Hello everyone! So, the opening notes are gonna be a bit unusual since there was a bit of a mix-up with chapter 4, and we don't have an editted version. To keep on schedule, we're going to publish the raw version of chapter 4, and replace it with the proper version with the proper notes when we get them ready. Sorry for the mix-up and thank you for understanding.
Without further ado, allow us to present chapter 4 of Before Kingdom Hearts: Shadows!
Sunlight leaked through the window of Ryo's room, creeping over his face and causing his eyes to squeeze themselves tighter shut in protest to the brightness. However, that didn't stop him from stirring under the covers, instinctively pulling them up to shield his eyes as they blearily cracked open. After blinking a few times and fighting off the temptation to fall asleep again, Ryo slowly peeled back the blanket and slowly sat up, lazily rubbing the sand from his eyes before he got to his feet and looked out the window. Despite the light coming in through his window, it was still rather early for people to be starting their day.
Ryo yawned before he turned and made his way over to a chest situated in the far corner of his room that he stored his clothes and personal items. His room… It had taken Ryo quite a long time to start thinking of the room as his, even in a temporary sense. It had only started once he received another gift from Garren, about two months into his stay at Woodfell. He'd just finished paying off his debt to Victor for the scabbard earlier that week and had just returned from another day of jobs throughout Woodfell, only to find Garren waiting for him in the main room of the house, a wide grin plastered across his face as he stood next to something large and rectangular underneath an old sheet. The look in his face when he dramatically whipped the sheet off of the object, revealing it to be the wooden chest that now resided in his room. However, as grateful to Garren for the gift as he was (and he was very grateful), he almost felt a little guilty for accepting it. After all, it wasn't like he'd be able to take the chest with him when he left Woodfell.
Currently stored in that chest (aside from clothes) was the knife and munny pouch he'd been gifted two years ago, the latter of which contained some 10000 munny. However, that wasn't the full amount of munny he had. He had a smaller wooden box that he'd actually purchased from Garren's father, in which he stored funds for the express purpose of travelling. He'd deposited 15000 munny within the box over the last two years for the express purpose of using them for traveling funds, though 15000 wasn't the total amount he'd invested in his eventual departure. He'd made a few purchases towards his plans in the form of a sturdy cloak to shield him from the elements, sturdier boots and gloves, and a proper pack to carry food and other supplies in. He still had a few things to acquire, such as a bedroll and tinderbox, but overall he was getting closer and closer to completing his preparations to leave. When the time came, anyway…
Ryo shook his head. Until he had everything he needed, he wasn't going to even think about leaving. His focus was best kept in the present, and that meant getting dressed and heading out to take care of the day's training. He pulled a white cotton undershirt, black tunic and beige pants from the chest and pulled them on before he began lacing up his boots. Lastly, he pulled on his belt and turned his gaze to the sheathed blade that lay resting inside the chest. The sheathe that Victor had made for him at the beginning of his extended stay in Woodfell was made of simple black leather and cord, with the Woodfell's town sigil stitched onto either side of the top of the sheathe in silvery thread. Additionally, sitting next to the weapon was a whetstone he'd procured about a month after he'd been living in the town. It had taken time and practice, but he'd become a fair hand with the tool, though he'd rarely had any need to sharpen the blade.
After plucking the weapon from the chest, Ryo carefully crept out of his room and out the front door so as to avoid disturbing Veruk or Veris and strode off into the woods. He didn't go very far in, but he did go far enough that he wouldn't be seen or heard while he trained. Soon enough, he reached the clearing where he trained. After two years of him stamping, pivoting and twisting, the grass was pretty flattened near the middle of the clearing. There was also moss-covered log on the eastern side of the clearing that Ryo usually sat on to rest.
Ryo drew the blade from its sheath as he walked over to the mossy log and set the sheath against it before he made his way back to the center of the clearing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he held the blade out in front of him and gripped it in both hands before he opened them and lunged forward with a thrust before quickly transitioning into a horizontal swipe before he swiped back in the opposite direction. He then took a step forward as he twisted the blade around and spun it around into a one-handed rising slash and finishing with a two-handed vertical slash. As soon as he'd completed the strike, Ryo pivoted and launched into a new series of strikes, mixing in occasional blocks and slight hops for dodging.
He'd spent every spare moment he could on relearning how to fight. Much of his old fighting style had depended heavily on his magic, but losing that resource meant that he couldn't fight that way anymore. He'd discovered that the first day he'd tried to train and found himself to be less fighting, and more flailing around like an idiot. The moment had been a deep source of humiliation for him for quite some time, though it had gone away as he slowly and painstakingly reinvented himself over the last two years; relearning his footwork and developing his dodging and counterattacking further.
While he didn't have any opponents to practice with, he was reasonably confident with the adjustments he'd made. Of course, he wasn't done adjusting. There were moments where he'd instinctively go for a strike that he simply wasn't capable of anymore, and those moments were more than just sources of frustration and embarrassment for him. They could spell injury or worse if he slipped like that in the middle of a proper battle.
"A new set." Ryo thought to himself before he planted his feet and flourished the blade before he lunged forward with a downward slash before 'dodging' to the side and delivering a pommel strike to an imaginary opponent, following up the attack with a thrust to the midsection before pivoting and delivering diagonal slash from left to right. A quick flourish later and Ryo delivered a quick three-slash combination before he performed another pommel strike, following it up with a two-handed upward slash.
If Ryo had his way, he'd spend all day training like this. It would be better if he had someone to train with, but the only one that could serve as a training partner was Veruk, and his style of martial arts was an empty-handed one. Besides, he was busy with the construction of his dojo. Well, he wasn't busy right now, obviously, but Ryo wasn't going to ask him to get up this early to help him train. Besides, he was doing well enough on his own, helped along that he had years of training under his belt before the…incident.
Ryo shook his head. Thinking about then didn't do him any good. It was all in the past and near as he could tell, there wasn't a way back for him in any sense of the word. His focus belonged in the present.
Speaking of the present, it quickly became apparent that Ryo had lost track of time while he'd been out here, as indicated by the crunching of brush beneath boots. Pausing mid-swing, Ryo relaxed and turned to see Veris striding through the forest towards the clearing. When he'd first discovered this place two years ago, he'd just as quickly discovered that he wasn't the first to do so. He remembered it like it was yesterday.
Ryo was in the middle of training when a branch snapping underfoot alerted him to the presence of someone approaching. That someone had happened to be Veris, who stepped into view with a small wooden box tucked under her arm. She seemed to have not been paying attention as she let out a yelp and nearly dropped the box, frantically fumbling it before recovering and letting out a sigh of relief.
"What are you doing here?!" She hissed as she looked around, as if expecting someone to jump out from behind one of the many trees that surrounded them. Ryo glanced at her, then made a gesture with his sword. He figured it was pretty apparent what he was doing in this clearing, but it was possible she hadn't seen the drawn blade. Thankfully, the gesture got the desired effect and Veris just groaned exasperatedly.
"Should've figured you'd find this place to practice…" She grumbled as she started walking over to the mossy log. Ryo went to resume practicing before he realized something.
"Wait, what are you doing here?" He asked, only for Veris to freeze.
"… Please don't tell anyone about this? It's really personal to me." She asked. Her voice sounding a bit mink and tinged with embarrassment. Ryo eyed her strangely.
"Okay… What's all this about?" He asked with less curiosity and more concern as he slowly walked over to his sword's new sheath which was laid against the log. He plucked it from the ground and sheathed the blade as he watched Veris set the box on the log and unlock it with a key worn around her neck. As Veris lifted the box open, Ryo finally saw that contents that the girl was apparently so committed to keeping hidden; a small collection of books and a straight stick with a long length of ribbon tied around it. Ryo stared at the items in confusion before looking back at Veris, who now had a blush across her face.
"My mom was apparently a well-known ribbon dancer before she and my dad met. Since this and that painting are all I have of her, I come out here to read her old notes and books about dancing and try to learn it myself." Veris explained in meek voice. Ryo blinked a couple times before looking back at her. This was what she was so embarrassed about?
"Okay… Not sure why you're so embarrassed about it, but I won't tell anyone. I mean, I get the desire for privacy while you're practicing. It'd be kind of silly if I didn't." Ryo replied before he turned to start heading back to Veruk's home.
"Wait, where are you going?" Veris asked him in confusion.
"You want to practice your dancing, right?" Ryo asked. Veris just cocked her head to the side.
"I mean, yes I do, but why does that mean you need to stop practicing?" Veris clarified. Ryo held up his sheathed blade in response.
"If both of us are focused on staying out of each other's way, we don't get the most out of practice. Conversely, if we aren't paying attention to each other, then… well, I'm swinging around a razor sharp strip of steel. You tell me how that ends." Ryo explained. Veris winced at the thought before she turned to take the stick and ribbon out of the box.
"Morning!" Veris called to him cheerfully, despite her obvious drowsiness.
"Morning." Ryo greeted in turn as he started walking back to the log to collect his sword's sheath.
"How was practice?" Veris asked as she set the box down and pulled the key from her tunic.
"It went well. I'm gonna have to thank Barkos for that book. It really helped with my footwork." Ryo replied as he plucked the sheath from the ground and slipped the blade inside.
"Are we running jobs together today?" Ryo asked Veris, who nodded her head.
"Since there's traders due in a few days, there's more errands to run. Still, people are going to be rationing their munny a little more, so the rewards won't be as good." Veris replied. Ryo frowned a bit. He was doing great for munny as it was and understood why others would be rationing it more with the traders on their way, but he still was hoping to make more substantial munny for when the traders arrived. He was hoping to purchase a few of the remaining items he needed to start traveling again from the traders, assuming that they had them for sale of course.
"Well, that figures. See you back at the house." Ryo bade farewell as he turned and left the clearing, making his way back home.
True to his word, he'd said nothing of Veris's early morning practice to anyone over the last two years. They'd quickly worked out a schedule that let them both get in adequate time in the clearing throughout the week, but other than that they didn't bring up their respective training at all. Once or twice, Veris would show up early and watch him for some time, though she never said anything. Ryo wasn't as self-conscious about having his training being observed, though he would adamantly refuse if someone asked him to show his swordsmanship off. Him having no issue with one or two people coming to watch him train was not the same as making a public spectacle of his training. Lines had to be drawn somewhere.
Speaking of, he'd had both Garren and Barkos come to observe him a few times on the rare occasion that he didn't train in the early morning. By comparison to the rest of the village, Ryo and Veris were pretty early risers, so there was practically zero chance of someone finding him training in the morning. However, on the few occasions where one or both of the boys came to watch him train, Ryo had noticed differences in how they observed his swordsmanship.
Garren was dead silent throughout the session, his eyes watching Ryo's every move. Occasionally Ryo would catch him trying to mimic a move Ryo made a few times, seemingly considering the motion for a moment or two before he went back to watching Ryo. Barkos on the other hand, was not nearly so silent.
Barkos would interrupt Ryo in between sets to question him regarding certain motions out of curiosity, but also because he found some things that Ryo was doing to contradict what Barkos had read in a book of swordsmanship. Ryo found it mildly irritating, but there was also a small sense of satisfaction when he got to walk Barkos through the answer to his inquiry. Normally the problems arose from Barkos having read books that were meant for soldiers or nobles, whose styles and weapons didn't translate to his. He'd seen Barkos occasionally bring a small book with him and take notes after the first couple of times. Additionally, Ryo had asked Barkos to loan him a couple of the aforementioned books over the last two years to see if he could find anything of merit. He didn't find anything helpful when it came to actual moves, but he did improve his footwork after reading one of the books. If he weren't so close to being ready to move on, he probably would have kept working his way through Barkos's collection of books regarding swordplay.
"Leaving…" Ryo thought, a small knot beginning in his chest. Much as he knew that it would be irresponsible of him to stay in Woodfell longer than he needed to, he'd grown fond of this village in the woods. He'd found friends in Veris, Garren and Barkos, and had discovered a comfort and contentment in the day to day life here which he didn't want to abandon.
Still, Ryo knew that, much as he might want it, this wasn't the life for him. Eventually who and what he was would catch up with him in one form or another, and he didn't want the people of Woodfell to become collateral damage when it did. If he was being honest with himself, Ryo had probably put off leaving longer than he should have. If push came to shove, he probably could have purchased everything he needed quite some time ago and departed in about that time, but he'd held off with varying excuses; usually involving munny.
Ryo shook his head. Lamenting his procrastination wouldn't do him any good now. With the traders coming in a few days, he'd probably be able to purchase the last few items he needed. After that, he'd say his goodbyes and be on his way. No matter how painful it was, all good things must eventually come to an end.
Still, that was a few days away and he had work to do in the meantime. There was munny to be made, but before that there was breakfast to be eaten. Veruk would likely be just starting to stir by the time Ryo got back, which would leave him some time to find the list he'd written up of all the items he still needed before he began traveling, then to start working on breakfast. Since he and Veris were often awake and hungry well before Veruk woke up, they'd both quickly learned to prepare breakfast for everyone in the house, especially since at least one of them usually had an hour to kill before the other returned from practice; time that was best spent productively.
Emerging from the forest, Ryo hurried over to Veruk's house and quietly opened the front door and crept inside before he lightly stepped back to his room. He could hear Veruk snoring in his bed, but Ryo knew he was about thirty to forty-five minutes away from waking up, which meant that he needed to get to work.
After depositing his sword back in his room, he set about rummaging through the cupboards until he'd found everything he needed. He'd be making a simple oatmeal for breakfast. Quick, easy and a bit boring, but it got the job done. Grabbing one of the pots hanging from the wall, Ryo went outside again and out behind the house to collect water from a barrel. Once the pot was full enough he made his way back inside after collecting some firewood from the stack beside the house. After setting the pot on the stovetop, he opened up the large hunk of metal and stacked up the firewood inside before he grabbed a tinderbox from the kitchen and struck up a blaze. It would be some time before the water reached a boil, so he made sure the stove was clear and took a seat at the table while he waited for the water to heat up.
It took some time, but the water eventually reached a rolling boil, at which time Ryo removed the pot from the heat and added the white oats to the water and began stirring. As if on cue, Ryo heard a yawn from Veruk's room before he heard the creaking of wooden boards, indicating that the man had awoken and was getting ready for the day. He was pretty slow in the mornings, so it would probably be more than a few minutes until he came out for breakfast, which would probably be just enough time to get the table set. Opening the cabinets, he grabbed three bowls before moving on to the cutlery drawer before he was distracted by the front door creaking open. Ryo glanced over his shoulder to see Veris step inside.
"He's up." Ryo informed her before returning his attention to the drawer to collect the spoons. Veris wordlessly strode across the house to her room to deposit her mother's dancing equipment, returning just in time for Ryo to finish setting the table. As he began ladling oatmeal into the bowls, Veruk emerged from his room with a barely stifled yawn and a big stretch as he shuffled sleepily to the table. Ryo set the pot back on the stove and took a seat before digging in. After a morning of practice in the chilly woods, the hot food was the thing to get him ready for the rest of the day.
Breakfast was a quiet affair, as usual. Even if Veris and Ryo had the morning chill and exertion of training to wake them up, they were still tired and, moreover, hungry. The two of them quickly polished off their bowls before depositing them in the sink. It was Veruk's turn to do the morning dishes anyway. Speaking of Veruk, he always took his time with his food, and today was no exception. However, he seemed to be moving a little slower today. His gaze was elsewhere and his attention absent as he ate.
"Dad? Hey, dad?" Veris called to her father as she pulled on her boots, causing him to start, ever so slightly.
"Me and Ryo are heading out on jobs now. Is there anything we need to know before we go?" Veris asked the bearded man, who shook his head.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, no. Oh, you were planning on going to Bort's tonight with your friends though, right?" Veruk reminded them. Veris smacked her forehead.
"I thought I was forgetting something! Thanks for reminding us, dad!" Veris replied gratefully before stepping out the door, following a moment later by Ryo.
"So, are we looking at the quicker jobs, or do we look for something more lucrative?" Ryo asked his housemate as they strode through Woodfell to the job board.
"I'd say go for quantity over quality. The higher paying stuff isn't going to pay as highly right now, even though it takes the same amount of time." Veris decided. The two idly talked work and munny for a few more minutes until they reached the trade hall. Upon reaching the board, Ryo could see that there was a large number of requests for firewood. He and Veris glanced at each other before shrugging.
"Makes for a simple day of work." He commented as he took the listings and handed them to Veris.
"It's gonna take a few trips, so maybe go grab your sword." Veris suggested as she slipped them into a satchel she'd purchased a year and a half ago. Ryo nodded.
"Right. Snare defence." He recalled as they started back to the house to collect the blade. Veris snorted.
"I was more thinking to ward off those two, but sure, let's go with snare defence." Veris replied.
After retrieving the sword and wood axes, Ryo and Veris made their way down the road from Woodfell to the wood pile. Once they arrived, they opted to instead drag the sledges over to the stumps instead of cutting all the wood at once and risk sabotage of an unattended wood pile. The work took more than a few hours, with a lunch break in the middle of it all, but it went by much more quickly with company. Chatter between them was inconsistent but it was nonetheless there, often when they were taking breaks. The most often discussed topic was the traders, though that topic turned awkward really quickly when they both remembered how close Ryo was to leaving. The last few items that Ryo needed would, in all likelihood, be among the traders' wares and that meant he would be leaving some time after the traders had departed.
Eventually, the work was done, and the two teens were grateful for that. Their sore arms likely wouldn't have tolerated much more of the work. On the plus side, they'd earned a cool 750 munny between the two of them, evenly split for 375 munny each.
"Alright, I'm going to go for a dousing. You coming along, or are you gonna head back to the house to get ready?" Ryo asked Veris, who enthusiastically nodded.
"Yeah, I definitely need a dousing after all this, especially if we're going to Bort's." Veris replied before the two of them set off for a large building that was situated on the outskirts of Woodfell. It was referred to as the Douse House, as it was divided into two large rooms (marked by gender), both of which was divided further into many cubicles that each contained a large cauldron that hung eight feet above the ground. The cauldrons were filled with water warm enough that wafts of steam could be seen rising from the rim of the heavy metal pots. Attached to the cauldrons was a chain that would cause them to tip over, dousing anyone standing below the cauldron in its contents. Unsurprisingly, the Douse House was very popular in the community, which is why it had an admission fee if you wanted to use it. Setting aside how much munny it accrued from resident and visitor alike, it was also a necessity to ensure that the facility wasn't at capacity every single day. It's most common use by the citizenry was when there was an event, community or personal, that required one to be a little more presentable, hence why Ryo and Veris were paying the House a visit. That and it was a bit indulgent, which both teens felt they'd earned that day.
One dousing later the two were heading back to Veruk and Veris's home to get changed. Their current clothes were too dusty, not to mention dotted with woodchips.
"I wish we could get more than one dousing per visit, or even just make it last longer." Veris commented as they approached the front steps of the house.
"Well, someone'll probably figure it out eventually." Ryo replied as he opened the door and let Veris pass him across the threshold before following.
"So, when are we meeting Garren and Barkos again?" Ryo asked when he reached the door to his room.
"Pretty soon. We'll be meeting them outside Bort's." Veris answered before striding into her room and shutting the door. Ryo followed suit and strode over to his storage chest, opening up and retrieving a change of clothes before slipping out of the old set and into the new at a brisk pace. After taking a moment to appreciate the feeling of the clean clothes, Ryo stepped out of his room and took a seat at the table while he waited for Veris. The wait was only for a few minutes and Veris emerged from her room and looked out the window to check the time.
"Well, we got some time to kill until it's time to meet up with them. Should we just wait?" Veris asked. Ryo shrugged.
"Given how much running around we've done today, I'm happy to just sit here until dinner." Ryo replied as he adjusted his posture, trying to get more comfortable. Veris took a seat of her own, looking almost relieved to rest.
"I can't believe we get to actually go to Bort's this year. I thought I'd still be waiting on another birthday before Klaus would let me anywhere near the place." Veris suddenly said.
"Well, we still aren't allowed anywhere near the bar. Honestly, if the story behind the 'no minors' rule is to be believed, that's probably for the best." Ryo added. Veris winced when he mentioned the 'no minors' rule.
"Yeah… No matter how many times I hear the story, I still can't see how mutton and a pair of antlers could lead to that much damage." Veris muttered. The two talked for a little while longer about Bort's before they remembered the time and hurried out the door and down towards the town square. Given their rush, it wasn't long before their destination was in sight.
Bort's was probably the only original structure left from founding age of Woodfell. It was a well-maintained tavern that still bared the original owner's name, as he had been one of the founding citizens of Woodfell. That wasn't to say that the place hadn't changed in all those years. There'd been enough additions, repairs and updates to the place that there probably wasn't much of the original structure left, save a massive dead tree trunk that the structure had been built around. It had been lacquered and preserved so as to continue being the centerpiece for the tavern. Nowadays, the place was run by a man named Klaus; a heavyset man that was starting to go bald. Aside from owning the place, he also served as the bartender. Klaus was generally a very boisterous, enthusiastic person, though he was also very strict about the rules of his establishment, and failure to comply with those rules never ended well.
As they approached, Ryo could see both Garren and Barkos idly chatting while they waited for Ryo and Veris to arrive.
"Thank goodness you're both here! The smell was starting to get the better of us." Garren cried dramatically. Barkos rolled his eyes.
"You, maybe. You haven't stopped talking about going to Bort's ever since you overheard that he was going to try repealing that ban he put in place, at least for a while." Barkos replied dryly. Ryo winced as he once again recalled the story of the… incident that had prompted Klaus to institute that rule.
"Well, enough standing around! Let's get inside and grab a good table!" Garren declared before he began marching eagerly into the tavern. The group followed suit, stepping inside and started looking around in search of an open table. They lucked out and ended up finding a corner booth before anyone else could lay claim to it. Having settled into their seats, the group started chatting while they waited for someone to take their order.
"So, how was your day today? You and Veris were running jobs together, right?" Garren asked. Ryo nodded.
"Lots of wood-cutting today for some reason, not that I'm complaining. We earned 750 munny between the two of us." Ryo replied. Barkos whistled.
"Not a bad haul. I was out with Corvin today, checking the traps we laid out. We got some rabbits out of it, so it wasn't a bad run. Got 450 munny between the Ben and Victor, half of which goes to me." Barkos informed them in turn. Barkos had been training with Woodfell's best hunter, a man named Corvin, for a little over four years now and had learned more than a handful of tricks from the seasoned hunter. Setting aside his excellent abilities with the bow and arrow, he knew how to make several different types of snare and was a fair hand at tracking to boot.
"How's work in the shop going?" Veris asked Garren, who shrugged.
"It's been fine. We've mostly been working on small stuff like tool handles and more ornate stuff for the traders. Dad's really pushing to make as much munny from this visit as he can. Not sure why, though. It's not like we're hurting for dosh right now." Garren answered easily before a waitress arrived to take their orders.
"Speaking of the traders, anyone know what they'll be looking for when they arrive?" Garren asked as the waitress left with their orders.
"Books." Barkos immediately said, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Barkos had always had access to a vast number of books, due to his family being among those who had founded Woodfell and still held seats on the Town Council. Barkos' great grandfather had been a very successful merchant for many years before he suddenly retired from that life and left with all his munny to help lay the foundations for what would eventually become Woodfell.
"Honestly, not too sure. I guess I'm mostly just looking to be surprised. Maybe some fancy knife or something? You know, something to wear for special occasions." Garren thought aloud.
"Not sure what special events you'd wear a knife to, regardless of how nice it looks." Veris commented, getting an unconcerned shrug from Garren.
"Well, what are you hoping for?" Garren asked. Veris's face scrunched up in thought.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I could do with some new boots, but those are pretty uncommon to get from the traders. I could look into some new clothes, maybe? Something that can take a little more wear and tear…" She mused before she turned to Ryo, waiting for him to answer before she remembered their conversation from earlier.
"Hey, what's with the face?" Barkos asked Veris, who just sighed.
"Just remembered something." She replied in a voice indicating she was feeling down, which Ryo took as his cue. Despite how much he wished he didn't need to say it, it was probably better that he talk about it now, rather than when he was just on the cusp of departing.
"The last few things I need before I leave are all but guaranteed to be among the traders' stock, so once I buy them that means I'll basically be ready to leave." Ryo explained in a slightly melancholy voice. Garren and Barkos looked surprised for a moment before their faces fell.
"Wow… That's… It's actually gonna happen, huh…" Garren murmured as he stared at the table, his fingers fidgeting a bit.
"I'd almost forgotten you were planning on leaving at some point. It feels kind of unreal…" Barkos commented as he laced his own fingers together. Ryo nodded.
"Honestly, I probably could have left sooner. I kept finding excuses for not buying things or otherwise postponing preparations. I'm running out of excuses though." Ryo muttered as he stared into his glass of water. Garren looked at him in confusion.
"Well, if you don't wanna leave, why bother? You know that no one's counting the days until you take off, right? You could stay." Garren suggested hopefully, but Ryo shook his head.
"It's not that I want to leave. I just feel I need to leave. Don't get me wrong, I really do like it here. I enjoy all of your company a lot and I'd take having a mattress to sleep on over dirt and grass any day. I just can't shake the idea that I need to go somewhere else, wherever that may be." Ryo explained with a heavy sigh. He meant every word of it too, even if he'd left out a few details. It was better to not trouble them with the more dangerous side of things.
"You thought about where you'll go?" Veris asked, causing Ryo to sigh again.
"Honestly, no. I'll probably be playing it by ear, moving from town to town and restocking at I need." Ryo answered, even as he realized how dumb that sounded out loud. It was obvious that the others agreed.
"Travelling without even knowing where you wanna go? No offense, but that doesn't sound like a lot of fun." Garren commented to the agreeing nods of Veris and Barkos.
"There's gotta be some place you wanna visit at least once." Barkos pressed, but Ryo just shrugged.
"I'm not as educated about the world as you are. I don't know enough places I could visit to know if I want to go there." Ryo replied, suddenly feeling a small pang of regret that he hadn't spent more time researching the world and its peoples in the two years he'd sent in Woodfell.
"Wait, I know!" Veris suddenly exclaimed, drawing the eyes of her friends.
"You have an idea?" Ryo asked in invitation. Veris nodded.
"What if we all made a list of places for you to check out? We each pick one place and once you visit all of them, you come back here and tell us about them!" Veris suggested eagerly. Barkos and Garren were also enthusiastic about the idea, based on the wide grins that now stretched across their faces.
"I think that sounds like a great idea! Who knows? If all goes well for me, I might even be able to meet you at my choice!" Barkos agreed. Ryo was a bit more uncertain about the feasibility of such a task, but he couldn't deny the idea was tempting. Setting aside the loose structuring it would bring to his otherwise directionless journey, it gave him something to move towards in a figurative and literal sense.
"Well, anyone have some thoughts off the top of their head?" Ryo asked the others, who paused for a moment before they started suggesting stops on Ryo's upcoming journey.
"I've always wanted to go to Aznad one day. Have you heard about it?" Veris asked. Ryo shook his head.
"Only by name." He replied. Veris didn't look too surprised. In fact, she seemed even more eager to talk about the city.
"It's the biggest hub for the arts in the world! Stage dramas, dancing, singing, painting, sculpting, everything! Dad says he met my mom there after a performance in one of the lower theatres. Apparently she was pretty well-known in the lower levels of Aznad and was expected to eventually reach the upper levels." Veris explained, though Ryo was still a little confused.
"What does 'levels mean?" Ryo inquired. Veris, realizing she'd left out a bit of crucial information, looked sheepish for a moment before she backtracked a bit.
"So, Aznad is divided into several ascending levels that serve as a sort of ranking. Everyone gets their start at the bottom level and if they're shown to be talented and popular enough, they get invited to join theatres and workshops at higher levels. Wash rinse and repeat until you reach the top; If you reach the top. The shows and commissioned artwork get more expensive the higher you go." Veris clarified. Ryo could see how passionate she was about this city and the idea of seeing it with her own eyes one day.
"Well, I'm not sure I'll be able to justify seeing one of the shows, but it would be interesting to explore if I'm ever passing through the area." Ryo thought aloud before he turned to Garren.
"Anywhere in particular you've always wanted to go?" Ryo asked the larger teen, who frowned as his eyes squeezed shut in thought.
"I mean, I've thought of a few places where they train soldiers and knights, but nothing specific…" He replied before his eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Wait, I think I've got one. You ever heard of Radiant Garden?" Garren asked, only to get a negative head shake from Veris and Ryo.
"It's a pretty recent and isolated city, but according to what I've heard from the traders, it's one of the most beautiful cities in history! It also has built a reputation for producing great heroes!" Garren explained. Ryo looked at Garren strangely.
"I kind of thought you'd be gushing about it even more. I mean, it doesn't sound like you've given up the dream." Ryo noted, only for Garren to shrug.
"I've kind of moved past it by now. I mean, I'm almost a man now and I don't have the training or capital I'd need to actually train at one of these places." Garren explained, though he still sounded a bit wistful. Ryo smirked.
"Oh, is that why I saw you swinging around a whittled stick in a similar manner to my own training?" Ryo asked pointedly, to which Garren suddenly looked mortified while both Veris and Barkos suddenly had their hands at their mouths to cover the shock, then snickers of laughter at Garren's sudden mortification.
"Uh.. um… Barkos, where would you like to go?" Garren suddenly asked in an obvious and desperate attempt to direct attention away from Ryo's little jab. Fortunately for him, Barkos was all too willing to accommodate.
"My first pick has to be Oxos, though Aznad could be a close second for the poetry." Barkos stated. His choice was hardly surprising. Barkos's thirst for knowledge was widely known, and Oxos having evolved over time into a city famed for its libraries, universities and laboratories was also widely known. Ryo had heard Barkos talk at length about Oxos before and while he wasn't super interested in the academia side of things, Ryo couldn't deny his curiosity was piqued when Barkos mentioned the more… arcane research that was supposedly conducted within the city limits. While he had plenty of knowledge regarding magic already, it was limited in scope. It would serve him well to have a wider grasp of the many forms of magic practiced in the world.
The four of them would have continued talking further about Ryo's upcoming departure had the food not arrived mere minutes later. The moment their eyes met their plates and the smells wafted into their noses, all conversation was halted as the graciously thanked the waitress and tucked into the food with impressive gusto. There was no conversation as they each savored the tavern's incredible cooking, something they'd had hints of during the seasonal festivals celebrated in Woodfell. Having a proper meal of it now though was something entirely different.
"Okay, that's worth a generous tip." Ryo declared as he finally set down his knife and fork.
"Absolutely. This was soooooo worth it…" Veris agreed as she leaned back in her seat with a contented sigh.
"We definitely need to do this again before you leave." Garren decided as his own cutlery clattered to the plate.
"Yeah, this is definitely how we're sending you off. The moment you have a date for when you're leaving, you've gotta let us know so we can come here one more time before you go." Barkos told Ryo as he set down his cutlery. Ryo nodded.
"Will do. I'm not leaving until I've come back here at least one more time." Ryo promised. They all spent a few more minutes gushing about the amazing food before the waitress arrived once more with the bill, which was promptly paid with aforementioned generous tip. They were quick to leave afterwards, not wanting to take up the table too long since who knows who was waiting for a seat. The sun was just finishing it's descent below the horizon as they stepped out of Bort's, which made for quite the view with the treeline. It looked as if the sky itself had been set ablaze with red and orange flames, with the clouds being cast in a contrasting pink hue. Ryo paused as he looked up at the sky, drinking the natural beauty of it in, with the view occasionally being disrupted by a bat flitting about overhead.
"I wonder if there'll be anywhere else out there with sunsets like this." Ryo wondered aloud, prompting the other three to look up at the sky with him.
"Well, I guess that's one more thing you can tell us when you get back." Veris suggested as the skies continued to darken.
"Yeah…" Ryo murmured, though his heart wasn't quite in it. Despite the idea of his friends making him a list of places to visit before coming back to visit, he wasn't optimistic that he'd ever get that chance.
Eventually the red and orange skies turned to dark blue as they were dotted with stars. The night sky brought a sense of familiarity and comfort to Ryo, but it also marked how late it was becoming and the fatigue that was setting into his bones.
"Well, I think it's time to turn in." Ryo decided before he turned to Garren and Barkos.
"Have a good sleep. See you in the morning." He told them in farewell before he and Veris waved and began their way back to the house.
"See ya tomorrow!" Garren called after them as he and Barkos went their separate ways back to their own homes. Ryo and Veris reached the house without incident and said their good nights before they went to their respective rooms. As Ryo settled into his bed and shut his eyes, he couldn't help but smile a bit. Regardless of the few downer moments, it had been a good day. Hopefully, the remainder of his time in Woodfell would be as good or better.