Archias’ Adventures
Chapter 1: Archias d’Agussiere
‘Twas a
warm sunny day in the town of Mileth. The birds chirped shyly and the wind blew
so gently and swiftly that it sounded as if Danaan was singing. The sun’s
radiant rays shone through a small crack in a wall of a room and directly into
my eyes. I quickly raised my right arm and shaded my eyes from the light with
my hand. As I slowly opened them, I saw light swirling around me, like tiny
faeries dancing. My heart pumped with excitement as I stared in bewilderment at
my surroundings. In a corner, there was a small staircase, which seemed to lead
to a lower area. Without hesitation, I went down the stairs, each and every
step thumped with significance. When I arrived at the bottom, I saw a beautiful
lady, neither too young nor old. She was staring into a small mirror and as I
glanced closer, I noticed that she had tears in her eyes.
“Ye
look fine.” I complemented. Her body lifted and her eyes turned in my
direction. She stared at me with eyes wide open and jaws dropped as if she had
just seen a ghost. I felt a bit embarrassed, perhaps ‘twas because of the
minimum clothes I wore. I then saw her slowly close her mouth and forced a
gentle smile, “Greetings, Aisling, what is your name?” she asked me.
“My
name is…my name is……….” I stopped. What is my name? “I…I do not know.” I told
her.
“Oh…”
she sighed, “Ye possess a great resemblance to my little boy, his name is
Archias…but long ago…he died.” She broke into tears. I did not know what to say
or do. Her voice seemed strangely familiar and I felt a slight connection to
her but I realized that I could not remember a single thing. The mysterious
lady spoke again, “May I…may I call ye…Archias?” she asked hopefully.
I studied her carefully, her eyes
were filled with tears, joy or sorrow I could not tell, yet she was still
magnificent and beautiful. Her eyes revealed many things, dreams, memories, and
hopes, I began to feel sorry for this lady. Her life must have been filled with
sadness and grief. At that instant, I knew I owed something to her, perhaps my
presence would change her. I nodded to her and said only a single word, “Aye”.
Immediately, she threw her arms around me and hugged my gently, “Welcome home
Archias, Archias d’Agussiere!” I felt sweet warmth inside my heart and then I
closed my eyes, and let the tears of happiness took over.
From
that day on, I became really close friends with Riona, yes, that was her name.
She would always tell me about her adventures, and a plethora of fascinating
stories of her life, each day, a different one. After each story, I would help
her sweep the floors of the Mileth Inn and rearrange the beds. Sometimes, before
I sleep at night, she would tell me a bit about her son and I must admit, it
was quite interesting to hear. In a short while, our relationship become one
like a mother and son’s.
My name is…Archias d’Agussiere, and here in Mileth, my adventures
begin.