The Greatest Adventure

Diego was a man of the sun. He was bright. Bright by the way his eyes gleamed when he conjured up a mischievous idea, bright by the way he lit up at the mention of far away lands and things to discover. Diego had a manner of setting fires everywhere he went, igniting passion in people's hearts (and maybe on their roofs) as he chased the heels of the next great adventure. His mother had always insisted that he'd melt his wax wings faster than Icarus, which of course Diego took as a challenge.

Treasure hunt after treasure hunt, with a few perilous rescue missions and infiltration jobs in between, Diego was never satisfied. He had a hunger for adrenaline and only felt alive when his body was electrified by fear. He'd been chased by ancient creatures born of power and magic, ferocious mortal beasts, and weapon-brandishing guardsmen and bandits alike. He'd only ever been caught once, and despite his broken streak, he prided himself on always getting away with it. Not the gold or treasure, no. Not even the glory most times. The journey, no matter how treacherous, was all that mattered to him, because why do anything that doesn't involve a little risk? Nothing would be interesting otherwise. That's what Diego always told his friend, Ivan, to Ivan's continual dismay.

But today, Ivan wasn't here to grab him by the wrist and warn him to rethink his head-on approach. Ivan was at home, nose stuffed in a book he had finally saved enough money to buy from the library. Diego really didn't understand his fascination with those little scribbles on the page, declaring how fun the adventures of others were when he was having his own. Seemed like a waste of time to him, but Ivan enjoyed his books, so Diego couldn't begrudge him that.

With Ivan tucked away at home, though, Diego had free reign of the city. He sat upon the roof of a tall building, looking over the hills and valleys of Whitecast as it came to life in time with the rising sun. Diego watched streams of people fan out below him. A great noise rose up from all around, gradually building as the sun clawed higher into the sky. Shouts clashed with the banging of metal on anvils, accented by the beating of hooves and boots on cobblestone. Thousands of words exchanged by hundreds of voices boosted a steady background hum that settled familiar on Diego's ears. As much as he enjoyed sitting in the quiet of a grey morning, listening to the buzz of the city grow louder beneath him sparked restlessness in him, a drive to go. 

It seemed about time to join the hustle and bustle below anyway. Admittedly, it was getting uncomfortable sitting on the roof tiles. Diego hadn't chosen someone's thatch-roofed home as his throne, as a man with more concern over his gluteus muscles might have. Then again, comfort was never at the forefront of Diego's whirring mind. Instead, he had his eyes on the market. Ivan had saved a few spare coins for his book, and Diego had put away some money of his own. That morning he'd woken up with a feeling, that call to adventure he relished so. Something about today would be different; he could feel it. He just had to find out what.

Diego had decided to start at the marketplace. Every once in a while a new merchant would roll through town, carrying with their unique wares tales from far away lands. Anticipation for what lay ahead built like a kindling flame in Diego's gut as he surveyed the square. Nothing seemed unusual at first, then his eyes hit a shadowed corner that was always empty this time of day, except, it wasn't. Someone had set up a table down there, someone Diego didn't recognize. Energy fizzed under Diego's skin as he slipped down the roof and made a foothold of a windowsill. Whoever that merchant was, he had to know. Their presence could mean anything, and he so hoped it meant something interesting, something that might whisk him away on a grand quest.

Dropping to the ground roughly, Diego regained his balance and set a brisk pace toward the market. Luckily, this side of town at mid-morning had light foot traffic, so he was able to maneuver his way through groups of people with ease.