Adventurer Series 1: The Fairy

Chapter 7: Snowdonia

"Kurtis, I just remembered, you told me you had a brother." I said, breaking the silence that was accompanying us. "What's he like?"

Kurtis hesitated to speak for a moment, as if he was searching for his words. "Eh...he's older than me, for one. I think he'd be about 28 years old now."

"And how old are you?"

"21." After I acknowledged his reply, Kurtis continued. "My brother, Karl was a...strange man. He was very kind and caring when he was younger, but in the later years, he kind of...well I don't know what happened to him. Maybe he lost himself. Maybe he got bored of living in the village he grew up in. All I know is that he left home as soon as he was old enough to so that he could be a bounty hunter. I never saw him again, but I do hear about him from the guild houses I've visited and from conversations between the United Army's staff and soldiers. As far as I can tell, he's doing well for himself."

"How long has it been since you've last seen him?" Hearing about Kurtis' brother reminds me of my home. I've only been gone for a week, yet I wish I could go back and see the things I left behind; especially Eita.

"I haven't seen him for about twelve years." Kurtis was slightly solemn at this statement. "What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Well I have one older sister. Her name's Eita. She's bossy and acts like she's my mother...but looking back, she held my interests close to heart. If I had listened to her, I would've been an official companion instead of what I am right now."

"Well, Karl was the same too. Even in his later years when he grew bitter, he still retained his mindset as a caretaker. It was always his style to help people in need, but he always said he was limited by his lack of strength."

"I think I'd like to get to know him."

"No, you wouldn't."

The journey to Snowdonia was not a long one; the only reason it felt so long was because we had frequently stopped at the villages that were scattered around the land. At all these villages, we asked for directions, bought new gear, stayed for a night, and then resumed our journey immediately. We had very little run-ins with monsters or other creatures, with the exception of some elves and goblins that had taken residence in some of the villages we visited, and our moods generally improved. Soon, after another week of traveling, we had finally reached Snowdonia. The village we stayed at was comparatively large compared to the others we visited before; Kurtis joked that it would take another week just to see all the sights.

"We're finally here, Pixie. This is Snowdonia." Kurtis said in relief.

"Great! Now where's this sword you were looking for?"

"Well I was going to ask for directions. A village like this would have stories about Excalibur; at least, I think it should."

Once again, Kurtis showed his tendency for inadequate planning.

All the villagers had the exact same, if not similar, story regarding Excalibur: it's hidden away in a lake, a labyrinth-like dungeon was built over the lake, and the dungeon is home to dangerous monsters. The only thing they didn't know was what lake we were looking for.

"We've talked with a myriad of villagers here, and they've all said the same thing." Kurtis said as he drank from his mug. "Nobody knows which lake it is, or where it is."

"Well, if you said Excalibur was lost for centuries, maybe we should talk to someone whose lived for centuries."

"Pixie, do you see anyone here who looks like they're over 100 years old?"

I looked around the tavern we were in, and saw only young and old faces. I know that some elves can live for thousands of years and still look like a young human, but there were no such beings here that I could see. Only other adventurers and their companions. I was certain I might have recognized some of them.