⊹ The Research Guild ⊹

⌁ ⊹ ─ chapter four : charged (i)

The boat gently bobbed against the dock, trying to fight against the crystal waters that were slamming against it. A weird wind rustled throughout the area as Lian and Flurrian turned to each other.

The stranger, Lrythen, finished untying the rope and held it in his hand. "That was quite the calm journey, don't you think?"

Much to Flurrian's dismay, he had lost his Permit and registration papers in his tiny rowboat. He didn't actually know what it was though, Flurrian assumed. 

As they came closer to Lektirini, the sky had turned darker and more eerie, with clouds swirling above the island. No stars could be seen over it. The small lantern they had was the only source of light helping them across the shadow-laden waters.

They managed to make it safely. Not that the two of them knew of any dangers that could prevent them from getting there in the first place.

Lrythen told them stories about his daughter's upbringing and how talented she was at mathematics. Lian was very interested but Flurrian wasn't listening to a single word. Only when the waters nearly tipped over the boat, then, Flurrian was all ears to whatever Lrythen was saying.

And then they finally made it onto a battered and broken dock that marked the start of their journey in Lektirini. They had broken away from the mainland and entered a land shrouded in not just dark gray clouds, but mystery and intrigue.

Lrythen said that he didn't plan on staying for the two at the end, and they could just get a ride from someone on the island to High Elf Village, which was east of High Elf Market. Lian's pockets felt lighter to him at the mention of 'finding someone else.'

Flurrian sighed, turning to Lian, "alright then, anyways, cough it up—"

"*Cough*, *cough*!"

A moment of silence passed.

"Did you...did you actually swallow it...?"

"N-No, a bug just flew down my throat and I was just coughing. Give me a second," he said. Though he did a good job of hiding it, Flurrian could see the sadness on him as he opened the small mahogany pouch and took out two faecoins.

His eyes reflected off the shiny circles as he dropped them into Lrythen's empty hand.

"Oh, thanks! But it's actually three faecoins." Lrythen said, setting down in the boat again.

"THREE?! B-B-But your boat is a scam!"

"Just give it to him," Flurrian tossed him another one from Lian's pouch. "We'll get more somehow, I promise."

"Your promises...mean nothing to me."

Lrythen smiled at them and wished them a good evening. The two did the same in a polite fashion, watching the old man sail back to the mainland.

"Alright, now the true mission begins...uhh...where did the trees go?"

"What trees?" Lian asked turning around.

"There weren't trees here?"

"No? These buildings have been there."

"But they looked like trees."

"But they're not trees. They're buildings."

"That's so weird. Maybe that boat left me disconcerted," she laughed.

Lian wanted to follow up with that, but he just continued walking.

As Flurrian came to realize, there weren't many trees in Lektirini. In fact Thundersphere elves had a deep loathing for the few trees they had.