The Dream

Zack walked up to the capitals large gates, never before had he seen anything so large and intimidating. the gates easy stood a good twenty feet high with towers and patrols at regular intervals along its walls, the walls were made or iron reinforced brick with a magic enchantment as extra security. The patrols were all mages or archers, there were also ballistae and catapults stationed along the wall at the ready in case of sudden enemy invasion.

Zack looked at Aria, he'd planned on leaving the girl in the first village they passed through that anyone who knew her, but as it turned out she was an orphan. Her parents were killed in a bandit raid in a small village near the woods where he'd found her. since then she'd been missing and assumed dead.

Zack had asked her about this but she didn't answer. He shrugged it off as bad memories and didn't pry. He bought her new clothes in the last village because the ones she wore were torn and filthy. she now wore a red dress with white flower embroidery as well as good traveling shoes.

"Shall we go in," Zack asked smiling. Aria smiled back and nodded.

stepping up to the guard at the gate zack showed his traveling permits and waited for the guards to approve them. "And the girl," he asked nodding towards Aria.

"She got hers stolen by some bandits on the way here, "Zack explains lying right through his teeth."Is there any way we can replace them here."

The guard looked at Aria then Zack. "It'll cost ten gold and you'll have to fill out this paperwork," he said handing Zack a stack of papers.

Sighing Zack accepted the papers and followed the guard to a small room inside one of the gates guard towers.

While filling out the papers Zack found he knew very little about his new child companion. "Hey Aria your birthday," he asked hoping she knew. The girl seemed to think about it for a moment then shrugged.

"I dunno," she said.

Zack nodded. "I'll just put it as the day we met, ok." the girl shrugged again not seeming to care one bit. Zack filled out the rest of the paperwork as best he could with Arias's little knowledge of herself and what he could figure out on their way to the capital.

Once he'd completed the forms, he went to the guard's station at the gate and turned them in. The guard read them over and nodded. "Okay, sir you're cleared to go have a nice day." and with that Zack and Aria were in the capital's walls.

Zack spent an hour trying to find a good inn to stay at, and after he'd found one he went to the Moon Tower, the mage academy recruitment center, to apply. The lady at the front of the tower instructed Zack to wait as the exams won't begin for another day. Zack returned to the inn not sure what to do to pass the time.

In the end, he decided to just roam the capital with Aria. The capital was like any other town or village only on a larger and busier scale. Food vendors were trying to sell to any passers-by and armor and weapon shops lined almost every street. Jewelry and clothing shops were everywhere as well. As far as the eye could see there were shops of every kind, even some less child-friendly shops, which Zack avoided since Aria was with him.

Zack and Aria had spent most of the day wandering and making a purchase whenever something had caught their eye. Zack had decided he should get Aria a dagger or short sword so she could defend herself and hunt whenever he wasn't around or wasn't able to. He took Aria into almost every store that had anything Arias size and had her do a few practice swings. In the end, she'd gotten a small short sword with a simple design and a good balance for someone Arias's size.

After they'd finished shopping it was nearing sunset. Once they'd returned to the inn Zack asked the manager if there was a bath. The man nodded and pointed to a small, out of the way room. Zack thanked him then headed up to his and Arias's room, returning later with a pair of clothes. After finishing his bath Zack asked Aria if she wanted to take one. The girl practically jumped at the idea, zack picked out a pair of clothes suitable for her to sleep in then showed her where the bath was. As Zack was about to return to their room Aria grabbed his shirt. "Please don't leave." her voice was only barely above a whisper but Zack understood her.

"Okay ill be right outside the door," he said placing his hand on her head. Nodding she went into the room, asking periodically if he was still there.

once they'd returned to their room Aria fell asleep almost instantly, Zack had a harder time sleeping but when it came it was anything but peaceful.

In Zacks's dream, there were seven people, each stood side by side holding weapons of all kinds. All of them were covered in blood and surrounded by bodies, and the one at the head of the group was laughing almost hysterically. But instead of being disgusted like he knew he should be, zack was intrigued by the seen. What could have driven these people to slaughter so many? how did they pull it off without a scratch? what was their point for committing such an atrocity?

The figure at the head of the group had stopped laughing when he saw Zack. He approached Zack slowly lifting his blade he shoved it into zacks chest and, even though it was a dream zack felt the pain as if it'd been real. "Who are you," Zack said breathlessly.

The figure had said something but the pain from the blade in his chest keeps zacks full attention. "You'll meet me soon" was the last thing Zack had heard before waking up.

When Zack woke up the first thing he saw was Arias's worried face, a look of relief donning on it when his eyes opened. She was holding his hand and seemed to be trembling."What's wrong," Zack asked knowing from her previous look it'd probably have to do with his dream.

"You screamed in your sleep," the way she said this made it seem as if she expected to be in trouble for being worried about him, still she explained further. "When I woke up you were holding your chest and you were still screaming, I was scared you were dying."

Zack smiled, it was nice to have someone worry about him. "I'm fine I was just having a bad dream" Zack looked out the window the sun was just rising above the horizon, and there was no way he was going back to sleep after that dream.

Sighing he got out bed and got dressed, Aria did the same still watching him with worried eyes. They made their way downstairs to the inn's common room, nodding to the manager as they made their way past him. According to Aria, the manager had come to check on him when he started screaming. Lucky for Zack no other guest were at the in at the time. Zack repaid the manager for the trouble he had caused by paying him extra for the meals he and Aria had ordered.

As Zack ate he thought about what that dream man had said. He knew to worry about it now was pointless, but from the scene he saw, he knew that those people were anything but good. Zack looked out the window once more and could have sworn he saw someone but just as his eyes fixed on whatever it was it was gone. While this confused Zack it caused him no worry as he was confident in his strength.

Once Zack finished his meal he asked the manager to take care of Aria while he was gone for the day, then set off for the Moon Tower.