Completed Rock Bottom

[Seredic]

“The Wine of Destiny,”

She came to him in the dream again. The angelic being radiating a dim, foreboding light, wearing a white cloak with a hood which hid her face. The glass full of wine held between her slender fingers. The spirit walked slowly towards him whispering something in a language he could not comprehend.

Seredic lumbered to her, his eyes still stinging from the light she radiated despite its low brightness. The Halfling saw her once before a year ago. Seredic was always skeptical of beings of higher power but this angelic being felt real and was calling to him. But why?

“Who are you?” Seredic wanted to say but his lips did not move it was though they were sewn shut. “She was the reason why I went on this bloody journey,” Thought Seredic. “Could I at least get your name?”

The angelic being knelt down and handed Seredic the wine whispering. “You are its maker. The Wine of Destiny.”

“I am?” Seredic asked in a small pained voice his lips moving freely now though his throat hurt and his head began to throb. “Then where do I go? What ingredients do I need?!”

The Angelic Being said nothing still holding out the cup. Seredic shook his head, scrunching his face in frustration. “Why are you so bloody silent?!” He shouted before holding his head in pain. The ground beneath Seredic began to tilt forward and he felt himself flying towards the woman.

The smell of blood and smoke-filled Seredic nostrils now and the Halfling tumbled out of a brown box. All Seredic saw was a blur of various shapes and colors. He blinked multiple times in an attempt to adjust his vision.

“What did I miss?” He thought looking around

He turned around and to his horror saw the bartender who generously gave Seredic free cups of wine last night lying face first on the ground in a pool of his own vomit. The human was snoring loudly much to the annoyance of Seredic. Groaning, Seredic stumbled upon two of the bartender's barmaids half naked sleeping soundly close to the portly bar tender. Seredics stomach rolled over and immediately last nights dinner of soup and meat along with hundreds of cups of wine came out from his mouth. The sheer amount of contents spewing out, forcing Seredic on his knees.

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

Divina tired of the road.

It had been several days of trying, slow riding through the many passes out of the Allir Reach, and many more before that upon one of her latest ship acquirements, the Madame Rousseaux, a merchant liner whose own provisions were well-stocked with wine, grains and expensive silks that she intended to trade to the greater roads of Elbion.

She intended to expand her merchant empire further, but part of this meant a great deal of travel on the road, suspect to mercenaries and common fools alike. And normally, the two went hand in hand.

As it was, she was on horseback, as a carriage practically screamed 'rob me' on any common highway. And yet those of discerning eye would note the cut of her cloth was from no commoner's store, and the colors, though subdued, were rich in hue and complimented the cream of her own skin and dark hair. As it was, she wore a gown of deep blue, so much so it nearly seemed black, and a black cloak that obscured her features from most peering eyes. Three guards also rode with her, albeit at a distance.

It was then she rested her eyes upon a tavern. And though it seemed unoccupied for the time being, perhaps she could summon an inkeep and get at least a drink to warm her bones and some half-way palatable food. Coming to the front, she descended from her mount, and nodded to one of her guard.

"Put the horses to the stables and see to them, please, and you," she glanced to her other two guards, "let us find a place of decent resting, and obtain a meal for all of us."

With that being said, she swept towards the entrance...

Greeted by a smell that, had it been anyone else who was not used to the smell of rot, vomit, or otherwise, would have recoiled and lost what was in their stomach. As it was, she lifted a hand over her nose, lips twitching in mild chagrin.

"It seems I was late to a party..." she spoke up coolly, to the sound of someone else retching around the bar. Stepping in slowly, her own guards' faces blanched, but she remained undeterred.

"Is there anyone alive in here? Or must I call some local arms?"

Why no, there wasn't a hint of sarcasm to her tone just then.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Sereidic slowly turned around as soon as soon as he heard a woman's voice. Even though she wasn't loud, it was enough to make Seredic's head explode with pain. "Can you please let a Halfling drink himself to death?" He said stumbling towards a passed out patron laying face first with a cup of ale in his hand. The Halfling wondered how didn't he get his drink to spill when he fell down. Seredic leaned forward and snatched the metal cup from him. The knocked out man stirred in his sleep but otherwise continued to snore.

Seredic's vision were blurry but he could see just enough to recognize the woman who was in the inn. "The great Divina Rosenstern," he slurred taking a sip of ale. It tasted warm and stale almost like piss. "Welcome to Daybreak Village! It is the first place that travelers to and from Alliria see when they you know embark on the Gold Road," He said pointing spreading his stubby arms around the dreary inn. From what Seredic remembered the inhabitants of the inn were mostly farmers celebrating a good harvest. The Halfling on the other hand was trying to drown himself in alcohol.

He didn't care how terrible the drinks tasted, in fact he remembered giving the Daybreak Village a bad review for having shit alcohol and food that was more like it was made from a Cave Fishers dung. Seredic wanted to wash away the failure that was his expedition in the Savannah. "Have you've come to gawk at me? The Halfling who made it all the way to the Savannah and couldn't even find what I wanted!" Seredic growled drinking the ale.

"The future is shit," Seredic stumbled around the passed out patrons including the bartender who was sleeping with two half naked tavern waitresses around his arm. "Just like the past! All because of my fucking choices."

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

She stared at the stumbling, raving patron, halfway between humor and derision. At first, she couldn't place the patron Halfling; cool blue eyes assessed him with all the dispassion of a rather poorly rendered piece of artwork. But he certainly seemed to know her... hardly an anomaly given her own position in Alliria, though an interesting one coming from someone who reeked of vomit and poor choice of wine.

"Seredic, I presume," she replied calmly, perking a dark brow at his raving. It descended as he continued to rant in his despair and moved further in, taking care to avoid any spills of dubious quality ale and bodily fluids from what seemed like quite the party. She'd been past here before, but never bothered to stop.

Now she could recall why.

"Oh yes, because clearly I have the time to look at a hungover wine critic while on the road on behalf of business," she replied, suppressing the urge to scoff and instead look him up and down slowly, both brows raised subtly now.

So he was here to drink himself into a stupor, was he? Going to cry and moan about his past because things didn't go his way?

She could feel a twitch of emotion flaring to life in her chest, and it wasn't pity. She snapped her fingers, and both guards came to attention. "Grab him and let us depart. And you," she snapped at him, blue eyes sparking with sudden fierce clarity, mouth in a thin line. "Come with me. We are bathing, and getting something of decent palate to eat."

She loathed self-pity, almost as much as she did incompetence or ineptitude. If he wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol that barely passed itself as remotely edible, that was on him. But he was the quality kind of man that, by reputation, would not be tolerated by her, even for a moment. She would at least see him somewhat decently upright before she left, simply for that rant.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic frowned a bit as the Divina ordered her guards to capture.... him? "Wait what?" the Halfling protested dropping his piss filled drink on the ground. The ale went spilled to his leather sand affected boots. "My lady are you kidnapping me?! I may be hungover but last I checked it's against Allrian law to kidnap people especially people of my caliber."

A Halfling who was a former mayor, ambassador and one of the more beloved wine critics and wine maker around Arethril will surely have the law brought down upon even a noble like Divina. "Well now that you mention bathing and eating," Seredic realized that he hadn't taken a bath in months he was busy running for his life from Dwarven machinery. "I suppose it's not kidnapping if the person consents to the offer even though they are using guards to grab me."

Seredic turned on his heels to grab his traveling stick and his bag. "I can walk just fine thank you," Seredic said stumbling next to Divina. "Daybreak Village has decent lodgings but I'm doubtful that a woman as pretty and sophisticated as you are would find it accommodating. The only place we can go is down the Gold Road there are inns but they vary in quality so the logical route would be Alliria."

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

She scoffed at his mention of caliber. "If you are a man of higher caliber, then act like one at least," she replied crisply over a shoulder. But ah, at least he had some sense of common sense about him, as scattered by ale as it was. Perhaps someone kinder would have allowed him to vent his grief, but in her own experience, wallowing in grief for so long, and so poorly, would not do well in any regard, whatever their standing.

At the mention of Alliria, she sighed, such a subtle sound that it might not have been noticed at first. "Well then. We might as well depart then, as that is where I was headed as well. I have business to return to," and she assessed him once more, her visage only softening slightly. "I'm not kidnapping you, but... such a man of your standing should not be wallowing amongst piss and vomit in such a place." She spoke the last part quietly, then glanced away to her guard. Both men were staring uncertainly at Seredic, then her. She nodded.

"I suppose a short while longer on the Gold Road; we shall break fast there before returning to Mor'Dalaise." And then, her blue eyes swept to Seredic's own bleary gaze, features settled once more.

"If that is agreeable to you?"

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic craned his head seeing the strewn out bodies of the farmers who were celebrating a good harvest. He was tempted to walk back and crawl with them but to go back to warm food and good clothing again would be preferable. "Well," Seredic said adjusting the strap of his bag. "Can I drink myself to death once we reach Mor'Dalaise?" Seredic asked heading towards the door.

Before he reached the door, Seredic took another cup that happened to be on the floor. Oh how lucky he was today! It was almost as if the Gods were wanting him to get plastered, if only the drinks weren't shit. Taking a long swig of what tasted like beer at least it tasted cooler. "Much better," Seredic leaned against the wall and smirked at Divina. "I appreciate your generosity my lady," he said. "A few months ago, I've set off on a journey to retrieve a delicacy unfortunately it nearly cost me my life despite me getting so close to it."

Seredic took another sip. "Do you know what it's like?" he said hoarsely. "To be so close to your desire but yet fall short? You might as well not reach what you want the most."

Images of Sally flickered in Seredic's head, her smile and her brown curls bouncing up and down when she laughed. Oh damn that girl why does her ghost still haunt him? "So shall we depart?" Seredic said staring at what appeared to be Divina's horse.

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

She blinked in surprise when he mentioned coming home... to her home... to drink himself to death. She had supposed, if they stopped at a suitable inn, he would be content to drink his way through Alliria. But it seemed he was content to go on with her through her journey back to her own home. "If that is your wish," she replied. "But I must warn you, it is my own brand of wine you'll be... drinking," she finally commented, glancing away.

He spoke further, forcing her to turn. At this rate, she might as well have kidnapped him, at least then they would have been on the road. But she listened, cocking her head subtly.

"...Yes, I know what it's like," she answered once, simply. Her own voice was soft, almost wistful... but then she shook it off, stalking away with a hardened jaw.

Her destrier, Malas. Once a war horse, he was still a beast full of pride. Not the bay mare that Seredic was staring at. On her mount's pommel, the insignia for House Rosenstern displayed proudly. She got into her own saddle, then glanced down to Seredic, offering down a hand.

"As soon as possible. I have a sudden need to return to Alliria."

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic noticed the melancholic expression on Divina's face. "Well," Seredic said gulping the last of the ale before casually tossing the cup on the floor. "That's..... one thing we have in common besides our good looks and wealth. I was on a journey because I believed that I was destined to create a drink. But it turned It was all shit! I was saddled with incompetent nincompoops, a lover's quarrel and damned conspiracy by a Kingdom from afar. In all this I can't get what was meant most for me. Sometimes you just want to crawl in your bed and drink until you drown yourself in your piss."

In an attempt to keep their spirits up Seredic smiled "The Rosentern Wine," Seredic said squinting the cursed Sun had to come out so bright huh. So much for that damn Wizard last night who claimed it was going to rain. "Science over magic," he mumbled to himself before turning to Divina. "I remember giving it a fair review," Seredic said the guards helping him up on the Destirer. Seredic attempted to hold on to the saddle and looked down frowning in the process. This almost reminded him of the deep cliffs back in the Dwarven mine of the Savanah. It renewed his fear of heights.

The Halfling began scratching his beard. "Now let me think when I gave wrote that review that was issue number 273. I think I said it had a solid taste but the acidity just as lethal as Purple Wyrm's stomach juices. My stomach felt like it was going to melt due to the point where I was going to piss out the remains."

Seredic then shrugged. "But all in all it wasn't bad Wine," he said. "Given the hell I've been through, I can just swim in your Wine just about now. Let's get going."

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

"And sometimes you pick yourself up and start looking elsewhere," she retorted to his maudlin philosophy. So that's why he disappeared. But sometimes the desperate in life sought desperate answers, anything to fill the void and prevent yourself from asking a cold, careless Beyond why you even bothered to struggle for anything you wanted when you would be continuously denied it anyways.

But continue she did. By sheer stubbornness and force of will alone, she had begun carving out a life for herself, along the Gold Road, in the Reach, and now furthering into Elbion. She wouldn't stop until her own ambition was sated, even with all her own personal doubts and fears plaguing her mind.

She urged her horse onwards, gritting her jaw at his talk of her wine. "I remember. It was still my husband's then, Joshun Nordheim. He was proud to have it under my label... a new thing then," she muttered, and unbidden a memory pried loose. Proud, hard features, with the faintest soft smile... every now and then, she felt a stab of grief still needle at her heart.

But she would survive. She always had.

"Still made by his craftsmen too, by that point. I would like to think the label has lessened in acidity since then" she commented, but spoke of little else as they continued down the road, back to Alliria.

Back home.

She did not speak much when they left that little town, but truth be told she hoped to not go back there again. And she tired already of word games. "So you were here, to... what, precisely? Celebrate a harvest?"

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic leaned on Divina's back as she began to ride her scarred Horse down the Gold Road. Due to it's importance for merchants who are traveling on foot and for the Dwarves from Belgrath seeking to do trade with Allria, the Road is well maintained. Seredic should know as he invested coin to fund the repairs on it. Multiple towns and villages were established amongst the forest as a way to attract weary travelers during the journey to Alliria.

"How can you pick yourself up?" Seredic said. "When you've pinned all of your hopes on a dream?" Perhaps making the Wine of Destiny wasn't meant to be for Seredic. Or maybe the dreams were never real in the first place, the Halfling had no direction, no guidance from the angelic being who said that Seredic was meant to create Wine of Destiny. "Imagine if you will that you were told that you were destined to create something grand, so beautiful as the legendary Wine of Destiny."

Seredic looked down on the brick road sighing "My dear Divina it was not to celebrate a harvest like the farmers of Daybreak Village was doing," he said. "It was drink myself silly, I was on a journey to create the Wine of Destiny. A drink said to be created by the Gods, the Wine was to be the perfect Wine one that can relax your mind putting it in a state Zen. An Easterling reference I know but the Wine of Destiny was to be made by the rarest ingredients taken from the most dangerous areas from Arethril."

The Halfling then looked at Divina. "When my wife-" Seredic couldn't dare to bring Sally up again. "I need to create the Wine of Destiny, I was meant to."

He was sure if it was true or that he was forcing himself to admit it was.

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

Hearing his first question, he seemed in disbelief. She sighed slightly, gripping the reins with a bit more tension than she meant. Malas snorted his head in slight consternation at the treatment, and she eased the slack, mulling over her answer for a moment. "What other choice do I have?" she replied, eyes resolutely facing the long and winding road ahead. "I will not give myself the luxury of falling to pieces, not when so many people rely on me and my industry." She knew many nobles didn't give a piece of care to their peasants and workers, but she took each life into consideration, every sailor and peasant under her employ.

It was more than a sense of pride, but of keenest duty that she felt.

At hearing 'my dear', her shoulders stiffened slightly. She was never 'my dear' anything to anyone, not even her husbands, and yet here this drunken Halfling was slurring his way to wordy charm. But yet... it was nice.

"My ambitions are more than wine," she answered calmly. Her destiny was to rule, in one way or another. "But to have that dream... if it's so destined, then why are you bemoaning the fact of one loss? Do you really think that's the end of your journey?" She tilted her head back to give him a blue side eye, lips pursing.

"You disappoint with surrendering your will so easily. You are not dead yet, so don't speak as though you are. If you're destined for such a thing, pick yourself up and keep trying. Until you're dead, there's no true failure." Her words were blunt, but spoken with a bitter, hard truth. He expected sympathy, no doubt, but she'd give no quarter to sympathy. Empathy, yes.

But she wasn't going to soften words simply to soothe his ego.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic chuckled, the Rosenterns were one of the more powerful noble families in Alliria. With Divina being part of the merchant council the de facto rulers of Alliria. Seredic himself briefly served in the council as a representative of Fairbairn. It was quite boring with many of the nobility more interesting in sniffing their farts or trying to expand their wealth. Seredic can already tell some of the nobility were paid to look the other way by the many gangs that infested the shallows. “Easier for you to say my dear,” Seredic said bitterly spitting on the ground. “You have a family to look after I don’t so when one is by their lonesome they tend to wrap their towards other interests.”

Wine was more than just a job to Seredic it was his way of life. “Wine is all I know my dear Divina. It is my life my raison d'etre. That my sharp wit I can’t forget that.” The Halfling chuckled to the point where he felt nauseated. The piss infected ale still remained in his system. “The pursuit of power is filled with the many bodies of people that you mess with or stomp on.” he said. “You are an ambitious woman my dear but do not let that ambition rule over you lest devolve into a self serving noble. Many good people fall to the vices. The chains of commanding.”

Not that he was worried about Divina she seemed to have a good head above her shoulders though. The way she spoke at Seredic to stop feeling sorry for himself and get up was blunt but true. He was close to his goal but he had the wrong help. “Death is so boring,” Seredic chuckled. “Not compared to the harsh but fair words by you my dear. You are not like other human nobles I’ve conversed with over the years quite the opposite in fact.”

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

"Do I?" she retorted, in answer about her own family.

"Sometimes... I wonder if they even remember all that I have done."

With that, conversation remained sparse, but verbally intense. By the time the walls of Alliria were seen, she could feel her shoulders lowering in relaxation, and anticipation of what was ahead. That she was like no other noble that he knew... was that an indirect way of telling her she was a shrew? Divina hadn't the slightest idea, but she wasn't going to pursue that train of thought just yet.

Instead, they bypassed the Shallows, instead going around towards the Outer Keep by numerous byways past the Reach. From there it was slow going, but within the Inner City she felt tension again. Here laid other nobles' houses, too close for her own personal taste. And though many had their own mansions and expansive ground, she often resented the fact that many of their homes were such garish displays of wealth and privilege, as though their birth was something to display on a lawn.

Instead they continued on... until her own home came into view.

Framed by the perimeter of tall, gold-stoned walls, the inner gate was well-guarded. But upon entrance, there was a luscious garden, set with tall, mature trees and various byways through flowers and undergrowth carefully cultivated. Some distance ahead, a small castle keep itself settled within the garden, screened as it was with greenery.

Though outside, the Outer City's life thrived, from within these walls it seemed almost insular, separate from the world around them.

Finally, she was home. But there was always work to be done.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic never traveled along the Gold Road nonstop before, it was said amongst Allirians that the Gold Road was sometimes known as Carnival Lane. The Villages and Towns set up so many festivities in order to attract customers. From the hedge wizards using their magical abilities to summon fireworks for the easily entertained to the more seedy towns in which according to the Allirian guards were funded by gangs from the Shallows. To Seredic, the various towns along the Gold Road was a taste of the diversity of Alliria. `It was sad that they were going to pass all of it. Seredic wondered why he stayed in Daybreak Village in the first place.

"I can see your point my dear," Seredic said seeing some Displacer Beasts blink towards some squirrels. "To not be appreciated for your sacrifices can be disheartening but you do what you have to do for family. Sometimes I wonder if I did the same thing for mine."

Sally and Balbo..... Seredic's wife and son the Halfling struggled to get the images of Sally bleeding to death from childbirth and poor Balbo dying before he had a chance to breathe. Seredic remembered locking himself in his house wailing loudly getting drunk everyday refusing to attend Sally and Balbo's funeral despite pleas from his friends and loyal customers. There was not a day that went that Seredic wasn't in his Halfling Hole weeping.

Soon that sadness turned into bitterness and Seredic became sardonic, prone to lashing out, and overall vindictive. "I don't know what's worse Divina?" Seredic said leaning against her back. "A family that ignores you or a loving family who are dead?"

After what appeared to be days of travelling the group arrived at Allria entering the Outer Keep. Seredic was asleep but he can hear the chattering and laughing from people of Alliria. There was sound of the Allrian bell ringing signaling that it was noon along with waves crashing and birds chirping until at long last the Horse stopped and Seredic fell off the saddle landing face first on to the concrete floor.

The Halfling groaned, his whole body was numb being on that blasted Horse for days that he didn't feel the pain. "I'll give this my dear," Seredic said sitting on some flowers. "You are punctual."

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

He stayed mostly silent through Alliria, though she could feel him slumping into her back. It was only when she heard the thump and groan did she realize he had fallen off her horse and was sitting on the ground. At least his mouth didn't seem to be broken, she thought almost uncharitably, also getting off from her horse alone. At her three guardsmen's arrivals, she nodded once, giving a very faint smile. "Thank you, Eres, Dorin, Matthias," she nodded to each, blue eyes calm. "Let them know of our arrival, and stable the horses."

"Yes, my Lady," intoned one, and the others departed. And though the courtyard may have seemed abandoned, they were never truly alone... apart from her own quarters, that was.

"Thank you," she spoke shortly, giving a crisp nod. "I like to think so; if it means returning home that much sooner." She offered her hand down to him, blue eyes assessing. "As it was, the sooner you bathe, the better I may rest, Seredic," she replied. It wasn't intended for insult, but honesty; though many preferred crafting their words and dancing around a subject, she preferred a blunter approach. It made life simpler.

Ever so slightly, however... her features softened.

"Shall we go in?"

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic smirked at Divina as he grabbed her hand. "So soft," he said smiling at Divina. "You may have a blunt on the outside but you have a gentle heart. One can always tell a person based on their handshake." The Halfling struggled stand up still feeling nauseated. "It's something I've learned during my..... adventures in the Savannah."

The Halfling then laughed at Divina's biting wit. Intentional or not, the noble woman knew when to aim below the belt "I've spent months waddling in shit like a Pig in its pen," Seredic smiled. "It was through you my dear that that you pulled me away from my binge drinking and is offering to clean me up. I suppose a bath can sooth my my angst."

He noticed Divina's facial expression soften just a bit, but Seredic can see cracks of her true self shining through. "She is the head of her house and has so much pressure upon her." Seredic thought. "She is the woman wearing the queenly mask. Brute cunning, lovely looks, charismatic and more importantly an indomitable will. But beneath it lies warmth and empathy. Perhaps it's fate that bought us together, fate that allows to me to get up and reassess my failures."

"You are as a biting as you are lovely my dear," Seredic said. "I'm looking forward to getting inside, bathing and becoming a civilized person." Seredic went ahead of Divina and approached the door. "Lead me to the bathchambers my dear," he said.

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

For people who were virtual strangers, he was awfully informal. My dear. It was so odd to hear, even the few servants within range blinked in surprise, eyeing their Lady with confusion. She merely shook her head once, posture once more stiff and tall as she eyed him. He didn't even seem nonplussed at her blunt assessment; perhaps she would bathe as well.

Differing baths, of course. No reason to give him the wrong idea.

And lead him she did. The exterior, though an imposing structure, was not built during the days of individual siege, though several of the original foundation stones were in fact from such a structure. Tall windows allowed in as much of the natural sunlight as could muster, and though many would have filled their rooms with a riot of rich fripperies and useless baubles, hers was a simply done interior.

The grand hall led to a staircase that led up to the east wing and west wing, and she led him up to the west. To the east were her own chambers and guest chambers, to the west were the bathing chambers and the greenhouse sunroom, a recent addition of her own making. But she swept him on to one of ornate tiling of deep greens and golds, a bathrobe already provided.

An invention of her own design, water poured in through a spout from purified water channels to the heated tiles of the bath itself; it was large enough to fit ten people comfortably, if she so desired. Beyond that was another door, of her own private washroom, of a similar design but in deep cerulean. She bowed to him once, weariness already tugging at her own features.

"If you need anything, merely pull the bell and my servants will attend to you. You may leave your clothing to be washed by the door."

So saying, she left him to his own devices, striding to her own with a relieved sigh, drawing the hood from her face and beginning to unpin her cloak from her shoulders as the door shut behind her.

The room was already beginning to steam; from here, she had a view straight to the Allirian Harbor, where she could see her own ships docking amongst the riot of so many other colors. She began to unpin her hair, feeling it tumble down her shoulders while warm water beckoned. It had been a long time on the road... she savored already the feeling of being cleansed.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic was in a depressive hole for so long that he forgot his curtsies. Not that he didn't have him in the first place the moment he became a famous sardonic critic but the way he kept talking to Divina, Seredic had to admit that he sounded like a drunken peasant trying to flirt with a tavern waitress. Seredic was still too tired and hungover to pay attention to the gaping servants who were shocked at the fact that the Halfling kept calling Divina "dear".

It was an amusing sight but one that Seredic didn't care if he was completely sober. He had a reputation of being savage to wine makers which also extended to nobility whenever he was invited to events. Much to his surprise, the nobles didn't mind thinking Seredic was playing a character when in reality he said how he really felt. As they entered the estate, Seredic slowly craned his head. "Oh don't be flabbergasted," he droned towards the servants. "Me calling Divina dear isn't going to cause to her burst into flame. She's a big girl and I'm sure many people has called her more eloquent names than me."

Chuckling, Seredic looked around the grand hall it was full of pictures of presumably Divina's family along with paintings of her family crests. What is it with humans and their love for family crests? They seem to have a tendency to spend so much time on their symbols rather than actually being a family. At least with Halflings, while they talk about their genealogy they actually interact with each other and out in their time of need. The same can't be said for Divina's family he supposed given how bitter she sounds about them.

They arrived at the bath chambers and Seredic gawked at how expansive it was more decorative than the one in Maaran. "Abdal should take notes," the Halfling thought as Divina left him. After taking off his clothing (and being surprised at the fact that his boots still had sand) Seredic rung for the bell while a young human male came to him while he entered the pool.

The warm water relaxed Seredic's muscles as he leaned at the bath's edge. "Give me a bottle of Rosentern wine," he said before pausing. "Also look for a book called regarding myths and legends, I'm sure a well traveled young woman like Divina has something related to that."

The young man bowed while Seredic closed his eyes allowing the warmth of the water soothe him. He felt like a Snake shedding its skin. All the dirt and muck washed away as Divina's words were echoed in his mind. " "And sometimes you pick yourself up and start looking elsewhere," It was statement that took a long time to resonate with Seredic mostly because he was drunk and hungover. However as he began to sober up and to soak in the bathwater, a feeling of hope went through him.

The dream came back to Seredic for a reason, he like to think that he was skeptical person but no dream was exactly the same and said the same thing. It had to be a sign and of course it was rather coincidental that as soon as Seredic had that dream, Divina came lifted him out from his squalor. "A second chance," Seredic said to himself as the servant bought him the bottle of wine as well as a Halfling sized goblet along with a book: The Myths and Legends of Arethril.

Seredic gave a nod of thanks lifting himself from the bathwater and sat on the wooden mini chair next to the pool. The Halfling opened the book, running his finger down the table of contents. "The Wine of Destiny," he mumbled pouring the wine bottle in his goblet. "Page 203," Seredic immediately went there immediately scanning chapter.

"Quite a tome," Seredic said sipping on the wine. "This wine isn't actually as bad as I thought," he said smiling.

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

The moment she was within the bathing room, she sighed in relief. The dress was slowly removed, along with everything else in a neat pile in the basket by the corner. Wisps of steam were inviting, practically alluring after the many days' travel on the roads. Slowly slipping in, she could feel her muscles practically melt, and the many exhaustions of the stressors of travel pulling down on her bones.

With a low, heartfelt sigh, she dipped herself into the seating nook in the pool, closing her eyes for a moment. A low knock on the door gave her pause, cracking an eye open.

"Come in."

A servant entered, the maid's eyes lowered demurely as she held on a tray washing shampoo, a hair rinse, and soap with a sponge. "Are you ready for your hair washing, my lady?" she asked in a low voice, and Divina nodded once. "Take care with the ends; the rose scent will do nicely."

So saying, she leaned back into the expert care of her maid, eyes shuttering against the subtle pleasure of her hair being washed, combed, and carefully rinsed, only opening her eyes when the woman had finished and carefully left once more, leaving the soap and sponge behind.

After she had done washing, she simply sat back against the tile, eyes drifting shut again. The warm water, the good smells. All the luxuries of her inheritance did well to lull the mind of a woman constantly in turmoil.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

OOC: Poem was taken from this site: https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-wine-of-destiny/#content )




Chapter 23: The Wine of Destiny

It began with a prophecy during the Age of Urogosh, a man hailing from the east settled in a small village of Tumbleton. He called himself: Buddhadasa. There wasn't speck of hair on his bald head and he wore simple orange robes. Buddahadsa had laugh lines around his mouth and he possessed magical abilities such as divination. It wasn't known why he settled in Tumbleton but Buddahadasa was welcomed by the people due to his philosophy and his strange magic generated by what he called Ki. Buddahadsa's Ki lifted up the struggling village giving life to the dying plants and animals. It was said that he would whisper to them and they sprung up to life as if they were never sick.

"Life is precious," he said. "As long as the flame burns bright, a person will never die." While Tumbleton celebrated the best harvest in years, Buddahadsa arrived in the with a goblet of wine and told the inhabitants to drink so they can know wisdom. Each person took a sip of wine and was enthralled by its taste. Historical records were vague but it was said that the villagers of Tumbleton got rid of their belongings with their minds opened to the truth. They found the meaning of life and unlocked their true power.

Soon Tumbleton was turned into a small monastery where men and women follow the teachings of what they call "The Great Budda." Hundreds of years later when Buddahadsa was lying on his deathbed, he uttered out a prophecy regarding what he called "The Wine of Destiny:"

The strangest dreams
Are ones that come true
Like the being of you
And begin to become
unreal:

Their nature of the realm
Of transcendence
Their texture a finesse of
Delicate embroidery
Of life’s vital designs

When wakefulness
Begins to look like a dream –
Fermenting sweetly
Through significations of words
And worlds
Into
The wine of meaning

This wine etches upon the soul and is food
For all the hearts that are sincere and good

Historians are unsure if the Wine of Destiny or even Buddahadsa even existed. The Monastery of Tumbleton who reside in The Spine have prophesized that one day the Wine will be remade and the chosen Wine Maker will truly possess attain the power of Zen.

Seredic closed the book before he read anymore, he looked at the Rosentern wine bottle which was half empty right now. A frown formed on his face, if there was thing that Seredic knew was that there was much he did not know about the Wine of Destiny. He remembered rushing out of Fairbairn without a concrete plan on where he was going acting only on instinct and rumors. The answers lay within in this very rare book possessed by Divina Rosenstern. A Temple in the Spine that had Easterling beliefs held the key to making the Wine of Destiny.

"When myth turns into prophecy," Seredic muttered lumbering to his clothing and placing them on. "Is when people believe in it. I was like blind, drunk Halfling stumbling around in the dark reaching for something that wasn't even there in the first place. The dream made sense or at least I think it did."

Divina's words: " And sometimes you pick yourself up and start looking elsewhere," rang in Seredic's head once again. "I have to picked myself up," Seredic said ringing the bell. "And now my journey takes me elsewhere. I have to regain my funds and.... return home first back Fairbarin then the Bank of Allria."

The young servant arrived as soon as Seredic dried himself and finished changing. "Tell Lady Rosenstern," Seredic said. "That I thank her for her hospitality but I need to depart immediately."

The servant bowed and left the bathchambers.

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

Cerec was nervous to approach his lady.

She was a fair-minded employer, if not a bit cold, but he never knew how to address a Lady properly. His mum sent him to work for Lady Rosenstern because she was a fair-minded high caliber woman, but also to keep him out of the gangs of the Shallows, unlike his brother. Hearing the Halfling's message, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "M-my Lord...?" he managed out, but then bowed and left.

He had to tell his Lady right away, she would be very displeased---

He stumbled back into the hallway, then down towards the other bathing room, giving a timid knock before entering. Hearing her low voice filter in, he came through, bowing low.

His face was flushed a deep scarlet, his eyes squinched shut as tight as he could manage.

"P-pardon, my Lady..." he halfway stuttered out. "Your guest, Seredic, seems to be keen to depart, and, and he thanks you for your hospitality," he managed out, and he heard the shuffling of fabric. The lightest of footsteps. He flinched when he felt a cool, gentle hand upon his shoulder, her voice low.

"Thank you, Cerec. You are dismissed."

He didn't rise until he heard the door shut behind her, but when he did he uttered out a sigh, and slowly rose, a hand pressing over his still wildly-thumping heart.

She touched me. My Lady actually touched me!! And said my name!

Unawares of the besotted boy, she strode out of the bathing room, standing tall. Her hair was left unpinned, and she was within her bathing robe still. A modest design in dark grey, it was nonetheless made of silk, with wide sleeves and embroidery of the finest design woven through the fabric. It pooled at her feet while she moved, blue eyes settling on her guest with an unreadable, but intensely scrutinizing, gaze.

"You know, it is rude for a guest to not give thanks himself," she spoke calmly, eyeing him as he dressed once more. "And ruder still for you to assume you will depart on this venture of your wine alone."

Her tone brooked no argument. She may not have believed in destiny... but she did know he was one of the few that could bear with her verbal sparring, and still treat her like a lady of equality.

He would not be able to slip away quite that easily.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic was in great spirits, it was what his father told him as a child. "Halflings are an amazing people my son," the voice of Porto spoke to a young Seredic. The warmth and care of his father's voice filled Seredic's heart with joy for the first time since Seredic found out that Sally was pregnant. "Even against all odds, a Halfling's greatest attribute is that they always have hope."

The Halfling placed his traveling cloak and placed on his boots grabbing his stick and bag. Oh how he missed his father, he and his mother: Annie with her great talented cooking and gardening. Seredic's mother was kind and always smelled of cinnamon. His mother and father would instill the wisdom and knowledge that Seredic needed to succeed not in business but in the world as well. Seredic looked at the pool and saw a weathered bearded thing stare back at him. Never before did he needed his parents advice why did they die in that boating accident 12 years ago?

Slapping himself back to reality, Seredic turned on his heel about to leave until he saw Divina standing in front of him..... wearing her bathrobe and having her hair unpinned. "Oh! My dear!" Seredic was careful not to see any bits that Divina's bathrobe did not cover. Being small can have it's.... unintentional consequences. "It seems the boy delivered the message. I would tip him but I'm short on money."

Divina glared daggers into Seredic, it was hard to gleam any intentions on her facial expressions. The young woman has mastered the art of masking her expressions a great skill to have when it comes to negotiations. Though Seredic wondered if she met a person who is as observant as he is. "You're correct my dear it is rude," Seredic said slowly heading towards to the exit. "But my passion has been restored and my path is clear. You taught me that you must get from failure and that is what I'm doing."

There was more to Divina's intentions, why would she come all this way to stop Seredic? "Well yeah?" Seredic said taking a sip of wine. "I've traveled all over the world alone as a mayor and a ambassador for Fairbarin. I braved the Savannah dessert by myself to get to Maaran to find the Wine of Destiny."

The Halfling then sighed. "You're an intelligent woman, Divina" he said. "I like to think I'm an intelligent person as well. So we can converse as two honest and intelligent individuals."

He sensed tension between the both of them something that is drawing them together but what? "Why did you rescue me from my drunk induced coma?" Seredic asked. "For what reason? I owe you nothing. We hardly know each other apart from our reputations and rumors. Why go all this way Divina to save my drunken arse?"

Seredic took another sip of wine. "I've failed at the Savannah," he said. "I put my trust into two sellswords and they nearly got me killed. I barely escaped with my life but with nothing to show for. I don't have anything but my reputation and Vineyards which I'm sure are being picked apart by rivals. But you came in my time of need and reinvigorated me."

Seredic moved closer to Divina. "Why me Divina?" he asked again.

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

Why indeed?

Looking at him that first time in Daybreak, she saw someone who knew what it meant to be alone in grief. She had heard of his personal tragedy; a woman in her business had to know of others' business. But it was more than that. There was some feeling to pull him out. But equally... she knew what it felt like, to be so kicked down in life. She had never been the type to spiral in to self pity, but it was that surrender in his eyes. He had just given up, and it angered her that the man just seemed to give in to despair despite having so much to live for. Especially for a man of his quality.

She knew she was underdressed, but she didn't seem to mind much. She was entirely covered, apart from her hands and feet, but she took care as she walked.

"Why you?" she repeated, as though in disbelief.

"Whyever not you?" came her retort, low and hard. "You act as though the sympathy of someone who has lost, and lost alone, is nothing for the empathy of one person to another. I don't act on charity," she ground out, arms crossing, "nor do I act on the assumption of erroneous judgement. I saw a man, desperate enough to drink himself to death, whose grief so blinded him to the path of ambition in the name of myth, he's forgotten there are perhaps few who may understand what it means to lose what little happiness they believe they deserve. A wine won't solve your losses nor bring you the peace you crave," she replied, her voice softening.

"And doing it alone is never the answer," she spoke quietly, sighing. "So I'll join you in this venture. And I will not take no for an answer."

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

"That has to be the most eloquent non-answer I've heard in my life," Seredic thought while examining Divina's reaction. For the briefest of moments she appeared shocked and possibly taken by surprise by Seredic's question. Even though they just met, Seredic can easily tell that Divina trains herself to prepare for every possible scenario..... except the ones that apply to her personally.

As predicted, Divina recovered her demeanor rather quickly shaming him for drowning and self-pity and doubt. "You say you don't act on charity my dear but uncharitable people don't swoop drunks off the inn and clean them up. They leave to drown in their piss and vomit," Seredic said doing his best to stare at the woman's eyes and not on the bits that her bathroom wasn't covering. The thing about silk is that can be transparent underneath certain lighting. Divina already thought of Seredic as a drunken, self-pitying Halfling he doesn't want pervert to be lumped along those nice things.

"What will give me peace then?" Seredic said bitterly for the first time that they've met, Divina's words stung, her words struck him like a volley of arrows. There was part of Seredic that felt that she was right and that perhaps the Wine of Destiny wouldn't have all the answers. Then again who said that the Wine of Destiny didn't hold all the answers probably just enough for Seredic to be satisfied. "You say that I should pick myself up when I fail but here I am with a renewed and try to implement doubt within me. The Wine of Destiny is real. A species that was long forgotten told me of its existence."

Memories of his interrogation with the Dwarven machinery resurfaced in Seredic's mind but he quickly pushed it away. He'll have to revisit that memory later preferably while he is drunk. The Halfling though frowned when Divna said that she would accompany him on his journey. Why was she so interested in something that was mostly based on myths? What's her stake in this likely foolhardy adventure especially one that Divina is convinced won't give Seredic happiness? She's a business woman and a noble who is placing an investment on a Halfling who's fallen on hard times and will likely fail again. Divina should know this and yet she's insistent in following Seredic.

"I guess I have no choice," Seredic sighed gripping on his wooden traveling stick. "But tell my dear what do you want? And I don't mean what you want for your business, or the family that you feel is underappreciating you Divina. What is it that you personally want because you are about to sacrifice everything, your reputation, your money and possibly your life for me. All for something that you believe to be something based on myth and legend. And....."

Seredic looked on the ground thinking about the Angelic being. "You're probably right but I choose to get up because I feel that It's something that I need to do. So I ask again what do you want Divina?"

Divina Rosenstern