[center][h1]Arcos City[/h1]
[h3]~ En Route ~[/h3]
[@Rune_Alchemist][@13org][@Hammerman][/center]

[quote=@13org]
[color=red]"We are on your hands, Lessig. If you see or hear anything weird, things like bandits & etc. Please tell us right away. We will be glad to help you."[/color] 
[/quote]

[b]"I welcome the offer, Miss."[/b]

Once the trio had settled into the wagon, Lessig whipped the reigns, and the surly auroch began trudging forward at a sedate pace. 

Each them seemed pleasant enough, but this dragon-blessed warrior somehow set him on edge in a way he could not fully describe. His instincts told him to stay on guard, but he was convinced that they were, at the very least, not bandits--perhaps even allies? He wouldn't mind having strong adventurer's as friends.

[quote=@Rune_Alchemist]
[color=bc8dbf]"So, Lessig...I can call you Lessig can't I?"[/color] She spoke in a seemingly friendly tone - definitely a bit overly familiar, perhaps. [color=bc8dbf]"So what do you do, hm? Rather dangerous to be traveling alone isn't it?"[/color]
[/quote]

The road was long and often lonely, so Lessig welcomed the company. He stifled the lingering sense of alarm through force of will and jovial laughter.

[b]"Danger? Ha! Call me a fool, if you like, but I much prefer the danger."[/b] He wore a triumphant grin. [b]"Working the fields was never the life for me. No~ I was a willful and petulant lad in my youth. 'Too much gumption' they said. Like every other boy, I wanted to be a hero one day."[/b] He let out a deep bellowing laugh, but his eyes seemed to twinkled distantly with the specter of crushed dreams.
[b]"I'm but a humble merchant now. Heroes aren't cut from the same cloth as us common folk, but I've managed to earn generous share for my family. Beaten my fair share of bandits too!"[/b]

Lessig was a lively storyteller and an expert at weaving tiny embellishments into every story. He continued at length, regaling his guests about his numerous brushes with ruthless brigands and wily thieves, and his adventurous affair with the strong-willed daughter of Margrave Mernard.

In particular he recounted tales of a few dragon-blessed adventurers. Each possessed some gift of the Brightness Dragon Lord: enhanced strength, horns, special powers. 

He spoke proudly of his daughter, Giselle, an intrepid explorer and fellow adventurer, who was in a group with a dragon-blessed folk hero known as Orinos. His son, Velan, had just started gaining recognition as a talented painter and bard in Arcos. He regretfully admitted he didn't believe Velan would ever become successful, and their relationship had been tense for a long time.

A few hours passed.

The forest thinned into sparse hills dotted with briar thickets and loose groves of young trees. The precipice of a stone tower rose above the horizon. A long silver banner flowed in the wind just above it.

As the carriage crested a hill, the road led down into the rocky flatlands of a basin. The fort had been built into a craggy hillside, which has been terraced to support more guard posts and shabby barracks, and a narrow gravel road appeared to be the only way in and out. A smattering of wagons, makeshift stalls, and shoddy abodes surrounded the fort's northern perimeter, and more than a hundred people bustled between them all. 

[b]"Ah. Wolf's Run... A fine trading post."[/b] Lessig played with the bristles of his moustache while he pondered his statement. [b]"It may not look like much, but the shadow of the fort is enough to keep most bandits away. It'd almost be perfect if it didn't flood every summer."[/b]

The wagon lurched forward as the auroch took the  steep sloping road into the basin.

[b]"If you need a carriage to Arcos, you'll find it here. I'll let you off at the marketside, once we get closer."[/b]