The Ghost from the dust

She took comfort in the fact that he didn't seem to concerned about the creature. She sighed and watched the fire for a few moments, falling asleep to the soothing sound of the fire snapping and popping, shedding its light over her.

Ardin soon woke early in the morning grabbing his things and nudging Svenia with his foot "Lets go Seven, make som distance from this spot before the sun is full up"

She sat up and yawned, rubbing her eyes before standing up, rolling up her bedroll and tying it to her pack. "Alright, I'm up, I'm up," she yawned, slinging her pack over her back and clasping her cloak around her shoulders again, letting him lead the way.

Ardin had already packed and strapped his things on and had begun walking "It is important to leave before the sun comes up encase thieves dry to kill and loot you in your sleep." he looked at the rising sun "This way"

She raised an eyebrow as she fell into step behind him. "Wouldn't thieves come in the middle of the night, not just before sunrise?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in thought. "

Ardin nodded his head "Yes, but in the night I have the advantage, they cannot rob what they cannot see" he smiles at her, as they walked "trust me," he chuckled and kept walking towards where ever they were going.

She rolled her eyes at his superior tone, but she supposed that he had earned the right to be so cocky, having seen him fight before. She walked behind him, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head as the sun beat heavily down upon them, the barren area offering no shade from the brutal heat. She uncorked her waterskin and took a sip, handing it to Ardin. Dressed in black as he was, the heat must be even worse for him.

Ardin took the water skin, looked at it then handed it back to her "You will need it more than I" he was to hot in his cloths, keeping himself in a state of mind allowed him to ignore the heat.

She hesitated, not wanting to keep the water for herself. "Just let me know when you need some," she told him, putting the corn firmly back on, letting the waterskin hang from her shoulder. She put her hand over her eyes, looking at the barren wasteland around them. She couldn't see the end of the desert. "I hope this ends soon, we won't find anyone in this kind of territory."

Ardin scanned the land. "Tomorrow we should find something, or the next day but I assure you that's all, I am positive there is something in that direction" he smiled at her "I found the ruins after all didn't I"

She chuckled and looked up at him. "Yes, but you had a spirit guiding you," she pointed out, but she calmed, trusting that he knew what he was talking about.

he shook his head stretching his arms, as the sun beat down on them, and their foot prints followed them in the dirt " No no no no no, The spirit called me when I entered the place, I found it all on my own, and I will find us a village"

She smiled, glancing away from the desert towards him. "I know you will," she said simply. They walked for several more hours, she only allowing herself tiny sips of water, knowing that they might not find another source of water for days, if not longer. By midday, she was glad that she was dressed in light clothing. But even so, she was an elf built for the shady, moisture rich forest, and the intense heat was taking its toll on her.

Ardin would glance at her ever so often, watching her movements. by the way she walked he could tell the heat was getting to her, "Are you okay, do you need some rest, cool down a bit" he stopped to look at her. he wasn't bothered by the heat at all. "I dont want you getting sick before we find a town"

She shook her head, taking a sparing sip of water from the waterskin. "I'll be fine," she smiled, pulling her hood over her head further, shielding her eyes with the material. "I do yearn for the sight of a nice green wood however." she chuckled, motioning for him to continue on. "The more stops we take, the longer we'll be here. And I only have so much water."

Looks at he as she walks by him, crossing his arms, and coming up next to her "Than at least let me carry you, I may be an old man but I am used to the desert heat and you need to rest" he held out his hand, wanting her to accept

She hesitated, then shook her head. "I know you mean well Ardin, and I know I am small and not used to harsh journeys, but I want to prove to myself that I can survive." she looked up at him earnestly. "I will take you up on your offer if I can go no further." she smiled.

Smiled and bowed his head "There is no shame to accept the help from others, It is a way to survive, to work with a partner, but I will honor your decision and will keep my offer up" he walks beside her, and patted her shoulder with the gloved hand, ever part of his body seemed to be covered in black "I used to wear a mask all the time... that thing was as hot as an oven"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you." she spoke softly, grateful that he'd respect her wishes, and chuckled lightly at his last addition. "I would imagine it would be. Why did you wear a mask all the time? Its not as though you are deformed or ugly." she questioned.

Ardin smiled at that "Well I am happy you think I'm good looking" he chuckled and shook his head "I wore it because I was dead" he looked at her for a moment "Ardin Vics, the worlds most dangerous assassin was dead, fallen out of a tower's window and fell to his death, the Emperors Killer now killed and avenged" he he spoke as if he was reciting something, then smiled "So with me dead, I took the name of the Silver Ghost, an unknown assassin, with no origin, out of the sand"

She could tell that he was reciting something, and shook her head. "So you went masked for years, until you knew your face wouldn't be rememered?" she asked quietly. "Was it difficult, pretending to be dead when you weren't?"

Shook his head "I have been trained by my master to learn to work with change, and find an advantage with all things... no it was not hard, I spent a year hidden in a cave as the empire changed, new generals brought from the old, resistances made, then decided to become the ghost that would change this world back by doing what no one would think of doing" he smiled seeing if she would catch on

She nodded, squinting against the harsh sunlight, though she had noticed that it was growing weaker as the sun went down. They only had a few more hours of sunlight, if she was not mistaken. "How long ago was this?" she asked curiously. "And have you finished what you set out to do?"

Ardin raised a brow, and leaned into her "Of course I did, If I hadnt yet you wouldn't have been born, It started with me finding a Se-aker named Nado, he had been captured and stuck in a cell to await execution, I freed him and made a deal with him, we faught his generals and eventually Nado killed the emperor" he smiled and looked at the setting sun "Then I took the throne for forty years, until I could give it to my son, formed a group called the Geedway to ensure the alliance between Se-aken and humans remained and formed the clan of Silver Ghosts"

She squinted up at him and chuckled lightly. "And how does all that lead to my being born?" she asked. "As far as I know, my people havent had anything to do with these Se-akers, or any human empire." she pointed out.