Chapter Text
a forest full of crystals, a desert bare of life, a mountain under eternal snow, a flooded temple. And a city that has seen better days.
The storm was approaching, water harshly hitting the lands as a small boat hit the berge… a figure wrapped in a white cloak got off, waving the conductor dismissively.. “You still gotta pay, stranger” The driver said … The figure didn't respond… and just disappeared leaving a flickering cyan and silver after image. the boat owner cursed under his breath “Those stupid Drifters… I should have known he wouldn’t pay..”
The strange cloaked one continued on his road not even caring to look back, just simply walking toward the smoke he was seeing in the distance, a hand seemingly resting at his hip under his cloak, possibly concealing a weapon of some sort. They continued their walk through the dangerous forest as if it was simply nothing but a stroll through a park, looking unbothered by the diverse noises coming from trees and bushes alike. After a bit they ended up in a small clearing where a campfire was lit, a warrior bearing a red cape and a pink armor with a horned helmet covering their face was sitting by the crackling fire.
The cloaked person approached clearly startling the warrior as he startled up drawing a sword. “Who are you! what do you want” The warrior confronted the cloaked one, clearly weary about his camping place being raided by a stranger. The Stranger just raised his hands in surrender before grabbing something at his belt tossing it to the warrior's feet, it looked like a weapon handle and was what the Armored one recognised as a Hardlight Sword. Between the sword and the cloak it would make sense for the Stranger to be a Drifter, one of those travelers that seek to find a cure for the sickness. Many of those used to travel to this land in the past but now they are but a rare site. The warrior looked back up at the Drifter “I will presume that means you come in peace ? you can rest with me for the night. It's easier to sleep in turns to take guard anyway. I’ll bring you to the city tomorrow, that is where you want to go I presume ?” The Drifter nodded, coming closer and sitting down next to the warrior, the armored one sat down too looking at what would be his companion for the night.
“I’m Guardian by the way” he was met with only silence to his introduction.. seemingly irritated by that he added “You got a name or something?” He was met by silence again until the clocked one shifted a bit before shaking his head. “Huh.. that's weird.. we’ll find you a name tomorrow.. You are a drifter, correct ?” His companion nodded, gesturing to the sword af if trying to say it was obvious or something. After a bit more one sided talking the drifter took place against a tree stump clearly needing some rest, guardian decided to take the first turn at guarding the fire. Even asleep his companion looked on edge, it made sense, Drifters had years of training and being able to just spring up from sleep into action must be a part of it, he would wake him up later when his turn to guard would come.
A rising sun, a campfire reduced to embers, the calm noises of a forest slowly waking up.
Guardian slowly woke up to see yesterday strangers poking at the fire with his sword.. clearly burying the embers in the ashes to stop a forest fire from possibly starting. It looked like he was basically ready to leave … and about to leave without his guide. Guardian got up scrambling to his feet to catch up with the traveler. “So.. we really need to find you a name you know?” The unnamed just shrugged. “What could make a good name…. Cloak? Since you have like the biggest cape I've ever seen a drifter wear?” That didn't look like a good name seeing how offended he looked with the proposition….
Guardian didn't have time to give another suggestion before a howl was heard… crystal wolf of course.. The drifter immediately jumped into action grabbed his sword from his belt and with a quick hit of the hilt the blade turned on, the blade appearing shimmering blue ready to hack and slice at anything that might come against it. The traveler looked back at Guardian, he couldn’t tell what for, but he too drew his blade even if it was less fancy than a Hardligth sword it too saw its fair share of battles.
as the sounds of clawed footsteps hitched closer the tension rose and rose when the first of the black wolves covered in green crystals showed its nose jumping from a bush straight at the cloaked one.. He just seemingly phased through it.. with a small twinkling noise and the drifter was 5 meters back from where he was standing just a second ago.. leaving behind a gray and cyan after image flickering for a few seconds. He then dashed right back, slashing the wolf in half at the end of his movement. Guardian took this as an opportunity to just grab his companion by the cloak and just make a run for it, the village wasn’t far ahead after all. Seeing how there wasn’t a single noise of protest from the poor traveler now getting dragged along through the forest, Guardian took that for an all clear.
When they finally stopped running… or rather getting dragged along in one case they were quite near to the village.. As soon as Guardian stopped the poor Drifter shoved his hand off his cloak and placed a hand against a tree to try and gain back balance.. not registering a word the warrior was saying. And well.. Guardian quickly stopped talking when his audience started violently coughing and coughing up some sort of cyan liquid… That of course immediately alarmed Guardian who rushed to the now kneeled over drifter… Just to get an opened hand almost shoved in his face as the Traveler just… wiped his mouth and placed his mask back on his mouth.. And now that guardian looked closer, the cloaked one had the same cyan stains kinda all over his white cloak. “What was that?? Are you okay, do you need medical assistance ?” He got a simple thumbs up as an answer, he then dusted himself off and started walking toward the village… just giving Guardian a small gesture of the hand as if asking him to follow.
Once arrived at the village, Guardian immediately started talking and talking and talking. But the Drifter wasn’t really listening, instead just looking around until Guardian tapped his shoulder “Hey i just found you a name! you shall now be Flicker!” The poor traveler didn’t even had time to protest in any way shape or form before Guardian began walking again “Common Flicker i need to introduce you to everyone!” Flicker just shrugged looking a bit defeated.