Mokley

Mirror, Fox, Key

@Vee@Crimson Raven It's flu season! Stay healthy and take it easy you guys! <3

@Takashi whoa . . .

Mirror, Fox, Key

She looked up to him, walking backwards to keep facing him, and lifted her hand to point back at the tree. Almost immediately she seemed to reconsider though, and tapped her fingers against her arm again. She paused, her eyes drifting away for a moment in thought, before she changed her mind again and brought her hand up to her face, tapping her spread fingers over her nose and cheekbones as she looked into the glassy eyes of his mask. She paused one more time, biting her lip and moved her hand again – only for her heel to catch on a raised tree root.

Meryn, ever agile, was quick to right herself. But not before her mind caught up with her and she felt her cheeks warm. Giving a sniff, she reached up and ran her fingers through her still dripping hair, looking away. Turning so she was walking forward again, she couldn't stop herself from peeking back up at Spook through her eyelashes, hoping for her answers.

@c3p-0h

Spook watched Meryn steadily and silently; the mask betrayed nothing of his reaction, but only offered a frozen grin.

"If I didn't write down the runes, I'd forget them," he answered happily. "And my mask is a souvenir from Boom City. Isn't it great?"

Both no at all the answers Meryn had been looking for, and quite possibly lies.

As if on cue, Spooks pointed at the horizon and a great temple appeared, causing Amelia's heart to race. She released Novas' and Miss Lily's hand and ran forth to stand next to Spooks and the boyish looking figure.

"Spooks, do we get to go in there?" She asked eagerly as she tugged at his tattooed skin.

@Irisity

Spook tipped his head to the little girl and nodded. "Yes! Though there isn't much there anymore to go into. It's only a ruin. You might see something more interesting in the trees, if you look hard enough." He pointed over his head with a casual gloved hand.

"Don't suppose this particular symbol means anything in the common tongue?" she called after Spook's retreating back, but her eyes were on the letter, tracing the delicate curve with her fingers.

@hoppiholla391

"Ah . . ." Spook scratched the mask's chin. "'Barrier' . . . probably." He breathed a quiet laugh and rubbed the back of his hood. "They're more like drawings than words, as far as I know."

"SPOOK!" Roy bellowed, not understanding the concept of a line and the etiquette of letting other people go before him. He held up his birdcage to the masked figure, ax and book attached, looking very intently at the grinning mask.

"Is THIS birdcage something that discovers trees!"

@Darinthus

"Hey, Roy? Buddy, you alright? It's just a birdcage, y'know? we're all eager to go take a look at all the stuff out here, but I think we should stick with Spook for now. After we get out bearings a little, how about you and me both go out, and we can both take a look at some of the flora, alright?" It probably wasn't very safe to run around behind the wall by yourself, especially if you weren't a Traveler.

@Diggerton

Spook only answered when the commotion had quieted a bit -- but the entire time the dead glassy eyes of the mask were set firmly on Roy.

"Those are just the cheapest cages I could find in Enn," he explained with a hidden smile. "If it has any tree-finding properties, they're not my doing."

^{pop! -- poof!}

If Amelia were looking up at the trees as she was told, she might spot it: something small, winged and furry suddenly appeared on a branch with a pop! It leaped off the branch, and just as suddenly it disappeared into the empty air with a soft poof! It was gone.

A breeze rustled in the trees; sunlight swirled and spun between the leaves, and a cacophony of birds broke into song. They passed another sentry tree on the opposite side of the road. Some of the branches had tiny bells and weathered paper garlands hanging from them. If one were to look closely, they might spot two or three little mossy statues standing among the rocks and leaves.

"This is Nearlight Thicket," Spook said aloud to no one in particular. "Up there," he pointed toward a curving staircase off the road, partially hidden by hanging branches, "is the Temple of Spring Whistling."

Spook stopped, and he turned around, craning his neck to see how many had made it this far without wandering off into the woods.

Mirror, Fox, Key

@Crimson Raven Vee hasn't made an intro post but plans to. :) Also, she said previously that her posting speed will likely be a few times a week or less. That's absolutely cool and I don't want anyone to feel pressured. However if you plan on posting daily I suggest you be mindful of which characters you choose to interact with and which players to wait for. I separated the groups partially based on posting speed to avoid this very issue. :)

Lantern

@drewccapp Oh no, I'm so sorry! Please take care. <3 A time of mourning is the worst to have to deal with legalese.

@t2wave That sucks! :( Rest well and feel better soon!

Mirror, Fox, Key

@Darinthus Roy is effing hilarious. xD

Mirror, Fox, Key

I'm sorry, but I am going to have to drop out. I really didn't want to, but I've fallen behind and I can't find the effort to write and yeah. Sorry. Good luck, though!

@Apokalipse

Aww Sweeney is such a seriously cool character too! Totally understood though. If you ever wanna join up later at another city, absolutely please do! :)

Mirror, Fox, Key

@Vee Nope, you should be good! :) Most of what's happened so far is just getting to know one another. The members of Rutabaga are drenched in water due to a prank, a nice drawing got ruined, an argument erupted as a result but has since been quieted, and the last stragglers are running through the gate as it closes.

Mirror, Fox, Key

Will our characters eventually be able to use magic?

@Crimson Raven

Of course! :) In this world, magic is sort of a science -- anyone can learn to use it. I plan for Spook to give a short crash-course near the end of the first mission.

Mirror, Fox, Key

Aww noo! Chicken soup all around! Feel better, guys!

Mirror, Fox, Key

After taking a moment to work up her nerve, Meryn raised her hand between them and tapped her knuckles against his arm to get his attention. Lifting the hand carrying the birdcage, she took her free hand and drew her fingers along the skin of her bare arm, eyes never leaving Spook's masked face. She let her eyes fall down to his own arm before looking up again.

@c3p-0h

Spook had gone back to staring at the sunlight that filtered through the leaves, content with the end of the conversation -- but he turned his head again, and the glassy eyes of the mask stared through Meryn. He waited silently, walking steadily forward alongside her, while Meryn gestured her questions.

"Magescript," he answered with an invisible grin. He extended one arm and let his sleeve naturally pull back to expose another rune. "It's used by the Magi and some magicians. You'll see more like this along the road as we get closer to the old temple. Like . . . that, up there."

With the same hand he pointed at the curve in the disused road ahead, where a bas-relief had been skillfully carved into the trunk of a thin white tree. The living wood had been stripped away in a perfect circle, leaving a single rune intact at its center. It had been done at least a year ago; the bark had begun to grow over it.

"It's a sentry. Part of a barrier that protects the temple grounds."

Spook dropped his hand in a pocket and watched the branches as he walked, satisfied that he'd answered several unsaid questions at once.