"There rides the mysterious warrior of truth! Gallantly as he must protect these sacred treasures through the rough and tough trials of this... Hmm... What is this?" The man asked out loud. Having exaggerated the details of everything else, one should be surprised he didn't describe it as a demon's lair.

As for the identity of this man, few know the truth as he rarely gives his real name. He's the kind of the person who would come up with all sorts of fairy tales about himself and others right on the spot. Even when he's serious, he claimed to be a historian... He was more like a storywriter really, altering truths into myths and spreading them on a whim.

This man was human with short, curly brown hair and brown eyes. He stood as tall as five feet and nine inches, and looked to be of average build as he was an average man in all ways possible. However, he was quite happy and felt he couldn't be happier until the day he finishes his book. Although, he was constantly short on money and had few belongings, somehow the fellow could always keep a smile on his face.

Today he was on an errand run for the few people that actually move about this ruined land. In all honesty, he was surprised to even come across a grove, but he paid little attention to the region. The faster he made his way across, the faster he could move on to more refreshing countries of the world.

The shouts could be heard from far away by Rasiel. Quiet the woods were that precious evening, no wind to keep the trees moving, no animals, no sound at all. She quickly moved towards the shouts. As soon as she heard treasure her elven ears propped upwards, protruding from her thick black hair. Running, she noticed that she was heading towards the road and thought that it might be a traveling merchant on his way to another place, for no merchants stayed in these lands for too long, they knew the dangers of it.

As she reached the outskirts of the road, still covered in bushes and shrubery, she saw the man. He was laden with many bags, undoubtedly filled with treasures of many kinds. It would help her people greatly, as they were starving and dying. She then pulled out her bow and arrow. "A quick shot to the neck would kill him immediatly, but what good will a dead man do me?" she thought. She pointed towards the quadraceps. Drawing back the bow string with all her might, she thought "And now, pitiful scum, you will feel the wrath of nature." She let the string go as the arrow headed straight for the man's thighs.

He quickly fell to the floor screaming as she dashed towards him. In all his pain he now saw this beautiful woman. She stared at him for a while and asked him "Control your tounge human, why do you enter my people's lands? Do you wish to bring the evil fog of death to us? Build your large destructive buildings, spewing fire from the tops?" She then awaited a response.

{(OOC: Er... Yeah, next time, don't do that. He's a temp NPC, but I'm still controlling just him. It's not like he's a mob. I would've made him get hit anyway.))

The man didn't answer right away, clutching his pierced and bleeding leg with all his might. It didn't matter to him that tears were flowing down his eyes, he had always considered it to be a natural action one should not mind. As he had never really stepped foot into real danger except the risk of starvation and dehydration, he wasn't really sure what to do now... But he was most certainly sure he was scared and hoped this damn woman leave him alone.

"What are you talking about? People? What kind of people still live here except those crazy merchants... " He replied, shouting at first before fading into a grumble.

He really hope his leg was okay considering he did most of his journey on foot and alone. Although, he never really gave a real reason why, he never travels with companions of any kind unless he has to. Even animals would be found rarely joining him. He claimed it was not his style.

"By all the gods, who are you anyway? Did I ever do anything to you? Let me answer that, no!"

It was an unfortunate fact that he was not intimidating to most people, but anyone would be rather displeased to find an arrow shot at them. It's a good thing he never decided to be a warrior.

(OOC Yes I am sorry for that, I got carried away, will not happen again)

She was shocked by the man's bluntness, with an arrow in his leg, she thought that he would be shouting for help, but then again he was in the forest. She heard him speak, asking what type of people lived here. "My people still live here human, now we can do this one of two ways. The first option entails me killing you and taking your merchandise, a rightful reperation payment that we should recieve after all that your people have done to us. Or you can come to my village and rest, there I can take the arrow out of your leg and stop the poision that will kill you in 12 hours. How would you like to do this?"

She then wisltled very loudly. A white stallion soon appeared in front of them on the road, it was hers and depending on the option that the man picked, she would act accordingly.

"Well, I don't care if you take the merchandise or not. However, I love seeing new places! I didn't know there was still a village here," he replied, glad she offered to help him instead of merely leaving him here to die... He didn't even take it into consideration it could also be a trap since he knows nothing about this person.

"However, I want to correct you. I have done nothing to your people," he said soon afterwards. "I mean I have my fair share of mistakes, but this is my first time in Z.E.A.L."

It was true, this guy was born Serdio and has mainly traveled from the Bellterra continent to the Erindin continent. It was during his late twenties that he have decided to venture across to Bali, a trip that was very brief. After this, he had hoped to travel to the Holylands for a while.

He was rather surprised at the closeness between the her horse and him. Normally he wouldn't mind, but he was wounded and on the ground. He could get seriously pummeled by the beast.

She became a bit angrier by the comments made by the man. He however had chosen the correct of the two choices, for the other one would let him die. "Your people are murderous swine that have hunted and taken my people's land for many years. Now I hope you do not mind but I can not allow you to see the way to my village." She pulled out a small phial of clear liquid and then said "this will alleviate your pain and put you to sleep for some hours. When you wake up you will be at the village. My name is Rasiel, remeber it." She put her hand behind his and inclined his head. Steadily tipping the bottle into his mouth, letting the liquid flow little by little.

The man would be asleep in no time. The village was a while away from where they were, but by horseback they would get there fast. Now she waited for him to sleep, first asking him "Tell me your name and where you come from."

He didn't believe he had ever encounter such a irritable person... Or if he had, he had chosen to forget about it. In any case, it just wasn't nice to blame him for others actions, though chances are, he most likely had don't something that would've angered her if she saw it. That was a minor detail, minor...

It wasn't actually a pleasant feeling drinking that stuff pouring into his mouth, but he endured it anyway as things could not possibly be worst. Heck, it may even turn out good for him as if he wasn't wounded and at the demands of this crazy elf lady, he would be planning out the next part of his book. Book... Oh by all the gods on Zelpha, his book! He hoped it was okay as nothing really should have happened to it yet. It would be quite a lost for him though.

"My... My name?" He replied, looking at Rasiel as if she asked such an absurd question. "My name is Gregory! Gregory Julius Scott! The 47th! Born in the southern lands of the Bellterra continent! What's yours...?"

Clearly he had not been paying much attention, but perhaps that didn't matter right now as he was already knocked out.

As he dozed off she said "Well Gregory Julius Scott the 47th, welcome to the Asne Groves." She knew that he had not heard her however. She immediatly brought the horse closer to him, Wings was almost right on top of him. He then knelt down as she grabbed one of his legs and swung it over the horses back. With all the strenght she possesed she moved the man up on the horse and tied him to the reigns. She then took all of his items and put them in several pockets on the horse, finding many valuable things. The three then began their move to her village called Phrae.

The journey took more than an hour, as the horse was moving somewhat slow with all the weight that was put upon him. But soon they reached the town. 45 Elves lived in this very secluded village by a small stream. The men then came and helped Gregory off the horse, getting off was harder than getting him on. They then carried him to Rasiel's house and laid him on a bed. They then left Rasiel alone in the house with him. She began to take out some ointments and tools to remove the arrow.

It was removed quickly, now to take care of the poison. She placed several herbs around the wound and gave him an antidote which she poured down his mouth. She moved his head up so that the antidote would keep going down his digestive path. All his treasures had been placed in another house, and she had no intention on giving them back to him. She then waited for him to wake, however it would be some hours before he did.

"Gregory" as he shall be known, finally woke up some hours later, and not feeling all that right in the mind. No, he hadn't gone crazy (as if he wasn't a loon already), but it took him awhile before his senses went back to normal. For awhile there, it was like the room was spinning and he had something blocking his hearing. As his vision was clearing up, he notice a rather charming elven woman with long black hair. It seems Gregory didn't realize it was the same woman that had shot him earlier that day.

"Why hello ther-," he said, using a friendly tone at first as he tried to move from the bed only to stumble and fall with a light thud on the floor. "Funny, my leg feels... Ah. Right... You."

It finally seemed to have come back to him, but he also seemed to be confused for he didn't move from his position. Normally when he was in a new place, he was going from one place to another looking at everything possible and touching everything possible. Though, yes, he leg was wounded, still, he chose not to get up yet. It seemed to be that Gregory was still quite worried.

As he awoke she heard him begin to mumble. Though she could not understand what he was saying, she moved towards him and said "Do not speak. I have given you an antidote that will take away the poison from the arrow-head. Welcome to Phrae" she said in a cynical tone. He would now be awaking faster as the medicine's effect would begin to wear off. "A long time ago my people were happy in the forest, we had a great city in the trees, living off of what we needed, honoring the forest and all its goods. However man came and destroyed everything. The great war left our island in destruction. Industrialization destroyed our forests and my people ran to our last refuge here. She what your people have done? What were your intentions of passing through our forest?"

"Yeah... I have no control over that so... Not my fault," Gregory replied, now slowly getting back on the bed. "I'm only here to get to know the place. I was told to transfer some items from one man to another. It is rather boring without a change of scenery."

He didn't believe he would get off to such a rough start with someone, which was rather odd as he has met plenty of people who didn't like him once they saw him. Gregory blamed it on a bad memory, but some believe it was more along the lines of denial. It was also due to this that he behaves as he does as nothing in his brain would tell him to stop and think about his actions.

Well, there didn't seem to be much else to do now other than wait. This woman probably wouldn't change her mind no matter what he did. Gregory didn't really feel like keeping still though. Actually, he felt rather famished, when was the last time he had eaten?

"Er... Do you have any food?" He asked, a bit nervous since he was worried she might chuck a knife at him.

"Actually no, we do not have food" she began speaking "the only food we have is what we need, there is no extra food just rotting around like you humans have. I would be willing to give you my food but there is a steep price for it." She knew that there was some extra food, but she still despised this man. Rasiel would give him food for all his merchandise. "The price is all of your merchandise, being that I am the only one who has food for many many miles, you have two options. Give me all that you posses, besides your clothes, and you can have food, enough to last you two days. Or just die of hunger on the way to the next food vendor. The choice is yours."

"All?" He repeated, a bit perplexed as he was in no position to get them back. "How about almost all of it? Most of that stuff isn't mine except the book and pens*."

*(I don't recall what is commonly used to write with on Zelpha, I think it's pens, but I don't remember).

Gregory really just wanted his book and stuff back. He has run out of money plenty of times and has no other set of spare clothes anymore. The rest of the stuff he has no problems with parting with considering he didn't even know what most of the luggage even was. Though, he didn't like how she grouped him up with people who were better off then him. Since he started traveling, he took good care of his food and water supply for as long as he could... Well, except those times he decided to go out drinking... And the time he was getting a kept eating little by little every so often that he ended up running out of food before he realized it... Well, at least he never wasted food.

"So... deal?"

"You may keep the book, pen, and the clothes u have on you right now" she snarled "Other than that no." She knew that she had no use for the book and pens, therefore why not give it back. After all she really did not care what happened to him as long as she got something for her people. "Now if you agree you may have the food." She let out a scream in an elvish tounge. Immediatly another elvish woman came from the door, she had some food with her. "Is the sleeping powder in there?" she asked her in a distinct tribal language, whispering. The woman just nodded and bowed.

"Deal?"

"Sure!" He replied, quite happy about it until he realize that he had no clue where it was. "Where is it?"

When he was about to smell the food, his mind was almost lost in its aroma, but he try to stay conscious of the situation. This crazy elf lady had the upper hand, and the fact that she was speaking oddly didn't really calm his nerves. Then there was the fact that he can't fight and even if he could, he has a wouldn't leg. Finally, he had no sight of his book at all, and it could've been fire fuel by now. Oh how horrible that would be! It's somewhat crinkled pages, some filled with inked letters while others still waiting for his printed words to burn up because it was neither helpful or useful.

"I would prefer," he began in a sincere and humble tone, "that I have it within my possession... right now."

"I will get it for you" she growled as she got up, leaving the food in the room. She proceded to leave the room and leave him inside. She walked up to the house in front where all the merchandise was. A small pile of things, left untouched since she got there. She scrumaged through all the packs and finally found the journal and the pen. She went back towards the room and when she entered, without looking if he was there she said "Here it is."

"Yes! Just toss it over I guess," he said, keeping his fixated on the book and nothing else.

The very object might as well be his best friend or a dear family because he tries to treat it with such care... Though, he has slept on it, drooled on it, ate on it, and stepped on it a few times as well. Then there were the times he used it as a shield or as a roof from the rain... Makes one wonder how he would treat a person... But in any case, he did value that book so much more than he had valued anything else for quite a while. There were times he even actually spoke to it, but that's probably just due to the lonely feeling he sometimes gets.

Soon, he believed, he would have his book, have a satisfied stomach, and be on his merry way! Maybe he could have look around after this as he feels he might not want to come back once he leaves, not at long as she lived here. It was unfortunate she wasn't human or something.