Illarion.org

Time and again he felt drawn back to that place he could never go. There was no focus, no drive, to accomplish the very things he's already set into motion. He had to go back to where it all began, and finish what he started.

It was a dark, cold evening. He sat in the apothecary looking at his research blankly. The face of his father imprinted in his mind. He had to die.. by his own hand and it was high time he got off his ass to do it. Sighing Ulquiorra set to gathering his things for a long trip...

*Raphael crawls from his hole behind the bookshelf and meanders over to the man packing his things* Where are we going?

Looking blankly at the man, pondering. Lawlett could be helpful to him and perhaps he could even find out more about the strange mage.

"I'm heading to a monastery near Salkamar to keep a few promises." Ulquiorra says simply packing away a selection of potions. "First I'll need to get some gems to Juumajin then we will leave."

They'd been at sea for some time, they had sufficient provisions for their journey and so far it seemed nobody had discovered who he was. Hopefully he could keep it that way, any excursions during this trip would most likely prove to set them back. He had one objective and he needed to stay clear on it.

Today seemed to be quite clear sailing, the captain was damned loud bellowing his orders and the crew were as vulgar as any could expect a group of sailor's to be. All was in order, but still Ulquiorra was vigilant. Lawlett seemed to enjoy gambling and he quickly picked up on the crew's vulgarity, he remained as he always is despite his pale complexion and weakness from the blood he was drawing from him everyday. When they got back he hoped he could resume what he had started..

They had about three more days of sailing until they reached port, it seemed that fate had been smiling on them so far. Afterall they were just travelers going by sea to their homelands.

One evening while Lawlett sat gambling with the crew, a scarred veteran of many sea battles made his way to sit by Ulquiorra, eyeing him with a certain intensity that Ulquiorra didn't expect. The man was leather clad with a single, slightly larger than average scimitar sheathed in a sling across his back. "I'm curious 'bout ye lad, wha' ye headed for in tha mainland?" The scarred warrior seemed unperturbed as to Ulquiorra's own scarred and slightly skeletal visage. Lifting a brow Ulquiorra responds "To see some family in our homelands." Simply said.. The scarred warrior shakes his head with a slight grin "nay lad, yer off te something important I cans tell arr.. Maybe ye'll need another blade at yer side hmm? suitable payment and I'll cut down wimen and children if ye ask nicely." The warrior grins showing a few rotting teeth. He was certainly lacking in manpower, and so what this warrior offered was quite convenient. "I see, your captain not paying enough? Or perhaps looking for a change of scenery?" Ulquiorra asks and the warrior lightens up smiling slightly "Aye! This damned ship is getting old a wee bit too quick, so little time on solid ground, an not enough wimen fer my likin'. Also we haven't had any pirates tryin te jump on our ship fer quite some time, tha' Admiral blah blah be doin a good job'o keepin these waters pretty clear. So aye, change of scenery be tha' right wordin' fer it." Nodding looking briefly back to Lawlett who appears to be singing merrily with a group of drunken crew members, he turns back to the grinning warrior. "Verywell, We'll be traveling a good many miles once we reach port. We could use your blade however I promise nothing in the way of an interesting time. I expect no trouble til we reach our destination." The warrior nods "An wha' sactly ye be plannin te do once ye get there? an where sactly ye be goin?" "The monastery of Elders, I need to meet someone there." The warrior eyed him knowingly "Off te do a job eh? Well I'm certainly flattered te come along. It'll be 50 gold fer tha trip there." Ulquiorra shakes his head "35 gold, food and lodgings covered, take it or leave me be." The warrior mutters but nods, "Fine then once we git te port me sword's yer's..."

Finally landfall, certainly a welcome relief to the constant rocking of the ship. The port seemed to be bustling with trade. Fish of all kinds, weapons, ship parts, jewels, you name it the merchants had it. Lawlett went off by himself looking at the odd wares of this new foreign land and the scarred warrior even with pockets full of coin stayed close to Ulquiorra. He found the warrior often looking at him oddly, as if sizing him up. He didn't think this man would last long, it would be wise to watch himself around him he still had no inkling as to the sellsword's goals.

Finding the short chaotic mage fussing over a turquoise dragon's egg, Ulquiorra sighs. "Hey boss lets get it!, he won't let me buy it for a gold, so you'll just have to buy it for me" smileing brightly "Just think, we could raise him to decimate cities with fire heh, yes... lots of fire." Shaking his head and dragging the protesting mage away. Stopping somewhere to eat Lawlett slips away "to use the restroom" after about a half hour Ulquiorra heads back to the same merchant stall, only to find the guards roughly gripping up a protesting Lawlett. "Ahh there's the boss haha! I was only trying to examine it for him before he decided to purchase it of course!" The guards look to Ulquiorra questioningly. One of them approach him speaking in an over authoritative tone, "Is this lad under your employ? He was trying to steal a dragon egg from this merchant here.. if you don't give me a good reason for all of this then I'll take you to be hanged wit the rest of the ruffians." Looking at the guard blankly, " I've no interest in fake dragon eggs.." leaning in close to the guard speaking low so only he could hear, "The man there, he's a poor man, a halfwit you see. I'm taking him home to see his family before he passes from a disease of the brain. It's a sad thing really however I must do my duty to the family." Looking intensely at Ulquiorra the guard responds, "I'll let it pass.. but if this occurs again I'll have you both on the gallows, we don't take kindly to thieves." Nodding respectfully to the guard and taking a muttering Lawlett, they leave the port to begin their travels.

They'd been traveling for about a week before they even neared the monastery. It was when they set up camp that the scarred mercenary showed his true colors, binding ulquiorra quickly as he woke and hitting him hard on the head. Bearing his rotten grin "Ahh yer gunna fetch me a fine price, everyone in Salkamar be lookin fer yer pretty face, though it don't seems as pretty anymore." Forcing him up Ulquiorra said nothing, looking aside for Lawlett and not seeing him he sighed.

It seemed the warrior was taking him the rest of the way to the monastery...

Once they neared the monastery Ulquiorra felt that familiar push like a strong gale, preventing him from entering his homelands. The warrior tried pulling him and snarling and striking him, ye all Ulquiorra could do was laugh at him. Then the warrior unsheathed his scimitar with a dark glare, "I don't know yer game-" Continued laughing as the skinny mage sprints out of nearby bushes with a raised battle staff of Ulquiorra's shouting one word "SHILLELAGH!" and clubbing the mercenary in the back of the knee and then continuously afterward. Even the the veteran mercenary couldn't withstand the surprise blows over and over, Lawlett gave him no breathing room, just a simple death by clubbing.

Once the deed was done the mage turned to Ulquiorra as he tries to stifle a chuckle. "That's payment for getting me out of trouble back in port, but you'll have to get out of your own binds Cus' I'm exausted..." He plops down onto the grass eyeing Ulquiorra. Muttering and sitting on the grass as well, Ulquiorra works on his bindings.

"So.. here's the plan, You'll go in and ask for the elder Armund, tell him you have his son, and if he wants to see me alive he must bring 100 gold and means of transportation to take me to Salkamar." Lawlett nods "Ya know boss, I gotta ask, did you come all the way out here to kill this guy then leave again?" Ulquiorra responds with a blank look. "Fair enough, I'll be back with your religious idiot in tow." He meanders freely to the monastery.

Later that day they left with two horses and gold to travel back with.

Surprisingly they had got back to port with no more problems, the journey had been too easy. And as they set onto a ship to travel back Ulquiorra noticed a billow a smoke and a large commotion in the marketplace, then Lawlett leans in close muttering "hmm.. a fire. I wonder which merchant is so unfortunate" looking over and seeing nothing but a contented grin on the mage's face, he shakes his head and they set sail for Sevenhills once again.