Jade Beach
The sand, up close, did not gradually become filled with sea-grasses as it drew closer to the forest, contrary to what Piper had originally thought. Instead, the sand itself became a rich green color, as though the ground itself was alive.
As they drew close to the forest’s abrupt beginning, a long, low note sounded from a horn, far off in the distance. Team Thunderstorm looked around for the source, but were unable to find anything. Something about the sound of it was unnerving, as though Piper should recognize it, but it was beyond her recollection to remember. It was enough to tame her wild spirits at finally beginning the adventure of a lifetime, and got her to actually start paying attention to the landscape.
The beach itself was a long, flat bit of sand, whose end at the forest’s edge was, while abrupt, level and smooth. Tall mountains could be seen over the tops of the trees.
“Hey, Piper, we should probably look for a better way through the forest here, it looks like the trees get really thick,” Chumi warned, looking into the shaded Jaded Woods.
“Yeah, let’s stick with the beach for now. Maybe we can find a river to follow!” Piper said.
And so, they skirted the edge of the dark woods, on the green beach between the bright blue sea and the deep green forest. The sand, it seemed, didn’t stop at the beach’s edge. It just looked that way, what with the green color it took on. The map recorded all of the land they explored with excellent detail, even providing a convenient marker for there exactly they were. It could be fooled, but only by a competent magician, something that both of them were certain this new land lacked. After all, the only magicians that weren’t known by the Orb Arcane Flying Records Repository were necromancers, run-of-the-mill wicked witches that can’t do anything but sacrificial magic, and the occasional martial wizard. No wizards were on the island, none powerful enough to fool any spells Chumi could make.
As they walked, the initially smooth, long beach slowly became bumpier, though never enough to really be called dunes. The forest’s landscape followed those hills as well. Beyond one such sandy hump, they found what they were looking for.
“Ha! Knew there would be a river somewhere around here,” Piper said, “It’s small, but we can definitely ride this!”
“I can’t swim, Piper,” Chumi reminded. Again. For the eighth time since they left Port.
“Oh, right. We’ll have to follow the edge, then,” Piper was a little disappointed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wanted for Chumi to realize that male magicians being completely unable to swim was a complete myth, but she’d convince him someday.
The edge of the far side of the river was a little less dense than the side they were on. Piper could have sworn she could see a little animal trail branching away from it.
The stream was small enough that they could easily leap over it, though Piper preferred to wade. small, silly looking little fish lived in the brackish creek, and they curiously poked at her legs as she made her way through.
Now on the correct side of the river, they looked into the woodlands they were about to enter.
“Good call on finding the creek here, there’s no way we wouldn’t get lost in there otherwise,” Piper noted, looking at the very dense foliage now visible along the far side.
“We have a path! We have a goal! Time to find our fortune!” Chumi exclaimed. Piper’s spirits instantly lifted.
“Yeah! We’re gonna map out the world, starting with this Jaded Woodland!”
They stepped in unison towards the forest. The sand was still a deep green here. Within moments, the trees surrounded them, and the grand openness of the bright blue sea was but a recent memory. Piper looked back for a moment, at the small window of it now visible, nodded, and pressed forward. The eerie horn from before had all but passed from her mind.
The sand, up close, did not gradually become filled with sea-grasses as it drew closer to the forest, contrary to what Piper had originally thought. Instead, the sand itself became a rich green color, as though the ground itself was alive.
As they drew close to the forest’s abrupt beginning, a long, low note sounded from a horn, far off in the distance. Team Thunderstorm looked around for the source, but were unable to find anything. Something about the sound of it was unnerving, as though Piper should recognize it, but it was beyond her recollection to remember. It was enough to tame her wild spirits at finally beginning the adventure of a lifetime, and got her to actually start paying attention to the landscape.
The beach itself was a long, flat bit of sand, whose end at the forest’s edge was, while abrupt, level and smooth. Tall mountains could be seen over the tops of the trees.
“Hey, Piper, we should probably look for a better way through the forest here, it looks like the trees get really thick,” Chumi warned, looking into the shaded Jaded Woods.
“Yeah, let’s stick with the beach for now. Maybe we can find a river to follow!” Piper said.
And so, they skirted the edge of the dark woods, on the green beach between the bright blue sea and the deep green forest. The sand, it seemed, didn’t stop at the beach’s edge. It just looked that way, what with the green color it took on. The map recorded all of the land they explored with excellent detail, even providing a convenient marker for there exactly they were. It could be fooled, but only by a competent magician, something that both of them were certain this new land lacked. After all, the only magicians that weren’t known by the Orb Arcane Flying Records Repository were necromancers, run-of-the-mill wicked witches that can’t do anything but sacrificial magic, and the occasional martial wizard. No wizards were on the island, none powerful enough to fool any spells Chumi could make.
As they walked, the initially smooth, long beach slowly became bumpier, though never enough to really be called dunes. The forest’s landscape followed those hills as well. Beyond one such sandy hump, they found what they were looking for.
“Ha! Knew there would be a river somewhere around here,” Piper said, “It’s small, but we can definitely ride this!”
“I can’t swim, Piper,” Chumi reminded. Again. For the eighth time since they left Port.
“Oh, right. We’ll have to follow the edge, then,” Piper was a little disappointed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wanted for Chumi to realize that male magicians being completely unable to swim was a complete myth, but she’d convince him someday.
The edge of the far side of the river was a little less dense than the side they were on. Piper could have sworn she could see a little animal trail branching away from it.
The stream was small enough that they could easily leap over it, though Piper preferred to wade. small, silly looking little fish lived in the brackish creek, and they curiously poked at her legs as she made her way through.
Now on the correct side of the river, they looked into the woodlands they were about to enter.
“Good call on finding the creek here, there’s no way we wouldn’t get lost in there otherwise,” Piper noted, looking at the very dense foliage now visible along the far side.
“We have a path! We have a goal! Time to find our fortune!” Chumi exclaimed. Piper’s spirits instantly lifted.
“Yeah! We’re gonna map out the world, starting with this Jaded Woodland!”
They stepped in unison towards the forest. The sand was still a deep green here. Within moments, the trees surrounded them, and the grand openness of the bright blue sea was but a recent memory. Piper looked back for a moment, at the small window of it now visible, nodded, and pressed forward. The eerie horn from before had all but passed from her mind.