Fourstones RP Thread

Elden glared at Tova. "Fine. Stay in the dark." he said, taking a swig from his lovely friend Mister Flask and starting down the stairs. The light revealed them to be stone, though worn, showing them to be very old and possibly dating back to the time of the orphanage's building. The sounds if battles grew dimmer as he went deeper down the staircase, and hoped his companions were following him. He never liked being alone, or the dark for that matter. Dreadfully scary monsters lived in the places where there was no light.

Tova snorted and followed behind elden at the very back of the group, she didn't have anything else to fight back about but to only follow.

Spoiler:

Yvara's brow knitted at Elden. Tova was concerned about him leading the group; the Tribal girl, on the other hand, was more amazed that he just made fire out of his bare hands. She wondered, mouth agape, if anyone else saw that. It was the book, she thought. She saw him straining his eyes in the dark to read it. Did Igmund give him a spellbook? Perhaps now would be a good time to open her bag, like everyone else. She looked in it, following towards the end of the group absentmindedly. The torch barely illuminated her face, but the surprise could have been registered by anyone looking towards her.

She got a book too? She reached for the note first, reading it a few times in her mind. Was Igmund implying that she was evil? Tears began to well up in her eyes when she read the title of the book. Novice Witchcraft. It was bound in leather, brown and faded, with parchment and old ink inside. She opened to the first page. It read:

The past 50 years have given magic a bad name, Witchcraft especially. But those who thirst to learn will find knowledge withing this tome. I warn the reader, though; too much knowledge is crippling.

- Coven Mother Uaile of the Plains

This reassured Yvara slightly. She noticed she was lagging behind, so she slammed the book shut and raced to catch up with the others.

They were led by Elden down a dark tunnel, paved in the same stone the great city -- once great city -- of Silvershrine. It was cold, damp, and Yvara was certain she heard a rat or two scurrying around somewhere. They eventually did make it, though; the tunnel was only about ten minutes from the city. They reached a wooden door; it was a crude circular shape, and when the children opened it, snow and trees and night was revealed to them.

The door had been put over two boulders, and it definitely was crudely made. Igmund was no smith. It was hidden by foliage from the winter-like forest, but not very hard to find. It was a good thing it was not often that travelers came this far north. In the distance, the city could be seen; there were still twenty wyverns circling overhead, and arrows were still being shot. They had no chance, but it was good to see the Rebels were still at least on their feet.

Nearly all of the students ducked down when a frightening roar illuminated the black sky. The white-laced trees covered the orphans, but something large and fearsome flew overhead. Yvara could see it, heading towards the city, breathing fire from its mouth. It was greater than any of the wyverns, and they scattered as it came. What was left of the Rebels and a great number of civilians was taken by a dragon.

"By the gods," cried Yvara softly, holding her bag closely to herself. It was cold. The city always had hearths and fires the children could warm themselves at, even in the streets where the beggars (what few there were in Silvershrine) congregated. Here it was cold, and she felt naked in her plain clothing and brown cloak.

The woods seemed to stretch on for at least four miles.

Hinthint. You can't build camp this close to the city. Get walkin'. ;D

Koa tried to drown out the roars of the dragon and the death it was causing with some old Cerulean Wavefolk hums. He had learned them from all the local sailors who had stopped by Whiteport. It was a happy tune, one that you were to work to under the azure clear skies and warm sun with no clouds to obstruct it. It sounded slightly mournful, and the cold and dreariness of Frost didn't help. Neither did the screams.

Koa continued to hum, though, moving ahead. You could hear him murmuring something to the tune.

"Oh gooooods that is a drago-onnnn don't look at it Koaaaa..." his singing voice was hushed, but strained and a bit shaky. Koa stopped at the edge of the woods, shivering in his cloak. He turned around on his heel, facing the fellow graduates. "You know, Silvershrine doesn't sound so bad now-" he was interrupted by another bloodcurdling roar of the dragon. Koa turned again, walking briskly into the forest.

OOC- Because I was slightly left behind, I didn't read all of it, I skimmed. I assume we're in the tunnel, no?

IC- Enro was staring simply into his bag. he read the note left to him over and over. He held the sparrow skeleton- the skeleton of Jet- in his free hand.
Sometimes we are misunderstood
P.s. I call the rat Krea and the sparrow Jet. Raise them when you feel alone."
He looked at the book on the College of Necromancy. He felt a strange feeling about his bag being filled with a book on the College of Necromancy, the note, and two skeletons- oddly clean and intact- in his bag. But somehow, the feeling wasn't of dread or fear; it was prideful and happy. Could this mean he was to be a Necromancer? All those hours spent late through the night in candlelight reading, not wasting?
A smile played with his lips as he followed with the others.

Eira fidgeted slightly in the dim light of the tunnels. She hated the feeling of confinement, and the ever present feeling of eyes on her back didn't help. Along with the occasional squeak of rats echoing through the tunnel, Eira squirmed in her white boots. When the children exited the tunnel, the Gray sighed in relief, brushing at her sides as if the tunnels had dirtied her.
Eira dragged her blue eyed gaze from her feet to the city, and in an instant regretted it. Her eyes stayed glued to the scene as it laid out in front of her- Rebels fighting the Witch-Queen's army. Unbearable bloodshed. Rising flames, growing cold without anything to consume. This was her home at one point, and now it was nothing more than the Witch-Queen's flattened down playground. She couldn't bare to think of the children she had live with. Surely they had lived... Right? For once she was almost grateful everyone there was an orphan. Those with bonds of trust and love were the ones to feel the most pain. Families losing a love one would be stripped of that tie to happiness, and it would be tragic. Consumed in these thoughts, Eira's eyes watered and her throat showed signs of oncoming tears from all the grief.
"Come on Eira, stay strong. You must keep moving. She wasn't sure if it was her own self consciousness that spoke, or something from the Beyond, but she complied.

She took a few calming breaths before glancing back at the city, now composed. Her gaze feel on Yvara, and without thinking, the ten walked over to the young woman. "Come on, dear. All we can do now is keep moving." Her voice was level and soothing as she placed a hand on the Witch's shoulder. After a moment she stepped back and followed the worn out group towards the forest and away from their past home.
Eira reached into her brown pack and wrapped her hands around the map, taking it out to look at it. She was wary and tired, but knew the adventure had only just begun.

You're welcome.
<3 Tree

At first there was just the beautiful day and the lovely array of colors that filled the sky. Granted, it was just blue, but it seemed a much prettier blue today, especially since it was the day of Garai's Goodbye. It was more of a bittersweet moment for him, but he also looked forward to it. With this, he could now visit the Redlands again and feel like he was home. It wasn't like he didn't feel like home at the orphanage-- it was a splendid place and he felt very secure, but he had always wanted to see the desert hills again and feel the warmness of the sand underneath his feet. Most of all, he wanted to restore the memories he once had of when he was a small boy. It really didn't seem that long ago since it was only about 13 years, but unfortunately, he could barely remember anything about the Redlands. In a way, it kind of saddened him that he had lost so much of his culture over the years...

This is what Garai thought about as the speeches continued on. He wasn't exactly paying attention, but when he glanced around as if he had been caught daydreaming, he found that he was not the only one who had seemed to be lost in thought. Everyone around him was already too focused on what was going to happen after the Goodbyes, even the younger children who seemed a little fidgety. With a slight smile, he relaxed once again and began to doze off until a loud screech and the rumbling of the ground under his feet jerked him right back to being alert. Well, that wasn't normal. What was going on here?

As soon as the rebel captain burst in through the doorway, Garai was up on his feet. The news of being under attack startled him. This place had never been attacked! Well, as far as he knew, anyway. This was a new experience, and definitely a new feeling; he was scared. As Wyverns, Harpies, Orcs, and all sorts of other creatures fell from the sky and burst through the door, Garai stood frozen in place. These creatures were new to him, but everyone else's faces told him they were not good news at all. As he stood there, several of the guards and even the rebel captain himself had fallen to these demons. Adrenaline now began pulsing through his veins. He wasn't going to fight-- because he sure didn't know how to-- but he had to go somewhere. He had to get out of here.

Then, Igmund had appeared in front of the entire group of who were now supposed to be adults. Garai didn't exactly know any of them, but when they began to follow the old Gray, he figured it was the only safe way out of here. Quickly, he darted after them, hoping to avoid the chaos increasing around them. As soon as they were out of the orphanage, he only showed shock on his face as the bushes he had always seen there faded away, and it was only until Igmund had explained himself did the young Redlander finally relax, but he only did so ever-so-slightly. As soon as the bags appeared and they were told to fetch them, Garai grabbed his bag. It seemed oddly heavy for a small leather bundle, but he seemed content with it nonetheless... until he opened it.

Inside the bag was just sand. White sand at that. Nothing but dirt from the ground, but there was something about it. It was a little comforting and it put a slight smile on his face, but wait. Everyone else had gotten notes. He was sure to have one... right? Instantly, he reached his hand into the bag and moved the soft sand in between his fingers. It felt wonderful. This was actual sand! It felt nothing like the dirt around the orphanage. As he dug, he continued deeper into the sand until his fingers wrapped around something rather hard. It definitely wasn't the same substance that engulfed his hand now. Getting a firm grasp on the object, he pulled it out and found the note that went along with it. It was a ruby. A deep red ruby that shined in the light. What an odd thing to get in a bag full of sand. With a slight sigh and a curious look, he glanced at the note.

Sometimes the answer is hidden.

That's all it said. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a simple message. It obviously had some kind of meaning behind it, but as he continued to think about it, he glanced up to see that half the group had already left him and were running through the dark tunnel.

"H-Hey guys! Wait for me!" He cried as he ran to catch up with the group. It was the first words he had said since the beginning of the Goodbyes, but he didn't want to get left behind. At this point in time, it seemed to be the worst thing that could happen. He quickly caught up after tossing the ruby and the note back in the bag before slinging it on his shoulder and continuing with the group.

It was only until they had reached the other exit of the tunnel did he look back at the city. The flames, the terrifying thoughts of the people who had perished by the hand of the Witch Queen tortured Garai's mind. He couldn't help but stare at the Wyverns encircling the sky before they were scared away by the roar of a beast-- wait, what was that? The Redlander instantly ducked as the beast flew over their heads. Instantly it caught his attention; it was a dragon. It was much larger than any of the wyverns near the city. Garai could only stare in horror at the sight as it flew overhead, basically killing the rest of the living that the ten had left behind.

"My Gods..." He muttered in completely terror before the second shriek of the dragon forced him to move along with the others. What were they going to do now in the forest? It wasn't like they knew exactly what to do. Well, in his own mind, Garai had high hopes that the gods would protect them, but with what had just occurred, all hope seemed lost. With a heavy sigh, he walked past Eira and Yvara as the healer spoke. "Exactly. The Gods will help us from here..."

Elden looked around the winter scene, and would have enjoyed it if it wasn't so ordinary to him. Crystal snowflakes danced onto his clothing, seeming rather peaceful for what was going on behind them. Then, out of no where, a large roar erupted. It frightened Elden, and he kind of maybe yelped, dropping the torch in the snow under him. It extinguished, and thankfully the dragon didn't hear him.
"Dear Alma, why are they doing this...?" he murmured to himself, listening to Koa's wonderful tunes to calm himself as well. He was almost out of alcohol, and he was not a happy Elden to begin with at all.

Yvara steeled herself at Eila's kind, gentle gaze and soothing words. It was unusual to feel like someone your own age was so maternal, but Eila made the Tribal girl at ease. She decided that she liked her and followed her advice. Granted, Yvara liked most people, but there was something special about the Gray. She found herself wondering what the pretty girl got in her bag . . . and a bit bitterly, decided that Eila's fate was probably much more bright than her own, but private. No one had shared their gifts, and she assumed it was unanimous. They were in silent agreement to stay reserved.

She looked at the boy that made the comment about the gods; he was a Redlander, and she thought his name was Garai or something. It was hard to forget him at the orphanage; besides the fact that Yvara found him attractive, he was rather striking in appearance. He and the Akila girl were the only orphans from the desert in Yvara's entire time there. She didn't remember if he was religious or not, but he seemed to be. The way he spoke suggested he put his total faith in the gods. Yvara had too. Until that bastard Igmund told her she was going to be a Witch. She hated herself for such thoughts, but the girl felt like the gods have abandoned her. Condemned her. The only way it would be worse if she was destined to be a Necromancer, or Assassin or something.

The group was forced to move on. There were ten of them, so it was hard to stay silent, and Yvara found herself getting jumpy as they walked on. It was silent for the most part. Life at the Orphanage gave each of them, no matter how spirited, some kind of appreciation for ruggedness and hard-work. The only way to get done was to walk it out.

When they made it halfway through the woods, it was about a ninety minutes later; they had walked two miles. Fatigue was setting in. They needed to camp, and the beach still couldn't be seen or heard.

There was a nice patch of land where tall pines protected the ground from snow. It was still cold, but it was a good place to sleep through the night.

"You guys," Yvara finally said, holding her sides. "Don't you think we should . . . you know, camp?" Her voice was soft, and very tired. It was a long day preparing for the Goodbye ceremony -- the graduates had to set up and decorate the Courtyard, and Yvara had worked in the kitchens all day to prepare a grand meal for their parting.

(This is one of those breaks (this one will be very small) that you can chat and break and whatnot. Once everyone's character goes to sleep, I will move us.)

In regards to food; we're going to start until we get to Iceport, if that's okay. :3 They have no hunting skills as of now. It is just a day without eating. ;D)

Koa practically collapsed, falling to his knees at Yvara's words. "Thank the gods, finally." he groaned. He set the pack down, before looking around. His stomach rumbled. They hadn't eaten all day. Koa readjusted, sitting on the cold hard ground that hadn't seen any sunlight in a very long time. He shivered a bit, and the gentle snow from earlier had soaked him in his robes. It was dark, too. He was so exhausted that he just wanted to sleep, but how was the Wavefolk supposed to do that?

"Did anybody get any food in one of those packs?" Koa inquired, a bit of hope in his voice. Things were bad and only getting worse. But if there was food, it might just distract him from the... well, the everything. There wasn't a single positive thing in that forest besides the small shining hope in Koa's heart that the Elven seer had the mind to instruct Igmund to pack a loaf of bread or something. It would have been a tiring day without all this, for Alma's sake.

Silya had to stop and pause in her walk, spinning around and staring at the sky with wide and fearful eyes. That dragon... The city-folk were having a hard enough time as it was fighting the forces that had arrived in the first place. She had never seen a dragon before, at least, not one let loose and wreaking havoc. With an unnatural chill, she realized that everything they had left behind - the place they had grown in and the people they knew, they'd all be gone by morning.

And so, the girl trudged on with the others, nearly slipping on the hard snow. She had to keep shrugging on her heavy, over-sized cloak. Silya had been frightened just to be kicked out on the streets; realization was just setting in on what exactly had just happened. She wasn't even sure how she was feeling now. Instead of being hyper-active as usual, she kept with the silent mood, not daring to speak a word.

However, when Yvara had finally pointed out the chance to rest, the tree elf gladly took up the idea. "About time!" She exhaled, nearly echoing Koa and sliding into the clearing. She did little twirls and twists, giving the entire clearing a quick inspection. "We can move these branches -" She exclaimed, looking up at the tree limbs over head. The short elf attempted to reach for one. No luck. Okay, she leaned up on the tips of her toes this time. Still, not enough. Silya let out a huff and rolled her eyes, "Well, I was gonna say we could move them to make a tent or something, but..." Screw that idea. It was stupid anyways... She could always just sleep in the tree itself.

At Koa's question, Silya suddenly perked up. "Oh, I got -" She started and held up one hand. Wait for ittttt ~ She started shuffling around under her soaked cloak, feeling through the pockets ... and suddenly, she looked disheartened. Nothing. "Oh, well I had some sweet bread before - I guess I lost it. Heh..." Damn, this was just not her day.

Mood dropping a bit again, she simply stood there, not sure of what else to say or do now.

"Oh..." Koa muttered in response, a little disheartened. He propped himself against a thick trunk of a tree, dragging his pack with him. Any possessions he had before, whether stolen or his, were left at the orphanage. Koa had left so fast that he hadn't even thought about it. Everything was happening so fast... Despite the hour and a half long walk through the woods, it had done nothing to settle his nerves.

He dug his hand into the pack, running his hands over the tools and silver until he felt the cold metal of the golden hilted pick. He took it out, observing it closely and twirling it in his fingers. Igmund had given the Wavefolk boy tools for burglary and a fat sack of money. The Wizard's Sylvanna friend knew him too well, and she had died long ago.

That's what Igmund had said, anyways. As he gazed at the beautiful pick, his mind wandered. What of the Croft Orphanage? Why Broma? Why them of all people? They were just orphans... They hadn't even been able to graduate before they were sent on this quest. This quest for what? For answers? Because Koa certainly needed some of those. "Do you reckon we've got a part to play?" he asked, to no one in particular. It was a question that weighed on his mind, and surely on the others' minds in particular.

Elden had been rummaging around the outside of the clearing, snapping off any firewood from the trees and undergrowth. At the sound of Koa's second question, his pointed ears twitched.
"Aah, I don't know. Fourstones has a lot more...erm...able heroes." he said with an awkward smile. "You never know though. We just have to follow what the old man told us and go from there.
As he finished his sentence, he had accumulated a big pile of kindling in the middle of the clearing. Using the technique he remembered, he made a small spark from his finger, and the wood lit.
Of course, he suddenly found himself a tad lethargic. Magic drained you of energy. He too found a nice trunk to prop himself against, and looked at his silver flask, not daring to take the last sip.

Tova snorted with displeasment "No food? this is the worst" sitting down onto the ground, with a huff, "Maybe, I wish that person told us what we had to do other than go to that place..." she sighed, glaring to the orange, yellow flames she huffed and got to her feet deciding to held she ripped off small peices of branches because she is just so weak! o.o Placing them down next to the fire and sat down.

Garai didn't really say anything except let out a huge sigh of relief as he thought of finally getting off of his feet. The clearing wasn't much, but the fire that Elden lit sure seemed nice. Although, the longer he looked at the flames that licked at the branches, the more he felt a cold terror move straight down his spine. It only reminded him of what happened with the dragon. The stupid beast that reigned its power over the orphanage and even the entire city, sending everything up in smoke. As the Redlander got comfortable on the ground-- or at least as comfortable as he could get-- he turned around so that his back was facing the source of heat. He couldn't bear to see what had killed so many people less than hours before. When he could finally take his focus off of the recent events, for the most part, he joined into the conversation. Of course, they were talking about food which only made his stomach growl at him like an angry dog. "I am sure there is a reason we were chosen for this," He chimed in rather softly, suddenly becoming a little more bashful talking where everyone could hear him. "And as for food, we can last through tonight... Maybe..." His voice trailed off as he began to regret his confidence in how long he could last without food. The constant pang of hunger that now revealed itself was extremely annoying and hard to deal with.