#meowlise

[abdostoryblog-blog]

Remember

Getting up in my old house sure feels great! Sun was shining through the windows, the silky touch of the fine bed sheets my mom had, the smell of the strawberries in the house … I feel well rested finally. I talked with my mother and told her I will be around Velia for a bit, but I still have to continue my journey as I feel I will discover more about my past 5 years that I missed. Of course, I could just stay here and live a peaceful life like before, no troubles, just forgetting that something happened, but I ain’t quite that kind of person … I am curious and I never quit! Had a refreshing morning as I went to see the crops my mother was taking care of, helped her a bit with some work and continued my search for a well-polished sole for Severo … with no luck though. I ended up killing loads of animals, and only 2 days ago I was crying over a Fox I had to murder. Is this the effect of Black Spirit? Am I starting to not value life itself so much anymore? At least I am going to put their dead bodies to use, make some hides and sell them to the villagers. Although my mother told me that I have quite some silver she kept it for me and also some from my dead father (along plenty of objects), I still want to know that I do things by myself.

So I went close to the coast to watch the sun rise from beneath the sea… I sure missed these blue hues and I am glad I can see them again!

Continuing my journey, I was told to meet a cute Shai just near the coast of Velia … and even though I used to know everybody around here, it was a surprise for me to get to know somebody new. She told me to go and talk to Alustin the alchemist …. Alustin … that old man, is still alive?

I took a deep breath, watched the horizon, smelled the salty and fresh air and let the sea breeze gently touch my face… I missed you Velia!

Along the coast, I couldn’t help myself and as old habits die hard, I checked the drying fish racks near Crio to see what I can get … for free! When I was a kid, I was always doing this, having the impression that Crio never noticed but he just let me do whatever I wanted… I was just having fun!

Meeting with Alustin and so many people from town sure can be exhausting especially after you’ve gone missing for a few years… He was impressed and amazed that I was not consumed by the Black Spirit and suggested I should continue my journey and travels. He sent me to visit Igor Bartali, and even if he may not be my favorite person, I went and checked out what’s happening.

Igor was never fond of me, or better said, he didn’t like the rukus I was doing when I was a kid. But seeing that I am all grown up, maybe we can put aside our small conflicts and work towards getting my memories back. He used to be an adventurer himself, but after he became the chief of Velia, he couldn’t do much towards that anymore. His wife must have been happy, as she was always disapproving whenever he started telling one of his long experienced stories.

He told me to meet with Ernil, as now I will have access to a personal storage box and check out with Tachros, the skill instructor, for some advices regarding combat.

He is this big guy … trust me, he is huge, no wonder he won so many fights in his life. We talked about some combat techniques and, because I guess this day is all about meeting old and new friends, he sent me to Eileen.

Now, Eileen and me used to be friends when we were teenagers. Not the best ones, but we did use to hang out here and there. She was nothing special to me, she was the typical “normal” girl I might say. She wouldn’t join us whenever we were doing something “wrong” but she was never against it either. No wonder she is just a small vendor today. She used to hang out more with Bartali’s daughter, Emma, and it was no surprise that she gave me a necklace for her … Apparently Emma has been having all sorts of nightmares lately and this might help her. I might be a bit mean here, but I guess she deserves them, she was a huge bitch back in the days just because her father was and still is important…

We are all grown up now though, so there is not point holding anymore grudges. However, I will check on Emma later, as I have to kill (oh yes, more) some creatures for various items . Need to help Eileen with some Parasitic Bees, Tachros with Stoneback crabs and Weasel Tails for Alustin.

It wasn’t much of a hard work, I am getting better and better in combat and some small creatures won’t pose a threat to me … well, yes, the crabs were kinda big and tough to kill them just with two cuts, but still, I didn’t feel like I could die…

After I delivered the items, I told myself that I deserve a “prize”, so I went to the Tavern and had some drinks. Loads of lovely people, new adventurers mostly. Drank at least 5-6 beers, danced on the bard’s music and at some point I blacked out …

…but no worries, woke up on the table in the tavern, with just a tiny bit amount of drool coming from my mouth, thinking I am still pretty decent I can still do this at only 5 PM.

I went to the central market, sold some of the things I had with me and Shiel asked me to help him with some Iron Ore. This request came in perfectly as I was thinking anyway to do something chill. So I went at Fleme Hills to gather some and also enjoy the view.

Coming back in town, I found several villagers having fun, dancing and chanting songs, as two musicians from the north were visiting Velia and delighted us with their music. And you know me, I am not going to back off from anything related to having a good time, so I joined them, making sure to put my good voice to good use!

I would not mind living a life like this, entertaining people and travelling from city to city…

On my way back home, I decided to watch the sunset from the Training Grounds, why not, I can enjoy my last day of peace with some warm rays. It is all empty now and nobody is here, but I can almost see phantoms of the past around this place and remember how everything used to be…

This place will just remain as a good memory in my mind and I know it will never be the same…

But I am going to discover new places, new adventures, new people, new friends, new … everything! Yes, past was great, and all the melancholy is sure comforting ‘till you realise that we are all living in the present and it is the future that is ahead of us. I am going to create new memories to look back to and I will do my best to enjoy them!

[abdostoryblog-blog]

The Beginning

As the night is getting closer, more and more travellers are to be found in camps and cities, and I was always a social butterfly, but I guess they are not so talkative. I guess they all have their worries and maybe they do not have time to relax a bit and have a chat… I hope that the people in Velia will still remember me. I miss my friends from there.I will begin first by introducing myself and sharing a bit of my background. I am Arilisu, a 28 year female, born in a mediocre family, but with a great intellect. My mother was a skilled warrior in her early days, then she met my father and she quit her dangerous life to take care of our cute house in Loggia Farm and tend the crops. My father was a skilful trader and managed to put the basis of a small business… he had as friends some interesting characters, or this is what I remember since I was a child. He was mostly gone with his trading and sometimes going on adventures, but he wasn’t a skilled combatant like my mother. However, one night, someone knocked at our door back home and told us that he was found dead in the forest near the main road to Heidel…. And told that he was probably killed by thieves that sometimes steal from wandering people…. It does not make any sense to me, as he was a good man with no real enemies, so his death is still shrouded in mystery…

However I spent most of my life helping my mother and having fun with my friends. I also took up some combat skills from Itai (my mother) as she taught me some of her moves… she always said to me that I have that special something inside me.

One day I woke up though out of nowhere near the Forest of Seclusion with this tiny little black spirit talking to me and giving helpful advices …. I can’t seem to remember much about the recent past… the only memory I had was when I was saying goodbye to my mother as I was on my way to Velia to meet a friend…

There were plenty of other people “appearing” out of nowhere next to me, all talking with their own black spirit … I tried asking them what is happening, but no one seemed to care, maybe they were worried about themselves too.

I was sent to do some tasks and I had to kill Grey Foxes …. These cute little animals I used to play with when I was a kid, I had to slaughter some of them to proceed forward in my journey…. I got sent to the Ancient Stone Chamber to speak with Edan and I can’t believe I lived so many years not knowing about these wonderful artifacts that were so close to me!

Even though the place was in ruins (seriously?) I could feel a strong energy wanting me to go deeper and search for more. I saw all these skeletons, all this statues and runes …. No wonder the soldiers guarding this place are not getting bored… there is always something new to discover.

I finally reached the Ancient Stone Chamber where Edan was expecting me. My head started to hurt a bit and my heart was pounding pretty fast… I could feel the energy, or something burning inside me, flowing inside me, trying to reach out, but I was trying to keep calm as I wanted to know what he wants from me and how I can be of aid.

They “saw” my black spirit … or they felt it. They told me that I am contaminated and I should get rid of it as soon as possible. They wanted to separate us, but the Black Spirit started absorbing the energy from the chamber, getting more intense until he froze time for a few seconds… It was just me and him moving in this timeless space, I could feel the rush even stronger inside me and that is when he grew a bit bigger and everything went back to normal… He told me that we will take care of each other … and to be honest, I trust him. Edan told me that Red Nose, the imp, stole a piece of the artefact and his powers grew stronger, attacking everybody in it’s way… he sent me to discover more about the Black Spirit and about Red Nose to Feinia and Cliff, with some more killing on the side, this time, the poor tree spirits that just want to be left alone in the forest… 

As I put my foot out of this forest, I was surprised and shocked to see a cruelsome battlefield between the imps and the humans, each trying to give its best, each with their own motive… I took the side of the humans and I helped them recover some goods from a lost Wagon the imps destroyed….

Guess all this killing is making me worthy to reach Cliff, the captain, who is looking for adventurers/mercenaries to do its killing jobs and send me to Red Nose…

I had to take my time and commemorate the lost lives…. They might have attacked us, but imps are still souls in this living world, whether we like it or not. Yes, I did kill this body, but the path of becoming a great warrior is to also acknowledge your fights and your enemy’s right to live…

After killing those poor tree spirits and killing more imps, I guess it was enough to earn Captain Cliff’s trust so I can get to know more about everything that is happening. I was invited to meet him at his tent in the Western Guard Camp… I hope that I can at least get some rest here and find something to eat as I am starving from all of these things that happened in less than a day!

I managed to get some rest in his tent and enjoyed the moment a bit as he was busy with other travellers when I arrived. I was invited to take a seat and enjoy a nice warm meal: a great vegetable soup with some grilled vegetables and a nice steak. I also tried one of their famous cheese! And It was tasty indeed!

I managed to meet with Cliff, finally, and he congratulated me for helping with the imp problem. However, there is still more of this to come so he sent me to meet with the Blacksmith to get some better gear.

As I left his tent, I said to myself there is no point in rushing, so I took my time to explore the camp more and found this lovely vendor lady that let me search through her potion boxes and I found 2 health ones! The great thing is that I didn’t have to pay for them, which kinda reminds me … I am kinda broke so maybe I should start doing some more jobs around here… However I seem to get closer to Loggia, where my mother lives, but my memories are still gone. What have I done in the past? How long have I been missing? And why do I feel like I have to strength to do everything?

I also took a moment to take a look over the field …. So much blood and so many dead bodies …. It is awful what is going on here …

Miguel, the Blacksmith, was a really nice guy and he helped me repair my equipment. He also said that I can buy gear from him should I ever need, but I guess for now I am just fine. I seem to sometimes get a piece of armor or gear whenever I am completing a quest, besides the silver I am making, and not to add, the experience I get! We had a few drinks in the sun and he sent me to speak with Feinia for more info about what I will have to do. And yes, it involves more Imp killing.

As I was going through the Western Guard Camp, I met the Stable Keeper and he told me I looked like my father…. I was very curious what was happening so I talked to him a little bit more about this subject. He wasn’t one of my father’s friends, but he knew him as my father was sometimes coming here for trading and to meet with old friends. From what the stable keeper told me, my father knew even Cliff, so I guess the apple is not far from the tree J He told me that my father had helped him with a horse once but he never managed to pay him back. So he gave me one of his young horses, Gold, for free, because he appreciated my father. I guess I am pretty lucky today because all these walking and running will get me tired soon! And this cute horse will surely help me in my travels! It is a good thing my mother owned several, and she still has her best one, Pipi, with her, so I know at least the basics of owning a horse! I am probably sure he will become my best friend!

As I was on my way to Incas, a Node Manager I was sent to check up on him and see if he needs any help, I met a weird couple(?), a human and a shai, the last one being depressed and sitting in the middle of the road. I later found out they have a weird fetish and a dom/sub relationship, with the shai being hired to fulfil the human’s desires, and to be pretty straightforward, the shai was hired to eat ass.

Guess a lot of things happen in this world, no?

Incas was a lovely guy, although, the same as other people that give me tasks or quests, he needed my help to kill some more imps and 2 imp altars. Seeing one was pretty extraordinary as I never thought how they would imagine and celebrate their “spiritual life”. Now back on my way to the camp, and this time, by foot, as I forgot to bring my horse with me. Well, I guess walking isn’t that bad…

As the night is getting closer, more and more travellers are to be found in camps and cities, and I was always a social butterfly, but I guess they are not so talkative. I guess they all have their worries and maybe they do not have time to relax a bit and have a chat… I hope that the people in Velia will still remember me. I miss my friends from there.

One last glimpse over the battlefield before I will head to get some nice sleep here. The scenery is beautiful and I always enjoyed nature. I am proud of being a Lahn, just like my mother used to be and I hope I will find more about the recent events in my past.

Had a few drinks before going to bed, guess this was all for my first day in this journey. And yes, I do like making sexy poses sometimes! I will head to sleep in this nice comfy bed and I will get ready for tomorrow, a new day full of adventures!

[abdostoryblog-blog]

Encounter

(yawn) … and another day started in my adventure! I can’t seem to remember everything I’ve done last night, but, boy, it did feel good having a bit of fun… however I still need to figure out where I am and all of the weird things happening to me, but waking up in another’s person bed is not the best way to do that. Apparently I spent the night inside Jarette’s tent, nothing in particular happened, but I can sense she has a thing for me ever since I met her yesterday near the Forest of Seclusion. With all these being said, we enjoyed a nice breakfast together, had some laughs and I went on my way as I haven’t finished dealing with Red Nose.

Giddy up and let’s go and visit Tiny Nose as he might have some info about Red Nose … wait, what is happening with all these names? Couldn’t they figure out better ones? Anyway, even though I saw my mother all my life taking care of her horses, riding one sure gets tiring at some point. Or maybe I am doing something wrong?

Managed to reach the Imp Cave where I did meet with Tiny Nose giving me some clues about what is going on. On my way out, I saw and met Uno, he is helping Edan with his research regarding this “black energy” or “black spirit” or whatever you want to call it. He was surprised seeing how well I am considering Red Nose was engulfed in all darkness and became the monster that he is today…

No world is peaceful enough unfortunately. And as much as I want to stop taking any lives, regardless of them being innocent or not, it seems like fate doesn’t let me do this. I guess this is how this world works, killing is something on a daily basis and I should start saying goodbye to the lost peaceful days of the past where I was avoiding somehow the harsh contact with reality. I can feel it in my blood, in my bones, the urge to fight and succeed. I was sent to kill a huge number of steel imps so I can learn more about their leader, Red Nose. There were other adventurers there, all slaughtering the imps, resulting in a massive bloodshed.

This Black Spirit seems more and more satisfied whenever I do killing jobs and I show off my strength … btw, when did I become so powerful?

Tiny Nose made its appearance and he was brave enough to tell me something important about Red Nose … The reason he was engulfed in darkness was because he also had a red nose like him and everybody was making fun of … that poor creature just wanted to have some confidence, but unfortunately he was weak and he got consumed by all the hatred …. The Black Spirit said he found a way we could summon and defeat him once and for all, so I activated the portal and tested my strength…

He was … huge! An immense monster, bursting of hatred and strength, blinded by darkness and killing everything in its sight! His huge hands were smashing the ground, one hit and you could die…. A showcase of power… a sad one though as he became like this just to stop being bullied… His soul has no rescue anymore, so I had to do my best to defeat him! I was amazed to see how fast my reaction skills were, how fast I was moving and slicing through his thick skin. Blood was splattering everywhere, you could hear his painful roar. He was not quick enough for me and that killed him. I almost ran out of breath at the end of the fight, still trying to figure out how did I manage this … how was I so powerful….

A Mysterious Knight appeared in front of me, not talking too much and just blessed me? How can I describe this sensation … God, I never thought I would ever use this term, “to bless”…. I felt like I could learn things faster, like my mind was more open and I was paying more attention to my surroundings.

This definetly makes 2 weird encounters, Red Nose and the Mysterious Knight.

Not far from this colossal battle, there was Cliff, waiting with the soldiers and congratulating me for everything that I have done … and then.. he said the magic words. He told me to go to Loggia Farm as there are more matters to attend there… my home, my place, my childhood, my mother…. I can finally reach them …. To be honest, I had no idea I was  getting so close. But as much as I want to do this, I have to finish some business around here before I can move on. I promised yesterday to Incas, the Node Manager I would go to the place he told me to go – the Coastal Cliff – and look for his friend. Yes, I am going to do one more task before heading back home!

This is not my first time here. I knew this area, I used to come here when I was a kid, playing with my friends, looking at the vast sea, the mountains, all these shades of blue. It was always a calming scenery, a soothing landscape, and maybe today, more soothing than ever. I was feeling peaceful.

I met with Andrei, Incas’s friend, a friendly guy, a bit of a loner I might add, but he told me some nice stories about the area. He also asked for my help clearing an area of imps, just around his small little camp (oh yes, more killing!) so I did it.

I have to admit, the imps are not much of a challenge for me now, but I got scared when I saw a huge Stoneback Crab walking towards me and attacking me! That thing was huge and tough but I used some of my special moves and killed it…. Oh poor, crab, why did you have to attack me? I had nothing to do with you … I am sorry, it was just self-defense ….

After clearing the imps, I found a nice altar, hidden between some trees. Everything felt so calm, the details in the carved stones were amazing! I chose not to believe in any gods, I am my own God and I empower myself through the choices I make in life. I believe in a force, in a creating act, but I also believe we are all capable of manipulating it. These findings, these small little details make me stop and breathe. Feel the wind, hear the birds singing, hearing the leaves as they dance through the air. These moments make me feel more alive. I will surely remember this spot and I will visit it more often.

Now on my way back to Incas to tell him the news about his friend. We had a nice chat, had a beer in the ardent sun and was sent to meet Jamie in the Camp to let him now that the imps are becoming quite a big problem for trading.

I took a picture with him just for one reason: to definitely avoid him. He seemed a rude guy, although I think he is the brother of the blacksmith? I mean, I do not know for sure, but they do have similar traits. He told me he can’t do much for Incas and then he tried to offer me some Fried Vegetables … better said, inviting me for dinner.

His eyes were greedy. I freaked out a bit and left.

What a creep!

I took a last walk through the Camp before heading to Loggia. This time, it seemed like more adventurers were here. I met a lovely girl that showed me how I can dry things, like hides or food, so I thank her for that. I knew some of that stuff myself, but it is better to get more tips.

Fate toyed with me a bit and I saw one of the cutest guys ever around here. Pity he didn’t even look at me or reply. Oh well, glad I will soon be back home, sit in my comfy bed and start thinking about …. Damn, I need to be focused!

I also met another Lahn warrior, we had a nice chat, I told her about my mother and how she taught me a bit of her fighting styles. She didn’t tell me anything about her family, but she was nice enough to have a real chat! I wished her luck in her journeys and I hope I can meet her again!

Now back to Loggia, back to the past. I wonder what my mother is doing, I wonder what the neighbours and villagers around are doing, I want to know everything! Severo was so happy to see me coming back, he said everybody was worried about me, some would think that I was even dead! I was missing for 5 years, but somehow for me, it felt like only 2-3 days have passed. He told me that my mother always thought I am alive and that she would tell everybody that I will come back one day …. Well, this day arrived! I am back home!

Oh wait… she is not home? Guess she is in Velia with some business. I am going to help Severo with some tasks meanwhile, I have to help him finding some well polished soles? I will need a tanning knife for this, so I will be heading to Velia to get some. I don’t want to hang out there too much, I want to catch up with my mom first and then see my friends, but I do hope everybody is alright!

Not much has changed in the city! Same faces, a couple of new ones, but when I went to the merchant to buy the stuff I need, it was a surprise to see Zaaira over there! She used to be one of my best friends, we were always getting in trouble for “exploring” too much. We always liked to discover new things, we would always go together in the forests and around the farms. Sometimes we were even stealing grapes and try to make our own wine! I am glad I see her, not much has changed for her, she took over the business her family had so she can’t do all the things she used to do before. We had a nice bottle of wine over there (she closed the shop temporarly, all for me) and I told her I was heading back to Loggia.

We talked about the past and about our childhood, she asked where I’ve been all these years and I was honest and told her I had no idea what happened… I am still looking for the answers myself. She always thought I have the guts to do bold and daring things, otherwise we would have never been friends! And that is true! I mean … let’s say she was always the black sheep in our group!

I completely forgot that the holiday season was at this time, guess I got too tangled in my own problems. Hey, at least my return is a wonderful gift for everybody that knows me! I wouldn’t be able to afford buying presents too much anyway! I am currently still a poor adventurer.

Gathering that particular Well Polished Sole is quite a pain, but I am getting hides I can later process them and try to give them to the villagers here. I am sure they will put them to good use. Sometimes we have to kill in order to survive, and even though I believe in a communion between humans and animals, it is a necessary evil, to kill. The animals are restoring the balance anyway, with bears killing us in return.

I didn’t have any success in finding this rare trading item, but tomorrow is another day. It is getting darker and I really want to catch up with Itai(my mother). I took a picture with the “well of wonders” in front of our place. I always wanted to know what is deep down inside of it when I was a child. I thought there would be monsters and a treasure. Well, now it is a landmark in my pictures. Funny how aging up changes our way of thinking.

Entering my old house was … comforting. Most of the things were the same as I left, but I could see that there were more flowers, more fruits, more … everything! I guess my mother did pretty well while I was gone and didn’t give up on working. The smell of the wooden chairs and tables, the smell of the fresh strawberries was filling the room. It was not a big place, but it was home. It was always home. We never needed more, we had everything we wanted…. The stove was on when I entered, it is clearly that my mother was cooking ….

…and there she was, sitting on the bed, after a hard day of working. She is as strong as I remembered, imposing and beautiful!

She would never cry. I never saw her cry. But I could see how her eyes were getting wet when I looked at her. She was happy. I was also happy.

I was home.

I told her everything that I knew, what happened, how I do not remember anything… She told me about her struggles and how worried she was for me. But deep inside her heart she knew I will be fine and come back one day. She made quite some money with her farming and trading and I also found out my father left some “treasures” around… she will give them to me, to put them to good use. She felt proud and she told me I could be the warrior she never was … and it is funny, because 10 years ago I would never think about this. But now… I feel it!

I ate some of my favorite dishes, had some beers, it was joy in our house. We stayed up until late, we laughed and talked. I guess we both knew that I have a journey ahead of me and these moments won’t be shared so often. So we took our time to catch up. We both knew I was not a small girl anymore. We both knew I do have a future, and not just an ordinary one…

So thank you mom for trusting and believing in me.

I can now lay my head peacefully on my pillow, smell your scent and dream about the adventures of tomorrow.