Aldr stared at the man with an odd look in his eyes. And then spoke.
"And who might you be?"
The man let out a chuckle. His face almost seemed polished, pristine.
"Are you asking me for a name? If so, I don't have one...not anymore."
"You...don't have a name?"
"Yes, though, it's quite the story."
The giant raven cawed at the two. As if telling them to be silent. And the man just let out a sigh.
"This damn thing..."
"So, what can I call you then?"
The young man turned his head back to Aldr.
"Just call me Stone Monkey. I guess."
Aldr sighed and sat next to Stone Monkey. While the raven just stared at them. Sitting across from them. Although, it was rather cute in a weird way. It sat on it's butt with it's legs stretched across the nest. And looked at the two with a childlike curiosity.
"So...Stone Monkey, how did you get here?"
"I could ask you the same..."
"Aldr."
"Right, Aldr. A nice name indeed. I could ask you the same, Aldr. It's not everyday people end up in these mountains. So how did you get here?"
Aldr didn't really have a reason to be dishonest. So he told the truth. In a way.
"I just, came here. From another place."
"Ah...a realm wanderer, are you? Well I guess we are similar in that regard."
Aldr's eyes widened slightly. He wasn't aware that other beings could travel the worlds connected by the great tree.
"You...how?"
"Well, I assumed you would know. Since you came here yourself. But I guess not."
Stone Monkey shrugged and stood up. Looking at the raven. One of its eyes followed him, the other on Aldr. Which made the raven look a lot less cute.
"Well, this big bastard here kidnapped me about a year ago. I'd say. By the time I arrived in this world it had already been plunged into ruin."
Aldr nodded and stood as well, allowing the robe to dry as the clouds cleared above the mountains peak.
Stone Monkey looked at the raven and sighed.
"But, now you're here. I think I've found some better company."
He suddenly thrust his fist forward into the raven. Aldr watched as a bolt of lightning struck from the sky and fried the bird as Stone Monkey just licked his lips.
"Ah, some good food."
'What the hell...'
Aldr stared at Stone Monkey for a moment.
"What in the world was that?"
Stone Monkey stopped licking his lips and looked back from the fried corpse of the raven.
"Don't tell me you haven't seen a mystic art before?"
'A mystic art...'
Martial arts were a well renowned thing in a few worlds he had conquered and ruined before. But mystic arts was a relatively new term to him.
"Not exactly, no."
Stone Monkey's calm eyes suddenly flooded with curiosity as he looked Aldr up and down.
"Interesting...tell you what, let's spar. Now."
Stone Monkey had a toothy grin. While Aldr finger's felt weary and torn, his body almost rebelling against him as it was still aching and strained from the climbing.
"What? You can't be serious..."
"Why not? I need the exercise anyways..."
Stone Monkey took a step forward. And Aldr grumbled, gripping the obsidian dagger.
"Let's see how well you fare."
Stone Monkey closed the distance rather fast. His fist flowed smoothly across the air.
Aldr may not have had any power, but he did have one thing, experience. What must've been hundreds of years of battle experience accumulated into a precise instinct and a flood of knowledge. So many ways to read one's footwork, so many ways to counter, the endless possibilities of battle. A thrilling thing.
He swept his body under the jab and took a step back, if he wasn't exhausted, he may have been able to get a grip and attempt to fight. So he had no choice but to dodge and hope for the best that Stone Monkey wasn't intent on killing him.
As Stone Monkey struck again, Aldr felt an odd feeling. The air almost smelt fresher, felt cool and warm at the same time. He had never seen anything like it before, the world was coming together under his fist.
Aldr turned around and leaped out of the nest, hoping to gain some distance to properly recuperate. But Stone Monkey did not give it to him, the man burst across the air towards him, like the wind obeyed him, carrying him across at a great speed.
'A mystic art...it's not a martial art. That wouldn't make sense.'
He dodged another jab from Stone Monkey. Closely watching the way the air moved around Stone Monkey's fist. Aldr's foot slightly wavered on the wet mossy ground as he watched carefully. As he thought, the wind bent slightly around Stone Monkey's fist. Although he could not exactly perceive wind, he could feel it when Stone Monkey's fist passed by Aldr's head
'Interesting.'
Aldr swept his foot back and focused slightly. The essence of a mystic art. As he could see, was bending the world to the will of the fist or a leg, maybe even a sword. He had seen many similar arts, though he hadn't really heard the term of mystic art before. But he assumed it was similar to one being able to control fire, or anything at all. Stone Monkey was simply incorporating it into his martial art.
Aldr dodged one more attack. While Stone Monkey flew past him. The handsome man's foot dug into the moss and swept up, turning the momentum into a dangerous kick. Aldr felt the chilling feeling of death creeping up to him. As Stone Monkey's leg stopped near his face, a large gust of wind pushing Aldr off balance.
"What are you doing? You should be fighting back by now..."
Aldr maintained his balance and looked at Stone Monkey, who had a slight grin painted across his face.
"If I could fight back, I would. Trust me."
Stone Monkey chuckled.
"Well, you have quite good insight. My attacks aren't easily dodged. Gosh I remember the time I had such great vision..."
Aldr raised an eyebrow at his sudden tone of reminiscence.
"You said you didn't have a name anymore. You...lost it?"
"I guess you could say that. Names anchor oneself to the world after all. So I guess I didn't truly lose my name. It's more like it's been forgotten."
Aldr's gaze didn't grow any more understanding.
He looked around the peak of the mountain. It was all very beautiful. Pale trees grew from the lush moss. The air felt cleaner than anywhere he had ever been, like it had been soaked in the divine.
But then his eyes laid on a hole in the mountain. An ominous energy surrounded it.
"What is that?"
"Hm?"
Stone Monkey looked to the subject of Aldr's gaze. And stared at the hole.
"Oh, well that's just a hole that leads to a horde of monsters beneath the mountain which will devour you and your soul."
Aldr looked towards Stone Monkey, a bit bewildered.
"Though I am joking, of course. I'm not stupid enough to go somewhere which I have no way of getting out."