All Roads Lead to Era

The day started off like any other day and Hargeon Town was as quiet as always, especially as the sun was yet to rise in the sky. But of late, there had been a slight buzz in the air, and on the lips of almost everyone was news of the impending mage tournament. Iori, as a member of one of Fiore’s foremost guilds, was therefore expected to show himself at the tournament. He didn’t know whether to be excited about the whole affair or not. While there was a lot to be gained in the line of experience, and Iori would get firsthand experience of the magic types around, Iori, as it were, didn’t feel too keen on meeting people and making friends, or more likely, enemies. He sighed. Maybe there was really nothing to get excited about in the end. To make matters more burdensome was the fact that an entire journey lay ahead of him. A very, very long journey. Well, as things went, Iori was quite used to legging long distances. That was mostly what earned him his nickname, Rōnin. He turned from his vantage point atop the Lamia Scale guildhall building and went into the building. It was time to get his personal effects and hit the road.

In little time, Iori had left the Lamia Scale building. All he had with him were the clothes on his back, an old rain hat on his head to keep out the rain, were the sky to vent its fury on the world, two extra changes of clothing and an extra pair of sandals, all folded neatly and tucked away in a small sack that made a makeshift bag. Those, and a purse containing what little money Iori could call his own, and of course, his trusty zenken, Tetsuzora Mubiryu, tucked into his belt. He carried no food, just a canister of fresh water. If he got hungry, he would buy something along the way. As it were, Iori did not expect to spend so long on the road so as to have to carry supplies. With a long, deep breath, he took in the predawn scent of the beautiful seaside town and hit the road. There was hardly anyone around, so the burden of having to exchange greetings or pleasantries with people was quite taken care of. With quick strides, Iori moves to the edge of town and left the town he had chosen to call home.

His travel was easy because the road was clean and well-kept. As the sun began to rise over the land, spraying the entire region in its majestic hues of gold, red and indigo, the young wanderer slowly but surely wended his way on the long road, his left hand holding the strap which secured the small sack on his back to his left shoulder. Before long, the sight of another town came into view. According to his experience, that was most likely Clover Town. Good. Iori looked at the sun, still low in the sky, and smiled. He was making very good progress. By the time he reached Clover, the shops were still not yet open, and a mist was in the air.

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Quite a number of people took more than a glance at the lone stranger with a sack on his back and a sword in his belt, but no one really bothered to talk to him. And well it was. Iori was a stranger here, and while a journey made without company could seem long, thanks to the fact that one was alone, the advantage of traveling single was that Iori could move at whatever speed he desired, and not have to hurry to keep up, or slow down to wait for a companion. While still on the move, Iori pulled his sack from his shoulder, and retrieved his water canteen from it. He took a sip of the cold, tasteless liquid and replaced it in the sack. Once this was done, he began to take in the sights of Clover. Iori was a man who appreciated beauty, and as such, the sights of Clover Town were quite appealing to his eyes. So, this was the city known for its philandering guild, Blue Pegasus. Mages came in all sizes and shapes, it seemed. The layout of Clover Town was interesting, in that unlike Hargeon, which was mostly building and cliff and sea, Clover Town had quite a lot of lush vegetation. As a result, a good portion of the road was quite shaded from the sun. This place would be pleasant, even in rather sunny weather, Iori noted.

As the swordsman made his way through the town, he kept a sharp lookout for the Blue Pegasus building, not out of anything but curiosity. All the same, Iori was sure he would not see it; there was hardly any reason to build a guild hall beside such a busy road, in his opinion. By this time, people were just beginning to get out on the streets of Clover, shops were opening, and the place was getting rowdy. Yet Iori kept his usual pace. He was still enjoying the sights of Clover Town. He began whistling a tune as he went along. It seemed the sun was going to be a little bit on the harsh side today. Well, the rain hat on his head would ensure that his head was kept in the shade. In time, the houses of the town began to slowly thin out, and Iori was sure he was getting to the end of the beautiful town. And not too soon too. The heat of the day was beginning to show its strength as the young swordsman left the town and headed into the foothills. The trek through the hills would be more tasking than journeying on plain ground. Iori stopped whistling. If he continued, he might probably waste moisture through evaporation of saliva in his open mouth. It was best to conserve his energy for what lay ahead. Saying his farewell to Clover Town, the wanderer began his ascent of the nearest hill. Once atop the hill, he turned and looked at Clover for the last time that day. Then putting his back to the town, he descended down the hill. Next stop was Shirotsume.

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As expected, climbing up and down hills was not a very easy task. But Iori was one who knew what hardship meant, and he understood the art of walking long distances. The sun was high overhead, its burning rays scorching all that lay beneath its golden radiance, when Iori stopped to rest for a while at the foot of a great tree at the edge of a forest which sat on the knees of a mountain. Iori made a mental to-do list. He would cross the mountain, then reach Shirotsume Town. After that was Oak Town, then most likely the Spa Town Hosenka with all its glamor, and afterwards would be the city of Era. Iori knew the road, because he had been on it once before, when he left the snowy rage of Mount Hakobe in search of a new home, which had turned out to be Lamia Scale. Iori took a deep drink from his canteen of water. There was still a long stretch of road ahead of him. After resting for five minutes, Iori picked his sack and hoisted it on his left shoulder once again, before taking to the road again. He marched into the thick shade of the forested slope of the mountain. Even though the journey was uphill, with the sunlight being screened by the heavily wooded area in which the young man trod, he did not fear being enervated by the sun’s heat. With the natural sound of the forest around him, Iori journeyed on, his gaze set before him resolutely.

It was already getting towards evening when he scaled the height of the mountain and began coming down the other side. There before him was the entire land, with the little Shirotsume Town just up ahead. Normally, Iori might have decided to stop for the night in Shirotsume, if he desired to stay longer on the road. But as it were, the sooner he got to Era, the better. The young swordsman walked into the quiet town. Someone had once told him that there was possibly a dark guild somewhere nearby, but that wasn’t really any of his business at the moment. Iori just hoped no idiot would come about looking for trouble while he was here, because it would not do to be delayed. Stopping at a roadside restaurant, Iori had a light but nourishing meal. The food was good, and since Shirotsume was small, with no side attractions and stuff, the price was much more moderate than it would have been, had Iori eaten it in a larger town. Having steeled his stomach and refilled his canteen of water, Iori hit the road again, although he moved slightly slower now that he had eaten. It would not do to have something like indigestion because he was hurrying. Hardly any more time was wasted in Shirotsume, and Iori was soon out of the little town. His steps slowly increased as the food in his belly digested and the night slowly began to come on. In the cool of the evening breeze he strode along, his next destination Oak Town.

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The day grew dark as Iori trudged along. His heart was cheerful because he was making rather good time, but he was on his guard. There were heavily wooded places before he reached Oak Town, where he would have to stop for the night. And those heavily places could contain vermin of the human kind. Such vermin he hated. Even though he knew it would be dark before he reached Oak, Iori had not bothered to buy a lamp in Shirotsume. Reason being that in a place like this, all sorts of things, not limited to moths, would be drawn to his light. And while Iori did not fear the knives of bandits, they were sure to be nothing but a waste of his energy and time, time he did not have. As he traveled, he came across a light off to his left, and he could hear voices. But there was no reason to investigate the owner of the light. Whether it was a wayfarer like himself, or some seedier element, whoever it was was not begging to be intruded upon, and so Iori passed by like a shadow in the darkness. Very soon, he began to notice a thinning of the trees, and he knew his place of rest for the day was near.

The large town was seated majestically atop a high hill, its buildings beginning at the base of the rise of land and climbing all the way to the peak of the hill. It would have been a lovely sight to see during the daytime, but Iori was content to appreciate the glowing of its night lights, like a host of fireflies piled on top of one another in the distance. Leaving the darkness of the forest behind, the young man bore his tired body towards the light. Anyone who saw Iori as he got to the base of the hill of Oak Town, would see the fatigue in his eyes, yet it seemed it was only his face that really bore any signs of fatigue. He still carried his form easily, as if he had not been on a day long journey. As he climbed the hill, he looked around, his eyes searching for a decent-looking place where he could lodge himself. The town seemed to be too nice a place to hide a dark guild, but that was what dark guilds wanted, wasn’t it? The ability to hide under the noses of the authorities. Anyhow, Oak Town’s history spoke for itself. Iori just hoped there would be no trouble tonight. After a while, Iori found what he was looking for. The inn was nice and homely, at least from the outside. He walked in and headed straight to the counter. ”Good evening. I would please like to have a room here for the night,” he said to the innkeeper, a middle-aged man with a balding pate. The man was probably going to say something rude when he saw Iori’s simple and inexpensive appearance, but once the swordsman placed the right amount fo jewels on the table, his face changed and his countenance lit up. ”Right this way, sir,” he replied. The night was peaceful and uneventful. Iori took a bath, ate his food and marched off into his room to sleep. By his reckoning, it was about 9:00 in the night. The bed was too soft, so Iori slept sitting against the wall, his sword resting against his slumbering form. As was his habit, he rose before the sun, and was ready long before the dawn to resume his march. He woke the innkeeper, to the man’s displeasure, handed the keys to the room to the man, and moved out onto the road again. The inn was situated rather close to the top of the hill, so Iori simply continued on past the crest of the hill, down it and into the forest on the other side. Hosenka Town was next on the radar.

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In time, Iori had left Oak Town and its hill far behind, and already had the town of Hosenka in his sights. The town noted for its hot springs and its extreme guild, Sabertooth. Iori didn’t wonder how the mages of that guild behaved. He knew that if he was patient enough, he would most likely get a firsthand experience of their style and power in the oncoming tournament. The beautiful morning air seemed to have water on its scent, and Iori had a feeling that rain was in the air. Sure enough, as the darkness gave way to the light of day, the rays of the sun were obscured by dark clouds overhead. By the time Iori reached Hosenka, it had started to rain. This was the kind of rain that made people want to remain under their covers. And it seemed the people of Hosenka were planning on doing just that. The last time Iori had been here, he had branched off at one of the hot springs to rest and relax before continuing on his way to Hargeon Town. This time, there was no space to do any such thing. So in the cold of the morning rain, he trudged on, his head bowed under the brim of his rain hat. He was getting a drenching, but the hat did help to keep the rain out of his face, and his backpack sack was waterproof, so there was no fear of his spare clothes getting wet. The buildings stank of a lot of spent money, and while it was a nice-looking place, Iori was glad he didn’t live there.

Due to the loneliness of the roads, Hosenka Town didn’t take too much time in its crossing. Before long, Iori had the den of casinos and hot springs behind him, as he traveled towards Era, the capital city of Fiore, and the home of the Ten Wizard Saints. The rain had eased off in its intensity, but a deep fog persisted. Iori calmly continued his journey, confident of the road on which he walked. Unless there had been major changes on the road, and he had heard of none of such, he would get to Era at about midday. The thought put him in good spirits, and even though he was wet, his heart was joyful. Perseverance really paid off, didn’t it? Soon the rain stopped altogether, and as the mist began to rise, Iori could make out a large plateau that stood out from the surrounding landscape. Beneath the plateau was the sprawl of a large city. Iori pulled off his rain hat, a smile on his face. He had arrived.

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