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Prologue
I have already learned the true nature of this world; every single language spoken by684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBR1FpyftuE
all the miscreated, bid farewell to all those that I ever met, and just finished predicting684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2y994aGbY
most outcomes - not bad for someone born only a day ago.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGd6BeuDbK
And now I must wait here for him, atop such a generous outcrop of stone; one so684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGOblczduB
easily protruding from the most graceful display of running water. A creek, I think it684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfYTUxvIeP
is called, that much like me, seems to always be running but never getting anywhere.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiULsJCzsb3
I cannot think of a better example of the flow of time and design working perfectly684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVafzEcCPNZ
in tandem. Yet another sample of what can be expected in this world above, I suppose684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlpDAuL76h
and hope; an example that for so long has dared to cross these woods that the one684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiH4g988nB4
I am waiting for, sometimes calls his own.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqZVltNjGP
He should be here any moment now; my inherited memories keep assuring me684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tyzBL1N2v
that he comes by this exact spot every day to make his crossing, and today will be no684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mEHiMFfPS
exception. He will come. He will come and he will find me; he will find me, and he684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrWBaMcNUh
will say:684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7AzUfYaTm
“And who might you be?”684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTA9ZB7XZQ
After I turned around, I was greeted with a weird-looking old figure, much more so684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4lTtlMqh8
than I was expecting, with an uneven pair of glasses barely hanging from his slightly684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7G9EPNKglx
twirled nose and a long set of grey hair cascading, knot after knot, from the top of his684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡui4YI2fMkD
head. Several pieces of mismatched armour were strapped to his tall if a bit hunched,684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1SymyJJZR
body. They had been collected over a long period of time and from all kinds of sources.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2CmSpR75n
His right hand held a solid piece of armament; he tried to disguise it as a walking stick,684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBK77IdZc96
but it was most definitely a good weapon. A haversack hung from his other shoulder,684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiX3siM88Qh
it was half open and mostly filled with all sorts of plants and a few samples of fungi.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUKClWgxST
Then I noticed behind him followed a beast of burden; great of size and with quite684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyrMueUxgo
the relaxed jaw hanging under its corpulent nose. And if all the satchels covering its684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGm9pOGurD
blue and green skin were not enough to define its purpose, its mellow eyes surely did684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsYKGFg2Ce
the trick. Also, between its massive shoulders and the middle of its curved back, rested684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgVNzcUeYi
a large, purple saddle. One that was just big enough for two.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4g99Nz0p2x
“I was waiting for you,” I steadily revealed to him.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvKlcgwsvy
“It would certainly seem that way.” The old man replied quite unpreoccupied,684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6XD87FddR
“Please tell me then, how is it that I am fated to find a little one such as yourself out684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd81fHnxLS
here, in the middle of these woods?” He asked as he began tying that beast to the684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsW2IwomaT
nearest tree.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aeBDsZGYX
“I just said,” I repeated without taking my eyes from all the papers I was holding,684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKjmGWMIVG
“that I came here to wait for you.”684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFdtFudodc
“Quite right.” He stared at me for a moment, and then finally wetted his boots as he684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzcL2N9eAw
ventured into that running water to make his approach. He did so slowly and carefully,684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJ2COlkX2y
as to not frighten me, which caused me to smile in appreciation. All the dirt and rips684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPQAo5wI5V
in my mostly white clothes easily conveying to him that I had gone through quite a684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDy6vd4Wzd
lot recently.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZo9fYxcQJ
“It’s alright. You can come closer.” I told him unabashedly.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RAJQOhybn
“Oh, were you writing?” He was quick to notice when close enough, “And at such a684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4Xi1K6Yq0
young age as well. Remarkable.” He then quickly followed that with a high opinion of684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCxRMUESSM
my scattered drawings, before picking one up: “And what about these? Did you draw684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPY7nqW9ep
all of them as well?”684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNs9yl51ft1
“I did.”684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEDk5dLQry
“I know this man...” The old man confessed, “and this woman as well.” He added as684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzeVdnjzkW
his eyes caught glimpse of another half-finished sketch. He picked up that one as well,684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE9mZN6zqO
and then held them close to each other ...684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxrb0gCDeP
“I know these people.” He insisted, without taking his eyes from those two pictures...
