A Message from Afar

The skies of Prontera, never have they been so clear. Among the bustling crowd within the market are the tall buildings that stand firm around them. None other glorious structure, than the Prontera church. So long has this structure of God housed many of his servants. But one in particular is being searched for.

Eros had finally made his way to the skies above the Prontera. After gliding upon the warm winds of desert, he had passed through forest lands to finally reach this metropolis.

Eros let out a cry when he had made his to Prontera church.

This cry echoed through the skies and into the ear of a monk who was in meditation. The monk lifted his head up to the skies to see where the cry had come from. He had since been meditating over a pond, floating gently above its waters.

"Hmm? A hawk? Could it be…whoa!"

The monk had a temporary lapse of concentration and this mistake had landed him in the pond. The exasperated monk pulled himself out of the wretched waters.

"Then it must be him…"

The monk had no time to dry himself off. He immediately took flight toward the Church's garden.

Sister Marie Ascirus was tending to the garden at the time. She carefully plucked a few daisies and placed them in her basket but not before she smelled their natural perfume. She suddenly heard a cry from above. Sister Marie looked above her. She had recognized the giant hawk and stood up to greet it.

The hawk made a landing upon Sister Marie's outstretched arm. It folded its wings upon landing and pruned its side with its beak. Sister Marie noticed a paper that was attached to Eros' leg. She untied the string and took the message. As she did so, the hawk immediately took flight again. Sister Marie was rather confused that this hawk would come all the way to Prontera. She opened the message and started to read. Before the end of the message she dropped the basket of flowers she had held in her arms and immediately ran.

"It can not be…" Sister Marie thought.

Sister Marie anxiously ran to the Prontera Church's outward gates. The monk that had fallen in the pool had spotted Sister Marie.

"Sister Ascirus! Sister Ascirus! Marie!"

The monk did a flip jump over Sister Marie and landed right in front of her. Sister Marie was startled when the monk appeared so suddenly.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" the monk apologized.

"No…it's alright." Sister Marie said as she passed the monk and continued her way.

The monk was surprised at the dazed look in Sister Marie's eyes. She was usually more focused with her duties. The monk ran and caught up with her.

"Marie, wait! Where are you going?"

The monk had to grab Marie's hand before she came to a stop.

"Brother Darian…please, let me go."

"I can't have you run off in the middle of day without so much as a word on where you're going. Father Richard would have my head, if I did that."

Sister Marie stared at Brother Darian strangely.

"What?"

She pointed to something on top of Brother Darian's head. It was a lily pad from the pond. It seemed to have attached itself when he came out of the water.

"Oh that…I had a little incident at the pond. But that was because I saw a hawk that belongs to your brother."

"It was not my brother's."

"No? Oh wait, that's right, you're brother keeps that monstrous wolf with him. But I remember he had a companion who had kept a hawk. Was that not the same hawk?"

Sister Marie looked away.

"Is something wrong?"

"My brother is hurt…"

"What?" Darian let go of Marie's hand and stared at her with shock.

"Do you know--?"

"He is in a desert near Morroc. I don't know where but I must find him!"

Sister Marie started to go for the gate again. Darian stopped her again.

"You have no idea where in the desert and you are going anyway?"

"He is my brother and I have to--"

"What about your duties at the church? What about Father Richard? More importantly what about you, Marie? You could get hurt while you're in the desert. It is a dangerous place especially if you travel alone."

Marie looked away from Darain but she knew that Darian was right. Her heart blinded her from common sense. Her brother was in dire need that was all she knew. That was all she needed to know. Darian pulled his hood back from his cloak and scratched his head, trying to contemplate the events that have occurred.

"I will go with you. It is better if you have someone to travel with. I will talk to Father Richard. He would understand your current situation. Just please don't do anything rash."

Marie nodded and suddenly embraced Darian. Darian, who was taken by surprise, could do nothing but blush.

"Thank you, Darian."

"Um…ahem…it's my duty to help those in need."

Darian finally had the courage to move afterwards. He ran to Father Richard's office within the church. Marie returned to the garden and picked up the flowers that had fallen out of the basket when she dropped it. As she picked up each one, another memory of her brother passed through her mind. She and Alex had a difficult past. She was hurt when her brother decided to move away from Prontera. But she could not go against his wishes. She was reluctant to have him leave, afraid for him. She worried about him daily and to see him hurt…was more than she could bear.

Prontera houses not only the servants of God but servants of King Tristan. Swordsman, Knights, Paladins, and more warriors of Prontera roam its streets. The Prontera Chivalry houses some of those warriors.

Sir Eric was one of these prime warriors of Prontera. He was tutoring some junior swordsman, the art of the sword.

"Come on, scrubs! I thought you would offer more challenge then this!"

The junior swordsmen were exhausted after only sparring with Sir Eric. Eric raised his wooden-made sword and shield.

"Is there not one with enough skill to challenge me?"

Sir Eric flicked his blonde hair brazenly and laughed loudly.

"You should try this some time, Arachius. And visit more often! We haven't seen you in a while!"

The seasoned paladin was watching from the side with another knight, Rachiel.

"Maybe you should tutor our young knight in lessons humility, Arachius. It would do him some good." Rachiel said as she was prodding Arachius to join in the sparring.

Arachius smiled and shook his head from side to side.

"I would doubt it. All that cockiness has been stuffed in his head. I doubt there is room in his head for a lesson in humility."

Rachiel laughed and walked over to help a junior swordsman to his feet.

"I think you might be right."

Eric clashed his sword and shield together and made a spectacle of himself.

"Come on, Arachius! These guys aren't fun anymore! I need a challenge!"

"Hmph, if you insist."

Arachius walked over to one of the junior swordsman who recently fell to Sir Eric.

"May I borrow your sword and shield?" Arachius asked the beleaguered warrior.

"Uh…sure, take them." The swordsman said as he gave his sword and shield to Arachius.

Arachius positioned himself upon the sparring grounds. Eric had already readied himself for Arachius to strike. Eric circled slowly as did Arachius around the sparring grounds.

Eric kept his eyes on Arachius' sword and his movements.

"He is keeping himself wide open. I just need to tag him on the side and he'll go down easily enough." Eric thought.

Arachius had come to a stop and Eric took this opportunity to strike. He charged Arachius at full speed and had his sword ready. Eric made a quick swipe toward Arachius' side but instead met with Arachius' shield. Eric was becoming frustrated at the fact that his first blow did not hit. He continued his onslaught with a flurry of slashes. With each blow that he delivered the sound of the wood clanging upon wood echoed the arena grounds. Arachius had yet to deliver a blow and had kept on the defensive.

"You can't keep this up forever, Arachius! Battles aren't won by sitting on your--AUGH!"

Eric keeled over and a look of shock ran across his face. He had dropped his sword to the ground and fell to his knees. Arachius had delivered a blow before Eric had realized he had been hit.

Applause erupted from the nearby audience and Rachiel could not help but laugh at the sight. Arachius plopped the wooden sword aside and extended his hand toward Eric. Eric was reluctant to take the hand of the one who had humiliated him in front of the crowd but took it nevertheless.

"Battles may not be won by defensive measures alone. But remember, patience is a virtue, Eric. You let your sword arm do your thinking and left your mind sitting on the sidelines of the battlefield. I just needed to wait before you got in over your head."

"Ugh, I think I've been bruised enough today. There's no need to further it by giving me a lecture."

Arachius left the sparring arena with a sigh, seeing how his words have fell on deaf ears. Rachiel followed him out to the grounds of the Prontera Chivalry.

"Are you leaving already? You've barely stayed for a moment." Rachiel asked.

"I have other matters to tend to in Prontera before I leave." Arachius replied.

"Like visiting Marie, perhaps?"

Arachius stopped and looked back Rachiel with a forlorn look.

"Yes, I do plan to meet with her. It has been years since--Sigh--it has been a while since I have seen her. Since I am in Prontera, I should visit her before I leave again."

Rachiel combed back one of her golden bangs and looked above at the azure sky.

"That's all that you seem to do, Arachius. You never were the one to stay in one place. Always obligated somewhere else and could never seem to settle."

Arachius turned away again and walked a few steps forward before he stopped again.

"If I were able to remain in one place, that would be a blessing. But that can not always be so can it, Rachiel? At least this time when I leave, the sun will be shining today."