Hey, guys! Welcome back to Hear a Tale! First things first - reviews!
Thanks so much to CitrusChickadee for reviewing! I've always had a soft spot for Therion and Primrose, haha, so while shipping won't be an overly prominent focus of these stories, I can safely say that there'll be more of them where that came from ;)
With that, on with the tale!
Relevant Events: Before Tressa, Alfyn, Ophilia, and Olberic's Chapter Ones
3. Light
Some travelers thrive in the light…
()()()()
The merchant threw open the door to her family's shop, breathing in deeply as the salty sea air furled in. She took a brief moment to straighten the feather in her cap, then tossed a farewell to her parents over her shoulder and strode out into the daylight.
The sun was a strong, constant presence in the Coastlands, though the cool ocean breeze prevented its heat from becoming too unbearable. As the merchant made her way through the town, the bright smiles of the people she passed lifted her own spirits. It was truly a beautiful day for trading.
She conducted her business swiftly and effectively, acquiring not only a profit of leaves, but also plenty of new wares for her parents to sell at the shop. The merchant was persistent, but always fair, constantly keeping an eye out for the best bargains for both her and her customers.
As she walked back home to drop off her spoils, she removed a coin from her pouch, tossing it up into the air and watching as it spun and glinted in the afternoon sunlight. With a grin, she caught it again and stepped up onto the bridge in the middle of town. There, she paused, gazing out across the glistening ocean waves.
A strange sort of yearning tugged at the merchant's heart as her eyes swept across the horizon. She loved her hometown and her family's store, but she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to travel beyond the only home she had ever known. She dreamed of selling her own wares all across the continent, ever moving towards new horizons, trekking sometimes towards where the dusk fell and sometimes towards where the dawn rose.
One day, she thought, she would venture out and chase the sun.
()()()()
The apothecary hummed lightly to himself as he picked through clusters of herbs beside a gently burbling river. The early morning sun reflected off of the rippling water, creating a glittering dance of light upon its ever-shifting surface. The town of Clearbrook had been well-named, for the waters that flowed through and around it were as clean and clear as they came.
A clean water source was important for all sorts of folks, of course, but it was doubly so for a man of medicine trying to take care of them all. Wounds had to be cleaned to ward off infection, certain herbal remedies had to be mixed with water, and sick patients were practically always in need of a nice, cool drink. None of that would be possible if the river was clogged and murky.
As such, the apothecary was thankful for the way the light cut straight through the water to the stones at the bottom, and the fact that the waterway hardly ever ran dark with any dirt or debris. Whether it was from some natural phenomenon or a blessing from Dohter the Charitable, the river was practically the lifeblood of the town it cut through.
He stood, placing the herbs he had gathered into his satchel and gazing across the water with a grin. Nothing was more fulfilling for him than keeping his people happy and healthy. He too had once been given a second chance at life, having been narrowly pulled free of the jaws of grave illness by a kind, charitable soul. It was the least he could do to use his own medicinal talents to do the same for the townspeople by the river.
Of course, the apothecary knew that there were people in need all across the continent, and that his skills would be just as valuable out there as they were within the borders of his hometown. As the days wore on, he often found himself wondering whether he should one day leave home and travel to far off towns, doing whatever he could to treat any sick or wounded people he happened to come across. Granted, if he became a traveling apothecary, he would probably be forced to start charging for his services if he wanted to actually sustain himself, but the idea of spreading his treatments far and wide was an appealing one.
Until that day came, however, he was content to remain at home, accepting payment only in the form of the bright smiles of his freshly healed patients.
()()()()
The cleric knelt before the Sacred Flame, her hands clasped and her head bowed in reverence. The Flame's azure light danced through the cathedral, washing the polished floors and stone walls in its ethereal glow. Though she had spent most of her life visiting the Flame on a daily basis, the cleric still found herself awestruck by its beauty.
Once her prayers had finished, she lifted her head and stared into the fire, a soft smile coming to her lips. It had been nearly fifteen years since she had come to stay at the cathedral, and it was often hard for her to believe how far she had come out of her shell since then.
The cleric could vividly recall days on end of staying shut up in her room with the curtains drawn, wallowing in darkness, silence, and grief. She had stained her pillow with countless tears, at least until her eyes refused to produce them for any longer. After that, she would merely sit mutely in the corner or curl up under her blankets, unwilling to face a world in which her parents no longer resided.
Little had she known, however, that in losing one family, she would gain another.
The archbishop and his daughter had been her Sacred Flame. They had brought the light back to her eyes and the warmth back to her heart. They had pulled her out of her own head and back into the world, all so that she could finally begin to heal. They were her light, and she was endlessly grateful for everything they had done for her. As such, she considered herself willing to do practically anything for them in return.
So, for their sakes, the cleric would never let her mind succumb to darkness again, and the Flame would ever light her path.
()()()()
The warrior swung his sword, watching the blade flash in the sunlight as it struck that of his opponent's weapon. It was far from a strenuous fight - only a training session for one of the village's watchmen - so his mind tended to wander as his muscle memory took over the familiar steps and sword swipes.
Several long years had passed since the war that had stolen both king and country from the warrior. Back then, it had seemed to him that all was lost, and that the veil of darkness that shrouded his heart would never again be lifted. More times than he preferred to admit, he had half-considered falling upon his own sword, laying the Unbending Blade to rest with its kingdom once and for all.
Yet despite it all, he still lived, and the sun still rose and set each and every day, just the same as it had in his homeland. In time, he had stumbled upon a new home, with new people to protect and train in the art of combat. It was hardly the same, but then, he never expected it to be. He had managed to find some semblance of contentment in this small village, yet his eyes still remained shadowed by the past.
He had technically found a new purpose for himself, but was it truly enough? True, he greatly appreciated the villagers' kindness and hospitality, and had no problem repaying them in turn with his swordsmanship, but he still often found himself gazing at the horizon, questioning whether or not he could ever be satisfied with the life he had awkwardly slipped into here.
To what end did he swing his blade? The question practically tortured him through all his waking hours, yet with every day that slowly crept past, he came no closer to finding an answer. He felt restless, bound to the village by his sense of honor, but ever longing for something more fulfilling. His eternal, silent prayer was that a time would come when the sun's rays would finally break through the clouds within his mind and provide him with just the epiphany he needed.
Perhaps one day, the warrior would finally come across a reason for his eyes to light with flames once more.
See you guys next week for Tale 4: Dark!