What a rough day for Minne Ardene and Marc Delter.
First of all, they get plonked into Kinsfield a few centuries before present time.
Second of all, plonked they were into a steel pit, filled with deadly steel.
And finally, an old man that turned into a vicious corruption tried to murder them.
Yet they still persevere.
The duo journeyed towards Brawnbrink, a town that is, unfortunately, nowhere to be seen.
At this point, Minne and Marc have been walking for 20 minutes nonstop, yet they seem to be accomplishing nothing. Either they just walk too slowly, or there isn't actually a town.
"Goddamnit, where the hell is this town?!" Marc grumbled with vexation as a faint silhouette of hope entered their field of vision. It was a little kid, walking into the sun.
They should be way more careful this time, considering that the last silhouette they saw was not necessarily hopeful.
They followed the kid, in hopes of finally reaching Brawnbrink.
A few dozens of minutes has passed and they were starting to see a few houses, which gave them even more hope.
"I think we're getting there!" Minne exclaimed in joy as they saw a few more people, with one even greeting them.
Again, they should be way more careful this time, considering that the last person that greeted them in an entrance was not necessarily friendly.
"Hello there! What brings you to this distant little town?" a villager vaguely asked them.
"Well, we're from a different, farther land. Please tell us how to get around in this area, or at least give us a map to guide us." Marc surprisingly spoke formally, which he usually doesn't.
"There's a cartographer here if you want to get a map. He has several copies, and can always make more, so don't be shy bulk-buying." the villager alleged as he extended his arm towards the cartographer's workshop.
"Alright, thanks. We'll get going now. See you whenever!" Marc concluded the conversation as he quickly grabbed Minne's hand and whispered to her ear:
"Try to be a bit nice, alright?"
They walked into the workshop and was greeted by the very not-cartographer looking cartographer.
"Hello! If you'd perhaps consider to buy a map, my final offer would be 300 Vermeil.
"Excuse me, 300... what?" unbeknownst to Minne and Marc, the currency in old Kinsfield was Vermeil.
"Is there a money changer here?" Minne croaked in hopes of a local money changer in Brawnbrink.
"Yes, there is. It's quite far, though. It's on the left side of the town, and it'll take you about twenty minutes to get there by walking." the cartographer explained to them.
"Alright, we'll just change currencies for a bit. We'll be quick." Minne confirmed as she steps out of the cartographer and uses a custom green rune to teleport to the money changer.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Minne asked with high hopes.
"Yes! There is! Now, what would you like to deposit?" the woman on the stand replied to Minne.
"Seventy-four US Dollars for whatever Vermeil that's equivalent to." she was shocked to see how much Vermeil that was worth.
"Five-thousand nine-hundred and twenty Vermeil for ya! Have a great day!" the woman concluded as Minne was just standing there feeling too rich.
Little did she know the products sold for Vermeil weren't cheap.
She used another green rune to head back to the workshop, as she bought the map without even hesitating.
"MARC, I'M RICH!" she babbled, without knowing the costs of products bought with Vermeil.
"Alright?" Marc replied, wondering if the woman was fully sane or not.
As they step out of the workshop, they find the olden times equivalent of Minne:
Rhenda, the town's critically-acclaimed Loreseer, suddenly woke up from her nap and started telling the 'story' of this town. Every single day she would just sit at the center of Brawnbrink and will do exactly what Minne does; only in a very archaic manner.
A Loreseer is different from a Memorus; they ponder on events of the past, not memories of the past. And yes, those are two distinct commodities.
"Okay, enough about the cash. Marc, this is a Loreseer. Loreseers were created by Hanes, the kindly goddess of antiquity. The Loreseers were the Memori's neighboring tribe, with Errin being the cousin of Hanes. Both tribes shared a common skill of hindsight, with both Memori and Loreseers being able to peer into some sort of symbol of the past. They peered into objects and landscapes, when we peer into the memories of living entities. They'd figure to use their knowledge in entertainment, where we'd use our knowledge to dig deeper and discover more." Minne clarified to the boy as they roamed closer to the heeding crowd.
"...and as the Queen revolutionized the kingdom of Kinsfield, the lands were split into various areas; with this lowly but carefree borough being at the far outskirts of the emerging kingdom."
Divulging the development of the happy little town, Rhenda stood up from her seat as she welcomed the newcomers Minne and Marc.
"Hello there! How are you on this admirable day?"
"Well, we just bought a map from the town's cartographer... do you happen to know his name?"
"Of course! Everyone knows his name, except for you newcomers. It's Tabu. I have no idea how he makes his maps remarkably quickly, but he just does it! Amazing, right?" she rose to the bait.
"She sure is the cheerful type... which, so to speak, reminds me of Melanie quite much."
"You're the only one who has a clear connection to that librarian, Minne."
"Oh, shut up. Once you get to know her, she becomes a pretty good friend. I'm pretty sure that's the case for anyone that talks to her, anyway."
"Whatever, just listen to what Rhenda's saying. We may get out here faster than we expected."
"Also, the maps he sells are fully cartographed, so no need to buy several copies just to complete it." the Loreseer advised as she sat back down and welcomed the pack even further.
"We're getting off topic! Newcomers, why have you chosen to visit Kinsfield; more specifically, Brawnbrink? It seems like you people are ahead of us in so many ways..." she groaned.
"Well, it's personal stuff that we do not want leakage of, so just mind telling us where the exit is, or where the nearest location next to this town is?" Minne asked, hoping for an answer.
"If you wish to leave so badly, the exit is on the far right. Although, beware; the site beyond Brawnbrink is no playground, so bring your best shots." Rhenda cautioned as the crowd listening gave a unified glare to the pair.
"Alright, words noted, actions appreciated, efforts valued. So long..."
"...fellow Loreseer."
Rhenda was shocked by Minne's words as she replied;
"...Memorus..?"
"...Is that you..?"
The Loreseer closed her eyes in uncertainty, but upon opening them, she had noticed that Minne and Marc had already fled to the next threat they're about to face.
"I remember you... my prayers to the deific lands had been answered!"
The duo paced towards the far-right exit of Brawnbrink which had a sketchy sign labeled:
BEYOND LIES ONLY THREATS AND CHALLENGES
EXIT AT YOUR OWN RISK,
TRAVELERS
Ignoring the sign completely, Minne grabs Marc's wrist and rushes towards the mysterious fog that lies ahead of their path.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Marc asked.
"Nope! Just hope for the best and safety is ensured."
Marc will remember that.
They have successfully managed to wade across the mist, only to see a gargantuan tunnel, shrouded in shadow and unbearable skepticism.
"This tunnel sure is huge, isn't it?" the boy blithely blurted as they kept walking.
And of course, after horizontal tunnels, vertical shafts follow.
And vertical shafts call for horizontal bridges, right?
WRONG!
"OH GOD! That's a huge drop!" Marc exclaimed as Minne pulls out a never-seen-before orange rune that summons an equally huge plank to bridge across.
"Let's just hope that this works."
Unfortunately, planks aren't too reliable, especially when two people are walking on it in the exact same time.
...which, obviously, leads to a long fall.
"HOPING FOR THE BEST DOESN'T ALWAYS ENSURE SAFETY, YOU KNOW?!"
"APOLOGIES, SIR, BUT WE ARE FALLING AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING TO DROP ON!"
"THIS IS WHY I WASN'T MADE FOR DEATH-DEALING FEATS!"
