Take Back the Crown

Foxrun paused as he listened to the young princess speak. She had such a kind heart. He grinned as he listened to a few confessions. "I like to hear singing. I'm awful at it however." He chuckled "I like making things. Pointless things most of the time. But something to keep my hands busy" he then held a bit of mischief to his smile "Other than that, Svetlana has a little idea of what I otherwise did with my time." He was referring to that time he and some other faelings had pulled a prank, unknowingly on her. "I think I'm really simple despite the front you all have seen." He admitted.


@Queen of Fantasy @Lo Alyssa
 
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Oceana barked a laugh at Valeiah's comment, her tea sloshing on her leg.


"She's right though!" the elf said, still chuckling, somehow finding that assessment of their group to be hilariously accurate.
 
Foxrun laughed as well "I guess I'm figuring this all out still." He then paused, "kiddo? Where did that come from? I'm sure I'm older than you." He had taken the statement too literally obviously


@Danika
 
"It's called a joke. I wasn't being literal." She felt proud that a few people thought what she said was funny. She thought it was funny. "I should probably not be upside down for this long. I think I'm going to pass out."


@GalacticRam
 
His confusion seemed to deepen at the statement. "A joke?" He muttered to himself before shaking it off. "just roll over for a bit, you'll be alright. Then you can continue amusing us." He offered a smile "so it's a win/win for everyone after that, right?"


@Danika
 
Valeiah laughed at his expression but she did flip over so she didn't faint. "Yep. Definitely a win-win. Y'know, with that expression, you look like you don't know what a joke is! That would just be sad." She turned serious. "Wait, do you not know what a joke is?"


@GalacticRam
 
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Thora thought about volunteering to sing as well but didn't go through with it. She loved to sing, as did most nymphs. But, most nymphic songs sound indefinitely better when sung by a chorus of dryads. She recalled singing old songs in a foreign tongue with her sisters as they collected berries from tall trees and it made her smile softly. Sure, she also knew a few other songs in elvish and human languages, but it wasn't the same.


So instead of offering to sing, she looked to Bo and/or Oceana hoping that they would begin a song.
 

Phaedra had also gotten herself a plate of food for herself, thankful for another hot meal, returning to her seat beside Bo in silence. She had a feeling that in the coming days that this luxury would become more scarce, especially with their next destination being a desert. The simple thought of the hot, unrelenting sun made her cringe. She wasn't a fan of warm weather. The cool, crisp air of autumn - or, better yet, high up in the mountains - was far more preferable to the miserable heat. Even summer was uncomfortable for her.

She listened to the princess, feeling ever more self-conscious for her dismal mood. Still, the idea of singing in chorus alongside the others was appealing. She was surprised to know that there was other musical talent within the group. Singing was often an outlet for her to express herself, as she really didn't have any hobbies other than, well, getting to know other people. Phaedra was disappointed to admit to herself that she really wasn't the most exciting person to get to know, despite being surrounded by interesting people.

"I, too, enjoy singing." She spoke quickly, eager to return her attention to her plate and not too willing to speak much more about herself at the moment.

@Queen of Fantasy @soundofmind @OlKaJa77
​
 
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Valeiah gasped. "So much musical talent. We should, like, start a choir or something. That sounds great. March up to our enemies singing a lovely song." She said sarcastically.
 
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"Okay, but that could actually work." Hjalmar finally piped in, "I heard of this one legend of a dragon that couldn't stand the sound of music. He was extremely powerful, probably the most powerful of them all, and yet whenever music was heard, he would pin his ear to the ground and plug the other with his tail in agony."


"Actually..." Svetlana pondered for a moment, the young prince who had been quiet and wandering the whole time they were there, crawled into her lap, "I do believe that is a real story of a real dragon." She chuckled, "Let this encourage you... victory can be found in the strangest ways."


Hjalmar smiled, he had always thought that was such a funny story. His mother told it to him one stormy night when he was afraid, she sang it in an attempt to comfort him. That was probably the only song he knew by heart, a plain ole' nursery rhyme.


"I do know how to sing..." He said sheepishly, "But I only know one song, so..." He licked his lips.


"My Yaro knows how to sing as well." Svetlana added looking over at her grumpy grandson, "Maybe you two could do a duet." The burly man's frown deepened and he scrunched over further in his seat, "And you already know that I love to tell campfire stories." She continued, "Perhaps I could tell them more often, when we are gathered around a hearth like this one..."





(Sorry for the crappy writing, I am distracted!)
​
 
Oceana nodded vigorously.


"There's magic in music. In rhythm. Armies march in rhythm for fun? No, It's a way to be unified. An organized force with unified hearts is one of the most effective scare tactics for battle."


Smirking the elf shrugged,


"So in a way, perhaps yes, we could defeat the enemy with a well placed song. Just like that dragon."


Closing her eyes she was drawn back into a memory of her father telling her a legend of elven smiths of old.


"Besides, elven smiths have sang to their work for ages."


Not bothering to ask Svetlana, the elf maiden decided it was story time.


"Legend goes that long ago the elves sang constantly. They sang while they worked or traveled or even played as children. This is when they numbered many and had entire cities on a different land across the ocean."


Here she smiled a proud smirk,


"But of course the most wonderful songs came from the smithy. Where one's heart melded the gifts of the earth into beautiful works of art. Not just weapons and armor but vases and crowns and musical instruments."


"The ancient elves wove magic into everything they created. Their song was a conduit to amplify their will into their work. And so the song's magical meaning was captured in the items for all of time. But sadly many smiths no longer practice singing to their work. They donnae believe in the old stories. And lack the songs of power."


"My father told me this when I was a wee lass of ten summers, already pounding out nails and door bits on the anvil. I didn't believe him."


"Six summers later, as a gift for becoming a hunter, he forged these daggers" she withdrew one off of the sheath on her back, "out of silver steel, singing the Song of Enduring, as he called it, for three whole days while he worked with no rest."


The elf gave a rueful smile.


"I thought he had gone mad. 'Hey old man!' I had yelled at him 'You're gonna die if you keep that up!'"


Her eyes looked wet now, but no tears were falling.


" And when he had died, I still didnae believe him. But I do now."


She looked down at the gleaming metal blade across her lap, shining bright as moonlight even with only the camp fire glow. She held the dagger up against the dark sky, watching it glimmer.


"I have not had to sharpen or repair these blades since the day they were forged. Not for eight entire years."


Looking around at the group she shrugged and slid the dagger back into its sheath in a whisper of metal. Her ultramarine eyes were downcast and sullen.


"I had hoped to master the ancient ways of elven smithing. But no matter how many books I search I could never find a single song."


@Lo Alyssa @TeeKay @Danika @soundofmind @plasticlizard022
 
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Thora sat on her knees and gave Oceana a sullen smile. She recalled a time that a group of elves passed through her forest. They truly did sing the most wonderful songs. She wished she could recall what they had said, but even the melody had faded from her memory. She knew many old songs, yes, but she did not know any old elven songs, especially not ones about smithing and she was disappointed that she could not help the elf. So she did all that she could and placed a gentle hand on Oceana's knee, the closest thing to comfort she could afford to give.


@OlKaJa77
 
'I think I know a certain elf who could help you with that.' Dorian stated to Oceana as he landed nearby. 'She is one hell of a great smith, but she has quite a character you have to deal with first.' He chuckled.





@OlKaJa77


"Song is powerful as you say. Most powerful enchantments are written as songs, so that they would be easier to cast." Garrett nodded. "However I think that the demon lord will probably be defeated by more traditional means. Like a blade to the skull or something." He joked.
 
Oceana's elven ears perked up at Garrett's joke, and grinning slowly she murmured


"Perhaps..."


Then her head whipped over to the bird on his shoulder, and said in her mind


"Truly? You know an elf who could know the songs?!"


However on the outside their telepathic conversation simply looked like the tattooed elf staring hard at a smug-looking hawk in utter silence.


"That's wonderful!" The elf burst out suddenly, grinning ear to pointed ear.


"Surely if we survive this quest I must meet her! I will owe you the most valuable thing an elf can give... I will owe you one deed. Anything. But you must promise!"


@L1d1ja
 
'Don't worry, you won't owe me anything if you just manage to deal with Kacel'la. She's wildfire incarnate.' He stated. It was quite unique for him to deny someone to get indebted to him, but just not getting into a mess when he met Kacel'la again would be enough. 'And I'll help you find her if we survive this. She still owes me another sword.'





@OlKaJa77
 
The elf turned to face her body to Dorian and bowed low in similar fashion to earlier.


"Many thanks." She breathed. Then she sat back up and sipped her tea, fighting off the last of her nerves and stomach sickness from earlier.


Although she had been feeling a bit funny.


Perhaps she drank too much tea. Skullcap waa also a sleeping aid but it made elves a bit... Intoxicated.
 
"It sounds like he had a lot of wisdom. You see, my father, is short, angry, and dumb." Valeiah shrugged. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I suppose." She snickered. She was a lot like her father.


@OlKaJa77
 
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"Nonsense Valeiah." The elf maiden mumbled feeling woozy, leaning far too much to one side, despite sitting down.


"You aren't dumb. If you were dumb then you wouldnae be here."


@Danika
 
"I'm fine." The elf said fighting a burst of hiccups "Skullcap tea makes elves woozy. But I'm extra sensitive...I think perrrhaps I drank a wee bit toooo much..."


Feeling herself falling into unconsciousness she mumbled


"Magic comes in threes." And promptly passed out, for the third time that day, right into Hjalmar's lap.


@Lo Alyssa @Danika
 
Foxrun puffed up at the girls statement "I know what a joke is. I just didn't expect one quite like that." He insisted before a smile spread across his lips. @Danika


He listened to the conversation regarding singing. He had always heard of it as something to lift spirits and pass the time. So he was extremely intrigued by using it as magic. The only magic he had ever dabbled with involved illusions and such. No weapons required. No enchantments in the basic form either. Using song to strengthen a sword seemed almost mythical to him. The awe of learning such a thing clearly showed on his face too. @OlKaJa77 He wasn't much for casting magic, yet it was one of the things he liked to expand his knowledge of for sure.


And when things took a silly turn, the elf suddenly collapsed onto the thief. He could not contain himself of laughter at how delirious she had become.
 
Leaving Gore in the wagon, the imp having cried herself to sleep, (@RP Marshall ) Nameen made her way over to the fire and selected a small portion of the excellent looking meal. She settled herself down in front of a tree, and made herself comfortable in it's roots. Her spot rested just outside the circle, though close enough for her to still be apart of the group huddled around the fire.


Nameen ate quietly and contently while listening to the discussion. Singing and joking. She had never had particular talent at either of those, yet one of the things she most enjoyed was listening to melodies of any pitch or rhythm. Music was her favourite form of storytelling, with the ability to bring tears to someone's eyes or even spark laughter. To Nameen, it carried a unique kind of power.


As the minutes passed by, Nameen found a growing eagerness arise in her chest, hoping for a song.
 
Well, looks like one of their singers was out for the count. They still had quite a few others among them though, that seemed to like to sing. He couldn't help but laugh along with the others, as she fell in Hjalmar's lap. Maybe they should sing a lullaby, so she'd sleep well.


He had quickly finished eating, being the fast eater he was, so he figured he might as well suggest they sing a song. They were, after all, around a campfire, which was a great place to do such. He waited for the laughter to die down just a bit before he spoke.


"So! Princess! Or I guess, you who said you like to sing. Do you know any songs we could sing around the campfire?" If not... he could probably come up with something on a whim. He actually didn't know many songs (many, in part), so he hoped some of them knew more than he did.

 
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soundofmind said:
Well, looks like one of their singers was out for the count. They still had quite a few others among them though, that seemed to like to sing. He couldn't help but laugh along with the others, as she fell in Hjalmar's lap. Maybe they should sing a lullaby, so she'd sleep well.
He had quickly finished eating, being the fast eater he was, so he figured he might as well suggest they sing a song. They were, after all, around a campfire, which was a great place to do such. He waited for the laughter to die down just a bit before he spoke.


"So! Princess! Or I guess, you who said you like to sing. Do you know any songs we could sing around the campfire?" If not... he could probably come up with something on a whim. He actually didn't know many songs (many, in part), so he hoped some of them knew more than he did.

Click to expand...
Someone walked close to the camp in the shadows. They watched the songs being sung, and the tales being told, yet their face remained dark. Tetranna stalked back into the camp with a bloodstain on her clothes. She walked up to the fire and said, "If we are to sing then I shall sing. I shall sing a song of the doomed, the lost, the cold, and let us pray we share their fates. I will sing you The Demon and the Priestess." She stepped back from the fire and threw her head back beginning to sing quietly and in a low key. Then her voice gradually grew in strength to the point where it rolled out over the forest like melodic thunder.


We sing a tale


We call a memory


We sing a tale


We gift to you our heart


There once was a demon


Whose cruelty was storied


Whose evil was legend


Yet she served a greater foe


There once was a priestess


Whose deeds were storied


Whose purity was legend


Yet she could not face her foe


The demon was sent among humans


She spread misery without end


She was a being of evil darkness


Yet none are unaffected by their lives


The priestess wandered among humans


She worked for peace without end


She was a woman of light


Yet none are unaffected by their lives





At this point her arms melt and flow up and out. Suddenly there are hollow glass statues rising from both of her arms. One is a demon, tall and fierce looking. It has horns, hooves, and wings. The other is a priestess in a robe with her face obscured. The fire lost strength.


The demon changed as those amongst mortals will


She lost her cruelty to experience


She lost her chill to the warmth of humanity.


The demon changed


The priestess changed as mortals will


She lost her certainty to experience


She lost her warmth to the chill of humanity.


The priestess changed


The demon and the priestess met


The demon gave her warmth


The priestess gave her kindness


They both became whole


The Eldritch lord saw


It noticed this failing in it's servant


This warmth in their cold blade


It tore them apart


The demon was broken


She had gained


Only to lose


She gripped hope tightly


The priestess was broken


She had gained


Only to lose


She gripped hope tightly


The demon was brought to it's masters abode


It's humanity was bound


It's evil empowered


Yet it was not whole


The priestess came to the it's abode


She came to unbind humanity


To empower goodness


Yet it was not enough


They fought


The demon was the greater power


Yet the priestess had the greater power over her


They became whole again


They came together and went down into the darkness


The darkness awaited them in it's abode


They walked without fear


The being awaited with malice


The battle was met


The one was darkness


The two were shadow united


The darkness was the stronger alone


The battle went on


The one was evil


The two were human


The opposites fought


The battle went on


The darkness was mighty


The shadow was one


Their power vied


The battle ended


The darkness was the greater


The shadow was born of the light and of the dark


The shadow broke the dark and sent it back


The priestess and the demon were one


They were one throughout good


They were one throughout evil


The loved like a storm, fiercely


Yet storms end


Shadow gives way


Light fades


Darkness lingers


Humanity burns bright


Darkness is eternal


They were one


They broke again


The demon returned to It's citadel


The demon was lost


The demon was afraid


The demon kneeled in pain


The priestess followed to It's citadel


The priestess was sure


The priestess was certain


The priestess rejoined the demon


The priestesses light had burned out


The demons shadow was eternal


The priestess died


The demon held her


The statue of the priestess falls, ripping a hole in the other statues chest.


The demon mourned


It called to her, and offered darkness


She heard its call, but followed light


It screamed with rage as she left it behind.


The demon walks the world


Love is eternal


Humanity is a flame


The demon is broken





Her song ended and as the last note tolled over the forest the statues fell to sand. Tetra fell to her knees on the dirt, and if one were to look closely you could see quiet tears flowing. The fire roared back to life as silence rolled over the area. (Foreshadowing! why yes that was incredibly difficult to write and had no proper rhyming scheme. @Lo Alyssa Svetlana might know the tale but only as an ancient ancient fable, that she had likely only heard parts of before. This is a tale of an event from several thousand years ago, so most will not know it. This is the original oral tradition story, of which only fragments survive.) @Rydellius @OlKaJa77 @GalacticRam @Danika @L1d1ja @plasticlizard022 @TeeKay @Queen of Fantasy @ anyone else in camp that I missed
 
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