[center][img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjk2LjY3Y2RkYS5SbUZzYkdsdVp5QkViM2R1LjA,/sofija.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][b]Location:[/b] Outside Bellbrooke, through woods and at Bearing Lake[/center] [center][b]Mentions:[/b] [@Polaris North][/center][hr] Though ignorant she was being followed Falling moved quickly through the woods, even as she jumped and nearly skipped her way between the skeletal snow covered trees. Being out in the open air, however frigid, drove her away from the castle and the walls of Bellbrooke. Of course the cold wasn’t lost on her. The numbness at the tips of her fingers and the stinging touch of the frosty iron of her pipe against them bothered her. [color=800000]“Damn it. I need to find some better gloves.”[/color] Falling cursed putting the pipe between one of her armpits as she fished out a pair of rags from a pocket. Quickly lashing them around one of the lower and upper sections of the pipe length she fashioned a pair of crude cloth grips. The grimy, threadbare fabric did little for warmth or traction but it beat touching the freezing cold metal directly. Gripping the iron pipe in her hands like a two handed sword Falling swung at the outstretched branches of trees, knocking the snow off them or outright snapping them. [color=800000]“Ugh. This thing is lame. I need to find something cooler if I’m ever going to become a real adventurer.”[/color] Falling breathed, looking down at the worn iron pipe with some measure of disappointment. It didn’t take very long for Falling Down to reach the end of the woods and arrive at the lake. Stepping out past a final row of trees she found herself in an open, snow laden area. With all the snow on the ground it was almost impossible to tell that she was standing on the shore of the lake, were it not for the long stretch of ice that reached out before her into the distance. Bearing Lake, also known as the “Stone Bearing Lake” was a short trip from Bellbrooke and an even shorter trip from the Reform School. In the summer it’s waters were warm and welcoming, ideal for swimming or fishing. However the waters also concealed many secrets and even more dangers, to the point very few if anyone dared go near the lake unless they were trying to dredge up hidden treasures from the bottom of it. In the winter however the lake was considerably safer. Anything dangerous was trapped beneath the ice and adventurers deemed cutting it too risky to get at mere potential riches that they could more easily get in the summer. [color=800000]“Now where…”[/color] Falling’s maroon eyes scanned the particularly length of shore she stood on, gleaning through the white until she found what she was looking for. Tucked away, farther back from the shore of the frozen lake and into the woods themselves as an old church. It was practically invisible, lost in the browns of the bramble bushes growing up it and the thick tangles of tree around it. In the summer the leaves would have smothered it from sight entirely. But with the coming of winter it was revealed. [color=800000]“Yes! I knew I wasn’t just imagining things!”[/color] Falling cheered as she started off towards the dilapidated church. [color=800000]“No one has ever talked about this thing before, it’s gotta be filled with stuff!”[/color] The orphan girl was practically giddy as she moved, wading through the dried brambles that tugged at her clothes and shimmying over the short crumbling stone ‘fence’ that surrounded the border of the church. Sporting cuts and scrapes Falling Down finally arrived at the front doors of the mysterious building. Old, wooden doors on rusted hinges were all that separated her from the interior. She reached out, hand trembling from both the cold and her own excitement, and pushed against the door. [i][b]Crnk[/b][/i] [color=800000]“Huh?”[/color] [i][b]CRNK CRNK CRNK[/b][/i] The doors refused to open. [color=800000]“Oh come on!”[/color] Falling yelled, yanking on the rusted latches of the doors and shaking them in their frame. However the doors remained closed, either locked or simply fused together from years of exposure to the elements. [color=800000]“I’ll have to break them down then!”[/color] Falling said, stepping back down the front steps as she readied her pipe…[hr] [center][img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjk2LjI5MTZiNi5VSEpwYm1ObElFSnNkV1ZpYkc5dlpBLCwuMA,,/royal-serif.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][b]Location:[/b] Bellbrooke Reform School, lobby[/center] [center][b]Mentions:[/b] [@Vutava][@Ramzam][@Bright_Ops][/center][hr] Entering the lobby of the reform school a young paper-yellow earth pony, probably only a few years out of school, sat behind a beaten and abused desk waiting to greet Beeline. She smiled as the front doors to the school opened and she quickly adjusted the crude nameplate at the front of the desk that read “Ms. Files.” [color=F0E68C]“Hello and welcome to the Bellbrooke Reform school!”[/color] The secretary said with rehearsed practice and cheer. She lifted her hooves and gestured to the room around them. Carpeted stone floors and yellowed fluorescent bulbs made the lobby of the Reform School seem warmer and more welcoming than the frozen courtyard outside. However the corners of the room carried shadows and the stone interior of the castle had a strange dreariness to it. Even the secretary, who smiled bright and earnestly, seemed somewhat unwilling to the idea of being where she was. [color=F0E68C]“Oh, yes! Headmaster Blueblood has been expecting you-”[/color] [color=4169E1]“Yes, yes Ms. Files thank you.”[/color] A voice called out from down the leftmost hall. Turning her head the secretary almost grimaced as she saw Blueblood trot down the hall. Though his golden mane and pure white coat and clothes stood out like a road flare amongst the dreary walls of the castle, Blueblood carried an oppressive air with him as he walked. He approached the desk, flashing a perfect smile at Beeline and Crepuscular, before looking back to his secretary. [color=4169E1]“You’ve done your job job adequately Ms. Files now please go on your break so I may speak with these fine ponies alone.”[/color] [color=F0E68C]“But I don’t get a break-”[/color] [color=4169E1]“Take your [u][i]break[/i][/u], Miss Files.”[/color] Blueblood remained smiling but the female pony saw something in it that made her wince. Slipping from her seat she hurried through a heavy iron handled door behind her desk, slamming it behind her and disappearing out of sight. With the secretary gone Blueblood sighed, his face and posture relaxing as he looked to the ponies before him. [color=4169E1]“Hmmm. You’re all that came? Well I’m sure quality is better than quantity.”[/color] Blueblood looked to Beeline, noting his impressive rifle and armor plates with a flicker of intrigue in his eyes. The intrigue he had was lost as he looked to the seated Crepuscular and Worried Mind, gazing at the seated humans with some measure of faintly hidden disgust. Looking back to Beeline, Blueblood pressed a hoof into his own chest as he spoke. [color=4169E1]“I am Prince, soon-to-be-duke, Blueblood! Though I am Headmaster of this ‘school’, I assure you this is not my permanent resident or job."[/color] Blueblood paused, as if feeling his words had some grand weight to them that needed to be absorbed before continuing. [color=4169E1]“As I hope you three have guessed I have called you here to do a service of great importance of me. Others have attempted it in the past and every single one of them failed me…"[/color] He tilted his head away, glaring into space as he mentioned the 'others'. [color=4169E1]“However I know that won’t be the case here. I want you to go out and search a nearby building for me. It’s located near Bearing Lake, hidden amongst the forest. From what I understand none of the scavengers in town know about the place. I only learned about it quite recently from some old texts here in the castle. There is something of significant importance there and I want you to bring it, and any other valuables you can find back to me.”[/color] Blueblood pointed to one of the nearby walls, vaguely in the direction of Bearing Lake. [color=4169E1]“Of course there are probably dangers, and complications, and you could both be horribly killed, blah, blah, blah. You likely know the risks. However what you don’t know is the reward I’m willing to give you."[/color] The Prince's smile deepened and he pressed his hooves together, rubbing them eagerly as he circled Beeline and walked over to the two humans. [color=4169E1]"The three of you will be paid a flat commission by the mayor of course, but if you manage to bring me back a magical item that isn’t trash then I will reward you accordingly with a large sum of bits I have gained..."[/color] The Prince shook the saddlebag on his rear, producing the heavy jingle that only a bloated bag packed to the brim with Bits could make. It sounded almost like Hearths Warming bells, only with a greedier tininess to their sound...[hr] [center][img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjk2LjNiNzQxNi5RbVZzYkdKeWIyOXJaUSwsLjAAAAAA/kingthings-christmas-2.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][b]Location:[/b] Bellbrooke Walls[/center] [center][b]Mentions:[/b] [@Daglobster][/center][hr] Atop the walls of Bellbrooke the guards would feel a harsher, colder wind then they had mere moments before. At first it seemed like nothing but with the harsher wind something else was brought. [i]Sound.[/i] Amidst the trees and the snow mounds beyond the walls of the settlement, something approached. Though no movement could be seen in between the trees the soft crunch of freshly fallen snow under light feet rang true. The sound carried awkwardly, echoing in the open chilled air. Each step seemed impossible to pinpoint, yet grew closer and more frequent the more seconds clicked by. For a moment it seemed like many things were moving through the snow when others it sounded like only one thing was moving. Before any of the guards could get frustrated and call out something appeared from behind an icicle laden tree. It was slender and bleached white, with only the yellow stains along it’s form giving it away from the snowy background behind it. It was a [b]skeleton[/b]. Stripped of flesh and devoid of fluid the human skeleton stood on two bony legs. Though no muscle or sinew was present to hold its form together it stood. Tall, straight, and moving without strings to trickery to guide it. The pace of the ghastly thing was slow, sluggish. It’s arms hung at it moved forward seemingly aimless until it turned its head. With empty sockets the skeleton looked forward, up at the wall where Thundering Cloud stood on watch. The skeleton tilted it’s head, awkwardly swaying it’s skull around on the worn segments of its spine. For a moment it simply stood there, staring at the flesh and blood human human. Then it raised its arm. Clutched in its thin digitted hands was some kind of weapon. It was a Macuahuitl, a long wooden board with a handle. Ragged, razor sharp bits of stone and glass were embedded along the edges to form a toothy blade. The skeleton swung the Macuahuitl against the tree it stood near. [b]THUNK THUNK THUNK[/b] It rapped loudly against the wood, shaking the branches of the barren tree with each blow. Then, from behind another tree, another skeleton stepped forward. And another. And [i]another[/i]. Several skeletons stepped out into the open space between the forest and Bellbrooke’s walls, each carrying a crude Macuahuitl of their own. Then without pause or hesitation the undead skeletons charge, bolting forward towards the wall and the guards atop it…