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[img]https://i.imgur.com/xPZoDGJ.jpg[/img]
[h2][color=silver]Ferrin Astra[/color][/h2]

Tenrou Team

[sub][@MarshiestMallow][/sub]
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Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. Before Ferrin even hit the shore, he felt the island's power. It was in turmoil, rolling, twisting, and turning. Fighting. But against what? He also felt something like anguish, mixed with a malevolent, pulsating energy that reminded Ferrin of oozing, festering, maggot-ridden flesh. He felt like he could smell it, see it, even taste it. He blanched and put up his mental blocks to dampen his naturally acute senses while fighting to keep his stomach under control. 

The phantom sensations weren't real; none of what he was sensing was literal, he reminded himself. It was how his mind was interpreting the information it received through his magical senses, just like his physical ones. He hadn't noticed it earlier because he had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts, but coming closer it hit him like a slap to the face.

He hesitated on the water, taking deep breaths. He could do this, he had dealt with his magical sensitivity for a lifetime. He carefully lowered his blocks, like peaking through closed eyelids.

It came again, but he was ready for it and steadied himself. The island itself was [i]powerful[/i]. It radiated light and life, but mixed in was something else, a dark energy. It felt twisted, corrupted, and horribly wrong. Ferrin couldn't tell if it was part of the island's own anima or something else entirely. Never the less, something was wrong here.

[color=silver][i]It would appear that the girl's premonitions had some basis. The island's very[/I] anima loci [I]is wounded. Not to forget that dark energy.[/i][/color]

He put up his barriers once more and forged forward against the pervasive wrongness, each step growing harder then the last until suddenly, it was gone. He stumbled forward at the sudden absence, taking his first steps on the shady shore. 

He was standing on Tenrou at last. Hesitantly, he reached out. He still felt the dark power, but it seemed to be held at bay for now. 

Suddenly, the island's anima swept up against him and washed over him in a nearly physical wave. Ferrin reflexively shielded himself, but then he caught his breath in awe. He wasn't standing on the shore anymore. He was in a clearing the base of the tree, facing a hollow in the trunk and surrounded by jungle. Little pin-picks of light, like fireflies, flit about. They swirled, gathering and danced around him, laughing. [i]Finally.[/i] They seemed to say in a discordant chorus. [i]A lost Fairy has returned.[/i] He saw some detach out the the corner of his eye and he watched them float down to land where his guildmark was hidden. Ferrin gasped as his suddenly felt his guildmark [i]pulse[/i], sending waves of magic through his body. Then the lights scattered with phantom giggles.

And the feeling was gone. Ferrin was back at the shore, feeling like he just awoke from a dream. [color=silver][i]What was...? Did that...actually happen?[/i][/color]

Disturbed, he wandered around a bit, searching for that strange sensation again. Failing to find anything, he did a more physical search of the edge of the tree line, approximately where he felt that sensation of being watching seeming from. His search turned up nothing. He never was a terribly good at woodcraft and hunting anyway. He stood from where he had knelt and brushed himself off. [color=silver][i]Time to go back to the others.[/i][/color] He decided. He turned to walk away and then, he felt someone gently tug on his sleeve. At the same time, something cold and wet brushed the back of his neck.

Fortunately no one was around. Otherwise his brave, manly image would have been quite ruined by the decidedly unmanly, frightened yelp that certainty did not come from him. He leaped away in what certainly not an undignified scramble and called fire to his hand. 

The firelight revealed a large bramble bush.

Ferrin stared for a beat. Then he started laughing. Hanging from his sleeve, caught in the folds, but not the enchanted material itself, was an arm of the bramble bush. Hung over where was crouched were some low-hanging branches, dangling leaves. He chuckled at his tension, but who could blame him? All things considered, it was lucky he hadn't just incinerated everything around him. Still amused, he used his handy, pun supremely intended, metal Gauntlet to carefully disentangle the thorns. As he did so, he noticed something he missed: a black thread, caught on the same bush. It was small and blended with the shadows. He reached in and picked it from the vines. It took a few tries, but he managed to free it. He held it up against the weak light that filtered through the trees. It was plain, black, and unassuming. Nothing much else. He considered trying a thaumaturgical spell to track it's source. But he immediately shot it down. The thread was too small and fragile. He could easily burn it up if he charged it with too much magic. He was better at big kabooms then really delicate magic like that. Still, it might be useful later. He pulled a little wooden cube that he kept for just this purpose out of a pocket, and placed the thread inside. On the lid was carved a small rune. He placed a finger on it and muttered [color=silver][i]"Memoria."[/i][/color] Picturing the thread as he did. The rune glowed softly, then faded. Now, if he simply touched the rune, it would remind him what it contained. He had dozens of the things, and he had to keep track of them somehow. They were meant to contain anything small that would be easily lost in his pockets, that he might need later, like that thread.

He didn't invent the spell, he had met the guy who designed it and convinced him to show Ferrin how it worked. Ferrin, however, didn't quite have the hang of it yet. The boxes had been made by that man. The best he could manage was activating them. He was currently trying to find a way to use them to remember names.

He stowed the box and picked his way back to shoreline, spotting S...(Oh. Sasha right), along with Time Lord (when did he show up?!) and a few other members getting out of their boat. He called out and strolled up to them. [color=silver]"You were right in coming here. It seems something valde malus is afoot."[/color] He said nodding to Sasha, deliberately ignoring Patrick. [color=silver]"So what now? You are the de facto leader of our merry little band of merry men, women, cats, and others. Do you have a plan or do we need to make one?"[/color] He asked.