There was a certain unese and weariness she was feeling from this conversation, yet she managed to keep it from appearing obvious. At worst, it was but a mild contempt for the fae, at best she was simply tired. Oh... how the princess hated being complimented like this. Yes, she liked compliments, just in differerent sorts of situations. Forcing nothing less than a natural-appearing smile, she tilted her head slightly. "You seem to be enjoying yourself then?" Quickly glancing in the general direction of the other pae, she kept the smile expertly plastered on. "...as is all else."
It was a near miracle that the princess did not scream at the feeling of being bumped into, even more so when on closer inspection her skin shown red with the (imaginary) flood dripping from the faun's mouth. Avoiding eye contact with the teenager, she nodded. "It... would appear... as such..." Not wanting to arounse anyone's suspicions, she soon excused herself to make use of the restroom and found a different location to sit. After al, if they did run into each other once again, she could claim forgetfullness.
The stories the fairies told were simply astonishing. It was always something to be appreciated to hear of the past of a place, even if it was but a silly myth. He made it seem like the ghost story might actually be true. Might... Maybe... Very maybe...
Guess they might find out tomorrow?
DaemonGabrielle
Teigra
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 7:01 am
Big Mac watched as Applebloom raced past him while being led onto the boat by Faroth's son. His eyes were narrowed, which - if Applebloom had noticed them at all - meant he wasn't particularly happy with her keeping secrets like this from her big brother. But he remained quiet. For now. He could at least keep a better eye on her if Faroth's kid stuck around her more for the rest of the trip.
He heaved a heavy sigh once she was safely aboard, then waited for Miss Rarity to board before he followed her on. He stuck pretty close to Rarity's side for the entire boat trip to the campsite, implying the occassional "Eeehy-Yup!" and the rarer "Ehnnn-Nope!" whenever it was appropriate.
Upon reaching the campsite, he dropped off Rarity's things at her chosen tent then snagged up the tent next to hers, making note as he moved around to whichever tent Applebloom picked to ensure he could keep a further eye out for her.
During dinner, Big Mac listened carefully. He loved stories, and campfire stories were perhaps the most amusing. He wasn't one to scare easily... at least, he liked to think so... But something about this Fairy's story left him a bit on the cautious edge for tomorrow's journey. Most stories had a reason to be told. Whether it was an old mare's tale or a past reality tweaked to scare away little fillies... In any case, it did not ease his spirits any.
After dinner, Big Mac escorted Rarity to her tent to make sure she made it to bed safely. He then moved back to the campfire until he was sure that everyone else made it to their tents respectively. He was a big brother at heart and wanted to be sure no one was left behind...
However... someone was left behind...? As people started filing into their tents, Big Mac noticed that there was one that was left empty. Did someone miss the boat, perhaps? He could have sworn that he idly counted the individuals that got on the boat and got off. That was the roughly the same number that filed into tents, right? He was pretty sure. Then why did this one get put up at all? Did someone not show up?
He frowned. Perhaps he was tired. But it left him uneasy... He stood from the campfire and went in search of one of the Fairies that flitted about the camp, presumably part of the night watch. In quiet whispers, he inquired about the empty tent and whether or not there should have been an inhabitant.
Fea Line
Strawberri Stardust
Teigra
Guardian_Iris
The "missing" Pae being Shizzle. That's who he's inquiring.
She smiled, relieved, when he laughed. She supposed that no blood was definitely a good thing, so she grinned and laughed a little with him. He looked kinda familiar, like she might have seen him at some point in the Tree, but there were so many pae in there and she didn't always pay attention. "Me either! I'm excited for this," she said and squeaked when she was tugged along toward the boat. She grinned widely and thought that this could definitely be a fun trip with this guy. She peeked behind her both to check on her Mellon and on her Parasprite and to check on her brother and Rarity. Pomme and Poma were safely peeking back at her from her backpack. Big Mac's eyes were narrowed at her, but all she could do was grin at him.
"I'm Applebloom, by the way," she said to the wolfish teen as they rode to the first campsite. Once there, she grinned at her companion. "Race ya to the tents!" she challenged before she took off. He looked like he'd be fast on those paws of his, and he'd probably beat her there. But it would still be fun!
Teigra
xD Sorry <3
Seruta
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 9:38 pm
Twizzz had mostly flown to the camping site at the top of the cliff and was feeling great. He was quick to join the others around the campfire to listen to stories, but he had no idea what he was actually getting into with the story being shared. The striped one listened intently, his knees pulled to his chest, and his arms wrapped around his legs. He didn't like the idea of children being kidnapped... and if this story was true... where was he in this heritage... how long ago was this? Was he part of a broken or fixed generation? Twizzz didn't really have any problems with the other species.
Then there was this whole idea of dark magic... magic shouldn't be used for dark things... it should be used for good things, like making candy. But was bringing a pae back to life a bad thing or a good thing. Twizzz hadn't really had the opportunity to ponder on such deep thoughts in a long time, but it left him confused. The... reanimate children... were hurting pae? The fairies seemed kind of vague to him, but the idea of children being less than innocent sent chills down his spine.
Twizzz had no idea how he was supposed to sleep now. He was creeped out, disturbed, and his mind was buzzing with new questions on subjects he had never thought about. His heart thumped in anticipation of tomorrows location, he didn't want to go to wherever this place was where all this stuff happened. That meant it really happened, and he desperately wanted it to be just a campside story.
Delfin was sulking in his tent. He hadn't had any luck with the ladies of this horrible, river trip at all. He had come out of his hidey hole and made himself visible and they just weren't falling all over him like he expected. Was he ugly? No. that couldn't be it. Was it his smell? He sniffed his arms and his chest with solid frown. No. He smelt as he always did, of river water with a hint of fish. Was it his big fish that kept scaring people away?
He stared at the fish and momentarily considered that idea. It was a rather large fish. And females were afraid of large things. Perhaps his fish had spoken before he had and simply scared them all away?
That was it. He would just have to hide his fish somewhere until he could convince a lady it was safe to look at. Glancing around, he quickly grabbed his backpack and shoved his ginormous fish in there.
There. Now he could seduce ladies without scaring them.
Pelagious was more interested in trying to gather measurements of the fairies adorable clothing. While they were telling the story, he was adding up mental calculations that would expand the outfit to a more...pae size. The hat would be the easiest. The shirt and shorts were a lttle tricky.
Taking the moment when the poor avalons were distracted by the story telling, he snuck up and began trying to measure them. Yet again. He had to get these measurements before the trip ended. Running the tape in the tiny fairies inseam, he gave a silent chuckle. He had them now...
Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:48 pm
The callouses came as a bit of a surprise, as he had a pre-conceived notion of how a female should be. Delicate. Gentle. Like that pae he had scared the wits out of earlier. Despite his surprise however, he managed an earnest handshake back. "I honestly don't know anything about this area either. Grew up in the City. Should be an interesting trip once it actually get started..." His eyes flicked over to the boat and the fairies that beckoned. "Well...that was coincidental." As intriguing as Sapphire was, he was more than happy at the thought of slipping away from her and her quick mind. Couldn't have her ratting him out after all about his little prank. "I guess I'll be seeing you."
True enough. He still wanted to keep her safe. The male smiled back at her just as he heard the fairies call in the distance. "You'll be having so much fun, you'll hardly think of Arik." The trip was only a few days after all, and the lucky rabbit had more food than he could possibly eat in a month. "And speaking of fun, it looks like the first bit is about to begin!" He excitedly turned to the boat, his tuff of a tail flicking. "I've...never been on a boat before." Well, looks like there was a first time for everything.
"I wouldn't say that" Lira said as she looked at the boat they were to be boarding "I could never forget about that cute little face at home thats waiting for us!" She said, knowing he was well looked after, he did have enough food and water and they had asked another Faun to check in on him from time to time but still she couldn't help but worry about the darling little thing "and I haven't either" she said as she took a deep breath and let it out as she stepped onto the boat carefully "and just to let you know" she said as she got her footing firmly on deck and made her way to the middle a bit more."If I die I am coming back to haunt you" she said smiling at him, she was joking mostly but a part of her was serious, she was still so unsure about even going, she was planning on sticking firmly next to him anyway but still, she knew he wished to help others also which is something she liked about him but still, as much as she wanted him to do that she also wanted to be selfish and just keep him all to herself, protector reasons mostly but she also wanted to share every experience with him, if she was to come on this trip she did wish to make certain she and he experienced everything (or at least most things) together.
Tartara Seabreeze
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 12:42 am
Coronus had been by her self most of the time at camp. She had been quiet listening to the forest trying to clear her mind of any stray thought. "I am here to have fun and to learn something about what had happened here." she said to her self when she noticed it had gotten dark and had head over to have lunch with everyone. As she ate she heard the story it made her wish she had her time traveling powers back so she could see if it did happen. or if she could have had Sunny Jones come along and use her power to get some clues. Although seeing who was also here it might have been a good idea for her not to be here. She thought as she headed to her tent for bed. Tomorrow sounded like it was going to be a fun filled day.
sailornorthstar
Generous Giver
Online
Daisicle
Aged Genius
Offline
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:28 am
Having had enough of the night, Celestia silently excused herself as she stood up and turned to leave. It was becoming increasingly tiring to pretend like she was comfortable, and she wanted nothing more than to return to her sane solitude, if only for a few wondrous hours.
Or, what she thought would be solitude.
Hardly able to keep an irritating sigh from escaping her lips, the princess quietly made eye contact with the floating ball of light in front of her, preventing her from being truly alone. Oh... If Clairvoyance only knew how badly she wanted to just put out her litt-...
"You do not appear pleased by my presence... Certainly this is not so, princess...?" the mellon asked, a certain air off offence clear in her tone.
Straining to prevent herself from replying sarcastically or truthfully, she replied back in a mumbled tone, "Oh, certainly not. I am forever honored when you choose to bless me with your presence." Perhaps she was not as successful as she would have liked.
Laughing, the ball floated around her head and to her other shoulder. "Now, now... You mussn't lie to me, dear princess, even if you think it is what I wish to hear. Even ones for such reasons can complicate a situation." As if to make her point know, she pushed on, "Such as by saying all is fine. I know as well as you the falseness of such a statement. While those of power should always carry themselves as though no troubles can affect them, they must also know when to ask for the help of others..."
Pausing for a moment, as if to properly collect her thoughts, she added on, "I... believe you are in need of another's help... princess... Why must you remain so proud, even if it can only continue to destroy you? It is not strength you display; it is cowardice."
Not bothering to hide her foul mood anymore, Celestia simply took the sayings without a word and, ignoring them, turned to lay herself upon her sleeping bag. "Goodnight," was the only thing she said before pulling the fabric over her eyes.
Sighing, the mellon chose to leave her with one simple message before disappearing into the darkness. "Such stubbornness will only hurt yourself and those about you..."
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 10:44 pm
The next morning, after breakfast was served and cleaned up, the tour guide fairies started preparing for the first trek into the jungle. The first trek was designed to only acclimate the hikers, get them used to the surroundings and teach them what to expect.
"Please utilize your insect repellent. It is a special blend created by Kalandandra herself, and designed to repell the bugs that call the jungle home. And I need to warn ya, the bugs in the jungle are vicious and they are huge." One fairy guide prompted.
"Due to various legal reasons, only fairies will wield the machetes. We are not responsible for damage, dismemberment or death caused by a machete in the hands of a Pae'il," a shorter, female fairy with large bug-eye glasses read off a paper on a clip board. At the mention of the word machete, several fairy guides appeared, all wielding normal sized machetes, and started cutting on the vines and jungle vegetation to start a path leading inwards.
The tall, lithe fairy guide looked over his papers and then glanced about the campsite. "Alrighty, we're all set to head in. Remember, do not stray from the path unless you welcome pain and suffering. Our destination is a location that we have on good authority that should be the ruins of the place that crazy Faerie Pae'il conducted his experiments on children. At noon, we'll stop for a quick lunch, but in the mean time, eat a snack when you get hungry. When we get to our destination, I ask that you all remain reverent, calm and respectful. We don't want to disturb anything that may be there." He spoke very formal, as if reading off a checklist instead of trying to paint a picture for this hike.
Yet another little fairy guide zipped over, hovering beside him and smiled to everyone. She waited for him to finish reading his script before speaking. In a very high-pitched voice, with as much excitement as you'd expect from a perky little fairy, she said, "We've been tasked to look for certain items in the area, so keep an eye out. Any treasures or relics you may find are yours, however we do ask that you let us appraise the items."
The path will be bumpy and full of biting insects of all kinds. There will be snakes and monkeys, but they'll likely move out of the way of the large group and the weed-wacker fairies. They will clear a spot for lunch, and the group will stop for about 30 minutes to eat and rest, then the hike will continue on for about 2 hours.
The destination will reveal a moss and vine covered mound. The air around the mound will be dense, and feel heavy. There will be cold spots, and a foul smell. It is haunted, so those Pae'il sensitive to those sorts of things will know it. If your Pae can see or talk to spirits, they cannot see or talk to these ones, only feel their presence, and feel the malevolent presence behind them.
The fairies will lead the hikers into a hole in the mound, that leads to a dark stone room with a few small crawl spaces. The room will have been untouched for hundreds of years, so there are many insects and vegetation covering everything. Feel free to explore the crawl spaces and adjoining rooms, and be creative with what you find. The fairies are looking for something very specific: a canopic jar. Next prompt will reveal who found it.
For those Pae who are too frightened to enter the mound, the surrounding jungle provides ample opportunity to explore and search for items as well, however, a fairy weed-wacker or stolen machete will be required to get through the dense vegetation. Also, don't stray too far, or you can get left behind.
Children's giggles can be heard once in a while when it gets quiet.
-----
Items that can be discovered: Old manuscripts - written in the ancient Pae'il language Old journals - written in the ancient Pae'il language Orders from the original Order of the Light - written in the ancient Pae'il language An Order of the Light signet ring - originally stolen Alchemy jars with various reagents still preserved inside Miscellaneous children's toys such as dolls, balls, wooden swords, etc. Quills made of an unidentifiable avian feather Old copper pots (relevant because Pae have not discovered copper on Telrunya yet) A delicate faerie Pae'il staff, covered in dirt, dried blood and jungle overgrowth A faerie Pae'il circlet
Your Pae'il can find one of the above objects, and it's first-come, first-serve on the single items. (the signet, staff and circlet)
Guardian_Iris Captain
Offline
Shicala
Hungry Animal
Offline
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 12:13 am
Sleeping with these weird pae'il was just not an option for Zaden who has spent the night in the best tree should could actually climb yet near the rest of the group. She still had clung to her bug spray spritzing any little fairy who came even remotely close to her. I need more of this repelllstuffs she thought to herself more then once, but so far most of the bags owned by the pae were relatively closely guarded and she'd not managed to steal any.
Treasures! Now that was for her! Maybe she could even show up that rotten mean sister of hers who had taken off and left her again. Zaden was herded forth with the other pae and at one point decided to go invisible so the bugs would leave her alone, it only partially worked and she still wound up using some of her precious spray on the insects. When they stopped for lunch Zaden munched down as much as the fairies would let her take.
By the end of the hike Zaden was grumbling about walking and being out in the sun so much, she welcomed the hole in the mound and eagerly entered it. Like her own home it was amply dark and had lots of places to hide things. With a childish yet sneaky look on her face she rubbed her hands together gleefully and took off to the nearest crawl spaces to explore it and look for loot. At first her fingers found nothing, just pebbles and other things she would have expected to find in a cave. And then on her way back out of the crawlspace she tripped on something long "STUPID ROOT" she said loudly, grabbing hold of the thing she thought was a root "I gonna teach yous to trip me, I gonna pull you right out of the ground!" she went to give a hard pull and stumbled backwards as the item came loose far easier then she expected and she went flying backwards to land on her butt. Her hands were still holding the item "Sees you dumb thing I teached you!" she shook it triumphantly only to have a little of the dirt shake free and she discovered to her glee it wasn't a root... it was a stick thing like the dumb faery pae she used to spy on at the HQ had.
Guardian_Iris
((she pull/picked up the faerie staff))
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 1:14 am
Morning came all too quickly for the princess, it felt, yet normally for many of the others who were already chittering away and making second rounds for their breakfast plates. Many of them were blood pae, their very existence causing her stomach to churn and her appetite to dissipate. She understood, however, that skipping the meal altogether would likely be a poor decision, so she came closer to the fairies serving the meal and took from them a cup of hot tea, something akin to jasmine, and a few small, berry scones. While it wasn't much, it was enough to ease the lingering hunger pains behind the nausea, yet not upset it.
If nothing else, this trip would help her to be able to socialize again, despite her recurring visions.
Returning the glassware to the fairy in duty, her head turned as a voice was clear in directing them. How very... formal... self-preserving... specific these orders seemed. Even if they were merely clauses and suggestions, the idea that such things could happen on the trip nearly sent a chill down her spine. Nearly. Quite honestly, she would be very happy to just linger near the end of the group.
Which is what she did, pausing only to spray bugs on regular intervals, for lunch (which she ate a notable amount more than she did at breakfast), and when they arrived to the area.
There was something about it that simply gave her chills; was it the scent? the pockets of cold? the very atmosphere? Something was wrong with this place... It reminded her of that event, what seemed long ago, before the seer's revelation given onto her, by that cave. The air was thick and heavy with what could only be described as an intense hatred for all who dared trespass on these grounds. If others had felt the same, few showed it, most rather preoccupied with entering the mound in a search for treasures.
Even if it went against her instinct to avoid such a place, she entered.
The room was small and heavy with the others that continued to poor in, nearly (figuratively) causing the princess to suffocate. The various plants and crawling bugs served as no calming factor to it. All she wished to do was get away from all of these pae continuing to crowd in. Her eyes flicking, she noticed a very small door near a bookshelf on the side of the wall. Casually walking it, so as to "disappear" she opened it and vanished as she closed it behind her.
It was the type of dark that seems endless, the still air only adding to a feeling that this room was not meant for eyes. Her head turned towards the room as high-pitched giggles, nearly shrieking from joy, resonated in the air. Quietly, slowly, she reached into her bag and pulled out what they had called a lantern. Normally she would have just used her powers to light the room, but it seemed a bit... disrespectful... in this sort of situation. Well, more like a bit too haste, in case there was a threat here, such a motion would surely make her presence known.
When the light flicked on, she sighed, noticing that she merely stood in a sort of hallway.
Thank the spirits.
The princess's head looked from side to as she walked, some various doors appearing to the sides of the walls. Some had strange markings on the front in faded colors, others were simply plain. It reminded her of a sort of dormitory, or of the alcoves littered across the tree's inner walls. Were these... perhaps... rooms...?
Her face would have paled at the thought, were it not white to begin with.
The fairies did mention that this was the location of many experiments; what if... what if this is where the children were kept...?
A sudden, twisted curiosity caught in the back of her throat as she looked to the next door on her right. A faint pink scribbled something illegible on the front, and some number of vines had begun to grow across it. Turning, reaching forward, Celestia carefully placed her hand on the door's knob, icy cold to the touch, and motioned to turn it. With little resistance, it heeded, the unlocked room creaking and cracking open.
Again, various giggles seemed to erupt from her actions, this time as if they were in the room itself, daring her to come on in further.
The princess was so frightened, but, what if there was someone still there, waiting for her. Taking a deep breath of the stale, dusty air, she opened the door further and stepped inside, her eyes closed, the lamp held out to the front of her.
Slowly, she opened one eye, then the next, her breath catching in her throat as she looked around. It was reminiscent, as she might have feared, of a young girl's room, with faded sheets spread over a rotting, splitting bed. A stand for a small jewelry box was becoming one with a sort of cupboard thanks to various, indistinguishable roots. But what caught the princess's eye most was something sitting, as if waiting for someone to come and find it, upon the linen and against slowly deteriorating pillows.
It was a doll.
It was beautiful in its age, with a dress of the sky's lightest blue adorning her shoulders. her hair, a dusty auburn, fall in curls across its freckled cheeks. It had a small smile, one matching shoe, and a (now) yellowed petticoat with a matching underskirt and socks. Each piece was exquisitely embroidered, including the large pair of fae's wings protruding from its back, remaining a deep green as its eyes had.
Those were the only parts that appeared untouched in old age.
And... Those eyes... There seemed to be a sort of sadness in them as Celestia carefully picked up the child's toy.
Miela had slept just fine the night before...when she'd finally fallen asleep. She's used to sleeping on the ground, and being so close to the earth felt comforting. But in her wakeful moments before sleep, she'd been haunted by the story of the over-zealous faerie Pae.
Luckily, by morning the story had vanished from her thoughts completely, and she goes through breakfast and taking down camp cheerfully. She even notices a few familiar faces that she hadn't bothered to take note of before. Princess Celestia was even on this trip! This realization lifts her spirits even more, and she begins the hike with a buoyant attitude.
Until they get to the ruins.
A cold shiver runs the length of her spine, and a sense of foreboding crawls over her skin. She doesn't really want to go in there, but if the fairies were inviting them to go in, surely it was safe. Right? She reapplies the insect spray and goes into the ruins, her eyes stuck wide open. She feels as if she's walking into a trap, though she knows that's silly. It just feels so...creepy. Everything had been left untouched for centuries, it looked like. Miela walks through the ruins, arms pulled close to her body as she tries not to touch anything. She'd been more-or-less content to think that the story the fairies had told the night before had been merely a ghost story, but it's beginning to look more and more like a long-forgotten truth.
A dull glint catches her eye and, curious, she deviates from her path to investigate it. She bends over to look at it, arms still folded tightly across her chest. It appears to be a....a crown of some sort. Wait a second. She straightens up and looks around, spotting a few Faeries. Of course! She knew she'd seen these before! It's a circlet, like the faerie Pae wear. Pleased with her deduction, she looks back to the one on the floor, half-covered with vegetation. Then, as she realizes what this implies, her smile drops into a look of horror and she backs away as fast as she can. This is all too creepy!
Miela decides to retreat from the ruins, having "explored" quite enough for her liking. On her way out, she notices a feather fluttering across the ground, uncovered from the dust by all the trampling feet. She bends to pick it up. She runs her fingers along it to clear the last of the dust off of it. It's beautiful, shiny and red with a few purple flecks in it. Surely this wasn't part of this horrible story. It had to just be from a...rather large bird. Probably a tropical one, judging from the bright colors. She wonders what kind.
Feeling hopeful and curious now instead of dreadful, she leaves the ruins and takes her feather to one of the Avalon fairy guides, hoping to learn what kind of bird left it there.
Guardian_Iris
Miela saw the circlet, but didn't take it. She did take a feather, though.
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 11:49 am
Twizzz joined the gathering of pae after eating a very masculine-sized breakfast and listened attentively. His eyes went wide at the mention of bugs, he did not normally take precautions in his normal and frequent romps through the forest, but he also didn't spend time in this same area. This demon was not going to get eaten alive, he quickly drown'd himself in the provided potion.
Twizzz was still pretty nervous about the previous night, and now Twizzz regretted eating such a big breakfast, between his nerves about the spooky forest and the large meal, his stomach was feeling quite upset. Calm was going to be difficult with the place that they were going... what if all the stories were true?! Twizzz gulped as he set off to travel along the trail. He stopped at one point to relieve himself, and felt better, though he still had butterflies about the whole thing.
"Ewwww" Twizzz whispered as he held his fingers to his nose in disgust. This place smelled wretched. He followed the fairy guides, huddling close to the rest of the group, all while keeping his nose plugged. The group quickly disbanded once they got in the hole, everyone wandering off into the different spaces. Twizzz was left to his own devices now, he removed his hand from his nose and instead held himself tightly. He wasn't normally cowardly, but the story had set him on edge. Twizzz slowly walked about as he held himself and finally got to his knees and let go of himself just long enough to push aside some vegetation to allow him passage.
As he pushed through the crawlspace, his hand scraped against something that broke the top layer of his skin. Twizzz squinted as he pulled back, letting the dim light hit the floor. Wedged in the space between two stones was a dull metallic object. Twizzz had to wiggle it and pull hard, but eventually it gave and he pulled it from the floor. He quickly recognized it as jewelry, despite the lack of luster from dirt and age. His mouth parted as he quickly slid it on his finger. When Twizzz had finished making his way through the crawlspace, he stood up to his full height and stretched his arm out in front of him, admiring the adornment on his finger.
After he was done admiring himself, Twizzz looked around the room, covered with toys half-buried in dirt. His eyes widened as he was brought back to the story from the night before. Children's toys... and... did he hear laughter? Twizzz shivered as he held himself tightly once again. No...no no no no. He moved even quicker as he made his way out of the demented room and out of the mound. He found himself a rock to sit on, and held his head in between his legs, trying to keep himself steady. Maybe... maybe he was still hallucinating... But the weight of the ring felt heavy on his hand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zecora's eyes widened as she saw the giant machetes. Why, she would never take such an approach to trekking through the jungle. Damaging the jungle in such a way for the purpose of tourism. Sure, the foliage was thick at times, but there was less damaging ways to get through, there had to be. Zecora sighed, there wasn't going to be much she could do about this.
Zecora had only heard bits and pieces of the story from the night before due to crashing in her tent so early. It wasn't enough to take away any particular feelings about the place they were headed to. It was strange to her how much the fairies seemed to contradict themselves, be respectful, yet tear down the forest... don't disturb anything, yet we're looking for a treasure and keep whatever you want. Zecora rubbed her chin thoughtfully, wondering when this journey might become more about living in unity with the forest and using its features for survival as she had thought.
She sprayed on the bug spray as suggested before beginning her trek, it was something she was somewhat used to. At least, she usually carried around special herbs that warded off bugs, but she hadn't learned of a native plant that did that yet. Zecora looked wildly all around them as they marched through the forest, ignoring the fairies with the machetes, she smiled as she watched an exotic looking monkey flee in the wake of their large group. Zecora was munching on little snacks here and there as they walked, and also pausing to look at different plants that they had passed, but she didn't stop for long since they had been warned not to stray.
Finally, they arrived at their destination. "Hmm, dis is most interesting..." Zecora said to herself as she circled the mound. Was there an actual structure under it or was this strange place dug into the ground? Zecora examined the vegetation around it, looking for a hint at how long it might have been since this place was disturbed based on how much growth had occured.
When she was done, she headed underground with the rest of the group, she looked around the main room for a while before boldly making her way through a crawlspace, when she stood up she was in a room filled with cabinets, falling apart in age, vines breaking through them. Zecora carefully opened the doors and peered into each cabinet, looking for any plants that might have been kept as specimens, perhaps useful, but certainly long dried up. As she rummaged through the cabinets she found some copper pots, aged with specks of blue and green. Zecora did not know what the material was, but they certainly looked like they might be useful for her own purposes. Zecora found one of a size she liked and then placed it in her bag before continuing her explorations of the room.
Guardian_Iris
Twizzz takes the signet ring Zecora takes a copper pot
Joi had never experienced the jungle like this. She took for granted that where she lived was safe and the insects and wildlife left her and her family alone. But then again, the jungle was huge and there was always the possibility she didn't know everything she thought she did. She kept up with the group, keeping to herself because most Pae seemed involved in their own thing or just socializing with their friends that came along on the hike. The thought that she kept herself so isolated that she didn't have friends anymore did ping sadness within. She used to have so many friends, and she had no idea where any of them were anymore, if they were even still on the island, or Guardians forbid, still alive.
When reaching the mound, Joi had this sense she should just leave. Don't disturb this area, leave it alone. Against all her good sense, she trusted these fairies wouldn't lead them into danger on purpose, and that this was likely a set up for the hike. Even if she had goosebumps the whole time, she convinced herself this was all part of the spectacle the fairies created in order to make a memorable adventure for the attending Pae'il.
Carefully, she climbed through the hole into the main room below the mound and then lit her lantern. It was creepy as hell and every fiber of her being was shouting at her to leave. The air was hard to breath, and it felt like it was trying to weigh her down. The sadness in the air was almost palpable. And the smell, oh Guardians the smell was awful. Like rotting food mixed with the worst kind of mildew and dead animals. She had to cover her nose to go any further than the entrance.
She watched the others separate and start looking in the nooks and crannies, and go down some crawl spaces and through doors. She wasn't sure she was brave enough to do that, so she resigned herself to explore the main chamber. There was what looked like a busted up desk in one corner, so she decided to see what that was about. The jungle vines were tough to move, but there was so much dirt and grime, it was hard to get a good look at anything.
Pulling on what looked to be a drawer handle, she gave a yank, and fell backwards on her butt when it gave without any resistance. Odd. Inside were many old journals and stray parchments. There were also some peculiar quills. Joi couldn't read any of them, and figured it was either the fairies language or the ancient Pae language. Either case, she thought her mother would love to see an old journal. Worst case scenario, it was a fake planted by the fairies for this hike. Right?
