Forgotten Dreams; Shining wishes (Star Boy)

A dream. Is it not but a desire? Is it not what the heart wants? Really, can someone dream something that deep down they don’t want? Some might say yes, other might say no. But what happens when dreams take on horrifying, excruciatingly painful forms? Can they still be what the heart desires, even when it tears the heart and soul apart just to keep them out of the consciousness? Does this make someone a bad person, or does it simply imply that they are imperfect? Can anyone be perfect, or is it but a dream of those who stride to be so? A dream.

Sand blew gently through the desert plains. The chilling breeze carrying the sand howled in the wind, freezing those who felt it. The moon lay embedded in the sky, engulfed in it’s own radiant light. The mountains overlooking the desert stood solemnly, refusing to bow to the winds, not even a rock. The tiny little encampment stood almost completely silent.

“Gesundheit,” a young man’s voice wished his friend good fortune. He sat down on the dead log, and looked at the flickering fire. His head was bare, shaved for training, and his eyes were almost pleasantly distant. He was wearing a typical green suit, the one given to all participants in the war. “mind if I sit with you?” he asked, technically asking after taking action, not waiting for the reply of his friend.

His friend laughed and turned back to the fire. It illuminated the sides of all the surrounding tents. It seemed to grow and shrink with every passing grain of time, never ceasing to move. “Not really, although you should have bathed, first.” He laughed at his own joke as his friend smiled and looked back at him. He too had a shaved head, only his hair was growing again, and the light brown was visible. His eyes were also blue, but were much lighter.

“You know, Jake, you didn’t have to work this shift for me. I appreciate it,” he paused and threw some sand into the tiny inferno. “but if you had gotten caught, they would have beat you again. I never would have been able to live with myself after that. About last time-” Jake has raised his shaking his hand, politely mocking his friend’s naivety.

“Andre, don’t bring that up.” There was some ruffling from behind the two, and they both turned in their seats. One of the other men had awoken and walked out of his tent. Jake and Andre both frowned, if this recruit were to go to their commanding officer, Jake would be in trouble for being up. It was, however, a five minute walk to the commander’s tent (a private man, that one.) and no one in their right mind felt much like walking in the cold of the night just to report one of their fellow freedom fighters. The man yawned, waved good night, and strolled back into his tent, apparently having gotten up to see what had been going on.

“Anyway,” Jake continued. “that wasn’t your fault. I thought we needed some food. I should have put lumps in my bed, or something. I wanted that food just as much as you did, you just happened to bring it up with that over active stomach of yours. Glad we don’t sleep in the same tent, or I’d never sleep at all.” He raised an eyebrow, playfully insulting his companion.

“I know. I feel bad, though. You wouldn’t have gone if I’d kept my mouth shut. And Tumble weed beat you bad that night. I cried that night, man.” He laughed in spite of himself, taking a flask out of his back pocket. Jake didn’t notice the flask at first, and stared at the moon.

“You cried? Ha ha, that’s beats all the compensation you ever could have given me for that night. And besides, Tumble weed was too drunk to hit his mark. He hit me in the eye, but he was aiming for my backside.” The two shared a quick laugh and Jake noticed what Andre was holding. It was a tiny metallic container, and it could only hold one thing. He watched as Andre poured all of it’s contents onto the fire, and it suddenly erupted into a blast of fiery rage, which subsided in only seconds.

“Andre!” he scolded, forgetting that others were sleeping. “You idiot! If someone catches you with booze, they’ll beat you to the point where your hair bleeds.” Andre’s confident smile didn’t fade from his face, however. He emptied the last few drops of the container’s contents into his mouth. Jake wanted a response, and intended to get it. With a quick swipe of the wrist, he knocked his friend on the back of the head with surprising force.

“Ow, dammit! Don’t hit me. It’s not like I was gonna get drunk. I just thought we’d have a little bit of fun with the fire. I saw the look on your face before you got all Tumble weed-ish on me, you love seeing the flames dance just as much as I do.” He laughed and tucked the bottle gently into his pocket. Jake shook his head and went back to looking at the fire. It was true that he liked fire. The warmth; the light; the sheer energy to it. But alcohol, oh my, that was a completely different story. There couldn’t have possibly been anything he hated more than alcohol.

“I swear, Andre, if I every catch you with another ounce of any sort of alcohol, I’ll report you to Harrnum, and make sure he gives you the beating you deserve for having it, you catch me?” Andre licked his lips, knowing that when any recruit called officer Harrnum by his actual name, they were damn serious, or he was in the room.

“Alright, alright. I swear to you, though, you ever hit me again and I ain’t gonna be the one getting the beating. Got it, shrimp-cakes?” He laughed at his newly made up name, referring to Jake’s shortness and perhaps less than military standard build. He seemed to laugh at the name, as well. The two had invented countless names for one another, all of them usually referring to the other’s size.

They sat and talked for a few more minutes, until a man came pulling up to the camp in a large jeep. It was topless, and was the standard green. Inside was a tall man wearing a pair of glasses and an obviously fake mustache. He hopped out of the car and started screaming for everyone to wake up and get their behinds around the fire. At one point, the steam coming from his ears seemed to make the round hat on his head raise a little, although, perhaps it was just in the imagination of his troops.

“SILENCE!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, fed up with all the noise and ruckus his troops were making. Everyone immediately shut up, not wanting to further anger Tumble weed. “There’s been news from the east. Enemy forces are approaching. They have already invaded Carajj, and have taken prisoners. We fear that they are headed for us. If they have our coordinates, they will be unavoidable. Everyone,” he paused and gulped. “prepare for battle!”

Luckily for Harrnum, he had a mature and organized group with him. In the next few minutes, his troops had all finished getting dressed and loading their firearms. They all walked out of their tents, readied for battle, knowing that enemy forces obviously had an advantage, number-wise, that is. As they rushed to their patrol towers, under the strength giving light of the crescent moon, a deadly silence overtook them all. Jake hid silently, in an attack bunker just south of the camp. Just a few moments ago he had been peacefully chatting with Andre, but where had he gone? Where was Jake? What was happening?

Sarah gasped, trying desperately to gather some air, with which she could successfully fill her oxygen deprived lungs. She looked around the old building, not exactly happy with her chosen home for the night. It was but a tiny, abandoned hotel. It was nice enough, she supposed, but years of negligence, and a lot of dust made it seem a lot less homey. She realized that she had been crying, in her sleep, she guessed.

That dream, it had been the first time she had had it. She brushed her fingers softly against her bare stomach, and shivered. She realized for the first time that it was cold. Very cold. Her short, teal top, and pair of teal pants weren’t doing her much good against the chill of morning. With some effort, she stood up and stretched with a big yawn. Again, the thought of that dream popped up in her head. It hadn’t been hard to tell about what it had been, but it was purely imagination. Sarah hadn’t been there when they had... so how could she possibly have seen what she had dreamed?

“I need,” she said with a bristly, morning voice. “something to eat. It’s been too long.” She walked away from the old, ugly couch that she had been sleeping restlessly on, and towards the door. The ceiling boards allowed for dim sunlight to stream through the roof and onto the floor boards. Sarah smiled as the light gently brushed her shoulder, it’s warmth magnifying and feelings of hope she had earlier had, tenfold.

As she pushed the old, rusty door the to motel open with some difficulty, the rush of having so much sun hit her in the face almost knocked Sarah over. It took her eyes some time to adjust, but eventually she could see around the tiny town. It was very quiet, but there were some people in the market, walking around, trying to keep to themselves, with baskets in their hands and food in the baskets. Sarah knew that she didn’t have any money, but one way or another, she’d have to eat, even if she did it by breaking the law.

There were some white, fluffy clouds in the sky, which seemed to be moving with the utmost speed; almost as to escape the villainous act unfolding somewhat innocently inside Sarah Isato’s head. She couldn’t steal any food or money right out in the open, and it would have to be done from someone wealthy. Not an easy task. In the distance, the church of the tiny town stood tall and proud, at least compared to the other crumbling buildings. The windows were made of rather cheap stained glass, but they did look pretty against the sunlight.

“Daddy-” she paused as she walked a little in the direction of the church. “Daddy used to love going to church with Mom. He hated church, but it made her happy. I wonder if they still go to church without...” she stopped, not wanting to further imagine how her entire family was faring without her presence. Perhaps, though, it would not be a bad idea to go to the church of the village. It couldn’t hurt, that was for sure, and it might make her feel better. Perhaps she could even forget, even if only for a while. Forget Jake. Forget her father. Forget the life she left behind in order to seek something that she wasn’t even sure existed anymore: happiness.

Sarah strolled down the street, trying to sound happy as she expressionlessly greeted people along the way. At one point, an older woman dropped an apple from her basket. She didn’t seem to notice at all, and out of instinct, Sarah quickly ran over to the apple and picked it up. Given, it was a very tiny apple, but she was very hungry, as the constant growls and moans of her stomach told her, but was it right? She turned around to see the tiny, brittle old lady walking down the street. She had little other food in her basket, and Sarah imagined that she had a family of her own, and that food was not abundant.

“Ma’am!” Sarah called to her, running up behind her. The little, old woman didn’t hear her at first, or perhaps she did not realize that it was her being addressed, but either way, she did not answer, or show any sign of response whatsoever. She did turn around when Sarah tapped her on the shoulder, however. She looked at the apple, and shook her head in refusal, telling Sarah that she didn’t want it.

“No, ma’am, you misunderstand. The apple, it’s yours, not mine. It fell out of your bag just a moment ago.” The old woman smiled, and the wrinkles on her face shifted. It did Sarah some good to see the little old lady thank her graciously, thank God with a tiny gesture towards the sky, and then walk off, seemingly lighter on her feet, knowing that some people had that sort of good left in them.

The sun was indeed rising in the sky. It would by midday very soon, and people would be flocking to church in massive numbers, planning to pray to God, begging him to forgive them for their many, daily sins. Sarah too wanted to get to church, but not to excuse herself for things she wasn’t actually sorry for doing, but rather for the shelter of the actual building. She hurried along through the streets until she came to the church only a few moments later.

It was a large, white building with three towers. Each tower stood tall, far above the houses. It was the finest building in the entire desert village; that was for sure. The white paint might have been chipping, and the black shingles of the roof might have been mostly on the dusty ground around the church, but it was a rather respectable building. Sarah moved towards the large oak doors and pushed one open with some effort on her part.

To Sarah’s dismay, she was not alone in the church. It was not as bad as it could have been, mind you, but being alone means being by yourself, and when another person sitting at a bench in the front of a church is present, then you are not alone. And it just so happened that there was a man sitting at a bench. Perhaps he was not praying, but it seemed like he was collecting his thoughts. He was an older man, with dark, yet graying, hair. He was wearing a black kimono, and dark pair of sunglasses. Sunglasses, in a church? He’s blind! was the though that rushed through Sarah’s mind. And better yet, by the looks of his clothes, he must have been wealthy, too. The perfect man to steal from.

The church was eerily quiet as Sarah gently walked up the carpeted pathway, which was formed by the rows of benches lined up to the left and right. The church’s inside made the outside look quite childish. It was made completely of oak, or at least, that was Sarah’s guess, and was furnished as best as it could have been. Candles flickered all around, sending calming, but barely detectable scents all throughout the large room. With the exception of the windows, the building was an entirely different place on the inside. So beautifully furnished; properly arranged, and it had a very peaceful feeling to it.

The man gave of no hint that he was aware of the girl’s presence. She hadn’t been exceptionally quiet when entering, so she simply assumed that his thoughts were focused on something else. Perhaps he too wanted to escape something. Troubles, enemies, or perhaps even his life.

As Sarah approached the end of the rows of benches (the blind man was sitting on one the benches furthest towards the back of the church), the man had still not given any sign signalling that he was aware of a presence other than his own. It seemed like a fairly simple plan to Sarah. Sneak up to the man, making sure not to be heard in any way, and very carefully reach into his pockets. The kimono he was wearing looked rather baggy; there probably wasn’t any way he could feel her hand.

So, creeping as slowly as possible, Sarah moved over to the man. If it hadn’t been for his upright posture, Sarah would have guessed that the man was asleep, as he did not seem to show any signs of life. Gently, she reached her hands towards his black outfit, hoping to find a pocket with some sort of money in it. It seemed like a stupid plan as she was actually acting it out. What if she had been wrong and the man wasn’t actually blind? What if she was not careful enough and was caught trying to steal from a blind man?

Suddenly, a hand shot forward and grasped Sarah’s own wrist. With a light shriek she tried to pull back, but this man’s icy grip was too strong, and despite her best efforts, the man simply held on. She had to get him off of her, or else she might be arrested for attempted thievery. If worse came to worst, she would have to beat him until he let go, but was that really an option?

OoC- I'm really sorry it took so long. Normally, I would have worked much more quickly, but my teacher keeps hitting us with nightly homework so that finishing our actual, important assignments becomes a completely different matter.

OoC: Man, I'm sorry it took so long. Here it is though. Finally!

BiC: It was a bitterly cold night as the horses tore up the crude road. The large wooden wheels of the carriage creaked and groaned under the weight of the royal entourage that it carried. Overhead the moon was shining brightly making much easier travel for the party. Four magnificent black steeds pulled the carriage along quickly. Their great nostrils almost seemed to be blowing steam in the cold air of night. Behind the carriage rode seven of the king’s royal knights. They were of an order higher than any other knight of the Pufalian kingdom. These were all knights with warrior heritage. Many of their fathers and fathers before them fought in the legendary wars waged by Pufalia. A philosopher could say that the royal knights inherited their considerable power and prowess naturally. Others would say that the knights were indeed the same as those who had fallen previously, but had been raised from the very depths of hell to serve an evil king. It’s not difficult to see why one would imagine the knights to be among the undead. Sitting atop their steeds with their bodies adorned with the blackened steel that struck terror in the hearts of any who dared to cast their eyes upon them, they appeared to be more than undead. In all actuality, they were the embodiment of all evil. Even more dreadful than that, their master and controller had a heart that radiated more ill intent and malice for his fellow man than all of the dark knights combined.

As the horses dashed up the narrow road, the great walls of Pufalia came into sight. The driver sighed in relief. They had journeyed to a neighboring kingdom to discuss, or rather dictate, the annex of most of their east-laying lands. The host kingdom was in no position to disagree, lest the entire kingdom be burned to the ground. Pufalia’s king, Thanatos, was infamous to a degree. He was indeed the most evil of all kings. But he aspired for something even more for himself. Thanatos wanted to cast his will upon everyone in the world. He wanted to rule all of the world as the supreme emperor. He had turned to the occult to gain even more power for his kingdom, employing all matters of wizards and warlocks and necromancers. Soon his power would become unmatched. The black magic and ill will that he exerted over Pufalia would eventually become even mightier than the modern technology and weaponry of the time. In time, his evil influence would spread all over the land.

The horses that pulled the carriage became disobedient as the party neared the kingdom. The driver pulled at the reigns but the horses reared up and pulled away from one another. Something was wrong with them.

“Whoa!” cried the driver yanking at the reigns, “Whoa I say!”

The horses came to a halt and began rearing up and crying in terror. The driver began pulling at the reigns trying to control the terrified animals. One of the dark knights rode to the front of the carriage and looked to the driver.

“What the hell is going on?” he hissed. The driver trembled at the sight of the knight. His helmet was closed, but his eyes appeared to be glowing like fire through the narrow slant cut for his sight.

“I-I don’t know,” the driver stammered.

“Those horses have stopped long enough for me to deliver justice to all of you,” a mysterious voice sounded from the forest lining either side of the road. All of the dark knights pulled their swords. They were forged of an unearthly material and were as black as the night that blanketed the forest. An elderly man with an oak walking stick emerged out of the woods. Even in the pitch black of the night, his katana glared with the intensity of an exploding star.

“Kitsuo!” the dark knight out in front hissed. He turned around to face the rest of the knights and the driver. “Cut those damn horses loose! Get the king out of here!” He turned his face back toward this elderly man only to find him leaping towards him. With a brilliant flash of light, the dark knight sat motionless on top of his horse. Edward landed behind him with his blade outstretched. Slowly, the dark knight started falling over and then he suddenly fell and struck the ground. His head rolled off of his shoulders and his helmet clanked on the rocks as it rolled. The other knights had already ridden up to the old man and were studying him and trying to measure him up. Suddenly, the fallen knight raised himself from the ground. He stumbled awkwardly over to his head. The being grabbed his head up and slammed it back down between his shoulders, twisting it with a dull, wet cracking noise.

“You’re all dead,” the blind swordsman said, “You should all be in the ground rotting. Your souls should be burning in hell. It’s time to go back.”

The carriage abruptly lifted from the ground beside the surrounded swordsman. A large propeller turned in the air as the driver cranked his feet and arms on various gears. He had cut the horses loose and they began running wild. They wouldn’t be able to pass by the swordsman without jeopardizing the king, so they would fly over him.

Without a moment to lose, Edward jumped from his surrounded position onto one of the wild horses. The elderly man kicked it in its heaving side and began bounding in pursuit of the flying carriage. He pulled on the horse’s flowing mane in the direction of the whizzing of the propeller. He could not see, but the horse could. His sharp ears could hear the clapping hooves of the pursuing knights behind him. They were vicious. Edward was well trained and dangerous, but even he would not stand a chance with the undead knights.

Just as the blind swordsman was gaining on the carriage, a lone arrow from a perched archer struck his horse. The horse plowed into the ground tossing Edward forward off of it. He tumbled across the ground before falling off of the edge of a deep ravine into the raging waters below.

…..

Months later, the blind swordsman sat contemplating in an empty church.

Am I really cursed to burn in hell after all of this? I’ve done so much. Does ending the existence of those who have no business living really justify my eternal punishment?

Edward became aware of someone in the church with him. It did not concern him greatly though because people had multiple reasons to come to a house of God. He did not fear. Then he felt a hand creep into his kimono.

A thief…

He quickly grabbed the hand and turned his blind eyes to the pickpocket.

“Stealing in a church,” Edward said condescendingly, “It’s not a good idea.”

OoC: I'll leave it up to you what you want to happen with Edward and Sarah now. ^_^

Sarah looked at the man grasping her wrist. She tried to wriggle loose, knowing that she would possibly be turned in to the police. The light that was being filtered by the stained glass of the windows poured into the building and blurred Sarah’s vision. The old man let Sarah out of his grasp, and she was sent flying to the carpeted ground of the church. After an odd grunting noise Sarah jumped to her feet and stared at the old man. His black but graying hair swished as he slowly rocked sideways. He was standing in between Sarah and the doorway.

“I’m sorry, mister. I didn’t mean to upset you, but I’m hungry, and I need to eat.” she pardoned herself, perhaps actually thinking it would make up for her attempted thievery. The man chuckled light-heartedly at this and reached for something behind him. Sarah gasped as the large katana came into sight, surprised that this seemingly jolly man would anger so easily. She silently drew her knife from her back pocket, and held it in front of her, not knowing whether this man would actually attack.

“My dear girl,” came the man’s powerful, stern voice. “stealing is not a minor offense. You may think it is, but it is not. What if I had been an old brittle man, needing all of my money to keep my family alive? What if I had resisted, and stabbed you in the stomach? What if I had been a frail, old, blind man- Oh, my mistake.” he joked. Sarah tried to circle around him, hoping to be able to reach the large door, but as she moved, the man’s head followed her.

“Look, sir, I’m not going to fight you.” Sarah added, hoping to coax the man into letting her walk free. Yet, she still had her knife raised, and terrible situations were rolling through her mind, each one seeming more possible than the last. The old man positioned his sword so that he was in a fighting stance. He smiled and moved his mouth, which made it look like he was chewing on something.

“Well, isn’t that precious?” he asked rhetorically. “You value my life, yet, you would steal from me and risk the chance of me dying from starvation. I don’t know whether that is pity or disregard for your fellow human being. However, I do know that you are a liar.” This man did not need to see Sarah’s face to know the expression it held. “You would indeed strike me if the need arose, and you would do it without hesitation. I’ll show you.” He finished his speech rather calmly, and dashed swiftly towards Sarah.

Sarah raised her knife and closed her eyes, knowing that the man was too fast for her. She expected a frightful pain to be felt somewhere; anywhere. Yet nothing. Nothing at all. She opened her eyes. The blind man was standing right in front of her, with his sword just inches away from he skull. Her own knife was only a slight distance away from his chest. “You didn’t scream. Closed you eyes, then, did you? You wouldn’t have taken that course of action if you had ever experienced blindness.

“Perhaps, though, I was wrong about you. You did not strike me.” he gently raised his hand to her blade, and pushed it away from his chest. He smiled, and Sarah herself could not really say why she hadn’t tried to attack. Why wasn’t she attacking now? Why wasn’t anyone attacking? “Whether you have a high respect for God, or you are just a good person who values the life of others, I cannot say, but I suppose I owe you my respect. However,” he continued. “you did, only recently, I may add, try to rob me. And for that, you are hereby in my debt. Thus, I believe, if you show full cooperation, I will have no reason to contact the authorities. You see, I believe you can help me with a tiny matter.”

Sarah frowned, happy that she had not been killed; not so happy that this man was blackmailing her into doing him a favor. She swallowed, still slightly on edge due to this man’s last attack. “Alright.” She agreed to whatever this man had in mind, pretty much sure that it would not be worse than being arrested. The man smiled and started walking towards the door of the church. He signalled that he wanted Sarah to follow, but also told her to be quiet. What was Sarah walking into?

***

The moon shone forcefully down on the land. It was large and bright in the sky, revealing all the things that normally hid in darkness. Undoubtedly, the darkness was still there, but it was made less frightening by the gentle guidance of the moon’s silvery might. The green of the forest shimmered under the moonlight, basking in it’s evident beauty. Sarah brushed a hand through her hair, and looked at the fire positioned in front of her. She then looked back at this man who had guided her to the forest outside of the desert city, which to her previous knowledge hadn’t even existed. He hadn’t allowed her to talk on the way, and had kept a firm grip on his katana the entire way.

“Well, child, I suppose that now that we are here, in privacy, I can explain to you why I have brought you here.” Sarah sighed, glad to hear that she would soon know what was expected of her. “You must realize, that even if you are a kind person, I do not like thieves. I’m afraid that if you do not comply, I will not be bringing you to the police, as I earlier threatened. If yo try to fight me, I will fight back. And rest assured, you cannot fight that which is fate, and fate has already dealt me a ruling hand.

“I do, however, owe you an explanation. As a child, and a young man, I lived, trained, and studied in the distant kingdom of Coreelus. While training under the king’s royal scholar, I saw a great many things. One of which was of great value. I cannot go into immense detail, but it was a gem of great importance. It was not magnificent to the eye, as many were, but it had a rich past in that kingdom. I admired it secretly, and the more I saw it, the more it’s amazing history became apparent to me. I would have loved to have bought it, but that was obviously out of the question.”

Sarah was now listening quite intently, but kept avoiding this man’s constant gaze. Perhaps you have never seen the way a blind man stares, but it as if he is seeing something inside of you that you yourself do not see, and would not be able to comprehend. Sarah wiggled her fingers through the grass and admired the fire separating herself and this man to keep her eyes from meeting his.

“Some years after I left Coreelus, the king died. I cannot say that I wept for him, but when the new king was crowned, his arrogance exceeded that of any other man I had ever encountered. His reign was terrible, and I winced just reading of the events that befell that kingdom. However, the thing that most intrigued me, was a certain article I read. The jewel I earlier mention had been sold. The new king did not care about it’s long history, and thinking that it had not actual value, sold it to a group of bandits who seemed very interested.

“Normally, I am not one to go looking for trouble, especially not without any decent reason. However, this jewel mesmerized me as a youth, and knowing that it is no longer in royal hands has been making me a little uneasy. When it rested in the kingdom, with the new king, it may have gone unappreciated, but it was safe from harm. Now that the bandits have it in their possession, I do not know what will become of it. It would be an outright shame if this jewel was even scratched.”

Sarah scratched her head and layed back. The grass of the forest gently brushed against the back of her neck. She wasn’t sure what this man was getting at, but wanted a name, at the least, from this man. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I don’t believe I’ve received your name.” This man seemed a little surprised, but quickly realized that the girl was right.

“Oh, yes, yes, you are indeed correct. I apologize. My name is Edward. That should serve well enough, shall it not?” Sarah nodded, not thinking that his last name would have any real importance. “Good then. I may continue?” Another nod from Sarah, and the man continued. Sarah suddenly wondered, however, how the man was aware of her response, when she had not spoken.

“As I was saying. I intend to pay a visit to these bandits. I hope to coax them into selling me the jewel, but I fear that I may not be so lucky. I am, in case you have not guessed, skilled with my katana. However, this will be a mighty job, and I fear that I may require assistance on the journey. Thus, this is where you come in. If you would be willing to accompany me on this journey, even if only until I reach the headquarters of the bandits, I would gladly overlook your attempted theft.”

Sarah thought for a moment, still watching the starry sky. She didn’t really like the sound of bandits. She feared, that if she got too involved, she would possibly lose more than a few days spent travelling. However, this man was offering to look past what she had tried to do. And, if he actually intended to try to buy this “jewel” from the bandits, then he must have had money, which could be used to buy food along the way. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll be much help, but I’ll come.”

Edward smiled and lied down on his back himself. The two travellers looked up into the sky, just gazing at the fiery stars perched in the blackness of the night. Even the moon could not dampen the shining force of the many starts. A feeble breeze glazed the edge of the forest which connected with the desert, and both Sarah and Edward shivered, knowing that there would be colds far more devastating than this.

OoC - I think that we should spend at least a few posts travelling, if not more. And I'm sorry if I wrote anything that conflicts with Edward's past.