18 Mysterious Stranger

We continued to run for about 5 mins before we came to a clearing in the forest. In front of us was an expansive plain. The sun was at the peak of the sky so it was about mid-day. Despite Agartha's larger size it still had a 24 hour day like earth. The sun on earth rises in the east and sets in the west similarly, the sun on Agartha also rises in the east and sets in the west. Since we had been traveling north-east the sun had been been mostly on our right side, but now it was directly overhead.

To the west of where we emerged from the forest we could see the shore of Lake Lyenas. It is a fresh water lake whose tributary comes from highlands to the west. The tributary brings clear glacier water down from the highlands into Lake Lyenas. The slow moving water from the tributary, the general lack of storms in this part of Agartha, as well as the mountains to the west and east that block high winds causes the water in Lake Lyenas to be particularly clear. Lake Lyenas also has a river that flows southeast through the forest leading out into a sea referred to as the King's Sea. Water from Lake Lyenas was one of the few sources of drinkable water for a long distance.

There is no doubt that one of the reasons Alexander Morrow established his settlement here is due to Lake Lyenas. Lake Lyenas provides the settlement with clear fresh water which needs little processing for consumption and a means for future transportation channels out to King's sea. The open plains provides a clear line of sight for any enemy attacks and plenty of farmland. The nearby forest has numerous amounts of game for the villagers to hunt and beast the villagers can attempt to domesticate.

Some beasts in Agartha can be domesticated others are not so easy. People with connections to the government can get this information ahead of time giving them an edge on establishing settlements. As a government officials son, Alexander Morrow knew of some beasts that could be domesticated and had a few of the villagers begin domesticating them.

Also the high rising glacier mountains to the west and the low woodland mountains to the east actually separate a portion of the continent we are on. This means to go from north to south you must either go through the mountains, around them, or pass through the plain in the middle which is the very plain Black Lion Village is located in. Alexander Morrow had established his settlement in a location that would make it a massive trade hub in the future. Overall the location of the Black Lion Village is excellent, not to mention there is an origin stone within the village.

Since it was about midday I was starting to get hungry, after eating nothing but plants and nuts for almost a week, G'eth don't eat meat, I was dying to eat some fresh meat. Hunting on the plains was laborious and we didn't have any bows or mounts so it would be even more difficult. I looked at Lake Lyenas and decided it's time for some fishing.

We headed over to the shore, which was a short walk from our location. Valerian immediately stretched out his vines into the near lake water and spread out his arms. He really reminded me of a tree now. He must be loving this sunshine and fresh water.

I reached into my knapsack pulling out a long tough twine. I had got this when we got supplies in the G'eth village. You can never imagine just how many uses there are for twine in the wilderness. It is an essential item for any adventurer.

I looked at Valerian, "Can you make me a tough long stick?"

"Sure," He responded.

A meter long stick grew from the side of his arm then fell off. I picked it up, this'll work. I whittled a hole at the end to run the twine through. Then I tied the twine to the top and fashioned the other end to a fishhook I had the forger in the G'eth village make for me. Next I just needed bait. I went into the shallow part of the lake, a few small fish were swimming around that looked similar to minnows on earth but had a bright green color. Forming my hand like a scoop I managed to hit the water in a way that sent one of the small fish flying on to shore. This was a trick one of my old team members taught me in my past life. I hooked the small fish onto the hook, making sure to keep it alive so it would lure other fish better.

When I was ready I pulled back with the rod then spun to get the line into the air and gently jerked forward. The trick was to get the line far enough out there without sending it so hard the line comes taut and snaps back. I had plenty of practice from my past life so I managed a pretty good cast.

After about two hours and repeating the process numerous time I managed to catch about three fish. Since Valerian didn't need any I prepared a fire and was ready to roast them, my mouth salivating at the thought. I had gathered a few herbs and spices while at the G'eth village and couldn't wait for the fish to be ready.

I ran a stick through the center of the fish and slowly roasted them over the fire, then I lightly seasoned them. The smell of the herbs mixed with the oil of the fish heating up created an intense aroma that was simply irresistible. I pulled all three off the fire, I jabbed two into the sand so that the stick was buried with the fish untouched at the top. The other one I held on to waiting for it to cool down so I could eat it. Before long it was cool enough to eat and I tore into like a ravenous wolf. The fish practically melted off the bones.

"Mmmm."

It had been so long since I had a delicious meal like this. Even on earth the meals were rationed by the government and all the food was processed and bland. This was fresh and bursting with flavor. I savored every bite. Just as I was about to tear into the second one I heard a voice behind me.

"Youngster, could you spare a fish for this old man."

I nearly leaped out of my skin, I spun around as quick as I could, I used shifting sands to quickly move backwards and retrieved both my daggers, entering a battle stance. Valerian too quickly retracted his vines getting into a battle stance, his right arm forming a spear. It takes long to describe but happened in a moment.

In front of me was a seemingly very old man. He had a long scraggly white beard and long white hair flowing down from underneath a large brimmed hat. A tattered brown robe was draped around his frame. His wrinkled hands where wrapped around a cane that seemed to prop him up.

How on earth did he get behind me without me noticing? The old man seemed suspicious, however, he had no domineering presence and not even a hint of killing intent. If he had I would have sensed it.

"Oh? A young human and a G'eth, fast friends? How intriguing!" He chuckled. "How about you sit and give me a fish, in exchange I will tell you a story." He raised an eyebrow at me.

I had to admit I was still very wary of him, no normal old man could get that close without me sensing them. Then again I had the feeling if he wanted me dead I'd have never known who ended my life.

I relaxed putting my daggers away. I gestured to Valerian to calm down.

"No problem, I have two left anyway. Have a seat."

I sat next to the fire. The smile of the old man and the glint in his eye didn't escape my eyes as he took a seat.