Northern Solstice

[Smntha]

Northern Solstice

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A world that had once been coated in luscious green valleys, twisting rivers and misty jungles had become a mere fairy-tale for its inhabitants. The winter had normally been in balance with the summer. The cool new breezes, sniffling noses and copious amounts of snot from children that was a surefire messenger that spring was to arrive did not. The people of the world had become weary. At first, the nervousness was but a part of them wilting away at the optimism they had constructed season by season for so long. The promise of spring that had been given to the people so very long ago was left unfulfilled. Years passed with no signs of a breath of life. Cities were ravaged, entire cultures erased. Only those who had been accustomed to this weather for most of their lives were able to survive - the Northern.


For centuries the Northern attempted to reconstruct society in their high mountain halls where the sun still shined brightly through the dense waves of snow. Alas, despite their best agricultural minds and brilliant architects, their timer on life began to run out. Thus an expedition was created to search for the cause of the eternal winter. Many believed it was due to the plague that was Magic. Those who were rarely able to use it typically wished only the worst upon those who couldn't.


Others thought it was simply the wish of any God above. Those were the ones who died cowering in their homes. But those who wished to survive - they were those in the Expedition.


February 2nd:


After members of the 2nd Legion of the Expedition return to the Northern fortress of Kevele, they bring yet another negative report. However, they have brought back a vague hint of where hope might lay - across the Sea of Leviathan. One of the most treacherous seas that remained unfrozen, it had only been crossed by those who were able to withstand the coldest temperatures recorded in common history. However, those who had been to the land beyond Leviathan and back claim it is a wealth of knowledge and history waiting to be exploited. Until now - a major journey toward that land had never been planned.





Though out of desperation, posters crying out - pleading for brave-hearted adventurers hung around every corner of the Fortress.

@Chelsea Griffin

 

[Smntha]

The snow crunched lightly with every footstep that slammed each flake of snow into one another. Schunk. The leg had sunk completely into the snow, leaving its owner sighing heavily. Sebastian's breath showed in great puffs as he struggled with prying his leg out from under the blanket of ice and snow that had consumed it. It was always an adventure and a half trying to reach the lake that laid only a dozen yards away from him. A sigh of relief came when his leg jutted out of the white tomb. His toes wiggled slightly in his boots. The sting of winter had begun to claim them already, despite him being outside of the Fortress for 3/4th's of an hour now. With a much more careful tread he approached the lake. A previously lain bouquet of pine branches that had been lain upon the rock solid waters was already falling victim to the same fate his toes had. With a sigh Sebastian grasped them by their twigs and shook them gently in order to keep the snow at bay.


"Could've at least kept your bouquet clean, Sis."


He spoke each word softly and with a hint of guilt poisoning each movement of his tongue.


"The Expedition is supposed to return today," Sebastian leaned back against the massive snowbank surrounding the lake, crossing his arms over his chest as he shivered. "Hopefully they bring with them the cure to - " A gust of wind flushed a fresh wave of snow up into Sebastian's face. Wiping it off he grunts, "- This shit.. It'd be nice if they could.. I'd be able to get you out and bury you, properly. With the rest of our family.. You'd be with Mother and Father, like you always loved to be.." A slight sniffle came up in Sebastian's nose. Perhaps from being blasted with cold air, perhaps from sadness. "I'd be able to bring you something more than twigs.. A nice bouquet of flowers.. Like the ones you used to wear in your hair.. The ones Mom would tuck behind your ear and whisper fairy-tales to you while she was close."


Sebastian often longed for the cold to stop. He wanted everything to go numb - for him to end - to fall out of existence. But he was better than that, and he knew his life meant more.


The soft sound of hooves rattled their way into his mind. Sebastian jutted upright, realizing he had fell asleep in the snow. The tall red and grey banners of the Expedition wove high above a massive train of men and women alike on foot or horseback. A solemn silence was carried with them. None cheered or sang joyously. There wasn't a hint of conversation.


"Looks like the flowers will have to wait.."


With this Sebastian began to trudge back up into the city, awaiting to hear the full report given by the expedition.





Needless to say, the news didn't sit well with Sebastian. However, being himself, he refused to let the majority of bad news sour the silver lining. Across the Leviathan Sea there could be hope for his people. For his sister. His lineage.


Approaching one of the posters that had been hung, Sebastian pulls down his cap slightly. Reading it thoroughly he crossed his arms, a serious gaze over him opposed to his normal casual smile. He stood out in the crowd of people somewhat well, seeing as he was one of the few people actually interested in what seemed to be a suicide mission.

@Chelsea Griffin

 

[Chelsea Griffin]

Aisling's breath came out in puffs as she surveyed the landscape around the Fortress. Standing on the walls, all she could make out through the snow that fell was whiteness. Her vision had never been up to parr, yet it seemed to be getting worse and worse.


"Nothing's changed," she mused to herself in a quiet murmur. "It's still almost as cold as death."


She shivered involuntarily, and mentally scolded herself. She wasn't supposed to get cold. No one in her family was supposed to feel weakness, either in battle or with trivial matters such as cold. Her father had told her that since as long as she could remember. He'd told her how she'd embarrass and disgrace the name of her family, how their reputation would be soiled.


Aisling smiled bitterly. How could she ruin their reputation now? She hadn't seen them since her mother died. Her father had seemed to go crazy after that, as if her mother had been the only thing anchoring him to sanity. Her older brother had turned spiteful as well, siding with her father in everything and leaving her to fend for herself. So she left.


She leaned forward, trying to peer toward the ground right below her. Aisling had no idea how far down it was... She didn't want to die, and yet something about high places had always intrigued her. Just one misplaced step, one error of judgement, and she'd be plummeting down to almost certain death. Again, she didn't want to die. She wanted to live, and her heart yearned for adventure.


The cold had been there for so long that she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to feel warm. Sure, sitting beside a fire and wrapping her cloak tightly around her kept her outer body from being too frigid, but there was something inside. It was almost as if a shard of ice had wormed its way into her bloodstream, and her veins had started to freeze up. It had hurt at first, but it was starting to turn numb, the feeling akin to what would happen if Aisling fell into a snowdrift and lay there for a long, long time.


It wasn't as if she didn't like the cold, in fact, she used to love it. But it was too cold, and too snowy, and too bitter. And the ice in her heart just kept on getting colder and colder. Aisling worried that she was going to grow too numb, that she would never again be able to feel the carefree joy that summer had brought with it. She worried that the ice would freeze her from the inside out. She worried that she'd never truly experience summer again. She'd worry that her father and brother would find her. She'd worry about a lot of things, and each and every one of them weighed on her painfully.


That's why she wanted the Expedition to bring back something, anything to ease the winter. Her hopes were higher than she wanted them to be, as Aisling had had her share of being let down in the past. As someone whose name literally meant 'dream', she couldn't help but do that all the time. Her family had always told her to keep her expectations low, and her hopes lower. But that didn't quite fit with her.


"I want to get the hell out of here. I want to be able to feel a warm summer breeze on my skin, not these biting winter gusts. I want to be able to feel free again. I want the ice that I feel to melt away," Aisling said, her voice wistful and full of bittersweet memories.


Sighing, she turned away from the whiteness outside the Fortress and made her way back down to the warmth of the tiny place she called her home.


...


Aisling walked with her hood pulled over her face, hiding her eyes. She had just heard the news that the Expedition brought back. After such a long time of waiting there was finally a glimmer of hope... A hope that rested across the Leviathan Sea.


She had pulled a face when she heard that. Aisling hated the sea. There was something about it, something that made her want to run and hide. She hated feeling that way... She hated feeling weak.


But hope was hope, after all, and Aisling was going to take any chance she could get to be free of both the bitter winter and the cruel and broken memories of her family that still haunted her.


She approached one of the posters that hung on the walls, walking slowly toward it. There weren't many others there. Of course not... Why would they leave the relative safety of the Fortress for the wild unknown? Death was sure to await them.


If there was one thing Aisling wasn't afraid of, though, it was death. It was there, yes, and it constantly bothered her about what it would be like. But she was never afraid of it, only extremely curious.


Another person seemed to stand out especially to Aisling, though she couldn't pinpoint why. Looking out from under her hood, she glimpsed the figure of a boy that seemed just as interested in the sign as she was.

 

[Smntha]

The ever growing urge to set off on his way to the docks began to rise in his throat. The crew that would be setting off on the several month journey was simply titled "Spring". It was a name that carried with it the hope for the season that had long since been felt by the Northern. Yet at the same time, it inferred that those in the Spring crew may never return either.


The all too familiar tingle of someone watching him ran up his spine like a jolt of electricity. This sensation was common to Sebastian - many stared at the boy in suspicion of his optimism. His head tilted slightly to view the girl beside him. Oddly enough, he couldn't recognize her. He'd been working around the Fortress for so long now he could easily pick anyone's name and match them to their face in mere moments.


Who is she? He bit his lower lip in thought. His jaw moved back and forth as he nervously nibbled upon the chapped flesh of his lip. Don't just stare. With a slight cough he bobbed his head in a nod to her as he rotated himself to face her. "I'll see you there, huh?" Sebastian chuckled nervously and brushed past her. For the moments that they were in contact the soft smell of pine accompanies him and slips into her senses.


As he trod off down the street he couldn't help but think of that girl again. I'll see you there, huh? Seriously, that's all you have to say? Self-loathing caused him to grimace and clench his fists in discomfort. With a huff he pushed the towering oak doors to his family's decrepit manor open. Cobwebs and ice had begun to gather along the window sills, the pale light of winter shining through the ice laden windows.


Piled up near the center of the hearth were wooden crates and worn leather bags. Some were split open and empty, others rotting from the musty interior of the home. The hearth held logs that had long ago been burnt to provide warmth and comfort for Sebastian. Now the hearth was cold and snow had gathered over the logs.


Sebastian walked across the thick pine planks that lined the floor of the home toward one of the bags that had been resting against the stacks of crates. It had a single strap that would cross over his chest and shoulders in order to provide adept maneuverability in comparison with a normal bag. Though it was smaller than the space that a two-strapped bag would provide, he was more than willing to trade it for the ability to move freely.


With this, Sebastian began packing his bags. A sleeping bag, blankets and the few potatoes he had left. Finally he came to the hearth. A framed drawing that was detailed and elegant portrayed his little sister. The golden color that had was her hair had been contrasted vibrantly by the blue flower tucked behind her ear. With a sigh Sebastian took the frame in his hands and slipped it within the confines of his coat pocket. Stay with me.. I can't go alone.











A day later..





After the night full of restless sleep had finally ended Sebastian found himself at the busied docks. A massive ship with tall red and gray sails rose overhead the hull of a massive oaken ship. It was one of the last of its kind. It had five sails with a triangular, pointed one on the prow. It appeared to be several decks high with a massive crew of existing expedition members beginning to load supplies onto it. With a slow inhale and exhale Sebastian nodded to himself. You're doing this. You're here. Go. With the internal commanding he paced up the stairs that lead to the ship, greeting those he'd call comrades in the months ahead.

 

[Chelsea Griffin]

As Aisling continued to look at the poster, she couldn't help but periodically glance at the boy beside her. She was almost sure she'd never seen him before, which wasn't all to surprising. She spent her time alone mainly, on the wall, peering out into the white expanses outside of the Fortress, in her house, pouring over book after book filled with adventure and fantasy, and training with her sword wherever she could find room.


There was something about him, though, that seemed to draw Aisling's attention. He appeared to have an optimistic air to him, though how she could tell, Aisling couldn't really tell. He turned his head a little, and gave a little cough. Aisling turned her head to face him.


"I'll see you there, huh?" he said, chuckling a little nervously.


The boy brushed past her, and for the second after that Aisling could make out the scent of pine in the air around her. She inhaled deeply, gave one last glance to the poster, and started the walk back to the little house.


She berated herself for not saying something to him, but at the moment, she couldn't think of anything to say. She was never really mentally prepared for talking to anyone, the awkwardness passing down from her mother to her.


Pushing the oak door open, Aisling sighed a little. This was going to be her last night in the place that had been home to her for so long. Days upon days of backbreaking work and exhausting jobs had all led up to her saving enough money to buy it, and it would be more than a little hard to say farewell to it.


Kicking off her boots, she padded across the wooden floor toward the chest where she kept all the belongings important to her. Aisling grabbed the bag that rested on the floor beside it, and unhinged the clasp to open it. It wasn't all that big, and it would hang from one shoulder like a slightly larger version of a satchel.


She rolled up her two blankets, stuffing them as far into the bag as she could. On top of them, she added a leather-bound book. It had been in her family for ages upon ages, and told stories of strange and wondrous creatures in equally exotic lands. She had stolen it from her family when she left, and she wasn't about to let it go now.


Aisling picked up the small bag of salted pork that she had sitting on the table beside her, and placed it on top of the book and blankets. The rest of the things she was going to bring she could fit in the belt that she always wore. A dagger hidden in her boot, her sword dangling from its sheathe, and a necklace with a small, shining medallion on it. The last thing her mother had given to her before she passed on.


Aisling wrapped her hands around it, the edges of the cold metal digging into her palms.


Here's to the death of this cold, eh? Sorry I had to leave them, mother, but you would've too.


…


A day later





Aisling had risen before dawn. She didn't sleep much, anyways, and there was the added fact that today was the day she'd be able to truly leave the Fortress and all the memories that it carried. For better or for worse, this was farewell.


She had locked the door behind her, slipping the key into her bag. She wouldn't need it again, and she wasn't sure why she kept it. The docks were bustling, the main area of activity being the ship. It was truly beautiful. For something of the ocean.


Gritting her teeth, Aisling forced herself to walk up the steps. It was worth suffering on the ocean if it meant she could be free. Yet she had to keep reminding herself of that, otherwise she'd start to lose her faith.


Above her a little ways, Aisling spotted the boy she'd seen beside the poster the day before. Quickening her pace to reach him and the relative safety of the ship, she made the mistake of looking down. Beneath her, between the sides of the ship and the docks, the frigid waters seemed to wave tauntingly at her. Aisling swallowed, and looked back up.


"This is it, Aisling, you're going to be free," she murmured to herself, stepping onto the deck of the ship. "You're so close."

 

[Smntha]

As Sebastian boarded the rickety oak planks of the ship he felt the ocean beneath him lapping ever so slightly at the edges of the hull. On the docks there wasn't shelter from the never relenting cold winds that powered their way across the sea. He stepped to the side in order to allow others to board beside him, adjusting the fur gloves that sheltered his hands. It was incredibly cold on the water - colder than in the high reaches of the Fortress. Needless to say, some were beginning to turn back to their homes before they had ever set foot onto the deck.


After moments of the insane or brave (perhaps a bit of both) boarding the tall ship, a crowd of twenty to thirty gathered beneath the main deck. In a room that could only be described as a dining hall men and women gathered at long tables that seemed to have been slapped together by a carpenter with a vision disability. The edges were frequently obscured by fields of splinters jutting out like pines on a mountain. Regardless, everyone was seated and gazed toward a podium oriented at the bow. Though nobody yet stood at it Expedition members in uniform had cluttered around it. They spoke in hushed tones and their eyes darted around the room. It was evident they were unhappy with the turnout.


Sebastian slipped onto a stool at one of the messily crafted tables. The leather around his fingers slid expectantly against the edge, a grin coming to his lips as splinters got stuck in the hide. He'd found something to pass the time, should he have any time to spare. He raised up the palm he'd ran across the forest of splinters and meticulously plucked each tiny, wooden spear from it. He was in a rather ill lit corner of the room. He enjoyed privacy of course, especially in a place where there would be none for months on end. Though of course he knew this bliss would be shortly disrupted as alternative tables began to fill.


Inevitably every table but his became filled. With a timid gaze a pair of what appears to be twins approaches. A sister and brother, they had dark hair with brilliant blue eyes. Their skin was tanned which had made them stick out quite a bit to the paled Northerners. They had been refugees from the South.


"Can we sit?" The brother asks. His hand was placed gently over his sister's shoulder. A pair of leather goggles rested on his forehead, pushing his mess of jet black hair up in every direction. His sister wore a balaclava with a wool knitted hat over it, looking hopefully to the familiar face. Sebastian smiled and gestured his hand to the three empty seats surrounding him. "Please, make yourself at home." The twins grinned and nodded their thanks to him. After this they sat and began to quietly converse with one another, occasionally casting glances to Sebastian.


Waiting for the Captain to approach, Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest and gazed to the empty podium. His imagination began to drift as he imagined what the Captain who was mad enough to lead this journey looked like. Much to his surprise the vision he had imagined crackled into the appearance of the girl he'd seen earlier. For whatever reason, he couldn't shake her from his mind quite yet. He had been curious why he'd never seen her - especially why he hadn't yet helped her. He'd helped nearly everyone, even the foreigners who had sat beside him now.