<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 200%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #0040FF">Earl Seaward, The Archivist Assistant</span></span></div><br/><br/>It was that smile of Harold's, the same smile that the boy had first seen all those years ago when he first met the Archivist, that made the young assistant feel a warm and homely feeling. Whenever the old man would smile like that Earl could feel the care coming off him as if he radiated with it. It was that smile as well as his gentle words and kind nature that made living here so much better but also made it very hard for the lad to think about how bad he wanted this vengeance and even worse that, regardless of what had ever been said, the youth was determined to see this goal of his to the end. He smiled along with Harold but cut the look somewhat early as he listened to the wise words of the man that had experience far beyond his own, a slight frown playing upon his face as he replied with,<span style="color: #0040FF"> "I'm sorry, Harold. I know you disapprove of my wanting to seek out my parents' killers. To be honest, I know it is a foolish endeavor that will probably end up killing me in the end, especially if the rumors I had heard turn out to hold any truth. Truth be told, if it were not for the rumors, I would have most likely dropped the idea of pursuing this under the reasoning of it just being some random attack, though to say I would not seek vengeance for that as well I cannot say. But to think that my parents, who had always just been humble craftsmen, being lured out and specifically killed off, I...I cannot let that go. To think that their deaths may have been avoided if not because of some foul play is just too much for me bear."</span><br/><br/>The young man cast his gaze down to the floor as he tried to keep his mind from wandering back to that time of his life when he was all alone at his parents' general shop that they had owned which also doubled as their home. Though not truly alone as Earl's uncle was to care for the still very young child and the store while the parents were called away. This proved to be just as good as being alone, however, as the months for which the uncle was supposed to have been taking care of the lad he had spent in a drunken stupor while ruining the business that had taken Earl's father and mother so much effort to bring up. The uncle had no ill-intent, mind you, he was just a lost soul whose days working for the kingdom's military had plagued him with curses that only strong drinks and cheap women could only hope to suppress.<br/><br/>It was when the two of the, Earl and his uncle, had heard word of the death of the Seaward's that everything had hit its final point; the uncle killed himself days later...though the cause was alcohol poisoning and Earl was sure he had accidentally drank himself to death over the loss of his brother. Earl, through this, held strong however and tried to undo the damage to the shop that his uncle had done but it proved futile as he could not manage it on his own. Once the death of his parents' had been deemed officially confirmed and Earl inheriting the full rights to the building that was now his shop and home, he sold it off to the local government, took the money gained from it as well as his uncle's prized broadsword, and ventured off.<br/><br/>Tears began to form in the eyes of the lad as he looked upon the floor, trying to fight them back as he hated to cry, especially in front of others, even Harold, the man that had been kind enough to take the former orphan in many years earlier. Feeling that he did an efficient job holding back any tears, hoping the old man did not take any notice, Earl shook his head as he remembered that there is a much more pressing matter at the moment, fixing his posture upright before looking back at Harold,<span style="color: #0040FF">"For now, though, I have sworn my loyalty to this kingdom as well as to you Harold and I will be sure to stand by you and the king."<br/></span><br/>Earl listened with great concern as the archivist explained a bit more on the feelings of ill he had been having lately, unsure what to make of the thought of something within the very castle they now stood in to be holding a presence sinister and powerful enough to gain the attention of the otherwise joyful elder. The worry that something that may prove to be against them having somehow made its way all the way to the heart of the kingdom begins to play on the young man's mind. This feeling is made even stronger as the idea of war is introduced to the conversation,<span style="color: #0040FF">"War? Can you be sure about that?" </span>It was never something the young man did often, question the words of his master but right now the lad could not fathom the peace between the kingdoms being broken so soon. More so, Earl did not want to see any sort of war break out.<span style="color: #0040FF">"Surely this cannot be true?"</span>