The rain had finally stopped, but now there was damage to the roads and some of the crops. Luckily, we had crop stores in place inside the hills but it wasn't good for morale overall. I left the warmth of my home to survey the damage. Two of the planks on some of the other buildings which we used for walking had broken. There were some houses with water damage to their floor. Looking up the hill, I saw the upper parts of the city looking down on us, an omen and a half but also a constant reminder. Brushing the hair from my face, I got to work with some of the other residents.

The one good thing about the rain is that it would bring with it certain herbs and substances which I could use, but it wasn't all too good for most other things. Helping an old man move some rocks that had been swept down, I heard a familiar voice and saw a man riding towards the slums on a horse. A foolish errand, but it did make some of the children laugh. He stepped down, waving to me before walking to talk with the self-proclaimed head of the slums. Even the title meant nothing, but people needed someone to look to for explanations. He was a knight, dishonored, but still held in affection by his house. A smile broke on the man's face as the visitor left him. He shuffled off his cloak and put it in his riding sack, moving his horse to a safe location. After about two or so minutes, he caught up to me and took the stone from my hands.

"Good morning," he said quietly as though he only wanted me to hear.

"You're still here, I see," I said quietly, reaching for another rock to lift down to the waterports.

"That I am, you said I shouldn't go until I have my affairs in order, so I didn't."

I nearly dropped the rock on my foot, but he quickly knocked me with his leg to snap me back to reality. He did believe my vision. It wasn't just an off chance. I turned to look at him, accusation flooding my thoughts as I tried to gauge anything, even a single bit of information, from his face. Still, those crow feet on the corners of his eyes betrayed a genuine smile, and I couldn't help but feel guilty for my conclusions.

"I'm assuming you're not used to people taking you seriously, I understand," he said as he hefted the stone towards the waterport. His size and strength made easy work of about two or three stones but now there was nothing left to do. I looked over the stones we had gathered before looking up at the resident.

"Maybe a raised bed, try to avoid it from being too low?"

"A raised bed, you say," pondered the old man as he rubbed his chin. He finally settled and moved to get supplies to break up the stones. The waterport had its own beauty in the early morning. The sun would rise and show the mist that gathered over the top of it. It felt cold on the worst days, however, but it was still something to behold.

"I made a deal with your mayor, got him some good grain and blankets."

"How'd you pull that off?"

"Got some contacts, but I think I should get some toys for the kids as well."

"You are very kind, but where will you get the money?"

"You seem to think I'm without it," he chuckled quietly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. There was something uncomfortable about it, but the warmth he exuded was undeniable. He was probably twenty years my senior. From here, I smelled the musk he exuded, the feeling of warmth that could only really come from a father.

"You were riding a horse, may I ask where you are boarded?"

"In an inn at the mid-quarter, you should come over some time."

"I'm not exactly liked there, or in the town in general," I responded. I felt his arm slack around me, his hand tightening on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. I looked up at him.

"Cursed, huh?"

I nodded quietly, shuffling from his arm and moving across to go back into the town. I heard him shuffle after me, moving to look at me face to face:

"I don't care that you're cursed. Quite honestly, nothing like that matters. If I need to sneak you up there to get a warm meal, then I will." 

"You fret too much, sir."

"Adrien, my name is Adrien."

"You fret too much, Adrien," I corrected, looking up at him. His hands were gripping my shoulder tightly. 

"You're the only seer that gave me a reading that made sense," he responded, "a lot of people will try to gain some access into politics for the sake of their position..." he trailed off, trying to find a word that was just out of reach.

"Luxian, my name is Luxian," I said and his eyes warmed again, those crow feet deepening and the dimples that he had scarcely showing through his beard.

"Luxian, a beautiful name... Light?"

"Supposedly."

"Well, Luxian, you seem to be the only person I can believe without a string attached to it, and that is a hard thing to find these days, if at all."

His hands loosened their hold and they fell at his side. He let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair. The old resident was coming back with his tools and he looked at the tension between us, before deciding to tap Adrien with his chisel.

"Would you like to help in splitting the stones, lad?"

He nodded, looking down at me and smiling before moving away. I had only begun to realize the implications of this entire - this entire affair. He believed me. He appears to be rich. The vision speaks of court politics. There is an issue with visions and that is, when the things begin to fall into place, it feels like a brick hitting you across the head.

What only complicated it more was that the smile he gave me warmed me, much to my own dread.