The House by the Cliff
Ch. 1: The Stranger and the Girl
The wind blows through the girl's long auburn hair. The clouds in the sky gather and darken. "There's a storm coming," says the girl as she walks from the cliff back to her house surrounded by roses. The storm came. It was thunderous and pouring flooding the streets of the city. The girl in the house by the cliff sits by a window and reads her book. It's almost tranquil when a person knocks on her door. 'Who is it? I don't know anyone around here.' The girl answers the door and finds a young man with long wavy blonde covering his face appears wearing a dirty big brown coat and pants covered with mud and torn shoes. He says, "I'm sorry to disturb you, miss but I was wondering if you'll let me stay here until the storm passes on." The girl responds, "Do you not have a place to stay, sir?" "Sadly I do not. I'm afraid the people in the city don't take kind to strangers in rags." "Indeed. Very well, you may stay here until the storm passes on. Come in." The girl with long wavy auburn hair and blue eyes, in her white gown and blue jacket, leads the man to a chair in the living room directly across the door in which they had entered in. The man looks around and sees many bookshelves crammed with books that are scattered everywhere. "You have many books, miss. Is it alright if I read one?" The girl already back on the windowsill reading her book looks up at the man, "Go ahead." The two read their books in silence the only noise being the rain outside. The storm passes on but the two are still reading their book. As the girl finishes reading she looks out the window to find the moon shining brightly in the sky. She turns to the man who has now fallen asleep. 'Should I wake him up?' The girl walks to the man and shakes her head. She grabs a blanket on the couch and places it over him. Then the girl walks upstairs to her room, locks the door and goes to bed.
Ch. 2: My Name
The girl wakes up to the smell of breakfast. She walks downstairs confused at first but remembers the man and walks into the kitchen to see him setting the table. "Good morning, miss. I hope you don't mind I made breakfast for you." "Not at all but who are you?" The girl was expecting to see a messy, dirty man in rags but is shocked to see a man with short wavy blonde hair and green eyes. He has a scar over his left eye and was no longer wearing rags but a white shirt and blue jeans. "I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. Hello, my name is Lucas Withering. Thank you for your hospitality." "No problem." "May I ask you, what is your name?" "My name is Galia Kinston."
Ch. 3: The Right People
"Is something the matter? Is the food not to your liking?" Galia shakes her head, "It's been a while since I've had a warm cooked meal." Lucas looks alarmed, "Are your parents not home?" "They are. In spirit. I live alone." "I'm sorry." "It's fine. I'm used to it. By the way, how old are you?" "How old do I look?" Galia shrugs, "I don't know sixteen or seventeen." Lucas starts laughing. Galia's confused, "What?" Lucas shakes his head, "Nothing. I'm just flattered I looked that way to you. I'm actually thirty-two years old, although I'm going to be thirty-three in two weeks." Galia looks at Lucas in shock, "Thirty-three? That's impossible! You look way to young!" Lucas smiles, "Thank you. What about you? How old are you?" "You shouldn't ask a woman her age but I'll tell you. I am fifteen years old." Now Lucas is shocked, "No way, I thought you were seventeen or eighteen years old." "Do I look that old?" "No, I thought that because you are taller than most fifteen year olds." "Gee, thanks." "No! No! I meant that as a compliment." "Whatever but why did you come here? We don't get much visitors. Are you lost?" "No, I'm just traveling. I'm on a journey to see the world." Galia looks at Lucas and sees that he's serious, "You do know that everyone at war with each other, right? It's impossible for one to enter another's country without being caught and slaughtered." Lucas smiles, "That's only for those that failed. It's actually quite easy." Galia looks at Lucas in alarm, "Don't tell me you're from another country?" "I am." "But how were you able to get pass the country border without getting caught?" Lucas smiles mischievously, "You just have to know the right people."
Ch. 4 Come With Me
Lucas and Galia walk near the cliff. "So which country do you come from, Lucas?" "Haloway." "What's it like there? How do the people act? Is it like Edowin?" Lucas grins at Galia, "Curious, are we?" "Of course, you're the only one I know that's a foreigner." "I tell you what, instead of me telling you how Haloway is like, why don't I show you." Galia looks up at Lucas in alarm, "What?" "Come with me. I'll show you the world. You don't want to be cooped up in that house with your books forever do you?" Galia looks at Lucas suspiciously, "I don't know. We only met yesterday, how do I know you're not trying to kidnap me or something?" Lucas starts laughing, "I take that as a no." "I never said that!" Lucas looks at Galia questioningly, "Then do you want to come?" Galia looks to the sea, "How do I know you're really from another country and not just some psychopath whose gone crazy and is delirious about plotting to get in another country?" "That's a good point. You're very logical Galia but I am from another country. The thing is even if I try to prove that to you how would you know if I'm telling the truth or not when you've never been to Haloway?" Galia shrugs, "That's also a good point Lucas. Very well, I'll go." "You sure?" "Yeah. There's nothing for me here and you seem like an okay guy. Let's go." "Great! I needed a traveling companion!"
Ch. 5 To Haloway
Lucas and Galia prepare to leave the house. "You sure you have everything you need, Galia?" asks Lucas. Galia packs a couple clothes and a few books in her suitcase, "Yeah." They start to leave when Galia leaves a note on her door: Welcome to anyone. "You're alright letting people go into your house." "Its fine, I have everything that's important and necessary for survival in here," Galia taps her suitcase. The two walk on the trail leading from her house to the city not far off. They arrive and walk into a blacksmith's shop. Lucas walks up to the man polishing his sword on the counter, "Excuse me, sir. I would like to buy a sword." The man looks up at Lucas and stares, "What kind are you looking for?" Lucas responds, looking around, "A short double-blade sword. Ah!" Lucas picks up a sword hanging on the wall across from the man, "This is perfect! I'd like to buy this sword here." The man nods approvingly, "You've chosen a fine sword sir. It's the Neclar, a sword that's sharp on both edges said to penetrate the toughest of armor. The cost is 200 gold coins." Galia looks at Lucas surprised, "You're gonna buy that?" Lucas nods smilingly and notices a small dagger on the counter. It's a simple clean sharp silver and gold dagger with a ruby on the end. "I'll also buy that dagger sir." The man smiles, "Of course. The Megae is a magnificent dagger said to protect the holder from any poison/drug. The cost is also 200 gold coins." Galia looks at the weapons suspiciously, "You sure there not some decoration that'll break on the first swing." The man and Lucas look at Galia in horror, "Of course not! Do you not see the detailed blade sparkle in the light with a beautiful eeriness. It's a blade that has killed yet remains beautiful." The two men were in perfect harmony and talked about swords for hours. The man smiles, "It's been a while I've met a man as knowledgeable of swords as I am." Lucas smiles, "Indeed, we should talk again for as you can see we are kind of in a hurry and must be on our way." "Of course, but as long as you don't tell anyone I can give you folks a discount. The two blades for 100 gold coins and I'll give you two horses for your journey for 50 gold coins." "You are too kind sir." The man shakes his head, "Don't worry about and don't call me sir. My name is Kelvar." "I'm Lucas and this girl is Galia." "Ah. I know her, the girl who lives in that house on the cliff." Galia looks at Kelvar, "Hello." "Hey. Although I'm shocked missy this is the first time I've seen you this far away from your house. Going somewhere?" "Yes, I am." "I see, how long will you be gone?" "I'm not really planning on returning but if I do it won't be sometime soon." "Then, would you like me to watch your house for ya?" "You don't need to do that." Kelvar shakes his head, "No, no, it's fine. Even though you're a bit ignorant of swords you're a kind girl who takes care of the roses in front of your house. It'd be a shame if the roses were to die while you were gone." "Thanks, but how do you know so much about me?" Kelvar laughs, "Don't you know, you're the talk of the city. There isn't anyone here who doesn't know you." Galia blushes, "I see, well thank you for your help. The roses need a lot of care and feel free to make yourself at home in the house on the cliff and you can leave that note on the door. We better get going Lucas." Lucas picks up the blades he bought, "Right, let's go. Thank you again Kelvar. May your shop prosper." Kelvar laughs, "Of course, a safe journey to you both and the horses are behind the shop. Choose anyone you want." The two walk behind the store and see many black, brown, and white horses. Lucas immediately chooses a black horse that doesn't seem to have a saddle. The horse seemed proud, wild, cautious and smart and willingly let Lucas ride him. Galia looked at the horses carefully and was about to pick a brown horse when she a beautiful golden horse that shined under the sun. The horse also didn't have a saddle. It seemed calm and at peace, as Galia approached her, the two merely stared at each other. Then the horse bent down allowing Galia to ride her and she did. Lucas and Galia set off to the south and left the city and kept riding until nightfall. They stopped and set up camp suddenly Lucas asks, "Galia?" "Yeah?" "Do you how to fight?" "A bit, why?" "Good." Just then a group of men approached them. They were each carrying a bottle and a sword in their hands. Then one with a ripped shirt who seems to be the leader spoke, "Why hello good people. Don't suppose you could share that fire with us?" The men behind him were snickering and hiccupping. Lucas smiles, "Of course but you'll have to contribute too. Could a few of you gather some firewood?" The man spoke again, "I don't think that will be necessary, we won't stay for long." "Oh?" All of a sudden the man hurled his sword towards Lucas but he dodged the attack and pulled out the Neclar and killed the man in the chest. The group of men angrily drew their sword and ganged up on Lucas but he simply parried all of their blades and killed them all with a single jab in each heart. Just as Lucas was about to put his sword away one of men who didn't attack him grabbed Galia from behind with a dagger to her throat, "Don't move scum, or this miss here is dead." Lucas turns to look at the man then at Galia and smirks, "I'm not going to do anything sir." The man looks at Lucas in triumph when Galia suddenly flips the man over, takes the confused man's dagger and stabs him in the heart. "Shall we leave Galia? I don't think we can stay here any longer." Galia nods, "Yeah. By the way, thanks for helping." Lucas smiles, "It's only going to get worse. Here, use this dagger." Lucas hands Galia the Megae. "It would've been helpful earlier, you know. Where are headed anyways, if we went north it'd have been easier to get to the border and leave?" "Who said we'd leave the border on land?" "You mean we're not? Isn't Haloway right next to Gilor?" "Yes, but going that way is suicide. That's why we're going on boat." Galia looks to the port coming in view, "So we're headed for Port Ista."