Chapter 2 - I. Dawn ----a

Ages come and pass.. Memories became legends.. Legends fades to myth.. Myths long forgotten when a new age is born again..

On a distant world called the Ancient Realm by some.. A cross world that links the lands.. Of Dragons, Dwarves, Elves and Man. Demon's, Goblins, Orcs and Giants.

A new dawn is beginning.. The fires of darkness are rising.. The myth, a remnant, among them is waking.. The Ancient war is coming..

----b

One thousand six hundred seventy nine bottles of green healing potions! She finished counting. She is very excited! She spent one month collecting all the ingredients and two weeks brewing them. Now she have more than one K potions which will more than cover the order made by Lord Gaston. It will also mean that it will yield her One hundred fifty thousand coins. She currently have seven hundred thirty eight thousand coins in her savings and selling this potions will bring her closer to achieving her goal of opening a store in Rosun.

Tomorrow is a very special day. It is her name day. She will be turning eighteen. An age required to be able to join the merchant guild. It is also the time that a person will be old enough to conjure magic.

Yes! She will try it first thing in the morning! She started giggling, tomorrow is the most special day indeed!

Marco Ricamara sat in front of the window facing the brew house he made three years ago for his daughter. He listened fondly on his daughter's giggling. He has been watching her checking the inventory for next day's sale. Rosalie's skill in potion making have improved significantly in the past years. She is now becoming one of the prominent brewer in the Kingdom of Rosun. Her potions were getting popular that wizards and adventurers are visiting their village to buy her potions. Even the famed commander of the Rosun Shield Wall Tower will be visiting tomorrow to buy her potions. He can't help but feel proud of what she had accomplished at a young age. He smiled. Tomorrow will be an interesting day for the allisandro. She's been suspecting for awhile now. He joined his daughter's giggle with his chuckle. It will be interesting indeed.

----c

The Narra Inn is brimming with patrons for eight days now. This makes the innkeeper Roberto Clemente very happy. The Oak village is becoming an important town for adventurers to stop by and resupply. The Ricamara farm contributed a lot from this influx. Specially when adventurers heard that Lord Gaston himself ordered healing potions from the beautiful Rosalie.

That young girl is very talented in brewing not to mention her impeccable bargaining skills when dealing with merchants. She always get the upper hand of the trade with the other party smiling and satisfied with the transaction.

He surveyed the dining room. All the tables are occupied by both local villagers and travelers. Most of them are watching Esmeralda dancing and singing on the far right corner of the tavern. On the left side is a common place for merchants dealing with buyers and sellers. The far corner tables where reserved for gamblings and clients who needed a private place to do their transactions. The bar were he stood at is in the middle of the Inn facing the main entrance. There are staircase on either side of the bar that leads to the second floor where rooms are available for patrons who wishes to spend the night. Anyone who enters the Inn will immediately smell the aroma of the foods being cooked from the kitchen behind the bar.

His great grandfather built this Inn which is located at the entrance of the town near the Rosun road. He designed the bar to be at the center facing the door to ensure that he would be able to see everything that is going on inside the Inn.

From where he stood, he could see Esmeralda dancing to the fast beat of the music. She swayed and formed her hands, hips and feet - interpreting the war music that Rosun soldiers play during battle. Everyone in the room stopped from what they are doing - mesmerized on the intensity of her performance. Her hands snapped, her feet tapped. Snapped! Tapped! Snapped! Tapped! Going faster and faster and faster until they reach a crescendo where she stopped all of sudden in a most graceful fighting pose. He heard the crowd gasped on the beauty of what they just saw. Roberto inhaled deeply, he did not noticed that he stop breathing for how long.

The crowd cheered and cried Esmeralda's name. Most are still cheering while others were returning to their business when the entrance door quietly opened. A hooded man in a blue robe entered followed by five men. Roberto immediately crossed the hall to greet them.

"Welcome to the Narra Inn my lord, are you here to dine and lodge? I'd be Roberto Clemente the Inn keeper. How could we serve you this evening?". Roberto bowed deeply knowing he is speaking to a Wizard.

The first man whom he presume the leader nodded at him in greeting. One of the five companions answered him, "A pleasant evening Master Inn keeper. Let me introduce High Wizard Leone, High Wizard Logan, High Wizard Ashburn, High Wizard Ashley High Wizard Freeza, and I am High Wizard Ironshield. We will be needing a private table for twelve, meals and four rooms for the night. Our other companions are in the stable and will soon join us."

"Right away my lord. I have a perfect place for you all away from noise and with privacy." Roberto led them to the furthest corner in the right wing of the tavern. His assistants prepared the table and their foods. He gave them the keys to their room, bowed and left them for their business.

"Master Inn Keeper," the hooded wizard called him when he was about to leave. Roberto can hear the authority from his voice. He is sure that he is the leader of the group. The manner of which the others deferred to him indicates that he is a very important person or even an Ancient.

Roberto turned back and bowed once more, "Yes lord Leone, how can I serve you further?"

"We stopped here to resupply for our journey. We need potions. We heard there is a brewer in this town and quite popular. Where can we find her?".

Roberto brighten at the mention of the town's brewer. He smiled, "Yes we do lord. Her name is Rosalie, a talented young potion maker from the Ricamara clan. They have a farm in the east, an hour ride from here."

Leone nodded, and looked at his company "We will go there tomorrow and buy our supplies."

"She will be here tomorrow afternoon my lord. She always come every Sunday to sell her potions. We have a weekly gathering here on Sundays where merchants, farmers and buyers meet to trade".

Leone nodded once more, "Thank you Master Inn Keeper, that information will give us some time to attend to other matters. If you would be kind enough, please send word to our companions at the stable to head here. That is all Master Inn Keeper."

Roberto bowed again in obeisance. This lord is definitely an Ancient. Ancients don't parade their status. They always hide behind anonymity, and if they can't then they always have a hood on to hide their face. With the other High Wizards deferring on him like a teacher - lord Leone is definitely an Ancient.