Out of all the times of day to travel, the mage in the rainbow robes loved morning most of all. The heat of the day had yet to build and the cool of the night still lingered, casting frost onto the grass and making ones breath visible to the naked eye. Alas, it was not only the scenery that appealed to him at this time of day, but the lack of noise and traffic along the narrow paths allowed him some time to think and reflect.

However, as he headed south for the Ellid desert, he would find the morning peace disturbed in a most unusual way.

Walking down the forest road, he had no clue of what awaited him around the bend. In fact, had it not been for a gentle, foreign crunching noise, he probably wouldn’t have noticed the envelope laid out on the road in front of him. “What the-? Oh, it’s a letter,” he spoke to himself, taking his foot off the snowy-white paper before picking it up. “I swear, those letter carriers are getting lasier and lasi- Hmm? It’s addressed to me?”

Taken aback by the letters on the now dirty and crumpled face, he began to wonder the letter’s origin, having not recognized the handwriting. “This is spooky, but I guess I’ll have to open it eventually.”

Sighing, he tore into the paper and extracted the note within, reading it as he continued on his way.

Mr. Arin,

Although you do not know me, I’m sure you’re aquatinted to a man by the name of Zorlo.

“Zorlo, Zorlo…” the mage paused as he tried to remember the face that went with the name. “Oh yeah,” he said in a sudden burst of memory. “He was that guy I fought Jacentar with, the guy with the abnormal fixation on green.”

He left me with a task I have no time to accomplish myself, the letter continued, so I wish to ask you to do it for me. I know I’m a complete stranger to you, but think of it as a learning experience. Please, come see me in the dome’s fountain room if you accept the task. You will receive further instruction there.

Zachary Leos.

Conflictions quickly set into the mage’s mind, unable to decide what to do. He’d only know the fencer for an hour, at best. Why would this man use his name? To grab his curiosity? That certainly worked. He sighed at his curiosity, how often had it dragged him into trouble? Still, he moved on, feeling a door to the dome just a little way ahead.

*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*

Eventually, he wandered through the door and down the hall to the fountain room. All the while, he kept his eyes on the road, away from wandering like he did the last few times he wandered these halls. Why did fate keep bringing him back here? As he approached the fountain room, he shrugged these questions away, leaving him to ponder some other time as he opened the doors.

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(Avy by insaney, sig by an assortment of various ZUers present and past. You know who you are. =3)
Figments of my Imagination.