Fantasy ~ FableWood ~

[Aldur]

The former frustrated swashbuckler had found herself vanishing again after the fight came to an end. She didn't exactly enjoy these emotional parts. Vinter had been watching the Star Fall from the same balcony she'd been in before all hell unleashed itself at the Ball. "Lucille... come in, sis." Started the pirate, talking to her ornate piece. "Are you still around or have you passed out from the cheap wine?" She asked mockingly. It would be too spectacular a night not to share some of it with the one she became accustomed to calling 'sister'.


Vinter leaned down on the balcony's rail. She looked at the Star Fall amazed by its beauty but also perplexed as to why this happens so rarely. It was incredible to think of what happened that night at the Ball. The only think Vinter wanted to do after all that madness was rest for two consecutive days. While she didn't exhaust herself in the final battle, she definitely did wearing that dress.


((Figured I'd do this instead of bothering Kallin. He seems just fine the way he is right now (8))))


@SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra was a little surprised when Leia suddenly showed up, more so when she suddenly wrapped her arm around Leandra's shoulders.


Blinking, Leandra then weakly smiled at Leia and said, "Sorry, I, uh, just was thinking about something else, actually."


Unsure of what else to say, Leandra then vaguely explained herself by saying, "It was just a bit hard to see my attempts fail at first, that's all."


Attempting her best confident smile in the moment, Leandra then said, "It's not too big of a deal always and you're right, I'll get better with time."


Despite still feeling a bit sour about the initial failure, Leandra did have to admit that Leia had a point. Leandra had only learned how to use her power a few days ago. She couldn't expect to master it right off the bat.


Leandra then saw a flash in the corner of her eye and she shifted her gaze to the night sky in time to see the Star Fall already underway. Unaware of its name though, Leandra just assumed it was some kind of meteor shower without realizing its importance.


@SilverFlight


Luness heard Kallin approaching and caught a whiff of his scent before he'd even asked his question.


Offering a look of uncertainty, Luness looked up at Kallin, who was a bit behind her currently, and said, "I'm not quite sure what happened with him quite frankly. I mean, I might have an idea. I encountered a lot of werebeasts while I was growing up. It'll probably take some time to sort things out though."


When Leo picked up Otto, Luness instantly shifted her gaze to the pup in Leo's arms, giving him what could almost be interpreted as a mother's look of concern for her child.


Yet, the moment quickly passed when Luness smelled the stranger from before and caught the scent of the ferret as well as the raven with him.


Scrambling to her hind legs so she was standing like a human, Luness then rushed to Kallin's side and picked up the ferret in one swift motion, her forepaw holding up the ferret by the scruff of its neck while she kept it dangling away from her own body so it couldn't try to hurt her if it wanted to.


Looking at the ferret disdainfully, Luness then shifted her gaze to the stranger with a very distrustful look.


"Who are you and what do you want? I don't like eavesdroppers and I definitely don't like anyone who could potentially be a threat to my pack or my friends."


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Baconhands

 

[SilverFlight]

Kallin watched Leo take Otto away, distinctly aware that he was relatively alone with Luness now. He listened to Luness' explanation. "Werewolf puberty?" he suggested with a half smile. Suddenly a small movement by his boot made him look down. There was the ferret again. He was about to offer it his hand when Luness grabbed the poor creature.


"Hey! Don't do that to it." He took the ferret out of her hand with a frown. "What'd it ever do to you?" He liked animals, even the ones that may possible have been employed as spies. If that was the case with this one it wasn't spying now. Its owner or friend or whoever was standing directly behind them.


"Don't mind her too much, she's like that with every new person we meet." He held the ferret gently, massaging the back of its head with two fingers.


@Baconhands @Lioness075


Leia gave a grin, but her eyes were fixed on the sky. She stepped forward, an expression of awe etched onto her face. Lee and tad were beside her, also wondering at the sky, as if they had never seen it before.


They mirrored Leia's emotions perfectly.


"There is always going to be failure, but what matters is what you do after that...That's what really makes a winner in the end isn't it? Not that you fail, but that you never give up...you find a way."


@Lioness075


Ward went to her side the moment Elena had been healed, folding her in a gentle hug. The stars raced over their heads, shimmering like diamond dust as they vanished at the treeline. Things were looking up, She was right. His mind trailed back to earlier that evening, when she had asked to share her life with him. That thrill he felt upon hearing those words returned and he squeezed her gently for a moment.


"From where I stand, life is better than I could ever have dreamed."


It seemed the ball grew still as the shooting stars began to fall faster, numerous as drops of rain. The light was reflected in the fountains nearby and on the lake that stretched out over the plains beyond the gardens. The entire scene was enchanting.


"So...you won't mind...being a princess?" He asked tentatively. It had been one of his worries after being told of his parentage. That is what she would become he supposed. He a prince...and she a princess and though he could easily equate Elena with the position, viewing himself as royalty still felt utterly preposterous.


"I have no idea how to get used to this...I suppose...I will be given a lot of responsibility.."


@Bea Delaine

 

[Baconhands]

Laikas was, for a moment, terrified when the werecat grabbed Freya. He was going to move to take her back; he didn't trust a werecat to play nice with a ferret and he was expecting her to eat Freya. When Kallin grabbed Freya he let out a sigh of relief and nodded his head, "It's quite alright. Instincts from were-animals aren't always controlled ones. Freya's no threat, do not worry."


Freya let out a surprised yelp when the creature picked her up and she felt terrified; tigers were scary enough, lynxes were scary too, were-creatures were on another level.


When Kallin took her from the were-creature she felt a bit of joy and relief, and when he started massaging the back of her head, she felt delighted and relaxed. She looked back at Laikas, who gave her a slight nod, and she stood up, running up Kallin's arm before perching on his shoulder. She stopped and nuzzled the side of his cheek, I like this one Laikas.


Corax rolled his eyes at Freya and shook his head, Don't get too friendly.


Laikas looked at the were-cat in front of him and tilted his head, "They're quite marvelous creatures aren't they?"


@SilverFlight @Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Luness scowled at Kallin's interaction with the ferret. Why was he treating it that way? Was it supposed to be a pet? No animal should be stuck as someone's pet. That was no proper way for any animal to live its life.


Hearing the stranger's comment about her, Luness growled and narrowed her eyes at him before saying spitefully, "I'm not just some animal. I can easily control myself if I so wish to."


Luness definitely didn't like whoever this new guy was. He'd barged in on her moment with Kallin and now he was acting all high and mighty like Luness was nothing more than just an animal.


Scowling at the comment about his pets being marvelous, Luness crossed her arms over her chest and then said, "No, they aren't. No animal should be treated like someone's pet. It's downright disrespectful in my opinion."


@SilverFlight @Baconhands

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr felt something pulling her outfit and she looked down. She was surprised and relieved when it turned out to be Bob.


" Well now who do we have here. " she smiled, forgetting all her woes, picking the spirit up. Bob was surprisingly heavy for his deceptively small form but it was sort of obvious given the fact that he was made from rocks. " How come that you are alone here? Where is Leia? "


The spirit did not answer just bobbed his head in the direction of the others. Nyr sighed as she looked at him again.


" Do you think I should join them? "


Bob once again remained silent but his head moved slightly down which Nyr registered as a nod. Reluctantly she agreed.


" Very well, let us find your keeper. " and with that she headed to the crowd. Finally seeing Leandra and Leia in the distance the raven girl walked up to them.


" Evening, ladies. " she said " I believe I have found something that is yours - well, someone to be more precise. " with the last sentence she looked at Leia.


@Lioness075 @SilverFlight

 

[Bea Delaine]

When Elena stood again, she was quickly and unexpectedly found in another hug from Ward. She began to laugh a bit again. Not that the situation was funny, it was just too good to be true. Her fingers laced into his, just enjoying his presence in such a magical environment.


Looking up at the sky, seeing stars flash by like a collection of jewels lined up for display and jostled on a black velvet sheet, she sighed. A thought came to her, not entirely bad, but not terribly pleasant either. If anything, It was scary.


"I have something to lose now, you know."


She wasn't sure if Ward understood what she meant by that much spoken. It was hardly relevant either.


"I can't disappear and it's scary.. So I guess I am not sure if I could ever be a decent princess.. I will have to follow in your lead, learn to be elegant and strong, levelheaded. I need to be responsible so you aren't ever overwhelmed."


She gave him a small smile at that thought.


"But it used to be okay to mess up when I had nothing to lose.. Now it's terrifying. Your family, our friends, Fablewood as a whole, it's all on our shoulders. Can't you feel it?"


She rambled, feeling embarrassed for doing so, but nothing she spoke was dishonest or honey coated.


"We do things we are scared of every day though.. And it becomes easier to be swayed emotionally one way or the other, so the more we have on the line, I guess the more there is to lose or gain...


Sorry. I've said too much."

 

[SilverFlight]

Lucille gave a short laugh over the communication gems. "I very much doubt zey 'ave any cheap wine at a function such as zis. Too bad for you." She shot back, appearing on the balcony behind Vinter without a sound. Lucille could be very stealthy if she needed to. She grew a bit serious all of a sudden.


"Kallin certainly seems to be getting close to someone..." She gave Vinter a knowing glance. When she had caught Kallin stowing away aboard their ship one year ago Lucille had threatened to throw him over the side if he didn't tell them everything about him...so, in fear of his life, he had. Both She and Vinter knew the secret he had apparently been keeping from the rest of the heroes.


The stars tumbled down from the top of the sky and for a moment took the pragmatic pirate's breath away.


"If you feel up to it sister, I think I 'ave taken an interest in some of ze new faces down zere." She meant the man with the animal companions. Something about him seemed..not altogether as noble-intentioned as perhaps he was making himself out to be. Lucille, being just such a person, could pick them out easily. With a snap of her fan she pulled up the front of her dress with one graceful hand and made her way down to the garden.


@Aldur Forgehammer


So, "Your name's Freya is it?" Kallin said, letting the creature perch on his shoulder. He smiled at her.


"Lune, you're being rude." He said casually as she shot her answers back at the stranger.Taking the animal gently from his shoulder and offering her back to Laikas.


"She doesn't seem to mind the arrangement." He said, meaning the ferret. In truth he had always wanted to keep an animal. He felt he understood them more than other people.


It wasn't long before Lucille appeared with a smile. Kallin blinked at her in surprise.


"You...actually look nice."


"Try zat again Chaton, it was not quite a compliment."


"Sorry, sorry." He apologized quickly, knowing that is he didn't apologize he would probably pay for it in some subtle way later.


The pirate captain turned to Laikas with a pleasant expression.


"It iz a rare gift to speak with animals." She said with genuine interest. "Tell me, where did you come from?" Her accent was thick and foreign. In the real world it would have been called French.


As Lucille engaged Laikas in conversation Kallin stepped back, offering a roguish smile to Luness. "Come on, I want to show you something."


@Lioness075 @Baconhands


"Bob! There you are." She looked surprised when Nyr had come up to her with Bob in her arms. Tentatively she reached out for him. As soon as his weight was transferred he became immeasurably heavier and Leia nearly fell over as he hit the ground.


"Hey! How come you let her pick you up?" Bob sniffed and turned his head away.


"Stubborn little mule...thanks Nyr." She grinned at the raven. "Wanna watch the meteor shower with us?"


@DawnAntalios


"I have no doubt you will be a wonderful princess." Ward assured her. "You will not 'mess up', yes, there may be a lot on our shoulders, but we also have friends, good ones who will stand beside us." He glanced around, Leo taking Otto to bed, Nyr holding onto Bob, Leia and Leandra, Achyls, Malachai, Alex, Anya and Quincy, Kallin and Luness.


"They won't let us down."


He brought a gentle hand to her cheek as she chastised herself for speaking.


"I want you to promise me that you will always speak your mind. I want to hear everything you have to say."


@Bea Delaine


((Man I'm struggling on what to do with Ward for now...major writer's block >.< ))

 

[Baconhands]

Laikas dodged the were-creatures question and as Freya was offered back to him, he took her gently, scratching her behind the ear gently. He smiled at Kallin in slight thanks for saving the young ferret before he put her on his shoulder. He shook his head, "They're not my pets. Keeping an animal against its will, against its natural instinct, is a cruel cruel thing. If they respect you enough, they will follow you anywhere." He was being in honest in this opinion.


Freya sighed, glancing back over at Kallin, Shame, I liked the massage.


Laikas grinned slightly, Guess I'll stop scratching you behind the ear then.


Freya almost snapped at him, No, no, this is fine.


Corax rolled his eyes again and glanced at the new stranger approaching them.


When Laikas was addressed by the new stranger he turned to face them. When asked about where he was from he shook his head, saying, "You wouldn't know it." He bowed his head slightly and the animals mimicked his actions, "My name is Laikas. The Raven is Corax and this mischievous little ferret is named Freya."


@SilverFlight

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo made his way back inside the castle taking some of the back halls to get around the areas that were home to the onlookers and gazers of the spectical outside. He found the hallway with the rooms quite quickly and made it to the room that had been set aside for himself. The room had been given a floral make over with several pots and jars full of plants. Leo had nothing against plants used inside pots, but he did feel they deserved to be outside where they would be most happy. Leo made his way over to the soft bed and lay Otto down and stood over the young werewolf watching him. He seemed peaceful enough, so Leo drew the blinds and snuffed out the candles so that they would not bother Otto while he slept. Leo returned to the door, took on last look in the room and then closed the door.


He continued through the halls back to the party until a short stalkiy man came barreling around the corner waving a royal blue coat around him angrily. Leo stopped and waited for the man to catch up, and once he did he stood there starring at Leo appalled. The little man who had "helped" Leo so man times now, looked over Leos bloody and black goo stained shirt and simply thrust the jacket at him. He threw his hands in the air and simply walked away. Leo took the coat and smiled watching the man leave. He continued to walk back to where he had left the others and he slowly made his way across the gardens to the small group of ladies that included his beloved. As he walked up to them he bowed his head and placed his coat on Nyrs shoulders as he greeted the rest of them "This is a night to remember, is it not m'lady's? You all fought valiantly tonight." Leo place his arms be hind his back as he looked up into the sky to watch the spectical of the evening.


@DawnAntalios @SilverFlight @Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing Luness striking up a conversation with the ferret, the corner of Luness' mouth twitched, as she found it rather cute to see Kallin interacting with an animal like that.


Though, her reaction was soon soured when Kallin abruptly told her that she was being rude. Scowling at Kallin, Luness then muttered, "I don't trust easily, call it an instinctual response from past experience."


Sighing, Luness let herself fall into the shadows in a sense, as she became silent and did her best to stay out of the conversation.


Yet, hearing the stranger's response to what Luness had said, she did begin to feel a bit more relaxed around him. Surely someone who thought of animals like that couldn't be bad...right?


When Lucille suddenly appeared, Luness relaxed even further and even grinned when Lucille teased Kallin for his compliment.


While Lucille began talking with the stranger, who's name Luness had either already forgotten or hadn't been told yet, she wondered if that was her cue to leave before she was dragged into the conversation once more.


Sure enough, Kallin took the cue and stepped back before smiling at Luness. The second he mentioned having something to show her, Luness found herself smiling warmly in response while saying, "I'm never disappointed when you say that, so lead the way, Kal."


After saying this, Luness took a step towards Kallin and then waited for him to lead the way to wherever they were going. Hopefully, her blood-stained and torn dress wouldn't be terrible attire for their destination. Not that Luness cared much, but she didn't want to frighten any guests or nobility with her current appearance.


As it was, due to the sudden distraction of Kallin speaking with her, Luness completely missed Laikas' introduction of himself and his animal companions.


@SilverFlight @Baconhands

~~~~~

​

Leandra was surprised yet again when Nyr suddenly approached the pair and was holding Bob of all people/things/spirits...you get the point.


Listening to Nyr's greeting, Leandra nodded at her, doing her best to move on from her recently moody moment. As it was, Leandra was doing her best to suppress the memories that kept randomly popping up in her head and soiling the moment for her.


Seeing Leia's attempt to hold Bob, Leandra immediately found herself laughing, as the whole scene had been wholly amusing to say the very least.


Shaking her head in amusement at Bob and Leia's brief interaction, Leandra then remembered the meteor shower upon Leia's mentioning of it.


Shifting her gaze to the sky, Leandra smiled softly, as she watched the meteors seemingly dance upon the dark sky, lighting it up despite the immeasurable darkness that spanned the sky at night.


Not too long after admiring the meteor shower, Leandra's attention was pulled away from it upon Leo joining the small group.


Nodding at him, Leandra then said, "You fought valiantly too, Leo." Having always kind of disliked receiving compliments, Leandra's best response upon receiving one was not a 'thank you', but rather a compliment in return.


As it were, Leandra found it a bit hard to claim the night to be one that she fully wanted to remember. Yes, it had ended well, but it had been quite the emotional and physical struggle leading up to the success in the end.


@DawnAntalios @SilverFlight @zCrookedz

 

[The Suspicious Eye]

The woman made her way into the room and looked around at the others. She was impressed by the fighters skill and their amazing ability to switch situations. She took a deep breath and made her way towards the others. She gave a kind smile and stopped a few paces away to look at the others. She inspected them, not really sure what to do or say. The battle was over and now was certainly not the time to tell her story. She wanted to get out of this dress first, it was uncomfortable to say the least. She tilted her head and moved the dress back causing a loud dangle. She turned around and began to walk of planning to return for later.


@Anyone.

 

[DawnAntalios]

" Sure, it would be my pleasure. " Nyr replied to Leia's request. After all these challenges and battles it felt nice to finally rest for a bit. To be honest she also wanted to honor the memory of Mother Moon during this ball and the star fall was the best opportunity to do so. When Leo joined them she smiled on the veteran warrior. The fierce, fearless protector now stood before them, humbly praising their achievements.


" You were also amazing, my beloved. Without your help we would have surely failed. I am so glad that you fought with us side by side. " she smiled, hugging him briefly before her attention wandered to Leandra. The girl seemed to be troubled somehow after the battle so she walked up to her, putting her hand on her shoulder.


" This night was a taxing one, we were all put to our limits. But it is finally over and we stand victorious. " she gently squeezed Leandra's shoulder " Come, let us celebrate together. It is said that there is nothing more soothing than watching the shooting stars racing across the night sky. "


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Lioness075


Arianne looked around and found a strange new girl walking around the heroes before she decided to leave. She found this curious as a strange power emanated from the girl, assuring her that she was indeed someone similarly powerful like the others. Silently she walked up to her and waited for a moment. She did not want to disturb her but eventually as she gathered her courage she greeted her.


" I hope you are enjoying the night, Miss. " Arianne bowed deeply " The people say you fought valiantly against the evil queen - I am so happy to meet someone like you. But tell me: why are you not celebrating with the other heroes? You surely deserve a little praise at least. "


@The Suspicious Eye

 

[The Suspicious Eye]

The woman turned around and and looked at the other woman. She let the gems of her dress fall gently to the ground she gave her a warm smile. Returning the bow she spoke her in a soft, but distinguished voice. "I did nothing more than what anyone should do. In truth I wish I did more for them. However, they are are such skilled warriors. I can see why my queen asked for them to assist us." She looked at the others for a moment before turning back to the woman. "I shouldn't intrude on their celebrations, they seem happy. I want them to enjoy this victory."


@DawnAntalios

 

[SilverFlight]

"Try me." Lucille said, her smile never faltering. "I am ze captain of ze skyship zat escorts ze heroes. I have been very many places before zat. I am also one who decides who and what gets on my ship. So, let us try zat answer again." Lucille was never anything short of polite. She made it clear that she could be an invaluable ally, or a very clever enemy.


"I 'ave my tasks, as I am sure you 'ave yours. As long as zey do not interfere with saving our world, I am sure you would be welcome to join our little crusade if zat is what you wish for."


She drew her fan and hid the lower half of her face coyly. "It is a very nice ship."


@Baconhands


Leia gave up trying to lift Bob and turned to nod at Leandra's answer to Leo. "But this new place...the Sand Seas? Its a desert right? Giant evil geckos are fine and everything....but didn't Bruin say something about...walking dead?" The chill in Leia's voice was apparent. She could take any single monster from any horror flick anywhere...but zombies just weirded her right out. She gave an involuntary shiver.


"We aren't really going to have to fight zombies...are we?"


@zCrookedz @Lioness075 @DawnAntalios @The Suspicious Eye


Kallin grinned and took her hand, leading her back to the castle and through a narrow gate. The gate lead to a tiny stone courtyard which held a solitary tower with a single, heavy oak door. "I found this completely by accident. The Whispering Isles is home to some of the greatest magics in FableWood. I could tell you about them all night, but its always more fun if you get to show it...don't worry about permission," He looked back at her with a grin. "We know the prince." He may also have picked the lock earlier, but he would withhold that little piece of information unless asked directly.


The tower steps spiraled up into darkness, but Kallin summoned a small white magelight to guide them. The steps ended in a heavy ceiling door, which opened onto the top of the tower. The Star Fall continued above them, sending the night sky glittering still in a riot of colour and light. In the center of the towertop, scored into the very stone was a large, ornate sigil.


"I can't tell you how old this is, but it looks like its older than any other part of the castle...Its a summoning circle." For emphasis he tapped his staff onto the edge and it lit up, the glow stretching out from his staff tip to ripple over the entire design. He went to stand in the center of the circle.


"Now, I can't actually summon anything, that would take much more power than I have at night...but I can make a window..."


His ice-blue eyes glittered as he said this and, with a small moment to focus he sent his spell deep into the sigil. It pulsed once, the energy that radiated from it was almost tangible. Suddenly he remembered that they both had to be standing inside the circle and quickly reached out to pull Luness close. The energy pulsed once more and then was still. Kallin waited, holding his breath. Suddenly a subtle shimmer flickered in front of them. This was followed by a dim blue-green light that hung in the air for just a moment before vanishing. Just then a form appeared, the same glowing colour. Its translucent body shone with bright scales. Its head and face was not unlike Leia's water spirit. It saw them and vanished.


Not long after that another spirit approached, and another, and another. It was like watching fish in murky water, they would fade into existence and out of it again as they drew near and slipped away from the circle walls. Some stopped to regard them carefully, some gave playful little waves. Each spirit seemed more unique and elaborate than the next.


Kallin looked to Luness to see if she was enjoying herself. "Pretty neat isn't it?"


Suddenly a flash appeared above their heads, the brightest star yet soared through the sky to vanish against the tree line. His face lit up in a genuinely excited expression.


"Make a wish." He said.


@Lioness075

 

[Aldur]

Vinter chuckled at Lucille's remark. "You know what I meant..." She continued. Lucille practically appeared behind Vinter. She addressed one of her concerns. Kallin was, in fact, being approached by an unknown individual. "You think?" Vinter said in reaction to Lucille's statement. Indeed, it could have been nothing deserving of such regards. "Very well. I shall accompany you, sister." She spoke in a forced accent, trying to mock the nobility's way of speech knowing that Lucille would find it amusing.


Nevertheless, Vinter followed Lucille, arriving at the scene a little later than the Captain, but early enough to puff air out of her knows upon hearing Lucille's reply to Kallin's more than obvious compliment. "Nice try, pal." Vinter patted Kallin on the back before he retreated to Luness. Lucille had been explaining the feller in front of them the ins and outs of the heroes' assignment and who gets to travel on the Tenacity. "That's right... our ship!" She acknowledged before leaning on Lucille's shoulder. "And feel free to not answer Lucille's question regarding where you came from, then. It's only mandatory if it's trust you're looking for."


@SilverFlight @Baconhands

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra listened to Leia's thoughts on their next destination and almost smiled when the walking dead was mentioned. Were they about to live out the TV show itself, but in the desert?


From what knowledge Leandra had of the walking dead, based on human ideas alone, they could potentially be very fast and dangerous or very slow and only dangerous in a herd. Hopefully it would be the latter.


Grinning at Leia despite her obvious fear, Leandra said, "Fighting zombies would certainly be entertaining to say the very least. I definitely can't say that I've done that before."


With giant geckos in mind, Leandra soon found her mind wandering to the Fallout video games. If that's what they were up against then those geckos were going to be fast and potentially dangerous depending on how bad their bite is.


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios


Suddenly a flash appeared above their heads, the brightest star yet soared through the sky to vanish against the tree line. His face lit up in a genuinely excited expression.


"Make a wish." He said.


Luness let Kallin take her hand and lead the way, as she looked around to admire her surroundings and saw the tower just after Kallin began explaining it.


Looking over the tower and then hearing the last of what Kallin had to say about it, Luness smiled and replied, "It's definitely far more fun to do things rather than just talk about them."


Grinning, Luness then added, "And I didn't even think twice about permission, Kal. It's not like I grew up having to ask that much permission to do anything."


Following Kallin up the stairs of the tower, Luness found herself almost immediately blinking when Kallin suddenly summoned a magelight. Remembering that he was human and not a werebeast like her, Luness continued to blink until her eyes had adjust to the light since it wasn't like Kallin would have an easy time trying to see everything in the dark like Luness was easily capable of.


The moment they entered the rooftop of the tower, Luness found herself pausing again to admire the Star Fall. It truly was a spectacular sight to behold and Luness never really recalled seeing anything as beautiful in the sky before.


Shifting her gaze back to the roof she was standing on, Luness soon sighted the ornate sigil and was confused, as she had no idea what it was.


Luckily, she didn't even need to ask before Kallin was explaining it.


Having never seen a summoning circle before, Luness walked to the edge of it and looked it over before turning to Kallin with the intent of asking him what he could summon.


Again, he answered her before she could even ask and Luness found herself wondering what he meant by a window. Was he literally going to just summon a window from a building? That would certainly be an odd sight to see.


Before Luness could question this, Kallin's eyes shimmered a bit and while he was in the middle of the summoning circle, the sigil began to pulse a bit.


Luness' eyes widened at this sight and she was soon yanked inside of the circle with Kallin before she could protest it. Magic still made her a bit nervous and being in the middle of any spell only made Luness' heart race.


Yet, there were soon numerous spirits appearing and disappearing before both herself and Kallin. Amazed by this, Luness' eyes swiveled about quickly, as she took in the sight of each figure, amazed that this was even possible. Who were all these spirits? Where were they right now?


Whenever any of them waved, Luness found herself not wanting to wave back despite her amazement at everything happening currently. She didn't know the spirits so who knew if one of them tried any funny business.


Hearing Kallin's question, Luness glanced sideways at Kallin and smiled at him before saying in an amazed tone, "It's brilliant. I've never seen the likes of it before."


When the flash appeared above them, Luness immediately shifted her gaze skywards just in time to see an extremely bright star, which partially blinded her in the moment, soar by and then vanish beyond the tree line.


Grinning at the sight, Luness was about to exclaim about it to Kallin when he told her to make a wish. Confused by this notion, Luness cocked her head at Kallin and then asked him, "Make a wish? What's a wish and how do I make one?"


@SilverFlight

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo stood watching the stars fall from the heavens as the others did returning Nyr's hug. It was truly a remarkable thing to see pieces of the world above them fall down to their world. Leo looked around him and seated himself down on the gardens grassy floor. The battle and made him weary and sitting and watching was a bit more preferable to standing at the moment. Leo watched as the others began to discuss the next phase of the journey. He had not given it much thought since it had first been spoken of by Bruin, but now that they Aisles were safe once again, it seemed an appropriate time to begin thinking of such things. Leo listened to Leia and Leandra and as they spoke a curious expression continued to come from both of them. Leo looked at them a bit curious "A, zom-bee, what are these? I do not believe I have every heard of such a creature." The sound of a giant gecko was a little more plausible to him, after all, they had traveled with a walking talking reptilian at one point. But this new creature sounded a little bit more fearsome than Banba had been.


@DawnAntalios @SilverFlight @Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra glanced over at Leo while the meteor shower continued above them, as she said, "Well, from the Real World, a zombie is depicted as a human who has died and come back to life. Typically, their body is rotting and they look grotesque to say the very least. They also crave living flesh and have an insatiable hunger for it. They also can either be fast and dangerous or really slow, hampered by their rotting limbs so that they have to limp, walk, or even crawl everywhere. Lastly, they usually can only be killed if you decapitate them...y'know, completely sever their head from their neck and all."


After saying all of this, Leandra curiously watched Leo for his reaction to all of this information. What would he think about all of this? Better yet, what would the zombies be like in FableWood as compared to the depicted ones in the Real World?


@zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Kallin blinked in surprise. "'What's a wish'?" He couldn't help but laugh softly. "A wish is something you want that you might not be able to get by yourself. You throw your desire out to fate and wait for fate's hand. If you make wishes after special events, or on charms they're more likely to come true. Example: I bet you wish your dress wasn't in such bad shape."


He waved his staff nonchalantly and the fabric of her dress knit itself delicately back together in the most revealing places. repairing a dress was much easier than rebuilding Branbern. He could do it with hardly any loss to his nighttime energy pool.


"Better? Now, go ahead and try making a wish." The stars continued to fall, but Kallin seemed to hardly notice them.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Luness felt herself blush when Kallin reacted in a clearly surprised manner when she mentioned her lack of knowledge of what a wish was.


Shifting her gaze to her feet, Luness listened to Kallin's explanation for what a wish exactly was and how it worked.


When her dress was mentioned, Luness blushed even harder, as a quick glance at it reminded her just how badly damaged it had gotten in the fight and that her body was a bit more exposed now than usual.


Luckily, Kallin was able to cast a spell to fix that and Luness looked at him gratefully before saying with a grin, "I never want to wear a dress again after tonight. These ghastly things keep me from fighting properly or even moving properly for that matter."


Yet, when Kallin mentioned that she should go ahead and try to make a wish, Luness furrowed her brows and shifted her gaze to the sky for a moment while she thought about it.


Luness had recently conquered her past fears and accepted her parents' deaths so there was no need to make a wish about any of that. She did fear what had happened to Otto during the last fight, but they hadn't had the chance to address any of that so Luness had no idea what to wish about there. She had Kallin so there was no need to wish for someone to be there for her. What could she make a wish about?


Suddenly, Luness had an idea, though she immediately felt awkward about saying it out loud. Looking back down at her paws and shifting uneasily for a moment, Luness then said softly, "I wish you'd stop keeping secrets from me..."


Once she'd said it out loud to Kallin, Luness felt uncomfortable, as she knew that Kallin probably had his reasons for keeping anything from her.


Problem was, he knew most, if not all, of her own secrets. Wasn't it only fair for her to know more about him now? In fact, now that she thought about it, Luness hardly knew anything about Kallin. Granted, he had amnesia and couldn't remember all of his past, but from his interaction with Lucille, Luness could tell there was more that he was hiding from her. Why couldn't he just tell her? Did he not trust her?


@SilverFlight

 

[DawnAntalios]

Arianne smiled at the girl. She was so modest, so shy... she liked her already. She gently offered her her little hand, smiling at the girl.


" And I believe that a hero like you deserves to celebrate with the other heroes. " she chuckled " Do not think that your contribution was less than theirs: you have helped them to fight and vanquish an evil foe - you deserve to be recognized. "


She nodded at her.


" Well, my lady? Shall we go and make a proper introduction? "


@The Suspicious Eye


Nyr laughed at the ideas of zombies.


" Zombies are probably the best enemies we can face. " she grinned " They are already dead thus vanquishing them won't fill us with remorse, they are bust husks of their former selves. "


Her expression turned more serious and she stepped near Leo.


" That does not mean that we do not need to be vigilant. Caraboss knows that we are close to her and her minions will only get stronger and stronger each time we face her. We must be careful in those Sand Seas... "


She let her head rest on the furry arm of the guardian and she looked up on the sky longingly.


" I just wish mother was here with us to guide all of us... she would surely know what to do... "


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Lioness075

 

[SilverFlight]

"The best enemies huh?...oookay, I'll give that attitude a shot." She glanced worriedly at Tad and Lee. "If they get within twenty feet of me I want you to blast them to bits, got it?" The spirits exchanged glances curiously.


She glanced at Leo as he tried the word on his tongue.


"If you've never heard of zombies...what about undead? They must be pretty rare then if you haven't heard of them...that's good."


@DawnAntalios @zCrookedz


He laughed out loud at her comment on dresses. It was a bright sound, and sincere. the sort of laugh that was highly contagious. "Then I promise I will never ask you to wear one again." He grinned as she thought, eagerly awaiting to hear what she wished for. Inwardly he argued with himself. This was not why he had brought her up here. He had planned it all out. He was going to show her the summoning circle, then tell her what he knew he had to, what he couldn't keep hiding, but watching her he could feel his resolve slip away. The star shower glittered above them and the spirits wove in and out in their ephemeral dance. The night was perfect, he could't ruin that...


Luness' words were like a kick to the head. Everything stopped in that moment. His concentration was shattered and the sigil under their feet dimmed, closing their visions into the spirit world. The look that fell onto his face made him seem like he would break too. He turned away from her. His voice of reason had come back with an avid vengeance.


"Well..." He tried to think of what to say, then finally let out a sigh that seemed to carry a world of worry. "....As you wish."


He paused for a moment trying to choose where to begin. "...Back in Wonderland...you saved my life. I guess I was pretty ungrateful about it. I told you my life wasn't worth risking yours for." He leaned against the stone turret edge, considering the palm of his hand sadly. "Every day the curse steals my physical body, I can't eat, can't feel anything but pain...but that's not the worst part about this curse Lune...You saw the red sparks, at the spring, and when the magister attacked me."


He turned back to look at her, but stayed away, leaning on the tower's edge. "Its a byproduct of the chaos magic that was used in the curse...No one is supposed to control chaos magic, its too wild...Even for me." He stood up then, his expression grim, pained and defeated. "Its tearing me apart, slowly, but I can feel it now everytime I cast. Luness...its going to kill me...soon."


@Lioness075

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo sat there and listened to Leandra explain the zombie to him. When she first started describing them, a little spark inside of him lit up at the sound of bringing someone back from the dead. So many had lost their lives in this battle with Caraboss, was it truly possible to bring people back from the dead? However, the more Leandra explained, and then Nyr confirming the nature and composure of the zombie, that spark died away. He would never wish to see anyone they had lost come back as such a foul creature. The thought was grotesque and appalling.


Leo took his arm that Nyr leaned on and wrapped it around her as he looked back to Leandra and Leia, "I see. These creatures are indeed new to me. The thought of the dead rising to fight us is an affront to nature itself. Hopefully they will be as easy to destroy here as they are in your world." Leo then turned his attention back to the heavens as a larger star shot across the sky into the horizon. Leo gave Nyr a squeeze after she spoke of her mother "Do not worry Nyr, your mother gave you the wisdom needed to guide you. With the rest of us here, I am sure we will find our way."


@SilverFlight @Lioness075 @DawnAntalios

 

[Lioness075]

Unsure of what Nyr meant by 'mother', Leandra looked at her quizzically and asked, "Who is 'mother'? Your mother, or some kind of deity? A goddess, perhaps?"


Leandra had never really heard of any religious practices in FableWood, but considering the many similarities between this place and the Real World, surely there had to be some kind of religion here.


If Nyr was speaking of a goddess, then it surely sounded like they'd had some kind of personal relationship, which was very odd to Leandra. That didn't exist in the Real World. At least, not in Leandra's mind.


Leandra hadn't exactly grown up in an ideal environment and so she'd never found herself able to believe in any God or gods, depending on whatever your religion was. The only person that had ever been there for Leandra was her twin brother, Manjano. Thus, she essentially 'believed' in him.


Hearing Leia's mention of undead, Leandra briefly shifted her attention to her and nodded in agreement before adding, "If they're really that rare then that's definitely a good thing. Too many zombies, or undead, is certainly nothing good for any world or anyone."


Hearing Leo speak about the zombies, Leandra merely nodded in agreement once more. She couldn't agree more with the Guardian.


@DawnAntalios @SilverFlight @zCrookedz

~~~~~

​

Luness looked back up at Kallin and rolled her eyes when he laughed about her dress, but she soon saw his resolve and composure completely dissipate when her request set in.


Warily, Luness eyed Kallin, watching his expression and perking her good ear towards him so she could hear his tone and better understand how he was feeling in the moment. One thing she easily detected before anything else though. Fear. His facial expression easily gave that away even before he'd begun speaking. What was so terrible that he'd tried his hardest to hide it from her for so long?


Furrowing her brows at his initial hesitation, Luness just began to worry even more so about what was to come. Her heart pounded in her chest and she nervously shifted about on her hind legs once more.


As Kallin began to speak and mentioned the Jabberwock scene, Luness instinctively tensed, as she recalled how most of her bones had been broken from the impact alone...and how she really shouldn't have survived in that moment. Yet, to this day, she never once regretted saving Kallin's life. Why was he still insisting that he hadn't been worth saving in the moment?


Remaining where she was instead of approaching Kallin right away, Luness listened, as he further explained his curse. The more details he gave her, the more fear that entered her heart and sent chills down her spine. She knew he couldn't eat, but he'd always dismissed it as something he simply didn't need. When he mentioned being only capable of feeling pain, Luness felt tears brimming her eyes. She knew that kind of feeling all too well.


When Kallin said that none of what he'd just mentioned was the worst part about the curse, Luness hesitantly took a step towards him, fearing what he'd say next even if she had no idea what to expect him to say.


At the mention of the red sparks, Luness cocked her head, as she wasn't entirely sure what they'd meant. Yet, Kallin immediately went into an explanation about them and Luness bit her lip when he mentioned that the chaos magic was too wild, even for him to handle. So, despite all of his seemingly displays of complete control over his magic...he actually had little to no control at all. And it was slowly destroying him.


Seeing Kallin's expression when he turned around, Luness felt her heart skip a beat.


Yet, nothing could've prepared Luness for what Kallin said next. He was going to die soon.


Eyes wide and with tears rolling down her cheeks, Luness opened her mouth to say something, but found she couldn't think of what to even say in the moment. Her heart was racing inside of her and thoughts rushed through her mind all at once. So, this was it? She'd finally found someone who was her anchor in this harsh world, who had brought her out of the darkness she'd made a home in, and just like that, he was going to die soon?


With tears soaking her face, Luness felt herself unwillingly shift into her human form, as she lost all composure and control over herself. Quietly crying now, Luness then said between the tears to Kallin, "Is there nothing we can do to solve this? To help you? Nothing at all?"


Tentatively, Luness took another step towards Kallin, only two steps away from him now, as she hesitantly wondered if she should try to hug him or something in the moment. Then again, Luness had never been in any moment where she'd needed to comfort someone else so the mere notion was foreign to her.


Why did her heart feel like the shards it'd been left in for so long were being struck by a hammer? Why did she feel like she was eight years old again? How was it that someone as broken as she had been for so long, was able to feel even more broken than she already was?


@SilverFlight