you understand. Ever since, we've been travelling from town to town, looking for a blacksmith able to open the lock for us. We would pay you well, blacksmith, and it surely wouldn't take long with those tools of yours."

 

The woman frowned. "I've understood that you also have mechanical skills; it is those I require of you. You see, my husband is a travelling merchant, and we recently acquired a new cart for his goods. The moment entered this town the cart struck a rock and a wheel dislodged." She muttered something under her breath; Satoko could make out 'I wonder why we ever came here in the first place' and several other words she wouldn't say when anyone could hear. "We will give good money if you help us, of course. We're staying at the inn near the western gates; come by when your business has slowed down." Without another word, the woman left, leaving the pushed-away with their jaws at their feet.

 

The mustached man shook his head. "I'm only here for business. I trade in cloth, you see; linen, wool, silk... if it can be worn, I've sold it." He leaned closer to Xeonil. "I have heard rumors of a rare plant growing on the border to the Still Lands. Normally, I wouldn't stray this far from the Western Kingdoms, but Bargheim's the only civilized place close enough to the border for us to get there without getting eaten on the way there. And this plant... it's said that it's both lighter and stronger than steel. Can you believe it? Magic is a wondrous thing." He turned his gaze to the menu, and within seconds pointed at the most expensive drink on the list.

"I'll have one of those. My men will have beer."

 

The market was bustling with activity. Everywhere around her, Rain could hear the sound of vendors arguing with their customers about prices and taxes, how much could be bought and sold. Suddenly, she heard someone call out to her.

"Rain! Rain!"

She turned her head, and saw an elderly woman. Her stand was covered in a large piece of white cloth, probably linen, and the desk was covered in the most obscure goods. Glass orbs, spices from the coast, incense... in different times, Rain might have called her a witch or a sorceress. No sooner did the thought cross her mind than the woman broke out in a laugh.

"You wonder how I know your name, yes?" She cleared her throat. "Shortly before the Ironbolts took you in, I told them to expect rain this year. It was still high summer, so they wouldn't believe me. I'm a fortuneteller, you see. I can see the imminent future, and it looks grim. An old heart of stone, slowly beating, will spread death and destruction around you. I cannot discern if you will be spared; I certainly hope so."

[Enrise]

He looked at the drink he pointed at, and gave a slight chuckle. "Heh, figures. They usually go after the most expensive." He took out a glass, and a few bottles, and started making the drink. "So, you really want to go out there, huh? Well, normally, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're really hooked on this plant you're looking for, then good luck."

He finished the preparation of the drink, and pushed it slightly towards the man. He then muttered under his breath, "You might need it..."

[Otaku-sama]

Satoko kept her fake smile as the woman stately her problem, very rudely. Satoko couldn't help silently cursing the woman for being such a b*tch to the person who could get her out of Bargheim, which she apparently hated. Then again, Satoko could charge extra for the repairs and do a job only enough to get them out of the city, leaving them stranded with the wolves and whatever creatures lurk outside the city walls.

 

"Don'cha worry miss! I'll be there to fix ya cart by sundown!" Satoko cheerfully replied through her teeth. Once the woman was out of sight Satoko dropped her act, her expression dropping from cheerful to angry.

 

"!#$%ing b*tch," Satoko muttered to herself as the customers slowly began to continue examining the tools.

[Hotaru987]

Rain couldn't do anything but stare at the old woman, who looked at her with a smile. She wasn't one to go and believe something like fortune telling, but she couldn't call her words false as a sence of dread filled her heart. Still, she couldn't get her mind to agree with her heart. Rain was always told by her birth parents that fortune telling was a con artist job...But, what harm could come of simply humoring the woman? And to say she wasn't curious would be a lie...It was weird enough that she knew her name...

 

"What kind of destruction? And what do you mean by a stone heart?" Rain blurted out unable to contain her curiosity any longer. The woman continued to watch Rain causing her to figit feeling slightly uncomfortable.

[Umbra]

(For further reference, Bargheim only has one blacksmith, and that's Cyrus. In other words, Rose are currently at Cyrus' place, and so is Jenna.)

 

The merchant smiled at Xeonil. "I know what's been said about the Still Lands, barkeeper. How people disappear, never to be seen again, but from what I've gathered it only happens to those who go all the way in. To the Crystal Nexus." At the mention of the last two words, the entire bar turned silent. The customers mostly being locals, they had all met someone - or known someone - that had gone into the Nexus and vanished. The merchant cleared his throat to break the silence. "We wouldn't be going more than a few miles in, so we'd probably be safe." Looking down at the drink before him, he took it and downed it in two gulps.

 

As Satoko returned to her stand, one by one the pushed-away customers walked up to her. Those who came closest were people she knew by face; being a public figure, her name was somewhat known around the small town. "Who was she, Satoko? Why'd she want your help?"

Suddenly, someone in the back spoke up. It was a young man, wearing a long, black robe with wide sleeves and a hood. Around his waist, a thick rope was tied to serve as a belt. A monk from the monastery, then. Probably at the market to preach about the sins of greed and condemning them all to the Abyss if they didn't repent.

"That was Margarethe Aydenhal, count Aydenhal's youngest daughter." The small crowd was surprised. Count Aydenhal ruled over most lands north of the Still Lands, including Bargheim. The monk pointed a warning finger at Satoko. "Angering the count would place a brand on you so deep that not even our monastery could shield you from it, toolmaker. Be wary."

 

The fortuneteller shook her head. "I can only tell what I have seen, Rain. I don't choose what to see and what not to see. I saw only the heart of stone, and this city completely vanished. I saw this land, I saw the hills and the fields, but there was no town, no village, no nothing. It was as if we had never been here." She shrugged. "I could do another reading, but it would take long - probably all night."

[Aesirson]

"If you've traveled around it sure must be a hard lock." Cyrus walked inside his blacksmith. The main floor mainly contained armors and weapons and was used as the warehouse while the anvil and other equipment had been moved to the basement where Cyrus was usually working. He opened a trap door on the floor and climbed downstairs to a small room containing the anvil, a forge and a hammer. He picked up the hammer and then walked outside again and sat down at his chair.

"I have my hammer right here, I hope you're not going to miss the lockbox?"

[Naimo]

Rose warily entered the blacksmith's, and saw that he was busy talking to a woman. Seeing as she would have to wait, she decided to take a look around, only to be overwhelmed by the immediate heat. She had no choice but to take her cloak off entirely, something which was hard when you had a hand that was full. Once the cloak was off, Rose appeared to be an entirely different person - her red clothes made her look as if she was just preparing to go and do a showdance. Nothing about her now shouted "merchant!".

 

Until Cyrus was done with the woman, Rose just waited for him.

[Otaku-sama]

Satoko was suprised by the monk's face reading abilities. He had known she was up to no good without even asking. Probably something that came with age, she reasoned. Now knowing that the woman was royalty made things a lot more sticky. If she showed any signs of sabotage, the woman would go crying to daddy and get Satoko thrown in the dungeon with the rapists and town perverts. Not a good outcome for a prank. Then again, if she got away with pranking the daughter of royalty, she would go down as a legend. Satoko thought for a second, considering her options.

 

Maybe if she didn't sabotage, but only fixed the axle halfway, enough to get her back to her house or something in that range, she can't really persecute her. Satoko was snapped out of her planning by several farmers buying tools all at once. Satoko was forced to rush and get her money chest to recieve all the money. Although she was made busy, in the back of her head, she continued to plot how to teach the brat a lesson.

[Hotaru987]

Rain scoffed as the small part in her that believed the old woman faded away. Her adoptive family was into fortune telling and never did any of them take so long for one single prediction. Granted that none of the other predictions her parent's recieved ever came true. "I think I've wasted enough of my time here. Everything that you've said seems way too farfetched to be true."

 

She shook her head not wanting to believe the woman. To simply put it there's no possible way for an the entire Brargheim to just vanish, like it was never there in the first place. It just wasn't possible. It was only just now that she realized that she had been standing in the same spot in front of the stand for the past 5 mintues. Rain felt a bit silly having been blankly staring at the old woman, while burried in her thoughts.

[Enrise]

--Might take slight control of the people here--

 

Xeonil sighed with great distress. He looked at the folk in the bar, and at the time. "Everyone, sorry for the inconvenience, but we are currently out of drinks for you all. However, we will have more tomorrow. Once again, sorry for the inconvenience." Xeonil lied to the people. They all groaned and some even shouted why, but Xeonil asked them to leave as a result.

After they all left, Xeonil closed the door behind them, and faced towards the merchant. "A few questions. First, who are you? Second, are you really here for this plant? Third-"

He stopped for a second, and resumed, growing a bit weary of what he was about to say. "Third, if you see a note under a rock or something like that, and has the name 'Xeonil' on it, can you take that letter, and give it to me when you return?"

Xeonil heard a rumor from his parents that there was a note where his parents found him. They read the note, however, they left it, knowing that it would possibly bring them great grief. Thus, as a result, they left it, and eventually, forgot about it.

[Umbra]

Jenna shook her head. "Oh no, of course not. That godforsaken box has annoyed us to hell and back, if you can imagine that." She smiled. "Father might even pay you extra to smash the box to pieces." Suddenly, her gaze fell on Rose. "It appears you have more work, blacksmith. If you think you can smash this lock open for us, come to the western inn by nightfall." She turned around and walked away, only to stop after a few steps. "I almost forgot. My father's men might come around to ask for you; just tell them you've agreed to it."

 

After waiting for a few minutes, Rose saw the woman walk out of the blacksmith. A diabolical smile spread across the young woman's face as she eyed Rose. "Don't keep him too long, woman." As the woman walked away, Rose could feel a chilly wind coming seemingly out of nowhere.

 

As Satoko pondered her plans of playing the greatest prank on the countess' daughter, the monk eyed her closely for a few seconds. There was an ill fate about the woman, that much he could see. Ever since his birth, he had been able to tell things. It was neither foresight nor premonition, but something weaker and more primal. The books he had read in the monastery, mainly the Bloodhammer - which spread a bad taste in his mouth as he read about burning heretics - had taught him that this sort of curse was inherited, and that one must therefore purge the entire bloodline to keep magic restrained. He largely suspected he had inherited it from his grandmother, who until this very day still earned her living as a fortune-teller. The toolmaker's fate was death... but a brutal and unforgiving one. At the same time there was nothing - an emptiness in her death.

 

Had he told her this, things might have ended differently.

 

 

The woman grinned, revealing a disgusting set of mismatching teeth. "Believe what you wish, Rain. My gift and curse is far from perfect, but I will tell you this. I have seen my own fate... and my reason for existence. I searched far and wide for it, until I eventually found it. You know what it was, Rain?" The woman shrugged. "Of course you don't. Foolish of me to ask, to assume..." The woman went back under her tent, and for a moment Rain was starting to walk away. When the woman came into plain sight, she was carrying a large block of ore and stone. While it seemed heavy, she flung it up on the wooden planks with ease. Rain suddenly felt a despair, so terrible that she started to falter in her step. The stone was pitch-black, save for thick, purple veins that ran across the surface. The woman nodded. "There is a reason I keep this out of sight, and I'm sure you know it by now. This stone has no name, as it was forged by man-made magic. It was taken from the top of the Crystal Nexus, and was once as clear as the crystal that forms the Still Lands. As the years went by, it was slowly corrupted. Rotten, you might say. I have kept this with me at all times during my travels... even through the Still Lands, and I have never been attacked. The creatures out there fear this, just as much as you and I." A small knife appeared in the woman's hand, seemingly out of nowhere, and without hesitation she cut off one of the corners. Another few sweeps of the dagger, and it had become an almost-perfect cube. "I want you to carry this with you, Rain. For protection."

 

The mustached man frowned. "You might want to close the place, keep the villagers out, but you have no authority over my men. If you want to talk, they stay."

He leaned forward across the bar-desk towards Xeonil. "You ask me who I am? Well, I'll be kind enough and answer." Now, Xeonil noticed that the man's mustache trembled somewhat on his f- and s- sounds. "I am Hans Steiner, silk tradesman from the Western Kingdoms. I am here for two reasons." He held up his index and middle finger in a V-shape. "Firstly, I seek the rare plants growing in the Still Lands. Six months ago, I met an elderly woman who had claimed to be travelling through the Still Lands several times, and brought with her a plant she found in the borderlands. Our manufacturers have found this plant to be truly spectacular, and thus I have been trying to find an easy way into the Lands without being in too much danger. Bargheim seemed the only possible way." He lowered his middle finger.

"Secondly, I'm in a bit of an inheritance trouble. When my mother - the Dark preserve her soul - passed away some years ago, she left behind a wooden lockbox. Unfortunately, she did not leave a key. All the blacksmiths in the Western Kingdoms couldn't find a way to open it without destroying the box, which is completely out of the question." With these words, he looked at his men. "Four of you, head out to the blacksmith's place and ask for his help." He looked back at Xeonil, and smiled. "I have heard many great things about blacksmith-master Tomas of Bargheim. If anyone can open it, it would be him. As for this note you speak of... " He shrugged. "If we stumble upon something like that, I'll have it sent to you. But we won't be looking for it." He nodded at his drink. "This will be a long night, I think. Would ya mind pouring another one of those?"

[Hotaru987]

A weary look crossed Rain face as she staired at the cube-shaped black object in the old woman's hand. When she saw the lady pull it out every fiber of Rain's being told her to run. Run to any where as long as it was away from that object. She felt a weird power come from it, and it felt strangely alive. Rain didn't want to take it. She wanted to turn around, and never look back at the woman. Even as she thought that her hand reached out, palm up intending to retrieve the object.

 

The old woman dropped it in her hands. Rain couldn't believe that something so small could make her feel on edge. "I'm sorry but....I'm really not sure if I should thank you for giving this to me or drop it and run." Carefully Rain closed her hand over the object and dropped her hand by her side. She would keep it for now.

 

Maybe she would need it, it would keep her safe from the destr-"No it's not possible..." She muttered to herself, before looking back at the old woman. "If I may ask, what is your name? You seem to know mine, I think it would only be fair for me to know yours."

[Enrise]

Xeonil pouted another drink just as the man asked. "Yeah. The place will be closed for the day. Think of it that you and your men have special permission to be here." Xeonil paused for a moment, thinking about the Still Lands. "...Meh, what do you say I come along with you and your men?" Xeonil proposed to Hans. Xeonil somewhat had an interest to see what it was like to see the Still Lands, to see if it what people thought it would be.

[Naimo]

Rose stepped forward to Cyrus, still looking over her shoulder at Jenna. She quickly shook her head; no, she shouldn't linger too long on this subject. "I was asked by an injured man to take this to you." Still with her hand closed around the object, she placed it on the counter, yet she did not remove her hand from it. "He asked me to tell you to destroy the heart." And with that, she finally took her hand off it, also wondering what the object had been all along...

[Umbra]

Putting the decaying stone back in the box where it belonged, the old woman smirked. "My name... not many call me by name anymore. All I hear is 'old witch' and 'drifter'. Not even my grandson calls me by name. He's everything I have, you know." She shook her head. "But enough of that. My story will have to wait for another day. My parents used to call me Annabell; would that suffice for you, Rain?"

 

Hans nodded. "Optimistic now, are we? Didn't sound like that before." He shrugged. "I suppose it couldn't do any harm to have a local with us, even if it's just the barman. Stop by the inn near the western gates tonight; we will be arranging the expedition and leave as early as possible tomorrow morning."

 

(I will follow up the Blacksmith plotline once Kuroda posts.)

[Aesirson]

Cyrus looked at the newcomer and placed the box that he was given on the counter.

"What is that?" Cyrus asked and while he awaited an answer he remembered the box. "Oh right I had to destroy this one too."

He picked up the box and placed it on the floor. He then raised his hammer and made himself ready to smash the lock open.

 

((I dunno if the box is going to be destroyed or not.))

[Enrise]

"Tonight? Hell, I can make it right now." Xeonil replied with a laugh. He grabbed a nearby glass, and poured himself a favorite of his, Strawberry Daiquiri. Strawberries were always his favorite fruit.

After finishing up the drink, he grabbed the bottom, and began to drink a sip of the alcoholic beverage. When finishing a sip, he gave a loud sigh of relief of the great taste of the strawberries.

 

-->.> No homo.

[Hotaru987]

She nodded, "It's a very beautiful name. I can't see why no one would bother to call you by it." Rain smiled a bit her head now flowing with more questions about the mysterious wom-Annabell, most of them involving the identity of her grandson. That and how old she really was.

 

Rain sighed before checking the time. She had been talking for a good while with Annabell. She hoped that there were still enough food at the other venders, otherwise they would have to order the supplies from somewhere else. And who know's how long it'll take to get here.

[Umbra]

((Kuroda, I apparently made this a bit too open for interpretation; Jenna did not bring the box. It's still at the inn. Also, the Tomas that Hans mentioned was your previous master.))

 

While Rose and Cyrus were talking, they heard footsteps approaching. The market was still in full rush, so this wasn't really unexpected, but there was something odd about the steps; they were completely in synch. They belonged to people who were used to long marches... and indeed, within a few moments a few soldiers came around the corner. The crowd divided as the military approached the blacksmith. One of them, a tall and bulky man with an overwhelmingly large beard, walked up to Cyrus. "We're looking for Tomas Pantra, the blacksmith of this town, on behalf of Hans Steiner. Do you know where we can find him?"

 

Hans smiled. "Maybe you can, but we won't be ready until nightfall by the very least. I think you should let your customers back in. The market is still young, and you can surely make a few coins before the day is over." He got to his feet, and walked to his men near the door. Gathering them up and leaving, he stops in the doorway. "Strawberry, eh? My wife enjoys those drinks as well." They left, and Xeonil could hear the guards laughing loudly.

 

Annabell nodded. "I guess so, I guess so. Sometimes I think it's because they don't know it - or don't want to know. Just because you hide from something, it doesn't mean it goes away." She gazed into the sun for a few seconds. "Oh, look at the time. I'm sure you have better things to do than standing around here, talking to me." She looks deep into Rain's eyes. "It was good to finally meet you, Rain."

[Enrise]

Xeonil heard the men laugh. "They better not be laughing at me. If they are, I'll give them something to laugh about." Xeonil chucked with a slight annoyed tone. Looking at the door, he remembered about the sign he put up, telling that it was closed. He removed the sign, and a few minutes later, the bar was flooded with people again. Some asked what happened to the drinks. He merely told them a simple lie, and went on with the rest of the day.

[Hotaru987]

"You are right I do have other things to do." Rain said and turned to walk away. She looked over her shoulder at Annabell who was still watching her. "Despite how strange this was, I am also glad that we have met. See you later Annabell." Rain quickly flashed a smile before walking back towards the Town Square, hoping to herself that she could at least buy enough stuff for a week. No doubt most of the food would be gone. So as soon as she got back hom she would need to call for an order.

 

Even after the amount of time had passed, the Trader's Market seemed to have grown even louder, and more crowded. She avoided collisions with a few people rushing pass her. Feeling thirsty, Rain made a 180 heading for the local bar in town. She knew that if she went there all hope for buying produce from the venders in the Town Square would be close to none....But the Inn and Resturant would be closed for two days, hopefully the ordered supplies could arrive before then.

[Umbra]

As Rain was about to close the bar door behind her, someone else stepped through. The man was wearing a white linen shirt and ragged cloth trousers, a strange contrast which reminded one man sitting near the back of the bar of a puppet he had once seen as a child. He had black hair with white strands, dark gray eyes and a rather slim build, possibly making him attractive - had it not been for his eyes themselves. The locals called him Still Pete, as he had been found on the border to the Still Lands a few months earlier. He had mumbled something about "the living land", and "the room of life". Now, he has become a bit more normal; he acts like the average person, he works at a farmyard not far from the village, and he knows how to keep out of trouble. The one thing that told him apart from everything else were his eyes. Ever since they found him, they have been locked wide-open as in shock or horror, always staring directly forward. He walked up to the bardisk, and took a seat not far from where Hans Steiner had sat about half an hour before. He nodded at Xeonil.

"A beer."