[OOC - this is the story of a reunion between two best friends, told from the point of view of Senatrius]
Senatrius stretched and groaned. It didn’t matter how many times he had teleported before, the process always made him dizzy and disoriented. He looked around, taking in the busy Homins of Fiarhaven. The group of guards that was just passing by recognized him and came to greet him. „Senatrius! So good to see you again, friend! “came a muffled voice from under one of the helmets. „What brings you here? Shopping, perhaps? I hear some young adventurers just brought in all kinds of interesting materials that you might want to look at. “The talk ZoraÏ smiled. „Thank you for making me aware of that. I will make sure to check the local merchants' goods later. I have some personal matters to attend to first. “He bid the guards farewell, adjusted his backpack and took off swimming further into Liberty Lake.
The journey was long and Senatrius was quite out of practice when it came to swimming. He hadn’t done much of it ever since he had gotten married and settled down. Thus, he spent the night at the camp of a nearby friendly tribe. He was quite surprised to be invited to stay for breakfast. „I appreciate the offer, but I would hate to impose upon you like that, especially as I remember you always being a bit short on food. “The tribe chief smiled. „Not anymore, old friend! The powers have started paying us better for our services, making us able to give better compensation to adventuring Homins. Thus, we have plenty of food now, our fields have never been better tended and even our armor is in much better shape than ever before. It’s quite wonderful! “And so, Senatrius decided to stay for breakfast and enjoyed a delicious meal. After wishing his friends well, he continued in his journey.
It was shortly before sunset when he finally arrived at his destination. He smiled ruefully. The beauty of the waterfall was enchanting, but it was impossible to appreciate it without memories flooding into his mind. He pulled off his soaked clothes, staying only in his caster pants, and set them out on the sandy beach to dry in the fresh lake breeze. Next he opened his backpack, taking out his small set of gardening tools, as well as a small pouch of the highest quality fertilizer he had been able to get his hands on. The Yrkanis master florist swore it would make even a dead slaveni grow. With that, he found the small patch of flowers. Maiden’s tears, they were called. Their soft petals were almost as beautiful as their smell. No wonder his friend loved them so much. He felt tears pricking at his eyes. It always felt a little silly, taking care of a patch of wildflowers but the waterfalls were her favorite spot and making sure the flowers were doing well was his own, strange way of honoring her memory. Though, he refused to call it that. So what that it had been over twenty years since she had disappeared without a trace? She was coming back. One day. Yes, he had to keep telling himself that.
It was night when he finished his „flower ritual “, as his wife liked to call it and Senatrius was debating teleporting to Fairhaven but decided against it. It was a warm summer night and he quite liked the calm of the place. He pulled on his already dry clothes, used his backpack as a pillow and went to sleep. He dreamed of the first time they had found the waterfall together, his excited his friend was, immediately remembering the old legend about the origins of the flowers. In his dreams they were both still young and happy, laughing and splashing each other with water as they swam. He slept with a joyful smile on his face.
He woke up with a start. Had he really heard water splashing as if someone was swimming nearby? Or was it in his dream? He had no desire to fight off bandits. Not in this place – a place that was sacred to him. He looked around, blinking in the darkness. Were those footsteps he had just heard? Senatrius scanned the surroundings frantically. An yber screeched above and he looked after it and…there was the distinct cold blade of an axe at his throat. „What are you doing here? “. His eyes went wide and he squinted downwards at his attacker. He knew that voice. He had just heard it in his dream. „Lumi? “ he gasped.
Senatrius stretched and groaned. It didn’t matter how many times he had teleported before, the process always made him dizzy and disoriented. He looked around, taking in the busy Homins of Fiarhaven. The group of guards that was just passing by recognized him and came to greet him. „Senatrius! So good to see you again, friend! “came a muffled voice from under one of the helmets. „What brings you here? Shopping, perhaps? I hear some young adventurers just brought in all kinds of interesting materials that you might want to look at. “The talk ZoraÏ smiled. „Thank you for making me aware of that. I will make sure to check the local merchants' goods later. I have some personal matters to attend to first. “He bid the guards farewell, adjusted his backpack and took off swimming further into Liberty Lake.
The journey was long and Senatrius was quite out of practice when it came to swimming. He hadn’t done much of it ever since he had gotten married and settled down. Thus, he spent the night at the camp of a nearby friendly tribe. He was quite surprised to be invited to stay for breakfast. „I appreciate the offer, but I would hate to impose upon you like that, especially as I remember you always being a bit short on food. “The tribe chief smiled. „Not anymore, old friend! The powers have started paying us better for our services, making us able to give better compensation to adventuring Homins. Thus, we have plenty of food now, our fields have never been better tended and even our armor is in much better shape than ever before. It’s quite wonderful! “And so, Senatrius decided to stay for breakfast and enjoyed a delicious meal. After wishing his friends well, he continued in his journey.
It was shortly before sunset when he finally arrived at his destination. He smiled ruefully. The beauty of the waterfall was enchanting, but it was impossible to appreciate it without memories flooding into his mind. He pulled off his soaked clothes, staying only in his caster pants, and set them out on the sandy beach to dry in the fresh lake breeze. Next he opened his backpack, taking out his small set of gardening tools, as well as a small pouch of the highest quality fertilizer he had been able to get his hands on. The Yrkanis master florist swore it would make even a dead slaveni grow. With that, he found the small patch of flowers. Maiden’s tears, they were called. Their soft petals were almost as beautiful as their smell. No wonder his friend loved them so much. He felt tears pricking at his eyes. It always felt a little silly, taking care of a patch of wildflowers but the waterfalls were her favorite spot and making sure the flowers were doing well was his own, strange way of honoring her memory. Though, he refused to call it that. So what that it had been over twenty years since she had disappeared without a trace? She was coming back. One day. Yes, he had to keep telling himself that.
It was night when he finished his „flower ritual “, as his wife liked to call it and Senatrius was debating teleporting to Fairhaven but decided against it. It was a warm summer night and he quite liked the calm of the place. He pulled on his already dry clothes, used his backpack as a pillow and went to sleep. He dreamed of the first time they had found the waterfall together, his excited his friend was, immediately remembering the old legend about the origins of the flowers. In his dreams they were both still young and happy, laughing and splashing each other with water as they swam. He slept with a joyful smile on his face.
He woke up with a start. Had he really heard water splashing as if someone was swimming nearby? Or was it in his dream? He had no desire to fight off bandits. Not in this place – a place that was sacred to him. He looked around, blinking in the darkness. Were those footsteps he had just heard? Senatrius scanned the surroundings frantically. An yber screeched above and he looked after it and…there was the distinct cold blade of an axe at his throat. „What are you doing here? “. His eyes went wide and he squinted downwards at his attacker. He knew that voice. He had just heard it in his dream. „Lumi? “ he gasped.
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LuminatrixExplorer, storyteller, universalist, fighter for freedom and equality.
"Without contraries, there is no progression" - William Blake