The Division

[[Another one of my unfinished Asheron's Call stories]]

--Part 1--

The day was warm, Lanacan always enjoyed the warmth of the sun upon his face. Sitting atop the Yanshii rock he looked around at the destruction that was around him. With a sigh he remembered his brief stay with in this town, the people he met and how they had made him a better person.

"Why have I come back here," he thought to himself, "I have no real tie to this place like the others of my family."

"My family...." He thought to himself about how he missed them much. Only briefly seeing them for a few moments here and there when he had a chance to break away from his studies. Sun Gin, Pud, Ralley, Holy, Whisper Jordi and Brastius, how he missed them his closest friends. He knew that in time he shall see them again.

As the sun began to set Lanacan decided to return to his studies. With a short incantation he entered portal space. In an instant he emerged face to face with the Crystal that sat outside his home...his home, how it now seems more and more like a tomb than a house as each day passes by. He longed for the hunt again....

Sitting at his desk he began to look at the piles of tombs scattered across it. He couldn't get the images of his friends out of his head.

"I cannot study like this" he said to himself and decided to retire for the night. It was early, but Lanacan felt drained from the thoughts of his family.

Blowing out the candles around the room he turned in.

--Part 2--

Lanacan tossed and turned in bed. Restful sleep was fleeting more and more with each passing night. Tonight however something was different.

Have you forgotten me also?

Lanacan woke in a cold sweat. His covers strewn onto the floor from his movements. Shaking his head he sat up and looked around him. It was morning; the sun light was beginning to creep down the stairs that reflected off the glass that sealed his map of Dereth.

The words that woke him echoed shortly in his mind until they faded away into nothingness. He thought to himself that maybe all his studies were beginning to affect him or that he was becoming depressed over not seeing his friends all that much anymore.

Lanacan decided to get up over trying to return to sleep. Walking over to his wash basin he poured the sold water into it and splashed it on his face sending shivers shivering through his body. Wiping his face he looked into his mirror. His face looked worn, as if he had not slept for days. In truth he knew he had not truly slept well for weeks now and his image in the mirror was reminding him of that.

He put on his robes and sat on his couch staring out the window that over looked the plains below. In the back of his mind something was not right. Something was tearing at his conscious. He tried to dismiss it, but it clung to him to tight. "Ok, Lan...your starting to scare yourself" he said aloud.

Getting up off the couch he grabbed his Baudren. "Time to get something to eat" he thought to himself. Saying a small incantation he shortly found himself next to the Lifestone in Rithwic and headed for the Inn.

--Part 3—

“Well Good Morning to you, stranger,” Barkeep Ricetha said to Lanacan as he entered the Inn.

Lanacan made a faint gesture returning the greeting as he moved to sit down at a table in a darker corner of the room. The short walk to the Inn was uneventful no one he knew was in town this early in the morning. He knew them too well to be awake this early in the day. He always choose to come at this time to the Inn so that he wouldn’t be disturbed by the common adventurer bothering him for spells and other things while he ate his breakfast. He hated the fact that Ricetha had her Inn in a Town like Rithwic. Her cooking was too good for him not to see here every so often and of course there was their friendship. She was somewhat of a “motherly advice” figure to him since he left Vaxious’ side to adventure on his own.

“So, you going to try something different for breakfast today?” Ricetha asked. “You know how I slave in my kitchen to make something new and exciting for you when you come in here or are you going to get that same old breakfast you usually get?”

“I’ll have my usual,” Lanacan replied dronely.

“You see, that’s your problem, you drag yourself in here and get the same thing every time, no wonder you look so retched today. You need to have some change in your life and what better way to start than with one of my special breakfasts! HA!” Ricetha somewhat scornfully replied with a hint of laughter under her words as she brought Lanacan a large cup of coffee and a glass of freshly squeezed juice.

“There are other things worth more merit to change in my life than my breakfast,” Lanacan replied.

“Oh…do tell, do tell…” Ricetha said as she perked up her eyebrow.

“No…it’s nothing, just lack of sleep, that’s all,” Lanacan said with a sigh.

“Nothing, well something is bothering you.” She replied. “Spit it out, there isn’t no one but you and me here.” Ricetha insisted as she began to sit next to Lanacan at his table.

“Hmm…where to begin…You know that I have been busy doing research on our new home of Dereth and writing my own personal history down over the last few months. Well, about 2 weeks ago I started to get restless in my sleep…” Lanacan started

“Yeah I could tell you haven’t been sleeping much, those circles under your eyes are getting worse than normal….” Ricetha stopped her interruption when Lanacan made a face at her, “oh I’m sorry, continue…”

“As I was saying, I was getting restless and having some trouble sleeping. I thought it was due to my time inside my house and just needed to get out and get some fresh air. So I decided to take a day and do some light hunting, nothing major, just enough to get the “cobwebs out of the system” so-to-speak. I returned home at night to find that when I tried to sleep it just got worse. I’ve made a few of those hunting trips and still no change.” Lanacan pause to finish off his juice. “That isn’t the worst of what’s eating me.”

“Hmm…seems to me you need to lay off your studies a bit longer. Maybe all that stuff is going to your head and eating what’s in there away,” Ricetha interjected with a giggle as Lanacan moved to take a sip of his coffee.

“Ha, Ha, no wonder there are no customers in here now, you keep saying bad jokes like that,” Lanacan returned with a half smile as he set his cup down.

“Touché, that hurts” Ricetha stated as she fetched herself a cup of Tea and returned to the table. “So what do you think is bothering you?”

“In the last week I’ve had almost no sleep. I don’t recall any night mares, just can’t seem to sleep well,” Lanacan paused to take another sip of his coffee. “Then last night I think I slept the least so far only to have that interrupted by….”

Suddenly the Inn door burst open. “RICETHA! Grab a round of ales for me and my…” the figure in the doorway pause to look behind himself and back out the door. “What the… were did they go? They said they were going to buy me a drink! Dam Kids these days.” the figure said disappointedly. It was Celcynd and he was already drunk. He managed to close the Inn door and stagger his way over to his usual spot.

“Will you quit doing that you old drunken fool!” Ricetha yelled at Celcynd, “If I were to have any customers in here you would have scared them away!”

“Oh, quit your whining, woman, and fetch me an ale.” Celcynd slurred out.

“I’ll fetch you a swift kick in the…” Ricetha stopped and noticed Lanacan getting up from the table. “Where you going Lanacan? I haven’t made your breakfast yet.”

“I’m not hungry anymore…not with him here anyways” Lanacan sternly replied as he glared at Celcynd. “I have something to get done. I will see you later Ricetha.” with saying that Lanacan strode out of the Inn.

“Oh, great, I suppose you have yet to apologize to Lanacan for what you did to him have you Celcynd,” Ricetha made her own glare at him.

“That boy still sore, he got what he deserved, tricking me like he did,” Celcynd grumbled back.
“Got what he deserved?! Where in that drunken mind did you dig that up?! He tried to help you out and you abused it…sometimes you…you…gah…” Ricetha stopped knowing well that Celcynd wasn’t listening to her. She knew it would be no good to try to keep going on with Celcynd.

Lanacan stood outside the Inn for a few moments. “Celcynd…you are lucky I don’t provoke easily….” He muttered under his breath. Straitening his robes Lanacan decided to stop off and get supplies from Sialla Jiro in Martine’s Retreat. He had plans to head to Glenden Woods for the day and knew he needed to be prepared for a fight once he got there now that those creatures have taken up residence in the town. He somewhat missed that town, he had made some good friends there as a child and always made it a point to go visit them every so often as thanks for all they did for him before he met Vaxious. He thought it was silly that all the people he knew in that town decided to stay after the creatures moved in and forced everyone out but the local shop keepers. With a chuckle he entered the portal and made his way to Jiro.

(Writers note: When Lanacan was younger he befriended Celcynd and allowed him to stay at his home for a short time to recuperate from an illness as a favor to Ricetha. Celcynd abused the kindness accusing Lanacan of trying to separate Ricetha from him and spread rumors that Lanacan was a thief and untrustworthy. This made up menagerie that Celcynd concocted after a night drinking alone at Lanacan’s home was never forgiven and continues to be a sore spot between the two.)

--Part 4—

Today was not a good day in the least. Lanacan was attacked as soon as he exited portal space outside of Glenden Woods. He was prepared for the fight; he just didn’t remember creatures being this far out of town. The flammas had somehow managed to make there way up the hill as his body was leaving portal space. He was hurt badly, but nothing that he wasn’t use to from his days of hunting in the Dires. As soon as he could he ran for cover away from town. It didn’t take long for the flammas to stop the chase and return to town. Healing him self and checking his equipment over Lanacan decided to circle around to the other side of town and enter from there. Last he could remember the critters were not on that side of town and could make his way into the Trell’s shop with out much of a fuss.

The short detour was uneventful. He entered the large shop were Aristha and Singud Trell ran to meet his old friends. To his surprise they were not there, the shop was empty. Lanacan checked up stairs and down in the cellar, no one anywhere. He thought of that rather odd since they normally hardly leave the place. Leaving the building he made his way around the front of it to get a glimpse of the Magma Golem Exarch that normally stands in the middle of town. Sure enough he was there. Lanacan thought to himself as he judged the distance between Daifa’s shop, Fydiana and Londigul’s shop. He wondered if he could make it to the farther of the two with out being noticed. He really did not want to go and see Danifa if he could avoid it.

Making his decision and taking a chance Lanacan made a dash for the door to Londigul’s room in the shop. As soon as Lanacan started his run he felt his speed and strength leave him fast. “Dam it,” he said out loud, “the dam thing was waiting for me to move.” Lanacan had no choice but to keep going, he knew that if he was to stop and fight it that the other critters would come running to join in the fray.

Lanacan made his way to the door as the Exarch tried to land some war spells on him. Opening the door and rushing in Lanacan tripped on a chair leg and landed flat on his face.

With a moan he rolled over only to see the Golem’s fire from its body jump into the room barely touching Lanacan’s feet. Lanacan in a scurry got up and slammed the door shut on the Golem. With a large exaggerated sigh Lanacan slid down the door as he heard the thundering of the Golem’s footsteps move away from the building.

“Stupid chair” he muttered as he picked it up and set it back into place with the table.