In Search of Answers (Ricky)

by **Tallis** on June 18th, 2013, 7:17 am

2nd Day of Summer
World’s End Grotto

“It’s comin’ down out there, innit? Yer lucky ta have made it here before the rain got ye!”

“Are ya hidin’ from the downpour or shall I set up a room for ye?”

“On no, no room, miss. Actually, I was wondering if you could help me find a guest? I’m a family friend of his you see,”

“His name’s Burten. Burten Maze?”

“Oh! Yer looking for Old Burt, eh? Yes, yes, he’s here. Room twenty-three. Up the stairs and on yer left!”

“Mister Maze? It’s me, Tallis? I was the guest sitting beside you at the party yesterday?”

by **Ricky Maze** on June 18th, 2013, 7:59 am

On this day one would find peace and quiet in the downfall of the rain though it wouldn't last so long as many thought. A quick downcast that swiftly ended not too long after it would began, leaving all of Zeltiva to wonder just where its rain had gone. Burt had come here not too long ago, about two or three days now to be exact. Imagine his surprise to find that the one place where his home once resided was now completely changed. The old hut where the fisherman once lived in and left was no longer there, and yet surprisingly the son that was left behind lived on. Burt had been gone far too long it seems, for what kind of father could never return to his son after the tragic incident followed by the wrath of Zulrav. Burt had been watching the city from out his window most of his time, aware that not just the city had changed but its citizens that lived within as well. The crowds that flooded and stired around within the city didn't flow as vibrantly as it used to, life here seemed to have struck harder as the tides of fate brought Zeltiva into the shadows. Tragedy brought on by the powerful Spring Storm in 512 followed by not one but two plagues that devastated this glorious port. What in Mizahar has Zeltiva fallen to?

A knock soon came to the door, a sound so clean that it swept away all the silence that was held in Burt's room. A visitor had come by to see him as he had just met this scholar yesterday, and it seems he has shown himself today for another purpose. Though their talk had been small Burt remembered Tallis from the party, and somehow he knew of the connection between him and that of his son Ricky, who Burt spent most of his days hoping to see again. Quietly the sailor stood up from the wooden chair he sat in, and simply walked over to the door to unlock it. With a click the latch would be the signal for Tallis to enter, as Burt would only return to the chair and continue to admire the home he had left so long ago.

"C'min here lad, have yer self a seat." He announced only loud enough for Tallis to hear, his blue gaze never left the window outside as the rain lightened. Once Tallis would enter he would see the same man he had met yesterday; short hair and beard the color of dirt that faded to gray in some areas, an aged face decorated with a scar over the right socket of his blue eyes. Built just like the sailor he was and once proud to be one until another who looks just like him was born. Once Tallis found his seat only then would Burt break the peaceful silence that matched his content expression. "Yer god works in many interesting ways young scholar, that much is certain." He mused to Tallis with a small chuckle, he still watched the outside while waiting to hear what the Stormwarden had to say.

by **Tallis** on June 19th, 2013, 6:14 am

Tallis heard the click of the door and the invitation. Turning the door-knob, he let himself into the room, quietly closing the door behind him. The old man was sitting beside the window, staring outside as the rain began to lighten. It appeared that this was as far as Zulrav would guide him today; the rest was up to him. Making his way to the foot of the bed across from Burten, he took a seat and stared at the old man.

“You’re right you know. Even though they speak to me, I couldn’t tell you the way the winds work. But what I do know is this: They have a way of blowing us back home, don’t they?”

The two sat in silence for a moment, listening as the pitter-patter of rainfall on the roof of the inn slowed. The rain cleansed the earth, allowing new life to grow. Plants would sprout and new roots would burrow into the soil. The rain was a sign of new beginnings.

“Mister Maze,” Tallis began, “I’m not going to beat around the bush. You know why I’m here. I just want to know why… why you…” Tallis trailed off. There were so many “why”s and he just didn’t know where to start. Why have you been gone so long? Why have you come back now? Why are you hiding? Why can’t you see that Ricky needs you? Why won’t you go see him? The questions raced through Tallis’ mind. He wasn’t sure where to start or what to ask.

Tallis looked into the old man’s face. Beneath the signs of aging, there was so much sadness. There was an overwhelming grief and weariness that few could claim to have endured. And there was a depth to those blue eyes, a depth of knowledge that Tallis was still too young and naïve to comprehend. And most importantly there was a spark of hope. Now that he looked closely, he could see how much Ricky took after his father. The young Wave Guard carried the same signs of sadness that his father had, but what made him different was that spark of hope. Ricky’s hope was contagious and inspiring and it refused to disappear. Sadly for Burten, the terrors of the real world had damaged the spark in his eyes, diminishing them to a fraction of what they must have once been. However, Tallis had seen that spark of hope flicker at the mention of Ricky’s name. Tallis knew he could be the breeze that blew the spark into a raging fire. It was his duty as a Stormwarden and as a friend.

“Tell me Mister Maze. Tell me what happened. Tell me why you think you can’t go back. Tell me the entire story, from the very beginning.”

Now that he saw the old man, he knew that he couldn’t force him to go see Ricky. And he couldn’t call him an irresponsible father and a good-for-nothing. What he could do was listen. He could hear out Burten’s story and share his burden, perhaps then he would be strong enough to confront his fears and misgivings.

by **Ricky Maze** on June 19th, 2013, 7:51 am

A chuckle came from Burt at Tallis' remark of the wind, silence still haunted the space between them as he remained a statue. When Tallis finallt broke the silence Burt looked over to watch the scholar, patient eyes upon him as he waited for the young man to finish. Though he needed not to hear what he had left to say, for Burt already knew very well what question would come along, the question he could only expect from his son when the time would come to meet him face to face. Still he waited until Tallis found the proper words he searched for, his question finalized with the right intent on inquiring the reason. Why is it Burt could not face his own son just yet. "Ya wish to hear my story, for the well being of my son I take it. He has been through a lot in order to've grown the way he has." Burt admitted with a look of regret on his face, the pain of his absence clear as he sighed before with an adverted gaze. He looked to Tallis once more with sincerety in his gaze.

"Eight years ago on the fifthteenth of this very season my son turned to the age of eighteen, though I had left on this day exactly eight years ago for a shipping job. Several days later out at sea our ship was jumped by pirates, a clever trap they had laid in order to loot the cargo of the ship. What they didn't expect was the storm Zulrav brought to Zeltiva soon after, which swept both their ship and ours into the jagged rocks of Mathew's Bay. My friend Odis and I worked together to try and flee the area. However he... died protecting me just as he always did, which left me to fend for me self for a while."

Heartache seemed to plague his expression now, as he began to rub the side of his head near the scar. "The pirates would've caught the both of us but he decided to split, with a promise he would watch over my son when he first returned to Zeltiva. Yet he never outran the bastards, thus I was left in shame knowing I allowed my closest friend to die. I couldn't face my son with this shame, not when I taught him so much already. Thus I decided he could do with meeting someone he never met before, someone I knew he should've met and had in his life the day he was born. His biological mother." He then proceeded to watch the city through the window once more. "I traveled through the vastness of Kalea in hopes of finding her in Wind Reach, imagine my luck though when I hear she left for Lhavit. I went and searched there only to hear from a friend of her's, that she moved on to Anvanthal for reasons unknown. I spent the majority of the past six years just searching for her endlessly, until I finally decided to give up my search and return home. It had taken me a couple of years to finally reach Syliras but when I did I was already on the way to Zeltiva."

He looked to Tallis once more with a fragile smile on his weary face, "Imagine my surprise when I find the winds tugging me to you just as soon as I enter the home I had long since visited." He finished with a bit of humor, though he knew his story hadn't been in the slightest bit relieving for the scholar. Burten leaned back in his chair and sighed once more as he relaxed, exhaustion still present in his face as the long journey taken its toll on him. "Tell me young scholar, what has my boy been up to besides starting a family? I hear he has joined the Wave Guard but that's all I know really." He inquired from Tallis a bit curious, patience still present in his expression.

by **Tallis** on June 20th, 2013, 5:16 am

The story had given Tallis chills, the old sailor had travelled across the world for his son. The act in itself was proof enough that he loved his son. But Tallis still wasn’t satisfied. What was it that kept Burten from seeing Ricky? Was it shame that he hadn’t found his son’s mother? Was it guilt that he had been away for so long? Perhaps it was a mixture of both feelings. Whatever it was, there was no excuse for him to hide like this. If he had the courage to travel to unknown lands, he should have had the courage to speak to his son.

“Burten, you’ve seen the bright side of Ricky’s life: joining the Wave Guard and starting a family. But you haven’t seen the pain he hides…” Odis… the name of Burten’s friend had struck a chord with Tallis. He was instantly reminded of the faithful friend and brother that Ricky had lost. The dog that Ricky had named Odis. The dog that had died to protect him. The parallels between Burten and Ricky were striking, but Tallis refused to let them remain that way. Parallel lines ran beside each other forever, always close to one another, but never close enough to touch. He simply couldn’t let their relationship remain that way.

“Ricky also had a friend named Odis. He was the most loyal dog. They were brothers to each other.” It pained Tallis to use the past tense, but reality was cruel and he couldn't change what had happened, no matter how badly he wanted to. “Last Fall, after the massive storm, Ricky and Odis ran into trouble. Odis gave his life to protect Ricky. Your son was heartbroken for an entire season."

Tallis wasn’t aiming to shock the old man on purpose, but he needed him to know that his son’s life wasn’t all sunshine and daisies. There was a deep hidden pain that he hadn’t seen. "In Ricky’s mind, he probably lost the last of his family that day. First his mother, his father, and then his brother. But that’s not true, is it? Ricky still has a father, doesn’t he? And I think he needs him now more than ever.”

Tallis went silent and let Burten take in the news. Staring at the last raindrops trickling down the window-pane, he wondered if he had been too sudden. How would the old man handle the news? Turning back to face him, Tallis quietly pleased. “He needs you. And you need him.” It was obvious from the way Burten talked about Ricky. His eyes lit up with new life and his voice gained strength. The two deserved to be together.

Thinking back to Burten’s story, Tallis suddenly remembered an all too important detail. Burten had mentioned that Ricky was born on the fifteenth of Summer… Tallis did the calculations in his head. If Ricky was eighteen years old eight years ago, that made him… twenty-six. And the fifteenth of summer was in thirteen days. In just shy of a fortnight, Ricky would turn twenty-seven.

Tallis silently vowed right then and there that, in the name of Zulrav, God of the Winds, he would reunite the two wayward breezes.

by **Ricky Maze** on June 20th, 2013, 6:13 am

Burten's expression dropped to a more seriously grave one now, his concern for his son present as Tallis laid out all the news that he explained. His own son loved and lost an animal so close he found it to be a brother, even gave the dog a name that which had meaning in both of their lives at the time. Tallis had proven that his point was by far correct, although Ricky had become a stronger and more admirable man that his father, he still needed that kind of figure in his life to guide him. To have been gone for eight long years and wonder what he was missing, and finally to return hearing all the troubling trials your owj child had to live through and learn. It broke Burt's heart, and almost crushed his spirit, knowing that he could've been around to prevent some of it from happening.

"You... make a good point young scholar." Burt admitted with a affirmed nod, a bitter resolve found in his blue eyes. "Perhaps I am responsible for the troubles he's been through, perhaps I could've changed things had I decided to quickly return." Burt couldn't quite believe that he would be agreeing with Tallis, but in his heart he knew that Tallis had been right. Ricky needed his father now more than ever knowing that he too would become a parent on his own, and Burt definitely needed to be with his son and catch up on everything he missed. Burt sighed as he scratched the back of his head with anticipation.

"My son needs me just as I need him, of that ye are correct. How I will come to face him after all this time... I've not an idea on what to sat. What should I do young scholar? How should I approach my son after not seeing him for so long?" There was hope in Burt's eyes that dueled with fear as he hadn't the slightest idea what should be done, what could be done more or less really. He had missed so much of his son's life that he hadn't the slightest clue where to start. He would wait patiently and watch Tallis with hopeful eyes, as he gripped at the inevitable reality that he would soon meet his son face to face once again. It had been a dream that distanced itself from him each passing day, until finally it just became a fantasy that would never happen. Maybe that fantasy would become reality with the help of Tallis, and Burt's old wish to be with his son again would finally happen.

by **Tallis** on June 20th, 2013, 9:21 pm

Tallis could see the pain in Burten’s eyes. He imagined that the man felt guilt for not being there to protect his son. It was understandable, but he couldn’t dwell on it. “Mister Maze. Parents can’t always protect their children from the world, but they can prepare them to face it.” It was a fact that Tallis was afraid to deal with himself. Everyone would have to face it one day, some earlier than others: the loss of a parent. But Ricky didn’t have to face that pain any longer. His father was alive. “Look how well you’ve prepared Ricky. Even through all the pain and loss, he continues to smile. He gets that from you. You’ve helped him to become an extraordinary man.”

“There is still time for you two. You can still be a part of Ricky’s life and a part of his family. It is true that Ricky needs you and that you need him, but there’s someone else that needs both of you. Your grandchild, Mister Maze.” Tallis had a feeling that this last point he made would break apart any last excuses or hesitations that Burten had. This was his trump card. “You might not have always been there for Ricky, but you can be there for him now, and you can be there for his child… your grandchild.”

He knew that the old sailor might have misgivings about seeing his son, but how could he possibly refuse the chance to be there for his son and grandchild? It was the final push needed to set things in motion. “Rest assured, Mister Maze. I will reunite you and your son. You actually gave me the perfect idea for exactly how I should do it. Ricky’s birthday is in just under a fortnight. On that day, I will hold a surprise party for him. And you, sir, will be the surprise.” That took care of how they would meet, but that wasn’t the hard part. They had already been so close together at the party just yesterday. What was difficult was getting the two to talk. “All you have to do is tell Ricky what you told me. He’ll understand if you explain things to him. The party will have him in a happy mood and there will be Kelp Beer flowing from the taps. Just take the next few days to prepare what you’ll say.”

While Burten took the fortnight to mull over how he would explain things, Tallis would have some major planning and work to do. However, he would do everything he could to see this through.

by **Lullaby** on July 30th, 2013, 7:41 am

Here is your reward!

Tallis :

A quiet song to soothe the heart

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.

Closed In Search of Answers (Ricky)