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 Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 2:06 pm
This is the village square, where most of the villagers meet. Please feel free to look araound!
More info about this place will be added later on.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:45 am
Staring out the window of her small cottage, Emma was a bit awed at the amount of rain coming down. The sound of the large drops of water hitting the roof was almost deafening and was compounded by the regular dinging from the pots she had put in the kitchen to catch leaks.
If the wind continues like this, she thought, and then stopped herself. Thinking that way wouldn't get her anywhere. The weather wasn't her fault, but helping out the village was her responsibility.
And suddenly her mind was back on the ofuda she had placed back into the Great Tree the other night. The way the storm had come up, it was possible the ofuda had already disintegrated or been blown far from here. But, it was also possible it was still sitting where she had placed it. And if that was the case, it was her fault it was no longer protected by the heavy shrubbery at the base of that tree, - but exposed to the elements.
Taking a deep breath, Emma wrapped her heavy yellow canvas cloak around herself and stepped out into the rain. She tried to shut the door as quickly as possible, so that none of the rain blew into the house - but was only partially successful. And then, trudging along in the water that ran along the partially cobbled path to the village square.
About halfway there, she slipped on something and fell hard on the ground. Stifling a cry, she would only alarm everyone else, she looked to see what had caused her spill. And was startled to see the ofuda, half buried in a pile of mud - probably carried there by the water streaming everywhere. (It had been raining for long enough, so the ground simply couldn't absorb it all.) Confused, but preoccupied, Emma grabbed the ofuda and shook it out before sliding it down the front of her tunic. The shock of the cold and wet probably wasn't good for her, but her first concern was that the ofuda had found its way to her again.
She had a job though, since she had been put in charge of helping to care for the village during this storm, and she stood as quickly as possible - wincing as she did - and then continue trudging to the square.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:54 am
With the ofuda if Heart in Emma's possesion, she continued down and right then, a tree got struck by lightning and fell in front of her path, crsuhing everything in it's way and other trees. Mud splattered everywhere, including Emma.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:04 pm
Emma just blinked as the tree fell right in front of her. Her heart was beating so fast she felt like it might just pop and she put a hand to her chest. She had to force herself to breathe as she realized she was holding her breath.
"Oh my god," she said, at a loss for words.
The mud that had splattered all over her didn't really bother her, but the large tree had come so close to hitting her. If she hadn't slipped - she would be crushed under the massive trunk just like all of the branches it had ripped from other trees on its fall. Realizing that, Emma began to cry - her tears running into the mud that was already being washed away in the rain. It was mostly shock and she already was moving, trying to figure out the extent of the damage.
Someone's house seemed to have been clipped and there were large branches everywhere, but that was all she could see from her vantage point. Looking around for other villagers, she began trying to tug some of the smaller branches out of the path. Someone would need to use an axe on the main tree itself later.
It was tough to hold onto the branches, slick as they were with mud and rain - but Emma kept at it.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:15 pm
After minutes of trying, Emma finally succeded!
A few minutes after the sky began to grow lighter, but the rain was still coming down pretty hard! Now go to the village and help the villagers!
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:18 pm
Her path finally cleared, Emma clambered over the main tree trunk and continued to the village square. When she finally reached it, she could just make out a group of villagers through the curtains of rain. Approaching them, she yelled to be heard over the storm.
"What can I do to help?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:35 pm
A man, drenched, yelled to Emma and said, "Please go help......there is...a...little child stuck....in the lake! Please go save...him..." the man's voice trailed off as the rain made it hard to hear.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:21 pm
Even if the rain hadn't made it hard to hear, Emma wouldn't have heard anything else anyway. The minute the man mentioned a child, she was off and running for the lake. She picked a direction on instinct, barely able to keep her eyes open as she ran against the wind.
Emma couldn't imagine what it would feel like to actually have a child and then lose them, and she forced herself to run faster in the mud that seemed to suck onto the bottoms of her hopelessly water-logged shoes. As she neared the edge of the lake, Emma skidded to a halt. She pulled her cloak up so it shaded her head and she peered out into the rain, looking and listening for any trace of the child as the water from the lake lapped at her feet.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:37 pm
There seemed to be a child holding tightly on a roock. he couldn't hold on much longer, the current was too strong!
"Hellll...p!" he yelled as one hand was now holding onto the rock.
The skies began to turn a light blue-ish grey, the rain was lighter, but the child was still in danger! Even a little bit of rain can make the current stronger!
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:27 pm
"I'm coming!" Emma yelled through the rain. Even though the rain had lightened enough for her to see better, the lake had already swollen beyond it's normal bounds. She had to act fast, but she wasn't a very good swimmer - so she needed a plan.
Looking around her, Emma spotted a bit of rope someone had probably used at one point to tie up a boat. The boat was nowhere to be seen - maybe it had been carried off in the storm, but Emma grabbed the rope anyway. Tying it around her middle, she looked for something to use as an anchor.
There weren't any trees close enough to the edge here, but perhaps a rock would do. Finding a rock that appeared to be large enough and sunk into the ground, Emma tied the other end of the rope around it. Satisfied she was secure, she waded into the lake and tried to fight the current out to the boy on the rock.
"Just hold on!"
As she neared him, it occured to her that she wasn't sure how to get him back to shore. She wouldn't be able to carry him and fight the current, nor was she sure the rock could anchor them both. Perhaps...
"What's your name?" She asked, trying to be calm and reaching out a hand to grasp his. "I'm Emma. If you can just hold on, I'm going to help you."
She bagan untying the rope around her middle, her fingers having trouble loosing the slick knot. Eventually though, she had it, and she reached out for the boy.
"This rope is tied to a rock on shore. I'm going to tie you, so you can fight the current easier and head back. Don't worry, I'll help too."
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:47 pm
The boy, now tied in a rope, couldn't help but cry. Tears welled up in his eyes as he answered, "I'm Ryo."
After a few minutes of struggling, which felt like an hour, Emma and the child reached the shore. The child's clothes were all torn up and his feet were very dirty.
Just then, the storm cleared up! Out came a beautiful rainbow that shot arcoss the sky. The child said 'thank you' and ran home...
You took out your ofuda which seemed to be drenched in water! Better not do anything to it or it might tear!
Quest Rain Coming Down...Completed!
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:33 am
It was very late at night, probably an hour or two pass midnight. Aziel sat in front of his desk, which was placed right in front of the window in his little house, staring at the night sky. Although tired, his thoughts were still troubled by the incident that happened earlier that day. Aziel opened the desk drawer and took out the ofuda with the fire symbol gleaming on it. It's strange, Aziel felt strangely drawn to it although by nature their elements clashes with each other.
Suddenly from the corner of Aziel's eyes he saw a shadow ran pass not far outside his window. He quickly lifted his eyes from the ofuda and looked outside. The shadow no longer there. It's a hallucination maybe? But worried, Aziel ran out of the house to check anyway. No one was around, as he thought. But something caught his eye at a far corner of the street. An orange glow reflected on a wall, and it seems to be flickering. Wait... Flickering?? Alarmed, and with the ofuda still clutched in his hand, he ran towards the light source. As he turned the corner he was shocked, a small warehouse was set on fire!
Stuffing the piece of ofuda into his pockets, he quickly snatched a large piece of linen cloth that was covering trading goods from a cart nearby, and started to smack it onto the fire, trying to put it out. But his efforts alone wasn't enough! Instead of diminishing, the fire started to spread onto the roof. It's beyond his reach now, he needs help from the villagers. Running as fast as his feet could carry him, he rushed to the nearest house nearby and started to bang on the door. "There's a fire in the warehouse!! Come and save the fire quickly!!"
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:37 am
As soon as Aziel knocked the the villager's door, out came a young looking man, maybe around his 20's and exclaimed, "A Fire?! Hold on, let me go get my coat and I'll start up the hose! Please warn the other villagers! Especially the house by the warehouse...theres a mother and a newborn that live there!"
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:50 am
"What??!" Aziel exclaimed. A mother and a child! He must act fast! He whirled around immediately and saw the fire had already started to creep onto the nearby houses. He spotted a cart piled with sacks which he assumes containing rice, with all his might he pulled one sack off the cart and hurled in into the fire path. With hopes to stop the fire from spreading to the villager's house. It somehow seemed to work! Without further delay, he started to bang on the door of the house where the mother and her child stayed.
"Wake up!! A fire is spreading to your house!! Come out quickly!!" Aziel shouted, accompanied with his banging. It was at this very moment that he wished he still have his abilities when he was a water fairy. A fire like this wouldn't be a problem for him then. "FIRE!!! FIRE!!!!!" Aziel shouted with all his might, hoping that he could wake up all the villagers nearby as well.
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:01 am
"...Is someone there?" said a woman as the baby started to cry. She opened the door and yawned as Aziel explained the situation to her. The fire started to burn the house! The baby was sweating as the heat was too much. The mother ran to the baby and picked him up along with the cradle and ran outside the house.
"Oh..Thank you so much! We could have lost our lives! Let me put the baby down and get the hose." She ran towards the hose, turned on the water and started to spray independant flames.
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