The Visitor - Chapter 1 Its Domain

Darkness treads along the land, driven by maleficent gusts of piercing wind. Rivers begin drawing back, afraid of the rolling black clouds that replaced the once-white sky. In a flash of light, striking from the heavens onto the ground below lightning struck in pairs of three and four, and in its final smite, it birthed an unwelcome visitor. Being washed ashore upon Ichemounds domain, a man clinging to life had been given a new purpose.

A cloud blocked the sun's rays for a split second. With his low glimmer of consciousness, this brief moment of gray provided him with a moment of tranquility, enough for his mind to grasp what lay in front of him. His first introduction to the foreign land was that of a young woman kneeling.

He rolled around in the sand. Shards of broken shells and bramble stuck to his back and stabbed his side puncturing his pruney skin until a tingle started on his arm, quickly traveling upwards, and began to shake. The right side of his face locked up and before he knew it, he fell unconscious once again.

Blurry images of violent waves crashing against his body flashed before him like the slides of a projector. Stopping the moment he washed ashore Ichemounds domain. An unfamiliar sight lay before him, a hazy image obstructed by the clouds, a perspective only a bird could see, interrupted by the terrible feeling of dread.

Only then did he fully awake.

His eyes snapped open, and his body was covered in sweat. He was bound from his legs and arms darting his head as far as it could go. Only small things like a table and lamps could be seen. As he tried to remove his bonds, he began to panic and yell, "Help me!." Gryce screamed, pulling at his reins once again, the rope rubbing against his wrist. "Help me!′

Rushing inside the room, two men and a woman barged in, holding him back down onto the bed. "Elizabeth, give him the injection now!." Shane shouted.

"Right!." Rolling up his sleeve, she injected a small amount into his veins, and quickly, he settled down.

"God almighty, how many times does this make it, four? Five?" Shane sneered, pulling out a chair and placing it next to the bed.

"Six times." Elizabeth panted."This is the sixth time he's woken up like this. I didn't give him much this time, so he should still be awake." Gryce was significantly larger than she was, even with his scrawny exterior, there was power in his bones.

Gryce grunted and attempted to turn on his side but with the ropes tighter than before he stayed in place. "Let me out." He said groggily.

After a short moment of consideration, Shane gave in "Cut him some slack, if he does anything, we'll just tighten the ropes again."

"If you say so..." Loosening the ropes around his arms and legs, she quickly moved away behind where Shane sat.

"This is the best I can do right now, Gryce. Time for introductions."

"How do you know my name..." He muttered.

He pulls out his wallet and tosses it on his chest. "Took the leisure of taking your ID. Won't be needing it anymore, not while you're here."

"Yeah... sure, take whatever you want. I don't care." He felt unnaturally calm like he should've been afraid, but he couldn't muster the energy to express it. Just as long as they provided him with something to eat, he could withstand whatever came after.

"How about we debrief? My name is Shane, the one behind me is Elizabeth and the quiet one is Kato."

"Where am I?."

"Ashtons Venue, a town on the farthest end of the island, farthest from Ichemound." He announced as if it was something to be proud of and Gryce was supposed to recognize it. Elizabeth gave him a look that said somewhere along the lines of, "He doesn't know what that is." His neck was shot with a hot pink and turned his head away from her.

"Oh yeah, that's right." His energy fell down a cliff and Elizabeth took charge.

"Don't mind him, we're not used to Visitors arriving so... late. Typically you were supposed to- or someone was supposed to come two weeks ago, you're a little late. Which is fine! But it complicates things." Her words meant nothing to him compared to the allure the full glass of water had on him.

Noticing where his attention lay she handed him the cup and without hesitation, he snatched the glass, finishing it in one gulp.

"Thank you, I was so thirsty I couldn't focus."

"It's fine, the keepers should be here soon to fix you up we can discuss things fully when you're done" Keepers

After a short while, a pair walked inside, carrying towels, and clippers, along their waists inside what looked like a makeshift fanny pack. "What's going on?."

"Calm down, we're just gonna clean you up a bit," Elizabeth said.

"You don't mind, do you?" Gryce reluctantly shook his head. It's not like he had a choice in the matter, that much was true.

Shane struck up and clapped his hands.

"Good, we have a lot to do, so make it snappy, ladies."

"Right!"

The three of them left the room leaving Gryce and what he assumed to be two housekeepers with him. One was older, and the other couldn't have been more than nineteen four years older than Gryce. They both looked similar, grandma and granddaughter most likely. The pair wore a white and green gown with sleeves rolled up to the middle of their forearm. Along with some sort of symbol tattooed on their neck. Bat? Hummingbird?... Butterfly? He couldn't objectively figure out what it looked like.

They greeted him with a smile as they escorted him out of his bed throwing his arms around their necks and carried him over to the bathroom, setting him on a wooden stool in the middle of the bathroom.

"I've heard your name is Gryce, is that correct?." the older lady asked, setting a towel over his legs. He nodded his head.

"Well, Gryce, you're going to be prepared for a very! Important event. You have to look your best." She planted her hand on the girl's head and said with pride, "This is my granddaughter, Marie, she'll be doing your hair, my name is Rebbeca, I'll be washing you." She reached into her satchel and brought out a silicon scrub, while Marie grabbed a pair of scissors and looked at Gryce through the mirror.

"You want all this off or what?." Marie blurted, catching him off guard.

"My hair or my beard?"

"Yeah." What the hell is that supposed to mean?

"Do whatever you want with my hair, but leave some of the beard. Took me a while to grow this out."

"Yeah, I can tell..." I guess I'm being judged. Chick's looking at me like I'm a beast. Gryce looked at himself and cracked a smile. Well... maybe she's right.

"Just cut off the beard, I'll start fresh." Marie grinned, and after thirty minutes, they were done.

"I think I've outdone myself this time, haven't I?" Marie puffed her chin up, admiring her work in the mirror. Gryce touched his chin and ran his fingers through his hair.

"It's been... a while since I've seen myself like this." It was shorter now, but she kept some of the length. Compared to how he looked before, Gryce seemed to have shed twenty years off his age.

"Do you like it?." Marie asked gleefully.

"Yeah... yeah, I do."

Unable to amend any words, he held his leg and squeezed. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Has it been a long time since you've seen your face?." Rebecca asked, putting her hand on his back.

"No... just reminded me of someone." He dried his tears, and after a brief silence, he received his clothes, and Rebecca and Marie left the room.

Being the first time in a while being left alone, he wasn't sure how to process much of anything that had happened. His last memories before waking up were... far and few between. He recalled a wave, clouds, and an earth-shattering strike. Everything he remembered was audible, and that was all. Not even what he felt in those moments remained.

After putting on his clothes, he sat on the bed. A black jacket and pants. Gryce noted that if he was supposed to meet someone important, this didn't scream professional attire. If anything, he remembered times when he would wear outfits exactly like this. On a good day, that is, he would be lucky if he even had underwear for the next day back home.

"What am I being prepared for, though?"

Maybe I should've asked that question a while ago. The old la- I mean Rebecca made it seem like a big deal. Since I haven't met him yet, Shane must just be the leader here, or maybe he isn't. That's the feeling I get from him anyway. But, if someone is in charge of this whole island, then it must not be that large.

His train of thought was broken from the crashing of the door against the wall, Shane stormed inside with Elizabeth close beside him. Both of them stopped in their tracks when their eyes met Gryce. They didn't say anything about his appearance, but the visible shock on their face made it clear to him that they weren't expecting him to be so young.

"Sorry...about giving you only small details since you've gotten here. We have a routine when it comes to these types of situations, so I hope you can continue to cooperate until everything is done." Elizabeth said her tone, softer than before.

" No, it's fine, I'll continue to cooperate."

"Good then, come with us, and we'll show you around. After that, we can answer any questions you have!." She opened the door, her hand motioning to come forward.

"You need help getting up?." Shane asked, holding out his hand.

Gryce shook his head, and quickly, he jolted up, holding onto the backboard of the bed frame, almost stumbling back down. "I may look frail, but when I was younger, I used to be able to run miles without stopping. At my peak, I used to run at least 35 km/hr, now..." Gryce looked down at his legs and stared blankly at the pathetic sight. They were shaking vigorously, and he could hardly discern any sensation running through them. He bit his tongue, and in a sorrowful display, he took one step, and an immediate pain shot up his leg like needles, puncturing his skin.

"If you can..." Tightening his grip on the footboard, he straightened himself out, his eyes twitching. "A walking cane would make this faster, a long stick... would even be fine if you have any lying around."

To Gryce, this display was normal. While the memories of his youth were by all means close and fresh. His actions and mannerisms screamed of an older man, not befitting of someone barely scraping past his twenties. Their face, their visible representation of the pity they felt towards him was something both Shane and Elizabeth could hardly mask. Putting on a smile while inside, Gryce knew either they were looking down on him or, this was a rare form of pity that didn't belittle his struggle. He preferred the latter.

After a short while, Elizabeth came with a cleanly polished wooden cane with a silver hook at the end. It glistened in the few strands of sunlight that barged in with her entrance. It was truly well made.

"Here you can have this." She said, making sure Gryce had a firm grasp on the handle. It was cold, so cold it took a few seconds for the warmth in his hand to stop the beads of cold metal from sticking to his palm.

There was a shift in the air.

"So this is the Visitor." Everyone in the room darted their head towards the entrance. A man dressed in a finely suited black blazer trudged inside, bringing with him the foul miasma of death.

The left side of his face was covered by a white mask with only a small slit for his eye to see through. Black veins extruded from every corner, almost like the web of a spider. They connected, and only small unaffected pieces of skin remained. His only bright appearance was his white hair.

"W-What are you doing here!?" Shane snarled, grabbing Elizabeth by her arm and throwing her behind him.

"What else? I'm here to see him." He turned his attention towards Gryce. " Solomon wishes to see him when three months is over, and I've come here to decide if he's worthy enough."

"You were supposed to wait!."

"I don't take orders from you commoner. From where I stand, the Visitor holds more worth in the hierarchy than you ever could. Now stand... down." Shane's fist relaxed, and he dipped his head down as he trod past him.

Unlike the rest of them, Gryce remained fairly calm. Sure, his appearance was strange, but he had no reason to treat him any other way at this point. Besides, what good would it be if he made this man angry? He was sure he wouldn't stand a chance if he was ever confronted by anyone. Already being given a do-over, he couldn't take the chance of ending it so soon.

"And you are?." Gryce asked.

"Jim Beckman, herald of Solomon Grimmer." He held out his hand, and with his loose arm, Gryce shook his hand. " I understand you have yet to have a tour of the town. Allow me to join you."

"Are you unfamiliar with this town as well?."

"No, but it has been a long time since my last visit." He looked at the cane and tilted his head, then turned his attention toward Elizabeth. "You, girl," Jim announced.

"Yes...?."

"Assist the man while we take a brief tour of the town."

"But-." Shane lightly tapped her on her side, saying to just go with it." She reluctantly agrees.

"I'm fine, I've used a cane before." Gryce stumbled forward, being stopped as Jim planted his hand on his shoulder.

"Nonsense." Jim motioned for Elizabeth to come over. "One thing you'll learn about Toblitche is that we treat our visitors with the utmost respect. I'll personally make sure first impressions go well." Shane led the way ahead.

Placing the cane against the footboard, Gryce moved his arm around her neck, and with a tight grip, she held his side. As he put pressure on his leg, he stopped.

"The pain's gone?." Gryce murmured.

"What is it?." She whispered, leaning closer.

"Huh-oh, nothing! Let's just go."

With Shane leading ahead, they stepped outside. Gryce covered his eyes, squinting as he slowly became adjusted to the light. With one final push, his eyes fully opened, and now the full town was in full sight.

Just as he assumed the houses seemed old but not in the way that he had thought. As far as he could see, the houses were made from the same Gray wood the cane had been made of. Some hinder on the darker side compared to others, along with a cobblestone path connecting them all.

The people who strolled past them all varied in different shades of white, and as far as he could tell, that was the only skin color around. One thing unique about some of the people was a scattered bunch with white hair. They weren't albino, not that he thought at least. His high school education could only take him so far in terms of differentiating between the pigments of skin, but what he did know was that they had pink eyes. These people didn't.

Their white hair glistened in the sun's embrace. Their being practically urged you to look at them, and even though their numbers were small, they shined brighter than everyone else. Sticking out as people who urged respect. No demanded respect. 

What he did find odd about them, forgetting about their white hair and exterior, was the fact that compared to everyone else they wore clothes more suitable for summer weather, short sleeves, tank tops, shorts, skirts, basically anything you'd stay away from when freezing wind was a common occurrence. He kept it in mind and moved on.

Carriages drawn by horses filled the main part of the road, along with children following closely behind yelling and screaming, tugging at the loose wheat that hung over the carriage. Parents came and scooped up the kids, and once the first carriage was out of sight, the cycle continued once the next came around.

Gryce took note of the lack of kids sharing the white hair as the adults. Perhaps it was dye, though he doubted it being the case.

As they passed what looked like a chapel, Gryce looked above as a strange shadow covered his path.

"That looks familiar."

"What does" Elizabeth looks up immediately she frowns. "Oh, that..."

He could tell the subject bothered her. Considering that dropping the matter only lasted for a second before his interest once again took over him.

"Is it something bad?."

"No, no, no, nothing like that!."

"That's not very convincing."

"No, it's just... asking something like that is forbidden. You'd better ask Jim, not me." Mighty casual way to address someone considering moments ago they were seconds away from groveling. Gryce already thought the interaction was weird, but he wasn't sure if he should tread lightly or treat him like any other person.

"If you say so, but I'd rather not talk to him if I have the option to.

"He's not so bad. Just... has his way of doing things."

"Didn't seem that way to me." There was a not-so-subtle bitterness in his voice. His irritated expression didn't help hide the fact that Jim's first impression of him left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Probably the only one on the island the town can rely on. Just treat him the way you would anyone else, and you'll get on his good side, I promise."

"Yeah, well tell that to your dad. It doesn't seem like he's open to giving the guy a chance."

"My dad?." Elizabeth asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah, Shane, I thought that was your dad."

"No, no, no, no, not my dad. Just my boss." From the way Shane treated her, he was sure they had some type of father-daughter relationship. Even if they weren't related, that didn't mean that the relationship was impossible to attain.

"But, he took care of you, didn't he? You don't look that much older than me. I assume he's been taking care of you for a while. If my dad was still alive, I think he'd look like the big man up ahead. Just without the y'know scruffiness."

"How'd you know he took care of me?."

"Come on, it's obvious. I'm surprised he's even letting you help me right now. If I were a dad, I wouldn't want someone like me around someone I cared about. But... that's probably because of Jim, isn't it? Don't think there was an option there, right?

"No... I guess there wasn't." Sensing that he might have overstepped his boundaries, he quickly glazed over the subject and called out to Jim.

"Excuse me, Mr.Beckman, I have a question." He turned around, and immediately, they all stopped.

"What the hell are you doing!" Elizabeth whispered so loudly that it could barely be considered one.

"Calm down. I'm just curious about the chap-

"Finally." Jim interrupted, "I've been waiting for you to ask. It's about the church, isn't it?."

"How did you know?"

"What else would you be asking about? It's a lovely town sure but there is nothing notable about it in any way. Besides this, of course." He felt Shane's annoyance from behind him when he spoke.

He walks back towards the chapel, his hands wrapped behind him. Stopping an inch away from the shadow, Jim turns around and looks back towards them.

"This here is the church of Ichemound, and what you see above is the Eye of Rendition." Ichemound? Eye of Rendition? I've never heard of any of that before. Must be something that only exists here.

His enthusiasm ended there. Jim's face became much more stern, reminiscent to how it felt when he first entered the room, and as if only Gryce existed in the world, his eyes only encompassed him.

What do you see when you look in the eye, Gryce Harlington?."

"When I look into the eye?."

"Everyone has a different answer. Under normal circumstances, it's supposed to be kept secret. But Visitors are required to tell." Elizabeth whipped her head around towards Shane. He shrugged in response.

There was an intensity in the air as Jim awaited his response. His vision became nearsighted, and only the figure of the man remained as everything else turned white.

Now, in a much more stern tone, he repeated.

"What did you see when you looked inside the eye?"

"I-I." His teeth began chattering, and a creeping cold swept down his back. What's happening? Why can't I move my body? Gryce bit his lip, a pain forming in his chest, but as he attempted to look down, his body wouldn't allow it. Stuck looking at Jim Beckman, he finally responded, but the words he intended to say changed.

"-I saw a fish, a shadow, and a fist." At the moment he spoke, instinct took over. A part of him was sure if he said truthfully what he had seen, something terrible would have happened.

Immediately, it was gone, and he returned to normal. He hunched down, his arm moving from Elizabeth's shoulder, clasping his knee.

"Are you okay?." Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah... yeah I think I'm fine." He panted in slow repetitions until finally, he was able to stand up straight. Wiping a string of drool from his chin. A slight smirk formed on the man's face.

"Take care of yourself tonight, Gryce Harlington, I hope to see you soon." Just like that, he was gone. Ploding into the woods ahead, he disappeared into the tree line disappearing soon after.

"Is that... a good sign?." Elizabeth questioned, looking back towards Shane.

"It is to me. Means I don't have to deal with him anymore. Fucker wasn't even supposed to come here anyways." He ran his hands through his hair and let out a hefty sigh.

"Don't know what that means for him though." They turn their attention towards Gryce who to all appearances seemed fine.

"How about we end the tour here! I'm sure you're hungry right, right?" She looked around, noticing a large number of people had stopped to look at them. A mix between people with white hair and those without. Upon closer inspection, they were only looking at Gryce.

"A feast! How about we have a feast, everyone? In honor of the arrival of the new visitor! Elizabeth shouted, scattering for a way to break the awful silence that began.

"What the hell are you doing?! We're two weeks away from winter, we can't be using food like this." Shane leaned closer into Elizabeth's ear, speaking in an erratic tone.

"Well, what else was I supposed to do? They're already riled up because of "him" referring to Jim. "let it slide just this once, this is the only way we'll be able to have him here for the time being."

He looked up towards the crowd that had gathered and at once followed through with her plan. "Right, everyone!." Shane said, gathering their attention. "In four hours gather your families and we'll have a banquet in Gryce's honor. Those of you that have any questions feel free to ask him there!." He tapped on his shoulder, gaining his attention.

"Are you okay with that kid?"

" I'm fine with it. As long as I have time to get something to eat and drink you can do whatever you want with me." As long as he's not there, he thought back to Jim Beckman although he attempted to suppress the memory no matter what he did the man was always somehow front and center. His image burned into his mind.

"Then it's settled." He looked back towards the crowd and clapped his hands. "You have four hours to gather around the town square. In the meantime, gather gifts for the visitor, things to get him acquainted with the town, and make him feel special. Remember, first impressions matter!." It didn't take long for the crowd to dissipate, going along with their business, and before long the feast began.

On the long dining table, sat an array of differently molded wooden plates and dinnerware all brandishing the same gray color. A line of candles spanning from one end of the table to the other lit the room with a dazzling orange. Along with the gleaming torch above shining whatever crevices that still dwelled in shadow.

The stings of a rancid miasma dwelled outside the chamber. In the form of violent gusts of wind, it pressed against the gray wood enclosure spreading its hands, digging its nails into the plank wood. All to get its hands on him.

There was food set in front of him that Gryce had never seen before. So much so, that it felt overwhelming with the continuing entrance of a brand-new scent. Salmon, Perch, plates of Mackerel served with a red sauce that made his nose run, and a vibrant green parsley drizzle. An enormous grilled tuna lay in the center, a group of people coming every second to take their share of its delight and to his happiness an array of perfectly cooked meat and mounds upon mounds of bread. Heaven was in the form of cooked meat slabbed between two pieces of fresh bread which he so gleefully savored.

Gryce sat in the middle of the table, in between two unfamiliar faces. One was a young woman brandishing silver white hair and the other was more attuned to what he was used to, a man with short black hair.

He looked above stopping mid-chew, the foundation of the roof creaking ever so often, the sound of it bleeding through the voices inside.

"Is that going to be okay?." He murmured, wiping his face.

"You're unfamiliar with the wood aren't you?." The man right of him spoke with a smirk running across his face.

"Is there something special about it?."

"Yes, yes, That wood is the entire reason we're still alive I presume." As he shifted his arm the slight showings of the same tattoo Rebecca and Marie became clear, "Grau Wood is the essence of what keeps us alive when night arrives. When it comes to elements, there's nothing else on the island that can beat it." Well, that explains why all the houses are made out of it.

"Something that valuable would be pretty rare, no?."

"No, no, no Grau wood is a fleeting example that disregards the beliefs of the ones outside the Eye of Rendition. Ichemound has blessed us with a virtually unlimited amount, isn't that wondrous? Doesn't that show how much it loves us?."

"And why do you believe that?." The silver-haired woman pried in, her arms crossed, clearly agitated.

"What makes your opinion more viable than my own Rùm? Last I heard we're the same in our allegiance."

"A Visitor should have no say in the matter!." Rùm proclaimed, her voice heightening. Dammit, If I knew there was bad blood between the two of them I wouldn't have sat here. Okay, okay, don't get involved just continue eating and maybe it'll die down-

"Come on, come on, let's just get along for the time being right? Rùm was it?." He couldn't resist himself. She turned her head and they locked eyes, instantly he felt his heart skip a beat... She's beautiful, he thought, briefly forgetting anything he was going to say after.

"Hm, yes what is it?." He felt a rush of heat go up to his neck.

"Uhhhh...Oh yeah! What makes this... gentleman here a Visitor? I was under the presumption that it was the way I came here that gave me the title." Gryce said.

She snapped her fingers and pointed at Gryce. "Precisely!." He scratched his head and looked over to the man. Already he continued to eat his dinner but Gryce could tell that her self-confidence had irked him.

"You see, the name Visitor derives from the first of humanity that came here without white hair. My appearance shows whom I ascend from and his appearance, the one who just foolishly attempted to sway you to his faith in front of a true believer is proof of his true allegiance. Which I'm afraid does not hold value on Toblitche." She planted her elbow on the table and rested her hand on her cheek. Her attention was not on Gryce but on the man beside him, and so were her words.

"Right Visitor?." She said, smirking.

"You bitch!." The man yelled, his fist crashing into the table, standing erect. Gryce pulled out, almost falling out of his chair as he backed away. The chair scraped against the gray wooden planks a sharp scratch echoing throughout the venue.

"Don't speak about things you were not even born to see Rùm! It was my people that prevented your kind from dying long ago because of it. Don't you forget that?"

"I'll never forget what they have done for us. But the people of that generation are long since gone. Perhaps for good reasons as well. If they saw what you just tried to pull on this man they'd think the work they did was in vain. First impressions matter right? Next time make sure you try a different approach." The man darted his head around the room. Whatever conversation they were having before was gone, now replaced by unsavory words in his direction. He heard all of them. Before long he had rushed out of the building and everybody's attention was focused elsewhere, virtually forgetting what had occurred just seconds ago.

Gryce deduced this interaction wasn't uncommon. Not in the sense that the two of them never bickered, he didn't doubt that. The two of them seemed to know each other, for better or for worse but that wasn't what he meant. The people with white hair and the ones without it had history, one that strung longer with strings of blood attached to it. From what he could see, at some point in time, the people with white hair had lost. In this town at least they were outnumbered completely. Most likely at the hands of people she called Visitors. Being one of them, he was afraid of what was coming next.

He sat back down, pulling his chair back into the table. Rùm positioned herself facing him, immediately inquiring for more, greeting him with a smile. He looked across from him, noticing one more person still looking in his direction. It was Shane. Once they looked eyes he pulled his hand up giving him a thumbs up, Gryce responded with his own. He had hoped the interaction would last longer than that.

"Uhhhh." Gryce rubbed the back of his head hoping she'd make the first attempt. Yet, after a few seconds of an awful silence, he spoke. "I'm sorry...that I instigated some trouble there." He admitted bowing his head in forgiveness.

"Oh, don't pay any mind to that. It was bound to happen the moment I sat here."

"Then why did you sit here then?." He pulled his head up and straightened himself out.

"To prevent something like that from happening of course. As..." She closed her eyes letting out a hefty sigh. "-Annoying! As it is to say, I lost my temper. Disregarding what I said earlier, I have no quarrel with Visitors. Not your kind at least." Thank god! Gryce's heart was alleviated for the time being.

"Phew, I thought I had something else to worry about here."

"Don't get too comfortable. Among my people, I might be your only friend. They have their reasons and they mean well, but a Visitor is a Visitor, and these days the name has a new meaning to it."

Gryce gave her a blank stare, taken aback. "What other meaning has it taken?."

Again she smiled, but this time the image, her figure reminded him of Jim. The same sensation he had when he asked what he saw in the eye. The same white background that encompassed the man being. The same unbridled urge to run.

"Visitors, don't stay long do they? At one point in time, they'll leave. First impressions matter, it's best to make sure no one feels indifferent about you. Or else at some point, you'll find yourself back at sea. Gryce Harlington."The moment ended, and immediately he grabbed his chest, completely out of breath.

"What the hell did you do to me!." He said somehow finding the energy to speak.

"Just a trick my people play to get what they want out of people. I wanted to see if it would work on you but..." She faced forward taking a sip of her drink. "Somehow you're immune to it."

"You could have just asked me something dammit. All you people have been saying to leave a good first impression but not one of you is any good in my book."

"Understanding what's in store for you is my job. If I can't do something as little as that then how could I be your friend?." She talked with such self-assuredness it felt wrong for him to even question her. Not a word of hers had any semblance of doubt or of being coy. It came from the heart and somehow knowing this made it worse for him.

"Your definition of friend is all backward lady. Where I'm from we don't use such rash things on people we just met. Not the good one at least."

"Then what am I then?" She asked, still smiling.

"I don't know. But- I want to learn more about you people. If you want to be my friend, that's as good as you're going to get."

"Then I'll be on my best behavior from now on. As amends, I'll grant you a hint of knowledge to the question that's been in your head since you've arrived." Gryce shot a bewildered stare and she immediately took notice.

"Where exactly you are of course. No questions you have can be answered until then. This is your hint, remember it clearly: Everything connects to the Island. Everything connects to Ichemound. Everything is seen by the Eye of Rendition. What you see is what begets your future. It becomes what you truly desire. Such is the name of Toblitche. The Island of Desire."

"Yeah thanks, I understood completely what you meant by all that." So much for a hint. Chick is acting like I'm supposed to make a breakthrough with that.

"You will soon enough." She said,

"Rather, know now than later."

"Don't be impatient. You'll have plenty of time to understand where you are. Unless you intend to try and find a way out of this Island."

Gryce snickered, taking a sip of his drink and softly placing it back down. "That's the last thing I want to do." He sighed, wearing a forced smile. "Before I arrived the only thing I wanted was a second chance. No matter what happens after today I'm still happy I was able to have that opportunity."

" Where were you when you were brought here?"

Gryce stopped, his eyes widening. The sound of waves, echoing through his head, its loud strikes, its crushing power driving him deeper into its grasp. The memory only being broken when Rùm placed her hand on his shoulder. Immediately he came back.

"Huh, What?." whipping his head towards her.

"What happened to you? Rùm pressed, the tone of her voice shifting to a motherly embrace.

"I don't know, I- don't remember where I was. I don't... I don't want to talk about this anymore." The subject was soon dropped.

With the conversation between the two of them coming to an abrupt end, Rùm said her quick goodbyes, and soon after Shane and Elizabeth made their way to him. Gryce, still visibly shaken up, greeted them with a slight nod.

"What am I here for Shane?" He stayed silent, Elizabeth tapped him on the shoulder giving him a look as if to say "Tell him." he sighed, pulling out the chair next to him.

"All over the island, there's people like you. People that come from the other side I mean. And... Before you can be granted citizenship or whatever they call it where you live you need to see Solomon Grimmer." Great, another new name.

"Is he this important person I'm supposed to meet?." Shane nodded.

"But, this is where problems start. You arrived at a bad time. Toblitche has periods where the sun doesn't come out for three months. Today was the last bit of sunlight."

"What does that mean for me then?."

"It means as long as things go well, you'll be staying here for longer than what's customary for Visitors. That in itself is... troublesome. Shane looked around at the few people that were still inside." you'll be unregistered. There are people on the Island who might take advantage of that fact. Some people in this town even."

"Jesus Christ." Gryce placed his hands on his face, his heart beginning to race.

"But it's okay! As long as I'm here they can't touch you. They can't do a single thing to you."

"And me," Elizabeth said, "all this was for everyone to get comfortable with you. If no one came that means they don't need to. You made a fine first impression."

"Fine dammit, fine. I'll rely on you." Gryce stood up and held out his hand toward Shane. "I want to start over. If trusting you people is the only way to do this, then I'll give you my life." Shane took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Gryce, let me give you a bit of advice. You only live once, don't take this opportunity for granted. Live here, make friends, and build a family, the island is yours to live now just as ours. I don't know what your life was outside of this, we'll never ask if you do not want us to. But..." He looked him sternly in the eye, tightening his grip. "As far as I'm concerned if you ever need to tell someone, if it's ever hard to move away from it, to forget it, to change. You come to me. That's the rule of this town. Remember it, something tells me you'll need it in the coming days."

Elizabeth placed her hand on Gryce's shoulder and smiled. "The same goes for me."

It was like a jolt of warmth coursed through his body. A lightness he hadn't felt in years. Upon their words, he felt his first glimpse of faith. Maybe he could place his trust in them yet, he questioned their intentions. It didn't feel genuine.

Elizabeth led him to a small house. It was on the border of where the tree line began and the last building built along it. The same path Jim Beckman had taken some hours ago.

The path ahead was dark, only sparse lights shined their path, along with any dim radiance from candles outside some houses' windows. Just as the houses, the cobbled road seemed impervious to the snow. As he dragged his foot along its surface, snow slid off like a hockey puck being flung further into its venue.

Beads of freezing wind pierced his skin, like needles against his already frail body. Elizabeth, who seemed to not be immune to the elements, held the door open and almost immediately as he stepped inside the cold was beaten.

"Make yourself home." She said closing the door.

"This is where you live?." Gryce asked.

"Yup, this is my humble abode. Might not seem like much but it's away from the church soooo." She pressed her fingers together, fingers splayed out.

"Are you supposed to be telling me this?."

"Nope."

"Yeah, I thought so." He took his jacket off and placed it on the coat rack that was next to the door. Elizabeth did the same.

"Come on, let's be buddies, buddy." She nudged her elbow on his side, he wasn't amused. "I'm technically the closest person you know here after all."

"What do you mean by that?."

"Nothing, nothing at all." her cheeks turned bright pink, "How about we get our bedding situation settled for the time being." Gryce shrugged, having no reason to probe further.

She rummaged inside her closet, bringing out a white sleeping bag. He was surprised to see something so modern in a place like this. Especially something that hit so close to home.

"You sleep there, and I sleep on the bed, how's that sound?."

"Isn't it customary for guests to sleep on the bed?."

"Come on, we're friends right and this is my house. And as far as I'm concerned you're just another one of the town's men. Which means."

"Which means?."

"You sleep in the bag," A sound argument, he could hardly surmise a better one.

"You know you're a lot more chattery than I took you for." Gryce took on a crooked smile, I see now. "Embarrassed to show this side of you to your pops aren't you?."

"My pops?- oh I--."

Gryce pressed his fingers on his chin and nodded. "I understand, I understand. Who'd blame you for being embarrassed."

"He's not my dad!." She shouted.

"My apologies, I shouldn't have talked out of line. A father-daughter relationship is a sacred one indeed."

"Just shut up and go to bed, I liked you better when you were quiet." While he turned around she draped over a white nightgown, letting her black hair loose which at the ends was the color white.

"Don't have to tell me twice." He turned around just in time to see the slight glimpse of white highlights as she turned on her side. I won't ask. Not my business. He was sure she didn't want him to anyway.

"What's your opinion of the Scheen?." Gryce asked, setting himself inside the sleeping bag. She didn't respond. "I talked to a woman named Rùm, you know her?."

"Of course I do." She said, "Towns, not that large, I know everyone's name."

"Then what do you think about her?."

"What's there to say?."

"I don't know. I'm just curious."

She sighed. "I don't trust her and you shouldn't either. They're just like the rest of us, they lie, they steal, even though they never admit to it, it happens."

"But I was talking about R-

"They're all the same!." She shouted, the sound of the bed creaking from what he assumed was her fist hitting the mattress. The deafening silence that ensued after only being broken as Elizabeth said sternly, "Don't get involved with the church."

"I know," Gryce said.

"I'm serious."

"I know."