Moving Up... or North anyways.

[Drew]

Drew kicked a rock in frustration. For days he had been traveling North through the Bern Mountains. He knew that if he continued on his long mountain trek he would eventually come to see Pherae. But you can't get anywhere without a map. He shivered as the cold mountain air bit at him. He knew he would have to find a city soon; both for directions and a place to restock on his ever diminishing supplies. He sighed as he continued his monotonous walk down the mountain.

---

The sun was dropping for the day as Drew neared the foot of the mountain. Already the cold was setting in, and his skimpy vest was no match for the weather at night. Searching for a campsite, Drew's eyes found a lone tree. A smile lit his face for the first time in days as he practically ran for the tree. He had finally found something to block the harsh winds! Anticipating a fine night's rest, Drew dropped his pack at the base of the tree.

As he was clearing away the brush, he felt something rough rub against his hand. Drew crouched to examine the object. He turned it over in his hand, and recognized it as a fruit knife. Clutching the knife in hand, Drew quickly scanned his surroundings. A fruit knife meant somebody else had either passed this way, or was still here. He considered calling out, but decided against it in case the other person was hostile.

Lost in thought, Drew never noticed the crunching of leaves as someone approached him from behind. The stranger lifted their hand as they silently crept up behind Drew. "I do believe that's mine, if you wouldn't mind returning it."

Drew wheeled around to face the stranger. "Who are you?" His eyes widened in surprise as he realized that he was addressing a young girl of no more than 8. Her brown hair bounced as she impatiently waved her hand. "That's not important. What's important is that you have my knife. Now give it back!"

By now Drew had regained his bearings. "Well here you go, young lady." He grinned as he passed the knife to the child, but was wary at the same time. What was a child like her doing out here in the mountains? She certainly wasn't afraid of people, as she had fearlessly approached him. His curiosity got the best of him. "Now that I've returned your knife, will you tell me your name?" She looked suspicious for a moment longer, but then began to speak.

"My name is Alisa. She uncomfortably shifted around before looking back at Drew. I'm out here camping with my father, but I lost him on my way back to find this." She waved the fruit knife in the air as she explained. "I need to find my Daddy before he goes to far. Thanks for returning my knife Mister..? She paused to let him answer.

"My name is Drew." She smiled as she turned away. "Well then, thank you Mister Drew." Without a word, she ran off towards the mountains.

Drew sat down, feeling drained after being so tensed. He sat upright as the cold wind of reality blew by. Drew groaned as he realized that if he had missed his chance to find civilization. Perhaps he could find a village of some sort if he followed her? Wherever she was going, it was bound to be better than lost under a tree, freezing to death. Shivering, he picked up his pack and followed the direction Alisa had left in.

[Drew]

Climbing over an obnoxiously large rock was not on Drew's "Top Ten Things To-Do List". He cursed as he cut himself reaching for another handhold. "Follow Alisa. Sure, it's a great IDEA. Go ahead, Drew, follow the little girl over a graveyard of rocks. Why not? Not like you had anything better to do. And now you're talking to yourself, what a fantastic position you put yourself--" His breath caught as a spear flew over is head, and into the ground in front of him.

His body remained still, and his eyes grew to a size many would judge to be inhuman. Drew's eyes stared in horror at the thing that had nearly killed him. A crash behind him snapped his brain back into action, but before he could move, a deep voice came from behind. "Take off your pack and drop your axe. Remember, one false move and you die."

Drew slowly took off his pack and axe, and dropped them to his side. His arms hung loose and his legs turned to jelly. "A-are you going to kill me now that you have my things?" Drew heard feet shuffling behind him as he waited for his sentence.

"Now isn't that the question? How about this. We play a little game. Drew regained composure as the possibility of survival appeared. "A game? Of what sort?" The deep voice laughed, and the ground itself seemed to shake with it. "A fighting game of course. The rules are as follows: one weapon of any kind will be allowed. The first one to die loses. Now choose your weapon before I change my mind and kill you."

Drew's face became even paler as he heard the man say, "first one to die". He thought he may die of fear before he had a chance to fight. The man was clearly no stranger to battle, seeing as that was an expertly thrown spear, and judging from the voice, it didn't seem he would be having an advantage physically either. "I didn't even make it out of Bern..."

His assailants voice broke his train of thought, "What's that? Your weapon is your axe? Very well, let's begin!" Drew quickly reached down and picked his axe up with a quivering hand. Now armed, he spun to face his opponent, and hopefully win his life...

[Drew]

As the man charged at him, Drew flashed back to his lessons from Curt. "Do you know the first step of fighting?" Drew scratched at his chin, a habit that usually signified deep thought. "Well, I guess you should take your stance first. From there you can decide everything else." Drew dropped his hand and looked hopefully up at Curt for some sort of approval. "WRONG! How do you know what stance to take? What weapon to choose? What your strategy is? It's all about your enemy. A battle is an ever changing thing! But there are always two variables. You and your opponent. You can control you, but not your opponent. So the first step is to analyze your enemy. For the incorrect answer, go swing your axe 10,000 times!"

Drew smiled fondly at the memory of his old friend and teacher. But he focused all of his attention on his rapidly approaching enemy. After a short analyzation, Drew arrived at a conclusion. There was NO way he was going to win. The man was, without question, a giant. His muscles bulged to ridiculous proportions, and he stood at least 6 and a half feet tall. Despite his size, the man moved at an incredible speed, along with expert weapon handling. Drew gripped his axe like it was a lifeline, braced his feet for an impact.

At least, that's what he was hoping his enemy was thinking. Drew's plan was to step forward at the last second, and hit him with an uppercut. Once his enemy was in striking distance, he quickly stepped in and swung his axe. Drew felt his head spin as hit the ground with enormous impact. He felt an intense burning in his ribs, a few of them seemed to be broken. A whistling noise urged Drew back into action, as he instictively rolled to his left. He looked to see the spear jammed into the ground where his head was moments ago. This was the first time he had fought in this kind of battle. 'Remember, one false move and you die.' The stranger's words ringed in his head, seemed even truer now than when he had first said them.

Drew jumped to his feet, and quickly chopped at his opponent's head, taking advantage of the fact that the spear was still lodged in the ground. The man ducked into a quick squat and launched a headbutt right into Drew's solar plexus. Drew's eyes rolled back in his head and his ribs were throbbing as he fell back onto the ground. He faintly heard the spear being liberated from the ground, and the man's heavy footsteps as he approached Drew. "You were unlucky to meet me in these mountains, young man. Tell me, are you prepared to die?" Drew moaned in pain, but he snatched up his axe and launched himself at the enemy. Swinging his axe for all he was worth, Drew made his last attempt at survival.

The man's teeth spread into what can only be described as a wolf's grin. He stepped forward, stopped the axe midswing with his lance, and swept Drew's feet out from under him. On his back once again, Drew's lips let out a cry of pain, and he looked up at the stranger. He felt the spear tip at his throat, and closed his eyes to wait for death.

[Drew]

"Daddy, I think he's had enough." Drew felt the lance tip move off of his skin. The man's deep voice boomed back a response, "If you say so, my daughter. You there on the ground, get up and greet my daughter. She saved your life, you know." Drew slowly opened one eye. He took in the man in full now, noticing for the first time a playful grin on his face, and an unruly mop of brown hair. Drew was utterly confused. The man who had looked to terrifying a second ago was... child-like. Getting used to surprise, Drew took it in stride as he looked to his savior.

"You! And him! DADDY!?!?" Drew pointed to Alisa, then to the man. Alisa had a mischievous smirk, and her father was roaring with laughter. Drew stared in disbelief. "A camping trip, eh? Do you now how long I've been looking for you? Alisa's father stepped in then "Looking for? Is that what people call stalking nowadays? You, a total stranger, have been following us for days now. I think you have some explaining to do, young man."

Drew looked at the man sheepishly as he informed the duo of his embarrassing situation. "I'm on a quest to find a Master, someone to train me how to fight. Eventually, I will travel the continent and find my parents!" The man nodded solemnly, but then the childish smile returned. "Well, how about I take you under my wing for the time being? Besides, your in no condition to travel." The man gestured at the many cuts running up Drew's arms.

Drew, having seen the man's fighting prowess, eagerly jumped on the offer. "I would be honored to travel and learn from a great fighter like yourself!" The man chuckled at the compliment, and offered Drew a hand up. Alisa bounced over, and she patted Drew on the head. Then she directed her attention to her father. "Daddy, will he be coming with us on our... camping trip?"

Drew also cast a questioning glance at the man. Armed to the teeth, and hostile at the first sign of being followed. Clearly, this was no camping trip. The man's face grew serious again as he sat down on a rock. He looked over Drew again, as if deciding on something. Then he grunted, and begin to speak. "Did you know that you can tell a man's soul by crossing blades with him? Over the years, I have seen many a soul... I, Griswald Osroth, was a soldier in Bern's army. I was very young when I left, but I didn't have a choice. My family was in need of me." He cast a loving glance towards Alisa.

Then he turned his attention back to Drew. "You see, I was robbed of my opportunity to fight for my beloved Bern. Ilia's occupation of Bern is something I will not tolerate. How could my country have fallen so?" He looked at Drew as if asking him. Drew stared silently back, as the soldier continued his story. "Until recently, I have been unable to leave home. However, my daughter has learned to fight! Now... now I may finally return to liberate my country. With my daughter at my side, I am unstoppable!" The passion of a man with a mission burned in Griswald's eyes, and Drew was inspired.

He looked at this man, a man with a purpose in life. Drew realized that finding his parents was hardly a worthy life goal. "Griswald, if you don't mind me calling you that, I would like to fight to liberate Bern as well! I am no soldier, but I have lived in this land since my birth, and would like to see it restored to what you describe. Allow me to accompany you on your journey!"

Griswald's face showed a smile. "Griz is fine, my new friend. I heard from my daughter you are called Drew?" Drew gave a quick nod, and Alisa giggled. "Well then, it's decided. Drew! You will join us on our journey to the capital! I will train you on your way, and when we arrive, we will be a force to be reckoned with!"

Alisa stood suddenly, and flipped her blonde hair. She went over to Drew's things and picked them up. "If you boys are done talking things over, can we get a move on? I would like to continue our 'camping trip'." Griz's booming laugh filled the air. "Of course, my daughter! Let us go!" They both started walking, and Alisa motioned for Drew to follow.

They made an odd pair, the family did. One was a giant, where the other one was practically a child. He had great luck to come across such people. Drew breathed in a sigh of relief. Not only did he find a guide, he found companions, a teacher, and a new purpose. Liberating Bern; just the sound of it filled Drew with hope and energy like nothing else. "Are you coming or not?" Drew glanced up at Alisa and Griz, both who were looking quite impatient. "Yeah!" Running to catch up, Drew started a new leg of his journey.

[Drew]

Drew's backside was quickly becoming best friends with the ground. He reached for the wooden axe he had been using, and used it as a crutch to get back up. Griz's practice axe was relentlessly chasing Drew. Left. Right. From the top! No, it was a feint! The speed was overwhelming, and a quick tap on head sent Drew to the ground once again. Rubbing his tender head, Drew looked up and asked, "Are you sure this is helping?" Griz didn't respond, and motioned for Drew to stand. "The most valuable thing you can have is battle experience. The more you do, the more you learn and know. The more you know, the better your chance of survival." Drew ducked a swing, and stepped back to avoid the axe on the return. "Yes, but wouldn't I be better off fighting someone closer to my own level?" Griz stopped his assault, and looked at Drew thoughtfully. "That would be optimal. How about this, we stop for today. Tomorrow morning we should be visiting town. I'll see if I can find you an opponent while we're restocking on supplies. How does that sound?" Drew breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a chance to give his poor backside a rest.

Drew killed time swinging his axe and thinking about the land he'd seen so far in his journey. Griz was napping, and both of them were waiting for Alisa to finish preparing dinner. When Alisa rejoined them, she carried a small bag. Curious, Drew stored his axe and approached her. "What's in the bag?" Alisa looked at him and smiled cheerfully, "It's dinner, silly!" She untied the knot on the bag, and Drew peered inside. A half dozen apples and a considerable amount of meat lay divided into three portions. Drew looked up in surprise. "I thought we were running low on supplies? It seems here like we have plenty." Alisa gave Drew a look he couldn't quite identify, and said, "Well, they say good fortune comes to those who do the right thing." Just then Griz woke up from his nap. He sniffed the air and his attention was captured by the bag in Alisa's hand. "Is that food I smell?" Alisa laughed as she took out the food from the bag and placed it in their eating bowls. "Yes, Daddy, it's dinner. Although, I wouldn't have to work so hard to get food if you didn't eat ten people's worth." Just then his stomach rumbled, and Drew shook his head in amazement. For a duo that had a country's liberation in mind, they seemed too carefree. Although he had to admit, Griz did seem to consume large quantities of food during meal times. Griz stood and joined him and Alisa, forming a circle. "So who were the unlucky chaps this time? Not just some random travelers, I hope."

"Nope. I sto-, er, I procured it from a deserted house I found nearby. It was probably some Count of Noble's vacation home." Alisa shifted uncomfortably as Drew scrutinized her. She didn't really steal their dinner, did she? That went against how he was raised. Then again, he had to eat something, and not many other options were available to him at the moment. But how it seemed almost routine to steal food bothered him. He looked over at Griz who was happily tearing away at the meat, not paying attention to anything else. Obviously he had no problems with it as long as he had food to eat. However, Drew just couldn't bring himself to adopt this attitude. "Thank you, but I'm not actually that hungry..." Griz took a momentary break from stuffing his face, and glanced up at Drew. "Really? Don't mind if I do this, then." He reached for Drew's portion and begin to devour that as well. Now with nothing to do, Drew's mind began to wonder again. When he had first joined his two companions, Griz had said something about how Alisa not being able to take care of herself prevented them from leaving sooner. But as far as he could tell, Alisa was unarmed, and didn't seem particularly athletic either. He decided it was best to just ask rather than to wonder. "Alisa, how exactly do you plan on fighting?" She looked over at him, and put down her food. "Well, I'm not a... fighter, so to speak. My talents lie elsewhere." Drew was confused, if she didn't fight, then why did Griz decide she was ready to leave? Perhaps she had gotten older?

Griz let out a belch that seemed to echo in the mountains. "You know, my boy, while fighting is dandy and all, there are many other functions needed to fight in a war besides a strong sword arm." Drew looked over at Alisa, and tried to determine what her role would be in the upcoming battle. You would need either a spell book or stave to utilize the arcane arts, so that was out. He had already figured it was impossible for her to be a melee fighter, and a bow was no where in sight. He looked at Griz, "Alright, I give up. What is it that she does?" Alisa answered for herself, "I liberate things and information from where they would normally be sitting. of course, I can do many other things, like pick locks to get dinner." She gestured at the food before them. Drew was disturbed in finding out that the food he had been living off of was stolen, but now he was alarmed. One of his companions was a professional thief. A rat, someone who benefited off of other people's work. Griz cast his steady gaze on to Drew. "Drew, don't let this bother you too much. We don't take what we don't need. But we simply don't have the funds to make it all they way to the capital. This is a necessary thing for us to free Bern." Drew was having an internal war. He could either stick to his teachings of old, and complete disassociate from the thief, and all stolen goods, or he could accept that his new goal wouldn't come without sacrifices, while also breaking the morals Curt had lovingly put in him.

They finished their meal as the moon rose to the sky. Griz gave Drew one last look, and then went to retire for the night. Alisa was putting away their dining materials, trying to make as little noise as possible. Drew threw back his head and gazed at the stars. He had always loved the stars. They were constant, they were bright and guiding. They wouldn't abandon him, die, or cause him unnecessary drama. They would forever be there, bright and true. Drew found it comforting that in the midst of his mental battle, there was still a place where he could find peace and balance. He closed his eyes and didn't move for awhile. He felt someone sit down next to him. A head leaned onto his shoulder, and Drew looked down to see Alisa's brown hair. She whispered, "I'm sorry." Drew nodded in acknowledgment. He looked back up to the stars. As long as he had a goal in mind, it didn't matter what else happened. He only needed to follow his dream, his star. Drew fell asleep with this thought fresh in his mind, and with Alisa on his shoulder.