The Cyrodiilic Dream
Oblivion Explorer
Chapter 1


It was a sunny afternoon at Shardrock farm. Small breezes grazed the tips of the vines in the vineyard. The tops of weeds and grass bowed down in the winds direction. Then, with a quick stomp, some of the grass was trampled. The foot quickly lifted, and the grass returned to its standing form.
A boy was running through the Shardrock vineyards and the fields surrounding them. It was a young Argonian boy, no older than the age of ten. His spines, which swayed from side to side as he ran, were still small and had not finished growing. The blue youth marks still were visible on the side of his face and showed no signs of disappearing.
The boy swung his hands around holding an invisible sword, as he struck invisible enemies. Striking them to the ground.
"You do not have Shardrock Castle! We do!" the boy said with a smile.
He continued to strike down his invisible foes with his trusty stick. The boy pictured this stick as a beautiful silver longsword. It was crowned with all sorts of jewels at the hilt, and it shined in the sunlight. The boy would let no one else have it. He was the creator after all.
"Nathan!"
The boy turned around. He looked back at his home at Shardrock farm. Far away, Nathan Hilcrest could see a figure in the doorway of the large home.
"Dinner! It's time to come in!" the figure shouted.
Nathan sighed. Of all the activities he did, running around and exploring around the farm with his stick was his favorite of all. With it being dinner time, Nathan realized that his exploration must wait until the next day.

The Argonian reached the front of his home, where an Imperial woman was standing in the doorway smiling. She walked up to Nathan and lowered down to give her son a hug. Her blonde hair seemed to act like a veil, covering them both with its long length. She placed her hand on Nathan's shoulders.
"Have fun running around today?" she asked.
"Yes mother. Hate to see it end for the day." The boy responded.
"You always have tomorrow, so don't sit on it too much. The fields will be here tomorrow." Kara Hilcrest responded.
While Kara speaked to her son, Gregory Hilcrest appeared in the doorway, and smiled at his family as the spoke to each other. Nathan and Kara looked at Gregory, and smiled as well.
"C'mon in you two, dinner is served." Gregory said. Nathan and Kara then got up and followed Gregory in to the house.
The Hilcrest family was not an ordinary family. Gregory and Kara were married in their early twenties, and seemed to be a normal couple at the time. Gregory came from a successful farming family, which he inherited when his parents were killed in a freak bandit attack. Kara came from a merchant family that lived in the Temple District of the Imperial City. The two moved to Shardrock to take over the Hilcrest Winery Company that supplied Skingrad with some of the finest wine it could come up to.
Then the time came when Kara and Gregory decided to start a family. The Family business brought in more than enough money to have a family of six, so the plan seemed fine. However, unexpected barriers almost stopped a family from happening. Kara had two miscarriages. Thus, with little options, the couple decided to adopt a child.
The two traveled to Skingrad and visited the orphanage. There were plenty of children of a very young age, and were no older than five years old. Gregory insisted on an Imperial child since it made sense for two Imperials to have one of their own race. Kara did not limit herself to getting a child of the same race. She saw a perfect son or daughter in any of the children. As the kids played with one another, there was one child staying away from everyone else. He stayed in the corner of the common room while everyone else played in the other areas. Kara, saddened by the look of loneliness on the child's face, approached him. Once next to the kid, she sat down with him.
"What are you doing over here all alone young man?" Kara asked the kid.
"I don't? have friends." The boy said. He spoke very proper for a boy so young.
"Well, not everyone is the same. However, everyone can have friends." Kara said with a smile. The boy looked up at her and grinned. He looked so precious in Kara's eyes. She had no question this is the son she wanted.
"I'll be right back. You stay right here you!" she said. She got up and returned to Gregory and the Orphan owner.
"I want him Gregory. He's the son I want." Kara said.
"What? Kara, how do you know he's the one you want when you haven't even sat down with the other kids here? And he's an Argonian, not Imperial!" Gregory said.
"He doesn't have to be Imperial Gregory, he's precious the way he is. And even if he's not Imperial, I know you will love him as a father. You have to." Kara said. Gregory stood silent. He wanted to argue it, but he knew it was hopeless. She wanted the Argonian boy.
Kara found out the boy's history from the head of the Orphanage. The boy had no name, or could remember no name. He was from Bravil, where he had lived his live before the orphanage. His parents had fallen hard on skooma, and after a mage checked the boy out, found skooma in the boy's system as well. Bruises seemed to indicate the boy was beaten, and not taken care of. He seemed to live off what he could find in the pits of Bravil. However, after a neighbor saw what the parents did to the boy, they had him taken from their custody, and put in an orphanage far away from where his parents could find him. The boy then stayed there for the next three months till the day Kara came. His days of mistreatment would be over. That very same day Kara and Gregory came to the orphanage, they became his parents. And a few days later, Kara came up with the name Nathan, which was Gregory's father's name. Gregory was against this at first, but reluctantly agreed.
Five years had passed, and Gregory was no longer considered an adopted son. He was a true family member. His mother had loved him the second she had laid eyes upon him. It took a bit longer for his father, but Gregory matured past what he thought was proper, and moved to what was right. All the time would Gregory mock his old self for being selfish and not wanting anything else but an Imperial son or daughter. He taught his new son how to do many things, such as farm, and make his own good food. Gregory also knew a few basic combat skills but nothing serious. He taught his son the fundamentals he knew on swordplay and archery. Afterwards, while walking with his father, Nathan found a stick that was perfectly straight and seemed almost like a sword. Ever since then, Nathan kept this stick on him. It was his first weapon, which unfortunately to Nathan, this stick would never strike against an enemy.
The family continued to eat dinner and talk. Gregory talked about a big sale that was brewing that would put the family business over the top in the future, which made Kara and Nathan happy. Life was great for the three, and nothing seemed to be in sight that would end this happiness.
However, that night, as Nathan lay asleep, he awakens to a sound of yells and screams. Then he could hear running feet in the distance. Alarmed, he rushed out of bed and in to his parents room. He awoke his mother and father and told them of what he heard. The sounds could now be heard even clearer. Gregory grabbed his steel longsword that lay at his bedside. Nathan went to grab his father's other sword, but Gregory grabbed it before his son could.
"No! You get in to the basemant! Your mother and I will take care of this!" his father shouted. Nathan hesitated, and then did what he was told. He went in to the basemant, quickly lit the torches that were on the walls, and huddled in the corner. He heard more shouting, more yells. Then, after about a minute, Nathan could smell something burning. Smoke preceded to float down the stairs in to the basemant. Nathan could hear his name being yelled for, and to get out of there. Then, smoke filled the entire room. It became very dark. All Nathan could see was the faint light of the torches on the walls. It became hard to breathe, and Nathan began to cough as he struggled for air. Then it came to him.
The cellar door.
Nathan rushed around the room trying to find the cellar door that led to the outside. After feeling against the wall for the door, he found it. With all his might, Nathan tried to open the hatch that led to the outside. He was unsuccessful after the few tries. After a few more tries, Nathan opened the doors. Fresh air blew in to his face, and relieved his lungs. Flames surrounded the edges of the door. Heat could be felt everywhere. Nathan quickly rushed out of the basemant and in to the grounds. After running a few yards, he turned around.
The entire house was on fire, along with the vineyards. The house was slowly beginning to crumble as the foundations weakened. Nathan ran to the front of the house to see his parents screaming his name. Kara was crying while Gregory tried to find some way in to the house. All entrances were blocked, and he pounded on the front door with all his might. Fallen wood and debris blocked his way in. Then Nathan yelled to his parents.
"I'm alright!!! Mother! Father! I'm okay!" Nathan screamed as he ran to his parents. They ran to Nathan as he ran to them, and the family hugged tightly. Then Gregory became alarmed.
"Run! Their back! Hurry! In to the forest!" Gregory shouted. Nathan looked behind him to see torches in the distance. They were approaching the family, and they weren't far away.
"They're still alive! Kill them!" a voice shouted in the distance.
Bandits had lit the house aflame along with the rest of the farm. The Hilcrest family had no idea why they had attacked, but they had no time to discuss it. The Shardrock farm was located mere yards away from the beginning of the forest of the Imperial Reserve. Gregory believed if the family could make it to the woods, they would be safe from the attacking Bandits.
Nathan ran as fast as his legs would let him. His parents were a few feet behind them. After a little bit, they reached the woods. They did not stop, but kept running as fast as they could. After a few minutes, the family finally topped when Kara could go on no further. The bandits could not be heard, so the family was safe for now. No one spoke. They sat in silence as they laid down on their backs. Nathan laid still while looking up at the stars. The sky was clear tonight, giving the forest a small light which gave the family the ability to navigate through the forest.
"Father?" Nathan asked. Gregory looked over.
"Yes Nathan? What is it?" Gregory said in a tired state. After a brief pause, Nathan asked his question.
"What's going to happen to us?"
Gregory placed a hand on his face. He breathed deeply, and began to cry. In between his sobs, he spoke.
"I don't know son. But I know one thing. I'm going to find us a home where we can stay. We are going far away from here, away from those bandits. I just have to think. But I promise I will think of something. I have to do it for the ones I love; For you two."

Seven years passed since Shardrock Farm was destroyed, and the family's life had taken a horrible turn for the worst. The Hilcrest family now lived in the Waterfront district of the Imperial City, and was struggling to survive. Gregory worked as a ship hand on the docks, and was paid at such a small rate. He made just enough to keep food on the table while Kara tried to find work. Kara hadn't worked since the time she became married, but she still carried some mercantile skills with her. However, she still had not figured out what she wanted to sell.
Nathan had probably turned out the best out of the three. He was now seventeen years old. His spines had grown longer. He had the muscles of a skilled arena fighter. He had also trained win combat with his neighbor who was an ex-arena fighter. His combat skills with a sword and a bow had become superb. However, there were two things Nathan had kept from his childhood. His blue youth marks had stayed on his face, making him unique from other Argonians. It was a sign of loyalty to carry your youth marks in to advlthood. The other thing Nathan had kept was his youthful spirit, which still longed for adventure. It was the only thing he could really do since there was no job for him to do, and no school. His family could not afford school in the situation they were in now. Every morning, Nathan would get up and run the Imperial City Circle, which was a trail that ran around the city. After that, he would swim from the Waterfront to the southern coast of Lake Rumare, and back which was no short distance. However, being an Argonian, it was nothing. Usually, it would be the afternoon when he was done with his excercises so Nathan would go hang out with his friends after a short lunch at his house. His friends were what kept his spirits up, as life was still very tough. However, it was one night where everything changed.
One evening, Nathan was walking along the docks with his best friend Gunther Fallmore. He was a Redguard, one year older than Nathan was. He had a skinnier figure than the other three, but was very tall. His black hair had a small afro style to it. His blue eyes couldn't be seen because they were blindfolded. Gunther began to reach for the blindfold but Nathan quickly slapped it away.
"Don't even try it." Nathan said with a smile.
"I wasn't! Had an itch in my hair! You wouldn't know what having hair was like spindle head!" Gunther said laughing. Nathan gave him a friendly punch in the side. A couple yards ahead of Nathan and Gunther were two other teenagers who were holding something. One was an Imperial named Sam Draconis. His shaggy hair almost covered his brown eyes completely. Freckles dotted his face. The other was a Dark Elf named Frameni Uveli who had a very buffed frame. His red eyes seemed fixed on Gunther. His long hair swayed in the wind.
Sam and Frameni then lifted what they were holding, which turned out to be a box. Under the box was a small cake that said "18" on the front. After a few moments of standing still, Gunther's three friends yelled loudly.
"Surprise!"
Nathan removed Gunther's blindfold. Gunther saw the cake and grinned.
"No way! Thank you friends!" Gunther said with a big grin on his face. Frameni used his flame magic to light a candle on the cake. Gunther blew out the candle.
"You're going to show me how to do that eventually Fram." Gunther said.
"We will see friend. We will see. Now let us eat." Frameni said.
The friends ate the small cake in a few bites and it was done. The friends threw in a few gold coins to their friend as a gift. It was all they could afford.
"I appreciate this so much friends. I can't accept that. We all need as much money as we can get." Gunther said.
"I think this one time is fine. You two agree?" Nathan asked. Sam and Frameni nodded.
"Well thank you guys. I won't forget this. Especially since?" Gunther trailed off.
"Since what?" Sam asked.
Gunther sat silent for a few moments. His three friends looked at each other. All three were very confused. Then Gunther stood up and told his friends what he had to say.
"Since I'm leaving."

Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. I hope to update frequently! Thanks! -OE

I'll edit in some criticism soon, I just wanted to post now before I forget.


EDIT: Alright, I'll get the important stuff later, right now I have to iron out some of the lore inconsistencies (A really minor and annoying thing, yes, but I love the ES lore, so I must do this) First things first, Argonian children do not look like Argonian advlts. Do you know of the Argonian coming of age Hist-licking ceremony? Although, the age they do this at is not known (At least not by me) so you could say he has already done so, but I would prefer him be older if possible. Also, Imperials rarely refer to themselves as Imperials. They commonly call themselves Cyrods or Cyrodillians, or a plethora of other nicknames, so I would mix those up in the story. You were just saying the word Imperial twelve times a paragraph in that orphanage scene

Spelling and Grammar: Very few errors, I was hard pressed to find them. Nonetheless, speaked is not a word Also, in the same sentence, you missed a Y in the word "they" Also, this "of the finest wine it could come up to." does not make a good deal of sense. It might just be me, but it sounds off. Missed a few commas, but nothing important (For example "I want him Gregory. He’s the son I want.” should have a comma between him and Gregory and perhaps combining the two sentences with another)

Continuing with a bit of grammar, this statement "such as farm, and make" would do better as this "such as farming and making". This sentence is as haphazard as the one above "It was his first weapon, which unfortunately to Nathan, this stick would never strike against an enemy." I'll leave it to you to come up with a replacement. Also, preceded should be proceeded.

"Their back!" Wrong they're And "His parents were a few feet behind them him (or use his name)." Laid should be lay. "Lake Rumare, and back which was no short distance." Either get rid of it or use some punctuation :rolleyes:


Well, enough grammar and lore, on to the interesting things:
The whole grass intro is great, but I think the wording could have been a tad bit better. Ah, I see that the same issue permeates the entire story, I'm afraid. The wording is okay, but it could be better. This is not something corrected just by thinking about it though. I have no advice as to how you can improve your wording but reading and writing more. It has the robotic feel too common amongst us amateur writers (I include myself)

You tell us the past when you could be making us feel it. We don't need to know why they adopted, or how they came to their farm just yet. Leave that for later in the story, the intro needs to be short and gripping. Back-story isn't For example, his past from Bravil could be told through dreams and flashbacks, or simply cryptic thoughts. It makes for a much more entertaining story, trust me.

Let me just take a break to say I liked this statement "Gregory matured past what he thought was proper, and moved to what was right." It reminds me so much of the quote from my signature.

Alright, back into the merciless critiquing "He was unsuccessful after the few tries. After a few more tries, Nathan opened the doors." This could flow much better. It makes sense as it is, but you are just telling us what happened. It is a perfect example of the main problem with your story, which is a lack of description or emotion. In third person narratives, one must have an abundance of one or the other (Both together rarely works well, as it feels jumbled and slow) Once again, just try and keep that in mind when reading books or practicing your writing. I'm sure you'll improve in no time.

Kind of a clumsy time skip, but all the good ones are clich?. Didn't they have insurance Literally using the word mercantile feels a little weird, but there is nothing wrong with it, per se. Your description of him follows the same pattern of telling us flatly and plainly, but that follows the same problem as above. The only schools in Tes are the mages guilds (Telvanni and Psijii as well, I suppose), so mentioning it feels superfluous. Ah, now I see the Imperial City Circle comment, and yes, we were not talking about the Red Ring Road, but the actual Imperial City. In the game it is tiny, but in lore (and writing) it is huge and awesome, and we all prefer it when we see the non-game version.

Also, afro isn't a word in Tes Neither are birthday cakes, but it doesn't really matter. I've never said "No way! Thank you, friends!" myself, but dialogue is a tricky business as well. As with flow, it improves in time. One thing everyone has problems with is that all the characters end up sounding the same. Give each of them quirks, mannerisms, and speech habits to make them interesting and unique. Argonians especially have unique and interesting speech, although this one did grow up with Imperials, so I understand.

Also, magic is a great opportunity to show how creative you are, don't just say "flame magic". The RP guide by Illusionary or the Magic guide by FC4 both address this topic.

Before I finish up, I have to mention how you overuse the word friends. That said, this was probably the largest review I've given in a long while, so I'm sorry for filling up your page with my ramblings. I hope you don't take anything I say the wrong way, I tell you all of this because I want you, like everyone else, to become the best you can be.

That said, thank you for writing and, as always, keep it up :goodjob:

Not bad, not bad. There were a few spelling mistakes, and a couple of things that struck me as odd.

How far away from Skingrad was the farm? Organized bandit attacks are rare, and they would usually loot or pillage, not burn for no good reason. Attacking a city directly is unheard of, so if the farm is close, they wouldn't dare.

Second of All, the Imperial City Circle is not a wee little run. I believe that it would be around 15 to 20 miles in circumference, which doing every day, is crazy. Remember, that Tamriel is about the size of Australia (so I think), which is a lot bigger then they make it feel like in the games.

Also, it was hard to read because of the spacing. Put a little bit of skipped lines or something in there to make it easier to read.

Other then that, it was very interesting. I love Argonians, and can't wait to see what happens.

Edit: I beat Darkom again. >:)
Doh! Omit that last part then, sorry.

Haha thanks. And I'm not talking about the Red Ring Road. NOOOOO I know that would be something rediculous. The trail I'm talking about is the one that's within the Isle. Theres a small trail you can find.

Oh right, how did I forget to critique the plot :facepalm: I'll knock that out right here then, my other post was long enough.

You start out telling us a bit about his childhood which, like I said, could be done much later. Intros need to be exciting so the audience is interested in the rest of the story. Reading about a little Argonian with Imperial parents for two pages is, sadly, not all that interesting. Unfortunately, neither is a birthday party, even when the protagonist's friend is leaving. Sorry, but it just doesn't hook you. I like to see commoners in a story, even when this guy is a tad uber, but they have to be in interesting situations. No offence, but this one... isn't...

Sorry :shrug: I'm sure you've got some good stuff planned, but intro's either need really interesting characters, action, humor, or some cryptic hint that leaves us with a mystery. This has none of those, I'm afraid. I hate to sound so negative, but that's just how it is.

Again though, thanks for writing.


EDIT: No problem, happy to do it. In case you hadn't seen, I edited my above post to include a lengthy criticism of all things from lore to grammar and word choice.

Criticism only improves things so yes. I will try and improve. However, this is just the way the story starts out. Do have good stuff planned. Thanks for the feedback Darkom!

Chapter 2


Nathan's stomach felt as if it had been squeezed by an Orc's hands and had been totally twisted. His best friend, who had helped him keep his spirits together for the last seven years, was leaving him and his other two friends behind. Gunther broke the news on his birthday, no less.

"W-what?" Nathan mumbled.

"Yes, I? I hate to break the news to you three today, but the time was coming. I mean, who would want to stay here forever?" Gunther asked.

Nathan thought about what Gunther said. He had a point for certain. While there were good people living in the Waterfront, life was hard. People worked hard for small amounts of gold, fresh water was hard to come by, and not to mention the guards and higher class citizens. They looked upon Waterfront citizens as scum who needed to be put in their place. In the end, Gunther had a good reason to leave.

"Then where will you go?" Frameni asked.
For a moment, Gunther said nothing. He paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at his friends then returning to his idle state. Then he stopped and looked at the three.

"I don't know where I will go. I'll do freelance work, I'll see the world, start my own business. Anywhere is better than the situation all of us live in here on the Waterfront. You four know this is true." Gunther said, staring at his friends. Nathan, Sam, and Frameni knew deep down it was true, no matter how much they didn't want to believe it.

Later that night, the friends walked back towards their homes. Sam and Frameni branched off from the other two, as they lived in a different part of the Waterfront district. They said their farewells to Nathan and Gunther as they walked in to the night.

Nathan and Gunther proceeded onwards towards Gunther's house which was closer. Gunther proceeded up the stairs towards the door, but he stopped before he could open it. He turned around.

"I don't believe I will be here in the morning Nathan. It saddens me deeply to say this but? this could very well be goodbye." Gunther said.

His face sunk as he said this. Nathan's eyes drooped, and he felt tears slowly come to his eyes. They fell out as he blinked. Gunther approached his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"However, I hope I'm wrong. Perhaps our paths will cross again my friend." Gunther said with a smile.

Nathan replied with a nod. He wiped tears away from his scale filled face, looked up, and met Gunther's eyes with his own. He smiled.

"I'm sure they will." Nathan said. "Wherever your going, be safe my friend. Start a new life, and be happy."
"I will," Gunther said. "And whenever you feel it's your time to leave, go and start anew. Be happy as well. I feel we both have larger callings in life than to stay here forever."

Nathan nodded. He still felt some anger towards his friend for leaving on such a short notice, but that anger quickly began to shrink as they began to part.
"Farewell Nathan. Don't forget what I've told you." Gunther said.

He then turned and entered the house, shutting the door without looking back. Nathan stood alone in the moonlight, pondering on the events that occurred that evening. After a few more moments, Nathan continued to his home. Once he arrived, he approached the door. He slowly entered his home as quiet as he could so he wouldn't wake his parents.
He looked around the room to see his mother in bed but his father nowhere to be found. Gregory was most likely working a night shift on the docks helping load the ships, getting however much gold he could. Nathan dressed in to his nightwear and laid in his bed. That night, Nathan couldn't seem to sleep until it finally came early in the morning.

At first light, with only a few hours of sleep, Nathan awoke to a distant noise outside. He sat up and looked outside his bedside window. Out on the lake, he saw a small boat being paddled towards the south by a Redguard. Gunther Hilcrest had begun his adventure, and had left his friends behind.

Over the next year, few things changed for Nathan Hilcrest and his friends. Life at home never changed as his father never got a better job, and his mother never found a job. The family began to get so poor than Nathan had to get a job as a ship hand with his father in order to keep gold flowing in to his family's home. For Nathan, however, working wasn't as miserable.

While working as a ship hand, Nathan met people who adventured around the country and heard their stories. He heard stories of adventures in all regions on Cyrodiil. The Great Forest, Colovian Highlands, Ayleid Ruins, the stories went on. It made Nathan think of the life he could make by going on some of the expeditions these adventurers had been on.
Occasionally while on break Nathan would sit on the dock's edge and look out in to the horizon. Nathan's mind seemed stuck on the idea of exploration. It was so stuck, that he seemed to bring it up in almost all of his conversations with his parents and his friends. His friends would occasionally get annoyed by Nathan's ambitions away from the Waterfront.

His parent's felt differently about the idea. To Nathan's surprise, they were intrigued.

"I don't see why you couldn't do it son. Your strong, in your youth still, and you've been trained in combat by Old Leo next door. I don't see why not. It's your life, and your father and I know you don't want to stay here forever." Kara said to her son one night as they sat at the dinner table.

"I agree with your mother. Also, everyone has a calling in their life. Maybe seeing the world itself is your calling. One thing is certain. With the way you work at the docks, chances are that is not your calling." Gregory said. Nathan chuckled a bit at his father's statement. Nathan knew he was not the best ship hand Cyrodiil had to offer. In fact, he was probably one of the worst. However it didn't matter, because the money helped his family.

"Can you take on the finances without my help anymore?" Nathan asked his father.

"I'll work extra to get more in," his father replied. "If I have to work eighteen hours a day, so be it. I'll keep myself and your mother in this house just fine, don't you worry."

To Nathan, those words started a mental clock until the day he would leave. In a way, he had gotten approval from his parents which he had not expected to come easily. Nathan then told his parents he would leave in two weeks from that night, and that he would work extra to give his family some sort of a financial cushion for a few weeks after his departure.

Those two weeks could not have gone slower for Nathan as he worked longer and harder than he ever had. His will to help his family and the thought of exploring were the two things that kept him going during his final two weeks living at the Waterfront. Nathan didn't do much outside of work. His other activities outside of work were composed of eating, sleeping, and going out with Sam and Frameni.

Sam and Frameni took the news of Nathan leaving extra hard. They were afraid of being left alone, and that Nathan would do the same thing as Gunther. In the year since Gunther had left, he had not sent one letter to any of his friends or his family. He had not paid one visit to the Waterfront. It reminded of the last time Nathan saw his old friend. The image of Gunther in his boat paddling south to the Red Ring Road came to his mind.

"I won't do the same thing he did," Nathan said sternly. "I will send letters, and visit as much as I can. I promise you, this will not be the last time you see me. Not even close."

Then, the day finally came. It was a clear dawn, with a few clouds in the sky. Birds began to chirp as the sun began to slowly rise over the Valus mountains. The docks were silent, and not a soul was in sight.

Nathan Hilcrest stepped out of the door and on to the gravel ground the lay around the shacks. He took a deep breath and awaited his parents, as they had a gift for Nathan to take. Kara came out of the house, and hugged her son. Tears seemed to fall endlessly out of her eyes, along with sobs. As she held Nathan, Gregory came out of the house with a large chest in his hands. He lowered to drop it on the ground. Gregory let go of the chest, and it hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Open it. What's inside is yours Nathan."

Nathan obeyed his father and opened the chest. Inside lay a steel longsword, a sheath, and some old leather armor. There were greaves, gauntlets, a curiass, and a pair of boots. Last was a tattered plain green cloak.
"Father, where did you get this? This, this is too much!" Nathan exclaimed.

"These are the only items I kept from the night the bandits burned our home." Gregory said. Nathan's eyes opened wide. His father had returned to Shardrock farm and he never told him. Only his mother.

"About a year ago, I returned home. It was under you and your mother's nose, I know but I just wanted to see what was left and to see if my chest with all of our savings of gold was still there, which of course wasn't save about a hundred pieces. Everything else, the bandits had either looted or burned. While I was finishing my search, I found this in the basemant. It was my father's old armor and sword. They haven't been touched in years, and I'm sure are in fine condition still. I want to pass them on to you, as I'm sure you will need them son."

Gregory then began to cry silently. Nathan walked over to his father and hugged him tightly.

"Your such a good son. And to think I almost told your mother no at the Orphanage. What a fool I was. You're the best son anyone could ever ask for, and you're going to do well out there. I know it." Gregory said as tears flowed down his cheek on to Nathan's shoulder.

"I love you father. You were never a fool. I would never ask for a better father than you. You've done a great job." Nathan said.

"I love you too Nathan."

Nathan put on his newly acquired armor. After getting the armor on he attached the cloak to the curiass, pushing the hood on over his head to finish. Then after applying a belt, he attached the sheath to it. Finally, Nathan slid his sword in to the hilt.

Kara and Gregory stepped back at their adopted son who had completely grown up. They thought they were looking at a knight or warrior, yet it was only their son who had reached advlthood. His cloak swung from side to side in the occasional breeze. His arms were placed at his hips giving him a bulky, intimidating figure.

"I'll get us back to the way we used to be. After standing here for eight years watching my parents struggle in this lifestyle, I'll stand for it no more. As soon as I make a name for myself, I'll come back for you two. I'll get us back to where we were. I promise you, you will see. I love you both, and farewell."
Nathan then turned and walked away to the path that led in to the city. He wanted to give one last look to his family, but if he did, it might give him doubts of leaving. So he continued on towards the bridge to the mainland off the City Isle. Nathan Hilcrest never looked back.