It had been months since he had left Eyota Etu, after leaving the many prisoners he had saved from the hanging areas that only saw death it was true after all this walking the dirt covered gladiator could barely remember the day of the week it was let alone the month but burnt onto his eyelids everytime he closed his eyes at night Vis saw every mistake made by himself which at times led to a long sleepless night. A quick hack of his sword finally revealed a small clearing with a stream slowly bubbling away alive with the sound of fish breaching the surface and birds taking flight from the sudden sound of the unknown figure breaching their small secluded paradise and the sunlight breaching the canopy was enough to make the man squint not use to seeing the light after being so deep in the jungle for such a long time.

By the time Viserys had set up camp the light had lowered enough to not beat down upon the grizzled man's face allowing him to start threading a makeshift rope around his hands as a crackled voice escaped his lips "One round the thumb, two round the finger until the last reaches the end" creating a strong enough knot and done plenty of times resulting in a makeshift fish catcher which he lowered into the water seeing the reflection of an unknown face staring back at him a beard filled with dirt and long enough to grip in his hand, eyes tired from lack of sleep and the endless darkness even a tan that could easily pass as dirt from trekking across the desert, "What would you think of me now? Would you even recognise your father under all this?" the young face taunted his memories the pointed ears happily twitching when touched or the way she tilted her head while smiling so much it was like her face was a beacon, his face contoured like the happy images hurt him and even resulted in Vis pulling out a half-filled canteen of wine to drink a few mouth fulls to settle his mind before going back to staring at his fish trap.

Night had come to forest, the stars just bright enough to pierce through the pieces of open canopy as the first fish finally got caught inside its coffin allowing the man to break a broken smile with cracked lips pulling the large eel onto the grass and rather brutally using a rock to end its life quickly heaving the beast of the river onto a stick and above the fire sizzling from the heat, most adventurers would be wary of such a luxury bandits easily track smoke or light from such things had find their payments that way but this deep in the almost endless rainforests smoke was barely unoticeable in the trees at night, light from the flicker flames blocked by hundreds of trees the last time Vis had even seen another being was weeks ago where he went to town to sell tusks and antlers just enough to refill his canteen before heading back into the trees, never repairing his tattered clothes or only having the blacksmith change the blade of his sword never allowing him to touch the hilt even now after months of not having to fight another being or beast he sat sword between his legs sharpening with a stone resembling the material used in whetstone each slide of the blade creating a small amounts of sparks before pouring water from the river down on it gently speaking an elven lullaby to himself that seemed more habit than choice. By the time the sword was sharpened he cut the eel and prepared to eat not praying for any deity like most families or soldiers do because if he did would they smite him for knowing the things he's done or the things he couldn't stop.

Humidity clung to him like a second skin, making the rub of his clothing especially unpleasant despite the lack of sun in the sky. His jacket had already been removed, now tied around his waist by the sleeves, but the thin shirt and vest were still sticking to him from all the moisture in the air. Normally he would have removed all of his top layers, but the insects here so loved to bite and suck at peoples’ skin. Even though he was safe to their venom and disease, he still didn’t go completely without side effects. It was the same reason he had kept such heavy and high boots: nothing can bite your leg if said ankle is covered by thick leather.

That being said, he was ready to be done and get home. As much as he disliked many of the bugs here, one in particular was the very reason he’d come: honeycomb from the rare bees that made the rainforest their home. They were enormous in size, and the honey produced by them was second to none in Canelux. While it would have been easy to buy some from a merchant, or trade some great thing, he liked the idea of retrieving it for himself. It got him out of the temple too, and lately that was a hard task in of itself.

For years it had been normal for him to come and go from home, but now? After the return of his former life’s memories? The world was as fresh to him as a newborn. So many centuries had been spent on his home world, that by comparison it was as if he’d only spent a week or two in Revaliir. The people he knew, those he’d made enemies of as well as allies, all of them expected him as he had once been before he had remembered everything. He could never be that man again, and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to be anymore.

The rift between his wife had been the hardest: she was all but a stranger to him now, and he knew he had to seem just as foreign to her. Their children had been even harder…Over a millennium of not only having no children, but thinking he never could have, only to seemingly wake to an entire family full of them. It tightened his chest just thinking about it, and the white tattoo like markings on his tanned skin began to glow brighter in the night.

He sighed, letting them do what they would for now, they were still leagues better than the black brands that had been put on him in his home world. Those, thankfully, would never be put on him again, not here, not with him having the knowledge he had. He halted for a moment, nose lifting to the air as the rich and pungent scent of cooking eel wafted to his nostrils. So, it seemed someone else was also in this thick rainforest tonight. Were they an outsider like he was, or one of the natives? Just to be safe, he walked softly, his footsteps nigh undetectable.

The flicker of flame danced in the night a few yards ahead of him, barely able to be seen through the coarse vines and other such foliage that made up Laeto. One person, alone, they had to be an outsider. He hoped they were properly prepared, and even though he told himself to walk the other way and leave them be, he found his feet taking him towards them. He spoke quietly to announce his presence, so as not to shock them, when he was only a few feet away, “Good evening, do you mind if I approach your fire?”

The sudden soft voice roused him from his thoughts, somehow someone managed to sneak up on the grizzled gladiator with his trained ears never even hearing the rustle of leaves or a snap of the twig but even with this disadvantage the rasping of steel echoed through the small plains as he drew the blade from its tattered sheath, the glare cold as the steel he wielded as he scanned the stranger slowly his eyes not lingering on a single item as Viserys spoke slowly "I thought it would be safe enough for a fire due to how deep in the trees I was" spinning the blade in a wide arc sheathing it before rubbing his temple with his fingers before waving a hand to the makeshift campsite "Come, you might as well enjoy some Eel and the fire while theres still time".

Sitting at the fire across from this wanderer made him curious, from what he heard from the few villagers or traders that spoke to him this rainforest was a dangerous place, and that was fact Vis connected with he couldn't count the times being forced to suck the venom out from his wounds or waving a flaming slab of wood at a pack of Jungle wolves who were hungry for a meal and yet this man who had stunk up on him with such ease didn't wear heavy armour for fending off bandits or even looked like he spent months learning the land which made the question that slipped from his lips shock even him "What are you?" sure he looked human enough but the gladiator had know people to try to survive in the dense leaves to still have skeletons out there lost in time "Count it as paranoia but us humans are selfish people, Angry people and wouldnt simply come up to someone's fire for food also that brings me to my next question, Why are you out here?".

The migraine was bad enough, he had it down to always being wound up ready to draw his weapon at a seconds notice but secretly even Vis knew that his mind was fucked up dreams of endless people he's killed all the beasts that hung in the shadows that were no match for his sword clung to every crevice of his memories and the medicine for such a thing was very simple, opening the hide canteen and shaking the crimson liquid into his throat burning it slightly as his mind settled with a warmth. with a sigh, he glanced over at the man throwing the canteen to him "Its expensive wine so it should suit you guessing from how you're dressed"

He chuckled softly to his words and moved to sit across from him at the fire, “Hardly any place is safe these days,” he said with only slight bitterness. Still his smile stayed and he visibly perked up when he smelled the eel, not that he would partake of any, but the saltiness of its sea smell wafted to his nose; tickling it with nostalgia.

“I can’t tell if you’re coming from a fight or preparing for one.” With how the man was handling his blade, as well as his dirty attire and skin, it really was a puzzle. As he listened to him speak, he noticed him rubbing his temple every so often, and his eyes zeroed in. There was inflammation, but he couldn’t tell from what. Were it dehydration then the wine he smelled wasn’t the smartest choice, and if it were from malnourishment, well, he’d need more than eel.

A smile slowly spread across his lips, and the crystalline emerald of his eyes glinted brighter when he asked what he was, “I’m a man, same as you.” Which technically wasn’t a lie. “As for why I’m out here,” he said, running a hand through his hair and allowing some tension to release from his muscles, “Believe it or not I’m in search of honeycomb. My children love it over toast, and I thought they might enjoy some from the rare bees that live here.”

He caught the canteen and moved it up to his lips, taking a swift swallow before recapping it and fiddling with the neck. Before his memories had returned he hadn’t been much for alcohol since it took so much to affect him, but recently he’d found himself turned to it more. Thankfully it wasn’t so easy for him to become intoxicated, but the fact that he was urged more towards it than he was before, troubled him. Which is why he tossed the canteen back, dipping his head once in thanks for sharing it with him to begin with, “Oddly enough I’m more of a tea man myself, but that is some very good stuff you’ve got. Brave of you to carry it around with you so freely in a place known for danger.”

His eyes narrowed on him in thought, “You keep rubbing your temple like that. Why? Have you been harmed?” About now is when he would have offered to heal him, but the other’s air of presence told him not to. This stranger reminded him of a cornered animal, or at least one that had been poked and prodded for too long. “What name should I call you?” he asked, eyebrows raised.