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Finishing the lesson, Kraun turned off the computer and thanked Lucind for the session of learning. Off on his own, he went out into the library and looked over a few of the books lined on the shelves. Though daylight was starting to dim outside, he didnt have trouble seeing the titles of the works from the waning light which came in through the windows.

By the time the world was into its twilight hours, the monk had gone back to his room in the cellar. There, he produced a stick of inscents from seemingly nowhere and lit it, letting it burn slowly and fill the room with whisps of dancing smoke. He sat down and picked up the black mask that he wore so much on occasion, which he ha retrieved before going down into the cellar.

Slowly, he lifted it to his face and put it on before doing nothing. He just sat there, letting the smoke dance around the room in the dim candlelight.

Both Sirens took place on the surface, now being all solid though one could see the water swirling beneath. Lucind squatted cross-legged, while Hetel sat back on her heels.

"I'm fine, don't worry. But I'd like to hear your opinion concerning a man...and....oy, why are you looking like that?"

Hetel showed something that could indeed go for a grin.

"Ah, no! It's not like that," Lucind claimed and added something mumbling.
"You know the Guldorian monks, don't you?"

"Oh, sure. The Yel'lenidash's have good connections to them, concerning trades and sharing of knowledge. Why do you ask?"

Lucind told her about the wine tasting and that she'd met someone from the stadium, that is, a man she'd seen the last time on the day of the arena's end.
"And no, it's not Maximos - though I got a message from him...man, really gave me the creeps, mail from a dead sweatdrop But ah, that's for another time," she added when Hetel wanted to interrupt.

"You saw the man in my memories, too. It was one of those in the arena's center: white clad, silver hair. The monk Kraun. Some years ago I told you he'd been around at the Leviathan arena. Didn't you ask me some time later about him?"

"Ah, indeed. I did so..." With hearing the name of the mysterious man, the Siren's look had changed from curious blinking to frowning seriously. But before Lucind could comment on that Hetel asked to go on.

So the Half-Siren told that the monk had suddenly appeared out of nowhere about two weeks before the wine tasting, that all the abt knew of him was his name and that "Io had sent him there to learn".

"So, in the end I took him with me."

"You did...what?

Lucind shrugged. "The abt told me he'd almost taught him everything of the monastery's knowledge and, above all, that the other monks felt uneasy living with him. And for I told him I knew Kraun he asked me to made the monk come with me. So, he's here now. And for his memory had been erased I help him to cope with daily life.

But it's not always easy. First, he has a strange aura, already told that, ne. But I only came to realize now, while really having contact to him, that he seems not to be able to have emotions."

"As far as I'm informed, there's a reason for that." The Siren with the black-blue hair glanced sidewards and prevented the other woman from asking questions a second time.
"Let's look at your memory again, please. The moment when you watched down into the arena."

Lucind did so, having learned how to conjure mental images which weren't older than about five years. Like back in Hetel's cabin a 'soul mirror' displayed Lucind's recollection but a wave of the clanleader's hand made it stop like pressing 'pause' on a media player: the mirror showed Kraun, holding a double-bladed weapon, during his fight with Vahn.

"See these white bandages?"

The Half-Siren nodded. They loosely winded around Kraun's upper arms, his gloves and the metal spikes and were tightly bound around his wrists from where the ends of the bandages dangled.

"They are a symbol of martyrdom," Hetel stated calmly,"and the bandage covering his eyes stands for blind trust in his fate, given by his god."

"I know about those symbols. But why is it so important now? I mean, of course, it's strange he wore them back then. And everything in white... - However, what do you want to tell me, Hetel?"

The other woman heaved a sigh, still her eyes remained fixed on Lucind's.
"When you mentioned him being in the stadium some years ago I recalled certain things...information shared between our clans and different orders of monks or priests and other sources. I checked them to made sure I wasn't mistaken.

Little is known about this man, but I have to warn you. You've invited a dangerous guest to your house."

"I don't understand. Speak clearly, please." Lucind couldn't really believe Hetel's hints. Sure, there was something weird about Kraun. But dangerous? In what way? She could be dangerous, too, as well as Enki, Vahn, Evan and all the others - if they only wanted to.

"What the old notes and the lhor'aven tell is that this monk is a tool of Io, created to fulfil his command. That is, to 'purify' wherever and whenever needed so. Lucind, he can't feel for his only duty is to bring death."

"..."

As the first rays of light pierced the window of the cellars, Kraun got up and left the room. He quietly moved up the steps with the mask still on his face. When he cought sight of his host, he quietly asked if there was something on her mind, reading her body language as he was taught to do by her just the day before.

He really couldnt say much about having a pleasant night, as all he did was sit down in the same spot He nodded his head, the fact that his question was ignored forgotten and left out. "And you?" he returned the same question casually.

He watched her discard the remains of her meal. "If I remember correctly, the point inbetween your left thumb and index finger houses a pressure point that is good for relieving headaches." he said quietly as he went and took a seat by the counter.

He shrugged. Now that he really thought about it, he could not recall where he got that fact from. "I dont know." he answered after a moment.

Another moment of silence later, the monk asked if Lucind had any plans for today, for he wanted to take a walk in the forest which surrounded the town. He had heard it was called the dead forest, and he didnt know why as it was obviously made up of living trees and surely there were living animals in it.

With a bow, he headed out towards the door, heading through the streets of Latent towards the forest with Lucind, telling her he wanted to take a walk in the forest.