[IC] Mirror, Fox, Key

[Takashi]

Telio gazed at the spectacle of the serpent as his companions each took their own course of action in dealing with the creature. Some fought, some trusted Spook and remained at the magic circle, but after a couple of seconds, Telio turned away, not wanting to see the gory results of the battle regardless of the victor. It was at that moment that he head a soft voice; it was only the numbness in the artist's limbs that saved the bird from a violent swat. What it said did little to calm him down or improve his opinion of magic. In fact, it was rather unnerving that this mechanical bird claimed to be able to see his dreams. This bizarre creature whom he had never seen before had seen something that he had not even elected to share with his own family.

"A beautiful dream?" He said incredulously, his voice now quivering on the edge of hysteria. "That... that thing is no dream of mine! It's an abhorrent nightmare that only some depraved demon would conceive! If that's what magic brings into this world, then I'll have no part of it!" He glared at the rune carved into the bird. "And you... you're a product of it as well. A servant of the serpent I suppose? Why should I believe a word you say after seeing your magic do that!?"

Telio's tirade was interrupted by Meryn's approach. He shrunk back from her touch, whipping his head to see his assailant and beginning to scramble back against the statues. However, he began to calm down once it registered that it was one of his comrades. "Ah it's you Miss... well, I'm afraid I never got your name." He gave a nervous laugh. "Even so, I'm glad you made it. How are the others? Did they escape from the monster?" Even though Telio had a view of the scene, he didn't want to look. He was sure the sight of corpses strewn about the woods would make him faint; in fact, he grew light-headed just thinking about it.

[Crimson Raven]

Kelsier

That could have been worse. Much worse. Thought Kelsier as he leaned on his sword to catch his breath after the monster was apparently pulled back in. I need to be stronger. He resolved. At that moment, he realised he didn't have his coat on and then realised that it was a good thing. Against fangs and jaws like that no normal armor in the world would protect someone from that, and without its encumbering weight, he was more nimble and would tire more slowly. He tucked that information away as he checked to make sure everyone was alright. That done, he caught up to Spook, started to walk beside him, towering over him. "What was that?" He asked, too politly. He had signed up, even though he knew it would be dangerous, but he hadn't expected their guide to give a surprise like that. Spook seemed to have known the monster would not rampage long, but he could have at least provided a warning of some kind.

@Mokley

[jordy0403]

@Mokley

"What in the world was that?" I demanding, walking up to Spook. "Some of us were nearly killed!" I yell at him. I was ready to punch him. Sure, I had trust him at the time, but, that... thing, it could have killed any one of us. So, I did it. I punched out at Spooks stupid mask. That'd stop his arrogance for sure. I had angled my fist so that if it landed, the mask would go flying off. That'd teach him.

[Crimson Raven]

Kelsier

@jordy0403@Mokley

Kelsier was unsure about the guy, but he didn't think it would be wise to hit him, so he stepped to the side of the kid and grabbed his arm before he could throw his punch. "Now hold on. He said. "There is no reason to get so worked up. I'm just as furious as you are, but lets hear his explination first, then we can hit him." Not to mention, Kelsier added to himself. He has magic, and if my instincts are correct, he is a very dangerous man.

[hoppiholla391]

The moment Lily noticed her hands were shaking, she forcibly stilled them. Silence rang in her ears louder than any siren after the beast was dragged into the void, and it took real effort to drag her eyes away from the night-black hole in the path. All at once, she became aware of the cramping in her fingers, the ache in her knees, and the beginnings of a truly magnificent migraine. A total non-sequitur thought occurred to her—it's going to take hours to clean the dirt from my nails.

Lily wasn't really one for introspection—all too often, it turned out depressing—but she couldn't help but be fascinated by the power flowing under, around, through her fingers. It felt almost like water without wetness, rushing past along the intricate pattern Spook had drawn. Meeting Emma's eyes for a moment, she saw a glimmer of a reflection of her own fascination. She'd never felt anything like it before, and to be honest, it was difficult to focus her attention past the minute tides flowing below her.

When she looked up, though, Spook was dropping felidrake cages into the void, Kelsier and Alexander looked like they were about to start a fight (she could guess with who), and Telio and Meryn had simply vanished. Not the most auspicious start to their journey.

"Gentlemen," Lily broke in, her voice betraying none of her anger. "Why don't we let the nice man explain before coming to blows? We should at least know exactly why we're beating him, no?" Her eyes narrowed, and she turned to Spook, but she carefully maintained her kneeling position on the ground—she wasn't sure yet if it was safe to let go of the circle. "Knack or no, Spook, I'd appreciate an explanation—for the hellbeast lizard, and as for why you're seemingly sending a batch of innocent creatures into the void."

@Mokley @Crimson Raven @jordy0403

[Bubsy 2]

TEAM EGGPLANT

Just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. For a moment, for one sweet, blissful moment all remained still and silent. The hellish apparition had become a void of nothingness. And then Spook whistled, and all returned to normal. Spook set about disposing of the Felidrake, and the others quickly all set about yowling at him.

As for Emma, however, she was done. She didn't care to reprimand Spook, and she didn't care to search for some explanation of whatever that was. Instead Emma let herself gently drift to the ground, stretching herself against it. After all that she could use a rest. She'd let the others sort out the business with Spook. She looked up at the sky, and let her eyelids flutter shut.

Her rest was short-lived, as she suddenly realized a certain presence had been missing during their sojourn with the hydra. She twisted herself around, shifting onto her stomach and looking back in the direction of the temple, calling out.

"Lux?!"

@Skittles

[Mokley]

The Temple of Spring Whistling

---

"I am as human as you are, you . . . you ninny!" the little bird huffed -- and if Meryn hadn't distracted Telios then, she might have barraged him with with a flurry of furious name-calling and uncreative insults. Instead, while Telios and Meryn spoke, the bird muttered quietly to herself: "Product of magic, indeed! Servant of the serpent, indeed! I ought to peck you! This is the last time I try to be nice to a ninny."

After a few moments of sulking, the little bird noticed a shimmer inside a hole in one of the statues. She hopped to the ground and bounced closer, disappearing into the hole. When she emerged, she dragged behind her a curious glass lens set in brass, like the lens from a telescope, that she had found in the hole along with a few other small children's toys. With the lens hooked in one claw, the bird opened her metallic wings and -- with a whizzing noise -- fluttered back to her perch atop the statue's head.

"This is a magus lens," she said crisply, still rather perturbed that Telios had snapped at her. She extended a wing toward Meryn -- and to her she spoke more kindly. "Please look through it. You'll see immediately what I meant."

The magus lens seemed a simple trinket, but the bulbous glass inside swirled with odd colors and reflected strange moving shapes. The glass looked very much like the little bird's small eyes -- and the glassy eyes of Spook's mask.

Through the magus lens, one could see things that were normally invisible to the human eye: luminescent jellyfish gliding through the air; tendrils of spinning light dancing in the treetops; tiny glowing fuzzballs hopping through the grass like fleas. Some clung to the bark of trees, others dangled on shining threads from the branches -- they were everywhere. None of them, however, were permanent: some flickered and were gone, some faded after a moment, others moved about for awhile before drifting out of existence -- but there were always more to take their place.

"Those are dreams," the bird explained. "The dreams you know you had but can't remember -- they escape and live on their own, for a short time." She tipped her head at Telios again. "I cannot see what you dreamed, but I could see the shape and color of it."

A breeze whistled across the statues, and shimmering white butterflies fluttered around their stone heads, visible only through the magus lens. When the whistling faded, the butterflies dispersed and melted into the sky.

The Magic Circle

---

Spook seemed not to have noticed that Alexander had launched an attack at his grinning mask, let alone that Kelsier had intercepted on his behalf. He went about his business, and he dropped the second felidrake down into the black void. The creature's terrified screech went silent in the same instant it ceased to exist.

"The explanation is fairly simple," he answered in the same smiling voice as always. He dropped his hands in his pockets and turned to face his accusers. "A couple of you clogged the circle with your dreams and threw it off-balance. You ended up opening a portal a shade left of the one we wanted. It happens sometimes." He shrugged and sat back against a boulder, as if he were exhausted from doing nothing at all to help. "Everyone grab a couple cages and toss them in."

His glassy eyes focused on Lily, who had been the only one to question this action. "We found their mother sick. There's a slight chance they might be infected," he explained happily.

After another moment, he scanned the cages again. "There's one missing," he said offhandedly.

[c3p-0h]

Telio pulled Meryn's attention again as the odd metal bird began muttering to itself. She managed to tear her eyes from the new discovery long enough to fully process what her companion was saying. At being asked her name, Meryn looked down at herself, only te remember she wasn't wearing her jacket – so she wasn't wearing her name tag. Reaching down to fumble with her still damp jacket tied to the strap of her bag, she took the time to address Telio's other questions. She gestured with her chin over to where the group still was and gave a quick thumbs up with her free hand before devoting it, too, to her search.

Eventually her fingers fumbled around the smooth wood of her pin. Curling her hand around it, she gave a quick yank, ripping the pin out of the fabric. Her jacket was an old, tattered thing – one more hole wouldn't hurt. Then pin, on the other hand, was clearly a craft of quality. Smooth, varnished wood, delicately engraved with her name and attached to a shining silver rod to pin it to her clothes. In the years she'd had it, it was the one thing that never showed any wear from her lifestyle.

Meryn pinned her name tag to her loose cream-colored top. She gave it a tap, looking up at Telio.

Then the odd bird was back, and it was talking to her. Meryn still wasn't used to that. But then she glanced down at its outstretched wing, holding some sort of lens out to her. Raising an eyebrow, she looked up to the bird's… face(?) before glancing back down. She only hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it, throwing a look Telio's way.

Raising the glass to her eye, she breathed in a sharp gasp at what she saw. The bird's metallic voice seemed far away as Meryn spun, taking in the hidden wonders. Once again, she was captured in the thrall of discovering something new, a delighted smile growing on her face. Lowering the lens, she held it out to Telio, eager to share this wonder with someone.

Meryn turned back to the bird, green eyes bright. She pressed her lips together in a brief moment of hesitation before plowing ahead. Looking down into her bag again, she dug her hand in. The felidrake still seemed grouchy, but it was preoccupied with eating the rest of her food. Meryn tried not to roll her eyes as she avoided touching it to pull out the tiny silver bell.

Triumphant, she held it out to the bird between her two fingers. The name and the rune glistened in the light as she eagerly hoped for some sort of explanation.

@takashi

[jordy0403]

Kelsier blocked my punch. Ok, maybe I'd overreacted a little bit... there was a slight chance that they were sick?! I shook off Kelsier, then tried to take the cages from him. "So you think that it's ok, just because the mother of these creatures was sick, and they have a chance of being sick as well, to just chuck them into nothing! They're completely innocent, and you're killing them because of their mother! You're a sick monster!" Then I attempted to punch him again.

@Mokley

[Mokley]

Looking down into her bag again, she dug her hand in. The felidrake still seemed grouchy, but it was preoccupied with eating the rest of her food. Meryn tried not to roll her eyes as she avoided touching it to pull out the tiny silver bell. Triumphant, she held it out to the bird between her two fingers. The name and the rune glistened in the light as she eagerly hoped for some sort of explanation.

Meryn

The little bird ticked its mechanical head to the side, and her thin metal feathers flicked with interest.

"Your dreams have an unusually vibrant color," she informed Meryn. Her glassy eyes were staring over the courier's head; the statues around them whistled softly. "Your question is about the silver bell, right? They're from the temple magi that used to study here. When an apprentice becomes a mage, his final task is to imbue a small part of his soul into a silver bell -- that's what the rune is. Every mage carries his bell with him his whole life. When a mage dies, his name is inscribed on his bell and it's kept at the temple as a memorial. Some of the oldest temples have entire rooms filled with souls that date to the beginning of history. It's breathtaking, if you ever have a chance to see it. The Temple of Winter Silence at Soondark Pass has an enormous and very creepy memorial room that still gives me the shivers to think about. I highly recommend a visit, if you like spooky things."

Echoes of shouting rose up from the road below, and the little bird raised her head in confused curiosity.

"So you think that it's ok, just because the mother of these creatures was sick, and they have a chance of being sick as well, to just chuck them into nothing! They're completely innocent, and you're killing them because of their mother! You're a sick monster!" Then I attempted to punch him again.

Alex

Spook moved fluidly, and with an effortless shift of his weight and twist of his shoulders he entirely missed Alex's punch; Alex's fist whiffed in empty air.

"You're entitled to your opinion of me," Spook said with the same grinning voice -- and as long as Alex continued to try to hit him, the Traveller would continue to avoid being hit, but never raised a hand. The felidrakes in their cages yowled frightfully.

"Are you volunteering to take personal responsibility for them?" Spook picked up another of the cages, and in the same motion held it out over the gaping nothingness of the portal on the ground. "It's a painless death," he offered helpfully, as if this fact made everything better.

[c3p-0h]

Meryn looked away, awkward. Because really, how was she supposed to react to a metallic talking bird saying she had 'unusually vibrant' dreams? She didn't have long to dwell on it though, as the bird immediately delved into an explanation on the bell in Meryn's dirty hand. Her pale eyes widened, looking from the bird to the bell and back again. Someone's… soul? She moved the bell to the center of her palm and brought it close to her face. The silver shined in the light, the thin engraving on it capturing her attention again.

Oliver Locke.

She wondered what sort of person he'd been. What he'd seen in his life. What he'd done. The bell sparkled like the sun, and Meryn held it with a new sort of care now that she knew what it truly was. She wondered if he got bored just staying in this forest for years and years, or if there was a content sort of peace for him here. Of course, that was if his soul still had any awareness at all.

…Would he like to come with her? The thought flickered into her mind like a candle that refused to go out. What if she took him along on this adventure? She could discover this odd world outside the wall with him. Maybe having someone with her, even in the form of this little silver bell… Or was removing him from this sacred place disrespectful? Probably. Then again, Meryn had already dropped him out of a tree and exploded some important-looking papers. She doubted she could get more disrespectful than that.

And so, in a moment of selfish indulgence, Meryn made her decision. She sat down and placed the magus lens on the grass beside her. Reaching into her boot, she grabbed her knife with one hand, and with the other she pulled at the string the circled through the inner lining of her jacket's hood. She never knew what this thing was for, anyway. When Meryn finished pulling it out, she cut it in two, stuffing the knife back in her boot and the longer piece of the string in her bag. The felidrake gave an agitated mewl at something being dropped on it and finally decided to get up. It latched itself onto her hand with its angry little claws and crawled its way up her arm until it sat on her head. Meryn just did her best to ignore the little pinpricks of pain as it turned its attention to the bird and tilted its head.

It took her longer than she cared to admit to string the frayed cloth through the bell's top loop, but eventually she was victorious. She tied the two ends together around her neck, the bell sitting just below her collar bone. Satisfied (and maybe a little guilty) she nodded to herself and slipped her jacket back on with a silent promise to Oliver Locke that she would return the bell back to this forest one day. Her side still hurt when she pulled at it, so maneuvering her arms through the sleeves was trickier than normal – especially with that blasted felidrake perched on her head and too stubborn to move – but still she managed. The felidrake had finally had enough of her jostling around and leaped off her head towards the bird. Hidden under her jacket, Oliver's bell was heavy against her chest. A tiny smile, softer than she expected, found its way to Meryn's lips.

She glanced over her shoulder at the angry voices cresting up towards the temple, grabbing her attention. When she saw Alex taking a swing at Spook, she gave a little huff and shook her head. Personally, she hoped Alex decked that jackass. Then she had an idea. Turning herself so she was still sitting, but now facing the others down the hill, she grabbed the magnus lens and raised it to her eye. She wondered what sort of dreams Spook had.

[Mokley]

The view through the magus lens presented Meryn with the following scene:

Alex, poised for another jab at the Traveler, was positively radiating yellow and red spirals that flickered and spun and whirred all around him. He wore his heart on his sleeve and perhaps loved too much; the forms that surrounded him were hostile toward Spook and protective of the felidrakes and of his fellow cityfolk.

Emma's dreams were blue and green and white, except for dark spots like bruises that marked them; they flitted and pulsed like fireflies in the air around her, changing color, faltering only occasionally. At the moment they were spinning and sparking, alarmed that a child was missing. A few of them even moved forward ahead of Emma, as if to check around the trees for Lux's presence.

Lily's dreams were steely pink and deep blue, angled and deliberate and a bit fuzzy; they clung to her shoulders and sat on her head like wise little angels. At the moment their little wings were outstretched, angered and holding their ground. There was a sense that they had suffered a great loss, but remained bright through sheer determination.

Kelsier's dreams were jet black, sharp as knives and shimmered like oil. They hovered over his shoulders obediently, and they moved in flashes. There was something organic at the center of those jagged edges -- something that seemed to always be watching, maybe even hoping. It glowed slightly orange, flickering in and out.

Spook was . . . empty. Where everyone else was a tumult of motion and color, Spook stood calm and serene and void of any hint of a dream.

"Why are you here?" Spook went on. He lowered the cage and tipped his masked head at Alex. "You're bored?" He glanced toward Emma. "Running away from something?" To Kelsier, "Looking for something?" To Lily, "Or maybe there's just nothing left for you back there." His grinning voice matched the mask's smile.

"This is how all Travellers start: alone, unsatisfied, scared, determined. At first it's a field trip, the wonders of the forest and the discovery of magic and freedom. Then you make decisions." He held the cage over the void again for a moment, then thought better of it and instead shoved the cage into Alex's arms. With a scuff of his boot he broke one of the lines of the sigil, and the portal vanished without a trace.

"If there's anyone back in that city that you'd like to keep safe, you'll come with me -- because this disease has already claimed half the surrounding cities, and I'm here to make sure Enn doesn't become one of them." He gestured to the cage in Alex's hands. "If that starts to look or act strange, bring it to me immediately."

He wasn't smiling anymore.

[jordy0403]

"If there's anyone back in that city that you'd like to keep safe, you'll come with me -- because this disease has already claimed half the surrounding cities, and I'm here to make sure Enn doesn't become one of them." He gave the cage to me. "If that starts to look or act strange, bring it to me immediately." Spook said. I was stunned. He just changed in an instant. This disease had taken half the cities around us? I looked at the Felidrake. I started checking it, mainly to see if it was hurt, but it didn't seem to be. No disease seemed to have taken it either. Hopefully it would stay that way. I used a spare strap on my rucksack to tie the cage to it. "What about the others?" I asked, to no-one in particular. "How are we going to move them?"

[c3p-0h]

When Meryn peered through the magus lens to see the scene below, she felt her breath stop in her chest. It was just a tiny moment, a pause in her heartbeat as her lips parted. And then time hiccuped back into place and the air in her lungs released. Seeing her companions' dreams… they were beautiful, each of them. They fit so well, and yet all seemed to catch her off guard as Meryn saw them glisten in the air. It felt… intimate. Almost intrusive, as though she had no right to witness things so personal and unique. And yet Meryn was still endlessly grateful for the opportunity. She took her time, cataloguing each one.

Alex's explosive passion, Emma's quiet tenderness, Lily's rich maturity, Kelsier's measured focus, and Spook's… nothing. Her eyebrows pulled together at that. Where were the Traveller's dreams? He had to have at least one, didn't he? New questions piled on top of old ones Meryn had already collected concerning their mysterious guide. Was it because of those runes stained across his skin? His mask? What if he was something… else? Something unseeable by the magus lens? Meryn's face pinched more in concentration as she pulled the trinket away from her face.

She looked again down at the scene, now devoid of the fantastical manifestations. Meryn was too far away to hear what they were saying, and the only one facing in her direction was Spook. His mask gave her no clue as to what was being discussed. But she watched the body language change, saw how the mood so subtly tensed. Alex had stopped throwing punches, at least.

Meryn forced herself to her feet, grimacing at the pain but otherwise ignoring it. She glanced over her shoulder at the bird. Her head bobbed in thanks and a small, crooked smile appeared on her face. Then she scooped up the annoyed felidrake – claws and all – and plodded back down the hill. She'd spent long enough perched up there. Best to get back to the group. Slipping the magus lens in her bag, she listened to the muffled sounds of the bell under her jacket.

She reached the group as Spook finished his ominous speech, coming to stand a bit behind Lily. What had he said? Something about a disease? Meryn's eyebrows pulled together again and she glanced from Alex to the caged felidrake and back to Spook. Then she looked down at the lethargic creature in her hands.

Now, Meryn didn't trust Spook as far as she could throw him. Not since he'd remained an enigma to the magus lens, and certainly not since that stunt with the serpent monster. But if he knew more about this disease that was threatening Enn, then it seemed wise to defer to him. She gave a short whistle from her spot behind the group to get his attention. Though of course, it was impossible to tell behind that mask of his. Her eyes were narrowed a bit as she focused on him, still trying to figure out who he was underneath everything else. She raised the felidrake a bit in a silent question.

[hoppiholla391]

The moment Spook explained the epidemic that had apparently spread to these felidrakes, Lily's let loose a long-suffering sigh. For just a moment, she sagged, her head bowing between her shoulders—and then she was standing and brushing off her hands, fast enough the moment of exhaustion might have just been a trick of the light, shoulders back and chin high.

"Thank you, Spook," she said pleasantly, turning away with one last glance at the innocently grassy earth where the magic circle had lain just moments before. She planted her hands on her hips, nodding to the Traveller. "It is quite nice to know what's going on, for once. However, it's also nice to give the little critters a chance, no?" Personally, once the full scope of the problem was revealed, Lily was more willing to listen to Spook, as long as he had a good reason—the felidrakes were cute, but a handful of beasts was nothing compared to cities full of fathers and daughters and aunts and grandmothers.

Lily moved briskly to grab her pack from where she'd set it when Spook called for volunteers at the circle, resettling it on her shoulders and giving one last brush off to her knees. She was quiet—her movements signified her deferral to Spook's leadership well enough, and anyway, she didn't trust herself to speak further for now.

If the surrounding cities had been wiped out by disease, what had happened to her sisters?

[Mokley]

"What about the others?" I asked, to no-one in particular. "How are we going to move them?"

@jordy0403

Spook tipped his head at Alex; there were four other cages besides the one now attached to Alex's rucksack, all of which contained ratty, yowling felidrakes. They hissed and clawed at the corners and slammed their leathery wings against the bars with a clanging noise.

Behind them, the Temple of Spring Whistling echoed a beautiful chord.

"We'll manage well enough," Spook said pleasantly, and he reached out a gloved hand, offering to carry a cage himself.

"Thank you, Spook," she said pleasantly, turning away with one last glance at the innocently grassy earth where the magic circle had lain just moments before. She planted her hands on her hips, nodding to the Traveller. "It is quite nice to know what's going on, for once. However, it's also nice to give the little critters a chance, no?"

If the surrounding cities had been wiped out by disease, what had happened to her sisters?

@hoppiholla391

"Yes, I suppose it is," Spook answered, though with an air of skepticism, as if he were smiling stiffly through the words. "I admit, I've been chasing infected potentials for so long that sometimes I forget just that." He watched her a moment. "But I can help you find the person you're concerned for."

She gave a short whistle from her spot behind the group to get his attention. Though of course, it was impossible to tell behind that mask of his. Her eyes were narrowed a bit as she focused on him, still trying to figure out who he was underneath everything else. She raised the felidrake a bit in a silent question.

@c3p-0h

Spook had barely taken hold of the cage when a whistle raised his head. The glassy eyes of his mask stared through her for awhile -- or rather, he watched the dreams that whirled around her head, through the magus lenses in his mask.

"You weren't here when I told everyone that it's impossible to tell now whether the felidrake has been infected," he called to her at the back of the group. "There is no blood test, no spell, no examination that could tell the difference between a healthy animal and an infected one -- until it begins to show symptoms, at which point it is imperative it is destroyed as quickly as possible." He spoke more quickly than he had before, his posture straighter -- though it was unclear whether he had shaken a facade or was putting one on. The smile showed through the sound of his voice.

Spook lifted the cage in his hand. "It'll go into a trance, stop eating, and its eyes will glaze over. Then, black crystals grow on its skin, usually behind the ears or under the chin. In half a day, the entire body will be consumed by crystals. When the body dies, the crystals dissolve in the air and infect anyone and anything that surrounds it. Even if the host is killed before the crystals form -- even if the body is burned -- the chance is still too great that the remains will cause further infection."

The felidrake in Meryn's hands stretched its wings and yawned.

Spook laughed quietly. "I've never been much for monologues. Here." With his free hand he reached into his inside jacket pocket and took out three folded sheets of paper. He handed one each to Alex, Lily, Meryn and Emma. On each of the pages was a different circular, geometric sigil.

"Use these in an emergency," was all he said about them, before he turned and began walking down the ruined road, away from the city of Enn. "If we're to get anything done, I suppose we'll take the felidrakes to the Lady of the Lake," he called back to them, even as his back was turned. "This way."

Ahead, the forest was thicker, and the road had been broken and overgrown so well by the intruding woods that very little of it was left. The statues still peeked through moss and vines, watching with grinning faces from beneath fallen rotting trees. Soon, the chorus of whistling and the tinkle of bells would be gone, replaced only by thick trees and quiet shadows.

[c3p-0h]

Meryn's expression morphed from wary to frightful as Spook fully explained the situation – and the risks. She looked from the yowling felidrakes in the cages, to the one Alex was carrying, and finally to the little devil in her hands. If what Spook said was true (and that was a big if, in Meryn's opinion – she still didn't trust the Traveller a lick) then these creatures were little more than ticking time bombs. Her mind flashed through the people of Enn. Familiar faces appeared behind her eyes, people Meryn had never been close to – and some who'd been less than kind to her – but still undeniable threads in the fabric of her life. She thought of those people, kind, cruel, mothers, sons, friends… were they really in such danger?

She was snatched out of her thoughts when Spook pushed a paper into her hand. A sigil, circular and precise, was drawn on it. Meryn raised an eyebrow at Spook to see him giving similar papers to Alex and Lily. And of course, no actual explanation about them was given.

'Use these in an emergency,' he said. Meryn couldn't help the exasperated huff of air that escaped her. Nothing on what they did or what counted as an emergency. She rolled her eyes and slipped the paper into her bag. But there was an undercurrent of nervousness – or excitement – under her annoyance.

Meryn looked to Lily and Alex before stepping forward, after Spook.

[Mokley]

The path they walked was old and deep; it wound between ancient trees and under dark canopies filled with chattering and rustling. There was barely room to walk single-file between the thick brush and mossy trunks and fallen trees and boulders knotted with vines. Strange insects buzzed, bright butterflies fluttered among hanging tendrils of flowers overhead.

The felidrakes all went quiet and curled into frightened balls of fluff and scales.

Spook slowly closed his fingers around the hilt of his sword.

_{humans trespassing.}

A chorus of flutelike whispers hissed in the air around the travelers. The woods were stifled, quiet and dark.

_{they burn us.}

Something lithe and dark shifted among the leaves. It clung to the tree with graceful limbs, watching them with silver eyes.

_{they break us.}

Something thin and sinister skittered down the trunk of a tree. Its eyes flashed, and it giggled hollowly.

_{we will burn them.}

Leaves rustled all around them. Eyes shimmered in the shadows -- hundreds of silver eyes, swaying and blinking in the darkness.

Ahead, the end of the path was clear: beyond the next bend of the road, the forest ended abruptly and the path continued into a sunny flatland. They just had to break into a run, and within a few moments would be free of the woods and the whispers.

_{we will break them.}

It all happened so fast.

Spook turned, his sword half-pulled from the scabbard, as a child-shaped, wood-skinned creature leaped like a spider upon him. Spook thrust the blade clean through its chest, but the thing clung to him like a parasite, pressed a splintered hand against his mask and engulfed his head in living, churning wood that erupted from the creature's arm.

Spook -- blinded, suffocating and off-balance -- tore at the creature in a fruitless attempt to shove it off of him, but the thing was fastened tightly. The creature shoved a splinter into his chest, and Spook reeled backward and slammed into a boulder like a ragdoll.

The path to the open plain was clear.

Whispers hissed all around them, and a swarm of creatures scrabbled closer.

<sub>they burn us.

they break us.

we will burn them.

we will break them.</sub>

[hoppiholla391]

The forest would have been beautiful if it didn’t make her skin crawl. Objectively, it should have been perfect—delicate flowers dangling from the branches, jewel toned insects flying by innocently, emerald green moss softening the edges of boulders—but the whole place just reminded her of grave dust. Still, suffocating, and ominous, and that was before the whispering started. Lily gritted her teeth, the sibilance hitting just the right spot to raise the hair on the back of her neck, and kept her eyes on the sunlit break in the trees before them. Once they left the forest, she could think about the things she actually wanted to—like which question to ask Spook first, and what to make a new bandage for Meryn out of, and how to politely ask Alexander if she could steal his pistol for a while.

One moment it was tranquil—rather, as tranquil as it could be, walking through a creepy whispering forest with the tension still thick between the group, a neatly folded magic glyph tucked down the front of her shirt when a few hours ago she hadn't truly believed magic existed. The next, a tree was trying to eat their guide.

From a new low, to a newer, even lower low.

So soon after being menaced by a giant dragon, and as a usually levelheaded person, Lily's reserves of panic were spent. Her first instinct was to chuck a torch at the thing, but considering the proximity to Spook's face and the fact that the trees were already understandably upset about being set on fire, that was probably...not wise. She also doubted that reasoning with angry trees would do much good—it wasn't like they were wrong. Which left one obvious course of action: run.

"Buggery fuckwit—" she growled, hand twitching toward her front before she hesitated—she didn't want to waste the only magic she had minutes after she got it. Instead, she reversed its path and lunged, grabbing Spook’s flailing free hand with both of hers. She dug her heels in and heaved with all her might towards the end of the path—and the edge of the treeline. One was bad enough; they didn’t need to give those other things the chance to attack. "Come on—head for the plain!”

[jordy0403]

So, I've got a magicky scrolly thingy... and now, Spook's getting poked by tree babies. Now, I don't really like Spook, but, how fun can it be to have stakes in you? So, I drew my sword, while putting the Felidrakes cage on the ground, away from Spooks, and, trying not to hit him, slashed at the tree babies. Please don't hit Spook, please don't hit Spook, please don't hit Spook, ok, maybe just, possibly nick him a little bit? After all, he did want to chuck the Felidrakes into nothingness.