Life in Ruins

I celebrated my birthday in the Ruins, and remained there for many weeks. It wasn't dangerous at all, which made it much more boring. These Horutoto Ruins consisted of a staircase down, a hallway that turned, and a giant room with an opening high up on the left wall. Instructors came in daily to keep up my lessons and fighting skills. Still, when they were absent there was absolutely nothing to do. I wasn�t going to give in to their twisted way of life. I was from Kahzam, daily our lives were threatened at the gate, daily we lost land, and daily we fought for the continuance of our way of life. Perhaps I had chosen not to live there anymore but that was where I came from and that determination I was not going to leave behind.

The Horutoto Ruins outside Odin's Gate.

Living in a cave was beginning to bother me though. I loved the clouds, sun, and stars and the wind blowing my hair back. The caves were still and always there was a sickly green light coming from unknown sources. I was permitted to come up daily so that my eyes wouldn�t loose the ability to adjust to the sun, but I was not permitted out of the ruins.

One day, when the guard was fighting off a goblin that had tried to kill a young Adventurer, I slipped into the tall grass and made my way back into the city. No one stopped me, I was just another mithra kitten. I didn�t return to the House, I went to Leviathen�s Gate and out onto East Sarutabaruta. It was easy to slink through the grass and up into Taronghi Canyon.

In the canyon I realized I would be in trouble. Yagudo roamed here in larger numbers and they were much stronger. It was here that I met the elvaan family [Aredhel�s family]. I was trying to stay as hidden as possible under a scrawny bush when their daughter walked up, pointed and said, "What's that?" They wanted to take me back but after much refusal on my part the adult female said I must be taken where I wanted to go if I would not go back. They were going to Mhaura to ride the boat to Selbina. I knew none of these places and so I wanted to go there also. They asked me my name and I answered Muurr. I had chosen a new name in the Ruins and I�ve never regretted the change.

Aredhel and I in Mhaura, waiting for the boat.

They had a daughter at my age and were returning to San D�Oria. It was fun to travel with them, they did not hurry and they allowed their daughter to help them battle, I was permitted as well when they discovered I could battle. Also, they fought the Yagudo because it was a duty to keep them in check, not because the Yagudo was threat to them.

Mhaura was not somewhere I could stay either. It wasn�t bad it was just uninteresting. Aredhel's parents even paid for my passage on the boat. They made us stay below in the cargo area while they went on deck. Aredhel said the monsters that jumped on board were really strong so she wasn�t allowed to help. At first I was nervous because it was like being closed up in the Ruins but with Aredhel to play with it wasn�t the same at all. Hide-and-seek among the cargo is great fun!