Troile found herself in another place, unwillingly. I know how I got here, but I don't know why. This is a waste of time, and I have no purpose in mind. I'm just wandering...aimlessly. The sensation was strange and interesting and somewhat frightening to Troile, who planned out her every movement to meet the arbitrary requirements she set up for each day. But not doing anything was liberating. And I can enjoy the spray of the sea here, and smell the salt air. And if I wish, there are shops where I can part with my hard-earned gold. I suppose I can look at the sailors carrying their wares off the ships. There must be something important to that, some methodology which I can make use of. She was making it all up, and she knew it-- this was purely a pleasure visit. But it felt so good to be out here anyway.

Maybe I'll meet someone while I'm here. Maybe this place is important, but I don't know how. An object, here, could trigger my memory...

Looking out, she saw the waves lap up and down, heard the wind blow into nearby sails with a great muffled gush. And as the team of four men lowered down anchor, and the landmen tied the great knots around the pier, Troile smiled. Today will be a good day. I know it.

Port Adúnë. It had been a long while since she had given herself the pleasure of retreating to the water after long days of work. Infact, she had hardly let herself relax even back at home in Yomenïampa. But it didn't bother her in the slightest, really. Infact, she scarcely thought of it as she gazed out at the open water. Seagulls called out to one another, while the sailors balanced their calls with their own from ship to ship, friend to friend. The air currents carried scents of fish and salt, as it did sounds from further out in the water.

In all my days, I have never seen a sight so fantastic as this. I doubt I will grow tired of this. She thought this as she slowly stepped out onto the dock. Though her thoughts were of a good nature today, her face, as usual, showed no sign of much emotion. Some of the sailors looked at her strangely, some surely thinking how cold of a person she must be, and if she were that cold, could she also mean trouble. Appropriately, some were giving her looks of suspicion, but nothing could really be done.

... Being here does have its' negative points. But it really can't be helped. Any other day, such as a very grey and stormy day, this port would be vacant and quiet except for the cries of gulls and the swishing of the persistent waves. Why could today not have been this way? The Gods must be mocking me... She looked up at the sky in a kind of frustration, but moved on. It didn't do well to dwell on things that were.

The wind blew through her hair as the half-angel flew over the streets of Lomedor, heading towards the ocean. Ruri closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of flight for a moment. She loved flying, and was extremely thankful for the wings her angelic heritage gave her. Opening her eyes again, Ruri scanned her surroundings. The smell of the ocean met her nose, along with the sound of the waves. Below her, she could see a group of ships. So her wanderings had taken her to Port Adune, had they? She grinned as she continued to fly, wondering who or what she would meet here.

She spotted someone below her and her eyes widened slightly, taking in the ashen hair and stately figure of the elf below her. Even from above, she recognized the elf. It was Troile, from the Wilwarin Inn last night. The half-angel wondered briefly what Troile was doing there, but as usual, Ruri never thought things through for long, preferring to ask instead of wondering about it.

The half-angel girl began descending, landing beside Troile with a flap of white wings. She wondered what Troile would do, seeing as she had been wearing a cloak over her wings the night before, and that the elf had not been able to see them. She wasn't ashamed of her angelic blood, but some people were prejudiced against half-breeds. Yuki would hide from those kind of people, but thankfully, Ruri was not her twin, and preferred to fight rather than hide.

"Hey, Troile!" said Ruri, turning to the elf, "What are you doing all the way out here?"

The half-angel waited for Troile's answer, scanning the docks. She saw another person there, a beautiful woman with silver hair and green eyes. Looking at her, Ruri wondered if she had elven blood in her, since she seemed to carry a few elven traits.

She has the same hair color and eye color that I have... thought Ruri. The other woman seemed to be much colder though, and Ruri wondered if something had happened to her.

Three women standing at Port Adune on a beautiful day in Lomedor. Ruri wondered what the other two were doing there. She had only come out to wander, as she did every so often, especially on days when Yuki was at the library, possibly with Dria, but she knew that most people had some sort of purpose when they came to a place such as this.

Troile didn't react as the half-angel descended down upon her, but it did take her a moment to place the face with the body. "Ruri." She said, her eyes drawn towards the beautiful wings. Half angels, always dramatic. Must be nice.

"Good day." She smiled, a little bit. "Nice to see you out here. I remember your sister, too. A sweet girl, though she didn't say much to me. Today's a great day to be out on the water, but I'm just walking today. Getting some fresh air. It's better by the sea than anywhere else, although I do wish I was boating. This place isn't meant for anything but the big tradeships. I think this one's cargo is wine, judging by the boxes coming out of it."

Cargo, thought Troile uneasily. More than just items. In many isolated places, cargo is a cult. They believe manufactured goods (cargo) were created by divine spirits, intended for local people, but foreign profiteers have unfairly gained control of these objects. Believers observe the behavior of these foreigners and repeat it, hoping that the ancestors will recognize their own and give them cargo instead. How people will do the same thing when it comes to everything else! Slavishly imitate one action they saw was successful, regardless to circumstance! Seasons change, and things are more than what they seem. We must always remember how gifted we are to possess so much economic opportunity. Living elsewhere must be hell.

"Wonder if any of that is going to Wilwarin," Troile said, looking slyly at Ruri. "We could have some fun."

In the corner of her eye, another person caught her attention-- a beautiful woman, who stood out among the crowds as if she were blessed by the gods. Not blessed. Gifted by stronger powers. I will never call those creatures gods!

Samath let the salty spray of the sea crash into him, enjoying the peaceful wind gusting around him. This was his homeland, the sea. I love this place, he thought merrily, and becoming completely oblivious to his surroundings, the sailor let the wind control his mind, body, and… Ohh… That double dragon patty wasn’t the best choice now, was it… the now quite distressed sailor muttered. Blurgh… Samath left the prow, and headed over though the poop deck to relieve him of the comestibles.

“Land Ho, Land ho, not island or sea, nor mirage do I spy, but the Port Of Adune doth now catch my eye! Land Ho, Land HO!” came a giddy cry from the crows nest.
Samath laughed halfheartedly, and turned his gaze upward.
“Not bad, young sailor, not bad at all”
“Thank you, kind sir”
“Keep up the good work” shouted Samath over the wind, and then chuckled as he moved back to the prow, “Doth? What was he thinking?” he murmured to himself.

“Ahh… Port Adune, at last,” Samath sighed happily, “My wares will sell much more to these folk than the whales were willing to pay.” He masterfully guided the boat toward the reserved lot, and cried to his mates “Avast, scurvy dogs, lower these here anchors, or I’ll have me your heads for tea!” He chortled, and the abruptly cut himself off. Am I drunk? He inquired, Off my rocker? Hmmm… Oh my, I must be seeing things! Two fine elves with a young Atani! How odd. My eyes must be deceiving me! He hopped off his galleon and began to strut towards the odd trio.
“Hello there! Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or you three fine maidens not a figment of my imagination?” He asked them boldly.

Certainly there would be some choice encounters here at the docks, but not in one whole meeting. It probably wouldn't have been such a large meeting if it hadn't been for the sailor who seemed disbelieving and about ready to burst with friendly words. She could only hope that she could avoid some of the introductories and move on quickly. She knew today wasn't the best day to be here, with the sun shining and all.

She scarcely noticed much after the sailor, but then saw two individuals standing near each other. An Atani and another Elf. On a better day, she could have possibly cared, but today, she just couldn't muster up the interest. But before she could carry on any further past the two, the sailor piped up and whisked himself towards the three. She hesitated and in a single tenth of an instant summed up the possible situations. She figured two would be more likely.
One, I could ignore his comments and keep moving, or two, stay put and be polite. I may be mean but I certainly don't mean to be rude... But introductories are so bothersome... She was beside herself, and didn't understand why the two choices were so hard to choose from.

In the end, the polite part of her grabbed hold of her soul like a pair of female fighters clawing at each other and grabbing hold of each other by the bodies and hair. She stopped where she stood, which was next to the young Atani and looked at the man approaching.

"Hello there! Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or you three fine maidens not a figment of my imagination?" What? Was it flattery, or simply out of place boldness that caused him to say this? She decided he was just the cocky type. The one day I choose to relax and it's filled with chat. Joyous... She sighed. Flicking her hair behind her shoulder with a quick and sharp flick of her hand, she decided it was best to say something instead of stare him down.

"Not a figment, no, we're quite real," she couldn't help but say this with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. It wasn't everyday she held conversation with anyone, even back home.

"The only people who think Yuki is sweet are the ones that don't have to live with her," said Ruri, smiling slightly as she remembered the events of last night. "And of course, that's everyone but me, isn't it?"

She looked out at the ocean, watching as cargo ships began docking and a few ships began leaving. She often wondered what contininent lay beyond the seas, and if it was any different from their continent of Ea. She had asked Yuki about it before, but her twin didn't seem to know much on the subject either. Very few people from Ea had crossed to the continent on the other side of the sea, and vice versa.

The half-angel grinned at Troile's words, watching as boxes of wine were unloaded from the ship. She couldn't help agreeing with the elven woman. Too bad she and Yuki would be leaving the city the next day, and Yuki would probably kill her if she got drunk again.

It's just wine though... she thought to herself, watching as the boxes were carted off towards Lomedor, It's not like I'll get that drunk.

"Probably is," replied Ruri, watching the boxes, "Wilwarin's one of the famous pubs in Lomedor, so I'd be surprised if it wasn't. Too bad I have to travel tomorrow, though. We could have some fun with that."

She watched as a brown-haired sailor walked over to them, turning to him as he spoke. Was he trying to flatter them, or was that simply his attitude? Either way, Ruri never thought too much about things, and now was not an exception. She decided to play along. The half-angel opened her mouth to reply, when the half-elf she had noticed before cut into the conversation, giving the sailor a sarcastic reply that reminded Ruri of Yuki on a very bad day.

"Well, you heard it from her," said Ruri with a grin, "We're definitely real. The name's Ruri Ishimura. What's yours?"

And if it's your ship that's carting all the wine, mind sharing a bit with us? she thought, as she waited for the sailor to respond. She wondered briefly where Yuki was now. Her twin was probably at the library, teaching Dria how to read or something like that.

Her eyes widened as the interloper called out a greeting. She was expecting something more obscene than a simple "fair maiden," but that might come in time. Troile gave a hesistant wave. Sailors spend so much time out at sea that they lose basic manners. I've heard enough horror stories from women at pubs. But this is a safe place here, and this interaction could be completely innocuous.

"Yes," Troile said, turning to Ruri. "It's a shame. Where are you all headed to?"

Troile watched with interest as more cargo was unloaded from the ships. Now came large amphorae, with importation marks on them from a country Troile didn't recognize. Each container looked like it weighed more than a hundred pounds. The sailors carried the amphorae with ease down to the loading dock, hefting the enormous clay jars onto a wheeled cart covered by a thick blanket for insulation. The horse at the front of the cart stamped its feet impatiently, and the driver barked an insult at the animal, kicking it lightly in the ribs to stop its movement.

Wine is a most interesting substance due to its effects on the brain. Some people act so outlandishly that there is no other explanation than the wine for their motivations. Whether it could be used to reach an alternate state of consciousness in a different plane is still up for debate. I think that wine's effects are all internal, but this bears more research, if I could find a willing subject...

The woman whose gaze she caught before replied to the sailor, her voice laden with sarcasm. It's a good thing Ruri is here. Otherwise this could end badly.