The way to Ilia

[Abel Caritas]

Abel and Eric traveled for a day when they came across a northern Lycian village. "Lets rest here and get some information. If you want you can buy some things, I'll go ask around for news."

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Abel found a pub and walked in. He walked over to the counter and asked for some water, and then began talking to the bar tender. "Bartender, what news of the north might you have? A friend and I are traveling that way and would like to know of what we might find."

"Well, you don't look Erturia to me, so I'll be frank. Ostia's ashes and I wouldn't go near Erturia, they're all religious up there. A wars a brewing I reckon, I say Sarcae's the best way, eventhough it's longer." The man told him of Ostia's fate, and Abel rushed off to find Eric to discuss the way to Ilia.

[Eric]

Sights, sounds, people, places. Never had Eric seen so many things, learned so much. His little village--Rone, as some arrogant travelers had called it when they came to find the village had no name--barely compared, with pubs and shops here outnumbering the houses there. Eric had heard stories, but, to him, nothing could match the knowledge of meeting the mercenaries, farmers, innkeepers, shop owners, and even the occasional soldier he glimpsed and occasionally talked to in this place. Traveling had awoken a craving for information the young pupil had never known existed, but now recognized in memories of stories and merchants tales. What else could he find out here? The choice to leave had felt right at home; it seemed mandatory, designed by fate with the investment paid back in scores.

Of course, nothing good came without a bit of the bad, and Abel became the courier of the latter. "Ostia? The really big city we were going to pass through?" This didn't add up; the last news he had heard had described the city as a stronghold, weakened but still mighty among the nations, to be feared and respected. Hearing of it wiped from the map in one day overwhelmed the young pupil. "How...? How do you destroy a city like that? Is...are the Etrurians really that strong?" Complete destruction of a city only existed, for Eric, in stories of dragons, raging with anger or aiding a friend, never for a simple army of humans. Thinking of his own power, "remarkable" as his teacher described, and how he couldn't so much as melt an anvil with it yet, the true scope of such an army couldn't be measured to him.

There was no way he would step foot in a country like that, so he whole-heartedly agreed to pass through Sacae. "Point the way, and I'll go." And please avoid Ostia, part of him pleaded, while the other suddenly awoke with more curiosity that was quickly tamped down. No need for thoughts that could easily be suicidal.

[Abel Caritas]

"Alright, it looks like we'll have to head through some mountains, travel across Sarcae and then into the Ilian mountains." Abel rolled up his map. "Do you want to stay here for the night or do you want to go on?"

Abel looked at Eric, and took some coins out. "Lets at least get some lunch. Did you see a good place?"

OoC: I thought I'd try to make this thread a little less pointless.

[Abel Caritas]

They found a place to eat and had lunch. "That was good. Thanks." he said to the in keeper as he paid. "Alright, lets get to Ilia." He said to Eric. They traveled through some mountains and across Sarcae and then into the Ilian mountains where they got to Abel's cabin.