Take Back the Crown

Bo nodded in agreement with Valeiah. "I agree with you. Gore... doesn't seem sincere like Pip does." In fact, it looked like even Pip wanted her gone too.


@Danika
 
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Phaedra had to nod her agreement to Valeiah, watching Gore saddle up into the wagon with them. She was visibly uncomfortable around the creature. Despite her curiosity for the imp, her gut feeling was repelling her from Gore.

"..I think I'm well enough to just walk."

She slid out of the wagon, plopping herself beside Bo.

It wasn't that she hated Gore. It was that something was just so obviously off about the little creature that any amount of curiosity satisfied wasn't even worth the trouble. The stony looking imp on the other hand? Much more amicable.

@Danika @RP Marshall @soundofmind
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"Alright, alright, settle down already!" Svetlana scolded, "We will discuss it at another time. You and I will talk later." She said pointing at Pip, "But for now, let us all talk about what we are going to do."


Svetlana walked back to where she was before, comforted by the threats that were given to the imps so they would be aware of the consequences should they betray them or rat them out. She straightened the map, looking it over with a finger to her lip before speaking. "We are here." She pointed at an area very close to the Kingdom of Valer, "We made some progress in the right direction after all that excitement."


She pulled Lucasta down from the wagon and gently took the satchel from her. The witch's enchantment around the crown was still incredibly strong even after her barrier had been broken, which relieved the old lady immensely. "Though we have the crown," she muttered, pulling the silver circlet from the bag, "we are faced with yet another dilemma." The crown shone brightly, as if the sun were gleaming right above it. The metal stirred, the pure magic that was used to forge it was still strong even after all these years, and being separated from it's counterparts. "The boons of the six tribes are missing, and before you jump to conclusions!" She raised her voice to keep people from interrupting her, "No, Kvacht was not responsible. Quite the opposite, actually. Before the King and Queen were killed, they followed the orders of the forger and Algoran himself, who had left instructions in their care if ever a need to protect the crown should arise. And I am sure they knew some fateful day, it would happen." She stroked the empty hollows where the stones should be, "They instructed the descendants to return the six stones to the places they were made, thus scattering them all over Algoran in places their magic would be concealed. The crown is useless without the gemstones, though that didn't stop Kvacht from trying to take the crown. However, the crown was hidden in a chamber built by Algoran and the six tribes themselves, and their powerful dead souls protect it from ill intent. This is why Kvacht could not open it, and why he cleaved the throne in two."


As she spoke, Hjalmar clenched his jaw nervously. He had promised his boss he would get the money to him soon, and now they were going to have to travel all over Algoran? This did not bode well for him, "How long it this going to take?" He asked, seeming a little more anxious than he meant to. He was rather good at hiding his fear, but that leaked through just slightly.


Svetlana raised an eyebrow, "Well, I do not know." She mused, "It could take weeks, months, years perhaps? It all depends on how fast we can get things done. But it is not as if we will be wandering aimlessly with no leads. I know the original homelands of the six tribes, though locating the stones in those areas will be ultimately up to us, as I do not have specific locations. At least we know which direction we must go though!" She added positively.


Her fingers drifted across the map as she pointed to the areas they were headed, "We will need to travel to the shifting sands of Kebrun where the sunstone patiently awaits... then we will have to climb the high fells of Mt. Forsjón, the opal sits at its peek... then we will travel through the deadlands of Myrk to reach its ancient dwarven halls, long since abandoned by their creators, where the obsidian hides in its maze... then we will have to--" she faltered for a moment, old precious memories rushing back. "We will have to pass through my homeland, the marshes of Anthor, where the jade is kept guarded under watchful eyes..." the sorrowful look on her face vanished as she continued, "We will then have to take a ship out to the violent seas of Vovok, where the kyanite is shrouded in its bottomless depths... then, the last place we will travel to is the wrathful volcano of Eldur, where the carnelian is protected by its writhing fires." This concluded her monologue.


"Now," she started, having waited for everyone to take it all in, "Our first stop it Kebrun. I know that Forsjón seems closer on the map, but this particular side of the mountain is far too steep for us to travel on, especially with our much-needed caravans. It was said that it the sheer drop was created when a titan battle took place here nearly 1000 years ago, and when the giant fell, he took a part of the mountain down with it--" she stopped herself, her storyteller side had kicked in, "But anyways, it is too steep, so we will have to find the sunstone first and travel from there. We will have to cross a wide inlet, but I know there are docks full of ships we can use there, and they can carry our wagons too." She swiped her finger across the blue tinted inlet to the yellowed part of the map, "We will reach a small village in the desert where we can recover from our voyage, and then continue the next day. After lots of sand, we will come upon large and colorful canyons. This would be where the Kebrun tribe once lived... and where the sunstone is hidden..."
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Valeiah sighed and narrowed her eyes at Gore. She may be on their team now, but she still wasn't going to trust or like her. Pip seemed fine though. "Sounds fine to me." She said, then proceeded to grab her bandages out of her bag again to re-wrap her knee, since what was on there was soaked in blood.
 
Oceana nodded her agreement and settled into the wagon to listen to the plan for the next leg of their adventure.


As she listened, her eyes widened and her fists clenched.


"Mount Eldur" she whispered "that means..."


She fisted her hands so tightly her tanned knuckles turned white...
 

Memories of hours prior came rushing back to her. That's right. The stones embedded within the royal crown were missing. This was where things would get more interesting than they already were... but also where Phaedra needed to showcase every bit of her magical talent available, and then some. She realized she would have to be willing to learn whatever lessons would be thrown her way, whether or not she was conscious of the challenges the Gods threw at her.

Upon hearing mention of Mt. Forsjón, her heart ached. Within the wispy peaks of the mountain, her father's tower was tucked away, hidden. She remembered in her youth that no one would disturb them there as the journey up the jagged slopes was often treacherous year round. She wondered if he knew of what magnificent things she had encountered during her travels over the last few years. She wondered if the only family she had was even still alive. He was quite old. Phaedra wandered deep into thought, absorbed by this. Why does she never send a messenger bird? Was she afraid she would simply one day receive no answer? Was he lonely?

No.

She had to focus on the task ahead. Phaedra forced the intrusive thoughts back. It was a daunting task, considering the attachment she had to that particular train of thought, but it was necessary. She could not be burdened by such things anymore. She steeled her heart against the pangs of homesickness and anxiety she was beginning to feel overwhelm her and chose - as best she could - to try and rise excitement within her.

Adventure. Excitement. The thrill.

She tried.​
 
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Thora listened silently as Svetlana explained their game plan. There was much travelling to be done. This would be a long quest and the nymph had to build herself up and prepare for it.


(wow, crappy reply. Sorry I'm super distracted right now)
 
Bo stood up straight, listening quietly and feeling poorly for adding to the confusion from earlier. He was able to look over everyone's heads and watch from a distance, following Svetlana's fingers as she pointed to different areas on the map. It looked like it would be a very long trip - in fact, much longer than any of them had anticipated. He wanted to say that he wasn't really surprised, as he didn't expect getting the crown and taking back the kingdom to be easy (if anything Kvacht had done a good job of reminding them of that with his not so encouraging message), but it was a bit overwhelming.


This is the rest of my life, now. He wasn't going to think any further ahead. To him, this was all there was. I ought to make the most of it.





There was, however, a concern. Or maybe he couldn't call it that, as it was more of a dread for when they would have to travel on the seas. On the water. Even the thought of it made his stomach churn. He shook his head a moment telling himself what everyone had told him before. It's just an irrational fear. Besides, they'd cross that bridge - er, ocean/river/lake/whatever - when they got to it, right? Just savor your time on the sweet, sweet, land.





He nodded as Svetlana concluded her briefing of what they would be doing for the next who-know-how-long. "Yes. Sounds good." He said quietly, wanting to voice his agreement, but not be overpowering. GAh. He still felt bad about annoying Svetlana. She seemed very clearly irritated by all of the chaotic events of the past few days (well, not even that, it had only been what... two days?), and understandably so. Heck, he was bothered too when all the people showed up out of the blue.
 
Valeiah unwrapped the blood soaked bandages from her knee. Then groaned. "That doesn't look too good..."
 
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"Oh for pity's sake, why didn't you tell me you were wounded!?" Svetlana exclaimed, her distracted mind just now noticing the bloody bandages, and the even bloodier knee they wrapped around. "Don't be so proud that you can not ask for help." She scolded.


She positioned Valeiah's knee and then placed her shimmering hand on the gash, slowly but surely sealing it shut. After a few minutes, the wound should have stitched itself back together again. All the while, Svetlana muttered in annoyance, not because she needed to heal someone, but the fact she wasn't asked to.
​



 
Oceana looked up from her trance -like state at Valeiah and looked where she was looking.


And hissed in sympathy.


"Oh green god's left shackle!"


Luckily Svetlana came to the rescue again.


I swear this woman needs an award for putting up with us even thus far.


 
"I didn't know it was that bad. And you seemed kind of busy. And I didn't know if you had enough mana left, I didn't want to strain you." Valeiah explained. "It's not that I'm proud about not needing help. Thanks." She just used her already bloodied skirt to wipe off the blood. "Okay... Well I'm just gonna lay down now... I hope that's okay.." She mumbled.


@Lo Alyssa
 

"Oh please! I am not THAT old!--" she glanced away, muttering, "Okay, maybe I am that old... But that is besides the point!" She exclaimed as she removed her hand from the healers knee, washing the blood off with a cloth she took from the wagon. Her features softened, "You will not strain me, my dear. You do more straining by not asking me for help, than when you do actually asking for it." She sighed, tossing the cloth back into the caravan. "Yes, get some shut eye. We will have to get moving soon though, it is still daytime. When everyone is ready, we will proceed." She turned to Oceana and Yaroslav (who was beside her), "We can stop earlier tonight if you are feeling well enough to hunt." She said with a side smile, knowing they had talked about doing that earlier. Yaro nodded, and though it didn't show on the outside, he was very excited to hunt and put his tracking skills to use again. He looked to Oceana expectantly, hoping she was still up for it despite how she was feeling.


@Danika @OlKaJa77
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@RP Marshall "to be fair." Foxrun stated during all of the jokes "I don't even know what attack they're talking about." He was more lost on what had happened than any of the others due to just arriving. He just ended up zoning out most of what the I'll tempered little imp had to say. And I'm told I can be annoying....I see why the stone imp wishes her gone.. was the only thought he had of the situation. Being part Fae, he could relate to the bit about never knowing what side someone could be on. With all the types of fae, there were many of them with malicious attitudes. So some were quick to judge all fae as dark beings. This led him to become lost in thought about situations pertaining to such ordeals where people had jumped to conclusions. Only when Svetlana spoke did he finally snap out of his thought train. He listened closely, wanting to remember every detail he possibly could. Honestly, he hadn't studied other areas nearly as well as the one he had lived most his life in. Thus he scanned the Map with an intensity aside from the most common reason to gaze at it.


He listened as the others helped one another and discussed ways of providing for the group. What should I do? He wondered as they all fell into their routines. He then just knelt down, resting his hands on his knees and staring at the map again, feeling helpless.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Thora felt restless just sitting around on her horse. She still had some pent up negative energy that she needed to get out and just sitting here was making it fester inside of her. She didn't want to wait around to move on and so she made the executive decision to move on ahead now. "I'm going ahead," she mumbled to the whole group but also to no one in particular. She gently dug her heels into the side of the stallion and he bolted ahead.


The wind that blew through her tangled hair was like a breath of fresh air (well, to be fair, it was fresh air. . .but it felt even fresher). It was a slow process but the more she moved the easier it became to breathe. After just a few minutes of riding, when the group's carts were so far away that they were like the size of ladybugs, Thora found that even the ringing that had deafened her ears had dissipated.


As much as she enjoyed her group, this escape really helped cleanse her aura. The darkness inside of her was slowly slipping away and she felt free, even if it was just for a moment.


(dang, sorry for the really crappy descriptions and the redundancy hahaha my mind is not in it today apparently)
 
"Oh. Hunting. I forgot that was a thing. Okay." Obviously she was a little bit woozy from all the blood loss. "Okay, I'm gonna shut my eyes now." Aaand she was out.
 
Oceana nodded, prodding herself gingerly, checking for any lasting pain.


She winced just slightly when she pushed on her stomach but felt quite alright other than that.


She quietly sent a prayer of thanks to the gods and her ancestors for her clan's prodigious healing rates. It had taken a good chunk of the day but she was finally standing. And in another few she would no doubt be able to hunt, even if she was a bit sore and woozy.


She had hunted in worse conditions. Much, much worse


She looked at Yaro, lips barely quirked, and gave another reassuring nod.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Garrett and Dorian had listened to Svetlana's speach intently, and Dorian instanly started making a list of all the things he knew, rumor or not, about each of the places, the mage sometimes adding a tidbit of information here and there.


'Didn't you want to go hunting too?' Garrett asked after the mention of the activity.


'They won't have great use of a hawk. I'll just go diving at unsuspecting rabbits.' The familiar grumbled.


After having decided that he had heard all he needed about the group's path, Hunter started looking around and noticed Thora riding away. Curious to where she was going, he followed.
 
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Thora was immediately and obviously draw to a thick patch of forest in the distance. She decided that that was where she would ride to and where she could rest and wait for the rest of the group to start moving again (after all, the map said they'd head this direction anyway). She willed her horse to move faster for she couldn't wait to climb the trees; to feel the bark and soft mosses under her feet. Besides, she didn't mind having some time to herself, or so she thought. She was so focused on reaching the trees she had no idea that Garrett and Dorian had broken away from the group to follow after her.


Thora practically flew off of her horse when she reached the dense pack of trees. She began to meander about looking for an ideal one to climb and rest on.


@L1d1ja
 
(@plasticlizard022 Dorian and Garrett are still with the group, while Hunter is not.)


"Why did you leave the others behind? It isn't a well thought-out move." Hunter asked quietly as he stepped out of one of the trees.
 
Tetra wandered, away bored now that eating an imp was likely off the table. She sat down by the road, and then lay down looking up at the sky. (Her eyes are glowing oddly)
 
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Climbing back in the cart, Oceana kept an eye on Valeiah just in case the girl had any further trouble.


There she patiently waited for them all to move on, excited by thought of a hunt.


@Lo Alyssa
 
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(Ugh, I'm sorry, I know Thora and Hunter were about to interact, but I gotta keep this moving)...




After the group recovered from their encounter, they ate and drank together. Eventually, Svetlana wrangled them up so they could continue their journey again (but at a slower pace this time). It was midday, the sun was high in the sky, but the towering mountain next to them cast a long shadow over the valley road they traveled, making the air chillier and crisp. Some of the more wounded comrades were loaded into the wagons and wrapped in warm fuzzy blankets with soft pillows to rest on, while the others rode their horses, sat on the backs of the caravans or helped lead them. Yaroslav followed close behind Hjalmar, still not trusting the thief. But he also eyed the imps that sat in the wagon ahead of him. He probably would have lopped their heads off before they could speak, but had found himself too tired. If it came to that, he would not hesitate to cut them down. Them, and the thief. But he trusted his grandmother's instincts, so he would restrain himself... for now...


When the sun inched closer to the horizon, and the air cooled, Svetlana decided to stop, knowing that Yaro and Oceana wanted to hunt. There was a wide river next to them, the rushing water made for a good droning noise to fall asleep to. She picked a spot that had a considerable amount of shade, a cluster of sequoia trees, and the companions repeated the process of setting up camp, finding firewood, and retrieving the supplies they would need for the night. All was prepared and ready, except for dinner, and that night they intended on having meat.


"Alright." Svetlana said standing up wiping her hands after arranging blankets around the hearth, "Yaroslav and Oceana will be hunting for meat, but I know some of you would prefer vegetation. Who would like to go foraging with me?" She asked. It was true they could always use their supplies, but they needed to save that for a time they did not have the ability to hunt and forage. Svetlana was thinking of the desert. Food and water would be scarce there, and who knows how long it would take for them to locate the sunstone?


Yaroslav plodded over to the wagon, noticing Oceana sitting on the back of it. "Are you ready to hunt?" He asked with just a hint of a smile, adjusting his bow and quiver to his back.


@OlKaJa77
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Pip's stone body was heavy. The midday sun shown on his sweltering cranium. Everything that happened that day was not what he had expected. His introduction to the group was, at best, chaotically awkward. All his troubles were brought about by Gore... GORE!! Why did he help her in the castle of Velar? He could have left her there to die from her injury. She deserved it! If only Organ had been the one to live. At least she was kind and less of a nuisance. As a matter of fact, she was quite intelligent for an imp warrior. Alas! She was dead and Gore was very much alive to burden the stone imp's mind. Pip needed to be careful of Gore's telepathy. One wrong thought and someone in the group would be slain. The sculpture could not allow that to happen. Gore was his responsibility. Anyone the imp captain hurt would be on Pip's hands. She was dangerous. She was a villain. Maybe that was why Gore served the Master without hesitation. The imp captain and Kvacht were monsters incarnate.


With a toothy grin, Gore imagined her claws wrapped around the delicate necks of the party. Which one would she kill first? Who was the one that struck down her dear sister? Was it the one-eyed filth they called Nameen @Rydellius ?!


Hehe! Gore thought with a bloodthirsty smile. What will I do to her? I'll jab my spear into her other eye. Blind her and make her scream in pain! YES! That's what she deserves. The imp murderer! And after that, how's about the sylph @TeeKay ? I'll throw her into a pit and watch as she tries to get away. If she jumps out of the hole, I'll stab one of her fingers off. She'll be begging for death in no time. Heh! For Bo @soundofmind I'll drop him from a cliff... the tattooed elf @OlKaJa77 too! Everyone else will go to the Master. They will watch in horror as their precious Princess @Queen of Fantasy is tortured by the all powerful Daemon Lord. The Master will be so happy with me! I'll be a hero! Organ... I ain't gonna let any of them get away from our revenge! Organ... I- I miss you. *sniff* I wish you was here with me. Why did ya have to die my sweet sister!!!


Gore's eyes began to tear up. Quickly wiping them away, Gore rested on the supplies as she applied more chewed up nightshade to her wound. After she had finished administering the plant to her torso, she looked at Pip who was deep in thought.


Without bothering to read the stone imp's mind, she smiled tenderly at the him and said, Oi Pip!


The statue started at her, trying not to show his concern that she might have read his thoughts.


Gore continued, I know ya don't like me but I'm glad you're here. I couldn't have gone this far without ya. Thanks for caring about me and my sis!


Pip slowly replied, keeping his mind blank, You are... welcome...


The two imps turned away from each other, one out of embarrassment and the other out of fear.

[QUOTE="Lo Alyssa]Yaroslav followed close behind Hjalmar, still not trusting the thief. But he also eyed the imps that sat in the wagon ahead of him. He probably would have lopped their heads off before they could speak, but had found himself too tired. If it came to that, he would not hesitate to cut them down. Them, and the thief. But he trusted his grandmother's instincts, so he would restrain himself... for now...

[/QUOTE]
Gore looked at Yaroslav with a smirk as he glared at them. She started chuckling to herself as she continued to stare at the elder's grandson.
 
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Garrett walked over to Svetlana. "I could help with foraging. I can recognize plants rather well, just tell me which I should find." he told her, While Dorian flew off his shoulder and rose into the sky before swooping away to search for prey.


@Lo Alyssa
 
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