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Post by recoveryfive on Feb 23, 2015 5:49:28 GMT
"Hey, um...do you guys mind if I come with you?" Gerlach asked the two girls. "I don't really have anything to do at the moment. And at the risk of sounding nosy, whatever you're doing seems like it could lead to an adventure, or at least something exciting."
Bonnie stared at the wizard in training for a second before sharing expressions with Eliora. The two communicated like this in a matter of seconds, coming to a conclusion shortly.
"She says you can come with us, as long as you don't do anything incredibly stupid." Bonnie told him, holding out her hand for him to shake.
"I won't. It's Bonnie, right?"
"Yep. Bonnie Scarlet. That's my friend, Eliora, but I just call her Ellie sometimes. It's funnier that way."
A snort came out of the former lady in waiting, but she made no other response.
"Righto, then, off to our little base we go. We've got naps to take and strange men to meet up with."
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Post by Spartan 999 on Feb 26, 2015 21:21:31 GMT
The sun had not yet risen by the time Hakim awoke. The clouds on the horizon were ever so slightly pink around the edges though, so sunrise was imminent. That meant it was best to get inside the restricted section as soon as possible; the ideal time to infiltrate was when it was dark.
Now...about the two girls... He figured he'd wait for them, at least for a little bit. Fifteen minutes at the most sounded about right. After that, he'd go on whether they showed up, were late, or didn't even bother.
For the moment, Hakim waited near the main entrance to the archive, cloak allowing him to blend in fairly easily while he kept an eye out for them. He wondered if either of them were skittish, because if so they were likely to be at least momentarily spooked by his appearing from seemingly nowhere right beside them. Assuming of course that they did, in fact, arrive.
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Post by Bippwatt on Feb 27, 2015 0:03:16 GMT
Eliora stopped by the front desk as she and Red left.
"Ah, yes. Last name Scarlet, first name Snow?"
"That's it." Snow Scarlet was one of three alternate names she used to keep herself hidden from her "mother's" agents...and, until recently, Eris. But Eliora was certain now that Eris knew exactly where she was at all times...or at least close enough.
"That will be twelve crowns, two eagles." Eliora winced internally. That would leave her spread pretty thin. But this scroll could help her. Maybe not with her current quest, but still...
She pulled her coin purse out from were she tucked it against her body as a defense against pickpockets and pulled out a few coins and looked down. And gaped at those coins.
Rather than the assortment of lions, eagles and the odd crown, there laid four talents in her hand. A talent was worth ten crowns. And there were four of them. She poured the last few coins out and found exactly the same number of coins as she had before. Twenty-five coins. But all but four of them were talents. Twenty-one talents, two crowns and two eagles.
"I'm sorry, we're not in the charity business, dearie." the scribe at the desk said.
"Oh, my apologies, sir." She sifted the coins back into the pouch, holding back a talent, and both the crowns and eagles. She laid those on the counter and tucked the coin purse back into its hiding spot. "Here you are."
"Thank you, dearie.", he said with a smile and tossed his hair back from deep blue eyes. "Your copy will be out momentarily.", he finished, sweeping the coins into the box with a fancy florish.
A few minutes later, they were free to continue back to their sleeping accommodations.
Several minutes went by. Hakim was just about to move on when he saw two figures walking towards the main entrance.
He could only make out their silhouettes against the flickering fire and mage lights of the city and he was preparing to step out beside them when a sixth sense jangled a warning. He spun, a knife out of it's sheeth in the blink of an eye.
He saw nothing out of the ordinary and, eyes darting quickly, sheathed the knife and turned back.
Only to find himself face-to-face with Eliora White. And the two people he'd seen before, still about twenty feet back.
"Hello, again, Hakim. Shall we?", she asked, gesturing to the entrance.
Sent from my Galaxy S3 with a cracked screen. So please forgive minor typographical errors.
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Post by recoveryfive on Feb 28, 2015 23:58:13 GMT
"Hey, again..." Bonnie greeted the young man covertly, motioning for Gerlach to stay close behind her. The young wizard-in-training nodded in agreement and looked around carefully to make sure that no one was around and watching them. "Sorry for showin' up late. We probably wouldn't have gotten up in time if it weren't for Garlic-"
"Gerlach."
"Right, Gerlach. My bad. Anyway, are we ready to go?" Bonnie continued whispering, her hood pulled over her head to avoid any outside attention.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Aug 9, 2015 19:53:06 GMT
“Of course,” Hakim replied.
He offered Eliora his arm, at which she just blinked and then stared for a moment before rolling her eyes. Hakim's smile became a crooked grin, and he walked after her to the archive's entrance.
“Never hurts to be polite.” His chuckle was low and more than a little mischievous.
Bonnie and Gerlach approached, and Hakim nodded at the former's greeting. “Indeed, we are.” He palmed a small set of tools as he approached the locked archive doors and bent over slightly in front of a keyhole.
“Alright, well, how are gonna get through the doors?” Bonnie had evidently not caught on to what the Ash Lad was doing. “Bashing them down would be kinda counterproductive, and I'm not sure if-”
Click. The archive doors swung open.
“You were saying?” Hakim slid his lockpicking tools back in place before rolling up the kit and depositing it back into a pouch.
“Damn. That was fast.” Bonnie remarked.
Eliora's eyes narrowed sightly at Hakim's back as he strode into the library with hardly a whisper.
The restricted section was protected by a barred security door similar to the ones in a prison. Hakim took care of its lock in short order, and his three companions traipsed in after him.
“We should split up and have each person take a section or area to look through,” said Hakim quietly. “I'll follow up on the lead I came across yesterday, look through that section. Good luck.”
With that, he vanished behind a bookcase with a swish of his cloak.
“...I'm not completely sure what to make of him,” Gerlach whispered to the two girls.
Unknown to the other three, Hakim had lied. Well, more like stretched the truth; he wasn't immediately going to follow up what he'd found yesterday, but was instead going to tail the others from the shadows. If he was honest, he really didn't like that bad feeling he'd had earlier. Such feelings were rarely false. Now, the idea was to hide and see if whoever or whatever had pinged his danger sense would show up and try to attack, kidnap, or incapacitate one of his companions when they were all separated and alone.
If that happened, he'd hopefully be able to intervene before it happened. Of course, assuming it was stealthier than he was and came after him...that would be a problem. He'd figure out a solution to that problem soon.
Then again, it was entirely possible that it was nothing, and nothing happened to the others or himself. Still, couldn't be too careful--it was only paranoia if it was irrational.
Hakim chose to follow Bonnie first. He had to admit, she was kinda cute, and he found that he didn't particularly mind watching her walk. That being said, he knew very well not to underestimate anyone in this world, let alone someone with a firearm from Earth. He wondered what the story behind it was, at least beyond the fact that it was apparently her now-deceased mother's. Investigation on that particular matter would have to wait, though. For now, his cloak fluttered slightly as he moved from shadow to shadow, serving to hide him from sight and mind.
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Post by recoveryfive on Aug 17, 2015 21:04:21 GMT
Bonnie slowly navigated her section of the library, scanning the book titles with near boredom. She was never one to read that much, although she wasn't afraid to open a good novel here and there. A History Of Witches...100 Ways To Kill Goblins...50 Blends Of Blue...wait a minute, the hell is this?
But before she could wonder what a pair of handcuffs had to do with color variations, a slight chill washed over her. The unmistakable feeling of being watched swept down her spine, and she warily turned in the direction she had come.
"Ellie? Is that you?" she whispered into the darkness.
Silence.
"Gerlach? Hakim?" she tried again. Again, nothing but silence.
She activated her night vision, eyes glowing faintly as she scanned. She found no one. Sighing in annoyance, she gave up and continued searching the shelves. One of them had to contain what they were looking for.
A half dislodged book caught her eye, looking as if someone had placed it in a hurry to avoid being caught reading it. "Aha! There we go." Bonnie muttered satisfactorily, gingerly pulling it out and flipping it cover side up in her hands. "Now...what exactly are you?"
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Post by Bippwatt on Aug 18, 2015 19:21:56 GMT
Eliora scanned the shelves as she walked, a small glowing jewel of her magic cupped in her upraised hand.
The magic was very well controlled, so between that and her cupped hand, it really only provided light enough for her to see. For anyone else to benefit from it they'd have had to be right behind her, beside her or in front of her. In any case, they'd be close enough that she'd sense them in one way or another.
The book titles ran by and she noted a few for later reference. Book Of Beasts: Mundane and Otherwise. Legends of the Fey Realms. Elementary Magic.
She stopped at that one. She'd heard a few people talking of this one. She shrugged and grabbed it. Couldn't hurt. Looking at the cover, she saw that it was bound in leather with a pentacle etched on it, as well as it's title and author.
Elementary Magic, by Ebenezer McCoy.
"Huh. Never heard of him.", the woman muttered to herself. She tucked the book under her arm and kept looking. Finally, she stumbled to a halt as another title caught her attention.
Needle In A Haystack.
Well, if that's not a huge freaking hint, I wouldn't know what is.
She took it.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Aug 18, 2015 22:19:27 GMT
After following Bonnie for a time, Hakim switched over to Gerlach. Nothing happened with the young wizard either. Last was Eliora. She had some books that looked promising, along with a thin volume that looked like it was called Needle in a Haystack from what he could see of it. Yes, very promising.
His rounds done for the moment, he gathered up a few books before covertly checking in on the others once again. No one had been attacked, kidnapped, maimed, or were otherwise in distress, so he resolved to meet them at the designated meeting area. Said area was in a part of the restricted section that had a table and some chairs set out for researchers to study at. As taking books out of the restricted section was usually forbidden without special permission, it was necessary. And it just so happened to be quite convenient for their purposes.
Gerlach was the last to arrive, his arms filled with a surprisingly large stack of books. Bonnie, Eliora, and Hakim were already poring over what they'd found. In just a half hour, they'd pieced together an interesting story, or rather a sequence of short tales.
Cosichi, Kostiy, or Koschei, depending on the source, was the mystery Needle Person's name. At least, they hoped it was the same person, since each account varied from the other wildly and had their own share of inconsistencies. Still, there were enough similarities to make them believe it was the same person.
There was a story in one tome about a wicked man called Kostiy who had abducted the heroine's sister. The reason for said abduction was not elaborated upon, but seeing as how the sister was apparently the loveliest in all the land, the answer was pretty obvious. The heroine tracked down and fought the man. They fought against one another in several high-stakes games, but when the heroine figured out that Kostiy was cheating, she tricked him into destroying himself. She then rescued her sister and returned home, now infinitely richer after plundering Kostiy's dungeons.
Surprisingly, there was a short entry in an explorer's guide of the Fey Courts and the Wyld surrounding it. Apparently, a powerful wizard named Cashachy owned a series of islands out in the farthest reaches of the Wyld. According to the guide, he kept his treasure (or most of it) there, with several items of immeasurable worth included. Along with the entry was a warning about how heavily protected the islands were, along with a diagram that showed their rough coordinates.
In Needle In A Haystack, a short compendium of sorts about various enchanted needles and the like, had a story that was supposedly the first-person account of a young man's quest to heal or resurrect...someone, likely his parents, lover, or friend. In it, he'd used his ingenuity to find and use a magic needle to threaten a powerful but eccentric wizard called Cosichi into granting him wishes, which he knew the wizard could and would grant because he'd been told that it was so in the earliest passages of the story. And there was, of course, a happy ending.
The fourth account was found in a syllabus of powerful, unique, and often strange magic items, along with their creators--the ones that were known, anyway. In it there was a short section about Seekers of Immortality, and the shortest entry by far was about a needle. Apparently, the creator had bound his “essence” (which could be interpreted as his Soul, or part of it) or “death” to the needle, which made him immortal. However, whosoever possessed the needle, and his essence with it, had power over him. The name of the creator was not written, but the entry did call him the Son of Baba Yaga, though whether that was meant literal or not, they didn't know.
Hakim exhaled slowly as he thought over the information they'd gathered. In short, Needle Person was a wizard that was capable of granting wishes. However, he was immortal, and would only grant wishes if you threatened him with the phylactery that contained his soul. (Though whether phylactery was the right word or not, Hakim wasn't sure, since he might not actually be a lich.) And the needle that was the phylactery (he resolved to call it the Death Needle from now on) was hidden somewhere on some islands on the edges of the Wyld. Oh, and he was a sucker for a pretty face.
They all figured that Gerlach's great-grandmother had tried to follow in the footsteps of the hero in the third account in order to have a wish granted.
When he went over the coordinates for the islands and thought about it, he groaned and slowly lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
“What is it?” Bonnie inquired.
“The islands,” he explained. “They're in a ridiculously chaotic and unstable region of the Wyld, bordering some of the weirdest planes and dimensions. It would be hell to get to them, let alone find anything on them like a needle. Or the egg that held the needle, or whatever.”
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Post by recoveryfive on Aug 23, 2015 20:21:35 GMT
"Sounds like one hell of a party." Bonnie commented, nodding in approval at Hakim's description. "D'you think any sea monsters'll be involved? I always wanted to fight a sea monster."
"I...think those are extinct, Bonnie. Besides, how would we even put a dent in one with just what we have on us?" Gerlach said, going through his book pile at an almost unbelievable speed. "I don't think two magic users, a girl with a projectile weapon, and a mysterious man with amazing lockpicking skills would do much. N- no offense, Mr. Hakim." he added, the last sentence directed at Hakim.
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Post by Bippwatt on Aug 25, 2015 4:05:56 GMT
"Well, we could probably give it a run for its money. I mean, sea monster would mean lots of water for me to freeze and play around with. Plus it's probably pretty cold water. Large bodies of water tend to be at least chilly, even in summer. And it's also in the Fey Realms...or Neverland or Nevernever, or whatever the hell you wanna call it. That'll make any magic we use even more effective, as the spirit realms operate heavily upon belief and intent. If we play our cards right, we might even be able to reassert enough reality as we go there to mitigate the worst of that chaotic stuff Hakim was talking about."
Everyone except Hakim looked at Eliora with totally lost expressions. So Eliora pulled a small square of fabric from a pocket or pouch. She laid the handkerchief flat on the table.
"Alright, it's like this. Imagine if you will that the real world is this cloth. The normal areas of the spirit world are more like this." She scrunched the handkerchief up slightly, creating random ripples and folds. "When beings from the real world pass through, they exert a weight upon the spirit world..." Now, she pulled it taut again, the folds disappearing. "Thus, it only appears a little odd to us when we pass through. Now, the area Hakim is talking about is more like this." Here, she crumpled the handkerchief up nearly into a ball. "The presence of beings from the real world don't have much impact on that clusterfuck, so it takes willpower or intent to stabilize the chaos inherent in these areas. And even then you only get something like this." She pulled the cloth out a bit, significantly reducing the wrinkles, but nowhere near the nominal "wrinkle level" she'd demonstrated for the normal spirit world.
"But! That's where magic comes in. See, Sidhe magic is especially good at smoothing over the chaos of their realms. Apply a healthy dose of that and we get...this." She pulled it nearly taut again, more closely resembling her first wrinkled example.
"Sounds great, Snow...but I don't see any Fey jumping to help with this.", Bonnie said.
"Ah, but you don't need a Sidhe. Or Fey, whatever. You just need their magic. And for that, you have yours truly." Eliora demurely indicated herself by placing a hand just above her bosom and bowing her head slightly.
"Wait...so your magic is Sidhe magic? And Unseelie Winter Court magic, at that?"
"Bon-bon, I know I've told you this before, ya dunderhead."
"Um. Allow me to point out a point of obviousness here and say that Eris gave you that power. Which means it used to be hers. So...could she track you through it?"
Eliora opened her mouth to reply...but the voice that cut through the silence was not hers.
"Why, yes, little one, I can."
All four of them turned to stare in shocked horror as a pale, terrifyingly beautiful (or beautifully terrifying...both were applicable.) woman resplendent in a swirling gown of clouds (No, it wasn't the color of clouds....it was actually made of clouds. Or at least thick fog.) stepped from the shadow.
At her flanks, a pair of fairy hounds prowled, eyes glowing red in the shadows. And several other pairs of angry red eyes appeared in the darkness, indicating other hounds...surrounding them.
"Hello, Eliora, my child..." Eliora swallowed nervously and tried to smile cockily. "Hello, Lady Eris. Long time, no see."
"Not so long as you might think, my child. Now, dear Eliora, come with me. We have much to discuss."
"No, Lady Eris. I prefer to stay where I am."
Eris stepped forward, stopping next to the table and ran fingers over the books. Her lips twitched as though she would smile when she saw Elementary Magic. Then her eyes spied another volume.
Hissing suddenly, she crooked a finger and Needle In A Haystack flew to her hand.
"You seek Koschei?!", the Winter Lady inquired sharply. "That is foolish, girl. The man would end you as soon as look at you."
"It could be worse.", Eliora said, her wiseass mouth running without consulting her brain. "I could be seeking you."
Eris' eyes flashed with anger for a second. But then it vanished and her lips curved up into a decidedly Cheshire Cat smile. "Indeed, you could. That could prove quite detrimental to your lifespan. Good thing you knew better than to summon a being you know virtually nothing about."
Eliora flinched. Not much. Neither Hakim or Gerlach noticed it. But Bonnie did.
And so did Eris. "Eliora. You must come with me. It's the only way to protect you."
"No, Lady Eris. I do not want or need your twisted concept of protection."
"My child...the thing that was once your mother has nearly found you already. Only my intervention has prevented it from ending you."
"The thing that was once-! The thing you put there!"
Eris blinked.
So did Eliora. And confusion exploded inside the confines of her mind. That blink of Eris' had effectively been her jumping back ten feet with a startled yelp. Which meant she was shocked that Eliora blamed her. Which most likely meant ...
...that Eris hadn't done it.
"Eliora...come with me. I can protect you from this demon."
The girl sat silent for a while...then rose to her feet. "Thrice I say it and done. I shall not go with thee. Depart from this place now and thou shall leave me and mine in peace, Eris-mar-karl-deluroios." The name she spoke had a certain cadence to it that glided past the ears of the others. They heard it, but they failed to glean that Eliora had just brought her big guns to bear, using a Power Name, or True Name.
Eris hissed in disappointment. Then nodded. "I shall save you the effort of attempting to enforce that command and depart of my own accord. If you change your mind, give me a chant."
And then she and her hounds were gone.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Aug 25, 2015 23:01:20 GMT
“...Aaaaahhhhahah...” The sound was monotone, long and drawn out like a soft delayed scream. Hakim's expression might have been comical in another situation. “So...that was Eris. Maiden of Winter.”
Gerlach let out a meek sound that sounded suspiciously like “Eep.”
“...Yes. Yes, that was.” Eliora answered quietly.
Bonnie gave her best friend a sidewise look. “You know, there's a big difference between knowing, intellectually, that you're fucked, and realizing it first-hand.”
“Thanks for that,” said Eliora drily.
“Sure thing.”
“Well,” Hakim cleared his throat and sheathed the Ash Sword he'd drawn at the first sign of trouble. “Assuming she told the truth, I think we should be leaving as soon as possible—or at least Snow White should.” He looked from Eliora to Bonnie and back again. “That is, if you two also want to reach Koschei. I assume that's your goal: getting your wishes granted.”
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Post by recoveryfive on Oct 12, 2015 2:25:20 GMT
"That's about right." Bonnie answered him, cracking her neck while standing up. "I've got personal family business to figure out, and Ellie has her mental and/or emotional baggage to deal with."
"This is gonna be exciting..." Gerlach admitted, recovering his wits in short order. "Terrifying, but exciting. I've always wondered what the Faerie Courts were like."
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Post by Bippwatt on Oct 20, 2015 8:21:51 GMT
"Trust me. You'll soon wish you had never stepped foot in them.", Eliora quipped. "I have an idea. It's possible that Eris is only able to track my powers because I'm in the physical world. If I were in the spirit world, it's possible that the flood of other power and whatnot might drown out the small amount of power I carry within me. And also kinda like calling your own phone. You'd just get a busy signal."
At the blank looks from Bonnie and Gerlach, Eliora rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I keep forgetting that you two haven't ever been to any of the other physical realms. At least Hakim understands me." She looked over at him...and his expression made her facepalm. "Crap. Now I did it."
She shook herself off and then continued. "So, if we go to the other side, we should be able to hide from her. And hopefully my 'mother' too." The quotes around the word mother could be heard in her voice.
"That's great, Eliora, but I can't open doors to the fey realms.", Gerlach admitted. "Not yet, at any rate."
"We'll fix that. It's never wise to have a single fail point. But for now, I can do it for us."
"Oh."
Suddenly, the door to the library, quite a ways away and behind several dozen bookshelves, boomed open. "WHO'S IN HERE?!", a forceful, feminine voice shouted. "I KNOW YOU'RE HERE! I CAN SEE YOUR LIGHTS!
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Post by Spartan 999 on Oct 29, 2015 2:47:22 GMT
Hakim shot a look in the direction the loud voice had originated from, then back to the others. “...Damn. Well, I vote we exit by way of a window. That'll be the fastest way out.”
Gerlach just stared at him. “You do realize how high a window would be, right?”
“Yeah, what's your point?” Hakim was bundling up some his tools, and a couple books he'd want to bring on the journey. “Come on, let's move.”
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Post by Bippwatt on Nov 13, 2015 2:41:17 GMT
Eliora snorted.
"Or we can go this way."
With that, she swiped a flat hand down through the air beside her, energy swirling through it's passage.
"Oscailte.", the former lady-in-waiting muttered and a circular pane of light unfolded, the diameter of it the length of the path her hand had taken.
"In y'all go!", she hissed.
Hakim didn't hesitate. Just shrugged and plowed into the circle. Gerlach inched towards it, then slid into it. Bonnie, however, looked at it and sniffed.
"Smells bad."
"I couldn't care less what you smell. Get in their, ya dumb bitch.", Eliora said with a smile.
"Oh, fine!" Bonnie lept in as Eliora grabbed the few books they needed - and Elementary Magic - then plunged in after her friend...just as a hand grabbed her ankle.
She kicked reflexively and she and her assailant tumbled to the grassy ground.
She flailed momentarily...then bounced up in horrified realization. Eliora looked around. Sure enough. They were on the other side now.
Pinkish purple sky arced above in an otherworldly dome and the white sun cast it's light and heat upon the blue grass hills the group stood upon. The group that numbered five now.
"Uh-oh.", Eliora said, staring at the armed and armored woman in front of them. She held a rapier in one hand and what appeared to be an oak staff in the other.
And the rapier was raised, pointed at Eliora's throat. As Eliora raised her hands, the tip laid itself along the side of her neck.
And Eliora lept back, stumbled and fell, screaming in agony.
And the stranger's eyes widened in surprise. "Hellfire!", she spat, sheathing the sword and running to Eliora's side.
Bonnie growled at the stranger, who looked at her. "Peace, stranger. This is an unintended harm. I was not aware that your friend was one of the fey."
"I'm not.", Eliora breathed, pain haunting her voice. "I'm fine."
The stranger's eyes widened in surprise again. "How are you-?!" Then narrowed in suspicion. "What are you?"
"Uh, what?"
"That blade was cold iron. For you to have that reaction to it's touch means you are fey, but if you were fey, you'd be dying right now. Or at least incapacitated. Let me see your neck."
Eliora lowered the hand that was covering the left side of her neck. A long red welt ran along it, perpendicular to her neck, where the sword had made contact.
"Odd. I apologize for the injury. It was not my intention. It certainly makes my duty more awkward."
"Duty?", Eliora said, coming to her feet, with Bonnie's help.
"The local constable had enlisted my aid in catching what he suspected were theives sneaking into the library. There have been reports of odd lights at night or missing items. I happened to be passing through and needed some extra coin, so he hired me to catch the theives."
Eliora and Bonnie turned to glare at Hakim, who was doing his level best to look innocent. He was almost successful. Almost.
"At any rate, the name is Wizard Deidre Callahan.", the woman said with a bow. "I would appreciate it if we could go back to the city now. Before something notices us here."
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Post by Spartan 999 on Nov 13, 2015 23:47:30 GMT
“Jumping out of the window would've been more dramatic,” Hakim muttered to himself as Eliora created the portal. On her cue, he went in. He jogged forward for about twenty feet to make sure there was room for everyone else coming out.
First Gerlach came through, then Bonnie a few seconds after him. And then Eliora and an unknown woman came tumbling through. He drew both his pistol and the hilt of the Ash Sword. In about the span of half a second, ash seemed to swirl about the latter and coalesced to form a single-edged, slightly curved blade.
He aimed his pistol at the wizard, hand not wavering even when she said she wasn't an enemy.
"I would appreciate it if we could go back to the city now. Before something notices us here."
“I think that'll be rather difficult, Cal,” Hakim said in an easy tone of voice, despite the pistol aimed at her chest. “If Eliora did what I think she did, and we're where I think we are, then there's no just waving a hand to create a portal back to the library.” He looked at Eliora. “That's more or less correct, right?”
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Post by Bippwatt on Nov 14, 2015 6:46:22 GMT
"Ehh." Eliora and Deidre both wiggled a hand back and forth as the former made the sound.
"The full explanation is more complicated than can be easily summarized. The layperson explanation is that the two realms are bound at certain points of confluence, but everything else kinda shifts around. So if I open up the portal here again, it might be twenty feet away from where we were...or twenty miles...and right on top of an active volcano. Or over the ocean."
"So...that could have happened this direction?"
"No. Not with me making the portal. Due to the nature of my magic, I'm able to sense what our destination is likely to be coming into these realms. Not exactly, but I can tell that it won't put us in immediate danger. The only thing it can't tell me-"
Eliora's explanation was cut off by a blood-curdling screech that turned everyone's fight or flight instincts to the max. Except Eliora. Who kept talking as though nothing had happened, though her voice had a resigned tone to it now.
"-is if there is another being in the area." She sighed. "Welp, it was nice knowing you all. I don't plan to die mewling like a kitten, though."
She drew her sword and summoned cold flame to her other hand as the others prepared for battle.
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Post by recoveryfive on Nov 14, 2015 18:23:43 GMT
Gerlach gripped his staff and fixed his hat with determination, already looking for the source of the noise. Well, it's time to prove myself now. he thought, trying to look as easy to take seriously as he could. My first true fight as a wizard. I'm kind of nervous.
Bonnie, however, looked ready and raring to go. "And here comes the party...maybe!" she declared, pulling her pistol out and making sure it was loaded. Satisfied that it was, she opened her mouth to say something else-
-right as the noise's source finally reached them.
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Post by Bippwatt on Oct 17, 2016 2:12:06 GMT
Eliora turned as a massive beast, all teeth, claw and muscle, lunged from the tall grass and right toward her. Apparently, it had smelled her Sidhe magic and wanted a bite of it. As she lifted her fistful of cold flame to slam the beast with her power, an unexpected jet of blazing fire shot from somewhere behind the monstrosity and skewered it, ripping through it's flesh and out it's mouth.
The beast fell to the ground, twitching, as a tall, slim - and decidedly feminine - figure, with three men behind her seemed to waver into view.
"Seems we have some travelers that have lost their way, milady.", the right most one said respectfully.
"Oh, nonsense, Antonio.", the lady replied, her voice soft like summer rain and silky as a fine cloak. "This isn't one of the Ways that normal people just stumble into! No, they came here quite on purpose." She inhaled deeply through her nose. "And I smell Sidhe magic. Winter, if my senses don't mislead me."
Eliora's eyes had widened upon seeing the woman and now, she sheathed her sword, dissipated her magic and fell to one knee, head bowed. "Lady Summer. It was not my intention to trespass on Summer lands. I did not think to check which Court's lands these were before crossing over."
The woman's gaze landed on Eliora and Eliora winced. Even with her head down, she could tell that the Fey woman was looking at her, such was the power of her gaze. "Ah...what have we here? A Winter Knight? No, not enough power there. But close...very close." The woman's eyes narrowed. "I know you...you are Eliora. Eris' pet. Mother was most distraught to learn that her Paladin was indebted to you. I suppose we must simply be lucky that Eris didn't demand you transfer that debt to her..."
"I apologize for such actions, but I was determined to owe nothing to anyone by the time I had served my sentence with Eris."
"It is nothing, child. I was rather amused. It is fortunate that Brande didn't have him beheaded for his foolishness. Otherwise, he would never be able to settle his debt."
"That would be rather...unwise of her to do, if I may be so bold...for if she were to inhibit him from fulfilling his debt, she would be required to do so in his stead."
The lady laughed. To simply state this is to belittle it's effect. It was a rolling, gentle thing, but still loud and full...and it seemed to stop the world with it's mirth. "You are a smart one! I can see why Eris took a shine to you! Rise, please, Winter Page...your trespass is forgiven. It is merely fortunate that we were hunting this particular beast...otherwise, you might have all died! And then I'd never hear the end of it from Eris. A Winter-tied mortal, dead on Summer lands? Oh, Eris would scream bloody murder. She'd probably demand someone's head on a platter!"
Eliora stood, though she stiffened when the Fey lady said Winter Page.
"Uh, Elli? What are we doing?", Bonnie said.
Eliora turned and saw everyone still ready to fight. "Oh, for the love of...! Put those things away!" She gestured. "This is Calida, Maiden of the Summer Court. If you still think you want to fight her, go ahead, see what happens. I ain't saving your ass though. I'd prefer to remain alive."
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Post by Spartan 999 on Oct 17, 2016 3:06:31 GMT
Well, everyone except Hakim. When he'd noticed Calida and her compatriots, the Ash Lad had immediately holstered his gun and sword hilt before pulling his hood up and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible without actually activating the cloak's magic. The Fey were not creatures he trusted, given his...many experiences with them.
“I'm just fine like this, Ellie,” he said in a soft, respectful tone. Hakim kept his head inclined so as to show the proper deference to the Summer Maiden.
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Post by recoveryfive on Oct 17, 2016 3:17:01 GMT
Bonnie squinted at Calida, one eyebrow raised skeptically. When Eliora reassured them in her own way, she lowered her gun and re-holstered it. "Aaaaw..." she mumbled, looking annoyed. "But I was gonna shoot that thing, though. That level of kill-stealing ain't right, I tell ya what."
Gerlach made a small bow, recognizing the amount of respect the Summer Maiden commanded. "This is amazing!" he said, eyes wide as he observed the three in front of him. "The legendary Summer Maiden herself...it's an honor to meet you, your majesty."
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Post by Bippwatt on Oct 17, 2016 23:02:37 GMT
Eliora facepalmed as Gerlach did a silly.
Meanwhile, Calida grinned broadly. She was clearly amused.
Deidre, never one to trust Fey Folk, had lowered her sword, but not sheathed it.
Eliora turned back to the Summer Maiden. "So, with your permission, Lady Summer, we will be on our way?"
"Oh, nonsense! I'll send you off myself! Tell me where you want to go and I'll deposit you there myself!"
Eliora, relatively skilled with the Sidhe, thought she sensed a trap. "At what price, Lady Summer?"
"None! Free of charge. Simply for making my life a little brighter."
"Nothing?"
"I charge thee nothing for this boon. Thrice I say it and done.", Calida said formally.
"Then thrice I say I accept on behalf of me and mine!", Eliora finished, just as formally. "Pardon me while I consult my comrades. I shall inform you when we have a final answer." She turned to her compatriots. "Where do we want to go?"
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Post by Spartan 999 on Oct 17, 2016 23:45:07 GMT
Hakim pulled out the diagram/map of the highly-unstable part of the Wyld that Koschei's phylactery was apparently located in. “Just outside this zone is our best bet.” He tapped the parchment with a finger. “Transporting directly into it at first would...likely be dangerous for us, if not them.” He twitched his chin at the Summer Fey.
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Post by recoveryfive on Oct 18, 2016 0:15:22 GMT
Bonnie grunted in agreement. "Yeah, I see what you mean." she said to the man, eyeing the area on the map he was pointing to. "God knows what's over there waiting to get the drop on travelers like us. Then again, that's part of what makes adventuring so fun, right, Ellie?"
Gerlach looked over the map alongside Bonnie, adjusting his glasses. "My grandmother told me that she saw centaurs somewhere around this area here. They might all be dead by now, though." he muttered, shuddering as he remembered her description of them. "She said that a strange thing happened before she left them. That one of them went mad and started eating the others or something like that..."
"Spooky." Bonnie commented, sounding half unconvinced. "So all we have to do is ask Calida to take us here and we're set for now?"
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Post by Bippwatt on Oct 18, 2016 4:45:55 GMT
"I think so, yeah." Eliora turned around and cleared her throat. "My Lady Summer. We have reached a decision."
"That was quick! Where is it? Paris? Thereadron?"
"Actually...it's here." Eliora pointed on the map.
Calida looked at the map and Ellora's fingertip. Then at Eliora. "Surely, you're joking."
"No, not at all."
"Oh, fiddlesticks. Fine, but I insist I come with you. If Eris learns I sent you there, even at your own behest and didn't accompany you, she'd demand my head. And probably get it..."
Eliora blinked. That hadn't occurred to her.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Oct 18, 2016 5:16:17 GMT
“Centaurs...hm.” Hakim rubbed his chin as he pondered Gerlach's story. “Let's hope they are dead. Personally, I'd rather not run into a gang of cannibalistic centaurs anytime soon.”
When Eliora went to tell Calida, he clasped his hands behind his back as he waited. Then he blinked in surprise when Calida insisted on coming with the. He shifted uncomfortably at the thought of being so near some members of the Fey for a prolonged period of time.
“...I, uh...don't suppose you'll actively help us though, Lady Calida?,” Hakim hesitantly asked. “Then again, it would help get Eliora out of that region faster than if you simply left it to us mortals alone,” he added thoughtfully.
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Post by recoveryfive on Oct 18, 2016 5:39:09 GMT
"I, er...sure. Tha-" Bonnie, confused as to where all this kindness was coming from, was cut off mid thank you by Eliora's hand over her mouth. Eliora had told her that most faeries were tricky, and she trusted Eliora and her advice with her life. And when the BFF's met each other's gaze, Eliora gave a minute shake of the head. Clearly, such things should not be said to the Sidhe.
I'm still not too sure about this Calida myself. Bonnie thought, looking at the two accompanying the Maiden. Her coming along with three of her buddies doesn't exactly inspire confidence, even if they are here to keep her safe. Then again, we need all the help we can get, so we're not in any position to complain.
To pass the brief time they had, she checked to make sure her pistol was securely in its holster. It was her lucky gun, and she would be damned if she lost it via whatever method of travel they were taking.
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Post by Bippwatt on Oct 18, 2016 8:25:10 GMT
Eliora pondered for a moment. "Will your...detail be accompanying us as well?"
Calida looked back. "No, I don't think so. Not all of it, at any rate. Would only one of my Knights accompanying us be acceptable?"
Eliora thought about it. If they had ill intent, they wouldn't be going to all this effort...but then again, they were Sidhe. Their actions didn't always make sense to mortals. Though, with Calida, one Knight extra wouldn't make any difference. It would probably take all of her magic, plus Deidre and Gerlach's to counter act Calida, or at least slow her down enough to give Bonnie and Hakim to have a chance to take down the Knight. Then the five of them together might stand a chance against Calida. But not a good one. Deidre's cold iron blade would probably actually be their ace in the hole, there.
"Alright. It's a deal." Of course, that's when Eliora thought of it. Deidre. Did she even want to come? She turned to ask her...but too late.
"Excellent! Let's be off then! Betta, please be a dear and return to the Summer Throne with Samuel. Antonio and I shall go and escort these ladies and gentlemen to their destination. And we're off, like a herd of turtles!" She opened the portal and it swept over them, sending them through a dizzying wormhole of travel.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Oct 18, 2016 20:14:11 GMT
Hakim tilted his head slightly at that odd phrase. “Herd of turtles...?” Then his eyes widened as the portal washed over them.
There was a half-second of simultaneous weightlessness and gravity pulling in all directions, a flare of near-psychedelic colors, the smell of flowers and grass in the summer...and then they landed.
Gerlach wobbled, almost losing his balance at the top of a bluff they'd appeared on.
“Woah there.” Hakim quickly wrapped an arm around the smaller boy and bodily dragged him back from the edge.
Good thing, too, because the landscape had been in flux before their arrival, and was just now solidifying with Calida's overwhelming presence acting upon it. The edge of the bluff “hardened” and settled a few feet further in, meaning that if Gerlach had remained there, the ground quite literally would have vanished from beneath him.
As for the rest of the landscape, well. It was quite a thing.
The entire area was lit by a sun that burned a sickly-peach color, with grey-blue clouds that were apparently also the sky. (It's the Wyld, shit's weird.)
The cliff they stood atop overlooked a roiling, chaotic multicolored sea. Salt, nectar, iron...the air was choked with numerous scents. From the waters rose a myriad of islands that drastically varied in size, shape, and eldritch-ness. Some were fairly straightforward, and actually looked like a small tropical island. Others were jagged and curved all around, with peculiar “trees”--if they could be called that--growing at bizarre angles. Still others were smooth and solid, evidently formed from marble or another type of smooth stone, with grass and trees composed of glass.
Quite frankly, the sea and the islands looked infinite, stretching past whatever passed for a horizon in the Wyld. Finding that egg with the needle inside would be no easy task.
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Post by recoveryfive on Oct 18, 2016 21:38:40 GMT
Bonnie looked at the beautiful yet odd landscape all around them, taking in everything from the trees to the water. For once, she couldn't find anything to say about her surroundings. She checked to make sure her gun was still there and was satisfied to see that it was. She heard Gerlach thank Hakim somewhere near her, not really paying attention to what they were saying at the moment. This is gonna be a bitch of a job. she couldn't help but think.
"Well, we're all here." Gerlach said, fixing his currently askew hat. "Now to find that egg...somehow." He was suddenly quite thankful his staff could essentially double as a walking stick/general poking things tool.
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