The Shadow of the North (Accepting) - IC

[Kayso]

The Northern Lights, in all their authority and powerful splendor, have suddenly ceased to light up the northern skies. They have not been seen for weeks, and those who call The North their home are fearful, for the Northern Lights marked the presence of their benevolent guardian, the Fire Fox, a giant fox whose feet caused flames to erupt into the sky as they touched the earth, fending off foe after foe. As a result of this, evil creatures who would do harm to the residents of The North have slowly trickled in, the great guardian nowhere to be seen.


The North is a wide, harsh land, where snow is prominent but not everywhere, the harsh-blowing winds snap trees in two, but also fill the sails of many fishermen, and man and beast live together with everything in-between. Vast lakes dot the land, often segregated by mountain ranges, but the highest mountains of all lie to the Edge of The North, the home of the North Wind, commonly called 'The Edge.' Few, and only from legend, have ever traveled there, and it is said that one cannot visit without the express permission of the North Wind himself. Many cities and villages have sprouted up over The North, mostly seeking shelter from the wind at the bases of mountains, plentiful food at the edges of lakes, or insulated protection in deep forests.


The main city Valkys (which cities are not much larger than towns) lies in the southern body of the land, on the edge of Fjellmist Forest and the Lake of Thorjall. The small government there is so far oblivious to recent attacks on outlying towns. Creatures known as Skullen, once driven out of The North due to their spiteful and violent nature, have begun sneaking into the smaller towns on the borders, eating and destroying as they see fit, happy for this opportunity at vengeance. Other malicious creatures have drifted out of the white, barren wastelands beyond the borders and are preparing for the opportunity to strike with full force. Because of the harsh conditions this time of year, word does not get out fast. It is not known by Valkys or any other of the cities that towns are being attacked until one dark night, as the wind and snow furiously swirl outside, the gates of Valkys are assaulted with a desperate pounding. The gates swing open just in time to see a small girl fall to the ground, the last bit of life taken from her.

 

[Kayso]

Roula followed the girl in the shadow of the forest of Fjellmist, watching her as she struggled, pausing often to cough into the sleeve of her shirt, leaving flecks of blood and a little more of her hopes behind. There was nothing Roula could do; the girl had been injured before she even arrived in the forest's boundaries. She just watched from her shadows as the girl made her way to the western gate of Valkys, the largest city in The North, full of hope at the thought of warmth and healing. The girl didn't know she would not survive.


Roula had heard of terrible things happening on the outskirts of The North. She could sometimes hear the screaming and howling, the cracking of wood and the whispers of smoke as the wind carried them to her. Nothing had made it to Fjellmist yet, but this girl was from the nearest village, still nearly a two days' walk away. She could tell because the girl carried the smell of another forest on her-the forest of Elveik, to the southwest. That meant the creatures would be encroaching upon her forest soon, if they were indeed headed toward the center of the country. Where was the Fire Fox? Why had he left them? We could not fend for ourselves here-we had enough to worry about with the ruthless cold and ice. It had been a little over a month with no sign of the Northern Lights, though most people still watched the skies every night in hope. There was so much hope.


The girl was nearly there. She still had some hope left. She was a mere couple hundred feet from the massive, heavy gate that protected the people of Valkys, oblivious so far to the terror that swept upon the villages in this harsh, drunken winter. They would know soon enough that they were all in danger. The girl ran suddenly, her hope getting the best of her, and she pounded her blood-stained fists frightfully hard against the gate, using up the last of her energy. She looked dizzy suddenly. Roula heard a commotion at the gate. The heavy door opened, the girl's eyes wide. Then she fell, the hacking cough and shallow breath leaving her body forever. The girl was still outside the gate. Her body was in the territory of the forest. Roula would need to collect it. She watched the guards stare at the girl for a moment, not sure what had just taken place. One rushed to her to check for life. Nothing. The other guards inside the gate called for someone, while Roula decided to make her presence known, stepping out of the shadows and toward the fallen girl. She was not noticed for a while, because she was a distance of some yards away and the dark air of night had fallen, but as she continued her somber walk toward the young body, the guard who had run to her stood quickly, in a fit of fright and reverence.


"What do you come for, Skogna? What has happened to this girl?"


"The girl was a victim of attack-her entire village is likely fallen."


"Who attacked her?" he further questioned.


"I do not know-this girl did not fall under my watch until this morning. Her condition was already fatal."


The other guard had returned with a small crowd of people, and they attempted to carry the body inside for inspection and to get themselves out of the cold. Roula interjected.


"The girl is in my care. I must take the body with me or her spirit will never leave this place."


"She must be taken inside." one of the guards commented. "We will never learn what we need to out here in this-" the guard was cut off by a small man who had been inspecting the body since he arrived.


"There is no need." his voice was grave. He had found the wound. A deep, thick puncture emerged from under the girl's short coat, an inch or two from her navel. The edges were splintered with wood and it smelled of dirt and copper. "The Skullen." was all he said.

 

[gogojojo331]

Iver stumbled through the harsh cold of the forest, his sword at his side, his garb stained with a bit of blood from his slain monsters. He looked left and right, wondering where to go next. The tribe took no maps or any form of navigation. 'You are chosen', the elder said 'The Spirit of The Tree shall guide you. Trust no man, no beast, no wandering spirit, for they will only lead you astray.' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to meditate. He felt the wind guide him forward, and so he followed its call.


Right off of a cliff.

 

[Abyss]

(Late night post, so I apologize for any inconsistency, but here we go!)


Curled in the crook of a broken windowsill the Sjell of Blagden watches from the tattered remains of a house long lost to the hunger of the flames. Below him, the city guards pace and cup their hands together in front of their mouths; the steam of their breath rising from near frozen lips as they try to keep warm in the chill winter night. It's been many years since the Blagden last felt the cold, knew anything except for the emptiness of the dead, and nights like this he's grateful for such immunity to the elements.


There's sudden shouting from the streets and Blagden turns on his perch to watch as a sentry comes through the gate, calling out for help and beckoning the nearest men forwards to the other side of the wall. Interesting. His Curiosity nurtured by a long lived lust for adventure and mystery, the Sjell unwraps himself from his former posistion, and clutching his newly cursed locket in one shadowy limb he descends from the window and into the darkness of the streets. There it takes a few moments of concentration to imagine the change, but soon Bladgens blank features have warped into the image of a young man with kindly features and thick winter clothing. Then with his mask in place Blagden steps out from hiding and answers the next call from the sentry that's aimed in his direction.


Quickly the selected men crowd together and the humans huddle closely for warmth, curiosity and apprehension marking most of their faces. Next to the Sjell a large set fellow with red hair and a bushy beard watches him warily, dark eyes narrowing despite the dim lighting as if it were still day and one might be able to see through Blagdens intangible body.


"Cold night isn't it." He says in an attempt to redirect the mans attention, and makes a show of rubbing his shoulders furtively while trying his best to shiver with the rest of them until they're called forth to get to work.


As they approach the body of the little girl a very tall and distinctly inhuman figure separates itself from the forest and approaches the group with a slow, but graceful gait; accustomed to the supernatural Bladgen recognizes it as a Skogna before the torches are able to light her figure. Some men in the front twitch nervously, almost as if they fear she might be coming for them despite the dead body at their feet. Bladgen can not blame them, sometimes he still feels as if any one of them might try to take him even without his flesh. It's funny that even in death he must fear what life he hangs onto.


"Skullan?" The Sjell tilts his head along with the question, as he follows the conversation between the guard and the Skogna, hoping the movement seemed human enough. Perhaps his memory had faded more overnight, but the name sounded familiar even if he couldn't remember from where or why.

 

[Kayso]

Roula admired the human race's ability to deduce so much without any enhanced or innate magical abilities. She had her suspicions based on the smell and the likeliness of the Skullen attacking due to the absence of the Fire Fox, and was grateful for the confirmation. However, fear had begun to creep upon the soldiers that had gathered around the body.


"Sk-skullen??" one man trembled. "Are the stories they tell of the monsters true?"


"I've never seen them myself." said another.


"They're just exaggerated bedtime stories, don't be daft."


"They're not! I knew someone once-" The panicked chattering enhanced and became much too cacophonous for Roula's taste. She was about to interrupt when:


"CALM YOURSELVES!" the small man, obviously a doctor, shouted. The noise died down. "The stories you've heard are true, and if they're not, they might as well be. The Skullen have been waiting for decades, even centuries, to locate a hole in The North's defenses, and now that the metaphorical wall has completely fallen, there is nothing to stop them from skulking their way through shadows and dead air to our cities and villages. If what the Skogna says is true, this poor girl's village might not be the only one in ruin. We would do well to prepare for the unexpected. Let us bring word to the High Baron."


Roula was thankful for the doctor's wisdom and haste. She quickly offered a bit of her own wisdom and reassurance. "The Skullen make their way through shadow, yes, but also through root and earth. As much as I hate to see the felling of trees, it would be wise for you to destroy any root-rich ground near or inside your city. I will send word to the rest of the Skogna, and we will do what we can. For now, however, I must take the child. Thank you for your kindness." The guards backed away as Roula bent low to pick up the small body in her arms. Their leanness betrayed their strength, and she lifted it with ease. She sighed as she recalled that spirits may depart at death, but their bodies always seemed heavier afterward.


As Roula straightened again, she noticed one of the guards that didn't quite fit in. Her natural sense of the ethereal discerned that he was not among the world of the living; he was something that merely existed in it, watching it go by. She eyed him for a moment, wondering what caused him to wander; what circumstance would cause his body to remain unburied, or what mortal tie stronger than death kept him imprisoned here. The other guards began to disperse, quickly following the doctor back inside the gates. He remained still. Roula turned and began her long walk to the heart of the forest, where she laid to rest those who were under her protection. She felt a brief pang of sadness for the Sjell outside the gates, and wished silently that one day he would find his peace. Either the girl in her arms grew heavier, or Roula's strength diminished with her sadness. The girl did not deserve to die like this. Nobody did.

 

[Kayso]

Drukni drifted in silence. Just like every other day, for she had no one to talk to. She had been contemplating escape from this wretched existence for quite some time now, but still wasn't sure what to do. What would happen if she went ashore? She hadn't set foot on solid ground in... how long had it been? Certainly a few months before she died, but... she'd been dead for quite a while. At least it felt like it. Time was different when you no longer needed it. So she just drifted.


In the wide bay that marked the western edge of Nordskogen, Dru had made something of a home. Fishermen rarely came this far north, and men on the land also were scarce. She could spend her time - or lack of it - here, without too much fear of condemning anyone to a watery fate. Tall but sloping cliffs rose above the bay, where bone-white sands churned beneath and the forest of Nordskogen at the crest. It was beautiful, really, such stark whiteness so clearly defined against the deep green of the trees. She didn't get tired of looking at it.

Spoiler

 A faint noise reached her ears, one even her dulled-by-death senses could pick up. The rustling of branches, the footfalls of a land-man. She saw him after a moment, before she could hide herself. He emerged from the greenness and, without so much as a look of surprise, stepped off the cliff edge and into the air. He tumbled to the white sand, stopping a few feet from the water's edge. He was so close. On the sand. He didn't fall into the water. He wasn't drowning yet.

 

[gogojojo331]

After falling from such a height in such an embarrassing way, there was a part Ivar that really wished he would die from this. So he wouldn't have to go back from shame when he had to tell this to the elders. 'Here is Ivar,' the kids would cry in a teasing voice 'The guardian who shall protect us from the darkness...as long as the road is straight!' THis made him think about his family, his mother and little brother...were they doing okay? Would his little bother even remember his big brother when he came back...IF he came back? All of these questions were silenced when he hit his head on a rock and fell into the surprisingly cold water. .

 

[Mmetafour]

Fjor closed his eyes as he yawned deeply, feeling the frigid air tickle the back of his throat as it rushed into his lungs. He leaned against a large Fjellmist tree, his tome resting in his lap as he sat in the white snow. He'd read plenty about the empty forest, how the only creatures that made it their home were the Skogna, although with the disappearance of the northern lights it was unclear how long that would remain fact. As he ended his yawn he opened his watery eyes, breathing out, his misty breath filling the air in front of him as he examined the leafless canopy above. His brief travels had already taught him that no matter how many times his eyes glossed over the descriptive text of a page, it could never prepare him for the reality. The forest was more quiet than he could've imagined. The absence of animals and other creatures around him, though he did enjoy the occasional bit of silence while reading, was eerily unsettling and he made sure to stick to the edge of the forest so as not to get lost in its maze of similar looking trees.


He let out a sigh, shivering slightly in the cold. He considered perhaps summoning a small flame to warm himself as he reached into his pouch, removing a different, smaller book and a pair of reading glasses before abolishing the idea. He couldn't risk being magically sensed by anyone in the forest. Despite how benevolent the Skogna were said to be, just like the silence, he was sure the books he'd read were lacking in total honesty. They were probably already watching him, making sure he didn't do anything questionable in their forest. Fjor shuffled his bag instinctively, eyeing a couple of tall trees by him before sliding on the glasses. He was almost done with his break, and with only a couple more hours to travel until the gates of Valkys he'd soon be out of this uncomfortable place. He tried to put his paranoid thoughts out of his mind, turning his attention to the small book in his hand.

 

[Chachalotte]

Darius Absolute


A blond hair man was admiring the snow falling under his red cloak looking upon the sky.It's true the weather was rather cold in the Nordskogen forest,and that was one of the reason why this place was so lonely.A deer pass in the front of the men as he admire his course trough the forest before looking away and keep walking into his path. Darius was relaxing from the precedent events,some tension seems to rise into The North,which means Darius need to be ready in any case.He already receive some old friends into his mansion talking about some mysterious being called the "Skullen" murdering and eating people.His smile slowly fade away thinking about it,knowing that when he will be back at his mansion,his adventurous spirit will have to rise once more after 3 peacefully years.He had to leave his mansion in order to prevent those creatures to destroy more the North.It's primary objective was to find back what people call the "Fire Fox",even if Darius is still skeptical about the existence of a Guardian.


After walking for and hour,he finally reach his mansion.He prepare himself entering into it cleaning his clothes,throwing away the snow as he walk into his hallways admiring all of the artifact and weapons he collect trough his entire life,but... Darius finally reach his secret room,holding his keys.He open it without showing any emotion on his face since his though were kind of share about this : It's true that he will finally be back fighting monster to save people,seeing there smile and there hope graduate,that something Darius admire.But it also means to see corpse and desolation,and a lot of disturbing things.As the room open,his huge armor was there standing with his weapons,Ea. "It's been a long time..." he say before taking it,placing the weapons into his back caring his armor and putting it back on him.His weapons was neither a sword or a spear,it was the creation of a mysterious being that Darius fought a long time ago.Remembering this battle tickle the back of Darius,it was a good old memories. As he finally was ready to leave,his excitement rise once more.He know that he will do something in this weird event...But what will it be?He leave his mansion on his horse leading his ways outside Nordskogen,ready to see what the outside of this frozen forest looks like...

 

[Kayso]

Dru watched as the man continued to fall, stopping just a few feet into the water, face down, pitiful. He hadn't even seen her yet, and still he was going to drown. It wasn't fair; it wasn't just; it wasn't <em>right</em>. Innocent people should not have to suffer simply because she died at sea, going down with her ship. She wasn't going to stand for it any longer. Maybe she could do something this time. That man would drown if he didn't wake up, and Dru didn't want anyone else to die because of her.


Since her resurrection into this unholy abomination of an existence, her boat was able to move quicker than it had before her death. Those unlucky enough to have seen her could cheat their own fate by besting her in a race to shore, which is why her boat moved so unnaturally fast, but this man was already on the shore. How could he redeem himself then? She would have to do it for him. The bow of the vessel slid easily onto the shore near where the man lay. After jumping to the sand, her feet became unsteady, not used to the solid ground beneath her. Why did she still have balance issues? Finally reaching the body, she dropped to her knees, pulling the man's head above the water level, then grabbing him by the shoulders and heaving him back several feet out of danger. He wasn't moving.


Living things breathed, didn't they? How was it that they did it? Ah, yes...the lungs; here, behind the ribs. How could she get them working again? She couldn't remember, but she figured that if she got them to move, maybe they would start on their own. She couldn't make them expand, but she could make them contract. Placing her hand into a fist, she swung down on the man's chest. Hard. He coughed, spitting water out of his mouth. He didn't die.

 

[gogojojo331]

Ivar jolts back to life, coughing from the immense force to his body. He rubbed the ice and snow from his eyes that blocked his vision. He paused a minute to catch his breath. He looked around and wondered who did it, who saved him? No one was here...except... He saw a Draug right next to him, pale and cold as death itself. Either A) someone picked him up on their race, or B) His corpse was faster than a boat. He put his hand on his blade hilt. Even though Draug were honorable creatures, he still heard tales of men killed by the vengeful spirits. He slowly walked back in an attempt to leave.

 

[Kayso]

It was a long walk to her sector of Fjellmist - the one designated to the eternal rest for the protected dead. She had much time to think while she walked.


First, where was the Guardian Fox?


Second, had he left willingly, or was he taken somehow? If the first, why did he leave? Did we bring it upon ourselves? If the second, who could take control over something with such power?


Third, what were we going to do?


They could not wait on the Fox to return. He may not ever return, for all they knew. They had to do something themselves, or more people - more children - would die. Just like this little girl. Roula couldn't stomach the thought. The trees in the forest had been thickening for some time, but they grew positively wild now. She was nearing Sovelund, the final resting place of those under the protection of Fjellmist. It was something of a large graveyard, but without the tombstones that creatures outside the forest were so fond of using. No, a tree would mark the resting place of this girl, as had every other who had died under the shade of the branches, and the forest would grow, life springing forth from death, continuing the cycle. It was the only solace Roula obtained from such sadness.


She walked up an overgrown pathway, steps carved into stone and covered with moss that was fed only from the diffused rays of the sun's light that managed to pierce the thick canopy. The top of the path was framed by a large stone arch, the oldest structure in the entire forest, erected to mark the resting place of Sovelund when the first Skogna made its home here. She admired its quiet beauty each time she returned here, always carrying in her arms one who would never see it.

Spoiler

Emerging through the archway, Roula scanned the small, flat clearing that opened up in front of her. It was lined with thick trees and vines that continued on in the distance, as far as her eyes could see. They never looked the same twice. The trees in this sacred part of the forest often moved to accommodate the new tree growth, the newest members of their family of the dead, making room for them and opening their branchy arms to them. Roula walked to an area on the edge of the clearing that held a long slab of stone on the ground, mossy and vine-covered, just like the forest around it. Here she placed the girl. Picking up leaves from the ground around her, she covered the girl's body until she could no longer see her hair, her clothes, the blood. The forest would take her, and she would be at rest. Her spirit would not wander the cold world, lost. Her thoughts went back to the Sjell she had noticed outside the gates of Valkys. Maybe she would come across him again someday. She didn't intend to stay here, after all. Their Guardian was gone, and she didn't intend to sit around collecting all the bodies that would surely increase if nothing was done. Maybe it was the guardian in herself, but she couldn't let the rest of The North suffer if she could do something. She didn't know if it would matter, but she could at least try. Nobody would be safe, not even herself and the other Skogna in this well-protected forest. She had made up her mind.


She would address the High Skogna, relinquish her title as Guardian of the Dead, and become the guardian of the living instead.

 

[Mmetafour]

Fjor stretched his arms, closing the small book in his lap and putting it back in his bag, moving his gloved hand around inside as he searched for the provisions he'd acquired from the last little town he passed through. Apparently the North, among sights of the Skullen, had been plagued by a new apparition, some ghostly blue wraith. His hand found the small pouch of bread and cream he'd been eating for the past two days. He was out of vegetables and meat, but still had plenty of bread, certainly enough to last him the rest of the trip to Valkys. Still, the thought of a good inn and a fine meal filled his head as he removed his gloves to spread the cream against the bread.


He'd been studying sorcery and the mystical creatures of the land since his departure from his old master. Finding his own path and keeping the tome of in his lap safe from peering eyes and dark hearts. He glanced down at it, picking up a hand full of white snow by his side, taking a bite of the sweet bread and eating the snow too, at least this way he didn't have to use any of his water. With no other creatures prodding around, the snow here was untouched, perfectly clean so long as he didn't step on it himself. It tasted better than the water he already had in his pouch.


He let out a sigh, watching his breath travel out into the cold air again and his mind returned to his small town on the edge of the Elveik. The flowers in his younger sister's garden. He wondered how his family had been since he'd left and if they missed him. His mouth moved to a bit of a smile as he finished the last of the piece of bread he'd removed, before covering the rest and stowing it back in his bag. He regloved his hands, reaching over and grasping the sheathed short sword at his side and stood up slowly, grunting quietly as his legs were put back to work. He stretched his body, fastening the sword to his left side and carrying the tome in his left hand, choosing his direction and starting his trek once again toward the City.

 

[Kayso]

"I saved your life." Dru said to the human as he cautiously backed away from her. He had hurried to his feet after a moment of choking up sand and sea water, realizing that his savior was not of the living. She wondered what he thought. "Why would a harbinger of watery deaths go against her very nature," maybe? "Is it even possible that she could do that" perhaps? "Is it all just a trap?" Whatever he was thinking, Dru was not concerning herself with it. this man here hadn't died, yet he had definitely seen her. The frigid water had momentarily held him in its slithering embrace, but she had interrupted it. And here he was, alive and well. Or, almost well, at least. He must be very cold.


"I saved your life!" she repeated, this time with more excitement in her voice than disbelief. She pointed a bony finger at him. "You should have died. You should be choking on your own bursting lungs by now, but I saved you. I did it. You are alive."


How?

 

[gogojojo331]

"Hmm..." He stopped. Why would a harbinger of watery deaths go against her very nature? He thought to himself. Is it even possible that she could do that? He looked at her. "Why?" He looked at her. By all accounts, it didn't make any sense. Why would a spirit of death save him? Why did she sound so excited by that? Letting go of his sword, he wondered if this was some sort of new monster.

 

[Kayso]

"Why?" The stranger asked. He looked haggard and confused.


"Because, death is my life, and it's not worth living in. Even if you're not actually alive."


Dru began walking back to her boat, which was still beached but had begun to give in to the pull of the tide. She put her hand on the hull, wiping some of the sand from its weather beaten wooden planks. Gathering a loose rope in her hands, she looked back at the stranger.


"I wanted to know if I could." She paused. "Save you, I mean." She yelled back. "I wanted to see if I had a say in the matter. If I could change things."


She pushed the boat a few feet back into the water until she was soaked up to her waist. She was nearly permanently wet, so it didn't really matter. The stranger still stood on the shore as she pulled the rope to lift herself back up on deck.


"Take care not to come here in the future. I don't want to have to pull you from the sea again."

 

[gogojojo331]

"Sure... Take care." Iver said and walked away into the snow, wondering where the next mood is. It began to snow, and the wind increased the cold. The longer he went, the colder it became and the harder it became to see. The cold didn't bother him, but the loos of sight certainly did. He wondered when he would be at the green. The lush pastures that he had heard of...once he did, that meant that he was one quarter of the way there...

 

[Kayso]

Dru watched the stranger walk away, looking around him as he determined the direction and struggled to see through the flurries of snow. She wondered where he was going, for he looked to be someone with intent and purpose in every step he took. She decided to take another chance.


"Hey!" she called out to him. "I don't know where you're headed, but could you use a lift?"


She didn't want to be on this boat forever. Taking those few, unsteady steps on the shore had only made her thirsty for a little more of it. A little more of what she was forbidden to do. She looked around her as if afraid to see that she was being followed. She had gone to shore once, and nothing had happened. Maybe there was never anybody watching her, making sure she did what she was supposed to. Maybe she had more control than she thought. She would test it, and maybe this stranger would help her do it.

 

[gogojojo331]

"Hmmm.."  Iver stopped and looked at her.  "I am going to the life tree."  He told the monster.  "As far as I know, there is no rivers there."  He noticed that she was walking like she never walked before in her life. Or not for a while, anyways. He was not supposed to have spirits follow him... but maybe this was a sign. He also noticed that it was still getting colder, and the wind was picking up more.  Could this be the start of a avalance, or a blizzard? 

 

[Kayso]

The Life Tree? Dru hadn't heard of that before. She had heard tales of a massive tree that stood solitary and dark somewhere below Nordskogen and above Fjellmist. Indeed, no rivers went there. But she didn't want to stay on the water for long.


"I could take you farther south and you could go inland from there. It will save you some time, and the snow does not fall hard upon the water, so you will not have to face that blizzard that approaches."


What was so important about this tree that this man would risk his life to get to it?

 

[gogojojo331]

"And you would get me there?" He looked at her. "A dead woman?" He looked at her. "Do you even know where you are?"

 

[Mmetafour]

It had been a good number of hours of walking, but Fjor was finally upon the City of Valkys, he'd seen the gates for a while now, and it would only be a few minutes before he was at the large western gate of the city. He adjusted his bag against his back, sighing softly as he could smell the cooking meat from the city already. His stomach growled in anticipation, obviously not quelled by the bread and cream it had been receiving the past few days. As he walked the young man began to notice tracks coming from deeper in the forest along with small barely noticeable marks of red. Fjor frowned, his hand twitching a bit, prompting him to draw his blade, but he subdued the thought, examining the tracks as he continued toward the gate. There was no sign of struggle, someone must've been hurt a while before they entered the forest, but who? did the Skogna bleed this way? no...these tracks were too small to be Skogna....which meant a human was stumbling through these trees, hurt...Their destination must've been the same as his. The crimson blood on the snow was still relatively fresh, maybe if he hurried Fjor could help whoever was hurt. He continued following the path toward the gate, moving with more urgency.


In a few moments he exited the forest's edge, noticing a number of guards, most likely more than usual. Some were standing in front of the closed gate speaking to each other and a couple were kneeling against the ground where it looked like something had collapsed. It didn't take long to figure that whoever Fjor had been following wasn't so lucky as he. Fjor frowned, realizing that these men must've carried the body of whoever had died into the city for a proper burial, he panted a bit, realizing how fast he'd been moving through the forest as the guards who were bent down noticed him.


"Halt, right there" He said, rising to his feet, a spear in his hand as he gestured to a couple of the guards from the group in front of the gate to join him. Fjor planted himself where he was and moved the tome a his left into a more inconspicuous position so it wouldn't attract any unwanted attention during the impending conversation.


"What business do you have here?" The guard asked, moving close to Fjor and examining him, soon joined by the other two guards from the group, who still continued discussing whatever they had been talking about prior to his arrival, tho they did shoot him a few glances.


"I'm a studying magician, I've been traveling these woods and the land beyond them for a few days now, just here for a good nights rest, some food, and maybe a little information" Fjor said, breathing out slowly, his breath joining the mist of the cool air along with the guard's, who nodded with his answer.


"I see, well....we'll open the gate for you..." He says, sighing a bit and shaking his head lightly


"seems like you've had a very busy night...." Fjor commented as the other two guards trailed back towards the gate, presumably to open it. "I was following those tracks, thought maybe I could help...but, looks like I was a little too late"


"Us too..." The guard adds "It was a little girl..." he shook his head, a hint of grief in his stoic face "Apparently the victim of a Skullen attack...the damn beasts....they're not even supposed to be real...then wouldn't you know it? all of a sudden, a Skogna claims her body belongs to the forest, like she's some kind of trophy." he scoffs and sighs again "I swear....if that little doctor hadn't been here...." he looks off to the side.


Fjor's eyes move to where the young girl died. "anyway..." the guard continued "I bet you're probably cold, the closest inn will be right up the street....you wont miss it, trust me. I'll be glad when this is all over and I can get back to guarding on the SAFE side of the gate" he finishes, walking back toward the spot he was at before as Fjor continued toward the gate of the city.

 

[Kayso]

Roula's trek to the very center of Fjellmist was a long one, but being a Skogna, she didn't need to stop and rest, for she didn't much get tired. She had been walking for several hours through mist and trunk, vine and branch, on a path that only she could see. The home of the High Skogna was not one to be found easily by the eyes of men or beast. The thick canopy of the forest made it so that little light was able to trickle its way down to the floor, but when it did shine through, it was brilliant, and made the leaves appear as if they danced on the beams. Roula came to what appeared to be a wall of rock, rough boulders stretching upward into the canopy, trying to get a taste of the sun. As she walked toward it, however, she appeared to disappear into it, the solid face of the wall being an illusion created by the staggering of several tall, upright crags. Roula continued through this labyrinth, knowing every twist and turn by heart, until she arrived at the center.

Spoiler

A clearing opened out as Roula turned her last rocky corner. In the center, next to a shimmering pool of water, stood Midhemmel, the home of the High Skogna. Its walls were fabricated by the entwining of branches and tree trunks that still lived and breathed, held fast into the ground. Doors and windows were crafted by this same entwining of nature, lights from within emanating a soft, liquid glow. She had not sent word of her arrival, but they would know she was here. She walked up to the main entry, bluebirds, chickadees and cardinals nestled high above her head. The music of their voices was enthralling.


After Roula had somberly made her way down the short, well-lit vestibule, a much wider room yielded itself up to her. Circular and adorned with flowers of all kinds, three wooden seats were placed toward the back, upon which sat three Skogna. They addressed her first.


"Roula, Guardian of the Sjell. What brings you to Midhemmel?" said the Skogna to her left.


"High Skogna of Fjellmist, you are aware that our Guardian of the North has not set foot upon our land in weeks, and that the Skullen have breached our borders yet again, are you not?"


"Yes, we are aware." said the same Skogna. "Have you come to ask what we know?"


"No." she replied, simply. "It is not my place to ask. I simply came to ask something of you."


"And what is that?" said the Skogna to her right.


"I ask...to be released of my duties as Guardian of the Sjell."


None of the High Skogna spoke. Roula began to be uneasy. She could hear the chirping of the birds behind her and the rustle of the wind outside, but it seemed as if the silence was loudest.


"What is the basis of your request, Roula?" the Skogna on the right spoke again.


"I thought...the humans, they don't have the means to protect themselves against the Skullen adequately. I thought that...I could help them."


There was twitter-filled silence again, followed by a soft, authoritative voice. "You wish to keep their bodies from our soil." This time it was the High Skogna in the center who spoke.


Roula thought for a moment, considering whether or not that indeed was her intent.


"Yes." she admitted. "I do."


The High Skogna who had spoken nodded her head slowly, her eyes closed. When she opened them, she spoke again.


"Roula, we live in a forest. That comes as no surprise of course, but it means something crucial in recent events. It means that we are not safe. The Skullen travel through root-rich soil, and there is no place more vulnerable at this time that the forests of The North. Due to this concern, I leave your duties up to you. I will not place you or any other inhabitants of this forest in danger against your will. You are free to go."


"Thank you. Will you go?"


"We are defenders. We will not."


"I understand. Thank you for your time, High Skogna. If there is anything I can do to assist you..."


"You can fight, Roula. For all of us."

 

[Rainingsunshine]

LaVenia sat perched in a tree on the outskirts of the Fjellmist forest. Her golden feathers made her almost blend in with the tree she hid in. The cold wind blew past her, causing her feathers to rustle around her. Her nostrils flared as she smelled the meats and ale that caressed the cold air that carried the sent towards her. Her stomach raged at her, and she placed a clawed hand over her stomach. The winter storm had made food hard to come by, but somehow the humans had managed to take what was left to themselves. Her fists balled as she studied the gates and structure that protected  City of Valkys from the forest. There would be no way she could fly over the wall, especially with the cold winds. She would be seen and shot down almost instantly. Maybe she could sing? No..she wouldn't be able to charm an entire city. What would she do when she got in? LaVenia sighed, looking for anything she could to help her get access to food. That is when she saw it, a merchant trudging through the woods a little out of sight of the gate. Her green eyes flashed with a plan that formulated as quick as lighting in her head. Her golden wings stretched out, her feathers dancing against the wind. 


Silently, LaVenia dove towards the merchant that struggled through the woods. A gentle song escaped her lips and it danced upon the wind towards the merchant. The tune was melodic with no real words. The air seemed to shift and time seemed to stand still. The merchant froze, his face turning serene and passive as he listened to the song that drifted towards him. His eyelids dropped sleepily as he listened, swaying a bit to the tune he had never heard before. LaVenia landed next to him as he stared at her, a dazed expression and goofy smile plastered on his face. She continued to sing, pulling the bag off of his shoulder. She stood about 5'8" and this man was much shorter than her. Within the bag laid a few items. Pots, pans, an old apple "Good thing you are almost there" she muttered, looking through his personal bag and feeling a bit disappointed. At the very bottom was what she was looking for, a traveling cloak. A grin pulled at her lips as she grabbed it. It was luckily a longer cloak, must have been a custom made cloak for someone, because it was even long on her. She pulled it over her and pulled the hood up. Her wings folded gently inside the cloak and she was covered, for the most part. All that was seen was part of her face, which looked human enough. A quick plan was made in her head as she moved away from the merchant and stopped singing. She stayed in the shadows and watched as he woke from his hypnosis, confused. He looked around and muttered to himself about drinking to much and headed on his way.


LaVenia watched the merchant approach the gate where the guards seemed a bit preoccupied. They seemed to be studying a body of some sort. She watched the way the human interacted with his kind and waltzed right in. "Seems easy enough" she whispered, approaching the guards and doing her best to seem like a helpless woman human. 


"Halt!" they called and she hugged herself to hide her clawed hands. She shivered and stepped a bit forward. "What is your business?" one called.


"I am trying to get in to find work sir!" she said in the most pathetic voice she could muster. A few guards exchanged glances at her voice, realizing she was a woman who seemed to have no threat on them. One approached her with a torch, the fire dancing before her. She inhaled sharply as he studied her features. 


"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be out alone..." the guard said, a bit of lust dripping from his voice. LaVenia's nostrils flared. 


"I agree...that is why I am needing to get in. I am hungry and cold.." she muttered. The same guard had a nasty grin and let her pass. 


"there is an Inn up the way, I can check on you if you like" he said. She glared ahead and simply shook her head, hustling inside the gate and breathing heavily to keep herself from hearing more of the nasty human's tone. 


Once inside, she looked around. She was surprised she could pull that off, but a pretty face got her out of a lot of bad human situations. She inhaled the air sharply and turned towards the tavern. she moved quickly, hoping no one would look at her feet. She slipped inside the tavern and found a shadowed corner to sit, hiding herself as best she could as she enjoyed the warmth and smell of ale and meat.

 

[Bobby_John]

Abraham woke up in the freezing cold covered in blood, at first Abraham was worried he had killed another person but after looking at the scene around him it was just a couple deer that got on the wrong end of Abraham's night. Abraham sighed and laid back down letting the blood quickly dry up and start to freeze on his body he had always hated the curse of turning into a bear most nights and killing anything in sight, it was even worse on the fact that he couldn't control it no matter how hard he tried. When Abraham first killed his wife and kids he wanted to end himself but he viewed that as cowardly and it would dishonour his families death if he didn't suffer for killing them, so Abraham moved north to live in isolation such as most creatures in the Nordskogen forest live there he wouldn't hurt any humans just animals and other species.


After Abraham laid in the freezing cold letting the snow melt that was near his body heat Abraham sat up sitting in the snow and blood he walked over to the partially mauled deer that had slash marks all over its stomach spilling its guts into the snow, Abraham collected some leaves creating a small sling to keep the entrails in as he lifted the dead dear corpse onto his shoulder and started a long walk into the farther north end of the forest where he built a small log cabin next to a cave he now calls home.


It took Abraham a fourth of the day to walk home to his cabin, he never minded the cold even this harsh wasteland of snow wasn't too bad for Abraham as long as he didn't stay out in it for too long. Ever since Abraham was cursed with the disease that causes him to turn into that monster he has taken on new traits such as getting tired no matter how much he sleeps during the coldest months of the year, Abraham also has gotten more irritable and resistant to most things. Abraham threw the deer corpse on the ground in front of his cabin and went inside to the small one-story cabin, the cabin only had a shelf and a cot in the corner since that was all that Abraham needed he walked over to the corner grabbing a wash rag and started wiping the frozen cracked blood off of his shoulders and chest. After Abraham was mostly cleaned he grabbed his old worn out jacket and threw it around his body wrapping up in the warmth, he then walked outside and dragged the deer corpse to the firepit. Abraham collected the spare wood and started to kindle a fire while he set up the cooking spindle for the deer corpse.