Market East

This is really the beginning of Market East. Off to the west of here, is the Conerian square, giving a view of the splendors of it. In the center of it is an exquisite white marble fountain, releasing water up into the air. Surrounding it are many citizens, some sitting on benches, others doing daily activities. Some can even be seen dancing! Other than that, Market East is pretty basic. There are a few shops and buildings on the northern end of the road and a bridge here and there. Speaking of which, to your north is the establishment known as the Drunken Chocobo. It has recently been re-opened with the legalization of alcohol in Coneria.

The north door is open.

Exits: east, west, and north.

Razz found her way out of the tavern, carefully avoiding the brawlers inside. Justin had suggested that she excuse herself to avoid getting stepped on - not his exact words, of course. So she's outside the bar, waiting for Justin to be done.

A few people wander the streets, some stop to look inside the bar at the fight inside, others continue on their way as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. In the center of the road stands a rather simple looking old man, whom seems not to notice either the passing crowds, or the fight in the bar, but instead seems to be watching the elfling.

Razz kept an eye, so to speak, on the people passing by on the streets. One of them seems to have taken an acute interest to her, however, and Razz turned to face the individual with her wide, blue eyes. No one would've guessed that she's actually blind.

The old man begins to walk towards Razz, then suddenly walks past her. The crowds continue to pass by, the fight inside still continues. The old man suddenly steps up besides Razz and talks to her in a conversational tone, his eyes on the road, looking at about the same spot he had been standing in not so long ago, "Interesting fight tonight, isn't it?"

Razz was about to dismiss the stranger's attention for nothing but another passerby when he suddenly came up to her, and spoke. Unsure as to how she should respond, the elf girl merely nodded. "I suppose."

The old man looked skyward, his face upturned as he seems to be examining somethinsomething high above, "So, how are you enjoying your stay in Coneria so far?" this he still says conversationally.

Razz nodded again. "It's quite different from the last time I was here, I suppose."

"Really?" the old man replies, "So you have been here before they rebuilt it I assume?" as he says this, the old man turns to look at Razz when suddenly someone in the crowd bumps into him hard and knocks him to the ground. The old man catches himself on his hands and slowly gets to his feet, his eyes examining a rather large gash on his hand, "...The citizens seem to be the same old discurteous thugs though..."

Razz was about to reply when she suddenly found the man knocked down by the crowd. As it is only natural with Razz, she got down on her knees and tried to help him up. Her attention was guided by the man's focuse on his hands, leading her to believe that they were most likely scratched in the fall. Her first impulse was to heal them, but some strangers rather do without sudden or abrupt help from other strangers, she has found. "Uhm... Would you... like some help with your hands?" She suggested shyly.

With a smile, the old man turns to Razz and says, "No thank you, elfling, I have it covered." The old man idly wipes his hands together as if trying to get off a bit of dirt and the blood and cut vanish as if they never existed, "The offer is very much appreciated, though... Tell me if you will, little one, but what plans do you have for your future?"

Razz blinked, surprised by the question. "I... Well..." she stumbled over the question some more, then shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry, what do you mean?"

The old man rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he goes to sit down and lean against the wall of the Drunken Chocobo, "My, what does anyone mean when they ask a question..." this he says more to himself before snapping out of his reverie, "Ah... I mean you were the marks of an adventurer. Or at least someone whom has been out and about. I was curious as to what kind of an adventure one such as yourself was on."

Razz lowered her head and thought about it some. Adventure? Truth to be told, she'd never thought of herself as an adventurer. An adventure? True, she had wandered around quite a bit, in the years before she joined the Blades of the Red Heart, but only because there was nothing else for her to do. And now, well... now she's merely running, running away from trouble... "I'm not on an adventure, really," Razz responded, choosing her words carefully. "... I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, really. I have a friend, whom I follow around."

The tone of his voice staying perfectly conversational, as if he is talking about the weather, "And if that friend was no longer around? Could you depend on yourself to get you where you are going?"

Razz's expression blanked, as she pondered the meaning of that suggestion. If Justin is no longer around... What would she do? What can she do? Setting her dependence on him aside, Crulath is still after her... and her child... What can she do? After a moment of complete silence, the elf girl raised her face up to the sky again, an expression of bewilderment. "I... I don't know," she murmured, dazed.

Old man clasps his hands around his knee and leans back further, "Did you know that this is the only planet which has life on it? Out of all those little stars and planets in the sky, no others that we have ever found have life on them. Our little planet is all alone in the universe. Rather sad if you think about it... isn't it?"

Razz's mind is rather occupied with other thoughts at the moment. It's true... She has no other friends, no other associates besides Justin... Mirai, perhaps, but she's more of Justin's friend than hers... Yet for some reason that never seemed to pose as a problem for her, before. Manners, however, called that she ought to pay attention to other while they're speaking to her, and she found herself having a hard time linking what the old man's saying about planets to her present situation. "Oh... but there are other universes out there, aren't there?"

Old man nods a little, "Why, yes, yes there are other universes out there. And consequently, other planets as well. Four of them when last I counted. Each has it's own problems. The other three planets are of course different from our own... But they also have one larger difference. They aren't alone." The old man closes his eyes for a second then opens them again, "They each have worlds besides their own, in their own universe, which contain life."

Razz thought about this a little, still not quite grasping where the conversation is going. "Oh" was all she managed to make out as a reply.

Old man asks: Of course, this also gives this world a distinct advantage. We are in total control of our own fate with no outside interference, at least from our own universe. Though we are alone, we have the power to control what we are, when we want to. A simple thing I know, but being ones own master is an important thing, don't you think?

Razz pondered over these words some more. Control? Control is something unknown to her... Things just keeps on happening... Things that she wish wouldn't... but couldn't stop... "It would be nice to be able to control our own fate," she agreed frankly and sincerely.

Old man nods, his hands unclasping, "Of course, everyone is different. Some have more control over their lives then others." the old man pauses then turns to face Razz, "Razz, child, would you like to try to have a hand in your own fate?"

Razz almost jerked at the sudden mention of her name. "How did you know my name?" She asked in amazement.

Old man says: The wind told me, of course. It is everywhere and no where, one simply needs to know how to ask the question the right way to get the answer.

Razz looked up at the sky again - the wind told him. Strangely, she understands the old man. "Ah. You know how to speak with them?"

Old man says: I know how to speak with with a lot of things... I've had more then enough time to learn...

Razz brought her mind back to the old man's first question - have a hand in her own fate? "Uhm, what did you mean earlier, about having a hand in my own fate?"

Old man ponders for a moment, his mind trying to form the best way to put it, "Well... As I said, this worlds fate is decided by no one but those whom live on it. Of course, some have a bigger hand to play in that fate then others... Those whom decide to take their fate, and the fate of others, in their hands and work for a bigger goal. I simply ask if you wish to be one of those people."

Razz thought about it for a short moment. Why not? And so she nodded. "I do."

Old man chuckles a little then holds a hand out to Razz, "Give me your hand."

Razz suddenly grew apprehensive, reminding herself that she still knows nothing of the man she'd been speaking to. Recent pains have made her sensitive to potential dangers. "Uhm, why?" She asked tentatively.

Old man grins, rather playfully, "Because I'm a lonely old man and it'd make my day to hold the hand of such a pretty maiden." He then composes himself after a bit of a pause, then smiles a little more gently, "Because I have a bauble I'd like you to carry. I assure you it's perfectly safe."

Razz's face paled at bit at the old man's first reply, and unease crept over her face. A bauble for her to carry? An unpleasant flashback of Eladria's attack by a gargoyle bearing the gift of a seed sent by Crulath presented itself to her mind. "I... I don't know..." Razz protested weakly, wishing that Justin is here with her.

The old man smacked himself rather soundly in the forehead, then looked around for something. He finds a small shard of melting ice and picks it up from the ground, holding it before Razz' face, "This is a simple piece of ice... Well, magic ice I'd have to say, as that silly elf is freezing the bar.... But besides that, a simple piece of ice." The old man cups his hands and the small shard of ice begins to hover right above his hands, it begins to slowly spin in a tight circle, "You should know that everything in the world is made up of elements, ice, or water, happens to be one of them." The shard then stops and begins to crack along it's surface, the shard slowly turning into water, "Ice thaws out in heat and becomes water." the water then bubbles and turns into a compact cloud of gas, which still hovers in the air above the old mans hands, "Water boils away into gas... But if you know how to do it just right." The old man clasps his hands together and squeezes hard, then opens his hands.

Old man looks at a small piece of crystal.

Old man says: Well... Things have a way of changing.

Old man holds the crystal in front of Razz' face, between his thumb and pointer finger, "You can choose to take it, or not. Either way I do not want pressure you. It's simply a step towards controlling your own fate, or you can continue as you are and I shall leave you be."

Razz kept a keen sense on what the old man had been doing with the piece of ice shard in his hand, and marveled at the old man's ability to manipulate it as he did. The demostration helped made her forget some of her apprehension, and she comtemplated her options. To take the crystal or not... To leave her life the way it is, or take a chance at changing it... And she made her decision by tentatively taking the crystal with one small hand.

The air around you shimmers and a crystal suddenly forms before you.

This is a small multi-faceted piece of blue-tinged crystal. The crystal seems to glow with a soft and comforting light when the holder concentrates on it. A small alien symbol is etched into the side of the crystal. The rune seems to hum and give forth a calming melody.

Old man takes a step back as Razz grabs the crystal, then presses his palms together, as he pulls his hands apart the image of the world of Eldaria springs up between his hands, three distinct colored dots on it, "That crystal plays a song, if you just listen. There are two others about whom will be playing that same song... The song gets stronger as crystals meet. They are people you can trust, or at least, people you have no reason to fear." he then closes his hands and the image vanishes.

Razz felt the crystal with her hands, missing not one spot of the thing. It's smooth, and... there's a small mark on one side - not that she knows how to read. As she examined it, it almost felt as if it's vibrating along with the air... a note... a harmonous sound... singing in her hands. Turning her face to the old man, she asked "What should I do?"

Old man says: Go about with your friend, child. Continue to gain experiences in life with Justin. There will be... a woman to speak with you. I can't really describe her in any way you'll remember, or which would be of use... You will know her when you see her, though. As will that crystal... She'll speak with you... Tell you more.. Though I can't tell you when she'll show up, as they tend to keep their own schedules...

Razz kept her unseeing eyes on the old man. "Who are you?" She asked.

Old man pauses at the question, appearing to be thinking rather hard, "...I quite frankly don't even remember. I am the one standing before you. That is who I am."

Razz is given pause by this answer. "Well... Thank you, whoever you are."

Old man turns away from Razz and begins to walk away, seeming to slowly lose color and form the further away he gets, "Oh... no reason to thank me."

Old man seems to disappear.