baraquiel

The Forest of Helsend

~ NEITH ~

Tag: @Eviledd1984@Blizz

---

Weird was putting it mildly. Neith didn't need to be a master of the occult to understand that what she was currently seeing on the boy's drawing was something very, very dark and demonic. Even though she barely started her search, Neith could feel that the rumors about the riches being kept in the forest were highly untrue. Still, it's too early to back out. She needed to get to the bottom of this mystery no matter how scary it looked.

Even if it didn't have any riches, Neith could imagine her being famous for being the only person who solved the age-old mystery regarding the forest of Helsend. Of course, with fame came riches too. She could be a bit delusional but no one could fault a woman to dream.

"H-Hey kid, what did you-". Before she had the chance to finish her question, the kid's mother called out to him and he ran off to her. The only ones that were left there were Neith and Micah, her new companion.

The dark elf looked at the same spot the kid named Koa stared at but all she could see was pitch-black. Did the kid really saw whatever this 'thing' was clearly or was it just his imagination? Either way, she'd have to save her investigation for some other time. Everyone's already in the safety of their own homes and the lamp posts were going to go out anytime soon too.

"You should... You should keep this just in case." Neith said while gingerly handling the paper to Micah. "I think I should also find a place to stay for the night too. We can maybe go back to the tavern and ask the bartender if they know a place I can crash even just for tonight. I'm really tired..." The dark elf added before letting out a yawn.

The Forest of Helsend

~ NEITH ~

Tag: @Eviledd1984

---

Neith was fairly impressed. She didn't realize she'd hit a jackpot upon arriving at Helsend. Granted that forming an alliance with a seemingly crazy person that talks about themselves in the third person was very risky but it sure was better than nothing. At least, she already had someone to help her to find out whether or not the rumor she heard about the forest was real or not.

However, she couldn't help but notice the obvious fear in his eyes and voice when he spoke about the forest. He, or rather they were as stoic as a stone when a man was this close to punching them but just the mere thought of this particular forest gave him the chills. That almost made her turn tails and leave but deep inside, she was also getting excited about it. She felt like this will be the most fun she had in her life yet.

She waited for Micah to get his stuff, taking the time to look around the tavern. Night-time was approaching and most of the patrons left the tavern to go back to their houses and rest. Even though they were only a few people out there left, Neith still wanted to be extra careful.

"I think it's best if we discuss this outside, at a less populated place." Neith softly said to Micah, grabbing his arm as she guided him out of the tavern. The sun was setting on the horizon and lamp posts were gradually getting turned on one by one. Most people were already going back to their houses while there were still those lingering around, perhaps enjoying the cool breeze or do something crazy. Neith really didn't care.

"Let's keep walking." Neith said softly to Micah as she walked around just near the tavern while walking. "I know very little about this 'cursed forest' but from what I hear, they say there's a huge pile of gold in it. All the treasures you can imagine laying somewhere within it. Of course, I wouldn't want to pass up on an opportunity to be instantly rich. That's why I want to know..."

She didn't continue what she was saying because her attention was caught by a boy sitting on a tree stump nearby and fervently scribbling something on his paper. She noticed the kid was facing the direction of the forest but she couldn't see anything eye-catching about it save for the trees. It was getting so dark and it's impossible for anyone to see anything through the forest but somehow, this kid was drawing with a purpose.

Neith poked Micah's arm and pointed at the kid's direction. "That kid looks like he knows what's up. Let's see if we can get something out of him." She told him as she casually approached the young boy.

The Forest of Helsend

~ NEITH ~

Tag: @Eviledd1984

---

Neith raised an eyebrow in amusement at the guy she just saved. She didn't know why she made all that effort of ending a fight as it was very unlike her. She was surprised when she had the idea of charging in and her legs suddenly moved on their own. Neith just got here and this place was already having an effect on here. Maybe it's because of anxiety deep within her heart; she thought she was confident in her decision but she's still troubled by damning herself for making the wrong choice.

Either way, she can't let the worries of the future affect her present. She needed to stay completely focused on her self-made quest and make sure that every decision was according to her plan, but this man was already making her confused as heck. He could be one of those crazy fanatics of make-believe gods. She knew better than to tell them that because she knew how loyal and violent they can be if anyone questioned their fate. The best course of action was to just go with the flow.

"Micah eh? You may call me Neith." She said to him as she continued to walk. "Your offers are tempting, believe me, and I'll surely talk to you on those later. I just have something I needed to do in the meantime. If you really want to show me your gratitude, maybe you can help me out with something. I'm sure you've heard of the rumors about a certain forest near this village, yes?".

The Forest of Helsend

~ NEITH ~

---

"Oh, you're so sweet. You may call me as Neith or you can call me whatever you want, sugar. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Neith sweetly said while offering her hand to the stranger. He looked very strange with the exotic vibes she's getting from her but she just ignored it. She had met people who were far stranger-looking than this guy. She could also tell that this man was inherently good. No use in being snarky towards a kind guy.

She caught sight of a half-orc leaning against the bar. Neith was so interested in meeting an orc again because she 'knows how they do' but was heavily disappointed to learn it was a female. She just shifted her sights to an equally large and slightly more muscular dragonborn she was talking to and thought that he'll do just right for her, she guessed. Neith also thought that the man she's talking to was fairly cute as well. She could tell she'll have lots of fun even with him.

Her attention was also caught by two men who seemed to be at the brink of starting a fight. Neith sighed and shook her head disapprovingly, although she had a smirk on her lips. "Excuse me, handsome. It looks like I need to teach these boys some manners. Let's catch up later." Neith said to him with a wink before going to the two men.

"Now now boys, don't you think it's rude to start a fight in such a lovely place such as this?". She said while sauntering towards them. She put a hand on the man's arm as he lifted the other weak-looking man with robes and dark brown hair. "Just leave the man and be on your merry way. A wet shirt never killed anybody after all."

Sins of Brittania: A Seven Deadly Sins based Rp

Helene was still wincing a bit as she walked towards the throne room. The tattooing of her brand at her lower back was a bit painful and she would often laugh out loud embarrassingly whenever the tattooer would hold her waist in place. It took four people just to stop her from moving as she accidentally kicked the tattooer a couple of times due to her extreme ticklishness. Now she's standing along with the other Sinners as well, each holding weapons that were scarier than the last one. One of them, Razol, grew weary of waiting for the King and began to leave. Helene didn't know why but she found herself running towards the man and grabbed his arm. "Don't! If you get out of here without direct orders from the King, he's going to throw you in jail again! We're already given a second chance despite all the horrible things we did. Please don't throw away this chance to do better in life." She pleaded to Razol where she could also sense a very dark aura coming from him.

Avalia

---

TIME: Evening
LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City
INTERACTIONS: Kyran @Alivefalling, Risa @princess, Ilan @Dreamingflowers, Terneus @Dezuel

---

Kyran mentioned that he'd have to leave due to something he needed to be done first which Sakura understood. After he took his leave, she went back to her table and was unsurprised though sad that her companions weren't there. Of course, they would be on the dance floor, enjoying the symphony and magical ambiance of the Grand Ball by dancing the night away with their partners. It didn't bother the demoness that much. She was always used to being alone whenever she was sent on an expedition by her father to complete a mission. She was always used to being alone in the shadows.

Right now, however, it was the first time Sakura felt alone in a very long time and she gradually hated that feeling. As she pondered and looked at her half-eaten meal, at first she was angry with Cade and Ayita. She believed they made her soft, warmed her cold heart. She would never feel this way if it weren't for all the times they spent together. However, the other part of her believed otherwise. They opened a pathway towards other emotions and memories, experiences that she will never have if she continued to stay under the wing of Aklenroth. In a way, she even felt grateful to those two.

She looked towards their direction. Even with their masks on, Sakura could tell they were smiling and enjoying the night. Just seeing them happy made Sakura happy as well. Just then, she felt something in her heart. She wasn't sure what it was before but now she knew the best word to describe it: doubt.

Why? Where did she feel doubtful for? She was very sure that she enjoyed spending time with Ayita and Cade. No, she felt doubtful towards something else... Or was it someone? Aklenroth? He raised her, treated her on how a father treats his daughter, and taught her everything there was to know about the world. Sakura owed her life to Aklenroth and any doubt towards his will was treacherous and absurd. A being as powerful as he chose to waste his precious time and energy to save a demon baby, the only survivor in a massacre of her own kin.

"But why would he put up a spell that prevents me from going there? Why, Father, why?". Sakura angrily whispered to herself.

A burst of random laughter from the crowd snapped her back to reality. She looked around and saw that everyone was having a great time. She sighed, she should really stop overthinking things. She should just focus on enjoying the night instead despite the circumstances. She decided to cross the bridge when she got there.

Just then, Sakura noticed a peculiar-looking man interrupting Ilan and the fairy princess' dance. She swore she had seen that man before and she couldn't put her finger on when and how she knew her exactly, but what she knew now was that he was rudely interjecting himself in the pair's dancing. Ilan was the sweetest faun Sakura has ever met and he amused her so much that she decided to include him on her 'To Not Kill' List. Anyone who bothered the adorable male faun was an automatic enemy of the wicked demon witch. Besides, this was a good chance to get on her good side too.

She approached the trio and laughed amusingly. "Well well, you look quite dashing, my dear." Sakura said to Ilan with a wink and bowed respectfully to Risa. "It is an honor to meet you, fairy princess. I've heard a lot of good things about you although I can't help but notice this man was rudely interrupting your dance, yes?". She gleefully said, giggling as she put her hand over Terneus'. "I advise you to find someone else to bother, good sir. You don't want to spoil everyone's fun now, do you?". Sakura sweetly said while looking up at Terneus with malice in her eyes.

Sins of Brittania: A Seven Deadly Sins based Rp

Helene breathed a sigh of relief when her shackles were removed. She nervously followed along with the others towards the armory while rubbing her wrists. Why was it that she was the only one who's visibly nervous and afraid out of the whole group? Didn't they understand the graveness of the task ahead of them or do they simply not care about anything at all due to the coldness in their hearts? She was one to talk, she was branded as one of the worst of the worst among them. Did that mean she was as cold and uncaring too?

Her thoughts were interrupted when they arrived at the armory. They were to choose among the weapons laid out for them. Despite not knowing anything about combat, Helene was very amazed at the variety of weapons laid out before her. She glanced around and saw her fellow prisoners- well, sinners- were picking out their preferred choice of weapons. Her eyes even widened in surprise when one of them picked a chain whip out of all the possible weapons he could choose.

As for Helene, she just stood dumbfounded as the rest of them got fitted for their armor and got branded with their tattoos. She was getting filled with anxiety because she wasn't really a fighter type of girl but then she realized something. She continued to scan through the weaponry. If the king really did have a variety of weapons... There! She had a smile on her face, the first sincere smile she had in a while, as she found what she was looking for.

She was so glad to have found the king had multiple options for musical instruments, a classic choice for a bard if that's the right term for Helene's class. Guitars, violins, drums, there were so many to choose from. She then laid her eyes a golden handheld harp, adjusted the strings a bit and testing out its melody, and she knew she got herself a weapon.

Next, she got fitted for her armor. They saw her pick a harp as her weapon and they immediately knew they needed to fit her with something light yet could still protect her from a few hits so, in the end, she wore a red dress with a bit of armor plating, perfect for a bard like Helene. As a druid, she wasn't used to wearing something a bit heavy on her but times were different now. This heavy thing on her could end up saving her life one day and she just had to get used to it.

Lastly was her tattoo. She wanted to get it at the center of her lower back. It was a bit painful than she imagined but often times she would burst out laughing because she was ticklish. After a few moments, Helene was finally branded as the Sin of Sloth, something she knew she will never be proud of for the rest of her life.

"Oh dear heavens, what have I gotten myself into?". Helene sadly said aloud.

The Forest of Helsend

~ NEITH ~

---

Neith was bored out of her mind.

She had been traveling for days just trying to go to this god-forsaken village called Helsend. It wasn't exactly god-forsaken actually, there were lots of different folks milling about the streets and as far as she knew, the businesses here have been doing pretty well. She was just being overly dramatic because she gave up a huge opportunity to come here.

A few days before, Neith was offered to join by a group of elite assassins. They were all ruthless, cold, and very good at accomplishing their tasks. They found potential in Neith as they saw how dedicated she was in the mission, never caring about who she was targetting and they also liked how she always goes straight to the point. Neith felt this was her calling, a chance to become one of the greatest, and she also knew that payment here was beyond anything she could even think of. She could be so rich that she could buy a property at a tropical island, one of her biggest dreams.

However, that was before she knew anything. See, there were countless rumors circulating about the infamous forest beside Helsend. Some say it was cursed by the devil, others thought it was haunted by a hundred and thousand ghosts or any other things that were more ridiculous and extravagant than the last. It just so happened that Neith caught wind of one of those numerous rumors: deep within the forest laid the treasure of the old gods and was said to be filled with a bountiful amount of gold and precious jewels.

Neith, being the greedy woman that she was, had her eyes wide open in shock and amazement as she learned of this version of the forest's rumor. She was not naive to believe everything she just heard through word-of-mouth but, and that's a big but, if that rumor turned out to be true then she didn't have to worry about anything else in the whole world. If she got her hands on that precious treasure, she'd be so rich that she could buy the island and more, possibly the whole continent!

Deciding to take the chance, she ditched the group that offered her a place among their ranks and set foot towards Helsend Village. She was humming along happily on the first day of her journey but every subsequent hour after that, she was gradually feeling dread. Each step she made towards the village was making her filled with anxiousness and worrying. She couldn't believe she disregarded an opportunity that could turn her life for the better and decided to believe a stupid rumor. What if she made the wrong choice? What if she just made the dumbest decision of the century?

Too late to turn back now, Neith thought to herself. Despite her being a cold-hearted 'b' word, the dark elf will see anything she does to the end. She's not the type to become a coward and not finish something she started despite all the fear she felt. She thought that if she felt something negative about doing something then she believed she was doing the right thing for herself.

Besides, Neith had nothing to lose. She didn't have a family and she grew up learning how to fend for herself. Not one day passed that she didn't think that her parents abandoned her because they knew she would grow up one day to be an evil person who've done terrible things to survive, and she couldn't blame them. She hated herself so much at first but she learned that she needed to stop being harsh on herself. No one will care for her except her and no one will love her except her. The price of being independent, she guessed.

Upon arriving at the village, Neith was surprised to see it so... different. She expected a dark and abandoned type of village but no. Children ran around while people of all ages, sexes, and races greeted each other with warm smiles on their faces. A little dog demihuman girl waved and smiled at Neith and the dark elf awkwardly smiled back at the child before she ran to greet her friends. Neith hated sweet and sappy places like this but deep in her heart, she knew she fell in love with this village.

Upon entering the tavern called Yellowgrass, it was even warmer and more home-esque than the outside. People casually sharing a drink or two while laughing heartily and enjoying each other's company. Neith immediately felt out of place here as shown when she accidentally bumped against a robed figure.

"Hey watch where yo-". She immediately stopped herself. It was never wise to spread negativity at a place she just arrived upon. Besides, she was on a mission to know more about the rumor she heard about the forest near Helsend and she needed to be nice to their locals to succeed. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. She girly and sheepishly said to the robed man who she thought looked kind of cute, putting her hand over his arm in a friendly yet 'friendly' type of way.

Avalia

---

TIME: Late Afternoon
LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City
INTERACTIONS: Ayita @13org, Cadence @Helo, Zelginn @Dezuel, Kyran @Alivefalling

---

"Dancing isn't that complex. No matter what form, you should just have to follow your- No, it's not for blowing your nose. Wait, don't put the nap- And there he goes." Sakura was talking to Ayita and Cade about dancing before she was interrupted by Zelginn doing his childish antics again. She didn't know why but there was something about him that intrigued her. He was an innocent little prankster or he was a creature doing a perfectly good imitation at that. He acted like he was just an immature child but Sakura could see the smartness behind Zelginn's eyes like he knew more than what he showed. Maybe it was just her nerves messing with her mind. Either way, she just rolled her eyes as Zelginn followed his own paper crane towards his dance partner.

She also watched as their group was approached by a lady, or rather she approached Cade. Judging from her mannerisms, she acted like a kid who was forced to attend a party by her parents. Sakura also felt the same way about this at first but her whole outlook changed when she remembered she liked attending parties. Pride hosted the most extravagant of parties back at Daka Island and he always had parties right and left, making sure that no one will forget how proud he was of his very luxurious lifestyle.

She just left the pair be and look at her own crane. It seemed like it was trying to fly away to guide her but it couldn't because she didn't want to move yet as she was still enjoying the food. "Oh come on. Can't the dance wait-". Sakura stopped mid-sentence when she was approached by a man, obviously her dance partner. She raised her eyebrow at him, looked back at her unfinished food and shrugged before looking back at him and giving him a kind smirk. "It seems that I am. Ayita, Cade, see you guys later." She said as she took Kyran's hand and stood up, wrapping her arm around his.

"Ayita dear, don't let your nerves get the best of you. Enjoy the night! Cade, take your lazy arse off the chair. Don't you dare make a lady wait!". Sakura called out to her friends as she walked with her partner towards the dance floor.

Sins of Brittania: A Seven Deadly Sins based Rp

"A... A new evil?". Helene stammered. Even just at a glance, the druid was the weakest among the group when it came to physical strength. She didn't know how to defeat a great evil just by her alone. Like what Urdina said, it's true that no one was truly alone and it will take the efforts of many to bring great change to the world. Even when her kind threw her out, Helene still greatly loved her kin and she will do what it took to protect them.

She looked on as the others said their name and sin aloud in accordance to the king. Sniffling and wiping away the tears from her eyes, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "I, Helene the Sin of Sloth, accept your offer." Helene proclaimed. Though resolute, she feared that the path she decided to take will lead her down to horrors she could never truly fathom.