Felix the Catacomb Raider

My brother disappeared several months ago. He had always been restless… a glory seeker, obsessed with the past and the treasure it could hold. Truth be told, it represented his failure as a Cynwall elf. No one thought it as a worthy occupation.
It was almost a relief when he finally left our existance; I could focus on my calling, which is much more proper. I am a Heliast. My role is to know the truth and understand the perfection of Solaris magic. This is an important task among my people, and so it has been for generations. Those who dedicate themselves to the task are expected to for their entire lives. It had only made my brother’s disinterest in his vocation in our society feel even more of a betrayal.
It was only hours after his disappearance that I realised I had underestimated how important blood was to my mind. As I tried to concentrate, to call the essence of the Solaris to me, it slid away like a shadow under a closed door, taking with it any promise of further insight with it. Fighting against this only brought further frustration and a growing headache. That door stayed locked and bolted. All my mind brought to attention was my brother – his face, his laugh, his uncanny way of getting under my skin – and the feeling of loss, growing cold in the depths of my stomach.
I am not slow in the mind, and it only took me the days and nights it did to realise my conclusion because of denial. I had to find my brother. This was what I needed to do.
Since then, I have travelled down many roads in following the unseen trail left by my sibling. Along the way I was only met with disappointment, with only the most vague of clues that were the morsels my hunger for closure needed to continue on. On their own, they give me little to no context about my brother’s fate, but altogether… they led me to the Free City.
They say all roads lead there, eventually. It seems I have now proven this saying myself.
“Hey, you!… do not pretend you did not hear me, elf! I know you can hear me!”
A rough voice pulls me out of my own contemplation. It is one of my weaknesses – lapsing into thought passes the time, allows introspection. At the moment, my surroundings are of one of the inns in the Free City. I do not need to say more on why I was lost in my own thoughts rather than enjoying the scenery.
“I know what you’re looking for.”
This sentence gets my attention. Instinctively I look at my staff nearby – a length of dark wood, honed and shone. It is the only possession of note I have risked to take with me. Like any of the Solaris, my staff is a splinter of my own heart.
I decide this is not the time to jump to conclusions. Settling back in my chair, I look at the man as he approaches – he sits at my table, fists held like heavy hams on the surface in front of him. He is sat opposite but it does not save me from the stench of garlic and stale beer. Both seemed common things to feast upon in the Free City, at least among the common people. As his icy-blue eyes met mine, I admit my first thought was that he looked like a murderer. I forced myself to relax.
“Your brother.” He continued. “Do not lie, I know the truth already. I can give you the information you need.”
The stranger then smiled, the gaping hole in his mouth filled with teeth showing no sign of friendliness. “But only proper currency speaks truely here, elf. Like… that stone.”
The only stone he could be speaking of is the one mounted on my staff – a heaven ruby, glinting its blood red even in the dim light of the tavern.
“I am not paying for empty promises.” I answered too quickly, but it is true – I know of no one who would desecrate their staff.
The man grunts in response, finally muttering his reply. “Reasonable… it is, indeed it is. Then I will tell you that I saw your brother here myself, at this very table. Looked just like you.”
Leaning back on his chair, the man seemed to draw out the moment with satisfaction, wheezing out an exhale of thought before continuing.
“He needed a guide, and found one – me. I took him to where he wanted… but to tell the truth, elf, he did not seem right in the head. He would consult with himself, but would end up arguing and turning to a language that even I haven’t heard of. Keep in mind that I’ve heard probably all the languages of the continent, and most dialects by this time. I’ll be honest, elf, I think he had lost his mind, or even worse – sold his soul to the Dark.”
Rage had begun to fill me throughout his confession, pulsing through my body. Before I had even thought it, my arm had shot out and grabbed my staff, whirling it through the air to have it pointed just under his chin. The ruby began to glow brighter.
“You lie.” Despite my anger, my voice remained calm. It was my actions that spoke for me.
“You don’t believe me.” The man did not seem surprised, only frustrated, his words coming from between clenched teeth as his eyes flickered between me and the stone. “Well. Go to the Behemoth Mountains by yourself, and look for your precious brother. Do not say you were not warned.”