[center][color=tan][h1][b]Chapter 001[/b][/h1][/color][/center][center][sub][i]Scene 004[/i][/sub][/center][hr] The morning sun rose. The morning rays flew past the trees and its leaves. The rays smashed into Luca's and Tasha's eyelids. Both companions starting to wake. Luca stretched out and yawned, blinking his eye lids as his eyes had adjusted to the brightness. Tasha slowly getting out of bed as well, scratching her head and standing up to stretch. [color=lime]"Good morning."[/color] She said unenthusiastically. [color=deepskyblue]"Morning."[/color] Luca said as he looked around at the campsite for any kind of disturbances that might have happened overnight. It didn't seem like there was anything wrong. A moment later he went to his gear, putting his sword on his waist and gathering up his things. He rolled up his bedroll and strapped it to his pack. Tasha was getting her things ready at the same time he was. After he had finished, he began to walk towards the road that they had separated from. [color=deepskyblue]"Are you ready? We should arrive at the town today."[/color] He said rubbing his eyes trying to become more alert and ready for whatever the day would bring. [color=lime]"Yes. I'm excited to get there!"[/color] Tasha gave a quick smile, seeming like she already had fully awakened. [color=deepskyblue]"Me as well."[/color] Luca said motioning for Tasha to follow him. She trotted over to him as they walked through the forest. Shortly after, they had made it into the clearing once again. Seeing the road, they started following it. After a couple hours they had spotted a small group of people traveling to Mosca, most likely. Luca was slightly surprised since there wasn't much of a established economy between the village and town. After a few more hours of traveling on the road the city began to appear in their sight. The faint sound of the bustling small town began to grow louder. As they entered the town Luca had noticed that the people seemed rather 'cheery'. A lot of the places he had been, people were more depressed, as they were ravaged by war or bandits, or some other unlucky event. As Luca and Tasha grew closer to the center of the town, Luca was slightly curious as to what the bounty was all about. He didn't have much detail, but enough to know where to go. Most of the time it seemed like bounty's were for someone that had been kidnapped or a stolen item of some sort. The party started to look for the mayor's mansion. Passing a small market square Tasha spoke up, [color=lime]"Hey, I'm hungry do you want to grab something to eat?"[/color] she rose an eyebrow and slightly shrugged her shoulders. Luca looked around, then back at her. [color=deepskyblue]"I don't have money, we'll have to pass this time around, unless you have some money to spare." [/color]He gave a sympathetic face as Tasha's shoulders and attitude sunk a little. She was slightly disappointed, but the thought had crossed her mind. Luca understanding what she was feeling added, [color=deepskyblue]"Sorry. I'm pretty sure we're close to the mayor's house, once we're done there we can find something to eat in the woods."[/color] Tasha nodded her head and they both continued to walk forward, looking for the mayor's house. Eventually finding a small mansion they approached the door. It was definitely the right place. Luca stretched out his arm and hand, knocking firmly 3 times with his knuckles. After a few seconds a person who appeared to look like a servant opened the door. [color=yellow]"Yes? How may I help you?"[/color] [color=deepskyblue]"Good morning sir."[/color] Luca replied with a slight bow, continuing to say, [color=deepskyblue]"I heard there was some sort of bounty reward that we could earn. I was wondering what the bounty was for."[/color] Luca finished, giving a quick smile. The servant was startled slightly, or so it had seemed. Giving a quick look around, almost looking as if he should answer the question or not he replied, [color=yellow]"Let me inform my lordship someone is here about the bounty."[/color] He stated, bowing his slightly and his body even more so. Then he promptly shut the door. After a minute or of waiting the servant came backing opening the door gesturing them to come inside the small mansion. [color=Yellow]"My lord would like to see you now."[/color] As he inched out of the way pointing to the stairs with an open palm, he said, [color=yellow]"If you would sir."[/color] Luca nodded and proceeded to enter the house, Tasha following. It was a pretty nice mansion for a small town mayor. Luca was thinking that if he was the mayor he'd not have much to complain about. As they made way through the mansion they passed his little family that he had. They all seemed pretty happy. Luca thought that the mayor couldn't have been a very bad man by the way the family was acting. A few moments later they had approached an office door. The servant raised his hand and knocked twice and cracked the door open a little. [color=yellow]"My lord, the guests have arrived."[/color] A moment of silence, then the servant nodded quickly opening the door for them to enter. Luca gave a slight small courtesy nod to the servant as they entered the room. The servant had closed the door behind them. The mayor had his chair turned away from the door looking out the window. [color=yellow]"Welcome strangers, to my little town that I've built ground up."[/color] Turning his chair towards Luca and Tasha, allowing them to see what he looked like. Luca had nodded his head showing respect, [color=deepskyblue]"Thank you lord. It's quite the small town you have here."[/color] He gave a quick smile then added, [color=deepskyblue]"The reason I came here was for some sort of bounty, though, I don't know how accurate that rumor was."[/color] To Tasha it had seemed that it was a true rumor. The mayor didn't seem surprised at all by this. It looked as if the mayor was being hesitant, as if he should tell them or not. He looked down at his papers on the desk, then around the room. [color=yellow]"Some precious ores were stolen from me."[/color] He said sounding angry, tightening his fist. [color=yellow]"They were rare blacksmithing metals. It was an element called Adamant. A very heavy durable metal, almost indestructible. Steel wouldn't ever be able to harm this metal, an ultimate fighting metal, or even a protective metal for armor."[/color] He paused for a moment, letting his words sink into Tasha and Luca. [color=yellow]"I'll give you a reward for the return of these ores, and even enough to make yourself a weapon or a piece of armor."[/color] As Luca was about to answer his question the mayor added, [color=yellow]"There's rumors that it can cut and kill ghosts and other supernatural creatures, like silver metal can kill them. Though I haven't seen anything to confirm those rumors."[/color] Luca nodded and said, [color=deepskyblue]"I'll take this job. Do you have any idea where they would've taken the ores? Or how many people are with them?"[/color] The mayor thought for a moment in his dark brown leather chair. [color=yellow]"I'm pretty sure they have a base set up in a cave in the nearby woods, towards Mosca."[/color] He paused for a moment, [color=yellow]"I can only imagine there are 2 or 3 people that guard these metals. Not many people knew about what I had possessed."[/color] Luca shook his head in acknowledgment and said, [color=deepskyblue]"Okay, I'll see what I can do. Give me a few days but I'll get your precious metals."[/color] Luca didn't really do this bounty because he wanted to be a good person. He had heard about the metal Adamant before and he wanted to get his hands on it. [color=yellow]"Thank you stranger, I'll be here if you need anything or have some questions for me."[/color] The mayor said as he got up from his chair, walking to the door and opening it. He motioned for the servant to come to him. [color=yellow]"Escort these fine people to the door."[/color] The servant nodded and motioned for Luca and Tasha to follow him. Tasha seemed excited at this new quest that she had come across. She had no idea that anything like this would've happened. She felt like if she kept tagging along with Luca things could get pretty interesting.