It had been days since he'd arrived and the ocean air along with the smells of the jungle made Rurutani smile. It was a long overdue smile. His feet crushed leaves and ground debris as he walked toward the docks, as the humid air made him sweat, though he welcomed it. He had spent the morning hunting....training. It had been days since he had even opened his mouth to say a word and the solitude had been a blessing in disguise. Away from the energy and organized chaos that Ul'dah was, away from the dangers, Ruru had found inner peace as he focused on his training.
The lessons played through his mind with each beast that attacked. Slash....Slash...parry...counter attack. And with each kill, he became better and more adept, the blade and shield extensions of him rather than simply being tools he held. Kage would be proud.
He allowed his mind to drift for a moment...allowed for the luxury of the thought, and wondered how Kage was, wherever he was. He hoped his friend and mentor was doing well, healing as he should and staying out of danger.
As he walked, beads of sweat starting to roll down his forehead, he admired the jungle around him, for its calm and serenity, coupled with its hidden dangers. He hoped that with time, he would be like this jungle, with those same elements. as he approached the docks, hoping for a bit of a rest, he saw an older man loading supplies onto his small boat and for half a moment considered walking away, to avoid potential conversation, but reconsidered; the man looked friendly enough. Rurutani had avoided Wineport because there were too many people there and as he needed the time to himself, had taken to a quiet shelter deeper in the nearby jungle. Â
The elder man's eyes caught Ruru's and he smiled. "Well hello there, lad."
Ruru returned the smile, "Afternoon, sir. He took his spot, sitting down and letting a tired sigh escape him as he did. The elederly man looked up from his work nodded slightly at Ruru.
"Lookin' worn there boy."
Ruru looked back and laughed softly, "Been out hunting a bit. Just tired."
"Nah, lad....I mean worn." He tapped his head when he said this, looking genuinely concerned. "Spirit....not the body."
Ruru was caught off guard but looked back down at the waters knowing the man was right. "That obvious, huh?"
"Well hells boy yer practically wearin' it like a coat. Mind if I sit a spell and talk?" He looked at Ruru, waiting for some sign of approval, which was granted once Ruru nodded to a spot near him. The elderly man took a seat and took in a deep breath of air, "Ahhh....'tis beautiful, no? The jungle I mean. Has an elegance to it, at least that's my feelin'." Ruru nodded and said that it did.
"So, what's the matter boy? Why you look so glum for? Yer in a beautiful place, seem to be in fairly good shape...save fer the eye...and you seem to be able to handle yerself. So not sure what th' issue is."
"The issue is...." he paused wondering if he should open up and decided he would as the old man didn't seem to be a threat. "...the issue is I have so many questions of people I have met...or know....and they are all gone. So I'm stuck...left wondering how to help or what to do next because everyone is just gone." He hadn't noticed his voice rising in volume as he said this, unaware he outwardly seemed upset. The old man chuckled and shook his head. Ruru snapped his head and stared at the old man in disbelief "What's so funny?" he asked.
"Ah boy...it's amusin' is all. You sit here wondering' what to do next...wondering how you'll find the Cat...well, which one d'ya want to find is what I wonder....or the woman Roe. You keep thinkin' how you'll do that and yet yer out here swingin' away at beasts. Seems...hmmm...what's th' word? Counter-productive. Yes, that's it." He laughed again, a deep belly laugh and Ruru jumped up, wondering how this man knew so much. He backed away from the dock and the old man kept laughing, no longer even considering Ruru.
Ruru mumbled a bit and turned to leave and stop frozen in his tracks. Not 50 yalms from him was a small circular table, elegantly decorated with a full meal for two upon it, with a bottle of wine and two half full glasses. Seated at the table were the female Roe, Dennthota and across from her the mysterious Miqo'te Suri, who took a sip of her wine as they both turned and looked at the shocked Lalafell and smiled. a mysterious figure in black walked to the table and poured more wine into Denn's glass before looking directly at Ruru.
"Impossible...." was all Ruru could manage before he turned back to see if the old man was there. The old man was gone and before him stood Kage, clad in his Sultansworn uniform and smiling. "What are you doing, Ruru? Why are you here. Don't you have something you need to be doing?" Ruru stammered a bit and said "How-....I mean, I'm training. H-how...?" Kage shook his head and shushed him. "No Ruru, I mean about the attack."
"B-but I don't know where....how did you find me?" He couldn't keep his words together and truly was frightened by the scene. He turned to see the table and saw it was gone and in the second he turned back to Kage, he saw that his friend was gone as well. "I can't find anyone," Ruru said quietly to himself, and felt a gentle hand on his shoulder from behind that startled him. As he turned and looked, afraid of what he might see, his eyes fell upon Ser Natalie, adorned in the same uniform as the day the two had met near the Chamber of Rule in Ul'dah. She smiled and said, "Calm your nerves. Collect your thoughts, Rurutani. Perhaps the reason you can't find anyone is because you haven't truly looked."
"S-Ser Natalie. I'm sorry. I don't know where anyone is. I don't-"
She smiled and said, "Then it's time to start looking and stop hiding."
Suddenly Ruru's eyes snapped open, sweat drenching his head as he sat up from his makeshift bed. He worked to catch his breath and realized it was just a dream. But even if they were just dreams, maybe the message was clear. Maybe he needed to start looking in a more proactive way. He decided he would need to head into Wineport to send Kage and Natalie a letter, hoping they had access to their mail.
The lessons played through his mind with each beast that attacked. Slash....Slash...parry...counter attack. And with each kill, he became better and more adept, the blade and shield extensions of him rather than simply being tools he held. Kage would be proud.
He allowed his mind to drift for a moment...allowed for the luxury of the thought, and wondered how Kage was, wherever he was. He hoped his friend and mentor was doing well, healing as he should and staying out of danger.
As he walked, beads of sweat starting to roll down his forehead, he admired the jungle around him, for its calm and serenity, coupled with its hidden dangers. He hoped that with time, he would be like this jungle, with those same elements. as he approached the docks, hoping for a bit of a rest, he saw an older man loading supplies onto his small boat and for half a moment considered walking away, to avoid potential conversation, but reconsidered; the man looked friendly enough. Rurutani had avoided Wineport because there were too many people there and as he needed the time to himself, had taken to a quiet shelter deeper in the nearby jungle. Â
The elder man's eyes caught Ruru's and he smiled. "Well hello there, lad."
Ruru returned the smile, "Afternoon, sir. He took his spot, sitting down and letting a tired sigh escape him as he did. The elederly man looked up from his work nodded slightly at Ruru.
"Lookin' worn there boy."
Ruru looked back and laughed softly, "Been out hunting a bit. Just tired."
"Nah, lad....I mean worn." He tapped his head when he said this, looking genuinely concerned. "Spirit....not the body."
Ruru was caught off guard but looked back down at the waters knowing the man was right. "That obvious, huh?"
"Well hells boy yer practically wearin' it like a coat. Mind if I sit a spell and talk?" He looked at Ruru, waiting for some sign of approval, which was granted once Ruru nodded to a spot near him. The elderly man took a seat and took in a deep breath of air, "Ahhh....'tis beautiful, no? The jungle I mean. Has an elegance to it, at least that's my feelin'." Ruru nodded and said that it did.
"So, what's the matter boy? Why you look so glum for? Yer in a beautiful place, seem to be in fairly good shape...save fer the eye...and you seem to be able to handle yerself. So not sure what th' issue is."
"The issue is...." he paused wondering if he should open up and decided he would as the old man didn't seem to be a threat. "...the issue is I have so many questions of people I have met...or know....and they are all gone. So I'm stuck...left wondering how to help or what to do next because everyone is just gone." He hadn't noticed his voice rising in volume as he said this, unaware he outwardly seemed upset. The old man chuckled and shook his head. Ruru snapped his head and stared at the old man in disbelief "What's so funny?" he asked.
"Ah boy...it's amusin' is all. You sit here wondering' what to do next...wondering how you'll find the Cat...well, which one d'ya want to find is what I wonder....or the woman Roe. You keep thinkin' how you'll do that and yet yer out here swingin' away at beasts. Seems...hmmm...what's th' word? Counter-productive. Yes, that's it." He laughed again, a deep belly laugh and Ruru jumped up, wondering how this man knew so much. He backed away from the dock and the old man kept laughing, no longer even considering Ruru.
Ruru mumbled a bit and turned to leave and stop frozen in his tracks. Not 50 yalms from him was a small circular table, elegantly decorated with a full meal for two upon it, with a bottle of wine and two half full glasses. Seated at the table were the female Roe, Dennthota and across from her the mysterious Miqo'te Suri, who took a sip of her wine as they both turned and looked at the shocked Lalafell and smiled. a mysterious figure in black walked to the table and poured more wine into Denn's glass before looking directly at Ruru.
"Impossible...." was all Ruru could manage before he turned back to see if the old man was there. The old man was gone and before him stood Kage, clad in his Sultansworn uniform and smiling. "What are you doing, Ruru? Why are you here. Don't you have something you need to be doing?" Ruru stammered a bit and said "How-....I mean, I'm training. H-how...?" Kage shook his head and shushed him. "No Ruru, I mean about the attack."
"B-but I don't know where....how did you find me?" He couldn't keep his words together and truly was frightened by the scene. He turned to see the table and saw it was gone and in the second he turned back to Kage, he saw that his friend was gone as well. "I can't find anyone," Ruru said quietly to himself, and felt a gentle hand on his shoulder from behind that startled him. As he turned and looked, afraid of what he might see, his eyes fell upon Ser Natalie, adorned in the same uniform as the day the two had met near the Chamber of Rule in Ul'dah. She smiled and said, "Calm your nerves. Collect your thoughts, Rurutani. Perhaps the reason you can't find anyone is because you haven't truly looked."
"S-Ser Natalie. I'm sorry. I don't know where anyone is. I don't-"
She smiled and said, "Then it's time to start looking and stop hiding."
Suddenly Ruru's eyes snapped open, sweat drenching his head as he sat up from his makeshift bed. He worked to catch his breath and realized it was just a dream. But even if they were just dreams, maybe the message was clear. Maybe he needed to start looking in a more proactive way. He decided he would need to head into Wineport to send Kage and Natalie a letter, hoping they had access to their mail.
