This will be a hard story to tell. Hard because it''s true and hard because it''s unbelievable. I suppose I should introduce myself first, as the audience of this narrative may never have heard my name before. My name is Danric Felmaris, and I was a ship''s doctor for the Royal Azonian Navy some years ago. I''ve since retired. I''ve sailed across the Cerulean Sea, and down into the Shark Islands, through the Tongue of the Ocean and back. I''ve studied at the prestigious Royal Azonian Academy of Medicine. I was a commissioned officer on the RAS High Clemency.


    So as you might guess, I am no simple back country peasant. I''ve seen the world. Perhaps, I have even seen too much of it. While I was a part of this story, I am not its focus, however. My best friend, Mathen Orelwyn is.


    Mathen and I grew up together in Port Waveward. We spent our childhood days on the docks, pining for maritime adventure. We often envisioned fighting pirates, or braving storms on the sea. It was a simple, idyllic childhood. Mathen couldn''t have handled more. You see, he was a frail individual. A stiff breeze would have him pushed over. He was a rather weak, yet gentle soul.


    As we grew up, our lives strayed apart slightly, but remained close. We ended up going to the Royal Academy together, although Mathen studied alchemy instead of medicine. He was brilliant. Far more intelligent than I. He was obsessed with the Powers and Weaving. Neither he nor I can weave, and thank the Light for that. Mathen, though, was incredibly intrigued by the idea. He wanted to meet an Ars Notoria desperately, and learn their secrets. That never happened, but he did gain access to the library''s extensive collection of ancient and obscure texts, which he poured over constantly.


    His interest in the arcane was harmless. Mathen was not a man of strong constitution, and his studies kept him out of trouble. When his nose was buried in books all the time, he had no chance to face life''s more troublesome challenges. Like courtship, we''ll get to that soon. We graduated from the Academy together, and I was shipped off to the Navy. Mathen stayed in Waveward, and opened up a small apothecary. He was moderately successful too. His potions and tinctures sold well, and his reputation was solid. He was good natured, yet naive. He stood under five and a half feet tall, with short brown hair, and he wore thin wire framed glasses. He was, by no means, a fine looking gentleman. He was average at best.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    This did not stop the most troublesome, most enigmatic, and most vexing person in our lives to steal him for herself. You see, Mathen''s apothecary was generating a decent income, and he had a laboratory where he created his potions. This caught the eye of Nerissa Velraith...


    Nerissa was a mystery to everyone on the Sun Spur. She had been born in Silverfin Cove to a rather wealthy family, but her father died shortly after she was born. Her mother then lost the family''s manor through a series of bad choices.


    While the two of them retained some small amount of wealth, they moved in with a relative in Waveward, and Nerissa was a common sight there. Then, she just vanished. No trace of her was found for months and months. She no longer attended gatherings, or appeared in the nicer shopping district. She wrote no letters, and sent no messengers.


    The city guard was alerted to her disappearance, and they investigated. A detective was sent from Lost Hills, but ultimately, no evidence was found to indicate any sort of crime was committed. As far as anyone knew, Nerissa had just left on her own. After the investigation life went on as usual, although Nerissa''s mother swore the girl would never have left like she did. I retired from the Navy for a medical condition I earned on the sea, and settled back down in Waveward with a small pension, shortly after Nerissa vanished.


    Months passed into years, and inexplicably, Nerissa returned. She started appearing at her usual hang outs, but she was different. Her continuance was more... Assertive. I saw her a few times, as I visited Mathen''s shop, and her eyes betrayed wisdom and years far beyond her own. Those wise and ancient seeming eyes were set on Mathen.


    Out of all the men in Waveward, Nerissa was focused on Mathen. She took a keen interest in his business, and especially his lab. Mathen, the poor soul, fell head over heels for her. She was a pretty girl, slightly younger than us, with long brown hair. Her eyes might''ve been pretty too, if they did not hold the visage of terrible ancient wisdom. She was confident as well and much more dominant than she had been before she vanished. By all accounts, she was a timid and shy, yet fun loving girl before she disappeared. I found her new demeanor unsettling. Mathen found it intoxicating.


    It wasn''t long before Nerissa was a fixture at Mathen''s shop. A fixture at Mathen''s home. I would often visit my friend for dinner, and there was Nerissa, smiling a knowing smile, with a hand firmly on Mathen''s shoulder. Firmly in control.


    I could not figure out why she was courting Mathen. Sure, he was brilliant, but he had far less to give a woman of her status. He had far less money, and he was not handsome. My only guess at why she liked him so much was that she wanted access to something he had, such as his modest manor on Manor Row. What it really was, I never could have guessed.