[center][h1]Arthur Lupin[/h1][/center]

[hr]

How far has he walked by now? How often was he driven off the path of his mission by inconvenience after inconvenience? How much farther did he have to travel until he could take the first step in his true journey? These were the questions floating through Arthurs's mind as he walked along an empty dirt road with only his thoughts to keep him company. His tired eyes drifted up towards the sky, slowly roaming from cloud to cloud as he tried to ignore the weight of his exhausted body. He grimaced from the feeling of dirt and grime coating his body, the urge to jump into the nearest body of water nearly overwhelming to resist. 

His thoughts drifted off towards the first few weeks after his rebirth as Astarte’s Envoy, vivid memories of a battle scorched land being his first introduction to this world. It took him nearly a week to escape No Man's Land, forcing and sneaking his way east through the warzone since he stood little chance of breaking through the twin kingdom's front lines himself. Thanks to a rather brutal push from the Empire he was able to slip through unnoticed past the enemies line and reach the river separating Latis. The memory of crossing those chilling waters in the night, the sound of magiarms firing off in unison and steel clashing together still echoing in his mind. 

Arthur was soon brought out of his thoughts as the sight of his destination came into view, the merchant city of Coris. A moment of silence hung over him as he stared at the city, the feeling of his fellow envoy's presence growing stronger. His grip on the hilt of his rapier tightened slightly as he gave a silent prayer to his Astarte, ignoring the slightly sickening twist in his gut as he quietly asked for her blessing. With a steady breath he continued on towards the city's gates, his weary and dirty body yearning to finally meet his fellow envoys and rest his sore feet.

—-

“Huh,” was all he could say as he stood in the middle of the busy marketplace, his eyes exploring his surroundings with a bit of surprise at how lively this place was. From the hazy memories of his host, he remembered the Imperial markets were never this vibrant or diverse. It was an interesting sight and he had the urge to explore a little more, but the sensation of growing closer to his fellow Envoys was too strong to ignore. Besides, Arthur didn’t have a coin to his name to spend. With a small sigh of disappointment, he moved on through the market while doing his best to ignore the food stands he passed, barely acknowledging the rumbling in his stomach. “Almost there, almost there,” he mumbled under his breath as he weaved through the crowds with ease. 

After turning several corners and following the sound of the sea Arthur soon reached the docks, the presence of the others stronger than it has ever been. His tired eyes soon fell upon a nearby tavern and felt his heart skip a beat. “There,” he muttered under his breath before straightening his poster and making a beeline for the establishment. Weeks upon weeks of endless walking, running, and even fighting had all brought him here for this moment. The first step in his mission was about to be accomplished. A shudder ran up his spine at the fact, wondering what could possibly await him in the coming future. 

With a steady breath he entered the Red Snapper and scanned the tavern with a stoic gaze, searching for his new comrades. It took little time to pick them out amongst the other customers and felt a heavy weight be lifted from his shoulders. Even dirtied, exhausted, and starving, he still crawled his way to the merchant city and found his fellow Envoys. After clearing his throat and wiping some dirt from his cheek he made his way toward the group, easily weaving his way through the tables and patrons. Once reaching them he gave a slight bow before taking a nearby seat to join them. “Greetings, sorry for being late,” he apologized before letting out a sigh of relief, the feeling of getting off his feet almost divine.