Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hero strode around the Swamp, his spirits in high regards once again. He did not know why he dreaded seeing his mother again. She had been in the Darkness when he saw he, but somehow managed to get out of that. She even had an idea what to do about the talisman that was once again around his neck, although not in the same way it was before the incident.

Every so often, though, a piece my slip off. And just is it happened now, Adventure - the briliantly red caiman - would chase after said piece and bring it back to its master... and then promptly display it out of reach while Hero would huff and puff to try to get it back.

Hero was wet from splashing in the water, having sent two more pieces to the Swamp. The caiman would emerge again - and sure enough having rescued them yet keeping them out of reach.

"Adventure, you go for nothing caiman!" Hero would yell, and plunge after the creature. "This time, I know you have them, you cannot hide that fact! You know how important they are, return them!"

It never occurred to him that another encounter started much the same way...

Hero stopped when he heard the doe's call. He looked at her, slightly confused but then in relief. "Yes, I mean no. I mean... sort of."

He must have looked a sight, water and streaks of mud runny down his body. His hair clinging in the most undignified manner. Not only that, his indecisiveness made his nostrils flare - although that could have been from the physical energy he'd been exploiting.

"Adventure, that log over there, has taken something valuable to me. My talisman broke and then Lull packed it up and then my Mother put it together so I could go to someone to get it fixed and now he is taking the pieces that have fallen!" The buck crawled to high ground and flopped there - it was fairly obvious that he was tired. "Stinking caiman..."

Adventure seemed to take offense to the last comment, because it raised its head higher to show the pieces that were in its maw and slowly closed it as if to say it could just as easily swallow them...

Hero glared over there, "Oh, don't you dare!" He was too tired to get up and put any action to his words, so he turned his attention to the pretty doe before him.

"My name is Hero," he said, only taking moments here and there to catch his breath. "That pest is Adventure. Who are you?" Hero turned his head to the side and smiled, "You look like a twilight sky or a mystical night. I almost feel akin with my dapples of gold to your stars of silver."

"Yes, yes it is..." Hero glared over at the caiman. "I am not actually sure if Adventure is male or female, to be true. It has never let me close enough to check..." Maybe insulting its gender (as if Hero should just spontaneously know such things....) would distract it long enough to get the pieces back....

Not so much. Hero tried to lunge to catch the beast, but the caiman snapped its mouth shut and swam off. "Fine! Be that way!" the buck yelled after it, pretending not to care even though his heart was in his mouth watching the talisman pieces disappearing...

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Falling Star," Hero settled back down in a more comfortable position.

His chest puffed a bit in pride - he was allowed some vanity, right? "Why thank you, Falling Star. I tried to live up to my name as much as the MotherFather permits. Adventure found me early on in my Quest, and stuck around - despite my best efforts to rid myself of its annoying presence. I ended up just naming it Adventure - as that is where my Quest has been leading me. To be certain, I usally like have it around now. Funny how things change along with time..."

Hero, lounging in the bit of sun that peeked down on them through the thick leaves, grinned as he watched Falling Star. "Oh, you know... just a self-imposed Quest of mine. Growing up, my mother was always needed help. My siblings left when we were young, but I just wanted to help her. I got older and eventually realized that I couldn't help her in the ways she needed and I wanted to help others. But I was young and scared... it wasn't until I met a doe and she made me a talisman for it that I finally got the courage to go."

The buck paused and flung his hair aside. "This is it... some birds got to it one night and it came apart. I am hoping to find the doe again or something so it can be fixed. I haven't had much done since it broke.

"I even traveled to the shore and met the Tidewalkers. Since then, I try to help those that need it. All one needs to do it ask... or appear in danger... and I will run to their side!" If he wasn't so tired, Hero would probably have a struck a rather stoic pose.

"So, Falling Star, do you need help with anything?" His eyes sparked with interest despite his still heaving side.

Hero smiled sadly, ashamed he let the thing go to such horrible demises. "Lucky Charm, that was the doe, made it with the intent that it would protect me on my Quest. It has so far done rather well. Except for a few hunger-filled nights and scrapes - I have thus far been rather unharmed. I could get it fixed... if I knew how. My mother did what she could to keep it together - but I was going to find either Lucky Charm or another. She had heard of a Legendary named Never Idle that might be able to assist...."

Well then, Hero's smile turned from sadness to delight. "I am happy that you are giving me the honor of your presence and speech! Maybe that is what the MotherFather intended me to help you with?" His blue eyes sparkled behind their glow, showing the mischief imp that was still in there somewhere - hiding and waiting for the right moment...when he wasn't trying to be proper and polite.