Pitter-patter… The rain fell.
The all encompassing darkness illuminated only by the occasionally shimmering raindrops gave the feeling of a world separated from reality, Luke hardly wished to return to a world like that a second time, but could not leave until the rain passed. Sitting under a lone tree, he waited it out. Luckily for him, he had managed to find a chatting partner in another person stuck in the same situation.
"- and that's why, I love traveling.", the man concluded after talking at length about how wonderful travelling is. He then nestled his back comfortably against the tree trunk, satisfied.
Luke had lost track of what the man had been saying midway through, yet the man had been too lost in his own words to notice, "I see…"
Normally, one would comment something after listening to another person talk about something they like, but Luke was unable to do even that, so he sidestepped by popping another question, "What made you start your journey?"
"Well… I feel like there used to be some reason why I started, but I have long since forgotten it. Now I travel only to travel."
"I… see."
Luke found the man to be quite the eccentric person, he was unable to ask or say anything further, apprehensive of what kind of response would come and catch him off-guard.
"That's right, which way are you headed? Stumbling across you sitting under the tree was fortunate, but it tells me nothing about your destination, for all I know you might have spent your entire life under this tree, a spirit of the tree or something, giving respite to travelers.", saying that the man rolled over laughing… or that was what Luke would have expected from him normally, but his companion betrayed those expectations and stared at Luke with the same blank expression, awaiting a response.
Luke heaved a sigh, this man was beyond him, "If I was a spirit trapped to the tree, I would probably have at least liked to see what the next town over had to offer and fortunately I do have a destination in mind, but perhaps ironically, since I am actually a traveller, I kind of wish I was rooted to this place, chatting my life away with travelers, without a care in the world. Now that I think about it, I kind of want to do that."
With a light chuckle, Luke continued, "I guess people tend to tire if things aren't mixed up once in a while."
The man tilted his head to the side, "What are you talking about? Who knows what I would do if I didn't have travelling? I wouldn't ever think of exchanging it for anything else."
Luke averted his gaze, unable to stare the man in the eyes, it almost felt like the man was pushing his overbearing ideals onto Luke, he desperately changed the subject, "Ahh, that's right, the answer to your question from earlier. I am headed to Merkington."
The man's eyes lit up and the pressure from earlier dissipated, "Splendid! That's one of the best towns, and also one of the first ones I visited. I do hope you will find it enjoyable there."
As if in appreciation of the man's change of mood, the rain had started to ease and the clouds had started to part, revealing a faintly glowing full-moon.
Even Luke had started to feel a little excited after hearing those words, "I've heard very good things about the place, is it really that great?"
The man stood up gently from his grassy seat, and stared at the peeking moon, "Yes, after all…"
Then with the most content of expressions, "It's the place that birthed my love for traveling."