Hoy, this story is back from its hiatus, I had to plan where it was going! Sorry for the delay ;D.

 Svana visibly stiffened as I asked her that. ‘That is a tough question to answer. Who told you about that name?” She asked as she rested her back against the stone wall.

 “Your sister. I bumped into her last night, and we went for a walk and started talking. She told me a story about how Kairos is a traveling god that has been around since the beginning and was the one that made the rings.” I told her as I walked closer to the map—intent on studying it and memorizing it because one day, I would be exploring it. 

 “I see. I’m going to be honest with you. That’s not something you are ready to hear. Not until you complete your quest at any rate.” Svana told me as she walked close to me and rested a hand on my shoulder and gave me a soft squeeze. “What else did my sister tell you?” 

 “She told me after she marked that in my darkest time, I could call upon Kairos, and he would come, only once, though,” I told her as I ended up thinking back to last night. That was one of the last things that I remember before I passed out. 

 “Listen to me, Ziva, only call that name out if there is no other way. Promise me that.” Her voice was hushed into a tight whisper, and a thin layer of urgency coated her voice. 

 “Yes, I promise. But why? Is he scary?” My mind started to wonder at what would happen if I summoned him. 

 “Ziva, there isn’t too much that I can tell you about him. But depending on the situation, it won’t be pretty for anybody. Use it only as a last resort. Only if your life is truly on the line, then and only then do you call for him. Do you understand.” The sense of urgency started to grow in her voice with each word she spoke, and I felt a twinge of fear crawl up my spine. I never intended to call him for no reason. But this further cemented that fact to me. 

 “Yes, I understand, Svana. I won’t call for him unless I truly mean it, I promise.” I turned my head from the map and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to brush it behind my ear. I met her eyes, and she gave me a nervous smile in return. Her eyes pierced my being as if she was searching for how truthful my words were. After a moment, she nodded and seemed satisfied with the answer.  

 “Do you have any last questions for me?”

  I glanced back at the map and ran my fingers over it as my eyes traveled its length. I could feel the age of the paper as my fingers lightly trailed across its surface. It felt cold and leathery, and small bumps were splattered across its surface. Eventually, my eyes made its way down towards the south to the vast warning sign that took up the entire bottom portion of the map. “Yes, what is this? Why is it warning us to stay away?” 

 She let out a sigh and touched the map as well, “Rumour has it that there are creatures down that even the gods fear. Long ago, a now-forgotten magic was used to create a boundary that encircles the entire southern continent. A barrier that even crosses through the sea and deep into Ouradia’s crust. Not only to keep whatever horrors that live therein, but also to keep out the curious.” 

  I stared at the map for a moment longer and decided that my curiosity was sated for the time being. I am glad that this trip yielded some results. “Thank you for the help Svana; it means a lot to me. I think I would have been totally lost if you didn’t help me any.” I dropped my hand from the map and took a few steps back. 

 She brushed her hair back and nodded. “It’s no problem. Mother chose you, and that makes us family. I will always help you out to the best of my ability.” 

 I nodded my head and glanced at the clock on the upper right-hand side of my hud. It was almost eight in the evening. I needed to find a place to sleep. “Thank you again so much, Svana, but I need to get going for the night.” 

 She paused for a moment, and I saw her eyes dart to the side as she looked at her screen. “You are right; it’s getting later into the evening; you have a place to stay, right?” 

  “Yeah, I was going to go to one of the local inns and spend the night there.” 

 She bobbed her head, and she started walking towards the entrance, “Come then, I will give you some travel rations, and you can be on your way. Don’t forget to stop by every now and then.” 

 I clenched the satchel that Svana gave me as I walked out of the temple. That visit was far more beneficial then I thought it would have been. I now had a direction that I could take instead of wandering. I stopped at the bottom of the long set of stairs to take a moment to look around the small courtyard that sat in front of the cathedral. To the left was the outer districts where the buildings were somewhat scattered, and the flow of foot traffic was thinner. If I were to keep walking straight, I would still be in the merchant district, which I could find a decent priced inn there, that wouldn’t be anywhere near as shady as staying in the outskirts.

  If I were to take the streets to the right and keep walking, I would eventually come up to the noble distracts, where only the wealthiest merchants were. Though the only way someone like me could get there was through a direct invitation. But I have no real desire to be amongst the rich. 

  I continued forward into the merchant district. Foot traffic at the moment was tapering down since it was getting later into the night, and a few of the day time stores were closing down, and in turn, the night time stores would take their place. As I advanced further into the district, the buildings started to grow denser and the alleyways smaller. This place was the heart of the city and was what attracted people from all across the continent. The was a city dedicated entirely to magic and the art of trade.

  After walking for quite a while, I eventually made it one of the inns that sat near the heart of the district, and it was thankfully near the Adventures Guild headquarters in the city. It sat on the corner of an intersection and dominated a vast portion of the area. Its name was the violet rose, and it was a well-renowned inn, mostly for its prices, which thankfully were on the low side. 

 I walked up the simple wooden doors, which were propped open and showed a large number of people that were sitting inside. A low murmur of activity radiated to the outside; all the various voices did well to drown any separate sound with only the clacking of glasses surpassing it. 

  I stepped inside, and the smell of freshly baked bread permeated my nose first, and then I was hit with the smell of alcohol and sweat, which was gross. I pushed through the various people who were drinking and having a merry time. Some of them were adventures who were clad in some expensive looking gear while others looked as if they were just travelers who stopped for a drink. Various members of different races were present at the inn. There were the Drow, Dark Elfs, and Humans as the main ones, with the occasional sapient monster. 

  I finally managed to make it the front desk and sat down on a stool and set my traveling bags down in front of me. The bartender at the moment was a beautiful woman with soft flowing brown hair with faint traces of strawberry blonde hair. She had a reasonably decently sized chest that was further amplified by her dress, which pushed her bosom upwards. She noticed me and flashed me a wide toothy smile. “What can I get for ya, my dear?” Her voice had a faint accent that I could not seem to recognize. 

 “Can I get some bread and cheese along with some water? As well as a room for the night?” 

 She looked me over and set the mug she was wiping out with a rag down. “Are ya one of those adventurer types?” 

 “Yes, mam, I am a mist ranked adventurer.” 

  “Can I see your card, please?” She leaned forward, and the soft smell of lavender teased my nose. 

 “Sure thing,” I chirped back to her and reached into my bag. After rummaging for a bit, I found my ID and presented it to her, and she nodded her head. 

 “Good, Adventurers at your ranking get a five percent discount, so that will be five copper for the food and another ten for the room.” She stood up and picked up the mug and rag and started to clean once more. 

  That was a bit pricey, but cheaper then what I would have imagined. I reached for my coin purse and fished out the copper that she asked. I placed it on the table in front of her. The coins clinked together softly as they touched wood. 

 “Thank you, my dear, is there anything else I can get for you?” She asked me as she placed the mug into a rack behind and leaned back over the counter.

 “No, I’m fine, thanks,” I said as, and she nodded and swiped the coins off the counter after quickly counting them. 

 “Let me know if need anything else,” She told me as she rummaged under the counter and pulled out a key. “Your room will be 105 on the first floor; it will be the third door on the left. Would you like your food delivered there?” 

  I glanced around the room and felt somewhat awkward, especially with some of the eyes that were boring into my back. “Yes, please. Thank you again.” I told her as I grabbed my bag and took the key and went upstairs. 

 Third door on the left, I whispered to my self and walked down the hallway, that was lit with some light stones that cast a warm glow on the stained red colored wood that composed this building. I found my door and unlocked it and pushed it open. 

 The inside was cozy. The bed was freshly made, and there was a chair in the corner of the room that sat in front of a mirror. A set of white blinds covered the window on the far wall closed to the outside.  Pressed against the wall opposite the bed was a simple wooden table that an indent for an ink container gently carved onto its surface. Thankfully this room also had a bathroom, cause I had to pee.

  Once I took care of my business, I pulled up the chair and sat at the desk and started to plan out my day tomorrow.