Act I: Enter, White

Chapter 2 – Mixed Emotions

19:40 // Day 77, Dienstag. Sol 97c.

Shortly after introducing ourselves, Enryn and I made our way to the dining room. Set on her chair was a face familiar to me, she was the girl from the Merchant's District. Enryn introduced her as Sara, it appeared she was under his care by request of a close friend. He was acting as her Godfather on their request.

Not minutes had I entered the room had Sara launched herself onto me. She exhibited a mix of relief and guilt, I could tell she was sorry for the situation. We spent some time explaining this wasn't her fault, but that clearly wasn't the way she saw it.

"So, I suspect En already asked you, but... Why did you jump in like that?"

"I did it because I wanted to."

"Why did you want to?"

"...I don’t know"

Soon after, the two of us were released from interrogation. I was able to clearly see the features of both people in the light.

Enryn was much taller than I had guessed initially. He was, maybe, 7'2 at a glance - while I myself was just under 6'. Being tall isn't necessarily a unique trait but still a respectable one. He donned an Eastern style Kimono, though it was unusual for people outside of the Eastern Continent of Mirai to wear these, it made sense once I recalled that Enryn was a merchant by trade. He had probably been all over the world: was the impression I got from his poise and age.

His kimono reached all the way to the floor. It covered his bare feet, that only slipped out when in motion. It was adorned with a simple purple and orange colour scheme which seemed to signify something greater. Golden patterns could be seen wherever space permits, whilst leaving enough 'white space' to appreciate the colour scheme. A wide fabric belt, using the same colours, was used to keep the robe fixed relatively loose. Other than that, he appeared to be in casual attire. Making his wardrobe limited to the robe...

I really do amuse myself sometimes.

Moving on from the currently conversing man. Sara, she seemed around my age, save a few years younger. Enryn had told me before entering that she has been sealed from the world all of her life. Because of this, she lacked the social skills that other children had developed, meaning she couldn't attend school (Instead, she was educated by Enryn when he could). Being easily tripped in conversation, words were her greatest enemy. Having already grown a reputation in the Merchant's District for such, it was just the wrong place and time for her to meet the 'barbarian'.

When I had asked why she was here, I was told...

"For a friend"

The name of which would stay between Enryn and Sara confidentiality. The situation seemed complicated, so I didn't push further. What right did I have to do so?

Character aside, her appearance was dainty, to say the least. She measured in around 4"10, more than two feet shorter than Enryn, though. At least she wasn't taller than me.

Her hair was a dark black, done in long bangs that just reach her eyes. The rest of the fine strands were let loose, acting as guards for her neck and ears. Due to Sara's height, and hair, her eyes were hard to see clearly. However, when you do see them, they are a pigment of red so light that one shade lower would make them pink. They were actually very similar to Enryn's on closer inspection but looked less 'developed'. As if the shade wasn't strong enough.

By now all three of us were seated, Sara carried on eating her meal that had been there since I entered. Enryn had come back with two plates featuring pheasant breast, rice with egg bits and small peppers acted as décor, contrasting the darker colours whilst adding a new texture. There was also some sauce over the whole plate but I had never seen it before since we never had access to this level of food back home.

Enryn placed the meal in front of me, signalling down.

"Eat, then we talk."

"Alright."

Having recognised that this table was not a place for serious conversation, I quietly began eating my meal after everyone else started on theirs.

After the first bite of meat, I almost audibly gasped at how savoury the taste was: so much flavour was put into the meat through seasonings, sauces and the exquisite taste of butter was soaking the entire breast. A taste combination I had never experienced.

Without realising, both Enryn and Sara had been watching me take the first bite.

"It’s good, right? Right?"

"Try not to look too happy."

They both erupted into laughter at my comical reaction to the meal. I suppose, from my appearance, it was obvious I had never experienced food like this. Speaking of appearance, I forgot to mention that I did put my clothes on before I came, but I suppose that should be obvious. The only thing I’m not wearing is my hood and cloak since it’s extremely warm here and both people present know of my hair colour.

I hurled a sheepish grin towards the general direction of both comments, knowing that anything else would lead to more teasing and questioning.

"Well, I’m glad you like it. This is just a simple dish but most merchants, including myself, know their way around the kitchen. There’s lots of money to be made if you can not only deliver food but also cook it on arrival. Saves hassle for the person paying and gets me more money."

Enryn rubbed his hands together while chuckling to himself.

It wasn’t much later that I glanced downwards to take another bite, only to see my plate empty. Wasn't I only on my fourth bite?

20:14

A triplet of thuds is heard as each person finishes their grub. One person, however, had finished much earlier. He joined in any way... Gods, that meal was divine.

The thud seemed to indicate the end of our meal, after that the duo sprung up, preparing to move on to the next stage of comfortable living. I followed shortly after, missing the initial flow of movement.

"Alright, time to clean up. Sara?"

"Yep!"

"Wait, can I clean up? It’s really the least I could do."

"This is Sara's job, I’d just sit back and watch."

As Enryn finished, the plates began to levitate above the sturdy oak table. In a single file, they were carried up and over my head. Then, they descended, flying around my chest. It was a spectacle to behold. Plates, tankards and cutlery were being supported by a faint, blue aura. That same aura created a short trail that pointed in the direction of Sara. My eyes followed the path, seeing that she had closed her eyes. Moreover, there was light, pulsating under her long bangs.

"That is... Magic, right?"

"Yeah, and not just any magic. It's a Hereditary Technique from her old man. He not only passed along the skills but taught her the method to control them. Though, I don't think it was right of him to sacrifice her childhood in doing so. However, it was her choice, so, I can't hold it against him."

"This man you mentioned, is he the same one you owe a favour to?"

"That's him. I met him on my travels in the Southern Countries. We hit off, ended up staying in touch for about 15 years. Then one day..."

Enryn seemed troubled when thinking of the man in question.

"He grew sick one day. I believe it was due to his old age, yet, he had become unable to care for her. His last request was that I raise his daughter, being the only person he could trust."

"Did he not have a family? Surely he didn't birth and raise her by himself?"

"Of course not... Sara's father was a recluse. When he lost the only woman he had ever loved, it tore him apart. He just needs time. I'm planning on giving him all I can offer."

Enryn massaged his heart while thinking of a way to end the depressing recount. He never explicitly stated that she died, but the morbid tone eluded to the fact. When I thought about it, would it be more painful to lose the woman you love to death or by her own choice? Emotions are volatile things.

clang

The final plate hit the sink, causing the crockery to lightly bash each other, producing that horrible scratching noise when ceramics collide. Not long after, the radiant light dispelled from Sara's forehead as her eyelids parted. Her posture relaxed again as she appeared to reanimate from her still, frozen, position. Her fragile figure then began its quest, that being, to clean the dishes.

"Sara, hope you don't mind but I filled White in on some details of our situation."

"Yeah, it's fine En. I would rather you did that while I wasn't around anyway."

"Well... I suppose."

Sara maintained a positive attitude to the remark. It appeared that whilst she was using her magic, she was in a state of coma, unaware of the surrounding actions.

While Sara didn't seem affected, it appeared that old memories were swarming Enryn's head. He took a few moments, then dusted himself off.

"Don't let it get you down kid, I'm just getting old, the emotions... I can't stop them flowing out!"

With that, he was back to himself, making a false gesture of wiping his tears.

20:20

"Alright, let's do this. Sara likes to take her time cleaning up so let's give her some space. Ah, I know. We should mooch up the road before sunset, some air would do you good after being inside and/or unconscious all day."

"Y- Yeah"

We made our way towards the door, Enryn advanced first, followed closely by myself. Before I wandered through the large wooden doorway, I glanced back. Sara had already gotten stuck into her cleaning, singing a merry tune to herself and since there was no door to close behind me I simply left with a...

"See you"

To which she responded with...

"Later"

Apparently, not having a door to a kitchen was common sense. I always thought that extra protection in case of a fire would help: but what do I know?

Having left the room, I came into a wide hallway. The room I had left was in the centre of the house and to the left of me was a set of rooms with symmetrical doorways. They were both bedrooms, one of which I was in not long before. Ahead of the dining room/kitchen was the bathroom, slightly smaller than the other room, turning the house into more of a 'U' shape than rectangular. The final two rooms were the third set of symmetrical rooms, one being the living room and the other a storage room; filled to the brim with goods. Crates lined the sides, each with different enchantments on that helped either preserve the contents inside, strengthen the container or fill in empty space with dense magic. The latter was used to keep objects that leak (or are fragile) from bouncing around. This was all at a glance, I was sure there were more enchantments layered beneath since it seemed such an important tool for merchants.

After only walking 9-10 steps, Enryn had already gotten changed into outdoor gear.

"You took your time, admiring my lovely house, hey? Love 'em small, but this one fits all my goods in. Moreover, the attic and basement have enchantments on the walls to keep my produce fresh on long journeys. Yeah, truly the perfect house. What can I say?"

Enryn D'jar seemed pleased with his description but much more pleased with the house itself.

He pulled on his shirt after reaching into his pockets, revealing that he was more built and slimmer than I originally perceived. Until now he had worn fairly loose clothing; making him seem larger than he was.

Enryn's current clothing seemed much more formal, however. His shirt was a fitted black tunic, reaching below his waist a fair bit. His dark brown breeches, which had pockets (something standard in the capital, but again, new to me) was kept in place by a belt that looked to be made from a creature I had never seen. The belt featured thin red veins running throughout, adorned was a buckle with an engraved insignia representing what I can only assume to be his Family Crest (it was made from an expensive-looking metal, possibly silver). His feet were housed in a pair of grey mid-calf boots, nothing seemed too special about them.

Topping it off, he wore a white, fur cloak; held on his shoulder by a set of lavish brooches. This cloak was also made from a hide that I didn't recognise. Which confused me. One thing I had seen enough of was every animal under the sun back home.

"You eyeing my fibula, they were meant to be buried with my Grandfather but, well, the church is getting stricter about that."

He thumbed his left ‘fibula’ appreciatively. Enryn turned back and paced outwards a few yards.

"Wait. How did you get changed so fast?"

"Trade secret."

"Huh."

"That was another joke, you’re really not good at these... I keep a set in storage so I can slip them on if I get a customer late at night."

"They make house calls?"

"Sometimes... Other times I have to drag them here on a flatbed, unconscious, after they get done in by an adventurer in front of my stall."

guh

He’s got me there.

I scanned the entrance for a sign of my own shoes, finding them perched on a raised bed beside the door. I had no socks to wear with them so I just slid the dull, black, footwear on. Tightening the laces that Enryn had gifted me, donning my hood and then stepping outside. Enryn sauntered back over to the sliding door, pulling it to. A canvas door seemed flimsy protection, especially with what was inside the house. Yet, my concern was soon lifted as a large hand palmed the door, activating a magical barrier that prevented physical or magical damage below a certain threshold. I couldn't tell what said threshold was, which meant I couldn't break it.

Once secured, Enryn and I headed downwards.

Enryn D'jar's home was a sight to behold. The front garden was massive, surrounded by a traditionally built stone wall. A path led to a heart-shaped gate, the same we use back home for cattle; looking around, there appear to be no cattle on the site. I reached the gate last, taking a moment to gaze in awe upon the beautiful scene that Enryn's cottage painted. The white stone that filled the space in-between sets of massive timber frames reflected the sun's rays almost too perfectly. Clumps of thatch lined the building in a Mansard style. Usually, I would say that thatch would be too cheap for such a house but, if anything, it looks better than a tiled roof would.

Cross-hatch window-frames were easily viewable from the outside, with the shutters wide open. Allowing the sun the bless the interior as well. And bless it did; but I feared not for long, not with the Luna season fast approaching. Even now, the days became shorter. In the middle of Sol, the sun would stay up until 22:00.

Honestly, the view seemed far too picaresque to be real.

Once both of us were on the outside of the gate, Enryn gave yet another big smirk after seeing my face in awe of his home. Making eye contact, he signalled that we moved onwards. Silently, we began towards a path leading around the Merchant's District/Market.

Well, silently until Enryn saw a man wearing what he called a 'codpiece'. From what I could see it was something wealthier men wore to make their manhood appear bigger. Apparently, it had gone out of style. I was more surprised that it had been in style.

"What a pillock... haha"

"A what?"

"Wazzock, tosser, muppet. You name it, he's it."

I had lost track of what Enryn was saying, it was like he spoke a different language. I suppose it's the local dialect.

"I suppose this would be the best time to explain where you actually are. I've had a few practise runs at this, so I can explain well enough. Believe it or not, you aren't the first kid I've met from the countryside while out-and-about. Seems to be the in thing now, sadly."

Enryn started with the layout of the area. The city is divided up into different districts, much akin to the way our continent's divided up. The Merchant District surrounds the Noble’s Quarters, in the centre of the city. Fairly obvious what happens here, it’s a place where rich families live and spend their lives, as far away from the rabble as they can.

The Noble's Quarters, in turn, surrounds the King's Burgh, which acts as a residential fortress for the upper echelon in the city. The current King and his family included ranking.

The Merchant District is actually a fair bit larger than it seems on a map since it houses essentially all of the produce from the majority of traders Kingdom. Every District, except the Noble's and King's, are split into four quadrants. Each quadrant typically reflects the culture of a different continent; bar the Northern Continent. The story goes that contact with the Northern Continent was withdrawn, due to their violent and animalistic behaviour. Many rumours state that something more sinister is happening there, which in turn made the Northern Districts less common - bar the cheap housing.

It had become common knowledge that the Northern Districts were becoming more popular, mainly because of people moving there for cheaper living. This has caused the majority of the people - working-class citizens - to shop in the Northern Merchant's District.

The Government doesn't seem to be fully aware of this boom since it takes a few years for the average sales to show them where to focus their attention. In the meantime, there is lots of profit is the be made by moving here. Other Districts are spread out around the city, with multiple of the same type. These include...

Guild Districts: for Adventurers, forming parties and learning new magic/skills.

Residential Districts, self-explanatory.

Provisional Districts: mainly focusing on food and other household items that were typically smaller, such as; utensils and garden ware. Other Districts exist, but lots are merged together to avoid having an inconvenient divide between every type of store.

This seemed to conclude my first lesson in common sense.

On my right, the moon had appeared above the distant walls. It was getting late and I knew Enryn had brought me out here for a reason. Spotting a bench, I posed a question.

"Should we stop here Enryn?"

"...I suppose so. A bench is a bench, no matter whose."

We continued down the dirt path that we had treaded for a good number of minutes, perching ourselves on the nearby bench facing outwards from the walls surrounding the Merchant District. Instead, facing the distant walls. Towards that ever-looming white orb.

"tch, Calsians."

Enryn crossed his legs in a disrespectful manner after reading the golden plaque.

Lowering myself to the bench, I placed my left arm beside my left leg and crossed my right arm above my right leg. It was the natural position I assumed when seated. Soon after settling, my eyes began to wander. We were on a mass of open plain, the moon painted a clear picture even in the ever-growing dark. This District was a Farmland. Wealthier members of the lower-class could pay increased taxation to be protected from the typical; bandits, monsters and, more recently, raiding parties from newer groups forming in the underground.

Yellow fields were sprawled every which way, the path we were on didn’t lead into the actual field, instead, seeming to hug the wall surrounding it. Smaller cottages, in much worse condition than Enryn’s, were sparsely located throughout the entire expanse. These cottages were made from cheap looking layers of wattle. To make it worse the supports weren’t aligned properly, creating small pockets of space between the walls that could be broken into easily with almost anything. They still seemed of better quality than a lot of housing back home, however.

Before the immersion of a beautiful landscape could be broken by the derelict living conditions, Enryn proposed a question.

"So, I've gotten to know you at least a bit now. I think it's time we talked about business, don't you?"

"I agree."

My eyes gazed downwards, I felt somewhat guilty about unknowingly forcing my situation onto Enryn but I also knew that he was doing what he had done of his own volition. That didn't change my situation, however. I would still have to return to my village having only been here a day if I were to offer all I had. It was more than pride and humiliation, I would have failed. We would be stuck in an endless cycle of poverty...

"Indeed. I can tell you understand my actions were my own choice, I expect no compensation from you. In fact, I think I could offer you something instead."

I raise my head to meet with Enryn’s gaze. I pondered what he meant before the words left my lips.

"I don’t understand."

"Say, White. Do you want to move in?"

22:31, upon White's return

Here I was, laying in yet another snug bed.

This bed, however, was in a different location. It seemed before, I was using Enryn’s room to heal when I arrived. The new room I had inherited was a space in the attic, above the storage room. Initially, I was confused about the choice to have rooms in an attic but it seems to help with stacking up and preserving different types of food since the different rooms can be different temperatures. This attic room is the only one suitable to live in.

When I awoke earlier I had felt fine. The damage was mainly inside my head, Enryn had explained the adventurer supported his throw with magic. The specific type was Gravitational Magic, the effect causing nausea similar to zero-gravity. The fluids in my ears became unbalanced, which led to the expulsion of fluids from my stomach - along with my losing consciousness. On-the-whole, however, the physical damage was minimal - and almost none existent - after rest.

"…"

sigh

It's been barely two hours since Enryn offered me an invitation to his home. He never told me his reasons for the offer, just that. My arrival was similar to Sara's. The events leading toward it were just different. And when I asked the question...

"Why me?"

...he simply said.

"Because you're you."

I was sure Enryn had other reasons for his offer, reasons he was yet to reveal. But for now, I felt safe. Safe in knowing my journey wouldn't end so soon.

A few details eluded the conversation until the end. This offer didn't come without a few conditions. Two, in particular, stood out the most. Enryn had told me that working under him with my current appearance would be impossible. At first assumption, I thought he meant clothing-wise, but he had not.

Enryn’s first condition was that I dye my hair.

Initially, this seemed perfectly fine to me. I would have done it myself had I known it possible. Unfortunately, the process was not only extremely agonising but the effects were practically permanent. I would have to sacrifice a major part of my identity to live here. For me, the choice was obvious. I wanted to go through with it. For some reason, nothing is ever that simple.

My family, and friends, back home have always viewed my appearance through rose-coloured glasses. It meant the world when a Kind Light was born in their village. While having my appearance seemed grand, the reality is nothing. It’s purely aesthetic.

Seemingly, a story was told, thousands of years ago, The Founder of Pentas Dale had once shared my appearance. At least in hair and eye colour. A story of the first Pentaen, you could say.

He owned glorious, long, white hair; silver eyes, a bright – white - kimono adorned with golden insignias. His charisma attracted thousands upon thousands to join his nation. People migrated from the richest countries, throwing away everything they owned in a heartbeat. His legacy is broken up into a series of stories known as Whites’ Veil. Other translations include Furui Tabi, an Old Journey. Saisho no Monogatari, roughly translating to ‘First Tales’. The legend is clearly of Eastern origin, though the stories are revered by all Five Continents in Pentas.

I began to remember the shrines I’d passed, well, I call them shrines but in reality, that isn't their use. They acted more as monuments, each representing a different God known to us. Some revere The Founder as the God-of-all-Gods, meaning that the people praying to him worship my lifelong nemesis. Well, before getting too far off track, I suppose I should finish my first prose.

So, about our lovely hero? Some believe that white hair, and eyes, are signs of blood relation to The Founder. This theory has been a topic for discussion for as long as I'm aware, especially with it being a major factor in having not left my home, but. There are flaws to this line of reasoning, the first being time. If it had been over thousands of years, the bloodline would no longer be pure. Secondly, and most importantly, people without the Founder’s features had given birth to those with them.

The actual gene for the trait is recessive.

It appeared to be by random chance, though more common in the Southern Continent; where I was born. Back when the world was formed of Supercontinents, in Pangaea, explorers claimed different these different lands. Thereafter, becoming thriving Kingdoms, with our nation once being a part of the Vaalbara Supercontinent.

Information from outside our Kingdom is hard to obtain, but one thing is known across the entire world. It's that The Founders left behind ancient relics for their people to find and to this day are still being searched for.

Where I'm going with this, is that lots of people believe that someone like me is heavily related to these relics. Because of this, they believe I would be a 'key' in finding these relics. This, however, is just what Enryn said. It's seemingly also my interest to dye my hair, even if I decided to return home. Luckily, the main attribute people look for is the hair colour.

Once upon a time, people tried dyeing their hair white. Though, it seemed that the particular shade is essentially impossible to replicate. This being because the dye can only darken someone's hair, meaning that people would have to have a lighter hair colour than white. So, yeah. That's that.

Thinking about the condition I had received, I understood that people back home would be disappointed. However, It’s just my appearance. I would still be the same person, I would just have to explain this to them myself. To the first condition, I had agreed.

"There’s also the second condition..."

Exhaling, I reached my hand towards the ceiling. I knew I would have to be careful getting up tomorrow since I was closer to the wall than I originally thought. The curvature isn’t straight like downstairs, I could quite easily bang my head on the wooden support while waking up.

Running my fingers along the closest beam produced minimal dust. Just enough to appear natural, though remain clean. The room I'm in wasn’t nearly as nice as Enryn’s, though still far nicer than most, making me feel a bit more at home. Enryn had a very standard room: his standard being very high.

I had remembered waking up thinking.

"The Inn Lady did a good job cleaning up."

Each room in the home served an individual purpose, Enryn only ever used his room to sleep in so he didn't care to decorate it. After all, you can't admire a room while sleeping. Thinking about Enryn's room, my eyes began to wander in a similar pattern to how they had before. It wasn't long since that I spotted a clutter of spiders attempting to make webs but failing at every turn. Every time they tried, they received a small shock and an elemental barrier appeared above their abdomens. From the looks of it, an enchantment was in place to prevent them from using their produced silk.

It seemed so strange that a natural act like that could be stopped. It was just irrational, but then again. Magic isn’t a rational concept.

I began wondering how they got in here, there was only one window and that was currently barred shut. The reason being that whilst this room isn’t strictly for storage, Enryn had been using it for such on occasion. He didn’t like exposing his merchandise, even though this is the second floor.

Using the faint glimmer of light my candle afforded, I brought some of the said merchandise to light. Like the storage below, this room was of equal diameter: allowing for the same floor space whilst having less roof-space. Some floor space was taken up by the scuttle hole on my right.

For reference, the bed I am using is in the lower left-hand corner of the room (the closest furniture to the front door below). The scuttle hole is in the lower right-hand corner, the aforementioned barred window was on the other end of the room, looking out toward the right-wing of Enryn's home. Other furniture; a dressing table, wardrobe and wall-mounted shelves adorned the spaces between. All were in decent condition and seemed brand new, despite the rooms lack of usage.

"..."

"....."

"What do you have in store for me, Enryn?"

I had thought about everything other than the second condition for long enough. He had made the second condition just as clear as the first. Enryn wanted me to train under him for 6 months. After accepting, I couldn't leave until I had finished. Until these 6 months were completed, I was unqualified to work. Period. It seemed impossible for someone my age with no; wealth, education or fame to get work. The only work available was in the Guild District. Basically. Adventuring work.

Enryn planned to use these 6 months as a trial period. If I helped out and grew stronger, then I was free to stay and work for him indefinitely. However, if I failed to keep up with his training then Enryn would keep the money I brought, save the cost to return home. He also told me that the only money I would receive was that which I'd earnt myself, and I wouldn't have too much time on my hands to do that.

Initially, I felt the conditions harsh, but in reality. It was an amazing offer. Of course, he couldn't trust a boy he's known for a few hours, I understood this much at least.

The main issue I had, was that I was likely not to send money home anytime soon. A part of me that questioned the authenticity and goodwill behind his actions had always been there, ever since I woke up. Now, this feeling fleeted, fading as the day went on. My insecurity weakened.

Now that my immediate future had been settled, I began thinking of myself. My only ever goal had been the happiness of my village. That aim brought me here, but I had never thought about what came next. Feelings are a difficult thing to put into words, but. Well. I suppose if I had mixed feelings, Enryn saw through them.

If I was to describe my journey so far, it would be surreal; everything from leaving the village, barging into that adventurer, being saved by Enryn. Nothing felt real. Contemplating the last few days, I realise why. I had grown so accustomed to living in my village that I believed nothing came after it. Now that my life was moving forward, it felt like it was no longer mine. It was shared with everyone I met.

Now that I knew that, I achieved a peace of mind I had never known was attainable.

Enryn wasn’t just offering a home, he was offering me a new life. A new purpose, one that didn't remove my previous one but opened the doors to newer ones.

You could say, he was lifting White's Veil.

22:54

Chapter 2, End.