The ship floated to the dock, moving only on intertia, as the saisl had been taken down. A man leapt down and tied the boat off. The boat was obviously a private vessel; it had a good-sized deck and a cabin, with a few rooms below, presumably. The give-away was that there were no crates or anything of the like on the deck.

As the boat was tied off, another person emerged from the cabin. This person had silver hair, tinted with blue, and light blue skin. He wore a simple gray robe that had a small shethe for a dagger on the left side. On the right hung a leather-bound book, clasped shut. This new person leapt off the boat, landing lightly on the dock just as the other finished tying it off.

"Well, here we are. The city of Taras, just as you asked." This from the human that had been tying up the boat.

"Thank you, Zelphius. I am forever in your debt."

Zelphius smiled faintly. "Not at all, Colm. I owe you for getting me out of that mess with those sun elves. Transport to Taras was the least I could do." His eyes lost their glint as his face took on a slightly puzzled expression. "You wanted to leave very quickly, though. Was it family trouble?"

"Yes," said Colm with a nod. "My sister, again. This time, she was going to get a group to come after me with her. If we hadn't left when we did, I'd be long dead by now. And only because I wouldn't kill Ryfeld."

The two began to walk up the dock toward the city. "So, Zelphius, are you going to stay very long?"

Zelphius shook his head. "No, I need to be moving along as soon as I can. Can't leave the lady and child waiting."

"I'm sorry I can't afford to pay you for passage."

Zelphius dismissed this apology with a wave of his hand. "I told you, forget it. I owed you a favor, so as far as I'm concerned, we're even." He looked at the city they were approaching, then stopped. "This is where I leave you. Good luck, Colm, and may the Gods look upon you with favor."

Colm turned, and embraced Zelphius. "Thank you many times over, Zelphius, and be careful, my old friend."

Zelphius returned the embrace, and then stood back, and said, "I will, and the same to you." Then, he turned and walked back to his ship. Colm watched as the sail unfurled and the boat moved on out to sea before turning. A new life awaited him in this new land, and he was eager to get on with it.

The smell of salt water permeated the air, and the sound of creaking wood and sloshing water was all about. Men and women shuffled over the cobble stones and wooden docks, going to and fro from ships to shore. The sound of gold clinking was everywhere as well as people bartered for passage, or handed over money due for shipped goods. It was a busy place indeed. Erk couldn't have cared less about any of it as he shambled along with the rest of the crowd. Hair a deep violet, streaks of black hiding within, he was a definitely an oddity in this environment. That, and the small gargoyle perched on his shoulder set him off as a little more than others, drawing a couple stares. Actually, all of them were towards the gargoyle, who apparently would not stop its small mouth from speaking.

"Foolish townsmen, shambling everywhere there's money or conversation. By the gods I'm bored of this place. Shut up stone head." The small bit of animated stone spoke in an unnaturally deep voice. Erk was used to ignoring it, but it might get him in trouble if people figured out it was speakings Erk's thoughts and not his. If he felt like speaking the gargoyles ridiculously long name, he could shut it up, but he was far to lazy to ramble on for a minute for silence. Instead, he just kept his eyes forward, quarterstaff clicking against the stone.

"Why must I be the one carrying you around Gon?" he complained in a low voice. When he had been expelled from his family's great house, they had given him Gon, as he called him, as his charge. The gargoyle was actually a mighty demon his ancestors had trapped in this form. He was powerless except for the fact that he gained the ability to read the mind of the one who guarded him.

Gon stopped his chatter, turning his rocky face towards Erk. "Because you ar a member of the Nattanoj family. You are a fool who sealed me in the meaningless form, and your punishment is this until I am released." The gargoyle/demon spoke in a monotone, his deep voice void of emotion. Erk rolled his eyes. The demon always gave him the same response in the same tone. "Thats not what I meant," he mumbled, but quickly tuned the gargoyle out before he received another response he had heard hundreds of times.

During his conversation, his eyes were not as focused on his path and what objects inhabited it. Objects such as the moon elf that had just reached port. Erk turned his attention to the elf just before he ended up barreling into him. Gon jumped and began to flap his wings, staying in the air while Erk fell. "Cursed random elf!" the gargoyle shouted in monotone.