---

Gerald eyed the flying pastry-entity that flew between him and the winged woman. Honestly, all these strange creatures weren't affecting him at all. Probably because he himself could be classified as strange too.

Gerald approached and said, "AH, A JUNGLE FAIRY TEH ACCENTUATE A JUNGLE BEAST." Ignoring the fact that she was bombarding the winged woman with questions, he asked one of his own.

"PERHAPS YEH INSTEAD WOULD BE OF MOIND AS TO THE LOCATION OF AN INEBRIATION STATION?" He asked, as the winged woman ascended into the air and yelled herself.

This was getting crazy.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

---

Ben's eyes shifted downwards towards the young woman.

She was... taller than most humans. At least, taller than most of the female gender of those that were once her captors.

But she still so... Small.

She was speaking now. Asking him about himself. He rumbled some and smoke puffed out of his nostrils angrily. He shook his head and puffed against.

"Used to be an inventor for a tribe. Volunteered to be sold into slavery to preserve our way of life. Taken from home and worked for years. Saved money over time. Bought my own freedom. Tried sailing home." Ben said, giving the short version of his life. There were good things about his experience, especially from the place he once called home and even from his time as a slave. But he still didn't like talking about it. Well, he didn't like talking much at all. Theresa probably wouldn't want to know his whole life story start to finish anyways.

"I... dont like talking about it. Just... not a fun tale to tell." he said, giving her the best reassuring smile he could give her. He wanted to make sure she knew it wasn't her that was putting him off as much as it was just him. The smile vanished almost as quickly as it appeared though. Something about his own pride got in the way of him holding it out any longer. This woman had asked about him, and she was the first person to do that since... well, for a very long time. But he still couldn't bring himself to really open up to her. He shook his head again and blinked. He didn't like retelling his tale of weakness. Yeah, that was it. At least, that's what Ben told himself.

He looked down at her again. He couldn't get over the color of her hair. Red, like his fire and wild like the forests of his home. Ben breathed in the air around him and was instantly taken by the smells of the forest around him. The water and trees and the animals living amongst them. But he could also smell the sea. In fact, he could really smell the sea. His followed his nose some and found that it was pointing him downwards.

"You smell like the sea." Benedict stated. He had been surrounded by salt water enough for the past several days to know exactly how that smelt. He doubted he'd ever forget it now. "...Where are you from, Theresa?"

"INEBRIATION STATION!" Saaria shouted with pure ecstasy, as she realized she was finally free. She would never have to be in that dark room she had called home for so long ever again! She flew way up high into the air, blowing fire into the ocean breeze, and crying tears of joy, completely forgetting that the fairy was still clutched in her left hand the entire time.
@SepticGentleman@Cuccoruler

Cia

Cia was grabbed without her having time to respond. She struggled to get out of the grasp, thankfully she was able to shrink herself a slight bit more and escape. "Do not grab me! Wait why are you both yelling?" Cia asked them both trying to fly just out of their reach. She looked at the skeleton now with a look of confusion. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be inside of a human?" Cia asked them. At this point she had no idea who the questions were pointed at. She only hoped that one of them would answer.

@Luclovers
[@septicgentlemen]

---

"Place called Highwall." Theresa replied. If Ben was going to be open, she might as well try to match his level of exposition.

"I was part of a tribe. Red Hairs. Long story short, I didn't like the way things were run around there. Father told me to get over it or get out." She motioned to her getup and continued, "You can guess which one I picked. I left home and just... went places. Fought things, earned some pay, saw sights... now I'm here."

They'd only just met and they were getting along so well.

A moment passed before Theresa continued, "What do you think those horns were?"

---

---

"ASTUTE OBSEHVATION, TOINY SPECTAH A SWEETS." Gerald replied, paying no mind to the winged woman expressing her ability to fly overhead, "OI WAS INDEED WRAPPED IN SUM FOINE MEAT AN' SKIN ONCE, BUT THEM DAYS AH LONG BEHOIND. MOI ROTTIN' CAHCASS WAS SPIRITED AWAY FROM ME PLACE A REST BOY SUM PRACTICIONAHS OF, EHHH... MACK BLAGIC."

He started making more ridiculous hand gestures.

"THEY DRESSED ME IN THESE OPULENT REGALIAS YEH BEHOLD, AN' THEN THEY ROISED ME UP FROM THE DEAD. NOT TOO SURE ABOUT THE DETAILS, BUT OI THINK THEY PERUSED THE WRONG SKELETON, FOR THEY QUICKLY TOOK ILL OF ME WORDINS AN' CAST ME OUT TEH THE HAHTLESS SEA. AN' THEN, OI SLEPT. AN' THEN, OI AWAKENED HERE."

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Vent/Anne

---

”I’m really sorry sir but this town isn’t full of the nicest guys in the world. It’s only natural to react the way I did. I was lucky you came when you did else my blood may have well be a new paint around here. I knew I shouldn’t have tried to get money here on the island, the Red Banners were sure to take notice if I did. Oh shite! We should really go, before a Red Banner gets here and notices the trouble you caused.” Anne said as she held her hand out for Vent to use as support. The man was shaky on his legs and almost fell over once he was standing but he was glad for the help the woman had offered him. Vent stood almost a full foot taller than the girl and thus was essentially just using the walls and railings as support since he probably would of knocked her over he tried to use her for support. The pair met the first gate which was free of guards and meant that they would have to pay a toll to get back through.

Vent had recovered to perfect health by the time he was halfway down the small, natural bridge which connected the mainland to the island. ”So, uh… what were you doing in that part of town if you knew it was dangerous? Well that should be obvious really, you needed the money for food. Oh don’t act like I didn’t notice, I’ve spent plenty of time like that back at Cordal with my family so I know how it feels.” Vent told Anne as they walked across the rock bridge. He finished the statement by putting his hand on his own stomach. The boat he was on didn’t have much food to offer him and his coin wasn’t enough to buy more rations off another poor sap. But, the pair were approaching the slums outside Rockvale and there was certain to be a place the pair could get some affordable food from.

Vent was waiting for Anne to respond when turned his view downwards and saw the blood which had caked into Anne’s hair form when the men tossed her to the side. He held his tongue for a little while but couldn’t just leave it alone. ”Uh, you’ve got a bit of blood from when those bastards threw you aside on your head. We should probably take care of that with some water and a rag. Well, I guess I’ll take care of it since you wouldn’t of… well I guess your injuries would have been worse if I didn’t arrive but I still want to take care of it for you if you’ll allow me.” Vent as he walked alongside Anne as they almost reached the second gate to the slums. Anne stopped almost immediately as Vent finished his statement and he wouldn’t have noticed it wasn’t for the fact that he had been listening for any other footsteps.

”Are… are you serious? You don’t even fucking know me! How can you so willing take care of someone like me! I’m just another slum rat that nobody should notice yet you act like I’m the center of the world! How can you care?” Anne screamed at Vent in pure rage. The young man had barely known the girl for ten minutes but he already was caring for her. Vent stood almost completely still with his back to the girl before he let out a high pitched whistle. The sound of a sharp chirp could be heard from somewhere above as a small, red bird descended from the clouds above and landed on Vent’s shoulder.

”This is Callie… she’s been with my family for as long as we could remember. She has no real family that we know of and we’ve been caring for her since my Father found her. She’s quite like you actually. I can tell you know, you’ve never known a family and that is why you reacted in anger towards me. Honestly, I would care for everyone in this entire town if I had the money simply because of how they are treated. But you, you were attacked and yet injured when I defended you. It simply isn’t acceptable to walk away.” Vent said as he turned around. He grabbed Anne by her shoulders as he finished and gave her a sort-of-awkward hug. He walked forward, confident now that Anne would follow him even if she was unsure about him. The pair walked into a small tavern which smelled of piss and rotten wood and sat a table. Vent asked for a cup of water and a rag as well as two pieces of bread and waited till the items arrived.

”Let me… repay you the only way I know how sir. By song.” Anne said as she pulled her wooden flute out from her simple dress. She started to play a flute melody as Vent’s ordered items arrived and he took care of her. The man barely touched his bread and instead pushed more than half of his own piece to Anne as she played. For the first time in his life, Vent’s face betrayed his emotions as stray tears fell down his face. He, of course, wiped them off and smiled away at the song the woman was playing.

Saaria flew down slowly, tired from all the moving. She normally just sat in a cell all day. She nestled down on the ground, and simply say there. She looked at Gerald.
"AH NEED ME AN INEBRIATION STATION" she sighed. She still had no idea what the words meant, but they sounded cool. She turned to the fairy fluttering around, and mumbled something incoherent in a draconian sounding language, staring at it with a wonderous twinkle in her eye.
@SepticGentleman
@Cuccoruler

---

"AH, FAIR JUNGLE BEAST." Gerald said, motioning towards Saaria, "THE OIRES OF THE DRINK DOTH MEANDER YEH BRAIN PROCESSES, AN' THUS YEH EMULATE MESELF."

Gerald sighed and nodded, pausing for a moment before he continued speaking to Saaria. "Y'KNOW," he said, "YEH REMOIND ME OF ME BEST MATE RICHARD, COPIOUS GODS AN' GOD-LOIKE FIGURES REST 'IS SOUL. 'E WAS ALWAYS A JOLLY BLOKE, LOIKE YOU. 'COURSE, HE LACKED THE HORNS. AN' THE WINGS. AN' THE BREASTS, TOO. OTHAH THAN THOSE, YEH A SPITTIN' IMAGE OF HIM. AN' IN LOIGHT OF YEH CURRENT STUPAH, OI SHALL TAKE TEH ADDRESSIN' YEH AS... JUNGLE-RICHARD."

He turned to Cia and continued, "AN' YOU REMOIND OF 'IM TOO. ALWAYS ASKIN' QUESTIONS. SO OI SUPPOSE I'LL CALL YOU EHHH, FAIRY-RICHARD. IT'LL BE LOIKE I LOST 'IM, AN' THEN OI GOT TWO BACK BOY THE GOOD WILL A THE HOIGHAH POWAHS."

They couldn't see it, but Gerald was definitely smiling. "NOW OI SUPPOSE WE'LL BE RESUMING AH PURSUIT A NUMEROUS LOIBATIONS." He turned and once again marched down the coastline, calling out, "ROIGHT DEN. LET'S AWAY."

@luclovers
@Cuccoruler

Cia

Cia looked at them both still in confusion. She appeared to be the most sane being here. "What is going on?" Cia asked herself outloud. She was quite confused as to what she had gotten herself into. But this seemed like a great way to see the world anyways. So he decided she may as well follow them. They definitely looked like they could handle themselves. At the least this would make for a good story later.

"So where exactly are you two going anyways?" Cia asked them flying above their heads just out of reach. She really didn't want to be grabbed again.

@Septicgentleman
@Luclovers

---

The corners of Ben's lips curled upwards at Theresa's tale. Didn't like how things were, so she left.

"I like that." Ben stated. He puffed some smoke out of his nose again and turned his head upward to look at the sky above them. "Where I am from, horns mean war has begun." Ben stated. He very, very much hoped that he was wrong in this scenario.

As they walked together, making small talk and keeping an eye out for each other, they found themselves moving upwards at an incline. They were obviously gaining altitude compared to their position when they beached themselves. But the foliage around them was beginning to thin. Light was shining through the treetops in greater quantities and eventually, they came upon a cliff's edge. Ben peered his head over the edge at the waves crashing against the stone and then peered out at the great blue sea. But then something else caught his attention. A sea stack, larger than any he had ever seen. So large buildings and structures had been carved out into it's side. Beings could be seen milling about on the landform. His eyes followed the sea stack's face and came upon a bridge created by a small connecting landform. This was new to him. He leaned outward, craning his neck to see that there had been a boardwalk constructed just along the forest's edge for those wishing to enter the settlement. Ben tapped Theresa on the shoulder and pointed outwards. More the likely from an angle she couldn't see very well at her height.

"There's a path leading to that settlement over there." Ben said, moving his finger to point at the sea stack. He then set off in the direction of the path. He had some things he wanted to attend to in that place, if he could. He had no idea where he was, but his plans might help keep him alive long enough to get to a place where he did.

---

The duo descended down the pathway leading into the port city. They came upon the outskirts full of old, shanty wooden houses, made from ship parts as it seemed. People were mulling about, many looking somewhat downtrodden. Above them all hung an old mast, with a blood-stained flag adorning it.

Seemed pretty average, as far as foreign port cities went. But there was always room to be surprised.

"Let's split up for now." Theresa said, "You can handle your business, I'll look for someone who can tell us more about the mainland. Find a lead to somewhere... interesting, maybe."

Ben nodded, and set off on his own. Theresa scanned the area around her, spotting what seemed like a tavern built within an overturned ship. Few people as there seemed to be, it was definitely the best place to start.

...

She stepped inside. Dim lights, foul stenches, drinks and chatter aplenty. Theresa stepped forth, turning a few eyes her way as she approached the bar. There sat an old man in a chair, wrapped in blankets, with bedraggled gray hair. Before Theresa could get the attention of the bartender, he spoke to her.

"You..." The old man piped up, "You're not from 'round here?"

"No." Theresa replied, "Sailed here off of Fernheid's Galleon."

"A visitor." The old man said, "What're you here for?"

"Exploring the Continent. Same as plenty others are doing."

"Then you'd best listen to what I have to say. For your own health and preservation."

Theresa took a step closer towards the man. She assumed he may just be some old cook, but... the prospect of learning any hint of the Continent's nature still intrigued her. So she obliged, and said in return, "What, then?"

"Go no further than Rockvale. Step neither foot within the mainland. Find a boat, and leave this place. If the Vigils see you exploring, they'll come for you, like they have so many others."

"The Vigils?" Theresa asked.

"The Coastal Vigils, aye. You didn't see them, but you heard their calls." The man said, "The horns. They announce the arrivals of all newcomers. And if you're smart, then that's it, end of story. But if you go too deep into the mainland... they come for you. And they mark you."

The man raised his hand, revealing a patch of skin along his wrist that was brown and writhing. Theresa eyed it curiously.

"This mark. You have this, and you're no longer visiting the Continent... you're a prisoner within its confines. You try to leave... and it's not just the Vigils who'll hunt you down. I've watched monsters of the sea and crazed men rip apart people who've tried. And some don't even wait."

Theresa paused for a moment, before she replied, "So... you're trapped here yourself? Why's Rockvale not important to these... Vigils?"

"Rockvale's not their charge." The old man replied, "It's not under the Continent's Curse. It still has connections to the outside, however small they may be. This place is safe. And I'm too old to want to go anywhere else, anyway."

Theresa paused again. She processed everything the old man was saying, before she nodded and said, "Alright. Thank you for telling me all that."

The old man nodded as well. "Be smart, girl." He said, "Leave."

A lead wasn't important anymore. Theresa turned and proceeded out of the tavern, to go find Ben. Tell him what she heard.

This changed things.

Expedition’s Shores

“Agua!”

Slosh

“Voda!”

Slosh

“Ilma!”

Slosh

“Almost there, Pip! Just a little more!”

“Vesi!”

Slosh

“That should do it! You can stop spouting nonsense now, it’s far out of the tide’s range,” Chumi said, hopping down from the ship. The water that had been lifting the hull off of the sand and further inland slowly slipped away, as Piper released the magic holding it. She was panting, but she’d recover soon. She always did, after all. She’d been practicing this for ages!

“Right! Well, let's get our stuff all packed now, then!” She managed to get out. It probably hadn’t been the greatest of ideas to pull off that spell while the ship was still fully loaded with supplies, but that was just how it went. They were both forgetful sometimes.

Chumi threw down the rope ladder, and Piper scrambled up it, her energy recovering quickly and an eagerness to get started overpowering the minor exhaustion completely.

“What was that all about, anyway? Vesi, never heard that one before,” Chumi poked, as she reached the top.

“Er, some fantasy language is all. Helps me concentrate sometimes,” She replied. They opened the door the the below decks, where all of their stuff was tightly packed, aside from the food they’d been eating while “sailing” here. In all actuality, neither of them knew a thing about sailing, aside from that it was supposed to catch the wind. Piper had just provided a current for most of the way there.

Chumi picked up his bag, a large, magically lightened thing that could carry a good deal more supplies than you’d expect. It had cost them a pretty penny back in Port Fort, but it was definitely worth it. He started putting supplies, like books, maps, sleeping bags and tools within. Piper removed her hat, eliciting a sigh of disappointment from it, and started putting her own stuff inside of its brim, ignoring its protests. The hat, too, was quite a bit bigger on the inside than the out, to an unknowable degree. Neither of them really wanted to find out just how much it could hold, it was too useful for that, and the more stuff was inside of it, the more uncomfortably friendly it got.

A minute or so of silent fervent packing later, the ship was empty, the wheel magically locked, and everything was ready to go. Piper grinned, and pulled a map out of her hat. The moment she unrolled it, it began to fill itself out with what she could see. The coastline was already there, and it marked the thick forest beyond the beach as Jaded Woods. The thing had a knack for naming things.

“Okay! Checklist, Chumi!”

“Ship secured!”
“Check!
“Supplies packed!”
“Check!”
“Stomachs full!”
“Check!”
“Magic functional!”
Chumi briefly shot a bolt of lightning into the sea, instantly murdering some poor fish.
“Check!”
“Smiles everywhere!”
“Check!”
“Feet on the beach!”
They leapt together from the edge of the small ship, and landed on their rears in the sand. A bit of giggling, and they stood up.
“Check!”
“That’s everything!” Piper said, unable to keep from smiling.
“Time to explore!” Chumi chanted.
“Time to unveil!” Piper replied.
“Time to make history,” they chanted together, “Team Thunderstorm!”

They jumped into the air, high fived, and turned to wave the ship goodbye. It was time to explore this mysterious land, to see what it had to offer, to take it if it was good, and to defeat it if it was bad. They turned, and walked in excited unison towards the darkness of the Jaded Woods, wands in one hand, maps in the other.

---

More horns signaled more arrivals. Today was a busy day for the Vigils. Yet so far, only one new charge had earned their action. The robed skeleton had already met two natives.

And though it seemed unlikely he would, he could not be permitted to ever leave the Continent.

One Vigil ventured forth to carry out the deed.

---

---

"WE AH IN SEARCH A ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, FAIRY-RICHARD." Gerald replied, "AN' OI BE UNFAMILIAH WIT DA LAYOUT A THIS FOREIGN LAND, SO WE WILL 'AVE TO SCOWEH THE AREA FOR A SUITABLE AVENUE WOT PEDDLES 'EM."

The trio came about an elevation of rocks, with a few lamp posts jutting from between the crevices. "AH, SOIGNS A CIVILIZATION." Gerald said, climbing over the lowest hurdles. "LET US ASCEND THIS NATURAL STAIRCASE SO WE MAY-"

He was interrupted as one brighter rock jumped upward before him. Gerald paused as a looming figure stood before him. Pale blue skin, rags, and the iconic shell-head.

A Vigil.

"AH, YET ANOTHA JUNGLE INHABITANT." Gerald called out, "BE YOU INTERESTED IN AH PURSU-"

A dark, undulating tentacle arose from one of the holes in the Vigil's head, and swiped at Gerald's before he could finish his inquiry. The skeleton fell back down the rocks, onto the sand near Saaria and Cia. The Vigil wasted no time in vacating the area before the other two could react, jumping up the rocks and disappearing into the jungle.

The slimy residue from the tentacle settled on the side of Gerald's skull, forming a bumpy spot of brown, writhing like a little mass of tentacles. He slowly picked himself up off the sand.

"WOT IN BLAZES..." He called out, darting his vision this way and that.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Saaria fell to her knees next to Gerald.
"Reechard!" She yelled. She shook him wildly, unsure of how to revive a skeleton. Maybe fire would wake him up. She sucked in a deep breath, her chest and throat turning an orange-red color as she readied a fiery exhale.
@SepticGentleman

Cia

Cia watched the vigil attack with amusement. "I think he's fine umm... I never got any of your names now that I think of it." Cia said realizing she didn't know the name of either of them. "Well, I'm Cia." Cia said introducing herself, giving a slight bow above each of them. "And mr. Skeleton, are you going to be alright?" Cia asked. She didn't bother to stop Saaria as she didn't see the fire harming the skeleton as bones weren't all that flammable.

---

"WAIT, WAIT, HOLD YA BREATH JUNGLE-RICHARD, I'M FOINE!" Gerald called out, raising his hand to Saaria's mouth, inciting her to cease her incoming barrage of flames.

"EHHHH..." Gerald said, shaking his head, then turning towards Cia. "OI'M FOINE, FAIRY-RICHARD. JUST A BUMP ON ME..."

He felt the mark on the side of his skull. "OHHH, CANNY..." He said, "WOT AN UNPLEASANTLY-TEXTURED BLEMISH THAT TALL BLUE FELLA BEQUEATHED TEH ME." He got back up on his feet and continued, "AH WELL. I'LL ASSESS THE DAMAGES TEH ME NOGGIN ONCE WE FOIND A MIRRAH, IN A TOWN I HOPE BE OVAH YONDAH."

He turned and restarted his ascent up the rocks. "ONWARD, ME RCHARDS. GERALD REQOIRES 'IS ANNUAL INTOXICATION RITUAL." He called out.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Saaria looked confused as Gerald stood up. He had an ugly bump on the top of his head, almost like the bumps all over the backs of the lizard folk back in her hometown.
She looked at Cia.
"Me name Saariandara. You say Saaria." She tried to explain. She then follower Gerald up the path, still staring at everything around her, trying to make sense of what the world was about.

Cia

Cia gave a sigh, atleast one of them had answered with their name. "So all you want is booze? Fine let's get moving, but I expect a name Mr. Skeleton, or else I'm gonna start calling you flower butt." Cia said hoping he would give her some for of an answer about that.

She started to fly forward again hoping the others would start moving as well so they could get to this town. She had her satchel with her with some rather odd objects within it. Most of them crystals with multiple abilities. She also had a small glass vial inside of it. It was filled with medicine that she had been taking since she was a child. She never actually knew what it was for, only that whenever she forgot to take it she would pass out and wake up somewhere else entirely.

---

"THE NAME'S GERALD, FAIRY-RICHARD." Gerald called out behind him as he climbed, "GERALD PITHERS."

...

After the trio had ascended past the rocky climb, they moved further through the jungle until the trees began to turn twisted and barren. The ground beneath them was charred, with patches of dirt becoming more and more common.

"EHHH, THE SCENERY 'AS TAKEN QUOITE THE UNFAVORABLE TURN, 'ASN'T IT?" Gerald said aloud.

They went further along, seeing stacks of smoke in the distance. Weaving past the trees, the ground beneath them turned to cobblestone. They stood before clusters of dilapidated houses, some barely holding while the rest were piles of rubble. Lanterns and campfires in the rubble were posted all over. And among it all, there were men. Ragged, savage-looking men wearing tattered clothes and cloaks of fur.

They seemed rather oddly oblivious to the trio's presence. Many were seated near their campfires. Some were sharpening their weapons. Others were stumbling about, staring blankly into the distance. Quite a few of them seemed obscenely larger and more brutish than normal humans.

And many of them were mumbling to themselves.

"WELL NOW." Gerald said, looking around, "LOOKS LOIKE A PLACE WITH A DECENT CHANCE A HOUSIN' AN APPROPRIATE DISPENSARY A ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. LET US COMMENCE THE DISCOVERY A SUCH AN ESTABLISHMENT."

And forward Gerald ventured ahead of his companions.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Saaria stared in awe at the village. It was so different from Talii, and vastly bigger than her cell. She ran over quickly to a random brutish looking man, leaning over close to his face. She stared at him with wide eyes for a few moments before initiating conversation.
"I am good. How are you today!?" She yelled. She was bent over in a compromising manner, although her relatively innocent mind didn't realize the implicationS of all the cleavage her prison robes were exposing to this random man.
@SepticGentleman