Cerril Vadrimrin, Tuv's Solar

I do not have time to deal with this imbecile.

Cerril thinks to himself. Then he decides to give the man a wide berth, go around, and if the man should approach, readying himself for a quick fight.

Cerril pushes onward, still trying to reach The Wyld with utmost haste.

As you continue to walk, making a wide path around the annoyance of a man, you suddenly notice a distinct change in the light from that direction. Turning to look, you see an eerily glowing nimbus of darkened light, blues and bright silvers, deep purples and glimpses of a myriad of other colors. There he stood, a corona of the shades of night, a crescent-shaped Caste mark glowing brightly almost as if a spotlight, waving to you in the midst of the morning sun in what seems to you to be a most silly and ridiculous manner.

Cerril decides to take this as a sign, and begins walking towards the swirling mass. He will bide his time, watching and waiting. This could be a good turn of events, but could also be a trap and Cerril won't take chances.

The blue and violet darkness isn't obscuring enough to shroud him from your vision, simply darken the landscape around him. The silver light piercing through isn't necessarily bright, but is simply brighter than the darkness. The crescent on his forehead shines brightest of all, as if to draw all attention to it and away from the shroud surrounding him.

A few moments later when you've gotten a bit closer, he shows a broad smile, gestures in greeting to you, and speaks.

"Hello! As you can see, we are in the same boat, are we not? I saw your little display back in town, and took some interest in you. You seem to be someone who still knows what justice is, despite having ascended. I would like to help you in your journey of goodwill, if you would allow it."

Cerril draws yes closer, close enough that if he were to brandish it in full, his blade's tip could nick the end of the man's nose.

"Justice? Goodwill? There is no justice in these lands anymore, Goodwill only serves to blind the peasantry from the truth. We are being assaulted on all sides, the Deathlords seek to destroy the lands from within, slaughtering towns to spread their taint. Whilst the Dragon-Blooded ignore the real threats, and instead waste entire armies to hunt the Anathema. If I truly have "ascended" I have risen to a shattered throne, and I will be damned If I let the pieces get stolen by the true evils in this world."

Cerril sighs heavily, not quite sure where these speeches keep coming from.

"The long and short of it, is that The Mask of Winters took my life from me, and I will not let him run roughshod through my home. For now I stand no chance against him, but I now seek to gain strength. Strength of body, Strength of mind, and the Strength of the people. With those, I may stand a chance of driving him from my homeland, but that is a long time from now. I do not care if you follow or not, and if there are spoils to be had, you will get what you earn. Further than that, your decisions are your own."

Cerril finds a nearby rock, and plops down upon it.

"I am taking a short rest, when I am finished I am leaving, with or without you."

The man looks slightly surprised, then a little excited. A moment later, he speaks again.

"I know what you mean friend, which is why I wish to help you. You, who would fight for someone he hasn't even met. I believe you can restore justice to this world. But you forgot one thing you will be needing; the power of allies. People who will fight close to you and watch your back. I will be one such ally. My name is Grigori Tinpuras, might I know yours?"

"Just call me Cerril"

Cerril then eases himself up, and continues walking towards Tirith, still wary of this new ally.

"Well then Cerril, it is an honor to travel with you. If you ever require a job of stealth, I am your man. Of course I could also help you during battle too."

Grigori waits a few moments silently, and then speaks again.

"So, that wolf, is he your pet? Does he have a name?"

Questions questions, so many questions. Ahh well, best to humor him.

"Wolf? oh, Rijo. He keeps to himself mostly, never straying too far from me, but only occasionally coming close. I usually have to spend an hour looking for him, but it really isn't hard to find him. If he does come 'round here, I suggest you keep several feet from me, he tends to get bitey around strangers. Yep, like a couple of feral dogs me and him."

Cerril sighs again, with obvious displeasure.

"We really should pick up the pace if we are going to get to Tirith."

"Well, between the three of us, I'm sure there's nothing we couldn't handle!"

Grigori grins roguishly.

"So what are we going to be doing in Tirith, if you don't mind me asking? And go as fast as you'd like, I can keep up just fine."

"What we are doing there... depends on a few things. At best we could walk into town and be immediately accepted for what we are, maybe even work up a following there. That I doubt. We could always ask if they need help with anything, you know, bandits and the like. At worst, they run us out and we sneak back in during the night to grab anything we might need. If there aren't any Dragon-Blooded soldiers there I would rather not have to kill anyone, but we will see..."

Finally done with his questions, Grigori stops talking. Remaining silent, the two of you walk towards Tirith, stopping occasionally to rest and eat. There is little talking and few things of interest over the next two days as you near the village, opting for the peace of silence. The land has thickened and is now more of a forest than it was near Mishaka. The late morning is beautiful, and walking through the forest is peaceful and calming.

As you arrive at Tirith, a small group of villagers comes out to meet you. One of the men, a handsome young fellow in furs and leather addresses you. "Greetings, travelers. What brings you out to our village?" he looks calm and kind as he waits for a response.

Gain 4 Experience for the end of a mini-Scene.

"Me and my..." Cerril stops for a second. "Esteemed colleague here, were just passing through looking for work. We tend to specialize in "dealing" with bandits and the like. Perhaps you or your fellow could utilize our services? I also personally have some skill making and repairing swords as well."