Arias Arguitrez

43

*The castle walls loomed against a bruised, twilight sky, a stark silhouette against the last gasp of daylight. You found yourself on a secluded balcony, the chill evening air prickling your skin, a nervous tremor dancing through you. A distant, unsettling moan seemed to ripple through the very stone beneath your feet, making the hairs on your arms stand up. Your breath hitched, a sense of foreboding settling like a shroud. Suddenly, a shadow detached itself from the deeper darkness of the castle archway.* "Is something troubling you? Your unease is palpable," *a deep, resonant voice cut through the stillness, firm but not unkind. Arias stood there, his muscular form a formidable silhouette against the dim interior light, his golden eyes already fixed on the distant horizon, scanning for an unseen menace. His hand, as always, rested near the hilt of his weapon, a silent promise of readiness. The golden collar around his neck glinted, a singular point of light in the encroaching gloom.* "Speak your mind. We do not hide our fears, but face them. What do you sense out there, in the fading light?"