In Memoriam - An Unus Annus Fanfiction

01.04 - 04/01 - Where in the world is Unus Annus?

After Rouges fight, the tournament ended for the day. He walked over to them, shaking his head. »Don't ask me what that just was. It felt like punching a pillow and a brick wall simultaneously.«
   »Well you won, right?« Annus tried to cheer him up.
»I'd rather have won fair and square. But something is fishy about this whole ordeal. Look.« He opened his hand, revealing a dirty piece of paper with an address scribbled on it. »It leads to one of the taverns in this town. He told me I should meet him there, and 'bring my friends' because 'he has some answers.'«
   »You think he was talking about us?«
»Definitely.«
  »I don't trust this. What if it's a trap?« Annus theorized. »Something's weird about that guy.«
»I think it'll be fine.« Unus took the paper from Rouge and looked at it. »That's just a few streets from here, right? I think we passed it earlier. It's on the main street, so I don't think it's gonna be dangerous.«
Rouge shrugged. »If you think there won't be any danger, lead the way.«

He stayed close to Annus as the man in the black suit walked into the evening streets. »Your friend sure likes taking risks.«
   »It's weird. He's not usually like that.«
»What is he like normally?«
   »Cautious. He's got a plan, and if he doesn't, he makes one on the spot. Usually I'm the one diving headfirst into unnecessary risks.«
»You two have been through a lot, hm?«
   »Yeah. I guess we have.«

The tavern was well illuminated and looked expensive, even from the outside. Golden light was illuminating the windows and the pavement in front of them. A small bell signalled the opening of the door, and they were greeted by a man in tidy clothing. »Your friend is already waiting for you,« he said. »Follow along.«
The trip shared a confused glance and followed the waiter. Rouge seemed to be especially impressed. The man he fought sat by a table decked with all sorts of food, from chicken over various vegetables to the whole leg of a pig. It smelled like heaven.
   »Who are you?« Rouge wondered as he sat down. »No normal man could possibly pay for all of this? Are you royalty, by chance?«
The colorful man barked a short laugh. »Perhaps that is a way to put it. My name is Sir Francis of the Filth, but my friends call me Joji. Go on, help yourself. It's a pleasure to meet you.« He turned to Unus and Annus. »That goes especially for the two of you.«

The two man sat down. »You know about us?« Unus asked.
  »Of course. I'm a bard, you know? And the tale of two mysterious outworlders trying to find their way back home makes for a good song or two.«
Rouge nearly choked on his drink. »So that's why I couldn't hit you!« He yelled.
   »A simple protection spell,« the man laughed. »Which is why I decided to forfeit. I only wanted to meet with you in the first place.«
»And why would that be?«
    Sir Francis opened up the bag on the floor next to his chair and pulled a rolled up parchment out of it. »You are searching for Atlantis, right? Well, in that case everyone will tell you it is a myth.« He put a few plates aside and rolled out the map. »Except that it is not. I should know. After all, I've been there.«
Rogue sat his jug down so quickly it nearly spilled over. »You've been to Atlantis?«
  »Indeed, my friend. But it is not a place one finds on a map. There is only one way to get to it.« His finger trailed over the paper. »Somewhere around here lies a hidden city. It is a city of pure gold, and it's inhabitants are the children of Atlantis. They guard the entrance.«
   »What do you mean, 'somewhere around here?« Annus asked, leaning over to look at the map.
   »It is guarded by a powerful cloaking spell. Invisible to everyone except the person possessing this map. I will give it to you.«
   »In return for what?« Rouge asked, trying not to sound as if he was basically vibrating with anticipation.
The man lowered his voice. »A darkness appeared in this world the day you arrived. Make sure it isn't here anymore when you go.«

Unus took a deep breath. »We promise.«